cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Clinical impact of arrhythmias on gated SPECT cardiac myocardial perfusion and function assessment.

Background We reported previously that mean quantified cardiac functional parameters computed by one gated single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) technique were not significantly altered by common gating errors. However, it is not known to what extent other gated SPECT approaches that are based on different ventricular modeling assumptions are influenced by arrhythmias, nor are the effects of gating errors on visual analyses and their subsequent clinical implications known.
Separation and purification of beryllium by the fractional sublimation of beryllium acetylacetonate

Abstract Solutions containing beryllium(II) in admixture with most common metals can be treated with acetylacetone to form the beryllium and various other acetyl-acetonates which precipitate. The precipitate is filtered, washed, dried and fractionally sublimed in a special sublimator. After sublimation with air as a carrier gas the beryllium acetylacetonate fraction is recoverable in high purity. Zinc is the only detectable contaminant by atomic absorption spectrometry but can be eliminated by masking with ammonium thiocyanate before the formation of the metal acetylacetonates. Beryllium fractions were checked for purity by atomic absorption spectrometry and found to contain less than 0.002% Zn after a single sublimation. The method appears to offer an excellent method of purification for beryllium if quantitative recoveries are not required.
Direct group-delay measurement and 3D profilometry using a white-light interferometer

A white light interferometer based on a single beamsplitter is described for direct group delay measurements. The arms of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer are folded in such a manner that a single beamsplitter could be used for splitting the incoming beam and combining the outgoing beams. This method offers a two-fold advantage: the measuring range of this interferometer is twice as large as that of the Michelson interferometer and the systematic error associated with the beamsplitter is minimized due to its configuration. We report the result of measurements on optical components performed in the 560nm to 630nm spectral region and propose a scheme for the processing of the experimental data. The principle of this group delay measurement procedure is then applied to construct a dispersive interferometric 3D profilometer. By adding the dispersion optics in one of the arms in the profilometer head, which consists of a Michelson interferometer, the practical dynamic range of the profilometer can be easily extended beyond one hundred micrometers.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Etiology and prevention of topical cardiac hypothermia-induced phrenic nerve injury and left lower lobe atelectasis during cardiac surgery.

Left hemidiaphragm elevation is frequently noted following cardiac surgery employing topical hypothermia. We speculate that contact of the left phrenic nerve with ice causes nerve injury, resulting in left hemidiaphragm paresis or paralysis and left lower lobe atelectasis. Left diaphragm elevation was noted on postoperative chest x-ray examination of 36 of 60 (60 percent) consecutive patients in whom topical cooling of the heart with a cold slush solution was administered prior to use of a cardiac insulation pad (CIP, Shiley Laboratories, Irvine, California). Following the use of the CIP in a similar group of 60 consecutive patients, only five (8 percent) showed evidence of diaphragmatic elevation. The difference in the incidence of diaphragmatic elevation between these two groups is statistically significant (p
Geography and Identity in Melvin Dixon's 'Change of Territory.'

The above epigraph is one of several that precede Melvin Dixon's acclaimed critical work Ride Out the Wilderness (vii). However, it is equally relevant to a discussion of Dixon's collection of poems Change of Territory, because the philosophical perspective of the collection urges difficult journeys. Change of Territory charts decisive moments in the poet/protagonist's journey from childhood to manhood and the genealogical tributaries that shape and inform his voice. Filling out the poet's "song" is a panoply of voices that range from the individual: enslaved African forefather, grandmother, mother, and father, to the collective: Teddy Wilson, James P. Johnson, Romare Bearden, and Ralph Ellison, artists who are a part of the history of the black expressive tradition. In the words of Paul Carter Harrison, " 'song' does not mean a tune or song per se but rather denotes the intrinsic value of heightened language" (xix). More generally, Dixon's concern with the performative dimension of black expressivity, which is so prominent in his critical works, is also apparent in this collection. Like Ride Out the Wilderness, Change of Territory is concerned with place and performance, with the ways in which black protagonists "enlarge their range of verbal invention by turning figures of the landscape into settings for the performance of identity" (Ride Out 7). In this collection, "words find an enduring echo in the places and performances that [the writer] has reached by riding out the various forms of oppression threatening to silence us all." Change of Territory, then, records the individual's response to the externally imposed boundaries of race, sex, and class, and to the way in which these "boundaries" have paradoxically transcended the more ephemeral limits of time and space. Underscoring the poet's in
INTEGRIN EXPRESSION IN THE DEVELOPING MOUSE RETINA. 388

Purpose: The goal of this study was to define the repertoire of integrin expression in the developing mouse retina, particularly vascular expression. Methods: Eyes from 17-21 day old C57BL mice were removed and embedded in OCT and frozen at -70°C. 12 μm sections were prepared and were successively incubated for 1 hour each as follows: PBS with 3%BSA, rat anti-mouse integrin or laminin monoclonal antibody or hamster anti-mouse αv, Texas-Red conjugated secondary antibody or FITC-conjugated for αv, and FITC-conjugated RCA-I lectin. Incubations included appropriate washings with PBS between steps. Double staining with the FITC-conjugated RCA-I lectin was performed for all of the above primary antibodies with the exception of that for αv. Sections were examined by fluorescent microscopy. Results: The expression of laminin in intraretinal vessels was demonstrated by the colocalization of RCA-I, which labels mouse vasculature, and laminin staining.α6 and β1 integrin subunits, which form the laminin receptor α6β1, also localized to intraretinal vessels. α6 staining was also seen in cells of the inner nuclear cell layer. The retinal vasculature had minimal β4 staining and lacked α2, α3, α5, and αv staining. α3 staining was seen in the outer synaptic layer.Conclusion: Intraretinal vessels in the developing mouse retina express laminin and the integrin laminin receptorsα6β1 and minimally α6β4. No vascular staining for the integrin subunits α2, α3,α5, or αv were demonstrated.
K0 production by K+ on platinum at 3 GeV/c☆

Abstract We have measured the momenta of about 2600 K 0 's produced by 2.93 GeV/ c K + 's in the reaction K + Pt (or scintillator)→K 0 +anything. We present the yields in a form available for designing high-energy K 0 sources. A simple model treats the kaon-nucleon interactions in the nucleus as though the nucleons were free except for the effects of the Fermi distribution and exclusion of final momenta. Single inelastic and double elastic-inelastic elementary particle interactions are all that need be considered to give a good fit to the data over the limited (0° to about 30°) range of production angles observed. This requires an extensive calculation of the probabilities for forming the various final states, and for observing the K 0 's with the target and veto used.
A tour through the visualization zoo

THANKS TO ADVANCES in sensing, networking, and data management, our society is producing digital information at an astonishing rate. According to one estimate, in 2010 alone we will generate 1,200 exabytes—60 million times the content of the Library of Congress. Within this deluge of data lies a wealth.
Outside and Inside the Fourth Crusade

(1995). Outside and Inside the Fourth Crusade. The International History Review: Vol. 17, No. 4, pp. 726-743.
Calcium/Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase (CaMK) IV Mediates Nucleocytoplasmic Shuttling and Release of HMGB1 during Lipopolysaccharide Stimulation of Macrophages

The chromatin-binding factor high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) functions as a proinflammatory cytokine and late mediator of mortality in murine endotoxemia. Although serine phosphorylation of HMGB1 is necessary for nucleocytoplasmic shuttling before its cellular release, the protein kinases involved have not been identified. To investigate if calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaMK) IV serine phosphorylates and mediates the release of HMGB1 from macrophages (Mphi) stimulated with LPS, RAW 264.7 cells or murine primary peritoneal Mphi were incubated with either STO609 (a CaMKIV kinase inhibitor), KN93 (a CaMKIV inhibitor), or we utilized cells from which CaMKIV was depleted by RNA interference (RNAi) before stimulation with LPS. We also compared the LPS response of primary Mphi isolated from CaMKIV(+/+) and CaMKIV(-/-) mice. In both cell types LPS induced activation and nuclear translocation of CaMKIV, which preceded HMGB1 nucleocytoplasmic shuttling. However, Mphi treated with KN93, STO609, or CaMKIV RNAi before LPS showed reduced nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of HMGB1 and release of HMGB1 into the supernatant. Additionally, LPS induced serine phosphorylation of HMGB1, which correlated with an interaction between CaMKIV and HMGB1 and with CaMKIV phosphorylation of HMGB1 in vitro. In cells, both HMGB1 phosphorylation and interaction with CaMKIV were inhibited by STO609 or CaMKIV RNAi. Similarly, whereas CaMKIV(+/+) Mphi showed serine phosphorylation of HMGB1 in response to LPS, this phosphorylation was attenuated in CaMKIV(-/-) Mphi. Collectively, our results demonstrate that CaMKIV promotes the nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of HMGB1 and suggest that the process may be mediated through CaMKIV-dependent serine phosphorylation of HMGB1.
Early effect of myo-inositol deficiency on fatty acid synthetic enzymes of rat liver

Young rats (100 g) were fed either a purified myo-inositol-deficient balanced diet or a control diet containing 0.5% by weight myo-inositol, ad libitum, for up to 2 weeks following a 48 h fast. Weight gain was the same for animals in both groups. Liver triacylglycerol levels in the deficient animals were 1.8-, 3.5- and 3.0-fold higher than the corresponding levels in the control animals after 4, 8 and 14 days of feeding, respectively. In the myo-inositol-deficient group the specific activities of liver fatty acid synthetase and acetyl-CoA carboxylase were elevated 1.5-2.0-fold over controls, reaching a maximum after 3-4 days of feeding. Subsequently, activities declined to control levels. Rates of fatty acid synthetase synthesis in the deficient group, as measured by [3H]leucine incorporation into immunoprecipitable fatty acid synthetase polypeptide, were significantly higher (1.5-2.0-fold) than controls after 12-18 h of feeding and then declined to control levels by 1 day. No difference was noted between groups in either the rate of total, soluble liver protein synthesis or the half-life of fatty acid synthetase over this time period. These results suggest that the liver lipodystrophy observed during myo-inositol deficiency in rats may be due in part to elevated levels of lipogenic enzymes in this tissue in the early stage of the deficiency.
Principles of mental imagery

Imagery can be used to improve memory, perceptual skills, even creativity. Numerous experiments carried out over the past 20 years have probed the nature of mental imagery and unlocked its powers. "Principles of Mental Imagery "offers a broad, balanced, and up to date introduction to the major findings of this research and identifies 5 general principles that can account for most of them. It considers the development of experimental techniques that have solved many of the challenging methodological problems inherent in imagery research and includes recent experimental findings not covered in other imagery books."Principles of Mental Imagery "brings together work by all of the key imagery researchers, among them Roger Shepard, Stephen Kosslyn, Allen Paivio, Lynn Cooper, Steven Pinker and the author. Chapters present new research on the role that imagery plays in human memory, new findings on how mental imagery influences perception (one of the dominant issues in modern imagery research), recent studies on "representational momentum" experimental demonstrations of how imagery can be used to make creative, visual discoveries, and recent work on imagery deficits in brain damaged patients. And, a new argument is made for why the study of mental imagery should be motivated by general principles, rather than formal models. Each chapter concludes with convenient summaries and suggestions for further exploration.Ronald A. Fluke is Associate Professor of Psychology at Texas A & M University. A Bradford Book
Semileptonic B decays to excited charmed mesons

Exclusive semileptonic B decays into excited charmed mesons are investigated at order ΛQCD/mQ in the heavy quark effective theory. Differential decay rates for each helicity state of the four lightest excited D mesons (D1, D2*, D0*, and D1*) are examined. At zero recoil, ΛQCD/mQ corrections to the matrix elements of the weak currents can be written in terms of the leading Isgur-Wise functions for the corresponding transition and meson mass splittings. A model independent prediction is found for the slope parameter of the decay rate into helicity zero D1 at zero recoil. The differential decay rates are predicted, including ΛQCD/mQ corrections with some model dependence away from zero recoil and including order αs corrections. Ratios of various exclusive branching ratios are computed. Matrix elements of the weak currents between B mesons and other excited charmed mesons are discussed at zero recoil to order ΛQCD/mQ. These amplitudes vanish at leading order, and can be written at order ΛQCD/mQ in terms of local matrix elements. Applications to B decay sum rules and factorization are presented.
Self-structure and well-being in life transitions

Two studies examined the effects of self-congruence and negative elaboration on life transitions. Study 1 involved college students considering the transition from college to careers. Students with greater self-congruence reported decreased dejection and higher quality of life. Students with high negative elaboration reported greater dejection and lower quality of life. Students with high self-congruence and low negative elaboration had higher self-esteem than students with high self-congruence but high negative elaboration. Study 2, a prospective study of new mothers, showed that low self-congruence during pregnancy was associated with higher postpartum dejection, but only for mothers with high negative elaboration. Together, these studies indicate that self-congruence promotes, and negative elaboration impairs, well-being. Furthermore, negative elaboration may moderate the effects of self-congruence. For impending transitions (college to career) negative elaboration may decrease the benefit of high self...
Residue depletion of melamine and cyanuric acid in catfish and rainbow trout following oral administration

Reimschuessel, R., Evans, E., Andersen, W. C., Turnipseed, S. B., Karbiwnyk, C. M., Mayer, T. D., Nochetto, C., Rummel, N. G., Gieseker, C. M. Residue depletion of melamine and cyanuric acid in catfish and rainbow trout following oral administration. J. vet. Pharmacol. Therap.33, 172–182. The intentional addition of triazines such as melamine to animal feeds and the lack of information about residue accumulation in food animals caused global concerns for food safety during 2007 and 2008. We report the results of a good laboratory practices (GLP) study to determine melamine and cyanuric acid residues in catfish and trout filets harvested at 1, 3, 7, 14, 28, and 42 days after a single oral dose of 20 mg/kg body weight of melamine, cyanuric acid, or melamine and cyanuric acid together. Peak melamine concentrations were 12.73 mg/kg (ppm) in catfish (mean = 9.98), 12.26 mg/kg in trout (mean = 7.89) on day 1. Within 7 days (catfish) or 14 days (trout) residues were <2.5 mg/kg, a level in foods accepted by many risk assessors worldwide to be unlikely to pose health risks to consumers. Peak cyanuric acid residues also occurred on day 1, 0.68 mg/kg in catfish (mean = 0.46), 2.59 mg/kg in trout (mean = 0.86). Cyanuric acid muscle residues were <2.5 mg/kg by day 3. The half-lives for melamine and cyanuric acid ranged between 1 and 4 days. Renal crystals formed in fish given both melamine and cyanuric acid, persisting for weeks after the single dose.
Acylation of myelin proteolipid protein in subcellular fractions of rat brainstem.

Abstract The acylation of myelin proteolipid protein (PLP) and intermediate protein (IP) was investigated in an in vitro system of tissue slices prepared from actively myelinating rat brainstem. The incorporation of [3H]palmitate into the proteins in nine subcellular fractions including myelin and other cellular membranes which are actively involved in the synthesis and intracellular transport of the proteins was measured. More than 80% of [3H]palmitate-labeled proteins were recovered in myelin. The incorporation was highest in the heavy myelin and lowest in the light myelin subfraction. Appreciable acylation was also detected in the myelin-like fraction. On the other hand, the remaining fractions comprising a variety of endo- and ectomembranes, which harbored over 90% of newly synthesized PLP and IP as seen from [3H]leucine labeling showed practically no [3H]palmitate incorporation. The results indicate that the acylation of PLP and IP is a late event in their posttranslational processing and occurs only at their entry into the myelin sheath.
Gene–environment interactions: early life stress and risk for depressive and anxiety disorders

Rationale Prior reviews have examined how stress, broadly defined, interacts with genetic diathesis in the pathogenesis of internalizing (i.e., depressive and anxiety) disorders. Recent findings have suggested a unique role for early life stress (ELS) in the development of internalizing disorders, contributing to the rapid proliferation of research in this area.
Choice discrimination and fixed-interval performance

Four rats were reinforced on a mixed fixed-interval, fixed-interval (FI,FI) schedule. The short FI was 15 sec, and the long FI was 60 sec. Two levers were available to the subject. Responses on one were reinforced following short intervals, and responses on the other were reinforced following long intervals. All subjects learned the temporal discrimination. They responded at higher rates on the short lever early in the interval and on the long lever late in the interval. Duration of the preceding interval had no effect on the distribution of responses, but subjects made slightly more responses following long intervals.
Neuroscience and the Future of Personhood and Responsibility

This is a chapter in a book, Constitution 3.0: Freedom and Technological Change, edited by Jeffrey Rosen and Benjamin Wittes and published by Brookings. It considers whether likely advances in neuroscience will fundamentally alter our conceptions of human agency, of what it means to be a person, and of responsibility for action. I argue that neuroscience poses no such radical threat now and in the immediate future and it is unlikely ever to pose such a threat unless it or other sciences decisively resolve the mind-body problem. I suggest that until that happens, neuroscience might contribute to the reform of doctrines that do not accurately reflect truths about human behavior, to the resolution of individual cases, and to the efficient operation of various legal practices. If the power to predict and prevent dangerous behavior becomes sufficiently advanced, however, traditional notions of responsibility and guilt might simply become irrelevant.
Filters in SL5

The filter facility of the SL5 programming language permits the programmer to attach a procedural component to a variable. This procedural component can be used to 'filter' values assigned to the variable or to filter the value of the variable whenever it is fetched. Filters are the basis for the inclusion, at the source language level, of such features as tracing, dynamic datatype checking, generators, and dynamic protection mechanisms. Most importantly, filters are used for argument binding, permitting various methods of argument transmission to be defined in SL5 itself. This paper gives an overview of SL5, describes the filter facility, and gives several examples of its use. (Received December 1976)
Unbacked thin film Fabry-Perot interferometer.

Fabry-Perot interferometer with Al coating reflecting surface deposited on unbacked thin films
Trade, Investment and Growth: Nexus, Analysis and Prognosis

This paper looks at the patterns of causation between income, export, import, and investment growth for 25 developing countries. Our approach differs from previous efforts in a number of ways. First, we examine each country individually in order to allow for complete heterogeneity and properly account for the stochastic trending properties of the data. Second, we apply model selection techniques which are based on in-sample goodness-of-fit criteria and ex-ante predictive ability criteria to identify the best model for each country, and then look for evidence of reverse causation. Finally, we propose a rather novel device based on simple contingency tables which allows us to assess whether our models are capable of accurately predicting turning points in GDP growth. We find that countries with high trade exposure fare poorly in this dimension and posit that the GDP growth in such countries is best modeled using an index of global business cycle conditions, in addition to the above variables. Overall, we find that in around two thirds of the countries examined, growth is best explained by exports and/or imports. Further, and in contrast to previous findings of bi-directional causality, around 70% of the countries exhibit uni-directional causality.
Assessment of Coxsackievirus B3 ts Mutants for Induction of Myocarditis in a Murine Model

Ten temperature-sensitive (ts) mutants isolated from a myocarditis-inducing wild-type (WT) coxsackievirus B3 parent did not induce myocarditis in adolescent CD-1 mice. An avirulent prototype ts mutant from one of the three complementation groups adsorbed to murine cardiac tissue, as did WT virus. Heart tissues from mice inoculated with WT virus contained 100- to 1,000-fold more virus than heart tissues from mice inoculated with any of the three prototype ts mutants. WT virus exhibited a greater capsid stability and a higher efficiency of replication at 37°C than any of the three prototype ts mutants. All three prototype ts mutants induced less interferon in vivo than WT virus. Cell-mediated immune responses, assessed by the cell migration inhibition assay, were different in mice inoculated with WT virus when compared to ts 5 mutant virus. Peritoneal exudate cells from mice inoculated with WT but not ts 5 virus reacted specifically against antigens in WT virus HeLa cell lysates and antigens extracted with KCl from cardiac tissues of mice inoculated with WT virus. Cardiac tissues of mice inoculated with WT but not ts 5 virus contained KCl-extractable antigens which were able to specifically inhibit the migration of peritoneal exudate cells taken from mice immunized with WT virus. Therefore, ts 5 neither elicited a measurable cell-mediated immune response nor induced antigens in cardiac tissues which were immunoreactive with sensitized-(WT virus)-peritoneal exudate cells. Of 9 revertant viruses isolated from the 10 ts mutants, 5 showed covariance in ability to replicate at 39.5°C and capacity for induction of myocarditis. Some revertants exhibited a reduced capsid thermostability compared to WT virus but yet retained the capacity for induction of myocarditis. The data suggest that induction of myocarditis by coxsackievirus B3 variants depends on a combination of several variables, including capsid stability, capacity for replication at 37°C, and expression of the three identified genes. All three prototype ts mutants served as vaccine viruses in preventing myocarditis in adolescent mice subsequently challenged with WT virus. However, all three prototype ts mutants and their revertant variants retained partial to complete lethality in CD-1 neonates. Images
Strain gradient solution for the Eshelby-type anti-plane strain inclusion problem

The solution for the Eshelby-type inclusion problem of an infinite elastic body containing an anti-plane strain inclusion prescribed with a uniform eigenstrain and a uniform eigenstrain gradient is derived using a simplified strain gradient elasticity theory (SSGET) that contains one material length scale parameter in addition to two classical elastic constants. The Green’s function based on the SSGET for an infinite three-dimensional elastic body undergoing anti-plane strain deformations is first obtained by employing Fourier transforms. The Eshelby tensor is then analytically derived in a general form for an anti-plane strain inclusion of arbitrary cross-sectional shape using the Green’s function method. By applying this general form, the Eshelby tensor for a circular cylindrical inclusion is obtained explicitly, which is separated into a classical part and a gradient part. The former does not contain any classical elastic constant, while the latter includes the material length scale parameter, thereby enabling the interpretation of the particle size effect. The components of the new Eshelby tensor vary with both the position and the inclusion size, unlike their counterparts based on classical elasticity. For homogenization applications, the average of this Eshelby tensor over the circular cross-sectional area of the inclusion is obtained in a closed form. Numerical results reveal that when the inclusion radius is small, the contribution of the gradient part is significantly large and should not be ignored. Also, it is found that the components of the averaged Eshelby tensor change with the inclusion size: the smaller the inclusion, the smaller the components. These components approach from below the values of their counterparts based on classical elasticity when the inclusion size becomes sufficiently large.
Multi-objective differential evolution and its application to enterprise planning

Agility is important to modern enterprises. The effective coordination of large numbers of potential suppliers and manufacturer, demands a scientific methodology rather than just practical experience to make decisions on supply manufacturing planning problems. Particularly in cases where multiple decision objectives are important to process planning, empirical decisions are insufficient. This paper introduces formal methods to solve such multi-objective decision problems involved in general supply manufacturing planning, and specifically describes the extension of differential evolution methods to discrete problem domains. An enterprise planning problem with two objectives-cycle time and cost is used as a principal example. Such multi-objective optimization problems usually are very large and nonlinear. In this paper, the concept of differential evolution, which is well-known in single-objective continuous domain for its fast convergence and adaptive parameter setting, is extended to the discrete domain by introducing greedy probability, mutation probability, and crossover probability. Moreover, this concept is extended to discrete multi-objective optimization problem. The proposed discrete multi-objective differential evolution, or D-MODE algorithm is applied to obtain Pareto solutions of this general planning problem. A practical example in the electronics industry is used as an illustrative example to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed D-MODE.
Studies on zonation in the epididymis of the guinea pig. I. Ultrastructural and biochemical analysis of the zone rich in large lipid droplets (zone II)

In the epididymis of the guinea pig, zone II exhibits striking histological features that distinguish it readily from the other six regions of the epididymis. At the light microscope level, the pseudostratified epithelium of zone II is characterized by tall principal cells that are densely packed with large, intensely staining granules or droplets ranging up to 8 mu in diameter. At the electron microscope level, the principal cells exhibit numerous large lipid droplets and abundant agranular endoplasmic reticulum, which is frequently arranged in concentric whorls around one or more of the droplets. Quantitative biochemical studies comparing zone II with zones I and III show that zone II contains 2.5 - 3-fold more cholesterol and a significantly greater amount of cholesterol ester than the other two zones. These data indicate that the epididymal duct of the guinea pig includes a clearly defined region of epithelial cells possessing ultrastructural and biochemical characteristics consistent with steroidogenic activity. The potential significance of these observations to the epididymal physiology of the guinea pig and epididymal physiology in general is discussed.
A study on the efficacy of flow mitigation devices in hard disk drives

We report on large eddy simulations of the turbulent flow of air in hard disk drives (HDDs) using a commercial CFD code. In particular, we focus on HDD casings in which flow-induced vibrations are reportedly reduced by small geometrical modifications. The modifications investigated are M1: a blocking plate situated between the disks, M2: a spoiler (or deflector) located behind (downstream of) the actuator arm, and M3: a similar deflector upstream of the arm. We observed that M1, M2, and M3 significantly modify the mean flow patterns in the drives. M1 reduces velocity magnitudes in most parts of the drive, the modification of M2 causes How reversal in regions close to the hub, while M3 causes the shedding of vortices upstream of the actuator arm. Our analysis points to M1 as the best candidate for mitigating the effects of turbulent airflow. This is because M1 is more effective in reducing the root-mean-square velocity fluctuations near the suspension. M1 is also more effective in reducing the pressure fluctuations near the base-plate and suspension region. This reduction, however, is at the cost of approximately 20% higher windage. Finally, we note that M3 has the adverse effects of increasing velocity and pressure fluctuations and hence is not the ideal candidate for mitigating airflow effects, among the modifications considered here
Tangible interfaces for remote collaboration and communication

Current systems for real-time distributed CSCW are largely rooted in traditional GUI-based groupware and voice/video conferencing methodologies. In these approaches, interactions are limited to visual and auditory media, and shared environments are confined to the digital world. This paper presents a new approach to enhance remote collaboration and communication, based on the idea of Tangible Interfaces, which places a greater emphasis on touch and physicality. The approach is grounded in a concept called Synchronized Distributed Physical Objects, which employs telemanipulation technology to create the illusion that distant users are interacting with shared physical objects. We describe two applications of this approach: PSyBench, a physical shared workspace, and inTouch, a device for haptic interpersonal communication.
Optimal clock period clustering for sequential circuits with retiming

We consider the problem of clustering sequential circuits subject to a bound on the area of each cluster, with the objective of minimizing clock period. Current algorithms address combinational circuits only, and treat a sequential circuit as a special case, by removing the flip-flops (FFs) and clustering the remaining combinational logic. This approach segments a circuit and assumes the positions of the FFs are fixed. The positions of FFs are in fact dynamic, because of retiming. As a result, current algorithms can only consider a small portion of the available solution space. In this paper, we present a clustering algorithm that does not remove the FFs. It also considers the effect of retiming. The algorithm can produce clustering solutions with optimal clock periods under the unit delay model. For the general delay model, it can produce clustering solutions with clock periods provably close to minimum.
Functional Assessment of Drug Trafficking Terms: A Substantive and Methodological Expansion of a Verbal Behavior Research Program

Narcotics trafficking is often described in ambiguous and inaccurate terms. This is problematic because imprecise verbal behavior in relation to some state of affairs inhibits effective action with regard to those events. An innovative methodology was used to explore verbal behavior in diverse media reports following the 2001 prison escape of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman Loera, reputed prominent agent of the “Sinaloa Cartel.” Results demonstrated that the terms “cartel,” “mafia,” gang,” and “organization” were controlled in part by the same stimulus conditions, but which was emitted on a particular occasion was predictably related to other variables, including the speaker’s affiliation, immediate verbal context, and country of publication. We conclude that more precise terminology could improve efforts to understand and curtail narcotics trafficking. We also believe this methodology should continue to be developed as it may prove useful in analyzing other terms related to important social issues.
Dynamic Changes in Equatorial Segment Protein 1 (SPESP1) Glycosylation During Mouse Spermiogenesis

ESP1/SPESP1 is a testis-specific, postmeiotic gene expressed in round spermatids that encodes equatorial segment protein 1, an intra-acrosomal protein found in the acrosomal matrix and on the luminal surface of the inner and outer acrosomal membranes within the equatorial segment domain of mature spermatozoa. A comparison of testicular protein extracts with caput, corpus, and caudal epididymal sperm proteins revealed striking differences in the apparent masses of SPESP1 isoforms. The predominant isoforms of SPESP1 in the testis were 77 and 67 kDa, with 47-kDa forms present to a minor degree. In contrast, SPESP1 isoforms of 47 and 43 kDa were found in caput, corpus, and caudal sperm, indicating that SPESP1 undergoes noticeable mass changes during spermiogenesis and/or subsequent transport to the epididymis. On two-dimensional (2D) SDS-PAGE, testicular SPESP1 isoforms resolved as a train of pI values from 4.9 to 5.2. Immunoprecipitated 77-kDa SPESP1 from testis reacted with the glycoprofile stain after one-dimensional and 2D gel electrophoresis, indicating that the 77-kDa testicular isoform was highly glycosylated. One charge variant of the 67-kDa isoform was also glycoprofile positive after 2D gel resolution. The 47- and 43-kDa isoforms of SPESP1 from epididymal sperm did not stain with glycoprofile, suggesting an absence of, or few, glycoprofile-sensitive glycoconjugates in epididymal SPESP1. Treatment of testicular extracts with a variety of glycosidases resulted in mass shifts in immunoreactive SPESP1, indicating that testicular SPESP1 was glycosylated and that terminal sialic acid, N- and O-glycans were present. A mixture of deglycosidase enzymes (including PNGase-F, neuraminidase, beta1–4 galactosidase, endo-alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase, and beta N-acetyl-glucosaminidase) completely eliminated the 77- and 67-kDa SPESP1 bands and resulted in the appearance of 75-, 60-, 55-, 50-, 47-, and 43-kDa forms, confirming that both the 77- and 67-kDa testicular forms of SPESP1 contain complex carbohydrate residues. Treatment of caudal epididymal sperm with PNGase-F enzymes showed a faint deglycosylated band at 30 kDa, but neuraminidase did not result in any molecular shift, indicating that epididymal sperm SPESP1 did not contain sialic acid/N-acetylglucosamine residues. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that SPSPESP1 undergoes significant glycosylation in the testis and that the majority of these glycoconjugates are removed by the time sperm reach the caput epididymis. Studies of the fate of SPESP1 after the acrosome reaction localized SPESP1 to the equatorial segment region in both noncapacitated and capacitated, acrosome-reacted sperm. During capacitation, SPESP1 underwent proteolysis, resulting in a 27-kDa fragment. Zona-free oocytes incubated with recSPESP1 protein showed complementary binding sites on the microvillar oolemmal domain. Both recSPESP1 and anti-recSPESP1 antibody inhibited in vitro fertilization.
EFFECTS OF CHILD BEHAVIOR CHANGE ON TEACHER VERBAL BEHAVIOR AND RATING OF STUDENT BEHAVIOR1

The relationship between student behavior change and its effect on teacher behavior was investigated. A total of six boys and their two male teachers from two fourth-grade classrooms served as subjects. In two multiple-baseline experiments, students were exposed successively to baseline, placebo-therapy (a control for teacher expectation of student change), active-therapy (contingencies for student behavior improvement), and a return to placebo-therapy phases. As student behavior (the independent variable) improved, daily teacher ratings of children improved moderately, and the percentage of teacher vocalizations in response to appropriate (as compared with inappropriate) child behavior increased markedly. The latter shift in the distribution of teacher vocalizations was found to be largely attributable to the increased availability of appropriate behavior to which teachers could respond. This study raises questions about similar findings in an earlier experiment by Sherman and Cormier (Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1974, 7, 11–21). First, the main measure of teacher verbal behavior in both this and the earlier study was considered to be insufficient as a measure of teacher change. It did not control for the expected effects of changes in the base rate of student appropriate behavior. Second, student behavior improvement did not appear to reinforce teacher behavior. This was attributed to the noncontingency of student improvement on any class of teacher behaviors. The possible reinforcing value of student behavior improvement for teachers was not challenged. Implications of rating changes were also discussed.
Progressive supranuclear palsy

Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a neurodegenerative tauopathy which can manifest clinically in a variety of syndromes. In this review, the classic and most common variant syndrome -PSP-Richardson's syndrome (PSP-RS) -is the focus, with the core clinical features, varying cognitive/motor/neuropsychiatric/sleep manifestations, neuropsychological findings, and typical neuroimaging findings all reviewed. Management strategies are also discussed. Of particular interest are the recently commenced clinical trials involving agents which affect key steps in the presumed pathogenesis of the tauopathies. The distinctive and recognizable characteristics of PSP-RS and advent of clinical trials involving potential disease modifying agents underscore the importance of identifying patients with this disorder and encouraging their involvement in trials.
Alveolar Macrophages as a Diagnostic Sample for Detecting Natural Infection of Pigs with Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus

In a previous series of studies focused on the diagnosis of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), we tested sera, alveolar macrophages, and various tissues for their suitability as diagnostic samples when collected from acutely and persistently infected pigs. 3,5 The results of these studies indicated that the causative virus (PRRS virus [PRRSV]) could usually be isolated from any of several kinds of samples (serum, tonsils, lungs, and alveolar macrophages) during acute infection but from only alveolar macrophages during later stages of infection. However, during a recent experiment that was initially unrelated to our investigations of PRRS, we found that alveolar macrophages may sometimes be the diagnostic sample of choice even during acute infection. Details of this fortuitous observation follow. A group of 20 8-week-old pigs was delivered from a commercial swine herd to our laboratory for use in an experiment on pseudorabies (PR). On the following day (day 0) we euthanized and necropsied 2 of the 20 pigs as noninfected controls for the PR experiment (not described here) and found small areas of consolidation in the lungs of both. Although we suspected that these lesions were the result of a bacterial pneumonia, we tested alveolar macrophages of both of the pigs for PRRSV. We also tested the sera collected on day 0 from these and the remaining 18 pigs for both PRRSV and homologous antibody. The detection of PRRSV and antibody in some of these initial samples led us to test additional samples collected at later times (Table 1). The methods used to identify PRRSV and homologous antibody are outlined briefly in the following paragraphs. Additional details can be found in previous reports. 5,2
Addressing Task Avoidance in Middle School Students: Academic Behavior Check-In/Check-Out.

Multitier prevention systems consist of a continuum of interventions to address the needs of all students. Within such systems, Tier I supports are in place for all students and are designed to enh...
The CALMODULIN-BINDING PROTEIN60 Family Includes Both Negative and Positive Regulators of Plant Immunity

Two members of the eight-member CALMODULIN-BINDING PROTEIN60 (CBP60) gene family, CBP60g and SYSTEMIC ACQUIRED RESISTANCE DEFICIENT1 (SARD1), encode positive regulators of plant immunity that promote the production of salicylic acid (SA) and affect the expression of SA-dependent and SA-independent defense genes. Here, we investigated the other six family members in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Only cbp60a mutations affected growth of the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv maculicola ES4326. In contrast to cbp60g and sard1 mutations, cbp60a mutations reduced pathogen growth, indicating that CBP60a is a negative regulator of immunity. Bacterial growth was increased by cbp60g only in the presence of CBP60a, while the increase in growth due to sard1 was independent of CBP60a, suggesting that the primary function of CBP60g may be to counter the repressive effect of CBP60a. In the absence of pathogen, levels of SA as well as of several SA-dependent and SA-independent pathogen-inducible genes were higher in cbp60a plants than in the wild type, suggesting that the enhanced resistance of cbp60a plants may result from the activation of immune responses prior to pathogen attack. CBP60a bound calmodulin, and the calmodulin-binding domain was defined at the C-terminal end of the protein. Transgenes encoding mutant versions of CBP60a lacking the ability to bind calmodulin failed to complement null cbp60a mutations, indicating that calmodulin-binding ability is required for the immunity-repressing function of CBP60a. Regulation at the CBP60 node involves negative regulation by CBP60a as well as positive regulation by CBP60g and SARD1, providing multiple levels of control over the activation of immune responses.
Shaken baby syndrome in Switzerland: results of a prospective follow-up study, 2002-2007*

Since the incidence of shaken baby syndrome in Switzerland was not known, we conducted a nationwide prospective follow-up study for a 5-year period (from 2002 to 2007). The data were collected through the Swiss Pediatric Surveillance Unit. Inclusion criteria were the presence, in a child 6 years or documented accident/disease explaining symptoms/findings. To describe outcome, we used the King's Outcome Scale for Childhood Head Injury (KOSCHI). 56 cases were reported from 13 of 26 Swiss cantons, representing 80% of the Swiss population; 49 cases met the inclusion criteria. Preponderance of male infants was high (31 male and 18 female); median age at admission was 4 months (1-58). Clinical symptoms were present in 42 infants, retinal/vitreous hemorrhages in 39 infants, and pathological brain/head imaging in 46 infants. In 13 cases, the caregivers admitted shaking the child. Outcomes (KOSCHI 1-5; n = 47 patients) were death (KOSCHI 1) 8 (17.7%), vegetative state (KOSCHI 2) 0, severe disability (KOSCHI 3) 11 (22.2%), moderate disability (KOSCHI 4) 14 (31.1%), and good recovery (KOSCHI 5) 14 (28.8%). Based on these data, the incidence of shaken baby syndrome in Switzerland is 14 per 100 000 live births, which corresponds to the incidence in other Western countries. Demographic characteristics and outcomes of Swiss patients were comparable to published studies.
Iteratively re-weighted least squares for sparse signal reconstruction from noisy measurements

Finding sparse solutions of under-determined systems of linear equations is a problem of significance importance in signal processing and statistics. In this paper we study an iterative reweighted least squares (IRLS) approach to find sparse solutions of underdetermined system of equations based on smooth approximation of the L 0 norm and the method is extended to find sparse solutions from noisy measurements. Analysis of the proposed methods show that weaker conditions on the sensing matrices are required. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method requires fewer samples than existing methods, while maintaining a reconstruction error of the same order and demanding less computational complexity.
Locally constrained diffusion process on locally densified distance spaces with applications to shape retrieval

The matching and retrieval of 2D shapes is an important challenge in computer vision. A large number of shape similarity approaches have been developed, with the main focus being the comparison or matching of pairs of shapes. In these approaches, other shapes do not influence the similarity measure of a given pair of shapes. In the proposed approach, other shapes do influence the similarity measure of each pair of shapes, and we show that this influence is beneficial even in the unsupervised setting (without any prior knowledge of shape classes). The influence of other shapes is propagated as a diffusion process on a graph formed by a given set of shapes. However, the classical diffusion process does not perform well in shape space for two reasons: it is unstable in the presence of noise and the underlying local geometry is sparse. We introduce a locally constrained diffusion process which is more stable even if noise is present, and we densify the shape space by adding synthetic points we call 'ghost points'. We present experimental results that demonstrate very significant improvements over state-of-the-art shape matching algorithms. On the MPEG-7 data set, we obtained a bull's-eye retrieval score of 93.32%, which is the highest score ever reported in the literature.