cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neurotoxin-induced ER stress in mouse dopaminergic neurons involves downregulation of TRPC1 and inhibition of AKT/mTOR signaling.

Individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) experience a progressive decline in motor function as a result of selective loss of dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the substantia nigra. The mechanism(s) underlying the loss of DA neurons is not known. Here, we show that a neurotoxin that causes a disease that mimics PD upon administration to mice, because it induces the selective loss of DA neurons in the substantia nigra, alters Ca2+ homeostasis and induces ER stress. In a human neuroblastoma cell line, we found that endogenous store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE), which is critical for maintaining ER Ca2+ levels, is dependent on transient receptor potential channel 1 (TRPC1) activity. Neurotoxin treatment decreased TRPC1 expression, TRPC1 interaction with the SOCE modulator stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1), and Ca2+ entry into the cells. Overexpression of functional TRPC1 protected against neurotoxin-induced loss of SOCE, the associated decrease in ER Ca2+ levels, and the resultant unfolded protein response (UPR). In contrast, silencing of TRPC1 or STIM1 increased the UPR. Furthermore, Ca2+ entry via TRPC1 activated the AKT pathway, which has a known role in neuroprotection. Consistent with these in vitro data, Trpc1–/– mice had an increased UPR and a reduced number of DA neurons. Brain lysates of patients with PD also showed an increased UPR and decreased TRPC1 levels. Importantly, overexpression of TRPC1 in mice restored AKT/mTOR signaling and increased DA neuron survival following neurotoxin administration. Overall, these results suggest that TRPC1 is involved in regulating Ca2+ homeostasis and inhibiting the UPR and thus contributes to neuronal survival.
The future of automobile society: a socio-technical transitions perspective

Automobile society has been triumphant for a century. While this success is often ascribed to entrepreneurial tenacity and indefatigable demand, it is more correctly credited to auspicious political, economic and cultural trends. The macro-scale factors responsible for the entrenchment of automobility in developed countries are now moving in reverse direction. A socio-technical transitions perspective emphasises how declining industrial influence, stagnating wages, growing income inequality, increasing vehicle operating costs and changing sociodemographics are now undermining the foundations of automobile society. Three expressions of this process are considered: claims that transport planners are engaged in a ‘war’ against the automobile, emergent evidence that vehicle use is reaching saturation (the so-called ‘peak car’ phenomenon) and apparent disinclination of youth to embrace automobile-oriented lifestyles. Although these developments suggest some instability in the socio-technical system, the lock-i...
Evaluation of malingering cut-off scores for the Rey 15-Item Test: a brain injury case study series.

Primary objective : To evaluate the utility of prescribed malingering cut-off scores by examining the Rey Fifteen-Item Test (FIT) responses of persons with severe brain injury. Research design : Series of five case studies. Methods and procedures : The FIT was administered along with standardized neuropsychological and neurobehavioural meausres. Main outcomes and results : Using the standardized scoring protocol, all five patients obtained perfect (15/15 correct) scores on the FIT. All patients exhibited significant impairment on other neuropsychological indices, included measures of memory and attention. Conclusions : Results lend support to the use of higher cut-off scores to identify malingering. Further large-scale research is recommended to ascertain the reliability of FIT scoring procedures, determine cut-off scores for various diagnostic groups and develope age and education adjustments. Implications for use of the FIT in clinical and forensic settings are also discussed.
The Technology of Creativity

Reviews the advances in creative thinking since De Bono′s Lateral Thinking, including work on brain hemispheres, with particular reference to practical techniques that can be applied in business. Outlines a general approach, largely concerned with how the creative right brain is best harnessed, and drawing, inter alia, on current research among top British business leaders. Describes a number of specific techniques, including what are termed Chunking, Sleight of Mouth, Reversals, Metaphors, the Meta Model, and different forms of Visualization. Some of these have been developed within Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP). A new technique, Chunked Reversals, has been developed by the author. These techniques allow, typically, hundreds of ideas to be generated and applied to strategic or operational business objectives, in a more focused way than traditional brainstorming or lateral thinking.
Specific fears and panic attacks: A survey of clinical and nonclinical samples

Abstract The purpose of this investigation was to examine features of specific fears. The features examined were ones that have been associated traditionally with panic attacks: focus of apprehension, symptom profile, and predictability. By so doing, the value of these features for discriminating between panic disorder with agoraphobia and simple phobias was evaluated. In addition, the study evaluated the extent to which these features were influenced by the specific type of object or situation that is feared, and by the co-occurence of uncued panic attacks. A survey was administered to 216 college students, and 95 patients seeking treatment at a clinical research facility. Specific fears involved worries about the dangers of panicking, panic-symptoms, and unpredictability, to some extent. For the most part, these features were uneffected by the co-occurence of panic attacks or panic disorder. However, fears of enclosed places were most similar to panic/agoraphobia in terms of focus of apprehension, symptom profile, and predictability. In addition, enclosed places were more likely to be feared in the presence of uncued panic attacks.
The utility of screening renal ultrasonography: Identifying renal cell carcinoma in an elderly asymptomatic population

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy and utility of screening renal ultrasonography (RUS) in older patients with a high prevalence of risk factors for renal cell carcinoma (RCC), as with the widespread use of advanced imaging techniques the identification of incidental RCC has increased, and although previous studies in low-risk groups reported little use for screening RUS, its utility in high-risk groups is unknown. PATIENTS AND METHODS From 1993 to 1997, screening RUS was completed for 6678 consecutive patients in conjunction with the Aneurysm Detection and Management study. Patient demographics, medical and social history were recorded for each patient. Screening RUS was completed by one ultrasonographer using a 3.5-MHz sector scanner. A urologist verified any abnormalities identified by RUS during consultation. Additional imaging tests were obtained selectively and intervention was recommended based on the results of the genitourinary evaluation. RESULTS From the screened population of 6678 patients, 817 (12.3%) renal anomalies were found, including a solid renal mass in 22 (0.32%), simple renal cysts in 627 (9.4%), hydronephrosis in 21 (0.31%), renal calculi in 121 (1.8%), or other abnormalities in 24 (0.36%). Treatment was completed for 15 renal cancers; 13 were organ-confined on pathological review. At a mean follow-up of >55 months, 12 of the 15 patients with RCC survived. CONCLUSIONS In this older cohort, retroperitoneal RUS was an effective tool for case-finding by detecting significant findings in an asymptomatic population. The prevalence of solid renal masses (0.32%) was higher than reported with other screening protocols. Although probably not the best method for generalized primary screening, the use of RUS may still be beneficial for ‘secondary’ screening in a more selected patient population.
Microelectrode Array Recordings from the Ventral Roots in Chronically Implanted Cats

The ventral spinal roots contain the axons of spinal motoneurons and provide the only location in the peripheral nervous system where recorded neural activity can be assured to be motor rather than sensory. This study demonstrates recordings of single unit activity from these ventral root axons using floating microelectrode arrays (FMAs). Ventral root recordings were characterized by examining single unit yield and signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) with 32-channel FMAs implanted chronically in the L6 and L7 spinal roots of 9 cats. Single unit recordings were performed for implant periods of up to 12 weeks. Motor units were identified based on active discharge during locomotion and inactivity under anesthesia. Motor unit yield and SNR were calculated for each electrode, and results were grouped by electrode site size, which were varied systematically between 25-160 μm to determine effects on signal quality. The unit yields and SNR did not differ significantly across this wide range of electrode sizes. Both SNR and yield decayed over time, but electrodes were able to record spikes with SNR > 2 up to 12 weeks post-implant. These results demonstrate that it is feasible to record single unit activity from multiple isolated motor units with penetrating microelectrode arrays implanted chronically in the ventral spinal roots. This approach could be useful for creating a spinal nerve interface for advanced neural prostheses, and results of this study will be used to improve design of microelectrodes for chronic neural recording in the ventral spinal roots.
Integrating antithrombin and antiplatelet therapies with early invasive management for non–ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes

Non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes are a dramatic manifestation of coronary artery disease. Multiple clinical trials have shown that early cardiac catheterization improves clinical outcomes in patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes. Many antithrombotic agents effectively manage unstable coronary syndromes and serve as adjuncts to percutaneous coronary intervention. Yet, the growing number of pharmacologic agents makes early management of non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes increasingly complex. We review the current evidence regarding the optimal integration of early antithrombotic and antiplatelet therapies with early coronary angiography and subsequent revascularization.
Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Carbon-13 spin-lattice relaxation time measurements of amino acids.

Abstract The 13C spin-lattice relaxation times, T1's, of several amino acids have been measured as a function of pD and concentration. A strong dependence of the carboxyl carbon T1 was observed for both pD and concentration and is believed to be due to intermolecular associations. For the carboxyl carbon, spin rotation is proposed as the predominant relaxation mechanism, whereas the other carbons are relaxed mainly by the dipole-dipole mechanism, and their relaxation times are relatively independent of changes in concentration and pD.
Two progesterone receptors in the oviduct of the freshwater turtle Chrysemys picta: possible homology to mammalian and avian progesterone receptor systems.

Abstract Two progesterone receptors in the oviduct of the freshwater turtle Chrysemys picta: possible homology to mammalian and avian receptor systems. Here we report the characterization of two specific progesterone receptors in nuclear extracts of the turtle oviduct. The receptors differ in dissociation constants (2.8 nM vs 27 nM) which can be separated on DEAE-Sepharose, the former eluting at 0.08 M KCl and the latter at 0.20 M KCl. [3H]R5020 photoaffinity labeling SDS-PAGE revealed that the 2.8 nM moiety migrates with an apparent molecular weight of 80 ± 5 kDa and the 27 nM moiety migrates with an apparent molecular weight of 120 ± 5 kDa. These receptors are termed PR-A and PR-B due to their molecular mass and elution profiles. DNA-cellulose Chromatographic studies show that both bind DNA-cellulose with the PR-A eluting at 0.09 M NaCl and PR-B eluting between 0.20–0.21 M NaCl. In reproductively inactive turtles (from the months of January and February) estradiol is undetectable, and PR-B is absent as determined by Scatchard analysis, [3H]R5020 photoaffinity labeling electrophoretic studies and DEAE-Sepharose and DNA-cellulose chromatography. In these animals PR-B can be replenished by estrogen treatment, suggesting a physiological role for both PR-A and PR-B and dependence of PR-B on estradiol.
Octave-spanning lasers and single-cycle pulse synthesis

An octave-spanning, prism-less Ti:sapphire laser is demonstrated based on double-chirped mirror pairs. The Ti:sapphire laser synchronized to a 30 fs Cr:forsterite laser using balanced cross-correlation. A residual timing jitter of a tenth of an optical cycle, i.e. 300 attoseconds is achieved.
Polyploidy and Crop Improvement

All crop plants are polyploid and some genomes have been duplicated more recently than others. Advancements in cytogenetic and molecular tools, including high-density genetic mapping, fl orescent in situ hybridization, and genome and EST sequencing, have enabled new insights into genome composition and the history of genome duplications in crop plants. We review this evidence and discuss the relevance of genome duplication to crop improvement. Polyploidy provides genome buffering, increased allelic diversity and heterozygosity, and permits novel phenotypic variation to be generated. Polyploid formation is often accompanied with loss of duplicated chromatin, changes in gene expression, novel epistatic interactions, and endosperm effects. All of these factors need be considered in a genome-wide context for optimizing marker assisted selection and crop plant improvement. Abbreviations: Ks, synonymous sites; FLC, FLOWERING LOCUS C.
Effects of 2.0% end-tidal isoflurane with and without atropine prior to dexmedetomidine administration on cardiovascular variables in dogs

The purpose of this study was to determine the cardiovascular effects of 2.0% end-tidal isoflurane in dogs administered dexmedetomidine (DEX). Using a randomized crossover design and allowing at least 2 weeks between treatments 12 adult hound dogs of either sex weighing 22 ± 1.7 SD kg were anesthetized by face mask administration of either sevoflurane or isoflurane to facilitate instrumentation prior to administration of treatment drugs. Dogs were intubated and instrumented to enable measurement of heart rate (HR), systolic (SAP), mean (MAP) and diastolic (DAP) arterial pressures, mean pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP), pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP), central venous pressure (CVP), pulmonary arterial temperature (TEMP), and cardiac output (CO) via thermodilution using 5 mL of 5% dextrose, and recording the average of three replicate measurements. Cardiac index (CI) and systemic (SVR) and pulmonary vascular resistances were calculated. Following completion of instrumentation, dogs were allowed to recover for 40 minutes. After collection of baseline data, dogs were administered one of four treatments at T-10 minutes prior to injection of DEX (500? g M–2 IM): 1) saline (SAL); 2) atropine [ATR, 0.02 (n = 6) or 0.04 (n = 6) mg kg–1 IM]; 3) ISO (2.0% end tidal concentration); or 4) ISO + ATR. Cardiovascular data were collected at T-20 and T-5 minutes prior to administration of DEX, and at 5, 10 , 20, 30, 40, and 60 min following DEX. Data were analyzed using anovafor repeated measures with post-hoc differences between means identified using Bonferroni's method (p < 0.05). Differences in ATR dose were not found to be significant and thus results for ATR dose groups were pooled. Administration of SAL (dexmedetomidine alone) was associated with decreases in HR and CO and increases in SAP, MAP, DAP, CVP, and SVR. Administration of ATR was associated with an increase in HR and CO compared with SAL. Administration of ISO was associated with an increase in HR and a decrease in SVR, MAP and CVP compared with SAL. Administration of ISO + ATR was associated with effects similar to that of ISO or ATR alone. We conclude that administration of ISO reduces the increase in SVR associated with administration of DEX and does not adversely affect CO.
A Conservative Approximation Method for the Verification of Preemptive Scheduling Using Timed Automata

This paper presents a conservative approximation method for the real-time verification of asynchronous event-driven distributed systems. This problem is known to be undecidable in the generic setting. The proposed approach is based on composable timed automata models that provide a sufficient condition to determine schedulability. We demonstrate the method on a real-time CORBA avionics design.
Nanosecond guard time packet-by-packet burst-mode optical 3R regeneration in an optical-label switching router

This letter discusses an experimental demonstration of 10-Gb/s packet-by-packet burst-mode optical 3R regeneration in an optical-label switching router. A monolithically integrated Mach-Zehnder interferometer with semiconductor optical amplifiers provides the all-optical 2R regeneration. Synchronous modulation with the use of Fabry-Pe/spl acute/rot filter-based clock recovery performs the burst-mode retiming function necessary for 3R regeneration. The clock recovery works successfully despite a clock phase discontinuity between adjacent packets. The optical 3R regenerator shows bit-error rates below 1/spl times/10/sup -10/ and sensitivity variations less than 1.5 dB over a wide range of guard times from 3 to 1000 ns.
Ultrawideband (UWB) Radar Imaging of Building Interior: Measurements and Predictions

In this paper, we explore using the ultrawideband radar technology for sensing through-the-wall imaging. We conducted a field experiment with our in-house designed impulse-based radar, in which a stripmap synthetic aperture radar (SAR) geometry was employed in mapping an abandoned army barrack building with a large footprint area. The images obtained from two sides of the building were combined in order to obtain the full building layout, including the interior structure. Computer simulations performed with Xpatch, a physical optics-based ray tracing code, are used to explain some phenomena observed in the measured SAR images.
Function of the lectin domain of Mac-1/complement receptor type 3 (CD11b/CD18) in regulating neutrophil adhesion.

A lectin function within CD11b mediates both cytotoxic priming of Mac-1/complement receptor type 3 (CR3) by β-glucan and the formation of transmembrane signaling complexes with GPI-anchored glycoproteins such as CD16b (FcγRIIIb). A requirement for GPI-anchored urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR; CD87) in neutrophil adhesion and diapedesis has been demonstrated with uPAR-knockout mice. In this study, neutrophil activation conditions generating high-affinity (H-AFN) or low-affinity (L-AFN) β2 integrin adhesion were explored. A role for the Mac-1/CR3 lectin domain and uPAR in mediating H-AFN or L-AFN adhesion was suggested by the inhibition of Mac-1/CR3-dependent adhesion to ICAM-1 or fibrinogen by β-glucan or anti-uPAR. The formation of uPAR complexes with Mac-1/CR3 activated for L-AFN adhesion was demonstrated by fluorescence resonance energy transfer. Conversely, Jurkat cell LFA-1 H-AFN-adhesion to ICAM-1 was not associated with uPAR/LFA-1 complexes, any requirement for GPI-anchored glycoproteins, or inhibition by β-glucan. A single CD11b lectin site for β-glucan and uPAR was suggested because the binding of either β-glucan or uPAR to Mac-1/CR3 selectively masked two CD11b epitopes adjacent to the transmembrane domain. Moreover, treatment with phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C that removed GPI-anchored proteins increased CD11b-specific binding of 125I-labeled β-glucan by 3-fold and this was reversed with soluble recombinant uPAR. Conversely, neutrophil activation for generation of Mac-1/CR3/uPAR complexes inhibited CD11b-dependent binding of 125I-labeled β-glucan by 75%. These data indicate that the same lectin domain within CD11b regulates both the cytotoxic and adhesion functions of Mac-1/CR3.
Treatment-Related Osteoporosis in Men with Prostate Cancer

The intended therapeutic effect of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists is hypogonadism, a major cause of acquired osteoporosis in men. Consistent with this observation, GnRH agonists increase bone turnover and decrease bone mineral density, a surrogate for fracture risk. Large claims-based analyses and other retrospective studies provide compelling evidence that GnRH agonists increase risk of clinical fractures. Estrogens play a central role in homeostasis of the normal male skeleton, and estrogen deficiency rather than testosterone deficiency seems to be primarily responsible for the adverse skeletal effects of GnRH agonists. In randomized controlled trials, bisphosphonates (pamidronate and zoledronic acid) and selective estrogen receptor modulators (raloxifene and toremifene) increased bone mineral density in GnRH agonist-treated men. Two ongoing large randomized placebo-controlled studies will prospectively define fracture outcomes in men with prostate cancer and assess the efficacy of novel pharmacologic interventions (AMG162, toremifene) during GnRH agonist treatment.
Dynamics of Inventor Networks and the Evolution of Technology Clusters

Clusters are important drivers of regional economic growth. Although their benefits are well recognized, research into their evolution is still ongoing. Most real-world clusters seem to have emerged spontaneously without deliberate policy interventions, each cluster having its own evolutionary path. Since there is a significant gap in our understanding of the forces driving their evolution, this study uses a quantitative approach to investigate the role of inventor collaboration networks in it. Inventor collaboration networks for 30 top-performing American metropolitan clusters were constructed on the basis of patent co-authorship data. The selected clusters operate in hi-tech fields: information technology, communications equipment and the biopharmaceutical industry. Starting from a widely accepted hypothesis that the 'small-world' structure is an optimal one for knowledge spillovers and promotes innovation effectively, the authors statistically tested the impact of 'small-world' network properties on cluster innovation performance proxied by patent output. The results suggest that the effect of the small-world structure is not as significant as theorists hypothesized, not all clusters benefit from the presence of inventor collaboration networks, and cluster performance can be affected by policy interventions. Our analyses also suggest that cluster typology moderates the impact of inventor network properties on cluster innovation performance.
Case Study: New Directions For the College Counselor at CCNY

Community mental health concepts suggest that college counselors may move towards preventive activity rather than remaining focused primarily on response to established symptoms in troubled students. Preventive activity views the college, its policies, and its administration as legitimate areas of counselor-involvement. Experience indicates there is room on the campus for both functions: (a) traditional one-to-one interactions within the counseling office; and (b) outreach programs affecting large numbers of students and administrators. Outreach has shown itself effective in reaching students who might not spontaneously seek out the counseling office. Several areas of counselor involvement at City College in which the staff has experimented with the outreach philosophy are discussed.
Understanding the implications of a thermoeconomic perspective on sustainability

No two sciences have been more directly informative of sustainability than thermodynamics (the science of energy and material resources) and economics (the science of how those resources are allocated for production, distribution, and consumption). Both disciplines share a preoccupation with understanding efficiency, which is critical to many interpretations of sustainability and so it is not surprising to discover that investigative approaches to sustainability in one discipline can be analogous to the other. However, there are significant differences as well, such as the difference between price and value, the importance of time, the necessity of reference states and analysis of ecological systems. Both perspectives have important implications for understanding sustainability, including strong vs. weak formulations, and aggregation of data flows with different qualitative characteristics.
Poly(L-alanylglycine) : Multigram-scale biosynthesis, crystallization, and structural analysis of chain-folded lamellae

The biosynthesis of poly(l-alanylglycine) (poly(AG)) was performed in high cell density cultures of recombinant Escherichia coli. The purity of the material was determined by amino acid analysis, elemental analysis, and 1H NMR spectroscopy. Fed batch fermentation increased the yield of recombinant protein from levels of tens of milligrams per liter (typical of batch fermentation in rich media) to hundreds of milligrams per liter. Poly(AG) comprising 64 diads [(AG)64] was recrystallized from dichloroacetic acid solutions in the form of texture-oriented chain-folded lamellae with a lamellar stack periodicity of 3.2 nm. The crystal structure within the lamellar core is similar in general, but different in detail, to the antiparallel β-sheet structure previously reported for oriented films of poly(AG) and fibers of Bombyx mori silk fibroin (silk II). The structure consists of polar antiparallel (ap) β-sheets, with repetitive folding through γ-turns every eighth amino acid (including the fold), stacking with l...
Commentary by V. V. Chari

All of economics concerns itself with prices and quantities. Why should asset markets be any different? The need for satisfactory models of volume and price changes in asset markets is self-evident. Let me start by taking a vastly oversimplified view of this issue. If I ask a layman why anybody might sell shares in a firm, I think the obvious answers are (1) the individual needs the money to buy something else, be it a house or a six-pack of beer, and (2) the individual thinks the price of the stock will fall. Conversely, a buyer either (1) has received income that he desires to invest, or (2) thinks the stock will go up.
A human-and-network aware encoding adaptation scheme for Remote Desktop Access

Remote Desktop Access (RDA) applications have become vital for users involved in tasks such as tele-commuting, distance learning, and remote instrumentation. To deliver optimum user Quality of Experience (QoE), existing RDA applications are “network-aware” i.e., they employ online encoding adaptation that is based on network Quality of Service (QoS) measurement between the client and server ends. In this paper, we propose and evaluate an online RDA encoding adaptation scheme that is “human-and-network aware” i.e., our novel adaptation considers Quality of Application (QoA) performance perceived by the user in addition to the network QoS measured by the application. Owing to our offline QoA performance modeling strategy that uses polynomial regression and bootstrap sampling, our scheme does not require input from actual users for the online encoding adaptation. Our performance validation results show that our proposed human-network-aware adaptation outperforms the network-aware adaptation in terms of user QoE for a wide-variety of degraded network QoS conditions.
A comparison of methods of post-operative analgesia in children undergoing limb reconstruction with circular frames

This retrospective study compared post-operative epidural analgesia (E), continuous peripheral nerve blocks (CPNB) and morphine infusion (M) in 68 children undergoing limb reconstruction with circular frames. The data collected included episodes of severe pain, post-operative duration of analgesia, requirement for top-up analgesia, number of osteotomies, side effects and complications. There was a significant difference between the number of episodes of severe pain in patients receiving a morphine infusion and those receiving epidurals or CPNB (M vs E, p < 0.0001; M vs CPNB, p = 0.018). The CPNB group was associated with the lowest incidence of episodes of severe pain and top-up analgesia. Epidural analgesia was associated with significantly more nausea and vomiting than morphine infusion (p = 0.053) and CPNB (p = 0.023). It also had a significantly higher incidence of motor blockade than CPNB (p < 0.01). We found that the most effective method of post-operative analgesia for children undergoing lower limb reconstruction was sciatic nerve catheterisation and continuous infusion.
Teleporter: An analytically and forensically sound duplicate transfer system

This research seeks to minimize the transmission of unnecessary data when sending forensically sound drive images from remote client locations back to a central site. Files such as operating-system files, applications, and media files are likely to exist on many hard drives. The concept combines common data from local stores with unique data from the remote site to create new, forensically sound media images. Data that can be used from local stores need not be sent over the link. The result is substantially reduced amounts of data that must be transmitted between the two sites and stored at the central location. This paper describes Teleporter, a highly optimized file transfer method. The described research will also refine the understanding of the term forensically sound and introduce the term analytically sound.
Server-side I/O coordination for parallel file systems

Parallel file systems have become a common component of modern high-end computers to mask the ever-increasing gap between disk data access speed and CPU computing power. However, while working well for certain applications, current parallel file systems lack the ability to effectively handle concurrent I/O requests with data synchronization needs, whereas concurrent I/O is the norm in data-intensive applications. Recognizing that an I/O request will not complete until all involved file servers in the parallel file system have completed their parts, in this paper we propose a server-side I/O coordination scheme for parallel file systems. The basic idea is to coordinate file servers to serve one application at a time in order to reduce the completion time, and in the meantime maintain the server utilization and fairness. A window-wide coordination concept is introduced to serve our purpose. We present the proposed I/O coordination algorithm and its corresponding analysis of average completion time in this study. We also implement a prototype of the proposed scheme under the PVFS2 file system and MPI-IO environment. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed scheme can reduce average completion time by 8% to 46%, and provide higher I/O bandwidth than that of default data access strategies adopted by PVFS2 for heavy I/O workloads. Experimental results also show that the server-side I/O coordination scheme has good scalability.
A Bayesian tutorial for data assimilation

Data assimilation is the process by which observational data are fused with scientific information. The Bayesian paradigm provides a coherent probabilistic approach for combining information, and thus is an appropriate framework for data assimilation. Viewing data assimilation as a problem in Bayesian statistics is not new. However, the field of Bayesian statistics is rapidly evolving and new approaches for model construction and sampling have been utilized recently in a wide variety of disciplines to combine information. This article includes a brief introduction to Bayesian methods. Paying particular attention to data assimilation, we review linkages to optimal interpolation, kriging, Kalman filtering, smoothing, and variational analysis. Discussion is provided concerning Monte Carlo methods for implementing Bayesian analysis, including importance sampling, particle filtering, ensemble Kalman filtering, and Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling. Finally, hierarchical Bayesian modeling is reviewed. We indicate how this approach can be used to incorporate significant physically based prior information into statistical models, thereby accounting for uncertainty. The approach is illustrated in a simplified advection‐diffusion model.
On the Gauge Invariance of the Neutral Vector Meson Theory

We discuss the neutral vector meson theory in a way which, by exploiting its similarity to quant,um electrodynamics,simplifies the transition to vanishing meson rest mass. In- particular the gauge invariance of electrodynamics is shown to be a special case of an invariance holding more generally in the meson theory. It has been known for some time that the analogy between quantum electrodynamics and' the neutral vector mes:>n theory is considerably stronger than the usual meson theore­ tical formalism suggests. In the following note we shall examine this correspondence in detail, and show in particular the 'V~y in which· the two theories coalesce in the limit of vanishing meson mass. Many of the similarities of the formalisms are due to a type of gauge invanance which the neutral vector meson theory may be shown to possess in com­ mon with electrodynamics. I~ the familiar formulation1) of the neutral veCtor· meson theory the uncoupled field
Effects of dietary supplemental fish oil during the peripartum period on blood metabolites and hepatic fatty acid compositions and total triacylglycerol concentrations of multiparous Holstein cows

The objectives were to evaluate the effects of dietary fish oil on plasma metabolite, hepatic fatty acid composition, and total triacylglycerol concentrations. Multiparous Holstein cows (n = 42) were completely randomized to 1 of 3 treatments at 3 wk prepartum. Treatments were no supplemental lipid or supplemental lipid from either Energy Booster (Milk Specialties Co., Dundee, IL) or fish oil. Treatment diets were fed from -21 d relative to expected date of parturition until 10 d postpartum. Treatments were fed as a bolus before the a.m. feeding. The dose of lipid fed during the prepartum period was 250 g, whereas approximately 0.92% of the previous day's dry matter intake was supplemented postpartum. Blood was collected 3 times weekly for determination of plasma metabolites. Liver biopsies were performed at 21 and 10 d before expected date of parturition and 1 and 14 d after parturition to determine fatty acid compositions and total triacylglycerol concentrations. Dry matter intake, milk yield, and loss of body weight or body condition score were not affected by supplementing the diet with lipid or by the source of lipid. Supplemental lipid tended to increase plasma glucose and decrease nonesterified fatty acids during the postpartum period. Furthermore, plasma beta-hydroxybutyrate was reduced during the postpartum period in the lipid-supplemented treatments. However, source of supplemental lipid had no influence on any blood metabolite. Supplemental fish oil altered the fatty acid composition of liver phospholipids and triacylglycerols, decreasing total saturated fatty acids and increasing total n-3 and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (>20 carbon fatty acids). Despite the altered fatty acid composition, hepatic total triacylglycerol concentrations were unaffected by supplemental fish oil. Furthermore, the improved metabolic profile following lipid supplementation did not decrease hepatic total triacylglycerol concentrations.
The ‘Standard’ for Poststroke Aphasia Recovery

See related article, pages 1485–1488. The past 2 decades may be remembered as the decades of metrics in medicine. All aspects of our work have been measured and charted by relative value units, H-indices, case mix indices, mean lengths of stay, mean patient satisfaction scores, and so on. Some metrics are important, some less so. However, 1 important measure is the degree to which a patient with stroke will be able to improve in the next 90 days. Decisions need to be made about whether to apply for disability, move to assisted living, or whether to wait for improvement to occur. We as stroke neurologists think we know the answers, but we all give different answers based on very little data; we often say it depends on the size of the stroke, the patient’s age and education, the severity and type of the deficit, the quality and duration of therapy, and so on. However, seemingly within a wide range of these variables, Lazar and colleagues1 have found that that there is a single answer that does not depend on any of these variables; by 90 days, patients improve by approximately 70% of the maximum potential recovery (the maximum potential language score minus their initial score) as long as they receive at …
Dislocation emission at fibers-I. Theory of longitudinal punching by thermal stresses

Keywords: Aluminum Metallography - Lattice Defects ; Fibers ; Nontextile - Stresses ; Metallography - Lattice Defects ; Metals and Alloys - Fiber Reinforcement ; Metallic Matrix Composites ; Prismatic Loops ; Residual Stresses ; Thermal Mismatch ; Thermal Stresses ; Aluminum and Alloys Note: Massachusetts Inst of Technology, Cambridge, United States09567151 (ISSN) Reference LMM-ARTICLE-1991-010View record in Scopus Record created on 2006-10-09, modified on 2017-05-10
A computational model for asynchronous oocyte growth dynamics in a batch-spawning fish

A computational model of oocyte growth dynamics (i.e., oocyte recruitment, growth, and spawning) in a batch-spawning fish, fathead minnow (FHM, Pimephales promelas), has been developed. The model p...
Fault-tolerant FFT networks

Two concurrent error detection (CED) schemes are proposed for N-point fast Fourier transform (FFT) networks that consists of log/sub 2/N stages with N/2 two-point butterfly modules for each stage. The method assumes that failures are confined to a single complex multiplier or adder or to one input or output set of lines. Such a fault model covers a broad class of faults. It is shown that only a small overhead ratio, O(2/log/sub 2/N) of hardware, is required for the networks to obtain fault-secure results in the first scheme. A novel data retry technique is used to locate the faulty modules. Large roundoff errors can be detected and treated in the same manner as functional errors. The retry technique can also distinguish between the roundoff errors and functional errors that are caused by some physical failures. In the second scheme, a time-redundancy method is used to achieve both error detection and location. It is sown that only negligible hardware overhead is required. However, the throughput is reduced to half that of the original system, without both error detection and location, because of the nature of time-redundancy methods. >
Calmodulin and PI(3,4,5)P3 cooperatively bind to the Itk pleckstrin homology domain to promote efficient calcium signaling and IL-17A production

Precise regulation of the kinetics and magnitude of Ca(2+) signaling enables this signal to mediate diverse responses, such as cell migration, differentiation, vesicular trafficking, and cell death. We showed that the Ca(2+)-binding protein calmodulin (CaM) acted in a positive feedback loop to potentiate Ca(2+) signaling downstream of the Tec kinase family member Itk. Using NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance), we mapped CaM binding to two loops adjacent to the lipid-binding pocket within the Itk pleckstrin homology (PH) domain. The Itk PH domain bound synergistically to Ca(2+)/CaM and the lipid phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate [PI(3,4,5)P3], such that binding to Ca(2+)/CaM enhanced the binding to PI(3,4,5)P3 and vice versa. Disruption of CaM binding attenuated Itk recruitment to the membrane and diminished release of Ca(2+) from the endoplasmic reticulum. Moreover, disruption of this feedback loop abrogated Itk-dependent production of the proinflammatory cytokine IL-17A (interleukin-17A) by CD4(+) T cells. Additionally, we found that CaM associated with PH domains from other proteins, indicating that CaM may regulate other PH domain-containing proteins.
Differential expression of cell surface antigens on subsets of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells.

BACKGROUND The assessment of relative antigen density on T cell subsets is a feature of antigen expression that is infrequently characterized. Defining phenotypic differences is a first step in understanding associated differences in function. Additionally, a better understanding of T cell heterogeneity may aid in clinical diagnoses. MATERIAL/METHODS To further elucidate phenotypic differences of T cell subsets, and begin to determine what information relative antigen density contributes to immunology, we analyzed normal human peripheral blood T cells for a variety of immunophenotypic (CD2, CD3, CD4, CD5, CD7, CD8, CD45RA, CD45RO, TCR alpha beta) and light scatter characteristics using 6 color flow cytometry. T-cell leukemia specimens were also analyzed. RESULTS Our data show that statistically significant immunophenotypic differences exist between subsets of human CD4 and CD8 T cells. Normal T cells express different levels of relative antigen density for some antigens compared to malignant T cells. CONCLUSIONS Significant differences are seen in relative antigen density for several cell surface markers between CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Neither donor source nor flow cytometric calibration account for these differences. The data are applied to specimens from patients with T-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia to show how antigen density can be used clinically in aiding to diagnose disease. The data presented here can be used to further investigate these cell populations for functional differences.
Three new mathematical techniques for field effect transistor modeling and analysis

We describe: (i) an accurate way to enforce charge conservation with minimal disruption of the model extraction process; (ii) the correct way to smooth drain conductance and transconductance data for deriving large-signal drain current; and (iii) a priori identification of ill-conditioned parameters in small-signal models which are intrinsically difficult to measure.
Speedpath prediction based on learning from a small set of examples

In high performance designs, speed-limiting logic paths (speedpaths) impact the power/performance trade-off that is becoming critical in our low power regimes. Timing tools attempt to model and predict the delay of all the paths on a chip, which may be in the millions. These delay predictions often have a significant error and when silicon is measured there is a large variation of path delays as compared to the prediction of the tools. This variation may be caused by process, environmental or other effects that are often unpredictable. It is therefore desirable to use early silicon data to better predict and model potential speedpaths for subsequent silicon steppings. In this paper, we present a novel machine learning-based approach that uses a small number of identified speedpaths to predict a larger set of potential speedpaths, thus significantly enhancing the traditional timing prediction flows post-silicon. We demonstrate the feasibility of this approach and summarize our findings based on the analysis of silicon speedpaths from a 65 nm P4 microprocessor.
Fuzzy Multiple Objective Decision Making (Fuzzy-MODM)

Um Fuzzy-MODM-Methoden darstellen zu konnen, wird zunachst ein kon-ventionelles MODM-Problem mit seinen Bestandteilen in allgemeiner Form aufgefuhrt.
Virulence of Autographa californica Baculovirus Preparations Fed with Different Food Sources to Cabbage Loopers

Polyhedral inclusion bodies (PIB) of an isolate of a nuclear polyhedrosis virus of the alfalfa looper, Autographa californica (Speyer), were propagated in larvae of the cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni (Hubner), and prepared by one of three methods: (1) filtration and centrifugation through 40% sucrose in water; (2) filtration, centrifugation with urea, sodium dodecyl sulfate, and NaCl, and final centrifugation through a sucrose density gradient; and, (3) filtration, centrifugation through 40% sucrose in water, air-drying, and storage of the PIB as a dry mixture with sucrose. Three experiments were conducted with 4th instars of T. ni : the LD50 of preparation (2) fed with semisynthetic diet was determined in 1975; the LD50’s of preparations (1) and (2) were compared by feeding with semisynthetic diet and cabbage disks in 1976; and the LD50 of preparation (3) fed with semisynthetic diet was determined in 1976. The virus prepared with reagents and collected from a sucrose density gradient (2) was more virulent than a crude preparation of virus (1), with LD50’s of 10 and 68 PIB per larva on semisynthetic diet and cabbage disks, respectively, compared to LD50’s of 19 and 345 PIB per larva for the crude preparation on semisynthetic diet and cabbage disks, respectively. When results from the three experiments were compared, the slopes of the probit of mortality vs. log of dosage regressions ranged from 0.65 to 1.40 probits per log-dose, and the LD50’s ranged from 10 to 188 PIB per larva for viruses fed with semisynthetic diet and 68 to 345 PIB per larva for viruses fed with cabbage. The wide variation in results with the three virus preparations was related to preparation methods and bioassay food source.
Stability of Grinding Robot with Compliance

グラインディングロボットにおいて, マニピュレータに取りつけられたグラインダは, マニピュレータの剛性が低いために, 振動姓じやすく, そして時には, 不安定にさえなる.その振動は研削面を荒くしまた, 鞍定状態はマニピュレータを破損に至らしめることがある.本論文は, 研削時のグラインダの安定性について議論している.加工物の平面部が研削されるとき, 加工面の接線方向に対するグラインダの運動は線形微分方程式で記述される.この式から, グラインダの安定性は, マニピュレータの剛性マトリックス, 被削面の傾斜角, 加工物とグラインダの摩擦係数に依存することが示される.一方, 曲面上の研削の場合, 微分方程式は非線形になる.その場合, 研削の安定限界は, 被削面の曲率の影響を強く受ける.グラインディングロボットの曲面研削においては, グラインダを安定に支持するために, マニピュレータのリストが曲面に応じて制御されなければならないことが示されている.
Sending mixed signals: the role of gender and partisanship in evaluations of political leaders

ABSTRACTPartisanship and gender are powerful heuristic cues used by citizens to understand their elected officials’ ideology. When these cues send complementary signals – a Democratic woman or a Republican man – we expect they will aid citizens in evaluating their leaders’ political ideology. However, when partisanship and gender send conflicting signals, we expect citizens will be more likely to misperceive their leaders’ beliefs. We test this proposition using ideological evaluations of incumbent US senators collected in the 2010 and 2012 Cooperative Congressional Election Studies. The findings support our hypotheses, illustrating voters’ reliance on both partisan and gender cues. Our results suggest potential consequences for not only Republican women, but also Democratic men.
MODELING OF FUZZY INFORMATION IN QUALITY FUNCTION DEPLOYMENT

In the process of products design, most input in- formation for quality function deployment always shows as the judgment, understand and evaluation of human, which possess the characteristics of fuzziness and language. The main idea of modeling of fuzzy information with house of quality is ex- plained, and fuzzy integrating of custom needs and fuzzy mod- eling of products planning with HOQ are proposed. With the fuzzy expantion theory, the traditional quality house theory and method are applied into the fuzzy fields. The modeling of fuzzy information is discussed with fuzzy arithmetic, fuzzy deci- sion-making. Thus, the fuzzy or qualitative information can be dealt with efficiently, and the significative decision in fuzzy circumstance can be made.