cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The vestibulo ocular reflex (VOR) in otoconia deficient head tilt (het) mutant mice versus wild type C57BL/6 mice.

The horizontal and vertical vestibulo ocular reflex (VOR) of head tilted (het) mutant mice was compared to C57BL/6 controls. Eye movements were recorded in darkness using a temporarily attached search coil. Contributions of semicircular canal versus otolith organ signals were investigated by providing a canal only (vertical axis) or canal plus otolith organ (horizontal axis) stimulus. In controls, rotations that stimulated only the canals (upright yaw and on tail roll) produced accurate VOR timing during middle frequency rotations at 0.5 Hz (gain 0.27, phase error 6°), and a phase advanced VOR during low frequency rotations at 0.05 Hz (0.05, 115°). In het mutant mice, these rotations produced a highly attenuated VOR response and phase errors at both 0.5 Hz (0.11, 42°) and 0.05 Hz (0.01, 36°). In controls, rotations that stimulated both the otolith organs and semicircular canals (upright roll and on tail yaw) produced higher VOR gains overall than were elicited during vertical axis rotations, with phase accurate VOR at both 0.5 Hz (0.52, 4°) and 0.05 Hz (0.34, 9°). In het mutant mice, these rotations produced a highly attenuated VOR response and phase errors at both 0.5 Hz (0.14, 51°) and 0.05 Hz (0.01, 43°). During constant velocity rotations about an earth horizontal axis, eye velocity bias and modulation were virtually absent in het mutant mice, while robust in controls. Control mice produced compensatory ocular deviations in response to static head tilt, but responses in het mice were weak and inconsistent. These results show that het mice not only lack all aspects of otolith mediated VOR, but also are deficient in canal mediated VOR. Because semicircular canals are normal in het mice, we conclude that central neurons of the canal VOR are dependent on otolith organ signals for normal performance.
Free-surface dynamics of small pores

Abstract When the size of a pore nucleated in a fluid sheet is sufficiently small, the pore will contract and close driven by its large radial curvature. The dynamics of small contracting pores are relevant to a number of natural systems and practical applications, from fission pores in cell membranes to the fabrication of nanopores in sensors for DNA sequencing. Here, we report high-fidelity numerical simulations that provide detailed insight into the mechanisms of pore contraction and collapse in fluid sheets of low viscosity. Results uncover a scaling law that predicts the radius of a closing pore as a function of the time to collapse without free parameters. Simulations also show that contracting pores do not always proceed to collapse. Instead, some contracting pores reverse the direction of motion and expand.
Noninvasive Imaging of Cardiovascular Injury Related to the Treatment of Cancer

The introduction of multiple treatments for cancer, including chemotherapeutic agents and radiation therapy, has significantly reduced cancer-related morbidity and mortality. However, these therapies can promote a variety of toxicities, among the most severe being the ones involving the cardiovascular system. Currently, for many surviving cancer patients, cardiovascular (CV) events represent the primary cause of morbidity and mortality. Recent data suggest that CV injury occurs early during cancer treatment, creating a substrate for subsequent cardiovascular events. Researchers have investigated the utility of noninvasive imaging strategies to detect the presence of CV injury during and after completion of cancer treatment because it starts early during cancer therapy, often preceding the development of chemotherapy or cancer therapeutics related cardiac dysfunction. In this State-of-the-Art Paper, we review the utility of current clinical and investigative CV noninvasive modalities for the identification and characterization of cancer treatment-related CV toxicity.
Measuring Architectural Complexity

Without refactoring, complex software-intensive systems become increasingly irregular and thus increasingly chaotic over time. We can understand complex software systems only when they're nearly decomposable and hierarchic. One measure the author uses is lines of source code: the greater the SLOC, the more inertia to change the system will have, the more people it will take to keep it fed, the more stakeholders who will be crawling all over it. The author describes the more complex measures he uses; these are tuned to Philippe Kruchten's 4+1 view model of architecture. He also counts the number of identifiable design patterns at work. These metrics can generally be gathered automatically via clever mining of configuration management and testing data.
Feature point extraction from the local frequency map of an image

We propose a novel technique for detecting rotation- and scale-invariant interest points from the local frequency representation of an image. Local or instantaneous frequency is the spatial derivative of the local phase, where the local phase of any signal can be found from its Hilbert transform. Local frequency estimation can detect edge, ridge, corner, and texture information at the same time, and it shows high values at those dominant features of an image. For each pixel, we select an appropriate width of the window for computing the derivative of the phase. In order to select the width of the window for any given pixel, we make use of the measure of the extent to which the phases, in the neighborhood of that pixel, are in the same direction. The local frequency map, thus obtained, is then thresholded by employing a global thresholding approach to detect the interest or feature points. Repeatability rate, a performance evaluation criterion for an interest point detector, is used to check the geometric stability of the proposed method under different transformations. We present simulation results of the detection of feature points from image utilizing the suggested technique and compare the proposed method with five existing approaches that yield good results. The results prove the efficacy of the proposed feature point detection algorithm. Moreover, in terms of repeatability rate; the results show that the performance of the proposed method with respect to different aspect is compatible with the existing methods.
Phase relations and mineral assemblages in the Ag-Bi-Pb-S system

Phase relations within the Ag-Bi-S, Bi-Pb-S, and Ag-Pb-S systems have been determined in evacuated silica tube experiments. Integration of experimental data from these systems has permitted examination and extrapolation of phase relations within the Ag-Bi-Pb-S quaternary system. — In the Ag-Bi-S system liquid immiscibility fields exist in the metal-rich portion above 597±3°C and in the sulfur-rich portion above 563±3°C. Ternary phases present correspond to matildite (AgBiS2) and pavonite (AgBi3S5). Throughout the temperature range 802±2°C to 343±2°C the assemblage argentite (Ag2S) + bismuth-rich liquid is stable; below 343°C this assemblage is replaced by the assemblage silver + matildite. — Five ternary phases are stable on the PbS-Bi2S3 join above 400°C — phase II (18 mol-% Bi2S3), phase III (27 mol-% Bi2S3), “cosalite” (33.3 mol-% Bi2S3), phase IV (51 mol-% Bi2S3), and phase V (65 mol-% Bi2S3). Phase IV corresponds to the mineral galenobismutite and is stable below 750±3°C. Phases II, III, and V do not occur as minerals, but typical lamellar and myrmekitic textures commonly observed among the Pb-Bi sulfosalts and galena evidence their previous existence in ores. Phase II and III are stable from 829±6°C and 816±6°C, respectively, to below 200°C; Phase V, stable only between 730±5°C and 680±5°C in the pure Bi-Pb-S system is stabilized to 625±5°C by the presence of 2% Ag2S. Experiments conducted with natural cosalites suggest that this phase is stable only below 425±25°C in the presence of vapor. — In the Ag-Pb-S system the silver-galena assemblage is stable below 784±2°C, whereas the argentite + galena mineral pair is stable below 605±5°C. — Solid solution between matildite and galena is complete above 215±15°C; below this temperature characteristic Widmanstatten structure-like textures are formed through exsolution. Schematic phase relations within the quaternary system are presented at 1050°C, at 400°C, and at low temperature.
Analysis of organelle genomes in a somatic hybrid derived from cytoplasmic male-sterile Brassica oleracea and atrazine-resistant B. campestris.

An atrazine-resistant, male-fertile Brassica napus plant was synthesized by fusion of protoplasts from the diploid species B. oleracea and B. campestris. Leaf protoplasts from B. oleracea var. italica carrying the Ogura male-sterile cytoplasm derived from Raphanus sativus were fused with etiolated hypocotyl protoplasts of atrazine-resistant B. campestris. The selection procedure was based on the inability of B. campestris protoplasts to regenerate in the media used, and the reduction of light-induced growth of B. oleracea tissue by atrazine. A somatic hybrid plant that differed in morphology from both B. oleracea and B. campestris was regenerated on medium containing 50 μM atrazine. Its chromosome number was 36–38, approximately that of B. napus. Furthermore, nuclear ribosomal DNA from this hybrid was a mixture of both parental rDNAs. Southern blot analyses of chloroplast DNA and an assay involving tetrazolium blue indicated that the hybrid contained atrazine-resistant B. campestris chloroplasts. The hybrid's mitochondrial genome was recombinant, containing fragments unique to each parent, as well as novel fragments carrying putative crossover points. Although the plant was female-sterile, it was successfully used to pollinate B. napus.
A tutorial on count regression and zero-altered count models for longitudinal substance use data

Critical research questions in the study of addictive behaviors concern how these behaviors change over time: either as the result of intervention or in naturalistic settings. The combination of count outcomes that are often strongly skewed with many zeroes (e.g., days using, number of total drinks, number of drinking consequences) with repeated assessments (e.g., longitudinal follow-up after intervention or daily diary data) present challenges for data analyses. The current article provides a tutorial on methods for analyzing longitudinal substance use data, focusing on Poisson, zero-inflated, and hurdle mixed models, which are types of hierarchical or multilevel models. Two example datasets are used throughout, focusing on drinking-related consequences following an intervention and daily drinking over the past 30 days, respectively. Both datasets as well as R, SAS, Mplus, Stata, and SPSS code showing how to fit the models are available on a supplemental website.
Integrated Tm:fiber MOPA with polarized output and narrow linewidth with 100 W average power

We report on a Tm:fiber master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) system producing 109 W CW output power, with >15 dB polarization extinction ratio, sub-nm spectral linewidth, and M2 <1.25. The system consists of polarization maintaining (PM) fiber and PM-fiber components including tapered fiber bundle pump combiners, a single-mode to large mode area mode field adapter, and a fiber-coupled isolator. The laser components ultimately determine the system architecture and the limits of laser performance, particularly considering the immature and rapidly developing state of fiber components in the 2 μm wavelength regime.
Top-seeded solution growth of BaTiO3, KNbO3, SrTiO3, Bi12TiO20 and La2-x, BaxCuO4

We present our recent top-seeded solution growth experiments of BaTiO3, KNbO3, SrTiO3, Bi12TiO20 and La2-x,BaxCuO4 single crystals.
Scaling violations in deep inelastic lepton scattering: How important is charm?☆

Abstract We question the present belief, based on QCD calculations in the lowest order of the quark-gluon coupling constant, that the production of heavy quarks does not significantly contribute to the observed scaling violations in deep inelastic lepton scattering. We estimate that the contribution to charm production of the fusion of charmed quarks, from fragmentation of the virtual photon, with valence quarks in the target exceeds the QCD estimates by roughly one order of magnitude. We calculate a 2 ∼ 4 μ b charm contribution to the γ p total cross section at Fermilab energies and accomodate the level of photoproduction of strange particles when applying the calculation to strange quarks.
Ultrasonic Phased Array Sound Field Mapping Through Large-Bore Coarse Grained Cast Austenitic Stainless Steel (CASS) Piping Materials

A sound field beam mapping exercise was conducted to further understand the effects of coarse-grained microstructures found in cast austenitic stainless steel (CASS) materials on phased array ultrasonic wave propagation. Laboratory measurements were made on three CASS specimens with different microstructures; the specimens were polished and etched to reveal measurable grain sizes, shapes, and orientations. Three longitudinal, phased array probes were fixed on a specimen's outside diameter with the sound field directed toward one end (face) of the pipe segment over a fixed range of angles. A point receiver was raster scanned over the surface of the specimen face generating a sound field image. A slice of CASS material was then removed from the specimen end and the beam mapping exercise repeated. The sound fields acquired were analyzed for spot size, coherency, and beam redirection. Qualitative analyses were conducted between the resulting sound fields and the microstructural characteristics of each specimen.
Analysis of a trial-spacing effect with relatively long intertrial intervals

In three experiments with rat subjects, we examined the effects of trial spacing in appetitive conditioning. Previous research in this preparation suggests that self-generated priming of the conditional stimulus (CS) and/or unconditional stimulus (US) in short-term memory is a cause of the trial-spacing effect that occurs with intertrial intervals (ITIs) of less than 240 sec. Experiment 1 nonetheless showed that a trial-spacing effect still occurs when ITIs are increased beyond 240 sec, and that the effect of ITI over 60–1,920 sec on conditioned responding is best described as a linear function. In Experiment 2, some subjects were removed from the context during the ITIs, preventing extinction of the context. Removal abolished the advantage of the long ITI, suggesting the importance of exposure to the context during the long ITI. Experiment 3 still produced a trial-spacing effect in a within-subjects design that controlled for the level of context conditioning and reinforcement rate in the absence of the CS. Overall, the results are most consistent with the idea that adding time to the ITI above 240 sec facilitates conditioning by extinguishing context-CS associations—and possibly context-US associations—that otherwise interfere with CS-US learning through retrieval-generated priming (see, e.g., Wagner, 1981).
On the application of charged particle activation analysis to the trace characterization of semiconductor materials

On decrit l'application de l'analyse par activation aux particules chargees (AAPC) avec mesure apres irradiation a la detection de traces d'oxygene, de bore et de lithium. On utilise l'activation aux protens, aux alpha et aux3He pour le dosage non-destructif de l'oxygene dans le silicium. Les limites de detection experimentale sont respectivement de 0,06 ppm, 0,05 ppm et 5 ppb. L'activation aux3He, couplee a une separation radiochimique apres irradiation, a ete employee pour les analyses de l'oxygene dans le germanium avec une limite de detection de 10 ppb. De nouvelles techniques ont ete developpees pour le dosage du bore et du lithium, basees sur la mesure du8Li (T: 850 msec) et de12B (T: 20 msec), respectivement et utilisant une technique de mesure β en coincidence avec deux scintillateurs minces de plastique. Les possibilites de cette methode presque “prompte” sont illustrees avec des resultats concernant le silicium, le germanium et des echantillons de verre.
Energy dependent structural changes in the membranes of M.phlei

Summary The system from Mycobacterium phlei exhibited both nonenergized and energized fluorescence similar to that observed in mammalian mitochondrial systems. Conditions which affect membrane structure were found to influence both the level of oxidative phosphorylation and the energized state. However, a direct correlation between the level of phosphorylation and the energized state was not observed. Heat treatment of the membranes resulted in an enhancement of the nonenergized and energized fluorescence, whereas a decrease in fluorescence was observed following freezing. There was a significant decrease in the dissociation constant of the heat-treated membrane-dye complex with no change in the number of binding sites suggesting a change in the membrane structure.
Experimental evaluation of user capacity in holographic data-storage systems

An experimental procedure for determining the relation between the number of stored holograms and the raw bit-error rate (BER) (the BER before error correction) of a holographic storage system is described. Compared with conventional recording schedules that equalize the diffraction efficiency, scheduling of recording exposures to achieve a uniform raw BER is shown to improve capacity. The experimentally obtained capacity versus the raw-BER scaling is used to study the effects of modulation and error-correction coding in holographic storage. The use of coding is shown to increase the number of holograms that can be stored; however, the redundancy associated with coding incurs a capacity cost per hologram. This trade-off is quantified, and an optimal working point for the overall system is identified. This procedure makes it possible to compare, under realistic conditions, system choices whose impact cannot be fully analyzed or simulated. Using LiNbO3 in the 90° geometry, we implement this capacity-estimation procedure and compare several block-based modulation codes and thresholding techniques on the basis of total user capacity.
Synthesis of carbon-11-labeled casimiroin analogues as new potential PET agents for imaging of quinone reductase 2 and aromatase expression in breast cancer

Abstract Carbon-11-labeled casimiroin analogues were first designed and synthesized as new potential PET agents for imaging of quinone reductase (QR) 2 and aromatase expression in breast cancer. [11C]casimiroin (6-[11C]methoxy-9-methyl-[1,3]dioxolo[4,5-h]quinolin-8(9H)-one, [11C]11) and its carbon-11-labeled analogues 5,6,8-trimethoxy-1-[11C]methyl-4-methylquinolin-2(1H)-one ([11C]17), 8-methoxy-1-[11C]methyl-4-methylquinolin-2(1H)-one ([11C]21a), 6,8-dimethoxy-1-[11C]methyl-4-methylquinolin-2(1H)-one ([11C]21b), and 5,8-dimethoxy-1-[11C]methyl-4-methylquinolin-2(1H)-one ([11C]21c), were prepared from their corresponding precursors with [11C]methyl triflate ([11C]CH3OTf) under basic conditions (NaH) through either O- or N-[11C]methylation and isolated by semi-preparative HPLC method in 40–50% radiochemical yields decay corrected to end of bombardment (EOB), based on [11C]CO2, and 111–185 GBq/μmol specific activity at the end of synthesis (EOS).
Two Efficient Solutions for Visual Odometry Using Directional Correspondence

This paper presents two new, efficient solutions to the two-view, relative pose problem from three image point correspondences and one common reference direction. This three-plus-one problem can be used either as a substitute for the classic five-point algorithm, using a vanishing point for the reference direction, or to make use of an inertial measurement unit commonly available on robots and mobile devices where the gravity vector becomes the reference direction. We provide a simple, closed-form solution and a solution based on algebraic geometry which offers numerical advantages. In addition, we introduce a new method for computing visual odometry with RANSAC and four point correspondences per hypothesis. In a set of real experiments, we demonstrate the power of our approach by comparing it to the five-point method in a hypothesize-and-test visual odometry setting.
Declining Incidence of Candidemia and the Shifting Epidemiology of Candida Resistance in Two US Metropolitan Areas, 2008-2013: Results from Population-Based Surveillance

Background Recent reports have demonstrated a decline in bacterial bloodstream infections (BSIs) following adherence to central line insertion practices; however, declines have been less evident for BSIs due to Candida species. Methods We conducted active, population-based laboratory surveillance for candidemia in metropolitan Atlanta, GA and Baltimore, MD over a 5-year period. We calculated annual candidemia incidence and antifungal drug resistance rates. Results We identified 3,848 candidemia cases from 2008–2013. Compared with 2008, candidemia incidence per 100,000 person-years decreased significantly by 2013 in both locations (GA: 14.1 to 9.5, p<0.001; MD: 30.9 to 14.4, p<0.001). A total of 3,255 cases (85%) had a central venous catheter (CVC) in place within 2 days before the BSI culture date. In both locations, the number of CVC-associated cases declined (GA: 473 to 294; MD: 384 to 151). Candida albicans (CA, 36%) and Candida glabrata (CG, 27%) were the most common species recovered. In both locations, the proportion of cases with fluconazole resistance decreased (GA: 8.0% to 7.1%, −10%; MD: 6.6% to 4.9%, −25%), while the proportion of cases with an isolate resistant to an echinocandin increased (GA: 1.2% to 2.9%, +147%; MD: 2.0% to 3.5%, +77%). Most (74%) echinocandin-resistant isolates were CG; 17 (<1%) isolates were resistant to both drug categories (multidrug resistant [MDR], 16/17 were CG). The proportion of CG cases with MDR Candida increased from 1.8% to 2.6%. Conclusions We observed a significant decline in the incidence of candidemia over a five-year period, and increases in echinocandin-resistant and MDR Candida. Efforts to strengthen infection control practices may be preventing candidemia among high-risk patients. Further surveillance for resistant Candida is warranted.
Properties of batters and storage stability of frankfurters containing preemulsified fat stabilized with soy proteins

Soya proteins were incorporated into meat batters either as part of preemulsified fat (PEF) or as the powder. Batters made with PEF had higher viscosity, water holding capacity, adhesive properties, and improved batter stability. During storage the experimental frankfurters had similar microbial count, water activity and TBA values, but frankfurters containing soya proteins added as PEF had lower total volatile nitrogen than those samples with soya protein added as the powder. Samples containing PEF during 30 days of storage were less bitter and beany than those with powdered proteins. Incorporation of soya proteins in the PEF form improved functionality of sausage batters, and therefore, could increase the usage of soya proteins in comminuted meats.
What you see depends on what you saw, and what else you saw: the interactions between motion priming and object priming.

Abstract Both visual object priming and motion priming have been reported independently, but the interactions between the two are still largely unexplored. Here we investigated this question using a novel type of SFM stimuli, 3-D helixes, and found that the motion direction perception of an ambiguous helix can be biased by the motion direction of a preceding SFM stimulus – a classic motion priming effect. However, the effectiveness of motion priming depends on object priming: a neutral object priming produced a weak motion priming, a congruent object priming led to a strong motion priming, and critically, an incongruent object priming abolished and overpowered the motion priming. In contrast, object priming alone (in the absence of motion overlap) had little effects biasing motion perception. Taken together, these results suggest that there exists an integrated neural representation of motion and structure of 3-D SFM stimuli, and motion priming of 3-D SFM stimuli might happen at an intermediate stage between MT/V5 (which is not shape selective) and LO (lateral occipital, which is not motion selective). This novel type of stimuli, 3-D helixes, along with the prime–target paradigm, thus might offer a unique tool to examine neural bases underlying the perception of 3-D SFM stimuli and perceptual priming.
Mechanism of burial metamorphism of argillaceous sediment: 1. Mineralogical and chemical evidence

A detailed mineralogical and chemical investigation has been made of shale cuttings from a well (Case Western Reserve University Gulf Coast 6) in Oligocene-Miocene sediment of the Gulf Coast of the United States. The 10-µm fractions from the 1,250- to 5,500-m stratigraphic interval were analyzed by x-ray diffraction. Major mineralogic changes with depth take place over the interval 2,000 to 3,700 m, after which no significant changes are detectable. The most abundant mineral, illite/smectite, undergoes a conversion from less than 20 percent to about 80 percent illite layers over this interval, after which the proportion of illite layers remains constant. Over the same interval, calcite decreases from about 20 percent of the rock to almost zero, disappearing from progressively larger size fractions with increasing depth; potassium feldspar (but not albite) decreases to zero; and chlorite appears to increase in amount. Variations in the bulk chemical composition of the shale with depth show only minor changes, except for a marked decrease in CaO concomitant with the decrease in calcite. By contrast, the <0.1-µm fraction (virtually pure illite/smectite) shows a large increase in K2O and Al2O3 and a decrease in SiO2 The atomic proportions closely approximate the reaction smectite + Al+3 + K+ = illite + Si+4. The potassium and aluminum appear to be derived from the decomposition of potassium feldspar (and mica?), and the excess silicon probably forms quartz. We interpret all the major mineralogical and chemical changes as the response of the shale to burial metamorphism and conclude that the shale acted as a closed system for all components except H2O, CaO, Na2O, and CO2. Compositional changes in the shale as a function of metamorphic grade closely parallel compositional changes in shale as a function of geologic age.
An ant colony optimization heuristic for constrained task allocation problem

Abstract I present an ant colony optimization (ACO) heuristic for solving the constraint task allocation problem (CTAP). Using real-world and simulated datasets, I compare the results of ACO with those of mixed integer programming (MIP) formulation, iterated greedy (IG) heuristic, and tighter of linear programming or Lagrangian relaxation based lower bounds. For datasets where optimal results could be obtained using the MIP formulation, the ACO results were either optimal or very tight with an average relative gap of less than 0.5% from the optimal value. When comparing the ACO results to the best lower bound, the ACO results had an average relative gap of approximately 3%. In all cases, the ACO algorithm found better results than the IG heuristic. The results from my experiments indicate that the proposed ACO heuristic is very promising for solving CTAPs.
The existence of a black hole due to condensation of matter

When enough matter is condensed in a small region, gravitational effects will be strong enough to cause collapse and a black hole will be formed. We formulate and prove here such a statement in the language of general relativity. (This is Theorem 2 of this paper.)
Control of intracellular glutathione and its effect on ultraviolet radiation‐induced K+ efflux in cultured rose cells

Abstract Modification of the ‘intracellular concentration of reduced glutathione’ (IC-GSH) affected the response of cultured rose cells (Rosa damascena) to ultraviolet radiation (UV)-induced leakage of K+. High IC-GSH induced by incubation of cells in 10 mol m−3 GSH (IC-GSH increased linearly with time from 20 to about 600 μmol g−1 in 61.2 ks) caused cells to become significantly less sensitive to UV. Low IC-GSH induced by treatment with 1 mol m−3 buthionine sulphoximine (BSO) plus 1 mol m−3 diethylmaleate (DEM) (IC-GSH decreased from 20 to about 3 μg g−1 in 61.2 ks) reduced, rather than increased, the UV-sensitivity of the cells. However, treatment with DEM also induced a large transient K+ leakage; and treatment with BSO induced a slight leakage. The K+ leaked was recovered by 3.24 ks. Following K+ recovery, the DEM-treated cells showed almost complete insensitivity to UV, and BSO-treated cells showed a slightly reduced sensitivity to UV. These results are in agreement with our previous findings that other treatments (heat, cycloheximide, UV), which also cause a transient leakage of K+, also reduce the induction of K+ leakage by a subsequent UV treatment. We conclude that high IC-GSH may play a role in protecting plant cells from UV-induced K+ leakage. Increased UV-sensitivity with low ICGSH was not observed, we believe, because of the transient K+ leakage, though the mechanism of reduced sensitivity to UV induced by transient leakage of K+ is not known at this time. Treatment with UV did not reduce the IC-GSH, showing that this is not the mechanism by which UV induces K+ leakage.
A systematic assessment of density functionals and ONIOM schemes for the study of hydrogen bonding between water and the side chains of serine, threonine, asparagine, and glutamine

Abstract Second-order Moller–Plesset perturbation (MP2) theory, Hartree–Fock (HF) theory, and 25 density functional theory (DFT) methods have been used to compute the hydrogen bond strengths between water and the polar side chains of four uncharged amino acids (serine, threonine, asparagine, and glutamine) and their corresponding glycine-X-glycine tripeptides (where X is one of the four amino acids just listed). These theoretical methods were also combined in 26 different integrated ONIOM QM:QM schemes in which MP2 was used as the high level method and either HF theory or one of the 25 density functionals was used as the low level method. Three important observations lead to the conclusion that the MP2:HF hybrid method provides the best description of hydrogen bonding in these complexes. (1) With deviations from the MP2 dissociation energies that range from −0.42 to −1.06 kcal mol−1 and an average absolute error (AAE) of 0.69 kcal mol−1, MPWLYP is the most accurate density functional. Only the MPWLYP, B971, X3LYP, PBE1PBE, and VSXC functionals have AAEs under 1 kcal mol−1 while the maximum absolute error exceeds 1 kcal mol−1 for all 25 functionals. (2) The integrated ONIOM methods outperform the DFT methods, including the MPWLYP functional. The ONIOM AAEs range from 0.25 to 0.36 kcal mol−1, all of which are significantly smaller than the corresponding value for the MPWLYP functional. (3) None of the MP2:DFT approaches is better than the MP2:HF scheme. MP2:HF has the smallest AAE (0.25 kcal mol−1), the narrowest range of errors (−0.35 to −0.12 kcal mol−1), and the smallest maximum absolute error (0.35 kcal mol−1) of all 26 schemes.
Oxygenated Tetrapyrroles Produced from Porphyrinogens

Abstract Oxygenated tetrapyrroles are produced in small quantities, typically less than 2%, when porphyrinogens are allowed to reoxidize in the air exposed to even dim light. Oxygen inserts into carbon-carbon double bonds and carbon-hydrogen single bonds to give rise to chlorins and porphyrins with hydroxy groups. These compounds can also undergo spontaneous additional reactions including further oxidation to carbonyls and dehydration to form carbon-carbon doublebonds. Derivatives of uroporphyrin, coproporphyrin, and other common tetrapyrroles have been isolated and fully characterized to elucidate their structure. Although the quantities formed are small, a surprising array of novel compounds is formed.
Update on the incidence and prevalence of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis in Olmsted County, Minnesota, 1940–2000

Background: We previously reported that the prevalence of Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) in Olmsted County, Minnesota, had risen significantly between 1940 and 1993. We sought to update the incidence and prevalence of these conditions in our region through 2000. Methods: The Rochester Epidemiology Project allows population-based studies of disease in county residents. CD and UC were defined by previously used criteria. County residents newly diagnosed between 1990 and 2000 were identified as incidence cases, and persons with these conditions alive and residing in the county on January 1, 2001, were identified as prevalence cases. All rates were adjusted to 2000 US Census figures for whites. Results: In 1990–2000 the adjusted annual incidence rates for UC and CD were 8.8 cases per 100,000 (95% confidence interval [CI], 7.2–10.5) and 7.9 per 100,000 (95% CI, 6.3–9.5), respectively, not significantly different from rates observed in 1970–1979. On January 1, 2001, there were 220 residents with CD, for an adjusted prevalence of 174 per 100,000 (95% CI, 151–197), and 269 residents with UC, for an adjusted prevalence of 214 per 100,000 (95% CI, 188–240). Conclusion: Although incidence rates of CD and UC increased after 1940, they have remained stable over the past 30 years. Since 1991 the prevalence of UC decreased by 7%, and the prevalence of CD increased about 31%. Extrapolating these figures to US Census data, there were ≈1.1 million people with inflammatory bowel disease in the US in 2000. (Inflamm Bowel Dis 2007)
Lymphokine production and lymphocyte transformation by human mononuclear cells in a serum-free medium

In order to study the effects of purified serum proteins, such as complement components, on human lymphoid cell functions, we have developed a serum-free culture medium that supports lymphocyte transformation and lymphokine production. The medium is comprised of RPMI 1640 containing commercially available purified human serum albumin (HSA). Optimal proliferative responses to mitogens and antigens were noted at HSA concentrations of 2.5–10.0 mg/ml, and at a cell density of 1 × 106 mononuclear cells/ml. In medium supplemented with 5 mg/ml HSA, it was found that lymphocyte transformation responses, release of interleukin 2 and leukocyte inhibition factor (LIF), and the one-way mixed lymphocyte reaction proceeded in a manner analogous to that in plasma-supplemented cultures. Stimulation of LIF release by C3b was seen in HSA-supplemented cultures but not in serum-free conditions or in cultures containing 12% autologous plasma. This system can thus be used to examine cell-mediated immune responses without the interference of plasma proteins other than HSA.
ON MAYER'S THEORY OF CLUSTER EXPANSIONS

New derivations are presented for Mayer's well-known irreducible cluster expansions (in powers of the density) for the fugacity, for the two-body correlation function and for the n-body correlation function. These derivations are based on the assumption that all the cluster expansions converge (and are thus not suitable for investigating condensation phenomena) but shortcircuit much of the combinatorial algebra encountered in previous derivations, by means of relatively simple topological arguments. An expansion is derived for the two-body correlation function for a system involving long-range but weak two-body forces. The first term of this expansion reduces to the Debye-Huckel theory for the special case of Coulomb forces. This expansion differs slightly from one derived previously by Mayer and the problem of analytic continuation, encountered when proceeding to the Coulomb force, is treated differently. Topological methods are outlined for rederiving some integral equations of Kirkwood and Salsburg and of Mayer and Sarolea.
Interleukin-10 (IL-10) pathway: genetic variants and outcomes of HIV-1 infection in African American adolescents.

Background Immunological and clinical outcomes can vary considerably at the individual and population levels during both treated and untreated HIV-1 infection. Cytokines encoded by the interleukin-10 gene (IL10) family have broad immunomodulatory function in viral persistence, and several SNPs in the IL10 promoter sequence have been reported to influence pathogenesis or acquisition of HIV-1 infection.
Multiscale coarse-graining of monosaccharides.

A systematic multiscale coarse-graining (MS-CG) algorithm is applied to build coarse-grained models for monosaccharides in aqueous solution. The methodology is demonstrated for the example of α-d-g...
Stress, Social Support, and College Adjustment Among Latino Students.

This study examined the role of social support and stress on adjustment to college among Latino students. Measures of social support, stress, and adjustment to college were obtained from 77 Latino college students. Social support was positively associated with adjustment and negatively associated with stress. A negative relationship was found between stress and adjustment in bivariate analyses indicating that exposure to stress interferes with adequate adjustment. However, stress did not significantly contribute to adjustment when included with social support in multivariate analyses. The functional nature of support was also examined in this study. Emotional support was associated with better overall and academic adjustment and less stress than instrumental support. there was a significant negative relationship between support from friend/other and stress. Finally, support from friend/other was negatively correlated with stress from exposure to racism. Implications of the study in terms of future research and college programs for Latino students are discussed.
Spontaneous hydrolysis and dehydration of dehydroascorbic acid in aqueous solution.

The interaction of water with dehydroascorbic acid was examined by incubating dehydroascorbic acid and ascorbic acid in 18O-labeled water for various amounts of time and then oxidizing the products with hydrogen peroxide or reducing the products with mercaptoethanol, with analysis by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. Based on mass changes, dehydroascorbic acid readily exchanged three oxygen atoms with H218O. When mercaptoethanol was used to reduce dehydroascorbic acid (which had been incubated in H218O) to ascorbic acid, the newly formed ascorbic acid also contained three labeled oxygen atoms. However, ascorbic acid incubated in H218O for the same amount of time under identical conditions exchanged only two labeled oxygen atoms. Electron impact mass spectrometry of derivatized ascorbic acid created a decarboxylation product which had only two labeled oxygen atoms, regardless if 3-oxygen-labeled or 2-oxygen-labeled ascorbic acid was the parent compound, isolating the extra oxygen addition to carbon 1. These data suggest that dehydroascorbic acid spontaneously hydrolyzes and dehydrates in aqueous solution and that the hydrolytic-hydroxyl oxygen is accepted by carbon 1. Ascorbic acid, on the other hand, does not show this same tendency to hydrolyze.
The Inversion of Ocean Waveguide Parameters Using a Nonlinear Least Squares Approach

An optimization approach is used to estimate waveguide parameters for selected test cases of the Geoacoustic Benchmark Inversion Workshop held in Vancouver, June 1997. The approach uses multiple acoustic data samples to decouple the original N–dimensional problem into several smaller-dimensional problems. A nonlinear least squares approach is used to estimate parameters in each subset. The estimation of parameters in each subset proceeds until convergence is reached. Predicted values are in good agreement with the true values, which suggests that the decoupling of waveguide parameters allows a nonlinear least squares approach to be an effective tool in the inversion of ocean waveguide parameters.
Fe-rich tholeiitic liquids and their cumulate products in the Pleasant Bay layered intrusion, coastal Maine

Fe-rich tholeiitic liquids are preserved as chilled pillows and as the chilled base of a 27 meter thick macrorhythmic layer in the Pleasant Bay mafic-silicic layered intrusion. The compositions of olivine (Fo1) and plagioclase (An13−8) in these extremely fine grained rocks suggest that they represent nearly end stage liquids that formed by fractionation of tholeiitic basalt. Their major element compositions (∼17.5 wt% FeOT and 54 wt%SiO2) closely resemble highly evolved glasses in the Loch Ba ring dike and some recent estimates of end-stage liquids related to the Skaergaard layered intrusion, and are consistent with recent experimental studies of tholeiite fractionation. Their trace element compositions are consistent with extensive earlier fractionation of plagioclase, olivine, clinopyroxene, ilmenite, magnetite and apatite. The mineral assemblage of the chilled rocks (olivine, clinopyroxene, quartz, ilmenite and magnetite), apatite saturation temperatures, and very low Fe3+/Fe2+indicate conditions of crystallization at temperatures of about 950 °C and fO2 about two log units below FMQ. Cumulates that lie about 3 meters above the chilled base of the macrorhythmic layer contain cumulus plagioclase, olivine, clinopyroxene, ilmenite, apatite and zircon. This mineral assemblage and the Fe-Mg ratio in clinopyroxene cores suggest that this cumulate was in equilibrium with a liquid having a composition identical to that of the chilled margin which lies directly beneath it. The high FeOT and low SiO2 concentrations of this cumulate (23.3 and 45.8 wt%, respectively) are comparable to those in late stage cumulates of the Skaergaard and Kiglapait intrusions. This association of a chilled liquid and cumulate in the Pleasant Bay intrusion suggests that late stage liquids in tholeiitic layered intrusions may have been more SiO2-rich than field-based models suggest and lends support to recent experimental studies of tholeiite fractionation at low fO2 which indicate that saturation of an Fe-Ti oxide phase should cause FeOT to decrease in the remaining liquid.
The natural history of the parasitic wasp Trogus pennator (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae): Host‐finding behaviour and a possible host countermeasure

The parasitic wasp Trogus pennator (Ichneumonidae) attacks the larvae of swallowtail butterflies (Papilionidae). Female T. pennator were followed in the field as they searched for larvae of the zebra swallowtail butterfly, Eurytides marcellus (Papilionidae), feeding on Asimina (Annonaceae) in central Florida, USA. Predictions of host‐finding theory and interactions with the host were thus investigated in a natural setting. Wasps seldom flew to plants other than Asimina and apparently recognized the plants by visual cues. Plants were attractive regardless of host presence, as the wasps approached plants lacking E. marcellus feeding damage twice as often as they approached damaged plants. However, wasps approached damaged plants at a rate greater than their frequency in the Asimina population, indicating that they can detect host damage before they approach the plants. After approaching within 0.5 m of plants, wasps tended not to land on plants lacking feeding damage. A comparison of the plants they landed ...
Xestospongins: Potent Membrane Permeable Blockers of the Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate Receptor

Abstract Xestospongins (Xe's) A, C, D, araguspongine B, and demethylxestospongin B, a group of macrocyclic bis-1-oxaquinolizidines isolated from the Australian sponge, Xestospongia species, are shown to be potent blockers of IP 3 -mediated Ca 2+ release from endoplasmic reticulum vesicles of rabbit cerebellum. XeC blocks IP 3 -induced Ca 2+ release (IC 50 = 358 nM) without interacting with the IP 3 -binding site, suggesting a mechanism that is independent of the IP 3 effector site. Analysis of Pheochormocytoma cells and primary astrocytes loaded with Ca 2+ -sensitive dye reveals that XeC selectively blocks bradykinin- and carbamylcholine-induced Ca 2+ efflux from endoplasmic reticulum stores. Xe's represent a new class of potent, membrane permeable IP 3 receptor blockers exhibiting a high selectivity over ryanodine receptors. Xe's are a valuable tool for investigating the structure and function of IP 3 receptors and Ca 2+ signaling in neuronal and nonneuronal cells.
Optical channel speeds for future transport networks

In this paper the history of channel speed development of optical transport networks, from a few MbI/s to beyond 100 GbI/s, is reviewed. A new channel type categorization, which divided various channel designs into only three basic channel types, has been proposed. Based on the new categorization distinguishable performances of the three types of channels are analyzed and the future direction of optical channel designs is predicted.
Electrophysiological studies in the Guillain-Barré syndrome: distinguishing subtypes by published criteria.

Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is recognized clinically by the presence of acute, rapidly progressive weakness, areflexia, and albuminocytological dissociation in cerebrospinal fluid. Although GBS was initially considered to be primarily an acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (AIDP), several other subtypes have been recognized: acute motor axonal neuropathy (AMAN), acute motor-sensory axonal neuropathy (AMSAN), and Fisher syndrome (FS). Because each of these subtypes may have an independent immunopathogenesis and, therefore, may require selective treatments in the future, recognition of these subtypes is important. When using nerve conductions to classify the subtypes, the most easily and confidently identified subtype is AIDP. Therefore, most electrodiagnostic criteria have attempted to identify demyelination in this acute setting, in which physiology is constantly changing. In a single well-defined GBS population, we compared the various published criteria for demyelination in GBS. We reviewed charts of 43 patients with GBS between 1991 and 1996. Applying six available criteria sets, the number of patients categorized as having AIDP ranged from 21% to 72%. Until investigators can agree on a single set of criteria, considerable variability will continue to exist when identifying cases of AIDP.
Analysis of milling of iron aluminides

Abstract The machinability of an ordered iron aluminide compound, assessed by peak cutting force values, under milling conditions was studied. The machinability of the material focused over the following range of conditions: speed from 25 to 400 sfpm (7.5–120 m/min); feed from 0.001 to 0.003 ipt (0.025–0.075 mm per tooth) and 4–56 ipm (0.1–1.4 m/min); and depth of cut (DOC) from 0.005 to 0.030 in. (0.125–0.750 mm). The study was used to establish a general understanding of the machinability of the material. A cutting force model based on Yellowley’s constant cutting pressure model was developed. Comparison of simulated cutting forces and measured cutting forces under a variety of different cutting parameter settings were made to verify the cutting model. Tool wear as a function of speed and cutting force was also studied. The study concludes that high-speed tools cannot be used to machine iron aluminides. The cutting forces during milling of iron aluminides are 1.5–3.5 times of those measured during machining of medium carbon steels and on a scale of 100, the machinability rating of iron aluminides is about 13.7. In addition, in order to prevent failure or very large cutting forces, the maximum cutting speed and DOC that can be used to machine iron aluminide are found to be 200 sfpm (60 m/min) and 0.015 in. (0.375 mm), respectively.
Unpredictability of the asymptotic attractors in phase-coupled oscillators

An array of phase-coupled oscillators may exhibit multiple coexisting chaotic and nonchaotic attractors. The system of coupled circle maps is such an example. We demonstrate that it is common for this type of system to exhibit an extreme type of final state sensitivity in both parameter and phase space. Numerical computations reveal that there exist substantial regions of the parameter space where arbitrarily small perturbations in parameters or initial conditions can alter the asymptotic attractor of the system completely. Consequently, asymptotic attractors of the system cannot be predicted reliably for specific parameter values and initial conditions.