cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Microbial Community Profiles and Activities among Aggregates of Winter Fallow and Cover-Cropped Soil

Microorganisms and their activities can be heterogeneously distributed among soil aggregates, and their distribution may change in response to management practices that affect aggregate formation. In this study, aggregates of a winter fallow and winter cover-cropped soil were analyzed over time for microbial biomass (MBc), respiration, and N mineralization potential. Communities were characterized across aggregate sizes according to their extractable fatty add methyl ester (FAME) profiles and Biolog substrate utilization patterns. Size distribution of soil aggregates and total N in aggregates changed over time. The percentage of the largest aggregate size fraction (2.0-5.0 mm) declined from March to August, whereas the percentage of 0.25-to 2.0-mm aggregates increased. For aggregates <2.0 mm, total N was greatest in July compared with other sampling dates. Cover crop residues enhanced MB c , respiration, and N mineralization in whole soils and aggregates, and shifted microbial community FAME profiles. Microbial respiration, MB c , and N mineralization were greatest in the intermediate aggregate size fractions, although specific distribution patterns changed over time or in response to cover crops. Community FAME structure was correlated with total C and N, MB c , respiration, and N mineralization potential. Some FAMEs, including 17:0, 10Me16:0, 19:0 cy, and 18:2ω6c, varied among soil aggregates, and communities were classified according to aggregate size class by canonical discriminant analysis. Community Biolog substrate utilization patterns changed over time but were not affected strongly by aggregate size. Lack of community differentiation may be due to the frequent mixing of soil during cultivation and tillage events, whereby microbial communities become evenly distributed among soil aggregates.
Hypoxia regulates osteoblast gene expression.

Vascular disruption secondary to fracture creates a hypoxic gradient of injury wherein the oxygen tension at the center of the wound is very low. In vivo this hypoxic microenvironment stimulates the expression of a variety of cytokines from inflammatory cells, fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and osteoblasts. In order to begin to dissect this complex system, we have examined the effects of hypoxia on isolated osteoblast gene expression in vitro. Understanding gene expression in this system may facilitate the development of targeted therapeutic modalities designed to accelerate fracture repair and reduce complications. Using an established model of in vitro hypoxia, we have analyzed the expression of genes involved in bone matrix production and turnover. Subconfluent neonatal rat calvarial osteoblasts were exposed to hypoxia (pO2 = 35–40 mm Hg) and total cellular RNA was collected at 0, 3, 6, 24, and 48 h. Northern analysis was used to analyze the expression patterns of (1) transforming growth factors (TGFs)-β1, -β2, and -β3 and their type I receptor; (2) collagens I and III; and (3) tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1. We have demonstrated a marked elevation of TGF-β1 gene expression within 3 h of hypoxia. Although neither TGF-β2 nor TGF-β3 expression was affected by hypoxia, the TGF-β type I receptor was substantially upregulated within 6 h. In addition, extracellular matrix scaffolding molecules (collagens I and III) were markedly, but differentially, upregulated. Finally, we have demonstrated that the expression of an inhibitor of extracellular matrix turnover, the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1, was strikingly decreased in response to hypoxia. These results imply that hypoxia can affect osseous healing by altering the expression of cytokines, bone-specific extracellular matrix molecules, and their regulators.
Performance of and initial results from the OMEGA EP Laser System

The OMEGA EP Laser System was completed in April 2008. It consists of four NIF-like beamlines that will each produce 6.5 kJ per beam at 351 nm. Two of the beamlines can be configured as high-energy petawatt beamlines that will each produce 2.6 kJ in a 10-ps laser pulse. This paper describes the current status of the OMEGA EP Laser System and some initial experimental results.
Full anterior segment biometry with extended imaging range spectral domain optical coherence tomography at 1340 nm

We demonstrate an extended-imaging-range anterior-segment optical coherence tomography (eAS-OCT) system for the biometric assessment of full AS in human eye. This newly developed eAS-OCT operating at 1340-nm wavelength band is simultaneously capable of an imaging speed of 120 kHz A-line scan rate, an axial resolution of 7.2 μm, and an extended imaging range of up to 16 mm in air. Imaging results from three healthy subjects and one subject with a narrow-angle demonstrate the instrument’s utility. With this system, it can provide anatomical dimensions of AS, including central corneal thickness, anterior chamber width, anterior chamber depth, crystalline lens vault, crystalline lens thickness, angle opening distance (AOD500/AOD750), and the area described by the trabecular-iris space (TISA500/TISA750) at 500/750 μm. We also use eAS-OCT to image and quantify dynamic functional changes of the AS in response to a light stimulus that induces physiological pupillary changes as well as accommodative efforts that induce lens changes. The results show that the described eAS-OCT is able to provide full anatomical biometry for AS and is useful for the studies where the dynamic response of AS compartment to certain stimulus is required.
Composite sequences for efficient double-quantum Excitation over a range of spin coupling strengths

Abstract It is demonstrated theoretically and experimentally that double-quantum coherence can be excited with nearly maximal efficiency over a large range of spin coupling strengths in NMR with the use of composite excitation sequences. Such sequences are shown to be directly constructible from existing composite π 2 pulses. In addition, a general procedure is given for converting a composite excitation sequence to an equivalent, reduced form that contains fewer rf pulses and simpler rf phase shifts. Experiments are performed on the proton pair of CH2Cl2 oriented in a liquid crystal solvent. Applications to quadrupolar spin-1 nuclei and other dynamically simple multilevel systems are discussed.
Parametric level-set method for diffuse optical tomography with a hard ℓ1 norm sparsity constraint

We implement a parametric level-set (PaLS) method to reconstruct images for diffuse optical tomography (DOT). The method uses a large dictionary matrix with a hard l1 norm constraint allowing for accurate recovery of a wide array of shapes.
Thoracic outlet syndrome with subclavian artery thrombosis undetectable by magnetic resonance angiography. A case report.

Acute vascular insufficiency in the upper limb suggests the possibility of an embolic phenomenon1-3. The most common source of upper-extremity emboli is from the subclavian artery, with less likely potential sources being the superficial palmar arch and cardiac vessels1. Thoracic outlet compression represents the most frequently reported cause of subclavian arterial disease1,2,4, and arterial-related problems associated with thoracic outlet compression, although extremely uncommon, have also been reported5. In addition to the detection of historical features and the performance of provocative maneuvers during the clinical examination, the use of noninvasive magnetic resonance angiography has been reported to be particularly helpful in the diagnosis of thoracic outlet compression6,7. We report an unusual clinical case in which a peripheral embolic disorder was identified in a young adult with an associated history of recurrent shoulder instability as well as a deformity of the first rib. Although magnetic resonance angiography failed to identify the pathology in the subclavian artery, it was subsequently confirmed by arteriography. The patient was informed that data concerning this case would be submitted for publication. Ahealthy nineteen-year-old college freshman had pain in the right wrist after being struck by a football during a friendly competition. The symptoms persisted for several weeks. When the patient returned home from college, he was evaluated by a hand specialist who suspected the diagnosis of extensor carpi ulnaris tendinitis and treated the condition with a corticosteroid injection. The wrist pain continued and became associated with diffuse numbness, alteration in temperature, and pain extending up the forearm. Of note is the fact that, following a traumatic ipsilateral shoulder dislocation at twelve years of age, the patient had experienced three to four episodes of shoulder subluxation during strenuous activities, although …
Generation of Isolated Attosecond Pulses with 20 to 28 Femtosecond Lasers

Isolated attosecond pulses are powerful tools for exploring electron dynamics in matter. So far, such extreme ultraviolet pulses have only been generated using high power, few-cycle lasers, which are very difficult to construct and operate. We propose and demonstrate a technique called generalized double optical gating for generating isolated attosecond pulses with 20 fs lasers from a hollow-core fiber and 28 fs lasers directly from an amplifier. These pulses, generated from argon gas, are measured to be 260 and 148 as by reconstructing the streaked photoelectron spectrograms. This scheme, with a relaxed requirement on laser pulse duration, makes attophysics more accessible to many laboratories that are capable of producing such multicycle laser pulses.
Evalution of the “Iceberg Phenomenon” in Johne's Disease through Mathematical Modelling

Johne's disease (JD) is a chronic, enteric disease in ruminants caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP). Disease progression follows four distinct stages: silent, subclinical, clinical and advanced. Available diagnostic tests have poor sensitivity and cannot detect early stages of the infection; as a result, only animals in the clinical and advanced stages, which represent the tip of the ‘iceberg’, are identified through testing. The Iceberg Phenomenon is then applied to provide estimates for JD prevalence. For one animal in the advanced stage, it is assumed that there are one to two in the clinical stage, four to eight in the subclinical stage, and ten to fourteen in the silent stage. These ratios, however, are based on little evidence. To evaluate the ratios, we developed a deterministic ordinary differential equation model of JD transmission and disease progression dynamics. When duration periods associated with the natural course of the disease progression are used, the above ratios do not hold. The ratios used to estimate JD prevalence need to be further investigated.
The Medical-Ethical Implications of Harry Potter

The seventh book in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, unfortunately reveals that one of the lead characters in the book, Professor Albus Dumbledore, was killed by Profe...
NON-LINEAR CLOCK FOR DIGITIZERS

Abstract A digital method for generating pulses whose frequency varies with time is described. The variation of frequency obtained is stable, controllable and predictable. These pulses used in conjunction with time or charge digitizers allow measurements over a wider range of time or energy in a digitizer having memory or buffer store of a limited number of bits or channels. A mathematical relationship between a non-linear clock and an equivalent linear clock is given which makes this method extremely flexible and useful.
Can good science be logically inconsistent

Some philosophers have recently argued that contrary to the traditional view, good scientific theories can in fact be logically inconsistent. The literature is now full of case-studies that are taken to support this claim. I will argue however that as of yet no-one has managed to articulate a philosophically interesting view about the role of logically inconsistent theories in science that genuinely goes against tradition, is plausibly true, and is supported by any of the case studies usually given.
Suicide risk in the general hospital

This paper reviews the relationship between physical illness and suicide, reviews the studies of attempters and completers of suicide in general hospitals, and discusses those studies which have investigated the characteristics of patients in the medical setting with suicidal ideation. Study of suicidal ideation in a general hospital setting aimed at characterizing patients' suicidality may allow psychiatrists to better discriminate those patients at greater risk for completed suicide. Comparison of medical patients with suicidal ideation with those who had attempted or completed suicide, and recommendations to reduce suicidal impulses and treat these patients are discussed.
A Validation Study of the Barth-Shermis Social Studies Preference Scale.

Abstract The field of the social studies has long suffered from conflicting definitions, an overlapping of functions, and a confusion of philosophies. These variations have resulted not so much from errors and mistakes as in diffusion and weakness. They have introduced uncertainties; they have perpetuated indecision; they have hindered unification; they have delayed progress. (Barr, Barth & Shermis, 1978, p. iv)
Electrophoretic Evidence for a Genetic Admixture of Native and Nonnative Rainbow Trout in the Yakima River, Washington

Abstract Allele frequencies for wild rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri from the upper Yakima River and two tributary creeks were intermediate between those for introduced hatchery populations and those for inland populations native to other areas of the Columbia River basin. Previously published results had demonstrated a widespread geographic consistency in allele frequencies at two loci among both anadromous and nonanadromous populations in the Columbia River drainage east of the Cascade Mountains. The intermediate allele frequencies at these two loci for rainbow trout from the upper Yakima River, therefore, suggest that these populations represent genetic admixtures of native and nonnative stocks. Allele frequencies at several other loci plus field surveys of spawning fish further suggest that nonanadromous rainbow trout from domesticated hatchery strains, rather than hatchery-reared steelhead (anadromous S. gairdneri), have been responsible for the suspected introgression of nonnative genes into the Yakim...
Substance Use Motives and Severe Mental Illness

Objective: The purpose of this study was to validate the construct validity of the Drinking Motives Questionnaire-Revised (DMQ-R) and to test the hypothesis that coping motives for using substances will vary directly with alcohol use, drug use, and substance use problems when controlling for psychiatric symptoms of severe mental illness. Methods: Data from this survey of 120 people with severe mental illness who drank in the previous six months were collected in face-to-face interviews as part of routine community mental health care by line clinical staff including psychiatric nurses, social workers, and case managers. Measures included the DMQ-R, the BASIS-24, and a quantity-frequency measure of alcohol use, frequency of drugs used, and substance use problems. Results: A three-factor version of the DMQ-R was well replicated, and linear regression revealed that coping motives varied positively and significantly with alcohol use and substance use problems. Logistic regression demonstrated that personal enh...
Common pitfalls in nanotechnology: lessons learned from NCI's Nanotechnology Characterization Laboratory

The Nanotechnology Characterization Laboratory's (NCL) unique set-up has allowed our lab to handle and test a variety of nanoparticle platforms intended for the delivery of cancer therapeutics and/or imaging contrast agents. Over the last six years, the NCL has characterized more than 250 different nanomaterials from more than 75 different investigators. These submitted nanomaterials stem from a range of backgrounds and experiences, including government, academia and industry. This has given the NCL a unique and valuable opportunity to observe trends in nanoparticle safety and biocompatibility, as well as note some of the common mistakes and oversights of nanoformulation. While not exhaustive, this article aims to share some of the most common pitfalls observed by the NCL as they relate to nanoparticle synthesis, purification, characterization and analysis.
Spectrophotometric assay of 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphohydrolase: application to the enzyme in bovine brain.

Summary Drummond et al. have shown that brain tissue is rich in an enzyme that hydrolyzes 2′,3′-cyclic nucleotides and that the amount of ribonuclease in the extracts is undetectable. The spectrophotometric method which has been used to measure the conversion of 2′,3′-cyclic cytidylate to the 3′-monophosphate by pancreatic ribonuclease has been adapted to measurement of the brain phosphodiesterase, which yields the 2′-monophosphate (2′-CMP). The spectral change at 286 nm is measured for 2–4 min on a recording spectrophotometer; the reproducibility of the assay is about 5%. The assay has facilitated study of some of the properties of the initially insoluble enzyme. The most efficient medium tested for extraction of the enzyme from an acetone powder has been 6% Tween 20-2 M guanidinium chloride at pH 7.5. The enzyme in such extracts has been gel-filtered on Sepharose 4B to give a 3-fold increase in specific activity (to 18.6 μmoles of 2′-CMP/mg protein/min against 1 mM 2′,3′-cyclic cytidylate); the position of emergence corresponds to that of a globular protein of mol. wt. 100,000. The pH optimum of the extracted enzyme is at pH 6.0. The K m of 2′,3′-cyclic cytidylate is 0.8 mM. The enzyme preparation is inhibited about 50% by a variety of mononucleotides (2′-AMP, 3′-AMP, 5′-AMP) at mM concentrations similar to that of the substrate. The results emphasize the question as to whether 2′,3′-cyclic nucleotides represent the natural substrates for this very active catalyst which several investigators have now shown is most closely associated with the myelin fractions from brain.
Discriminability of differences in line slope and in line arrangement as a function of mask delay

Position uncertainty was used to guarantee that an S’s attention was distributed equally over a visual display. Diminishing discriminability through a masking flash, which controlled the time available to attend selectively to the individual figures in the display, increased the relative discriminability of figures differing in their line slope as compared to figures differing in their line arrangement. Diminishing discriminability through decreasing the clarity of a visual trace by reducing exposure duration did not increase the relative discriminability of figures differing in their line slopes. It is suggested that the discriminability of differences in line slope and in line arrangement varies with the distribution of attention. The results are interpreted as supporting the hypothesis that, under distributed attention in peripheral vision, the visual system is more sensitive to differences in line slope than to differences in line arrangement.
Sex Control Technology and Reproductive “Choice”: The Conflation of Technical and Political Argument in the New Science of Human Reproduction

This essay analyzes the discourse surrounding one of the new reproductive technologies, sex “choice,” which allows prospective parents to control for male offspring through sperm separation technology. Topical analysis is used to make the case that the deployment of political claims within technical argument serves only to mystify audiences and obscure ideological motives. This analysis reveals the standards of appropriateness suited to judging both technical and public claims. Feminist critiques of reproductive technologies provide emancipatory criteria for judging new technologies. Both standards, those of appropriateness to a specific realm and those of emancipation, are necessary to judge the selection of “choice” as the descriptor of technologies that will most likely narrow women's choices as individuils and a group. The essay takes the position that making distinctions between the different spheres of argument is necessary for judging the appropriateness of standards proffered within each sphere. Neither standards appropriate to any individual sphere nor “yusion discourse,” which bridges spheres, should be confused with idealized and transcendent emancipatory criteria.
Calcium entry and the control of calcium oscillations.

During oscillatory Ca 2+ signals, the agonist-induced enhanced entry of extracellular Ca 2+ plays a critical role in modulating the frequency of the oscillations. Although it was originally assumed that the entry of Ca 2+ under these conditions occurred via the well-known, and apparently ubiquitous, store-operated mechanism, subsequent studies suggested that this was unlikely. It is now known that, in many cell types, a novel non-capacitative Ca 2+ -selective pathway whose activation is dependent on arachidonic acid is responsible, and the channels involved [ARC channels (arachidonate-regulated Ca 2+ channels)] have been characterized. These ARC channels co-exist with the store-operated CRAC channels (Ca 2+ -release-activated Ca 2+ channel) in cells, but each plays a unique and non-overlapping role in Ca 2+ signalling. In particular, it is the ARC channels that are specifically activated at the low agonist concentrations that give rise to oscillatory Ca 2+ signals and provide the predominant mode of Ca 2+ entry under these conditions. The indications are that Ca 2+ entry through the ARC channels increases the likelihood that low concentrations of Ins(1,4,5) P 3 will trigger repetitive Ca 2+ release. At higher agonist concentrations, store-depletion is more complete and sustained resulting in the activation of CRAC channels. At the same time the ARC channels are turned off, resulting in what we have described as a reciprocal regulation of these two distinct Ca 2+ entry pathways.
Genetic Dissection of hTAFII130 Defines a Hydrophobic Surface Required for Interaction with Glutamine-rich Activators

The general transcription factor TFIID is a multiprotein complex consisting of the TATA box-binding protein and multiple TATA box-binding protein-associated factors (TAFIIs). The central domain of human TAFII130 contains four glutamine-rich regions Q1-Q4 that interact with transcriptional activators such as Sp1 and CREB and mediate activation. We screened in yeast random point mutations introduced into Q1-Q4 against the Sp1 activation domain and obtained a distinct set of hTAFII130s with alterations in TAFII-activator interaction. Here we characterize functionally an hTAFII130 mutant containing a phenylalanine to serine change at position 311 (F311S) that is compromised in its ability to associate with Sp1B and CREB-N activation domains. Substitution of phenylalanine with tyrosine but not with isoleucine or tryptophan also reduced hTAFII130 interaction, suggesting that the hydrophobic character rather than the specific amino acid at this position is a key determinant of interaction. Deletion of nine amino acids (Δ9) surrounding Phe311 abolished the interaction of hTAFII130 with Sp1. Overexpression of hTAFII130Q1/Q2 and Q1-Q4 strongly inhibited Sp1-dependent transcriptional enhancement in transient transfection assays, whereas expression of either F311S or Δ9 only partially suppressed Sp1-mediated activation. Thus, a short hydrophobic sequence motif encompassing Phe311 in hTAFII130 represents a critical surface with which Sp1B interacts to activate transcription.
On the interaction of sciences and technologies

Abstract Interaction of sciences and technologies has been a difficult problem even when limited to the physical sciences and engineering branches. The principal impediments to effective interaction is the specialty-language barrier along with the departmentalized education structure in the traditional university. This interaction problem is escalated in today's nuclear-electrical industry because of the public demand to include in the planning of future plants their impact on the environment and a strategy for the allocation of worldwide energy resources.
HCN radio emission from Comet Kohoutek (1973f)

Abstract Radio emission spectra of the J = 1−0 ground state transition of H 12 C 14 N has been detected in comet Kohoutek (1973f) before and after perihelion passage. The HCN gas production rate is about 10 28 molecules sec −1 at a heliocentric distance of ∼0.4 AU. Multiple Doppler shifts in the observed spectrum suggest jets with velocities ranging up to several km sec −1 .
Risk Factors for Growth and Metastasis of Small Choroidal Melanocytic Lesions

Background: The management of small melanocytic choroidal tumors is controversial. An important reason for this controversy is that the natural course and metastatic potential of these lesions are not defined clearly. Prior studies that have attempted to elucidate the natural course of these lesions have focused on selected small groups of patients with presumed small choroidal melanomas. There are no large studies investigating the growth potential and metastatic potential for the spectrum of small melanocytic choroidal tumors when considered as an unselected whole group. In addition, the clinical features of these tumors predictive of metastases have not yet been identified. Methods: A retrospective review was performed on 1329 patients with small melanocytic choroidal tumors measuring 3 mm or less in thickness. Clinical parameters of the patient and tumor were obtained and analyzed for their relation to eventual tumor growth and metastasis using a Cox proportional hazards regression model. Results: Tumor growth was documented in 18% of patients. The factors predictive of tumor growth (multivariate analysis) included greater tumor thickness ( P = 0.0001), posterior tumor margin touching optic disc ( P = 0.0001), symptoms of flashes, floaters ( P = 0.002), and blurred vision ( P = 0.003) relative to no symptoms, orange pigment on the tumor surface ( P = 0.004), and the presence of subretinal fluid ( P = 0.05). The relative risk (RR) was greatest for initial tumor thickness 2.1 to 3.0 mm (RR = 5.2) and tumor thickness 1.1 to 2.0 mm (RR = 4.3) relative to tumors 1 mm or less in thickness, as well as posterior margin touching the optic disc (RR = 2.6). After adjusting for significant tumor variables, the effect of interventional tumor treatment showed a decreasing risk for tumor growth compared with continued observation without treatment. Of 1329 patients, metastases developed in 35 (3%). The factors predictive of metastases (multivariate analysis) included posterior tumor margin touching the optic disc ( P = 0.003), documented growth ( P = 0.003), and greater tumor thickness ( P = 0.004). The relative risk for metastases was greatest for tumor thickness 1.1 to 3.0 mm (RR = 8.8) and growth (RR = 3.2). Conclusion: Of small choroidal melanocytic tumors measuring 3 mm or less in thickness at the time of initial examination, 18% demonstrated growth and 3% metastasized during the period of follow-up. Based on this analysis, the clinical features of these tumors can be used to estimate the risk for tumor growth and metastases and assist the clinician with patient management.
Antibodies that recognize bisected complex N-glycans on cell surface glycoproteins can be made in mice lacking N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase III.

The bisecting GlcNAc is transferred to complex or hybrid N-glycans by the action of N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase III (GlcNAc-TIII) encoded by the Mgat3 gene. CHO cells expressing mouse GlcNAc-TIII were shown by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry to produce mainly complex N-glycans with the predicted extra (bisecting) GlcNAc. In order to probe biological functions of the bisecting GlcNAc, antibodies that recognize this residue in the context of complex cell surface glycoconjugates were sought. The LEC10 gain-of-function Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell mutant that expresses GlcNAc-TIII and complex N-glycans with the bisecting GlcNAc was used to immunize Mgat3+/+ and Mgat3−/− mice. ELISA of whole sera showed that polyclonal antibodies that bound specifically to LEC10 cells were obtained solely from Mgat3−/− mice. Fluorescence-activated cell cytometry of different CHO glycosylation mutants and western blotting after glycosidase treatments were used to show that anti-LEC10 cell antisera from Mgat3−/− mice recognize cellular glycoproteins with complex N-glycans containing both a bisecting GlcNAc and Gal residues. The polyclonal antibody specificity was similar to that of the lectin E-PHA. IgM-depleted serum containing IgG and IgA antibodies retained full binding activity. Therefore Mgat3−/− mice but not wild type mice can be used effectively to produce polyclonal antibodies that specifically recognize glycoproteins bearing complex N-glycans with a bisecting GlcNAc. Published in 2003.
On-chip normal flow computation with aperture problem compensation circuitry

Extracting relevant visual information about the operating environment of a roving robot at the focal plane is a challenging problem. We present two image processing architectures for motion computation at the focal plane. The first imaging architecture, composed of 250 x 250 active pixel sensors, has spatiotemporal difference computation capabilities at the focal plane. This spatiotemporal difference imager, fabricated in a 0.35μ process, contains in-pixel storage elements for previous and current frames and difference computational units outside the imaging array. A novel scan out technique allows for parallel computation of spatial and temporal 1-D derivatives on the read out. The final motion estimation based on the image brightness constancy equation, which is approximated as the ratio of the temporal and spatial derivates, is computed off chip, but it can be easily implemented on-chip. This approach can only determine the motion component normal to the spatial gradient. In order to address this ill-posed problem, known as the aperture problem, we propose a second imaging architecture, which is an extension of the first imaging architecture. The latter imaging architecture contains in-pixel memory for storing partial computational results. Hence, the motion vectors are stored back into the pixel memories after an initial scan; iterative algorithms can be applied to the stored computational results to solve the aperture problem. Experimental data from both imaging architectures are presented to validate the accuracy of the magnitude and angle of the computed target velocities.
Immunocytochemical localization of serotonin in the rat dentate gyrus following raphe transplants.

Abstract The ultrastructural features of the serotoninergic innervation of the rat dentate gyrus in normal adults and in animals receiving raphe nuclear area transplants was investigated using an antibody to serotonin (5-HT). Neonatal rats received a lesion of the fimbriafornix and entorhinal cortex. Three days later, a portion of embryonic (E-16-18) raphe nuclear area was transplanted to the entorhinal cavity and the animals were allowed to survive for 60 days. Animals were processed for the immunocytochemical localization of 5-HT using the peroxidase—antiperoxidase method. Light microscopic observation showed that 5-HT-containing fibers from transplanted raphe neurons densely innervated the hilar and molecular zones of the dentate gyrus. Electron microscopic analysis showed that 5-HT immunoreactivity was contained only in axons and axon varicosities. There were no differences in the ultrastructural characteristics of axons and axon terminals between normal animals and those which had received raphe transplants. A mixture of both conventional synaptic junctions and non-synaptic axonal swellings were found in both groups.
Unmyelinated sensory and preganglionic fibers in rat L6 and S1 ventral spinal roots

Approximately 30% of the axons in the L6 and S1 ventral roots in the rat are unmyelinated. Appropriate surgical procedures show that 30% of these unmyelinated axons arise from dorsal root ganglion cells and are therefore presumably sensory. Thus approximately 10% of the total number of axons in these ventral roots are sensory. The other 70% of the unmyelinated axons come from the spinal cord and are therefore presumably preganglionic parasympathetic fibers. Thus approximately 20% of the axons in these ventral roots are unmyelinated preganglionic fibers. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Does Critical Theory need strong foundations

In this paper I take issue with Rainer Forst's claim that his account of the demand for justification that is at the core of the idea of justice provides our political thinking with a final “fundamentum inconcussum”.
The evolution of sexual dimorphism in the house finch. I. Population divergence in morphological covariance structure.

Patterns of genetic variation and covariation strongly affect the rate and direction of evolutionary change by limiting the amount and form of genetic variation available to natural selection. We studied evolution of morpho- logical variance-covariance structure among seven populations of house finches (Carpodacus mexicanus) with a known phylogenetic history. We examined the relationship between within- and among-population covariance structure and, in particular, tested the concordance between hierarchical changes in morphological variance-covariance structure and phylogenetic history of this species. We found that among-population morphological divergence in either males or females did not follow the within-population covariance patterns. Hierarchical patterns of similarity in morphological covariance matrices were not congruent with a priori defined historical pattern of population divergence. Both of these results point to the lack of proportionality in morphological covariance structure of finch populations, suggesting that random drift alone is unlikely to account for observed divergence. Furthermore, drift alone cannot explain the sex differences in within- and among-population covariance patterns or sex-specific patterns of evolution of covariance structure. Our results suggest that extensive among-population variation in sexual dimorphism in morphological covariance structure was produced by population differences in local selection pressures acting on each sex.
Comfort, O Comfort, Corinth: Grief and Comfort in 2 Corinthians 7:5–13a

Paul's correspondence with the Corinthian congregation chronicles the story of an absent leader trying to encourage an often wayward congregation to hold fast to his message of God's reconciling action in Jesus. As the conclusion to 2 Cor 2:14–7:4,1 a unit in which Paul explores the nature of his apostolic relationship with the Corinthian congregation, 2 Cor 7:5–13a portrays Paul's pastoral relationship with the Corinthians as near its breaking point.2 In this passage, Paul looks back to a time (before his current tentative reconciliation with the Corinthians) when Paul's trusted associate Titus had brought him comforting news of the Corinthians’ repentance and renewed faithfulness to the Pauline apostolate.3 Previous studies of Paul's practice of pastoral care in 2 Corinthians have focused on comparing his approach with those advocated in Greco-Roman philosophy. Other studies of 2 Corinthians have attempted to uncover the background of Paul's theology of reconciliation in Isaiah and other texts from Israel's scriptures and have emphasized his appropriation here of the Isaianic motif of comfort from the so-called “Book of Consolation” (Isaiah 40–55). Through an examination of Paul's language of grief (λυπέω/λύπη) and comfort (παρακαλέω/παράκλησιϛ) in 2 Cor 7:5–13a, however, a more complex picture of the roots of Paul's approach to the care of the Corinthian congregation emerges. As I will show, Paul's language of grief and comfort in 2 Cor 7:5–13a differs from broader Greco-Roman understandings of these concepts, such as those we find in the writings of Epictetus. In this pericope Paul draws on his interpretation of the cycle of grief and comfort in not just Second Isaiah but also Lamentations 1–2 in order to call the Corinthians back to faithfulness to the gospel and to give voice to their own experience of loss and consolation.
Mercury Arc Rectifier Phenomena

Peter Cooper Hewitt invented the mercury arc rectifier in 1902, so that it can hardly be considered a new development. More than a half dozen different manufacturers are producing mercury arc rectifiers of various types and sizes and have been producing such rectifiers for years, so that commercial development is not new, yet technical literature is astonishingly bare of treatments going to the fundamentals of rectifier behavior. Many articles appear, describing this and that installation. Descriptions of structural details are not wanting. For specific glass rectifiers, performance curves are available which give the relation between current and voltage at which failures occur under standard conditions. Even this information does not seem to be published for the iron tank rectifiers. An engineer wishing to familiarize himself with the quantitative relations underlying rectifier design has thus practically nothing to go on. We cannot assume from this that manufacturers the world over have proceeded blindly for nearly a quarter of a century, but if they do know what happens in a mercury arc rectifier they at least have not told the public. The purpose of this paper is to present such information as is at present available to the author. This information does not include the knowledge of very important groups in the industry and would even seem to indicate that a very large aggregate capacity of rectifiers has been designed along incorrect lines.
Response to Comment on “Human White Blood Cells Synthesize Morphine: CYP2D6 Modulation”

We are very pleased that our article has engendered such interest in the biologically important realm of endogenous morphine expression in eukaryotes by the group noted for its work in opiate alkaloid biosynthesis in plants. We now provide a point-by-point explication of potential confounds in the
Comparison of continuous overt speech fMRI using BOLD and arterial spin labeling

Overt speech production in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies is often associated with imaging artifacts, attributable to both movement and susceptibility. Various image-processing methods have been proposed to remove these artifacts from the data but none of these methods has been shown to work with continuous overt speech, at least over periods greater than 3 s. In this study natural, continuous, overt sentence production was evaluated in normal volunteers using both arterial spin labeling (ASL) and conventional echoplanar blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) imaging sequences on the same 1.5-T scanner. We found a high congruency between activation results obtained with ASL and the de facto gold standard in overt language production imaging, positron emission tomography (PET). No task-related artifacts were found in the ASL study. However, the BOLD data showed artifacts that appeared as large bilateral false-positive temporopolar activations; percent signal change estimated in these regions showed signal increases and temporal dynamics that were incongruent with typical BOLD activations. These artifacts were not distributed uniformly, but were aligned at the frontotemporal base, close to the oropharynx. The calculated head movement parameters for overt speech blocks were within the range of the rest blocks, indicating that head movement is unlikely the reason for the artifact. We conclude that ASL is not influenced by overt speech artifacts, whereas BOLD showed significant susceptibility artifacts, especially in the opercular and insular regions, where activation would be expected. ASL may prove to be the method of choice for fMRI investigations of continuous overt speech.
UMA and MABP domains throw light on receptor endocytosis and selection of endosomal cargoes

Interactions of the ESCRT complexes are critical for endosomal trafficking. We identify two domains with potential significance for this process. The MABP domain present in metazoan ESCRT-I/MVB12 subunits, Crag, a regulator of protein sorting, and bacterial pore-forming proteins might mediate novel membrane interactions in trafficking. The UBAP1-MVB12-associated UMA domain found in MVB12 and UBAP1 defines a novel adaptor that might recruit diverse targets to ESCRT-I. Contact: aravind@ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at ftp://ftp.ncbi.nih.gov/pub/aravind/UMA/MVB12.html.
U.S. Soybean Yields: Estimation and Forecasting with Nonsymmetric Disturbances

National average soybean yields are skewed with a relatively high chance of low yields. Maximum likelihood estimates support this hypothesis. Revised forecasts which account for skewed yields are positioned higher than forecasts based on the illusion of a symmetric distribution. Also, yield instability has been increasing steadily; the standard deviation of the soybean yield distribution is twenty-five percent higher in the late 1980s than it was in the early 1970s.
Polynomial classifier techniques for speaker verification

Modern speaker verification applications require high accuracy at low complexity. We propose the use of a polynomial-based classifier to achieve this objective. We demonstrate a new combination of techniques which makes polynomial classification accurate and powerful for speaker verification. We show that discriminative training of polynomial classifiers can be performed on large data sets. A prior probability compensation method is detailed which increases accuracy and normalizes the output score range. Results are given for the application of the new methods to YOHO.
Autism from a Biometric Perspective

Purpose:The aim of this pilot study was to test autistic children, siblings and their parents using a biometric device based on the gas discharge visualization (GDV) technique in order to assess their psycho-emotional and physiological functional state based on the activity of the autonomic nervous system. Hypothesis: We hypothesize that the biometric assessment based on GDV will enable us: (1) to evaluate some specific features associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as well as to compare autistic children to their siblings and to controls; (2) to analyze the differences in individual values of parents of autistic children versus parents of normal children. Results: Out of total of 48 acupuncture points present on ten fingertips of both hands and associated to organs/organ systems, autistic children differed significantly from controls (p < 0.05) in 36 (images without filter) and 12 (images with filter), siblings differed significantly from controls (p < 0.05) in 12 (images without filter) and seven (images with filter), autistic children differed significantly (p < 0.05) from siblings in eight (images without filter) and one (images with filter), fathers of autistic children differed significantly (p < 0.05) from controls in 14 (images without filter) and three (images with filter) and mothers of autistic children differed significantly (p < 0.05) from controls in five (images without filter) and nine (images with filter) acupuncture points. Conclusions: All compared groups have shown significant difference on both psycho-emotional (images without filter) and physiological (images with filter) levels. However, the differences between autistic children and controls expressed on psycho-emotional level were the most significant as compared to the other groups. Therefore, the activity of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system is significantly altered in children with autism. The biometric method based on GDV is a promising step in autism research that may lead towards creating a disease profile and identify unique signature/biomarker for autism. Further work should involve more participants in order to augment our findings.
An Exact Algorithm for the Multiple Vehicle Pickup and Delivery Problem

We consider the multiple vehicle pickup and delivery problem (MVPDP) with the objective of minimizing the total travel cost and the fixed vehicle cost. Most of the optimization-based approaches for solving the MVPDP are developed for a restrictive hard time window or tight capacity environment that depend significantly on the reduction of the feasible solution space. We develop an alternative optimization solution approach for the MVPDP that does not require these constraints to be tight. The problem is formulated as a 0-1 integer-programming problem. A branch-and-cut algorithm is developed to optimally solve the problem. Four classes of valid inequalities for the MVPDP are proposed. By using the proposed solution approach, we were able to optimally solve problem instances of up to 5 vehicles and 17 customers on problems without clusters and up to 5 vehicles and 25 customers on problems with clusters within a stopping criterion of three CPU hours on a SUN Fire 4800 server.
Alluvial stratigraphy and radiocarbon dating along the Duck River, Tennessee: Implications regarding flood-plain origin

Four lithostratigraphic alluvial formations and eight chronostratigraphic subdivisions occur along the middle Duck River Valley. Each late Quaternary flood-plain accumulation consists of about 2 m of sandy and gravelly bottom-stratum facies overlain by 2.5 to 4 m of clayey and silty top-stratum facies. An additional 1 to 2 m of clayey and silty “terrace veneer facies” blankets all but the youngest accumulation. On the basis of numerous excavations and 14 radiocarbon dates, a history of flood-plain sedimentation can be traced. (1) Yellowish-brown clay loam was deposited during the late Pleistocene, above a bedrock thalweg 5 m higher than the present level. (2) Severe bedrock and flood-plain erosion occurred near the end of the Pleistocene, and a major erosional unconformity was created. (3) During the early Holocene, lateral and vertical aggradation of dark yellowish-brown clay loam occurred over a bedrock valley floor already as deep as that at present. Scattered within this unit are early Archaic (ca. 9000 B.P.) chert artifacts. (4) After a brief interval of stability, brown silty clay loam accreted, but by 7,200 14 C yr B.P., the flood-plain surface was again stable, and soil formation dominated over deposition. Mid-Archaic chert artifacts as young as 6,400 14 C yr B.P. were left on this fossil flood-plain surface, and pollen analytical studies from the region document an effectively drier climate at this time. (5) By 6,200 14 C yr B.P., renewed overbank accretion was under way, and pollen analyses indicate an increasingly humid climate. Aggradation continued until 7,200 14 C yr B.P. and buried the older surface, artifacts, and soil with a veneer of dark brown silty clay loam, itself containing late Archaic artifacts. (6) Two periods of flood-plain stability and soil formation, separated by aggradation, occurred during the past 4,000 yr. The last period of stability ended in the early 1800s; the introduction of row crop agriculture into the basin at this time probably caused the historic episode of renewed accretion that is still under way. These results suggest the importance of environmental controls over fluvial systems at time scales of 10 2 to 10 4 yr. The stratigraphic information also indicates that after periods of stability and soil development and in response to altered hydrologic regimes, the Duck River forms new flood plains by lateral and vertical suspended-load accretion on channel banks and in-channel bars. At the same time, the older flood-plain surface is covered by as much as several metres of the younger alluvium and becomes a terrace. In contrast, lateral accretion of point-bar sands and gravels is not an important flood-plain–forming process along this river.