cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Psychophysics of taste lateralization on anterior tongue

There have been very few investigations of the spatial properties of taste stimuli localized to specific areas of the oral cavity. This is surprising, since the spatial localization of taste sensations may con­ tribute to the overall taste percept, much as do quality, intensity, and the temporal characteristics of tastes. The difficulty in eliminating the confounding factor of a tactile sensation may partially account for the paucity of such studies, since a gustatory stimulus cannot be presented as a liquid without a tac­ tile component. As a step toward understanding the localizability of gustatory sensations, we designed a yoked stimulator and an experimental procedure to control for tactile cues. Lateral discrimination was evaluated at the tip of the tongue with four taste stimuli (sodium saccharin, sodium chloride, citric acid, and quinine hydrochloride) by presenting a taste and a blank solution simultaneously at two lo­ cations on the tongue. We found that subjects could lateralize all four taste stimuli in the absence of any discriminative tactile cues. Subjects' ability to lateralize varied as a psychometric function of the stimulus concentration. Detection thresholds, measured in a forced-choice two-interval staircase pro­ cedure with the same yoked stimulator that was used in the lateralization task, were always lower than lateralization thresholds, and both lateralization and detection thresholds were correlated within sub­ jects. Subjects were unable to lateralize taste cues on a nongustatory surface under the upper lip at the highest tested concentrations, at which performance was 100% on a gustatory surface (dorsal anterior tongue). These results show that (1) taste compounds can be lateralized in the absence of any discrim­ inative mechanical cue (but only on the gustatory epithelium) and (2) although the localization of a compounddoes not logically require conscious detection of the taste (cr. blind sight), subjects always detected a taste when they were able to lateralize. We often experience localized taste stimulation when we eat candy or chew gum and take for granted that we can point out where we feel a taste in the oral cavity. How­ ever, such localizations may be predominantly guided by the tactile cue that co-occurs with the taste cue. The local­ izability oftaste cues could be a factor that is as important as quality, intensity, and temporal dynamics to the over­ all impact of taste perception on behavior. All of these attributes could contribute to the identification and oral manipulation of the sapid bolus and could influence the decision to swallow. Nevertheless, there have been very few studies ofthe psychophysics of taste localization. Is
In Vitro Plasma Stability, Permeability and Solubility of Mercaptoacetamide Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors

Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs) are emerging as a new class of therapeutic agents with potent antitumor activities in a broad spectrum of human cancers. In this study, the in vitro plasma stability, permeability, solubility, and lipophilicity (log D) of two mercaptoacetamide-based HDACIs (coded as W2 and S2) were evaluated and compared to Vorinostat (SAHA). The results demonstrated that the compounds manifested high solubility in HCl (pH 1.2) but lower in PBS (pH 7.4) than SAHA. Moreover, mercaptoacetamide-based HDACIs exhibited higher lipophilicity values compared to SAHA. The permeability of these compounds was evaluated using the Caco-2 cell monolayer as a model of the intestinal mucosa. The Caco-2 studies revealed that the compounds S2 and W2 are highly permeable with apparent permeability coefficients (P(app)) in the apical to basolateral direction of 7.33 x 10(-6) and 15.0 x 10(-6)cm/s, respectively. The in vitro stability was determined in human, mouse, porcine and rat plasma. Data showed that the compound W2 is more stable in human and rat plasma and the S2 is more stable in all plasma species than SAHA. Taken together, these results indicate that the mercaptoacetamide-based HDACIs possess favorable solubility, lipophilicity, permeability and plasma stability features.
Role of cranial base flexure in developing sagittal jaw discrepancies

The aim of this longitudinal cephalometric study was to investigate skeletal features in patients with small and large cranial base angles. Two groups of untreated subjects were formed on the basis of a small and large cranial base angle N-S-Ar at the age of 5 years: the large cranial base angle group (n = 22) consisted of subjects with an N-S-Ar angle larger than 125 degrees (mean, 128.1 degrees ), and the small cranial base angle group (n = 20) included subjects with an N-S-Ar angle of less than 120 degrees (mean, 117.6 degrees ). Cephalometric data of the 2 groups were analyzed at subject ages 5 and 12 years. At both ages, the groups showed significant differences of the variables SNA, SNB, individualized ANB, and Y axis. The unadjusted ANB angle and the angle of convexity N-A-Pg were not significantly different between the 2 groups. According to the individualized norm of the ANB angle, subjects with a large cranial base angle in the primary dentition demonstrated a skeletal Class II tendency both at the initial observation and at the longitudinal follow-up. On the basis of cephalometric variables at 12 years of age, it was possible to classify 88.1% of the initial large and small cranial base angle individuals, indicating a constancy of the skeletal pattern during the longitudinal follow-up. The relationship between cranial base flexure and skeletal pattern of the jaws seems to be established before the age of 5 years.
Imagery Enhancement and Interpretation for Remote Visual Inspection of Aging Civil Infrastructure

Abstract In this paper, we describe an image enhancement and interpretation methodology to enhance and recognize surface defects and critical patterns from remote imagery of sewer pipeline inspection. The objective is to provide inspectors and professionals with better tools to allow them to examine the imagery for condition assessment. We present initial results of a collaboration with a robotic company through a case study on computer-assisted processing and interpretation of sewer pipeline inspection imagery. In the mean time, the described enhancement and interpretation methodology can also be applied to sewer pipeline condition assessment in an offline mode, where this methodology can support professionals' examination of acquired sewer condition imagery.
Shaping the Temporal Patterns of our Lives: The Social Coordination of Occupation

Abstract This review synthesizes occupational science, psychology, and sociology research and theory to describe how social interaction within daily rounds of occupations may be organized within the stream of time. The coordination and orchestration of activities between individuals is a highly sophisticated process that is proposed to rely on entrainment between members, shared background expectancies that promote orderly interactions within daily routines and mutually accepted beliefs about time. This article begins by describing the roots of the ideation and patterning of temporal socialization which is drawn from biological rhythms, values and beliefs, work and social commitments, cultural beliefs and engagement in activity. Next it introduces the key concept of occupatio‐temporality or how occupation itself patterns participation through the rhythm, tempo, sequence, synchronization, requirement for personal resources, and compatibility with other occupations. Finally, examples from research studies i...
Pitching Performance and Longevity After Revision Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction in Major League Baseball Pitchers

Background:Medial ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction is a common procedure performed on professional pitchers in Major League Baseball (MLB). Although a great deal is known about primary reconstruction, much less is known about revision reconstruction.Purpose/Hypothesis:The purpose of this study was to evaluate statistical performance, return to play, and career longevity in MLB pitchers after revision UCL surgery, with the hypothesis that pitching performance and career longevity will decline after revision surgery.Study Design:Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.Methods:A total of 33 MLB pitchers who underwent revision UCL reconstruction surgery (UCL-R group) were identified and compared with 33 age- and position-matched controls (CTL group). Return to play, total years played, and statistical performance were evaluated and compared with controls.Results:After revision surgery, 65.5% of UCL-R pitchers returned to the MLB level. On average, the UCL-R pitchers played 0.8 years less in the major...
The effects of therapeutic touch and relaxation therapy in reducing anxiety

This study examines the effects of two noninvasive procedures on experienced anxiety. Thirty-one inpatients of a Veterans Administration psychiatric facility were randomly assigned to one of two treatment conditions, (therapeutic touch and relaxation therapy) or to a therapeutic touch placebo condition. An additional 13 patients were excluded because of failure to meet criteria for the study or failure to complete the procedures. Each subject completed a self-report anxiety measure and was rated for amount of motor activity before and after each of two 15-minute treatment sessions in a 24-hour period. Subjects' belief in the effectiveness of the intervention was measured. Expectancy did not correlate with outcome and was not analyzed further. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) showed that whereas relaxation therapy provided significant reduction of anxiety on the self-report measure and the movement measure, the nursing intervention of therapeutic touch resulted in significant reductions of reported anxiety. The control group showed small but nonsignificant effects. Results suggests that both relaxation and therapeutic touch are effective palliatives to experienced anxiety. Implications for nursing theory are discussed.
Formation of amino-acids by thermal decomposition of formamide - Oligomerization of hydrogen cyanide.

Amino acid formation by formamide thermal decomposition, noting support for hydrogen cyanide oligomerization hypothesis
Phoresis of spherical particles in multicomponent gas mixtures

Abstract A theory is developed for the drag, thermophoresis, diffusiophoresis and thermodiffusiophoresis of spherical aerosol particles in multicomponent gas mixtures. The theory is based on a kinetic-theory model in which the particles are treated as giant molecules, and covers the full range of particle Knudsen numbers. It is shown how the theory allows results on multicomponent mixtures to be predicted from results on single gases or binary mixtures.
Hyperbilirubinemia after single-stage radicalcystectomy and ileal loop diversion

One hundred ninety-two patients underwent single-stage radical cystectomy and ileal loop diversion over a three-year period. Postoperative hyperbilirubinemia occurred in 21 patients (10.9%) within the first ten days. Early hyperbilirubinemia occurred in 11 patients by postoperative day 5, accounting for 52 percent of the hyperbilirubinemic patients and 5.7 percent of the study population. Elevation persisted into the six to ten-day postoperative period for 9 at which time a total of 18 patients had bilirubin levels elevated above their presurgical values (P less than 0.001). This clinical observation appears to be benign and worthy of further investigation.
Using polarized neutrons to determine the phase of reflection from thin film structures

Abstract It is now known that the phase of neutron specular reflection from a flat film structure can be determined exactly using reference layers, even in the dynamical regime at small wavevector transfer where the Born approximation is not valid. By employing a single buried ferromagnetic layer and polarized beams, two complex reflection amplitudes for the unknown part of the film can be algebraically extracted, only one of which is physical. We describe here a means of identifying the physical branch for actual polymer film data which fits the true reflection amplitude and produces the film's scattering length density profile directly and unambiguously.
The anatomy of the rat eye with oxygen-induced retinopathy.

Prior studies have documented the intertwined developmental courses of retinal blood vessel tortuosity (in fundus photographs) and retinal dysfunction (in electroretinographs) in Sprague–Dawley rat models of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Two such models, the “50/10 model” and the “75 model,” are named after the oxygen regimens used to induce retinopathy and are characterized by distinct neurovascular courses that span a range of disease severity. In this study of 50/10 and 75 model rats, retinal flatmounts were used to study the full vasculature at postnatal day (P) 15, P19 and P30. In addition, the layers of the neural retina were measured in toluidine blue-stained cross sections. Finally, gross anatomic features of the eye, including axial length, retinal surface area, and the ratio of anterior to posterior axial-lengths were evaluated. Both clock hours of neovascularization (NV) and percent avascular retina (AR) peaked at P19 and resolved by P30. Through P19, NV was found in every 50/10 model rat, but in only 60% of 75 model rats. AR was positively related to NV. All inner layers of the retina (outer plexiform layer through ganglion cell layer) were attenuated in 50/10 model rats but, in the 75 model, no layer differed significantly from that in controls. The eyes in both ROP models were smaller than those of age-matched controls. The ratio of anterior to posterior axial-lengths ranged from 0.45 in controls through 0.37 in the 75 model to 0.32 in the 50/10 model. Thus, eye growth is altered in these rat models of ROP.
Spinor norms of rotations of local integral quadratic forms

Abstract Let ( F , p) be a quadratic ramified extension of the field Q 2 of 2-adic numbers, with D its ring of integers and u the group of units of D . Let L be a regular n -ary quadratic lattice over D with n ≥ 3 and sL ⊆ D . A lower bound is obtained for ord p dL when u ⊈ θ ( O + ( L )). This yields a sufficient condition for the class number of an indefinite quadratic form over the ring of integers of a quadratic number field to be a divisor of the class number of the field.
Principle of direct van der Waals epitaxy of single-crystalline films on epitaxial graphene

There are numerous studies on the growth of planar films on sp(2)-bonded two-dimensional (2D) layered materials. However, it has been challenging to grow single-crystalline films on 2D materials due to the extremely low surface energy. Recently, buffer-assisted growth of crystalline films on 2D layered materials has been introduced, but the crystalline quality is not comparable with the films grown on sp(3)-bonded three-dimensional materials. Here we demonstrate direct van der Waals epitaxy of high-quality single-crystalline GaN films on epitaxial graphene with low defectivity and surface roughness comparable with that grown on conventional SiC or sapphire substrates. The GaN film is released and transferred onto arbitrary substrates. The post-released graphene/SiC substrate is reused for multiple growth and transfer cycles of GaN films. We demonstrate fully functional blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs) by growing LED stacks on reused graphene/SiC substrates followed by transfer onto plastic tapes.
Reliability Considerations in the STD Development

The structural features of the STD hybrid circuit building process are described. `Two features of this structure are unusual: first, the use of evaporated and electroplated metal contacts and, second, the use of a thermoplastic layer to separate two layers of metallization. Since the latter feature is unique to STD at this time, the adhesive properties of the plastic to the other circuit elements and the metal films to the plastic, together with the mechanical strains developed among the structural parts, are examined and discussed in detail. It is shown that the integral parts of the STD circuit adhere well and that the lateral strains, caused by thermal expansion, are insignificant. Also, any vertical strains in the system do not adversely affect contact continuity.
THE ENCEPHALIC CONTROL OF TONE IN THE MUSCULATURE OF THE URINARY BLADDER

The normal act of micturition is dependent upon a well-sustained contraction of the smooth musculature of the wall of the bladder. With lesions of the nervous system below the mid-brain affecting micturition, this contraction is faulty. The experiments were performed upon cats, using as anaesthetics dial ciba, which acts uniformly throughout the experiment, or ether. After decerebration through the optic colliculi the bladder emptied completely on as little as one-fourteenth the volume of fluid required to produce reflex micturition in the intact, anaesthetized preparation. Under these conditions the pressure rose very rapidly and the contraction of the muscles was forceful. Transection of the brain-stem below the acoustic colliculi abolished this reflex and no contraction sufficient to empty the bladder occurred. The bladder then showed retention with overflow. The conclusion was reached that tone in the musculature of the bladder is controlled by similar mechanisms to those that control tone in the striated musculature. There is evidence that the control of this tonic mechanism is largely a function of the cerebral motor cortex and is effective at the level of the spinal cord. The tonic control is carried out from areas in the cephalic portion of the hind-brain. A study of bladder abnormalities in man serve to illustrate the experimental findings.
Resolving the Evolutionary History of Campanula (Campanulaceae) in Western North America

Recent phylogenetic works have begun to address long-standing questions regarding the systematics of Campanula (Campanulaceae). Yet, aspects of the evolutionary history, particularly in northwestern North America, remain unresolved. Thus, our primary goal in this study was to infer the phylogenetic positions of northwestern Campanula species within the greater Campanuloideae tree. We combined new sequence data from 5 markers (atpB, rbcL, matK, and trnL-F regions of the chloroplast and the nuclear ITS) representing 12 species of Campanula with previously published datasets for worldwide campanuloids, allowing us to include approximately 75% of North American Campanuleae in a phylogenetic analysis of the Campanuloideae. Because all but one of North American Campanula species are nested within a single campanuloid subclade (the Rapunculus clade), we conducted a separate set of analyses focused specifically on this group. Our findings show that i) the campanuloids have colonized North America at least 6 times, 4 of which led to radiations, ii) all but one North American campanuloid are nested within the Rapunculus clade, iii) in northwestern North America, a C. piperi – C. lasiocarpa ancestor gave rise to a monophyletic Cordilleran clade that is sister to a clade containing C. rotundifolia, iv) within the Cordilleran clade, C. parryi var. parryi and C. parryi var. idahoensis exhibit a deep, species-level genetic divergence, and v) C. rotundifolia is genetically diverse across its range and polyphyletic. Potential causes of diversification and endemism in northwestern North America are discussed.
The effect of maternal smoking during pregnancy on intellectual disabilities among 8-year-old children.

Prenatal tobacco smoke exposure has been implicated as a risk factor for cognitive deficits in children. The purpose of this study is to examine the association between prenatal tobacco smoke exposure and diagnosis of intellectual disabilities (ID) among 8-year-old children living in Arkansas, Georgia, North Carolina and Utah. In 2002 and 2004, 965 ID case children were identified through a surveillance network and compared with the population of children born in the surveillance region during the same period (n = 104 607). Prenatal tobacco smoke exposure was determined from birth certificates. We estimated the effect of prenatal tobacco smoke exposure (none, or =20 cigarettes per day) on ID using logistic regression. Generally, the risk of ID was mildly elevated among children whose mothers smoked > or =20 cigarettes per day during pregnancy [RR 1.34; 95% (confidence interval) CI 0.96, 1.87] after adjustment for maternal education, maternal race, maternal age, marital status, child sex, birth year and study site. However, the effect of exposure to > or =20 cigarettes per day significantly differed for males [RR 1.77, 95% CI 1.20, 2.62] compared with females [RR 0.81, 95% CI 0.44, 1.50]. Supplemental analyses reveal substantial confounding of this relationship by socio-economic indicators. A differential effect of tobacco smoke exposure on the risk of ID is suggested for males and females and deserves further investigation; however, the interpretation is tempered by the potential for residual confounding.
Improving disaster response with multi-touch technologies

A renewed interest in multi-touch tabletop display technologies has research groups investigating alternate human computer interaction techniques. The UMass Lowell Robotics Lab recently began investigating the use of the Mitsubishi DiamondTouch display, which supports multiple points of contact, multiple users, and rich gesture recognition. These capabilities naturally lend themselves to disaster response command and control. This video describes two prototype urban search and rescue command and control interfaces that have been investigated for use in tabletop configurations.
Rate-based borrowing scheme for QoS provisioning in multimedia wireless networks

Now that cellular networks are being called upon to support real-time interactive multimedia traffic such as video teleconferencing, these networks must be able to provide their users with quality-of-service (QoS) guarantees. Although the QoS provisioning problem arises in wireline networks as well, mobility of hosts, scarcity of bandwidth, and channel fading make QoS provisioning a challenging task in wireless networks. It has been noticed that multimedia applications can tolerate and gracefully adapt to transient fluctuations in the QoS that they receive from the network. The management of such adaptive multimedia applications is becoming a new research area in wireless networks. As it turns out, the additional flexibility afforded by the ability of multimedia applications to tolerate and adapt to transient changes in the QoS parameters can be exploited by protocol designers to significantly improve the overall performance of wireless systems. The main contribution of this paper is to propose a novel, rate-based, borrowing scheme for QoS provisioning in high-speed cellular networks carrying multimedia traffic. Our scheme attempts to allocate the desired bandwidth to every multimedia connection originating in a cell or being handed off to the cell. The novelty of our scheme is that, in case of insufficient bandwidth, in order not to deny service to requesting connections (new or hand-off), bandwidth will be borrowed, on a temporary basis, from existing connections. Our borrowing scheme guarantees that no connection gives up more than its fair share of bandwidth, in the sense that the amount of bandwidth borrowed from a connection is proportional to its tolerance to bandwidth loss. Importantly, our scheme ensures that the borrowed bandwidth is promptly returned to the degraded connections. Extensive simulation results show that our rate-based QoS provisioning scheme outperforms the best previously known schemes in terms of call dropping probability, call blocking probability, and bandwidth utilization.
Small-scale spatial structure and long-term variability of near- bottom layers in the HEBBLE area

Abstract Analysis of ∼4 years of deep-ocean measurements in the HEBBLE area indicate significant mean spatial differences in bottom layer velocities as well as temperatures associated with the Cold Filament. The data indicate that the Cold Filament core (potential temperature less than 1.80°C) is order 7 km wide, comparable to the Rossby radius of deformation, and its location can fluctuate across slope in a range about four times larger than its instantaneous width. The signature of the variability of the Gulf Stream is evident in the bottom layer for periods of ≈90 days (the eddies range) and ≈1 year. Associated with a seasonal shift in the Gulf Stream position may be a small, out-of-phase, across-slope shift in the Cold Filament location. The observed spatial structure in the velocity field may be due to thermal wind effects associated with the inclination of the transition region above the Cold Filament core.
Effects of area and time horizons in comprehensive and integrated water resources management

Four concepts are defined for water resources systems: comprehensive management, integrated management, area horizons and time horizons. Five phases in development of water resources are: initial phase of modest demand (water transferred only in space), intense developmental phase (water transferred in both space and time), water transfer among the adjacent areas, water re-allocation phase, and the phase of developmental maturity. The comprehensive management incorporates the external social, economic, environmental, financial and political influences by specifying the goals to be attained. The concept of water resources supersystem, as a set of dependent systems, is introduced. The integrating management means incorporating a set of purposes as the internal aspects of resource management. They are realized by economic, social, environmental and other optimizations of the well defined objective functions. Objectives are fulfilled by matching supply and demand. Thus a triad of goals-purposes-objectives is defined. Three basic area horizons for a system are: the main system area, the adjacent physically-interacting area, and the surrounding areas interacting through water or power demand. Five time horizons of effects on systems are: period of economic life, period of physical life, horizon of obsolescence, period of full allocation of available water, and period during which significant climatic changes have occurred.
Novel role of AQP-1 in NO-dependent vasorelaxation

Nitric oxide (NO) produced by endothelial cells diffuses to vascular smooth muscle cells to cause dilatation of the renal vasculature and other vessels. Although it is generally assumed that NO mov...
Activities of the Sex-lethal protein in RNA binding and protein:Protein interactions

The Drosophila sex determination gene Sex-lethal (Sxl) controls its own expression, and the expression of downstream target genes such as transformer , by regulating pre-mRNA splicing and mRNA translation. Sxl codes an RNA-binding protein that consists of an N-terminus of approximately 100 amino acids, two 90 amino acid RRM domains, R1 and R2, and an 80 amino acid C-terminus. In the studies reported here we have examined the functional properties of the different Sxl protein domains in RNA binding and in protein:protein interactions. The two RRM domains are responsible for RNA binding. Specificity in the recognition of target RNAs requires both RRM domains, and proteins which consist of the single domains or duplicated domains have anomalous RNA recognition properties. Moreover, the length of the linker between domains can affect RNA recognition properties. Our results indicate that the two RRM domains mediate Sxl:Sxl protein interactions, and that these interactions probably occur both in cis and trans. We speculate that cis interactions between R1 and R2 play a role in RNA recognition by the Sxl protein, while trans interactions stabilize complex formation on target RNAs that contain two or more closely spaced binding sites. Finally, we show that the interaction of Sxl with the snRNP protein Snf is mediated by the R1 RRM domain.
Competitive One-to-One Promotions

One-to-one promotions are possible when consumers are individually addressable and firms know something about each customer's preferences. We explore the competitive effects of one-to-one promotions in a model with two competing firms where the firms differ in size and consumers have heterogeneous brand loyalty. We find that one-to-one promotions always lead to an increase in price competition (average prices in the market decrease). However, we also find that one-to-one promotions affect market shares. This market-share effect may outweigh the effect of lower prices, benefiting the firm whose market share increases. Our results suggest that of two firms, the firm with the higher-quality product may gain from one-to-one promotions. Our model also has implications for the phenomenon of customer churn, where consumers switch to a less preferred brand due to targeted promotional incentives. We show that churning can arise optimally from firms pursuing a profit-maximizing strategy. Instead of trying to minimize it, the optimal way to manage customer churn is to engage in both offensive and defensive promotions with the relative mix depending on the marginal cost of targeting.
THE CHEMILUMINESCENCE OF CERTAIN INDOLES

— A series of twenty-four indoles and related compounds have been examined for chemiluminescent activity in aqueous solution and in dimethylsulfoxide. Seven compounds were found to chemiluminesce in the presence of base and peroxydisulfate in aqueous solution and eleven compounds gave chemiluminescence in dimethylsulfoxide with base using oxygen as the oxidizing agent. The relative intensities have been determined. There is no clear correlation between substitution patterns and the presence of chemiluminescence in either series. Some preliminary kinetic studies have been made on the indole system. Product studies indicate that the indole is degraded by at least two different pathways and that chemiluminescent process is probably only a small fraction of the total chemical change occurring.
Data reconciliation and gross‐error detection for dynamic systems

Gross-error detection plays a vital role in parameter estimation and data reconciliation for dynamic and steady-state systems. Data errors due to miscalibrated or faulty sensors or just random events nonrepresentative of the underlying statistical distribution can induce heavy biases in parameter estimates and reconciled data. Robust estimators and exploratory statistical methods for the detection of gross errors as the data reconciliation is performed are discussed. These methods have the property insensitive to departures from ideal statistical distributions and to the presence of outliers. Once the regression is done, the outliers can be detected readily by using exploratory statistical techniques. Optimization algorithm and reconciled data offer the ability to classify variables according to their observability and redundancy properties. In this article, an observable variable is an unmeasured quantity that can be estimated from the measured variables through the physical model, while a nonredundant variable is a measured variable that cannot be estimated other than through its measurement. Variable classification can be used to help design instrumentation schemes. An efficient method for this classification of dynamic systems is developed. Variable classification and gross-error detection have important connections, and gross-error detection on nonredundant variables has to be performed with caution.
Cloned, expressed rat cerebellar nitric oxide synthase contains stoichiometric amounts of heme, which binds carbon monoxide.

Abstract The endogenous formation of nitric oxide (NO) has become an area of intense interest as evidence for its biological functions has been obtained in three distinct tissues: circulating macrophages, in which it exerts cytotoxic effects; blood vessels, in which it has been identified as endothelium-derived relaxing factor; and neuronal cells, in which it functions as a neurotransmitter. The formation of NO in brain extracts has been shown to be catalyzed by an enzyme, termed NO synthase, which generates the NO responsible for stimulation of cGMP formation, the highest levels of which occur in the cerebellum. NO synthase catalyzes the formation of citrulline from arginine with the coincident production of NO and has been shown to be a flavoprotein, containing 1 mol each of FAD and FMN, tetrahydrobiopterin, and iron. It is also reported to contain an alpha-helical, calmodulin-binding consensus sequence consistent with its stimulation by calmodulin in the presence of Ca2+. The formation of NO requires incorporation of one of the atoms of molecular oxygen into one of the guanidinium nitrogen atoms of arginine with the coincident formation of citrulline. This communication reports that rat cerebellar NO synthase, cloned and stably expressed in human kidney 293 cells, contains heme in amounts stoichiometric with the flavins FAD and FMN as evidenced by the appearance of a pyridine hemochrome and a reduced CO difference spectrum with an absorbance maximum at approximately 445 nm. The finding of a CO-binding heme moiety explains the presence of iron in the enzyme and suggests a role for prosthetic heme as an oxygenase reaction center. This report also presents evidence for incorporation of delta-[14C]aminolevulinate specifically into immunoprecipitable NO synthase in stably transfected human kidney 293 cells but not in nontransfected cells. Simultaneously, K. A. White and M. A. Marletta [(1992) Biochemistry 31, 6627-6631] have demonstrated a CO-binding heme prosthetic group in purified murine macrophage NO synthase and have suggested the identity of these reaction centers in both the constitutive (cerebellar) and inducible (macrophage) forms of NO synthase.
Low-Frequency Pycnocline Variability in the Northeast Pacific

Abstract The output from an ocean general circulation model (OGCM) driven by observed surface forcing is used in conjunction with simpler dynamical models to examine the physical mechanisms responsible for interannual to interdecadal pycnocline variability in the northeast Pacific Ocean during 1958–97, a period that includes the 1976–77 climate shift. After 1977 the pycnocline deepened in a broad band along the coast and shoaled in the central part of the Gulf of Alaska. The changes in pycnocline depth diagnosed from the model are in agreement with the pycnocline depth changes observed at two ocean stations in different areas of the Gulf of Alaska. A simple Ekman pumping model with linear damping explains a large fraction of pycnocline variability in the OGCM. The fit of the simple model to the OGCM is maximized in the central part of the Gulf of Alaska, where the pycnocline variability produced by the simple model can account for ∼70%–90% of the pycnocline depth variance in the OGCM. Evidence of westward...
Pediatric Origins of Nephrolithiasis-Associated Atherosclerosis.

Objectives To determine if nephrolithiasis-associated atherosclerosis has pediatric origins and to consider possible association between kidney stones and atherosclerosis-related proteins. Study design We matched children aged 12-17 years with kidney stones and without kidney stones. Carotid artery intima-media thickness (cIMT) was measured by ultrasound. Participants' urine was investigated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the atherosclerosis-related proteins fibronectin 1, macrophage scavenger receptor 1, osteopontin, and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 levels, and normalized to urine creatinine levels. Results Subjects with nephrolithiasis had higher cIMT in the right common carotid artery and overall mean measurement. Urine osteopontin and fibronectin 1 were significant predictors of cIMT. Conclusions We have provided initial preliminary evidence that nephrolithiasis-associated atherosclerosis has pediatric origins and performed studies that begin to identify potential reasons for the association of nephrolithiasis and vascular disease.
The legacy of "just the facts".

Abstract This commentary to the capstone paper by Keshavan and colleagues reflects on the history of this project and the challenging nature of curating and establishing facts. While a number of approaches exist, none of them in-and-of-themselves are without drawbacks. A combination of techniques may provide the most satisfying results. We emphasize the importance of determining what facts are specific to the disorder – a particularly challenging endeavor – and the usefulness of various ways of quantifying these facts.
A Salute to Dedicated Women

Madam President, members and guests of the Crystal Chapter of the Asthmatic Children’s Foundation of Florida : Thank you for the privilege of speaking to you on the subject that we are mutually interested in-that of rehabilitation of the severely afflicted, intractable asthmatic child. When one realizes that in the United States one-third of all chronic conditions occurring in children under 17 years of age are caused by asthma, hay fever, and other allergies, it reflects on the seriousness and enormity of the problem. Nearly five million children suffer from chronic allergic disorders; and over 2% million of these have asthma of varying degrees of severity. About 300,000 children have intractable asthma. Ninety percent are manageable by properly instituted allergic measures. The remaining 10 percent, or approximately 30,000 asthmatic children, do not respond to modern therapeutic methods because of deep-seated emotional factors, uncorrected environmental conditions, and/or undetected special situations. Do children “outgrow” their asthma? It is a known fact that about 25 percent of asthmatic children do improve without any allergy treatment and no longer have asthmatic attacks. However, one does not know which child will fall into that 25 percent group. The tendency for allergic symptoms to become progressively worse if untreated has been documented frequently in the medical literature. If the parent, influenced by the unaware physician, permits the child to continue without allergy treatment, believing that he or she will “outgrow” the illness, harm may ensue. The end result may be an adolescent or adult who has complications of chronic pulmonary disease. In a study by the Children’s Bureau on “Illness in Children”, it was shown that over 25 percent of children with major allergies like asthma, hay fever, and allergic eczema continue to have symptoms, even a t 16 and 17. This is particularly true of those who have not been on allergy management. I would like to discuss several propositions which should be thought-provoking : Do we need an Asthmatic Residential Treatment Center for children? Yes, we do; for the compelling reason that a center such as ours reduces the incidence of life-threatening episodes of a type of grnve or malignant asthma known as status asthmaticus, prevents deaths, and importantly, teaches the
Human Cytomegalovirus Promotes Survival of Infected Monocytes via a Distinct Temporal Regulation of Cellular Bcl-2 Family Proteins

ABSTRACT Monocytes play a key role in the hematogenous dissemination of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) to target organ systems. To infect monocytes and reprogram them to deliver infectious virus, HCMV must overcome biological obstacles, including the short life span of monocytes and their antiviral proapoptotic response to infection. We have shown that virally induced upregulation of cellular Mcl-1 promotes early survival of HCMV-infected monocytes, allowing cells to overcome an early apoptotic checkpoint at around 48 h postinfection (hpi). Here, we demonstrate an HCMV-dependent shift from Mcl-1 as the primary antiapoptotic player to the related protein, Bcl-2, later during infection. Bcl-2 was upregulated in HCMV-infected monocytes beginning at 48 hpi. Treatment with the Bcl-2 antagonist ABT-199 only reduced the prosurvival effects of HCMV in target monocytes beginning at 48 hpi, suggesting that Mcl-1 controls survival prior to 48 hpi, while Bcl-2 promotes survival after 48 hpi. Although Bcl-2 was upregulated following viral binding/signaling through cellular integrins (compared to Mcl-1, which is upregulated through binding/activation of epidermal growth factor receptor [EGFR]), it functioned similarly to Mcl-1, adopting the early role of Mcl-1 in preventing caspase-3 cleavage/activation. This distinct, HCMV-induced shift from Mcl-1 to Bcl-2 occurs in response to a cellular upregulation of proapoptotic Bax, as small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated knockdown of Bax reduced the upregulation of Bcl-2 in infected monocytes and rescued the cells from the apoptotic effects of Bcl-2 inhibition. Our data demonstrate a distinct survival strategy whereby HCMV induces a biphasic regulation of cellular Bcl-2 proteins to promote host cell survival, leading to viral dissemination and the establishment of persistent HCMV infection. IMPORTANCE Hematogenous dissemination of HCMV via infected monocytes is a crucial component of the viral survival strategy and is required for the establishment of persistent infection and for viral spread to additional hosts. Our system of infected primary human blood monocytes provides us with an opportunity to answer specific questions about viral spread and persistence in in vivo-relevant myeloid cells that cannot be addressed with the more traditionally used replication-permissive cells. Our goal in examining the mechanisms whereby HCMV reprograms infected monocytes to promote viral dissemination is to uncover new targets for therapeutic intervention that would disrupt key viral survival and persistence strategies. Because of this important role in maintaining survival of HCMV-infected monocytes, our new data on the role of Bcl-2 regulation during viral infection represents a promising molecular target for mitigating viral spread and persistence.
IL-19 Halts Progression of Atherosclerotic Plaque, Polarizes, and Increases Cholesterol Uptake and Efflux in Macrophages

Atherosclerosis regression is an important clinical goal, and treatments that can reverse atherosclerotic plaque formation are actively being sought. Our aim was to determine whether administration of exogenous IL-19, a Th2 cytokine, could attenuate progression of preformed atherosclerotic plaque and to identify molecular mechanisms. LDLR −/− mice were fed a Western diet for 12 weeks, then administered rIL-19 or phosphate-buffered saline concomitant with Western diet for an additional 8 weeks. Analysis of atherosclerosis burden showed that IL-19–treated mice were similar to baseline, in contrast to control mice which showed a 54% increase in plaque, suggesting that IL-19 halted the progression of atherosclerosis. Plaque characterization showed that IL-19–treated mice had key features of atherosclerosis regression, including a reduction in macrophage content and an enrichment in markers of M2 macrophages. Mechanistic studies revealed that IL-19 promotes the activation of key pathways leading to M2 macrophage polarization, including STAT3, STAT6, Kruppel-like factor 4, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ, and can reduce cytokine-induced inflammation in vivo . We identified a novel role for IL-19 in regulating macrophage lipid metabolism through peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ-dependent regulation of scavenger receptor–mediated cholesterol uptake and ABCA1-mediated cholesterol efflux. These data show that IL-19 can halt progression of preformed atherosclerotic plaques by regulating both macrophage inflammation and cholesterol homeostasis and implicate IL-19 as a link between inflammation and macrophage cholesterol metabolism.
Multivariate pattern analysis strategies in detection of remitted major depressive disorder using resting state functional connectivity

Understanding abnormal resting-state functional connectivity of distributed brain networks may aid in probing and targeting mechanisms involved in major depressive disorder (MDD). To date, few studies have used resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) to attempt to discriminate individuals with MDD from individuals without MDD, and to our knowledge no investigations have examined a remitted (r) population. In this study, we examined the efficiency of support vector machine (SVM) classifier to successfully discriminate rMDD individuals from healthy controls (HCs) in a narrow early-adult age range. We empirically evaluated four feature selection methods including multivariate Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) and Elastic Net feature selection algorithms. Our results showed that SVM classification with Elastic Net feature selection achieved the highest classification accuracy of 76.1% (sensitivity of 81.5% and specificity of 68.9%) by leave-one-out cross-validation across subjects from a dataset consisting of 38 rMDD individuals and 29 healthy controls. The highest discriminating functional connections were between the left amygdala, left posterior cingulate cortex, bilateral dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex, and right ventral striatum. These appear to be key nodes in the etiopathophysiology of MDD, within and between default mode, salience and cognitive control networks. This technique demonstrates early promise for using rs-fMRI connectivity as a putative neurobiological marker capable of distinguishing between individuals with and without rMDD. These methods may be extended to periods of risk prior to illness onset, thereby allowing for earlier diagnosis, prevention, and intervention.
F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomographic imaging in desmoplastic small round cell tumor of the abdomen

Positron emission tomography using F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose can be a useful adjunct In the preoperative evaluation of soft tissue tumors and provide valuable information that cannot be obtained from CT or MRI. Desmoplastic small round cell tumor is an aggressive malignant neoplasm that has been described only recently. Primary tumor involvement of the peritoneum, predominately affecting adolescents and young adults, is the most common presentation with desmoplastic small round cell tumor. This diagnosis portends a poor prognosis, although multimodality therapy including surgery may prolong survival. Cross-sectional imaging studies typically show multiple, lobulated, peritoneal-based masses without an apparent organ of origin.
Sequential Count and Decision Plans for Sampling Green Cloverworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Larvae in Soybean

Sequential count and decision plans using plant shake samples were developed for Plathypena scabra (F.) larvae. Larval dispersion patterns were analyzed by Taylor’s power law and Iwao’s regression technique. Both methods detected statistically significant aggregation for all larval stages. The results of these analyses were used to develop research-oriented sequential count plans and grower-oriented decision plans. Both plans were evaluated in the field during 1981.
A Century of Growth and Improvement

Abstract The fact that actual economic advance over time normally means producing and consuming different things is usually left implicit in modern models of economic growth. By contrast, qualitative change--new goods and services, and better versions of what already existed--is central to Robert Gordon's history of the improvement of American living standards since 1870. A major contribution of his fine-grained account of this experience is to make clear what this improvement has meant, and why it has mattered to ordinary citizens.