cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Determination of Dual Distances for a Kind of Perfect Mixed Codes

A series of mixed perfect codes with minimal distances \(d=3\) has been constructed in term of the partitions of vector space over finite field \(\mathbb {F}_{p}\) by B.Lindstrom. In this paper the minimal distance of the dual codes of a certain class of such perfect codes has been determined. As an application of this result we constructed a series of good orthogonal arrays with mixed levels and good inhomogeneous asymmetric quantum codes.
Frequency of E-cigarette use and cigarette smoking among Canadian students.

Abstract The emergence of electronic nicotine delivery systems (commonly referred to as e-cigarettes) has created an ongoing public health debate and concerns, especially in regards to adolescents. The present study examined associations between the frequency of e-cigarette use and cigarette smoking among school students. Data on students (grades 7–12) was obtained from the 2016–2017 Canadian Student Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey (n = 51,661). Multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between the frequency of e-cigarette use and smoking. Subgroup analyses were performed for male and female students. Among those who reported any cigarette smoking in the past 30 days, 55% reported e-cigarette use at least once in the last 30 days. Additionally, 17% reported e-cigarette use for 21–30 days among those who smoked cigarettes for at least 21 days. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed e-cigarette use was associated with higher odds of cigarette smoking, especially among more frequent e-cigarette users. Those who used an e-cigarette 21–30 days had higher odds of cigarette smoking (smoked cigarette at least once AOR = 4.83, CI = 3.33–7.01; at least 11 days AOR = 3.73, CI = 2.40–5.80; at least 21 days AOR = 3.39, CI = 2.16–5.34). Findings suggest that those who smoked cigarettes at least once in the past 30 days had a higher frequency of e-cigarette use.
A simple protocol for expression of isotope-labeled proteins in Escherichia coli grown in shaker flasks at high cell density

Protein expression in E. coli grown in shaker flasks is a routine and pivotal tool in many research laboratories. To maximize protein yields, cells are normally induced in the middle of the linear growth phase, typically at an OD600 of ≤ 1 for cells grown in Luria–Bertani (LB) medium at 37 °C. We recently showed that the E. coli linear growth phase can be extended to higher cell density when cells are cultured under less than optimal conditions such as in minimal medium and/or at lower temperatures. Maximizing the yield of protein per unit volume of culture is important for reducing the costs, especially when isotopically labeling is required. Here, we present a modified minimal medium and a simple protocol that can increase the protein yield up to fourfold in a pH-stabilized LB medium and up to sevenfold in a modified M9+ medium (M9++). When M9++ medium coupled with the high density (OD600 ~ 6) cell growth protocol are used to express uniformly 15N- or 15N/13C-labeled proteins, the amount of 15NH4Cl and 13C6-glucose for a given cell mass is reduced by 50% and ~ 65%, respectively, relative to the traditional low density (OD600 ~ 1) cell growth protocol with M9 medium; the inclusion of 0.1% LB in the minimal medium permits a reduction in the concentration of both the trace element solution and MgCl2, which can cause precipitation. Mass data indicate that inclusion of 0.1% LB does not significantly affect the isotope enrichment level.
Improved synthesis of 2′-deoxy-2′-[18F]fluoro-5-methyl-1-β-D-arabinofuranosyluracil (18F-FMAU)

533 Objectives 18F-FMAU is an established PET probe used to monitor cellular proliferation. For clinical applications, a fully automated cGMP-compliant radiosynthesis would be necessary. However, the current synthesis of 18F-FMAU requires HBr activation of the sugar prior to the coupling with silylated uracil. This multiple step procedure makes the development of an automated protocol difficult and complicated. In this study, we report the use of Friedel-Crafts catalysts for an improved synthesis of 18F-FMAU, which also includes a one-pot reaction condition. Methods FMAU was synthesized by the reaction of 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-1,3,5-tri-O-benzoyl-D-arabinofuranose (18F-sugar) and bis-2,4-(trimethylsilyloxy)-5-methyluracil (silylated uracil) in the presence of various Friedel-Crafts catalysts. Various reaction temperature, time, solvent, and additive, were also explored to optimize the reaction. Results Out of the four Friedel-Crafts catalysts tested, trimethylsilyl trifluoromethanesulfonate (TMSOTf) was found to be most efficient. A one pot synthetic condition was developed for 18F-FMAU: TMSOTf, hexamethyldisilizane (HMDS), and silylated uracil were dissolved in dichloroethane and added to the crude radiolabeled sugar. The coupling was accomplished at 85°C for 1 h. After deprotection, 18F-FMAU was obtained in 12±3% (n=4) radiochemical yield (decay corrected) with 120mCi/μmol specific activity. The α/β anomer ratio was 4:6. The overall reaction time was about 120 min from the end of bombardment. Passing the 18F-sugar through a silica cartridge before the coupling reaction 1) significantly improved the FMAU specific activity to 1,500 mCi/μmol; 2) increased the α/β anomer ratio to 1:4, and 3) eliminated the need for HMDS. Although it is not one pot, this labeling condition is still compatible with commonly used one reactor module. Conclusions Simplified and reliable methods were developed for routine synthesis of 18F-FMAU. A fully automated synthesis of 18F-FMAU could be easily achieved in reasonable yield and high purity under these new reaction conditions
Proactive Value Co-Creation via Structural Ambidexterity: Customer Success Management and the Modularization of Frontline Roles:

An increasing number of business-to-business (B2B) service firms have transitioned to recurring revenue-based solutions. These subscription B2B solutions are becoming increasingly common, yet offer...
Improving Speaker Verification in Reverberant Environments

Speaker verification technology has been successfully adopted and integrated into many applications. However, most of these applications require a microphone located near the talker. For the case of distant microphones, speech signals are corrupted by reverberations caused by the large speaker to microphone distance. In this paper, we first introduce a new feature set that gives more details in the frequency dimension in the 2-D time-frequency space used to represent speech. These features are computed using two sets of basis vectors, both of which are applied directly to the amplitude compressed FFT spectrum. One set of basis vectors accounts for the spectral envelope while the second set accounts for pitch. Those features are used to train a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), with the goal of reducing the negative effects of reverberation. The proposed frontend is shown to be robust for speaker verification in reverberant environments.
Doubting Assertion

One main argument that has been offered in support of the Knowledge Account of Assertion is that it successfully makes sense of a variety of Moorean-paradoxical claims. David Sosa (2009) has objected to the Knowledge Account by arguing that it does not generalize satisfactorily to make sense of the oddity of iterated conjunctions of the form “p but I don’t know whether I know that p”. Recently, Martin Montminy (2013) has offered a defense of the Knowledge Account. In this paper, I show that both Montminy’s and Sosa’s arguments fail. First, I argue that Montminy does not offer a good reply to Sosa; then I show that Sosa’s objection actually does not constitute a real threat to the Knowledge Account.
Surgical Treatment of Dural Arteriovenous Fistula: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Dural arteriovenous fistulas (dAVF) are rare, acquired intracranial arteriovenous malformations consisting of a pathological shunt located within the intracranial dura matter. The etiology of dAVFs remains unclear, but current thought suggests that these lesions are associated with thrombosis of the dural sinuses and other intracranial veins. dAVF's with severe symptomatology or high-risk angioarchitecture should be treated without delay, and endovascular repair is generally accepted as the first-line treatment. Both transarterial and transvenous approaches can be used to cure dAVFs. Surgery and stereotactic radiosurgery may also be used when endovascular approaches are unsuccessful or not feasible. Some studies, however, have shown that surgery for dAVFs in the anterior cranial fossa is preferred over the endovascular approach. Due to the proximity of some dAVFs to the orbit, endovascular embolization of the dAVF carries a higher risk of complications, primarily due to the formation of dangerous extracranial or intracranial anastomoses. We present the case of a 64-year-old male with an incidentally discovered Borden type III dAVF arising from the anterior branches of the middle meningeal artery and draining into the middle cerebral vein. Due to the location of his dAVF, craniotomy was selected for ligation of the fistula. The procedure went without complication. A catheter angiogram of the brain one month after surgery showed an absence of flow through the arteriovenous fistula and a middle meningeal artery that had returned to its normal caliber.
Numerical modeling of heat and moisture transfer in a wearable convective cooling system for human comfort

Abstract The design and analysis of a lightweight wearable convective cooling system was proposed for human thermal comfort in minimally air-conditioned work environments. The aim of this system was to reduce the overall energy consumption and realize energy savings by minimizing air-conditioning during the summer months without compromising human comfort. The proposed system consists of a series of microfans, placed in a ribbon and attached to a garment to provide cooling through convective and evaporative heat transfer. Three different configurations were analyzed: one had four 1 cm microfans; the second one had four 2 cm fans and the third had eight 1 cm fans. With these configurations, a series of 2-dimensional models of the convective and evaporative heat transfer at the skin surface were numerically simulated using COMSOL Multiphysics at 0.25 m/s, 0.5 m/s, 0.75 m/s and 1 m/s inlet airflow velocities. The convective and evaporative heat transfer coefficients at the skin surface were calculated which indicated peaks at the skin surface facing the inlet airflows from the fans. The combination of two opposing sub-flows produced small eddies and increased the coefficient of convective and evaporative heat transfer at high inlet airflow velocities and thicker air gaps. Our convective cooling system significantly improved the convective and evaporative heat transfer coefficients when the inlet airflows were at 0.75 m/s and 1 m/s. This modeling method provides an analytical approach to study the design of a microfan system to optimize heat exchange and minimize energy usage.
Current Views on the Structure of Amorphous Metals II

Presently available experimental data on structural and chemical order in amorphous metals and alloys are examined in terms of similarities and differences in short range order between the amorphous materials and related crystalline solids. Recent x-ray scattering data on amorphous, electrodeposited Co-P alloys1 are discussed with regard to composition dependent structural features, microstructural anisotropy, and annealing processes. Effects of tetrahedron perfection constraints in dense random packing models with one and with two sphere sizes are reviewed, including effects on density and porosity of model structures.2 Results for binary packing models are compared with experimental data for amorphous Gd-Co alloys.2 Recent results for soft sphere (relaxed) model structures are compared with those for hard sphere structures. Most of the material presented in this review is being published elsewhere.1–5
Toward Mutuality in Mentorship

The same can be said for mentors, of course. Although I cannot talk about a universal, unchanging role for mentors, I hope to offer some habits of mind and practice that will enable them to create their own transformative practice and open possibilities for witnessing relationships with proteges.
Kinetic studies of rapid oil shale pyrolysis: I. Temperature characterization and flow visualization in a laminar flow entrained reactor

Abstract An entrained reactor system has been used to study the kinetics of oil shale pyrolysis. The temperature environment and the entraining gas flow are critical parameters in determining the shale particle temperature and the shale flow rate. Shale particle temperature and shale flow rate must be determined in order to measure the kinetics of oil shale pyrolysis. The temperatures of the furnace walls and the entraining gas were independently controlled to enable isothermal operation. A cluster thermocouple consisting of three thermocouples, each of a different bead size, was used to test for a possible discrepancy between radiative heat transfer from the hot walls and convective heat transfer from the hot gas. A simple mathematical model has been developed to calculate the gas and wall temperatures, based on temperature measurements of the three thermocouples. Flow visualization shows that proper inlet design and operating conditions are essential in order to prevent dispersion of shale particles and ensure uniform treatment conditions for all particles. This is particularly true for laminar flow, where particle velocity can vary with variations in the radius of the reactor tube. Turbulent, unsteady laminar and steady laminar flow regimes have been visually characterized at different flow ratios and Reynolds numbers.
Pseudotachylyte‐Bearing Strike‐Slip Faults in Mylonitic Host Rocks, Fort Foster Brittle Zone, Kittery, Maine

Hundreds of small-scale, dextral strike-slip faults of late Paleozoic-age are developed parallel to the mylonitic layering of sheared gneisses, schists and amphibolites of the Rye Complex of southernmost Maine. Pseudotachylyte is found along all layer-parallel slip zones as fault veins up to ∼2 cm thick, and stored in off-fault reservoirs such as splay fault intersections and injection veins, up to 34 cm long. The layer-parallel faults are concentrated along the NW Boundary Zone of a prominent ultramylonite. Oblique-to-layer splay faults cut across an Interior Zone to transfer displacement to other layer-parallel faults in a 15 m wide extensional stepover. Interaction between pairs of layer-parallel slip zones contributed to the outcrop scale generation zone pattern as a form of strike-slip duplexing between long overlapping en echelon slip zones. Fault-parallel extension as well as fault-parallel shortening was controlled by stepping geometries for active slip segments within the strongly-layered host rock. Coupled extensional and contractional linkages tied to flanking, layer-parallel slip zones also created distinctive asymmetric, plano-convex sidewall ripouts attributed to adhesive wear during coseismic slip. Steeply-dipping mylonitic layering favorably-oriented for reactivation in brittle strike-slip resulted in large initial areas of contact between sliding surfaces and an increase in frictional heat during sliding to generate abundant pseudotachylyte. Displacements on the major layer-parallel fault veins are estimated from average fault vein thickness and marker layer offsets on oblique-to-layer faults and suggest coseismic slip increments on the meter-to-submeter scale with cumulative displacements on narrow multi-strand slip zones up to ∼3-5 m.
Mucosal Healing in Inflammatory Bowel Disease—A True Paradigm of Success?

Mucosal healing is gaining more acceptance as a measure of disease activity in Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, and it is also gaining acceptance as an endpoint in clinical trials. Recent publications have correlated achievement of mucosal healing with good outcomes. Currently, there is no validated definition of what constitutes mucosal healing in inflammatory bowel disease. In clinical trials of ulcerative colitis, mucosal healing has been achieved with 5-aminosalicylates, corticosteroids, azathioprine, and infliximab. For Crohn's disease, mucosal healing has been achieved with corticosteroids, infliximab, and adalimumab, and mucosal healing has been maintained with infliximab. Achievement of long-term mucosal healing has been associated with a decreased risk of colectomy and colorectal cancer in ulcerative colitis patients, a decreased need for cortico-steroid treatment in Crohn's disease patients, and a trend toward a decreased need for hospitalization in Crohn's disease patients. Unfortunately, assessment of mucosal healing requires regular use of endoscopy, which is associated with increased costs, patient discomfort, and side effects. Biomarkers such as fecal calprotec-tin, fecal lactoferrin, serum C-reactive protein, and fecal S1 00A1 2 have been shown to correlate with disease activity in ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease; in the future, these biomarkers might be used as surrogate markers for mucosal healing. Newer clinical trials are incorporating mucosal healing as an endpoint for evaluation of efficacy. However, before mucosal healing will be sufficient to guide therapy, clinicians need a standard definition of mucosal healing and a consistently used, prospectively validated scale with good interobserver agreement.
Sedimentation Equilibrium Experiments on the Self-Association of Hemoglobin from the Lamprey Petromyzon marinus A MODEL FOR OXYGEN TRANSPORT IN THE LAMPREY

Abstract Both deoxyhemoglobin (deoxyHb) and carboxyhemoglobin (HbCO) from the lamprey Petromyzon marinus undergo subunit association-dissociation equilibria. By means of sedimentation equilibrium techniques these equilibria were examined at a variety of heme concentrations and at pH values from 4.9 to 8.5. The reactions for deoxyHb are described by the scheme: Hb4 (K4,2)/⇌ 2Hb2 (K2,1)/⇌ 4Hb Both constants are pH dependent above pH 6.0, while below this pH they are essentially invariant and have values of K4,2 = 600 µm and K2,1 = 0.4 µm. The association of single chains to dimers is most simply explained by assuming that protonation of one site per monomer promotes dimer formation: the pK of this site in deoxyHb is calculated to be 6.0. At higher pH the value of K2,1 increases rapidly, and a plot of log K2,1 versus pH is linear with a slope of 2. Aggregation of HbCO and oxyhemoglobin, HbO2, occurs via similar reactions. Below pH 6.0 K'2,1, the dissociation equilibrium constant for HbCO, is essentially invariant with a value of 0.4 mm, and, for this liganded form, the pK of the protonatable group is also estimated to be 6.0. This value of K'2,1 agrees well with the value expected for HbO2 from the linkage requirements of the O2-binding equilibria. Association of HbCO to tetramers also occurs, and at low pH K'4,2 for HbCO is approximately 2 to 3 mm. The calculated values of the association-dissociation equilibrium constants suggest that at pH between 7.0 and 8.0 and at protein concentrations found in the lamprey erythrocyte, deoxyHb will be predominantly dimeric and HbO2 will be predominantly monomeric. Thus, oxygenation in the red cell is accompanied by dissociation. The cooperativity in ligand binding which is exhibited by lamprey hemoglobin can be explained by this linkage between ligation and subunit association-dissociation reactions. Under conditions where these interactions cannot occur, whether in dilute protein solution at alkaline pH or in strong protein solution at acid pH, cooperativity is greatly diminished. Finally, these physical properties of lamprey hemoglobin are used to formulate a model which accounts for the efficient transport of oxygen in vivo by these animals.
When and where we enter: Social context and desire in women's discourse

This article concerns the place of race and social class in establishing norms of usage in the study of language and gender. It argues for descriptions of women’s language that incorporate their multilayered race and class realities. In particular, it argues that notions of ‘normal women’s speech’ are often unmarked regarding race and class. These norms contribute to stereotypes of the speech of black and working class women. It asks the questions: How do we develop a method of analysis that represents social and cultural context, includes most women’s experience and desire, does not favor the western middle class woman, and critiques patriarchy and social class biases? Can we address intersectionality, where race, class, sexuality and gender interrelate for some women and do not act as independent forms of oppression? Is it possible to do language and gender research that does not privilege one group of women?
New developments in immunotherapies for food allergy

Food allergy affects around 10% of the population. As the prevalence of food allergy continues to increase, disproportionately in children, new therapies for food allergy are being investigated. While there are no approved treatments for food allergy, immunotherapy facilitates significant desensitization and protection from accidental exposure. Nevertheless, current immunotherapies do not entirely nor permanently eliminate sensitivity to the food allergen. Since the rates of sustained unresponsiveness are significantly lower than desensitization, future therapies that enhance the rates of long-term tolerance in patients will catalyze progress in this field over the next 5-10 years.
Mechanisms regulating cAMP-mediated growth of bovine neonatal pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells.

textabstractNeonatal pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) exhibit enhanced growth capacity and increased growth responses to mitogenic stimuli compared with adult PASMCs. Because intracellular signals mediating enhanced growth responses in neonatal PASMCs are incompletely understood, we questioned whether 1) Gq agonists increase cAMP content and 2) increased cAMP is proproliferative. Endothelin-1 and angiotensin II increased both cAMP content and proliferation in neonatal but not in adult PASMCs. Inhibition of protein kinase C and protein kinase A activity nearly eliminated the endothelin-1- and angiotensin II-induced growth of neonatal PASMCs. Moreover, cAMP increased proliferation in neonatal but not in adult cells. Protein kinase C-stimulated adenylyl cyclase was expressed in both cell types, suggesting that insensitivity to stimulation of cAMP in adult cells was not due to decreased enzyme expression. Our data collectively indicate that protein kinase C stimulation of cAMP is a critical signal mediating proliferation of neonatal PASMCs that is absent in adult PASMCs and therefore may contribute to the unique proproliferative phenotype of these neonatal cells.
Drafting New York Civil-Litigation Documents: Part XII — Responding to Interrogatories

This column, the twelfth in a continuing series on how to draft litigation papers in New York, addresses how to answer an interrogatory.
Optimized pulse shapes for a resonator-induced phase gate

The resonator-induced phase gate is a multiqubit controlled-phase gate for fixed-frequency superconducting qubits. Through off-resonant driving of a bus resonator, statically coupled qubits acquire a state-dependent phase. However, photon loss leads to dephasing during the gate, and any residual entanglement between the resonator and qubits after the gate leads to decoherence. Here we consider how to shape the drive pulse to minimize these unwanted effects. First, we review how the gate's entangling and dephasing rates depend on the system parameters and validate closed-form solutions against direct numerical solution of a master equation. Next, we propose spline pulse shapes that reduce residual qubit-bus entanglement, are robust to imprecise knowledge of the resonator shift, and can be shortened by using higher-degree polynomials. Finally, we present a procedure that optimizes over the subspace of pulses that leave the resonator unpopulated. This finds shaped drive pulses that further reduce the gate duration. Assuming realistic parameters, we exhibit shaped pulses that have the potential to realize $\ensuremath{\sim}212$ ns spline pulse gates and $\ensuremath{\sim}120$ ns optimized gates with $\ensuremath{\sim}6\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}4}$ average gate infidelity. These examples do not represent fundamental limits of the gate and, in principle, even shorter gates may be achievable.
Evolution of Thick Accretion Disks Produced by Tidal Disruption Events

Geometrically thick disks may form after tidal disruption events, and rapid accretion may lead to short flares followed by long-term, lower-level emission. Using a novel accretion disk code which relies primarily on global conservation laws and the assumption that viscosity is everywhere positive, a broad range of physically allowed evolutionary sequences of thick disks is investigated. The main result is that accretion in the thick disk phase can consume only a fraction of the initial disk material before the disk cools and becomes thin. This fraction is ~0.5-0.9 for disruptions around 10^6 to 10^7 M_\odot black holes and is sensitive to the mean angular momentum of the disk. The residual material will accrete in some form of thin disk over a longer period of time. The initial thick disk phase may reduce the dimming timescale of the disk by a factor of ~2 from estimates based on thin disks alone. Assuming an 0.5 M_\odot initial thick disk, even if the thin disks become advection dominated, the black hole mass to light ratio can rise above M_\odot/L_\odot = 1 in no less than 20 (0.1/\alpha) to 2000 (0.1/\alpha) years following a tidal disruption event, depending on the mass of the black hole and the initial conditions of the encounter. The long-term emission will be most prevalent around lower mass, 10^6 M_\odot black holes. If the tidal disruption rates in these galactic nuclei are ~10^{-4} yr^{-1}, then about 10% of the nuclei should exhibit the long-term UV/optical emission at a level of ~10^{38} ergs~s^{-1}.
Thematic Minireview Series: New Directions in G Protein-coupled Receptor Pharmacology

Over the past half-century, The Journal of Biological Chemistry has been the venue for many landmark publications on the topic of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs, also known as seven-transmembrane receptors). The GPCR superfamily in humans is composed of about 800 members, and is the target of about one-third of all pharmaceuticals. Most of these drugs target a very small subset of GPCRs, and do so by mimicking or competing with endogenous hormones and neurotransmitters. This thematic minireview series examines some emerging trends in GPCR drug discovery. The first article describes efforts to systematically interrogate the human "GPCR-ome," including more than 150 uncharacterized "orphan" receptors. The second article describes recent efforts to target alternative receptor binding sites with drugs that act as allosteric modulators of orthosteric ligands. The third article describes how the recent expansion of GPCR structures is providing new opportunities for computer-guided drug discovery. Collectively, these three articles provide a roadmap for the most important emerging trends in GPCR pharmacology.
Evidence Base on Outpatient Behavioral Treatments for Adolescent Substance Use: Updates and Recommendations 2007–2013

This article updates the evidence base on outpatient behavioral treatments for adolescent substance use (ASU) since publication of the previous review completed for this journal by Waldron and Turner (2008). It first summarizes the Waldron and Turner findings as well as those from more recent literature reviews and meta-analytic studies of ASU treatment. It then presents study design and methods criteria used to select 19 comparative studies subjected to Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology level of support evaluation. These 19 studies are grouped by study category (efficacy or effectiveness) and described for sample characteristics, methodological quality, and substance use outcomes. Cumulative level of support designations are then made for each identified treatment approach: ecological family-based treatment, group cognitive-behavioral therapy, and individual cognitive-behavioral therapy are deemed Well Established; behavioral family-based treatment and motivational interviewing are deemed...
Optical processing using outer-product concepts

A row vector when left-multiplied by a column vector produces a two-dimensional rank-one matrix in an operation commonly called an outer product between the two vectors. The outer product operation can form the basis for a large variety of higher order algorithms in linear algebra, signal processing, and image processing. This operation can be best implemented in a processor having two-dimensional (2-D) parallelism and a global interaction among the elements of the input vectors. Since optics is endowed with exactly these features, an optical processor can perform the outer product operation in a natural fashion using orthogonally oriented one-dimensional (1-D) input devices such as acoustooptic cells. Algorithms that can be implemented optically using outer-product concepts include matrix multiplication, convolution/correlation, binary arithmetic operations for higher accuracy, matrix decompositions, and similarity transformations of images. Implementation is shown to be frequently tied to time-integrating detection techniques. These and other hardware issues in the implementation of some of these algorithms are discussed.
Interval estimation of parameters in models for seasonal growth in fishes

Abstract Several non-linear models have been proposed in the literature to study seasonal growth in fishes. In this paper, we present interval estimation of parameters in models of Pauly and Gaschutz and Hoenig and Hanumara by inverting the likelihood ratio statistic. These intervals may differ from the Wald intervals that can be obtained from fitting the models with available software packages. It is shown that the differences between the two intervals relate to parameter effects non-linearity using profile t -plots and in those cases likelihood based confidence intervals are to be employed. The likelihood interval is also given for the growth performance index of Pauly and Munro.
Food insecurity, poor diet quality, and obesity among food pantry participants in Hartford, CT.

Abstract Objective Examine relationships between food security, diet quality, and body mass index (BMI) among food pantry users. Methods Convenience sample of 212 food pantry clients in Hartford, CT from June, 2010 to May, 2011. Main outcomes included food security (United States Department of Agriculture module), fruit and vegetable consumption (Block Screener), and BMI (stadiometer and digital medical scale). Chi-square tests, Spearman correlations, and logistic regression models were analyzed. Results Over half of the sample (50.5%) had very low food security. Mean BMI was 29.5 kg/m 2 . Age was positively associated with food security ( P P = .04). Women were 4 times as likely to be obese as men ( P Conclusions and Implications Ensuring the nutritional adequacy of donated food is an important consideration for food donors and pantry staff.
On the evaluation of statical-kinematic stiffness matrix for underconstrained structural systems

Abstract Because of singularity of the elastic stiffness matrix, analysis of underconstrained systems requires the comprehensive stiffness matrix, comprising both kinds of first-order structural stiffness—elastic and statical-kinematic. The latter accounts for the role of the member forces, induced in the system by the equilibrium part of the applied load, as the source of the system resistance to the perturbation part of the same load. Evaluation of the sought member forces using orthogonal load resolution into equilibrium and perturbation components is awkward and computationally expensive. A special modification of the singular elastic stiffness matrix simplifies the procedure and makes it amenable to the conventional tools of structural analysis. The efficiency and accuracy of the procedure is illustrated by a detailed numerical example.
Identification of a Small Molecule-Ligand-Binding Pocket in a G Protein-Coupled Receptor using Genetically-Encoded Photocrosslinkers

The G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) CC chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) is the primary co-receptor required for HIV-1 cellular entry and the molecular target for the HIV-1 cellular entry inhibitor maraviroc. Despite the fact that maraviroc obtained FDA approval for therapeutic use in 2007, the precise mode of receptor-drug interaction and its mechanism of action has not been directly defined. Using unnatural amino acid mutagenesis and targeted photocrosslinking, we have identified amino acids in CCR5 that are within 3-5 A of the bound ligand. We introduced p-benzoyl-L-phenylalanine (BzF) and p-azido-L-phenylalanine (AzF) at multiple specific sites in engineered CCR5 expressed in HEK-293T cells. Photocrosslinking experiments were performed in live cells in the presence of [3H]maraviroc. Site-specific crosslinks were detected by scintillation counting of Western Blot membranes of cell extracts. The pattern of BzF and AzF crosslinks was compared based on existed models of CCR5. This method is an extension of earlier work in which ligand analogues with fluorescent tags were employed (1). Targeted photocrosslinking using isotopically-labelled GPCR ligands allows the direct mapping of a drug-binding site with chemical precision and can be used to discriminate among various models of receptor-drug interaction. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of a direct chemical crosslink between a GPCR and a native small-molecule ligand. 1. Grunbeck, et al. (2011) Biochemistry 50, 3411-3413.
Gulf of Mexico Processes

Abstract This contribution is part of the Gulf Regional Sediment Management Master Plan and serves as a broad overview of the general setting, geologic history, coastal processes, hydrodynamics, and sediment sources for the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). The GOM is approximately 1,500,000 km2. The five U.S. states bordering the Gulf comprise over 75,000 km of coastline. Gulf circulation is dominated by the Loop Current and gyres. The general trend of longshore sediment transport is in the westward direction west of the Mississippi River and in the eastward direction east of the Mississippi River, and is driven primarily by the wave and tidal energy. The GOM is a shallow basin and its climate is strongly dependent on precipitation and temperature averages. The general coastal climate is subtropical with warm to hot summers and cool winters with precipitation and high relative humidity throughout the year. The GOM coast is predominantly microtidal (<2-m range) with coastal processes and associated morphodynamics str...
Does prostate morphology affect outcomes after holmium laser enucleation

Objective To determine whether prostate morphology or technique used has any effect on postoperative outcomes after holmium laser enucleation of the prostate. Materials and Methods A retrospective review of prospectively collected data was completed for all patients undergoing a holmium laser enucleation of the prostate at our institution. Prostate morphology was classified as either “bilobar” or “trilobar” according to the cystoscopic appearance. The baseline characteristics, complications, and postoperative outcomes were collected. Results A total of 304 patients with either “bilobar” (n = 142) or “trilobar” (n = 162) prostate morphology were included. The trilobar group was more likely to have longer operative times (112 vs 100 minutes, P = .04), although this difference was not significant on multivariate analysis. The postoperative outcomes were similar between the 2 groups for American Urological Association symptom score, change in American Urological Association symptom score, bother score, maximal flow rate, change in maximal flow rate, postvoid residual urine volume, and complication rate. However, the trilobar group had a significantly greater decrease in their PVR urine volume (296 vs 176 mL, P = .01), a difference that persisted on multivariate analysis. A subset analysis of the trilobar prostates revealed that performing a 2-lobe technique achieved shorter operative and enucleation times, although the difference was not significant. Conclusion Those patients with trilobar prostate morphology are more likely to achieve a greater decrease in the PVR urine volume after holmium laser enucleation of the prostate. All other outcomes appeared to be similar between the 2 groups. In addition, a 2-lobe technique can be safely used for trilobar prostates when deemed feasible by the surgeon.
Spontaneous calcium transients manifest in the regenerating muscle and are necessary for skeletal muscle replenishment

Tissue regeneration entails replenishing of damaged cells, appropriate cell differentiation and inclusion of regenerated cells into functioning tissues. In adult humans, the capacity of the injured spinal cord and muscle to self-repair is limited. In contrast, the amphibian larva can regenerate its tail after amputation with complete recovery of muscle, notochord and spinal cord. The cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are still unclear. Here we show that upon injury muscle cell precursors exhibit Ca2+ transients that depend on Ca2+ release from ryanodine receptor-operated stores. Blockade of these transients impairs muscle regeneration. Furthermore, inhibiting Ca2+ transients in the regenerating tail prevents the activation and proliferation of muscle satellite cells, which results in deficient muscle replenishment. These findings suggest that Ca2+-mediated activity is critical for the early stages of muscle regeneration, which may lead to developing effective therapies for tissue repair.
The effect of imagination on stimulation: The functional specificity of efference copies in speech processing

The computational role of efference copies is widely appreciated in action and perception research, but their properties for speech processing remain murky. We tested the functional specificity of auditory efference copies using magnetoencephalography recordings in an unconventional pairing: We used a classical cognitive manipulation mental imagery-to elicit internal simulation and estimation with a well-established experimental paradigm one shot repetition-to assess neuronal specificity. Participants performed tasks that differentially implicated internal prediction of sensory consequences overt speaking, imagined speaking, and imagined hearing and their modulatory effects on the perception of an auditory syllable probe were assessed. Remarkably, the neural responses to overt syllable probes vary systematically, both in terms of directionality suppression, enhancement and temporal dynamics early, late, as a function of the preceding covert mental imagery adaptor. We show, in the context of a dual-pathway model, that internal simulation shapes perception in a context-dependent manner.
Small RNAs: Keeping Stem Cells in Line

Stem cells and RNA silencing have emerged as areas of intense interest for both basic and clinical research. Recently these fields have converged with reports implicating small regulatory RNAs in the maintenance and pluripotency of stem cells.
Self-administered nitrous oxide: an adjunct analgesic.

In a pilot study of 26 patients, a mixture of 50% nitrous oxide and 50% oxygen (N 2 O-O 2 ) appeared to be an effective and safe analgesic for the incision and drainage of closed-space infections. The analgesic effect of N 2 O-O 2 , as measured by a Mean Analgesic Index, is augmented by both amnesic and dissociative effects, ie, patients remembered experiencing significantly less pain than they complained of during the procedure (p 2 O-O 2 and made uniformly favorable comparative statements concerning the analgesic effect of the gas.
Self-Detection of a Breast Mass in Adolescent Females*

The frequency of self-discovered breast masses in adolescent females has not previously been described. The histologic diagnosis rather than the means of detection has been the focus of previous surveys. Seven characteristics of 95 patients admitted from 1968–1979 for the evaluation of a breast mass were delineated. The mean age at hospitalization was 15.9 years (range 12–20). The delay from detection to hospitalization was 7.2 months (range 0.5–72). In 77 cases the mass was detected by the patient; 11 were found during a physician examination, 4 by a family member, and 3 by an unrecorded source. Diagnoses were fibroadenoma (71), abscess (11), cyst (9), lipoma (2), and cystosarcoma phyllodes (2). The median length of the masses was 2.6 cm, width 2.3 cm, with a median mass area (diameter × length) of 6 cm 2 . When patients were compared for age, delay in hospitalization, means of detection, family history, and mass size, the girls with abscesses were younger and had a shorter time delay before hospitalization. Self-discovery was the means of detection in 77 of 95 (81%). The means of detection is an important factor to consider in weighing the merits of teaching breast self-examination procedures to adolescent females.
Transformation to achieve a longitudinally stationary factor pattern matrix

Meredith's method of extracting a factorially invariant solution is adapted to longitudinal settings. An explorational estimation procedure is presented which attempts to identify the longitudinal factor components of an across occasion variance-covariance matrix. This is effected by transforming an initial factor pattern matrix to stationarity. The estimation is performed in two parts, the first employing a stepwise algorithm to ascertain the dimensionality and existence of the longitudinal components and the second being the direct estimation of the existing factor pattern.
An approach to modeling climate based on feedback relationships

Feedback occurs between many components of the climate system, and makes the study of climate very difficult. A modeling approach is presented in which feedbacks are represented specifically. Analysis of very simple models shows how feedback between two components affects their behavior; positive feedback increases persistence, and can produce climatic changes even without changes in external forcing. In any quantitative study, the magnitudes of all relevant feedbacks must be known accurately. As an example, it is shown how the effect of CO2 on global temperature must depend greatly on the feedback between global temperature and ice extent.
Chromatic dispersion in rectangular geometry waveguides

We calculate the chromatic dispersion of rectangular geom- etry waveguides and focus on the conditions for obtaining zero chromatic dispersion at a wavelength of 1.55 mm. We consider single-mode waveguides fabricated from six distinct compositions of silica-based ma- terials whose dispersive characteristics are modeled by use of a Sell- meier relation. Our analysis takes account of the two transverse dimen- sions of the guiding channel and provides for a determination of the dispersion coefficientb9 as a function of the values of both dimensions. The results allow us to compute a spectrum of values of the two trans- verse widths for which the total dispersion is zero. By definition of an effective mode field diameter for a channel waveguide we are able to discuss the end-to-end coupling of such a waveguide to a commercial single-mode fiber. © 1999 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. (S0091-3286(99)02401-0)
Virulent Burkholderia Species Mimic Host Actin Polymerases to Drive Actin-Based Motility

Burkholderia pseudomallei and B. mallei are bacterial pathogens that cause melioidosis and glanders, whereas their close relative B. thailandensis is non-pathogenic. All use the trimeric autotransporter BimA to facilitate actin-based motility, host cell fusion, and dissemination. Here, we show that BimA orthologs mimic different host actin-polymerizing proteins. B. thailandensis BimA activates the host Arp2/3 complex. In contrast, B. pseudomallei and B. mallei BimA mimic host Ena/VASP actin polymerases in their ability to nucleate, elongate, and bundle filaments by associating with barbed ends, as well as in their use of WH2 motifs and oligomerization for activity. Mechanistic differences among BimA orthologs resulted in distinct actin filament organization and motility parameters, which affected the efficiency of cell fusion during infection. Our results identify bacterial Ena/VASP mimics and reveal that pathogens imitate the full spectrum of host actin-polymerizing pathways, suggesting that mimicry of different polymerization mechanisms influences key parameters of infection.
Atrial natriuretic factor (ANF): a preliminary report of cervical heart transplant model for study.

ABSTRACT The allograft canine heart transplanted to the neck of a recipient provides a useful model for direct measurement of atrionatriuretic factor (ANF) in the single inflow artery and the single outflow vein (pulmonary artery). The normal peripheral blood levels of ANF in the dog ranged from 25–77 pg/ml, whereas the post-transplant level in transplant outflow blood was 2262 pg/ml 30 minutes after transplant resuscitation. The cervical heart transplant model is applicable to a variety of ANF investigations.
Immune-mediated disease as a risk factor for canine lymphoma.

Background Autoimmune diseases and neoplasia have been associated as occurring simultaneously in individuals. This study evaluated the association between the simultaneous occurrence of canine lymphoma and various immune-mediated diseases. Methods The Veterinary Medical Data Program, a national disease data registry for veterinary schools, was examined. The following immune-mediated disease categories were evaluated: lupus disorders, pemphigus disorders, autoimmune polyarthritis, immune-mediated hemolytic anemia, and immune-mediated thrombocytopenia. Odds ratios with 99% confidence intervals were calculated for the occurrence of lymphoma and each of the immune-mediated disorder categories. Results Only dogs with immune-mediated thrombocytopenia had a statistically significantly increased odds ratio (5.61; 99% confidence interval, 4.16-7.57) for the occurrence of lymphoma versus the general population. This association still was observed for immune-mediated thrombocytopenia when stratified by age, sex, and neutering status. Conclusion Dogs with immune-mediated thrombocytopenia had a greater occurrence of lymphoma than dogs without immune-mediated thrombocytopenia.