cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Design and evaluation of SOI devices for radiation environments

SOI technologies offer key advantages for use in radiation environments, primarily related to reduced susceptibility to single-event effects. Because of charge trapping in the BOX, however, SOI technologies with light body doping (such as some fully depleted technologies) may be more sensitive to TID than similar bulk technologies. For sub 100-nm technologies, the advantages of SOI technologies related to SEE are less clear than they were in previous earlier technology generations because the critical charge required to upset the circuits is so low. The probability for upset (cross section), however, is lower for SOI circuits because charge collection does not occur over long distances, as it does in bulk technologies. This also reduces the likelihood that a single particle will affect multiple circuits in an IC.
The structure of rhodopsin and mechanisms of visual adaptation

Rapidly advancing studies on rhodopsin have focused on new strategies for crystallization of this integral membrane protein for x-ray analysis and on alternative methods for structural determination from nuclear magnetic resonance data. Functional studies of the interactions between the apoprotein and its chromophore have clarified the role of the chromophore in deactivation of opsin and in photoactivation of the pigment.
Metabolic clearance rate of progesterone: comparison between ovariectomized, pregnant, pseudopregnant and deciduoma-bearing pseudopregnant rats.

The metabolic clearance rate (MCR) of progesterone was studied by the single intravenous injection method (10,11) in pregnant rats, pseudopregnant rats with or without deciduomata and ovariectomized rats. The disappearance of progesterone from peripheral serum apparently followed a double exponential curve. The MCR was analyzed, therefore, in terms of a two-compartment model and was found to be similar in all conditions examined. The mean MCR during pregnancy, calculated from values obtained on days 4, 8, 10, 12, 15, and 21, was 32.79 ± 2.71 I/day. A similar value was obtained for days 6 and 10 of ordinary pseudopregnancy (29.91 ± 2.17 I/day), on days 10 and 16 of pseudopregnancy in deciduomabearing rats (38.19 ± 4.19 I/day), and 6 days after ovariectomy of cyclic rats (25.53 ± 0.30 I/day). Production rates of progesterone (MCR × peripheral serum concentration) were: pregnant, day 10: 2.13 mg/day; day 15: 4.55 mg/day; deciduoma-bearing pseudopregnant, day 10: 2.86 mg/day; day 16: 1.37 mg/day; ordinary pse...
Predictability of Body Weight from Live Shank Measurements

Abstract THE writer has reported a correlation coefficient of .659±.032 between body weight and live shank length of 311 mature Single Comb White Leghorn females (Lerner 1937a). It has also been recently suggested by Jaap (1938a and b) that the relation of shank length to the cube root of the body weight may be used as a criterion of conformation. It becomes then of interest to examine the relation between these two measurements, particularly with the point of view of utilizing early live shank measurements for prediction of body weight at later ages. Suitable material for this study was found in data recorded at the University of California on live shank length and body weight of a mixed population of Barred Plymouth Rocks and Barred Plymouth Rock × Single Comb White Leghorn crosses. Weights and measurements at the ages of 4, 8, 12, and 16 weeks available for 127 males and . . .
PHONON-ASSISTED TRANSMISSION IN RESONANT INTERBAND TUNNELING DEVICES

We demonstrate that phonon‐assisted transmission may play a considerably lower role in interband tunneling structures than in intraband tunneling based devices as a result of the symmetry difference between electron and hole states. An example of current–voltage characteristics is calculated for resonant interband tunneling structure with confined electron and hole states.
The comprehension of metaphor by preschool children

Comprehension of metaphor in preschoolers was studied through an elicited repetition task. Subjects were 52 children aged 3.0 to 5.2. Repetition performance on metaphors was compared to repetitions of semantically well-formed literal sentences as well as semantically anomalous sentences, all matched for length, vocabulary and sentence structure. Accuracy on literal and metaphoric stimuli was comparable, and both were significantly better than performance on anomalous sentences. There were no effects for age or sex. It was shown that the metaphors were not semantically anomalous to the children and that they were processed on a par with literal language. The argument is advanced from a review of the literature that imitation implicates understanding of the material imitated. If metaphor is thus shown to emerge early in the child's linguistic repertory, figurative language, it may be argued, occupies a more central position in linguistic theory than it has been accorded.
Crawling caenorhabditis elegans spermatozoa contact the substrate only by their pseudopods and contain 2‐nm filaments

The locomotion of C. elegans spermatozoa resembles, in many respects, the crawling movements of other eukaryotic cells. However, these sperm contain surprising little actin, which plays no apparent role in this cell's motility. Electron microscopy has revealed that crawling spermatozoa retain a strict morphological polarity so that the organelle-filled cell body is separated from the pseudopod by an array of cytoplasmic laminar membranes. When sperm crawl only the pseudopod contacts the substrate; the cell body is either pulled behind or carried on top of the rear portion of the pseudopod. Fingerlike projections which extend forward from the leading edge of the pseudopod initiate contact with the substrate. The underside of the pseudopod exhibits areas of close (40 nm separation) membrane-substrate association with intervening areas of wide (up to 300 nm) membrane-substrate gaps. The pseudopod cytoplasm contains 2-nm filaments but no filamentous actin has been observed. These 2-nm filaments were detected in thin sections of crawling cells and in negative-stained remnants of spermatozoa disrupted by either hypotonic buffer on Triton X-100. The filaments are found both free in the cytoplasm and closely associated with the cytoplasmic face of the plasma membrane and are usually oriented along the long axis of the cell. Neither the identity nor the function of these filaments has been established although their location and orientation suggest that they may be involved in generating propulsion.
Computational and experimental study of OH and CH radicals in axisymmetric laminar diffusion flames

We investigate experimentally and computationally the OH and CH radical fields in a twodimensional, axisymmetric, laminar, methane-air diffusion flame in which a cylindrical fuel stream is surrounded by a coflowing oxidizer jet. Experimentally, laser induced fluorescence is used to generate profiles of the minor species. Computationally, we apply a detailed chemistry, complex transprot combustion model to predict the temperature, veocity and species concentrations as a function of the two coordinate directions. Unlike some models in which diffusion in the axial direction is neglected, we treat the fully elliptic problem. Results of the study include a two-dimensional comparison of the location and magnitude of the OH and CH radicals and a mole fraction versus mixture fraction correlation between radial slices of the coflow flame and a set of corresponding counterflow flames.
Observation of negative group delays within a coaxial photonic crystal using an impulse response method

An impulse response experiment is described which independently verifies the recently observed result of negative group delayed propagation within a coaxial photonic crystal. This result was unexpected when it was reported and has been the subject of enduring controversy because theoretical models predict that negative group delays should not be possible in passive linear media. The impulse response method allows for the determination of both the transmission amplitude and the group delay for narrow-band wave packets over a wide frequency range in one simple experiment. The impulse response results presented here confirm our earlier finding of negative group delays within the band gap region and are in excellent agreement with the more traditional approach of measuring transit times for wave packets. However, negative group delays are observed only over very narrow frequency ranges within the wider band gap suggesting that another interference mechanism is involved.
The future of respiratory syncytial virus vaccine development.

Background Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of viral lower respiratory tract illness in infants and children and is an important cause of lower respiratory tract illness in other populations. Despite decades of research there are currently no licensed vaccines for prevention of RSV disease. Methods. A review of the obstacles to RSV vaccine development; current live, attenuated and subunit RSV vaccines in clinical development; and the potential for developing additional vaccine candidates based on recombinant technology. Results. A number of biologically derived live attenuated RSV vaccines were evaluated in Phase I clinical trials in adults and children, and one vaccine (cpts 248/404) was evaluated in infants as young as 1 month of age. These vaccines displayed a spectrum of attenuation, with cpts 248/955 being the least attenuated and cpts 248/ 404 being the most attenuated candidate vaccine. None of these was sufficiently attenuated for young infants. The ability to generate recombinant RSV vaccines has led to the development of large numbers of candidate vaccines containing combinations of known attenuating point mutations and deletions of nonessential genes. Clinical evaluation of many of these candidates is in progress. Three types of RSV subunit vaccines have recently been evaluated in clinical trials: purified F glycoprotein vaccines (PFP-1, PFP-2 and PFP-3), BBG2Na and copurified F, G and M proteins. Additional studies of the F/G/M protein vaccine are being conducted. Conclusions. During the past 10 years, considerable progress has been made in RSV vaccine development. It is likely that different RSV vaccines will be needed for the various populations at risk.
Rural Residents’ Perspectives on Multiple Morbidity Management and Disease Prevention

Middle-aged and older adults often experience several simultaneously occurring chronic conditions or “multiple morbidity” (MM). The task of both managing MM and preventing chronic conditions can be overwhelming, particularly in populations with high disease burdens, low socioeconomic status, and health care provider shortages. This article sought to understand Appalachian residents’ perspectives on MM management and prevention. Forty-one rural Appalachian residents aged 50 and above with MM were interviewed about disease management and colorectal cancer (CRC) prevention. Transcripts were examined for overall analytic categories and coded using techniques to enhance transferability and rigor. Participants indicate facing various challenges to prevention due, in part, to conditions within their rural environment. Patients and providers spend significant time and energy on MM management, often precluding prevention activities. This article discusses implications of MM management for CRC prevention and strate...
Further studies on the dynamic changes of glutathione and protein-thiol mixed disulfides in H2O2 induced cataract in rat lenses: distributions and effect of aging.

To further investigate the role of protein-thiol mixed disulfides in cataractogenesis, an in vitro H2O2 cataract model was used with rat lenses to study the effect of aging, and the dynamic changes...
Ionization cross section of excitons due to scattering by free carriers in semiconducting quantum well structures

Abstract We have extended our previous theoretical treatment of the scattering of excitons by free electrons and holes in a two-dimensional semiconducting quantum well system to obtain the ionization cross section of the exciton in these structures. The scattering cross section is calculated using the Born approximation for the scattering of the excitons by the free carriers and neglecting the effect of exchange. Results for the ionization cross section have been obtained both in the absence and presence of screening by the free carriers. The ionization cross section for the scattering of excitons by free carriers is comparable to the elastic scattering cross section when the heavy hole excitons are scattered by heavy holes and is much greater than the elastic scattering cross section for the case where the free carriers are electrons or light holes. The effect of screening by free carriers is to decrease the threshold energy at which the ionization of the exciton occurs but not to decrease the magnitude of the ionization cross section. Therefore, at temperatures where the free carriers have high enough energy to ionize the exciton, the contribution of the ionization cross section to the exciton linewidth should be very important.
Intensity-modulated Radiation Therapy for Children with Intraocular Retinoblastoma:Potential Sparing of the Bony Orbit

Abstract Aims : We have evaluated the potential for intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) to reduce dose to surrounding normal tissues in children with retinoblastoma confined to the globe of the eye. Materials and methods : Treatment planning computed tomography (CT) scans from five children were used for comparison of four radiotherapy techniques to treat the eye. IMRT, conformal, anterior-lateral photon and en face electron plans were generated using the Corvus (NOMOS) and PLUNC treatment planning systems. Doses to surrounding critical structures were compared after normalisation of target coverage. Results : The IMRT treatment technique allowed the greatest sparing of the surrounding bony orbit, with an average of 60% of the ipsilateral bony orbit treated above 20Gy and 48% treated above 24Gy when 45Gy is prescribed to the globe. IMRT techniques reduced dose to the surrounding bony orbit by more than one-third compared with anterior-lateral photon and electron techniques, and by 23 % compared with conformal techniques. The application of IMRT also reduced dose to other surrounding normal tissues, including the temporal lobe and contralateral orbit. Conclusion : IMRT shows potential for protecting normal tissues in patients requiring external beam radiation therapy for retinoblastoma.
Inhibition of fibroblasts reduced head and neck cancer growth by targeting fibroblast growth factor receptor.

Objectives/Hypothesis: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a complex disease process involving interactions with carcinoma-associated fibroblasts and endothelial cells. We further investigated these relationships by suppressing stromal cell growth through the inhibition of fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR). Study Design: Preclinical investigation. Methods: HNSCC cell lines (FADU, OSC19, Cal27, SCC1, SCC5, SCC22A), fibroblast (HS27), and endothelial cells (human umbilical vascular endothelial cell) were cultured individually or in coculture. Proliferation was assessed following treatment with a range of physiologic concentrations of FGFR inhibitor PD173074. Mice bearing established HNSCC xenografts were treated with PD173074 (12 mg/kg), and tumor histology was analyzed for stromal composition, proliferation (Ki67 staining), and apoptosis (TUNEL [terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling] staining). Results: In vitro, inhibition of FGFR with PD173074 dramatically reduced proliferation of fibroblasts and endothelial cells compared to untreated controls. However, HNSCC cell proliferation was not affected by inhibition of FGFR. When cocultured with fibroblasts, HNSCC cells proliferation increased by 15% to 80% (P < .01). Furthermore, this fibroblast-enhanced tumor cell growth was suppressed by FGFR inhibition. Additionally, treatment of mice bearing HNSCC xenografts with PD173074 resulted in significant growth inhibition (P < .001). Additionally, those tumors from mice treated with PD173074 had a smaller stromal component, decreased proliferation, and increased apoptosis. Conclusions: Targeting the FGFR pathway in head and neck cancer acts through the stromal components to decrease HNSCC growth in vivo and in vitro.
A Game-Based Training Application to Support the Development of Commanders' Skills in Counterinsurgency Operations

This paper is a companion piece for a presentation to be given as part of a panel discussion on “Training Issues in Military and Defense.” Specifically, it describes: the establishment of a game-based training tool designed to develop Commanders' skills for planning, directing, and assessing actions in urban counterinsurgency (COIN) environments; several of the evaluation efforts; and some challenges moving forward. The prototype is currently being used at multiple U.S. Army school houses and operation institutions to provide trainees an opportunity to plan, direct, and assess COIN operations within a simulated micro-world. Challenges moving forward include: creating reliable measurement tools that are sensitive to changing levels of expertise and higher-order skill development, embedding automated assessment tools that critic performance and skill development within gaming platforms, and improving adaptive training capabilities in order to deliver tailored training.
Implications for Assessing Biobehavioral States in Individuals with Profound Disabilities

Biobehavioral state assessment is an area of research and classroom application with important implications for students with profound disabilities, their families, and teachers. The authors review research related to the foundations of state assessment, its uses with typically and atypically developing infants, and related studies on individuals with profound disabilities. Specific studies are reviewed concerning the development of state assessment procedures for individuals with profound disabilities and their adaptations and implications for classroom use. Possible future research suggestions are offered as well.
Fatty acid regulation of hepatic lipid metabolism.

Purpose of reviewTo discuss transcriptional mechanisms regulating hepatic lipid metabolism.Recent findingsHumans who are obese or have diabetes (NIDDM) or metabolic syndrome (MetS) have low blood and tissue levels of C20–22 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Although the impact of low C20–22 PUFAs
BEHAVIORAL DIALOGUES BETWEEN MOTHERS AND INFANTS: THE 22 EFFECT OF PREMATURITY

This paper compares interaction styles of premature and full-term infant-mother dyads. The subjects were 49 low income black mothers and their infants (26 prematures, 23 fullterms). Interactions were observed during a feeding in the hospital and at 3 months. A subset of mother and infant behaviors were defined as “communicative acts” and the interaction was viewed as a sequence of “dialogic states” (infant acts, mother acts, both act, neither acts). The 4 simple probabilities and the 16 transitional probabilities were used as indices of interaction style. In the hospital, 12 Indices differentiated the two groups of dyads at the .10 level or better. At 3 months, 9 of these 12 indices still differentiated the groups. In the hospital, prematures were less active than fullterms, while their mothers were more active. Mothers of prematures were more likely to attempt to influence their infants' activity states, while mothers of fullterms were more likely to let their infants determine active or quiet periods. At 3 months, mothers of prematures persisted in their old behavior patterns even though the activity levels of their infants had doubled and were by then similar to those of full-terms. It is suggested that mothers of prematures compensate for the inactivity of their infants and continue to do so even when this is no longer adaptive and that prematures, therefore, have less opportunity to learn to regulate their own activity patterns.
Retinal axonal loss in very early stages of multiple sclerosis.

Background and purpose The lack of surrogates of clinical progression has limited the design of neuroprotection trials in multiple sclerosis (MS). Our aim was to study the association between time-domain optical coherence tomography measures and clinical and magnetic resonance imaging outcomes in early MS. Methods Forty-three relapsing−remitting MS patients within 1 year of onset were followed for up to 3 years. Results The peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) decreased annually by 2 μm (95% confidence interval −3.89, −0.11; P = 0.038). The RNFL tended to be associated with normalized normal appearing white matter volume in cross-sectional (P = 0.08) and longitudinal analyses (P = 0.06). Conclusions There is substantial RNFL loss even in very early MS. Our data suggest that retinal axonal atrophy is associated with atrophy in global white matter volume in early MS.
Tapping into the sub-seafloor: examining diffuse flow and temperature from an active seamount on the Juan de Fuca Ridge

Abstract A unique sampling strategy involving the cementing of a permanent fluid sampler directly to the seafloor on Axial Seamount, Juan de Fuca Ridge, has recently allowed the first long-term direct coupling to a low-temperature hydrothermal vent on a mid-ocean ridge. Using the hydrologically sealed sampler, direct measurement of fluid volume and heat flux from a diffuse hydrothermal vent on the seafloor was obtained over a period of 206 days. Enhanced variance at both tidal and lower frequencies was recorded with a high coherence between the temperature and flow data. We estimate a volume flux of 48 m 3 /yr and a heat flux of 260 W/m 2 for the square meter of seafloor sampled by the instrument. Measurement of the Darcy flow velocities of the effluent fluid are approximately 1.5×10 −6 m/s and indicate fluid velocities within cracks in the substrate of 1–4 m/day, with an effective upper crustal permeability of 10 −11 –10 −12 m 2 . While the measured variability in fluid flow is driven primarily by changes in the thermal buoyancy of upwelling fluid, there is also a significant (above hydrostatic) pressure gradient contribution to the measured flux. This overpressure produces roughly four times the driving force compared to that attributed to thermal buoyancy alone. Small variations in the volume flux and the effluent fluid temperature (∼1.5×10 −8 m/s and ∼0.5°C, respectively) also occurred on approximately tidal time scales and appear to be related to poroelastic control of the velocity of hydrothermal fluid through the seafloor boundary (i.e. tidal pumping).
Formation of complexes between basic proteins of leucocytes and plasma globulins.

RECENT studies have shown that cationic proteins from leucocytes produce tissue injury and responses characteristic of immunological reactions1–4. In an earlier publication we put forward the hypothesis that homograft rejection may be caused by such cationic proteins5. The specificity of the homograft reaction could only occur if the basic protein were transported to the homograft site via specific antibody (globulin) or in cells which had specificity through some chemotactic response of the cell to antigen.
Estradiol-receptors of the rat uterus: interaction of the cytoplasmic estrogen-receptor with DNA in vitro.

Abstract Evidence is presented that the 8-S cytoplasmic estradiol-receptor complex of the rat uterus binds to purified double-stranded DNA in vitro. Addition of DNA to uterine supernatant fraction at 0° and subsequent analysis by sucrose density centrifugation and gel filtration chromatography resulted in the disappearance of 8-S estradiol-protein complex and the appearance of hormone sedimenting or eluting with the DNA. Free estradiol and the 4-S estradiol-binding subunit of the 8-S receptor did not interact with DNA under these conditions. Binding was both prevented and reversed by the presence of 0.4 M KCl. Binding occurred with purified bacterial as well as mammalian DNA, but RNA and heat-denatured DNA did not interact with the 8-S complex. The 8-S receptor appeared to bind less extensively to DNA in the absence of estradiol. Binding to an endogenous DNA component was demonstrated in homogenates of uterine tissue; deoxyribonuclease treatment resulted in the release of 8-S complex.
Cyclophosphamide: use in practice.

Abstract Cyclophosphamide is a potent anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive cytostatic and cytotoxic drug used for such diverse medical problems as neoplasia, tissue transplantation, and inflamma...
Investigating Mechanisms of Suppression in Preschool Children With Specific Language Impairment

Purpose This study investigated 2 suppression mechanisms—(a) resistance to distracter interference and (b) inhibition of a prepotent response—in preschool children with specific language impairment...
Bees brought to their knees: microbes affecting honey bee health

The biology and health of the honey bee Apis mellifera has been of interest to human societies for centuries. Research on honey bee health is surging, in part due to new tools and the arrival of colony-collapse disorder (CCD), an unsolved decline in bees from parts of the United States, Europe, and Asia. Although a clear understanding of what causes CCD has yet to emerge, these efforts have led to new microbial discoveries and avenues to improve our understanding of bees and the challenges they face. Here we review the known honey bee microbes and highlight areas of both active and lagging research. Detailed studies of honey bee–pathogen dynamics will help efforts to keep this important pollinator healthy and will give general insights into both beneficial and harmful microbes confronting insect colonies.
An Integrated Model of Panic Disorder

Clinicians are shifting away from dualistic conceptions of mind and brain toward a view of psychiatric illnesses as involving interactions between biology, mind, and environment. Our understanding of panic disorder benefits from such an integrative analysis. We review genetic, neurochemical, and neuroimaging data on panic disorder, along with a series of biological and psychological models. We propose that separation and suffocation alarm systems cut across various models, and we suggest how biological, psychological, and environmental interactions can lead to panic onset and persistence. Separation and suffocation alarm systems may become sensitized due to environmental events, an inborn vulnerability, or both. These oversensitized systems create a vulnerability to environmental experiences of loss and intrusion and to frightening psychological experiences of separation and suffocation. In individuals with this vulnerability, angry feelings and fantasies, often unconscious, further intensify fears of los...
The effectiveness of the carrot and the stick in increasing dyadic outcomes during duopolistic bargaining

Bargaining is a form of decision making which occurs between two or more individuals of some subhuman species of animals as well as human beings in dyads, multi-person groups, organizations, societies, and supranational systems. This article deals with human dyads. Theory and research on the impact of threats on bargaining outcomes are mixed: Some studies find that the use of threats impairs outcomes relative to conditions in which no threats are made; other studies find that threats may be used for signaling and coordination, improving outcomes. Similarly, the literature on the effects of promises is mixed: Some studies suggest that promises lead to trust and openness, and lead to more profitable bargaining; other studies find that promises are used to deceive and manipulate the other bargainer, leading to less profitable outcomes. There is little literature on the joint effects of threats and promises in dyadic bargaining. In the present study, bargainers playing a duopoly cross-maximization game (analogous to the prisoner's dilemma) were provided with either threat messages (T), promise messages (P), threat and promise messages (TP), or no messages, in a factorial design. Dyad profits were ordered T, TP, P, N; that is, dyads with threats made the highest bids and earned the greatest payoffs. Dyad members in the P and TP conditions used the promise messages deceptively to exploit each other. Dyad members in the T and TP conditions used the threat messages to coordinate choices at mutually profitable levels and punished defections from these high levels by the imposition of fines. Dyad outcomes were linearly related to the use of fines and the number of exploitative promises made.
Caution on the use of liquid nitrogen traps in stable hydrogen isotope-ratio mass spectrometry

An anomalous stable hydrogen isotopic fractionation of 4 ‰ in gaseous hydrogen has been correlated with the process of adding liquid nitrogen (LN2) to top off the dewar of a stainless-steel water trap on a gaseous hydrogen−water platinum equilibration system. Although the cause of this isotopic fractionation is unknown, its effect can be mitigated by (1) increasing the capacity of any dewars so that they do not need to be filled during a daily analytic run, (2) interspersing isotopic reference waters among unknowns, and (3) applying a linear drift correction and linear normalization to isotopic results with a program such as Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) for Light Stable Isotopes. With adoption of the above guidelines, measurement uncertainty can be substantially improved. For example, the long-term (months to years) δ2H reproducibility (1σ standard deviation) of nine local isotopic reference waters analyzed daily improved substantially from about 1 ‰ to 0.58 ‰. This isotopically fractio...
“I Wasn't Scared of Them, They Were Scared of Me”: Constructions of Self/Other in a Midwestern Hair Salon

This article describes how a group of black women read culture, class, and other social relations, analyzing the process and skill of reading linguistic and paralinguistic cues in allowing individuals to navigate across multiple discourses. I draw from one ethnographic study of talk in a Midwestern hair salon. Such research seeks to strengthen ties between the disciplines of anthropology and education, and relatedly between those who work within universities, classrooms, and everyday settings.
Source seeking with non-holonomic unicycle without position measurement and with tuning of forward velocity

We consider the problem of seeking the source of a scalar signal using an autonomous vehicle modeled as the non-holonomic unicycle and equipped with a sensor of that scalar signal but not possessing the capability to sense either the position of the source nor its own position. We assume that the signal field is the strongest at the source and decays away from it. The functional form of the field is not available to our vehicle. We employ extremum seeking to estimate the gradient of the field in real time and steer the vehicle towards the point where the gradient is zero (the maximum of the field, i.e., the location of the source). We employ periodic forward–backward movement of the unicycle (implementable with mobile robots and some underwater vehicles but not with aircraft), where the forward velocity has a tunable bias term, which is appropriately combined with extremum seeking to produce a net effect of “drifting” towards the source. In addition to simulation results we present a local convergence proof via averaging, which exhibits a delicate periodic structure with two sinusoids of different frequencies—one related to the angular velocity of the unicycle and the other related to the probing frequency of extremum seeking.
Oat products and lipid lowering. A meta-analysis.

Objectives. —To test the a priori hypothesis that consumption of oats will lower the blood total cholesterol level and to assess modifiers and confounders of this association. Data Sources. —A computerized literature (MEDLINE) search and the Quaker Oats Co identified published and unpublished trials as of March 1991. Raw data were requested for all trials. Study Selection. —Trials were included in summary effect size estimates if they were randomized and controlled, if a formal assessment of diet and body weight changes occurred, and, if raw data were not received, if there was enough information in the published report to perform calculations. Data Synthesis. —Twenty trials were identified. Using the methods of DerSimonian and Laird, a summary effect size for change in blood total cholesterol level of -0.13 mmol/L (-5.9 mg/dL) (95% confidence interval [Cl], -0.19 to -0.017 mmol/L [-8.4 to -3.3 mg/dL]) was calculated for the 10 trials meeting the inclusion criteria. The summary effect size for trials using wheat control groups was -0.11 mmol/L (-4.4 mg/dL) (95% Cl, -0.21 to -0.01 mmol/L [-8.3 to -0.38 mg/dL]). Calculation of Keys scores demonstrated that substituting carbohydrates for dietary fats and cholesterol did not account for the majority of blood cholesterol reduction. Larger reductions were seen in trials in which subjects had initially higher blood cholesterol levels (≥5.9 mmol/L [≥229 mg/dL]), particularly when a dose of 3 g or more of soluble fiber was employed. Conclusion. —This analysis supports the hypothesis that incorporating oat products into the diet causes a modest reduction in blood cholesterol level. ( JAMA . 1992;267:3317-3325)
Risk factors associated with permanent access-site infections in chronic hemodialysis patients

Objective To determine the epidemiological risk factors associated with permanent access-site (PAS) infection in a population of chronic hemodialysis patients. Design Retrospective cohort analysis. Setting Hemodialysis unit of a 400-bed Department of Veterans' Affairs hospital. Results A cohort of 94 males (1,316 patient months) was studied. Fifty-one PAS infections in 31 patients were observed. Six patients had two PAS infections, four patients had three infections, and two patients had four infections. Twenty-nine of the 31 patients with PAS infections were bacteremic at least once. Univariate analysis identified seven factors significantly associated with PAS infection in this population: location of PAS other than forearm, type of vascular access (polytetrafluoroethylene [PTFE] versus endogenous arteriovenous [AV] fistula), limited ambulatory status, residence in a nursing home, bacterial infection at a distant site, number of access-site revisions, and number of hospitalizations. In a logistic regression analysis, only graft type and number of PTFE graft revisions were associated independently with PAS infection. The odds ratio for PAS infection in PTFE grafts compared to endogenous AV fistula was 7.8; the odds ratio for PAS infection with each PTFE graft revision was 1.5. Conclusions PAS infections were associated independently with the type of graft and the number of PTFE graft surgical revisions.
Association between Hemochromatosis Genotype and Lead Exposure among Elderly Men: The Normative Aging Study

Because body iron burden is inversely associated with lead absorption, genes associated with hemochromatosis may modify body lead burden. Our objective was to determine whether the C282Y and/or H63D hemochromatosis gene (HFE) is associated with body lead burden. Patella and tibia lead levels were measured by K X-ray fluorescence in subjects from the Normative Aging Study. DNA samples were genotyped for C282Y and H63D using polymerase chain reaction/restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR/RFLP). A series of multivariate linear regression models were constructed with bone or blood lead as dependent variables; age, smoking, and education as independent variables; and C282Y or H63D as independent risk factors and/or effect modifiers. Of 730 subjects, 94 (13%) carried the C282Y variant and 183 (25%) carried the H63D variant. In the crude analysis, mean tibia, patella, and blood lead levels were consistently lower in carriers of either HFE variant compared with levels in subjects with wild-type genotypes. In multivariate analyses that adjusted for age, smoking, and education, having an HFE variant allele was an independent predictor of significantly lower patella lead levels (p < 0.05). These data suggest that HFE variants have altered kinetics of lead accumulation after exposure. Among elderly men, subjects with HFE variants had lower patella lead levels. These effects may be mediated by alterations in lead toxicokinetics via iron metabolic pathways regulated by the HFE gene product and body iron stores.
Temperature control of pattern formation in the Ru(bpy)32+-catalyzed BZ-AOT system

Using temperature as a control parameter, we observe a transition from stationary Turing patterns at T = 15–20 °C to traveling waves at T = 50 °C (and above) in the Ru(bpy)32+-catalyzed Belousov–Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction incorporated into the water nanodroplets of a water-in-oil aerosol OT (AOT) microemulsion. At constant chemical composition, molar ratio and droplet fraction, the transition takes place via a series of stable patterns, including oscillatory Turing patterns (at 35–40 °C) and reversed oscillatory Turing patterns (at 50 °C). We attribute the pattern transitions to a temperature-induced percolation transition of the BZ-AOT microemulsion, implying a change from isolated water nanodroplets to a system-spanning network of water channels.
New species and records of ortholasmatine harvestmen from México, Honduras, and the western United States (Opiliones, Nemastomatidae, Ortholasmatinae)

The genus Trilasma Goodnight & Goodnight, 1942 is reinstated for Mexican ortholasmatines, and Cladolasma Suzuki, 1963 is reinstated for two species from Japan and Thailand, Cladolasma parvula Suzuki, comb. n. and Cladolasma angka (Schwendinger & Gruber), comb. n. Eight new species in the subfamily Ortholasmatinae Shear & Gruber, 1983 are described, as follows: Ortholasma colossus sp. n. is from California, Trilasma tempestado sp. n., Trilasma hidalgo sp. n., Trilasma trispinosum sp. n., Trilasma ranchonuevo sp. n., Trilasma petersprousei sp. n. and Trilasma chipinquensis, sp. n. are from Mexico, and Trilasma tropicum sp. n. from Honduras, the farthest south for a dyspnoan harvestman in the New World. A new distribution record for Martensolasma jocheni Shear 2006 is given. The recently described Upper Cretaceous amber fossil Halitherses grimaldii Giribet & Dunlop 2005 is not a member of the Ortholasmatinae, but is likely a troguloidean of an undiagnosed family.
A human imprinting centre demonstrates conserved acquisition but diverged maintenance of imprinting in a mouse model for Angelman syndrome imprinting defects

Prader –W illi syndrome (PWS) and Angelman syndrome (AS) are caused by the loss of imprinted gene expression from chromosome 15q11–q13. Imprinted gene expression in the region is regulated by a bipartite imprinting centre (IC), comprising the PWS-IC and the AS-IC. The PWS-IC is a positive regulatory element required for bidirectional activation of a number of paternally expressed genes. The function of the AS-IC appears to be to suppress PWS-IC function on the maternal chromosome through a methylation imprint acquired during female gametogenesis. Here we have placed the entire mouse locus under the control of a human PWS-IC by targeted replacement of the mouse PWS-IC with the equivalent human region. Paternal inheritance of the human PWS-IC demonstrates for the first time that a positive regulatory element in the PWS-IC has diverged. These mice show postnatal lethality and growth deficiency, phenotypes not previously attributed directly to the affected genes. Following maternal inheritance, the human PWS-IC is able to acquire a methylation imprint in mouse oocytes, suggesting that acquisition of the methylation imprint is conserved. However, the imprint is lost in somatic cells, showing that maintenance has diverged. This maternal imprinting defect results in expression of maternal Ube3a-as and repression of Ube3a in cis, providing evidence that Ube3a is regulated by its antisense and creating the first reported mouse model for AS imprinting defects.
Ulceration, unsteadiness, and uncertainty: the biomechanical consequences of diabetes mellitus

Diabetes mellitus, which results from a failure of the endocrine system to control blood glucose levels within normal limits, affects approximately 15% of the population over the age of 65 in developed countries. Between 20-50% of people with diabetes for more than 10 years will experience symmetrical distal sensory neuropathy resulting in a progressive, distal to proximal, loss of sensation in the lower extremities. The most common consequence is plantar ulceration that too often results in partial or total amputation of the foot. While neuropathy is a major permissive factor, plantar ulcers occur at locations of high plantar pressures. The measurement of pressure using tools developed and refined in the field of biomechanics has been shown to be a valuable asset to the management of the foot at risk for ulceration. In particular, the use of in-shoe measuring techniques has the potential to revolutionize the prescription of therapeutic footwear. Biomechanical techniques have also helped to evaluate other consequences of diabetic neuropathy on the foot such as callus formation, foot deformity, limited joint mobility and bony abnormalities. The reduction of afferent information from the lower extremities implies a lack of active feedback thought to be necessary for the control of human movements such as posture and gait. Our results show that diabetic neuropathy results in a significant increase in sway during standing that is not compensated for by other sensory systems. The study of the sagittal plane movements of the same individuals walking on a treadmill showed little effect on the kinematic control of gait when compared to age matched nonneuropathic control groups. This may indicate the dominance of efferent input over afferent feedback during gait. We believe that the study of the biomechanical consequences of diabetes can act as a model for many other diseases that have yet to come under the scrutiny of a multidisciplinary team.
Adventitial Expression of Recombinant eNOS Gene Restores NO Production in Arteries Without Endothelium

Abstract —The current study was designed to determine the effect of recombinant endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene expression on endothelium-dependent relaxations to bradykinin in isolated canine basilar, coronary, or femoral arteries. Arterial rings were exposed ex vivo (30 minutes at 37°C) to an adenoviral vector encoding either the eNOS gene (AdCMVeNOS) or the β-galactosidase reporter gene (AdCMVβ-Gal). Twenty-four hours after transduction, transgene expression was evident mainly in the adventitia. Expression of recombinant proteins was much higher in basilar arteries than in coronary or femoral arteries. Rings of control, AdCMVβ-Gal, and AdCMVeNOS arteries with and without endothelium were suspended for isometric tension recording. Levels of cGMP were measured by radioimmunoassay. In AdCMVeNOS basilar arteries with endothelium, relaxations to low concentrations of bradykinin (3×10−11 to 10−9 mol/L) were significantly augmented. In contrast, in coronary and femoral arteries with endothelium, AdCMVeNOS transduction did not affect relaxations to bradykinin. Removal of the endothelium abolished bradykinin-induced relaxations in control and AdCMVβ-Gal basilar arteries. However, in basilar arteries transduced with AdCMVeNOS even when the endothelium was removed, stimulation with bradykinin (3×10−11 to 10−9 mol/L) caused relaxations as well as increases in cGMP production. The relaxations to bradykinin were completely blocked by an NOS inhibitor, N G-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester. Electron microscopic analysis revealed that recombinant eNOS protein was expressed in fibroblasts of the basilar artery adventitia. These results suggest that genetically modified adventitial fibroblasts may restore production of NO in cerebral arteries without endothelium. Our findings support a novel concept in vascular biology that fibroblasts in the adventitia may play a role in the regulation of vascular tone after successful transfer and expression of recombinant eNOS gene.
Exploratory Analyses of Interindustrial Transaction Tables

The use of exploratory data analytical techniques to measure the relative strengths of interindustrial linkages, as well as changes over time in such linkages, is illustrated through the separate and joint examination of two 8 × 8 Yugoslavian interindustry flow matrices.
A Fungal Symbiont of the Redbay Ambrosia Beetle Causes a Lethal Wilt in Redbay and Other Lauraceae in the Southeastern United States

Fraedrich, S. W., Harrington, T. C., Rabaglia, R. J., Ulyshen, M. D., Mayfield, A. E., III, Hanula, J. L., Eickwort, J. M., and Miller, D. R. 2008. A fungal symbiont of the redbay ambrosia beetle causes a lethal wilt in redbay and other Lauraceae in the southeastern United States. Plant Dis. 92:215-224. Extensive mortality of redbay has been observed in the coastal plain counties of Georgia and southeastern South Carolina since 2003 and northeastern Florida since 2005. We show that the redbay mortality is due to a vascular wilt disease caused by an undescribed Raffaelea sp. that is a fungal symbiont of Xyleborus glabratus, an exotic ambrosia beetle. Trees affected by the disease exhibit wilt symptoms that include a black discoloration of the sapwood. Redbay trees and containerized seedlings died within 5 to 12 weeks after inoculation with the Raffaelea sp. When redbay seedlings were challenged with X. glabratus, the beetles tunneled into 96% of the plants, 70% died, and the Raffaelea sp. was recovered from 91%. X. glabratus and the Raffaelea sp. have also been associated with mortality of sassafras, and the Raffaelea sp. has been isolated from wilted pondberry and pondspice. Additional inoculation studies have shown that the Raffaelea sp. is pathogenic to sassafras, spicebush, and avocado, but not to red maple. Female adults of X. glabratus have paired mycangia near the mandibles, and the Raffaelea sp. is routinely isolated from the heads of beetles. The fungus is apparently introduced into healthy redbay during beetle attacks on stems and branches. The wilt currently affecting redbay and sassafras represents a major threat to other members of the Lauraceae indigenous to the Americas, including avocado in commercial production.
An implicit multigrid scheme for hypersonic strong-interaction flowfields

An implicit multigrid method for the compressible Navier-Stokes equations is applied to a series of two-dimensional, steady, laminar hypersonic flows over a compression ramp, including both attached and separated flow conditions. The algorithm uses upwind-biased differencing for the convective and pressure terms and central differencing for the shear-stress and heat-transfer terms. An implicit spatially factored scheme is used to advance the solution in terms on a given mesh, and a V-cycle multigrid strategy is used to accelerate convergence. The multigrid algorithm provided an order of magnitude decrease in the computational time required to obtain a converged position of the separation location and enabled a substantially grid-independent result to be obtained for each of the flows considered.