cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Increased Production of IL-4 by Gut T-Cell Lines from Patients with Dermatitis Herpetiformis Compared to Patients with Isolated Gluten-Sensitive Enteropathy

Dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) and isolated gluten-sensitive enteropathy (GSE) are gluten-sensitive diseases in which ingestion of dietary gluten results in the development of clinical disease. Patients with DH develop cutaneous IgA deposits and a severe skin disease, but rarely develop gastrointestinal symptoms. Patients with isolated GSE develop clinically significant gastrointestinal symptoms, but not skin disease or cutaneous IgA deposits. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism by which a mucosal immune response to the same dietary antigen can result in two distinct clinical phenotypes. T-cell lines were derived from activated T-cells in the small bowel mucosa of five patients with DH and 14 patients with isolated GSE and analyzed for T-cell markers and cytokine production in vitro. T-cell lines from DH and isolated GSE patients produced IFN-γ after stimulation (mean: DH = 2619 pg/ml; isolated GSE = 1993 pg/ml; NS). T-cell lines from patients with DH, however, produced significantly more IL-4 than the T-cell lines from patients with isolated GSE (IL-4: DH = 2010 pg/ml; isolated GSE = 235 pg/ml; P < 0.05). Analysis of intracytoplasmic cytokine production by the T-cell lines showed that T-cell lines from patients with DH were CD4+ predominant, with a greater proportion of CD4+/IL4+ cells than CD4+/IFN-γ+ cells. In contrast, isolated GSE T-cell lines were predominantly CD8+, with an equal proportion of IL-4- and IFN-γ-positive cells. These studies demonstrate that T cell lines from patients with DH produce significantly more IL-4 than T-cell lines from patients with isolated GSE, while producing similar amounts of IFN-γ. This difference in cytokine pattern may play an important role in the different clinical manifestations of these two forms of gluten sensitivity.
Sensation: a middleware integration platform for pervasive applications in wireless sensor networks

In this paper we focus on the issue of application development for wireless sensor networks (WSN). Currently, such networks are extensively used in various business domains. However, their highly customized operating systems and application middleware render the application development for multiple WSNs rather cumbersome. Applications based on multiple WSNs are typical in the emerging pervasive computing paradigm adopted in numerous domains (e.g., telemedicine). A WSN can be considered as a source of information similarly to a database. Motivated by the layered driver approach introduced in the ODBC/JDBC frameworks, we propose a middleware integration architecture. Our architecture presents a unified and developer-friendly interface and abstract data model towards the application. Such interface conceals the peculiarities of the underlying WSNs as their coordination and data retrieval software is integrated in the lower layer of the proposed middleware framework. We present the design of the discussed architecture that is based on open standards like XML.
Processing ambiguity in a linguistic context: decision-making difficulties in non-aphasic patients with behavioral variant frontotemporal degeneration

Some extent of ambiguity is ubiquitous in everyday conversations. For example, words have multiple meaning and very common pronouns, like “he” and “she” (anaphoric pronouns), have little meaning on their own and refer to a noun that has been previously introduced in the discourse. Ambiguity triggers a decision process that is not a subroutine of language processing but rather a more general domain resource. Therefore non-aphasic patients with limited decision-making capability can encounter severe limitation in language processing due to extra linguistic limitations. In the present study, we test patients with behavioral variant frontotemporal degeneration (bvFTD), focusing on anaphora as a paradigmatic example of ambiguity resolution in the linguistic domain. bvFTD is characterized by gray matter (GM) atrophy in prefrontal cortex, but relative sparing of peri-Sylvian cortex. A group of patients with parietal disease due to corticobasal syndrome (CBS) was also tested here in order to investigate the specific role of prefrontal cortex in the task employed in the current study. Participants were presented with a pair of sentences in which the first sentence contained two nouns while the second contained a pronoun. In the experimental (ambiguous) condition, both nouns are plausible referents of the pronoun, thus requiring decision-making resources. The results revealed that bvFTD patients are significantly less accurate than healthy seniors in identifying the correct referent of a pronoun in the ambiguous condition, although CBS patients were as accurate as healthy seniors. Imaging analyses related bvFTD patients’ performance to GM atrophy in ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). These results suggest that bvFTD patients have difficulties in decision processes that involve the resolution of an ambiguity.
Anelastic piezoresistance effect in alloys

Abstract Experiments are described which establish the existence of a new ‘anelastic piezoresistance’ effect. The effect consists of a change in the electrical resistivity of a sample as a result of stress-induced directional ordering. This change has been detected in polycrystalline Ta–O, Ag–Zn, Ag–In, Cu–Zn and Cu–Mn alloys, which undergo stress-induced ordering by either the Snoek or Zener mechanism. Values obtained for the anelastic strain coefficient of resistivity were, with the exception of the Ag–Zn alloys, much larger than the corresponding elastic strain coefficient. This result suggests that in general the long-range strain surrounding a relaxation centre is not an important factor in determining the resistivity contributed by the centre. It is shown from formal considerations that, for the case of the Snoek relaxation, the anelastic strain coefficient of resistivity is an isotropic crystal property. With this result, data obtained on Ta–O have been analysed to yield the two resistivity paramet...
Knowing As Making, Making As Knowing: The Many Lives of Synthetic Biology

The ways in which the various activities of synthetic biology connect to those of conventional biology display both a multiplicity and variety that reflect the multiplicity and variety of meanings for which the term synthetic biology has been invoked, today as in the past. Central to this variety, as well as to the connection itself, is the complex relationship between knowing (understanding, representing) and making (constructing, intervening) that has prevailed in the life sciences. That relationship is the focus of this article. More specifically, my aim is to explore the different assumptions about how knowing is related to making that have prevailed, implicitly or explicitly in the various activities—now or in the past—subsumed under the name synthetic biology.
BlueLinx can benefit from innovative inventory management methods for commodity forward buys

Commodity prices often fluctuate significantly from one purchasing opportunity to the next. These fluctuations allow firms to benefit from forward buying (buying for future demand in addition to current demand) when prices are low. We propose a combined heuristic to determine the optimal number of future periods a firm should purchase at each ordering opportunity in order to maximize total expected profit when there is uncertainty in future demand and future buying price. We compare our heuristic with existing methods via simulation using real demand data from BlueLinx, a two-stage distributor of building products. The results show that our combined heuristic performs better than any existing methods considering forward buying or safety stock separately. We also compare our heuristic to the optimal inventory management policy by full enumeration for a smaller data set. The proposed heuristic is shown to be close to optimal. This study is the first to decide both the optimal number of future periods to buy for uncertain purchase price and the appropriate purchasing quantity with safety stock for uncertain demand simultaneously. The experience suggests that the proposed combined heuristic is simple and can be very beneficial for any company where forward buying is possible.
Science is not value-free

The scientific attitude involves a willingness to be objective. But many falsely assume additionally that such willingness implies being completely value-free. Actually, scientific research is value-saturated. At every step one faces the question, “Which is the best way?” Not only is it better to be than not to be scientific, scientists believe, but one ought to seek what is best relative to all aspects of science. Exploration is limited to (1) problems, (2) attitude and (3) methods. Even prejudice, which is evil when bias prevents or produces false results, may also be good when it helps produce true conclusions. Do policy scientists have special obligations regarding this issue?
Rapid Prediction of BGA Board Level Reliability Due to PWB Flexure

BGA interconnect fatigue failure due to printed wiring board (PWB) flexure has been one of the top board-level reliability issues in portable electronic devices as products become smaller and lighter. Although much effort has been expended in the past to investigate the effect of package design on component bending reliability, the effects of PWB structural parameters such as board support and component location on board-level reliability have not been well studied. As a result, data and information currently available for design assistance are limited. In this study, a methodology was developed to systematically characterize the component board level reliability due to PWB flexure. Response surfaces and correction factors were generated based on the systematic characterization with respect to the board structural parameters and other influential factors, and implemented in a software tool, permitting rapid reliability prediction of BGA board level reliability at the earliest stage of product development process to reduce cycle time.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Children's responses to same- and other-gender peers: an experimental investigation with 8-, 10-, and 12-year-olds.

This research compared how participants in the age range of middle childhood (N = 565, approximate ages 8, 10, and 12 years) responded to provocation by a same- or an other-gender peer. In a laboratory play session, participants were provoked in two ways: by losing at a computer game and by being teased by a confederate actor. Immediately following the provoking play session, participants were interviewed about their perceptions of the provoking peer, emotional responses, coping strategies, and social goals. For both the baseline and provocation periods, observational data indicated that facial, verbal, and gestural responses to an other-gender peer were more negative than to a same-gender peer. With other-gender partners, participants reported liking the peer less, trying less to get along with the provocateur, and coping with the provocation by trying to play better rather than by verbally confronting the actor.
Solvent swelling rates of low rank coals and implications regarding their structure

Abstract The rates of solvent swelling of a suite of low rank US coals have been measured in various organic solvents at various temperatures. The equilibrium extents of swelling are independent of temperature within the temperature range studied (25–70°C). The rate of the swelling process was generally relaxation-controlled. The activation energies for the kinetics of swelling are consistent with other recently published values, and support the hypothesis that the activation barrier is associated with the breakage of internal electron donor-acceptor (e.g. hydrogen bonding) interactions. Thermal pretreatment of a lignite at various temperatures up to 395°C decreased the activation energy barrier and the rate of swelling. Swelling rates of the same lignite in different solvents suggest that the activation energy can exceed the value for breaking single hydrogen bonds, possibly because the true barrier involves cleaving more than one of those bonds at a time.
The Challenge of Detecting Contemporary Forms of Discrimination

While the persistent and widespread racial and gender inequalities that exist in the United States are almost certainly due to a combination of many different factors, one likely source of inequality is discrimination. As decades of research in social psychology suggest, this discrimination is often subtle and difficult to detect, and in some instances, may be unintentional. Although this type of discrimination is subtle, it is nonetheless damaging to those who are its victims and the cumulative effects of such discrimination may be substantial. In the domains of race and gender, in which individuals are presumably legally protected from discrimination, people are deprived of their civil rights when they face such behavior. Therefore, an important goal for research and practice in intergroup relations is to develop techniques that allow such discrimination to be reliably detected and to distinguish discriminatory conduct from behavior that is not influenced by subtle racial and gender biases.
Tunneling of correlated electrons in an ultrahigh magnetic field

Effects of the electron-electron interaction on tunneling into a metal in an ultrahigh magnetic field (ultraquantum limit) are studied. The range of the interaction is found to have a decisive effect both on the nature of the field-induced instability of the ground state and on the properties of the system at energies above the corresponding gap. For a short-range repulsive interaction, tunneling is dominated by the renormalization of the coupling constant, which leads eventually to the charge-density wave instability. For a long-range interaction, there exists an intermediate energy range in which the conductance obeys a power-law scaling form, similar to that of a one-dimensional Luttinger liquid. The exponent is magnetic-field dependent, and more surprisingly, may be positive or negative, i.e., interactions may either suppress or enhance the tunneling conductance compared to its noninteracting value. At energies near the gap, scaling breaks down and tunneling is again dominated by the instability, which in this case is an (anisotropic) Wigner-crystal instability.
Constant-amplitude waveform variations of US MIL-STD-188-110B and STANAG 4539

Modern single-carrier HF waveforms require tight digital and analog filters in order to meet current HF bandwidth allocations. Unfortunately, this filtering process produces a variation in the peak-power of the waveform relative to the average-power. The effect of this variation is that a back-off is required at the input to a power-amplifier (PA) (when using a peak-power limited PA) to avoid operating in the non-linear region of the PA. Operating in the non-linear region can result in significant spectral regrowth and distortion of the waveform. The recommended PA back-off is typically between 3-6 dB (depending on the amount of filtering and the modulation type used by the HF waveform). The net effect of this back-off is to reduce the on-air average transmit power by the back-off amount or to require a much larger PA in order to achieve a desired on-air average transmit power. An alternative to current low data rate single-carrier HF waveforms is to use constant-amplitude waveforms such as continuous phase modulation (CPM) where the bandwidth of the waveform is controlled in the carrier phase-domain rather than in the time-domain (via filtering) eliminating the need for PA back-off. This paper will investigate the potential of modifying the low data rate waveforms in US MIL-STD-188-110B and STANAG 4539 with constant-amplitude variants in an effort to improve performance by maximizing the average TX power. Coded and uncoded waveforms will be studied with an emphasis on developing some waveforms with low latency for digital voice applications. These new waveforms will be compared to the standardized HF waveforms on several HF channels in order to understand the performance trade-offs offered by these new waveforms.
Effects of d-amphetamine and pilocarpine on the mouse-killing response of hungry and satiated rats

Two experiments examined some relationships between feeding schedule and two psychoactive drugs on the mouse-killing response in rats. Experiment 1 showed that the combination of a high dose of d-amphetamine (2.00 mg/kg) and food satiation effectively suppresses killing while either factor alone does not. Experiment 2 showed that the combination of a high dose of pilocarpine (30 mg/kg) and food deprivation induces a considerable percentage of Sprague-Dawley rats to kill mice while either variable alone does not.
Determination of total sulfur in plant materials using an automated sulfur analyzer

Abstract An automated sulfur analyzer (ASA), which has been developed for sulfur analysis of coal and coke was evaluated for determination of total sulfur in plant materials. Plant materials containing from 0.15% to 0.75% sulfur have been analyzed with precision and accuracy superior to other accepted methods which are more tedious and time‐consuming. The direct reading unit is capable of making approximately one sulfur determination every three minutes.
Rotational isomerism in 4-halobutenes

Abstract Infrared spectra have been obtained for 4-chloro-1 -butene and 4-bromo-1-butene in the vapor, liquid, and solid states. Two carbon-halogen stretch bands, assigned to two rotational isomers, were observed for each compound. In one rotamer, the halogen atom is approximately trans to the 2-carbon atom and, in the other, the halogen is approximately gauche to the 2-carbon. The gauche rotamer is the more stable form of both compounds in the vapor state. Vibrational assignments are proposed for the two compounds.
Prenatal weight gain patterns and spontaneous preterm birth among nonobese black and white women.

Objective To examine the relationship between prenatal weight gain and spontaneous preterm delivery, using the Institute of Medicine (IOM) guidelines. Methods Nonobese low-income black (677 subjects) and white (338) women were grouped by ethnicity and prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) as low (less than 19.8) or normal (19.8–26.0). The relationship of total gain (first trimester) and weekly rate of gain (second and third trimester) to spontaneous preterm delivery was determined while controlling for sociodemographic and reproductive variables as well as for time between last weight observation and delivery. Results For all women combined, the mean (± standard deviation) weight gain during the first trimester was 2.48 ± 3.36 kg, and the mean rate of gain during the second and third trimesters was 0.49 ± 0.21 and 0.45 ± 0.28 kg/week, respectively. Low first- or second-trimester weight gain was not associated with increased adjusted odds ratios (OR) for spontaneous preterm delivery. Third-trimester rates of gain below the lower limit of the IOM-recommended range (less than 0.38 kg/week with low BMI, less than 0.37 kg/week with normal BMI) were associated with increased preterm delivery among all women (OR 2.46, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.53–3.92), all black women (OR 1.98, 95% CI 1.16-3.41), and all white women (OR 4.05, 95% CI 1.41–11.66). Conclusion These observations suggest that a low thirdtrimester rate of weight gain, defined using IOM guidelines, is associated with an increased risk of spontaneous preterm delivery among nonobese black and white women.
Suppression of adjacent channel interference using feedback equalizers

Abstract An analytical technique for evaluating the performance of nonlinearly equalized M-ary quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) systems in the presence of interfering channels is developed. The equalizer is allowed to have either synchronously- or fractionally-spaced taps for its feedforward filter (FFF). Both a decision feedback equalizer (DFE) and a decision-aided intersymbol-inierference canceller (DIC are considered. The tap gains are evaluated in the minimum mean-square-error sense. Asymptotic analysis is also provided for the case of a synchronously-spaced FFF. Numerical results indicate that by employing a DIC equalizer (1/2-fractionally-spaced FFF), with sufficient feedforward and feedback taps, the transmission efficiency of a 256-ary QAM can be increased to 10 bits−1 Hz−1 in the presence of an interfering channel with a normalized channel spacing of 0-8 at the expense of 1-85 dB additional increase in Eb/No given a bit error-rale of I0+4
In vivo nickel allergic contact dermatitis: human model for topical therapeutics.

Techniques to determine efficacy of topical agents on allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) may benefit from refinement. The aim of this study was to develop an in vivo human model system for the bioengineering and visual quantification of the effect of topical agents on nickel ACD, and to correlate ACD parameters. 14 nickel patch-test-positive subjects were included in a placebo-controlled, double-blind study after a pre-screening procedure with a standard diagnostic patch test with nickel sulfate in 54 healthy human volunteers. 5% nickel sulfate in petrolatum in a Finn Chamber® was applied on forearm skin for 48 h to create a standardized dermatitis. Thereafter, the dermatitis was treated with a model topical agent and a placebo control while recording end-point parameters daily for 10 days. Resolution was quantified with 4 parameters: visual scoring (VS), transepidermal water loss (TEWL) (Tewameter), skin blood flow volume (BFV) (laser Doppler flowmeter), and skin color (a* value) (Colorimeter). The model agent reduced cutaneous allergic reactions, especially on day 8 to 10, in comparison with the placebo control. A highly significant linear relationship exists among all parameters, except between a* and BFV. This model may provide robust biometrics for determining the efficacy of topical therapeutics on experimentally induced ACD.
Efeito da seleção no primeiro ciclo de postura para produção de ovos sobre o desempenho no segundo ciclo

An experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of first cycle selection on second cycle egg production traits. The traits evaluated were body weight at 16 (PC16), 40 (PC40), 75 (PC75) and 111 (PC111) weeks of age; average egg weight (PMO); age at on set production (IMS); hen day egg production (POAD) from IMS up to 64 weeks of age; age at first egg after moulting (RP); POAD from RP up to 120 weeks of age; egg shape index (REL) and density (DENS). Except PC111 and REL all traits were significantly influenced by first cycle selection. The genetic changes increased in egg production and body weight and decreased in age at onset egg prodution. Differences in egg production and age at onset production between CC and CCc remained in second cycle, indicating a correlated response between these traits in first and second cycles. It was concluded that selection in first cycle also improved egg production in second laying cycle.
Laboratory Measurement of the J = 1-0 Transition of CH+

The A 1Π-X 1Σ electronic band of the CH+ ion has been used as a probe of the physical and dynamical conditions of the interstellar medium (ISM) for 65 years. In spite of being one of the first molecular species observed in the ISM, and the very large number of subsequent observations with large derived column densities, the pure rotational spectra of CH+ has remained elusive in both the laboratory and, with one exception (Cernicharo et al.), the ISM as well. We report the first laboratory measurement of the pure rotation of the CH+ ion J = 1-0 at 835078.950(75) MHz. Also reported are the somewhat unexpected chemical conditions that resulted in laboratory production. A mass-independent analysis of the existing optical data and the microwave transition is presented, along with predictions for rotational transition frequencies of isotopomers of CH+.
Preparation and characterization of bis(2-thiopyrimidinato)bis(pyridine)dioxodi(μ-oxo)dimolybdenum(V)

Abstract The reaction of Mo2(O2CCH3)4 with 2-mercaptopyrimidine gave a green solid which was transformed by dissolving in pyridine in air to a red-orange crystalline product which has been shown by X-ray crystallography to be [MoO(NC5H5)(SN2C4H3)] 2(μ-O)2. The molecule has the familiar oxo-bridged dinuclear structure with the MoO bonds cisoid and distorted octahedra completed about each metal atom by a pyridine nitrogen atom, a pyrimidine nitrogen atom and the pyrimidine sulfur atom. No crystallographic symmetry is imposed but the molecule closely approximates C2 symmetry. The MoMo distance is 2.576(1)A. The crystallographic parameters are: Space group, P 1 ; a = 12.063(7)A; b = 12.149(5)A; c = 10.362(5)A; α = 98.51(3)°; β = 104.84(4)°; γ = 102.91(4)°; V = 1396(1)A3; Z = 2. Using 3389 data with Fo2 >; 3σ(Fo2) and 313 variables, the structure was refined bu full-matrix least squares to final discrepancy indices of R1 = 0.044 and R2 = 0.073.
Nerve growth factor, mast cells and arthritis

Nerve growth factor is a well-characterized neurotrophic protein required for the survival and differentiation of a variety of neuronal cell types both in the peripheral and central nervous systems. Recent studies indicate that nerve growth factor also plays a role in cells originating in the immune system, since it is synthesized by cells of immune system lineage and its level increases during inflammatory responses. Moreover, it has been shown that cytokines such as interleukin 1β and tumor necrosis factor-α are potent inducers of nerve growth factor secretion. These studies were recently confirmed and extended by demonstrating that cells normally present in inflammatory tissues, such as mast cells and lymphocytes, express nerve growth factor receptors and are receptive to the action of nerve growth factor. The aim of the present review is to outline the current understanding of mast cells and nerve growth factor in autoimmune diseases and particularly in arthritis. Biomedical Reviews 1995; 4: 7-14.
A strategy for the procurement of instructional time-sharing services

A fully competitive procurement of time-sharing services requires considerable effort from quite a few experienced people. Although the normal measures employed in the evaluation of proposals, such as benchmarking and simulation, are known to be deficient, it is possible to use a combination of techniques to obtain satisfactory results. The development of the Request for Proposal (RFP) to include the plan for evaluation is crucial to the procurement effort. In this regard the RFP is continually being clarified and updated during the procurement. Effective organization and division of labor can be used to produce unbiased evaluations from several viewpoints. The technique of requesting a best and final offer was found to produce more responsive proposals for the final analysis. By carefully structuring the mandatory and desirable features, a point scoring scheme is feasible in which the best overall proposal is identified in an unambiguous fashion. Besides significant cost reductions, the procurement has produced a more comprehensive level of services and a greater inclination of both users and suppliers to develop significant applications.
Scaling of crack propagation in rubber sheets

We have conducted experiments and numerical simulations to investigate supersonic cracks. The experiments are performed at 85 ◦ C to suppress strain-induced crystallites that complicate experiments at lower temperature. Calibration experiments were performed to obtain the parameters needed to compare with a theory including viscous dissipation. We find that both experiments and numerical simulations support supersonic cracks, and we discover a transition from subsonic to supersonic as we plot experimental crack speed curves vs. extension ratio for different sized samples. Both experiments and simulations show two different scaling regimes: the speed of subsonic cracks scales with the elastic energy density while the speed of supersonic cracks scales with the extension ratio. Crack openings have qualitatively different shapes in the two scaling regimes. Copyright c EPLA, 2011
Neomycin: Ototoxicity And The Cochlear Efferents

The effects of neomycin on cochlear histology were correlated with its effect on contralateral olivo-cochlear bundle (COCB) stimulation in cats given one subcutaneous injection of neomycin per day (100 mg/kg/day) for 0 (controls), 4, 6, 7, 10 and 12 days. Enhancement of COCB stimulation effects occurs first, the highest incidence being found after 6 and 7 days of neomycin treatment. This is then followed by a block of COCB stimulation effects which is greatest at 10 and 12 days of neomycin treatment. There is minimal damage to the cochleas of these animals, indicating that enhancement and block of COCB stimulation effects may be due to a pharmacological action on the efferent synapse which occurs before extensive ototoxicity develops. This pharmacological synaptic activity of neomycin could be playing a role in the genesis of ototoxicity.
Spectral gradient flow and equilibrium configurations of point vortices

We formulate the problem of finding equilibrium configurations of N-point vortices in the plane in terms of a gradient flow on the smallest singular value of a skew-symmetric matrix M whose nullspa...
Discrete Analogs for Continuous Filters

A substitution rule for obtaining discrete analogs for continuous filters is given. Transient responses of filters related by the rule are in exact agreement. Steady-state responses are in close agreement.
Spectrum sensing based on three-state model to accomplish all-level fairness for co-existing multiple cognitive radio networks

Spectrum sensing plays a critical role in cognitive radio networks (CRNs). The majority of spectrum sensing algorithms aim to detect the existence of a signal on a channel, i.e., they classify a channel into either busy or idle state, referred to as a two-state sensing model in this paper. While this model works properly when there is only one CRN accessing a channel, it significantly limits the potential and fairness of spectrum access when there are multiple co-existing CRNs. This is because if the secondary users (SUs) from one CRN are accessing a channel, SUs from other CRNs would detect the channel as busy and hence be starved. In this paper, we propose a three-state sensing model that distinguishes the channel into three states: idle, occupied by a primary user, or occupied by a secondary user. This model effectively addresses the fairness concern of the two-state sensing model, and resolves the starvation problem of multiple co-existing CRNs. To accurately detect each state of the three, we develop a two-stage detection procedure. In the first stage, energy detection is employed to identify whether a channel is idle or occupied. If the channel is occupied, the received signal is further analyzed at the second stage to determine whether the signal originates from a primary user or an SU. For the second stage, we design a statistical model and use it for distance estimation. For detection performance, false alarm and miss detection probabilities are theoretically analyzed. Furthermore, we thoroughly analyze the performance of throughput and fairness for the three-state sensing model compared with the two-state sensing model. In terms of fairness, we define a novel performance metric called all-level fairness for all(ALFA) to characterize fairness among CRNs. Extensive simulations are carried out under various scenarios to evaluate the three-state sensing model and verify the aforementioned theoretical analysis.
The Resistance to Pathos and the Pathos of Resistance: Peter Weiss

In contemporary poetics, the term "pathos" does not seem to occupy much of a place and its former semantic range—external event and inner experience; spontaneous affect and reflective distance; passive and active—has become largely unavailable to us. The author enlists the concept "pathos" to reflect on the status of violence and pain in Peter Weiss. In keeping with the generation of authors writing and publishing in the aftermath of World War II and the Holocaust, in Weiss's oeuvre, there is on the one hand an almost programmatic opposition to pathos, that is, a refusal to endow the spectacle of pain and suffering with any kind of transcendence, to "dignify" it with some meaning or purpose. On the other hand, the countless scenes of agony and torment so prominently on display in the works of art depicted in Die Asthetik des Widerstands are for the most part striking instances of the pathos that Weiss seemed to avoid, and even denounce, elsewhere, especially in his Laokoon address. Recalling the semantic ...
Effect of physical and chemical treatment on the buoyant density of reovirus

Reovirus type 2 was treated with genetron or chloroform, heat (52° to 80°C), trypsin, and combinations of heat and trypsin. The treated virions were analyzed in a CsCl density gradient. Genetron and chloroform had no effect on the buoyant density of the virion, heat treatment resulted in a virus particle with a lowered density (1.35 g/cm3), and trypsin treatment rendered virus cores with a density of 1.42 g/cm3. When heat-treated virus was treated with trypsin, the particles also had a density of 1.42 g/cm3; however, trypsinized particles became more dense (1.46 g/cm3) when heated after the enzyme treatment.
Dysfunctional Domesticity: Female Insanity and Family Relationships among the West Riding Poor in the Mid-Nineteenth Century:

“Dysfunctional Domesticity” contributes to the growing reevaluation of the importance of the history of the family to understanding the history of insanity. Using patient case histories from the West Riding Pauper Lunatic Asylum, this article examines representations of family life among the poor in England in the 1830s and 1840s. Among the so-called moral causes of insanity, family relationships held a prominent place. Female patients more than male patients had their mental illnesses attributed to their domestic circumstances: the poverty of their home lives, grief over the death of friends and family, love and marital relationships gone wrong, and violence in their homes. The case histories reveal that poor women experienced many pressures in the domestic sphere, and insanity may have been one way to escape dysfunctional domesticity.
Structural studies on the major, capsular polysaccharide from Cryptococcus bacillisporus serotype B

Abstract The capsular material from Cryptococcus bacillisporus serotype B has been separated into essentially two fractions. One of these (60% of the total) has been studied by the methods usual for the structural elucidation of polysaccharides. The results are consistent with a structure having nonreducing D -xylosyl as well as D -glucosyluronic acid groups attached to O-2 of D -mannosyl residues linked α-(1→3) in a linear backbone. Every third D -mannosyl residue is doubly substituted with a D -xylosyl group at O-2 and a D -glucosyluronic acid group at O-4.
MySpace is your space? Examining self-presentation of MySpace users

The study examined the role of self-presentation on MySpace pages through the information users post on their sites. MySpace users were more comfortable with posting the broad pieces of information, like gender, race, zodiac sign, and hometown. They were not as willing to present personal information like income, whether they smoke or drank or groups they belonged to. Age and motivations for creating a page were major predictors of how much information people revealed about themselves.
Preimplantation embryo development (Ped) gene copy number varies from 0 to 85 in a population of wild mice identified as Mus musculus domesticus

The preimplantation embryo development (Ped) gene regulates the rate of preimplantation embryonic cleavage division and subsequent embryo survival. In the mouse, the Ped gene product is Qa-2 protein, a nonclassical MHC class I molecule encoded by four tandem genes, Q6/Q7/Q8/Q9. Most inbred strains of mice have all four genes on each allelic chromosome, making a total of eight Qa-2 encoding genes, but there are a few strains that are missing all eight genes, defining a null allele. Mouse strains with the presence of the Qa-2 encoding genes express Qa-2 protein and produce embryos with a faster rate of preimplantation embryonic development and a greater chance of embryo survival compared to mouse strains with the null allele. There is extensive evidence that the human homolog of Qa-2 is HLA-G. HLA-G in humans, like Qa-2 in mice, is associated with enhanced reproductive success. The human population is an outbred population. Therefore, for a better comparison to the human population, we undertook an investigation of the presence of the genes encoding Qa-2 in an outbred population of mice. We used Real-Time Quantitative PCR to quantify the number of Qa-2 encoding genes in a population of 32 wild mice identified as Mus musculus domesticus both by morphologic assessment and by PCR analysis of their DNA. We found great variability in the number of Qa-2 encoding genes in the wild mice tested. The wild mouse with the highest number of Qa-2 encoding genes had 85 such genes, whereas we discovered one wild mouse without any Qa-2 encoding genes. Evolutionary implications of a range of Qa-2 encoding gene numbers in the wild mouse population are discussed, as well as the relevance of our findings to humans.
Estrogen Directly Induces Expression of Retinoic Acid Biosynthetic Enzymes, Compartmentalized between the Epithelium and Underlying Stromal Cells in Rat Uterus

Estrogen (E2) has been shown to induce the biosynthesis of retinoic acid (RA) in rat uterus. Here we examined whether E2 could directly induce the enzymes involved in this process by using the ovariectomized rat. A retinol dehydrogenase that we have previously described, eRolDH, and the retinal dehydrogenase, RalDH II, were found to have markedly increased uterine mRNA levels withi n4ho f E 2 administration, independent of the prior administration of puromycin. eRolDH and RalDH II and their mRNAs were also increased in uteri of rats during estrus. This indicated that RA biosynthesis in rat uterus is directly controlled by E2 and provides a direct link between the action of a steroid hormone and retinoid action. We also examined the cell-specific localization of RalDH II by immunohistochemistry. The enzyme was observed in the stromal compartment, particularly in cells close to the uterine lumenal epithelium. eRolDH was observed only in the lining epithelial cells. Taken together with the previous observations of cellular retinol-binding protein and cellular retinoic acid-binding protein, type two also being expressed in the lumenal epithelium, we propose that RA production is compartmentalized, with retinol oxidation occurring in the lumenal epithelium and subsequent oxidation of retinal to RA occurring in the underlying stromal cells. (Endocrinology 145: 4756 – 4762, 2004)
Robust detection of lumen centerlines in complex coronary angiograms

We have developed a method for lumen centerline detection based on simultaneous detection of approximate left and right coronary borders. This approach is motivated by the observation that a clinician visually identifies the lumen centerline as midway between the simultaneously determined left and right borders of the vessel segment of interest. Our lumen centerline detection algorithm and an algorithm based on a conventional method for individually identifying left and right coronary borders were tested using 89 complex coronary images. Selected manually-traced centerlines defined in a previous angioplasty study were used as an independent standard. Computer-detected and observer-defined centerlines were compared using five parameters (maximum and rms distances, maximum and average orientation differences, and orientation similarity index). The quality of centerlines determined using the new simultaneous centerline detection method, a modification incorporating an initial maximum brightness search, and a conventional centerline detection method was also assessed. Our new centerline detection method yielded accurate centerlines in the 89 complex images. Moreover, our method outperformed the conventional method as judged by all five calculated parameters (p < 0.001 for each parameter). Automated detection of lumen centerlines based on simultaneous detection of both coronary borders provides improved accuracy in coronary arteriograms with poor contrast, nearby or overlapping structures, or branching vessels.
A comparison of residential and commercial energy use in the United States and Sweden

Abstract The differences between the U.S. and Sweden in residential and commercial energy use are discussed in terms of energy efficiencies. The lower Swedish per capita energy consumption in these sectors is principally explained by these factors: (1) better insulation and construction standards in buildings to give considerably higher overall heating efficiencies, (2) more realistic commercial lighting standards, and (3) significant differences in residential end-use devices and end-use choices. Also centralized water heating systems and the practice of district heating contribute to Sweden's more efficient usage of residential and commercial energy.
Social indicators based on communication content

Early mechanical translation projects served to inject some realism about the complexity of ordinary language processing. While text processing aspirations have become more tempered, today's technology makes possible cost effective applications well beyond the index or concordance. This paper outlines one new challenge that is mostly within curent technology and may be a major future consumer of computer resources.
Architectural support for multilanguage parallel programming on heterogeneous systems

We have designed and implemented a software facility, called Agora, that supports the development of parallel applications written in multiple languages. At the core of Agora there is a mechanism that allows concurrent computations to share data structures independently of the computer architecture they are executed on. Concurrent computations exchange control information by using a pattern-directed technique. This paper describes the Agora shared memory and its software implementation on both tightly and loosely-coupled architectures.
Influence of medical students' past experiences and innate dexterity on suturing performance

Abstract Background Medical students often site their ability to excel at technical tasks as justification for choosing surgery as a career path. We sought to investigate how medical students' dexterity skills and past experiences correlated with suturing performance. Methods Sixty-four 3rd-year medical students were surveyed about previous experiences that involved manual dexterity. Technical skills were then measured using a validated test of manual dexterity and subcuticular closure of a pig's foot incision. Spearman's rank correlation coefficients determined correlation between variables. Results Previous experiences, self-assessment of dexterity, prior suturing, and current interest in surgery did not significantly correlate with manual dexterity or suturing skill scores. Innate manual dexterity score was the only significant correlating factor to suture skill score (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient=.336; P = .007). Conclusions Innate manual dexterity skills are predictive of initial surgical suturing performance regardless of past student experiences. Interventions aimed at improving early surgical technique should be optimally focused on dexterity training.
Leishmania donovani: autoradiographic evidence for molecular exchanges between parasites and host cells.

Abstract Promastigotes of Leishmania donovani, 2S strain, or hamster peritoneal exudate cells, were pulse labeled in vitro with [3H]uridine or [3H]leucine. Washed labeled parasites were used to infect unlabeled macrophages in Leighton tube cultures. Washed labeled cells in Leighton tube cultures were also infected with unlabeled parasites. Cover slips were harvested at various times following infection, methanol fixed, and washed in cold trichloroacetic acid, dipped in NTB-3 nuclear emulsion (Kodak) and developed after 2 wk in the dark. Grain counts and photographs showed that when host cells were prelabeled with either compound then radioactive material accumulated in the parasite. Likewise, when parasites were prelabeled, radioactive material accumulated in the host cells. Experiments using [6-3H]uridine, RNAse, DNAse, and prelabeled macroghages indicated parasites were synthesizing DNA from host cell RNA precursors or precursor pool. The studies thus describe a system for investigating the molecular level relationships between Leishmania species and their host cells.
Tidal estimation in the Pacific with application to SEASAT altimetry

The techniques for computing the eigenfunctions of the velocity potential (Proudman functions) set out in Sanchez, et al. (1986) in relation to the Atlantic-Indian Oceans are here applied to the Pacific Ocean, using a 6x6 degree grid of 510 points (455 points for the associated stream functions). Normal modes are computed from the first Proudman functions and have natural periods from 43.9h downward. Tidal syntheses are derived from these modes by direct application of the (frictionless) dynamic equations and by least-squares fitting of Proudman functions to the dynamically interpolated tide-gauge data of Schwiderski (1983). The modes contributing the most energy to the principal harmonic tidal constituents are different in the two computations: their natural periods are typically in the range of 9 to 16h for semidiurnal, and 14 to 43h for diurnal tides. The rms of fit for the Proudman functions is, in all cases, better than the corresponding value for the same number of spherical harmonics.
Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies Loci for Body Composition and Structural Soundness Traits in Pigs

Background The recent completion of the swine genome sequencing project and development of a high density porcine SNP array has made genome-wide association (GWA) studies feasible in pigs.
Computational Ecosystems in a Changing Environment

We study the adaptive behavior of a computational ecosystem in the presence of time-periodic resource utilities as seen, for example in the day-night load variations of computer use and in the price fluctuations of seasonal products. We do so within the context of the Huberman-Hogg model of such systems. The dynamics is studied for the cases of competitive and cooperative payoff functions with time-modulated resource utilities, and the system’s adaptability is measured by tracking its performance in response to a time-varying environment,
Dispersive photonic crystal dispersion and its photonic applications

Summary from only given. Recently it has been realized that photonic dispersion away and near the PBG regime exhibits many interesting optical properties. In particular, its an-isotropic, nonlinear and birefringent property can all be tailored through nano-structure engineering. This design flexibility is a very attractive feature for realizing integrated optical and optoelectronic chip. In this talk, examples of such a new class of photonic devices will be described. Near a photonic band edge, the frequency-wavevector dispersion is very nonlinear, which can lead to a highly dispersive prism. The slow down in speed-of-light at the band edge may enhance material absorption by order-of-magnitude. Interesting application of this effect on light-emitting devices and inter-subband based devices will be discussed. In the allowed band spectral regime, there exists a large birefringent effect, yielding an efficient and compact polarizer and rotator.
Boolean logit and probit in Stata

T his paper introduces new statistical models, Boolean logit and probit, that allow researchers to model binary outcomes as the results of Boolean inter- actions among independent causal processes. Each process (or "causal path") is modeled as the unobserved outcome in a standard logit or probit equation, and the dependent variable is modeled as the observed product of their Boolean inter- action. Up to five causal paths can be modeled, in any combination—A and B and C produce Y, A and (B or (C and D)) produce Y, etc.