cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Preparing for a U.S. National ALS Registry: Lessons from a pilot project in the State of Georgia

Our objective was to investigate the utility of existing data sources for identifying cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and related motor neuron diseases (MND) in the State of Georgia. Data were acquired from Medicare, Medicaid, Veterans Administration, Emory Healthcare, community neurologists, the ALS Association, and mortality records for ALS/MND patients residing in Georgia during 2001-2005. A neurologist used abstracted medical records to verify the diagnosis of ALS/MND. The positive predictive value (PPV) of an ICD code for a verified diagnosis of ALS was estimated. Simple 'rules' were developed to improve PPV. Results showed that a total of 2413 unique potential cases were identified in existing data sources. Medical records of 579 cases were available for review; the diagnosis of ALS (or a related MND) was confirmed in 486 (PPV = 84%) cases. Predictive rules, which permitted classification of ∼80% of the chart-reviewed population, improved PPV to 96-98%. In conclusion, existing data sources are useful for identifying cases of ALS/MND; most data sources contribute a substantial number of unique cases. Predictive algorithms may permit correct classification of a large proportion of cases without the need for verification based on medical record review.
Adrenergic receptors in premenstrual dysphoric disorder. II. Neutrophil β2-adrenergic receptors : Gs protein coupling, phase of menstrual cycle and prediction of luteal phase symptom severity

Abnormal beta2-adrenergic receptor coupling to Gs protein is implicated in depressive disorders. Steroid hormones and antidepressants modulate beta-adrenergic receptor coupling, which may relate to the therapeutic efficacy of antidepressants. We examined beta2-adrenergic receptors in 18 patients with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), in 15 control subjects during the follicular phase and in 12 patients during late luteal phase. Antagonist-measured receptor density, agonist-measured receptor density in the high- and low-conformational states and agonist affinity to both states were measured. Coupling indices to Gs protein were determined from agonist-displacement experiments. Follicular beta2-adrenergic receptor density was higher in patients than in control subjects, with a trend for higher receptor density in the high-conformational state. The phase of menstrual cycle had no effect on beta2-adrenergic receptor regulation in PMDD. Exploratory correlations showed that the K(L)/K(H) ratio was related to anxiety ratings in control subjects and %R(H) was correlated with symptom severity in patients. In patients, follicular beta2-adrenergic receptor binding measures were correlated with luteal symptom severity. These findings suggest abnormal beta2-adrenergic receptor regulation in PMDD. Further exploration of the role of beta-adrenergic receptor kinase, sex steroid hormones and antidepressants on beta-adrenergic receptor regulation in PMDD is warranted.
Some design considerations for an interchangeable disk file

Design considerations were researched in an effort to develop a digital magnetic recording medium and a miniature direct access drive. The resulting medium, known as a diskette, measures 200.2 millimeters square (8 inches) and weighs about 40 grams (1.4 ounces). It is easy to handle, store, and mail, and any record can be deleted or substituted. Also, it is low in cost and reusable.
The Pursuit of Archeology in the United States

share in man as an organism. But the present generation is now firmly centered around an active corps of professionals specifically trained in this field. These currents have served to broaden the scope of the subject and have permitted physical anthropology to investigate its favorite animal from a wide variety of biological points of view. I am acutely aware that in this very summary treatment I have omitted certain names that others might have mentioned, and scanted aspects of the growth and development of physical anthropology that might have loomed larger in another context or in someone else's account. But in any version one would, I think, have to conclude that physical anthropology, like many another branch of science, has been profoundly influenced by its intellectual environment, that its preoccupations and problems have developed with the growth of science in general, and that despite its brief professional history in this country, it has advanced with such rapidity that it now stands on the threshold of a highly fruitful era.
An experimental test of the learning paradigm of covert positive reinforcement in deconditioning anxiety

Abstract In order to test Cautela's learning paradigm for covert positive reinforcement (CPR), two treatment groups, a CPR group as described by Cautela and a reversed-CPR group were compared with a no-treatment control group. Thirty rat fearful college students participated in the study. As measured by the Behavioral Avoidance Test, no significant differences were observed between the two treatment groups, but both showed greater improvement than the no-treatment control group. These findings contradicted Cautela's hypothesis and favored a reciprocal inhibition explanation.
Gradual Reperfusion Reduces Infarct Size and Endothelial Injury but Augments Neutrophil Accumulation

Abstract Background . Reperfusion causes injury to the coronary artery endothelium primarily by neutrophil-mediated mechanisms. However, factors other than neutrophils may govern the extent of myocardial necrosis. This study tests the hypothesis that gradual initiation of reflow will reduce reperfusion injury and preserve postischemic endothelial function. Methods . In 16 anesthetized dogs, the left anterior descending artery was ligated for 60 minutes. In one group, reperfusion was initiated abruptly (abrupt, n=8), whereas in the gradual reperfusion group (ramp, n=8), flow was slowly initiated during the first 30 minutes of reperfusion. After reperfusion, coronary artery segments were isolated to assess postischemic endothelial function. Results . Infarct size (area of necrosis/area at risk) was significantly reduced in the ramp group (28.2% ± 2.0%) compared with abrupt (41.6% ± 1.4%). Neutrophil accumulation (myeloperoxidase) in the area at risk was significantly greater in the ramp group compared with abrupt (8.0 ± 1.3 versus 3.5 ± 0.8 U/g tissue). In isolated postischemic left anterior descending arterial rings, the concentration of acetylcholine that elicited a response 50% of the maximum possible response was significantly greater in abrupt (−6.88 ± 0.04 log [mol/L]) than ramp (−7.62 ± 0.04 log [mol/L]) and control (−7.68 ± 0.003 log [mol/L]), suggesting endothelial dysfunction. The concentration of A23187 that elicited a response 50% of the maximum possible response was similarly greater in abrupt (−7.24 ± 0.03 log [mol/L]) versus ramp (−7.62 ± 0.03 log [mol/L]) and control (−7.8 ± 0.04 log [mol/L]). Smooth muscle dysfunction (response to sodium nitrite) also occurred in the abrupt rings. Conclusions . Gradual reperfusion of an ischemic area reduces infarct size and preserves endothelial function but paradoxically increases neutrophil accumulation within the area at risk.
The asymmetric distribution of chlorophyll associated with a coastal upwelling center

Abstract A well-developed upwelling plume was observed off the California coast near Point Conception and Point Arguello (∼34°20′N latitude, 120°35′W longitude) during April 1983. The core of the upwelling plume was cool, nutrient-rich, and low in phytoplankton biomass. The distributions of temperature and nutrients were relatively symmetric about the offshore axis of the cool core of the upwelling center. However, the distribution of chlorophyll was asymmetric about the center with the highest abundance observed on the southern (equatorward) edge of the feature. Comparison of the near-surface currents measured by Doppler acoustic profiling, with the distribution of temperature, nutrients, and chlorophyll, suggests that the phytoplankton asymmetry is determined by the horizontal velocity field. High offshore velocities on the poleward side of the center advect the upwelled water offshore before accumulation of biomass can occur. Lower velocities, more variable current direction, and possible shoreward flow on the equatorward side of the upwelling center permit a longer residence time for the upwelled water near the upwelling center allowing accumulation of phytoplankton biomass to occur.
Absence of flow in ovarian vein by time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography without evidence of thrombosis

A case of absent flow in the left ovarian vein was diagnosed on time-of-flight (TOF) magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) while investigating for pelvic vein thrombosis in a 53-year-old female. This appearance should not be misdiagnosed as a sign of ovarian vein occlusion or thrombosis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a sensitive noninvasive imaging modality in such a clinical setting. Familiarity with the potential pitfalls of different MRA techniques is essential for correct diagnosis. A review of different MRA techniques in evaluation of pelvic venous thrombosis is presented.
Identification of Early Risk Factors for Learning Disabilities.

The authors investigated birth risk factors for school-identified learning disabilities (LD) using a sample of 244,619 six- to eight-year-old public school children ( 6,715 LD) born in Florida between 1989 and 1990. Epidemiological measures of effect were used to investigate both individual- and population-level risk. Very low birth weight (VLBW), low 5-minute Apgar score, and low maternal education were associated with the highest individual-level risk. Low maternal education, late or no prenatal care, and tobacco use were associated with the highest population-level risk. Birth risk factors can be used to target screening and early intervention services for these high-risk children, which might be the most effective approach to reducing the incidence of school-identified LD.
From New Haven to Santa Clara: A Historical Perspective on the Milgram Obedience Experiments.

This article traces the history of obedience experiments that have used the Milgram paradigm. It begins with Stanley Milgram's graduate education, showing how some aspects of that experience laid the groundwork for the obedience experiments. It then identifies three factors that led Milgram to study obedience. The underlying principles or messages that Milgram thought could be extracted from his experiments are then presented, and the evidence in support of them is assessed. Jerry M. Burger'srecent replication of Milgram's work--its place in the history of obedience research and its contribution to furthering the understanding of destructive obedience--is then examined.
Power-Efficient Cyber-Physical Late Arrival Detection with Smartphones

Late arrival to jobs and meetings is a critical problem in a number of domains, such as building construction. Smart phones are a promising platform for detecting late arrivals and notifying affected parties due to the variety of sensors they possess, persistent Internet connection, and access to a user's calendar data. This paper presents a power-efficient cyber-physical approach to indoor/outdoor late arrival detection, called LifeSaver. The paper provides the following three contributions to the study of late arrival detection and notification with smart phones: 1) it presents a cyber-physical approach for using accelerometer data to predict when a user is moving and make more power efficient localization decisions, 2) it shows how Bluetooth beacons can be used to provide a simplified meeting room localization mechanism for smart phones, and 3) it presents empirical results showing that the cyber-physical LifeSaver late arrival detection approach uses 43% less power compared to lateness detection approaches that rely on standard localization strategies.
Intrinsically steady state tokamaks

It is shown that tokamaks can be intrinsically steady state without seed currents by coupling potato bootstrap current in the region close to the magnetic axis to the banana bootstrap current away from the axis. The equilibria found are highly elongated (e.g. κ = 3) and have naturally reversed shear profiles. The vertical instability of elongated tokamaks and the theory of the enhanced reversed shear mode for this class of equilibria are also developed.
Effects of ultimobranchialectomy on bone composition and mineral metabolism in the chicken.

Ultimobranchialectomy (UBX) was performed on day-old chickens in an attempt to study the effects of calcitonin deficiency upon serum calcium and phosphorus and bone mineral and matrix metabolism. All studies were initiated 5 weeks after UBX. UBX was associated with no abnormalities of base-line serum calcium or alkaline phosphatase but the UBX chicks receiving a normal calcium diet had lower serum P than control groups. Parathyroid extract (PTE) treatment caused hypocalcemia 8 hr after injection in the control group receiving normal Ca diet, whereas the UBX group returned to base-line serum Ca. PTE treatment of normal chicks receiving the low Ca diet caused an initial hypocalcemic response, whereas UBX chicks exhibited hypercalcemia. The serum P of intact chicks on the normal diet increased after treatment with PTE, whereas the UBX chicks had decreased serum P values. Quantitative microradiographic analysis of bone formation, resorption and total bone surface area revealed no significant differences betwe...
Organizational Life Cycles in Banking

Deregulation has leveled the "playing field" and taught bankers over the past decade how to use a rash of management concepts new to the industry, from product management and costing to merchandising and distribution systems development to creating competitive advantage and value added pricing. One area still to be developed by bankers is that of organization design and leadership evaluation. This article explores the concept of organizational life cycles and approaches, and reviews how they are applicable for bankers now and in their planning for the 1990s.
Configurations of benzene and pyridine molecules adsorbed on graphitic surface of microporous carbon

The possible configurations of benzene and pyridine molecules adsorbed in microporous carbon were analyzed by synchrotron-radiation-excited soft X-ray emission spectroscopy and by analyzing its spectral features using DV-Xα molecular orbital calculations. The distances between the adsorbed molecules and the graphitic surface were estimated to be approximately 0.33 nm in both benzene- and pyridine-adsorbed systems. Both molecular orientations were also estimated to be almost parallel to the graphitic surface of microporous carbon. The electronic states of benzene and pyridine molecules adsorbed on the graphitic surface were similar to those of individual nonadsorbed free molecules. Therefore, the adsorption of benzene and pyridine molecules in the microporous carbon can be confirmed to be physisorption, and there is little charge-transfer between the adsorbed molecules and the graphitic surface.
Resources for Science Learning: Tools, Tasks, and Environment

This article addresses the question of how science learning can be improved. It recognizes that, while learners themselves are responsible for their own learning, the quality of this learning is greatly influenced when appropriate resources are available to learners. These resources are provided through a partnership between teachers and learners. Three different types of resource are discussed. Tools, in the form of computer tools and conceptual tools, make tasks easier and allow learners to undertake tasks they would not otherwise be able to do. Tasks can facilitate effective learning by creating effective spaces for learners to work in, embodying key aspects of the disciplines of science, providing effective and authentic opportunities for learners to learn, and facilitating a dialogue between learners’ ideas and their experiences of the natural world. Environment – the ecology in which learning happens – provides three sources of information through the human, social, and conceptual worlds. When key aspects of these worlds are manifested in the environment, they scaffold the learning of science content, the nature of science, and the learning process itself, all of which are required for the deep understanding of science that constitutes improved science learning.
Understanding sources of variations in flash memory for physical unclonable functions

This paper provides detailed characterizations of physical sources behind Flash memory based Physical Unclonable Functions (FPUFs). Universal process variations in Flash physical systems are identified and decomposed into layout, intrinsic, stress and bit-wise fluctuation sources. The study shows the understanding of systematic variations and noise sources are essential for improving the security and reliability of FPUFs. Bitwise variations are proven to be originated mainly from random dopant fluctuation, which is indeed truly random and impossible to clone. Overall, this paper provides a theoretical foundation for the security of FPUFs whereas previous PUF studies rely only on experimental evidence for its security and entropy.
Transport of no. 2 fuel oil between water column, surface microlayer and atmosphere in controlled ecosystems

Abstract No. 2 fuel oil hydrocarbons put into the bulk water columns of controlled estuarine ecosystems were found to accumulate in the surface microlayer at the air-water interface. The alkane hydrocarbons were disproportionately enriched in the microlayer compared with the aromatic hydrocarbons. A comparison of hydrocarbon boiling point distributions between bulk water, microlayer and air samples indicated that the oil hydrocarbons underwent extensive weathering by evaporation upon reaching the air-water interface. No evidence was found of increased biodegradation in the microlayer compared with that in the underlying water. A fraction of the high molecular weight alkanes, the least water soluble and least volatile constituents of the oil, appeared to be coated out from the microlayer onto the inner walls of the ecosystems.
Influence of disperse phase concentration upon the viscoelastic behaviour of emulsions

Rheology of soya oil-water emulsions in the linear region has been studied. The viscoelastic response consisted of three contributions. There was a purely elastic component, a purely viscous component and a contribution due to the retarded compliance. Emulsions became more viscous and elastic with increasing soya oil concentration. Sharp changes in rheology were observed as the concentration approached the random close packed limit. There was also a marked increase in zero-shear viscosity. Breakdown of coagulation structure was observed as the shear stress was increased into the non-linear region. The rheological behaviour of the emulsions in the linear region could be adequately described by the generalized Kelvin-Voigt model.
Study of individual geomagnetic storms in terms of the solar wind

Abstract This paper summarizes a study of the development of a large number of geomagnetic storms in terms of the solar wind—magnetosphere energy coupling function e, the AE and Dst indices. It is shown that the maximum magnitude of the main phase decrease (¦ Dst ¦) is determined primarily by the peak value of e; for e 19 erg s −1 , ~10 19 erg s −1 , 10 19 –10 20 erg s −1 , ≳ 10 20 erg s −1 , the maximum values of ¦ Dst ¦ are γ , ~50γ, ~100γ and ≳ 200γ, respectively. A few examples for different peak values of e (and thus of ¦ Dst ¦) are presented and examined in detail. Substorm activity during storms is well controlled by e.
Ring opening metathesis polymerization of an η4-benzene complex: a direct synthesis of a polyacetylene with a regular pattern of π bound metal fragments

The complex (η5-C5H5)Ir(η4-C6H6) reacts with Grubbs' catalyst to give a novel polyacetylene consisting of cyclopentadienyliridium bound s-cis butadiene moieties separated by CC linkages. A crystal structure of the pentamethylcyclopentadienyl analog establishes a strong structural analogy with norbornadiene, a classical ROMP monomer.
Mitochondrial Thermodynamic Efficiency and P/O Ratios are Controlled by the F1F0 ATP Synthase C-Subunit Stoichiometry

Recently the F0 portion of the bovine mitochondrial F1F0-ATP synthase was shown to contain eight ‘c’ subunits (n = 8). This surprised many in the field, as previously, the only other mitochondrial F0 solved (for yeast) had n = 10 ‘c’ subunits. The metabolic implications of ‘c’ subunit copy number are explored in this paper: Typical aerobically respiring E. coli (n = 10) and mitochondria (n = 8) are both found to have very high F1F0 thermodynamic efficiencies of ≈ 90%, whereas efficiency is lower at ≈ 65% for chloroplasts (n = 14). Reasons for this difference are discussed. Maximum mitochondrial P/O ratios in animal mitochondria (n = 8) are calculated to be 2.73 ATP/NADH and 1.64 ATP/FADH2, yielding 34.5 ATP/glucose. The experimentally measured values of 2.52, 1.53, and 32.3, respectively, are only about 7% lower. Finally, the thermodynamic efficiency of oxidative phosphorylation is not lower than that of substrate level phosphorylation, as previously believed. The overall thermodynamic efficiencies of oxidative phosphorylation, glycolysis, and citric acid cycle are ≈ 80% in all three processes.
Analysis of the effects of chloride and 2,3‐diphosphoglycerate on the cooperative binding of oxygen to hemoglobin

Analysis of experimental equilibrium constants for the oxygenation of hemoglobin leads to a plausible mechanism for the effect of pH and of chloride ions on cooperativity in hemoglobin. According to this mechanism, the structural changes responsible for cooperativity in chloride- and 2,3-diphosphoglycerate-free hemoglobin are affected only slightly by changes in pH, and the effect of chloride can be accounted for by sequential binding and release of chloride ions during oxygenation.
P53 Gene Transfer to the Injured Rat Carotid Artery Decreases Intimal Hyperplasia

Purpose We studied the effect of adenovirus-mediated gene transfer of p53 protein on the injured rat carotid artery to determine its ability to decrease the formation of intimal hyperplasia. Methods In vivo gene transfer was used in isolated segments of balloon injured rat carotid arteries. Genetically modified adenovirus encoding for wild-type p53 protein (AdWTp53) was applied in three different concentrations. Control rats received either adenovirus null (AdNull), 8 × 10 10 pfu/ml or M-199 medium solution (vehicle). Expression of p53 was determined 4 days after gene transfer by Western-blot. Intimal hyperplasia was assessed after 14 days by harvesting carotid arteries and determining the intima/media (I/M) ratio by cross-sectional area measurement. Simultaneously, immunohistochemical analysis was done to detect the presence of p53 on smooth muscle cell nuclei. Results p53 expression was confirmed by Western-blot. There was a significant reduction in intimal hyperplasia on all treated animals as compared with controls. The highest dose of AdWTp53 resulted in a near total arrest of intimal hyperplasia (mean of 97% reduction). A dose-response curve was observed. The immunohistochemical analysis was positive for the presence of p53 in rats infected with AdWTp53. The AdWTp53 groups have three different concentrations: #1, 8 × 10 10 pfu/ml; #2, 1.6 × 10 10 pfu/ml; and #3, 8 × 10 9 pfu/ml. Conclusions Adenovirus-mediated gene transfer of p53 protein significantly decreases the formation of intimal hyperplasia in the rat carotid injury model in a dose-response manner. This may represent a potential therapy for restenosis in humans.
Lidocaine has different effects and potencies on muscle and brain sodium channels

Lidocaine effects were studied at the single channel level on batrachotoxin-activated eel electroplax (muscle-derived) and on rat brain sodium channels in planar lipid bilayers to investigate whether these effects were the same on structurally different sodium channels. Lidocaine blocked the open state of brain channels with the same voltage dependence, but with 15-times as high a potency as muscle-derived channels. In brain channels, but not muscle-derived ones, the level of the open channel block showed periods of relief. Lidocaine at μM concentrations stabilized the highest conductance state in both channel types and at mM concentrations stabilized subconductance-like states in electroplax, but not in brain channels. In both channel types, lidocaine increased the lifetime and rate of entry to a long-nonconducting state. Since both channel types were studied under identical lipid and ionic conditions, the observed functional differences in the lidocaine action (effects, potency) must reflect channel structural differences.
Aerosol Interfacing Effects on Discrete Sample Introduction Coupled with Spectrometric Detection

Aerosol techniques are commonly employed to interface discrete sampling techniques (flow injection analysis and liquid chromatography) with various detectors. The effects of these interfaces on discrete signals have not been described, nor has a rationale been established for presumed differences in band broadening due to aerosol-phase extra-column volume, compared to liquid-phase extra-column volume. In this report, the effects of laminar flow through several transport geometries on signal recovery and band broadening for both wet and desolvated aerosols are investigated. Data presented for the conditions studied indicate that signal losses with linear systems are primarily affected by gravitational setting. Increases in residence time lead to larger losses. Centrifugal effects, which lead to higher losses with coiled systems at high linear velocities, however, appear to have a stabilizing effect at lower velocities. Desolvation significantly reduces the level of gravitational or centrifugal losses via reduction in particle sizes. Band broadening results primarily from convection within laminar flow systems. This result was established on the basis of comparison of real signals with those generated from a convolution routine which mimics the effects of convective dispersion within laminar flows. The relatively high flow rates of aerosol transport systems result in short residence times and small effects of large transport volumes on dispersion. Sample losses also appear to offset band broadening to some extent by reducing peak tailing. Conditions providing efficient analyte transport and signal recovery, as well as low dispersion, can be established.
Migration of software partition in UNIX system

Software partitioning is a technology to partition a machine running a single instance of operating system image into multiple virtual machines called partitions. Each partition emulates an independent machine running a single instance of the operating system on dedicated hardware. All partitions are isolated form each other by the operating system. Software partitioning is very useful in server consolidation. A single powerful machine can be used to host many different servers each using a single software partition. This increases hardware resource utilization, gives flexibility to the administrator and can reduce system administration costs. The advantages offered by software partitioning are greatly enhanced with the capability to checkpoint a running software partition and restart it on a different machine. It helps in load balancing over hardware resources, load balancing over time and fault tolerance.Workload Partition [WPAR] is IBM's implementation that provides software partitioning capability on the AIX operating system. It is possible to do the live migration of the WPARs in and across AIX systems. The live migration is achieved by the checkpoint/restart mechanism. It is possible to checkpoint and restart WPARs running most existing AIX applications without any modification to the applications. Also the checkpoint and restart process is transparent to the application running inside the WPAR (Partition).This paper discusses the issues faced in implementing software partition checkpoint and restart in the AIX operating system. These issues will be typical to any standard UNIX operating system. To successfully checkpoint and restart a software partition, it is necessary not only to checkpoint all the user processes in the partition but also to checkpoint global data pertaining the partition itself and data shared between processes of the Partition like IPC data, Streams, timers, file handles, memory mapped regions, shared memory, System services, Virtual devices etc. The WPAR implementation handles both; the checkpoint of individual processes as well as checkpoint of partition wide data.
Application of a magnetic SMA constitutive model in the analysis of magnetomechanical boundary value problems

A major complication in measuring material properties of ferromagnetic materials is the influence of the demagnetization effect. The resulting difference between the internal and applied magnetic field depends on the specimen geometry and the distribution of the magnetization inside the sample. This phenomenon also affects the interpretability of magnetic-field induced strain and magnetization data measured for magnetic shape memory alloys, which in turn makes the formulation of reliable constitutive models for these materials difficult. To solve this problem, the approximation of uniform magnetization is usually adopted, in which case a tabularized demagnetization factor can be used to correct the data. In this paper, the validity of this simplification is tested by explicitly solving the magnetostatic problem for relevant geometries, while taking the nonuniform magnetization of a magnetic shape memory alloy specimen into account. In addition to comparing the relation between the volume averaged internal and applied magnetic field, the local variation of the magnetic field and magnetization is analyzed.
Quartic Gaussian and Inverse-Quartic Gaussian radial basis functions: The importance of a nonnegative Fourier transform

We catalogue the numerical properties of approximations using two novel types of radial basis functions @f(r). The QG species is a basis of exponentials of quartic argument: f(x)~f^R^B^F(x;@a,h)=@?"j"="1^Na"jexp(-[@a/h]^4(x-x"j)^4) where the x"j are the RBF centers and also the interpolation points. We show that Quartic Gaussian RBFs fail at many discrete values of the shape parameter @a. We show through a detailed analysis that these singularities are directly related to zeros of Q(k), the Fourier Transform of exp(-x^4). If we reverse the roles and take Q(x) as the RBF, all difficulties disappear because these IQG RBFs have a Fourier transform which is nonnegative for all real k. We explain that although the Quartic-Gaussian exp(-x^4) is positive definite in the physics/dynamical systems sense of being zero-free and nonnegative, it lacks the crucial property of being positive definition in the RBF/analysis sense.
Developments in Balance assessment and intervention as a challenge for virtual rehabilitation

One of the most pervasive disabilities is postural instability because it can arise with changes in both the central and peripheral nervous systems and in the skeletal-muscular system. In this keynote address, I will explore the role that virtual environment technology (VE) can play in the assessment and treatment of balance disorders and highlight some object lessons for virtual rehabilitation that have been learned through research in posture and balance.
A support vector machine based test for incongruence between sets of trees in tree space

The increased use of multi-locus data sets for phylogenetic reconstruction has increased the need to determine whether a set of gene trees significantly deviate from the phylogenetic patterns of other genes. Such unusual gene trees may have been influenced by other evolutionary processes such as selection, gene duplication, or horizontal gene transfer. Motivated by this problem we propose a nonparametric goodness-of-fit test for two empirical distributions of gene trees, and we developed the software GeneOut to estimate a p-value for the test. Our approach maps trees into a multi-dimensional vector space and then applies support vector machines (SVMs) to measure the separation between two sets of pre-defined trees. We use a permutation test to assess the significance of the SVM separation. To demonstrate the performance of GeneOut, we applied it to the comparison of gene trees simulated within different species trees across a range of species tree depths. Applied directly to sets of simulated gene trees with large sample sizes, GeneOut was able to detect very small differences between two set of gene trees generated under different species trees. Our statistical test can also include tree reconstruction into its test framework through a variety of phylogenetic optimality criteria. When applied to DNA sequence data simulated from different sets of gene trees, results in the form of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves indicated that GeneOut performed well in the detection of differences between sets of trees with different distributions in a multi-dimensional space. Furthermore, it controlled false positive and false negative rates very well, indicating a high degree of accuracy. The non-parametric nature of our statistical test provides fast and efficient analyses, and makes it an applicable test for any scenario where evolutionary or other factors can lead to trees with different multi-dimensional distributions. The software GeneOut is freely available under the GNU public license.
Nonconforming glenoid increases posterior glenohumeral translation after a total shoulder replacement

Background The major complication in nonconforming total shoulder replacement (TSR) is glenoid loosening and is attributed to posteriorly directed humeral head translations. Whether the posterior translations observed clinically are induced by radial mismatch is unclear. The objective of our study was to explain the posterior glenohumeral translations observed clinically after TSR by determining the glenohumeral translation and contact force as a function of radial mismatch. We hypothesized that the posterior direction of glenohumeral translation during scaption would be related to the radial mismatch and that the joint contact force would increase as the radial mismatch increased. Methods A 6-degrees-of-freedom computational model of the glenohumeral joint was developed. We determined the muscle forces, joint contact force, and glenohumeral translation for radial mismatches from 1 mm to 20 mm with the shoulder positioned from 20° to 60° of scaption. Results As the radial mismatch increased, the contact location of the humeral head moved posteriorly and inferiorly. The middle deltoid force decreased by 3%, while the supraspinatus and infraspinatus muscle forces increased by 9% and 11%, respectively. The joint contact force remained relatively constant. Conclusions Increased posterior glenohumeral translations were observed with increased radial mismatch. Clinical observations of posterior translation may be attributed to the balancing forces of the middle deltoid, infraspinatus, and supraspinatus muscles. High radial mismatches may lead to eccentric posterior loading on the glenoid component, which could lead to implant loosening and failure.
Human fibroblast-derived cell lines have characteristics of embryonic stem cells and cells of neuro-ectodermal origin

Fibroblasts are the most ubiquitous cells in complex organisms. They are the main cells of stromal tissue and play an important role in repair and healing of damaged organs. Here we report new data—initially serendipitous findings—that fibroblast-derived cell line (human fetal lung derived cells, MRC-5) have the morphology, growth rate and gene expression pattern characteristic of embryonic stem cells and cells of neuro-ectodermal origin. We have developed a serum-free culture system to maintain these cells in proliferative state. We discovered that, at proliferative state, these cells express transcription factors of pluripotent cells, OCT-3/4 and REX-1, and embryonic cell surface antigens SSEA-1, SSEA-3, and SSEA-4, as well as TRA-1-60 and TRA-1-81. In addition to embryonic cell markers, the fibroblasts expressed neuroectodermal genes: Musashi-1, nestin, medium neurofilament, and β-III tubulin. RT-PCR data revealed that mesencephalic transcription factors, Nurr-1 and PTX-3, were also expressed in MRC-5 cells, and that these cells could be induced to express tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). Expression of TH followed down-regulation of genes associated with cell proliferation, OCT-3/4, REX-1, and β-catenin. These data indicate that the cells commonly known as fibroblasts have some of the characteristics of stem cells, and can be induced to become neuroectodermal cells and perhaps even mature neurons.
Quantum Mechanical Background

Chapters 1 and 2 describe the interaction of radiation with matter in terms of a phenomenological classical polarization P. The question remains as to when this approach is justified and what to do when it isn’t. Unexcited systems interacting with radiation far from the system resonances can often be treated purely classically. The response of systems near and at resonance often deviates substantially from the classical descriptions. Since the laser itself and many applications involve systems near atomic (or molecular) resonances, we need to study them with the aid of quantum mechanics.
An electron electric dipole moment search in the X3 Δ1 ground state of tungsten carbide molecules

We identify the X 3Δ1 electronic ground state of tungsten carbide (WC) as a candidate molecular system in which to search for a permanent electric dipole moment (EDM) of the electron. The valence electrons in tungsten carbide experience an effective electric field of order 54 GV cm−1 when the molecule is placed in a laboratory electric field of just a few mV cm−1. Currently, a continuous tungsten carbide molecular beam is under construction. Tungsten atoms are evaporated from a resistively heated tungsten filament and are entrained in a noble gas jet containing a small fraction of methane. Tungsten carbide molecules are formed through the reaction W + CH4 → WC + 2H2.
Electromagnetic scattering from homogeneous dielectric bodies using time-domain integral equations

This paper presents a stable and accurate method to compute the electromagnetic scattering from homogeneous, isotropic, and nondispersive bodies using time-domain integral equations (TDIEs). Unlike previous TDIE-based scattering work, the formulation presented here is based on the equations of Poggio, Miller, Chang, Harrington, Wu, and Tsai formulation. The method employs the higher-order divergence-conforming basis functions described by Graglia et al. and bandlimited interpolation functions to effect the spatial and temporal discretization of the integral equations, respectively. As the temporal basis functions are noncausal, an extrapolation mechanism is used to modify the noncausal system of equations to a form solvable by standard marching-on-in-time procedure. This work also explains the reason for late-time low-frequency instabilities encountered in current TDIE implementations and details a stabilization technique employed to overcome them. Numerical results demonstrate the accuracy and stability of the proposed technique.
Hemoglobin Concentrations Influence Birth Outcomes in Pregnant African-American Adolescents

Relationships between hemoglobin concentrations and birth outcomes have not been well characterized in African-American adolescents despite the fact that this group is at a higher risk of early childbearing. To address this issue, we characterized the prevalence of anemia and maternal factors associated with anemia in pregnant African-American adolescents. A retrospective medical chart review was undertaken of 918 adolescents who had received prenatal care at an inner-city maternity clinic between 1990 and 2000. Multiple log-linear regression analyses were used to address relationships between hemoglobin and adverse birth outcomes. The prevalence of anemia during the third trimester averaged 57-66% and was substantially higher than typically reported in adolescent and adult women. Multiparity, inadequate prenatal care, low prepregnancy BMI, history of self-reported cigarette use and infection with sexually transmitted diseases were significantly associated with lower hemoglobin during pregnancy. Adolescents with pre-eclampsia had higher hemoglobin (P 120 g/L) during the second and third trimester significantly increased the risk of low birth weight (risk ratio (RR) = 3.11; [CI] 1.35, 7.13), and in the second-trimester cohort only, high hemoglobin concentrations increased the risk of preterm delivery (RR = 2.33; [CI] 1.07, 5.05). A U-shaped distribution between hemoglobin concentration and adverse birth outcomes was found in the third-trimester cohort when the reference range was decreased to 96-105 g/L to adjust for potentially lower hemoglobin concentrations among the African-American population. Our results suggest that additional medical attention may be warranted in pregnant African-American adolescents with hemoglobin concentrations of 120 g/L.
Investigating lossy image coding using the PLHaar transform

Summary form only given. We developed the piecewise-linear Haar (PLHaar) transform (Senecal, J.G. et al., Proc. 12th Pacific Conf. on Computer Graphics and Appl., p.371-80, 2004), an integer wavelet-like transform. PLHaar does not have dynamic range expansion, i.e., it is an n-bit to n-bit transform. To our knowledge, PLHaar is the only reversible n-bit to n-bit transform that is suitable for lossy and lossless coding. We are investigating PLHaar's use in lossy image coding. Preliminary results from thresholding transform coefficients show that PLHaar does not produce objectionable artifacts like previous n-bit to n-bit transforms, such as that of Honyang Chao et al. (CFH) (see Advances in Computational Mathematics, Lect. Notes In Pure and App. Math., vol.202, p.13-38, 1999). Also, at lower bitrates PLHaar images have increased contrast. For a given set of CFH and PLHaar coefficients with equal entropy, the PLHaar reconstruction is more appealing, although the PSNR may be lower.
Robust testability of primitive faults using test points

Recent research has characterized a class of faults, called primitive faults, that must be tested to insure timing correctness of digital circuits. Experimental results have shown that a large fraction of primitive faults usually have only non-robust tests. In this paper, we propose a method of improving robust coverage of primitive faults using test point insertion. An important feature of the proposed method is that instead of considering primitive faults explicitly, single faults are analyzed to determine whether they can be members of robustly testable primitive faults. If not, test points are specified to make any primitive fault containing such faults robustly testable. Results of experiments to determine the effectiveness of the proposed method show significant improvements in fault coverage.
Expression of baculovirus P35 prevents cell death in Drosophila

The baculovirus P35 protein functions to prevent apoptotic death of infected cells. We have expressed P35 in the developing embryo and eye of the fly Drosophila melanogaster. P35 eliminates most, if not all, normally occurring cell death in these tissues, as well as X-irradiation-induced death. Excess pupal eye cells that are normally eliminated by apoptosis develop into pigment cells when their death is prevented by P35 expression. Our results suggest that one mechanism by which viruses prevent the death of the host cell is to block a cell death pathway that mediates normally occurring cell death. Identification of molecules that interact biochemically or genetically with P35 in Drosophila should provide important insights into how cell death is regulated.
Pair Recordings Reveal All-Silent Synaptic Connections and the Postsynaptic Expression of Long-Term Potentiation

The activation of silent synapses is a proposed mechanism to account for rapid increases in synaptic efficacy such as long-term potentiation (LTP). Using simultaneous recordings from individual pre- and postsynaptic neurons in organotypic hippocampal slices, we show that two CA3 neurons can be connected entirely by silent synapses. Increasing release probability or application of cyclothiazide does not produce responses from these silent synapses. Direct measurement of NMDAR-mediated postsynaptic responses in all-silent synaptic connections before and after LTP induction show no change in failure rate, amplitude, or area. These data do not support hypotheses that synapse silent results from presynaptic factors or that LTP results from increases in presynaptic glutamate release. LTP is also associated with an increase in postsynaptic responsiveness to exogenous AMPA. We conclude that synapse silence, activation, and expression of LTP are postsynaptic.
Crystal structure of Al(tBu)3(NH2CH2CH2Ph) : A molecular slinky

The molecular structure of Al(tBu)3(NH2CH2CH2Ph) is determined by the crystal packing of the phenyl rings and the pseudo spherical Al(tBu)3 units, and may be viewed as a layered structure consisting of double sheets of the phenyl rings and the Al(tBu)3 units. The Al−N−C−C linkage shows severe disorder as a result of its flexibility. The structure of Al(tBu)3 (NH2CH2CH2Ph) can be likened to a molecular “slinky”, in which the rigid ends are fixed in space by molecular packing forces, leaving the interior link to adopt multiple orientations. Crystal data: orthorhombic, Cmca,a=13.282(9),b=25.01(1),c=13.210(9), A,V=4388(10) A3,Z=4,R=0.0957,R w=0.0957.
Seismic imaging of incomplete data and simultaneous-source data using least-squares reverse time migration with shaping regularization

Simultaneous-source acquisition improves the efficiency of the seismic data acquisition process. However, direct imaging of simultaneous-source data may introduce crosstalk artifacts in the final image. Likewise, direct imaging of incomplete data avoids the step of data reconstruction, but it can suffer from migration artifacts. We have proposed to incorporate shaping regularization into least-squares reverse time migration (LSRTM) and use it for suppressing interference noise caused by simultaneous-source data or migration artifacts caused by incomplete data. To implement LSRTM, we have applied lowrank one-step reverse time migration and its adjoint iteratively in the conjugate-gradient algorithm to minimize the data misfit. A shaping operator imposing structure constraints on the estimated model was applied at each iteration. We constructed the shaping operator as a structure-enhancing filtering to attenuate migration artifacts and crosstalk noise while preserving structural information. We have carried out numerical tests on synthetic models in which the proposed method exhibited a fast convergence rate and was effective in attenuating migration artifacts and crosstalk noise.
Critics: an interactive code review tool for searching and inspecting systematic changes

During peer code reviews, developers often examine program differences. When using existing program differencing tools, it is difficult for developers to inspect systematic changes—similar, related changes that are scattered across multiple files. Developers cannot easily answer questions such as "what other code locations changed similar to this change?" and "are there any other locations that are similar to this code but are not updated?" In this paper, we demonstrate Critics, an Eclipse plug-in that assists developers in inspecting systematic changes. It (1) allows developers to customize a context-aware change template, (2) searches for systematic changes using the template, and (3) detects missing or inconsistent edits. Developers can interactively refine the customized change template to see corresponding search results. Critics has potential to improve developer productivity in inspecting large, scattered edits during code reviews. The tool's demonstration video is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2D7t_Z5rhk