cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Medicinal uses of licorice through the millennia : the good and plenty of it

Key Msords: Licorice; G!vcyrrhrza glabra; (Review) Licorice continues to be used as a pharmacological agent as well as an ingredient in tobacco and confectionery throughout countries in the East and West. Studies over the past 50 years have yielded information which has prompted new interest in the pharmacological and physiological effects of this plant. This research has revealed that the chemical structure of one of the principle agents in the root of the licorice plant is a glycoside of a triterpene called glycyrrhetinic acid. Originally its structure and activity were thought to be similar to adrenal steroid hormones such as aldosterone and cortisol, since ingestion of licorice mimicked hyperaldosteronism and was suggested as a treatment for Addison’s disease [1,2]. It is now thought that the presence of intact adrenals is required for licorice ingestion to cause sodium retention leading to subsequent hypertension [3]. This recent insight into the effects of licorice on adrenal function and steroid metabolism has led us to examine the uses of licorice historically and culturally in order to arrive at a better understanding of its many possible functions. In realizing how widely licorice has been used in many societies throughout the millenia, not only can we gain insight into its possible medicinal functions, but we can also learn to what extent licorice may pose as a potential threat to the individual. Further
Effect of temperature on germination and germ-tube development of Puccinia recondita and P. graminis urediniospores

Germination of Puccinia recondita and P. graminis urediniospores reached at least 95% within 2 h at temperatures of 6–28 °C. Germination measured in both species was inhibited for at least 4 h at 2°, greatly reduced at 31° and completely inhibited at 35°. Maximum development of P. recondita germ-tubes was recorded at 10, 14 and 22° within 17 h. In contrast, germ-tubes of P. graminis urediniospores developed to maximum lengths at 22 and 25° within 17 h. Lysing of germ-tubes was evident (approximately 2%) within 4 h at all temperatures of 6–31°, but was considerably higher at 31°. Branching and coiling of germ-tubes became more pronounced in both species with increase in temperature after 4 h incubation.
On a direct estimator for average production intervals

Nozari and Whitt proposed an indirect approach to estimating the average production interval (i.e., the length of time between starting and finishing work on each good or defect-free product), based on measurements of the work-in-process inventory and the production rate. A necessary and sufficient condition for the consistency or validity of their estimator is derived herein. Our validity condition also yields an alternate estimator for the average production interval; as a direct estimator, it has better asymptotic efficiency than the indirect estimator.
Monocytes in Myocardial Infarction

Myocardial infarction (MI) is the leading cause of death in developed countries. Though timely revascularization of the ischemic myocardium and current standard therapy reduce acute mortality after MI, long-term morbidity and mortality remain high. During the first 1 to 2 weeks after MI, tissues in the infarcted myocardium undergo rapid turnover, including digestion of extracellular matrix and fibrosis. Post-MI repair is crucial to survival. Monocytes recruited to the infarcted myocardium remove debris and facilitate the repair process. However, exaggerated inflammation may also impede healing, as demonstrated by the association between elevated white blood cell count and in-hospital mortality after MI. Monocytes produced in the bone marrow and spleen enter the blood after MI and are recruited to the injured myocardium in 2 phases. The first phase is dominated by Ly-6chigh monocytes and the second phase by Ly-6clow monocytes. Yet the number of Ly6Clow monocytes recruited to the infarct is much lower, and Ly6Chigh monocytes can differentiate to Ly6Clow macrophages in later healing stages. Understanding the signals regulating monocytosis after MI will help design new therapies to facilitate cardiac healing and limit heart failure.
Case study of rotating sonar sensor application in unmanned automated guided vehicle

A single rotating sonar element is used with a restricted angle of sweep to obtain readings to develop a range map for the unobstructed path of an autonomous guided vehicle (AGV). A Polaroid ultrasound transducer element is mounted on a micromotor with an encoder feedback. The motion of this motor is controlled using a Galil DMC 1000 motion control board. The encoder is interfaced with the DMC 1000 board using an intermediate IMC 1100 break-out board. By adjusting the parameters of the Polaroid element, it is possible to obtain range readings at known angles with respect to the center of the robot. The readings are mapped to obtain a range map of the unobstructed path in front of the robot. The idea can be extended to a 360 degree mapping by changing the assembly level programming on the Galil Motion control board. Such a system would be compact and reliable over a range of environments and AGV applications.
Rare and unusual complication of vaginal hysterectomy

Abstract A case of salpingo-vesical fistula is presented which occurred in a forty-six-year-oldfemale two years after a vaginal hysterectomy. The patient's presenting complaints included pelvic and right lumbosacral discomfort, aggravated by urination. Cystoscopy revealed the fistula, and the patient was successfully treated with a salpingo-oophorectomy.
Short-term met-hGH infusion inhibits somatotroph response to growth hormone releasing hormone (1-44).

To determine whether the short-term administration of growth hormone inhibits pituitary responsiveness to h-GHRH we measured the somatotroph response to h-GHRH-44 (0.3 micrograms/kg) stimulation in ten normal subjects from the third to the fifth hour of an infusion of met-hGH (2 micrograms/kg/h) or saline. Insulin, insulin-like growth factors (IGF), somatomedins, free fatty acids (FFA), glycerol, and glucose levels also were assessed during the first 3 hours of infusion. Steady-state GH levels of 5 to 20 ng/mL were achieved during met-hGH infusion. No significant changes in IGF, insulin, or glucose levels measured at the beginning and again after three hours of infusion occurred within or between conditions. Infusion of met-hGH was associated with a significantly greater increase in FFA levels (69 +/- 50 mumol/L following saline v 433 +/- 57 mumol/L following three hours of met-hGH infusion (P less than .001)). The somatotroph response to h-GHRH-44 was significantly blunted during met-hGH infusion (incremental area under the GH/time curve decreasing from 1,196 +/- 183 (ng/mL) X min to 380 +/- 139 (ng/mL) X min (P less than .005)). These data demonstrate that this blunting can occur following short-term exogenous GH administration and at serum GH levels comparable to those achieved during naturally occurring bursts of GH secretion. They also suggest that acute mediation of GH release must occur, at least in part, at the pituitary somatotroph level and that IGFs and/or insulin may not be the primary inhibitors. This phenomenon may be directly or indirectly due to GH-dependent metabolic factors such as FFA or glycerol.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
973-110 Successful PTCA for Post-Infarction Ischemia is Associated with Significantly Lower Long-term Mortality

Prognosis after myocardial infarction (MI) is influenced by the occurrence of post-myocardial infarction ischemia and by the presence of an open infarct related artery. Revascularization is performed in patients with postmyocardial infarction ischemia to alleviate symptoms. Due to small numbers of patients in studies observing outcome after PTCA for post-infarction ischemia, it has not been possible to determine outcome for patients with open versus severely narrowed or closed vessels following PTCA. In this study, we compared long-term outcome for reinfarction and death in patients with open versus closed or severely narrowed coronary arteries following PTCA for post-infarction ischemia. 505 consecutive patients undervvent PTCA for post-infarction ischemia at Deaconess Hospital between 1981 and 1989. Follow-up (mean 34 months) after hospital discharge for reinfarction, death, repeat PTCA and coronary bypass grafting was then compared based on the status of the artery at the end of angioplasty (open versus closed or severely narrowed). The 5-year Kaplan-Meier actuarial mortality rate was 4.7% for patients with open vessels and 11.4% for those with severely narrowed or closed vessels. Patients with open vessels had a significantly lower mortality (p = 0.009) and mortality or reinfarction (p = 0.007) as judged by the log-rank statistic. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards analyses controlling for age, gender, type and location of MI and year of PTCA revealed a hazard ratio for death for closed or severely narrowed compared with open arteries of 4.7 (95% CI, 1.49-14.75) and for the combined endpoint of MI or death of 3.2 (95% CI, 1.38-7.39). Conclusion Patients who undergo successful revascularization with PTCA for post-infarction ischemia have significantly lower death rates than those with severely narrowed or closed arteries following attempted PTCA.
Self-tuning Generalized Predictive Control applied to terrain following flight

Generalized Predictive Control (GPC) describes an algorithm for the control of dynamic systems in which a control input is generated which minimizes a quadratic cost function consisting of a weighted sum of errors between desired and predicted future system output and future predicted control increments. The output predictions are obtained from an internal model of the plant dynamics. Self-tuning GPC refers to an implementation of the GPC algorithm in which the parameters of the internal model(s) are estimated on-line and the predictive control law tuned to the parameters so identified. The self-tuning GPC algorithm is applied to a problem of rotorcraft longitudinal/vertical terrain-following flight. The ability of the algorithm to tune to the initial vehicle parameters and to successfully adapt to a stability augmentation failure is demonstrated. Flight path performance is compared to a conventional, classically designed flight path control system.
Use of teams in technical services in academic libraries

A review of library literature shows a general trend of technical services in academic libraries to reorganize into teams. This paper analyzes the results of a survey conducted in 2010 in order to answer four research questions: how extensively technical services in academic libraries have moved into the use of teams in organizational structures; how extensively technical services in academic libraries have done training related to teams; what team characteristics are demonstrated by teams in technical services in academic libraries; and how the effectiveness of teams is perceived by staff and faculty who work in technical services in academic libraries.
Effect of anaesthesia of the palmar digital nerves on proximal interphalangeal joint pain in the horse.

Summary Reasons for performing study: Anaesthesia of the palmar digital nerves is claimed to attenuate lameness in some horses that are lame because of pain in the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint. Objective: To determine the response of horses with pain in the PIP joint to anaesthesia of the palmar digital nerves. Methods: Horses were video recorded trotting before and after induction of pain in the PIP joint and 10 mins after anaesthesia of the palmar digital nerves. The palmar digital nerves were anaesthetised 3 times at different sites, and the video recorded gaits were scored subjectively. Results: The median lameness score of gaits after administration of 2% mepivacaine 1 cm proximal to the cartilages of the foot was not significantly different from the median lameness score before anaesthesia of the palmar digital nerves (P0.05), although that of 1 of 6 horses improved markedly. The median lameness score was significantly (P0.05) improved after mepivacaine was administered 2 and 3 cm proximal to the cartilages of the foot. Conclusions: The PIP joint is unlikely to be anaesthetised when the palmar digital nerves are anaesthetised at the proximal margin of the cartilages of the foot. Potential relevance: Pain within the PIP joint cannot be excluded as a cause of lameness when lameness is attenuated by anaesthesia of the palmar digital nerves at any site proximal to the proximal margin of the cartilages of the foot.
Stabilization of the B-type natriuretic peptide mRNA in cardiac myocytes by alpha-adrenergic receptor activation: potential roles for protein kinase C and mitogen-activated protein kinase.

In cardiac myocytes, B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) expression is induced with the rapid kinetics of a primary response gene. Like many other primary response gene transcripts, the BNP mRNA possesses destabilizing elements and is believed to be short-lived. The rapid induction of a short-lived transcript could be achieved partty by agonist-mediated increases in mRNA t1/2. Accordingly, the present study was undertaken to evaluate whether the alpha 1-adrenergic receptor agonist, phenylephrine (PE), a known inducer of BNP expression, could stabilize the BNP mRNA and, if so, what signaling pathways might be involved. In primary myocardial cells treated with a transcription inhibitor, the t1/2 of the BNP mRNA was found to be about 1 h in the absence of PE; however, in the presence of PE, the t1/2 increased to 5 h. It was shown that neither the calmodulin kinase inhibitor, KN-62, nor the protein tyrosine kinase inhibitor, tyrphostin, blocked PE-mediated stabilization of the BNP mRNA. However, either the prote...
The Iowa Driving Simulator: an immersive research environment

This simulator's rich, fully interactive environment provides varied scenarios for meeting experimental needs-for example, engineering evaluation of automated highway systems. >
Clinical-Scale Derivation of Natural Killer Cells From Human Pluripotent Stem Cells for Cancer Therapy

Adoptive transfer of antitumor lymphocytes has gained intense interest in the field of cancer therapeutics over the past two decades. Human natural killer (NK) cells are a promising source of lymphocytes for anticancer immunotherapy. NK cells are part of the innate immune system and exhibit potent antitumor activity without need for human leukocyte antigen matching and without prior antigen exposure. Moreover, the derivation of NK cells from pluripotent stem cells could provide an unlimited source of lymphocytes for off-the-shelf therapy. To date, most studies on hematopoietic cell development from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have used incompletely defined conditions and been on a limited scale. Here, we have used a two-stage culture system to efficiently produce NK cells from hESCs and iPSCs in the absence of cell sorting and without need for xenogeneic stromal cells. This novel combination of embryoid body formation using defined conditions and membrane-bound interleukin 21-expressing artificial antigen-presenting cells allows production of mature and functional NK cells from several different hESC and iPSC lines. Although different hESC and iPSC lines had varying efficiencies in hematopoietic development, all cell lines tested could produce functional NK cells. These methods can be used to generate enough cytotoxic NK cells to treat a single patient from fewer than 250,000 input hESCs/iPSCs. Additionally, this strategy provides a genetically amenable platform to study normal NK cell development and education in vitro.
'You are HERE': Connecting the dots with airborne lidar for geomorphic fieldwork

article i nfo The emergence of airborne lidar data for studying landscape evolution and natural hazards has revolution- ized our ability to document the topographic signature of active and ancient surface processes. Notable lidar-facilitated discoveries, however, would not have been possible without the coupling of fieldwork and lidar analysis, which contradicts the ill-considered notion that high resolution remote sensing technologies will replace geomorphic field investigations. Here, we attempt to identify the primary means by which lidar has and will continue to transform how geomorphologists study landscape form and evolution: (1) lidar serves as a detailed base map for field mapping and sample collection, (2) lidar allows for rapid and accurate description of morphologic trends and patterns across broad areas, which facilitates model test- ing through increased accuracy and vastly increased sample sizes, and (3) lidar enables the identification of unanticipated landforms, including those with unknown origin. Finally, because the adoption of new technol- ogies can influence cognition and perception, we also explore the notion that the ongoing use of lidar enables geomorphologists to more effectively conceptualize landforms in the field.
Effects of Fluid Inertia and Viscoelasticity on Squeeze-Film Bearing Forces

The Reynolds equation of hydrodynamic lubrication is normally used to determine the damping coefficients in the analysis of rotor-dynamic system with squeeze-film dampers. Lubrication theory assumes that the fluid motion is precisely in phase with the bearing surface motion, but at high speeds both inertia and viscoelasticity introduce phase-shifting effects into the fluid motion. As a result, predictions derived from Reynolds' equation can be significantly in error. An earlier series of papers developed a theory to account for the influences of viscoelasticity and inertia in arbitrary oscillatory squeezing flows of small amplitude. The theory is applied here to develop improved expressions for the linear damping coefficients, in terms of the Reynolds and Deborah number. Evaluation of the corrected formulae show that fluid inertia and viscoelasticity have large effects on the coefficients.
Minimization of Memory Traffic in High-Level Synthesis

This paper presents a new transformation for the scheduling of memory-access operations in High-Level Synthesis. This transformation is suited to memory-intensive applications with synthesized designs containing a secondary store accessed by explicit instructions. Such memory-intensive behaviors are commonly observed in video compression, image convolution, hydrodynamics and mechatronics. Our transformation removes load and store instructions which become redundant or unnecessary during the transformation of loops. The advantage of this reduction is the decrease of secondary memory bandwidth demands. This technique is implemented in our Percolation-Based Scheduler which we used to conduct experiments on core numerical benchmarks. Our results demonstrate a significant reduction in the number of memory operations and an increase in performance on these benchmarks.
Early Marriage, Premarital Fertility, and Marital Dissolution Results for Blacks and Whites

This research investigates the impact of age at first marriage and premarital fertility status on subsequent marital dissolution for both black women and white women first married between 1950 and 1970. Results, using multivariate proportional hazards models, indicate that (1) premarital births, but not premarital pregnancies, increase the risk of marital dissolution; (2) an increasing age at the first marriage reduces the risk of marital separation and divorce, but not monotonically; (3) blacks differ from whites in that they are less responsive to the effects of a premarital birth or a young age at first marriage in increasing the likelihood of marital instability; and (4) an older age a first marriage offsets somewhat the destabilizing effects of a premarital birth.
Do different types of social identity moderate the association between perceived descriptive norms and drinking among college students

Perceived descriptive norms are one of the strongest predictors of college drinking. Social Identity Theory posits that much of our identity is based on groups with which we affiliate. Prior research suggests that there is an association between perceived descriptive norms and drinking among those who identify more strongly with the normative referent group. However, no studies to date have examined how different facets of social identity affect the relationship between perceived descriptive norms and drinking. The purpose of this study was to examine whether the interaction between perceived descriptive norms and social identity on drinking varied as a function of different dimensions of social identity among college students. Participants were 1095 college students from a large, public, southern university who completed an online survey about drinking behaviors and related attitudes. Drinks per week was examined as a function of norms, the Importance, Commitment, Deference, and Superiority subscales of the Measure of Identification with Groups, as well as the two-way interactions between each dimension of social identity and norms. Results indicated that norms were associated with drinking, but that this relationship varied as a function of identity dimension. The association between norms and drinking was stronger among those who viewed the university's student body as part of their own identity and were more committed to their fellow students, but weaker among those who reported greater deference to student leaders. This research suggests the importance of examining multiple dimensions of social identity in considering social influences on drinking.
Stable isotopes in Late Pennsylvanian brachiopods from the United States: Implications for Carboniferous paleoceanography

Stable isotopic analyses have been performed on nearly 500 nonluminescent brachiopod shells from Kansas, New Mexico, and Texas to evaluate temporal and geographic variability in the carbon and oxygen isotopic record for late Pennsylvanian time. Brachiopod specimens were collected from Missourian and Virgilian shales and examined in thin section for preservation of microstructure and absence of cathodoluminescence as a primary test for shell preservation. Regional variations are observed in the δ18O and δ13C values of nonluminescent brachiopod shells of the same genera. Average δ18O values for the three genera analyzed ( Crurithyris , Composita , and Neospirifer ) are highest in Kansas (≈-1.9‰), intermediate in Texas (≈-2.3‰), and lowest in New Mexico (≈-3.6‰). Vital effect on the δ18O of these genera appears minimal. δ18O data and other evidence suggest warmer temperatures for the shallow New Mexico localities and slightly higher salinity for the Kansas sea relative to the Texas sea. The δ13C values of Composita average about 1‰ higher than those of co-occurring Crurithyris and Neospirifer , suggesting microhabitat differences or vital effects. Preservation of this species effect argues for preservation of original δ13C values. Average δ13C values are highest in Texas, intermediate in Kansas, and lowest in New Mexico. Although these values range from 2.6‰ to 4.9‰, for individual genera the regional variation in δ13C averages less than 1‰. Data for nonluminescent brachiopods and marine cements reveal a mid-Carboniferous δ13C increase of 2‰ in Paleotethyan sea water. This increase is not seen in samples from the North American epicontinental seas, which opened to the Panthalassa ocean. This regional difference in δ13C appears to be due to changes in ocean circulation associated with the closing of the equatorial seaway and formation of Pangea.
Compressive particle filtering for target tracking

This paper presents a novel compressive particle filter (henceforth CPF) for tracking one or more targets in video using a reduced set of observations. It is shown that, by applying compressive sensing ideas in a multi-particle-filter framework, it is possible to preserve tracking performance while achieving considerable dimensionality reduction, avoiding costly feature extraction procedures. Additionally, the target locations are estimated directly, without the need to reconstruct each image. This can be done using linear measurements which, under certain conditions, preserve crucial observability properties. The paper presents a state-space model and a tracking algorithm that incorporate these ideas. Performance is illustrated using both toy examples and real video, and with two different measurement ensembles.
Evaluating Quantile Assessments

Quantile assessments are commonly encountered in the elicitation of probability distributions in decision analysis, forecasting, and risk analysis. Scoring rules have been developed to provide ex ante incentives for careful and truthful assessments and ex post evaluation measures in the context of probability assessment. We show that these scoring rules designed for probability assessment provide inappropriate incentives if used for quantile assessment. We investigate the properties of a linear family of scoring rules that are intended specifically for quantile assessment (including the assessment of multiple quantiles) and can be related to a realistic decision-making problem. These rules provide proper incentives for quantile assessment and yield higher expected scores for distributions that are more informative in the sense of having less dispersion. We discuss the special case of interval forecasts and a generalization involving transformations, and we briefly mention other possible extensions.
Single-cell in situ RNA profiling by sequential hybridization.

In our previous paper, Lubeck and Cai, we used super-resolution microscopy to resolve a large number of mRNAs in single cells. In this Correspondence, we present a sequential barcoding scheme to multiplex different mRNAs.
Impact of the Diagnosis of AIDS on Hospital Care of an Infant

Detailed analysis of caretaker response to the first infant newly diagnosed with AIDS at a university hospital was done by review of nursing notes for three periods: before diagnosis of AIDS, after diagnosis, and after psychiatric consultation. Five consultation questions were posed, and the findings on investigation of these questions are discussed. It was found that the percentage of time that PRN medication was given dropped after diagnosis of AIDS but rose above the initial level after the consultation. The number of times per shift the nurse touched the baby (TLCs) was not found to be associated with use of PRN medication; rather it was explained by which nurse was caring for the child.This study focuses on variations in nursing care of one infant to illustrate how variation in caretaker response can amplify the range of perturbations of the infant's behavioral response. It is speculated that caretakers of patients with AIDS may normally have feelings considered unacceptable in medical settings, incl...
A realistic evaluation of optimistic dynamic voting

When data are replicated an access protocol must be chosen to ensure the presentation of a consistent view of the data. Protocols based on quorum consensus provide good availability with the added benefit of mutual exclusion. Of the protocols based on quorum consensus, the dynamic voting protocols provide the highest known availability. A dynamic voting protocol that does not need the instantaneous state information required by the original dynamic voting proposal is described. It provides the same performance as the original dynamic voting in the asymptotic case and quickly converges to it for realistic access rates, at a cost in network traffic similar so that of static majority consensus voting. The availability afforded by dynamic voting protocols is analyzed, taking the access frequency into account. The analysis confirms the hypothesis that delaying state information does not appreciably affect availability. Discrete event simulation is used to confirm and to extend the analytical results. >
Designing inner hood panels through a shape grammar based framework

A framework for a design tool based on shape grammars is presented as an effective means for supporting the early stages of design. The framework uses a shape grammar interpreter to implement parametric shape grammars, allowing the grammar to be used interactively by a designer or optimization routine. A shape grammar to design inner hood panels of vehicles is introduced as an example of a parametric engineering shape grammar, and it is used with the framework to create standard and novel designs made possible by rules that take advantage of shape emergence.
Automatic Camera Calibration Using Pattern Detection for Vision-Based Speed Sensing:

Vision-based automatic traffic monitoring systems require a calibrated camera to measure the speeds of tracked vehicles. Typically this calibration is done by hand. An automatic technique was developed to calibrate the camera for typical viewpoints on highways using a real-time boosted cascade vehicle detector (BCVD). Image processing is used to estimate the two vanishing points, from which the camera height, focal length, and pan and tilt angles are calculated. The key contribution of the proposed approach is its applicability to a wide variety of environmental conditions. The technique does not rely on background subtraction, nor does it require scene-specific features such as pavement markings. As a result, it is unaffected by the presence of shadows, adverse weather conditions, headlight reflections, lack of ambient light, or spillover caused by low-mounted cameras. Speed estimation within 10% of ground truth is shown for sequences obtained during daylight, nighttime, and rain, and including shadows and severe occlusion.
Linguistic spatial relations of three dimensional scenes using SIFT keypoints

In this paper, we discuss the use of the scale invariant feature transform to match areas between stereo images. The three dimensional location of matched points are then computed. Each matched area is further matched to a database of known objects. After projecting the three dimensional locations onto a horizontal plane, the spatial relationship between pairs of objects are then described linguistically using a system of fuzzy rules. We are exploring the technique to facilitate human-like communication with a robot.
A master-slave fluid cooperative control algorithm for optimal trajectory planning

A control algorithm based on Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) is used to guide a simulated swarm of unmanned vehicles along a pre-computed optimal trajectory. By using a fluid based control method, collision avoidance is automatically incorporated into the control. Given an initial position and goal location, it is computationally impractical to compute the optimal trajectories for a large swarm of vehicles. To overcome this, the optimal trajectory is computed for a single vehicle and the swarm is guided along this trajectory using fluid based control, in this case SPH. Importantly, this method avoids computing a potential field to guide the swarm and is easily adaptable to changing environments. Additionally, this method is intended to be used in the presence of a background flow through which the vehicles must travel. This control algorithm is found to be quite robust in the test case examined here and adding additional vehicles to the swarm has only a small impact on fuel consumption per vehicle.
A study on the sources of perceptual instability during haptic texture rendering

This paper reports on the results of our current research towards a qualitative characterization of the instability that a human user often perceives from a virtual textured surface rendered with a force-reflecting haptic interface. Based on our previous study of perceptual instability during haptic texture rendering, an experiment is designed and conducted in order to measure the proximal stimuli delivered by the virtual textures in terms of several physical variables (position, force, and acceleration). The measured data are analyzed in the frequency domain and characterized by sensation levels with regards to the human detection thresholds for temporal stimuli. In particular, a spectral band that conveys texture information and another one that induces instability perception are identified along with their associated sensation levels. These frequency bands excite different mechanoreceptors in the skin, and are therefore perceptually distinctive.
EXPRESSION OF PICLN MRNA IN CULTURED BOVINE LENS EPITHELIAL CELLS : RESPONSE TO CHANGES IN CELL VOLUME

PURPOSE. The authors recently established a link between swelling-activated myo-inositol efflux and chloride movement via anion channels in cultured bovine lens epithelial cells (BLECs). To further define this pathway, the relationship between cell volume, myo-inositol movement and mRNA expression of pI Cln, a proposed chloride channel regulatory protein was investigated. Methods. To demonstrate the effect of cell volume changes on pI Cln transcription, BLECs were exposed to either hypertonic or hypotonic medium conditions. For rapid cellular shrinkage, BLECs were maintained at confluence in physiologic medium (257 ± 2 mosm) then transferred to sodium hypertonic medium (473 ± 6 mosm) or raffinose hypertonic medium (452 ± 2 mosm). For rapid cellular swelling, cells were switched from sodium hypertonic medium to physiologic medium ± tamoxifen. The expression of pI Cln mRNA was determined by Northern blot analysis. RESULTS. Upon cell volume reduction (increasing intracellular osmolality), BLECs upregulate th...
Variable length queries for time series data

Finding similar patterns in a time sequence is a well-studied problem. Most of the current techniques work well for queries of a prespecified length, but not for variable length queries. We propose a new indexing technique that works well for variable length queries. The central idea is to store index structures at different resolutions for a given dataset. The resolutions are based on wavelets. For a given query, a number of subqueries at different resolutions are generated. The ranges of the subqueries are progressively refined based on results from previous subqueries. Our experiments show that the total cost for our method is 4 to 20 times less than the current techniques including linear scan. Because of the need to store information at multiple resolution levels, the storage requirement of our method could potentially be large. In the second part of the paper we show how the index information can be compressed with minimal information loss. According to our experimental results, even after compressing the size of the index to one fifth, the total cost of our method is 3 to 15 times less than the current techniques.
Conceptual Design Description for the Tritium Recovery System for the U.S. ITER Li2O/Be Water Cooled Blanket

The tritium recovery system for the US ITER Li{sub 2}O/Be water cooled blanket processes two separate helium purge streams to recovery tritium from the Li{sub 2}O zones and the Be zones of the blanket, to process the waste products, and to recirculate the helium back to the blanket. The components are selected to minimize the tritium inventory of the recovery system, and to minimize waste products. The system is robust to either an increase in the tritium release rate or to an in-leak of water in the purge system. Three major components were used to process these streams, first, 5A molecular sieves at {minus}196{degree}C separate hydrogen from the helium, second, a solid oxide electrolysis unit is used to reduce all molecular water, and third, a palladium/silver diffuser is used to ensure that only hydrogen (H{sub 2}, HT) species reach the cryogenic distillation unit. The total tritium process inventory is 20g. The total capital cost is {approximately}$14M. Technical advantages of a solid oxide electrolysis unit and a palladium/silver diffuser are presented. 5 refs., 1 fig., 3 tabs.
THE ‘LANGUAGE INSTINCT’ DEBATE: REVISED EDITION

THE ‘LANGUAGE INSTINCT’ DEBATE: REVISED EDITION. Geoffrey Sampson . New York: Continuum, 2005. Pp. xiii + 224. $130 cloth, $39.95 paper. This volume, a revised version of Sampson's (1997) Educating Eve , is an empiricist response to linguistic nativism. Accordingly, the volumes's primary objective is to challenge the view that there is an innate component specifically responsible for the human linguistic capacity. This new edition presents insights from corpus linguistics, which are used to refute the original poverty-of-the-stimulus arguments. The introductory chapter gives a historical overview of the nativist doctrine by distinguishing between the original writings of Chomsky and present-day nativists such as Bickerton and Pinker. In this chapter, Sampson also introduces his view of language acquisition as a hypothesis-testing interplay between the learner and the environment, ideas that he attributes to Popper.
Chapter 73 – Application of Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic Modeling in Cumulative Risk Assessment for N-Methyl Carbamate Insecticides

Publisher Summary Cumulative risk assessment (CRA) is needed in order to evaluate the net cumulative toxicity caused by the aggregate exposure from all routes of entry for a single chemical or a group of chemicals that have a common mechanism of toxicity. The application of pesticides for the purpose of insect pest control creates such possible scenarios, not only in occupational settings but also in the general population. Organophosphorus compounds, N-methyl carbamates (NMCs), and pyrethroids are three popular classes of insecticides widely used in the United States and worldwide. As insecticides, N-methyl carbamates (NMCs) share a common chemical structure with the general formula ROC(O)NHCH3 for N-methyl carbamates and ROC(O)N(CH3)2 for dimethyl carbamates. A CRA begins with the identification of a CMG of chemicals, which exert toxic effects by a common mechanism of action. There are four methodologies that include a toxicological index method, a margin of exposure method, a relative potency factor (RPF) method, and physiologically based pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PBPK/PD) modeling. The index method accounts for cumulative risk by summing all risk indexes calculated as the ratio of exposure level to the reference value for each individual chemical. PBPK models can be regarded as the “electronic copy” of the laboratory animal or human test system. “Exposure” can be simulated in silico and tissue dosimetry can be estimated or predicted prior to further animal testing. The PBPK/PD modeling approach can simulate the exposure in a more pharmacokinetic fashion and make predictions on the toxicological endpoints. But models built for such a purpose need to be of higher quality and must be constructed with diversified experimental data, model calibration/validation, and uncertainty analysis.
Context-dependent responses to light contribute to responses by Black-bellied Salamanders (Desmognathus quadramaculatus) to landscape disturbances

Behaviour often regulates population responses to environmental change, but linking behavioural responses to population patterns can be challenging because behavioural responses are often context-dependent, have an instinctive component, and yet may be modified by experience. Black-bellied Salamanders (Desmognathus quadramaculatus (Holbrook, 1840)) occupy forested streams where dense canopies create cool, dark environments. Because riparian deforestation negatively affects salamander-population connectivity yet some individuals choose to persist in these gaps, we sought to evaluate whether phototaxis could explain these patterns and whether phototactic behaviour would be influenced by experience (capture from forested or deforested areas) or context (refuge type and availability). Our results demonstrated that larval D. quadramaculatus exhibited negative phototaxis, but that larvae from forested streams exhibited stronger negative phototaxis than individuals from deforested streams. Larvae also selected h...
Sarcoplasmic reticulum in cardiac length-dependent activation in rabbits

After a step increase in length of rabbit right ventricular papillary muscles, active stress increased immediately followed by a further slow increase in stress over 15-20 min. We studied the contribution of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) to the slow change in stress (SCS) after changing muscle length from 85 to 95% of length at which active force development was maximal. SCS amounted to 32.5 +/- 12.2% mean +/- SD, n = 19) of the total increase in active stress. This was associated with a 13.2 +/- 8.7% increase in calcium content of the SR as estimated with rapid cooling contractures (P < 0.0001, n = 19). However, SCS was not dependent on SR calcium content. There was no significant attenuation in SCS after SR calcium depletion with ryanodine (n = 6), SR Ca(2+)-adenosinetriphosphatase inhibition with cyclopiazonic acid (n = 6), or combined treatment with ryanodine and cyclopiazonic acid (n = 3). We conclude that, in the rabbit, SR calcium content increases slowly after a step increase in cardiac muscle length but the slow changes in active stress are not dependent on the sarcoplasmic reticulum.
Some Early Instances of Confidence Statements

A general theory for obtaining limits within which an unknown parameter can be asserted to lie with known probability was developed by Fisher and Neyman in the 1930”s.2 The basic device through which such limits are obtained consists in "solving” a probability statement which involves an unknown parameter θ, for this parameter. The resulting statement concerning θ is then equivalent to the original statement and thus holds with the same lenown probability.
Highly Purified Neurophysin Proteins Free of Hormonal Activities

Since our publication of “Methods of Isolation and Identification of Neurophysin Proteins” appeared (Walter and Breslow, 1974), there have been novel approaches developed for—and considerable improvements made on existing procedures in—the purification of neurophysin proteins. Possibly most revealing is the fact that now neurophysin-like materials can be secured free of lipid material and hormonal activities, such as oxytocic, antidiuretic (Frankland et al., 1966), natriuretic (Robinson et al., 1975), and melanotropic activity (Rudman et al., 1975), which frequently contaminated neurophysin preparations isolated by other routes. Moreover, the preparations isolated by procedures described in this section are homogeneous as judged by immunodiffusion, immunoelectrophoresis, and analytical disc gel electrophoresis carried out at the three pH values of 8.8, 5.9, and 4.0 using optimal protein concentrations and sensitive staining conditions for the demonstration of impurities.
The Episode of Purposive Change

This paper proposes a framework for initiating community change that stresses both task and process goals of community practice. The Episode of Purposive Change has five phases: (1) Assessing Antecedent Conditions, (2) Preparing for Change, (3) Planning Change, (4) Implementing Change and (5) Assessing Change Residue and its Implications. Each component is examined in terms of task and process considerations. A summary chart depicts both task and process goals for each phase of the change process.
Determination of the Complete Nucleotide Sequence of Brevibacterium lactofermentum Plasmid pAM330 and Analysis of Its Genetic Information

We have determined the complete nucleotide sequence of the plasmid pAM 330 DNA which is derived from Brevibacterium lactofermentum ATCC 13869, using the dideoxy chain termination method. It contains 4448 base pairs (bp), corresponding to a molecular weight of 3.0 mega-daltons. Computer-aided analysis of the sequence revealed eight open reading frames (ORFs). Some of these ORFs showed the presence of a canonical promoter and Shine-Dalgamo (SD) sequence upstream from the initiation codon and a terminator sequence downstream from the stop codon.
Head of the Class: OLIG2 and Glioblastoma Phenotype.

Genomic mapping has driven the classification of glioblastoma into distinct molecular subclasses, but mechanisms that regulate tumor subclass phenotypes are only now emerging. In this issue of Cancer Cell, Lu et al. describe a phenotypic switch from PDGFRA-enriched "proneural" to EGFR-enriched "classical" features in glioblastoma upon ablation of Olig2.
Slogger: Smashing Motion-based Touchstroke Logging with Transparent System Noise

Recent research shows that it is possible to infer a user's touchscreen inputs (e.g., passwords) on Android devices based on inertial (motion/position) sensors, currently freely-accessible by any Android app. Given the high accuracies of such touchstroke logging attacks, they are now considered a significant threat to user privacy. Consequently, the security community has started exploring defenses to such side channel attacks, but the suggested solutions are either not effective (e.g., those based on vibrational noise) and/or may significantly undermine system usability (e.g., those based on keyboard layout randomization).In this paper, we introduce a novel and practical defense to motion-based touchstroke leakage based on system-generated, fully automated and user-oblivious sensory noise. Our defense leverages a recently developed framework, SMASheD, that takes advantage of the Android's ADB functionality and can programmatically inject noise to various inertial sensors. Although SMASheD was originally advertised as a malicious app by its authors, we use it to build a defense mechanism, called Slogger ("Smashing the logger"), for defeating sensor-based touchstroke logging attacks. Slogger transparently inserts noisy sensor readings in the background as the user provides sensitive touchscreen input (e.g., password, PIN or credit card info) in order to obfuscate the original sensor readings. It can be installed in the user space without the need to root the device and to change the device's OS or kernel.Our contributions are three-fold. First, we introduce Slogger, identifying a novel, benign use case of SMASheD that can defeat touchstroke logging attacks. Second, we design and implement the Slogger app system that can be used to protect sensitive touchscreen input from leaking away. Third, we comprehensively evaluate Slogger against state-of-the-art touchstroke detection and inference attacks. Our results show that Slogger can significantly reduce the level of touchstroke leakage to the extent these attacks may become unworkable in practice, without affecting other benign apps. We also show that the leakage can be minimized even when attacks utilize a fusion of multiple motion-position sensors.