cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Behavior Chaining: Incremental Behavior Integration for Evolutionary Robotics

One of the open problems in autonomous robotics is how to consistently and scalably integrate new behaviors into a robot with an existing behavioral repertoire. In this work a new technique called behavior chaining is introduced, which allows for gradually expanding the behavioral repertoire of a dynamically behaving robot. The approach relies heavily on sca! olding: gradually restructuring the robot’s environment such that selection pressure favors the incorporation of a new behavior. This method teaches a robot a compound behavior not yet reported in the literature: dynamic legged locomotion toward an object followed by grasping, lifting and holding of that object in a physically-realistic three-dimensional environment. The method assumes that success is dependent on the order in which behaviors are learned. This is justified by results which show that if a robot is forced to learn lifting first and then incorporate locomotion, it eventually succeeds at both more often than a robot forced to learn locomotion first and then lifting.
Human Interactive Proofs and Document Image Analysis

The recently initiated and rapidly developing research field of 'human interactive proofs' (HIPs) and its implications for the document image analysis (DIA) research field are described. Over the last five years, efforts to defend Web services against abuse by programs ('bots') have led to a new family of security protocols able to distinguish between human and machine users. AltaVista pioneered this technology in 1997 [Bro01, LBBB01]. By the summer of 2000, Yahoo! and PayPal were using similar methods. In the Fall of 2000, Prof. Manuel Blum of Carnegie-Mellon University and his team, stimulated by Udi Manber of Yahoo!, were studying these and related problems [BAL00]. Soon thereafter a collaboration between the University of California at Berkeley and the Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) built a tool based on systematically generated image degradations [CBF01]. In January 2002, Prof. Blum and the present authors ran the first workshop (at PARC) on HIPs, defined broadly as a class of challenge/response protocols which allow a human to authenticate herself as a member of a given group - e.g. human (vs. machine), herself (vs. anyone else), an adult (vs. a child), etc. All commercial uses of HIPs known to us exploit the gap in ability between human and machine vision systems in reading images of machine printed text. Many technical issues that have been systematically studied by the DIA community are relevant to the HIP research program. This paper describes the evolution of HIP R&D, applications of HIPs now and on the horizon, highlights of the first HIP workshop, and proposals for a DIA research agenda to advance the state of the art of HIPs.
Hormone Receptors III. PROPERTIES OF GLUCAGON-BINDING PROTEINS ISOLATED FROM LIVER PLASMA MEMBRANES

Abstract Purified rat liver plasma membranes, rich in glucagon-stimulatable adenylate cyclase activity, were extracted by the non-ionic detergent, Lubrol-PX. Glucagon-binding proteins could be identified in crude and purified membrane extracts by gel filtration following saturation of binding sites with 125I-glucagon before or after extraction. The Hummel-Dreyer principle was adapted to provide a quantitative microbinding assay requiring as little as 0.25 µg of partially purified glucagon-binding proteins. The apparent molecular size of glucagon-binding proteins, as determined on gel columns, was a function of the presence or absence, and concentration, of the detergent. Chromatography of crude membrane extracts on 8% agarose in the presence of 0.5% Lubrol yielded glucagon-binding proteins of over 1.5 x 106 molecular weight; under these conditions much of the 125I-glucagon was also associated with micelles of the detergent to form a complex of about 125,000 molecular weight. The crude binding proteins bound either native or radioactive glucagon, but not adrenocorticotropic hormone. Glucagon-binding proteins in membrane extracts remained soluble even after reduction of the Lubrol concentration to below 0.001% by ultrafiltration; a 75-fold increase in specific glucagon-binding activity accompanied this step. Filtration of this solution on 8% agarose gel in the absence of detergent separated two-binding proteins, one included and one excluded by the pores of this gel. No micellar glucagon appeared under these conditions. The glucagon-binding proteins in detergent-reduced extracts were purified a further 40-fold by chromatography on hydroxylapatite; a small amount of protein, containing essentially all of the recovered binding activity, was not retained by this adsorbent in the presence of low ionic strength buffers. Relative to the original 0.5% Lubrol-PX membrane extract, an over-all 3000-fold increase in specific glucagon-binding activity was realized. Binding was a saturable process. Partially purified glucagon-binding protein exhibited, on Scatchard plots, two classes of binding sites, one of high affinity (Ka = 8.7 x 109 m-1) and the other of quite low affinity. Binding of 125I-glucagon, which was essentially complete by 15 to 20 min at 30°, was readily reversible merely by the application of a concentration gradient to the hormone-binding protein complex. Native glucagon both competed with 125I-glucagon for soluble binding sites and displaced the radioactive hormone from its complex with the binding protein. Concentrations of Lubrol-PX as low as 0.01% greatly inhibited binding, as did pH values greater than 8.5. The partially purified protein, whose molecular weight was estimated on a calibrated agarose column as about 190,000, also bound 125I-insulin, albeit to a lesser extent than 125Iglucagon, and bound 125I-adrenocorticotropic hormone not at all.
Symbiotic pathways of carbon in coral reef ecosystems

1. Productivity of algal-invertebrate symbiosis in coral reef ecosystems is discussed, and current methods of analysis described. 2. Translocation within the symbiosis, apparent rates of turnover, the retention time of carbon fixed in photosynthesis and the excretory pathways leading to the reef community are examined. Possible mechanisms for recycling carbon back to the level of the primary producers are presented. 3. Future prospects for in situ studies of the “coral reef problem”, and the requirements for substantiative data in these areas are discussed.
Corporate Governance and Social Welfare in the Common Law World

The newest addition to the spate of recent theories of comparative corporate governance is Corporate Governance in the Common-Law World: The Political Foundations of Shareholder Power, an important new book by Christopher Bruner. Focusing on the U.S., the U.K., Canada and Australia, Bruner argues that the robustness of the country’s social welfare system is the key determinant of the extent to which its corporate governance is shareholder-centered. This explains why corporate governance is so shareholder-oriented in the United Kingdom, which has universal healthcare and generous unemployment benefits, while shareholders’ powers are more attenuated in the United States, with its much weaker social welfare protections. Canada and Australia fall in between but closer to the U.K.After describing Bruner’s theory and evidence in the first part of this Essay, I poke at it from several angles in the three parts that follow. In Part II, I consider whether there is a mechanism that adequately explains the connection between social welfare and shareholder orientation; interestingly, despite the book’s title, Bruner does not suggest that the common law plays any particular role. In Part III, I consider whether shareholders in the United States may have more power than their limited formal rights suggest, and in Part IV I ask whether the United States (rather than the United Kingdom, as is conventionally assumed) may simply be an outlier, due to federalism and other factors and as reflected in the U.S.’s weak social welfare system. I then conclude.
Robustness analysis of a class of neural networks

We present a robustness analysis result for a class of neural networks. Specifically, we assume a set of bipolar vectors to be memories for a network, and we establish a sufficient condition under which the given set of vectors are also memories of the original network after perturbations on its parameters. >
Relativistic Scalar Plasma

The behavior of the relativistic scalar plasma in the Vlasov approximation is analyzed. Equilibrium properties are discussed (equation of state, Debye-H\"uckel law, phase transitions). A dispersion relation for the propagation of a small disturbance is derived. Hydrodynamical equations are obtained. A number of ambiguities inherent in the theory are emphasized and discussed.
Methanobacterium paludis sp. nov. and a novel strain of Methanobacterium lacus isolated from northern peatlands.

Two mesophilic, hydrogenotrophic methanogens, designated strains SWAN1T and AL-21, were isolated from two contrasting peatlands: a near circumneutral temperate minerotrophic fen in New York State, USA, and an acidic boreal poor fen site in Alaska, USA, respectively. Cells of the two strains were rod-shaped, non-motile, stained Gram-negative and resisted lysis with 0.1 % SDS. Cell size was 0.6×1.5–2.8 µm for strain SWAN1T and 0.45–0.85×1.5–35 µm for strain AL-21. The strains used H2/CO2 but not formate or other substrates for methanogenesis, grew optimally around 32–37 °C, and their growth spanned through a slightly low to neutral pH range (4.7–7.1). Strain AL-21 grew optimally closer to neutrality at pH 6.2, whereas strain SWAN1T showed a lower optimal pH at 5.4–5.7. The two strains were sensitive to NaCl with a maximal tolerance at 160 mM for strain SWAN1T and 50 mM for strain AL-21. Na2S was toxic at very low concentrations (0.01–0.8 mM), resulting in growth inhibition above these values. The DNA G+C content of the genomes was 35.7 mol% for strain SWAN1T and 35.8 mol% for strain AL-21. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the strains are members of the genus Methanobacterium . Strain SWAN1T shared 94–97 % similarity with the type strains of recognized species of the genus Methanobacterium , whereas strain AL-21 shared 99 % similarity with Methanobacterium lacus 17A1T. On the basis of phenotypic, genomic and phylogenetic characteristics, strain SWAN1T ( = DSM 25820T = JCM 18151T) is proposed as the type strain of a novel species, Methanobacterium paludis sp. nov., while strain AL-21 is proposed as a second strain of Methanobacterium lacus .
A radiographic assessment of enamel thickness in human maxillary incisors

Crown sizes of human teeth are sexually dimorphic, with male larger than female. This holds for most human groups, though the extent of dimorphism varies among populations. It is not known whether size dimorphism is due to differences in enamel thickness, dentine differences, or some combination of the two. This study examined the pattern of variation in enamel thickness on the mesial and distal margins of the four maxillary permanent incisors. Standardized periapical radiographs of the incisors of 115 adolescent American whites were measured. Enamel was significantly thicker on the distal than the mesial margins of both the lateral and central incisors, with a mean difference of 0.1 mm. There was no sexual dimorphism in the maximum mesial or distal enamel thicknesses. In contrast, the widths of the dentine of the crowns were significantly greater in males, by an average of 6.5%. Sexual dimorphism in mesiodistal diameters of the incisors seems, then, to be due to the dentine component, which is the size attained at the end of the bell stage of tooth formation. Sex-specific correlations between enamel thickness and crown width of the dentine were low (and lower for males), indicating considerable independence between regulatory mechanisms of dentine and enamel development.
Natural cannabinoids: Templates for drug discovery

Recent studies have elucidated the biosynthetic pathway of cannabinoids and have highlighted the preference for a C-3 n-pentyl side chain in the most prominently represented cannabinoids from Cannabis sativa and their medicinally important decarboxylation products. The corresponding C-3 n-propyl side chain containing cannabinoids are also found, although in lesser quantities. Structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies performed on Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta(9)-THC), the key psychoactive ingredient of Cannabis, and its synthetic analogues have identified the C-3 side chain as the key pharmacophore for ligand affinity and selectivity for the known cannabinoid receptors and for pharmacological potency. Interestingly, the terminal n-pentyl saturated hydrocarbon side chain of endocannabinoids also plays a corresponding crucial role in conferring similar properties. This review briefly summarizes the biosynthesis of cannabinoids and endocannabinoids and focuses on their side chain SAR.
Coherent particle production in a classical field approximation

Abstract A classical field approximation for the coherent production of particles via two-photon processes is derived and related to the same result obtained with quantum field theory. It is shown that the two approaches give identical results whenever the frequency of the virtual photons is small compared to available energy, as is the case in ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions.
Enhancing graphene reinforcing potential in composites by hydrogen passivation induced dispersion

Enhancing graphene reinforcing potential in composites by hydrogen passivation induced dispersion
The Heterogeneity in Financial and Time Burden of Caregiving to Children with Chronic Conditions

We examine the financial and time burdens associated with caring for children with chronic conditions, focusing on disparities across types of conditions. Using linked data from the 2003 to 2006 National Health Interview Survey and 2004-2008 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, we created measures of financial burden (out-of-pocket healthcare costs, the ratio of out-of-pocket healthcare costs to family income, healthcare costs paid by insurance, and total healthcare costs) and time burden (missed school time due to illness or injury and the number of doctor visits) associated with 14 groups of children's chronic conditions. We used the two-part model to assess the effect of condition on financial burden and finite mixture/latent class model to analyze the time burden of caregiving. Controlling for the influences of other socio-demographic characteristics on caregiving burden, children with chronic conditions have higher financial and time burdens relative to caregiving burdens for healthy children. Levels of financial burden and burden sharing between families and insurance system also vary by type of condition. For example, children with pervasive developmental disorder or heart disease have a relatively low financial burden for families, while imposing a high cost on the insurance system. In contrast, vision difficulties are associated with a high financial burden for families relative to the costs borne by others. With respect to time burden, conditions such as cerebral palsy and heart disease impose a low time burden, while conditions such as pervasive developmental disorder are associated with a high time burden. This study demonstrates that differences exist in caregiving burden for children by type of chronic condition. Each condition has a unique profile of time and financial cost burden for families and the insurance system. These results have implications for policymakers and for families' savings and employment decisions.
Stalin’s Forgotten Israel: Birobidzhan Experiences Jewish Cultural Renaissance

(1992). Stalin's forgotten Israel: Birobidzhan experiences Jewish cultural renaissance. East European Jewish Affairs: Vol. 22, No. 2, pp. 39-45.
Depression and associated sleep disturbances: patient benefits with agomelatine

Summary The essential linkage of sleep disturbance and clinical depression has long been recognized. Almost all patients with major depression report some form of sleep difficulty including insomnia, oversleeping, and poor-quality sleep. Some have argued that these changes in the sleep-wake cycle are actually aspects of a more fundamental alteration in circadian rhythms. Antidepressants that reduce restless sleep and awakenings and improve daytime alertness are desirable. It also appears that compounds that “rearrange” the intensity of rapid eye movement and slow-wave sleep may provide the best clinical effects on sleep besides antidepressant clinical efficacy. Agomelatine, a new antidepressant with melatonergic activity and 5-HT 2c antagonist properties, has shown its efficacy in major depression. Beyond this antidepressant efficacy, agomelatine demonstrates sleep electroencephalographic changes consistent with desirable sleep architecture improvements, as well as improved subjective sleep quality within the first week of administration accompanied by an improvement in daytime alertness.
Comparison of Central Corneal Endothelial Cell Numbers with Peripheral Areas

Using a specific fixation device on a group of patients, we compared corneal endothelial cell count areas above, below, and temporally with the central corneal cell counts. Although younger patients, the central cornea mirrored the peripheral cell counts; peripheral counts were similar in each group. Patients with intraocular lenses had fewer cells than patients with uneventful cataract extraction, and the central cornea was representative in the cataract group. Only in the intraocular lens group was there a small difference between central endothelial cell counts and the temporal and inferior cell counts; but even this difference was significantly less than that seen in patients with intracapsular cataract extraction.
Robust estimators of redundant sensors for manufacturing quality improvement

Recent innovations in sensor technology enable manufacturers to distribute redundant sensors in manufacturing processes for quality monitoring, defect detection, and fault diagnosis. Even if a single sensor is relatively reliable, the large number of sensors in a distributed sensor system confronts us the almost unavoidable possibility that some of the sensors may malfunction. Without isolating sensor anomalies from the underlying process changes, abnormal sensor readings can cause frequent false alarms and jeopardize productivity. Traditionally, sensor system reliability has been ensured by employing off-line gage Repeatability and Reproducibility (R&R) calibration. But this off-line approach can be time consuming and costly for in-process distributed sensor systems. This paper will present a robust estimation procedure that automatically identify the observations related to suspected sensor failures. We first identify sensor redundancy and introduce an existing algorithm to assess the redundant level. We further suggest a decomposition technique, which helps to substantially reduce the computation expense of the existing algorithms for a large sensor system. Finally, the concept and procedure is illustrated using a distributed coordinate sensor system in a multi-station manufacturing system.
Gene Flow in the Exotic Colonizing LadybeetleHarmonia axyridisin North America

Gene flow was studied in Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), an exotic, arboreal ladybeetle predator that recently spread rapidly throughout North America. A survey of isozyme polymorphisms showed 30 of 52 resolved putative loci were polymorphic (58%), and the mean heterozygosity was 16.75 6 2.98% among all loci and 26.31 6 4.37% at only the polymorphic loci. The mean number of alleles at the 52 loci was 2.01 6 1.97. Gene frequencies were estimated in populations from Georgia, Virginia, Delaware, Rhode Island, Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, and Oregon and differed significantly (P F 0.02) at 11 of 16 loci. Three of 16 loci (Fbp, Est-1, Tre) were not in Hardy‐Weinberg equilibrium in all populations and are not included in the F statistics. Random mating was indicated within populations (FIS 52 0.005 6 0.014) but not among populations (FST 5 0.025 6 0.005). According to Wright’s island model, FST estimates the average number of reproducing immigrants to be equivalent to ca. 10 beetles per population per generation. Thus there was a measure of genetic differentiation caused by drift, but this differentiation was small with respect to the large geographical distances among the sampled populations. The genetic data suggest that the founding North American population(s) was substantial. r1997Academic Press
Extreme Vacuum Ultraviolet Absorption Spectra of Silver Chloride and Silver Bromide Films

The absorption spectra of silver chloride and silver bromide films have been extended to shorter wavelengths than in previous studies, in order to locate the maxima and any associated structure and to find the magnitude of the absorption coefficient. Measurements in the region 800-1600 A were made by using a grazing-incidence vacuum spectrograph with a Lyman discharge tube as source. Overlapping of orders was avoided by using the noble gases as filters. Sample films of the order of 100 A thick were vacuum evaporated onto very thin (100-150 A) celluloid supports. The silver halide film thicknesses were measured by channeled spectra. Silver chloride shows its greatest absorption in the region 900-1200 A, with some structure. Silver bromide has a broad absorption maximum about 1500 A, with some structure at shorter wavelengths. With the films used, both compounds showed absorption coefficients at maxima of approximately 1.5 \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{6}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$.
Quantitative Variation of Total Phenols in Fresh Market Tomatoes at Three Stages of Maturity

Analyses for total phenols in extracts of epidermal, placental and pericarp tissue from three tomato cultivars that had been observed to vary in susceptibility to post harvest spoilage by microorganisms showed no significant quantitative variation by cultivar. Quantities of phenols varied significantly (P < 0.05) by maturity and location within the fruit. The highest concentration of phenols was found in the epidermal and placental tissue at the midripe stage of maturity. Quantities were highest in the Patriot cultivar which related to observations that tomatoes from this cultivar were more resistant to microbial infection than were tomatoes from the Floridade and Walter cultivars.
Design and Characterization of Piezo-Based Stereocilia

The hair cells in the cochlea are responsible for transforming sound-induced vibration into electrical signals. Damage to these hair cells is among the most common forms of hearing loss in the developed world. Researchers have studied various artificial hair cell (AHC) designs for replacing these hair cells. One such method uses piezoelectric beams to mimic the hair cell’s mechanoelectrical transduction. A piezoelectric beam will produce an electric potential from an applied sound pressure. In the literature, the response of the cochlea to sound pressures is often described using tuning curves. Tuning curves plot the sound pressure level at a given frequency which produces a particular displacement, velocity, or neuron firing rate. The work presented here examines using piezoelectric AHC’s to mimic cochlear hair cells by creating tuning curves of constant tip velocity and voltage. A piezoceramic (PZT) beam and a piezo film (PVDF) bending sensor are examined. An output feedback controller based on PID control is developed to vary the sound pressure from a speaker to create tuning curves for the piezoelectric AHC’s. The tuning curves for the piezoelectric beams are compared to measurements obtained from the biological cochlea.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Effect of therapeutic INR on activated clotting times, heparin dosage, and bleeding risk during ablation of atrial fibrillation

Effect of INR on Anticoagulation During Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation. Background: Ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) with international normalized ratio (INR) ≥ 2.0 is safe and may reduce thromboembolic complications. Heparin is administered during the procedure, but the effect of elevated INR on heparin requirements and target activation clotting times (ACT) ≥ 350 seconds during ablation is unknown. Objectives: To study the effect of INR on intraprocedural anticoagulation during ablation of AF. Methods: We retrospectively studied 427 consecutive patients over an 18-month period when we were transitioning to continuation of warfarin for AF ablation. Baseline INR, procedural ACT measurements, heparin doses and major complications were analyzed according to Group 1 with INR < 2.0 (n = 246) and Group 2 with INR ≥ 2.0 (n = 181). Results: In Group 1, the mean INR was lower (1.3 ± 0.3 s vs 2.4 ± 0.3; P < 0.001), and the mean heparin dose was greater (106.82 ± 40.01 vs 77.03 ± 18.5 U/kg; P < 0.001). A single heparin bolus achieved ACT ≥ 350 seconds throughout the procedure in 51 patients (20.7%) in Group 1 compared to 108 patients (59.7%) in Group 2 (P < 0.01). Mean ACT values were higher in Group 2. Symptomatic pericardial effusions were similar (2.4% in Group 1 and 2.2% in Group 2). There were 3 thromboembolic cerebrovascular events in Group 1 and none in Group 2. Femoral hematomas occurred more frequently in Group 1 (8.1%) than in Group 2 (3.3%) (P = 0.007). Conclusions: AF ablation with INR ≥ 2.0 provides a consistent anticoagulant milieu during the procedure, with lower heparin requirements that are important to anticipate. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 22, pp. 248-254, March 2011)
Effect of Lake Management Efforts on the Trophic State of a Subtropical Shallow Lake in Lakeland, Florida, USA

For more than a decade, Lakeland, FL, has invested in restoring its urban Lake Hollingsworth from a hypereutrophic state to its natural eutrophic state. The lake bottom was dredged of nearly 2 million m3 of accumulated organic sediments, and treatment wetlands, storm water curb inlet strainers, and a storm water baffle box were installed within the lake’s catchment area to reduce the loading of dirt, leaves, and trash to the lake. After dredging ceased, the lake was dosed one time with alum to improve water clarity and reduce phosphorus recycling from its sediments. Water quality surrogates for algal biomass— Secchi disk transparency and water column total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and chlorophyll-α concentrations— were reviewed to assess Lakeland’s progress towards its goal. In the years since dredging has stopped, algal biomass concentration in Lake Hollingsworth has significantly declined. Even with these improvements, however, the lake still remains hypereutrophic.
Dimension of the global attractor for discretization of damped sine-Gordon equation

Abstract A more precise estimate on the dimension of the global attractor for discretization of damped sine-Gordon equation with the periodic boundary condition is obtained. The gained Hausdorff dimension remains small for large damping and is independent of the mesh sizes.
Reliability of the validated clinical diagnosis of pneumonia on validated outcomes after intracranial hemorrhage.

Abstract Purpose Reducing the incidence of hospital-acquired pneumonia (PNU) is important but depends on accurate assessment. We sought to determine the interrater reliability of diagnosis of PNU and its impact on resource utilization and functional outcomes in a high-risk population. Materials and Methods Patients admitted in 2007 with intracranial hemorrhage were prospectively identified. Pneumonia was prospectively diagnosed by Centers for Disease Control criteria by a neurointensivist and infection control. An independent retrospective determination was made by a fellow, an infectious disease attending physician, and a pulmonologist after review of the electronic medical records and radiographs. Interrater reliability was analyzed with κ statistics. One and 3-month outcomes were measured with the modified Rankin scale. Results Of 103 patients, the incidence of PNU ranged from 5% to 25%. Interrater reliability was poor (median κ = 0.30 [0.19-0.42]; P Conclusions Pneumonia had poor interrater reliability despite highly trained reviewers and validated criteria. Although the clinical assessment of PNU is difficult, it was associated with greater resource use and worse outcomes. Diagnosis of clinical PNU may be suboptimal for measuring quality of intensive care.
Identification of quantitative trait loci controlling activation of TRBV4 CD8+ T cells during murine γ-herpesvirus-induced infectious mononucleosis

The murine γ-herpesvirus, MHV-68, shares important biological and genetic features with the human γ-herpesvirus, Epstein-Barr virus. Following intranasal infection, mice develop an infectious mononucleosis-like syndrome accompanied by increased numbers of activated CD8+ T cells in the blood. A consistent feature of the CD8+ T-cell activation is a marked increase in the frequency of cells expressing a TRBV4+ T-cell receptor. Previous studies suggested that the magnitude of TRBV4 expansion varied significantly among mouse strains, and was influenced by both MHC and non-MHC genes. Detailed analysis of strains with high (C57BL/6) or low (DBA/2) TRBV4 CD8+ T-cell expansion showed that differences in the degree of expansion were not a consequence of variation in genetic susceptibility to the viral infection. Rather, the magnitude of the TRBV4 CD8+ T-cell expansion correlated with differences in expression of the unidentified stimulatory ligand on activated, latently infected B cells. In the present study, analysis of TRBV4 expansion in C57BL/6, DBA/2, B6D2 F1 mice, BXD recombinant inbred strains, and the progeny of C57BL/6×DBA/2 F1 hybrids backcrossed to C57BL/6 demonstrated strong cumulative dominance of the low DBA/2 trait and moderately high heritability (h 2~0.5). Two quantitative trait loci (QTLs) strongly associated with variance in TRBV4 expansion were identified using simple and composite mapping procedures. The first QTL is located on Chromosome (Chr) 17, near or proximal to H2. The second QTL is located on Chr 6 in a region spanning the Tcrb and Cd8a loci.
A combined simulation-optimization approach for predicting crop yields☆

Abstract The goal of predicting crop yields is shared by a broad range of interest groups ranging from farmers to crop processing companies, investors and governmental policy makers. Through many recent research efforts, models of crop growth have been developed for simulating the yield of crops under various environment and management conditions. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the possibility of using one such crop model to improve yield predictions as the season progresses and the crop realizes a specific time sequence of conditions. Because the model does not include every site-specific condition, a combined simulation-optimization procedure was developed to determine if yield predictions could be improved through on-line adjustment of parameters based on monitored crop variables at the site. A Fibonacci search algorithm was coupled with a soybean crop growth model for adjusting several important parameters to minimize error between field sample and simulated data. Results from two locations indicate that improvements in yield forecasts during a season can be significant with as few as four sample dates.
Pain and analgesia: The value of salience circuits

Evaluating external and internal stimuli is critical to survival. Potentially tissue-damaging conditions generate sensory experiences that the organism must respond to in an appropriate, adaptive manner (e.g., withdrawal from the noxious stimulus, if possible, or seeking relief from pain and discomfort). The importance we assign to a signal generated by a noxious state, its salience, reflects our belief as to how likely the underlying situation is to impact our chance of survival. Importantly, it has been hypothesized that aberrant functioning of the brain circuits which assign salience values to stimuli may contribute to chronic pain. We describe examples of this phenomenon, including ‘feeling pain’ in the absence of a painful stimulus, reporting minimal pain in the setting of major trauma, having an ‘analgesic’ response in the absence of an active treatment, or reporting no pain relief after administration of a potent analgesic medication, which may provide critical insights into the role that salience circuits play in contributing to numerous conditions characterized by persistent pain. Collectively, a refined understanding of abnormal activity or connectivity of elements within the salience network may allow us to more effectively target interventions to relevant components of this network in patients with chronic pain.
Detection of CO and Dust Emission in Near-Infrared Spectra of SN 1998S

Near-infrared spectra (0.95?2.4 ?m) of the peculiar Type IIn supernova 1998S in NGC 3877 from 95 to 355 days after maximum light are presented. K-band data taken at days 95 and 225 show the presence of the first overtone of CO emission near 2.3 ?m, which is gone by day 355. An apparent extended blue wing on the CO profile in the day 95 spectrum could indicate a large CO expansion velocity (?2000?3000 km s-1). This is the third detection of infrared CO emission in nearly as many Type II supernovae studied, implying that molecule formation may be fairly common in Type II events and that the early formation of molecules in SN 1987A may be typical rather than exceptional. Multipeak hydrogen and helium lines suggest that SN 1998S is interacting with a circumstellar disk, and the fading of the red side of this profile with time suggests that dust is forming in the ejecta, perhaps induced by CO cooling. Continuum emission that rises toward longer wavelengths (J ? K) is seen after day 225 with an estimated near-infrared luminosity 1040 ergs s-1. This may be related to the near-infrared excesses seen in a number of other supernovae. If this continuum is due to free-free emission, it requires an exceptionally shallow density profile. On the other hand, the shape of the continuum is well fitted by a 1200 ? 150 K blackbody spectrum, possibly due to thermal emission from dust. Interestingly, we observe a similar 1200 K blackbody-like, near-infrared continuum in SN 1997ab, another Type IIn supernova at an even later postmaximum epoch (day 1064+). A number of dust emission scenarios are discussed, and we conclude that the near-infrared dust continuum is likely powered by the interaction of SN 1998S with the circumstellar medium.
Investigation of a novel discharge EUV source for microlithography

ABSTRACT A plasma discharge could be an inexpensive and efficient EUV source for microlithography, if issues of brightness, lifetime, debris, repetition rate, and stability can be resolved. A novel discharge EUV source (international patent pending) is being investigated that may offer an economical solution to these issues. The novel EUV discharge seeks to efficiently assemble a hot, dense, uniform, axially stable plasma with magnetic pressure and inductive current drive, employing resonant theta-pinch-type compression of plasma confined in a magnetic mirror. This resonantly compressed mirror plasma (RCMP) source would be continuously driven by a radio frequency oscillator, to obtain an EUV conversion efficiency greater than that of sources in which the plasma is discarded after each radiation burst. An analytic calculation indicates the novel RCMP source could provide 115 W of 13.45-nm radiation in 3.3 mm 2 sr etendue to an intermediate focus. Numerical modeling of RCMP dynamics has been performed with MHRDR-EUVL, a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) numerical simulation with atomic and radiation physics. The numerical simulation demonstrates the efficacy of resonant magneto-acoustic heating. An experiment is being developed to test the new concept. A 50-kW, 3-MHz rf generator is connected to a water-cooled coil in vacuum. Time-resolved spectroscopy will be used to characterize the EUV source. Keywords: EUV source, plasma discharge, magnetic mirror, radio frequency, MHD, radiation, simulation
Individualized Instruction: Another Point of View

may be considerably easier for students to devise than those having a predetermined (usually square) format. Small groups could make up puzzles for other groups to solve using some of the techniques suggested above. 2. After selecting a student to be the "writer" and while projecting the diagram, the teacher could give each student one answer to the puzzle on a small piece of paper. On the paper would also be indicated the number and direction (vertical or horizontal) of the answer. Students would raise their hands to request information. ay be considerably easier for studen s to The "writer" then selects a student, who might ask "Qui a le numero quatre verticalement?" The person holding the answer for this space would then have to invent a clue for the answer and relate it to the student who requested it. This closely resembles the technique of having students supply FL definitions for known words, but the element of communication for a purpose has been added. This variation of the crossword puzzle would seem to lend itself particularly well to peer or group competition. selects a student, who might q atre verticale ent?" l i t e a s er for this space i e t a clue for the answer st e t ho requested it. les t e technique of having
The use of Artificial Intelligence techniques in Computer-Assisted Instruction: an overview

One of the major goals of research in Artificial Intelligence is the representation of knowledge so that a computer can solve problems or communicate in a manner which exhibits “common sense”. Few programs for computers, including those for education, possess behavior which approaches any facet of the constellation of human skills and knowledge which are imprecisely called “common sense”. However, the revolutionary decline in hardware costs now makes it possible to consider economically viable, sophisticated designs for computer-aided instruction systems possessing some of the common sense attributes of a human tutor. In this survey we examine, in depth, techniques from Artificial Intelligence that can be used to endow a Computer-Aided Instruction system with approximations to some of the desirable qualities of a human tutor. We consider both techniques which have been proved in prototype systems for Computer-Aided Instruction and some techniques which were originally developed for other purposes.
Cytopathic Effect of Canine Distemper Virus in Tissue Culture

A characteristic cytopathic effect was obtained with canine distemper virus (Onderstepoort strain) propagated in chick embryo fibroblast monolayer tissue culture. In limiting dilutions the lesions were focal. The titer at the 20th tissue culture passage was approximately 10(5) TCD(50)/ml. Cytopathogenicity was specifically inhibited by distemper immune serum. Minute plaques were produced under agar overlay.
Prostaglandin-induced activation of uterine contractility in pregnant rats does not involve potassium channels

Abstract OBJECTIVE: The uterus is a target for prostaglandins, especially at the end of gestation. Whether potassium channels are involved in the effect of prostaglandins is not clear. The aim of this study was to find out. STUDY DESIGN: Concentration-response relationships to prostaglandins (prostaglandin F 2 α , prostaglandin E 2 , and prostaglandin I 2 [carbacyclin]; 10 −10 mol/L-10 −4 mol/L) were studied in isolated uterine rings from mid pregnancy (day 14) and late pregnancy (day 21) rats (Krebs solution, 5% CO 2 in air, 37°C; pH, 7.4). Rings were incubated for 30 minutes with either solvent or adenosine triphosphate-sensitive potassium channel inhibitor or opener glibenclamide and levcromakalim or with calcium-sensitive potassium channel inhibitor or opener NS1619 and iberiotoxin, respectively. The changes in integral activity were compared after each concentration of the agent and were expressed as a percent of the basal integral activity. RESULTS: The increases in spontaneous contractile activity induced by prostaglandin E 2 and carbacyclin, but not prostaglandin F 2 α , were statistically significantly higher in tissues from late pregnancy versus mid pregnancy rats and were not affected by any of the K-channel openers or inhibitors. CONCLUSION: Adenosine triphosphate-sensitive and calcium-sensitive potassium channels are not involved in the effect of prostaglandin F 2 α , prostaglandin E 2 , and prostaglandin I 2 on pregnant rat uterus. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2002;186:453-7.)
Novel microscope-integrated stereoscopic display for intrasurgical optical coherence tomography

The first generation of intrasurgical optical coherence tomography (OCT) systems displayed OCT data onto a separate computer monitor, requiring surgeons to look away from the surgical microscope. In order to provide real-time OCT feedback without requiring surgeons to look away during surgeries, recent prototype research and commercial intrasurgical OCT systems have integrated heads-up display (HUD) systems into the surgical microscopes to allow the surgeons to access the OCT data and the surgical field through the oculars concurrently. However, all current intrasurgical OCT systems with a HUD are only capable of imaging through one ocular limiting the surgeon’s depth perception of OCT volumes. Stereoscopy is an effective technology to dramatically increase depth perception by presenting an image from slightly different angles to each eye. Conventional stereoscopic HUD use a pair of micro displays which require bulky optics. Several new approaches for HUDs are reported to use only one micro display at the expense of image brightness or increased footprint. Therefore, these techniques for HUD are not suitable to be integrated into microscopes. We have developed a novel stereoscopic HUD which uses spatial multiplexing to project stereo views into both oculars simultaneously with only one micro-display and three optical elements for our microscope-integrated OCT system. Simultaneous stereoscopic views of OCT volumes are computed in real time by GPU-enabled OCT system software. We present, to our knowledge, the first microscope integrated stereoscopic HUD used for intrasurgical OCT with a novel optical design for stereoscopic viewing devices and report on its preliminary use in human vitreoretinal surgeries.
Synthesis and characterization of linear and three-arm star radial poly(styrene-b-isobutylene-b-styrene) block copolymers using blocked dicumyl chloride or tricumyl chloride/TiCl4/pyridine initiating system

Abstract Linear and three-arm star styrene-b-isobutylene-b-styrene block copolymers were synthesized by living cationic polymerization using ring-substituted di- or tricumyl chloride, respectively, as initiator, TiCl4 as coinitiator, pyridine as an electron donor and 2,6-di-tert-butylpyridine as a proton trap in a 60 40 ( v v ) methylcyclohexane/methyl chloride solvent mixture at − 80°C. The polymers had equivalent compositions and segmental molecular weights allowing the effect of molecular geometry on sample morphology and physical properties to be determined. The samples exhibited a dual-phase morphology consisting of cylindrical polystyrene domains dispersed within a matrix of polyisobutylene; polymer geometry was found to have a significant effect on the tensile properties, with the three-arm star sample displaying a tensile strength twice that of the linear sample. In addition, the three-arm star block copolymer was found to have a higher rubbery plateau modulus than the linear block copolymer. Due to their perfectly saturated mid-block, polyisobutylene-based block copolymers were found to be much more thermally stable than the closely related styrene-b-(ethylene-co-l-butene)-b-styrene block copolymers (hydrogenated polybutadiene centre block).
A Multistep Method for Wide Angle Beam Propagation

The beam propagation method has proven to be an extremely important tool in the simulation of guided-wave optics since its inception. Although initially limited to the study of paraxial beams, methods have been recently reported1-4 that include approximate treatments of wide-angle propagation. However, all the methods presently available suffer from serious drawbacks. Those based upon eigenfunction expansions require recalculation of the eigenfunctions whenever there is a change in waveguide structure. Another method based upon an expansion of the field in terms of a set of so-called Lanczos vectors2 has been found to exhibit convergence problems5. Several authors1,4,6 have employed various Pade approximations of the Helmholtz operator. In one case6 this approach leads to difference equations that are only first order accurate in the propagation step size. Otherwise, the lower order Pade approaches1 are numerically attractive, but their range of validity is still somewhat limited.
Creation of a Brachial Arteriovenous Fistula for Treatment of Pulmonary Arteriovenous Malformations After Cavopulmonary Anastomosis

Background Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs) occur in approximately 20% of patients after unidirectional superior cavopulmonary anastomosis (CPA), and frequently after bidirectional CPA in patients with polysplenia syndrome. It is hypothesized that exclusion of a growth-modulating factor produced in the liver may predispose to PAVM formation. Resolution of PAVMs after inclusion of hepatic venous effluent into the cavopulmonary circulation has been reported. An upper extremity systemic arteriovenous (AV) fistula may be created to augment pulmonary blood flow and improve oxygenation in hypoxemic patients with CPA, but there has been no systematic investigation of the effects of such fistulas on PAVMs after CPA. Methods We studied 11 patients with PAVMs who underwent creation of a brachial AV fistula a median of 11 years after CPA. Results Eight patients had discontinuous pulmonary arteries or unilateral flow of a bidirectional CPA and were not considered good candidates for Fontan completion; the other 3 patients had polysplenia and unilateral hepatic venous streaming after Fontan completion. Three patients died of progressive complications of their heart disease 4 to 18 months after AV fistula creation. Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations resolved after creation of a brachial AV fistula in 4 of 5 surviving patients with unilateral flow of a superior CPA, but in none of 3 patients with polysplenia who had unilateral hepatic venous streaming after Fontan completion and PAVMs in the contralateral lung. Conclusions These findings are consistent with the "hepatic factor" hypothesis, according to which the development of PAVMs is facilitated when an unidentified factor produced or metabolized in the liver does not reach the pulmonary circulation before traversing another capillary bed. Patients with unilateral superior CPA flow and PAVMs who are not considered candidates for Fontan completion may benefit from a brachial AV fistula.