cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Best Copositive Approximation

A theory of best copositive approximation including a "zero in the convex hull" characterization, alternation theorem, and strong uniqueness theorem is developed for a general n-dimensional Chebyshev subspace in Ca, b]. In addition, a computational algorithm is discussed.
Visual toolkit for network security experiment specification and data analysis

The increasing availability of network testbeds and the benefits of visualization-based security study call for the emergence of supporting tools for network security research. In this article we present ESVT, an integrated experiment specification and visualization toolkit that supports network experimenters to conduct interactive experiments on network testbeds such as DETER and Emulab. The ESVT package includes a topology builder including experiment specification, a TCL script generator, and various visualization tools. The unique feature of ESVT visualization is the combination of topology-based network animation for global awareness and detailed data analysis support through a complete set of data conversion, data selection, and graphical analytical tools.
Evaluation of Otoliths of Salt Creek Pupfish (Cyprinodon salinus) for use in Analyses of Age and Growth

Abstract We collected Salt Creek pupfish (Cyprinodon salinus salinus) from Salt Creek, Death Valley, California, in November 2009 and May 2010. The purpose of our study was to determine whether otoliths displayed interpretable marks that might be used for estimating age and growth. Otoliths exhibited alternating bands of opaque and translucent material. Kendall rank correlation between number of bands on otoliths and length of fish were high for two readers (τ = 0.65 and 0.79) and exact agreement between readers was 51%. Otoliths exhibited 0–5 bands, which provided evidence that longevity of Salt Creek pupfish likely is >1 year. Total length of fish collected in spring and autumn differed for fish with one and three bands on otoliths.
Tetany in the newborn infant

Summary Tetany may occur at any time during the newborn period. It shouldbe suspected whenever hypersensitivity, twitching, or a convulsion occurs in a newborn infant. Diagnosis is made when the serum calcium is below 8 mg. per 100 c.c. Calcium is a specific therapeutic agent. Four proved cases are reported.
Long-term mean and event-related pigment distributions during the unstratified period in South Atlantic Bight outer margin and middle shelf waters

Abstract Phytoplankton pigment distributions in the South Atlantic Bight (SAB) during the unstratified period (November through April) and dynamics influencing these distributions are examined using multi-year Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS) and Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) coverage, oceanographic and meteorological data from buoys and coastal stations, and Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center (FNMOC) wind fields. We examine: (1) long-term mean and event-related pigment distributions along the outer margin in relation to Gulf Stream and meteorological forcing, and (2) spatial coherence in pigment field temporal variation along the outer margin itself and between the outer margin and adjacent regimes. The highest mean unstratified period CZCS-derived chlorophyll (CZCS-Chl) is in the central SAB, immediately inshore of the region of the Gulf Stream offshore mode/Charleston Gyre. The highest event-related pigment concentrations are associated with the development of large-scale pigment field features, exhibiting along-shore orientation and association with development of temperature (SST) fronts. The role of wind and Gulf Stream forcing is supported in event studies of these features. Coherent temporal variation in CZCS-Chl is evident at along-shelf scales greater than that typical of Gulf Stream frontal eddies, particularly in the central SAB, where the coherence scale exceeds 600 km. Distinct pigment field coherence between the central SAB outer margin (ca. 400 km along-shore) and the Charleston Gyre/Gulf Stream offshore mode region is evident. The pigment field of middle shelf waters also exhibits significant coherence with that of the outer margin. The results show that non frontal eddy processes are important in determining the mean and event-related pigment distributions, as well as the spatial scale of coherent pigment field variation during the unstratified period.
Available space and extracellular transport of macromolecules: effects of pore size and connectedness.

Molecular exclusion in tumor tissues is one of the limiting factors for drug delivery to tumor cells. It can be quantified by the available volume fraction of solutes (KAV). We found in a previous study that KAV of dextran in tumor tissues decreased sharply when the molecular weight (MW) of dextran was increased from 40,000 to 70,000. Outside this range, KAV was less sensitive to the MW of dextran. To understand the mechanisms of the MW dependence of KAV, we investigated KAV in tissue phantoms composed of tumor cells in 1% agarose gels, and performed numerical simulations of the available volume fraction in pore networks. We found that the MW dependence of KAV in tissue phantoms was similar to that in tumor tissues when the volume fraction of cells in the former was ∼30%. Our numerical simulations revealed that the sharp decrease in KAV required two necessary conditions: (i) the existence of at least two populations of pores and (ii) the lack of connectedness of available pores in the interstitial space. Furthermore, results in this study suggest that it is important to consider not only the local structures of pores but also their connectedness in analyses of molecular transport in tissues. © 2001 Biomedical Engineering Society.
Is ecstasy an "empathogen"? Effects of ±3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine on prosocial feelings and identification of emotional states in others.

Background Users of ±3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), "ecstasy," report that the drug produces unusual psychological effects, including increased empathy and prosocial feelings. These "empathogenic" effects are cited as reasons for recreational ecstasy use and also form the basis for the proposed use of MDMA in psychotherapy. However, they have yet to be characterized in controlled studies. Here, we investigate effects of MDMA on an important social cognitive capacity, the identification of emotional expression in others, and on socially relevant mood states. Methods Over four sessions, healthy ecstasy-using volunteers ( n = 21) received MDMA (.75, 1.5 mg/kg), methamphetamine (METH) (20 mg), and placebo under double-blind, randomized conditions. They completed self-report ratings of relevant affective states and undertook tasks in which they identified emotions from images of faces, pictures of eyes, and vocal cues. Results MDMA (1.5 mg/kg) significantly increased ratings of feeling "loving" and "friendly", and MDMA (.75 mg/kg) increased "loneliness". Both MDMA (1.5 mg/kg) and METH increased "playfulness"; only METH increased "sociability". MDMA (1.5 mg/kg) robustly decreased accuracy of facial fear recognition relative to placebo. Conclusions The drug MDMA increased "empathogenic" feelings but reduced accurate identification of threat-related facial emotional signals in others, findings consistent with increased social approach behavior rather than empathy. This effect of MDMA on social cognition has implications for both recreational and therapeutic use. In recreational users, acute drug effects might alter social risk-taking while intoxicated. Socioemotional processing alterations such as those documented here might underlie possible psychotherapeutic benefits of this drug; further investigation of such mechanisms could inform treatment design to maximize active components of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy.
Holographic microscope for measuring displacements of vibrating microbeams using time-averaged, electro-optic holography

An optical microscope, utilizing the principles of time- averaged hologram interferometry, is described for microelectrome- chanical systems (MEMS) applications. MEMS are devices fabricated via techniques such as microphotolithography to create miniature actua- tors and sensors. Many of these sensors are currently deployed in auto- motive applications which rely on, or depend on, the dynamic behavior of the sensor, e.g., airbag sensors, ride monitoring suspensions sensors, etc. Typical dimensions of current MEMS devices are measured in mi- crometers, a small fraction of the diameter of a human hair, and the current trend is to further decrease the size of MEMS devices to submi- crometer dimensions. However, the smaller MEMS become, the more challenging it is to measure with accuracy the dynamic characteristics of these devices. An electro-optic holographic microscope (EOHM) for the purpose of studying the dynamic behavior of MEMS type devices is de- scribed. Additionally, by performing phase measurements within an EOHM image, object displacements are determined as illustrated by rep- resentative examples. With the EOHM, devices with surface sizes rang- ing from approximately 353400 to 5318 mm are studied while undergo- ing resonant vibrations at frequencies as high as 2 MHz. © 1998 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. (S0091-3286(98)00505-4)
Precision Determination of Nuclear Energy Levels in Heavy Elements

The low-lying energy levels in 32 isotopes between Z = 62 and Z = 75 have been studied using a high-precision bent quartz crystal spectrograph to determine gamma-ray energies. The gamma rays were produced by the electric (or Coulomb) excitation process. The high proton-beam current of the A-48 accelerator was used to provide the intense sources necessary for these experi ments. With this technique, energies in the 100-kev region can be determined with a precision of about one part in 2000. A comparison of the results with the unified model of nuclear structure is given. (auth)
Mechanisms of somatostatin action in RINm5F cells in culture: Preliminary evidence for possible altered G protein function

Abstract Octreotide (SMS), a somatostatin analogue, is an established antigrowth peptide, but it does not effectively inhibit the growth of insulinoma cells. In order to study the mechanisms that underlie this apparent lack of an antiproliferative effect on insulinoma tumor cells we established the rat insulinoma cell line, RINm5F, in culture. Cells in culture were tested by incubation in media with and without SMS. To study tritiated [3H]-thymidine incorporation into extracted DNA (TTID), 2 μCi/well of 3H was added for 24 hr, and cells were harvested and assayed for TTID (cpm/μg DNA). Insulin (IRI) and intracellular cAMP (cAMPi) were measured by RIA. To study the effects of SMS on insulin secretion, conditioned media were sampled after 24 hr. To study the effects of cAMP1, conditioned medium was used to extract cAMPi, following incubation with SMS for 15 min. Increasing concentrations of SMS had no significant effect on TTID in the presence of 1% FBS. Trypan blue exclusion tests showed >90% viable cells throughout all stages of these experiments. There were no significant differences in cell numbers and protein content in the presence of SMS. There was a significant decrease in the secretion of insulin and intracellular cAMP levels in response to 50 nM SMS. However, SMS significantly inhibited TTID in RINm5F cells following a 4-hr pretreatment with pertussis toxin (PT) (23553 ± 1747 vs 20635 [cpm/μg DNA] ± 1983 [SEM], P
The nature of electronic states in anodic Zirconium oxide films part 2: Photoelectrochemical characterization

Coupling between the electronic and crystallographic defect structures of anodic ZrO2 films has been explored using the recently developed photoelectrochemical impedance technique. With this technique, the dynamic photocurrent response for ultra-violet excitation was analyzed. Additionally, photo-stimulated capacitance transients were also examined. Our studies indicate that, upon UV irradiation, photo-generated holes are transported to the oxide/solution interface by a diffusion/migration mechanism. Coincidentally with this electronic response, oxygen ion vacancies also migrate through anodic zirconia films upon UV irradiation. This leads to photo-stimulated formation of ZrO2. The rate-limiting step in this film formation process is the transport of oxygen ion vacancies in the film by a diffusion/migration mechanism. Both the photo-electric response and the “photo-ionic” response of anodic zirconia films can be explained by the point defect model for anodic films.
DYSLIPOPROTEINEMIA IN PEDIATRIC SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS

Patients with SLE are at increased risk for premature atherosclerosis. Dyslipoproteinemia, an etiologic factor, has been demonstrated in adult SLE patients, although the relationships of disease activity, diet and steroid therapy are obscure. To differentiate the roles of steroid therapy and active disease in the dyslipoproteinemia of pediatric SLE, we measured fasting lipid profiles in 7 newly diagnosed, untreated patients and repeated these studies in 5 after high dose steroid therapy, coincident with clinical improvement. Values for total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), very low, low and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C, LDL-C, HDL-C), apoproteins A-I (apoA-I) and B (apoB) are shown in mg/dl for the patients and adolescent controls (*p<.05 vs. controls) (#p<.05 pre vs. post treatment). At diagnosis, patients exhibited low plasma HDL-C and apoA-1 with elevated plasma VLDL-C and TG. This pattern can be explained by decreased lipoprotein lipase activity. After steroid treatment, LDL-C, HDL-C, VLDL-C and apoA-1 increase. Thus, dyslipoproteinemia in pediatric SLE can be attributed to active disease, independent of corticosteroid therapy. The relative roles of the dyslipoproteinemias of active disease and steroid therapy in the premature atherosclerosis of SLE remains to be determined.
Vancomycin-resistant enterococci: recent advances in genetics, epidemiology and therapeutic options.

Abstract Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) have gained much attention in the last decade. Currently, there are five known types of vancomycin resistance based on genes encoding ligase enzymes that the organisms use to produce their cell wall precursors, namely, VanA, VanB, VanC, VanD and VanE. An additional unclassified type was discovered in Australia. The basis of resistance among these phenotypes appears to be similar in that the resistant organisms produce peptidoglycan precursors that end in moieties other than D-alanyl-D-alanine, the usual target of vancomycin. The other dipeptide-like termini identified to date include D-alanyl-D-lactate and D-alanyl-D-serine, which have low affinity for glycopeptides. Recent evidence suggests that glycopeptide-producing organisms might be the remote origin of the vancomycin resistance genes. In European countries, avoparcin, a glycopeptide used in farm animals as a growth promoter, has been linked to the occurrence of VRE and occasional common strains have been identified in food products, farm animals, healthy subjects and hospitalized patients. There have been no such reports in the USA where heavy use of vancomycin and use of broad spectrum antibiotics such as cephalosporins have been identified as important risk factors for acquisition of VRE. Transmission within the same or between hospitals has been reported in many countries. Infection control measures and efforts to use antibiotics, particularly vancomycin, more appropriately have been implemented in a number of healthcare facilities with varying degrees of success. Many antibiotics, as a single agent or a combination of drugs, as well as various new antibiotics have been tested in vitro, in animal models, or used in anecdotal cases but clinical data from large comparative trials are not available to date. Because of the limited susceptibility of many VRE to other agents, efforts to control these organisms are particularly important.
Simulation-Based Assessment of Rear Effect to Ballistic Helmet Impact

AbstractBallistic impact is one of the major causes for traumatic brain injury (TBI) and ballistic helmets are designed to provide protection from TBI. In real life, it is impossible to use real human subjects for experiments. Therefore, simulation based-methods are convenient to assess the rear effect to ballistic helmet impact and can provide crucial insights to injury. Rear effect happens when the interior of helmet is deformed and contacts with the human head. This paper proposes a simulation-based method to study the rear effect by using Head Injury Criterion (HIC) when the ballistic helmeted headform is impacted by a bullet with different impact angles and at various impact positions. Commercial software package LS-DYNA is employed to simulate the impact. A high fidelity headform model including detailed skull and brain has been used for the simulation purpose. Helmet and bullet are modeled according to the real shapes. The results show that, with a larger impact angle, the HIC score is smaller and ...
Electron Microscope Observations on Malarial Oocysts (Plasmodium cathemerium)

SYNOPSIS. Thin sections of Plasmodium, cathemerium obtained 3 to 10 days after ingestion of blood by mosquitoes were examined by electron microscopy. Oocysts are encased in a relatively thick structureless capsule which becomes progressively thinner with advancing age and completely disappears in places at the time of release of the sporozoites. The capsule blends with and in most cases cannot be distinguished from the “elastic” layer of the mosquito stomach. For this reason the capsule is tentatively regarded as a product of the host rather than of the parasite. Capsular material appears to be shed into the interior of the oocyst and may serve as nutrient material in the later stages of development. Oocysts and sporozoites contain mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum and nuclei with nucleoli at all stages examined. All limiting membranes within the oocyst are feebly developed and no cell boundaries are seen until the sporozoites begin to form. At this stage, the sporozoites acquire very prominent surface membranes which are retained by the mature forms. Sporozoites contain long rods and cylinders of homogeneous material of moderate density. Their functional significance is not understood.
Changes in physical activity patterns in the United States, by sex and cross-sectional age

CASPERSEN, C. J., M. A. PEREIRA, and K. M. CURRAN. Changes in physical activity patterns in the United States, by sex and cross-sectional age. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 32, No. 9, pp. 1601‐1609, 2000. Purpose: To determine sex-specific, age-related changes in physical activity patterns. Methods: We examined cross-sectional data from the National Health Interview Survey, using the 1992 Youth Risk Behavior Survey supplement for adolescents and the 1991 Health Promotion/Disease Prevention supplement for adults. Physical activity patterns were modeled after Healthy People 2000 objectives. Results: Among adolescents, physical activity patterns generally eroded most from ages 15 through 18. The “regular, vigorous activity” and strengthening patterns declined consistently from ages 12 through 21. Young adulthood (18 ‐29 yr) often marked continuing erosion of activity patterns, whereas middle adulthood (30 ‐ 64 yr) often revealed relatively stable patterns. At retirement age (65 yr), there was a stabilizing, or even an improving, tendency in activity patterns, usually followed by further erosion through the final period of life. Strengthening behavior eroded dramatically with advancing age among adults, especially among men. Among adolescents, differences between female and male respondents were large for regular, vigorous activity (11.3 percentage points greater for male respondents). In comparison with female adolescents and adults, male respondents reported much higher rates of regular, sustained activity (5.5 and 5.9 percentage points, respectively), and strengthening (18.2 and 11.3 percentage points, respectively). Among adults, levels of physical inactivity among women were moderately greater (5.5 percentage points) than for men. Absolute rates of change per year were mostly large to very large (3.0 ‐ 8.0 percentage pointszyr 21 ) during ages 15‐18 yr, but, for adults, they were small (,0.5 percentage pointszyr 21 ) for 33 of 40 sex,
The Stone Dreams scandal: the Nagorny Karabakh conflict and Armenian-Azerbaijani relations in contemporary literature

This article analyses the scandal that broke out in Azerbaijan after the publication of Stone Dreams, a novel by Azerbaijani writer Akram Aylisli. Stone Dreams depicted and condemned the persecution against the Armenian population in Baku and Sumgait in 1988–1990, as well as the early twentieth century massacre of the Armenian community in the writer’s home village, Aylis in Nakhichevan. Akram Aylisli touched on a taboo and in a context with weak civic and democratic institutions, the discussion of such traumatic events in Azerbaijan’s recent past proved unacceptable to both society and the ruling elite. This article reaches beyond contemporary debates, however, to cover earlier and less well-known works with Armenian-Azerbaijani themes such as Evgeniy Voyskunskiy’s novel Maiden Dreams, Seymur Baycan’s Gugark, Maria Martirosova’s Photos To Remember Me By and Levon Javakhian’s short story “Kirve”. These works are reviewed here in terms of how they address issues of conflict, reconciliation and responsibili...
Microblogging: what and how can we learn from it?

Microblogging, the act of broadcasting short, real-time messages, is a relatively new communication practice allowing people to share information they are less likely to express using existing technologies (e.g. email, phone, IM or weblogs). We use microblogging as an umbrella term to include the posting of status updates to social network sites such as Facebook, and message-exchange services like Twitter, Jaiku, and Yammer. Microblogging has become popular quickly, catching researchers' interests as both a means of public, social information exchange, and a medium for collaboration and communication in the work context. The goal of this workshop is to provide a forum for researchers and practitioners from academia and industry to exchange insights into microblogging as a communication practice in enterprises, academic and social settings. We aim to develop an agenda for what and how we can learn from and better study this phenomenon.
Production of isoleucine by overexpression of ilvA in a Corynebacterium lactofermentum threonine producer

Overproduction of isoleucine, an essential amino acid, was achieved by amplification of the gene encoding threonine dehydratase, the first enzyme in the threonine to isoleucine pathway, in a Corynebacterium lactofermentum threonine producer. Threonine overproduction was previously achieved with C. lactofermentum ATCC 21799, a lysine-hyperproducing strain, by introduction of plasmid pGC42 containing the Corynebacterium homdr and thrB genes (encoding homoserine dehydrogenase and homoserine kinase respectively) under separate promoters. The pGC42 derivative, pGC77, also contains ilvA, which encodes threonine dehydratase. In a shake-flask fermentation, strain 21799(pGC77) produced 15 g/l isoleucine, along with small amounts of lysine and glycine. A molar carbon balance indicates that most of the carbon previously converted to threonine, lysine, glycine and isoleucine was incorporated into isoleucine by the new strain. Thus, in our system, simple overexpression of wild-type ilvA sufficed to overcome the effects of feedback inhibition of threonine dehydratase by the end-product, isoleucine.
Broadband and compact 3-dB MMIC directional coupler with lumped element

This paper proposed a broadband and compact 3-dB MMIC edge-coupled directional coupler. The proposed coupler consists of eight stepped-impedance coupled sections and a tiny capacitor. The capacitor is constructed by using the MIM capacitor process and is located on the center of the coupler. The capacitor and stepped structure effectively realize 3-dB coupling and enhanced amplitude/phase characteristics. A millimeter-wave prototype MMIC coupler is fabricated on the 100-µm thick GaAs substrate by using the GaAs pHEMT process. The total coupler length is only 440 µm. The fabricated coupler achieves a coupling loss of −4dB±0.5dB from 30 GHz to 69.3 GHz. The output amplitude and phase imbalances are less than 1.4 dB and 90 degrees ± 5 degrees at the same frequency range, respectively. The proposed MMIC coupler promises very compact and broadband MMIC.
Use of sentinel lymph node biopsy to select patients for local-regional therapy after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Use of sentinel lymph node biopsy for axillary staging of patients with breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy has been widely debated. Questions arise regarding the accuracy of sentinel lymph node biopsy in axillary staging for these patients and its use to determine further local–regional therapy, including surgery and radiation therapy. For patients who are clinically node-negative at presentation, sentinel lymph node biopsy enables accurate staging of the axilla after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and determination of which patients should go on to further axillary surgery and regional nodal radiation therapy. Importantly, performing axillary staging after completion of chemotherapy, rather than before chemotherapy, enables assessment of response to chemotherapy and the extent of residual disease. This information can assist the planning of adjuvant treatment. Recent data indicate that sentinel node biopsy can also be used to assess disease response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy for patients with clinical N1 disease at presentation.
Simultaneous measurements of thermal conductivity and Seebeck coefficients of roughened nanowire arrays

We report simultaneous measurements of thermal conductivity and Seebeck coefficient on array-scale silicon nanowires fabricated by metal assisted chemical etching. The measurements are conducted on the solid and the mesoporous nanowire arrays (NWAs) obtained from etching 1 ohm-cm and 0.002 ohm-cm Si substrates respectively. We demonstrate control on sidewall morphology and doping of the arrays that have an aspect ratio up to 20 and 30 % areal coverage. We employ differential frequency-domain measurements, separately on the array and the corresponding substrate to obtain the temperature drop and Seebeck voltage contribution of the nanowire array. The technique is validated by measurements on bulk silicon across the resistivity 0.002-1 ohm-cm. The Seebeck measurements reveal quenching of the phonon drag in the nanowires in comparison to the bulk in the measured temperature range of 300 K- 500 K. The Seebeck coefficient shows a ~18 % decrease in the solid NWAs and ~22 % increase in the mesoporous NWAs at room temperature. The thermal conductivity is close to Casimir limit for the solid wires while it drops to ~2.5 W/mK in the mesoporous nanowires.
Evaluation of Hydroxyapatite Ossicular Chain Prostheses

Hydroxyapatite (HA) middle ear prostheses have gained popularity as an alternative to human autografts and homografts. This study reports on 3 HA prostheses types: total ossicular chain prostheses, used for grafting the stapes footplate to the tympanic membrane; partial ossicular chain prostheses, used for grafting the stapes superstructure to the tympanic membrane; and Kartush incus struts (Smith & Nephew Richards Inc), used for grafting the stapes superstructure to the undersurface of the malleus. This single-surgeon study of 33 consecutive cases revealed a statistically significant difference in mean postoperative air-bone gap and airbone gap closure between incus struts (14/26 dB) or partial (22/11 dB) or total (25/10 dB) ossicular chain prostheses (t test: P<0.05). Prognostic risk factors graded by the Middle Ear Risk Index indicate a tendency for worse postoperative hearing with increasing Middle Ear Risk Index. This study supports the use of HA ossicular prostheses and, in particular, the use of the malleus for ossicular chain construction.
Atm expression patterns suggest a contribution from the peripheral nervous system to the phenotype of ataxia-telangiectasia.

Abstract Ataxia–telangiectasia is a human autosomal recessive disease characterized by neurodegeneration, cancer predisposition and sensitivity to ionizing radiation. One of the earliest features of this disease is ataxia, which is thought to be attributable to a progressive cerebellar degeneration associated with a disruption of Purkinje cell cytoarchitecture and positioning. To investigate the neuropathology of ataxia–telangiectasia, we used in situ hybridization to map Atm (the gene mutated in ataxia–telangiectasia) expression during mouse development. Atm expression was highest in the embryonic mouse nervous system, where it was predominantly associated with regions undergoing mitosis. During the period of Purkinje cell neurogenesis, Atm was highly expressed in the area containing Purkinje cell precursors (the ventricular zone of the fourth ventricle). However, in the postnatal cerebellum, Atm expression in Purkinje cells was very low, while expression in proliferating granule neurons was high. The only region of the adult nervous system that exhibited elevated Atm expression were the postmitotic sensory neurons of the dorsal root ganglia. The data suggest an early developmental requirement for Atm in the cerebellum, and other regions of the central nervous system, and a potential contribution of the dorsal root ganglia/sensory input pathway to the ataxic phenotype of ataxia–telangiectasia.
Effects of serosal-side acidosis on cell pH (pHi) and membrane electrical properties in gastric mucosa.

Abstract Acute gastric mucosal injury and bleeding occur in the settings of both respiratory acidosis or metabolic acidosis secondary to systemic sepsis or shock. Respiratory acidosis, however, is more predictably associated with acute injury than metabolic acidosis. We hypothesized that the gastric surface epithelial cells are more susceptible to acute increases in PCO 2 than to acute decreases in HCO − 3 , even for the same level of extracellular acidification. To evaluate this hypothesis, we used intracellular microelectrodes to measure pHi, cell membrane potential ( V c ), as well as ion conductances of the apical ( G a ) and basolateral ( G b ) membranes and the paracellular pathway ( G s ) in gastric mucosal cells during acute changes in serosal P CO 2 or HCO − 3 . Necturus antral mucosae were mounted in Ussing chambers, perfused on both sides by Ringer solution (40 mmHg P CO 2 , 18 m M HCO − 3 , pH 7.3). Measurements were performed before and during increases in P CO 2 (80 mmHg, pH 7.0) or decreases in HCO − 3 (7.2 m M, pH 6.8 or 2.4 m M, pH 6.4). Both forms of acidosis acidified pH i , depolarized membrane potentials, and decreased ion conductances across apical and basolateral membranes, but not the paracellular pathways. For the same level of extracellular acidification, increases in P CO 2 were more effective than acute decreases in HCO − 3 in acidifying pH i and eliciting disturbances in voltage-generating and ion permeability properties of the cell membranes. These findings suggest that pH-buffering mechanisms in gastric surface cells respond less effectively to high P CO 2 than low HCO 3 .
Group velocities in coplanar strip transmission lines on Si and Si/SiO2/Si substrates measured using differential electro‐optic sampling

The group velocities in coplanar strip transmission lines on Si and Si/SiO2/Si substrates were compared experimentally and theoretically. To ensure the experimental accuracy, a differential electro‐optic sampling system with a delay‐time resolution of 30 fs and a spatial resolution of 1 μm has been developed. Compared with the group velocity on a Si substrate, the group velocity on a Si/SiO2/Si substrate with a 2.2 μm SiO2 layer was found to be 10% faster, which agrees well with the theoretical prediction.
Algorithms for Fast Image Registration

The automatic determination of local similarity between two images (image registration) is one of the most fundamental problems of image processing and pattern recognition. A class of registration algorithms that are reasonably efficient and robust for translational displacement has been considered to determine relative shift between reference and search images. Stochastic image models defined on a rectangular region of support are used to determine feature vectors associated with reference and search images. A new measure, namely, coefficient of variation, is defined to take into account effects of contrast and sharpness of the images. Based upon this measure, a computationally efficient two-stage algorithm is obtained by combining the image-model based algorithm with a template matching technique. Simulation results with several synthetic and real images are presented to evaluate the performance of the algorithms.
Sequencing of underivatized peptides by direct liquid inlet liquid chromatography mass spectrometry

Direct liquid inlet liquid chromatography mass spectrometry has been utilized for the detection and sequencing of the peptides lecuine-enkephalin, methionine-enkephalin, and alpha-amanitin. The enkephalins were detected at the nannogram (high picomole) level injected using an RP8 column and a buffer system consisting of ammonium trifluoroacetate and acetonitrile. Positive and negative ion mass spectra were obtained using an RP8 column and a buffer system consisting of triethylammonium acetate and acetonitrile. The sequence of the peptides could be readily determined from the spectra obtained and the positive and negative ion mass spectra provided complementary structural information. A large [M + 1]+ or [M-1]− was obtained in the positive and negative ion modes of operation. A minimal amount of chromatographic resolution was lost upon going from the variable wavelength detector to the mass spectrometer as the detector. This system has the advantage of being a simple and rapid on-line method, providing sequence information, and being sufficiently sensitive for use in detection of peptides isolated from endogenous sources.
The Application of a Statistical Downscaling Process to Derive 21st Century River Flow Predictions Using a Global Climate Simulation

The ability of water managers to maintain adequate supplies in coming decades depends, in part, on future weather conditions, as climate change has the potential to alter river flows from their current values, possibly rendering them unable to meet demand. Reliable climate projections are therefore critical to predicting the future water supply for the United States, but the resolution of the global climate models (GCMs) often used for climate forecasting is too coarse to resolve the changes that can affect hydrology, and hence water supply, at regional to local scales. We therefore apply a statistical downscaling technique that involves a correction of the cumulative distribution functions of the GCM-derived temperature and precipitation for the 20th century, and the application of the same correction to 21st century GCM projections. This is done for three meteorological stations located within the Coosa River basin in northern Georgia, and is used with a surface hydrology model to calculate future river flow statistics for the upper Coosa River. Results are compared to historical Coosa River flow and to flows calculated with the original, unscaled GCM results to determine the impact of potential changes in meteorology on future flows.
Coupon Redemption and the Demand for Frozen Concentrated Orange Juice: A Switching Regression Analysis

A switching regression model was estimated and used to study the impact of Florida Department of Citrus coupon promotional programs on the demand for frozen concentrated orange juice. The empirical results show that discounts and information provided by coupons were effective in increasing the demand for FCOJ, and that the FDOC's coupon programs had positive impacts on the probability of using coupons for purchasing FCOJ. Moreover, different types of coupon promotions had different impacts, and coupon users and nonusers demonstrated different degrees of response to price changes.
Membrane Transport Proteins

Membranes that surround living cells are needed to hold cells together, to keep their metabolites from diffusing away, and to keep out toxic materials. The membrane constitutes a barrier to nutrients being brought in and waste products being excreted. However, transport systems are built into membranes in a way that provides for selective permeability. By this process, only the necessary materials are transported. In some cases transport systems do more; they actually "pumps' substrates to create a higher concentration inside the cell than outside. This is an energyrequiring process, named active transport to distinguish it from the specific process called passive transport or facilitated diffusion which does not require energy (1). Substances are also pumped out (for example, sodium ions are pumped from animal cells). The existence of these transport systems causes one to raise questions about their structure and how they work. What chemical machinery is required for the specific translocation of small molecules (substrates) from one side of a membrane to the other? The usual biochemical approach to a problem of this nature is analysis followed by synthesis. First, one isolates the parts and studies their properties. Sec6nd, from this information plus observations on the intact system one devises a plausible model of how the complete system works. Eventually one hopes to put the parts together physically and obtain the entire operating system. The obvious difficulty with applying this approach to transport is that when one takes cells apart transport can no longer be measured. For many years there seemed to be no way of determining whether any isolated molecule was or was not part of a transport system.
Phytophthora infestans sporangial germination and tuber rot reduced by soil residues of fungicides

Foliar sprays of Difolatan were equal to or slightly better than those of maneb for the control of late blight when applied at equivalent rates of active ingredient. Difolatan foliar sprays, in general, resulted in less late blight tuber rot than did maneb sprays. Foliar sprays of Bordeaux mixture or Difolatan produced residues of these fungicides in the soil. These residues were greater in the surface soil (0 to 1/2 inch depth) than in the 1 to 2 inch layer, but were not sufficient to inhibit indirect germination of the sporangia ofP. infestans in soil leachates. Similar results were obtained with applications of Bordeux mixture or Difolatan to the soil in the absence of any foliar spray. Residues from foliar sprays of Difolatan plus soil treatments of Difolatan or Bordeaux mixture, made before and after the last cultivation, inhibited indirect germination ofP. infestans sporangia in soil leachates from the surface soil, but not from the 1 to 2 inch layer of soil. Application of foliar sprays of Bordeaux mixture to plots given soil treatments of Difolatan before the last cultivation resulted in fungitoxic residues in the surface soil and in the 1- to 2-inch layer of soil, but not when Difolatan soil treatments were made after the last cultivation. Similar results were obtained when maneb foliar sprays were applied to plots that had received soil applications of Difolatan.
The partial purification and separation of the protein components of matrone from Aedes aegypti.

Abstract Female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are monogamous, i.e. they are capable of being inseminated only once. Subsequent insemination is prevented by a substance from the male accessory gland that is transferred to the female in seminal fluid at the initial mating. This substance, called matrone, can be extracted from males and when injected into virgin females it prevents any initial insemination. Matrone has been partially purified at least 7·5-fold, and acetone fractionation has confirmed a previous report which indicated that active matrone consists of more than one macromolecular component. Further, utilizing solid matrix bound trypsin and chymotrypsin it was directly established that both components which make up active matrone are indeed proteins.
A modularized MapReduce framework to support RNA secondary structure prediction and analysis workflows

Ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecules play important roles in many biological processes including gene expression and regulation. Their secondary structures are crucial for the RNA functionality, and the prediction of the secondary structures is widely studied. Previous research shows that cutting long sequences into shorter chunks, predicting secondary structures of the chunks independently using thermodynamic methods, and reconstructing the entire secondary structure from the predicted chunk structures tend to yield better accuracy than predicting the secondary structure using the entire RNA sequence as a whole. The chunking, prediction, and reconstruction processes can use different methods and parameters, some of which produce more accurate predictions than others. The RNA sequence can be cut into chunks using different cutting methods and chunk lengths. Several prediction methods, with different degree of accuracy and computing requirements, can be used. The reconstruction of shorter predictions into the entire sequence can rely on simply gluing the parts together or on using more sophisticated merging algorithms. To allow scientists to perform a systematic analysis of the impact of the several methods and parameters, we propose a modularized framework using MapReduce. The framework enables scientists to automatically and efficiently explore large parametric spaces of chunking, prediction, reconstruction, and analysis methods. This paper shows how the MapReduce framework allows scientists to gain insights about different chunking strategies easily, accurately, and efficiently.
Residential arsenic and lead levels in an agricultural community with a history of lead arsenate use.

Abstract Lead arsenate (PbHAsO4) was used as an insecticide in Washington fruit orchards from 1905 to 1947. We examined exposure potential for children living in an agricultural community with historic PbHAsO4 use. Soil and housedust samples were collected from 58 residences. Families were asked about land use history, age of home, and remodeling activities. Median concentrations of arsenic were higher in housedust than in soil (9.0 and 4.2 μg/g, respectively; P=0.05), as were lead concentrations (129 and 46 μg/g, respectively; P=0.0001). Significant associations were observed between indoor and outdoor levels of each metal, indicating track-in as an important exposure pathway. Homes on or near land use for pear or apple production between 1905 and 1947 had significantly higher soil (P=0.005) and housedust (P=0.004) lead, and soil arsenic (P=0.04) than did the other homes. Homes more than 30 years old had significantly higher soil and housedust lead than did newer homes (P=0.01). Homes remodeled within the past two years had significantly higher soil (P=0.01) and housedust (P=0.04) lead. Child doses extrapolated from these data indicate that 36% of homes had soil or dust arsenic levels above the minimum risk level estimated by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. None of the measured lead levels exceeded current US Environmental Protection Agency guidelines. Public health education programs focused on residential hygiene would be of value in areas of historic PbHAsO4 use.
Magneto-optic properties of amorphous Tb-Fe films

Abstract The magnetization of Tb-Fe amorphous alloy films show large deviations from saturation for both the Tb and Fe magnetic subsystems caused by random crystal field anisotropy. The Faraday rotation is adequately accounted for by the influence of the Hall angle, and the Kerr effect is shown to be proportional to the Faraday rotation.
The decrease in yield strength in NiAl due to hydrostatic pressure

The decrease in yield strength in NiAl due to hydrostatic pressure is examined via a comparison of the tensile flow behavior in the low strain regime at 0.1 MPa for NiAl which was cast, extruded, and annealed for 2 hr at 827 C in argon and very slowly cooled to room temperature. Pressurization to 1.4 GPa produces a subsequent reduction at 0.1 MP in proportional limit by 40 percent as well as a 25-percent reduction in the 0.2-percent offset yield strength, while pressurization with lower pressures produces a similar reduction, although smaller in magnitude.
Luminance Requirements for Hue Perception in Small Targets

This study investigated the luminances necessary to perceive red (642 nm), green (521 nm), and blue (468 nm) at nine visual angles ranging from over 1° to 21 sec of arc diam. Monocular, foveal measurements were made by the method of constant stimuli at exposures of 44 and 700 msec duration. Three color-normals served as observers.The results show that, with sufficient luminance, these hues can be seen even for stimuli as small as 0.35 min of arc diam. Red is generally perceived at lower luminances than blue or green. There is an inverse relationship between stimulus size and luminance necessary for hue perception which can be represented as two linear functions. At small angles, the area-luminance slopes bracket, but tend to be somewhat larger than the slope predicted by Ricco’s law; at larger angles, the function resembles that predicted by Piper’s law. The change of function from approximately A · I=C to approximately A12·I=C occurs at higher visual angles for shorter exposures.
Use of a gas-surface chemiluminescence analyzer for NO and NO2 measurements in combustion

This paper reports on a gas-surface NO{sub 2} chemiluminescent analyzer developed for atmospheric measurements of NO{sub 2} which has been adapted for the first time to measure NO and NO{sub 2} in flames. Its substantial advantages compared with the traditional gas-phase chemiluminescent NO analyzers are (1) direct determinations of NO{sub 2} concentrations, (2) an {approx} 10-fold increase in time response and (3) an {approx}1000 fold-increase in sensitivity. Its primary disadvantage is the need for quantitative sample dilution if the NO concentration is greater than 200 ppb. Its application in laminar premixed flames at atmospheric and elevated pressures are demonstrated.
Teacher, self and peer evaluation of lesson plans written by preservice teachers

The study investigated the effects of three types of evaluation on preservice teachers’ performance, knowledge and attitudes related to writing lesson plans that incorporate technology. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of the three treatment conditions: teacher-evaluation, self-evaluation or peer-evaluation. All groups completed three class periods of instruction on writing lesson plans, then each subject submitted his/her draft lesson plan. The drafts were evaluated by assigned evaluators (teacher, self or peer), who provided scores and written feedback on a 15-item rubric. Students then revised their lesson plans into final form. All three treatment groups improved their lesson plans significantly from draft version to final version, with the teacher-evaluation group showing significantly greater improvement and writing significantly better final lesson plans than each of the other two groups. Teacher-evaluation and self-evaluation groups had significantly higher scores on a knowledge-based posttest than the peer-evaluation group. Several suggestions are discussed for making further improvements in the self-evaluation and peer-evaluation processes.