cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High-Temperature Electrical Conductivity Measurements on Nanostructured Yttria-Doped Ceria Thin Films in Ozone

We have investigated how ozone affects high-temperature electrical properties of nanostructured yttria-doped ceria (YDC) thin films using impedance spectroscopy. It is found that predominantly ionic conductivity in the doped-ceria lattice is not altered upon exposure to ozone. The grain boundaries in YDC ultra-thin films, in contrast, exhibited a substantial increase in resistance in ozone-rich environment. While activation energy for lattice conduction in ozone was similar to air, being close to 1 eV, grain boundary activation energy increased notably from ~1.3 eV in air to 1.7 eV in ozone. Also, we have investigated kinetics of resistance change in such thin films in air and in ozone ambient using galvanostatic measurements and found that the rapid resistance change observed in ozone was reversible. Mechanisms leading to the observation and implications for ozone-ceria film surface interactions are discussed.
Shifting covariability of North American summer monsoon precipitation with antecedent winter precipitation

Previous research has suggested that a general inverse relation exists between winter precipitation in the southwestern United States (US) and summer monsoon precipitation. In addition, it has been suggested that this inverse relation between winter precipitation and the magnitude of the southwestern US monsoon breaks down under certain climatic conditions that override the regional winter/monsoon precipitation relations. Results from this new study indicate that the winter/monsoon precipitation relations do not break down, but rather shift location through time. The strength of winter/monsoon precipitation relations, as indexed by 20-year moving correlations between winter precipitation and monsoon precipitation, decreased in Arizona after about 1970, but increased in New Mexico. The changes in these correlations appear to be related to an eastward shift in the location of monsoon precipitation in the southwestern US. This eastward shift in monsoon precipitation and the changes in correlations with winter precipitation also appear to be related to an eastward shift in July/August atmospheric circulation over the southwestern US that resulted in increased monsoon precipitation in New Mexico. Results also indicate that decreases in sea-surface temperatures (SSTs) in the central North Pacific Ocean also may be associated with the changes in correlations between winter and monsoon precipitation. Copyright © 2006 Royal Meteorological Society.
Poststerilization regret: findings from India and the United States.

Surgical sterilization which has become the most common method of contraception in the world is very popular in India. As such it is critical that the acceptability and satisfaction with the procedure be evaluated particularly since tubal sterilization is considered a permanent method of contraception and women may later regret their decision. In this study more than 200 women who had undergone tubal sterilization once year ago were asked if tubal sterilization was a good choice and whether they would again choose tubal sterilization if given another option. Women who answered no to both questions were considered to have regret. Overall regret was 9.3% with 12.3% of women under 30 years of age reporting regret. After adjustment women who were under 30 years of age were three times more likely to regret their decision compared to older women. (excerpt)
Environmental fate studies of aldicarb and aldoxycarb applications to Wisconsin potatoes

Abstract Aldicarb and aldoxycarb pesticides were applied to potato fields in central Wisconsin to study the degradation and movement of their carbamate residues within the soil profile. Aldicarb and aldoxycarb residues degraded at similar rates with half-lives ranging from 0.9 to 1.4 months. Although unsaturated-zone residue measurements indicated relatively minor differences among the three plots, residues were detected in shallow groundwater beneath plots treated with aldicarb or aldoxycarb at planting. Residues beneath the plot treated with aldicarb at emergence were much lower and the timing of these residues suggests they might have resulted from migration of residues from the plot treated with aldicarb at planting. This study confirms the results of previous and concurrent research programs which suggest that emergence applications of aldicarb reduce the potential for residues to enter shallow groundwater without reducing insect control or potato yields.
The apoptosome: heart and soul of the cell death machine.

Apoptosis is a fundamental biologic process by which metazoan cells orchestrate their own self-demise. Genetic analyses of the nematode C elegans identified three core components of the suicide apparatus which include CED-3, CED-4, and CED-9. An analogous set of core constituents exists in mammalian cells and includes caspase-9, Apaf-1, and bcl-2/xl, respectively. CED-3 and CED-4, along with their mammalian counterparts, function to kill cells, whereas CED-9 and its mammalian equivalents protect cells from death. These central components biochemically intermingle in a ternary complex recently dubbed the “apoptosome.” The C elegans protein EGL-1 and its mammalian counterparts, pro-apoptotic members of the bcl-2 family, induce cell death by disrupting apoptosome interactions. Thus, EGL-1 may represent a primordial signal integrator for the apoptosome. Various biochemical processes including oligomerization, adenosine triphosphate ATP/dATP binding, and cytochrome c interaction play a role in regulating the ternary death complex. Recent studies suggest that cell death receptors, such as CD95, may amplify their suicide signal by activating the apoptosome. These mutual associations by core components of the suicide apparatus provide a molecular framework in which diverse death signals likely interface. Understanding the apoptosome and its cellular connections will facilitate the design of novel therapeutic strategies for cancer and other disease states in which apoptosis plays a pivotal role.
Stimulus compounding in pigeons

Two pigeons were trained on a three-ply multiple schedule in which reinforcement was available on a VI 1-min schedule for two of the components and extinction was in effect for the third component. SDs associated with reinforcement were either a tone or a light and the S△ associated with the extinction component was the absence of tone and light. After response rates stabilized, testing for summation was conducted with both steady-state and extinction test procedures. Both of these procedures involved 1-min presentations of the compound tone and light. Results indicate that summation did not emerge under the steady-state test conditions but did emerge under extinction test conditions.
Cladistic Phylogeny of the North American Species Complexes of Pogonomyrmex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Four species complexes have been recognized for >20 yr; one is monotypic, and the compositions of the others have changed because of new descriptions and synonymy. An early prediction concerning the proper placement of one species is confirmed, and with this proviso, the three modified complexes are shown to be monophyletic. Two undescribed species are placed, resolutions of problematic relationships are offered, a new species complex is defined, range extensions are recorded, and a scanning electron micrographic study of North American Pogonomyrmex is concluded.
Strategies for the Acquisition of Market Intelligence, and Implications for the Transferability of Information Inputs

The recent fast growth of producer services has led to an expanding literature on the contribution of high-order services to innovative and successful industries. Countless studies have shown that greater competitiveness is associated with the use of outside expertise and information in the form of technical and management services, and information about markets and user needs. The objectives of this paper are twofold. First, from the point of view of an industry, allinformation accessed for input into the innovation process is relevant, not just that acquired through market transactions with service suppliers. Defining market intelligence (MI) as the overall process of acquiring information about markets, this paper identifies seven types of MI-generating activities, involving both market transactions and informal networks, that provide essential information inputs to product innovation. Second, the existing literature suggests that information is best acquired when a firm is located in close proximity t...
A theoretical study of the role of salt concentration in the melting of DNA

Abstract A theory of the influence of salt concentration on the partition function of the DNA molecule is developed, and is used to describe the effect of ionic strength on the melting temperature. The effects of discreteness of the charges associated with the phosphate groups is included. Qualitative agreement with the experiments of Inman & Baldwin (1962) is obtained using the linearized form of the Poisson-Boltzmann equation. It is argued that the non-linear effects will greatly improve the comparison between theory and experiment, hence that there is reason to believe that the basic mechanism has been described.
Hydrogen Bonding and Ring Asymmetry in a Substituted Cyclopropane: (+).trans- (1S,2S)-2-Phenylcyclopropanecarboxylic Acid at 208 K

The title compound, C10H10O2, crystallized in space group P2(1) with two molecules in the asymmetric unit. In this structure, hydrogen bonding of the cyclic dimer type [with O ... O 2.623(2)-2.637(2)A] links the two molecules of the asymmetric unit. The two carboxylic H atoms are ordered, as are the O atoms. Each of the two non-equivalent molecules exhibits an asymmetric cyclopropane ring; the values found for the asymmetry parameters are delta(COOH) = -0.034(4) and -0.025(4)A, and delta(phenyl) = -0.028(4) and -0.023(4)A.
Magnetism in man made materials

Abstract The present state of the art of theoretical studies of magnetism in artificial (“man made”) materials is presented by means of some illustrative examples on low dimensional systems, e.g., free transition metal surfaces, adsorbed overlayers on noble metals and on magnetic or non-magnetic transition metal substrates and induced surface and interface magnetism in transition metals not magnetic in the bulk.
Molecular mechanisms of the red cell storage lesion

Abstract Preserved erythrocytes undergo several changes during storage, collectively referred to as the storage lesion, which reduce the effectiveness of stored erythrocytes following transfusion. This review describes the mechanisms leading to these changes, so far as they are known, and discusses the relationship of the changes to one another and how they contribute to the diminished function of stored erythrocytes.
Physical Measurements Of The Emi Computerized Axial Tomographic Imaging System

This paper discusses physical measurements of the EMI imaging system including resolution (MTF) and noise. Questions are raised regarding system linearity and isoplanacity and therefore general applicability of the above measurements. The scan slice geometry is also investigated and potential missing regions in the scan and dual imaging situations are explored.© (1976) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Exploration and assesment of design windows for a Tokamak-based volumetric neutron source

Abstract Design options for a Tokamak volumetric neutron source (VNS) for fusion nuclear technology testing are explored using well-defined and consistent sets of requirements and constraints. Optimum designs with a peak value of the neutron wall load and minimum cost are obtained with intermediate-to-high aspect ratios of about 3.4–3.6. Sensitivity analysis shows that the nuclear technology testing requirements can be achieved in a realistic Tokamak VNS design within the expected uncertainty ranges of the physics and engineering assumptions database. A typical optimum VNS design has an average neutron wall load of 1.5 MW m−2, peak wall load of about 2 MW m−2, major radius of about 1.6 m. minor radius of about 0.5 m. aspect ratio of 3.6, fusion power of about 100 MW, plasma amplification factor Q ≈ 2 and on-axis magnetic field of about 7 T. Normal conducting magnets are used with an overall inboard shield thickness of 0.3 m.
Structural Insights into the Stability and Flexibility of Unusual Erythroid Spectrin Repeats

Abstract Erythroid spectrin, a major component of the cytoskeletal network of the red cell which contributes to both the stability and the elasticity of the red cell membrane, is composed of two subunits, α and β, each formed by 16–20 tandem repeats. The properties of the repeats and their relative arrangement are thought to be key determinants of spectrin flexibility. Here we report a 2.4 A resolution crystal structure of human erythroid β-spectrin repeats 8 and 9. This two-repeat fragment is unusual as it exhibits low stability of folding and one of its repeats lacks two tryptophans highly conserved among spectrin repeats. Two key factors responsible for the lower stability and, possibly, its flexibility, are revealed by the structure. A third novel feature of the structure is the relative orientation of the two repeats, which increases the range of possible conformations and provides new insights into atomic models of spectrin flexibility.
Effects of adherence to generation rules on conceptual judgments

Ss were given 96 trials on a simultaneous same-different similarity-dissimilarity task with histoform stimuli exhibiting different amounts of adherence to two generation rules. Similarity judgments and number of same-correct responses were found to be a positive function of amount of adherence to a generation rule. Conversely, performance was poorer (i.e., fewer correct, or higher similarity, ratings) as adherence increased on different-correct trials. It was suggested that Ss at least partially respond to learned attributes, but that these attributes are not well distinguished as defining separate classes.
On the central limit theorem for weakly dependent sequences with a decomposed strong mixing coefficient

Abstract Weak invariance principles are established for strictly stationary weakly dependent sequences, having a decomposed strong mixing coefficient into two parts, one based on the strong mixing condition with a polynomial mixing rate and other based on the ρ-mixing condition. The result is applied to the output of the Tukey ‘3R smoother’.
No association between polymorphisms in the human dopamine D3 and D4 receptors genes and alcoholism.

The human dopamine D2 receptor gene (DRD2) has received considerable attention for the past several years as a potential candidate that may affect susceptibility to alcoholism. The association studies that compared the frequencies of alleles of DRD2 gene between alcoholics and control groups have produced equivocal results. Dopamine D3 and D4 receptor genes (DRD3 and DRD4) are in the same class as DRD2 but with different pharmacological properties. We have used relative risk and haplotype relative risk approaches to test associations between alleles of DRD3 and DRD4 genes and alcoholism. For relative risk studies 162 probands from multiple incidence alcoholic families have been compared to 89 psychiatrically normal controls. Haplotype relative risk approaches have used 29 alcoholic probands in which both parents were available for genotyping. The Bal I restriction enzyme site in DRD3 and tandem repeat (VNTR) in DRD4 genes polymorphisms were used to genotype the above samples. The results of relative risk approaches for both DRD3 and DRD4 genes were negative for comparisons of alcoholics and subtypes of alcoholics with normal controls. Haplotype relative risk approaches also were negative for both genes. These results suggest that any role played by these receptors may account for only part of the variation in susceptibility to alcoholism. Am. J. Med. Genet. 74:281–285, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Spatial price analysis of used construction equipment: the case of excavators

Equipment represents one of the largest input expenditures for the construction sector and other firms. Yet, prices of used construction equipment have not been widely studied in the economic literature. A spatial hedonic price function is specified and estimated for used excavators sold by auction in North America from 1996 to 2006. The results indicate that prices of used excavators differ significantly for various reasons. Controlling for characteristics of the machinery, we find evidence of regional price variation and ‘within sale’ spatial effects. Prices also vary between auction houses themselves.
The uses of color

Color graphics in AGU publications may be valuable aids to communication, but care will have to be taken to assure that they really contain extra information instead of the same old information in a sexier package. Can anyone tell me, for example, why the essentially monochrome, yellow-red (left) false color image on the cover of Eos, December 7, 1982, contains more information than a good black and white version would? Further, any graphical display, whether in color or not, ought to be described in comprehensible terms. The caption to the cited cover of Eos was, I found, confusing in the original version in Geophysical Research Letters (GRL) (so much so that I offer a translation1 for the interested reader). The excerpted caption in Eos is all the more confusing for lack of context and illustrates the dangers of excerpting without editing.
Molecular characterization of Cephalothorax, the Tribolium ortholog of Sex combs reduced.

Sex combs reduced (Scr), a Hox gene located in the Antennapedia complex of Drosophila melanogaster, is required for the proper development of the labial and first thoracic segments. The Tribolium castaneum genetically defined locus Cephalothorax (Cx) is a candidate Scr ortholog based on the location of Cx in the beetle Homeotic complex and mutant effects on the labial and first thoracic segments. To address this hypothesis, we have cloned and characterized the Tribolium ortholog of Scr (TcScr). The transcription unit is less complex and encodes a smaller protein than Scr. The predicted amino acid sequence of the Tribolium protein shares motifs with orthologous proteins from multiple species. In addition, we have analyzed the TcScr expression pattern during embryonic development. TcScr is expressed in parts of the maxillary, labial, and first thoracic segments in a pattern similar to but not identical to Scr. Furthermore, TcScr RNA interference results in a phenocopy of the Cephalothorax (Cx) mutant phenotype in which the labial palps are transformed into antennae and the head and first thoracic segment are fused. All of the available results indicate that Cx is the Tribolium ortholog of Scr.
The Topography of Metropolitan Employment: Identifying Centers of Employment in a Polycentric Urban Area ⁄

Abstract While it is well recognized that US metropolitan areas are polycentric, there is little consensus as to the appropriate method for identifying concentrations of employment within them. Existing methods suffer from strong assumptions about parametric form, misspecification, or reliance on local knowledge to calibrate model parameters. This paper introduces a new nonparametric method for identifying subcenters. Results indicate that this, more flexible, nonparametric approach yields greater accuracy with regard to both urban and suburban centers compared with other approaches. This approach should provide better data for the numerous topics that depend on the spatial accounting of employment within metropolitan areas.
Gibbs likelihoods for Bayesian tracking

Bayesian methods for visual tracking model the likelihood of image measurements conditioned on a tracking hypothesis. Image measurements may, for example, correspond to various filter responses at multiple scales and orientations. Most tracking approaches exploit ad hoc likelihood models while those that exploit more rigorous, learned, models often make unrealistic assumptions about the underlying probabilistic model. Such assumptions cause problems for Bayesian inference when an unsound likelihood is combined with an a priori probability distribution. Errors in modeling the likelihood can lead to brittle tracking results, particularly when using non-parametric inference techniques such as particle filtering. We show how assumptions of conditional independence of filter responses are violated in common tracking scenarios, lead to incorrect likelihood models, and cause problems for Bayesian inference. We address the problem of modeling more principled likelihoods using Gibbs learning. The learned models are compared with naive Bayes methods which assume conditional independence of the filter responses. We show how these Gibbs models can be used as an effective image likelihood, and demonstrate them in the context of particle filter-based human tracking.
Dystonia-associated mutations cause premature degradation of torsinA protein and cell-type-specific mislocalization to the nuclear envelope

An in-frame 3 bp deletion in the torsinA gene resulting in the loss of a glutamate residue at position 302 or 303 (torsinA DeltaE) is the major cause for early-onset torsion dystonia (DYT1). In addition, an 18 bp deletion in the torsinA gene resulting in the loss of residues 323-328 (torsinA Delta323-8) has also been associated with dystonia. Here we report that torsinA DeltaE and torsinA Delta323-8 mutations cause neuronal cell-type-specific mislocalization of torsinA protein to the nuclear envelope without affecting torsinA oligomerization. Furthermore, both dystonia-associated mutations destabilize torsinA protein in dopaminergic cells. We find that wild-type torsinA protein is degraded primarily through the macroautophagy-lysosome pathway. In contrast, torsinA DeltaE and torsinA Delta323-8 mutant proteins are degraded by both the proteasome and macroautophagy-lysosome pathways. Our findings suggest that torsinA mutation-induced premature degradation may contribute to the pathogenesis of dystonia via a loss-of-function mechanism and underscore the importance of both the proteasome and macroautophagy in the clearance of dystonia-associated torsinA mutant proteins.
Ontogenetic variation in epibiont community structure in the deep-sea yeti crab, Kiwa puravida: convergence among crustaceans.

Recent investigations have demonstrated that unusually ‘hairy’ yeti crabs within the family Kiwaidae associate with two predominant filamentous bacterial families, the Epsilon and Gammaproteobacteria. These analyses, however, were based on samples collected from a single body region, the setae of pereopods. To more thoroughly investigate the microbiome associated with Kiwa puravida, a yeti crab species from Costa Rica, we utilized barcoded 16S rRNA amplicon pyrosequencing, as well as microscopy and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Results indicate that, indeed, the bacterial community on the pereopods is far less diverse than on the rest of the body (Shannon indices ranged from 1.30‐2.02 and 2.22‐2.66, respectively). Similarly, the bacterial communities associated with juveniles and adults were more complex than previously recognized, with as many as 46 bacterial families represented. Ontogenetic differences in the microbial community, from egg to juvenile to adult, included a dramatic under-representation of the Helicobacteraceae and higher abundances of both Thiotrichaceae and Methylococcaceae for the eggs, which paralleled patterns observed in another bacteria‐crustacean symbiosis. The degree to which abiotic and biotic feedbacks influence the bacterial community on the crabs is still not known, but predictions suggest that both the local environment and host-derived factors influence the establishment and maintenance of microbes associated with the surfaces of aquatic animals.
Temperature dependence of half-metallic hybridization gaps

The temperature dependence of the spin polarization of half-metallic ferromagnets is investigated by model calculations. Emphasis is on changes in the density of states, especially on the closure of the hybridization gap. The Stoner-type calculation yields a simple one-electron expression for the gap as a function of temperature and a corresponding transition temperature T*, above which the spin polarization is drastically reduced. The small parameter determining the finite-temperature breakdown of the spin splitting is the width of the hybridization gap relative to other bandwidth parameters. The model predictions are consistent with the experiment and with first-principles electronic structure calculations, and we argue that such band-structure effects are not limited to specific materials but rather widespread in hybridization-gap half-metals.
Modeling of multi-joint motor systems

A model of elastic mechanical systems is presented in the form of a network of constraint equations expressing the geometrical relations among component elements and their steady-state mechanical behavior. The model takes into account the nonlinear features of motor system geometry and is used to represent mechanical interactions with the environment as well as to derive appropriate patterns of control input given a wide variety of motor tasks. This approach is applicable to the analysis of biological motor systems. A framework for modeling the mechanical properties of springs and linkages is presented. An example is given where the system is used to model the control of a human arm. >
Identifying Severe Sepsis via Electronic Surveillance

An electronic sepsis surveillance system (ESSV) was developed to identify severe sepsis and determine its time of onset. ESSV sensitivity and specificity were evaluated during an 11-day prospective pilot and a 30-day retrospective trial. ESSV diagnostic alerts were compared with care team diagnoses and with administrative records, using expert adjudication as the standard for comparison. ESSV was 100% sensitive for detecting severe sepsis but only 62.0% specific. During the pilot, the software identified 477 patients, compared with 18 by adjudication. In the 30-day trial, adjudication identified 164 severe sepsis patients, whereas ESSV detected 996. ESSV was more sensitive but less specific than care team or administrative data. ESSV-identified time of severe sepsis onset was a median of 0.00 hours later than adjudication (interquartile range = 0.05). The system can be a useful tool when implemented appropriately but lacks specificity, largely because of its reliance on discreet data fields.
An iterative solution for TM scattering from perturbed circular dielectric cylinders

The electromagnetic scattering from an infinite length dielectric cylinder with a nearly homogeneous and circular cross section is considered, with the electric field of the incident plane wave aligned parallel to the infinite axis (TM/sub z/). An iterative approach is adopted, similar to Born's method, but making use of the Green's function for a perfect circular cylinder. As long as the deviations from a homogeneous circular cylinder are minor, the approach is computationally efficient and accurate, a claim demonstrated by comparisons with a moment-method solution. The issue of convergence is explored with respect to shapes and permittivities of perturbations. A method for a priori determination of the success of the iterative method for arbitrary geometries is also given.
Saccadic eye movements evoked by microstimulation of striate cortex

Experiments were performed to assess the excitability of neural elements activated while inducing saccadic eye movements electrically from different cortical layers of striate cortex (area V1) in rhesus monkeys. Excitability was assessed by measuring current thresholds, saccadic latencies, chronaxies, and the effectiveness of anode-first vs. cathode-first pulses. Minimum current thresholds for the evocation of saccades (i.e. less than 5 microA) were observed when the deepest layers of V1 were stimulated. The shortest saccadic latencies were also observed at these depths. The shortest latency at 10 times the threshold current was 49 ms on average. The chronaxies of the elements mediating saccades were less in deep V1 (i.e. 0.17 ms) than in superficial V1 (i.e. 0.23 ms). Anode-first pulses were more effective at evoking saccades from superficial V1, whereas cathode-first pulses were more effective at evoking saccades from deep V1. These results indicate that the excitability properties of superficial and deep V1 are distinct for the generation of saccades. Moreover, the excitability of elements mediating saccades in V1 of monkeys is comparable to that of elements mediating phosphenes in human V1.
Modeling nonlinear wave propagation on microwave superconducting transmission lines

High temperature superconductors (HTS) exhibit nonlinear behavior at high magnetic fields. In this case, analysis of microwave superconducting devices cannot be performed in the frequency-domain; time-domain analysis is a must. The paper presents a nonlinear time-domain model for HTS microwave planar structures. The nonlinear performance of HTS lines is clearly demonstrated. Results comparing performance of HTS in linear and nonlinear regions with normal conductors are presented. >
Hypoxia modulates cholinergic but not opioid activation of G proteins in rat hippocampus.

Intermittent hypoxia, such as that associated with ob- structive sleep apnea, can cause neuronal death and neurobehavioral dysfunction. The cellular and molecular mechanisms through which hy- poxia alter hippocampal function are incompletely understood. This study used in vitro ( 35 S)guanylyl-5 0 -O-(c-thio)-triphosphate (( 35 S)GTPcS) autoradiography to test the hypothesis that carbachol and DAMGO acti- vate hippocampal G proteins. In addition, this study tested the hypothe- sis that in vivo exposure to different oxygen (O2) concentrations causes a differential activation of G proteins in the CA1, CA3, and dentate gyrus (DG) regions of the hippocampus. G protein activation was quan- tified as nCi/g tissue in CA1, CA3, and DG from rats housed for 14 days under one of three different oxygen conditions: normoxic (21% O2) room air, or hypoxia (10% O2) that was intermittent or sustained. Across all regions of the hippocampus, activation of G proteins by the cholinergic agonist carbachol and the mu opioid agonist (D-Ala 2 ,N - Met-Phe 4 , Gly 5 ) enkephalin (DAMGO) was ordered by the degree of hy- poxia such that sustained hypoxia > intermittent hypoxia > room air. Carbachol increased G protein activation during sustained hypoxia (38%), intermittent hypoxia (29%), and room air (27%). DAMGO also activated G proteins during sustained hypoxia (52%), intermittent hy- poxia (48%), and room air (43%). Region-specific comparisons of G protein activation revealed that the DG showed significantly less activa- tion by carbachol following intermittent hypoxia and sustained hypoxia than the CA1. Considered together, the results suggest the potential for hypoxia to alter hippocampal function by blunting the cholinergic acti- vation of G proteins within the DG. V C 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Error control variability in pathway-based microarray analysis

Motivation: The decision to commit some or many false positives in practice rests with the investigator. Unfortunately, not all error control procedures perform the same. Our problem is to choose an error control procedure to determine a P-value threshold for identifying differentially expressed pathways in high-throughput gene expression studies. Pathway analysis involves fewer tests than differential gene expression analysis, on the order of a few hundred. We discuss and compare methods for error control for pathway analysis with gene expression data. Results: In consideration of the variability in test results, we find that the widely used Benjamini and Hochberg's (BH) false discovery rate (FDR) analysis is less robust than alternative procedures. BH's error control requires a large number of hypothesis tests, a reasonable assumption for differential gene expression analysis, though not the case with pathway-based analysis. Therefore, we advocate through a series of simulations and applications to real gene expression data that researchers control the number of false positives rather than the FDR. Availability: Our R package, EPath.omg is available at http://sphhp.buffalo.edu/biostat/research/software. Contact: dlgold@buffalo.edu Supplementary information:Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
The ghost in the machine: observing the effects of kernel operation on parallel application performance

The performance of a parallel application on a scalable HPC system is determined by user-level execution of the application code and system-level (OS kernel) operations. To understand the influences of system-level factors on application performance, the measurement of OS kernel activities is key. We describe a technology to observe kernel actions and make this information available to application-level performance measurement tools. The benefits of merged application and OS performance information and its use in parallel performance analysis are demonstrated, both for profiling and tracing methodologies. In particular, we focus on the problem of kernel noise assessment as a stress test of the approach. We show new results for characterizing noise and introduce new techniques for evaluating noise interference and its effects on application execution. Our kernel measurement and noise analysis technologies are being developed as part of Linux OS environments for scalable parallel systems.
RNAIII of the Staphylococcus aureus agr system activates global regulator MgrA by stabilizing mRNA

RNAIII, the effector of the agr quorum-sensing system, plays a key role in virulence gene regulation in Staphylococcus aureus, but how RNAIII transcriptionally regulates its downstream genes is not completely understood. Here, we show that RNAIII stabilizes mgrA mRNA, thereby increasing the production of MgrA, a global transcriptional regulator that affects the expression of many genes. The mgrA gene is transcribed from two promoters, P1 and P2, to produce two mRNA transcripts with long 5' UTR. Two adjacent regions of the mgrA mRNA UTR transcribed from the upstream P2 promoter, but not the P1 promoter, form a stable complex with two regions of RNAIII near the 5' and 3' ends. We further demonstrate that the interaction has several biological effects. We propose that MgrA can serve as an intermediary regulator through which agr exerts its regulatory function.
Microsketching: creating components of complex interactive products and systems

One of the problems with empathic research methods in interaction design is that the leap between findings about people and design is often left undocumented. In this paper, we describe a microsketching, a method for producing rapid concept sketches that emphasizes creative exploration of the aesthetic and interactive possibilities of the individual elements of a technology, rather than seeking to develop a complete product. We discuss the use of microsketching within the design process, and provide a case study of its use with an experienced designer and in a design studio course. We discuss how microsketching can be used to scaffold the leap between data collection and design, to quickly introduce designers outside of the research team to the elements of the design problem, and to teach novice interaction designers how to design the interface and interaction for complex products and systems.
Computational Modeling and Comparative Tissue Damage Analysis of Angioplasty and Orbital Atherectomy Interventional Procedures

University of Minnesota M.S.M.E. thesis. August 2015. Major: Mechanical Engineering. Advisor: Barney Klamecki. 1 computer file (PDF); xii, 104 pages.
Structural Representations of Implicit Personality Theory1

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the traits that a person perceives as characteristic of himself (or herself) and of others, and the beliefs that he or she holds about which traits tend to go together and which do not. Parsimonious ways of representing this type of complex and loosely organized system of perceived traits and relations have been discussed. The perception of stable physical and psychological characteristics and the beliefs about their co-occurrences are important objects of research for social psychologists, not only because of the ubiquity with which a person thinks and talks about himself and others but also because of the central role that personality perception plays in everyday social interaction and social decisions. The chapter describes laboratory analogs of the trait inference and personality and summarizes a number of findings that have resulted from their use, particularly studies involving the application of multidimensional scaling and, to some extent, clustering and factor analysis. Naturalistic personality and individual differences have been described. The chapter highlights the personality perception in children and some future directions for the study of personality perception.
Jefferson's Fire Insurance Policy and Monticello's Reconstruction of Slavery

Over two hundred years ago, Thomas Jefferson completed an application for fire insurance on his home, Monticello. The application was to be submitted to a newly established fire insurance company, the first in Virginia and one of the first insurers in the new nation. Then, largely because of the financial challenges that this company and all early American fire insurers faced, he decided not to submit the application. This Essay tells how Jefferson’s unfiled fire insurance application has facilitated contemporary interpretation of slave life at Jefferson’s plantation. The problems that early fire insurers faced – problems that led Jefferson not to file the application – have not entirely disappeared. Insurance law and regulation still must keep these problems in mind. And of course we live still with the legacy of slavery and the challenge of interpreting it at historic slave plantations. That these two totally different subjects should turn out to be connected helps to demonstrate that, not only are there coincidences in history, but there are coincidences in the study of history as well.
Materializing energy

Motivated and informed by perspectives on sustainability and design, this paper draws on a diverse body of scholarly works related to energy and materiality to articulate a perspective on energy-as-materiality and propose a design approach of materializing energy. Three critical themes are presented: the intangibility of energy, the undifferentiatedness of energy, and the availability of energy. Each theme is developed through combination of critical investigation and design exploration, including the development and deployment of several novel design artifacts: Energy Mementos and The Local Energy Lamp. A framework for interacting with energy-as-materiality is proposed involving collecting, keeping, sharing, and activating energy. A number of additional concepts are also introduced, such as energy attachment, energy engagement, energy attunement, local energy and energy meta-data. Our work contributes both a broader, more integrative design perspective on energy and materiality as well as a diversity of more specific concepts and artifacts that may be of service to designers and researchers of interactive systems concerned with sustainability and energy.
ULTRASTRUCTURE OF THE SPERM AND SPERMATOPHORES OF THE GOLDEN CRAB GERYON FENNERI AND A CLOSELY RELATED SPECIES, THE RED CRAB G. QUINQUEDENS, FROM THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO

The sperm of species of Geryon are typical of brachyurans in having a complex acrosome, a membranous lamellar complex, uncondensed chromatin in the nucleus, and nuclear arms or spikes of varying lengths. There are no microtubular elements in the arms. The spermatophores are ellipsoidal or round and contain varying numbers of sperm. The wall of each spermatophore is two-layered and fairly impermeable to fixatives. Globules of seminal fluid surround the spermatophores in the vasa deferentia. The golden crab Geryonfenneri Manning and Holthuis, 1984, is a nonswimming brachyuran from deep water in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Relatively little is known about the reproductive biology of the golden crab or a related species, the red crab G. quinquedens Smith, 1879. The golden crab is a recently described species (Manning and Holthuis, 1984) and supports a newly established commercial fishery. Though many studies have been made of the sperm of other brachyurans, no ultrastructural studies have been made of the sperm of the genus Geryon. In this study, the morphological structure of the sperm of G. fenneri and G. quinquedens is examined and compared with that of other crustaceans.
Biological Flow Measurement using Optical Flow Method

The physics based optical flow method (OFM) was explored and applied to the blood flow measurement based on the digital subtraction angiography X-ray images. The objective of the present study is to examine the applicability of the physics-based OFM in the biological flow and evaluate the accuracy of OFM in recovering the velocity of blood flow in cerebral arteries. In order to examine the algorithm and conduct the error analysis, simulations are conducted on synthetic grid images (640×480 piexiels and 8 bits), where the intensity profiles across a grid line is Gaussian. The recovered velocity from OFM agrees well with the exact velocity distribution. Then, the improved OFM algorithm was applied on the DSA images of cerebral arteries including the cerebral arterial aneurysm and the parent internal cerebral artery. Again, synthetic parabolic velocity distribution and Oseen vortices were imposed to the vessel image and aneurysm image respectively to examine the accuracy of the current method. Compared to the grid image, the DSA image featured as low-intensity and isotropic distribution challenges the OFM algorithm. Appropriate intensification process combined with Gaussian filtering are applied to improve the accuracy of the OFM estimation. Finally the improved OFM was applied to the in-vivo measurement of the blood flow in the aneurysm to analyze the blood velocity distribution and hemodynamics.
A 3D printed fluidic device that enables integrated features.

Fluidic devices fabricated using conventional soft lithography are well suited as prototyping methods. Three-dimensional (3D) printing, commonly used for producing design prototypes in industry, allows for one step production of devices. 3D printers build a device layer by layer based on 3D computer models. Here, a reusable, high throughput, 3D printed fluidic device was created that enables flow and incorporates a membrane above a channel in order to study drug transport and affect cells. The device contains 8 parallel channels, 3 mm wide by 1.5 mm deep, connected to a syringe pump through standard, threaded fittings. The device was also printed to allow integration with commercially available membrane inserts whose bottoms are constructed of a porous polycarbonate membrane; this insert enables molecular transport to occur from the channel to above the well. When concentrations of various antibiotics (levofloxacin and linezolid) are pumped through the channels, approximately 18–21% of the drug migrates t...
Secondary craniofacial management following skeletal correction in facial asymmetry. Application of microsurgical techniques.

The correction of facial asymmetry in complex craniofacial deformities presents a challenging problem to reconstructive surgeons. Deficiencies of both the facial skeleton and the overlying soft tissue must be addressed to achieve the optimum reconstructive result. Soft tissue contour problems due to any cause can be corrected with microsurgical techniques. The transfer of customized free flaps based on the circumflex scapular vascular pedicle, consisting of dorsal thoracic fascia with variable contributions of overlying fat, can restore facial harmony. Both facial and donor site aesthetics are optimized.
Low Dietary c9t11-Conjugated Linoleic Acid Intake from Dairy Fat or Supplements Reduces Inflammation in Collagen-Induced Arthritis.

Dietary cis-9,trans-11 (c9t11) conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) fed at 0.5 % w/w was previously shown to attenuate inflammation in the murine collagen-induced (CA) arthritis model, and growing evidence implicates c9t11-CLA as a major anti-inflammatory component of dairy fat. To understand c9t11-CLA’s contribution to dairy fat’s anti-inflammatory action, the minimum amount of dietary c9t11-CLA needed to reduce inflammation must be determined. This study had two objectives: (1) determine the minimum dietary anti-inflammatory c9t11-CLA intake level in the CA model, and (2) compare this to anti-inflammatory effects of dairy fat (non-enriched, naturally c9t11-CLA-enriched, or c9t11-CLA-supplemented). Mice received the following dietary fat treatments (w/w) post arthritis onset: corn oil (6 % CO), 0.125, 0.25, 0.375, and 0.5 % c9t11-CLA, control butter (6 % CB), c9t11-enriched butter (6 % EB), or c9t11-CLA-supplemented butter (6 % SB, containing 0.2 % c9t11-CLA). Paw arthritic severity and pad swelling were scored and measured, respectively, over an 84-day study period. All c9t11-CLA and butter diets decreased the arthritic score (25–51 %, P < 0.01) and paw swelling (8–11 %, P < 0.01). Throughout the study, plasma tumor necrosis factor (TNFα) was elevated in CO-fed arthritic mice compared to non-arthritic (NA) mice but was reduced in 0.5 % c9t11-CLA- and EB-fed mice. Interleukin-1β and IL-6 were increased in arthritic CO-fed mice compared to NA mice but were reduced in 0.5 % c9t11-CLA- and EB-fed mice through day 42. In conclusion, 0.125 % c9t11-CLA reduced clinical arthritis as effectively as higher doses, and decreased arthritis in CB-fed mice suggested that the minimal anti-inflammatory levels of c9t11-CLA might be below 0.125 %.
Capital Market Solutions

From our survey of conditions in the US, the UK, and Australia, we observe that affordable housing finance is a global concern, with common patterns across countries. We also note that, to varying degrees, each of these countries suffered a mortgage-related economic shock from the 2008 credit chaos in subprime lending.
What Kind of Training Does a Group-Centered Preventionist Need?

Effective training programs do not have to cost hundreds of dollars, but a training program must enable trainees to conduct a prevention group effectively. All psychologists, social workers, counselors, school personnel, and community social agency workers absolutely must understand group process if they are ever to work successfully with others in a group setting. Unfortunately, too many people think that group work is easy and does not require training. They are completely wrong. If we are to produce and facilitate effective group prevention programs, we must first teach the intricacies of group process. Using a training group with hands-on experience and application would allow trainees to experience the power of group process as well as learn to use it effectively. A group-centered training approach would allow trainees to practice, to use modeling, and to give constructive feedback to the trainer. The training session for this chapter gives two case studies and shows how to build an effective training program for each case study.