cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Evolution of Video Processing Technology and Its Main Drivers

In this paper, we will discuss the evolution of consumer video processing technology as a result of the continuing influence of three main drivers: 1) the gap between source content and display technology, 2) emergence of new multimedia interaction paradigms that break away from the couch potato stereotype, and 3) performance-oriented SW/HW platforms that enable highly interactive and immersive experiences. The content-display gap reflects accelerated growth and progress in the two segments adjacent to video processing. It is characterized by the increased access and sheer amount of heterogeneous content that is available anytime, anywhere for users to view it on any display. Next come the multimedia interaction paradigms, which have continued evolving along new dimensions such as sensorial experience (e.g., haptic, voice, gestural), moved from lean-back toward lean-forward experience, and increased quality and variety of experience (i.e., immersive, social and affective interaction). Along with the first two drivers, the computing platform provides the means to deliver the most demanding user experiences, including best picture quality, web connectivity, immersiveness, and gestural user interfaces while optimizing overall system performance. The evolution of video processing has also led to the creation of new product concepts such as the Smart TV in which content consumption, visual experience, social experience, and immersiveness are integrated and delivered through a multiplicity of highly compelling applications.
A note on Bayesian spatial prediction using the elliptical distribution

Bayesian spatial prediction using the elliptical distribution is proposed. Sometimes the family of distributions has a dimensional coherency (consistency) property which is important for spatial prediction. We examine Bayesian posterior and predictive distributions for a spatial prediction which turns out to have the same results as in a Gaussian process.
Water politics must adapt to a warming world

As rainfall patterns shift, technological and legislative changes are needed to address water shortages, says Moshe Alamaro.
Efficient and reliable multiple access for advanced metering in future smart grid

Smart metering, which reports the power activities to the control center, is a key task in smart grid and faces the challenges of realtime requirement and the large population of users. In this paper, the power consumptions of houses and offices are measured using a power clamp. It is found that the power consumption stays almost constant for most of the time, thus justifying the strategy of transmitting only when the power consumption is significantly changed. By using Kolmogorov- Smirnov test, it is also demonstrated that the arrival of changes of the power consumption satisfies Poisson distribution with proper time intervals. For such a random arrival of events, both the multiple access schemes using dedicated channels like TDMA and OFDMA and using contentions like Aloha and CSMA are considered and compared. Numerical simulations are carried out for evaluating the performance, measured by the delay and packet loss rate, using the measurement data and simple communication models. The results show that the contention based multiple access outperforms the dedicated channels, given the configuration of the simulation.
The effects of dorsolateral-frontal and ventrolateral-orbitofrontal lesions on spatial discrimination learning and delayed response in two modalities.

Abstract Thirteen Rhesus monkeys were trained pre- and post-operatively on classical direct-method delayed-response problems, on automated successive visual and auditory discriminations, and on automated indirect-method delayed-response problems with the same visual or auditory cues as those used in discrimination learning. Four subjects sustained lesions in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, five subjects received lesions of the ventrolateral-orbitofrontal region, and four subjects remained as unoperated controls. On classical and on visual indirect-method delayed-response problems, dorsolaterals were inferior to ventrolateral-orbitals, and ventrolateral-orbitals were inferior to normals; on the successive visual discrimination, ventrolateral-orbitals were inferior to dorsolaterals; and on the auditory discrimination and the auditory delayed-response problems, the operates as a group were somewhat worse than normals.
Magnetic properties of ferromagnet-antiferromagnet superlattice structures with mixed-spin antiferromagnetic sheets.

We present theoretical studies of the properties of superlattices constructed by alternating films of ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic materials, each described through use of a localized spin model. The interface between the ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic constituents is a (110) surface of a bcc lattice. For this system, this geometry places mixed-spin antiferromagnetic sheets adjacent to the ferromagnetic films. The study of the classical ground state as a function of external magnetic field shows that in zero field the ground state has spins canted to minimize total exchange energy at the interface. We find that a different sequence of magnetic-field-induced spin-reorientation transitions occur for various values of the interface exchange constant. For the various phases, we present calculations of the spin-wave spectrum and the infrared absorption spectrum of the superlattice structure.
Probing medium-range order in chalcogenide glasses by neutron scattering and optical spectroscopy

Abstract The use of neutron diffraction, neutron inelastic scattering, and optical spectroscopy to probe the nature of the medium-range order (MRO) in amorphous materials is discussed with reference to chalcogenide glasses. While none of these probes provides a unique determination of the MRO, the use of information obtained from the three techniques, supplemented by numerical calculations based on specific structural models, can provide a picture of the essential elements of glass structure.
Technic on intracutaneous tests and results of routine tests in normal persons

Abstract 1. 1. In making intracutaneous tests, the importance of chemical as well as bacteriologic cleanliness is emphasized. The need for all-glass syringes is defined, and a convenient rack for segregating and labelling the syringes is described. 2. 2. When this improved technic is applied to the study of normal, nonallergic individuals, many positive skin tests are obtained. 3. 3. The importance of this observation to the study of allergic patients is discussed.
Intraarticular pressure of the shoulder

Nine fresh frozen cadaveric shoulders were used to examine the changes in intraarticular pressure (IAP) of the shoulder joint and the position of the humeral head under various loads to determine the relationship between these parameters. All the soft tissues superficial to the rotator cuff were removed. The position of the humerus relative to the scapula was monitored using an electromagnetic tracking system before and after venting the capsule with 0, 0.5, and 1.0 kg of load applied to the humerus inferiorly in addition to the weight of the arm. Simultaneously, the IAP was monitored using a pressure transducer before venting the capsule. Venting had a significant effect on the position of the humeral head: the positions of the head after venting were significantly lowered in all loading conditions. The average IAP was -76 cm H2O without load, and the value decreased in a linear fashion with increased load; the correlations were significant in four of six shoulders without dislocation. The correlations were less significant between the pressure and the position, and there were no significant correlations between the load and the position. IAP, which is determined primarily by the load applied, is important to stabilize the shoulder inferiorly. Because IAP is intimately related to the external load and the response is specific to individuals, examination of IAP response to external load may be helpful in characterizing various instabilities of the shoulder.
NEUTRON-MATTER EQUATIONS OF STATE.

Abstract The equation of state of dense matter is essential to the theoretical prediction of the structure of neutron stars on the global as well as local scale. We present two parallel microscopic calculations of the equation of state of a uniform extended system of neutrons interacting by the Reid potential, the first based on the ordinary Jastrow method in two-body approximation, the second based on the Wu-Feenberg version of Jastrow theory, which sums higher-order contributions. The good agreement of the two calculations, to quite high density, indicates that for the simple monotonie correlation factor assumed, a prominent class of higher-order (three-body, four-body, ...) cluster contributions is relatively unimportant in dense neutron matter.
Commercial Mortgage Pricing with Unobservable Borrower Default Costs

This paper develops a pricing model for commercial real estate mortgage debt that recognizes the influence of default transaction costs on the borrower's default decision. These costs are heterogeneous across borrowers and largely un-observable to the lender/investor at the time of origination or loan purchase. A recognition of these unobservable costs can explain why borrower default decisions may differ from those predicted by “ruthless” mortgage-default pricing models. We address the determinants of default choice and timing by replacing sharp default boundaries found in the ruthless models with “fuzzy” boundaries that account for investor uncertainty with respect to evaluating borrower default decisions. To implement our model, we estimate probabilities of default as a junction of time and net equity in the property. Then, given that default occurs, loss severities are modeled based on expected property value recovery net of foreclosure costs and time until the asset is actually sold. Under reasonable parameter value choices, resulting Monte Carlo simulations produce numerical mortgage price estimates as well as component default frequency and severity levels that realistically reflect default premiums and loss levels observed in the marketplace.
Not just guidelines: Pirate codes and the emergence of property rights in The Invisible Hook

Peter Leeson’s The Invisible Hook provides a readable and entertaining narrative of the hidden economics of the Golden Age of Piracy. This essay comments on one particular aspect of Leeson’s work: what we can learn from pirates about the emergence and evolution of property rights? I conclude that pirate codes had their origins in part in legally enforceable agreements and that pirates’ blend of individual and communal property rights bore some resemblance to the property rights of wandering tribal peoples.
Echinacea Treatment for the Common Cold

treatment, but because of the fact that echinacea treatments have required an unjustified large expenditure of money for their use. The common cold is defined in the Harrison textbook of medicine [2] as a mild, self-limited viral infection of the upper respiratory tract. Adults experience, on average, 2‐4 colds per year, and children experience about twice that number. The textbook states that rhinoviruses with 100 different immunotypes cause ∼40% of cases, and that other respiratory viruses, especially corona viruses, cause the others. Newer studies using PCR analysis for diagnosis suggest that ∼50% of common colds may be due to rhinoviruses. On this basis, it should be emphasized that the common cold is caused by many serologically distinct rhinoviruses, as well as a number of other viruses. It seems unlikely that echinacea has an antiviral spectrum broad enough to affect so many viruses. The suggestion that echinacea may act by enhancing immune responsiveness is also difficult to reconcile with the significant negative findings with respect to the treatment’s effect on clinical disease and to the uninhibited virus shedding. It should also be noted that many years of intensive research in many laboratories have produced only a small number of unequivocally therapeutically active antiviral drugs, and none have achieved a high level of utility. With evidence of little or no therapeutic
Dual-mode quasi-elliptic-function bandpass filters using ring resonators with enhanced-coupling tuning stubs

A novel microwave dual-mode quasi-elliptic-function bandpass filter structure has been designed and fabricated. The filter uses L-shaped coupling arms for enhanced coupling and dual-mode excitation. The effects of varying the length of tuning stubs and gap size between tuning stubs and ring resonator have been studied. Filters using multiple cascaded ring resonators with high rejection band are presented. The new filters have been verified by simulation and measurement with good agreement.
A quantitative investigation of inertial power harvesting for human-powered devices

We present an empirical study of the long-term practicality of using human motion to generate operating power for body-mounted consumer electronics and health sensors. We have collected a large continuous acceleration dataset from eight experimental subjects going about their normal daily routine for 3 days each. Each subject is instrumented with a data collection apparatus that simultaneously logs 3-axis, 80Hz acceleration data from six body locations. We use this dataset to optimize a first-principles physical model of the commonly used velocity damped resonant generator (VDRG) by selecting physical parameters such as resonant frequency and damping coefficient to maximize harvested power. Our results show that with reasonable assumptions on size, mass, placement, and efficiency of VDRG harvesters, most body-mounted wireless sensors and even some consumer electronics devices, may be powered continuously and indefinitely from everyday motion.
Scaling and dielectric stress compensation of ultrasensitive boron-doped silicon microstructure

The scaling of boron-doped silicon membranes based on diaphragm dimensions and stress compensation is characterized. Devices with varying edge length and plate thickness are fabricated and tested for sensitivity. The stress for p++ silicon, LPCVD silicon dioxide, and LPCVD silicon nitride is measured using an electrostatic technique, that uses silicon microbridges. Silicon membranes with varying thickness of oxide and nitride are characterized for sensitivity. The results confirm a previously reported analytical scaling theory for the structures. Based on this theory, scaled experimental devices are found to show sensitivities within three percent of the calculated design targets. >
Speciation of Uranium in Fernald Soils by Molecular Spectroscopic Methods: Characterization of Untreated Soils

A combination of X-ray absorption, optical luminescence, and Raman vibrational spectroscopies along with ancillary techniques such as energy dispersive scanning electron microscopy and powder X-ray...
Hands-free voice communication in an automobile with a microphone array

The authors present the result of their research on developing a hands-free voice communication system with a microphone array for use in an automobile environment. The goal of this research is to develop a speech acquisition and enhancement system so that a speech recognizer can reliably be used inside a noise automobile environment, for digital cellular phone application. Speech data have been collected using a microphone array and a digital audio tape (DAT) recorder inside a real car for several idling and driving conditions, and processed using delay-and-sum and adaptive beamforming algorithms. Performance criteria including signal-to-noise ratio and speech recognition error rate have been evaluated for the processed data. Detailed performance results presented show that the microphone array is superior to a single microphone. >
Porphyromonas gingivalis induction of microRNA-203 expression controls suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 in gingival epithelial cells.

Porphyromonas gingivalis is a pathogen in severe periodontal disease. Able to exploit an intracellular lifestyle within primary gingival epithelial cells (GECs), a reservoir of P. gingivalis can persist within the gingival epithelia. This process is facilitated by manipulation of the host cell signal transduction cascades which can impact cell cycle, cell death, and cytokine responses. Using microarrays, we investigated the ability of P. gingivalis 33277 to regulate microRNA (miRNA) expression in GECs. One of several miRNAs differentially regulated by GECs in the presence of P. gingivalis was miRNA-203 (miR-203), which was upregulated 4-fold compared to uninfected controls. Differential regulation of miR-203 was confirmed by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR). Putative targets of miR-203, suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) and SOCS6, were evaluated by qRT-PCR. SOCS3 and SOCS6 mRNA levels were reduced >5-fold and >2-fold, respectively, in P. gingivalis-infected GECs compared to controls. Silencing of miR-203 using a small interfering RNA construct reversed the inhibition of SOCS3 expression. A dual luciferase assay confirmed binding of miR-203 to the putative target binding site of the SOCS3 3′ untranslated region. Western blot analysis demonstrated that activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3), a downstream target of SOCS, was diminished following miR-203 silencing. This study shows that induction of miRNAs by P. gingivalis can modulate important host signaling responses.
Unique Pattern of ORC2 and MCM7 Localization During DNA Replication Licensing in the Mouse Zygote

In eukaryotes, DNA synthesis is preceded by licensing of replication origins. We examined the subcellular localization of two licensing proteins, ORC2 and MCM7, in the mouse zygotes and two-cell embryos. In somatic cells ORC2 remains bound to DNA replication origins throughout the cell cycle, while MCM7 is one of the last proteins to bind to the licensing complex. We found that MCM7 but not ORC2 was bound to DNA in metaphase II oocytes and remained associated with the DNA until S-phase. Shortly after fertilization, ORC2 was detectable at the metaphase II spindle poles and then between the separating chromosomes. Neither protein was present in the sperm cell at fertilization. As the sperm head decondensed, MCM7 was bound to DNA, but no ORC2 was seen. By 4 h after fertilization, both pronuclei contained DNA bound ORC2 and MCM7. As expected, during S-phase of the first zygotic cell cycle, MCM7 was released from the DNA, but ORC2 remained bound. During zygotic mitosis, ORC2 again localized first to the spindle poles, then to the area between the separating chromosomes. ORC2 then formed a ring around the developing two-cell nuclei before entering the nucleus. Only soluble MCM7 was present in the G2 pronuclei, but by zygotic metaphase it was bound to DNA, again apparently before ORC2. In G1 of the two-cell stage, both nuclei had salt-resistant ORC2 and MCM7. These data suggest that licensing follows a unique pattern in the early zygote that differs from what has been described for other mammalian cells that have been studied.
Longevity and reproduction of the southern green stink bug, Nezara viridula, as affected by parasitization by Trichopoda pennipes.

A comparative study of 618 field-collected Nezara viridula (L.) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) snowed that parasitization by Trichopoda pennipes (F.) (Diptera: Tachinidae) caused a 49% reduction in the longevity of male and female N. viridula. Egg fertility and egg-mass size were not reduced by parasitization. Fecundity of parasitized females was not reduced relative to that of unparasitized females during a time period equal to the lifetime of parasitized females. However, lifetime fecundity of unparasitized females was 3.8 times the lifetime fecundity of parasitized females. Since N. viridula mate and oviposit throughout their lives, parasitization by T. pennipes can cause significant reductions in population levels of this pest. RESUME Effets du parasitisme par Trichopoda pennipes sur la longevite et la reproduction de Nezara viridula l'etude des effets du parasitisme par Trichopoda pennipes sur la longevite et la reproduction de Nezara viridula a ete realisee au laboratoire en 1979 et 1980 a partir de 618 larves du 5eme stade de N. viridula recoltees dans la nature. 13 jours avant la mue imaginale, la moitie des punaises a ete exposee aux parasites, l'autre moitie etant utilisee comme temoin. La parasitisme a reduit de 49% la longevite de N. viridula (de 60 a 30 jours pour les mâles, de 57 a 30 jours pour les femelles). Les punaises parasitees ont survecu en moyenne 1 jour apres l'emergence des larves mures de Tachinaires avant leur pupaison. Le developpement embryonnaire et larvaire des parasites a demande 16 ± 1.7 j et la nymphose 12,6 ± 1,0 j. La fertilite des œufs (92%) et le nombre d'œufs par ponte (55) des femelles parasitees n'etaient pas significativement inferieurs a ceux des femelles saines (90% et 64 œufs). La fecondite des femelles parasitees (73 œufs par femelle) pendant la periode de vie imaginale correspondante des femelles saines n'etait pas significativement inferieure a celle des femelles saines (103 œufs). Cependant la fecondite totale des femelles saines (278 œufs par femelle) est significativement superieure a celle des parasitees (73 œufs). En reduisant de moitie la longevite, le parasitisme a provoque une diminution de 74% de la fecondite des punaises. Pour cette raison il serait avantageux d'elever et augmenter la densite de T. pennipes dans et autour des champs infestes par N. viridula.
Signal-To-Noise Ratio Out of an Ideal FM Detector for SSB FM Plus Gaussian Noise at the Input

The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at the output of an ideal FM detector is determined as a function of the modulation index for the case of an SSB-FM signal plus narrow-band Gaussian noise at the input, where the input SNR is large. The modulation is assumed to be sinusoidal, and the noise is taken to be flat over the intermediate frequency band.
Adrenal Medullary Secretion During Hypoxia, Bleeding, and Rapid Intravenous Infusion

This study reports the effect of hypoxia, of lowering blood pressure by bleeding, and of rapid infusion upon adrenal secretion in anesthetized dogs. Adrenal norepinephrine-like substances (NEL) were measured in adrenal venous blood by means of a bio-assay method, using the rabbit aortic strip. In 10 of 11 dogs breathing 7.1 per cent O2 in N2, the left adrenal NEL output was augmented 1.5 to 6.6 times control levels. The increased adrenal medullary secretion during hypoxia was not dependent upon a fall in systemic arterial blood pressure and was not associated with an increase of 17-hydroxycorticosteroid output. In five dogs bled to a blood pressure of 80 to 90 mm. Hg, left adrenal NEL output was augmented 2.9 to 7.4 times control levels. In 11 animals in which the blood pressure was lowered to 40 to 50 mm. Hg by bleeding, left adrenal NEL output was augmented 1.8 to 17 times control levels. Seven dogs were made anemic and hypervolemic by rapid infusion of 1,125 to 1,900 ml. normal saline or Krebs' solution. Cardiac outputs were increased more than 200 per cent in six, and considerable dilution anemia was produced. However, left adrenal NEL outputs fell to values ranging from 14 to 50 per cent of control. During rapid infusions, output of adrenal 17-OHCS increased 18.5 to 92 per cent. It is concluded that increased adrenal medullary secretion did not participate in the increase of cardiac output observed in these seven animals.
TLCharts: armor-plating Harel statecharts with temporal logic conditions

This paper addresses the need for armor-plating Harel statechart design specifications of real-time systems with safety requirements (which are commonly written in temporal logic) using a new visual specification language named TLCharts. TLCharts combine the visual and intuitive appeal of non-deterministic Harel statecharts with formal specifications written in linear-time (metric) temporal logic. We demonstrate such armor-plating with a specification of the safety-critical computer assisted resuscitation algorithm (CARA) software for a casualty intravenous fluid infusion pump.
Work in Progress: Teach Girls Mathematics and Technology from Humanities Classes

This paper presents collaboration between university faculty and middle school teachers to provide early intervention during a key period in a girl's life where positive learning experiences with technology and mathematics may influence later career choices. The target population is from two school districts that have high percentages of students from minority and disadvantaged families. The innovative aspect of the project is the application of mathematics in subject areas where girls feel comfortable or may have more advantage over boys. This allows girls to increase their confidence and strengthen areas that may not be as strong. This paper describes how university faculty and students can team with middle school teachers in designing curriculum units that promote girls' learning in mathematics and technology. Lessons learned from collaboration with middle schools will be discussed.
Propulsion aspects of transportation

Propulsion factors have a major influence on the characteristics of transportation systems and their economics, and advances in transportation have been keyed to advances in propulsion technology. Propulsion concepts conceived in the past 30 years have completely revolutionized air, land, and sea transportation,The turbojet engine, the diesel-electric locomotive, and the nuclear submarine are each uniquely suited to their applications and it is difficult to conceive of new systems which would offer significant advantages for current conditions. However, as new transportation concepts are developed, new propulsion requirements are arising and these may be served best by new propulsion concepts. Research on improved batteries, fuel cells, thermionics, and new types of heat enghtes may lead to propulsion systems uniquely suited to future transportation systems; in addition, rapid transfer of advanced aircraft engine technology to other transportation modes can be expected.
Differential responses of production and respiration to temperature and moisture drive the carbon balance across a climatic gradient in New Mexico

Southwestern North America faces an imminent transition to a warmer, more arid climate, and it is critical to understand how these changes will affect the carbon balance of southwest ecosystems. In order to test our hypothesis that differential responses of production and respiration to temperature and moisture shape the carbon balance across a range of spatio-temporal scales, we quantified net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of CO2 and carbon storage across the New Mexico Elevational Gradient, which consists of six eddy-covariance sites representing biomes ranging from desert to subalpine conifer forest. Within sites, hotter and drier conditions were associated with an increasing advantage of respiration relative to production such that daily carbon uptake peaked at intermediate temperatures – with carbon release often occurring on the hottest days – and increased with soil moisture. Across sites, biotic adaptations modified but did not override the dominant effects of climate. Carbon uptake increased with decreasing temperature and increasing precipitation across the elevational gradient; NEE ranged from a source of ∼30 g C m−2 yr−1 in the desert grassland to a sink of ∼350 g C m−2 yr−1 in the subalpine conifer forest. Total aboveground carbon storage increased dramatically with elevation, ranging from 186 g C m−2 in the desert grassland to 26 600 g C m−2 in the subalpine conifer forest. These results make sense in the context of global patterns in NEE and biomass storage, and support that increasing temperature and decreasing moisture shift the carbon balance of ecosystems in favor of respiration, such that the potential for ecosystems to sequester and store carbon is reduced under hot and/or dry conditions. This implies that projected climate change will trigger a substantial net release of carbon in these New Mexico ecosystems (∼3 Gt CO2 statewide by the end of the century), thereby acting as a positive feedback to climate change.
De novo translation initiation on membrane-bound ribosomes as a mechanism for localization of cytosolic protein mRNAs to the endoplasmic reticulum

The specialized protein synthesis functions of the cytosol and endoplasmic reticulum compartments are conferred by the signal recognition particle (SRP) pathway, which directs the cotranslational trafficking of signal sequence-encoding mRNAs from the cytosol to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Although subcellular mRNA distributions largely mirror the binary pattern predicted by the SRP pathway model, studies in mammalian cells, yeast, and Drosophila have also demonstrated that cytosolic protein-encoding mRNAs are broadly represented on ER-bound ribosomes. A mechanism for such noncanonical mRNA localization remains, however, to be identified. Here, we examine the hypothesis that de novo translation initiation on ER-bound ribosomes serves as a mechanism for localizing cytosolic protein-encoding mRNAs to the ER. As a test of this hypothesis, we performed single molecule RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization studies of subcellular mRNA distributions and report that a substantial fraction of mRNAs encoding the cytosolic protein GAPDH resides in close proximity to the ER. Consistent with these data, analyses of subcellular mRNA and ribosome distributions in multiple cell lines demonstrated that cytosolic protein mRNA-ribosome distributions were strongly correlated, whereas signal sequence-encoding mRNA-ribosome distributions were divergent. Ribosome footprinting studies of ER-bound polysomes revealed a substantial initiation codon read density enrichment for cytosolic protein-encoding mRNAs. We also demonstrate that eukaryotic initiation factor 2α is bound to the ER via a salt-sensitive, ribosome-independent mechanism. Combined, these data support ER-localized translation initiation as a mechanism for mRNA recruitment to the ER.
Relation of mitochondrial oxygen consumption in peripheral blood mononuclear cells to vascular function in type 2 diabetes mellitus

Recent studies have shown mitochondrial dysfunction and increased production of reactive oxygen species in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and endothelial cells from patients with diabetes mellitus. Mitochondria oxygen consumption is coupled to adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production and also occurs in an uncoupled fashion during formation of reactive oxygen species by components of the electron transport chain and other enzymatic sites. We therefore hypothesized that diabetes would be associated with higher total and uncoupled oxygen consumption in PBMCs that would correlate with endothelial dysfunction. We developed a method to measure oxygen consumption in freshly isolated PBMCs and applied it to 26 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and 28 non-diabetic controls. Basal (192 ± 47 vs 161 ± 44 pmoles/min, p = 0.01), uncoupled (64 ± 16 vs 53 ± 13 pmoles/min, p = 0.007), and maximal (795 ± 87 vs 715 ± 128 pmoles/min, p=0.01) oxygen consumption rates were higher in diabetic patients compared to controls. There were no significant correlations between oxygen consumption rates and endothelium-dependent flow-mediated dilation measured by vascular ultrasound. Non-endothelium-dependent nitroglycerin-mediated dilation was lower in diabetics (10.1 ± 6.6 vs 15.8 ± 4.8%, p = 0.03) and correlated with maximal oxygen consumption (r = -0.64, p=0.001). In summary, we found that diabetes mellitus is associated with a pattern of mitochondrial oxygen consumption consistent with higher production of reactive oxygen species. The correlation between oxygen consumption and nitroglycerin-mediated dilation may suggest a link between mitochondrial dysfunction and vascular smooth muscle cell dysfunction that merits further study. Finally, the described method may have utility for the assessment of mitochondrial function in larger scale observational and interventional studies in humans.
Use of MQAE for measurement of intracellular [Cl-] in cultured aortic smooth muscle cells

A novel fluorescent indicator, N-[ethoxycarbonylmethyl]-6-methoxy-quinolinium bromide (MQAE), was used to measure intracellular chloride concentration ([Cl-]i) in primary cultures of rat aortic smooth muscle cells (VSMC). The hydrolytic and fluorescent properties of the dye were characterized. The intracellular Stern-Volmer constant was calculated to be 25 M-1. Cl- efflux curves were characteristic of saturation-type kinetics, with an apparent Michaelis-Menten constant value of 11 +/- 4.8 (SD) mM, a maximum velocity of 0.038 +/- 0.021 mM/s, and a half time (t1/2) of 9.0 +/- 3.7 min. The average efflux rate in the first 10 min (0.023 +/- 0.004 mM/s) was reduced in the presence of either 130 microM 4,4'-diisothiocyanato-dihydrostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (H2DIDS) (0.014 +/- 0.006, P = 0.02) or 40 microM furosemide (0.017 +/- 0.004, P = 0.04). Restoration of physiological extracellular chloride concentration ([Cl-]o) after zero Cl- resulted in net Cl- influx with a t1/2 of 3.6 +/- 1.0 min. The initial Cl- influx rate was reduced after exposure to furosemide, from 0.069 +/- 0.006 to 0.046 +/- 0.008 mM/s, P < 0.002, and was reduced after exposure to H2DIDS from 0.102 +/- 0.013 to 0.033 +/- 0.003 mM/s, P < 0.001. Furosemide reduced the steady-state [Cl-]i from 31.6 +/- 3.2 to 26.1 +/- 2.4 mM, P < 0.01, whereas H2DIDS had little effect on [Cl-]i. Our results demonstrate that MQAE can be used to measure [Cl-]i in primary cultures of VSMC.
Teaching the Whole Child through Physical Education and Youth Development.

This article describes the Make-A-Difference: Guard East New York program, a sports-based youth development program that utilizes the holistic teaching approach of teaching for personal and social responsibility.
Temperature influences functional response of Anisopteromalus calandrae (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) parasitizing maize weevil larvae in shelled corn

The functional response of Anisopteromalus calandrae (Howard) attacking Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky on shelled corn was measured at constant temperatures of 20, 25, 30, and 35°C. Separate random parasite equations (Rogers, D. J. 1972. Random search and insect population models. J. Anim. Ecol. 41: 369-383) were fit to the number of progeny produced in 1 d. Temperature was incorporated into Rogers' equation by making both the attack coefficient ( a ) and handling time ( Th ) functions of temperature. The attack coefficient was fitted as an exponential function and handling time as an inverse function of temperature. The resulting four-parameter composite model fit the data as well as the separate Rogers' equations, although the predicted functional response plateau at temperatures >20°C tended to be lower than those of the Rogers' equations.
The Future of Medical Journal Publishing: The Journal Editor's Perspective: Looking Back, Looking Forward.

> After the birth of printing, books became widespread…men quickly learned [about] so many topics….[E]specially since 1563, the number of [publications] in every field is greater than all those produced in the past thousand years….I really believe that at last the world is alive, indeed [intellectually] stimulating. > > —Johannes Kepler, De Stella Nova in Johannes Kepler Gesammelte Werke , vol 1. 1937, pp 330 to 332 Scientific information is of no value without dissemination. Before the advent of the printing press, new scientific knowledge was shared by word-of-mouth, by hand-written correspondence, or by the assiduous efforts of scribes who copied information on semipermanent media in libraries of papyrus scrolls. These methods of communication all suffered from limited reader access. With the invention of the printing press in the 15th century, mass production of printed materials became possible. The practical limitations of earlier methods of information sharing were immediately eliminated, with the resulting explosive growth in the publication of books of all sorts. The sciences, in particular, benefitted greatly from mechanical printing. The scientific method and the progress of science require that new observations are shared with the scientific community, both to encourage their replication and to advance the discipline. Each new scientific observation adds to the corpus of scientific knowledge, and the more rapidly the observation can be shared, the more rapidly the field progresses. To this end, the first scientific journals were established in 1665: the French Le Journal des Scavans (January 1665) and the English Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London (March 1665). These journals presented reports on topics across the spectrum of science (natural philosophy), without emphasis on any particular branch of the discipline. The first biomedical journal was Acta Medica et Philosophica Hafniensia (1673). This journal was edited by Thomas Bartholin, physician and professor of anatomy …
Application of Reusable Pattern in IEC 61850 Unified Modeling

Aim at requirements of expandability and reusability of implementing unified modeling in IEC 61850 standards for hydropower plants,several reusable design patterns used to construct the software framework are proposed.During modeling for hydropower plants,MVC pattern is adopted for integral architecture of the software.Implementation of the software is divided into show,business logic and enduring layer,which in logic separates modular of user interface,modular of data processing and modular of accessing to database.Composite pattern description is utilized for device logical nodes and data nodes in order to satisfy the requirement of hierarchical structure of IEC 61850.The application of these reusable patterns constructs a loose-coupled software system.This makes the software more expandable and more reusable,and finally reduces difficulty and cost of maintenance.
Classical vs Non-Classical Logics

Most philosophers writing recently on the logic of conditionals have accepted all the theses of our weak conditional logic W. No one, though, has seriously suggested that W exhausts the logic of conditionals. Indeed, almost everyone writing in the area has suggested some proper extension of W as the correct logic for conditions. The significance of W is that it appears to be one of the strongest conditional logics we can put together without generating some disagreement among the majority of these philosophers who have expressed an opinion on the subject. Of course, even W is too strong for necessitation conditionals. For the conditionals we are now considering, though, we will take W to be a lower bound on the proper logic for such conditionals.
Related-Key Differential Cryptanalysis of 192-bit Key AES Variants

A related-key differential cryptanalysis is applied to the 192-bit key variant of AES. Although any 4-round differential trail has at least 25 active bytes, one can construct 5-round related-key differential trail that has only 15 active bytes and break six rounds with 2106 plaintext/ciphertext pairs and complexity 2112. The attack can be improved using truncated differentials. In this case, the number of required plaintext/ciphertext pairs is 281 and the complexity is about 286. Using impossible related-key differentials we can break seven rounds with 2111 plaintext/ciphertext pairs and computational complexity 2116. The attack on eight rounds requires 288 plaintext/ciphertext pairs and its complexity is about 2183 encryptions. In the case of differential cryptanalysis, if the iterated cipher is Markov cipher and the round keys are independent, then the sequence of differences at each round output forms a Markov chain and the cipher becomes resistant to differential cryptanalysis after sufficiently many rounds, but this is not true in the case of related-key differentials. It can be shown that if in addition the Markov cipher has K-f round function and the hypothesis of stochastic equivalence for related keys holds, then the iterated cipher is resistant to related-key differential attacks after sufficiently many rounds.
Using surface electromyography to detect changes in innervation zones pattern after human cervical spinal cord injury

Human spinal cord injuries (SCI) disrupt the pathways between brain and spinal cord, resulting in substantial impairment and loss of function. Currently, we do not have the ability to precisely quantify the “functional” level of motor injury. The aim of this study is to determine if high-density surface electromyography imaging (SEI) can be used to characterize the location and extent of the spinal lesion. SEI is a safe and non-invasive technique, which uses several electrodes to provide a map of muscle activity. We applied the SEI technique to characterize muscle activity in individuals with chronic incomplete cervical SCI. Surface electromyogram signals (sEMG) from Biceps Brachii (BB) were recorded at submaximal levels (20%, 40%, and 60%) of maximum voluntary contractions (MVC) during isometric elbow flexion, shoulder flexion, and elbow abduction in two individuals with SCI. Through time-domain analysis of the collected data, we detected signs of de-innervation and re-innervations by analyzing the innervation zones (IZ) on the left and right BB muscles. We found that the distribution of IZs was different between the two sides. In addition, analysis of sEMG data collected at rest (no voluntary contraction) showed evidence of superficial active motor units that were active during rest (in the absence of spasms). These findings highlight the potential of SEI technique as a potential clinical tool to quantitatively describe the extent of the damage to motor spinal circuitry, and provide added precision to the clinical examinations and radiological findings.
Survival of Salmonellae in Refrigerated, Agitated Water and Water/Glycol Mixtures1

Survival of Salmonella typhimurium in refrigerated water and a 30:70 mixture of ethylene glycol and water was studied. Survival was determined with an MPN procedure using 333 ml of the cooling medium. Initial populations were determined by spread plating 1 ml of sample on 3 plates of XLD. With water as the suspending medium, the temperature of the circulating water was 1°C. When the cooling medium was the glycol/water mixture, the temperature was -1°C. Low numbers of S. typhimurium were recovered from the cold water for 9 d and from the glycol/water mixture for 14 d. The initial population in the water was 310 CFU/ml and 630 CFU/ml in the glycol/water system. A preliminary survey of the pressure relationships in the cooling sections of HTST pasteurizers in 8 fluid milk plants showed that 3 had higher pressures on the coolant side than on the pasteurized side. Such a pressure relationship could result in the contamination of pasteurized milk with the cooling medium.
Identification of Crucial Amino Acid Residues Involved in Agonist Signaling at the GPR55 Receptor.

GPR55 is a newly deorphanized class A G-protein-coupled receptor that has been implicated in inflammatory pain, neuropathic pain, metabolic disorder, bone development, and cancer. Few potent GPR55 ligands have been identified to date. This is largely due to an absence of information about salient features of GPR55, such as residues important for signaling and residues implicated in the GPR55 signaling cascade. The goal of this work was to identify residues that are key for the signaling of the GPR55 endogenous ligand, l-α-lysophosphatidylinositol (LPI), as well as the signaling of the GPR55 agonist, ML184 {CID 2440433, 3-[4-(2,3-dimethylphenyl)piperazine-1-carbonyl]-N,N-dimethyl-4-pyrrolidin-1-ylbenzenesulfonamide}. Serum response element (SRE) and serum response factor (SRF) luciferase assays were used as readouts for studying LPI and ML184 signaling at the GPR55 mutants. A GPR55 R* model based on the recent δ-opioid receptor (DOR) crystal structure was used to interpret the resultant mutation data. Two ...
Do More Interpretive Sources Mean More Discretion

Observers have suggested that adding sources of interpretation tends to increase interpreter discretion. The idea is embedded in a quip, attributed to Judge Leventhal, that citing legislative history is like “looking over a crowd and picking out your friends.” Participants in debates over interpretive method have applied the same idea to the proliferation of other sources as well, including canons of construction and originalist history. But the logic of “more sources, more discretion” has escaped serious testing. And predicting the effect of source proliferation is not a matter of logic alone. The empirical study of how information loads affect behavior has grown dramatically in recent decades, though almost without notice in legal scholarship on interpretive method.This Article tests the logic and evidence for “more sources, more discretion.” The idea turns out to be incorrect, without more, as a matter of logic. Adding sources tends to reduce the chance of discretion using a simple model of interpretation. This starter model depicts judges as aggregators of source implications, and it draws on basic probability theory and computer simulations to illustrate. The analysis does change if we allow judges to “spin” or “cherry pick” sources, but without much hope for limiting discretion by limiting sources. Of course, judges will not always behave like machines executing instructions. The Article therefore goes on to spotlight provocative empirical studies, develop working theories of interpreter behavior, and present new data.First, a new dataset casts doubt on an earlier study that linked a growing stock of precedents to increased judicial discretion. Adding decisions to the pile of precedent seems to have no predictable pattern of effect on judicial discretion. Second, existing studies indicate that judges promote the status quo when information loads increase. New data suggest that this effect depends on the type of information added. The number of source citations in an appellate brief, for example, appears to have no effect on judges’ willingness to affirm. Third, an expanded dataset supports an earlier finding that judges who face a large number of doctrinal factors may save time by prioritizing the factors in a quasi-legal fashion — and without following conventional ideological lines.
Mediator structure and rearrangements required for holoenzyme formation

The conserved Mediator co-activator complex has an essential role in the regulation of RNA polymerase II transcription in all eukaryotes. Understanding the structure and interactions of Mediator is crucial for determining how the complex influences transcription initiation and conveys regulatory information to the basal transcription machinery. Here we present a 4.4 A resolution cryo-electron microscopy map of Schizosaccharomyces pombe Mediator in which conserved Mediator subunits are individually resolved. The essential Med14 subunit works as a central backbone that connects the Mediator head, middle and tail modules. Comparison with a 7.8 A resolution cryo-electron microscopy map of a Mediator–RNA polymerase II holoenzyme reveals that changes in the structure of Med14 facilitate a large-scale Mediator rearrangement that is essential for holoenzyme formation. Our study suggests that access to different conformations and crosstalk between structural elements are essential for the Mediator regulation mechanism, and could explain the capacity of the complex to integrate multiple regulatory signals. Cryo-electron microscopy maps of the fission yeast Mediator complex and of a Mediator–RNA polymerase II holoenzyme reveal how changes in the Med14 subunit enable large-scale rearrangements of the Mediator structure that are essential for holoenzyme formation. The Mediator complex has an essential role in regulating RNA polymerase II transcription in eukaryotes. Here Francisco Asturias and colleagues use cryo-electron microscopy to obtain a near-atomic-resolution structure of the entire Mediator complex in fission yeast. They also determine the structure of the Mediator–RNA polymerase II holoenzyme. The Med14 subunit serves as a backbone to connect the head, middle and tail modules, and its flexibility enables the large-scale rearrangements that occur when the Mediator complex associates with RNA polymerase II.