cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A levitating/rotating ball–basic considerations

A ball, levitated in an inclined submerged jet (air-into-air or water-into-water), will exhibit a substantial rotation rate. The parameters that lead to this interesting behavior for ball-to-jet diameter ratios $$>3$$ have been documented. Stochastic levitation/rotation was observed for inclination angles from horizontal between $$43^\circ$$ and $$83^\circ$$ , and momentum flux-to-ball weight ratios between 2 and 7. Insight into the governing mechanics from topological, control volume and Newtonian second law considerations is also reported.
Theoretical foundation, methods, and criteria for calibrating human vibration models using frequency response functions

While simulations of the measured biodynamic responses of the whole human body or body segments to vibration are conventionally interpreted as summaries of biodynamic measurements, and the resulting models are considered quantitative, this study looked at these simulations from a different angle: model calibration. The specific aims of this study are to review and clarify the theoretical basis for model calibration, to help formulate the criteria for calibration validation, and to help appropriately select and apply calibration methods. In addition to established vibration theory, a novel theorem of mechanical vibration is also used to enhance the understanding of the mathematical and physical principles of the calibration. Based on this enhanced understanding, a set of criteria was proposed and used to systematically examine the calibration methods. Besides theoretical analyses, a numerical testing method is also used in the examination. This study identified the basic requirements for each calibration method to obtain a unique calibration solution. This study also confirmed that the solution becomes more robust if more than sufficient calibration references are provided. Practically, however, as more references are used, more inconsistencies can arise among the measured data for representing the biodynamic properties. To help account for the relative reliabilities of the references, a baseline weighting scheme is proposed. The analyses suggest that the best choice of calibration method depends on the modeling purpose, the model structure, and the availability and reliability of representative reference data.
Switching and Feedback Laws for Control of Constrained Switched Nonlinear Systems

A hybridn onlinear control strategy is developedfor switched nonlinear systems whose constituent subsystems are subject to input constraints. The key feature of this strategy is the integrateds ynthesis, via multiple control Lyapunov functions, of "lower-level" bounded nonlinear feedback control laws together with "upper-level" switching laws that orchestrate the transitions between the constituent modes and their respective controllers. The control laws enforce asymptotic stability in the continuous modes and provide an explicit characterization of the stability region associated with each mode, in terms of the magnitude of the constraints. The switching scheme is then constructedto coordinate the switching between the stability regions of the different modes in a way that respects input constraints andg uarantees stability of the overall switchedclosed -loop system.
Dipeptidylpeptidase IV activities are elevated in prostate cancers and adjacent benign hyperplastic glands

Dipeptidylpeptidase IV (DPP IV) is a serine exopeptidase that has been implicated in cell-extracellular matrix interactions and bioactive peptide/cytokine/growth factor metabolism. The objective of this study was to determine if DPP IV activities were changed with development of cancer in the prostate. DPP IV activity was measured in human prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) tissues by biochemical assays with glycylprolyl-p-nitroanalide as substrate in tissue extracts (BPH, n = 8: cancer, n = 7; 2 with Gleason score 5 and 5 with Gleason score 7) and quantitative morphometry of histochemical activities with glycylproline-4-methoxy-beta-naphthylamide as substrate (BPH, n = 9: cancer, n = 13, 1 with Gleason score 4, 10 with Gleason score 6, 2 with Gleason score 8) in frozen-tissue sections. Data were analyzed by analysis of variance. The peptidase activity was detected in epithelial but not stromal cells of BPH and cancer tissues, and it was present as a single band of activity of approximately 160 kDa in electrophoretically separated activity blots of the extracts. DPP IV activity was increased approximately twofold in cancer versus BPH tissues as determined by biochemical and quantitative histochemical methods. In addition, DPP IV activity was increased to a similar extent in BPH glands associated with the cancers. These data indicate that DPP IV activity is increased not only in primary prostatic cancers but also in associated BPH glands, suggesting that there may be some local factors produced by cancer cells that influence adjacent BPH epithelial cells to positively affect the immediate growth environment of the cancer.
Exponential slow crack growth of glass and advanced ceramics—dynamic fatigue

The life prediction analysis based on an exponential crack-velocity formulation was made and examined using a variety of experimental data on glass and advanced structural ceramics in constant stress-rate (‘dynamic fatigue’) loading at ambient and elevated temperatures. The data fit to the relation of strength versus ln (stress rate) was very reasonable for most of the materials. The major limitation in the exponential crack-velocity formulation, however, was that the inert strength of a material must be known a priori to evaluate the important SCG parameter, n, a significant drawback as compared with the conventional power-law crack-velocity formulation.
Ultralight Dirac neutrinos in a left-right symmetric model containing mirror fermions

We propose a low energy, left-right symmetric gauge model incorporating mirror fermions that naturally produces ultralight Dirac neutrinos (<100 eV). The numbers of standard and mirror generations must be equal to prevent neutrino masses in the cosmologically-disfavored range 100 eV ⩽ Mv ⩽ 2 GeV. Our model is consistent with the experimental limits on rare processes.
Effect of Aspect Ratio on Rigid Lifting Flat Plates in Pitch-Plunge Motion at Low Reynolds Numbers

Flowfield behavior of wall-to-wall and low aspect ratio (AR=2) rigid flat plates in pi tching and plunging motion is studied in a water tunnel at low Reynolds numbers. All models have a 152mm chord and t/c = 2.25% . Two sets of kinematics already wellestablished in the recent literature are used: combined pi tch and plunge, where pitch angle of attack partially cancels plunge-induced angle of attack, and pure plunge. Three Reynolds numbers (1x10, 3x10, and 6x10) are considered, using dye flow visualization and particle image velocimetry (PIV). Broadly, sectional vorticity contour plots reveal similarity between the nominally 2D and AR=2 plates, but there are several interesting exceptions. The AR=2 plate exhibited a marked axial flow when the effective angle of attack was near its maximum. For the pi tching and plunging motion the AR=2 plate showed open separation at phase of 180°, while the nominally two-dimensional model has closed separation throughout the downstroke. For validation of the PIV results, a comparison is made between Reynolds number 3x10 and 4x10 three-dimensional models at the University of Michigan and Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), respectively.
Performance of a fungal biofilter treating gas-phase solvent mixtures during intermittent loading

Abstract Biological treatment processes used to remove and degrade volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from contaminated gases emitted by industrial operations or waste treatment processes are almost always subjected to transient loading conditions because of the inherently unsteady-state nature of contaminant generating processes. In the study presented here, a laboratory-scale biofilter populated by a mixed culture of fungi was used to study the transient response to various periods of no contaminant loading in a system treating a model waste gas stream containing a mixture of commonly used solvents. The biofilter, packed with cubed polyurethane foam media and operated with an empty bed residence time of 15 s, was supplied with a four-component mixture of n -butyl acetate, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl propyl ketone, and toluene at target influent concentrations of 124, 50.5, 174, and 44.6 mg/m 3 , respectively. This corresponds to a total VOC loading rate of 94.3 g/(m 3 h). Biofilter performance was evaluated over a 94-day period for three loading conditions intended to simulate processes generating contaminated gases only during daytime operation, daytime operation with weekend shutdown periods, and with long term (9-day) shutdown. Results indicate that fungal biofilters can be an effective alternative to conventional abatement technologies for treating solvent contaminated off-gases even under discontinuous loading conditions.
The waveguide laser - A review

The present article reviews the fundamental physical principles essential to an understanding of waveguide gas and liquid lasers, and the current technological state of these devices. At the present time, waveguide laser transitions span the visible through submillimeter regions of the wavelength spectrum. The introduction discusses the many applications of waveguide lasers and the wide variety of laser configurations that are possible. Section 1 summarizes the properties of modes in hollow dielectric waveguides of circular, rectangular, and planar cross section. Section 2 considers various approaches to optical feedback including internal and external mirror Fabry-Perot type resonators, hollow waveguide distributed feedback structures, and ring-resonant configurations. Section 3 discusses those aspects of molecular kinetic and laser theory pertinent to the design and optimization of waveguide gas lasers such as the scaling laws for discharge-excited gas lasers, molecular models useful in maximizing the oscillation bandwidth, the effects of gas flow rate, and the physics of optically-pumped far-infrared lasers. Finally, a review of the waveguide gas and liquid lasers reported to date is given in Section 4.
LIPID-PROTEIN INTERACTION DURING AQUEOUS EXTRACTION OF FISH PROTEIN: ACTIN-LIPID INTERACTION

Present results of model system experiments to determine whether or not the fish lipid interacts with myosin and which groups of lipids are responsible for this interaction. Studies of the effects of aging, heating and air denaturation (foam formation) on the formation of these lipoprotein complexes are also reported.
Transcriptome Dynamics of the Stomatal Lineage: Birth, Amplification, and Termination of a Self-Renewing Population

Developmental transitions can be described in terms of morphology and the roles of individual genes, but also in terms of global transcriptional and epigenetic changes. Temporal dissections of transcriptome changes, however, are rare for intact, developing tissues. We used RNA sequencing and microarray platforms to quantify gene expression from labeled cells isolated by Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting to generate cell-type specific transcriptomes during development of an adult stem-cell lineage in the Arabidopsis leaf. We show regulatory modules in this early lineage link cell types that had previously been considered to be under separate control and provide evidence for recruitment of individual members of gene families for different developmental decisions. Because stomata are physiologically important and because stomatal lineage cells exhibit exemplary division, cell fate and cell signaling behaviors, this dataset serves as a valuable resource for further investigations of fundamental developmental processes.
Anesthesiologists' familiarity with the ASA and ACS guidelines on Advance Directives in the perioperative setting.

Abstract Study Objective To assess anesthesiologists' familiarity with the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) and American College of Surgeons (ACS) guidelines on Advance Directives in the perioperative setting. Design Single-center, 4-question anonymous survey. Setting Urban academic medical center. Subjects Up to 34 subjects responded to each question. Measurements and Main Results Familiarity with the ASA and ACS guidelines on Advance Directives in the perioperative setting ranged from 45% to 100%. Conclusions There was inadequate familiarity with components of the ASA and ACS guidelines on advance directives in the perioperative setting. Larger studies are required to assess anesthesiologists' familiarity with national society guidelines that directly affect patient care. Future work should investigate best practices for guideline implementation, and consequences of poor adherence to national guidelines.
Sensory Characteristics of Heat-processed and Fresh Tomato Salsa Containing Honey

Heat-processed and fresh salsa formulations were developed with different levels of honey (up to 10%), acid, and capsaicin. Descriptive sensory characteristics and consumer acceptability of the salsas were studied. Increasing levels of honey increased sweetness and crispness of both salsas. Higher levels of honey decreased oral heat intensity more than did lower levels. Consumers liked heat-processed salsa better than fresh and acceptability generally decreased with increasing honey content. However, about one-third of consumers liked salsas with honey more than samples without honey.
The feasibility of real-time in vivo optical detection of blood–brain barrier disruption with indocyanine green

Osmotic disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) by intraarterial mannitol injection is sometimes required for the delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs to brain tissue. Osmotic disruption is affected by a number of factors, and there is a significant variability in the degree and distribution of BBB disruption in clinical and experimental settings. Brain tissue concentrations of indocyanine green (ICG) can be measured by optical techniques. The aim of this experiment was to determine whether the disruption of the BBB significantly altered the regional pharmacokinetics of ICG. We were able to track in vivo brain tissue concentrations of ICG in 13 New Zealand white rabbits by employing a novel optical approach. Evan's blue was used to assess the distribution of BBB disruption on post mortem examination. BBB disruption by intraarterial mannitol injection was found to be highly variable, and only five of the 13 animals demonstrated the disruption at the site of optical measurements. In these animals, we observed a ninefold increase in ICG concentrations and fourfold increase in the area under the concentration-time curve, compared to those without BBB disruption at the site of measurement. This study shows the feasibility of optical monitoring of BBB disruption with intravenous (IV) ICG injections. Virtual real-time optical monitoring of the BBB disruption could help improve intraarterial delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs.
Chrysanthemum and poinsettia growth in coal gasification slag amended media

Abstract Coal gasification slag is a by‐product of the power industry that may prove useful to the horticultural industry as a component of growing media. The objectives of this research are to determine if suitable crops of chrysanthemum and poinsettia can be produced in media of slag alone or in combination with moss peat. Chrysanthemums and poinsettias were grown in slag or slag mixes in an ebb and flow irrigation system with a complete nutrient solution being recycled. Slag alone had a high bulk density and high pH, but adding 50% by volume peat decreased bulk density and pH so that an acceptable growing mix resulted. Weight of plant shoots grown in slag was lower than for plants that were grown in slag mixes. Weight of plants in slag mixes was similar to the peat‐perlite control. Plants grown in slag or slag mixes generally were low in phosphorus (P) and manganese (Mn) and high in boron (B). The slag mixes seem to remove P and Mn from the fertilizer solution while releasing B and to some extent calci...
The benefits of embedded question adjuncts for low and high structure builders.

The effectiveness of two types of adjunct questions, standard embedded questions and "why" questions (elaborative interrogation), was investigated for readers differing in structure-building ability (Gernsbacher, 1990). Participants read a textbook chapter either with or without the adjunct questions. Learning was assessed with typical classroom testing methods (multiple choice, short answer). Also, relatedness ratings were used to assess the coherence of learners' representations. High structure builders generally outperformed low structure builders. However, embedded questions but not elaborative interrogation improved the low structure builders' test performances on information targeted by and related to the adjunct questions. Neither study method improved test performance for the high comprehenders. Embedded questions also stimulated more coherent representations. Results indicate that embedded questions are an effective study method for low comprehenders.
Ileal Pouch–Anal Anastomosis—A Surgical Perspective

Despite aggressive medical management, approximately 50% of patients with inflammatory bowel disease will require surgery during the clinical course of their disease. For ulcerative colitis, surgery offers the chance for cure, with ileal pouch anal anastomosis as the procedure of choice in elective cases. In this article, we review the development, indications, and recent advances in ileal pouch anal anastomosis surgery and the remaining controversies regarding surgical technique and staging of surgery in the modern era of biological medical therapy.
Political Conflict in Western Europe

By Hanspeter Kriesi, Edgar Grande, Martin Dolezal, Marc Helbling, Dominic Hoglinger, Swen Hutter and Bruno Wuest Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2012, 368 pp., £60.00, ISBN 978-1-107-02438-0...
Effects of Trichoderma harzianum on the yield and fruit quality of tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum) grown in an unheated greenhouse

Trichoderma harzianum was applied to seedling growing media (a peat and soil-based mixture or greenhouse soil) at the time of sowing, at transplanting to vials and at planting. The factorial experiment using 2 seedling growing media, 2 cultivars and 4 dosages of T. harzianum at 0 (control), 4 g/m2, 10 g/m2 and 24 g/m2 showed that the Trichoderma dosage had no significant effect on the yield or fruit quality. None of the 3 factor interactions between the criteria studied, that is, total yield, marketable yield, early yield, individual fruit weight, total soluble solids and titratable acidity, were significant except for fruit diameter. The 3 factor combination of Peat × Belleveu F1 × 10 g/m2 resulted in the highest total yield, marketable yield and early yield with 1552, 1373 and 681 g/plant, respectively. The interaction between media and cultivars was significant for all the yield characteristics studied. However, the main effect of T. harzianum on early yield was the highest at 4 g/m2, producing 527 g/plant in comparison to the control with 374 g/plant. It was, therefore, hypothesised that the positive effect of T. harzianum, observed in the early yield, may be extended to the whole growing period by further applications, that is, by periodical renewal of the T. harzianum population at the root zone.
Platelet Methylene Reductase Activity in Schizophrenia

A case of a folate-responsive psychosis that was associated with a defect in N5-10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (methylene reductase) suggested the need to examine whether abnormally low activity of this enzyme might be of etiological importance in schizophrenia. We now report that there were no statistically significant differences in the platelet methylene reductase activity of chronic schizophrenics, compared with either hospitalized or nonhospitalized age-matched control subjects. Although it is possible that a larger survey might reveal a subpopulation of schizophrenics who are characterized by abnormal methylene reductase activity, this study suggests that chronic schizophrenia is not generally associated with such changes.
Ageism and Gender among Social Work and Criminal Justice Students

Undergraduate sociatl work and criminal justice students completed 1 of 4 vignettes that were identical with the exception of the age and gender of the vignette's subject. In each vignette, the subject interacted with an opposite-sex 24-year-old waiter or waitress. Following each vignette, respondents answered 20 items relating to the age, gender, and perceived sexual behavior of the vignette's subject. The multivariate general linear model was significant (F = 174.572, p = .000) by the Wilk's Lambda Criterion. Tests of between-subjects effects yielded 17 significant item variables that focused on perceptions of the age appropriateness of the behaviors, perceptions of the sexual behaviors of the vignette's characters, perceptions of the affability of the vignette's characters, perceptions of characters being lonely, perceptions regarding the waiter's/waitress' financial gain/incentive, and perceptions of social acceptance for the vignette's main character and his/her affiliation with the younger service p...
Regulation of the rabbit ileal brush-border Na+/H+ exchanger by an ATP-requiring Ca++/calmodulin-mediated process.

Abstract Brush-border vesicles purified from rabbit ileal villus cells were used to evaluate how Ca++/calmodulin (CaM) regulates the neutral linked NaCl absorptive process, part of which is a Na+/H+ exchanger. After freezing and thawing to allow incorporation of macromolecules into the vesicles, the effect of Ca++/CaM on brush-border Na+ uptake with an acid inside pH gradient, and on Na+/H+ exchange was determined. Freezing and thawing vesicles with 0.85 microM free Ca++ plus 5 microM exogenous CaM failed to alter Na+/H+ exchange as did the addition of exogenous ATP plus an ATP regenerating system, which was sufficient to elevate intravesicular ATP to 47 microM from a basal level of 0.4 microM. However, the combination of Ca++/CaM plus ATP inhibited Na+ uptake in the presence of an acid inside pH gradient and inhibited Na+/H+ exchange, while Na+ uptake in the absence of a pH gradient was not altered. This effect required a hydrolyzable form of ATP, and did not occur when the nonhydrolyzable ATP analogue, AMP-PNP, replaced ATP. Under the identical intravesicular conditions used for the transport studies, Ca++ (0.85 microM) plus exogenous CaM (5 microM), in the presence of magnesium plus ATP, increased phosphorylation of five brush-border peptides. These data are consistent with Ca++/CaM acting via phosphorylation to regulate the ileal brush-border Na+/H+ exchanger.
Nutritive Quality of Four Perennial Grasses as Affected by Species, Cultivar, Maturity, and Plant Tissue

Improved perennial grasses provide ranchers with high-quality forage for grazing and hay. However, in the Northern Great Plains of the USA, nutritive quality information is limited on both established and new cultivars. This study compares the nutritive quality of established and more recently released cultivars of crested wheatgrass [Agropyron desertorum (Fisch. ex Link) Schultes] (CWG), intermediate wheatgrass [Thinopyrum intermedium (Host) Barkworth and Dewey] (IWG), western wheatgrass [Pascopyrum smithii (Rydb.) Love] (WWG), and smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss.) (SBG); evaluates the effect of plant maturity on tissue quality; compares nutritive quality differences among species; and evaluates nutritive quality relationships. Smooth bromegrass leaf tissue had the highest (P , 0.05) in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) and lowest neutral detergent fiber (NDF), but IWG and WWG had higher stem IVDMD. Few quality differences were detected between cultivars within a species, but ‘Rosana’ WWG had higher (P , 0.10) stem and whole plant IVDMD than the more recently released ‘Rodan’. Leaf percentage differed significantly (P , 0.05) among species, with WWG (49.8%) having the highest, and CWG (21.2%) the lowest. Correlation coefficients between quality measurements suggest that if grass leaf tissue were selected for higher IVDMD, leaves should also have higher crude protein (CP) and lower NDF. This relationship was best illustrated with WWG for all three tissue types. The apparent lower quality of Rodan WWG compared with the older cultivar, Rosana, should caution plant breeders to monitor forage quality to ensure that selection for improved agronomic traits does not compromise nutritive quality.
Recent results from the Radiometric Calibration Test Site (RadCaTS) at Railroad Valley, Nevada

The Radiometric Calibration Test Site (RadCaTS) is an automated approach to ground-based vicarious calibration that does not require on-site personnel during the overpass of an airborne or spaceborne sensor. The concept originates as an attempt to increase the amount of ground-based data that are collected throughout the year. All-weather instruments are used to measure atmospheric and surface conditions. The data are used in an automated processing scheme to produce top-of-atmosphere spectral radiance, which are then compared to the sensor under test. RadCaTS has been located at Railroad Valley, Nevada, since 2004, but the concept is applicable to any site that is suitable for vicarious calibration. Railroad Valley was chosen to test the RadCaTS concept because it has been used by the Remote Sensing Group (RSG) for over 15 years and is well understood. This work describes the RadCaTS automated concept, and outlines the automated processing scheme that is used to determine the surface reflectance. A description of the instrumentation used to measure the surface reflectance and atmosphere is presented, followed by a discussion of their placement on the site, and also their calibration. Finally, the RadCaTS ground-based results are compared to those from Aqua and Terra MODIS in 2008, and Landsat 7 ETM+ in 2009.
A rating scale for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: Description and preliminary experience

A rating scale has been developed to provide a quantitative estimate of clinical status and disease progression in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This scale includes assessment of swallowing, speech, and respiratory function, and both strength and function of upper and lower extremity musculature. The evaluation is relatively simple to perform and yields reproducible data for both a total ALS score and a score for each group of functions tested. A score of 30 points is normal; 164 points indicates maximal dysfunction. The total ALS score increased in a linear fashion in each of 74 patients followed for at least one year. Among patients, the rate of disease progression varied twenty-fold, with a continuous distribution from the slowest to most rapid course. Thirty-four percent of patients exhibited a rapid change of greater than 48 points in the year, predicting progression to a terminal stage in less than two years; 19% of patients exhibited a slow change of less than 13 points in one year, predicting progression to a terminal stage over at least five years. This ALS scoring system should permit more accurate assessment of drug efficacy in clinical trials and correlation of rates of progression with clinical variables.
A More Social Epistemology: Decision Vectors, Epistemic Fairness, and Consensus in Solomon's Social Empiricism

Solomon has made the case, in Social Empicism (2001) for socially naturalized analysis of the dynamics of scientific inquiry that takes seriously two critical insights: that scientific rationality is contingent, disunified, and socially emergent; and that scientific progress is often fostered by factors traditionally regarded as compromising sources of bias. While elements of this framework are widely shared, Solomon intends it to be more resolutely social, more thoroughly naturalizing, and more ambitiously normative than other contextualizing epistemologies currently on offer. Four focal issues are addressed in the commentaries that follow: Solomon's characterization of empirical success as a goal of science (Clough); her distinction between empirical and non-empirical decision vectors and the viability of the multivariate analysis she proposes for assessing epistemic fairness in their distribution (Clough; Richardson); the plausibility of her thesis that normatively appropriate consensus is a (rare) lim...
Cholinergic mechanisms in canine narcolepsy—I. Modulation of cataplexy via local drug administration into the pontine reticular formation

Abstract Cataplexy in the narcoleptic canine has been shown to increase after systemic administration of cholinergic agonists. Furthermore, the number of cholinergic receptors in the pontine reticular formation of narcoleptic canines is significantly elevated. In the present study we have investigated the effects of cholinergic drugs administered directly into the pontine reticular formation on cataplexy, as defined by brief episodes of hypotonia induced by emotions, in narcoleptic canines. Carbachol and atropine were perfused through microdialysis probes implanted bilaterally in the pontine reticular formation of freely moving, narcoleptic and control Doberman pinschers. Cataplexy was quantified using the Food-Elicited Cataplexy Test, and analysed using recordings of electroencephalogram, electrooculogram and electromyogram. Cataplexy was characterized by a desynchronized electroencephalogram and a drop in electromyogram and electrooculogram activity. In narcoleptic canines, both unilateral and bilateral carbachol (10 −5 to 10 −3 M) produced a dose-dependent increase in cataplexy, which resulted in complete muscle tone suppression at the highest concentration. In control canines, neither bilateral nor unilateral carbachol (10 −5 to 10 −3 M) produced cataplexy, although bilateral carbachol, did produce muscle atonia at the highest dose (10 −3 ). The increase in cataplexy after bilateral carbachol (10 −4 M) was rapidly reversed when the perfusion medium was switched to one containing atropine (10 −4 M). Bilateral atropine (10 −3 to 10 −2 M) alone did not produce any significant effects on cataplexy in narcoleptic canines; however, bilateral atropine (10 −2 M) did reduce the increase in cataplexy produced by systemic administration of physostigmine (0.05 mg/kg, i.v.). These findings demonstrate that cataplexy in narcoleptic canines can be stimulated by applying cholinergic agonists directly into the pontine reticular formation. The ability of atropine to inhibit locally and systemically stimulated cataplexy indicates that the pontine reticular formation is a critical component in cholinergic stimulation of cataplexy. Therefore, it is suggested that the pontine reticular formation plays a significant role in the cholinergic regulation of narcolepsy.
The GCKIII kinase Sps1 and the 14-3-3 isoforms, Bmh1 and Bmh2, cooperate to ensure proper sporulation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Sporulation in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a developmental program initiated in response to nutritional deprivation. Sps1, a serine/threonine kinase, is required for sporulation, but relatively little is known about the molecular mechanisms through which it regulates this process. Here we show that SPS1 encodes a bona-fide member of the GCKIII subfamily of STE20 kinases, both through phylogenetic analysis of the kinase domain and examination of its C-terminal regulatory domain. Within the regulatory domain, we find Sps1 contains an invariant ExxxPG region conserved from plant to human GCKIIIs that we call the EPG motif; we show this EPG motif is important for SPS1 function. We also find that Sps1 is phosphorylated near its N-terminus on Threonine 12, and that this phosphorylation is required for the efficient production of spores. In Sps1, Threonine 12 lies within a 14-3-3 consensus binding sequence, and we show that the S. cerevisiae 14-3-3 proteins Bmh1 and Bmh2 bind Sps1 in a Threonine 12-dependent fashion. This interaction is significant, as BMH1 and BMH2 are required during sporulation and genetically interact with SPS1 in sporulating cells. Finally, we observe that Sps1, Bmh1 and Bmh2 are present in both the nucleus and cytoplasm during sporulation. We identify a nuclear localization sequence in Sps1 at amino acids 411–415, and show that this sequence is necessary and sufficient for nuclear localization. Taken together, these data identify regions within Sps1 critical for its function and indicate that SPS1 and 14-3-3s act together to promote proper sporulation in S. cerevisiae.
Optimal schedule generation for a single-product production line. I: Problem formulation

La programmation non lineaire a integreur mixte est appliquee a l'optimisation d'une ligne de production d'un produit unique dans une installation a buts multiples
Implicit feature selection for omics data phenotype discrimination

Abstract A novel feature selection method: meta-data approximation (MDA) is proposed for high dimensional omics data. Different from conventional approaches, MDA is an implicit feature selection algorithm that does not have an explicit feature number decrease or dimension reduction for input data. On the other hand, MDA calculates corresponding same dimensional meta-data to approximate original data through our proposed hierarchical feature decomposition. We demonstrate MDA's advantages in disease phenotype discrimination for different high dimensional omics profiles by comparing it with state-of-the-arts. Our results suggest that high dimensional omics data are actually linearly separable under meta-data approximation. Finally, a MDA-induced biomarker discovery algorithm is proposed to further demonstrate omics data’ linear separability by identifying meaningful biomarkers. Our work not only suggests a new alternative to overcome the weaknesses of the traditional feature selection methods, but also provides new techniques and insights in translational bioinformatics. To the best of our knowledge, we firstly proposed the concept and method of implicit feature selection, which will also have positive impacts on machine learning fields.
Hematologic management of a patient with Fanconi's anemia undergoing bone grafting and implant surgery.

Fanconi’s anemia is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by pancytopenia, progressive bone marrow hypoplasia, chromosomal aberrations, and a multitude of congenital anomalies. It was first described by Fanconi’ in 1927 when he reported three brothers with a progressive lethal anemia. Fanconi’s anemia should be differentiated from Fanconi’s syndrome, which is a proximal renal tubular disorder. According to Glanz,2 congenital malformations can affect the skeletal, ocular, auditory, renal, genital, and central nervous systems (Table 1). Affected persons may have anomalies involving any combination of these systems or, in some cases, may have none of these malformations. Because of the variation and number of malformations, it has not been possible to establish precise diagnostic criteria based on a patient’s clinical presentation. The frequency of occurrence of Fanconi’s anemia is estimated to be one in 360,000, but only about 300 cases have been reported in the literature.’ The male to female ratio is reported to be 2: 1 .4 The diagnosis is usually made in the first decade of life, between the ages of 4 and 7 years, with the typical patient dying of bone marrow complications within the first two decades of life. Most patients, however, succumb within 5 years of the onset of anemia. Fanconi’s anemia has been grouped with other inheritable genetic disorders that involve chromosomal aberrations and are known to cause patients to have a
Attention to central and peripheral visual space in a movement detection task: an event-related potential and behavioral study. II. Congenitally deaf adults

The effects of focussed attention to peripherally and centrally located visual stimuli were compared via an analysis of event-related brain potentials (ERPs) while subjects detected the direction of motion of a white square in a specified location. While attention to both peripheral and foveal stimuli produced enhancements of the early ERP components, the distribution over the scalp of the attention-related changes varied according to stimulus location. The attention-related increase in the amplitude of the N1 wave (157 ms) to the peripheral stimuli was greater over the parietal region of the hemisphere contralateral to the attended visual field. By contrast, the largest effects of foveally directed attention occurred over the occipital regions where the increase was bilaterally symmetrical. Additionally, the effects of attention on the ERPs were significantly larger for moving than for stationary stimuli, and this effect was greater for peripheral than for central attention. A long-latency positive displacement component (300-600 ms) was larger over the right than the left hemisphere during attention to the lateral visual fields, but was symmetrical in amplitude when central stimuli were attended. These results suggest that different pathways are modulated when attention is deployed to different regions of the visual fields. Further, they suggest that the special role of the right hemisphere in spatial attention may be limited to analysis of information in the visual periphery.
Production planning for a deteriorating item with stochastic demand and consumer choice

Abstract This paper concerns inventory control of a deteriorating product with non-negligible procurement lead-time that perishes after a known number of periods. Demand for fresh products during each period is represented as a random variable with known probability distribution, but only a fraction of this demand is satisfied during any given period due to item deterioration. We derive the expected profit function for a two-period problem with one production opportunity before the selling season begins and a single product type with two-period shelf life. For the case in which demand during both periods is uniform, independent, and identically distributed, we identify sufficient conditions for the existence of an optimal solution and present a straightforward procedure for obtaining the solution.
Adolescents' Energy Cost in Marching Band

The primary purpose of this study was to examine adolescents' energy cost in a marching band. High school marching band participants (N=15) completed five 3-min. stages of treadmill marching, using a 57.2-cm stride length (typical standard of eight steps per five yards) as follows: without instruments at 75 m x min.(-1) and 132 steps x min.(-1) (Stage 1): without instruments at 91 m x min.(-1) and 160 steps x min.(-1) (Stage 2); carrying instruments at 75 m x min.(-1) and 132 steps x min.(-1) (Stage 3); carrying instruments at 91 m x min.(-1) and 160 steps x min.(-1) (Stage 4); and playing instruments at 75 m x min.(-1) and 132 steps x min.(-1) (Stage 5). Mean heart-rate response to an actual parade performance was similar to the mean Stage 5 treadmill heart rate (n=6). With regard to a high school marching band, these results suggest that energy demand for marching cadences approximates 4.5 and 6.0 metabolic equivalents for moderate and fast paces, respectively.
Resolving the Sequence-Dependent Stiffness of DNA Using Cyclization Experiments and a Computational Rod Model

Structural deformations of DNA play a central role in many biological processes including gene expression. The structural deformations are sensitive to the material properties of the molecule and these, in turn, vary along the molecule’s length according to its base-pair sequence. Example ‘sequence-dependent’ material properties include the stress-free curvature and the stiffness for bending and torsion. Separating and quantifying these sequence-dependent properties from experimental data remains a significant challenge as they often work in unison in nature. In this paper, we offer a method for resolving and quantifying the sequence-dependent stiffness of DNA from cyclization (loop closure) experiments using a computational rod model of the molecule.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Earth observations: the view from the ground

Abstract A ground-level view of Earth observations reveals that emerging ground segments are of at least two major categories: those that are satellite-driven and which have top-down organizations and those that are data-driven and organized from the bottom up. Or put differently, the former are generally data users. A ground-level perspective also suggests that continually rising scientific and economic value of data and decreasing national budgets require balancing satellite investment with effective ground segment evolution to provide demonstrable reasons to continue funding both satellites and ground activities.
Azo dye-mediated regulation of total phenolics and peroxidase activity in thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) and rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) clonal lines

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) and rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) clonal lines, which were previously isolated from a heterogeneous seed population by plant tissue culture techniques, have been targeted as potential plants for phytoremediation of organic pollutants such as azo dyes and related aromatic compounds. Three thyme clonal lines and three rosemary clonal lines were tested for the ability to grow on hormone-free medium containing 0.01% of azo dye Poly S-119. The results showed that dye tolerance was associated with reduced phenolics and enhanced peroxidase activity in these clonal lines. There was a clear inverse correlation between total phenolics and peroxidase activity in these plants in response to Poly S-119. The tolerance of these clonal lines showed variations at different growing stages. These observations suggested that the peroxidase activity was inducible. Because peroxidases are involved in lignification, wound healing, aromatic compound degradation, pathogen defense, and stiffening, the results suggest that azo dye stimulated the defense response of thyme and rosemary clonal plants by increasing the peroxidase activity. Stereomicroscopic observations revealed that the azo dye was sequestered within the growing axis of the plant roots, which may also enhance the polymerization of azo dye onto the cell wall with the help of enhanced peroxidase activity.
Preventing unplanned pregnancies among married couples: Are services for only the wife sufficient?

Unplanned pregnancies among married couples in the United States remains an important problem today. The effects of predisposing factors (conceptualized according to the Luker theory of contraceptive risk taking) on use of effective contraceptive methods and on the occurrence of an unplanned pregnancy were examined among a sample of 150 white married couples who did not desire a(nother) child within 2 years. The effects of husbands' predisposing factors on both dependent variables were highly significant, either directly or through interaction with their wives. The findings demonstrate the need for continued research on wife and husband effects on reproductive behaviors and outcomes.
The elusive search for geographic clusters of systemic lupus erythematosus. Critical review.

Objective. To ascertain whether there are any geographic clusters of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and critically review 2 previous reports of these clusters. Methods. A literature review of all epidemiologic surveys relevant to SLE published since 1966 was undertaken. This included a search of abstracts and reports, in addition to peer-reviewed publications. Results. Two geographic clusters were identified in the literature. A report purporting that contaminated ground water in southwest Tucson, Arizona was associated with significantly increased symptoms of SLE was flawed since no patients were examined, discarded criteria were used, and incorrect definitions were employed by the nonrheumatologist authors. Another study, which identified a cluster in Nogales, Arizona, used generally valid methodology. However, the authors' conclusion that a 94/100,000 prevalence of SLE was evidence of an excessive increase in this 92% Hispanic/Native American community is not consistent with published surveys among Hispanic and Native American populations. Conclusion. No valid claims of SLE geographic clusters have been published.
THE COMPATIBILITY OF COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION SOLUTIONS WITH BEGINNING LEVEL FOREIGN LANGUAGE CURRICULA

Abstract This paper explores the compatibility of computer‐mediated communication (CMC) with two basic objectives of modern foreign language curricula: (1) that students should develop functional (i.e., real world) and pragmatic abilities; and (2) that instructional design and materials should be informed by what is known about the cognitive processes responsible for acquisition. The authors assert that CMC is indeed compatible with these goals, and in many ways CMC environments have greater potential than previous technologies. CMC solutions largely entail input‐oriented activities. The CMC environment is particularly compatible with the manner in which acquisition occurs in the early stage. The paper concludes with an outline of an introductory Spanish curriculum, created in conjunction with the Educational Management Group, whose instructional design is informed by these notions.
Property value maximization and public sector efficiency

Abstract This paper analyses the efficiency implications of property value maximization. Communities are open, so that utilities are parametric to housing producers and the local government. Each local government chooses its public good output to maximize aggregate property value in the community, ignoring feedback effects on the composition of the housing stock. It is shown that this type of government behavior generates an equilibrium in which all communities are internally Pareto-efficient.
Oviposition behavior ofNeodiprion fulviceps (Cresson) (Hymenoptera: Diprionidae) on ponderosa pine

Basic information on oviposition behavior of Neodiprion fulvicepsis presented. We present evidence which suggests that adults possess circadian rhythms for emergence and female oviposition activity. A behavioral catalog was developed and it was found that females, while inactive, spend 54% of their time oriented basally on needles and, while active, 18% of their time walking up and down needles. A description of the oviposition sequence and time spent in each step is presented. It was determined that females spend a significantly longer time cutting the first egg pocket than successive egg pockets. We also present evidence of an oviposition deterrent factor.
Prognostic significance of clinical and pathologic features in diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma

BACKGROUND AND METHODS The diffuse large cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas are a heterogeneous group of neoplasms that are potentially curable. To identify important predictors of clinical outcome, the authors evaluated the clinical and pathologic features of 114 patients with newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma who were uniformly staged and treated with curative intent. The authors were particularly interested in determining whether any pathologic features added to the ability of the clinical features to predict patient survival. RESULTS Several clinical and pathologic features were found to be associated with survival by univariate analysis. However, multivariate analysis disclosed that only the stage of disease and the symptom status were significantly associated with survival. Low stage and lack of B symptoms were favorable indicators of overall survival and failure-free survival. CONCLUSIONS The authors suggest that the evaluation of pathologic features in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma has little prognostic utility and recommend that the pathology evaluation be limited to features that are useful for diagnostic purposes.