cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PCR detection of Streptococcus mutans and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans in dental plaque samples from Haitian adolescents

Streptococcus mutans and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans are oral pathogens associated with dental caries and periodontitis, respectively. The aim of this study was to determine the colonization of these two microorganisms in the dental plaque of a group of Haitian adolescents using two different polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods, standard PCR, and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assays. Fifty-four pooled supra-gingival plaque samples and 98 pooled sub-gingival plaque samples were obtained from 104 12- to19-year-old rural-dwelling Haitians. The total genomic DNA of bacteria was isolated from these samples, and all participants also received caries and periodontal examinations. Caries prevalence was 42.2%, and the mean decayed, missing, and filled surface (DMFS) was 2.67 ± 5.3. More than half of the adolescents (53.3%) experienced periodontal pockets (Community Periodontal Index score ≥3). S. mutans was detected in 67.3% by qPCR and 38.8% by PCR of the supra-gingival plaque samples (p < 0.01), and 36.6% by qPCR and 8.1% by PCR of the sub-gingival samples (p < 0.01). A. actinomycetemcomitans was detected in 85.1% by qPCR and 44.0% by PCR of the sub-gingival samples (p < 0.01), but the prevalence was similar, 67.3% by qPCR and 59.2% by PCR, in the supra-gingival plaque samples. Neither age nor gender was significantly correlated to the bacterial colonization. The results demonstrated a moderate-to-high prevalence of S. mutans and A. actinomycetemcomitans in the Haitian adolescent population, and qPCR is more sensitive than standard PCR in field conditions. These findings suggest that qPCR should be considered for field oral epidemiologic studies and may be necessary in investigations having major logistic challenges.
The uneven distribution of environmental burdens and benefits in Silicon Valley's backyard

Abstract Inequalities in the exposure to environmental burdens and access to environmental benefits are an environmental justice concern for urban and regional environmental planning. Recent studies have assessed the exposure of different populations to a combination of environmental hazards through GIS-based Cumulative Environmental Impact Assessments (CEIA). The contribution of this study is the development of a CEIA, which incorporates the distance-based impact of transportation, the cumulative impact of environmental hazards, and access to environmental benefits for Santa Clara County (SCC), a highly diverse and rapidly developing region also known as ‘Silicon Valley’. Our results show that social vulnerability, cumulative environmental hazards, and environmental benefits exhibit distinct spatial patterns in SCC. High environmental hazard values are found along freeway and railroad corridors with substantial industrial legacies, while environmental benefit scores are generally higher in the suburban periphery. Correlations indicate that socially vulnerable populations in SCC are predominantly hispanic and are more likely to be exposed to environmental hazards, while white and wealthier populations are more likely to have access to environmental benefits. The results from this study may serve to develop community-based initiatives for neighborhood improvement and environmental-justice-based regional planning and public health policy reform.
From Students to Learners: Developing Self-Regulated Learning

Prior researchers have shown that self-regulated learning (SRL) is associated with success in school and is viewed as a key to success in a career. In this article, the authors provide a process for developing SRL. At a private midwestern university, students were exposed to the basic elements of SRL throughout two semesters of accounting principles. Students and the instructor collaborated in selecting personal learning goals for each student. Frequent and extensive monitoring of learning activities and progress toward goals, along with instructor feedback, promoted self-regulated learning. Instructor observations and student feedback provide evidence of the benefits of exposing students to SRL.
Successful recanalization for acute ischemic stroke via the transbrachial approach

The recent development of revascularization devices, including stent retrievers, has enabled increasingly higher revascularization rates for arterial occlusions in acute ischemic stroke. Patient-specific factors such as anatomy, however, may occasionally limit endovascular deployment of these new devices via the conventional transfemoral approach. We report three cases of acute ischemic stroke where a transbrachial endovascular approach to revascularization was used, resulting in successful recanalization. These examples suggest that a transbrachial approach may be considered as an alternative in the endovascular treatment of acute ischemic stroke.
Phylogenetic Analyses of Novel Squamate Adenovirus Sequences in Wild-Caught Anolis Lizards

Adenovirus infection has emerged as a serious threat to the health of captive snakes and lizards (i.e., squamates), but we know relatively little about this virus' range of possible hosts, pathogenicity, modes of transmission, and sources from nature. We report the first case of adenovirus infection in the Iguanidae, a diverse family of lizards that is widely-studied and popular in captivity. We report adenovirus infections from two closely-related species of Anolis lizards (anoles) that were recently imported from wild populations in the Dominican Republic to a laboratory colony in the United States. We investigate the evolution of adenoviruses in anoles and other squamates using phylogenetic analyses of adenovirus polymerase gene sequences sampled from Anolis and a range of other vertebrate taxa. These phylogenetic analyses reveal that (1) the sequences detected from each species of Anolis are novel, and (2) adenoviruses are not necessarily host-specific and do not always follow a co-speciation model under which host and virus phylogenies are perfectly concordant. Together with the fact that the Anolis adenovirus sequences reported in our study were detected in animals that became ill and subsequently died shortly after importation while exhibiting clinical signs consistent with acute adenovirus infection, our discoveries suggest the need for renewed attention to biosecurity measures intended to prevent the spread of adenovirus both within and among species of snakes and lizards housed in captivity.
Absolute elastic electron-helium scattering cross-section measurements from 2 to 19 eV

Absolute ${e}^{\ensuremath{-}}$-He elastic differential scattering cross sections have been determined from relative scattered electron angular distribution measurements in the energy range from 2 to 19 eV. The absolute cross sections have been determined to within errors which vary from \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}9% to \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2% within this energy range. The $s$, $p$, and $d$ phase shifts determined in this work are roughly in agreement with previous determinations, while the total and momentum-transfer cross sections determined in this work in some cases do not agree with previous determinations. The total and momentum-transfer cross sections found in this work at 2 and 5 eV are in excellent agreement with the previous direct measurements of Golden and Bandel and of Crompton et al., respectively.
Computational Modeling of HART II Blade-Vortex Interaction Loading and Wake System

Correlations using a loosely coupled trim methodology of the computational fluid dynamics (OVERFLOW-2) and computational structural dynamics (CAMRAD-II) codes are presented to calculate the helicopter rotor blade-vortex interaction airloads and wake system for the higher-harmonic aeroacoustic rotor test (HART II) rotor at an advance ratio of 0.15. Five different grid models are studied to quantify the effects of grid refinement on rotor-wake resolution. The fine grid model has a total of 113 million grid points and it improves airload predictions compared with the standard grid model for three HART II test cases: baseline, minimum noise, and minimum vibration. The rotor-wake positions are well predicted by this fine grid model. The computed vorticity field for a young vortex using the fine grid model is compared with the measured particle image velocimetry data and the results are good. The fine grid model underpredicts the experimental value for the maximum vorticity by 61%. The predicted vortex core radius is Is % in chord for the fine grid while the measured data show about 5% chord length. The predicted swirl velocity is, however, higher than the measured data for this vortex. The results in this paper provide the first quantitative comparisons between the measured and computational fluid dynamics/computational structural dynamics computed flowfield for a helicopter rotor-wake system.
Prostacyclin analogue (OP-2507) attenuates hepatic microcirculatory derangement, energy depletion, and lipid peroxidation in a rat model of reperfusion injury

Abstract Background.Microcirculatory derangement, energy depletion, and lipid peroxidation are associated with the development of ischemia–reperfusion injury in the liver. This study investigated the effects of a prostacyclin analogue (OP-2507) on hepatic ischemia–reperfusion injury.Materials and Methods.Adult, male Sprague–Dawley rats were divided into four treatment groups: (1) sham-operated control (laparotomy only, no ischemia),N=6; (2) ischemia control (1 h ischemia, 2 h reperfusion),N= 6; (3) intravenous infusion with OP-2507 ([15-cis-14-propylcyclohexyl]-16,17,18,19,20-pentanor-9-deoxy-9a,6-nitrilo-PGF, methyl ether; Ono Pharmaceutical Co, Ltd, Osaka, Japan) at a dose of 1 μg/kg/min plus ischemia (1 h ischemia, 2 h reperfusion),N= 6; and (4) intravenous infusion with OP-2507 at a dose of 0.1 μg/kg/min plus ischemia (1 h ischemia, 2 h reperfusion),N= 6. A laser–Doppler flowmeter andin vivomicroscopy were used to investigate hepatic microcirculation. Tissue malondialdehyde (MDA) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels were determined at the end of the experiment.Results.Compared with ischemia alone, OP-2507 significantly reduced the extent of microcirculatory and hemodynamic derangement following ischemia–reperfusion. The changes of mean systolic arterial pressure (MSAP) following ischemia–reperfusion showed biphasic alterations. OP-2507 at both doses significantly attenuated decreases in MSAP. OP-2507 lessened adherent leukocyte count and improved flow velocity in the sinusoids and postsinusoidal venules. OP-2507 at the dose of 1 μg/kg/min reduced MDA (1.04 ± 0.27 μmol/g protein vs 2.64 ± 0.59 μmol/g protein in the ischemia and reperfusion group) and increased ATP levels (2.03 ± 0.17 μmol/g wet wt vs 0.73 ± 0.21 μmol/g wet wt in the ischemia and reperfusion group), while OP-2507 at a smaller dose (0.1 μg/kg/min) had lesser but significant effects on MDA and ATP alterations.Conclusion.This study demonstrates that OP-2507 treatment of ischemia can ameliorate ischemia–reperfusion injury of the rat liver.
Achieving COSMOS: a metric for determining when to give up and when to reach for the stars

The utility of current metrics used in genetic programming (GP) systems, such as computational effort and mean-best-fitness, varies depending upon the problem and the resource that needs to be optimized. Inferences about the underlying system can only be made when a sufficient number of runs are performed to estimate the relevant metric within some confidence interval. This paper proposes a new algorithm for determining the minimum number of independent runs needed to make inferences about a GP system. As such, we view our algorithm as a meta-metric that should be satisfied before any inferences about a system are made. We call this metric COSMOS, as it estimates the number of independent runs needed to achieve the Convergence Of Sample Means Of the Order Statistics. It is agnostic to the underlying GP system and can be used to evaluate extant performance metrics, as well as problem difficulty. We suggest ways for which COSMOS may be used to identify problems for which GP may be uniquely qualified to solve.
Ultrastructure of the Testicular Interstitial Tissue of the Hagfish Eptatretus stouti

Ultrastructure of the somatic components of the testis of the Pacific hagfish was studied. Interstitial cells, equivalent to Leydig cells of higher vertebrates, containing smooth-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria with tubular cristae were found in the interstitial tissue, as well as leucocytes, fibroblasts and other cells of unknown role. Two kinds of somatic cells were observed in the testicular follicles: Sertoli cells and “stellate cells”. The significance of interstitial cells was discussed in relation to possible involvement in steroidogenesis.
The labor market consequences of race differences in health.

This article examines whether race and ethnicity disparities in health account for similar disparities in employment status and other labor-related outcomes. Two population groups whose health is systematically worse than that of whites (blacks and Native Americans) are identified. We document the distribution of labor-related outcomes-employment, earnings, public transfer program participation, and household income-for these groups. Health disparities seem to contribute to the substantial difference in employment and participation in public transfer programs between whites and blacks and between whites and Native Americans. But health disparities account for a smaller portion of the substantial differences in household income and labor earnings across racial/ethnic groups. (Bound, J, Waidmann, T., Schoenbaum, M., and Bingenheimer, J. 2003. The Labor Market Consequences of Race Differences in Health. Milbank Quarterly 81(3):441-473.)
Mechanism of immunopotentiation and safety of aluminum adjuvants

Aluminum-containing adjuvants are widely used in preventive vaccines against infectious diseases and in preparations for allergy immunotherapy. The mechanism by which they enhance the immune response remains poorly understood. Aluminum adjuvants selectively stimulate a Th2 immune response upon injection of mice and a mixed response in human beings. They support activation of CD8 T cells, but these cells do not undergo terminal differentiation to cytotoxic T cells. Adsorption of antigens to aluminum adjuvants enhances the immune response by facilitating phagocytosis and slowing the diffusion of antigens from the injection site which allows time for inflammatory cells to accumulate. The adsorptive strength is important as high affinity interactions interfere with the immune response. Adsorption can also affect the physical and chemical stability of antigens. Aluminum adjuvants activate dendritic cells via direct and indirect mechanisms. Phagocytosis of aluminum adjuvants followed by disruption of the phagolysosome activates NLRP3-inflammasomes resulting in the release of active IL-1β and IL-18. Aluminum adjuvants also activate dendritic cells by binding to membrane lipid rafts. Injection of aluminum-adjuvanted vaccines causes the release of uric acid, DNA and ATP from damaged cells which in turn activate dendritic cells. The use of aluminum adjuvant is limited by weak stimulation of cell-mediated immunity. This can be enhanced by addition of other immunomodulatory molecules. Adsorption of these molecules is determined by the same mechanisms that control adsorption of antigens and can affect the efficacy of such combination adjuvants. The widespread use of aluminum adjuvants can be attributed in part to the excellent safety record based on a 70-year history of use. They cause local inflammation at the injection site, but also reduce the severity of systemic and local reactions by binding biologically active molecules in vaccines.
Intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonding in 3-hydroxy- and 5-hydroxychromone

The crystal structures for 3-hydroxychromone and 5-hydroxychromone have been obtained. Both molecules exhibit intramolecular hydrogen bonding between the hydroxy group and the ketone oxygen atom. However, only the 3-hydroxy derivative contains hydrogen bonds between molecules. By comparing the current results with those obtained for the corresponding flavone derivatives, the effect of the B phenyl group on hydrogen bonding is inferred.
Ethics and the Ideal Helping Relationship: Response to Hill and Mamalakis

T n he essence of therapy is the helping relationship. Thus, the goal of any clinical model, including a code of professional ethics, is to describe as definitively as possible the ideal helping relationship. Departures from ideal conditions must be warranted by significant and highly probable benefit, not outweighed by the possibility of countervailing harm. Some departures from ideal clinical conditions are of such gravity that they are expressly prohibited, as in the case of dual therapistsexual partner relationships. The prohibition of other departures is not absolute, but decidedly cautionary. We agree with Hill and Mamalakis that apparently unavoidable departures from ethical guidelines-as in the case of a dual relationship (DR) within religious, rural, or minority communities-must be cautiously evaluated to avoid too casual dismissal of a prudent and consensus-based ethical standard.
Oral microemulsions of paclitaxel: in situ and pharmacokinetic studies.

The overall goal of this study was to develop cremophor-free oral microemulsions of paclitaxel (PAC) to enhance its permeability and oral absorption. The mechanism of this enhancement, as well as characteristics of the microemulsions relevant to the increase in permeability and absorption of the low solubility, low permeability PAC was investigated. Phase diagrams were used to determine the macroscopic phase behavior of the microemulsions and to compare the efficiency of different surfactant-oil mixtures to incorporate water. The microemulsion region on the phase diagrams utilizing surfactant-myvacet oil combinations was in decreasing order: lecithin: butanol: myvacet oil (LBM, 48.5%) > centromix CPS: 1butanol: myvacet oil (CPS, 45.15%) > capmul MCM: polysorbate 80: myvacet oil (CPM, 27.6%) > capryol 90: polysorbate 80: myvacet oil (CP-P80, 23.9%) > capmul: myvacet oil (CM, 20%). Oil-in-water (o/w) microemulsions had larger droplet sizes (687–1010 nm) than the water-in-oil (w/o) microemulsions (272–363 nm) when measured using a Zetasizer nano series particle size analyzer. Utilizing nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), the self-diffusion coefficient (D) of PAC in CM, LBM and CPM containing 10% of deuterium oxide (D2O) was 2.24 � 10 � 11 , 1.97 � 10 � 11 and 0.51 � 10 � 11 m 2 /s, respectively. These values indicate the faster molecular mobility of PAC in the two w/o microemulsions (CM and LBM) than the o/w microemulsion – CPM. The in situ permeability of PAC through male CD-IGS rat intestine was 3- and 11-fold higher from LBM and CM, respectively, than that from the control clinical formulation, Taxol (CE, cremophor: ethanol) in a single pass perfusion study. PAC permeability was significantly increased in the presence of the pgp/CYP3A4 inhibitor cyclosporine A (CsA). This enhancement may be attributed to the pgp inhibitory effect of the surfactants, oil and/or the membrane perturbation effect of the surfactants. The oral disposition of PAC in CM, LBM and CPM compared to CE was studied in male CD-IGS rats after a single oral dose (20 mg/kg). The area-under-the-curve of PAC in CM was significantly larger than LBM, CPM and CE. Oral microemulsions of PAC were developed that increased both the permeability and AUC of PAC as compared to CE. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Brazilian journalists' perceptions of media roles, ethics and foreign influences on Brazilian journalism

This paper analyzes the perceptions of journalists in Sao Paulo, Brazil's main media hub, concerning media roles, ethics and foreign influences on journalism and compares them with perceptions held by American and French journalists. American and French models of journalism have influenced Brazilian journalism at different points in time. The study employs quantitative and qualitative methods to illustrate that Brazilian journalists embrace a particular pluralistic view regarding their role in society and appear to be very tolerant of controversial journalistic practices. While most of them believe they emulate the American model, some critics interviewed for this study suggest that these journalists have developed a caricature of American journalism and lack a clear perspective on how to deal with foreign journalistic influences.
Natural Ores as Oxygen Carriers in Chemical Looping Combustion

Chemical looping combustion (CLC) is a combustion technology that utilizes oxygen from oxygen carriers (OC), such as metal oxides, instead of air to combust fuels. The use of natural minerals as oxygen carriers has advantages, such as lower cost and availability. Eight materials, based on copper or iron oxides, were selected for screening tests of CLC processes using coal and methane as fuels. Thermogravimetric experiments and bench-scale fixed-bed reactor tests were conducted to investigate the oxygen transfer capacity, reaction kinetics, and stability during cyclic reduction/oxidation reaction. Most natural minerals showed lower combustion capacity than pure CuO/Fe2O3 due to low-concentrations of active oxide species in minerals. In coal CLC, chryscolla (Cu-based), magnetite, and limonite (Fe-based) demonstrated better reaction performances than other materials. The addition of steam improved the coal CLC performance when using natural ores because of the steam gasification of coal and the subsequent re...
Abnormal Feathering of Pen-Reared Bobwhites

Abstract AN ABNORMAL growth of juvenal wing-feathers occurred in pen-reared Bobwhite quail at the age of two weeks on two experiments planned to determine the optimum level of dried milk products in a diet for growing quail. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The chicks were from pen-reared parent stock and had been hatched in an incubator during June 1942. For the first three weeks they were kept in electric battery brooders, 22.5 by 35.0 by 9.5 inches, and then transferred to field brooders for the following two weeks. Brooding temperature under the hover was maintained at 98°F. for the first week, and then reduced 5 degrees each week thereafter, until the heat was cut off during the fourth week. For the first experiment, 22 chicks were distributed into each of 16 brooder units; for the second experiment, 37 were placed in each of 16 units. They were supplied with feed, water, and grit. Eight . . .
Precision of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis for the molecular weight estimation of a membrane glycoprotein: studies on bovine rhodopsin.

Abstract Criteria for assessing the precision and accuracy of methods for estimation of molecular weight for proteins using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis have been applied to rhodopsin from bovine visual cell outer segment membranes. Various methods of preparing this hydrophobic protein for electrophoresis differ in their ability to solubilize and disaggregate polypeptide constituents of the outer segment membrane, with resultant variations in the pattern of protein bands and the apparent molecular weight of rhodopsin. Even with optimal solubilization and disaggregation, the behavior of rhodopsin relative to a series of standard proteins is such that the apparent molecular weight decreases systematically from 40,400 to 34,500 as the acrylamide concentration increases from 4 to 10%. As demonstrated by Ferguson plots of log R f vs gel concentration and split gel experiments, this discrepancy is explained by the fact that the extrapolated R f for zero gel concentration ( Y 0 ) for rhodopsin is significantly lower than the Y 0 's for the soluble proteins used as molecular weight standards. In such cases, a possibly more reliable molecular weight estimate is obtained by plotting the retardation coefficient ( K R ) vs molecular weight. This method yields a value of 29,500 ± 1000 for bovine rhodopsin if only the errors in measurement of R f are considered and a quadratic relationship between K R and molecular weight is used. Using weighted linear regression for K R vs molecular weight, we obtain a molecular weight estimate of 32,700 ± 5000 when the uncertainty in the calibration curve is considered. Because of uncertainties regarding the detergent-binding properties of rhodopsin and the relationship of its Stokes radius to its molecular weight by comparison with the soluble protein standards, these values must be viewed with caution.
Recoil Detection of the Lightest Neutralino in MSSM Singlet Extensions

We investigate the correlated predictions of singlet extended MSSM models for direct detection and the cosmological relic density of the lightest neutralino. To illustrate the general effects of the singlet, we take heavy sleptons and squarks. We apply CERN LEP, $(g\ensuremath{-}2{)}_{\ensuremath{\mu}}$, and perturbativity constraints. We find that the WMAP upper bound on the cold dark matter density limits much of the parameter space to regions where the lightest neutralino can be discovered in recoil experiments. The results for the next-to-minimal supersymmetric standard model and $U(1{)}^{\ensuremath{'}}$-extended minimal supersymmetric standard model are typically similar to the MSSM since their light neutralinos have similar compositions and masses. In the nearly minimal supersymmetric standard model the neutralino is often very light and its recoil detection is within the reach of the CDMS II experiment. In general, most points in the parameter spaces of the singlet models we consider are accessible to the WARP experiment.
Antioxidants and Zinc to Prevent Progression of Age-Related Macular Degeneration

BackgroundObservational and experimental data suggest that antioxidant and/or zinc supplements may delay progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and vision loss.ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect of high-dose vitamins C and E, beta carotene, and zinc supplements on AMD progression and visual acuity.DesignThe Age-Related Eye Disease Study, an 11-center double-masked clinical trial, enrolled participants in an AMD trial if they had extensive small drusen, intermediate drusen, large drusen, noncentral geographic atrophy, or pigment abnormalities in 1 or both eyes, or advanced AMD or vision loss due to AMD in 1 eye. At least 1 eye had best-corrected visual acuity of 20/32 or better. Participants were randomly assigned to receive daily oral tablets containing: (1) antioxidants (vitamin C, 500 mg; vitamin E, 400 IU; and beta carotene, 15 mg); (2) zinc, 80 mg, as zinc oxide and copper, 2 mg, as cupric oxide; (3) antioxidants plus zinc; or (4) placebo.Main Outcome Measures(1) Photographic assessment of progression to or treatment for advanced AMD and (2) at least moderate visual acuity loss from baseline (≥15 letters). Primary analyses used repeated-measures logistic regression with a significance level of .01, unadjusted for covariates. Serum level measurements, medical histories, and mortality rates were used for safety monitoring.ResultsAverage follow-up of the 3640 enrolled study participants, aged 55-80 years, was 6.3 years, with 2.4% lost to follow-up. Comparison with placebo demonstrated a statistically significant odds reduction for the development of advanced AMD with antioxidants plus zinc (odds ratio [OR], 0.72; 99% confidence interval [CI], 0.52-0.98). The ORs for zinc alone and antioxidants alone are 0.75 (99% CI, 0.55-1.03) and 0.80 (99% CI, 0.59-1.09), respectively. Participants with extensive small drusen, nonextensive intermediate size drusen, or pigment abnormalities had only a 1.3% 5-year probability of progression to advanced AMD. Odds reduction estimates increased when these 1063 participants were excluded (antioxidants plus zinc: OR, 0.66; 99% CI, 0.47-0.91; zinc: OR, 0.71; 99% CI, 0.52-0.99; antioxidants: OR, 0.76; 99% CI, 0.55-1.05). Both zinc and antioxidants plus zinc significantly reduced the odds of developing advanced AMD in this higher-risk group. The only statistically significant reduction in rates of at least moderate visual acuity loss occurred in persons assigned to receive antioxidants plus zinc (OR, 0.73; 99% CI, 0.54-0.99). No statistically significant serious adverse effect was associated with any of the formulations.ConclusionsPersons older than 55 years should have dilated eye examinations to determine their risk of developing advanced AMD. Those with extensive intermediate size drusen, at least 1 large druse, noncentral geographic atrophy in 1 or both eyes, or advanced AMD or vision loss due to AMD in 1 eye, and without contraindications such as smoking, should consider taking a supplement of antioxidants plus zinc such as that used in this study.
Assimilation of Microwave Observations in Cloudy Conditions

Several experiments are conducted to prove the impacts of direct assimilation of cloudy radiances on hurricane analysis fields. Such tests include the WRF-GSI analysis and Hybrid Variational (HVAR) Scheme. Analysis results are rather promising.
Subordinates' information inquiry: exploring the effect of perceived leadership style and individual differences

An argument is developed and tested that a superior's perceived leadership style affects subordinates' information inquiry in an organizational setting. Transformational and transactional leadership theories were utilized to postulate that the content and frequency of information sought by a subordinate from his/her superior will vary depending on that superior's leadership style. This relationship was tested with individual difference predictors such as job-related tolerance for ambiguity, organization-based self-esteem, and work-domain goal orientation of subordinates, in mind. Empirical results, based on the field study using survey data and longitudinal checklist recording, show general support for the model.
A national standardization program for spectrophotometry

The Council for Optical Radiation Measurements proposes, with the collaboration of the National Bureau of Standards, to create and put into operation a national standardization program for ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared wavelength-range spectrophotometers used for colorimetric and analytical measurements. The purpose of the program is to improve the shockingly poor performance exhibited by a large group of spectrophotometers in a collaborative reference program, shown elsewhere to correspond to about ten times poorer group accuracy than the inherent precision of the instruments. The central concept of the proposed national standardization program is to provide consistency with the NBS of a laboratory's capability for making accurate spectrophotometric measurements, in contrast to the traditional concept of the “traceability” to the NBS of the calibration of a material standard.
Source localization and time delay estimation using constrained least-squares and best-path smoothing

The problem of source localization from arrival time delay estimates requires a computationally costly iterative solution of a set of nonlinear equations. Most known methods assume that the propagation speed is known. In this paper, we provide several effective source localization and propagation velocity estimation methods which only use measurements of the relative arrival time delays between sensors. The formulae for source localization and propagation speed estimation are derived based on least squares, total least squares, bounded data uncertainty, and constrained least squares methods. Statistical performance of these methods are compared via computer simulation. In addition, in order to avoid time delay ambiguity problems and obtain smoother time delays, two time delay smoothing methods based on the forward backward algorithm and the Viterbi algorithm are also proposed. Field experiment results based on these techniques are also presented.
Learning-Based Atlas Selection for Multiple-Atlas Segmentation

Recently, multi-atlas segmentation (MAS) has achieved a great success in the medical imaging area. The key assumption of MAS is that multiple atlases encompass richer anatomical variability than a single atlas. Therefore, we can label the target image more accurately by mapping the label information from the appropriate atlas images that have the most similar structures. The problem of atlas selection, however, still remains unexplored. Current state-of-the-art MAS methods rely on image similarity to select a set of atlases. Unfortunately, this heuristic criterion is not necessarily related to segmentation performance and, thus may undermine segmentation results. To solve this simple but critical problem, we propose a learning-based atlas selection method to pick up the best atlases that would eventually lead to more accurate image segmentation. Our idea is to learn the relationship between the pairwise appearance of observed instances (a pair of atlas and target images) and their final labeling performance (in terms of Dice ratio). In this way, we can select the best atlases according to their expected labeling accuracy. It is worth noting that our atlas selection method is general enough to be integrated with existing MAS methods. As is shown in the experiments, we achieve significant improvement after we integrate our method with 3 widely used MAS methods on ADNI and LONI LPBA40 datasets.
A high data rate recorder for astronomy

A magnetic tape recorder developed for the special requirements of radio astronomy and geodesy is described. These requirements include a high bit packing density and long record times. The current version of this longitudinal recorder used by the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) records 5.5 Terabits on a 14-in diameter reel of inch-wide tape. A maximum record rate of 256 Mb/s is achieved in the VLBA configuration with one recorder operating at 4 ms and utilizing 32 of the heads in a single stack. The VLBA recorders have been tested using a longitudinal density of 2.25 fr/ mu m (57.15 kfrpi); 448 data +56 system tracks are recorded in 14 passes, each lasting 50 min, for a total record time (at 128 Mb/s) of 12 h on 14-in diameter reel of inch-wide 13- mu -thick D1-equivalent tape. >
Population genetic structure of the northern idaho ground squirrel (Spermophilus brunneus brunneus)

Spermophilus brunneus is one of the rarest species of North American ground squirrels. It occurs in just five counties in western Idaho. We sampled blood from 14–64 individuals in 11 populations of the northern subspecies S. b. brunneus . Analyses of allozymes at five polymorphic loci revealed significant population structure ( F st = 0.167). Four populations located within a 2-km radius in Bear Meadow (Adams Co.) were indistinguishable with respect to allelic frequencies (Nei's D = 0.002), but the remaining seven, more distant populations (also in Adams Co.) were differentiated from this group and from each other. F ST values ranged from 0.034 to 0.124 when the four populations in Bear Meadow were pooled and compared with each of the seven isolated populations. Regression of Slatkin's M against geographic distance among the 55 pairwise comparisons of populations suggested a strong effect of isolation-by-distance, consistent with a one-dimensional stepping-stone model of gene flow. Significant genetic structure in S. b. brunneus populations apparently is due to genetic drift in populations with small Ne (i.e., 20–50), reinforced by lack of gene flow following recent habitat fragmentation. Fragmentation results from the shrinking of meadows due to invasion by conifers, itself the consequence of fire suppression in the past 100 years.
The trophotaenial placenta of a viviparous goodeid fish. I. Ultrastructure of the internal ovarian epithelium, the maternal component.

Embryos of goodeid fishes develop to term within the ovarian lumen, where they undergo considerable increase in weight due to transfer of maternal nutrients across a trophotaenial placenta. The placenta consists of an embryonic component, the trophotaeniae, and a maternal component, the ovarian lining. The latter was examined by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and light microscopy in both gravid and non-gravid ovaries of the viviparous goodeid fish, Ameca splendens. The single median ovary of A. splendens is a hollow structure whose lumen is divided into lateral chambers by a highly folded longitudinal ovarian septum. Germinal tissue occurs within folds of the ovarian lining that extend into each of the two lateral chambers. Matrotrophic embryonic development takes place within ovarian chambers. During gestation, the lining of the ovarian lumen is in direct apposition to body surfaces and trophotaenial epithelia of developing embryos. The ovarian lining consists of a simple cuboidal epithelium, termed the internal ovarian epithelium (IOE), overlying a well-vascularized bed of connective tissue. Cells of the IOE are apically convex. Well-developed granular and agranular endoplasmic reticula and numerous large membrane-bound vesicles with electron-dense content occupy the apical cytoplasm of IOE cells. Two functional states of the same cell type are distinguished within the IOE. Phase I cells contain few, if any, large apically situated vesicles; Phase II cells contain many. Secretory products of the IOE are presumed to be an important source of nutrients for embryonic development. Structural and functional relationships of the IOE to the trophotaenial epithelium of developing embryos are discussed in relation to maternal-embryonic nutrient transfer processes.
Assessing retinal function with the multifocal technique

With the multifocal technique, as developed by Erich Sutter and colleagues, scores of focal electroretinogram (ERG) responses can be obtained in a matter of minutes. Although this technique is relatively new, it has already provided insights into the mechanisms of retinal disease. However, because it is new, there also remain questions about how it works and what it measures. This chapter considers some of these insights and some of these questions. The first part (Section 2) describes how the multifocal ERG (mERG) is recorded and considers its relationship to the full-field ERG. The mERG responses are shown to be from relatively local regions of the retina and are comprised of the same components as the full-field ERG. The diagnostic advantage of the mERG as compared to the full-field ERG is also illustrated. In Section 3, the effects of damage to different cell layers of the retina are shown to affect the mERG differently, and these changes are summarized within a conceptual framework. It is argued, for example, that when diseases of the receptor outer segment, like retinitis pigmentosa, result in small, depressed mERG responses, then the damage is, as expected, at the outer segment. However, when these diseases result in mERG responses that are reasonably large but very delayed, then the damage is beyond the outer segment, probably in the outer plexiform layer. The implicit time of the mERG, not amplitude, is the more sensitive measure of damage in degenerative diseases of the receptors. On the other hand, diseases, like glaucoma, which act on the ganglion axon, do not result in easily identified changes to the mERG unless inner retinal damage is involved as well. Inner retinal damage changes the waveform of the mERG and decreases the naso-temporal variation normally observed. Finally, diseases, like diabetes, that act on more than one layer of the retina can have a range of effects. In Section 4, recent work with the monkey mERG is reviewed, with emphasis on the relevance to human diseases. For example, blocking the sodium-based action potentials produced by ganglion and amacrine cells eliminates the naso-temporal variation in the monkey mERG and these altered mERG responses resemble those from some patients with diabetes or glaucoma. Finally, in Section 5 the second-order kernel is described. The presence of a second-order kernel has important implications for understanding the shape of the mERG response (first-order kernel). Full-field simulations of the mERG paradigm illustrate that the first-order kernel is comprised of responses with different waveforms. Further, it is argued that the nonlinear, adaptive mechanisms that produce the second-order kernel are involved in shaping the time course of the response. Patients with large, but abnormally delayed mERG responses (first-order kernel), do not have a detectable second-order kernel. It is speculated that a markedly diminished second-order kernel is diagnostic of outer plexiform layer damage, not inner plexiform layer damage as is commonly assumed.
Analysis of HYDICE data for information fusion in cartographic feature extraction

Late in 1995 the authors organized a hyperspectral data acquisition using the Naval Research Laboratory's Hyperspectral Digital Imagery Collection Experiment sensor system over Fort Hood, Texas. This acquisition resulted in hyperspectral data with a nominal 2 meter ground sample distance collected with 210 spectral samples per pixel. This paper describes current quantitative classification results for man-made and natural materials using 14 surface material classes over selected test areas within Fort Hood. The authors discuss the issues encountered in radiometric effects due to changing solar illumination and atmospheric conditions during the acquisition. They also describe their approach to image registration and geopositioning, using a full photogrammetric block adjustment solution.
Molecular Biology and Ontogeny of Glutamate Receptors in the Mammalian Central Nervous System

Glutamate is the principal excitatory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system. After release from presynaptic terminals, glutamate binds to both ionotropic and metabotropic receptors to mediate fast, slow, and persistent effects on synaptic transmission and integrity. There are three types of ionotropic glutamate receptors. N-Methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazoleproprionic acid (AMPA), and kainate receptors are principally activated by the agonist bearing its name and are permeable to cationic flux; hence, their activation results in membrane depolarization. All ionotropic glutamate receptors are believed to be composed of four distinct subunits, each of which is topologically arranged with three transmembrane-spanning and one pore-lining (hairpin loop) domain. In contrast, metabotropic glutamate receptors are G protein (guanine nucleotide-binding protein) -coupled receptors linked to second-messenger systems. Group I metabotropic glutamate receptors are linked...
Targeted imaging of ovarian cancer cells using viral nanoparticles doped with indocyanine green

Our group has constructed a new type of viral nanoparticles (VNPs) from genome-depleted plant infecting brome mosaic virus (BMV) that encapsulates the FDA-approved near infrared (NIR) indocyanine green (ICG)[1]. We refer to these VNPs as optical viral ghosts (OVGs) since the constructs lack the genomic content of wild-type BMV. One of our areas of interest is the application of OVGs for real-time intraoperative NIR fluorescence imaging of small peritoneal ovarian tumor nodules. We target human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2) expression in ovarian cancer as a biomarker associated with ovarian cancer, since its over-expression is linked to the disease’s progression to death. We functionalize the OVGs with anti-HER-2 monoclonal antibodies using reductive amination methods. We used fluorescence imaging to visualize the SKOV-3 cells (high HER-2 expression) after incubation with free ICG, OVGs, and functionalized OVGs. Our results suggest the possibility of using anti-HER2 conjugated OVGs in conjunction with cytoreductive surgery to detect small tumor nodules (<5cm) which currently are not excised during surgery.
Annotating and learning event durations in text

This article presents our work on constructing a corpus of news articles in which events are annotated for estimated bounds on their duration, and automatically learning from this corpus. We describe the annotation guidelines, the event classes we categorized to reduce gross discrepancies in inter-annotator judgments, and our use of normal distributions to model vague and implicit temporal information and to measure inter-annotator agreement for these event duration distributions. We then show that machine learning techniques applied to this data can produce coarse-grained event duration information automatically, considerably outperforming a baseline and approaching human performance. The methods described here should be applicable to other kinds of vague but substantive information in texts.
Role of Local Versus Systemic Vitamin D Receptors in Vascular Calcification

Objective— Calcitriol and various analogs are commonly used to suppress secondary hyperparathyroidism in chronic kidney disease but may also exacerbate vascular calcification. Although this could be because of increased intestinal calcium and phosphate absorption, direct effects through vitamin D receptors (VDRs) on vascular smooth muscle have also been proposed. Approach and Results— The role of these receptors was investigated by examining gene regulation in rat aortas treated with calcitriol ex vivo and in vivo and by transplanting aortas from VDR-null (VDR −/− ) mice into wild-type mice before induction of uremia and treatment with calcitriol. In cultured rat aortas, calcitriol increased the expression of mRNA for CYP24A1 but not mRNA for any bone-related or calcification-related genes. Gene expression in aortas in vivo was not altered by doses of calcitriol that promote calcification. Calcitriol markedly increased aortic calcification in uremic mice and this did not differ between VDR −/− aortic allografts and VDR +/+ recipient aortas. Conclusions— Calcitriol promotes vascular calcification through a systemic action rather than through a direct vascular action.
Estimating lower-bound performance of schedules using a relaxation technique

A technique for computing a lower bound for nonpipelined resource-constrained scheduling performance is presented. Given a data-flow graph, a set of resources, resource delays, and clock cycle, a lower bound on the performance of a schedule is derived. The technique is fast (typical runtime of 50 ms), and the experimental lower-bounds are within two time steps of the actual schedules produced by a scheduling heuristic. The technique is also constructive and can be incorporated in a branch-and-bound method for solving the scheduling problem. The lower bound can be used to reduce a design search space. The method is applicable to lower-bound estimation in high-level synthesis. >
Correlations between measles, mumps, and rubella serum antibody levels in Olmsted County school children

We examined correlations between serum antibody levels to determine whether individuals with low levels of antibody to one component of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine were also likely to have low antibody levels to the other MMR vaccine components. Our results indicate that children who had a low antibody level to one component of the MMR vaccine had a modest probability of having a low antibody level to either of the other MMR vaccine components. Overall, we found small, but statistically significant, correlations between antibody levels that were largely unaffected by race, sex, age at immunization, and time since immunization. While the correlations we observed were modest, approximately 25% of our population was seronegative for at least one component of the MMR vaccine. Therefore, our results support the current policy of continuing to administer the trivalent MMR vaccine even when only a single low antibody titer is observed.