cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A robust step length estimation system for human gait using motion sensors

Wireless motion sensors offer a non-invasive, low cost solution for daily human activity monitoring, which is critically important for the diagnosis and rehabilitation of neurological diseases. However, an accurate and robust estimation method for the step length, one of the most important lower body metrics, is still lacking. In order to tackle this problem, we developed a new robust step length estimation system called the Pose Invariant (PI) method using ankle mounted motion sensors. Using the inverted pendulum model, the traveling distance within each step can be calculated by multiplying the leg length and the sine of the leg's orientation change within each step. Walking data from 9 adult subjects was collected and processed to validate this method. On average, a 3.69% absolute error rate was achieved. In addition, the robustness of this method compared to the non-ZUPT method was shown by an additional experiment over 3 adult subjects.
One Nucleotide in a κB Site Can Determine Cofactor Specificity for NF-κB Dimers

The transcription factor NF-κB regulates a wide variety of genes involved in multiple processes. Although the apparent consensus sequence of DNA binding sites for NF-κB (κB sites) is very broad, the sites active in any one gene show remarkable evolutionary stability. Using a lentivirus-based methodology for implantation of gene regulatory sequences we show that for genes with two κB sites, both are required for activity. Swapping sites between κB-dependent genes altered NF-κB dimer specificity of the promoters and revealed that two κB sites can function together as a module to regulate gene activation. Further, although the sequence of the κB site is important for determining κB family member specificity, rather than determining the ability of a particular dimer to bind effectively, the sequence affects which coactivators will form productive interactions with the bound NF-κB dimer. This suggests that binding sites may impart a specific configuration to bound transcription factors.
Quercetin inhibits the growth of a multidrug-resistant estrogen-receptor-negative MCF-7 human breast-cancer cell line expressing type II estrogen-binding sites.

It has been demonstrated that the flavonoid quercetin (3,3′,4′,5,7-pentahydroxyflavone; Q) inhibits the growth of several cancer cell lines. There is evidence suggesting that the antiproliferative activity of this substance is mediated by the so-called type II estrogen-binding, site (type II EBS). We looked for the presence of type II EBS and the effect of Q on the proliferation of an Adriamycinresistant estrogen-receptor-negative human breast-cancer cell line (MCF-7 ADRr). By whole-cell assay using estradiol labelled with 6,7-tritium ([3H]-E2) as a tracer, we demonstrated that MCF-7 ADRr cells contain type II EBSs. Competition analysis revealed that diethylstilbestrol (DES) and Q competed with similar potency for [3H]-Es binding to type II EBSs. The antiestrogen tamoxifen (TAM) competed for type II EBSs, albeit to a lesser extent than either DES or Q. Growth experiments demonstrated that Q and DES exerted a dose-dependent inhibition of cell proliferation in the range of concentrations between 10 nM and 10 μm, whereas TAM was less effective. Q could also inhibit colony formation in a clonogenic assay. Our results indicate that multidrug-resistant estrogen-receptor-negative MCF-7 cells express, type II EBSs and are sensitive to the inhibitory effect of Q. This substance could be the parent compound of a novel class of anticancer agents.
Analysis of the Na+/Ca2+ Exchanger Gene Family within the Phylum Nematoda

Na+/Ca2+ exchangers are low affinity, high capacity transporters that rapidly transport calcium at the plasma membrane, mitochondrion, endoplasmic (and sarcoplasmic) reticulum, and the nucleus. Na+/Ca2+ exchangers are widely expressed in diverse cell types where they contribute homeostatic balance to calcium levels. In animals, Na+/Ca2+ exchangers are divided into three groups based upon stoichiometry: Na+/Ca2+ exchangers (NCX), Na+/Ca2+/K+ exchangers (NCKX), and Ca2+/Cation exchangers (CCX). In mammals there are three NCX genes, five NCKX genes and one CCX (NCLX) gene. The genome of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans contains ten Na+/Ca2+ exchanger genes: three NCX; five CCX; and two NCKX genes. Here we set out to characterize structural and taxonomic specializations within the family of Na+/Ca2+ exchangers across the phylum Nematoda. In this analysis we identify Na+/Ca2+ exchanger genes from twelve species of nematodes and reconstruct their phylogenetic and evolutionary relationships. The most notable feature of the resulting phylogenies was the heterogeneous evolution observed within exchanger subtypes. Specifically, in the case of the CCX exchangers we did not detect members of this class in three Clade III nematodes. Within the Caenorhabditis and Pristionchus lineages we identify between three and five CCX representatives, whereas in other Clade V and also Clade IV nematode taxa we only observed a single CCX gene in each species, and in the Clade III nematode taxa that we sampled we identify NCX and NCKX encoding genes but no evidence of CCX representatives using our mining approach. We also provided re-annotation for predicted CCX gene structures from Heterorhabditis bacteriophora and Caenorhabditis japonica by RT-PCR and sequencing. Together, these findings reveal a complex picture of Na+/Ca2+ transporters in nematodes that suggest an incongruent evolutionary history of proteins that provide central control of calcium dynamics.
Safety of neck rotation for ear surgery in children with Down syndrome.

Objective Seek information about spinal cord safety for children with Down syndrome positioned for ear surgery. Study Design Prospective consecutive patients, each serving as his or her own control. Methods Somatosensory evoked potentials were recorded from 17 children who were undergoing elective otolaryngological surgery. None of the patients had neurological symptoms or physical examination findings suggesting cervical spinal cord embarrassment. Specifically, muscle tone was normal or mildly reduced globally, consistent with Down syndrome, and deep tendon reflexes were normal and not appreciably different in the upper and lower extremities. On plain lateral radiographs obtained in the neutral, flexed, and extended positions, the patients' cervical spines were normal. Results When the anesthetized children had their necks placed in either right or left 60° rotation, no significant change in somatosensory latency or amplitude was found. With more than 99.999% certainty, neurologically intact children with Down syndrome with normal plain cervical spine radiographs were not exposed to extra risks by 60° neck rotation during surgery. Conclusion Patients with Down syndrome who are neurologically intact and who have normal lateral neck radiographs do not appear at great risk with neck rotation.
Characterization and evaluation of Ramularia crupinae, a candidate for biological control, and of its host, two varieties of Crupina vulgaris in the United States.

Abstract Crupina vulgaris (common crupina) is an invasive annual plant of rangelands and pastures in the United States (USA). There are two varieties of C. vulgaris in the USA that differ morphologically and biologically, particularly in requirements for bolting. A vernalization protocol enabled synchronization of bolting, thus facilitating concurrent comparative studies of both varieties. Leaf-removal experiments suggest that all leaves provide photosynthate for seed fill, but the cauline leaves, on a relative basis, produced 1.7–4 times more seed per g than rosette leaves, suggesting disease on the cauline leaves has greater potential to reduce seed production than disease on rosette leaves. Ramularia crupinae, a leaf-spotting fungus, was evaluated for biological control. A single inoculation caused a 47% reduction in root dry weight, and seed yield was reduced by 39% as the number of inoculations increased from 0 (controls) to 3. None of 35 non-target taxa, i.e., species, cultivars, and varieties, in the tribe Cardueae was damaged from inoculation by R. crupinae, including safflower, which developed a few, small necrotic spots on old leaves. Best Linear Unbiased Predictors (BLUPs), generated by a mixed model analysis of disease reaction and genetic relatedness data, indicated that only C. vulgaris varieties were susceptible to disease; i.e., BLUPs were significantly different from zero (p > |t|
Transposons Up the Dosage

It took more than three decades—and a Nobel Prize in 1983—for Barbara McClintock's discovery of transposition and mobile genetic elements to become widely accepted. However, her vision of transposons as “controlling elements” and architects of genome organization has remained controversial. On page 846 of this issue, a report by Ellison and Bachtrog brings McClintock's prescient ideas back to center stage ( 1 ). They show that transposition has shaped the regulatory landscape of an entire chromosome at least twice in the evolutionary history of Drosophila , facilitating the emergence of novel sex chromosomes.
A statistical model of drop‐size spectra for stratocumulus clouds

The purpose of this work is to present a simplified model of cloud-droplet spectra that can be used as a tool for interpreting cloud microphysical observations in boundary-layer clouds, and as a way to begin quantifying the couplings between cloud microphysics, dynamics and radiative properties for eventual use in cloud parametrizations. The model is steady-state, ignores nucleation effects, and is formulated to produce horizontally averaged statistics. The major difference between this model and previous work lies in the model assumption that droplet spectra at a given level within a cloud are horizontal averages over a large number of air parcels, each of which can have a different lifting condensation level (LCL). Vertical motions are driven by buoyancy, so that liquid water and vertical velocity are simple functions of height above the LCL. This relationship, treated statistically over a large number of parcels, relates turbulent kinetic energy to horizontally averaged statistics of the droplet spectra. The broadening of droplet spectra is thus directly related to the turbulent kinetic energy within a cloud. In validating the model, results are compared with observations. It is shown that the basic droplet spectra predicted by the model are quite realistic for stratus and stratocumulus. The modelled droplet spectra broaden from cloud base to cloud top as is frequently observed, and the relationship between drop spectrum width and mean radius agrees quite well with observations.
Nanoscale phase separation in colossal magnetoresistance materials: lessons for the cuprates?

Abstract A recent vast experimental and theoretical effort in manganites has shown that the colossal magnetoresistance effect can be understood based on the competition of charge-ordered and ferromagnetic phases. The general aspects of the theoretical description appear to be valid for any compound with intrinsic phase competition. In high temperature superconductors, recent experiments have shown the existence of intrinsic inhomogeneities in many materials, revealing a phenomenology quite similar to that of manganese oxides. Here, the results for manganites are briefly reviewed with emphasis on the general aspects. In addition, theoretical speculations are formulated in the context of Cu-oxides by mere analogy with manganites. This includes a tentative explanation of the spin-glass regime as a mixture of antiferromagnetic and superconducting islands, the rationalization of the pseudogap temperature T ∗ as a Griffiths temperature where clusters start forming upon cooling, the prediction of ‘colossal’ effects in cuprates, and the observation that quenched disorder may be far more relevant in Cu-oxides than previously anticipated.
Information system modeling and management (session overview)

As information systems and their applications become more complex, automated tools and techniques for modeling and managing such information system environments become more critically needed. This session deals with tools and techniques for modeling and management of information systems.Horndasch and Studer propose a formal model for office systems analysis and modeling in their paper “THM-Net: An Approach to Office Systems Modeling”. They use the concept from Temporal-Hierarchic Data Model (THM) for semantic data modeling together with Petri Nets for modeling the parallel, asynchronous aspects of office systems. The paper introduces the Temporal-Hierarchic Data Model and defines THM-Net with examples from IFIP Working Conference Organization Problem. Various THM-Net and THM data scheme concepts are illustrated by modeling part of the IFIP problem.In the paper “XCP: An Experimental Tool for Managing Cooperative Activity,” Sluizer and Cashman present an experimental coordinator tool, XCP, which allows organizations to develop, maintain and implement plans of cooperative activity, called protocols. Its goals are to reduce the costs of communication, coordination and decision by executing formal plans of cooperative activity in partnership with its users, and to aid new staff to learn a procedure. The paper describes the tool and its architecture. An annotated example is shown, and the status of the XCP project is given.In the paper by Kao, “An Automated Scheduling System for Project Management,” he presents a scheduling tool, the Flight Operations Planning Schedule System (FOPSS), used by the scheduling team of the Johnson Space Center of NASA to support the Space Shuttle flight operations. The paper describes the FOPSS software, design goals and considerations, some special features and possible enhancement of FOPSS.
Effect of the local environment on the mobility of dislocations in refractory bcc metals: Concurrent multiscale approach

Using a concurrent multiscale approach we demonstrate that the local environment of transition-metal solutes in refractory bcc metals has a large effect on the mobility and slip paths of dislocation. The results reveal that solid solutes or nanoclusters of different geometries may lead to solid-solution hardening or softening, in agreement with experiment, including spontaneous dislocation glide and activation of new slip planes. The underlying electronic mechanism is the change in the anisotropy of the lattice resistance induced by solutes.
What's in a Sector? The Shifting Career Plans of Public Policy Students.

Recent decades have seen a trend in which public policy graduates shun government and enter private-sector employment. In part, the shift reflects changing sectoral opportunities, but its magnitude and consistency are puzzling—even troubling—in light of the need for public-sector talent. Data from a two-year series of surveys and interviews with policy students reveal that many begin their training with uncertain career goals and ambivalence about public-sector work. Interest in government declines from entry to graduation, and it appears that the policy curriculum—heavy on analytic methods and conveying cautions about policy making—does little to promote a public-sector orientation. Those planning to enter government are strongly motivated by a desire to have an impact, whereas those drawn to the private sector seek financial resources and professional development. Many anticipate fluid careers and choose positions expected to offer growth, a feature more commonly associated with private than public jobs.
A Schwinger disentangling theorem

Baker–Campbell–Hausdorff formulas are exceedingly useful for disentangling operators so that they may be more easily evaluated on particular states. We present such a disentangling theorem for general bilinear and linear combinations of multiple boson creation and annihilation operators. This work generalizes a classical result of Schwinger.
VEGETATIVE COMPATIBILITY BETWEEN AND WITHIN EPICHLOE SPECIES

Epichloe species (Clavicipitaceae, Ascomy- cota) are biotrophic symbionts of cool-season grasses and grow slowly on defined media. Nine Epichloe bi- ological species (mating populations) have been identified. Vegetative compatibility within or between Epichloe species has not yet been investigated. We se- lected chlorate-resistant strains that were nitrate non- utilizing (nit) mutants from ten isolates representing four biological species. Each mutant grew appressed on a defined medium with nitrate as the sole nitro- gen source, in contrast to the abundant aerial my- celia produced by the prototrophic wild type isolates on the same medium. Each mutant was putatively identified as nit1 (nitrate reductase structural gene mutant), nit3 (mutant in the pathway-specific regu- latory locus or nitrite reductase gene), or NitM (mu- tant affecting molybdenum cofactor production) by growth phenotypes on medium with nitrite, hypoxan- thine, uric acid or ammonium as the sole nitrogen source. When appropriate nzt mutants were paired, heterokaryon formation and complementation were indicated by a zone of prototrophic growth. Comple- mentation occurred between complementary mu- tants of most isolates, even from different species; however, complementation did not occur in all rep- lications. Interspecific heterokaryon formation was confirmed by recovery of parental phenotypes and cosegregation of P-tubulin gene polymorphisms among single-conidiospore isolates from the comple- mentation zone. There was no indication that mating type interactions affected heterokaryon formation, and no discrete vegetative compatibility groups were identified.
Autoimmunity as a Complication of Interleukin 2 Immunotherapy: Many Unanswered Questions

IN THIS volume of theArchives, Prussick et al 1 describe the unmasking of quiescent pemphigus vulgaris in a patient who received interleukin 2 immunotherapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma. 1 Although interleukin 2 immunotherapy has been reported to cause mucocutaneous erosions, 2,3 these astute clinicians suspected another cause for the mucocutaneous erosions when the lesions persisted and progressed after the discontinuation of immunotherapy and were resistant to local therapy. These clinical features are in contrast to those of immunotherapy-induced mucocutaneous ulcerations that heal rapidly after a course of interleukin 2 immunotherapy. My previous histologic and direct immunofluorescence studies 2 (and unpublished data) of patients (n=10) who experienced interleukin 2 immunotherapy—induced mucocutaneous ulcerations did not reveal any specific patterns. This is in contrast to the study by Prussick and colleagues, 1 in which the direct immunofluorescence and histologic study of skin biopsy specimens confirmed the diagnosis of pemphigus vulgaris. This article,
PET/CT and MR imaging in myeloma

Myeloma is the most common primary bone malignancy. It accounts for 10% of all hematological malignancies and 1% of all cancers. In the United States, there are an estimated 16,000 new cases and over 11,000 deaths yearly due to myeloma. Plasma cell dyscrasias manifest themselves in a variety of forms that range from MGUS (monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance) and smoldering myeloma that require no therapy, to the “malignant” form of multiple myeloma. The role of imaging in the management of myeloma includes: an assessment of the extent of intramedullary bone disease, detection of any extramedullary foci, and severity of the disease at presentation; the identification and characterization of complications; subsequent assessment of disease status. This review will focus on the use of PET/CT and MR imaging for myeloma patients at the time of initial diagnosis and for follow-up management, based on current reports in the literature and our practice at the Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center, University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, USA.
Seeking the Road to Utopia

Brian A. Nosek and Yoav Bar-Anan (this issue) are not the first to point out that the emperor has no clothes, but they are among the most thorough. While even a casual observer would notice that cu...
Generation of tunable infrared picosecond pulses at 100 MHz by difference-frequency mixing in KTiOPO(4).

Picosecond pulses, tunable in the wavelength range of 1.2–4.5 μm, are generated at a 100-MHz repetition rate in KTiOPO4 by difference-frequency mixing the output of a synchronously mode-locked dye laser and a Nd:YLF laser that pumps the dye laser. The typical average infrared output power is in the milliwatt range, which represents an improvement of several orders of magnitude over previously reported results using other nonlinear materials in a tunability make it an attractive alternative for mode-locked color-center lasers.
Medicine and science as masculine "fields of honor".

Il existe une continuite de la culture de l'honneur entre les temps anciens et les temps modernes, transmise par les gentilhommes bourgeois dont la sociabilite s'est infiltree dans le monde scientifique et medical en Europe au XIX e siecle
Increasing the Diagnostic Yield and Accuracy of Bronchial Biopsy for the Assessment of Lung Cancer

Low-risk bronchoscopy techniques for retrieving biopsy samples for the diagnosis of lung cancer are hampered by low diagnostic yields, and trans-thoracic and surgical approaches carry higher intrinsic risk of complications. We are investigating the use of optical coherence tomography to increase the diagnostic yield and accuracy of bronchial biopsy.
Confirmation of cardiac radiofrequency ablation treatment using intra-procedure acoustic radiation force impulse imaging

Recurrence of atrial fibrillation after transcatheter ablation (TCA) is common because there is no imaging modality that can visually confirm the presence of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) lesions. We have previously shown that acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging can visualize the relative tissue stiffness changes caused by RFA. The objective of this study was to determine if intra-procedurally acquired ARFI images could identify RFA lesions. In 8 canines, an integrated ARFI imaging-electroanatomical mapping (EAM) system was used to map the geometry of the right atrium and acquire ARFI images along an inter-caval line before and after RFA. RF-energy delivery sites were marked in the EAM geometry to guide the ARFI imaging plane to RFA lesion locations. The ARFI images were randomized and three separate reviewers read the images for the presence of RFA lesion. The majority assessment for each ARFI image was counted in a 2 × 2 contingency table according to the presence/absence of a RFA treatment marker in the EAM geometry at the ARFI imaging plane. EAM guided intra-procedure ARFI imaging of RFA treatment sites. Reviewers of the ARFI images identified RFA lesion with a high sensitivity (96.3%) and specificity (93.2%). Incorporating an integrated ARFI imaging-EAM system into TCA for the visualization of RFA lesions could potentially improve the procedure efficacy.
Are RIASEC Interests Traits? Evidence Based on Self–Other Agreement:

Two studies examined the conceptualization of career interests as traits using self–other agreement data. Study 1 participants were 114 college student–friend dyads, and Study 2 participants were 9...
Tapered microstrip patch antenna array for microwave breast imaging

Microwave breast imaging is based on the electrical property contrast between healthy and malignant breast tissue. This contrast can be detected using an array of antennas that illuminate the breast with microwave energy through a coupling medium and subsequently measure the resulting scattered fields. An optimal antenna array design will improve a microwave imaging system’s ability to detect and resolve tumors by maximizing the system’s signal-to-noise ration (SNR) and spatial sampling density while minimizing the effect of mutual coupling. A novel antenna array of tapered microstrip patch antennas operating at 2.7 GHz. is presented that achieves a balance between these competing design goals.
Conceptual biology: Unearthing the gems

The conceptual review should take its place as an essential component of scientific research.
Zircon evidence for a ~200 k.y. supereruption-related thermal flare-up in the Miocene southern Black Mountains, western Arizona, USA

The Silver Creek caldera (southern Black Mountains, western Arizona) is the source of the 18.8 Ma, >700 km3 Peach Spring Tuff (PST) supereruption, the largest eruption generated in the Colorado River Extensional Corridor (CREC) of the southwestern United States. Within and immediately surrounding the caldera is a sequence of volcanics and intrusions ranging in age from ~19 to 17 Ma. These units offer a record of magmatic processes prior to, during, and immediately following the PST eruption. To investigate the thermal evolution of the magmatic center that produced the PST, we applied a combination of Ti-in-zircon thermometry, zircon saturation thermometry, and high-precision U–Pb CA–TIMS zircon dating to representative pre- and post-supereruption volcanic and intrusive units from the caldera and its environs. Similar to intracaldera PST zircons, zircons from a pre-PST trachytic lava (19 Ma) and a post-PST caldera intrusion (18.8 Ma) yield exceptionally high-Ti concentrations (most >20 ppm, some up to nearly 60 ppm), corresponding to calculated temperatures that exceed 900 °C. In these units, Ti-in-zircon temperatures typically surpass zircon saturation temperatures (ZSTs), suggesting the entrainment of zircon that had grown in hotter environments within the magmatic system. Titanium concentrations in younger volcanic and intrusive units (~18.7–17.5 Ma) decline through time, corresponding to an average cooling rate of 10−3.5 °C/year. The ~200 k.y. thermal peak evident at Silver Creek caldera is spatially limited: elsewhere in the Miocene record of the northern CREC, Ti-in-zircon concentrations and ZSTs are much lower, suggesting that felsic magmas were generally substantially cooler.
Independence preservation in expert judgment synthesis

We prove, with a few minor exceptions, that if P1 and P2 are probability distributions on the countable set S for which the fixed events E and F are independent, then, both for the standard Euclidean metric and for any metric inducing a topology coarser than the Euclidean topology, there exists a third probability distribution P3 on S that preserves this independence and is equidistant from P1 and P2. We contrast this result with an impossibility theorem from the probability pooling literature, and note its connection with the vigorously debated “epistemic peer problem” in philosophical decision theory.
High gain multigap avalanche detectors for cerenkov ring imaging

We report on a continuing study of multigap parallel plate avalanche chambers, primarily as photoelectron detectors for use with Cerenkov ring imaging counters. By suitable control of the fields in successive gaps and by introducing screens to reduce photon feedback to the cathode the gain may be increased considerably. We have obtained gains in excess of 6 x 107 for photoelectrons with a good pulse height spectrum and expect to increase this further. We discuss the use of resistive anodes to give avalanche positions in two dimensions by charge division.
INTRINSIC MOTIVATION, INTELLIGENCE AND PERSONALITY AS RELATED TO COGNITIVE AND MOTOR PERFORMANCE

The study was designed to determine whether response to a stressful experience could be used to measure “generalized” intrinsic motivation. Ss (N = 54) were exposed to a stress and performed four criterion tasks ranging from cognitive to motor in nature. The prediction that Ss who stayed in the stressful situation would perform better on all tasks than Ss who withdrew was substantiated. However, motivation accounted for less variance in the criteria than did intelligence. The effectiveness of personality and personal history data in predicting performance on the same criteria was explored. Multiple regression equations accounted for 50% to 75% of the variance of the criteria. The value of and need for specific rather than universal measures to predict performance was emphasized.
How should we report early childhood outcomes of very low birth weight infants

Reports of outcomes for very low birth weight infants have evolved from an early focus on survival and neonatal morbidities to the comprehensive analysis and evaluation of the relationships between neonatal interventions and morbidity and neurodevelopmental status in early childhood. Post discharge findings are frequently the primary outcome for antenatal and neonatal intervention trials, and the 97 approved neonatal fellowship training programs in the United States require participation in a follow-up program. Very low birth weight survivors remain at increased risk of neurodevelopmental impairments, vision and hearing impairment, growth failure, behavior morbidities and chronic health problems. Identification of the most appropriate outcome assessment for the study objective, and the ideal timing of the assessment remains a challenge for investigators.
Metallothionein in a human cell line: The response of HeLa cells to cadmium and zinc

Abstract HeLa cells, derived from a human cervical carcinoma, are able to accumulate cadmium in culture. The majority of the Cd2+ is bound to a protein identified as metallothionein (MT) by its elution volume on a Sephadex G-75 column ( V e V o = 1.8 ). Increased amounts of Cd2+ are found in MT as the concentration of extracellular Cd2+ is raised from 10−8 m to 10−5 m . HeLa cells also incorporate labeled cystine into MT in response to Cd2+. The HeLa CdMT separates into two major forms on DEAE ion-exchange chromatography. HeLa cells also bind 65 Zn to MT and incorporate labeled cystine into MT when exposed to 5 × 10−5 m Zn2+. Maximal MT synthesis in HeLa cells in response to Zn2+ is as great as that observed in response to Cd2+. Cycloheximide inhibits incorporation of labeled cystine into MT, as well as a large percentage of the binding of 109 Cd and 65 Zn to MT. Our data suggest that the potential to synthesize MT is not limited to cells derived from organs known to accumulate Cd2+ and Zn2+, such as the liver, kidney, and intestine.
Taper control of radially symmetric gradient-index waveguides in photopolymer

Optical waveguide adiabatic tapers enable low-loss connections between devices with dissimilar mode profiles. Common examples are semiconductor lasers, single-mode optical fibers and planar waveguides. Planar lithographic processes can easily create tapers in the plane but out-of-plane, symmetric tapers are difficult. Three-dimensional direct-write lithography into photopolymer naturally creates radially-symmetric waveguides when the motion is parallel to the optical axis of the writing focus, but absorption in the photopolymer inevitably attenuates the index with depth. We demonstrate that material absorption, translation speed and/or writing power can be used to control this taper, providing an inexpensive mode coupler for integrated optical systems.
Automatic Cell Segmentation Using a Shape-Classification Model in Immunohistochemically Stained Cytological Images

This paper presents a segmentation method for detecting cells in immunohistochemically stained cytological images. A two-phase approach to segmentation is used where an unsupervised clustering approach coupled with cluster merging based on a fitness function is used as the first phase to obtain a first approximation of the cell locations. A joint segmentation-classification approach incorporating ellipse as a shape model is used as the second phase to detect the final cell contour. The segmentation model estimates a multivariate density function of low-level image features from training samples and uses it as a measure of how likely each image pixel is to be a cell. This estimate is constrained by the zero level set, which is obtained as a solution to an implicit representation of an ellipse. Results of segmentation are presented and compared to ground truth measurements.
Synthesis of a cross-linked polypentapeptide of tropoelastin

The synthesis of a cross-linked polypentapeptide (an insoluble product) by means of a cross-linking reaction between a lysine-containing (1%) polypentapeptide and a glutamic acid-containing (2%) polypentapeptide is described, following description of the synthesis and polymerization of the corresponding pentapeptide p-nitrophenyl esters. The pentapeptide p-nitrophenylesters—H-Val1-Pro2-Gly3-Val4-Gly5-ONp, H-Val1-Pro2-Gly3-Lys4(e-Z)-Gly5-ONp, and H-Val1-Pro2-Gly3-Glu4-Gly5-ONp—prior to polymerizing and the polypentapeptides prior to cross-linking were analyzed by proton and carbon-13 magnetic resonance. The cross-linking reaction was achieved in the coacervate state by intermolecular primary amide bond formation. The coupling reagent was a water-soluble carbodiimide (1-cyclohexyl-3-(2-N-methylmorpholinoethyl)-carbodiimide-p-toluenesulfonate).
A Nonparametric Two-Dimensional Display for Classification

A two-dimensional display whose coordinates are related to the distance to the kth-nearest neighbor of each class is presented. Applications of the display to minimum error, minimum cost, minimax, and Neyman-Pearson type classifier designs are given. The display is shown to present risk information in a manner that easily allows the specification of reject regions. Two methods of error estimation using the display, an error counting technique and a risk averaging method, are detailed. It is shown that the classifiers that result are generalizations of the standard k-NN majority vote classifier. As a result of the properties of the display, classifiers can be readily evaluated and modified. In addition, a condensing algorithm that preserves the nearest neighbor error count of any preclassified data set is described. The display is used to graphically illustrate the distance relationships that are central to the algorithm.
A mobile hyper redundant mechanism for search and rescue tasks

In this work we introduce a new concept of a search and rescue robotic system that is composed of an elephant trunk-like robot mounted on a mobile base. This system is capable not only of inspecting areas reachable by the mobile base but also to inspect unreachable areas such as small cracks, and pipes, using the camera mounted on its elephant trunk robot. In the report we describe the mechanical structure of the elephant trunk robot, the kinematic analysis of the structure, the robot control, and its human interface systems.
Comparison of Victims’ Reports and Court Records of Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrators’ Criminal Case Outcomes

Intimate partner violence (IPV) victims often report feeling confused and uninformed about court proceedings, including even about the final disposition of the case against their partner. This is problematic because victims’ decisions in responding to subsequent abuse may be significantly influenced by their beliefs about the outcomes of prior court experiences. Also, researchers often rely on victim report of court case outcomes; discrepancies between women’s reports and official records may account for some of the conflicting findings in the empirical literature. In the current study, we compared the reports of case outcome given by 81 women recruited immediately after the final hearing of an IPV-related criminal case against their perpetrator with court records of case outcome. Findings revealed a fair level of agreement between women’s reports and court files that was significantly different from the level of agreement expected by chance, but far from perfect. Level of agreement increased substantiall...
The role of performance in the demands and capacities model

The Demands and Capacities Model (DCM) has become an influential framework for considering the factors that are believed to influence the development of stuttering in young children, even though several key aspects of the model have not been fully developed. Siegel (this issue, page 323) raised several valid concerns that must be addressed if the DCM is to achieve its potential for explaining childhood stuttering and suggested that the model would be improved if the elusive concept of capacities were replaced by the more concrete and measurable concept of performance. This paper proposes modifications to the DCM that may help to address several of Siegel's concerns and evaluates the role of performance in understanding the development of childhood stuttering. It is suggested that replacing capacity with performance does not solve the problems identified by Siegel, because implicit assumptions about the child's underlying abilities are still required if the model is to explain a breakdown in speaking performance. To address Siegel's concerns more directly, a different solution is proposed based on reframing the conceptual notions of demands and capacities in terms of measurable aspects of a child's speaking performance and speaking abilities.
Information Content of Infrared Satellite Sounding Measurements with Respect to CO 2

Information theory is used to study the capabilities of the new-generation satellite infrared sounders [Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) and Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI)] for retrieving atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and for contrasting these new instruments with the current system of infrared sounders [Television and Infrared Observation Satellite (TIROS) Operational Vertical Sounder/High-Resolution Infrared Radiation Sounder (TOVS/HIRS)]. It is shown that instruments like AIRS and IASI will be able to retrieve column-averaged CO2 mixing ratios with high enough accuracy (order of 1‐2 ppmv) to be useful for atmospheric CO2 inversion studies that try to estimate sources and sinks of CO 2. On the other hand, the TOVS/ HIRS system is only able to retrieve column-averaged CO2 mixing ratios with an accuracy of the same order as the seasonal amplitude of atmospheric CO2 variations (order of 10 ppmv). It is also shown that the constraining a priori covariance matrix has an important effect on what information can be extracted from the observations.
Left Ventricular Wall Stress in Patients With Severe Aortic Insufficiency With Finite Element Analysis

Background Severe aortic insufficiency (AI) with preserved left ventricular (LV) function may be associated with a long asymptomatic period and unpredictable course on medical therapy. Since myocardial wall stress is closely related to both pathologic cardiac remodeling and ultimately to LV decompensation, a more accurate description of regional wall stress may improve our ability to appropriately manage these patients. The objective of this study was to define differences in instantaneous global and regional three-dimensional end-systolic maximum principal stress (ESS) between normal patients and patients with AI, both before and after aortic valve replacement (AVR) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and finite element analysis (FEA). Methods Magnetic resonance imaging was performed on 20 normal volunteers and 14 patients with moderate to severe AI with normal systolic function (ejection fraction: 57 ± 0.6) before and after AVR. Finite element analysis was utilized to estimate global and regional ESS. Results Both global ( p p p = 0.002). Conclusions Three-dimensional regional and global end-systolic LV wall stress can be determined by MRI and finite element analysis. Values of ESS in patients with chronic AI were elevated prior to AVR and normalized after AVR. This method may have considerable potential as a noninvasive, clinically applicable index of regional LV geometry and function that may help with the serial evaluation of patients with AI.
Application of modified least-squares algorithms to adaptive echo cancellation

We propose the application of modified recursive least-squares algorithms and least-squares lattice algorithms to echo cancellation problems to provide fast convergence and overcome the effects of the double-talking. The modified algorithms run continuously, but the gain updates become negligibly small during the double-talking intervals. Thus, detection of the double-talking and virtual freezing of the adaptive filter weights are both built into the algorithm. Simulations are used to verify the performance of the proposed algorithms, And the results confirm the theoretical predictions. A comparison of performances of different algorithms applied to real speech signals is also given in the paper.
A Professor Goes to Washington An Open Letter to Colleagues

In this essay, I reflect on my experiences and lessons learned while serving as Commissioner of the National Center for Special Education Research, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Although I was in the grant writing business for my nearly 30 years as a professor of special education, I learned that I knew very little about the grant making business from the agency perspective and, perhaps more importantly, how funding worked. My aim in this article is to convince readers that their participation in working with funding agencies and the legislative branch of the federal government is worth their time and effort. I especially want to convince senior researchers that their expertise and eloquence is especially needed and mostly appreciated.
Amounts, isotopic character, and ages of organic and inorganic carbon exported from rivers to ocean margins: 1. Estimates of terrestrial losses and inputs to the Middle Atlantic Bight

[1] Rivers transport carbon (C) from terrestrial ecosystems to the coastal ocean, providing significant heterotrophic support within both rivers and receiving coastal waters. The amounts and ages of these terrestrial-river-coastal ocean C fluxes, however, are still poorly constrained. To address this uncertainty, a study of eight rivers discharging to the Middle Atlantic Bight (MAB) was undertaken. The rivers were sampled periodically over 2 years for concentrations and δ13C and Δ14C signatures of particulate organic C (POC), dissolved organic C (DOC), and dissolved inorganic C (DIC). For the watersheds draining to the MAB, it was estimated that ∼3800 Gg of terrestrial organic C (OC) and 700 Gg of terrestrial inorganic C was removed annually by fluvial transport. Of the terrestrial OC loss, ∼64% was contemporary C representing approximately 1% of the annual terrestrial net primary productivity. Net fluvial C inputs to the MAB shelf were estimated to be ∼70 Gg·yr − 1 of POC, 280 Gg·yr − 1 of DOC, and 800 Gg·yr − 1 of DIC. Terrestrial C, as opposed to in situ produced river C, comprised the majority of the riverine POC and DOC flux and around half of the total C flux. A smaller but significant fraction (<25%) of the river C flux was further composed of aged materials deriving from fossil C and aged soil OC. The timing of fluvial OC inputs to the MAB, which appear to be temporally offset from peak MAB primary production, could help support the net heterotrophy that has been observed there during periods of low productivity.
ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE AND THE ENTERPRISE CULTURE

Research has typically examined culture as an independent or moderating variable. In this empirical study, we examine culture as a dependent variable and specifically investigate whether higher levels of economic performance might shape a national culture more supportive of entrepreneurial activities. Analysis controlling for the effects of unobserved country-specific factors and prior levels of economic development reveals that people in nations with greater gains in per capita GDP tend to place greater value on jobs that allow for achievement, the exercise of initiative, and more interesting and challenging work. Results show that people in nations with below average economic performance become less enterprising/entrepreneurial and that the propensity for nations to converge on pro-entrepreneurial values will depend on how economic performance is distributed across countries. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
The role of cytokines in toxoplasmosis.

Infection withToxoplasma gondii is normally asymptomatic, but as a consequence of the AIDS epidemic the incidence of symptomatic disease and especially toxoplasmic encephalitis (TE) has grown in frequency. The high frequency of adverse reactions to conventional therapeutic regimens for toxoplasmosis highlight the need to develop new strategies for the management of this disease. The importance of cytokines in resistance againstT. gondii has been shown primarily in murine models of toxoplasmosis and a number of cytokines (e.g., IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-2 and IL-12) have been proposed for trials in patients with TE. One mechanism by which these cytokines produce their effects is through stimulation of macrophages and/or NK cells. However, there are problems with immunological intervention in immunocompromised patients with TE since the infection is present primarily in the central nervous system (CNS), an immunoprivileged site, and because certain cytokines may down regulate the immune response. While much valuable information has been obtained from studies conducted in immunocompetent strains of mice their relevance to an immunocompromised host is unknown. The development of genetically altered mice with immune deficiencies offers promising new models that may allow for more rational development of new treatment regimens.
Changes in Perceived Parent Derogation in a Sample of African American and Non-Hispanic White Males Through the Middle School Years

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to determine if there were racial differences in perception of parent derogation (i.e., feeling put down by one's parents) in a sample of 451 non-Hispanic White and African American males as they progressed through three years of middle school. Chi-square analyses were used to determine the proportion of participants reporting high levels of parent derogation. Independent t test analyses were utilized to determine mean parent derogation scores. Results indicated that there were no statistically significant differences in mean parent derogation scores between the two races. Furthermore, the mean scores remained stable during the three years of the study. However, the proportion of African American participants reporting high parent derogation was almost double that of their non-Hispanic White peers during the sixth grade, but almost equal in eighth grade. Cultural factors experienced by the two racial groups are discussed as possible explanations for the differences i...
Emotion Knowledge in Children and Adolescents With Down Syndrome: A New Methodological Approach

Emotion knowledge was examined in 19 youth with Down syndrome (DS) and compared to typically developing (TD) children of similar developmental levels. This project expanded upon prior research on emotion knowledge in DS by utilizing a measure that minimized the need for linguistic skills, presented emotion expressions dynamically, and included social context cues. In Study 1, participants with DS were as accurate as TD participants when judging emotions from static or dynamic expression stimuli and from facial or contextual cues. In Study 2, participants with DS and TD participants showed similar cross-sectional developmental trajectories of emotion knowledge across mental age. This project highlights the importance of measure selection when examining emotion knowledge in samples with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Understanding Signaling Dynamics Through Synthesis

Tissue-scale organization emerges from the action of sophisticated multiscale developmental programs. But the design rules for composing elementary signaling and information processing modules into such functional systems and for integrating them into the noisy and convoluted living context remain incompletely addressed. The construction of a synthetic gene circuit encoding contact-dependent signal propagation demonstrates one broadly applicable approach to this problem. The circuit comprises orthogonal signaling through the Delta ligand and the Notch receptor, multicellular positive feedback, and transcriptional signal amplification. Positive feedback and contact signaling proved sufficient for bistability and signal propagation across a population of mammalian cells, but only when combined with signal amplification. Thus, construction and characterization of synthetic gene circuits have made it possible to establish mechanistic sufficiency and the minimal requirements for the phenotype of interest.