cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CRITICA: coding region identification tool invoking comparative analysis

Gene recognition is essential to understanding existing and future DNA sequence data. CRITICA (Coding Region Identification Tool Invoking Comparative Analysis) is a suite of programs for identifying likely protein-coding sequences in DNA by combining comparative analysis of DNA sequences with more common noncomparative methods. In the comparative component of the analysis, regions of DNA are aligned with related sequences from the DNA databases; if the translation of the aligned sequences has greater amino acid identity than expected for the observed percentage nucleotide identity, this is interpreted as evidence for coding. CRITICA also incorporates noncomparative information derived from the relative frequencies of hexanucleotides in coding frames versus other contexts (i.e., dicodon bias). The dicodon usage information is derived by iterative analysis of the data, such that CRITICA is not dependent on the existence or accuracy of coding sequence annotations in the databases. This independence makes the method particularly well suited for the analysis of novel genomes. CRITICA was tested by analyzing the available Salmonella typhimurium DNA sequences. Its predictions were compared with the DNA sequence annotations and with the predictions of GenMark. CRITICA proved to be more accurate than GenMark, and moreover, many of its predictions that would seem to be errors instead reflect problems in the sequence databases. The source code of CRITICA is freely available by anonymous FTP (rdp.life.uiuc.edu in/pub/critica) and on the World Wide Web (http:/(/)rdpwww.life.uiuc.edu).
ESR Imaging of Tracer Translational Diffusion in Polystyrene Solutions and Swollen Networks

The translational diffusion coefficients of a small paramagnetic molecule (the deuteriated nitroxide PDTEMPONE) as tracer were measured in solutions of polystyrene (PS) in toluene and dimethylformamide (DMF) and in cross-linked polystyrene (cPS) networks swollen by the same solvents, using two-dimensional spatial−spectral electron spin resonance imaging (2D ESRI). PS solutions containing 30, 40, and 50 w/w % polymer were examined in toluene at 300, 305, 310, and 315 K and in DMF at 300 K. PS networks prepared with 0.5, 1.0, 2.5, and 5.0 mol % divinylbenzene as cross-linker were swollen in toluene or DMF and studied at 300 K. Two-dimensional images describing the distribution of the diffusant in the sample were reconstructed from a complete set of projections obtained as a function of the magnetic field gradient applied along the symmetry axis of the sample. The concentration profile of the diffusant at a given time was obtained by integrating absorption ESR spectra in slices perpendicular to the spatial a...
Alterations in Lateral Left Ventricular Wall Transmural Strains During Acute Circumflex and Anterior Descending Coronary Occlusion

Background Increased circumferential-radial shear in the midlateral left ventricle adjacent to ischemic myocardium has been observed during acute midcircumflex ischemia in open-chest animals. Extending this work, we studied transmural strains in closed-chest animals during acute proximal–circumflex (pCX) and proximal–left anterior descending (pLAD) occlusions. Methods Six sheep had radiopaque markers implanted to silhouette the left ventricle and measure regional systolic fractional area shortening; three transmural bead columns were inserted into the midlateral wall for transmural myocardial strain analysis. After 8 weeks, three-dimensional marker coordinates were obtained using biplane videofluoroscopy, both before and during separate 1-minute pLAD and pCX balloon occlusions. Systolic strains were assessed along circumferential, longitudinal, and radial axes, and then transformed into fiber strains using quantitative microstructural measurements. Results Acute pLAD occlusion and pCX occlusion caused similar hemodynamic insults. Systolic fractional area shortening revealed that the beads were in the ischemic territory during pCX occlusion, but adjacent to the ischemic myocardium during pLAD occlusion. Transmural circumferential strain and fiber shortening fell in the ischemic region during pCX occlusion, but remained normal when adjacent to the ischemic myocardium during pLAD occlusion. Circumferential-radial shear strain increased in the lateral left ventricle during pCX occlusion, but reversed in this same region during pLAD occlusion. Longitudinal-radial shear also decreased during pLAD occlusion. Conclusions Reversal of lateral wall circumferential-radial shear and decreased longitudinal-radial shear during acute pLAD occlusion reflects altered mechanical interaction between ischemic and nonischemic myocardium. Increased circumferential-radial shear during pCX occlusion also reflects mechanical interaction. The direction of circumferential-radial shear deformation depends on the location of the adjacent ischemic territory.
Hormones, Stress, and Cognition: The Effects of Glucocorticoids and Oxytocin on Memory

Hormones have nuanced effects on learning and memory processes. The degree and direction of the effect (e.g., is memory impaired or enhanced?) depends on the dose, type and stage of memory, and type of material being learned, among other factors. This review will focus on two specific topics within the realm of effects of hormones on memory: (1) How glucocorticoids (the output hormones of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis) affect long-term memory consolidation, retrieval, and working memory, with a focus on neural mechanisms and effects of emotion; and (2) How oxytocin affects memory, with emphasis on a speculative hypothesis that oxytocin might exert its myriad effects on human social cognition and behavior via impacts on more general cognitive processes. Oxytocin-glucocorticoid interactions will be briefly addressed. These effects of hormones on memory will also be considered from an evolutionary perspective.
Dispersion flattened transmission line consisting of wide-band non-zero dispersion shifted fiber and dispersion compensating fiber module

Abstract The transmission line consisting of non-zero dispersion shifted fibers (NZ–DSFs) and dispersion compensating fiber (DCF) modules has been proposed to enable the wide-band wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) transmission. The NZ–DSFs with the effective area over 60 μm2 and the dispersion of +5–11 ps/nm/km (1500–1600 nm) have been developed to suppress the transmission penalty caused by the four-wave mixing. The DCF modules which compensate for the dispersion and the dispersion slope simultaneously have also been realized. To enhance the figure of merit (FOM) of the DCF by enlarging the absolute value of its dispersion is found to be an effective way to reduce the non-linear effects occuring in the DCF. The transmission line actually fabricated based on the optimized design exhibits an extremely low dispersion deviation of ±0.08 ps/nm/km in the C band.
Thermogravimetric analysis of poly(ethylene terephthalate) treated with polymeric bromine compounds

Abstract The thermal oxidative degradation of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) both topically treated and radiation grafted with poly(bromostyrene) (PBS), poly(vinyl bromide) (PVB) and poly(vinylidene bromide) (PVDB) has been studied by non-isothermal thermogravimetry. Activation energies were calculated from the data according to the isoconversional method of Flynn, along with regression coefficients of the compensation effect plots. It is shown that these bromo polymers have only marginal effects upon the condensed-phase fuel producing reactions and are dependent upon the structure of the brominated polymer and its method of incorporation into PET.
Ultrafiltration monitor and automatic controller

Abstract An apparatus for automatic regulation and monitoring of ultrafiltration during artificial kidney treatment has been constructed on the basis first described in 1967 (Bier et al., A.S.A.I.O . 13 , 227, 1967). Two concentric reservoirs, for fresh and spent dialyzate, respectively, are suspended from a balancing beam, capable of automatic taring. Circulation through the kidney is maintained by a positive displacement pump, and negative pressure regulated by a valve. The dialyzate flows through the kidney in a closed loop; the net weight of the two reservoirs does not change unless there is gain or loss of water across the membranes in the kidney. This is registered by the balancing beam, causing an impulse pump to reestablish the equilibrium of the beam. The desired rate of ultrafiltration can be preselected, and a feedback mechanism will adjust automatically the valve regulating the negative pressure, maintaining the desired rate. The sensitivity of the apparatus is 0·1 ml of ultrafiltration per min, which is probably in excess of even the most critical clinical needs. Rustrack recorders register continuously the rate of ultrafiltration and the negative pressure, while a totalizer gives a digital measure of total ultrafiltration from beginning of run.
How Should Refractory Ventricular Tachycardia Be Treated

I can see it now. In a soon to be released major motion picture, Q will present to James Bond a gunlike device that, when pointed at a victim, will silently produce ventricular tachycardia. Death will be ascribed to a heart attack, and no evidence of Agent 007’s well known license to kill will be found. Actually a gun to induce ventricular tachycardia has been developed. It is called an electrode catheter, and the energy source is a programmed stimulator. Whereas Bond would not need an “effective therapeutic modality” (what an ungracious phrase) for his induced ventricular tachycardia, physicians are frequently called on to treat this most alarming condition. Ventricular tachycardia produces uncomfortable, disabling symptoms, frequently develops in patients with other severe cardiac disabilities, is recurrent, not isolated, and can be fatal. The frequent visits to emergency wards for conversion to sinus rhythm and the repeated admissions to the intensive care unit of the hospital frighten the patient and his family and frustrate the physician who is seeking remission of the problem. When a cardiologist thinks about the most troublesome condition that he is called upon to treat, surely ventricular tachycardia would be at or near the top of his list. Three programs are available for the treatment of ventricular t,achycardia: drugs, pacing and surgery. The purpose of each is basically the same, to disengage the operation of a reentrant circuit within the heart either
A new irregular coccus from the rumen of an oat-hay-fed jersey cow; effect on in vitro digestibility of corn stalks

A new coccoid bacterium has been isolated from the rumen of a Jersey cow fed oat hay. The organism has an irregular shape that resembles a nearly inflated bag (diameter: 0.8–1.0 μm), is penicillin resistant and has a cell wall that is Gram-negative in nature. The % G+C ratio is 54, and fermentation products include acetate, ethanol, hydrogen and small amounts of lactate, propionate and succinate. The presence of the organism and 2% glucose in ensiled corn stalks resulted in an increased in vitro digestibility of the stalks.
Matroid prophet inequalities and applications to multi-dimensional mechanism design

Abstract Consider a gambler who observes a sequence of independent random numbers and is allowed to stop at any time, claiming reward equal to the most recent observation. The famous prophet inequality of Krengel, Sucheston, and Garling asserts that a gambler who knows the distribution of each random variable can achieve half as much reward, in expectation, as a “prophet” who knows the sampled values and can choose the largest one. We generalize this result to settings in which the gambler and the prophet are allowed to make multiple selections, subject to a matroid constraint, showing that the gambler can still achieve half as much reward as the prophet. Our results imply improved bounds on the ability of sequential posted-price mechanisms to approximate optimal mechanisms in single-parameter and multi-parameter Bayesian settings. In particular, we provide the first efficiently computable constant-factor approximations to the Bayesian optimal revenue in certain multi-parameter settings.
Temperature scanning ultrasonic velocity study of complex thermal transformations in solid lipid nanoparticles

The purpose of this study was to determine whether temperature scanning ultrasonic velocity measurements could be used to monitor the complex thermal transitions that occur during the crystallizati...
Proceedings of the Fourth Annual Conference of the MidSouth Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Society.

The MCBIOS 2004 conference brought together regional researchers and students in biology, computer science and bioinformatics on October 7th-9th 2004 to present their latest work. This editorial describes the conference itself and introduces the twelve peer-reviewed manuscripts accepted for publication in the Proceedings of the MCBIOS 2004 Conference. These manuscripts included new methods for analysis of high-throughput gene expression experiments, EST clustering, analysis of mass spectrometry data and genomic analysis
The influence of spin effects on the gas phase reactions of carbanions with N and O atoms

Molecular anions have been recently detected in the denser regions of the interstellar medium. However, the chemical reactions of molecular anions with atomic species that are abundant in the ISM remain largely unexplored. This work is an experimental and computational study of CH(2)CN(-), CH(3)CHCN(-), (CH(3))(2)CCN(-), and CH(2)CHO(-) reacting with N and O atoms. In all cases the reactions of anions with O atoms exhibit larger reaction rate constants compared to the corresponding reactions with N atoms. Our study indicates that spin-forbidden reactions are the probable pathways in the reactions with N atoms, whereas spin-allowed reactions are the dominant processes in the reactions with O atoms. The major factor influencing the reaction rate constants of anions with N and O atoms is whether a spin-allowed barrierless pathway exists. The rich chemistry observed in this work provides a greater understanding of the ion-atom reaction processes, as well as some new avenues for further spin chemistry research.
Hormonal Regulation of Immunoglobulins: Influence of Estradiol on Immunoglobulins A and G in the Rat Uterus

Uterine secretions from rats at various stages of the estrous cycle, after ovariectomy or hypophysectomy and after steroid administration to ovariectomized animals, were examined to assess the influence of hormones on the presence of immunoglobulins A and G (IgA and IgG). Both Igs were found to increase at the proestrus stage of the estrous cycle. At estrus, IgG dropped to low levels while IgA remained partially elevated. At diestrus, Ig levels were similar to those measured after ovariectomy. Changes in Ig levels during the estrous cycle are probably due to estradiol, since of those hormones studied, only estradiol increased uterine IgA and IgG in ovariectomized or hypophysectomized rats. In addition to being specific for estradiol, the uterine Ig response was dependent upon the length of time and the dose of estradiol administered. Short term administration of estradiol (2–3 days) resulted in marked elevations in IgA and IgG, whereas long term exposure (6–14 days) failed to maintain the initial increase...
Intravenous saline injection as an interoceptive signal in rats

Rationale Addictive drugs are commonly delivered in the organism by means of intravenous (i.v.) injections. Since saline mimics the blood environment by basic ionic properties and pH, it is generally assumed that it should not have any physiological effects, serving as a control for the effects induced by drugs.
Plenary: how to become an internet felon in three easy steps: will digital libraries become digital stores?

A few years ago Hollywood and the music industry discovered the Internet and realized, much to their horror, that the technology now exists to make arbitrary numbers of perfect copies of a digitized object. As a result, we have seen an explosion of legislative and treaty proposals. Legislation was recently passed that attempts to protect intellectual property on the Net by outlawing some devices and technologies that can be used to "circumvent" measures restricting access. This legislation has several bad features, among them the unintended side effect of making some legitimate computer security research illegal. It could even criminalize some techniques that are required to correct Y2K problems. Both the legislation that is passed and the manner in which technology is implemented will have a major impact on the rights and responsibilities of creators and users of intellectual property. How will copyright he impacted? What will happen to user rights of fair use and first sale? Are we moving from copyright protection of books and magazines on the net to contract law, and if so, what are the potential repercussions? Will free libraries become a thing of the past, to be replaced by pay-per-view?The manner in which these questions are resolved will have a significant impact on our society.
Learning Human Skills An Experiental and Feflective Guide for Nurses - Third Edition 1995

Learning Human Skills is widely regarded as one of the key text for teaching and learning effective interpersonal, councelling and group skills at both student and practitioner level. *Please note: This is a reduced version of the abstract. Please refer to PDF for full text.
Monotone iterative technique for semilinear elliptic systems

We develop monotone iterative technique for a system of semilinear elliptic boundary value problems when the forcing function is the sum of Caratheodory functions which are nondecreasing and nonincreasing, respectively. The splitting of the forcing function leads to four different types of coupled weak upper and lower solutions. In this paper, relative to two of these coupled upper and lower solutions, we develop monotone iterative technique. We prove that the monotone sequences converge to coupled weak minimal and maximal solutions of the nonlinear elliptic systems. One can develop results for the other two types on the same lines. We further prove that the linear iterates of the monotone iterative technique converge monotonically to the unique solution of the nonlinear BVP under suitable conditions.
Effects of fiber supplementation on glycemic excursions and incidence of hypoglycemia in children with type 1 diabetes.

Nutritional therapy is an important component of diabetes management. There is data to suggest that fiber content of foods may affect glycemic response. 10 children, diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, participated. In the first phase of the study, children followed their usual meal plan. In the second phase, subjects followed the same meal plan except that fiber was added to the diet using a powder supplement (wheat dextrin). Data was collected using a continuous glucose monitoring device. The blood glucose excursion level following each meal was compared between the two phases of the study by fitting a repeated measures regression model. The incidence of hypoglycemia was also compared by fitting a logistic regression model. There was no difference in the mean blood glucose excursion after meals or the incidence of hypoglycemia between the two phases. There was a strong negative correlation between the amount of fiber supplemented and the mean maximum post-prandial blood sugar after the lunch and breakfast meals (Spearman rank correlation coefficient = −0.86 lunch and −0.76 breakfast). Our study did not show an overall decrease in glucose excursion or incidence of hypoglycemia with fiber supplementation. We did find a strong negative correlation between the amount of fiber added during the supplemental phase and the mean maximum post-prandial blood sugar after the lunch and breakfast meals. We speculate that different types of fiber may have different effects on blood glucose with wheat dextrin having a greater dampening effect.
Age Differences in Depth of Retrieval: Memory for Foils.

Control over memory can be achieved in two ways: by constraining retrieval such that only sought after information comes to mind or, alternatively, by means of post-access monitoring. We used a memory-for-foils paradigm to gain evidence of differences in retrieval constraints. In this paradigm, participants studied words under deep or shallow encoding conditions and were given a memory test that required them to discriminate between new items (foils) and either deep or shallow targets. A final recognition test was used to examine memory for the foils. For young adults, foil memory was superior when participants attempted to retrieve deep, rather than shallow, targets on the earlier test. In contrast, older adults showed no difference in memory for foils from the two types of tests. We discuss the importance of differences in depth of retrieval processes for theories of metacognition and for understanding age-related differences in memory performance.
Acoustic interference limits call detection in a Neotropical frog Hyla ebraccata.

Problems associated with communication in noisy environments include detection, discrimination, and localization of appropriate signals. I investigated the effects of broadband background noise on call detection by female Hyla ebraccata, a Neotropical treefrog. In playback experiments, I offered females a choice between two stimuli: chorus noise alone or chorus noise plus a computer-synthesized call. By systematically increasing the level of chorus noise, I determined that females could no longer reliably choose between the two speakers when the signal-to-noise ratio was +1.5 dB or lower. By taking the distribution of calling males into account, I estimated that females detect only the nearest male. If a female were to sample more than a very few males, she would need to move around the chorus. By doing so, she probably increases the costs of mate choice. Thus, the noise of a chorus impairs the ability of females to detect conspecific calls and thereby limits their ability to choose between mates. These limitations could have serious implications for the evolution of signallers’ and receivers’ behaviour.
Motivating factors and deterrents for blood donation among donors at a university campus-based collection center

BACKGROUND: Insight into motivating factors and barriers for blood donation, especially for young people and underrepresented minorities, is important to donor recruitment and retention. We surveyed donors at a new blood collection facility based on a large, ethnically diverse university campus. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Individuals who had donated or attempted to donate at the facility during the first 17 months of its operation were invited by e-mail to respond to an anonymous, Web-based questionnaire. Respondents were asked to provide demographic characteristics, rate the importance of various motivating and deterring factors for blood donation, and indicate how they prefer to be contacted by the blood center. RESULTS: More than 30% of the 1619 invitees responded, 95.6% (n = 479) of whom gave complete responses. The respondents were ethnically diverse, and 79.1% were between 18 and 28 years of age. Altruism was by far the most important motivating factor for donation. However, incentives were also rated as important or very important by 72.2% of the respondents. Inconvenience due to time or location constraints was the most important deterrent. E-mailing was the most preferred contact method and chosen by 80.3% of those surveyed. Some differences were noted in the responses from members of different age, sex, and ethnic groups. CONCLUSION: Although overall altruism and inconvenience were the major motivating factor and deterrent for blood, some demographic differences existed in donor attitude toward incentive programs and preference for the method of contact used by blood centers for recruitment purposes.
Parallelization of linearized applications in Fortran D

Fortran D extends Fortran to parallel computers via specification of the distribution of array variables across processors. When multidimensional arrays have been linearized for optimal performance on vector processors, Fortran D cannot produce the best parallelization because it is limited to one-dimensional distribution, which is less efficient due to surface-to-volume effects. We propose Fortran D extensions and compiler technology to support natural topology parallelization of such codes. Experimental results are presented to illustrate the improvement in performance of this approach over the performance of currently available methods. >
There’s a Science for That: Team Development Interventions in Organizations

As teams have become an increasingly necessary component of organizational structure, organizations have turned to team development interventions in hopes of facilitating performance gains in their teams. However, it is critical to understand that team development interventions are not “one size fits all.” This review provides a close examination of the two most prevalent intervention approaches, team training and team building, in order to highlight their contributions to improving teams when designed according to team development science.
Variant Angina: Comparison of Patients With and Without Fixed Severe Coronary Artery Disease

To determine if the clinical features of variant angina are predictive of the severity of underlying coronary artery disease, 43 patients with variant angina who had less than 50% fixed coronary luminal diameter narrowing (group 1) were compared with 65 patients with variant angina who had 70% or greater diameter narrowing (group 2). Statistically significant differences were found in 3 clinical features between group 1 and group 2: (1) a more than 3-month history of angina at rest before diagnosis (80% vs 23%, p
Frequency of Use Leads to Automaticity of Production: Evidence from Repair in Conversation.

In spontaneous speech, speakers sometimes replace a word they have just produced or started producing by another word. The present study reports that in these replacement repairs, low-frequency replaced words are more likely to be interrupted prior to completion than high-frequency words, providing support to the hypothesis that the production of high-frequency words is more automatic than the production of low-frequency words (Bybee, 2002; Logan, 1982). Frequency appears to have an effect on interruptibility even when word duration is statistically controlled. In addition, the frequency of the replaced word is positively correlated with the frequency of the word it is replaced by, supporting the hypothesis that high-frequency words are easier to access in production (Kittredge, Dell, Verkuilen, & Schwartz, 2008): the more frequent the target, the more frequent an inappropriate word needs to be to overcome the target and be uttered, only to be replaced.
Diet Types: Relation of Personality to Approaches to Dieting:

To determine whether personality type influences the selection of an approach to weight loss, 46 college students completed a food-habits questionnaire and the Keirsey Temperament Sorter. Analysis indicates that persons who score high on the feeling and perceiving scales of the Keirsey sorter are more likely to choose a group weight-loss program than others. There were no significant personality differences with regard to calorie counting, fasting, or use of diet foods or pills.
Optimal Bayesian adaptive trials when treatment efficacy depends on biomarkers

Clinical biomarkers play an important role in precision medicine and are now extensively used in clinical trials, particularly in cancer. A response adaptive trial design enables researchers to use treatment results about earlier patients to aid in treatment decisions of later patients. Optimal adaptive trial designs have been developed without consideration of biomarkers. In this article, we describe the mathematical steps for computing optimal biomarker-integrated adaptive trial designs. These designs maximize the expected trial utility given any pre-specified utility function, though we focus here on maximizing patient responses within a given patient horizon. We describe the performance of the optimal design in different scenarios. We compare it to Bayesian Adaptive Randomization (BAR), which is emerging as a practical approach to develop adaptive trials. The difference in expected utility between BAR and optimal designs is smallest when the biomarker subgroups are highly imbalanced. We also compare BAR, a frequentist play-the-winner rule with integrated biomarkers and a marker-stratified balanced randomization design (BR). We show that, in contrasting two treatments, BR achieves a nearly optimal expected utility when the patient horizon is relatively large. Our work provides novel theoretical solution, as well as an absolute benchmark for the evaluation of trial designs in personalized medicine.
Traversal time in tunneling

Traversal time in tunneling has become a somewhat controversial subject, and this note presents a personal perspective on some of these discussions. There is a widely invoked linear relationship yielding dwell time as a weighted average of traversal time and reflection time. I assert that it is totally without basis. Many authors follow wave packets through barriers. The results of such calculations are hard to correlate with experiment. Stevens has provided a wave packet approach which avoids some of the problems typically faced by such analyses; nevertheless its analytical details are questioned. The significance of complex traversal times, favored by some investigators, is questioned. The relative merit of various possible “clocks” in the analysis of traversal time is discussed, but without definitive conclusions.
Effects of Similarities in Lifestyle Habits on Familial Aggregation of High Density Lipoprotein and Low Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol: The NHLBI Family Heart Study

It is generally assumed that familial aggregation of lipids relates to both genetic and shared environmental factors. To determine the degree to which familial similarities in lifestyle habits explain familial aggregation of high density lipoprotein (HDL) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the authors analyzed 1994-1996 data from 2,284 US adult participants in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Family Heart Study. For men and women, respectively, HDL cholesterol correlated with alcohol consumption (r = 0.27, p < 0.001; r = 0.21, p < 0.001), exercise (r = 0.06, p = 0.05; r = 0.10, p = 0.002), and smoking (r = -0.09, p = 0.005; r = -0.13, p < 0.001). There was strong familial aggregation of HDL cholesterol (parent-child, r = 0.32; sibling-sibling, r = 0.29), but less than 10% was explained by lifestyle habits. For LDL cholesterol, weak correlations were found for intake of total fat (r = 0.06, p = 0.07) and fruits/vegetables (r = -0.09, p = 0.005) among men and for smoking (r = 0.10, p = 0.002) among women. LDL cholesterol correlated strongly among family members (parent-child, r = 0.24; sibling-sibling, r = 0.31), but essentially none of this aggregation related to the lifestyle factors studied. This study suggests that lifestyle factors have little effect on the familial aggregation of HDL and LDL cholesterol.
Complexity versus performance tradeoff for fiber nonlinearity compensation using frequency-shaped, multi-subband backpropagation

We investigate the use of an enhanced backpropagation algorithm where subbanding and frequency-shaping by pre- and post-filters are used in the calculation of nonlinearity to enable larger step sizes and reduced algorithmic complexity.
Spatial filtering using media with indefinite permittivity and permeability tensors

Bilayers of media for which the permittivity and permeability tensors are indefinite—that is, not all principle elements possess the same sign—can be used to construct low-, high-, and bandpass spatial filters. These filters possess sharp adjustable roll-offs, and can operate both below and above free-space cutoff to select specific spatial variation components or beam angles from a source or image.
Relaxing the consistency condition in distributed event-triggered networked control systems

This paper studies distributed event-triggered broadcast in networked control systems (NCSs) with transmission delays and packet loss. We propose a triggering scheme for each agent to determine when it broadcasts its local information. The assumption of consistent broadcast states in the prior work is relaxed. The shortest broadcast periods (SBPs) and the maximal allowable transmission delays (MATDs) under this scheme are greater than a positive constant. We show that if the weighted sum of all SBPs, MATDs, and maximal allowable numbers of successive dropouts (MANSDs) is bounded by a given positive constant, the event-triggered NCS is asymptotically stable. This result provides the basis for the design of firm real-time NCSs.
Acute and Chronic Mood and Apathy Outcomes from a randomized study of unilateral STN and GPi DBS.

Objective: To study mood and behavioral effects of unilateral and staged bilateral subthalamic nucleus (STN) and globus pallidus internus (GPi) deep brain stimulation (DBS) for Parkinson’s disease (PD). Background: There are numerous reports of mood changes following DBS, however, most have focused on bilateral simultaneous STN implants with rapid and aggressive post-operative medication reduction. Methods: A standardized evaluation was applied to a subset of patients undergoing STN and GPi DBS and who were also enrolled in the NIH COMPARE study. The Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS III), the Hamilton depression (HAM-D) and anxiety rating scales (HAM-A), the Yale-Brown obsessive-compulsive rating scale (YBOCS), the Apathy Scale (AS), and the Young mania rating scale (YMRS) were used. The scales were repeated at acute and chronic intervals. A post-operative strategy of non-aggressive medication reduction was employed. Results: Thirty patients were randomized and underwent unilateral DBS (16 STN, 14 GPi). There were no baseline differences. The GPi group had a higher mean dopaminergic dosage at 1-year, however the between group difference in changes from baseline to 1-year was not significant. There were no differences between groups in mood and motor outcomes. When combining STN and GPi groups, the
Immunologic correlates of protection against rotavirus challenge after intramuscular immunization of mice.

The capacity of intramuscular (i.m.) inoculation of mice with homologous or heterologous host rotaviruses to induce protection from challenge was evaluated. i.m. inoculation with live, wild-type rotavirus (murine strain EDIM) induced complete protection from viral shedding after challenge for at least 6 weeks after inoculation; protection was correlated with production of virus-specific immunoglobulin A (IgA) by lamina propria (LP) lymphocytes. i.m. inoculation with inactivated EDIM, cell culture-adapted EDIM, or simian strain RRV was associated with partial protection, characterized by reduced viral shedding after challenge. Partial protection after challenge was not associated with production of virus-specific IgA by LP lymphocytes. The mechanisms by which i.m. inoculation induces virus-specific humoral immune responses in the small intestinal LP were examined.
Control of pathfinding by the avian trunk neural crest.

We have determined the pathways taken by the trunk neural crest of quail and examined the parameters that control these patterns of dispersion. Using antibodies that recognize migratory neural crest cells (HNK-1), we have found that the crest cells take three primary pathways: (1) between the ectoderm and somites, (2) within the intersomitic space and (3) through the anterior somite along the basal surface of the myotome. The parameters controlling dispersion patterns of neural crest cells are several. The pathways are filled with at least two adhesive molecules, laminin and fibronectin, to which neural crest cells adhere tenaciously in culture. The pattern of migration through the somite may be accounted for in part by the precocious development of the basal lamina of the dermamyotome in the anterior half of the somite; this basal lamina contains both fibronectin and laminin and the neural crest cells prefer to migrate on it. In contrast, the regions into which the crest cells do not invade are filled with relatively nonadhesive molecules such as chondroitin sulphate. Some of the pathways are filled with hyaluronic acid, which stimulates the migration of neural crest cells when they are cultured in three-dimensional gels, presumably by opening spaces. Neural crest cells are also constrained to stay within the pathways by basal laminae, which act as barriers and through which crest cells do not go. Therefore, crest pathways are probably defined by several redundant factors. The directionality of crest cell migration is probably due to contact inhibition, which can be demonstrated in tissue culture. Various grafting experiments have suggested that chemotaxis and haptotaxis do not play a role in controlling the dispersion of the crest cells away from the neural tube. We have documented the extraordinary ability of neural crest cells to disperse in the embryo, even when they are grafted into sites in which they would normally not migrate. We have evidence that the cells9 production of plasminogen activator, a proteolytic enzyme, and also the minimal tractional force that crest cells exert on the substratum as they migrate, contribute to this migratory ability.
A Survivor's Perspective on Memory and Memorial Culture: Recollections on the 20th Anniversary of the Oklahoma City Bombing*

Objective In this essay, Jason Williamson, a survivor of the Murrah building bombing, recounts how his memories of the event have evolved since 1995. Method This first-person narrative reflection offers insight into how individual memories intersect with public memorial culture. Results The essay details the dynamic and at times perplexing relationship between Williamson's memories and the public memorials and events.
Human-centered design of a cyber-physical system for advanced response to Ebola (CARE)

We describe the process towards the design of a safe, reliable, and intuitive emergency treatment unit to facilitate a higher degree of safety and situational awareness for medical staff, leading to an increased level of patient care during an epidemic outbreak in an unprepared, underdeveloped, or disaster stricken area. We start with a human-centered design process to understand the design challenge of working with Ebola treatment units in Western Africa in the latest Ebola outbreak, and show preliminary work towards cyber-physical technologies applicable to potentially helping during the next outbreak.
Longitudinal lymphatic response to surgery and radiation in head and neck cancer patients

Near-infrared fluorescence lymphatic imaging was used to assess lymphatic response to head and neck cancer therapy. Patients undergoing lymph node dissection and radiation developed abnormal lymphatics that, in some patients, resolved over time.
Research on Air Clearance of Tower for AC 750kV Single Circuit Transmission Line

The contents related to the 750kV voltage grade must be added in the revised power industry standard DL/T620-1997, i.e., Overvoltage Protection and Insulation Coordination for AC Electrical Installations. For this reason, based on the research results in the field of insulation coordination principle for extra- and ultra-high voltage transmission lines and discharge characteristics of external insulation for towers, the author researches and analyzes the air clearance of the towers for AC 750kV single circuit transmission line, and points out that the switching overvoltage should not be regarded as the controlled condition for the length of tower cross-arm for side phases. In this paper the recommended values of air clearance are given, that is, the air clearance should be 4.8m for the middle phase with V-type of insulator strings within the tower window; the air clearance should be 3.5m for side phase with I-type of insulator strings within the tower window. Finally, it is suggested to fully utilize the resources in test base for ultra-voltage transmission to carry out the experimental studies on the extra-and ultra-voltage transmission lines with wave-head lengths of 1000μs and above as well as the studies on the switching impulse of substation simulation electrodes to meet the demand of the development of extra- and ultra-voltage transmission projects.
Shadowing program to increase student awareness of hospital pharmacy practice

A shadowing program designed to acquaint second-year pharmacy students with the professional responsibilities of a hospital pharmacist is described. The program developed by the Toledo Area Society of Hospital Pharmacists allowed second-year pharmacy students to "shadow" a staff pharmacist for three to four hours. The program required the cooperation of area hospital pharmacists to develop rotations at each site. Eight hospitals provided shadow rotations for 87 students during the program's first offering. Reactions were positive from both students and pharmacists. Direct pharmacist-student interaction, low cost, and flexibility were important factors in the program's success. The shadowing program has proven to be an effective method of introducing hospital pharmacy career options to prepharmacy students.
Forest composition modifies litter dynamics and decomposition in regenerating tropical dry forest

We investigated how forest composition, litter quality, and rainfall interact to affect leaf litter decomposition across three successional tropical dry forests in Costa Rica. We monitored litter stocks and bulk litter turnover in 18 plots that exhibit substantial variation in soil characteristics, tree community structure, fungal communities (including forests dominated by ecto- or arbuscular mycorrhizal host trees), and forest age. Simultaneously, we decomposed three standard litter substrates over a 6-month period spanning an unusually intense drought. Decay rates of standard substrates depended on the interaction between litter identity and forest type. Decomposition rates were correlated with tree and soil fungal community composition as well as soil fertility, but these relationships differed among litter types. In low fertility soils dominated by ectomycorrhizal oak trees, bulk litter turnover rates were low, regardless of soil moisture. By contrast, in higher fertility soils that supported mostly arbuscular mycorrhizal trees, bulk litter decay rates were strongly dependent on seasonal water availability. Both measures of decomposition increased with forest age, as did the frequency of termite-mediated wood decay. Taken together, our results demonstrate that soils and forest age exert strong control over decomposition dynamics in these tropical dry forests, either directly through effects on microclimate and nutrients, or indirectly by affecting tree and microbial community composition and traits, such as litter quality.
On Moments Estimation of the Parameters of a Truncated Bivariate Normal Distribution

SUMMARY Explicit expressions for estimators of the parameters of a bivariate normal distribution doubly truncated with respect to both random variables are given in terms of sample moments. These estimators are shown to be con- sistent asymptotically (jointly) normal. A numerical example is included. NATH (1971) has given the maximum likelihood equations for estimating the para- meters of a bivariate normal distribution doubly truncated with respect to both random variables. These equations are nonlinear in the parameters and an iterative method must be used to find the maximum likelihood estimates. In this paper alternate estimators are derived which are considerably easier to compute than the maximum likelihood estimators. These estimators are expressed explicitly in terms of sample moments and are shown to be consistent asymptotically (jointly) normal. In addition, they may be used as a starting vector for solving the maximum likelihood equations and should, in general, reduce the number of cycles
Bloom or bust: synchrony in jellyfish abundance, fish consumption, benthic scavenger abundance, and environmental drivers across a continental shelf

Increases in gelatinous zooplankton (GZ) populations, their dominance of some ecosystems, their impacts to other taxa, and their questionable trophic value remain global concerns, but they are difficult to quantify. We compared trends in GZ abundance from direct sampling for the northeast U.S. continental shelf and tested their association with GZ consumption by spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias); the abundance of two benthic scavengers: Atlantic hagfish (Myxine glutinosa) and grenadiers (Family: Macrouridae); and four environmental indices: Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, North Atlantic Oscillation, and sea surface and bottom temperatures. Defined as scyphozoans, siphonophores, ctenophores, and salps, the abundance of GZ on the shelf has oscillated with blooms approximately every 10–15 yr. Conservative estimates of annual removal of GZ by spiny dogfish ranged from approximately 0.3–298 g individual−1 with spiny dogfish being the primary GZ feeder sampled on the shelf. The examination of three abundance series for GZ identified one shelf-wide trend and strong relationships with 2-yr lagged consumption and scavenger abundance (namely hagfish), and sea surface temperature. With multimodel inference, these covariates led to an optimal model of GZ abundance. Blooms of GZ abundance on this shelf were influenced by environmental change, provide surges of food for spiny dogfish, and may offer ‘food falls’ for scavenging fishes. The bioenergetic tradeoffs of consuming greater amounts of GZ compared to other major prey (e.g., fishes) remain unknown; however, these surges of food in the northwest Atlantic appear to be important for fishes, including support for benthic scavenger productivity.
On Sensitivity and Holding in Automotive Systems: The Case of the Climate Control

We propose an approach to human-machine interactions that emphasizes sensitivity to the user’s needs and consecrates caretaking, or holding, of the user so as to fulfill these needs. We borrow the concepts of sensitivity and holding from psychoanalysis and then operationalize them in the context of human-machine interaction. A pilot study of drivers’ interactions with a climate control system was conducted to understand drivers’ needs, wants, and manner of interaction. Based on these results we built an AI-based system that is sensitive to the users’ needs and attempts to fulfill them in a dedicated manner (holding). We then evaluate the new system in another driving study. Preliminary results suggest that a sensitive/holding machine is better than the regular interface and not far behind a human expert “working” the system in response to drivers’ needs and wants.