cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Form-determining functions in Sindbis virus nucleocapsids: nucleosomelike organization of the nucleocapsid

Purified intact Sindbis virus nucleocapsids were treated at different pH values or with various concentrations of divalent cations, cation chelators, salt, or formamide. The resulting structures were examined by velocity sedimentation, electron microscopy, and protein-protein cross-linking. Changes in each of the test conditions led to alterations in the sedimentation profile of treated nucleocapsids. Appropriate concentrations of formamide or divalent cations generated beaded strandlike structures similar in morphology to those generated from adenovirus cores and nucleosomes. The capsid protein and RNA remained associated with each other at NaCl concentrations less than or equal to 1 M or after treatment of the structures with alkaline pH up to and including pH 10.7. Protein and RNA were dissociated by salt concentrations of greater than 1 M, suggesting that the arginine-rich, amino-terminal portion of the capsid protein is responsible for binding the RNA. Protein-protein cross-linking also indicated that the capsid proteins remained associated in small aggregates under some of the conditions that caused dissociation of the nucleocapsid and suggested the presence of more than one type of protein-protein interaction in the nucleocapsids. Collectively, these data suggest that, like histones and adenovirus core proteins, the Sindbis virus capsid protein serves to package segments of the genome into nucleoprotein beads which are capable of interacting with each other to form the nucleocapsid structure.
Microwave-Assisted Shape-Controlled Bulk Synthesis of Ag and Fe Nanorods in Poly(ethylene glycol) Solutions

Bulk syntheses of silver (Ag) and iron (Fe) nanorods using poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) under microwave irradiation conditions are reported. Favorable conditions to make Ag nanorods were established and can be extended to make Fe nanorods with uniform size and shape. The nanorods formation depended upon the concentration of PEG used in the reaction with Ag salt. The obtained Ag and Fe nanorods were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and UV–visible spectroscopy. Ag and Fe nanorods crystallized in face centered cubic symmetry. The method uses no surfactant or reducing agent and is greener in nature which could open a myriad of applications.
Coronary heart disease moderates the relationship of chronic stress with the metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome levels (MSLs) were compared in caregivers (CGs) of spouses with Alzheimer's disease who had diagnoses of coronary heart disease (CHD; n = 27) with non CGs with CHD diagnoses (n = 18), and CGs (n = 44) to non CGs (n = 52) free of CHD. MSLs were greater for CGs than non CGs, but only in persons with CHD (CHD, B for CG status = -.41; non CHD, B = .12; p < .05) at study entry (Time 1 = T1) and CHD, B = -.32; non CHD, B = .14; p < .05) 15-18 months later (Time 2 = T2). In the CHD group, MSLs were associated with poorer health habits at T1 (r = .39, p < .01), uplifts (r = -.37, p < .01) at T2, and CG status (p < .05) at T1 and T2. Relationships of CG status and MSLs declined in the presence of poor health habits at T1 and uplifts at T2. Poorer health habits and fewer uplifts may be associated with elevated MSLs in CGs with CHD.
Reactions of human platelets with microspheres of poly(hydroxymethyl methacrylate) and polyacrylamide

We have studied the contact interaction of platelets with hydrogels. In the form of microspheres, 0.6–1.0 μ, poly (glycol methacrylate) (poly HEMA) and poly (methyl methacrylate) beads cause platelets to aggregate at concentrations of about 108 beads/ml. Polyacrylamide and (20/80) poly (acrylamide–HEMA) copolymer were ineffective in aggregating platelets. The admixture of 20% methacrylate to polyHEMA rendered the beads inactive. Blood plasma components other than fibrinogen were found essential to the interaction of the beads with platelets. Near-infrared spectra of the hydrogels polyacrylamide and polyHEMA showed the water hydrogen bonds to be the same for both and different from those in pure water. The monomer HEMA is an inhibitor of platelet aggregation and the release reaction at levels of 0.1%. It is concluded that the two hydrogels have different blood compatibilities, which depend more on the network structures than the water structures in the respective gels.
Regionalizing Postsecondary Education for the Twenty-First Century: Promising Innovations and Capacity Challenges.

This opening chapter describes why regional approaches to postsecondary education policy and implementation matter in the current economic and social context. Eight signature themes and strategies for regional two-year college innovation are introduced.
Pattern formation: old models out on a limb

The vertebrate limb is an excellent model for studying fundamental aspects of embryonic development. Cell proliferation, death and movement, and the assignment and interpretation of positional information, must be coordinated if an exquisitely patterned limb is to form. Recent results from gene targeting in mice and from experimental manipulation of the chick embryonic limb have significantly altered the way in which developmental biologists have conceptualized limb patterning.
Decay of the tryptophan fluorescence anisotropy in bacteriorhodopsin and its modified forms.

In this work we study the decay of the polarization of the Trp fluorescence in native bacteriorhodopsin (bR), deionized bR (dlbR), and the retinal-free form of bR, bacterioopsin (bO), using picosecond laser/streak camera system. Two types of depolarization processes are observed, one around 250 ps, which is temperature independent around room temperature, and the other in the 1–3-ns range, which is sensitive to temperature and certain bR modifications. This suggests the presence of at least two different environments for the eight Trp molecules in bR. Native bR and deionized bR gave the same depolarization decay times, suggesting that the removal of metal cations does not change the microenvironment of the emitting Trp molecules. The slow component is faster in bO than in bR, suggesting a change in the environment of the Trp molecules upon the removal of the retinal chromophore. All these results are discussed in terms of the different mechanisms of Trp fluorescence depolarization. A comparison between the depolarization decay in rhodopsin and bR is made.
An overload cancellation circuit for a charge-sensitive preamplifier

Abstract An active circuit which prevents saturation due to overloads in a charge-sensitive preamplifier is presented. Cosmic rays often produce relatively bright scintillations in a detector, especially if the crystal is large. The resulting overload may saturate the preamplifier, significantly increasing the dead time of the system. To reduce this undesirable effect, an active stage containing a field-effect transistor is inserted in parallel with the normal feedback network of the charge-sensitive preamplifier. This stage prevents an excessive charge from being deposited on the feedback capacitor and thereby prevents blocking in the preamplifier and permits a prompt return to linear operation. A description of the operation of the circuit and results of tests are included.
Patterns and Emerging Mechanisms of the Angiogenic Switch during Tumorigenesis

We wish to thank Jeff Arbeit, Karen Smith-McCune, Noel Weidner, Ella Bossy-Wetzel, and Christine Jolicoeur for providing the tissue sections used to prepare Figure 3Figure 3; Noel Bouck, Karen Smith-McCune, David Olson, Dowdy Jackson, and Jeff Arbeit for comments on the manuscript; and Wendy Gee and Terry Schoop of BioMed Arts (San Francisco) for artwork. The work from the authors' laboratories reviewed herein was supported by grants from the National Cancer Institute.
Senior capstone design and ethics: A bridge to the professional world

A senior level capstone design experience has been developed and offered with a particular emphasis on many of the professional issues raised in Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) Engineering Criterion IV. The course has sought to develop student awareness of the ethical foundation of the engineering profession, the global and societal framework within which engineers practice, and the environmental impact on engineering. The capstone design course also focused upon improving the technical communications skills of the graduating senior class with both extensive instruction in writing and multiple workshops dealing with the art of making an effective oral presentation. The effectiveness of the design course was assessed using Kirkpatrick's model for evaluating training programs.
Colored plasmons in a quark-gluon plasma near equilibrium☆

Abstract Within a kinetic theory for QCD plasmas we study the color response function near thermodynamic equilibrium. Its poles yield a longitudinal and a transverse collective mode, both starting at the plasma frequency. Due to the gluon contribution there is no Landau damping for these modes, and creation of gluon or q- p pairs is the dominant damping mechanism. In an electron plasma the generally quoted Landau damping near threshold is shown to be an artifact of the non-relativistic approximation.
Electro-thermo-mechanics of smart memory alloy (SMA) fiber bundles embedded in an elastic medium

A mathematical model is presented for the dynamic response of contractile fiber bundles embedded in an elastic medium. The fiber bundle is assumed to consist of a parallel array of contractile fibers made from contractile shape memory alloy wires of a few mills in diameter. The proposed model considers the electrically induced (ohmic heating) contraction of the fibers. A model is then presented for the electro-thermo-mechanics of such SMA assemblies including the heat transfer effects. For the proposed model, we consider the fiber bundle of SMA to be electrically insulated from the host elastic medium by means of a dielectric liquid to enhance the transfer of heat from the SMA wires to the host medium. The host elastic medium acts as a heat sink to quench the SMA wires during the power-off cycle, mainly by conduction heat transfer. Thus, the fibers can be electrically heated and subsequently contracted to compress the elastic medium. Design details are first described. In essence the dynamic behavior of the assembly depends on the interaction between the current supplied to the wires and the heat transfer from the wires to the elastic medium. Further, a mathematical model is presented to simulate the electro-thermo-mechanics of expansion and contraction of such assemblies. The proposed model takes into account all pertinent variables such as the strain (epsilon) , the temperature of the fibers T(t) as a function of time t, the elastic medium initial temperature T0, the martensite fraction (xi) , the elasticity of the host medium and the overall heat transfer coefficient h. Numerical simulations are then carried out and the results are displayed in the form of graphs. Computer simulation have been performed for a 1 meter aluminum cylinder of 50 mm in diameter with an elastic modulus of 70 GPa, with 2400 embedded SMA wires of diameter 0.254 mm under a duty cycle of 10 seconds on followed by 20 second off, to allow the temperature of wires to drop back to the martensitic phase. The dynamic response of such assemblies appear to be quite robust for a number of engineering applications.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Accelerating Machine-Learning Algorithms on FPGAs using Pattern-Based Decomposition

Machine-learning algorithms are employed in a wide variety of applications to extract useful information from data sets, and many are known to suffer from super-linear increases in computational time with increasing data size and number of signals being processed (data dimension). Certain principal machine-learning algorithms are commonly found embedded in larger detection, estimation, or classification operations. Three such principal algorithms are the Parzen window-based, non-parametric estimation of Probability Density Functions (PDFs), K-means clustering and correlation. Because they form an integral part of numerous machine-learning applications, fast and efficient execution of these algorithms is extremely desirable. FPGA-based reconfigurable computing (RC) has been successfully used to accelerate computationally intensive problems in a wide variety of scientific domains to achieve speedup over traditional software implementations. However, this potential benefit is quite often not fully realized because creating efficient FPGA designs is generally carried out in a laborious, case-specific manner requiring a great amount of redundant time and effort. In this paper, an approach using pattern-based decomposition for algorithm acceleration on FPGAs is proposed that offers significant increases in productivity via design reusability. Using this approach, we design, analyze, and implement a multi-dimensional PDF estimation algorithm using Gaussian kernels on FPGAs. First, the algorithm's amenability to a hardware paradigm and expected speedups are predicted. After implementation, actual speedup and performance metrics are compared to the predictions, showing speedup on the order of 20× over a 3.2 GHz processor. Multi-core architectures are developed to further improve performance by scaling the design. Portability of the hardware design across multiple FPGA platforms is also analyzed. After implementing the PDF algorithm, the value of pattern-based decomposition to support reuse is demonstrated by rapid development of the K-means and correlation algorithms.
Temperature dependence of the raman linewidth and frequency shift in Ge and Si

Abstract Information about the anharmonic properties of crystals can be obtained from a study of the temperature dependence of the linewidth and frequency of their Raman spectra. We have calculated the frequency shift of the zone-center optical phonon in silicon and germanium as a function of temperature assuming that the lifetime and self-energy of the k = 0 optical phonon is governed only by decay into two LA phonons. We find that our model not only fits the experimental data for the frequency shift, but is also highly consistent with calculations and experimental data for the linewidth. The consistency in the fitting of the theoretical curves thus obtained to the experimental data, determining the same, single adjustable parameter for both the shift and the width seems to corroborate the view that there is a selection rule, aside from momentum conservation, which limits the optical phonon decay into two LA phonons only.
Finding a nonlinear lattice with improved integrability using Lie transform perturbation theory

A condition for improved dynamic aperture for nonlinear, alternating gradient transport systems is derived using Lie transform perturbation theory. The Lie transform perturbation method is used here to perform averaging over fast oscillations by canonically transforming to slowly oscillating variables. This is first demonstrated for a linear sinusoidal focusing system. This method is then employed to average the dynamics over a lattice period for a nonlinear focusing system, provided by the use of higher order poles such as sextupoles and octupoles along with alternate gradient quadrupoles. Unlike the traditional approach, the higher order focusing is not treated as a perturbation. The Lie transform method is particularly advantageous for such a system where the form of the Hamiltonian is complex. This is because the method exploits the property of canonical invariance of Poisson brackets so that the change of variables is accomplished by just replacing the old ones with the new. The analysis shows the existence of a condition in which the system is azimuthally symmetric in the transformed, slowly oscillating frame. Such a symmetry in the time averaged frame renders the system nearly integrable in the laboratory frame. This condition leads to reduced chaos and improved confinement when compared to a system that is not close to integrability. Numerical calculations of single-particle trajectories and phase space projections of the dynamic aperture performed for a lattice with quadrupoles and sextupoles confirm that this is indeed the case.
Lymphoepithelioma of the nasopharynx.

There is uncertainty as to whether the clinical behavior of nasopharyngeal lymphoepithelioma differs from that of squamous cell carcinoma of the nasopharynx. To determine if significant differences existed, we have studied 39 patients with nasopharyngeal lymphoepithelioma and compared their data with 50 nasopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma patients. In contrast to squamous cell carcinoma, lymphoepithelioma occurred at a younger age, presented as smaller primary tumors, and manifested more extensive cervical lymph node involvement. When analyzed by T stage, N stage, or overall stage groups, the 5-year actuarial survivals were better in the lymphoepithelioma patients. Late tumor recurrences (beyond 4 years) were seen in the lymphoepithelioma patients, whereas all of the recurrences in the squamous cell carcinoma group occurred within 4 years. Tumor recurrences were more common in the cervical lymph nodes in the lymphoepithelioma group and in the primary site of the squamous cell carcinoma group.
A Second Mammalian N-Myristoyltransferase

N-terminal myristoylation is a cotranslational lipid modification common to many signaling proteins that often serves an integral role in the targeting and/or function of these proteins. Myristoylation is catalyzed by an enzyme activity, N-myristoyltransferase (NMT), which transfers myristic acid from myristoyl coenzyme A to the amino group of a protein's N-terminal glycine residue. While a single human NMT cDNA has been isolated and characterized (hNMT-1), biochemical evidence has indicated the presence of several distinct NMTs in vivo, often varying in either apparent molecular weight and/or subcellular distribution. We now report the cloning and characterization of a second, genetically distinct human NMT (hNMT-2), as well as the isolation of the respective mouse NMT homologue for each human enzyme. The mouse and human versions of each NMT are highly homologous, displaying greater than 95% amino acid sequence identity. Comparisons between the NMT-1 and NMT-2 proteins revealed reduced levels of sequence identity (76-77%), indicating that NMT-1 and NMT-2 comprise two distinct families of N-myristoyltransferases. Transient transfection of either the hNMT-1 or hNMT-2 cDNA into COS-7 cells resulted in the expression of high levels of NMT enzyme activity. Both hNMT-1 and hNMT-2 were found to myristoylate several commonly studied peptide substrates with similar, but distinguishable, relative selectivities. Western analysis revealed that while hNMT-2 appeared as a single 65-kDa protein in transfected COS-7 cells, hNMT-1 was processed to provide four distinct protein isoforms ranging from 49 to 68 kDa in size. Collectively, these studies demonstrate a heretofore unappreciated level of genetic complexity underlying the enzymology of N-terminal myristoylation and suggest that the specific inhibition or regulation of either NMT in vivo may in turn allow for the selective control of particular myristoylation-dependent cellular functions.
Comments on "Bioprocessing in space"

An analysis developed by Westgate et al. for the digestible energy of edible and inedible biomass, including hydrolysis and fermentation, is reexamined with state-of-the-art values for the harvest index of hydroponic crops.
Distributing Hot-Spot Addressing in Large-Scale Multiprocessors

When a large number of processors try to access a common variable, referred to as hot-spot accesses in [6], not only can the resulting memory contention seriously degrade performance, but it can also cause tree saturation in the interconnection network which blocks both hot and regular requests alike. It is shown in [6] that even if only a small percentage of all requests are to a hot-spot, these requests can cause very serious performances problems, and networks that do the necessary combining of requests are suggested to keep the interconnection network and memory contention from becoming a bottleneck.
Canonical angles, subspace partitioning, and hyrbrid wavelet packets

In previous work, hybrid wavelet packets were introduced as a generalization of wavelet packets in which the choice of quadrature mirror filter (QMF) is selected adaptively within the wavelet packet analysis. This was motivated by the observation that for certain classes of signals, the choice of appropriate QMF is not only signal dependent, but may be scale dependent as well. Best Basis selection was generalized to provide a means of optimizing the representation of a given signal. This method can be viewed as an adaptive partitioning of signal subspaces. In such a scheme it is important to determine a small number of QMFs which will provide some diversity in the partitioning of the subspaces. In the current work, canonical correlations and canonical angles are used to quantify the difference between subspaces spanned by two filter pairs. Preliminary results indicate the utility of this method as a data independent metric for filter comparison.
ISOLATION OF A NEW SEROTYPE OF LEGIONNAIRES' DISEASE BACTERIUM

A new serotype of the legionnaires' disease bacterium has been isolated. The strain appears to be identical with the Philadelphia strain except for the cell-wall antigens as tested by a direct fluorescent antibody technique. Demonstration of a new serotype brings into question the diagnostic specificity of currently used reference strains.
Linkage of a nucleolin-related protein and casein kinase II with the detergent-stable photoreceptor cytoskeleton

Vertebrate photoreceptors are highly polarized sensory neurons with a complex microtubule and actin-based cytoskeletal organization. In the present study, we have used a detergent-extracted cytokeleton preparation from bovine photoreceptors to test the hypothesis that protein kinases and their substrates co-purify with the photoreceptor cytoskeleton. We incubated the cytoskeletal preparation in the presence of [γ-32P]ATP. Following SDS-PAGE and autoradiography, we found two principal phosphoproteins with apparent molecular weights of 55 kDa (pp55) and 112 kDa (pp112). We have additionally identified the kinase responsible for phosphorylation of pp112 (and possibly pp55) as a casein kinase II-like enzyme. pp55 was identified as β-tubulin based on Western blotting and its position on two-dimensional gels. Microsequencing revealed that 16 of the first 17 amino acids of pp112 were identical to human nucleolin, a nuclear protein. Western blotting, mobility in SDS PAGE and in two-dimensional gels, predominant localization within the nucleus, and phosphorylation by a casein kinase II all support the conclusion that pp112 is a nucleolin-related protein. Immunocytochemistry revealed a significant extranuclear pool of nucleolin-immunoreactivity within the cell bodies of photoreceptors. These findings suggest an important extranuclear role for nucleolin or a related protein in photoreceptors. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 43:114–127, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Taxonomic assessment of the allopatric gray-cheeked mangabey (Cercocebus albigena) and black mangabey (C. aterrimus): Comparative socioecological data and the species concept.

A brief review of past taxonomic assessments of the allopatric gray-cheeked mangabey (Cercocebus albigena) and the black mangabey (Cercocebus aterrimus) is presented. On the basis of pelage, cranial, and biomolecular morphology, aterrimus and albigena have been lumped together in the same species-group, superspecies, subgenus, or species by various systematists over the years. A comparison of the available socioecological data on the two forms supports their close taxonomic association, as they are found to be very similar in socioecological traits. After a brief review of current species concepts, the author, on the basis of the socioecological commonalities, tentatively supports Groves' [1978] conspecific designation of albigena and aterrimus and suggests further tests for this proposal and for the species concept, from the points of view of both taxonomic and evolutionary theory.
Temperamental surgency and emotion regulation as predictors of childhood social competence

The primary aims of the current study were to longitudinally examine the direct relationship between children’s temperamental surgency and social behaviors as well as the moderating role of children’s emotion regulation. A total of 90 4.5-year-old children participated in a laboratory visit where children’s temperamental surgency was rated by experimenters and children’s emotion regulation abilities were assessed. The summer before entry into first grade, children’s social behaviors with unfamiliar peers were observed in the laboratory and mothers completed a questionnaire about children’s social behaviors. Supporting our hypotheses, results revealed that children high in temperamental surgency developed more negative peer behaviors, whereas children low in temperamental surgency were more likely to develop behavioral wariness with peers. Emotion regulatory behaviors were found to moderate the relation between temperamental surgency and aggression, where high-surgent children who showed high levels of social support seeking were less likely to be rated by their mothers as high in aggression. Furthermore, results revealed that low-surgent children who showed high levels of distraction/self-soothing were more likely to show behavioral wariness around unfamiliar peers, whereas high-surgent children who used more distraction/self-soothing behaviors were rated by their mothers as lower in social competence.
NOTHOFAGUS REGENERATION DYNAMICS IN SOUTH‐CENTRAL CHILE: A TEST OF A GENERAL MODEL

Studies in Southern Hemisphere temperate forests have yielded a general model of how the successional status of shade-intolerant Nothofagus is related to site conditions and disturbance. According to model predictions, regeneration of most Nothofagus species is dependent on coarse-scale disturbance at favorable sites where shade-tolerant rain forest species co-occur. In contrast, at suboptimal sites where tree species richness is low, regeneration is not dependent on coarse-scale disturbance. We used variation in forest composition and structure as well as disturbance patterns in the forests of Puyehue National Park, Chile, to test several predictions from this general model. The study area presents a complex mosaic of disturbance patterns, including the effects of the strong 1960 earthquake as well as fire and wind disturbance. We reconstructed stand development on sites affected by these disturbances, and compared these patterns with the structure of old-growth forests along an elevation gradient from s...
Cloud screening for determination of land surface characteristics in a reduced resolution satellite data set

Abstract A spatial coherence method is developed for cloud screening of a reduced resolution data set over the U.S. Great Plains, The method is based upon a comparison of the spatial standard deviation of scene radiance for a particular observation time with that for clear sky conditions (the background variability). The procedure relies on the assumption that the presence of partial cloudiness increases spatial variability. The standard deviation thresholds are tabulated functions of space and time and are presented as the background variability maps. Complete cloud covers are screened by testing the computed skin temperatures and albedos against constant thresholds, whereas night-time cirrus and low levels of cloudiness are delected using the 3.7-11 μm brightness temperature differences. The cloud-screening scheme is tested on daytime and night-time data of July 1986.
Teaching About Values and Goals: Applications of the Circumplex Model to Motivation, Well-Being, and Prosocial Behavior

In this article, I review how people organize values and goals in their minds and I suggest teaching demonstrations, exercises, and assignments to help students learn this material. I pay special a...
Optical spectroscopy in turbid media using an integrating sphere: Mitochondrial chromophore analysis during metabolic transitions

Abstract Recent evidence suggests that the activity of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation complexes (MOPCs) is modulated at multiple sites. Here, a method of optically monitoring electron distribution within and between MOPCs is described using a center-mounted sample in an integrating sphere (to minimize scattering effects) with a rapid-scanning spectrometer. The redox-sensitive MOPC absorbances (∼465–630 nm) were modeled using linear least squares analysis with individual chromophore spectra. Classical mitochondrial activity transitions (e.g., ADP-induced increase in oxygen consumption) were used to characterize this approach. Most notable in these studies was the observation that intermediates of the catalytic cycle of cytochrome oxidase are dynamically modulated with metabolic state. The MOPC redox state, along with measurements of oxygen consumption and mitochondrial membrane potential, was used to evaluate the conductances of different sections of the electron transport chain. This analysis then was applied to mitochondria isolated from rabbit hearts subjected to ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). Surprisingly, I/R resulted in an inhibition of all measured MOPC conductances, suggesting a coordinated down-regulation of mitochondrial activity with this well-established cardiac perturbation.
Equations to support predictive automated postnatal growth curves for premature infants

Growth charts are used in pediatric medicine to plot anthropomorphic measurements over time, serving as a screen for diseases related to a patient's nutritional and general health status. Whereas reference data for term infants are available from the Center for Disease Control, reference data for premature infants in a neonatal intensive care unit have not been established. Predictive curves for preterm patients, which are based on a patient's postmenstrual age and anthropomorphic measurements at birth, cannot be easily implemented with traditional paper-based methods. Preterm growth charts can be generated in an electronic health record system, but doing so requires mathematical equations or computer-readable tables. This report examines published perinatal growth curves and presents equations for predicted postnatal weight, head circumference and length in preterm infants.
Executive coaching: Where it is and where it's going

Advancing Executive Coaching: Setting the Course for Successful Leadership Coaching Edited by Gina Hernez-Broome and Lisa A. Boyce Reviewed by Francine Campone, EdD, MCC
Theory of the fourth Power (the economic Power) Nationalisation of Enterprise

SUMMARY Doctrinal divergences on the problem of Nationalisation. — The ideas of the Nation and the State. — The juridical personification of the nation. — The industrial and business State. — To establish State Control is not to nationalise. — How nationalise without establishing State Control?— The autonomous administration of public right. — The economic personification of the nation. — Definition of nationalisation. — Conclusions.
Hair cell numbers do not decrease in the crista ampullaris of geriatric gerbils.

Among the geriatric population, dizziness and falling are serious problems. One system involved in balance that may change with age is the vestibular system. A common assertion is that the number of vestibular hair cells decreases as age increases. Our goal was to quantitate the number of hair cells in young and old gerbils and document the decrease. We used physical dissector design-based stereological procedures on serial 2-μm sections through the crista ampullaris. Between young and aged gerbils, there were no quantitative differences in the number, density, or types of hair cells or the length of the crista ampullaris. This lack of change in the number of hair cells suggests that the cause for vestibular dysfunction during aging must lie elsewhere. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Faculty development in the United States: A brief history

Abstract Faculty (academic staff) development in the United States has grown from periodic sabbaticals, given to facilitate faculty members’ ability to keep up‐to‐date in their content areas, to full‐blown programmes designed to provide support to faculty members in all areas of their lives as academics. This paper will describe the evolution of faculty development programmes in the USA.
Violence toward Black women in a nationally representative sample of Black families.

This paper examines the incidence of violence toward women and risk factors for violence toward women in black families. Data from the Second National Family Violence Survey are analyzed. The Secon...
Visual evoked responses during standing and walking.

Human cognition has been shaped both by our body structure and by its complex interactions with its environment. Our cognition is thus inextricably linked to our own and others’ motor behavior. To model brain activity associated with natural cognition, we propose recording the concurrent brain dynamics and body movements of human subjects performing normal actions. Here we tested the feasibility of such a mobile brain/body (MoBI) imaging approach by recording high-density electroencephalographic (EEG) activity and body movements of subjects standing or walking on a treadmill while performing a visual oddball response task. Independent component analysis (ICA) of the EEG data revealed visual event-related potentials (ERPs) that during standing, slow walking, and fast walking did not differ across movement conditions, demonstrating the viability of recording brain activity accompanying cognitive processes during whole body movement. Non-invasive and relatively low-cost MoBI studies of normal, motivated actions might improve understanding of interactions between brain and body dynamics leading to more complete biological models of cognition.
Belowground Nutrient Dynamics Following Three Harvest Intensities on the Pearl River Floodplain, Mississippi

The influence of clear and partial cut harvests on belowground nutrient cycling processes was examined on the Pearl River floodplain, Mississippi. Foci examined by this study included fine root biomass and detritus, fine root production, fine root nutrient contents, soil respiration rates, and microbial biomass C, N, and P during the first year post-harvest. Both the clearcut and partial cut initially reduced fine root biomass; however, fine root biomass levels within each treatment did not differ at this study's conclusion. Bimonthly fine root production within both the clearcut and partial cut declined initially following harvest; however, net primary production was greatest within the clearcut, followed by the partial cut, and lowest within the control. Soil respiration rates showed strong seasonal trends; however, increased soil respiration rates within the clearcut and partial cut were not found until almost 1 yr post-harvest. Decreased microbial biomass C levels were observed following both harvests, Only the clearcut treatment significantly reduced microbial biomass N. No treatment effects were found regarding microbial biomass P. Herbaceous and woody vegetation recolonization was vigorous within the clearcut and partial cut harvests, strongly influencing fine root production levels and soil respiration rates. It appears that fine roots from naturally recolonizing vegetation play a large role in belowground C storage following disturbance. The rapid increases in fine root production and biomass following both silvicultural methods indicates that, within these ecosystems, the negative influences of harvesting on belowground C and nutrient pools may be short lived.
2011 Special Issue: Computational cognitive models of prefrontal-striatal-hippocampal interactions in Parkinson's disease and schizophrenia

Disruption to different components of the prefrontal cortex, basal ganglia, and hippocampal circuits leads to various psychiatric and neurological disorders including Parkinson's disease (PD) and schizophrenia. Medications used to treat these disorders (such as levodopa, dopamine agonists, antipsychotics, among others) affect the prefrontal-striatal-hippocampal circuits in a complex fashion. We have built models of prefrontal-striatal and striatal-hippocampal interactions which simulate cognitive dysfunction in PD and schizophrenia. In these models, we argue that the basal ganglia is key for stimulus-response learning, the hippocampus for stimulus-stimulus representational learning, and the prefrontal cortex for stimulus selection during learning about multidimensional stimuli. In our models, PD is associated with reduced dopamine levels in the basal ganglia and prefrontal cortex. In contrast, the cognitive deficits in schizophrenia are associated primarily with hippocampal dysfunction, while the occurrence of negative symptoms is associated with frontostriatal deficits in a subset of patients. In this paper, we review our past models and provide new simulation results for both PD and schizophrenia. We also describe an extended model that includes simulation of the different functional role of D1 and D2 dopamine receptors in the basal ganglia and prefrontal cortex, a dissociation we argue is essential for understanding the non-uniform effects of levodopa, dopamine agonists, and antipsychotics on cognition. Motivated by clinical and physiological data, we discuss model limitations and challenges to be addressed in future models of these brain disorders.
Phenotypic and functional immaturity of human umbilical cord blood T lymphocytes

Abstract Successful implementation of bone marrow transplantation for hematopoietic reconstitution is limited by the lack of suitably HLA-matched donors and by the occurrence of graft-versus-host disease that frequently accompanies this procedure. Recent clinical reports have implied that the use of umbilical cord blood as a source of transplantable stem cells may solve these problems. To date, definitive experiments have not been performed to assess the immunological potential of T cells found in umbilical cord blood, which could mediate graft-versus-host disease. In the present study we have observed that umbilical cord blood contains T lymphocytes that appear to be phenotypically immature. In addition, umbilical cord blood lymphocytes appeared to be functionally immature as shown by minimal responses to stimulation with interleukin 2, phytohemagglutinin, or alloantigens. Thus, umbilical cord blood may be more suitable for allogeneic transplantation than bone marrow in that these cord blood cells may not be as capable of mediating graft-versus-host disease.
Evidence for linkage of red blood cell size and count: genome-wide scans in the Framingham Heart Study.

Red blood cell (RBC) count and size are major criteria for evaluating anemia and related hematology disease diagnoses. While environmental factors influence RBC count (RBCC) and size, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), studies have indicated that each of these measures has a substantial genetic component. So far, no linkage analysis or genome scan has been reported. We carried out 10 cM genome-wide scans on RBCC, MCV, and MCH in a community-based Caucasian cohort, the Framingham Heart Study, using 325 pedigrees with 1,144 individuals genotyped and phenotyped. Using variance-component linkage methods, heritabilities were estimated as 56, 52, and 52% after covariate adjusted for RBCC, MCV, and MCH, respectively. For RBCC, we found a maximum LOD score of 3.2 on chromosome 19, 24 cM (7.0 Mbp). Near this region, there lie a few important candidate genes, including erythropoietin receptor and erythroid Kruppel-like factor. For linkage analyses for MCV and MCH, there were coinciding maximized LOD scores on chromosome 11, 9 cM (5.2 Mbp) with values of 3.8 and 3.6, respectively. Under the peak resides the hemoglobin beta cluster - several beta-like genes, which are important candidates for RBC size. In subsequent analyses, we excluded individuals with low MCV to assess the possible influence of beta-thalassemia carriers, and there continued to be evidence for linkage in the same region on chromosome 11p15 (LOD scores of 2.6 and 2.7 for MCV and MCH, respectively). For MCV, we also identified a new region on chromosome 6q24 with a LOD score of 2.9. These findings suggest that further studies are warranted to identify potential causal genetic variants for RBC size and count and related erythrocyte indices.
Association between the Rfp-Y haplotype and the incidence of Marek's disease in chickens.

Certain haplotypes at the major histocompatibility (B) complex (Mhc) of the chicken provide an easily demonstrated influence on tumor formation following infections with Marek's disease virus (MDV). Recognition that there is a second histocompatibility complex of genes in the chicken,Rfp-Y, comprised ofMhc class I and class II genes, some of which are at least transcribed, evokes the question of whether this gene complex might also influence the outcome of MDV infections. To test this hypothesis, pedigree-hatched chicks in families from the originalRfp-Y-defining stock in which threeRfp-Y and twoB system haplotypes are segregating were challenged with the RB1B strain of MDV. Birds with theY 3/Y 3 genotype were found to have 2.3 times the risk of developing a tumor compared with birds with otherRfp-Y genotypes combined (P<0.02). Additionally, birds carrying theB R9 /B 11 genotype had 2.3 times the risk of tumor formation, relative to birds with theB 11/B 11 genotype (P<0.02). We found no evidence for an interaction between genotypes within theB andRfp-Y systems. These data provide evidence thatRfp-Y haplotypes, as well asB haplotypes, can significantly influence the outcome of infection with MDV.
An Analysis of the “Path of Least Resistance” Argument in Three Environmental Justice Success Cases

Research suggests that environmental hazards tend to be disproportionately sited in poor and minority neighborhoods. Recent findings indicate that the greatest environmental inequalities may have been related to the 1970s “not in my backyard” movement and the “path of least resistance.” The purpose of this research is to expand upon the “path of least resistance” perspective by looking at three environmental justice success cases. In each case community-based environmental justice groups were able to stop the siting of an industrial facility. We find that in one case the company never again attempted to build the facility and waste materials were sent to an alternative location. In the other two cases the companies were able to construct similar facilities in different communities. While the demographic characteristics of the failed and successful sitings were similar, there is still some evidence that industry production practices change as a result of these environmental justice social movements.
High-level optimizations in compiling process descriptions to asynchronous circuits

Asynchronous/Self-Timed designs are beginning to attract attention as promising means of dealing with the complexity of modern VLSI technology. In this article, we present our views on why asynchronous systems matter. We then present details of our high level synthesis tool SHILPA that can automatically synthesize asynchronous circuits from descriptions in our concurrent programming language,hopCP. We outline many of the novel features of hopCP and also sketch how these constructs are compiled into asynchronous circuits, and then focus on the high level optimizations employed by SHILPA, includingconcurrent guard evaluation and concurrent process decomposition.
Preferential use of venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for congenital diaphragmatic hernia

Abstract Acute respiratory failure (ARF) secondary to congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), unresponsive to maximal medical management, has traditionally been treated with venoarterial (VA) extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Venovenous (VV) ECMO offers several benefits over VA ECMO including preserved pulmonary blood flow, preservation of the carotid artery, and pulsatile flow. However, use of the VV modality has not been widespread because of concerns of cardiac instability during bypass, and because only one double-lumen (DL) catheter size is available in the United States. The authors hypothesize that VV ECMO is a safe and effective treatment for CDH, symptomatic at birth, and report a single institution experience of preferential VV use for CDH. Over an 18-month period, 14 patients with CDH were placed on ECMO after maximal medical management failed, including high-frequency ventilation and nitric oxide in some cases. Ability to place the 14 Fr DL catheter was the sole criteria for VA or VV selection. Nine patients were successfully placed on VV and 5 on VA; no VV patient required conversion to VA. The two groups of patients were similar with respect to degree of illness, birth weight, EGA, time on and age at start of ECMO. Overall survival for this series was 64%: 66% in the VV group and 60% in the VA group. Two patients in the VV group were found to have congenital heart disease incompatible with life, were withdrawn from therapy and allowed to die, and are listed as treatment failures. The authors conclude that CDH patients receive adequate oxygenation and show hemodynamic stability on VV ECMO. This experience suggests that VV ECMO is a safe and acceptable method of respiratory support for neonatal CDH. The advantages of VV ECMO should make this modality the preferred method of ECMO support in CDH.
Ego-Involvement and Attributions for Success and Failure in a Field Setting:

To test directly cognitive and motivational explanations of self-serving biases in the field, 141 male and 116 female alpine ski racers provided attributions for their performance in competitions varying in rank on a 5-level hierarchy developed by the United States Ski Association. This hierarchy, which reflects the importance of races, functioned as a naturally-occurring manipulation of ego-involvement. Results supported the cognitive rather than the motivational explanation of divergent attributions for success versus failure. Racers made more internal attributions (to ability and effort) when they did well rather than poorly, but their ego-involvement in the race had no effects on their attributions. Consistent with previous field research, external attributions (to task difficulty and luck) were not affected by performance outcome.
Antenna Array Detection in Highly Cluttered Environment Using Time Reversal Method

This paper concerns a method of target detection in a cluttered environment where a significantly large number of highly reflective scattering objects exists. With the conventional Radar detection, the detection of a target additional to this highly scattering environment would suffer greatly in their detection dynamic range. In this paper, we present a novel time reversal method that enables automatic destructive interference of the field-probing electromagnetic wave on the reflective scatters of the environment such that the cluttered environment becomes virtually transparent. The experiment in lab tree-scattering environment demonstrates that this time reversal clutter-nulling scheme substantially enhances the detection dynamic range and the signal-to-noise ratio, significantly raising target detectability.