cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On the use of mean absorption coefficients in the presence of strong temperature gradients.

Abstract We compare results obtained by using the Planck and Rosseland mean absorption efficientg with exact multifrequency transport results in a purely absorbing halfspace problem in the presence of strong temperature gradients. We give numerical results for both a prescribed temperature distribution in the presence of an Elsasser band absorption coefficient and a self-consistent radiative equilibrium distribution corresponding to a source deep within the halfspace transporting through a picket fence absorption coefficient. This latter problem (the Milne problem) is analyzed using the Wiener-Hopf factorization technique, and an explicit expression is given for the characteristic H-function. We conclude that the use of the Rosseland mean is generally more accurate than the use of the Planck mean, but that the Rosseland mean results can nevertheless be significantly in error.
A study of intragroup biological change induced by social group fission in Macaca mulatta using discrete cranial traits

Eight discrete cranial traits are used as biological indicators to investigate the effect of social group fission on intragroup genetic change leading to intergroup differentiation in Macaca mulatta. The timing of discrete cranial trait frequency change and group fission coincide, indicating a possible causal relationship between fission and genetic change. A significant change in the male mating population during and after fission is proposed as the mechanism causing intragroup genetic change, along with the effects of fluctuations in segregation ratios.
Deficiency screen identifies a novel role for beta 2 tubulin in salivary gland and myoblast migration in the Drosophila embryo

The Drosophila embryonic salivary gland is an epithelial organ formed by the coordinated invagination and migration of primordial cells. To identify genes that regulate gland migration we performed a deficiency screen of the third chromosome. Here, we report on the analysis of the beta 2 tubulin isoform (β2t) that maps at 85D15. We show that, in β2t mutant embryos, salivary glands did not complete their posterior migration and that migration of fusion competent myoblasts and longitudinal visceral muscle founder cells between the gland and circular visceral mesoderm was delayed. We also demonstrate that gland migration defects correlate with reduced βPS and αPS2 integrin expression in the surrounding mesoderm and that β2t genetically interacts with genes encoding integrin αPS1 and αPS2 subunits. Our studies reveal for the first time that β2t is expressed in embryogenesis and that β2t plays an important role in salivary gland and myoblast migration, possibly through proper regulation of integrin adhesion proteins. Developmental Dynamics 238:853–863, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Transgenic upregulation of IK1 in the mouse heart leads to multiple abnormalities of cardiac excitability

To assess the functional significance of upregulation of the cardiac current (IK1), we have produced and characterized the first transgenic (TG) mouse model of IK1 upregulation. To increase IK1 den...
The Trouble between us: an uneasy history of white and black women in the feminist movement

WINIFRED BREINES New York: Oxford University Press, 2006 Pp. vii + 269, £17.99. ISBN 0 19 517904 8 A provocative and fresh interpretation of the second‐wave feminist movement, The Trouble between U...
Calibration of computationally predicted N 1s binding energies by comparison with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements

Abstract Density functional theory (DFT) predictions of the N 1s binding energies based on Koopmans’ theorem are calibrated and compared with experimental X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements of gas phase molecules and surface adducts. A convenient and effective method for comparing these predicted energies to experimental measurements, using para-nitroaniline (p-NO2C6H4NH2) as a spectroscopic “ruler”, is presented. The experimental difference between the N 1s binding energies of the nitrogen atoms from the –NH2 and –NO2 groups of para-nitroaniline is compared to the difference predicted by DFT, using the B3LYP functional with multiple basis sets. Gas phase and molecularly intact condensed multilayer experimental spectra of para-nitroaniline are used to calibrate the predicted binding energies to gas phase and condensed phase (surface adducts) measurements, respectively. A method for improving the agreement with experiment by using the predicted partial charge of nitrogen is also presented.
Two-mirror projection systems for simulating telescopes

Optical instruments designed for use with large telescopes need to be tested before being installed at their work site. This is especially true for space-based instruments. To perform these tests, an auxiliary optical system is required which simulates the telescope exit pupil. Two-mirror projection systems can be used for this purpose. In this paper the first-order geometric properties and third-order aberrations of the general two-mirror system used at finite conjugates are examined. Relations are given in terms of five design parameters: object distance, image distance, exit pupil size, and the two mirror magnifications. A particular application of these relations is presented for a system designed to simulate the HST, for ground testing of the next generation of scientific instruments to be installed in the observatory. We show that a sufficient number of degrees of freedom are available to meet requirements when both mirrors are conics.
Using hyperspectral remote sensing for land cover classification

This project used hyperspectral data set to classify land cover using remote sensing techniques. Many different earth-sensing satellites, with diverse sensors mounted on sophisticated platforms, are currently in earth orbit. These sensors are designed to cover a wide range of the electromagnetic spectrum and are generating enormous amounts of data that must be processed, stored, and made available to the user community. The Airborne Visible-Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) collects data in 224 bands that are approximately 9.6 nm wide in contiguous bands between 0.40 and 2.45 mm. Hyperspectral sensors acquire images in many, very narrow, contiguous spectral bands throughout the visible, near-IR, and thermal IR portions of the spectrum. The unsupervised image classification procedure automatically categorizes the pixels in an image into land cover classes or themes. Experiments on using hyperspectral remote sensing for land cover classification were conducted during the 2003 and 2004 NASA Summer Faculty Fellowship Program at Stennis Space Center. Research Systems Inc.'s (RSI) ENVI software package was used in this application framework. In this application, emphasis was placed on: (1) Spectrally oriented classification procedures for land cover mapping, particularly, the supervised surface classification using AVIRIS data; and (2) Identifying data endmembers.
Evaluation of Five Methods for Total DNA Extraction from Western Corn Rootworm Beetles

Background: DNA extraction is a routine step in many insect molecular studies. A variety of methods have been used to isolate DNA molecules from insects, and many commercial kits are available. Extraction methods need to be evaluated for their efficiency, cost, and side effects such as DNA degradation during extraction. Methodology/Principal Findings: From individual western corn rootworm beetles, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera, DNA extractions by the SDS method, CTAB method, DNAzolH reagent, PuregeneH solutions and DNeasyH column were compared in terms of DNA quantity and quality, cost of materials, and time consumed. Although all five methods resulted in acceptable DNA concentrations and absorbance ratios, the SDS and CTAB methods resulted in higher DNA yield (ng DNA vs. mg tissue) at much lower cost and less degradation as revealed on agarose gels. The DNeasyH kit was most time-efficient but was the costliest among the methods tested. The effects of ethanol volume, temperature and incubation time on precipitation of DNA were also investigated. The DNA samples obtained by the five methods were tested in PCR for six microsatellites located in various positions of the beetle’s genome, and all samples showed successful amplifications. Conclusion/Significance: These evaluations provide a guide for choosing methods of DNA extraction from western corn rootworm beetles based on expected DNA yield and quality, extraction time, cost, and waste control. The extraction conditions for this mid-size insect were optimized. The DNA extracted by the five methods was suitable for further molecular applications such as PCR and sequencing by synthesis.
Extension in the Central Metasedimentary Belt of the Ontario Grenville: Timing and tectonic significance

A laterally extensive zone of southeast-dipping marble mylonites in the Central Metasedimentary Belt (CMB) of the southern Ontario Grenville (the "Bancroft shear zone") records southeast-directed extension and a displacement of about 10-12 km. Calcite-graphite carbon isotope thermometry indicates that the maximum temperature at which shearing occurred was ca. 450 °C. In contrast, carbon isotope fractionations (Δ 13 C cc-gr ) within the marble protolith consistently give temperatures of 650-700 °C. The Bancroft shear zone postdates 1060 Ma and older high-grade shear zones in the Central Gneiss Belt and the CMB that are associated with northwest-directed thrusting. Comparison of the temperature data from the retrograde marble mylonites with cooling curves for the CMB gives a late Grenvillian age range of 935-1010 Ma for the extensional event. The geometric relation between thrusting and normal faulting in the CMB is comparable to that in parts of the Himalayas and southern Tibet, and similarly we interpret late normal faulting in the CMB to be a result of gravitational collapse of a thrust thickened crust. In contrast to the Himalaya-Tibet region, however, accretion in the Grenville becomes older in the direction of regional thrusting.
Polarization of gluon jets in photon-photon scattering

Abstract We show that the linear polarization of a gluon emerging from the reaction e + e → e + e + g + g is large - on the order of 20%. This polarization arises from the process γ + γ → quark loop → g + g, which is expected to dominate the two gluon jet cross section. The polarization can be used to test quantum chromodynamics (QCD), even if the gluon jets cannot be distinguished clearly from the background of quark jets. If the QCD prediction is accepted, our result can be used to enhance the signal of gluon jets, thereby aiding in the study of their properties.
Repair type I aortic dissection in a patient with human immunodeficiency virus infection

A 57-year-old man with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection was evaluated in October 1997 with complaints of weakness of the right lower extremity. A chest computerized axial tomographic scan revealed a type I aortic dissection. He underwent surgical repair including resuspension of the aortic valve and placement of a 32-mm interposition graft between the aortic root and the transverse arch. Postoperatively he required abdominal aorta fenestration and stenting for ischemia of the left lower extremity. Follow-up magnetic resonance imaging 3(1)/(2) years postoperatively showed a normal-sized ascending and transverse aorta and the residual dissection in the descending thoracic and abdominal aorta. The thoracic and abdominal aorta diameters have remained stable. Select patients with type I aortic dissection and HIV infection are candidates for surgical repair.
Total anomalous pulmonary venous drainage with ventricular septal defect

Abstract Three patients with total anomalous pulmonary venous drainage and ventricular septal defect with left-to-right shunt are presented. The ventricular septal defect was diagnosed with left ventricular angiocardiography in two patients and confirmed on postmortem examination in the third. The complex hemodynamic implications of this combination of lesions are discussed. Pulmonary artery banding is suggested as a possible method of management in early infancy. When total anomalous pulmonary venous drainage is demonstrated in infants initially suspected of having large ventricular septal defects on the basis of auscultation, left ventricular angiocardiography is mandatory. Preoperative diagnosis of a complicating ventricular septal defect is essential to optimal management.
Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans and the Bednar tumor: Treatment in the pediatric population

Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is a low-intermediate-grade cutaneous sarcoma that has a marked propensity for local recurrence after excision. The Bednar variant of this tumor is even less common and is distinguished histologically by the dispersal of melanin containing cells in an otherwise typical DFSP. Both are considered to be tumors of the third and forth decades of life, but both DFSP and the Bednar variant have been described in children. Until this report of a congenital Bednar tumor, only the DFSP has also been described in the neonate. The histopathology and surgical management of DFSP and Bednar tumors are outlined with emphasis on reported experience in the pediatric population. The surgical management of these lesions in children is based on numerous series in adults and the limited pediatric experience. The recommended treatment is wide excision with 3-cm margins of visibly uninvolved tissue and inclusion of superficial fascia.
Human malignant ascites and histamine-induced protein leakage from the normal microcirculation

The accumulation of malignant ascites is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with intraabdominal malignancies. However, the cause of malignant ascites is unknown. In this study, we used the rat cremaster muscle preparation to determine if and how malignant ascites could produce protein leakage from normal blood vessels which would lead to fluid accumulation in the peritoneal cavity. The rat cremaster muscle, with nerves and blood vessels to the animal intact, was prepared for microscopic observations of the microcirculation. Serum albumin was tagged to fluorescein isothiocyanate and injected into the rat. Fluorescent microscopy was used to quantitate leakage of the tagged albumin into the interstitial tissue. Malignant ascites was collected from a patient with metastatic breast cancer. The ascites fluid was placed on the cremaster muscle and it induced protein leakage from the normal blood vessels of this tissue. Protein leakage was partially blocked by diphenhydramine (10(-4) M) and by mast cell depletion with compound 48/80. There was a high level of C3a in the malignant ascites solution but C3a did not increase during the exposure period. These data suggest that activated complement in malignant ascites may release histamine from mast cells to cause protein leakage of the normal vasculature. The movement of protein into the peritoneal cavity would be followed by water, thus increasing the volume of the ascites and exacerbating the clinical condition.
Correlation of Mehlich 3, bray 1, and ammonium acetate extractable P, K, Ca, and Mg for Alaska agricultural soils

Abstract Soil test recommendations currently used in Alaska are based on a limited amount of in‐state data along with consideration of data from other states. Recently, Mehlich 3 extractable P has been found to be highly correlated to yield on representative agricultural soils in Alaska. To fully use its multi‐element capability, a study was conducted to correlate Mehlich 3 extractable P and cations (K, Ca, and Mg) with the P and cations extracted by the Bray 1 and ammonium acetate methods respectively. When Mehlich 3 extractable K and Mg were regressed with ammonium acetate extractable K and Mg respectively, the relationship was essentially one‐to‐one and the relationship held across all soils tested. Significant variation was observed among soils in the extraction of Mehlich 3‐P and Ca relative to Bray 1‐P and ammonium acetate‐Ca. Individual soil character appeared to affect the regressions for extractable P and Ca, even though the R2 values were generally high. The regression slopes for Mehlich 3‐P ver...
A stochastic model of elbow flexion strength for subjects with and without long head biceps tear.

The classical approach of musculoskeletal modeling is to predict muscle forces and joint torques with a deterministic model constructed from parameters of an average subject. However, this type of model does not perform well for outliers, and does not model the effects of parameter variability. In this study, a Monte-Carlo model was used to stochastically simulate the effects of variability in musculoskeletal parameters on elbow flexion strength in healthy normals, and in subjects with long head biceps (LHB) rupture. The goal was to determine if variability in elbow flexion strength could be quantifiably explained with variability in musculoskeletal parameters. Parameter distributions were constructed from data in the literature. Parameters were sampled from these distributions and used to predict muscle forces and joint torques. The median and distribution of measured joint torque was predicted with small errors ( < 5%). Muscle forces for both cases were predicted and compared. In order to predict measur...
Context-dependent changes in motor control and kinematics during locomotion: modulation and decoupling

Successful locomotion through complex, heterogeneous environments requires the muscles that power locomotion to function effectively under a wide variety of conditions. Although considerable data exist on how animals modulate both kinematics and motor pattern when confronted with orientation (i.e. incline) demands, little is known about the modulation of muscle function in response to changes in structural demands like substrate diameter, compliance and texture. Here, we used high-speed videography and electromyography to examine how substrate incline and perch diameter affected the kinematics and muscle function of both the forelimb and hindlimb in the green anole (Anolis carolinensis). Surprisingly, we found a decoupling of the modulation of kinematics and motor activity, with kinematics being more affected by perch diameter than by incline, and muscle function being more affected by incline than by perch diameter. Also, muscle activity was most stereotyped on the broad, vertical condition, suggesting that, despite being classified as a trunk-crown ecomorph, this species may prefer trunks. These data emphasize the complex interactions between the processes that underlie animal movement and the importance of examining muscle function when considering both the evolution of locomotion and the impacts of ecology on function.
Score Tests for Semiparametric Zero-inflated Poisson Models

Count data sets often produce many zeros. It is sometimes potentially questionable to use a linear predictor to model the effect of a continuous covariate of interest in zero-inflated count data. To relax the restriction, Li (2011) proposed a semiparametric zero-inflated Poisson (ZIP) regression model by using fixed-knot cubic $basis$ splines or $B$-splines to model the covariate effect, and used the likelihood ratio test to assess the validity of the linear relationship between the natural logarithm of the Poisson mean and the covariate. A score test is conducted to assess whether the extra proportion of zeros in the semiparametric ZIP regression model is equal to zero.
An integrated system for automatically generating test data

A description is given of the Godzilla automatic test data generator, an integrated set of tools that implements a new test data generation method, constraint-based testing, that is based on mutation analysis. Constraint-based testing integrates mutation analysis with several other testing techniques, such as statement analysis, branch coverage, and data flow analysis. Because Godzilla uses a rule-based approach to generate adequate test data, it is easily extendible to allow new testing techniques to be integrated into the current system. The system that has been built to implement constraint-based testing is described. Godzilla was designed in an object-oriented fashion that emphasized orthogonality and modularity. Godzilla is described from a practical viewpoint with emphasis on the internal structure of the system and the engineering problems that were solved during the implementation. >
A rule-based prognostic model for type 1 diabetes by identifying and synthesizing baseline profile patterns

Objective To identify the risk-predictive baseline profile patterns of demographic, genetic, immunologic, and metabolic markers and synthesize these patterns for risk prediction. Research Design and Methods RuleFit is used to identify the risk-predictive baseline profile patterns of demographic, immunologic, and metabolic markers, using 356 subjects who were randomized into the control arm of the prospective Diabetes Prevention Trial-Type 1 (DPT-1) study. A novel latent trait model is developed to synthesize these baseline profile patterns for disease risk prediction. The primary outcome was Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) onset. Results We identified ten baseline profile patterns that were significantly predictive to the disease onset. Using these ten baseline profile patterns, a risk prediction model was built based on the latent trait model, which produced superior prediction performance over existing risk score models for T1D. Conclusion Our results demonstrated that the underlying disease progression process of T1D can be detected through some risk-predictive patterns of demographic, immunologic, and metabolic markers. A synthesis of these patterns provided accurate prediction of disease onset, leading to more cost-effective design of prevention trials of T1D in the future.
Minimum redundancy MIMO radars

The multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar concept has drawn considerable attention recently. In the traditional single-input multiple-output (SIMO) radar system, the transmitter emits scaled versions of a single waveform. However, in the MIMO radar system, the transmitter transmits independent waveforms. It has been shown that the MIMO radar can be used to improve system performance. Most of the MIMO radar research so far has focused on the uniform array. However, it is in general a loss of optimality to assume the array to be uniform. In this paper, the nonuniform array design problem in the MIMO radar is studied. In the SIMO radar, it has been shown that there is a class of linear arrays which minimizes the number of redundant spacings in the array. These are called minimum redundancy linear arrays. It has been shown that this class of arrays has excellent performance in rejection of mainlobe interferences. In this paper, the idea of minimum redundancy linear array is extended to the MIMO radar case. The numerical examples show that the proposed minimum redundancy MIMO radar results in improved rejection of mainlobe interferences, with negligible degradation in sidelobe interference rejection capabilities.
Subword sorting with versatile permutation instructions

Subword parallelism has succeeded in accelerating many multimedia applications. Subword permutation instructions have been proposed to efficiently rearrange subwords in or among registers. Bit-level permutation instructions have also been proposed recently for their importance in cryptography. However, important algorithms, especially those with many conditional control dependencies such as sorting, have not exploited the advantage of subword parallel instructions. In this paper, we show how one of the bit permutation instructions, GRP, can be used for fast sorting. In the process, we demonstrate the versatility of this permutation instruction for uses other than bit permutations. This versatility is important in considering the addition of a new instruction to a general-purpose processor. The results show that our sorting methods have a significant speedup even when compared with the fastest sorting algorithms. We also discuss the hardware implementation of the GRP instruction and compare its latency to a typical processor's cycle time.
A middleware approach for SAINT (secure, automatic, interoperable, and transparent) peer-to-peer content services

Expanded use of the Internet and technological advances are eliciting changes in how individuals manage and share their contents. The Internet has been primarily a client-server-based system, where it is challenging to keep contents up-to-date and consistent among all of the devices. Furthermore, the client-server model has service limitations in heterogeneous computing environments. However, a new peer-to-peer (P2P) model has emerged. In this P2P workplace, each participant (peer) acts as both client and content provider. Compared with services performed by the client-server model, P2P-based content management services have several advantages. In P2P environments, users can manage heterogeneous information resources residing in various platforms perhaps in different policy environments. A P2P-based content management model can provide higher resource availability due to the distributed nature of P2P computing. However, wide-scale application of P2P computing is constrained by limitations associated with the especially sophisticated control mechanisms needed between peers: most current P2P technologies simply focus on sharing services rather than on controls between the peers. In this paper, we introduce a middleware approach to support the underlying mechanisms, providing secure, automatic, interoperable, and transparent (SAINT) services for P2P content management. The underlying mechanisms are based on machine-understandable metadata. Our middleware approach using metadata facilitates the SAINT content management services with rich metadata expression in P2P computing environments. The broad dissemination of our approach allows the application of P2P technology to more reliable and efficient content services within organization or inter-organizations.
Frequencies of mitochondrial DNA haplotypes in laboratory cage populations of the mosquito, Aedes albopictus

Genetics, Vol 132, 205-209, Copyright © 1992 | * * * | || | ### INVESTIGATIONS | S. Kambhampati, K. S. Rai and D. M. Verleye Current address: Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506. A laboratory cage experiment was undertaken to study changes over time in the frequencies of two mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplotypes in the mosquito, Aedes albopictus, under two conditions: bidirectionally compatible matings and unidirectionally incompatible matings. Frequencies were monitored for 10 generations in three replicate cages for each of the two conditions above. In cages with bidirectionally compatible strains, changes in haplotype frequencies were nondirectional and neither haplotype increased in frequency. Statistical analysis of relative proportions of the two haplotypes in each generation indicated that the magnitude of the observed fluctuations could be expected under an assumption of random genetic drift alone. In cages with unidirectionally incompatible matings, mtDNA of females that lay inviable eggs upon mating with males of another strain, decreased significantly in the F(1) generation and was completely replaced in the F(2) generation.
Identification and Significance of Multinucleate Tumor Cells in Retinoblastoma

• Multinucleate tumor cells were observed in a case of a retinal tumor suspected to be a retinoma (retinocytoma). On electron microscopy, these cells had characteristics of retinoblastoma. Similar cells were observed in an irradiated model of retinoblastoma grown in a nude mouse. We suggest that the presence of these cells indicates differentiation and/or regression of the tumor.
The modification of diet in renal disease (MDRD) and the prediction of kidney outcomes after lung transplantation.

Background Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is prevalent after lung transplantation. This study evaluated the ability of the 24-hour urine creatinine clearance (CrCl) and the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) equation at the time of listing to predict CKD after lung transplantation and to determine risk factors for CKD. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of 122 patients who underwent lung transplantation at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center between May 2002 and August 2006. The primary end point was CKD Stage 3 or higher, defined as glomerular filtration rate (GFR) ≤ 59 ml/min/1.73 m 2 or renal replacement therapy, for at least 3 months. Results Patients were a mean age of 51 ± 14 years, 55% women, and 83% non-Hispanic white. CKD developed in 62% by 1 year after lung transplantation. Older age, female gender, a diagnosis of sarcoidosis, and diabetes mellitus independently increased the risk of CKD (all p P Conclusions Older age, female gender, and diabetes mellitus increased the risk of developing CKD after lung transplant. The MDRD estimate of GFR at listing was a better predictor of CKD than CrCl. MDRD estimates should be used during lung transplant evaluation for risk stratification for CKD.
Quantitative NAD(P)H/Flavoprotein Autofluorescence Imaging Reveals Metabolic Mechanisms of Pancreatic Islet Pyruvate Response*

Glucose-stimulated insulin secretion is a multistep process dependent on β-cell metabolic flux. Our previous studies on intact pancreatic islets used two-photon NAD(P)H imaging as a quantitative measure of the combined redox signal from NADH and NADPH (referred to as NAD(P)H). These studies showed that pyruvate, a non-secretagogue, enters β-cells and causes a transient rise in NAD(P)H. To further characterize the metabolic fate of pyruvate, we have now developed one-photon flavoprotein microscopy as a simultaneous assay of lipoamide dehydrogenase (LipDH) autofluorescence. This flavoprotein is in direct equilibrium with mitochondrial NADH. Hence, a comparison of LipDH and NAD(P)H autofluorescence provides a method to distinguish the production of NADH, NADPH, or both. Using this method, the glucose dose response is consistent with an increase in both NADH and NADPH. In contrast, the transient rise in NAD(P)H observed with pyruvate stimulation is not accompanied by a significant change in LipDH, which indicates that pyruvate raises cellular NADPH without raising NADH. In comparison, methyl pyruvate stimulated a robust NADH and NADPH response. These data provide new evidence that exogenous pyruvate does not induce a significant rise in mitochondrial NADH. This inability likely results in its failure to produce the ATP necessary for stimulated secretion of insulin. Overall, these data are consistent with either a restricted pyruvate dehydrogenase-dependent metabolism or a buffering of the NADH response by other metabolic mechanisms.
A method to classify schizophrenia using inter-task spatial correlations of functional brain images

The clinical heterogeneity of schizophrenia (scz) and the overlap of self reported and observed symptoms with other mental disorders makes its diagnosis a difficult task. At present no laboratory-based or image-based diagnostic tool for scz exists and such tools are desired to support existing methods for more precise diagnosis. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is currently employed to identify and correlate cognitive processes related to scz and its symptoms. Fusion of multiple fMRI tasks that probe different cognitive processes may help to better understand hidden networks of this complex disorder. In this paper we utilize three different fMRI tasks and introduce an approach to classify subjects based on inter-task spatial correlations of brain activation. The technique was applied to groups of patients and controls and its validity was checked with the leave-one-out method. We show that the classification rate increases when information from multiple tasks are combined.
Managing Asthma on the College Campus: Findings of a Texas Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: Students attending institutions of higher education have the option of utilizing their student health center (SHC) for asthma management. However, a review of the available literature revealed no previous research as to how SHCs on college campuses in Texas manage students with asthma. This led to the following research questions; how are SHCs in Texas managing asthma for college students, and what are the SHC directors' attitudes and perceptions of the impact of asthma on their college campuses? METHODS: This descriptive pilot study randomly selected 20 colleges in Texas; 17 institutions agreed to participate. The inclusion criteria consisted of 4-y colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools with an undergraduate student population of greater than 1,000 full-time students, excluding online colleges. Once identified, the director of each institution's SHC was contacted by telephone and invited to complete the Managing Asthma on College Campuses Survey instrument via telephone interview ( n = 14) or e-mail ( n = 3). Descriptive statistics were used to analyze quantitative data and common themes were noted for the qualitative data. RESULTS: Quantitative data obtained through the survey revealed 23.5% of SHCs provide individualized asthma action plans to students and 35% of SHCs stated they have an emergency action plan for asthma exacerbations. Respondents noted 2 major barriers for effective asthma management on campus: lack of understanding of chronic disease management and underuse of the SHC due to a lack of awareness of its existence. Perceived barriers to visiting the SHC included access issues, money, and students self-medicating with short-acting β2 agonist inhalers and/or over-the-counter medications. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of directors were satisfied with asthma services provided to students; however, they felt more face-to-face asthma education was needed.
Prefrontal Activity and Diagnostic Monitoring of Memory Retrieval: fMRI of the Criterial Recollection Task

According to the distinctiveness heuristic, subjects rely more on detailed recollections (and less on familiarity) when memory is tested for pictures relative to words, leading to reduced false recognition. If so, then neural regions that have been implicated in effortful postretrieval monitoring (e.g., dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) might be recruited less heavily when trying to remember pictures. We tested this prediction with the criterial recollection task. Subjects studied black words, paired with either the same word in red font or a corresponding colored picture. Red words were repeated at study to equate recognition hits for red words and pictures. During fMRI scanning, alternating red word memory tests and picture memory tests were given, using only white words as test stimuli (say "yes" only if you recollect a corresponding red word or picture, respectively). These tests were designed so that subjects had to rely on memory for the criterial information. Replicating prior behavioral work, we found enhanced rejection of lures on the picture test compared to the red word test, indicating that subjects had used a distinctiveness heuristic. Critically, dorsolateral prefrontal activity was reduced when rejecting familiar lures on the picture test, relative to the red word test. These findings indicate that reducing false recognition via the distinctiveness heuristic is not heavily dependent on frontally mediated postretrieval monitoring processes.
Estimation subject to block censoring

A series system comprises n components arranged in decreasing order of likelihood of failure. The components are grouped into modules and, on system failure, the modules are replaced in sequence until the system is repaired. Thus, it is not known which component has failed, only which module contains the failed component. It is shown how, for a certain class of life-length distributions, prior information on the relative propensities of the components to fail can be incorporated to estimate the parameters of the life-length distributions of the components. The case where each component life-length is exponentially distributed is studied in detail. >
PYRAMIDAL PARENT TRAINING BY PEERS

This study replicated a pyramidal model of parent training by peers and compared its effects with training by a professional with 26 parents of children with disabilities. A multiple probe design across 3 tiers of parents showed that both types of training produced acquisition, maintenance, and to varying extents, generalization of parents' teaching skills, with concomitant increases in the children's performance in most cases. Improvements were comparable for parents trained by a professional or by peers, and for parents who did and did not serve as peer trainers.
Is achlorhydria a cause of iron deficiency anemia

We re-evaluated the old hypothesis that gastritis-induced achlorhydria is a cause of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in humans. First, we analyzed the currently available research on the association between achlorhydria and IDA. When gastric acid secretion was measured after maximal stimulation, the frequency of achlorhydria (or severe hypochlorhydria) was 44% in patients with idiopathic IDA and 1.8% in healthy controls. In some patients with pernicious anemia, presumed achlorhydria preceded the development of IDA in time. However, we found no credible evidence that IDA caused gastritis or that IDA preceded the development of achlorhydria. Thus, correlational results favor achlorhydria as the causal factor in the association between achlorhydria and IDA. Second, we sought to determine whether gastritis and achlorhydria cause negative iron balance. When biosynthetic methods were used to isotopically label iron in food, achlorhydric patients were found to have severe malabsorption of nonheme iron, which persisted after the development of IDA. In 1 study, achlorhydria reduced the normal increase in heme-iron absorption from hemoglobin in response to iron deficiency. After an injection of isotopic iron into normal men, the physiologic loss of iron from the body was found to be 1 mg/d. Patients with chronic gastritis had excess fecal loss of isotopically tagged plasma iron. Calculations based on these results indicate that the absorption of iron from a typical Western diet by achlorhydric patients would be less than physiologic iron losses, creating a negative iron balance that could not be overcome by the adaptive increase in duodenal iron absorptive capacity that occurs in response to iron deficiency. The combination of results from these correlational and pathophysiologic studies supports the hypothesis that gastritis-induced achlorhydria can be an independent cause of IDA.
Do Women Using Oral Contraceptive Agents Require Extra Zinc

Numerous clinical studies conducted during the 1970s revealed that users of oral contraceptives (OCs) had lower plasma zinc levels than nonusers. Although more recent studies have failed to confirm such an effect the issue of whether OC users require extra zinc in their diets has been given serious attention. It was thought that the fall in plasma zinc could reflect a reduction in tissue zinc status due to changes in zinc absorption excretion or tissue turnover. Taken together the research findings suggest that OCs may alter the postabsorptive utilization of zinc. Circulating zinc levels may be reduced while some tissue levels may be increased. In addition the release of zinc from tissues may be depressed in OC users. However there is no evidence that these changes alter the dietary zinc requirement. Estimates of endogenous zinc losses are not increased by OC use an increased incidence of clinical signs of zinc depletion (e.g. diarrhea skin lesions and infection) is not evident in OC users and zinc-dependent functions are not compromised by OC use. Finally there is no evidence that OC use before conception has a negative effect on zinc utilization during subsequent pregnancy and lactation.
Microcomputer-based image analysis systems for two-dimensional electrophoresis gels.

Abstract The intent of this overview is to provide the readers, especially those who are currently conducting two-dimentional electrophoresis, a basic understanding in the construction and use of microcomputer-based systems for the analysis of protein profiles generated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. In addition, a microcomputer-based system, employing fixed-point operations and effective algorithms, has been evaluated. The validity of this system has been demonstrated by using the two-dimensional silver-stained gels and fluorograms derived from the rat prostate. It is concluded that the present system can be used to aid the analysis of two-dimensional electrophoresis gels. An overall consideration of hardware and software components of a computer-based system is briefly discussed.
C-Ring Cannabinoid Lactones: A Novel Cannabinergic Chemotype

As a part of our controlled-deactivation ligand development project, we recently disclosed a series of (−)-Δ8-tetrahydrocannabinols (THCs) with a metabolically labile ester group at the 2′-position of the side chain. Now, we have replaced the C-ring in the classical THC structure with a hydrolyzable seven-membered lactone. One of the synthesized analogues binds with high affinity to the CB1 receptor (Ki = 4.6 nM) and exhibits much lower affinities for the mCB2 and the hCB2. Also, in vitro functional characterization found the compound to be an agonist at rCB1. Consistent with our rational design, the lead cannabinergic lactone identified here is susceptible to metabolic inactivation by plasma esterases, while the respective acid metabolite is inactive at CB receptors. These results are highlighted with molecular modeling of the two regiosomeric lactones.
Distributed Target Tracking and Synchronization in Wireless Sensor Networks

OF THE DISSERTATION Distributed Target Tracking and Synchronization in Wireless Sensor Networks by Jichuan Li Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical Engineering Washington University in St. Louis, 2016 Professor Arye Nehorai, Chair Wireless sensor networks provide useful information for various applications but pose challenges in scalable information processing and network maintenance. This dissertation focuses on statistical methods for distributed information fusion and sensor synchronization for target tracking in wireless sensor networks. We perform target tracking using particle filtering. For scalability, we extend centralized particle filtering to distributed particle filtering via distributed fusion of local estimates provided by individual sensors. We derive a distributed fusion rule from Bayes’ theorem and implement it via average consensus. We approximate each local estimate as a Gaussian mixture and develop a sampling-based approach to the nonlinear fusion of Gaussian mixtures. By using the sampling-based approach in the fusion of Gaussian mixtures, we do not require each Gaussian mixture to have a uniform number of mixture components, and thus give each sensor the flexibility to learn a Gaussian mixture model consisting of an optimal number of mixture components, based on its local information. Given such flexibility, we x develop an adaptive method for Gaussian mixture learning through a combination of hierarchical clustering and the expectation-maximization algorithm. Using numerical examples, we show that the proposed distributed particle filtering algorithm improves the accuracy and communication e ciency of distributed target tracking, and that the proposed adaptive Gaussian mixture learning method improves the accuracy and computational e ciency of distributed target tracking. We also consider the synchronization problem of a wireless sensor network. When sensors in a network are not synchronized, we model their relative clock o↵sets as unknown parameters in a state-space model that connects sensor observations to target state transition. We formulate the synchronization problem as a joint state and parameter estimation problem and solve it via the expectation-maximization algorithm to find the maximum likelihood solution for the unknown parameters, without knowledge of the target states. We also study the performance of the expectation-maximization algorithm under the Monte Carlo approximations used by particle filtering in target tracking. Numerical examples show that the proposed synchronization method converges to the ground truth, and that sensor synchronization significantly improves the accuracy of target tracking. xi Chapter
Error Analysis of Sequential Monte Carlo Methods for Transport Problems

In 1962, Halton introduced a sequential correlated sampling algorithm for the efficient solution of certain matrix problems. We have extended Halton’s method to the solution of certain simple transport problems and the resulting algorithm is capable of producing geometric convergence for these problems. In our algorithm, random walks are processed in groups, called stages, and the result of each stage is a small correction that is added to the solution at the previous stage. It is then of interest to determine conditions that guarantee strict error reduction at each stage forjrarious transport problems. Specifically, if Φ(x) is the true transport solution and \( \tilde \Phi ^{n - 1} (x) \) and \( \tilde \Phi ^n (x) \) are the estimated solutions from the (n-l)st and nth stages, respectively, we demonstrate the existence of a number λ, 0 < λ < 1, which is independent of the stage number n, such that $$\left\| {{{\tilde \Phi}^n}(x)-\Phi (x)} \right\| \leqslant \lambda \left\| {{{\tilde \Phi}^{n-1}}(x)-\tilde \Phi (x)} \right\| + \in$$ in a certain probabilistic sense, where e is an error term that tends to zero as both the number of terms representing the global solution and the number of random walks per stage tend to infinity. We will indicate how to find such a λ, which is defined in terms of the number of random walks per stage and the coefficients of the transport problem in a rather natural way.
Loss of MUNC13-1 function causes microcephaly, cortical hyperexcitability, and fatal myasthenia.

Objective: To identify the molecular basis of a fatal syndrome of microcephaly, cortical hyperexcitability, and myasthenia. Methods: We performed clinical and in vitro microelectrode studies of neuromuscular transmission, examined neuromuscular junctions cytochemically and by electron microscopy (EM), and searched for mutations by Sanger and exome sequencing. Results: Neuromuscular transmission was severely compromised by marked depletion of the readily releasable pool of quanta, but the probability of quantal release was normal. Cytochemical and EM studies revealed normal endplate architecture. Exome sequencing identified a homozygous nonsense mutation in the N-terminal domain of MUNC13-1 (UNC13A) truncating the protein after 101 residues. Conclusions: Loss of Munc13-1 function predicts that syntaxin 1B is consigned to a nonfunctional closed state; this inhibits cholinergic transmission at the neuromuscular junction and glutamatergic transmission in the brain. Inactivation of syntaxin 1B likely accounts for the patient9s cortical hyperexcitability because mutations of syntaxin 1B cause febrile seizures with or without epilepsy, haploinsufficiency of the STX1B is associated with myoclonic astatic epilepsy, and antisense knockdown of stx1b in zebrafish larvae elicits epileptiform discharges. A very recent publication also shows that syntaxin 1B has a separate obligatory role for maintenance of developing and mature neurons and illustrates impaired brain development in syntaxin 1A/1B double knockout mice. We therefore attribute our patient9s microcephaly to the truncating homozygous Munc13-1 mutation that consigns syntaxin 1B to a permanently closed nonfunctional state akin to a knockout.