cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hybrid millimeter-wave/free-space optical system for high data rate communications

The experimental results of a hybrid, fiber-remoted millimeter-wave/free-space optical communications link are presented. Multi-Gb/s data rates are independently demonstrated using millimeter-wave and optical carriers.
Rapid induction of hyperplasia in vitro in rat bladder explants by elevated sodium ion concentrations and alkaline pH.

Abstract The effects of alkaline pH and elevated sodium concentrations in culture medium on rat bladder explants for 1, 2, and 3 weeks were investigated by continuous BrdU labeling and histopathology. Increasing the sodium chloride concentration of normal medium by 50 or 100 m M caused slight urothelial hyperplasia with statistically significant increases in labeling in week 2 (50 m M ) and at all time points with 100 m M NaCl. Cytotoxicity was seen in the high salt group. Increasing the pH from 7.2 to 7.8 and 8.2 also caused a slight hyperplastic response with significant increases in labeling and cytotoxicity at pH 8.2. However, bladder explants treated at pH 7.8 or 8.2 with excess sodium concentrations of 50 to 100 m M had a more marked hyperplastic response with evidence of cytotoxicity as well. There were significant increases in the labeling index (6.4- to 15.0-fold relative to control) after 1 week, with the maximum response at 100 m M sodium/pH 8.2. These results suggest that alkaline pH and elevated sodium concentration have a direct mitogenic effect on rat urothelial cells with some cytotoxicity-induced regenerative cell proliferation as well. These in vitro results in an organ culture system are in agreement with in vivo studies that have shown an important role for elevated urinary cation concentrations and pH in the stimulation of DNA synthesis, induction of hyperplasia, and tumor promotion in rat bladder epithelium.
Mutational analysis of an RNA internal loop as a reactivity epitope for Escherichia coli ribonuclease III substrates.

The enzymatic cleavage of double-stranded (ds) RNA is an obligatory step in the maturation and decay of many cellular and viral RNAs. The primary agents of dsRNA processing are members of the ribonuclease III (RNase III) superfamily, which are highly conserved in eukaryotic and bacterial cells. Escherichia coli RNase III participates in the maturation of the ribosomal RNAs and in the maturation and decay of cellular and phage mRNAs. E. coli RNase III-dependent cleavage events can regulate gene expression by controlling mRNA stability and translational activity. RNase III recognizes its substrates and selects the scissile phosphodiester(s) by recognizing specific RNA sequence and structural elements, termed reactivity epitopes. Some E. coli RNase III substrates contain an internal loop, in which is located the single scissile phosphodiester. The specific features of the internal loop that establish the pattern of single-strand cleavage are not known. A mutational analysis of the asymmetric [4 nt/5 nt] inte...
The enthalpies of formation of SbF5(l) and Sb2S3(c) and the high-temperature thermodynamic functions of Sb2S3(c) and Sb2S3(l)

Abstract The energies of combustion of Sb(c) and Sb 2 S 3 (c) in fluorine were measured in a bomb calorimeter. The standard enthalpies of formation ΔH f o (298.15 K), of SbF 5 (l) and Sb 2 S 3 (c) were derived to be −(1327.95 ± 0.93) kJ mol −1 and −(141.8 ± 4.1) kJ mol −1 , respectively. High-temperature enthalpy increments were determined for crystalline and liquid Sb 2 S 3 by drop calorimetry. The enthalpy and entropy of melting of Sb 2 S 3 (c) at 823 K were derived to be (40.64 ± 0.20) kJ mol −1 and (49.38 ± 0.24) J K −1 mol −1 , respectively.
PINEAL GLAND: INFLUENCE ON GONADS OF MALE HAMSTERS.

Exposure of male hamsters to cycles of 1 hour of light and 23 hours of darkness causes atrophy of the gonads. Pinealectomy prevents this atrophy, but has no effect on animals exposed to light-dark cycles of 16 : 8. Likewise, removal of both eyes induces gonad atrophy which is prevented by pinealectomy. These data emphasize the importance of the pineal gland in the regulation of photoperiodic influences on the gonads.
Low-cost high-response fiber optic strain/temperature sensor with stabilization

Improvement in the sensors used for the measurement of static and dynamic strain is a critical area of concern to developers of fiber-optic sensors. Polarimetric fiber sensors are considered as sensitive and simple in exploitation. We propose a modification of polarimetric fiber-optic sensor promising better stability compared with earlier versions.
Aging of dry-type transformer insulation

THERE IS a fundamental difference in the life of insulation containing organic material operated in an insulating liquid as contrasted to the same insulation operated in a gas medium. When operated in an insulating liquid, the liquid tends to replace the material deteriorated and so maintains electrical strength. When operated at a high temperature in a gas medium, as the deterioration progresses, the gas replacing the varnish has a much lower dielectric strength. The base material may or may not deteriorate depending on whether it is organic or inorganic.
No-reference image quality measurement for low-resolution images

No-reference measurement for image quality, where an original error-free image is not provided as reference, plays an important role in image processing and analysis. This paper mainly investigates three no-reference image-quality metrics, which are based on the standard deviation, the maximum, and the mean of the magnitude of the intensity gradient of pixels. Each measurement metric is critically accessed using low resolution gray-scale images, which are acquired by unmanned aerial vehicles cruising over the city and aim to disclose the movement of vehicles such as a semi -truck, light colored cars, and dark colored cars, etc. The experimental results demonstrate that, compared to alternative schemes, the standard deviation based metric provides a more accurate measurement about the quality of images. In addition, standard deviation based scheme demonstrates superior correlation with alternative schemes to measure the quality of images.
Modulation of osteoblast gap junction connectivity by serum, TNFα, and TRAIL

We studied the effects of serum growth factors and of TNF-family proteins on osteoblast gap-junction connectivity. Serum starvation of human MG63 osteosarcoma cells or nontransformed osteoblasts decreased connexin43 protein. TNFα or TRAIL reduced connexin43 further. Serum starvation redistributed gap junctions but did not reduce intercellular diffusion. In contrast, TNFα or TRAIL reduced gap junctions on cell processes and decreased intercellular diffusion. Effects of TNFs on connexin43 were mediated by lysosomal proteolysis. Activating analogs of cAMP increased connexin43 protein, but did not block effects of serum starvation, TNFα, or TRAIL on connexin43 protein. Connexin43 and connectivity recovered overnight if stimuli were withdrawn. Surprisingly, connexin43 mRNA increased in serum starvation and with TNFα or TRAIL. Since β- catenin is a binding partner of connexin43, when connexin43 is degraded, β- catenin activation may contribute to a reflexive increase in connexin43 transcription. We conclude that osteoblast connectivity is regulated by a multifactorial system that maintains intercellular connections. Serum starvation, TNFα and TRAIL augmented connexin43 degradation and connexin43 transcription. Cell-cell communication was maintained in serum starvation, which may model response to acute injury, but was sensitive to TNFs. These inflammatory agents mediated selective, reversible removal of connexin43 from cell processes.
An Approximate Analysis of Delay for Fixed and Variable Length Packets in an Unslotted ALOHA Channel

In this paper we compute the mean delay for an unslotted ALOHA random access channel for both fixed and variable length packets. The analysis is based on the concept of a user cycle and obtains steady state results. When the channel is "stable", the results seem quite accurate. The input parameters to the model are the number of users, the mean think time, and mean retransmission time. The model yields total traffic, throughput and delay but only the latter is emphasized here. Because of the steady state nature of the analysis, no information is obtained on stability. The results are verified by simulation.
Photon number resolution enables quantum receiver for realistic coherent optical communications

A quantum receiver based on photon-number-resolving detection and adaptive feedback is demonstrated. It can discriminate quadrature-phase-shift-keying coherent signals with error below the standard quantum limit.
Racial differences in baseline treatment preference as predictors of receiving a dental extraction versus root canal therapy during 48 months of follow-up.

Objective: This study aimed to test hypotheses that: a) treatment preference as stated at baseline predicts subsequent receipt of extraction (EXT) versus root canal treatment; and b) racial differences in treatment preference at baseline account for racial differences in receipt of these treatments during follow-up. Methods: Data were taken from the Florida Dental Care Study. This stratified random sample included at baseline 873 subjects, all of whom were 45 years old or older, reported race as non-Hispanic African American or non-Hispanic white, and had at least one tooth. At baseline, participants were asked about past dental care characteristics, history of or current presence of various dental diseases and conditions, and sociodemographic circumstance. An EXT/root canal treatment “CHOICE” scenario was also queried at baseline. Predisposing, enabling, and need factors were tested as predictors of EXT/root canal treatment received during follow-up. Bivariate multivariable logistic regression analyses quantified associations between the outcomes (EXT/root canal) and the predictors. Results: Receipt of EXT or root canal treatment during follow-up was strongly related to race even after people with mobile teeth at baseline were excluded from the analysis. Certain baseline factors (tooth mobility, periodontal attachment level, and ability to pay an unexpected dental bill) strongly predicted EXT/root canal treatment receipt during follow-up, although significant race effects remained; however, including “CHOICE” removed the race effect. Conclusions: Baseline treatment preference strongly predicts subsequent receipt of EXT versus root canal treatment. Racial differences in treatment received during follow-up were explained by baseline racial differences in treatment preference, tooth mobility, and periodontal status.
Evolution: It's not Just for Biology

During the past year, I've endeavored to take stock of the current state of computing in science and engineering research and education. From this, I've concluded that CiSE's scope is very much in line with the range of current praxis and that our mission, suitably elaborated, very nearly recapitulates the critical needs of that enterprise. Given this, we have both an opportunity and responsibility to use CiSE as an instrument to inform and facilitate computing across the application spectrum.
On the relationship between process and pattern entropy rate

The recent study of pattern sequences and their compressibility properties has led to interest in the entropy rate of pattern sequences of stochastic processes, and its relationship to the entropy rate of the original process. In this work we give a complete characterization of this relationship for general discrete Markov processes as well as for a broad family of Markov and additive noise processes over a continuous alphabet
A Windows program to assist in preparing reports of emergency psychiatry nursing assessments

The Emergency Psychiatry Nursing Assessment Report Framework (EP Nurse) is designed to guide the nurse through the interview-and-reporting process, and to produce a report of the nursing evaluation in emergency psychiatry in 5–10 min. Input includes identifying information, presenting complaints, substance-use history, medical history and vitals, psychiatric medications, treatment history, history of mental illness, last hospitalization, family history of mental illness, nursing diagnosis, and nursing intervention. EP Nurse is intended to be used by licensed nurses familiar with nursing assessment in emergency psychiatry. It is suitable for adult patients.
Goals for Computing in Higher Education

The revolutionary growth of information technology is creating new national issues and is affecting higher education's approach to computing. A study sponsored by the National Science Foundation is identifying the current policies and future needs in educational computing in order to present recommendations for dealing with the issues at the national level. Responses from a nationwide survey have helped to identify the major issues and to suggest some goals for higher education. These responses will be used in recommending possible programs for action. The continuing developments in microcomputers will greatly increase the already rapid diffusion of computing in education. We are entering a new stage in the use of computers in which there will be a much larger impact on instruction and administrative support. Since this diffusion is characterized by the kinds of technology available, as well as by educational structures, developments in educational computing will result from the interaction of those in go...
Explicit time integration with enhanced stability for structural dynamics

Abstract A new nonlinear explicit method is proposed for structural dynamics. The method retains the computational efficiency of traditional explicit techniques, but possesses better stability properties. Both unpartitioned and partitioned forms of the algorithm are considered.
A Perturbation Correction For Refraction In Ultrasonic And Optical Tomography

Tomographic algorithms have been used to generate cross-sectional images of sound velocity in the human body from time-of-flight measurements of ultrasonic pulses. Similar algorithms have been employed to reconstruct optical refractive-index fields, in which optical path lengths are measured interferometrically rather than transit times. Using a ray propagation model, an ultrasonic transit time or optical path length measurement is proportional to the line integral of the ultrasonic (or optical) refractive index over the ray path. Under the assumption that the propagation paths are straight, conventional computerized tomography (CT) algorithms have been used to perform the reconstructions. In real media, ray refraction introduces a time-of-arrival (or optical path length) error in the measurement, leading to image degradation. To date, only iterative techniques based on numerical ray tracing have been proposed to correct for the effects of refraction. In this paper, we present a perturbation approach to this problem which, for relatively small refractive-index fluctuations, requires neither iteration nor ray tracing. Assuming that the average deviation of the refractive index from its mean is on the order of the small quantity e, an expression is derived for the ray trajectory whose departure from a straight line is first order in E. Using this first-order ray path, we obtain a perturbation expansion of the path integral of the refractive index along the refracted ray and derive a path-length correction of order e2 arising from the deviation of the refracted ray from a straight line. This second order correction can then be applied to refraction-degraded time-of-flight or optical path length measurements before submission to a conventional CT algorithm. The result is an improvement in image quality after correction.
Iron modulation of LPS-induced manganese superoxide dismutase gene expression in rat tissues

Abstract Mitochondrial superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) is usually diminished in cancer cells. We observed that in vivo treatment with LPS produces a strong increase of MnSOD mRNA levels and a weak induction of an inactive protein in rat hepatocarcinomas. In normal liver iron deficiency, obtained with desferrioxamine administration, produces a decrease in the MnSOD induction by LPS, indicating that such induction could depend on tissue iron content. However, no change in MnSOD mRNA has been observed in iron-overloaded tumor tissue. Thus, iron is possibly involved in the transcriptional regulation of the protein, in combination with some other unknown factor that appears to be deficient in tumor cells. © 1997 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.
Oxidized low density lipoproteins regulate synthesis of monkey aortic smooth muscle cell proteoglycans that have enhanced native low density lipoprotein binding properties.

Abstract Oxidized low density lipoproteins (Ox-LDL) affect several biological processes involved in atherogenesis. However, it is not known whether Ox-LDL can regulate proteoglycan expression and thus affect arterial wall lipoprotein retention. This study evaluated whether Ox-LDL, as compared with native LDL, regulates proteoglycan expression by monkey arterial smooth muscle cells in vitroand whether proteoglycans synthesized in the presence of Ox-LDL exhibit altered lipoprotein binding properties. Ox-LDL stimulated glycosaminoglycan synthesis, as measured by35SO4 incorporation, by 30–50% over that of native LDL. The effect was maximal after 72 h of exposure to 5 μg/ml of Ox-LDL. The molecular sizes of versican, biglycan, and decorin increased in response to Ox-LDL, as indicated by size exclusion chromatography and SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. These effects could be mimicked by the lipid extract of Ox-LDL. These size increases were largely due to chain elongation and not to alterations in the ratio of 35SO4 to [3H]glucosamine incorporation. Affinity chromatography indicated that Ox-LDL stimulated the synthesis of proteoglycans with high affinity for native LDL. Ox-LDL also specifically stimulated mRNA expression for biglycan (but not versican or decorin), which was correlated with increased expression of secreted biglycan. Thus, Ox-LDL may influence lipoprotein retention by regulating synthesis of biglycan and also by altering glycosaminoglycan synthesis of vascular proteoglycans so as to enhance lipoprotein binding properties.
Building on Cultural Diversity To Create a Climate of Excellence at New York’s Queensborough Community College

Building on Cultural Diversity To Create a Climate of Excellence at New York’s Queensborough Community College
THE EFFECT OF GRADED DOSES OF ESTRIN UPON THE PITUITARY, ADRENAL, AND THYMUS WEIGHTS OF MATURE OVARIECTOMIZED RATS1

The influence of estrogenic substances upon the hypophysis, adrenals, and thymus glands of normal and gonadectomized animals has received considerable attention in recent years. Some of these investigations, using the rat as experimental animal, are very briefly summarized below. Great variation in the length of castration or injection periods, potency of the estrogen used, dosage, age and strain of the rats, and individual differences in techniques used are some of the factors which possibly explain the differences in results. The present study was undertaken to investigate the effects of several different doses of estrogen upon pituitary, adrenal, and thymus gland weights.
Letters to America: Contemporary American Poetry on Race

Letters to America: Contemporary American Poetry on Race. Edited by Jim Daniels. Detroit. Wayne State University Press, 1995. 230 pages $19.95. This useful anthology of poetry on race is a dialogue among many voices about the subject of race in America. The editor compiles the collection of voices, some well known, other less familiar writers, to reflect many perspectives--Black, White, Native American, Asian, Arabic, Indian, and Hispanic among them. The editor includes a helpful introduction which outlines some of the themes in the texts, makes observations about the perspectives of white writers and those of color, and offers suggestions about how this text might be used in cultural studies courses, literature courses, and writing classes. In the introduction, the editor outlines several themes in the text in a helpful discussion of some of the poems in the volume. Daniels discusses at some length the difficulties white writers encounter writing about race because "they can always return to the safe neighborhoods of other subjects." Themes such as "the tension surrounding visibility ... at the heart of assimilation" are discussed by the editor using examples from poems in the text. Other themes the editor discusses include "debts to the heroes of the civil rights movements as well as debts to family members who paid the price." The editor comments on the strong emotional force of the poems but says less about style or use of language in the volume. The poems, on the other hand, do share, it seems to this reader, certain interesting stylistic resonances and similarities, such as humor and irony, for instance. Examining such stylistic issues might help readers gain a better understanding of the linguistic threads found in this literature, poems about and by those writing against the grain of the dominant culture. The poems themselves are arranged alphabetically by author in the text. There is also a subject index which helps the reader cluster the poems by topic, although the editor warns, "I hope, however, that grouping poems together in the index will help begin discussion rather than limit it. Poems resonate. The opportunity to listen for harmonies and dissonance is the experience offered by this kind of anthology." The anthology was inspired, the editor tells us, by conversations with the late James Baldwin when the editor was a student of his in a class in graduate school. The editor acknowledges the difficulty he and other white classmates had confronting their own racism. Included in the anthology is a long poem by the editor "Time, Temperature," dedicated to James Baldwin, which confronts the racism the editor learned and experienced coming of age in Detroit. There are many wonderful poems in this anthology including works by Langston Hughes, Joy Harjo, James Wright, Etheridge Knight, Andre Lorde, Gwendolyn Brooks, Linda Hogan, David Mura, Sharon Olds, Simon Ortiz and Dudley Randall, among others. There are many women writers represented in this volume and voices from many perspectives and cultures. There are also represented newer voices and less well established writers. …
Reactions of (2-oxo-1-azetidinyl)-thiophthalimides with nucleophiles

Abstract Reaction of the title compounds with a variety of oxygen, nitrogen, carbon and sulfur nucleophiles proceeds by direct attack at the sulfur atom to provide novel substituted N-thio-2-azetidinones.
FORECASTING WITH LEADING ECONOMIC INDICATORS AND THE POLLS IN 2012

On August 1, 2012, we prepared a forecast of the 2012 presidential vote for PS. Our model contains two variables: (1) the cumulated weighted growth in leading economic indicators (LEI) through quarter 13 of the current presidential term and (2) the incumbent party candidate's share in the most recent trial-heat polls, which were for the month of July. What mostly distinguishes our model from others is the reliance on leading indicators from the quarter ending in March of the election year. The early reading of LEI works well as a predictor because it summarizes growth in the economy leading up to the election year and also provides advance indication of changes in the economy during the election year. The exact equation and the exact forecast change as the poll readings change during the election year.
ROLE OF ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY IN THE DIAGNOSIS AND MANAGEMENT OF HEART FAILURE IN THE ELDERLY

Heart failure is the most common cause of cardiovascular hospitalization in older adults in the United States. This disease is common, disabling, and commonly fatal, especially in the elderly population. Hypertension and coronary artery disease are the leading causes of heart failure. A precise diagnosis of the cardiac abnormality is paramount for adequate treatment, and echocardiography offers the most comprehensive, noninvasive evaluation. With an organized approach using two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiography, the systolic and diastolic left ventricular performance can be determined; the cardiac output, pulmonary artery, and ventricular filling pressures can be estimated; and surgically correctable valve disease can be identified. The response and success of treatment also may be monitored by the judicious use of echocardiography.
Is Human Behavior Autocorrelated? An Empirical Analysis

The current review and analysis investigated the presence of serial dependency (or autocorrelation) in single-subject applied behavior-analytic research. While well researched, few studies have controlled for the number of data points that appeared in the time-series and, thus, the negative bias of the r coefficient, and the power to detect true serial dependency effects. Therefore, all baseline graphs that appeared in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis (JABA) between 1968 and 1993 that provided more than 30 data points were examined for the presence of serial dependency (N = 103). Results indicated that 12% of the baseline graphs provided a significant lag-1 autocorrelation, and over 83% of them had coefficient values less than or equal to (±.25). The distribution of the lag-1 autocorrelation coefficients had a mean of .10. Subsequent distributions of partial autocorrelations at lags two through seven had smaller means indicating that as the distance between observations increases (i.e., the lag), serial dependency decreased. Although serial dependency did not appear to be a common property of the single-subject behavioral experiments, it is recommended that, whenever statistical analyses are contemplated, its presence should always be examined. Alternatives for coping with the presence of significant levels of serial dependency were discussed in terms of: (a) using alternative statistical procedures (e.g., ARIMA models, randomization tests, the Shewhart quality-control charts); (b) correcting statistics of traditional parametric procedures (e.g., t, F); or (c) using the autocorrelation coefficient as an indicator and estimate of reliable intervention effects.
Inter- and Intraspecific Variation in Native Restoration Plants for Herbicide Tolerance

Choosing appropriate plant materials for restoration projects can affect establishment and persistence of desirable species. In situations where herbicides are used to manage invasive weeds, plant materials able to tolerate herbicides at early growth stages could increase probability of successful restoration of vegetation. However, little is documented regarding relative herbicide tolerance of native species commonly used in restoration and information regarding intraspecific variation for such characteristics is missing. We conducted a greenhouse study in 2010 and repeated in 2011 to investigate seedling response of 17 desirable species (27 germplasm), Russian thistle, and downy brome to aminocyclopyrachlor, a relatively new herbicide with potential applications in reclamation and restoration. We applied aminocyclopyrachlor at six rates between 10 and 320 g ha–1 30 days after planting. Grasses were in the three to five leaf stage and forbs and shrubs were less than five cm tall at the time of herbicide application. We used a log-logistic model to estimate dry weight reduction in response to aminocyclopyrachlor rate. Russian thistle biomass was reduced 95% at 120 g ha–1 . At that same aminocyclopyrachlor rate, grass biomass was reduced 0 to 48% and flax and sagebrush species were reduced ≥ 77%. We document variation among and within species for relative tolerance to this herbicide. If aminocyclopyrachlor were used in a restoration project for postemergence control of Russian thistle, most grasses in this experiment would experience negligible biomass reduction whereas the selected sagebrush and flax species were highly susceptible at this early growth stage even at low aminocyclopyrachlor rates.
Exploiting similarity metrics and case-bases for knowledge sharing between case-based reasoners

Differences in naming, structure, precision, and representation, collectively referred to as semantic heterogeneity, have long hindered efforts to share knowledge between reasoning agents. Most current techniques require the construction of an expensive, and highly formalized interlingua before any communication can have meaning between semantically heterogeneous agents. We present here a method for case-based reasoners to share knowledge without the need for a prior interlingua. Using the similarity metrics and the cases known to each agent, we demonstrate how classes in one knowledge base can be mapped into classes of another knowledge base with the help of a critic function. In the case that the critic function is mechanically realizable (e.g. a high fidelity simulation of the domain of interest), our method becomes well-suited for highly-autonomous case-based reasoners.
Ovariohysterectomy alters body composition and adipose and skeletal muscle gene expression in cats fed a high-protein or moderate-protein diet

The objective of this study was to measure changes in body composition, physical activity and adipose and skeletal muscle gene expression of cats fed a high-protein (HP) diet or moderate-protein (MP) diet, following ovariohysterectomy. Eight cats were randomized onto HP or MP diets and were fed those diets for several months prior to baseline. All cats underwent an ovariohysterectomy at baseline (week 0) and were allowed ad libitum access to dietary treatments for 24 weeks. Food intake was measured daily, and BW and body condition score were measured weekly. Blood, adipose and skeletal muscle tissue samples were collected, physical activity was measured, and body composition was determined using DEXA (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) at weeks 0, 12 and 24. Caloric intake increased soon after ovariohysterectomy, resulting in increased (P < 0.05) BW at weeks 12 and 24 compared to week 0. Body condition score and body fat percentage increased (P < 0.05) over time. Blood glucose increased (P < 0.05) linearly over time. Non-esterified fatty acids were decreased (P < 0.05) at weeks 12 and 24 compared to week 0. Blood leptin increased (P < 0.05) over time. Total physical activity decreased (P < 0.05) from week 0 to weeks 12 and 24 in all cats. Adipose tissue mRNA abundance of adiponectin, hormone sensitive lipase, toll-like receptor-4, uncoupling protein-2 (UCP2) and vascular endothelial growth factor decreased (P < 0.05) linearly over time, regardless of diet. Skeletal muscle mRNA abundance for glucose transporter-1, hormone sensitive lipase and UCP2 were decreased (P < 0.05), regardless of dietary treatment. Our research noted metabolic changes following ovariohysterectomy that are in agreement with gene expression changes pertaining to lipid metabolism. Feeding cats ad libitum after ovariohysterectomy is inadvisable.
STAT1 is essential for antimicrobial effector function but dispensable for gamma interferon production during Toxoplasma gondii infection.

The opportunistic protozoan Toxoplasma gondii is a prototypic Th1-inducing pathogen inducing strong gamma interferon (IFN-γ) cytokine responses that are required to survive infection. Intracellular signaling intermediate STAT1 mediates many effects of IFN-γ and is implicated in activation of T-bet, a master regulator of Th1 differentiation. Here, we show that T. gondii-infected STAT1-null mice fail to upregulate the IFN-γ-dependent effector molecules inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), IGTP, and LRG-47, which are required for mice to survive infection. Both T-bet and interleukin-12 receptor β2 (IL-12Rβ2) failed to undergo normal upregulation in response to T. gondii. Development of IFN-γ-producing CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes was severely curtailed in the absence of STAT1, but a substantial level of STAT1-independent non-T-cell-derived IFN-γ was induced. Absence of STAT1 also resulted in increased IL-4, Arg1, Ym1, and Fizz1, markers of Th2 differentiation and alternative macrophage activation. Together, the results show that T. gondii induces STAT1-dependent T-lymphocyte and STAT1-independent non-T-cell IFN-γ production, but that effector functions of this type 1 cytokine cannot operate in the absence of STAT1, resulting in extreme susceptibility to acute infection.
A communication training perspective on AND versus DNR directives.

Background: From a communication perspective, the term “do not resuscitate” (DNR) is challenging to use in end-of-life discussions because it omits the goals of care. An alternative, “Allow Natural Death” (AND), has been proposed as a better way of framing this palliative care discussion. Case: We present a case where a nurse unsuccessfully discusses end-of-life goals of care using the term DNR. Subsequently, with the aid of a communication trainer, he is coached to successfully use the term “AND” to facilitate this discussion and advance his goal of palliative care communication and planning. Discussion: We contrast the advantages and disadvantages of the term AND from the communication training perspective and suggest that AND-framing language replace DNR as a better way to facilitate meaningful end-of-life communication. One well-designed, randomized, controlled simulation study supports this practice. We also consider the communication implications of “natural” versus “unnatural” death.
Small trusted primitives for dependable systems

Secure, fault-tolerant distributed systems are difficult to build, to validate, and to operate. Conservative design for such systems dictates that their security and fault tolerance depend on a very small number of assumptions taken on faith; such assumptions are typically called the "trusted computing base" (TCB) of a system. However, a rich trade-off exists between larger TCBs and more secure, more faulttolerant, or more efficient systems. In our recent work, we have explored this trade-off by defining "small," generic trusted primitives--for example, an attested, monotonically sequenced FIFO buffer of a few hundred machine words guaranteed to hold appended words until eviction and showing how such primitives can improve the performance, fault tolerance, and security of systems using them. In this article, we review our efforts in generating simple trusted primitives such as an attested circular buffer (called Attested Appendonly Memory), and an attested human activity detector. We describe the benefits of using these primitives to increase the fault-tolerance of replicated systems and archival storage, and to improve the security of email SPAM and click-fraud prevention systems. Finally, we share some lessons we have learned from this endeavor.
Comparative Modal Tests of a Violin

In order to determine the properties that make the violins of Antonio Stradivari among the best in the world, a project is underway to reverse engineer one of the great master’s instruments. To develop the methodology, a factory violin that can be disassembled is used as the initial test case. The focus of this article is to determine the best modal test methods to use on the violin. Comparative modal tests were performed on the same violin using two of the most common types of exciters: a shaker and an impact hammer. The results show that both methods have their benefits and limitations. Overall the shaker method resulted in less noise than the impact hammer. However, the shaker method also contained error due to mass loading issues of the response sensors, as well as issues with the boundary conditions at the input location. On the basis of these results, for the purposes of this study the impact hammer is shown to be the preferred method of excitation for the modal analysis of a violin.
Does Freudian Theory Resolve “The Paradoxes of Irrationality”?*

This paper consists of two related parts: I. A detailed critique of Donald Davidson's thesis—in his “The Paradoxes of Irrationality”—that “…any satisfactory [explanatory] view [of irrationality] must embrace some of Freud's most important theses” (p. 290). I argue that this conclusion is doubly flawed: (i) Davidson's case for it is logically ill-founded, and (ii) its Freudian plaidoyer is also factually false. II. Relatedly, in the second part, I confute the recent arguments given by Marcia Cavell, Thomas Nagel, et al. to establish that psychoanalytic causal explanations of irrationality are epistemically justified, because they are extensions of the desire-cumbelief pattern of accounting for intentional actions. As a corollary, it becomes clear that these authors have failed to undermine my epistemological strictures on the foundations of psychoanalysis.
Epidemiology in a changing world.

The context of epidemiologic research and practice is changing rapidly, driven by a rising wave of new questions based in genomics and biomarkers, new technologies for high-density data generation, a shift toward use of administrative and other databases for research and away from primary data collection by researchers, a rapidly changing communications environment, and new computing and analytic approaches based in the emerging methods of “big data.” Macro-level factors are further transforming epidemiology: generally declining research funding paylines by the NIH and its reluctance to support the development of new cohorts for epidemiologic research, the ongoing evolution of research to “big science” approaches, the rise of clinical and translational research and the increasing reliance in this area on patient databases for research, and mandates within the Affordable Care Act related to monitoring and advancement of population health. There are also rising societal expectations for impactful findings and an expectation of accountability for applying research discoveries for public/community benefit. Although there remains great uncertainty as to future directions and an ongoing need for applied “on-theground” epidemiology, a paradigm shift is truly under way. Publication trends in epidemiology over the last several decades document some of these patterns. Figures 1 and 2 show trends of publications within broad domains from 1990 to 2013. Over this time period, the number of publications identified using “epidemiology” as a search term in PubMed has grown progressively, from 26,490 in 1990 to 95,160 in 2013. Cancer has remained the leading topic, but genetic epidemiology has risen to second (Figure 1). Research in outcomes and effectiveness and on clinical/translational research themes is quickly expanding (Figure 2).
Posttransplantation cyclophosphamide facilitates engraftment of major histocompatibility complex-identical allogeneic marrow in mice conditioned with low-dose total body irradiation

Abstract Cyclophosphamide (Cy) has been studied extensively for its immunosuppressive properties and is frequently combined with total body irradiation (TBI) as conditioning prior to HLA-identical allogeneic blood or marrow transplantation (alloBMT) in humans. Because Cy is most effective at suppressing host-versus-graft reactions when the drug is given after the transplantation (Mayumi H et al. Transplant Proc. 1986;18:363-369), we investigated whether posttransplantation Cy could prevent rejection of allogeneic marrow in mice conditioned with low-dose TBI. In a mouse model, posttransplantation Cy reduced the dose of TBI required from 500 cGy to or=50 million MHC-identical cells and administering posttransplantation Cy, the addition of low-dose TBI reduced the dose of donor cells required for alloengraftment and increased long-term donor chimerism to >50%. These data demonstrate that low-dose TBI and posttransplantation Cy cooperate to prevent graft rejection following the transplantation of standard doses of MHC-identical marrow cells. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant 2002;8(3):131-8.
Knowledge-based Quantification of Pericardial Fat in Non-Contrast CT Data

Recent studies show that pericardial fat is associated with vascular calcification and cardiovascular risk. The fat is imaged with Computed Tomography (CT) as part of coronary calcium scoring but it is not included in routine clinical analysis due to the lack of automatic tools for fat quantification. Previous attempts to create such an automated tool have the limitations of either assuming a preset threshold or a Gaussian distribution for fat. In order to overcome these limitations, we present a novel approach using a classification-based method to discriminate fat from other tissues. The classifier is constructed from three binary SVM classifiers trained separately for multiple tissues (fat, muscle/blood and calcium), and a specific code is assigned to each tissue type based on the number of classifiers. The decisions of these binary classifiers are combined and compared with previously determined codes using a minimum Hamming decoding distance to identify fat. We also present an improved method for detection of a compact region-of-interest around the heart to reduce the number of false positives due to neighboring organs. The proposed method UH-PFAT attained a maximum overlap of 87%, and an average overlap of 76% with expert annotations when tested on unseen data from 36 subjects. Our method can be improved by identifying additional discriminative features for fat and muscle/blood separation, or by using more advanced classification approaches such as cascaded classifiers to reduce the number of false detections.
A simple refinement of slow-start of TCP congestion control

This paper presents a new variant of slow-start, called smooth-start, which provides a smooth transition between the exponential and linear growth phases of the TCP congestion window. Slow-start is known to make an abrupt transition between the slow-start and congestion-avoidance phases, and hence, often causes multiple packet losses from a window of data and retransmission timeouts, which, in turn reduce the effective throughput and result in global synchronization. Smooth-start solves this problem by approaching the slow-start threshold more gradually. Our extensive simulation results show that smooth-start can significantly reduce both packet losses and traffic burstiness, thus improving the performance of TCP congestion control at the start of a TCP connection or after a retransmission timeout. Furthermore, smooth-start is very simple to implement and requires TCP modifications at the sender side only.
Biochemical Properties of the Oceanic Carbon Cycle

The earth’s climate is regulated by the radiative balance between the solar energy received by the earth-atmosphere system and the thermal radiation sent back to space. While most of the former is absorbed by the earth’s surface, most of the latter originates from the atmosphere. As a result, thermal exchanges across the ocean-atmosphere interface directly influence the atmospheric density as well as the surface ocean density, thus forcing oceanic and atmospheric circulations. The continuous exchange of gases and energy across the ocean-atmosphere interface strongly influences the physical and biological processes in the upper ocean. Penetration of heat and light in the surface seawater intensifies not only biological activity, but also ocean stratification and circulation which in turn influences the penetration of greenhouse gases into the ocean, thus modulating the global warming of our planet. CO2 gas is the major natural and anthropogenic greenhouse gas and therefore has played both a primordial role and a contemporary role in the intensity of the global warming.
Neural network analysis of gait biomechanical data for classification of knee osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease, which causes the degradation of articular cartilage and subchondral bone. The disease may result in mechanical abnormalities of the joints, including weight bearing joints such as the knees and hips. In this work, we analyze gait biomechanical data using neural network models to predict the level of joint deterioration and the level of pain in participants suffering from knee osteoarthritis. The results of the analyses demonstrate strong correlation between gait kinetics and joint deterioration and level of pain in osteoarthritic individuals.
A classification method for adaptive transform image coding

This paper introduces a new classification method, termed vector-scaler classification, where each DCT (ac) vector is indexed using vector quantization (VQ) on the energy vector of the corresponding DCT subvectors, and the subvectors each are then classified according to the class assignment for the VQ. Vector-scalar classification achieves an average classification gain about 6.5 dB higher than block classification proposed by Chen and Smith (1977), since VQ has high clustering performance and classification of subvectors can exploit compactness of DCT coefficients more efficiently. The complexity of this method is relatively low. For coding small images, a fixed-rate DCT coding system developed using vector-scaler classification is competitive with some best variable-rate coding systems reported in the literature, and the classification can capture most of the performance gain obtained by entropy coding.
Immunohistochemistry and biosynthesis of N-acetylaspartylglutamate in spinal sensory ganglia.

: N-Acetylaspartylglutamate (NAAG) is a nervous system-specific dipeptide which has been implicated in chemical neurotransmission. Antisera were prepared against NAAG in order to study its cellular distribution. When these antisera were applied to tissue sections of rat spinal sensory ganglia, NAAG-like immunoreactivity was detected within a subpopulation of relatively large neuronal cell bodies in cervical, lumbar, and thoracic ganglia. In order to confirm the presence of NAAG within these neurons, the dipeptide was extracted and purified from spinal ganglia using high-performance liquid chromatography and its composition confirmed by amino acid analysis. Further, the biosynthesis of NAAG was studied in vitro by following the incorporation of either [3H]glutamine or [3H]glutamate into the glutamate residue of the purified dipeptide. [3H]Aspartate was not incorporated efficiently into NAAG under these conditions, suggesting a precursor role for the large N-acetylaspartate pool. The incorporation of radiolabeled amino acids into newly synthesized NAAG by spinal sensory ganglia was not inhibited by incubation of the cells with anisomycin or cycloheximide at concentrations which significantly inhibited protein synthesis. These data suggest that NAAG is present in a subpopulation of primary afferent spinal neurons and that its biosynthesis is mediated by a dipeptide synthetase.
Anti-phase domain size in quenched beta-brass

Abstract The results of this investigation indicate that the growth rate and final size of anti-phase domains (APD) in quenched beta-brass are determined by two factors: (a) the rate of formation and (b) the mobility of dislocation loops nucleated at and trapped in domain boundaries during the quench. It is believed that most of the domain growth occurs in the first 200°K below the critical temperature for ordering.
Infrared Anomalous Interactions as a Signal for Electroweak Symmetry Breaking by Color Sextet Quarks

We study the possibility that electroweak symmetry breaking occurs dynamically as a consequence of a chiral condensate of color sextet quarks. New (but conventional) leptons are used to cancel gauge anomalies. An effective Lagrangian with a Wess-Zumino term is used to describe “sextet pion” interactions and associated chiral anomalies. We show that the gauge-invariant effective Lagrangian which describes infrared interactions of the physical W± and Z0 vector bosons contain axial-vector chiral anomalies generated by lepton loops. Lepton-induced anomalous interactions would therefore be a signal of this form of dynamical symmetry breaking.