cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Development of the corticosterone stress response in young northern mockingbirds (Mimus polyglottos).

In birds, additional adrenocortical secretion in response to stressors often redirects an individual's ongoing activities toward immediate life-saving activities, usually by facilitating an increase in food searching and food intake needed to meet periods of increased energy demand. We asked whether young birds, who are entirely dependent on parents for food acquisition and therefore unable to manipulate their own food intake, fail to show an adult-like adrenocortical response to the acute stress of capture and handling. In 1998, plasma profiles of acute corticosterone secretion (e.g., samples taken at the time of capture and 30 min later) were compared across seven age classes of Northern Mockingbirds (Mimus polyglottos) representing various age-related stages of foraging ability and opportunity. As predicted, young birds less able, or entirely unable, to readjust their own foraging effort exhibited significantly lower stress responses compared to adults. The magnitude of the stress response (at 30 min postcapture) increased and approached that of adults as young birds approached independence. Energetic condition was not correlated with the magnitude of the stress response at any age, suggesting that variation in its expression was most likely due to age alone. We also investigated at what level within the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis the corticosterone response may be controlled in young birds. In 1999, baseline corticosterone samples were taken in 8-day-old nestlings and were immediately followed by intrajugular injections of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) or saline. While plasma corticosterone concentrations did not change in saline-injected nestlings, ACTH-injected nestlings showed a significant increase in plasma corticosterone concentrations similar to 30-min samples taken from adults. These results indicate that, while young birds do not normally show the corticosterone response, the adrenocortical tissue has the capacity to do so, and the control appears to be within the hypothalamic-pituitary component of the HPA axis. Collectively, our results indicate that the expression of the corticosterone stress response develops in concert with a young, altricial bird's ability to utilize it as it approaches independence; the reduced corticosterone secretion may also allow young, rapidly growing birds to avoid potential deleterious exposure to elevated glucocorticosteroid concentrations.
“I'm the thinkist, you're the typist”: The Interaction of Technology and the Social Life of Classrooms

The experimental research approach has some limitations when used to understand the effects of the recent introduction of computers on the social context of classrooms. Rather than looking for effects per se, an alternate framework is used to study the places and processes of change that accompany the use of new technologies. The authors outline two critical elements of the process by which computers are incorporated into the social context of the classroom. First, teachers' interpretations of the meaning of the software–its purpose and value, and whether it has a legitimate relationship to traditional curricular areas and modes of learning – will play a central role in how and whether computers become an integral part of the classroom. Second, teachers' and students' views regarding the new kinds of learning interactions often arising when working with computers, namely, the legitimacy of collaborative work and child experts, will also have a powerful influence in shaping the role of computers. The paper concludes with a discussion of how computers may enable teachers and students to learn new things about and through the technology, as well as provide opportunities for rethinking the learning agendas and the organization of learning interactions currently employed by schools.
Verifying security protocols with Brutus

Due to the rapid growth of the “Internet” and the “World Wide Web” security has become a very important concern in the design and implementation of software systems. Since security has become an important issue, the number of protocols in this domain has become very large. These protocols are very diverse in nature. If a software architect wants to deploy some of these protocols in a system, they have to be sure that the protocol has the right properties as dictated by the requirements of the system. In this article we present BRUTUS, a tool for verifying properties of security protocols. This tool can be viewed as a special-purpose model checker for security protocols. We also present reduction techniques that make the tool efficient. Experimental results are provided to demonstrate the efficiency of BRUTUS.
Genetic Studies of Spectrin in the Larval Fat Body of Drosophila melanogaster : Evidence for a Novel Lipid Uptake Apparatus

Spectrin cytoskeleton defects produce a host of phenotypes affecting the plasma membrane, cell polarity, and secretory membrane traffic. However, many of the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unexplained by prevailing models. Here we used the larval fat body of Drosophila melanogaster as a genetic model system to further elucidate mechanisms of αβ-spectrin function. The results provide unexpected new insights into spectrin function as well as mechanisms of dietary fat uptake and storage. We show that loss of α- or β-spectrin in the fat body eliminated a population of small cortical lipid droplets and altered plasma membrane architecture, but did not affect viability of the organism. We present a novel model in which αβ-spectrin directly couples lipid uptake at the plasma membrane to lipid droplet growth in the cytoplasm. In contrast, strong overexpression of β-spectrin caused fat body atrophy and larval lethality. Overexpression of β-spectrin also perturbed transport of dietary fat from the midgut to the fat body. This hypermorphic phenotype appears to be the result of blocking secretion of the lipid carrier lipophorin from fat cells. However, this midgut phenotype was never seen with spectrin loss of function, suggesting that spectrin is not normally required for lipophorin secretion or function. The β-spectrin hypermorphic phenotype was ameliorated by co-overexpression of α-spectrin. Based on the overexpression results here, we propose that β-spectrin family members may be prone to hypermorphic effects (including effects on secretion) if their activity is not properly regulated.
Pathways of bacterial invasion and watermelon seed infection by Acidovorax citrulli

This study explored the pathways of ingress of Acidovorax citrulli, the causal agent of bacterial fruit blotch of cucurbits, into watermelon seeds. Up until 7 days post-inoculation (DPI), a significantly higher percentage of watermelon seeds was infected with A. citrulli when the bacteria were applied (c. 1 × 106 colony-forming units) to stigmas versus ovary pericarps of female flowers. Immunofluorescence microscopy showed that, with stigma inoculation, A. citrulli colonized style and ovary tissues by 1 DPI, and the bacteria co-localized with pollen germ tubes in these tissues. With ovary pericarp inoculation, A. citrulli cells penetrated the epicarp and mesocarp tissues by 1 DPI but did not reach endocarp until 4 DPI. Finally, manual pollination followed by stigma inoculation led to >53% A. citrulli-infected seed lots, while A. citrulli was not detected in seeds/ovules generated by stigma inoculation without pollination (chemically induced parthenocarpy). These results show that stigma inoculation results in faster colonization of watermelon ovules by A. citrulli than pericarp inoculation, even though there is no difference in the levels of infection in mature seeds. The data also indicate that pollen germ tubes play an important role in A. citrulli ingress into watermelon seeds via stigmas.
Bilateral Implant Breast Reconstruction: Outcomes, Predictors, and Matched Cohort Analysis in 730 2-Stage Breast Reconstructions Over 10 Years

BackgroundRates of bilateral implant breast reconstruction (BI/BR) are rising despite the lack of precise information. Previous studies have examined unilateral reconstruction, making it difficult to counsel patients regarding the risk of BI/BR. The purpose of this study was to identify the incidenc
An object oriented framework for steel frame design: Implementation issues

Abstract DFRAME ( D esign of steel FRAME s), an object oriented program for the design of steel frames based on the AISC LRFD design specification, is developed and implemented in C + +. DFRAME runs either in bath mode or in interactive mode with a user-friendly graphical user interface. DFRAME is intented for use with the Growltiger analysis package and the DRAIN-2D nonlinear analysis program. In addition, DATON ( D etailing A nd Propor T ioning C ON sultant) has been developed to work under the ongoing IESL DICE project, which is a set of tools for collaborative engineering. DATON is a detailed structural analysis and design subsystem (currently limited to steel moment-resisting and braced frames). Using the AISC LRFD design specification, DFRAME has been used as the steel design subsystem component of DATON.
Measurement System Analysis in a Production Environment with Multiple Test Parameters

Abstract The purpose of measurement system analysis (MSA) is to separate the variation among devices being measured from the error in the measurement system. The total measurement system error can be further decomposed into variance components associated with the measurement equipment and repeatability. An analysis of variance approach based on a variance component model is used to model the variables of interest. Once estimated, the variance components are used to compute various metrics, which quantify the adequacy of the measurement system for the application in which it is used. Confidence intervals computed on the variance components and metrics indicate the amount of precision in the estimates. The MSA is typically conducted on a single measurement variable with a single measurement instance. The aim of this paper is to extend the univariate single‐instance case to a common manufacturing test scenario where multiple parameters are tested on each device with a sequence of tests, which may include ret...
Garnet/high-silica rhyolite trace element partition coefficients measured by ion microprobe

Abstract Pyroxene-liquid trace element partition coefficients have been measured in situ by ion microprobe in high silica rhyolites. Partition coefficients are reported for La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Dy, Er, Yb, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Sr, Y, and Zr. The in situ analyses avoid the problem of contamination of the pyroxene phase by trace element-rich accessory mineral inclusions encountered in traditional bulk phenocryst-glass partitioning studies. Pyroxenes and glasses which have been analyzed are typical of high silica rhyolites worldwide. The samples analyzed are Bishop Tuff, California (augite, hypersthene); Sierra La Primavera, Mexico (ferrohedenbergite); and two samples of the Huckleberry Ridge Tuff, Wyoming (ferroaugite). Rare earth element (REE) partition coefficient patterns are convex-upward and resemble patterns determined in less silicic bulk compositions. Partition coefficients for the REEs Sr, Zr, and Cr show correlations with the Mg# of clinopyroxene, suggesting that crystal composition influences the fine structure of partitioning patterns. The overall similarity of partitioning patterns between samples indicates that the partition coefficients determined in this study can be generally applied in the geochemical modeling of high silica rhyolites.
Modal analysis of periodic planar phased arrays of apertures

A general method is established for the evaluation of the driving point admittance of a radiating aperture, fed by a waveguide of the same cross section as the aperture, in an infinite periodic planar phased array. The array may have an arbitrary element lattice and it may be covered by a dielectric layer. The coefficients of the waveguide modal expansion and of the Floquet series representing the electromagnetic field in the waveguide and in the radiation half-space, respectively, are determined by approximately enforcing the boundary conditions in the array plane through an application of Galerkin's method. By eliminating from the set of equations thus obtained the complex amplitudes of the waveguide modes and of the Floquet harmonics, the driving point admittance can be expressed as the ratio of two determinants of order N and N-1 (N being the number of the waveguide modes utilized), whose elements contain truncated bidimensional series, structurally similar to the well-known grating-lobe series. The expression allows relatively simple numerical computations if the Fourier transforms of the waveguide vector mode functions are known in closed form (as they are for rectangular or circular elements). The variation of the power reflection loss with scan angle has been numerically calculated for various array configurations. The results are in some cases substantially different from those predicted through the conventional grating-lobe series technique, which is based on the assumption of one-mode elements.
Survey of current knowledge on visceral blood flow

Since some of the vahms of interest in comparing the splanchnic vascular bed with other beds in the body are difficult to obtain in man, they should be accepted as "best guesses" subject to revision at any time. The systemic division of the circulation supplies many organs which are arranged in parallel. Each of the parallel components of the systemic circuit receives only a fraction of the total cardiac output. The distribution of flow among these competing systemic organs depends upon their respective flow resistances. Six such parallel components are listed in Table 1, and the resistance and blood flow for each, based on "best guesses," appear in cohmms 1 and 2. It is noteworthy that the lowest resistance and, hence, the highest flow rate occurs in the splanchnic viscera which, in this case, includes the liver, gut, and spleen. The estimated flow of 1680 ml./min, represents about 28~}~ of the total cardiac output. It is instructive to compare these figures in other.ways. As can be seen from the table, the viscera are heavy; hence, flow per kilogram of tissue is intermediate, greater than skin and skeletal muscle, but less than kidney and heart. This is because the resistance to flow per kilogram of tissue is intermediate, about 9 mm. Hg/ml. /sec. As can be seen, the kidney is in a class by itself with a very high flow and a very low resistance per kilogram. Perhaps more signifcant than the weight of an organ is its rate of metabolism. As shown in Table 1, the splanchnic viscera consume more oxygen than any other organs. The kidney has a high blood flow in relation to
The Middlemen of MACOS

Prompted by a recent review in American Anthropologist, I interviewed two people who played central roles in the training and dissemination of MACOS, a social studies curriculum unit designed for the fifth grade during the era of intensive curriculum reform beginning in the sixties. The article briefly discusses both how MACOS came to be and what subsequently happened to it.
Domestic violence may trigger Takotsubo.

In the August 2014 issue of The American Journal of Medicine, Pelliccia et al discuss Takotsubo syndrome, or stress cardiomyopathy, a condition triggered by acute stress that affects almost exclusively women. While the authors claim that the stressful “triggers have been identified,” their list of triggers omits a potentially important and prevalent stressor in women's lives that merits closer attention: intimate partner violence. Language: en
The implicit definition of theoretical terms

containing terms (which I shall call 'theoretical terms') which purportedly designate entities which are not observable, and, in some cases it seems, unobservable in principle. Here we have the basis of an epistemological problem which has been of perennial concern to philosophers of science: how do these terms which designate unobservables come to do so?1 One can convey to others the sense of 'green' or 'cold' by, roughly, putting them in a position to see a patch of grass or touch a piece of ice. Such or similar methods are not available, however, for teaching the sense of terms like 'electron' or 'neutron'. To be sure, the presence of electrons can be indicated by a variety of observable happenings, such as white patches on the screen of a cathode ray tube; nevertheless, this is quite a different matter from observing an electron. But, even granting this, some philosophers believe that the above example does furnish a clue as to how we do come to understand what theoretical terms designate. For as one gradually learns which situations indicate the presence of, say electrons, the term 'electron' comes to be more and more meaningful; we learn that 'electron' designates a class of physical entities which, under certain observable conditions, illuminate screens of cathode ray tubes, produce white traces in cloud chambers, etc.; we learn that 'electron' designates the things that behave in just these particular ways under such-and-such conditions. So although we still do not have knowledge of the designation of 'electron' which is as direct and complete as our knowledge of the designations of 'green' or 'cold', yet we have an indirect and partial interpretation for the term which at least informs us of some of the characteristics of its designata.
Rhabdomyosarcoma Presumed Metastatic to the Orbit

Background: Orbital metastasis from rhabdomyosarcoma is a rare disorder with a poor prognosis for long-term survival. Only one other detailed account of this disorder has appeared in the ophthalmic literature. Methods: The authors report the clinical features of four patients with presumed orbital metastasis from alveolar and embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma. Results: The most common ophthalmic manifestations of orbital metastasis from rhabdomyosarcoma in these patients included proptosis, reduced visual acuity, orbital pain, and motility disorders. Computed tomography documented orbital masses in all of the patients. In those patients with a primary tumor of the maxillary sinus, there was no evidence of direct extension into the orbit. Despite combination chemotherapy and radiation, all four patients died of their illness within 6 months of orbital metastasis. Conclusions: Although uncommon, rhabdomyosarcoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of metastatic tumors to the orbit in children and adults. Despite the poor prognosis, prompt diagnosis and palliative radiotherapy may improve the quality of life for these patients with terminal disease.
High-speed all-optical encryption and decryption based on two-photon absorption in semiconductor optical amplifiers

We propose a scheme to realize high-speed all-optical encryption and decryption using key-stream generators and optical XOR gates utilizing the ultrafast two-photon absorption (TPA)-induced phase change in semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs). The key used for encryption and decryption is a high-speed all-optical pseudorandom bit sequence which is generated by a linear feedback shift register (LFSR) together with optical XOR and AND gates. The input intensities to the SOA are high enough so that the fast TPA-induced phase change is larger than the regular induced phase change. We also designed and investigated three more secure key-stream generators, i.e., a three LFSR cascaded design generator, an alternating step generator, and a shrinking generator. Results show that this scheme can realize all-optical encryption and decryption by using key-stream generators at high speed up to 250 Gb/s.
Embedded & Clinical Librarianship: Administrative Support for Vital New Roles

ABSTRACT Medical libraries continue to face the challenge of demonstrating relevance and value in hard economic times. Job titles such as “embedded librarians,” “clinical medical librarian,” and “informationist” have become more common as medical libraries strive to meet patrons at the point of need within a natural workflow. This article provides an overview of such positions, including necessary skills and expertise, added value, administrative challenges, and a discussion of evaluation.
A finite element study of incompressible flows past oscillating cylinders and aerofoils

We present our numerical results for certain unsteady flows past oscillating cylinders and aerofoils. The computations are based on the stabilized space-time finite element formulation. The implicit equation systems resulting from the space-time finite element discretizations are solved using iterative solution techniques. One of the problems studied is flow past a cylinder which is forced to oscillate in the horizontal direction. In this case we observe a change from an unsymmetric mode of vortex shedding to a symmetric one. An extensive study was carried out for the case in which a cylinder is mounted on lightly damped springs and allowed to oscillate in the vertical direction. In this case the motion of the cylinder needs to be determined as part of the solution, and under certain conditions this motion changes the vortex-shedding pattern of the flow field significantly. This nonlinear fluid-structure interaction exhibits certain interesting behavior such as 'lock-in' and 'hysteresis', which are in good agreement with the laboratory experiments carried out by other researchers in the past. Preliminary results for flow past a pitching aerofoil are also presented.
A comparison of land surface model soil hydraulic properties estimated by inverse modeling and pedotransfer functions

[1] Soil hydraulic properties (SHPs) regulate the movement of water in the soil. This in turn plays an important role in the water and energy cycles at the land surface. At present, SHPs are commonly defined by a simple pedotransfer function from soil texture class, but SHPs vary more within a texture class than between classes. To examine the impact of using soil texture class to predict SHPs, we run the Noah land surface model for a wide variety of measured SHPs. We find that across a range of vegetation cover (5–80% cover) and climates (250–900 mm mean annual precipitation), soil texture class only explains 5% of the variance expected from the real distribution of SHPs. We then show that modifying SHPs can drastically improve model performance. We compare two methods of estimating SHPs: (1) inverse modeling and (2) soil texture class. Compared to texture class, inverse modeling reduces errors between measured and modeled latent heat flux from 88 to 28 W/m2. Additionally we find that with increasing vegetation cover the importance of SHPs decreases and that the van Genuchten m parameter becomes less important, while the saturated conductivity becomes more important.
Identification of Base-triples in RNA using Comparative Sequence Analysis

Comparative sequence analysis has proven to be a very efficient tool for the determination of RNA secondary structure and certain tertiary interactions. However, base-triples, an important RNA structural element, cannot be predicted accurately from sequence data. We show here that the poor base correlations observed at base-triple positions are the result of two factors. (1) Base covariation is not as strictly required in triples as it is in Watson-Crick pairs. (2) Base-triple structures are less conserved among homologous molecules. A particularity of known triple-helical regions is the presence of multiple base correlations that do not reflect direct pairing. We suggest that natural mutations in base-triples create structural changes that require compensatory mutations in adjacent base-pairs and triples to maintain the triple-helix conformation. On the basis of these observations, we devised two new measures of association that significantly enhance the base-triple signal in correlation studies. We evaluated correlations between base-pairs and single stranded bases, and correlations between adjacent base-pairs. Positions that score well in both analyses are the best triple candidates. This procedure correctly identifies triples, or interactions very close to the proposed triples, in type I and type II tRNAs and in the group I intron.
A KRAS-directed transcriptional silencing pathway that mediates the CpG island methylator phenotype

Approximately 70% of KRAS-positive colorectal cancers (CRCs) have a CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP) characterized by aberrant DNA hypermethylation and transcriptional silencing of many genes. The factors involved in, and the mechanistic basis of, CIMP is not understood. Among the CIMP genes are the tumor suppressors p14(ARF), p15(INK4B), and p16(INK4A), encoded by the INK4-ARF locus. In this study, we perform an RNA interference screen and identify ZNF304, a zinc-finger DNA-binding protein, as the pivotal factor required for INK4-ARF silencing and CIMP in CRCs containing activated KRAS. In KRAS-positive human CRC cell lines and tumors, ZNF304 is bound at the promoters of INK4-ARF and other CIMP genes. Promoter-bound ZNF304 recruits a corepressor complex that includes the DNA methyltransferase DNMT1, resulting in DNA hypermethylation and transcriptional silencing. KRAS promotes silencing through upregulation of ZNF304, which drives DNA binding. Finally, we show that ZNF304 also directs transcriptional silencing of INK4-ARF in human embryonic stem cells. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.02313.001.
Intersections of Brownian motions

Abstract This article presents a survey of the theory of the intersections of Brownian motion paths. Among other things, we present a truly elementary proof of a classical theorem of A. Dvoretzky, P. Erdős and S. Kakutani. This proof is motivated by old ideas of P. Levy that were originally used to investigate the curve of planar Brownian motion.
Similarity based retrieval from a 3D human database

In this paper, we describe a framework for similarity based retrieval from a 3D human database. Our technique is based on both body and head shape representation and retrieval based on similarity of both of them. The 3D human database used in our study is the CAESAR [CAESAR] anthropometric database and in it are around 5000 bodies. Furthermore, we have developed a web based interface for specifying the queries and to interact with the retrieval system. We have seen that our approach performs the similarity based retrieval in a reasonable amount of time and seems to be a practical approach.
Market structure and innovation revisited

Abstract This paper discusses the dynamics of technological advances in a market economy. The author argues that competition through innovation is not only national but international and that the success or failure has consequences beyond the fortunes of the individual firm or industry, having impact on patterns of international trade and balance of payments. These impacts on national economies have in turn given rise to such policy questions as whether the antitrust laws in the U.S. should be relaxed so as to allow joint R&D ventures among rival firms or to relax prohibitions against large scale mergers in the interest of spurring innovation. The author presents the research done by Abramowitz, Fabricant, Solow, and Denison on the major importance of technological advances in the growth of per capita income. Finally, the author discusses and argues Schumpeter's view of the modern industrial economy in which Schumpeter indicates that large firms have an absolute advantage over small ones in the innovation process.
Sextant prostate biopsies : a histopathologic correlation with radical prostatectomy specimens

Background. Among patients with clinically localized prostate cancer, preoperative prediction of tumor volume and pathologic stage has been unreliable. This study examines the application of transrectal ultrasound-guided sextant biopsies to predict the extent of disease. Methods. One hundred and two patients with clinically resectable prostate cancer were evaluated by systematic sextant biopsies. Radical prostatectomy specimens were embedded totally as whole mounts, tumor areas were outlined, and volume was measured using a digital scanner. The number of positive sextant biopsies was compared with age, race, preoperative prostate specific antigen (PSA), PSA density, DNA ploidy, pathologic stage, capsular and seminal vesicle involvement, prostate and tumor volume, and Gleason score. Stepwise logistic regression was used to determine if pathologic stage or tumor size could be predicted by these parameters. Results. The number of positive sextant biopsies correlated with traditional prognostic indicators. When patients with three or fewer positive biopsies were compared with those with four or more positive sextant biopsies, significant differences were identified relative to preoperative PSA (P < 0.001), tumor volume (P < 0.001), pathologic stage (P < 0.001), Gleason score (P < 0.001), seminal vesicle involvement (P < 0.001), and capsular penetration (P < 0.001). There were no significant differences based on age, race, DNA ploidy, and overall prostate volume. Logistic regression showed that patients with four or more positive sextant biopsies and high Gleason score had a greater likelihood of pT3 classification. Likewise, the probabilities of a tumor volume less than 0.5 ml could be predicted by the number of positive sextant biopsies and PSA alone. The number of positive sextant biopsies was the only factor that could predict a tumor volume greater than 4.0 ml. Conclusion. The number of positive sextant biopsies appears to be an important prognostic indicator of pathologic (pT) classification and tumor volume. This information is valuable in selecting the treatment strategy for patients with prostate cancer. Cancer 1995;75:530-8.
Behavioral sensitization to amphetamine follows chronic administration of the CB1 agonist WIN 55,212-2 in Lewis rats

The extent to which acute and repeated administration of the CB(1) agonist WIN 55,212-2 would affect the stimulatory properties of amphetamine was assessed in Lewis rats. In the first experiment, Lewis rats were treated with either 1 mg/kg of WIN 55,212-2 or vehicle and subsequently treated with 2 mg/kg amphetamine. Acute treatment with WIN 55,212-2 initially increased locomotor activity and then attenuated the stimulating effect of amphetamine on locomotion and exploration (as measured by rears). In a separate experiment, Lewis rats were given daily injections of either WIN 55,212-2 (1 mg/kg) or vehicle for 10 days and the effects of amphetamine were assessed at 1 and 3 days following the last chronic cannabinoid treatment. Those rats, which had been treated with WIN 55,212-2, had an enhanced response to amphetamine with rearing but not with ambulatory movements, suggesting the occurrence of behavioral cross-sensitization to the ability of amphetamine to increase rearing. These data add to the growing evidence that there is at least some overlap between those neural systems acted upon by cannabinoids and those that are believed to be involved in incentive properties associated with other drugs of abuse.
BioGraphE: high-performance bionetwork analysis using the Biological Graph Environment

Background Graphs and networks are common analysis representations for biological systems. Many traditional graph algorithms such as k-clique, k-coloring, and subgraph matching have great potential as analysis techniques for newly available data in biology. Yet, as the amount of genomic and bionetwork information rapidly grows, scientists need advanced new computational strategies and tools for dealing with the complexities of the bionetwork analysis and the volume of the data.
The effects of mortality salience on personally-relevant persuasive appeals

The effects of mortality salience on personally-relevant persuasive appeals were investigated by exposing subjects to strong or weak arguments about a personally-relevant issue by an expert or nonexpert source following a mortality salience or control induction, and then measuring subjects' attitudes about that issue. A significant mortality salience X argument source X strength of arguments interaction was found. In control conditions, subjects were more persuaded by strong than weak arguments when the source of the persuasive appeal was a nonexpert, but not when the source was an expert. Conversely, when mortality was made salient, subjects were more persuaded by strong than weak arguments when the source of the appeal was an expert, but not when the source was a nonexpert. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed, and directions for future research are considered.
Photon Correlations in the Parametric Frequency Splitting of Light

Correlation effects in parametric photon-pair production are studied within the framework of a physically realistic model. The analysis, which is fully quantum mechanical, takes into account the finite sizes of the target and the beam cross section, and allows for dispersion and anisotropy in the linear susceptibility. The correlations in position and time at which the two members of a parametrically generated pair may be detected are carefully evaluated. These correlations, which have been measured experimentally, are intrinsically quantum mechanical; i.e., they can be explained by no theory in which the subharmonic fields are described purely by $c$-number functions. A complete solution, from which field correlation functions of arbitrarily high order may be evaluated, is obtained by a method which at the same time allows for an arbitrary degree of parametric gain. The solution is expressed entirely in terms of a particular two-point field-correlation-function, as evaluated in lowest order in the incident field strength, at points distant from the target. The function in question is found by directly examining the fluctuating currents in the material medium, rather than by eliminating the matter variables at the outset through the introduction of a nonlinear electomagnetic susceptibility.
The Byl-Cheney-Boczai Sensory Discriminator: reliability, validity, and responsiveness for testing stereognosis.

Abstract This study evaluated reliability, validity, and responsiveness of a new test of stereognosis (Byl-Cheney-Boczai Sensory Discriminator Test [BCBI]). Participants included 38 controls, 29 subjects with hand problems, and 3 raters. With eyes closed, after sweeping the digit over a design (10 mm × 10 mm) embedded in a plastic cube (13 mm × 13 mm), subjects matched the design palpated with a design on an answer sheet (10 trials/digits 2 and 4). The intra-class correlation coefficients were 0.997 and 0.994 for intra-rater and inter-rater reliability. No significant performance differences were found by gender or side. Accuracy was significantly higher for digit 2 versus digit 4, younger subjects versus older subjects, and controls versus subjects with pathology. There were significant (1) positive correlations (+0.41 to +0.53) between the BCBI and tests of stereognosis and graphesthesia; (2) negative correlations (−0.44 to −0.51) between the BCBI and the Purdue and digital reaction time; and (3) gains on the BCBI and function with therapy. The BCBI seems to be a reliable, valid, and responsive test of stereognosis that can be administered in 15 minutes in the clinic. J HAND THER. 2002;15:315-330.
Milled rice surface lipid measurement by diffuse reflectance fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (DRIFTS)

Diffuse reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was investigated as a method for rice surface lipid determination. Long- and medium-grain rice was milled at four degrees of milling to obtain samples with various levels of residual bran, and total lipids were determined by solvent extraction. Fourier transform infrared spectra were collected between 4000 and 400 cm−1. Weighted regression analysis identified changes in surface chemical functional groups with bran removal. Groups typical of lipids increased with bran content whereas those typical of carbohydrates and protein decreased. Partial least squares (PLS) regression analysis showed a high degree of correlation between the spectra in the 4000–400 cm−1 range and extracted lipids of long-grain rice (R2=0.96) and medium-grain rice (R2=0.96); a high degree of correlation was also observed when long- and medium-grain rice data were combined (R2=0.96). There was a high positive correlation between the spectra and extracted lipids in the 1300–1000 cm−1 range for the long-grain rice (R2=0.98), medium-grain rice (R2=0.98), and combined long-/medium-grain rice data (R2=0.94). PLS selected spectral regions that correlated positively with functional groups of lipid/lipid oxidation products and negatively with functional groups of protein and carbohydrates.
THE CONTROL OF STARVATION

A generalized discussion of the anomaly of starvation is presented. Starvation is defined to be an infinite or unbounded delay, and classified in terms of its cause and the methods used for its control. A model and a set of control mechanisms are developed. The model, appropriate for various buffered and unbuffered resource systems, allows an ordering of requests by time and by stages of their lifetimes. We investigate the behavior and control of requests during starvation and during various anomalies of conflict.
Human papillomavirus type, proliferative activity, and p53: potential markers of aggressive papillomatosis.

Abstract Context.—The predictive value of nuclear proliferation antigen (Ki-67), tumor suppressor gene product p53, and human papillomavirus type has not been evaluated for outcome of laryngeal papilloma. Objective.—This study was designed to determine whether immunohistochemical analysis of Ki-67 and p53 and human papillomavirus typing by polymerase chain reaction are able to identify patients with a more aggressive course of laryngeal papillomatosis. Design.—Immunohistochemistry and polymerase chain reaction were performed on archival, paraffin-embedded, laryngeal papillomatosis biopsy specimens at the time of diagnosis, at an intermediate time during treatment, and at the last procedure available. Staining indexes for Ki-67 and p53 were determined, and human papillomavirus type was analyzed for all biopsies. Patients.—Twelve patients with recurrent laryngeal papillomatosis for at least 5 years were selected from patients treated at our institution during the last 20 years. Main Outcome Measures.—Separa...
Leakage-biased domino circuits for dynamic fine-grain leakage reduction

A leakage-biased domino circuit family is proposed that maintains high speed in active mode but which can be rapidly placed into a low-leakage inactive state by using leakage currents themselves to bias internal nodes. A 32-bit Han-Carlson domino adder circuit is used to compare LB-domino with conventional single and dual Vt domino circuits. For equal delay and noise margin, the LB-domino technique gives two decades reduction in steady-state leakage energy compared to a dual-Vt technique.
Cladid Crinoids from the Late Kinderhookian Meadville Shale, Cuyahoga Formation of Ohio

A total of 17 species of cladid crinoids are documented from the late Kinderhookian Meadville Shale Member of the Cuyahoga Formation of northeastern Ohio, the most diverse assemblage of Kinderhookian-age cladids known in North America. One new genus, six new species, and seven new combinations are reported. New taxa include Cuyahogacrinus lodiensis new genus and species, and the new species Cyathocrinites simplex, Atelestocrinus meszarosi, Goniocrinus sceletus, Aphelecrinus gracilis, and Lebetocrinus ohioensis. New combinations include Logocrinus warreni (Laudon et al., 1952), Histocrinus aegina (Hall, 1863), Paracosmetocrinus richfieldensis (Worthen, 1882), P. corycia (Hall, 1863), Acylocrinus lyriope (Hall, 1863), Linocrinus merope (Hall, 1863), and L. paternus (Hall, 1863). Remaining taxa include Cyathocrinites lamellosus (White, 1863) and Ascetocrinus whitei (Hall, 1861), both of which also occur in the Osagean Burlington Limestone, and the endemic species Cosmetocrinus crineus (Hall, 1863) and Pachylocrinus subtortuosus (Hall, 1863).Collectively, the cosmopolitan genera and species of cladids show a greater overall affinity with Osagean cladid faunas than with other Kinderhookian cladid faunas. However, this is true for other Kinderhookian cladid faunas as well that individually have more taxa in common with Osagean faunas than other Kinderhookian faunas. This suggests a greater degree of endemism and local speciation during the Kinderhookian as a prelude to the rapid radiation of cladids, and other crinoids, during the Osagean.
IL-27 Production and STAT3-Dependent Upregulation of B7-H1 Mediate Immune Regulatory Functions of Liver Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are highly specialized APCs that, in addition to their well-recognized role in anti-viral immunity, also regulate immune responses. Liver-resident pDCs are considerably less immunostimulatory than those from secondary lymphoid tissues and are equipped to promote immune tolerance/regulation through various mechanisms. IL-27 is an IL-12 family cytokine that regulates the function of both APCs and T cells, although little is known about its role in pDC immunobiology. In this study, we show that mouse liver pDCs express higher levels of IL-27p28 and EBV-induced protein 3 (Ebi3) compared with those of splenic pDCs. Both populations of pDCs express the IL-27Rα/WSX-1; however, only liver pDCs significantly upregulate expression of the coregulatory molecule B7 homolog-1 (B7-H1) in response to IL-27. Inhibition of STAT3 activation completely abrogates IL-27–induced upregulation of B7-H1 expression on liver pDCs. Liver pDCs treated with IL-27 increase the percentage of CD4+Foxp3+ T cells in MLR, which is dependent upon expression of B7-H1. pDCs from Ebi3-deficient mice lacking functional IL-27 show increased capacity to stimulate allogeneic T cell proliferation and IFN-γ production in MLR. Liver but not spleen pDCs suppress delayed-type hypersensitivity responses to OVA, an effect that is lost with Ebi3−/− and B7-H1−/− liver pDCs compared with wild-type liver pDCs. These data suggest that IL-27 signaling in pDCs promotes their immunoregulatory function and that IL-27 produced by pDCs contributes to their capacity to regulate immune responses in vitro and in vivo.
Anselm and the Apophatic: “Something Greater than Can Be Thought”

Anselm's ontological proof, which sets out to show that God must exist and which depends upon the premise that human beings can conceptualize God, seems antithetical to the apophatic tradition, but Anselm's work in general and his proof in particular are, nonetheless, exemplars of apophasis. The proof shows the atheist's position to be untenable, while also revealing the ambiguities of the believer's claim. In proving the necessary existence of God, Anselm destroys all idols and with them, all human conceptions of divinity, for whatever conception can be achieved always stands vulnerable to being overcome. Thus, Anselm is left to conclude that God is in fact “something greater than can be thought.” Anselm shows that language can never offer a final and complete formulation for God, and he does so through his own name for God (“something-than-which-nothing-greater-can-be-thought”), a name that remains brilliantly open and which is ingenious, not for what it affirms about God, but rather for what it denies.
A continuous entropy rate estimator for spike trains using a k-means-based context tree

Entropy rate quantifies the change of information of a stochastic process (Cover & Thomas, 2006). For decades, the temporal dynamics of spike trains generated by neurons has been studied as a stochastic process (Barbieri, Quirk, Frank, Wilson, & Brown, 2001; Brown, Frank, Tang, Quirk, & Wilson, 1998; Kass & Ventura, 2001; Metzner, Koch, Wessel, & Gabbiani, 1998; Zhang, Ginzburg, McNaughton, & Sejnowski, 1998). We propose here to estimate the entropy rate of a spike train from an inhomogeneous hidden Markov model of the spike intervals. The model is constructed by building a context tree structure to lay out the conditional probabilities of various subsequences of the spike train. For each state in the Markov chain, we assume a gamma distribution over the spike intervals, although any appropriate distribution may be employed as circumstances dictate. The entropy and confidence intervals for the entropy are calculated from bootstrapping samples taken from a large raw data sequence. The estimator was first tested on synthetic data generated by multiple-order Markov chains, and it always converged to the theoretical Shannon entropy rate (except in the case of a sixth-order model, where the calculations were terminated before convergence was reached). We also applied the method to experimental data and compare its performance with that of several other methods of entropy estimation.
Variation among black walnut seedling families in resistance to competition and allelopathy

Of three environmental variables affecting black walnut seedling establishment, moisture stress overshadowed the effects of fescue leachate and fertilizer. Interactions between moisture stress and family and between fescue leachate and moisture stress for both seedling height and dry weight suggested that selection for tolerance to moisture stress is possible, whereas progress from selecting for resistance to fescue leachate would be difficult. Family response to high moisture stress resulted in reductions of 17 to 33 percent in height and 36 to 48 percent in dry weight when compared with seedlings grown under moist conditions. The only effect of fertilization was a 9 percent decrease in seedling survival under high moisture stress conditions.
Data standards for the international virtual observatory

A primary goal of the International Virtual Observatory Alliance, which brings together Virtual Observatory Projects from 16 national and international development projects, is to develop, evaluate, test, and agree upon standards for astronomical data formatting, data discovery, and data delivery. In the three years that the IVOA has been in existence, substantial progress has been made on standards for tabular data, imaging data, spectroscopic data, and large-scale databases and on managing the metadata that describe data collections and data access services. In this paper, I describe how the IVOA operates and give my views as to why such a broadly based international collaboration has been able to make such rapid progress.
Frogs and Toads Memory: A Voronoi Twist on the Classic Children's Game

Abstract—In this paper we present a novel twist on the classic children’s game, Memory. Here we combine the use of a weighted, centroidal Voronoi diagram and a multitouch tabletop surface to create a board game in which tiles (represented with Voronoi regions) dynamically morph as the game play evolves. This provides a challenge in which players must not only remember the locations of the various tiles, but also track their movements over time. Ages: 3 - 99 Players: 1 or more
Co-Evolution of Sensor Morphology and Control on a Simulated Legged Robot

This paper discusses utilizing genetic algorithms to automatically design a suitable sensor morphology and controller for a given task in categories of environments. The type of sensors, the heading angle and the range of the sensor, and the rules the controller, are co-evolved. The described method enables the system to decipher information from the environment to determine that is relevant to completing a given task while configuring a minimal controller and number of sensors, thus increasing the overall efficiency of the robot.