cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Iterative Bayesian maximum entropy method for the EEG inverse problem

Electroencephalographic imaging is the estimation of 3D neuronal current sources on the cortical surface from the measured electroencephalogram (EEG). It is a highly under- determined inverse problem as there are many 'feasible' images which are consistent with the scalp potentials. Previous approaches to this problem have primarily concentrated on the weighted minimum norm inverse methods. While these methods ensure a unique solution, they often produce overly smoothed solutions and are sensitive to noise in the data. Our group previously proposed a maximum entropy approach to obtain better solutions to this problem. We incorporated a noise rejection term into the maximum entropy method, thereby making it analogous to a Bayesian maximum a posteriori formulation. Additional information from other modalities, like functional magnetic resonance imaging, could be incorporated into this method in the form of a prior bias function to improve solutions. While this approach gave better results than the minimum norm methods, the solutions were still somewhat smooth and blurry. In this work, we developed and tested an iterative version of the maximum entropy method to obtain more localized solutions. This method starts with a distributed estimate computed by the maximum entropy method. It then recursively performs maximum entropy estimations producing a progressively more focal current distribution. We present the method and test its validity through computer simulations for both noiseless and noisy data. The results suggest that the proposed method is a powerful algorithm with good utility for EEG imaging.
Problem-solving in a case-based course: Strategies for facilitating coached expertise

This paper proposes the use of specific coaching strategies to facilitate student use of expert-like problem-solving strategies while analyzing and solving instructional design case studies. Findings from an exploratory study, designed to examine changes in students' problem-solving skills as they analyzed case studies, suggested that students could show expert characteristics at times, under some circumstances, but did not perform like experts on a regular basis. At two midwestern universities, 37 students analyzed 6 to 10 case studies both in class and in on-line discussions. Comparisons were made both within and across students, as well as across time, to examine patterns and changes in student problem-solving approaches. Findings suggested that primary influences on the incidence of expert performance were more external than internal and might be more aptly characterized as “coached expertise”. Specific suggestions are included for coaching the development of student problem-solving skills within a case-based course.
Quantitative Amyloid Imaging Using Image-Derived Arterial Input Function

Amyloid PET imaging is an indispensable tool widely used in the investigation, diagnosis and monitoring of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Currently, a reference region based approach is used as the mainstream quantification technique for amyloid imaging. This approach assumes the reference region is amyloid free and has the same tracer influx and washout kinetics as the regions of interest. However, this assumption may not always be valid. The goal of this work is to evaluate an amyloid imaging quantification technique that uses arterial region of interest as the reference to avoid potential bias caused by specific binding in the reference region. 21 participants, age 58 and up, underwent Pittsburgh compound B (PiB) PET imaging and MR imaging including a time-of-flight (TOF) MR angiography (MRA) scan and a structural scan. FreeSurfer based regional analysis was performed to quantify PiB PET data. Arterial input function was estimated based on coregistered TOF MRA using a modeling based technique. Regional distribution volume (VT) was calculated using Logan graphical analysis with estimated arterial input function. Kinetic modeling was also performed using the estimated arterial input function as a way to evaluate PiB binding (DVRkinetic) without a reference region. As a comparison, Logan graphical analysis was also performed with cerebellar cortex as reference to obtain DVRREF. Excellent agreement was observed between the two distribution volume ratio measurements (r>0.89, ICC>0.80). The estimated cerebellum VT was in line with literature reported values and the variability of cerebellum VT in the control group was comparable to reported variability using arterial sampling data. This study suggests that image-based arterial input function is a viable approach to quantify amyloid imaging data, without the need of arterial sampling or a reference region. This technique can be a valuable tool for amyloid imaging, particularly in population where reference normalization may not be accurate.
Pinhole-array x-ray spectrometer for laser-fusion experiments.

A pinhole-array x-ray spectrometer for laser-fusion experiments is demonstrated. An array of approximately 300 pinholes is placed in front of a flat-crystal spectrometer, yielding target images at photon energies ∼10 eV apart (for photon energies of ∼4 to 5 keV). For wideband radiation the images are two dimensional, whereas when a single spectral line is used, the field of view in the direction of dispersion is limited. However, single spectral line images can have a field of view sufficient for imaging the compressed target core. We show the image at the Ti-Kα-line fluorescence from a Ti-doped shell, which we show to be excited by continuum radiation from the compressed core. The Kα image delineates the cold, compressed shell at peak compression, which can otherwise be obtained only through backlighting. In addition, the array provides spectra of high spectral resolution because of the reduction in the effective source size.
There are no Goldstone bosons in two-dimensions

In four dimensions, it is possible for a scalar field to have a vacuum expectation value that would be forbidden if the vacuum were invariant under some continuous transformation group, even though this group is a symmetry group in the sense that the associated local currents are conserved. This is the Goldstone phenomenon, and Goldstone's theorem states that this phenomenon is always accompanied by the appearance of massless scalar bosons. The purpose of this note is to show that in two dimensions the Goldstone phenomenon can not occur; Goldstone's theorem does not end with two alternatives (either manifest symmetry or Goldstone bosons) but with only one (manifest symmetry).
The Effects of Strain and Cage Shape and Density on Performance and Fearfulness of White Leghorn Layers

Abstract Two strains of White Leghorn pullets were tested for production performance and fearfulness for population sizes of 4 and 5 birds in deep and shallow design cages. The deep cage measured 38.1 cm across the front and 50.8 cm in depth while the shallow cage measured 60.9 cm across the front and 31.8 cm from front to back. Significant strain differences were observed for egg production, feed usage, feed conversion, egg size, and egg grades. Birds in shallow cages had higher egg production rates, greater body weight gains, used more total feed, and produced greater egg mass and more large-plus size eggs than birds in the deep cages. Increasing bird density resulted in reduced egg production, increased mortality, reduced body weight gains, and reduced feed usage and feed conversion figures. Egg mass and percentage large-plus eggs were also reduced with increased density while percentage undergrade eggs increased. Egg incomes over pullet and feed cost were not statistically significant. However, strain effects for egg income were greater than cage shape or density effects. Average net incomes favored the shallow cage and the higher bird density. Significant strain by density interactions were present for feed usage and net egg income while cage by density interactions occurred for feed usage and feed conversion figures. No differences for “fearfulness” were observed.
Oral Bone Loss is Increased in Ovariectomized Rats

Alveolar bone loss associated with periodontal disease occurs frequently in postmenopausal females, the same group that is predisposed to osteoporosis. To determine if the estrogen-deficient state enhances oral bone loss, we studied ovariectomized rats administered the potent boneresorbing cytokine interleukin-1 or the periodontal pathogen Campylobacter rectus lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Distal root canals of first mandibular molars were instrumented with endodontic files, and bone resorbing factors were deposited and sealed into the root canal. Radiographs of periapical bone loss were evaluated using computer assisted image analysis to determine lesion size. Both interleukin-1 and C. rectus LPS caused a significant increase in lesion area in both ovariectomized and normal rats when compared with controls and a significant increase in ovariectomized animals compared to nonovariectomized animals receiving LPS. Using this endodontic model, we have demonstrated that estrogen deficiency results in increased oral bone loss in rats.
Adaptive Control for Deterministic Trajectory Tracking and Random Disturbance Rejection With Application to Nano-Precision Positioning of a Halbach Linear Motor

In this paper, an adaptive control algorithm is proposed to track deterministic reference trajectories while minimizing output variance subject to both deterministic and random disturbances. The proposed algorithm contains two independent adaptive control actions. The first adaptive action tracks and rejects a set of unidentified deterministic signals using an internal model principle type controller with online adaptive frequency identification. Using a novel new implementation the IMP, the stability of the system can be ensured. The other adaptive action minimizes the output variance subject to random disturbance using an adaptive finite impulse response filter. By making use of the internal model control structure, the two adaptive control actions are decoupled in both design and implementation. The stability and performance of the proposed algorithm are analyzed and demonstrated by experimental results on a Halbach linear motor for nano-precision positioning.© 2009 ASME
Estrogen regulation of preproenkephalin messenger RNA in the forebrain of female mice

Abstract We studied the effects of 10 μ g of 17- β -estradiol-3-benzoate treatment on preproenkephalin (PPE) mRNA expression in female ovariectomized (OVX) Swiss Webster mice after 0, 1, 6, 12, 24, or 48 h, using the in situ hybridization technique. The VMH showed a 1.6- and 3.3-fold increase in PPE mRNA levels after 24 and 48 h of estrogen treatment (respectively) when compared to OVX females. No differences at 1, 6 or 12 h of estrogen treatment groups were observed compared to control groups. PPE mRNA levels were also increased at 24 and 48 h after estrogen treatment in the posterior medial nucleus of the amygdala (MeAmyg) by 3.3- and 2.5-fold, respectively, and in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) by 2- and 1.9-fold, respectively. No effects of estrogen were observed on PPE mRNA levels in the caudate-putamen (CPu) or the posterior lateral cortical nucleus of the amygdala (plCoAmyg). Furthermore, basal levels of PPE mRNA expression in the VMH and MeAmyg of female mice were lower than those observed in rats, although levels in the CPu, plCoAmyg, and ARC were similar between females of the two species. In conclusion, we have found two differences between the species. First, Swiss mice demonstrated a slower time course of estrogen induction of PPE mRNA in the VMH, ARC, and MeAmyg compared to female rats. Second, there are differences in basal levels of PPE in the MeAmyg and VMH.
VALUES IN NORDIC NEWSPAPER EDITOR DECISION-MAKING

AbstractThe study shows that Nordic daily newspapers—like their American peers—will have to change their content to conform more tothe tastes of readers or—at the very least—find a more reader-friendlyway to present the news. The authors compare national surveys ofNordic and U.S. editors charged with the practical aspects of choosing,justifying, editing, and publishing the news. In a search for values that underlie decision-making styles, the study uncovers three style predictors: gender, newspaper size, and journalistic values. Audience-related values, although not significant predictors, do find a home amongNordic editors, in contrast to U.S. editors. The findings, while suggesting managerial tools that newspaper editors can use, also indicates no global, overarching management style would be appropriate in tackling industryills.
Phonological encoding in visual word recognition

Three experiments use a tachistoscopic word recognition task to investigate how skilled readers convert visual input into a speech-related, or phonological code during reading. A specific model of phonological encoding ( Spoehr & Smith, Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance , 1975 , 1 , 21–34) is elaborated to provide the prediction that tachistoscopic report accuracy should be an inverse function of the length of the phonological code generated in processing the stimulus. Experiment I confirms the predicted phoneme-length effect while Experiment II shows that increases in syllable- and in phoneme-length both reduce report accuracy. Experiment III demonstrates that subjects' use of phonological encoding may change with varying reading conditions. The results of all three experiments are discussed in relation to specific models of reading.
Author retrospective of Dynamic application scheduling using on-line analytics: then and now

This paper attempts, retrospectively, to frame results originally published in the 1998 edition of the ACM International Conference on Supercomputing in the present context. The article entitled "Application Level Scheduling of Gene Sequence Comparison on Metacomputers" described the use of on-line performance prediction to adapt, dynamically, the execution schedule of a gene sequencing code to fluctuating performance conditions in the wide area. This retrospective discusses those results in light of recent technological developments in large-scale, wide area distributed computing.
CCK-receptor antagonists proglumide and loxiglumide stimulate bile flow and biliary glutathione excretion

The mechanism for the choleresis induced by CCK-receptor antagonists, proglumide, loxiglumide, and CR 1409, was examined in anesthetized rats and compared to the effects of CCK itself. These agents were infused intravenously over a 2-hr period, and bile flow, and biliary excretion of bicarbonate, total bile acids, and glutathione were measured in 30-min intervals. All three antagonists produced a dose-dependent choleresis, but a significant decrease in bile acid excretion, indicating that they stimulate bile flow via a bile acid-independent mechanism. The increase in bile flow was associated with a parallel increase in biliary glutathione and bicarbonate output in rats treated with proglumide and loxiglumide. In animals pretreated with acivicin to inhibit gamma-glutamyltransferase activity, proglumide was shown to stimulate biliary excretion of reduced glutathione (GSH), but not glutathione disulfide (GSSG), indicating the absence of oxidative stress in the liver. GSH output was increased by only 0.5-0.9 mumol/30 min after infusion of proglumide at a dose of 75 mg/kg/hr, whereas bile volume was increased 0.2-0.4 ml/30 min, indicating that this increased biliary GSH excretion can account for only a small fraction of the increased bile volume, given an osmotic efficiency for GSH of 34 microliters/mumol. In contrast to CCK receptor antagonists, CCK itself had no effect on bile flow and outputs of bicarbonate, GSH, and bile acids, suggesting that the effects of the antagonists are not related to their interaction with CCK receptors. These findings demonstrate that proglumide and loxiglumide stimulate a bile acid-independent bile flow that is only partially explained by an increase in GSH excretion.
Behavioral Treatment of Psychophysical Disorders

The behavioral treatment of psychophysiological disorders is reviewed with an emphasis on group outcome research and controlled, comparative group outcome studies. These behavioral treatments tend ...
High sensitivity CMOS portable biosensor with flexible microfluidic integration

In this work, a portable biosensor that has 60% effective surface area on the chip with 1fg sensitivity by using novel array configuration is designed, and sent for fabrication. High frequency shift, quality factor, capacitance ratio, and small response time during the AC actuation are the critical parameters for the biosensor design. By using a beam structure in contrast to the more common cantilever, the effective surface area increases from 41% to 71%. Flexible microfluidic channels are integrated with the CMOS chip to deliver the biomaterial and are used for the packaging.
Nanoscale Protein Assemblies from a Circular Permutant of the Tobacco Mosaic Virus

The protein coat of the tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) has been explored extensively for the construction of nanoscale architectures. In previous work, we have reported efficient TMV-based light harvesting systems bearing chromophores in a hollow channel of the assembled protein. We have also reported an N-terminal transamination/oximation method that could be used to attach electrodes and catalytic groups to the exterior surface of the rods. To complement these techniques, we report herein a new circular permutant of the TMV capsid protein that repositions the N- and C-termini to the center of the assemblies. This protein can be produced in very high yield through E. coli expression and self-assembles into light harvesting rods that are much like those assembled from the wild-type protein. However, the disks formed from the permutant structure are stable over a significantly wider pH range, greatly improving the practicality of this assembled form for materials applications. The new position of the N-terminu...
The Ctf18RFC clamp loader is essential for telomere stability in telomerase-negative and mre11 mutant alleles.

The function of the replication clamp loaders in the semi-conservative telomere replication and their relationship to telomerase- and recombination mechanisms of telomere addition remains ambiguous. We have investigated the variant clamp loader Ctf18 RFC (Replication Factor C). To understand the role of Ctf18 at the telomere, we first investigated genetic interactions after loss of Ctf18 and TLC1 (the yeast telomerase RNA). We find that the tlc1▵ ctf18▵ double mutant confers a rapid >1000-fold decrease in viability. The rate of loss was similar to the kinetics of cell death in rad52▵ tlc1▵ cells. However, the Ctf18 pathway is distinct from Rad52, required for the repair of DSBs, as demonstrated by the synthetic lethality of rad52▵ tlc1▵ ctf18▵ triple mutants. These data suggest that each mutant elicits non-redundant defects acting on the same substrate. Second, interactions of the yeast hyper-recombinational mutant, mre11A470T, with ctf18▵ confer a synergistic cold sensitivity. The phenotype of these double mutants ultimately results in telomere loss and the generation of recombinational survivors. We observed a similar synergism between single mutants that led to hypersensitivity to the DNA alkylating agent, methane methyl sulphonate (MMS), the replication fork inhibitor hydroxyurea (HU), and to a failure to separate telomeres of sister chromatids. Hence, ctf18▵ and mre11A470T act in different pathways on telomere substrates for multiple phenotypes. The mre11A470T cells also displayed a DNA damage response (DDR) at 15°C but not at 30°C while ctf18▵ mutants conferred a constitutive DDR activity. Both the 15°C DDR pattern and growth rate were reversible at 30°C and displayed telomerase activity in vivo. We hypothesize that Ctf18 confers protection against stalling and/or breaks at the replication fork in cells that either lack, or are compromised for, telomerase activity. This Ctf18-based function is likely to contribute another level to telomere size homeostasis.
PARENTAL EFFECTS IN PLANTAGO LANCEOLATA L. I.: A GROWTH CHAMBER EXPERIMENT TO EXAMINE PRE- AND POSTZYGOTIC TEMPERATURE EFFECTS.

In spite of the potential evolutionary importance of parental effects, many aspects of these effects remain inadequately explained. This paper explores both their causes and potential consequences for the evolution of life-history traits in plants. In a growth chamber experiment, I manipulated the pre- and postzygotic temperatures of both parents of controlled crosses of Plantago lanceolata. All offspring traits were affected by parental temperature. On average, low parental temperature increased seed weight, reduced germination and offspring growth rate, and accelerated onset of reproduction by 7%, 50%, 5%, and 47%, respectively, when compared to the effects of high parental temperature. Both pre- and postzygotic parental temperatures (i.e., prior to fertilization vs. during fertilization and seed set, respectively) influenced offspring traits but not always in the same direction. In all cases, however, the postzygotic effect was stronger. The prezygotic effects were more often transmitted paternally than maternally. Growth and onset of reproduction were influenced both directly by parental temperature as well as indirectly via the effects of parental temperature on seed weight and germination. Significant interactions between parental genotypes and prezygotic temperature treatment (G × E interactions) show that genotypes differ in their intergenerational responses to temperature with respect to germination and growth. The data suggest that temperature is involved in both genetically based and environmentally induced parental effects and that parental temperature may accelerate the rate of evolutionary change in flowering time in natural populations of P. lanceolata. The environmentally induced temperature effects, as mediated through G × (prezygotic) E interactions are not likely to affect the rate or direction of evolutionary change in the traits examined because postzygotic temperature effects greatly exceed prezygotic effects.
Using Exclusive Economic Zone Digital Swath Data to Select Effective Bathymetry

Multibeam swath sonar systems and highly accurate positioning systems have made it possible to rapidly collect large amounts of quality bathymetric data in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Processing and production techniques for potential products are described.
Relationship of ocular pigmentation to the boundaries of dorsal and ventral retina in a nonmammalian vertebrate

The goldfish eye and retina are partitioned traditionally into dorsal and ventral sectors by a horizontal meridian that passes through the optic disc and is perpendicular to a vertical meridian that extends from the remnant of the choroid fissure through the optic disc. Axons of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) situated above the horizontal meridian are thought to reach the optic tectum via the ventrolateral optic tract and axons of RGCs situated below the horizontal meridian are thought to reach the optic tectum via the dorsomedial optic tract. When cobaltous-lysine was applied to small temporal retinal slits that were centered on the traditional horizontal meridian, filled fibers were found in the dorsomedial, but not in the ventrolateral, optic tract (Springer and Mednick, '83). Since cobalt-filled axons should have been found in both optic tracts, the traditional horizontal meridian does not indicate the actual boundary between dorsal and ventral retina. We report here that the goldfish iris contains nasal and temporal pigmentation lines (darts) that are each located approximately 21 degrees above the traditional horizontal retinal meridian. Cobalt applied to retinal slits located just above the darts filled RGC axons in the ventrolateral optic tract and cobalt applied to retinal slits just below the darts filled RGC axons in the dorsomedial optic tract. Converging evidence for the reliability of the darts as indicators of the boundary between dorsal and ventral retina was obtained by applying cobalt to severed RGC axons along the dorsomedial edge of the tectum. Cobalt-filled RGCs were found below the nasal dart.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Abstract 1626: Tyrosine phosphorylation of RIN1 modulates the anti-proliferative effects of sorafenib and sunitinib in renal cell carcinoma (RCC)

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC Receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI), sorafenib (SRF) and sunitinib (SNT) are clinically used in treatment of RCC. Both drugs have anti-proliferative effects in several tumor types with inhibition of angiogenesis being a major mechanism of action in RCC. The intracellular molecular effects of SRF and SNT have not been completely described. Thus the identification of targets mediating the anti-proliferative effects of SRF and SNT could be useful to improve efficacy and to reduce toxicity. In this work we used immunoaffinity isolation for enrichment of phosphotyrosine containing proteins in control or SRF-treated CAKI-1 cells. To identify tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins that were differentially affected by SRF treatment, we performed liquid chromatography - tandem mass spectrometry (MS) followed by quantitative analysis using peptide counts and native peptide reference MS methods. In CAKI-1 cells, MS results revealed that signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) and Ras and Rab interactor 1 (RIN1) were the predominant proteins which exhibited tyrosine hypophosphorylation following treatment for 48 h with 10 μM SRF, when compared to the untreated control. Western blot analysis with phosphospecific antibody indicated a potential role for tyrosine 36 phosphorylation in RIN1 (pY36-RIN1) in CAKI-1, RC-45 and 786-O clear cell RCC. Up to a 8-fold SRF dose-dependent (5-15 µM) decrease in pY36-RIN1, but not in total RIN1 expression was also observed in a panel of RCC cell lines. Hypophosphorylation of Y36-RIN1 was also detected in CAKI-1 cells treated with 5 µM SNT but not with imatinib (≤ 10 µM), suggesting that pY36-RIN1 is a selective target for agents SRF and SNT that are also clinically effective in treatment of RCC. A ∼2-fold higher expression of RIN1 (total and phosphorylated) was observed in CAKI-1 cells following continuous exposure (∼ 6 weeks) to 7.5 µM SRF. However, unlike parent CAKI-1 cells, in cells adapted to 7.5 μM SRF, exposure to 10 μM SRF did not completely abrogate phosphorylation of Y36-RIN1. Stable expression of RIN1 targeted shRNA in CAKI-1 cells led to a 2-4 fold down-regulation of RIN1 protein and significantly (p < 0.002) enhanced sensitivity to the anti-proliferative effects of 7.5 μM SRF or SNT compared to scrambled shRNA. In contrast, overexpression of RIN1 in RC-45 or 786-O RCC cells resulted in significantly (p < 0.05) increased resistance to 10 μM SRF or 7.5 μM SNT compared to vector control. These results demonstrate that pY36-RIN1 is targeted by SRF and SNT and strongly suggest that anti-proliferative effects of these TKI drugs in clear cell RCC is mediated by inhibitory effects on RIN1 tyrosine phosphorylation. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1626.
Predicting Key Recognition Difficulty in Music Using Statistical Learning Techniques

In this paper, the authors use statistical models to predict the difficulty of recognizing musical keys from polyphonic audio signals. The key recognition difficulty provides important background information when comparing the performance of audio key finding algorithms that often evaluated using different private data sets. Given an audio recording, represented as extracted acoustic features, the authors applied multiple linear regression and proportional odds model to predict the difficulty level of the recording, annotated by three musicians as an integer on a 5-point Likert scale. The authors evaluated the predictions by using root mean square error, Pearson correlation coefficient, exact accuracy, and adjacent accuracy. The authors also discussed issues such as differences found between the musicians' annotations and the consistency of those annotations. To identify potential causes to the perceived difficulty for the individual musicians, the authors applied decision tree-based filtering with bagging. By using weighted naA¯ve Bayes, the authors examined the effectiveness of each identified feature via a classification task.
Rocking motion of an optical wing: theory.

The intensity-dependent rocking frequency of an illuminated semicylindrical refractive rod (or “optical wing”) on a flat, nonslip surface is investigated. Both longitudinal and transverse radiation pressure forces (scatter and lift forces), as well as radiation pressure torque, transform the mechanical system into one having a bistable potential energy above a critical intensity. The equation of motion may be written as a parametrically driven nonlinear bistable harmonic oscillator, resulting in complex rocking dynamics. The effects of linear and sinusoidal intensity modulation schemes are explored, and experimental conditions to verify these results are discussed.
Family Identity: Black-White Interracial Family Health Experience

The purpose of this interpretive descriptive study was to describe how eight Black-White couples with school-aged children constructed their interracial family identity through developmental transi...
REVERSIBLE INHIBITION OF SPERM‐EGG FUSION IN THE HAMSTER BY LOW PH*

To study the effect of pH on sperm-egg fusion, hamster eggs were freed from egg investments (cumulus oophorus and zonal pellucida) and inseminated with acrosome-reacted spermatozoa in media with various pH values. One hundred percent of the eggs were penetrated by spermatozoa in phosphate buffered media with pH value higher than 7.1. The rate of penetration declined sharply below pH 7.0 and was 0 at pH 6.1. At pH 6.0–6.1, acrosome-reacted spermatozoa could bind to the egg plasma membrane, but were unable to fuse with it. Similar results were obtained with media buffered with Hepes and Bes. The block of sperm-egg fusion at low pH appeared to be reversible since the eggs that were not penetrated by spermatozoa at low pH were penetrated when they were returned to more alkaline media.
A simple approach for generating correlated binary variates

Correlated binary data arise frequently in medical as well as other scientific disciplines; and statistical methods, such as generalized estimating equation (GEE), have been widely used for their analysis. The need for simulating correlated binary variates arises for evaluating small sample properties of the GEE estimators when modeling such data. Also, one might generate such data to simulate and study biological phenomena such as tooth decay or periodontal disease. This article introduces a simple method for generating pairs of correlated binary data. A simple algorithm is also provided for generating an arbitrary dimensional random vector of non-negatively correlated binary variates. The method relies on the idea that correlations among the random variables arise as a result of their sharing some common components that induce such correlations. It then uses some properties of the binary variates to represent each variate in terms of these common components in addition to its own elements. Unlike most p...
The Simple Plant-Location Problem under Uncertainty

There is a class of simple plant-location problems under uncertainty that can be decomposed into two simpler problems that can be solved sequentially with surprising ease. The salient characteristic of this class of problems is that for any demand generating region, one plant dominates all others as a supply source. We develop and discuss the conditions required for this dominance. The risk-averse nature of the firm is incorporated into this model with a mean-variance formulation of the objective function. The general formulation is particularized to four paradigms of firms characterized by a range of behavioral and market assumptions.
Optimization of diffusion‐controlled free radical polymerizations in lumped‐parameter systems

Open-loop optimal temperature control strategies for the batch free radical polymerizations of styrene are investigated using the minimum principle. Two kinetic models, one considering the gel effect and the other incorporating both the gel effect and the glass effect, are employed. By using the Min-H strategy, a control variable program that minimizes one objective function and yields values of other terminal quantities can be obtained. It is found that the optimal temperature programs are highly dependent upon the kinetic characteristics of reactions. The gel and glass effects, which control ultimate molecular weights, play important roles in affecting the temperature programs. Numerical examples using two objective functions, one in which reaction time is minimized, and the other in which molecular weight distribution is minimized, are presented. The theoretical predictions using kinetic model with the gel and glass effects are also compared with experimental measurements of conversion, molecular weight, and molecular weight distribution. Although the agreement between the experimental work and the theory is less than satisfactory, the trends of policy improvements are consistent.
Test results of a diffraction grating beam combiner

A laser diode beam combiner employing diffraction gratings has been fabricated and tested. The Grating Laser Beam Combiner (GLBC) uses two holographic diffraction gratings to incoherently combine the first order diffraction components of four 35 mW AlGaAs lasers. The grating rhomb design minimizes the transmitter sensitivity to the inherent frequency instability of laser diodes. The overall throughput of the combiner is 74 percent. Each laser was temperature controlled to 0.1 C and modulated with 110 Mbps QPPM data. Two lasers under modulation were coaligned to within 76 microrad with a combined average power of 45 mW.
The course of maternal depressive symptoms and maternal sensitivity as predictors of attachment security at 36 months

We examined the course of maternal depressive symptoms and children's attachment security at 36 months in a large sample of mother-child pairs from 10 sites across the country participating in the NICHD Study of Early Child Care (N = 1077). Maternal depressive symptoms predicted higher rates of insecure attachment. Women who reported intermittent symptoms across the first 36 months had preschoolers who were more likely to be classified as insecure C or D; women with chronic symptoms were more likely to have preschoolers who were classified as insecure D. Symptoms reported only during the first 15 months were not associated with elevated rates of later insecurity. After controlling for potentially confounding demographic variables, maternal sensitivity (observed at 6, 15, 24, and 36 months) did not meaningfully account for links between attachment security and patterns of depressive symptoms. However, the course and timing of maternal depressive symptoms interacted with maternal sensitivity to predict insecurity. Women with late, intermittent, or chronic symptoms who were also low in sensitivity were more likely to have preschoolers who were insecure, in contrast to symptomatic women who were high in sensitivity. These data have implications for understanding the combined impact of maternal depressive symptoms and maternal sensitivity on children's socioemotional development.
Ryanodine receptor channel of sarcoplasmic reticulum

Abstract The Ca 2+ release channel of the sarcoplasmic reticulum of muscle cells has been purified using ryanodine, a plant alkaloid that binds to the 450 kDa channel protein with nanomolar affinity. Electron microscopy indicates that the ryanodine receptor is a tetramer and forms the ‘feet’ structures described in muscle triads. This protein complex is most likely involved in inter-membrane signal transduction during excitation-contraction coupling.
Developmental aspects of cystine transport in the dog.

Increased amino acid excretion is a characteristic of developing rat, dog and man. The mechanisms underlying this physiologic aminoaciduria are unclear. We have shown faster cystine entry into isolated renal tubule cells from newborn rats compared to adults, despite impaired in vivo reabsorption. To see if these observations extend to other animals, we examined the fractional reabsorption (FRc) of cystine in developing dogs and cystine uptake by isolated renal cortical tubule fragments from newborn (NB) and adult dogs. FRc was 67% of the filtered load in five day old dogs but reached the adult value of 99% by 21 days of life. Isolated renal cortical tubules from NB dogs progressively accumulated label when incubated for 60 min. with a physiologic concentration of cystine (0.025 mM), although this uptake was lower than that observed in adults. Nearly complete conversion of transported labelled cystine to cysteine occurred in the NB and adult as previously noted for rat tubules. Kinetic analysis of uptake indicated two systems for cystine entry in both adult and NB. The affinity constants (Km) for the newborn systems were Km1 = 0.08 ± 0.01 and Km2 = 0.33 ± 0.03 mM. The corresponding values for adult were significantly higher - Km1 = 0.14 ± 0.02 and Km2 = 0.66 ± 0.09 mM. The maximal uptake rate for each NB system was only 1/3 that of the adult. These data suggest that, in contrast to the rat, the impaired cystine reabsorption by NB dog kidney in vivo is related in part to a slower flux of cystine into the renal tubule cells.
s-Consensus trees and indices

In the field of numerical taxonomy it is often desirable to determine a tree which is the consensus (common part) of severaln-trees, each of which represents a classification of the same set of objects. In this note, ans-consensus tree and corresponding consensus index for a collection ofn-trees are defined. The choice of a value for the parameters will determine the number of nodes in thes-consensus tree and its tendency to resemble the strict or Adams-consensus tree.
Infrared reflection-adsorption spectroscopy of W(100)-H at 100 K

Abstract Using infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy in conjunction with the broad-band technique of Fourier-transform interferometry, changes in the absorption spectrum of W(100) have been investigated as a function of H coverage at 100 K from 900 to 3900 cm -1 . The changes measured upon initial adsorption indicate the removal of intrinsic-surface states 0.36 eV below the Fermi surface as well as the establishment of the unreconstructed-surface electronic absorption at ≈0.15 eV. The appearance of the 0.15 eV mode upon initial adsorption implies that the surface largely switches to an unreconstructed state at low coverages, consistent with H-atom immobility at low temperatures. For higher coverages [0.7 monolayer (ML) (2.0 ML¬saturation)] the measured reflectivity changes show that free-carrier surface scattering dominates the coverage induced variations. It is seen that infrared measurements of these surface-scattering variations can lead to determination of the effective plasma frequency ω P of the metal.
Comparison of ferromagnetic induction and bipolar electrosurgery and suction in corticotomies in pig cerebrum.

Abstract Introduction The effects of newer energy-based surgical dissection and coagulation modalities on cerebral tissue have not been investigated. Several instruments have been developed to address the limitations of traditional electrosurgical instruments in the nervous system. We compared the effects of standard bipolar electrocautery and suction (BPS) with those of a new ferromagnetic induction (FMI) device in corticotomies of pig cerebral tissue as assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and histological analysis. Methods Three adult pigs underwent bilateral corticotomies (3 cm long×1 cm deep) using both FMI and BPS. The acute cerebral tissue edema created by each method was measured on coronal volumetric T2-weighted MRI sequences immediately after surgery. A lateral thermal "damage index" was calculated by dividing the width of the visible T2 tissue edema by the measured depth. The radiographic damage indices with each method were compared statistically. Histological analysis of each incision was conducted to compare the extent of tissue damage. Results MRI showed that the mean radiographic damage index of each corticotomy was significantly lower with the FMI (0.30 ± 0.02 (0.28–0.32)) than with the BPS method (0.54 ± 0.11 (0.42–0.64)) (p = 0.02). Histological analysis suggested a correlation with the radiographic findings as the FMI tissue samples demonstrated less adjacent tissue damage than BPS. Conclusions FMI appeared to cause less adjacent tissue damage than the BPS method in pig cerebral tissue based on quantitative radiographic and qualitative histological analysis. Future studies are needed to investigate the clinical implications of energy-based surgical dissection on cerebral tissue.
Vinylcyclopropane oxygenation. ab initio transition state analysis of 5-hexenylperoxy radical cyclization

Abstract Structure and energy calculations at the MP2/6-31G*//UHF/6-31G* level of four transition states for the cyclization of the 3-methyl-, and independently, the 3-fluoro-5-hexenylperoxy radical have been recorded. These calculations indicate that while the methyl substituent prefers to adopt an equatorial disposition on a chair-like transition state construct, the fluorine atom exhibits a strong preference for an axial alignment on the chair-like species. Boat-like transition states are significantly less favored than the chair-like alternatives, in contrast to the results of similar calculations in the all carbon (i.e., 5-hexenyl radical) cyclizations.
Impact constraints on, and a chronology for, major events in early Mars history

[1] Large-diameter visible and buried impact basins, seen as “quasi-circular depressions” (QCDs) in MOLA gridded data, provide a self-consistent chronology for major events on early Mars in terms of N(200) crater retention ages. On the basis of a conversion to model absolute ages, this chronology extends back hundreds of millions of years into a previously unknown “pre-Noachian” epoch during which a now buried highlands surface was established, in which several very large impact basins formed while the global magnetic field was still present. A cluster of very large “lowland-making” basins occurred at a model age of about 4.13 GY (or earlier), forming the fundamental topography of the Mars crustal dichotomy at a time prior to the age of the oldest visible highland crust. This early event in Martian history marks the transition from the “pre-Noachian” to the Early Noachian when the well-preserved Hellas, Argyre, and Isidis basins formed, all after the global magnetic field died.
Sources for Researching Business Bankruptcies

Abstract Librarians and business researchers often deal with questions concerning business bankruptcies. Most bankruptcy sources are written for legal professionals and concentrate on code sections and case law. By contrast this article concentrates on business bankruptcy sources useful to non-lawyers. The beginning of the article explains basic types of bankruptcy and how to find information on a company in bankruptcy. The final section recommends general bankruptcy sources and those covering a specific bankruptcy area or topic.
Potential impact of U.S. biofuels on regional climate.

[1] Recent work has shown that current bio-energy policy directives may have harmful, indirect consequences, affecting both food security and the global climate system. An additional unintended but direct effect of large-scale biofuel production is the impact on local and regional climate resulting from changes in the energy and moisture balance of the surface upon conversion to biofuel crops. Using the latest version of the WRF modeling system we conducted twenty-four, midsummer, continental-wide, sensitivity experiments by imposing realistic biophysical parameter limits appropriate for bio-energy crops in the Corn Belt of the United States. In the absence of strain/crop-specific parameterizations, a primary goal of this work was to isolate the maximum regional climate impact, for a trio of individual July months, due to land-use change resulting from bio-energy crops and to identify the relative importance of each biophysical parameter in terms of its individual effect. Maximum, local changes in 2 m temperature of the order of 1°C occur for the full breadth of albedo (ALB), minimum canopy resistance (RCMIN), and rooting depth (ROOT) specifications, while the regionally (105°W–75°W and 35°N–50°N) and monthly averaged response of 2 m temperature was most pronounced for the ALB and RCMIN experiments, exceeding 0.2°C. The full range of albedo variability associated with biofuel crops may be sufficient to drive regional changes in summertime rainfall. Individual parameter effects on 2 m temperature are additive, highlight the cooling contribution of higher leaf area index (LAI) and ROOT for perennial grasses (e.g., Miscanthus) versus annual crops (e.g., maize), and underscore the necessity of improving location- and vegetation-specific representation of RCMIN and ALB.
The clinical and hemodynamic significance of mitral regurgitation in coronary artery disease

To evaluate the significance of mitral regurgitation in coronary artery disease (CAD), clinical, electrocardiographic, and angiographic data in 100 coronary artery disease patients with mitral regurgitation were compared to data in 100 coronary artery disease patients without mitral regurgitation. Mitral regurgitation was mild (1+) to moderate (2+) in 94 patients. Heart failure, cardiomegaly, and anterior myocardial infarction were more common in mitral regurgitation patients than in controls (33 vs 4;47 vs 8;22 vs 5, respectively, P < 0.001). The frequency of inferior myocardial infarction was equal in both groups. Significant left anterior descending and circumflex disease was equally frequent; however, right coronary disease was more frequent in patients with mitral regurgitation (87 vs 68, P < 0.001). Total vessel occlusions and triple-vessel disease were more frequent in patients with mitral regurgitation (113 vs 78, P < 0.01; 60 vs 40, P < 0.001, respectively). No localized area of asynergy was more common in patients or controls,, but left ventricular aneurysms and generalized hypokinesis were more common in patients with mitral regurgitation (6 vs 0; 23 vs 2; P < 0.001). These data suggest that mitral regurgitation is most often mild, but is associated with significant left ventricular dysfunction and advanced CAD.