cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Metabolism of the steroid hormones: isolation of 13 steroid metabolites from a patient with (probable) adrenal hyperplasia.

This communication is a more complete report on the steroid metabolites of a patient, from whose urine the isolation of Δ?-androstenol-3(α)-one-17 (Dorfman et al., 1945), androstanediol-3(α), 11(β)-one-17 (Miller et al., 1945), and etiocholanediol-3(α), 17(α) (Miller and Dorfman, 1948), has been previously reported. The presence of a compound carrying oxygen at C11, in high concentration, was chemical evidence for adrenal involvement, and further studies were carried out to determine the nature and amount of other urinary steroids present. The results are in agreement with the findings characteristic of adrenal cortical hyperplasia: an increased excretion of 3(α)hydroxy steroids, carrying labels of the adrenal cortical hormones (oxygen substitution at C11 and C17 of the steroid nucleus), together with a slight or negligible increase in excretion of 3(β)hydroxy steroids which are characteristically predominant in adrenal cortical carcinoma. The clinical picture of this patient (Wisconsin General Hospital N...
Plasma Prostaglandin E in Patients with Cancer with and Without Hypercalcemia

Circulating levels of immunoreactive (i) PGE, calcium and parathyroid hormone (iPTH) were examined in 21 patients with neoplasia and 3 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism. Plasma iPGE was elevated in 4 of 11 hypercalcemic cancer patients; all extracts of liver metastases obtained from 3 of these 4 patients had elevated iPGE levels (metastases = 19.43 +/- 3.43, n = 11; normal liver = 2.04 +/- 0.23; ng/g tissue, x +/- SE, P less than .001). In contrast, only one of 10 normocalcemic cancer patients and none of 3 hyperparathyroid patients had elevated plasma iPGE. There were no apparent relationships between the presence of metastases and either hypercalcemia or elevations of plasma iPGE. Serum iPTH levels were undetectable or below the mean of the normal range in 19 of 21 cancer patients; only the three hyperparathyroid patients had elevated levels. Seven hypercalcemic patients were treated with indomethacin; plasma iPGE decreased in 6 (-34 +/- 10% decrement, n = 6, P less than .01). Decreases in serum calcium occurred only in those patients (2 of 6) who had abnormally elevated plasma iPGE prior to the therapy. It is concluded that plasma iPGE elevations are found in some cancer patients, especially those with hypercalcemia, and that this marker may identify those patients who will respond to indomethacin treatment.
Phase selection of undercooled solidification of Ni–4.5 wt% B alloy

Solidification of undercooled Ni-4.5 wt% B alloy melt was investigated by glass fluxing and cyclic superheating. A maximum melt undercooling up to ΔTp = 283 K has been achieved. If ∆Tp < 175 ± 10 K, the primary solidification is L → Ni3B; the structure consists of Ni3B dendrite + lamellar eutectic; the phase sizes and fractions depend on ∆Tp. If ∆Tp ≥ 175 ± 10 K, the primary solidification is L → Ni/Ni23B6; the structure consists of the dot-phase region + the anomalous eutectic/network boundary; the phase fractions mainly depend on ∆Tr; the dot phases are determined as rod eutectic and dot precipitates, while the network boundary is the divorced eutectic. The solidification pathways show that there is a common critical nucleation temperature, 1227 ± 10 K, for metastable eutectic reaction in hypoeutectic and hypereutectic Ni-Ni3B alloys.
Growth and 2, 4-Diaminobutyric Acid Composition of Flatpea (Lathyrus sylvestris L.) as Influenced by Mineral- and Symbiotically Fixed-Nitrogen

Flatpea (Lathyrus sylvestris L. cv. ‘Lathco’) plants, grown hydroponically, were inoculated with rhizobia (Rhizobium leguminosarum strain 92F2), supplied with nitrate nitrogen (2 meq 1−1), or provided with both rhizobia and NO3-. Nodulated plants supplied with NO3- had the highest biomass and the highest level of free amino acids in leaves and roots. Nitrogen fixation was depressed 80% in inoculated plants supplemented with NO3-. Compared to plants whose nitrogen requirement was satisfied either partially or fully by NO3-, plants that were totally dependent upon biological nitrogen fixation had fewer lateral shoots and lower concentrations of nitrogen, soluble protein, and total free amino acids in the shoots, especially in the leaves. The symbiotic association between plants and rhizobia for nitrogen fixation was not essential to the production and accumulation of 2,4-diaminobutyric acid (A2bu) and other non-protein amino acids in flatpea. Levels of A2bu, and most of the other free amino acids quantified, were significantly lower in the nodulated plants grown in the absence of NO3- than in the inoculated or noninoculated plants supplied with NO3-. Arginine and glutamic acid were exceptions in that levels of these two amino acids were higher in roots bearing effective nodules. Plant responses to the different treatments are attributed to the amount of nitrogen available to the plant, rather than the method or form of nitrogen supplied.
Effects on Navajo Birthrate from Loss of the Intrauterine Device

The concerns of relatively powerless groups may not be adequately addressed by health-care decisions based on market forces and on considerations of the general population. Calculations of the number of Navajo women at risk of unintended pregnancy suggest that several hundred such pregnancies would have occurred as a result of the withdrawal of intrauterine devices from the United States' market. Analysis of birthrate data confirms this estimate: approximately four to five percent of Navajo births in 1988 may have been due to this market withdrawal. Available data are limited in their ability to assess impacts on small groups of health-policy decisions made for the population as a whole. A mechanism for surveilling such effects needs to be established to protect the interests of such groups, particularly when they have restricted alternatives.
Old Habits Die Hard: Addiction of BRAF-Mutant Cancer Cells to MAP Kinase Signaling

Dual and triple combination therapies with RAF inhibitors plus other targeted agents have demonstrated promising clinical utility in BRAFV600-mutant solid tumors. However, despite vertical inhibition at multiple nodes on the MAPK signaling pathway, resistant tumors emerge. Ahronian and colleagues show that in BRAF-mutant colorectal cancer, resistance involves reactivation of RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK signaling and may be overcome by newly emerging ERK inhibitors.
Dopaminergic Polymorphisms and Educational Achievement: Results From a Longitudinal Sample of Americans

Although educational attainment has been found to be moderately heritable, research has yet to explore candidate genes for it. Drawing on data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, in the current study, we examined the association between polymorphisms in three dopaminergic genes (DAT1, DRD2, and DRD4), a dopamine index, and educational attainment. Statistically significant effects were found for DAT1, DRD2, DRD4, and the dopamine index for highest level of education. This study is the first to our knowledge that links measured genes to educational attainment.
Frequency-threshold relation with association value controlled.

Summary.-An experiment was performed in which the tachistoscopic recognition threshold for nonsense syllables was the dependent variable. Glaze association value (AV), print size (between-Ss effects), and frequency of prior exposure of the syllables (within-Ss effect) were the independent variables. Analysis of variance indicated significance (p = .05) for size and frequency main effects. Thresholds decreased with increasing size and frequency. The AV main effect and the interactions were not significant, although the trend suggested an inverse relarion between AV and thresholds. The findings as an extension of earlier work and as evidence for a perceptual factor in the frequency-threshold relation were discussed. The frequency-threshold relation has been reported by several Es (Baker & Feldman, 1956; Howes & Solomon, 1951; King-Ellison & Jenkins, 1954; Solomon & Postman, 1952). Recognition thresholds for words and nonsense words vary inversely with the relative frequency of exposure of the stimuli prior to the threshold determinations. However, Goldiamond and Hawkins (1958) suggested that the reported relation might be an artifact of the method of ascending limits which was used in the earlier studies and that, in fact, these results might be explained without reference to perceptual processes. They generated the frequency-threshold function using a modified ascending limits procedure in which all trials were blanks, Vexierversuch of classical psychophysics. Their function was thus a relation between Ss' response probabilities and E's record sheet. Rodewald (1968) has shown that the Glaze association value (AV) of nonsense syllables is inversely related to tachistoscopic recognition thresholds. It was noted that AV was correlated with the frequency of occurrence of words, based on the Thorndike and Lorge counts (1944), whose first three letters formed the nonsense syllables. An analysis of covariance of the threshold values as a function of AV with Thorndike-Lorge frequencies covaried out indicated chat AV still contributed to the thresholds. It was predicted that recognition thresholds for nonsense syllables are inversely related to the frequency of prior exposure of the syllables and to their AV. Further, the frequency effect is independent of AV. Thresholds must be a function of a physical dimension of the stimulus (e.g., size) which is independent of the ascending limits procedure if a perceptual interpretation of the results is to be entertained (Rodewald, 1967a, 1967b).
A 3.8 GHz 153 Mb SRAM Design With Dynamic Stability Enhancement and Leakage Reduction in 45 nm High-k Metal Gate CMOS Technology

A high-performance low-power 153 Mb SRAM is developed in 45 nm high-k Metal Gate technology. Dynamic SRAM PMOS forward-body-bias (FBB) and Active-Controlled SRAM VCC in Sleep are integrated in the design to lower Active-VCCmin and Standby Leakage, respectively. FBB improves the Active-VCCmin by up to 75 mV, and Active-Controlled SRAM VCC distribution tightened by 100 mV, both of which result in further power reduction. A 0.346 mum2 6T-SRAM bit-cell is used which is optimized for VCCmin, performance, leakage and area. The design operates at high-speed over a wide voltage range, and has a maximum frequency of 3.8 GHz at 1.1 V. The 16 KB Subarray was also used as the building block in on-die 6 MB Cache for Intel Core 2 Duo CPU in 45 nm technology.
Content analysis for audio classification and segmentation

We present our study of audio content analysis for classification and segmentation, in which an audio stream is segmented according to audio type or speaker identity. We propose a robust approach that is capable of classifying and segmenting an audio stream into speech, music, environment sound, and silence. Audio classification is processed in two steps, which makes it suitable for different applications. The first step of the classification is speech and nonspeech discrimination. In this step, a novel algorithm based on K-nearest-neighbor (KNN) and linear spectral pairs-vector quantization (LSP-VQ) is developed. The second step further divides nonspeech class into music, environment sounds, and silence with a rule-based classification scheme. A set of new features such as the noise frame ratio and band periodicity are introduced and discussed in detail. We also develop an unsupervised speaker segmentation algorithm using a novel scheme based on quasi-GMM and LSP correlation analysis. Without a priori knowledge, this algorithm can support the open-set speaker, online speaker modeling and real time segmentation. Experimental results indicate that the proposed algorithms can produce very satisfactory results.
Improved excitation for phonetically-segmented VXC speech coding below 4 kb/s

Techniques for combating two types of distortion that degrade the quality of vector excitation coded (VXC) speech are presented. One degradation, the presence of noiselike components between the intended harmonics in voiced speech segments, is reduced by adaptive comb filtering, controlled by a smoothed pitch estimate. The other degradation arises with front vowel sounds whose second and third formants tend to be attenuated in VXC coders. This is improved by adding high-frequency emphasis to the perceptual weighting when computing the distortion between original and reconstructed speech. It is shown that the first technique can benefit any VXC coder, whereas while the second is applicable specifically when phonetic segmentation is used as a front end to VXC coders. >
Comparison of contactless measurement and testing techniques to a all-silicon optical test and characterization method

The rapid improvement in performance and increased density of electronic devices in integrated circuits has provided a strong motivation for the development of contactless testing and diagnostic measurement methods. This paper first reviews existing contactless test methodologies and then compares these with an all-silicon contactless testing approach that has been recently developed and demonstrated. This cost-effective approach utilizes silicon-generated optical signals and has the advantages of easy test setup, low equipment cost, and noninvasiveness over existing contactless test and measurement methods.
Research on posttraumatic stress disorder: Epidemiology, pathophysiology, and assessment

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a highly prevalent disorder in both clinical and community populations. This article reviews current knowledge about PTSD in order to assist clinicians in the diagnosis and treatment of reactions to traumatic life events. First, research findings are presented, followed by guidelines for the assessment of trauma and PTSD. Topics discussed include epidemiology, course, and comorbidity, as well as information processing and psychobiology. The review is limited to information about PTSD in adults, although some of the material may generalize to child and adolescent populations.
High connectivity on a global scale in the pelagic wahoo, Acanthocybium solandri (tuna family Scombridae)

The population genetic structure and phylogeography of wahoo, Acanthocybium solandri, were investigated on a global scale with intron six of lactate dehydrogenase-A (ldhA6, 8 locations, N = 213) and mtDNA cytochrome b (Cytb, 10 locations, N = 322). Results show extensive sharing of haplotypes across the wahoo’s entire global range, and analyses were unable to detect significant structure (nuclear FST = 0.0125, P = 0.106; mtDNA ΦST < 0.0001, P = 0.634). Power analyses indicated 95% confidence in detecting nuclear FST ≥ 0.0389 and mtDNA ΦST ≥ 0.0148. These findings appear unique, as most other tunas, billfishes, and oceanic sharks exhibit significant population structure on the scale of East–West Atlantic, Atlantic vs. Indian-Pacific, or East–West Pacific. Overall nuclear heterozygosity (H = 0.714) and mtDNA haplotype diversity (h = 0.918) are both high in wahoo, while overall mtDNA nucleotide diversity (π = 0.006) and nuclear nucleotide diversity (π = 0.004) are uniformly low, indicating a recent increase in population size. Coalescence analyses yield an estimate of effective female population size (NeF) at ~816 000, and a population bottleneck ~690 000 years ago. However, conclusions about population history from our Cytb data set are not concordant with a control region survey, a finding that will require further investigation. This is the first example of a vertebrate with a single globally distributed population, a finding we attribute to extensive dispersal at all life stages. The indications of a worldwide stock for wahoo reinforce the mandate for international cooperation on fisheries issues.
Incidence of sports-related concussion among youth football players aged 8-12 years.

Objective To determine the risk of concussion among youth football players (ages 8-12 years). Study design Participants included 468 male youth football players in western Pennsylvania during the 2011 youth football season. Incidence rates (IRs) and incidence density ratios (IDRs) of concussion were calculated for games and practices and for age groups. Results There was a total of 11 338 (8415 practice and 2923 game) athletic exposures (AEs) in the study period, during which 20 medically diagnosed concussions occurred. A majority of concussions were the result of head-to-head (45%) contact. The combined concussion IR for practices and games was 1.76 per 1000 AEs (95% CI 0.99-2.54). The concussion IR was 0.24 per 1000 AEs (95% CI 0.04-0.79) in practices and 6.16 per 1000 AEs (95% CI 3.76-9.54) in games. The IDR for concussions in games to practices was 25.91 (95% CI 6.01-111.70). The IDR of concussions for youth aged 11-12 years compared with youth aged 8-10 years was 2.72 (95% CI 0.66-4.78). Conclusions The overall IR for concussion in youth football players aged 8-12 years was comparable with that reported previously for high school and collegiate samples. However, participation in games was associated with an increase in risk of concussion compared with practices, which was higher than rates previously reported for high school and collegiate athletes. Younger players were slightly less likely to incur a concussion than were older players.
JOINERS AND NON-JOINERS IN WORKSITE SMOKING TREATMENT: PRETREATMENT SMOKING, SMOKING BY SIGNIFICANT OTHERS, AND EXPECTATION TO QUIT AS PREDICTORS

Treatment joiners were differentiated from non-joiners when examined across six worksite clinic locations in the Los Angeles area. Predictors examined included preprogram smoking, demographic variables, smoking by significant others, behavioral expectations to quit, and self-efficacy regarding completing treatment and resisting urges to smoke. Non-joiners reported higher preprogram smoking levels and more friends and children who smoked.
New Genera of RNA Viruses in Subtropical Seawater, Inferred from Polymerase Gene Sequences

Viruses are an integral component of the marine food web, contributing to the disease and mortality of essentially every type of marine life, yet the diversity of viruses in the sea, especially those with RNA genomes, remains very poorly characterized. Isolates of RNA-containing viruses that infect marine plankton are still rare, and the only cultivation-independent surveys of RNA viral diversity reported so far were conducted for temperate coastal waters of British Columbia. Here, we report on our improvements to a previously used protocol to investigate the diversity of marine picorna-like viruses and our results from applying this protocol in subtropical waters. The original protocol was simplified by using direct filtration, rather than tangential flow filtration, to harvest viruses from seawater, and new degenerate primers were designed to amplify a fragment of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase gene by reverse transcription-PCR from RNA extracted from the filters. Whereas the original protocol was unsuccessful in a preliminary test, the new protocol resulted in amplification of picorna-like virus sequences in every sample of subtropical and temperate coastal seawater assayed. These polymerase sequences formed a diverse, but monophyletic cluster along with other sequences amplified previously from seawater and sequences from isolates infecting marine protists. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that our sequences represent at least five new genera and 24 new species of RNA viruses. These results contribute to our understanding of RNA virus diversity and suggest that picorna-like viruses are a source of mortality for a wide variety of marine protists.
The software defined radio: Fact and fiction

In comparison to legacy systems that are typically tailored to provide a narrow range of capabilities through hardware, the next generation software defined radios are intended to implement a broader range of capabilities through elements that are software configurable. This offers the user the promise of greater flexibility, by being able to run more than one legacy waveform on a single platform, as well as a growth path to more and greater capability, such as mobile ad hoc networking. This presentation will examine the key architectural differences between software defined, and hardware defined radios, and will highlight some of the key challenges that must be addressed in fielding a software defined radio.
Visibility Representation of Plane Graphs with Simultaneous Bound for Both Width and Height

The visibility representation (VR for short) is a classical representation of plane graphs. It has various applications and has been extensively studied. A main focus of the study is to minimize the size of the VR. The trivial upper bound is (n−1)� (2n−5) (heightwidth). It is known that there exists a plane graph G with n vertices where any VR of G requires a grid of size at least 2 n � ( 4 n − 3). For upper bounds, it is known that every plane graph has a VR with grid size at most 2 n � (2n − 5), and a VR with grid size at most (n − 1) � 4 n. It has been an open problem to find a VR with both height and width simultaneously bounded away from the trivial upper bounds (namely with size at most chncwn with ch < 1 and cw < 2). In this paper, we provide the first VR construction with this property. We prove that every plane graph of n vertices has a VR with height at most 23 n + 2d p ne + 10 and width at most 23 n. The area of our VR is larger than the area of some of the previous results. However, bounding one dimension of the VR only requires finding a good st-orientation or a good dual st � -orientation of G. On the other hand, to bound both dimensions of VR simultaneously, one must find a good st-orientation and a good dual st � -orientation at the same time, which is far more challenging. Our VR algorithm is based on an st-orientation of plane graphs with special properties. Since st-orientations are a very useful concept in other applications, this result may be of independent interests.
Microevolutionary genomics of bacteria.

Abstract The availability of multiple complete genome sequences from the same species can facilitate attempts to systematically address basic questions in genome evolution. We refer to such efforts as “microevolutionary genomics”. We report the results of comparative analyses of complete intraspecific genome (and proteome) sequences from four bacterial species—Chlamydophila pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Helicobacter pylori and Neisseria meningitidis. Comparisons of average synonymous (Ks) and nonsynonymous (Ka) substitution rates were used to assess the influence of various biological factors on the rate of protein evolution. For example, E. coli experiences the most intense purifying selection of the species analyzed, and this may be due to the relatively larger population size of this species. In addition, essential genes were shown to be more evolutionarily conserved than nonessential genes in E. coli and duplicated genes have higher rates of evolution than unique genes for all species studied except C. pneumoniae. Different functional categories of genes were shown to evolve at significantly different rates emphasizing the role of category-specific functional constraints in determining evolutionary rates. Finally, functionally characterized genes tend to be conserved between strains, while uncharacterized genes are over-represented among the unique, strain-specific genes. This suggests the possibility that nonessential genes are responsible for driving the evolutionary diversification between strains.
Cartilage morphogenesis: Role of bone and cartilage morphogenetic proteins, homeobox genes and extracellular matrix

Cartilage morphogenesis is one of the central topics in skeletal development. Cartilage geometry determines the future architecture of bones, joints and associated ligaments and tendons. Recent progress in this area has come from purification, cloning and expression of genes encoding bone and cartilage morphogenetic proteins (BMPs and CDMPs). BMPs initiate de novo cartilage and bone differentiation. BMPs are a family of pleiotropic signals for progenitor cell migration by chemotaxis, proliferation, and differentiation. Very recently another class of related morphogenetic proteins, CDMPs have been isolated and cloned. CDMPs may be critical for mesenchymal condensation prior to overt cartilage differentiation, the first step in morphogenesis of both cartilage and bone. The cartilage morphogenetic cascade is a cellular and molecular continuum driven by regulatory signalling molecules such as BMPs and CDMPs and their receptors, homeobox genes, transcription factors, and finally the synthesis and supramolecular assembly of structural macromolecules of the extracellular matrix. BMPs and CDMPs bind to heparin, heparan sulfates, and collagens I and IV. Thus there is a symbiosis of regulatory and structural macromolecules in the morphogenesis of cartilage. An avalanche of recent advances from seemingly disparate areas bodes well for the complete elucidation of the molecular basis of morphogenesis of cartilage, the architectural blue-print for the skeleton.
Energetics and the evolution of carnivorous plants—Darwin's ‘most wonderful plants in the world’

Carnivory has evolved independently at least six times in five angiosperm orders. In spite of these independent origins, there is a remarkable morphological convergence of carnivorous plant traps and physiological convergence of mechanisms for digesting and assimilating prey. These convergent traits have made carnivorous plants model systems for addressing questions in plant molecular genetics, physiology, and evolutionary ecology. New data show that carnivorous plant genera with morphologically complex traps have higher relative rates of gene substitutions than do those with simple sticky traps. This observation suggests two alternative mechanisms for the evolution and diversification of carnivorous plant lineages. The 'energetics hypothesis' posits rapid morphological evolution resulting from a few changes in regulatory genes responsible for meeting the high energetic demands of active traps. The 'predictable prey capture hypothesis' further posits that complex traps yield more predictable and frequent prey captures. To evaluate these hypotheses, available data on the tempo and mode of carnivorous plant evolution were reviewed; patterns of prey capture by carnivorous plants were analysed; and the energetic costs and benefits of botanical carnivory were re-evaluated. Collectively, the data are more supportive of the energetics hypothesis than the predictable prey capture hypothesis. The energetics hypothesis is consistent with a phenomenological cost-benefit model for the evolution of botanical carnivory, and also accounts for data suggesting that carnivorous plants have leaf construction costs and scaling relationships among leaf traits that are substantially different from those of non-carnivorous plants.
Incidental Ureteral Injury and Repair during Robotic-assisted Total Laparoscopic Hysterectomy

Abstract Study Objective To show a surgical educational video in which an incidental ureteral injury was recognized intraoperatively and was repaired during robotic-assisted total hysterectomy for a very large uterus. Design Step-by-step demonstration of ureterolysis and repair of ureteral injury via a ureteroureterostomy technique using an educational video and schematic pictures. Setting Ureteral injuries are estimated to occur with a frequency of approximately 0.02% to 0.4% during laparoscopic hysterectomy. When compared with bladder injuries, ureteral injuries are much less likely to be recognized intraoperatively, and in some cases can be missed despite the use of intraoperative cystoscopy. The sequelae from ureteral injury are not insignificant, which can easily be prevented by intraoperative recognition and immediate repair. Minimally invasive surgery using the robotic system has led to a paradigm shift in the management of urinary tract injuries, which has been traditionally approached with open surgery. Interventions Robotic total hysterectomy and repair of incidental ureteral injury via ureteroureterostomy using standard end-to-end anastomosis technique and intracorporeal retrograde double J stent placement. Conclusion Robotic repair of ureteral injury during gynecologic surgery was associated with good outcomes, appeared safe and feasible, and saved the patient and the physician significant morbidity and medicolegal implications, respectively.
Isotretinoin and Vitiligo: Can Chronic Cheilitis Cause Koebnerization?

Vitiligo after trauma through koebnerization is a widely reported phenomenon. Herein we present a case of vitiligo in an area of chronic cheilitis after isotretinoin treatment.
Assimilating TOVS Humidity into the GEOS-2 Data Assimilation System

The humidity data retrieved from the TIROS Operational Vertical Sounder (TOVS) measurements is assimilated into the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) data assimilation system. The study focuses on the impact of the TOVS humidity on assimilated humidity, precipitation, clouds, and radiation. The GEOS assimilation system utilizes the TOVS humidity effectively at levels below 300 mb, while the net impact on the 300-mb humidity is much less. It has been demonstrated that the impact results from direct and indirect effects. The direct effect is the analysis increment introduced by the humidity data, which draws the assimilated humidity toward the data. The indirect effect is realized through the interactions of humidity with physical processes, mainly with moist convection. The indirect effect is often opposite to the direct effect in the current assimilation system. The direct effect is dominant in the lower and middle troposphere while in the upper troposphere the indirect effect is more important. The impact of the TOVS humidity on the GEOS precipitation, clouds, and radiation is also significant due to strong interactions with convection and other physical processes. There is clear evidence indicating that tuning of physical parameterizations explicitly in the data assimilation mode is necessary for optimal use of the TOVS data in the assimilation system.
Molecular Biology of Visual Pigments

We have witnessed exciting advances in the study of vision over the past several years. In particular, our understanding of the biochemical events responsible for visual transduction has grown enormously. By visual trans­ duction we mean those events within the retinal photoreceptor cell that convert a photon stimulus into a neural signal. At center stage are the visual pigments. These light-absorbing molecules initiate an intracellular enzyme cascade that eventually leads either to decreasing (vertebrates) or increasing (invertebrates) plasma membrane cation conductance. I focus in this review on the structure and function of the visual pigments, with emphasis on vertebrates. I have tried throughout to highlight interesting areas in which our knowledge is still incomplete. Recent reviews of this and related topics include Birge 1981, Hargrave 1982, Chabre 1985, Lamb 1986, and Stryer 1986.
Minimizing the Costs of Using Models to Assess the Financial Health of Banks

Identifying banks that are likely to experience financial distress in the future can be problematic for bank regulators and investors. Traditionally, bank examiners use a variety of methods, including traditional statistical modelling techniques, to categorize banks as financially healthy or financially distressed. Often, these statistical models are chosen based on overall model error rate. Unfortunately, these statistical models often misclassify banks. Our study compares the ability of multivariate discriminant analysis (MDA), logistic regression (logit) and three types of artificial neural networks (ANNs) to classify banks as financially healthy or financially distressed. We calculate overall error rates, Type I error rates and Type II error rates for all five models. Our results show that both MDA and logit have lower estimated overall error rates and Type II error rates that the three ANNs. However, the ANNs have lower Type I error rates than MDA and logit. We demonstrate that relying solely on overall misclassification error rates to choose a model to analyze the financial viability of banks will result in suboptimal model performance. We find that model performance is directly related to assumptions regarding the relative costs of Type I and Type II errors. Our results indicate that if it is assumed that Type I errors are more costly than Type II errors, then a categorical learning neural network minimizes the overall cost associated with assessing the financial condition of banks.
Thyroid Cancer: Impact of Therapeutic Modalities on Prognosis

The prognosis of thyroid carcinoma is determined by an interaction of three variables: tumor stage, the patient=s age at the time of diagnosis, and the efficacy of therapy. Tumor stage is largely due to the inherent biologic potential of a neoplasm to invade tissues and metastasize to distant sites, and to a lesser extent to the timeliness of diagnosis. Treatment is the only prognostic variable that currently can be modified.
Mining Anti-coagulant Drug-Drug Interactions from Electronic Health Records Using Linked Data

By nature, healthcare data is highly complex and voluminous. While on one hand, it provides unprecedented opportunities to identify hidden and unknown relationships between patients and treatment outcomes, or drugs and allergic reactions for given individuals, representing and querying large network datasets poses significant technical challenges. In this research, we study the use of Semantic Web and Linked Data technologies for identifying potential drug-drug interaction (PDDI) information from publicly available resources, and determining if such interactions were observed using real patient data. Specifically, we apply Linked Data principles and technologies for representing patient data from electronic health records (EHRs) at Mayo Clinic as Resource Description Framework (RDF), and identify PDDIs for widely prescribed anti-coagulant Warfarin. Our results from the proof-of-concept study demonstrate the potential of applying such a methodology to study prescription trends based on gender and age as well as patient health outcomes.
Abstract 041: Distinct populations of cell derived microvesicles in Angiotensin II-induced hypertension

Background: Hypertension (HTN) is a leading risk factor of cardiovascular diseases. Its pathogenesis is poorly understood, but activation of the renin angiotensin system is thought to be a key event. Vascular damage is an early manifestation of HTN. There are currently no available clinical biomarkers for early detection of vascular damage. Circulating microvesicles (MVs) have gained significant attention as potential novel biomarkers for vascular injury. These vesicles are less than 1 micron in size and carry markers of the parent cell. We hypothesized that MVs of endothelial and leukocyte origin are elevated in angiotensin II (AII) induced-HTN and show a distinct phenotype depending on the duration of HTN. Methods: Mice were treated with AII (400ng/kg/min) via mini-osmotic pumps for 2 and 4 weeks (wks). Systolic blood pressure (SBP) was measured using tail-cuff manometry. Enumeration and phenotyping of MVs were determined in platelet poor plasma using imaging flow cytometry and the following surface markers: E- Selectin (CD62E), Endoglin (CD105), VE Cadherin (CD144), Annexin 5 (AV), Platelets (CD41), P-Selectin (CD62E), leukocytes (CD45). Results: Compared to untreated controls (n=5), AII treated mice (n=5) had an increase in SBP by 30mmHg (p=0.02), and significantly elevated total counts of AV negative (AV-) and positive MVs (AV+) (p=0.04 and 0.06 respectively) after 2 wks. Endothelial derived MVs were also significantly elevated after 2 wks (AV+ and AV- CD144+ (p=0.023), AV+ and AV-CD62E+ (p=0.023), AV+ and AV-CD105+ (0.023), AV+ and AV- CD144+ (p=0.04)). However, after 4 wks of AII-induced HTN, only AV-CD144+ MVs remained significantly elevated. In contrast, leukocyte derived MVs (CD45+) were significantly increased after 2 wks, and remained significantly elevated after 4 wks. Platelet derived MVs were not significantly elevated at either time point. Conclusions: Distinct populations of endothelial and leukocyte derived MVs are elevated at different time points during AII-induced HTN. The changing profiles of the MVs may reflect an evolving pathophysiologic response of the vasculature. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings, and to determine the effect of the severity and etiology of HTN on the profiles of MVs.
Membrane Potential Dynamics of CA1 Pyramidal Neurons during Hippocampal Ripples in Awake Mice

Ripples are high-frequency oscillations associated with population bursts in area CA1 of the hippocampus that play a prominent role in theories of memory consolidation. While spiking during ripples has been extensively studied, our understanding of the subthreshold behavior of hippocampal neurons during these events remains incomplete. Here, we combine in vivo whole-cell and multisite extracellular recordings to characterize the membrane potential dynamics of identified CA1 pyramidal neurons during ripples. We find that the subthreshold depolarization during ripples is uncorrelated with the net excitatory input to CA1, while the post-ripple hyperpolarization varies proportionately. This clarifies the circuit mechanism keeping most neurons silent during ripples. On a finer timescale, the phase delay between intracellular and extracellular ripple oscillations varies systematically with membrane potential. Such smoothly varying delays are inconsistent with models of intracellular ripple generation involving perisomatic inhibition alone. Instead, they suggest that ripple-frequency excitation leading inhibition shapes intracellular ripple oscillations.
Phase Noise Reduction and Optimal Operating Conditions for a Pair of Synchronized Oscillators

We investigate the dynamics of a pair of noisy coupled oscillators and derive operating conditions that minimize phase noise. The generic model employed allows for general nonlinear dynamics of the resonant elements of the oscillators, in terms of their amplitude-dependent frequencies, general asymmetric coupling, and both additive and multiplicative noise sources. The model is analyzed using the method of stochastic averaging and the results suggest an optimal operating point for minimizing phase noise in either of the oscillators by varying the operating amplitudes and the nature and strength of the coupling. We also show that the system with asymmetric coupling has the ability to reduce the phase noise of the noisier oscillator beyond the expected result for synchronized oscillators. The analytical predictions, which are validated by Monte-Carlo simulations, show how one can exploit nonlinear behavior to improve phase noise characteristics using a pair of coupled oscillators. The results also point to a means of designing and optimizing larger sets of coupled oscillators to improve phase noise performance.
Preserving multiple ancestry: intermarriage and mixed births in Hawaii.

We provide a simple method for incorporating estimates of the effect of mixed ancestry in analyses of mixed births and mixed marriages. We offer estimates of the actual rate of mixed births and mixed marriages in Hawaii by taking into account mixed racial and ethnic ancestry. Our estimates show that the rate of social and biological mixing in Hawaii has increased even faster than official data indicate. We develop the hypothesis that the presence of a sizeable group of individuals with mixed ancestry creates a momentum toward further mixing of the population and show that our results are consistent with this hypothesis. (EXCERPT) (SUMMARY IN FRE AND SPA)
Economic Geology: Principles and Practice: Metals, Minerals, Coal and Hydrocarbons—Introduction to Formation and Sustainable Exploitation of Mineral Deposits.

Walter l. Pohl. 2011. Wiley-Blackwell. Pp. 663. ISBN 978-1-4443-3663-4 (paperback). Price: US$99.95. This volume, available in both hardcover and paperback, is an English translation of the fifth edition of the German language text Mineralische und Energie-Rohstoffe. The book provides an extensive overview of natural resources and societal issues associated with extracting raw materials. The comprehensive list of raw materials discussed includes metals, industrial minerals, coal, and hydrocarbons. The book is divided into four parts: (1) “Metalliferous ore deposits,” (2) “Nonmetallic minerals and rocks,” (3) “Practice of economic geology,” and (4) “Fossil energy raw materials—coal, oil, and gas.” These sections are bound by a brief introduction and an extensive list of up-to-date references as well as an index. Each chapter begins with a concise synopsis and concludes with a summary that contains useful suggestions for additional reading. All figures are grayscale images and line drawings; however, several have been grouped together and reproduced as color plates. Also included is a companion website (www.wiley.com/go/pohl/geology) that contains additional resources, such as digital copies of figures, tables, and an expanded index, all available for download in easy-to-use formats. The first part of the book, “Metalliferous ore deposits,” contains two chapters that cover metallic …
SH AND P-WAVE SEISMIC REFLECTION USING LANDSTREAMERS TO MAP SHALLOW FEATURES AND POROSITY CHARACTERISTICS IN ILLINOIS

With increasing urbanization, the need for detecting unknown hazards, like hidden cavities or gas venues in populated areas, is of significant importance. The acoustic geophysical methods present a great potential to map such underground anomalies. At the Illinois State Geological Survey (ISGS), we have developed SH-wave and P-wave landstreamers to map large areas. More than one-hundred kilometers of data acquired in 2004-2005 have shown the extreme diversification of the shallow geology in the Midwest (< 100 m). Features such as buried channels, shallow thrusts and high-angle faults, and karst commonly are detected using landstreamers. The detection of gas venue from natural gas storage facilities using seismic reflection is the object of intense research at the ISGS. The P-wave is well known for its strong response to the presence of gas within pore spaces characterized by a high reflectivity and absorption of the acoustic energy. Our new results detect the presence of gas in the upper 100 meters of the Paleozoic bedrock. Whereas gas is mainly mapped using P-wave reflection, S-wave sections show the lithological layering and the location of bedrock fractures. The integrated P-wave and SH-wave reflection analysis of the sections demonstrates that the gas migrates in the most fractured areas.
Consider the tidemark

As the most conspicuous histologic feature of normal adult articular cartilage, the tidemark begs for our understanding. In their original description, Fawns and Landells likened this landmark to the irregular line of debris that is left on a sandy beach by the high point of a now-receding tide1 (Figure 1A). Such tidemarks comprise a mixture of marine flotsam, and so contain a variety of stuff from the sea. If the tidemark of cartilage is aptly named, as I believe it to be, it too should be a passive deposit of debris, but what are its constituents and where do they come from? Figure 1. A. A tidemark on the beach at Manzanita, Oregon, USA. B. Mallory aniline blue stain of the tidemark in a normal human metacarpal phalangeal (MCP) joint. Note that cell nuclei and the tidemark share orange staining not seen in the matrix. This image, as well as those that follow, was from an older subject without known rheumatic disease whose body was donated for anatomic study through the willed body program at the University of Washington. C and D. Von Gieson stains of first phalanx base and metacarpal head from 1 MCP joint. The trilaminar structure seen here was stressed by Lyons, et al 10. Its basis remains unexplained. The tidemark duplication seen in the metacarpal head is generally considered to be evidence of osteoarthritis. E. Mowat stain. Granularity of the tidemark (? apoptotic bodies) was described in the classic report of Fawns and Landells1. F. Masson trichrome stain. Again note that, as in all sections, … Address correspondence to Dr. P.A. Simkin, Division of Rheumatology, Box 356428, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA. E-mail: psimkin{at}uw.edu
Sex, Gender, and Status: Human Images from the Classic Mimbres

Prehistoric imagery is a valuable source of information on relations between people of different social identities. Analysis of a large sample of human figures depicted on Classic period Mimbres ceramics illustrates facets of that society's gender system, including the traits individuals used to indicate their gender and the possible presence of third or fourth genders. The imagery indicates that hunting large game and participating in ceremonies were considered men's activities. Men also are portrayed in a wide range of activities and in active postures. This suggests that men had the potential for achieving high status through their activities. Images of women are more static and show fewer activities than men. Women are associated with activities that are low in prestige cross-culturally : child care and carrying burdens. At the same time, women are depicted more often with valuables, such as jewelry, and constitute the majority of people handling parrots, which were used in ritual. This, combined with other evidence, suggests that some women may have achieved relatively high status through their membership in certain families, their association with ritually important parrots, and their possession of esoteric knowledge.
A DNAzyme-mediated logic gate for programming molecular capture and release on DNA origami

Here we design a DNA origami-based site-specific molecular capture and release platform operated by a DNAzyme-mediated logic gate process. We show the programmability and versatility of this platform with small molecules, proteins, and nanoparticles, which may also be controlled by external light signals.
Minimum Number Of Arcs In Conditional Monte Carlo Sampling Of Stochastic Networks

Consider a stochastic activity network, such as PERT network. This paper deals with the problem of estimating the distribution function (df) of the duration of the longest path in the stochastic ne...
Transcriptional Regulation of Na+/K+-ATPase α1 Gene Expression by 8-Bromo-Cyclic AMP in Renal Cells

Several factors such as ouabain and cAMP inhibit Na+/K+-ATPase (NAKA) activity and ion transport function. Interestingly, inhibition of NAKA activity with ouabain results in an increase in the number of expressed NAKA functional units (12). The molecular mechanisms mediating this apparently compensatory response to NAKA inhibition are unknown. A consequence of NAKA inhibition is an increase in intracellular Na+ among other ionic alterations. It is thus of particular interest that intracellular Na+ and/or Ca2+ induce the transcription of the NAKA α1 catalytic subunit gene. A linkage between NAKA activity and transport function and the intracellular ionic milieu may underly the molecular mechanism regulating NAKA gene expression in response to inihbitors of NAKA activity and function.
Previous Techniques in Shape Analysis

A recent search on Google using the query: shape analysis results returned more than 24 million hits, approximately 5 million for statistical shape analysis and 71 million for functional data analysis! Of course, not all of them are relevant to our use of this phrase, but a large fraction of them partly or completely share the same goals as this textbook. This shows the scope and involvement of these topics in all areas of science and engineering and indeed life in general. This also makes it difficult for us to provide a complete picture of the previous efforts in shape analysis. We choose to focus on those works where statistical tools, based on precise mathematical representations, have been used to address shape-related issues.