cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of Climate Change on Lyme Disease Risk in North America.

An understanding of the influence of climate change on Ixodes scapularis, the main vector of Lyme disease in North America, is a fundamental component in assessing changes in the spatial distribution of human risk for the disease. We used a climate suitability model of I. scapularis to examine the potential effects of global climate change on future Lyme disease risk in North America. A climate-based logistic model was first used to explain the current distribution of I. scapularis in North America. Climate-change scenarios were then applied to extrapolate the model in time and to forecast vector establishment. The spatially modeled relationship between I. scapularis presence and large-scale environmental data generated the current pattern of I. scapularis across North America with an accuracy of 89% (P < 0.0001). Extrapolation of the model revealed a significant expansion of I. scapularis north into Canada with an increase in suitable habitat of 213% by the 2080s. Climate change will also result in a retraction of the vector from the southern U.S. and movement into the central U.S. This report predicts the effect of climate change on Lyme disease risk and specifically forecasts the emergence of a tickborne infectious disease in Canada. Our modeling approach could thus be used to outline where future control strategies and prevention efforts need to be applied.
Titer-plate formatted continuous flow thermal reactors: Design and performance of a nanoliter reactor

Abstract Arrays of continuous flow thermal reactors were designed, configured, and fabricated in a 96-device (12 × 8) titer-plate format with overall dimensions of 120 mm × 96 mm, with each reactor confined to a 8 mm × 8 mm footprint. To demonstrate the potential, individual 20-cycle (740 nl) and 25-cycle (990 nl) reactors were used to perform the continuous flow polymerase chain reaction (CFPCR) for amplification of DNA fragments of different lengths. Since thermal isolation of the required temperature zones was essential for optimal biochemical reactions, three finite element models, executed with ANSYS (v. 11.0, Canonsburg, PA), were used to characterize the thermal performance and guide system design: (1) a single device to determine the dimensions of the thermal management structures; (2) a single CFPCR device within an 8 mm × 8 mm area to evaluate the integrity of the thermostatic zones; and (3) a single, straight microchannel representing a single loop of the spiral CFPCR device, accounting for all of the heat transfer modes, to determine whether the PCR cocktail was exposed to the proper temperature cycling. In prior work on larger footprint devices, simple grooves between temperature zones provided sufficient thermal resistance between zones. For the small footprint reactor array, 0.4 mm wide and 1.2 mm high fins were necessary within the groove to cool the PCR cocktail efficiently, with a temperature gradient of 15.8 °C/mm, as it flowed from the denaturation zone to the renaturation zone. With temperature tolerance bands of ±2 °C defined about the nominal temperatures, more than 72.5% of the microchannel length was located within the desired temperature bands. The residence time of the PCR cocktail in each temperature zone decreased and the transition times between zones increased at higher PCR cocktail flow velocities, leading to less time for the amplification reactions. Experiments demonstrated the performance of the CFPCR devices as a function of flow velocity, fragment length, and copy number. A 99 bp DNA fragment was successfully amplified at flow velocities from 1 mm/s to 3 mm/s, requiring from 8.16 min for 20 cycles (24.48 s/cycle) to 2.72 min for 20 cycles (8.16 s/cycle), respectively. Yield compared to the same amplification sequence performed using a bench-top thermal cycler decreased nonlinearly from 73% (at 1 mm/s) to 13% (at 3 mm/s) with shorter residence time at the optimal temperatures for the reactions due to increased flow rate primarily responsible. Six different DNA fragments with lengths between 99 bp and 997 bp were successfully amplified at 1 mm/s. Repeatable, successful amplification of a 99 bp fragment was achieved with a minimum of 8000 copies of the DNA template. This is the first demonstration and characterization of continuous flow thermal reactors within the 8 mm × 8 mm footprint of a 96-well micro-titer-plate and is the smallest continuous flow PCR to date.
The application of atomic potentials to the heat of mixing, the lattice parameter and the compressibility of random cubic solutions

Abstract It is shown that if the interaction between atoms are represented as interatomic potentials then for random binary cubic alloys the compositional dependence of the heat of mixing, the lattice parameter and the compressibility are given by simple expressions which contain only three constants which depend upon the interaction between unlike atoms. This formulation provides a very interesting representation of the strain energy, in particular asymmetry can only arise from this term. The formulation is directly applicable to alloys having many components requiring only that the information for each binary system be known. This derivation includes the interactions for all neighbors and the form of the results are independent of the particular potentials which are assumed.
Effects of ethanol on evoked potentials in the rat.

Visual-evoked potentials were recorded from the visual cortex and reticular formation of chronically implanted rats. Recordings were obtained at fixed time intervals after an intraperitoneal injection of saline, 0.5, and 1.5 g/kg of ethyl alcohol. A significant depression in the evoked potentials was obtained with the high dose of alcohol, and was found to be even more striking at the visual cortex than at the reticular formation. However, no significant effect was observed with the low dosage of alcohol at either site.
The Search for Interstellar C60

The optical region of a number of reddened O-type stars has been examined on Keck I HIRES spectrograms (R = 45,000) for evidence of interstellar C60. No absorption features were detected near the laboratory C60 wavelengths 3857 and 3980 A. An interstellar feature is present at 6220.8 A, but it is unacceptably far from the laboratory gas-phase wavelength of 6217.5 A. It is probably just another of the weak diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs), which are numerous in that spectral region. The most astronomically promising C60 feature was measured in the laboratory at 3284 A in liquid or solid matrices. Its gas-phase wavelength can be inferred either from matrix shifts of C60 features at longer wavelengths or from high-temperature gas-phase measurements. On that evidence, the interstellar feature could fall anywhere between about 3244 and 3306 A. Its width is uncertain but here is taken to be about 1 A . No interstellar absorption fitting these specifications and as strong as 16 mA has been detected in the stars observed, including Cyg OB2/8A of E(B-V) = 1.60. It follows that in that particular line of sight and for the assumed FWHM of 1 A , N(C60) < 4.5 × 1011 cm-2. However, some recent laboratory spectroscopy suggests that its width may be very much larger, in which case this limit would be invalid. At this upper limit, the corresponding number of carbon atoms contained in neutral C60 indicates that that molecule would be only a minor contributor to the total amount of C in that direction, and would be less than 1% of the amount that may be tied up in the DIBs. Stronger C60 bands are known in the laboratory at approximately 2110 and 2566 A, but the upper limit on 3284 A suggests that they will not be easy to detect without high resolution, high signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) satellite spectroscopy and better laboratory gas-phase wavelengths. An estimate of the column density of C, under the assumption that the 9577, 9632 A bands are indeed due to C and that the laboratory f-value is correct, indicates that the C/C60 abundance in that line of sight is greater than 100.
Super-resolution-based enhancement for real-time ultra-low-bit-rate video coding

This paper presents a software-only, real-time video coder/decoder (codec) with super-resolution-based enhancement for ultra-low-bit-rate compression. The codec incorporates a modified JPEG2000 core and interframe predictive coding, and can operate with network bandwidths as low as 500 bits/second. Highly compressed video exhibits severe coding artifacts that degrade visual quality. To lower the level of noise and retain the sharpness of the video frames, we build on our previous work in super-resolution-based video enhancement and propose a new version that is suitable for real-time video coding systems. The adopted super-resolution-based enhancement uses a constrained set of motion vectors that is computed from the original (uncompressed) video at the encoder. Artificial motion is also added to the difference frame to maximize the enhancement performance. The encoder can transmit either the full set of motion vectors or the constrained set of motion vectors depending upon the available bandwidth. At the decoder, each pixel of the decoded frame is assigned to a motion vector from the constrained motion vector set. L 2 -norm minimization super-resolution is then applied to the decoded frame set (previous frame, current frame, and next frame). A selective motion estimation scheme is proposed to prevent ghosting, which otherwise would result from the super-resolution enhancement when the motion estimation fails to find appropriate motion vectors. Results using the proposed system demonstrate significant improvements in the quantitative and visual quality of the coded video sequences.
Secondary structure of ribosomal RNA.

Infrared spectra were obtained for 16S and for 23S ribosomal RNA9s in D2O solutions. The percentage of each base in the paired and unpaired regions of the RNA was determined from the spectra. The secondary structures of 16S and 23S ribosomal RNA9s (from Escherichia coli) are significantly different from each other and are also different from those of yeast ribosomal RNA, formylmethionyl-transfer RNA, and the anticodon fragment of this transfer RNA.
Direct photons in ATLAS@LHC

The ATLAS detector at the LHC is capable of efficiently separating photons and neutral hadrons based on their shower shapes over a wide range in η, ϕ and E T , either in addition to or instead of isolation cuts. This provides ATLAS with a unique strength for direct photon and γ-jet physics (“tomography”) as well as access to the unique capability to measure non-isolated photons from fragmentation or from the medium. We present a first look at the ATLAS direct photon measurement capabilities in p+p and Pb+Pb collisions at LHC energies over the region |η| < 2.4.
Wetting of sodium on β''-Al2O3/YSZ composites for low temperature planar sodium-metal halide batteries

Abstract Wetting of Na on β″-Al2O3/YSZ composites was investigated using the sessile drop technique. The effects of moisture and surface preparation were studied at low temperatures. Electrical conductivity of Na/β″-Al2O3-YSZ/Na cells was also investigated at low temperatures and correlated to the wetting behavior. The use of planar β″-Al2O3 substrates at low temperature with low cost polymeric seals is realized due to improved wetting at low temperature and conductivity values consistent with the literature.
Emerging Methodologies for Assessment of Complex Mixtures: Application of Bioassays in the Integrated Air Cancer Project:

The assessment of complex mixtures of environmental pollutants requires new interdisciplinary strategies. Integration of bioassay methodologies into these strategies is an important tool that provides direct evidence of the toxicity of a mixture. Short-term genetic bioassays are now widely used in the cancer assessment of complex mixtures. New and emerging interdisciplinary methodologies for assessing complex mixtures using bioassays are illustrated by the U.S. EPA's Integrated Air Cancer Project (IACP). The goals of this project are to identify the major airborne carcinogens and their emission sources and to improve the methodology and data available for human exposure and risk assessment from airborne carcinogens. The research effort is focused primarily on characterizing the impact of complex mixtures of products of incomplete combustion, including gaseous, semi-volatile, and particle-bound organic species. Short-term genetic bioassays have been integrated into several analysis strategies, including environmental biomonitoring; bioassay-directed fractionation/characterization; transformation studies; source apportionment; and exposure, dosimetry, and risk assessment.
Thermal oxidation of poly(1-pentene): 1. Indentification of products and mechanisms

Abstract Isotactic poly(1-pentene) was degraded in the presence of pure oxygen at 115°C. The functional groups present in the non-volatile products were identified using infra-red spectroscopy. The volatile products formed were identified by means of a relatively new technique which combines thermal and mass chromatography. In this study, fourteen volatile products were detected and identified and their relative abundance estimated. The results obtained could readily be reproduced. Various oxidation mechanisms for these products are postulated.
Resonant and Near-Resonant Rayleigh and Raman Scattering for a Diatomic Molecule,

Using the results of a unified theory of scattering in the time-independent (narrow exciting line) limit, excitation profiles for Rayleigh and Raman cross sections have been calculated for an actual diatomic molecule from over 8000 cm−1 off resonance into the resonance region. Three interference effects, a “vibrational level interference”, an “on-resonance Franck—Cordon interference”, and “off-resonance interference,” are discussed.
Women and Smokers Have Elevated Urinary F2-Isoprostane Metabolites: A Novel Extraction and LC–MS Methodology

F2-Isoprostanes (F2-IsoPs), regio- and stereoisomers of prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α), and urinary F2-IsoP metabolites including 2,3-dinor-5,6-dihydro-8-iso-PGF2α [2,3-dinor-8-iso-PGF1α (2,3-dinor-F1)] and 2,3 dinor-8-iso-PGF2α (2,3-dinor-F2), have all been used as biomarkers of oxidative stress. A novel method was developed to measure these biomarkers using a single solid phase extraction (SPE) cartridge, separation by HPLC, and detection by negative mode selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mass spectrometry (MS), using authentic standards of PGF2α; 8-iso-PGF2α; 2,3-dinor-F1 and 2,3-dinor-F2 to identify specific chromatographic peaks. The method was validated in a population of healthy, college-aged nonsmokers (n = 6 M/8F) and smokers (n = 6 M/5F). Urinary F2-IsoP concentrations were ~0.2–1.5 μg/g creatinine, 2,3-dinor-F1 was ~1–3 μg/g and 2,3-dinor-F2 was ~3–5 μg/g. Additional F2-IsoPs metabolites were identified using SRM. The sum of all urinary F2-IsoP metabolites was 50–100 μg/g creatinine indicating their greater abundance than F2-IsoPs. Women had higher F2-IsoP metabolite concentrations than did men (MANOVA, main effect P = 0.003); cigarette smokers had higher concentrations than did nonsmokers (main effect P = 0.036). For men or women, respectively, smokers had higher metabolite concentrations than did nonsmokers (P < 0.05). Thus, our method simultaneously allows measurement of urinary F2-IsoPs and their metabolites for the determination of oxidative stress.
An Efficient Gradient-based Approach to Optimizing Average Precision Through Maximal Figure-of-Merit Learning

We propose an efficient algorithm that directly optimizes a ranking performance measure, with a focus on class average precision (AP). Instead of using pair-wise ranking approximation in defining a loss function by conventional approaches, we use an efficient gradient-based approach that approximates a discrete ranking performance measure. In particular, AP is considered as a staircase function with respect to each individual sample score after rank ordering is applied to all samples. Then, a combination of sigmoid functions is applied to approximate the staircase AP function as a continuous and differntiable function of the model parameters used to compute the sample scores. Compared to the use of pair-wise rankings, the proposed approach substantially reduces the computational complexity to a manageable level when estimating model parameters with a gradient descent algorithm. In terms of explicitly optimizing a target performance metric, the proposed algorithm can be considered as an extension of maximal figure-of-merit (MFoM) learning to optimization of a ranking performance measure. Our experiments on two challenging image-retrieval datasets showcased the usefulness of the proposed framework in both improving AP and achieving learning efficiency.
Carbohydrate metabolism and physical activity in rats fed diets containing purified casein versus a mixture of amino acids simulating casein.

The effects of varying energy intake levels on physical activity and glucose metabolism were studied in young growing rats. Male rats 28 days of age were fed for 31 days diets containing either casein or an amino acid mixture simulating casein at 2 levels of calorie intake. Physical activity was measured and 14Crecovery from injected glucose-l-14C, -6-14C,and -U-14Cwas determined as percentage of dose in expired CO2, feces, and urine, from one to 24 hours after giving each rat his daily ration. The average revolutions per day run was higher for calorie-restricted animals, but there was no significant difference in activity due to substituting the mixture of amino acids for casein, although casein-fed rats tended to be more active. This in crease in physical activity caused by calorie restriction was due to a significant differ ence in daytime activity, as all rats were equally active in the dark. There were no significant differences due to calorie level or nitrogen source in "COj recovery from glucose-6-14Cand glucose-U-14C,but amino acid-fed rats converted more glucose-l-14C to 14CO2 as measured cumulatively 6 and 23 hours after injection. Calorie-restricted rats expired less glucose-l-14C as 14CO2during the first 6 hours after injection, but this effect was not evident after 23 hours. There was a trend toward lower 14Crecovery from glucose-U-14Cin urinary citrate of amino acid-fed rats, although urinary citrate excre tion was unaltered by diet. These data indicate a greater utilization of alternative pathways to the glycolytic scheme and tricarboxylic acid cycle for metabolism of glucose in amino acid-fed rats and several possible explanations are discussed.
Fallback, Reascension, and Adjusted Fishway Escapement Estimates for Adult Chinook Salmon and Steelhead at Columbia and Snake River Dams

Abstract During their upstream spawning migration in the Columbia River basin, some adult salmonids Oncorhynchus spp. ascend and then fall back over main-stem hydroelectric dams. Fallback can result in fish injury or death, migration delays, and biases in fishway counts, the primary index for escapement and the basis for production estimates and harvest quotas. We used radiotelemetry to calculate fallback percentages and rates, reascension percentages, biases in fishway escapement estimates due to fallback, and occurrence of behaviorally motivated fallback (correcting overshoot of natal sites) by spring–summer and fall Chinook salmon O. tshawytscha and steelhead O. mykiss. The study area included eight Columbia River and Snake River dams evaluated from 1996 to 2001. For all years combined, about 22% of spring–summer Chinook salmon, 15% of fall Chinook salmon, and 21% of steelhead fell back at least once at a dam. Fallback percentages for spring–summer Chinook salmon were generally highest at Bonneville an...
Ultrafast Carrier Dynamics in Exfoliated and Functionalized Calcium Niobate Nanosheets in Water and Methanol

We have characterized the initial charge carrier trapping and recombination processes in suspensions of exfoliated calcium niobate nanosheets derived from the Dion Jacobsen phase KCa2Nb3O10. Niobate nanosheets have previously been found to catalyze hydrogen generation in photochemical water-splitting reactions. Photo-generated charge carriers relaxed with second-order kinetics on a sub-nanosecond time scale that depended on the nanosheet size. Methanol was used as a sacrificial electron donor to separate the electron and hole dynamics, and the photo-oxidation dynamics was found to directly compete with electron−hole recombination. Absorption spectra for trapped carriers were determined and used to separately analyze the trapped electron and hole dynamics in [H1-xCa2Nb3O10]x- (x = 0.15−0.20) sheets in water. Surface modification by 3-amino-propyl(trimethoxy)silane was found to quench trapped carrier absorptions, resulting in an observed optical gain.
Sorting, selection, and routing on the array with reconfigurable optical buses

In this paper, we present efficient algorithms for sorting, selection, and packet routing on the AROB (Array with Reconfigurable Optical Buses) model. One of our sorting algorithms sorts n general keys in O(1) time on an AROB of size n/sup /spl epsiv///spl times/n for any constant /spl epsiv/>0. We also show that selection from out of n elements can be done in randomized O(1) time employing n processors. Our routing algorithm can route any h-relation in randomized O(h) time. All these algorithms are clearly optimal.
Redistribution of visceral blood volume in upright exercise in healthy volunteers

Exercise induced changes in the blood volume of visceral organs (cardiopulmonary and liver, spleen, and kidneys) were determined by scintillation camera imaging of the distribution of technetium-99m-labeled red blood cells in the thorax and abdomen of ten healthy adult volunteers. Graded upright bicycle exercise was performed to the point of exhaustion with the volunteer positioned with his/her back to the scintillation camera and data recording was synchronized to the pedal cycle to minimize patient motion artifacts within the data. The first image from each level of exercise was analyzed by placing regions of interest over the spleen, liver, kidneys, and right lung. The counts in each organ were expressed as a percent of activity at zero workload. Analysis of data using Hotelling's t-squared analysis to see if overall differences existed between the last four measurements (up to the time of exhaustion) regarding percent change from baseline for spleen, kidney, liver, and right lung were made. The splanchnic bed had a significant decrease in blood volume. The spleen decreased 39%, while the liver decreased 14%. For the kidney and liver, no significant differences were achieved (p greater than 0.24, p less than 0.15, respectively). The lung increased its blood volume to 128% of control, significant with p less than 0.02. This data demonstrates that in healthy volunteers there is normal redistribution of blood volume during maximal exercise with a significant reduction in blood volume of the spleen as well as a significant rise in blood volume within the lungs.
RNA-Seq analysis of high NaCl-induced gene expression.

High extracellular NaCl is known to change expression of numerous genes, many of which are regulated by the osmoprotective transcription factor nuclear factor of activated T cells-5 (NFAT5). In the...
Inner Source Identification for Field Estimation in Wireless Sensor Networks

In previous work, we presented a method for constructing dynamic input-output models for real-time state estimation in correlated dynamic fields using wireless sensor networks (WSNs). The input signals correspond to the sensors on the boundary of the physical space under study, reflecting the assumption there are no independent sources in the interior of the region. In this paper, we present a method to identify sensors not on the boundary that should be used as inputs in the dynamic models when there are inner sources, i.e., sources inside the physical space. We extend concepts from the behavioral model theory of Jan Willems to handle noisy time series. We construct a block-Hankel structured matrix based on the sensor data, and then calculate as an independence indicator the angle between each row of the matrix and the subspace determined by the span of the preceding rows. The inner sources are identified based on these angle values. Experimental results with real temperature data collected with a WSN, and including heat sources as inner sources, illustrate the proposed method.
Recent Activities of Catholic Historians

In ordinary times a paper on Recent Activities of Catholic Historians could have meant nothing more than a bibliographical survey or a critical enumeration of the writings of Catholic authors on the subject of ecclesiastical history during the preceding year or even the preceding six months. Such an approach to the matter is now impossible. The last four years have been lean years in historical bibliography. Historians may not have been idle; but they have concerned themselves more with the problems of the present than with the problems of the past. The output of historical works has been meager. Our knowledge of them is more meager still. We have not only been shut off, through the exigencies of war, from a large part of the world, but we have been deprived of the guidance of historical periodicals which would make it possible to give a complete survey of the actual conditions of historical writing and investigation at the present. Many of these periodicals have gone out of existence, others have been temporarily suspended, and many more have been inaccessible because of censorship regulations, while others have changed their character to such a degree that they hardly deserve the name of historical magazines.
Panel flutter optimization—a refined finite element approach

This paper presents the results of an aeroelastic optimization study. In this study the weight of a large aspect ratio panel immersed in high Mach number supersonic flow is minimized subject to the requirement that a critical aeroelastic parameter for flutter be held within specified limits. A refined finite element technique is used to model the panel flutter equilibrium equations, equations which act as constraints on the design search. The optimization mechanism itself is studied and discussed to provide qualitative results which may be useful to the solution of other aeroelastic optimization problems. The numerical results of this investigation are compared to converged numerical results to illustrate finite element accuracy. The results of the study show that the weight savings and material distribution found with an effective finite element model are comparable to those found by more complicated numerical methods.
Sexual Victimization in Relation to Perceptions of Risk: Mediation, Generalization, and Temporal Stability

There is evidence that personal experience with trauma is associated with increases in both personal and comparative risk perception. This study investigates this relation in terms of sexual victimization among women, focusing on three potential mediators: perceived control over sexual assault, perceived similarity to a typical sexual assault victim, and psychological distress. Mediational analyses were investigated using structural equation modeling. Although victimization experience was not related to comparative risk perception, it was associated with greater personal risk perception. This relation was mediated by perceived similarity to a typical sexual assault victim. Prospective analyses indicated that personal risk perception does change in response to sexual victimization but also indicated that heightened risk perception may be an accurate assessment of risk that actually precedes victimization experience. Implications for the meaning of perceived similarity and perceptions of risk for sexual assault victims are discussed.
Purification and Biochemical Characterization of Mutacin I from the Group I Strain of Streptococcus mutans, CH43, and Genetic Analysis of Mutacin I Biosynthesis Genes

Previously, we reported isolation and characterization of mutacin III and genetic analysis of mutacin III biosynthesis genes from the group III strain of Streptococcus mutans, UA787 (F. Qi, P. Chen, and P. W. Caufield, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65:3880–3887, 1999). During the same process of isolating the mutacin III structural gene, we also cloned the structural gene for mutacin I. In this report, we present purification and biochemical characterization of mutacin I from the group I strain CH43 and compare mutacin I and mutacin III biosynthesis genes. The mutacin I biosynthesis gene locus consists of 14 genes in the order mutR, -A, -A′, -B, -C, -D, -P, -T, -F, -E, -G, orfX, orfY, orfZ. mutA is the structural gene for mutacin I, while mutA′ is not required for mutacin I activity. DNA and protein sequence analysis revealed that mutacins I and III are homologous to each other, possibly arising from a common ancestor. The mature mutacin I is 24 amino acids in size and has a molecular mass of 2,364 Da. Ethanethiol modification and peptide sequencing of mutacin I revealed that it contains six dehydrated serines, four of which are probably involved with thioether bridge formation. Comparison of the primary sequence of mutacin I with that of mutacin III and epidermin suggests that mutacin I likely has the same bridging pattern as epidermin.
Fuzzy logic and scale space approach to microcalcification detection

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of female mortality. Since the causes are unknown, breast cancer cannot be prevented. Microcalcifications and masses are the earliest signs of breast carcinomas and their detection is one of the key issues for breast cancer control. It is difficult for radiologists to provide accurate and uniform evaluations of the enormous number of mammograms generated in widespread screening. Computer-aided detection of microcalcifications and masses is an important and challenging task. The paper presents a novel approach for detecting microcalcification clusters (MCCs). First, mammograms are normalized. Then, fuzzy set theory and the fuzzy entropy principle are used to fuzzify the mammograms and the fuzzified images are enhanced. Finally, scale-space and Laplacian-of-a-Gaussian filter techniques are used to determine the sizes and locations of microcalcifications. A free-response operating characteristic (FROC) curve is used to evaluate the performance. The major advantage of the proposed system is its ability to detect microcalcifications even in mammograms of very dense breasts. A data set of 40 mammograms (Nijmegen database) containing 105 clusters of microcalcifications was studied. Microcalcifications can be accurately and efficiently detected using the proposed approach.
Identifying the Discomfort: An Examination of Ethical Issues Encountered by MSW Students During Field Placement

Abstract The purpose of this descriptive study was to determine which ethical issues graduate social work students experienced most frequently during their field placement, the resources students used to resolve these issues, and whether such resources were helpful. The results indicate that conflicts concerning beneficence versus agency policy and beneficence versus autonomy are most prevalent. In the majority of cases, the organization provided the context for the tension, including with agency policy, staff, supervision, and fiscal issues. Supervision was the most frequently used resource, along with peer consultation, and in-class discussion. Implications and strategies for enhancing both classroom and field curricula are discussed.
Response of the Wasp Cephalonomia tarsalis (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) to Beauveria bassiana (Hyphomycetes: Moniliales) as Free Conidia or Infection in Its Host, the Sawtoothed Grain Beetle, Oryzaephilus surinamensis (Coleoptera: Silvanidae)☆

Cephalonomia tarsalis, an ectoparasitoid, and Beauveria bassiana, an entomopathogenic fungus, are potential biological control agents for the sawtoothed grain beetle, Oryzaephilus surinamensis. Several experiments were conducted to determine whether the two beneficial organisms are compatible. Wasps exhibited little avoidance behavior toward the fungus. Adult wasps oviposited on B. bassiana-infected larvae up to within 1 day of the host’s death and the appearance of red fungal pigment. Wasp larvae are susceptible to the fungus and die within 1 day of oviposition on host larvae with mycosis. A 3-h exposure of adult wasps to 100 mg of B. bassiana/kg of wheat resulted in 52.7% mortality. Nevertheless, the wasps entered into grain containing B. bassiana conidia as freely as they entered into conidia-free grain. The mean prevalence of B. bassiana in 46 samples of pooled wheat representing 276 locations was 7.5 colony-forming units/g of wheat. Natural C. tarsalis exposure to B. bassiana in untreated stored wheat is likely to be below lethal quantities, and the introduction of the fungus in insecticidal quantities would have a negative impact on C. tarsalis populations.
Molecular and phylogenetic characterization of Zyx102, a Drosophila orthologue of the zyxin family that interacts with Drosophila Enabled

Adherens junctions, which are cadherin-mediated junctions between cells, and focal adhesions, which are integrin-mediated junctions between cells and the extracellular matrix, are protein complexes that link the actin cytoskeleton to the plasma membrane and, in turn, to the extracellular environment. Zyxin is a LIM domain protein that is found in vertebrate adherens junctions and focal adhesions. Zyxin's molecular architecture and binding partner repertoire suggest roles in actin assembly and dynamics, cell motility, and nuclear-cytoplasmic communication. In order to study the function of zyxin in development, we have identified a zyxin orthologue in Drosophila melanogaster that we have termed Zyx102. Like its vertebrate counterparts, Zyx102 displays three carboxy-terminal LIM domains, a potential nuclear export signal, and three proline-rich motifs, one of which matches the consensus for mediating an interaction with Ena/VASP (Drosophila Enabled/Vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein) proteins. Here we show that Zyx102 and Enabled (Ena), the Drosophila member of the Ena/VASP family, can interact specifically in vitro and that this interaction does not occur when a particular mutant form of Ena, encoded by the lethal ena210 allele, is used. Lastly, we show that the zyx102 gene and Drosophila Ena are co-expressed during oogenesis and early embryogenesis, indicating that the two proteins may be able to interact during the development of the Drosophila egg chamber and early embryo.
The importance of sub-harmonic frequency terminations in modeling spectral regrowth from CW am-am and am-pm derived non-linearities

This paper examines several issues in applying the quadrature modeling technique to predict gain, efficiency, and distortion characteristics of GaAs MESFET rf power amplifiers. This technique relies on representing the power amplifier as a bandpass nonlinearity described by a series expansion of in-phase and quadrature-phase gain transfer functions. It is shown that the order of the series expansion, as well as the selected series basis functions, have a direct influence on model accuracy. Additionally, this method is extended to predict amplifier drain current and efficiency when driven by time varying non-constant (envelope) amplitude signals, e.g., two tone sinusoids and digitally modulated signals. The effects of sub-harmonic frequency terminations occurring near the zeroth spectral zone, such as those due to bias decoupling on the device's drain terminal, are also examined. Generally, they are not considered in deriving the nonlinear transfer functions, and under certain circumstances, exhibit deleterious effects not predicted by this analysis technique.
A preferred AMPK phosphorylation site adjacent to the inhibitory loop of cardiac and skeletal troponin I

5′-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a serine/threonine protein kinase that is activated when cellular AMP to ATP ratios rise, potentially serving as a key regulator of cellular energetics. Among the known targets of AMPK are catabolic and anabolic enzymes, but little is known about the ability of this kinase to phosphorylate myofilament proteins and thereby regulating the contractile apparatus of striated muscles. Here, we demonstrate that troponin I isoforms of cardiac (cTnI) and fast skeletal (fsTnI) muscles are readily phosphorylated by AMPK. For cTnI, two highly conserved serine residues were identified as AMPK sites using a combination of high-resolution top-down electron capture dissociation mass spectrometry, 32P-incorporation, synthetic peptides, phospho-specific antibodies, and site-directed mutagenesis. These AMPK sites in cTnI were Ser149 adjacent to the inhibitory loop and Ser22 in the cardiac-specific N-terminal extension, at the level of cTnI peptides, the intact cTnI subunit, whole cardiac troponin complexes and skinned cardiomyocytes. Phosphorylation time-course experiments revealed that Ser149 was the preferred site, because it was phosphorylated 12–16-fold faster than Ser22 in cTnI. Ser117 in fsTnI, analogous to Ser149 in cTnI, was phosphorylated with similar kinetics as cTnI Ser149. Hence, the master energy-sensing protein AMPK emerges as a possibly important regulator of cardiac and skeletal contractility via phosphorylation of a preferred site adjacent to the inhibitory loop of the thin filament protein TnI.
Relationship Algebra for Computing in Social Networks and Social Network Based Applications

Online communities are the latest phenomena on the Internet. At the heart of each community lies a social network. In this paper, we show a generalized framework to understand and reason in social networks. Previously, researchers have attempted to use inference-specific type of relationships. In this paper, we propose a framework to represent and reason with general case of social relationship network in a formal way. We call it relationship algebra. This paper presents this algebra and then shows how this algebra can be used for various interesting computations on a social network weaved in the virtual communities.
INNOVATION, ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND ECONOMIC GROWTH IN LAGGING REGIONS

The paper investigates what are the most important factors in fostering growth in rural, remote regions with historically low growth rates. In particular, we focus on the lagging Appalachian region and compare it to both nearby counties and other similarly lagging U.S. counties. Factors such as self-employment, human capital, creativity, university spillovers and high-technology clusters are considered. Our results suggest that entrepreneurship and creativity factors are key to increasing growth in the Appalachian region and in similar lagging regions nationally. However, there is little evidence that other knowledge-based factors are conducive to growth in these regions.
Finite set control transcription for optimal control applications

Abstract : An enhanced method in optimization rooted in direct collocation is formulated to treat the finite set optimal control problem. This is motivated by applications in which a hybrid dynamical system is subject to ordinary differential continuity constraints, but control variables are contained within finite spaces. Resulting solutions display control discontinuities as variables switch between one feasible value to another. Solutions derived are characterized as optimal switching schedules between feasible control values. The methodology allows control switches to be determined over a continuous spectrum, overcoming many of the limitations associated with discretized solutions. Implementation details are presented and several applications demonstrate the method's utility and capability. Simple applications highlight the effectiveness of the methodology, while complicated dynamic systems showcase its relevance. A key example considers the challenges associated with libration point formations. Extensions are proposed for broader classes of hybrid systems.
Constraining Unparticle Physics with Cosmology and Astrophysics

It has recently been suggested that a scale-invariant "unparticle" sector with a nontrivial infrared fixed point may couple to the standard model (SM) via higher-dimensional operators. The weakness of such interactions hides the unparticle phenomena at low energies. We demonstrate how cosmology and astrophysics can place significant bounds on the strength of unparticle-SM interactions. We also discuss the possibility of a having a non-negligible unparticle relic density today.
MULTISPECTRAL THERMAL IMAGER (MTI) SATELLITE LAUNCH, ORBIT AND STATUS

MTI is a comprehensive R&D project, featuring a single satellite in sun-synchronous orbit designed to collect radiometrically accurate images of instrumented ground sites in 15 spectral bands ranging from visible to long-wave infrared. The launch of the satellite was provided by the Air Forces' Space Test Program (STP). It was launched from Vandenberg AFB on March 12, 2000 aboard an Orbital Sciences Corporation Taurus rocket. After launch, the operations team completed a 3-month turn-on, checkout and alignment procedure, and declared the satellite ready for its R&D mission on June 12, 2000. The satellite is currently healthy, having collected over 1500 images since launch. This paper presents a brief overview of the satellite's launch and orbit as well as documenting on-orbit status and operational experience.
Temporal and spatial fate of GFP-expressing motile and nonmotile Aeromonas hydrophila in the house fly digestive tract.

ABSTRACT To gain insight into the transmissibility of bacteria by house flies, the temporal and spatial fate of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-expressing motile and nonmotile strains of Aeromonas hydrophila was examined within the alimentary canal. Liquid food consumed by house flies is first stored in the crop and then is regurgitated and/or passed into the midgut. Once within the midgut, food is contained inside a double-layered peritrophic matrix (PM), with the inner layer enveloping digested material and forming fecal pellets for excretion. Between 1 and 12 h after ingestion, and irrespective of motility, live GFP+ A. hydrophila adhered to the luminal surfaces of the crop and inner PM of bacteria-fed flies. However, some nonadherent, motile bacteria moved freely within the PM lumen in the anteromedial midgut, whereas fecal pellets (lysed bacteria) continued passing posteriorly. At 12–24 h, adhered bacteria of both strains were lysed in the distal midgut, compressed into fecal pellets, and excreted. V...
Morphine’s interoceptive stimuli as cues for the development of associative morphine tolerance in the rat

This study examined the extent to which a 4-mg/kg dose of morphine paired explicitly with a 12-mg/kg dose could gain associative control over tolerance development in rats. The analgesic effects of morphine were measured on the tail-flick test. Tolerance was defined as the dose shift to the right of the dose-response curve (DRC) of drug-experience animals relative to saline control animals. DRC shifts to the right were greater in the explicitly paired than in the explicitly unpaired animals. The results suggest that the pharmacological effects of morphine may function as a conditioned stimulus for the development of associative morphine tolerance.
Hapten-immune pulmonary interstitial fibrosis (HIPIF) in mice requires both CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes

We present a description and analysis of a mouse model for pulmonary interstitial fibrosis that is induced by a specific immune response to a small reactive chemical group called trinitrophenyl. We describe the model, and then we examine the cellular mechanism for the induction of the fibrosis. The specific increase in hydroxyproline reached a peak by day 7 and persisted through day 28 in all animals that were sensitized to and challenged with the hapten. Distinct patterns of fibrosis that were seen histologically correlated with antigenic pretreatment and were dependent on T lymphocytes. We also report that the inflammatory and fibrotic responses could be adoptively transferred with immune lymphocytes but not with immune serum. In vivo administration of anti-CD4 and anti-CD8 monoclonal antibodies to sensitized mice prevented the development of immune-mediated lung inflammation and was effective in reducing hydroxyproline deposition. We conclude that (activated) T lymphocytes contribute to the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrotic diseases. The possibility arises that haptens in the environment may promote sensitization of individuals via their skin or lungs and cell-mediated immune responses to haptenated antigens within the lung may promote pulmonary fibrosis.
Bauhaus Linda: An Overview

Linda’s success, based on a combination of simplicity and ef-ficient implementation, encourages us to continue the quest for systems of “powerful simplicity.” We introduce “Bauhaus Linda” (or Bauhaus for short), a Linda-derived coordination language that is in many ways si-multaneously more powerful and simpler than Linda. Bauhaus unifies tu-ples and tuple spaces, leading to an especially clean treatment of multiple tuple spaces, and treats processes as atomic and explicitly represent able. We present an informal semantics of Bauhaus and discuss an extended example that demonstrates its expressivity and simplicity.
A Family Case Study: How Money Might Matter for Academic Learning.

Many children living in low-income communities do not face struggles in school. Many learn quickly and easily. But for some students, living in a high poverty communities and attending underfunded schools has consequences that can make learning difficult. In this paper, Compton-Lilly draws on the words of a parent living in a low-income community to explore how economic and social challenges affected the schooling of her daughter over a ten-year period. As the following accounts reveal, Ms. Rodriguez, an African American, low-income parent, was committed to her daughter’s learning and school progress and brought a thoughtful and informed critique to her children’s school experience that reveals the multiple ways that money affects academic learning.
The Efficiency of Decentralized Trading

This note extends previous convergence results for dynamic matching and bargaining games to asymmetric information and extreme bargaining power. In a decentral market heterogeneous traders are pairwise matched and sellers make take-it-or-leave-it offers. Traders have a finite life expectancy, exiting the market with a constant hazard rate d. With vanishing d it is shown that an equilibrium exists and that the market converges to the efficient competitive outcome.
Actinide Hydride Complexes as Multielectron Reductants: Analogous Reduction Chemistry from [(C5Me5)2UH]2, [(C5Me5)2UH2]2, and [(C5Me5)2ThH2]2

Methods to separate the components of the equilibrium mixture of [(C5Me5)2UH]2 and [(C5Me5)2UH2]2 have been developed that allow their reductive chemistry to be studied. These actinide hydrides can act as four-, six-, and eight-electron reductants depending on the substrate with H2 as the byproduct of a H- → e- + 1/2 H2 redox couple. This hydride reduction chemistry allows complexes of redox-inactive Th4+ such as [(C5Me5)2ThH2]2 to be four- and six-electron reductants. [(C5Me5)2UH]2 and [(C5Me5)2UH2]2 cleanly reduce 2 equiv of PhEEPh (E = S, Se) to form 2 equiv of (C5Me5)2U(SPh)2 and (C5Me5)2U(SePh)2 in an overall four-electron reduction in each case. [(C5Me5)2UH]2 and [(C5Me5)2UH2]2 also effect a six-electron reduction of 3 equiv of 1,3,5,7-cyclooctatetraene to [(C5Me5)(C8H8)U]2(C8H8) and an eight-electron reduction of 2 equiv of PhNNPh to form 2 equiv of the U6+ imido complex (C5Me5)2U(NPh)2. In each reaction, H2 is a byproduct. This hydride-based reduction is also successful with the tetravalent thoriu...