cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Graph MBO method for multiclass segmentation of hyperspectral stand-off detection video

We consider the challenge of detection of chemical plumes in hyperspectral image data. Segmentation of gas is difficult due to the diffusive nature of the cloud. The use of hyperspectral imagery provides non-visual data for this problem, allowing for the utilization of a richer array of sensing information. In this paper, we present a method to track and classify objects in hyperspectral videos. The method involves the application of a new algorithm recently developed for high dimensional data. It is made efficient by the application of spectral methods and the Nystrom extension to calculate the eigenvalues/eigenvectors of the graph Laplacian. Results are shown on plume detection in LWIR standoff detection.
Interaction between ApoB and Hepatic Lipase Mediates the Uptake of ApoB-containing Lipoproteins

Abstract Hepatic lipase (HL) on the surface of hepatocytes and endothelial cells lining hepatic sinusoids, the adrenal glands, and the ovary hydrolyzes triglycerides and phospholipids of circulating lipoproteins. Its expression significantly enhances low density lipoprotein (LDL) uptake via the LDL receptor pathway. A specific interaction between LPL, a homologous molecule to HL, and apoB has been described (Choi, S. Y., Sivaram, P., Walker, D. E., Curtiss, L. K., Gretch, D. G., Sturley, S. L., Attie, A. D., Deckelbaum, R. J., and Goldberg, I. J. (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270, 8081–8086). The present studies tested the hypothesis that HL enhances the uptake of lipoproteins by a specific interaction of HL with apoB. On a ligand blot, HL bound to apoB26, 48, and 100 but not to apoE or apoAI. HL binding to LDL in a plate assay with LDL-coated plates was significantly greater than to bovine serum albumin-coated plates. Neither heat denatured HL nor bacterial fusion protein of HL bound to LDL in the plate assays. 125I-LDL bound to HL-saturated heparin-agarose gel with a K dof 52 nm, and somewhat surprisingly, this binding was not inhibited by excess LPL. In cell culture experiments HL enhanced the uptake of 125I-LDL at both 4 and 37 °C. The enhanced binding and uptake of LDL was significantly inhibited by monoclonal anti-apoB antibodies. In contrast to LPL, both amino- and carboxyl-terminal antibodies blocked the apoB interaction with HL to the same extent. Thus, we conclude that there is a unique interaction between HL and apoB that facilitates the uptake of apoB-containing lipoproteins by cells where HL is present.
Pure spinors, function superspaces and supergravity theories in ten and eleven dimensions

Abstract The constraints of d = 10 supergravity coupled to super Yang-Mills and d = 11 supergravity are studied from the viewpoint of the differential geometry of certain function superspaces. For d = 10 the appropriate function space is loop superspace, and the presence of Chern-Simons terms in the coupling of supergravity to Yang-Mills is incorporated into the formalism via a central extension of the loop group of the Yang-Mills group. For d = 11 the function superspace is the space of maps from a compact two-manifold to superspace. In both cases the superspaces include additional commuting coordinates which are pure spinors.
Murine Colitis Modeling using Dextran Sulfate Sodium (DSS)

Colitis can occur from viral or bacterial infections, ischemic insult, or autoimmune disorders; most notably Ulcerative Colitis and the colonic variant of Crohn’s Disease - Crohn’s Colitis. Acute colitis may present with abdominal pain and distention, malabsorption, diarrhea, hematochezia and mucus in the stool. We are beginning to understand the complex interactions between the environment, genetics, and epithelial barrier dysfunction in Inflammatory Bowel Disease and animal models of colitis have been essential in advancing our understanding of this disease. One popular model involves supplementing the drinking water of mice with low-molecular weight Dextran Sodium Sulfate (DSS), resulting in epithelial damage and a robust inflammatory response in the colon lasting several days 1.Variations of this approach can be used to model acute injury, acute injury followed by repair, and repeated cycles of DSS interspersed with recovery modeling chronic inflammatory diseases 2. After a single four-day treatment of 3% DSS in drinking water, mice show signs of acute colitis including weight loss, bloody stools, and diarrhea. Mice are euthanized at the conclusion of the treatment course and at necropsy dissected colons are processed and can be 'Swiss rolled" 3 to allow microscopic analysis of the entire colon or infused with formalin as "sausages" to allow macroscopic analysis. Tissue is then embedded in paraffin, sectioned, and stained for histologic review.
From ‘crisis’ to ‘activist’: the everyday freedom legacy of Black feminisms

This article builds on the growing body of research challenging ‘crisis’ and ‘at‐risk’ constructions of youth in educational spaces by situating young men and women through culturally relevant theories such as Black feminisms. A nine‐month qualitative case study of Lenora, an African‐American female in her last year and a half of high school, transforms understandings of the lives of young men and women from simplistic labels to complex realities embedded in a struggle of activism. These complex realities are situated in the case study of Lenora’s social activism through her (1) construction of herself as a leader connected to other people; (2) agency of dress to redress how people have constructed her; (3) willingness to leave people behind who might keep her back; and (4) creation of art and politics in the performance of hip‐hop. The inclusion of Black feminisms in teacher education can provide a more complex and richer knowledge base for preparing highly qualified teachers to engage culturally diverse...
Inhibition of hepatic microsomal lipid peroxidation by drug substrates without drug metabolism.

Experiments were performed to study the mechanism of action of drug substrates on lipid peroxidation in rat hepatic microsomes. Addition of the drug substrates, aniline, β-diethylaminoethyl diphenylpropylacetate (SKF-525A), aminopyrine, benzo[a]pyrene or ethylmorphine, to hepatic microsomes causes almost complete inhibition of NADPH-induced (enzymatic) lipid peroxidation. These substrates also produce similar inhibition of ascorbate-induced (non-enzymatic) lipid peroxidation in microsomes in which drug-metabolizing enzymes were inactivated by heat treatment. The substrate concentrations producing half-maximal inhibition (K12 are also similar for NADPH- and ascorbate-induced lipid peroxidation. Addition of metyrapone, an inhibitor of drug metabolism, has no effect on either the K12 values or on the maximal substrate inhibition of NADPH-induced lipid peroxidation. All five drug substrates also inhibit Fe2+-stimulated oxidation of linoleic acid. These results demonstrate that inhibition of lipid peroxidation in hepatic microsomes by drug substrates is independent of drug metabolism and is probably due to the antioxidant properties of the substrates.
Impact of Rocking Foundations on Horizontally Curved Bridge Systems Subjected to Seismic Loading

A project that is funded by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is investigating the seismic performance of curved bridges. As part of this project, the effect of rocking foundations is being studied. Prior investigations on the effect of rocking bridge foundations or foundations that allow uplift under seismic loads concluded that rocking behavior, if it occurs, limits the damage of bridge substructures and accordingly, is a mean of isolating bridges. These prior investigations only examined individual column behavior and not systems effects. This paper describes the results of analyses on complete bridge systems with rocking foundations. Five 3-span, single column bent, bridges with different curvatures were analyzed with different footing sizes under biaxial seismic loads, using nonlinear time history analyses. Distribution of the demands on superstructure and the overall displacements were compared to systems without rocking. Findings indicate that foundation rocking reduces the damage in the substructures, but increases the superstructure and the abutments displacements. As part of the FHWA project at the University of Nevada Reno, a two-fifth scale of one of the analyzed curved bridges will be tested using shake tables. The experimental setup is also explained in this paper.
Altered fecal microflora and increased fecal calprotectin in infants with colic.

Objective We explored whether gut inflammation, colonic fermentation, and/or an altered colonic flora could provide a pathophysiological mechanism for colic. Study design The study population consisted of 36 term infants ranging in age from 14 to 81 days. We measured fecal calprotectin (a marker of neutrophil infiltration) by ELISA; stool microorganisms by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, cloning, and sequencing; and breath hydrogen levels using gas chromatography. Results During 24 hours, infants with colic (n = 19) cried and fussed for a mean of 314 ± 36 (SEM) minutes, compared with control infants (n = 17, 103 ± 17 minutes). Fecal calprotectin levels were 2-fold higher in infants with colic than in control infants (413 ± 71 vs 197 ± 46 μg/g, P = .042). Stools of infants with colic had fewer identifiable bands on denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. Klebsiella species were detected in more colic patients than in control patients (8 vs 1, P = .02), whereas Enterobacter/Pantoea species were detected only in the control patients. These differences could not be attributed to differences in formula versus breast milk feeding, consumption of elemental formula, or exposure to antibiotics. Conclusions Infants with colic, a condition previously believed to be nonorganic in nature, have evidence of intestinal neutrophilic infiltration and a less diverse fecal microflora.
Persistent optical coherence loss by UV irradiation in Pr3+: YAG

Abstract Nonresonant excitation of 1% Pr3+: YAG with UV (325–355 nm) irradiation produces intensity-dependent optical dephasing. Two-pulse photon echoes on the 3H4→1D2 transition of Pr3+ were measured at 1.5 K before, during and after UV irradiation. After exposure to UV intensities greater than 30 MW/cm2 there remain persistent changes (for at least several hours) in the echo intensity, echo decay rate and temporal form of the echo decay.
An agri-environmental assessment of trade liberalization

Abstract This paper assesses the potential agri-environmental impacts on the United States of liberalizing world agricultural trade. We examine how the elimination of all agricultural policy distortions in all trading countries might influence agricultural production decisions and subsequently affect environmental quality in the United States. The estimated changes in U.S. agricultural production under the ambitious assumption of full agricultural trade liberalization are well within the bounds of average annual variation for agricultural commodity production (Fig. 2). In this context, our results suggest that, for the United States as a whole, environmental impacts stemming from such hypothesized trade shocks would also fall within the average annual variation. This generalization aside, we note that the estimated changes in commodity production and subsequent environmental impacts are not uniform across the landscape, with increases in agricultural production and the environmental indicators in some regions or sectors and decreases in others.
Characterization and origin identification of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene through its by-product isomers by liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry.

Abstract The by-products of industrial 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), including isomers of trinitrotoluene, dinitrotoluene, trinitrobenzene and dinitrobenzene were investigated using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS), in order to build a profile for the characterization of TNT samples from various origins. LC–MS with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization, in the negative-ion mode, was found to be the most suitable method for this study. The characterization of TNT by the by-product profile was demonstrated on a variety of TNT samples.
Emergent relief of cardiac tamponade: State-of-the-art imaging and intervention in a level I trauma center

We report a case of cardiac tamponade in whom speedy diagnosis and immediate drainage of pericardial blood helped to save the life of a patient with ascending aortic dissection. This report illustrates the importance of physical proximity of radiologic services to the emergency department and availability of appropriately trained radiologists.
Analysis of forced bilinear oscillators and the application to cracked beam dynamics

A new closed-form solution based on the use of two square wave functions to model stiffness change is proposed for bilinear oscillators under low-frequency excitation. The solution procedure is extended to cases with bilinear forcing function, which usually occur in the dynamics of damaged structures. The proposed solution provides the spectral pattern and the magnitude of each harmonic component for a damaged rectangular beam according to the size and location of the crack. The predicted spectral pattern and the magnitude of each harmonic component for a simply supported beam containing a fatigue crack are validated by numerical simulation; experimental work has not been done. The results show that the proposed solution may be used to predict efficiently spectral patterns of damaged structures, while avoiding lengthy computation. Such a procedure may be developed into an attractive on-line diagnostic tool.
Is Rituximab Superior to Cyclophosphamide for ANCA-Associated Vasculitis for Induction of Remission, and with a Better Safety Profile?

Antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody (ANCA)-associated renal vasculitis usually manifests as a rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis, with pauci-immune necrotizing, crescentic glomerulonephritis on biopsy. The current therapeutic approach for remission induction is the same as for other systemic vasculitides: cyclophosphamide with high-dose glucocorticoids, with a reported effectiveness ranging from 70% to 90% but associated with high rates of severe adverse events, including death. This has led to the use of other therapies that may be as effective and perhaps less toxic. Cyclophosphamide plus glucocorticoids has long been established as the gold standard therapy for remission induction in severe ANCA-associated vasculitis. Its use is followed by better outcomes in severe disease, including mortality rates and remission in some cases [1]. However, as in most autoimmune disorders, an important number of patients do not respond adequately to standard therapy, most likely secondary to the complex role of the immune system in triggering disease. During the past few years, several papers have shown positive results for rituximab as treatment for patients with refractory vasculitis, especially Wegener’s granulomatosis (WG). These results seem to confirm that B cells play an important role in disease pathogenesis. With this in mind, Stone et al. compared rituximab with cyclophosphamide in patients with ANCAassociated vasculitis.
Volatile contents of obsidian clasts in tephra from the Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand: Implications to eruptive processes

Abstract Obsidian clasts in 6500–20,000-year-old rhyolitic tephra deposits from the Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand, contain variable H2O (0.2–2.5 wt.%) and CI (0.12–0.18 wt.%) contents. These are elevated compared to degassed obsidian from rhyolitic domes (∼-0.1 wt.% H2O2, ∼0.1 wt.% Cl) which quenched at the surface. Major- and trace-element compositions of obsidian from tephra deposits suggest that they are co-genetic with associated pumice. The clear, glassy appearance of the obsidian, their high H2O release temperatures, and δ18O of +7‰ show that the water is magmatic, and was not absorbed into the obsidian after tephra deposition. Based on analysis of melt inclusions, recent primary Taupo Volcanic Zone rhyolitic magmas contain 4.3 wt.% H2O and 0.18 wt.% Cl. The obsidian in the tephra deposits, therefore, represents partially degassed, quenched primary magma. Water and Cl contents correlate in the obsidian, suggesting that the magmatic Cl partitioned into a H2O-rich fluid phase during eruptive degassing. The partitioning of Cl between the water-rich vapor phase and the residual magma can be modelled as open-system Rayleigh fractionation. Using a pre-eruptive H2O content of 4.3 wt.%, and Burnham's (1979) water solubility model, the pressure and depth of initial vesiculation of the Taupo magma is calculated to occur at about 0.9 kbar or ∼3.5 km depth. Initial fragmentation (assumed to occur at a vapor:melt ratio of 3:1) began at 0.1 kbar, or ∼500 m depth. Obsidian in most tephra deposits contains less than 1 wt.% H2O, and are calculated to have formed at The 2000-year-old Hatepe phreatoplinian tephra contains many obsidian fragments with > 2 wt.% H2O. The meteoric water which caused this eruption to be phreatomagmatic may have caused obsidian to quench at unusually great depths, resulting in higher H2O contents.
An analysis of the proposed Btu tax on the us economy

This paper examines the impacts of a Btu tax on energy on the United States economy. The analytical approach used in the analysis consisted of a general equilibrium model composed of fourteen producing sectors, fourteen consuming sectors, six household categories classified by income and a government. The effects of imposing a tax on natural gas, coal, and nuclear power of 25.7 cents per million Btu and a tax on refined petroleum products of 59.9 cents per million Btu on prices and quantities are examined. The results are revealing. For example, a Btu tax on energy imposed at the point of production will result in lower output by the producing sectors (by about $122.4 billion), a decrease in the consumption of goods and services (by about $64.6 billion), and a reduction in welfare (by about $66.6 billion). The government would realize an increase in revenue of about $50.5 billion. In the case of the Btu tax being imposed at the point of consumption, there will be lower output by the producing sectors (by about $83.7 billion), a reduction in the consumption of goods and services (by about $48.3 billion), and a reduction in welfare (by about $49.5 billion). The government would realize an increase in revenue of $41.3 billion. Finally, when subjected to a sensitivity analysis, the results are reasonably robust with regard to the assumption of the values of the substitution elasticities.
Uterine papillary serous carcinoma after radiation therapy for carcinoma of the cervix

This article describes the clinicopathologic features of six cases of uterine papillary serous carcinoma (UPSC), which developed several years after radiation therapy (RT) for cervical carcinoma. The possible etiologic role of radiation is discussed, and the literature on endometrial carcinomas developing after RT is reviewed.
NONEMPIRICAL WAVE FUNCTIONS FOR VERY LARGE MOLECULES. I. THE PRDDO/M METHOD

The authors describe enhancements to the method of partial retention of diatomic differential overlap (PRDDO). The new method, denoted PRDDO/M, employs a basis set of not quite orthogonal atomic orbitals (NQOAOS) and utilizes sparse matrix techniques to greatly increase the computational efficiency for large molecules. Other modifications, including a complete reparametrization of the method against ab initio STO-3G calculations and implementation of integral screening/damping algorithms, are described. The method is an order of magnitude or more faster than are STO 3G single-point calculations using modern ab initio codes, with little loss in accuracy. 15 refs., 5 figs., 6 tabs.
The Effect of Risk on Concept Acquisition

Thirty-six ninth grade Ss were randomly assigned to six treatments requiring concept acquisition with regard to various kinds of concept instances. Two groups received good positive instances (GP), two good negative and good positive instances (GN), and two poor negative and good positive instances (PN). One group of each set performed under risk conditions and the other under non-risk conditions. Risk was established by presenting S with money which was removed for incorrect learning. It was found that Ss using GP instances performed best and that risk interfered with the use of GN instances. Risk improved the performance of GP and PN Ss.
Differential effects of high‐quality child care

In policy research a frequent aim is to estimate treatment effects separately by subgroups. This endeavor becomes a methodological challenge when the subgroups are defined by post-treatment, rather than pre-treatment, variables because if analyses are performed in the same way as with pre-treatment variables, causal interpretations are no longer valid. The authors illustrate a new approach to this challenge within the context of the Infant Health and Development Program, a multisite randomized study that provided at-risk children with intensive, center-based child care. This strategy is used to examine the differential causal effects of access to high-quality child care for children who would otherwise have participated in one of three child care options: no non-maternal care, home-based non-maternal care, and center-based care. Results of this study indicate that children participating in the first two types of care would have gained the most from high-quality center-based care and, moreover, would have more consistently retained the bulk of these positive benefits over time. These results may have implications for policy, particularly with regard to the debate about the potential implications of providing universal child care. © 2002 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management.
How glutamate receptor subunits mix and match: details uncovered.

Until now, the atomic details explaining why certain subunits prefer to coassemble has been lacking in our understanding of glutamate receptor biogenesis. In this issue, Kumar et al. describe the structural basis by which preferential subunit assembly occurs for homomeric and heteromeric kainate-type glutamate receptors.
Insights into platelet P2Y12 receptor activation

In this issue of Blood , Lecchi et al report that lifelong abnormal bleeding episodes in 2 brothers are the result of a homozygous mutation in the gene encoding the P2Y12 receptor that disrupts adenosine diphosphate (ADP)–promoted platelet aggregation.[1][1] ![Figure][2] ADP simultaneously
Self-association of a high molecular weight subfragment-2 of myosin induced by divalent metal ions.

The effect of divalent cations on the self-association of high molecular weight subfragment-2 (long S-2) and low molecular weight subfragment-2 (short S-2) of rabbit skeletal muscle myosin has been investigated. In the presence of millimolar concentrations of Ca2+ or Mg2+ long S-2 associates at neutral pH to form ordered, high molecular weight aggregates whereas short S-2 does not associate. The association process is co-operative and results from binding two to four divalent cations within the light meromyosin-heavy meromyosin (LMM-HMM) hinge region of long S-2. Optical diffraction of electron micrographs of the long S-2 aggregates revealed several periodicities including reflections near 143 A. High molecular weight HMM showed a similar divalent metal induced self-association. Chymotryptic digestion studies of rod filaments reveal that cleavage within the LMM-HMM hinge is also strongly dependent on the presence of divalent cations. At pH 8, in the absence of divalent cations, the S-2 region appears to be displaced away from the filament backbone resulting in rapid proteolysis in the hinge domain. At high cation concentrations (>10 m m ) proteolytic cleavage is suppressed. A similar depression of the (substantially lower) hinge cleavage rate was also observed at neutral pH following addition of these divalent metal ions. Results suggest that binding of Mg2+ within the hinge domain under physiological conditions may act to lock the cross-bridge onto the thick filament surface in its resting-state orientation.
A parsimonious set of verbal descriptors of pain sensation derived from the McGill Pain Questionnaire

In view of some recent disagreements about the vocabulary of pain as suggested in the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ), the present study re-examined all MPQ pain descriptors with regard to their appropriateness as descriptors of pain sensation. A sample of 70 undergraduate students (whose first language was English) assigned descriptors to individual sensory subcategories and then rated them in terms of implied intensity of pain. Data were evaluated using three criteria related to the absolute frequency, relative frequency, and unimodality of word assignments to each subcategory. Results revealed that about 40% of the supposed MPQ sensory descriptors could not be classified within any of the sensory subcategories because of incomprehension, underuse, or ambiguity of usage. The majority of the words, however, were classified in the same subcategories and given similar intensity ratings as in the MPQ. These words constitute a parsimonious subset of MPQ descriptors of pain sensation. Such words promise more diagnostic specificity in the assessment of pain. Further research could serve to replicate these findings as part of the ongoing refinement of the MPQ.
Receding horizon control for a class of hybrid systems with event uncertainties

We consider optimal control problems for a class of hybrid systems with switches dependent on an external event process. In the case where all event times in this process are fully known, the solution to such problems was obtained in prior work. When event times are uncertain or unknown, we propose a receding horizon (RH) control scheme in which only some future event information is available within a time window of length T. Analyzing sample paths obtained under this scheme and comparing them to those obtained under optimal control, we derive several properties of the RH controller, including the fact that the error due to lack of future event information is monotonically decreasing under certain conditions and may be zero for segments of the sample path, depending on the window length T.
Pulmonary glial heterotopia in a monoamniotic twin.

Brain heterotopia in the lungs is rare, but when it occurs in an otherwise healthy newborn, it presents a difficult diagnostic problem and uncertain pathophysiology. We report on a 2-week-old premature infant who presented with respiratory distress and widespread cystic lung changes identified by chest imaging studies. Autopsy demonstrated that the cyst walls were composed of well-differentiated neuroglial tissue, which was confirmed by immunohistochemistry. The cysts were partially lined by bronchial epithelium and contained keratinous debris. For the first time, we demonstrate that the debris stain for human chorionic gonadotropin, compatible with aspirated amnion. There were no other congenital abnormalities. Her monoamniotic twin was anencephalic and died at birth. Although the etiology of glial heterotopia in the lungs is unknown, the majority of cases are associated with anencephalic newborns. Some authors postulated that this heterotopia may therefore be a consequence of fetal aspiration of brain tissue. Other possibilities include glial predominant teratomas, hamartomatous malformations, and abnormal neural crest migration. Our review of the 21 cases reported over the past century suggests that in utero aspiration of glial cells, or abnormal neural crest migration, are the most likely explanations for this rare and fatal disease.
Effects of Gestational Age and Labor on Expression of Prostanoid Receptor Genes in Baboon Uterus

Abstract We determined the effect of gestational age and labor on the regional expression of prostanoid receptor genes in baboon myometrium. Cesarean hysterectomy was performed on 15 pregnant baboons of known gestational age in the last third of pregnancy, five of them during spontaneous term labor. Expression of prostanoid receptor genes was studied using Northern blot analysis. Transcripts of similar size to the human were detected for prostanoid EP1, EP2, EP3, EP4, IP, FP, and TP receptor genes using Northern blot analysis. There were no gestational age-related changes in expression of these genes. Expression of EP1, EP3, and IP receptor RNA mRNA was significantly higher in myometrium from the fundus (compared with the lower segment), whereas EP2 gene expression was significantly lower in the fundus. Labor was associated with a reduction in the regional variation of both EP2 and IP receptor gene expression, but not EP1 and EP3 expression. Labor was also associated with an overall lower level of express...
The Core List Mirage: A Comparison of the Journals Frequently Consulted by Faculty and Students

By employing a combination of electronic and manual methods, the authors of this study compiled separate lists of the journals most frequently used by Western Illinois University faculty and students. These lists of popular journals, although interesting in themselves, also reveal that journal consultation habits vary considerably between constituencies, even within one academic library. Thus, the ultimate “core list” remains illusory. The dissimilarity of the lists emphasizes the importance of using local data and recognizing the distinctive needs of both ends of the user spectrum when making journal-collection decisions.
THE SYNTHESIS OF ACETYLCHOLINE BY THE OLIVOCOCHLEAR BUNDLE

— Choline acetyltransferase (ChAc; EC 2.3.1.6) was assayed in the membranous cochlea and in the eighth cranial nerve (both the vestibular and cochlear components) from the point where it leaves the brain stem to the internal auditory meatus of the cat. To determine the contribution of the efferent innervation of the cochlea to this enzymatic activity both eighth nerves and both membranous cochleae were assayed at 17–29 days following section of the right, crossed and uncrossed olivo-cochlear bundles (OCB) in the cat. The lesion was produced along the right sulcus limitans on the floor of the fourth ventricle. The left eighth nerves and cochleae served as controls in the ChAc assay. There was a significant decrease in ChAc activity in the right cochlea and eighth nerve after OCB section and degeneration. The mean activity of ChAc in the right cochleae of the 6 operated cats was 15 ± 7 μg of ACh formed. h−1 (g wet wt. of tissue) −1 in comparison to the rate of all the intact cochleae of 156 ± 38 μg of ACh formed. h−1. (g of tissue)−1, a statistically significant difference (P < 0005). The mean activity of ChAc in the right eighth nerves of the cats with OCB lesions was 30 ± 8 n-g of ACh formed. h−1. (g of tissue)−1in comparison to 91 ± 19 fig of ACh formed . h−1. (g of tissue)−1 found for intact eighth nerves. This difference was also significant (P < 0005). Thus, section and degeneration of the crossed and uncrossed OCB reduce the activity of ChAc in the eighth nerve and membranous cochlea. This finding provides support for the hypothesis suggesting the cholinergic nature of olivo-cochlear transmission.
Lessons from the Literature on Implementation

Until recently, the "change literature" has focused on the diffusion and adoption of innovations to the exclusion of the implementation process. In the last few years, however, attention has been d...
Serine 910 Phosphorylation of Focal Adhesion Kinase is Critical for Sarcomere Reorganization In Cardiomyocyte Hypertrophy

Aims Tyrosine-phosphorylated focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is required for the hypertrophic response of cardiomyocytes to growth factors and mechanical load, but the role of FAK serine phosphorylation in this process is unknown. The aims of the present study were to characterize FAK serine phosphorylation in cultured neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVM), analyse its functional significance during hypertrophic signalling, and examine its potential role in the pathogenesis of human dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Methods and results Endothelin-1 (ET-1) and other hypertrophic factors induced a time- and dose-dependent increase in FAK-S910 phosphorylation. ET-1-induced FAK-S910 phosphorylation required ETAR-dependent activation of PKCδ and Src via parallel Raf-1 → MEK1/2 → ERK1/2 and MEK5 → ERK5 signalling pathways. Replication-deficient adenoviruses expressing wild-type (WT) FAK and a non-phosphorylatable, S910A-FAK mutant were then used to examine the functional significance of FAK-S910 phosphorylation. Unlike WT-FAK, S910A-FAK increased the half-life of GFP-tagged paxillin within costameres (as determined by total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching) and increased the steady-state FAK–paxillin interaction (as determined by co-immunoprecipitation and western blotting). These alterations resulted in reduced NRVM sarcomere reorganization and cell spreading. Finally, we found that FAK was serine-phosphorylated at multiple sites in non-failing, human left ventricular tissue. FAK-S910 phosphorylation and ERK5 expression were dramatically reduced in patients undergoing heart transplantation for end-stage DCM. Conclusion FAK undergoes S910 phosphorylation via PKCδ and Src-dependent pathways that are important for cell spreading and sarcomere reorganization. Reduced FAK-S910 phosphorylation may contribute to sarcomere disorganization in DCM.
Learning an Internal Dynamics Model from Control Demonstration

Much work in optimal control and inverse control has assumed that the controller has perfect knowledge of plant dynamics. However, if the controller is a human or animal subject, the subject's internal dynamics model may differ from the true plant dynamics. Here, we consider the problem of learning the subject's internal model from demonstrations of control and knowledge of task goals. Due to sensory feedback delay, the subject uses an internal model to generate an internal prediction of the current plant state, which may differ from the actual plant state. We develop a probabilistic framework and exact EM algorithm to jointly estimate the internal model, internal state trajectories, and feedback delay. We applied this framework to demonstrations by a nonhuman primate of brain-machine interface (BMI) control. We discovered that the subject's internal model deviated from the true BMI plant dynamics and provided significantly better explanation of the recorded neural control signals than did the true plant dynamics.
Pushing the limit: masticatory stress and adaptive plasticity in mammalian craniomandibular joints

Excessive, repetitive and altered loading have been implicated in the initiation of a series of soft- and hard-tissue responses or ;functional adaptations' of masticatory and locomotor elements. Such adaptive plasticity in tissue types appears designed to maintain a sufficient safety factor, and thus the integrity of given element or system, for a predominant loading environment(s). Employing a mammalian species for which considerable in vivo data on masticatory behaviors are available, genetically similar domestic white rabbits were raised on diets of different mechanical properties so as to develop an experimental model of joint function in a normal range of physiological loads. These integrative experiments are used to unravel the dynamic inter-relationships among mechanical loading, tissue adaptive plasticity, norms of reaction and performance in two cranial joint systems: the mandibular symphysis and temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Here, we argue that a critical component of current and future research on adaptive plasticity in the skull, and especially cranial joints, should employ a multifaceted characterization of a functional system, one that incorporates data on myriad tissues so as to evaluate the role of altered load versus differential tissue response on the anatomical, cellular and molecular processes that contribute to the strength of such composite structures. Our study also suggests that the short-term duration of earlier analyses of cranial joint tissues may offer a limited notion of the complex process of developmental plasticity, especially as it relates to the effects of long-term variation in mechanical loads, when a joint is increasingly characterized by adaptive and degradative changes in tissue structure and composition. Indeed, it is likely that a component of the adaptive increases in rabbit TMJ and symphyseal proportions and biomineralization represent a compensatory mechanism to cartilage degradation that serves to maintain the overall functional integrity of each joint system. Therefore, while variation in cranial joint anatomy and performance among sister taxa is, in part, an epiphenomenon of interspecific differences in diet-induced masticatory stresses characterizing the individual ontogenies of the members of a species, this behavioral signal may be increasingly mitigated in over-loaded and perhaps older organisms by the interplay between adaptive and degradative tissue responses.
Group Training for Social Skills: A Program for Court-Adjudicated, Probationary Youths

A group training program for teaching social skills was conducted with 13 court-adjudicated youths on probation with a juvenile court. The program taught eight skills—giving positive feedback, giving negative feedback, accepting negative feedback, resisting peer pressure, problem-solving, negotiation, following instructions, and conversation. The youths were divided into three groups, two of which had a homenote procedure that required the youths to practice the skill at home during the week. The skills were trained in a multiple-baseline design across skills using skill explanation and rationales, modeling, and behavioral rehearsal with feedback. Behavioral role-play results showed substantial skill increases for the youths in all the groups with the youths in the two homenote groups showing more rapid increases in skill levels. Folow-up testing eight months later showed good retention of the majority of the skills. Self-report questionnaires showed that the majority of the youths viewed themselves as mo...
Advance Directive Communication Practices: Social Workers' Contributions to the Interdisciplinary Health Care Team

This article presents a comparative study about social work- ers' interdisciplinary advance directive communication practices with pa- tients at several hospitals located in upstate New York. The sample consisted of physicians (n = 32), nurses (n = 74), and social workers (n = 29). The research surveyed advance directive communication practices by discipline utilizing a self-administered questionnaire. Advance directive communication was operationalized as a cumulative process incorporating the following phases that were measured as scales: initiation of the topic, disclosure of information, identification of a surrogate decision-maker, dis- cussion of treatment options, elicitation of patient values, interaction with family members, and collaboration with other health care professionals. Re- sults suggest that social workers offer distinct skills in their advance direc- tive communication practices and discuss advance directives more frequently than either physicians or nurses. (Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-HAWORTH. E-mail address: Website: © 2005 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.)
Insight, Interpretation, and Unconscious Processes

Insight and interpretation have been synonymous with psychoanalytic psychotherapy since the earliest days of that method’s existence. Once Freud (1900) abandoned his initial reliance on hypnosis and suggestion as ways of helping his patient’s toward a cathartic experience, he began to rely on the inferential method, which perhaps defines the classical psychoanalytic method of informing patients about the unconscious meanings of their associations.
Posttransplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder

Objective:To define and discuss the pathogenesis, clinical presentation, diagnosis, risk factors, and current preventive and treatment strategies of post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD).Data Sources:MEDLINE was searched for articles published from January 1966 to July 2007. Search terms used include posttransplant lymphoproliferative disease, posttransplant malignancy, antiviral agents, interferon-alfa, rituximab, immunosuppression, chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. Additional articles were identified by a hand search of references.Study Selection and Data Extraction:Studies in English of pediatric and adult solid organ transplantation populations published were selected and analyzed. Data from these studies and information from review articles were included in this review.Data Synthesis:PTLD occurs in 1–20% of organ recipients following solid organ transplantation. PTLD risk factors include recipient pretransplant Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) negative serostatus, type of transplant, intens...
Dynamic Request Allocation and Scheduling for Context Aware Applications Subject to a Percentile Response Time SLA in a Distributed Cloud

We consider geographically distributed data centers forming a collectively managed cloud computing system, hosting multiple Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) based context aware applications, each subject to Service Level Agreements (SLA). The Service Level Agreements for each context aware application require the response time of a certain percentile of the input requests to be less than a specified value for a profit to be charged by the cloud provider. We present a novel approach of data-oriented dynamic service-request allocation with gi-FIFO scheduling, in each of the geographically distributed data centers, to globally increase the profit charged by the cloud computing system. Our evaluation shows that our dynamic scheme far outperforms the commonly deployed static allocation with either First in First Out (FIFO) or Weighted Round Robin (WRR) scheduling.
Authoring and Deploying Business Policies Dynamically for Compliance Monitoring

A policy authoring tool is integrated into a business provenance management system for dynamically authoring, deploying and monitoring compliance. The policy authoring tool enables creation of business rules in the language business people understand and deploys them into a rule engine. Once the policy is deployed, the compliance of process execution traces stored in a business provenance management system can be checked against these rules. Salient features of the solution architecture, including semantic mapping of IT terminology into business vocabulary and transforming business rules into key control points in the compliance checking system, are explained.
New method for determination of geometric dependences of submicrometre MOS transistor parameters

A new and simple method using device simulation results to determine the geometric dependences of the zero-bias threshold voltage and body-effect coefficient for submicrometre MOS transistors is presented. No a priori geometric shape of the bulk depletion region is assumed. The threshold-voltage reduction and body-effect coefficient were experimentally determined to have a linear and exponential dependence on 1/Leff, respectively, for submicrometre LDD MOS transistors with effective channel length as small as 0.22 μm.
The relationship of infection to method of delivery in twin pregnancy

Abstract Objective: Our purpose was to determine whether manipulation of the second twin increases the risk of postpartum infection. Study Design: Medical records of all twin deliveries between January 1991 and December 1994 were reviewed. The route of delivery (vaginal vs cesarean section) was examined. The vaginal group was further divided into those delivered in the vertex/vertex position (i.e., no uterine manipulation) versus those delivered vertex/breech extraction (i.e., manipulation). The χ 2 and Student t test were used where appropriate. Results: A total of 718 twins were identified, and maternal age, parity, gestational age at delivery (36 weeks), and birth weight (2278 gm) were similar among groups. The metritis rate was higher in the cesarean group (74/447 or 18%) than in the vaginal group (17/299 or 5.7%, p Conclusion: Uterine manipulation of the second twin does not increase the risk of postpartum metritis or neonatal sepsis. In addition, the time interval between delivery of twins A and B has no effect on the rate of metritis. Although the rate of endometritis has been reported to be higher with twins delivered by cesarean section compared to singletons, the 18% rate of endometritis in twins delivered by cesarean section in this study is slightly lower than in our general population of cesarean deliveries (22%).
The transparent testa4 Mutation Prevents Flavonoid Synthesis and Alters Auxin Transport and the Response of Arabidopsis Roots to Gravity and Light

We examined whether flavonoids act as endogenous auxin transport regulators during gravity vector and light intensity changes in Arabidopsis thaliana roots. Flavonoid deficient transparent testa4 [tt4(2YY6)] seedlings had elevated root basipetal auxin transport compared with the wild type, consistent with the absence of a negative auxin transport regulator. The tt4(2YY6) roots had delayed gravitropism that was chemically complemented with a flavonoid intermediate. Flavonoid accumulation was found in wild-type columella cells, the site of gravity perception, and in epidermal and cortical cells, the site of differential growth, but flavonoid accumulation was absent in tt4(2YY6) roots. Flavonoid accumulation was higher in gravity-stimulated root tips as compared with vertical controls, with maximum differences coinciding with the timing of gravitropic bending, and was located in epidermal cells. Exogenous indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) also elevated flavonoid accumulation, suggesting that flavonoid changes in response to gravity might be partly as a result of changing IAA distribution. Acropetal IAA transport was also elevated in roots of tt4(2YY6). Flavonoid synthesis was repressed in the dark, as were differences in root acropetal transport in tt4(2YY6). These results are consistent with light- and gravity-induced flavonoid stimulation that alters auxin transport in roots and dependent physiological processes, including gravitropic bending and root development.
MVAPICH-PRISM: a proxy-based communication framework using InfiniBand and SCIF for intel MIC clusters

Xeon Phi, based on the Intel Many Integrated Core (MIC) architecture, packs up to 1TFLOPs of performance on a single chip while providing x86__64 compatibility. On the other hand, InfiniBand is one of the most popular choices of interconnect for supercomputing systems. The software stack on Xeon Phi allows processes to directly access an InfiniBand HCA on the node and thus, provides a low latency path for internode communication. However, drawbacks in the state-of-the-art chipsets like Sandy Bridge limit the bandwidth available for these transfers. In this paper, we propose MVAPICH-PRISM, a novel proxy-based framework to optimize the communication performance on such systems. We present several designs and evaluate them using micro-benchmarks and application kernels. Our designs improve internode latency between Xeon Phi processes by up to 65% and internode bandwidth by up to five times. Our designs improve the performance of MPI_Alltoall operation by up to 65%, with 256 processes. They improve the performance of a 3D Stencil communication kernel and the P3DFFT library by 56% and 22% with 1,024 and 512 processes, respectively.