cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Molecular mechanisms of action of the soy isoflavones includes activation of promiscuous nuclear receptors. A review

Consumption of soy has been demonstrated to reduce circulating cholesterol levels, most notably reducing low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels in hypercholesterolemic individuals. The component or components that might be responsible for this effect is still a matter of debate or controversy among many researchers. Candidate agents include an activity of soy protein itself, bioactive peptides produced during the digestive process, or the soy isoflavones. Although soy intake may provide other health benefits including preventative or remediative effects on cancer, osteoporosis and symptoms of menopause, this review will focus on isoflavones as agents affecting lipid metabolism. Isoflavones were first discovered as a bioactive agent disrupting estrogen action in female sheep, thereby earning the often-used term 'phytoestrogens'. Subsequent work confirmed the ability of isoflavones to bind to estrogen receptors. Along with the cholesterol-lowering effect of soy intake, research that is more recent has pointed to a beneficial antidiabetic effect of soy intake, perhaps mediated by soy isoflavones. The two common categories of antidiabetic drugs acting on nuclear receptors known as peroxisome proliferator activated receptors (PPARs) are the fibrates and glitazones. We and others have recently asked the research question 'do the soy isoflavones have activities as either "phytofibrates" or "phytoglitazones"?' Such an activity should be able to be confirmed both in vivo and in vitro. In both the in vivo and in vitro cases, this action has indeed been confirmed. Further work suggests a possible action of isoflavones similar to the nonestrogenic ligands that bind the estrogen-related receptors (ERRs). Recently, these receptors have been demonstrated to contribute to lipolytic processes. Finally, evaluation of receptor activation studies suggests that thyroid receptor activation may provide additional clues explaining the metabolic action of isoflavones. The recent advances in the discovery and evaluation of the promiscuous nuclear receptors that bind many different chemical ligands should prove to help explain some of the biological effects of soy isoflavones and other phytochemicals.
Effects of sorption kinetics on the fate and transport of pharmaceuticals in estuaries.

Abstract Many current fate and transport models based on the assumption of instantaneous sorption equilibrium of contaminants in the water column may not be valid for certain pharmaceuticals with long times to reach sorption equilibrium. In this study, a sorption kinetics model was developed and incorporated into a water quality model for the Patuxent River Estuary to evaluate the effect of sorption kinetics. Model results indicate that the assumption of instantaneous sorption equilibrium results in significant under-prediction of water column concentrations for some pharmaceuticals. The relative difference between predicted concentrations for the instantaneous versus kinetic approach is as large as 150% at upstream locations in the Patuxent Estuary. At downstream locations, where sorption processes have had sufficient time to reach equilibrium, the relative difference decreases to roughly 25%. This indicates that sorption kinetics affect a model’s ability to capture accumulation of pharmaceuticals into riverbeds and the transport of pharmaceuticals in estuaries. These results offer strong evidence that chemicals are not removed from the water column as rapidly as has been assumed on the basis of equilibrium-based analyses. The findings are applicable not only for pharmaceutical compounds, but also for diverse contaminants that reach sorption equilibrium slowly.
Biological imaging: The diffraction barrier broken

The conventional optical limitations of fluorescence microscopy have been defied, to achieve nanoscale resolution of individual vesicle organelles at the junctions of neuronal cells.
A 10,000-Step Count as a Physical Activity Target for Sedentary Women

(2001). A 10,000-Step Count as a Physical Activity Target for Sedentary Women. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport: Vol. 72, No. 4, pp. 411-414.
SU-E-E-17: Experience with Helical TomoTherapy Commissioning and Quality Assurance of Twin Peaks Linac vs. Earlier Models

Purpose: To evaluate the differences and stability of Twin Peaks linac in TomoTherapy system. Methods: In general, the following checks are performed prior to using a new x‐ray machine for radiotherapytreatment: acceptance testing,dosimetric commissioning, plan verification, quality assurance procedures, radiation and interlocks safety. The beam modeling of TomoTherapy machine involves four steps: (I) static beam profiles, (II) helical data, (III) MLC data and (IV) IMRT plan verification. The commissioning of the Twin Peak accelerator was conducted with a physicist from the TomoTherapy Inc. Results: Our experience and data comparison is based on commissioning results of this unit equipped with TomoTherapy's new Twin Peaks linac and the earlier version of Tomo's conventional linac and on nine month of clinical usage. The photon beam spectrum of helical Tomotherapy in the treatment mode has approximately a maximum energy of 5.7 MeV. Our experience with Twin Peaks yielded about 5.2 MeV. Similarly earlier units operate with a dose rate of about 850 cGy/min at the isocenter. Our unit's dose rate is about 835cGy/min. During nine months period, deterioration of the target was not observed compared to the earlier models. The dimensional characteristics of the Twin Peak LINAC have maintained the same SAD specification, and spot size capability. There was no difference in the beam performance of units with the two different types of LINAC. Details of the data will be presented Conclusions: Based on acceptance tests and commissioning of Twin Peaks linac helical TomoTherapy Hi Art system and nine months of clinical usage, we found out that the energy and dose rate are lower than the earlier version linacs. The target behavior and profile shoulder curves unlike the other earlier linac have not shown so far any changes. Overall, it is a much better target and improved technology versus the earlier version.
Speech recognition with continuous-parameter hidden Markov models

Abstract The acoustic modeling problem in automatic speech recognition is examined from an information-theoretic point of view. This problem is to design a speech-recognition system which can extract from the speech waveform as much information as possible about the corresponding word sequence. The information extraction process is broken down into two steps: a signal-processing step which converts a speech waveform into a sequence of information-bearing acoustic feature vectors, and a step which models such a sequence. We are primarily concerned with the use of hidden Markov models to model sequences of feature vectors which lie in a continuous space. We explore the trade-off between packing information into such sequences and being able to model them accurately. The difficulty of developing accurate models of continuous-parameter sequences is addressed by investigating a method of parameter estimation which is designed to cope with inaccurate modeling assumptions.
PHYSICAL OBSERVATIONS OF 2005 UD: A MINI-PHAETHON

Planet-crossing object 2005 UD is dynamically similar to purported Geminid meteor-stream parent 3200 Phaethon, suggesting an association between the two. We present new physical observations taken to characterize 2005 UD when at 1.6 AU from the Sun. Assuming equal albedos, 2005 UD is about 4 times smaller than 3200 Phaethon, with a diameter of ~1.3 ± 0.1 km. The body shows periodic brightness variations of 0.4 mag that are compatible with an aspherical nucleus in rotation with a period near 5.2 hr. At optical wavelengths, 2005 UD is similar to or slightly bluer than the Sun. This property is relatively uncommon among near-Earth objects but is shared by Phaethon, strengthening the association between the two. No evidence for ongoing mass loss at rates as small as 0.01 kg s-1 is found in the surface brightness profile, and we conclude that the fraction of the surface that is losing mass is not greater than 10-4. Overall, we conclude that the dynamical similarities between 2005 UD and 3200 Phaethon are matched by physical similarities between these bodies, except that the former contains only about 2% of the mass of the latter. Phaethon, 2005 UD, and the Geminid meteoroids may be fragments produced by the breakup of a precursor object.
Effect of feeding on myoelectric activity of the sphincter of Oddi and the gastrointestinal tract in the opossum.

The effect of different foods on the myoelectric activity of the sphincter of Oddi and gastrointestinal tract was evaluated in the opossum. Gallbladder pressure was also recorded. Feeding fat and mixed food resulted in the greatest incidence of spike activity in the duodenum and jejunum, followed by protein. The lowest incidence of slow waves with spikes in the duodenum and jejunum followed feeding of carbohydrates (P<0.01). Likewise, the lowest spike activity in the sphincter of Oddi was observed after carbohydrate feeding (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of spike potentials in the sphincter of Oddi when fat, protein, or mixed food was fed. No significant change in gallbladder pressure during fasting and following feeding of different aliments was observed. We concluded that there is a correlation between the frequency of spike potentials in the sphincter of Oddi and in the small bowel following feeding. The duration of the fed pattern for each type of food correlated with the number of spikes in the sphincter of Oddi and gastrointestinal tract.
Analysis of brick veneer on concrete masonry wall subjected to in-plane loads

Abstract Brick veneers are commonplace in modern building construction. Current building codes require veneers to be anchored to a structural backing in order to transfer out-of-plane loads. However, for in-plane loads building codes assign brick veneers as nonparticipating elements. This study exploits an analytical method to examine the in-plane coupling between brick veneers and concrete masonry shear walls. The amount of load transferred through wall ties depends on factors such as tie spacing, tie stiffness, reinforcement, etc. Results indicate that some degrees of composite action exist; around 12% to 37% of the applied shear load is transferred to the brick veneer. Veneers should be isolated in their own plane from the seismic-force-resisting system. An optimum location of the isolation joint is proposed to minimize the rocking behavior and limit design story drift.
Secondary earner strategies and family poverty: immigrant-native differentials, 1960-1980.

This article studies immigrant-native differentials in the ability of secondary earners (family earners other than the family head) to lift families out of poverty. Using both descriptive and multivariate techniques to analyze the 1960 1970 and 1980 U.S. Census Public Use Samples it compares immigrant and native families among four key race groups: white black Hispanic and Asian. It is shown that the ameliorative impact of secondary earners is greater for immigrant than native families; that this generalization holds for whites blacks and Hispanics but not Asians; and that the immigrant advantage in ameliorative effects vis-a-vis natives declined noticeably over the 1960-1980 period for all but Asian families. The implications of these results for the overall trend in poverty among immigrants is discussed. (EXCERPT)
Effects of Packing and Orientation on the Hydrolysis of Ester Monolayers on Gold

Two novel nitrophenyl disulfide esters, di(4-nitrophenyl)-4,4‘-dithiobisbenzoate (pNBD) and di(4-nitrophenyl)-3,3‘-dithiobisbenzoate (mNBD), were prepared, adsorbed spontaneously as thiolate monolayers on gold surfaces, and used as models for examining factors affecting rates of interfacial reactions. These monolayers were characterized by infrared reflection spectroscopy (IRS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, single sweep voltammetry, and contact angle goniometry. The adsorbed form of mNBD (mNBT) undergoes a pseudo-first-order base-catalyzed hydrolysis at a rate that is 7 × 104 slower than that for mNBD in solution. The monolayer of the adsorbed para isomer of the ester is even less reactive; that is, it is not detectably hydrolyzed after 3 days of immersion in 0.5 M KOH. The lower packing density of the meta isomer ester accounts for its faster rate of hydrolysis as compared with that of the para isomer ester. The progression of the IRS data suggests that the orientation of the nitrophenyl ring in the...
Viral over-expression of D1 dopamine receptors in the prefrontal cortex increase high-risk behaviors in adults: Comparison with adolescents

Adolescents are often described as “lacking brakes” resulting in an increase in several behaviors associated with risk for addiction. Prefrontal cortex dopamine and cortico-limbic interaction play an important role in addiction, and we have previously shown that the dopamine D1 receptor is elevated on prelimbic prefrontal output neurons in adolescent rats. We hypothesized that a constellation of risk-related behaviors is mediated by prefrontal output neuron expression of D1. We aimed to determine the role of the dopamine D1 receptor in behavioral and neural correlates of risk for addiction that are often observed in adolescents. Therefore, high-risk behaviors as well as subcortical D2 receptor expression were investigated in adult animals with experimentally elevated D1 on prefrontal glutamatergic neurons. A lentiviral vector that selectively expressed the D1 receptor within glutamate neurons was injected in the prelimbic prefrontal cortex of adult male rats. Place conditioning to cocaine, alcohol, and nicotine, as well as delay discounting, novelty preferences, anxiety, cocaine self-administration, and sucrose preferences were assessed. Virally mediated D1 over-expression in adults leads to stronger drug-cue associations and greater consumption of sweet solutions, elevates bias towards immediate satisfaction rather than delaying gratification, decreases anxiety, and causes rats to work harder for and take more cocaine. Furthermore, elevated cortical D1 reduces D2 receptors in the accumbens (a putative risk marker). Together, these data suggest a common mechanism for increased motivational drive to seek and consume substances with hedonic value, consistent with adolescent addictive processes.
Lattice dynamics of CuCl at 4.2°K

Abstract The deformable-ion model in the dipole approximation is used to calculate the phonon dispersion curves of CuCl at 4.2°K. A very good agreement with the neutron scattering data is obtained with only six adjustable parameters and the model parameters are quite reasonable.
Effect of intracisternal thromboxane A2 analogue on cerebral artery permeability

Thromboxane, a highly vasoactive substance, is found in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients and experimental animals following subarachnoid haemorrhage. A stable synthetic analogue of thromboxane A2 was administered intracisternally in rabbits. This resulted in an increase in endothelial permeability of the major cerebral arteries to Evans Blue dye and horseradish peroxidase. Thromboxane may be involved in the pathogenesis of cerebral vasospasm and may be related to the contrast enhancement of the arteries in the basal cisterns on CT scans of patients who are prone to develop arterial narrowing.
Single Event crosstalk shielding for CMOS logic

With advances in technology scaling, CMOS circuits are increasingly more sensitive to transient pulses caused by Single Event particles. Hardening techniques for CMOS combinational logic have been developed to address the problems associated with Single Event transients, but in these designs, Single Event crosstalk effects have been ignored. In order to complement the Single Event upset (SEU) hardening process, coupling effects among interconnects need to be considered in the Single Event hardening and analysis of CMOS logic gates due to technology scaling effects that increase both SE vulnerability and crosstalk effects. As technologies advance, the coupling effects increasingly cause SE transients to contaminate electronically unrelated circuit paths which can in turn increase the ''Single Event susceptibility'' of CMOS circuits. Serious effects may occur if the affected line is a clock line or an input line of voters in triple-modular redundancy (TMR) circuit. Hence, this work first analyzes Single Event crosstalk on recent technologies and then proposes hardening techniques to reduce Single Event crosstalk. Hardening results are demonstrated using HSpice Simulations with interconnect and device parameters derived in 90nm technology.
Local Fiedler vector centrality for detection of deep and overlapping communities in networks

In this paper, a new centrality called local Fiedler vector centrality (LFVC) is proposed to analyze the connectivity structure of a graph. It is associated with the sensitivity of algebraic connectivity to node or edge removals and features distributed computations via the associated graph Laplacian matrix. We prove that LFVC can be related to a monotonic submodular set function that guarantees that greedy node or edge removals come within a factor 1 1=e of the optimal non-greedy batch removal strategy. Due to the close relationship between graph topology and community structure, we use LFVC to detect deep and overlapping communities on real-world social network datasets. The results offer new insights on community detection by discovering new significant communities and key members in the network. Notably, LFVC is also shown to significantly out- perform other well-known centralities for community detection. approach to detect significant communities and key members in the network, which we refer as deep and overlapping com- munity detection. For instance, when our proposed approach is applied to the network scientist coauthorship dataset we show that a zoologist is correctly identified as an outlier node during the detection process since the authors are mostly physicists, thus leading to revelation of new community structures. Local Fiedler vector centrality (LFVC) is proposed to eval- uate the connectivity structure of a graph based on spectral graph theory (13). LFVC is associated with an upper bound on algebraic connectivity (14) when a subset of nodes or edges are removed from a graph. We show that LFVC relates to a monotonic submodular set function such that greedy node or edge removals can be employed with bounded performance loss relative to the optimal non-greedy batch removal strategy. Moreover, LFVC can be computed in a distributed manner and it is applicable to large-scale network analysis. We apply this method to real-world social network datasets and compare to the modularity method and other well-known centralities.
Development and Field-data Evaluation of Single-end Fault Locator for Two-Terminal HVDC Transmission Lines, Part I: Data Collection System and Field Data

A prototype data collection system was developed in order to acquire field data as a part of the development of HVDC fault location techniques. The system was installed at the Celilo Converter Station of the Pacific HVDC Intertie, owned by the U. S. Department of Energy-Bonneville Power Administration in May, 1983. It monitors two line voltages, one neutral voltage, and two line currents. It also has an event detection function to trigger saving data onto a diskette. In this paper (Part I) the data collection system hardware is described, and several field data are plotted and analyzed. Development of an HVDC fault location algorithm and its evaluation using field data are given in the second paper, Part II.
Donkey anaphora is in-scope binding

We propose that the antecedent of a donkey pronoun takes scope over and binds the donkey pronoun, just like any other quantificational antecedent would bind a pronoun. We flesh out this idea in a grammar that compositionally derives the truth conditions of donkey sentences containing conditionals and relative clauses, including those involving modals and proportional quantifiers. For example, an indefinite in the antecedent of a conditional can bind a donkey pronoun in the consequent by taking scope over the entire conditional. Our grammar manages continuations using three independently motivated type-shifters, Lift, Lower, and Bind. Empirical support comes from donkey weak crossover (*He beats it if a farmer owns a donkey): in our system, a quantificational binder need not c-command a pronoun that it binds, but must be evaluated before it, so that donkey weak crossover is just a special case of weak crossover. We compare our approach to situation-based E-type pronoun analyses, as well as to dynamic accounts such as Dynamic Predicate Logic. A new 'tower' notation makes derivations considerably easier to follow and manipulate than some previous grammars based on continuations. http://dx.doi.org/10.3765/sp.1.1 BibTeX info See also the interactive tutorial about the system in this paper
The temperature dependence and the mechanism of the SO2 (3B1) quenching reactions

The Arrhenius parameters have been determined for the SO2(3B1) quenching reaction (9), SO2(3B1) + M → (SO2 M), for 21 different molecules as quenching partner M. The rate constants were calculated from phosphorescence lifetime measurements made over a range of reactant pressures and temperatures. Excitation of the SO2 (3B1) molecules was accomplished by two very different methods: (1) a 3829 A laser pulse generated the triplet directly through absorption within the “forbidden” SO2 (3B1) → SO2 (1A1) band; (2) a broadband Xe-flash system generated SO2(3B1) molecules and triplets were formed subsequently by intersystem crossing, SO2(1B1) + M → SO2(3B1) + M. The measured rate constants were independent of the method of triplet formation employed. For the atmospheric gases, the activation energies (kcal/mole) were identical within the experimental error: N2, 2.9 ± 0.4; 02, 3.2 ± 0.5; Ar, 2.8 ± 0.6; CO2, 2.8 ± 0.4; CO, 2.7 ± 0.4; CH4, 2.5 ± 0.6. This energy corresponds to the first region of the SO2(3B1) → SO2(1A1) absorption spectra in which Brand and coworkers observe strong perturbations. It is suggested that the quenching in these cases results largely from the physical process involving potential energy surface crossing to another electronic state. Activation energies for SO2(3B1) quenching by the paraffinic hydrocarbons show a regular decrease in the series ethane, neopentane, propane, n-butane, cyclohexane, and isobutane, which parallels closely the decrease in CH bond energies in these compounds. These and other data are most consistent with the dominance of chemical quenching in these cases. The rate constants for the olefinic and aromatic hydrocarbons and nitric oxide show only very small variations with temperature change, and they are near the kinetic collision number. These data support the hypothesis that quenching in these cases is associated with the formation of a charge-transfer complex and subsequent chemical interactions between the SO2(3B1) molecule and the π-system of these compounds.
Analysis of spike statistics in neuronal systems with continuous attractors or multiple, discrete attractor states

Attractor networks are likely to underlie working memory and integrator circuits in the brain. It is unknown whether continuous quantities are stored in an analog manner or discretized and stored in a set of discrete attractors. In order to investigate the important issue of how to differentiate the two systems, here we compare the neuronal spiking activity that arises from a continuous (line) attractor with that from a series of discrete attractors. Stochastic fluctuations cause the position of the system along its continuous attractor to vary as a random walk, whereas in a discrete attractor, noise causes spontaneous transitions to occur between discrete states at random intervals. We calculate the statistics of spike trains of neurons firing as a Poisson process with rates that vary according to the underlying attractor network. Since individual neurons fire spikes probabilistically and since the state of the network as a whole drifts randomly, the spike trains of individual neurons follow a doubly stochastic (Poisson) point process.We compare the series of spike trains from the two systems using the autocorrelation function, Fano factor, and interspike interval (ISI) distribution. Although the variation in rate can be dramatically different, especially for short time intervals, surprisingly both the autocorrelation functions and Fano factors are identical, given appropriate scaling of the noise terms. Since the range of firing rates is limited in neurons, we also investigate systems for which the variation in rate is bounded by either rigid limits or because of leak to a single attractor state, such as the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process. In these cases, the time dependence of the variance in rate can be different between discrete and continuous systems, so that in principle, these processes can be distinguished using second-order spike statistics.
Influence of estradiol on nucleic acids, respiratory enzymes, and the distribution of nitrogen in the rat uterus.

Abstract 1. 1. The influence of single and repeated subcutaneous injections of 5 μg. estradiol on the uterus of the adult ovariectomized rat was studied. 2. 2. Estradiol was found to promote extensive synthesis of uterine ribonucleic acid (RNA) in contrast to little or no increase in desoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). As a result, the ratio of DNA: RNA changed from 3.4:1.0 in the castrate to 1.3:1.0 at 48 hr. after a single injection. At that time, both uterine weight and RNA content were maximal. 3. 3. Four daily injections of estradiol increased the succinate QO22 and the ascorbate QO2 to 400% of the castrate level. After a single injection of estradiol, activity reached a maximum at 48 hr. and then decreased. The activity of both enzymes was found to decline progressively for more than 1 month after castration. 4. 4. Determination of nitrogen in the water-extractable, alkali-soluble, and collagen fractions of uteri showed that although estradiol induced prompt increases in the absolute amount of nitrogen in each fraction, increments in the water-extractable moiety were particularly large. Thus, at 48 hr. after a single injection, when peak values were observed, the absolute amount of nitrogen in each of the three fractions amounted to 214, 167, and 144% of the control, respectively. 5. 5. The daily injection of 1 mg. progesterone for four consecutive days failed to alter the nucleic acids, respiratory enzymes, or the distribution of nitrogen from the castrate condition. 6. 6. The simultaneous occurrence of extensive synthesis of RNA, together with increased respiratory and synthetic functions in the absence of comparable increases in DNA, suggests that estrogen-induced uterine growth is based for the first 48 hr. on cytoplasmic growth as opposed to hyperplasia and may involve significant increases in mitochondrial mass.
Comments on “a hierarchical information processing model for adaptation to technological change”: Respondent's notes niv ahituv

Zeigler and Reynold's paper attempts to cope with a very serious problem: How organizations should adjust their information processing capacity in order to respond to a rapidly changing technology? The basic assumption is that organizations wish to survive, and to fulfil this they have to modify their information system so they can react on time to questions introduced by the environment.
The Political Consequences of Terrorism: Terror Events, Casualties, and Government Duration

How does transnational terrorism affect the stability of parliamentary governments? Does terrorism cause some governments to fail prematurely and/or does it enhance the probability that some governments will stay in office longer than they otherwise would? Using a duration model on a sample of 18 advanced parliamentary democracies between the late-1960s and 2003, we find that terrorism exacerbates the likelihood of government failure for some governments but not others. Our principal finding is that right-oriented governments are able to keep their hold on power more than left-wing governments when confronted with transnational terrorism.
Mechanisms, biology and inhibitors of deubiquitinating enzymes

The addition of ubiquitin (Ub) and ubiquitin-like (Ubl) modifiers to proteins serves to modulate function and is a key step in protein degradation, epigenetic modification and intracellular localization. Deubiquitinating enzymes and Ubl-specific proteases, the proteins responsible for the removal of Ub and Ubls, act as an additional level of control over the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Their conservation and widespread occurrence in eukaryotes, prokaryotes and viruses shows that these proteases constitute an essential class of enzymes. Here, we discuss how chemical tools, including activity-based probes and suicide inhibitors, have enabled (i) discovery of deubiquitinating enzymes, (ii) their functional profiling, crystallographic characterization and mechanistic classification and (iii) development of molecules for therapeutic purposes.
Real-time monitoring of eye movements using infrared video-oculography during functional magnetic resonance imaging of the frontal eye fields.

Monitoring eye movements is a critical aspect of experimental design for studies of spatial attention and visual perception. However, obtaining online eye-movement recordings has been technologically difficult during functional magnetic resonance (MR) imaging studies. Previous approaches to monitoring eye movements either have distorted the MR images or have shown MR-related interference in the recordings. We report a technique using long-range infrared video-oculography to record eye movements without causing artifacts in the MR images. Analysis of the MR signal from a phantom obtained with the eye-movement equipment turned on or off confirmed the absence of significant additional noise in the MR time series. Eye movements of three subjects were monitored while they performed tasks of covert and overt shifts of spatial attention. Activation of the frontal eye fields during the covert task was seen even when the eye-movement recordings demonstrated no significant difference in saccadic eye movements between the baseline and the active conditions.
Investigation of the roles of vibrational excitation and collision energy in the ion-molecule reaction NH3+(v2) + ND3

The influence of vibrational excitation and collision energy on the reaction NH3+((nu) 2) + ND3 has been investigated using a quadrupole-octopole- quadrupole mass spectrometer. The NH3+ reagent ions are prepared state- selectively with 0 - 7 quanta in the (nu) 2 umbrella bending mode by (2 + 1) resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization. The mass-filtered reagent ion beam interacts with a thermal distribution of neutral ND3 molecules at controlled center-of-mass collision energies (0.5 - 10.0 eV) within the octopole ion guide, enabling product ions to be collected independent of scattering dynamics. The reaction of NH3+ with ND3 has three major product channels: (1) deuterium abstraction, (2) charge transfer, and (3) proton transfer. The product branching ratios and relative cross sections for each of these channels exhibit strong dependences on ion vibrational excitation and collision energy. Briefly, both deuterium abstraction and charge transfer are enhanced by vibrational excitation, whereas proton transfer is suppressed. As the collision energy is increased, the branching fraction for charge transfer increases sharply while proton transfer decreases. The branching ratio for deuterium abstraction does not exhibit a significant dependence on collision energy. The influence of ion vibrational excitation is discussed in terms of its relationship to the reaction coordinates for the three product channels. The behavior of this reaction points to a short-lived collision complex in which vibration and translation play inequivalent roles.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Caffeine and ephedrine stimulated thermogenesis in LA-corpulent rats.

Abstract 1. 1. Resting metabolic rate (RMR), as well as caffeine (CAF) and ephedrine (EPH) stimulated thermogenesis (VO2) were measured in young adult corpulent (corp) LA/N-cp (LA-corpulent) rats. 2. 2. RMR of lean was greater than corp. Administration of EPH, CAF and EPH + CAF resulted in 32, 48 and 50% increases in VO2, respectively, in both lean and corp rats. 3. 3. The time to attain maximal VO2 was similar for both drugs in both phenotypes, but the duration of maximal VO2 averaged 50, 26 and 42% longer in corp than lean for EPH, CAF and EPH + CAF, respectively. Acute weight loss following these treatments was greater for corp than lean, and corresponded with the duration of elevated VO2. 4. 4. These results are consistent with a normally functioning end-organ sympathomimetic receptor system in the corp phenotype of the LA/N-cp rat, and suggest that obesity in this model may be caused by factors other than defective brown fat thermogenesis at the end organ level.
A regularity result for the singular values of a transfer matrix and a quadratically convergent algorithm for computing its L/sub infinity /-norm

The ith singular value of a transfer matrix, sigma /sub i/(H(j omega )), need not be a differential function of omega at frequencies where its multiplicity is greater than one. However, near a local maximum the largest singular value sigma /sub 1/(H(j omega )) has a Lipschitz second derivative, but need not have a third derivative. On the basis of this regularity result, the authors obtain a quadratically convergent algorithm for computing the L/sub infinity /-norm of a transfer matrix. >
AFIP Atlas of Tumor Pathology; 4th Series, Fascicle 2: Tumors of the Bones and Joints

K. Krishnan Unni, MBBS, Carrie Y. Inwards, MD, Julia A. Bridge, MD, Lars-Gunnar Kindblom, MD, PhD, and Lester E. Wold, MD. Washington, D.C.: American Registry of Pathology; 2005. 399 pages. $125 ($93.75 for residents/fellows). The AFIP Atlas of Tumor Pathology has been an indispensable part of any tumor specialist's institutional and personal library. The recently published Series 4, Tumors of the Bones and Joints, is beautifully illustrated and written. It covers the field of bone and joint oncology thoroughly. Whether you are looking for a specific piece of information, a review of a general topic, or a cover-to-cover read, you will be better for the experience. As such, the book—like your favorite credit card—is something that you wouldn't want to leave behind. All specialists would feel uneasy ignoring it. Yet, it would be interesting to know the answers to two questions: How significant is the contribution of this book to the field, and how does this book compare with the previous versions of “The Fascicle”? This edition is authored by five world-recognized experts in skeletal pathology. Their individual contributions are woven together seamlessly, thus avoiding the choppiness that plagues many of the textbooks that have multiple authors. The Mayo Clinic …
On Localizing Schizophrenic Neuropathology

Many brain regions and circuits have been implicated in the neuropathology of schizophrenia. Drs. Bogerts and Jones have reviewed the evidence that links the disorder to temporal limbic structures and to frontal-thalamic circuits, respectively. Each article is an important update on what we know about the relevance of these brain regions to schizophrenia. In addition, each article, in summarizing the accumulation of relevant research data, is a testament to the likelihood that these structures play a role in the disease. In light of their compelling arguments, this commentary emphasizes incompleteness in the data and inconsistencies in published findings. The principal weaknesses of the temporal limbic findings are that most have been reported in chronically ill patients and that the only qualitative finding of cytoarchitectural disorganization has not been replicated convincingly. Problems of replication also compromise the interpretation of neuropathological findings in prefrontal cortex and thalamus. Despite the loose ends, I agree with the conclusions of Drs. Bogerts and Jones that brain circuits involving thalamus, prefrontal, and temporolimbic cortices are involved in the basic biology of schizophrenia.
Superresolution and noise filtering using moving least squares

An irregularly spaced sampling raster formed from a sequence of low-resolution frames is the input to an image sequence superresolution algorithm whose output is the set of image intensity values at the desired high-resolution image grid. The method of moving least squares (MLS) in polynomial space has proved to be useful in filtering the noise and approximating scattered data by minimizing a weighted mean-square error norm, but introducing blur in the process. Starting with the continuous version of the MLS, an explicit expression for the filter bandwidth is obtained as a function of the polynomial order of approximation and the standard deviation (scale) of the Gaussian weight function. A discrete implementation of the MLS is performed on images and the effect of choice of the two dependent parameters, scale and order, on noise filtering and reduction of blur introduced during the MLS process is studied
Subwavelength alignment mark signal analysis of advanced memory products

The impact of alignment mark structure, mark geometry, and stepper alignment optical system on mark signal contrast was investigated using computer simulation. Several sub-wavelength poly silicon recessed film stack alignment targets of advanced memory products were studied. Stimulated alignment mark signals for both dark-field and bright-field systems using the rigorous electromagnetic simulation program TEMPEST showed excellent agreement with experimental data. For a dark-field alignment system, the critical parameters affecting signal contrast were found to be mark size and mark recess depth below silicon surface. On the other hand, film stack thickness and mark recess depth below/above silicon surface are the important parameters for a bright-field alignment system. From observed simulation results optimal process parameters are determined. Based on the simulation results some signal enhancement techniques will be discussed.
Characterization of ergocalciferol loaded solid lipid nanoparticles.

: The use of solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) is a technique that has been widely used in the pharmaceutical industry for the last 2 decades and has become of increasing interest to food scientists due to its potential for encapsulation and controlled release. Ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) is a bioactive compound whose deficiency may lead to rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. In this study, ergocalciferol was encapsulated in tripalmitin SLNs stabilized by polysorbate 20 (Tween 20). SLN dispersions (5% w/w) were prepared by hot homogenization technique using a nozzle-type high-pressure homogenizer. Ergocalciferol at 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% (w/w of lipid) was dissolved in the molten lipid at 80 °C, mixed with a 5% (w/w) aqueous solution of polysorbate 20 and homogenized at 138 MPa at 80 °C. Particle size, thermal properties, and microstructure were evaluated by dynamic light scattering (DLS), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) respectively. As the proportion of ergocalciferol in the SLN increased from 0% to 20%, the Z-average values of the particles gradually decreased (P≤ 0.05) from approximately 120 nm to approximately 65 nm. DSC analysis of freeze dried SLN samples showed gradual decrease in enthalpies of fusion and crystallization for stable β-subcell whereas for SLN dispersions, the enthalpy of fusion of unstable α-subcell crystal increased with increased ergocalciferol loading. The TEM images of the ergocalciferol loaded SLN samples showed the presence of spherical as well as rod-shaped nanoparticles. It was also observed that the turbidity of the SLN dispersions reduced noticeably with increased ergocalciferol loading. This finding could be useful in terms of fortification of clear juices with ergocalciferol. Practical Application: Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) were used in this study to encapsulate vitamin D2, a vitamin important for bone health. It was found that as the concentration of vitamin D2 increased in the lipid phase of SLN dispersion, the clarity of the dispersion increased. Also, with increased vitamin D2 concentration, the stability of lipid crystal structure was affected in a way that indicates higher capacity of lipid to incorporate the vitamin molecules and hence to protect them better from oxygen and light. This vitamin loaded SLNs may offer alternatives to milk and margarine as a source of vitamin D.
Implementing decision support systems: a survey

The successful implementation of decision support systems (DSS) is a function of many factors. This paper provides an overview of the factors that determine the success or failure of DSS. The paper discusses the following topics and concepts: assessing successful implementation; research on implementation; implementation frameworks; the implementation process; and research guides.
Is Aging a Disease? Mental Health Issues and Approaches for Elders and Caregivers

Aging, illness, loss, and death are part of life. Mindfulness offers an important perspective on these inevitable facts of life. Western medical innovations have extended the life trajectory, resulting in a greater prevalence of chronic diseases, often accompanied by pain. Mindfulness interventions have demonstrated effectiveness in ameliorating chronic conditions, cognitive decline and pain, and problems disproportionately impacting elders and often leading to emotional distress. Mindfulness interventions have also provided skills to alleviate the stress of caregiving, an essential component of the well-being of frail elders. In this chapter, we will describe the most common mental health problems for elders and caregivers, as well as adaptations of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) to provide relief.
Infrared Thermography As A Control For The Welding Process

A feasibility study was performed to determine if infrared thermography could be used to detect perturbations in the arc welding process which result in defects. Data were gathered using an infrared camera with a resolution of .2°C which was trained on the molten metal pool during welding. Several defects were then intentionally induced and the resulting thermal images were preserved on film. These images revealed that different types of weld defects induce different characteristic changes in the thermal image by detectably altering the temperature field around the weld. These perturbations in the temperature field can be used to identify and locate defects such as arc misalignment, plate gap, puddle impurities etc. Macrostructural examinations permitted investigations into the relationships between weld puddle penetration depth and the temperature field. Using computer aided processing of these thermal images, it is expected that the welding process can be controlled to a higher degree than is presently possible.© (1984) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Galaxy: A Gateway to Tools in e-Science

e-Science focuses on the use of computational tools and resources to analyze large scientific datasets. Performing these analyses often requires running a variety of computational tools specific to a given scientific domain. This places a significant burden on individual researchers for whom simply running these tools may be prohibitively difficult, let alone combining tools into a complete analysis, or acquiring data and appropriate computational resources. This limits the productivity of individual researchers and represents a significant barrier to potential scientific discovery. In order to alleviate researchers from such unnecessary complexities and promote more robust science, we have developed a tool integration framework called Galaxy; Galaxy abstracts individual tools behind a consistent and easy-to-use web interface to enable advanced data analysis that requires no informatics expertise. Furthermore, Galaxy facilitates easy addition of developed tools, thus supporting tool developers, as well as transparent and reproducible communication of computationally intensive analyses. Recently, we have enabled trivial deployment of complete a Galaxy solution on aggregated infrastructures, including cloud computing providers.
Design and Development of a Novel Soft-and-Rigid Hybrid Actuator System for Robotic Applications

This paper presents the design and development of a pneumatic soft-and-rigid hybrid actuator system that consists of half-bellow shaped soft sections in-between block shape rigid sections. The hybrid actuator architecture allows for selective actuation of each soft section (acting as a joint) with precise control over its bending motion. The soft half-bellow section is designed as a series of hollow ridges extending straight to a flat base. This geometry provides forward and backward bending motion when subjected to positive and negative pressure, respectively. Bending occurs as the ridges of the soft section expand and contract more than the flat base due to pressure variations. The rigid sections serve as connections between soft actuator sections and enhance force transfer. As a case study, a hybrid actuator system was designed as a soft robotic digit with three soft joints and four rigid connecting sections. Finite element analysis was performed to evaluate the design parameters such as number of ridges and materials for the robotic finger. The joints (from proximal to distal) were designed to have four, three, and two ridges, respectively, to generate the desired range of angular motion. Fabrication of the finger was done with silicone rubber RTV-4234-T4 and PMC polyurethane rubber using a combination of compression molding and overmolding processes. The angular and translational displacements of the robotic finger were experimentally and numerically evaluated at different pressures. The trajectory of the fingertip is comparable to those reported in literature for continuous soft actuators with a similar length. The significance of this actuator system is that both range of angular and translational motions are achieved at low pressure, less than 70kPa, as opposed to reported pressures of greater than 100kPa. The presented results show the great potential of the soft robotic finger for use in robotic, rehabilitation, and assistive device applications.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Improved Fertility in Oligospermic Males Treated with Clomiphene Citrate

Significant improvements in oligospermia and asthenospermia can be achieved in men without elevation of base line gonadotropin levels or evidence of anatomical abnormalities by treatment with repeated cycles of clomiphene citrate, 25mg daily for 25 days, with 5 days' rest.
Promotive Factors and Psychosocial Adjustment Among Urban Youth

Urban youth are often exposed to compounded risk factors which make them more vulnerable to negative outcomes. Research examining promotive factors which may reduce vulnerabilities to poor psychosocial adjustment among this population is limited. The current study addresses this limitation by examining the impact of self-efficacy and positive expectations about the future, as promotive factors, on levels of depressive and anxious symptomatology, sense of belonging, and friendship among a sample of urban youth. Data are from 1202 4th and 5th grade students enrolled at 27 elementary schools in a high poverty, high minority school district in the Southeastern United States. Using ordinary least squares regression, analyses reveal that promotive factors are significant predictors of psychosocial adjustment and thus have implications for improving negative outcomes among urban minority youth. The findings suggests that interventions aimed at increasing self-efficacy and positive expectations about the future may reduce child and adolescent vulnerability to negative outcomes associated with poor psychosocial adjustment.