cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ATG16L1 and IL23R variants and genetic susceptibility to crohn's disease: mode of inheritance based on meta-analysis of genetic association studies.

Background Autophagy and regulation of IL-23 signaling pathways have been implicated in the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease (CD). We studied the mode of inheritance and reviewed the association of 2 polymorphic variants of ATG16L1 and IL23R with CD. Methods We searched the PubMed and ISI Web of Science databases (up to May 2014) for pertinent articles. We included all studies that had a case-control design, with cases having CD and controls being healthy and reported full genotype frequencies for the ATG16L1 and/or IL23R variant of interest. We quantified the relative genetic risk using the model-free approach of the generalized odds ratio metric (ORG) and reported 95% precision estimates. Also, we explored the mode of inheritance using the degree of dominance h-index. Results Fifty-one studies fulfilled these requirements and were included in the analysis. These studies involved 12,762 patients and 16,735 controls evaluating the association of ATG16L1 (rs2241880 p.Thr300Ala) and 8110 patients and 11,900 controls evaluating the association of IL23R (rs11209026 p.Arg381Gln) with CD. The ATG16L1 variant rs2241880 was associated with increased susceptibility to CD (combined ORG = 1.38; 95% confidence interval, 1.29-1.48) and a nondominant mode of inheritance (suggesting that the effect of heterozygosity lies exactly in the middle of extreme homozygotes, h = 0). The IL23R variant rs11209026 was associated with significant protection (ORG = 0.46; 95% confidence interval, 0.41-0.53) and a recessive mode of inheritance, indicating that the effect of a heterozygous genotype would lie close to the wild-type homozygous genotype. In subgroup analysis, the significant effects persisted across Caucasian ancestry studies and pediatric populations but were lacking across studies in Asian populations. Conclusions The ATG16L1 variant rs2241880 was associated with 38% increase in the risk for CD for higher mutational load, whereas IL23R variant rs11209026 decreased the risk by 54% for higher mutational load. The mode of inheritance for ATG16L1 variant demonstrated perfect additivity for genetic risk, whereas it showed recessiveness for the IL23R variant. This analysis permits risk stratification for CD based on the mutational status and highlight the need for additional studies in certain populations.
Correlation of urine and plasma cytokine levels among reproductive‐aged women

Background Inflammation is implicated in many adverse health conditions, and recent interest has focused on the effects of chronic low-grade inflammation in generally healthy populations. Cytokines measured in plasma or serum are commonly used as biomarkers of systemic levels of inflammation. Measurement of cytokines in urine may offer a simpler and less invasive alternative, although the degree to which levels of cytokines correlate in plasma and urine among healthy individuals is unknown. Materials and methods We assessed the correlation of blood and urine levels of 13 cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-1b, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12(p70) and IL-13, granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor, interferon gamma and tumour necrosis factor alpha in 61 healthy women aged 18–30. Cytokine concentrations were considered with and without correction for creatinine. Results Plasma and urine levels of the 13 cytokines were not significantly correlated using measured urinary cytokine concentrations and after adjustment for creatinine. Correlation coefficients for log-transformed cytokine concentrations in paired plasma and urine specimens ranged from −0·28 to 0·087. Conclusions These results suggest that urine has limited utility as a proxy for plasma for the measurement of inflammatory factors in a healthy population with low levels of inflammation.
Ice cloud scattering signatures observed by the SSM/T-2

Satellite measurements from the Special Sensor Microwave Water Vapor Sounder are used to study the scattering effects of cirrus clouds at 183 GHz. These measurements are used in conjunction with near-coincident Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite imager observations of visible optical depth and effective particle size. For a case of extensive cold front cirrus off the eastern US coast, the 183 GHz brightness temperature depression relative to clear skies averaged about 3 K, but sometimes exceeded 6 K. The mean effective radius of the ice particles was 141 +/- 14 micrometers . These results show promise for the estimation of ice water path form combined (Delta) Tb and effective particle size observations.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Delamination Buckling and Growth in Rings under Pressure

A delaminated composite ring under external pressure is studied to understand the effect of curvature on delamination buckling and growth. Examples with differing crack lengths and delamination locations were considered. In all cases, the delamination surfaces come in contact rather early in the loading history, no matter what the initial imperfections are assumed to be. Furthermore, the delaminated part never becomes separated from the main ring. The modes of buckling given by standard linear stability analysis do not play any role in the behavior. Strain energy release rates were computed with the objective of predicting possible crack growth. Because of the contact, total energy release rate is dominated by the shear mode. Because the critical values of energy release rates are generally much higher in the shear mode than in the opening mode, one may conclude that shells tend to be more delamination tolerant than plates in which the opening modes tend to dominate.
THE PHYSIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ESTROGEN:PROGESTERONE RATIO ON VAGINAL CORNIFICATION IN THE RAT

THERE HAS BEEN CONSIDERABLE CONTROVERSY over the apparent ‘inhibitory’ or ‘antagonistic’ actions between the two ovarian hormones, estrin and progesterone. The effects of these hormones has been said to depend upon the quantitative ratio between them. When this ratio of estrin to progesterone was optimal the physiological effect was synergistic; however, when it was altered in one direction or nother the effect of one hormone was considered to be ‘inhibited’ and the other to prevail. Parkes and Bellerby (1) found that 2 to 5 times as much estrogen was required to produce estrous changes in the vagina of a lactating mouse as in the castrated mouse, and Loeb and Kountz (2) showed that in the guinea pig vaginal cornification could not be produced by estrogen during pregnancy. Courrier (3) was unable to produce a typical estrous smear in a postpartum guinea pig by the administration of 190 R. U. of “estrogen,” and Selye and McKeown, in 1935, failed to produce vaginal cornification in lactating rats with the d...
Measurement of Self Cooled Transformer Sound Levels in Relatively High Ambients

Measurement of the sound level of a self-cooled transformer can be made at high ambient levels provided the ambient contains little or no sound from other inductive apparatus at the transformer sound frequencies. By measuring the components of transformer noise through narrow pass-band filters that largely exclude broad-band ambient noise and making a true RMS summation of components mathematically, it is shown that useful measurements can be conducted in ambients as high as eight decibels above the transformer sound level. A beneficial by-product is the detailed description of the frequency composition of transformer noise made available to the designer and user.
Delay of selective attention during the attentional blink

The attentional blink is the inability to report the second of two targets in an RSVP stream when they are separated by 200–500 ms. Recent evidence shows that this failure results from three dissociable changes to the properties of temporal selective attention. During the attentional blink, selection is suppressed (items are selected less effectively, resulting in greater levels of random guessing), diffused (more letters around the target are selected), and delayed (the items that are selected tend to be later in the RSVP stream relative to the cue) [Vul, E., Nieuwenstein, M., & Kanwisher, N. (2008). Temporal selection is suppressed, delayed, and diffused during the attentional blink. Psychological Science, 19(1), 55–61]. Here we assess the properties of the delay in selection and evaluate how the delay contributes to the attentional blink. First, by pre-cueing, we manipulate the delay of selective attention and show that neither delay nor suppression alone is sufficient to account for the failure to report the second target; thus both play a role in the usual attentional blink. Second, we explore the persistence of the delay effect over much longer T1– T2 SOAs and show that the effect remains strong at lags of 1400 ms and appears to subside with a timeconstant of roughly 500 ms. Third, we manipulate RSVP rate and find that the ‘‘delay” of selection is a delay in time, independent of the number of items.
Small Molecule Inhibitors of Aggregation Indicate That Amyloid β Oligomerization and Fibrillization Pathways Are Independent and Distinct

Alzheimer disease is characterized by the abnormal aggregation of amyloid β peptide into extracellular fibrillar deposits known as amyloid plaques. Soluble oligomers have been observed at early time points preceding fibril formation, and these oligomers have been implicated as the primary pathological species rather than the mature fibrils. A significant issue that remains to be resolved is whether amyloid oligomers are an obligate intermediate on the pathway to fibril formation or represent an alternate assembly pathway that may or may not lead to fiber formation. To determine whether amyloid β oligomers are obligate intermediates in the fibrillization pathway, we characterized the mechanism of action of amyloid β aggregation inhibitors in terms of oligomer and fibril formation. Based on their effects, the small molecules segregated into three distinct classes: compounds that inhibit oligomerization but not fibrillization, compounds that inhibit fibrillization but not oligomerization, and compounds that inhibit both. Several compounds selectively inhibited oligomerization at substoichiometric concentrations relative to amyloid β monomer, with some active in the low nanomolar range. These results indicate that oligomers are not an obligate intermediate in the fibril formation pathway. In addition, these data suggest that small molecule inhibitors are useful for clarifying the mechanisms underlying protein aggregation and may represent potential therapeutic agents that target fundamental disease mechanisms.
The angular threshold of discrimination for striated patterns of different orientation in the rabbit.

Abstract The angular threshold of discrimination between striated patterns of different orientation was studied in three rabbits. In each animal this threshold was determined for orientations around three different axes: vertical, horizontal and 45°. In all three animals studied the threshold value around the vertical as well as the horizontal axis was between 5° and 10°. In one rabbit the threshold around the 45° axis lay also between these values, but in the other two it was between 10° and 15°. An interpolation procedure indicates that the difference between discrimination angles is maximally 4°.
Product Studies of Inelastic and Reactive Collisions of NH2 + NO: Effects of Vibrationally and Electronically Excited NH2

The reaction between NH 2 and NO has been studied by time-resolved step-scan Fourier transform infrared emission spectroscopy. We observe time-dependent emission from vibrationally excited NO, N 2 O, and H 2 O arising from the interaction of NO with both relaxed and initially vibrationally and electronically excited NH 2 , produced by the 193 nm laser photolysis of ammonia. The excited NH 2 gives rise to a rapidly decaying emission signal. The correlated time dependences of the vibrationally excited NO and N 2 O signals suggest that they are formed by direct collisions of NO with the vibrationally excited NH 2 . There is sufficient excitation of the NH 2 to overcome the high barrier to N 2 O formation. The emission from vibrationally excited H 2 O shows that its formation is delayed, with a significant induction period. The time dependence of the H 2 O induction period matches well to the decay of emissions from the v 1 and v 3 bands of NH 2 , suggesting that the NH 2 is deactivated to its ground electronic and vibrational states before the water product is produced by reaction with NO.
Semilattice modes I: the associated semiring

We examine idempotent, entropic algebras (modes) which have a semilattice term. We are able to show that any variety of semilattice modes has the congruence extension property and is residually small. We refine the proof of residual smallness by showing that any variety of semilattice modes of finite type is residually countable. To each variety of semilattice modes we associate a commutative semiring satisfying 1 +r=1 whose structure determines many of the properties of the variety. This semiring is used to describe subdirectly irreducible members, clones, subvariety lattices, and free spectra of varieties of semilattice modes.
PoliS: a programming model for multiple tuple spaces

The class of parallel models and languages based on a shared associative data structure has recently aroused large interest. Among these languages, Linda is certainly well known. In this paper we define PoliS, a model of coordination based on the concept of Multiple Tuple Spaces, a generalization of the Linda approach to parallel programming. The model introduces a programming method in which both space and time of computations can be specified and programmed, aiming at controlling coordination of distributed entities. We discuss a parallel programming language based on this model and, as a meaningful application, the design of a programming environment based on PoliS.
C13 and O18 compositions in some fresh-water carbonates associated with ultramafic rocks and serpentinites: western United States

Abstract All carbonates associated with the ultramafic rocks and serpentinites of the western United States are shown by their stable isotope ratios to be of near-surface, low-temperature origin. These include vein materials that have been previously classified as hydrothermal. New laboratory and natural data were obtained on the equilibrium isotope relations between hydromagnesite and water. The origins of travertines in the ultramafic area are easily distinguished on the basis of their stable isotope ratios. The extremely heavy isotope ratios of nesquehonites suggest an intricate evaporating-film mechanism of formation.
GREEN'S-FUNCTION APPROACH TO THE EDGE SPECTRAL DENSITY

It is shown that the conventional many-body techniques used to calculate the Green's functions can be applied to the wide, compressible edge of a quantum Hall bar. The only ansatz we need is the existence of stable density modes that yields a simple equation of motion of the density operators. We derive the spectral density at a finite temperature and show how the tunneling characteristics of a sharp edge can be deduced as a limiting case.
A patient-benefit evaluation of unilateral congenital conductive hearing loss presenting in adulthood: should it be repaired?

Objective: To evaluate subjective and objective outcomes of surgical therapy in congenital conductive hearing loss (HL) presenting in adulthood. The impact of hearing restoration on quality of life (QOL) for these patients may differ from those with acquired HL. Study Design: Retrospective review of five patients treated surgically. Methods: Standard audiometry was completed. Patients completed a subjective questionnaire as well as subjective (open-set) questions. A seven-point Likert scale was used for closed-set responses with 1 representing the worst possible outcome and 7 being best. Results: The average four-frequency improvements in pure-tone average and air-bone gap were 18 dB (range, 7-29 dB) and 16 dB (range, 2-30 dB), respectively. An average score was obtained for each closed-set question. The highest-scoring items were for overall improvement of QOL (average score, 6), followed by perceived improvement in hearing (average score, 5.6). Other positive responses were improved ability to use the telephone (four of five patients) and improved localization of sound (four of five patients). Negative subjective responses included prolonged dysequilibrium in two of five, prolonged adjustment period in three, and dysgeusia in one patient. Conclusion: Important components of outcome are likely to escape our review if only objective measures are used to evaluate surgical outcomes. These results suggest that improved hearing in this population provides specific improvements in lifestyle and is perceived as a significant improvement in overall QOL.
Electron-induced decomposition of rubidium chromium fluoride

Abstract The decomposition of Rb x CrF 3 hexagonal tungsten bronzes (HTB) with x =0.20 and 0.30 have been followed by high resolution electron microscopy (HREM). In the electron beam of the microscope Rb is depleted from the tunnels of the bronze structure leading to the formation CrF 3 which crystallizes in a distorted ReO 3 -type structure. An amorphous phase is frequently intermediate to this transformation. A qualitative comparison of the rate of reaction, depending upon the energy and direction of the electrons, of the compounds of different composition is made. These observations suggest a mechanism for the reaction.
RNA Composition in Cotton

Nucleotide compositions of soluble (sRNA), whole-cell, and in one instance particulate and nonparticulate, RNA of embryos, cotyledons (dark and light-grown), leaves, stems, and roots of Gossypium hirsutum were compared. Evidence of substantial differences in the overall compositions of the RNAs was not obtained. However, a tendency for some plant parts to differ, particularly in sRNA composition, and that of the cotyledons (including particulate and nonparticulate RNA) to change during the formation of chlorophyll, was indicated by small but statistically significant shifts in certain nucleotide components.
High-resolution microtomography for density and spatial information about wood structures

Microtomography has successfully been used to characterize loss of structural integrity of wood. Tomographic images were generated with the newly developed third generation x-ray computed microtomography (XCMT) instrument at the X27A beamline at the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS). The beamline is equipped with high-flux x-ray monochromator based on multilayer optics developed for this application. The sample is mounted on a translation stage with which to center the sample rotation, a rotation stage to perform the rotation during data collection and a motorized goniometer head for small alignment motions. The absorption image is recorded by a single-crystal scintillator, an optical microscope and a cooled CCD array detector. Data reconstruction has provided three-dimensional geometry of the heterogeneous wood matrix in microtomographic images. Wood is a heterogeneous material composed of long lignocellulose vessels. Although wood is a strong natural product, fungi have evolved chemical systems that weaken the strength properties of wood by degrading structural vessels. Tomographic images with a resolution of three microns were obtained nonintrusively to characterize the compromised structural integrity of wood. Computational tools developed by Lindquist et al (1996) applied to characterize the microstructure of the tomographic volumes.
Distribution of a 100K dalton glucose-regulated cell surface protein in mammalian cell cultures and sectioned tissues.

Abstract Previously, we described a glucose-regulated cell surface glycoprotein (100K-GRP) which is present on the surfaces of non-transformed human fibroblasts. The 100K-GRP is released into the culture media in a soluble form. In this report, we utilize an antibody raised to the 100K-GRP and indirect immunofluorescence to localize the 100K-GRP on human and mouse cells in vitro, and on mouse tissues in vivo. On cultured cells, the 100K-GRP is associated with fibers in the pericellular matrix. Examination of sectioned mouse tissues reveals that the 100K-GRP is present in a wide variety of tissues. However, in contrast to fibronectin, it is not found in extracellular structures such as basement membranes. In vivo, the 100K-GRP is only found in close association with the surfaces of individual cells.
Theory of emission spectra from metal films irradiated by low energy electrons near normal incidence

Abstract The emission spectrum produced by low energy electrons incident on a rough metal surface has been calculated for a roughness auto-correlation function containing a prominent peak at a high wave vector. For low energy electrons near normal incidence, the high wavevector peak dominates the roughness coupled surface plasmon radiation (RCSPR) process. The calculation yields estimates of the ratio of RCSPR to transition radiation, the dependence of emission intensity on electron energy and the shape and position of the RCSPR peak. The most interesting result is that the high-wavevector roughness can split the RCSPR radiation into peaks lying above and below the asymptotic surface plasma frequency. The results are compared with data from Ag in the following paper.
Tegaserod accelerates orocecal transit in patients with constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome

Abstract Background & Aims: This study evaluated the effects of a partial 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) 4 agonist, tegaserod, on gastric small bowel and colonic transit in constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Methods: After a 1 week run-in period, 24 patients with constipation-predominant IBS were randomized to 1 week of tegaserod, 2 mg twice daily, or placebo treatment. Scintigraphic gastric emptying, small bowel transit, and colonic transit were determined before administration of study drug and after 1 week on the medication. Colonic transit was also measured using radiopaque markers and a single radiograph on day 5. Results: Gastric emptying was unaltered by tegaserod. Proximal colonic filling at 6 hours, a measure of orocecal transit, was accelerated by tegaserod (70.4% ± 1.3% [mean ± SEM] vs. placebo, 46.4 ± 1.9; P = 0.015). Proximal colonic emptying half-time and geometric center at 48 hours were also accelerated by tegaserod compared with baseline, but not compared with placebo. Mean colonic transit time was similar in both groups at baseline and after drug administration (tegaserod, 59.5 ± 2.1 hours; placebo, 62.1 ± 2.1 hours). Conclusions: Tegaserod accelerates orocecal transit, tends to accelerate colonic transit, and deserves further study in patients with constipation-predominant IBS. GASTROENTEROLOGY 2000;118:463-468
Testing the effect of kinesthetic training on handwriting performance in first-grade students.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of kinesthetic training on handwriting performance in first-grade students 6 to 7 years of age who had kinesthetic deficits and handwriting difficulties. METHOD. With a randomized‐blinded three group research design, 45 children were assigned to either a kinesthetic training group, a handwriting practice group, or a no treatment group. Kinesthesis and handwriting legibility were measured before and after intervention. Teachers’ judgments of handwriting legibility in the classroom setting were sought at 4 weeks after the intervention to see whether any improvement gained would be maintained in the natural setting. Two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance was used for data analyses. RESULTS. At posttest, all groups showed significant improvement of kinesthesis, with no significant difference in the magnitude of improvement among the groups. There was no significant improvement of handwriting legibility as measured by a standardized test in any of the groups, although teachers indicated improvement of handwriting legibility in the classroom setting in all groups. Teachers also reported maintenance of handwriting legibility at 4 weeks after posttest.
The complex spine: the multidimensional system of causal pathways for low-back disorders.

Objective:The aim of this study was to examine the logic behind the knowledge of low-back problem causal pathways.Background:Low-back pain and low-back disorders (LBDs) continue to represent the ma...
On approximating extremals of functionals—II theory and generalizations related to boundary value problems for nonlinear differential equations

Abstract A combination variational-difference numerical method, applied recently to a large variety of nonlinear boundary value problems, is studied here from the points of view of convergence and possible generalizations. The essence of the method lies in minimizing a functional numerically rather than in approximating the solution of the Euler differential equation of the functional.
Routability-driven technology mapping for lookup table-based FPGA's

A new algorithm for technology mapping of lookup table-based Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA's) is presented. It has the capability of producing compact designs (minimizing the number of cells (CLB's)), as well as the flexibility of trading routability with compactness of a design. Research in this area has focussed on minimizing the number of cells. However, minimizing the number of cells without regard to routability is ineffective. Since placement and routing is really the most time-consuming part of the FPGA design process, producing a routable design with a slightly larger number of cells is preferable than producing a design using fewer cells which is difficult to route, or in the worst case unroutable. We have implemented our algorithm in the Rmap program, and studied routability of two other mappers with respect to Rmap. Rmap produces mappings with better routability characteristics, and more significantly Rmap produces routable mappings when other mappers do not. >
Himani Bannerji, Sharzad Mojab, and Judith Whitehead, Of Property and Propriety: The Role of Gender and Class in Imperialism and Nationalism. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2001. 244 pp. $60.00 cloth; 24.95 paper.

The authors succinctly note that contemporary studies of nationalism tend towards oversimplification. This oversimplification is manifested in a tacit and serious misrepresentation. The misrepresentation is a bifurcation of the colonial experience into the primary or self and the other. Such a manifestation is best represented by Said (1978) in terms of “orientalism.” Such a binary configuration of the colonial experience is an oversimplification for two reasons. First, it fails to acknowledge the interdimensional diversity of the colonized. To ignore interdimensional diversity is to fail to account for the role that gender and class play in the construct of the colonized. Second, binary configurations tend to misrepresent path dependence or the historical unfolding of particular nationalisms. In this sense, nationalism acquires an assumption of natural progression in terms of rights and welfare. The authors challenge the assumption that gender rights are acquired consummately in conjunction with nationalism. Instead, the authors make the argument that nationalism often acquires a regressive effect in terms of gender-class rights and welfare. As an example, Sharzad Mojab notes that Kurdish nationalism has had a conflictive relationship with the progression of women's welfare in addition to rights. Contemporary Kurdish nationalism has tended towards the regression of women's welfare. The root causes of a resort to regression are noted by Mojab to lie in the failure to effectively transform the preexisting precapitalist gender and class structure.
Cell wall synthesis is necessary for membrane dynamics during sporulation of Bacillus subtilis

Summary During Bacillus subtilis sporulation, an endocytic-like process called engulfment results in one cell being entirely encased in the cytoplasm of another cell. The driving force underlying this process of membrane movement has remained unclear, although compo- nents of the machinery have been characterized. Here we provide evidence that synthesis of peptidoglycan, the rigid, strength bearing extracellular polymer of bacteria, is a key part of the missing force-generating mechanism for engulfment. We observed that sites of peptidoglycan synthesis initially coincide with the engulfing membrane and later with the site of engulf- ment membrane fission. Furthermore, compounds that block muropeptide synthesis or polymerization prevented membrane migration in cells lacking a component of the engulfment machinery (SpoIIQ), and blocked the membrane fission event at the completion of engulfment in all cells. In addition, these compounds inhibited bulge and vesicle forma- tion that occur in spoIID mutant cells unable to initiate engulfment, as did genetic ablation of a protein that polymerizes muropeptides. This is the first report to our knowledge that peptidoglycan synthesis is nec- essary for membrane movements in bacterial cells and has implications for the mechanism of force gen- eration during cytokinesis.
A Laplacian-based MMSE estimator for speech enhancement

This paper focuses on optimal estimators of the magnitude spectrum for speech enhancement. We present an analytical solution for estimating in the MMSE sense the magnitude spectrum when the clean speech DFT coefficients are modeled by a Laplacian distribution and the noise DFT coefficients are modeled by a Gaussian distribution. Furthermore, we derive the MMSE estimator under speech presence uncertainty and a Laplacian statistical model. Results indicated that the Laplacian-based MMSE estimator yielded less residual noise in the enhanced speech than the traditional Gaussian-based MMSE estimator. Overall, the present study demonstrates that the assumed distribution of the DFT coefficients can have a significant effect on the quality of the enhanced speech.
Reversal Learning and Dopamine: A Bayesian Perspective

Reversal learning has been studied as the process of learning to inhibit previously rewarded actions. Deficits in reversal learning have been seen after manipulations of dopamine and lesions of the orbitofrontal cortex. However, reversal learning is often studied in animals that have limited experience with reversals. As such, the animals are learning that reversals occur during data collection. We have examined a task regime in which monkeys have extensive experience with reversals and stable behavioral performance on a probabilistic two-arm bandit reversal learning task. We developed a Bayesian analysis approach to examine the effects of manipulations of dopamine on reversal performance in this regime. We find that the analysis can clarify the strategy of the animal. Specifically, at reversal, the monkeys switch quickly from choosing one stimulus to choosing the other, as opposed to gradually transitioning, which might be expected if they were using a naive reinforcement learning (RL) update of value. Furthermore, we found that administration of haloperidol affects the way the animals integrate prior knowledge into their choice behavior. Animals had a stronger prior on where reversals would occur on haloperidol than on levodopa (l-DOPA) or placebo. This strong prior was appropriate, because the animals had extensive experience with reversals occurring in the middle of the block. Overall, we find that Bayesian dissection of the behavior clarifies the strategy of the animals and reveals an effect of haloperidol on integration of prior information with evidence in favor of a choice reversal.
Garbage collection alternatives for Icon

Copying garbage collectors are becoming the collectors of choice for very high-level languages and for functional and object-oriented languages. Copying collectors are particularly efficient for large storage regions because their execution time is proportional only to the amount of accessible data, and they identify and compact this data in one pass. In contrast, mark-and-sweep collectors execute in time proportional to the memory size and compacting collectors require another pass to compact accessible data. The performance of existing systems with old compacting mark-and-sweep collectors might be improved by replacing their collectors with copying collectors. This paper explores this possibility by describing the results of replacing the compacting mark-and-sweep collector in the Icon programming language with four alternative collectors, three of which are copying collectors. Copying collectors do indeed run faster than the original collector, but at a significant cost in space. An improved variant of the compacting mark-and-sweep collector ran even faster and used little additional space.
A Systematic Computational Methodology Applied to a Three–Dimensional Film–Cooling Flowfield

Numerical results are presented for a three–dimensional discrete–jet in crossflow problem typical of a realistic film–cooling application in gas turbines. Key aspects of the study include: (1) Application of a systematic computational methodology that stresses accurate computational model of the physical problem, including simultaneous, fully–elliptic solution of the crossflow, film–hole, and plenum regions; high quality 3–D unstructured grid generation techniques which have yet to be documented for this class of problems; the use of a high order discretization scheme to significantly reduce numerical errors; and effective turbulence modelling; (2) A three–way comparison of results to both code validation quality experimental data and a previously documented structured grid simulation; and (3) Identification of sources of discrepancy between predicted and measured results, as well as recommendations to alleviate these discrepancies. Solutions were obtained with a multi–block, unstructured/adaptive grid, fully explicit, time–marching, Reynolds averaged Navier–Stokes code with multi-grid, local time stepping, and residual smoothing type acceleration techniques. The computational methodology was applied to the validation test case of a row of discrete jets on a flat plate with a streamwise injection angle of 35°, and two film–hole length–to–diameter ratios of 3.5 and 1.75. The density ratio for all cases was 2.0, blowing ratio was varied from 0.5 to 2.0, and free–stream turbulence intensity was 2%. The results demonstrate that the prescribed computational methodology yields consistently more accurate solutions for this class of problems than previous attempts published in the open literature. Sources of disagreement between measured and computed results have been identified, and recommendations made for future prediction of this class of problems.Copyright © 1996 by ASME
BACE1 activity regulates cell surface contactin-2 levels.

Although BACE1 is a major therapeutic target for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), potential side effects of BACE1 inhibition are not well characterized. BACE1 cleaves over 60 putative substrates, however the majority of these cleavages have not been characterized. Here we investigated BACE1-mediated cleavage of human contactin-2, a GPI-anchored cell adhesion molecule. Our initial protein sequence analysis showed that contactin-2 harbors a strong putative BACE1 cleavage site close to its GPI membrane linker domain. When we overexpressed BACE1 in CHO cells stably transfected with human contactin-2, we found increased release of soluble contactin-2 in the conditioned media. Conversely, pharmacological inhibition of BACE1 in CHO cells expressing human contactin-2 and mouse primary neurons decreased soluble contactin-2 secretion. The BACE1 cleavage site mutation 1008MM/AA dramatically impaired soluble contactin-2 release. We then asked whether contactin-2 release induced by BACE1 expression would concomitantly decrease cell surface levels of contactin-2. Using immunofluorescence and surface-biotinylation assays, we showed that BACE1 activity tightly regulates contactin-2 surface levels in CHO cells as well as in mouse primary neurons. Finally, contactin-2 levels were decreased in Alzheimer’s disease brain samples correlating inversely with elevated BACE1 levels in the same samples. Our results clearly demonstrate that mouse and human contactin-2 are physiological substrates for BACE1. BACE1-mediated contactin-2 cleavage tightly regulates the surface expression of contactin-2 in neuronal cells. Given the role of contactin-2 in cell adhesion, neurite outgrowth and axon guidance, our data suggest that BACE1 may play an important role in these physiological processes by regulating contactin-2 surface levels.
The National Survey on Drug Use and Health Mental Health Surveillance Study: calibration analysis.

The Mental Health Surveillance Study (MHSS) is an ongoing initiative by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to develop and implement methods for measuring the prevalence of serious mental illness (SMI) among adults in the USA. The 2008 MHSS used data from clinical interviews administered to a sub-sample of respondents to calibrate mental health screening scale data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) for estimating the prevalence of SMI in the full NSDUH sample. The mental health scales included the K6 screening scale of psychological distress (administered to all respondents) along with two measures of functional impairment (each administered to a random half-sample of respondents): the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS) and the Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS). The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) was administered to a sub-sample of 1506 adult NSDUH respondents within 4 weeks of completing the NSDUH interview. Results indicate that while SMI prediction accuracy of the K6 is improved by adding either the WHODAS or the SDS to the prediction equation, the models with the WHODAS are more robust. The results of the calibration study and methods used to derive prevalence estimates of SMI are presented. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Gammalinolenic acid treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic inflammatory disorder of unknown etiology affecting approximately 1% of the world’s population [1]. It is a uniquely human disease characterized by symmetrical polyarthritis. Women are affected 2-3 times more often than men but this female preponderance is less impressive when one considers only those patients who are serologically positive for rheumatoid factor and are found to have radiographic evidence of erosive changes in joints [2]. RA can occur at any age; however, the incidence does increase with advancing age. RA seems to have no geographical limits; it occurs in every part of the world and its prevalence is not influenced by climate or temperature. The incidence in different studies varies from 4.2 to 26 per 10,000. Occasionally, several members of a family are found to have RA, and a greater than expected incidence occurs in monozygotic twins [3]. Genetic studies indicate an association of vulnerability to RA and severity of disease with the presence of a conserved sequence of amino acids in the third hypervariable region of the s1 chain of certain human leukocyte antigen (HLA) Class II molecules, HLA-DR4 and DR1 [4]. As Class II molecules are involved in antigen presentation, it is possible that further analysis will lead to identification of an infectious or chemical antigen that may be responsible for the initiation of RA.
ICT Strategies for Gender Empowerment: Actionable Approaches and Recommendations

Information and Communications Technologies are generally regarded as new tools that can serve as effective agents of positive economic, social and political change in developing regions. However, the tendency to see these technologies as universally applicable can lead to the unintended reinforcement of male-dominated power structures and the expansion, rather then the narrowing, of traditional gender inequalities that further isolates girls and women. ICT Stakeholders must recognize that they cannot close the digital divide without alleviating the gendered digital divide. Until there is equal access and opportunity for girls and women in ICT programs and policies there will be no equity. This paper tracks the short history of initiatives aimed at empowering women through ICTs and highlights areas of needed research and actionable methods for bringing and keeping gender at the forefront of the ICT for Development agenda.
Learning the precedence effect: initial real-world tests

Audio source localization in reverberant environments has proved difficult for automated microphone array systems. Certain features observable in the audio signal, such as sudden increases in audio energy, provide cues to indicate time-frequency regions that are particularly useful for audio localization, but previous approaches have not systematically exploited these cues. We give an overview of a system that we have designed that exploits these cues by learning a mapping from reverberated signal spectrograms to localization precision. We then describe initial tests of the system that demonstrate improved source localization on real audio data using the generalized cross-correlation (GCC) framework. We also relate the system's learned mappings to the well-known precedence effect from psychoacoustic studies.
Neuropeptide Y receptors as therapeutic targets in anxiety and depression

This brief overview is focused on the role of neuropeptide Y (NPY) receptors and their involvement in stress behaviors, particularly as they relate to stress-induced psychiatric disorders. Also discussed is the potential for each of the receptors in the development of novel therapeutic treatments in the field of psychiatry. To date, there are four known human receptor subtypes: Y1, Y2, Y4, and Y5. NPY receptor subtypes Y1, Y2, and Y5 are implicated in anxiety and depression, whereas the Y4 receptor appears to be involved in feeding and endocrine regulation. Clinical evidence suggests that deficiencies in NPY levels within the cerebrospinal fluid correlate with reported anxiety or depression. Likewise, the preclinical studies have shown that anxiety and/or depressive-like behaviors in animals also correlate with NPY activity. Specifically, the animal data show that central administration of Y1 and Y5 receptor agonists will decrease anxiety-like responses, whereas a Y2 antagonist is necessary for a similar effect. Given the detrimental effects of chronic stress in the development of psychiatric illness, and the limitations of some of the current treatments, NPY receptors are a promising new therapeutic target for mood and affective disorders. Drug Dev. Res. 65:301–308, 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Auxotab—a Device for Identifying Enteric Bacteria

A multitest system called the Auxotab that uses ten dehydrated reagents on a paper card has been evaluated with 417 known stock cultures of Enterobacteriaceae. In double-blind studies with the Auxotab, 87% of the strains tested were correctly identified. Results of this study indicate that there is a need for modification of the product in regard to ease of handling, time required for use, and accuracy of identification of enteric bacteria.
Symptomatic intracranial pneumatocele from mastoid sinus of spontaneous origin. Case report.

✓ A case of a large intracranial pneumatocele arising from mastoid air cells is reported. The patient became symptomatic after multiple coughing spells and required craniotomy for repair of the dural hiatus. The possible etiology of such a large spontaneous pneumatocele is discussed in the context of a review of the pertinent literature.
A shift in the gap dynamics of Betula alleghaniensis in response to single-tree selection

We investigated yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britt.) growth patterns and disturbance frequency before and after the advent of selection harvesting at the Ford Forestry Center in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, USA, through the use of tree-ring analysis. Based on the boundary-line release detection procedure, 88% of the trees in our sample (n = 67) displayed evidence of at least one moderate or major release. Prior to active forest management, releases were infrequent, and trees that originated during that period had growth histories consistent with establishment after large-scale disturbances (i.e., large canopy gaps, >200 m2). Conversely, tree cohorts that recruited to the canopy more recently displayed a growth pattern suggestive of periodic small gap expansion. Given the declining representation of yellow birch in these forests, the latter strategy, although probably sufficient to prevent extirpation, is unlikely to ensure a sustainable and harvestable population of this and other midtolerants ...
Spectral analysis of the bc1 complex components in situ: Beyond the traditional difference approach

The cytochrome (cyt) bc1 complex (ubiquinol: cytochrome c oxidoreductase) is the central enzyme of mitochondrial and bacterial electrontransport chains. It is rich in prosthetic groups, many of which have significant but overlapping absorption bands in the visible spectrum. The kinetics of the cytochrome components of the bc1 complex are traditionally followed by using the difference of absorbance changes at two or more different wavelengths. This difference-wavelength (DW) approach has been used extensively in the development and testing of the Q-cycle mechanism of the bc1 complex in Rhodobacter sphaeroides chromatophores. However, the DW approach does not fully compensate for spectral interference from other components, which can significantly distort both amplitudes and kinetics. Mechanistic elaboration of cyt bc1 turnover requires an approach that overcomes this limitation. Here, we compare the traditional DW approach to a least squares (LS) analysis of electron transport, based on newly determined difference spectra of all individual components of cyclic electron transport in chromatophores. Multiple sets of kinetic traces, measured at different wavelengths in the absence and presence of specific inhibitors, were analyzed by both LS and DW approaches. Comparison of the two methods showed that the DW approach did not adequately correct for the spectral overlap among the components, and was generally unreliable when amplitude changes for a component of interest were small. In particular, it was unable to correct for extraneous contributions to the amplitudes and kinetics of cyt bL. From LS analysis of the chromophoric components (RC, ctot, bH and bL), we show that while the Q-cycle model remains firmly grounded, quantitative reevaluation of rates, amplitudes, delays, etc., of individual components is necessary. We conclude that further exploration of mechanisms of the bc1 complex, will require LS deconvolution for reliable measurement of the kinetics of individual components of the complex in situ. © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Economic, Legal, and Ethical Rationales for the ACRIN National Lung Screening Trial of CT Screening for Lung Cancer

The American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN) is a cooperative group funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and dedicated to conducting clinical trials of medical imaging technology. The overarching goal of ACRIN trials is to develop information about the appropriate use of imaging technologies to improve the length and the quality of life for cancer patients. ACRIN’s espoused mission and acceptance of federal funding imply an obligation to the American public to guide medical practice toward the greatest societal good. Imaging can be applied to cancer for several tasks: screening, diagnosis, staging, evaluation of treatment, and
PROPAGATOR GAUGE TRANSFORMATIONS FOR NON-ABELIAN GAUGE FIELDS.

An explicit demonstration is given of the invariance under propagator gauge transformations of the Feynman-graph prescription obtained by several authors for a non-Abelian gauge field; the role of the anomalous closed-loop vertices of that prescription is thereby clarified. This invariance property permits a derivation of the covariant prescription starting with canonical quantization in a noncovariant gauge without unphysical degrees of freedom.