cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The rate of intravenous cocaine administration alters c-fos mRNA expression and the temporal dynamics of dopamine, but not glutamate, overflow in the striatum

The rapid entry of drugs into the brain is thought to increase the propensity for addiction. The mechanisms that underlie this effect are not known, but variation in the rate of intravenous cocaine delivery does influence its ability to induce immediate early gene expression (IEG) in the striatum, and to produce psychomotor sensitization. Both IEG induction and psychomotor sensitization are dependent upon dopamine and glutamate neurotransmission within the striatum. We hypothesized, therefore, that varying the rate of intravenous cocaine delivery might influence dopamine and/or glutamate overflow in the striatum. To test this we used microdialysis coupled to on-line capillary electrophoresis and laser-induced fluorescence, which allows for very rapid sampling, to compare the effects of a rapid (5 s) versus a slow (100 s) intravenous cocaine infusion on extracellular dopamine and glutamate levels in the striatum of freely moving rats. An acute injection of cocaine had no effect on extracellular glutamate, at either rate tested. In contrast, although peak levels of dopamine were unaffected by infusion rate, dopamine levels increased more rapidly when cocaine was administered over 5 versus 100 s. Moreover, c-fos mRNA expression in the region of the striatum sampled was greater when cocaine was administered rapidly than when given slowly. These data suggest that small differences in the temporal dynamics of dopamine neurotransmission may have a large effect on the subsequent induction of intracellular signalling cascades that lead to immediate early gene expression, and in this way influence the ability of cocaine to produce long-lasting changes in brain and behavior.
The Incidence of Peptic Ulceration in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Emphysema: A Statistical Study

A statistical study of hospitalized patients indicated a significantly increased incidence of chronic peptic ulcer in chronic obstructive pulmonary emphysema. Of 478 cases studied, 109 (22.7 per cent) had evidence of associated emphysema and peptic ulcer. A control group of 3225 patients of same age group without emphysema revealed an incidence of 2.7 per cent.
Surface energy effects on the self-assembly of epitaxial quantum dots

Epitaxial self-assembled quantum dots (SAQDs) result from Stranski-Krastanow growth whereby epitaxial 3D islands form spontaneously on a planar thin film. Common systems are Ge x Si 1-x /Si and In x Ga 1-x As/GaAs. SAQDs are typically grown on a (001) surface. The formation and evolution of SAQDs is governed in large part by the interaction of surface energy and elastic strain; however, the surface energy density is quite complicated and not well understood. Many growth processes take place at high temperature where stress and entropy effects can have a profound effect on the surface free energy. There are three competing theories of the nature of the planar (001) surface: I. It is a stable crystal facet. II. It is a stable non-faceted surface. III. It is an unstable crystal antifacet. Each leads to a different theory of the SAQD formation process. The first theory appears most often in modeling literature, but the second two theories take explicit account of the discrete nature of a crystal surface. Existing observational and theoretical evidence in support of and against these theories is reviewed. Then a simple statistical mechanics model is presented that yields a phase-diagram depicting when each of the three theories is valid. Finally, the Solid-on-Solid model of crystal surfaces is used to validate the proposed phase diagram and to calculate the orientation and height dependence of the surface free energy that is expressed as a wetting chemical potential, a wetting modulus and surface tilt moduli.
PSEUDO BAYES ESTIMATES FOR TEST SCORE DISTRIBUTIONS AND CHAINED EQUIPERCENTILE EQUATING

Pseudo Bayes probability estimates are weighted averages of raw and modeled probabilities; these estimates have been studied primarily in nonpsychometric contexts. The purpose of this study was to evaluate pseudo Bayes probability estimates as applied to the estimation of psychometric test score distributions and chained equipercentile equating functions. Population test score distributions were created from actual test data and random samples of varied size were drawn from the populations. Pseudo Bayes estimation was applied to the random samples, using ranges of loglinear models and weights in the pseudo Bayes estimates' weighted averages of the raw and modeled test score probabilities. Equipercentile equating functions based on the pseudo Bayes estimates were also evaluated. Results indicated that the pseudo Bayes estimates have the potential to improve estimation accuracy for test score distributions and chained equipercentile equating functions in situations where loglinear modeling is not ideal and where finding the population loglinear model selection is not likely.
Pancreatic proglucagon processing: isolation and structures of glucagon and glucagon-like peptide from gene I.

The anglerfish endocrine pancreas expresses two different genes for preproglucagon. The regions of the two proglucagons that correspond to glucagon have different sequences, as do the two glucagon-like peptides (GLPs). The products derived from processing the more abundant proglucagon-II have recently been determined. However, it was not known whether proglucagon-I was processed to similar products. The two major biologically active products of preproglucagon-I processing (glucagon- I and GLP-I) have now been purified to homogeneity. Their structures were determined using automated gas phase Edman degradation, tryptic mapping, and fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry. The preproglucagon-I-processing sites were identified. Glucagon-I represents residues 53-81, and GLPI corresponds to preproglucagon-I-(91-124) (numbering from the initiator Met). (Endocrinology 123: 2639–2645,1988)
High-Q toroidal cavities for high frequency klystrons

A toroidal cavity developed for a 4-KW 12 GHz satellite-borne television transmitter klystron is described. The cavity has an internal Q 40 percent higher than that of a conventional cylindrical doubly-reentrant cavity, thus yielding higher circuit efficiency and conserving energy which cannot be recovered in multi-stage depressed potential beam collectors. As a result of optimization studies with a digital computer program for obtaining cavity field distributions by a relaxation method and for computing the intrinsic cavity parameters R/Q and Q δ/λ (where R is the cavity interaction gap shunt impedance, Q the cavity bandwidth parameter f/Δf, and δ/λ the skin-depth to wavelength ratio), a particular cavity configuration with conical reentrant tunnel tips and toroidal walls is shown to provide good thermal characteristics and mechanical rigidity as well as low internal losses. Methods of die-coining toroidal cavities for centimeter and millimeter wavelength klystrons are described and a comparison between theoretically predicted and experimentally measured properties of toroidal cavities is given.
Inability of oral bovine transfer factor to eradicate cryptosporidial infection in a patient with congenital dysgammaglobulinemia.

Abstract A 31-year-old man with dysgammaglobulinemia Type I (deficient IgG, IgA, and elevated IgM) and persistent cryptosporidiosis was treated over a 13-week period with oral bovine transfer factor from calves immunized with cryptosporidia. Spiramycin was added toward the end of the treatment period. This patient failed to show clinical response although there was a decrease in the stool oocyst count from the value just prior to therapy. Bovine transfer factor alone and in combination with spiramycin failed to eradicate the infection in this man with well-documented stable cryptospridiosis.
LOW FREQUENCY DAMPING AND ULTRASONIC ATTENUATION IN TI3SN-BASED ALLOYS

Studies of high-temperature alloys in the Ti-Sn system based on the intermetallic compound Ti3Sn have identified alloys that damp strongly both at low frequencies (0.1 to 10 Hz) and high frequencies (5 to 20 MHz). The low frequency damping behavior shows loss factors as high as 0.04 at room temperature and Young’s moduli that rise with temperature from 40 °C to 100 °C for two alloys. Although the basic mechanism or mechanisms of energy dissipation are presently unknown, the alloys are notable for unusual shapes of microhardness indentations. The deformations imply that large reversible strains can occur at temperatures from 23 °C to 1150 °C.
Tumor-derived serum exosomal microRNA as a novel biomarker for high-grade serous carcinoma

Objectives: High-grade serous cancer (HGSC) is diagnosed at an advanced stage due to the lack of a reliable early detection biomarker. Exosomes are microvesicles, 50–100 nm in size, that form when endosomes fuse with cell membranes and are released into the extracellular space. Modern genomic technology allows researchers to isolate and interrogate circulating serum exosomes. We hypothesize that tumor-derived serum exosomes contain microRNAs (miRNAs) that can serve as novel biomarkers for HGSC. Methods: Exosomes were isolated from 500 μL of serum from 15 patients with stage IIIC or IV HGSC and 16 healthy, unaffected controls using the Exoquick kit (System Biosciences, Mountain View, CA). Exosomes were confirmed by size measurement using the NanoSight NS500 (Salisbury, UK) and the presence of common exosomal proteins (HSP70, CD9, CD81, and CD63) through Western blots. miRNAs were extracted from isolated exosomes using the Seramir kit (System Biosciences), and 800 commonly expressed human miRNAs were quantified with the NanoString nCounter platform (NanoString Technologies, Seattle, WA). miRNA expression was validated using Taqman real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with spike-in controls (Life Technologies, Norwalk CT). Two-sided statistical tests were used as appropriate. Results: Expected exosome size was confirmed by Nanosight evaluation, and Western blots confirmed the presence of common exosome-associated proteins: HSP70, CD9, CD81 and CD63. Of the 800 miRNAs measured, 56 were found to have more than twofold higher expression in HGSC samples compared to controls at a strict Bonferroni-corrected P b 0.01. No miRNAs were overexpressed in the control samples. Taqman RT-PCR has validated relative gene expression for select miRNAs. The Figure shows nonsignificant differences in expression for mir-16 and significant differential expression for mir-200a and mir-1283 in the discovery and validation platforms for HGSC cases and unaffected controls. Conclusions: Serum exosomal miRNAs are overexpressed in patients with advanced-stage HGSC compared to healthy controls. These findings suggest that serum exosomal miRNAsmay serve as novel biomarkers for advanced HGSC. Future work will be required to determine if exosomal miRNA expression is sufficient for early detection.
Improving the detectability of CNT based infrared sensors using multi-gate field effect transistor

Carbon nanotube (CNT) is a novel one dimensional (1D) material that has unique electrical and optoelectronic properties. Photo-sensors using CNT can sense infrared signals by using Schottky barriers between metal and nanotube, which are able to separate photo-generated electron-hole pairs in order to generate photocurrent or photovoltage for detection and quantification. It has been demonstrated that both asymmetric metal structure and electrical field can improve the performance of the sensors by manipulating the energy alignment between metal and CNT. However, it is not clear how to optimize the design of the CNT photo-sensors. An asymmetric multi-gate field effect transistor based infrared detector was fabricated, integrating with asymmetric metal structure (Au-CNT-Al) and multiple gates, which allow for controlling the doping level at source, drain and channel independently. It was found that dark current was suppressed and photocurrent was enhanced by applying negative gate voltages, thus improving sensor's performance. The CNT detector exhibited similar photo-response when modulating the doping level of CNT segments at source, drain and bulk. We ascribe this to the charge distribution that has a long tail extending over the whole tube.
Transient Response Of One- And Two-Color Optical Pyrometry Systems

The time response of one- and two-color optical pyrometry systems is evaluated theoretically and demonstrated experimentally. Optical pyrometers are found to respond much more rapidly for temperature increases and much more slowly for temperature decreases than does a linear temperature-measurement system with the same time constant. Accurate measurement of temperature decreases can require a detection system response time up to 100 times faster than the change in temperature of the object being measured.
Application of neural networks to autonomous rendezvous and docking of space vehicles

NASA-Marshall has investigated the feasibility of numerous autonomous rendezvous and docking (ARD) candidate techniques. Neural networks have been studied as a viable basis for such systems' implementation, due to their intrinsic representation of such nonlinear functions as those for which analytical solutions are either difficult or nonexistent. Neural networks are also able to recognize and adapt to changes in their dynamic environment, thereby enhancing redundancy and fault tolerance. Outstanding performance has been obtained from ARD azimuth, elevation, and roll networks of this type.
The implications of DSM-III personality disorders for patients with major depression

We studied 78 inpatients with DSM-III major depression. Forty-one (53%) had a concurrent personality disorder (PD) according to a detailed structured interview for DSM-III personality disorders. The patients with depression plus PD differed from patients with depression alone on numerous measures. The PD patients had earlier onset; higher HRS scores; poorer social support; more life stressors; more frequent separation and divorce; more frequent nonserious suicide attempts, less frequent dexamethasone nonsuppression; poorer response to antidepressant medication; and higher risk for depression, alcoholism and antisocial personality among first-degree relatives. The PD subgroup shares many attributes with Winokur's subtype of depression spectrum disorder and Akiskal's character spectrum disorder. An attempt to identify a subgroup of personality disorders which might be an atypical affective disorder was inconclusive. However, patients in DSM-III cluster III were similar to the patients with no-PD on the dexamethasone suppression test, response to treatment, and familial risk for depression and antisocial personality.
Pac studies of spin deviations, pressure induced hyperfine field shifts, and temperature variation of supertransferred hyperfine fields

A PAC study of111Cd substiuted antiferromagnetic transition metal salts is reported. Supertransferred hyperfine fields at111Cd nuclei were used for the first time to observe three effects: zero-point spin deviations, temperature variation, and pressure shift of the hyperfine field. Comparison of KNiF3 and RbMnF3 with their corresponding quadraticlayer fluorides K2NiF4 and Rb2MnF4 yields an estimate for the magnitude of the zeropoint spin deviation in doped antiferromagnets. The temperature dependences of the Cd hyperfine fields in RbMnF3/Cd and MnF2/Cd have been determined. The shift in hyperfine field observed for α-MnS/Cd under external pressure further supports our model for the origin of the supertransferred hyperfine fields.
Demonstration of MPLW515K, but not JAK2V617F, in in vitro expanded CD4+ T lymphocytes.

Demonstration of MPL W515K, but not JAK2 V617F, in in vitro expanded CD4+ T lymphocytes
Studying Crisis Communication From the Subaltern Studies Framework: Grassroots Activism in the Wake of Hurricane Katrina

The dominant crisis communication literature has 3 limitations: its managerial bias, functionalistic orientation, and the erasure of marginalized voices by focusing on restituting the status quo. Due to these limitations, studies that aim to understand crisis experiences, interpretive processes, and communicative responses of the politically less powerful and resource-poor are scarce in the crisis communication literature. Drawing upon the subaltern studies literature, this article suggests an alternative approach (i.e., the subaltern studies framework) to aid crisis communication researchers to (a) expand the scope of the literature to nonmanagerial contexts, (b) speak to the discursive nature of crisis communication, and (c) attend to the issues of structure and agency in the interpretations of and responses to crises. A case study of grassroots activism in New Orleans is presented to illustrate how the application of the subaltern studies framework can provide a theoretical entry point for conceptualiz...
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Accumulation in Urban, Suburban, and Rural Vegetation

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) partition from the atmosphere to vegetation, soil, water, and sediment. In an effort to quantitate vegetation's ability to scavenge PAH, we collected vegetation samples from urban, suburban, and rural locations during the summer and fall of 1995 and determined PAH burdens (ng/cm2) on a mass per total leaf surface area basis. The total PAH burdens in the rural vegetation samples were, on average, 10 times lower than in the urban samples, confirming that atmospheric PAH burdens are higher near presumed source regions. We also compared the individual PAH burden profiles for urban, suburban, and rural samples. All samples had similar profiles for fluorene, phenanthrene, fluoranthene, and pyrene, while the rural samples were depleted of anthracene, benz[a]anthracene, and several higher molecular weight PAH. In order to calculate a PAH to vegetation mass balance for the northeastern region of the United States, we divided this land area into rural, suburban, and urban clas...
Potentially active volcanoes of Peru - Observations using Landsat Thematic Mapper and Space Shuttle imagery

A synoptic study of the volcanoes of southern Peru (14-17 deg S), the northernmost part of the Central Volcanic Zone (CVZ 14-28 deg S) of the Andes, was conducted on the basis of Landsat TM images and color photography. The volcanoes were classified and their relative ages determined using subtle glacial-morphological features. Eight of them were postulated as potentially active. These are located in a narrow volcanic zone which probably reflects a steep dip of the Nazca plate through the zone of magma generation. The break in the trend of the volcanic arc possibly reflects the complexity of the crustal stress field above a major segment boundary in the subducting plate. There are also fields of mafic monogenetic centers in this region. In comparison with the southern part of the CVZ, the general paucity of older volcanic edifices north of 17 deg S suggested a more recent onset of volcanism, a possible result of the oblique subduction of the Nazca ridge and the consequent northward migration of its intersection with the Peru-Chile trench. This, together with the lack of any large silicic caldera systems and youthful dacite domes, suggested that there are real differences in the volcanic evolution of the two parts of the CVZ.
Intramolecular Singlet-Singlet and Triplet-Triplet Energy Transfer in Adamantyl-Linked Trichromophores

Intramolecular singlet−singlet energy transfer (SSET) has been observed in 4-(3-(x-phenanthryl)-1-adamantyl)-4‘-(3-(2-naphthyl)-1-adamantyl)biphenyl (3), a trichromophoric molecule consisting of phenanthrene, biphenyl, and naphthalene groups linked sequentially by adamantane bridges in which chromophore attachment is at the tertiary 1- and 3-adamantyl positions. UV−visible absorption, steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence, low-temperature phosphorescence and room-temperature laser flash photolysis measurements indicate that efficient SSET takes place with equal probability from the central biphenyl group to each of the terminal chromophores with a rate constant, k > 6 × 1010 s-1. Slower SSET from the naphthyl chromophore to the phenanthryl group occurs with a rate constant k ∼ 9 × 106 s-1. The experimentally determined SSET efficiency and a calculation of the critical Forster distance, when combined with molecular modeling, indicate that a Forster mechanism is sufficient to account for the observed ...
An evaluation of parametric and non‐parametric tests on modified and non‐modified data

A number of studies have questioned the robustness of the parametric F ratio to assumption violation and have recommended alternative procedures. These procedures differ in terms of whether they are parametric or non-parametric, and whether they involve data modification or not. The present study compares Type I error rates and power of these approaches when they are calculated on data from a common mixed normal distribution. The tests investigated are F (parametric test, without data modification), Fm (parametric test, with data modification), Approximate randomization test (non-parametric test, without data modification), and Mann–Whitney U (non-parametric test, with data modification). Contrary to a previous study, the approximate randomization approach did not show good power characteristics. The Fm test and the Mann–Whitney U did show good power, with the former outperforming the latter.
Spectra of the P i isoelectronic sequence from Co xiii to Mo xxviii

Phosphoruslike spectra Cu xv to Mo xxviii have been identified in tokamak- and laser-produced plasmas in the wavelength range of 83 to 163 A. These were obtained with the TEXT tokamak at the University of Texas and the 1-GW Nd:glass laser at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, using 2.2- and 10.7-m grazing-incidence spectrographs, respectively. Wavelength measurements were made with an uncertainty of ±0.005 A. All the classified lines arise from the 3s23p3–3s23p23d array. They were identified through detailed comparisons with Hartree–Fock calculations of wavelengths and relative intensities along the isoelectronic sequence. All spectra from Cu to Mo were observed, except for Rb and Sr, whose wavelengths are predicted by interpolation with an uncertainty of ±0.02 A. By means of previously observed magnetic-dipole (M1) lines within the 3s23p3 ground configuration and comparisons with published Dirac–Fock calculations, all the energy levels of this configuration were determined with an uncertainty of ±10 to 100 cm−1 for Co to Mo. These levels were used to predict all the M1 wavelengths. A correction to the Co xiv ground configuration is made by means of a previously published list of M1 lines.
Results of in vitro fertilization in patients with endometriomas: is surgical removal beneficial?

Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of endometriomas on clinical pregnancy rates of in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer. Study design Infertile patients with endometriosis who underwent in vitro fertilization–embryo transfer were divided into group 1 patients who had a history of ovarian endometriomas and group 2 patients who did not. The patients in group 1 were further divided into group 1A who had their endometriomas removed by laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy before the start of in vitro fertilization–embryo transfer and group 1B who underwent in vitro fertilization–embryo transfer with the presence of endometriomas. The clinical pregnancy rates of these groups were compared. Results Clinical pregnancy rates per transfer were similar in group 1 and group 2 (40% vs 47%; P = .38) and similar in patients in group 1A and group 1B (47% vs 34%; P = .28), although the direction was toward improved pregnancy rates in the groups of patients without endometriomas present at the time of in vitro fertilization stimulation. When patients >39 years of age were excluded, the overall pregnancy rate was higher in those patients who had no current endometriomas than in those patients who had endometriomas present at the time of stimulation (65% vs 39%; P = .05). For patients with unilateral endometriomas, similar numbers of mature oocytes were aspirated between the affected and unaffected ovaries. Conclusion Although the history of endometriomas does not appear to affect in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer outcomes adversely, there may be a benefit in the removal of endometriomas before in vitro fertilization.
Drug use in the social networks of heroin and cocaine users before and after drug cessation.

The present study examined social control processes in drug cessation among adults. Social control theory posits that the association between drug use and the drug use of a person's social network results from an individual seeking out similar peers. The data included 629 individuals who reported past-year heroin or cocaine use at baseline and had follow-up data in a community study in Baltimore, MD. Negative binomial regression modeling indicated that the reduction in social network drug use was significantly greater for quitters than those who did not quit. Compared to non-quitters at baseline, the incidence rate ratio (IRR) of the number of drug-using network members was 0.86 for quitters at baseline, 0.71 for non-quitters at follow-up, and 0.28 for quitters at follow-up (all p < 0.05). These findings support social control theory in adult drug use cessation. Future research should extend the length of follow-up and assess bidirectional influences.
Non-Diagnostic Electrocardiographic Patterns

Non-diagnostic electrocardiographic tracings are encountered frequently which do not coincide with the criteria of established picture. They are occasionally confused with more characteristic patterns. Such variations which are included in this discussion are found in neurocirculatory asthenia, acute nonspecific myocarditis or pericarditis, chronic constrictive pericarditis, thyroid dysfunctions, beriberi, and various electrolyte imbalances. Recognition of suggestive patterns in conjunction with a careful history, examination, and other laboratory studies may prove vital since most of these conditions are reversible with appropriate therapy.
The OSS-1 mission - Lessons learned in developing and integrating experiments

Experience gained in the development and integration of experiments for the OSS-1 payload to be carried on board the Space Shuttle for the characterization of the effects of the STS environment on future scientific missions is related. Following a review of mission objectives, including the demonstration of Shuttle research capabilities and the evaluation of new technology, the experiments and mission operations to be performed are outlined, and mission support requirements are indicated. The conduct of mission management by the Goddard Space Flight Center, which required interfacing with a large number of other agencies, centers, and investigators and contractors and an enormous amount of formal documentation, is then examined, with consideration given to the management of mechanical, electrical, and thermal systems development mock-up construction, EMI/EMC and acoustic testing, the formation of an integration and test team, and trade-offs between cost, schedule and performance. It is concluded that although work still remains to be done, significant progress has been made in ensuring that the STS is a viable system for space exploration.
Monoclonal antibodies raised against post-translational domains of the electroplax sodium channel.

Eleven monoclonal antibodies were identified that recognized eel electroplax sodium channels. All the monoclonal antibodies specifically immunostained the mature TTX-sensitive sodium channel (M r 265,000) on immunoblots. None of the monoclonal antibodies would precipitate the in vitro translated channel core polypeptide in solution. One monoclonal antibody, 3G4, was found to bind to an epitope involving terminal polysialic acids. Extensive digestion of the channel by the exosialidase, neuraminidase, or partial polysialic acid removal bythe endosialidase, endo-N-acetylneuraminidase, destroy the 3G4 epitope, 3G4 is, therefore, a highly selective probe for the post-translationally attached polysialic acids. Except for this monoclonal antibody, the epitopes recognized by the remaining antibodies were highly resistant to extensive N-linked deglycosylation. Thus, the monoclonal antibodies may be directed against unique post-translationally produced domains of the electroplax sodium channel, presumably sugar groups that are abundant on this protein (Miller, J.A., Agnew, W.S., Levinson, S.R. 1983.Biochemistry22:462–470). These monoclonal antibodies should prove useful as tools to study discrete post-translational processing events in sodium channel biosynthesis.
Expanding the Mediational Model of the Effects of Health‐Related Social Control

Tucker, Orlando, Elliott, and Klein (2006) proposed that the associations between social control attempts and health behaviors are mediated by affects. The evidence is mixed regarding whether affects fully mediate these associations. In a sample of 317 college students involved in heterosexual dating relationships, we tested Tucker's mediational model and an expanded mediational model that incorporated the action readiness component of emotions (motivation to change and reactance). Full mediation of the associations between (a) positive social control and health behavior change; and (b) negative social control and hiding unhealthy behavior were found only when motivation to change and reactance were included in the model. Unexpectedly, reactance and negative social control exerted direct effects on health behavior change.
Retromodulation/conjugation using a self-pumped atomic sodium phase-conjugate mirror.

A self-pumped atomic sodium phase-conjugate mirror was modified to include an amplitude modulator, which thus formed a device capable of encoding temporal information onto the phase-conjugate return beam. Modulation rates of as much as 4 MHz with modulation depths in the range of 70–90% (both limited by the electronics and the modulator) have been obtained by using an intracavity acousto-optic modulator.
Interstellar communication: The case for spread spectrum

Abstract Spread spectrum, widely employed in modern digital wireless terrestrial radio systems, chooses a signal with a noise-like character and much higher bandwidth than necessary. This paper advocates spread spectrum modulation for interstellar communication, motivated by robust immunity to radio-frequency interference (RFI) of technological origin in the vicinity of the receiver while preserving full detection sensitivity in the presence of natural sources of noise. Receiver design for noise immunity alone provides no basis for choosing a signal with any specific character, therefore failing to reduce ambiguity. By adding RFI to noise immunity as a design objective, the conjunction of choice of signal (by the transmitter) together with optimum detection for noise immunity (in the receiver) leads through simple probabilistic argument to the conclusion that the signal should possess the statistical properties of a burst of white noise, and also have a large time-bandwidth product. Thus spread spectrum also provides an implicit coordination between transmitter and receiver by reducing the ambiguity as to the signal character. This strategy requires the receiver to guess the specific noise-like signal, and it is contended that this is feasible if an appropriate pseudorandom signal is generated algorithmically. For example, conceptually simple algorithms like the binary expansion of common irrational numbers like π are shown to be suitable. Due to its deliberately wider bandwidth, spread spectrum is more susceptible to dispersion and distortion in propagation through the interstellar medium, desirably reducing ambiguity in parameters like bandwidth and carrier frequency. This suggests a promising new direction in interstellar communication using spread spectrum modulation techniques.
Collision-avoidance system based on optical flow

Proposes a collision-avoidance system for vehicles, which warns the driver of impending collision. It is based on the parallel computation of the image-motion velocity vector field over a large part of the image plane. This image-motion field is then used as the input to a neural network which computes two properties of the movement of the vehicle relative to its environment. The first is the direction of heading of the vehicle in terms of azimuth and elevation angles. The second is the time-to-contact with the immediate environment in front of the vehicle given the current velocity of the vehicle. The detection of these two properties could be used to warn the driver of impending collision or could be used to make online adjustments to the current trajectory and path of the vehicle. >
The Influence of Informants on Ratings of Children∍s Behavioral Functioning: A Latent Variable Approach

Standardized rating scales remain the primary mechanism through which child behaviors are recorded. Despite the many advantages of such systems, the documented lack of agreement among different informants' ratings of the same child remains a pervasive problem for clinicians. This study examines the degree to which observed behavior ratings were influenced by different informants, relative to the traits these measures were designed to assess. A correlated trait-correlated method confirmatory factor analysis model is estimated on a multitrait-multimethod design in which five behavioral traits were completely crossed with three informants (mothers, fathers, and teachers). Behavioral ratings were completed on 562 first-grade children. Results indicate that ratings of child behavior are heavily influenced by the informant, that informant influences are relatively independent of one another, and that the influence of method variance is often greater than the influence of the trait being assessed.
Electric bicycle transportation system

Bicycles offer extremely efficient, pollution-free transportation for urban and suburban areas, and the addition of electric drive eliminates the sweat, extends the range and helps older riders. However, we must recognize the problems that restrict ridership to a hardy few. For the rider, these include danger from autos, stop and go driving on streets not designed and maintained for skinny tires, and bad weather. And for the local government, bike lanes take up valuable space without providing revenue. Presented here is a concept of an elevated, enclosed bicycle transportation system that would enable the electric bicycle to become an acceptable form of transportation for the general public, and put a major dent in pollution and dependence on foreign oil. The cost of constructing a basic system is presented, along with the cost of climate control of an operating system.
Simulating the Growth of Articular Cartilage Explants in a Permeation Bioreactor to Aid in Experimental Protocol Design

Recently a cartilage growth finite element model (CGFEM) was developed to solve nonhomogeneous and time-dependent growth boundary-value problems (Davol et al., 2008, "A Nonlinear Finite Element Model of Cartilage Growth," Biomech. Model. Mechano-biol., 7, pp. 295-307). The CGFEM allows distinct stress constitutive equations and growth laws for the major components of the solid matrix, collagens and proteoglycans. The objective of the current work was to simulate in vitro growth of articular cartilage explants in a steady-state permeation bioreactor in order to obtain results that aid experimental design. The steady-state permeation protocol induces different types of mechanical stimuli. When the specimen is initially homogeneous, it directly induces homogeneous permeation velocities and indirectly induces nonhomogeneous solid matrix shear stresses; consequently, the steady-state permeation protocol is a good candidate for exploring two competing hypotheses for the growth laws. The analysis protocols were implemented through the alternating interaction of the two CGFEM components: poroelastic finite element analysis (FEA) using ABAQUS and a finite element growth routine using MATLAB. The CGFEM simulated 12 days of growth for immature bovine articular cartilage explants subjected to two competing hypotheses for the growth laws: one that is triggered by permeation velocity and the other by maximum shear stress. The results provide predictions for geometric, biomechanical, and biochemical parameters of grown tissue specimens that may be experimentally measured and, consequently, suggest key biomechanical measures to analyze as pilot experiments are performed. The combined approach of CGFEM analysis and pilot experiments may lead to the refinement of actual experimental protocols and a better understanding of in vitro growth of articular cartilage.
A methodological approach for the minimization of self-interference effects in highly integrated transceiver SoCs

A design methodology is introduced, which is aimed at the minimization of the duration and costs associated with the productization of complex transceiver system-on-chip (SoC) solutions that typically exhibit self-interference problems once fabricated. Such products comprise extensive digital circuitry, mixed-signal functions, and sensitive RF blocks, creating high potential for self-interference within the SoC. The proposed design-for-interference-mitigation (DfIM) approach uses the existing on-chip processing and memory resources to effectively address these problems, thus eliminating the need for a hardware revision and saving the associated time and cost. Two implementation examples for this methodology in Digital RF Processor (DRPTM)-based wireless SoCs are shown to demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach.
Incarceration and injection drug use in Baltimore, Maryland.

Aims There is limited longitudinal research examining incarceration and subsequent changes in drug use among people who inject drugs (PWID) in the United States. The objective of the current study was to characterize the frequency of incarceration and estimate the association between incarceration and subsequent injection drug use among current and former PWIDs in one US city. Design ALIVE (AIDS Linked to the Intravenous Experience) is a prospective cohort study of current and former PWIDs, with semi-annual follow-up occurring since 1988. Setting Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Participants A total of 3245 participants with 48 738 study visits were included. Participants enrolled from 1988 to 2012 with a median of 13 follow-up visits per participant (Interquartile range = 7–25). Measurements Incarcerations were defined as any self-reported jail or prison stays in the previous 6 months that were ≥7 days or longer. The primary outcome was defined as any self-reported injection drug use in the previous 6 months. Findings At baseline, 29% were female, 90% African American and 33% HIV-positive. Fifty-seven per cent of participants experienced at least one incarceration episode. After adjusting for confounders, there was a positive association between incarceration and subsequent injection drug use [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.48, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.37–1.59]; however, stratified analysis showed that the effect was restricted to those who were not injecting at the time of incarceration (AOR = 2.11, 95% CI = 1.88–2.37). Conclusions In the United States, incarceration of people who had previously stopped injecting drugs appears to be associated with an increased risk of subsequent injecting.
Bacterial monologue: an engaging writing activity for nonscience majors.

The anthropocentric focus of microbiology has painted a negative image of the largely unknown bacterial community, when in reality bacteria play many more significant roles than influencing human health. It is important to convey this message to college students so that they can make informed decisions as an educated citizen. Non-major students taking a microbiology course however, may demonstrate poor interest and become further alienated by the abstract terminologies. Recent studies suggest that story writing may enhance scientific literacy, and role-play activities are effective means to engage students. Here, I combine these two strategies and introduce a writing activity in which students impersonate an assigned bacterium. Through this writing exercise, students demonstrated deeper understanding of key concepts in microbiology, greater appreciation of the broad roles of bacteria, and improved attitude towards science and science learning.
The Collective Building of Knowledge in Collaborative Learning Environments

The intention of this chapter is to investigate how collaborative learning environments (CLEs) can be used to elicit the collective building of knowledge. This work discusses CLEs as lively cognitive systems and looks at some strategies that might contribute to the improvement of significant pedagogical practices. The study is supported by rhizome principles, whose characteristics allow us to understand the process of selecting and connecting what is relevant and meaningful for the collective building of knowledge. A brief theoretical and conceptual approach is presented and major contributions and difficulties about collaborative learning environments are discussed. New questions and future trends about the collective building of knowledge are suggested.
Memory-efficient and high-throughput decoding of quasi-cyclic LDPC codes

We propose turbo-sum-product (TSP) and shuffled-sum-product (SSP) decoding algorithms for quasi-cyclic low-density parity-check codes, which not only achieve faster convergence and better error performance than the sum-product algorithm, but also require less memory in partly parallel decoder architectures. Compared with the turbo decoding algorithm, our TSP algorithm saves the same amount of memory and may achieve a higher decoding throughput. The convergence behaviors of our TSP and SSP algorithms are also compared with those of the SP, turbo, and shuffled algorithms by their extrinsic information transfer (EXIT) charts.
Block‐oriented NARMAX models with output multiplicities

Block-oriented modeling approaches to the development of NARMAX models for processes exhibiting output multiplicities are introduced. “Feedback block-oriented” model structures are proposed that can force the resulting NARMAX model to have a particular steady-state behavior and reduce the model-identification problem to a constrained, linear model identification. These models are particularly suitable for gray-box modeling approaches where it is assumed that the steady-state behavior of the process is known and a NARMAX model is sought to approximate its dynamic response. The proposed approaches are applied to a CSTR model with three steady states to illustrate their peformance.
ATP hydrolysis pathways and their contributions to pial arteriolar dilation in rats.

ATP is thought to be released to the extracellular compartment by neurons and astrocytes during neural activation. We examined whether ATP exerts its effect of promoting pial arteriolar dilation (P...
Finding Disaster Victims: Robot-Assisted 3D Mapping of Urban Search and Rescue Environments via Landmark Identification

In this Paper a landmark identification method is proposed for identifying large distinguishable landmarks for 3D Visual Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) in a search and rescue environment. The novelty of the method is the utilization of both 3D (i.e., depth images) and 2D images. By utilizing a Scale Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) -based approach and incorporating 3D depth imagery, we can use more reliable and robust recognition and matching between landmarks from multiple images for 3D mapping of the environment. Preliminary experiments utilizing the proposed method verified its ability to identify clusters of SIFT keypoints in the images for representation of potential landmarks in the scene.
Acute Diverticulitis following Cardiac Surgery

Gastrointestinal complications requiring surgical correction following cardiopulmonary bypass most frequently involve the upper gastrointestinal tract. Surgical diseases of the colon are quite unusual in this setting. We recently performed cardiac surgery on three patients who developed acute diverticulitis requiring laparotomy in the early postoperative period. The presentation and management of this disorder after open heart surgery are discussed.
When Doors of Perception Close: Bottom-up Models of Disrupted Cognition in Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a major mental disorder that affects approximately 1% of the population worldwide. Cognitive deficits are a key feature of schizophrenia and a primary cause of long-term disability. Current neurophysiological models of schizophrenia focus on distributed brain dysfunction with bottom-up as well as top-down components. Bottom-up deficits in cognitive processing are driven by impairments in basic perceptual processes that localize to primary sensory brain regions. Within the auditory system, deficits are apparent in elemental sensory processing, such as tone matching following brief delay. Such deficits lead to impairments in higher-order processes such as phonological processing and auditory emotion recognition. Within the visual system, deficits are apparent in functioning of the magnocellular visual pathway, leading to higher-order deficits in processes such as perceptual closure, object recognition, and reading. In both auditory and visual systems, patterns of deficit are consistent with underlying impairment of brain N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor systems.
Successful in utero endoscopic ablation of posterior urethral valves: a new dimension in fetal urology

Fetal lower urinary tract obstructive uropathy, when associated with oligohydramnios, is usually associated with a poor outcome. We present a case of successful in utero endoscopic ablation of posterior urethral valves in which the infant survived the neonatal period without evidence of renal dysplasia. The role, indications, and potential benefits of this novel technique are discussed.
Energy, economic, and environmental analysis of combined heating and power-organic Rankine cycle and combined cooling, heating, and power-organic Rankine cycle systems

Combined heating and power (CHP) and combined cooling, heating, and power (CCHP) systems generate electricity and usable heat on-site from one fuel source while organic Rankine cycles (ORC) generate power from low-temperature heat sources. During the operation of CHP and CCHP systems, there are many instances when the recovered exhaust heat is greater than the required thermal load of the building. In these situations, an ORC can be used to capture the excess heat in order to produce additional electricity. Therefore, combining an ORC system with a CHP system (CHP-ORC) or a CCHP system (CCHP-ORC) can further increase the fuel utilization of the system, thereby reducing the operational costs, primary energy consumption (PEC), and carbon dioxide emissions (CDE). This article examines the economic, energetic, and environmental performance of CHP-ORC and CCHP-ORC systems under the operational strategies of follow the electric load (FEL) and follow the electric load with the option of turning off (FEL/OFF) for...
MIMO OFDM over underwater acoustic channels

MIMO OFDM communication is considered for spatial multiplexing of independent data streams over band-limited, frequency-selective underwater acoustic channels. Long acoustic multipath, however, limits the applicability of MIMO channel estimation methods that require inversion of a matrix whose size is proportional to both the number of transmit elements and the multipath spread. To overcome this problem, an adaptive algorithm is used that does not require matrix inversion and operates in a decision-directed manner, thus reducing both the computational complexity and the overhead. The algorithm makes use of a phase synchronization method to compensate for the non-uniform Doppler shifting in a wideband acoustic system, and exploits the remaining temporal coherence. System performance is successfully demonstrated using real data transmitted over 1 km in shallow water, with a varying number of carriers (128–1024), transmitters (1–3), and modulation levels (4 and 8 PSK) in the 8–18 kHz band.