cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Therapist Self-Care

Developing healthy habits of self-care is essential to the work of psychotherapy. Self-care has been linked to decreased burnout and increased job satisfaction for therapists. It includes a holistic integration and as such should include cultivating healthy living habits in each the following six domains: maintaining balance, intrapersonal experiences, interpersonal relationships, the professional realm, physical health, and recreation. Keywords: burnout; ethics; health; morale; self-care; therapist well-being
6. Elastic properties and thermodynamics

Summary Recent data for solids with and without phase transitions were used to show how elastic moduli reflect fundamental properties of condensed matter. We demonstrated how measurements of the values and the temperature dependence of the elastic constants can contribute to a better understanding of the electronic structure and thermodynamics of solids.
Surface-Atmosphere Interactions on Titan

The solar system’s second-largest moon, Saturn’s satellite Titan, possesses a thick atmosphere rich in organics beneath which lies a surface whose character remains hidden. While the atmosphere was explored in fair detail during the Voyager 1 flyby of Titan in 1980, information about the surface has been scanty but growing through a suite of ground-based and Earth orbital data spanning the 15 years since Voyager. Ultimately the joint U.S.-European Cassini-Huygens missions will (hopefully) reveal the true nature of the surface. Whatever that nature may be, the mass and energy exchange between the surface and atmosphere is likely to be complex, probably comparable to that of the Earth prior to the origin of life. Titan’s surface-atmosphere system may provide us with a laboratory for studying the evolution of organic-rich but abiotic planetary evolution (Lunine and McKay, 1995).
Genome‐wide analysis of Agrobacterium T‐DNA integration sites in the Arabidopsis genome generated under non‐selective conditions

Previous work from numerous laboratories has suggested that integration of Agrobacterium tumefaciens T-DNA into the plant genome occurs preferentially in promoter or transcriptionally active regions. However, all of these studies were conducted on plants recovered from selective conditions requiring the expression of transgenes. The conclusions of these studies may therefore have been biased because of the selection of transformants. In this study, we investigated T-DNA integration sites in the Arabidopsis genome by analyzing T-DNA/plant DNA junctions generated under non-selective conditions. We found a relatively high frequency of T-DNA insertions in heterochromatic regions, including centromeres, telomeres and rDNA repeats. These T-DNA insertion regions are disfavored under selective conditions. The frequency with which T-DNA insertions mapped to exon, intron, 5' upstream and 3' downstream regions closely resembled their respective proportions in the Arabidopsis genome. Transcriptional profiling indicated that expression levels of T-DNA pre-integration target sites recovered using selective conditions were significantly higher than those of random Arabidopsis sequences, whereas expression levels of genomic sequences targeted by T-DNA under non-selective conditions were similar to those of random Arabidopsis sequences. T-DNA target sites identified using non-selective conditions did not correlate with DNA methylation status, suggesting that T-DNA integration occurs without regard to DNA methylation. Our results indicate that T-DNA integration may occur more randomly than previously indicated, and that selection pressure may shift the recovery of T-DNA insertions into gene-rich or transcriptionally active regions of chromatin.
NaI(Tl) ESCAPE-PEAK TO PHOTOPEAK RATIOS.

Abstract Escape-peak to photopeak ratios in NaI(Tl) have been measured using clean low-energy sources. For the case of good geometry, and using recent cross sections and fluorescence yields, Axel's expression gives values lower than observed. Monte Carlo results agree closely with experiment.
Design of a remote procedure call system for object-oriented distributed programming

This paper describes the design of an RPC system for building object-oriented distributed software systems. The general requirements for such a system are to provide mechanisms for supporting inheritance, polymorphism, dynamic binding, and modular development in implementing distributed software systems. This paper presents the functionalities of this RPC system to support these general requirements. It also briefly describes the experiences with two previous versions of this system and how they led to the design of the final system. This system was implemented as a part of the programming environment of the Nexus distributed operating system. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Aminoglycoside Antibiotics: Antibacterial Efficacy in Animal Models of Infection

The antibacterial efficacy of aminoglycoside antibiotics in animal models of experimental osteomyelitis, pneumonia, pyelonephritis, meningitis, endocarditis, and severe septicemia is examined. In addition, the correlation of in vivo efficacy of two-drug antibiotic combinations with their in vitro synergistic activity against a number of clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae is described in an animal model of severe klebsiella sepsis. In general, aminoglycoside antibiotics are not very effective when used alone for the treatment of experimental infections in the organ systems examined in this review. However, there is substantial evidence indicating that the effectiveness of other antimicrobial agents may be enhanced, as measured by more rapid bacterial killing or by increased survival, when given in combination with aminoglycosides. It was not possible to determine the precise importance of animal models of infection in evaluating the efficacy of aminoglycoside antibiotics in infections in humans. However, analysis of animal models has provided some guidelines for evaluating aminoglycosides in combination with other antibiotics for treatment of some infections in patients.
Feedback-induced muscle relaxation: Application to tension headache

Abstract This paper describes a technique for producing deep muscle relaxation by means of an information feedback technique—the subject hears a tone with a frequency proportional to the EMG level of the muscle being monitored. The new technique was applied to several tension headache patients—the first five individuals available for the study. With this ‘bio-feedback’ training in relaxation, the patients not only learned to produce low frontalis EMG levels but showed subsequent reductions in headache activity.
Discretized amplitudemodulated phase-only filter

Abstract The amplitude-modulated phase-only filter (AMPOF) effectively utilizes both amplitude and phase information to obtain a narrower and larger autocorrelation peak. To make it readily suitable for real-time target recognition applications, we consider discretizing both its amplitude and phase. Accordingly, both amplitude and phase of the AMPOF are ternerized to yield improved performance statistics of the correlator.
Logarithmic singularities of Q-dependent susceptibility of 2-D Ising model

Abstract Detailed results are presented on the logarithmic singularities of the correlation functions and the wave-vector dependent susceptibility in the two-dimensional Ising model near T c .
Active control of NITINOL‐reinforced composite beams

Considerable attention has been devoted recently to the utilization of the Shape Memory NIckel-TItanium alloy (NITINOL) in developing SMART composites that are capable of adapting intelligently to external disturbances (Ikegami et al. 1990, Rogers et al.1991, and Baz et al. 1990 and 1991). Such wide acceptance of NITINOL stems from its unique behavior when it is subjected to particular heating and cooling strategies. For example, the alloy becomes soft when it is cooled below its martensite transformation temperature and becomes about four times stiffer when it is heated above its austenite transformation temperature (Funakubo 1987). Furthermore, if the alloy is trained to have a particular shape while in its austenite phase, it will memorize this shape. If the alloy is then cooled to its martensite phase and subject to plastic deformation, it will return to its memorized shape when it is heated above the austenite transformation temperature. The phase transformation from martensite to austenite produces significant forces as the alloy recovers its original shape. The alloy acts as an actuator transforming thermal energy into mechanical energy (Perkins 1975 and Duerig et al. 1990). Accordingly, if the NITINOL fibers are embedded inside a composite matrix at optimal locations, they can be used to control the static and dynamic characteristics of the resulting SMART composite. The control action is generated by the described stiffening of the NITINOL fibers and/or the shape memory effect. With such built-in control capabilities, the performance of the SMART composites can be optimized and tailored to match changes in operating conditions.
jMOSAiCS: joint analysis of multiple ChIP-seq datasets

The ChIP-seq technique enables genome-wide mapping of in vivo protein-DNA interactions and chromatin states. Current analytical approaches for ChIP-seq analysis are largely geared towards single-sample investigations, and have limited applicability in comparative settings that aim to identify combinatorial patterns of enrichment across multiple datasets. We describe a novel probabilistic method, jMOSAiCS, for jointly analyzing multiple ChIP-seq datasets. We demonstrate its usefulness with a wide range of data-driven computational experiments and with a case study of histone modifications on GATA1-occupied segments during erythroid differentiation. jMOSAiCS is open source software and can be downloaded from Bioconductor [1].
Suspended sediments of the modern Amazon and Orinoco rivers

Abstract The Amazon and Orinoco Rivers are massive transcontinental conveyance systems for suspended sediment. They derive about 90% of their sediment from the Andes that support their western headwaters, transport it for thousands of kilometers across the breadth of the continent and deposit it in the coastal zones of the Atlantic. At their points of maximum suspended-sediment discharge, the Amazon transports an average of 1100–1300 × 10 6 tons per year and the Orinoco transports about 150 × 10 6 tons per year. Relations of sediment discharge to water discharge are complicated by unusual patterns of seasonal storage and remobilization, increased storage and reduced transport of sediment in the middle Orinoco during periods of peak water discharge, and storage of suspended sediment in the lower Amazon during rising discharge and resuspension during falling discharge. Spatial distributions of suspended sediment in cross-sections of both rivers are typically heterogeneous, not only in the vertical sense but also in the lateral. The cross-channel mixing of tributary inputs into the mainstem waters is a slow process that requires several hundred kilometers of downriver transport to complete. Considerable fine-grained sediment is exchanged between rivers and floodplains by the combination of overbank deposition and bank erosion.
Transport of polar and non-polar volatile compounds in polystyrene foam and oriented strand board

Transport of hexanal and styrene in polystyrene foam (PSF) and oriented strand board (OSB) was characterized. A microbalance was used to measure sorption/desorption kinetics and equilibrium data. While styrene transport in PSF can be described by Fickian diffusion with a symmetrical and reversible sorption/desorption process, hexanal transport in both PSF and OSB exhibited significant hysteresis, with desorption being much slower than sorption. A porous media diffusion model that assumes instantaneous local equilibrium governed by a nonlinear Freundlich isotherm was found to explain the hysteresis in hexanal transport. A new nonlinear sorption and porous diffusion emissions model was, therefore, developed and partially validated using independent chamber data. The results were also compared to the more conventional linear Fickian-diffusion emissions model. While the linear emissions model predicts styrene emissions from PSF with reasonable accuracy, it substantially underestimates the rate of hexanal emissions from OSB. Although further research and more rigorous validation is needed, the new nonlinear emissions model holds promise for predicting emissions of polar VOCs such as hexanal from porous building materials.
Native-Oxide-Confined High Index Contrast InAs Quantum-Dot Laser Diodes

In this paper, a native-oxide-confined HIC structure enabled by non-selective wet thermal oxidation, we have fabricated InAs QD LDs with improved performance (>40% decrease in threshold current density (Jth) and >40% increase in quantum efficiency (etad)) over HIC devices utilizing a deposited dielectric layer, thus demonstrating a simple, promising method for future QD LD fabrication.
Mass spectrometry-based cDNA profiling as a potential tool for human body fluid identification

Abstract Several mRNA markers have been exhaustively evaluated for the identification of human venous blood, saliva, and semen in forensic genetics. As new candidate human body fluid specific markers are discovered, evaluated, and reported in the scientific literature, there is an increasing trend toward determining the ideal markers for cDNA profiling of body fluids of forensic interest. However, it has not been determined which molecular genetics-based technique(s) should be utilized to assess the performance of these markers. In recent years, only a few confirmatory, mRNA/cDNA-based methods have been evaluated for applications in body fluid identification. The most frequently described methods tested to date include quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and capillary electrophoresis (CE). However these methods, in particular qPCR, often favor narrow multiplex PCR due to the availability of a limited number of fluorescent dyes/tags. In an attempt to address this technological constraint, this study explored matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) for human body fluid identification via cDNA profiling of venous blood, saliva, and semen. Using cDNA samples at 20pg input phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (PGK1) amounts, body fluid specific markers for the candidate genes were amplified in their corresponding body fluid (i.e., venous blood, saliva, or semen) and absent in the remaining two (100% specificity). The results of this study provide an initial indication that MALDI-TOF MS is a potential fluorescent dye-free alternative method for body fluid identification in forensic casework. However, the inherent issues of low amounts of mRNA, and the damage caused to mRNA by environmental exposures, extraction processes, and storage conditions are important factors that significantly hinder the implementation of cDNA profiling into forensic casework.
Low-frequency Raman modes of the single-molecule magnets Mn 12 -acetate and Fe 8 Br 8 and their analogs

We report a $150--2000{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ Raman study of the single-molecule magnets ${\mathrm{Mn}}_{12}{\mathrm{O}}_{12}$-acetate $({\mathrm{Mn}}_{12}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{Ac}),$ deuterated ${\mathrm{Mn}}_{12}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{Ac},$ ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{8}{\mathrm{Br}}_{8},$ ${\mathrm{O}}^{17}$-labeled ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{8}{\mathrm{Br}}_{8},$ ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{8}{\mathrm{Br}}_{6.4}({\mathrm{ClO}}_{4}{)}_{1.6},$ and ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{8}{\mathrm{Br}}_{4}({\mathrm{ClO}}_{4}{)}_{4},$ all with a high-spin ground state of $S=10.$ Raman spectra of ${\mathrm{Mn}}_{8}{\mathrm{Fe}}_{4},$ isostructural with ${\mathrm{Mn}}_{12}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{Ac}$ but with $S=2,$ were essentially similar to those of ${\mathrm{Mn}}_{12}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{Ac},$ thus ruling out the role of spin modes in this frequency range. The observed Raman modes at 287, 646, and $684{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ are in reasonable agreement with the earlier reported density functional calculations of these modes and might thus be taken to support a proposed model of magnetic anisotropy of ${\mathrm{Mn}}_{12}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{Ac}.$ Raman modes of the ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{8}{\mathrm{Br}}_{8}$ system were assigned using small model compounds and measurements with polarized laser radiation, as well as ${}^{17}\mathrm{O}$ isotopic labeling. Small but significant shifts in several mode frequencies have been detected in ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{8}{\mathrm{Br}}_{8}$ upon ${\mathrm{ClO}}_{4}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ substitution of ${\mathrm{Br}}^{\ensuremath{-}},$ which might be helpful in future electronic structure calculations.
Regulation of cellular infiltration into tissue engineering scaffolds composed of submicron diameter fibrils produced by electrospinning

Abstract We characterize the infiltration of interstitial cells into tissue engineering scaffolds prepared with electrospun collagen, electrospun gelatin, electrospun poly(glycolic) acid (PGA), electrospun poly(lactic) acid (PLA), and an electrospun PGA/PLA co-polymer. Electrospinning conditions were optimized to produce non-woven tissue engineering scaffolds composed of individual fibrils less than 1000 nm in diameter. Each of these materials was then electrospun into a cylindrical construct with a 2 mm inside diameter with a wall thickness of 200–250 μm. Electrospun scaffolds of collagen were rapidly, and densely, infiltrated by interstitial and endothelial cells when implanted into the interstitial space of the rat vastus lateralis muscle. Functional blood vessels were evident within 7 days. In contrast, implants composed of electrospun gelatin or the bio-resorbable synthetic polymers were not infiltrated to any great extent and induced fibrosis. Our data suggests that topographical features, unique to the electrospun collagen fibril, promote cell migration and capillary formation.
Changes in T-lymphocyte subpopulations and natural killer cells following exposure to ambient levels of nitrogen dioxide.

The effects of ambient levels of NO2 on murine splenic T‐lymphocyte subpopulations and natural killer cells were investigated. AKR/cum and C57BL/6) mice were exposed, in inhalation chambers, to 0.25 ppm NO2 for 7 wk and 0.35 ppm NO3 for 12 wk, respectively. Monoclonal antibody technology was used in conjunction with fluorescence‐activated cell sorter (FACS) analysis to detect quantitative changes in total T‐lymphocytes (Thy‐1.2‐positive), mature T‐lymphocytes (Lyt‐1‐positive), T‐helperlin‐ducer lymphocytes (L3T4‐positive), T‐cytotoxic/suppressor lymphocytes (Lyt‐2‐positive), and natural killer cells (asialo GM1‐positive). Percentages of all T‐lymphocyte subpopulations tested and natural killer cells were lower in spleens of mice exposed to NO2 compared to filtered‐air controls. This is the first report providing evidence linking alterations in T‐lymphocyte subpopulations and natural killer cells to NO2 exposure at ambient levels. Changes in T‐lymphocyte subpopulations detected by FACS and correlated to im...
Cytological evidence for catecholamine‐containing sensory cells bordering the ventricle of the toad hypothalamus

A laminar group of catecholamine-containing cells bordering the infundibular recess of the toad hypothalamus has been studied by both fluorescence histochemical and electron microscopic methods. The perikarya of these cells form up to ten layers beneath the ependymal lining and send stout apical processes between the ependymal cells into the ventricle where they terminate as bulbous expansions. These cells fluoresce yellow-green when studied by the method of Falck and Hillarp, indicating the presence of catecholamines. The fluorescence intensity is consistently greater in the bulbous ventricular endings than in the cell bodies and is greater in males than in females except when ovulation is induced. Electron microscopy shows that the ventricular bulb, apical process and cell body contain three distinctive cytoplasmic components: a population of dense cored vesicles (700 to 1500 A in diameter), large aggregates of clear vesicles (440 to 600 A in diameter) and mitochondria filled with crystalline inclusions. The nucleus is prominently lobulated. A slender process also extends from the base of the cell into the underlying neuropil; this basal process, however, contains only microtubules, a few vesicles of both types and a few mitochondria. The basal, lateral and apical surfaces of the cells form many synapses with neighboring processes. By and large these junctions are somatodendritic and are characterized by accumulations of either clear or a mixture of clear and dense cored vesiles against the perikaryal membrane. Axosomatic synapses in contrast occur only infrequently. The cytological characteristics of the cells suggest that their primary function may be to detect compounds in the cerebrospinal fluid and relay this information to neighboring neurons via the somatodendritic synapses.
Alanine transaminase has opposite associations with death from diabetes and ischemic heart disease in NHANES III

Abstract Purpose Diabetes increases the risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD). Stringent control of diabetes does not reliably reduce cardiovascular events. Some global regions, such as East Asia, have low mortality rates from IHD and high rates of diabetes. We hypothesized that some aspects of liver function might underlie this paradox. Methods We used multivariable proportional hazards regression in 16,865 adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) III (1988–1994) followed until December 31, 2006, to assess the adjusted associations of gender-specific tertiles of alanine transaminase (ALT), as a marker of hepatocellular damage, and bilirubin (BIL), as a marker of other aspects of liver function, with death from diabetes (n = 132), IHD related to diabetes (n = 153), and IHD unrelated to diabetes (n = 921). Results ALT was positively associated with death from diabetes (hazard ratio [HR], 2.17; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.19–3.98 for high compared with low ALT tertile) and IHD related to diabetes (HR, 2.14; 95% CI, 1.07–4.31), but negatively associated with IHD unrelated to diabetes (HR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.58–0.98) adjusted for age, gender, education, race/ethnicity, smoking, and alcohol use. BIL had no such associations. Conclusions ALT may be a marker of an underlying etiology relating to the paradoxical associations of diabetes and IHD at a population level.
Targeting the Nogo Receptor to Treat Central Nervous System Injuries

Axonal damage is a key pathology in many injuries of the central nervous system (CNS), such as spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury and stroke, as well as in multiple sclerosis. An attractive drug discovery strategy to treat such conditions is to search for agents that promote CNS axonal regeneration. Historically, limited knowledge concerning the basis of poor CNS regeneration has precluded a rational drug discovery approach for promoting axonal regeneration. The recent identification of the Nogo receptor, which interacts with inhibitory myelin protein, established the crucial role of this molecular pathway in mediating the inhibitory effects of CNS myelin. This provides an unprecedented opportunity to manipulate adult CNS axonal regeneration. The development of therapeutics targeting the Nogo receptor has the potential to promote functional recovery and reverse the devastating consequences of CNS injuries.
A lisp-language Mathematica-to-lisp translator

Wide distribution of the computer algebra system Mathematica has encouraged numerous programmers, researchers and educators to produce libraries of programs in its special language, for incorporation as "packages" into Mathematica systems. Although some features of the language are quite interesting, some authors have found that for their purposes the Mathematica proprietary computer program has problematical and difficult-to-alter semantics. Therefore certain kinds of experiments and developments are necessarily inconvenient. An initial step in opening up such user-written libraries to re-use is an independent re-implementation of the language via a non-proprietary parser. In principle, this allows other implementations of semantics, as well as experiments in data representation, while still using the language basically as described in the Mathematica references. We describe a parser written in Common Lisp, a language which is appropriate for three reasons: (1) It is a standard and has wide distribution; (2) It supports numerous useful features including automatic storage allocation and garbage collection, arbitrary-precision integers, and tools for lexical scanning of languages; and (3) Lisp is the host language for several algebraic manipulation systems whose subroutines may be of some interest for programmers implementing alternative semantics.
Communication paradigms for sensor networks

When compared with now classical MANETs, sensor networks have different characteristics, and present different design and engineering challenges. One of the main aspects of sensor networks is that the solutions tend to be very application-specific. For this reason, a layered view like the one used in OSI imposes a large penalty, and implementations more geared toward the particular are desirable. This survey presents the three main paradigms for communication in ad hoc networks and discusses their applicability for routing, querying, and discovery. We conclude that the node-centric approach, although the oldest and best understood, is not the most appropriate for large-size low-energy application-specific sensor networks.
Lovastatin and Rhabdomyolysis

Excerpt To the Editor:Lovastatin, an inhibitor of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase, the rate-limiting enzyme in cholesterol biosynthesis, lowers serum cholesterol in both familial (1...
Query processing in main memory database management systems

Most previous work in the area of main memory database systems has focused on the problem of developing query processing techniques that work well with a very large buffer pool. In this paper, we address query processing issues for memory resident relational databases, an environment with a very different set of costs and priorities. We present an architecture for a main memory DBMS, discussing the ways in which a memory resident database differs from a disk-based database. We then address the problem of processing relational queries in this architecture, considering alternative algorithms for selection, projection, and join operations and studying their performance. We show that a new index structure, the T Tree, works well for selection and join processing in memory resident databases. We also show that hashing methods work well for processing projections and joins, and that an old join method, sort-merge, still has a place in main memory.
F-Actin has Slow Dynamics and Concerted Movement as Indicated by H/D Exchange Rate Mapping

We are investigating local dynamics within F- and G-actin by the method of Hydrogen-Deuterium Exchange-MS rate mapping. G-actin studies are underway, and F-actin results are near completion. Using extended time courses, we find HDX transitions that reveal new and unexpected insight into the properties of F-actin. Virtually all actin residues assessed so far are near one or the other extreme - very fast dynamics for ∼ 25% of actin, or very slow dynamics for the remainder. Thus, the majority of the actin monomer exhibits very high protection from exchange, indicating a highly stabile character. The extent of HDX was flat and unchanging between 30 and 600 s of D2O exposure, consistent with published work of Stokasimov and Rubenstein. The new results, examining longer D2O exposures for the first time, show that HDX rose very notably between 600 s and 3600 s. Interestingly, the kinetics are very similar in the many peptides, and a single rate constant can fit transitions in almost the entire set of peptides. The observed rate of 3 x 10-4 s-1 implies high local folding stability, with a protection factor of ∼ 100,000-fold. This suggests that part of the actin monomer is very tightly folded except for a low probability global movement that facilitates exchange in many areas of actin. The current work shows that F-actin is amenable to study by examination of HDX rates, shows that F-actin dynamic mapping can reveal new insight into actin's properties, and provides a basis for further study in the presence of other proteins such as tropomyosin.
Economic impacts of adjacency and green-up constraints on timber production at a landscape scale

Abstract Although many different forest certification standards exist, harvest adjacency and green-up regulations are common to most certifying bodies. This study develops a means for evaluating trade-offs associated with implementation of n th-order adjacency and green-up constraints on a 1.7 million ha landscape in Oregon in the US. Depending on the type of adjacency structure and delay between harvests, the opportunity cost of the restrictions, estimated by the change in discounted sum of producer and consumer surplus in the regional log market, ranged from 0.25% to 66% (or US $60 million to $15.3 billion) of the unconstrained value. Increasing green-up delays beyond 30–40 years had little effect on estimated opportunity cost of the modeled restrictions.
Human efficiency for recognizing and detecting low-pass filtered objects.

Abstract Recently, Tjan, Braje, Legge and Kersten [(1995) Vision Research, 35, 3053–3069] found that human efficiency for object recognition was less than 10%, indicating that humans fail to use much of the information available to an ideal observer. We examine two explanations for these low efficiencies: (1) humans are inefficient in using high spatial-frequency information; and (2) humans are inefficient in detecting image samples. We tested the first possibility by measuring human efficiency for recognizing low-pass filtered objects, rendered as line drawings and silhouettes, in luminance noise. Efficiency did not improve when high frequencies were removed, and the first explanation was rejected. We tested the second explanation by comparing efficiencies for object detection and recognition. Recognition efficiency was higher than detection efficiency for silhouettes but not line drawings, showing that detection efficiency does not place a ceiling on recognition effiency. The results indicate that human vision is designed to extract image features, such as contours, that enhance recognition. A computer simulation suggests that this can occur if the observer views the world through a band-pass spatial-frequency channel.
Changing Minds, Changing Brains

Measures of brain function are used today in many areas of psychological research, and developmental psychology is no exception. The infusion of cognitive neuroscience into psychology has been met variably with enthusiasm, skepticism, and opposition. The most productive attitude towards this sea change, I maintain, consists of a healthy dose of both enthusiasm and skepticism [see also Kagan, 2006]. The business of a developmental psychologist is to understand age-related changes in cognition, but measures of overt behavior alone do not provide a complete account of mental processes. Below, I discuss four ways in which neuroscientific methods, like noninvasive brain-imaging techniques, can complement behavioral techniques in the study of the developing mind [for a summary of these and other neuroscientific techniques, see Bunge & Kahn, 2008]. First, neuroscientific methods can provide a deeper mechanistic understanding of developmental changes in behavior. Do we perform a particular task better as adults than as children because of increased efficiency of one or more cognitive processes? If so, children and adults should recruit the same brain network while performing this task, but adults should engage it less strongly. Or, do we perform the task better as adults because an additional, or different, cognitive process is involved? If so, adults should engage additional or distinct brain regions with respect to children. Second, even in the absence of substantial behavioral changes, neuroscientific methods can uncover informative changes in brain function. On the basis of the unexpected finding that children engaged the left frontal lobe whereas adults involved the right frontal lobe while performing a cognitive task, we hypothesized that children adopted a verbal strategy, whereas adults adopted a visuospatial strategy. We subsequently obtained behavioral evidence for this brain-based prediction. Another example of changes in brain function without large changes in behavior comes from the aging literature. Older adults exhibit bilateral frontal activation on tasks for which younger adults recruit only the left or right frontal cortex [Bunge et al., 2002]. Thus, older adults achieve similar levels of performance to younger adults by recruiting additional brain regions.
Novel bimodal bifunctional ligands for radioimmunotherapy and targeted MRI.

The structurally novel bifunctional ligands C-NETA and C-NE3TA, each possessing both acyclic and macrocyclic moieties, were prepared and evaluated as potential chelates for radioimmunotherapy (RIT) and targeted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Heptadentate C-NE3TA was fortuitously discovered during the preparation of C-NETA. An optimized synthetic method to C-NETA and C-NE3TA including purification of the polar and tailing reaction intermediates, tert-butyl C-NETA (2) and tert-butyl C-NE3TA (3) using semiprep HPLC was developed. The new Gd(III) complexes of C-NETA and C-NE3TA were prepared as contrast enhancement agents for use in targeted MRI. The T1 relaxivity data indicate that Gd(C-NETA) and Gd(C-NE3TA) possess higher relaxivity than Gd(C-DOTA), a bifunctional version of a commercially available MRI contrast agent; Gd(DOTA). C-NETA and C-NE3TA were radiolabeled with 177Lu, 90Y, 203Pb, 205/6Bi, and 153Gd; and in vitro stability of the radiolabeled corresponding complexes was assessed in human serum. T...
Effects of Surface Ice Roughness on Dynamic Stall

A two-dimensional Navier-Stokes algorithm is used to investigate unsteady, incompressible viscous flow past an airfoil leading edge with surface roughness that is characteristic of early-growth ice accretion. The roughness is added to the surface through the use of a Prandtl transposition and can generate both small-scale and large-scale roughness geometries. The algorithm is used to simulate steady or unsteady flow at constant angle of attack or pitch up corresponding to dynamic-stall conditions. Investigations of the dynamic stall show that some types of surface roughness can significantly alter the unsteady flow separation pattern and the formation of the dynamic-stall vortex. This includes both small-scale and large-scale roughness
Structure of hemicellulosic polysaccharides of Avena sativa coleoptile cell walls

Abstract The glycosidic linkage compositions of intact and, in some cases, enzyme-degraded polysaccharides extracted from the cell walls of oat coleoptiles and subsequently purified have been examined. A major component is shown to be a glucuronoarabinoxylan similar in structure to those described for a variety of other monocots. The noncellulosic glucan component is a β-linked polymer containing both 1,4- and 1,3-linked glucosyl residues in a ratio of 2 to 1. Analysis of the oligosaccharide produced by ‘lichenase’ digestion of this β-glucan suggests that the the 1,3- and 1,4-glucosyl linkages repeat in regular fashion. A small amount of xyloglucan polysaccharides like those described for cell walls of dicots was also detected.
A new Neotropic genus of Pyxidicerini (Coleoptera: Pselaphidae)

The pselaphid beetle tribe Pyxidicerini in the neotropics is redefined to include genera with eleven antennomeres and without maxillary fossae. The genera Barroeuplectoides, Tuberoplectus (formerly Euplectini) and Ocabajara n.gen. are placed in the tribe on the basis of sternal, tarsal and abdominal characteristics which are identical to those of Bythinoplectus.
Integrative Social Contract Theory and Urban Prosperity Initiatives

Urban communities in 21st century America are facing severe economic challenges, ones that suggest a mandate to contemplate serious changes in the way America does business. The middle class is diminishing in many parts of the country, with consequences for the economy as a whole. When faced with the loss of its economic base, any business community must make some difficult decisions about its proper role and responsibilities. Decisions to support the community must be balanced alongside and against responsibilities to owners, shareholders and relevant “stakeholders” in a relatively new context. Corporations in urban communities “hollowed out” by white flight or urban sprawl must decide what level of support they can and should provide. This paper examines corporate decisions within the emerging urban prosperity initiatives, using the framework of integrative social contract theory proposed by Donaldson and Dunfee. We suggest that urban prosperity initiatives present a mandate on corporations sufficiently strong as to qualify as an authentic norm. Further, we argue that strict adherence to a corporate bottom line approach or “corporate isolationism” is not congruent with contemporary community standards.
Statistical Analysis of High-Cycle Fatigue Behavior of Friction Stir Welded AA5083-H321

A review of the literature revealed that high-cycle fatigue data associated with friction stir-welded (FSW) joints of AA5083-H321 (a solid-solution-strengthened and strain-hardened/stabilized Al-Mg-Mn alloy) are characterized by a relatively large statistical scatter. This scatter is closely related to the intrinsic variability of the FSW process and to the stochastic nature of the workpiece material microstructure/properties as well as to the surface condition of the weld. Consequently, the use of statistical methods and tools in the analysis of FSW joints is highly critical. A three-step FSW-joint fatigue-strength/life statistical-analysis procedure is proposed in this study. Within the first step, the type of the most appropriate probability distribution function is identified. The parameters of the selected probability distribution function, along with their confidence limits, are computed in the second step. In the third step, a procedure is developed for assessment of the statistical significance of the effect of the FSW process parameters and fatigue specimen surface conditions. The procedure is then applied to a set of stress-amplitude versus number of cycles to failure experimental data in which the tool translational speed was varied over four levels, while the fatigue specimen surface condition was varied over two levels. The results obtained showed that a two-parameter weibull distribution function with its scale factor being dependent on the stress amplitude is the most appropriate choice for the probability distribution function. In addition, it is found that, while the tool translational speed has a first-order effect on the AA5083-H321 FSW-joint fatigue strength/life, the effect of the fatigue specimen surface condition is less pronounced.
Ice Water Path Estimation and Characterization Using Passive Microwave Radiometry

Model computations of top-of-atmospheric microwave brightness temperatures T(B) from layers of precipitation-sized ice of variable bulk density and ice water content (IWC) are presented. It is shown that the 85-GHz T(B) depends essentially on the ice optical thickness. The results demonstrate the potential usefulness of scattering-based channels for characterizing the ice phase and suggest a top-down methodology for retrieval of cloud vertical structure and precipitation estimation from multifrequency passive microwave measurements. Attention is also given to radiative transfer model results based on the multiparameter radar data initialization from the Cooperative Huntsville Meteorological Experiment (COHMEX) in northern Alabama. It is shown that brightness temperature warming effects due to the inclusion of a cloud liquid water profile are especially significant at 85 GHz during later stages of cloud evolution.
Use of a geographic information system data base to measure and evaluate wetland changes in the St. Marys River, Michigan

A digital data base was constructed by photo interpretation, mapping, and digitizing seven dates of aerial photography on the St. Marys River, Michigan, USA. The data base was used in conjunction with geographic information system software to examine historical changes in wetland area. Total wetland area between 1939 and 1985 ranged from 7 200 to 7 317 ha over a 46-year period of high and low water. There was greatest variation in areas of emergent wetland and scrub-shrub wetland, which appeared to be responding primarily to changes in water level.
Determination of Infectious Load of Mycoplasma genitalium in Clinical Samples of Human Vaginal Cells

Mycoplasma genitalium is a leading cause of chlamydia-negative, nongonoccocal urethritis and has been directly implicated in numerous other genitourinary as well as extragenitourinary tract pathologies. Detection of M. genitalium has relied almost entirely on PCR amplification of clinical specimens and evidence of seroconversion since these mycoplasmas are highly fastidious and culture isolation by microbiological techniques is very rare. We have established a combinatorial strategy using confocal immunoanalysis (CIA) and real-time PCR to qualitatively and quantitatively assess patterns of M. genitalium infection in women attending a sexually transmitted disease-related health clinic in San Antonio, Tex. CIA allows spatial examination of mycoplasmas on surfaces and inside human target cells, plus the ability to evaluate cell-to-cell patterns and variances within samples. Real-time PCR permits determination of genome copy numbers of mycoplasmas and human cells by multiplex amplification using mycoplasma gyrA and human RNase P gene sequences, which indicates overall levels of mycoplasma infection and degree of parasitism. These assays are strongly correlated and, in combination, permit detection and elucidation of heretofore-unrecognized patterns of M. genitalium infections in clinical and experimental samples.
Mosaic organization of a mitochondrial gene: evidence from double mutants in the cytochrome b region of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Abstract The region coding for apocytochrome b in the mitochondrial genome of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is believed to exhibit a mosaic organization, consisting in certain strains of five exons and four introns. This model can be tested by the use of double mutants, each containing two physically, genetically and phenotypically defined mit − lesions in cis, (that is, in the same mitochondrial chromosome). Such mutants have been constructed, and the phenotypes of several examples of each of the four possible classes—exon-exon, exon-intron (downstream), intron (upstream)-exon and intron-intron—have been examined. Our results have shown that upstream mutations are always epistatic to downstream ones for polypeptide products, and that regulation of expression of cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 by introns is epistatic regardless of position. These findings have provided an independent verification of the mosaic model, and also suggest that at least the majority of novel polypeptides accumulating in intron mutants are hybrid products that contain sequences of the wild-type polypeptide.
Efficient short-term scheduling of refinery operations based on a continuous time formulation

The problem addressed in this work is to develop a comprehensive mathematical programming model for the efficient scheduling of oil-refinery operations. Our approach is first to decompose the overall problem spatially into three domains: the crude-oil unloading and blending, the production unit operations and the product blending and delivery. In particular, the first problem involves the crude-oil unloading from vessels, its transfer to storage tanks and the charging schedule for each crude-oil mixture to the distillation units. The second problem consists of the production unit scheduling which includes both fractionation and reaction processes and the third problem describes the finished product blending and shipping end of the refinery. Each of those sub-problems is modeled and solved in a most efficient way using continuous time representation to take advantage of the relatively smaller number of variables and constraints compared to discrete time formulation. The proposed methodology is applied to realistic case studies and significant computational savings can be achieved compared with existing approaches.
Constitutively Active Inflammasome in Human Melanoma Cells Mediating Autoinflammation via Caspase-1 Processing and Secretion of Interleukin-1β

Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) is a pleiotropic cytokine promoting inflammation, angiogenesis, and tissue remodeling as well as regulation of immune responses. Although IL-1β contributes to growth and metastatic spread in experimental and human cancers, the molecular mechanisms regulating the conversion of the inactive IL-1β precursor to a secreted and active cytokine remains unclear. Here we demonstrate that NALP3 inflammasome is constitutively assembled and activated with cleavage of caspase-1 in human melanoma cells. Late stage human melanoma cells spontaneously secrete active IL-1β via constitutive activation of the NALP3 inflammasome and IL-1 receptor signaling, exhibiting a feature of autoinflammatory diseases. Unlike human blood monocytes, these melanoma cells require no exogenous stimulation. In contrast, NALP3 functionality in intermediate stage melanoma cells requires activation of the IL-1 receptor to secrete active IL-1β; cells from an early stage of melanoma require stimulation of the IL-1 receptor plus the co-stimulant muramyl dipeptide. The spontaneous secretion of IL-1β from melanoma cells was reduced by inhibition of caspase-1 or the use of small interfering RNA directed against ASC. Supernatants from melanoma cell cultures enhanced macrophage chemotaxis and promoted in vitro angiogenesis, both prevented by pretreating melanoma cells with inhibitors of caspases-1 and -5 or IL-1 receptor blockade. These findings implicate IL-1-mediated autoinflammation as contributing to the development and progression of human melanoma and suggest that inhibiting the inflammasome pathway or reducing IL-1 activity can be a therapeutic option for melanoma patients.