cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A fast algorithm for high accuracy gauging using computer vision

Abstract A vision-based inspection system capable of measuring convex-profile cylindrical objects has been developed. Both vertical and horizontal measurements are possible as well as cross-sectional reconstructions. A new algorithm has been developed that minimizes the number of camera views needed to obtain accurate reconstructions. This increases the speed of the analysis procedure. A production version of the inspection system has been installed in a forging plant; for this application camera lenses and other equipment dimensions give a measurement accuracy of ±1.0 mm on length and ±1.5 m 2 on cross-sectional area.
Inhibitory effects of commonly used herbal extracts on UGT1A1 enzyme activity

Commonly used herbal supplements were screened for their potential to inhibit UGT1A1 activity using human liver microsomes. Extracts screened included ginseng, echinacea, black cohosh, milk thistle, garlic, valerian, saw palmetto, and green tea epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Estradiol-3-O-glucuronide (E-3-G) formation was used as the index of UGT1A1 activity.All herbal extracts except garlic showed inhibition of UGT1A1 activity at one or more of the three concentrations tested. A volume per dose index (VDI) was calculated to estimate the volume in which the daily dose should be diluted to obtain an IC50-equivalent concentration. EGCG, echinacea, saw palmetto, and milk thistle had VDI values >2.0 L per dose unit, suggesting a higher potential for interaction.Inhibition curves were constructed for EGCG, echinacea, saw palmetto, and milk thistle. IC50 values were (mean ± SE) 7.8 ± 0.9, 211.7 ± 43.5, 55.2 ± 9.2, and 30.4 ± 6.9 µg/ml for EGCG, echinacea, saw palmetto, and milk thistle extracts, respectively....
Comparison of experiment and theory for the resonance Raman spectrum of I2 in solution. III. Perfluorohexane and chloroform

The absolute Raman excitation profiles (REP) of I2 in perfluorohexane and chloroform have been determined. The experimental results are compared to calculations and to our previous results in n‐hexane. Although there is good overall agreement between experiment and theory, certain discrepancies turn up in all the solvents. In particular, the experimental cross section is higher than that calculated in the high frequency wing of the REP. This discrepancy cannot be due to charge transfer states since it exists in all the solvents. The excited state linewidth, Γ has been determined to be about 15 cm−1 in all three solvents.
Structural Response and Failure of a Full-Scale Stitched Graphite-Epoxy Wing

Analytical and experimental results of the test for an all-composite full-scale wing box are presented. The wing box is representative of a section of a 220-passenger commercial transport aircraft wing box and was designed and constructed by The Boeing Company as part of the NASA Advanced Subsonics Technology (AST) program. The semi-span wing was fabricated from a graphite-epoxy material system with cover panels and spars held together using Kevlar stitches through the thickness. No mechanical fasteners were used to hold the stiffeners to the skin of the cover panels. Tests were conducted with and without low-speed impact damage, discrete source damage and repairs. Up-bending down-bending and brake roll loading conditions were applied. The structure with nonvisible impact damage carried 97% of Design Ultimate Load prior to failure through a lower cover panel access hole. Finite element and experimental results agree for the global response of the structure.
The Effect of Indian Consumers’ Life Satisfaction on Brand Behavior toward a U.S. Global Brand

ABSTRACT Consumers in developing countries are experiencing improved standards of living and lifestyle and exhibiting a desire to consume global brands. This study examined the effect of life satisfaction of Indian consumers on brand consciousness and brand-specific variables (i.e., perceived quality, emotional value, brand loyalty) for a global apparel brand (i.e., Levi's). A total of 411 college students in Mumbai, India, participated in the survey. This study found that Indian consumers’ life satisfaction positively influenced their brand consciousness, in turn, influencing perceived quality and emotional value for the global brand; however, the effect of brand consciousness on brand loyalty was not significant. Managerial implications for global retailers who plan to enter the Indian market as well as future research opportunities are discussed.
Antiglobulin test in anemia caused by acetylphenylhydrazine.

SummaryNo evidence of a positive anti-globulin test was found in dogs following injection of acetylphenylhydrazine. This is in contradiction to the results of others.
The Role of 123I Imaging in the Evaluation of Infants with Mild Congenital Hypothyroidism

Background/Aims: Controversy exists regarding the diagnosis and treatment of mild congenital hypothyroidism (MCH). We studied the value of 123I imaging in patients with MCH. Methods: Retrospective chart review of infants and children 123I imaging: group 1 = MCH [thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) 4/T3], group 2 = severe congenital hypothyroidism (TSH ≥25 µIU/ml), and group 3 = MCH in infancy imaged after treatment withdrawal at age 3 years. Data collected included 4- and 24-hour 123I uptake, TSH, free T4/total T3 at imaging, age at imaging, and levothyroxine (L-T4) dose at 1 year of. Results: Thirty-six patients underwent 123I imaging. In group 1 (n = 20, median TSH: 8.49 µIU/ml), 85% had abnormal imaging consistent with dyshormonogenesis. Two patients were referred after 1 year of age. The median age at imaging for the remaining 18 patients was 54 days. Median L-T4 dose at 1 year of age for these 18 patients was 2.8 μg/kg, which is consistent with dyshormonogenesis. Ninety-one percent of group 2 (n = 11, median TSH: 428.03 µIU/ml) had abnormal imaging. The median age at imaging was 13 days. Four patients in group 3 had abnormal 123I imaging and restarted treatment. Conclusion:123I imaging is a valuable tool for evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of MCH.
Neuroimage databases: the good, the bad and the ugly.

The potential of neuroimage databases to accelerate the dissemination and use of information about brain structure and function is enormous and ever increasing. Numerous efforts are now underway to further develop the technology and sociology that are necessary to support this revolution. Each effort has its own approach and tackles some of the complex problems that are associated with creating and providing access to a database. This paper introduces many of the recent successes and future challenges that are faced by the developers and users of neuroimage databases.
Relationship of microbial mass and activity in biodegradation of solid waste

Limited landfill space and resistance to siting such facilities has spurred consideration of new approaches to increase the longevity of landfills. Such efforts have included exploring methods to enhance degradation rates of municipal solid waste (MSW) and subsequently, mining landfills to recover materials and landfill space. Microbial mass and activity of MSW incubated in lysimeters, with moisture content sustained with recycled leachate, were compared under anaerobic and aerobic conditions in this study. Bacterial biomass and number were quantified by adenosine triphosphate analysis and acridine orange direct counts. Viability, adenylate energy charge and cellulase activity were also assessed. Bacterial number and energy status were lower in the anaerobic system. Cellulase activity in the anaerobic lysimeter decreased to undetectable levels while activity in the aerobic system continued to increase throughout the 92-day experiment. The results indicated that aeration, even at a relatively low volume, with leachate recirculation, significantly accelerated degradation of MSW. Furthermore, the results demonstrated the potential of using cellulase activity as a surrogate parameter of relative microbial activity of MSW degradation.
The effect of acute pulmonary embolus upon cardiopulmonary hemodynamics

Abstract 1. 1. The data suggest that the pulmonary hemodynamic derangements produced by small quantities of autogenous clot are largely due to changes in pulmonary vasculature. 2. 2. In addition to mechanical obstruction of pulmonary arteries, factors related to humoral, neurogenic, and other mechanisms contribute to the pulmonary hypertension. 3. 3. Data obtained in dogs pretreated with methysergide indicate that serotonin, or a serotonin-like substance, does contribute to the circulatory alterations in this animal. 4. 4. Bronchopulmonary and pulmonary arteriovenous anastomoses contribute very little to the circulatory abnormalities after embolization. 5. 5. The small magnitude of changes after embolization of dogs pretreated with isoproterenol suggest that this agent may be useful in clinical medicine.
Rapid Adhesion to Collagen Isolates Murine Keratinocytes with Limited Long-Term Repopulating Ability In Vivo Despite High Clonogenicity In Vitro

A prevalent belief in epidermal biology is that stem cells are highly clonogenic; that is, they have the ability to produce many large colonies in vitro. However, it has been well-established in hematology, and recently suggested in epithelial biology, that short-term in vitro clonogenic assays may not be reliable predictors of long-term in vivo repopulating ability. Numerous groups have shown that rapid adhesion to collagen selects for highly clonogenic keratinocytes, but it has not been demonstrated whether this subpopulation is enriched in stem cells as defined by long-term repopulating ability in vivo. We found that although rapid adhesion to collagen (within 5 minutes) selected for cells with increased short-term colony forming ability in vitro, these cells were not enriched in long-term proliferative ability in vitro or in repopulating ability in vivo after 9 weeks. Conversely, keratinocytes that did not adhere to collagen (after 20 minutes) were less clonogenic in short-term assays but possessed equivalent long-term proliferative ability in vitro and superior long-term repopulating ability in vivo. Both the rapidly adherent cell and not rapidly adherent cell populations contained small, noncomplex basaloid cells, expressed integrin alpha2 (a collagen IV receptor), and expressed the putative epidermal stem cell phenotype integrin alpha6(hi)CD71(lo). Our results indicate that the superior short-term colony forming ability of collagen-adherent murine keratinocytes does not correlate with long-term repopulating ability in vitro or in vivo and that proliferation in vitro is not a reliable surrogate for stem cell behavior in vivo.
Knowledge discovery in perioperative databases

Knowledge Discovery in Perioperative Databases: Hypothesis Testing, Decision Support, and Care Pathway Assessment. Previously merged C4.5 with expert guided inductive learning. Currently researching the use of BRUTE force induction to discover relationships in perioperative data. Will be analyzing physiological data from patients in the operating room as well as information contained in a perioperative database.
Assessment of myocardial perfusion during pharmacologic contrast stress echocardiography.

We believe that using MCE simultaneously with a dipyridamole stress protocol and thallium-201 SPECT for the detection of coronary artery disease is safe and found that a single triggered intermittent imaging protocol is easier and less time consuming than dual triggering. The location of these perfusion abnormalities correlated well with thallium-201 SPECT, especially if segmental wall motion analysis and perfusion were used together.
Starvation Life Curves

FOR some years past I have been occupied with the experimental study of duration of life. Nine papers dealing with the subject have appeared in the American Naturalist (vols. 55–58). The particular suitability of Drosophila melanogaster for the experimental study of this problem arises chiefly from three considerations: (1) The duration of life of this fly in days is very nearly the same as that of man in years, and the form of the life curve over the biologically equivalent life span is almost precisely identical in the two forms; (2) Drosophila can be easily and successfully grown under controlled laboratory conditions, by means of a technique in many respects the same as that used in the cultivation of bacteria; (3) the genetics of Drosophila have been more completely worked out, thanks to Morgan and his collaborators, than in the case for any other organism whatever.
Rapid Control Prototyping of a Permanent Magnet DC Motor Drive System using dSPACE and Mathworks Simulink

Prototyping is the key step in the manufacturing industry to save time and effort. Successful prototyping needs efficient processes and systems that integrate all necessary development steps. dSPACE offers an efficient rapid control prototyping process for any industry dealing with feedback control. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate a well-documented procedure of rapid control prototyping of a permanent magnet DC (PMDC) motor drive for speed control using dSPACE and Mathworks Simulink. The combined tools of Simulink and dSPACE provide the means for modeling the controller in software and applying it to the actual hardware via a digital signal processing board. This paper presents a comparison and analysis between the simulation results and dSPACE/ actual hardware results, which agreed with each other except for some minor differences.
Fair and impartial railroad: The jury, the media, and political trials

Abstract The clash between social movements and political authority is often played out in the court rooms in criminal cases which are loosely described as “political trials.” While prosecutors, judges, and defendants rarely agree as to the “political” nature of a particular case, all parties usually regard the jury as the pivotal factor. The jury, of course, is enshrined in Anglo-American legal theory as the final check against suppression of liberty by the state. Plea bargaining is out of the question when the very legitimacy of the state is challenged and when dissident defendants are determined to use the trial process as a means of political expression. The crucial question is whether the jury has in fact lived up to its Constitutional role. The article attempts to answer this question at two levels. First, the history of political trials in the United States is reviewed with the general finding that radicals have faced juries which were both grossly unrepresentative of the general population and typically hostile to the ideas, life styles, and social origins of the defendants. Second, the article considers in some detail the impact of media coverage on potential jurors on one particular recent political case, the 1977–1978 trial of accused “guerrilla-bombers” Richard Picariello and Eduard Guilion in the Federal District Court of Southern Maine. The survey opinion data presented for this case strongly indicate that any chance of a fair trial for the defendants was compromised by effects of sustained hostile media coverage before the onset of the trial. Finally, the article considers available remedies in the form of either legislative reforms designed to ensure representative juries, or voir dire procedures aimed at eliminating biased jurors. A review of these remedies offers little hope that future political trials will be substantially fairer than in the past. Moreover, the direction of current criminal justice reforms, as in the proposed S-1722 Federal Criminal Code, promise to criminalize further important forms of political expression. The conclusion is not that jury trials should be avoided or minimized, since judges are apt to be even more predisposed against dissidents. Rather, the point is that the social and ideological biases which intrude especially in political trials are rooted in the political economy of capitalism which underlies the legal system itself. The jury system remains the best available defense against legal repression, but “justice” must ultimately await the outcome of continued social struggle, rather than further refinements of legal process.
The Coaching Companion: Computer-Mediated Instructional Coaching

This poster describes the design and development of the Coaching Companion, a set of online tools to support the collaborative work of instructional coaching for Head Start preschool teachers. While designing the Coaching Companion included key stakeholders, we surfaced and documented specific design and value tensions. Our analysis of interview data reflected some of the key value and design tensions that surfaced during our design process.
Plasmon resonance induced enhancement of reflection band in a one-dimensional metal nanocomposite photonic crystal

A one-dimensional metal nanocomposite-dielectric photonic crystal that shows 200% enhancement of the reflection band due to the interplay between the plasmon resonance of the silver nanoparticles and Bloch modes of the photonic crystal is demonstrated.
What Are They Thinking? Dental Assisting Students' Feelings About E-Books

Electronic textbook usage is increasing within higher education while use of traditional textbooks is declining. While some research concerning student preference for textbook type provides insight into student choices, there is a gap in the literature regarding use of electronic textbooks within dental assisting programs. The purpose of this study was to explore dental assisting students’ preferences regarding electronic textbook usage during their professional education. Two questionnaires were administered to a group of dental assisting students to ascertain their preferences. One questionnaire was given during the Dental Assisting Program orientation at the beginning of the academic year. The second questionnaire was administered at the conclusion of a nine-month dental assisting curriculum in which students were required to use electronic textbooks for approximately half of their courses. Results from the questionnaires indicated that while students were open to the idea of electronic textbooks and willing to use them prior to beginning in the Dental Assisting Program, at the conclusion of the Program they overwhelmingly preferred to use traditional print textbooks.
An allosteric Sec61 inhibitor traps nascent transmembrane helices at the lateral gate

Cells are surrounded by a plasma membrane that acts like a barrier around the cell—keeping the cell’s boundaries distinct from surrounding cells and helping to regulate the contents of the cell. This plasma membrane is made up mostly of two layers of fatty molecules, and is also studded with proteins. Some of these membrane proteins act as channels that allow nutrients and other chemicals to enter and leave the cell, while others allow the cell to communicate with other cells and the outside environment. Like all proteins, membrane proteins are chains of amino acids that are linked together by a molecular machine called a ribosome. The ribosomes that make membrane proteins are located on the outside of a membrane-enclosed compartment within the cell called the endoplasmic reticulum. To eventually become embedded within a membrane, a new protein must—at the same time as it is being built—enter a channel within the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum. The newly synthesized protein chain enters this channel, called Sec61, via an entrance near the ribosome and then threads its way toward the inside of the endoplasmic reticulum. However, there is also a ‘side-gate’ in Sec61 that allows specific segments the new protein to escape the channel and become embedded within the membrane. From here, the membrane protein can be trafficked to other destinations within the cell, including the plasma membrane. However, how the newly forming protein chain passes through the side-gate of Sec61 is not well understood. Now MacKinnon, Paavilainen et al. have used a small molecule called cotransin—which is known to interfere with the passage of proteins through Sec61—to observe the interactions between the Sec61 channel and the new protein. Cotransin appears to trap the new protein chain within the Sec61 channel by essentially ‘locking’ the side-gate. MacKinnon, Paavilainen et al. observed that the trapped protein interacts with the inside of the channel at the end closest to the ribosome—which is the likely location of the side-gate. In contrast, cotransin likely binds at the other end of the channel, to a piece of Sec61 that serves to plug the exit into the endoplasmic reticulum; and this plug is directly connected to the side-gate. By preventing the plug from moving out of the way, cotransin can somehow stop the new protein from passing through the side-gate. However, MacKinnon, Paavilainen et al. did find that some membrane proteins with certain physical and chemical properties could get through the gate, despite the presence of cotransin. The next challenge is to resolve exactly how interactions between cotransin and the Sec61 plug can block the escape of new proteins into the membrane.
EFFECTS OF POSTING SELF-SET GOALS ON COLLEGIATE FOOTBALL PLAYERS' SKILL EXECUTION DURING PRACTICE AND GAMES

The effects of self-set goals and public posting on athletic performance of 5 collegiate football players was studied. All players were linebackers on a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Division II football team. The dependent variables were the percentage of correct occasions when the linebacker (a) positioned himself to cover a specified area on the field during a pass or from the line of scrimmage during a run; (b) moved to the correct position in response to the positioning of the offense; and (c) tackled and stopped the progress of the ball carrier. A multiple baseline design across behaviors showed an immediate increase in the practice performance of the players and a corresponding increase in game performance following introduction of the independent variable. This study extends research using public posting in sport by demonstrating the effects of player-determined goals and public posting of goal attainment.
Profile-Based Selection of Accountability Policies in Grid Computing Systems

Accountability in grid computing systems is an important requirement, in that it makes it possible to control activities of users and resource providers through the collection and analysis of accountability data. The accountability policies specify what to collect and when, and more importantly how to coordinate the data collection among different administrative domains. If elements of the data to be sent from a node to another are missing or different from the ones required by the policy due to the insufficient capabilities of the node to collect data, conflicts -- inability to comply - may occur. To solve such conflicts and yet obtain flexible accountability processes, we propose a profile-based policy selection mechanism. We show how by this mechanism we can adapt the accountability policies according to the specific features of jobs and nodes, while at the same time achieving a minimum level of accountability.
Monitoring programs using rewriting

We present a rewriting algorithm for efficiently testing future time Linear Temporal Logic (LTL) formulae on finite execution traces. The standard models of LTL are infinite traces, reflecting the behavior of reactive and concurrent systems which conceptually may be continuously alive. In most past applications of LTL, theorem provers and model checkers have been used to formally prove that down-scaled models satisfy such LTL specifications. Our goal is instead to use LTL for up-scaled testing of real software applications, corresponding to analyzing the conformance of finite traces against LTL formulae. We first describe what it means for a finite trace to satisfy an LTL formula and then suggest an optimized algorithm based on transforming LTL formulae. We use the Maude rewriting logic, which turns out to be a good notation and being supported by an efficient rewriting engine for performing these experiments. The work constitutes part of the Java PathExplorer (JPAX) project, the purpose of which is to develop a flexible tool for monitoring Java program executions.
Female genital mutilation: what every American dermatologist needs to know.

Female genital mutilation (FGM) has become more common in the United States with increased immigration to the United States of individuals from areas where the practice is endemic. Although the root causes of FGM may be multiple, the practice is banned in the United States on all women under age 18 and is increasingly being outlawed by individual state legislatures. American dermatologists should expect to see a growing number of patients having undergone FGM who may present with complications ranging from keloids and epidermal cysts to clitoral neuromas and abscess formation. While treatment of such complications is often elusive and unsuccessful, recognition of the practice may prevent future patient abuse and death. The eradication of FGM will require the concerted efforts of many individuals, both within and outside of the health care field, with dermatologists poised to play a crucial role in diagnosis and management in the near future.
OLFACTORY ABILITY TO DETECT OVULATORY CUES: A FUNCTION OF BIOLOGICAL SEX, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, OR BOTH?

For two decades, psychologists studying ovulation have successfully employed a series of “T-shirt studies” supporting the hypothesis that men can detect when a woman is most fertile based on olfactory detection of ovulatory cues. However, it is not known whether the ability to detect female fertility is primarily a function of biological sex, sexual orientation, or a combination of both. Using methodologies from previous T-shirt studies, we asked women not using hormonal contraceptives to wear a T-shirt for three consecutive nights during their follicular (ovulatory) and luteal (non-ovulatory) phases. Male and female participants of differing sexual orientations then rated the T-shirts based on intensity, pleasantness, and sexiness. Heterosexual males were the only group to rate the follicular T-shirts as more pleasant and sexy than the luteal T-shirts. Near-significant trends also indicated that heterosexual men and non-heterosexual women consistently ranked the T-shirts, regardless of menstrual stage, to be more intense, pleasant, and sexy than did non-heterosexual men and heterosexual women. Recommendations for future research, including suggestions for methodological changes, are discussed.
Changing Stage of Readiness for Physical Activity in Medicaid Beneficiaries With Physical Impairments

People with disabilities are more sedentary than the general population, putting them at risk for secondary conditions like diabetes. This study investigated the effectiveness of motivational interviewing (MI) for changing stage of readiness for physical activity, taking into account baseline stage of readiness and participation barriers. Study participants (n = 139 non-institutionalized, disabled Medicaid beneficiaries) were randomly assigned to either the treatment condition (MI) or a control condition (newsletter). Individuals receiving MI were more likely to move into the preparation stage of readiness (OR = 3.13). Regardless of treatment condition, individuals in the contemplation stage at baseline were more likely to move into preparation (OR = 5.53) and action stage (OR = 8.89). With regard to participation barriers, each unit increase in participants' ratings predicted a 4% to 5% reduction in likelihood of moving into either the preparation or action stage of readiness.
Case Studies in Public-Sector Leadership: Addressing the Problem of Appointment Nonadherence With a Plan for a Walk-In Clinic

Introduction by the column editors: This column is based on the use of an electronic mailing list (e-list) to generate a collaborative problem-solving process. Dr. Runnels asked e-list members of the American Association of Community Psychiatrists for suggestions regarding the establishment of a walk-in program for patients who regularly miss scheduled appointments. Readers are invited to submit suggestions for e-list discussions of management problems to column editors JulesM. Ranz,M.D., at jmr1@columbia.edu, or Susan M. Deakins,M.D., at smd3@columbia.edu.
Autograft containment in posterolateral spine fusion

Abstract Background context Pseudoarthrosis rates in lumbar intertransverse fusion remain high. Compression and displacement of the developing fusion mass by the paraspinal musculature may be a contributory factor. Biocontainment devices have been clinically used in the skull and mandible to guide bone regeneration. The role of a mechanical device in containing graft material in the developing posterolateral lumbar spine fusion is unclear. Purpose To determine the benefits of using a bioabsorbable graft-containment device for lumbar intertransverse fusion, and to evaluate the biocompatibility of this implant by histological analysis of the host tissue reaction. Study design A rabbit intertransverse spine fusion model was used to evaluate a bioabsorbable graft-containment implant. Study and control groups were compared with regard to the rate, volume, and quality of fusion, as well as host tissue reaction to the graft and implant. Methods Fourteen adult male New Zealand White rabbits underwent bilateral posterolateral intertransverse spine arthrodesis at L3–L4. The control group (n=7) received autograft alone, and the study group received autografts placed in open meshed hemicylinders fashioned from LactoSorb sheets (LactoSorb; Biomet Orthopedics Inc., Warsaw, IN). Spines were harvested at 6 weeks and imaged. Radiographs and computed tomography (CT) images were used to calculate the rate, area, and volume of fusion mass. Sections were fixed and stained with hematoxylin-eosin and Mallory trichrome for histological analysis of fusion and host tissue response. The Mann-Whitney nonparametric statistical test was used for the radiographic and CT qualitative assessments. The CT volume quantitation was analyzed using the Student t test. A p value of Results The fusion rates on radiographs and CT imaging did not show a significant difference (p>.05) between the biocontainment and control groups. The volume of fusion revealed a significant increase with biocontainment (mean±standard error; total left+right fusion sides=2.88±0.30 cc) compared with controls (2.12±0.15 cc) (p Conclusions The incidence of fusion was similar with or without a containment device for onlay bone graft. A significant increase in the volume of the fusion suggests that a biocontainment device does play a role in protecting the developing fusion mass from the mechanical effects of the paraspinal musculature. The clinical use of this device cannot be justified at this time, and further studies will determine whether this increase in fusion volume will translate into a better incidence and volume of fusion in primate and human models.
Changes in Milk pH and Bicarbonate During 20 Days of Lactation in the Guinea Pig

Abstract Milk samples were obtained from lactating albino guinea pigs after 4 to 6h of separation from their offspring. The samples were collected in 5-ml glass vials and capped immediately. They were transported rapidly to a pH-gas analyzer for measurements of pH, bicarbonate, base excess, and partial pressure of CO 2 . Eight guinea pigs were sampled daily for 20 d for a total of 160 observations. Analysis of variance indicated animal and day differences. Regression analyses over days revealed equations of best fit to be quadratic, although stepwise trends were observed in the data as well. The quadratic model for pH was Y(pH) = 6.996 – .057X + .002X 2 , where X was day of lactation (R 2 = .54). The model for bicarbonate was Y (–HCO 3 in milliequivalents per liter) = 8.896 – .659X + .0202X 2 (R 2 = .60). For base excess, the model was Y (in milliequivalents per liter) = –22.65 – 1.99X + .069X 2 (R 2 = .58). The model for partial pressure of CO 2 was Y (millimeters of Hg) = 38.63 + 1.06X – .080X 2 (R 2 = .33). Decreases in pH and bicarbonate were parallel to changes in mammary epithelial cells of guinea pigs in which degeneration of mechanisms responsible for two important ingredients relating to milk volume occur. These have been identified previously as reductions in lactose and potassium. Synthesis of the enzyme carbonic anhydrase with its resultant bicarbonate production may be related in some way to these components of milk secretion.
Relationships Between Mobility of Axial Structures and Physical Performance

Background and Purpose. Many day-to-day activities require bending and twisting motions of the spine (axial mobility). Because little is known about the relationship between axial mobility and physical performance, this investigation explored these relationships. Subjects. Thirty-one men and 26 women, aged 20 to 91 years (X=58.4, SD=24.4), participated. Methods. Subjects were assigned to one of three age groups: 20 to 40 years, 60 to 74 years, or 75 years and older. Five sets of variables were identified and measured: cervical, lumbar, sagittal configuration (ie, kyphosis, lordosis), combined spinal motion, and physical performance. Results. A multivariate analysis of variance revealed age effects for all sets of variables; a post hoc analysis of variance revealed age effects for all variables within the sets. Canonical correlations, controlling for age, demonstrated associations between the cervical and combined spinal motion sets of variables and between the combined spinal motion and physical performance sets of variables. Conclusion and Discussion. This investigation demonstrated an age effect for selected measures of axial mobility, sagittal configuration, and physical performance thought to depend on axial motion. Controlling for age, the results also demonstrated associations between measures of axial mobility and physical performance.
Saline Lakes’ Response to Global Change

A definition of a saline lake, as used in limnology, is based on the salt content of the brine conventionally taken as 3 g/L or higher (Williams 1996). This lower limit of the salt concentration is much lower than that of mean ocean water, about 36 g/L or 35 g/kg, and it is much lower than the salt concentrations in many saline lakes where a variety of minerals precipitate from the brine and where the precipitation is caused by the changing environmental conditions. The term brackish is usually used for waters of salt concentration between that of fresh and ocean water. On a global scale, the volume of saline lakes as a reservoir is relatively small, estimated by different sources as between 85,000 and 104,000 km, of which a large fraction of 78,000 km is attributable to the brackish Caspian Sea (Williams 1996). For a comparison, the global volume of fresh-water lakes is estimated at about 125,000 km. Minerals forming in marine and continental saline brines and the later products of their diagenesis are known as evaporites. These include primarily the halogenides and sulfates of the alkali metals and alkaline earths, as well as the more complex salts of two or more cations and anions, such as carbonate, bicarbonate, chloride, sulfate, and borate. For a long time, the geochemical interest in saline lakes was focused on the great variety of minerals that form only in saline brines, mineral-brine reactions, and interpretations of the origin and development of the chemical composition of the brines. Studies of the occurrences of marine and continental salt deposits in the geologic past as indicators of mostly dry and hot paleoclimates appear in numerous publications and textbooks, but the temperature ranges of stability of many evaporite minerals that form with halite in concentrated multicomponent brines (Braitsch 1964) are considerably greater than the paleotemperatures that may be expected at the earth’s surface. More recently, the interest has moved to the more specific effects of the local or regional climate change and the natural and human-induced changes in the environment on lakes in various parts of the world. The concept of global change includes two components: natural changes in the climate, land configuration, and hydrological regime that are driven by longer-term natural processes and a more recent phenomenon of the last 200–250 years
Genes upregulated in prostate cancer reactive stroma promote prostate cancer progression in vivo

Purpose: Marked reactive stroma formation is associated with poor outcome in clinically localized prostate cancer. We have previously identified genes with diverse functions that are upregulated in reactive stroma. This study tests the hypothesis that expression of these genes in stromal cells enhances prostate cancer growth in vivo . Experimental Design: The expression of reactive stroma genes in prostate stromal cell lines was evaluated by reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR and qRT-PCR. Genes were knocked down using stable expression of short-hairpin RNAs (shRNA) and the impact on tumorigenesis assessed using the differential reactive stroma (DRS) system, in which prostate stromal cell lines are mixed with LNCaP prostate cancer cells and growth as subcutaneous xenografts assessed. Results: Nine of 10 reactive stroma genes tested were expressed in one or more prostate stromal cell lines. Gene knockdown of c-Kit, Wnt10B, Bmi1, Gli2, or COMP all resulted in decreased tumorigenesis in the DRS model. In all tumors analyzed, angiogenesis was decreased and there were variable effects on proliferation and apoptosis in the LNCaP cells. Wnt10B has been associated with stem/progenitor cell phenotype in other tissue types. Using a RT-PCR array, we detected downregulation of multiple genes involved in stem/progenitor cell biology such as OCT4 and LIF as well as cytokines such as VEGFA, BDNF, and CSF2 in cells with Wnt10B knockdown. Conclusions: These findings show that genes upregulated in prostate cancer–reactive stroma promote progression when expressed in prostate stromal cells. Moreover, these data indicate that the DRS model recapitulates key aspects of cancer cell/reactive stroma interactions in prostate cancer. Clin Cancer Res; 20(1); 100–9. ©2013 AACR .
The impact of data aggregation on the performance of wireless sensor networks

With the increasing need for different energy saving mechanisms in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs), data aggregation techniques for reducing the number of data transmissions by eliminating redundant information have been studied as a significant research problem. These studies have shown that data aggregation in WSNs may produce various trade-offs among some network related performance metrics such as energy, latency, accuracy, fault-tolerance and security. In this paper, we investigate the impact of data aggregation on these networking metrics by surveying the existing data aggregation protocols in WSNs. Our aim is twofold: First, providing a comprehensive summary and comparison of the existing data aggregation techniques with respect to different networking metrics. Second, pointing out both the possible future research issues and the need for collaboration between data management and networking research communities working on data aggregation in WSNs. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Assessing Subjective Well-Being: Progress and Opportunities

Subjective well-being (SWB) comprises people's longer-term levels of pleasant affect, lack of unpleasant affect, and life satisfaction. It displays moderately high levels of cross-situational consistency and temporal stability. Self-report measures of SWB show adequate validity, reliability, factor invariance, and sensitivity to change. Despite the success of the measures to date, more sophisticated approaches to defining and measuring SWB are now possible. Affect includes facial, physiological, motivational, behavioral, and cognitive components. Self-reports assess primarily the cognitive component of affect, and thus are unlikely to yield a complete picture of respondents' emotional lives. For example, denial may influence self-reports of SWB more than other components. Additionally, emotions are responses which vary on a number of dimensions such as intensity, suggesting that mean levels of affect as captured by existing measures do not give a complete account of SWB. Advances in cognitive psychology indicate that differences in memory retrieval, mood as information, and scaling processes can influence self-reports of SWB. Finally, theories of communication alert us to the types of information that are likely to be given in self-reports of SWB. These advances from psychology suggest that a multimethod approach to assessing SWB will create a more comprehensive depiction of the phenomenon. Not only will a multifaceted test battery yield more credible data, but inconsistencies between various measurement methods and between the various components of well-being will both help us better understand SWB indictors and group differences in well-being. Knowledge of cognition, personality, and emotion will also aid in the development of sophisticated theoretical definitions of subjective well-being. For example, life satisfaction is theorized to be a judgment that respondents construct based on currently salient information. Finally, it is concluded that measuring negative reactions such as depression or anxiety give an incomplete picture of people's well-being, and that it is imperative to measure life satisfaction and positive emotions as well.
Penile Cancer in a Man With Netherton Syndrome

Netherton syndrome (NS) is a rare autosomal recessive skin disease with severe skin inflammation and scaling, a specific hair shaft defect (trichorrhexis invaginata or bamboo hair), and severe atopic manifestations including atopic dermatitis and hay fever with high serum immunoglobulin E levels and hypereosinophilia. NS is caused by loss-of-function mutations in serine protease inhibitor of Kazal-type 5 (SPINK5) encoding lympho-epithelial Kazal-type-related inhibitor (LEKTI) expressed in the stratified epithelia. We report the first case of penile squamous cell carcinoma in a patient with NS.
MADS-Box Transcription Factor Mig1 Is Required for Infectious Growth in Magnaporthe grisea

Magnaporthe grisea is a model fungus for studying fungus-plant interactions. Two mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase genes, PMK1 and MPS1, have been implicated in regulating plant infection processes in M. grisea. However, transcription factors activated by these MAP kinases are not well studied. In this study we functionally characterized the MIG1 gene that encodes a MADS-box transcription factor homologous to Saccharomyces cerevisiae Rlm1. In yeast two-hybrid assays, MIG1 interacts with MPS1, suggesting that MIG1 may function downstream from the MPS1 pathway. The mig1 deletion mutant had a normal growth rate and formed melanized appressoria, but it was nonpathogenic and failed to infect rice leaves through wounds. Appressoria formed by the mig1 mutant developed penetration pegs and primary infectious hyphae, but further differentiation of the secondary infectious hyphae inside live plant cells was blocked. However, the mig1 mutant formed infectious hypha-like structures in heat-killed plant cells or cellophane membranes. In transformants expressing the MIG1-GFP fusion, green fluorescent protein (GFP) signals were not detectable in vegetative hyphae and conidiophores. Mig1-GFP was localized to nuclei in conidia, appressoria, and infectious hyphae. Deletion of the MADS box had no effect on the expression and localization of the MIG1-GFP fusion but eliminated its ability to complement the mig1 mutant. These results suggest that MIG1 may be required for overcoming plant defense responses and the differentiation of secondary infectious hyphae in live plant cells. The MADS-box domain is essential for the function of MIG1 but dispensable for its nuclear localization, which may be associated with the activation of MIG1 by MPS1 during conidiation and plant infection.
Gaussian statistics for palaeomagnetic vectors

SUMMARY With the aim of treating the statistics of palaeomagnetic directions and intensities jointly and consistently, we represent the mean and the variance of palaeomagnetic vectors, at a particular site and of a particular polarity, by a probability density function in a Cartesian three-space of orthogonal magnetic-field components consisting of a single (unimodal) non-zero mean, spherically-symmetrical (isotropic) Gaussian function. For palaeomagnetic data of mixed polarities, we consider a bimodal distribution consisting of a pair of such symmetrical Gaussian functions, with equal, but opposite, means and equal variances. For both the Gaussian and bi-Gaussian distributions, and in the spherical three-space of intensity, inclination, and declination, we obtain analytical expressions for the marginal density functions, the cumulative distributions, and the expected values and variances for each spherical coordinate (including the angle with respect to the axis of symmetry of the distributions). The mathematical expressions for the intensity and off-axis angle are closed-form and especially manageable, with the intensity distribution being Rayleigh–Rician. In the limit of small relative vectorial dispersion, the Gaussian (bi-Gaussian) directional distribution approaches a Fisher (Bingham) distribution and the intensity distribution approaches a normal distribution. In the opposite limit of large relative vectorial dispersion, the directional distributions approach a spherically-uniform distribution and the intensity distribution approaches a Maxwell distribution. We quantify biases in estimating the properties of the vector field resulting from the use of simple arithmetic averages, such as estimates of the intensity or the inclination of the mean vector, or the variances of these quantities. With the statistical framework developed here and using the maximum-likelihood method, which gives unbiased estimates in the limit of large data numbers, we demonstrate how to formulate the inverse problem, and how to estimate the mean and variance of the magnetic vector field, even when the data consist of mixed combinations of directions and intensities. We examine palaeomagnetic secular-variation data from Hawaii and Reunion, and although these two sites are on almost opposite latitudes, we find significant differences in the mean vector and differences in the local vectorial variances, with the Hawaiian data being particularly anisotropic. These observations are inconsistent with a description of the mean field as being a simple geocentric axial dipole and with secular variation being statistically symmetrical with respect to reflection through the equatorial plane. Finally, our analysis of palaeomagnetic acquisition data from the 1960 Kilauea flow in Hawaii and the Holocene Xitle flow in Mexico, is consistent with the widely held suspicion that directional data are more accurate than intensity data.
Query modification patterns and concept analysis of Web image queries

This study investigated query modification patterns and concepts used in query construction during users' searching images on the Web. It examined whether query modifications were related to different content collections, and analyzed what attributes were used to formulate a query in an interactive web searching process. Findings of the study show that query modification patterns were significantly associated with content collections. Terms related to format or specific objects to represent an image were found to be frequently used in reformulations and specializations. The findings suggest that system features for flexible query formulation and navigation would support users' image search process.