cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Public Attitudes towards Agricultural Biotechnology

The full benefits of agricultural biotechnology will only be realized if consumers and food manufacturers consider it safe and beneficial. Although few internationally comparable public opinion surveys have been conducted on this issue, the available evidence suggests that public attitudes differ sharply both between and within countries and are evolving over time. Consumer attitudes have been studied in the United States and Europe for more than a decade. This research is reviewed along with the available data from Latin America, Asia and Africa. Results from the largest internationally comparable public opinion survey on agricultural biotechnology to date are highlighted.
Editing site recognition in plant mitochondria: the importance of 5′-flanking sequences

Cytidine to uridine (C-to-U) editing occurs in plant mitochondria with very high specificity such that only specific cytidines are converted to uridines. The mechanisms for editing site selection in plant mitochondria are unknown. In order to examine the determinants of editing site recognition, repeated mitochondrial DNA sequences that include edited nucleotides have been evaluated as editing substrates. During evolution the maize mitochondrial ribosomal protein subunit 12 (rps12) gene recombined with intron 1 of the ribosomal protein subunit 3 (rps3) gene and a region of the S1-like sequence of the 2.3 kb plasmid. These recombinations created a second copy of an internal portion of the rps12 gene, known as rps12b, which includes the first four editing sites of rps12 transcripts. The duplicated sequence extends seven nucleotides upstream of editing site 1 and six nucleotides downstream from editing site 4. The sequences of rps12 and rps12b are identical between these sites except for a single change at -5 from editing site 1. These modifications did not affect C-to-U conversion at editing sites 2, 3, or 4 in rps12b; however, no editing was detected at editing site 1 in rps12b cDNAs. Thus, the 5′ recombination abolished editing at site I, while the 3′ recombination modified the downstream RNA sequence, but did not effect editing at site IV. Secondary structure prediction suggests that changes in editing site recognition do not correlate with differences in secondary structures, and that primary RNA sequence may be responsible for editing site specification.
Context Effects and Biases in Sensory Judgment

An axiom of perceptual psychology has it that human beings are very poor absolute measuring instruments but are very good at comparing things. For example, we have trouble estimating either the sweetness level of a single solution or its physical concentration (should we be trained to think in physical units?), but we have little trouble in telling whether more sugar has been added to the coffee. The question then arises: If people are so prone to making comparisons, how do they judge sensory intensity when no comparison is explicitly requested? For example, when asked to rate the perceived firmness of a food sample, how do they judge what is firm vs. what is soft? Obviously, they must either choose a reference for comparison, form a frame of reference for the range of firmness to be judged, or be trained with explicit reference standards to understand what is high and low on the response scale. For many items encountered in everyday life, we have established frames of reference based on experience for how magnitudes, extent, or intensities are to be compared. We have no trouble with the image of a large mouse running up the trunk of a small elephant because we have established frames of reference for what constitutes the average mouse and the average elephant.
La verdad y el error en medicina. Enseñanzas de la historia

FRAGMENTO No parece ser necesario pregonar el estudio de la historia de la medicina en una tribuna como esta. No solo satisface la curiosidad intelectual de las mentes curiosas ni sirve solamente para dar a conocer las raices de su arte a los que, practicandola, sienten la inquietud de conocer esas raices. El conocimiento de la historia de la medicina rinde tantos frutos que puede satisfacer con facilidad las exigencias del mas pragmatico de los practicantes de la profesion medica. Anade una dimension, la del tiempo, a lo que se sabe, da a conocer lo que se penso antes sobre este o aquel problema, y por que se descarto la teoria, y si fue o no justo que se descartara; hace reflexionar sobre la solidez de los conocimientos actuales, permite conocer y admirar a aquellos cuyo legado cientifico aprovechamos; ayuda a estimar con modestia lo que ahora se sabe y a reconocer que si acaso se contempla ahora un horizonte mas amplio, es porque estamos parados sobre los hombros de gigantes; defiende del dogmatismo y de la rigidez; nos vuelve mas dispuestos a ser flexibles, a no abrazar con ciego entusiasmo la ultima teoria ni el ultimo invento; impulsa a redoblar el estudio reflexivo y critico del ultimo numero de las revistas medicas
Otx1 and Otx2 define layers and regions in developing cerebral cortex and cerebellum

Within the cerebral and cerebellar cortices, neurons are organized in layers that segregate neurons with distinctive morphologies and axonal connections, and areas or regions that correspond to distinct functional domains. To explore the molecular underpinnings of pattern formation in layered regions of the CNS, we have characterized the patterns of expression of two homeodomain genes, Otx1 and Otx2, by in situ hybridization during embryonic and postnatal development in the rat. Otx1 and Otx2 are vertebrate homologs of the Drosophila gap gene orthodenticle, and are expressed during the development of the murine CNS (Simeone et al., 1992). Here we report that Otx1 mRNA is expressed in a subpopulation of neurons within cortical layers 5 and 6 during postnatal and adult life. This gene is also expressed by the precursors of deep-layer neurons within the developing cerebral ventricular zone, but is apparently downregulated by the progenitors of upper-layer neurons; Otx1 is never expressed by the neurons of layers 1–4. The spatial and temporal patterns suggest that Otx1 may play a role in the specification or differentiation of neurons in the deep layers of the cerebral cortex. Within the cerebellum, mRNAs for Otx1 and Otx2 are found within the external granular layer (EGL), but in three spatially distinct domains. During postnatal development, Otx1 is expressed within anterior cerebellar lobules; Otx2 mRNA is localized posteriorly, and a region of overlap in mid-cerebellum defines a third domain in which both genes are expressed. The boundaries of Otx1 and Otx2 expression correspond to the major functional boundaries of the cerebellum, and define the vestibulocerebellum, spinocerebellum, and pontocerebellum, respectively. Spatially restricted patterns of hybridization are observed early in postnatal life, at times that correspond roughly to the invasion of spinal and pontine afferents into the cerebellum (Arsenio-Nunes and Sotelo, 1985; Mason, 1987). These results raise the possibility that Otx1 and Otx2 play a role in cerebellar regionalization during early development.
How Businesses Fare with Daily Deals as They Gain Experience: A Multi-Time Period Study of Daily Deal Performance

We examine performance of daily deals using survey data from 641 small- and medium-sized businesses obtained during three time periods: April-May 2011, October 2011, and May 2012. In contrast to our June 2011 report, our present findings indicate a number of positive signs for the daily deal industry, notably: (1) the incidence of profitable promotions has remained stable over the study’s duration (between 55% and 61%); (2) the likelihood of enjoying profitable promotions is associated positively with the operator’s experience with them. Less than half of the businesses running their first daily deal report profitable promotions, whereas more than three quarters of those running seven or more deals do so; (3) daily deals are just as likely to be successful for businesses that don’t do any other marketing at all as those that spend heavily on marketing activities; (4) performance metrics of completed daily deals have remained largely stable since May 2011, and have even improved on some measures like spending by deal users beyond the voucher’s value and spending by repeat customers in the most recent May 2012 sample; (5) businesses continue to attract close to 80% new customers even when running their seventh (or more) daily deal, and see equally stable conversion rates for repeat purchasing and spending beyond deal value; (6) the daily deal site’s share of revenue increased marginally from 42.5% in October 2011 to 45% in May 2012; (7) the calculation of dropout rates (i.e., businesses not intending to run daily deals again in the future) indicates that daily deals appear to be sustainable programs for approximately 30% of businesses; and (8) newer and relatively smaller businesses have even higher sustainability rates of close to 40%. We also find that restaurants and retailers (store-fronts and offline) are having a more difficult time making daily deals work compared to other industries, whereas salons and spas, and health and fitness services are doing relatively well with daily deals. Taken together, our results find little or no evidence of deterioration in the performance of daily deal promotions over the past year (April-May 2011 to May 2012) for small and medium-sized businesses or with experience as the business operator runs multiple daily deals. Rather, there is improvement in some metrics.
Electroencephalographic, behavioral and receptor binding correlates of phencyclinoids in the rat.

The pharmacology and structure-activity relationship of phencyclidine (PCP)-like drugs (phencyclinoids) were studied using electroencephalographic (EEG), behavioral and receptor binding techniques. The effects of PCP, 1-phenylcyclohexylamine HCl, N-methyl-1-phenycyclohexylamine HCl, N-ethyl-1-phenylcyclohexylamine HCl, N-(s-butyl)-1-phenylcyclohexylamine HCL, 1-(1-phenylcyclo-hexyl)-pyrrolidine HCl, 1-[1-(2-thienyl)cyclohexyl] piperidine HCl, 1-[1-(2-thienyl)cyclohexyl]-pyrrolidine HCl, ketamine and (+/-)-SKF 10047 were evaluated on the direct EEG and EEG spectra after acute i.v. injections (0.1-17.8 mg/kg). Similarities and differences were noted in the EEG dose-response curves. At lower doses of PCP and its analogs, low-amplitude theta waves predominated; however, at higher doses, high-amplitude, lower-frequency waves predominated. Qualitatively, the N-piperidine derivatives were similar to PCP and differed primarily in potency. The benzomorphan (+/-)-SKF 10047 produced only theta activity at doses up to 12.8 mg/kg. These EEG effects occurred in conjunction with overt behaviors including locomotion, stereotypy and ataxia, concurrently assessed via observer-based rating scales. A strong correlation (r = 0.98) was obtained between the EEG and behavioral effects and the IC50 values from [3H]PCP displacement experiments using crude rat brain homogenates.
Mach's Principle and the Locally Measured Gravitational Constant in General Relativity

It has been conjectured that a "Mach's principle" might lead to a dependence of the local Newtonian gravitational constant, $K$, on universe structure, ${K}^{\ensuremath{-}1}\ensuremath{\sim}\frac{M}{R}$. Einstein and others have suggested that general relativity predicts such a result. A closer analysis, however, including the carrying out of the geodesic equations to second order, seems to indicate that this is not true and that the apparent "Mach's principle" terms involving total universe structure are really only coordinate effects. Further, the measure of gravitating mass obtained in a local, proper Newtonian gravitational experiment is compared in a coordinate-free way to an experimentally measurable inertial mass and found to be related to it in a way independent of the rest of the universe. A generalization of these results is given. It is based on the fact that in general relativity the only way the universe can influence experiments done in an electrically shielded laboratory is through the metric and that this can be "transformed away" to any degree of accuracy for a sufficiently small laboratory. Consequences of this are summarized in Dicke's "strong principle of equivalence." It is noted, however, that there are other statements which might be called "Mach's principles" which are satisfied in general relativity.
BREAST CANCER AND AGING: Clinical Interactions

The most common non–skin cancer and the most common cause of cancer death in women older than 65 years is breast cancer. 9 This article discusses the prevalence of breast cancer in the geriatric population, the biology of breast cancer in older women, prevention of and screening for breast cancer, and problems specific to older women in the management of breast cancer. Breast cancer is primarily a disease of older women. Incidence rates of female breast cancer rise with advancing age, level off between the ages of 45 and 50 years (Clemmesen's hook), increase again to a peak at 75 years, and decline thereafter (Fig. 1). 66 Over time, the incidence of breast cancer has increased, and this increase has occurred predominantly in women over the age of 50 years. Compared with an incidence curve from 1973, a curve from 1987 shows a more dramatic increase in breast cancer incidence after age 50 55 (Fig. 1). With the projected increase in the geriatric population, and especially the population of women, during the next half century breast cancer will be an even greater health concern (Fig. 2). The life expectancy of women in Western societies is relatively long, about 15.5 years at the age of 70 years and 9.2 years at the age of 80 years (Table 1). 90 Life expectancy reflects the average number of years of remaining life for a woman in a specified population. For the individual, life expectancy depends on the presence of comorbid diseases as potential causes of mortality. Older women are at elevated risk not only for breast cancer but for multiple, concurrent health conditions (Fig. 3). Comorbidity clearly is an important consideration for breast cancer screening and breast cancer management. 81 Among women with breast cancer, those over the age of 65 years have more non–breast cancer related deaths than those younger than 65 (20% versus 3%, P 37 This finding has been confirmed by a series of studies by Satariano et al. 82,83,84 The risk of death increased with the number of comorbid conditions; as the number of comorbid conditions increased, the risk of breast cancer–related death also increased; and early diagnosis of breast cancer in women with multiple coexisting illnesses did not improve prognosis. 45,64,102
When Case Studies Are Not Enough: Integrating Experiential Learning Into Business Curricula

Case studies are one of the most popular teaching tools used in business colleges and universities throughout the United States yet, despite the popularity of the method, case studies cannot substitute for learning that occurs from a direct, personal encounter with the phenomena being investigated. Experiential education integrates students' academic studies with opportunities for direct learning. Through experiential learning, the student must make decisions that are real rather than merely think about a situation or case. In this article, the authors make the case for mandatory experiential programs in all major areas within the business curriculum. They explore the theory behind experiential learning, explore the role of experiential programs in the business curriculum, and discuss the outcome of integrating job shadowing into the curriculum of a regional university business course.
Distributions of Manganese, Iron, and Manganese-Oxidizing Bacteria In Lake Superior Sediments of Different Organic Carbon Content

Profiles of oxygen, soluble and particulate manganese and iron, organic carbon and nitrogen were examined in Lake Superior sediment cores, along with the distribution and abundance of heterotrophic and manganese oxidizing bacteria. Analyses were performed using cores collected with the submersible Johnson Sea Link II. Three cores, exhibiting a range of organic carbon content, were collected from the deepest basin in Lake Superior and the north and south ends of the Caribou trough, and brought to the surface for immediate analysis. Minielectrode profiles of oxygen concentration of the three cores were carried out using a commercially available minielectrode apparatus. Oxygen depletion to less than 1% occurred within 4 cm of the surface for two of the cores, but not until approximately 15 cm for the core from the south basin of the Caribou trough. The three cores exhibited very different profiles of soluble, as well as leachable, manganese and iron, suggesting different degrees of remobilization of these metals in the sediments. Vertical profiles of viable bacteria and Mn oxidizing bacteria, determined by plating and counting, showed that aerobic (and facultatively aerobic) heterotrophic bacteria were present at the highest concentrations near the surface and decreased steadily with depth, while Mn oxidizing bacteria were concentrations primarily at and above the oxic/anoxic interface. Soluble manganese in the pore waters, along with abundant organic carbon, appeared to enhance the presence of manganese oxidizing bacteria, even below the oxic/anoxic interface. Profiles of solid-phase leachable manganese suggested a microbial role in manganese reprecipitation in these sediments.
New Frontiers in Gold Catalyzed Reactions

For many years, gold has been regarded as a poor catalyst due to its chemical inertness towards reactive molecules such as oxygen and hydrogen. The interest in using gold in catalysis has increased during the last 20 years, since Haruta reported the surprisingly high activity in CO oxidation at low temperature for small (3–5 nm) gold particles supported on various oxides. [...]
The bacterial flora of the normal canine vagina compared with that of vaginal exudates

The aerobic bacterial flora (excluding Mycoplasma spp.) of the vagina of sixty-two clinically normal bitches was determined and the species most frequently isolated, in decreasing order, were: Escherichia colt, Streptococcus ‘viridans’, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus cards. From the vaginal exudates of seventy-two bitches with vaginitis, the order of frequency was: E. coli, Strep, canis and Staph. aureus. The only consistent difference between the bacterial flora from the two sources was the relatively higher numbers of bacteria in the vaginal exudates.
Biology of Infection with Borrelia burgdorferi

The spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi is a tick-borne obligate parasite whose normal reservoir is a variety of small mammals. Although infection of these natural hosts does not lead to disease, infection of humans can result in Lyme disease as a consequence of the human immunopathologic response to B burgdorferi. Consistent with the pathogenesis of Lyme disease, bacterial products that allow B burgdorferi to replicate and survive seem to be primarily what is required for the bacterium to cause disease in a susceptible host. This article describes the basic biology of B burgdorferi and reviews some of the bacterial components required for infection of and survival in the mammalian and tick hosts.
Spatial heterodyne spectroscopy: interferometric performance at any wavelength without scanning

Spatial heterodyne spectroscopy (SHS) employing a two-beam dispersive interferometer producing a Fizeau fringe pattern having wavelength-dependent spatial frequencies is presented. The pattern is recorded on an imaging detector and Fourier transformed to recover the input stream. It is pointed out that spectrometers operating on the SHS principle can achieve the theoretical resolution limit of the gratings without scanning, retaining at the same time the large angular input tolerance and multiplexing properties of conventional scanning Fourier-transform spectrometers. Additionally, broad spectral coverages can be achieved, and field widening can be accomplished without moving parts.
Kinetics and pH Dependence of Acid-Induced Structural Changes in the Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus Glycoprotein Complex

The NBD-PE/Rd-PE fluorescent membrane fusion assay was used to measure the pH dependence and kinetics of the fusion activity of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus with liposomes designed to mimic the composition of the endosomal membrane. Fusion activity was only observed at pH values less than 6.3 and showed a greater rate and extent at lower pH values. Pronounced kinetic fusion curves were observed at pH values below 5.8. When equivalent lipid amounts of target liposomes and virus were mixed at pH 5.3 the dequenching activity had a t1/2 of 45 ± 10 sec. In addition to catalyzing membrane fusion after acidification the glycoprotein complex was previously found to undergo conformational change (C. Di Simone, M. A. Zandonatti, and M. J. Buchmeier, 1994, Virology 198, 455-465), including loss of the GP-1 polypeptide from the virion surface. The pH dependence and kinetics of this acid-induced GP-1 release were quantitated using centrifugal separation of solubilized GP-1 from pelleted virions. A pH-dependent elution curve was determined with progressively more GP-1 released at pH values below 6.3 and reaching nearly 100% dissociation at pH 5.5 after 30 min at 37°. At pH 5.3 the GP disassembly proceeded with a t1/2 of 7 ± 2 min. The t1/2 of virus inactivation was also measured at pH 5.3 and 7.0 and found to be 7.9 ± 1 and 150 min, respectively. Fusion, GP dissociation, and inactivation kinetics data suggest a mechanism in which GP is activated to a fusion active state where membrane lipid exchange occurs and then undergoes an irreversible conformational change which includes the loss of GP-1 from the spike complex.
The Struggle for Rights and the Expansion of the International System

Individual Rights and the Making of the International System. By Christian Reus-Smit. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2013. 232 pp., $29.99 paperback (ISBN-13: 978-0-521-67448-5). This book seeks to explain an important dimension of the historical development of the modern international system: the origin and spread of the sovereign state as the dominant mode of political organization in the world. Explaining the global expansion of the international system from its origins in seventeenth-century Europe has been of long-standing interest to IR scholars, particularly those working in the English School tradition (for example, Bull and Watson 1984), but Reus-Smit's argument marks a significant departure from earlier studies by emphasizing the central role that struggles for individual rights by people subject to imperial rule have played in this process. Ideas of individual rights, he argues, animated the struggle by subject peoples to first reform and then overturn existing imperial orders, and fundamentally shaped both the dynamics of those struggles and the demand for sovereign statehood. The argument is explored through an historical analysis of three waves of systemic expansion: the origins of the sovereign state in the demise of the Holy Roman Empire at the end of the Thirty Years War, the collapse of the Spanish Empire and the rise of republican states in the Americas during the early nineteenth century, and the period of de-colonization following the Second World War. Reus-Smit's work makes a valuable contribution to the literature on the history of the international system and offers …
Mesoscale observations of an extended heat burst and associated wind storm in Central Oklahoma

On 13 May 2009, 13 surface-based observing stations within central and western Oklahoma recorded maximum wind speeds in excess of 22.5 m s−1, along with gusts exceeding 28 m s−1 in isolated locations, during a localized wind storm that lasted in excess for over an hour. These wind speeds were associated with an enhanced mesoscale pressure gradient that developed during the late evening of 12 May 2009 and early morning hours of 13 May 2009, which then slowly propagated from west to east. Ultimately, the event produced localized wind damage in northern portions of Oklahoma City. Analysis of the synoptic and mesoscale conditions present at each stage of the event revealed that specific parameters associated with heat bursts occurred during the event, but with the inclusion of varying mesoscale and microscale influences. As such, a close examination of the mesoscale pressure field indicated that a dynamically variable mesoscale convective system (MCS) produced a mesohigh/mesolow couplet that ultimately created the strong pressure gradient. The result was a prolonged period (in excess of 1 h) of enhanced wind speed values across a swath approximately 300 km in length and 50 km in width that were not directly associated with the anomalously warmer and drier conditions that occurred due to the heat burst. Copyright © 2011 Royal Meteorological Society
Physical and Mental Health in African American Mothers With HIV

This article examines the physical and mental health of African American mothers during a 2-year period following the birth of an infant seropositive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Participants were 34 African American mothers enrolled when the infants were approximately 3 months of age and reinterviewed when the infants were 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. Three self-report questionnaires were used to assess physical health (perception of health, activity limitation, and physical symptoms) and mental health (depressive symptoms and stigma). Health symptoms most often reported were infections, problems thinking and remembering, low energy, and gynecologic problems. Moderate levels of perceived stigma were reported. Depressive symptoms were high; a large number of women at each data point had depressive symptom scores above the cutoff, indicating risk for depression. There were significant correlations between depressive symptoms and health, suggesting a link between mental and physical health. These findings have significance for the health of the mother and the parenting of her infant. Attention should be paid to the mental and physical health of mothers with HIV, especially during the first 2 years after the birth of a child.
Stick-Slip and the Transition to Steady Sliding in a 2D Granular Medium and a Fixed Particle Lattice

We report an experimental study of the stick–slip to steady sliding behavior of a solid object pulled, via a spring, across 2D granular substrates of photoelastic disks that are either fixed in a solid lattice (granular solid) or unconstrained, forming a granular bed. We observe a progression of friction regimes with increasing sliding speed, including single-slip, double-slip, and mixed stick–slip regimes, steady sliding, and inertial oscillations. For the case of the granular bed, we report a detailed analysis of frictional behavior for the low speed stick–slip regime, including spring and elastic energy dependencies during the stick and slip portions of the motion. For the case of the granular solid, we explore friction in the presence and absence of externally applied vibrations, and compare it with sliding on a granular bed, which is intrinsically disordered. We observe that external vibration reduces transition values for both the single-slip to double-slip transition and the stick–slip to steady sliding transition. Moreover, we observe that the effect of packing disorder on granular friction seems similar to the effect of vibration-induced disorder, a result that, to our knowledge, has not been reported previously in the experimental literature.
Male size effects on fertilization success: lack of evidence in chinook salmon spawning under experimental conditions

Anadromous salmonid females exhibit indicators of mate choice based on male size. Direct benefits to females of mating with larger males have not been identified for semelparous Pacific salmon, Oncorhynchus spp. We tested the null hypothesis that females forced to spawn naturally in a stream channel and artificially (gametes removed manually) with males about half their body mass would experience egg fertilization rates similar to that of females forced to spawn with males of about equal mass. Fertilization rates did not differ significantly between large- and small-male pairs. The fertilization rates were also very similar for eggs deposited naturally and those that we fertilized artificially. Therefore, fertilization success does not appear to be the mechanism responsible for female mate choice based on male size. Benefits of females mating with larger males probably have only indirect (i.e., genetic) benefits to a female’s offspring, as suggested by previous authors.
Fine structure of interphase boundaries

Abstract As an extension of a general dislocation description of interphase boundary structure in which the transformation lattice deformation is accomplished by discrete coherency dislocations, criteria are developed for determining the relative physical significance of interfacial coherency dislocations based on boundary microtopography. A step vector is defined such that the relation between the Burgers vector and step height of a dislocation is established. The step structure of an interphase boundary then serves as the basis for determining the dislocation structure. Two parameters are defined to express the relative topographical significance of coherency dislocations, taking into account the magnitude of the dislocation Burgers vector. The number of dislocation core atoms per unit length, ρ L , establishes the absolute strength of a dislocation line. The dimensionless parameter β, which is the product of ρ L and the separation of the dislocation lines in the boundary, expresses the local step character of a set of dislocations and reflects the extent to which such dislocations are resolvable as fully discrete line defects. The dependence of both parameters on interplanar spacing indicates that the fine structure of interphase boundaries will be strongly dominated by planes of closest packing.
Oil, Islam and Conflict: Central Asia since 1945 – By Rob Johnson

This study is a thorough and updated account of the trials and tribulations encompassing the newly liberated Central Asian states. Indeed, it is replete with dates, names, and events that render it...
Non-linear inversion of controlled source multi-receiver electromagnetic induction data for unexploded ordnance using a continuation method

This work adopts a continuation approach, based on path tracking in model space, to solve the non-linear least-squares problem for discrimination of unexploded ordnance (UXO) using multi-receiver electromagnetic induction (EMI) data. The forward model corresponds to a stretched-exponential decay of eddy currents induced in a magnetic spheroid. We formulate an over-determined, or under-parameterized, inverse problem. An example using synthetic multi-receiver EMI responses illustrates the efficiency of the method. The fast inversion of actual field multi-receiver EMI responses of inert, buried ordnances is also shown. Software based on the continuation method could be installed within a multi-receiver EMI sensor and used for near-real-time UXO decision-making purposes without the need for a highly-trained operator.
Vibration suppression of laminated shell structures investigated using higher order shear deformation theory

Third-order shear deformation theories of laminated composite shells are developed using the strain–displacement relations of Donnell and Sanders theories. These theories also account for geometric nonlinearity in the von Karman sense. Analytical (Navier) solutions for vibration suppression in cross-ply laminated composite shells with surface mounted smart material layers are developed using the linear versions of the two shell theories and for simply supported boundary conditions. Numerical results are presented to bring out the parametric effects of shell types (cylindrical, spherical, and doubly curved shells) and material properties on vibration suppression. A simple negative velocity feedback control in a closed loop is used.
Avoiding linear dependencies in LFSR test pattern generators

Linear Feedback Shift Registers (LFSRs) constitute a very efficient mechanism for generating pseudoexhaustive or pseudo-random test sets for the built-in self-testing of digital circuits. However, a well-known problem with the use of LFSRs is the occurrence of linear dependencies in the generated patterns. In this paper, we show for the first time that the amount of linear dependencies can be controlled by selecting appropriate characteristic polynomials and reordering the LFSR cells. We identify two classes of such polynomials which, by appropriate LFSR cell ordering, guarantee that a large ratio of linear dependencies cannot occur. Experimental results show significant enhancements on the fault coverage for pseudo-random testing and support the theoretical relation between minimization of linear dependencies and effective fault coverage.
Analysis of the shape changes of muscle fiber cross sections in guinea pigs raised at 22°C and 5°C

Seven control and nine cold-acclimated guinea pigs were selected over a wide range of body weights (256–960 g and 239–1.074 g, respectively) from two larger groups of animals chronically exposed to 22°C or 5°C. Thin cross sections of the frozen soleus muscles were treated by the ATPase method to visualize fibers and capillaries. Photomicrographs of the sections were magnified and a total of 1,067 fiber profiles were cut out and weighed to determine individual fiber cross sectional areas (FCSA). Since most fibers are assumed to be cylinders with a circular cross section, the area of the fiber was compared to the area of a circle with the same diameter as the longest axis of the fiber. The longest axis within the fiber was measured and divided by two (LD/2). The LD/2 of each fiber was treated as the radius of a circle and the calculated area of the circle compared to the real area of the fiber. LD/2 and FCSA were positively correlated in both groups of animals by power functions FCSA=a(LD/2) b , wherea is the intercept andb is the regression coefficient. The values forb (1.58 for the 22°C and 1.59 for the 5°C animals) were both significantly less than 2 (b in the formula for the area of a circle), and the regression lines moved from a line representing a circle towards a line representing an ellipse, indicating that as the fibers grow they tend to become more and more elliptical. The adjusted mean of the 5°C regression line was significantly lower than that for the control line, indicating that the fibers of the cold-acclimated animals were more elliptical at the same FCSA than were the fibers of the control animals.
Intrahepatic biliary cystadenoma: role of cyst fluid analysis and surgical management in the laparoscopic era.

Background Recent interest in cyst fluid analysis (CFA) for carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and the introduction of laparoscopic surgery (LS) in the management of hepatic cysts have resulted in sporadic reports of elevated CA 19-9 and CEA levels in intrahepatic biliary cystadenoma (IBC) CFA, and the application of LS in the management of simple cysts. However, the role of CA 19-9 and CEA in the diagnosis of IBC and the role of LS in the management of IBC have not been previously defined. Methods We studied 34 patients with IBC at a single institution (8 years). The first 12 patients with IBC were managed with open surgical intervention. We subsequently developed a diagnostic and treatment algorithm for IBC that included, in the last 22 patients, prospective analysis of CFA for CA 19-9 and CEA, and LS for management Results All patients with IBC who underwent CFA had elevated CA 19-9 (range, 2247-1,757,510; N Conclusions We have proposed a management algorithm for IBC that incorporates CFA and laproscopic surgical management that allows for selective minimally invasive cyst wall sampling for patients with IBC.
Regulation of sodium-calcium exchange and mitochondrial energetics by Bcl-2 in the heart of transgenic mice.

Abstract Our previous work in cultured cells has shown that the maintenance of mitochondrial Ca 2+ homeostasis is essential for cell survival, and that the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 is able to maintain a threshold level of mitochondrial Ca 2+ by the inhibition of permeability transition. To test whether Bcl-2 also affects the mitochondrial Na + –Ca 2+ exchange (NCE), a major efflux pathway for mitochondrial Ca 2+ , studies using transgenic mice that overexpress Bcl-2 in the heart have been performed. NCE activity was determined as the Na + -dependent Ca 2+ efflux in the isolated mitochondria. Overexpression of Bcl-2 led to a significant reduction of NCE activity as well as increased resistance to permeability transition in the mitochondria of transgenic heart. This was accompanied by increased matrix Ca 2+ level, enhanced formation of NADH and enhanced oxidation of pyruvate, an NAD + -linked substrate. Furthermore, there was induction of cellular Ca 2+ transport proteins including the Na + –Ca 2+ exchanger of the sarcolemma (NCX). Bcl-2 not only stimulates NCX expression in the sarcolemma but also attenuates the Na + –Ca 2+ exchange in the mitochondria. These results are consistent with the protection by Bcl-2 against apoptosis in heart following ischemia/reperfusion.
Vibration analysis of piezoelectric laminated slightly curved beams using distributed transfer function method

Abstract Piezoelectric laminated slightly curved beams (PLSCB) is currently one of the most popular actuators used in smart structure applications due to the fact that these actuators are small, lightweight, quick response and relatively high force output. This paper presents an analytical model of PLSCB, which includes the computation of natural frequencies, mode shapes and transfer function formulation using the distributed transfer function method (DTFM). By setting the radius of curvature of the proposed model to infinity, a piezoelectric laminated straight beams (PLSB) model can be obtained. The DTFM is applied and extended to carry out the transfer function formulation of the PLSCB and PLSB models. This method will be used to solve for the natural frequencies, mode shapes and transfer functions of the PLSCB and PLSB models in exact and closed form solution without using truncated series of particular comparison or admissible functions. The natural frequencies of the cantilevered PLSCB and PLSB are calculated by the DTFM and the Rayleigh–Ritz method. The analysis indicates that the stretching–bending coupling due to curvature has a considerable effect on the frequency parameters. Increasing the radius of curvature of the PLSCB has its largest effect on the natural frequencies. But the inhomogeneity of the boundary conditions does not have any effects on the natural frequencies or system spectrum due to the both receptance and boundary transfer functions have the same characteristic equations. The method can also be generalized to the vibration analysis of non-piezoelectric composite beams with arbitrary boundary conditions.
CHROMATIN-POSITIVE KLINEFELTER'S SYNDROME: CLINICAL AND CYTOGENETIC STUDIES.

Abstract The clinical, laboratory and cytogenetic studies on 8 patients with chromatin-positive Klinefelter's syndrome are reported. All had gynecomastia, small testes, decreased body hair, eunuchoid proportions, increased excretion of follicle-stimulating hormone, and psychiatric or mental problems. The results of chromosome studies including a case of XXY/XX mosaicism are presented. Differential diagnostic features, the natural history, and the type and frequency of associated disorders in Klinefelter's syndrome are discussed. Although this disorder is the most common cause of male hypogonadism, there is a lack of well-documented cases, particularly those dealing with males 50 years of age or over. In order to prevent psychiatric sequelae, early treatment is advised.
Alphadon halleyi (Didelphidae, Marsupialia) from the Two Medicine Formation (Late Cretaceous, Judithian) of Montana

ABSTRACT Two lower jaws of the Judithian didelphid Alphadon halleyi were recovered from the Egg Mountain locality, Two Medicine Formation, near Chouteau, Montana. These are the first mammalian fossils reported from this formation and they document for the first time the association of M, through M4 in A. halleyi. Of the small, Judithian species of Alphadon, A. halleyi Sahni, A. sahnii Lillegraven and McKenna, and A. attaragos Lillegraven and McKenna were established on isolated lower teeth. Only A. russelli Fox from the Oldman Formation was established on associated upper and associated lower molars. These species were distinguished by differences in size and subtle morphological features. The new material from the Two Medicine Formation documents the changes in size of the teeth in a single lower molar dentition and provides the basis for a test of the validity of the small Judithian species of Alphadon. A. praesagus, A. russelli, and A. halleyi are recognized as members of the Judithian faunas. A. sahni...
Immune response of calves following the inoculation of Mycoplasma dispar and Mycoplasma bovis.

A small but significant reduction in the number of Mycoplasma dispar colonising the respiratory tract after intratracheal challenge was observed in gnotobiotic-calves previously inoculated subcutaneously three times with formalin-killed organisms and oil adjuvant. Injection of M. dispar by the intramuscular route, with oil adjuvant, and 2 weeks later by the intratracheal route, without adjuvant, failed to induce immunity to subsequent intratracheal challenge. Following the subcutaneous injection of killed M. dispar, the amount of antibody detected by single radial haemolysis (SRH) increased markedly with increasing age in groups of calves with average ages of 16 to 155 days when first injected. Most calves aged less than 40 days failed to produce an antibody response to a singel injection of M. dispar. With M. bovis a smaller difference was observed between antibody levels generated in calves of different ages; also, calves less than 40 days old produced a detectable SRH antibody response following a single injection of killed M. bovis. IgG1 and IgG2 antibody to M. dispar and M. bovis were measured by ELISA. IgG1 appeared before IgG2 antibody and this was particularly pronounced in younger calves. Also, for both mycoplasmas IgG2 antibody levels were lower in younger than older calves. The IgG1 response to M. dispar was compared in three groups of calves with average ages of 16, 55 and 155 days and was greatest in the oldest and least in the youngest animals. In contrast, the IgG1 response to M. bovis varied little in calves of different ages. It therefore appears that the immune response of young calves to M. dispar is impaired or defective.
Systematic errors in computed alkane energies using B3LYP and other popular DFT functionals.

Energies computed by B3LYP and other popular DFT functionals are flawed by systematic errors, which can become considerable for larger molecules. These errors, predominately due to inadequacies in assessing longer-range nonbonded attractive effects (dispersion), are illustrated by the isodesmic stabilization energies of n-alkanes (based on methane and ethane, which have no stabilizing 1,3-alkyl group interactions). Newer functionals, designed to describe weak interactions, give somewhat better agreement with experiment, but are not fully satisfactory.
Machine Translation as Lexicalized Parsing with Hooks

We adapt the "hook" trick for speeding up bilexical parsing to the decoding problem for machine translation models that are based on combining a synchronous context free grammar as the translation model with an n-gram language model. This dynamic programming technique yields lower complexity algorithms than have previously been described for an important class of translation models.
Portrait pigeon: an interactive photo messaging wall for seniors

Considerable research has studied online communication for older adults. For some seniors, age-related disability presents barriers to using computers and going online. For others, lack of experience or lack of interest deters them from keeping in touch using modern communication platforms such as social media sites. Physical communication artifacts, such as printed photos, support important forms of offline communication for older adults, and we examine how physical photos can be augmented to facilitate lightweight online social communication. This approach embeds online messaging into a familiar and culturally-relevant artifact, physical photos. This paper presents Portrait Pigeon, a ubiquitous lightweight messaging platform for seniors that integrates in-home photo displays into online communication.
Molecular imaging in breast cancer

Since the 1960s, bone scanning has played a major role in the management of breast cancer. In the last decade, however, the role of radionuclide molecular imaging has expanded significantly in the clinical management of breast cancer because of fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography, mammoscintigraphy, and sentinel lymph node techniques. Molecular imaging also is instrumental in drug development, gene therapy, and in basic science research of breast cancer. This article provides a comprehensive review of the role of molecular imaging of breast cancer in clinical practice and reports on the current state of research in this field.
A simple underwater imaging model

It is commonly known that underwater imaging is hindered by both absorption and scattering by particles of various origins. However, evidence also indicates that the turbulence in natural underwater environments can cause severe image-quality degradation. A model is presented to include the effects of both particle and turbulence on underwater optical imaging through optical transfer functions to help quantify the limiting factors under different circumstances. The model utilizes Kolmogorov-type index of refraction power spectra found in the ocean, along with field examples, to demonstrate that optical turbulence can limit imaging resolution by affecting high spatial frequencies. The effects of the path radiance are also discussed.
Willingness of cancer patients to help family members to quit smoking

Objectives: The impact of social support on successful smoking cessation has been well documented. However, little is known about whether personal experience with cancer may motivate cancer survivors to support smoking cessation among their family members and friends. As a first step in this line of research, we sought to explore interest in playing a supportive role for smoking cessation as well as correlates of such interest among cancer survivors. Methods: Cancer survivors undergoing radiation therapy (N=211) completed a 77-item pencil–paper questionnaire. A section of the survey assessed interest in helping a smoker quit and characteristics of the smoking social network member. Respondents provided information on their smoking status, medical status, and psychosocial and behavioral factors related to cigarette smoking. Results: Over half of the respondents 114 (54%) reported having someone close to them (family member or friend) smoking cigarettes who they thought should quit. Of these respondents (44 females, 70 males) 78% (89/114) reported they were definitely or probably interested in helping a smoker quit. Nearly all respondents wanted to help a family member (typically an adult child). Conclusions: Results suggest the potential feasibility of engaging cancer survivors to help family members quit smoking. Research is needed to determine the optimal methods and timing for engaging the cancer patient to maximize positive effects and minimize potential harms. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.