cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Human systems analysis in the software engineering curriculum

Abstract Software is produced by people, for use by people, most frequently in an organization. As a result, any software engineering project includes related technical objects, concepts, and processes, and human and organizational objects, concepts, and processes. The relations are many and varied, ranging from the most technical to the most specifically human, such as point of view and emotional reaction. Software engineering education must therefore be almost impossibly eclectic. This paper presents a unique approach to the software engineering curriculum, human systems analysis that has been in use at Northern Illinois University for six years. It is designed to enable students to analyze the entire super-system, including the producing community, the software system, and user community, and then use that analysis in all phases of a software project. The curriculum addresses an important area of software engineering in a unique way, is highly unusual in both form and content, and is based on a unique theoretical foundation, Descriptive Psychology.
The Systematic Status of the Black Howler Monkey, Alouatta Pigra Lawrence

An apparent case of sympatry between two supposed races of Alouatta pallida (Gray) was discovered near Macuspana, Tabasco, Mexico. Howler monkeys in the Tabascan series were easily separated into two distinct groups based on various characteristics of the cranium, dentition, and pelage. Further comparisons revealed that these two groups were identifiable as Alouatta palliata mexicana Merriam and Alouatta palliata pigra Lawrence. Several possible interpretations of this situation are discussed and, in view of the observed sympatry and distinctive morphological differences, pigra is elevated to specific status; the systematic status of Ahuatta villosa (Gray) also is discussed. Several admittedly speculative explanations are offered to account for the existence of two distinct species of howler monkeys in Middle America.
Uranium-series chronology and cosmogenic 10Be–36Cl record of Antarctic ice

Abstract We present new uranium-series and cosmogenic nuclide age data obtained by sensitive thermal ionization and accelerator mass spectrometric techniques for samples of dusty polar ice from Allan Hills, Antarctica. These data are used to further evaluate the applicability of these nuclides for direct radiometric dating of polar ice. In order to minimize artifacts during sample processing we developed an improved method utilizing ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) to stabilize uranium-series nuclides dissolved in polar ice during ice melting and filtration. Our measurements revealed low uranium-series daughter abundances and large uranium-series ( 234 U/ 238 U, 230 Th/ 234 U, 226 Ra/ 230 Th, 231 Pa/ 235 U) disequilibria in the filtered 10 Be/ 36 Cl ratios are most likely recently inherited from precipitation. The short-lived daughter 226 Ra is the exception and is enhanced in the 238 U– 234 U– 230 Th– 226 Ra disequilibria in the volcanic dust bands also suggests that ice ages are greater than 10 ka, consistent with recoil-based ages. Our relatively young ice ages can be compared with previously published relatively old terrestrial ages of meteorites from this area and suggests that meteorites at Allan Hills have experienced a multi-stage history of ice accumulation and/or ice flow. Our results also suggest that large uranium-series disequilibria can be inherited from precipitation, which may provide a method for dating clear ice samples.
Nepheline Crystallization in High-Alumina High-Level Waste Glass

The understanding of the crystallization of aluminosilicate phases in nuclear waste glasses is a major challenge for nuclear waste vitrification. Robust studies on the compositional dependence of nepheline formation have focused on large compositional spaces with hundreds of glass compositions. However, there are clear benefits to obtaining complete descriptions of the conditions under which crystallization occurs for specific glasses, adding to the understanding of nucleation and growth kinetics and interfacial conditions. The focus of this work was the investigation of the microstructure and composition of one simulant high-level nuclear waste glass crystallized under isothermal and continuous cooling schedules. It was observed that conditions of low undercooling, nepheline was the most abundant aluminosilicate phase. Further undercooling led to the formation of additional phases such as calcium phosphate. Nepheline composition was independent of thermal history.
Assessment of the Undrained Response of Sands under Limited and Complete Liquefaction

The technique presented deals with the assessment, based on drained test behavior and formulation, of the undrained postcyclic stress-strain behavior of sands under limited or complete (full) liquefaction and its associated strength. At present, there is no particular procedure that allows assessment of such undrained postcyclic behavior that could develop full (pore-water pressure ratio, ru =1 ) or limited ( ru <1 ) liquefaction. The prediction of the undrained postliquefaction (full or limited liquefaction) response presented here is based on basic properties of sand such as its relative density ( D rc ) [or ( N1 ) 60 blowcount], the effective angle of internal friction (φ) , the roundness of the sand grains (ρ) , and the drained axial strain at 50% stress level ( e50 ) . The technique presented accounts for the excess pore-water pressure induced by cyclic loading ( Δ uc ) and the postcyclic excess pore-water pressure generated under undrained monotonic loading ( Δ ud ) .
A cyclopentadienyl ring exchange method for the attachment of early transition metal metallocene dichlorides to a polymer support

Abstract PMR and mass spectral analysis have been used to study the interchange of π-bonded cyclopentadienyl rings with σ-bonded cyclopentadienyl rings in the compounds (C 5 H 5 ) 4 M (M = Ti, Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta, Mo and W) and (C 5 H 5 ) 3 V or a-bonded benzylcyclopentadienyl rings in the compounds (C 6 H 5 CH 2 C 5 H 4 ) (C 5 H 5 ) 2 MC1 (M = Ti, Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta, Mo and W). As soon as the Cp 4 M species are generated (indicated by a color change), the interchange occurs and the equilibrium is established. As reported, no such interchange was observed in (C 5 H 5 ) 4 Mo in the PMR time scale; however, it does occur after a longer time. By using this interchange behavior of the cyclopentadienyl ring, metallocene dichlorides of Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Mo and W have been attached to polystyrene-divinylbenzene beads.
Trade, institutions, and the timing of GATT/WTO accession in post-colonial states

Prior to 1995, when the World Trade Organization (WTO) superseded the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), a number of states took advantage of GATT Article XXVI:5(c), which allowed them—as former colonies or component territories of existing GATT members—to quickly and simply join the multilateral trade regime. The speed with which these post-colonial accessions took place, however, varied widely: some states joined immediately upon independence, while others joined much later. Still other post-colonial states passed on this opportunity, only to subsequently begin the longer, more onerous accession process required of other GATT/WTO applicants. Our paper seeks to explain this variation in the timing of post-colonial states’ accession to the GATT/WTO. We argue that three key variables explain the timing of accession decisions: 1) a country’s trade ties with existing member-states; 2) its existing preferential trade agreement (PTA) commitments; and 3) its domestic political institutions—specifically, the country’s level of democracy. Furthermore, we argue that the effects of these variables are conditional upon each other: post-colonial countries with more extensive trade ties to existing member-states were more likely to accede rapidly under Article XXVI:5(c), but only under specific conditions—namely, when they had not already locked in ties with key trading partners through bilateral or regional PTAs, and when they were governed by a more democratic regime. We test this argument empirically using an original dataset of 61 post-colonial states from 1951 to 2004. Our results strongly support this explanation of GATT/WTO accession and help to clarify the pattern of participation in the multilateral trading system that we have observed over the last half-century.
Order and Disorder in C60 and KxC60 Multilayers: Direct Imaging with Scanning Tunneling Microscopy

Monolayer and multilayer structures of C60, a high temperature van der Waals solid, have been studied with scanning tunneling microscopy. Structures grown on GaAs(110) at 300 kelvin and at elevated temperatures show significantly different morphologies because of balances between thermodynamics and kinetics. Condensation onto stepped surfaces demonstrates preferred bonding and nucleation at step edges. Detailed studies of potassium incorporation in crystalline C60 show highly ordered structures in the K3C60 metallic state but disordered non-metallic structures for high potassium concentrations.
Inhibition of in vitro germination and spherulation ofCoccidioides immitis byAllium sativum

An aqueous extract of a dehydrated garlic preparation with uniform consistency inhibited all eight clinical isolates of the dimorphic fungus,Coccidioides immitis. The inhibitory and lethic concentrations were in the range of 3.12–6.25 mg/ml for both the saprophytic (mold) and parasitic (spherule) forms ofC. immitis. At 6.25-mg/ml concentration, the organism lost its viability within 6 h. The conversion of arthroconidia into spherules in a chemically defined liquid medium was prevented by garlic extract diluted to 1:320 (3.12 mg/ml). The data indicate that components of garlic readily inhibited the in vitro germination and spherulation of this medically important dimorphic fungus.
Late results of mitral valve reconstruction in the elderly.

Abstract Background . This study attempts to confirm favorable results with mitral valve reconstruction (MVP) in patients greater than or equal to 70 years of age and to examine complication rates by actual analysis. Methods . Between June of 1980 and December of 1997, 278 patients 70 years of age or older (mean, 75.2 years; range, 70 to 87 years) underwent MVP for mitral regurgitation. Most involved insertion of an annuloplasty ring. Concomitant procedures were performed in 72.3%, and 55.0% required coronary revascularization. Results . For isolated MVP, the in-hospital mortality rate was 6.5% and 17.0% when combined with coronary revascularization. The mortality rate when combined with another valve procedure was 13.2%. The 5-year freedom from late cardiac death was 100% in the isolated MVP group and 79.7% for MVP with a concomitant procedure ( p = 0.006). Complications were analyzed using actual (cumulative incidence) analysis to eliminate the competing risk of noncardiac death. Mean NYHA class improved from 3.32 to 1.71 postoperatively. Repair failure was rare, with a 5-year freedom from reoperation of 91.2%. Conclusions . These findings confirm the favorable outcome of MVP in elderly patients. Late repair failures are rare; comorbid disease is an important predictor of outcome.
Electrospun linear polyethyleneimine scaffolds for cell growth.

Abstract Unique biocompatible scaffolds were produced by electrospinning cross-linked linear polyethyleneimine (PEI) with succinic anhydride and 1,4-butanediol diglycidyl ether. Nonwoven mats of PEI fibers in the range of 1600–687 nm were evaluated as interaction scaffolds for normal human fibroblast (NHF) cells. The electrospun scaffolds were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy. The growth of the NHF cells was followed by scanning electron microscopy as well as optical and fluorescence microscopies. Cell viability was evaluated by staining with propidium iodide for dead cells and fluorescein diacetate for live cells. Immunofluorescence with fixed cells on the scaffolds was examined by staining the endoplasmic reticulum with rabbit anti-GRP 78/Alexa 488 goat anti-rabbit and staining the nuclei with 4′-6′-diamidino-2-phenylindole. Fluorescence studies confirmed that NHF cells attached and spread throughout the cross-linked linear polyethyleneimine scaffold. The attachment and spreading of cells suggests that electrospun linear polyethyleneimine scaffolds support growth of normal human fibroblasts cells. Thus, these biomaterial scaffolds may be useful in tissue engineering.
2-Point microstructure archetypes for improved elastic properties

Rectangular models of material microstructure are described by their 1- and 2-point (spatial) correlation statistics of placement of local state. In the procedure described here the local state space is described in discrete form; and the focus is on placement of local state within a finite number of cells comprising rectangular models. It is illustrated that effective elastic properties (generalized Hashin–Shtrikman bounds) can be obtained that are linear in components of the correlation statistics. Within this framework the concept of an eigen-microstructure within the microstructure hull is useful. Given the practical innumerability of the microstructure hull, however, we introduce a method for generating a sequence of archetypes of eigen-microstructure, from the 2-point correlation statistics of local state, assuming that the 1-point statistics are stationary. The method is illustrated by obtaining an archetype for an imaginary two-phase material where the objective is to maximize the combination \(C_{xxxx}^{*} + C_{xyxy}^{*}\)
Structure of Sodium Rydberg States in Weak to Strong Electric Fields

We present results of an experimental survey of the $n=15$ state of Na in electric fields from 0 to 4 kV/cm. Both linear and higher-order Stark effects play important roles. States with low $|m|$ show marked differences from hydrogenic behavior, particularly in the vicinity of level crossings. Computed values for the energy levels are in good agreement with the data. The experimental method provides a simple technique for populating selected Stark or angular momentum levels of a Rydberg state.
ESR and NMR Studies on the Effects of Magnesium Ion on Chloroplast Manganese

The addition of 1–50 mM MgCl, to “low salt” thylakoid membranes causes a monotonic decrease in the transverse, aqueous proton relaxation rate (R2 = 1/T2) and an increase in the 6-line ESR spectrum characteristic of free Mn(II) but does not affect the oxygen evolution rate. These results suggest that magnesium ion at low concentrations replaces Mn(II) from a very loosely bound pool which is not involved in oxygen evolution. The decrease of R2 is probably due mainly to the smaller molar relaxivity of free compared with bound Mn(II). R2 can be affected by conformational and structural changes involving the Mn(II) as well as by the amount of Mn(II) and the nature of its binding. However, MgCl2 causes the same decrease in R2 for trypsin treated thylakoids, which do not undergo the gross structural changes, e.g. grana stacking, that it produces in untreated membranes. R2 measurements of isolated light harvesting complex preparations indicate the presence of bound Mn in it; neutron activation analysis of these samples shows that they have about one-third of the functional manganese bound in thylakoid membranes—this may be the tightly bound pool of Mn, but the results are not conclusive.
The impact of colorectal cancer screening on life expectancy

Abstract Methods: The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of screening for colorectal cancer on life expectancy and estimate the number of colonoscopies needed per life year saved. The declining exponential approximation of life expectancy was used to calculate the effect of colorectal cancer screening on expected remaining lifetime. The annual number of deaths from colorectal cancer and the size of the population were obtained from the vital statistics of the United States. Published reports were consulted to determine the decrease in mortality from colorectal cancer achieved by fecal occult blood testing, screening sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy. A Markov chain analysis was used to determine the endoscopic resources required to screen and survey the entire population of U.S. residents age 50 years until death or age 85 years. Results: Colorectal cancer decreases the life expectancy of U.S. residents aged 50 to 54 years by 292 days and those aged 70 to 74 years by 70 days. Screening with fecal occult blood tests extends expected lifetime of the 2 age groups by 51 and 12 days, respectively, whereas screening with sigmoidoscopy leads to increases of 86 and 21 days. Colonoscopic screening increases expected lifetime by 170 and 41 days, respectively. The number of colonoscopies needed to save 1 year of expected life ranges from 2.9 to 6.0, depending on the type of screening regimen used. Conclusions: The extension of life through screening colonoscopy is two or three times longer than the extension achieved through flexible sigmoidoscopy or fecal occult blood test, respectively. Although a large number of colonoscopies are required to screen the U.S. population, relatively few colonoscopies need to be invested per year of life expectancy saved. (Gastrointest Endosc 2000;51:517-23.)
Equal opportunity and justice between generations

Abstract This article argues that in promoting the just society we face ‘ideals without an ideal’, or principles in irreconcilable conflict where to do right we must do wrong. This situation does not, however, prevent us coming to some definite conclusions on specific topics although we lack a systematic theory which holds without exception. The argument is illustrated by reference to the tension between goals of equal opportunity and compensatory justice.
Economic botany: Past and future

Economic botany, like botany, had its origin with the herbalists. Its development was encouraged by various European rulers during the Age of Exploration and Discovery in the 16th century. Recent developments in the United States include A. F. Hill’s textbook, Economic Botany, in 1937 the founding of the journal Economic Botany by E. H. Fulling in 1947 and the formation of the Society for Economic Botany in 1959 Some of the breakthroughs in the development of agriculture, beginning with its origin some 10,000 yr ago, are given. It is concluded that we now need another significant breakthrough to feed the world’s population adequately in the year 2000 Some look to genetic engineering to provide such a breakthrough.
DISCO! Dissociation of Cone Opsins: the Fast and Noisy Life of Cones Explained

Vertebrate retinas contain two types of photoreceptors. Rods are for vision in dim light, while cones provide high-speed color vision in bright light. In this issue of Neuron, Kefalov et al. present data to explain the reduced sensitivity and faster response kinetics of cones. They show that the chromophore dissociates from cone but not rod visual pigment, yielding apo-opsin. This apo-opsin activates the signaling cascade to desensitize cones and speed the photoresponse.
Decay of 243Pu

The radiations associated with the β-decay of 4.96 h 243Pu have been studied with Ge(Li) and Si(Li) detectors and krypton- and xenon-filled proportional counters. Conversion electron lines of the more intense γ-transitions have been measured and tentative multipolarities have been assigned. A decay scheme incorporating some 20 γ-transitions is presented. The Nilsson assignments of 72+[624] for 243Pu and 52−[523] for 243Am are substantiated by the present data. The total β-disintegration energy of 243Pu is 580 ± 10 keV.
Modeling the causal relationships between symptoms associated with restless legs syndrome and the patient-reported impact of RLS

The objective of this study is to examine the causal relationships between the symptoms of restless legs syndrome (RLS) and specific clinical and subjective health-related, quality of life consequences. Structural equation modeling was applied to data from a questionnaire-based observational study. The RLS morbidities of decreased functional alertness and emotional distress in our sample of patients appear to be mostly secondary to the sleep disturbance associated with RLS. There was no clear indication of any other feature of RLS affecting these two aspects of RLS morbidity. A primary treatment goal should be the reduction of the sleep disturbance of RLS, both to decrease the RLS-related nocturnal distress and to improve daytime functioning.
Permeability of catecholamine granules

Abstract The distribution of 14 C-labeled adrenaline, ATP, urea, and EDTA in the intragranular and extra-granular water of chromaffin granules isolated from bovine adrenal glands has been measured and compared to the distribution of 3 H 2 O. It has been found that the granule membrane is freely permeable to adrenaline, ATP and urea but impermeable to EDTA. Calculation of the rate of diffusion across the membrane shows that diffusion of adrenaline is not a limiting factor in the “active” uptake of this amine and that the site of the Mg 2+ -ATP-stimulated uptake does not appear to involve an activation of a transport mechanism across the granule membrane.
Extracellular Ca2+ sensing by the osteoblast-like cell line, MC3T3-E1

The present study was undertaken to clarify the role of extracellular calcium on osteoblast activation. It was found that bradykinin and thrombin induced synthesis of prostaglandin E2 was strongly dependent on the concentration of extracellular calcium in the osteoblast-like cell line, MC3T3-E1. Moreover, this effect was not related to Ca2+ influx, since it was even potentiated by Ni2+ and Co2+, which was not due to intracellular activity of Ni2+, as judged by studies with 63Ni2+. Ba2+, Mg2+ and Sr2+ had no effect. Cd2+ caused dose-dependent synthesis of prostaglandin E2, which was shown to correlate with its cytotoxic properties. The results thus strongly suggest the presence of a divalent cation sensor in osteoblast-like MC3T3-E1 cells.
Control of endothelial targeting and intracellular delivery of therapeutic enzymes by modulating the size and shape of ICAM-1-targeted carriers.

Endocytosis in endothelial cells (ECs) is important for many biomedical applications, including drug delivery by nano- and microscale carriers. However, little is known about how carrier geometry influences endothelial drug targeting, intracellular trafficking, and effects. We studied this using prototype polymer carriers of various sizes (0.1–10 μm) and shapes (spheres versus elliptical disks). Carriers were targeted to intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), a transmembrane glycoprotein that is upregulated in many pathologies and used as a target for intraendothelial drug delivery. ECs internalized anti-ICAM-coated carriers of up to several microns in size via cell adhesion molecule–mediated endocytosis. This pathway is distinct from caveolar and clathrin endocytosis that operate for submicron-size objects. Carrier geometry was found to influence endothelial targeting in the vasculature, and the rate of endocytosis and lysosomal transport within ECs. Disks had longer half-lives in circulation and higher targeting specificity in mice, whereas spheres were endocytosed more rapidly. Micron-size carriers had prolonged residency in prelysosomal compartments, beneficial for endothelial antioxidant protection by delivered catalase. Submicron carriers trafficked to lysosomes more readily, optimizing effects of acid sphingomyelinase (ASM) enzyme replacement in a model of lysosomal storage disease. Therefore, rational design of carrier geometry will help optimize endothelium-targeted therapeutics.
The unipolar diffusion charging of arbitrary shaped aerosol particles

Abstract The unipolar diffusion charging of particles, i.e. the net increase in particle charge through ion–particle collisions, is an important process in a number of aerosol systems. Accurate methods are hence needed to predict the unipolar charging rate, not only for spherical particles, but also particles of arbitrary geometry. In this work, the unipolar charging (described by the particle–ion collision kernel) of conducting, arbitrary shaped particles is studied theoretically. Through a combination of dimensional analysis, Brownian dynamics (BD), and molecular dynamics (MD), the collision kernel is found to be described accurately by a simple-to-use expression across the entire diffusive Knudsen number Kn D range (from the continuum regime to the free molecular regime), where Kn D is the ratio of the ion mean persistence path to a well-defined particle length scale (proportional to the ratio of orientationally averaged projected area PA to the Smoluchowski radius R s ). In the developed collision kernel expression, the effect of repulsive Coulomb and attractive image potential interactions between the ion and the particle are parameterized by the coulomb potential energy to thermal energy ratio, ψ E , and image potential energy to thermal energy ratio, ψ I . It is found that the changes in collision rates due to potential interactions in the continuum ( Kn D →0) and free molecular ( Kn D → ∞ ) regimes collapse to particle geometry independent functions, expressed in terms of ψ E and ψ I . In the transition regime, the dimensionless collision kernel H is shown to be geometry independent, and is a function of a suitably defined Kn D only. Comparison is made between the predictions of the proposed expression and the flux matching model of Fuchs; for non-spherical particles, theories available in the literature are examined and commented upon. Finally, sample calculations of the mean charge acquired by selected particle geometries are presented and discussed.
Sublethal exposure to lead inhibits acquisition and retention of discriminate avoidance learning in green frog (Rana Clamitans) tadpoles

Green frog, Rana clamitans, tadpoles were exposed to 750 μg Pb/L as lead nitrate. Tadpoles used in learning acquisition tests were exposed for 6 d (144 h) and tadpoles used in retention (memory) tests were exposed for 5 d (120 h). Both lead-exposed and control tadpoles were conditioned, using shock avoidance, to associate illumination (conditioned stimulus) with shock (unconditioned stimulus). The mean response time, the number of avoidances and differences in the learning curves of the lead-exposed and control tadpoles were compared statistically. Learning acquisition tests showed increased response times and fewer avoidances in lead-exposed as compared to control tadpoles. Retention tests showed higher response times and no avoidances in lead-exposed tadpoles as compared to controls. These results indicate that sublethal exposure to lead adversely affected both acquisition learning and memory.
A unified view of the role of electrostatic interactions in modulating the gating of Cys loop receptors.

In the Cys loop superfamily of ligand-gated ion channels, a global conformational change, initiated by agonist binding, results in channel opening and the passage of ions across the cell membrane. The detailed mechanism of channel gating is a subject that has lent itself to both structural and electrophysiological studies. Here we defined a gating interface that incorporates elements from the ligand binding domain and transmembrane domain previously reported as integral to proper channel gating. An overall analysis of charged residues within the gating interface across the entire superfamily showed a conserved charging pattern, although no specific interacting ion pairs were conserved. We utilized a combination of conventional mutagenesis and the high precision methodology of unnatural amino acid incorporation to study extensively the gating interface of the mouse muscle nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. We found that charge reversal, charge neutralization, and charge introduction at the gating interface are often well tolerated. Furthermore, based on our data and a reexamination of previously reported data on γ-aminobutyric acid, type A, and glycine receptors, we concluded that the overall charging pattern of the gating interface, and not any specific pairwise electrostatic interactions, controls the gating process in the Cys loop superfamily.
Local and global deformations in a strain-stiffening fibrin gel

Extracellular matrices composed of filamentous biopolymers like collagen and fibrin have viscoelastic properties that differ from those of rubberlike elastomers or hydrogels formed by flexible polymers. Compared to flexible polymer gels, filamentous biopolymer networks generally have larger elastic moduli, a striking increase in elastic modulus with increasing strain, and a pronounced negative normal stress when deformed in simple shear. All three of these unusual features can be accounted for by a theory that extends concepts of entropic elasticity to a regime where the polymer chains are already significantly extended in the absence of external forces because of their finite bending stiffness. An essential assumption of the theories that relate microscopic structural parameters such as persistence length and mesh size of biopolymer gels to their macroscopic rheology is that the deformation of these materials is affine: that is, the macroscopic strain of the bulk material is equal to the local strain within the material at each point. The validity of this assumption for the dilute open meshworks of most biopolymer gels has been experimentally tested by embedding micron diameter fluorescent beads within the networks formed by fibrin and quantifying their displacements as the macroscopic samples are deformed in a rheometer. Measures of non-affine deformation are small at small strains and decrease as strain increases and the sample stiffens. These results are consistent with the entropic model for non-linear elasticity of semiflexible polymer networks and show that strain-stiffening does not require non-affine deformations.
Estimation of blood flow speed and vessel location from thermal video

In this paper we present a novel method for estimation of blood flow speed and vessel location from thermal video. The method is based on a bioheat transfer model that reflects the thermo-physiological processes in a skin region proximal to a major vessel. The model assumes the form of a partial differential equation (PDE) with boundary conditions. Initially, we test the soundness of our model by performing direct numerical simulation. Then, we solve the inverse problem both in steady and dynamic states on data provided by a thermal imaging system. Our method opens exciting possibilities in biometrics and biomedicine. Among others, it promises to revolutionize polygraph examinations by eliminating wiring and improving accuracy. It also establishes the feasibility of continuous 2D physiological monitoring of human patients in a contact-free manner.
The Production System Design and Deployment Framework

This session keynote paper presents a framework for designing and deploying production systems. The framework enables the communication and determination of objectives and design solutions from the highest level to the lowest level of a manufacturing enterprise. The design methodology ensures that the physical implementation, called Design Parameters (DPs), meets the objectives or Functional Requirements (FRs) of the production system design. This paper presents a revolutionary approach to determine the objectives and the implementation of a “lean” production system design for a manufacturing business as guided by the design axiom of independence.
CpGIMethPred: computational model for predicting methylation status of CpG islands in human genome

DNA methylation is an inheritable chemical modification of cytosine, and represents one of the most important epigenetic events. Computational prediction of the DNA methylation status can be employed to speed up the genome-wide methylation profiling, and to identify the key features that are correlated with various methylation patterns. Here, we develop CpGIMethPred, the support vector machine-based models to predict the methylation status of the CpG islands in the human genome under normal conditions. The features for prediction include those that have been previously demonstrated effective (CpG island specific attributes, DNA sequence composition patterns, DNA structure patterns, distribution patterns of conserved transcription factor binding sites and conserved elements, and histone methylation status) as well as those that have not been extensively explored but are likely to contribute additional information from a biological point of view (nucleosome positioning propensities, gene functions, and histone acetylation status). Statistical tests are performed to identify the features that are significantly correlated with the methylation status of the CpG islands, and principal component analysis is then performed to decorrelate the selected features. Data from the Human Epigenome Project (HEP) are used to train, validate and test the predictive models. Specifically, the models are trained and validated by using the DNA methylation data obtained in the CD4 lymphocytes, and are then tested for generalizability using the DNA methylation data obtained in the other 11 normal tissues and cell types. Our experiments have shown that (1) an eight-dimensional feature space that is selected via the principal component analysis and that combines all categories of information is effective for predicting the CpG island methylation status, (2) by incorporating the information regarding the nucleosome positioning, gene functions, and histone acetylation, the models can achieve higher specificity and accuracy than the existing models while maintaining a comparable sensitivity measure, (3) the histone modification (methylation and acetylation) information contributes significantly to the prediction, without which the performance of the models deteriorate, and, (4) the predictive models generalize well to different tissues and cell types. The developed program CpGIMethPred is freely available at http://users.ece.gatech.edu/~hzheng7/CGIMetPred.zip.
Low yield of genetic testing for known vascular connective tissue disorders in patients with fibromuscular dysplasia

Patients with fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) may have clinical features consistent with Mendelian vascular connective tissue disorders. The yield of genetic testing for these disorders among patients with FMD has not been determined. A total of 216 consecutive patients with FMD were identified. Clinical characteristics were collected and genetic test results reviewed for abnormalities in the following genes: transforming growth factor-β receptor 1 and 2 (TGFβR1 and TGFβR2), collagen 3A1, fibrillin-1, smooth muscle α-actin 2, and SMAD3. A total of 63 patients (63/216; 29.2%) were referred for genetic counseling with testing performed in 35 (35/63; 55.6%). The percentage of patients with a history of arterial or aortic dissection, history of aortic aneurysm, systemic features of a connective tissue disorder, and a family history of sudden death was significantly larger in the group that underwent genetic testing (62.9% vs 18.2%, p T, p.Thr204lle and c.1285 T>C, p.Tyr429His). The yield of genetic testing for vascular connective tissue disorders was low in a high-risk subset of FMD patients. However, two patients with a similar phenotype had novel and distinct variants in the TGFβR1 gene, a finding which merits further investigation.
Discriminant analysis: a unified approach

Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) as a dimension reduction method is widely used in data mining and machine learning. It however suffers from the small sample size (SSS) problem when data dimensionality is greater than the sample size. Many modified methods have been proposed to address some aspect of this difficulty from a particular viewpoint. A comprehensive framework that provides a complete solution to the SSS problem is still missing. In this paper, we provide a unified approach to LDA, and investigate the SSS problem in the framework of statistical learning theory. In such a unified approach, our analysis results in a deeper understanding of LDA. We demonstrate that LDA (and its nonlinear extension) belongs to the same framework where powerful classifiers such as support vector machines (SVMs) are formulated. In addition, this approach allows us to establish an error bound for LDA. Finally our experiments validate our theoretical analysis results.
Religious Attendance and Loneliness in Later Life

Purpose of the Study: Studies show that loneliness is a major risk factor for health issues in later life. Although research suggests that religious involvement can protect against loneliness, explanations for this general pattern are underdeveloped and undertested. In this paper, we propose and test a theoretical model, which suggests that social integration and social support are key mechanisms that link religious attendance and loneliness. Design and Methods: To formally test our theoretical model, we use data from the National Social Life Health and Aging Project (2005/2006), a large national probability sample of older adults aged 57–85 years. Results: We find that religious attendance is associated with higher levels of social integration and social support and that social integration and social support are associated with lower levels of loneliness. A series of mediation tests confirm our theoretical model. Implications: Taken together, our results suggest that involvement in religious institutions may protect against loneliness in later life by integrating older adults into larger and more supportive social networks. Future research should test whether these processes are valid across theoretically relevant subgroups.
Triggering ubiquitination of IFNAR1 protects tissues from inflammatory injury

Type 1 interferons (IFN) protect the host against viruses by engaging a cognate receptor (consisting of IFNAR1/IFNAR2 chains) and inducing downstream signaling and gene expression. However, inflammatory stimuli can trigger IFNAR1 ubiquitination and downregulation thereby attenuating IFN effects in vitro . The significance of this paradoxical regulation is unknown. Presented here results demonstrate that inability to stimulate IFNAR1 ubiquitination in the Ifnar1SA knock‐in mice renders them highly susceptible to numerous inflammatory syndromes including acute and chronic pancreatitis, and autoimmune and toxic hepatitis. Ifnar1SA mice (or their bone marrow‐receiving wild type animals) display persistent immune infiltration of inflamed tissues, extensive damage and gravely inadequate tissue regeneration. Pharmacologic stimulation of IFNAR1 ubiquitination is protective against from toxic hepatitis and fulminant generalized inflammation in wild type but not Ifnar1SA mice. These results suggest that endogenous mechanisms that trigger IFNAR1 ubiquitination for limiting the inflammation‐induced tissue damage can be purposely mimicked for therapeutic benefits. ![][1] Inflammatory process in response to injury starts by inducing tissue damage followed by resolution of inflammation. Here, endogenous or induced IFNAR1 ubiquitination and degradation are shown to limit the extent of tissue damage and accelerate healing. EMBO Mol Med (2014) 6, 384–397 [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
Inference of transcriptional regulatory network by two-stage constrained space factor analysis

Motivation: Microarray gene expression and cross-linking chromatin immunoprecipitation data contain voluminous information that can help the identification of transcriptional regulatory networks at the full genome scale. Such high-throughput data are noisy however. In contrast, from the biomedical literature, we can find many evidenced transcription factor (TF)--target gene binding relationships that have been elucidated at the molecular level. But such sporadically generated knowledge only offers glimpses on limited patches of the network. How to incorporate this valuable knowledge resource to build more reliable network models remains a question. Results: We present a modified factor analysis approach. Our algorithm starts with the evidenced TF--gene linkages. It iterates between the network configuration estimation step and the connection strength estimation step, using the high-throughput data, till convergence. We report two comprehensive regulatory networks obtained for Saccharomyces cerevisiae, one under the normal growth condition and the other under the environmental stress condition. Contact: kcli@stat.ucla.edu Supplementary information: http://kiefer.stat.ucla.edu/lap2/download/bti656_supplement.pdf
Supporting Technology for Chain of Custody of Nuclear Weapons and Materials Throughout the Dismantlement and Disposition Processes

Verification technologies based upon electromagnetics and acoustics could potentially play an important role in fulfilling the challenging requirements of future verification regimes. For example, researchers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have demonstrated that low frequency EM signatures of sealed metallic containers can be used to rapidly confirm the presence of specific components on a “yes/no” basis without revealing classified information. PNNL researchers have also used ultrasonic measurements to obtain images of material microstructures which may be used as templates or unique identifiers of treaty accountable items (TAIs). Such alternative technologies are suitable for application in various stages of weapons dismantlement and often reduce or eliminate classified data collection because of the physical limitations of the method. In such cases the need for an information barrier to prevent access to classified data is potentially eliminated, thus simplifying verification scena...
Organometallic chemistry on rhodaheteroborane clusters: reactions with bidentate phosphines and organotransition metal reagents

This article reviews our recent work on the reactions of the rhodaheteroboranes [8,8-(PPh3)2-nido-8,7-RhSB9H10] (1) and [9,9-(PPh3)2-nido-9,7,8-RhC2B8H11] (2), and their derivatives, with the bidentate phosphines, dppe [(CH2)2(PPh2)2], dppp [(CH2)3(PPh2)2], and dppm [CH2(PPh2)2], and also with organotransition metal reagents. Simple substitution of the two PPh3 ligands by a single bidentate phosphine takes place when a 1 : 1 molar ratio of base (dppe or dppp) to rhodathiaborane (1) is used. However, in the presence of an excess of dppe or dppp, products containing 1 or 2 mol of base are formed. These products include a bidentate ligand on the metal and a monodentate ligand on the cage. The displaced hydrogen atom from the cage has moved to the metal center. These bis(ligand) species are unstable with respect to the loss of dihydrogen, affording closo-11 vertex clusters with a pendent phosphine ligand on the cage. In concentrated solutions, the pendent phosphine attacks another cage to afford linked clusters. Under both sets of conditions, when dppm is used, only one product is observed. This species has two dppm ligands coordinated to the metal: one in a unidentate mode and the other bidentate. A similar product is obtained in the reaction of 2 with dppm, although the arrangement of the ligands on the metal in the product is different. Ligand exchange experiments on the dppm–thiaborane system lead to results that provide keys to the reaction pathways in some of these processes. The bis(dppm) derivatives of 1 and 2 are amenable to further derivatization. A second metal may be added, either as an exo-polyhedral atom in a nido cluster in which the metal is part of a bidentate ligand, in the case of 1 and 2, or in a closo cluster derivative of 1 in which the metal is bonded to a dangling PPh2 moiety. Thus, it was possible to add the metals iridium, rhodium or ruthenium to the cluster, in the case of 1 and ruthenium in the case of 2. However, the reaction of more electrophilic organotransition metal reagents, such as Wilkinson's catalyst, with the dppm derivative of 1 affords species resulting from removal of ligand rather than incorporation of metal, and the products shed light on the rearrangement processes in these systems. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Mannheimia haemolytica Leukotoxin Induces Apoptosis of Bovine Lymphoblastoid Cells (BL-3) via a Caspase-9-Dependent Mitochondrial Pathway

Mannheimia haemolytica is a key pathogen in the bovine respiratory disease complex. It produces a leukotoxin (LKT) that is an important virulence factor, causing cell death in bovine leukocytes. The LKT binds to the beta(2) integrin CD11a/CD18, which usually activates signaling pathways that facilitate cell survival. In this study, we investigated mechanisms by which LKT induces death in bovine lymphoblastoid cells (BL-3). Incubation of BL-3 cells with a low concentration of LKT results in the activation of caspase-3 and caspase-9 but not caspase-8. Similarly, the proapoptotic proteins Bax and BAD were significantly elevated, while the antiapoptotic proteins Bcl-2, Bcl(XL) and Akt-1 were downregulated. Following exposure to LKT, we also observed a reduction in mitochondrial cytochrome c and corresponding elevation of cytosolic cytochrome c, suggesting translocation from the mitochondrial compartment to the cytosol. Consistent with this observation, tetramethylrhodamine ethyl ester perchlorate staining revealed that mitochondrial membrane potential was significantly reduced. These data suggest that LKT induces apoptosis of BL-3 cells via a caspase-9-dependent mitochondrial pathway. Furthermore, scanning electron micrographs of mitochondria from LKT-treated BL-3 cells revealed lesions in the outer mitochondrial membrane, which are larger than previous reports of the permeability transition pore through which cytochrome c is usually released.
Self-optimizing control: application to smart exercise machines

In a self-optimizing control problem, it is desired that the plant with a priori unknown parameters perform a task that optimizes a performance index. In the context of intelligent controllers for exercise machines, the resistive/assistive force on the machine is manipulated to cause the user of the machine to maximize his/her mechanical power output while exercising. The optimal manner in which the user exercises is represented by a velocity field which is a function of the individual's unknown biomechanic characteristics. The proposed self-optimizing control approach combines: 1) a continuous state adaptive controller which enables an arbitrary explicitly specified task to be performed; and 2) a finite state excitation supervisor which switches the desired task between a training task and the estimated optimal task based on current system parameter estimates. Depending on the switching scheme chosen, it is shown that the user can asymptotically either execute the true optimal exercise with probability one or operate close to it. Experimental results of the implementation verifies the efficacy of the design.
Racial and Genetic Factors in IgA Nephropathy

Racial and ethnic variations in the incidence of IgA nephropathy (IgAN) could imply both genetic and environmental influences that exist in a complex and poorly understood interplay to modify the expression of the IgAN clinical phenotype. Progress in identifying genetic factors that influence either susceptibility to IgAN or its progression has been slow. Recent progress using family based approaches (genome-wide scan for linkage and family based genetic association studies) to study the genetic basis for susceptibility to familial and sporadic IgAN strongly point to clinical and genetic heterogeneity in the entity we presently call IgAN. The inconsistent findings reported from case-control genetic association studies may be explained by new understanding of the haplotype block structure of the human genome. Rapid improvements in available and developing technologies in the postgenomic era are needed and are expected to accelerate progress in understanding genetic factors underlying IgAN.