cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Topic Learning from Few Examples

This paper describes a semi-supervised algorithm for single class learning with very few examples. The problem is formulated as a hierarchical latent variable model which is clipped to ignore classes not of interest. The model is trained using a multistage EM (msEM) algorithm. The msEM algorithm maximizes the likelihood of the joint distribution of the data and latent variables, under the constraint that the distribution of each layer is fixed in successive stages. We demonstrate that with very few positive examples, the algorithm performs better than training all layers in a single stage. We also show that the latter is equivalent to training a single layer model with corresponding parameters. The performance of the algorithm was verified on several real-world information extraction tasks.
Renal response to thermal stimulus.

Abstract The immersion of one hand, or foot, in an ice-water bath maintained at a temperatue of 1° C results in a decreased urine flow. This phenomenon is associated with an increased in the specific gravity of urine, and in some instances, a change in protein excretion per minute. Variations in systolic and diastolic blood pressure accompany this experience but do not correlate, in the degree of the response, with the protein excretion per minute. The fetal heart rate does not vary significantly. Maternal pulse and respiratory rates tend to decrease. Experiments to date conducted under anesthesia indicate that ice immersion may stimulate the liberation of an antidiuretic hormone. The site of liberation is probably not within the immersed limb, or within the kidney. Evidence presented supports its origin as being above the level of cervical 4. The phenomenon is apparently not abolished by inhalation anesthesia. It is believed that the site of liberation may be the posterior pituitary gland.
DIRECT RADIANT HEATING OF PARTICLE SUSPENSIONS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF FUELS AND CHEMICALS USING CONCENTRATED SUNLIGHT

ABSTRACT This paper describes recent advances in the research program at LBL to understand the behavior of radiantly heated gas-particle suspensions. The research is investigating the use of gas-particle suspensions to absorb concentrated sunlight to supply energy for endothermic chemical reactions. The analytical section includes the description of a chemical survey, the results of optical calculations, and a summary of our heat transfer studies. The experimental section outlines the current laboratory studies of direct radiant heating that utilize a high intensity radiant source to simulate concentrated sunlight. This work is aimed at establishing a technology base supporting new applications of concentrated sunlight for the production of useful fuels and chemicals.
Neural Computations That Support Long Mixed Sequences of Knowledge Acquisition Tasks

In this talk we shall first give a brief review of a quantitative approach to understanding neural computation [4-6]. We target so-called random access tasks, defined as those in which one instance of a task execution may need to access arbitrary combinations of items in memory. Such tasks are communication intensive, and therefore the known severe constraints on connectivity in the brain can inform their analysis.
Directed energy planetary defense

Directed Energy (DE) systems offer the potential for true planetary defense from small to km class threats. Directed energy has evolved dramatically recently and is on an extremely rapid ascent technologically. It is now feasible to consider DE systems for threats from asteroids and comets. DE-STAR (Directed Energy System for Targeting of Asteroids and exploRation) is a phased-array laser directed energy system intended for illumination, deflection and compositional analysis of asteroids [1]. It can be configured either as a stand-on or a distant stand-off system. A system of appropriate size would be capable of projecting a laser spot onto the surface of a distant asteroid with sufficient flux to heat a spot on the surface to approximately 3,000 K, adequate to vaporize solid rock. Mass ejection due to vaporization creates considerable reactionary thrust to divert the asteroid from its orbit. DE-STARLITE is a smaller stand-on system that utilizes the same technology as the larger standoff system, but with a much smaller laser for a dedicated mission to a specific asteroid. DE-STARLITE offers a very power and mass efficient approach to planetary defense. As an example, a DE-STARLITE system that fits within the mass and size constraints of the Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) system in a small portion of the SLS block 1 launch capability is capable of deflecting an Apophis class (325 m diameter) asteroid with sufficient warning. A DE-STARLITE using the full SLS block 1 launch mass can deflect any known threat.
Comparison of Single and Dual Spray Fuel Injectors During Cold Start of a PFI Spark Ignition Engine Using Visualization of Liquid Fuel Films and Pool Fires

Video imaging has been used to investigate the evolution of liquid fuel films on combustion chamber walls during a simulated cold start of a port fuel-injected engine. The experiments were performed in a single-cylinder research engine with a production, four-valve head and a window in the piston crown. Flood-illuminated laser-induced fluorescence was used to observe the fuel films directly, and color video recording of visible emission from pool fires due to burning fuel films was used as an indirect measure of film location. The imaging techniques were applied to a comparative study of single and dual spray fuel injectors for both open and closed valve injection, for coolant temperatures of 20, 40 and 60°C. In general, for all cases it is shown that fuel films form in the vicinity of the intake valve seats. For closed valve injection, films also form below the intake valves and below the squish region between the intake valves and the cylinder wall, while for open valve injection additional fuel films form below the exhaust valves. It is proposed that fuel films on the head near the exhaust valves are a possible source of unburned hydrocarbon emissions, that pool fires are the main source of soot emissions from properly-maintained gasoline vehicles, and that soot-laden fuel films on the cylinder wall are the main source of soot contamination.
Attribution of malicious behavior

Internet-connected computer systems face ongoing software attacks. Existing defensive solutions, such as intrusion detection systems, rely on the ability to identify malicious software (malware) in order to prevent its installation. This approach remains imperfect, resulting in widespread, persistent malware infections, malicious execution, and transmission of undesirable Internet traffic. Over the past several years, we have begun to develop solutions that help computer systems automatically recover from unknown malicious software infections by identifying and disabling the software. Our work departs from previous malware analysis because it employs strict post-infection analysis matching real-world environments: it assumes that security monitoring does not exist during the critical malware installation time and identifies potentially malicious software infecting a system given only observations of the infected system's execution. This paper reports on our progress attributing undesirable network behavior to malicious code and highlights upcoming research challenges we expect to face as we begin to automatically excise that code from infected systems.
The Giant Planets

The result that the giant planets are composed primarily of hydrogen and helium and lighter elements can be placed on a quantitative basis for Jupiter and Saturn because of the accuracy with which relevant equations of state are presently known. Current results are consistent with solar composition for Jupiter and perhaps also for Saturn. New theoretical techniques for calculating the gravitational multipole moments of rotating liquid planets may provide a way of applying future spacecraft data as strong constraints on interior structure.
Causes, contrasts, and the non-identity problem

Can an act harm someone—a future someone, someone who does not exist yet but will—if that person would never exist but for that very action? This is one question raised by the non-identity problem. Many would argue that the answer is No: an action harms someone only insofar as it is worse for her, and an action cannot be worse for someone if she would not exist without it. The first part of this paper contends that the plausibility of the ‘no harm’ argument stems from an equivocation. The second half argues for an account of harm that is both causal and contrastive. Finally, the paper contends that the contrastive account disarms the no harm argument and furthermore neutralizes a related argument (the benefit argument) that has been problematic for some previously proposed solutions to the non-identity problem.
Health Creates Wealth? The Use of Nutrition Claims and Firm Financial Performance

AbstractPrior research has investigated consumers’ perceptions of nutritional information but does not detail how the use of nutrition claims on product packages may be associated with a manufacturer’s financial performance. Using data from 38 firms, the authors find evidence that a firm’s stock market performance and sales relate significantly and positively to both the degree of nutritional emphasis and the specificity of nutrition claims on product packages but relate negatively to the diversity of nutrition claims the company uses across its products. The findings provide important managerial implications to help businesses obtain financial gains through the use of nutrition claims. They also suggest that aligning the labeling policy could be a profitable long-term route for marketers, and it is necessary for policy makers to pay attention to firm performance. The insights regarding the economic benefits of using nutrition claims from a marketing–finance perspective provide further implications for po...
The effect of protein and calorie intake on prealbumin, complications, length of stay, and function in the acute rehabilitation inpatient with stroke.

Background Nutrition's impact on stroke rehabilitation outcomes is controversial. Existing studies utilize albumin without correcting for inflammation in nutritional assessments. Here, prealbumin was used and inflammation assessed to determine if nutrition impacts rehabilitation outcomes. Objective Determine the effect of dietary intake on prealbumin level, number of complications, length of stay, and Functional Independence Measure (FIM) efficiency in rehabilitation stroke inpatients. Methods Patients had admission and discharge prealbumin and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels drawn; and, weekly protein and calorie counts obtained. Patients were followed for number of complications, length of stay, and FIM efficiency. Results Mean protein and calorie intake was 57.6 ± 16.2 g/d and 1452.2 ± 435.8 kcal/d, respectively. 77.6% of patients had normal prealbumin on admission with 94.9% on discharge. Prealbumin increased significantly from admission to discharge (22.3 ± 6.2 mg/dL vs. 24.6 mg/dL ± 5.1 mg/dL, P = 0.007). Number of complications and length of stay were predicted by CRP in regression models. Total, motor, and cognitive FIM efficiencies were not universally affected by prealbumin levels, protein intake, or calorie intake. Conclusions Nearly all hypoprealbuminemic stroke rehabilitation inpatients correct their levels eating a non-supplemented diet. Number of complications, length of stay, and functional outcomes in this patient are not affected by prealbumin levels, protein intake, or calorie intake.
On-chip frequency-dependent inductor for multi-band circuit designs

A millimeter wave (MMW) on-chip passive frequency-dependent inductor is described with different designed inductance values targeted at different frequency ranges using one device. The proposed frequency-dependent inductor design allows the optimization of multi-band impedance matching for MMW analog circuit designs with a single all-passive on-chip device. This device uses low-loss natural capacitors and multiple capacitively loaded ground return lines to provide MMW frequency-dependent effective device inductance. No on-chip switches are required in the proposed inductor design and it can allow circuit size reduction by allowing a single inductor to target different frequency ranges. Simulated inductance values in a 130 nm BiCMOS technology show a 61% change in inductance is possible between two frequency ranges: f 48 GHz. The proposed frequency-dependent inductor design has also been designed and measured in a 45 nm CMOS process. Measured results show that the use of multiple capacitively loaded ground return lines is effective in creating an on-chip MMW frequency-dependent inductor.
Weed flora and dormant‐season cover crops have no effects on arbuscular mycorrhizae of grapevine

Baumgartner K, Fujiyoshi P, Smith R & Bettiga L (2010). Weed flora and dormant-season cover crops have no effects on arbuscular mycorrhizae of grapevine. Weed Research50, 456–466. Summary We tested the hypothesis that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) diversity and colonisation of grapevine increase with increasing frequency and diversity of mycorrhizal hosts on the vineyard floor. The vineyard floor cover was manipulated by cover cropping (rye, triticale) inter-rows, and implementing weed control treatments in intra-row areas. Weed control treatments were the standard practice of pre-emergence applications of oxyfluorfen or simazine, and alternatives of post-emergence applications of glyphosate or oxyfluorfen, and cultivation. Grapevine mycorrhizal colonisation and frequency, diversity and richness of mycorrhizal weeds were examined for 3 years, after which AMF diversity was evaluated using PCR. Canonical correspondence analyses showed that weed control, but not cover crops, affected weed composition; cultivation and post-emergence treatments were dominated by mycorrhizal weeds (Sonchus oleraceus and Conyza canadensis respectively), pre-emergence treatments were dominated by non-mycorrhizal Cyperus esculentus. Weed frequency varied among treatments; cultivation was less effective than both herbicide treatments in the first year, and both cultivation and post-emergence herbicide were least effective in the last year. Therefore, the alternative weed control methods may not be as effective as the pre-emergence herbicide. Weed control had a significant interaction with year on frequency, diversity and richness of mycorrhizal weeds, none of which correlated with grapevine mycorrhizal colonisation. Our finding of no effect of weed control on grapevine mycorrhizae, despite significant effects on weeds, provide no support our hypothesis, but rather suggest that mycorrhizal hosts on the vineyard floor have no influence on grapevine mycorrhizae.
Interaction of Type Ia Supernovae with Their Surroundings

Type Ia supernovae (SNe) are presumed to arise from white dwarf progenitors, which may not appreciably modify their ambient medium. We study the interaction of the resulting supernova remnants with a constant density interstellar medium. Density profiles obtained from detailed explosion models of Type Ia SN explosions can be complex, but an exponential profile gives the best approximate representation of a set of profiles, and we emphasize this case. We describe the time evolution of dynamical quantities (such as radius, velocity, and expansion parameter) as a result of the interaction in terms of dimensionless variables and present the profiles of physical quantities. We compare our results to the power-law and constant ejecta density cases; a characteristic feature of the exponential case is that the shocked ejecta have a relatively constant temperature. The effect of a possible circumstellar wind region close to the supernova is to create a dense, cool shell near the contact discontinuity between the shocked ejecta and the surrounding medium. The complex density structure found in some supernova models persists in the shocked layer, giving rise to density and temperature variations. We apply our results to the two likely historical Type Ia SNe, SN 1006 and Tycho. The observed angular sizes and expansion rates are consistent with a distance of 1.95 ± 0.4 kpc and an ambient H density of 0.05-0.1 cm-3 for SN 1006. For Tycho's SNR, the results are not conclusive but indicate a distance around 2.3 kpc for an ambient density of 0.6-1.1 cm-3. In both cases, the low expansion rate limits the extent of a possible circumstellar wind region. The evidence for temperature variations in the ejecta of Tycho's remnant suggests that the supernova profile was more complex than an exponential profile and contained density inhomogeneities, or that there was early interaction with a circumstellar wind.
Functional dissection of the dynein motor domain

The highly conserved lysine residue in the putative hydrolytic ATP-binding motif of the yeast cytoplasmic dynein heavy chain was replaced with leucine. The mutation was generated by a two-stage transformation method designed for genomic site-directed mutagenesis. Preliminary observations show that the effects of this alteration on the cellular roles of dynein are indistinguishable from those of a disruption mutation in which the entire motor domain is not expressed. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Investigation of the stability of Pt/LaCoO3 during high temperature reforming reactions

Abstract Pt/LaCoO 3 has been evaluated for synthesis gas production via the combined dry reforming-partial oxidation of CH 4 at 800 °C. Significant support restructuring was observed during pretreatment and reaction. The addition of oxygen resulted in partial stabilization of the perovskite, but deactivation was still observed. The deactivation of Pt/LaCoO 3 is due to structural changes and carbon deposition. Changes in the support structure result in an inability of the support to aid in carbon removal from the metal. The activity can be regained with exposure to CO 2 , but the support structure is not regenerated and subsequent reaction results in carbon deposition.
Isaac Williams Brewer (1867–1928): An Unsung Hero

The article profiles Isaac William Brewer, public health physician. He was born in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and received his medical degree from Columbia University in 1897. Most of his medical career was spent working with infectious disease epidemics in rural American towns. Brewer served in the U.S. Army during World War I, and wrote academic articles and books on public health topics.
Proactive Approaches to Protecting Maintenance Equipment against Chloride Roadway Deicers

AbstractRoadway maintenance equipment in cold climates is exposed to high amounts of chloride-based deicers that are inherently corrosive. As such, various structural, hydraulic, and electrical components on maintenance equipment are vulnerable to the deleterious effects of chloride roadway deicers, and their premature deterioration can negatively affect the performance, reliability, and service life of the equipment fleet. This work aims to shed more light on this important asset management issue by providing an overview of corrosion-prone parts and current approaches available to proactively manage the risk of deicer corrosion to equipment assets, including design considerations, materials selection, and maintenance strategies. The information aims to enable equipment engineers and managers to gain a better understanding of this technical issue and make more informed decisions in corrosion risk management.
Higher order corrections for quasiparticle RPA

Abstract An extended QRPA equation is derived through the equation of motion method by including two- and four-quasiparticle excitations in the phonon creation operator and allowing four-quasiparticle correlations in the HFB ground state. Also an extended pnQRPA is presented. It should provide a more accurate method for studying the transition of the one-body charge exchange mode.
T cell immunosenescence is associated with the presence of Kaposi’s sarcoma in antiretroviral treated human immunodeficiency virus-infected persons

Author(s): Unemori, Patrick; Hunt, Peter; Leslie, Kieron; Sinclair, Elizabeth; Martin, Jeffrey; Deeks, Steve; Maurer, Toby
A multivariate analysis of long-term stay in private practice psychotherapy.

Investigated the characteristics predictive of long-term stay in private practice psychotherapy in a population of 64 "long-term" clients (remained longer than 25 sessions, mean = 47 sessions) and 88 "short-term" clients (terminated before 25 sessions, mean = 7 sessions). Data consisted of T-scores on the intake MMPI and two variables (possession of insurance coverage and use of psychoactive medication) on which long and short-term clients had been found to differ in other research. Stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed and revealed that MMPI scales 2 and 0 added to the prediction of length of stay in psychotherapy (p < .01). Insurance and medication were significant predictors only when MMPI data were not used.
Quantitation of Gene-Specific DNA Damage by Competitive PCR

A sensitive assay for quantitating DNA damage within individual genes would be a valuable tool for identifying the molecular mechanisms of disease and the sites of action of various carcinogens and anticancer drugs. This report describes a competitive PCR assay that was used to quantitate DNA damage induced by anticancer drugs within a 683-bp region of the c-myc gene in human CEM leukemia cells. Absolute quantitation of gene-specific DNA damage (attomoles or molecules of damaged DNA sequences) was achieved by coamplification of a homologous internal standard that has the same primer binding sites and PCR amplification efficiency as c-myc. The variability (standard error) associated with four separate determinations of the amount of c-myc sequence in 300 ng of DNA from untreated cells (6.80 +/- 0.05 SE amol) was less than 1% of the mean. The assay was capable of quantitating direct DNA damage that was induced by therapeutic concentrations of VM-26 and cisplatin prior to the onset of cellular apoptosis or necrosis. Both VM-26 (1-10 microM) and cisplatin (25-100 microM) induced a dose-dependent decrease in the amount of intact c-myc sequence. This assay should be readily adaptable to current real-time PCR protocols.
Cells to Surgery Quiz: August 2015

QUESTIONS 1. A 50-year-old man underwent Mohs micrographic surgery for removal of a basal cell carcinoma on the nasal dorsum/sidewall. The resulting full-thickness wound pictured above elicits which of the following? a. Innate immune response. b. Adaptive immune response. c. Antigen presentation by dendritic cells. d. All of the above. e. None of the above. Cells to Surgery Quiz: August 2015 Mohammad-Ali Yazdani Abyaneh1, Brian J. Simmons1, Fleta N. Bray1, Mohammed Alsaidan1 and Keyvan Nouri1 Journal of Investigative Dermatology (2015) 135, e16. doi:10.1038/jid.2015.215
2-D harmonic retrieval using higher-order statistics

We consider the problem of estimating the harmonics of a noisy 2-D signal. The observed data is modeled as a 2-D sinusoidal signal, with either random or deterministic phases, plus additive Gaussian noise ofunknown covariance. Our method utilizes recently defined higher-order statistics, referred to as “mixed-cumulants”, which permit a formulation that is applicable to both the random and deterministic case. In particular, we first estimate the frequencies in each dimension using an overdetermined Yule-Walker “type” approach. Then, the 1-D frequencies are paired using a matching criterion. To support our theory, we examine the performance of the proposed method via simulations.
On quasi-developable spaces

Abstract In this paper quasi-developable spaces are defined and several results are given showing the relationship between quasi-developable spaces and developable spaces. A quasi- developable space is developable if and only if it has closed sets G δ . A metacompact space is a completely regular Moore space if and only if it is a quasi-developable p -space. The notion of completeness is also defined for a quasi-developable space. A regular metacompact space is a complete Moore space if and only if it is a complete quasi-developable space.
High-resolution, real-time 3D absolute coordinate measurement based on a phase-shifting method

We describe a high-resolution, real-time 3D absolute coordinate measurement system based on a phase-shifting method. It acquires 3D shape at 30 frames per second (fps), with 266K points per frame. A tiny marker is encoded in the projected fringe pattern, and detected by software from the texture image and the gamma map. Absolute 3D coordinates are obtained from the detected marker position and the calibrated system parameters. To demonstrate the performance of the system, we measure a hand moving over a depth distance of approximately 700 mm, and human faces with expressions. Applications of such a system include manufacturing, inspection, entertainment, security, medical imaging.
Usability testing of an academic library Web site: a case study

Usability testing is an invaluable tool for evaluating the effectiveness and ease of use of academic library Web sites. This article reviews major usability principles and explores the application of formal usability testing to an existing site at the University at Buffalo libraries.
Commodity Currencies and Empirical Exchange Rate Puzzles

This paper re-examines empirical exchange rate puzzles by focusing on three OECD economies (Australia, Canada, and New Zealand) where primary commodities constitute a significant share of their exports. For Australia and New Zealand especially, we find that the U.S. dollar price of their commodity exports (generally exogenous to these small economies) - has a strong and stable influence on their floating real rates, with the quantitative magnitude of the effects consistent with predictions of standard theoretical models. However, after controlling for commodity price shocks, there is still a PPP puzzle in the residual. Nevertheless, the results here are relevant to many developing country commodity exporters, as they liberalize their capital markets and move towards floating exchange rates.
Cueing, feature discovery, and one-class learning for synthetic aperture radar automatic target recognition

Abstract The exquisite capabilities of biological neural systems for recognizing target patterns subject to large variations have motivated us to investigate neurophysiologically-inspired techniques for automatic target recognition. This paper describes a modular multi-stage architecture for focus-of-attention cueing, feature discovery and extraction, and one-class pattern learning and identification in synthetic aperture radar imagery. To prescreen massive amounts of image data, we apply a focus-of-attention algorithm using data skewness to extract man-made objects from natural clutter regions. We apply self-organizing feature discovery algorithms that uniquely characterize targets in a reduced dimension space and use self-organizing one-class classifiers for learning target variations. We also develop a distance metric for partial obscuration recognition. We present performance results using simulated SAR data and test for within-class generalization using nontrained targets including both in-the-clear and partially obscured examples. We test for between-class generalization using non-trained targets including both in-the-clear and partially obscured examples. We test for between-class generalization using near-target data.
Fluid volumes in one-kidney 30-day renal artery stenosis rabbits.

AbstractBody fluid volumes were measured in 14 one-kidney control rabbits and in 12 one-kidney rabbits with renal artery stenosis of 30 days duration (one-kidney, one-clip). Plasma volume (PV), extracellular fluid volume (ECFV), and total body water (TBW) were determined by the distribution volumes of radioiodinated serum albumin, 35SO4, and 3HOH, respectively. Mean arterial pressure was significantly (P < 0.01) elevated in the rabbits with renal artery stenosis; plasma renin activity was the same in the two groups. PV was the same in the control and renal artery stenosis groups, but the ECFV and TBW were significantly (P < 0.05) elevated in the rabbits with renal artery stenosis. The results of this study are in keeping with the hypothesis that volume expansion may play a role in the development and maintenance of chronic renal hypertension, but do not rule out the possibility that the hypertension may result from mechanisms not related to increases in fluid volumes and that the expansion of these volume...
Correction of disease-associated exon skipping by synthetic exon-specific activators

Differential exon use is a hallmark of alternative splicing, a prevalent mechanism for generating protein isoform diversity. Many disease-associated mutations also affect pre-mRNA splicing, usually causing inappropriate exon skipping. SR proteins are essential splicing factors that recognize exonic splicing enhancers and drive exon inclusion. To emulate this function of SR proteins, we designed small chimeric effectors comprising a minimal synthetic RS domain covalently linked to an antisense moiety that targets an exon by Watson-Crick base pairing. Here we show that such synthetic effectors can mimic the functions of SR proteins and specifically restore wild type splicing when directed to defective BRCA1 or SMN2 pre-mRNA transcripts. This general approach can be used as a tool to investigate splicing mechanisms and modulate alternative splicing of specific genes, and as a therapeutic strategy to correct splicing defects responsible for numerous diseases.
The fashion internship experience: identifying learning outcomes in preparing students for the ‘real world’

The purpose of this study was to identify outcomes to student development after completion of a structured, 260-hour fashion internship experience. The sample for this study included 44 undergradua...
Slice:drop: collaborative medical imaging in the browser

This project demonstrates real-time rendering and sharing of standard medical data formats between WebGL-enabled browsers across multiple devices. Any linked browser can interact with and update the display, which propogates to all other linked browsers.
Mixed osmolytes: the degree to which one osmolyte affects the protein stabilizing ability of another.

Mixtures of organic osmolytes occur in cells of many organisms, raising the question of whether their actions on protein stability are independent or synergistic. To investigate this question it is desirable to develop a system that permits evaluation of the effect of one osmolyte on the efficacy of another to either force-fold or denature a protein. A means of evaluating the efficacy of an osmolyte is provided by its m-value, an experimental quantity that measures the ability of the osmolyte to force a protein to unfold or fold. An experimental system is presented that enables evaluations of the m-values of osmolytes in the presence and absence of a second osmolyte. The experimental system involves use of a marginally stable protein in 10 mM buffer (pH 7, 200 mM salt, and 34°C) that is at the midpoint of its native to denatured transition. These conditions enable determination of m-values for protecting and denaturing osmolytes in the presence and absence of a second osmolyte, permitting assessment of the extent to which the two osmolytes affect each other's efficacy. The two osmolytes investigated in this work are the denaturing osmolyte, urea, and the protecting osmolyte, sarcosine. Results show unequivocally that neither osmolyte alters the efficacy of the other in forcing the protein to fold or unfold—the osmolytes act independently on the protein despite their combined concentrations being in the multi-molar range. These osmolytes avoid altering one another's efficacy at these high concentrations because the number of osmolyte interaction sites on the protein is large and the binding constants are quite small. Consequently, the site occupancies are low enough in number that the two osmolytes neither compete nor cooperate in interacting with the protein.
Response of pondcypress growth rates to sewage effluent application

Cores were collected from dominant pondcypress trees growing in a swamp that had received sewage effluent for 7 yr and a nearby control swamp to determine the combined effects of changes in nutrient supply and hydrologic regime on tree growth. The cores were used to measure two indices of tree growth: basal area increment (BAI) and relative basal area increment (RBAI, which accounts for differences in growth due to the size of teh tree) between 1970–1983 while one swamp remained untreated and the other received weekly additions of sewage effluent from 1974–1981. Throughout the whole period, the mean BAI and RBAI of pond-cypress trees in the untreated swamp remained unchanged, ranging between 5.55–6.38 cm2 yr−1 and 1.09–1.27% yr−1, respectively. In contrast, trees in the treated swamp increased their BAI approximately two-fold from 7.40 cm2 yr−1 prior to treatment to 14.83 cm2 yr−1 after the onset of treatment and maintained this rate of growth in the 2 yr period after cessation of treatment. Relative basal area increment showed a similar response, but the proportional increase due to treatment was less (1.5-fold factor) than for BAI. The response of pondcypress trees to the sewage effluent differed depending upon whether the trees were located in the deep or shallow water zones. Trees in the deep zone of the treated swamp had lower BAIs and RBAIs than those in the shallow zone during the treatment period, whereas in pre- and post-treatment periods growth indices were equal in both zones. No significant differences in growth between deep and shallow zones were observed during all three time periods in the control swamp.
Recent developments in the physiology of color vision

Color vision has attracted scientific attention for at least 250 years, though it was not until the nineteenth century that we began to understand it properly. Since then, physicists and psychologists have provided very precise descriptions of the phenomena of color vision and in many cases have also formulated physiological hypotheses to explain them. Until recently physiologists contributed rather little to the emerging story, for they lacked the techniques to study the mechanisms pointed to by the psychologists. However, physiological advances of the last 20 years have provided much new information on the mechanisms of color vision. A good deal of this has confirmed the hypotheses developed from perceptual observations, but some recent findings have raised interesting new problems, particularly to do with the substrate of the ‘achromatic’ mechanism upon which our spatial vision is thought to depend.
Expression of common fragile sites on the X chromosome corresponds with active gene regions

Abstract The expression of common chromosomal fragile sites on human chromosomes has been proposed to be a cytogenetic expression of gene activity [1]. Distinctive patterns of expression of two common fragile sites on the human X chromosome were observed in females. The fragile site at Xp22.31, located in a band region that contains genes which escape X inactivation, was expressed on both X chromosomes. By contrast, the fragile site at Xq22.1, in a region assumed to be subject to X inactivation, was expressed almost exclusively on one X, the active X chromosome. These findings provide evidence that common fragile site expression only occurs in regions with active genes.
Poe and Hawthorne as Women's Amanuenses

Hester Prynne is the great nemesis of woman. She is the KNOWING Ligeia risen diabolic from the grave. . . . And with Hester, after Ligeia, woman becomes a nemesis to man. . . . . . .The woman herself may be as nice as milk, to all appearance, like Ligeia. But she is sending out waves of silent destruction of the faltering spirit in men, all the same. She doesn’t know it. She can’t even help it. But she does it. The devil is in her. D. H. Lawrence, Studies in Clarsic Am‘can Literatun
Computing global minimizers to a constrained B-spline image registration problem from optimal l1 perturbations to block match data

Purpose: Block matching is a well-known strategy for estimating corresponding voxel locations between a pair of images according to an image similarity metric. Though robust to issues such as image noise and large magnitude voxel displacements, the estimated point matches are not guaranteed to be spatially accurate. However, the underlying optimization problem solved by the block matching procedure is similar in structure to the class of optimization problem associated with B-spline based registration methods. By exploiting this relationship, the authors derive a numerical method for computing a global minimizer to a constrained B-spline registration problem that incorporates the robustness of block matching with the global smoothness properties inherent to B-spline parameterization. Methods: The method reformulates the traditional B-spline registration problem as a basis pursuit problem describing the minimal l1-perturbation to block match pairs required to produce a B-spline fitting error within a given tolerance. The sparsity pattern of the optimal perturbation then defines a voxel point cloud subset on which the B-spline fit is a global minimizer to a constrained variant of the B-spline registration problem. As opposed to traditional B-spline algorithms, the optimization step involving the actual image data is addressed by block matching. Results: The performance of the method is measured in terms of spatial accuracy using ten inhale/exhale thoracic CT image pairs (available for download at www.dir-lab.com) obtained from the COPDgene dataset and corresponding sets of expert-determined landmark point pairs. The results of the validation procedure demonstrate that the method can achieve a high spatial accuracy on a significantly complex image set. Conclusions: The proposed methodology is demonstrated to achieve a high spatial accuracy and is generalizable in that in can employ any displacement field parameterization described as a least squares fit to block match generated estimates. Thus, the framework allows for a wide range of image similarity block match metric and physical modeling combinations.
The generic allocation of Ibis pagana Milne-Edwards, with a review of fossil ibises (Aves: Threskiornithidae)

ABSTRACT On the basis of characters of the tarsometatarsus, Ibispagana Milne-Edwards from the early Miocene of France is assigned to the living genus Plegadis. Plegadis gracilis A. H. Miller and Bowman, 1956, from the late Pliocene of North America, is a junior homonym of Milnea (=Plegadis) gracilis Lydekker, 1891, and the new name Plegadis pharangites is proposed as a substitute. Plegadis paganus and P. pharangites constitute the only valid Tertiary paleospecies of Threskiornithidae. All other extinct taxa that have been referred to this family are here considered to be Aves incertae sedis except for Theristicus wetmorei Campbell and Eudodmus peruvianus Campbell, from the late Pleistocene of Peru, and the flightless Quaternary taxa Aptertbis glenos Olson and Wetmore of Hawaii and Xenicibis xympithecus Olson and Steadman of Jamaica.
Neonatal euthanasia is unsupportable: the Groningen protocol should be abandoned.

The growing support for voluntary active euthanasia (VAE) is evident in the recently approved Dutch Law on Termination of Life on Request. Indeed, the debate over legalized VAE has increased in European countries, the United States, and many other nations over the last several years. The proponents of VAE argue that when a patient judges that the burdens of living outweigh the benefits, euthanasia can be justified. If some adults suffer to such an extent that VAE is justified, then one may conclude that some children suffer to this extent as well. In an attempt to alleviate the suffering of extremely ill neonates, the University Medical Center Groningen developed a protocol for neonatal euthanasia. In this article, I first present the ethical justifications for VAE and discuss how these arguments relate to euthanizing ill neonates. I then argue that, even if one accepts the justification for VAE in adults, neonatal euthanasia cannot be supported, primarily because physicians and parents can never accurately assess the suffering of children. I argue that without the testament of the patient herself as to the nature and magnitude of her suffering, physicians can never accurately weigh the benefits and burdens of a child’s life, and therefore any such system would condemn to death some children whose suffering is not unbearable. I conclude that because the primary duty of physicians is to never harm their patients, neonatal euthanasia cannot be supported.
Tracking of multiple objects under partial occlusion

The goal of multiple object tracking is to find the trajectory of the target objects through a number of frames from an image sequence. Generally, multi-object tracking is a challenging problem due to illumination variation, object occlusion, abrupt object motion and camera motion. In this paper, we propose a multi-object tracking scheme based on a new weighted Kanade-Lucas-Tomasi (KLT) tracker. The original KLT tracking algorithm tracks global feature points instead of a target object, and the features can hardly be tracked through a long sequence because some features may easily get lost after multiple frames. Our tracking method consists of three steps: the first step is to detect moving objects; the second step is to track the features within the moving object mask, where we use a consistency weighted function; and the last step is to identify the trajectory of the object. With an appropriately chosen weighting function, we are able to identify the trajectories of moving objects with high accuracy. In addition, our scheme is able to handle partial object occlusion.
Transition metal ion complexes of tiosemicarbazones derived from 2-acetylpyridine. Part 10. A comparison of the chemical and antifungal properties of the copper(II) complexes of 2-acetylpyridine 3-pyrrolidinyl-, 3-piperidinyl-, 3-hexamethyleneiminyl- and 3-azabicyclo[3,2,2]-nonylthiosemicarbazones

Copper(II) complexes of the 3-pyrrolidinylthiosemicarbazones of 2-acetylpyridine and 2-acetylpyridineN-oxide have been prepared and their physical and spectral properties determined. Growth inhibition ofAspergillus niger, Paecilomyces variotii, Penicillium rubrum, andAspergillus terreus by thiosemicarbazones and their copper(II) complexes has been measured. These results are compared to 2-acetylpyridine 3-azacyclothiosemicarbazone ligand complexes.
NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL CRITERIA FOR MCI AND DEMENTIA RISK IN THE FRAMINGHAM HEART STUDY

Overall MCI 2.30 (1.28-4.11) 0.005 2.92 (1.50-5.66) 0.002 3.14 (1.69-5.82) 0.0003 MCI single domain amnestic 1.05 (0.37-3.00) 0.92 1.49 (0.36-6.22) 0.58 0.94 (0.23-3.89) 0.93 MCI multi-domain amnestic 4.79 (2.00-11.5) 0.0005 6.07(1.42-26.0) 0.02 11.4 (3.79-34.5) <0.0001 MCI single domain non-amnestic 1.52 (0.70-3.27) 0.29 2.81 (1.25-6.31) 0.01 2.46 (1.14-5.33) 0.02 MCI multi-domain non-amnestic 2.13 (0.65-6.93) 0.21 2.00 (0.27-14.8) 0.49 3.49 (0.84-14.6) 0.09
Understanding the links between education and smoking.

This study extends the theoretical and empirical literature on the relationship between education and smoking by focusing on the life course links between experiences from adolescence and health outcomes in adulthood. Differences in smoking by completed education are apparent at ages 12–18, long before that education is acquired. I use characteristics from the teenage years, including social networks, future expectations, and school experiences measured before the start of smoking regularly to predict smoking in adulthood. Results show that school policies, peers, and youths’ mortality expectations predict smoking in adulthood but that college aspirations and analytical skills do not. I also show that smoking status at age 16 predicts both completed education and adult smoking, controlling for an extensive set of covariates. Overall, educational inequalities in smoking are better understood as a bundling of advantageous statuses that develops in childhood, rather than the effect of education producing better health.
DIAGNOSTIC APPROACH TO CENTRAL AND PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM VASCULITIS

The diagnostic approach to vasculitides affecting the central and peripheral nervous systems is defined by three salient clinical features: (1) many but not all of the disorders are serious, potentially crippling, or life threatening; (2) many have an extensive differential diagnosis that includes equally serious and potentially treatable alternative disorders; and (3) treatment has a major impact on outcome but involves long-term administration of drugs with serious risks and side effects. Consequently, it is important to make a definitive diagnosis, and there is a premium on making a tissue diagnosis. Treatment is always far more effective when initiated early in the disease course. Thus, definitive diagnostic evaluation should be obtained as quickly as possible. Each major class of vasculitis presents its own particular diagnostic challenges. This article considers the polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) group, the hypersensitivity angiitides, Wegener's granulomatosis (WG), the giant cell arteritides (temporal arteritis, Takayasu's arteritis), and primary angiitis of the CNS (PACNS). A more extensive review is provided by Nadeau and Watson. 26
Oligosaccharides from “standardized intermediates”. Synthesis of a branched tetrasaccharide glycoside isomeric with the blood-group B, type 2 determinant

Abstract Building-block derivatives of the component monosaccharides were used to construct the tetrasaccharide glycoside 15, in which an α- d -Galp-(1→4)- d -Gal linkage replaces the α-(1→3) linkage of the human blood-group B, type 2, determinant structure. The initial coupling of 2-O-benzoyl-3,6-di-O-benzyl-4-O-(tetrahydropyran-2-yl)-α- d -galactopyranosyl chloride to allyl 2-acetamido-3,6-di-O-benzyl-2-deoxy-β- d -glucopyranoside was followed by selective deprotection of the disaccharide product, either at O-4′ (to give 8) or O-2′ (to give 3). The conversion of 8 into 15 involved successive coupling with tetra-O-benzyl-α- d -galactopyranosyl bromide ( 8 → 11), O-debenzoylation at O-2′ ( 11 → 12), coupling with tri-O-benzyl-α- l -fucopyranosyl bromide ( 12 → 14), and O-debenzylation by hydrogenolysis ( 14 → 15). Alternatively, 3 was α- l -fucosylated to give 6, and 6 was selectively deprotected at O-4′ to give 7. However, attempts to α- d -galactosylate 7 were unsuccessful. The unsubstituted forms of the intermediate disaccharide ( 8) and trisaccharide ( 12) glycosides were obtained by appropriate deblocking procedures.
Paradoxostoma Rostratum Sars (Ostracoda, Podocopida) as a Commensal On the Arctic Gammarid Amphipods Gammaracanthus Loricatus (Sabine) and Gammarus Wilkitzkii Birula

Paradoxostoma rostratum Sars devrait etre ajoute a la liste des Ostracodes commensaux. Les adultes sont trouves sur la base des premiers et seconds gnathopodes, et les adultes et les oeufs entre les branchies des Amphipodes arctiques Gammaracanthus loricatus (Sabine) et Gammarus wilkitzkii Birula.