cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A State-Space Model for National Football League Scores

Abstract This article develops a predictive model for National Football League (NFL) game scores using data from the period 1988–1993. The parameters of primary interest—measures of team strength—are expected to vary over time. Our model accounts for this source of variability by modeling football outcomes using a state-space model that assumes team strength parameters follow a first-order autoregressive process. Two sources of variation in team strengths are addressed in our model; week-to-week changes in team strength due to injuries and other random factors, and season-to-season changes resulting from changes in personnel and other longer-term factors. Our model also incorporates a home-field advantage while allowing for the possibility that the magnitude of the advantage may vary across teams. The aim of the analysis is to obtain plausible inferences concerning team strengths and other model parameters, and to predict future game outcomes. Iterative simulation is used to obtain samples from the joint ...
Eine Farbreaktion für Fluorion

Eine neue Tupfelreaktion fur Fluorid wird beschrieben, die darauf beruht, das in einer schwach gelbgrun gefarbten Losung von Eisen(III)-rhodizonat und Silbernitrat mit Fluorion Rhodizonat in Freiheit gesetzt wird, das mit dem Silberion blauschwarzes Silberrhodizonat liefert. Diese Reaktion kann entweder auf einer Tupfelplatte oder auf einem mit der Reagenslosung impragnierten Filterpapier durchgefuhrt werden. Phosphat, Salicylat und Sulfosalicylat storen nicht, Oxalat gibt gleichfalls eine positive Reaktion, doch kann dies durch Zugabe von Bariumion verhindert werden. Sulfid stort durch Bildung schwarzen Silbersulfids.
Byron, The deformed transformed, and the problematic of embodiment

(2001). Byron, The deformed transformed, and the problematic of embodiment. European Romantic Review: Vol. 12, No. 3, pp. 284-300.
Convective Assembly of Antireflective Silica Coatings with Controlled Thickness and Refractive Index

Convective assembly at high volume fraction was used to deposit silica nanoparticle coatings onto glass and silicon substrates. By allowing control of the film structure and thickness, this technique provides a means for making large-scale coatings with antireflective properties. The reflectance was reduced by 50% for silicon (at 600 nm) and by 70% for single glass/air surface. Microstructural investigations using SEM, AFM, profilometry, and ellipsometry provided good correlation to the observed macroscopic optical properties. By virtue of the coatings' uniformity, the reflectance and transmission spectra from both substrates could be modeled well by classical reflection relations, using a volume-averaged refractive index. Data analysis showed that the relatively high packing fraction in nanocoatings made from monodisperse spheres is responsible for the limit on antireflective capabilities. To overcome this restriction, low-density silica coatings were made from binary colloidal mixtures of different diam...
Antitumoral activity of the fern Cibotium schiedei.

THE use of plant preparations for treating cancer, first mentioned in the Ebers papyrus of 1500 BC1, has long been widespread in spite of the general ineffectiveness of such remedies. At present, several compounds of plant origin are known to have demonstrable oncolytic activity. These include colchicine2, the vinca alkaloids3, podophyllotoxin4, the cucurbitacins5, lapachol6 and the steroid tumour inhibitors from certain of the Solanaceae7; all these are derived from angiosperms. The only antitumoral agent reported in lower vascular plants is calagualine, a saponine isolated from the fern Polypodium leucotomos8. A note by Maruzzella9 relating to the antibiotic activity of methanolic extracts of several ferns prompted us to test Cibotium schiedei Schlect and Cham. as a possible source of tumour inhibitors. This tree fern, of the family Dicksoniaceae, is a native of the Vera Cruz province of Mexico, but is quite widely cultivated as a house plant.
Multi-Constrained Anypath Routing in Wireless Mesh Networks

Anypath routing has been proposed to improve the performance of unreliable wireless networks by exploiting the spatial diversity and broadcast nature of the wireless medium. In this paper, we focus on anypath routing subject to K constraints, and present a polynomial time K-approximation algorithm. When K = 1, our algorithm is the optimal polynomial time algorithm for the corresponding problem. When K >= 2, the corresponding problem is NP-hard. We are the first to present an O(1)-approximation algorithm. Furthermore, our algorithm is as simple as Dijkstra's shortest path algorithm, and is therefore suitable for implementation in actual wireless routing protocols.
Early interleukin 6 production by leukocytes during ischemic acute kidney injury is regulated by TLR4.

Although leukocytes infiltrate the kidney during ischemic acute kidney injury (AKI) and release interleukin 6 (IL6), their mechanism of activation is unknown. Here, we tested whether Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) on leukocytes mediated this activation by interacting with high-mobility group protein B1 (HMGB1) released by renal cells as a consequence of ischemic kidney injury. We constructed radiation-induced bone marrow chimeras using C3H/HeJ and C57BL/10ScNJ strains of TLR4 (−/−) mice and their respective TLR4 (+/+) wild-type counterparts and studied them at 4h after an ischemic insult. Leukocytes adopted from TLR4 (+/+) mice infiltrated the kidneys of TLR4 (−/−) mice, and TLR4 (−/−) leukocytes infiltrated the kidneys of TLR4 (+/+) mice but caused little functional renal impairment in each case. Maximal ischemic AKI required both radiosensitive leukocytes and radioresistant renal parenchymal and endothelial cells from TLR4 (+/+) mice. Only TLR4 (+/+) leukocytes produced IL6 in vivo and in response to HMGB1 in vitro . Thus, following infiltration of the injured kidney, leukocytes produce IL6 when their TLR4 receptors interact with HMGB1 released by injured renal cells. This underscores the importance of TLR4 in the pathogenesis of ischemic AKI.
Methane production and simultaneous sulphate reduction in anoxic, salt marsh sediments

It has been generally believed that sulphate reduction precludes methane generation during diagenesis of anoxic sediments1,2. Because most biogenic methane formed in nature is thought to derive either from acetate cleavage or by hydrogen reduction of carbon dioxide3–6, the removal of these compounds by the energetically more efficient sulphate-reducing bacteria can impose a substrate limitation on methanogenic bacteria7–9. However, two known species of methanogens, Methanosarcina barkeri and Methanococcus mazei, can grow on and produce methane from methanol and methylated amines10–13. In addition, these compounds stimulate methane production by bacterial enrichments from the rumen11,14 and aquatic muds13,14. Methanol can enter anaerobic food webs through bacterial degradation of lignins15 or pectin16, and methylated amines can be produced either from decomposition of substances like choline, creatine and betaine13,14 or by bacterial reduction of trimethylamine oxide17, a common metabolite and excretory product of marine animals. However, the relative importance of methanol and methylated amines as precursors of methane in sediments has not been previously examined. We now report that methanol and trimethylamine are important substrates for methanogenic bacteria in salt marsh sediments and that these compounds may account for the bulk of methane produced therein. Furthermore, because these compounds do not stimulate sulphate reduction, methanogenesis and sulphate reduction can operate concurrently in sulphate-containing anoxic sediments.
Steady state solidification of reinforced binary alloys

This paper provides a review of theoretical and experimental research to date on the constrained steady state solidification of dilute binary alloy matrix composites. Steady state solidification can be experimentally observed in composites which contain a cylindrical reinforcement aligned parallel to the growth direction of samples solidified in a Bridgman furnace. Such experiments have been performed by several authors, using metallic or succinonitrile-based matrices. It is found that plane front, cellular, and dendritic solidification modes, and transitions between solidification modes, are all strongly influenced by the reinforcement if its dimensional scale is below those of the solidifying unreinforced matrix microstructure. General features of these phenomena are reviewed, together with their current theoretical interpretation.
Gypsum as an ameliorant for subsoil hardpans

Abstract In many highly weathered soils, subsoil penetration by roots is severely limited by chemical and physical barriers such as Al toxicity, hardpans and dense textural B horizons. Previous work has demonstrated the efficiency of surface applied gypsum in ameliorating such chemical and physical barriers after sufficient time has elapsed to allow the gypsum to leach into the subsoil. Cone index (CI) was measured using a tractor-mounted computerized penetrometer on plots which had received gypsum 2 to 4 years prior to measurement. Water stable aggregates were measured by the wet sieving method. In all cases, surface gypsum application reduced CI values for the subsoil hardpan layers when the crops used were alfalfa, peaches and cotton. The gypsum treatments resulted in significantly improved rooting in the subsoil hardpans. The proportion of large water-stable aggregates in the dense B horizon was also increased. Under laboratory conditions, both CI and gravimetric moisture contens at high matric potential were higher then the soil was wetted with deionized water than saturated gypsum solution.These improvements in subsoil physical condition appear to be due to both a root effect and a direct effect of the gypsum on flocculation and aggregation.
Material safety data sheets: The Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., Experience

Abstract Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc. (Energy Systems), has devised a computer-interactive system that contains more than 3000 Material Safety Data Shee The database is processed on the IBM 3033 located at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The MSDS system at Energy Systems is dynamic, allowing continue
Nonlinear dynamics and stability of wind turbine planetary gear sets under gravity effects

Abstract This paper investigates the dynamics of wind turbine planetary gear sets under the effect of gravity using a modified harmonic balance method that includes simultaneous excitations. This modified method along with arc-length continuation and Floquet theory is applied to a lumped-parameter planetary gear model including gravity, fluctuating mesh stiffness, bearing clearance, and nonlinear tooth contact to obtain the dynamic response of the system. The calculated dynamic responses compare well with time domain-integrated mathematical models and experimental results. Gravity is a fundamental vibration source in wind turbine planetary gear sets and plays an important role in the system dynamic response compared to excitations from tooth meshing alone. Gravity causes nonlinear effects induced by tooth wedging and bearing-raceway contacts. Tooth wedging, also known as a tight mesh, occurs when a gear tooth comes into contact on the drive-side and back-side simultaneously and it is a source of planet-bearing failures. Clearance in carrier bearings decreases bearing stiffness and significantly reduces the lowest resonant frequencies of the translational modes. Gear tooth wedging can be prevented if the carrier-bearing clearance is less than the tooth backlash.
Childhood ITP: knowing when to worry?

In this issue of Blood , Psaila and colleagues describe a large cohort of patients with ITP and intracranial hemorrhage. Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is a fairly rare, generally benign illness in the pediatric population, affecting between 5 to 13 children per 100 000. Intracranial hemorrhage (ICH
Small and large wave-vector behavior for the structure factor of an interacting non-uniform electron gas: A reply

Abstract It is pointed out that the structure factor of an interacting non-uniform electron gas goes to zero at small wave-vector for any non-uniformity of finite characteristic length; it is also shown explicitly within the RPA that there is no 2nd order gradient correction to the local density approximation at large wave-vector.
Structural relation of the trigeminal spinal tract to upper cervical roots and the solitary nucleus in the cat.

Abstract The relation of the descending tract of the trigeminal nerve to the upper cervical dorsal roots is of considerable physiological and clinical interest, particularly with reference to the mechanisms of hemicranial pain syndromes. This study describes in detail the distribution of trigeminal and cervical afferents in the upper cervical cord and indicates that anatomic convergence of these two systems is present throughout the dorsal horn in the first and second cervical segments. The distribution of trigeminal afferents at all brain-stem and cervical levels was studied and a contingent of fibers to the solitary nucleus was identified in every experiment. The possible significance of this in terms of function is discussed. Neurons of the semilunar ganglion do not establish direct reflex connections with motor nuclei of the brain stem; barring insignificant exceptions such connections require at least one interneuron.
Temperature Induced Aggregation and Clouding in Humic Acid Solutions

Humic acids in aqueous solution demonstrate inverse temperature-solubility relationships when solution conditions are manipulated to reduce coulombic repulsion among the humic polyanions. These effects were followed by dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements of the resulting aggregates, as well as the addition of a polarity sensitive fluorescent probe (pyrene). The humic solutions could be primed for temperature induced clouding by carefully lowering the pH to a point where hydration effects became dominant. The exact value of the cloud point (CP) was a function of both pH and humate concentration. The CPs mostly lay in the range 50–90°C, but DLS showed that temperature induced aggregation proceeded from approximately 30°C onward. Similar effects could be achieved by adding multivalent cations at concentrations below those which cause spontaneous precipitation. The declouding of clouded humate solutions could be affected by lowering the temperature combined with mechanical agitation to disentangle the humic polymers.
Forced chemical vapor infiltration of tubular geometries: Modeling, design, and scale-up

The development of thick-walled, tubular ceramic composites has involved investigations of different fiber architectures and fixturing to obtain optimal densification and mechanical properties. The current efforts entail modeling of the densification process in order to increase densification uniformity and decrease processing time. In addition, the process is being scaled to produce components with a 10 cm outer diameter.
Intraoperative radiation therapy for patients with pancreatic carcinoma

The results of treatment with intraoperative and external beam radiation for patients with carcinoma of the pancreas are presented. Among patients treated with125I implants for localized unresectable disease, local control rates ranged from 67% to 93% and median survival ranged from 7 to 12 months. In a series using intraoperative electron beam boosts, a 59% local control rate with a median survival of 16 months was achieved. Good palliation rates were achieved, although a high proportion of fatal complications occurred in one125I series. Less promising results were seen in patients receiving intraoperative radiation following resections, with a local control rate of 50% and a median survival of 7 months in a series of 10 patients.
Sufficient conditions for two-dimensional localization by arbitrarily weak defects in periodic potentials with band gaps

We prove, via an elementary variational method, 1d and 2d localization within the band gaps of a periodic Schrodinger operator for any mostly negative or mostly positive defect potential, V, whose depth is not too great compared to the size of the gap. In a similar way, we also prove sufficient conditions for 1d and 2d localization below the ground state of such an operator. Furthermore, we extend our results to 1d and 2d localization in d dimensions; for example, a linear or planar defect in a 3d crystal. For the case of D-fold degenerate band edges, we also give sufficient conditions for localization of up to D states.
Using a 1-ml syringe for the chloroform dip root canal filling technique*

This article describes using a 1-ml syringe as an alternative to a dappen dish to hold chloroform during the chloroform dip root canal filling technique. The syringe effectively holds chloroform while limiting its exposure to the endodontic operatory air.
Periodontal Healing Following Guided Tissue Regeneration With Citric Acid and Fibronectin Application

This study was undertaken to determine the effects of guided tissue regeneration (GTR) with and without citric acid conditioning and autologous fibronectin application. The study subjects were four female beagle dogs with spontaneous periodontitis. The dogs were given thorough root debridement and 4 weeks later, mucoperiosteal flaps were raised on both sides of the mandible involving the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th premolar and 1st molar teeth. After debridement, notches were placed on the roots at the level of supporting bone. Citric acid (pH 1) was topically applied for 3 minutes on the exposed root surfaces of one side (experimental). The roots were irrigated with normal saline solution. Both the root surfaces and the inner surface of the flap were then bathed in autologous fibronectin in saline. Following this, Gore-Tex periodontal material was adapted to the roots of each tooth and sutured. The contralateral side, serving as control, was treated by surgery and application of Gore-Tex periodontal material only....
Structure and attributes community detection benchmark and a novel selection method

In recent years due to the rise of social, biological, and other rich content graphs, several new graph clustering methods using structure and node's attributes have been introduced. In this paper, we proposed an effective benchmark to evaluate these new methods. Our benchmark is an attributes extension to a widely used structure only benchmark. We also developed a new clustering method, termed Selection method, that uses the graph structure ambiguity to switch between structure and attribute clustering methods. Using the new benchmark and Normalized Mutual Information (NMI) metric, we evaluated the Selection method against five clustering methods: three structure and attribute methods, one structure only method and one attribute only method. We showed that the Selection method outperformed that state-of-art structure and attribute methods.
A Nuclear Transport Signal in Mammalian Target of Rapamycin Is Critical for Its Cytoplasmic Signaling to S6 Kinase 1

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) regulates nutrient-dependent cell growth and proliferation through cytoplasmic targets, such as S6 kinase 1 (S6K1). Consistent with its main function in the cytoplasm, mTOR is predominantly cytoplasmic. However, previously we have found that mTOR shuttles between the nucleus and cytoplasm, and we have proposed that the nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of mTOR is required for the maximal activation of S6K1. The intrinsic signals directing mTOR nuclear transport and the underlying mechanisms are unknown. In this study we initially set out to identify nuclear export signals in mTOR. A systematic scan of the mTOR sequence revealed 16 peptides conforming to the canonical leucine-rich nuclear export signal, of which 3 were found by reporter assays to contain leptomycin B-sensitive and leucine-dependent nuclear export activity. Unexpectedly, mTOR proteins with those conserved leucines mutated to alanines were unable to enter the nucleus. Further investigation revealed that the L982A/L984A and L1287A/L1289A mutations likely induced a global structural change in mTOR, whereas the L545A/L547A mutation directly impaired the nuclear import of the protein, potentially regulated by a nucleocytoplasmic shuttling signal. The loss of nuclear import was accompanied by the significantly reduced ability of the L545A/L547A mutant to activate S6K1 in cells. Most importantly, when nuclear import was restored in the L545A/L547A mutant by the addition of an exogenous nuclear import signal, signaling to S6K1 was rescued. Taken together, our observations suggest the existence of a nuclear shuttling signal in mTOR and provide definitive evidence for the requirement of mTOR nuclear import in its cytoplasmic signaling to S6K1.
Routine Venography Following Transaxillary First Rib Resection and Scalenectomy (FRRS) for Chronic Subclavian Vein Thrombosis Ensures Excellent Outcomes and Vein Patency

To assess the role of postoperative venography in patients treated with first rib resection and scalenectomy (FRRS) for effort thrombosis, a retrospective review was done to evaluate long-term venous patency in 84 patients treated at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. Patients undergo venography 2 weeks postoperatively. If there is >50% stenosis, the subclavian vein is dilated and the patient receives anticoagulation. If the vein is occluded, patients are maintained on anticoagulation. Of the 85 patients, 21 patients had patent veins, 47 patients had stenotic veins, and 16 patients had chronically occluded veins. In follow-up, symptomatic restenosis was seen in 3 patients and those veins were redilated. Two other patients had late occlusions at 23 and 63 months and received anticoagulation and redilatation, respectively. Using venography to guide postoperative management, 79 of 84 patients had patent veins many years postoperatively. Long-term patency, as seen by duplex scan, was achieved in nearly all patients using this protocol.
Roadmap Guidance for the Safer Deployment of an Arterial Closure Device

Arterial closure devices reduce the time to hemostasis, ambulation, and discharge after percutaneous arterial catheterization, but there is an increased risk of arterial occlusive complications compared with manual compression. As a step toward the elimination of this risk, the authors describe a technique where the movement of a balloon-tipped vessel locator and its final position at the site of closure mechanism deployment are monitored with roadmap fluoroscopic imaging.
A Putative Quantitative Trait Locus on Chromosome 20 Associated with Bovine Pathogenic Disease Incidence

The objective of this study was to detect QTL associated with the incidence of multiple patho- genic diseases in offspring from half-sib bovine families. Four F1 sires were used to produce offspring: Brahman × Hereford (BH; n = 547), Piedmontese × Angus (PA; n = 209), Brahman × Angus (n = 176), and Belgian Blue × MARC III (n = 246). Treatment records for bovine respiratory disease, infectious keratoconjunctivitis (pinkeye), and infectious pododermatitis (footrot) were available for all of the offspring from birth to slaughter. The incidences of these 3 microbial pathogenic diseases were combined into a single binary trait to represent an overall pathogenic disease incidence. Offspring di- agnosed and treated for 1 or more of the previously mentioned pathogenic diseases were coded as a 1 for affected. Cattle with no treatment record were coded as 0 for healthy. A putative QTL for pathogenic disease incidence was detected in the family derived from the BH sire at the genome-wise suggestive level. This was supported by evidence, in the same chromosomal re- gion, of a similar QTL in the family derived from the PA sire. The maximum F-statistic (F = 13.52; P = 0.0003) was located at cM 18. The support interval of the QTL spanned from cM 9 to 28. Further studies should ex- plore this QTL by using other bovine populations to further confirm the QTL and refine the QTL support interval. Offspring inheriting the Hereford allele, in the family from the BH sire, and the Angus allele, in the family from the PA sire, were less susceptible to incidence of pathogenic diseases, when compared with those inheriting the Brahman allele and Piedmontese allele, from the BH and PA sires, respectively.
Effect of buffers on stability of Internet congestion controllers

Almost all existing fluid models of congestion control assume that the fluid flow at the output of a link is the same as the fluid flow at the input of the link. This means that all links in the path of a flow see the original source rate. In reality, a fluid flow is modified by the queueing processes on its path, so that an intermediate link will generally not see the original source rate. In this paper, we propose a simple model that explicitly takes into account of the effect of buffering on output flows. We study the dual and primal-dual algorithms that use implicit feedback and show that, while they are always asymptotically stable if feedback delay is ignored, they can be unstable in the new model.
A separable low complexity 2D HMM with application to face recognition

In this paper, we propose a novel low-complexity separable but true 2D Hidden Markov Model (HMM) and its application to the problem of Face Recognition (FR). The proposed model builds on an assumption of conditional independence in the relationship between adjacent blocks. This allows the state transition to be separated into vertical and horizontal state transitions. This separation of state transitions brings the complexity of the hidden layer of the proposed model from the order of (N/sup 3/T) to the order of (2N/sup 2/T), where N is the number of the states in the model and T is the total number of observation blocks in the image. The system performance is studied and the impact of key model parameters, i.e., the number of states and of kernels of the state probability density function, is highlighted. The system is tested on the facial database of AT&T Laboratories Cambridge and the more complex facial database of the Georgia Institute of Technology where recognition rates up to 100 percent and 92.8 percent have been achieved, respectively, with relatively low complexity.
Scientific Outreach: Toward Effective Public Engagement with Biological Science

Most scientists agree that interacting with the public is a worthwhile endeavor, but participation in science outreach remains fairly low among biologists. Furthermore, current practices in science outreach remain largely based on ineffective communication models that may undermine public trust and interest. I argue that, in trying to improve both participation rates and the effectiveness of science outreach, we must take a more scientific approach, and we must practice outreach with the same rigor as the science that we share with the public. Here, I describe common misconceptions that can undermine the value of science communication with the public at many scales. I then describe an evidence-based, iterative, evaluative framework for biologists at all career stages to pursue public engagement in the biological sciences. These guidelines can also inform formal outreach training for scientists, specifically in promoting dialogue and engagement.
Defect-induced resonances in photonic microdisk resonators for enhancement of nanoparticle-resonance mode interaction

We present results of theoretical and experimental studies of whispering-gallery modes in optical microdisk resonators interacting with subwavelength dielectric particles. We predict theoretically and confirm by direct observations that, contrary to the generally accepted models, both peaks of the particle-induced doublet of resonances are red shifted with respect to the position of the initial resonance.
Cognitive based adaptive path planning algorithm for autonomous robotic vehicles

Processing requirement of a complex autonomous robotic vehicle demands high efficiency in algorithmic and software execution. Today's advanced computer hardware technology provides processing capabilities that were not available a decade ago. There are still major space and time limitations on these technologies for autonomous robotic applications. Increasingly, small to miniature mobile robots are required for reconnaissance, surveillance, and hazardous material detections for military and industrial applications. The small sized autonomous mobile robotic applications have limited power capacity as well as memory and processing resources. A number of algorithms exist for producing optimal traverses given changing arc costs. One algorithm stands out as the most used algorithm in simple path finding applications such as games, named the A * algorithm. This paper investigated the hypothesis that cognitive based adaptive path planning algorithms are efficient. This assumption is based on the observed capability of biological systems, which ignore irrelevant information and quickly process non-optimum but efficient paths. Path planning function for all organisms from insects to humans is a critical function of survival, and living organisms perform it with graceful accuracy and efficiency. This hypothesis was tested by developing a cognitive based adaptive path planning algorithm (CBAPPA) and a limited simulation program to test the theory of the algorithm, and comparing the result with other known approaches. This paper presents a new cognitive based approach in solving the path planning problems for autonomous robotic applications. This paper illustrated that the CBAPPA's path-finding efficiency exceeds the efficiency of some popular analytical and heuristic approaches. This research paper concluded that the hypothesis was verified and the cognitive based path planning algorithm is efficient and is a viable approach for autonomous robotic applications.
Chemotactic peptide enhancement of phorbol ester-induced protein kinase C activity in human neutrophils.

Chemotactic factors and phorbol esters may act synergistically to evoke neutrophil responses, but the mechanIsm of such interaction is not entIrely clear. We investIgated the combined effects of the chemotactic peptide n-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP) and phorboi myristate acetate (PMA) on protein kinase C (PKC) actIvity in human neutrophlls. FMLP had little effect on the sharp decrease In cytosolic PKC activity induced by PMA. However, cells exposed to FMLP and PMA exhIbIted a synergistic Increase in pailiculate PKC activity (1 ± 1 pmol 32P/10� PMN5/min in unstimulated cells, 53 ± 12 pmol 32P with 20 ng/ml PMA, 6 ± 3 pmol 32Pwith 10� M FMLP, and 191 ± 17 pmol 32Pwith FMLP and PMA). FMLP also markedly Increased calcium/phosphollpid-independent protein klnase activity in particulate fractions of control and PMA-treated cells. Enhancement of PKC activity required the presence of cytochaiasin B during cell stimulation. Cellular calcium was crucial to the FMLP effect since enhancement was decreased in cells incubated with EGTA or Quin2. These results suggest that chemotactic factors and phorbol esters may mediate synergistic effects on neutrophil responses through enhancement of particulate PKC activity. The enhancing effect is probably mediated through chemoattractant-mediated increases in intracellular calcium.
Fusional information processing

In binocular vision, owing to the geometrical perspective, the visual scene gives rise to two slightly different retinal images. The fusional mechanism is responsible for the unification of these retinal images to provide a single binocular image. The objective of this study is to investigate what strategy the fusional mechanism uses to unify the two retinal images. The results demonstrate that sensory fusional compensation is not strictly local. The presence of sensory compensation in one retinal region affects the sensory representation of neighboring regions. It is indicative of the extent of sensory spatial interactions that sensory compensation at a 2 degrees peripheral location can significantly affect the perceived position of centrally located nonius lines. Unlike motor compensation, sensory compensation affects fusible and nonfusible contours differently. >
Overview of recent work on geometry images

Summary form only given. Surfaces in computer graphics are commonly represented using irregular meshes. While such meshes can approximate a given shape using few vertices, their irregularity comes at a price, since most mesh operations require random memory accesses through vertex indices and texture coordinates. Also, filter kernels must handle arbitrary mesh neighborhoods, and techniques like morphing, level-of-detail (LOD) control, and compression are complicated. As an alternative, we have introduced the geometry image representation, which captures shape using a completely regular sampling, i.e. a 2D grid of (x, y, z) values (Guet et al., 2002). The benefits of uniform grids are often taken for granted. Grids allow efficient traversal, random access, convolution, composition, down-sampling, and compression. We briefly review our recent work on constructing geometry images from given input models, and highlight some benefits of this new regular shape representation.
Pathogenesis of endometriosis

Many theories have been proffered to explain the histogenesis of endometriosis (Robboy et al., 2009). Generally, they divide into those that favour transplantation of endometrial fragments to ectopic sites, metaplasia of the multipotential celomic peritoneum and induction of undifferentiated mesenchyme in ectopic sites to form endometriotic tissues after exposure to substances released from shed endometrium.
New Approaches Indicate Constant Viral Diversity despite Shifts in Assemblage Structure in an Australian Hypersaline Lake

It is widely stated that viruses represent the most significant source of biodiversity on Earth, yet characterizing the diversity of viral assemblages in natural systems remains difficult. Viral diversity studies are challenging because viruses lack universally present, phylogenetically informative genes. Here, we developed an approach to estimate viral diversity using a series of functional and novel conserved genes. This approach provides direct estimates of viral assemblage diversity while retaining resolution at the level of individual viral populations in a natural system. We characterized viral assemblages in eight samples from hypersaline Lake Tyrrell (LT), Victoria, Australia, using 39,636 viral contigs. We defined viral operational taxonomic units (OTUs) in two ways. First, we used genes with three different functional predictions that were abundantly represented in the data set. Second, we clustered proteins of unknown function based on sequence similarity, and we chose genes represented by three clusters with numerous members to define OTUs. In combination, diversity metrics indicated between 412 and 735 sampled populations, and the number of populations remained relatively constant across samples. We determined the relative representation of each viral OTU in each sample and found that viral assemblage structures correlate with salinity and solution chemistry. LT viral assemblages were near-replicates from the same site sampled a few days apart but differed significantly on other spatial and temporal scales. The OTU definition approach proposed here paves the way for metagenomics-based analyses of viral assemblages using ecological models previously applied to bacteria and archaea.
Situation-aware access control for service-oriented autonomous decentralized systems

Service-oriented autonomous decentralized systems (S-ADS) have been presented to address the extreme dynamism in large-scale information systems. In S-ADS, various capabilities are independently constructed and managed by different providers as autonomous services that are distributed over various types of networks, including wireless and wired networks. One of the key challenges in S-ADS is to have an effective access control mechanism that can meet the dynamic and diverse security requirements of various users and providers of an S-ADS system. Current access control mechanisms can hardly meet this challenge due to lack of situation-awareness. In this paper, a situation-aware access control approach is presented, which is middleware-based and integrates situation-awareness capability and role based access control (RBAC) models to provide a practical solution for access control in S-ADS. The situation-aware RBAC model is designed for specifying dynamic access policies in an S-ADS system. Due to the situation-awareness capability of our approach, flexible and high-grained access policies can be specified and enforced for various providers and users.
Learning Concept Templates from Web Images to Query Personal Image Databases

With the proliferation of digital cameras, the size of personal media data such as digital photos, videos, etc. has grown extremely large. The personal nature of the data has heightened the demands for a media management system on personal desktops. Existing solutions for media management target mostly server-based Web databases and rely on extensive metadata (i.e., labels) generation to aid retrieval. Personal media databases, on the other hand, have very limited labels generated by the end users themselves. This paper introduces a method for learning concept templates from web images to query personal image databases. The proposed method has the advantage of leveraging Web resources to ease personal photo retrieval in order to avoid costly annotation of personal image databases.
Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate

OBJECTIVE:To review the pharmacology, virology, pharmacokinetics, efficacy, safety, resistance profile, and clinical use of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate.DATA SOURCES:A MEDLINE search was performed (1966–August 2002) using the following terms: tenofovir, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, PMPA (9-(R)-[2-(phosphonomethoxy)propyl]adenine), and Viread. Abstracts from HIV-related meetings were reviewed.DATA EXTRACTION AND STUDY SELECTION:Publications and meeting abstracts regarding tenofovir were reviewed. The most recent and pertinent items were included.DATA SYNTHESIS:Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate is a nucleotide prodrug that is diphosphorylated to its active moiety, tenofovir diphosphate. In this form, tenofovir acts as a reverse transcriptase inhibitor to inhibit HIV-1 replication. In clinical trials, tenofovir was effective at suppressing HIV-1 RNA and boosting CD4+ cell counts. Tenofovir has a long intracellular half-life, which permits once-daily dosing. Since tenofovir does not interact with the cytochrom...
The XY toll ticketing system

IN RECENT years independent telephone companies have become acutely aware of steadily decreasing net profits on short-distance toll-call operation. The recording, for billing purposes, of certain information concerning the toll call has required the assistance of an operator. For this reason, manual toll switching has been retained in spite of the fact that mechanical systems for performing the actual switching functions have been available for many years. Fixed toll charges and rising labor costs have combined to make it extremely difficult for the operating companies to realize a profit on this phase of their business.
Wetland resource use and conservation attitudes among indigenous and migrant peoples in Ghodaghodi Lake area, Nepal.

Nepal has a number of wetlands in the lowland region of the country along the southern Indo-Nepalese border that have experienced great pressures from growing human populations due in part to migration of people from the mountains. A questionnaire survey and informal interviews with key informants in 1998 were used to explore the socio-economic status of indigenous and non-indigenous inhabitants, use patterns of forest and wetland resources and attitudes about conservation in Ghodaghodi Lake, a proposed Ramsar site, in the lowlands of western Nepal. Tharus, indigenous to the region, represented 33% of the population; the rest were migrants from the mountains. Tharus had lower literacy rates, larger landholdings and kept different livestock species. Most Tharu families were dependent on extraction from wetlands; all groups used forests for fuelwood but mountain settlers used forests for fodder more than did Tharus. Most respondents expressed willingness to participate in the conservation of Ghodaghodi Lake; however, only 12%, mostly mountain settlers, had ever participated in formal conservation activities. Conservation attitudes were strongly influenced by educational level and resource use. Educated males of higher caste and mountain origin who had previously participated in formal management activities were more positive towards conservation than other groups. There is a need to implement a participatory integrated management plan, to include community development, education and off-farm income generation, to assure participation of Tharus and lower caste households of mountain origin in the conservation and management of wetlands and forests in the area.
Genetics of NIDDM.

This brief review discusses the current level of understanding of the role of genetic defects in the etiology of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and the use of molecular-genetic methods for this study. Evidence for genetic susceptibility is strong, and defects in both insulin production and action are suspect. With restriction-fragment-length polymorphisms and genomic sequencing, various candidate loci are being evaluated. Evidence that multiple genes are involved is only circumstantial. If NIDDM is genetically heterogeneous and also influenced by environmental components, population associations and linkage analyses in families may not be as easily interpreted as for diseases involving single major gene defects.
Sesterterpenes: An Emerging Group of Metabolites from Marine and Terrestrial Organisms

Naturally occurring sesterterpenes were first encountered less than thirty years ago, and as a consequence they are often viewed as a rare category of natural products. The first sesterterpenes, isolated during the late 1950’s, included ophiobolin A which was present in crude extracts studied by Orsenigo(1) and gascardic acid reported by Brochere-Ferreoland Polonsky(2). No structures were determined initially for either of these. However, the complete tricarbocyclic skeleton for ophiobolin A along with the absolute stereochemistry at eight chiral sites shown in formula (75) (see Table 6) was elucidated in 1965 after an X-ray study by Nozoeand coworkers (3). In the same year structure (i), featuring a polycarbocyclic frame, was announced for gascardic acid by Arigoniand Scartazzini(4,5). Two out of the five elements of its relative stereochemistry were defined, whereas the remaining centers were pinned down in representation (85) by Clardyand Boeckmanonly after an X-ray crystallographic study of gascardic acid dicyclohexylammonium salt (6)*. Lagging slightly behind the above was the discovery and characterization of the first acyclic sesterterpene geranylnerolidol (2) in 1968 by Nozoeand coworkers (7).
Enlarging Multiple Neoplastic Skin Growths.

A31-year-oldwhitemanwasreferredfor treatment formultiplebilateralneoplasticgrowths present formore than20years.Over the last 5 years, these lesions greatly increased in size and number, with themost substantial growth in the last year. At presentation, he denied any biopsies of the lesion or family history of similar lesions. Hewas otherwise healthy except for ahistoryofmultiple cysts removed fromthegumsduring adental proceduremany years prior. Visual acuity was 20/50 OD and 20/25 OS, with full extraocular movements. On examination, there were multiple pigmented lesions as well as nodules with central ulcerations on both lower eyelids (Figure, A). There was foreshortening of the inferior fornix as well as cicatricial/mechanical ectropion (right eye > left eye). The eyelid margin and lateral canthi were obliterated secondary to the lesions in each eye. The corneas were clear and the conjunctiva was white and quiet in each eye. The iris hadmultiple iris nevi in each eye. On posterior examination, there was a thick epiretinal membrane with lamellar hole in the right eye and normal posterior examination in the left eye. The patient was also noted to have palmer pits in both hands. Biopsies of themultiple lesions were performed. Results from the pathology showed multiple nodular and micronodular basal cell carcinomas (Figure, B). Quiz at jamaophthalmology.com External photograph showing multiple lesions A Biopsy of the left lower eyelid B
Physiology of feeding and starvation tolerance in overwintering freshwater fishes

Overwintering conditions in north temperate lakes characterized by low temperatures, low oxygen tensions, and, for some species, low food supplies are thought to have effects on fish species composition and recruitment. Examination of respiration and excretion rates of various overwintering species as well as measurements of the amount of lipid stored in visceral and muscle tissue during the winter months suggest feshwater fishes can be divided into groups based on their tolerance to starvation. Cold-water species, such as yellow perch, Perca flavescens, which have low preferred body temperatures throughout the year (13°C or lower), are very sensitive to starvation during winter months. This species feeds actively throughout much of the winter and stores lipids primarily in the viscera and gonads prior to early spring spawning. Warm water fishes, such as largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides, which have a high preferred body temperature during the summer (23–26°C) and appear not to feed at low winter temperatures, have an intermediate tolerance to starvation during winter months. Largemouth bass store lipids both in muscle and visceral tissue, and winter starvation tolerance is dependent on the amount of stored lipids. Fishes that are physiologically intolerant of long periods of food deprivation and actively feeding during the winter (e.g. yellow perch) are thus distinguished behaviorally and physiologically from fishes that are more tolerant of prolonged starvation (e.g. largemouth bass) and tend to be less active during the winter months.
Paroxysmal Tonic Upgaze

This oculomotor syndrome of childhood, originally termed “benign paroxysmal tonic upgaze of childhood” (Ouvrier and Billson, 1988) is reviewed from the Children’s Hospital of Westmead, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Geochemical production of reactive oxygen species from biogeochemically reduced Fe.

The photochemical reduction of Fe(III) complexes to Fe(II) is a well-known initiation step for the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in sunlit waters. Here we show a geochemical mechanism for the same in dark environments based on the tidally driven, episodic movement of anoxic groundwaters through oxidized, Fe(III) rich sediments. Sediment samples were collected from the top 5 cm of sediment in a saline tidal creek in the estuary at Murrell’s Inlet, South Carolina and characterized with respect to total Fe, acid volatile sulfides, and organic carbon content. These sediments were air-dried, resuspended in aerated solution, then exposed to aqueous sulfide at a range of concentrations chosen to replicate the conditions characteristic of a tidal cycle, beginning with low tide. No detectable ROS production occurred from this process in the dark until sulfide was added. Sulfide addition resulted in the rapid production of hydrogen peroxide, with maximum concentrations of 3.85 μM. The mechanism of hyd...
Emotional Schema Therapy: A Meta-experiential Model

The emotional schema model proposes that individuals differ in their interpretations, evaluations, and strategies about emotional experience. Fourteen dimensions that are related to problematic str...
Water diuresis stop flow analysis in the dog.

SummaryDuring water diuresis stop flow-analysis the nephron volume is less than during osmotic diuresis stop flow analysis, there is a demonstrable increase in osmolal U/P in the distal nephron samples, and sodium U/P minimum occurs near the PAH peak. During water diuresis stop flow analysis active proximal reabsorption of sodium is demonstrable or para-aminohippurate is not a valid marker of proximal nephron samples.