cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Selectivity for glucose, glucose-6-phosphate, and pyruvate in ternary mixtures from the multivariate analysis of near-infrared spectra

Near-infrared spectroscopy offers the potential for direct in situ analysis in complex biological systems. Chemical selectivity is a critical issue for such measurements given the extent of spectral overlap of overtone and combination spectra. In this work, the chemical basis of selectivity is investigated for a set of multivariate calibration models designed to quantify glucose, glucose-6-phosphate, and pyruvate independently in ternary mixtures. Near-infrared spectra are collected over the combination region (4,000–5,000 cm−1) for a set of 60 standard solutions maintained at 37 °C. These standard solutions are composed of randomized concentrations (0.5–30 mM) of glucose, glucose-6-phosphate, and pyruvate. Individual calibration models are constructed for each solute by using the partial least-squares (PLS) algorithm with optimized spectral range and number of latent variables. The resulting standard errors are 0.90, 0.72, and 0.32 mM for glucose, glucose-6-phosphate, and pyruvate, respectively. A pure component selectivity analysis (PCSA) demonstrates selectivity for each solute in these ternary samples. The concentration of each solute is also predicted for each sample by using a set of net analyte signal (NAS) calibration models. A comparison of the PLS and NAS calibration vectors demonstrates the chemical basis of selectivity for these multivariate methods. Selectivity of each PLS and NAS calibration model originates from the unique spectral features associated with the targeted analyte. Overall, selectivity is demonstrated for each solute with an order of sensitivity of pyruvate > glucose-6-phosphate > glucose.
A noninvasive approach for metastatic lymph node ablation using histotripsy tissue fractionation

Lymph node dissection is a widely used surgical procedure to treat and stage metastatic lymph nodes but has substantial side effects, such as lymphedema. Histotripsy is a noninvasive ultrasonic therapy that creates well-demarcated tissue fractionation using high-pressure and short acoustic shockwave pulses. This study investigates the possibility using of histotripsy to ablate lymph nodes noninvasively. Experiments were performed on 6 mixed breed healthy pigs, 11-12 weeks old and weighing 31-43 kg. Their superficial inguinal lymph nodes were treated in vivo with 5- or 10-cycle histotripsy pulses generated by focused, 1MHz therapy transducers, delivered at 50Hz pulse repetition frequency and peak rarefaction pressure above 21MPa. The treatment was guided by ultrasound imaging probes (either ATL CL15-7 or ATL L12-5) with a commercial ultrasound imaging system, HDI 5000. In one selected case, contrast-specific ultrasound was performed after perimammary injection of Sonazoid (GE Healthcare, Oslo, Norway) to localize the lymph nodes. Anatomical landmarks were then used to identify the same nodes for targeted therapy. The histological results show that, after histotripsy treatment, only the targeted lymph nodes were affected and they had demarcated foci of necrosis with minimal damage to the adjacent and intervening tissue. This in vivo acute study demonstrates the capability of histotripsy to noninvasively generate tissue fractionation within targeted lymph nodes, suggesting that histotripsy has the potential in noninvasive lymph node ablation.
Gay Movements and Legal Change: Some Aspects of the Dynamics of a Social Problem

This paper examines public opinion and media coverage surrounding four important events which affected the development of homosexual rights in Maine in the 1970s: the birth of a homosexual student group on a University of Maine campus and the conference it organized; the adoption of a gay rights plank in the election platform of the state's Democratic Party; revisions to the state's criminal code which decriminalized homosexual activities; and a second conference organized by the student group. Only the first event aroused major public outcry. We describe these events in detail, examine how the media covered them, and analyze why some were more controversial than others. Our analysis shows how differing levels of control over the media affect the rise and resolution of public issues.
Structured Food Experiences: A Preliminary Evaluation of the WISE Curriculum

Objective: This poster will present the preliminary evaluation findings of a food experience curriculum designed to increase children interactions with target fruits and vegetables. Study Design, Setting and Participants, and Intervention: Educators in 10 classrooms at 3 Head Start centers lead weekly food experiences designed to maximize child hands-on interaction with target foods. Parents receive regular Facebook updates and monthly delivery of paper materials. Data presented represent evaluation after 2 months of implementation. All parents were invited to participate in evaluation activities; 61 completed both baseline and midpoint assessments. Outcome, Measures and Analysis: Parents reported on 4 elements: (a) child consumption of target foods (DV), (b) parenting practices around fruits and vegetables (DV), (c) exposure to WISE Facebook (IV), and (d) child-to-home message of WISE information (IV). Scales with alpha from .62 to .85 assessed each construct. Two hierarchical regression analyses were conducted predicting the DVs at midpoint controlling for baseline levels. Results: Child-to-home significantly predicted child consumption of the target foods at midpoint, b 1⁄4 .30, t(59) 1⁄4 2.45, p 1⁄4.02. The set of predictors accounted for a significant portion of variance in child intake beyond baseline levels, R 1⁄4 .22, p 1⁄4 .002; Rchange 1⁄4 .10, p 1⁄4.03. Similarly, the child-to-home message of WISE significantly predicted fruit and vegetable parenting practices at midpoint [b 1⁄4 .26, t(59) 1⁄4 2.14, p 1⁄4.04], and a significant portion of parenting variance was explained beyond baseline levels [R 1⁄4 .28, p <.001; Rchange 1⁄4 .11, p 1⁄4.02]. Conclusions and Implications: These data suggest that school-based food experiences with a parent outreach component can impact young children's diets at home. Funding: USDA
An Experimental Evaluation of Design Information Reuse During Conceptual Design

SUMMARY This paper presents the results of an experimental case study conducted to evaluate the reuse of design information during the conceptual design phase. The goal of this study was to determine the usefulness of design history information and to establish the sneed for providing the conceptual level design information for future use. Five design engineers were given a task of product redesign to satisfy new customer requirements. The scope of the redesign was limited to generating new concept( S) using the old design information. We found that about 50% of the queries made by the subjects were related to the conceptual stage information from the past design effort. We also found that about 70% of the old design information was useful during redesign.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND URBAN FORM New Wine in Old Bottles—Rejoinder to John P. Frendreis

: The forecast—that technological change in communications and information technology will have little effect on urban form—is subject to challenge on several fronts. This comment develops three counterarguments, concluding that traditional conceptions of urban form blind us to significant roles that communications and information technology might play in shaping the character and experience of urban life. This article is a rejoinder to John P. Frendreis' “The Information Revolution and Urban Life.
Toward large-scale connectome reconstructions

Recent results have shown the possibility of both reconstructing connectomes of small but biologically interesting circuits and extracting from these connectomes insights into their function. However, these reconstructions were heroic proof-of-concept experiments, requiring person-months of effort per neuron reconstructed, and will not scale to larger circuits, much less the brains of entire animals. In this paper we examine what will be required to generate and use substantially larger connectomes, finding five areas that need increased attention: firstly, imaging better suited to automatic reconstruction, with excellent z-resolution; secondly, automatic detection, validation, and measurement of synapses; thirdly, reconstruction methods that keep and use uncertainty metrics for every object, from initial images, through segmentation, reconstruction, and connectome queries; fourthly, processes that are fully incremental, so that the connectome may be used before it is fully complete; and finally, better tools for analysis of connectomes, once they are obtained.
Drive for Muscularity Is Heightened in Body-Dissatisfied Men Who Socially Compare

Men’s drive for muscularity refers to the degree to which men wish to increase their muscularity. Men who are more extreme in their drive for muscularity face dangerous consequences, such as increased levels of eating pathology and use of performance-enhancing substances. The aim of this study was to predict men’s drive for muscularity, and to test whether hypothesized predictive factors vary across age groups. Participants were 226 men ages 18–67. It was hypothesized that body dissatisfaction would predict men’s drive for muscularity. More substantively, however, it was hypothesized that having a strong tendency to compare oneself with others would exacerbate the relationship between men’s body dissatisfaction and their drive for muscularity. Results of a hierarchical multiple regression analysis supported these hypotheses. Furthermore, this exacerbating effect was present regardless of men’s age. Implications for assessment, clinical practice, research, and prevention efforts are discussed.
Regulation of Luteinizing Hormone (LH) in the Fetal and Neonatal Lamb. II. Study of Placental Transfer of LH in the Sheep

The permeability of the placenta of the ewe to luteinizing hormone (LH) was evaluated by maintaining elevated levels of exogenous LH in the maternal circulation and monitoring levels of this hormone in sequential samples of fetal blood. The blood was collected from the living lamb in utero and the LH content was determined by a highly sensitive and specific RIA for ovine LH. Continuous infusion of 100 or 200 ug/hr of purified ovine LH into the jugular vein of 5 pregnant ewes at 123 to 128 days of gestation for 3 to 5 hr increased LH in maternal serum from undetectable levels (≤0.20 ng/ml) to 30 to 100 ng/ml. The increased levels of exogenous LH in maternal serum did not increase LH concentrations in the fetal circulation, indicating that the placenta of the sheep is impermeable to LH. These results agree with those obtained in previous studies of several laboratory species and suggest that LH found in the circulation of the fetal lamb is of fetal pituitary origin. (Endocrinology 90: 589, 1972)
Maximizing Quality of Information From Multiple Sensor Devices: The Exploration vs Exploitation Tradeoff

This paper investigates Quality of Information (QoI) aware adaptive sampling in a system where two sensor devices report information to an end user. The system carries out a sequence of tasks, where each task relates to a random event that must be observed. The accumulated information obtained from the sensor devices is reported once per task to a higher layer application at the end user. The utility of each report depends on the timeliness of the report and also on the quality of the observations. Quality can be improved by accumulating more observations for the same task, at the expense of delay. We assume new tasks arrive randomly, and the qualities of each new observation are also random. The goal is to maximize time average quality of information subject to cost constraints. We solve the problem by leveraging dynamic programming and Lyapunov optimization. Our algorithms involve solving a 2-dimensional optimal stopping problem, and result in a 2-dimensional threshold rule. When task arrivals are i.i.d., the optimal solution to the stopping problem can be closely approximated with a small number of simplified value iterations. When task arrivals are periodic, we derive a structured form approximately optimal stopping policy. We also introduce hybrid policies applied over the proposed adaptive sampling algorithms to further improve the performance. Numerical results demonstrate that our policies perform near optimal. Overall, this work provides new insights into network operation based on QoI attributes.
Interfacial factors in corrosion protection: an EIS study of model systems

Abstract The effects of the liquid–coating interface and coating–metal interfaces on corrosion protection of a coated aluminum sheet (Alclad 7075-T6) were investigated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) of selected model systems. Parylene C was deposited on a solvent-cleaned aluminum sheet to prepare the coated aluminum sheet. Parylene C does not adhere well to most smooth surfaces: a freestanding film can easily be peeled off the substrate, although it does not peel off by itself during EIS measurements. When an ultra-thin layer of plasma polymer (ca. 50 nm) is deposited on the substrate, however, Parylene C adheres very strongly to the sheet. The top surface of Parylene C coating was modified via deposition of an ultra-thin layer of either a very hydrophobic or a very hydrophilic plasma polymer. The EIS Bode plot for the first run showed a typical good barrier coating regardless of the nature of the two interfaces under consideration. However, it was found that the impedance value in the lower frequency region decreases with increased immersion time, and the time-dependent change is greatly influenced by the nature of the two interfaces. A hydrophilic top surface increased the rate of time-dependent change, while good adhesion of Parylene C to the metal decreased the extent of time-dependent change. With a hydrophobic top surface and good adhesion to the substrate, EIS characteristics of a Parylene C coated sheet remained unaffected for 18 days (the longest time employed in this study). The decrease in impedance in the low frequency region converges to the Bode plot for a freestanding Parylene C film. The early decline of EIS characteristics can be correlated to the (pre-corrosion) micro-delamination of the coating.
Alternating DNA and π-conjugated sequences. Thermophilic foldable polymers

Foldable polymers with alternating single-strand deoxyribonucleic acid and planar conjugated organic perylene tetracarboxylic diimide units were found to self-organize into loosely folded nanostructures. Upon heating, the loosely folded structures become more ordered as evidenced by π-stacking in the perylene segments. The folding and unfolding processes driven by the molecular interactions of adjacent perylenes were monitored in both aqueous and organic solutions. Heat-promoted folding, or inverse temperature behavior, which originates from positive enthalpy changes, was only observed in water. Therefore, we attributed this inverse temperature dependence to hydrophobic effects rather than π−π molecular orbital overlap between the perylene planes. These findings shed light on the design of new thermophiles in protein engineering as well as the construction of macromolecular-based nanodevices with actuator and sensory properties.
Schleiermacher's Treatise on Grace

The title of this essay is meant to be perplexing. Schleiermacher is not known for his treatment of grace, much less for a treatise on grace. Few scholars of Schleiermacher's theology have devoted attention to his doctrine of grace, with two notable exceptions. Karl Barth, in his lectures on Schleiermacher, did not hesitate to thrash his nemesis on this point, although to him it was so obvious that Schleiermacher's understanding of grace was not a Christian doctrine of grace, at least not in the Reformation sense, that he barely felt the need to argue the case. “What kind of God is this,” he asked, “What kind of grace?” Richard R. Niebuhr, in his apologia for Schleiermacher, which inspired a new age of scholarship on Schleiermacher in America, included a section entitled “Grace and Nature,” but its focus was on the Christmas Eve Dialogue , not Schleiermacher's dogmatic theology. Neither Barth nor Niebuhr took note of Schleiermacher's more formal, dogmatic treatment of grace—what I am calling Schleiermacher's “treatise on grace”; in the several decades since their influential works, very few have attempted to correct this oversight. Such neglect by specialists has no doubt contributed to a wider sense that, despite the importance of his The Christian Faith ( Glaubenslehre ), Schleiermacher does not merit a place alongside other theologians when it comes to the history of the Christian doctrine of grace. None of the major scholarly books on the history and development of the doctrine of grace include a chapter or section (or even reference) to Schleiermacher's treatment of grace. Schleiermacher himself almost seems to have anticipated this oversight—worse, really, than any criticism—when he asked, “Does my Glaubenslehre in any way fail to give due honor to divine grace?”
Profound, reversible energy loss in the hypoxic immature rat brain

The goal of this study was to compare the effects of oxygen deprivation on cellular energy state and pH in the developing and adult rat brain. Relative quantities of phosphocreatine (PC), inorganic phosphorus (Pi), and nucleoside triphosphates (NTP), and intracellular pH, were determined using in vivo 31P NMR spectroscopy at different postnatal ages (postnatal day (P) 2–6, P9–13, P16–20, P23–27) in the hypoxic rat brain (7 min, 4% O2). While a significant increase in Pi was seen at all ages during hypoxia, a severe but reversible reduction in concentrations of PC (80–100% decrease) and NTP (40–50% decrease) was observed only at P9–13. This dramatic response was not seen in older (> P16) or younger (< P6) animals. These latter groups responded with moderate decreases in brain PC (50–60% decrease) and NTP (20–40% decrease). In addition, the youngest animals showed much less intracellular brain acidosis than the other age groups. The transient period of development during which the brain exhibits heightened susceptibility to hypoxic energy failure coincides with known changes in brain energy production pathways and susceptibility to hypoxia-induced excitability.
High-speed optical interconnect technology for a reconfigurable multiprocessor network

We review our progress in the development of an optical interconnect technology consisting of optical and optoelectronic switches that integrate vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) with other photonic and electronic components, including heterojunction phototransistors (HPTs) and heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs). We describe a reconfigurable multi-access optical network architecture that allows many high speed electronic processors to simultaneously communicate with each other and with other shared resources, and for its implementation, an integrated optoelectronic switching technology that combines the functions of an optical transceiver and a spatial routing switch. The network provides parallel and dynamically reconfigurable optical interconnections between nodes, as well as optoelectronic interfaces to each processor. By converting data between the electrical and optical formats, these multi-functional switches can receive or transmit optical data, or to bypass and re-route it to another node. Optical switching has been demonstrated experimentally at a data rate of 200 Mb/s, and electrical-to-optical data conversion has been achieved at a data rate of > 500 Mb/s.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Overcoming Obstacles and Academic Hope: An Examination of Factors Promoting Effective Academic Success Strategies.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the underlying non-cognitive processes and institutional factors that allowed first-year students to enact effective strategies for attaining academic success and persisting despite obstacles. The varying levels of academic preparation and unique obstacles faced by the student participants allowed for us to employ a constant comparative approach in analyzing the results. A core story of hopeful thinking emerged which interacted with four major themes including: a) generating alternative pathways when encountering obstacles to social and academic integration, b) goal setting and planning, c) active use of peer and academic supports, and d) experiencing a positive institutional context. While this study confirms research about what factors predict the success of students coping with difficult transitions, it also provides new insights. Results suggest that academic hope is an important theoretical framework to guide future research and practice in the are...
The effect of offshoring on knowledge flows in the US automobile industry

In the growing literature on offshoring, little attention has been given to the impact on product innovation. In this paper we empirically investigate the connection between industry innovation and offshoring in manufacturing. Specifically, our focus is on how information flows to the US economy have been affected by the increase in manufacturing offshoring in the US automobile industry. We measure these knowledge spillovers using different aspects of patent data, namely foreign citations and inventor country of origin. Our results indicate that offshoring has resulted in increased knowledge spillovers to the USA, and that the quantity of such spillovers varies by country, with a positive spillover effect from offshoring to Mexico, China, South Korea and Taiwan, but little or no spillover effect from offshoring to Canada, Japan, Germany, France, Italy and the UK.
Use of novel polyetheralkanolamine comb polymers as pigment dispersants for aqueous coating systems

The adsorption of a series of polyetheralkanolamine comb polymers characterized by a different length of the hydrophilic tail has been investigated at the carbon black/water interface by measuring adsorption isotherm, contact angle, wetting rate, zeta potential, and particle size distribution. Zeta potential measurements and adsorption layer thickness results suggest that polyetheralkanolamines with high ethylene oxide (EO) content provide only steric stabilization and they adsorb at the interface with the ethylene oxide chains in a coil conformation. The thickness of the adsorbed layer increases with increasing EO units; however, the surface tension and interfacial tension decrease with increasing EO content. Adsorption isotherms show that most of the added polyetheralkanolamine adsorbs onto the carbon black and only a small amount stays in the water phase. When treated with a polyetheralkanolamine, carbon black dispersions show uniform (unimodal) and narrow particle size distribution with very small median sizes of about 0.10 μm. The pigment concentrates containing the polyetheralkanolamine show excellent color compatibility in various decorative commercial white paints containing a wide range of resins and exhibit low viscosity with nearly Newtonian flow behavior.
Olfactory and vomeronasal deafferentation of male hamsters: Histological and behavioral analyses

Deafferentation of the vomeronasal system by cutting the vomeronasal nerves severely impaired mating behavior in 44% of male hamsters over a 1--2 month period of postoperative testing, but the remaining males mated normally after the surgery. Damage to the main olfactory bulbs, concomitant to vomeronasal nerve cuts, did not account for this behavioral difference. Subsequent deafferentation of olfactory system by intranasal infusion of zinc sulfate solution (5 g ZnSO4--7H2O in 95 ml 0.5% NaCl) had no effect on intromission or ejaculation latencies of sham vomeronasal cut males but eliminated mating behavior 2 days after treatment in males with bilateral vomeronasal nerve cuts. Some of these males recovered the behavior in 1--3 weeks of post zinc sulfate testing. Histological analyses of the olfactory mucosa in 7 males on day 2 after zinc sulfate showed that 89--97% of the mucosa had been destroyed in 6 out of 7 of the males and 78% in the seventh. We conclude that destruction of the vomeronasal system irreparably reduces arousal necessary for mating in some hamsters but in other males sufficient arousal for this behavior to occur is mediated through the olfactory system, presumably in conjunction with other sensory inputs. Subsequent removal of the olfactory input in these animals eliminates the behavior.
The Heart of America: Our Landscape, Our Future

Weaving together geographical, historical and ecological information, the author takes the reader on a tour of America's most vital landscapes. As well as considering the most dangerous threats to them, he discusses what needs to be done to protect it for future generations.
Preoperative identification of patients at risk for delirium after major head and neck cancer surgery

This study was performed to determine preoperative criteria for identifying patients at risk for delirium after major head and neck cancer surgery. The authors prospectively evaluated 138 consecutive patients undergoing head and neck cancer surgery lasting more than 2 hours at the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Research Institute, Ohio State University, Columbus, from July 1993 through May 1994. Postoperative delirium developed in 24 of 138 patients (17%; 95% confidence interval 11% to 24%). The strongest univariate predictors of delirium were living alone (P = .005), the American Society of Anesthesiologists class (P = .003), and the preoperative white blood cell count (P < .0001). A predictive model for delirium using five criteria--age of 70 or more years, alcohol abuse, poor cognitive status, poor functional status, and markedly abnormal serum sodium, potassium, or glucose level--stratified the patients into three cohorts with an increasing risk of postoperative delirium (i.e., 9%, 19%, and 25%).
Noise performance of the NPOESS Airborne Sounder Testbed Interferometer (NAST-I) sounder: flight and model results

NAST-1 is a Fourier transform interferometric sounder that provides very high spectral and spatial resolution measurements of the Earth's atmosphere. The interferometer provides two dimensional, low noise data from the NASA ER-2 aircraft suitable for synthesizing data products of future satellite-borne sounding instrument candidates. It is the first such high altitude aircraft or satellite borne instrument. The instrument provides a 2.6 km nadir footprint and a cross-track field of regard of +/- 48.2 degrees. The instrument has a continuous spectral range of 3.6-16.1 micrometers , spectral resolution of 0.25 cm -1 , and radiometric noise on the order of 0.25 K. NAST-1 has proven to be an extremely reliable instrument generating over 100 hours of high-quality flight data, and was delivered to the sponsor on a very tight schedule. Using a first principles model, the noise performance of the instrument was modeled and found to be in close agreement with noise measured in- flight. Alignment jitter has been identified as the major contributor to the system NEdN. This paper describes the mode used to predict the instrument noise performance and discusses the comparison to actual flight data.
Nonsusceptibility of Some Avian Species to Turkey Leucocytozoon Infection

Abstract The susceptibility of the chicken, Bobwhite quail, Chukar partridge, White Pekin ducks and Ringnecked pheasants through either natural or artificial infection by Leucocytozoon smithi was investigated. None of the avian hosts studied other than the turkey controls was found to be susceptible to infection; and thus, their role as potential L. smithi natural reservoirs was ruled out. Control of leucocytozoon disease through a combination of management practices was advanced.
Effect of LH on Peripheral Progesterone Concentrations in Intact and Hysterectomized Heifers

The acute effects of LH (luteinizing hormone) on progesterone synthesis in vivo were studied in intact and hysterectomized heifers. Hysterectomy did not alter progesterone production by corpora lutea in untreated heifers. LH injections significantly (p<.05) increased progesterone levels in both intact (750+ vs. plus or minus 527 plus or minus control) and in hysterectomized heifers (1041 plus or minus vs. 682 plus or minus 65 Peripheral progesterone levels were similar in intact heifers at midcycle and in recently hysterectomized heifers. The ability of LH to increase peripheral progesterone levels in vivo appears to be due to an increase in the rate of synthesis rather than a release of stored hormone in the corpus luteum.
Fusion of dissociated Drosophila neurons in culture

Summary Dissociated cultured neurons from Drosophila larval central nervous system were fused to form giant multinucleated cells by using polyethylene glycol. The fused cells could be grown in culture for more than a week and showed characteristic neuronal morphology. These giant multinucleated cells may facilitate neurophysiological studies of membrane properties of neurons from normal and mutant Drosophila .
Combined Hyperspectral and Optical Coherence Tomography Microscope for Non-Invasive Hemodynamic Imaging

Hyperspectral microscopy of hemoglobin oxygenation and optical coherence microscopy of three-dimensional microvessel morphology and blood velocity was demonstrated in growing tumors in the mouse skin fold window chamber.
Public Opinion Toward Immigration Reform: The Role of Economic Motivations

This paper tests hypotheses concerning the effects of economic factors on public opinion toward immigration policy Using the 1992 and 1994 National Election Study surveys, probit models are employed to test diverse conceptualizations of the effects of economic adversity and anxiety on opposition to immigration The results indicate that personal economic circumstances play little role in opinion formation, but beliefs about the state of the national economy, anxiety over taxes, and generalized feelings about Hispanics and Asians, the major immigrant groups, are significant determinants of restrictionist sentiment. This restricted role of economic motives rooted in one's personal circumstances held true across ethnic groups, among residents in communities with different numbers of foreign-born, and in both 1992 and 1994.
Design oriented microcomputer lab project

A course at Penn State University-Erie is discussed which builds upon the students' introductory courses in microprocessors and digital design. The objectives of this course are to introduce problem solving under uncertainty, the product development process, and low-level interfacing. The course consists of two one-half lectures and one two-hour lab per week for sixteen weeks. Approximately one sixth of the lectures are spent on the product development process, one third on learning the architecture and assembly language of the 8051 microcontroller, and the remaining lectures on specific design problems. >
Spatial and spectral variability of the outgoing thermal IR spectra from AIRS: A case study of July 2003

Here we present a survey of the spatial variability in different climate zones seen from AIRS data using the spectral EOF analysis. Over the tropical and subtropical oceans, the first principal component (PC1) is mostly due to the thermal contrast between surface and thick cold cloud tops. The second principal component (PC2) is mainly due to the spatial variation of the lower tropospheric humidity (LTH) and the low clouds. The signature of dust aerosol over the Arabian Sea and the Atlantic off the coast of North Africa in the summertime can be clearly seen in the PC2. Both the PC1 and the PC2 capture the upper tropospheric water vapor variability due to the forced orthogonality of EOFs. The third principal component (PC3) is mainly due to the spatial variation of the lower stratospheric temperature. Over the midlatitude oceans, the PC1 is still due to the thermal contrast of emission temperature. During wintertime, the PC2 is mainly due to stratospheric temperature variations. In the summer, the PC2 over the southern hemisphere is still due to stratospheric temperature variations, but in the northern hemisphere it is mainly due to the variations of the LTH and the low clouds. An exploratory study using synthetic spectra based on a NCAR CAM2 simulation shows that the model could account for the essential features in the data as well as provide an explanation of the three leading PCs. Major disagreements exist in the location of the ITCZ, the dust aerosol, and the lower stratospheric temperature.
Hypophysectomy of the Cyclic Mouse. II. Effects of Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and Luteinizing Hormone on Folliculogenesis, FSH and Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Receptors, and Steroidogenesis'

This study was designed to determine the effects of FSH and LH on ovarian follicular development in adult hypophysectomized (HX) mice. Twelve days after HX, the animals received s.c. injections of ovine FSH (oFSH; 4 micrograms/day) or oFSH (4 micrograms/day) plus ovine LH (oLH; 2 micrograms/day) twice a day for 1 to 4 days. After 4 days of treatment with FSH alone, the number of preantral follicles (stages 1-3) increased significantly compared to that in HX controls and reached cyclic numbers; however, incorporation of [3H]thymidine into these preantral follicles as compared to HX controls did not increase. The number of healthy antral follicles (stages 4-5) and incorporation of [3H]thymidine into stage 5 follicles started to increase after only 1 day of treatment with FSH, and the number of atretic follicles concomitantly decreased. Treatment with both FSH and LH for 1 to 4 days increased the number of healthy follicles and restored DNA synthesis at all stages (1-5) to normal levels. Two days of replacement with FSH or FSH plus LH was required for follicles to attain preovulatory size (stage 6). FSH alone induced FSH and hCG receptors in granulosa cells, but without the induction of thecal LH/hCG receptors; FSH induced production of progesterone and androstenedione by stage 6 follicles, but not estradiol (E2) accumulation in the incubation medium or in the serum. Combined FSH and LH induced hCG receptors in the theca and interstitium, and also restored follicular E2 production to proestrous values. LH alone increased only the number of stage 2-3 follicles. Unexpectedly, LH alone also induced thecal hCG receptors as well as FSH receptors in granulosa cells of preantral and antral follicles. The present results demonstrate that FSH is essential for follicular growth at all stages and for prevention of atretic antral follicles. Both FSH and LH are necessary for regulation of follicular development and differentiation from the earliest preantral to preovulatory stages.
Human circadian pacemaker is sensitive to light throughout subjective day without evidence of transients

Fifty-six resetting trials were conducted across the subjective day in 43 young men using a three-cycle bright-light (approximately 10,000 lx). The phase-response curve (PRC) to these trials was assessed for the presence of a "dead zone" of photic insensitivity and was compared with another three-cycle PRC that had used a background of approximately 150 lx. To assess possible transients after the light stimulus, the trials were divided into 43 steady-state trials, which occurred after several baseline days, and 13 consecutive trials, which occurred immediately after a previous resetting trial. We found that 1) bright light induces phase shifts throughout subjective day with no apparent dead zone; 2) there is no evidence of transients in constant routine assessments of the fitted temperature minimum 1-2 days after completion of the resetting stimulus; and 3) the timing of background room light modulates the resetting response to bright light. These data indicate that the human circadian pacemaker is sensitive to light at virtually all circadian phases, implying that the entire 24-h pattern of light exposure contributes to entrainment.
The Impact of Exposure To Violence On a Trajectory of (Declining) Parental Monitoring A Partial Test of the Ecological—Transactional Model of Community Violence

Five waves of longitudinal data collected from 348 African American youth living in extreme poverty are used to examine the impact of exposure to violence on parenting over time. Semiparametric gro...
A Mixture Model with Sharing for Lexical Semantics

We introduce tiered clustering, a mixture model capable of accounting for varying degrees of shared (context-independent) feature structure, and demonstrate its applicability to inferring distributed representations of word meaning. Common tasks in lexical semantics such as word relatedness or selectional preference can benefit from modeling such structure: Polysemous word usage is often governed by some common background metaphoric usage (e.g. the senses of line or run), and likewise modeling the selectional preference of verbs relies on identifying commonalities shared by their typical arguments. Tiered clustering can also be viewed as a form of soft feature selection, where features that do not contribute meaningfully to the clustering can be excluded. We demonstrate the applicability of tiered clustering, highlighting particular cases where modeling shared structure is beneficial and where it can be detrimental.
Structural Analysis of the Role of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Penicillin-Binding Protein 5 in β-Lactam Resistance

Penicillin-binding protein 5 (PBP5) is one of the most abundant PBPs in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Although its main function is that of a cell wall dd-carboxypeptidase, it possesses sufficient β-lactamase activity to contribute to the ability of P. aeruginosa to resist the antibiotic activity of the β-lactams. The study of these dual activities is important for understanding the mechanisms of antibiotic resistance by P. aeruginosa, an important human pathogen, and to the understanding of the evolution of β-lactamase activity from the PBP enzymes. We purified a soluble version of P. aeruginosa PBP5 (designated Pa sPBP5) by deletion of its C-terminal membrane anchor. Under in vitro conditions, Pa sPBP5 demonstrates both dd-carboxypeptidase and expanded-spectrum β-lactamase activities. Its crystal structure at a 2.05-A resolution shows features closely resembling those of the class A β-lactamases, including a shortened loop spanning residues 74 to 78 near the active site and with respect to the conformations adopted by two active-site residues, Ser101 and Lys203. These features are absent in the related PBP5 of Escherichia coli. A comparison of the two Pa sPBP5 monomers in the asymmetric unit, together with molecular dynamics simulations, revealed an active-site flexibility that may explain its carbapenemase activity, a function that is absent in the E. coli PBP5 enzyme. Our functional and structural characterizations underscore the versatility of this PBP5 in contributing to the β-lactam resistance of P. aeruginosa while highlighting how broader β-lactamase activity may be encoded in the structural folds shared by the PBP and serine β-lactamase classes.
Multiplicative polynomial dimensional decompositions for uncertainty quantification of high-dimensional complex systems

The central theme of this paper is multiplicative polynomial dimensional decomposition (PDD) methods for solving high-dimensional stochastic problems. When a stochastic response is dominantly of multiplicative nature, the standard PDD approximation, predicated on additive function decomposition, may not provide sufficiently accurate estimates of the probabilistic characteristics of a complex system. To circumvent this problem, two multiplicative versions of PDD, referred to as factorized PDD and logarithmic PDD, were developed to examine if they provide improved stochastic solutions. Both versions involve a hierarchical, multiplicative decomposition of a multivariate function in terms of variables with increasing dimensions, a broad range of orthonormal polynomial bases consistent with the input probability measure for Fourier-polynomial expansions of component functions, and a dimension-reduction integration or sampling technique for estimating the expansion coefficients. Three numerical problems involving mathematical functions or eigenvalues of uncertain dynamic systems were solved to corroborate how and when a multiplicative PDD is more efficient or accurate than the additive PDD. The results show that, indeed, both the factorized and logarithmic PDD approximations can effectively exploit the hidden multiplicative structure of a stochastic response when it exists. Since a multiplicative PDD involves component functions that are the same or similar to those of the additive PDD, no additional cost is incurred. Finally, the random eigensolutions of a sport utility vehicle comprising 40 random variables were evaluated, demonstrating the ability of the new methods to solve industrial-scale problems.
Cellular Import of Cobalamin (Vitamin B-12)

Recent studies have isolated and characterized human gastric intrinsic factor (IF) and transcobalamin II (TC II) genes, whose products mediate the import of cobalamin (Cbl; Vitamin B-12) across cellular plasma membranes. Analyses of cDNA and genomic clones of IF and TC II have provided some important insights into their sites of expression, structure and function. IF and TC II genes contain the same number, size and position of exons, and four of their eight intron-exon boundaries are identical. In addition, they share high homology in certain regions that are localized to different exons, indicating that IF and TC II may have evolved from a common ancestral gene. Both IF and TC II mediate transmembrane transport of Cbl via their respective receptors that function as oligomers in the plasma membrane. IF-mediated import of Cbl is limited to the apical membranes of epithelial cells; it occurs via a multipurpose receptor recently termed "cubilin," and the imported Cbl is usually exported out of these cells bound to endogenous TC II. On the other hand, TC II-mediated Cbl import occurs in all cells, including epithelial cells via a specific receptor, and the Cbl imported is usually retained, converted to its coenzyme forms, methyl-Cbl and 5'-deoxyadenosyl-Cbl, and utilized.
Comparison of line-by-line and two-dimensional encoding of random images

Most methods of encoding images require complicated implementation. Thus it is of interest to compare the transmission rates that can be achieved by classes of encoding methods of different complexity. We consider two classes of encoding operations. The first class allows any possible operation on the two-dimensional image source output. The second class allows only certain restricted operations on the image. In acquisition of images by electronic means, the image intensity is in general scanned line by line, resulting in data that appear as a sequence of ordinary time series. In encoding, a simpler implementation results if one accepts the time series from a single scan line and encodes it independently of adjacent scan lines. This limits storage requirements to a single scan line and limits processing to operations on a one-parameter time series instead of operations on a two-dimensional field. This is the second class of encoding operations that we consider. We choose a distortion measure and discuss the rate-distortion function, which represents the minimum rate required by any encoding method in the first (arbitrary complex encoding). We then derive the minimum rate that can be achieved by any encoder from the second class. These rates are compared for a specific example.
Colonic mucosal gene expression and genotype in irritable bowel syndrome patients with normal or elevated fecal bile acid excretion

The mucosal gene expression in rectosigmoid mucosa (RSM) in irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D) is unknown. Our objectives were, first, to study mRNA expression [by RT2 PCR of 19 genes p...
Evaluating Mesoscale NWP Models Using Kinetic Energy Spectra

Kinetic energy spectra derived from observations in the free atmosphere possess a wavenumber dependence of k23 for large scales, characteristic of 2D turbulence, and transition to a k2 5/3 dependence in the mesoscale. Kinetic energy spectra computed using mesoscale and experimental near-cloud-scale NWP forecasts from the Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) model are examined, and it is found that the model-derived spectra match the observational spectra well, including the transition. The model spectra decay at the highest resolved wavenumbers compared with observations, indicating energy removal by the model’s dissipation mechanisms. This departure from the observed spectra is used to define the model’s effective resolution. Various dissipation mechanisms used in NWP models are tested in WRF model simulations to examine the mechanisms’ impact on a model’s effective resolution. The spinup of the spectra in forecasts is also explored, along with spectra variability in the free atmosphere and in forecasts under different synoptic regimes.
The search for ancient wisdom in early modern Europe: Reuchlin and the late ancient esoteric paradigm

This article offers a contextualized interpretation of the De arte cabalistica, a treatise written in 1517 by Johannes Reuchlin, the German political figure, humanist, Hebraist, and Pythagorean Kabbalist. The study begins by establishing a context for reading the treatise and sketches a late ancient mentality, termed the post-Plotinian moment, of which a number of Renaissance thinkers, Reuchlin included, partook. Next the piece moves to Christian Kabbalism and Reuchlin's place within that movement. Finally, there is a fivefold analysis of the De arte cabalistica framed around the issues of allegoresis, soteriology, the efficacy of language, the gulf between humanity and divinity, and information transfer.
Automatic verification and validation of a CAS simulation of an intensive care unit

Complex adaptive systems (CAS) promise to be useful in modeling and understanding real-world phenomena, but remain difficult to validate and verify. The authors present an adaptive, tool-chain-based approach to continuous validation and verification that allows the subject matter experts (SMEs) and modelers to interact in a useful manner. A CAS simulation of the ICU at the Mayo Clinic is used as a working example to illustrate the method and its benefits.
Syndromes of Corruption: Influence Markets: influence for rent, decisions for sale

The value of access Influence Market corruption revolves around the use of wealth to seek influence within strong political and administrative institutions – often, with politicians putting their own access out for rent. In market democracies many people have interests to pursue and the means with which to do so, and points of public–private access proliferate. Where institutions are strong and credible the overwhelming majority of advocacy takes place within accepted limits, but Influence Market societies also have evolved in ways accommodating to political and economic elites. This corruption syndrome thus does not ordinarily threaten the viability of institutions or the broader system; indeed, to do so would devalue the access at stake. The stakes are the details of policy – whether a program will be funded, a contract awarded, a group declared exempt from a tax, or the rules of a program changed. Private parties do offer bribes and officials practice extortion, but in most Influence Market countries such actions are the exception, not the rule, or are confined to specific agencies and decisions. At times it can be difficult to distinguish legal political contributions and routine “constituent service” by elected representatives from corrupt dealings, a fact contributing to market democracies' favorable scores on indices that emphasize outright bribery. That does not mean bureaucrats in Influence Market countries never collude with elected officials and interest groups.