cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Application of two- and three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics models to complex ecological stream flows

Complex flow patterns generated by irregular channel topography, such as boulders, submerged large woody debris, riprap and spur dikes, provide unique habitat for many aquatic organisms. Numerical modeling of the flow structures surrounding these obstructions is challenging, yet it represents an important tool for aquatic habitat assessment. In this study, the ability of two- (2-D) and three-dimensional (3-D) computational fluid dynamics models to reproduce these localized complex flow features is examined. The 3-D model is validated with laboratory data obtained from the literature for the case of a flow around a hemisphere under emergent and submerged conditions. The performance of the 2-D and 3-D models is then evaluated by comparing the numerical results with field measurements of flow around several boulders located at a reach of the Smith River, a regulated mountainous stream, obtained at base and peak flows. Close agreement between measured values and the velocity profiles predicted by the two models is obtained outside the wakes behind the hemisphere and boulders. However, the results suggest that in the vicinity of these obstructions the 3-D model is better suited for reproducing the circulation flow behavior at both low and high discharges. Application of the 2-D and 3-D models to meso-scale stream flows of ecological significance is furthermore demonstrated by using a recently developed spatial hydraulic metric to quantify flow complexity surrounding a number of brown trout spawning sites. It is concluded that the 3-D model can provide a much more accurate description of the heterogeneous velocity patterns favored by many aquatic species over a broad range of flows, especially under deep flow conditions when the various obstructions are submerged. Issues pertaining to selection of appropriate models for a variety of flow regimes and potential implication of the 3-D model on the development of better habitat suitability criteria are discussed. The research suggests ways of improving the modeling practices for ecosystem management studies.
Primary prevention of coronary heart disease in women. Should asymptomatic women 50 years of age take aspirin regularly

Based on the results of the Physician's Health Study, the US Preventive Services Task Force currently recommends low doses of aspirin on alternate days for men over age 50 years to prevent first myocardial infarction. Although there are no clinical trials involving women, three female cohort studies of aspirin and prevention of myocardial infarction have been published with conflicting results. We conducted a critical review of the three female cohort studies. Although a general recommendation for asymptomatic women to take aspirin to prevent myocardial infarction is not currently indicated, the best available data suggest a beneficial effect, particularly in women at high risk of coronary artery disease. The clinician should therefore consider aspirin use in each patient individually.
Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α protein expression is associated with poor survival in normal karyotype adult acute myeloid leukemia

We examined the predictive impact of HIF-1α protein expression on clinical outcome of 84 normal karyotype acute myeloid leukemia (NK-AML) patients (median age 66.5 years) at our institute. Thirty percent of NK-AML cells expressed cytoplasmic HIF-1α. In univariate analysis, low HIF-1α (≤ 5%, n = 66) was associated with improved event-free survival (p = 0.0453, HR = 0.22). Multivariate analysis incorporating age, complete remission, FLT3-ITD mutation, and marrow blast percentage demonstrated that HIF-1α was independently associated with poorer overall and event-free survival. HIF-1α expression correlated with VEGF-C but not VEGF-A, marrow angiogenesis, FLT3 ITD or NPM1 mutations. These results support HIF-1α as an outcome marker for NK-AML.
On the Behavior of PRES Using Incomplete Judgment Sets

PRES, the Patent Retrieval Evaluation Score, is a family of retrieval evaluation measures that combines recall and user effort to reflect the quality of a retrieval run with respect to recall-oriented search tasks. Previous analysis of the measure was done using the test collection for the CLEF-IP 2009 track, a collection that contains a limited range of number of relevant documents, making it difficult to assess the behavior of PRES for varying recall contexts. This paper examines the effect of incomplete judgments on PRES scores using the well-studied TREC-8 ad hoc test collection, a collection with a much more varied number-of-relevants profile. Experiments with small judgment sets created through a typical collection-building process show the PRES measures are resilient to incomplete judgment sets.
Trace element partitioning between vapor, brine and halite under extreme phase separation conditions

Abstract Experiments were conducted to investigate the partitioning of Li, Br, Rb, Cs and B between vapor, brine and halite during subcritical and supercritical phase separation in the NaCl–H2O system (388–550 °C, 250–350 bars). Results indicate that Li and Br partition preferentially into the low-salinity vapor fluids, while Rb and Cs become more enriched in the coexisting brines. Under more extreme conditions of pressure and temperature in the two-phase region, especially near the vapor–brine–halite boundary, strong salting-out effects imposed on neutral aqueous species enhance significantly partitioning of all trace elements into the low-salinity fluid. Dissolved boron is strongly affected by this and a particularly strong enrichment into vapors is observed, a trend that can be effectively correlated with changes in reduced density. Exclusion of Li, Br, Rb, Cs and B from halite, when precipitated, further increases the solubility of these species in the coexisting Cl-poor fluid. In general, the lack of distortion in the partitioning behavior of trace elements between vapor, brine and/or halite with the transition from subcritical to supercritical conditions in the NaCl–H2O system precludes the need for special reference to the critical point of seawater when interpreting phase relations in submarine hydrothermal systems. The combination of experimentally determined trace element partitioning data with constraints imposed by mineral solubility provides a means to better understand the origin and evolution of hot spring vent fluids. For example, in Brandon hydrothermal system (21°S EPR) supercritical phase separation and subseafloor mixing appear to be the main heat and mass transport mechanisms fueled by a shallow magmatic intrusion, with boron systematics ruling out major contributions from magmatic degassing processes accompanying the near-seafloor volcanism.
The Annonaceous Acetogenin Bullatacin Is Cytotoxic against Multidrug Resistant Human Mammary Adenocarcinoma Cells

Cytotoxic effects of the Annonaceous acetogenin, bullatacin, were studied in multidrug-resistant (MDR) human mammary adenocarcinoma (MCF-7/Adr) cells vs. the parental non-resistant wild type (MCF-7/wt) cells. Bullatacin was effectively cytotoxic to the MCF-7/Adr cells while it was more cytostatic to the MCF-7/wt cells. ATP depletion is the mode of action of the Annonaceous acetogenins, and these agents offer a special advantage in the chemotherapeutic treatment of MDR tumors that have ATP-dependent mechanisms.
Slew Rates for Electrocardiographic Signals

Frank lead electrocardiograms from 100 adults and 61 infants were recorded on magnetic tape and digitized at 2 ms intervals after bandwidth limiting fmst at 200 Hz and then at 100 Hz. Slew rates based on voltage differences between successive sampled values during QRS were computed for one cardiac cycle for each lead. Considered as a group, 200 ?V/ms rates occur about 1% of the time in adult records, and 400 ?V/ms rates occur about 1% of the time in infants' records. In extreme individual records, 300 ?V/ms rates were exceeded 2% of the time in an adult record, and 400 ?V/ms rates were exceeded 6.5% of the time in an infant's record. No significant differences in slew rates were observed to be caused by variation in bandwidth from 100 Hz to 200 Hz. It is recommended that ECG instruments be designed to be capable of faithfully reproducing at least 400 ?V/ms slew rates.
New semifields, PN and APN functions

We describe a method of proving that certain functions $${f:F\longrightarrow F}$$ defined on a finite field F are either PN-functions (in odd characteristic) or APN-functions (in characteristic 2). This method is illustrated by giving short proofs of the APN-respectively the PN-property for various families of functions. The main new contribution is the construction of a family of PN-functions and their corresponding commutative semifields of dimension 4s in arbitrary odd characteristic. It is shown that a subfamily of order p 4s for odd s > 1 is not isotopic to previously known examples.
LAELAPINE MITES (ACARI: LAELAPIDAE) ASSOCIATED WITH SMALL MAMMALS FROM AMAZONAS, BRAZIL, INCLUDING A NEW SPECIES FROM MARSUPIALS

An intensive survey of ectoparasitic arthropods associated with small mammals in upland forests near Manaus, Brazil, provides information on the taxonomy and host distribution of laelapine mites in the Amazonian Region. We identified 5 genera and 21 species of these mites by comparison with representative museum specimens, the taxonomic literature, and, when possible, the original type specimens. These mites are host specific, with associations ranging from strict monoxeny (18 species) to oligoxeny (1 species) and pleioxeny (2 species). Marsupials were infested with species of Androlaelaps, echimyid rodents with Tur, and sigmodontine rodents with Gigantolaelaps, Laelaps, and Mysolaelaps. Androlaelaps bergalloi, a new species of Laelapinae, is described from the pelage of the marsupial Monodelphis brevicaudata.
The tenor's vehicle: Reading way out west

(1994). The tenor's vehicle: Reading way out west. Lit: Literature Interpretation Theory: Vol. 5, No. 3-4, pp. 227-246.
Lefort and the Symbolic Dimension

Is a symbol created or found? Does it reveal the freedom of human creation or does it disclose the form of the world? This was a perennial question for the Romantics of the early 19th century. While some denied the instituted character of symbols in order to assert their correspondence with reality, others defended the autopoietic power of the human creator. In his theory of the radical imagination and his insistence on society’s instituting creativity, Cornelius Castoriadis was an emphatic heir of the latter camp. Yet, it is important to recall a point that Paul Benichou once made in his great work The Consecration of the Writer. In Romanticism, Benichou urges us to recognize “the ambiguity that is characteristic to this intellectual theme, and make of the symbol both a human invention and a characteristic of being itself.”1 Claude Lefort, the theorist of the “symbolic dimension” of the political, remained within this ambiguity. Indeed, many of the issues that came to divide Castoriadis and Lefort in the years after their intensive collaboration as the cofounders of Socialisme ou Barbarie could be encapsulated in the contrast evoked by Benichou. Where Castoriadis held that democracy emerged out of the exercise of human autonomy, and further insisted that autonomy has the potential to become more and more lucid about its self-creating activity, Lefort came to believe that, even as democracy opens new circuits for the articulation and realization of autonomy, democratic power, indeed, the political domain as such, remains unmasterable.
Calculating the Speed of Sound in an Engine Exhaust Stream

The actual speed of sound in the exhaust medium of an engine plays an extensive role in the noise attenuation characteristics of the engine’s muffler system. For 2-stroke engine applications, the speed of sound in the exhaust gas also greatly affects how the expansion chamber is tuned to maintain maximum power output. The combustion process in an engine creates exhaust gases that differ from the composition of atmospheric air. This difference in chemical composition and humidity content yield a different density and ratio of specific heats. These ultimately yield different sound speeds in the exhaust gases compared to atmospheric air. This paper performs a full chemical analysis of the combustion process in an internal combustion gasoline engine to yield the chemical composition of the of the exhaust gases. An algorithm is written to calculate the speed of sound in the exhaust stream. The inputs of the algorithm include measurements of temperature, pressure, and relative humidity of the ambient intake air, specification of the gasoline/ethanol fuel blend, and a direct measurement of the exhaust gas temperature. Comparisons are made between sound speed approximation calculations based on air to calculations obtained by the algorithm.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Antennal sensilla of male and female Telenomus reynoldsi gordh and coker (Hymenoptera : Scelionidae)

Abstract Sensilla on the antennae of both sexes of Telenomus reynoldsi (Hymenoptera : Scelionidae) were studied with the scanning electron microscope to determine their structure and possible function in mating and host recognition. Two types of setiform sensilla occur: curved, grooved sensilla trichodea and erect, stout sensilla chaetica. Horn-like sensilla trichodea curvata are abundant on the male antennae, but are less abundant and only present dorsally on the female. Sensilla basiconica are unique to the ventral surface of the apical 4 segments of the female antennae. Sensilla styloconica are located on A4 and A10 of the female and A7 and A9 of the male. Multiporous grooved sensilla are present on A4, A6, and A11 of the female and A4 and A6-A11 of the male. A possible sex gland is located on the venter of A5 of the male. The functions of sensilla trichodea curvata and sensilla basiconica in courtship and host recognition, respectively, are hypothesized by correlation with behavioral observations.
Chondroitinsulfuric acid—a linear polyelectrolyte☆

Abstract 1. 1. Chondroitinsulfuric acid exhibits the typical viscosity behavior of linear polyelectrolytes in pure water. Preparations of different molecular weight were found to conform to the Fuoss relation: η sp C = A (1 + BC 1 2 ) + D . The data are consistent with the assumption of a highly extended configuration of the polymer at high degrees of ionization. 2. 2. Increasing electrolyte concentration reduces the viscosity of solutions of chondroitinsulfuric acid. The effect is a function of the charge and concentration of the cations present. 3. 3. Data on potentiometric titration of chondroitinsulfuric acid are in agreement with the theory of Katchalsky and Gillis which considers the effect of ionization upon the degree of coiling. The p K 0 of the carboxyl groups in the polymer is close to the p K 0 of free glucuronic acid. 4. 4. Some biological implications of configurational change and ionbinding by molecules of chondroitinsulfuric acid are discussed.
Frontotemporal Dementias: A Review

Dementia is a clinical state characterized by loss of function in multiple cognitive domains. It is a costly disease in terms of both personal suffering and economic loss. Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is the term now preferred over Picks disease to describe the spectrum of non-Alzheimers dementias characterized by focal atrophy of the frontal and anterior temporal regions of the brain. The prevalence of FTD is considerable, though specific figures vary among different studies. It occurs usually in an age range of 35–75 and it is more common in individuals with a positive family history of dementia. The risk factors associated with this disorder include head injury and family history of FTD. Although there is some controversy regarding the further syndromatic subdivision of the different types of FTD, the three major clinical presentations of FTD include: 1) a frontal or behavioral variant (FvFTD), 2) a temporal, aphasic variant, also called Semantic dementia (SD), and 3) a progressive aphasia (PA). These different variants differ in their clinical presentation, cognitive deficits, and affected brain regions. Patients with FTD should have a neuropsychiatric assessment, neuropsychological testing and neuroimaging studies to confirm and clarify the diagnosis. Treatment for this entity consists of behavioral and pharmacological approaches. Medications such as serotonin reuptake inhibitors, antipsychotics, mood stabilizer and other novel treatments have been used in FTD with different rates of success. Further research should be directed at understanding and developing new diagnostic and therapeutic modalities to improve the patients' prognosis and quality of life.
Making savages of us all : White women, Pueblo Indians, and the controversy over Indian dances in the 1920s

Dans le cadre de la controverse sur les danses Pueblo, a propos notamment de la danse mettant en scene des clowns Hopi regardant sous les jupes des femmes, (danses reprouvees pour l'immoralite des relations intersexes qu'elles mettaient en scene, leur obscenite et leur aspect licencieux dans des circulaires des Affaires Indiennes - le dossier des danses secretes), certaines reformatrices morales blanches tendaient a percevoir ces danses comme le symbole d'un desordre sexuel qui devait etre inflechi alors que les nouvelles feministes les glorifiaient comme emblemes d'une liberation sexuelle a preserver. Quant aux hommes Pueblo ils rejetterent ces deux perceptions de leurs danses et de leur culture. Leur participation a la controverse refletait en fait leur propre desir de mettre un terme a l'expansion blanche et mexicaine sur leur territoire physique et leurs aires culturelles et de resister aux pressions de l'acculturation. Pour ces derniers, la perpetuation ou l'elimination des danses traditionnelles representaient des approches competitives de l'affrontement avec les nouvelles forces economiques, sociales et culturelles. Les femmes Pueblo devinrent quant a elles des symboles puissants de la tradition et du changement pour tous les partis de la controverse. Les autobiographies de deux femmes Hopi fournissent les clefs de la comprehension de la perception que les femmes Pueblo avaient d'elles-meme en relation avec leurs roles symboliques. Cette controverse peut plus simplement etre percue comme un combat entre les assimilationnistes et ceux qui luttaient pour la preservation culturelle de la religion Indienne
Normal modes for electromagnetically induced transparency.

We define paired variables which are the normal modes for electromagnetically induced transparency and use these modes to study the propagation of matched pulses in an absorbing medium.
Toward signal processing theory for graphs and non-Euclidean data

Graphs are canonical examples of high-dimensional non-Euclidean data sets, and are emerging as a common data structure in many fields. While there are many algorithms to analyze such data, a signal processing theory for evaluating these techniques akin to detection and estimation in the classical Euclidean setting remains to be developed. In this paper we show the conceptual advantages gained by formulating graph analysis problems in a signal processing framework by way of a practical example: detection of a subgraph embedded in a background graph. We describe an approach based on detection theory and provide empirical results indicating that the test statistic proposed has reasonable power to detect dense subgraphs in large random graphs.
Grafta: A 3D environment for biomolecular networks

The importance of a comprehensive environment for the depiction of biomolecular networks in the domain of system biology has been emphasised after the completion of genomic, proteomic and metabolomic initatives. Grafta is a software application developed for the three dimensional illustration of biomolecular interactions such as protein interaction networks. Grafta allows its user to move in a 3D environment through a complex assembly of biomolecules represented by 3D objects such as spheres. Their interactions are displayed by an array of 3D tubes. One novelty in Grafta is its anthropomorphic navigation of the viewpoint with respect to the displayed biomolecular network.
Basal expansion of anal‐fin rays: a new osteological character in weakly discharging electric fish (Mormyridae)

Bone expansion of anal-fin rays in mormyrid fish is introduced as a new osteological character to distinguish two mormyrid species, Brienomyrus brachyistius from Nigeria and Brienomyrus kingsleyae from Gabon. This character is sexually dimorphic and species-specific, affecting the bases of anal-fin rays in adult males only. Between the two species, it differed in degree, the number of rays involved, and the number of the first ray affected. These differences together with differences in conventional meristic and morphometric characters further support ongoing revisions of Brienomyrus taxonomy.
DEFENSE SPENDING AND STATE ECONOMIC GROWTH

Little evidence is currently available on the regional growth effects of federal defense spending. In this study, econometric models for state personal income and manufacturing employment between 1976 and 1985 are specified and estimated. Pooled cross-sectional time-series data are used, and the estimation procedure corrects for serial correlation, heteroscedasticity, and contemporaneous cross-sectional correlation. The results indicate that aggregate defense spending has a positive effect on both growth measures. However, when defense expenditures are disaggregated, only investment-type outlays appear to consistently affect state economic growth.
Neural network pattern recognition of subsurface EM images

Abstract Neural networks are computer simulations of the brain's neural functions; as such they perform well on the same types of problems on which humans perform well, namely pattern recognition. Neural networks have shown the capability to learn human speech, read handwritten signatures and recpgnize human faces. Applied to geophysical data, neural networks offer the ability to estimate model parameters in near realtime. A backpropagation neural network was trained to estimate the spatial location (offset and depth) of a target given an image of the electromegnetic ellipticity. Three components of the magnetic field were measured from which the ellipticity was calculated. Theoretical ellipticity images were used for training the neural network; field data were used to test it. The input data representation was important in obtaining results with 10% error or less from the neural network; generally, smaller input vectors yielded more accurate results. Five different representations were examined: the whole image, the subsampled image, trough-peak-trough, peak amplitude and frequency domain. The frequency-domain representation estimated the target locations in the field data with the least error, 0.4% for the offset and 1.5% for the depth. The network was examined for its ability to generalize, to extrapolate beyond the spatial limits of the training set and to ignore discrepancies between synthetic and field data. The generalization from synthetic training data to synthetic test data had errors near 5% for most offset estimates and near 2% for most depth estimates. We considered extrapolation errors satisfactory (10%) up to 1.5 model spacings beyond the limits of the training set.
Visual short-term memory deficit from hypothermia of frontal cortex.

Abstract Cooling of prefrontal cortex in monkeys caused an impairment in performance of a delayed matching-to-sample task. The degree of this impairment, characterized by abnormally high incidence of performance errors, was directly proportional to the length of the delay in the task. Unilateral cooling induced a deficit of lesser magnitude than that induced by bilateral cooling. Cooling of parietal cortex did not result in performance deficit. Auditory and visual distracting stimuli, presented during the delay, elicited more errors during prefrontal cooling than in normal condition. The results indicate a role of the prefrontal cortex in non-spatial short-term memory. This role may be that of ensuring sustained attention to a relevant stimulus and its subsequent trace.
Increment sensitivity of the eye of Limulus.

Abstract The increment sensitivity of the single ommatidium of the Limulus lateral eye was investigated with short test flashes superimposed upon adapting stimuli. Test flash intensities required to elicit criterion responses were determined for varying adapting intensities. The resulting increment sensitivity relations look similar in form to human increment threshold data and curves derived from cat retinal ganglion cell recordings. However, results agreed with neither Weber's law nor the square root law. No changes in the slope or shape of the relations were found with the addition of lateral inhibition due to the adapting field or increases in light adaptation over a range of 6 log units.
Extremely Violent Societies: Mass Violence in the Twentieth-Century World

Extremely Violent Societies: Mass Violence in the Twentieth-Century World Christian Gerlach Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010 489 pp., US $28.99 (pbk) Christian Gerlach's thesis is that ‘...
The Long Island Sound, New York, Earthquake of October 21, 1981

On October 21, 1981, a magnitude 3.4 (ML) earthquake occurred in Long Island Sound, NY, approximately 40 km southeast of New Haven, CT. The earthquake was felt throughout most of Connecticut and Long Island, and the maximum intensity was IV (M.M.). Using two station subsets which surround the epicenter, our hypocentral solution was latitude 41.14 (41°08.1′), longitude −72.57 (−72°33.9′), depth 5.0 km at O.T. 16:49:07.1 UTC. The fault plane solution based on 27 P-wave first motions shows thrust faulting on NE-SW trending fault planes.
Multi-gene detection and identification of mosquito-borne RNA viruses using an oligonucleotide microarray.

Background: Arthropod-borne viruses are important emerging pathogens world-wide. Viruses transmitted by mosquitoes, such as dengue, yellow fever, and Japanese encephalitis viruses, infect hundreds of millions of people and animals each year. Global surveillance of these viruses in mosquito vectors using molecular based assays is critical for prevention and control of the associated diseases. Here, we report an oligonucleotide DNA microarray design, termed ArboChip5.1, for multi-gene detection and identification of mosquito-borne RNA viruses from the genera Flavivirus (family Flaviviridae), Alphavirus (Togaviridae), Orthobunyavirus (Bunyaviridae), and Phlebovirus (Bunyaviridae). Methodology/Principal Findings: The assay utilizes targeted PCR amplification of three genes from each virus genus for electrochemical detection on a portable, field-tested microarray platform. Fifty-two viruses propagated in cell-culture were used to evaluate the specificity of the PCR primer sets and the ArboChip5.1 microarray capture probes. The microarray detected all of the tested viruses and differentiated between many closely related viruses such as members of the dengue, Japanese encephalitis, and Semliki Forest virus clades. Laboratory infected mosquitoes were used to simulate field samples and to determine the limits of detection. Additionally, we identified dengue virus type 3, Japanese encephalitis virus, Tembusu virus, Culex flavivirus, and a Quang Binh-like virus from mosquitoes collected in Thailand in 2011 and 2012. Conclusions/Significance: We demonstrated that the described assay can be utilized in a comprehensive field surveillance program by the broad-range amplification and specific identification of arboviruses from infected mosquitoes. Furthermore, the microarray platform can be deployed in the field and viral RNA extraction to data analysis can occur in as little as 12 h. The information derived from the ArboChip5.1 microarray can help to establish public health priorities, detect disease outbreaks, and evaluate control programs.
Color appearance in the peripheral retina: effects of stimulus size

Hue and saturation scaling were used to measure the appearance of spectral lights as a function of stimulus size for nine loci across the horizontal retinal meridian. At a given locus, each hue (R, Y, G, and B) grew as a function of stimulus size up to some asymptotic value. The parameter values of Michaelis–Menten growth functions fitted to the hue data were used to derive the sizes of the so-called perceptive fields of the hue mechanisms. The fields for all mechanisms increased with eccentricity, and this increase was greater on the temporal than on the nasal retina. By increasing stimulus size it was possible to achieve fovealike color vision to eccentricities of 20 deg. However, even the largest stimuli failed to produce fully saturated hues at 40 deg. The retinal size scales of the four hue mechanisms were not the same; those for R and B were similar, and these mechanisms had the smallest perceptive fields everywhere. The perceptive fields of the hue mechanisms at all loci were larger than anatomical estimates of the sizes of retinal receptive fields.
T-cell recognition of differentially tolerated epitopes of cartilage proteoglycan aggrecan in arthritis

Proteoglycan (PG) aggrecan, a major macromolecular component of cartilage, is highly immunogenic; it induces arthritis in genetically susceptible BALB/c mice. The present study maps the T-cell epitope repertoire of cartilage PG by identifying a total of 27 distinct T-cell epitopes. An epitope hierarchy, accounting for the different effector functions of PG-specific T cells, and determinant spreading, has been found. T-cell responses to four epitopes were associated with arthritis induction. Some of the T-cell epitopes were full T-cell activators, whereas a number of subdominant and cryptic epitopes proved to be partial activators in vitro, inducing either cytokine secretion or T-cell proliferation, but not both. A few T-cell epitopes of the core protein of cartilage PG were clearly recognized by T cells in PG-immunized arthritic animals, but the corresponding peptides did not induce T-cell responses when injected into naive BALB/c mice; thus these T-cell epitopes were designated as "conditionally immunogenic."
Down-regulation of saxitoxin binding in house flies by pyrethroids and other insecticides

Abstract In vivo exposure of house flies to lethal concentrations of pyrethrum and cypermethrin greatly reduced binding of [ 3 H]saxitoxin (STX) in nerve membrane preparations. The reduction in STX binding produced by cypermethrin was not concentration dependent, i.e., it did not increase as the concentration of cypermethrin was raised. Exposure of flies to lethal concentrations of diazinon or dieldrin also reduced STX binding, but to a lesser extent than with pyrethroids. Pyrethroids and other neuroexcitatory insecticides appear to cause an increased sodium ion influx, resulting in down-regulation of sodium channels. These results suggest that down-regulation of sodium channels is a consequence of intoxication by neuroexcitatory insecticides and that the reduction in STX binding is a consequence of a decrease in sodium channel density.
Perception of visually masked stimuli by individuals with aphasia: A methodological assessment and preliminary theoretical implications

Background: Studies of the automatic processes supporting language processing and dysfunction in aphasia often rely on priming paradigms. However, the ability to confidently interpret these studies in terms of understanding the relative contributions of automatic vs controlled processing depends on the ability to isolate only automatic processes. One way this may be accomplished is through the use of visual masking. The effective use of visual masking, however, depends on verification that there was no task-relevant information consciously available from the prime item. Aims: The study reported here was designed to assess the visibility of visually masked stimuli, for both typical adults and adults with aphasia. Methods & Procedures: This experiment involved 31 typical adults and 21 individuals with aphasia. Visual masking sequences were presented on a computer screen, with 11 different interstimulus intervals assessed. Participants made lexical decisions on the masked stimuli. The two participant groups ...
Exploiting radiation damage to map proteins in nucleoprotein complexes: the internal structure of bacteriophage T7.

Abstract In the final stage of radiation damage in cryo-electron microscopy of proteins, bubbles of hydrogen gas are generated. Proteins embedded in DNA bubble sooner than free-standing proteins and DNA does not bubble under the same conditions. These properties make it possible to distinguish protein from DNA. Here we explored the scope of this technique (“bubblegram imaging”) by applying it to bacteriophage T7, viewed as a partially defined model system. T7 has a thin-walled icosahedral capsid, 60 nm in diameter, with a barrel-shaped protein core under one of its twelve vertices (the portal vertex). The core is densely wrapped with DNA but details of their interaction and how their injection into a host bacterium is coordinated are lacking. With short (10 s) intervals between exposures of 17 electrons/A 2 each, bubbling starts in the third exposure, with 1–4 bubbles nucleating in the core: in subsequent exposures, these bubbles grow and merge. A 3D reconstruction from fifth-exposure images depicts a bipartite cylindrical gas cloud in the core. In its portal-proximal half, the axial region is gaseous whereas in the portal-distal half, it is occupied by a 3 nm-wide dense rod. We propose that they respectively represent core protein and an end of the packaged genome, poised for injection into a host cell. Single bubbles at other sites may represent residual scaffolding protein. Thus, bubbling depends on dose rate, protein amount, and tightness of the DNA seal.
Geometric optics in plasmas characterized by non-Hermitian dielectric tensors

This paper presents a generalization of the theory of geometric optics in plasmas where the local dielectric tensor epsilon(k,..omega..;r,t) is not almost Hermitian, as heretofore assumed. It is shown that for general epsilon one can construct the formalism so that the new theory is characterized by the same equations determining the rays, and the equation for the amplitude of the wave along the rays is unmodified in structure. The theory uses the quasidispersion relation det)epsilon(k,..omega..+i..nu..;r,t)x(epsilon(k,..omega..-i..nu..;r,t))*)=0 to find the complex roots ..omega..+i..nu.., where when the approximation of short wavelength compared with the scale length underlying geometric optics holds, the real part ..omega.. serves to generate the rays via r=..omega../sub k/, and the imaginary part i..nu.. enters the transport equation for the amplitude.
The role of mesoaccumbens-pallidal circuitry in novelty-induced behavioral activation

When exposed to an environment for the first time, rats express greater behavioral activation than rats which were previously habituated to that environment. The circuit containing the ventral tegmental area, nucleus accumbens and ventral pallidum is required for the expression of locomotor activity elicited by amphetamine-like psychostimulants. It was hypothesized that this circuit is necessary for the expression of novelty-induced motor activity. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in the projection from the ventral tegmental area to the nucleus accumbens, while GABA is contained in the projections from the nucleus accumbens to the ventral pallidum and from the ventral pallidum back to the ventral tegmental area. Prior to exposing rats to a novel or habituated environment, they received a microinjection of either saline vehicle or one of the following drugs: fluphenazine (dopamine antagonist) into the nucleus accumbens, muscimol (GABAA agonist) into the ventral pallidum, or baclofen GABAB agonist) into the ventral tegmental area. Each of these pretreatments prevented novelty-induced motor activation without suppressing the activity of habituated animals. In contrast, when these microinjections were made into adjacent motor nuclei of the basal ganglia, including fluphenazine into the striatum, muscimol into the globus pallidus and baclofen into the substantia nigra, they were ineffective in blocking novelty-induced motor activity. These data indicate that the integrity of the circuit that contains the ventral tegmental area, nucleus accumbens and ventral pallidum is required for the manifestation of novelty-induced motor activity.
Keynote 1 - Algorithmic Methods for Sponsored Search Advertising

Summary form only given. One of most popular network services is web search. Modern search engines display advertisements while responding to user queries. They rely on market mechanisms to elicit prices for these advertisements, and use auctions. The algorithms for the underlying bidding and pricing tasks use techniques from three mathematical areas: mechanism design and game theory, optimization, and statistical estimation. The talk will describe the mathematical and algorithmic issues and challenges in sponsored search advertising.
Increasing the specific heat of cement paste by admixture surface treatments

The specific heat of cement paste was increased by 12% and the thermal conductivity was decreased by 40% by using as admixtures silane-treated silica fume and silane-treated carbon fibers. The specific heat was increased by the carbon fiber addition, due to fiber-matrix interface slippage. The increase was in the order: as-received fibers, ozone-treated fibers, dichromate-treated fibers, and silane-treated fibers, due to the increasing contribution of the movement of the fiber-matrix covalent coupling. The specific heat was increased by the silica fume addition, due to slippage at the interface between silica fume and cement. The increase was enhanced by silane treatment of the silica fume. Silane treatment of carbon fibers decreased the thermal conductivity.
Neoadjuvant therapy preceding prostatectomy for prostate cancer: rationale and current trials

Neoadjuvant therapy improves outcomes for a number of malignancies and provides intermediate pathologic outcomes, which correlate with long-term outcomes. Neoadjuvant androgen-deprivation therapy, alone or with docetaxel chemotherapy, preceding prostatectomy for localized prostate cancer is feasible and demonstrates pathologic activity, but evidence for improved long-term outcomes is lacking. Data in support of the further exploration of neoadjuvant therapy for localized prostate cancer preceding prostatectomy are reviewed. Ongoing randomized trials are elucidating the impact of neoadjuvant androgen deprivation combined with docetaxel chemotherapy on pathologic and long-term outcomes. The correlation of pathologic and biologic outcomes with long-term outcomes in this setting is unknown. The neoadjuvant therapy approach followed by prostatectomy is feasible with a wide array of agents and provides a paradigm for evaluating the activity, and mechanism of action and resistance to new treatments. This promising modality may aid the rapid development of novel therapeutic agents. A multidisciplinary approach involving oncologists, urologists and pathologists is critical to the success of this model.
Role of Endothelin in Mediating Soluble fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 1–Induced Hypertension in Pregnant Rats

Although soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1), an antagonist of vascular endothelial growth factor and placental growth factor, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of hypertension during preeclampsia, the mechanisms whereby enhanced sFlt-1 production leads to hypertension remain unclear. Both sFlt-1 and endothelin 1 productions are elevated in women with preeclampsia and in placental ischemic animal models of preeclampsia; however, the importance of endothelin 1 and sFlt-1 interactions in the control of blood pressure during pregnancy is unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the role of endothelin 1 in mediating sFlt-1-induced hypertension in pregnant rats. To achieve this goal, sFlt-1 (3.7 microg/kg per day for 6 days) was infused into normal pregnant rats and pregnant rats treated with a selective endothelin type A receptor antagonist, ABT 627 (5 mg/kg per day for 6 days). Plasma concentration of sFlt-1 increased from 735+/-34 pg/mL in normal pregnant rats to 2498+/-645 pg/mL (P<0.05) with infusion of sFlt-1. Arterial pressure increased from 100+/-1 mm Hg in normal pregnant rats to 122+/-3 mm Hg (P<0.05) in sFlt-1-infused rats. Chronic increases in plasma sFlt-1 in normal pregnant rats increased preproendothelin mRNA expression in the renal cortices by approximately 3-fold. In addition, chronic endothelin type A receptor blockade completely abolished the blood pressure response to sFlt-1 in pregnant rats (104+/-3 versus 100+/-1 mm Hg; P<0.05), whereas the endothelin A receptor antagonist had no effect on arterial pressure in NP rats (105+/-2 versus 100+/-1 mm Hg). In conclusion, this study demonstrates that endothelin 1, via endothelin type A receptor activation, plays an important role in mediating the hypertension in response to excess sFlt-1 during pregnancy.
Temperature dependence of intrinsic magnetic hardness in some rare‐earth pseudobinary compounds and amorphous materials

Predictions of the thermal activation equation for coercivity Hc(T) = H0(− VTT + (1 + (VTT)2)1/2) are compared with literature data on SmCo2.5Ni2.5, LaCo2Ni3, and amorphous TbFe2. In the first two cases, much better agreement is obtained by forcing H0 (coercive force in the absence of domain wall activation) and VT (activation parameter) to vary according to the temperature dependence of ionic parameters relating to anisotropy, exchange, and magnetization. For LaCo2Ni3, no additional free parameters are introduced into the activation equation. For SmCo2.5Ni2.5, a small additive temperature independent coercivity may be necessary. By contrast, Hc(T) in amorphous TbFe2 is shown to imply temperature independence of the ionic parameters. The activation equation is shown to be equivalent to an empirical, exponential relationship for Hc/H0 ≧ 0.4, and also at smaller values if the ionic parameters vary suitably with temperature. Thus, in a given pseudobinary series at low temperature, we find Hc/H0 ≈ e, with δ the domain wall thickness and b a constant. Vorhersagen der thermischen Aktivierungsgleichung fur die Koerzitivkraft Hc(T) = H0(− VTT + + (1 + (VTT)2)1/2) werden mit Literaturwerten von SmCo2,5Ni2,5, LaCo2Ni3 und amorphem TbFe2 verglichen. In den beiden ersten Fallen wird viel bessere Ubereinstimmung erhalten, wenn H0 (Koerzitivkraft bei Abwesenheit von Domanenwandaktivierung) und VT (Aktivierungsparameter) gezwungen werden, sich entsprechend der Temperaturabhangigkeit der Ionenparameter zu andern, die mit Anisotropie, Austausch und Magnetisierung verknupft sind. Fur LaCo2Ni3 werden keine zusatzlichen freien Parameter in die Aktivierungsgleichung eingefuhrt. Fur SmCo2,5 ist eine kleine zusatzliche temperaturunabhangige Koerzitivkraft notwendig. Im Gegensatz dazu wird fur Hc(T) in amorphem TbFe2 gezeigt, das die Ionenparameter temperaturunabhangig sind. Es wird gezeigt, das die Aktivierungsgleichung einer empirischen, experimentellen Beziehung fur Hc/H0 ≧ 0,4 aquivalent ist, und auch bei kleineren Werten, wenn die Ionenparameter mit der Temperatur geeignet variieren. Somit wird fur eine gegebene pseudobinare Serie bei tiefen Temperaturen gefunden, das Hc/H0 ≈ e ist, wobei δ die Domanenwanddicke und b eine Konstante ist.
Taurolithocholate increases heme catabolism and alters the clearance of antipyrine in the rat

Taurolithocholate has been implicated in human cholestatic syndromes. Its action is believed to be due to an alteration in liver plasma membrane composition. To investigate whether other membranes are similarly affected, we studied the effect of taurolithocholate on hepatic heme turnover by means of a new 14CO breath test. Between 2 and 7 h after taurolithocholate administration, 14CO production was significantly increased, suggesting increased heme catabolism. This was substantiated by the finding of a 47% reduction of microsomal cytochrome P450 content 3 h after taurolithocholate administration. There was a reciprocal increase of 50% in heme oxygenase activity, the key enzyme in heme catabolism. To probe the biological significance of these findings, we measured plasma disappearance of propranolol and antipyrine. Clearance of neither propranolol nor antipyrine was altered by acute taurolithocholate administration. Prolonged administration of taurolithocholate, by contrast, decreased metabolic clearance rate of antipyrine by 48%. This was accompanied by a 25% decrease in microsomal cytochrome P450 content. Our findings suggest that taurolithocholate affects composition and function of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum, and that its action is not limited to the liver plasma membrane.
Investigation of Uranium Tris(imido) Complexes: Synthesis, Characterization, and Reduction Chemistry of [U(NDIPP)3(thf)3]

Addition of KC8 to trivalent [UI3(thf)4] in the presence of three equivalents of 2,6-diisopropylphenylazide (N3DIPP) results in the formation of the hexavalent uranium tris(imido) complex [U(NDIPP)3(thf)3] (1) through a facile, single-step synthesis. The X-ray crystal structure shows an octahedral complex that adopts a facial orientation of the imido substituents. This structural trend is maintained during the single-electron reduction of 1 to form dimeric [U(NDIPP)3{K(Et2O)}]2 (2). Variable-temperature/field magnetization studies of 2 show two independent U(V) 5f (1) centers, with no antiferromagnetic coupling present. Characterization of these complexes was accomplished using single-crystal X-ray diffraction, variable-temperature (1)H NMR spectroscopy, as well as IR and UV/Vis absorption spectroscopic studies.
Design of regularization filters with linear neural networks (image restoration)

The authors propose a linear neural network (LNN) that is suitable for the implementation of least squares and regularized inversion problems. They apply this network to the design of regularized filters, which are commonly used in image restoration problems. The constrained least squares (CLS) filter and the robust CLS regularized filter are considered. The CLS regularized filter is implemented using the proposed LNN, whereas the robust CLS regularized filter is implemented using a nonlinear modification called quasi-LNN. Several examples of actual image restoration applications are presented, which are based on the simulation of the proposed filters. SPICE simulation results of an actual circuit are also presented. >
Schlieren With A Laser Diode Source

The use of a laser diode as a light source for a schlieren system designed to study phase objects such as a wind-tunnel flow is explored. A laser diode schlieren photograph and a white light schlieren photograph (zirconium arc source) are presented for comparison. The laser diode has increased sensitivity, compared with light schlieren, without appreciable image degradiation, and is an acceptable source for schlieren flow visualization.
A Morse Theoretic Proof of Poisson Lie Convexity

Let K be a connected compact Lie group that acts on the connected compact symplectic manifold (X, ω) preserving the symplectic form. If for every ξ in the Lie algebra p of K, the vector field ξx(x) = d/dt| t=o exp(tξ) · x is Hamiltonian relative to a function, say Hξ, then the map Φ : X → p* (to the dual p* of p) defined by $$H_\xi (x) = \left\langle {\xi ,\Phi (x)} \right\rangle $$ is called momentum mapping for the action of K. If the momentum mapping is equivariant relative to the given action of K on X and the coadjoint action of K on p*, the action is called Hamiltonian. A remarkable property of this map was discovered by Guillemin-Sternberg [GS1,GS2] and Kirwan [Ki2]. It asserts that if T is a maximal torus of K and t + * is a positive Weyl chamber, then Φ(X) ∩ t + * is a convex polytope. This theorem was first proved as follows. The image Φ(X) ∩ t + * was shown to be a finite union of compact convex polytopes in [GS1], and a convex polytope for X a Kahler manifold [GS2]. From the partial result in [GS1], Kirwan [Ki2]deduced convexity by appealing to her Morse theory (developed in [Ki1]) for||Φ||2