cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Integration of image capture and processing: beyond single-chip digital camera

An important trend in the design of digital cameras is the integration of capture and processing onto a single CMOS chip. Although integrating the components of a digital camera system onto a single chip significantly reduces system size and power, it does not fully exploit the potential advantages of integration. We argue that a key advantage of integration is the ability to exploit the high speed imaging capability of CMOS image senor to enable new applications such as multiple capture for enhancing dynamic range and to improve the performance of existing applications such as optical flow estimation. Conventional digital cameras operate at low frame rates and it would be too costly, if not infeasible, to operate their chips at high frame rates. Integration solves this problem. The idea is to capture images at much higher frame rates than he standard frame rate, process the high frame rate data on chip, and output the video sequence and the application specific data at standard frame rate. This idea is applied to optical flow estimation, where significant performance improvements are demonstrate over methods using standard frame rate sequences. We then investigate the constraints on memory size and processing power that can be integrated with a CMOS image sensor in a 0.18 micrometers process and below. We show that enough memory and processing power can be integrated to be able to not only perform the functions of a conventional camera system but also to perform applications such as real time optical flow estimation.
Quasi-supervised scoring of human sleep in polysomnograms using augmented input variables

The limitations of manual sleep scoring make computerized methods highly desirable. Scoring errors can arise from human rater uncertainty or inter-rater variability. Sleep scoring algorithms either come as supervised classifiers that need scored samples of each state to be trained, or as unsupervised classifiers that use heuristics or structural clues in unscored data to define states. We propose a quasi-supervised classifier that models observations in an unsupervised manner but mimics a human rater wherever training scores are available. EEG, EMG, and EOG features were extracted in 30s epochs from human-scored polysomnograms recorded from 42 healthy human subjects (18-79 years) and archived in an anonymized, publicly accessible database. Hypnograms were modified so that: 1. Some states are scored but not others; 2. Samples of all states are scored but not for transitional epochs; and 3. Two raters with 67% agreement are simulated. A framework for quasi-supervised classification was devised in which unsupervised statistical models-specifically Gaussian mixtures and hidden Markov models-are estimated from unlabeled training data, but the training samples are augmented with variables whose values depend on available scores. Classifiers were fitted to signal features incorporating partial scores, and used to predict scores for complete recordings. Performance was assessed using Cohen?s ? statistic. The quasi-supervised classifier performed significantly better than an unsupervised model and sometimes as well as a completely supervised model despite receiving only partial scores. The quasi-supervised algorithm addresses the need for classifiers that mimic scoring patterns of human raters while compensating for their limitations. Three common problems associated with clinical sleep scoring are identified.A quasi-supervised classification framework is proposed to address these problems.The proposed framework compensates for rater uncertainty with reasonable accuracy.
Management of the patient with periodontal disease.

failure of therapy.8 There is nothing so disheartening to a dentist as the patient who returns at each visit with teeth covered with debris after having had them carefully curetted and polished at the previous visit. The patient must ac­ cept his portion of the responsibility for successful treatment and must be advised of the possibility of poor results should he fail to do his share. With these principles for establishing a proper diagnosis and for selecting treat­ able teeth, the aim of treatment becomes clear. Treatment should be directed toward the removal of causes of perio­ dontal disease which involves teeth that have the ability to respond.
Effect of science teaching on the young child's concept of piagetian physical causality: Animism and dynamism

The purpose of this research was to determine whether the young child's understanding of physical causality is affected by school science instruction. Sixty-four subjects, four and one-half through seven years of age, received 300 min of instruction designed to affect the subject's conception of causality as reflected in animism and dynamism. Instruction took place for 30 min per day on ten successive school days. Pretesting was done to allow a stratified random sample to be based on vocabulary level and developmental stage as well as on age and gender. Post-testing consisted of testing of developmental level and level within the causal relations of animism and dynamism. Significant differences (1.05 level) were found between the experimental and control groups for animism. Within the experimental group, males differed significantly (1.001 level) from females. The elimination of animism appeared to have occurred. For dynamism, significant differences (0.05 level) were found only between concrete operational subjects in the experimental and control groups, indicating a concrete level of operations was necessary if dynamism was to be affected. However, a review of interview protocols indicated that subjects classified as nonanimistic had learned to apply a definition rather than to think in a nonanimistic manner.
Persistent gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms on standard proton-pump inhibitor therapy

In this study, eight patients with refractory gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms were controlled over a mean of 15.4 years only by the addition of a benzodiazepine to once-daily or twice-daily proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy. In selected patients with refractory GERD, as defined by continued reflux symptoms despite twice-daily PPIs, the addition of a benzodiazepine to the PPI regimen may provide additional control of GERD symptoms.
Polarization and atmospheric backscatter coefficient measurements.

Recently, it was pointed out that polarization effects must be considered in hard target calibration of lidars. A vector theory of radiometry is developed, and it is demonstrated for a real nonideal target that the reflectance is a matrix quantity and not a scalar quantity, and all its components must be measured. These concepts can be extended to actual field measurements of the volume backscatter coefficients. The volume backscatter coefficient at range R is an averaged (4 × 4) matrix, which is averaged over the sampling depth dR = cτ/2. The transmitted beam is polarized in a definite sense, the received beam is still polarized, and both are represented as (4 × 1) Stokes vectors so that the interaction must be represented by a (4 × 4) matrix called the volume backscatter coefficient β. Present experiments are in error for data are considered a scalar quantity with only one value not a matrix with sixteen components. Some of these components may be zero but many are not.
Grain boundary segregation of iron, chromium an scandium in polycrystalline magnesium oxide

Abstract Utilizing x-ray microanalysis in samples studied with scanning transmission electron microscopy, segregation of Fe, Cr and Sc has been found at grain boundaries of polycrystalline MgO. Samples studied contain between 500 and 1200 cation ppm of each solute, or of all three. The level of grain boundary segregation of Fe and Sc was approximately proportional to the bulk concentration while the boundary concentration of Cr was less than the other solutes, more so at higher concentrations. This results is attributed to the higher association energy of Cr Mg V Mg and Cr′ Mg -V″ Mg -Cr′ Mg complexes which have a negative or neutral charge in the MgO matrix, thus not contributing to the space charge layer.
Effect of sodium chloride on corrosion of mild steel in CO2-saturated brines

Corrosion rates of mild steel were measured in oxygen-free, CO2-saturated brines as a function of NaCl concentration employing electrochemical techniques. Decreased corrosion rates were observed as salt concentration increased. However, at high salt concentration (≥20 wt% NaCl), corrosion rates were independent of the flow rate of CO2-saturated brine. To understand this phenomenon, corrosion surfaces were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction and showed only residual iron carbide for salt concentrations of 0.5–5 wt%. However, at 20 wt% NaCl, a porous corrosion scale with embedded crystals, possibly magnetite, was observed. No iron carbonate was observed and water chemistry showed it was 10,000 times below saturation. A numerical model of corrosion in CO2–NaCl systems was able to predict the reduced corrosion rates with salt concentration increase as a consequence of reduced solubility of CO2 (“salting-out”). However, the model did not predict that corrosion rates were flow-independent at high salt concentration. These results demonstrate that flow-independent corrosion is a consequence of a diffusion barrier created by magnetite scale, present only at high salt concentrations.
The fine structure of the adrenal cortex of the 13-lined ground squirrel.

The adrenal cortex of the 13-lined ground squirrel was examined by means of phase contrast and electron microscopy. At the most, two cell types were observed. One of these two types was observed in three morphologically different stages of activity. They had some common characteristics, although they were very different in general appearance. The findings substantiate Symington's (′60, ′61) statements that the zona reticularis contains the active cells and the zona fasciculata contains the inactive cells of the deep adrenal cortex. The cell types do not stay within the bounds of the three classical zones, and it is suggested these be used for general topography only. A number of modifications and derivations of mitochondria are described, one of which lends strength to Lever's ('55) suggestion that mitochondria might be converted into lipoidal masses.
Tidal circulation alteration for salt marsh mosquito control

Mosquito control ditches designed to increase tidal circulation are widely used as a physical control alternative to insecticidal applications The impact of such ditching on Pacific Coast marshlands was largely unknown before this five-year study of impact in two types of San Francisco Bay salt marshes, aSalicornia virginica (pickleweed) monoculure and a mixed vegetation marsh Results of our studies suggest that ditches cause less environmental disturbance than insecticidal applications The article describes the following environmental consequences of ditching for mosquito control: increased tidal flushing of soils occurs adjacent to ditches compared with that in the open marsh, thereby reducing ground water and soil surface salinities and water table height; primary productivity ofS. virginica, as determined by both the harvest method and infrared photographic analysis, is higher directly adjacent to ditches than in the open marsh, distribution of selected arthropod populations is similar at ditches and natural channels, although arthropod community response differs seasonally; aquatic invertebrate biomass is similar within ditched and natural ponds, but diversity is lower in ditched habitats, ditching increases fish diversity and density by improving fish access from tidal channels; ditches provide additional salt marsh song sparrow habitat, although ditches are less preferred than natural channels or sloughs. Management criteria can be used to design ditches that provide effective mosquito control and reduced environmental impact
Uncertain Information Representation and its Usage in Disassembly Modeling

Industrial recycling and reusing are becoming more and more important due to the environmental and economic pressures. They involve disassembly activities to retrieve all the parts or selected parts of a product after its current end-of-life. An information modeling for the disassembly and the optimal disassembly sequence generation based on the information model becomes critical. Most of the currently available information models emphasize on the use of deterministic information or crisp logic, which means, the information is known a priori, and the logic related to them is either true or false. However, this scenario is not true in the real world. If we consider concepts like operation cost and part value as for example, in real life, the disassembly operation cost will be varying according to the efficiency and experience of the operator. The value of the retrieved part is also not a constant number; it is dependent on the condition of the part retrieved. Along with it, the logic developed on this uncertain information is fuzzy. For example, a part might be good, very good, fairly good, poor, and etc. Words like “very”, “fairly” can’t be represented in the crisp logic which requires either a ‘true’ or a ‘false’ value. So, this paper proposes a modified, fuzzy logic–based ontology to represent and further use the uncertain information in a disassembly process, Case studies have been included to illustrate the concept.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
The growth of spinal ganglion neurons in serum-free medium.

Abstract The presence of serum in the culture medium affects the morphology of spinal ganglion neurons. With serum present, neuronal cell bodies are rounded and axons are predominantly straight. In serum-free medium axons curve all along their lengths, while both cell bodies and growth cones are spread on the substratum. Such “curved” axons straighten if serum is added to the culture dish. Serum-free medium may increase the adhesion of neurons to the substratum. This can account for the curved morphology of axons in serum-free medium, since such axons may represent a “history” of the movement of the growth cone during axon elongation.
Child abuse as a cause of traumatic chylothorax

Chylothorax is an uncommon condition that may be associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The authors report a case of traumatic chylothorax attributed to child abuse and describe our management with tube thoracostomy and nutritional support with medium-chain triglycerides. Child abuse should be suspected in any case of chylothorax when no other etiology is evident and particularly when other signs of abuse are present.
Making It Their Own: Severn Ojibwe Communicative Practices

Making It Their Own: Severn Ojibwe Communicative Practices. LISA PHILIPS VALENTINE. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1995. xii + 252 pp., appendix, notes, references, index.
Direct evidence of ponderomotive filamentation in a laser-produced plasma.

We present an experiment in which the ponderomotive filamentation instability is driven in a preformed, underdense plasma. The spatial profile of the driving beam is intentionally modulated to produce a striated intensity distribution of known periodicity. Dark-field imaging is used to observe the density perturbations produced by the instability. The observed threshold intensity for perturbation wavelengths of 42 \ensuremath{\mu}m is approximately 3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{13}$ W/${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$ which compares favorably with homogeneous instability theory.
Monosynaptic activation of long descending propriospinal neurons from the lateral vestibular nucleus and the medial longitudinal fasciculus

Abstract In decerebrate cats long descending propriospinal (LDP) neurons were recorded extracellularly in the cervical enlargement. They were identified antidromically by spinal cord stimulation at the L1–L2 level. Inputs to these cells were tested by stimulating the medial longitudinal fasciculus (MLF) 5 to 6 mm rostral to the obex, the lateral vestibular nucleus (LVN), the upper MLF 1 mm caudal to the trochlear nucleus, and the medial vestibular nucleus (MVN), all on the ipsilateral side. Action potentials were elicited in 44% ( 64 144 ) of LDP neurons in the ventral horn (laminae VII, VIII) at a segmental latency of 1 ms or less following brain stem stimulation. This was considered to be a monosynaptic latency. The most effective stimulation sites were the MLF and the LVN. MLF stimulation accounted for about two-thirds of the monosynaptically elicited action potentials and LVN for about one-third. Another 22% of LDP neurons responded at longer latencies, but some of those responses may also have been monosynaptic. Stimulation of the upper MLF and the MVN were much less effective, indicating that the MLF input was predominantly from fibers originating in the medullary and/or pontine reticular formation.
Reduced cellular transport and activation of fluoropyrimidine nucleosides and resistance in human lymphocytic cell lines selected for arabinosylcytosine resistance.

Abstract Arabinofuranosylcytosine (araC) resistant H9-araC0.05 and H9-araC0.5 sublines were obtained following in vitro exposure of H9 cells to 0.05 and 0.5 μM araC, respectively. These cell lines were 83.3- and 266.7-fold, 21- and 80-fold, and 2.4- and 4.0-fold more resistant to 5-fluorouridine (FUR), 5-fluoro-2′-deoxyuridine (FdUR), and 5-fluorouracil (FU), respectively. Compared with H9 cells, the cellular accumulation of FUR was 2.2 and 0.2%, FdUR 15.6 and 0.9%, and FU 56.9 and 66.5% in H9-araC0.05 and H9-araC0.5 cells, respectively. An araC resistant HL60 cell line (promyelocytic cell line) was 5.0- and 1.7-fold resistant to FUR and FdUR, respectively, but displayed no resistance to FU. The lower FUR and FdUR nucleotide levels in the resistant cells were a result of reduced cellular transport and uridine kinase (UR kinase) and thymidine kinase (TK) activities. Compared with the parental cell line, the p-nitrobenzyl thioinosine (an inhibitor of nucleoside transport) binding sites also were lower in the araC resistant cells. There was no difference in the expression of multidrug-resistant protein and thymidylate synthase mRNA in the parental and the resistant cell lines. Data presented here suggest that araC exposure of H9 cells, in addition to araC resistance, induced/selected cells that were resistant to FUR and FdUR. These cells had altered cellular drug transport and lower TK and UR kinase activities. Further studies to understand molecular mechanisms of this phenomenon are warranted.
Enhancing learning and retarding forgetting: Choices and consequences

Our research on learning enhancement has been focusing on the consequences for learning and forgetting of some of the more obvious and concrete choices that arise in instruction, including questions such as these: How does spacing of practice affect retention of information over significant retention intervals (up to 1 year)? Do spacing effects generalize beyond recall of verbal materials? Is feedback needed to promote learning, and must it be immediate? Although retrieval practice has been found to enhance learning in comparison with additional study, does it actually reduce the rate of forgetting? Can retrieval practice effects be extended to nonverbal materials? We suggest that as we begin to find answers to these questions, it should become possible for cognitive psychology to offer nonobvious advice that can be applied in a variety of instructional contexts to facilitate learning and reduce forgetting.
Analytical Investigation of Friction Sleeve Length Effects on Stratigraphic Interpretation

This paper presents an analytical investigation of the ability of friction sleeves of varying lengths to reliably identify layer interfaces and stratigraphic anomalies within the subsurface. Analytical and parametric analyses were performed using synthetic sleeve fs profiles that are statistically equivalent to piezocone penetration test fs profiles, thereby enabling study of realistic profiles with known statistical properties. This approach demonstrates that the standard friction sleeve lengths can cause incorrect interpretations of the location of distinct interfaces and of the sleeve friction measurements near this interface. The study also shows that the vertical extent of thin anomalies can be overestimated and the frictional characteristics of the soil within the anomaly can be incorrectly interpreted if the length of the friction sleeve relative to the thickness of the anomaly is not considered.
Editors’ Comments: Celebrating the Sixth World Archaeological Congress

In this issue of Archaeologies we celebrate the very successful and important sixth meeting of the World Archaeological Congress in Dublin, Ireland, in the summer of 2008. WAC-6 hosted 1,800 archaeologists from across the world who participated in many special events that have been widely covered by global media outlets and are described fully on the Congress website http://www.worldarchaeologicalcongress.org/site/news_pres_30.php. Two WAC-6 events are of special relevance for this issue of Archaeologies. First, the Forum section on Archaeology in War comes directly from the WAC-6 Plenary which showcased the perspectives of Peter Stone, Professor of Heritage Studies and Director of the International Centre for Cultural and Heritage Studies at Newcastle University, UK; Yannis Hamilakis, Senior Lecturer at the University of Southampton, UK, and Chair of the WAC Task Force on Archaeologists and War; and Patty Gerstenblith, Distinguished Research Professor of Law and Director of the Center for Art, Museum, & Cultural Heritage Law at De Paul University, USA. These three specialists discussed the legal, ethical, and social obligations of archaeologists to their profession in times of armed conflict. Their presentations have been reproduced here to reach the largest WAC audience, not because they cover all possible perspectives but because Stone and Hamilakis offer very passionate and ethically grounded arguments for very different approaches. These alternatives, presented against a backdrop of the changing legal realities described by Gerstenblith offer a particularly pithy summary of the major points that archaeologists must consider when determining a course of action in a violent and destructive context. People who attended the plenary with strongly held opinions were profoundly moved by this brief session, since the stature, professional record, and ethical commitment of the three participants place them above reproach; yet they disagreed. Many archaeologists who came in the door with a sense of outrage that anyone might not accept their point of view left with a deeper understanding of ‘‘the other side.’’ Clearly this discussion is not over, and many important points remain to be made. The editors of Archaeologies offer these statements as the beginning of a more inclusive conversation E D IT O R IA L
Bacteria beneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet

Subglacial environments, particularly those that lie beneath polar ice sheets, are beginning to be recognized as an important part of Earth's biosphere. However, except for indirect indications of microbial assemblages in subglacial Lake Vostok, Antarctica, no sub-ice sheet environments have been shown to support microbial ecosystems. Here we report 16S rRNA gene and isolate diversity in sediments collected from beneath the Kamb Ice Stream, West Antarctic Ice Sheet and stored for 15 months at 4°C. This is the first report of microbes in samples from the sediment environment beneath the Antarctic Ice Sheet. The cells were abundant (-10^7 cells g^(−1)) but displayed low diversity (only five phylotypes), likely as a result of enrichment during storage. Isolates were cold tolerant and the 16S rRNA gene diversity was a simplified version of that found in subglacial alpine and Arctic sediments and water. Although in situ cell abundance and the extent of wet sediments beneath the Antarctic ice sheet can only be roughly extrapolated on the basis of this sample, it is clear that the subglacial ecosystem contains a significant and previously unrecognized pool of microbial cells and associated organic carbon that could potentially have significant implications for global geochemical processes.
A male pill? Gender discrepancies in contraceptive commitment.

PIP: The limited number of male contraceptive methods is often assumed to comprise the major obstacle to greater male responsibility for fertility control. To assess male commitment to pregnancy prevention, 83 male and 120 female students at the University of California, Santa Barbara, were questioned about their attitudes toward an oral contraceptive (OC) intended for their gender. The male respondents were presented with a description of a hypothetical male pill as similar to the female pill as possible. 60% of female respondents had taken the pill, and 62% of men had been sexually involved with an OC user. 71% of women, compared to only 20% of men, indicated they were either likely or very likely to take an OC. Men consistently rated a male OC as more against nature, more of a bother, more harmful, and more against their beliefs than a female OC. 50.8% of women, versus 71.6% of males, indicated they had no hesitancy about their sexual partner taking OCs. The variable with the strongest correlation with hesitancy toward partner OC use was, among women, the notion that the pill is too much of a bother, and, among men, concerns the female pill is harmful. Overall, the study findings indicated that even educated, middle-class men are unwilling to assume the risks and inconveniences associated with effective contraception, yet expect their female partners to do so. Thus, the development of more male birth control methods will not be sufficient to increase male involvement in pregnancy prevention given the salience of gender power relationships.
Quality control functions of the Visual Field Reading Center (VFRC) for the Optic Neuritis Treatment Trial (ONTT)

The Visual Field Reading Center (VFRC) was established to assess visual field testing in the Optic Neuritis Treatment Trial (ONTT), to train and certify ONTT technicians, and to monitor the quality of the visual fields through evaluation of the technical aspects of the visual field testing. We describe the functions of the VFRC personnel and the standardized test protocols developed by the VFRC for Humphrey and Goldmann perimetry. We also describe the VFRC procedures for training and certifying visual field technicians, double-checking the eligibility of ONTT patients, assessing the quality of the visual field data, and processing visual field data. In addition, we describe the principles applied by the director and associate director of the VFRC in their clinical classification of the various localized and diffuse visual field defects observed in the Humphrey and Goldmann visual fields. The VFRC has processed more than 14,000 Humphrey and Goldmann visual field tests. The visual field quality control procedures and visual field defect classification process have been shown to be quite reproducible. Through quality control assessment procedures, we have been able to pinpoint a variety of problems at an early stage and promptly implement corrective measures. The standardized test protocols, technician training and certification procedures, and quality control assessment techniques used by the VFRC for the ONTT may serve as a model for future clinical trials employing visual field data as an outcome measure. These procedures can also be used to enhance visual field reliability in ophthalmological practices.
Coding and modulation techniques enabling multi-Tb/s Optical Ethernet

Terabit Optical Ethernet (TOE) will be affected not only by limited bandwidth of information-infrastructure, but also by its energy consumption. In order to solve both problems simultaneously, in this invited paper, we describe several energy-efficient (EE) hybrid-coded-modulation (CM) schemes enabling TOE: EE-hybrid-multidimensional-CM, EE-generalized-OFDM, and EE-spatial-domain-based-CM.
Multicenter Isradipine Diuretic Atherosclerosis study (MIDAS): Design features

The Multicenter Isradipine Diuretic Atherosclerosis Study is a randomized, double-blind, clinical trial designed to compare the effectiveness of isradipine against hydrochlorothiazide in retarding the rate of progression of atherosclerotic lesions in the carotid arteries of hypertensive subjects. Eight hundred hypertensive men and women, 40 years of age or older, with minor plaques, are being recruited at eight clinical centers in the United States and will be followed for three years. Quantification of the atherosclerotic lesions at baseline and semiannually is done using B-mode ultrasonography. The background of the trial and its design features are discussed.
Analyzing the teaching of advanced mathematics courses via the enacted example space

Examples are believed to be very important in developing conceptual understanding of mathematical ideas, useful both in mathematics research and instruction (Bills & Watson in Educational Studies in Mathematics 69:77–79, 2008; Mason & Watson, 2008; Bills & Tall, 1998; Tall & Vinner, 1981). In this study, we draw on the concept of an example space (Mason & Watson, 2008) and variation theory (Runesson in Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research 50:397–410, 2006) to create a lens to study how examples are used for pedagogical purposes in undergraduate proof-based instruction. We adapted the construct of an example space and extended its application to the constructs of example neighborhood, methods of example construction, and the functions of examples. We explained how to use our new lens to analyze the collection of examples and non-examples that the students had access to. We then demonstrate our method by analyzing the collection of examples and non-examples of a mathematical group the professor of an abstract algebra class presented during lectures or assigned to students in problem sets or exams.
Effects of solutes on the formation of crystalline sheets of the Ca2+-ATPase in detergent-solubilized sarcoplasmic reticulum

The Ca2+-ATPase crystals formed in detergent solubilized sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) at 2 °C in a crystallization medium of 0.1 M KCl, 10 mM K-Mops (pH 6.0), 3 mM MgCl2, 3 mM NaN3, 5 mM DTT, 25 IU/ml Trasylol, 2 μg/ml 1,6-di-tert-butyl-p-cresol, 20% glycerol and 20 mM CaCl2 (J. Biol. Chem. 263, 5277 and 5287 (1988)) contain highly ordered sheets of ATPase molecules, that associate into large multilamellar stacks (> 100 layer). When the crystallization is performed in the same medium but in the presence of 40% glycerol at low temperature the stacking is reduced to 4–5 layers and the average diameter of the crystalline sheets is increased from less than 1 μm to 2–3 μm. Glycerol and low temperature presumably reduce stacking by interfering with the interactions between the hydrophilic headgroups of Ca2+-ATPase molecules in adjacent lamellae, while not affecting or promoting the ordering of ATPase molecules within the individual sheets. Electron diffraction patterns could be regularly obtained at 8Aand occasionally at 7Aresolution on crystals formed in 40% glycerol, either at 2°C or at −70°C. In the same media but in the absence of glycerol, polyethyleneglycol 1450, 3000 and 8000 (1–8%) induced the formation of ordered crystalline arrays containing 10–12 layers that were similar to those obtained in 40% glycerol. Replacement of 40% glycerol with 10–50% glucose or supplementation of the standard crystallization medium with polythhyleneglycol (PEG 3000 or 8000; 1, 2, 5 and 8%) had no beneficial effect on the order of crystalline arrays compared with media containing 40% glycerol.
Fatal pulmonary nocardiosis in a patient with chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis

1. Hagmar L, Bellander T, Eng M, Bergoo B, Simonsson BG. Piperazine-induced occupational asthma. J Occup Med 1982;24:193-7. 2. Malo JL, Bernstein IL. Other chemical substances causing occupational asthma. In: Bernstein IL, Malo JL, Yeung MC, Bernstein DI, eds. Asthma in the workplace. New York: Marcel1 Dekker Inc, 1993:481-502. 3. Bernstein IL. Allergic reactions: other addition products. In: Weiner M and Bernstein IL eds. Adverse Reactions to Drug Formulation agents. New York: Marcel1 Dekker Inc, 1989;291-3. 4. Zhang YG, Wright WJ, Tam WK, Nguyen-Dang TH, Salome CM, Woolcock AJ. Effect of inhaled preservatives on asthmatic subjects. II. Benzalkonium chloride. Am Rev Respir Dis 1990;141:1405-8. 5. Sly RM. Effect of inhaled preservatives on asthmatic subjects: II. Benzalkonium chloride. Am Rev Respir Dis 1990;142:1466-7.
Capitalizing on emerging markets

Miller, R. (1998) Selling to Newly Emerging Markets, Westport, CT: Quorum Books, 274 pages, ISBN 1 56720 044 3 Dixon, J. and Newman, D. (1998) Entering the Chinese Market: The Risks and Discounted Rewards, Westport, CT: Quorum Books, 1 56720 137 7 Bullis, D. (1998) Doing Business in Today's India, Westport, CT: Quorum Books, 320 pages, ISBN 1 56720 136 9
Relationship between follow-up rates and treatment outcomes in substance abuse research: more is better but when is "enough" enough?

Aims. To examine the effects of different follow-up rates on estimates of treatment outcome and predictive models thereof, and to specify participant characteristics associated with tracking difficulty. Design. An observational study using data collected for a randomized, experimental design. Setting. The King County Assessment Center in Seattle, Washington, an organization responsible for referral to publicly funded substance abuse treatment. Participants. Substance-addicted individuals referred to publicly funded inpatient or outpatient treatment. Measurements. Standardized self-report instruments measuring substance use, substance use consequences and general functioning. Chart review was used to measure treatment entry and completion. Findings. There was a significant association between follow-up difficulty and outcomes related to addiction treatment and later substance use. However, outcome estimates based on 60% of the sample who were easiest to locate were only minimally different from those based on the 90-100% ultimately captured, and predictive models of outcome based on the 60% group were reasonably similar to those based on the final sample. Of baseline characteristics examined, only age was associated with later tracking difficulty. Conclusions. Studies reporting follow-up rates below 70% may produce valid findings and study attrition may be largely unpredictable from participant characteristics at baseline. However, a number of factors such as type of population studied, geographical location of the sample, reasons for loss to follow-up and sample size must be considered when attempting to generalize the findings of this study.
WHOLE GENOME AMPLIFICATION AND MOLECULAR GENETIC ANALYSIS OF DNA FROM PARAFFIN-EMBEDDED PROSTATE ADENOCARCINOMA TUMOR TISSUE

ABSTRACTPurpose: Often tissues obtained from prostate adenocarcinoma tumors embedded in paraffin are heterogeneous in cell type and must be carefully microdissected to acquire tissue fragments that provide homogeneous aliquots of tumor clones. Such tissue fragments rarely contain sufficient DNA to perform genomic characterization needed as an early step in localizing relevant oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes. We report that PCR using a degenerate oligonucleotide primer (DOP-PCR) can be applied to DNA samples from microdissected paraffin-embedded prostate adenocarcinomas, and this provides sufficient product for fluorescent allelic imbalance measurements or comparative genomic hybridization (CGH).Materials and Methods: Samples were selected to be representative of those routinely obtained during prostatectomies, based on typical tumor stages (T2 and T3) and Gleason grades (range 3 + 3 to 4 +5). For DNA analysis without prior DOP-PCR, only large tumors were selected to be sectioned. More than 50 specimen...
A rare homozygous MFSD8 single-base-pair deletion and frameshift in the whole genome sequence of a Chinese Crested dog with neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis

Background: The neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses are heritable lysosomal storage diseases characterized by progressive neurological impairment and the accumulation of autofluorescent storage granules in neurons and other cell types. Various forms of human neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis have been attributed to mutations in at least 13 different genes. So far, mutations in the canine orthologs of 7 of these genes have been identified in DNA from dogs with neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis. The identification of new causal mutations could lead to the establishment of canine models to investigate the pathogenesis of the corresponding human neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses and to evaluate and optimize therapeutic interventions for these fatal human diseases. Case presentation: We obtained blood and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded brain sections from a rescue dog that was reported to be a young adult Chinese Crested. The dog was euthanized at approximately 19 months of age as a consequence of progressive neurological decline that included blindness, anxiety, and cognitive impairment. A diagnosis of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis was made based on neurological signs, magnetic resonance imaging of the brain, and fluorescence microscopic and electron microscopic examination of brain sections. We isolated DNA from the blood and used it to generate a whole genome sequence with 33-fold average coverage. Among the 7.2 million potential sequence variants revealed by aligning the sequence reads to the canine genome reference sequence was a homozygous single base pair deletion in the canine ortholog of one of 13 known human NCL genes: MFSD8:c.843delT. MFSD8:c.843delT is predicted to cause a frame shift and premature stop codon resulting in a truncated protein, MFSD8: p.F282Lfs13*, missing its 239 C-terminal amino acids. The MFSD8:c.843delT allele is absent from the whole genome sequences of 101 healthy canids or dogs with other diseases. The genotyping of archived DNA from 1478 Chinese Cresteds did not identify any additional MFSD8:c.843delT homozygotes and found only one heterozygote. Conclusion: We conclude that the neurodegenerative disease of the Chinese Crested rescue dog was neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis and that homozygosity for the MFSD8:c.843delT sequence variant was very likely to be the molecular-genetic cause of the disease.
Physically Based Satellite Retrieval of Precipitation Using a 3D Passive Microwave Radiative Transfer Model

Abstract A precipitation retrieval algorithm based on the application of a 3D radiative transfer model to a hybrid physical-stochastic 3D cloud model is described. The cloud model uses a statistical rainfall clustering scheme to generate 3D cloud structure while ensuring that the stochastically generated quantities remain physically plausible. The radiative transfer model is applied to the cloud structures to simulate satellite remotely sensed upwelling microwave brightness temperatures TB's. Regression-derived relationships between model TB's and surface rainfall rates for Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) frequencies are used as the foundation of the retrieval algorithm, which is valid over oceans. A case study calibrates the retrieval algorithm to the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) numerical weather prediction model and applies the algorithm to SSM/I data obtained during the Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Response Experiment. Comparisons betw...
Biases of the maximum likelihood and Cohen–Sackrowitz estimators for the tree-order model☆

Abstract Consider s + 1 univariate normal populations with common variance σ 2 and means μ i , i = 0 , 1 , … , s , constrained by the tree-order restrictions μ i ⩾ μ 0 , i = 1 , 2 , … , s . For certain sequences μ 0 , μ 1 , … the maximum likelihood-based estimator (MLBE) of μ 0 diverges to - ∞ as s → ∞ and its bias is unbounded. By contrast, the bias of an alternative estimator of μ 0 proposed by Cohen and Sackrowitz (J. Statist. Plan. Infer. 107 (2002) 89–101) remains bounded. In this note the biases of the MLBEs of the other components μ 1 , μ 2 , … are studied and compared to the biases of the corresponding Cohen–Sackrowitz estimators (CSE). Unlike the MLBE of μ 0 , the MLBEs of μ i for i ⩾ 1 , are asymptotically unbiased in most cases. By contrast, the CSEs of μ i , i = 1 , 2 , … , s more often have nonzero asymptotic bias.
Effects of Macrophyte Bed Architecture on Largemouth Bass Foraging: Implications of Exotic Macrophyte Invasions

Abstract Invasive, canopy-forming macrophyte species such as Eurasian watermilfoil Myriophyllum spicatum and hydrilla Hydrilla verticillata are now widespread throughout North American lakes and reservoirs. However, their effects on economically and ecologically important species such as largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides are insufficiently understood. Canopy-forming exotic macrophytes typically displace structurally diverse native macrophytes. In aquaria, we tested whether exotic macrophyte canopies negatively affect age-0 largemouth bass foraging success compared with diverse macrophyte assemblages. In addition, we explored the relative effects of macrophyte density, and prey density of bluegills Lepomis macrochirus on largemouth bass foraging success. Bluegill prey density did not significantly affect largemouth bass foraging success. However, largemouth bass experienced shorter search times and greater attack and consumption rates in moderate plant density treatments (compared with dense) and diver...
Massively parallel implementation of a fast multipole method for distributed memory machines

We present a new load balanced parallel implementation of a non-adaptive version of Greengard and Rokhlin's fast multipole method for distributed memory architectures with focus on applications in molecular dynamics. We introduce a novel load balancing and communication overlapping scheme. Our implementation includes periodic boundary conditions calculations and facilitates multiple time stepping techniques without sacrificing determinism of computation and scales to hundreds of processor for systems of only O(10k) atoms.
Interactions of LDL and modified LDL with mesangial cells and matrix

Interactions of LDL and modified LDL with mesangial cells and matrix. Hyperlipidemia may play a role in the progression of diabetic and other renal diseases. Low density lipoprotein (LDL) and other proteins including extracellular matrix components undergo nonenzymatic glycation in vivo. We examined the effects of glycation of LDL as occurs in diabetes (4 to 8%) on binding and uptake by mesangial cells and their proliferation. The glycation of LDL (g-LDL) significantly decreased its binding and uptake by mesangial cells by 15 to 20%, indicating that glycated LDL binds to the LDL receptor, but with lower affinity than LDL. Both LDL and g-LDL modestly stimulated [ 3 H] thymidine incorporation into mesangial cells at 5 to 10 µg/ml. Native, oxidized (Ox-LDL) and glycated LDL all bound to the extracellular matrix generated by rat mesangial cells in culture. The binding of LDL, Ox-LDL and g-LDL to mesangial matrix was two to four times higher than to mesangial cells. Binding of LDL and g-LDL was significantly higher to glycolaldehyde modified matrix, which serves as an in vitro model for nonenzymatic glycation end-product cross-linking of matrix which occurs in long-standing diabetes. Based on these findings, we propose that glycation of LDL decreases its binding and uptake by the LDL receptor of mesangial cells and may slow its catabolism. Furthermore, LDL bound to extracellular mesangial matrix can undergo oxidation and generate cytotoxic LDL components. This process may be further enhanced by advanced glycation of the mesangial matrix in diabetes, contributing to glomerular pathology.
NITRIC OXIDE DECREASES THE CONVERSION OF LARGE SURFACTANT AGGREGATES TO SMALL VESICLES DURING SURFACE CYCLING. † 1987

NITRIC OXIDE DECREASES THE CONVERSION OF LARGE SURFACTANT AGGREGATES TO SMALL VESICLES DURING SURFACE CYCLING. † 1987
Response of frictional base isolation systems to horizontal-vertical random earthquake excitations

Abstract Responses of a rigid structure with a frictional base isolation system subjected to random horizontal-vertical earthquake excitations are studied. The ground accelerations are modelled by segments of stationary and nonstationary Gaussian white noise and filtered white noise processes. The technique of nonstationary equivalent linearization is used for the response analysis. The differential equation governing the covariance matrix is solved and for a range of values of parameters, the root-mean-square displacement and velocity responses of the structure are calculated. The results are compared with those obtained by a series of Monte-Carlo digital simulations and reasonable agreement is observed. For several values of parameters, responses of the structure to the accelerograms of the North-South and vertical components of El Centro 1940 earthquake are studied. Particular attentions are given to the effects of vertical excitation and the elastic stiffness of the isolation system. It is observed that vertical excitation amplifies the horizontal slip of the structure to an extent. The amount of amplification under various conditions are evaluated and discussed. It is also shown that the slip displacement decreases sharply as the elastic restoring force of the isolator increases.
Nutrition Risk Potential and Needs of Older African-American and White Congregate and Home Delivered Meal Participants

Abstract Identifying problems that potentially compromise the nutritional status of the elderly can aid in decreasing risk of disease and improve overall health. Few studies have been conducted which examine malnutrition in older minorities. The purpose of this study was to compare potential of nutrition risk and needs between African-American elderly and white elderly participants of congregate and home delivered meal programs. Working with the 16 planning and service areas in a midwest state, a survey was completed by over 12,000 participants, using the Nutrition Screening Initiative DETERMINE Checklist. Study participants who were African American (n=985) and white (n= 10244) were selected for the comparative analysis. Using Chi-square analysis, significant differences (p This study documents more potential of high nutrition risk among older African-Americans than older whites. At the same time, older African-Americans had lesser education and income resources, and different living arrangements. The information is essential for service providers developing appropriate plans for older persons.
Extranuclear axon collaterals of paraventricular neurons in the rat hypothalamus: Intracellular staining, immunocytochemistry and electrophysiology

Abstract Recent studies have suggested that some paraventricular nucleus (PVN) neurons project to more than one target and, thereby, perhaps coordinate some aspects of seemingly diverse functions. We have systematically investigated the existence, location, hormonal contents and functional integrity of some axon collaterals arising from PVN neurons. This was done using intracellular injections of the fluorescent dye, Lucifer Yellow, extracellular ejections of horseradish peroxidase (HRP), immunocytochemistry with antisera directed against vasopressin (VP) and oxytocin (OX) and electrophysiological analysis of synaptic activation of perifornical neurons in response to electrical stimulation of the PVN in hypothalamic slices. Each of the three morphological techniques revealed clear axon collaterals, arising in the lateral hypothalamus and generally ventrolateral to the PVN. Most branching axons appeared to have a small number of branch points, and many collaterals appeared to terminate near their parent axon. Electrical stimulation of the PVN was found to activate synaptically perifornical neurons located in the areas where the other methods revealed collaterals. Stimulation outside of the nucleus was ineffective unless current intensities were increased 10–30-fold over those applied to the PVN. We conclude that many PVN neurons, at least some of these containing OX and other VP, give rise to axons that branch in the perifornical and more ventral lateral hypothalamus, and that some of their collaterals probably terminate on neurons close to the PVN.