cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Variability and heritability of mouse brain structure: Microscopic MRI atlases and connectomes for diverse strains.

Abstract Genome-wide association studies have demonstrated significant links between human brain structure and common DNA variants. Similar studies with rodents have been challenging because of smaller brain volumes. Using high field MRI (9.4 T) and compressed sensing, we have achieved microscopic resolution and sufficiently high throughput for rodent population studies. We generated whole brain structural MRI and diffusion connectomes for four diverse isogenic lines of mice (C57BL/6J, DBA/2J, CAST/EiJ, and BTBR) at spatial resolution 20,000 times higher than human connectomes. We measured narrow sense heritability (h2) I.e. the fraction of variance explained by strains in a simple ANOVA model for volumes and scalar diffusion metrics, and estimates of residual technical error for 166 regions in each hemisphere and connectivity between the regions. Volumes of discrete brain regions had the highest mean heritability (0.71 ± 0.23 SD, n = 332), followed by fractional anisotropy (0.54 ± 0.26), radial diffusivity (0.34 ± 0.022), and axial diffusivity (0.28 ± 0.19). Connection profiles were statistically different in 280 of 322 nodes across all four strains. Nearly 150 of the connection profiles were statistically different between the C57BL/6J, DBA/2J, and CAST/EiJ lines. Microscopic whole brain MRI/DTI has allowed us to identify significant heritable phenotypes in brain volume, scalar DTI metrics, and quantitative connectomes.
Soiling the Black Body: Ishmael Reed Engages White Shit

This chapter argues that Ishmael Reed’s The Free-Lance Pallbearers deploys metaphorical play with sewerage to describe the soiling of African American subjects within the nation as they are marked by the abject of whiteness. Readers’ first encounter with the satirical literary landscape involves a reference to the iconic Uncle Sam—renamed Harry Sam—animating civic and national policy from his position on a toilet throne. Analyzing Reed’s work, the chapter explores the resultant impact of white subject formation that refuses bodily excess and associates racially marked others with human waste. Inspired by the environmental crises and social upheaval of the period, this 1967 novel indicts a toxic white masculinity that fuels attacks against both the organic world and black populations with the excess denied in the construction of a cleansed civic and national identity. Set in a metropolitan area akin to New York City, the novel links the rampant pollution of waterways with industrial, municipal, and military wastes to the experiences of African Americans within the city who navigate civic life through the run-off of an imagined pure and productive whiteness that leaches onto the African American body, marking it with an imagined slovenly and excessive blackness. Linking this novel to the environmental justice movement and discussions of environmental racism, textual analysis shows how communities of color within the United States historically and currently carry the burden of industrial and civic waste. Still, for Reed and for environmentalist thinkers like Robert D. Bullard, environmental justice for communities of color does not mean moving waste to other locations, away from the homes of impoverished neighborhoods and to unpopulated regions where other life forms will be left to suffer. Instead, the novel suggests that the experiences of communities of color can be linked to injury to the organic world. Thus, the novel calls for a critique of the production of toxic waste and an altered understanding of the body as intimately connected to the world, where waste can fertilize life, instead of bringing injury and death. Combining historical documentation of water pollution during the 1960s through the present day with psychoanalytic readings of literary scenes following Frantz Fanon, Reed’s novel roots violence against the environment and the black body in a white subjectivity that fantasizes transcendence from bodily life and worldly embodiment. In this way, The Free-Lance Pallbearers overturns the logic of whiteness that opposes itself to the organic world and racially marked others who carry the bodily excess denied in the construction of a fantasized unique difference from other beings and an imagined independence from planetary ecology.
Impact of New UNOS Allocation Criteria on Heart Transplant Practices and Outcomes.

Background In October 2018, a new heart allocation policy was implemented with intent of prioritizing the sickest patients and decreasing waitlist time. We examined the effects of the new policy on transplant practices and outcomes 1 year before and 1 year after the change. Methods Transplant recipients from October 2017 to September 2019 at our institution were identified and divided into 2 cohorts, a preallocation and postallocation criteria change. Patient demographics, clinical data, and bridging strategy were assessed. Early outcomes including ischemic time, severe primary graft dysfunction, need for renal replacement therapy, and duration of hospital stay were investigated. Results In the 12 months before the change, 38 patients were transplanted as compared to 33 patients in the 12 months after the change. The average wait-time to transplant decreased after the allocation change (49 versus 313 d, P = 0.02). Patients were more likely to be bridged with an intra-aortic balloon pump (45% versus 3%) and less likely to be supported with a durable left ventricular assist device (LVAD) after the change (24% versus 82%). There was an increase in total ischemic time after the change (177 versus 117 min, P ≤ 0.01). There were no significant differences in other early posttransplant outcomes. Conclusions Implementation of the new allocation system for heart transplantation resulted in dramatic changes in the bridging strategy utilized at our institution. Temporary mechanical support usage increased following the change and the number of recipients supported with durable LVADs decreased. Early posttransplant outcomes appear similar.
Design of Coupling Transmission Line for 28 GHz Band RF Optical Transmitter

We have designed simplified drive circuit for directly modulated VCSEL in the optical transmitter for 28 GHz band RF signal, and evaluated transmission characteristics such as transmission loss, reflection and error vector magnitude (EVM).
Comparison of modeled evapotranspiration from the SETMI hybrid model informed with multispectral and thermal infrared imagery acquired with an unmanned aerial system

Estimating actual crop evapotranspiration (ETc) is a critical component in tracking soil water availability and managing near real-time irrigation scheduling. Energy and water balance models are two common approaches for estimating daily crop ETc. The Spatial EvapoTranspiration Modeling Interface (SETMI) hybrid model combines these two approaches and has been used to increase the accuracy of modeled ETc and soil water content by assimilating actual ET values to update the soil water balance. In this study, modeled daily ETc from the two-source energy balance (TSEB), root zone water balance, and the hybrid modeling approach were compared to measured ETc from eddy covariance flux tower systems to quantify model accuracy. The TSEB model used the Priestly-Taylor approximation for estimating ETc and the water balance model was updated with reflectance-based crop coefficients. The models were informed with UAS acquired multispectral reflectance and thermal infrared imagery collected over irrigated and rainfed maize and soybean fields during the 2018-2020 growing seasons.
Adapting to Telepractice: Views of Graduate Student Clinicians

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the initial perceptions of speech-language pathology graduate student clinicians following implementation of telepractice using survey questions...
The X-43 Fin Actuation System Problem - Reliability in Shades of Gray

Following the loss of the first X-43 during launch, the mishap investigation board indicated the Fin Actuator System (FAS) needed to have a larger torque margin. To supply this added torque, a second actuator was added. The consequences of what seemed to be a simple modification would trouble the X-43 program. Because of the second actuator, a new computer board was required. This proved to be subject to electronic noise. This resulted in the actuator latch up in ground tests of the FAS for the second launch. Such a latch up would cause the Pegasus booster to fail, as the FAS was a single string system. The problem was corrected and the second flight was successful. The same modifications were added to the FAS for flight three. When the FAS underwent ground tests, it also latched up. The failure indicated that each computer board had a different tolerance to electronic noise. The problem with the FAS was corrected. Subsequently, another failure occurred, raising questions about the design, and the probability of failure for the X-43 Mach 10 flight. This was not simply a technical issue, but illuminated the difficulties facing both managers and engineers in assessing risk, design requirements, and probabilities in cutting edge aerospace projects.
Leveraging the Delphi Technique to Enrich Knowledge and Engage Educational Policy Problems

The Delphi technique is a research method that involves experts and stakeholders in structured deliberation about topics through multiple, iterative rounds of data collection such as surveys or in-...
Active participation in childbirth; a psychosomatic approach to pregnancy and parturition.

Abstract 1. 1. The importance of considering the emotional and psychological aspects of pregnancy and parturition is presented. 2. 2. A psychosomatic approach to pregnancy and childbirth is outline and the results of its application to 531 patients are presented and discussed. 3. 3. It is concluded that a complete approach to pregnancy and parturition should include the psychosomatic aspects.
Explotación temprana de recursos costeros en el sitio Black Creek (4000-2500 A.P.), caribe sur de Costa Rica

Practicas socioeconomicas relacionadas con la explotacion de recursos costeros entre el 3830 y el 2355 cal. A.P. (2-δ), se infieren a partir dos componentes estructurales del sitio Black Creek en la costa sur del Caribe de Costa Rica. Dos rasgos, un fogon y una superficie de actividad domestica fueron deducidos mediante la aplicacion de metodos estadisticos multivariados a las evidencias quimicas, artefactuales, y de ecofactos asociados en el yacimiento. Se concluye que desde el segundo milenio antes de nuestra era, la costa Caribe de Costa Rica fue un espacio importante en el origen de la produccion excedentaria y manipulacion de recursos marino-costeros en la region arqueologica de la Gran Chiriqui
Window flow control in frame-relay networks

Flow-control issues in frame-relay networks are investigated. The intermediate nodes perform the routing and store-and-forward functions. In the case of transmission error or buffer overflow, these nodes simply discard frames. Error recovery and flow control are performed by the end nodes. Simulation results show that a properly tuned dynamic window flow control mechanism provides both good throughput/delay performance and fairness. In the cases considered, a linear window increase strategy performs slightly better than a parabolic one. However, the parabolic strategy is less susceptible to transmission errors. >
THE PASSIVE TRANSFER OF ANTIBODIES TO ESCHERICHIA COLI 0111:B4 FROM MOTHER TO OFFSPRING

Esch. coli antibody titers in 27 mothers and their respective offspring were studied by the trypsinated and nontrypsinated hemagglutination technic. All of the maternal sera and colostra contained Esch. coli 0111-B4 antibody. In 19 cases the antibody titer in the specimens of colostrum on the first day was higher than that of the corresponding sera. The antibody titer in the colstrum fell rapidly during the next 3 to 4 days. Five cord sera had a low antibody titer to Esch. coli 0111:B4 when tested by the trypsinated hemagglutination method. By contrast, only two cord sera were positive for Esch. coli 0111:B4 antibody when tested by the untrypsinated hemagglutination technic. With the trypsinated method, two infants showed a 2-tube rise and one infant had a 1-tube rise in titer at the end of the third colostrum day; one infant demonstrated a 1-tube rise in titer when tested by the untrypsinated hemagglutination technic. In general, there was a 1-to-3-tube difference between the trypsinated and untrypsinated hemagglutination procedures.
The Sinc-Galerkin Schwarz Alternating Method for Poisson’s Equation

Sinc-Galerkin and sinc-collocation methods provide a powerful and diverse set of tools for the numerical solution of differential equations. Sinc methods are particularly appealing because they can be used to solve problems with boundary singularities, while maintaining their characteristic exponential convergence rate. Since the introduction of the Sinc-Galerkin method in [12], sine methods have been used on a variety of differential equations, including the two-point boundary-value problem, Poisson’s equation, the wave equation, the heat equation, the advection-diffusion equation, and Burgers’ equation. In addition, sine methods have been successfully used in conjunction with more complex procedures such as domain decomposition (see [5], [6], [7], and [8]). A thorough convergence analysis for sine domain decomposition methods for ordinary differential equations is in [9] and [10].
Coherent beam combining of ytterbium fiber laser amplifiers

We investigate coherent combining of ytterbium fiber laser amplifiers. Phase locking of two amplifiers is demonstrated at powers up the maximum available of 10 W per fiber.
The amino acid sequence of rat liver glucokinase deduced from cloned cDNA.

Abstract Rat liver glucokinase (ATP:D-hexose 6-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.1) was purified to homogeneity, cleaved, and subjected to amino acid sequence analysis. Forty-five percent of the protein sequence was obtained, and this information was used to design oligonucleotide probes to screen a rat liver cDNA library. A 1601-base pair cDNA (GK1) contained an open reading frame that encoded the amino acid sequences found in the peptides used to generate the oligonucleotide probes. A second cDNA was subsequently identified (GK.Z2), which is 2346 base pairs long and corresponds to nearly the entire glucokinase mRNA. Blot transfer analysis of hepatic RNA showed that glucokinase mRNA exists as a single species of about 2400 nucleotides. Four hours of insulin treatment of diabetic rats resulted in a 30-fold induction of this mRNA. GK.Z2 has a long open reading frame which, with the known partial peptide sequence, allowed us to deduce the primary structure of glucokinase. The enzyme is composed of 465 amino acids and has a mass of 51,924 daltons. Glucokinase has 53 and 33% amino acid sequence identities with the carboxyl-terminal domains of rat brain hexokinase I and yeast hexokinase, respectively. If conservative amino acid replacements are also considered, glucokinase is similar to these two enzymes at 75 and 63% of positions, respectively. The putative glucose- and ATP-binding domains of glucokinase were identified, and these regions appear to be highly conserved in the hexokinase family of enzymes.
Binding of dyes to polycations. II. Fluorescence studies on the interaction of tetraphenylporphinesulfonate with proteins.

Abstract The interaction between α,β,γ,δ-tetraphenylporphinesulfonate (TPPS) and several protein preparations has been examined spectrophotofluorometrically. Titration curves constructed for bovine serum albumin, poly- l -lysine, protamine, and histone showed several consistent features. As protein concentration was increased, the porphyrin fluorescence maxima shifted to wavelengths characteristic of aggregated or bound form. Fluorescence initially became quenched and subsequently, in the range of protein excess, increased to values greater than that of free form. Some characteristic differences occurred among the different protein preparations.
In Search of Democratic Peace: Problems and Promise

This essay reviews the growing literature on the democratic peace. It assesses the evidence on whether democracies are more peaceful and, if so, in what ways. This assessment considers the match and mismatch among the data, methods, and theories generally used in exploring these questions. The review also examines the empirical support for several explanations of the democratic peace phenomenon. It concludes with some observations and suggestions for future research.
An Experimental Investigation of the Effect of Freestream Turbulence on the Wake of a Separated Low-Pressure Turbine Blade at Low Reynolds Numbers

An experimental study was conducted in a two-dimensional linear cascade, focusing on the suction surface of a low pressure turbine blade. Flow Reynolds numbers, based on exit velocity and suction length, have been varied from 50,000 to 300,000. The free stream turbulence intensity was varied from 1.1 to 8.1 percent. Separation was observed at all test Reynolds numbers, Increasing the flow Reynolds number, without changing freestream turbulence, resulted in a rearward movement of the onset of separation and shrinkage of the separation zone. Increasing the freestream turbulence intensity, without changing Reynolds number, resulted in shrinkage of the separation region on the suction surface. The influences on the blade's wake from altering freestream turbulence and Reynolds number are also documented
Molecular and immunologic characterization of group A bovine rotavirus field isolates with P8[11] spike protein

Bovine rotavirus strain B223 is the North American prototype for group A P8[11] serotype/genotype rotaviruses. Rotaviruses with this serotype/genotype are a prevalent cause of neonatal calf diarrhea and have also been isolated from asymptomatic human infants. On the basis of deduced amino acid sequence of the outer capsid viral protein 4 (VP4), strain B223 lacks a cysteine at position 318 that is conserved among all other rotavirus strains. It has been speculated that this may result in the loss of disulfide bond and a change in the structure of the VP4 that may affect the infectivity and antigenicity of the virus. This paper describes partial sequences of the VP4 gene (nucleotides 613 to 1 016 coding for amino acid positions 202 to 335) of 16 bovine rotavirus field isolates with P8[11] that were obtained from calves in Nebraska and Indiana. All the isolates lack a cystein at position 203 and had a conserved valine residue at position 318, thus indicating that the prototype strain B223 is representative of group A rotaviruses with P8[11] serotype/genotype.
Cloning and developmental expression of Shaker potassium channels in the cochlea of the chicken

Abstract Signal coding by the receptor and neuronal cells of the auditory system involves various ion channels that modulate a sound stimulus. The genes that encode a number of these ion channels and their accessory subunits are presently unknown for channels found in the sensory epithelium and cochlear nerve. Among these genes are those that encode delayed rectifier and transient type potassium channels found in both the sensory cells and the ganglion. Here, we report the cloning and developmental expression of Shaker family members that include cKv1.2, cKv1.3, cKv1.5, and the Shaker-related cGMP-gated potassium channel cKCNA10. Clones were obtained by screening a chicken embryonic cochlea cDNA library using, as a probe, a mixture of two DNA fragments of cKv1.2 and cKv1.3 obtained by the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Sequence analysis revealed chicken homologues of Kv1.2, Kv1.3, Kv1.5 and cGMP-gated potassium channels with a deduced amino acid homology of 96–98%, 82–84%, 67–71% and 67–79% to correspondent mammalian homologues. During development of chicken inner ear, RT-PCR studies show expression of cKv1.2, cKv1.3 and cKv1.5 as early as Embryonic Day (ED) 3, while cKCNA10 was detected at low levels beginning on ED6 and was highly expressed by ED9. Additionally, analysis of expression in different parts of the cochlea showed that these genes were co-expressed in different regions of the cochlea, including the cochlear ganglion, sensory epithelium, lagena, and tegmentum. This expression pattern suggests the potential for the formation of heteromeric channels from the corresponding α-subunits in these various tissues.
Using the Semantic Web technologies in virtual engineering tools to create extensible interfaces

Ideas and tools developed for the Semantic Web can also be applied to and integrated with engineering tools and software. The ideas upon which the Semantic Web are founded, along with the technologies that are used to implement it, provide a platform on which virtual engineering tools and interfaces can be extended to create a web in which contextual information is readily accessible to engineers. When the Semantic Web and virtual engineering methods are fully realized, computer hardware and networking capabilities will work to provide information and tools to access information meaningfully. The question that must be answered today is: how will information be integrated in a manner that will allow commercial and proprietary software tools to remain separate while also being integrated so that the end user can control and query these tools with little to no knowledge of the tools’ implementation or inner-working details? The answer to this question will depend largely on the ability to implement open interfaces and schemas that can evolve over time as well as open source toolkits that enable development teams to collaborate at a high level. This paper discusses potential applications of the Semantic Web to explore these questions. In addition, specific capabilities being developed in VE-Suite are discussed.
EphrinBs send mixed messages

A new study dissects ephrinB reverse signaling and identifies separate intracellular pathways regulating dendritic and synaptic development.
Pea Aphids, Acyrthosiphon Pisum , Suppress Induced Plant Volatiles in Broad Bean, Vicia Faba

Plants defend themselves against herbivory through several means, including the production of airborne volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These VOCs benefit plants by attracting natural enemies of their herbivores. The pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum, is able to feed on its host plant, Vicia faba, without inducing detectable changes in plant VOC emission. Levels of VOCs emission are not significantly different between control plants and those fed upon by aphids for up to 5 days. Using a second herbivore, the beet armyworm caterpillar, Spodoptera exigua, we demonstrate that several expected caterpillar-induced VOCs are reduced when co-infested with pea aphids, thus demonstrating that pea aphids have the ability to inhibit the release of certain VOCs. This study shows, for the first time, that aphids not only avoid triggering plant volatile emission, but also can actively inhibit herbivore-induced volatiles.
Tocilizumab: the first interleukin-6-receptor inhibitor.

Purpose. The pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, clinical efficacy, safety, and role of tocilizumab in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are reviewed. Summary. Tocilizumab is a novel monoclonal antibody that competitively inhibits the binding of interleukin-6 (IL-6) to its receptor (IL-6R). Inhibiting the entire receptor complex prevents IL-6 signal transduction to inflammatory mediators that summon B and T cells. Tocilizumab has a nonlinear pharmacokinetic profile. The hypothesis that targeting and inhibiting IL-6R with tocilizumab can result in significant improvement of the signs and symptoms of RA appears to have been substantiated in one Phase III and two Phase II clinical trials, which have demonstrated a marked reduction in disease activity and the acute-phase response. The results of these studies indicate that tocilizumab treatment, both as a combination with methotrexate and as monotherapy, has a safety profile consistent with that of other biological and immunosuppressive therapies. In general, tocilizumab as monotherapy and in combination with methotrexate appears to be well tolerated. Adverse events were not dose dependent and were of similar frequency in all groups. Tocilizumab appears to provide an additional option for those patients who do not respond sufficiently to methotrexate. Since IL-6R inhibition has a distinct mechanism of action, some patients who do not respond to antitumor necrosis factor agents or who have a partial response may respond to tocilizumab. Conclusion. Tocilizumab, a novel IL-6R inhibitor, may be beneficial for the treatment of RA in patients who do not respond to methotrexate or disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. A large clinical trial is needed to confirm tocilizumab’s clinical efficacy and safety.
See How They Read: Comprehension Monitoring of L1 and L2 Readers

This paper illustrates the comprehension-monitoring process used by first and second language readers of English as they read expository prose. The think-aloud protocols of 25 college freshmen were collected. Sixteen (8 L1 and 8 L2 readers) were classified as proficient, 9 as nonproficient (3 L1 and 6 L2 readers). The monitoring process is discussed with respect to two specific problems: one involving a search for a referent, the other, a vocabulary problem. Three phases and six specific steps are defined: evaluation phase (problem recognition and problem source identification), action phase (strategic plan and action/ solution attempt), and checking phase (check and revision). The responses indicated that monitoring was most thorough with the referent problem when the problem was explicitly signaled. The process was somewhat truncated with the vocabulary problem. Proficient L2 readers performed similarly to proficient L1 readers; less proficient L2 readers performed similarly to less proficient L1 readers. Although the general trends shown in L1 research were supported, there were some discrepancies in developmental trends. Caution is advised in applying the results of L1 research to L2 readers. Reading is such a hidden process that it often goes unnoticed in the language classroom. Still we know much more about reading in both a first and a second language than we did 15 years ago. We have ceased debating whether reading is a bottom-up, languagebased process or a top-down, knowledge-based process. Most people now accept that the two processes interact (Carrell, Devine, & Eskey, 1988; Grabe, 1991; Rumelhart, 1977; Stanovich, 1980). We now also appreciate the influence of background knowledge on both Li and L2 readers (e.g., Adams & Collins, 1985; Anderson & Pearson, 1984; Carrell, 1983, 1988; Carrell & Eisterhold, 1983; Steffensen, Joag-dev, & Anderson, 1979). And, furthermore, we
Early and late introduction of probes and stimulus control acquisition in fading.

College students learned to name Braille patterns presented visually using a fading procedure in which Braille patterns were superimposed on letter names after which letter names were attenuated. Measurement of acquisition was accomplished by presenting probes—consisting of the Braille stimuli only—throughout fading. Effects of probes upon acquisition were assessed by introducing probes early or late in fading. Fewer fading levels were needed for Braille elements to acquire control when probes were introduced early rather than late. When probes were introduced late, all subjects learned to name the Braille elements as the letters were being faded out. When probes were introduced early, however, most subjects learned to name the Braille elements as they were being faded in. Since virtually no errors occurred during compound-stimulus presentations, the probe procedure did not induce errors during acquisition. Quantitative analysis of probe data suggested that inclusion of probes enhanced the control acquired by the Braille elements during compound-stimulus presentations. The reported effects may have been due to differences in the relative frequency of reinforcement presented during compounds and probes.
Modern Hospice Design: The Architecture of Palliative Care

Ken Worpole London: Routledge, 2009, ISBN: 978‐0‐415‐45180‐2 Architectural places are created for living and also for dying. Perhaps because the acts of death and dying are often grueling and kept ...
Long-term agroecosystem research in the central Mississippi river basin: goodwater creek experimental watershed and regional nutrient water quality data.

Goodwater Creek Experimental Watershed (GCEW) has been the focus area of a long-term effort to document the extent of and to understand the factors controlling herbicide transport. We document the datasets generated in the 20-yr-long research effort to study the transport of herbicides to surface and groundwater in the GCEW. This long-term effort was augmented with a spatially broad effort within the Central Mississippi River Basin encompassing 12 related claypan watersheds in the Salt River Basin, two cave streams on the fringe of the Central Claypan Areas in the Bonne Femme watershed, and 95 streams in northern Missouri and southern Iowa. Details of the analytical methods, periods of record, number of samples, study locations, and means of accessing these data are provided. In addition, a brief overview of significant findings is presented. A key finding was that near-surface restrictive soil layers, such as argillic horizons of smectitic mineralogy, result in greater herbicide transport than soils with high percolation and low clay content. Because of this, streams in the claypan soil watersheds of northeastern Missouri have exceptionally high herbicide concentrations and relative loads compared with other areas of the Corn Belt.
Modified field studies for CSCW systems

At the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), we are in the process of instituting and assessing collaboration technologies for manufacturing applications. This position paper for the Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) Evaluation Methodologies Workshop briefly describes the modified field study method used to evaluate a groupware system supporting both synchronous and asynchronous communications over data for manufacturing research and operations teams. The paper also briefly describes the context in which the work is being performed, the groupware system being evaluated, data collection techniques and tools, an overview of the types of metrics used and some technical issues facing this endeavor.
Design and development of polymers for gene delivery

The lack of safe and efficient gene-delivery methods is a limiting obstacle to human gene therapy. Synthetic gene-delivery agents, although safer than recombinant viruses, generally do not possess the required efficacy. In recent years, a variety of effective polymers have been designed specifically for gene delivery, and much has been learned about their structure–function relationships. With the growing understanding of polymer gene-delivery mechanisms and continued efforts of creative polymer chemists, it is likely that polymer-based gene-delivery systems will become an important tool for human gene therapy.
Requirement of protein kinase Cμ activation and calpain-mediated proteolysis for arachidonic acid-stimulated adhesion of MDA-MB-435 human mammary carcinoma cells to collagen type IV

Arachidonic acid (AA) stimulation of adhesion of human metastatic breast carcinoma cells to collagen type IV depends on the protein kinase C (PKC) pathway(s) and is associated with the translocation of PKCμ from the cytoplasm to the membrane. In the present study, we have further explored the role of PKCμ in AA-stimulated adhesion. PKCμ activation site serines 738/742 and autophosphorylation site serine 910 are rapidly phosphorylated, and in vitro PKCμ kinase activity is enhanced in response to AA treatment. Inhibition of PKCμ activation blocks AA-stimulated adhesion. A phosphorylated, truncated species of PKCμ was detected in AA-treated cells. This 77-kDa protein contains the kinase domain but lacks a significant portion of the regulatory domains. Inhibition of calpain protease activity blocks generation of the truncated protein, promotes accumulation of the activated, full-length protein in the membrane, and blocks the AA-mediated increase in adhesion. p38 MAPK activity is also required for AA-stimulated adhesion. Activation of PKCμ and p38 are independent events. However, inhibition of p38 activity reduces calpain-mediated proteolysis of PKCμ and in vivo calpain activity, suggesting a role for p38 in regulation of calpain activity and a point for cross-talk between the PKC and MAPK pathways. These results support the hypothesis that AA stimulates activation of PKCμ, which is cleaved by calpain at the cell membrane. The resulting truncated kinase, as well as the full-length kinase, may be required for increased cell adhesion to collagen type IV. Additionally, these studies present the first evidence for calpain cleavage of a non-structural protein leading to the promotion of tumor cell adhesion.
Modular error detection for bit-serial multiplication

Special-purpose architectures have been proposed to provide high processing rates for signal processing applications. These architectures use highly concurrent structures on VLSI circuits to achieve billions of multiply/add operations per second. Both serial-parallel and fully bit-serial multiplier elements have been proposed for highly concurrent signal processing arrays. Error detection can be accomplished by applying arithmetic codes to the multiplier hardware in different ways. Here, low-cost residue codes are applied to three different error detection architectures for both serial-parallel and fully bit-serial processing elements. The error performance of these different implementations is studied through computer simulation. The cost of using these codes in terms of silicon area and circuit complexity is also investigated. >
Insulin-proinsulin, a new crystalline complex.

SINCE the first crystallisation of proinsulin in this laboratory1, we have tried to grow crystals appropriate for detailed X-ray crystal structure analysis. None of the pro-insulin crystal forms prepared proved ideal2, and we attempted to cocrystallise insulin and proinsulin. Such crystals, if both components were in ordered array, could provide a basis for the determination of the structure of proinsulin by the use of rigid-body vector search methods3,4 using the known stereochemistry of insulin5.
Geographic Variation and Taxonomic Revision of Mink (Mustela vison) in Florida

Mink are absent from most of the interior of peninsular Florida but occur in three disjunct, peripheral populations, where they are relatively common. Examination of 171 Recent and three fossil specimens showed that each of these populations is a distinct subspecies. The population from the gulf coast of northern Florida is described as a new subspecies, the status of the subspecies lutensis is confirmed, and evergladensis of southern Florida is subsumed as a disjunct population of the subspecies mink . The new subspecies and lutensis appear to have differentiated from a common ancestor early in the Pleistocene. The distribution of Recent populations can be explained by discontinuous coastal habitats and some other range-limiting mechanism, possibly either disease or predation by large, freshwater reptiles. The carnassial teeth provide the most important dental characters distinguishing these southeastern mink, and variation is mainly in size. A clinal north-to-south decrease in size of the dental apparatus is demonstrated within lutensis .
The phenacetin enigma.

The unregulated sale of phenacetin-containing anodynes frequently has led to abuse of this drug by consumers. The demonstration of renal papillary necrosis in persons who habitually use excessive amounts (3.5 kg or more as the cumulative lifetime dose) has been corroborated in extensive animal studies. It is not known whether phenacetin itself or one of its metabolites causes the damage. The mechanism of damage is probably inhibition of cellular enzymes and direct anoxia induced by interference with hemoglobin metabolism. The clinical diagnosis is difficult, but is aided by alertness for a history of phenacetin ingestion, even in the remote past. Further study can be expected to demonstrate an association between phenacetin ingestion and several renal disease processes of obscure etiology.
Double diffusive effects on solar pond gradient zones

The salt gradient solar pond NCZ is a diffusive interface that operates at relatively large R/sub RHO/ magnitudes. When growth of an interface occurs, the growth rate is of a magnitude similar in order to that of the slower diffusing component. Erosion rates are not very well quantified at present, however, trends observed indicate that erosion is most significant in the transition zone. In addition, erosion rates increase as an interface progresses to lower R/sub RHO/ values in the transition zone. The results of the Univeristy of Illinois experiments and observation of actual solar ponds indicate that the transition zone is a strong enough barrier preventing practical operation of solar ponds at lower R/sub RHO/ values. Systems using components other than NaCl should be examined to determine their suitability as solar pond components. If the transition zone can be correlated to the diffusivity ratio, then two areas of research may be useful. First, optimizing of a pond's performance based on diffusivity ratio for various density stabilizing components would be necessary. Second, research into potential methods for stabilizing the boundary layer regions may help extend solar pond operational limits to R/sub RHO/ values less than those of the transition zone.
A simple radioisotopic assay for nucleoside kinases employing alumina for separation of nucleosides and nucleotides

Abstract A rapid, simple, and sensitive radiochemical assay for the measurement of purine or pyrimidine nucleoside kinases (EC 2.7.1.-) is described. The substrate (thymidine, deoxyuridine, deoxycytidine, deoxyguanosine, deoxyadenosine, uridine, cytidine, and adenosine) is separated from the product (the respective 5′-nucleotide) on neutral alumina columns which retain the nucleotides but not the nucleosides. The nucleotides are recovered by elution with 0.4 m sodium phosphate buffer, pH 7.6.
Sinogram restoration in computed tomography with an edge-preserving penalty.

Purpose: With the goal of producing a less computationally intensive alternative to fully iterative penalized-likelihood image reconstruction, our group has explored the use of penalized-likelihood sinogram restoration for transmission tomography. Previously, we have exclusively used a quadratic penalty in our restoration objective function. However, a quadratic penalty does not excel at preserving edges while reducing noise. Here, we derive a restoration update equation for nonquadratic penalties. Additionally, we perform a feasibility study to extend our sinogram restoration method to a helical cone-beam geometry and clinical data. Methods: A restoration update equation for nonquadratic penalties is derived using separable parabolic surrogates (SPS). A method for calculating sinogram degradation coefficients for a helical cone-beam geometry is proposed. Using simulated data, sinogram restorations are performed using both a quadratic penalty and the edge-preserving Huber penalty. After sinogram restoration, Fourier-based analytical methods are used to obtain reconstructions, and resolution-noise trade-offs are investigated. For the fan-beam geometry, a comparison is made to image-domain SPS reconstruction using the Huber penalty. The effects of varying object size and contrast are also investigated. For the helical cone-beam geometry, we investigate the effect of helical pitch (axial movement/rotation). Huber-penalty sinogram restoration is performed on 3D clinical data, and themore » reconstructed images are compared to those generated with no restoration. Results: We find that by applying the edge-preserving Huber penalty to our sinogram restoration methods, the reconstructed image has a better resolution-noise relationship than an image produced using a quadratic penalty in the sinogram restoration. However, we find that this relatively straightforward approach to edge preservation in the sinogram domain is affected by the physical size of imaged objects in addition to the contrast across the edge. This presents some disadvantages of this method relative to image-domain edge-preserving methods, although the computational burden of the sinogram-domain approach is much lower. For a helical cone-beam geometry, we found applying sinogram restoration in 3D was reasonable and that pitch did not make a significant difference in the general effect of sinogram restoration. The application of Huber-penalty sinogram restoration to clinical data resulted in a reconstruction with less noise while retaining resolution. Conclusions: Sinogram restoration with the Huber penalty is able to provide better resolution-noise performance than restoration with a quadratic penalty. Additionally, sinogram restoration with the Huber penalty is feasible for helical cone-beam CT and can be applied to clinical data.« less
Periodontal disease and endometriosis: analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Objective To investigate whether an association exists between endometriosis and periodontal disease, because endometriosis and periodontal disease are chronic, inflammatory processes more common in patients with systemic autoimmune disorders and because each disease alters immune modulators. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting University health system and statistical center. Patient(s) Data for 4136 women, ages 18–50, in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999–2004. Intervention(s) None. Main Outcome Measure(s) Periodontitis and gingivitis among those patients with and without self-reported endometriosis. Result(s) Multinomial logistic regression showed that women with self-reported endometriosis had significantly (57%) higher odds of having both gingivitis and periodontitis relative to not having periodontal disease, compared with women without self-reported endometriosis (adjusted odds ratio, 1.57; 95% confidence interval, 1.06, 2.33), when controlling for other relevant factors. Conclusion(s) The results of this study suggest a possible association between endometriosis and periodontal disease. Although it is conceivable that the multifactorial development of endometriosis may be augmented by an immune response to an infectious agent, the potential underlying link between endometriosis and periodontal disease may be a generalized, global immune dysregulation.
Lymph node aspiration biopsy diagnostic reliability and limitations—an analysis of 350 cases

The results of fine needle aspiration biopsy of lymph nodes in 350 patients and the modified biopsy technique used at our institution are discussed. Of the 350 cases, 209 aspirates were categorized as cytologically malignant, 102 as benign, 30 as suspicious for malignancy, and 9 as unsatisfactory. Cervical lymph nodes were most commonly sampled (58%), and supra-clavicular nodes were most likely to be malignant (90%). The overall diagnostic accuracy achieved was 94%. One false-positive and 9 (2%) false-negative results were observed in the 350 cases. In 3% of the 30 cases diagnosed as suspicious for malignancy, follow-up open biopsy of the lymph nodes in question proved them benign. The advantages and limitations of the procedure are discussed, as well as some of the possible sources of error, particularly in the diagnosis of lymphomas.
The Influence of Dietary Protein Source on Longevity and Age-Related Disease Processes of Fischer Rats

The influence of replacing dietary casein with soy protein on longevity and age-related pathologic lesions of male Fischer 344 rats was investigated. Caloric intake and body weights were similar for rats on the two diets. Rats on the soy protein-containing diet had a median length of life of 844 days compared to 730 days for those on the casein-containing diet (p less than .002), and the ages of the 10th percentile survivors were 937 and 857 days, respectively (p less than .02). The progression of chronic nephropathy was markedly retarded by replacing casein with soy protein. Only 7% of the rats dying spontaneously on the soy protein-containing diet exhibited end-stage chronic nephropathy compared to 41% of the rats on the casein-containing diet. Clearly, the soy protein-containing diet enables ad libitum fed male Fischer 344 rats to be used as a model for aging research without the occurrence of renal failure as a major confounding problem.
Dewatering as a non-toxic control of nuisance midge larvae in algal wastewater treatment floways.

Attached-algae floways have tremendous potential for use in wastewater treatment because natural algal communities show high nutrient removal efficiencies, have low operating costs, and are easy to maintain. Algal wastewater floways may also serve as a sustainable option for producing renewable energy because algae grow rapidly, are easily harvested, and can serve as a source of biomass for biofuel. However, pests such as chironomids (Diptera) colonize open channel periphyton floways and their larvae damage the biofilms. While pesticides can control midge larvae, little information is known about alternative, non-toxic controls. This study examined the effectiveness of periodic, short-term dewatering (4 hours every 9 days) on midge abundance and periphyton growth in 16 recirculating, outdoor floways (3 m long, 0.1 m wide). We compared midge abundance and algal accumulation (chlorophyll a, b, c, and pheophytin) among control ( n = 8) and dewatered ( n = 8) floways filled with secondarily treated wastewater (27 days, 10 hours of daylight). Dewatered flumes had 42% fewer midges and 28–49% lower algal productivity (as measured by chlorophyll a, b, c, and pheophytin pigments). Chlorophyll a production rates averaged (±1 SD) 0.5 ± 0.2 μg/cm 2 /day in control floways compared to 0.3 ± 0.1 μg/cm 2 /day dewatered floways. Short-term dewatering effectively reduced midges but also damaged periphyton. To maximize the recovery of periphyton biomass, operators should harvest periphyton from floways during dewatering events before periphyton is damaged by desiccation or direct exposure to sunlight.
Neutron scattering evidence on Lifshitz behavior in MnP

We have measured the variation of q↘ in the fan phase of MnP in order to test whether the para‐ferro‐fan triple point is a Lifshitz point. Along the para‐fan phase boundary, q↘ continuously decreases as the triple point is approached, extrapolating to zero at a temperature in good agreement with other measurements of the triple point. The temperature dependence of q↘ along this phase boundary is in approximate agreement with theoretical expectations for Lifshitz point behavior. These data support the conclusion that the triple point is a Lifshitz point.
Top‐Hat and Asymmetric Gaussian‐Based Fitting Functions for Quantifying Directional Single‐Molecule Motion

Single-molecule fluorescence permits super-resolution imaging, but traditional algorithms for localizing these isolated fluorescent emitters assume stationary point light sources. Proposed here are two fitting functions that achieve similar nanometer-scale localization precision as the traditional symmetric Gaussian function, while allowing, and explicitly accounting for, directed motion. The precision of these methods is investigated through Fisher information analysis, simulation and experiments, and the new fitting functions are then used to measure, for the first time, the instantaneous velocity and direction of motion of live bacteria cells. These new methods increase the information content of single-molecule images of fast-moving molecules without sacrificing localization precision, thus permitting slower imaging speeds, and our new fitting functions promise to improve tracking algorithms by calculating velocity and direction during each image acquisition.