cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recombinant Protein-Based Diagnostics for Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers

The term “viral hemorrhagic fever” describes a severe multisystem syndrome, in which multiple organ systems are infected/damaged; the vascular system is typically involved, and vascular damage results in hemorrhage (i.e., bleeding). The syndromes associated with viral hemorrhagic fevers include well-known entities such as Ebola virus disease, Marburg virus disease, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, and Lassa fever, as well as other less well-known entities. Moreover, there continue to be new viral hemorrhagic fever syndromes being discovered. For example, a tick-borne bunyavirus disease similar to Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome, has recently been found to be endemic to East Asia. All of the RNA viruses causing viral hemorrhagic fever should be manipulated in high-containment (i.e., biosafety level 4 (BSL-4)) laboratories, which are designed for working safely with dangerous and exotic agents that pose a high risk of laboratory infections and life-threatening disease. This strict restriction requirement makes it difficult to develop useful diagnostic methods in facilities without BSL-4 laboratories. To get around the need for BSL-4 laboratories, diagnostic methods were developed; these methods use recombinant viral antigens of hemorrhagic fever viruses in which recombinant proteins of these viruses were expressed, and serological diagnostic methods have been developed using the recombinant proteins. Antigen-detection systems have also been developed using these recombinant antigens. The recombinant nucleoproteins were expressed in a recombinant baculovirus or E. coli systems and used as an antigen in the detection of antibodies and as an immunogen for the production of monoclonal antibodies. The recombinant protein-based diagnostics systems do not require BSL-4 facilities; therefore, it becomes possible to prepare the diagnostic for viral hemorrhagic fever in the facilities without the high-containment laboratories.
Seizure Prediction Models in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Purpose Conventional video-EEG monitoring is required to diagnose seizures accurately in neonates. This tool is resource-intense and has limited availability in many centers. Seizure prediction models could help allocate resources by improving efficiency in which conventional video-EEG monitoring is used to detect subclinical seizures. The aim of this retrospective study was to create a neonate-specific seizure prediction model using clinical characteristics and EEG background findings. Methods We conducted a 3-year retrospective study of all consecutive neonates who underwent conventional video-EEG monitoring at a tertiary care pediatric hospital. Variables including age, EEG indication, high-risk clinical characteristics, and EEG background informed seizure prediction models based on a multivariable logistic regression model. A Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to construct time to first EEG seizure. Results Prediction models with clinical variables or background EEG features alone versus combined clinical and background EEG features were created from 210 neonates who met inclusion criteria. The combined clinical and EEG model had a higher area under the curve for combined sensitivity and specificity to 83.0% when compared to the clinical model (76.4%) or EEG model (66.2%). The same trend of higher sensitivity of the combined model was found for time to seizure outcome. Conclusions While both clinical and EEG background features were predictive of neonatal seizures, the combination improved overall prediction of seizure occurrence and prediction of time to first seizure as compared with prediction models based solely on clinical or EEG features alone. With prospective validation, this model may improve efficiency of patient-oriented EEG monitoring.
Debugging Support for Pattern-Matching Languages and Accelerators

Programs written for hardware accelerators can often be difficult to debug. Without adequate tool support, program maintenance tasks such as fault localization and debugging can be particularly challenging. In this work, we focus on supporting hardware that is specialized for finite automata processing, a computational paradigm that has accelerated pattern-matching applications across a diverse set of problem domains. While commodity hardware enables high-throughput data analysis, direct interactive debugging (e.g., single-stepping) is not currently supported. We propose a debugging approach for existing commodity hardware that supports step-through debugging and variable inspection of user-written automata processing programs. We focus on programs written in RAPID, a domain-specific language for pattern-matching applications. We develop a prototype of our approach for both Xilinx FPGAs and Micron's Automata Processor that supports simultaneous high-speed processing of data and interactive debugging without requiring modifications to the underlying hardware. Our empirical evaluation demonstrates low clock overheads for our approach across thirteen applications in the ANMLZoo automata processing benchmark suite on FPGAs. Additionally, we evaluate our technique through a human study involving over 60 participants and 20 buggy segments of code. Our generated debugging information increases fault localization accuracy by 22%, or 10 percentage points, in a statistically significant manner (p=0.013).
Association between serum ferritin, cardiorespiratory fitness and risk of type 2 diabetes: Aerobics Center longitudinal study

Recent studies suggest that an elevated serum ferritin concentration is considered an independent factor associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes, and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is inversely associated with diabetes. The cross-sectional study investigates 6,230 participants’ data from the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study, The Cooper Institute (Dallas, Texas). The authors explored whether CRF level is associated inversely with lower serum ferritin concentration and is associated with a lower prevalence of type 2 diabetes. Participants with high ferritin levels and high triglyceride were 1.89 and 1.57 times, respectively, more likely to have diabetes. Overweight or obese individuals were 1.35 to 1.40 times more likely to have diabetes. Participants with a family history of type 2 diabetes were 3.96 times more likely to have diabetes. Lower serum ferritin concentration was associated with lower risk of diabetes in those participating in cardiorespiratory fitness. It suggests that physicians may use patients’ ferritin concentrations as a marker for predicting their risk for new-onset diabetes, and patients should be encouraged to participate in cardiorespiratory fitness or physical activities.
Accuracy of Brain Natriuretic Peptide for Diagnosing Pulmonary Hypertension in Severe Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia.

BACKGROUND: Premature infants with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (sBPD) are at risk of pulmonary hypertension (PH). Serum brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is used to predict disease severity in adult PH. Its diagnostic utility in sBPD-associated PH is unknown. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this paper was to determine the accuracy of BNP, against echocardiogram (echo), to diagnose PH in infants born ½ systemic blood pressure estimated from tricuspid regurgitant jet or patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) velocity, bidirectional or right-to left-PDA, and/or flat/bowing ventricular septum at end-systole. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to test the diagnostic accuracy of BNP. RESULTS: Of 128 infants, 68 (53%) had echo evidence of PH. BNP was higher among the infants with PH (median [interquartile range]: 127 pg/mL [39-290] vs. 35 [20-76], p < 0.001). The area under the ROC curve for diagnosing PH using BNP was 0.74 (95% CI 0.66-0.83). At an optimal cutpoint of 130 pg/mL, BNP correctly classified the presence or absence of PH in 70% of the infants (specificity: 92, sensitivity: 50%). CONCLUSIONS: BNP, relative to concurrent echo, demonstrated moderate accuracy for diagnosing PH in this cohort of preterm infants with sBPD. BNP may help rule in PH in this population but has low utility to rule out the disease.
Mode demultiplexing hybrids for mode-division multiplexing coherent receivers

We propose a mode demultiplexing hybrid (MDH) that integrates mode demultiplexing, local oscillator power splitting, and optical 90-deg mixing using multi-plane light conversion (MPLC). We demonstrate the realization of a three-mode MDH using four phase plates, one more than what is required for an MPLC-based mode demultiplexer, via numerical simulations. The performance of the three-mode MDH is comparable to that of commercial single-mode 90-deg hybrids. This multiple-functionality device enables simplification of the coherent optical front end of mode-division multiplexing receivers.
Eavesdropping on Biological Processes with Multi-dimensional Molecular Imaging

A more complete understanding of biological processes at cellular and molecular levels requires the ability to study them in time and space. Such observation became increasingly easy with the use of genetically encoded fluorescent markers, such as GFP, and the latest developments in optical microscopy. This combination of tools permits the structure and function of biological tissues to be imaged in zebrafish non-invasively. For example, it has become possible to image cardiac structure when GFP is fused to cytoskeletal elements, such as alpha-catenin; similarly, neural activity can be followed when genetically encoded calcium sensors are used to eavesdrop on sets of neurons. Such intravital imaging has furthered our understanding of the relationships between cardiac structure and function, as well as between neuronal activity patterns and complex behaviors such as sleep. Imaging these processes in 3 dimensions – at whole tissue scale and at subcellular resolution – is challenging to perform at sufficient speeds to capture the dynamics under study. Here we review some emerging approaches that combine the speed of Light Sheet microscopy with sets of computational image processing and image analysis tools, offering clear paths to overcome these challenges. We will take advantage of the zebrafish as an excellent system for imaging, and offer examples drawn from recent efforts to perform 3D imaging at single-cell resolution of the beating heart, and of whole-brain neural activity.
Cellular uptake of protic ruthenium complexes is influenced by pH dependent passive diffusion and energy dependent efflux.

Abstract The lipophilic vs. hydrophilic properties of three protic ruthenium compounds were studied as a function of pH. Specifically, we measured Log(Do/w) values for [(N,N)2Ru(6,6′-dhbp)]2+ complexes (where N,N = 2,2′-bipyridine (1A), 1,10-phenanthroline (2A), 2,3-dihydro-[1,4]dioxino[2,3-f][1,10]phenanthroline (3A) and 6,6′-dhbp is the diprotic 6,6′-dihydroxy-2,2′-bipyridine ligand) from pH 4.0 to 8.0. This study allowed us to demonstrate that as the ligand is deprotonated at higher pH values the resulting neutral charge on the complex improves its lipophilic properties. Thus, improved uptake by passive diffusion is expected with protic ligands on Ru(II). Furthermore, cellular studies have demonstrated that passive diffusion is the dominant pathway for cellular uptake. However, metabolic inhibition has also shown that energy dependent efflux reduces the amount of the ruthenium complex (as measured by mean fluorescence intensity) in the cells. These compounds have been shown by fluorescence microscopy to accumulate in the nuclei of cancer cells (MCF7, MDA-MB-231, and HeLa). Taken together, this data shows that uptake is required for toxicity but uptake alone is not sufficient. The greatest light activated toxicity appears to occur in breast cancer cell lines with relatively moderate uptake (MCF7 and MDA-MB-231) rather than the cell line with the greatest uptake of complex 3A (normal breast cell line MCF-10A).
Perceptual Underpinnings for "Good" Editing: A Fractal Analysis.

Filmmakers’ efforts not only advance film as an art form, they also provide insights about basic perception. This research was designed to uncover commonalities between the aesthetic appreciation o...
Scientia, diachronic certainty, and virtue

In the Fifth Meditation Descartes considers the problem of knowledge preservation (PKP): the challenge of accounting for the diachronic certainty of perfect knowledge [scientia]. There are two general solutions to PKP in the literature: the regeneration solution and the infallible memory solution. While both readings pick up on features of Descartes’ considered view, I argue that they ultimately fall short. Salvaging pieces from both readings and drawing from Descartes’ virtue theory, I argue on textual and systematic grounds for a dispositionalist solution. On this view, the diachronic certainty of scientia is achieved through virtuous habits of belief.
Conceptualizing Refugee Resilience Across Multiple Contexts

Resilience is a dynamic contextually bound process involving successful acquisition and use of culturally appropriate resources contributing to well-being despite encountering adversity. The mechanisms by which an individual reaches or maintains well-being are influenced by qualities unique to the individual, as well as by shared experiences, cultural aspects, and environmental factors. Refugees are people forced to flee their country of origin due to well-founded fear. Therefore, if they are to experience resilience, they must learn to navigate (access) and negotiate (advocate) for resources in multiple contexts (e.g., country of origin and new location). This chapter details an ecological framework for examining resilience in the context of refugee experiences. We present a study of resilience among Nepali-speaking Bhutanese refugees living in the USA. We interviewed 10 Nepali-speaking Bhutanese refugees about life in Bhutan (pre-flight), refugee camps in Nepal (flight), and the USA (post-flight), which revealed a holistic interconnected view of well-being (i.e., psychological, physical, social, and spiritual) that remained consistent across the three settings. The processes for regaining well-being despite adversity were context-dependent (e.g., Bhutan, assimilate into mainstream culture; refugee camps, work illegally for basic needs; the USA, learn and follow laws). We finish the chapter with conclusions and future directions for research in the context of refugee resettlement and other immigrant contexts.
Women’s Rights and Gender Equality in Turkey| Framing the Alimony Debates in Turkey: Struggle Between Feminist and Antifeminist Discourses to Represent “Women’s Rights”

In this article, I analyze two media campaigns that have defended opposite positions about the amendments on alimony legislation in Turkey. The alimony debates reveal ongoing struggles not just to redefine the meanings of feminism and women’s rights in Turkey but also to redefine the role of the welfare state in alleviating poverty. One of the campaigns is run by leading feminists, and the other is run by profamily groups who claim that they are the victims of the existing alimony legislation. I focus on the intersections of gender and class and suggest that Turkey’s feminists might need new and subversive alliances in the current political moment characterized by the right-wing hegemony of the Justice and Development Party (Adalet ve Kalkinma Partisi, AKP). Reaching out to lower-class men and campaigning for gender equality by focusing not only on “women” as an identity category but also on poverty as a major source of oppression might enhance feminists’ chance to expand their base and push back on the conservative gender policies propagated by the AKP government.
Differentiable Nonparametric Belief Propagation.

We present a differentiable approach to learn the probabilistic factors used for inference by a nonparametric belief propagation algorithm. Existing nonparametric belief propagation methods rely on domain-specific features encoded in the probabilistic factors of a graphical model. In this work, we replace each crafted factor with a differentiable neural network enabling the factors to be learned using an efficient optimization routine from labeled data. By combining differentiable neural networks with an efficient belief propagation algorithm, our method learns to maintain a set of marginal posterior samples using end-to-end training. We evaluate our differentiable nonparametric belief propagation (DNBP) method on a set of articulated pose tracking tasks and compare performance with a recurrent neural network. Results from this comparison demonstrate the effectiveness of using learned factors for tracking and suggest the practical advantage over hand-crafted approaches. The project webpage is available at: progress.eecs.umich.edu/projects/dnbp.
Welfare Estimation Using Aggregate and Individual-Observation Models: A Comparison Using Monte Carlo

Due to the weak behavioral foundations of aggregate demand models, zonal travel cost models have been largely abandoned in favor of models based on individual observations. However, sample selection difficulties in individual-observation models often require the use of distribution-sensitive limited-dependent variables estimators. In this paper I use Monte-Carlo simulations to investigate whether the bias from aggregation is worse than possible bias from these narrowly specified estimators. Somewhat surprisingly, the results indicate that zonal models often outperform the individual-observation models, especially when using an aggregate model that incorporates intrazonal variance of the explanatory variables.
Correlation Between Traditional Barrett's Esophagus Risk Factors and Gastroesophageal Acid Reflux and Esophageal Mucosal Injury

Introduction: Repeated mucosal injury from gastroesophageal reflux (GER) causes Barrett’s esophagus (BE). We studied correlation between traditional BE risk factors and the degree of gastroesophageal acid reflux and mucosal injury. Methods: Consecutive adults who underwent pH-impedance monitoring off therapy between Oct 2013-March 2020 were included. Patients with major motility disorders were excluded. Acid exposure time (AET) was used to determine the degree of gastroesophageal acid reflux. Mucosal injury was assessed using distal mean nocturnal basal impedance (dMNBI) which measures increased mucosal permeability from reflux injury. The correlations were assessed on univariable and multivariable linear regression models. Results: After excluding 33 for major motility disorder, 219 patients were included. On multivariate model, older age (p=0.038), White race (p=0.005), and higher BMI (p=0.015) had positive correlation with AET, while sex (p=0.154) and smoking (p=0.193) were not. Non-white patients averaged 50% (95%CI, 20-70%) lower AET, AET increased with age up to 60 years and with BMI up to 33 kg/m 2 . Inverse correlation observed between dMNBI and all the risk factors and AET. On multivariate analysis, only AET (p<.001) had significant correlation with dMNBI, male sex had borderline correlation (p=0.052) and none with age (p=0.140), race (p=0.117), smoking status (p=0.461), and BMI (p=0.109). Conclusion: Differential mucosal injury from GER noted between different BE risk factors; age, obesity, and White race increase degree of acid reflux, while male sex likely has higher degree of injury from acid reflux. These observations are insightful in developing a strategy to mitigate BE risk. Funding Statement: None. Declaration of Interests: None. Ethics Approval Statement: This study was approved by the Creighton University Institutional Review Board.
Outcomes of systemic therapy in metastatic phyllodes tumor of the breast

Metastatic phyllodes tumors of the breast (MPT) are rare breast neoplasms, limiting development of standardized treatment approaches. We sought to characterize the largest group of MPT thus far reported, evaluating systemic therapy outcomes. Adult patients diagnosed with MPT between 1993 and 2015 and followed at MD Anderson Cancer Center were selected for retrospective chart review. Systemic therapy was sorted into: adriamycin/ifosfamide (AI), other anthracycline regimens, other ifosfamide regimens, gemcitabine-based regimens, and other. Given one patient may have received more than one regimen, we assumed that the effects of each regimen were independent from previous therapy. Median overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were estimated by the Kaplan–Meier method. Log-rank test was performed to evaluate the difference in OS between patient characteristics groups, and the differences in PFS between the five chemotherapy regimens. We identified 50 MPT patients, with 31 patients receiving 61 systemic regimens. Median OS was 10.7 months (95% CI: 8.67, 16.5). AI had a PFS of 9.10 months (95% CI: 5.03, 14.2), other ifosfamide regimens had a PFS of 5.10 months (95% CI: 0.67, 12.1), other anthracycline regimens had a PFS of 3.65 months (95% CI: 1.17, 7.90), gemcitabine-based regimens had a PFS of 2.80 months (95% CI: 1.83, 4.60), and other regimens had a PFS of 1.67 months (95% CI: 1.13, 7.77). MPT patients are a unique population with limited characterization to date. Our study demonstrates activity of multiple sarcoma-directed chemotherapy regimens, with ifosfamide-containing regimens having the longest PFS.
Use of Fitbit Devices in Physical Activity Intervention Studies Across the Life Course: Narrative Review.

Background: Commercial off-the-shelf activity trackers (eg, Fitbit) allow users to self-monitor their daily physical activity (PA), including the number of steps, type of PA, amount of sleep, and other features. Fitbits have been used as both measurement and intervention tools. However, it is not clear how they are being incorporated into PA intervention studies, and their use in specific age groups across the life course is not well understood. Objective: This narrative review aims to characterize how PA intervention studies across the life course use Fitbit devices by synthesizing and summarizing information on device selection, intended use (intervention vs measurement tool), participant wear instructions, rates of adherence to device wear, strategies used to boost adherence, and the complementary use of other PA measures. This review provides intervention scientists with a synthesis of information that may inform future trials involving Fitbit devices. Methods: We conducted a search of the Fitabase Fitbit Research Library, a database of studies published between 2012 and 2018. Of the 682 studies available on the Fitabase research library, 60 interventions met the eligibility criteria and were included in this review. A supplemental search in PubMed resulted in the inclusion of 15 additional articles published between 2019 and 2020. A total of 75 articles were reviewed, which represented interventions conducted in childhood; adolescence; and early, middle, and older adulthood. Results: There was considerable heterogeneity in the use of Fitbit within and between developmental stages. Interventions for adults typically required longer wear periods, whereas studies on children and adolescents tended to have more limited device wear periods. Most studies used developmentally appropriate behavior change techniques and device wear instructions. Regardless of the developmental stage and intended Fitbit use (ie, measurement vs intervention tool), the most common strategies used to enhance wear time included sending participants reminders through texts or emails and asking participants to log their steps or synchronize their Fitbit data daily. The rates of adherence to the wear time criteria were reported using varying metrics. Most studies supplemented the use of Fitbit with additional objective or self-reported measures for PA. Conclusions: Overall, the heterogeneity in Fitbit use across PA intervention studies reflects its relative novelty in the field of research. As the use of monitoring devices continues to expand in PA research, the lack of uniformity in study protocols and metrics of reported measures represents a major issue for comparability purposes. There is a need for increased transparency in the prospective registration of PA intervention studies. Researchers need to provide a clear rationale for the use of several PA measures and specify the source of their main PA outcome and how additional measures will be used in the context of Fitbit-based interventions. Trial Registration:
Design of Columns as Part of Frames — Some Remarks

With the help of two simple rigid-jointed frames, this lecture shows that for frames with weak beam/strong column designs, use of effective length factors K less than one, given by bifurcation analysis, for design of such frames may be unconservative. Also, in the case of strong beam/weak column design, the beam has to support additional moments that are equal in magnitude to the restraining moments on the column.
PHYTOLITHS FROM SOME ISRAELI SEDGES

ABSTRACT Phytoliths from grasses are well documented and broadly applied in some archaeo-botanical studies, whereas sedge phytoliths have received less attention. Since sedge phytoliths appear to be morphologically distinct from those in grasses, they may be of taxonomic importance. Phytoliths from nine samples of modern Cyperus and Scirpus grown in Israel were investigated. Light and scanning electron micrographs of phytoliths are presented. Scanning electron micrographs are included to illustrate high-resolution characteristics not readily visible under the more commonly used light microscope. It is hoped that the information regarding these Israeli sedges will provide plant taxonomists and archaeologists with a descriptive guide to the apparently small range of phytoliths produced by Cyperaceae.
Three-particle quantization condition: an update

We give an update on our derivation of a quantization condition relating the finite-volume spectrum of three particles in a cubic box to infinite-volume scattering quantities. We have discovered and fixed technical problems in the derivation sketched in the proceedings of last year's lattice conference [arXiv:1311.4848], and have presented a detailed description of the corrected derivation in Ref. [arXiv:1408.5933]. Here we give an overview of the problems and their solutions, and describe open questions.
Resting spores of the freshwater diatomsAcanthoceras andUrosolenia

Diatom resting spores are a widespread, but sometimes misconstrued component of siliceous micro fossil assemblages. We illustrate and discuss resting spore morphology found in populations of Acanthoceras and Urosolenia, two widely distributed freshwater genera. Taxonomic status of these genera and the potential paleolimnologic interpretation of resting spores are discussed.
Application of a Thermal Fatigue Life Prediction Model to High-Temperature Aerospace Alloys B1900 + Hf and Haynes 188

The results of the application of a newly proposed thermomechanical fatigue (TMF) life prediction method to a series of laboratory TMF results on two high-temperature aerospace engine alloys are presented. The method, referred to as TMF/TS-SRP, is based on three relatively recent developments: the total strain version of the method of Strainrange Partitioning (TS-SRP), the bithermal testing technique for characterizing TMF behavior, and advanced viscoplastic constitutive models. The high-temperature data reported in a companion publication are used to evaluate the constants in the model and to provide the TMF verification data to check its accuracy. Predicted lives are in agreement with the experimental lives to within a factor of approximately 2.
Stress System Regulation of Chronic Low-grade Inflammation

Chronic stress is an important predictor of morbidity and mortality in humans. While research has made major advances in understanding the biological pathways between long-term stress exposure and pathophysiological mechanisms underlying adverse health outcomes, one major issue remains: Alterations of major stress systems hypothalamus pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis and sympathetic nervous system (SNS) are not consistently found, and/or are insufficient in explaining the stress-disease link. Chronic, and systemic low-grade inflammation has emerged as a promising pathway, because inflammation is more consistently found elevated in conditions of chronic psychosocial stress, and these alterations of inflammatory activity can be directly related with specific pathophysiological mechanisms underlying important diseases associated with chronic stress, such as cardiovascular disease. However, increased inflammation is theoretically incompatible with the frequent finding of unchanged, or decreased basal HPA axis activity. It has therefore been suggested that one of the major changes in chronic stress manifests itself in the ability of the inflammatory tissues to adequately respond to anti-inflammatory signaling of stress systems. The aim of this review article is to summarize our current knowledge about the ability of the stress systems HPA axis, sympathetic, and parasympathetic nervous system to control inflammation.
Rotational Analysis of Some C O 2 Emission Bands. Part I

By using the light of a hollow cathode discharge and that of a Back box with direct current, the red degraded C${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ bands at $\ensuremath{\lambda}\ensuremath{\lambda}3247$, 3254, 3370, 3377, 3503, 3511, 3534, 3545, 3674 and 3839A have been photographed in the third order of a 21 foot Rowland grating and analyzed. The bands are composed of $P$ and $R$ branches and on first inspection they show no alternately missing lines. The lines of the bands at $\ensuremath{\lambda}\ensuremath{\lambda}3254$, 3377, 3511, 3534, and 3839A show staggering, while the lines of the other bands do not (in the limit of observational accuracy). The single structure of the bands indicates that the molecule is linear in both initial and final states. The distance between the carbon and an oxygen atom computed from the rotational constants is almost the same as computed from the CO and C${\mathrm{O}}^{+}$ bands. The above enumerated bands show no Zeeman effect of the observable lines. Other bands which are found to show more complicated structure and Zeeman effect will be the subject of further investigations.
Conditioning by minimizing accessibility

This paper presents an axiomatization of a class of set-theoretic conditional operators using minimization of the geodesic distance defined as the shortest path generated by the accessibility relation on a frame. The objective of this modeling is to define conditioning based on a notion of similarity generated by degrees of indistinguishability.
Chapter 11 Living Marine Resources Applications

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of the applications of living marine resources. The era of space technology brought new perspectives in remote sensing for fisheries. Abilities were acquired to view entire oceans and seas in a matter of minutes. Early satellite remote-sensing investigations for fisheries used information gathered over the ocean by systems designed for making terrestrial and meteorological observations. The objectives of these studies were to determine if certain satellite sensors could measure or identify selected oceanographic features that are believed to influence the distribution of fish. This chapter aims to review the published living marine resource applications of ocean measurements made by Seasat and the Nimbus-7 Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS). Use of satellite infrared thermal data in fisheries research is described, and modeling of larval transport mechanisms using high-resolution SASS is elaborated. Use of coastal zone color scanner data in fisheries research is discussed. Utilization of satellite data in fisheries-aids products distribution to fishermen is explained. Recent U.S. research involving the use of satellite infrared thermal data in fisheries is described as well.
c-Myb Promotes the Survival of CD4+CD8+ Double-Positive Thymocytes through Upregulation of Bcl-xL

Mechanisms that regulate the lifespan of CD4(+)CD8(+) double-positive (DP) thymocytes help shape the peripheral T cell repertoire. However, the molecular mechanisms controlling DP thymocyte survival remain poorly understood. The Myb proto-oncogene encodes a transcription factor required during multiple stages of T cell development. We demonstrate that Myb mRNA expression is upregulated as thymocytes differentiate from the double-negative into the metabolically quiescent, small, preselection DP stage during T cell development. Using a conditional deletion mouse model, we demonstrate that Myb-deficient DP thymocytes undergo premature apoptosis, resulting in a limited Tcralpha repertoire biased toward 5' Jalpha segment usage. Premature apoptosis occurs specifically in the small preselection DP compartment in an alphabetaTCR-independent manner and is a consequence of decreased Bcl-xL expression. Forced Bcl-xL expression is able to rescue survival, and reintroduction of c-Myb restores both Bcl-xL expression and the small preselection DP compartment. We further demonstrate that c-Myb promotes transcription at the Bcl2l1 locus via a genetic pathway that is independent of the expression of T cell-specific factor-1 or RORgammat, two transcription factors that induce Bcl-xL expression in T cell development. Thus, Bcl-xL is a novel mediator of c-Myb activity during normal T cell development.
Operational phase-space of separation by plasma implantation of oxygen (SPIMOX)

SPIMOX using plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) has been proposed as a cost-effective method for fabricating silicon on insulator (SOI) wafers. PIII, compared to conventional implanters, allows for simpler and low maintenance-cost implanters. High throughput, independent of the wafer size can be achieved by the SPIMOX process. A phase-space of implantation time and implantation pressure is developed to determine the operational regions for SPIMOX implantation. SPIMOX process using high fractional ionization plasma for implantation is found to be particularly suited for thin SOI fabrication required for future low-power IC applications.
Non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol: why lower is better.

Recent comparative trials of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) suggest that lower is better and that reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels to below 100 mg/dL can provide additional clinical benefit. Non–high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non–HDL-C) contains more atherogenic cholesterol than LDL-C and is considered a more accurate measurement of the total amount of atherogenic particles in the circulation. Therefore, the principle that “lower is better” may also apply to lowering levels of non–HDL-C. In persons with high triglycerides (200–499 mg/dL), LDL-C remains the primary target of therapy, but non–HDL-C is an important secondary therapeutic target. Non–HDL-C is strongly correlated with small dense LDL as well as apolipoprotein B, an established predictor of cardiovascular disease risk. Current evidence indicates that statins not only rapidly and dramatically reduce LDL-C, but also have a similar effect on non–HDL-C, and that the greater the reduction in LDL-C, the greater will be the reduction in non–HDL-C. (Prev Cardiol. 2005;8:173–177) © 2005 Le Jacq Ltd.
Arrays of 1-dimensional antennas

Radiation, reception and scattering by 1-dimensional antennas was described recently. As receiver, such an antenna with resistive load faithfully models a thin resistive sheet. Arrays of two 1-dimensional antennas with various excitations and loads are considered as radiating antennas and receiving antennas. Results include directivity, element efficiency, received and scattered power.
Postnatal development of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and tyrosine protein kinase B (TrkB) receptor immunoreactivity in multiple brain stem respiratory-related nuclei of the rat

Previously, we found a transient imbalance between suppressed excitation and enhanced inhibition in the respiratory network of the rat around postnatal days (P) 12-13, a critical period when the hypoxic ventilatory response is at its weakest. The mechanism underlying the imbalance is poorly understood. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its tyrosine protein kinase B (TrkB) receptors are known to potentiate glutamatergic and attenuate gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic neurotransmission, and BDNF is essential for respiratory development. We hypothesized that the excitation-inhibition imbalance during the critical period stemmed from a reduced expression of BDNF and TrkB at that time within respiratory-related nuclei of the brain stem. An in-depth, semiquantitative immunohistochemical study was undertaken in seven respiratory-related brain stem nuclei and one nonrespiratory nucleus in P0-21 rats. The results indicate that the expressions of BDNF and TrkB: 1) in the pre-Botzinger complex, nucleus ambiguus, commissural and ventrolateral subnuclei of solitary tract nucleus, and retrotrapezoid nucleus/parafacial respiratory group were significantly reduced at P12, but returned to P11 levels by P14; 2) in the lateral paragigantocellular nucleus and parapyramidal region were increased from P0 to P7, but were strikingly reduced at P10 and plateaued thereafter; and 3) in the nonrespiratory cuneate nucleus showed a gentle plateau throughout the first 3 postnatal weeks, with only a slight decline of BDNF expression after P11. Thus, the significant downregulation of both BDNF and TrkB in respiratory-related nuclei during the critical period may form the basis of, or at least contribute to, the inhibitory-excitatory imbalance within the respiratory network during this time.
Characteristics of left-ventricular isovolumic pressure waves in isolated dog hearts.

The peak pressure which a chamber would develop in isovolumic contraction at end-diastolic distention (peak source pressure) is an expression of contractile vigor and a determinant of systolic performance. One can predict source pressure of an ejecting beat by fitting its isovolumic phases with a model isovolumic-wave function. Characteristics of the left-ventricular isovolumic pressure wave (amplitude, duration, shape) were studied in isolated, perfused, artificially loaded dog hearts, where strictly isovolumic conditions could be obtained over a wide range of cavity volumes at constant heart rate and approximately constant contractile state. The characterization involved two steps: (1) beginning and ending points were identified by a transition-locating algorithm, and (2) Fourier analysis was performed on points in between. The amplitude of the isovolumic pressure wave increased with cavity volume as expected, the duration of contraction increased with cavity volume, and the shape of the wave (normalized Fourier coefficients) depended slightly on the cavity volume. Duration of contraction declined slightly with increasing heart rate, but the shape of the isovolumic pressure wave was independent of heart rate. The mean shape was similar to that found in dog hearts subjected to one-beat aortic-root clamping in vivo — the wave being less sharply peaked than a cosine wave and tilted to the left because relaxation was slower than contraction. When ejecting beats were produced with a Windkessel model, ejecting-beat duration declined linearly with increasing ejection fraction. This relation could be used to predict the duration of the isovolumic beat corresponding to the duration of an ejecting beat. Source pressure could then be predicted by fitting a model isovolumic wave of predicted duration to the isovolumic contraction phase of the ejecting beat. In 270 comparisons, the ratio of predicted peak source pressure to observed peak source pressure was 1.04 ± 0.10 (SD). This method provides a reasonably accurate prediction of an important determinant of systolic performance.
Children's Use of Landmarks: Implications for Modularity Theory

Previous studies have shown that disoriented children use the geometric features of the environment to reorient, but the results have not consistently demonstrated whether children can combine such information with landmark information. Results indicating that they cannot suggest the existence of a geometric module for reorientation. However, results indicating that children can use geometric information in combination with landmark information challenge the modularity interpretation. An uncontrolled variable in the studies yielding conflicting results has been the size of the experimental space. In the present studies, which tested young children in spaces of two different sizes, the size of the space affected their ability to use available landmark information. In the small space, the children did not use the landmark to reorient, but in the large space they did. The ability of children to use landmarks in combination with geometric information raises important questions about the existence of an encaps...
Luteinizing hormone synthesis in cultured fetal human pituitary cells exposed to gonadotropin-releasing hormone.

To investigate whether GnRH regulates LH synthesis during human development, pituitary cells from second trimester fetuses were incubated with [35S]methionine ([35S]met) and [3H]glucosamine ([3H]gln) for 48 h with 0, 10(-9), and 10(-7) mol/L GnRH. Immunoassayable (i) LH was measured in media and cellular lysates, and dual label scintillation analysis was used to quantitate incorporation of radiolabeled precursors into cells, trichloroacetic acid-precipitable proteins, and immunoprecipitated LH subjected to electrophoresis. Exposure of cells to GnRH did not affect cellular uptake or incorporation of precursors into proteins, but specifically increased total (secreted plus cellular) LH synthesis. Both GnRH concentrations significantly increased iLH release and enhanced secreted and cellular [3H]gln-LH. The secretion of [35S] met-LH was stimulated only by 10(-7) mol/L GnRH. The proportion of newly synthesized LH that was secreted and the 3H/35S ratio of secreted and cellular LH were uninfluenced by GnRH. Alt...
Evaluating inventory management performance using a turnover curve

Managing inventory levels in the aggregate is a common concern of senior management. A generalized formula (turnover curve) developed in previous research that mimics practical inventory control is used to audit inventory control performance of inventories in the aggregate and at multiple stocking points. The same turnover curve is used to estimate the impact of changing the inventory control procedures or to set new targets for inventory levels. It is a simple yet powerful tool for evaluating inventory managerial performance that can be developed from readily available company data. This research provides additional examples to further validate the practical usefulness of the turnover curve.
The role of thiols in lymphocyte responses: Effect of 2-mercaptoethanol on interleukin 2 production

Abstract The effects of 2-ME on the production of IL 2 in mitogen-stimulated mouse splenocyte cultures were examined. Since 2-ME could conceivably affect IL 2 production and utilization equally, resulting in no apparent change in the IL 2 concentration of treated cultures, 12-h cultures were used to minimize any effects of IL 2 utilization on the IL 2 concentrations observed. Utilization of IL 2 in 12 h splenocyte cultures was estimated by means of simulations in which IL 2 from 12 h culture supernates was utilized by CTLL-2 cells comparable in number to the lymphoblasts present in splenocyte cultures. These stimulations indicate that IL 2 utilization is insignificant during the first 12 h of culture under a variety of conditions. Thus, the IL 2 concentration at 12 h reflects predominantly the rate of production. No effect was observed on IL 2 concentrations at 12 h when cultures were treated with 2-ME under conditions in which the 2-ME enhanced cellular activation/proliferation. These results indicate that 2-ME does not enhance proliferation in Con A-stimulated splenocyte cultures by increasing IL 2 production, but by some other mechanism(s).
Characteristics of AVIRIS bands measurements in agricultural crops at Blythe area, California: II. Studies on kenaf, Hibiscus canabinus

ABSTRACT AVIRIS data from Blythe,Calfornia , were acquired in June 1997 to study the agricultural spectra from different crops and for identification of crops in other areas with similar environmental factors and similar spectral properties. In this respect; the main objectives of this study are: 1) to compare the spectral and radiometric characteristics of AVIRIS data from agriculture crops with the spectra measured by FieldSpecR ASD radiometer; 2) to explore the use of AVIRIS images in identifying agriculture crops; and; 3) to build a spectral library for the crops that were studied. A long-term goal is to exte nd the spectral library for different vegetation or crops in different stages of growth. In order to support our study, on July 18-19, 2000 we collected spectra using the FieldSpecR ASD spectrometer from selected fields planted with different crops at Blythe area, California (at the Longitude 114 o 33.28 W and Latitude 33 25.42 N to Longitude 114 o 44.35 W and 33 39.77 N Latitude). The results of this study showed that there is a significant correlation between the data that were collected by AVIRIS image scene in 1997 and spectral data collected by the FieldSpecR spectrometer. This correlation allowed us to build a spectral library to be used in ENVI_IDL software. This leads to identification of different crops and in particular the visible part of the spectra. Furthermore, using IDL-ENVI algorithms of Spectral Angle Mapper classification (SAM), Spectral Feature Fitting (SFF) and Spectral Binary Encoding (SPE) showed that there is an excellent agreement between the predicted and the actual crop type (i.e. The correlation is between 85-90% match). Further use of the AVIRIS images can be of a value to crops identification or crops yield for commercial use. Kenaf crop spectra were studied. The kenaf varieties (Tainung 2 , Everglades 41) were significantly differentiated by both the spectral data from AVIRIS and from the hand-held radiometer. Key Words : AVIRIS bands, Kenaf, Hibiscus canabinus, Tainung 2, Everglades 41, ENVI-IDL software, Spectral Library.
On the Hydrophobicity of Nitrogen Dioxide: Could there be a “lens” effect for NO2 reaction kinetics?

Solvent “lens” effects for the reaction kinetics of NO2 can be evaluated on the basis of published Henry’s law constants for nitrogen dioxide in various solvents. Water-to-organic solvent partition coefficients were derived from Henry’s law constants and used to assess the tendencies of NO2 toward fleeing the aqueous environments and concentrating in biological hydrophobic media. It is concluded, based only on the estimated aqueous medium-to-cell membrane partition coefficient for NO2, that such tendencies will be relatively small, and that they may account for an acceleration of chemical reactions in biological hydrophobic media with reaction kinetics that are first order on NO2 by a factor of approximately 3 ± 1. Thus, kinetic effects due to mass action will be relatively small but it is also important to recognize that because NO2 will tend to dissolve in cell membranes, reactions with cell membrane components will not be hindered by lack of physical solubility at these loci. In comparison to other gases, nitrogen dioxide is less hydrophobic than NO, O2 and N2.
Modulation Spectrum from an Electron-Spin-Resonance Line

A new type of spectrum was obtained from an inhomogeneously broadened ESR line under multiple modulation when one of the modulation frequencies was swept. Each spectral line appeared to be equivalent to the individual spin packet of the ESR line.