cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
24 keV neutron capture studies in Mo isotopes

Partial cross sections for radiative capture of 24.3 keV neutrons leading to low-lying states of the residual nuclides have been measured for even-$A$ molybdenum targets: $^{92}\mathrm{Mo}$, $^{94}\mathrm{Mo}$, $^{96}\mathrm{Mo}$, and $^{98}\mathrm{Mo}$. Absolute values of these cross sections were obtained by use of the $^{10}\mathrm{B}(n, \ensuremath{\alpha})$ reaction as a reference. These cross sections show correlations to the ($d, p$) spectroscopic factors for the final states. The expected cross sections are calculated using various models. The single-particle estimates and giant dipole resonance extrapolations are shown to be inadequate. Although a valence neutron transition model can account for the observed correlations, it is inadequate to account for the observed strength. The evidence favors a significant contribution from three quasiparticle components in the capturing states.
Frequency, bandwidth, and information transfer in B-mode imaging

Center frequency and bandwidth are two generic parameters used to characterize transmitted pulse profiles in B-mode ultrasonic imaging. Increasing either is generally thought to improve spatial resolution in the final image, but at a potential cost of lower signal-to-noise ratio, with no general understanding of where they are optimal. In this work we investigate their role in converting the acquired radio-frequency signal from a linear array into an envelope image. Statistics of the backscattered signal, based on Rayleigh-Sommerfeld diffraction theory, are used in an ideal observer calculation that quantifies the task-relevant information contained in the radio-frequency (RF) signal. We then compare two approaches to computing an envelope image. The first is a standard B-mode envelope from the complex analytic signal. The second approach processes RF through a Wiener filter before forming an analytic signal. Effects of envelope detection are measured by computing the ideal observer in the envelope domain using Smith-Wagner approximations. Over frequencies ranging from 3-15MHz and fractional bandwidths ranging from 20% to 80%, we find that information transfer in the envelope varies widely with task. There is a substantial loss of information in all conditions in the formation of a standard envelope. Efficiency relative to the RF ranges from 60% to less than 5%. The Weinerfiltered envelope images substantially improve efficiency in two of the three tasks investigated. In the third task, the results are mixed, but we argue that the Weiner filter may be improved substantially by retuning it to the interior of a lesion.
Climate History and the Modern World

H. H. Lamb's latest book on the earth's changing climate is a carefully crafted work covering four areas: the physical basis of climate and climate change, the methods of climate reconstruction, the history of climate since the height of the last glaciation, and the impact of climate on human affairs. The book will be of particular interest to three groups. Atmospheric scientists interested in the long history of climate behavior (but perhaps overwhelmed by Lamb's all-encompassing work on the topic, Climate: Past, Present and Future, vol. II, Methuen, New York), will find Climate History and the Modern World to be a good titration of the fuller work. Scientists in other fields, including social scientists grappling with issues of climate-society interaction, will find the book a good entree into the field. Finally, Lamb himself suggests that the book will be useful to resource managers and other decision makers trying to avoid negative climate impacts. With this last audience in mind, no doubt, Lamb has chosen a style that eschews extensive footnoting and references (though sufficient citations are included to lead to further information). This works quite well and seems reasonable in view of his carefully documented previous writings.
Models for the thermal expansion coefficient and temperature coefficient of the refractive index in gradient-index glass.

In gradient-index glass the variation of glass composition can also cause a variation in the thermal properties across the gradient region. The difference in thermal expansion and dn/dT across the gradient-index region has been modeled. Several examples illustrate how the models can be utilized to select gradient-index glass compositions that will have constant thermal properties within the gradient region. Experimental measurement of the variations of αL and dn/dT in gradient-index glass is presented in a separate paper.
Electronic mail dysfunction: a reality check.

Computer-mediated communication systems, including electronic mail, are systems that businesses employ to improve efficiency, effectiveness, and communication within the organization. As use of these systems proliferate, it is crucial that the communication systems have a positive, rather than negative impact, on the organization. Negative behavior could include flaming and personal use of the electronic mail system. Much of prior research has examined the use of electronic mail in academic settings. Results indicate that flaming and personal use have a relative high incidence. However, is electronic mail dysfunction a consistent reality for both academia and the business world? This case study empirically examines the role of electronic messaging in business firms. Specifically, this research investigates the usage of inter-organizational electronic messaging in intermediate-size firms. Electronic mail messages were analyzed in a three-site case study. Results indicate that dysfunctional electronic mail ...
Experimental and Computational Approaches to Study Myofilament Structure-Function in Normal and Diseased Muscle

We use a combination of site-directed mutagenesis, protein biochemistry, multi-scale mechanical analysis and computational modeling to study the regulation of normal muscle myofibril contraction and how this is altered in diseases of the sarcomere. This interdisciplinary approach allows us to do detailed structure-function analysis. Mutations in cardiac troponin C (cTnC) that increase Ca2+ binding affinity also increase its affinity for cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and when these cTnC mutants are exchanged into myofibrils or skinned trabeculae, they increase the magnitude and rate of force generation at sub-maximal, but not maximal levels of activation, and can slow the early phase of relaxation. In contrast, cTnC mutations that reduce Ca2+ binding affinity have either no effect or reduce interaction with cTnI, reduce the magnitude and rate of force generation at all levels of Ca2+ and speed relaxation. Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations show positive correlation between Ca2+ binding affinity and stability of both 1) interaction of Ca2+ with coordinating side chains in site II and 2) the hydrophobic patch of cTnC. Together the data suggest that native cTnC may operate just at the edge of maximal effectiveness. Mutations in cTnI associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy increase its affinity for cTnC and also Ca2+ binding affinity of cTnI. Interestingly, they also blunt the ability of cTnI Ser 23/24 phosphorylation to reduce its affinity for cTnC and increase the rate of early phase relaxation. MD simulation studies of whole cTn suggest Ser 23/24 phosphorylation leads to the formation of the intra-subunit interaction between the N-terminus and the inhibitory peptide region of cTnI. We are studying how this, and other intra-molecular interactions may be affected by HCM associated mutations and the contraction and relaxation properties of cardiac muscle. HL65497, HL11197 (MR), 8P41GM103426 (AM).
The Act of Storytelling and the Self's Homecoming

you die when your time comes, Narcissus, since you have no mother? Without a mother one cannot love. Without a mother, one cannot die."' Most readers of Hesse's novel are attracted to Goldmund rather than to Narcissus because of Goldmund's submersion into the immediacy of instinctual experience on his life-long recovery of the fullness of the personality. The promise of homecoming and reunion with the natural self, when most of us have been taught that you can't go home again, has been increasingly identified with living in an environment unspoiled by the mediating influences of institutional interests. The obstructing institutions can be economic, religious, or intellectual. They range from corporate organizations to inherited traditions. There is a tacit understanding that getting in touch with ourselves is getting out of touch with the artifacts or residue of human achievement. The intellectual achievement of Narcissus is distrusted
A Novel Approach to the Dynamic Balancing of Spun/De-spun Spacecraft

In response to challenges encountered in the dynamic balancing of the Windsat instrument, a novel approach to dynamic balancing of dual-spin spacecraft was developed. The Windsat instrument is a 675-lb microwave radiometer consisting of a small, 200-lb stationary module topped by a large rotating truss structure approximately nine feet in height. A 72-in.-diameter reflector atop the truss, designed to direct microwave energy into the Windsat radiometer, was a significant source of aerodynamic lift and drag during spin balance testing. The approach developed in this study allows the spacecraft integrator to balance the vehicle while spinning under its own power and about its own spin axis. This balancing system is also capable of operating in a vacuum environment, thus eliminating aerodynamic forces that result in test-induced errors. The balancing system consists of a two degree of freedom (DOF) suspension system similar to that found in conventional balancing machines. Unbalance forces and moments are re...
New aircraft will survey ice sheets to understand rapid change

Observations of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets from space, aircraft, and the surface have shown a rapid speedup in the loss of ice mass near the margins during the past decade. The reason for this speedup is unknown. However, a new unmanned aerial vehicle, specifically designed to meet the demands of radar remote sensing and operation in polar regions, will help scientists understand rapid ice sheet acceleration and thinning, and predict the future contribution of the ice sheets to global sea level rise. Called Meridian, the vehicle's low cost and low fuel consumption will extend the range and duration of remote sensing surveys, and it will allow users to survey critical regions at very fine spatial resolution.
The IL17A and IL17F loci have divergent histone modifications and are differentially regulated by prostaglandin E2 in Th17 cells

Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), IL-23 and IL-1β are implicated in inflammatory bowel disease susceptibility, likely in part by modulating IL-17 producing CD4+ T helper (Th17) cells. To better understand how these three mediators affect Th17 cell memory responses, we characterized the gene expression profiles of activated human peripheral CD4+ effector memory T cells and sorted Th17 memory cells from healthy donors concurrent with IL17A mRNA induction mediated by PGE2 and/or IL-23 plus IL-1β. We discovered that PGE2 and IL-23 plus IL-1β differentially regulate Th17 cytokine expression and synergize to induce IL-17A, but not IL-17F. IL-23 plus IL-1β preferentially induce IL-17F expression. The addition of PGE2 to IL-23 plus IL-1β only enhances IL-17A expression as mediated by the PGE2 EP4 receptor, and promotes a switch from an IL-17F to an IL-17A predominant immune response. The human Th17 HuT-102 cell line was also found to constitutively express IL-17A, but not IL-17F. We went on to show that the IL17A and IL17F loci have divergent epigenetic architectures in unstimulated HuT-102 and primary Th17 cells and are poised for preferential expression of IL17A. We conclude that the chromatin for IL17A and IL17F are distinctly regulated, which may play an important role in mucosal health and disease.
Dissociating the generation stage in implicit and explicit memory tests: Incidental production can differ from strategic access

An assumption of the generate/recognize model of direct and indirect memory is that the generation stage is identical on explicit and implicit tests. Two experiments were conducted to examine the generation stage by requiring subjects to write down every word-stem solution they could generate on either an implicit test, a cued-recall test, or a generate/recognize test. In Experiment 1, the subjects studied words and anagrams; target generation was not significantly different on the three tests. However, in Experiment 2, the subjects studied the target words with a context word, and saw either thesame ordifferent context with the test stem. Now the generation stages dissociated, such that the context manipulation had no significant effect on the implicit test, but on the cued-recall test, more targets were generated with the same context words than were generated with different context words. The results argue against the claim that dissociations between implicit and explicit tests are due only to the addition of recognition processes on the explicit test, because the generation processes themselves can be dissociated.
Baryogenesis in a model where CP is broken spontaneously

Abstract We examine a model recently proposed by A. Nelson in which CP is broken spontaneously at the GUT scale. We show that in this model a baryon asymmetry of order 10−2 θ is generated, where θ is the argument of the determinant of the quark mass matrix.
Optical sensor array and integrated light source.

We report a new, solid-state, integrated optical array sensor platform. The optical sensor array and integrated light source (OSAILS) is demonstrated for quenchometric O2 detection. The OSAILS requ...
HYDROGEN BOND TYPES, BINDING ENERGIES, AND 1H NMR CHEMICAL SHIFTS

Ab initio calculations at the MBPT(2)/(qzp,qz2p) level of theory were carried out using the gauge-invariant atomic orbital method to evaluate 1H NMR chemical shifts for the hydrogen-bonded proton i...
Cellular requirements for the small molecule forchlorfenuron to stabilize the septin cytoskeleton.

The septins are filament-forming, GTP-binding proteins that are conserved from yeast to humans. Septins assemble into higher-order structures such as rings, bars, and gauzes with diverse functions including serving as membrane diffusion barriers and scaffolds for cell signaling. The basis for septin filament polymerization and the rules governing septin polymer dynamics are presently not well understood. Pharmacological agents are essential tools in studying such properties of the actin and microtubule cytoskeletons however there are only limited reports of a drug specific to the septin cytoskeleton. Forchlorfenuron (FCF) is a synthetic plant cytokinin used in agriculture which has been shown to alter septin organization in yeast and mammalian tissue culture cells. Here we assess cellular requirements and properties of septin-based structures induced by FCF. Treatment of the filamentous fungus Ashbya gossypii with FCF leads to assembly of extensive septin fibers throughout hyphae which is rapidly reversed upon removal of the drug. These fibers do not exchange or add septin subunits after assembly, indicating that FCF suppresses normal septin dynamics and stabilizes the polymers. While FCF-induced septin fibers do not co-localize to actin or microtubules, a polarized F-actin cytoskeleton is likely required for the assembly of drug-induced septin fibers. Thus, FCF is a potent inducer of septin polymerization and acts as a reversible stabilizer of extended septin polymers. This drug will be a powerful tool for studying mechanisms of septin polymerization and function, particularly in cell types where molecular analyses are complicated by the presence of multiple isoforms and limited genetics. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
An extract of bovine thymus stimulates human keratinocyte growth in vitro

An extract prepared from newborn calf thymus stimulated proliferation of human keratinocytes cultured from newborn foreskins and from skin biopsies of 26 adult volunteers aged 19 to 70 years. Growth over the 7-day assay period in the basal medium was age-dependent, with newborn cultures achieving a 10-fold increase in cell number over seeding density, old adult cultures barely maintaining their seeding density and young adult cultures intermediate in proliferative capacity. Maximally stimulatory extract concentration was 5-fold higher for newborn than for adult keratinocytes, with adult cultures experiencing toxicity at doses still growth-promoting for newborn cultures. At optimal extract concentration the maximal average increase in cell yield (66.3% for newborn, 53.6% for young adult, and 18.1% for old) indicated decreased mitogen responsiveness or increased inhibitor sensitivity with increasing donor age. Stimulation of cholera toxin-treated cultures was equally high, ranging from 39.4% to 145.9%, suggesting that the extract acts through a cyclic AMP-independent pathway. Thymic extract did not increase colony forming efficiency. Our findings provide further support for the concept of functional interactions between the skin and the immune system, in addition to the recognized morphologic similarities between thymic cells and keratinocytes. Furthermore, these data confirm earlier findings of an inverse relationship between mitogen responsiveness and donor age for cultured cells.
Simultaneous least-squares treatment of statistical and systematic uncertainties

Abstract We present a least-squares method for estimating parameters from measurements of event yields in the presence of background and crossfeed. We adopt a unified approach to incorporating the statistical and systematic uncertainties on the experimental measurements input to the fit. We demonstrate this method with a fit for absolute hadronic D meson branching fractions, measured in e + e - → ψ ( 3770 ) → D D ¯ transitions.
Corticosterone, Body Condition, and Locomotor Activity: A Model for Dispersal in Screech-Owls

A model that explains natal dispersal in resident screech-owls is presented and examined. The model is based on interactions among hormonal changes, body condition and social stimuli. It predicts that corticosterone, an adrenal glucocorticoid known to stimulate locomotor and foraging activity, increases in blood plasma prior to dispersal through a combination of endogenous and exogenous events. This mediates the locomotor activity that underlies dispersal behaviour. Juveniles in good body condition (i.e. those with sufficient fat reserves) will disperse when corticosterone increases. Birds in poor body condition will not, but they will increase their foraging activity under the influence of corticosterone. Dispersal of siblings will reduce aggression and/or competition for food, enabling the remaining juveniles to improve their body condition and disperse. Initial studies on screech-owls, Otus asio and O. kennicottii, have produced results that are generally consistent with the model. For example, captive juvenile screech-owls showed increased locomotor activity in the weeks leading up to the time when free-living juveniles are dispersing, and activity levels declined thereafter. Peaks in corticosterone corresponded with periods of high locomotor activity (i.e. at the time of dispersal) in captive owls. Finally, field studies indicate that dominant juveniles, which are presumably in better physical condition, initiated dispersal before their more subordinate siblings. Copyright 1998 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.
College Students’ Openness Toward Autism Spectrum Disorders: Improving Peer Acceptance

One probable consequence of rising rates of autism spectrum disorder diagnosis in individuals without co-occurring intellectual disability is that more young adults with diagnoses or traits of ASD will attend college and require appropriate supports. This study sought to explore college students’ openness to peers who demonstrate ASD-characteristic behaviors. Results showed a significant difference in openness between students who had a first-degree relative with an ASD (n = 18) and a gender-matched comparison group of students without such experience (F = 4.85, p = .035). Engineering and physical science majors did not demonstrate more overall openness. Universities should make efforts to prevent social isolation of students with ASD, such as programs to educate students about ASD and supports to ease college transition.
Nonoperative and Operative Intervention for Hallux Rigidus

Study Design Case study of the management of an individual with hallux rigidus deformity. Objective To describe the outcome of nonoperative and operative treatment, including kinematic and kinetic changes following cheilectomy surgery, for an individual with hallux rigidus deformity. Background Hallux rigidus is a common disorder of the first metatarsophalangeal joint characterized by progressive limitation of hallux dorsiflexion, prominent dorsal osteophyte formation, and pain. Surgery may be considered when nonoperative management strategies have proven unsuccessful. Kinematic and plantar pressure changes during dynamic activities have not been previously described following cheilectomy surgery for hallux rigidus deformity. Methods and Measures The patient was a 54-year-old man who sustained a traumatic injury to the great toe. Conservative treatment included nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, custom insole fabrication, and footwear outersole modification. Because of continued pain, loss of motion, a...
Comparison of the Vertec and Just Jump Systems for Measuring Height of Vertical Jump by Young Children

To assess differences between the Vertec and the Just Jump Systems in measuring height of vertical jump, 248 boys and 232 girls between 7 and 11 years were required to perform four maximal countermovement vertical jumps. A maximum of the four trials recorded was the dependent variable. Each vertical jump was simultaneously evaluated by each measuring device and a paired t test indicated the systems were significantly different; however, the experiment wise difference of .93 in has no practical value. The Just Jump System seems a viable alternative. Advantages and potential pitfalls regarding the use of each system are discussed.
Bipolar electrosurgical sphincterotomy

We tested a newly developed bipolar sphincterotome. Monopolar and bipolar sphincterotomes were employed to cut small bowel smoothly and hemostatically. The bipolar instrument required 17.1 watts while the monopolar required 29.2 watts; these values are significantly different at p = 0.005. Bipolar sphincterotomies were performed via open surgical access on eight dogs. The animals were allowed to recover and were followed for 6 weeks. There was no evidence of stenosis or common duct dilation at autopsy, and serum alkaline phosphatase and bilirubin were within normal limits. Both sphincterotomes were used to cut tissue in vitro and histological examination displayed no evidence of thermal injury at the return electrode site of the bipolar sphincterotome. The lower power levels required by the bipolar sphincterotome may decrease procedure complications.
Xenobiotic oxidation during early pregnancy in man: Peroxidase catalysed chemical oxidation in conceptal tissues

1. A membrane-bound peroxidase activity was isolated and purified from pooled samples of human intrauterine tissue (embryo, placenta, amnion, chorion and uterine decidua) of 4–6 weeks of gestation.2. The H2O2-dependent guaiacol oxidation catalysed by the purified peroxidase exhibited a specific activity of 10.82 ± 1.81 μmol/min/mg protein.3. The optimum conditions required for guaiacol oxidation catalysed by the peroxidase included 18mM guaiacol, 400μM H2O2, pH9.0, and 2μg/ml enzyme protein. The guaiacol oxidation was inhibited by KCN and NaN3 with IC50s of 17.6 and 22 μM, respectively.4. Several other endogenous and exogenous chemicals also underwent H2O2-dependent oxidation catalysed by the purified peroxidase. These results suggest that peroxidase may be one of the major pathways of xenobiotic oxidation present in organogenesis-stage human conceptal tissues influencing the toxicity of chemicals to which the developing embryo is exposed.
Purification by ammonium sulfate precipitation of bacteriophage λgt11 DNA for restriction analysis of cloned cDNA inserts

A rapid and efficient method to purify lambda gt11 DNA is described. This technique involves precipitation of intact bacteriophage particles with ammonium sulfate, followed by phage lysis with sodium dodecyl sulfate, proteinase K, and alkaline treatment. The quality of DNA for subsequent restriction analysis, infectivity, subcloning, and radiolabeling is comparable to that isolated by cesium chloride banding or ion exchange chromatography. The yield of the phage DNA is, however, two to eight times higher than that obtained by other conventional methods of lambda gt11 purification. Furthermore the time required to process the bacteriophage lysate is approximately 2 h and therefore more rapid than other currently used methods.
Hamiltonian Matrix Elements from a Symmetric Wave Function

The matrix elements of a c.m. transformed molecular Hamiltonian for a wave function constructed from a symmetrized product of one-particle orthonormal spin functions are given in terms of the integrals over the coordinates of the particles. These matrix elements are necessary to study the structure of deuterated molecules such as ${\mathrm{D}}_{2}$O, N${\mathrm{D}}_{3}$, C${\mathrm{D}}_{4}$, etc. The integrals are the same as those found for antisymmetric wave functions with the exception of the two-particle integrals of the form $\ensuremath{\int}{{g}_{i}}^{*}(1){{g}_{i}}^{*}(2) {({r}_{12})}^{\ensuremath{-}1}{g}_{j}(1){g}_{j}(2) \mathrm{dV}$, when two bosons occupy the same spin function. There are, however, significant differences in the matrix elements.
Tropomodulin3-null mice are embryonic lethal with anemia due to impaired erythroid terminal differentiation in the fetal liver

Tropomodulin (Tmod) is a protein that binds and caps the pointed ends of actin filaments in erythroid and nonerythoid cell types. Targeted deletion of mouse tropomodulin3 (Tmod3) leads to embryonic lethality at E14.5-E18.5, with anemia due to defects in definitive erythropoiesis in the fetal liver. Erythroid burst-forming unit and colony-forming unit numbers are greatly reduced, indicating defects in progenitor populations. Flow cytometry of fetal liver erythroblasts shows that late-stage populations are also decreased, including reduced percentages of enucleated cells. Annexin V staining indicates increased apoptosis of Tmod3−/− erythroblasts, and cell-cycle analysis reveals that there are more Ter119hi cells in S-phase in Tmod3−/− embryos. Notably, enucleating Tmod3−/− erythroblasts are still in the process of proliferation, suggesting impaired cell-cycle exit during terminal differentiation. Tmod3−/− late erythroblasts often exhibit multilobular nuclear morphologies and aberrant F-actin assembly during enucleation. Furthermore, native erythroblastic island formation was impaired in Tmod3−/− fetal livers, with Tmod3 required in both erythroblasts and macrophages. In conclusion, disruption of Tmod3 leads to impaired definitive erythropoiesis due to reduced progenitors, impaired erythroblastic island formation, and defective erythroblast cell-cycle progression and enucleation. Tmod3-mediated actin remodeling may be required for erythroblast-macrophage adhesion, coordination of cell cycle with differentiation, and F-actin assembly and remodeling during erythroblast enucleation.
Entry of radioactivity from methyl-labeled methionine into mitochondrial and cytoplasmic RNA of cultured hamster cells.

Following the work of Mandel and Borek [l] most analyses of post-transcriptional methylation of nucleic acid have employed methyl-labeled methionine as a specific precursor, via S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), of RNA or DNA methyl groups. For example, we as well as others have relied on this approach in studies comparing cytoplasmic and mitochondrial nucleic acids in cultured mammalian cells [2-61. The validity of such studies depends on the assumption that, if separate SAM pools exist in the different sub-cellular compartments, they are labeled with comparable efficiency by exogenous methionine. This assumption has recently been questioned in a report on mitochondrial DNA [2] , and there is evidence from a chick embryo system that compartmentalization of SAM can affect apparent methylation levels of cytoplasmic ribosomal RNA [7]. We now present experiments that validate the assumption of functionally equivalent SAM pools for cytoplasmic and mitochondrial RNA in a cell culture system.
Quench rate dependence of the initial magnetization in rapidly solidified neodymium-iron-boron ribbons

The quench rate dependence of the magnetization process is reported for rapidly solidified Nd-Fe-B ribbons. In optimally quenched ribbons, where the Nd 2 Fe 14 B grain size is less than the estimated single domain particle size, moment reversal during both magnetization and demagnetization is controlled by strong domain wall pinning at grain boundaries. Maximum coercivity is accompanied by a low initial permeability. Coercivity is reduced in overquenched ribbons by partial retention of a magnetically soft amorphous or very finely crystalline microstructure. Coercivity decreases in underquenched ribbons because wall pinning weakens as the grain size increases above optimum. Magnetization and demagnetization behaviors remain strongly correlated in underquenched ribbons, suggesting that maximum coercivity may be largely determined by the resistance to domain wall formation within grains smaller than the single domain particle limit.
Observation of fast time scale spectral diffusion in a low temperature glass: comparison of picosecond photon and stimulated echoes

Abstract Results of temperature-dependent two-pulse photon echo and three-pulse stimulated echo experiments on an organic dye (rhodamine 101) in a polymer glass (PMMA) are presented. Decay rates at a fixed temperature are shown to increase as the waiting time, T W (time between the second and third pulse) of the stimulated echo increases. This is due to spectral diffusion caused by structural relaxations of the host. At a fixed waiting time, decay rates follow a power law dependence on temperature which is characteristic of the glassy state. The data are analyzed by explicitly evaluating the stimulated echo correlation function for short T W .
A contradiction-based framework for testing gene regulation hypotheses

We have developed a mathematical framework for representing and testing hypotheses about gene, protein, and signaling molecule interactions. It takes a hierarchical, contradiction-based approach, and can make use of multiple data sources to assess hypothesis viability and to generate a viability partial order over the space of hypotheses. We have developed an event-based formal language for the expression of such hypotheses. This language seamlessly integrates regulatory diagrams (graphical inputs) and structured English (text input) to maximize flexibility. We have developed a pre-topological formalism that allows us to make precise statements about hypothesis similarity and the convergence of iterative refinements of a base hypothesis. To this, we add mathematical machinery that allows us to make precise statements about control and regulation.
In vivo characterization of human pigmented lesions by degree of linear polarization image maps using incident linearly polarized light

Background and Objective Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer and often appears as an evolving multicolored skin growth. It is well documented that pre-existing atypical or dysplastic nevi can evolve into a melanoma. The development of an in vivo imaging system to characterize benign and malignant nevi has been emphasized to aid in early detection of melanoma. The goal of this study is to utilize a novel Stokes polarimetry imaging (SPI) system for the characterization of pigmented lesions, and to evaluate the SPI system in comparison to dermoscopy and histology images. Study Design/Materials and Methods Linearly polarized light with varying incident polarization angles (IPA) illuminated various types of pigmented lesions. The melanocytic nesting patterns of pigmented lesions were characterized by constructing the degree-of-linear-polarization (DOLP) image map with comparison to dermoscopy and histology. The incident polarized light was filtered by visible filters for spectral imaging and incident deeply penetrating red light was used to correlate the SPI image with histopathological examination. Results The DOLP images with varying IPA at different visible wavelengths were used to characterize various kinds of pigmented lesions by showing subsurface melanocytic nesting distribution as well as morphological information with better resolution and contrast. In correlation with dermoscopy and histology, various defining features such as compound, junctional, lentiginous, reticular, globular patterns of melanocytic nests were identified. Conclusion When imaging pigmented melanocytic lesions, the SPI system with varying IPA at the red light wavelength can better define the melanocytic nesting patterns in both the dermal epidermal junction and the dermis. The SPI system has the potential to be an effective in vivo method of detecting pre-malignant nevi and melanoma. Lasers Surg. Med. 42:76–85, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Peripheral neuropathy associated with eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome

In 1989, the Centers for Disease Control recognized the existence of an epidemic illness characterized by myalgia and eosinophilia in individuals taking preparations containing L-tryptophan. We evaluated 3 patients with eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome who presented with subacute progressive neuropathies. The neuropathies were predominantly motor and maximal in the lower extremities. Two patients were confined to a wheelchair and one was ventilator-dependent and bedridden. Sensory loss predominantly involved small fiber modalities. Electrophysiological studies showed multifocal marked conduction slowing and conduction block indicating segmental demyelination, with associated axonal degeneration that was accentuated distally. Examination of sural nerve biopsy specimens demonstrated axonal degeneration in all 3 patients and perivascular infiltrates in 2. Levels of quinolinic acid, a neurotoxic metabolite of L-tryptophan, were elevated in the cerebrospinal fluid in the 2 patients in whom it was measured. The cause of the neuropathy is unknown but may include immune mechanisms or toxicity of eosinophils, L-tryptophan, its metabolic products, or contaminants within L-tryptophan preparations.
Cation Distribution and Defect Chemistry of Iron‐Aluminate Spinels

A model describing cation distribution and defect concentrations in iron-aluminate spinels is presented. Cation distribution equilibrium constants are derived from phase-boundary data at 1500° and 1280°C. Estimations of the defect concentrations for the entire solid solution are possible using defect equilibrium constants for Fe3O4.
Dynamic Thresholding for Distributed Multiple Hypotheses Testing

We consider a distributed multiple hypotheses testing problem in sensor networks using false discovery rate as the fidelity criterion. We propose an energy efficient, 1-bit per sensor algorithm that implements a dynamic thresholding strategy. The method takes the information that has been collected at each iteration of the distributed algorithm and uses it to estimate the number of significant observations. This estimate is then used to update the false discovery rate constraint. The learning approach leads to more aggressive thresholding strategies and leads to much larger detection results in comparison to previously developed distributed procedures. We then discuss extensions of the approach to parameter estimation problems with hidden variables.
The mode of retinal presynaptic inhibition switches with light intensity

Excitatory amino acid transporters (EAATs) terminate signaling in the CNS by clearing released glutamate. Glutamate also evokes an EAAT-mediated Cl− current, but its role in CNS signaling is poorly understood. We show in mouse retina that EAAT-mediated Cl− currents that were evoked by light inhibit rod pathway signaling. EAATs reside on rod bipolar cell axon terminals where GABA and glycine receptors also mediate light-evoked inhibition. We found that the mode of inhibition depended on light intensity. Dim light evoked GABAergic and glycinergic inhibition with rapid kinetics and a large spatial extent. Bright light evoked predominantly EAAT-mediated inhibition with slow kinetics and a small spatial extent. The switch to EAAT-mediated signaling in bright light supplements receptor-mediated signaling to expand the dynamic range of inhibition and contributes to the transition from rod to cone signaling by suppressing rod pathway signaling in bright light conditions.
Optimal batch service of a polling system under partial information

We consider the optimal scheduling of an infinite.capacity batch server in a N-node ring queueing network, where the controller observes only the length of the queue at which the server is located. For a cost criterion that includes linear holding costs, fixed dispatching costs, and linear service rewards, we prove optimality and monotonicity of threshold scheduling policies.
In vivo confocal laser microscopy of morphologic changes after simultaneous LASIK and accelerated collagen crosslinking for myopia: one-year results.

Purpose To evaluate the safety of corneal collagen crosslinking (CXL) combined with laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK). Setting Shinagawa LASIK Center, Tokyo, Japan. Design Case series. Methods Bilateral myopic LASIK patients had unilateral accelerated CXL (KXL System) in the nondominant eye. After LASIK, riboflavin 0.1% was instilled in the residual stromal bed for 60 seconds. After the riboflavin was washed out and the flap placed in its original position, ultraviolet-A light (30 mW/cm2) was administered for 60 seconds. The LASIK–CXL eyes and the LASIK-only eyes were compared. The uncorrected (UDVA) and corrected (CDVA) distance visual acuities, manifest refraction spherical equivalent (MRSE), keratometry values, endothelial cell density (ECD), pachymetry, optical coherence tomography (OCT), corneal hysteresis (CH), corneal resistance factor (CRF), keratoconus match index (KMI), and 37 parameters from a dynamic bidirectional applanation device (Ocular Response Analyzer) were analyzed. Morphologic changes were evaluated using confocal microscopy. Results No significant differences in UDVA, CDVA, MRSE, ECD, dynamic bidirectional applanation readings (eg, CH, CRF, KMI), or 37 additional parameters were found between the 2 groups (P>.05). Increased hyperreflectivity and a demarcation line similar to that seen after CXL were observed in the LASIK–CXL eyes. The demarcation line (mean depth 200.04 μm ± 27.01 [SD]; range 178 to 278 μm) was present in 23 eyes (95.8%); the line was well defined in 2 eyes (8.3%) and faint in 21 eyes (87.5%). Conclusion Combined LASIK–CXL was safe, causing insignificant corneal biomechanical and morphologic changes similar to those with CXL treatment only. Financial Disclosure No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.
Amino acid requirements for attachment and outgrowth of the mouse blastocyst in vitro

Arginine, cystine, histidine, leucine and threonine were needed for outgrowth of the mouse blastocyst in vitro. Omission of lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, tryptophane and tyrosine from the culture medium markedly reduced blastocyst outgrowth, but did not inhibit it completely; while omission of isolecine and valine reduced the extent of outgrowth only slightly. Blastocysts kept for seven days in a free-floating condition by omitting arginine and leucine from the medium, grew out when these amino acids were added. Such behavior may be analogous to delayed implantation in utero and suggests that the free amino acid content of the uterus could be an important factor in the control of implantation. Blastocysts delayed from implanting in the uterus by ovariectomy were activated to outgrowth in a complete medium, but the intracellular changes associated with outgrowth occurred more slowly than in undelayed blastocysts.
Early molecular response to rabbit bladder outlet obstruction

Partial obstruction of the rabbit bladder outlet induces a rapid hypertrophy characterized by increased bladder weight and smooth muscle content in addition to increased collagen deposition. In experiments designed to examine the genetic basis of this response, we evaluated the expression of a multitude of gene products in the rabbit bladder during the first 48-hr period following placement of a urethral cuff blocking the rabbit bladder outlet by 90%. Individual bladders were obtained from unoperated rabbits, from sham-operated rabbits and from rabbits at 2, 6, 10, 24, and 48 hr after obstruction. Poly (A)+ mRNA was extracted from each of these tissues and Northern blots made from the RNAs were hybridized repeatedly with a series of probes. Corrected densitometry was utilized to assign a value to each transcript and to follow the change in expression of a given gene product over time. Although several of the gene products we analyzed for were undetectable or unchanged over this brief period, we were able to detect a substantial sustained increase in the 4.5 kb mRNA encoding basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) initiated by 2 hr after obstruction. Later, at 6–24 hr, we measured transient induction of transcripts encoding c-myc, heat shock 70K (hsp-70), Ha-, and N-ras. In contrast, the constitutively-expressed 2.4 kb transcript for transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) transiently declined to 50% of control levels at 24 hr following obstruction. In summary, our results provide a picture of tissue in transition, with synthesis of certain growth-stimulating and stress-response products (bFGF, myc, ras, and hsp-70) increasing and a growth-inhibitory substance (TGF-β) decreasing. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Evaluation of novel formula of PSA, age, prostate volume, and race in predicting positive prostate biopsy findings.

Objective To develop a formula that incorporates age, prostate volume, race, and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level into a single score for prostate cancer detection. Materials and Methods We developed a PSA–age volume (AV) score by multiplying the patient age by the prostate volume and dividing it by the PSA level. The PSA-AV was developed using 1000 prostate biopsy specimens and was validated on 318 internal and 4406 external biopsy specimens. Results We analyzed 1000 biopsy specimens (mean age 63 ± 8 years, 63% white and 35% black, mean PSA 6.8 ± 4 ng/mL, mean prostate volume 41 ± 18 cm3, mean PSA-AV 485 ± 304). Of the 1000 biopsy specimens, 556 (55.6%) had positive findings. A lower PSA-AV score correlated with a greater cancer risk (R2 = 0.91). A PSA-AV score of 700 had a sensitivity and specificity of 87% and 35%, respectively. These values matched or exceeded the sensitivity and specificity for age-adjusted PSA level and a PSA cutoff of 4 ng/mL. Compared with using the age-adjusted PSA level, using a score of 700 increased the number of biopsies by 64 and detected 62 more cancers. Using a PSA-AV cutoff of 700, rather than a PSA cutoff of 4 ng/mL, led to 16 fewer biopsies with 7 additional cancers detected. Our data were internally and externally validated. Conclusion According to our data, a PSA-AV score has shown to be a useful formula for predicting positive biopsy findings. A PSA-AV score of 700 is useful in ruling out cancer in younger patients and patients with small prostates, and in ruling in cancer in older patients and patients with a large prostate.
Using trait and phylogenetic diversity to evaluate the generality of the stress-dominance hypothesis in eastern North American tree communities

The stress-dominance hypothesis (SDH) is a model of community assembly predicting that the relative importance of environmental filtering increases and competition decreases along a gradient of increasing environmental stress. Tests of the SDH at limited spatial scales have thus far demonstrated equivocal support and no prior study has assessed the generality of the SDH at continental scales. We examined over 53 000 tree communities spanning the eastern United States to determine whether functional trait variation and phylogenetic diversity support the SDH for gradients of water and soil nutrient availability. This analysis incorporated two complementary datasets, those of the U.S. Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis National program and the Carolina Vegetation Survey, and was based on three ecologically important traits: leaf nitrogen, seed mass, and wood density. We found that mean trait values were weakly correlated with water and soil nutrient availability, but that trait diversity did not vary consistently along either gradient. This did not conform to trait variation expected under the SDH and instead suggested that environmental filters structure tree communities throughout both gradients, without evidence for an increased role of competition in less stressful environments. Phylogenetic diversity of communities was principally driven by the ratio of angiosperms to gymnosperms and therefore did not exhibit the pattern of variation along stress gradients expected under the SDH. We conclude that the SDH is not a general paradigm for all eastern North American tree communities, although it may operate in certain contexts.
Dosage Matters: Impact of a Violent Offender Treatment Program on Juvenile Recidivism

This study estimates the dose–response relationship between the time spent in an intensive, therapeutic treatment program during juvenile incarceration and violent juvenile offenders’ odds of recid...
Experimental study of the instabilities of waves obliquely incident on a beach

Monochromatic waves obliquely incident on a plane beach, and strongly reflected there, are unstable to perturbations by edge waves. Theory suggests the possible width of the resonant edge wave frequency band. Experiments on beaches with absorbers at both ends show that the excited waves have frequencies at the centre of the band, as predicted by Guza & Bowen (1975). Advection by mean longshore currents must be taken into account. If reflectors are placed at the beach ends, the additional boundary conditions apparently lead to resonances scattered across the resonant band.
Epiploic appendagitis: a new diagnosis for the emergency physician. Two case reports and a review

Two cases of epiploic appendagitis are presented. One was mistaken for acute appendicitis, the other for acute diverticulitis. In both cases, the correct diagnosis was made in the operating suite. With the aid of contemporary imaging modalities, however, the diagnosis of epiploic appendagitis need no longer hinge on the pathologic specimen but may be established by the emergency physician. As this disorder recently has been demonstrated to be predominantly self-limited, laparotomy no longer is considered necessary. Conservative management has been shown to be safe. The anatomy, pathophysiology, clinical presentation, radiologic evaluation, and emergency management of epiploic appendagitis are reviewed.