cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Size and Dynamics of Caveolae Studied Using Nanoparticles in Living Endothelial Cells

Caveolae are plasma membrane invaginations prominent in all endothelial cells lining blood vessels. Caveolae characteristically bud to form free cytoplasmic vesicles capable of transporting carrier proteins such as albumin through the cell. However, caveolae size distribution and dynamics in living endothelial cells and ability of caveolae to internalize nanoparticles are not well understood. We demonstrate here the design of a dual-color nanoparticle pair to measure noninvasively caveolae size and dynamics. First, we coated nanoparticles with BSA (bovine serum albumin) to address whether albumin promoted their delivery. Albumin has been shown to bind to protein on endothelial cell surface localized in caveolae and activate albumin endocytosis. Imaging of BSA-coated nanoparticles varying from 20 to 100 nm in diameter in endothelial cells demonstrated that caveolae-mediated nanoparticle uptake was dependent on albumin coating of particles. We also showed that caveolae could accommodate up to 100 nm diameter nanoparticles, a size larger than the diameter of typical caveolae, suggesting compliant property of caveolae. Together, our results show the feasibility of tracking multicolored nanoparticles in living endothelial cells and potential usefulness for designing therapeutic nanoparticle cargo to cross the limiting vessel wall endothelial barrier.
An internal standard for amino acid analyses: S-β-(4-pyridylethyl)-l-cysteine☆

Abstract The new amino acid, S-β-(4-pyridylethyl)- l -cysteine (PEC), was prepared by treating l -cysteine with 4-vinylpyridine in an aqueous medium containing triethylamine. The postulated structure for PEC was confirmed by infrared, nuclear magnetic resonance, and mass spectroscopic analyses. PEC is stable to acid under conditions used for protein hydrolysis, it elutes on a basic column as a discrete peak before arginine, and its ninhydrin color is linear with concentration. The new amino acid has been evaluated as a internal standard for amino acid analyses. Equally excellent results were obtained when PEC was added to the protein either before or after hydrolysis. Addition of PEC before hydrolysis eliminates the need for nitrogen analysis of the hydrolysate and for accurate sample application to the column.
Spectrophotometric measurement of swelling of polymer films by very poor solvents

Solvent swelling of polymers is important for many applications, but can be difficult to measure when thin films or very poor solvents are involved. A novel spectrophotometric method is presented that is well suited for measuring swelling of thick or thin polymer films by very poor solvents. In this method, the solvent is stained with iodine, and solvent uptake is measured by observing the change in visible light absorption of the polymer using a spectrophotometer. Using this method, swelling can be accurately measured in thin (< 2 μm) polymer films and with poor solvents that cause little swelling, even water. Results are presented for PMMA films of varying molecular weights swelled by water, by water–alcohol mixtures, and by undiluted alcohols. Swelling of these films is more rapid and more Fickian than has been reported for bulk samples, probably due to differences in PMMA molecular weight and processing. The properties of the iodine–PMMA complex are also explored. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 97: 1082–1089, 2005
Smoothness of Titan's Ontario Lacus: Constraints from Cassini RADAR specular reflection data

[1] Cassini RADAR altimetry data collected on the 49th flyby of Titan (2008 December 21) over Ontario Lacus in Titan's south polar region provides strong evidence for an extremely smooth surface, with less than 3 mm rms surface height variation over the 100m-wide Fresnel zone. Histograms of the raw radar echoes imply a mirror-like specular reflection of the transmitted signal. Such an echo is possible only if the surface is extremely flat relative to our 2.2-cm wavelength. The 3 mm upper bound follows from analyzing the strength of the specular return, which declines exponentially with increasing surface height variance. In this experiment, the strength of the echo was larger than expected, severely saturating the receiver. We developed a method to partially correct the echoes for the distortion incurred. While the implied mm-scale smoothness is not proof that the surface is liquid, it is unlikely that a solid surface is so smooth.
Phase and state transitions in granular starches studied by dynamic differential scanning calorimetry

Phase and state transitions of granular starches heated in water are studied by dynamic differential scanning calorimetry (DDSC). The DDSC results of various granular starches show a stepwise heat capacity (C p ) change in the storage Cp curve, which starts at the beginning of melting or immediately preceding gelatinization and ends before the melting reaches its peak temperature. Annealing reduces the magnitude of this stepwise change in storage Cp. After the amorphous phase is selectively removed by acid, the stepwise storage C p is greatly reduced. The stepwise storage C p increase is not observed when recrystallized linear short chains from enzyme-debranched waxy maize starch are heated in water. The results show that the stepwise change in C p observed on the granular starch is a unique property associated with the phase transition of granular structure and reflects a glass transition of the rigid amorphous regions in starch granules. The glass transition of the mobile amorphous phase in granular starch is believed to extend over a broad range of temperatures before gelatinization. A small glass transition below 0°C is directly detected by DDSC and is attributed to part of the mobile amorphous fraction in granular starch.
The orthogonal circular ensemble.

The orthogonal circular ensemble is solved exactly in the double scaling limit. The partition function describes unoriented strings with bosonic and fermionic propagators. The differential equations describing multicritical behavior are shown to be identical to those of the symplectic circular ensemble. In the case of the {ital m}=1 critical point, we find the susceptibility and argue that the orthogonal circular ensemble is unitary.
New surface ocean current maps created from drifter data

The Global Drifter Program, which began in 1979 in the tropical Pacific Ocean, now spans the globe with a total of 1250 sensors. Tracked from orbit by satellites, the array provides a way to observe global near-surface ocean circulation patterns.
Curcumin (diferuloylmethane), a singlet oxygen (1O2) quencher

Curcumin (diferuloylmethane) is a major component of food flavoring turmeric (Curcuma longa), and has been reported to be anticarcinogenic and anti-inflammatory. Although curcumin was shown to have antioxidant properties, its exact antioxidant nature has not been fully investigated. In this report we have investigated the possible antioxidant properties of curcumin using EPR spectroscopic techniques. Curcumin was found to inhibit the (1)O(2)-dependent 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine N-oxyl (TEMPO) formation in a dose-dependent manner. (1)O(2) was produced in a photosensitizing system using rose bengal as sensitizer, and was detected as TEMP-(1)O(2) adducts by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopic techniques using TEMP as a spin-trap. Curcumin at 2.75 microM caused 50% inhibition of TEMP-(1)O(2) adduct formation. However, curcumin only marginally inhibited (24% maximum at 80 microM) reduction of ferricytochrome c in a xanthine-xanthine oxidase system demonstrating that it is not an effective superoxide radical scavenger. Additionally, there was minor inhibition of DMPO-OH adduct formation by curcumin (solubilized in ethanol) when an ethanol control was included in the EPR spin-trapping study, suggesting that curcumin may not be an effective hydroxyl radical scavenger. Together these data demonstrate that curcumin is able only to effectively quench singlet oxygen at very low concentration in aqueous systems.
Quenched probes for highly specific detection of cellular RNAs

Nucleic acid-based RNA detection is a promising field in molecular biotechnology that is leading to the rapid and accurate identification of microorganisms, diagnosis of infections and imaging of gene expression. The specificity of short synthetic DNA probes raises the hope of distinguishing small differences in sequence, ultimately achieving single nucleotide resolution. Recent work using quenched fluorescently labeled oligonucleotide probes as sensors for RNA in bacterial and human cells has overcome several difficult hurdles on the way to these goals, including delivery of probes to live cells, accessing RNA sites containing a high degree of secondary structure, and eliminating many sources of background. Two new classes of quenched oligonucleotide probes, molecular beacons and quenched auto-ligation probes, have shown the most promise for in situ RNA detection. High-specificity detection, at the single-nucleotide resolution level, is now possible in solution with these classes of probes. However, for applications in intact cells, signal and background issues still need to be addressed before the full potential of these methods is achieved.
The Effects of Road Crossings on Prairie Stream Habitat and Function

ABSTRACT Improperly designed stream crossing structures may alter the form and function of stream ecosystems and habitat and prohibit the movement of aquatic organisms. Stream sections adjoining five concrete box culverts, five low-water crossings (concrete slabs vented by one or multiple culverts), and two large, single corrugated culvert vehicle crossings in eastern Kansas streams were compared to reference reaches using a geomorphologic survey and stream classification. Stream reaches were also compared upstream and downstream of crossings, and crossing measurements were used to determine which crossing design best mimicked the natural dimensions of the adjoining stream. Four of five low-water crossings, three of five box culverts, and one of two large, single corrugated pipe culverts changed classification from upstream to downstream of the crossings. Mean riffle spacing upstream at low-water crossings (8.6 bankfull widths) was double that of downstream reaches (mean 4.4 bankfull widths) but was simil...
Eleven years of tracking the SORCE SIM instrument degradation caused by space radiation and solar exposure

The Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) is a NASA-sponsored satellite mission that has been providing measurements of incoming solar x-ray, ultraviolet, visible, near-infrared, and total solar radiation since April 2003. These measurements are key to enable advances in understanding the long-term solar influence of the Earth's climate. We are presenting the methods used for calibrating the SORCE Solar Irradiance Measurement (SIM) and for tracking the instrument degradation over the lifetime of the instrument.
Effects of Sodium Hydroxide Treatment on Nutritive Value of Screened Manure Solids Fed to Dairy Cattle

Abstract This trial was to identify an effective method of increasing the nutritive value of screened manure solids by treatment with sodium hydroxide and to evaluate the effectiveness of this treatment. Treatments were applied in a 5 × 3 factorial design with five percentages of sodium hydroxide and three storage times. Treatment was followed by fiber analysis and in vitro digestibility determination. Based on this information three rations were formulated to contain 22% of screened manure solids either untreated, treated to contain 7% sodium hydroxide and fed immediately, or treated to contain 7% sodium hydroxide and stored 7 days prior to feeding. Chemical composition, intake, and digestibility of these complete rations were measured in a trial of 12 nonlactating, nonpregnant Holstein cows. Treatment reduced the hemicellulose content of the screened manure solids and increased digestibility of crude fiber and cellulose in the complete rations. Storage of treated material depressed digestibility of crude protein and soluble carbohydrate. Intake of organic matter was not different among the three rations. Untreated screened manure solids can be used successfully in complete rations for dairy cattle, but treatment with sodium hydroxide does not appear to be justified.
Nuclear Shell Structure and Beta-Decay. II. Even A Nuclei

A systematics is given of all transitions for odd $A$ nuclei for which sufficiently reliable data are available. The allowed or forbidden characters of the transitions are correlated with the positions of the initial and final odd nucleon groups in the nuclear shell scheme. The nuclear shells show definite characteristics with respect to parity of the ground states. The latter is the same as the one obtained from known spins and magnetic moments in a one-particle interpretation.
The use of animated difference matrices for analysing protein molecular dynamics simulation data

Abstract A method for analysing molecular dynamics data is described which uses animation on a calligraphic system. Each conformation from the dynamics experiment is represented by a ‘frame’ of an interactive movie. The frames show upper triangles of distance matrices calculated from the conformations. Distance matrices enable researchers to recognise cooperative motions of the atoms. Difference distance matrices, which are calculated by subtracting the corresponding elements of a distance matrix from those in the previous one, are also used to analyse the motions. In this paper the technique is explained and an example is given where these tools are being used to analyse results from a dynamics simulation of a polypeptide.
Induction of the ZRC1 Metal Tolerance Gene in Zinc-limited Yeast Confers Resistance to Zinc Shock

Zinc is an essential nutrient but toxic to cells with overaccumulation. For this reason, intracellular zinc levels are tightly controlled. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the Zrc1 and Cot1 proteins have been implicated in the storage and detoxification of excess zinc in the vacuole. Surprisingly, transcription of ZRC1 is induced in zinc-limited cells by the zinc-responsive transcription factor Zap1. We show here that this increase in ZRC1 expression is a novel mechanism of zinc homeostasis and stress tolerance. Zinc-limited cells also express high levels of the plasma membrane zinc uptake transporters. As a consequence, when zinc-limited cells are resupplied with small amounts of zinc, large quantities quickly accumulate in the cell, a condition we refer to as "zinc shock." We show here that ZRC1 and its induction in zinc-limited cells are required for resistance to this zinc shock. Experiments using the zinc-responsive fluorophore FuraZin-1 as an indicator of vacuolar zinc levels indicated that Zrc1 is required for the rapid transport of zinc into the vacuole during zinc shock. We also present evidence that cytosolic zinc rises to higher levels in cells unable to sequester this excess zinc. Thus, the increase in ZRC1 expression occurs prior to the zinc shock stress for which this induction is important. We propose that this "proactive" strategy of homeostatic regulation, such as we document here for ZRC1, may represent a common but largely unrecognized phenomenon.
On Spherical t-designs in ℝ2

Let X be a spherical t -design in ℝ 2 with | X | = n . It is shown that: (i) for t + 1 ⩽ n ⩽ 2 t + 1, X must be a regular n -gon (ii) for n = 2 t + 2, X is the union of two regular ( t +1)-gons (iii) for each n ⩾2 t +3, there are many (ℵ 1 ) X 's which can not be decomposed into the union of regular k i -gons where k i ⩾ ( t + 1).
The quasi-relativistic Xα-SW molecular orbital method in organo-f-element chemistry: applications to UCl4, (η5-C5H5)4U and (η5-C5H5)2UCl2

Abstract The advantages and disadvantages of using the Xα scattered-wave molecular orbital method with quasi-relativistic corrections for the calculation of the electronic structure of organo-f-element compounds is discussed. Application of the method in organouranium chemistry is discussed via comparative calculations on UCl 4 , (η 5 -C 5 H 5 ) 4 U, and (η 5 -C 5 H 5 ) 2 UCl 2 . It is found that the η 5 -C 5 H 5 − ligand is a better donor to U than is Cl − and that the valence orbitals of (η 5 -C 5 H 5 ) 2 UCl 2 are energetically closer to those of (η 5 -C 5 H 5 ) 4 U than UCl 4 . The calculational results are in excellent accord with experimental photoelectron spectroscopic studies.
Impact of on-line gaming on networking

Summary form only given. Willingness to customize microprocessors for specific applications has uniquely positioned IBM as the microprocessor supplier of choice to the games market. An identical approach of customizing microprocessors for network processing provides tremendous processing power and gives much more flexible networking functions support compared to what is offered by classical network processors with hardware co-processors. Evolution of the gaming industry is driving a need for microprocessors whose structure supports both gaming and networking functions with a very high level of programming flexibility with a consistent programming model, as well as the tremendous performance required by on-line gaming on networking
Modeling of electromagnetic absorption/scattering problems on curvilinear geometries using hp finite/infinite element method

The electromagnetic (EM) transfer properties of a spherical human head model are investigated by using the coupled hp finite/infinite element (FE/IE) method. The benchmark problem of scattering a plane wave is utilized to verify FE/IE simulation based on Mie series solution. The convergence tests for curvilinear geometries and H(curl)-conforming elements adopt a precise definition of the discretization error incorporating the effects of geometry approximation. The radiation pattern from a short dipole antenna which models the cell phone is analyzed by evaluating the level and distribution of specific absorption rate (SAR). The FE/IE error is controlled by a self-adaptive process driven by an explicit a posteriori error estimate.
Grape Seed Extract for Control of Human Enteric Viruses

Grape seed extract (GSE) is reported to have many pharmacological benefits, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic, and antimicrobial properties. However, the effect of this inexpensive rich source of natural phenolic compounds on human enteric viruses has not been well documented. In the present study, the effect of commercial GSE, Gravinol-S, on the infectivity of human enteric virus surrogates (feline calicivirus, FCV-F9; murine norovirus, MNV-1; and bacteriophage MS2) and hepatitis A virus (HAV; strain HM175) was evaluated. GSE at concentrations of 0.5, 1, and 2 mg/ml was individually mixed with equal volumes of each virus at titers of ∼7 log(10) PFU/ml or ∼5 log(10) PFU/ml and incubated for 2 h at room temperature or 37°C. The infectivity of the recovered viruses after triplicate treatments was evaluated by standardized plaque assays. At high titers (∼7 log(10) PFU/ml), FCV-F9 was significantly reduced by 3.64, 4.10, and 4.61 log(10) PFU/ml; MNV-1 by 0.82, 1.35, and 1.73 log(10) PFU/ml; MS2 by 1.13, 1.43, and 1.60 log(10) PFU/ml; and HAV by 1.81, 2.66, and 3.20 log(10) PFU/ml after treatment at 37°C with 0.25, 0.50, and 1 mg/ml GSE, respectively (P < 0.05) in a dose-dependent manner. GSE treatment of low titers (∼5 log(10) PFU/ml) at 37°C also showed viral reductions. Room-temperature treatments with GSE caused significant reduction of the four viruses, with higher reduction for low-titer FCV-F9, MNV-1, and HAV compared to high titers. Our results indicate that GSE shows promise for application in the food industry as an inexpensive novel natural alternative to reduce viral contamination and enhance food safety.
Mobile MPI programs in computational grids

Utility computing is becoming a popular way of exploiting the potential of computational grids. In utility computing, users are provided with computational power in a transparent manner similar to the way in which electrical utilities supply power to their customers. To take full advantage of utility computing, an application needs to be mobile; that is, it needs to be able to migrate between heterogeneous computing platforms while it is executing. Further, it needs to be able to adapt to the computing resources at each site, such as the number of available physical processors. At present, there are few high-performance computing applications of this sort, and re-engineering legacy codes to be mobile can take enormous effort.In this paper, we describe theph$PC^3$ system, which converts C/MPI codes into mobile programs almost transparently. Because it is based on portable application-level checkpointing, it enables the state of running applications to be saved so that the application can be restarted on different architectures, operating systems and MPI implementations. Moreover, the number of processors on these machines can be different. To our knowledge, this is the first system to provide all these features. Experimental results show that the overhead introduced by the system is usually small.
Fueling the obesity epidemic? Artificially sweetened beverage use and long-term weight gain.

2, respectively), and BMI change by follow-up (ΔBMI, kg/m 2 ). A significant positive dose–response relationship emerged between baseline ASB consumption and all outcome measures, adjusted for baseline BMI and demographic/behavioral characteristics. Consuming >21 ASBs/week (vs. none) was associated with almost-doubled risk of OW/OB (odds ratio (OR) = 1.93, P = 0.007) among 1,250 baseline normal-weight (NW) individuals, and doubled risk of obesity (OR = 2.03, P = 0.0005) among 2,571 individuals with baseline BMIs 30 kg/m 2 (P = 0.069), were significant in all 13 remaining strata. These findings raise the question whether AS
Filter approximation using explicit time and frequency domain specifications

We demonstrate that particle swarm optimization (PSO) can be successfully used to evolve high performance filter approximations. These evolved approximations use sets of quantitative specifications which conventional analytically derived approximations can not directly employ. The conventional derivations use only a subset of the quantitative specifications in their algorithm and the remaining specifications are side-effect results of the algorithm. Thus, with PSO, instead of a filter designer having access to a limited set of "specification knobs" that directly and indirectly achieve performance, a designer has a "knob" for each specification that consequently drives the approximation to the desired performance.
The Social Life of Wireless Urban Spaces: Internet Use, Social Networks, and the Public Realm

This study explores the role of urban public spaces for democratic and social engagement. It examines the impact of wireless Internet use on urban public spaces, Internet users, and others who inhabit these spaces. Through observations of 7 parks, plazas, and markets in 4 North American cities, and surveys of wireless Internet users in those sites, we explore how this new technology is related to processes of social interaction, privatism, and democratic engagement. Findings reveal that Internet use within public spaces affords interactions with existing acquaintances that are more diverse than those associated with mobile phone use. However, the level of colocated social diversity to which Internet users are exposed is less than that of most users of these spaces. Yet, online activities in public spaces do contribute to broader participation in the public sphere. Internet connectivity within public spaces may contribute to higher overall levels of democratic and social engagement than what is afforded by exposure within similar spaces free of Internet connectivity.
The Last Mile: How to Sustain Long-Distance Migration in Mammals

Among Earth's most stunning, yet imperiled, biological phenomena is long-distance migration (LDM). Although the understanding of how and why animals migrate may be of general interest, few site- specific strategies have targeted ways in which to best retain such increasingly rare events. Contrasts among 29 terrestrial mammals from five continents representing 103 populations indicate that remnant long-distant migrants have poor long-term prospects. Nonetheless, in areas of low human density in the Western Hemi- sphere, five social and nongregarious species, all from the same region of the Rocky Mountains (U.S.A.), still experience the most accentuated of remaining New World LDMs south of central Canada. These movements occur in or adjacent to the Greater Yellowstone region, where about 75% of the migration routes for elk (Cervus elaphus), bison ( Bison bison), and North America's sole surviving endemic ungulate, pronghorn (Antilocapra americana), have already been lost. However, pronghorn still migrate up to 550 km (round-trip) annually. These extreme movements (1) necessitate use of historic, exceptionally narrow corridors (0.1-0.8 km wide) that have existed for at least 5800 years, (2) exceed travel distances of elephants ( Loxodonta africana) and zebras ( Equus burchelli), and (3) are on par with those of Asian chiru ( Pantholops hodgsoni) and African wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus). Although conservation planners face uncertainty in situating reserves in the most biologically valued locations, the concordance between archaeological and current biological data on migration through specific corridors in these unprotected areas adjacent to the Yellowstone system high- lights their retention value. It is highly likely that accelerated leasing of public lands for energy development in such regions will truncate such migrations. One landscape-level solution to conserving LDMs is the creation of a network of national migration corridors, an action in the Yellowstone region that would result in de facto protection for a multispecies complex. Tactics applied in this part of the world may not work in others, however, therefore reinforcing the value of site-specific field information on the past and current biological needs of migratory species.
Categorization of novel tools by patients with Alzheimer's disease: Category-specific content and process

We examined the interaction of content and process in categorizing novel semantic material. We taught patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and healthy age-matched seniors a category of plausible novel tools by similarity- and rule-based processes, and compared the results with our previous parallel study of categorization of novel animals, in which AD patients were selectively impaired at rule-based categorization. AD patients demonstrated learning in the novel tool study; however, in contrast to the novel animal study, they were impaired in similarity-based as well as rule-based categorization relative to healthy seniors. Healthy seniors’ categorization strategies reflected process irrespective of category content; they frequently attended to a single feature following similarity-based training, and always attended to all requisite features following rule-based training. AD patients’ categorization strategies, in contrast, reflected category content; they frequently attended to a single feature when categorizing novel animals by either categorization process, but rarely did so when categorizing novel tools. AD patients’ ability to categorize novel tools correlated with preserved recognition memory, a pattern not found in the novel animal study. The category-specific role of memory, along with AD patients’ performance profile, suggests content-specific distinctions between the categories. We posit that tool features are relatively arbitrary, placing greater demands on memory, while prior knowledge about animals such as constraints on appearance and feature diagnosticity facilitates the assimilation of novel animals into semantic memory. The results suggest that categorization processes are sensitive to category content, which influences AD patients’ success at acquiring a new category.
Forming textured microstructures via the gelcasting technique

Crystallographically textured samples of iron titanate were produced by gelcasting in the presence of a strong magnetic field. Texture was assessed by measuring X-ray pole figures on samples that were cast in different orientations relative to the applied field. Specimens in this study exhibit fiber-type texture, with the b-axes aligned parallel to the applied field. Peak texture strengths were on the order of 3 and 48 multiples of a random distribution (MRD) when processed in a 3.2 and 8.4 T magnetic field, respectively. This study shows that a combination of gelcasting with magnetic-field-assisted processing provides a convenient method for fabricating samples which can be used to study the role of crystallographic texture on the physical properties of polycrystalline ceramics, e.g., their elastic or fracture behavior.
Immunopathology of Tubulo-Interstitial Nephritis in Man and in Experimental Animals

It is generally acknowledged that many forms of glomerular diseases are antibody-mediated, either as a result of deposition of circulating immune complexes or due to anti-glomerular basement membrane antibodies. Until recently little consideration was given to the possibility that there might be comparable forms of diseases involving other parts of the kidney. However, there is now clear evidence, obtained both in experimental models and human disease, that tubular and interstitial lesions can result from deposition or local formation of immune complexes or because of antibodies directed against tubular basement membranes or against the brush border of proximal convoluted tubules. Moreover, it appears that the renal interstitium is a site where cell-mediated reactions may occur, accounting for some forms of interstitial nephritis.
Outreach at a University Statistical Consulting Center

In recent years, many authors have discussed the issues involved in conducting statistical consulting services within a university community (e.g., Bancroft 1971; Boen 1972; Boen and Zahn 1982; Carter, Scheaffer, and Marks 1986; Gibbons and Freund 1980; Hyams 1969, 1971; Kirk 1991; Mead 1976). As pointed out by Amdt and Woolson (1991), there seems to have been little written on initiating a statistical consulting unit within a research university. We discuss the opportunities and challenges of consulting within an academic unit and describe the growth and outreach activities at the Wright State University Statistical Consulting Center (SCC). In this discussion, outreach refers to the enhancement of services both within and external to the university. The context presented here differs from that of most previous articles concerning academic statistical consulting. Wright State University is a relatively small (18,000 students), metropolitan university with a small number of doctoral programs. The SCC is located in a department containing both mathematicians and statisticians, which has a graduate program but does not offer the Ph.D. degree. We anticipate that applied statisticians in small-tomedium-sized universities will be able to identify with this discussion much better than with the discussion involving large, Ph.D.-granting statistics departments (e.g., see Bancroft 1971; Carter et al. 1986) or professional schools (e.g., Arndt and Woolson 1991; Boen 1982).
GLOBAL DETECTION OF SYMMETRY

Two experimental approaches examined observers' ability to characterize shape symmetry based upon the information obtained within a single fixation. Exp. I tested observers' ability to discriminate among three levels of symmetry on the basis of a 25-msec. presentation. Results indicated that identification accuracy was higher for symmetrical and asymmetrical shapes than for mixed shapes, which contained both symmetrical and asymmetrical components. Exp. II tested observers' ability to detect a given level of symmetry by means of a signal-detection approach. Symmetrical shapes were detected better than asymmetrical shapes. Detectability of mixed shapes was lower than that for both symmetrical and asymmetrical shapes. The results of Exps. I and II demonstrate that observers can characterize shape symmetry on the basis of information available within a single fixation. The data are supportive of the hypothesis that a global response to the over-all configuration of the shape serves to facilitate form perception.
Proto-Uto-Aztecan: A Community of Cultivators in Central Mexico?

Authorities on the origin and history of Uto-Aztecan have held that speakers of the protolanguage were foragers who lived in upland regions of Arizona, New Mexico, and the adjacent areas of the Mexican states of Sonora and Chihuahua about 5,000 years ago. New lexical evidence supports a different view, that speakers of the protolanguage were maize cultivators. The Proto-Uto-Aztecan speech community was probably located in Mesoamerica and spread northward into the present range because of demographic pressure associated with cultivation. The chronology for the spread and differentiation of the family should then correspond to the chronology for the northward spread of maize cultivation from Mesoamerica into the U.S. Southwest, between 4500 and 3000 B.P. [Uto-Aztecan, cultivation, Mesoamerican, historical linguistics, migration]
Psychosocial and Physical Impairment in Overweight Adolescents at High Risk for Eating Disorders

CELIO DOYLE, ANGELA, DANIEL LE GRANGE, ANDREA GOLDSCHMIDT, AND DENISE E. WILFLEY. Psychosocial and physical impairment in overweight adolescents at high risk for eating disorders. Obesity. 2007;15:145–154. Objective: Many overweight adolescents display elevated risk for the development of eating disorders, as seen in higher rates of weight/shape concerns and disordered eating behaviors, but the extent of impairment in this subset of high-risk adolescents has not been explored. Research Methods and Procedures: Eighty-one overweight adolescents (63% girls) presenting for an Internet-based weight loss program were assessed at baseline using the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire, the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale, and the Pediatric Quality of Life questionnaire. Adolescents who earned elevated scores on both the Weight Concern and Shape Concern subscales of the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire were considered at high risk for the development of eating disorders (56.8%). Results: Comparisons of high- and normal-risk groups revealed that high-risk adolescents reported higher levels of depression [F(3,76) 5.75, p 0.019], anxiety [F(3,76) 5.67, p 0.020], and stress [F(3,75) 8.50, p 0.005], and greater impairments in physical health [F(3,77) 10.7, p 0.002], emotional functioning [F(3,77) 5.3, p 0.024], and social functioning [F(3,77) 10.0, p 0.002]. There were no differences in school functioning [F(3,77) 1.5, p 0.219]. Among the high-risk adolescents, over half (52.2%) reported binge eating at least once in the past month. Discussion: Results suggest that overweight adolescents at high risk for the development of eating disorders also experience elevated levels of negative affect, impairment in health-related quality of life, and eating disturbances, although prospective data are needed to determine the directionality between eating disorder pathology and general psychopathology. Further research is warranted to evaluate whether behavioral weight loss interventions should be enhanced for this high-risk subset.
Impact of haematoma after pacemaker and CRT device implantation on hospitalization costs, length of stay, and mortality: a population-based study.

Aims Pocket haematoma is a common complication following pacemaker implantation. Impact of this complication on post-procedural outcomes has previously not been systematically studied. We sought to identify the incidence of pocket haematoma after a de novo pacemaker and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) device implantation and evaluate its impact on the hospital outcomes using a large all-payer national inpatient database. Methods and results Data from Nationwide Inpatient Sample 2010 was queried to identify all primary implantations of single chamber, dual chamber pacemakers, and biventricular devices during the year 2010 using the appropriate ICD-9 codes. Patients who experienced a procedure-related haematoma during the hospital stay were identified. Of a total of 78 751 primary pacemaker implantations in the year 2010, 1677 (2.1%) of the implantations were complicated by a pocket haematoma. Higher age groups, more complex pacemaker types (BiV > dual chamber > single chamber), and comorbidities such as congestive heart failure and coagulopathy were associated with an increased risk of pocket haematoma formation post-pacemaker implantation. Patients who developed a pocket haematoma had a longer length of stay (8.7 vs. 4.8 days, P < 0.001), higher hospitalization costs ($48 815 vs. $34 324, P < 0.001) and higher in-hospital mortality (2.0 vs. 0.7%, P < 0.001) compared with patients who did not develop a haematoma. Conclusions Haematoma is a relatively common complication associated with pacemaker implantation; however, it adversely impacts in-hospital outcomes.
Behavioral Responses of Hydropsyche sparna (Trichoptera: Hydropsychidae) and Related Species to Deposited Bedload Sediment

Laboratory experiments using small artificial streams were performed on 3rd–5th instars of the net-spinning caddisflies Hydropsyche sparna (Ross), H. betteni Ross, H. morosa (Hagen), and H. slossonae (Banks) to examine behavioral responses after exposure to sand particles ranging from 126 to 2,000 μm in diameter. Sediment loads up to 14.6 kg/m2 were applied. When buried, the insects drifted, died, or remained “buried-alive.” When buried-alive, the larva remained in contact with its retreat and extended head, thorax, and anterior abdomen into the overlying water. Drift predominated when particle diameters were below 1,000 μm. Larger particles induced the buried-alive behavior. Mortality rates varied from 0 to 4.8%. Behavioral response to deposited sediment was similar in 3rd, 4th, and 5th instars. Larvae of H. betteni, H. morosa, and H. slossonae exhibited similar behaviors to H. sparna. The buried-alive behavior may represent an adaptation to frequent exposure to bedload sediment transport. Bedload sediment transport of the duration and magnitude studied is either a lethal or a sublethal disturbance, depending on the sediment particle size.
Transient kinetics of nucleation and crystallization: Part II. Crystallization

Analytical expressions for the time-dependent crystallized volume fraction are derived from new results for the transient rate of nucleation reported in Part I. Conventional formulations that have been used in interpreting crystallization experimental data and for assessing the stability of amorphous phases are shown to be large time limits of the newly derived expressions. An approach for assessing the stability of an amorphous phase is proposed.
An improved direct-forcing immersed-boundary method for finite difference applications

A modified immersed-boundary method is developed using the direct-forcing concept. An improved bilinear interpolation/extrapolation algorithm is implemented for more accurate boundary forcing expressions and easier implementation. Detailed discussions of the method are presented on the stability, velocity interpolation on the immersed boundary, direct-forcing extrapolation to the grid points, resolution of the immersed boundary points, and internal treatment. The method can achieve second-order accurate solutions. The method is then applied to a finite-difference scheme to compute flow over a stationary cylinder, an oscillating cylinder, and a stationary sphere. The accuracy of the computational results is verified using numerous computational and experimental results in the literature.
WHY DO CUBOMEDUSAE HAVE ONLY FOUR SWIM PACEMAKERS

The classic view of swimming control in scyphozoan and cubozoan jellyfish involves a diffuse motor nerve net activated by multiple pacemaker sites that interact in a simple resetting hierarchy. Earlier modeling studies of jellyfish swimming, utilizing resetting linkages of multiple pacemakers, indicated that increases in pacemaker number were correlated with increases in the rate and regularity of network activity. We conducted a similar study using the cubozoan jellyfish Carybdea marsupialis, concentrating not only on the adaptive features of multiple pacemaker networks but also on the mechanism of pacemaker interaction. The best fit for our experimental data is a model in which pacemakers express a degree of independence. Thus, our results challenge the idea that pacemaker interactions in scyphozoan and cubozoan medusae are based on a strict resetting hierarchy. Furthermore, our data suggest that the combination of semi-independent linkage of pacemakers with the small pacemaker number characteristic of cubomedusae is important in (i) maintaining a biphasic modulatory capability in the swimming system, and (ii) allowing behaviorally appropriate directional responses to asymmetrical sensory inputs in the radially arranged jellyfish nervous system.
Workshop: Efficient sequential and parallel algorithms for sequence assembly

Next Generation Sequence (NGS) assemblers are challenged with the problem of handling massive number of reads. Bi-directed de Bruijn graph is the most fundamental data structure on which numerous NGS assemblers have been built (e.g. Velvet, ABySS). Most of these assemblers only differ in the heuristics which they employ to operate on this de Bruijn graph. These heuristics are composed of several fundamental operations such as construction, compaction and pruning of the underlying bi-directed de Bruijn graph. Unfortunately the current algorithms to accomplish these fundamental operations on the de Bruijn graph are computationally inefficient and have become a bottleneck to scale the NGS assemblers. In this talk we discuss some of our recent results which provide computationally efficient algorithms to these fundamental bi-directed de Bruijn graph operations. Our algorithms [1] are based on sorting and efficient in sequential, out-of-core, and parallel settings.
The Issues And Solutions Of Integrating DBMS To A Multi-DBMS

Many organizations invest heavily in heterogeneous databases according to organizational functions. These heterogeneous databases are stand-alone systems that do not interact with one another. The objective of this paper is to introduce a multi-database system (MDBMS) that interacts with other heterogeneous DBMS within the organization to integrate information processing. In this paper, we discuss the potential inconsistencies in integrating heterogeneous databases. We further extend to include issues in designing a MDBMS. With a MDBMS, data sharing across organization reduces overheads and costs, thus, provides a competitive advantage to the global firms.
An in vitro model for the analysis of intestinal brush border assembly I. Ultrastructural analysis of cell contact-induced brush border assembly in Caco-2BBe cells

Intestinal epithelial cells assemble and maintain a polarized, highly organized membrane-cytoskeleton array, the brush border. We describe an in vitro, cell contact-induced brush border assembly model using the Caco-2BBe clones. Subconfluent cells were 'depolarized' by brief passage through suspension culture in the presence of cytochalasin D and re-plated on filters at high density in low-Ca2+ medium. Upon return to regular medium, these small, rounded cells with bleb-like protrusions formed, over the course of 19 days, a polarized monolayer of tall, columnar cells with a well-defined brush border. Ultrastructural changes were documented by both transmission and scanning electron microscopy. The earliest events of microvillar assembly coincided with a short period of cell aggregation. Intercellular cysts were occasionally observed within these aggregates, and junction formation between cells which had no contact with the filter was also observed. Monolayer formation was completed within 48 hours, and cell height steadily increased approximately 3.5-fold over 19 days. Concurrent with monolayer formation and the increase in cell height, sparse microvilli with a few actin core filaments gradually became more dense and better organized. By the third day, the actin core bundles had begun to extend into the subjacent cytoplasm, while terminal web assembly was underway at five days. The mature morphology of the brush border was first observed at nine days, although cell height and microvillar density continued to increase during the subsequent ten days. Microvillar density rose approximately nine-fold throughout brush border assembly in the Caco-2BBe cells. With the exception of the formation of cellular aggregates at the onset of the time course, this sequence of morphological changes is comparable to that observed during brush border assembly in embryonic intestinal epithelial cells. The Caco-2BBe assembly model provides a useful system in which to investigate various molecular aspects of brush border assembly.
A robust initialization algorithm for k-means clustering in power distribution networks with PMU-based adaptive protection system

The K-Means clustering is one of the most popular and influential algorithms in data categorizing methods. K-Means simple and straightforward formulation made it a widely acceptable method in many fields and applications. This simplicity comes with some prices such user defined number of clusters, uniformly sized clusters and different final clusters as of being sensitive to initial centroids. K-means sensitiveness to initial centroids leads to different clusters per execution with different and relatively long iteration numbers. Different applications have their own initialization and improvement techniques for k-means relying on their particular data traits. Power systems recently have been involving with data mining and clustering due to fast increase in PMU uses for supervisory, control and protection goals in smart grids. Large amount of data streaming by PMU demands quite simple method with minimum computational burden to meet delay tolerance for various working phases and expectations. This article presents an approach significantly improving k-means clustering algorithm by pre-analyzing the data and finding best initial centroids. Extensive experiments have been made to verify the approach robustness in reducing the number of iterations and resulting in unique clusters in all executions.
A Generalization of Algebraic Surface Drawing

The mathematical description of three dimensional surfaces usually falls in one of two classifications: parametric and algebraic. The form is defined as all points which satisfy some equation: F(x,y,z)=0. This form is ideally suited for image space shaded picture drawing, the pixel coordinates are substituted for x and y and the equation is solved for z. Algorithms for drawing such objects have been developed primarily for first and second order polynomial functions. This paper presents a new algorithm applicable to other functional forms, in particular to the summation of several gaussian density distributions. The algorithm was created to model electron density maps of molecular structures but can be used for other artistically interesting shapes.
Plasmonic biosensor for label-free G-quadruplexes detection

G-quadruplex, readily formed by the G-rich sequence, potentially distributes in over 40 % of all human genes, such as the telomeric DNA with the G-rich sequence found at the end of the chromosome. The G-quadruplex structure is supposed to possess a diverse set of critical functions in the mammalian genome for transcriptional regulation, DNA replication and genome stability. However, most of the currently available methods for G-quadruplex identification are restricted to fluorescence techniques susceptible to poor sensitivity. It is essential to propose methods with higher sensitivity to specifically recognize the G-quadruplexes. In this study, we demonstrate a label-free plasmonic biosensor for G-quadruplex detection by relying on the advantages of nanoporous gold (NPG) disks that provide high-density plasmonic hot spots, suitable for molecular recognition capability without the requirement for labeling processes.