cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lipopolysaccharide-induced cytokine production in human monocytes: Role of tyrosine phosphorylation in transmembrane signal transduction

The signal transduction events that follow the binding of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to the macrophage cell surface are not well defined. In the current studies LPS was found to induce alterations in phosphorylation of monocyte proteins on tyrosine. Herbimycin A and genistein, inhibitors of tyrosine kinases, markedly attenuated LPS-induced tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) protein and mRNA production. Reciprocally, the tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor sodium orthovanadate enhanced LPS-induced production of TNF-alpha. LPS induced a concentration-dependent increase in tyrosine phosphorylation of several proteins, which paralleled and preceded the onset of LPS-induced TNF-alpha production. LPS stimulation had different but reproducible effects on three members of the src family of tyrosine kinases. Both Hck and Lyn kinase activity increased before the onset of TNF-alpha production, consistent with their participation in the observed LPS-induced tyrosine phosphoprotein accumulation. In contrast, Yes kinase activity was not affected. These observations were made at concentrations of LPS that required serum rich in LPS-binding protein and the monocyte surface antigen CD14 for TNF-alpha production. These data indicate that tyrosine kinases and phosphatases are involved in the signal transduction cascade by which LPS induces production of TNF-alpha and IL-6 by human monocytes, and suggest that Lyn and Hck are candidate participants in this process.
Prevalence of Hearing Impairment Among School Children

During the 1968–69 school year, National Speech and Hearing Survey teams tested the hearing of over 38,000 school children from throughout the U.S. However, hearing-loss prevalence information from...
The urban environment and mental disorders: Epigenetic links.

For the first time in human history, more than half of the world’s population lives in urban areas and this is projected to increase to two-thirds by 2030. This increased urbanity of the world’s population has substantial public health implications. Nearly a century of research has shown higher risk of mental disorder among persons living in urban versus rural areas. Epidemiologic research has documented that associations between particular features of the urban environment, such as concentrated disadvantage, residential segregation and social norms, contribute to the risk of mental illness. We propose that changes in DNA methylation may be one potential mechanism through which features of the urban environment contribute to psychopathology. Recent advances in animal models and human correlation studies suggest DNA methylation as a promising mechanism that can explain how the environment “gets under the skin.” Aberrant DNA methylation signatures characterize mental disorders in community settings. Emergin...
Decrement and amplification of slow wave potentials during their propagation in Helianthus annuus L. shoots

Slow wave potentials (SWPs) are transitory depolarizations occurring in response to treatments that result in a pressure increase in the xylem conduits (Px). Here SWPs are induced by excision of the root under water in 40- to 50-cm-tall light-grown sunflower plants in order to determine the effective signal range to a naturally sized pressure signal. The induced slow wave depolarization appears to move up the stem while it is progressively decremented (i.e. the amplitude decreases with increasing distance from the point of excision) with a rate that appears to rise acropetally from 2.5 to 5.5% cm−1. The decline of the SWP signal, in both amplitude and range, could be experimentally increased (i) when root excision was carried out in air and (ii) when the transpiration of the sunflower shoot was minimized by a preceding removal or coating of the leaves. A further decline of the SW signal was expected to occur when leaves were included in the measured path. However, when the most distant apical electrode was attached to an upper leaf, it showed a considerably larger depolarization than a neighboring stem position. This apparent amplification of the SWP signal is not confined to the leaf blade but includes the petiole as well. The amplification disappeared (i) when the illumination level was lowered to room light, (ii) when the blade was excised either completely or along the remaining midvein and (iii) when the intact leaf blade was submersed in water. These treatments reduce the SWP at the petiole to a small fraction of the signal in the opposite control leaf and specify bright illumination and blade-mediated transpiration as prerequisites of a signal increase that is confined to young, expanding leaves.
Novel KCNA5 mutation implicates tyrosine kinase signaling in human atrial fibrillation.

Background Emerging evidence has strongly implicated hereditary determinants for atrial fibrillation (AF). Loss-of-function mutations in KCNA5 encoding the ultrarapid delayed rectifier potassium current I Kur have been identified in AF families. Objective The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical and biophysical phenotypes in a KCNA5 mutation with deletion of 11 amino acids in the N-terminus of the protein, which was identified in patients with lone AF. Methods Patients with AF confirmed by ECG were prospectively enrolled in the Vanderbilt AF Registry, which comprises clinical and genetic databases. A KCNA5 mutation was generated by mutagenesis for electrophysiologic characterization. Results We identified a novel 33-bp coding region deletion in two Caucasian probands. One proband was part of a kindred that included four other members with AF, and all were mutation carriers. The mutation results in deletion of 11 amino acids in the N-terminus of the protein, a proline-rich region as a binding site for Src homology 3 (SH3) domains associated with Src-family protein tyrosine kinase (TK) pathway. In transfected cells, the mutant caused ∼60% decreased I Kur versus wild-type (WT) (75 ± 8 pA/pF vs 180 ± 15 pA/pF, P P Conclusion Our data implicate abnormal atrial repolarization control due to variable TK signaling as a mechanism in familial AF and thereby suggest a role for modulation of this pathway in AF and its treatment.
Antigen handling in ageing. III. Age-related changes in antigen handling by liver parenchymal and nonparenchymal cells

This is a continuation of our earlier studies on antigen handling and the ageing process which have shown the liver to be a major site of antigen retention in the body. This paper reports on the uptake and cellular distribution in relatively pure isolates of the principal cell types of the liver of [35S]sulfanilate-azo-bovine serum albumin (35S-BSA) injected into F-344 rats of ages 4, 12 and 28 months. In all three cell types [hepatocytes (H), Kupffer cells (K) and endothelial cells (E)] antigen retention peaks in the 12-month age class and then exhibits a significant decline in the 28-month age class; K and E cells retain more antigen per cell than do H cells. All three cell types metabolize antigen to nucleopeptides and this transformed antigen is immunologically active; K and E cells metabolize antigen to nucleopeptides more effectively than do H cells. A significant age-related difference is found when nucleopeptides from either H, K or E cells are used to stimulate an antigen-specific lymphoproliferative response in vitro: nucleopeptides from 4-month and 12-month rats stimulate the proliferation of lymphocytes to a significantly higher degree than do nucleopeptides from 28-month old rats. The experiments therefore identify in all three cell populations an age-related defect in antigen uptake and in metabolism of antigen to bioactive nucleopeptides, and they demonstrate that the nonparenchymal cells are more effective in antigen retention and in metabolism of antigen to nucleopeptides than are parenchymal cells. Further, the experiments support the thesis that the liver must be considered to be a principal part of the total immune system, its role much more fundamental than heretofore recognized.
Comparative performance of the Zyoptix XP and Hansatome zero-compression microkeratomes.

Purpose To compare flap parameters produced by the Zyoptix XP and Hansatome microkeratomes (both Bausch & Lomb) and to evaluate preoperative variables contributing to flap thickness variation. Setting Private practice, St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Methods Flap dimensions in 75 eyes that prospectively had laser in situ keratomileusis using the Zyoptix XP microkeratome were compared with a historical control sample of 75 eyes treated with the Hansatome microkeratome. The 2 groups were matched for mean keratometry, central corneal pachymetry, spherical equivalent (SE), age, and microkeratome head size and suction ring diameter. Results The mean ultrasound-measured flap thickness was 126.54 μm ± 14.6 (SD) and 143.74 ± 15.0 μm for the 120 μm and 140 μm Zyoptix XP heads, respectively, and 128.90 ± 20.4 μm and 143.32 ± 21.0 μm for the 160 μm and 180 μm Hansatome heads, respectively. The standard deviation in flap thickness was smaller and statistically significant for the Zyoptix XP (±14.8 μm) versus the Hansatome (±20.7 μm) ( P = .0039, F test). Preoperative pachymetry and SE ( P P = .02) but not with the 140 μm head. Variation in flap thickness from either Zyoptix XP head was not statistically related to the preoperative SE. Conclusion Although the 2 microkeratomes produced flaps of similar mean thickness, the Zyoptix XP showed significantly less variation in flap thickness than the Hansatome, was less affected by measurable preoperative variables such as SE, and was closer to nominal labeling.
A note on the pollination of Nymphaea amazonum Mart. & Zucc. (Nymphaeaceae)

Nymphaea amazonum Mart. & Zucc. a nocturnally flowering species, is visited by the scarab beetleCyclocephala mollis Endrodi in the Pantanal region of Mato Grosso, Brazil. Beetles were found in all flowers examined and some remain in the flowers during the day. The beetles are dusted with pollen in second-day flowers and carry it to first-day flowers which have receptive stigmas.
Measurement and cycle variability: reexamining the case for ovarian-cycle synchrony in primates.

Critical reviews of menstrual synchrony studies, over the last 15 years, strongly suggest that synchrony may be a methodological artifact. The primary focus of this paper is on reexamining the evidence for synchrony in the two other primate species: chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and golden lion tamarins (Leontopithecus rosalia). It is demonstrated, with computer simulation, that cycle variability can yield misleading measurements of synchrony when it is assumed that the mean absolute difference between points in cycles (e.g. menses onsets, onset of anogenital swelling, peak estrogen levels) is 14 the mean cycle length. This together with inappropriate statistical analyses can lead to the spurious detection of synchrony. In addition, computer simulations indicate that the null hypothesis (i.e. that females do not synchronize their cycles) should not have been rejected in either of these studies. These errors suggest that synchrony in non-human primates is also a methodological artifact. I conclude by suggesting that: (i) from the perspective of female mate choice, synchrony is likely a state to be avoided; and (ii) we must be especially vigilant of studies reporting the discovery of mechanisms of synchrony.
REST: A mammalian silencer protein that restricts sodium channel gene expression to neurons

Expression of the type II voltage-dependent sodium channel gene is restricted to neurons by a silencer element active in nonneuronal cells. We have cloned cDNA coding for a transcription factor (REST) that binds to this silencer element. Expression of a recombinant REST protein confers the ability to silence type II reporter genes in neuronal cell types lacking the native REST protein, whereas expression of a dominant negative form of REST in nonneuronal cells relieves silencing mediated by the native protein. REST transcripts in developing mouse embryos are detected ubiquitously outside of the nervous system. We propose that expression of the type II sodium channel gene in neurons reflects a default pathway that is blocked in nonneuronal cells by the presence of REST.
Development and testing of an online method to measure ambient fine particulate Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) based on the 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin (DCFH) assay

Abstract. An online, semi-continuous instrument to measure fine particle (PM2.5) reactive oxygen species (ROS) was developed based on the fluorescent probe 2'7'-dichlorofluorescin (DCFH). Parameters that influence probe response were first characterized to develop an optimal method for use in a field instrument. The online method used a mist chamber scrubber to collect total (gas plus particle) ROS components (ROSt) alternating with gas phase ROS (ROSg) by means of an inline filter. Particle phase ROS (ROSp) was determined by the difference between ROSt and ROSg. The instrument was deployed in urban Atlanta, Georgia, USA, and at a rural site during various seasons. Concentrations from the online instrument generally agreed well with those from an intensive filter measurement of ROSp. Concentrations of the ROSp measurements made with this instrument were lower than reported in other studies, often below the instrument's average limit of detection (0.15 nmol H2O2 equivalents m−3). Mean ROSp concentrations were 0.26 nmol H2O2 equivalents m−3 at the Atlanta urban sites compared to 0.14 nmol H2O2 equivalents m−3 at the rural site.
Editorial: What Biomedical Engineers Can Do to Impact Multiscale Modeling (TBME Letters Special Issue on Multiscale Modeling and Analysis in Computational Biology and Medicine: Part-2)

In virtually every scientific endeavor, computational models are used to aid the design and predict aspects of the physical world around us. Engineers see modeling as a necessary tool for developing research questions and designing tools. In biology and medicine, scientists have long used conceptual models to explain relatively uncomplicated data, and increasingly com putational models are recognized as an important platform for discovery and translation of complex data. We cannot, however, ignore the large number of skeptics who often question the use fulness of biocomputational models, as their ultimate impact is still debatable.
The influence of basic ventilation strategies on cerebral oxygenation in anesthetized patients without vascular disease

Objectives. Optimizing cerebral oxygenation is of paramount importance in certain intraoperative situations. There is, however, a paucity of published data pertaining to changes in cerebral oxygenation seen with increases in the inspired fraction of oxygen (Fio2) or end-tidal carbon dioxide (Petco2) in anesthetized patients without vascular disease. Here we tested the hypothesis that changes in Fio2 or Petco2 correlate to a significant change in regional cerebral oxygenation (rSO2) in anesthetized patients without vascular disease. Methods. This was a prospective pilot study approved by the IRB. We measured rSO2 using the INVOS 5100B monitor in ten anesthetized patients. Patients were excluded if they had a history of or risk factors for vascular disease, suffered from respiratory failure, or did not speak English. Following induction of anesthesia and intubation, Fio2 and minute ventilation were sequentially adjusted. At each set point, rSO2 was recorded and arterial blood gas analysis was performed. Each patient acted as their own control. A paired-sample t test was used to evaluate the change in rSO2 resultant upon each intervention. Results. The baseline rSO2 was measured with patients awake, breathing room air and varied between 48 and 72%. While maintaining Petco2 in the range 30–35 mmHg, rSO2 was 8% higher when 100% oxygen was delivered compared to Fio2 30% (P = 0.021). While maintaining Petco2 in the range 40–45 mmHg, rSO2 was 7% higher when 100% oxygen is delivered compared to Fio2 30% (P = 0.032). While maintaining Fio2 at 100%, rSO2 was 2% higher when Petco2 was in the range 40–45 mmHg compared to Petco2 30–35 mmHg (P = 0.017). While maintaining Fio2 at 30%, rSO2 was not statistically different between PECO2 40–45 mmHg and Petco2 30–35 mmHg. Conclusions. Modulating oxygenation and ventilation in anesthetized patients without vascular disease leads to measurable changes in rSO2.
Eight questions about invasions and ecosystem functioning

I pose eight questions central to understanding how biological invasions affect ecosystems, assess progress towards answering those questions and suggest ways in which progress might be made. The questions concern the frequency with which invasions affect ecosystems; the circumstances under which ecosystem change is most likely; the functions that are most often affected by invaders; the relationships between changes to ecosystems, communities, and populations; the long-term responses of ecosystems to invasions; interactions between biological invasions and other anthropogenic activities and the difficulty of managing undesirable impacts of non-native species. Some questions have been answered satisfactorily, others require more data and thought, and others might benefit from being reformulated or abandoned. Actions that might speed progress include careful development of trait-based approaches; strategic collection and publication of new data, including more frequent publication of negative results; replacement of expert opinion with hard data where needed; careful consideration of whether questions really need to be answered, especially in cases where answers are being provided for managers and policy-makers; explicit attention to and testing of the domains of theories; integrating invasions better into an ecosystem context; and remembering that our predictive ability is limited and will remain so for the foreseeable future.
Vibrational frequency scale factors for density functional theory and the polarization consistent basis sets.

Calculated harmonic vibrational frequencies systematically deviate from experimental vibrational frequencies. The observed deviation can be corrected by applying a scale factor. Scale factors for: (i) harmonic vibrational frequencies [categorized into low ( 1000 cm(-1))], (ii) vibrational contributions to enthalpy and entropy, and (iii) zero-point vibrational energies (ZPVEs) have been determined for widely used density functionals in combination with polarization consistent basis sets (pc-n, n = 0,1,2,3,4). The density functionals include pure functionals (BP86, BPW91, BLYP, HCTH93, PBEPBE), hybrid functionals with Hartree-Fock exchange (B3LYP, B3P86, B3PW91, PBE1PBE, mPW1K, BH&HLYP), hybrid meta functionals with the kinetic energy density gradient (M05, M06, M05-2X, M06-2X), a double hybrid functional with Moller-Plesset correlation (B2GP-PLYP), and a dispersion corrected functional (B97-D). The experimental frequencies for calibration were from 41 organic molecules and the ZPVEs for comparison were from 24 small molecules (diatomics, triatomics). For this family of basis sets, the scale factors for each property are more dependent on the functional selection than on basis set level, and thus allow for a suggested scale factor for each density functional when employing polarization consistent basis sets (pc-n, n = 1,2,3,4). A separate scale factor is recommended when the un-polarized basis set, pc-0, is used in combination with the density functionals.
A Single Mating-Type Locus Composed of Homeodomain Genes Promotes Nuclear Migration and Heterokaryosis in the White-Rot Fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium

The white-rot basidiomycete fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium (Agaricomycetes) is a model species that produces potent wood-degrading enzymes. The mating system of the species has been difficult to characterize due to its cryptic fruiting habit and lack of clamp connections in the heterokaryotic phase. By exploiting the draft genome sequence, we reevaluated the mating system of P. chrysosporium by studying the inheritance and segregation of putative mating-type gene homologues, the homeodomain transcription factor genes (MAT-A) and the pheromone receptors (MAT-B). A pattern of mating incompatibility and fructification consistent with a bipolar system with a single MAT locus was observed, but the rejection response was much weaker than that seen in other agaricomycete species, leading to stable heterokaryons with identical MAT alleles. The homeodomain genes appear to comprise the single MAT locus because they are heterozygous in wild strains and hyperpolymorphic at the DNA sequence level and promote aspects of sexual reproduction, such as nuclear migration, heterokaryon stability, and basidiospore formation. The pheromone receptor loci that might constitute a MAT-B locus, as in many other Agaricomycetes, are not linked to the MAT-A locus and display low levels of polymorphism. This observation is inconsistent with a bipolar mating system that includes pheromones and pheromone receptors as mating-type determinants. The partial uncoupling of nuclear migration and mating incompatibility in this species may be predicted to lead to parasexual recombination and may have contributed to the homothallic behavior observed in previous studies. The mushroom-forming fungi, Agaricomycetes (Basidiomycota), have a mating system in which compatible haploid mycelia (homokaryons) exchange nuclei to form mated mycelia (heterokaryons) that are comprised of cells with two compatible nuclear types (mating types). Once mated, heterokaryons function as genetic diploids, but the two nuclear types divide together in an unfused state until karyogamy occurs in the basidial cells of the fruiting body immediately prior to meiosis and spore formation. In the model mushroom species (e.g., Coprinopsis cinerea and Schizophyllum commune), heterokaryons are termed dikaryons because each cell contains exactly two nuclei, but in a large number of Agaricomycetes species (e.g., 20 to 30% of the nongilled forms [10]), the hyphal cells of heterokaryons are multinucleate. In these fungi (variously termed multinucleate, plurinucleate, or holocenocytic), each cell presumably contains both mating types but a variable number of nuclei per cell, for example, up to 12 nuclei per cell were observed in the termite symbiont Termitomyces (15) and as many as 69 per cell in Wolfiporia extensa (34).
Selection and Test of Power Line Filters for Use in Equipment Designed to Meet Government Electromagnetic Compatibility Specifications

This paper reviews the most widely used conducted interference requirements imposed on electronic equipment. Comparative test methods have been devised to evaluate EMI filters using equivalent input and output load conditions. Using these test methods, a design engineer can obtain more realistic data and a better confidence level in meeting the applicable electromagnetic interference and susceptibility requirements. Revision of MIL-F-15733 and MIL-STD-220 is suggested to incorporate a more precise test method to determine normal operating insertion loss (db) criteria on EMI filters. These proposed test methods would correlate more precisely to EMI conducted measurements than the present 50 ohm system test requirements of using buffer networks or no load conditions.
Assessment of Faculty Mentoring Strategies of Student Learning Communities at Western Michigan University College of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Learning Communities involving 263 first-year students were created at Western Michigan University College of Engineering and Applied Sciences in Fall Semester 2005 to enhance student learning and improve first-year retention. Placing groups of students in the same 2-to-4 classes did achieve the program's goals of creating connection among students and forming student study groups. There do not appear to be any major differences in student satisfaction among Learning Communities with regular "face-to-face" contact with a faculty mentor and those without regular "face-to-face" contact. However, it appears that it is important to students' satisfaction with the first semester, and perhaps to their more promptly "testing" their fit in the field, to enroll them in an engineering course early in their academic career.
Why using genetics to address welfare may not be a good idea

Welfare of animals in livestock production systems is now widely defined in terms of 3 classes of measures: veterinary health, mental well-being (or feelings), and natural behaviors. Several well-documented points of tension exist among welfare indicators in these 3 classes. Strategies that aim to improve welfare using genetics can increase resistance to disease and may also be able to relieve stress or injury. One strategy is to reduce the genetic proclivity of the bird to engage in behaviors that are frustrated in modern production systems. Another is to develop strains less prone to behaviors hurtful to other hens. Yet another is to make overall temperament a goal for genetic adjustments. These genetic approaches may score well in terms of veterinary and psychological well-being. Yet they also involve changes in behavioral repertoire and tendencies of the resulting bird. Although it has seemed reasonable to argue that such animals are better off than frustrated or injured animals reflecting more species-typical behaviors, there is a point of view that holds that modification of a species-typical trait is ipso facto a decline in the well-being of the animal. Additionally, a significant amount of anecdotal evidence has been accumulated that suggests that many animal advocates and members of the public find manipulation of genetics to be an ethically unacceptable approach to animal welfare, especially when modifications in the environment could also be a response to welfare problems. Hence, though promising from one perspective, genetic strategies to improve welfare may not be acceptable to the public.
Route less travelled? Ambulance use for children with high-acuity acute illness.

Aim Ambulance transportation offers important supportive care and treatment en route to definitive treatment. However, children may be at risk of under-utilising ambulance transportation, where private vehicle is possible. This study aims to determine how many of the sickest children present to hospitals in Auckland via ambulance and whether certain population groups are lower users of ambulance services. Methods Transportation, demographic and outcome data were collected and analysed for children presenting to Starship Children's Health (Starship) from 1 January to 31 December 2011), who were ‘self referrals’ to hospital, less than 15 years of age, and assigned triage category 1 and 2 on presentation. Results There were 1047 presentations to Starship identified that met inclusion criteria. Of these, 256 of the 341 triage one presentations (75.1%) and 217 of the 706 triage two presentations (30.7%) were transported by ambulance.Ambulance use was higher among older children (P < 0.001). Severity of illness or injury, as estimated by admission rates (56.7% vs. 43.3%, P = 0.21) and length of hospital stay (median = 1 day, P = 0.92), did not differ significantly by mode of transportation. There was no observed relationship with gender, ethnicity or area deprivation index score. Conclusion A significant proportion of acutely unwell children presenting to hospital were not transported by ambulance, particularly those aged less than 1 year. This has the potential to result in worse health outcomes. There were no identified associations with patient demographics, and further research is required to better understand this problem and develop solutions.
Some Challenges in Integrating Information on Protein Interactions and a Partial Solution

Summary form only given. Independently constructed sources of (scientific) data frequently have overlapping, and sometimes contradictory, information content. Current methods of use fall into two categories: force the integration step onto the user, or merely collate the data, at most transforming it into a common format. The first method places an undue burden on the user to fit all of the jigsaw puzzle pieces together. The second leads to redundancy and possible inconsistency. We propose a third: deep data integration. The idea is to provide a cohesive view of all information currently available for a protein, interaction, or other object of scientific interest. Doing so requires that multiple pieces of data about the object, in different sources, first be identified as referring to the same object, if required through "third party" information; then that a single "record" be created comprising the union of the information in multiple matched records, keeping track of differences where these occur; and finally by tracking the provenance of every value in the dataset so scientists can judge what items to use, and how to resolve differences.In this talk, the I will describe our experiences with this approach in MiMI (http://mimi.ncibi.org). I will also discuss barriers to domain scientist use of the system, and my thoughts regarding how to make systems truly "usable".
Support Mechanisms of Rammed Aggregate Piers. I: Experimental Results

This paper is the first of a two-part series investigating the mechanical behavior of rammed aggregate pier (RAP) groups supporting isolated rigid footings. The first paper presents the experimental test results from instrumented load tests performed on two different 2.3 m square reinforced concrete footings supported by four 0.76 m diameter RAPs of two different pier lengths—2.8 and 5.1 m . Comparisons are made to load tests performed on three isolated RAPs of the same diameter and lengths. Instrumentation consisted of total stress cells, inclinometers, and tell-tale reference plates. Soil conditions at the test site were evaluated using various in situ testing techniques and consist of relatively uniform soft alluvial clay overlain by a 1-m-thick desiccated layer. Interpretations of the test results focused on load-deformation behaviors of the isolated piers and pier groups, group efficiencies in terms of settlement and bearing capacity, stress concentrations as a function of applied load at the top of ...
Natural Computing: A Natural and Timely Trend for Natural Sciences and Science of Computation

Natural computing refers to computation taking place in nature and to humandesigned computation inspired by nature. When complex phenomena going on in nature are viewed as computational processes, our understanding of these phenomena and of the essence of computation is enhanced. On the other hand human-designed computing inspired by nature has had already a big impact on the development of computer science (think, e.g., about neural computing, evolutionary computing, molecular computing and quantum computing).
An Investigation of the Fundamental Characteristics in Quality Online Spanish Instruction

This article presents research findings investigating the fundamental characteristics in online Spanish instruction (at the university level in the United States) designed to maximize learning outcomes. The researcher collected data to develop a rubric of the fundamental characteristic in online Spanish instruction and then to determine whether the characteristics were currently being included in online Spanish instruction and to what level of success, according to students taking online Spanish courses. The analysis in the study followed Moore's principles of distance education as a theoretical base and tested the research findings against these theories.
A 50-MHz 10-ns submicron BiCMOS 2-way set associative cache tag memory

A highly-integrated 88-kb two-way set associative cache tag memory fabricated using 0.8- mu m BiCMOS technology has been developed. The device integrates two 8 K*5 RAMs for tag and parity storage, one 8 K*1 least recently used (LRU) RAM, and the associated cache interface control logic. The die area is 4.9 mm*6.9 mm. Address to MATCH delay is 10 ns, and all three RAM cells can be reset in less than 8 ns. In addition, active power consumption is less than 750 mW at 5 V. >
Risk Factors Associated with Fibular Fracture After Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy

Objective— To determine the incidence of, and risk factors for, fibular fracture after tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) in dogs. Study Design— Case series. Sample Population— TPLO (n=168) on 142 dogs. Methods— Medical records (January 2006–September 2007) and radiographs of all dogs that had TPLO were reviewed. Data retrieved were breed, sex, age, weight, type of plate, use of a jig, time to recheck, preoperative tibial plateau angle (TPA), immediate postoperative TPA, and presence or absence of fibular fracture. Results— Fibular fractures occurred in 5.4% TPLOs. Body weight, change in TPA, and preoperative TPA were significantly higher in dogs with fibular fracture. TPLO without use of a jig was significantly associated with fibular fracture. Age, postoperative TPA, and plate type were not significantly associated with fibular fracture. Conclusions— Fibular fracture is uncommon after TPLO. Risk factors are increased body weight, greater preoperative TPA, greater change in TPA, and TPLO performed without a jig. All fractures occurred during convalescence. Clinical Relevance— Owners should be warned of potential complications and risk factors associated for fibular fracture after TPLO.
Spatial distribution of human geomorphic activity in the United States: comparison with rivers

Bysomemeasures,theroleofhumansinshapingthelandscapeisnowgreaterthanthatofanyothergeomorphicagent.This effect varies spatially. In the United States, it is greatest in the east where population density is highest, and particularly in WestVirginiaandneighbouringstateswherecoalminingisaddedtomoregeneralearth-movingactivities.Forcomparison, rivers in the United States move less soil, and their influence is greatest in the western part of the country where steep, sparsely vegetated slopes contribute to high sediment loads. Copyright # 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Design of a wearable multi-sensor system for physical activity assessment

In-situ measurement of physical activity of human under free-living environment is important for assessing their exposure to the environment. Innovative sensing technology is needed to realize such measurement. This paper presents a wearable, multi-sensor integrated measurement system (IMS) for assessing physical activity. Detailed analysis and simulation were performed for the parametric design of the IMS hardware and embedded software. An adaptive-scheduling method was devised to improve the battery power efficiency, reducing the energy consumption by over 16 times as compared to the conventional technique, enabling continued system operation of up to 54 hours. Experiments on human subjects have shown that the multi-sensor IMS is more effective in recognizing activities of varying intensity than the traditional activity measurement devices that use accelerometers alone. Error analysis of the IMS accelerometer outputs is also presented.
Toward a semantic anchoring infrastructure for domain-specific modeling languages

Metamodeling facilitates the rapid, inexpensive development of domain-specific modeling languages (DSML-s). However, there are still challenges hindering the wide-scale industrial application of model-based design. One of these unsolved problems is the lack of a practical, effective method for the formal specification of DSML semantics. This problem has negative impact on reusability of DSML-s and analysis tools in domain specific tool chains. To address these issues, we propose a formal well founded methodology with supporting tools to anchor the semantics of DSML-s to precisely defined and validated "semantic units". In our methodology, each of the syntactic and semantic DSML components is defined precisely and completely. The main contribution of our approach is that it moves toward an infrastructure for DSML design that integrates formal methods with practical engineering tools. In this paper we use a mathematical model, Abstract State Machines, a common semantic framework to define the semantic domains of DSML-s.
Extracting Phenological Signals From Multiyear AVHRR NDVI Time Series: Framework for Applying High-Order Annual Splines With Roughness Damping

To better understand how terrestrial vegetative ecosystems respond to climate and/or anthropogenic effects, the scientific community is increasingly interested in developing methods of employing satellite data to track changes in land surface phenology (e.g., timing and rate of green-up, amplitude and duration of growing season, and timing and rate of senescence of plant classes). By increasing the inherent resolution of signal extraction procedures while minimizing the effects of cloud cover and prolonged data gaps, such tools can significantly improve land cover classification and land cover change monitoring on multiple scales. This report describes an intuitive approach for tracking the intra-annual details and interannual variability of multiyear time series, employing a sequence of annual high-order polynomial splines (up to the 14th order), stabilized by minimizing model roughness and weighted to fit the upper data envelope to minimize cloud cover bias. The algorithm is tested using multi-year time series for three very different classes of vegetation-stable agriculture, high elevation montane shrubland, and semi-arid grassland with high interannual variability. The results accurately track both short- and long-term land surface phenology and illustrate a robust potential for extracting temporal and spatial detail from a variety of satellite-based multiyear vegetation signals.
Learning the unlearnable: the role of missing evidence

Abstract Syntactic knowledge is widely held to be partially innate, rather than learned. In a classic example, it is sometimes argued that children know the proper use of anaphoric one, although that knowledge could not have been learned from experience. Lidz et al. [Lidz, J., Waxman, S., & Freedman, J. (2003). What infants know about syntax but couldn’t have learned: Experimental evidence for syntactic structure at 18 months. Cognition, 89, B65–B73.] pursue this argument, and present corpus and experimental evidence that appears to support it; they conclude that specific aspects of this knowledge must be innate. We demonstrate, contra Lidz et al., that this knowledge may in fact be acquired from the input, through a simple Bayesian learning procedure. The learning procedure succeeds because it is sensitive to the absence of particular input patterns—an aspect of learning that is apparently overlooked by Lidz et al. More generally, we suggest that a prominent form of the “argument from poverty of the stimulus” suffers from the same oversight, and is as a result logically unsound.
Long-term impacts of stand management on ponderosa pine physiology and bark beetle abundance in northern Arizona: A replicated landscape study

Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws.) forests in northern Arizona have degraded due to overgrazing, logging, and fire suppression that accompanied Euro-American settlement in the late 1800s. Overstocked stands of suppressed trees with low structural diversity dominate the landscape. These conditions create high risk of catastrophic fires and insect outbreaks. We investigated long-term effects (8‐16 years post-treatment) of thinning and thinning + prescribed burning on ponderosa pine water stress, leaf carbon isotope discrimination and nitrogen concentration, oleoresin exudation flow, phloem thickness, radial growth, and bark beetle abundance relative to unmanaged control stands over 2 years of measurement in 12 stands replicated across thelandscape. Predawnwaterpotentialin lateJune,phloemthickness, and basalarea incrementwere lower inunmanaged than managed stands. Oleoresin exudation flow in July was greater in unmanaged and thinned + burned stands than thinned stands, and greater in a warm year than a cooler year. Leaf nitrogen concentration differed between years, but not among treatments. Tree competition and water stress were positively correlated, and tree competition was negatively correlated with radial growth and phloem thickness. Pheromone-baited trap catches of Dendroctonus spp. (D. brevicomis Leconte pooled with D. frontalis Zimmerman) were higher in unmanaged than managed stands, whereas catches of Ips spp. did not differ among treatments. We conclude that thinning with and without prescribed burning can have long-term effects on ponderosa pine water stress, growth, phloem thickness, resin flow, and bark beetle abundance. Low levels of tree mortality from bark beetles at our study sites suggest remarkable resistance of ponderosa pine in mid-elevation forests in northern Arizona, even at high tree densities.
10 Mbps to 155 Mbps ATM using the IDT SARAM/sup TM/ as a concentrator Brouter core

Datacom and Telecom bandwidth requirements have recently been increasing. ATM is allowing for the increased bandwidth to become possible. Since ATM is a switching technology, the uninterrupted transfer of data, video and voice can be transferred and pieced back together without gaps introduced into the streams. Over time, current data formats will be converted to the ATM format nitially starting with the backbone of the WANs, and soon implemented within the LANs. The LAN movement will require the 10 Mbps Ethernet conversion to the 155 Mbps ATM of the WANs which this paper demonstrates in the form of a Brouter. The Brouter allows for the concentration of multiple 10 Mbps ports to the 155 Mbps ATM port. This ATM Brouter example illustrates a cost effective solution for a network site of four 10 Mbps E-Net users per interface card. The 10 Mbps Users would have a reasonable but lower level ATM connection bandwidth of 10 Mbps tied together to permit the multiple data transmissions simultaneously while concentrated to a higher bandwidth of 155 Mbps ATM. The ATM Brouter example shows the bandwidth and design simplification obtainable through the use of Integrated Device Technology's SARAM component. The lDT70825 SARAM accomplishes the high bandwidth and logic integration through IDT's custom high speed CMOS technology which permits a true simultaneously dual-ported SRAM. >
1 Neurophysiological Considerations in Event-Related Potential Research

Publisher Summary In relating scalp-recorded event-related potentials (ERPs) to underlying brain activity on the one hand and psychological processes on the other, a key issue is the definition of ERP components. It is often assumed that the voltage peaks of scalp-recorded ERPs reflect distinct physiological processes within the brain, and that measuring the latency, amplitude and scalp distribution of each peak provides direct information on the timing, magnitude, and spatial extent of the intracranial neural processes that generated it. However, ERP peaks often represent composites of electrical activity arising from complex configurations of transmembrane current sources and sinks within more than one brain structure. The fusion of field potentials generated by different cellular elements within several concurrently active structures makes it difficult if not impossible to resolve the contribution of a particular structure or cellular group from the analysis of scalp recordings alone.
Structural evidence of a ketimine as the product of an amino acid with an aldehyde. An intermediate in the racemization and transamination of amino acids

Abstract The aldimine and ketimine forms of two Schiff base complexes formed by the condensation of two isomeric imidazole carboxaldehydes with an amino acid are reported. Reaction of L1, the Schiff base condensate of 5-methyl-4-imidazolecarboxaldehyde (5Me4Im) and valine, with copper(II) perchlorate results in the isolation of [Cu(L1)(5Me4Im)(ClO4)] while the analogous reaction of L2, the Schiff base condensate of 1-methyl-2-imidazolecarboxaldehyde (1Me2Im) with alanine, and nickel(II) results in the isolation of [Ni(L2)2]. L1 exhibits the expected aldimine form of the amino acid derived Schiff base, 5Me4Im-CH = N-CH(R)CO2−, while L2 exhibits the tautomeric ketimine form, 1Me2Im-CH2–N = C(R’)CO2−. Structural data clearly support the two tautomeric forms. The ketimine form, observed in [Ni(L2)2], has been proposed as an intermediate in the racemization and transamination of amino acids.
α1H T-type Ca2+ channel is the predominant subtype expressed in bovine and rat zona glomerulosa

The low voltage-activated (T-type) Ca2+ channel has been implicated in the regulation of aldosterone secretion from the adrenal zona glomerulosa by extracellular K+ levels, angiotensin II, and ACTH...
Feminist Biblical Hermeneutics: A Failure of Theoretical Nerve

Tandis que les feminismes se concentrent traditionnellement sur l'analytique, la theorie et le pragmatisme a propos de questions telles que l'effet communicatif, l'autorite et le pouvoir, les exegetes bibliques americains feministes s'attachent a des modeles d'interpretation et de communication qui mettent l'accent sur le sens de la Bible. En Amerique, l'appropriation de l'hermeneutique par les feministes a rendu inactif le discours feministe. Le piege du narcissisme guette ce genre d'etudes. Au contraire, il faudrait enqueter sur les strategies du pouvoir dans les pratiques et l'ideologie biblique androcentriques
Polymerization Effects on the Electro-Optic Properties of a Polymer Stabilized Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal

The introduction of polymeric materials into liquid crystal (LC) matrices has been the focus of much interest in recent years. When a small percentage of polymer network is introduced, the mechanical strength of an LC system increases dramatically without significantly altering the electro-optic properties of the LC. One particular group of LCs, namely, ferroelectric liquid crystals (FLCs), are excellent candidates for such stabilization. FLCs, despite showing great potential for use in electro-optic and display technology due to inherently fast switching times and bistability, have found limited use as they are extremely susceptible to mechanical shock. This study examines the effects of polymerization conditions of a diacrylate monomer in an FLC on its inherent electro-optic properties. The LC phase in which polymerization occurs has a dramatic effect on the polymerization behavior and formation of the polymer network. Such effects have interesting implications on the ferroelectric polarization and switching speed of the FLC. As the temperature of polymerization increases and thus the order of the LC phase decreases, the ferroelectric polarization and the switching time increase.
Migration in the Global South: Exploring New Theoretical Territory

There are more people migrating from one country to another within the Global South than there are people moving from the Global South to the Global North. Yet most theoretical and methodological development, as well as most identified empirical patterns, within the field of migration studies relies on research conducted on South-to-North migration. This introduction addresses the conceptual problems for the field that emerge from this disconnect, and highlights the remedies offered by the articles included in this issue. Focusing on South–South migration allows for the testing and either affirmation or modification of existing theories that migration scholars have for why people migrate, who migrates, where they choose to migrate to and why, and how well or poorly they integrate into the destination country.
Computerized Concentrate Feeders: A Study of Producer Uses to Define Research Needs

Summary A year-long field study involving ten dairy producers using computerized concentrate feeders was conducted to define user management practices. Monthly data collected included forage samples, individual daily concentrate intake, milk production and composition. Milk to concentrate ratios (MTCR) were used to determine the amount of concentrate to be allocated. These values greatly varied, depending on breed, stage of lactation and milk production. Average MTCR was 2.5 (kg milk/kg concentrate). Large variations in forage composition were observed. Areas of future research designed to optimize use of computerized feeders are outlined.