cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effects of physiological arousal on cognitive and psychomotor performance among individuals with high and low anxiety sensitivity.

Information-processing models of anxiety posit that anxiety pathology is associated with processing biases that consume cognitive resources and may detract from one’s ability to process environmental stimuli. Previous research has consistently indicated that high anxiety has a negative impact on cognitive and psychomotor performance. Anxiety sensitivity, or the fear of anxiety and anxiety-related arousal sensations, is an anxiety vulnerability factor that has been shown to play a role in the development and maintenance of panic attacks and panic disorder. However, relatively little is known regarding the potential impact of anxiety sensitivity on performance. In the present study, 105 college students who scored either high (>24) or low ( <14) on the Anxiety Sensitivity Index were randomly assigned to complete a series of arousal-induction tasks or no activity, followed immediately by three cognitive and psychomotor performance tasks: digit span - backward, math fluency, and grooved pegboard. Results indicated that participants with high anxiety sensitivity performed comparably to individuals with low anxiety sensitivity on each task, regardless of arousal level.
Nucleocytoplasmic interactions in experimental binucleates formed from normal and transformed components

Methods for nuclear transfer and fusion of individual viable nuclei into cells is described. Experimental binucleates have been formed by fusing nuclei from normal fibroblasts, SV40 virus-transformed fibroblasts, and HeLa carcinoma cells into individual diploid fibroblasts which have undergone their total “life span” (population doublings) and have been maintained in culture for a period of 10–12 weeks (late phase III) prior to the nuclear transfer. Many of the cells receiving additional nuclei replicate and form clones of cells with a limited life span, and the morphology of the cells remains fibroblast-like.
To sort or not to sort: the impact of spike-sorting on neural decoding performance

Objective. Brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) are a promising technology for restoring motor ability to paralyzed patients. Spiking-based BCIs have successfully been used in clinical trials to control multi-degree-of-freedom robotic devices. Current implementations of these devices require a lengthy spike-sorting step, which is an obstacle to moving this technology from the lab to the clinic. A viable alternative is to avoid spike-sorting, treating all threshold crossings of the voltage waveform on an electrode as coming from one putative neuron. It is not known, however, how much decoding information might be lost by ignoring spike identity. Approach. We present a full analysis of the effects of spike-sorting schemes on decoding performance. Specifically, we compare how well two common decoders, the optimal linear estimator and the Kalman filter, reconstruct the arm movements of non-human primates performing reaching tasks, when receiving input from various sorting schemes. The schemes we tested included: using threshold crossings without spike-sorting; expert-sorting discarding the noise; expert-sorting, including the noise as if it were another neuron; and automatic spike-sorting using waveform features. We also decoded from a joint statistical model for the waveforms and tuning curves, which does not involve an explicit spike-sorting step. Main results. Discarding the threshold crossings that cannot be assigned to neurons degrades decoding: no spikes should be discarded. Decoding based on spike-sorted units outperforms decoding based on electrodes voltage crossings: spike-sorting is useful. The four waveform based spike-sorting methods tested here yield similar decoding efficiencies: a fast and simple method is competitive. Decoding using the joint waveform and tuning model shows promise but is not consistently superior. Significance. Our results indicate that simple automated spike-sorting performs as well as the more computationally or manually intensive methods used here. Even basic spike-sorting adds value to the low-threshold waveform-crossing methods often employed in BCI decoding.
A versatile omnibus test for detecting mean and variance heterogeneity.

Recent research has revealed loci that display variance heterogeneity through various means such as biological disruption, linkage disequilibrium (LD), gene-by-gene (GxG), or gene-by-environment (GxE) interaction. We propose a versatile likelihood ratio test that allows joint testing for mean and variance heterogeneity (LRTMV) or either effect alone (LRTM or LRTV) in the presence of covariates. Using extensive simulations for our method and others we found that all parametric tests were sensitive to non-normality regardless of any trait transformations. Coupling our test with the parametric bootstrap solves this issue. Using simulations and empirical data from a known mean-only functional variant we demonstrate how linkage disequilibrium (LD) can produce variance-heterogeneity loci (vQTL) in a predictable fashion based on differential allele frequencies, high D’ and relatively low r2 values. We propose that a joint test for mean and variance heterogeneity is more powerful than a variance only test for detecting vQTL. This takes advantage of loci that also have mean effects without sacrificing much power to detect variance only effects. We discuss using vQTL as an approach to detect gene-by-gene interactions and also how vQTL are related to relationship loci (rQTL) and how both can create prior hypothesis for each other and reveal the relationships between traits and possibly between components of a composite trait.
Bulk, surface, and blood-contacting properties of polyetherurethanes modified with polyethylene oxide.

—The bulk, surface, and blood-contacting properties of a series of polyether polyurethanes based on polyethylene oxide (PEO) (MW = 1450), polytetramethylene oxide (PTMO) (MW = 1000), and mixed PEO/PTMO soft segments were evaluated. The effect of varying the weight percentage of PEO, and thus the overall polarity of the mixed soft segment phase, was investigated. Two polymer blends prepared from a PTMO-based and a PEO-based polyurethane were also studied. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical analysis indicated that the polyurethanes based on either the PEO or the PTMO soft segments are relatively phase mixed. The degree of phase mixing in the polymers increased with increasing weight fraction of PEO. As expected, water absorption and the hydrophilicity of the polymer increased with increasing PEO soft segment content. In vacuum, the PEO-rich polymers have a lower concentration of soft segment at the surface, possibly due to the migration of the polar PEO segments away from the pol...
Improving smart grid operation with new Hierarchically Coordinated Protection approach

Nowadays, power systems are characterized with heavy loading conditions, abrupt changes in generation patterns, extensive switching of power system configuration and high penetration of distributed generation (DG). Under those conditions performance of the conventional relays that rely on predefined settings may deteriorate leading to system wide disturbances and blackouts. To ensure reliable system operation, monitoring, control and protection have to be improved. In this paper, new Hierarchically Coordinated Protection (HCP) approach to mitigate the effects of increased grid complexity on its operation is proposed. The proposed approach utilizes local and wide area measurements and relies on the three HCP framework levels: fault anticipation and prediction, adaptive fault detection, and relay operation correction in case of unwanted tripping. It brings intelligence to the relays at all voltage levels and uses information and statistics from the systems such as weather, lightning, animal and bird migration patterns, component outage history, etc to enhance protection system tripping dependability and security. (6 pages)
Cost-Efficiency Comparisons of Some Polymer Fractionation Techniques

Abstract An expression to permit comparison of various techniques of polymer fractionation in terms of both fractionation efficiency and cost is proposed. Comparisons are made for large-scale gel permeation chromatography at elevated and ambient temperatures, large-scale Baker-Williams fractionation, and narrow distribution unfractionated polymers prepared by anionic polymerization.
Strength theory of decision rules and latency in retrieval from short-term memory

A simple strength theory is studied for retrieval in recognition, multiple-choice and recall tests of verbal short-term memory. The primary assumptions of the theory are: (a) that the same memory system is used, regardless of the manner of testing retention, (b) that in recognition, subjects respond “yes” if the strength of the test item exceeds a criterion (criterion decision rule), and (c) that in multiple-choice or recall, subjects choose the response with the greatest strength (maximum decision rule). The results support these basic retrieval assumptions, but suggest that the decay and noise in retrieval may not always be constant for different methods of testing retrieval. Response latencies were studied as a subsidiary measure of trace strength.
Proximity of supermarkets is positively associated with diet quality index for pregnancy.

Objectives. To investigate the association between distance to the closest supermarket and a composite measure of diet, the diet quality index for pregnancy (DQI-P) was constructed. Methods. Data from the Pregnancy, Infection and Nutrition (PIN) cohort, a prospective study of determinants of preterm birth, were analyzed. Food frequency questionnaires were used to construct DQI-P which includes: servings of grains, vegetables, fruits, folate, iron and calcium intake, percentage of calories from fat, and meal pattern score. Street address of residence, supermarkets, grocery and convenience stores were geocoded. Participants with complete food frequency and address data were included (n = 918). Multinomial logistic regression was used to estimate the conditional association of food outlets on diet quality, controlling for confounders and using a robust variance estimator to account for clustering of neighborhood characteristics. Results. Women living greater than 4 miles from a supermarket were more than twice the odds (adjusted odds ratio = 2.16; 95% confidence interval = 1.2, 4.0) of falling into the lowest compared to highest DQI-P tertile compared to women living within 2 miles of a supermarket, after controlling for individual characteristics, other food retail outlets. Conclusion. These findings suggest that proximity of food retail outlets influences the diet quality of pregnant women.
Computational study of the structure, dynamics, and photophysical properties of conjugated polymers and oligomers under nanoscale confinement.

Computational simulations were used to investigate the dynamics and resulting structures of several para-phenylenevinylene (PPV) based polymers and oligomers (PPV, 2-methoxy-5-(2‘-ethyl-hexyloxy)-p-phenylenevinylene → MEH−PPV and 2,5,2‘,5‘-tetrahexyloxy-7,8‘-dicyano-p-phenylenevinylene → CN−PPV). The results show how the morphology and structure are controlled to a large extent by the nature of the solute−solvent interactions in the initial solution-phase preparation. Secondary structural organization is induced by using the solution-phase structures to generate solvent-free single molecule nanoparticles. Isolation of these single molecule nanostructures from microdroplets of dilute solution results in the formation of electrostatically oriented nanostructures at a glass surface. Our structural modeling suggests that these oriented nanostructures consist of folded PPV conjugated segments with folds occurring at tetrahedral defects (sp3 C−C bonds) within the polymer chain. This picture is supported by deta...
Uncertainty, the structure of production and the pattern of trade of centrally planned economies

In this paper we have demonstrated that terms of trade uncertainty imposes a welfare loss on a centrally planned economy by reallocating resources toward the production of import substitutes and domestic consumption of exportables and a consequent decrease in the volume of trade. We have also shown that the centrally planned economies have developed a number of institutions, such as trade agreements and pricing rules, designed to minimize the losses caused by terms of trade uncertainty. Finally, we have suggested that the behavior of these economies during the post-Warperiod is consistent with welfare maximization under terms of trade uncertainty.
Conformational analysis of crown ethers—part 2. 15-crown-5

Abstract An extensive conformational search of 15-crown-5 was performed with the MM3 force field yielding 3623 conformers ranging in steric energy from 21.40 to 56.24 kcal mol −1 . Free energies and conformer population are reported for the gas phase. A continuum dielectric model is used to estimate the conformer populations in a variety of solvents. The three conformers observed in crystal structures containing 15-crown-5 molecules that do not form inner sphere complexes with metal ions are predicted to be among the most populated conformations in condensed phases. Comparison of the structural features of the crystallographically observed conformers with those of the energy minimized MM3 structures demonstrates that the MM3 force field well reproduces that experimentally observed structural features. Predicted conformer populations are consistent with 13 C NMR and vibrational spectra.
Intelligent distributed medical image management

The rapid advancements in high performance global communication have accelerated cooperative image-based medical services to a new frontier. Traditional image-based medical services such as radiology and diagnostic consultation can now fully utilize multimedia technologies in order to provide novel services, including remote cooperative medical triage, distributed virtual simulation of operations, as well as cross-country collaborative medical research and training. Fast (efficient) and easy (flexible) retrieval of relevant images remains a critical requirement for the provision of remote medical services. This paper describes the database system requirements, identifies technological building blocks for meeting the requirements, and presents a system architecture for our target image database system, MISSION-DBS, which has been designed to fulfill the goals of Project MISSION (medical imaging support via satellite integrated optical network) -- an experimental high performance gigabit satellite communication network with access to remote supercomputing power, medical image databases, and 3D visualization capabilities in addition to medical expertise anywhere and anytime around the country. The MISSION-DBS design employs a synergistic fusion of techniques in distributed databases (DDB) and artificial intelligence (AI) for storing, migrating, accessing, and exploring images. The efficient storage and retrieval of voluminous image information is achieved by integrating DDB modeling and AI techniques for image processing while the flexible retrieval mechanisms are accomplished by combining attribute- based and content-based retrievals.
Voluntarily Leaving an Organization: An Empirical Investigation of Steers and Mowday's Model of Turnover

This study tested propositions derived from Steers and Mow day's (1981) model. A group of 445 employees of a financial institution responded to a mailed survey. Through access to their personnel re...
Parent Reports of Mental Health Concerns and Functional Impairment on Routine Screening With the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire

Abstract Objective This study used the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) to describe the prevalence of parent-reported mental health (MH) concerns in youth presenting for primary care appointments and to examine relationships between children's MH issues and functional impairment. We hypothesized that increased MH symptomology would be associated with increased impairment and family burden. Methods Parents of 4- to 17-year-old children were approached at routine visits in 13 primary care sites. Chi-square tests, independent sample t tests, and a 1-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to make comparisons between demographic groups. Age-, sex-, and race-adjusted ordered logistic regression models and ANOVAs examined relationships between impact and SDQ scales. Results Boys had higher total Hyperactivity and Peer Problems. Adolescents showed higher Emotional Symptoms, while younger children showed more Hyperactivity. Latinos reported more Conduct Problems, Hyperactivity, and Peer Problems. Latinos also indicated less distress on the child, impairment at home and school, and family burden. Regression analyses indicated increased odds of impairment with higher scale scores. MH symptoms identified with the SDQ in pediatric primary care settings were associated with parent-reported impairment affecting youth and their families. Conclusions The presence of significant impairment suggests that parents' concerns identified by screening are likely to be clinically important and worthy of practice strategies designed to promote assessment, treatment, and referral for these common problems. Identifying and exploring parents' concerns with strategic use of screening tools may allow primary care providers to directly engage families around the MH issues that affect them most.
Novel PLL-based clock distribution scheme

A technique for minimising clock skew in VLSI chips and multichip modules is proposed. A phase-locked loop is used to tune the delay of the clock interconnects. Negative, zero and positive delays can be achieved. This allows for clock synchronisation between individual modules with locally optimised clock distribution to minimise global clock-skew.
Beliefs about Self and Others: A Test of the Dogmatism Theory

Summa~y.-The 7 propositions of Rokeach's theory of open- and dosedmind relating to beliefs abut self and others were tested. It was hypothesized that closed-minded persons, in contrast to open-minded persons, would hold negative beliefs about self and about others, hold conuadictory self-beliefs, engage in self-proselytization, seek status and power, report a sense of martyrdom, and display moral self-righteousness. In keeping with theoretical expectations, all hypotheses were confirmed Jthough the magnitudes of correlations between dogmatism scale scores and the dependent variable measures were low. This research is directed to the validation of the original seven propositions of the theory of open and closed minds concerning beliefs about self and others (Rokeach, 1960). In his original proposal, Rokeach argued that beliefs about the self and the generalized other comprised two of the three major categories of the central region of the central-peripheral dimension. In his revised statements, Rokeach (1968) placed even stronger emphasis on these categories and appeared co establish self-beEefs as integral to the two types of primitive beliefs introduced in his revision. Seven self-other variables were introduced in the original theory. The more closed-minded person was postulated to hold more negative beliefs about self, more contradictory beliefs about self, a need for martyrdom, and strong negative attitudes toward others. As a defense against negative self-beliefs, the more closed-minded person was postulated to be self-proselytizing-as manifested by the compulsive repetition OX beliefs-and to engage in self-aggrandizing behavioras indicated by a need for status and power and a sense of moral selfrighteousness. Nine items were built into the original Dogmatism Scale to tap all of these variables. Five of the seven propositions have received no direct test. There is some substantiation of the propositions regarding negative self-beliefs and negative beliefs toward others (Ehrlich & Lee, 1969; Vacchiano, Strauss & Hochmam, 1969). However, in all of the past research the correlations were confounded by using the original scale which contained self and other items. Further, the relationships between dogmatism and negative attitudes toward others have been significant only when those attitudes were operationalized by scale measures of ethnocentrism or nationalism.
Twin-screw extrusion texturization of extruded-expelled soybean flour

Texturized soy proteins (TSP) have been produced from hexane-extracted soy flours having a narrow range of characteristics. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of protein dispersibility index (PDI) and residual oil content on extrusion texturization of partially defatted soy flours produced by extruding-expelling (E-E). Ten E-E processed soy flours having residual oil contents and PDI values of 5.5–12.7% and 35.3–69.1%, respectively, were texturized using a twin-screw extruder. Water-holding capacities were greater for TSP prepared from E-E processed soy flours with lower residual oil contents. Bulk densities were significantly lower for TSP prepared from E-E processed soy flours compared with a commercial product made from hexane-extracted soy flour. The texture characteristics of extended ground beef patties containing texturized E-E processed soy flour were similar to that of 19% fat ground beef. Flavor acceptability was directly correlated (R=0.761) with residual oil content of the E-E processed soy flours. However, lower residual oil and higher PDI flours exhibited better texturization and extrudate qualities.
Fatty Acid-mediated Calcium Sequestration within Intracellular Calcium Pools

Abstract Intracellular Ca2+ pools play an essential role in generating Ca2+ signals. The heterogeneity of intracellular Ca2+ pools reflects the complex and dynamic character of the endoplasmic reticulum within which they reside. Translocation of Ca2+ between distinct subcompartments of the endoplasmic reticulum is mediated by a sensitive and specific GTP-activated process involving formation of reversible communicating junctions (Rys-Sikora, K. E., Ghosh, T. K., and Gill, D. L. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 31607–31613). In the presence of palmitate at 10 μm or above, this GTP-activated mechanism mediates substantial Ca2+ accumulation within a specific Ca2+-pumping pool. The fatty acid- and GTP-dependent accumulation of Ca2+ was highly chain length-specific; pentadecanoate (C15) and palmitate (C16) were equally effective, whereas fatty acids of shorter or longer chain length were either marginally effective or devoid of effect. Fatty acids with one or more unsaturated carbons were without effect, regardless of chain length. Palmitate-induced Ca2+ accumulation was immediately terminated with 2 μm palmitoyl-CoA, a blocker of the GTP-activated Ca2+-translocating mechanism. The anion transport inhibitor 4,4′-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2′-disulfonic acid completely prevented both palmitate- and oxalate-mediated GTP-dependent Ca2+ accumulation, with EC50 ∼ 30 μm. Ca2+ sequestered in the presence of palmitate and GTP could be immediately and completely released by A23187, whereas the sequestered Ca2+was remarkably resistant to release induced by inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3). In contrast, oxalate-sequestered Ca2+ within the same pool could be effectively released by either ionophore or InsP3. The results indicate that fatty acids are specifically transported into the lumen of a subset of Ca2+ pools, wherein they mediate substantial sequestration of Ca2+ in a distinct membrane-associated substate that is not readily releasable by opened InsP3-sensitive Ca2+ channels.
Flexible real estate through knowledge of tax implications

Technology, telecommunications and new IPO companies bring with them a new definition of ‘rapid growth’ and change. In 1990, ‘fast’ was considered to be a compounded growth rate of 15 per cent. Today companies are currently experiencing compounded growth rates of between 15 and 100 per cent per month! For the real estate practitioner, this creates a definite challenge. Real estate professionals are being asked to create an agile and flexible physical environment that can adapt quickly to the constant change. With this agile and flexible model comes the expectation that corporate real estate (CRE) will provide a return on asset (ROA) and contribute to shareholder value. The key is to manage CRE as a business and to leverage it ‐ whether owned or leased ‐ at the precise moments in the corporate life cycle that make the most sense.
A 2H-NMR study of Acholeplasma laidlawii membranes highly enriched in myristic acid☆

Abstract Myristic acid specifically deuterated at several positions along the acyl chain was biosynthetically incorporated into the membrane lipids of Acholeplasma laidlawii B to the level of ⩾90%. 2 H-NMR was used to study the molecular order and lipid phase composition of the membranes as a function of temperature. Isolated membranes and intact cells give rise to similar 2 H spectra. Below 25°C the spectra exhibit a broad gel phase component which at 0°C reaches the rigid limit value expected for an immobilized methylene group. Spectral moments were used to determine the relative amounts of gel and liquid crystalline phase lipids throughout the gel-liquid crystal phase transition. The results indicate that at the growth temperature (37 or 30°C) the A. laidlawii B membrane lipids are ∼85–90% in the gel state, and that protein has little effect on lipid order of the liquid crystalline lipid, but leads to an increase in the linewidth by approx. 20%.
Invited talk: How the Fundamental Assurance Question pervades certification

Assurance Cases are promoted as a means by which to present an argument for why a system is sufficiently dependable (alternate terms for the same concept include “Dependability Cases”, “Safety Cases” when the concern is safety, “Security Cases”, etc.). The purpose of such an argument is typically to inform a decision maker, often in the context of a key certification decision, so he/she will be better able to make that decision. Examples of such decisions include whether to deploy a system, whether to make an upgrade to an existing system, whether to advance a system to the next phase in its development. Assurance Cases are widely practiced in Europe, and are receiving growing attention in North America. For software systems in particular, an assurance-case-based approach is often contrasted to a standards-based approach, the latter being characterized as more “prescriptive” in specifying the process and techniques to be applied to sufficiently assure software. The proponents of an assurance-case-based approach point out that the need to construct a sufficiently convincing Assurance Case puts the onus on the provider of the software to present the argument for its dependability, as compared to putting the onus on the regulator to have described in advance a sufficient process to be followed by the provider in their development of software. The distinction is not as clear-cut as it might at first seem. Both approaches have the need to assess by how much the outcomes of assurance activities (e.g., testing; code review; fault tree analysis; model-checking) raise confidence in decisions made about the system. For a standards-based approach, how is it possible to determine whether the required standard practice can be relaxed or waived entirely, when an alternate approach can be substituted, when additional activities are warranted? These determinations hinge on an understanding of the role of assurance activities, and the information conveyed by their outcome. These questions will arise more often and become more urgent to answer in the evolving world mentioned in the Call for Papers. For an assurance-case-based approach the outcome of an assurance activity will be evidence located within the assurance case, which makes it easier to see the role it plays in the overall assurance argument, but the same question arises — what is its information contribution to confidence? Distilling these gives the “Fundamental Assurance Question,” namely how much do assurance activities contribute to raising decision confidence about system qualities, such as safety? These questions — and an intriguing start at answering them — will be the focus of this talk.
Implications of the 2011-13 Syrian Uprising for the Middle Eastern Regional Security Complex

By the autumn of 2013, the Middle Eastern regional security complex (RSC) had taken on a new configuration, which was substantially different from — and much more explosive than — the one that existed prior to the large-scale popular uprisings that broke out across the Arab world in the winter of 2010-11. Foreign policies adopted between 2000 and 2010 by the Ba‘thi regime in Damascus, the leaderships of Hizbullah and HAMAS, and the Israeli government to parry overlapping internal and external threats created an unprecedented patchwork of strategic rivalries and alignments. Large-scale popular unrest in Iraq and Egypt in early 2011, along with the outbreak of full-scale civil war in Syria later that same year, generated an even more intricate web of interstate security dynamics. The reconfigured RSC that emerged out of the “Winter of Arab Discontent” is only beginning to be explicated, and can best be addressed by tracing the connection between domestic political conflicts and shifts in external belligerence and alignment across the region.
Atrial Arrhythmias A “Call to Arms” for Congenital Heart Disease Caregivers

Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be, The last of life, for which the first was made: Our times are in His hand Who saith, “A Whole I planned, Youth shows but half; … —Robert Browning, “Rabbi Ben Ezra”1 In his poem “Rabbi Ben ( sic Ibn) Ezra,” Robert Browning acknowledges the multitude of physical and nonphysical determinants of life’s richness. His narrator sees these influences as interwoven and spanning the ages from youth through adulthood in timeless fashion. In this week’s issue of Circulation , Bouchardy and colleagues2 determine the prevalence of atrial (tachy)arrhythmias (AA) in adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD) and then analyze the prognostic implications of such. The authors’ findings carry far-reaching implications that, in a fashion that Browning’s narrator would have advocated, extend to principles, design, and application of medical care that begin at the earliest pediatric years and continue throughout the entire development and aging of the ACHD population. Article see p 1679 Nearly all physicians come into contact with ACHD because current estimates support a prevalence of >1 million adults and nearly 1 million children with congenital heart disease in the United States.3 Analyses of large administrative data sets have emphasized the growing burden (in excess to matched controls) of both cardiovascular and noncardiovascular (diabetes mellitus, renal dysfunction, obesity) disease currently existing in this ACHD population.4 Similarly, all physicians care for patients with AAs, the most common heart rhythm disorder that affects adults. Atrial fibrillation dominates (affecting >2.3 million Americans, with a prevalence of 0.4% to 5.5%, depending on age) and is a major source of morbidity and mortality because its onset heralds a 4- to 5-fold increase in stroke, a doubling of risk for dementia, a tripling of …
A SANT motif in the SMRT corepressor interprets the histone code and promotes histone deacetylation

Nuclear receptor corepressors SMRT (silencing mediator of retinoid and thyroid receptors) and N-CoR (nuclear receptor corepressor) recruit histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity to targeted regions of chromatin. These corepressors contain a closely spaced pair of SANT motifs whose sequence and organization is highly conserved. The N-terminal SANT is a critical component of a deacetylase activation domain (DAD) that binds and activates HDAC3. Here, we show that the second SANT motif functions as part of a histone interaction domain (HID). The HID enhances repression by increasing the affinity of the DAD-HDAC3 enzyme for histone substrate. The two SANT motifs synergistically promote histone deacetylation and repression through unique functions. The HID contribution to repression is magnified by its ability to inhibit histone acetyltransferase enzyme activity. Remarkably, the SANT-containing HID preferentially binds to unacetylated histone tails. This implies that the SMRT HID participates in interpreting the histone code in a feed-forward mechanism that promotes and maintains histone deacetylation at genomic sites of SMRT recruitment.
Robust parameter extraction for decision support using multimodal intensive care data

Digital information flow within the intensive care unit (ICU) continues to grow, with advances in technology and computational biology. Recent developments in the integration and archiving of these data have resulted in new opportunities for data analysis and clinical feedback. New problems associated with ICU databases have also arisen. ICU data are high-dimensional, often sparse, asynchronous and irregularly sampled, as well as being non-stationary, noisy and subject to frequent exogenous perturbations by clinical staff. Relationships between different physiological parameters are usually nonlinear (except within restricted ranges), and the equipment used to measure the observables is often inherently error-prone and biased. The prior probabilities associated with an individual’s genetics, pre-existing conditions, lifestyle and ongoing medical treatment all affect prediction and classification accuracy. In this paper, we describe some of the key problems and associated methods that hold promise for robust parameter extraction and data fusion for use in clinical decision support in the ICU.
Graduate International Business Education in the United States—Comparisons and Suggestions

Abstract This article reports on a two-part study of graduate international business programs in the United States. The first study presents comparative information from 21 top U.S. graduate international business institutions. The second study presents three guidelines developed from in-depth conversations with a number of internationally recognized experts on international business education. A case is made, based upon the comparisons and guidelines, for a re-examination of the structure of U.S. graduate international business programs.
Label diagnosis through self tuning for web image search

Semi-supervised learning (SSL) relies on partial supervision information for prediction, where only a small set of samples are associated with labels. Performance of SSL is significantly degraded if the given labels are not reliable. Such problems arise in realistic applications such as Web image search using noisy textual tags. This paper proposes a novel and efficient graph based SSL method with the unique capacity of pruning contradictory labels and inferring new labels through a bidirectional and alternating optimization process. The objective is to automatically identify the most suitable samples for manipulation, labeling or unlabeling, and meanwhile estimate a smooth classification function over a weighted graph. Different from other graph based SSL approaches, the proposed method employs a bivariate objective function and iteratively modifies label variables on both labeled and unlabeled samples. Starting from such a SSL setting, we present a relearning framework to improve the performance of base learner, particularly for the application of Web image search. Besides the toy demonstration on artificial data, we evaluated the proposed method on flicker image search with unreliable textual labels. Experimental results confirm the significant improvements of the method over the baseline text based search engine and the state-of-the-art SSL methods.
Fast algorithms for shortest paths in planar graphs, with applications

Graph decomposition and data structures techniques are presented that exploit the structure of planar graphs to yield faster algorithms for a number of shortest path and related problems. Improved ...
Interaction between arthropod filiform hairs in a fluid environment.

Many arthropods use filiform hairs as mechanoreceptors to detect air motion. In common house crickets (Acheta domestica) the hairs cover two antenna-like appendages called cerci at the rear of the abdomen. The biomechanical stimulus–response properties of individual filiform hairs have been investigated and modeled extensively in several earlier studies. However, only a few previous studies have considered viscosity-mediated coupling between pairs of hairs, and only in particular configurations. Here, we present a model capable of calculating hair-to-hair coupling in arbitrary configurations. We simulate the coupled motion of a small group of mechanosensory hairs on a cylindrical section of cercus. We have found that the coupling effects are non-negligible, and likely constrain the operational characteristics of the cercal sensory array. r 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Potential Role of Nuclear Factor κB and Reactive Oxygen Species in cAMP and Cytokine Regulation of Surfactant Protein-A Gene Expression in Lung Type II Cells

The human surfactant protein-A2 (hSP-A2) gene is developmentally regulated, expressed in type II pneumonocytes, and induced by cAMP. cAMP induction of hSP-A2 expression is O2 dependent and mediated by increased phosphorylation, DNA binding, and transcriptional activation of thyroid transcription factor-1 (TTF-1). The TTF-1-binding element (TBE) at −175 bp contains a reverse-oriented nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) binding site. IL-1 increased SP-A expression in lung type II cells and had additive stimulatory effects with cAMP. Nuclear extracts from cAMP- or IL-1-treated type II cells manifested increased binding to NF-κB consensus and TBE probes; cAMP and IL-1 had additive effects. Competitive and antibody supershift EMSA revealed that NF-κB and TTF-1 interact with TBE. IL-1 treatment of type II cells caused rapid (1 h) increases in nuclear levels of NF-κB (p50 and p65) and in binding to NF-κB and TBE probes; nuclear levels of TTF-1 were unaffected. Bt2cAMP increased binding to NF-κB and TBE probes more slowly;...
Consequences and therapy of the metabolic acidosis of chronic kidney disease.

Metabolic acidosis is common in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), particularly once the glo- merular filtration rate (GFR) falls below 25 ml/min/1.73 m 2 . It is usually mild to moderate in magnitude with the serum bicarbonate concentration ((HCO3 − )) ranging from 12 to 23 mEq/l. Even so, it can have substantial adverse effects, including development or exacerbation of bone disease, growth retardation in children, increased muscle degrada- tion with muscle wasting, reduced albumin synthesis with a predisposition to hypoalbuminemia, resistance to the effects of insulin with impaired glucose tolerance, acceleration of the progression of CKD, stimulation of inflammation, and augmentation of β2-microglobulin production. Also, its presence is associated with increased mortality. The administration of base to patients prior to or after initiation of dialysis leads to improvement in many of these adverse effects. The present recommendation by the National Kidney Foundation Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (NKF KDOQI) is to raise serum (HCO3 − )t o ≥22 mEq/l, whereas Caring for Australians with Renal Impairment (CARI) recommends raising serum (HCO3 − )t o >22 mEq/l. Base administration can potentially contribute to volume overload and exacerbation of hypertension as well as to metastatic calcium precipitation in tissues. However, sodium retention is less when given as sodium bicarbonate and sodium chloride intake is concomitantly restricted. Results from various studies suggest that enhanced metastatic calcification is unlikely with the pH values achieved during conservative base administration, but the clinician should be careful not to raise serum (HCO3 − ) to values outside the normal range.
Post-cardiotomy mechanical circulatory support using a conventional bypass circuit in children

Objective: Mechanical circulatory support (MCS) is increasingly used after cardiotomy in children when conventional medical treatment fails. Poor overall survival and long-term outcome have been reported. We report our experience of post-cardiotomy MCS using a conventional bypass circuit. Methods: Over a 4 year and 6 month period 10 patients, with a median age of 16 days (range 5 days to 16 years) required MCS. Eight patients required support for failure to wean from cardiopulmonary bypass during primary correction. Two patients required support for cardiac arrest or poor cardiac output in the postoperative period. Results: The median duration of support was 43 h (range 26–146 h). Seven hospital survivors were alive and well at median follow-up of 18 months (range 4–36 months). One patient could not be weaned off support. Two more patients died after successful weaning from support. Complications in nine patients who could be weaned off support included renal failure (n ¼ 6), cerebrovascular events (n ¼ 3) and mediastinitis (n ¼ 2). Conclusions: Overall long-term survival (70%) and quality of recovery is usually good even though initial mortality and complication rates may be high. We think that post cardiotomy mechanical circulatory bypass using a conventional bypass circuit can offer a favourable outcome to selected patients. q 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
An interactive framework for acquiring vision models of 3-D objects from 2-D images

This paper presents a human-computer interaction (HCI) framework for building vision models of three-dimensional (3-D) objects from their two-dimensional (2-D) images. Our framework is based on two guiding principles of HCI: 1) provide the human with as much visual assistance as possible to help the human make a correct input; and 2) verify each input provided by the human for its consistency with the inputs previously provided. For example, when stereo correspondence information is elicited from a human, his/her job is facilitated by superimposing epipolar lines on the images. Although that reduces the possibility of error in the human marked correspondences, such errors are not entirely eliminated because there can be multiple candidate points close together for complex objects. For another example, when pose-to-pose correspondence is sought from a human, his/her job is made easier by allowing the human to rotate the partial model constructed in the previous pose in relation to the partial model for the current pose. While this facility reduces the incidence of human-supplied pose-to-pose correspondence errors, such errors cannot be eliminated entirely because of confusion created when multiple candidate features exist close together. Each input provided by the human is therefore checked against the previous inputs by invoking situation-specific constraints. Different types of constraints (and different human-computer interaction protocols) are needed for the extraction of polygonal features and for the extraction of curved features. We will show results on both polygonal objects and object containing curved features.
Urban Geography Plenary Lecture - Femicide, Mother-Activism, and the Geography of Protest in Northern Mexico

(2007). Urban Geography Plenary Lecture—Femicide, Mother-Activism, And The Geography Of Protest In Northern Mexico1. Urban Geography: Vol. 28, Urban Geography Plenary Lecture, pp. 401-425.
Probabilistic Projections of Public Employment and Expenditures

Public sector labor expenditures depend upon the level and composition of employment as well as their associated wage rates. This article uses a Markov probability model to project the composition of employment across personnel grades and time-in-grade categories. The model can then be applied under alternative hiring policies. The approach is demonstrated on police employment and expenditures in Syracuse, New York.
Bovine lactogenic immunity against cholera toxin-related enterotoxins and Vibrio cholerae outer membranes.

Abstract The newly parturient cow secretes large quantities of immunoglobulin G1, a relatively protease- and heat-resistant immunoglobulin, in its colostrum and milk. This study establishes the feasibility of producing protective colostral immunoglobulins by immunizing pregnant cows with cholera toxin (CT), a CT-related enterotoxin from Escherichia coli, and Vibrio cholerae outer membranes (OMs). The OMs were prepared from bacteria grown under iron-replete or iron-deficient (to simulate the in vivo environment) conditions. Immunoglobulins were purified from the colostrum of newly parturient control and immunized cows. The bovine anti-CT and anti-H-LT (CT-related heat-labile enterotoxin produced by diarrheogenic E. coli strains of human origin) antibodies were quantitated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and by neutralization of toxin activity in both Y-1 adrenal cell and infant rabbit assays. The bovine anti-OM antibodies from both high-iron-grown and low-iron-grown vibrios were assessed by bacterial agglutination and by Western blot (immunoblot) analysis of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of high-iron-grown and low-iron-grown OMs. To test their protective effect, immunoglobulin preparations were administered orally in infant feeding formula to 6-day-old rabbits. Anti-CT and anti-OM immunoglobulins elicited statistically significant protection against diarrhea in infant rabbits challenged intraintestinally with virulent cholera vibrios.
Occurrence and self-treatment of diarrhea in a large cohort of Americans traveling to developing countries.

There is little information available regarding traveler's diarrhea that affects a large number of Americans who differ widely in age and travel destination, and little or no information exists on self-treatment. This paper describes the clinical features, self-treatment, and outcome of diarrhea in 784 (95% follow-up) Americans who traveled for or = 3 unformed stools/day +/- enteric symptoms or or = 1 enteric symptom, and 11% (n = 88) had loose motions (LM). Diarrhea was often severe and nearly a quarter of people with TD experienced fever and vomiting and 35% were required to alter their plans. The duration of travel and the destination itself were the strongest influences on diarrhea. Most travelers treated the illness themselves, whether or not they had LM (72%) or TD (83%). Those with LM took an antimotility agent or bismuth subsalicylate alone more frequently than those with TD (71% versus 48%, P < 0.002). Conversely, antibiotics were taken more frequently by those with TD (47% versus 27%, P < 0.03). Overall, 83% indicated self-treatment was effective (91% with LM and 80% with TD). Diarrhea is common despite pre-travel advice. Because travelers usually treat themselves, they should be provided with clear instructions on appropriate self-treatment.
Mutations in the cationic trypsinogen gene are associated with recurrent acute and chronic pancreatitis

Abstract BACKGROUND & AIMS: We recently identified a single R117H mutation in the cationic trypsinogen gene in several kindreds with an inherited form of acute and chronic pancreatitis (HP1), providing strong evidence that trypsin plays a central role in premature zymogen activation and pancreatitis. However, not all families studied have this mutation. The aim of this study was to determine the disease-causing mutation in kindreds with hereditary pancreatitis that lack the previously identified mutation. METHODS: Clinical features of the HP1 kindreds were compared with those of the new kindreds (HP2), and genetic linkage analysis, screening for mutations through DNA sequencing, and screening an unaffected population were performed. RESULTS: The onset of symptoms was delayed and hospitalizations were fewer in HP2 compared with HP1 (P CONCLUSIONS: The identification of a second mutation in the cationic trypsinogen gene (HP2) suggests a dominant role of trypsin in premature protease activation-mediated forms of acute pancreatitis. The pathogenesis of hereditary pancreatitis also suggests that chronic pancreatitis may result from recurrent acute pancreatitis. (Gastroenterology 1997 Oct;113(4):1063-8)