cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The determination of total mercury in biological tissues by a modified potassium permanganate procedure.

Abstract A simple cold-tube atomic absorption method with a silver-mercury amalgam trap and potassium permanganate as oxidizing agent is described for the determination of total mercury in tissue homogenates. Results are presented for animals fed inorganic (HgCl 2 ) and organic (CH 3 HgOH) mercury orally at a level of 1 mg Hg kg −1 . Data are presented which compare potassium permanganate oxidation of tissue homogenates with whole tissue analysed by cold-tube atomic absorption after digestion with acid, or by neutron activation. For kidney tissue there is good agreement between all three methods for animals fed inorganic and organic mercury. For liver, however, homogenization produced an average loss of about 50 % of the mercury in rats fed mercury(II) chloride. Factors such as adsorption of mercury on sample container walls, bacterial action on the tissue and inadvertent introduction of reducing agents which could reduce the mercury to its elemental state, are not significant. Despite the loss of mercury in the liver by homogenization, rank ordering of mercury values for potassium permanganate—homogenate versus direct neutron activation analyses was essentially the same.
Interface study of atomic-layer-deposited HfO 2 /NO-nitrided SiO 2 gate dielectric stack on 4H SiC

In this paper, the authors have systematically investigated the integration of ALD high-k dielectrics on SiC substrates. Thin nitrided SiO2 (2nm-4nm)/HfO2 gate dielectric stack is identified to be suitable for future advanced SiC power MOSFET technology.
Mind and body in biobehavioral perspective

Nurse scientists have an important role to play in providing the evidence to support therapeutic approaches as well as providing important mechanistic information on the connection between the mind and the body.
Cyclic CINE-balanced steady-state free precession image intensity variations: implications for the detection of myocardial edema.

Purpose To evaluate the dependence of CINE-balanced steady-state free precession (bSSFP) image intensities on spatial location, cardiac phase, and disease state. Materials and Methods Eight subjects with recent myocardial infarctions and eight age- and sex-matched normal volunteers were studied using CINE-bSSFP imaging to describe cyclic image intensity variations as a function of the cardiac cycle and to optimize and assess the ability of CINE-bSSFP imaging to depict myocardial edema. Signal intensities of the left ventricular (LV) bloodpool and myocardium were measured using region-of-interest analysis across the cardiac cycle. The magnitude and time course of the cyclic variations were evaluated. Mixed-model analysis of variance was used to examine the influence of physical location, cardiac phase, and presence of myocardial infarction. Results The LV bloodpool and myocardial CINE-bSSFP signal intensities varied significantly with spatial location, cardiac phase, and disease (P < 0.001). Cardiac phase had a significant effect on the signal intensities after adjustments for spatial location. The LV bloodpool signal decreased slowly during systole and rose sharply during LV filling. There were two distinct myocardial intensity peaks, one occurring at peak systole and the other at the end of the LV rapid inflow phase. Myocardial edema was seen as a hyperintense region. Image contrast with adjacent myocardium was the greatest at the end of systole. Conclusion Detection of myocardial edema using the conventional CINE-bSSFP technique is feasible, but is complicated by normal cyclic changes in myocardial image intensities during the cardiac cycle. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2011;33:573–581. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Applications of variational identities to quasilinear elliptic differential equations

This paper investigates quasilinear elliptic equations of the form div g (x, @?u) + @lf(x, u) = 0, x @? @W, u = 0, x @? @[email protected], where @W is a bounded domain with smooth boundary whose geometry includes that of a starlike domain. We derive bounds for the solutions when f satisfies a supercritical growth condition and g a subcritical growth condition.
Cumulative Stress and Cumulative Inertia: A Behavioral Model of the Decision to Move

A model of the probability of moving which incorporates aspects of the independent trials process the stage in the life cycle and the concept of cumulative inertia is formulated. The model is based on the interaction of two forces. On the one hand there is a certain resistance to moving (cumulative inertia) and on the other the household may be dissatisfied with certain attributes of the present dwelling and its surroundings (residential stress). The probability of moving is a function of the resultant of these two conflicting forces. The model is designed not only to predict who will move (those individuals with high residential stress relative to their resistance to moving) but also to predict how an individuals probability of moving is likely to change over time. Some simple and limited simulations suggest that the model will capture rather well the different kinds of mobility rates which are observed from empirical data sets. (authors)
Structure-based design and synthesis of small molecule protein–tyrosine phosphatase 1B inhibitors

Protein-tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) inhibitors are attractive as potential signal transduction-directed therapeutics which may be useful in the treatment of a variety of diseases. We have previously reported the X-ray structure of 1,1-difluoro-1-(2-naphthalenyl)methyl] phosphonic acid (4) complexed with the human the protein-tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) and its use in the design of an analogue which binds with higher affinity within the catalytic site (Burke, T. R., Jr. et al. Biochemistry 1996, 35, 15989). In the current study, new naphthyldifluoromethyl phosphonic acids were designed bearing acidic functionality intended to interact with the PTP1B Arg47, which is situated just outside the catalytic pocket. This residue has been shown previously to provide key interactions with acidic residues of phosphotyrosyl-containing peptide substrates. Consistent with trends predicted by molecular dynamics calculations, the new analogues bound with 7- to 14-fold higher affinity than the parent 4, in principal validating the design rationale.
Charged residues in the β2 subunit involved in GABAA receptor activation

Fast synaptic inhibition in the mammalian central nervous system is mediated primarily via activation of the γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptor (GABAA-R). Upon agonist binding, the receptor undergoes a structural transition from the closed to the open state. This transition, known as gating, is thought to be associated with a sequence of conformational changes originating at the agonist-binding site, ultimately resulting in opening of the channel. Using site-directed mutagenesis and several different GABAA-R agonists, we identified a number of highly conserved charged residues in the GABAA-R β2 subunit that appear to be involved in receptor activation. We then used charge reversal double mutants and disulfide trapping to investigate the interactions between these flexible loops within the β2 subunit. The results suggest that interactions between an acidic residue in loop 7 (Asp146) and a basic residue in pre-transmembrane domain-1 (Lys215) are involved in coupling agonist binding to channel gating.
A low-volume insert for solid-state magic-angle spinning NMR of small samples

Abstract : Easily machined ceramic inserts with low volume capacities were compared to standard rotors packed completely with samples or with silica gel-diluted samples of adamantane and glycine. A disc shaped sample cavity gave better signal-to-noise than a cylindrically-shaped one for comparable sample size and number of cylindrically-shaped one for comparable sample size and number of scans, and gave the narrower peak widths than even the full rotor. The inserts are inexpensive and easy to use while facilitating high-speed rotor spin-up and recovery of the noncontaminated samples.
Oocyte-follicle cell differentiation in two species of amphineurans (Mollusca), Mopalia mucosa and Chaetopleura apiculata.

Differentiating oocytes and associated follicle cells of two species of amphineurans (Mollusca) Mopalia muscosa and Chaetopleura apiculata have been studied by techniques of light and electron microscopy. In addition to the regularly occurring organelles, the ooplasm of young oocytes contains large, randomly situated, basophilic regions. These regions are not demonstrable in mature eggs. As oocytes differentiate, lipid, pigment and protein-carbohydrate yolk bodies accumulate within the ooplasm. Concomitant with the appearance of pigment and the protein carbohydrate containing yolk bodies, the saccules of the Golgi complex become filled with a dense material. Associated with the Golgi complex are cisternae of the rough endoplasmic reticulum which are filled with an electron opaque substance which is thought to be composed of protein synthesized by this organelle. That portion of the cisternae of the endoplasmic reticulum facing the Golgi complex shows evaginations. These evaginations are thought to finalize into protein containing vesicles that subsequently fuse with the Golgi complex. Thus, the Golgi complex in these oocytes might serve as a center for packaging and concentrating the protein used in the construction of the protein containing pigment or protein-carbohydrate yolk bodies. The suggestion is made that the Golgi complex may also synthesize the carbohydrate portion of the formentioned yolk bodies. In an adnuclear position in young oocytes are some acid mucopolysaccharide containing vacuolar bodies. In mature eggs, these structures are found within the peripheral ooplasm and we have referred to them as cortical granules. There is no alteration of these cortical granules during sperm activation.
National Surveys and the Health and Functioning of the Elderly: The Effects of Design and Content

Abstract The rapid growth of the U.S. elderly (age 65+) and oldest-old (age 85+) populations, combined with their high per capita acute health and long-term care (LTC) service needs, raises concerns about existing health care payment systems. Adapting and designing new types of health insurance and existing health policies require accurate data on the elderly's health and functional characteristics. Strengths and weaknesses of five national health surveys in providing such data are evaluated. Methodological issues arising in surveying elderly populations and analyzing data from those surveys are discussed, with implications for designing private LTC insurance and for reducing future LTC service burden.
Effects of the phase periodicity on the quantum dynamics of a resistively shunted Josephson junction

A phenomenological model is introduced for the dissipative quantum dynamics of the phase $\ensuremath{\varphi}$ across a current-biased Josephson junction. The model is invariant under $\ensuremath{\varphi}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\varphi}+2\ensuremath{\pi}$. This enables us to restrict $\ensuremath{\varphi}$ to the interval 0 to $2\ensuremath{\pi}$, equating $\ensuremath{\varphi}+2\ensuremath{\pi}$ with $\ensuremath{\varphi}$, and study the role played by the resulting nontrivial topology. Using Feynman's influence functional theory it is shown that the dissipation suppresses interference between paths with different winding numbers. For Ohmic dissipation this interference is completely destroyed, and $\ensuremath{\varphi}$ can effectively be treated as an extended coordinate. This justifies the use of the usual washboard potential description of a current-biased junction even in the quantum case, provided on Ohmic dissipation mechanism is present.
Preparation of 1,1-difluoroalkanes from aldehydes via 1,1-bistriflates: Advantageous use of HF–Lewis base reagents

Abstract Alkane-1,1-bistriflates, prepared in excellent yields by reaction of aldehydes with triflic anhydride, are converted to their respective 1,1-difluoroalkanes in good to excellent yield through reaction with fluorinating agent, triethylaminetrishydrofluoride. Straight chain 1,1-bistriflates are more reactive than those substituted at the 2-position, but the latter are also converted successfully, without evidence of any rearrangement products.
The impacts of time of day pricing on the behavior of freight carriers in a congested urban area: Implications to road pricing

Abstract This paper describes the key findings from a major research project aimed at assessing the impacts of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s time of day pricing initiative on the behavior of commercial carriers. The paper, believed by the authors to be the first comprehensive study on the subject, highlights key implications for road pricing policy. One of the most interesting findings is that carriers respond to time of day pricing by implementing multi-dimensional responses involving Productivity increases , Cost transfers , and Change in facility usage . This implies a more nuanced response than suggested by micro-economic theory, which would only predict a change in facility usage. In fact, no carrier was found to have responded by implementing only changes in facility usage, which leads to the authors to believe that this is a last resort alternative. In terms of numerical importance, three combinations of strategy groups represent almost 90% of the cases: Productivity increases (42.79%), followed by Changes in facility usage and Cost transfers (27.60%) and Productivity increases and Changes in facility usage and Cost transfers (19.32%). The fact that some of these responses impact only the carrier (i.e., Productivity increases ) while others mostly impact the receivers ( Changes in facility usage and Cost transfers ) lead the authors to believe that the nature of the response is determined by the balance of power between carriers and receivers. If carriers dominate the relationship, then it is likely that policies that mostly impact receivers are implemented; otherwise, the carriers have no choice but implementing strategies that help them cope with the impacts of pricing without impacting their customers, i.e., productivity increases. In this context, the authors’ conjecture is that carriers consider changes in facility usage to be a very disruptive alternative that forces them—and more importantly their customers—to alter their shipping/delivery patterns. It should be pointed out that, although carriers stand to benefit from working during the off-peak hours, they could only do so if their customers are willing to work during the off-peak hours. The data indicate that 36 carriers (20.2%) changed behavior because of the time of day pricing initiative. This number includes 17 carriers (9.0%) that reacted by increasing shipping charges to receivers, which illustrates the need to find out more about how receivers reacted to the time of day pricing initiative. If the carriers that only increased shipment charges are excluded, 15.3% of carriers changed behavior because of time of day pricing.
Factors Influencing the Plasticity and Recovery of GR-S

Abstract One of the vital problems connected with the successful conversion from natural rubber to GR-S is the availability of the industry to mill and otherwise process this elastomer. When the polymer was first introduced, reports indicated at least twice as much equipment would be required to handle GR-S as to handle an equal volume of natural rubber. As the production of GR-S has increased, the product has become more uniform and less difficult to handle; it is now estimated that the processing of GR-S will not require more than 10 per cent more equipment than natural rubber. In spite of this improvement the problem of processing GR-S is still important. One of the fundamental difficulties is due to the lack of correlation between laboratory tests and factory processability. Vila showed that there is no relation between the Mooney plasticity and tubing speed, regardless of whether the basis is the plasticity of the compounded stock or of the uncompounded polymer used in the stock. Sturgis and Vincent ...
The evolution of urban C. difficile infection (CDI): CDI in 2009-2011 is less severe and has better outcomes than CDI in 2006-2008.

The Evolution of Urban C. difficile Infection (CDI): CDI in 2009–2011 Is Less Severe and has Better Outcomes Than CDI in 2006–2008
Religion, social bonds, and delinquency

Although criminologists have generally been indifferent or even hostile to the idea that religion inhibits criminal deviance, evidence of a consistent inverse relationship between religion and deviance—including crime and delinquency—has steadily accumulated over the last three decades. Yet controversy abounds concerning the extent to which this relationship is shaped by offense type, group affiliation, and other religious and social contexts. Some researchers have also claimed that, in fully specified models with controls for secular bonds, religion has no direct impact on delinquency. Using comprehensive measures of religion, secular social bonds, and delinquency, the present study seeks to resolve questions concerning the relative efficacy of religion as an inhibitor of delinquency. Unlike prior research, our models also include measures of three separate dimensions of religiosity (religious activities, salience, and “hellfire") and peer religiosity. In our most fully specified models, we find that gen...
A time-dependent, three-dimensional model of the Delaware Bay and River system. Part 2: Three-dimensional flow fields and residual circulation

Abstract The three-dimensional model of Delaware Bay, River and adjacent continental shelf was described in Part 1. Here, Part 2 of this two-part paper demonstrates that the model is capable of realistic simulation of current and salinity distributions, tidal cycle variability, events of strong mixing caused by high winds and rapid salinity changes due to high river runoff. The 25-h average subtidal circulation strongly depends on the wind forcing. Monthly residual currents and salinity distributions demonstrate a classical two-layer estuarine circulation wherein relatively low salinity water flows out at the surface and compensating high salinity water from the shelf flows at the bottom. The salinity intrusion is most vigorous along deep channels in the Bay. Winds can generate salinity fronts inside and outside the Bay and enhance or weaken the two-layer circulation pattern. Since the portion of the continental shelf included in the model is limited, the model shelf circulation is locally wind-driven and excludes such effects as coastally trapped waves and interaction with Gulf Stream rings; nevertheless, a significant portion of the coastal elevation variability is hindcast by the model. Also, inclusion of the shelf improves simulation of salinity inside the Bay compared with simulations where the salinity boundary condition is specified at the mouth of the Bay.
Hunger, thirst and their interactive effects on the rat's drinking in a saccharin-water choice.

Abstract In a 3 × 3 factorial in which hours of food and water deprivation were varied, Sprague-Dawley rats preferred water to 1.0% saccharin and drank large volumes of it providing hours of water deprivation (thirst), exceeded hours of food deprivation (hunger). All other, i.e. undeprived, equally hungry and thirsty rats, and those whose hunger exceeded thirst preferred 1.0% saccharin but drank small amounts relative to the amounts of water drunk by the thirsty rats. The combined results of this and previous studies employing both choice and single-tube conditions, suggested that thirsty rats drink saccharin primarily for water and to a lesser extent and only with experience, for the sensory stimulation which saccharin provides. Hungry rats drink it primarily for the sensory stimulation. Saccharin in a choice with water seems to provide a means for the determination of the momentarily dominant drive state in naive rats.
Fault diagnostic system for a mobile robot

This paper describes the development of a robot fault diagnosis system (RFDS). Though designed ostensibly for the University of Cincinnati's autonomous, unmanned, mobile robot for a national competition, it has the flexibility to be adapted for industrial applications as well. Using a top-down approach the robot is sub-divided into different functional units, such as the vision guidance system, the ultrasonic obstacle avoidance system, the steering mechanism, the speed control system, the braking system and the power unit. The techniques of potential failure mode and effects analysis (PFMEA) are used to analyze faults, their visible symptoms, and probable causes and remedies. The relationships obtained therefrom are mapped in a database framework. This is then coded in a user-friendly interactive Visual BasicTM program that guides the user to the likely cause(s) of failure through a question-answer format. A provision is made to ensure better accuracy of the system by incorporating historical data on failures as it becomes available. The RFDS thus provides a handy trouble-shooting tool that cuts down the time involved in diagnosing failures in the complex robot consisting of mechanical, electric, electronic and optical systems. This has been of great help in diagnosing failures and ensuring maximum performance from the robot during the contest in the face of pressure of the competition and the outdoor conditions.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Alien intimacies: hearing science fiction narratives in Hildegard Westerkamp's Cricket Voice (or ‘I don't like the country, the crickets make me nervous’)

This paper discusses listener responses to a contemporary soundscape composition based on the sound of a cricket. Soundscape composers make works based on everyday sounds and sound environments, usually recorded by themselves (Truax 1984, 1996). While the composer of this piece aims to bring listeners closer to the sounds around them by creating audio pieces based on these sounds (Westerkamp 1988), some listeners feel fear and anxiety rather than the heightened closeness and understanding that she wishes listeners to experience. I compare the sound structure of Cricket Voice with close listening to excerpts of the film soundtrack of Ridley Scott's Alien as well as a short excerpt from the soundtrack of the X Files, discussing how science fiction film and television soundtracks index sonic intimacy with different intent from that of Westerkamp, and raising questions about how such approaches to intimacy might simultaneously reflect and intensify urban anxieties about the sounds of ‘alien’ species that are associated with wilderness environments.
Inclusion in Regular Physical Education: The Research Base

Abstract The research base on including students with disabilities in regular education settings is beginning to help us understand if inclusion works and under what circumstances it works best.
High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein Potential Adjunct for Global Risk Assessment in the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease

Inflammation plays a major role in atherothrombosis, and measurement of inflammatory markers such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (HSCRP) may provide a novel method for detecting individuals at high risk of plaque rupture. Several large-scale prospective studies demonstrate that HSCRP is a strong independent predictor of future myocardial infarction and stroke among apparently healthy men and women and that the addition of HSCRP to standard lipid screening may improve global risk prediction among those with high as well as low cholesterol levels. Because agents such as aspirin and statins seem to attenuate inflammatory risk, HSCRP may also have utility in targeting proven therapies for primary prevention. Inexpensive commercial assays for HSCRP are now available; they have shown variability and classification accuracy similar to that of cholesterol screening. Risk prediction algorithms using a simple quintile approach to HSCRP evaluation have been developed for outpatient use. Thus, although limitations inherent to inflammatory screening remain, available data suggest that HSCRP has the potential to play an important role as an adjunct for global risk assessment in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.
A tool for the quantitative spatial analysis of complex cellular systems

Spatial events largely determine the biology of cells, tissues, and organs. In this paper, we present a tool for the quantitative spatial analysis of heterogeneous cell populations, and we show experimental validation of this tool using both artificial and real (mammary gland tissue) data, in two and three dimensions. We present the refined relative neighborhood graph as a means to establish neighborhood between cells in an image while modeling the topology of the tissue. Then, we introduce the M function as a method to quantitatively evaluate the existence of spatial patterns within one cell population or the relationship between the spatial distributions of multiple cell populations. Finally, we show a number of examples that demonstrate the feasibility of our approach.
Attentional control moderates the relationship between activation of the cognitive attentional syndrome and symptoms of psychopathology

Wells’s (2009) metacognitive theory suggests that inflexible and recurrent styles of thinking in response to negative thoughts, feelings, and beliefs exacerbate symptoms of psychopathology. Such styles of thinking underlie the cognitive attentional syndrome (CAS). Using a large nonclinical sample (N = 456), the present study examined whether attentional control moderates the relationship between activation of the CAS and symptoms of psychopathology (i.e., depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms). Consistent with predictions, relationships between activation of the CAS and assessed symptoms became increasingly stronger as attentional control decreased. Thus, for individuals who have a relative inability to disengage and shift attention from threat information (i.e., low attentional control), use of CAS-relevant coping strategies (e.g., rumination, worry) appears to be associated with especially deleterious psychological effects. Conceptual and therapeutic implications are discussed.
Application of luminance contrast in the evaluation of industrial task lighting

A series of full-scale photometric simulation studies that were conducted to examine the luminous environment within workstations used in industrial applications are described. Industrial task lighting systems are studied in terms of their luminance and contrast distribution characteristics using a novel video-luminance scanning system which allows for the determination of all surface luminances within the work area. This information is used to develop optimum task lighting configurations for a range of representative industrial and assembly tasks. Experimental data show the importance of using luminance profile and contour data for the determination of contrast and glare within industrial lighting applications. >
Enhancement of lymphocyte responsiveness by a gain-of-function mutation of ZAP-70.

The protein tyrosine kinase ZAP-70 plays an essential role in T-cell activation and development. After T-cell receptor stimulation, ZAP-70 is associated with the receptor and is phosphorylated on many tyrosine residues, including tyrosine 292 (Y-292), in the region between the C-terminal SH2 domain and the kinase domain (interdomain B). Here we show that a mutation of Y-292 (292F) or deletion of interdomain B enhanced the ability of ZAP-70 to reconstitute B-cell receptor stimulation-dependent NF-AT induction in a B-cell line deficient in Syk. In contrast, in a T-cell line, expression of 292F led to basal NF-AT induction independent of T-cell receptor stimulation. These results demonstrate that the role of Y-292 is to negatively regulate the function of ZAP-70 in lymphocytes. This appears to be a dominant function of interdomain B because deletion of most of interdomain B also resulted in a mutant of ZAP-70 with enhanced ability to reconstitute Sykdeficient DT-40 B cells. Since our biochemical studies did not reveal an effect of the 292F mutation on either the kinase activity of ZAP-70 or on the ability of ZAP-70 to bind to the receptor, we propose a model in which Y-292 interacts with an inhibitory protein to negatively regulate ZAP-70 function. The T-cell receptor (TCR) and B-cell receptor (BCR) are multimeric protein complexes consisting of antigen binding subunits (abTi for the TCR and membrane immunoglobulin [mIg] for the BCR) and the signal transducing invariant subunits (g, d, and esubunits of CD3 complex and zproteins for
A straightforward, general-purpose, robust adaptive IIR filter

An adaptive IIR (Infinite Impulse Response) filter structure is presented which models an unknown linear system in the presence of significant colored additive noise far better than the methods proposed in the literature, as surveyed by the author. With the proposed structure the poles and zeroes of the transfer function of an unknown linear system can be readily identified. The identification of pole and zero locations provides profound insight into the nature of the environment (valuable for the improvement of active sensors). In computer simulations, the adaptive IIR filter structure presented in this paper was able to accurately model an unknown 6th-order system in an environment of 0 dB SNR (Signal-to-Noise Ratio) to a Signal2 -to-Error2 (S/E) ratio averaging 29 dB with colored additive noise. The S/E ratio achieved by the presented algorithm represents an improvement of over 2 orders of magnitude, compared to the methods proposed in the literature, as surveyed by the author. Additionally, the algorithm includes a method for determining the order of the system being identified.
Sarcocystis spp. in Human Infections

Sarcocystis species are intracellular protozoan parasites with an intermediate-definitive host life cycle based on a prey-predator relationship. Asexual stages develop in intermediate hosts after they ingest the oocyst stage from definitive-host feces and terminate with the formation of intramuscular cysts (sarcocysts). Sarcocysts in meat eaten by a definitive host initiate sexual stages in the intestine that terminate in oocysts excreted in the feces. Most Sarcocystis species infect specific hosts or closely related host species. For example, humans and some primates are definitive hosts for Sarcocystis hominis and S. suihominis after eating raw meat from cattle and pigs, respectively. The prevalence of intestinal sarcocystosis in humans is low and is only rarely associated with illness, except in volunteers who ingest large numbers of sarcocysts. Cases of infection of humans as intermediate hosts, with intramuscular cysts, number less than 100 and are of unknown origin. The asexual stages, including sarcocysts, can stimulate a strong inflammatory response. Livestock have suffered acute debilitating infections, resulting in abortion and death or chronic infections with failure to grow or thrive. This review provides a summary of Sarcocystis biology, including its morphology, life cycle, host specificity, prevalence, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention strategies, for human and food animal infections.
Identification of microRNAs expressed in two mosquito vectors, Aedes albopictus and Culex quinquefasciatus

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression in a variety of organisms, including insects, vertebrates, and plants. miRNAs play important roles in cell development and differentiation as well as in the cellular response to stress and infection. To date, there are limited reports of miRNA identification in mosquitoes, insects that act as essential vectors for the transmission of many human pathogens, including flaviviruses. West Nile virus (WNV) and dengue virus, members of the Flaviviridae family, are primarily transmitted by Aedes and Culex mosquitoes. Using high-throughput deep sequencing, we examined the miRNA repertoire in Ae. albopictus cells and Cx. quinquefasciatus mosquitoes. We identified a total of 65 miRNAs in the Ae. albopictus C7/10 cell line and 77 miRNAs in Cx. quinquefasciatus mosquitoes, the majority of which are conserved in other insects such as Drosophila melanogaster and Anopheles gambiae. The most highly expressed miRNA in both mosquito species was miR-184, a miRNA conserved from insects to vertebrates. Several previously reported Anopheles miRNAs, including miR-1890 and miR-1891, were also found in Culex and Aedes, and appear to be restricted to mosquitoes. We identified seven novel miRNAs, arising from nine different precursors, in C7/10 cells and Cx. quinquefasciatus mosquitoes, two of which have predicted orthologs in An. gambiae. Several of these novel miRNAs reside within a ~350 nt long cluster present in both Aedes and Culex. miRNA expression was confirmed by primer extension analysis. To determine whether flavivirus infection affects miRNA expression, we infected female Culex mosquitoes with WNV. Two miRNAs, miR-92 and miR-989, showed significant changes in expression levels following WNV infection. Aedes and Culex mosquitoes are important flavivirus vectors. Recent advances in both mosquito genomics and high-throughput sequencing technologies enabled us to interrogate the miRNA profile in these two species. Here, we provide evidence for over 60 conserved and seven novel mosquito miRNAs, expanding upon our current understanding of insect miRNAs. Undoubtedly, some of the miRNAs identified will have roles not only in mosquito development, but also in mediating viral infection in the mosquito host.
A wavelet-like filter based on neuron action potentials for analysis of human scalp electroencephalographs

This paper describes the development and testing of a wavelet-like filter, named the SNAP, created from a neural activity simulation and used, in place of a wavelet, in a wavelet transform for improving EEG wavelet analysis, intended for brain-computer interfaces. The hypothesis is that an optimal wavelet can be approximated by deriving it from underlying components of the EEG. The SNAP was compared to standard wavelets by measuring Support Vector Machine-based EEG classification accuracy when using different wavelets/filters for EEG analysis. When classifying P300 evoked potentials, the error, as a function of the wavelet/filter used, ranged from 6.92% to 11.99%, almost twofold. Classification using the SNAP was more accurate than that with any of the six standard wavelets tested. Similarly, when differentiating between preparation for left- or right-hand movements, classification using the SNAP was more accurate (10.03% error) than for four out of five of the standard wavelets (9.54% to 12.00% error) and internationally competitive (7% error) on the 2001 NIPS competition test set. Phenomena shown only in maps of discriminatory EEG activity may explain why the SNAP appears to have promise for improving EEG wavelet analysis. It represents the initial exploration of a potential family of EEG-specific wavelets.
Timing of surgery and bevacizumab therapy in neurosurgical patients with recurrent high grade glioma

Malignant gliomas continue to have a dismal prognosis despite all available treatments and advances made in understanding molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways. Conventional treatments, such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, have been used with limited success. Bevacizumab is a recently described molecule, which inhibits endothelial proliferation and prevents formation of new blood vessels in tumor. However, this treatment confers increased hemorrhage risk and impairs wound healing. Therefore, the timing of surgery for patients receiving bevacizumab, who are in need of surgery, is critical. We performed a literature review to establish the appropriate timing between the cessation of bevacizumab therapy and surgical intervention. Our literature review indicated that the optimum time between cessation of bevacizumab therapy and surgery was 4 weeks. The timing for re-initiation of bevacizumab post-surgery was at least 2 weeks. The duration of preoperative cessation of bevacizumab treatment is critical in preventing life threatening surgical complications. The interval between the surgery and re-initiation of bevacizumab can be shortened. However, more studies are needed to ascertain the exact timing of preoperative and postoperative therapy.
Herbaceous plant communities on the Delaware River floodplain, New Jersey, during the Mid-Holocene1

Abstract An oak (Quercus spp.)-dominated forest characterized the precolonial vegetation of most of the North American mid-Atlantic region, according to the palynological and written records. There is some evidence, however, of herbaceous communities, especially along estuaries, in very poor soils such as serpentinites, and in areas affected by disturbances caused by windthrows or native Americans. Numerous herbaceous plant taxa, such as Ambrosia spp., grasses (Poaceae) and sedges (Cyperaceae), are native, and predated the arrival of people on the continent. In this palynological study, I found evidence of extensive herbaceous plant communities along the Holocene floodplain of the Delaware River, near Trenton, NJ, between 3,000 and 8,500 years ago, providing evidence for the habitat of these taxa over long periods of time. The plant communities were dynamic, on the scale of millennia, and compare well with current riverine plant communities. This is some of the first evidence for these plant communities e...
Molecular evolution of intergenic DNA in higher primates: pattern of DNA changes, molecular clock, and evolution of repetitive sequences.

A 3.1-kb intergenic DNA fragment located between the VP-globin and 8-globin genes in the @globin gene cluster was cloned from gorilla, orangutan, rhesus monkey, and spider monkey, and the nucleotide sequence of each fragment was determined. The phylogeny of these four sequences, together with two previously published allelic sequences from humans and one from chimpanzee, was constructed, and the accumulation of mutations in the region was analyzed. The sites of base substitutions are not evenly distributed within the region: two Alu repeats have accumulated 0.2 1 + 0.02 substitutions/site with 0.15 + 0.008 substitutions/site in the remainder of the fragment. The occurrence of substitutions at neighboring sites is more frequent than would be expected if they were independent. The observed excesses disappear when ancestral -CC- dinucleotide sites are excluded. The phylogenetic relationships of the sequences indicate that the human sequence shares a most recent coancestor with the chimpanzee sequence. The data also show that great apes have accumulated fewer mutations in this part of the genome than has the rhesus monkey. The relative rates of accumulation of 12 kinds of nucleotide substitution in the region during primate evolution are asymmetric in the DNA strands. From these rates of accumulation, the origin of a simple stretch of sequence near the 3’ end of the 3. I-kb fragment was deduced to be a sequence comprising 50% T and 50% C on one strand. The two oppositely oriented Alu sequences in the 3.1-kb region were inserted at their present positions before the divergence of the New-World monkeys from other lineages. Our analysis shows that the nucleotide sequences of the two Alu repeats in spider monkey are unexpectedly similar both to each other and to the deduced ancestral sequence of Alu repeats. The data suggest that there has been some type of recombinational event between the spider monkey Alu repeats but that it was not a simple gene conversion.
Cost-Reducing Innovation In Health Care

Ever-increasing health care costs undermine expansions in health insurance coverage. Debate about lowering unit costs tends to focus on reducing payment levels for existing products and providers, but such measures are not likely to succeed, given established overhead costs and income expectations. Instead, moderation in health care spending must be sought in new products and processes that use lower-cost materials, staff, equipment, and sites of care. We give examples and sketch the principal regulatory, payment, insurance, and policy design obstacles to the further development and diffusion of cost-reducing innovations.
Manipulator Design and Operation of a Six-Degree-of-Freedom Handheld Tremor-Canceling Microsurgical Instrument

This paper presents the design and actuation of a six-degree-of-freedom manipulator for a handheld instrument, known as “Micron,” which performs active tremor compensation during microsurgery. The design incorporates a Gough-Stewart platform based on piezoelectric linear motors, with a specified minimum workspace of a cylinder 4 mm long and 4 mm in diameter at the end-effector. Given the stall force of the motors and the loading typically encountered in vitreoretinal microsurgery, the dimensions of the manipulator are optimized to tolerate a transverse load of 0.2 N on a remote center of motion near the midpoint of the tool shaft. The optimization yields a base diameter of 23 mm and a height of 37 mm. The fully handheld instrument includes a custom-built optical tracking system for control feedback, and an ergonomic housing to serve as a handle. The manipulation performance was investigated in both clamped and handheld conditions. In positioning experiments with varying side loads, the manipulator tolerates a side load up to 0.25 N while tracking a sinusoidal target trajectory with less than 20-μm error. Physiological hand tremor is reduced by about 90% in a pointing task, and error less than 25 μm is achieved in handheld circle tracing.
TU-C-ValA-03: Concurrent Multimodality Image Segmentation

Purpose: Generally, in MRI, PET, and CTimage datasets, more information is available for defining the target volume (or normal structures) than is used during the target segmentation. We introduce a method to take advantage of all the imaging information available for target segmentation, including multi‐modality images or multiple image sets from the same modality. Method and Materials: We generalized the multi‐valued level set deformable model (Chan et al., JVCI (2000) 11:130–141) for simultaneous 2D/3D segmentation/registration of multi‐modality images consisting of a combination of PET, CT, or MR datasets. Information from multi modality image sets is combined to define the final target volume. The method was evaluated on three patient cases, including: a non‐small cell lungcancer case with PET/CT, a cervix cancer case with PET/CT, and a prostate patient case with CT and MR. Results: In the case of the lungtumor the level set algorithm took 120 iterations for convergence, while in the case cervix tumor it converged after 30 iterations because the tumor has a deformed circular shape. In the prostate case, it took 50 iterations to converge and the results were made more sensitive to the shape prior information, because MR provides less gradient strength than PET. The computational time was on the order of few seconds in all cases. Conclusion: We a developed a new target segmentation algorithm which uses information simultaneously from multiple modalities. Our initial results indicate that the algorithm is promising and could provide physicians with a reliable contouring tool for lung, cervical, and prostate cancer. This research was partially supported by NIH grant R01 CA85181 and a grant from TomoTherapy, Inc.
TFIID binds in the minor groove of the TATA box

We have analyzed the interaction of the general RNA polymerase II transcription factor TFIID with its DNA-binding site, the TATA box (consensus sequence TATAAAA). We have demonstrated that TFIID, unlike most sequence-specific DNA-binding proteins, interacts primarily within the minor groove of the DNA helix. This was established by a novel approach involving complete replacement of the thymines and adenines in the TATA box with cytosines and inosines, respectively. This substitution exchanged the major groove of TATAAAA for that of the sequence CGCGGGG, without altering the surface of the minor groove. The unusual DNA-binding properties of TFIID revealed by this study have important implications for TFIID specificity and function and, more generally, for sequence-specific recognition by DNA-binding proteins.
Estrus induction and synchronization in canids and felids

Indications for estrus induction in the dog and cat include potential missed breeding opportunities or conception failure, the treatment of primary or secondary anestrus, out-of-season breeding (feline) and synchronization of ovulation for embryo transfer programs. Reported methods for estrus induction in bitches and queens include the use of synthetic estrogens (diethylstilbesterol), dopamine agonists (bromocriptine and cabergoline), GnRH agonists (lutrelin, buserelin, fertirelin, deslorelin, and leuprolide), exogenous gonadotropins (LH, FSH, hCG, PMSG, and human menopausal gonadotropin) and opiate antagonists (naloxone). These methods vary widely in efficacy of inducing estrus as well as in the fertility of the induced estrus. The applicability of some of these methods for clinical practice is questionable. This review will summarize published reports on estrus induction in canids and felids, both wild and domestic, and provide an update on research using a long-acting injectable deslorelin preparation in bitches.
Research on task scheduling method of synthesis parameter in μC/OS-II

muC/OS-II uses a single algorithm to assign the task priority while the real-time tasks are scheduled. Because of the singularity of priority determinant standard, the high deadline miss ration of real-time tasks influence the real-time scheduling performance seriously. Aiming at this problem, based on the real-time task scheduling algorithm, an allocation strategy of synthesis parameter task priority and the new task scheduling method of muC/OS-II which synthetizes several characteristic parameters are proposed. By experiment verification, DMR of synthesis parameter scheduling algorithm is lower than that of single scheduling method. Consequently, the synthesis parameter scheduling algorithm improves the muC/OS-IIpsilas real-time scheduling performance effectively.
Usability and Accessibility Comparison of Governmental, Organizational, Educational and Commercial Aging/Health-Related Web Sites:

This study is aimed at answering whether aging/health-related web sites of different domain extensions (i.e. .com, .edu, .gov and .org) differ in their accessibility and usability, and whether these two measures are correlated. The usability and accessibility of governmental, organizational, educational and commercial aging/health-related web sites were compared using two automatic evaluation tools: Bobby and LIFT. The governmental web site group has the highest compliance with Web site Content Accessibility Guide although only 52% got an approved status. The accessibility approval was found to correlate significantly with overall usability ratings for all groups, except the commercial web site group.
Detection of differences in nutrient concentrations by eastern woodrats (Neotoma floridana)

I tested the ability of a small generalist herbivore, the eastern woodrat ( Neotoma floridana ) to detect differences in concentrations of protein, energy, and lipid available in two nutritionally complex diet items. Within 24 h of exposure to diets, woodrats consumed a greater amount of a standard diet than diets reduced in energy or lipid by 5, 10, or 20% and a diet reduced by 20% in protein. However, they did not choose the standard over diets reduced in protein by 5 or 10%. When consumption was summed over the 9-day duration of choice trials, individuals chose the standard diet over reduced diets. The ability of woodrats to detect relatively small differences in nutrient concentrations should allow them to make efficient use of available foods.