cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sialylated human apolipoprotein E (apoEs) is preferentially associated with neuron-enriched cultures from APOE transgenic mice

Mice transgenic for human APOE2, E3, and E4 alleles express native 34-kDa human apoE and two sialylated apoE isoproteins with approximate molecular weights of 37 kDa (apoEs) and 39 kDa (apoEs2) in brain. These multiple apoE/apoEs/apoEs2 band patterns on Western blot are also observed in human brain, but are not seen in wild-type mouse brain. Both the 37-kDa apoEs and 39-kDa apoEs2 are coprecipitated with native 34-kDa apoE by antibody to human apoE. Neuraminidase digestion eliminates the 37- and 39-kDa forms and results in a downward shift in the bands to the position of the 34-kDa native form. These sialylated apoE isoproteins are found preferentially associated with neurons and contribute significantly (50-60%) to the total neuronal apoE in neuronal cultures from transgenic mice, while only 5-10% of total apoE is sialylated in cultures enriched in glial cells. In situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry demonstrate apoE mRNA and apoE immunoreactivity are predominantly located in cell soma of neurons, not in neuronal processes.
Modeling dynamic surfaces with octrees

Abstract Past uses of octrees have been for representation of static objects. We discuss extensions necessary to model dynamic surfaces. One particularly important aspect of this is the ability to represent expanding surfaces that grow to be arbitrarily large. Our enhanced octree does exactly this, and models contraction as well. The ability to represent dynamic surfaces allows us to apply octrees to new problems which could not previously have been modeled with static octrees. One such problem is the entropy of random surfaces . Using dynamic octrees, we produced a simulation of self-avoiding random surfaces using Monte Carlo techniques.
Surface islands nucleated by a beam of energetic self-ions

Many processes that control materials synthesis hinge on a nucleation event that initiates a first order phase transition. Symmetries that constrain nucleation of elementary nanostructures are therefore of general interest. Using low-energy electron microscopy, we observe the flux at which adatom and advacancy islands nucleate when clean $\mathrm{Pt}(111)$, in the temperature range 750--$1300\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$, is bombarded by a beam of ${\mathrm{Pt}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ ions of various energies. The results reveal a previously unobserved symmetry between the chemical potentials ${\ensuremath{\mu}}^{*}$ required to nucleate the two types of island. Linear response theory is employed to relate ${\ensuremath{\mu}}^{*}$ to ion beam flux; the observations confirm that its use is valid above $1000\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$. The observed magnitudes of ${\ensuremath{\mu}}^{*}$ agree within a factor 3 with predictions made earlier by Pimpinelli and Villain. In addition, the observations show that adatoms and advacancies on $\mathrm{Pt}(111)$ form a strongly reacting assembly, with the life cycle of thermal point defects determined mainly by formation and annihilation as pairs, rather than by processes at fixed sinks such as surface step edges.
The apparent molal heat capacity, enthalpy, and free energy of seawater fit to the Pitzer equations

Abstract The thermochemical properties (osmotic coefficient, enthalpy and heat capacity) of seawater from S=0 to 120 and 0 to 200 °C have been fit to the Pitzer equations. The osmotic coefficient (ϕ), apparent molal heat capacity (ϕCp) and relative enthalpy (ϕL) have been fit to equations of the form ϕ SS − 1 = ( 1 / m ) { − A ϕ I 1.5 / ( 1 + 1.2 I 0.5 ) + m ( B SS ϕ + m C SS ϕ ) } Cp ϕ SS − C ¯ ⁢ p ss 0 = A J { I / ( 1.2 ⁢ m ) } ln ( 1 + 1.2 I 0.5 ) + 2 ⁢ R ⁢ T ⁢ m ( B SS J + m C SS J ) L ϕ SS = ( A H I / 1.2 ⁢ m ) ln ( 1 + 1.2 I 0.5 ) − 2 ⁢ R ⁢ T ⁢ m ( B SS L + m C SS L ) where I is the ionic strength, m is the molality of sea salt (m=∑mi, i is an ion); AX (X=ϕ, J and H) is the Debye–Huckel slope, and C¯pss0 is the apparent molal heat capacity of sea salt in water. The Pitzer parameters BSSX and CSSX for sea salt have been fit to functions of temperature in the form Y SS X = ∑ a i ⁢ j ( T − T R ) i where aij are adjustable parameters, YSSX is the Pitzer coefficient, T is the temperature in K, and TR=273.15 K). The standard deviations of the seawater fits were 0.0006 J g−1 K−1 for the heat capacity from 0 to 40 °C and 0.0038 J g−1 K−1 from 0 to 200 °C. The extrapolated values of C¯pss0 from 0 to 200 °C were in reasonable agreement with the values determined from the major sea salts. The combined cp data have been fit to equations that are consistent with the theoretical values of C¯pss0. By appropriate integration of ϕCpSS, the apparent molal enthalpy at 298 K and osmotic coefficients at 273 K, equations were determined for all the thermochemical properties as a function of ionic strength and temperature. The thermochemical properties determined in this manner are in good agreement with direct measurements at different salinities and temperatures. The equations can be used to determine all the thermochemical properties of seawater from 0 to 200 °C and I=0 to 2.4 (S=120).
Ellipsometric Measurement of the Polarization Transfer Function of an Optical System

Conventional ellipsometry is extended to determine the polarization transfer function of any optical system. Only three null measurements are needed to determine the three complex parameters that define the transfer function. More measurements can be taken to overdetermine the unknown parameters, to reduce the effect of the various sources of error in the ellipsometer. The conditons for compensation (the existence of a null) are defined. A system composed of a retardation plate and a mirror is measured to demonstrate the various aspects of the theory and to illustrate the application of the method. This technique makes it possible to characterize surfaces that exhibit anomalous cross-scattering effects.
Variations in lateralized processing among right-handers: effects on patterns of cognitive performance.

Abstract Two experiments investigated whether individual differences among right-handers in patterns of lateralized processing were related to level of performance on a variety of cognitive tasks presented under non-tachistoscopic conditions. Subjects were divided into two groups of individuals, those who characteristically have greater than average right-hemisphere involvement in functioning and those who characteristically have greater than average left-hemisphere involvement. In the first experiment we examined whether characteristic individual differences in hemispheric involvement could predict performance on a facial memory task. The group with relatively greater right-hemisphere involvement had better recognition memory than the group with relatively greater left-hemisphere involvement. In the second experiment, we examined whether individual differences in hemispheric involvement could predict performance on a larger set of cognitive tasks. The groups were administered two tasks selected to evaluate lefthemisphere function and two selected to evaluate right-hemisphere function. The results indicated that the groups differed in their profile of cognitive performance. Individuals with greater than average right-hemisphere involvement in processing tended to perform better on tasks indexing right-hemisphere function than on tasks indexing left-hemisphere function, whereas the opposite was true of individuals with greater than average left-hemisphere involvement. Collectively, the results of these two experiments indicate that individual differences in lateralized performance have important implications for individual differences in patterns of cognitive ability.
Economic analysis of experimental organic agricultural systems on a highly eroded soil of the Georgia Piedmont, USA.

Information about the costs and labor requirements of experimental organic farming systems designed to restore highly degraded soils in the southeastern US are needed. Enterprise budgets were prepared for the production of okra, hot pepper and a corn/winter squash intercrop under 10 different production systems, nine of which were based on organic conservation tillage. A stochastic dominance analysis was conducted to determine the relative risk efficiency of the 10 systems over the course of the experiment in terms of productivity, profitability and carbon sequestration potential. Organic conservation tillage treatments had lower tractor labor and fuel costs than conventional treatments, due to the extensive tillage required in conventional vegetable farming. The subset of organic treatments receiving compost addition without additional mulches also demonstrated increases in soil carbon, an important driver of system productivity. Organic treatments had little pest and pathogen pressure, with the exception of Fusarium wilt in some treatments receiving straw mulch. Weed suppression by straw mulches reduced labor requirements by an average of 23%. Yields in all treatments were lower than conventional yields from other studies in the region, due to the degraded nature of the soil on the study site. However, net returns on high-labor, organic crops were over US$30,000 ha−1 in some treatments. The results of this work indicate that organic, conservation tillage systems can restore soil productivity and command high returns per hectare if labor requirements can be met.
UCS Proteins: Managing the Myosin Motor

Recent studies indicate that myosin molecular motors interact inside cells with proteins containing a conserved 'UCS' domain. This appears to ensure proper folding of myosin heads so that they can perform their ATP-dependent actin-based motor functions.
Acculturation and Teaching Styles Among Young Mainland Puerto Rican Mothers

This study examined associations between acculturation and teaching styles among 55 young mainland Puerto Rican mothers. Mothers (M age = 19.2 years) and their children (M age = 19.2 months) were videotaped during a puzzle-completion teaching task. Three aspects of acculturation were assessed: language, cultural involvement, and exposure to Euro-American culture. More highly acculturated mothers used less modeling and more verbal inquiry and encouragement than relatively unacculturated mothers. The overall teaching styles were also associated with acculturation: Whereas the least acculturated mothers employed a predominantly nonverbal and directive style, the style of more acculturated mothers was more verbal in nature, in both directive and nondirective modes. The findings suggest that an increase in acculturation may be related more strongly to an increase in the use of verbal tactics than an increase in nondirective ones.
Attribute based data sharing with attribute revocation

Ciphertext-Policy Attribute Based Encryption (CP-ABE) is a promising cryptographic primitive for fine-grained access control of shared data. In CP-ABE, each user is associated with a set of attributes and data are encrypted with access structures on attributes. A user is able to decrypt a ciphertext if and only if his attributes satisfy the ciphertext access structure. Beside this basic property, practical applications usually have other requirements. In this paper we focus on an important issue of attribute revocation which is cumbersome for CP-ABE schemes. In particular, we resolve this challenging issue by considering more practical scenarios in which semi-trustable on-line proxy servers are available. As compared to existing schemes, our proposed solution enables the authority to revoke user attributes with minimal effort. We achieve this by uniquely integrating the technique of proxy re-encryption with CP-ABE, and enable the authority to delegate most of laborious tasks to proxy servers. Formal analysis shows that our proposed scheme is provably secure against chosen ciphertext attacks. In addition, we show that our technique can also be applicable to the Key-Policy Attribute Based Encryption (KP-ABE) counterpart.
Non-rectangular waveforms for neural stimulation with practical electrodes

Historically the rectangular pulse waveform has been the choice for neural stimulation. The strength–duration curve is thus defined for rectangular pulses. Not much attention has been paid to alternative waveforms to determine if the pulse shape has an effect on the strength–duration relation. Similarly the charge injection capacity of neural electrodes has also been measured with rectangular pulses. In this study we questioned if non-rectangular waveforms can generate a stronger stimulation effect, when applied through practical electrodes, by minimizing the neural activation threshold and maximizing the charge injection capacity of the electrode. First, the activation threshold parameters were studied with seven different pulse shapes using computer simulations of a local membrane model. These waveforms were rectangular, linear increase and decrease, exponential increase and decrease, Gaussian, and sinusoidal. The chronaxie time was found to be longer with all the non-rectangular pulses and some provided more energy efficient stimulation than the rectangular waveform. Second, the charge injection capacity of titanium nitride microelectrodes was measured experimentally for the same waveforms. Linearly decreasing ramp provided the best charge injection for all pulse widths tested from 0.02 to 0.5 ms. Finally, the most efficient waveform that maximized the charge injection capacity of the electrode while providing the lowest threshold charge for neural activation was searched. Linear and exponential decrease, and Gaussian waveforms were found to be the most efficient pulse shapes.
Dynamic fracture of bovine bone

Abstract True clinical fracture of bones in bovine, race horses or humans occur predominantly during impact loading (e.g. car accidents, falls or physical violence). Although static fracture tests provide an estimate of fracture toughness or R-curve behavior in bones, the static toughness values may be ill suited for predicting failure under dynamic loading conditions due to the visco-elastic response of bone (i.e. strain rate dependent properties). Despite decades of the study on deformation rate dependency of bone properties such as compression and fracture toughness, high-quality dynamic fracture data remain limited. Preliminary tests (compression and fracture toughness) have been conducted on dry and wet bovine bone under both static and dynamic loading conditions. While compression tests have been conducted with loading direction parallel and perpendicular to the bone axis (longitudinal and transverse, respectively), fracture tests were performed only in the transverse direction. The strain rate in compression tests varied between 10− 3 and 103 s− 1, and the stress intensity rate varied between ∼10− 3 and 105 MPa√m/s. While low strain rate tests were conducted on conventional mechanical testing machines, high strain rate experiments were conducted on a split-Hopkinson bar under compression and a novel three-point bend configuration. The fracture morphology and the extent of damage of bone in each case were characterized using SEM, and an attempt is made to relate these to the rate dependent fracture toughness of the bone. It is believed that such understanding is crucial for mechanistic interpretation of bone fracture phenomenon and eventually for predicting bone failure reliably.
A VEGFR2 Antagonist and Other Peptoids Evade Immune Recognition

We have recently reported a peptoid (N-alkyl-oligoglycine) molecule that binds to the Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor 2 (VEGFR2) with high affinity and specificity. Moreover, this peptoid is capable of inhibiting VEGFR2 function in vivo (Udugamasooriya et al. J Am Chem Soc 130:5744–5745, 2008) and thus is a lead compound for anti-angiogenic agents. Moreover, the assay developed to identify this VEGFR2 inhibitor is likely to be a general route to peptoid antagonists or agonists of integral membrane receptors. Therefore, it is important to determine whether the VEGFR2-targeted peptoid, and indeed peptoids in general, are inherently immunogenic since an anti-peptoid immune response would significantly complicate their development as therapeutic candidates. In this study, the VEGFR2-targeted peptoid as well as other peptoids of varying lengths were injected into mice along with an immunostimulatory agent. We demonstrate that no significant anti-peptoid immune response is induced. It is further shown that this is not a trivial result of the lack of immunogenicity of a particular peptoid sequence, since conjugation of the peptoids to carrier proteins such as KLH prior to injection induces a robust anti-peptoid immune response. We conclude that free peptoid molecules are not immunogenic, probably due to a lack of T cell epitopes and that peptoid-based therapeutics are therefore not likely to be hindered by anti-peptoid antibody production in most cases.
Convention evaluation: An examination of the uses of the past

This study was designed to describe the general process of convention evaluation, to develop and apply a scale of program evaluation, and to discuss the implications of such an evaluation. Sampling the 460 persons registered for the 1977 Central States' convention, a reliable scale of convention program evaluation was developed. While the dimensionality of evaluations was consistent among convention goers, differences in magnitude were noted along with correlational findings concerning program evaluation and attendance. Finally, specific suggestions were offered for future convention planners and program evaluators.
Selection of variable-joining region combinations in the alpha chain of the T cell receptor

Most T lymphocytes express an antigen-specific receptor composed of two subunits, alpha and beta, each of which can exhibit structural variability. A complex selection process operates on T cells during development in the thymus such that cells expressing only particular alpha beta-receptors migrate to the periphery. The alpha-chain repertoire was dissected at different stages of the selection process by using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique to amplify only those transcripts of a particular variable region gene (V58). Sequences from these V58 cDNAs reveal the predominant expression of four joining (J) segments by T cells in the adult thymus, suggesting that molecular or cellular processes select particular V alpha J alpha combinations during development. T cells expressing one of these V58J alpha chains appear to have been negatively selected at a later stage, since these transcripts were present in the spleen at approximately one-tenth the level in the thymus. Results also indicate that residues present at the V alpha J alpha junction may be important in an early selection process.
Ultraviolet filamentation in air

Ultrashort UV pulses are seen to self-focus in air and form meter length filaments. Various measurements (spectrum, size, conductivity) indicate that the balance of the processes that produce the filament are different in the UV compared to the IR.
Couple’s Relationship With Diabetes: Means and Meanings for Management Success

Diabetes is a serious chronic illness that involves individuals, couples, and families in complex reciprocal interactions with the illness and other life dimensions. A major issue in diabetes management is how well the patient is able to follow the established medical regimen of selfcare. Situated within personal, physical, and social contexts, the meaning that a couple creates and the emotions they feel in their adaptation to living with diabetes and its demanding regimen can be viewed as the couple's relationship with diabetes.
Recent Progress in Fabrication, Structure, and Properties of Carbon Fibers

This paper reviews recent developments in carbon fibers. Intensive studies focus on relationships among processing conditions, chemical/physical structures and tensile properties of polyacrylonitrile and meso-phase pitch based carbon fibers. Carbon fibers with specific geometry, such as hollow, porous, and patterned, have been fabricated for specific applications. Additionally, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), which have excellent mechanical properties, have been processed into macroscopic continuous fibers. Incorporating CNTs in precursor fiber also improves tensile strength and modulus of the resultant carbon fiber. Although extensive studies have been conducted for improving carbon fiber tensile strength and modulus as well as for reducing their production cost, these issues remain amongst the main challenges for broadening their applications.
Computer-Assisted Instruction in Health Professions Education: A Review of the Published Literature

CAI has been used for more than twenty years in the education of health professionals. A variety of different hardware and software systems have been used in the implementation of CAI for this popu...
Optical and surface properties of planar waveguide based on organic-inorganic hybrid materials

Organic-inorganic hybrid materials with superior optical properties were prepared using the sol-gel process. Planar waveguide based on the sol-gel hybrid materials was also characterized. A conventionally used intermediate for synthesizing organic-inorganic hybrid materials is organically modified metal oxide nanoparticles. Metal oxides containing functional groups were prepared by reacting organic silane and metal alkoxide. Experimental results indicate that thin films with a wide range of optical properties can be prepared by varying the composition and molecular structure of the intermediates. Additionally, the typical reflective index of sol-gel thin film ranges from 1.45 to approximately 1.65. A cladding layer and a core layer can therefore be easily prepared by controlling the content of nanoparticles. Also investigated herein was how composition and process conditions affect optical and surface properties of planar waveguide.
Infants Prefer the Musical Meter of Their Own Culture: A Cross-Cultural Comparison.

Infants prefer native structures such as familiar faces and languages. Music is a universal human activity containing structures that vary cross-culturally. For example, Western music has temporally regular metric structures, whereas music of the Balkans (e.g., Bulgaria, Macedonia, Turkey) can have both regular and irregular structures. We presented 4- to 8-month-old American and Turkish infants with contrasting melodies to determine whether cultural background would influence their preferences for musical meter. In Experiment 1, American infants preferred Western over Balkan meter, whereas Turkish infants, who were familiar with both Western and Balkan meters, exhibited no preference. Experiments 2 and 3 presented infants with either a Western or Balkan meter paired with an arbitrary rhythm with complex ratios not common to any musical culture. Both Turkish and American infants preferred Western and Balkan meter to an arbitrary meter. Infants' musical preferences appear to be driven by culture-specific experience and a culture-general preference for simplicity.
Interrelationships of iron and cobalt absorption: mucosal distribution of cobalt during absorption.

SummaryThe carcass transfer and subcellular distribution of cobalt during the period of rapid absorption were studied in normal rats and animals with iron deficiency or phenylhydrazine induced hemolytic anemia. Although carcass transfer of cobalt was increased in the latter 2 groups, no binding to soluble cytoplasmic molecules was found. Since iron and cobalt appear to share a common absorptive mechanism, these findings support the proposition that soluble cytoplasmic molecules do not play a major role in the control of absorption of these cations.
Pornographic films and unconscious homosexual desires: an hypothesis.

The possibility that heterosexual behavior may serve to gratify unconscious homosexual desires has been noted. Blanchard (1959) , for example, discussed group rape and noted that the sharing of a female for sexual purposes in one another's presence might well gratify unconscious homosexual desires of the males cornmicting the sexual assault. Men who have certain heterosexual preferences (such as anal intercourse or female partners who have masculine characteristics) may also be gratifying unconscious homosexual desires. The purpose of this paper is to suggest that a similar inference could be made about males who habitually attend heterosexual pornographic films. In a typical cinema in which pornographic films are shown, the audience is usually completely male, alchough no studies of the composiuon af audiences have been p u b lished. Most likely, a man watches these films in the presence of other men. If there is a period of live entertainment (dancing or sexual intercourse), the men typically move closer to the front for this, thereby sitting in close proximity. The content of pornographic films emphasizes close-up views of penises. Fellatio is prominent. All ejaculations are shown and the semen visible. There are also close-up views of the genital areas during intercourse. Aside from a few views of the female face and breast, the content is very similar to that of homosexual films, in which views of fellatio and intercourse also comprise most of the film. Heterosexual films also contain episodes in which one female services several males at one time, with a combination of fellatio, vaginal intercourse, and anal inrercourse. In these scenes, several men are sharing the same female, much as occurs in group rape, but of course without the use of force on an unwilling female. The audience, though not active participants, may be seen as passive participants. The theme of heterosexual pornographic films is that the males get pleasure. The females, though supposed to be enjoying the sexual activity, are used for male gratification. The films may be conceptualized as gloriFying the male penis and the male orgasm If it is correct to suspect that heterosexual pornographic films do gratify unconscious homosexual desires, then it might be hypothesized that males who habitually watch such films would give evidence of unconscious concerns as manifest, for example, in sexual impotency or on objective tests of unconscious homosexual desires that have been devised (Lester, 1974). Such studies have not yet been conducted.
Multiple Group Coordination in Complex and Dynamic Task Environments: Interruptions, Coping Mechanisms, and Technology Recommendations

Collaboration in complex and dynamic environments such as hospitals, airlines, and disaster response teams is challenging. High performance requires smooth coordination across multiple groups whose incentives, cultures, and routines can conflict. In this paper, we present an in-depth case study of a hospital's operating room practices to understand challenges associated with multiple group coordination and how information technology may help. We use the concept of trajectory to focus our observations and interviews on workflow across groups and critical events when coordination breaks down. A careful examination of the sources, coping mechanisms, and consequences of coordination breakdowns suggests three factors whose absence may impede effective responses to unexpected interruptions: (1) trajectory awareness of what is going on beyond a person's immediate workspace, (2) information systems integration, and (3) information pooling and learning at the organizational level. We conclude with technological recommendations to promote trajectory awareness and to automate information gathering and monitoring, so as to facilitate multiple group coordination in complex and dynamic task environments.
Catalysis of the Haber-Weiss reaction by iron-diethylenetriaminepentaacetate.

Abstract To help settle controversy as to whether the chelating agent diethylenetriaminepentaacetate (DTPA) supports or prevents hydroxyl radical production by superoxide/hydrogen peroxide systems, we have reinvestigated the question by spectroscopic, kinetic, and thermodynamic analyses. Potassium superoxide in DMSO was found to reduce Fe(III)DTPA. The rate constant for autoxidation of Fe(II)DTPA was found (by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy) to be 3.10 M −1 s −1 , which leads to a predicted rate constant for reduction of Fe(III)DTPA by superoxide of 5.9 × 10 3 M −1 s −1 in aqueous solution. This reduction is a necessary requirement for catalytic production of hydroxyl radicals via the Fenton reaction and is confirmed by spin-trapping experiments using DMPO. In the presence of Fe(III)DTPA, the xanthine/xanthine oxidase system generates hydroxyl radicals. The reaction is inhibited by both superoxide dismutase and catalase (indicating that both superoxide and hydrogen peroxide are required for generation of HO·). The generation of hydroxyl radicals (rather than oxidation side-products of DMPO and DMPO adducts) is attested to by the trapping of α-hydroxethyl radicals in the presence of 9% ethanol. Generation of HO· upon reaction of H 2 O 2 with Fe(II)DTPA (the Fenton reaction) can be inhibited by catalase, but not superoxide dismutase. The data strongly indicate that iron-DTPA can catalyze the Haber-Weiss reaction.
Slip tapers at the tips of faults and earthquake ruptures

[1] Slip gradients near the tips of earthquake ruptures and faults are typically linear. For non-interacting faults or earthquake ruptures, tip tapers are scale invariant, and about 1–2 orders of magnitude larger for faults than for earthquakes. For fault tips interacting with other faults, the taper can be as much as a factor of 10 greater than for non-interacting faults. For earthquake ruptures, taper is also greater by as much as a factor of 10 for tips of rupture segments in the interior of the main rupture, tips in which the earthquake has propagated to the end of the fault, and tips which interact with the stress-drop of a previous earthquake on the same fault. Tip taper for faults increases with the strength of the wall rock. These observations are consistent with fracture mechanics models in which inelastic deformation occurs in a volume surrounding the crack tip.
The interplay between experiments and computation in the study of turbulence

Abstract The interplay between experiment and computation in turbulence research is considered, especially in the light of recent developments in computer technology and new instrumentation. Future directions for research and strategies for future development are also discussed.
Image-Guided Fine Needle Aspiration Strategies for Staging of Lung Cancer

Abstract Image-guided transthoracic, bronchoscopic, and endoscopic ultrasound fine needle aspiration (FNA) greatly facilitates lung cancer staging by having the potential to precisely biopsy lung lesions and virtually all mediastinal lymph node stations. Imaging modalities alone, including chest x-ray, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging, and positron emission tomography identify lesions suspicious for cancer but cannot make a tissue diagnosis. We describe an algorithm for the diagnosis and tumor-node-metastasis staging of lung cancer that uses procedures with the least invasiveness and cost with the highest diagnostic yields. For the anterior mediastinum, fluoroscopic-, ultrasound-, or CT-guided transthoracic FNA (which has a greater yield than bronchoscopy and is less invasive than mediastinoscopy) should be the primary technique for lymph node sampling. In the middle mediastinum, CT-guided transthoracic FNA is preferred for all nodal stations except subcarinal. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided FNA (EUS-FNA), which enables real-time biopsies within 5 cm of the esophagus, is preferred for sampling subcarinal and posterior mediastinal nodes because the yield is similar to CT-guided transthoracic FNA, with minimal risk of pneumothorax. The posterior mediastinum is also accessed by fluoroscopic- or CT-guided transthoracic FNA or videoassisted thoracic surgery. Sampling of the aorticopulmonary window depends on lymph node size; if the nodes are large enough to displace the aortic arch and pulmonary vein, then EUS-FNA is attempted, and if the nodes are not sufficiently enlarged, CT-guided transthoracic FNA should be performed prior to thoracoscopy or thoracotomy.
Application of computer vision to automatic prescription verification in pharmaceutical mail order

In large volume pharmaceutical mail order, before shipping out prescriptions, licensed pharmacists ensure that the drug in the bottle matches the information provided in the patient prescription. Typically, the pharmacist has about 2 sec to complete the prescription verification process of one prescription. Performing about 1800 prescription verification per hour is tedious and can generate human errors as a result of visual and brain fatigue. Available automatic drug verification systems are limited to a single pill at a time. This is not suitable for large volume pharmaceutical mail order, where a prescription can have as many as 60 pills and where thousands of prescriptions are filled every day. In an attempt to reduce human fatigue, cost, and limit human error, the automatic prescription verification system (APVS) was invented to meet the need of large scale pharmaceutical mail order. This paper deals with the design and implementation of the first prototype online automatic prescription verification machine to perform the same task currently done by a pharmacist. The emphasis here is on the visual aspects of the machine. The system has been successfully tested on 43,000 prescriptions.© (2005) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
THE USE OF SMALL, LOW-COST COMPUTERS IN CAD

Historical considerations have ensured that the majority of CAD systems currently in use have originated from the mainframe environment or, more recently, from the large minicomputer. In the current hardware market, is this state of affairs necessary or desirable? Are all CAD applications so complex and/or resource consuming that expensive systems must be purchased? This paper looks at some aspects of CAD which are appropriate to micro-type computers which are relatively slow in the computer market, but rather faster than an engineer with slide rule or even calculator. Some programming philosophy is included with the view of protecting software investment whilst enabling transfer of code to alternative machines as they become cheaper and/or faster.
The 3, 9 bireciprocal pair potential

Abstract Within the specific framework of simple smoothed potential cell models derived from the lattice and tunnel theories the Lennard-Jones 6, 12 and 3, 9 pair potentials are studied. Each of these potentials in the cell models yields relationships for the equation of state, heat of vaporization and the vapor pressure-temperature function. The abilities of these models to describe these three properties consistently with one set of values of the parameters for each molecular species are examined. The 3, 9 pair potential is found to be very superior for nonpolar, rigid polyatomic liquids.
Physical exercise induces FGF-2 and its mRNA in the hippocampus

Clinical and experimental evidence indicate that physical activity has a positive impact on brain function; however, the molecular bases for how exercise affects the structure and function of the brain are largely unknown. We have investigated the influences of variable periods of voluntary wheel-running on the expression of basic fibroblast growth factor and its mRNA in various brain regions. Nuclease protection assays revealed that the hippocampus was the only region examined exhibiting changes in FGF-2 mRNA as a result of exercise. FGF-2 mRNA increased to reach a peak by the 4th night of wheel-running. FGF-2 immunoreactivity, normally located in the perinuclear area of astrocytes, following exercise became stronger and appeared to spread to the cytoplasm and processes of astrocytes. Quantification of the FGF-2-immunoreactive astrocytes showed an increase in density between 2 and 4 nights of running in discrete regions of the hippocampus. These results demonstrate that exercise regulates FGF-2 expression and suggest that growth factors are likely mediators of the positive effects of exercise on the brain.
Effects of childhood respiratory diseases on the anatomical and functional development of the respiratory system

The anatomical and functional development of the lung appears especially vulnerable to a whole range of insults during gestation and the first few years of life. A significant proportion of adult lung disease originates in utero or early infancy. Most publications on this topic are descriptive retrospective studies. An important limitation of these is that structural changes may precede abnormalities in lung function and development of symptoms. Little is known with certainty with respect to the long-term effects of early insults to the respiratory system. Furthermore, the reversibility of the functional and/or structural defects is hardly ever adequately investigated and it is probably not correct to extrapolate findings from adult studies to paediatric pulmonary diseases. Promoting or facilitating optimal lung growth in fetuses and infants and reducing the incidence of lower respiratory tract infection in infancy may reduce the incidence of adult chronic lung disease in generations to come.
Path Delay Fault Test Generation for Standard Scan Designs Using State Tuples

In this work we propose a novel concept called state tuple to represent the states of lines in a circuit for the generation of two pattern tests. The proposed approach is described in detail for generating robust two pattern tests for path delay faults in standard scan designs. Using the proposed approach we also report experimental results of a test generator for robust path delay faults in standard scan designs. The results show that the test generator achieves high efficiency with reduced implementation complexity.
Gene Flow and Genetic Diversity in Naturally Fragmented Metapopulations of Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent Animals

The ephemeral nature of deep-sea hydrothermal vents is expected to favor species with good colonization abilities, high dispersal rates, and rapid individual growth rates. Studies of gene flow in vent-endemic species provide glimpses into modes and patterns of dispersal. For some species, gene flow occurs without geographical bias (i.e., island model); their dispersal capabilities probably exceed the sampled geographical range. For other species, genetic differentiation increases with geographical distance (isolation-by-distance model) and suggests a stepping-stone mode of dispersal between neighboring vents. Genetic subdivision in a third group of species is associated with geographical offsets between contiguous segments of a ridge axis. These species all possess a free-living larval stage and average rates of gene flow (Nm) exceeding the critical value of one. In contrast, an amphipod that broods its young shows evidence for isolation-by-distance along a ridge axis and nearly complete isolation between distinct ridge axes. Early successional species (i.e., those that rapidly establish populations at nascent vents) also have high levels of genetic variability that probably results from a larger global population size. Bivalve species, which are restricted to a few of the known vent sites, appear at a later successional stage and have lower levels of variability. The relative successional position (early versus late) and overall abundance of a species may play significant roles in determining the retention of genetic diversity in populations inhabiting these ephemeral environments.
A Review of LIDAR Radiometric Processing: From Ad Hoc Intensity Correction to Rigorous Radiometric Calibration

In addition to precise 3D coordinates, most light detection and ranging (LIDAR) systems also record "intensity", loosely defined as the strength of the backscattered echo for each measured point. To date, LIDAR intensity data have proven beneficial in a wide range of applications because they are related to surface parameters, such as reflectance. While numerous procedures have been introduced in the scientific literature, and even commercial software, to enhance the utility of intensity data through a variety of "normalization", "correction", or "calibration" techniques, the current situation is complicated by a lack of standardization, as well as confusing, inconsistent use of terminology. In this paper, we first provide an overview of basic principles of LIDAR intensity measurements and applications utilizing intensity information from terrestrial, airborne topographic, and airborne bathymetric LIDAR. Next, we review effective parameters on intensity measurements, basic theory, and current intensity processing methods. We define terminology adopted from the most commonly-used conventions based on a review of current literature. Finally, we identify topics in need of further research. Ultimately, the presented information helps lay the foundation for future standards and specifications for LIDAR radiometric calibration.
Adverse Event Management in Mass Drug Administration for Neglected Tropical Diseases

Abstract The ethical challenges of reporting and managing adverse events (AEs) and serious AEs (SAEs) in the context of mass drug administration (MDA) for the treatment of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) require reassessment of domestic and international policies on a global scale. Although the World Health Organization has set forth AE/SAE guidelines specifically for NTD MDA that incorporate suspected causality, and recommends that only SAEs get reported in this setting, most regulatory agencies continue to require the reporting of all SAEs exhibiting even a merely temporal relationship to activities associated with an MDA program. This greatly increases the potential for excess “noise” and undue risk aversion and is not only impractical but arguably unethical where huge proportions of populations are being treated for devastating diseases, and no good baseline exists against which to compare possible AE/SAE reports. Other population-specific variables that might change the way drug safety ought to be assessed include differing efficacy rates of a drug, background morbidity/mortality rates of the target disease in question, the growth rate of the incidence of disease, the availability of rescue or salvage therapies, and the willingness of local populations to take risks that other populations might not. The fact that NTDs are controllable and potentially eradicable with well-tolerated, effective, existing drugs might further alter our assessment of MDA safety and AE/SAE tolerability. At the same time, diffuseness of population, communication barriers, lack of resources, and other difficult surveillance challenges may present in NTD-affected settings. These limitations could impair the ability to monitor an MDA program׳s success, as well as hinder efforts to obtain informed consent or provide rescue therapy. Denying beneficial research interventions and MDA programs intended to benefit millions requires sound ethical justification based on more than the identification of and rote response to AEs and SAEs.
Resurrecting Camp: Rethinking the Queer Sensibility

Camp is a queer sense-making practice that subverts dominant gender norms and heteronormative practices and institutions. Scholars have posited that camp is an artifact of oppression-era queer history and that an age of relative queer conspicuousness neither allows for nor necessitates its existence, thereby resulting in its death. This study challenges that supposition by offering a camp reading of Karen Walker (Megan Mullally) from NBC's Will & Grace (1998–2006). Though the show has been criticized for its relatively safe queer representations, this study demonstrates the ways in which it relied on camp humor to deconstruct normative gender and sexuality practices. Future research should use empirical measures to address the role that camp plays in the lives of contemporary queer spectators.
Algorithms for optimal protein structure alignment

Motivation: Structural alignment is an important tool for understanding the evolutionary relationships between proteins. However, finding the best pairwise structural alignment is difficult, due to the infinite number of possible superpositions of two structures. Unlike the sequence alignment problem, which has a polynomial time solution, the structural alignment problem has not been even classified as solvable. Results: We study one of the most widely used measures of protein structural similarity, defined as the number of pairs of residues in two proteins that can be superimposed under a predefined distance cutoff. We prove that, for any two proteins, this measure can be optimized for all but finitely many distance cutoffs. Our method leads to a series of algorithms for optimizing other structure similarity measures, including the measures commonly used in protein structure prediction experiments. We also present a polynomial time algorithm for finding a near-optimal superposition of two proteins. Aside from having a relatively low cost, the algorithm for near-optimal solution returns a superposition of provable quality. In other words, the difference between the score of the returned superposition and the score of an optimal superposition can be explicitly computed and used to determine whether the returned superposition is, in fact, the best superposition. Contact: poleksic@cs.uni.edu Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Insulin resistance versus insulin secretion in the hypertension of obesity.

We measured the degree of association between obesity, blood pressure, insulin resistance, and insulin secretion in 72 male and female obese hypertensive, obese nonhypertensive, and normal weight control subjects. Baseline weight, body mass index, percent body fat, waist/hip ratio, and systolic and diastolic blood pressures were obtained. Insulin sensitivity was assessed according to Bergman's minimal model. Twelve-hour urinary c-peptide was measured after a standard liquid meal. Insulin action was inversely associated with blood pressure status, obesity status, and age. Meal-stimulated c-peptide excretion significantly correlated with systolic blood pressure and percent fat but not with body mass index or age. Multivariate regression analysis indicated that, of the measures of body composition, percent fat and waist/hip ratio had the strongest correlation with insulin action either alone or in combination with c-peptide excretion. Obese hypertensive patients had an index of insulin action (10(-4).min-1/[microunits/ml]) of 1.34 +/- 0.19, which was significantly (p less than 0.003) lower than in the obese nonhypertensive patients (index, 2.26 +/- 0.10) or the nonobese subjects (index, 5.41 +/- 0.26, p less than 0.001). Meal-stimulated c-peptide excretion (nmol/kg lean body mass) was increased only in the obese hypertensive group (0.32 +/- 0.01) and was significantly higher (p less than 0.001) than in the obese nonhypertensive (0.16 +/- 0.01) or the nonobese subjects (0.14 +/- 0.01). These results support the hypothesis that abnormalities in blood pressure regulation, insulin-stimulated glucose uptake, and insulin secretion coexist.