cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Robust feature front-end for speaker identification

One important challenge for speaker identification (SID) system is sustained performance in diverse conditions. This study presents a novel front-end feature extraction method for SID in clean, noisy, and channel-mismatched acoustic conditions. To address the problem, the perceptual minimum variance distortionless response (PMVDR) feature is employed. While PMVDR has been successfully used for noisy ASR, it has not been considered for SID. We also incorporate longer temporal speaker knowledge based on the shifted delta cepstral (SDC) algorithm. The evaluation over YOHO and another new diversified Robust Open-Set Speaker Identification (ROSSI) database show that both PMVDR and the union with SDC can improve performance significantly. Compared with traditional feature extraction, PMVDR and PMVDR-SDC always give improvement across diverse adverse conditions. Also, PMVDR-SDC can contribute additional improvement in the presence of noise and channel mismatch.
Prevalence and Characteristics of Abnormal Head Posture in Children with Down Syndrome: A 20-Year Retrospective, Descriptive Review

Purpose To characterize the abnormal head posture (AHP) in children with Down syndrome (DS). The study had 3 aims: to estimate the prevalence of AHP, to describe the distribution of different causes for AHP, and to evaluate the long-term outcomes of AHP in children with DS evaluated at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics between 1989 and 2009. Design Retrospective chart review. Participants Two hundred fifty-nine patient records. Methods The study data were analyzed using chi-square tests (the Fisher exact test when appropriate) to describe the relationship between the outcome of interest and each study covariate. A predictive logistic regression model for AHP was constructed including all the significant covariates. Main Outcome Measures Abnormal head posture. Results Over the study period, 259 records of patients with DS were identified. Of these, 64 (24.7%) patients had AHP. The most frequent cause of AHP was incomitant strabismus in 17 (26.6%) of 64 patients. The second most frequent cause of AHP was nystagmus, in 14 (21.8%) of 64 patients. For a substantial number of patients with AHP, the cause could not be determined. They represented 12 (18.8%) of all the patients with AHP in this study and 12 (4.6%) of all patients with DS examined. When compared with patients with AHP from a determined cause, this subgroup has a statistically significantly ( P = 0.027, Fisher exact test) higher percentage of atlantoaxial instability. In the study population, 9 (14.1%) of 64 patients with AHP had more than 1 cause for AHP. Refractive errors, ptosis, unilateral hearing loss, and neck and spine musculoskeletal abnormalities were responsible for AHP in a small percentage of patients. Of all the patients with AHP, 23 (35.9%) improved their head posture with treatment (glasses or surgery). An additional 6 (9.4%) patients improved their posture spontaneously, over time and without treatment. Conclusions The prevalence of AHP in the children with DS evaluated was 24.7%. From this analysis, having strabismus of any kind and particularly incomitant strabismus, nystagmus, or both is highly correlated with the development of an AHP. Almost 19% of DS patients with AHP had no definitive cause that could be determined. Financial Disclosure(s) The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.
Early silica cementation and subsequent diagenesis in arenites from four early Proterozoic iron formations of North America

ABSTRACT In four unmetamorphosed, North American iron formations that display arenitic (granular) textures, much of the chert and megaquartz occupies former intergranular pore space and exhibits textures typical of cements. Iron-bearing phases are very rare in these cements, excluding replacive crystals. Cracks and more irregular cavities that formed in these arenites soon after deposition (probably via the shrinkage of gelatinous silica) are filled with similar chert and megaquartz cements. Silica-cemented intraclastic pebbles of arenite, local occurrences of cross-stratified, cherty internal sediments resting on the cements, and numerous zones where the abundance of cement equals the porosity of comparable modern sands indicate the cementation commenced near the sediment-water interface. Opa ine silica, fibrous silica polymorphs, and megaquartz druses are inferred to have been the most voluminous initial precipitates, and they are very inhomogeneously distributed. Silica concentrations in the pore waters of newly deposited iron-formation sands must therefore have been high but variable. The lack of evidence for subaerial desiccation or normal saline deposits renders an evaporative origin for either the cements, or iron formations as a whole, highly unlikely. Steeper geothermal gradients are suggested as a more likely cause of rapid silica cementation, and silica cements from geothermal areas show very similar textures. Most of the cements in iron-formation arenites were affected by neomorphism, replacement, mechanical compaction, and/or pressure solution. Regardless of their origin, the cements are noteworthy for the following reasons: they indicate that modern iron formations are enriched in silica relative to their precursor sediments; they provide new evidence that iron formations are not replaced limestones or dolomites; and the iron minerals they are associated with are probably the closest approaches to primary ferruginous phases in iron-formation arenites. Early silica cements also appear to be widespread in lutitic or banded iron formations in the form of chert pods.
Training for my Life: Lived Experiences of Dislocated Workers in an Advanced Manufacturing Training Program

This qualitative paper explores the lived experiences of one group of workers dislocated because of globalized trade policies who completed a hybrid Advanced Manufacturing Training Program (AMTP) by taking advantage of Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA), a federally-funded program for retraining workers dislocated because of trade policies. The research questions focus on how satisfied these workers are with the services and programs provided by TAA. Focus groups and survey instrument results indicate these workers found TAA services and processes cumbersome and time- consuming and actually had the effect of discouraging their education, training, and self- employment. The consequences of their dislocation as it relates to TAA experiences are increased frustration and dissatisfaction with the TAA program. Serious consideration for TAA policy changes should be deemed of utmost importance.
The Mechanical Consequences of Anomalous Atrioventricular Excitation (WPW Syndrome)

The mechanical consequences of anomalous atrioventricular excitation were studied in 12 patients by means of phonocardiograms, carotid pulse tracings, and in one instance, by data from cardiac catheterization. Three of these patients were also observed during normal conditions so that they supplied their own control data. In five instances mechanical anomalies were detectable as a consequence of the electrocardiographic abnormality. These anomalies were complex and consisted in one case of early onset and completion of ejection on both sides, and in another case of early completion on the left side. In three instances there was late activation on the contralateral side and possibly on the homolateral side as well. The remaining cases exhibited no such abnormalities by the methods studied, and in one subject this is illustrated with records made during both anomalous and normal conduction. The literature pertaining to this problem is critically reviewed, and an attempt is made to interpret both the previous and the present observations. The divergent nature of the observations suggests that the effect of anomalous excitation on the mechanics of the heart is the resultant of a number of variables, including the transmission time through the atrioventricular node and the site of entry of the anomalous focus. It is possible that the atrioventricular node does not function in some cases in which Wolff-Parkinson-White conduction is always present and it is not possible to induce normal beats with drugs, exercise, or respiratory maneuvers.
Optimal trajectory generation in ocean flows

In this paper it is shown that Lagrangian Coherent Structures (LCS) are useful in determining near optimal trajectories for autonomous underwater gliders in a dynamic ocean environment. This opens the opportunity for optimal path planning of autonomous underwater vehicles by studying the global flow geometry via dynamical systems methods. Optimal glider paths were computed for a 2-dimensionaI kinematic model of an end-point glider problem. Numerical solutions to the optimal control problem were obtained using Nonlinear Trajectory Generation (NTG) software. The resulting solution is compared to corresponding results on LCS obtained using the Direct Lyapunov Exponent method. The velocity data used for these computations was obtained from measurements taken in August, 2000, by HF-Radar stations located around Monterey Bay, CA, USA.
Modulation Studies of Alkaline Phosphatase in Human Choriocarcinoma Cells

The BeWo line of human choriocarcinoma has been studied in an attempt to understand the phased expression of AP in normal placenta and genome derepression in certain cancers. Be Wo contains at least two species of AP. The major activity is heat-stable and has amino acid inhibition characteristics similar to the D-variant isoenzyme of normal term placenta. The other activity is heat-labile and has characteristics which suggest it may be the same as the AP isoenzyme recently found in first trimester placenta. In Be Wo, AP is not influenced by cAMP. Both AP activities can be increased by butyrate. Halogenated pyrimidines are known to increase AP activity in cell lines with low constitutive activity. In BeWo, IdU results in increased activity of both heat-stable AP and heat-labile AP. The time course of increased activity as well as the ability to prevent the increase with excess TdR suggest that IdU must be incorporated into DNA to have an effect.
Teaching Big Brother to be a team player: computer monitoring and quality

Executive Overview Computer monitoring should not be seen as a way of gathering information about workers, per se, but rather as one part of a production and quality strategy that provides needed information to a diverse team of workers. In its most powerful and effective form, computer monitoring is the use of computers to collect, process, and provide feedback information about work with the intent of improving performance and developing employees. Unfortunately, computer monitoring has also been used to punish employees. Here, a study of a successful computer monitoring system at Hughes Aircraft Company is described. The study shows that computer monitoring can facilitate integrated production and quality control strategies without negative effects on employee quality of work life. Managers who wish to design and effectively use computer monitoring systems should: (1) Use the monitoring system to provide feedback data to the workforce—not to gather social information (e.g.. time taken for bathroom brea...
The W-Index for Residential Water Conservation

: An index of residential water efficiency - a “W-Index” - can serve as a measure of effectiveness of water conservation features in the home. The index provides a calculated numerical value for each dwelling unit, derived from the number and kind of water-saving features present, including indoor and outdoor water savers and water harvesting or recycling systems. A W-Index worksheet, devised for on-site evaluation of single-family residences in the Tucson, Arizona, region shows that a nonconserving residence with all the water-using features would use 151,000 gallons per year or 148 gallons per capita per day (gpcpd), while the fully conserving model would use 35,300 gallons per year or 35 gpcpd and with water harvesting and graywater recycling systems would have a maximum W-Index of W-160. A Tucson water conservation demonstration home, Casa del Agua, received a rating of W-139, and field tests of about 30 homes in new Tucson subdivisions show values ranging from W-75 to W-100, indicating the incorporation of some water conservation in current new models. By adjustment of some climatic or water-use parameters, the W-Index format can be applied to various types of dwelling units or to other urban areas. The W-Index can be used by individual homeowners or builders to evaluate water efficiency of residential units, or by water providers or water management agencies as a device for promoting and achieving water conservation goals.
Narratives from Popular Culture: Critical Implications for Adult Education.

This chapter critically examines six political television narratives: The Weather Channel, The Fox News Channel, 24, The Rachel Maddow Show, The Daily Show, and Torchwood. The implications of those television narratives, their impact on adult learners, and suggestions for classroom practice are discussed.
Niclosamide Overcomes Acquired Resistance to Erlotinib through Suppression of STAT3 in Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer

The emergence of resistance to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor therapy is a major clinical problem for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The mechanisms underlying tumor resistance to inhibitors of the kinase activity of EGFR are not fully understood. Here we found that inhibition of EGFR by erlotinib induces STAT3 phosphorylation at Tyr705 in association with increased Bcl2/Bcl-XL at both mRNA and protein levels in various human lung cancer cells. PTPMeg2 is a physiologic STAT3 phosphatase that can directly dephosphorylate STAT3 at the Tyr705 site. Intriguingly, treatment of cells with erlotinib results in downregulation of PTPMeg2 without activation of STAT3 kinases (i.e. JAK2 or c-Src), suggesting that erlotinib enhanced phosphorylation of STAT3 may occur, at least in part, from suppression of PTPMeg2 expression. Since elevated levels of phosphorylated STAT3 (pSTAT3), Bcl2 and Bcl-XL were observed in erlotinib-resistant lung cancer (HCC827/ER) cells as compared to erlotinib-sensitive parental HCC827 cells, we postulate that erlotinib-activated STAT3/Bcl2/Bcl-XL survival pathway may contribute to acquired resistance to erlotinib. Both blockage of Tyr705 phosphorylation of STAT3 by niclosamide and depletion of STAT3 by RNA interference in HCC827/ER cells reverses erlotinib resistance. Niclosamide in combination with erlotinib potently represses erlotinib-resistant lung cancer xenografts in association with increased apoptosis in tumor tissues, suggesting that niclosamide can restore sensitivity to erlotinib. These findings uncover a novel mechanism of erlotinib resistance and provide a novel approach to overcome resistance by blocking the STAT3/Bcl2/Bcl-XL survival signaling pathway in human lung cancer.
Activation Heat in Frog Sartorius Muscle

Upon excitation of a muscle with two stimuli and variation of the interval between them up to the end of the period of full mechanical fusion, an increment of the isometric heat over that found in a single twitch is obtained. This is a good approximation to the activation heat, directly at 0°C, or after certain corrections which become important at higher temperature. The activation heat so found is independent of the muscle length and nearly independent of temperature. It is increased by nitrate and caffeine.
Isobaric analog states of the tin and tellurium isotopes studied with the (3He, t) reaction at θL = 0°

Abstract The Sn( 3 He, t)Sb and Te( 3 He, t)I reactions to the g.s. isobaric analog states (IAS) of 112, 114, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 122, 124 Sn and 124, 125, 126, 128, 130 Te have been studied at θ = 0° and E( 3 He ) = 45.9 MeV . The Coulomb displacement energies decrease more slowly than A − 1 3 indicating that the rms radius of the nuclear matter distribution increases more slowly than A 1 3 . The total widths of the IAS are 10 to 60 keV and exhibit a pronounced odd- A even- A variation correlated with the excitation and decay energies of the IAS. Estimates of the decay and spreading widths have been obtained, with the latter yielding an isospin-mixing matrix element of about 1 keV. The ( 3 He, t) cross sections at 0° appear to be directly related to (p, n) total cross sections for the 0 + IAS. The cross sections for the Sn-Sb and Te-I isotopes, in contrast to accepted expressions, depend in a complicated manner on the neutron excess. A microscopic analysis gives an effective interaction ( μ = 1 fm −1 ) of V t · t = 11 ± 4 MeV. This is smaller than values obtained from analyses of ( 3 He, t) reactions on nuclei with A ⪅ 90, if one assumes a simple direct charge-exchange reaction.
Incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of fecal incontinence after acute brain injury: findings from the Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems national database.

Abstract Foxx-Orenstein A, Kolakowsky-Hayner S, Marwitz JH, Cifu DX, Dunbar A, Englander J, Francisco G. Incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of fecal incontinence after acute brain injury: findings from the Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems national database. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2003;84:231-7. Objective: To investigate the incidence, risk factors, and outcome in patients with fecal incontinence after acute brain injury. Design: A retrospective study of the incidence of and risk factors contributing to fecal incontinence, and outcomes at admission to and discharge from inpatient rehabilitation and at 1-year follow-up. Setting: Medical centers in the federally sponsored Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems (TBIMS). Participants: A total of 1013 consecutively enrolled rehabilitation inpatients from 17 TBIMS centers who were admitted to acute care within 24 hours of traumatic brain injury and seen at 1-year postinjury between 1990 and 2000. Interventions: Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures: Incidence of fecal incontinence, length of coma, length of posttraumatic amnesia (PTA), admission Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, length of stay (LOS), FIM[trade ] instrument scores, disposition at discharge and follow-up, and incidences of pelvic fracture, frontal contusion, and urinary tract infection (UTI). Results: The incidence of fecal incontinence was 68% at admission to inpatient rehabilitation, 12.4% at rehabilitation discharge, and 5.2% at 1-year follow-up. Analysis of variance and chi-square analyses revealed statistically significant associations between the incidence of fecal incontinence at rehabilitation admission and admission GCS score, length of coma and PTA, LOS, and incidence of UTI and frontal contusion. Fecal incontinence at rehabilitation discharge was significantly associated with several variables, including age, discharge disposition, admission GCS score, length of coma, PTA, LOS, FIM scores, and incidence of pelvic fracture and frontal contusion. Significant associations were also found between fecal incontinence at 1-year follow-up and age, discharge and current 1-year disposition, admission GCS score, length of coma, LOS, FIM scores, and incidence of UTI ( P [lt ].05). Although logistic regression analyses were significant ( P [lt ].001), and predicted continence with 100% accuracy, demographics, injury characteristics, medical complications, and functional outcomes did not predict incontinence at discharge and at 1-year follow-up. Conclusions: Fecal incontinence is a significant problem after brain injury. Certain factors may increase its likelihood. Further studies evaluating mechanisms of fecal incontinence and treatment or control interventions would be useful. [copy ] 2003 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Testing Problem Solving in Ravens: String-Pulling to Reach Food

The aim of our study was to re-examine the acquisition of problem-solving behaviour in ravens: accessing meat suspended from a perch by a string. In contrast to a previous study, here we: (i) controlled for possible effects of fear of the string, competition by dominants, and social learning and (ii) devised a mechanically equivalent but non-intuitive task to test for the possibility of means– end understanding. One-year-old ravens confronted with meat on a string for the first time tried several ways to reach the food. However, five of six birds suddenly performed a coherent sequence of pulling up and stepping on loops of string, essential for solving the problem. Those five birds were also successful in the nonintuitive task where they had to pull down the string to lift the meat. A second group of birds with similar exposure to strings but without any experience in pulling up meat failed the pull-down test. These results support the idea that the ravens behaviour in accessing meat on a string is not only a product of rapid learning but may involve some understanding of cause–effect relation between string, food and certain body parts.
Estimating and communicating prognosis in advanced neurologic disease

Prognosis can no longer be relegated behind diagnosis and therapy in high-quality neurologic care. High-stakes decisions that patients (or their surrogates) make often rest upon perceptions and beliefs about prognosis, many of which are poorly informed. The new science of prognostication—the estimating and communication “what to expect”—is in its infancy and the evidence base to support “best practices” is lacking. We propose a framework for formulating a prediction and communicating “what to expect” with patients, families, and surrogates in the context of common neurologic illnesses. Because neurologic disease affects function as much as survival, we specifically address 2 important prognostic questions: “How long?” and “How well?” We provide a summary of prognostic information and highlight key points when tailoring a prognosis for common neurologic diseases. We discuss the challenges of managing prognostic uncertainty, balancing hope and realism, and ways to effectively engage surrogate decision-makers. We also describe what is known about the nocebo effects and the self-fulfilling prophecy when communicating prognoses. There is an urgent need to establish research and educational priorities to build a credible evidence base to support best practices, improve communication skills, and optimize decision-making. Confronting the challenges of prognosis is necessary to fulfill the promise of delivering high-quality, patient-centered care.
The user is not the enemy: fighting malware by tracking user intentions

Current access control policies provide no mechanisms for incorporating user behavior in access control decisions, even though the way a user interacts with a program often indicates what the user expects that program to do. We develop a new approach to access control, focusing on single-user systems, in which the complete history of user and program actions can be used to improve the precision and expressiveness of access control policies. We describe mechanisms for securely capturing user actions, mapping those actions onto likely user intents, and a language for defining access control policies that incorporate user intentions. We implemented a prototype for capturing user intentions, and present results from experiments on malware mitigation using the prototype. Our results show that a very simple MAC policy can prevent a significant amount of system damage caused by malware while not interfering with most benign software.
Modified Pulse Adjustment Technique with Variable States to Control DC-DC Converters Operating in Discontinuous Conduction Mode and Driving Constant Power Loads

The stability of the DC power electronics based power distribution systems is a significant design consideration because of the potential for negative impedance induced instabilities. In this paper, Pulse Adjustment technique, a novel digital control technique to control DC-DC converters loaded by constant power loads (CPLs) is introduced. This novel digital control treats converter as a digital system and regulates output voltage with the help of two predefined state variables. This method uses high-power and low-power duty cycles instead of traditional PWM, to regulate the output voltage of converter. The constant power load behaviour is valid up to a certain frequency. An ideal constant power load is somehow the worst case, and for this reason the studies are done in the worst case. For transient situations we proposed a Modified version of Pulse Adjustment controlling method with variable high-power duty cycle which can stabilize the DC system. Besides, Pulse Adjustment technique with variable high-power duty cycle can be modified to achieve efficient line regulation.
Ultrathin gradient films using thiol‐ene polymerizations

The application of surface-attached, thiol-ene polymer films for controlling material properties in a gradient fashion across a surface was investigated. Thiol-ene films were attached to the surface by first depositing a thiol-terminated self-assembled monolayer and performing a thiol-ene photopolymerization reaction on the surface. Property gradients were created either by creating and modifying a gradient in the surface thiol density in the SAM or by changing the polymerization conditions or both. Film thickness was modified across the substrate by changing either the density of the anchoring thiol functional groups or by changing the reaction conditions such as exposure time. Thicker films (1–11 nm) were obtained by polymerizing acrylate polymer brushes from the surface with varying exposure time (0–60 s). The two factors, that is, the surface thiol density and the exposure time, were combined in orthogonal directions to obtain thiol-ene films with a two-dimensional thickness gradient with the maximum thickness being 4 nm. Finally, a thiol-acrylate Michael type addition reaction was used to modify the surface thiol density gradient with the cell-adhesive ligand, Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser (RGDS), which subsequently yielded a gradient in osteoblast density on the surface. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 7027–7039, 2006
A Cluster of Disease Resistance Genes in Arabidopsis Is Coordinately Regulated by Transcriptional Activation and RNA Silencing

The RPP5 (for recognition of Peronospora parasitica 5) locus in the Arabidopsis thaliana Columbia strain contains a cluster of paralogous disease Resistance (R) genes that play important roles in innate immunity. Among the R genes in this locus, RPP4 confers resistance to two races of the fungal pathogen Hyaloperonospora parasitica, while activation of SNC1 (for suppressor of npr1-1, constitutive 1) results in the resistance to another race of H. parasitica and to pathovars of the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae through the accumulation of salicylic acid (SA). Here, we demonstrate that other Columbia RPP5 locus R genes can be induced by transgenic overexpression of SNC1, which itself is regulated by a positive amplification loop involving SA accumulation. We also show that small RNA species that can target RPP5 locus R genes are produced in wild-type plants and that these R genes can be cosuppressed in transgenic plants overexpressing SNC1. Steady state expression levels of SNC1 increase in some mutants (dcl4-4, ago1-36, and upf1-5) defective in RNA silencing as well as in transgenic plants expressing the P1/Helper Component-Protease viral suppressor of RNA silencing. However, steady state levels of small RNA species do not change in mutants that upregulate SNC1. These data indicate many Columbia RPP5 locus R genes can be coordinately regulated both positively and negatively and suggest that the RPP5 locus is poised to respond to pathogens that disturb RNA silencing.
Rapid Evolution by Positive Darwinian Selection in T-Cell Antigen CD4 in Primates

CD4, an integral membrane glycoprotein, plays a critical role in the immune response and in the life cycle of simian and human immunodeficiency virus (SIV and HIV). Pairwise comparisons of orthologous human and mouse genes show that CD4 is evolving much faster than the majority of mammalian genes. The acceleration is too great to be attributed to a simple relaxation of the action of purifying selection alone. Here we show that the selective pressure acting on CD4 is highly variable between regions in the protein and identify codon sites under strong positive selection. We reconstruct the coding sequences for ancestral primate CD4s and model tertiary structures of all ancestral and extant sequences. Structural mapping of positively selected sites shows they distribute on the surface of the D1 domain of CD4, where the exogenous SIV gp120 protein binds. Moreover, structural models of the ancestral sequences show substantially larger variation in the interfacial electrostatic charge on CD4 and in the surface complementary between CD4 and gp120 in CD4 lineages from primates with natural SIV infections than those without. Thus, positive selection on CD4 among primates may reflect forces driven by SIV infection and could provide a link between changes in sequence and structure of CD4 during evolution and the interaction with the immunodeficiency virus.
Role of neutrophil elastase in LTB4-induced neutrophil transmigration in vivo assessed with a specific inhibitor and neutrophil elastase deficient mice.

Background and purpose: The serine protease neutrophil elastase (NE) appears to regulate inflammatory responses at multiple levels but its role in leukocyte transmigration in vivo remains unclear. The present study aimed to address this issue by using both an NE inhibitor (ONO-5046) and NE deficient (NE−/−) mice. Experimental approach: A number of inflammatory mediators (LTB4, KC and PAF) were investigated in vitro for their ability to stimulate the release and the surface expression of NE by neutrophils. In addition, the role of NE in leukocyte migration elicited by topical LTB4 was investigated in vivo in mouse cremasteric venules as observed by intravital microscopy. Key results: Amongst the mediators tested in vitro, LTB4 was found to be a highly potent and efficacious inducer of NE cell surface expression on murine neutrophils. Furthermore, in wild-type mice (WT), LTB4-induced leukocyte transmigration was reduced by intravenous ONO-5046 (66% inhibition), an effect that appeared to occur at the level of the perivascular basement membrane. Interestingly, LTB4-induced responses were normal in NE−/− mice and, while ONO-5046 had no inhibitory effect in these animals, the broad-spectrum serine protease inhibitor aprotinin suppressed leukocyte transmigration in both WT and NE−/− mice. Conclusions and implications: The findings demonstrate the potent ability of LTB4 to induce cell-surface expression of NE and provide evidence for the involvement of NE in LTB4-induced neutrophil transmigration in vivo. The results also suggest the existence of compensatory mechanisms in NE−/− mice, highlighting the added value of investigating pharmacological blockers in parallel with genetic deletion. British Journal of Pharmacology (2007) 151, 628–637; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0707267
Leak rate measurement comparisons [package seals]

Gross leak and fine leak test results on a series of 527 parts were checked by repeating the measurements or by using different test methods to gauge the accuracy of the methods. The parts had a large 17 cm/sup 3/ internal volume and were sealed in a laced sealing ambient using a target value of 10% helium. A spreadsheet was used to compare the initial fine and gross leak data with the verifying tests. The verifying tests consisted primarily of a repetition of the initial ambient gross leak test on all 527 parts and a fine leak test based on the radioisotope method on a sample of 41 parts. These comparisons were made to gauge error rates for the different methods and as a check on the accuracy of the Howl-Mann mass ratio scaling used in the "flexible" fine leak method.
SdeK, a Histidine Kinase Required for Myxococcus xanthus Development

The sdeK gene is essential to the Myxococcus xanthus developmental process. We reported previously, based on sequence analysis (A. G. Garza, J. S. Pollack, B. Z. Harris, A. Lee, I. M. Keseler, E. F. Licking, and M. Singer, J. Bacteriol. 180:4628--4637, 1998), that SdeK appears to be a histidine kinase. In the present study, we have conducted both biochemical and genetic analyses to test the hypothesis that SdeK is a histidine kinase. An SdeK fusion protein containing an N-terminal polyhistidine tag (His-SdeK) displays the biochemical characteristics of a histidine kinase. Furthermore, histidine 286 of SdeK, the putative site of phosphorylation, is required for both in vitro and in vivo protein activity. The results of these assays have led us to conclude that SdeK is indeed a histidine kinase. The developmental phenotype of a Delta sdeK1 strain could not be rescued by codevelopment with wild-type cells, indicating that the defect is not due to the mutant's inability to produce an extracellular signal. Furthermore, the Delta sdeK1 mutant was found to produce both A- and C-signal, based on A-factor and codevelopment assays with a csgA mutant, respectively. The expression patterns of several Tn5lacZ transcriptional fusions were examined in the Delta sdeK1-null background, and we found that all C-signal-dependent fusions assayed also required SdeK for full expression. Our results indicate that SdeK is a histidine kinase that is part of a signal transduction pathway which, in concert with the C-signal transduction pathway, controls the activation of developmental-gene expression required to progress past the aggregation stage.
Effects of Logo Programming on Understanding Variables

This study investigated whether there were significant differences in understanding the concept of variable and in attitudes toward mathematics among sixth-grade students (n = 89) who used a Logo graphics approach, students who used a textbook-based approach, and students who received no instruction on the concept of variable. A posttest of variable understanding (UCVI) was administered immediately and three weeks after instruction was completed. In addition, the Robustness Semantic Differential (an attitudinal survey) was given at the end of the instructional treatment. For the UCVI immediate test, the Logo group scored higher (p < .01) than the control group, but there was no significant difference between the Logo and the textbook groups. However, for the UCVI delayed retention test, the Logo group scored significantly higher (p < .01) than both the textbook and control groups. Analysis of the attitudinal survey indicated students had more positive attitudes toward computer-related aspects of instruction.
ADDITIONAL NEOTROPICAL TREMELLALES

SUMMARY Exidia pergamena and Dacrymyces ancoratus, new Tremellales from tropical America are described and additional distributional records of tremellaceous fungi from Venezuela and Colombia are reported.
Early immunologic diagnosis and prognosis of carcinoma. Philip Levine Award Address.

Isoantigens A, B, and H, present in epithelial cells of some normal tissues, could not be detected when carcinoma developed in these tissues. The specific red cell adherence test (SRCA), a modification of Coombs’ mixed cell agglutination test, was used for their detection. The test is highly sensitive and specific. The age of the paraffin-embedded tissues and hematoxylin-and-eosin stained slides did not affect the sensitivity and specificity of the test. The loss of the antigens was increasingly progressive from carcinoma in situ to anaplastic, invasive, and metastatic carcinoma, and is interpreted as evidence of immunologic dedifferentiation analogous to morphologic dedifferentiation of anaplasia. Three hundred and fifty-five primary carcinomas of the uterine cervix, lung, pancreas, and stomach, and 578 metastatic carcinomas of these organs were studied. With few exceptions, the loss of the isoantigens preceded the formation of distant metastases. The test holds promise (1) to be valuable in the diagnosis of early carcinoma in tissues that normally contain the three antigens and in the prognosis of advanced carcinoma; and (2) to reduce the need for radical surgery in carcinoma in situ of the cervix.
Visible through the Veil: The Regulation of Islam in American Law

This article examines the Muslim headscarf in light of recent debates about the accommodation of religion in U.S. public institutions. Recent quarrels over such matters as the phrase 'one nation under God' in the Pledge of Allegiance and the posting of the Ten Commandments in courthouses and other government buildings, foreground American attitudes about whether wearing the Muslim headscarf a practice deserving First Amendment protection. What legal claims have been raised by or on behalf of Muslim women wearing the headscarf in the United States? How do these comport with judicial doctrine on the separation of church and state? And what roles have religious advocacy groups played in promoting positions that have a bearing on how the headscarf is viewed? Viewing the law of regulation as productive rather than protective of the subject, this article analyzes how discourses and practices of secularism have been formed with respect to the question of wearing the Muslim headscarf in a variety of contexts.
Prevalence of myeloperoxidase gene expression in infant acute lymphocytic leukemia

The enzyme myeloperoxidase (MPO; donor: H2O2 oxidoreductase, EC1.11.1.7) is a well-established marker of myeloid differentiation. Most myeloid leukemias express MPO enzyme activity at the light microscopic level, whereas lymphoid leukemias characteristically lack such expression. However, the diagnostic significance of MPO RNA expression or of immunohistochemically detectable MPO protein expression in leukemic blasts is unclear. We studied the prevalence and diagnostic significance of MPO RNA and protein expression in 57 cases of MPO enzyme-negative infant B-precursor acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), since the blast cells in this condition have been reported to show a high incidence of coexpression of myeloid-associated antigens. MPO expression was compared with other clinical and laboratory parameters. Of the cases examined, 56% showed detectable MPO expression at the RNA or protein level or both. Most positive cases showed MPO protein in many leukemic blasts, whereas a few cases showed substantial MPO protein expression in only a few blast cells. MPO expression showed no significant correlation with other markers of myeloid differentiation. Leukemic lymphoblasts in infant ALL frequently express MPO at the RNA or protein level; this expression does not imply an overall myeloid phenotype. The leukemic blasts in infant ALL may derive from an immature hematopoietic precursor cell not fully committed to lymphoid differentiation.
Nicotine and Anatabine Exposure from Very Low Nicotine Content Cigarettes

Author(s): Denlinger, Rachel L; Smith, Tracy T; Murphy, Sharon E; Koopmeiners, Joseph S; Benowitz, Neal L; Hatsukami, Dorothy K; Pacek, Lauren R; Colino, Cirielle; Cwalina, Samantha N; Donny, Eric C | Abstract: Objectives:Research using very low nicotine content (VLNC) cigarettes has shown that participants underreport use of non-study cigarettes. Biomarkers of nicotine exposure could be used to verify compliance with VLNC cigarettes. This study aimed to characterize biomarkers of exposure when participants exclusively use VLNC cigarettes. Methods:23 participants stayed in a hotel that permitted smoking for 5 days and 4 nights. They were provided 2 packs of VLNC cigarettes each day (0.4 mg of nicotine/g of tobacco; Spectrum cigarettes) and did not have access to other tobacco products. 24-hour urine samples were collected to assess exposure to nicotine and anatabine. Results:After 4 days of exclusive use, the geometric means for urinary total cotinine, total nicotine equivalents (TNE), and anatabine were 1.13 nmol/ml (92% reduction), 3.17 nmol/ml (94% reduction) and 0.0031 nmol/ml (93% reduction). The population estimates of the 95th percentile of cotinine, TNE, and anatabine levels were 2.69, 6.41, and 0.0099 nmol/ml, respectively. Conclusions:Study participants exclusively smoking 0.4 mg/g Spectrum cigarettes are unlikely to have biomarker values above these levels. The data presented here will be valuable to researchers conducting research on use of VLNC cigarettes.
UNSTEADY REYNOLDS-AVERAGED NAVIER-STOKES PREDICTIONS OF THE FLOW AROUND A PROLATE SPHEROID

The purpose of this work is to evaluate the capability of the OVERFLOW code to predict the complex separated flow over a 1.37 m long 6:1 prolate spheroid at angle of attack 20˚ for a Re=4.2 E 6 and M=0.16. The grid refinement study examines the effects of grid refinements on near-body and far-field grids, and turbulence modeling on the boundary layer velocity profiles, the skin friction and the coefficient of pressure. The systematic refinement of the grid showed that the grid must have sufficient resolution in the circumferential directions in order to capture pressure gradients that lead to boundary layer separation. The study also showed the importance of continuity between the overset background mesh and the near-body grid. Different one and two equation turbulence models were examined. It was shown that Mentor’s Shear Stress Transport works well for the case of a 6:1 prolate spheroid. Future Studies could be done to quantify how “good” a grid is and to look at Detached Eddy simulation of structured grids applied to a spheroid. Nomenclature a∞ speed of sound (m/s)
Development of an autosterilization technique for the house fly.

Both sexes of Musca domestica L. were sterilized when they migrated through 10 cm of expanded polystyrene foam strands treated with 5% tepa. When 18 cm of the strands were used, the sterile males were equally or only slightly less competitive than normal males. Neither sex recovered fertility over 4 weeks. All adults emerging through treated strands that had been placed over pupae left undisturbed in the larval medium were sterilized. Ten days after emergence through the treated strands, the mortality of treated flies was 7% greater than that of untreated flies, but thereafter mortality was about equal. Native females were less receptive sexually to laboratory-reared sterilized males than to untreated native males. The maximum tepa recovered in flies that migrated through the treated strands was 21.1 μg per fly from the integument, 24.9 μg per fly from the homogenate, and 57.8 μg per fly from the environment.
Summary Research on Public Welfare

The commonweal is very important in a harmonious society.As a nonprofit activity,public welfare plays an important role in shortening the rich-poor gap,relaxing the social conflict,and building the harmonious community,which attracts the scholar's attentions.The domestic researchers emphasize particularly on the histories of the public welfare,the development of the contemporary public welfare,including the policies,the organizations,the voluntary services,the relationship of businesses and public welfare,the religion and the public welfare,and so on.Of course,some others have introduced the foreign public welfare.
Resistance of Culex pipiens pallens to four insecticides in Nanyang city

Objective To investigate the resistance of Culex pipiens pallens to four insecticides in Nanyang and provide scientific evidence for its control.Methods The dipping method recommended by WHO was used to assay the media lethal concentration(LC50) of the forth-instar larvae.Results The resistance rates of Culex pipiens pallens to temephos,fenobucard were 1.65,1.33 respectively.The resistance rate to deltamethrin was 25.79 reaching the high level.The resiatance rate to beta-cypermethrin was in medium level of 10.00.Conclusion The result shows that the resistance level of Culex pipiens pallens to deltamethrin and beta-cypermethrin is higher and these insecticides should be used scientifically.
REDOX EQUILIBRIA BETWEEN Ti~(3+) AND Ti~(4+) IN CaO-SiO_2-TiO_2-Al_2O_3-MgO SLAGS

An experimental study has been made by means of chemical equilibria method on redox equilibria between Ti~3+ and Ti~4+ in CaO-SiO_2-TiO_2-Al_2O_3-MgO slags at different temperatures and The results show that the dependence between and (w, mass fraction) is nearly a linear when is less than 2, the basicity of slags can be determined as and increases with, total titania mole fraction X_(Tio2,Tot) in the slags.
Research Progress on Inflow Behavior of Flux in Soft-contact Mold

The development of inflow behavior of flux in soft-contact mold was reviewed from meniscus shapes and flux dynamic pressure.The soft contact electromagnetic continuous casting process of development,working principle and under common continuous casting protective slag melt structure were introduced.It was put forward that the key problem need to be studied further.
Uptake of aqueous Pb by Cl−, F−, and OH− apatites: Mineralogic evidence for nucleation mechanisms

Apatites provide a mechanism for in-situ remediation of Pb-contaminated sites, by supplying phosphate which combines with dissolved Pb to form highly insoluble pyromorphite. This study expanded upon previous research using hydroxylapatite (HAP), to focus on how the surface properties of natural chlorapatite (CAP) and fluorapatite (FAP) affect pyromorphite nucleation and growth, when aqueous Pb2+ ([Pb] < 50 mg/L as PbCl2) is reacted with apatite at pH = 4.2, 22 ° C. A combination of atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), optical microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (EDS), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used for in-situ and ex-situ examination of the interface and the reaction products. A variety of experiments were performed, and pyromorphite [PY = Pb10(PO4)6Cl2] was the only identified reaction product. PY nucleated both homogeneously (directly from solution) and heterogeneously on CAP and FAP; relationship between PY and HAP could not be determined definitively. The nucleation mechanism was sensitive to initial experimental conditions, which suggests that care should be taken to consider initial conditions in designing sorption and nucleation experiments. Heterogenous nucleation on FAP and CAP showed strong evidence for epitaxy. Epitaxial crystals of PY on CAP and FAP grew away from the substrate surface, which was the only source of phosphate available for crystal growth. Epitaxial crystals showed distinctly different morphologies from homogeneously nucleated crystals, and appeared to grow by a spiral growth mechanism.
A Biotin–Avidin-Based Enzyme Immunoassay for βh-Endorphin

An avidin–biotin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is described for βh-endorphin (βh-EP). Microtiter plates coated with commercially available antibodies were used together with βh-EP tracer derivatives that were biotinylated in positions 24, 28, and 29 via a C6 spacer arm. Nonspecific binding of biotinylated derivatives to the microtiter plates was blocked with a mixture of 1% casein and 10% ethanolamine in 0.1 M NaHCO3. A sequential saturation procedure using a high-affinity antiserum in combination with an avidin–alkaline phosphatase complex matched the sensitivity of reported radioimmunoassays (RIAs), with a detection limit of 0.5 fmol/assay. The intra- and interassay coefficients of variation were 5 and 12%, respectively. Results obtained by ELISA and RIA showed good correlations (r = 0.95). The β-EP concentration in extracted rat plasma after high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) fractionation was determined by this method to be 1600 fmol/ml.