cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Shed tumor gangliosides and progression of human neuroblastoma.

Shedding of membrane gangliosides is characteristic of human and experimental tumors. Because some shed tumor gangliosides have potent tumor-enhancing properties, significant ganglioside shedding could influence tumor progression. We examined this possibility in a human tumor, neuroblastoma. Ganglioside shedding, measured as circulating tumor-derived GD2 ganglioside, and the outcome of 74 patients with advanced stage (III and IV) disease were studied. Progression-free survival (PFS) was inversely related to circulating GD2 levels at the time of diagnosis (P = .018). By Kaplan-Meier analysis, the quartile of patients having the highest circulating GD2 levels (greater than or equal to 568 pmol/mL) had a strikingly different outcome from the quartile of patients with the lowest (less than or equal to 103 pmol/mL) GD2 levels (P = .013): median PFS was shorter (9 v 28 months), and the long-term survival rate lower (2-year PFS of 24% v 70%). We conclude that more rapid disease progression and lower survival rate are associated with high circulating GD2 levels at diagnosis and speculate that shed neuroblastoma tumor gangliosides play a role in accelerating tumor progression.
Do Forensic Science Graduate Programs Fulfill the Needs of the Forensic Science Community

This research project was designed to address a number of issues which were felt to be vital to the construction of a meaningful graduate program in forensic chemistry. The purpose of the project was threefold: (1) to determine the current status of the graduate forensic science educational service in the United States; (2) to determine the effectiveness of forensic science graduate programs in providing new employees having appropriate skills and educational background; and (3) to assess the roles of local, state, national, and academic laboratories in forensic science research. The results indicate that graduate degree programs are generally well-focused, but that many managers do not require such training background for applicants. It was also found that, in the perception of forensic science practitioners, forensic science research should be performed in all settings including the practicing labs and academic and Federal research labs, but that funding and release time should be increased to allow for greater efforts and better research.
Some experimental results of an I-band remote set fuze information link for gun launched and helicopter-fired projectiles

Experimental antenna and propagation results, achieved while studying the feasibility of a technique for setting the detonation times of projectiles after they have been fired, are presented. Two aspects of the work are described: 1) Radiation patterns of the fuze receive antenna configuration, and 2) Progagation losses resulting from transmitting through ionized gun gases or through a rocket plume.
Accretion Mass-Loss Relation and Variability in T Tauri Stars

We discuss the different line-emission regions in T Tauri stars and summarize their properties. Results from modeling of emission line profiles and fluxes from the accreting gas and from shock-excited regions close to the stellar surface show that the emission lines originate in the accretion flow. The wind reveals itself, in the permitted lines, as a blue-shifted absorption component. We discuss, in particular, aspects in separating the line contribution from the infall and from the wind. In regard to this, we emphasize the importance in using line-variability to disentangle the wind and infall regions and to gain further understanding in the complex boundary between the in-and outflows around T Tauri stars. This is illustrated by presenting observations of variability in both the infall-emission and wind-absorption line regions.
Controlled argon beam-induced desulfurization of monolayer molybdenum disulfide

Sputtering of MoS2 films of single-layer thickness by low-energy argon ions selectively reduces the sulfur content of the material without significant depletion of molybdenum. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy shows little modification of the Mo 3d states during this process, suggesting the absence of significant reorganization or damage to the overall structure of the MoS2 film. Accompanying ab initio molecular dynamics simulations find clusters of sulfur vacancies in the top plane of single-layer MoS2 to be structurally stable. Measurements of the photoluminescence at temperatures between 175 and 300 K show quenching of almost 80% for an ~10% decrease in sulfur content.
Modus Ponens Under Hypothesis

The Stoic “indemonstrables” were inference rules; a rule about rules was the synthetic theorem : if from certain premisses a conclusion follows and from that conclusion and certain further premisses a second conclusion follows, then the second conclusion follows from all the premisses together. Similar things occur as medieval “rules of consequence”, although not usually on a metametalevel; and (with the same proviso) the following might be deemed a contemporary avatar of that Stoic theorem. If every formula which occurs once or more often in the list A 1 , A 2 , …, An, B 1 , B 2 , …, B m occurs also at least once in the list C 1 , C 2 , …, C r then: This rule [Church: Introduction to Mathematical Logic , 1956, pp. 94, 165], which may be called the rule of modus ponens under hypotheses (MPH), is worthy of attention for the following reasons: A. MPH and the axioms A ⊃ A yield precisely the positive implicative calculus (and very easily, too). B. MPH and the axioms A ⊃ f ⊃ f ⊃ A yield a new formulation of the full classical propositional calculus (in terms of f and ⊃). C. MPH and the axioms ∼A ⊃ A ⊃ A and A ⊃. ∼A ⊃ B yield the classical calculus in terms of ∼ and ⊃.
Algorithm for Conformance Monitoring in Air Traffic Control

Conformance monitoring in air traffic control is an approach that is used to detect any deviations of the aircraft from its cleared (or planned) flight path that might compromise safety and efficiency. This task is made difficult by the fact that some deviations are normally expected of a conforming aircraft due to uncertainties. In this paper, a conformance monitoring algorithm that uses a stochastic linear hybrid system model is proposed. The stochastic linear hybrid system model divides the aircraft dynamics into a number of flight modes and is able to describe the random deviations in (conforming) aircraft trajectories. The detection of any nonconforming trajectories is determined by a fault detection technique. First, a hybrid estimation algorithm is used to estimate the hybrid state of the stochastic linear hybrid system and generate a residual vector based on the measurements. The statistical characteristics of the residual expected of a conforming aircraft are derived. Then, a statistical decision test is used to detect any deviation of the observed residual from the expected residual. Two illustrative examples are presented to demonstrate the performance of the proposed algorithm.
Measurement of sample temperatures reached during proton and alpha particle irradiation of thin PIXE targets

Abstract Measurements were made of sample temperatures reached during irradiation of thin PIXE targets by 2 MeV protons and 18 MeV alpha particles as a function of beam current density. Results are given for samples placed on two types of target backings.
A case study found that a regression tree outperformed multiple linear regression in predicting the relationship between impairments and Social and Productive Activities scores.

Objective: Many important physiologic and clinical predictors are continuous. Clinical investigators and epidemiologists’ interest in these predictors lies, in part, in the risk they pose for adverse outcomes, which may be continuous as well. The relationship between continuous predictors and a continuous outcome may be complex and difficult to interpret. Therefore, methods to detect levels of a predictor variable that predict the outcome and determine the threshold for clinical intervention would provide a beneficial tool for clinical investigators and epidemiologists. Study Design and Setting: We present a case study using regression tree methodology to predict Social and Productive Activities score at 3 years using five modifiable impairments. The predictive ability of regression tree methodology was compared with multiple linear regression using two independent data sets, one for development and one for validation. Results: The regression tree approach and the multiple linear regression model provided similar fit (model deviances) on the development cohort. In the validation cohort, the deviance of the multiple linear regression model was 31% greater than the regression tree approach. Conclusion: Regression tree analysis developed a better model of impairments predicting Social and Productive Activities score that may be more easily applied in research settings than multiple linear regression alone. 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Control of 36Cl production in carbonaceous shales by phosphate minerals

Abstract When using 36Cl to date very old groundwater in regional aquifer systems, knowledge of the subsurface 36Cl input into the aquifer system is essential. Although 36Cl can be produced through nuclear reactions in the subsurface, in many situations, the input of 36Cl into sedimentary aquifer systems by this avenue of production can be neglected. This is a valid assumption when investigating long-flowpath groundwater systems composed of sandstones, limestones, and shales of typical composition. These rock types are not sufficiently enriched in radioactive elements to produce significant 36Cl in the deep subsurface. Carbonaceous shales, on the other hand, can concentrate the radioactive elements necessary to produce significant 36Cl in the deep subsurface. Chlorine-36 ratios (36Cl/Cl) for a suite of Late Devonian and Pennsylvanian carbonaceous shales were calculated from bulk-rock chemistry as well as measured using accelerator mass spectrometry. The poor agreement between calculated and measured ratios is the result of the assumption of chemical homogeneity used by the calculation algorithm, an assumption that was not satisfied by the carbonaceous shales. In these shales, organic matter, clay minerals, and accessory minerals are heterogeneously distributed and are physically distinct on a micron-order scale. Although organic matter and clay minerals constitute the overwhelming bulk of the shales, it is the phosphate minerals that are most important in enhancing, and suppressing, 36Cl production. Minerals such as apatite and carbonate-apatite (francolite)—by including uranium, rare earth elements (REEs), and halogens—have an important impact on both neutron production and thermal neutron absorption. By incorporating both uranium and fluorine, phosphate minerals act as neutron production centers in the shale, increasing the probability of 36Cl production. By incorporating REEs and chlorine, phosphate minerals also act to shield 35Cl from the thermal neutron flux, effectively suppressing the production of 36Cl. To reconcile the measured 36Cl ratios with the ratios calculated assuming chemical homogeneity, the shales were artificially split into three fractions: organic, clay mineral, and phosphate mineral. Neutron production was calculated separately for each fraction, and the calculation results demonstrated that the phosphate fraction exerted much more control on the 36Cl ratio than the organic or clay mineral fractions. By varying the uranium and chlorine contents in the phosphate fraction, a new, heterogeneous 36Cl ratio was calculated that agreed with the measured ratio for the overwhelming majority of the carbonaceous shales. When using rock chemistry to calculate the 36Cl ratio, rock types that show mineralogical heterogeneity on a micron scale can be divided into bulk fractions and accessory fractions for separate calculations of neutron production and neutron absorption. In this manner, a more accurate, heterogeneous 36Cl ratio can be calculated for the rock as a whole.
Disruption of the conditioned emotional response by caudate nucleus stimulation

Abstract The effectiveness of two forms of caudate nuclear stimulation in disrupting the development of a conditioned emotional response (CER) in rats was investigated. When a 5-sec train of 2/sec light flashes was used as a conditioned stimulus (CS), single pulse caudate stimulation delivered 100 msec after each light-flash effectively retarded acquisition of the CER. Posttrial caudate stimulation (delivered after the CS—US pairing) was less effective. The differential effectiveness of these two forms of stimulation in disrupting acquisition processes was most clearly seen during extinction of the CER. The group which received caudate stimulation during the CS extinguished faster than the group receiving caudate stimulation after the CS—US pairing. A nonstimulated control group was the fastest to acquire, and the slowest to extinguish the CER.
(Z)-α-5-Bromo-N-tert-butyl-2-methoxyphenylnitrone

The title compound, C12H16BrNO2, was synthesized in 95% yield by condensation of 5-bromo-2-methoxy­benzaldehyde and N-tert-butyl-hydroxy­lamine acetate in the presence of triethyl­amine as the base and anhydrous magnesium sulfate as the dehydrating agent. The C=N bond leads to a plane containing all atoms of the side chain, excluding the three methyl groups; this plane makes a dihedral angle of 14.44 (3)° with the ring plane.
Stochastic models of hyperfine interactions in nonequilibrium: an examination of the XYZ model with a trapping-detrapping mechanism

Simulations of perturbed angular correlation (PAC) spectra were carried out to investigate the effects of nonequilibrium distributions of PAC probes. The XYZ model with a trapping-detrapping mechanism was chosen to represent a system in which point defects are trapped by, detrap from, and hop around PAC probes. Calculations were based on the method of Winkler and Gerdau.
Mechanical damping in porous Ti3SiC2

The ternary compound Ti3SiC2 is the most studied of a family of machinable ternary carbides and nitrides, the so-called MAX phases. Those compounds, in turn, belong to a larger class of recently classified solids, kinking nonlinear elastic solids, because they deform mainly by the formation of regular and incipient kink bands. This kinking leads to exceptionally high damping properties, which are influenced by porosity. We report on a systematic study of the effect of porosity levels – ranging from 0 to 55 vol.% – on the damping properties of Ti3SiC2. The major effects of porosity are, first, a reduction in the threshold stress needed for kink band formation, a reduction that stems mostly from concomitant reductions in the shear moduli; and, second, a reduction in the ultimate compressive stresses. The presence of porosity does not greatly affect the specific damping capacity, which hovers around 0.15, at near the maximal stresses. It follows that porosity level, like grain size, becomes a useful microstructural variable that can be used to tune the stress level over which the damping is required.
Accuracy of implant placement using precision surgical guides with varying occlusogingival heights: An in vitro study

Statement of problem Surgical guides may interfere with effective use of surgical instrumentation during implant placement in the posterior segments where interocclusal distance may be limited. Purpose The purpose of this study was to measure and compare the accuracy of posterior implant placement using 3 precision surgical guides with varying occlusogingival heights, and to evaluate the difference in accuracy of implant placement through precision guides as compared to freehand placement. Material and Methods Three groups of surgical guides were fabricated with occlusogingival heights of 4, 6, and 8 mm, respectively. A jig was fabricated to allow for accurate positioning in bone substitute blocks. Ninety implants were placed in the mandibular first molar site on a manikin. Thirty implants (Astra Tech AB) were placed for each group, with 15 through the guide and 15 freehand. Distances between a reference implant and each placed implant were measured at both implant and abutment levels using a coordinate measuring machine. Apex position and angular discrepancy were calculated using the coordinates of the centers of the implant platform and of the occlusal aspect of the abutment. Data was assessed using 2-way ANOVA (α=.05). Results Two-way ANOVA demonstrated that guide height did not significantly affect the accuracy of the implant position. The distance from the reference point to the point of measurement was significantly smaller for placement through the guide compared to freehand placement at both implant ( P P P Conclusions Precision surgical guides with 4-mm occlusogingival height allow placement as accurate as precision guides with 8-mm height. Placement through the guide reproduced the target position more accurately than freehand insertion. (J Prosthet Dent 2009;101:372–381)
Journal of Geophysical Research authors receive award

The authors of a paper published in AGU's Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres have been selected by the executive council of the World Meteorological Organization as winners of the biennial Professor Dr. Vilho Vaisala Award for an Outstanding Research Paper. The 2010 paper, “Optimized fractional cloudiness determination from five ground-based remote sensing techniques” (R. Boers et al., J. Geophys. Res., 115, D24116, doi:10.1029/2010JD014661), was coauthored by H. K. Baltink, R. Boers, M. J. de Haij, M. Savenije, L. H. van Ulft, and W. M. F. Wauben of the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (De Bilt, Netherlands) and by C. N. Long of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy (Richland, Wash.). The award consists of a diploma and medal and an award of $10,000 shared by the winners.
Etiology of the myeloproliferative disorders: the role of thrombopoietin.

Until recently, little was known about the molecular basis for thrombopoiesis. With the cloning and characterization of thrombopoietin (TPO) our understanding of the generation of megakaryocytes and platelets has advanced steadily. One of the unexpected properties of TPO is its effect on hematopoietic stem cells: genetic elimination of the cytokine or its receptor reduces stem cell numbers by seven- to eightfold. A corollary of this finding is that TPO or the c-Mpl receptor is a candidate for involvement in the genesis of chronic myeloproliferative diseases (MPD), disorders of hematopoietic stem cells. Evidence has accumulated that dysregulation of growth factors such as TPO and/or impaired expression of its receptor may be leukemogenic and myelofibrogenic, and will be reviewed. Moreover, the expression of c-Mpl in multiple pathologic states is under investigation as potential means of improving the diagnosis of chronic MPDs. Thus, TPO and Mpl may prove to be effective targets for both diagnosis and therapeutic management of MPD.
Genes that regulate apoptosis in the mouse thymus

Elimination of self-reactive T lymphocytes occurs during T-cell development in the thymus by a process known as negative selection. The mechanism that drives negative selection is apoptosis. To identify genes that regulate apoptosis in the mouse thymus, a library of negatively selected T cells was constructed and, by subtractive screening, several differentially regulated genes were isolated. Two transcripts that are repressed during cell death were identified, in addition to two induced transcripts. Further experiments demonstrated that cell death in thymocytes can occur via several induction pathways and each pathway appears to be regulated by a unique cascade of genes.
Toward College Success: Internalizing Active and Dynamic Strategies

Abstract. This article describes a university course, Methods of Inquiry, that teaches strategies and techniques for students to become self-regulated learners and thereby enhance their active and dynamic approach to school. The purpose of this study was to examine if this course was successful in increasing the students' learning strategies. Pre- and post-tests were administered to 680 students over four semesters, and results verify that the course did significantly increase the students' learning strategies. Demographic variables were shown not to have a significant impact on student learning strategies. This article concludes with a discussion of the transferability of this skill and the benefits it has to high education retention rates.
The use of metallic ultrafiltration membranes to assess calcium availability in vitro

Abstract Three metallic ultrafiltration membranes were studied for potential use in an in-vitro calcium availability testing system. After characterization, the passage of calcium during the enzymatic digestion of casein in the presence or absence of pectin was investigated. The membranes were characterized with respect to passage of calcium and amino acids from solutions of calcium nitrate, amino acids, calcium nitrate and amino acids in combination, casein hydrolysate, and intact casein. The passage of these substances through the membranes was affected by the membrane used and the pH of the solution, as well as by the amino acids present in the solution. It was concluded that this system provided a reasonably efficient and rapid means for obtaining preliminary information about calcium availability.
Refocusing Reference Services Outside the Library Building: One Library's Experience

In response to changing user needs, the library sought ways to meet new challenges and engage users outside of the building. Librarians were removed from the service desk in order to offer support at locations around campus. The service desk in the library was staffed primarily by paraprofessionals with librarians providing support as needed. Targeted staff training was offered, and different scheduling models were used over a period of time. Restructuring the service desk was a complicated endeavor but provided a number of benefits including expansion of services. Along the way, challenges were met and recognized as learning opportunities.
An irreducible realization scheme for matrix fractions of multivariable systems

Abstract We present an irreducible realization scheme for matrix fractions of multivariable systems under the Kalman module structure interpretation of dynamical linear systems. The realization is computationally and conceptually simple. It also provides an insight into the relation between the state space discription and the matrix fraction description of the linear systems. Some related problems are also discussed.
Diuresis after a bloodmeal in female Anopheles freeborni

Abstract Female Anopheles freeborni discharge urine rapidly and copiously for a brief time after taking a meal of blood. This diuresis begins immediately upon cessation of feeding and continues for about 30 min at a constant rate. A decline in this rate follows and diuresis is completed by 50 min after feeding. This time-course of diuresis is independent of the size of the meal; diuresis after large meals occures at a higher rate, not over a longer time, than diuresis after small meals. Heat-stable and saline-soluble substances that induce rapid excretion by isolated Malpighian tubules can be extracted from the head and thoracic nervous system, suggesting the presence of a neurosecretory diuretic hormone similar to that found in other blood-sucking insects. Decapitation or section of the ventral nerve cord abolishes the rapid phase of diuresis after a bloodmeal. Therefore, in analogy to the situation in the tsetse fly, the head is required either as the source of a diuretic hormone or as link in the pathway that stimulates its release.
Application of a Variable Direction Hysteresis minimization Approach in Describing the Central Nervous System Pharmacodynamic Effects of Alfentanil in Rabbits

Abstract The relationship between the concentration of a drug and its pharmacologic effect is of central interest in pharmacodynamics. Various compartmental and noncompartmental methods have been proposed for elucidating this relationship when the plasma drug concentration and effects are both measured. Although the relationship between drug input and the pharmacologic effect is equally useful, it has not received as much attention. A system analysis hysteresis minimization pharmacodynamic method was developed to describe the central nervous system effects of alfentanil in rabbits. The spectral edge frequency (SEF) was used as the effect measure and the infusion rate as the pharmacokinetic variable. The sigmoid and cubic polynomial representations of the transduction relationship were investigated in modeling the collapsed hysteresis loop. The results indicated that alfentanil has a relatively rapid biophase equilibration time (t 50 = 6 min). Both the sigmoid Emax and cubic polynomial transduction relationships were equally effective in describing the observed effect data and gave similar predictions. The proposed approach has the advantage of not assuming a specific compartmental structure for the pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic link. A particular advantage of the method is that no functional relationship is assumed a priori for the transduction relationship, and errors in both regression variables are considered in the optimization. The system analysis pharmacodynamic approach assumes linear disposition pharmacokinetics, an instantaneous and time-invariant transduction, and that inductive effects like tolerance or sensitization do not develop significantly in the time frame studied.
Compression pre-cracking to generate near threshold fatigue-crack-growth rates in two aluminum alloys

Abstract A test program was conducted to generate threshold and near-threshold data on two aluminum alloys: 2324-T39 and 7075-T7351, using compression pre-cracking constant-amplitude (CPCA) threshold testing procedures. Compact tension specimens were tested under stress ratios (R) of 0.1, 0.4, 0.7 or 0.8. Results were compared with either existing load-reduction data from the literature or with data that were generated using the load-reduction procedures. On the 2324 alloy, very little difference was observed between the load-reduction and CPCA test methods, although the CPCA test method consistently produced slightly lower thresholds or slightly faster crack-growth rates. But on the 2324 alloy, most of the load-reduction tests used extremely low initial ΔK values to grow the cracks under load reduction, which may explain the reason for the agreement. These low ΔK values were achieved by using compression pre-cracking to initiate a crack at the crack-starter notch. In contrast, the 7075 alloy showed very large differences between the CPCA and load-reduction results in the near-threshold and threshold regimes for R=0.1 and 0.4. Results under high R conditions (R=0.7) agreed very well between the two threshold test methods. An expression was also developed to generate fatigue-crack-growth-rate data using the CPCA threshold test method that would be unaffected by compressive yielding at the crack-starter notch and produce ‘steady-state’ constant-amplitude data in the near threshold regime.
Preventing HIV infection through sexual-behavior change.

This chapter provides a brief overview of the state-of-the-science regarding empirically tested HIV prevention programs that focus on sexual behavior change. Interventions developed for use with individuals, small groups, schools, communities, and entire populations are reviewed.
Longitudinal Differences in Disease Specific Quality of Life in Men With Erectile Dysfunction: Results From the Exploratory Comprehensive Evaluation of Erectile Dysfunction Study

ABSTRACTPurpose: We assessed the impact of erectile dysfunction therapy on 1-year health related quality of life using a validated erectile dysfunction specific instrument.Materials and Methods: Using an observational erectile dysfunction registry clinical, sociodemographic and health related quality of life information was collected at baseline, and 3, 6 and 12 months later. Only men who reported undergoing erectile dysfunction treatment were included in this analysis sub-sample. Patients were classified as treatment responders based on improvements in International Index of Erectile Function scores. Changes in health related quality of life scores from baseline were compared between responders and nonresponders.Results: The cohort consisted of 89 patients, of whom 40 (45%) responded to therapy by International Index of Erectile Function criteria. Responders and nonresponders had comparable baseline disease severity and health related quality of life. At 1 year responders reported significantly better he...
Pulsations in solar hard X-ray bursts

The hard X-ray emission from 28 large solar events has been analyzed in order to search for pulsations in intensity profiles. Periodicity occurred in 26 events, usually soon after the onset, with periods in the range 10-100 s. Pulsations occurring at common frequencies in different energy bands are observed to be closely in phase. Periodic behavior in hard X-ray emission is related to that at microwave and decametric wavelengths. The observations are briefly discussed in terms of two models: that of McClean et al. (1971), applied to X-ray emission, and that of Brown and Hoyng (1975). As periodicity is normal in extended hard X-ray bursts and occurs through a broad energy band, it is probably directly related to a principal flare-acceleration mechanism. These observations constrain possible mechanisms of flare acceleration and physical properties of the acceleration region.
Impaired Gating of an L-Type Ca2+ Channel Carrying a Mutation Linked to Malignant Hyperthermia

Recently, we characterized the functional properties of a mutant skeletal muscle L-type Ca2+ channel (CaV1.1 R174W) linked to the pharmacogenetic disorder malignant hyperthermia. Although the R174W mutation neutralizes the innermost basic amino acid in the voltage-sensing S4 helix of the first conserved membrane repeat of CaV1.1, the ability of the mutant channel to engage excitation-contraction coupling was largely unaffected by the introduction of the bulky tryptophan residue. In stark contrast, the mutation ablated the ability of CaV1.1 to produce L-type current under our standard recording conditions. In this study, we have investigated the mechanism of channel dysfunction more extensively. We found that CaV1.1 R174W will open and conduct Ca2+ in response to strong or prolonged depolarizations in the presence of the 1,4-dihydropyridine receptor agonist ±Bay K 8644. From these results, we have concluded that the R174W mutation impedes entry into both mode 1(low Po) and mode 2 (high Po) gating states and that these gating impairments can be partially overcome by maneuvers that promote entry into mode 2.
An Efficient Image Representation Technique Using Vector Quantization in Multiple Transform Domains

A novel technique for the efficient representation of still images is presented which employs vector quantization in multiple transform domains of the image signal. The system projects the subimages, obtained by partitioning the images used for training, into multiple transform domains. Energy-based split vector quantization is used to form code books in each of these domains. An adaptive algorithm to further optimize the accuracy of the code books in each transform domain is also developed. Simulations using sample imges show that this scheme provides improved reconstruction quality over existing methods for the same compression ratios, or equivalently, employing the proposed technique, fewer bits per pixel are used for the same reconstruction quality. This is achieved at the expense of increased computation at the encoder. The benefits from the improved representation efficiency of ten outweigh the increased computational complexity.
Empirical bayes estimators for spatially correlated incidence rates

Assessments of the potential health impacts of contaminants and other environmental risk factors are often based on comparisons of disease rates among collections of spatially aligned areas. These comparisons are valid only if the observed rates adequately reflect the true underlying area-specific risk. In areas with small populations, observed incidence values can be highly unstable and true risk differences among areas can be masked by spurious fluctuations in the observed rates. We examine the use of Bayes and empirical Bayes methods for stabilizing incidence rates observed in geographically aligned areas. While these methods improve stability, both the Bayes and empirical Bayes approaches produce a histogram of the estimates that is too narrow when compared to the true distribution of risk. Constrained empirical Bayes estimators have been developed that provide improved estimation of the variance of the true rates. We use simulations to compare the performance of Bayes, empirical Bayes, and constrained empirical Bayes approaches for estimating incidence rates in a variety of multivariate Gaussian scenarios with differing levels of spatial dependence. The mean squared error of estimation associated with the simulated observed rates was, on average, five times greater than that of the Bayes and empirical Bayes estimates. The sample variance of the standard Bayes and empirical Bayes estimates was consistently smaller than the variance of the simulated rates. The constrained estimators produced collections of rate estimates that dramatically improved estimation of the true dispersion of risk. In addition, the mean square error of the constrained empirical Bayes estimates was only slightly greater than that of the unconstrained rate estimates. We illustrate the use of empirical and constrained empirical Bayes estimators in an analysis of lung cancer mortality rates in Ohio.
A novel compact circuit for 4-PAM energy-efficient high speed interconnect data transmission and reception

Abstract Transmission of signals, whether on-chip or off-chip, places severe constraints on timing and extracts a large price in energy. New silicon device technologies, such as back-plane CMOS, provide a programmable and adaptable threshold voltage as an additional tool that can be used for low power design. We show that one particularly desirable use of this freedom is energy-efficient high-speed transmission across long interconnects using multi-valued encoding. Our multi-valued CMOS circuits take advantage of the threshold voltage control of the transistors, by using the signal-voltage-to-threshold-voltage span, in order to make area-efficient implementations of 4-PAM (pulse amplitude modulation) transceivers operating at high speed. In a comparison of a variety of published technologies, for signal transmission with interconnects of 10–15 mm length, we show up to 50% improvement in energy for on-chip signal transmission over binary encoding together with higher limits for operating speeds without a penalty in circuit noise margin.
Effects of applied load on bone tissue as observed by Raman spectroscopy

The skeleton is certainly essential to our physiology. Yet, surprisingly little is understood about how bone responds when a load is applied. This is particularly true at the ultrastructural level, where neither the behavior under stress of the collagenous matrix nor that of the calcium phosphate mineral has been explored. Most standard techniques used in the investigation of the biomechanical properties of bone tissue are unable to obtain information at this level. Raman spectroscopy, however, is capable of probing biological specimens at the molecular level, without interference from water or common histological stains. Using this technique, we are able to observe changes in both the mineral and the matrix of bone during and after the application of load. These changes manifest themselves as band shifts in the bone Raman spectrum. We utilize this ability in this study. Two-dimensional Raman imaging is used to investigate the effect of macroscopic fracture on the mineral in sections of femora from 4-month-old and 18-month-old mice. Changes are seen in the mineral around fractured areas that indicate the fracture process may be causing a phase transformation in the bone mineral, similar to the 'transformation toughening' process that is observed in many ceramics. We discuss the physiological implications of these results.© (2002) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
ACCOUNTING FOR NONMARKET HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTION WITHIN A NATIONAL ACCOUNTS FRAMEWORK

The satellite accounts illustrated in this paper reflect the household's role as a producer and an investor in durables as well as a consumer by modifying the NIPA's to (1) incorporate the value of nonmarket (unpaid) household work into GDP; and (2) treat expenditures on consumer durables as investment and measure the value of the services those durables provide. Additionally, an Input–Output (I–O) model highlights the household's functions as a producer and investor in much greater detail for the year 1992 by incorporating a household industry for each time-use activity and by showing the inputs to and outputs from each household industry's production.
Quantum simulations of conformation reorganization in the electron transfer reactions of tuna cytochrome c

Abstract Quantum simulation schemes based on the Feynman path integral molecular dynamics technique have been used to calculate the effective activation energy associated with nuclear reorganization in the self-exchange reaction of tuna cytochrome c . In addition, a quench technique is used to exhibit the instantons or most probable tunneling paths involved in the reorganization motion. At room temperature, the activation energy is calculated to be 8.8 kJ/mol, close to the estimate by Warshel et al., from purely classical considerations. The quantum contribution is small, 2.6 kJ/mol at room temperature. At lower temperature, the quantum tunneling becomes more significant and the free energy associated with the quantum correction factor begins to dominate, 4.2 kJ/mol at 150 K. The transient tunneling paths can deviate significantly from the transition direction, contrary to the picture one would expect for a purely harmonic system. Corrections to short time dynamics are discussed and shown to be small for tuna cytochrome c at room temperature, using an approximation based on the dispersed polaron method. In addition, the problem of conformational substates and their effect on the tunneling calculation is noted.
Tomato-like nightshades: Affinities, autoecology, and breeders’ opportunities

The group of nightshades I would like to discuss consists of four species: Solahum juglandifolium Dun., S. lycopersicoides Dun., S. ochranthum Dun., and S. rickii Corr. (Solanaceae). Belonging to section Petota, subsection Potatoe, series Juglandifolia, they differ from other species in Potatoe and resemble Lycopersicon in respect to absence of tubers and presence of yellow corolla. Other tomato-like features that distinguish them from the great majority of Solanum species are articulated pedicels and pinnately segmented leaves. In the aggregate, the association of all of these traits in the four species renders them unique amongst the myriad Solarium species. They nevertheless differ from Lycopersicon in several important features to be considered below and are reproductively isolated from them by formidable reproductive barriers, which have been circumvented only in crosses with S. lycopersicoides, and even in this instance, only as a consequence of experimental manipulations. All of these species are diploids (2n = 24). My interest in this group was stimulated in the 1940s by a collection of S. lycopersicoides provided by Professor T. H. Goodspeed, collected by R. D. Metcalf in 1942 (his No. 30382) near Candarave, Dept. Tacna, Peril, under the auspices of the third University of California Botanical Garden Expedition to the Andes. Of the seed collected, only a few germinated at the UC-Berkeley Botanical Garden, but we were able to maintain a clone therefrom and utilize it in experiments to which I shall refer later. Since that time it has been my good fortune to visit populations of all four species in their native habitats, to make many collections of them, and to culture them for seed increase and various studies. This group is important for several reasons. Breeders constantly probe new sources of germplasm for purposes of plant improvement. The cultivated tomato (L. esculentum L.) is one of a large group of crop species whose genetic variability is so greatly reduced that they lack many genes needed for breeding purposes. In the case of the tomato, this depletion evidently resulted from events that ensued prior to, during, and subsequent to domestication (Rick 1976). The generally accepted immediate ancestor of the tomato is var. cerasiforme of the cultivated species--a largely self-pollinated taxon that evidently migrated from its ancestral area in the north central Andes to its area of domestication in Mesoamerica. Founder events during this migration (doubtlessly often in small populations) would have tended to diminish genetic variability existing in the original source(s), a situation verified by comparisons of genetic content of monogenically determined isozymes (Rick et al. 1974; Rick and Fobes 1975). The domestication process itself in a self-pollinator would have tended to further reduce reserves as a result of selection for desired types. Finally, transport to Europe, further mi
Fading Frames: Data Presentation and Framing Effects*

This article describes three experiments that investigate the impact of data presentation on framing, which is the differential evaluation of objectively equivalent information given different frames of reference. The experiments were designed to vary the amount of information and the format of presentation (tables versus graphs) provided to the decision maker to gain an understanding of the mechanism underlying framing. The inferred information model proposed by Johnson and Levin [11] is utilized to explain the results of the three experiments in terms of the redistribution of weights attached by the decision makers to the attributes of the prospective outcomes. The results of the three experiments indicate that framing effects are observed only when the presentation of data facilitates the shifting of weights among the attributes of the available alternatives. The results further indicate that framing is eliminated as more information is displayed. However, presentation of additional information does not eliminate framing when a graphical format is utilized. Finally, no framing effects are observed when uneven amounts of information are used to describe two alternatives in the same decision task.
Differential pathogenesis of lung adenocarcinoma subtypes involving sequence mutations, copy number, chromosomal instability, and methylation

Background: Lung adenocarcinoma (LAD) has extreme genetic variation among patients, which is currently not well understood, limiting progress in therapy development and research. LAD intrinsic molecular subtypes are a validated stratification of naturally-occurring gene expression patterns and encompass different functional pathways and patient outcomes. Patients may have incurred different mutations and alterations that led to the different subtypes. We hypothesized that the LAD molecular subtypes co-occur with distinct mutations and alterations in patient tumors. Methodology/Principal Findings: The LAD molecular subtypes (Bronchioid, Magnoid, and Squamoid) were tested for association with gene mutations and DNA copy number alterations using statistical methods and published cohorts (n=504). A novel validation (n=116) cohort was assayed and interrogated to confirm subtype-alteration associations. Gene mutation rates (EGFR, KRAS, STK11, TP53), chromosomal instability, regional copy number, and genomewide DNA methylation were significantly different among tumors of the molecular subtypes. Secondary analyses compared subtypes by integrated alterations and patient outcomes. Tumors having integrated alterations in the same gene associated with the subtypes, e.g. mutation, deletion and underexpression of STK11 with Magnoid, and mutation, amplification, and overexpression of EGFR with Bronchioid. The subtypes also associated with tumors having concurrent mutant genes, such as KRAS-STK11 with Magnoid. Patient overall survival, cisplatin plus vinorelbine therapy response and predicted gefitinib sensitivity were significantly different among the subtypes. Conclusions/ Significance: The lung adenocarcinoma intrinsic molecular subtypes co-occur with grossly distinct genomic alterations and with patient therapy response. These results advance the understanding of lung adenocarcinoma etiology and nominate patient subgroups for future evaluation of treatment response.
Anticonvulsant effect of enhancement of noradrenergic transmission in the superior colliculus in genetically epilepsy-prone rats (GEPRs): a microinjection study

An expanding body of data has indicated that the seizure prone state in genetically epilepsy-prone rats (GEPRs) is partially caused by deficits in central nervous system noradrenergic transmission. Several lines of evidence suggest that the noradrenergic terminals in the superior colliculus (SC) may act as determinants of seizure predisposition in the GEPR. In order to assess the role of the noradrenergic transmission in the SC in the regulation of seizure severity, several drugs with different mechanisms of enhancing noradrenergic transmission were bilaterally microinfused into the SC of GEPR-9s (severe seizure GEPRs). The rats were tested for audiogenic seizure intensity at 0.25, 1, 2, 3, and 4 h after treatments. Bilateral infusion of vehicle produced no reduction in the severity of the audiogenic seizure. Desipramine (2, 4, 8 micrograms/side), nisoxetine (2, 4, 8 micrograms/side), and idazoxan (0.25, 1, 4 micrograms/side) all decreased the seizure severity in a dose-dependent fashion. Significant decreases in the seizure severity were also observed after administration of methoxamine (0.15 microgram/side) or phenylephrine (0.15 microgram/side). Pretreatment with prazosin (1 microgram/side) significantly diminished the anticonvulsant effectiveness of methoxamine and nisoxetine while prazosin, by itself, had no effects on the seizure intensity. These results suggest that noradrenergic transmission in the SC may be involved in the seizure regulation in GEPR-9s, and that this regulation may be mediated, at least in part, through alpha 1 receptors.