cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stereoscopic vision within the schizochroal eye of trilobites

MOST trilobites had holochroal eyes which were probably analogous with the compound eyes of most living arthropods1. Trilobites of the suborder Phacopina had schizochroal eyes, in which comparatively few large separate lenses are distributed over the eye surface. Clarkson and Levi-Setti2 showed that the schizochroal eye is unique in structure, in that each lens is biconvex and is made of two calcitic elements of different refractive indices, separated by an aspherical surface with a configuration such that the lens was corrected for spherical aberration. A modified interpretation by Campbell3 suggests that the e and o rays were transmitted through the calcite lens to focus in the same plane. Since chromatic aberration is not important in seawater more than a few metres deep, either interpretation implies that each lens of the schizochroal eye was capable of forming an accurate image of its field of vision2,3.
The aftermath of public attention on accounting improprieties: Effects on securities class action settlements

Abstract This research examines the effect on securities case settlements from the public focus on accounting fraud immediately following Enron and other large accounting debacles. In addition, to the extent that an ‘Enron-effect’ occurred, behavioral theory suggests that such an effect would likely dissipate over time. Therefore, I also investigate whether in very recent years an impact from the prior attention on accounting fraud diminishes with the passage of time. Results indicate that following the increased media and public attention upon accounting fraud, characteristics of securities cases that were the focus of this increased attention are associated with incrementally higher settlement amounts – specifically large cases involving financial restatements and cases involving intentional misstatements, i.e., accounting irregularities. Findings regarding whether an ‘Enron-effect’ has dissipated with the passage of time are mixed. Overall, results contrast with prior research, which did not find support for an ‘Enron-effect’ on securities case settlements, and suggest that future events that capture public attention may cause defendants in certain securities cases to pay higher amounts, not necessarily because of their own culpability.
Peripheral input pathways projecting to the motor cortex in the cat

Abstract The possibility that the motor cortex receives peripheral input directly from the thalamus was examined using the evoked potential method and the following results were obtained. Potentials in the motor cortex evoked by stimulation of superficial radial (SR) or group II deep radial (DR) nerve were neither abolished nor delayed by ablation of the sensory cortex. Potentials in the motor cortex evoked by stimulation of group II DR nerve were most severely reduced by interruption of the spinocervical tract. Potentials evoked by stimulation of SR nerve were more severely reduced in the sensory cortex than in the motor cortex by section of the dorsal funiculus or cooling of the cuneate nucleus. The size of evoked potentials in the motor cortex increased rapidly when stimulus intensity to DR nerve exceeded the threshold to group II fibers. The results suggest that some inputs from the SR and group II DR nerves reach the motor cortex without a relay through the sensory cortex.
Reversibility of Liver Fibrosis and Inactivation of Fibrogenic Myofibroblasts

Many studies have demonstrated that hepatic fibrosis is reversible. Regression of liver fibrosis is associated with resorption of fibrous scar and the disappearance of collagen-producing myofibroblasts. The fate of these myofibroblasts has been recently revealed: some myofibroblasts undergo senescence and apoptosis during reversal of fibrosis, whereas other myofibroblasts revert to a quiescent-like phenotype. Inactivation of myofibroblasts is a newly described phenomenon (Kisseleva et al. in Proc. Natl .Acad. Sci. USA 109:9448–9453, 2012) which now requires mechanistic investigation. Understanding the mechanism of inactivation of hepatic stellate cells on cessation of fibrogenic stimuli may identify new approaches to cause already existing activated hepatic stellate cells/myofibroblasts to revert to a quiescent-like state. This review summarizes the research on the inactivation of hepatic myofibroblasts.
Long-Term sensitization training in Aplysia leads to an increase in calreticulin, a major presynaptic calcium-binding protein

Long-term memory for sensitization in Aplysia requires new protein and RNA synthesis. Here, we identify a late protein as calreticulin, the major Ca(2+)-binding protein of the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum. An antiserum against Aplysia calreticulin reveals an enrichment of calreticulin immunoreactivity in presynaptic varicosities. Quantitative S1 nuclease analysis indicates that the steady-state level of calreticulin mRNA in Aplysia sensory neurons increases during the maintenance phase of long-term sensitization. The finding that this mRNA increases in expression late, some time after training, is consistent with the idea that long-term neuromodulatory changes underlying sensitization may depend on a cascade of gene expression in which the induction of early regulatory genes leads to the expression of late effector genes.
War, Journalism, and Oral History

It is the in-class telephone interviews that get the attention and light the fire. Students in my honors class, offered by both the history and the mass communications departments, "War and the News Media: From Vietnam through Desert Storm and Beyond," have used the phone to question some of the biggest names in war and the media. They have talked to Col. David Hackworth, the most decorated living United States veteran; Hugh Thompson, the heroic helicopter pilot who saved Vietnamese lives at the My Lai massacre; Liz Trotta, the first woman to cover Vietnam full time for a television network; and the biggest catch of them all, Walter Cronkite. But the popular in-class interviews are only a precursor to the most valuable exercise my students will perform-oral histories. During the last third of the semester, the students become practicing historians, venturing out of the classroom to make use of the knowledge they have absorbed. Students see that history is not just something that remote scholars distill into learned tomes. Interviews give students the chance to experience firsthand the excitement of history. My class strives to give students a thorough understanding not only of conflicts from the Vietnam War through current times but also of how the media covered each of those conflicts. Because the class is an honors course, I try to give my students more of a challenge than I would toss at a regular class. I expect my students to dig deeper, to question more, and ultimately to comprehend the subject matter more fully than those enrolled in a regular class. Oral histories help meet those goals by giving students a vested interest in the material they are learning. They become players in the educational process. Interviews are also a natural way of putting students in the shoes of the people they have been studying-the journalists and combatants themselves. Each student is required to do an oral history with either a war correspondent or a combat veteran of any United States war. The interviews must be one-on-one. Group interviews tend to dilute the educational benefits a student gets from the assignment, besides making it difficult to evaluate each student's individual contributions. Perhaps because most of the class is spent on the Vietnam War, most students have chosen to interview veterans of that conflict. I encourage students to find their own interviewees, but I also maintain a list of possible subjects. Veterans' organizations have been especially helpful. With just a little effort, I also compiled a list
A Peptide Antagonist of the TLR4-MD2 Interaction

Toll-like receptors are an integral part of innate immunity in the central nervous system (CNS); they orchestrate a robust defense in response to both exogenous and endogenous danger signals. Recently, toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) has emerged as a therapeutic target for the treatment of CNS-related diseases such as sepsis and chronic pain. We herein report a chemical biology approach by using a rationally designed peptide inhibitor to disrupt the TLR4-MD2 association, thereby blocking TLR4 signaling.
Modeling Anonymous MANET Communications Using Super-Nodes

In mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs), how to measure communication anonymity is a crucial issue. In our previous work [1], a theoretic approach based on evidence theory was proposed with detailed analysis. However, localization errors and scalability issues were not considered in the system assumption. In this paper, we further develop our work to incorporate localization errors in anonymity analysis. We propose the concept of super-nodes to model group based mobility. Time domain is sliced into intervals. In each interval, our proposed approach categorizes mobile nodes into clusters based on a novel metric that integrates geographical distances, historical distance records, and communication hops. We then provide the algorithm to generate super-nodes based on cluster formations from each interval. Evaluation results exhibit a satisfactory accuracy to recover group formation using super-nodes.
Active immunization of Japanese quail hens with a recombinant chicken inhibin fusion protein enhances production performance

The effects of active immunization against inhibin on production performance in female Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) were assessed in two separate trials using an MBP-cINA521 fusion protein as an immunogen. The fusion protein, MBP-cINA521, consisted of the bacterial maltose binding protein (MBP) and a truncated form of the mature alpha-subunit of chicken inhibin (cINA521). MBP-cINA1521 was constructed by: 1) excising a 521-bp PstI fragment from a chicken inhibin alpha-subunit cDNA (cINA6; gift of P. A. Johnson), 2) cloning this fragment, which encodes all but the first 11 amino acid residues of the mature alpha-subunit, into the pMal-c2 vector of the MBP fusion expression system, and 3) expressing the fusion protein (MBP-cINA521) from the Escherichia coli and purifying it using affinity chromatography. In each trial, quail were randomly and equally assigned to one of two injection treatments as follows: 1) MBP-cINA521 in Freund's adjuvant, or 2) Freund's adjuvant (vehicular controls; CON). All immunizations were given subcutaneously and Freund's complete and incomplete adjuvant were used for primary and booster injections, respectively. In Trial 1, birds were given a primary challenge of 0.2 mg MBP-cINA521 per bird at 25 d of age, followed by booster immunizations (0.1 mg MBP-cINA521 per bird) at 33, 40, 47, 54 and 61 d of age and every 35 d thereafter. The CON birds received vehicular immunizations at the same time intervals. In Trial 2, birds treated with MBP-cINA521 received a primary challenge of 0.2 mg MBP-cINA521 per bird at 26 d of age, followed by booster immunizations (0.1 mg MBP-cINA521 per bird) using the same schedule as that used in Trial 1, with the exception that no boosters were given after 61 d of age. The CON birds received vehicular immunizations at the same time intervals. Collection of production performance data was initiated coincident with the laying of the first egg in each trial (i.e., beginning at 41 and 44 d of age for Trials 1 and 2, respectively) and continued for 30 1-wk periods of lay. Combined data from Trials 1 and 2 indicated that the mean +/- SE age at first egg lay was markedly decreased (P < 0.005) in MBP-cINA521-treated quail (53.4 +/- 0.9 d of age) when compared to the CON (57.6 +/- 1.3 d of age). Likewise, the mean +/- SE age at 50% egg production was reduced (P < 0.03) in quail immunized against inhibin (65.4 +/- 2.1 d of age) when compared to the CON (77.6 +/- 4.7 d of age). Total hen-day egg production was also higher (P < 0.05, Trial 1; P < 0.01, Trial 2) in MBP-cINA521-treated quail (88.7 +/- 1.4%, Trial 1; 90.1 +/- 1.2%, Trial 2) than in the CON birds (81.9 +/- 2.9%, Trial 1; 73.6 +/- 6.5%, Trial 2). Collectively, these findings provide evidence that inhibin immunoneutralization accelerated puberty and enhanced hen-day egg production during a 30-wk period of egg lay in Japanese quail.
Effects of prenatal androgens on rhesus monkeys: A model system to explore the organizational hypothesis in primates

After proposing the organizational hypothesis from research in prenatally androgenized guinea pigs (Phoenix, C.H., Goy, R.W., Gerall, A.A., Young, W.C., 1959. Organizational action of prenatally administered testosterone propionate on the tissues mediating mating behavior in the female guinea pig. Endocrinology 65, 369-382.), the same authors almost immediately extended the hypothesis to a nonhuman primate model, the rhesus monkey. Studies over the last 50 years have verified that prenatal androgens have permanent effects in rhesus monkeys on the neural circuits that underlie sexually dimorphic behaviors. These behaviors include both sexual and social behaviors, all of which are also influenced by social experience. Many juvenile behaviors such as play, mounting, and vocal behaviors are masculinized and/or defeminized, and aspects of adult sexual behavior are both masculinized (e.g. approaches, sex contacts, and mounts) and defeminized (e.g. sexual solicits). Different behavioral endpoints have different periods of maximal susceptibility to the organizing actions of prenatal androgens. Aromatization is not important, as both testosterone and dihydrotestosterone are equally effective in rhesus monkeys. Although the full story of the effects of prenatal androgens on sexual and social behaviors in the rhesus monkey has not yet completely unfolded, much progress has been made. Amazingly, a large number of the inferences drawn from the original 1959 study have proved applicable to this nonhuman primate model.
Refrigerated storage of washed red cells.

Abstract. Red cells washed and stored in a citrate-phosphate-glucose-adenine solution at pH 7.4–7.6 demonstrate excellent maintenance of adenosine triphosphate, elevation of 2,3-diphosphoglycerate well above normal levels for more than 6 weeks, reduced hemolysis and 24-hour in vivo survival comparable to that of cells stored in ADSOL. These results can be attributed in part to a chloride shift in which the washout of intracellular chloride is associated with an influx of OH“, which increases intracellular pH and thereby increases the rate of glycolysis. The phosphate functions primarily as a buffer to maintain both extra- and intracellular pH. Reducing the effective osmolality of the storage solution reduces hemolysis and improves cell morphology.
Analysis of the Cabbibo Suppressed decay D+ → ρ0μ+ν from FOCUS

Using data collected by FOCUS, we present a preliminary measurement for the vector meson semileptonic branching ratio . Using a sample of 397 ± 42 and 11, 811 ± 151 D+ → ρ0μ+ν and events, respectively, we find .
Physicochemical Stability of Paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) Meat Under Refrigerated and Frozen Storage

Abstract The objective of this study was to determine the composition and the physicochemical properties of paddlefish meat under refrigerated (0°C) and frozen (-29°C) storage. Paddlefish meat contained 79.0% moisture, 17.5% protein, 3.1% fat, and 1.0% ash. Under refrigerated storage, protein solubility and shear force of the meat decreased after 3 days, whereas TBARS increased from 4.5 to 8.0 nmole/g meat after 7 days. During frozen storage, protein solubility decreased by 20% at the beginning and continued to decline during the first 5 months, while shear force declined after 3 months and TBARS increased from 5.0 to 7.8 nmole/g meat only after 5 months (p < 0.05). There was no significant degradation of myosin during refrigerated storage. In addition, neither refrigerated nor frozen storage significantly altered the thermal stability of the muscle proteins.
Germanium electroabsorption devices on silicon for optical interconnects

Monolithic integration of both electronic and optic components into a silicon-based platform will provide high-speed optical interconnects and solve the power-bandwidth limitations. However, the lack of strong optical effects in silicon has limited the progress in the transmitter-end applications. Recently our research had demonstrated strong quantum-confined Stark effect (QCSE) in germanium quantum-well modulators on silicon. This first strong physical mechanism for group-IV photonics has a comparable behavior to III-V material systems. With proper quantum well structure design, we also demonstrated QCSE in C-band for long distance communications with CMOS-operational temperatures. The device fabrication is also compatible with standard silicon chip processes. Since the QCSE, a type of electroabsorption effect, requires much shorter optical length, it is suitable for device miniaturizations and possible for use in both lateral and vertical modulator configurations. Moreover, silicon-germanium electroabsorption modulators are inherently photodetectors, this advantage will enable efficient transmitter/receiver applications for optical interconnects.
Effect of injection location on the effectiveness of an active control system using secondary fuel injection

The effect of secondary fuel injection location on the effectiveness of active combustion control was studied in an atmospheric pressure, laboratory-scale dump combustor operating on natural gas with a nominal heat release rate of 75 kW. The combustor provided for secondary fuel injection from three different locations. The effectiveness of both open- and closed-loop control was found to be strongly dependent on the secondary fuel injection location. To understand this behavior, CO2 chemiluminescence imaging measurements were made of the spatial and temporal heat release distribution in the combustor, both to characterize the evolution of the heat release distribution during unstable combustion and to characterize the heat release produced by the injection of secondary fuel. The results indicate that the most effective approach to preventing unstable combustion is not necessarily to add heat in a manner which is out of phase with the instability but that effective control can also be achieved by disrupting the mechanism that is driving the instability. These results serve to illustrate that gaining an understanding of the phenomenology of the instability is a critical step in designing and optimizing an active combustion control system.
Preoperative planning with magnetic resonance imaging and computerized volume rendering in twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome

Our purpose was to illustrate the feasibility of preoperative planning with magnetic resonance imaging, 3-dimensional reconstruction, and volume-rendering techniques in twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome treated by endoscopic laser ablation of communicating vessels. After ultrasonographic determination of the syndrome and the indications for intervention, 2 patients with an anterior placenta underwent magnetic resonance imaging without the need for maternal or fetal sedation. Raw image data were downloaded into a desktop computer and manipulated with 3-dimensional reconstruction, volume rendering, and surgical navigation software. In both patients a virtual rendering of the fetuses, placenta, and uterus could be manipulated to expose all sides, demonstrate the location of the intertwin membrane, and plan the point of entry and curve of the endoscopic instruments. Preoperative planning and virtual surgical navigation in fetal surgery are now possible, as a result of shorter magnetic resonance imaging acquisition times and volume-rendering software. In this manner an entire virtual endoscopic fetal operation can be performed and fine-tuned before the actual procedure is to take place.
Development of Clinical Practice Standards for Nurses

Nursing, with leadership from the American Nurses Association (ANA), has a long-standing commitment to the development of standards. The first nursing practice standards were published in 1973. Since that time, both the ANA and specialty nursing organizations have developed standards. However, the proliferation of standards, reflecting a wide divergence of intent, format, and scope, has limited their usefulness. In 1989, the ANA appointed a Task Force (now a Committee) to address this issue. The Committee, working with representatives of the specialty nursing organizations, has developed a framework for development of both nursing practice standards and guidelines. Standards and guidelines are defined and differentiated. The relationship of standard and guidelines development to the federal government's effectiveness initiative is discussed.
Ethics and Statistics: How is Ethics Like Logistic Regression? Ethics decisions, like statistical inferences, are informative only if they're not too easy or too hard

Consider the analogy between ethical dilemmas and statistical classification problems. The mapping is not perfect—when we categorize a decision option as ethical or not (in its context), there is u...
Recapitulation of the Ovum Mutant (Om) Phenotype and Loss of Om Locus Polarity in Cloned Mouse Embryos

The ovum mutant (Om) locus in mice affects early interactions between sperm and egg that in turn affect viability of embryos beyond the morula stage. Crosses of DDK females to males of many other inbred strains are 95% lethal around the morula stage, whereas reciprocal crosses are fully viable. Available data indicate that the early lethality is the result of an interaction between a factor in the ooplasm and the paternal genome. In this study, we examined whether this lethal interaction would likewise occur in cloned embryos produced by somatic cell nuclear transfer. We find that the Om effect is recapitulated but that the parental origin effect at the Om locus is no longer evident in cloned embryos.
Dynamical digital silicon neurons

We present an array of dynamical digital silicon neurons implementing the Izhikevich neuron model. The FPGA based array consists of 32 physical neurons, each time multiplexing the state of 8 virtual neurons, for a total of 256 independent neurons. The neural array operates at 5,000 times faster than real time, performing over 20.48 GOPS (giga operations per second). It is intended for neural simulation acceleration, neural prostheses, and neuromorphic systems.
Fitting statistical models in bivariate allometry

Several attempts have been made in recent years to formulate a general explanation for what appear to be recurring patterns of allometric variation in morphology, physiology, and ecology of both plants and animals (e.g. the Metabolic Theory of Ecology, the Allometric Cascade, the Metabolic-Level Boundaries hypothesis). However, published estimates for parameters in allometric equations often are inaccurate, owing to undetected bias introduced by the traditional method for fitting lines to empirical data. The traditional method entails fitting a straight line to logarithmic transformations of the original data and then back-transforming the resulting equation to the arithmetic scale. Because of fundamental changes in distributions attending transformation of predictor and response variables, the traditional practice may cause influential outliers to go undetected, and it may result in an underparameterized model being fitted to the data. Also, substantial bias may be introduced by the insidious rotational distortion that accompanies regression analyses performed on logarithms. Consequently, the aforementioned patterns of allometric variation may be illusions, and the theoretical explanations may be wide of the mark. Problems attending the traditional procedure can be largely avoided in future research simply by performing preliminary analyses on arithmetic values and by validating fitted equations in the arithmetic domain. The goal of most allometric research is to characterize relationships between biological variables and body size, and this is done most effectively with data expressed in the units of measurement. Back-transforming from a straight line fitted to logarithms is not a generally reliable way to estimate an allometric equation in the original scale.
Central localization and Gelfand-Kirillov dimension

LetR be a factor ring of the enveloping algebra of a finite dimensional Lie algebra over a fieldk. If the centre ofR, Z, consists of non-zero divisors inR, the ringR z obtained by localizing at the non-zero elements ofZ becomes a finitely generated algebra over the fieldK which arises as the field of fractions ofZ. The Gelfand-Kirillov dimension of anR-moduleM is denotedd(M). In this paper it is shown that ifR Z ⊗ R M ≠ 0 thend(M) ≧d(R Z ⊗ R M) + tr. deg k Z, whered (R z ⊗M) is the Gelfand-Kirillov dimension ofR z ⊗M) viewed as anR z -module andR z is viewed as a finitely generatedK-algebra (not as ak-algebra). The result is primarily of a technical nature.
Efficiency of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Postentry Infection Processes: Evidence against Disproportionate Numbers of Defective Virions

The vast majority of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 particles are claimed to be noninfectious, but there is disagreement as to whether they are defective or simply lack the opportunity to initiate an infection. We have examined the efficiencies of reverse transcription and integration and find that approximately 1 of every 8 virions that initiate reverse transcription form proviruses, a quantity significantly different from the commonly reported ratio of 1 in 1,000. In addition, results from two different infectivity assays demonstrate that the titers are not equivalent to the number of infectious particles. The apparent predominance of noninfectious particles is due to infrequent occurrences of successful virus-cell interactions.
The Resident Decision-Making Process in Global Health Education: Appraising Factors Influencing Participation

The globalization of pediatric graduate medical education is ongoing; thus, this study was conducted to begin to explore the nature of resident interest in global health (GH) training and to further identify potentially modifiable factors influencing participation in away rotations. The authors surveyed all residents at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center to identify factors influencing participation in education efforts and away rotations. With a participation rate of 79.4% (n = 143), 5 key factors emerged as most significant in the decision-making process amid all participants. Among residents who had previous experience, 82.1% were interested in participating in an away elective compared with 58.3% of those without experience (P = .002). Residents with previous experience abroad were also more likely to plan to integrate GH into their careers (61.7% vs 26.7%, P < .0001). This article describes specific obstacles to resident participation in GH education and documents the association between p...
AMERICAN LINGUISTICS AND THE TEACHING OF ENGLISH

(The following article originally appeared in Reuue des Langues Vivantes, XXI (1955). Summarizing points made in Professor Fr ies ' talks to teachers of English during his recent t r ip to Germany, it reviews certain aspects of structural linguistics as recently developed in the United States that have special significance for the teaching of English as a foreign language.' We are grateful for the opportunity of presenting it here.)
The Myth of Entangling Alliances: Reassessing the Security Risks of U.S. Defense Pacts

A large literature assumes that alliances entangle the United States in military conflicts that it might otherwise avoid. Since 1945, however, there have been only five cases of what might be characterized as U.S. entanglement—the 1954 and 1995–96 Taiwan Strait crises, the Vietnam War, and the interventions in Bosnia and Kosovo in the 1990s—and even these cases are far from clear-cut. U.S. entanglement is rare because the United States, as a superpower with many allies, is capable of exploiting loopholes in alliance agreements, sidestepping commitments that seriously imperil U.S. interests, playing the demands of various allies off of each other, and using alliances to deter adversaries and allies from initiating or escalating conflicts.
Enhanced Submarine Ground Water Discharge from Mixing of Pore Water and Estuarine Water

Submarine ground water discharge is suggested to be an important pathway for contaminants from continents to coastal zones, but its significance depends on the volume of water and concentrations of contaminants that originate in continental aquifers. Ground water discharge to the Banana River Lagoon, Florida, was estimated by analyzing the temporal and spatial variations of Cl ‐ concentration profiles in the upper 230 cm of pore waters and was measured directly by seepage meters. Total submarine ground water discharge consists of slow discharge at depths > ~70 cm below seafloor (cmbsf) of largely marine water combined with rapid discharge of mixed pore water and estuarine water above ~70 cmbsf. Cl ‐ profiles indicate average linear velocities of ~0.014 cm/d at depths > ~70 cmbsf. In contrast, seepage meters indicate water discharges across the sediment-water interface at rates between 3.6 and 6.9 cm/d. The discrepancy appears to be caused by mixing in the shallow sediment, which may result from a combination of bioirrigation, wave and tidal pumping, and convection. Wave and tidal pumping and convection would be minor because the tidal range is small, the short fetch of the lagoon limits wave heights, and large density contacts are lacking between lagoon and pore water. Mixing occurs to ~70 cmbsf, which represents depths greater than previously reported. Mixing of oxygenated water to these depths could be important for remineralization of organic matter.
An extremum seeking method for non-isometric neuromuscular electrical stimulation

An optimal extremum seeking approach is developed in this paper to identify frequency and voltage modulation parameters for a neuromuscular electrical stimulation control objective. The control objective is to externally apply optimally varied voltage or frequency modulation parameters to a human quadriceps muscle to generate a desired knee joint angle. Experimental results are provided to illustrate the limb positioning performance of a real-time extremum seeking routine (i.e., Brent's Method).
On linear coherent estimation with spatial collaboration

We consider a power-constrained sensor network, consisting of multiple sensor nodes and a fusion center (FC), that is deployed for the purpose of estimating a common random parameter of interest. In contrast to the distributed framework, the sensor nodes are allowed to update their individual observations by (linearly) combining observations from neighboring nodes. The updated observations are communicated to the FC using an analog amplify-and-forward modulation scheme and through a coherent multiple access channel. The optimal collaborative strategy is obtained by minimizing the cumulative transmission power subject to a maximum distortion constraint. For the distributed scenario (i.e., with no observation sharing), the solution reduces to the power-allocation problem considered by Xiao et. al. [1]. Collaboration among neighbors significantly improves power efficiency of the network in the low local-SNR regime, as demonstrated through an insightful example and numerical simulations.
Clinical Virology of Lassa Fever in Hospitalized Patients

We measured levels of virus in sequential specimens from 137 patients with Lassa fever. The probability of fatal disease increased significantly with the level of viremia measured either on admission or during the course of illness. The odds ratio of death in patients with viremia greater than 10 TCID50/ml was 3.7 (90% confidence interval, 1.9-7.2). The same ratio in patients with viremia greater than 10 TCID50/ml and with levels of aspartate aminotransferase greater than or equal to 150 IU/liter was 21.5 (95% confidence interval, 5.2-99.0). Virus was found in throat cultures from 39% of viremic patients, compared with 14% of nonviremic patients (P less than .002); however, the level of virus was usually less than or equal to TCID50/ml. Fewer than 3% of patients were viruric during acute illness, and virus was isolated from three of three samples of cerebrospinal fluid. On admission, 53% of patients had IgG antibodies, and 67% had IgM antibodies. Recovery was not associated with the presence of either IgG or IgM. Virus was isolated from greater than 100 serum specimens that also contained high titers of IgG. Clinical Lassa fever was shown to be a disseminated systemic, primary viral infection, with an outcome highly associated with viremia but not with development of antibody.
Evidence for a Ligand-Mediated Positive Selection Signal in Differentiation to a Mature B Cell

Positive selection is required for B cell differentiation, as indicated by the requirement for expression of the pre-B cell receptor (pre-BCR) and the BCR at the pre-B and immature B cell stages, respectively. Positive selection mediated by a tonic signal from these receptors is sufficient to drive B cell differentiation beyond the pre-B and immature B cell stages, but it is unclear whether additional positive selection signals are required for differentiation to a mature B-2 cell. We have identified a population of Ig transgenic B cells that differentiatively arrest at a transitional B cell stage in the spleen. They exhibit no evidence of Ag encounter or negative selection and can differentiate to mature B-2 cells in vivo upon weak BCR stimulation or adoptive transfer to irradiated hosts. These data are consistent with a requirement for a ligand-mediated BCR signal for differentiation to a mature B-2 cell.
Numerical model for atomtronic circuit analysis

A model for studying atomtronic devices and circuits based on finite-temperature Bose-condensed gases is presented. The approach involves numerically solving equations of motion for atomic populations and coherences, derived using the Bose-Hubbard Hamiltonian and the Heisenberg picture. The resulting cluster expansion is truncated at a level giving balance between physics rigor and numerical demand mitigation. This approach allows parametric studies involving time scales that cover both the rapid population dynamics relevant to nonequilibrium state evolution, as well as the much longer time durations typical for reaching steady-state device operation. This model is demonstrated by studying the evolution of a Bose-condensed gas in the presence of atom injection and extraction in a double-well potential. In this configuration phase locking between condensates in each well of the potential is readily observed, and its influence on the evolution of the system is studied.
Does Needle Size Matter

Hypodermic needles are in widespread use, but patients are unhappy with the pain, anxiety, and difficulty of using them. To increase patient acceptance, smaller needle diameters and lower insertion forces have been shown to reduce the frequency of painful injections. Guided by these observations, fine needles and microneedles have been developed to minimize pain and have found the greatest utility for delivery of vaccines and biopharmaceuticals such as insulin. However, pain reduction must be balanced against limitations of injection depth, volume, and formulations introduced by reduced needle dimensions. In some cases, needle-free delivery methods provide useful alternatives.
A study of the effects of thermal oxidation and hydrogen passivation on CVD polysilicon pin solar cells using DLTS

The effects of multiple oxidations of a thin polycrystalline silicon seed layer on the structure and electronic properties of a subsequently grown thick polysilicon films are investigated. A direct correlation is observed between the number of initial thermal oxidations of the seed layer, the cell efficiency, and the relative concentration of majority carrier traps. During hydrogenation, the majority carrier trap disappears and the minority carrier capture cross-section decreases from 3*10/sup -13/ to 8*10/sup -15//cm/sup 2/. The activation energy of this trap is 0.45 eV before hydrogenation, decreases to 0.35 eV after 17 min of hydrogenation, and increases to 0.42 eV after 60 min. >
Infusing Aging Content Into a Research Course: A National Organization and University Partnership

ABSTRACT Gerontology and research are two areas that are often resisted by undergraduate social-work students: “Why do you need to know how to do research as a social-work practitioner?” “Why would anyone want to work with older, sick and frail individuals when it is impossible to make a difference in their situation or in their lives?” These statements are not uncommon to undergraduate social-work faculty or field placement staff. From 1998 to 2004, to strengthen the capacity of the social-work profession to meet the needs of a growing aging population, the Council on Social Work Education's Strengthening Aging and Gerontology in Social Work project (SAGE-SW) worked on a national initiative to infuse aging content throughout the social-work curriculum. This was to be done both at the undergraduate and graduate levels, which include developing resources for faculty that will infuse gerontology throughout the curriculum (funded by the John A. Hartford Foundation of New York). This paper adds a curriculum r...
Open access, moving to the fore

Nine years after its founding, Retrovirology has moved to the forefront of virology journals in Impact Factor.
Enhanced Genetic Integrity in Mouse Germ Cells

Genetically based diseases constitute a major human health burden, and de novo germline mutations represent a source of heritable genetic alterations that can cause such disorders in offspring. The availability of transgenic rodent systems with recoverable, mutation reporter genes has been used to assess the occurrence of spontaneous point mutations in germline cells. Previous studies using the lacI mutation reporter transgenic mouse system showed that the frequency of spontaneous mutations is significantly lower in advanced male germ cells than in somatic cell types from the same individuals. Here we used this same mutation reporter transgene system to show that female germ cells also display a mutation frequency that is lower than that in corresponding somatic cells and similar to that seen in male germ cells, indicating this is a common feature of germ cells in both sexes. In addition, we showed that statistically significant differences in mutation frequencies are evident between germ cells and somatic cells in both sexes as early as mid-fetal stages in the mouse. Finally, a comparison of the mutation frequency in a general population of early type A spermatogonia with that in a population enriched for Thy-1-positive spermatogonia suggests there is heterogeneity among the early spermatogonial population such that a subset of these cells are predestined to form true spermatogonial stem cells. Taken together, these results support the disposable soma theory, which posits that genetic integrity is normally maintained more stringently in the germ line than in the soma and suggests that this is achieved by minimizing the initial occurrence of mutations in early germline cells and their subsequent gametogenic progeny relative to that in somatic cells.
Antenatal Sex Determination in Macaca Arctoides

Transabdominal amniocentesis was performed on 11 Macaca arctoides, between the 10th and 20th weeks of gestation, for the purpose of antenatal sex determination. The technique employing Y-chromatin fluorescence was unsuccessful in predicting sex, but the sexes were differentiated with complete accuracy by examining amniotic cells stained by a modified Papanicolaou technique. Of the cells from male fetuses, fewer than 10% contained X-chromatin (Barr bodies); of those from females, more than 45% contained X-chromatin.
Quantification of Myofascial Taut Bands.

Abstract Objective To assess the correlation of clinician-identified myofascial taut bands with their presence and characteristics on magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) imaging. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) research laboratory. Participants A convenience sample of adults (N=65; 45 women, 20 men) identified by skilled musculoskeletal physicians as having upper trapezius myofascial pain–associated taut bands. Interventions Subjects had their taut bands outlined and were positioned within a 1.5T MRI machine. Shear waves were induced with a pneumatic transducer located over the belly of the involved muscle. Wave propagation was visualized with MRE images across a vibration cycle. Imaging data were assessed independently by 2 skilled MRE interpreters. Main Outcome Measures The primary outcome measure was the determination of the intra- and interrater reliabilities of MRE taut band identification and their correlation with clinician identification of band presence. Secondary outcomes consisted of the elucidation of the physical characteristics of taut bands and their surrounding muscle tissue. Results MRE intra- and interrater reliability was excellent, with kappa coefficients and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of .86 (.68–1.00) and .93 (.79–1.00), respectively. Stiffness in MRE-identified taut bands was elevated at a mean ± SD of 11.5±2.4kPa and fell to 5.8±0.9kPa in surrounding muscle tissue ( P Conclusions Our findings suggest that while clinicians may overestimate, and current MRE techniques may underestimate, the presence of taut bands, these bands do exist, can be assessed quantitatively, and do represent localized areas of increased muscle stiffness.
Aortic Saddle Embolus

Thromboembolectomy of aortic saddle embolus is performed in patients with acute bilateral lower limb ischemia due to a saddle embolus to the aortic bifurcation. This chapter describes indications, essential steps, variations, and complications of this procedure. It provides a detailed template operative note for the procedure.
Obscenity Prosecution and its Consequences in Mid-Nineteenth-Century America

This study of the rise of erotic publishing and obscenity prosecutions in antebellum America argues that obscenity law shaped markets for erotica, though often by stimulating rather than suppressing the proliferation of sexual texts. First, early obscenity prosecutions expanded markets by spurring innovative publishers to turn to mail-order erotica, which they viewed as immune from local regulation. Second, such prosecutions inspired publishers to develop new genres of erotic writing that cleverly manipulated legal taboos in an effort to attract readers. Indeed, in response to indictments that identified descriptions of female sexual knowledge and desire as particularly illicit, the nation's first sexually explicit periodical specialized in forbidden portrayals of women's sexual agency and erotic independence. Obscenity prohibitions also fueled the production of a distinct genre of racy sensation literature, which combined graphic violence and sexual allusiveness as a substitute for overt depictions of sex. Finally, obscenity cases generated valuable publicity that whetted public appetites for sexual writing, just as the erotic publishing trade was emerging on a significant scale.
Autism Spectrum Disorder, Intellectual Disability, and Delayed Walking

OBJECTIVE: Delayed onset of independent walking is common in intellectual disability (ID). However, in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), delayed walking has not been reported as frequently, despite the high rate of concurrent ID in ASD. This study directly examined the relationship between delayed walking and severity of ID in children with ASD versus other non-ASD diagnoses. METHOD Participants were 1185 individuals (ASD, n = 903; non-ASD, n = 282) who received an assessment at age 4 to 12 years (6.89 ± 2.25) that yielded an estimate of nonverbal IQ (NVIQ) and retrospectively reported age of walking from the Autism Diagnostic Interview–Revised. The relationship between diagnostic group and delayed walking (defined as occurring at ≥16 months) as a function of NVIQ was explored using the Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: Children with ASD were less likely to exhibit delayed walking than those with non-ASD diagnoses, and this difference was larger at lower levels of NVIQ (P = .002). For example, rates of delayed walking for ASD and non-ASD were 13% and 19%, respectively, in those with NVIQ >85 but 31% and 60% in children with NVIQ CONCLUSIONS: Although lower IQ scores were associated with increased rates of late walking in both ASD and non-ASD groups, children with low IQ were more likely to show delayed walking in the absence of ASD. This raises the possibility of separate etiological pathways to ID in children with and without ASD.
Prediction of Water Solubility in Glassy Polymers Using Nonequilibrium Thermodynamics

In this study, the sorption of water in poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) was measured at various water vapor activities (0–0.85) at 25, 35, and 45 °C using a quartz spring microbalance. Furthermore, the water sorption isotherms in PMMA were predicted using two nonequilibrium thermodynamic models: the nonequilibrium lattice fluid (NELF) model and nonequilibrium statistical associating fluid theory (NE-SAFT), where excellent agreement between the NE-SAFT prediction and experimental data was observed. In contrast, deviation between the NELF model prediction and water sorption isotherms in PMMA was observed above a water activity of ca. 0.50. In situ time-resolved Fourier transform infrared attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy confirmed the presence of self-associated water (i.e., water clusters) at elevated water activities, providing a rationale for deviation between the NELF model and experimental data, where unlike NE-SAFT, the NELF model does not account for these self-association interactions. The ...
Sound Radiation from Rounded Steps and Gaps

Experiments have been performed to document the aeroacoustic behavior of rounded step and gap configurations embedded in a wall jet boundary layer at low Mach number. Measurements include far-field sound and surface pressure fluctuations. Rounding is found to substantially reduce the sound produced by a forward step. Sound levels drop by between 3 and 7dB per doubling of the corner radius for radii greater than 6.25% of the step height. Directivity in the sound field is affected by the acoustic non-compactness of the step but appears consistent with previous modeling efforts. Noise from a gap formed by a backstep and forward step of the same height is dominated by sound radiated from the forward step component and has similar directivity to the forward step. Rounding of the upstream edge of the gap has no influence on its sound field, independent of gap. Rounding of the downstream edge attenuates the sound produced, much as it does for the forward step
The Impact on Genetic Discrimination of Laws Restricting Health Insurers' Use of Genetic Information

Since 1991, over half the states have enacted laws that prohibit insurers' use of genetic information in pricing, issuing, or structuring health insurance. This article evaluates whether these laws reduce the extent of genetic discrimination. Using both in-person interviews with insurers and geneticists and a direct market test of insurance agents, we find that there are almost no well-documented cases of health insurers either asking for or using presymptomatic genetic test results in their underwriting decisions, either before or after these laws, or in states with or without these laws. These data suggest that a person with a serious genetic condition that is presymptomatic faces little or no difficulty obtaining health insurance. Further, there are few indications that the degree of difficulty varies according to whether a state regulates the use of genetic information. Nevertheless, these laws have made it less likely insurers will use genetic information in the future. Although insurers and agents are only vaguely aware of these laws, the laws have shaped industry norms and attitudes about the legitimacy of using this information. These findings are published in two articles, one (Am J Hum Genetics) in a briefer scientific format, and the second (Jurimetrics) which provides a more detailed account of the content of the interviews.