cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the Porcine Gastric Mucin Binding Assay for High-Pressure-Inactivation Studies Using Murine Norovirus and Tulane Virus

ABSTRACT We compared the results of high-hydrostatic-pressure (HHP) inactivation of murine norovirus type 1 (MNV-1) and Tulane virus (TV) obtained by a porcine gastric mucin binding assay followed by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (referred to here as the PGM-MB/PCR assay) and a plaque assay and evaluated HHP inactivation of a human norovirus (HuNoV) genogroup I genotype 1 (GI.1) strain and a HuNoV GII.4 strain by using the PGM-MB/PCR assay. Viruses were treated at different pressure levels for 2 min at 4 or 21°C in culture medium of neutral pH and in culture medium of pH 4 at 21°C. The log reductions of infectious MNV-1 and TV particles caused by HHP were assessed using the PGM-MB/PCR and plaque assays, while the log reductions of HuNoVs were assessed by the PGM-MB/PCR assay only. For TV and MNV-1, the two pressure inactivation curves obtained using the plaque and PGM-MB/PCR assays were almost identical at ≤2-log-reduction levels regardless of the treatment temperature and pH. Further increasing the pressure over the 2-log-reduction level resulted in higher log reductions of TV and MNV-1, as assessed by the plaque assay, but did not increase the log reductions, as assessed by the PGM-MB/PCR assay. HHP treatments could achieve maximum reductions of ∼3 and 3.5 log units for GI.1 and GII.4, respectively, as assessed by the PGM-MB/PCR assay. On the basis of these results, it can reasonably be concluded that the PGM-MB/PCR assay would very likely be able to estimate HHP inactivation of HuNoV at ≤2-log-reduction levels. It would also likely conservatively quantify HHP inactivation of the GI.1 strain at 2- to 3-log-reduction levels and the GII.4 strain at 2- to 3.5-log-reduction levels.
Entrainment of anticipatory activity to various durations of food access

Rats with lesions of the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) and intact rats were maintained on restricted feeding with the duration of food access ranging from 4 to 12 hr. All rats with SCN lesions displayed at least some anticipatory activity (AA) at all food access durations. The amount of AA diminished when food access was extended to 12 hr and was lowest in a group that was exposed only to a 10-hr access period. The onset of AA (phase angle of entrainment) appeared to be more sensitive to the time of food availability than to its termination. Most intact rats maintained in constant light displayed some AA at food access durations between 4 and 10 hr. In most cases the period of the free running rhythm increased as it crossed food access and the free running rhythm became increasingly disrupted as the experiment progressed in all rats. In some cases the free running rhythm appeared to force AA out of entrainment. These results demonstrate that AA occurs in conditions that impose only minor deficits on the energy balance of rats. Furthermore, they provide additional evidence of interactions between two separate circadian pacemaking systems.
Turbulent Consumption Speeds of High Hydrogen Content Fuels From 1–20 atm

This work describes measurements and analysis of the turbulent consumption speeds, ST,GC, of H2/CO fuel blends. We report measurements of ST,GC at pressures and normalized turbulence intensities, u′rms/SL,0 up to 20 atm and 1800, respectively for a variety of H2/CO mixtures and equivalence ratios. In addition, we present correlations of these data using laminar burning velocities of highly stretched flames, SL,max, derived from quasi-steady leading points models. These analyses show that SL,max can be used to correlate data over a broad range of fuel compositions, but do not capture the pressure sensitivity of ST,GC. We suggest that these pressure effects are more fundamentally a manifestation of non-quasi-steady behavior in the mass burning rate at the flame leading points.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
The actin cytoskeleton is involved in the regulation of the plasmodesmal size exclusion limit

Plasmodesmata (PD) are the communication channels which allow the trafficking of macromolecules between neighboring cells. Such cell-to-cell movement of macromolecules is regulated during plant growth and development; however, little is known about the regulation mechanism of PD size exclusion limit (SEL). Plant viral movement proteins (MPs) enhance the invasion of viruses from cell to cell by increasing the SEL of the PD and are therefore a powerful means for the study of the plasmodesmal regulation mechanisms. In a recent study, we reported that the actin cytoskeleton is involved in the increase of the PD SEL induced by MPs. Microinjection experiments demonstrated that actin depolymerization was required for the Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) MP-induced increase in the PD SEL. In vitro experiments showed that CMV MP severs actin filaments (F-actin). Furthermore, through the analyses of two CMV MP mutants, we demonstrated that the F-actin severing ability of CMV MP was required to increase the PD SEL. These results are similar to what has been found in Tobacco mosaic virus MP. Thus, our data suggests that actin dynamics may participate in the regulations of the PD SEL.
Effects of cross‐training on running economy and 10 kilometer performance

Nineteen competitive male endurance athletes (11 runners and 8 duathletes/triathletes) were compared to determine what effects cross‐training might have on running performance. Subjects were evaluated for a difference in maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max), running economy, running mechanics, and best 10 km performance time. The runners exhibited a significantly greater weekly training run mileage, a lower number of weekly training hours, a longer running step length, and a faster 10 km performance time compared with the multisport athletes (p ≤0.05). In addition, the runners exhibited a better running economy, requiring 6.20%, 6.13%, and 6.78% less utilization of VO2max at three standard velocities of submaximal treadmill running. These results suggest that enhancement of running performance might be best obtained by running‐specific training activity rather than from cross‐training methods.
Laparoscopic secondary antireflux procedure after PEG placement in children

Background: This study investigates the feasibility of performing a subsequent laparoscopic antireflux procedure after former placement of a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG).
Lateral entorhinal cortical kindling can be established without potentiation of the entorhinal-granule cell synapse

Abstract Kindling is an animal model of epilepsy which involves a permanently enhanced neuronal response to an electrical stimulus. It has been proposed that long-term potentiation (LTP) of excitatory synaptic transmission is the cellular basis of kindling. Therefore, LTP was examined in the monosynaptic projections from the lateral entorhinal cortex (LEC) to dentate granule cells (DG) in unrestrained, unanesthetized rats kindled via the LEC. Population excitatory postsynaptic potentials (pEPSPs) were recorded from the granule cells before, during, and after kindling of the LEC. Controls were unkindled rats recorded during the same time period as the experimental rats. No consistent changes were found in plateau pEPSP amplitudes or initial slopes although kindling via the LEC proceeded through the typical stages. There was also no significant change in the stimulus intensity needed to elicit a 50% maximal or “plateau” pEPSP. Thus, whereas kindling was indeed established by stimulation of the LEC, there was no evidence of LTP detected in the granule cell response either during the development or after completion of kindling. Either LTP does not underlie the mechanism of kindling via this pathway or it occurs in different brain regions receiving LEC input.
The adult enhancer factor-1, a Drosophila melanogaster transcriptional repressor, modulates the promoter activity of the rat class-I alcohol dehydrogenase-encoding gene

Expression of the Drosophila melanogaster alcohol dehydrogenase-encoding gene (ADH) in the adult fat body is controlled by the ADH adult enhancer site (AAE). The D. melanogaster transcription repressor, adult enhancer factor-1 (AEF-1), binds to AAE at a site which overlaps with a sequence recognized by the mammalian transcription factor, CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha [C/EBP alpha; Falb and Maniatis, Genes Dev. 6 (1992a) 454-465]. C/EBP alpha also activates the promoter of the rat class-I ADH gene in a sequence-specific manner [Potter et al., Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 285 (1991a) 246-251]. In this study, we explored the possibility that D. melanogaster AEF-1 influences transcription of the rat class-I ADH. By DNase I footprint analysis, bacterially produced AEF-1 protects a region of DNA between nucleotides (nt) -22 and -36 of the rat class-I ADH promoter (pADH), just 5' to the binding site of C/EBP alpha, a result confirmed by the electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). Co-transfection of a rat pADH-CAT reporter construct with expression vectors containing C/EBP alpha, AEF-1, or both, indicates that AEF-1 inhibits induction of the rat pADH by C/EBP alpha. Moreover, rat liver nuclear extracts appear to contain AEF-1-like-binding activities to AAE by EMSA. These experiments suggest an evolutionarily conserved mechanism by which AEF-1 modulates expression of the D. melanogaster and rat ADH genes.
Humans Optimize Decision-Making by Delaying Decision Onset

Why do humans make errors on seemingly trivial perceptual decisions? It has been shown that such errors occur in part because the decision process (evidence accumulation) is initiated before selective attention has isolated the relevant sensory information from salient distractors. Nevertheless, it is typically assumed that subjects increase accuracy by prolonging the decision process rather than delaying decision onset. To date it has not been tested whether humans can strategically delay decision onset to increase response accuracy. To address this question we measured the time course of selective attention in a motion interference task using a novel variant of the response signal paradigm. Based on these measurements we estimated time-dependent drift rate and showed that subjects should in principle be able trade speed for accuracy very effectively by delaying decision onset. Using the time-dependent estimate of drift rate we show that subjects indeed delay decision onset in addition to raising response threshold when asked to stress accuracy over speed in a free reaction version of the same motion-interference task. These findings show that decision onset is a critical aspect of the decision process that can be adjusted to effectively improve decision accuracy.
The Catalytic Subunit of Telomerase Protects Neurons Against Amyloid β‐Peptide‐Induced Apoptosis

The catalytic subunit of telomerase (TERT) is a specialized reverse transcriptase that has been associated with cell immortalization and cancer. It was reported recently that TERT is expressed in neurons throughout the brain in embryonic and early postnatal development, but is absent from neurons in the adult brain. We now report that suppression of TERT levels and function in embryonic mouse hippocampal neurons in culture using antisense technology and the telomerase inhibitor 3' -azido-2' 3' -dideoxythymidine significantly increases their vulnerability to cell death induced by amyloid beta-peptide, a neurotoxic protein believed to promote neuronal degeneration in Alzheimer's disease. Neurons in which TERT levels were reduced exhibited increased levels of oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction following exposure to amyloid beta-peptide. Overexpression of TERT in pheochromocytoma cells resulted in decreased vulnerability to amyloid beta-peptide-induced apoptosis. Our findings demonstrate a neuroprotective function of TERT in an experimental model relevant to Alzheimer's disease, and suggest the possibility that restoration of TERT expression in neurons in the adult brain may protect against age-related neurodegeneration.
Distributed stream join query processing with semijoins

This paper addresses the distributed stream processing of window-based multi-way join queries considering the semijoin as a key join operator. In distributed stream processing, data streams arriving at remote sites need to be shipped to the processing site for query execution. This typically introduces high communication overhead. Our observation is that semijoin, effective in reducing communication overhead in distributed database query processing, can be also effective in distributed stream query processing. The challenge, however, lies in the streaming nature of the tuples, as it requires continuous and incremental processing of an unbounded sequence of tuples instead of one-time processing of a set of stored tuples. This paper describes our comprehensive work done to address the challenge. Specifically, we first propose a distributed stream join processing model that handles the issue of network delays introduced from the shipment of data streams, and allows for efficient batch processing. Then, based on the model, we propose join algorithms in a multi-way join case: first, one-way join algorithms for different combinations of join placement and join method and, then, multi-way join algorithms assuming linear join ordering. Regarding the join method, two distributed join methods are introduced: (1) simple join, in which full tuples are forwarded to the query processing site and (2) semijoin-based join, in which partial tuples are forwarded. A semijoin-based join can be executed with different possible semijoin strategies which incur different communication overheads. We present a complete set of join algorithms considering all possible semijoin strategies, and propose an optimization algorithm. The join algorithms are executed continuously in an incremental manner as tuples arrive, and never ship tuples redundantly. The optimization algorithm constructs an efficient multi-way join plan by using a greedy heuristic which adds to the plan one stream with the minimum join execution cost in each step. Through extensive experiments, we conduct comparative studies of the performance among the proposed one-way join algorithms and the efficiency of the generated plan between the optimization algorithm based on the greedy heuristic and the exhaustive search, respectively.
Valence electron density of states of ZnSe obtained from an energy dependent exchange approximation

The electron density of states for the valence band of ZnSe has been calculated using a self-consistent orthogonalized plane wave (SCOPW) model. In this model the exchange term is approximated by Liberman's energy dependent operator which simulates the Hartree-Fock exchange closely in the atomic case. The model is outlined and the results are compared with values obtained with an energy independent model and experimental results. One concludes that the energy dependent model matches experiment less well than the energy independent model.
The PTSD interview: rationale, description, reliability, and concurrent validity of a DSM-III-based technique.

This paper describes the PTSD Interview (PTSD-I). It was developed to meet four specifications: (a) close correspondence to DSM-III standards; (b) binary present/absent and continuous severity/frequency outputs on each symptom and the entire syndrome; (c) administrable by trained subprofessionals; and (d) substantial reliability and validity. It was written to meet the first three criteria. It demonstrated very high internal consistency (alpha = 0.92) and test-retest reliability (Total score r = 0.95; diagnostic agreement = 87%). It correlated strongly with parallel DIS criteria (Total score vs. DIS diagnosis rbis = 0.94, sensitivity = 0.89, specificity = 0.94, overall hit rate = 0.92, and kappa = 0.84). Earlier studies revealed correlations with a military stress scale and Keane et al.'s MMPI PTSD subscale. It is apparently the only PTSD instrument that meets all of the above criteria.
A new technique for the treatment of varicocele combining a subinguinal approach with antegrade sclerotherapy

A new technique for the treatment of varicocele combining a subinguinal approach with antegrade sclerotherapy
Toward a Physical Characterization of Raindrop Collision Outcome Regimes

A comprehensive raindrop collision outcome regime diagram that delineates the physical conditions associated with the outcome regimes (i.e., bounce, coalescence, and different breakup types) of binary raindrop collisions is proposed. The proposed diagram builds on a theoretical regime diagram defined in the phase space of collision Weber numbers We and the drop diameter ratio p by including critical angle of impact considerations. In this study, the theoretical regime diagram is first evaluated against a comprehensive dataset for drop collision experiments representative of raindrop collisions in nature. Subsequently, the theoretical regime diagram is modified to explicitly describe the dominant regimes of raindrop interactions in (We, p) by delineating the physical conditions necessary for the occurrence of distinct types of collision-induced breakup (neck/filament, sheet, disk, and crown breakups) based on critical angle of impact consideration. Crown breakup is a subtype of disk breakup for lower collision kinetic energy that presents distinctive morphology. Finally, the experimental results are analyzed in the context of the comprehensive collision regime diagram, and conditional probabilities that can be used in the parameterization of breakup kernels in stochastic models of raindrop dynamics are provided.
Theoretical Predictions of Energetic Molecular Crystals at Ambient and Hydrostatic Compression Conditions Using Dispersion Corrections to Conventional Density Functionals (DFT-D)

Theoretical predictions of the crystallographic properties of a series of 10 energetic molecular crystals have been done using a semiempirical correction to account for the van der Waals interactions in conventional density functional theory (termed DFT-D) as implemented in a pseudopotential plane-wave code. This series contains compounds representative for energetic materials applications, that is, hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-s triazine (α- and γ-RDX phases), 1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetraaza-cyclooctane (β-, α-, and δ-HMX phases), 2,4,6,8,10,12-hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane (CL20) (e-, β-, and γ-HNIW phases), nitromethane (NM), trans-1,2,-dinitrocyclopropane, 1,2,3,5,7-pentanitrocubane (PNC), pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), 2,4,6-trinitro-1,3,5-benzenetriamine (TATB), 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT-I phase), and 1,1-diamino-2,2-dinitroethylene (FOX-7), systems belonging to diverse chemical classes that encompass nitramines, nitroalkanes, nitroaromatics, nitrocubanes, nitrate esters, and amino-nitr...
Prevalence of Barrett's esophagus in patients with or without GERD symptoms: role of race, age, and gender.

Background Gastroesophageal reflux disease is associated with a significantly increased risk of Barrett’s esophagus (BE) and adenocarcinoma of the esophagus. Racial differences in the prevalence of BE are controversial. Our purpose was to study the prevalence of Barrett’s esophagus in patients with and without gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms, and the differences between these two groups in terms of race, age, and sex. Methods Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) reports from the PENTAX EndoPRO database for the Endoscopy Unit at the University of Texas Medical Branch from 2005 to 2007 were reviewed. Four hundred and ten patients who underwent upper endoscopy because of GERD symptoms that were not responding to proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy or with alarm symptoms and 4,047 patients undergoing upper endoscopy for other reasons without GERD symptoms were identified. Results BE was significantly more common among males. The prevalence of BE was higher in patients with GERD symptoms than those without GERD symptoms. Overall, more cases of BE, dysplasia, and adenocarcinoma were found among the patients without GERD symptoms than those that underwent endoscopy because of GERD symptoms. The prevalence of BE among Caucasian, African American, Hispanic, and “other” groups with GERD symptoms were 5%, 2.56%, 4.4%, and 0%, respectively. The prevalence of BE among these racial groups without GERD symptoms were 1.9%, 0.9%, 1.57%, and 0.8%, respectively. The association between race and BE was not statistically significant (df = 3, P = 0.2628), including after adjusting for the presence of GERD symptoms (df = 3, P = 0.2947). Patients without GERD symptoms that presented with BE were significantly older than the patients without BE (P < 0.01). Conclusions BE is a male-dominant disease. The prevalence of Barrett’s esophagus was not significant different among Caucasian, Hispanics, and African Americans. Most of the patients with BE, dysplasia, and adenocarcinoma did not have GERD symptoms.
An Alternative Approach for the Determination of Bulk Specific Gravity and Permeability of Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA)

The objective of this study was to investigate the use of an alternative method for determination of bulk specific gravity and estimation of water permeable voids of dense graded HMA mixes. As a part of an ongoing study on evaluation of permeability of HMA, several dense graded mixes with coarse and fine gradations from three New England states were compacted to produce mixes at different air voids. The bulk specific gravities of these mixes were determined using both the saturated surface dry method and the vacuum seal method. Theoretical maximum densities of these mixes were also determined. Air voids of the different compacted mixes were estimated from the bulk specific gravity and theoretical maximum density values. Porosity and permeability tests were also conducted on the mixes. The results showed that for coarse graded mixes and fine graded mixes with high air voids, the vacuum seal method provided a better estimation of air voids in a compacted HMA mix. For coarse graded mixes, porosity can provid...
Manipulating Light Quality to Elicit Desirable Plant Growth and Flowering Responses

Abstract Controlled-environment greenhouses and especially plant factories rely on lighting to promote growth and development of ornamental and edible crops. Light intensity, duration, and quality interact to influence plant characteristics and quality attributes including expansion of leaves, stems and roots; plant architecture (leaf size and stem elongation); and flowering. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are rapidly developing for human applications and secondarily for plant applications. Although there are some similarities between lighting for plants and for people, there are also many differences. It is important to thoroughly understand how light quality influences plant growth and flowering so that LEDs are effectively developed for plant applications.
Controlled release of nerve growth factor from a polymeric implant

Recent studies suggest that neurotrophic factors applied directly to brain tissue may enhance regeneration in the central nervous system. Biocompatible polymeric implants providing a controlled release of nerve growth factor (NGF) for over one month were developed. The released nerve growth factor stimulated neurite sprouting in cultured PC12 cells. While a model polymer with demonstrated biocompatibility was used for the present study, the methods can be extended to other polymer systems. Controlled release implants may be useful in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
The Time Expansion Chamber and Single Ionization Cluster Measurement

The time expansion chamber (TEC), a new type of drift chamber, allows the measurement of microscopic details of ionization. The mean drift time interval from subsequent single ionization clusters of a relativistic particle in the TEC can be made large enough compared to the width of the anode signal to allow the recording of the clusters separately. Since single primary electrons can be detected, the cluster counting would allow an improved particle separation using the relativistic rise of primary ionization. In another application, very high position accuracy for track detectors or improved energy resolution may be obtained. Basic ionization phenomena and drift properties can be measured at the single electron level.
Profile of infective microorganisms causing ventilator-associated pneumonia: A clinical study from resource limited intensive care unit

Background: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is the most common cause of hospital acquired infection and death among patients admitted in ICU. Microorganisms responsible for VAP vary from place to place. Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) have emerged as a major group of pathogen causing VAP and over the years carbapenem group of antibiotics has emerged as one of the important antibiotics used in the critically ill patients. There have been reports of increased occurrence of infection by carbapenem-resistant bacteria in health care settings in recent times. Aim: The aim of the study was to assess the incidence of VAP, their microbiological profile with reference to carbapenemase producing GNB in the intensive care unit of a tertiary care hospital, their relation to initial emperical antibiotic therapy, sensitivity patterns, and outcome. Materials and Methods: This prospective study was carried out over the period of 1 year (July 2010-June 2011) on 100 randomly selected patients above the age of 18 years admitted in the emergency/ICU and requiring intubation and mechanical ventilation for more than 72 hours. The diagnosis of VAP was established on the basis of clinical and radiological parameters as per Centre of Disease Centres (CDC) guidelines. A baseline sample was obtained after initial endotracheal intubation. Thereafter, the culture sent on the first day of occurrence of clinical sign of VAP. Culture was done on blood agar and MacConkey agar. All imipenem-resistant strains were further confirmed by Modified Hodge test and combined disc for confirmation of respective carbapenemase. Results: Incidence of VAP was found to be 51%. GNB mainly Citrobacter 28 (52.83%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae 7 (13.21%), were the most commonly isolated pathogens. The prevalence of carbapenemase-producing GNB was alarmingly high 24/50 (48%). The entire carbapenemase producers showed high degree of cross resistance to antibiotics with some sensitivity to Polymyxin B (94 %) and Tigecycline (96%) Conclusion: High incidence of VAP and the potential carbapenemase-producing GNB are real threat in our ICU. The emergence of microorganisms known for its inherent resistance among most of the common first-line antibiotics calls for a alarm in all upcoming tertiary care hospitals.
Temporal changes in cervical mucus after insertion of the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system

Abstract Background The major contraceptive action of the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (LNG-IUS) is cervical mucus (CM) thickening, which prevents sperm penetration. No study to date has examined the temporal relationship between the insertion of the LNG-IUS and changes in CM quality and sperm penetration. Study Design Participants were enrolled in a clinically descriptive study to compare the quality of CM and three parameters of sperm penetration prior to insertion of the LNG-IUS and on Days 1, 3 and 5 after insertion. Measurements of estradiol, progesterone and levonorgestrel (LNG) in serum and LNG in CM were also carried out at these times. CM was analyzed using the World Health Organization CM grading criteria. Sperm penetration was determined using an in vitro sperm–CM penetration test. Results All 10 participants underwent LNG-IUS insertion during midcycle when CM quality was good and sperm penetration was excellent. On Day 1 after LNG-IUS insertion, the majority of participants demonstrated poor CM quality and poor sperm penetration. On Day 3, all participants had poor CM quality, and all but one subject had poor sperm penetration. By Day 5, all participants had poor CM quality and poor sperm penetration. LNG levels in CM peaked on the day after LNG-IUS insertion. Conclusion Significant changes in quality of CM and sperm penetration were observed shortly after LNG-IUS insertion; however, CM can remain penetrable for up to 5 days when the LNG-IUS is inserted midcycle.
Disturbances in affective communication following brain injury.

Primary objective: Disturbances in affect expression and perception are often clinically observed in brain injured patients during the acute stages of recovery. This study examined whether such disturbances are related to the acute nature of the injury or specific type of injury in patients with stroke (CVA) versus traumatic brain injury (TBI).Research design: Retrospective cohort of patients seen for inpatient rehabilitation following brain injury.Procedures: Participants were 27 CVA and 27 TBI patients. Their performance was compared to 27 normal controls on the BNI Screen for Higher Cerebral Functions.Outcomes and results: While both patient groups performed significantly worse than the control group on affect expression, perception and spontaneity (p<0.01), the CVA group performed significantly worse than the TBI group (p<0.01) on affect perception. Results of this study document disturbances in affect in brain injured patients and highlight the importance of assessing affect during early recovery.
Paper-based Immunosensor for Oxidative DNA Damage Biomarker Detection

Oxidative stress is an abnormal oxidant system which can be caused by many toxicants exposure. In the presence of oxidative stress, reactive oxygen species generated in vivo can directly cause oxidative damage to lipids, proteins and DNA. In DNA, 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) is one of the predominant forms of free radical-induced oxidative lesions, and therefore has been widely used as a biomarker for oxidative stress and carcinogenesis. Studies showed that urinary 8-OHdG is a good biomarker for risk assessment of various cancers and degenerative diseases. Urinary 8-OHdG has been measured by many methods, but most of them are usually time-consuming, require specialized lab based equipment, dedicated sample preparation process and professional operators. There is great need for a portable sensing system capable of rapid 8-OHdG measurement in readily available biosamples. Here we develop an immunochromatographic paper strip capable of quantitative analysis of 8-OHdG in samples. The test strip will provide a point of care testing method for quantitative assessment of DNA oxidative stress with high sensitivity, specificity, speed of performance and the advantages of simplicity.
The evolution of the equatorial thermocline and the early Pliocene El Padre mean state

The tropical Pacific thermocline strength, depth, and tilt are critical to tropical mean state and variability. During the early Pliocene (~3.5 to 4.5 Ma), the Eastern Equatorial Pacific (EEP) thermocline was deeper and the cold tongue was warmer than today, which resulted in a mean state with a reduced zonal sea surface temperature gradient or El Padre. However, it is unclear whether the deep thermocline was a local feature of the EEP or a basin-wide condition with global implications. Our measurements of Mg/Ca of Globorotalia tumida in a western equatorial Pacific site indicate Pliocene subsurface temperatures warmer than today; thus, El Padre included a basin-wide thermocline that was relatively warm, deep, and weakly tilted. At ~4 Ma, thermocline steepening was coupled to cooling of the cold tongue. Since ~4 Ma, the basin-wide thermocline cooled/shoaled gradually, with implications for thermocline feedbacks in tropical dynamics and the interpretation of TEX86-derived temperatures.
Theory of complementary holograms arising from electron–hole transport in photorefractive media

The time evolution of space-charge field gratings in photorefractive media is derived for a simple two-level electron–hole-transport model. At one level, charge transfer occurs by electron transport, and at the other, by hole transport, thus leading to the formation of complementary gratings. If the characteristic lifetimes of the gratings differ significantly, extended-lifetime gratings are possible. The role of the applied electric field in the evolution of such gratings is examined, and limiting cases are considered. The results of the derivation are compared with examples of complementary gratings in the literature.
Effect of acid-chlorite delignification on cellulose degree of polymerization

Two types of pure cellulose, Avicel PH-101 and Whatman filter paper, were treated with an acid-chlorite delignification procedure in the presence of varying amounts of incorporated lignin, and the molecular weight distributions and degrees of polymerization (DP) of derivatized cellulose were determined by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). Avicel samples with 0% added lignin showed a DP reduction of nearly 5% during acid-chlorite delignification, compared to a 1% drop in DP with 30% added lignin. Lignin-free filter paper samples showed a DP reduction of nearly 35% after hollocellulose delignification. This drop in DP was reduced to less than 12% for samples which contained 30% lignin. Thus, the presence of lignin in biomass samples minimized the DP reduction of cellulose due to acid catalyzed cleavage during acid-chlorite delignification.
The effects of stress at work and at home on inflammation and endothelial dysfunction.

This study examined whether stress at work and at home may be related to dysregulation of inflammation and endothelial function, two important contributors to the development of cardiovascular disease. In order to explore potential biological mechanisms linking stress with cardiovascular health, we investigated cross-sectional associations between stress at work and at home with an inflammation score (n's range from 406–433) and with two endothelial biomarkers (intercellular and vascular adhesion molecules, sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1; n's range from 205–235) in a cohort of healthy US male health professionals. No associations were found between stress at work or at home and inflammation. Men with high or medium levels of stress at work had significantly higher levels of sVCAM-1 (13% increase) and marginally higher levels of sICAM-1 (9% increase), relative to those reporting low stress at work, independent of health behaviors. Men with high levels of stress at home had marginally higher levels of both sVCAM-1 and sICAM-1 than those with low stress at home. While lack of findings related to inflammation are somewhat surprising, if replicated in future studies, these findings may suggest that endothelial dysfunction is an important biological mechanism linking stress at work with cardiovascular health outcomes in men.
Color image digitization for real-time video processing

A description is given of a full-rate color image digitization system that was developed to provide capabilities not available on commercial imaging products. The system provides a continuous full-rate data transfer bus, YIQ digitization formats, logarithmic companding, and real-time data flow synchronization for displaying images that have been transferred over asynchronous communications links. >
Accelerating X-ray fluorescence computed tomography

This paper presents new approaches to accelerating x-ray fluorescence tomography (XFCT) that are grounded in both novel image acquisition strategies that improve the quality of the data acquired and in image reconstruction strategies that reduce the amount of data acquired. First, we introduce an alternative imaging scheme that uses an emission tomography (ET) system to collect the fluorescence photons representing an entire 2D slice or volumetric projection of the object at one time. Preliminary results indicate that this could achieve a ten to hundredfold improvement in imaging speed. Secondly, novel image reconstruction algorithms are introduced that allow for improved quantitative accuracy as well as for imaging of regions of interest, which will lead to further reduction in data-acquisition time.
LITSEEK: public health literature search by metadata enhancement with external knowledge bases

Biomedical literature is an important source of information in any researcher's investigation of genes, risk factors, diseases and drugs. Often the information searched by public health researchers is distributed across multiple disparate sources that may include publications from PubMed, genomic, proteomic and pathway databases, gene expression and clinical resources and biomedical ontologies. The unstructured nature of this information makes it difficult to find relevant parts from it manually and comprehensive knowledge is further difficult to synthesize automatically. In this paper we report on LITSEEK (LITerature Search by metadata Enhancement with External Knowledgebases), a system we have developed for the benefit of researchers at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to enable them to search the HuGE (Human Genome for Epidemiology) database of PubMed articles, from a pharmacogenomic perspective. Besides analyzing text using TFIDF ranking and indexing of the important terms, the proposed system incorporates an automatic consultation with PharmGKB - a human-curated knowledge base about drugs, related diseases and genes, as well as with the Gene Ontology, a human-curated, well accepted ontology. We highlight the main components of our approach and illustrate how the search is enhanced by incorporating additional concepts in terms of genes/drugs/diseases (called metadata for ease of reference) from PharmGKB. Various measurements are reported with respect to the addition of these metadata terms. Preliminary results in terms of precision based on expert user feedback from CDC are encouraging. Further evaluation of the search procedure by actual researchers is under way.
Aircraft heading for dead reckoning applications using Airborne Laser Scanner range measurements

This paper presents a technique to determine aircraft heading using an Airborne Laser Scanner (ALS) and surveyed ground features. Accurate heading estimation has several important applications for airborne navigation. It can be used for periodical in-flight calibration of heading biases in tactical grade Inertial Measurement Units (IMU), for ALS / IMU calibration prior to a terrain aided landing, or for stabilization of inertial heading measurements when GPS is unavailable. The primary focus will be on dead reckoning navigation applications where GPS is unavailable and where a heading accuracy of at least a few mrad is required. A step-by-step description of the algorithm will be presented along with graphical illustrations of each step. Simulation results will be presented to show the theoretical performance of heading determination from synthesized ground feature geometry using typical ALS parameters. An empirical sensitivity analysis will be used to show the effect of range noise, heading bias, and position noise on the heading accuracy. This theoretical performance assessment will then be compared with flight test data. The results will show that the proposed technique can provide heading bias calibration accuracy at the milliradian level and that this accuracy can be estimated based on the laser range residuals.
High maternal aggression in dwarf hamsters (Phodopus campbelli and P. sungorus)

:::::::::::::::: :::::::::::::::: : The defense of offspring, termed maternal aggression, is a highly conserved behavior in mammals, including rodents. This study examined relative levels of maternal aggression in two closely related dwarf hamster species, Phodopus campbelli and P. sungorus, that normally inhabit high latitude, boreal environments. When tested with first litters and with the breeder male remaining with the female (for P. campbelli the male is necessary for successful rearing of offspring), both species exhibited high levels of maternal aggression with average duration of aggressive behavior480 sec for a 10 min test. For P. sungorus, males are not required to rear offspring. P. sungorus females with either one or multiple litters (singly housed after impregnation) exhibited significantly higher levels of aggression (4300 sec) relative to females co-housed with the sires. In terms of species differences in attack style, P. campbelli exhibited a boxing or clawing strategy for B50% of total attack time, but for P. sungorus, this form of attack occurredo5% of the time. For P. sungorus, attacks to the vulnerable belly and flank constituted490% of all attacks, but these regions were attacked B50% of the time for P. campbelli. A survey of levels of maternal aggression of rodents in other genera suggests that maternal aggression in Phodopus is at the high end of the spectrum. Results of this study suggest that the presence of the breeder male may actually suppress aggression in P. sungorus. This fact, as well as its high level of aggression and its distant relationship to mice and rats, suggest P. sungorus as a possible model for future studies on the neurobiological basis of maternal aggression. The relationship between the high rates of maternal aggression and life history strategy in Phodopus is discussed. Aggr. Behav. 31:294–302, 2005. r 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Reflection in thought and action: Maternal parenting reflectivity predicts mind-minded comments and interactive behavior.

Recent research has identified mothers' mental reflective functioning and verbal mind-minded comments as important predictors of subsequent infant attachment security. In the present study, we examine associations between mothers' (N = 95) parenting reflectivity expressed in an interview and observed parenting behavior, including verbal mind-minded comments and interactive behavior during interaction with their 7-month-old infants. Parenting reflectivity was coded from the Working Model of the Child Interview. Maternal behavior was assessed via observations of mother–infant interaction during free play and structured teaching tasks. Both maternal appropriate mind-minded comments as well as other indicators of maternal interactive behavior were coded. Parenting reflectivity was positively correlated with mind-minded comments and behavioral sensitivity. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated that parenting reflectivity contributed to maternal behavior beyond the contributions of mothers' educational status and depression symptoms. Discussion emphasizes the importance of individual differences in parental capacity to accurately perceive and mentalize their infants' experience, and the consequences of these differences for caregiving behavior.
Technical note: Electromagnetic control of charged particulate spray systems-Models for planning the spray-gun operations

Charged particulate spray systems are common in many industrial and manufacturing processes. Using externally applied electromagnetic fields-the dynamics of these particulate sprays can be altered to achieve improved functionality and access to spray-sites that are hard to reach. With such an alteration the spray-particulate dynamics can become non-intuitive-thereby motivating a physically based modeling strategy to plan the spray-gun operations and translate this into the actual spray deposition on the target surface. In this paper we use the dynamics of charged particles to construct a set of simple geometric arguments for the identification of the mapping between the spray-gun trajectory (on its plane of traversal) and the spray-deposit location (on the plane of the target-surface). The parametric dependence of the mapping on spray-gun operation parameters (comprising nozzle velocity and trajectory) and external magnetic fields (comprising field strength and the region of applied field) is discussed. The role of such arguments in constructing appropriate computer simulation frameworks is then illustrated through an example of a discrete element simulation. Sensitivity to process parameters like particulate size and spray-gas velocity are also characterized for a given applied field.
Rates of Reactivation of Latent Herpes Simplex Virus from Mouse Trigeminal Ganglia Ex Vivo Correlate Directly with Viral Load and Inversely with Number of Infiltrating CD8+ T Cells

Herpes simplex viruses (HSV) reactivate at rates proportional to the viral loads in latently infected ganglia. However, these rates vary substantially among infected animals. We assessed whether the numbers of HSV-specific CD8(+) T cells infiltrating latently infected ganglia also affect reactivation rates and contribute to their variability. Following corneal infection of mice with HSV type 2 (HSV-2), we quantified the latent viral loads in dissociated trigeminal ganglia by real-time PCR, the numbers of infiltrating CD8(+) T cells by flow cytometry, and the rates of reactivation by the detection of cell-free virus released from ganglion cells cultured in 96-well plates. The reactivation rates correlated directly with the latent viral loads (P = 0.001) but did so more strongly (P = 10(-7)) when cultures were depleted of CD8(+) T cells. Reactivation rates were reduced in a dose-dependent fashion by adding back ganglion CD8(+) T cells to the cultures (P = 0.003). We related the latent viral loads, numbers of CD8(+) T cells, and reactivation rates by mathematical equations. The rates of reactivation predicted from latent viral loads and numbers of infiltrating CD8(+) T cells in dissociated ganglia correlated with the observed rates of reactivation (P = 0.04). The reactivation of HSV-2 from ganglia ex vivo is determined both by the latent viral load and the number of infiltrating CD8(+) T cells.
Factors affecting food utilization by a leaf shredding aquatic insect: leaf species and conditioning time

Gravimetric feeding studies were used to examine the feeding strategy of Pteronarcys proteus (Plecoptera) using unconditioned, 1 month conditioned, and 2 month conditioned deciduous leaves of four species (white oak, red maple, black locust, dogwood). Assimilation efficiencies of Pteronarcys nymphs feeding on unconditioned and conditioned leaf material ranged from 13.4 to 21.9% AFDW of leaf material indicating that Pteronarcys was able to digest and assimilate leaf material. Assimilation efficiencies did not change as leaf material conditioned which suggests that assimilation efficiency does not accurately reflect changes in detrital food quality. However, as leaves conditioned, the ingestion rate of Pteronarcys nymphs accelerated. Rates at which dogwood and locust leaves were ingested peaked after 1 month, then declined with a second month of conditioning. Rates at which maple and oak leaves were ingested increased significantly with 2 months of conditioning. Assimilation rates of Pteronarcys nymphs varied in a pattern similar to ingestion rates. This reflects the importance of ingestion rate in the feeding response of Pteronarcys.
Side information aware coding strategies for sensor networks

We develop coding strategies for estimation under communication constraints in tree-structured sensor networks. The strategies have a modular and decentralized architecture. This promotes the flexibility, robustness, and scalability that wireless sensor networks need to operate in uncertain, changing, and resource-constrained environments. The strategies are based on a generalization of Wyner-Ziv source coding with decoder side information. We develop solutions for general trees, and illustrate our results in serial (pipeline) and parallel (hub-and-spoke) networks. Additionally, the strategies can be applied to other network information theory problems. They have a successive coding structure that gives an inherently less complex way to attain a number of prior results, as well as some novel results, for the Chief Executive Officer problem, multiterminal source coding, and certain classes of relay channels.