cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ulnar Collateral Ligament Injury in Female Athletes

Though infrequently reported, female athletes do suffer injuries to the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) of the elbow. These occur during participation in a wide variety of sports, including softball, tennis, javelin, and gymnastics. The mechanism of injury is often chronic microtrauma; however, ligament avulsion is commonly seen as well. Extensive damage to the ligament necessitates reconstruction. To this point, there has not been any research to suggest a different approach to reconstruction in the female athlete, and thus the procedure performed is the same one classically described in the male athlete. However, when the ligament is not as extensively injured, Argo has reported excellent results with primary repair, although his study is limited by a small sample size. For this reason, in contrast to current literature regarding the treatment of male throwers, repair should be considered in these female patients competing at or below the college level. This offers the benefit of a less invasive procedure and potentially an earlier return to sport. However, treatment recommendations for the female athlete with a UCL injury are limited by the paucity of literature regarding both the biomechanics of the female ligament and the outcome data in this patient population.
Orbit on demand - In this century if pushed

Performance requirements and design features of the next generation of manned launch vehicles are discussed. The vehicles will launch within minutes of demand and will have a several-day turnaround time. Launch and landing sites will have minimal facilities. Baseline requirements comprise carriage and return of a 5000 lb, 7 ft diam, 15 ft long payload, a 160 n. mi. polar orbit, a 200 fps on-orbit delt-V capability, provisions for two men for 24 hr, an 1100 n. mi. cross range option, 500 flights/vehicle, land on 10,000 ft runways, and be acceptable passing over populated areas. Significant advances are needed in propulsion and fuel systems, lightweight durable structures and airbreathing acceleration engines. Trade-offs have yet to be fully explored among the number of stages and horizontal or vertical take-off.
Benchmarking and testing OSD for correctness and compliance

Developers often describe testing as being tedious and boring. This work challenges this notion; we describe tools and methodologies crafted to test object-based storage devices (OSDs) for correctness and compliance with the T10 OSD standard. A special consideration is given to test the security model of an OSD implementation. Additionally, some work was carried out on building OSD benchmarks. This work can be a basis for a general-purpose benchmark suite for OSDs in the future, as more OSD implementations emerge. Originally designed to test performance, it was surprisingly useful for discovering unexpected peculiar behaviors and special type of bugs that are otherwise not considered bugs. The tool described here has been used to verify object-disks built by Seagate and IBM research.
A framework for robust semantic interpretation

This paper describes AUTOSEM, a robust semantic interpretation framework that can operate both at parse time and repair time. The evaluation demonstrates that AUTOSEM achieves a high level of robustness efficiently and without requiring any hand coded knowledge dedicated to repair.
Robert E. Lee's Last Stand: His Dying Words and the Stroke That Killed Him. (P1.294)

OBJECTIVE: To review historical details of the stroke preceding the death of Robert E. Lee, and offer perspective on the understanding and management of cerebrovascular disease in the late 19 th century. BACKGROUND: On the evening of September 28, 1870, Robert Edward Lee suffered a stroke. He died two weeks later at the age of 63 ending one of the most storied lives in American history, yet little has attended to his death and the nature of his stroke. DESIGN/METHODS: Investigation of Lee’s medical history and death from Lee - The Last Years by C.B. Flood; including accounts by his physicians, Drs. H.T. Barton and R.L. Madison, close friend Col. W.P. Johnston, and family. RESULTS: In the autumn of 1870, while serving as president of Washington College, Lee regularly experienced fatigue, shortness of breath with exertion, and chest pains. Previous diagnoses included “rheumatism” and “pericardial inflammation” - Fredericksburg (1863). On September 28, Lee stood to say grace over supper, “opened his mouth but no words came out.” Sitting back in his chair, he “bowed down, looking very strange and speaking incoherently.” His physicians found no paralysis or “apoplexy” but diagnosed “venous congestion of the brain” secondary to “cerebral exhaustion.” In following days, observers noted “⋯his lips never uttered a sound!” and “for the most part communicated with nodding or shaking his head.” Therapy included bed rest, turpentine, strychnine, and morphine. The morning of October 12, he developed a “feeble, rapid pulse” and “shallow breathing.” Lee’s reported last words were, “Tell Hill he must come up!” “Strike the tent!” Yet, his daughter at the bedside recalled only “struggling” with “long, hard breathes,” and “in a moment he was dead.” CONCLUSIONS: Lee suffered chronic angina and congestive heart failure, with a probable myocardial infarction during the war. His death stemmed from an acute, possibly cardioembolic stroke manifesting as expressive aphasia, and subsequent respiratory complications. Given his aphasia, Lee’s famous last words are questionable. Disclosure: Dr. Southerland has received personal compensation in an editorial capacity for Neurology Podcast.
Linking Other Theorem Provers to HOL Using PM: Proof Manager

Abstract The tool PM (for Proof Manager), initially developed as an improved interface for HOL, has been previously described in [FAY91]. At that time, there were plans to improve PM as a HOL interface, and to extend the PM interface to permit additional theorem provers to be used to supplement HOL. A preliminary design for a translation algorithm was described. In this paper, we describe how these plans have been realized, and our continuing work to improve PM as a multiple-prover interface. We illustrate the use of PM with multiple provers with an example.
7-Cis isomers of retinal via 7-cis- and 7,9-dicis-β-C18-tetraene ketones : New geometric isomers of vitamin A and carotenoids—I

Abstract Based catalyzed condensation of 7- cis - or 7,9-di cis -β-ionylideneacetaldehyde with acetone gave either 7- cis or 7,9-di cis -β-C 18 -tetraene ketone. Reaction of the tetraene ketone mixture with diethyl cyanomethylphosphonate gave a mixture of 4 isomers of retinonitrile, all believed to have the 7- cis geometry. Partial redution of the retinonitrile mixture with di-isobutylaluminum hydride gave a mixture of retinal isomers. Repeated column chromatography resulted in partial separation of the retinal isomers. Based on NMR data the geometry of the isomers prepared are believed to be 7- cis , 7,13-di cis , and 7,9,13-tri cis .
A 2.5 Gbit/s CMOS PLL for data/clock recovery without frequency divider

A phase locked loop (PLL) design based on a new phase detector (PD) is presented. It can be used as a part of data/clock recovery (DCR) systems targeting the applications of 2 Gbit/s-3 Gbit/s range Ethernet and optic fiber transceivers in current semiconductor processes. A key component in the circuit is a new non-sequential PD that provides for very high speed operation. Using TSMC 0.25 u CMOS process device models and the HSPICE simulator, results show that the PLL can operate at 2.5 GHz over process corners and a 0/spl deg/C to 100/spl deg/C temperature range. Total power dissipation is 40 mW with a single 2.5 V power supply.
Mhd calculations of anode plasmas

We have performed a series of idealized MHD calculations of the response of an anode plasma layer to the rising magnetic field in an applied-B ion diode. The purposes of this study were to consider Joule heating of the plasma layer, which could pose potential problems for lithium ion diodes, and the leakage of flux behind the ion-emitting surface, which is related to impedance collapse. We find that, as induced JxB forces move the plasma toward the wall, the entrained, initial field is compressed until it just equals the rising external field. Achieving such equilibrium decreases both Joule heating and flux leakage into the plasma. For relatively thin (/spl tilde/ 1 mm) plasma layers at moderate densities (10/sup 16/ - 10/sup 17/ cm/sup -3/) we calculate that this equilibrium is achieved quite rapidly, leading to acceptably low levels of both flux penetration and Joule heating.
Employer-Provided Health Insurance Coverage: A Comparison of Employed Native-born and Immigrant Americans

This research examined differences in employer-based health insurance coverage among employed native-born Americans and immigrants using cross-sectional and panel data from the National Longitudinal Survey, cohort 1979 (NLSY79). Compared with native-born Americans, immigrants were 10.5% less likely to have employer-based health insurance when controlling for other social and economic characteristics. Income and educational attainment of immigrants along with length of stay were predictors of employer-based coverage. Occupational characteristics such as job tenure, full-time employment, and union membership were positively associated with having employer-based health insurance coverage.
Ribavirin improves the IFN‐γ response of natural killer cells to IFN‐based therapy of hepatitis C virus infection

Ribavirin (RBV) is an important component of interferon (IFN)-based and direct antiviral treatment regimens for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Immunomodulation, in particular improvement of the host IFN response, has been proposed as RBV's mechanism of action. Natural killer (NK) cells are sensitive biomarkers for IFN-α/β receptor signaling, as NK cell cytotoxicity and IFN-γ production are regulated by signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)1- and STAT4-phosphorylation, respectively. Specifically, pSTAT1-dependent NK cell cytotoxicity increases and pSTAT4-dependent IFN-γ production decreases in response to endogenous, virus-induced IFN-α and during IFN-α-based therapy. To assess whether RBV has a direct effect on NK cells and/or improves the IFN-γ response of NK cells in the presence of IFN-α, we prospectively studied 22 HCV patients with and 32 patients without 4 weeks of RBV pretreatment, who all received subsequent pegylated (Peg)IFN/ribavirin combination therapy. During RBV pretreatment, both the frequency of CD56dim NK cells with cytotoxic effector functions and the frequency of CD56bright NK cells with the capacity to produce IFN-γ decreased (P = 0.049 and P = 0.001, respectively). In vitro or in vivo exposure of NK cells to RBV improved the pSTAT4 (P < 0.01) but not pSTAT1 response of NK cells to subsequent stimulation with IFN-α. This was associated with an increase in IFN-γ production but not cytotoxicity of NK cells during subsequent IFN-α-based therapy. The frequency of IFN-γ-producing NK cells was greater in fast second-phase virological responders than in slow responders. Conclusion: RBV enhances the pSTAT4 and IFN-γ response of NK cells to IFN-α-stimulation. (Hepatology 2014;60:1160–1169)
Light-dependent cytotoxic reactions of anthracene.

— Anthracene is a photodynamic compound in vitro. In the presence of oxygen, it is known to generate singlet oxygen and participate in Type II reactions. In aqueous solution, it also participates in Type I reactions, such as in the photoreduction of cytochrome c, which can be suppressed by superoxide dismutase. In argon, direct photoreduction of cytochrome c also takes place. Anthracene induces the photodynamic hemolysis of human erythrocytes and inactivates Escherichia coli cells photodynamically. By using a series of E. coli strains differing in DNA repair capabilities and catalase proficiency, sensitivity to inactivation by anthracene plus NUV was correlated with catalase deficiency rather than with particular repair deficiencies. The fact that carotenoid genes cloned and expressed in E. coli offered partial protection suggests that the membrane may be one possible target for inactivation by anthracene plus NUV. Anthracene plus NUV inactivated Haemophilus influenzae transforming DNA and led to nicking of supercoiled pBR322 DNA in vitro. In vivo, therefore, anthracene is a phototoxic molecule whose cytotoxicity could be the result of damage to more than one target.
Motion-compensated two-link chain coding for binary shape sequence

In this paper, we present a motion compensated two-link chain coding technique to effectively encode 2-D binary shape sequences for object-based video coding. This technique consists of a contour motion estimation and compensation algorithm and a two-link chain coding algorithm. The object contour is defined on a 6-connected contour lattice for a smoother contour representation. The contour in the current frame is first predicted by global motion and local motion based on the decoded contour in the previous frame; then, it is segmented into motion success segments, which can be predicted by the global motion or the local motion, and motion failure segments, which can not be predicted by the global and local motion. For each motion failure segment, a two-link chain code, which uses one chain code to represent two consecutive contour links, followed by an arithmetic coder is proposed for efficient coding. Each motion success segment can be represented by the motion vector and its length. For contour motion estimation and compensation, besides the translational motion model, an affine global motion model is proposed and investigated for complex global motion. We test the performance of the proposed technique by several MPEG-4 shape test sequences. The experimental results show that our proposed scheme is better than the CAE technique which is applied in the MPEG-4 verification model.
Post Pulse Study For Antares Driver Amplifier

The Antares Driver Amplifier utilizes Cassegrain optics. It was observed that for an input of a single 1-ns pulse, multiple pulses were produced at the output. The characteristic time between these pulses was exactly the round-trip time of the two Cassegrain optics. The study to eliminate these extra pulses had two parts, one experimental and the other a computer modeling. Many ideas were tried during the experimental phase, and only one technique was found to significantly reduce the extra pulses; that was to properly mask the primary mirror. The computer modeling made use of a ray-tracing code to look for multiple passes due to scattering or diffraction of various optical surfaces, or misalignment of the optics themselves. The results showed that there were several such paths, but the most prominent one was scattering or diffraction of the primary mirror around the inner hole, in agreement with the experimental phase. However, some of the other paths are also of interest.
cGMP is required for gibberellic acid-induced gene expression in barley aleurone

The occurrence and roles of cGMP were investigated in aleurone layers and protoplasts isolated from barley (cv Himalaya) grain. Levels of cGMP in freshly isolated barley aleurone layers ranged from 0.065 to 0.08 pmol/g fresh weight of tissue, and cGMP levels increased transiently after incubation in gibberellic acid (GA). Abscisic acid (ABA) did not increase cGMP levels in aleurone layers. LY 83583 (LY), an inhibitor of guanylyl cyclase, prevented the GA-induced increase in cGMP and inhibited GA-induced [alpha]-amylase synthesis and secretion. The inhibitory effects of LY could be overcome by membrane-permeant analogs of cGMP. LY also prevented GA-induced accumulation of [alpha]-amylase and GAMYB mRNAs. cGMP alone was not sufficient to induce the accumulation of [alpha]-amylase or GAMYB mRNA. LY had a less dramatic effect on the accumulation of mRNAs encoding the ABA-responsive gene Rab21. We conclude that cGMP plays an important role in GA, but not ABA, signaling in the barley aleurone cell.
Spontaneous Magnetization of Iron-Rich Iron–Germanium and Iron–Silicon Alloys at 298°K

The mass magnetization of 19 iron-rich binary iron alloys containing different amounts of silicon and germanium has been studied as a function of magnetic field at 298°K using a vibrating sample magnetometer. The mass spontaneous magnetizations have been determined from these data by means of the Belov-Arrott-Kouvel method. The curve of the spontaneous magnetization versus composition for iron–silicon alloys lies below the simple dilution curve while that for the iron–germanium system lies above it. The results of this investigation are compared with those of the previous studies on the saturation magnetization of the above-mentioned solid solutions. Die Gesamtmagnetisierung von 19 eisenreichen binaren Eisenlegierungen mit unterschiedlichem Gehalt von Silizium und Germanium wurde in Abhangigkeit vom Magnetfeld bei 298°K untersucht, wobei ein Schwingproben-Magnetometer benutzt wurde. Die spontane Gesamtmagnetisierung wurde aus diesen Daten mit der Belov-Arrott-Kouvel-Methode bestimmt. Die Kurve der spontanen Magnetisierung uber der Zusammensetzung der Eisen–Silizium-Legierungen liegt unterhalb der einfachen Verdunnungskurve, wahrend die fur Eisen–Germanium-Systeme daruber liegt. Die Ergebnisse dieser Untersuchungen werden mit denen fruherer Untersuchungen der Sattigungsmagnetisierung der oben erwahnten Mischkristalle verglichen.
Ab initio study of the structures and stabilities of the dimer of ethyl cation, (C(2)H(+)(5))(2) and related C(4)H(10)(2+) isomers.

Ab initio calculations at the MP4(SDTQ)/6-311G**//MP2/6-31G** level were performed to study the structures and stabilities of the dimer of ethyl cation, (C2H5+)2, and related C4H102+ isomers. Two d...
The risk for psychiatric disorders in relatives of schizophrenic and control probands: a comparison of three independent studies

Background. Although replication is the heart of science, psychiatric geneticists rarely have the opportunity to replicate findings, especially more than once.Methods. This article reviews results from three independent family studies of schizophrenia on which one of us conducted diagnostic reviews: the Danish Adoption Study (DAS), the Iowa 500 non-500 family study (IFS), and the Roscommon Family Study (RFS). We utilized DSM-III or DSM-III-R criteria and meta-analysis techniques.Results. The odds ratios (OR) in personally interviewed, first degree biological relatives of schizophrenic and matched control probands for schizophrenia, other non-affective psychoses (ONAP), schizotypal personality disorder (SPD), unipolar affective illness (UPAI), bipolar affective illness (BPAI), and anxiety disorders were homogeneous across studies. For alcoholism, ORs were significantly heterogeneous. Schizophrenia, SPD and ONAP strongly aggregated in relatives of schizophrenic probands with decreasing common OR estimates of 16·2, 5·0 and 4·0, respectively. The common OR for anxiety disorders was 1·1, indicating no familial co-aggregation. For UPAI and BPAI, the common ORs exceeded unity (1·3 and 1·9, respectively), although only the former was statistically significant.Conclusions. Schizophrenia strongly aggregates in families and shares familial factors with SPD and ONAP but not anxiety disorders. The familial factors of aetiological importance for schizophrenia and affective illness may be weakly related. With the exception of alcoholism, the patterns of psychiatric disorders in relatives of schizophrenic and control probands in these three studies were sufficiently similar that, despite their methodological differences, they can probably be viewed as replications of one another.
Electron-impact ionization cross sections for the xenon isoelectronic sequence

Cross sections are presented for the direct electron-impact ionization of the 5p, 5s, and 4d subshells of the ground state of the first six members of the xenon isoelectronic sequence. The calculations were performed in a distorted-wave Born-exchange approximation including the effects of term-dependent partial waves in the ejected-electron channel and ground-state electron correlation. Shape resonances were found to significantly enhance the cross sections at low incident electron energies for Xe, ${\mathrm{Cs}}^{+}$, and ${\mathrm{Ba}}^{2+}$. Term dependence in the 5${p}^{5}$kd and 4${d}^{9}$kf ejected-electron channels was also significant for these ions. Ground-state correlation was somewhat less influential, and affected the cross section only when ejected-electron term dependence was also significant.
A thermodynamic approach to fatigue damage accumulation under variable loading

Abstract We put forward a general procedure for assessment of damage evolution based on the concept of entropy production. The procedure is applicable to both constant- and variable amplitude loading. The results of a series of bending fatigue tests under both two-stage and three-stage loadings are reported to investigate the validity of the proposed methodology. Also presented are the results of experiments involving bending, torsion, and tension–compression fatigue tests with Al 6061-T6 and SS 304 specimens. It is shown that, within the range of parameters tested, the evolution of fatigue damage for these materials in terms of entropy production is independent of load, frequency, size, loading sequence and loading history. Furthermore, entropy production fractions of individual amplitudes sums to unity.
Identification of a surface epitope of human erythropoietin with anti-peptide antibodies

Antibodies reactive with human erythropoietin were isolated from the serum of rabbits immunized with a twenty-six amino acid synthetic polypeptide corresponding to a proposed NH2-terminal sequence of the hormone. As shown by inhibition with peptide fragments, those antibodies that bound to erythropoietin recognized the (8-15) domain, strongly suggesting tht this region is exposed on the hormone's surface. This was confirmed by affinity purification of these antibodies on immobilized fragment (8-15). These results provide insight into the tertiary structure of human erythropoietin and suggest uses for the sequence-specific antibodies in labeling the hormone.
Lateral diffusion of proteins and lipids in the plasma membrane of rose protoplast

Lateral diffusion measurements have been made on lipids and proteins in the plasma membrane of live protoplasts derived from rose (Rosa sp. “Paul's Scarlet”) suspension-cultured cells. Two different fluorescent lipid probes exhibited markedly different diffusion rates, indicating possible heterogeneity in the lipid domain of the membrane. Membrane proteins were labeled directly with covalently-reactive fluorophores, and factors that might perturb the lateral diffusion of these labeled proteins were investigated. Treatment of the protoplasts with various cytoskeleton-disrupting drugs generally had little effect on protein diffusion, although treatment with oryzalin, a microtubule-disrupting drug, did slightly reduce the mobile fraction of membrane proteins. Elevation of the CaCl2 concentration in the medium from 1 mM to 10 mM significantly reduced the mobile fraction of membrane proteins and also increased the fraction of protoplasts that were able to regenerate cell walls and divide in culture. These results are discussed in relation to reported evidence of lipid domains in the plasma membranes of other cells and protoplasts. The relative importance of lipid domains and membrane-cytoskeleton interaction in governing protein diffusion is considered.
Comparison of intracellular pH measurements by 31P NMR and weak acid partitioning in Chinese hamster ovary fibroblasts.

Intracellular pH measurements obtained by 31P NMR and DMO partitioning are compared. A continuous-flow culture system was used to measure the intracellular pH of Chinese hamster ovary fibroblasts in response to changes in the extracellular pH. These measurements were repeated with the CHO cells in suspension and under similar experimental conditions using the weak acid partitioning technique employing 14C-DMO. It is shown that the pHi values are identical, within experimental error, for both techniques in the 6.80–7.70 pH range, with the DMO technique giving slightly more acidic intracellular pH in the 6.00–6.80 range. It is concluded that both techniques give similar values for intracellular pH in the physiological range, with the DMO partitioning giving more acidic values at pH's less than 6.80. The range of validity for pHi measurements using 31P NMR lies between 6.70 and 7.50. © 1988 Academic Press, Inc.
Unified Modeling Language: A Complexity Analysis

Unified Modeling Language (UML) has emerged as the software industryâ€™s dominant modeling language. It is the de facto modeling language standard for specifying, visualizing, constructing, and documenting the components of software systems. Despite its prominence and status as the standard modeling language, UML has its critics. Opponents argue that it is complex and difficult to learn. Some question the rationale of having nine diagramming techniques in UML and the raison dâ€™Aatre of those nine techniques in UML. Others point out that UML lacks a comprehensive methodology to guide its users, which makes the language even more convoluted. A few studies on UML can be found in the literature. However, no study exists to provide a quantitative measure of UML complexity or to compare UML with other object oriented techniques. In this research, we evaluate the complexity of UML using complexity metrics. The objective is to provide a reliable and accurate quantitative measure of UML complexity. A comparison of the complexity metrical values of UML with other object-oriented techniques was also carried out. Our findings suggest that each diagram in UML is not distinctly more complex than techniques in other OO methods. But as a whole, UML is very complex - 2-11 times more complex than other OO methods.
Effects of diflubenzuron on growth of malignant melanoma and skin carcinoma tumors in mice.

The insect growth regulator diflubenzuron (DFB), which may also inhibit growth of imaginal epidermal cells in insects, was studied for antitumor activity in two mouse tumor models of epidermal origin. DFB inhibits chitin deposition, but the mechanisms by which DFB controls chitin deposition or regulates growth of insect epidermal cells are unknown. A single injection of 20 mg (800 mg/kg) of DFB into C57BL/6 mice with B16 malignant melanomas or AKR mice with skin tumors (CA 1025) induced a rapid (24 h) decrease in tumor volume in 78% and 66% of the tumors, respectively. In contrast, 85% of the melanomas and 91% of skin tumors in control mice increased in volume during the same 24-h period. Tumor volume decreased by as much as 55% for about 1% of the tumors, but the median decrease was 20% for both types of tumors. Since control tumors concommitantly increased, DFB-treated tumors decreased, relatively, to 60% of the volume of matched control tumors. After the initial volume decrease, both types of tumors resumed exponential growth resulting in an average growth curve delay, calculated for 12–14 days, of about 2.0 days. Subsequent treatment of melanomas with DFB 24 h after the initial treatment resulted in a further decrease in relative tumor volume to 40–50% of control tumor volume and a growth curve delay of 2.6 days. The most effective regimen used was 5 daily, 20-mg doses of DFB. Melanomas decreased to 40% of control tumor volume after the third injection and the mean growth curve delay was extended to 4.3 days. These data suggest that DFB, one of many benzoylphenyl ureas, has antitumor activity and further that the effects are dose-schedule dependent.
Synthesis of Oxametallacycles from 2-Iodoethanol on Ag(111) and the Structure Dependence of Their Reactivity

Temperature-programmed desorption (TPD), high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS), and density functional theory (DFT) were used to investigate the adsorption and reaction of 2-iodoethanol on the Ag(111) surface. When 2-iodoethanol is dosed onto Ag(111) at 150 K, it reacts to form a hydroxyethyl surface intermediate. The hydroxyethyl reacts at 255 K to form ethylene, acetaldehyde, and a surface oxametallacycle. This surface oxametallacycle reacts at 320 K to form acetaldehyde. Surface oxametallacycles and metallaoxetanes have been implicated as important intermediates in various heterogeneous and homogeneous chemical reactions. We focus on the investigation of the chemical structure and reactivity of the isolated oxametallacycle and compare the observations to previous results. We conclude that the oxametallacycle selectivity to different products is dependent on the oxametallacycle coordination geometry and is therefore influenced by the surface structure.
Heavy-Metal Chemistry in Proto-Planetary Nebulae: Detection of MgNC, NaCN, and AlF toward CRL 2688

The metal-containing molecules AlF, MgNC, and NaCN have been detected toward CRL 2688, a circumstellar envelope in the proto-planetary nebula (PPN) phase. These measurements are the first detections of such species in a source other than the carbon star IRC +10216. Three transitions of MgNC were observed, each of which consists of two spin-rotation components, and five lines of NaCN were measured; both detections were made in the 2 mm wavelength region using the NRAO 12 m telescope. Three transitions of AlF were observed as well at 2 and 1.2 mm with the IRAM 30 m antenna. All three species appear to trace the AGB wind, not the high-velocity outflows characteristic of post-AGB mass loss. Rotational temperature analysis suggests that MgNC emission is from cooler gas than AlF and NaCN, indicating an outer shell distribution for this molecule, as is found in IRC +10216. AlF and NaCN appear to be confined to the inner envelope of CRL 2688. The column density obtained for MgNC in this source assuming a shell-like distribution is Ntot ~ 4 × 1012 cm-2, corresponding to a fractional abundance, relative to H2, of f ~ 4 × 10-9. This abundance is about a factor of 10 less than that in IRC +10216. For NaCN, the column density and fractional abundance in CRL 2688 are Ntot ~ 0.7-3 × 1014 cm-2 and f ~ 3-5 × 10-8, comparable to what has been measured for IRC +10216. In the case of AlF, the column density toward CRL 2688 was determined to be Ntot ~ 0.9-3 × 1013 cm-2, resulting in f ~ 4-5 × 10-9. In IRC +10216, f(AlF) is 1-2 × 10-7. These data suggest that the chemistry in the outer envelope of CRL 2688 has altered abundances for species like MgNC, but inner shell molecules like NaCN may remain intact over a longer timescale. While the abundance of AlF in CRL 2688 is less than that of 19F in the solar system, in IRC +10216, the AlF abundance exceeds the fluorine solar value. Hence, observations of this molecule suggest that 19F is produced in thermal pulses in the AGB phase.
Coding for x-ray scatter imaging

We present coding strategies for x-ray scatter imaging, with focus on pencil and fan beam geometries. Coded apertures spatially modulate the scatter signal prior to measurement, and appropriate reconstruction algorithms recover the tomographic images.
Ultrasound molecular imaging with customizable nanoscale phase-change contrast agents: An in-vitro feasibility study

Phase-change contrast agents (PCCAs) can be vaporized to the echogenic gas state by acoustic/thermal energy from an ultrasound transducer. Few studies to date have explored the molecular imaging capability of PCCAs. In this study, we generate nanoscale droplets composed of low boiling point perfluorocarbons encapsulated in lipid shells capable of targeting αvβ3. When incubated with HUVEC cells expressing αvβ3, the agents could be activated and imaged with the same transducer, and produced a significant increase in pixel intensity within the cell monolayer. Analysis showed a significant imaging contrast over both baseline and non-targeted controls. Low-boiling point, nanoscale PCCAs may provide new approaches to intravascular and extravascular ultrasound-based molecular imaging.
StoryTime: a new way for children to write

The StoryTime project explores the benefits of and issues surrounding the use of mobile finger-touch devices to support struggling writers. StoryTime is a mobile finger-touch tool designed from a learner-centered design perspective to be a supportive writing tool for children 7--9 years old. StoryTime allows children to write stories by providing simpler writing mechanics, increased user engagement, and a contextualized writing experience. The combination of these attributes allows struggling writers to focus more on the sentence construction task. Here we describe the iterative design and testing of three versions of StoryTime on 13 children to date.
Effect of referrals on convergence to satisficing distributions

We investigate a framework where agents locate high-quality service providers by using referrals from peer agents. The performance of providers is measured by the satisfaction obtained by agents from using their services. Provider performance depends upon its intrinsic capability and upon its current load. We present an algorithm for selecting a service provider for a given task which includes mechanisms for deciding when and who to ask for a referral. This mechanism requires learning, over interactions, both the performance levels of different service providers, as well as the quality of referrals provided by other agents. We use a satisficing rather than an optimizing framework, where agents are content to receive service quality above a threshold. Agents have to learn the quality of others' referrals and the quality of providers to find satisficing providers. We compare the effectiveness of referral systems with or without deception with systems without referrals. We identify zones, based on an observed entropy metric, where using referrals is helpful in promoting fast convergence to satisficing distributions.
A video-based system and method for improving aircraft security

Commercial airplanes are now a weapon of mass destruction to be used in asymmetric warfare against the United States. There is a clear need for enhanced situational awareness within the passenger cabin of airplanes. If the crew suspected that the security of an aircraft had been compromised it would be critical for a crew member to be able to clearly and rapidly see what is occurring inside the passenger cabin without having to open the door to the cockpit. In case of emergency it would also be extremely valuable for ground personnel and aircraft responding to the emergency to be able to visually monitor what is happening inside the aircraft cabin.
Complex Effects of Molecular Chaperones on the Aggregation and Refolding of Fibroblast Growth Factor-1

Abstract Fibroblast growth factor one (FGF-1) exists in a molten globule (MG)-like state under physiological conditions (neutral pH, 37°C). It has been proposed that this form of the protein may be involved in its atypical membrane transport properties. Macromolecular chaperones have been shown to bind to MG states of proteins as well as to be involved in protein membrane transport. We have therefore examined the effect of such proteins on the aggregation and refolding of FGF-1 to evaluate whether they might play a role in FGF-1 transport. The proposed chaperone α-crystallin was found to strongly inhibit the aggregation of the MG state of FGF-1. Curiously, two other proteins of similar size and charge (thyroglobulin and a monoclonal IgM immunoglobulin) with no previously reported chaperone properties were also found to have a related effect. In contrast, the chaperone GroEL/ES induced further aggregation of MG-like FGF-1 but had no effect on the native conformation. Both chaperones stimulated refolding to the native state (25°C) but had no detectable effect when FGF-1 was refolded to the MG state (37°C). This suggests that disordered intermediates are present in the folding pathways of the native and MG-like FGF conformations which differ from the MG-like state induced under physiological conditions. FGF-1 does, therefore, interact with molecular chaperones, although this may involve both the MG and the native states of the protein.
Epidemiologic changes in older adult periodontal disease.

This paper reviews some past and current findings regarding the relationship between age and periodontal diseases in adults and speculates on the implications of more recent findings that show a lower prevalence of deep pocketing than previous studies and no dramatic increases in older adults. A conceptual framework for designing studies and analyzing data is presented. Using prevalence data from a household survey of older adults in Iowa, a multivariate analysis resulted in 41 percent of the variance in 3 + mm pickets being explained by dental, medical, and behavioral factors. If these correlates turn out to be risk factors, it seems that periodontal diseases must be considered in a larger context than is employed in most epidemiological and clinical investigations.
Pathological left-handedness: Evaluation of a model☆

Abstract This study investigated the relationship between manifest handedness and the localization of EEG abnormalities in a large group of mentally retarded persons. Persons who had abnormal EEG recordings, regardless of whether the dysfunction was bilateral or asymmetric, exhibited approximately twice the incidence of left-handedness than persons who had normal EEG's. Data for persons having asymmetric damage support a model of pathological left-handedness, with left-handers showing a substantially higher probability of having left brain dysfunction than right-handers.
Spawning Behavior of Florida Largemouth Bass in an Indoor Raceway

Abstract Florida largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides floridanus were tagged and placed into an indoor raceway to document time of spawning, duration of spawning episodes, number of fish contributing to spawns, number of fish spawning multiple times, and percent of fish that spawned. In 8 d of observation, 16 spawns were initiated from 1500 to 1850 hours (lights on at 0700 hours, off at 1900 hours), and 3 spawns occurred during the night. Spawning episodes lasted from 110 to more than 240 min. Two spawns included participation by more than one male or female, but in both cases, activity of the third fish was brief and did not appear to contribute gametes. Five males (25%) and three females (15%) spawned more than once, and multiple-spawning males always used the same nest. Fifty percent of the males and 65% of the females spawned at 10 mat locations during observations. Six mat locations were used after observations ceased, which added to the 10 confirmed locations and 2 mat sites from night spawns, indi...
3D tumor measurement in cone-beam CT breast imaging

Cone-beam CT breast imaging provides a digital volume representation of a breast. With a digital breast volume, the immediate task is to extract the breast tissue information, especially for suspicious tumors, preferably in an automatic manner or with minimal user interaction. This paper reports a program for three-dimensional breast tissue analysis. It consists of volumetric segmentation (by globally thresholding), subsegmentation (connection-based separation), and volumetric component measurement (volume, surface, shape, and other geometrical specifications). A combination scheme of multi-thresholding and binary volume morphology is proposed to fast determine the surface gradients, which may be interpreted as the surface evolution (outward growth or inward shrinkage) for a tumor volume. This scheme is also used to optimize the volumetric segmentation. With a binary volume, we decompose the foreground into components according to spatial connectedness. Since this decomposition procedure is performed after volumetric segmentation, it is called subsegmentation. The subsegmentation brings the convenience for component visualization and measurement, in the whole support space, without interference from others. Upon the tumor component identification, we measure the following specifications: volume, surface area, roundness, elongation, aspect, star-shapedness, and location (centroid). A 3D morphological operation is used to extract the cluster shell and, by delineating the corresponding volume from the grayscale volume, to measure the shell stiffness. This 3D tissue measurement is demonstrated with a tumor-borne breast specimen (a surgical part).
Bispectral-based methods for clustering time series

Distinguishing among linear and nonlinear time series or between nonlinear time series generated by different underlying processes is challenging, as second-order properties are generally insufficient for the task. Different nonlinear processes have different nonconstant bispectral signatures, whereas the bispectral density function of a Gaussian or linear time series is constant. Based on this, we propose a procedure to distinguish among various nonlinear time series and between nonlinear and linear time series through application of a hierarchical clustering algorithm based on distance measures computed from the square modulus of the estimated normalized bispectra. We find that clustering using a distance measure computed by averaging the ratio of normalized bispectral periodogram ordinates over the intersection of the principle domain of each pair of time series provides good performance, subject to trimming of extreme bispectral values prior to taking the ratios. Additionally, we show through simulation studies that the distance procedure performs better than a significance test that we derive. Moreover, it is robust with respect to the choice of smoothing parameter in estimating the bispectrum. As an example, we apply the method to a set of time series of intensities of gamma-ray bursts, some of which exhibit nonlinear behavior; this enables us to identify gamma-ray bursts that may be emanating from the same type of astral event.
A New Stochastic Discrete-Event Micro Simulation Model for Evaluating Traffic Operations at Electronic Toll Collection Plazas

This article presents a discrete-event stochastic microscopic simulation model specifically developed to evaluate the operational performance of toll plazas. The model has been calibrated, validated, and applied to toll plazas equipped with Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) in Orlando, Florida. Traffic behavior is represented using a set of mathematical and logic algorithms that control the conflicts among vehicles within the toll plaza area. Modified versions of Car-Following and Lane-Changing Algorithms and a new Toll-Lane Selection Algorithm are integrated into this new model to simulate traffic operation at toll plazas. The model output includes Measures of Effectiveness that can be used to evaluate the performance of existing and future individual toll lanes and the entire toll plaza system. Real-life data collected at the busiest toll plaza in the Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority (OOCEA) system was compared with the model output to validate the developed model. Statistical tests indicated t...
Cell signaling events differentiate ER-negative subtypes from ER-positive breast cancer

Currently available markers routinely used in clinical practice are of limited value to patients with estrogen receptor-negative (ER(-)) breast cancer [basal-like and HER2neu-positive (HER(+))], an aggressive subtype. Our aim was to uncover molecular pathways and signaling networks exposed by differentially methylated genes informative of the biology of ER(-) breast cancer (BC) subtypes versus ER-positive (ER(+)). Whole-genome methylation array analysis was carried out using the Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation27 BeadChip on 14 primary BC: five ER(+), four triple-negative (TNBC), and five ER(-)HER2(+). Degree of methylation was calculated as a β-value (ranging from 0 to 1), and M-values [log (β/(1 - β)] were used for significance tests. To identify methylated genes associated with ER(-) subtypes (TNBC and ER(-)HER2(+)) and distinct from ER(+), a weighted algorithm, developed to increase statistical rigor, called out genes in which methylation changed dramatically between ER(+) and ER(-) subtypes. Differentially methylated gene lists examined using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis called out canonical pathways and networks with clues to biological distinctiveness as well as relatedness between ER(-) subtypes as compared to ER(+) BC. The study highlights the interplay of ER(-) subtype-specific genes and their signaling pathways as potential putative fingerprints in refining classification of BC subtypes and as potential biological markers designed to hit multiple targets.
Natural Scientists, Social Scientists, and the Environment: A Cross-Border Analysis

This study uses interviews with 64 Canadian and 65 United States scientists to compare and contrast their perspectives with respect to environmental policy making across borders, both geographic (Canada versus United States) and disciplinary (natural versus social science). The findings indicate that important imbalances remain between Canadian and United States scientists' perceptions about cross-border pollution. There appears to be a great divergence between the responses of natural and social scientists in the United States and a robust similarity between the responses of natural and social scientists in Canada. In the end, the results support the view that issues centered on the Canada-United States environmental borderlands remain firmly linked to national differences and issues centered on the science-policy linkage remain substantially linked to disciplinary differences.
WD60/FAP163 is a dynein intermediate chain required for retrograde intraflagellar transport in cilia

WD60/FAP163 is identified as an additional intermediate chain of the dynein that powers retrograde intraflagellar transport. Lack of WD60/FAP163 results in a severe ciliary assembly defect.
A Comparison of the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (K-BIT) with the Stanford-Binet, a Two-Subtest Short Form, and the Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement (K-TEA) Brief Form.

The relationship between the K-BIT, the Stanford-Binet, a two-subtest short form, and the K-TEA was examined with a population of 75 academically referred students. The K-BIT correlated significantly with the Stanford-Binet (.81) and the K-TEA Math (.57), Reading (.58), and Spelling (.47) scores. The mean K-BIT IQ Composite (76.5) averaged 5.1 points lower than the mean Stanford-Binet Test Composite (81.6). The results tend to support the use of the K-BIT as a screening instrument when the Stanford-Binet is the follow-up or comprehensive measure of intelligence.
Effect of the crystal lattice periodicity on channeling radiation

Abstract The effect of the lattice periodicity on the radiation emitted by a positron channeled along the 〈100〉 axis of copper is investigated. We show that the periodic nature of the potential along the channel axis gives rise to new features in the spectrum and therefore cannot be neglected.
On empirical exchange rate models: what does a rejection of the symmetry restriction on short-run interest rates mean?

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to interpret the well-documented rejection of reduced-form symmetry restrictions on short-run interest rates and to show that such a rejection implies a rejection of rational expectations (RE) and/or uncovered interest rate parity (UIP). The paper also shows that if this rejection is due to failure of UIP, it cannot be explained by the presence of a standard risk premium. In order to provide for well-specified alternatives the paper explores the reduced-form implications of imperfect capital mobility and a recent alternative to RE called the theories consistent expectations framework.