cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Unraveling the Biology of Auditory Learning: A Cognitive–Sensorimotor–Reward Framework

The auditory system is stunning in its capacity for change: a single neuron can modulate its tuning in minutes. Here we articulate a conceptual framework to understand the biology of auditory learning where an animal must engage cognitive, sensorimotor, and reward systems to spark neural remodeling. Central to our framework is a consideration of the auditory system as an integrated whole that interacts with other circuits to guide and refine life in sound. Despite our emphasis on the auditory system, these principles may apply across the nervous system. Understanding neuroplastic changes in both normal and impaired sensory systems guides strategies to improve everyday communication.
Effect of topiramate on body weight and body composition of osborne-mendel rats fed a high-fat diet: alterations in hormones, neuropeptide, and uncoupling-protein mRNAs

The effects of topiramate on food intake and body composition were investigated in rats fed a high-fat diet and compared with rats that were pair fed or treated with D-fenfluramine. Topiramate (40 mg. kg. d for 80 d) reduced body-weight gain in a manner similar to that of pair-fed rats and D-fenfluramine-treated rats. The reduction in body fat accounted for all the weight reduction after topiramate treatment but not after pair feeding or D-fenfluramine treatment. Topiramate reduced food intake acutely and increased metabolic rate. There were also significant reductions in leptin, insulin, and corticosterone. In the hypothalamus, topiramate increased mRNA for neuropeptide Y, reduced mRNA for neuropeptide-Y Y1 and Y5 receptors, corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), and type II glucocorticoid receptors but had no effect on mRNA levels for the short or long form of the leptin receptor. In peripheral tissues, topiramate reduced leptin mRNA in adipose tissue, had no effect on uncoupling protein 1 mRNA in brown adipose tissue but had tissue-selective effects on uncoupling proteins 2 and 3 mRNA levels in white and brown adipose tissues and muscle. In conclusion, topiramate is an effective inhibitor of weight gain in rats on a high-fat diet, but the mechanism through which the change in energy balance is achieved is unclear.
Reactions of excited and ground state H3+ ions with simple hydrides and hydrocarbons: collisional deactivation of vibrationally excited H3+ ions

Abstract The reactions of H 3 + ions with CH 4 , NH 3 , H 2 O, H 2 S, C 2 H 2 , C 2 H 4 , and C 2 H 6 are investigated using ion-cyclotron resonance methods. Except for the reaction H 3 + H 2 O, the product distributions for these reactions are highly dependent on the amount of excess vibrational energy in H 3 + ions formed by the reaction H 2 + + H 2 . Both the product distributions for the initial distribution of highly vibrationally excited H 3 + ions, and the product distributions for the ground state ions, are found by performing experiments as a function of H 2 pressure. The rate constant for the deactivation of the initial distribution of excited H 3 + ions to ground state ions in collisions with H 2 is found to be (2.7±0.6) × 10 −10 cm 3 /sec. The rate constants for the reaction of H 3 + ions with the various molecules studied are shown to be independent of excess ion vibrational energy and to agree closely with values calculated using the average-dipole-orientation theory [11].
Generic drugs for hypertension: are they really equivalent?

Many antihypertensive drugs are now available in generic formulations at fractions of the cost of their branded counterparts. In the United States, marketing approval for generic medications is usually granted by the Food and Drug Administration on the basis of two simple studies involving dissolution rates and bioavailability in 24 – 36 healthy people, without data regarding antihypertensive efficacy, safety, or long-term outcomes. This process leaves many true disciples of “Evidence-Based Medicine” in a quandary: prescribe only brand-name medications that have been demonstrated in clinical trials to both lower blood pressure and prevent cardiovascular events, or instead recommend lower-priced generic agents that are usually supported by no such data. This review summarizes the current evidence that generic antihypertensive drugs are likely to be safe and effective, may increase the probability of medication availability and adherence for many patients, but, by law, must have a different physical appearance than the original product.
Ripplet transform type II transform for feature extraction

Current image representation schemes have limited capability of representing two-dimensional (2D) singularities (e.g. edges in an image). Wavelet transform has better performance in representing one-dimensional (1D) singularities than Fourier transform. Recently invented ridgelet and curvelet transform achieve better performance in resolving 2D singularities than wavelet transform. To further improve the capability of representing 2D singularities, this study proposes a new transform called ripplet transform type II (ripplet-II). The new transform is able to capture 2D singularities along a family of curves in images. In fact, ridgelet transform is a special case of ripplet-II transform with degree 1. Ripplet-II transform provides the freedom in parameter settings, which can be optimised for specific problems. Ripplet-II transform can be used for feature extraction because of its efficiency in representing edges and textures. Experiments in texture classification and image retrieval demonstrate that the ripplet-II transform-based scheme outperforms wavelet and ridgelet transform-based approaches.
QM/MM Boundaries Across Covalent Bonds: A Frozen Localized Molecular Orbital-Based Approach for the Effective Fragment Potential Method

A computational methodology to treat the covalent boundary between QM and MM regions in the Effective Fragment Potential (EFP) method, by defining a buffer region consisting of frozen localized molecular orbitals (LMOs), is introduced. The implementation of energy, gradient, and EFP parameter evaluations in the presence of frozen LMOs is discussed. The magnitude and source of errors introduced by various choices of buffer region is studied for the proton affinities of lysine and the tripeptide glycine-lysine-glycine. It is shown that by reasonable choice of the frozen density buffer region the proton affinity error can be consistently decreased to less than 0.5 kcal/mol compared to the full ab initio calculation.
Patients who lack of baseline mechanical dyssynchrony have worse four year outcomes after cardiac resynchronization therapy independently of cardiac volumes and ejection fractions at implantation

Purpose: Guidelines for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) focus on QRS width. Although QRS widening is regarded as a surrogate for mechanical dyssynchrony, little is known about the subset of patients with QRS widening who lack dyssynchrony. Methods: We studied 267 consecutive class III-IV CRT patients with QRS ≥120 ms and ejection fraction (EF) ≤35%. Dyssynchrony was defined as tissue Doppler free wall longitudinal velocity delay ≥ 240 ms and speckle tracking radial strain delay >130 ms. Outcome events were defined as death, transplant or assist device over 4 years after CRT. Results: Dyssynchrony was detected by at least one method in 217 (81%) patients, while 50 (19%) had no dyssynchrony using all criteria. Patients lacking baseline dyssynchrony were compared to those with dyssynchrony: more frequently male (90% vs. 70%, p<0.01), had more ischemic disease (78% vs. 57%, p=0.01) and had shorter QRS width (150±24ms vs. 161±27ms, p<0.01). Patients with no dyssynchrony also had smaller LV volumes (p<0.01) and higher EF at baseline (27±5% vs. 24±6%, p<0.01). Despite better volumes and EF, unfavorable events after CRT occurred more frequently in patients who lacked baseline dyssynchrony (26/50, 52%) compared to patients with dyssynchrony (68/217 (31%), p<0.01) (Figure). Absence of dyssynchrony predicted mortality independently of age, EF, ischemic disease or QRS width (HR 2.42: 95% CI 1.50-3.93, p<0.001). ![Figure][1] Conclusion: Absence of baseline mechanical dyssynchrony is present in an important subset of patients with widened QRS who qualify for CRT, and is associated with a poor prognosis independently of EF and cardiac volumes at implantation. Lack of mechanical dyssynchrony at baseline appears to be an important marker of less favorable response to CRT. [1]: pending:yes
Dual nonlinear programming problems in partially ordered Banach spaces

The concept of duality plays an important role in mathematical programming and has been studied extensively in a finite dimensional Eucledian space, (see e.g. [13, 4, 6, 8]). More recently various dual problems with functionals as objective functions have been studied in infinite dimensional vector spaces [5, 7, 1, 10, 12].
RNA motif discovery by SHAPE and mutational profiling (SHAPE-MaP)

Many biological processes are RNA-mediated, but higher-order structures for most RNAs are unknown, which makes it difficult to understand how RNA structure governs function. Here we describe selective 2'-hydroxyl acylation analyzed by primer extension and mutational profiling (SHAPE-MaP) that makes possible de novo and large-scale identification of RNA functional motifs. Sites of 2'-hydroxyl acylation by SHAPE are encoded as noncomplementary nucleotides during cDNA synthesis, as measured by massively parallel sequencing. SHAPE-MaP-guided modeling identified greater than 90% of accepted base pairs in complex RNAs of known structure, and we used it to define a new model for the HIV-1 RNA genome. The HIV-1 model contains all known structured motifs and previously unknown elements, including experimentally validated pseudoknots. SHAPE-MaP yields accurate and high-resolution secondary-structure models, enables analysis of low-abundance RNAs, disentangles sequence polymorphisms in single experiments and will ultimately democratize RNA-structure analysis.
Human spontaneous killer cells selective for tumour-derived target cells

DURING the last few years, it has become clear that normal individuals have a lymphocyte subpopulation which has the capacity to kill certain in vitro propagated cell lines1–3. The effector cells involved in this kind of cytotoxicity have been designated either natural or spontaneous (SK) killer cells and have mainly been defined using lymphocytes derived from the peripheral blood. It has been shown that the majority of SK cells have receptors for the Fc part of IgG, and that some have receptors for the activated third complement factor (C3), but little is known about the specificity, recognition and effector mechanisms underlying spontaneous cytotoxicity1,3–4. Although the actual biological significance of SK cell cytotoxicity is unclear, it has been proposed that these killer cells act in vivo as surveillor cells against tumour development. We give here evidence in support of this idea, for we have found that SK cells, in a short-term cytotoxicity assay, preferentially kill cell lines derived from leukaemic tumours as compared to cell lines from normal lymphocytes.
Design of Selective Thrombin Inhibitors Based on the (R)-Phe-Pro-Arg Sequence

Potent and selective inhibitors of thrombin were sought based on the (R)-Phe-Pro-Arg sequence. The objective was to generate similar binding interactions to those achieved by potent competitive inh...
An ecological history of coal refuse bank fires in Scranton, Pennsylvania

Abstract Of the 500 burning coal refuse heaps in the U.S.A. during the 1960s, Scranton, Pennsylvania had far more fires in far larger waste piles than any other community. Its population was the only sizable one in the country exposed to these smoldering sulfurous culm banks, most of which had persisted for decades. Research into suspected health effects of these culm bank fires and the severe local air pollution to which they added prompted an historical review of their origins and management. Their story begins in the region's geomorphology—highly faulted beds of anthracite unique in the world. It continues through the fortunes of the anthracite industry, which peaked as a major fuel supplier for the nation, then rapidly declined to the status of a minor employer. It concludes with the arduous, now completed, task of mobilizing the political and engineering capability to put out the refractory fires. An account of Scranton's culm bank fires and their control describes the changing human ecology of a region as its prized natural resource and major export is devalued in competition with oil and natural gas. The relationship of industrial settlements to resource distribution, of solid waste to gross industry, of citizens to public nuisances and of technical know-how to legislation are some of the themes of human geography running through the chronicle of this public health hazard. The themes are common: the setting not so.
Comparison of Percutaneous Management Techniques for Recurrent Malignant Ascites

The Pleurx subcutaneous tunneled catheter is approved for repeated, long-term drainage of malignant pleural effusions; however, there is limited literature describing its use in malignant ascites. The authors compared the safety and efficacy of two percutaneous drainage methods: large volume paracentesis and Pleurx catheter placement over a 41-month period. The Pleurx catheter provided effective palliation with a complication rate similar to that for large volume paracentesis, while preventing the need for frequent trips to the hospital for repeated percutaneous drainage.
Happiness and Global Justice: Contrasts, Convergences, Overlaps, and Complementarities of the World Social Forum and the Gross National Happiness Movements

This article examines two global responses to the failures of neoliberalism. The first, the World Social Forum, is a process born out of the “global justice movement.” The other, the Gross National Happiness movement, is endogenous to Asia, but is beginning to influence intellectuals, NGOs, and policymakers worldwide. These movements attempt to reformulate neoliberalism and the trajectory of modern capitalist development as a whole. Although they are interconnected networks, they contrast in terms of their goals, focus, and origins. Nonetheless, they converge at important points and may help construct an alternative to neoliberalism. The Gross National Happiness movement is of particular interest to the sociological study of emotions and social movements. Rather than positioning emotion as a driver or sustainer of social movement activity, or as a result of movement participation, the Gross National Happiness Movement frames emotion as the goal of the public policies around which it mobilizes.
Congruence of the Dimensions of Self-As-Object and Self-As-Process

(1967). Congruence of the Dimensions of Self-As-Object and Self-As-Process. The Journal of Psychology: Vol. 67, No. 2, pp. 277-285.
Tryptase-PAR2 axis in experimental autoimmune prostatitis, a model for chronic pelvic pain syndrome

Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) affects up to 15% of the male population and is characterized by pelvic pain. Mast cells are implicated in the murine experimental autoimmune prostatitis (EAP) model as key to chronic pelvic pain development. The mast cell mediator tryptase-β and its cognate receptor protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR2) are involved in mediating pain in other visceral disease models. Prostatic secretions and urines from CP/CPPS patients were examined for the presence of mast cell degranulation products. Tryptase-β and PAR2 expression were examined in murine EAP. Pelvic pain and inflammation were assessed in the presence or absence of PAR2 expression and upon PAR2 neutralization. Tryptase-β and carboxypeptidase A3 were elevated in CP/CPPS compared to healthy volunteers. Tryptase-β was capable of inducing pelvic pain and was increased in EAP along with its receptor PAR2. PAR2 was required for the development of chronic pelvic pain in EAP. PAR2 signaling in dorsal root ganglia led to extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 phosphorylation and calcium influx. PAR2 neutralization using antibodies attenuated chronic pelvic pain in EAP. The tryptase-PAR2 axis is an important mediator of pelvic pain in EAP and may play a role in the pathogenesis of CP/CPPS.
Jack symmetric functions and some combinatorial properties of young symmetrizers

Etude de la representation des fonctions symetriques de Jack et des proprietes combinatoires des symetriseurs de Young
Extermal properties of relative entropy in quantum statistical mechanics

The relative entropy of the state P with respect to the state Q is defined asS(P,Q) =−TrPlogP+TrPlogQ. It is shown that if the relative entropy is varied subject to suitable constraints, and with either P or Q fixed, then the state which gives the maximum relative entropy is an analogue of the Gibbs equilibrium state. Other properties of the relative entropy are also briefly discussed.
Neurosurgical management of metastases in the central nervous system.

Rates of central nervous system (CNS) involvement in metastatic cancer are believed to be increasing. The neurosurgical treatment of patients with metastatic cancer is an integral component of multimodality therapy for brain and spinal metastases. This Review discusses data from current randomized clinical trials that examine the role of neurosurgical intervention in the treatment of patients with CNS metastases.
Effect of tactile stimulation pulse characteristics on sensation threshold and power consumption.

The psychophysical responses of human subjects to vibratory tactile stimulation of the skin were investigated experimentally. The parameters, of the waveform important to the minimization of power consumed by the tactile array of electromechanical vibrators and the maximization of the skin sensitivity to the stimulus were explored to develop optimum stimulation. Parameters investigated included the amplitude, frequency, and duty cycle of the current waveform used to drive the vibrators as well as the number of pulses per stimulating burst and the recovery time between bursts. Graphical techniques were used to determine, the optimal combination of the parameters which gave a stimulus that excited the skin to above tactile threshold while maintaining at a relative minimum the power required for the stimulus. The optimal stimulation waveform contains a burst of 10 rectangular pulses of 4% duty cycle separated by a period of nonstimulation of 2 s. Such a waveform can elicit a sensitivity of 29.4 mA−1 consuming only 55 μW of power.
Exploring the role of protein phosphorylation in plants: from signalling to metabolism

This review presents a broad overview of phosphorylation and signalling in plants. Much of the work of my group in plants focuses on understanding the mechanisms that regulate the production of carbon and nitrogen metabolites in leaves; in this review, I will discuss nitrate, which is one of the most important of these inorganic nutrients. I also detail how protein phosphorylation in plant cells is altered in response to the presence of reactive oxygen species.
Immunoglobulin synthesis by cord blood lymphocytes.

The IgG, IgA and IgM synthesis by adult peripheral blood and cord blood lymphocytes incubated alone and with pokeweed mitogen was quantitated. The cord blood lymphocytes produced no immunoglobulin even with mitogen stimulation while the adult peripheral blood lymphocytes responded to the mitogen with a significant (p<0.04) increase in immunoglobulin production.
Graphite intercalation compounds: A simple model of Fermi surface and transport properties

A parametrized model of the $\ensuremath{\pi}$ bands of $n$-layer films of graphite is developed for the purpose of studying the Fermi-level properties of graphite intercalation compounds. Specifically, the charge transfer, the density of states, and the conductivity tensor as a function of magnetic field are considered. The first two quantities are proportional to the de Haas-van Alphen frequency and cyclotron mass, respectively. A numerical study is carried out for a single layer of graphite as a function of excess charge. It is shown that the anisotropic dispersion of the energy bands causes unusual galvanomagnetic behavior at small magnetic fields, such as a nonzero magnetoresistance mobility for moderate intercalant concentrations and also a change in the sign of the low-field Hall coefficient at high intercalant concentrations.
Government and Community Relations an Defforts for Comanagement in Macizo De La Muerte, Costa Rica

As the Costa Rican government moves toward decentralization, communities in Macizo de la Muerte are asking for a hand in the comanagement of natural resources. However, the relationship between the community and the Ministry of Environmental and Energy Resource Management (MINAE) lacks the trust and communication that is needed for projects in comanagement to move forward. In this study, conducted between October 24 and November 19, 2003, I interviewed 27 community members of Villa Mills, Piedra Alta, and Alto de Jaular, as well as two employees from MINAE to examine the dynamic of the relationship between the community and MINAE in order to explain the community's potential for sustainable development in terms of ecotourism and sustainable harvesting. Although the relationship of MINAE to the community is currently one of distant control, discussions with MINAE administration and community members show that there are hopes that the relationship will become more equitable. For these dreams to become reality, however, action and trust are necessary on both parts. Community members must organize, form plans, and take initiative in the education and communication process. MINAE must enter the community as friends rather than controllers, and provide the community with greater control and technical assistance. Only with strong efforts for improved communication on either side will the community be able to achieve their potential to function sustainably.
Comparison of simulation and wafer results for shadowing and flare effect on EUV alpha demo tool

In this study, in order to accurately predict the shadowing and flare effect of EUVL, we compared and analyzed the wafer and simulation result of the shadowing and flare effect of the EUV alpha demo tool at IMEC. Flare distribution of the EUV Alpha Demo tool was measured and was used in simulation tool to simulate several test case wafer result. Also, shadowing effect of the in-house created mask was measured and compared with simulation result to match the predictability of the simulation tool. Shadowing test comparison of wafer to simulation showed that simulation with resist model showing better overall fitness to actual wafer result. Both aerial and resist model simulation result was within 2.33nm to wafer result. Measured wafer CD to simulation CD comparison for flare showed that average error RMS of 3 test cases was 0.52, 2.05 and 3.47 nm for each test case respectively. In order to have higher accuracy for flare simulation, larger diameter size for flare profile is necessary. Also from shadow test, resist model better fit the wafer trend than using only the aerial image for simulating shadowing effect. EUV tool showed very promising result for sub 30nm DRAM critical layer printing ability and with proper flare and shadowing correction, reasonable result is expected for sub 30 and beyond critical layers of DRAM using EUV lithography. Further work will be done to compensate flare and shadowing effect of EUV.
Low back pain hospitalization in Washington State: recent trends and geographic variations.

For several years, interest in clinical practice patterns has increased due to concerns about the costs and quality of health care. Our objectives were to examine recent trends and geographic variations in low back pain hospitalization. We analyzed data from a Washington State automated database for 1987-1992. Low back surgery rates in Washington changed little during the study years. In contrast, nonsurgical hospitalization rates fell from 1 5.5 to 5.1 per 10,000. The proportion of operations involving fusion decreased from 15.8% in 1987 to 11.7% in 1990, and then remained stable. During 1990, important county-to-county variations were observed in surgery rates, nonsurgical hospitalization rates, the proportion of operations involving fusion, and the percentage of surgical patients undergoing reoperation within 3 years. Wide county variations suggest that there may be overutilization or underutilization of low back pain treatments in some geographic areas. A more consistent approach to the management of back problems may benefit patients
Effects of externally mounted stores on aeroelasticity of advanced swept cantilevered aircraft wings

Abstract In this paper, the static aeroelastic response and flutter instability of straight/swept aircraft wings carrying external stores along their span and at their tip are investigated. In this context, a comprehensive structural model for the aircraft wing is used which incorporates flexibility in transverse shear, anisotropy, and warping effects. The relevant equations of motion as well as the appropriate boundary conditions are obtained via Hamilton's Variational Principle and application of generalized function theory in order to exactly consider the spanwise location and properties of the attached stores. To achieve a realistic representation of the store influence upon static and dynamic aeroelastic behavior of the system, static weights and dynamic inertias of the attached stores have been modelled. The obtained eigenvalue/boundary value problems are being solved by application of the Extended Galerkin Method. Comparisons with the very few results highlighting the effects of underwing and tip stores on flutter instability are carried out and excellent agreements with the present predictions are reported.
Vegetation History of Pleasant Island, Southeastern Alaska, since 13,000 yr B.P.

Abstract A 13,000-year history of late-Quaternary vegetational and climatic change has been derived from lacustrine sediments from Pleasant Island in the Glacier Bay region of southeastern Alaska. Early arrival of lodgepole pine and mountain hemlock, indicated by the presence of pollen and conifer stomata, suggests expansion from refugia in the Alexander Archipelago. A short-term climatic reversal, possibly correlated with the European Younger Dryas, is inferred from the expansion of tundra elements and deposition of inorganic sediments between 10,600 and 9900 14 C yr B.P. Two peat cores from the lake catchment verify Holocene vegetation changes and aid in the separation of biogenic from climatic forces affecting vegetation history. Differences in pollen representation among the three cores illustrate the variation among pollen-collecting substrates, as well as the spatial heterogeneity of peatland development and its dependence on local hydrology. Initial peat accumulation and soil paludification, occasioned by increases in temperature and precipitation in the early Holocene, allowed western and mountain hemlock to replace sitka spruce 8500–8000 yr B. P. Open muskeg became widespread about 7000 yr B. P. and allowed lodgepole pine to reinvade the region after a 2000-yr absence. The extensive replacement of fen elements by bog taxa at 3400 yr B. P. suggests increased paludification due to changing hydrologic conditions; its correlation with the upland expansion of Tsuga heterophylla suggests the onset of a cooler/wetter Neoglacial climate in southeastern Alaska.
Modeling the effects of acid amplifiers on photoresist stochastics

The tradeo between Resolution, Line Edge Roughness (LER) and Sensitivity, the so called RLS tradeo, continues to be a dicult challenge, especially for EUV lithography. Acid ampliers have recently been proposed as a method to improve upon the overall RLS performance of EUV resists. Here we discuss a simulation approach to study the issue. The model extends the standard reaction diusion equation to explicitly capture the stochastic behavior of exposure, photo-acid generation and acid amplication. Using this model the impact acid ampliers have on the RLS tradeo is studied under a variety of resist conditions.
Markers of Thrombin Generation During Resurfacing and Noncemented Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Pilot Study

Hip resurfacing arthroplasty (HRA) could be associated with an increased risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) compared to traditional noncemented THA because it involves greater dissection, increased kinking and distortion of the femoral vessels, takes longer to perform, and involves insertion of some cement into the femur. Does HRA lead to greater risk of thromboembolism compared with noncemented THA? We prospectively studied 20 patients receiving HRA and 20 receiving THA. All patients were younger than 67 years old and were similar in height, weight, American Society of Anesthesiologists status, and gender mix. Patients undergoing HRA were younger (mean, 50 versus 59 years), their surgery was longer (mean, 87 versus 65 minutes), and they required more crystalloid during surgery (mean, 2160 versus 1662 mL). Radial artery blood samples were taken at six events during surgery and assayed for prothrombin fragment F1 + 2 and thrombin-antithrombin III complex (TAT) using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. We observed no differences in the intraoperative increases in F1 + 2 and TAT between the two groups and no differences in surgical events. Based on these data, HRA and THA should have similar risk of thromboembolism as THA based on the parameters we measured. Level I, diagnostic study. See Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Fuzzy dynamic system and fuzzy linguistic controller classification

Abstract This paper presents the classification of fuzzy dynamic systems and fuzzy linguistic controllers into standard types (TYPE 1 through TYPE 7). The need and utility value behind this classification are given. Hopefully, this classification will lead to new designs and improve the performance of control systems.
Optimal management of the morbidly obese patient SAGES appropriateness conference statement

Background Obesity is a growing health problem that contributes to numerous life-threatening or disabling disorders, including coronary artery disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, degenerative joint disease, and obstructive sleep apnea. Significant weight reduction in the morbidly obese improves or reverses associated illness and benefits well-being. The purpose of the SAGES Appropriateness Conference was to summarize the state of the art for open and laparoscopic operations for the morbidly obese.
Using real-time electricity data to estimate response to time-of-use and flat rates: an application to emissions

Using a generalized McFadden specification, we estimate the determinants of hourly response for the years 2006 through 2010 for all 16 standard retail customers who were on an optional real-time electricity rate offered by Duke Energy as of 2010, and provide a method to estimate how these customers would respond to time-of-use (TOU) and flat rates. We generalize the model to allow for inter-day response, as well as threshold prices, above which individual customer response may increase or decrease. With these inclusions, we find hourly elasticity for the group of customers to be as large as −0.7, larger than previous studies. We apply the method to examine a recent finding that time-differentiated rates could increase electric utility emissions. However, that result did not differentiate between real-time and TOU rates, and furthermore held energy use constant in comparing flat rates and time-differentiated rates. We perform a case study to examine emissions of SO2, NOx, Hg, and CO2 based on predicted energy use changes as well as for an energy-neutral case for real-time, TOU and flat rates. Employing energy use predictions from the model, increased energy use results in increased emissions in almost all cases. For the energy-neutral case, time-differentiated rates increase CO2 as compared to flat rates, and the TOU rate causes a larger increase than does real-time pricing. But both rates decrease other emissions in the majority of years, particularly SO2 In addition, time-differentiated rates reduce NOx potency by shifting it to non-daylight hours when conditions for the formation of smog are less favorable. Our application leads to the conclusion that the effect of the rates on emissions must consider total energy use as well as the shift from peak to off-peak. Furthermore, the predictions require consideration of the generating mix at a more detailed level than was contained in previous studies.
Covariance-regularized regression and classification for high-dimensional problems

In recent years, many methods have been developed for regression in high-dimensional settings. We propose covariance-regularized regression, a family of methods that use a shrunken estimate of the inverse covariance matrix of the features in order to achieve superior prediction. An estimate of the inverse covariance matrix is obtained by maximizing its log likelihood, under a multivariate normal model, subject to a constraint on its elements; this estimate is then used to estimate coefficients for the regression of the response onto the features. We show that ridge regression, the lasso, and the elastic net are special cases of covariance-regularized regression, and we demonstrate that certain previously unexplored forms of covariance-regularized regression can outperform existing methods in a range of situations. The covariance-regularized regression framework is extended to generalized linear models and linear discriminant analysis, and is used to analyze gene expression data sets with multiple class and survival outcomes.
GAS ABSORPTION WITH CHEMICAL REACTION INVOLVING A VOLATILE LIQUID REACTANT: PENETRATION THEORY SOLUTION

A penetration theory analysis is presented for the problem of gas absorption, with chemical reaction involving a volatile liquid reactant. Model equations are derived and solution techniques are presented. It is shown that as long as the diffusivities of two reactants are equal, the enhancement factors predicted by film and penetration theories only mildly differ. Except for slow and instantaneous reaction regimes, the liquid reactant volatility can be markedly detrimental to enhancement of absorption rate by chemical reaction.
Literacy as a leisure activity: free-time preferences of older children and young adolescents.

Purpose: Literacy plays an important role in the development of language in school-age children and adolescents. For example, by reading a variety of books, magazines, and newspapers, students gain...
On state estimation for uncertain discrete-time systems

A combined detection-estimation scheme for the estimation of the state of a linear discrete-time system with unknown noise covariances is considered. It is a heuristic extension of the standard minimax scheme to the case when multiple bounds on the unknown parameters are available. The convergence of the scheme is discussed and an example is considered for illustration.
ALTERATION OF HUMAN T-CELL FUNCTION AFTER THYMIC IRRADIATION

Lymphocyte responses and delayed skin reactions were studied in 12 healthy adults given thymic x-irradiation in childhood and in a 7-year-old female (K.W.) whose mother received 131I early in pregnancy. The adults' lymphocytes responded normally to PHA, Vaccinia and PPD, but poorly to Candida. The mean stimulation index to Candida of the 8 subjects who were irradiated at < 1 year of age was 2.2 (controls 10.4; p < 0.01). The skin responses of all 12 adults to Candida were poor with a mean induration of < 0.5 cm2 (controls 3.1 cm2; p < 0.005). The lymphocyte and skin responses correlated in 13 of 14 healthy controls, but only in 5 of 12 irradiated adults. Three of these 5 were anergic despite the presence of Candida precipitins in the serum of two. The child, K.W., was born athyrotic and had 13 nonbacterial pneumonias. She was vaccinated successfully at age 1, had normal serum immunoglobulins, and responded to streptococcal infections with an anti-Streptokinase titer of 1:640. Her lymphocytes responded to PHA but not to Vaccinia, PPD, Candida or Streptokinase/Streptodornase, and she was anergic to the latter 3 antigens on repeated skin testing. These data suggest that irradiation to the thymus early in life can induce T-cell lesions similar to those seen in certain disease states, e.g., chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis. However, except possibly in K.W., immune defense mechanisms appear unaltered after thymic irradiation.
Duplicate mitf genes in zebrafish: complementary expression and conservation of melanogenic potential.

Mutations in the zebrafish nacre/mitfa gene, expressed in all embryonic melanogenic cells, perturb only neural crest melanocytes, suggesting redundancy of mitfa with another gene in the zebrafish retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Here, we describe a second zebrafish mitf gene, mitfb, which may fulfill this role. The proteins encoded by the two zebrafish mitf genes appear homologous to distinct isoforms generated by alternately spliced mRNAs of the single mammalian Mitf gene, suggesting specialization of the two zebrafish genes following a duplication event. Consistent with this hypothesis, expression of mitfa and mitfb is partially overlapping. mitfb is coexpressed with mitfa in the RPE at an appropriate time to compensate for loss of mitfa function in the nacre mutant but is not expressed in neural crest melanoblasts. Additionally, mitfb is expressed in the epiphysis and olfactory bulb where mitfa is not, and where Mitf expression has not previously been reported in other species. mitfb, but not a zebrafish ortholog of the closely related gene tfe3, can rescue neural crest melanophore development in nacre/mitfa mutant embryos when expressed via the mitfa promoter. These data suggest that mitfa and mitfb together may recapitulate the expression and functions of a single ancestral Mitf gene, and that mitfb may serve additional novel functions.
Rhyolites in the Gillies Hill–Woodtick Hill area, Beaver County, Utah

The rhyolite of Gillies Hill forms a cluster of rounded hills between Beaver basin and Cove Fort basin in southwest-central Utah. These rocks were erupted as a series of viscous lava flows, volcanic domes, and minor pyroclastic rocks from centers localized along and near the main fault separating the volcanic rocks in the Marysvale volcanic field to the east from batholithic rocks in the Mineral Mountains to the west. Faulting began in middle Miocene time before eruption of the rhyolite of Gillies Hill and continued episodically into Pleistocene time. Potassium-argon dating indicates that the rhyolite of Gillies Hill formed from a rapid sequence of eruptions about 9.1 m.y. ago. The rhyolite of Gillies Hill is made up of an older high-silica suite (SiO 2 >75%) consisting of numerous short stubby flows and of a younger low-silica suite (SiO 2 = 70%) represented by a single large volcanic dome. The high-silica suite is believed to have formed by eruptions from the top of a compositionally zoned magma chamber. The younger low-silica suite came either from a separate magma chamber or from a significantly different level within the same magma chamber. The proximity of sources for both suites suggests eruptions from different levels within a single source chamber, perhaps from different vertically stacked convection cells.
The halflie problem

In Ulam's game Paul tries to find one of n possibilities with q Yes-No questions, while responder Carole is allowed to lie a fixed number k of times. We consider an asymmetric variant in which Carole must say yes when that is the correct answer (whence the halflie). We show that the maximal Ak(q) for which Paul wins has the asymptotic form Ak(q) = 2q+kk!q-k + Θ(2qq-k-1/2).
The SRC-3/AIB1 Coactivator Is Degraded in a Ubiquitin- and ATP-Independent Manner by the REGγ Proteasome

Steroid receptor coactivator-3 (SRC-3/AIB1) is an oncogene frequently amplified and overexpressed in breast cancers. Here we report that SRC-3 interacts with REGgamma, a proteasome activator known to stimulate the trypsin-like activity of the 20S proteasome. RNAi knockdown and gain-of-function experiments suggest that REGgamma promotes SRC-3 protein degradation. Cellular levels of REGgamma expression affect estrogen-receptor target-gene expression and cell growth as a result of its ability to promote degradation of the SRC-3 protein. In vitro proteasome proteolysis assays using purified REGgamma, SRC-3, and the 20S proteasome reinforce these conclusions and demonstrate that REGgamma promotes the degradation of SRC-3 in a ubiquitin- and ATP-independent manner. This work demonstrates the first example of a physiologically relevant endogenous cellular target for the REGgamma-proteasome complex. It also highlights the fact that an alternative mode of proteasome-mediated protein degradation, independent of the 19S proteasome regulatory cap, targets the SRC-3 protein for degradation.
Periodontal Diseases in the United States Population

Recent epidemiologic surveys and studies have provided important information on the prevalence, extent, and severity of periodontal diseases in the United States. Over 50% of adults had gingivitis on an average of 3 to 4 teeth. Subgingival calculus was present in 67% of the population. Adult periodontitis, measured by the presence of periodontal pockets ≥ 4 mm, was found in about 30% of the population on an average of 3 to 4 teeth. Severe pockets ≥ 6 mm were found in less than 5% of the population. Attachment loss ≥ 3 mm was found in 40% of the population. Gingival recession accounted for a significant amount of attachment loss. The prevalence of early-onset periodontitis ranged from less than 1% in 14- to 17-year-olds to 3.6% in young adults aged 18 to 34. Extensive and severe periodontitis was much more prevalent in minorities, people with less than a high school education, and those who had seen a dentist infrequently and had subgingival calculus. Smoking and diabetes have been identified as risk facto...
Vitamin B12 and the Megaloblastic Development

In patients with vitamin B12 deficiency, phytohemagglutinin-stimulated cultured lymphocytes had little or no thymidylate synthetase activity. Ample activity was found in such lymphocytes from normal individuals and patients with folic acid deficiency or pernicious anemia in remission. It therefore appears that the megaloblastosis that is associated with vitamin B12 deficiency is related to low thymidylate synthetase activity.
Regioselective derivatizations of a tribrominated atropisomeric benzamide scaffold.

The enantioselective synthesis of atropisomeric, tribrominated benzamides and subsequent regioselective transformations to afford derivatized, axially chiral molecules is reported. The enantioenriched tribromides were carried through sequential Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling and lithium–halogen exchange with high regioselectivity and enantioretention. A variety of complexity-generation functional group installations were performed to create a library of homochiral benzamides. The potential utility of these molecules is demonstrated by using a phosphino benzamide derivative as an asymmetric ligand in a Pd-catalyzed allylic alkylation.
Lung and heart-lung transplant practice patterns in pulmonary hypertension centers

Abstract Background Transplant practice patterns for pulmonary hypertension in the epoprostenol era are unknown. Methods Thirty-five centers in North America, Europe, and Israel were surveyed regarding practice patterns for lung and heart-lung transplant. Results New York Heart Association class and distance on a 6-minute walk were considered most useful for deciding who to refer for listing. Patients with New York Heart Association class I to II were referred for listing in 26% of centers, while 57% were classified as New York Heart Association class III or greater after epoprostenol failure. Twenty-nine of the 35 centers had transplant programs that performed approximately 75% of the International Registry volume annually. A double lung transplant was preferred by 83% of centers and heart-lung transplant in the remaining centers. The wait time for lung transplant averaged 16.8 months (range 4–36) and for heart-lung transplant averaged 21.3 months (range 6–36) and was significantly longer in the United States. The mean maximum age for heart-lung transplant was 51.4 years (range 35–65), double lung transplant 58.3 years (range 45–65), and single lung transplant 63.1 years (range 50–70). Fifty-three percent of centers transplant New York Heart Association class III or IV patients, 26% class IIIb-IV, and 21% only class IV. Eighty percent of centers use a transplant hold status. Major unqualified exclusions were hepatitis in 38%, 1 or more hepatic (90%) or renal (100%) criteria, smoking 97%, and obesity in 93%. Conclusions Physicians and patients should be aware of the considerable variability in practice patterns for transplantation in pulmonary hypertension, despite published guidelines.
Function of Myosin-V in Filopodial Extension of Neuronal Growth Cones

The molecular mechanisms underlying directed motility of growth cones have not been determined. The role of myosin-V, an unconventional myosin, in growth cone dynamics was examined by chromophore-assisted laser inactivation (CALI). CALI of purified chick brain myosin-V absorbed onto nitrocellulose-coated cover slips inhibited the ability of myosin-V to translocate actin filaments. CALI of myosin-V in growth cones of chick dorsal root ganglion neurons resulted in rapid filopodial retraction. The rate of filopodial extension was significantly decreased, whereas the rate of filopodial retraction was not affected, which suggests a specific role for myosin-V in filopodial extension.
Computer-generated holograms by means of a magnetooptic spatial light modulator

A magnetooptic spatial light modulator is used to reconstruct computer-generated Fourier holograms. Different methods for designing the holgrams are considered including binary and complex quantization in conjunction with an iterative algorithm, carrier techniques, phase manipulations, and cell oriented binary coding. The limitations of binary quantization are discussed, and the trade-offs between space–bandwidth and quantization error are considered. Using a device having an array of 48 × 48 elements the best compromise is achieved using carrier techniques in conjunction with phase manipulations and binary quantization.
Correlation transfer equation for ultrasound-modulated multiply scattered light

In this paper, we develop a temporal correlation transfer equation (CTE) for ultrasound-modulated multiply scattered light. The equation can be used to obtain the time-varying specific intensity of light produced by a nonuniform ultrasound field in optically scattering media that have a heterogeneous distribution of optical parameters. We also develop a Monte Carlo algorithm that can provide the spatial distribution of the optical power spectrum in optically scattering media with focused ultrasound fields, and heterogeneous distributions of optically scattering and absorbing objects. Derivation of the CTE is based on the ladder diagram approximation of the Bethe-Salpeter equation that assumes moderate ultrasound pressures. We expect the CTE to be applicable to a wide spectrum of conditions in the ultrasound-modulated optical tomography of soft biological tissues.