cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Summability of Lagrange type interpolation series

We consider certain aspects of the theory of interpolation via entire functions of exponential type, which include sampling node sequences χ which can be highly irregular and data sequences {y(x)}xn∈χ which are not necessarily bounded. Under appropriate conditions, we show that there is an entire function of a suitable exponential type which uniquely interpolates the data and indicate the validity of certain summabilty methods for the corresponding Lagrange type interpolation series. Some of our results significantly extend the work of Schoenberg,Cardinal interpolation and spline functions VII: The behavior of cardinal spline interpolation as their degree tends to infinity, J. Analyse Math.27 (1974), 205–229.
IL-22: A critical mediator in mucosal host defense

IL-22 is an IL-10 family cytokine member that was recently discovered to be produced by Th17 cells. Current studies have revealed that IL-22 targets cells of the digestive, skin, and respiratory organ systems and plays an important role in mucosal immunity. The IL-22 receptor (IL-22R) is expressed exclusively in these tissues, thereby allowing the cytokine to mediate epithelial innate immunity in response to a variety of pathogens. Although recent studies have shown the importance of IL-22 in host defense against Gram-negative bacterial organisms (in gut and lung), there is evidence that IL-22 also plays a role in autoimmune disease, such as psoriasis. IL-22 therefore, not unlike other cytokines, has complex pro-inflammatory, anti-inflammatory, and autoimmune effects which continue to be under further investigation. This review will focus on what is known about IL-22 and its function in mucosal host defense.
Improved SPECT reconstruction of Tc-99m sestamibi distribution in breast tissue

This paper describes a new image reconstruction method to reduce the presence of image artifacts in scintimammography. SPECT data are mathematically modified prior to conventional image processing, followed by an inverse transform, which permits the tomographic visualization of low signals in the presence of large background intensities observed in scintimammography. Images of Tc-99m sestamibi distribution were obtained in a modeled `breast tissue', with a high activity in the `myocardium' as compared to the `breast tissue' (i.e. 20:1). Image reconstruction with the modified algorithm were qualitatively correct and demonstrated the regions of enhanced uptake (lesions) with no evidence of artifacts from the background counts in the heart. Comparison with MRI demonstrated that the hot regions were properly located and correlated with the MRI data. In contrast, a standard (i.e. Filtered Back Projection) reconstruction resulted in streak artifacts in place of `breast tissue' which rendered them clinically useless. This new approach to scintimammography offers the prospect of significantly reducing image artifacts and improving imaging accuracy.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
A Novel Study: A Situation Model Analysis of Reading Times

One of the basic findings on situation models and language comprehension is that reading times are affected by the changing event structure in a text. However, many studies have traditionally used multiple, relatively short texts, in which there is little event consistency across the texts. It is unclear to what extent such changes will be observed when readers are given a longer, more coherent text, such as a novel. The current study discovered that while some of the characteristics of language comprehension found with multiple shorter texts also influence the reading of a novel, such as the introduction of new characters and causal breaks, there are several notable differences. In some cases, factors did not clearly influence comprehension, and a reverse influence was observed as with spatial and temporal shifts. Thus, more work is needed to develop situation model theory that can more readily account for complex, real-world comprehension.
Pigment changes during cleavage.

Abstract Having shown previously the degree of determination of the first cleavage furrow, the present studies of pigment behavior were planned to throw additional light on the reactions of the egg materials during the first cleavages. The pigment changes have been followed as the first furrow is initiated and the relation of the pigment granules to the blastomeric interface has been interpreted in terms of pigment induction and aggregation. The internal relationship of the pigment granules to the outer surface of the nuclear membrane indicates the polarity of the nucleus since this marks the location of the breakdown point of the membrane at the time of nuclear division. Mass attraction theory is employed for the reexpression of material segregation without invoking external forces.
Defect analysis and mechanical performance of plasma-deposited thin films on flexible polycarbonate substrates

Abstract A simple solvent-etch based technique is developed to visualize and quantify defects in transparent thin films deposited on flexible polymer substrates. This approach is used to characterize defects in as-deposited films and to monitor their evolution as a function of applied and repetitive bending. Thin films investigated include sputtered indium tin oxide (ITO) and alumina–silicone nanolaminates fabricated by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. It is shown that the use of nanolaminate architectures reduces the defect density by two orders of magnitude relative to a single alumina layer. The pinhole density increases when nanolaminates are subjected to applied stress, and at a critical density of ∼10/mm 2 the isolated defects coalesce into macroscopic cracks. In the case of ITO an optimum film thickness is identified that balances electronic performance with mechanical integrity. Conductivity correlates with defect density, and the films displayed very similar performance under tensile and compressive strain. A critical radius of curvature of 0.75 in. was identified, but films cycled below the threshold strain demonstrated robust performance, with only negligible changes in resistivity through 2000 bending cycles. The strong performance under strain is attributed to the amorphous nature of the sputtered ITO.
Scalable in situ scientific data encoding for analytical query processing

The process of scientific data analysis in high-performance computing environments has been evolving along with the advancement of computing capabilities. With the onset of exascale computing, the increasing gap between compute performance and I/O bandwidth has rendered the traditional method of post-simulation processing a tedious process. Despite the challenges due to increased data production, there exists an opportunity to benefit from "cheap" computing power to perform query-driven exploration and visualization during simulation time. To accelerate such analyses, applications traditionally augment raw data with large indexes, post-simulation, which are then repeatedly utilized for data exploration. However, the generation of current state-of-the-art indexes involve a compute- and memory-intensive processing, thus rendering them inapplicable in an in situ context. In this paper we propose DIRAQ, a parallel in situ, in network data encoding and reorganization technique that enables the transformation of simulation output into a query-efficient form, with negligible runtime overhead to the simulation run. DIRAQ begins with an effective core-local, precision-based encoding approach, which incorporates an embedded compressed index that is 3 -- 6x smaller than current state-of-the-art indexing schemes. DIRAQ then applies an in network index merging strategy, enabling the creation of aggregated indexes ideally suited for spatial-context querying that speed up query responses by up to 10x versus alternative techniques. We also employ a novel aggregation strategy that is topology-, data-, and memory-aware, resulting in efficient I/O and yielding overall end-to-end encoding and I/O time that is less than that required to write the raw data with MPI collective I/O.
What electrical microstimulation has revealed about the neural basis of cognition

Neurophysiologists have shown repeatedly that neural activity in different brain structures can be correlated with specific perceptual and cognitive functions, but the causal efficacy of the observed activity has generally been a matter of conjecture. By contrast, electrical microstimulation, which allows the experimenter to manipulate the activity of small groups of neurons with spatial and temporal precision, can now be used to demonstrate causal links between neural activity and specific cognitive functions. Here, we review this growing literature, including applications to the study of attention, visual and somatosensory perception, 'read-out' mechanisms for interpreting sensory maps, and contextual effects on perception. We also discuss potential applications of microstimulation to studies of higher cognitive functions such as decision-making and subjective experience.
An essential proline in lambda repressor is required for resistance to intracellular proteolysis.

Pro78 is a solvent-exposed residue at the N-terminal end of alpha-helix 5 in the DNA binding domain of lambda repressor. Random mutagenesis experiments have suggested that Pro78 is essential [Reidhaar-Olson, J.F., & Sauer, R.T. (1990) Proteins: Struct., Funct., Genet. (in press)]. To investigate the requirement for proline at this position, we constructed and studied the properties of a set of ten position 78 mutant proteins. All of these mutants have decreased intracellular activities and are expressed at significantly lower levels than wild type. Pulse-chase experiments show that the mutant proteins are rapidly degraded in the cell; the mutants examined had half-lives of 11-35 min, whereas the wild-type protein has a half-life of greater than 10 h. The rapid degradation of position 78 mutants is not suppressed by mutations that affect known Escherichia coli proteases. The Pro78----Ala mutant could be overexpressed in a dnaJ- strain and was purified. This mutant has full DNA binding activity in vitro, suggesting that its folded structure and ability to form active dimers are similar to those of wild type. The PA78 mutant (Tm = 48 degrees C) is less thermally stable than wild type (Tm = 55 degrees C). Double-mutant studies show that this instability contributes to but is not the main cause of its rapid intracellular degradation and also suggest that proteolysis proceeds from the denatured forms of proteins containing the PA78 substitution. The PA78 mutation does not appear to introduce a new cleavage site for cellular proteases, nor does the mutation enhance susceptibility to proteases such as thermolysin and trypsin in vitro.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Canine Granulocytic Anaplasmosis: A Review

Anaplasma phagocytophilum is an emerging pathogen of humans, horses, and dogs worldwide that is transmitted by Ixodid ticks and maintained in a variety of small wild mammal species. Recent studies suggest that multiple strains of A. phagocytophilum may be circulating in wild and domestic animal populations, and these strains may have differential host tropisms and pathogenicity. The organism infects and survives within neutrophils by disabling key neutrophil functions, including neutrophil motility, phagocytosis, the oxidative burst mechanism, and neutrophil-endothelial cell interactions, as well as interfering with neutrophil apoptosis. Coinfections with other tick-borne pathogens may occur, especially Borrelia burgdorferi. A. phagocytophilum causes an acute febrile illness in dogs with lethargy and inappetence. Less frequent signs include lameness, coughing, polydipsia, intermittent vomiting, and hemorrhages. Diagnosis is based on finding morulae within granulocytes in the peripheral blood, the combination of acute and convalescent serology using immunofluorescent antibody techniques, and detection of the DNA of A. phagocytophilum using specific polymerase chain reaction assays. Whether persistent infection or reinfection with A. phagocytophilum occurs after natural infection requires additional study, with most reports suggesting that anaplasmosis is a self-limiting disease in dogs that responds well to a 2-week course of doxycycline therapy.
Transparent and Stretchable High-Performance Supercapacitors Based on Wrinkled Graphene Electrodes

Transparent and/or stretchable energy storage devices have attracted intense attention due to their unique optical and/or mechanical properties as well as their intrinsic energy storage function. However, it remains a great challenge to integrate transparent and stretchable properties into an energy storage device because the currently developed electrodes are either transparent or stretchable, but not both. Herein, we report a simple method to fabricate wrinkled graphene with high stretchability and transparency. The resultant wrinkled graphene sheets were used as both current collector and electrode materials to develop transparent and stretchable supercapacitors, which showed a high transparency (57% at 550 nm) and can be stretched up to 40% strain without obvious performance change over hundreds of stretching cycles.
Deformation and fracture characteristics in TiAl at room temperature and 800 °C

The characteristics of deformation and fracture at room temperature and 800°C of a binary (y-a,)-Ti-48 at.%Al intermetallic with a duplex microstructure have been identified by scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM). A change in the predominant fracture mode from transgranular at room temperature to intergranular at 800°C has been observed which coincided with profoundly different plastic behavior of the qphase. The a,-lamellae exhibited only localized planar slip of (a) dislocations during room temperature deformation, whereas at 800°C (a) dislocations are activated more generally, and in addition motion of (c)-component dislocations has been implied. The y-TiAl phase deformed by ordered twinning and slip of both ordinary and superdislocations during loading at both temperatures. 0 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.
In vitro induction of T cell-dependent B cell differentiation in patients with common varied immunodeficiency

Patients with common varied immunodeficiency (CVI) are characterized by hypogammaglobulinemia. We investigated in vitro T cell-dependent B cell differentiation in CVI peripheral blood mononuclear cells by stimulating the T cells with an anti-CD3 (T3) monoclonal antibody. In cultures from CVI patients with no detectable circulating B cells, little immunoglobulin (Ig) was produced following anti-CD3 stimulation. In cultures from CVI patients with near-normal numbers of circulating B cells, anti-CD3 stimulation induced a normal percentage increase in Ig-secreting cells and appreciable (albeit subnormal) increases in IgG and IgM secretion. Cell-mixing experiments pointed to a quantitative, rather than qualitative, defect in B cell function in most of these CVI patients. Nevertheless, CVI T cells can induce substantial differentiation of autologous (and normal) B cells following anti-CD3 stimulation (which may mimic physiologic stimulation). This raises the possibility of correcting the hypogammaglobulinemia of CVI by in vivo or ex vivo administration of appropriate T cell stimuli.
Ortho-metalation of p-chloroanisole: A media study

Abstract As the chlorophenyl group is a pharmacophore, its stability toward metalation conditions in conjunction with the methoxy substituent was assessed. For p-chloroanisole metalation ortho to the methoxy group was achieved in high yield using increments of THF in cyclohexane; numerous other regimes afforded lower yields and a competing benzyne pathway.
Perspectives on: conformational coupling in ion channels: conformational coupling in BK potassium channels.

Large conductance calcium- and voltage-dependent BK potassium channels (aka BKCa, MaxiK, Slo1, KCa1.1, and KCNMA1) are expressed in a wide variety of tissues throughout the body and are activated by both intracellular Ca2+ and membrane depolarization. Owing to these properties, BK channels participate in diverse physiological processes from electrical excitability in neurons and secretory cells, and regulation of smooth muscle tone to tuning of auditory hair cells (Vergara et al., 1998; Ghatta et al., 2006). The response to voltage and Ca2+ allows BK channels to integrate electrical and calcium signaling, which is central to their physiological role. Understanding how BK and other multimodal channels are regulated by and integrate diverse stimuli is not only physiologically important but also relevant to the topic of conformational coupling. As a voltage- and ligand-dependent channel, BK channels contain both voltage-sensor and ligand-binding domains as well as a gate to regulate the flow of K+ through the pore. Coupling of conformational changes in one domain to another provides the basis for transducing voltage and ligand binding into channel opening and, therefore, defines, together with the functional properties of the gate and sensors, the signal transduction properties of the channel. The goal of this perspective is to provide an overview on the role and molecular basis of conformational coupling between functional domains in BK channels and outline some of the questions that remain to be answered.
Electronic propertiesof InAs/GaAs self‐assembled quantum dots: beyond the effective mass approximation

The electronic properties of InAs/GaAs self-assembled quantum dots (SAD) are investigated as a function of their shapes, sizes and stoichiometric compositions with an eight-band k � p method. Emphasis is placed on the three-dimensional strain distribution, which is obtained by minimizing the strain energy around the dot region, and the piezoelectric potential, which is calculated by solving the corresponding Poisson equation. Novel features of intraband and interband optical transitions are presented and discussed in relation with the 3D SAD k � p band structure, and their response to external electric fields. Finally, particular attention is paid to the quantum Stark effect in vertically coupled lens-shaped SADs.
A note concerning asymmetric games on graphs

We consider a class of asymmetric two-person games played on graphs, and characterize all the positions in the game.
In-situ investigation of solid-electrolyte interphase formation on the anode of Li-ion batteries with Atomic Force Microscopy

Abstract Solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation at highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) surface has been studied with in-situ AFM. The morphology and thickness of both the top particle layer of the SEI and the bottom layer of the SEI that was caused by lithium insertion were investigated. The formation mechanism of the SEI was proposed accordingly. Ex-situ FESEM and EDS were also used to analyze the composition of the electrode after cycling to confirm the proposed mechanism.
Multiple causes of death and the epidemiological transition in American Samoa

Abstract Multiple‐cause mortality data were used to examine changing patterns of mortality between 1950 and 1979 in American Samoa. This period coincided with a transition from infectious to chronic diseases as the primary causes of death. The available data indicate that as mortality rates from infections declined, the first chronic disease to increase in frequency was cancer. The absence of a lag period suggests that increased cancer mortality may be a consequence of life extension in the presence of modernization. In contrast, mortality rates from cardiovascular diseases tended to increase only after a lag period. As mortality from infections declined, ischemic heart disease replaced infections as the leading cause of death, in either a total‐mentions or an underlying‐cause model of mortality. The transition to degenerative disease mortality in American Samoa was neither as rapid nor as simple as a tabulation by underlying cause of death indicates. Patterns of change were interrelated.
On infinitely divisible matrices, kernels, and functions

Generalizations and applications of a recent theorem of C. Loewner on nonnegative quadratic forms have led to interesting new results and to some especially simple derivations of well-known theorems from a unified point of view. In this note we discuss two applications to the study of characteristic functions and completely monotonic functions, and show how the classical representation theorems for infinitely divisible laws may be obtained.
The Lower Rio Grande Valley: a case study of a water market area

The Lower Rio Grande Valley is a sub-tropical area with a productive irrigated agriculture, but with an over-committed single water resource. It is experiencing a rapidly growing population that is placing increasing pressure on the water resource. This, combined with expanding urban areas and land moving out of agriculture, has resulted in a vigorous water market, with transfers from agriculture to municipal uses. For the US portion of the valley, transfers from agriculture to municipalities are either short-term (usually 1 year) or permanent. Prices vary depending upon the location and timing, and result from negotiations between the parties. Over time, and not without difficulty, the water market has been facilitated by appropriate enabling legislation, water rights that have been validated judicially, and an efficient transfer mechanism that has a minimum of transaction cost. Government involvement is primarily for protection of the public, and to facilitate the transfer process.
Low-altitude airbursts and the impact threat

Abstract We present CTH simulations of airbursts in the Earth's lower atmosphere from hypervelocity asteroid impacts. The intent of these simulations was to explore the phenomenology associated with low-altitude airbursts, with the particular goal of determining whether the altitude of maximum energy deposition can be used as a reasonable estimate of the equivalent height of a point source explosion. Our simulations suggest that this is not a good approximation. The center of mass of an exploding projectile is transported downward in the form of a high-temperature jet of expanding gas. The jet descends by a significant fraction of the burst altitude before its velocity becomes subsonic. The time scale of this descent is similar to the time scale of the explosion itself, so the jet simultaneously couples its kinetic energy and its internal energy to the atmosphere. Because of this downward flow, larger blast waves and stronger thermal radiation pulses are felt at the surface than would be predicted by a point source explosion at the height where the burst was initiated. For impacts with a kinetic energy above some threshold, the hot jet of vaporized projectile (the descending “fireball”) makes contact with the Earth's surface, where it expands radially. During the time of radial expansion, the fireball can maintain temperatures well above the melting temperature of silicate minerals, and its radial velocity can exceed the sound speed in air. We suggest that the surface materials can ablate by radiative/convective melting under these conditions, and then quench rapidly to form glass after the fireball cools and recedes. Possible examples of such airburst glasses are the Muong-Nong Tektites of Southeast Asia and the Libyan Desert Glass of western Egypt. We suggest an enhancement of entry dynamics models to account for the downward advection of shocked and heated material, and the lowering of the apparent airburst altitude. The actual differences between the effects on the ground from a point source approximation versus a full flow field still need to be quantified by running more realistic high-resolution 3-D simulations with a variety of impact parameters. A re-evaluation of the impact hazard is necessary to properly include this enhanced damage potential of low-altitude airbursts.
Internal Reputation Management: The Impact of Authentic Leadership and Transparent Communication

The aim of the study is to illuminate the internal reputation management process by examining the impact of authentic leadership and transparent organizational communication on employee evaluation of the organization. Drawing upon extant literature of public relations, marketing, business and management on corporate reputation, the study suggests that authentic organizational leadership and transparent organizational communication are effective drivers for a favorable reputation in the eyes of corporate insiders. Through a web survey of 400 employees randomly selected from a variety of large and medium corporations in the United States, the study demonstrated that authentic leadership plays a critical role in nurturing the organization’s transparent communication system, which, in turn, shapes the organization’s internal reputation. An organization’s day-to-day transparent communication practice characterized by information substantiality, accountability and employee participation largely contributes to employees’ positive evaluation of the organization. Significant theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.
High sensitivity ELISA determination of taxol in various human biological fluids

Taxol (paclitaxel)--the natural product isolated from Pacific yew (Taxus brevifolia)--is a novel agent with high activity in the treatment of patients with several malignant tumors including those resistant to other cytotoxic drugs. The therapeutic index of this promising anticancer drug could be further increased by the exploration of its pharmacokinetic pharmacodynamic relationship in cancer patients. Since taxol is highly protein bound, a very specific and highly sensitive analytical method is required in order to determine free, protein unbound and biologically active taxol species in human physiological fluids: plasma; plasma ultrafiltrate; and salivary fluids. In order to accomplish this, a new indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), for quantitating such a low bioactive taxol concentration level, has been developed in our laboratories. This method uses taxol competitive inhibition of mouse anti-taxol antibodies binding to the solid phase coated antigen 7-succinyltaxol-bovine serum albumin. This indicates recognition of the active taxol in the solution phase, where a diluted horseradish peroxidase labeled goat anti-mouse enzyme conjugate is used. While employing this technique, after systematic optimization of the experimental conditions, we are able to detect the anticipated taxol in plasma ultrafiltrate and salivary fluids at the concentration level of subpicogram per milliliter. The working range of the assay is approximately five orders in magnitude, i.e. from pg ml(-1) to 100 ng ml(-1). The clinical part of this study verified the working range of the ELISA method using samples of physiological fluids from a cancer patient treated with 3 h intravenous (i.v.) infusion of this drug. Our results of taxol determination in plasma, plasma ultrafiltrate and saliva demonstrate the applicability of the newly developed ELISA method for further pharmacokinetic studies of free, biologically active taxol species in cancer patients.
Energy optimization with delay constraints in Underwater Acoustic Networks

Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks find use in critical time-sensitive applications such as disaster prevention and coastline protection. The sensor nodes used in such networks are powered by batteries that are difficult to recharge or replace. Hence it is imperative that routing algorithms used in such networks be very energy efficient while also satisfying necessary delay constraints for time-sensitive applications. Unlike the radio frequency medium, underwater acoustic channels have low bandwidth, large propagation delays and long multipath delay spreads. While energy-efficient routing is an actively researched area for terrestrial radio frequency networks, results from those studies generally do not apply to underwater acoustic networks due to vast differences in channel characteristics. In this paper we explore delay-constrained energy optimization for routing in underwater acoustic sensor networks. Specifically, we propose an offline Mixed Integer Linear Programming based routing algorithm that enables computation of delay constrained energy efficient routes.
Analogy and falsification in Descartes’ physics

In this paper I address Descartes’ use of analogy in physics. First, I introduce Descartes’ hypothetical reasoning, distinguishing between analogy and hypothesis. Second, I examine in detail Descartes’ use of analogy to both discover causes and add plausibility to his hypotheses—even though not always explicitly stated, Descartes’ practice assumes a unified view of the subject matter of physics as the extension of bodies in terms of their size, shape and the motion of their parts. Third, I present Descartes’ unique “philosophy of analogy”, where the absence of analogy serves as a criterion for falsifying proposed explanations in physics. I conclude by defending Descartes’ philosophy of analogy by appeal to the value scientists assign to simplicity in their explanations.
Ureteral stents are associated with reduced risk of ureteral complications after kidney transplantation: a large single center experience.

Background. Controversy exists regarding the benefit of ureteral stents in kidney transplantation. We aimed to examine the association of stents with risk of ureteral complications, particularly in relationship with donor type. Methods. Kidney transplants from 2005 to 2009 were evaluated (n1224). Patients with previous or simultaneous nonkidney transplants, death, or lost to follow-up within 90 days were excluded, unless already developed a ureteral complication. Only cases with a single extravesical ureteroneocystostomy were included. The cohort (n961) was divided into stent (32.2%) and no-stent (67.7%) groups. Poisson regression was used to examine the association of stent with ureteral complications (leak or stricture) and urinary tract infections (UTI). Results. Ureteral complication rate was 1.9% in stent versus 5.8% in no-stent group (P0.007). UTI rate was 14.2% with stent versus 7.9% without stent (P0.003). Stent use was independently associated with reduction in ureteral complications (incidence rate ratios [IRR], 0.40; P0.04; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.17–0.96) and an increase in UTIrisk(IRR,1.79;P0.006;95%CI,1.18–2.74).Stentprotectiveeffectwasprimarilyrelatedtoreductioninstricture risk (IRR, 0.23; P0.05; 95% CI, 0.05–0.99). Stents were associated with a decrease in ureteral complications in deceased donor recipients (IRR, 0.34; P0.03; 95% CI, 0.13–0.88), but not living donors (IRR, 1.24; P0.84; 95% CI, 0.15–10.2).
Augmented Reality Scout: Joint Unaided-Eye and Telescopic-Zoom System for Immersive Team Training

In this paper we present a dual, wide area, collaborative augmented reality (AR) system that consists of standard live view augmentation, e.g., from helmet, and zoomed-in view augmentation, e.g., from binoculars. The proposed advanced scouting capability allows long range high precision augmentation of live unaided and zoomed-in imagery with aerial and terrain based synthetic objects, vehicles, people and effects. The inserted objects must appear stable in the display and not jitter or drift as the user moves around and examines the scene. The AR insertions for the binocs must work instantly when they are picked up anywhere as the user moves around. The design of both AR modules is based on using two different cameras with wide and narrow field of view (FoV) lenses. The wide FoV gives context and enables the recovery of location and orientation of the prop in 6 degrees of freedom (DoF) much more robustly, whereas the narrow FoV is used for the actual augmentation and increased precision in tracking. Furthermore, narrow camera in unaided eye and wide camera on the binoculars are jointly used for global yaw (heading) correction. We present our navigation algorithms using monocular cameras in combination with IMU and GPS in an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) framework to obtain robust and real-time pose estimation for precise augmentation and cooperative tracking.
Survival of F2 transgenic common carp (Cyprinus carpio) containing pRSVrtGH1 complementary DNA when subjected to low dissolved oxygen.

Abstract The survival and tolerance of F2 transgenic common carp (Cyprinus carpio) containing pRSVrtGH1 complementary DNA were compared with nontransgenic (control) common carp when subjected to low dissolved oxygen. The tolerance of low oxygen was evaluated in 8 families of common carp in rectangular tanks (3 × 1 × 1 m). The absolute mean percentage of survival of transgenic common carp subjected to low oxygen (0.4 mg/L) was higher (P 0.05). When oxygen tolerance was measured in time to death rather than absolute survival or mortality, the growth hormone transgenic common carp had a longer group mean (P <0.05) than did controls. The mean survival time in minutes for the transgenic genotype was greater (P <0.05) in 5 of the 8 families assessed. Transgenic common carp in some families had higher percentage and longer times of survival than control common carp when subjected to low oxygen. The definition of tolerance of low oxygen and how it is measured is important, and can affect interpretation of results. The pleiotropic effect of pRSVrtGH1 cDNA on superior survival of low oxygen in common carp has important implications for intensive fish culture.
Orbital Exenteration Reconstruction With Rectus Abdominis Microvascular Free Flap

Objectives: To determine the course of reconstructive treatment and outcomes with use of the rectus abdominis free flap after orbital exenteration with or without total maxillectomy. Study Design: Retrospective chart review of treatment and outcomes of patients who had rectus abdominis free-tissue transfer for orbital exenteration with or without total maxillectomy at the Mayo Clinic between 1994 and 2004. Methods: Charts of patients who had rectus abdominis free flap reconstruction after orbital exenteration were retrospectively reviewed and the surgical technique evaluated. An explanation of the surgical technique for rectus abdominis free-tissue transfer to the orbital cavity is provided, along with a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of this reconstructive method. Results: Twelve of 13 patients who underwent reconstruction with rectus abdominis free-tissue transfer had a successful outcome (flap viability 92%). Cosmetic results were acceptable both to patients and to surgeons. Conclusions: Rectus abdominis microvascular free-tissue transfer for repair of orbital exenteration defects is a safe and reliable alternative to the use of the temporalis or the pectoralis major muscle as a pedicle flap; it provides a larger volume of well-vascularized tissue and greater placement flexibility without associated orientation problems; and the long vascular pedicle facilitates the use of multiple donor vessels within the head and neck, which is an advantage in previously irradiated patients. Postoperative care and the donor site defect are well tolerated. The flap allows reliable obturation of the oral maxillectomy defect, and it negates the need for cavity care in these patients.
Association between plasma vitamin E concentration and the risk of equine motor neuron disease

Equine motor neuron disease (EMND) is a neurodegenerative disorder of the somatic lower motor neurons that results in a syndrome of diffuse neuromuscular disease in the adult horse. The aetiology of this disorder is unknown, although prior studies have suggested that a deficiency in the lipid antioxidant vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) contributes to the development of EMND. This paper describes a case-control study designed to investigate the association between plasma vitamin E levels and the risk of EMND for horses. Signalment, plasma vitamin E levels at the time of referral, and information relative to dietary and management practices were collected from 53 horses diagnosed with EMND and 69 controls. The mean plasma vitamin E concentration in EMND cases was significantly lower than that of control horses. After controlling for other risk factors of EMND, there was a statistically significant association between plasma vitamin E levels and EMND, with the likelihood of the disease increasing as the vitamin E concentration decreased. These findings support the reported role of vitamin E deficiency as one of the risk factors for EMND.
Comparative retinal ganglion cell and optic nerve morphology

The optic nerve is divided in four regions: intraocular, intraorbital, intracanalicular, and intracranial. The vertebrate retinal ganglion cells are classified by morphology, physiology and soma size. Species differences and similarities occur with retinal ganglion cells. Alpha retinal ganglion cells have large somata, large dendritic fields, large-diameter axons, and are most dense in the peripheral retina. Beta retinal ganglion cells have smaller diameter somata, smaller dendritic fields, small diameter axons, and predominate in the central retina. Gamma retinal ganglion cells are a heterogenous class of cells and have small diameter axons, and slow axon conduction velocities. The spatial distribution and organization of the retinal ganglion cells extends retinotopically through the nerve fiber layer, optic nerve, optic chiasm, optic tract, lateral geniculate nucleus, and visual cortex. The retinal nerve fiber layer thickness decreases from the optic disk toward the periphery of the retina. The retrobulbar optic nerve axon counts and axon density vary by species, with larger nerves having higher axon counts. Decussation of the optic nerve axons at the optic chiasm varies with 100% decussation in most birds and fish, 65% in cats, 75% in dogs, 80–90% in large animals, and 50% in primates. Centrifugal axons also occur in the optic nerve and may represent a method by which the brain can influence retinal activity.
WE‐C‐304A‐03: Performance Evaluation of a Custom‐Made Anti‐Scatter Grid Used for the High‐Resolution Micro‐Angiographic Fluoroscope (MAF)

Purpose: Performance evaluation of a unique custom‐made anti‐scatter grid for the MAF in terms of primary transmission, scatter fraction, scatter degradation factor, Bucky factor, and contrast improvement factor. Method and Materials: Although the high‐resolution (35 μm pixels, 1024×1024 matrix) MAF field‐of‐view is only 3.6 cm, scatter may still be substantial. A prototype nonfocused, criss‐cross anti‐scatter grid was constructed (CREATV Micro Tech, Potomac, MD) with 20 μm thick gold septa, 380 μm interspace, height of 1.95 mm, and grid ratio of 5. The MAF detector was used under simulated neurovascular angiographic conditions to image a head‐equivalent phantom, which created scatter. The air gap between the detector and phantom was kept at 2.5 cm, similar to clinical conditions. For the scatter measurement, a lead beam‐stop technique was used. To calculate the contrast improvement factor with the grid, a 1 mm thick aluminum disc with radius 2.5 mm was imaged. All the experiments were carried out for a clinically relevant range of x‐rays energies from 60 kVp to 110 kVp and grid‐line artifacts were eliminated using a flat‐field correction. Results: The scatter fraction was reduced by the grid from 0.53 to 0.31 at 60 kVp and from 0.55 to 0.39 at 110 kVp. The primary transmission for the grid was found to range from 0.47 to 0.55 for x‐rays energies from 60 kVp to 110 kVp with no non‐uniform cut‐off. The scatter transmission reduction factor was in the range of 0.19 to 0.29 with a contrast improvement factor of 1.53 to 1.41. The Bucky factor for the grid was 2.44 to 3.15 for the range of x‐rays energies used. Conclusion: For simulated clinical neurovascular conditions, the unique anti‐scatter grid shows a substantial but energy‐dependent reduction in scatter and provides substantial contrast improvement for the MAF with minimal grid‐line artifacts. (Support: NIH‐R01EB002873, R01‐EB008425)
Abstract 4758: Inhibition of checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) as a potential therapeutic for pediatric neuroblastoma

Neuroblastoma is a cancer derived from cells of the sympathetic nervous system that manifests with significant clinical heterogeneity. Although children diagnosed with low-risk neuroblastoma are very likely to be cured, high-risk patients are frequently resistant to even the most intensive of multi-modal regimens, and at least half of these children suffer relapse that is almost always fatal. To address the unmet need for novel therapeutic targets, our lab conducted an unbiased siRNA screen and determined that the loss of cell cycle checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) produced the most robust cytotoxic effect across multiple neuroblastoma cell lines. We subsequently confirmed that many neuroblastoma cell lines express constitutively phosphorylated Chk1 – a discovery that is supported by identical findings in tumors obtained from high-risk patients. Here we present evidence that the combination of a small molecule inhibitor of Chk1 with either irinotecan (SN-38) or cisplatin was synergistic or additive in vitro in cell lines sensitive to single agent Chk1 inhibition. Inhibition of Chk1 signaling as potential therapy in neuroblastoma is further supported by complimentary experiments in which we found that induction of shRNA specific for Chk1 results in marked cytotoxicity. To further understand the chemosensitizing aspect of Chk1 inhibition in neuroblastoma cells, we assayed the ATR/Chk1 pathway for potential biomarkers predictive of response. Candidate signaling partners in this pathway were isolated based upon either pharmacological inhibition or shRNA-induced silencing of Chk1, followed by hybridization to antibody microarrays. This technique has allowed for identification of Chk1-related signaling proteins involved in the DNA damage response pathway. Lastly, we have assessed the efficacy of Chk1 inhibition in an in vivo xenograft mouse model of pediatric neuroblastoma. We found that daily administration of a small molecule Chk1 inhibitor, currently undergoing Phase I clinical testing, was able to significantly impede the growth of NB1643 neuroblastoma xenografts (p=0.001). Efforts are currently underway in our laboratory to investigate a potentially synergistic effect in vivo through co-administration of this inhibitor with irinotecan or cisplatin. Taken together, these results provide a strong rationale for further studies to assess the use of Chk1 inhibition as either a single-agent or combinatorial therapy in pediatric neuroblastoma. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4758. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-4758
Second-Site Mutations in the Brome Mosaic Virus RNA3 Intercistronic Region Partially Suppress a Defect in Coat Protein mRNA Transcription

An intercistronic oligo(A) tract is present in the genomic RNA3 of all bromoviruses sequenced to date and, for brome mosaic virus (BMV), is known to function as an activating sequence in transcription of the subgenomic coat protein mRNA, RNA4. Mutations able to partially compensate for removal of the oligo(A) from BMV RNA3 were identified by obtaining spontaneous second-site revertants. The starting BMV RNA3 mutant carried a deletion of 17 of 18 residues of the intercistronic oligo(A), resulting in a nearly complete loss of subgenomic coat protein mRNA synthesis and reduced RNA3 accumulation. The responsible suppressor mutations acted in cis and were located in the 244-base RNA3 intercistronic region containing the original deletion. Three mutations associated with the revertant phenotype were characterized: (i) A single U-->A substitution in the core subgenomic mRNA promoter restored 35% of wild-type promoter activity. (ii) A duplication of 8 bases (UAUUAUUA) immediately 5' to the oligo(A) deletion site resulted in higher levels of both RNA3 and RNA4 accumulation. (iii) A point substitution in a conserved cellular motif corresponding to box B of RNA polymerase III promoters reduced RNA3 accumulation. Together with certain intervirally conserved promoter sequences, the spontaneous adaptation of a bromovirus subgenomic promoter to function without its unusual oligo(A) activator suggests that bromovirus subgenomic mRNA transcription may share underlying mechanistic similarities with the many other members of the alphavirus-like superfamily, whose subgenomic promoters all lack an oligo(A) tract.
Compromised myelin integrity during psychosis with repair during remission in drug-responding schizophrenia

Functional connection among the information-processing (grey-matter) centres within the CNS are necessary for the coordinated processing of perception, affect, thought and behaviour. Myelinated neuronal bundles provide the links among such processing centres. Magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) can assess the physical integrity of myelin. Using DTI, the authors assessed diffusivity ( D m) within whole brain in 14 controls and within 13 acutely psychotic, drug-free schizophrenics both before and after 28 d of antipsychotic drug treatment. Drug-responder schizophrenicss (D-RS) ( n =8) were differentiated from poor responders (PR) ( n =5) according to previously defined criteria. Differences of D m at both baseline and following treatment were assessed using D m distributional analyses and Statistical Parametric Software (SPM2). Impaired physical integrity of myelin, demonstrated by an increase (overall p <0.05) of D m, was found in the D-RS patients, with multiple regions demonstrating p <0.0005 patient–control differences. The pathological increase in D m was reduced ( p <0.03) following treatment-associated reduction of psychotic symptoms by 84%. D m of PR patients did not differ from controls at baseline or following subacute treatment. While the pathophysiology(ies) underlying psychosis in poorly responsive (PR) schizophrenics does not appear to be related to a disordered myelin, the findings are consistent with a partially reversible disorder of myelin integrity, and may underlie a dys-synchrony of information processing in a major subgroup of drug-responsive patients with schizophrenia. An antipsychotic drug-induced cascade may partially restore myelin integrity and functional connectivity concomitant with antipsychotic effects in such D-RS patients.
Does wide excision as the initial diagnostic procedure improve prognosis in patients with cutaneous melanoma

502 patients with clinical stage I cutaneous melanoma were reviewed to determine if performing a wide excision (4-5 cm) at the time when the diagnosis of melanoma is suspected, improves the survival. Patients were divided into two groups based on initial biopsy type and thickness category. Group 1, wide excision; group 2, total excision with narrow margins, incisional, or punch biopsies. There was no evidence that patients who had had a diagnostic and therapeutic procedure (wide excision) as the initial approach had a better survival than those who had had another form of biopsy before definitive surgery. We cannot recommend excision with wide margins as the initial biopsy procedure for a lesion suspected to be melanoma before histologic verification, since it does not increase survival for melanoma and may result in unnecessary aggressive surgery in the case of a misdiagnosed benign lesion.
EFFECT OF CORE POLARIZATION UPON THE f--f INTERACTIONS OF RARE-EARTH AND ACTINIDE IONS.

Corrections to the interaction integrals of valence electrons, which are due to the interaction of configurations for which a single electron is excited from the core, are calculated using a perturbed-function approach. Numerical results are given for ${\mathrm{Pr}}^{3+}$, ${\mathrm{Dy}}^{2+}$, ${\mathrm{Er}}^{3+}$, and ${\mathrm{Pu}}^{3+}$.