cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Partial replacement of fishmeal, poultry by-product meal and soy protein concentrate with two non-genetically modified soybean cultivars in diets for juvenile cobia, Rachycentron canadum

Abstract Fishmeal (FM) replacement in diets for intensive aquaculture has become a high priority area for the global aquaculture industry. In this study, a twelve week growth trial was conducted with juvenile cobia (18 g initial weight) to examine the effects of non-genetically modified soybean meals as potential replacement protein sources. Genetically modified (GM) crops and their intended and unintended effects have become major topics of controversy worldwide, with several regions banning their use in food and feeds. Therefore, it is especially critical to develop and evaluate non-GM feedstuffs for use in aquaculture diets where GM products are prohibited as the global aquaculture industry continues its expansion to meet increasing demands. Navita Premium Feed Ingredients (NPFI's) 3010 solvent extracted meal and 3032 cold-pressed cake meal were utilized to replace 50, 60 or 70% and 40, 50, or 60% of FM protein, respectively and were compared to a FM based reference formulation. None of the experimental diets performed significantly different from the reference diet in terms of weight gain (WG) or specific growth rate (SGR). However the 3010 50% diet performed significantly better than the 3032 50 and 60% diets in regard to WG, SGR, and protein efficiency. There were no significant differences between the seven diets at the conclusion of the trial in regard to their effects on filet quality as determined by organoleptic testing. These two non-GM soybean protein sources appear to be valuable FM replacement options for juvenile cobia, with none of the typical indicators of intestinal enteritis developing as has been observed in various other teleost species when high quantities of commodity soybean meal have been utilized.
Mechanisms of light organ occlusion in flashlight fishes, family Anomalopidae (Teleostei: Beryciformes), and the evolution of the group

The circumtropical, nocturnal, shore-fish family Anomalopidae is characterized by a subocular luminous organ containing symbiotic luminous bacteria. The five known species are placed in four genera, one of which is new. Phthanophaneron is restricted to the eastern Pacific, Kryptophanaron to the western Atlantic, Photoblepharon is Indo-West Pacific in distribution and Anomalops is west Pacific. The symbiotic bacteria emit light continuously, and two superficially different mechanisms of occluding the glowing face of the organ are found. In Photoblepharon a black shutter of elastic skin is drawn up over the face of the organ, whereas in Anomalops the organ is rotated downward, so that only the heavily pigmented back of the organ is exposed. In Phthanophaneron and Kryptophanaron, both rotational and shutter mechanisms are present. Elucidation of the structures and linkages involved in light-organ occlusion reveals that the superficially different mechanisms are based on a common functional complex. In all four genera, the light organ is supported by a cartilaginous cup that articulates anteriorly with a cartilaginous stalk. Motive power for both the shutter and rotational mechanisms is supplied by the adductor mandibulae through a complex biomechanical linkage involving the ethmomaxillary ligament and a ligament unique to anomalopids, the Ligament of Diogenes. The structures involved in shutter erection and organ rotation are illustrated and described in detail for Photoblepharon and Anomalops and are compared with those in the other two forms; a functional hypothesis is advanced. Extrafamilial relationships of the Anomalopidae are discussed, and a hypothesis of the phylogenetic relationships of the four genera is derived from a cladistic analysis involving 19 non-light-organ characters and corroborated by some light-organ characters. Most characters associated with the light-organ complex cannot be polarized by conventional outgroup comparison, and the evolution of the light organ occlusion mechanisms is interpreted in light of the hypothesized phylogeny and a hypothesized ancestral mechanism. We propose that the common ancestor of anomalopids possessed a forced rotational mechanism like that of Phthanophaneron and Kryptophanaron. This was refined to a more efficient flipping rotational mechanism in Anomalops, the sister group of the lineage comprising the other three genera, within which the shutter mechanism was progressively refined. The ostensibly unnecessary complexity of the shutter mechanism is apparently a result of functional-morphological constraints imposed on the system by the pre-existence of a rotational mechanism. A brief zoogeographic scenario is proposed.
Sports anemia: A review of the literature:

Sports anemia has been referred to as an anemic or borderline anemic state in physically active individuals, particularly athletes. This paper is a review of literature on sports anemia, including whom it may affect and its effect on performance, and its diagnosis. In general, sports anemia has been found to be a self-limiting condition and usually does not require treatment.
Population momentum expresses population aging.

Population momentum and population aging occur when an initially growing population experiences a reduction in fertility to replacement level. Conceptually and empirically, momentum and aging express the same change, albeit on different scales. Fundamentally, they are two manifestations of the underlying process of demographic transformation. We consider three measures of aging over the transition to stationarity: the increase in mean population age, the decrease in the proportion under age 30, and the increase in the proportion over age 65. The three measures of aging are highly correlated, though the relationship to momentum is weakest for the increase in the proportion over age 65. We find that momentum is linearly related to aging. In both model and actual populations, a one-year increase in mean age translates into about 4.5% more population growth. The population below age 30 does not grow over the transition to stationarity, and the ratio of initial to ultimate proportions under age 30 is virtually identical to momentum.
Spectral and spatial algorithm architecture for classification of hyperspectral and LIDAR

Architecture for neural net multi-sensor data fusion is introduced and analyzed. This architecture consists of a set of independent sensor neural nets, one for each sensor, coupled to a fusion net. The neural net of each sensor is trained (from a representative data set of the particular sensor) to map to a hypothesis space output. The decision outputs from the sensor nets are used to train the fusion net to an overall decision. To begin the processing, the 3D point cloud LIDAR data is classified based on a multi-dimensional mean-shift segmentation and classification into clustered objects. Similarly, the multi-band HSI data is spectrally classified by the Stochastic Expectation-Maximization (SEM) into a classification map containing pixel classes. For sensor fusion, spatial detections and spectral detections complement each other. They are fused into final detections by a cascaded neural network, which consists of two levels of neural nets. The first layer is the sensor level consisting of two neural nets: spatial neural net and spectral neural net. The second level consists of a single neural net, that is the fusion neural net. The success of the system in utilizing sensor synergism for an enhanced classification is clearly demonstrated by applying this architecture for classifying on November 2010 airborne data collection of LIDAR and HSI over the Gulfport, MS, area.
Red cell survival in the gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus).

1. 1. A study of the survival of erythrocytes in Meriones unguiculatus was made by measuring loss of activity from 51Cr-labeled cells after autotransfusion. 2. 2. Exponential loss was observed with an “apparent” half survival time of 9·9 days. 3. 3. This value probably reflects a true survival somewhat shorter than that found in the erythrocytes of other laboratory mammals previously studied.
Cholinergic neurons in the basal forebrain of the cat have direct projections to the sensorimotor cortex

Abstract Previous studies showed that projections from the cells in the substantia innominata to the sensorimotor cortex exist in the monkey and rat and that this group of cortical afferent fibers utilizes acetylcholine as a neurotransmitter. Because similar studies have not been made in the cat, the following study was undertaken to analyze the extent and distribution of this projection from the basal forebrain. Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) injections were made into the anterior and posterior sigmoid gyri 24 h before, and diisopropyl fluorophosphate was injected intramuscularly 3 h before the anesthetized cats were perfused. Brain sections from these cats were incubated in solutions to simultaneously detect retrogradely transported HRP and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) reaction product within the somata. The cell bodies that contained reaction product for both HRP and AChE were mostly large (25 to 30 μm) and multipolar. These double-labeled cells were located in (i) the nucleus of the diagonal band in rostral sections, (ii) the globus pallidus, entopeduncular nucleus, and substantia innominata at the level of the anterior commissure, and (iii) the lateral hypothalamus in the most caudal sections. Many of these sites corresponded to that for the basal nucleus of Meynert, an aggregation of large multipolar neurons scattered throughout the basal forebrain. Although the presence of AChE within a cell does not define a cholinergic neuron, recent studies indicated that its presence is a requirement for this neurotransmitter. These data together with biochemical and immunocytochemical data indicate that a cholinergic projection to the sensorimotor cortex of cats arises from the basal forebrain. This pathway may play a vital role in memory and cognition.
Construction of optimal wavelet basis for medical images

A major problem associated with a `film-less hospital' is the amount of digital image data that is generated and stored. Image compression must be used to reduce the storage size. Most current image compression methods were developed for the compression of single images. A new compression that uses similar image set redundancy and minimal numbers of orthogonal features can be used to efficiently compress medical images. As presented in this paper, wavelet analysis, principal component analysis, and statistical recrimination can be successfully used to optimally denote image differences and achieve efficient similar set image compression for medical images.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Medial wall of the cavernous sinus: dural or fibrous layer?

To the Editor: I read with great interest the article by Goncalves et al. “Cavernous sinus medial wall: dural or fibrous layer? Systematic review of the literature” [4], recently published in your journal. As the authors of this article found a variation among several studies without conclusive answer to their research question, I would like to provide some comments on their study and highlight a possible explanation for their results. Goncalves et al. conducted a systematic literature review to find out the microanatomy of the medial wall of the cavernous sinus (CS) and its clinical importance on sellar pathologies. Based on 14 experimental studies, four studies found that the medial wall of the CS is composed of a loose, fibrous structure, and according to ten studies, medial wall is composed of a dural layer that constitutes the lateral wall of the sella. They explain the variation in the results section by lacking in definition standards and methodological criteria. First, I am grateful for the Goncalves et al. methodology in their article as they support and establish a step toward the concept of evidence-based morphology [1, 3]. The articles based on this concept are still rare in neurosurgical literature, yet available data about the anatomy, especially in the terms of variation, can be obtained from this kind of study. It can also highlight a hidden anatomical problem that can be utilized to refine the neurosurgical approaches seen in Goncalves et al. work and in the comments on their paper. With regard to medial wall of the CS, to make it understandable, I believe it should always be divided into two parts; sphenoidal and sellar. Even though, at the sphenoidal part there is one layer of dura (osteoperiosteal dura) that adheres to the bone and forms the inferomedial wall of the cavernous space. At the sellar part or the superior medial wall, I do not believe that there is any dural layer that belongs to the CS itself or to the CS as an anatomical entity. To clarify this point, and to give an explanation to that type of anatomical variation which Goncalves et al. found in several studies, there are two facts we need to keep in mind; first, the CS is an extradural anatomical entity [5, 6]. The hypophysis compartment is isolated from all surrounding structures by what is called the pituitary bag. A detailed description of the pituitary bag was reported by Francois et al. using electron microscopic-based methodology [2]. Having said that, we can make a more useful conclusion with regard to the medial wall of the CS; there is no dural layer for superior medial wall of the CS itself. The dural layer that have been reported belong to the pituitary bag and was misinterpreted as it belongs to the CS itself according to some studies. Furthermore, this explains the presence of easy surgical cleavage plane between the medial wall and the suprasellar dura (diaphragma sellae) that was reported by Professor Kawase in his comment at the end Goncalves et al. paper.
Semigroups and their topologies arising from Green's left quasiorder

Given a semigroup (S, ·), Green’s left quasiorder on S is given by a ≤ b if a = u · b for some u ϵ S 1 . We determine which topological spaces with five or fewer elements arise as the specialization topology from Green’s left quasiorder for an appropriate semigroup structure on the set. In the process, we exhibit semigroup structures that yield general classes of finite topological spaces, as well as general classes of topological spaces which cannot be derived from semigroup structures via Green’s left quasiorder.
Review of LDMOS time dependent degradation based on low-frequency noise modeling

A review is presented for the physics-based flicker noise model developed to describe the origin of low-frequency fluctuations in LDMOS transistors. The model is based on the Unified 1/f Noise Model, but it considers a more realistic spatial and energy distribution of traps in the dielectric instead of uniform trap distribution. It not only correctly computes the observed noise power spectral density in LDMOS, but it successfully predicts the degradation of noise characteristics with applied high voltage stress. We verified the model for two different technology samples that were fabricated in standard BiCMOS processes. This paper focuses on the analysis and modeling approach for the viability of the correlated carrier number and mobility fluctuation based 1/f noise model for LDMOSFETs. Observations from some recent approaches on LDMOS noise modeling are also highlighted here.
Towards a Wi-Fi ecosystem: Technology integration and emerging service models

This paper outlines emerging business models of heterogeneous wireless networks that are mainly Wi-Fi centric. Wi-Fi networks can be integrated with the Internet and cellular infrastructures to offer innovative services (data and voice) to individuals and businesses. In the metro area network or a ''hot city'' type of coverage, an integration of WiMAX and Wi-Fi technologies will provide the most cost-effective solution of backhaul and access, for both voice and data services. In the cellular arena, as mobile operators look for new ways to connect, Wi-Fi can easily be integrated with the existing mobile data networks (2.5G/3G). An integrated offering that combines the mobility of cellular and the speed of Wi-Fi is an ideal mix for mobile broadband subscribers. This article also analyzes how Wi-Fi technology is being complementary to other wireless technologies, leading to an expansion of an organized Wi-Fi ecosystem. From an integration standpoint, this article shows the importance of Wi-Fi for cellular operators and also shows how Wi-Fi is crucial for WiMAX technology to evolve, till the mobile version of WiMAX becomes a reality. Finally, the paper describes why regulators and policy makers should seek suitable strategies to promote or encourage Wi-Fi as an alternative broadband access technology.
Reply to “A comment on 'A hedging deficiency in eurodollar futures'”

Kawaller's argument that a perfect hedge is possible with eurodollar futures is limited to the notion of a perfect accounting hedge, whereby the time value of money is ignored. In addition, his attempt to show the importance of sizing the hedge merely introduces a change to the problem, leading to a difference in our results that he erroneously believes is a mistake on my part. It is easy to show that his example is driven by an irrelevant distraction. I correct his example and show that had he worked the same problem I worked, he would have worked it the same way I did. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 27:195–201, 2007
25nm 64Gb MLC NAND technology and scaling challenges invited paper

A highly manufacturable 25nm 64Gb NAND technology has been developed. Many physical and electrical scaling challenges were overcome. Severe scaling challenges have to be overcome to continue NAND scaling.
125I interstitial brachytherapy for primary malignant brain tumors: technical aspects of treatment planning and implantation methods.

Abstract Use of interstitial radiation holds promise in the treatment of primary malignant brain tumors, but optimal technical factors have yet to be determined. We have developed a method of precise CT directed stereotactic placement of radioactive sources in a predetermined target volume. We use low activity (1–2 millicurie/seed) sources of 125 I loaded in silastic catheters, which are positioned in a parallel array in the target. Positioning of such multiple sources toward the periphery of the volume enhances achievable dose homogeneity. Seeds of various activities can be differentially loaded into each catheter and the catheters can be positioned at various radii from the central target so that the treated volume corresponds to the identified (often irregular) target volume. Although the implant is designed to be permanent, the sources can be removed easily in a second procedure.
Segmental Dynamics in Poly(methyl Acrylate) on Silica: Effect of Surface Treatment

The effect of surface treatment on the dynamics of adsorbed poly(methyl acrylate) (PMA) was studied using deuterium NMR and temperature-modulated differential scanning calorimetry (TMDSC). The solid-state deuterium NMR experiments were performed using PMA-d3, deuterated on the methyl group. The line shape changes for PMA-d3 were followed as a function of temperature and compared for the polymer on untreated silica, organically modified (treated) silica (reacted with hexamethyltrisilazane), and in bulk. The dynamics of PMA-d3 on treated silica was found to be intermediate between that of the polymer adsorbed on untreated silica and that of the bulk polymer, i.e., the treated silica caused a restriction on the dynamics of the polymer as compared to bulk, but not as dramatically as that on untreated silica. Similar to the dynamics on untreated silica, the dynamics on treated silica showed a broad heterogeneity with a superposition of more-mobile and less-mobile components. Two molecular mass samples were als...
Thermoregulatory vasococonstriction and shivering impede therapeutic hypothermia in acute ischemic stroke patients

Objectives . We tested the hypothesis that vasoconstriction and shivering thresholds are sufficiently reduced by acute stroke to permit induction of therapeutic hypothermia without additional pharmacological inhibition of thermoregulatory control. Methods . We studied eight patients 2 ± 1 days after ischemic stroke. Forced-air cutaneous cooling was administered until the patients shivered continuously or reached a tympanic membrane (ie, core) temperature of 34°C. The tympanic membrane temperatures triggering vasoconstriction and shivering identified the thresholds for each response. Results . Patients had a mean age of 68 ± 8 years and a mean National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score of 5. No patient reached the target core temperature of 34°C. Vasoconstriction and shivering thresholds were 37.1 ± 0.4°C and 36.6 ± 0.4°C, respectively. Conclusions . Vasoconstriction and shivering were initiated at roughly normal temperatures in ischemic stroke patients, and these thermoregulatory responses prevented induction of therapeutic hypothermia. Pharmacological reduction of the vasoconstriction and shivering thresholds will be required if therapeutic hypothermia for stroke patients is to be induced easily by surface cooling.
The planar polarity gene strabismus regulates convergent extension movements in Xenopus

The signaling mechanisms that specify, guide and coordinate cell behavior during embryonic morphogenesis are poorly understood. We report that a Xenopus homolog of the Drosophila planar cell polarity gene strabismus (stbm) participates in the regulation of convergent extension, a critical morphogenetic process required for the elongation of dorsal structures in vertebrate embryos. Overexpression of Xstbm, which is expressed broadly in early development and subsequently in the nervous system, causes severely shortened trunk structures; a similar phenotype results from inhibiting Xstbm translation using a morpholino antisense oligo. Experiments with Keller explants further demonstrate that Xstbm can regulate convergent extension in both dorsal mesoderm and neural tissue. The specification of dorsal tissues is not affected. The Xstbm phenotype resembles those obtained with several other molecules with roles in planar polarity signaling, including Dishevelled and Frizzled-7 and -8. Unlike these proteins, however, Stbm has little effect on conventional Wnt/β-catenin signaling in either frog or fly assays. Thus our results strongly support the emerging hypothesis that a vertebrate analog of the planar polarity pathway governs convergent extension movements.
Ultrahigh-Temperature Semiconductors Made from Polymer-Derived Ceramics

We report the semiconductor behavior of polymer-derived ceramics at high temperatures extending up to 1300°C, far above that of any known material. The conductivity depends strongly on the N/O molar ratio, reaching its highest value when the ratio is approximately unity. The temperature dependence of the conductivity for these specimens, σ, shows good agreement with the Mott's variable range hopping (VRH) mechanism for three-dimensional conduction in amorphous materials as described by σ ∝ exp - (T 0 /T) 1/4 . The comparison yields the following range of values for the density of states, N(E) = 4.9 x 10 17 -5.9 × 10 18 (eV · cm 3 ) -1 , hopping energy, W = 0.017-0.047 eV, and hopping distance, R = 13.4-21.8 nm. The charge carrier mobilities predicted by the VRH model are in excellent agreement with the values measured in the Hall experiment. The long hopping distances are an unusual feature of this ceramic, suggesting long-range wave functions that may arise from clusters of SiCNO atoms that can exist in the form of a nanodomain network. Specimens that are either rich in oxygen (at the expense of nitrogen) or rich in nitrogen, have conductivities that are four to eight orders of magnitude lower than the ∼equimolar compositions. One oxygen-rich specimen shows band-gap controlled semiconductivity with an activation energy of 1.1 eV. Taken together, these results suggest that the electronic properties of the SiCNO ceramics are controlled by complex interactions between C and other atoms (Si, N, and O). These results are at variance with the simple picture where "free carbon" is assumed to determine the electronic behavior.
PREVALENCE AND INCIDENCE OF CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE IN PATIENTS WITH NONVALVULAR ATRIAL FIBRILLATION

Atrial fibrillation (AF) and coronary artery disease (CAD) are progressively prevalent as society ages. Although the incidence of coronary risk factors has dramatically increased and this trend is projected to continue in Japan, no data are available regarding the prevalence of CAD and incidence of
Heat transfer transients in stagnation flows due to changes in flow velocity

Figure 2 presents a similar set of plots corresponding to Fig. 1, with the exception that a) = 0.05, which corresponds to the second data set shown in Table 1. Again, the proposed procedure works well, even in the presence of noise. A favorable comparison is evident. The radiosity results when N = 4 produced by the method of Shih et al. is shown in Fig. 2a. The radiosity distribution as developed by the proposed method when N = 6 is displayed in Fig. 2c. Likewise, the resulting temperature distribution shown in Fig. 2b, when -N = 4, is clearly in line with the results offered in Fig. 2d when N = 6. To conclude this Note, the proposed methodology possesses merit in situations that do not easily permit the development of an exact solution. This approach deserves more rigorous development and attention.
Reflection electron microscopy (REM) of vicinal surfaces of fcc metals

Abstract REM has been applied to study the low index facets and their vicinal regions on Au and Pt spheres solidified from the melt. Areas of regularly spaced steps have caused splitting of diffraction spots, and the splitting in the diffraction pattern agrees with the periodicity of steps as measured in the REM image. Resolution limits for REM images are discussed and compared to the 9 A resolution experimentally achieved.
Haemonchus contortus: Effects of compounds with juvenile hormone activity on the in vitro development of infective larvae

Abstract Inhibitory effects of farnesol, derivatives of farnesol, geraniol, 1-phenylnonane, and 1-phenyl-2,6-nonodiene on the development of exsheathed, third-stage Haemonchus contortus larvae were observed. Treatment of larvae with antibiotics prior to exsheathment provided control of bacterial contaminants for in vitro cultivation. Exsheathed larvae were placed in Earle's balanced salt solution. The medium was saturated with 5% CO 2 and the larvae were incubated at 37 C. Candidate compounds were added at 10, 50, and 100 ppm. Activity was determined by comparing mortality and arrestment of larval development to fourth stage in treated media with nontreated controls at 48 and 72 hr of incubation. In vitro activity occurred in each of the four compound types with the greatest activity found in the farnesol derivatives. Those compounds possessing 12- to 15-atom (carbon and oxygen) chains exhibited larval arrestment and larvicidal properties. Compounds that contained 10-atom chains were considerably less active. The four compound types did not affect the development of Ascaris suum migrating and Nematospiroides dubius intestinal larvae in mice. All compounds that inhibited larval development possess juvenile hormone activity in insects.
Influence of iturin A on mycelial weight and aflatoxin production by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus in shake culture

Iturin A, a peptidolipid produced byBacillus subtilis, inhibits growth of a large number of fungi. In this study, the effects of iturin A were evaluated on nine isolates ofA. flavus and seven isolates ofA. parasiticus in liquid shake culture. The mycelial dry weight of theA. flavus isolates was not significantly influenced by iturin A, however, there was a significant reduction in mycelial dry weight for two of theA. parasiticus isolates. Aflatoxin production was significantly reduced in five of theA. flavus isolates and three of the six aflatoxigenicA. parasiticus isolates. For the other seven isolates, aflatoxin levels were either unchanged or significantly increased in the presence of iturin A. These results indicate that iturin A does not consistently reduce growth or aflatoxin production of these fungi in pure culture.
A comparative study of electron density determination methodologies in the helium microwave-induced plasma

Electron number densities were examined in a low-power atmospheric-pressure helium microwave-induced plasma. Two hydrogen-based methods and two helium-based methods were employed to estimate electron concentration. The hydrogen 4471 A Balmer line was examined with the use of both line shape and full width at half-maximum intensity measurements. The data suggest that half-width calculations underestimate electron densities. Half-width measurements of neutral helium lines result in number densities which appear to be overestimated. This inaccuracy is thought to be the result of apparatus broadening. Finally, the use of quasi-degenerate helium neutral lines possessing forbidden and allowed components afforded electron concentrations similar to those derived from the Balmer beta line shape analysis.
Interpreting Light Scattering from Cells Subjected to Oxidative Stress

Scattering from cells subjected to oxidative stress reveals subtle changes in organelle morphology, including mitochondrial swelling induced by direct and indirect perturbation. Scattering from cells loaded with organelle-specific absorbers imposes constraints on organelle refractive index.
Characterization of polarization states of surface plasmon polariton modes by Fourier-plane leakage microscopy

We demonstrate that the polarization states of guided wave surface plasmon polariton (SPP) modes can be unambiguously identified by introducing a linear polarizer in the optical path of the light within a leakage-based microscope. We show the use of Fourier-plane leakage-based microscopy as a polarization characterization method to study the polarization states of SPP modes excited in plasmonic waveguides. Our results indicate that the inclusion of a linear polarizer provides additional image processing capabilities to leakage-based microscopes.
Specific Cleavage of α-Fodrin during Fas- and Tumor Necrosis Factor-induced Apoptosis Is Mediated by an Interleukin-1β-converting Enzyme/Ced-3 Protease Distinct from the Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase Protease

Interleukin-1β-converting enzyme (ICE)/Ced-3 proteases play a critical role in apoptosis. One well characterized substrate of these proteases is the DNA repair enzyme poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. We report here that α-fodrin, an abundant membrane-associated cytoskeletal protein, is cleaved rapidly and specifically during Fas- and tumor necrosis factor-induced apoptosis; this cleavage is mediated by an ICE/Ced-3 protease distinct from the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase protease. Studies in cells treated with these apoptotic stimuli reveal that both fodrin and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase proteolysis are inhibited by acetyl-Tyr-Val-Ala-Asp chloromethyl ketone and CrmA, specific inhibitors of ICE/Ced-3 proteases. However, fodrin proteolysis can be distinguished from poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase proteolysis by its relative insensitivity to acetyl-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp aldehyde (DEVD-CHO), a selective inhibitor of a subset of ICE/Ced-3 proteases that includes CPP32. DEVD-CHO protects cells from Fas-induced apoptosis but does not prevent fodrin proteolysis, indicating that cleavage of this protein can be uncoupled from apoptotic cell death. Moreover, purified fodrin is cleaved in vitro by CPP32 (but not by ICE) into fragments of the same size observed in vivo during apoptosis. These findings suggest that fodrin proteolysis in vivo may reflect the activity of multiple ICE/Ced-3 proteases whose partial sensitivity to DEVD-CHO reflects a limited contribution from CPP32, or an ICE/Ced-3 protease less sensitive than CPP32 to DEVD-CHO inhibition.
Green pharmacy and pharmEcovigilance: prescribing and the planet

Active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) are ubiquitous environmental contaminants, resulting primarily from excretion and bathing and from disposal of leftover drugs by consumers and healthcare facilities. Although prudent disposal of leftover drugs has attracted the most attention for reducing API levels in the aquatic environment, a more effective approach would prevent the generation of leftover drugs in the first place. Many aspects of the practice of medicine and pharmacy can be targeted for reducing environmental contamination by APIs. These same modifications--focused on treating humans and the environment as a single, integral patient--could also have collateral outcomes with improved therapeutic outcomes, and with a reduced incidence of unintended poisonings, drug interactions and drug diversion, and lower consumer costs.
On the stability of a family of finite element methods for hyperbolic problems

We consider a family of tensor product finite element methods for hyperbolic equations in RN, N ≥ 2, which are explicit and generate a continuous approximate solution. The base case N = 2 (an extension of the box scheme to higher order) is due to Winther, who proved stability and optimal order convergence. By means of a simple counterexample, we show that, for linear approximation with N ≥ 3, the corresponding methods are unstable.
[Image] [Image] [Image] [Link] [Link] [Link]: inaccessible Web design from the perspective of a blind librarian

This article looks at Web design accessibility from the perspective of a librarian who is legally blind. It describes her experiences using computers and the Internet with screen‐reading and screen‐enlarging software, and explains the impact of constantly changing Internet technology and inaccessible Web design on the efficiency with which she assists patrons. The article presents real‐life examples of the obstacles that inaccessible Web design has presented to her and to her patrons who are blind or visually impaired, and offers suggestions to help librarians make their own libraries’ Web sites accessible.
Tempo and beat analysis of acoustic musical signals

A method is presented for using a small number of bandpass filters and banks of parallel comb filters to analyze the tempo of, and extract the beat from, musical signals of arbitrary polyphonic complexity and containing arbitrary timbres. This analysis is performed causally, and can be used predictively to guess when beats will occur in the future. Results in a short validation experiment demonstrate that the performance of the algorithm is similar to the performance of human listeners in a variety of musical situations. Aspects of the algorithm are discussed in relation to previous high-level cognitive models of beat tracking.
Plasma Enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition of Al 2 O 3 /SiO 2 MIM Capacitors

Metal–insulator–insulator–metal (MIIM) capacitors with bilayers of Al2O3 and SiO2 are deposited at 200 °C via plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition. Employing the cancelling effect between the positive quadratic voltage coefficient of capacitance ( $\alpha $ VCC) of Al2O3 and the negative $\alpha $ VCC of SiO2, devices are made that simultaneously meet the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors 2020 projections for capacitance density, leakage current density, and voltage nonlinearity. Optimized bilayer Al2O3/SiO2 MIIM capacitors exhibit a capacitance density of 10.1 fF/ $\mu \text{m}^{2}$ , a leakage current density of 6.8 nA/cm $^{2}$ at 1 V, and a minimized $\alpha $ VCC of −20 ppm/ $\text{V}^{2}$ .
MaxiK channel and cell signalling

The large-conductance Ca2+- and voltage-activated K+ (MaxiK, BK, BKCa, Slo1, KCa1.1) channel role in cell signalling is becoming apparent as we learn how the channel interacts with a multiplicity of proteins not only at the plasma membrane but also in intracellular organelles including the endoplasmic reticulum, nucleus, and mitochondria. In this review, we focus on the interactions of MaxiK channels with seven-transmembrane G protein-coupled receptors and discuss information suggesting that, the channel big C-terminus may act as the nucleus of signalling molecules including kinases relevant for cell death and survival. Increasing evidence indicates that the channel is able to associate with a variety of receptors including β-adrenergic receptors, G protein-coupled estrogen receptors, acetylcholine receptors, thromboxane A2 receptors, and angiotensin II receptors, which highlights the varied functions that the channel has (or may have) not only in regulating contraction/relaxation of muscle cells or neurotransmission in the brain but also in cell metabolism, proliferation, migration, and gene expression. In line with this view, MaxiK channels have been implicated in obesity and in brain, prostate, and mammary cancers. A better understanding on the molecular mechanisms underlying or triggered by MaxiK channel abnormalities like overexpression in certain cancers may lead to new therapeutics to prevent devastating diseases.
INCIDENCE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF ARRHYTHMIAS IN PEDIATRIC PATIENTS WITH MYOCARDITIS: A MULTICENTER STUDY

Myocarditis in children is a cause of significant morbidity and mortality. Multiple prognostic factors have been identified to predict the outcome of these patients (pts). We tested the hypothesis that pediatric pts with tachyarrhythmias during hospitalization for acute myocarditis have worse
Decoupled direct 3D sensitivity analysis for particulate matter (DDM-3D/PM)

Abstract The decoupled direct method (DDM) and DDM-3D have been implemented in air quality models in order to efficiently compute sensitivities. Initial implementation of DDM/DDM-3D in models was confined only to gas-phase species as the treatment of sensitivities in the dynamics of secondary aerosol formation is more complex. Here, it is extended to calculate particulate matter sensitivities. DDM-3D/particulate matter (PM) results compare well spatially and temporally with the traditional brute-force approach, particularly for species responses to emissions of their “parent” precursor (e.g., sulfate to SO2 emissions.) Correlations of more indirect relationships between aerosols and gaseous emissions (e.g., nitrate to SO2 emissions) are worse, but these sensitivities are usually small. DDM-3D/PM appears to work better than the brute-force approach in some cases due to numerical noise and other factors, as identified from the application on a southeastern US domain for a summer episode. DDM-3D/PM is also computationally efficient. While CPU usage was found to scale linearly with the number of sensitivity parameters of interest (for a given domain size), it was significantly less than using the brute-force approach.
Two-dimensional glenoid version measurements vary with coronal and sagittal scapular rotation.

Background:Accurate analysis of osseous glenoid morphology is important in treating glenohumeral arthritis and instability. Two-dimensional computed tomography scans are used to evaluate glenoid alignment. Accuracy of this method is dependent on the angle of axial reconstruction in relation to the p
Inferring Home Location from User's Photo Collections based on Visual Content and Mobility Patterns

Precise home location detection has been actively studied in the past few years. It is indispensable in the researching fields such as personalized marketing and disease propagation. Since the last few decades, the rapid growth of geotagged multimedia database from online social networks provides a valuable opportunity to predict people's home location from temporal, spatial and visual cues. Among the massive amount of social media data, one important type of data is the geotagged web images from image-sharing websites. In this paper, we developed a reliable photo classifier based on the Convolutional Neutral Networks to classify photos as either home or non-home. We then proposed a novel approach to home location prediction by fusing together the visual content of web images and the spatiotemporal features of people's mobility pattern. Using a linear SVM classifier, we showed that the robust fusion of visual and temporal feature achieves significant accuracy improvement over each of the features alone.
Mental Health Resources and the Criminal Justice System: Assessment and Plan for Integration in Charlottesville, Virginia

This paper presents an analysis of and recommendations for improving the relationship between the mental health and criminal justice systems in Charlottesville and Albemarle County, Virginia. The project team used data analysis, detailed process modeling, and stakeholder discussions to identify three major problems in the current system for managing the needs of people with mental illness, also referred to as consumers. First, encounters between consumers and law enforcement or mental health personnel resulted in unnecessary safety risks. Second, the limited resources of both the criminal justice and mental health systems were consumed from ineffective responses to consumers' needs. Third, when an individual with mental illness moved from one agency to another, they often experienced gaps in treatment which caused a crisis situation to develop, requiring police involvement. To address these problems, the project team recommends that the city and county re-align their existing resources into a collaborative crisis intervention system (CIS). The CIS would seek to improve the coordination between agencies in the criminal justice and mental health systems; it would be able to handle both the acute needs of consumers in crisis and minimize the potential for crisis situations to develop by providing long-term stability. In addition to using these systems' limited resources effectively and efficiently, the development of a CIS would enhance the quality of life for the region's consumers and benefit the community as a whole. This project was conducted by University of Virginia students as an evaluation team for the crisis intervention team (CIT) taskforce, a diverse group of local representatives from both the mental health and criminal justice systems who are advocates for improving the relationship between the systems.
Bismuth Coordination Chemistry with Allyl, Alkoxide, Aryloxide, and Tetraphenylborate Ligands and the {[2,6-(Me2NCH2)2C6H3]2Bi}+ Cation

A series of bis(aryl) bismuth compounds containing (N,C,N)-pincer ligands, [2,6-(Me2NCH2)2C6H3]− (Ar′), have been synthesized and structurally characterized to compare the coordination chemistry of Bi3+ with similarly sized lanthanide ions, Ln3+. Treatment of Ar′2BiCl, 1, with ClMg(CH2CH═CH2) affords the allyl complex Ar′2Bi(η1-CH2CH═CH2), 2, in which only one allyl carbon atom coordinates to bismuth. Complex 1 reacts with KOtBu and KOC6H3Me2-2,6 to yield the alkoxide Ar′2Bi(OtBu), 3, and aryloxide Ar′2Bi(OC6H3Me2-2,6), 4, respectively, but the analogous reaction with the larger KOC6H3tBu2-2,6 forms [Ar′2Bi][OC6H3tBu2-2,6], 6, in which the aryloxide ligand acts as an outer sphere anion. Chloride is removed from 1 by NaBPh4 to form [Ar′2Bi][BPh4], 5, which crystallizes from THF in an unsolvated form with tetraphenylborate as an outer sphere counteranion.
Object recognition system based on the trilinearity theorem

We present a new method for object recognition based on the trilinearity theorem, a theoretical result from projectile geometry obtained by Shashua. The trilinearity theorem relates, in a trilinear form, the pixel coordinates of a given object point visible in three images of an object under varying pose. In a preprocessing stage, the object of interest in every image is segmented from its background, and the background is removed. For such segmented images, our system achieves a high correct classification rate. Known objects are represented in the system by a database of images which show the objects as seen from several different viewing directions. In order to utilize the trilinearity theorem for the classification of an input image, it is necessary to construct several triples of closely matching image points -- one point in the input image and one each in two database images of a single object. The triple generation is accomplished by means of Gabor feature vector matching for selected feature points in the images. Using techniques from robust regression, the parameters in the trilinear forms are then determined, and a reprojection of feature points onto one of the three views is performed. The magnitude of the resulting match error then determines whether all three images show the same object, and hence whether recognition of the object in the input image is achieved.
Net energy analysis of a fuelwood energy system

Abstract This paper presents a net energy analysis of a fuelwood energy system using standing timber as a raw material source. A general trajectory model is presented, and then a specific technological framework is analyzed, which results in a net energy ratio of 5.1. Comparison with the conventional systems designed for the same purpose show the fuelwood energy system to be comparable or better in terms of net energy performance. Key areas where improvement can be made in fuelwood system performance involve transportation, road building and combustion equipment.
Elastic-plastic crystal mechanics for low symmetry crystals

Abstract A method of averaging the elastic-viscoplastic aggregate behavior of low symmetry materials is developed. The single crystal constitutive model includes both elasticity and rate dependent crystallographic slip. The constraint conditions imposed on the local deformations are discussed and developed in a form that allows elastic deformation without crystallographic slip in the constrained directions. The interaction law between the macroscopic and local deformations is achieved by a modified Taylor type model in which macroscopic equilibrium and compatibility are maintained, but local compatibility is not considered. Deformations in the constrained directions are posed as Lagrange multipliers rigorously enforcing a minimum work rate throughout the aggregate. The constitutive model is used to predict deformation response and texture evolution in a broad class of low symmetry materials lacking the five independent slip systems required to accommodate a general deformation. The predictions are compared to experimental data for the various materials. By including elasticity into the new model, predictive capabilities are now expanded to include a broad range of phenomena critical to the processing of such low symmetry crystals (i.e. yield surfaces, residual stresses, etc.).
Isolated polydactyly: prenatal diagnosis and perinatal outcome.

Our objective was to determine the clinical significance of isolated polydactyly identified on prenatal sonogram. All patients with sonographically detected isolated polydactyly scanned over an 11-year period were identified from our database. All patients underwent detailed surveys, and follow-up was obtained by review of the medical records and telephone conversations with parents and referring physicians. Thirteen patients with isolated polydactyly were identified. Follow-up was available in 12 patients. Indications for referral included advanced maternal age (2), second-opinion polydactyly (4), family history of polydactyly (1), uncertain dates (5), and growth (1). The gestational ages at the times of sonographic diagnosis ranged from 17.5 to 34 weeks with all but one case being identified before 23 weeks. Prenatal identification included polydactyly of the upper limb (8), lower limb (4), and both upper and lower limbs (1). Postaxial polydactyly was seen in 12 patients and preaxial in one. Polydactyly was confirmed in all 12 cases in which follow-up was available. Karyotypes were normal in all five fetuses in which amniocentesis was performed. Ten of 12 fetuses were born alive, one died in utero at 34 weeks as a complication of severe pre-eclampsia and one died at term as a result of a cord accident. No surviving neonate had any other identifiable malformation or suspected karyotypic abnormality. In conclusion isolated polydactyly identified by prenatal sonography is associated with good perinatal outcome.