cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
4th Aegean Conference on the Crossroads between Innate and Adaptive Immunity.

The worlds of innate and adaptive immunity collided pleasantly and productively as investigators from each field met in Mykonos for the 4th Aegean Conference on the Crossroads Between Innate and Adaptive Immunity.
Comparison of MMPI–A, Marks and Briggs, and MMPI–2 Norms for Juvenile Delinquents

A study was conducted to compare scores of juvenile delinquents on the new MMPI-A to previous research and to compare 3 sets of norms for adolescents: the MMPI-A, the Marks-Briggs adolescent norms, and the MMPI-2 adult norms. Subjects, 11 boys and 11 girls, were hospitalized adolescents, aged 14 to 17 years, with a history of conduct problems. Analysis of MMPI-A scale scores for boys indicated elevated T-score means on scales F (64), Hs (64), Pd (65), Pa (68), Pt (68), Sc (70), and Ma (66). Mean T scores for girls on the MMPI-A were elevated on scales of F (62), Pd (64), and Sc (62). The findings that the mean T score for scales Pd, Sc, and Ma are elevated for this population is consistent with previous research on juvenile delinquents. In general, the MMPI-A scale elevations were lowest, followed by the Marks-Briggs norms. The MMPI-2 T-score means were the most elevated. One of the limitations of the present investigation is an extremely small sample. Until further research is conducted on larger samples, clinicians concerned about the different norms are encouraged to plot MMPI-A scores on both adolescent and adult norms. It is also recommended that the MMPI-A be included as part of an assessment battery with other objective tests, clinical observation, and patient report.
Swept source optical coherence microscopy using a Fourier domain mode-locked laser.

Swept source optical coherence microscopy (OCM) enables cellular resolution en face imaging as well as integration with optical coherence tomography (OCT) cross sectional imaging. A buffered Fourier domain mode-locked (FDML) laser light source provides high speed, three dimensional imaging. Image resolutions of 1.6 μm × 8 μm (transverse × axial) with a 220 μm × 220 μm field of view and sensitivity higher than 98 dB are achieved. Three dimensional cellular imaging is demonstrated in vivo in the Xenopus laevis tadpole and ex vivo in the rat kidney and human colon.
The Argument from Reason

In this chapter, I will be considering the argument from reason. The argument, as we shall see, takes a number of forms, but in all instances it attempts to show that the necessary conditions of logical and mathematical reasoning, which undergird the natural sciences as a human activity, require the rejection of all broadly materialist worldviews. I will begin by examining the nature of the argument, identifying the central characteristics of a materialist worldview. In so doing, I will examine the general problem of materialism, and how the argument from reason points to a single aspect of a broader problem. Second, I will examine the argument’s history, including the famous Lewis–Anscombe controversy. In so doing, I will indicate how the argument from reason can surmount Anscombe’s objections. I will also explain the transcendental structure of the argument. Third, I will examine three subarguments: the argument from intentionality, the argument from mental causation, and the argument from the psychological relevance of logical laws, showing how these demonstrate serious and unsolved diffi culties for materialism. Finally, I will examine some popular objections and show that these objections do not refute the argument.
Computed tomography from optical projections for three-dimensional reconstruction of thick objects

An optical tomography system is developed for generating three-dimensional reconstructions of thick objects from projections. The system is useful for studying transparent structures that are 1–10 mm in diameter. Evaluation of the reconstruction system with a test object demonstrates 98% geometric accuracy, 90% accuracy in the detection of boundaries, and 90% accuracy in the measurement of absorbance. Reconstructions are computed from 96 parallel projections spaced evenly within 180°. Accurate alignment of the projections is achieved with a cross-correlation method following data acquisition. Application of the optical tomography reconstruction technique to an intact cochlea permits measurement of internal structures with 16-μm pixels and a diffraction-limited resolution of 24 μm.
The use of magnetic resonance imaging for the diagnosis of fetal intracranial anomalies.

While fetal cranial sonography has been used for the sensitive detection of ventriculomegaly, ancillary imaging techniques may be needed for precise delineation of structural abnormalities. This report outlines the radiologic and clinical results using maternal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in ten patients with suspected fetal intracranial anomalies. Imaging was accomplished at 17–39 weeks gestational age, using spin-echo, a multislice technique with intramuscular morphine sulfate for sedation. In four cases, MRI significantly clarified the sonographic diagnosis, while in two cases the scan agreed with the sonographic findings. In one patient, MRI failed to image a lumbar meningomyelocele associated with the Chiari II malformation. In two patients with the Chiari II malformation, both sonography and MRI failed to delineate the anatomic pathology completely. Optimal imaging resolution was achieved in the third trimester. Four patients died in the perinatal period. All the surviving patients required shunting to treat intracranial hypertension; only two patients were meeting cognitive milestones. We conclude that due to the high incidence of multiple anomalies in the fetus with ventriculomegaly, precision in neuroradiological diagnosis is essential. MRI can be a useful adjunct to cranial sonography for the specific delineation of abnormalities of the fetal central nervous system.
Trichinella spiralis: anaphylactic antibody formation and susceptibility in strains of inbred mice.

Abstract The anaphylactic antibody response of various strains of inbred mice of different H-2 specificities was investigated using the passive cutaneous anaphylactic technique (PCA) for the detection of the antibody response. Neither IgC 1 nor reaginic antibody were detected in serum samples obtained at the end of the first week of infection with Trichinella spiralis . Subsequently, all animals had detectable IgG 1 antibodies, although in some strains the titers were very low. Reaginic antibody was detected in relatively high titers in C57L, A, and DBA/1 mice. Two other strains were very poor responders (SJL and AKR). In most strains, reagin and IgG 1 remained detectable for 14 wk or longer. The pattern of response of all strains was very reproducible, indicating genetic control of the anaphylactic antibody production to the infection. In F 1 hybrids obtained from crosses between good and poor anaphylactic antibody responders, intermediate levels of both antibody classes were detected. Adult worm recovery rates were established at various points during the intestinal phase of infection, and no correlation between worm numbers and reaginic antibody titers in the various strains of mice could be demonstrated. There were noticeable differences in larval yields obtained after muscle digestion of mice belonging to the different inbred strains. In fact, we generally observed an inverse relationship between the number of larvae recovered from a given strain and their reaginic antibody titer. The intravenous injection of newborn larvae (NBL), obtained upon in vitro incubation of adult worms, produced detectable antibodies only in mice of the DBA/1 strain. These antibodies were consistently of low titer and became detectable only after the administration of two additional injections of NBL. This contrasted with the results observed after “per os” infection of DBA/1 mice, where high titers of these antibodies were always obtained, in spite of comparable ratios of muscle larval yield.
Anisotropic solar cosmic ray propagation in an inhomogeneous medium, II

The author's model for anisotropic solar cosmic ray propagation gives 2 coupled, partial differential equations for the intensity and anisotropy of solar cosmic rays propagating with finite speed V in an inhomogeneous medium. The model is used to study the effect of the solar shell on solar cosmic ray propagation. It predicts an exponential decay, regardless of the observer's position. It predicts that when the observer is near the center of the shell, tD/t0 ≈ 20 to 30, (tD= decay time, t0 = onset time) and Am(anisotropy) ≈ 15%, if tm/t0 ≈ 3 to 5 (tm= time of maximum), consistent with observations of relativistic particles on Feb. 23, 1956. When the observer is between the shell and the sun, the model predicts that oscillations might be observed near maximum intensity. When the observer moves away from the sun and the shell, the propagation is diffusive, but there is an increasingly large persistent anisotropy which serves as a measure of the width of the shell.
Cervical Microendoscopic Discectomy and Decompression

Posterior cervical foraminotomy and discectomy has been used to treat disk pathology and foraminal stenosis since the 1940s. In properly selected patients, the outcomes were quite successful in relieving radicular symptoms. The associated postoperative pain and potential instability led many surgeons to abandon the technique in favor of the anterior approach to the cervical spine. In the late 1990s, the refinement of minimally invasive techniques revived the posterior approach because patients could be offered a procedure that resulted in less postoperative pain and less disruption of the posterior elements. The advent of the minimally invasive technologies allowed surgeons to have direct access to the pathology with minimal destruction of surrounding tissues. Today, the microendoscopic foraminotomy/discectomy and laminectomy procedures are an alternative to the anterior procedure, which requires fusion. Several pathologies can be treated, including herniated disks, foraminal stenosis, and canal stenosis.
Immune-enhancing diet and cytokine expression during chronic sepsis: an immune-enhancing diet containing L-arginine, fish oil, and RNA fragments promotes intestinal cytokine expression during chronic sepsis in rats.

Chronic feeding with enteral immune-enhancing diets (IEDs) provides benefits based on composition of the diet, route of feeding, and timing of feeding in relation to timing of trauma or surgery. Our prior studies of acute feeding in naive rats demonstrated that IED promotes blood flow and proinflammatory cytokines in the ileum. We hypothesized that chronic feeding with IED would shift gut immune status to an anti-inflammatory state during chronic sepsis, resulting in an altered state of cytokine expression in the gut. Five days prior to feeding, gauze was implanted subcutaneously in the backs of male Sprague-Dawley rats, which were fed for 3 days with either control diet (CD, Boost; Mead-Johnson, Evansville, IL) or IED (Impact; Novartis) and randomly assigned to one of four groups: saline control (NS) + control diet (CD), sepsis (EC) + CD, NS + IED, or EC + IED. EC rats were inoculated with 10(9) CFU Escherichia coli and 10(9) CFU Bacteroides fragilis in 2 ml normal saline into the back sponge while NS rats received 2 mL normal saline alone. After 3 days, animals were anesthetized and gut tissue samples were harvested and frozen at -80 degrees C. Tissue protein was extracted and ELISA was performed for interleukin (IL-1beta, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, and interferon (IFN)-gamma. In saline controls, IED feeding decreased IL-1beta, IL-5, IL-6, TNF-alpha, and IFN-gamma and increased IL-10 compared with CD-fed animals. In septic animals, IED feeding increased IL-5 and IL-6, while decreasing IFN-gamma and IL-10 in the distal third of the small intestine compared with CD-fed septic rats, whereas IL-1beta and TNF-alpha levels were unchanged. Chronic IED feeding produced a anti-inflammatory state via decreased IFN-gamma and increased IL-5 and IL-6, which both promote gut IgA class switching, suggesting that the gut is shifted toward humoral immunity during chronic IED feeding in septic rats.
Coupled electron-phonon system in two dimensions and its implications for inversion layers

Abstract The first order electron-phonon vertex in two dimensions is calculated in the regime (qo/qvf)⪡1 and (qo/qvf)⪢1 where, qo and q are the phonon frequency and wave vector, and vf is the electron Fermi velocity. In the former case, the vertex correction is found to be λ. (Ωph/Ef) 1 2 and in the latter case it is λ, where λ is the dimensionless electron-phonon coupling, Ωph a characteristic phonon energy and Ef the Fermi energy. It is shown that for the relevant range of carrier density and phonon branches in the inversion layer, the term (Ωph/Ef) 1 2 is of order unity, possibly implying significant higher order effects.
An experimental study of the dissolution rates of simulated aluminoborosilicate waste glasses as a function of pH and temperature under dilute conditions

Abstract Single-pass flow-through tests were conducted to determine the pH (7–12) and temperature (23–90 °C) dependence of kinetic rate law parameters; ko, η, and Ea, for the dissolution of glass in aqueous solution. Experiments were performed with three prototypic nuclear waste glasses that span a wide compositional range, which covers, with high probability, the expected processing composition range for candidate immobilized low-activity waste (ILAW) glasses. Comparison of the B to Na release rates for one glass was incongruent at 23 and 40 °C, and pH (23 °C) = 7.0 and 8.0, suggesting two distinct mechanisms are responsible for the Na+ release, namely Na+–H+ ion-exchange and matrix dissolution. Matrix dissolution became the dominant dissolution mechanism for all glasses at the forward rate and pH values greater than 9.0 as evident by the congruent release of Al, B, Na and Si to solution. By combining the results collected for each ILAW glass at pH values greater than 9.0, pH and temperature-dependent rate law parameters were determined for Al, B, Na and Si release. A comparison of the pH power-law coefficient for Al, B, Na and Si at each temperature suggest that η does not depend on temperature within experimental error and suggests the release of these elements into solution is controlled by the same dissolution mechanism at the forward rate of reaction. The activation energies (Ea), based on B release, range from 52 ± 4 to 56 ± 6 kJ/mol which suggest that dissolution is a surface-controlled reaction mechanism. The data presented in this manuscript suggest that for these three ILAW glasses the chemical durability for each glass is similar under these test conditions. A lack of compositional dependence on the forward dissolution rate is observed even though there is as much as a 39 kJ/mol difference in the free energy of hydration (ΔGhyd) among the borosilicate waste glasses tested. This similarity in the forward dissolution rate despite the large ΔGhyd difference is almost certainly because these glasses have similar, if not identical, polymerization states. This is evident from the almost identical 29Si chemical shifts for each of these glasses. The polymerization state is an indication of the number of framework SiO4 linkages contained in the glass network. In general, the greater the number of framework SiO4 linkages the more durable the glass. Finally, in agreement with previous work, these results suggest breakage of the Si–O bond is the rate-determining dissolution mechanism under alkaline conditions [pH (23 °C) > 9.0] far from saturation with respect to an alteration phase or phases.
The development of an MRI lesion quantifying system for multiple sclerosis patients undergoing treatment

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system that affects approximately 2.5 million people worldwide. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an established tool for the assessment of disease activity, progression and response to treatment. The progression of the disease is variable and requires routine follow-up imaging studies. Currently, MRI quantification of multiple sclerosis requires a manual approach to lesion measurement and yields an estimate of lesion volume and interval change. In the setting of several prior studies and a long treatment history, trends related to treatment change quickly become difficult to extrapolate. Our efforts seek to develop an imaging informatics based MS lesion computer aided detection (CAD) package to quantify and track MS lesions including lesion load, volume, and location. Together, with select clinical parameters, this data will be incorporated into an MS specific e- Folder to provide decision support to evaluate and assess treatment options for MS in a manner tailored specifically to an individual based on trends in MS presentation and progression.
Effects of acknowledging a hearing loss on social interactions

An important part of the counseling process is to offer guidance to people with hearing impairments on accepting their disability and adjusting to the negative attitudes held by some communications partners. The purpose of this study was to determine subjects' (1) preferences for interacting with individuals with a hearing impairment who acknowledged their hearing loss, and (2) perceptions of personality, employability, intelligence, and adjustment related to acknowledgment of hearing loss. Two male students with hearing impairments were videotaped under two experimental conditions. During one condition students acknowledged their hearing losses, spoke about adjustment, concerns, etc., while during the other condition they did not acknowledge their hearing loss. Results indicated that subjects preferred speakers when they discussed their hearing loss. Speakers who acknowledged their hearing loss also received more favorable ratings on personality, employability, and adjustment. Clinical implications for aural rehabilitation programs are discussed.
New Approaches to Effective Leadership: Cognitive Resources and Organizational Performance

The article presents a review of the book “New Approaches to Effective Leadership: Cognitive Resources and Organizational Performance,” by Fred E. Fiedler and Joseph E. Garcia.
Tonking a theory of content: an inferentialist rejoinder

If correct, Christopher Peacocke’s [20] “manifestationism without verificationism,” would explode the dichotomy between realism and inferentialism in the contemporary philosophy of language. I first explicate Peacocke’s theory, defending it from a criticism of Neil Tennant’s. This involves devising a recursive definition for grasp of logical contents along the lines Peacocke suggests. Unfortunately though, the generalized account reveals the Achilles’ heel of the whole theory. By inventing a new logical operator with the introduction rule for the existential quantifier and the elimination rule for the universal quantifier, I am able to show that Peacocke’s theory only avoids verificationism to the extent that it does not satisfy manifestationism.
A reappraisal of the hormonal regulation of larval fat body histolysis in female Drosophila melanogaster.

The histolysis of larval fat body cells in adult femaleDrosophila melanogaster was examined in wild type and mutant animals. The fat body cells of wild type (Canton-S),apterous56f homozygotes,apterous78jts homozygotes and heterozygotes,apterous4/+, ecdysoneless1 homozygotes and heterozygotes all underwent histolysis normally during the 72 h following adult eclosion. Only in the case ofap4/ap4 adults did the cells fail to histolyze normally. The fat body cells of both diapausing and non-diapausing wild type females underwent histolysis at the same rate. Attempts to demonstrate histolysis in vitro were unsuccessful, even in the presence of juvenile hormones (JHs), larval ring glands, or adult ovaries. In all strains other than theap4 homozygotes, a significant proportion of larval fat body cells were dead at any time while theap4/ap4 animals, almost all cells remained viable. It is postulated that fat body cell lysis following eclosion is not a JH-mediated event, but is elicited by an as yet unidentified factor(s), possibly originating in the ovary.
Radiolabeled biomolecules for specific imaging of cancers of the breast, prostate and lungs

Despite the great strides made in its management, cancer remains a formidable disease of mankind and has continued to take one human life every 4 s of each day and night. Sophisticated screening tests for diagnosis of breast cancer (BC) or prostate cancer (PC) exist, yet histology prevails as a gold standard for which invasive biopsies must be performed. Biopsies can be morbid, cause excessive anxiety to patients, >66 % find benign pathology and are considered unnecessary costing millions of healthcare dollars annually. Here, we present a novel biomolecule, 64Cu-TP3805, designed, synthesized and characterized in our laboratory for targeting a genomic biomarker VPAC1 that is densely expressed at the onset of many cancers including those of BC, PC and lung cancer. This article describes preclinical evaluation of 64Cu-TP3805 and its translation in humans for early and accurate detection of cancer.
Model sclerotization studies. 4. Generation of N-acetylmethionyl catechol adducts during tyrosinase-catalyzed oxidation of catechols in the presence of N-acetylmethionine

Incubation of catechol with mushroom tyrosinase in the presence of N-acetylmethionine resulted in the generation of an adduct. This product was identified to be N-acetylmethionyl catechol, on the basis of spectral characteristics and well-characterized chemical reaction of o-benzoquinone with N-acetylmethionine. Enzyme-catalyzed oxidation of catechol and the subsequent nonenzymatic addition of the resultant quinone to N-acetylmethionine accounted for the observed reaction. That the reaction is not confined to catechol alone, but is of general occurrence, can be demonstrated by the facile generation of similar adducts in incubation mixtures containing N-acetylmethionine, tyrosinase, and different N-acetylmethionines, such as 4-methylcatechol and N-acetyldopamine. Attempts to duplicate the reaction with insect cuticular phenoloxidases were not successful, as the excess N-acetylmethionine used in the reaction inhibited their activity. Nevertheless, occurrence of this nonenzymatic reaction between N-acetylmethionine and mushroom tyrosinase-generated quinones indicates that a similar reaction between enzymatically generated quinones in the cuticle with protein-bound methionine moiety is likely to occur during in vivo quinone tanning as well. Arch. Insect Biochem. Physiol. 38:44–52, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Frontal Eye Field Activity Enhances Object Identification During Covert Visual Search

We investigated the link between neuronal activity in the frontal eye field (FEF) and the enhancement of visual processing associated with covert spatial attention in the absence of eye movements. We correlated activity recorded in the FEF of monkeys manually reporting the identity of a visual search target to performance accuracy and reaction time. Monkeys were cued to the most probable target location with a cue array containing a popout color singleton. Neurons exhibited spatially selective responses for the popout cue stimulus and for the target of the search array. The magnitude of activity related to the location of the cue prior to the presentation of the search array was correlated with trends in behavioral performance across valid, invalid, and neutral cue trial conditions. However, the speed and accuracy of the behavioral report on individual trials were predicted by the magnitude of spatial selectivity related to the target to be identified, not for the spatial cue. A minimum level of selectivity was necessary for target detection and a higher level for target identification. Muscimol inactivation of FEF produced spatially selective perceptual deficits in the covert search task that were correlated with the effectiveness of the inactivation and were strongest on invalid cue trials that require an endogenous attention shift. These results demonstrate a strong functional link between FEF activity and covert spatial attention and suggest that spatial signals from FEF directly influence visual processing during the time that a stimulus to be identified is being processed by the visual system.
On the application of Bargmann Hilbert spaces to dynamical problems

Abstract The realization a * → z , a → d/dz on a Hilbert space of entire functions (the Bargmann Hilbert space) of the operators a , a * which obey the commutation rules [ a , a * ] = 1 is applied to some simple dynamical problems. The case of a spin 1/2 system coupled to a single mode through an interaction term of the formκ( a + a * )σ x is treated in some detail to illustrate the type of analysis involved.
Evaluation of an Instrumented Human Surrogate Torso Model in Open Field Blast Loading

A 50th percentile Human Surrogate Torso Model (HSTM50) was constructed using biosimulant materials to represent the thoracic skeletal structure, internal organs, and soft tissues. The model was instrumented with pressure sensors embedded in each organ, accelerometers rigidly mounted to the sternum, and a load cell aligned with the vertebral column. The HSTM was exposed to a series of open-field blast tests. Sensor data clearly conveyed an initial rise in organ pressure due to the arrival of the incident shock wave followed by a delayed secondary peak of lesser magnitude due to the arrival of the ground-reflected incident shock wave. For repeat test conditions, the HSTM provided sensor response deviation within the inherent variability of field pressure data recorded for various tests of equal weight charges. This test series demonstrated the HSTM50 sensitivity to blast threat conditions including variations in charge weight and type. The HSTM50 proved to be a repeatable, durable, non-homogeneous test device complete with skeletal structure and soft tissue. The system allowed for the dynamic measurement of internal pressures, acceleration, and spinal load as a result of various blast conditions.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Efficient inference in Bayes networks as a combinatorial optimization problem

Abstract A number of exact algorithms have been developed in recent years to perform probabilistic inference in Bayesian belief networks. The techniques used in these algorithms are closely related to network structures, and some of them are not easy to understand and implement. We consider the problem from the combinatorial optimization point of view and state that efficient probabilistic inference in a belief network is a problem of finding an optimal factoring given a set of probability distributions. From this viewpoint, previously developed algorithms can be seen as alternative factoring strategies. In this paper, we define a combinatorial optimization problem, the optimal factoring problem, and discuss application of this problem in belief networks. We show that optimal factoring provides insight into the key elements of efficient probabilistic inference, and demonstrate simple, easily implemented algorithms with excellent performance.
A Virtual Prototyping Framework for Electronics Manufacturing

This paper presents a framework for supporting virtual prototyping related activities in the domain of printed circuit board (PCB) assembly. The focus of discussion is restricted to Surface Mount Technology (SMT) based processes only. In general, Virtual Prototyping enables the conceptualization, evaluation and validation of proposed ideas, plans and solutions. Using a virtual prototyping framework, cross functional evaluation and analysis can be facilitated where designers, manufacturing engineers, testing and other life-cycle team members can communicate effectively as well as identify and eliminate problems, which may arise later in the downstream manufacturing and testing activities.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Complexity analysis of the analytic center cutting plane method that uses multiple cuts

We analyze the complexity of the analytic center cutting plane or column generation algorithm for solving general convex problems defined by a separation oracle. The oracle is called at the analytic center of a polytope, which contains a solution set and is given by the intersection of the linear inequalities previously generated from the oracle. If the center is not in the solution set, separating hyperplanes will be placed through the center to shrink the containing polytope. While the complexity result has been recently established for the algorithm when one cutting plane is placed in each iteration, the result remains open when multiple cuts are added. Moreover, adding multiple cuts actually is a key to practical effectiveness in solving many problems and it presents theoretical difficulties in analyzing cutting plane methods. In this paper, we show that the analytic center cutting plane algorithm, with multiple cuts added in each iteration, still is a fully polynomial approximation algorithm.
A Note on Approximating Mean Occupation Times of Continuous-Time Markov Chains

In [1] an approach to approximate the transition probabilities and mean occupation times of a continuous-time Markov chain is presented. For the chain under consideration, let Pij(t) and Tij(t) denote respectively the probability that it is in state j at time t, and the total time spent in j by time t, in both cases conditional on the chain starting in state i. Also, let Y1,…, Yn be independent exponential random variables each with rate λ = n/t, which are also independent of the Markov chain.
Amplification of light and atoms in a bose-einstein condensate

A Bose-Einstein condensate illuminated by a single off-resonant laser beam (``dressed condensate'') shows a high gain for matter waves and light. We have characterized the optical and atom-optical properties of the dressed condensate by injecting light or atoms, illuminating the key role of long-lived matter wave gratings produced by the condensate at rest and recoiling atoms. The narrow bandwidth for optical gain gave rise to an extremely slow group velocity of an amplified light pulse ( $\ensuremath{\sim}1\mathrm{m}/\mathrm{s}$).
PeerStreaming: design and implementation of an on-demand distributed streaming system with digital rights management capabilities

We have developed PeerStreaming, an on-demand peer-to-peer (P2P) media streaming system. The behavior of a PeerStreaming client is very much like an ordinary media player: it streams and plays whatever media the user desires, starting at whatever point he/she desires. Under the hood, however, the media is delivered from multiple peers to the client. The serving peers can be the media server, but more commonly they are the clients that have received the media in a previous streaming session. Leveraging the network and storage resources of the P2P network and retrieving a major part of the media from nearby peers, PeerStreaming greatly improves streaming media quality, reduces server load, and eases traffic on the network. We describe the design and implementation of the PeerStreaming system in this paper, with a focus on a number of key components. They include: (1) peer discovery and content location, (2) scalable coded and randomly accessible media format, (3) receiver-driven streaming, (4) digital rights management, and (5) architecture for the media rendering, caching and serving system.
Enhancing Prescription Drug Innovation and Adoption

The adoption and use of a new drug would ideally be guided by its innovation and cost-effectiveness. However, information about the relative efficacy and safety of a drug is typically incomplete even well after market entry, and various other forces create a marketplace in which most new drugs are little better than their older counterparts. Five proposed mechanisms are considered for promoting innovation and reducing the use of therapies ultimately found to offer poor value or have unacceptable risks. These changes range from increasing the evidence required for U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to modifying the structure of drug reimbursement. Despite the challenges of policy implementation, the United States has a long history of successfully improving the societal value and safe use of prescription medicines.
Of Travertine and Time: Otolith Chemistry and Microstructure Detect Provenance and Demography of Endangered Humpback Chub in Grand Canyon, USA

We developed a geochemical atlas of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon and in its tributary, the Little Colorado River, and used it to identify provenance and habitat use by Federally Endangered humpback chub, Gila cypha. Carbon stable isotope ratios (δ13C) discriminate best between the two rivers, but fine scale analysis in otoliths requires rare, expensive instrumentation. We therefore correlated other tracers (SrSr, Ba, and Se in ratio to Ca) to δ13C that are easier to quantify in otoliths with other microchemical techniques. Although the Little Colorado River’s water chemistry varies with major storm events, at base flow or near base flow (conditions occurring 84% of the time in our study) its chemistry differs sufficiently from the mainstem to discriminate one from the other. Additionally, when fish egress from the natal Little Colorado River to the mainstem, they encounter cold water which causes the otolith daily growth increments to decrease in size markedly. Combining otolith growth increment analysis and microchemistry permitted estimation of size and age at first egress; size at first birthday was also estimated. Emigrants < 1 year old averaged 51.2 ± 4.4 (SE) days and 35.5 ± 3.6 mm at egress; older fish that had recruited to the population averaged 100 ± 7.8 days old and 51.0 ± 2.2 mm at egress, suggesting that larger, older emigrants recruit better. Back-calculated size at age 1 was unimodal and large (78.2 ± 3.3 mm) in Little Colorado caught fish but was bimodally distributed in Colorado mainstem caught fish (49.9 ± 3.6 and 79 ± 4.9 mm) suggesting that humpback chub can also rear in the mainstem. The study demonstrates the coupled usage of the two rivers by this fish and highlights the need to consider both rivers when making management decisions for humpback chub recovery.
Preoperative radiation therapy followed by local excision

Radiation therapy followed by local excision results in local control rates that appear comparable to those of local excision alone (in highly selected patients) or local excision followed by adjuvant radiation therapy. A significant drawback of this approach, however, is the potential loss of important histological information, such as risk of lymph node metastasis, depth of tumor penetration, and presence of lymphatic or vascular invasion. Radiation therapy followed by local excision may be an option for treatment of more advanced T3 rectal cancers in patients who either refuse radical surgery or are medically unfit. The available data in the literature do not support the routine use of local excision after radiation therapy in otherwise healthy patients with locally advanced rectal cancer.
Accuracy of the lamellar body count in amniotic fluid contaminated by meconium.

AbstractObjective: To determine whether meconium-contaminated amniotic fluid falsely elevates the lamellar body count in fetal lung maturity testing.Methods: Thirty mothers undergoing amniocentesis for fetal lung maturity testing were prospectively consented. A 2 mL portion of the patient’s sample was mixed with a 10% meconium solution and the meconium-stained sample was then run in tandem with the patient’s sample used in clinical management. Pure meconium samples without amniotic fluid were also run through the cell counter for analysis.Results: Following meconium contamination, the lamellar body count value increased in 67% of the cases, decreased in 23% and remained the same in 10%. There were 13 test results that had “immature” values in the uncontaminated patient management sample group and nine of these (69%) became elevated to a “mature” level (a false elevation) following the addition of meconium. All of the 10 pure liquid meconium samples devoid of amniotic fluid processed by the cell counter id...
Dependence of the rate of convergence of the Rayleigh-Ritz method on a nonlinear parameter

Numerical computation of optimum values for nonlinear parameters in a Rayleigh-Ritz variational trial function is considerably more difficult than numerical computation of optimum values for linear parameters. Thus, an analytic understanding of the mechanisms that determine these optimum values can be quite useful. Uniform asymptotic expansions can be used to explore these mechanisms for the nonlinear parameter that sets the length scale for a basis set. These uniform asymptotic expansions usually involve two or more different kinds of terms whose relative importance changes as the nonlinear parameter changes, with two different terms being equally important at the point where the nonlinear parameter has its optimum value. Interference effects between these different terms are typical, and tend to become most pronounced near the optimum value. These different kinds of terms arise from singularities of the wave function, from the neighborhood of the classical turning point for the basis functions, and/or from saddle points. Comparisons of theory with (numerical) experiment will be given for Rayleigh-Ritz calculations on three model problems that illustrate the kinds of terms listed above.
Long-Term Blood Pressure Variability Throughout Young Adulthood and Cognitive Function in Midlife: The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study

Whether long-term blood pressure (BP) variability throughout young adulthood is associated with cognitive function in midlife remains uncertain. Using data from the Coronary Artery Risk Development...
Excluding four-edge paths and their complements

We prove that a graph G contains no induced four-edge path and no induced complement of a four-edge path if and only if G is obtained from five-cycles and split graphs by repeatedly applying the following operations: substitution, split graph unification, and split graph unification in the complement (“split graph unification” is a new class-preserving operation that is introduced in this paper). All graphs in this paper are finite and simple. We denote by P5 the path on five vertices (and four edges); this path is also called a four-edge path. The complement of a graph G is denoted by G. The graph P5, the complement of the four-edge path, is also called a house. Given graphs G and H, we say that G is H-free if G does not contains (an isomorphic copy of) H as an induced subgraph. Given a family H of graphs, we say that a graph G is H-free provided that G is H-free for all H ∈ H. The goal of this paper is to understand the structure of {P5,P5}-free graphs.
Integration of metabolic networks and gene expression in virtual reality

Motivation: Metabolic networks combine metabolism and regulation. These complex networks are difficult to understand and visualize due to the amount and diverse types of information that need to be represented. For example, pathway information gives indications of interactions. Experimental data, such as transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics data, give snapshots of the system state. Stereoscopic virtual environments provide a true three-dimensional representation of metabolic networks, which can be intuitively manipulated, and may help to manage the data complexity. Results: MetNet3D, a 3D virtual reality system, allows a user to explore gene expression and metabolic pathway data simultaneously. Normalized gene expression data are processed in R and visualized as a 3D plot. Users can find a particular gene of interest or a cluster of genes that behave similarly and see how these genes function in metabolic networks from MetNetDB, a database of Arabidopsis metabolic networks, using animated network graphs. Interactive virtual reality, with its enhanced ability to display more information, makes such integration more effective by abstracting key relationships. Availability: MetNet3D and some sample datasets are available at http://www.vrac.iastate.edu/research/sites/metnet/Download/Download.htm Contact: julied@iastate.edu Supplementary information: Color snapshots and movies are available at http://www.vrac.iastate.edu/research/sites/metnet/Bioinformatics/SupplementaryInformation.htm
Commodity futures markets: a survey

This review article describes the main contributions in the literature on commodity futures markets. It is argued that modern studies have focused primarily on technical questions, with insufficient economic content. More research needs to be directed towards understanding fundamental economic issues such as why so few farmers hedge, the impacts of government farm programs on commodity futures, and the market impacts of commodity pools. The literature has failed to explain the prevalence of inverted markets in grains and oilseeds, and there is unexplainable price volatility in markets such as hogs and orange juice.
CHEMICAL RESTORATION IN NITELLA I. AMMONIA AND SOME OF ITS COMPOUNDS

The potassium effect in Nitella (the high P.D. observed in leading off from a spot in contact with 0.01 M KCl to one in contact with 0.01 M NaCl) and the irritability can be removed by placing cells in distilled water for 2 or 3 days. They can be restored by NH3 or by NH4Cl. The potassium effect can also be restored by tetraethyl ammonium chloride (no tests were made of its ability to restore irritability).
Fluorescent Probes Based on Nucleophilic Substitution–Cyclization for Hydrogen Sulfide Detection and Bioimaging

The design, synthesis, properties, and cell imaging applications of a series of 2-pyridyl disulfide based fluorescent probes (WSP1, WSP2, WSP3, WSP4 and WSP5) for hydrogen sulfide detection are reported. The strategy is based on the dual-nucleophilicity of hydrogen sulfide. A hydrogen sulfide mediated tandem nucleophilic substitution-cyclization reaction is used to release the fluorophores and turn on the fluorescence. The probes showed high sensitivity and selectivity for hydrogen sulfide over other reactive sulfur species, including cysteine and glutathione.
The Patent Crisis and How the Courts Can Solve It

Patent law encourages technological innovation. But as the patent system currently stands, diverse industries, from pharmaceuticals to software to semiconductors, are all governed by the same rules even though they innovate very differently. The result is a crisis in the patent system, where patents calibrated to the needs of prescription drugs wreak havoc on information technologies and vice versa. In "The Patent Crisis and How the Courts Can Solve It", Dan L. Burk and Mark A. Lemley illustrate the barriers to innovation created by such catchall standards, and argue that courts should use legal tools already present in the patent statute to suit the needs of various industries.
Particulate reduction in the pulsed laser deposition of barium titanate thin films

Abstract A particulate-reduction approach has been developed, based on a pulsed supersonic gas-jet that selectively deflects particulates from the deposition stream during pulsed laser deposition of BaTiO 3 thin films. In situ imaging, using an intensified CCD camera, has shown that the desirable atomic, ionic, and molecular species move toward the substrate with velocities on the order of 10 6 cm s −1 , while the undesirable particulates move at velocities on the order of 10 4 cm s −1 and slower. This separation of velocities is sufficient that the pulsed gas-jet can be timed to impact the particulates after the vapor species reach the substrate, but while the particulates are still near the target, allowing for near-maximum deflection. Key parameters with this approach are the sharpness and the timing of the valve opening and closing. Initial results show that at least an order of magnitude reduction in the number of film particulates is achieved.
Structure and function of the stomachless digestive system in three related species of New World silverside fishes (Atherinopsidae) representing herbivory, omnivory, and carnivory

We explored possible diet-related specializations in the digestive tract of stomachless fishes by summarizing the diets, verifying the absence of a stomach, and comparing gut lengths, microvilli surface areas, and activities of five digestive enzymes in four taxa of silversides from southern California coastal waters. For the comparisons, we examined these gut features in Atherinops affinis from both estuarine and kelp-forest habitats, and Atherinopsis californiensis and Leuresthes tenuis from open coastal habitats. A. affinis was found to be primarily herbivorous in estuaries and carnivorous in kelp forests, whereas As. californiensis was shown to be somewhat omnivorous but mainly carnivorous, and L. tenuis strictly carnivorous. Estuarine A. affinis exhibited the longest gut, largest microvilli surface area, and highest amylase and maltase activities, all arguably reflecting responses to an algal diet. In contrast, kelp-forest A. affinis displayed the highest trypsin activity and generally similar microvilli surface areas and aminopeptidase, amylase, and maltase activities to the two other carnivorous taxa. All four taxa showed similar lipase activities that compared closely with published values for other fishes. Taken together, our results reveal striking differences in gut structure and function among the four taxa, but especially between the estuarine and kelp-forest populations of A. affinis. Further studies are required to assess the roles of genetic variation and phenotypic plasticity in explaining the differences in these herbivorous and carnivorous taxa.
FDG-PET image-based dose distribution in a realistic mouse phantom from Monte Carlo simulations

The purpose of the study was to calculate dynamic internal dose distributions from FDG-PET imaging procedures using a realistic mouse phantom and the Monte Carlo method. A realistic mouse phantom was used for simulations and consisted of a matrix with a voxel size of (400 /spl mu/m)/sup 3/ and tissue compositions taken from human counterparts. The GATE software was used to perform all simulations. Dose calculations were performed using discretized, image-based FDG biodistributions from dynamic acquisitions. For each biodistribution - considered constant for some time interval - dose in the phantom was calculated by tracking a sufficient number (10/sup 8/) of primary emitted particles (e+). Dose values were then scaled to take into account radioactive decay and dose integration with time. Dose averages for most organs were between 5 and 15 mGy per MBq of injected activity, with a whole body dose average of 11 mGy/MBq. The heart received about 75 mGy/MBq and for the unvoided bladder scenario, the dose to the bladder wall ranged from 100 to 1000 mGy/MBq, with an average close to 500 mGy/MBq. For a study using 200 /spl mu/Cl of injected tracer, this would translate into 550 and 3600 mGy delivered to the heart and bladder wall, respectively. The biological response and its eventual effect on investigations is unknown although the bladder wall is usually not considered a target tissue. Voiding the bladder at least partially can reduce the total absorbed dose by half.
Quantum origin of an anomalous isotope effect in ozone formation

Abstract Accurate quantum mechanical calculations of the (J=0) energies and lifetimes of the metastable states of ozone on a new, accurate potential energy surface are reported. These are very relevant to a famous anomalous isotope effect in the reaction that forms ozone because of their role in the energy transfer mechanism, in which metastable ro-vibrational states of ozone are formed and then stabilized by collisions with a third body. The resulting spectrum of metastable states is very dense below the delta zero-point energy threshold and sparse above it. This gives a clear qualitative explanation of why the effect occurs.