cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Three-dimensional visualization environment for multisensor data analysis, interpretation, and model-based object recognition

Model-based object recognition must solve three-dimensional geometric problems involving the registration of multiple sensors and the spatial relationship of a three-dimensional model to the sensors. Observation and verification of the registration and recognition processes requires display of these geometric relationships. We have developed a prototype software system which allows a user to interact with the sensor data and model matching system in a three- dimensional environment. This visualization environment combines range imagery, color imagery, thermal (infrared) imagery, and CAD models of objects to be recognized. We are currently using imagery of vehicles travelling off-road (a challenging environment for the object recognizer). Range imagery is used to create a partial three-dimensional representation of a scene. Optical imagery is mapped onto this partial 3D representation. Visualization allows monitoring of the recognizer as it solves for the type and position of the object. The object is rendered from its associated CAD model. In addition to its usefulness in development of the object recognizer, we foresee eventual use of this technology in a fielded system for operator verification of automatic target recognition results.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
To dislodge an enzyme from an ion channel, try steroids.

Voltage-gated K+ channels assemble into complexes with Kvβs, a group of aldoketoreductases. The Kvβs regulate channel gating and localization, and voltage-dependent changes in the channel regulate AKR activity. Pan and colleagues now propose a new type of modulation of this complex. Cortisone disrupts the complex and relieves channel inactivation—which should reduce neuronal excitability.
Design of the modern inquiring system—i. r. descartes (1596–1650)

The first installment of studies which will survey the thinking of ancient and contemporary philosophers for ideas on how to design the modern inquiring system is dedicated to Rene Descartes, in the year in which we are celebrating the 350th anniversary of the publication of his famous Discours de la Methode. We begin our incursion into the design of inquiring systems by recalling that it is C. West Churchman who initiated this dialogue. We owe our inspiration to his pioneering work, The Design of Inquiring Systems [1]. In this book he sets the stage for our own study which consists of exploring the work of the great philosophers for clues on how to design the modern inquiring system. In his pioneering book, Churchman discussed the ideas of five philosophers, namely: Liebniz, Locke, Kant, Hegel and Singer. He proposed to incorporate the outstanding ideas of these thinkers in the design of modern inquiring systems. First, we will review the meaning of ‘inquiring system’ and will proceed, in future installments, to extend Churchman's work to other noteworthy philosophers and thinkers
Small bowel hematoma in a hemophiliac as a cause of pseudoappendicitis: Diagnosis by ct imaging

Acute abdominal pain in a hemophiliac should be approached as hemorrhage until proven otherwise. With factor replacement available, a conservative approach can be taken as opposed to immediate exploratory surgery. Diagnostic imaging can define areas of hemorrhage. We report a case of “pseudoappendicitis” in a hemophiliac with terminal ileum circumferential bowel wall hematoma diagnosed by CT with the initial diagnostic scan. Factor replacement resulted in resolution of the signs and symptoms of the pseudoappendicitis and follow-up CT scan revealed resolution of the hematoma. A review of the literature reveals few CT documented circumferential bowel wall hematomas with limited clinical histories and no cases with follow-up scans after conservative management.
Repeated Mechanical Lengthening of Intestinal Segments in a Novel Model

Abstract Purpose: Currently, animal models used for mechanical intestinal lengthening utilize a single lengthening procedure prior to analysis or restoration back into continuity. Here we developed a novel surgical model to examine the feasibility of repeated lengthening of intestinal segments. Methods: A Roux-en-Y jejunojejunostomy with a blind Roux limb was created in rats. An encapsulated polycaprolactone spring was placed into a 1cm segment of the Roux limb. After 4weeks, a second encapsulated PCL spring was inserted into a 1cm portion of the lengthened segment. After another 4weeks, the repeatedly lengthened segments were retrieved for histological analyses. Results: Jejunal segments of the Roux limb were successfully lengthened from 1.0cm to 2.6±0.7cm. Four weeks after the second PCL spring placement, 1.0cm of the previously lengthened segment increased to 2.7±0.8cm. Stronger mechanical force was required to achieve subsequent re-lengthening. Lengthened and re-lengthened segments had increased smooth muscle thickness and crypt depth when compared to normal jejunal mucosa. Conclusion: Using the Roux-en-Y model, previously lengthened segments of intestine can be successfully re-lengthened. Intestinal segments may be subjected to multiple lengthening procedures to achieve clinically significant length for the treatment of short bowel syndrome.
A vasopressin antagonist can reverse dominant/subordinate behavior in hamsters

Golden hamsters communicate dominance status by flank marking, a behavior that is dependent upon vasopressin-sensitive neurons in the anterior hypothalamus-medial preoptic area (AH-MPOA). The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether arginine vasopressin (AVP) and an antagonist of AVP could alter or reverse dominant/subordinate relationships in pairs of hamsters. Microinjection of AVP into the AH-MPOA of subordinate hamsters dramatically increased their flank marking despite the presence of their dominant partners. Conversely, microinjection of the AVP antagonist into the AH-MPOA of dominant hamsters blocked flank marking in the presence of their subordinate partners. Surprisingly, the untreated subordinate hamsters significantly increased their own flank marking when tested with their dominant partners treated with the AVP antagonist, thereby reversing the pattern of flank marking normally seen in dominant/subordinate relationships. However, the effect of AVP and the AVP antagonist were limited to the day of treatment. When flank marking behavior was reversed in a pair of hamsters by treatments for three consecutive days, the pair immediately displayed the original dominant/subordinate behavior when treatment was stopped.
MRI Evaluation of Isolated Arthroscopic Partial Meniscectomy Patients at a Minimum Five-Year Follow-up

Background The risk of radiographic knee degeneration after partial or total meniscectomy is well documented, but no prior study has employed cartilage-sensitive MRI technology to assess degenerative changes after meniscectomy.
Readability of cervical spine imaging: Digital versus film/screen radiographs

In 109 trauma patients, both film/screen and digital lateral cervical spine radiographs were obtained. These films were compared for adequate visualization ("readability") of bone, soft tissue, and airway, and lowest visualized cervical vertebra. With viewbox alone, digital adequately demonstrated bone, soft tissue, and airway more often than film/screen. With a hotlight, there was no significant difference between digital and film/screen in adequately demonstrating bone, but for soft tissue and airway definition, digital was significantly better. There was less interobserver and intraobserver variation on digital than in film/screen. There was no significant difference in lowest vertebra identified.
The Natural History of Prolactin and GH Secretion in Mice with High and Low Incidence of Mammary Tumors

The serum and pituitary concentrations of GH and prolactin (PRL) in two strains of mice were compared between 20 and 250 days of age. The mice studied were of the C3H/St and C57BL/St strains, the incidence of spontaneous mammary tumors being high (∼90%in virgin females) in the former and low <1%) in the latter strain. Males and females of each strain were sacrificed by decapitation in groups of 8 to 16, at 20, 30, 35, 40, 60, 80, 100, 150, 200, and 250 (females only) days of age. The GH and PRL in the pituitary glands and sera were measured be specific, homologous radioimmunoassays. In general, C3H/St mice possessed more GH than did mice of the C57BL/St strain, both in serum and in the pituitary gland. Also, males in each strain had higher levels of the hormone than females. In relation to age, GH concentrations increased in the pituitary gland but decreased in serum between 20 and 40 days of age; following this period both constituents showed remarkable constancy with advancing age. Changes in PRL concen...
STUDIES ON THE NUTRITION OF HEMOPHILUS INFLUENZAE I. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE UTILIZATION OF COENZYME AND HEMIN AND THE REDUCTION OF NITRATE

The metabolic activity of H. influenzae can be followed quantitatively by measurement of the nitrite produced in a medium containing 0.2 per cent potassium or sodium nitrate. When X-factor, or hemin, and other specific substances required for the optimum growth of H. influenzae, are present in excess, the nitrite produced by this organism is quantitatively related to the concentration of V-factor, or total coenzyme. This quantitative relationship has been demonstrated for five strains of H. influenzae. It has been shown that various media, which in the past have been used for the determination of coenzyme by growth of H. influenzae, have in many instances been deficient in X-factor and that this substance rather than coenzyme has been the specific factor limiting growth. When 0.5 per cent blood is added to a basal proteose-peptone medium the specific requirements for optimum growth and metabolic activity of H. influenzae, other than coenzyme, are met, and a large number of specific biocatalysts and nutritive substances added to this medium are without effect in stimulating further growth. The foregoing studies have formed the basis for a quantitative method for the determination of total coenzyme in blood and tissue. This method is being described elsewhere.
Initial moduli of particulated mass with frictional contacts

The stiffness characteristics of a packing of granules are influenced by the particle interactions at contacts, the void ratio, the co-ordination number and the packing structure. A stress-strain relationship for the packings of spheres is presented. The relationship explicitly includes the contact force-displacement law and the parameters characterizing the packing structure. The initial moduli computed using this relationship are compared with experimental measurements and empirical equations for sands. The theoretical results are also compared with experimental results on packings of glass balls. Closed-form solutions are derived for statistically isotropic packings under initial isotropic stress conditions. Numerical solutions for the stiffness properties are obtained for anisotropic initial stress conditions and anisotropic packing structures.
Site-Specific Synthesis of Aflatoxin B1 Adducts within an Oligodeoxyribonucleotide Containing the Human p53 Codon 249 Sequence

This work describes the preparation of the cationic trans-8, 9-dihydro-8-(N7-guanyl)-9-hydroxyaflatoxin B(1) ((AFB)G) adducts at the positions corresponding to G(746) or G(747), within the oligodeoxyribonucleotide d(GGAGGCCT) containing the codon 249 sequence (underlined) of the p53 gene, using DNA triplexes to target adduction at the desired site. This approach enabled the successful preparation and purification of sufficient quantities of d(GGAG(AFB)GCCT) for NMR structural studies, using only standard phosphoramidites. The presence of multiple guanines in this oligodeoxynucleotide precluded the direct reaction of d(GGAGGCCT). d(AGGCCTCC) with aflatoxin epoxide as a method for producing large quantities of site-specific adducts for physical studies. Of the multiple potential alkylation sites at guanine N7 in d(GGAGGCCT). d(AGGCCTCC), it was found that sites G(2) and G(5) exhibited approximately equal reactivity with aflatoxin B(1)-exo-8,9-epoxide; the reactivity at site G(4) was reduced by approximately a factor of 2 as compared to that at G(2) or G(5). To successfully prepare the site-specific adducts, the p53 oligodeoxyribonucleotide was annealed with either the blocking strand d(CTCCATTTTCCT) or d(CCTCCATTTTCCTC) to form the corresponding partial triplexes which targeted AFB(1) adduction either to G(4) or to G(5). Piperidine cleavage, followed by heating, confirmed that in each instance, the product corresponded to the lone guanine not protected from adduction by the partial DNA triplex. The adducted oligodeoxyribonucleotides were examined with regard to purity by capillary electrophoresis. The primary advantage of this modified triple helix methodology is that it requires only standard phosphoramidites; thus, it is applicable to large-scale preparations that are necessary for NMR structural studies or other physical measurements.
Some dual trigonometric equations with an application to elasticity

In this note we derive solutions to the pair of integral equations ʃ∫0∞ξ−1ψ(ξ)K(ξx)dξ=f(x) x∈(0, 1) ʃ∫0∞ψ(ξ)K(ξx)dξ=g(x) x∈(0, ∞) where K(ξx) is either sin ξx or cos ξx, f(x)ϵC1[0,1] and g(x)ϵC1(1, ∞). These results are then applied to the problem of determining the stress field due to the presence of a crack located externally in a semi-infinite two dimensional elastic medium.
Cytokines, Chemokines, and Colony-Stimulating Factors in Human Milk: The 1997 Update

Epidemiologic studies conducted over the past 30 years to investigate the protective functions of human milk strongly support the notion that breast-feeding prevents infantile infections, particularly those affecting the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts. However, more recent clinical and experimental observations also suggest that human milk not only provides passive protection, but also can directly modulate the immunological development of the recipient infant. The study of this remarkable defense system in human milk has been difficult due to its biochemical complexity, the small concentration of certain bioactive components, the compartmentalization of some of these agents, the dynamic quantitative and qualitative changes of milk during lactation, and the lack of specific reagents to quantify these agents. Nevertheless, a host of bioactive substances including hormones, growth factors, and immunological factors such as cytokines have been identified in human milk. Cytokines are pluripotent polypeptides that act in autocrine/paracrine fashions by binding to specific cellular receptors. They operate in networks and orchestrate the development and functions of the immune system. Several different cytokines and chemokines have been discovered in human milk over the past years, and the list is growing very rapidly. This article will review the current knowledge about the increasingly complex network of chemoattractants, activators, and anti-inflammatory cytokines present in human milk and their potential role in compensating for the developmental delay of the neonate immune system.
Marital Structure and Genetic Isolation in a Rural Hispanic Population in Northern New-Mexico

An investigation of the mating structure of the rural Hispanic population of the village of abiquiu in northern New Mexico was carried out using village marriage registers. Marital movement and departure from random mating were analyzed by the distribution of birth places of marriage partners and by surname isonymy. The time periods studied were 1882 to 1910 and 1947 to 1977. The results of these analyses show marked marital isolation (median marital distances by birthplace of 11.5 and 20.0 miles, respectively) and a significant departure from random mating (F = 0.0556 and F = 0.0495, respectively). In each case the non-random component of the isonymy coeffient (Fn) greatly exceeds the random, or expected, component. Assortative mating for culture and proximity governed by the historical settlement pattern is indicated as the process producing these results. Isolation has begun to break down in recent years but as yet has had no great effect on the genetic structure of the Abiquiu population.
Is Embryonic Limulus Heart Really Myogenic

Although the neurogenic nature of the heartbeat in adult Limulus has been well studied and is undisputed, we contest the reports that the embryonic heartbeat is myogenic. This notion, based on histological, calorimetric, and drug studies, is challenged by evidence from transmission electron microscopy and intracellular recording. The first, infrequent heartbeats occur at the time of the third embryonic molt when only the anterior portion of the heart tube is formed and functional. Contractions extend further caudad concomitant with lumen formation in the rear heart segments. All lumen-containing heart sections that we have examined, from the earliest on, have revealed neural elements in a bundle at the dorsal midline of the heart. Axons 1/m or less in diameter are prevalent: vesicle-filled terminal-like areas adjacent to muscle cells are often present as well, even in the youngest beating hearts. Myocardial cells show excitatory postsynaptic potentials as soon as heartbeat has begun, but they often fail to summate in the earlier stages so that contractions are few. Resting potentials remain at −65 to −70 mV from the onset of heartbeat until well after the larva has hatched, but heartbeat frequency, regularity, depolarization height (never overshooting) and duration all increase as embryos get older, probably as innervation of muscle fibers increases and coordination between pacemaker and follower neurons improves. We have found no evidence that embryonic Limulus heart passes through a myogenic phase and believe that it is neurally driven from the beginning.
Classical conditioning of the human blood pressure response.

Abstract The object of this experiment was to demonstrate that blood pressure responses could be classically conditioned in human subjects and to describe the topography of the conditioned response. Despite clear evidence for classical blood pressure conditioning in animals there is little evidence concerning a clear demonstration of the phenomenon in human subjects, and no description of the form of the conditioned response. A ‘neutral’ 8-s 70 db tone (CS) was paired with a 500-ms electric shock (UCS) in a delay conditioning paradigm. Conditioned subjects were compared to a control group that received the CS and UCS on a truly random schedule. The subjects in the conditioning group showed a conditioned blood pressure response that emerged during the last 4 s of the 8-s CS. The results differ from those obtained from animals, where the CR typically emerges during the first half of the CS. These data may have implications for the role of learning in hypertensive disorders.
Anomalous effects of anti-inflammatory corticosteroids in endotoxin-induced ocular inflammation

Abstract The effect of anti-inflammatory corticosteroids upon leukocyte infiltration was investigated in vivo, using the eye as an experimental model. The inflammatory response was induced by injecting bacterial endotoxin into the vitreous body of the albino rabbit eye. Polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) infiltration into the aqueous humor was quantified by counting cells directly, whereas accumulation of leukocytes in the ocular tissues was determined by measuring myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity. Systematically administered corticosteroids inhibited plasma protein leakage and PMN infiltration into the aqueous humor, but, anomalously, increased MPO activity and hence the number of PMNs in the ciliary body. These findings were confirmed qualitatively by histology. However, the clinical manifestations of the inflammatory responses were almost totally suppressed by the corticosteroids. We suggest that the inhibitory effect of corticosteroids on PMN infiltration into the aqueous humor, and possibly inflammatory exudates in general, represents the suppression of inflammatory cell activity in a manner which is unrelated to a direct effect on leukocyte movement.
How to Prevent Drowning

I OBSERVE several letters in NATURE, vol. xxiv. pp. 101 and 126, on floating as a means of preventing drowning, but I do not think the last word is yet said on this subject. I fully agree with Dr. Dudgeon that no rules for preventing drowning are of any practical value, and also with Mr. Hill and Dr. Dudgeon that those who can float are the rare exceptions. According to my observation not one in ten, in fact I might say hardly one in 100 even, of good swimmers can float in fresh water in any useful fashion, i.e., lying motionless on the water and breathing easily. The obvious reason is that the human body in the natural condition, i.e., with the lungs half inflated, is specifically heavier than water. Many persons say they can float, but in most cases they either inflate the lungs and hold the breath, or else they make slight movements of the hands.
R-matrix calculation of third-order optical harmonic coefficients of atomic hydrogen and helium

We report on calculations of the third-order optical harmonic coefficients for atomic hydrogen and helium, using R-matrix expansions for the excited spectra. The results obtained are in excellent agreement with previous theoretical and experimental determinations. The method is readily applicable to the calculation of other multiphoton processes for other atomic systems.
School as haven: transforming school environments into welcoming learning communities

This study investigated school factors that impact attendance. Interviews and focus groups with over 60 key stakeholders from five Maryland counties were conducted. Respondents indicated that despite individual, family, and community factors that contribute to non-attendance, students will attend a school that is intentional about creating a welcoming climate that is supportive and academically stimulating. Attendance can be improved when schools evaluated policies that may unintentionally deter student attendance, when students feel heard by school personnel, and when students are given opportunities to establish supportive relationships with caring adults in and out of the classroom.
Size distribution of SiGeC quantum dots grown on Si(311) and Si(001) surfaces

Quantum dots of Si1−x−yGexCy alloys with high Ge contents were grown on Si(311) and Si(001) substrates by solid source molecular beam epitaxy and were measured by atomic force microscopy. The quantum dot layers had a nominal thickness (equivalent two-dimensional) of 4 nm. The smallest quantum dots occurred for the composition Si0.09Ge0.9C0.01 on Si (311), and had a 40 nm mean diameter, an 8 nm mean height, and a density of 3.3×1010 cm−2. Quantum dots on Si(001) were larger and had less regular spacing than quantum dots on Si(311) with the same composition. Carbon decreased both the mean size and spacing of SiGe quantum dots and the ratio of size deviation to mean diameter. The presence of small uniform quantum dots for particular compositions is attributed to a reduction in the surface migration of adatoms due to decreased atomic surface diffusivity. These results suggest that quantum dot organization is controlled by composition, substrate orientation, strain, and surface diffusion.
The formation of shell in the tiger snail

This article describes the structural features of the mantle and shell, particularly in the tiger snail, Anguispira alternata. The shell and the slime appear to be secreted simultaneously, probably from the same sources, and except for the mucus probably from the same materials, but certainly through very different structures. It is found that all the layers of the shell are secreted in a liquid or semi-liquid state by some part of the mantle. The periostracum is secreted from the supramarginal groove as a liquid which soon toughens as viscosity increases until it forms the organic covering of the shell. The inner layers are derived from epithelia beneath the shell, crystallizing out of a semi-liquid mass into the characteristic patterns, which we recognize as the layers of calcium carbonate. This process is traced from the synthetic viewpoint in the secretion from the mantle, also some of the stages can be detected from the analytic standpoint in the breakdown of shell materials. Some phases of the above structural states can be recognized in living mantles. A chemical analysis of the shell is also given.
A novel mitogenic protein that is highly expressed in cells of the gastric antrum mucosa.

Human and pig cDNAs for a novel stomach protein, the product of a gene expressed at high levels specifically in cells of the antrum mucosa, have been characterized. The general exon/intron structur...
Artificial immune pattern recognition for structure damage classification

Damage detection in structures is one of the research topics that have received growing interest in research communities. While a number of damage detection and localization methods have been proposed, very few attempts have been made to explore the structure damage classification problem. This paper presents an Artificial Immune Pattern Recognition (AIPR) approach for the damage classification in structures. An AIPR-based structure damage classifier has been developed, which incorporates several novel characteristics of the natural immune system. The structure damage pattern recognition is achieved through mimicking immune recognition mechanisms that possess features such as adaptation, evolution, and immune learning. The damage patterns are represented by feature vectors that are extracted from the structure's dynamic response measurements. The training process is designed based on the clonal selection principle in the immune system. The selective and adaptive features of the clonal selection algorithm allow the classifier to evolve its pattern recognition antibodies towards the goal of matching the training data. In addition, the immune learning algorithm can learn and remember different data patterns by generating a set of memory cells that contains representative feature vectors for each class (pattern). The performance of the presented structure damage classifier has been validated using a benchmark structure proposed by the IASC-ASCE (International Association for Structural Control-American Society of Civil Engineers) Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) Task Group and a three-story frame provided by Los Alamos National Laboratory. The validation results show that the AIPR-based pattern recognition is suitable for structure damage classification. The presented research establishes a fundamental basis for the application of the AIPR concepts in the structure damage classification.
High frequency piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer array for intravascular ultrasound imaging

This paper presents a 1.2 mm diameter high fill-factor array of 1,261 piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducers (PMUTs) operating at 18.6 MHz for intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging and other medical imaging applications. At 1061 transducers/mm2, the PMUT array has a 10-20× higher density than the best PMUT arrays realized to date. The PMUTs utilize a piezoelectric material, AlN, which is compatible with CMOS processes. Measurements show a large voltage response of 2.5 nm/V and good frequency matching in air, a high center frequency of 18.6 MHz and wide bandwidth of 4.9 MHz when immersed in fluid. Phased array simulations based on measured PMUT parameters show a tightly focused, high output pressure acoustic beam.
Thermal degradation of commercial fluoropolymers in air

Abstract Weight-loss data have been obtained for the degradation in air of tetrafluoro-ethylene (TFE) homopolymer, its copolymers with hexafluoropropylene (HFP) and perfluoropropylvinyl ether (PPVE), and for TFE/ethylene/perfluorobutylethylene terpolymer. The nature and approximate amounts of the gaseous degradation products were also determined. The temperature range studied (from 150 to 525°C) includes the range of recommended continuous use and processing temperatures for these commercial resins. None of the six polymers studied showed any detectable weight loss (
A Study of the Surviving Fraction of the Cosmic-Ray Radioactive Decay Isotopes 10Be,26Al,36Cl and 54Mn as a Function of Energy Using the Charge Ratios Be/B, Al/Mg, Cl/Ar, and Mn/Fe Measured on HEAO 3

We have used published HEAO3 data on the charge ratios Be/B, Al/Mg, Cl/Ar, and Mn/Fe to examine the decay of the radioactive cosmic-ray isotopes10Be,26Al,36Cl, and 54Mn at energies from ~600 MeV to 20 GeV nucleon-1. From these charge data we can obtain the surviving fractions of these isotopes at higher energy with a comparable accuracy to that obtained using directly measured low-energy isotopic ratios. As a result of the relativistic time dilation of the lifetimes, these higher energy surviving fractions are a probe of propagation conditions outside the disk and into the halo of the Galaxy. The data are interpreted in terms of a simple leaky-box propagation model, then a more realistic diffusion model, and finally a still more realistic Monte Carlo diffusion model for the propagation of cosmic rays. Interpreted in terms of a leaky-box model, the data for all four isotopes suggest to varying degrees that the cosmic-ray particles are propagating into regions of lower density away from the disk. The diffusion model allows one to determine that the scale size of this extended propagation region in the Z-direction is 2-4 kpc. The data are consistent only with weak Galactic winds ~20 km s-1 or less. Monte Carlo models require cosmic-ray lifetimes ~20-30 × 106 yr and a halo size 2-3 kpc. The Monte Carlo calculations suggest that it is the scale size of the diffusion coefficient in the Z-direction relative to the halo size that determines the surviving fractions of these radioactive isotopes at high energies rather than the details of the Z dependence of the matter density.
Dynamics of dendritic cell maturation are identified through a novel filtering strategy applied to biological time-course microarray replicates

Dendritic cells (DC) play a central role in primary immune responses and become potent stimulators of the adaptive immune response after undergoing the critical process of maturation. Understanding the dynamics of DC maturation would provide key insights into this important process. Time course microarray experiments can provide unique insights into DC maturation dynamics. Replicate experiments are necessary to address the issues of experimental and biological variability. Statistical methods and averaging are often used to identify significant signals. Here a novel strategy for filtering of replicate time course microarray data, which identifies consistent signals between the replicates, is presented and applied to a DC time course microarray experiment. The temporal dynamics of DC maturation were studied by stimulating DC with poly(I:C) and following gene expression at 5 time points from 1 to 24 hours. The novel filtering strategy uses standard statistical and fold change techniques, along with the consistency of replicate temporal profiles, to identify those differentially expressed genes that were consistent in two biological replicate experiments. To address the issue of cluster reproducibility a consensus clustering method, which identifies clusters of genes whose expression varies consistently between replicates, was also developed and applied. Analysis of the resulting clusters revealed many known and novel characteristics of DC maturation, such as the up-regulation of specific immune response pathways. Intriguingly, more genes were down-regulated than up-regulated. Results identify a more comprehensive program of down-regulation, including many genes involved in protein synthesis, metabolism, and housekeeping needed for maintenance of cellular integrity and metabolism. The new filtering strategy emphasizes the importance of consistent and reproducible results when analyzing microarray data and utilizes consistency between replicate experiments as a criterion in both feature selection and clustering, without averaging or otherwise combining replicate data. Observation of a significant down-regulation program during DC maturation indicates that DC are preparing for cell death and provides a path to better understand the process. This new filtering strategy can be adapted for use in analyzing other large-scale time course data sets with replicates.
Effects of social supports on attitudes and behaviors of pregnant adolescents

The influence of social support on maternal attitudes and behaviors was assessed in 57 third-trimester adolescent women attending an urban prenatal clinic. Sociodemographic characteristics, social support, self-esteem, and feelings about pregnancy were measured by questionnaire. The support and influence of the adolescent father was emphasized. Social support was measured as a multidimensional construct derived by a priori and empirical procedures. The outcomes measured were the amount of prenatal care, attendance at scheduled postpartum appointments, and pleasure with the pregnancy. Stepwise multiple-regression analyses were used to assess the contributions of the predictor to criterion variables. Pleasure with pregnancy was positively associated with the receipt of assistance from the adolescent's mother, favorable opinions of friends, and satisfaction with living arrangements. Attendance at postpartum visits was associated with high self-esteem. Notably absent as significant contributors were sociodemographic characteristics, receipt of emotional and tangible support from the adolescent father, and expectation of aid from social-assistance programs.
Modeling cooperative and autonomous adaptive cruise control dynamic responses using experimental data

Abstract Vehicle longitudinal control systems such as (commercially available) autonomous Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) and its more sophisticated variant Cooperative ACC (CACC) could potentially have significant impacts on traffic flow. Accurate models of the dynamic responses of both of these systems are needed to produce realistic predictions of their effects on highway capacity and traffic flow dynamics. This paper describes the development of models of both ACC and CACC control systems that are based on real experimental data. To this end, four production vehicles were equipped with a commercial ACC system and a newly developed CACC controller. The Intelligent Driver Model (IDM) that has been widely used for ACC car-following modeling was also implemented on the production vehicles. These controllers were tested in different traffic situations in order to measure the actual responses of the vehicles. Test results indicate that: (1) the IDM controller when implemented in our experimental test vehicles does not perceptibly follow the speed changes of the preceding vehicle; (2) strings of consecutive ACC vehicles are unstable, amplifying the speed variations of preceding vehicles; and (3) strings of consecutive CACC vehicles overcome these limitations, providing smooth and stable car following responses. Simple but accurate models of the ACC and CACC vehicle following dynamics were derived from the actual measured responses of the vehicles and applied to simulations of some simple multi-vehicle car following scenarios.
Comparison of organic contaminants found in mussels and oysters from a current mussel watch project with those from archived mollusc samples of the 1970s

Abstract Organic contaminant concentrations in mussels and oysters were compared between archived samples of a Mussel Watch Program of the 1970s and samples collected more recently by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admnistration's National Status and Trends Program. Archived samples were analysed using current analytical techniques. Chlorinated pesticides and PAHs (polyaromatic hydrocarbons) displayed significant decreases between the 1970s and the 1990s. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and butyltins were found in higher concentrations in 1986 than in the 1970s samples. Concentrations for both have decreased since 1986. The original 1970s analytical results were also compared with current analytical results from archived samples. Results were comparable for DDE and were generally comparable for the greater than three-ring PAHs. Results were also comparable for PCBs, even though the early methods quantified Arochlor 1254 and the more recent method quantifies PCBs by congener.
Effect of particulate seeding on microdroplet angular scattering.

Elastic angular scattering spectra were obtained from pure and particle-seeded microdroplets, stably levitated in an electrodynamic trap. Both pure and seeded droplet spectra consist of broad interference peaks; however, in the seeded spectra, the peak amplitudes suffer random perturbations during sequentially captured spectral profiles. A simple model is developed suggesting that these perturbations result from random particle motions inside the droplet. The observed time scale of these perturbations provides an estimate of the corresponding particle diffusion length, which is compared with characteristic lengths in the droplet.
Testing the Nearest Neighbor Model for Canonical RNA Base Pairs: Revision of GU Parameters

Thermodynamic parameters for GU pairs are important for predicting the secondary structures of RNA and for finding genomic sequences that code for structured RNA. Optical melting curves were measured for 29 RNA duplexes with GU pairs to improve nearest neighbor parameters for predicting stabilities of helixes. The updated model eliminates a prior penalty assumed for terminal GU pairs. Six additional duplexes with the 5′GG/3′UU motif were added to the single representation in the previous database. This revises the ΔG°37 for the 5′GG/3′UU motif from an unfavorable 0.5 kcal/mol to a favorable −0.2 kcal/mol. Similarly, the ΔG°37 for the 5′UG/3′GU motif changes from 0.3 to −0.6 kcal/mol. The correlation coefficients between predicted and experimental ΔG°37, ΔH°, and ΔS° for the expanded database are 0.95, 0.89, and 0.87, respectively. The results should improve predictions of RNA secondary structure.
Nasal delivery of atenolol and timolol in the rat and the effect of absorption enhancers

AbstractThis study has investigated the nasal mucosa as an alternative site for the administration of atenolol and timolol maleate, two antihypertensive agents whose oral administration is subject to either incomplete absorption (atenolol) or significant first-pass effect (timolol). To this end, the intranasal absorption of these drugs was first evaluated in an in vivo rat model, with and without the absorption enhancers amastatin and sodium glycocholate, and next compared with those obtained after oral and intravenous dosings. Use of the intranasal route resulted in higher plasma drug levels than by the oral route (p < 0.05) and in systemic bioavailabilities that compared very favorably with those obtained intravenously (ca. 90% for both drugs). Bioavailability of the title drugs from the nasal mucosa improved upon coadministration with an absorption enhancer (96–98%, atenolol; ca. 99%, timolol).
Evidence from ophiolites, blueschists, and ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic terranes that the modern episode of subduction tectonics began in Neoproterozoic time: Comment and Reply COMMENT

I agree with my friend Bob Stern that the onset of actualistic plate tectonics is an unsolved problem, and that the answer must ultimately come from geological evidence and not from model calculations. There are simply too many unknown factors (e.g., eclogitization, oceanic crustal delamination)
Monitoring Stress in Thin Films During Processing

Wafer curvature measurements are a simple yet sensitive way to measure stress in thin films. A multibeam optical system designed for in situ monitoring makes it possible to monitor the evolution of thin film stress in real time in a variety of deposition and processing environments. Examples of stress measurements in epitaxial systems, polycrystalline films and hard coatings are discussed.
Copolymers of vinyl and vinylidene chlorides with alkyl acrylates

High-molecular-weight copolymers of vinyl chloride and ethyl or butyl acrylate were prepared in high conversion and yield in the presence of boron trifluoride as the acrylate ester complexing agent. When the vinyl chloride monomer is in excess of equimolar amounts, the resulting copolymers are alternating; and when the alkyl acrylates are in excess, acrylate-rich copolymers are obtained. Ethylene–vinyl chloride–ethyl acrylate and propylene–vinyl chloride–ethyl acrylate terpolymers were also obtained with an ethyl acrylate content of 50 mole %. The relative reactivities of propylene, vinyl chloride, and ethylene in these polymerizations were 5.4, 3.8, and 1.0, respectively. Vinylidene chloride–ethyl acrylate copolymers that are nearly alternating and rich in acrylate or in vinylidene chloride have also been prepared. The monomer reactivity ratios for vinylidene chloride and ethyl acrylate in the presence of boron trifluoride are considerably lower than in its absence.
High Q narrow-band tunable filters with controllable bandwidth

In the present work, the authors present a design technique to create widely-tunable high Q narrow-band filters with bandwidth control by utilizing low Q varactors, while maintaining the high Q of the original filter. Detailed design methodology and equations are presented to illustrate the concept and a widely tunable high Q evanescent-mode cavity bandpass filter with controllable bandwidth is demonstrated as an example of this design technique. The filter is designed and fabricated in low-loss Rogers TMM3 substrate. A thin copper membrane is laminated on top of the substrate to allow frequency tuning, achieved using commercially available 0.38 mm thick piezoelectric actuators. The feed-lines with the impedance matching and the varactor based bandwidth control section are incorporated in parallel with the coupling iris on the back-side of the filter. A constant absolute bandwidth filter is also presented, which is tuned from 0.89 GHz to 1.47 GHz with constant 25 MHz (± 0.2 MHz) 3-dB bandwidth and less than 3 dB insertion loss over the entire tuning range. The extracted filter Q is in the range of 250–350, even though low Q varactors (Q ≪ 30@1 GHz) with capacitance in the 0.5 pF to 4 pF range are utilized for the bandwidth control.
Interaction of Sleep and Emotional Content on the Production of False Memories

Sleep benefits veridical memories, resulting in superior recall relative to off-line intervals spent awake. Sleep also increases false memory recall in the Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) paradigm. Given the suggestion that emotional veridical memories are prioritized for consolidation over sleep, here we examined whether emotion modulates sleep’s effect on false memory formation. Participants listened to semantically related word lists lacking a critical lure representing each list’s ‘‘gist.’’ Free recall was tested after 12 hours containing sleep or wake. The Sleep group recalled more studied words than the Wake group but only for emotionally neutral lists. False memories of both negative and neutral critical lures were greater following sleep relative to wake. Morning and Evening control groups (20-minute delay) did not differ ruling out circadian accounts for these differences. These results support the adaptive function of sleep in both promoting the consolidation of veridical declarative memories and in extracting unifying aspects from memory details.
The PHELIX Liner Demonstration Experiment (PLD-1)

The PHELIX Liner Demonstration Experiment (PLD-1) took place in September of 2010 at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The PHELIX machine consists of a ∼500 kJ single-marx capacitor bank cable-coupled to a toroidal 1∶4 current step-up transformer which delivers multi-Mega-Ampere currents to a cm size load. In this experiment the load consisted of a ∼3 cm radius, 0.8 mm thick, ∼3 cm tall aluminum liner, copper glide planes, a thin polyethylene insulator, and a 0.5 cm thick aluminum return conductor. Two independent channels of fiber optic Faraday rotation measured a peak load current > 4 MA with a pulse width of ∼ 10 µs. Four linear Rogowski coils measured the output current of the 4 marx modules. High-resolution flash X-radiography imaged a stable, highly symmetric and uniform liner 14.5 µs after current start. A 12 channel laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV) system tracked the inside surface of the liner throughout the experiment and showed a peak velocity before impact with probes of ∼ 1 km/s. The LDV probes were arrayed axially as well as azimuthally and confirmed the symmetry of the liner trajectory. Surprisingly, the LDV showed distribution of velocities of the inner liner surface late in time. PLD-1 is the first step towards utilizing the PHELIX pulsed-power system at the Los Alamos proton radiography facility.
Bias in Plant Gene Content Following Different Sorts of Duplication: Tandem, Whole-Genome, Segmental, or by Transposition

Each mode of gene duplication (tandem, tetraploid, segmental, transpositional) retains genes in a biased manner. A reciprocal relationship exists between plant genes retained postpaleotetraploidy versus genes retained after an ancient tandem duplication. Among the models (subfunctionalization, neofunctionalization, balanced gene drive) and ideas that might explain this relationship, only balanced gene drive predicts reciprocity. The gene balance hypothesis explains that more “connected” genes—by protein-protein interactions in a heteromer, for example—are less likely to be retained as a tandem or transposed duplicate and are more likely to be retained postpaleotetraploidy; otherwise, selectively negative dosage effects are created. Biased duplicate retention is an instant and neutral by-product, a spandrel, of purifying selection. Balanced gene drive expanded plant gene families, including those encoding proteasomal proteins, protein kinases, motors, and transcription factors, with each paleotetraploidy, ...
On-line leakage-aware energy minimization scheduling for hard real-time systems

As the semiconductor technology proceeds into the deep sub-micron era, leakage and its dependency with the temperature become critical in dealing with the power/energy minimization problem. In this paper, we develop an analytical method to estimate energy consumption on-line with the leakage/temperature dependency taken into consideration. Based on this method, we develop an on-line scheduling algorithm to reduce the overall energy consumption for a hard real-time system scheduled according to the Earliest Deadline First (EDF) policy. Our experimental results show that the proposed energy estimation method can achieve up to 210X speedup compared with an existing approach while still maintaining high accuracy. In addition, with a large number of different test cases, the proposed energy saving scheduling method consistently outperforms two closely related researches in average by 10% and 14% respectively.