cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Who over 65 is online? Older adults' dispositions toward information communication technology

A distinctive dichotomous pattern of ICT use among older adults emerged.Older adults' main ICT activities involved family/social communication and accessing information.Age, education, attitudes, and socio-personal characteristics were associated with ICT use.Older adults 65-70 with higher education and/or living with a spouse were more likely to use ICT.Older adults, who adopt ICT, valued their ICT activities as important in their lives. This study is part of a research project that examines patterns of information communication technology (ICT) use, social participation, and health of older adults (age 65+) residing in the New England region. Specifically, we surveyed the breadth of ICT use, technology experiences, and socio-personal characteristics of 198 older adults and analyzed the dispositional correlates of ICT adoption. Results showed that majority of participants used ICT to maintain family and social connections and to access information on health and routine activities. Those aged 65-70 with higher education and/or living with a spouse/partner were more likely to use ICT. Key relationships between ICT use and perspectives on technology were found. Higher ICT use was associated with self-perceived socio-personal characteristics such as being "satisfied with activities", "persevering", "physically and emotionally independent" and having a "positive outlook". Whereas, the majority of non-users reported that their activities did not change across time and that they felt "intimidated" and "anxious" with technology. The performance of ICT-based activities and/or the desire to perform them were significantly associated with the perceived importance of the activities. The older population's age, education, attitudes, and personalities influence how they approach ICT. We propose a community-centered socio-ecological model to factor in these dispositional characteristics in future ICT training programs.
Characterization and Applications of Poly‐Acetate Modified Silica Polyamine Composites

Abstract Silica polyamine composites made from silanized amorphous silica gel and a polyamine (polyallylamine (BP‐1) and poly(ethyleneimine) (WP‐1)) were functionalized with ethylenediamine‐N,N,N′,N′‐tetraacetic (EDTA) anhydride resulting in the modified composites BP‐ED and WP‐ED respectively. Successful immobilization of the poly‐acetate ligand was confirmed by weight gain, IR and elemental analysis. The modified composites had ligand loading values of 0.78 mmol/g and 0.58 mmol/g respectively. Adsorption characteristics were investigated for BP‐ED and WP‐ED by pH profiles, time dependent isotherms, concentration dependent isotherms, and the Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption models. Metal ion capacities (mmol of metal adsorbed per gram of adsorbent) were shown to increase with pH for BP‐ED and WP‐ED, which is in contrast with silica gel modified with EDTA anhydride via amino propyl silane without the use of a polyamine where the opposite trend is observed. The adsorption of Ni(II), Zn(II) and Co(II) ont...
Genotypic differences in thermotolerance are dependent upon prestress capacity for antioxidant protection of the photosynthetic apparatus in Gossypium hirsutum.

Numerous studies have illustrated the need for antioxidant enzymes in acquired photosynthetic thermotolerance, but information on their possible role in promoting innate thermotolerance is lacking. We investigated the hypothesis that genotypic differences in source leaf photosynthetic thermostability would be dependent upon prestress capacity for antioxidant protection of the photosynthetic apparatus in Gossypium hirsutum. To test this hypothesis, thermosensitive (cv. ST4554) and reportedly thermotolerant (cv. VH260) G. hirsutum plants were exposed to control (30/20°C) or high-day temperature (38/20°C) conditions during flowering and source leaf gas exchange, chlorophyll content and maximum photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm) were measured for each treatment. The relationship between source leaf thermostability and prestress antioxidant capacity was quantified by monitoring the actual quantum yield response of photosystem II (PSII) (ΦPSII) to a range of temperatures for both cultivars grown under the control temperature regime and measuring antioxidant enzyme activity for those same leaves. VH260 was more thermotolerant than ST4554 as evidenced by photosynthesis and Fv/Fm being significantly lower under high temperature for ST4554 but not VH260. Under identical growth conditions, VH260 had significantly higher optimal and threshold temperatures for ΦPSII and glutathione reductase (GR; EC 1.8.1.7) activity than ST4554, and innate threshold temperature was dependent upon endogenous GR and superoxide dismutase (SOD; EC 1.15.1.1) activity. We conclude that maintaining a sufficient antioxidant enzyme pool prior to heat stress is an innate mechanism for coping with rapid leaf temperature increases that commonly occur under field conditions.
Nonvisual Codes and Nonvisual Brain Areas Support Visual Working Memory

Systems models hold working memory to depend on specialized, domain-specific storage buffers. Here, however, we demonstrate that short-term retention of the identity or location of visually presented stimuli is disrupted by nonvisual secondary tasks performed in the dark-passive listening to nouns or endogenous generation of saccades, respectively. This indicates that the short-term retention of visual information relies on multiple mental codes, some of them nonvisual. Event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) reveals the neural correlates of these interference effects to be more complex and more regionally specific than previously described. Although nonspecific dual-task effects produce a generalized decrease of task-evoked fMRI response across many brain regions, the interference-specific effect is a relative increase of activity localized to regions associated with the secondary task in question: left hemisphere perisylvian cortex in the case of passive listening distraction and frontal oculomotor regions in the case of saccadic distraction. Within these regions, the neural interference effects are specific to voxels that show delay-period activity on unfilled memory trials. They also predict individual differences in the magnitude of the behavioral interference effect. These results indicate that nonvisual processes supported by nonvisual brain areas contribute importantly to "visual" working memory performance.
Isolation and characterization of the gene encoding the heavy chain of Drosophila kinesin.

Abstract An antiserum that recognizes the heavy chain of Drosophila kinesin was used to isolate Drosophila cDNA clones. Immunoblot analysis of the proteolytic fragments of the protein produced by one of the cDNA clones has demonstrated that the cDNA clones encode the heavy chain of Drosophila kinesin. The in vitro-synthesized product of the largest cDNA comigrates with Drosophila kinesin heavy chain on NaDodSO4/polyacrylamide gels and binds to taxol-stabilized microtubules in the presence of the nonhydrolyzable analogue of ATP, 5'-adenylyl imidodiphosphate, but not in the presence of ATP or 0.1 M KCl. Analysis of the cDNA clones suggests that there is a single gene encoding kinesin heavy chain in Drosophila located at polytene chromosome position 53A. However, Southern hybridization analyses suggest the presence of related sequences in the Drosophila genome.
Spatial averaging for solid samples by Hadamard transform Raman spectroscopy

A method is described to avoid the effects of sample heterogeneity in Raman measurements on solid samples. A Hadamard multiplex multichannel system with a bifurcated fiber-optic bundle for excitation and collection is used. The Hadamard mask employs a 7-element code with a unit slit width of 400 μm. Results are reported for samples prepared by mixing cytosine and 5-methylcytosine powders.
MYBPC3's alternate ending: consequences and therapeutic implications of a highly prevalent 25 bp deletion mutation.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common form of inherited cardiac disease and the leading cause of sudden cardiac death in young people. HCM is caused by mutations in genes encoding contractile proteins. Cardiac myosin binding protein-C (cMyBP-C) is a thick filament contractile protein that regulates sarcomere organization and cardiac contractility. About 200 different mutations in the cMyBP-C gene (MYBPC3) have thus far been reported as causing HCM. Among them, a 25 base pair deletion in the branch point of intron 32 of MYBPC3 is widespread, particularly affecting people of South Asian descent, with 4% of this population carrying the mutation. This polymorphic mutation results in skipping of exon 33 and a reading frame shift, which, in turn, replaces the last 65 amino acids of the C-terminal C10 domain of cMyBP-C with a novel sequence of 58 residues (cMyBP-CC10mut). Carriers of the 25 base pair deletion mutation are at increased risk of developing cardiomyopathy and heart failure. Because of the high prevalence of this mutation in certain populations, genetic screening of at-risk groups might be beneficial. Scientifically, the functional consequences of C-terminal mutations and the precise mechanisms leading to HCM should be defined using induced pluripotent stem cells and engineered heart tissue in vitro or mouse models in vivo. Most importantly, therapeutic strategies that include pharmacology, gene repair, and gene therapy should be developed to prevent the adverse clinical effects of cMyBP-CC10mut. This review article aims to examine the effects of cMyBP-CC10mut on cardiac function, emphasizing the need for the development of genetic testing and expanded therapeutic strategies.
Streptomycin in therapy of Hemophilus influenzae meningitis

T I-I • z R ~ A T ~ ~ N z of Hemophilus influenzae meningitis prior to 1940 was almost completely unsatisfactory. Slight improvement resulted from the introduction of horse and rabbit immune serum, some reduction in mortality followed the introduction of sulfonamides, and the use of sulfadiazine and streptomycin in combination caused the mortality rate to decline to about 5 per cent where it now stands. This combined therapy was used in a series of 90 cases with 87 recoveries and 3 deaths reported by Appelbaum and Netson. 1 These results rival those of any series reported to date. Combined treatment with sulfonamides and streptomycin was the method of choice until the proposal that chloramphenicol be substituted for streptomycin. Prather and Smith 2 reported a recovery rate of 100 per cent in 15 patients treated with chloramphenicol. Ross and co-workers s reported the treatment of 15 children with sulfadiazine and intramuscular chloramphenicol; there were 2 deaths. Numerous other reports indicate satisfactory response to this
CRITICAL ASSESSMENT OF TRANSPORT VARIABLES ON NB <1500 GM SURVIVAL

The impact of hospital of birth (Level I,II), age of transport (< 2hr, ≥2hr), severity (Apgar ≤6,≥7) & time of transport (weekdays (WD) 8a-4p, 4p-8a & weekends (WE) on survival were evaluated in transported NB <1500 Gm in 1981-82 in NYC. 324 NB transport records were reviewed from 18 Level I Hosp. (N=163) & 22 Level II Hosp. (N=161). 4 Stratified groups (GR) of varying risks were compared (see Table). Groupings were validated by logistic regression (% sruvival on risk category), r2=.995, F1,2=441.05, P<0.005. Results: (1) By X2 &/or Fischer exact test, Level II Hosp. had a significant (sig) increase in survival on WD transports in 2 high risk Gr (1&2) compared to Level I, verified by Mantel-Haenzsel testing X2=9.12,P < 0.005 with odds ratio of 8.7 in favor of Level II. This was not noted on WE with high risk Gr 1,2; (2) Lower risk Gr 3, Level I showed sig higher survival than Level II on WD. It is clear that earlier transport of high risk small neonates from Level I is essential.
What does the future bring? A look at technologies for commercial aircraft in the years 2035–2050

Abstract Demographics and economics in the next 20 years are being examined. They reflect a significant GDP growth and with this a strong demand for commercial aircraft not only in the US and Europe but across Asia and the Middle East. The demand will focus on more fuel efficient and more environmentally friendly vehicles. Significant progress is being made with the new regionals, narrow-body, and wide-body aircraft between now and the year 2020. Looking beyond, the world will examine new airplane architectures, new changes in propulsion systems, and higher thermal and propulsion efficiencies. Distributed propulsion options will come into play. With them, higher operating pressure gas generators will be developed and great attention will have to be given to highly integrated propulsion/airplane systems. Energy transfer requirements will lead to bigger gear systems as well as new hybrid systems. The new machines are forecasted to offer improvements in fuel efficiencies of over 40%. There are many technical challenges to make all these things happen. The aerospace engineers and scientists of today and tomorrow face unlimited opportunities to make a difference for what looks like a very exciting future.
Endotoxin-induced uveitis in the rat: observations on altered vascular permeability, clinical findings, and histology

A single intraperitoneal dose of endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide or LPS) induces an acute inflammatory response in the uveal tract of rats. This inflammation is characterized by a breakdown of the blood/aqueous barrier within 3 hr after the LPS and the subsequent development of clinical disease and a cellular infiltrate. Early change in vascular permeability, clinical, and pathological changes were dose dependent with the two highest doses (100 micrograms or 500 micrograms) producing more severe pathology. Clinical and histopathologic abnormalities peaked at 24 hr and were resolving by 48 hr. Although clinical and histologic changes correlated well, the degree of breakdown of the blood/aqueous barrier at 3 hr failed to predict the extent of the cellular exudate measured by either clinical or histologic criteria. In addition, pharmacologic suppression of the early vascular permeability changes with indomethacin, cyproheptadine, or both agents failed to protect the animals consistently from subsequently developing significant clinical disease or cellular infiltrates on histopathology. LPS-induced uveitis in the rat provides a simple, reproducible model for ocular inflammation without requiring direct eye manipulation. The mediators responsible for the early vascular permeability in this model appear to be distinct from the mediators primarily responsible for the subsequent cellular exudate.
Late Neurological Dysfunction in Adult Lumbosacral Lipoma with Tethered Cord

The case of a 59-year-old man with adult-onset neurological dysfunction secondary to a tethered cord and a lumbosacral lipoma is presented. This condition not only affects children, but is known to produce neurological dysfunction in adults and should be kept in mind in the differential diagnosis of patients with sacral root deficits.
DAMAGE, a Novel α-Dystrobrevin-associated MAGE Protein in Dystrophin Complexes

Mice rendered null for α-dystrobrevin, a component of the dystrophin complex, have muscular dystrophy, despite the fact that the sarcolemma remains relatively intact (Grady, R. M., Grange, R. W., Lau, K. S., Maimone, M. M., Nichol, M. C., Stull, J. T., and Sanes, J. R. (1999) Nat. Cell Biol. 1, 215-220) Thus, α-dystrobrevin may serve a signaling function that is important for the maintenance of muscle integrity. We have identified a new dystrobrevin-associated protein, DAMAGE, that may play a signaling role in brain, muscle, and peripheral nerve. In humans, DAMAGE is encoded by an intronless gene located at chromosome Xq13.1, a locus that contains genes involved in mental retardation. DAMAGE associates directly with α-dystrobrevin, as shown by yeast two-hybrid, and co-immunoprecipitates with the dystrobrevin-syntrophin complex from brain. This co-immunoprecipitation is dependent on the presence of α-dystrobrevin but not β-dystrobrevin. The DAMAGE protein contains a potential nuclear localization signal, 30 12-amino acid repeats, and two MAGE homology domains. The domain structure of DAMAGE is similar to that of NRAGE, a MAGE protein that mediates p75 neurotrophin receptor signaling and neuronal apoptosis (Salehi, A. H., Roux, P. P., Kubu, C. J., Zeindler, C., Bhakar, A., Tannis, L. L., Verdi, J. M., and Barker, P. A. (2000) Neuron 27, 279-288). DAMAGE is highly expressed in brain and is present in the cell bodies and dendrites of hippocampal and Purkinje neurons. In skeletal muscle, DAMAGE is at the postsynaptic membrane and is associated with a subset of myonuclei. DAMAGE is also expressed in peripheral nerve, where it localizes along with other members of the dystrophin complex to the perineurium and myelin. These results expand the role of dystrobrevin and the dystrophin complex in membrane signaling and disease.
VisWeek Capstone Address

The Times graphics department has won many national and international awards, including the National Design Award for communication design. Learn how graphics editors report, design and edit data visualizations, integrate interac tivity with story telling, and explain the news. How do basic ideas from journalism- including the importance of editing-influence the graphics the Times makes?
A high-speed, economical minicomputer

Abstract A high speed, low cost 20-bit minicomputer has been designed and constructed. It is based on the standard 7400 1 series of transistor-transistor logic.
Construction and characterization of a plasmid coding for a fragment of the Escherichia coli recA protein.

The E. coli recA gene was cloned from the phage λprecA into the vector pBR313. A plasmid, pJL3, was also isolated by cloning a portion of the recA gene into the vector pBR322. pJL3 coded for a fragment of the recA protein 34 Kd (kilodaltons) in size (compared to 40 Kd for the intact protein). This fragment was antigenically related to the recA protein and its synthesis was subject to the same controls as that of the recA protein. The fragment did not express any detectable recA function. When wild-type cells with pJL3 were treated with nalidixic acid, the 34 Kd fragment and the β-lactamase, made from a gene located downstream from the recA segment, were expressed at very high levels. Moreover, in these cells the rate of synthesis of intact recA protein from the chromosome was inhibited about 2-fold, relative to other chromosomal proteins, when compared to wild-type cells with the pBR322 vector. High level expression of the recA protein fragment and/or the β-lactamase appeared to be lethal. The size of the 34 Kd fragment, taken together with the location of chain-termination codons in pJL3, localizes the regulatory region of the recA gene within 100 base pairs.
A network flow approach to solve clustering problems in group technology

A fundamental group technology (GT) problem is the identification of part families and the decomposition of the manufacturing system into machine cells. The objective of the network flow methodology developed in this article is to measure the functional similarity between machines and then to group the machines into cells in such a way that all the parts in each family can be processed in a machine cell. The solution to the GT problem is obtained in terms of one complete-loop and several sub-loops identified by using a state-of-the-art relaxation method for solving the network flow problem. The concept of using a network flow model for cluster analysis is a new approach. It appears to have an excellent potential to provide computationally efficient optimal solutions when compared to the p-median model.
Effect of annealing temperature on the reactivity of Lunar fines toward adsorbed water

Abstract The ability of adsorbed water to react with feldspar-rich lunar soils, create fine pores, and expand the specific surface area is reduced about five-fold if the fines are heated at 700°C rather than 300°C. The loss of reactivity is attributed to the annealing of radiation damage tracks which reduces their etchability by water. Although the pore volume which can be induced decreases drastically, the distribution of pore sizes is not altered significantly. Most of the induced pores have a width of about 45Awith a smaller population concentrated at about 120A. For fines without water treatment, loss of specific surface area by sintering does not occur at temperatures below 700°C.
Incidence of Trichinella spiralis in garbage-fed hogs in San Francisco.

SummaryThe diaphragms of 495 garbage-fed hogs received in 2 abattoirs of San Francisco showed 20 or 4.04% infected with Trichinella spiralis. This figure is comparable with similar surveys of garbage-fed hogs in other areas of the United States. It is 20 times, higher than found in garbage-fed hogs in Canada where garbage is cooked before feeding.
FIT: an iterative parameter-estimation function in LISP

A nested parameter-estimation program (FIT), written in LISP, is described. FIT searches an n-dimensional parameter space for the set of parameter values associated with either a minimum or a maximum criterion score. The range of the parameters is cut in half on each iteration. Two versions of FIT, one suitable for use on large, mainframe systems and the other designed for small microprocessors, appear in the appendices.
Psychodynamics in Tillich's theology.

Paul Tillich was keenly interested in depth psychology. His theological writings are sprinkled with psychodynamic terms and concepts. He has been credited with having "explored depth psychology more thoroughly than any other theologian"1 and with having made "a profound analysis of the interrelationship between psychiatry and religion."2 Tillich's involvement in depth psychology extended over a long pe riod, beginning with lectures on the subject at the University of Berlin in 1919. He frequently expressed the conviction that the material produced by psychoanalysis should be used by the theologian. In an autobio graphical sketch he wrote:
Second Harmonic Generation by Metamagnetics: Interplay of Electric and Magnetic Resonances

We present the first experimental study of the interplay of electric and magnetic resonances in a metamaterial to measure their independent contributions to second-harmonic generation. Experiments indicate evident contribution to SHG from fundamental magnetic field.
Temporal variability of QT interval and changes in T wave morphology in dogs as markers of the clinical risk of drug-induced proarrhythmia.

Abstract Introduction The aim of this experiment was to establish the usefulness of assessing temporal variability of the QT interval and changes in the T wave morphology in dogs as markers of pro-arrhythmic risk in humans. For this purpose, the electrocardiographic effects of astemizole and cisapride, two well known pro-arrhythmic drugs in humans, were assessed in dogs. Methods: Astemizole was administered intravenously at single doses of 1 and 3 mg/kg whilst cisapride was administered orally at doses of 1.5 and 6 mg/kg. Electrocardiograms (ECG) were recorded before and after treatment. From each ECG tracing, QT intervals were recorded over 100 beats for calculation of the mean and standard deviation (SD) of QT and mean corrected QT (QTc). The coefficient of variation of QT (CV = SD/mean) was calculated as an indicator of QT temporal variability. The changes in T wave morphology were assessed in precordial lead CV5RL. Results: Astemizole increased both the QTc interval and the CV of QT. Increases in these parameters also occurred after cisapride, but were less marked than after astemizole. In addition, both compounds produced a notching of the T wave, consisting of the presence of two peaks. Discussion: The effects of astemizole and cisapride on the CV of QT and their propensity to induce of T wave notching are consistent with the blocking of I Kr channels and indicate, respectively, an increase in temporal variability of cardiac repolarization and an increased heterogeneity of the repolarization of cardiac cells across the myocardium. These changes are key triggers of arrhythmic events and are thus consistent with the pro-arrhythmic properties of these drugs. This study therefore indicates that the evaluation of CV of QT and T wave morphology in dogs may help in predicting drug-induced pro-arrhythmic risk in humans.
Current paradigm of the 18-kDa translocator protein (TSPO) as a molecular target for PET imaging in neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative diseases

Neuroinflammation is a process characterised by drastic changes in microglial morphology and by marked upregulation of the 18-kDa translocator protein (TSPO) on the mitochondria. The continual increase in incidence of neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative diseases poses a major health issue in many countries, requiring more innovative diagnostic and monitoring tools. TSPO expression may constitute a biomarker for brain inflammation that could be monitored by using TSPO tracers as neuroimaging agents. From medical imaging perspectives, this review focuses on the current concepts related to the TSPO, and discusses briefly on the status of its PET imaging related to neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative diseases in humans.
A test of a disease-avoidance model of animal phobias

This study examined the relationship between disgust/contamination sensitivity and fear of animals. The results suggested that sensitivity to disgust and contamination was directly related to scores on the animal phobia and fear of illness and death sub-scales of the Fear Survey Schedule (FSS). Further analysis suggested that disgust/contamination sensitivity was related only to fear of certain groups of animals: namely those animals that are not considered to attack and harm human beings but are considered fear-evoking (e.g. rat, spider, cockroach), and those animals that are normally considered to evoke revulsion (e.g. maggot, snail, slug). Disgust/contamination sensitivity was not related to fear of animals that are considered highly likely to attack and harm human beings (e.g. tiger, lion, shark). These results are discussed as support for a disease-avoidance model of common animal fears.
ABELIAN VARIETIES OF TYPE III AND THE HODGE CONJECTURE

We show that the algebraicity of Weil's Hodge cycles implies the usual Hodge conjecture for a general member of a PEL-family of abelian varieties of type III. We deduce the general Hodge conjecture for certain 6-dimensional abelian varieties of type III, and the usual Hodge and Tate conjectures for certain 4-dimensional abelian varieties of type III.
Generating hydrogen-rich fuel-cell feeds from dimethyl ether (DME) using physical mixtures of a commercial Cu/Zn/Al2O3 catalyst and several solid-acid catalysts

Abstract Homogeneous physical mixtures containing a commercial Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 catalyst and a solid–acid catalyst were used to examine the acidity effects on dimethyl ether hydrolysis and their subsequent effects on dimethyl ether steam reforming (DME-SR). The acid catalysts used were zeolites Y [Si/Al = 2.5 and 15: denoted Y(Si/Al)], ZSM-5 [Si/Al = 15, 25, 40, and 140: denoted Z(Si/Al)] and other conventional catalyst supports (ZrO2, and γ-Al2O3). The homogeneous physical mixtures contained equal amounts, by volume, of the solid–acid catalyst and the commercial Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 catalyst (BASF K3-110, denoted as K3). The steam reforming of dimethyl ether was carried out in an isothermal packed-bed reactor at ambient pressure. The most promising physical mixtures for the low-temperature production of hydrogen from DME contained ZSM-5 as the solid–acid catalyst, with hydrogen yields exceeding 90% (T = 275 °C, S/C = 1.5, τ = 1.0 s and P = 0.78 atm) and hydrogen selectivities exceeding 94%, comparable to those observed for methanol steam reforming (MeOH-SR) over BASF K3-110, with values equaling 95% and 99%, respectively (T = 225 °C, S/C = 1.0, τ = 1.0 s and P = 0.78 atm). Large production rates of hydrogen were directly related to the type of acid catalyst used. The hydrogen production activity trend as a function of physical mixture was K 3 + Z ( 25 ) K 3 + Z ( 15 ) K 3 + Z ( 40 ) > K 3 + Z ( 140 ) K 3 + Y ( 15 ) > K 3 + Y ( 2.5 ) ≫ K 3 + γ -A l 2 O 3 > K 3 + Zr O 2
Hemorrhagic necrosis of the central nervous system of fetal hamsters: Litter incidence and age‐related pathological changes

The occurrence, anatomic distribution, and character of lesions of spontaneous hemorrhagic necrosis (SHN) are reported in each hamster fetus of two affected litters examined on the fifteenth day of gestation and in selected individuals of other affected litters on the twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth days of gestation. The pathologic process seems primarily to affect the capillary vasculature of the central nervous system and shows a predilection for rapidly growing and differentiating regions of the fetal forebrain, thalamus, and brain stem. Lesions demonstrable in members of affected litters of susceptible stocks are of a progressive character, increasing both in severity and topographic extend with increasing fetal age and growth. Spontaneous patterns of regression and recurrence of SHN disease in susceptible stocks may reflect variable physiologic factors in the intrauterine environment.
THE INTERNAL SECRETION OF THE TESTIS

The researches of Mantegazza and Brown Sequard in the second half of the last century on the testis in order to determine if that gland produces an internal secretion which gives secondary characters to the male, opened the way for the study of the endocrine glands. Although we know, if only imperfectly, the internal secretion of some of the ductless glands and we are able in certain cases, when the function is disturbed, to give treatment with success, the knowledge of the function of the sexual glands, although the first studied, is not even yet well known. This is due to the fact that though the anatomic and pathologic researches of Ancel and Bouin are arguments for the conception that the testis has an internal secretion, which is elaborated from the interstitial cells, the experiment did not give definite proofs. Ancel and Bouin, after ligature and resection of the ductus deferens in the rabbit, obtained degeneration and atrophy of the seminal epithelium; the Leydig’s cells remained without change. T...
Inferential dependencies in causal inference: a comparison of belief-distribution and associative approaches.

Causal evidence is often ambiguous, and ambiguous evidence often gives rise to inferential dependencies, where learning whether one cue causes an effect leads the reasoner to make inferences about whether other cues cause the effect. There are 2 main approaches to explaining inferential dependencies. One approach, adopted by Bayesian and propositional models, distributes belief across multiple explanations, thereby representing ambiguity explicitly. The other approach, adopted by many associative models, posits within-compound associations—associations that form between potential causes—that, together with associations between causes and effects, support inferences about related cues. Although these fundamentally different approaches explain many of the same results in the causal literature, they can be distinguished, theoretically and experimentally. We present an analysis of the differences between these approaches and, through a series of experiments, demonstrate that models that distribute belief across multiple explanations provide a better characterization of human causal reasoning than models that adopt the associative approach.
Rescue robots for mudslides: A descriptive study of the 2005 La Conchita mudslide response

The Center for Robot-Assisted Search and Rescue (CRASAR) assisted the Ventura County Fire Rescue Department with the January 2005 La Conchita, California, mudslide response. CRASAR provided commercially available urban search and rescue robots and expert operators which were deployed twice into damaged structures. The waterproof robots were able to tolerate wet conditions but proved unable to handle the densely packed rubble, vegetation, and soil and failed within two and four minutes, respectively on their two deployments. Informal interviews were conducted with responders as well. The experience forms a descriptive study of what mudslide responses are like, what tasks robots are needed for, how the rescue robots performed, and how responders viewed the robots. Our observations are captured in fourteen findings on robot performance (3), domain characteristics of mudslides (8), and general rescue robot design issues (3). These findings are expected to be of interest to robot designers, software developers, and the human-robot interaction communities. The experience at La Conchita illustrates that terrain understanding, critical for both robot design and for control, remains an important open research question for rescue robotics. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A Simplified Automatic Data Plotter

The problem of converting raw data into a usable form for analysis has been one of long standing. Data recorders and plotters are of many types, and specific designs have been achieved to meet specific requirements. However, in most plotting and recording devices the printed grid is of some fixed nature and usually linear or logarithmic. If the plotting grid is not preprinted, some calibration technique must be applied to the plotted trace to determine the data values. In the data plotter to be described the function grids are produced simultaneously with the data trace, and may be made to conform with the transfer function of the system, whether linear or non-linear, and with the prescribed scale factor. Thus any arbitrary function may be plotted automatically without the requirement of linearity corrections in reading, provided the transfer characteristics are known beforehand.
Efficient solutions to some transportation problems with applications to minimizing robot arm travel

We give efficient solutions to transportation problems motivated by the following robotics problem. A robot arm has the task of rearranging m objects between n stations in the plane. Each object is initially at one of these n stations and needs to be moved to another station. The robot arm consists of a single link that rotates about a fixed pivot. The link can extend in and out (like a telescope) so that its length is a variable. At the end of this “telescoping” link lies a gripper that is capable of grasping any one of the m given objects (the gripper cannot be holding more than one object at the same time). The robot arm must transport each of the m objects to its destination and come back to where it started. Since the problem of scheduling the motion of the gripper so as to minimize the total distance traveled is NP-hard, we focus on the problem of minimizing only the total angular motion (rotation of the link about the pivot), or only the telescoping motion. We give algorithms for two different mode...
PROC LCA: A SAS Procedure for Latent Class Analysis

Latent class analysis (LCA) is a statistical method used to identify a set of discrete, mutually exclusive latent classes of individuals based on their responses to a set of observed categorical variables. In multiple-group LCA, both the measurement part and structural part of the model can vary across groups, and measurement invariance across groups can be empirically tested. LCA with covariates extends the model to include predictors of class membership. In this article, we introduce PROC LCA, a new SAS procedure for conducting LCA, multiple-group LCA, and LCA with covariates. The procedure is demonstrated using data on alcohol use behavior in a national sample of high school seniors.
Anomaly-free chiral theories in six dimensions

Abstract The coupled N = 1 Yang-Mills plus supergravity theory in ten dimensions can be made anomaly-free for SO(32) or E 8 × E 8 . Only the case of SO(32) is known to correspond to a superstring theory, which is probably necessary for a fully consistent quantum theory. Anomaly-free chiral theories in lower dimensions can be obtained by considering nontrivial compactifications (involving nonzero background gauge fields) of the ten-dimensional theory that satisfy a topological consistency condition. This paper considers the compactification of four dimensions on the manifold K 3 without requiring that the equations of motion be satisfied. This leads to a large number of anomaly-free chiral supersymmetric six-dimensional theories, corresponding to various ways of embedding U(1) factors in SO(32) or E 8 × E 8 .
General formulation for light scattering by a dielectric body near a perfectly conducting surface

We present an efficient approach for calculating the electromagnetic scattered fields (light) from a single dielectric body situated above a perfectly conducting (or reflecting) half-space. This approach employs the boundary integral equation method and is applicable to arbitrarily shaped scatterers located anywhere above the conducting half-space surface, impinged upon by arbitrary incident fields. Numerical results for spherical scatterers are presented and are compared with published results obtained with an analytical approach. © 1996 Optical Society of America
Transform-based covariance differencing approach to the array with spatially nonstationary noise

The problem of bearing estimation in a situation where the additive white noise is assumed to be spatially nonstationary, i.e uncorrelated and of unequal power from sensor to sensor, is discussed. In this condition, the resolution of the standard methods decreases and the problem of source enumeration becomes more involved. A transform-based covariance differencing approach is proposed to resolve the problems of enumerating sources and estimating their bearings. Performance of the proposed method is compared with that of MUSIC via simulation. >
Computational approaches to neuronal network analysis.

Computational modelling is an approach to neuronal network analysis that can complement experimental approaches. Construction of useful neuron and network models is often complicated by a variety of factors and unknowns, most notably the considerable variability of cellular and synaptic properties and electrical activity characteristics found even in relatively ‘simple’ networks of identifiable neurons. This chapter discusses the consequences of biological variability for network modelling and analysis, describes a way to embrace variability through ensemble modelling and summarizes recent findings obtained experimentally and through ensemble modelling.
Neuroimaging in Superficial Siderosis: An In-Depth Look

Despite extensive imaging, a source of bleeding is often not evident during the evaluation of patients with superficial siderosis (SS) of the central nervous system. An intraspinal fluid-filled collection of variable dimensions is frequently seen on spine MR imaging in patients with idiopathic SS. A similar finding has also been reported in patients with craniospinal hypotension. This review discusses the role of multitechnique imaging in the work-up of patients with SS and focuses on recent developments.
Physico-Chemical Evaluation of Rationally Designed Melanins as Novel Nature-Inspired Radioprotectors

Background: Melanin, a high-molecular weight pigment that is ubiquitous in nature, protects melanized microorganisms against high doses of ionizing radiation. However, the physics of melanin interaction with ionizing radiation is unknown. Methodology/Principal Findings: We rationally designed melanins from either 5-S-cysteinyl-DOPA, L-cysteine/L-DOPA, or LDOPA with diverse structures as shown by elemental analysis and HPLC. Sulfur-containing melanins had higher predicted attenuation coefficients than non-sulfur-containing melanins. All synthetic melanins displayed strong electron paramagnetic resonance (2.14?10 18 , 7.09?10 18 , and 9.05?10 17 spins/g, respectively), with sulfur-containing melanins demonstrating more complex spectra and higher numbers of stable free radicals. There was no change in the quality or quantity of the stable free radicals after high-dose (30,000 cGy), high-energy ( 137 Cs, 661.6 keV) irradiation, indicating a high degree of radical stability as well as a robust resistance to the ionizing effects of gamma irradiation. The rationally designed melanins protected mammalian cells against ionizing radiation of different energies. Conclusions/Significance: We propose that due to melanin’s numerous aromatic oligomers containing multiple p-electron system, a generated Compton recoil electron gradually loses energy while passing through the pigment, until its energy is sufficiently low that it can be trapped by stable free radicals present in the pigment. Controlled dissipation of high-energy recoil electrons by melanin prevents secondary ionizations and the generation of damaging free radical species.
ON THE ASSUMED STRAIN FORMULATION WITH SELECTIVE POLYNOMIAL ORDER ENRICHMENT FOR P-VERSION SHELLS

Abstract A family of hierarchical shell elements based on assumed strain formulation has been developed to enhance the performance of displacement-based hierarchical shell elements typically up to polynomial order six. For thin shells, hierarchical assumed strain elements with five degrees-of-freedom (two rotations and three mid-plane translations) and six degrees of freedom (three translations on the top and bottom surfaces of the shell) per hierarchical mode have been formulated. Hierarchical in-plane modes are adaptively selected on the basis of their ability to reduce solution errors. For thick shells both in-plane and through-the-thickness mode selection is controlled by the process of adaptivity. Numerical experiments have been carried out to test the usefulness of assumed strain formulation in the framework of the p -method combined with selective polynomial escalation. The sensitivity to element distortion and influence of super-parametric formulation on the rate of convergence have been numerically assessed.
A Torus-Based 4-Way Fault-Tolerant Backbone Network Architecture for Avionic WDM LANs

In this paper, we leverage the torus topology to design a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) backbone network for operation in hazardous avionic environments. The proposed WDM local area network offers efficient data delivery and fast fault recovery via establishing four non-overlapping lightpaths for any source-destination pair. First, we describe a torus-based architecture and propose an efficient non-overlapping lightpath setup algorithm: FOLD (Four-way Optimal Disjoint Routing). The algorithm is proved to achieve optimal link utilization. Second, based on the proposed lightpath setup algorithm, a wavelength allocation and reuse (WAR) scheme enforcing wavelength continuity is proposed to minimize the wavelength utilization for all-to-all communication. An analytical calculation on wavelength utilization shows that the proposed WAR performs very close to an ideal wavelength assignment scheme without wavelength continuity being enforced. Lastly, the probabilistic and capacity analysis demonstrates vast reliability improvement via applying the proposed network architecture in terms of network-failure-induced impact on connection reliability and network capacity degradation.
Utilization of microbial biofilms as monitors of bioremediation.

A down-well aquifer microbial sampling system was developed using glass wool or Bio-Sep beads as a solid-phase support matrix. Here we describe the use of these devices to monitor the groundwater microbial community dynamics during field bioremediation experiments at the U.S. Department of Energy Natural and Accelerated Bioremediation Research Program’s Field Research Center at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. During the 6-week deployment, microbial biofilms colonized glass wool and bead internal surfaces. Changes in viable biomass, community composition, metabolic status, and respiratory state were reflected in sampler composition, type of donor, and groundwater pH. Biofilms that formed on Bio-Sep beads had 2–13 times greater viable biomass; however, the bead communities were less metabolically active [higher cyclopropane/monoenoic phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) ratios] and had a lower aerobic respiratory state (lower total respiratory quinone/PLFA ratio and ubiquinone/menaquinone ratio) than the biofilms formed on glass wool. Anaerobic growth in these systems was characterized by plasmalogen phospholipids and was greater in the wells that received electron donor additions. Partial 16S rDNA sequences indicated that Geobacter and nitrate-reducing organisms were induced by the acetate, ethanol, or glucose additions. DNA and lipid biomarkers were extracted and recovered without the complications that commonly plague sediment samples due to the presence of clay or dissolved organic matter. Although microbial community composition in the groundwater or adjacent sediments may differ from those formed on down-well biofilm samplers, the metabolic activity responses of the biofilms to modifications in groundwater geochemistry record the responses of the microbial community to biostimulation while providing integrative sampling and ease of recovery for biomarker analysis.
Estrogen and Mechanisms of Vascular Protection

Estrogen has antiinflammatory and vasoprotective effects when administered to young women or experimental animals that appear to be converted to proinflammatory and vasotoxic effects in older subjects, particularly those that have been hormone free for long periods. Clinical studies have raised many important questions about the vascular effects of estrogen that cannot easily be answered in human subjects. Here we review cellular/molecular mechanisms by which estrogen modulates injury-induced inflammation, growth factor expression, and oxidative stress in arteries and isolated vascular smooth muscle cells, with emphasis on the role of estrogen receptors and the nuclear factor-κB (NFκB) signaling pathway, as well as evidence that these protective mechanisms are lost in aging subjects.
Genetic variations in the receptor-ligand pair CCR5 and CCL3L1 are important determinants of susceptibility to Kawasaki disease.

Recently, intense scrutiny has focused on determining CCR5-CCL3L1 gene-gene interactions and their role in susceptibility to infectious diseases [1]. This interest stems from CCR5 serving as (1) a high-affinity receptor for the potent chemokines CCL3 and CCL3L1, which are thought to play important roles in immunity and host defense [2], and (2) the major coreceptor with CD4 for cell entry of HIV-1 [3, 4]. Homozygosity for a 32-bp deletion in the coding region of CCR5 (CCR5-Δ32) results in the loss of CCR5 surface expression, and this genotype, in turn, affords significant protection against HIV-1 infection [3]. The distribution of the CCR5-Δ32 allele in human populations is thought to follow the migration patterns of individuals who descended from the Vikings, such that the frequency of the CCR5-Δ32 allele is highest in individuals of northern European descent. Thus, Icelanders and Swedes have among the highest CCR5-Δ32 allele frequencies (14.7% and 14.2%, respectively) [5], and the allele is virtually absent in Asians and Africans. It is speculated that the CCR5 signaling pathway is important for productive infection with pox viruses and that natural selection driven by epidemics of infectious diseases such as smallpox fixed the CCR5-Δ32 allele in a population of northern Europeans [6, 7]. Given the significant interest in elucidating the relationship between infectious disease susceptibility and the differential distribution of alleles among populations, we examined the relationship between the distribution of the CCR5-Δ32 allele and Kawasaki disease (KD), which is suspected to have an infectious trigger. There were several compelling reasons to focus on KD. First, a striking racial-susceptibility pattern is evident, with overrepresentation of KD in children of Asian ancestry [8-10]. Second, the clinical, seasonal, and epidemiologic features of KD suggest an infectious etiology [11]. Third, studies support a genetic pre-disposition to KD [12, 13], including the growing recognition of KD pedigrees in Japan and the United States [14].