cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CHAPTER 2 – Introduction to Emission Tomography

This chapter serves as the introduction to the book, explaining the basic idea of Emission Tomography (ET) and its uses. ET is a branch of medical imaging that comprises of two main techniques, namely, positron emission tomography (PET) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). ET is categorized as a functional imaging approach to distinguish it from methods such as X-ray computed tomography (CT) that depicts the body's anatomy. The use of radioactive materials as a representative marker, or tracer, of natural nonradioactive substances is the foundation of present-day PET and SPECT. However, since its initial discovery, the tracer principle has been greatly enhanced by the development of artificially radioactive compounds. Imaging agents, called radiopharmaceuticals or radiotracers, can be designed to act as markers for a great variety of substances that participate in the body's natural processes. Thus, ET can yield valuable diagnostic information. Last part of this chapter focuses on the clinical applications of ET. The most common clinical applications of PET by far are in oncology, with neurology and cardiology accounting for most other clinical PET studies.
Robust Speech Activity Detection in Movie Audio: Data Resources and Experimental Evaluation

Speech activity detection in highly variable acoustic conditions is a challenging task. Many approaches to detect speech activity in such conditions involve an inherent knowledge of the noise types involved. Movie audio can offer an excellent research test-bed for developing speech activity models. A robust speech detection in movie audio is also a crucial step for subsequent content analyses such as audio diarization. Obtaining labels for supervision of such data can be very expensive, and may not be scalable. In this paper, we employ a simple, yet effective approach to obtain speech labels for movie data by coarse aligning the subtitles with movie audio. We compiled a dataset, called Subtitle-aligned Movie Corpus (SAM) of nearly 23 hours of data labelled as speech from ninety-five Hollywood movies. We propose convolutional neural network architectures that use log-mel spectrograms as input features to predict speech at a segment-level, as opposed to frame-level. We show that our models trained on SAM outperform existing baselines on two independent, publicly released movie speech datasets. We have made the SAM corpus and pretrained models publicly available for further research.
Linear Polarization and Proper Motion in the Afterglow of Beamed Gamma-Ray Bursts

We investigate the polarization and proper motion from a beamed gamma-ray burst's ejecta. We find that even if the magnetic field has well-defined orientation relative to the direction of motion of the shock, the polarization is not likely to exceed 20%. Taking into account the dynamics of the beamed ejecta, we find that the polarization rises and decays with peak around the jet break time (when the Lorentz factor of the flow is comparable to the inverse of the initial jet opening angle). Interestingly, we find that when the offset of the observer from the center of the beam is large enough, the polarization as function of time has three peaks and the polarization direction of the middle peak is rotated by 90° relative to the two other peaks. We also show that some proper motion is expected, peaking around the jet break time. Detection of both this proper motion and the direction of polarization can determine which component of the magnetic field is dominant.
Only as strong as the weakest link: structural analysis of the combined effects of elevated temperature and pCO2 on mussel attachment

Predicting how combinations of stressors will affect failure risk is a key challenge for the field of ecomechanics and, more generally, ecophysiology. Environmental conditions often influence the manufacture and durability of biomaterials, inducing structural failure that potentially compromises organismal reproduction, growth, and survival. Species known for tight linkages between structural integrity and survival include bivalve mussels, which produce numerous byssal threads to attach to hard substrate. Among the current environmental threats to marine organisms are ocean warming and acidification. Elevated pCO2 exposure is known to weaken byssal threads by compromising the strength of the adhesive plaque. This study uses structural analysis to evaluate how an additional stressor, elevated temperature, influences byssal thread quality and production. Mussels (Mytilus trossulus) were placed in controlled temperature and pCO2 treatments, and then, newly produced threads were counted and pulled to failure to determine byssus strength. The effects of elevated temperature on mussel attachment were dramatic; mussels produced 60% weaker and 65% fewer threads at 25°C in comparison to 10°C. These effects combine to weaken overall attachment by 64-88% at 25°C. The magnitude of the effect of pCO2 on thread strength was substantially lower than that of temperature and, contrary to our expectations, positive at high pCO2 exposure. Failure mode analysis localized the effect of temperature to the proximal region of the thread, whereas pCO2 affected only the adhesive plaques. The two stressors therefore act independently, and because their respective target regions are interconnected (resisting tension in series), their combined effects on thread strength are exactly equal to the effect of the strongest stressor. Altogether, these results show that mussels, and the coastal communities they support, may be more vulnerable to the negative effects of ocean warming than ocean acidification.
Harnessing the full potential of reproductive genetics and epigenetics for male infertility in the era of “big data”

The complexity of male reproductive impairment has hampered characterization of the underlying genetic causes of male infertility. However, in the last 20 years, more powerful and affordable tools to interrogate the genetic and epigenetic determinants of male infertility have accelerated the number of new discoveries in the characterization of male infertility. With this explosion of new data, integration in a systems-based approach—including complete phenotypic information—to male infertility is imperative. We briefly review the current understanding of genetic and epigenetic causes of male infertility and how findings may be translated into a practical component for the diagnosis and treatment of male infertility.
Speaking up to Authority in a Simulated Medication Error Scenario

Abstract Background Health care professionals need to communicate with each other when there are patient safety concerns. However, speaking up can be difficult because the health care environment is highly hierarchical. Many times health care professionals choose to remain silent or fail to bring a patient safety issue to another team member's attention. Sample Senior nursing students from a Midwestern University. Method Nonequivalent groups design with standardized patient simulation as intervention. Results Both groups reported higher self-confidence in speaking up to authority from before to after test, but differences were not significant. Conclusion Although this study yielded nonsignificant differences with the use of standardized patient simulation, the trend in increasing self-reported confidence in speaking up to an authority when a patient safety concern arose in the intervention group was encouraging. The effects of standardized patients on students' confidence in speaking up merit further testing with a larger sample and random assignment.
Investigation of geographic disparities of pre-diabetes and diabetes in Florida

Diabetes is a leading cause of death and disability in the United States, and its precursor, pre-diabetes, is estimated to occur in one-third of American adults. Understanding the geographic disparities in the distribution of these conditions and identifying high-prevalence areas is critical to guiding control and prevention programs. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate clusters of pre-diabetes and diabetes risk in Florida and identify significant predictors of the conditions. Data from the 2013 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System were obtained from the Florida Department of Health. Spatial scan statistics were used to identify and locate significant high-prevalence local clusters. The county prevalence proportions of pre-diabetes and diabetes and the identified significant clusters were displayed in maps. Logistic regression was used to identify significant predictors of the two conditions for individuals living within and outside high-prevalence clusters. The study included a total of 34,186 respondents. The overall prevalence of pre-diabetes and diabetes were 8.2 and 11.5%, respectively. Three significant (p < 0.05) local, high-prevalence spatial clusters were detected for pre-diabetes, while five were detected for diabetes. The counties within the high-prevalence clusters had prevalence ratios ranging from 1.29 to 1.85. There were differences in the predictors of the conditions based on whether respondents lived within or outside high-prevalence clusters. Predictors of both pre-diabetes and diabetes regardless of region or place of residence were obesity/overweight, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia. Income and physical activity level were significant predictors of diabetes but not pre-diabetes. Arthritis, sex, and marital status were significant predictors of diabetes only among residents of high-prevalence clusters, while educational attainment and smoking were significant predictors of diabetes only among residents of non-cluster counties. Geographic disparities of pre-diabetes and diabetes exist in Florida. Information from this study is useful for guiding resource allocation and targeting of intervention programs focusing on identified modifiable predictors of pre-diabetes and diabetes so as to reduce health disparities and improve the health of all Floridians.
SoftwarePilot: Fully Autonomous Aerial Systems Made Easier

Fully autonomous aerial systems (FAAS) are an increasingly relevant research topic to the computer systems community [1] –[6]. FAAS use unmanned aerial vehicles and edge and cloud compute resources to dynamically sense and respond to their environments without human piloting. FAAS can be used in crop scouting, autonomous photography, search and rescue, infrastructure inspection, and many other domains.
Effects of Visual Activity Schedule on Decreasing Transition Latency.

A visual activity schedule (VAS) was used with a 7-year-old African-American (Non-Hispanic) male at-risk for school failure. An ABAB withdrawal design was used to assess the effectiveness of a VAS ...
Social Determinants of Health in People with Kidney Disease: An Introduction.

The papers that follow derive from talks delivered at the 2020 Alison Norris Symposium at the New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM). The program title was Social Determinants of Kidney Health, the fifth in a biennial series established to memorialize the life and work of Dr. Norris. Dr. Norris was a
Plural Local Terms, Dialectical Processes, and Co-participants: Doing Transnational Rhetoric

On September 22, 2014, students at the Chinese University of Hong Kong launched a five-day strike to protest the alleged limits Beijing placed on the procedures to elect Hong Kong’s chief executive...
Effects of Social Comparisons on Wellbeing

In this chapter I discuss the research related to the effects of social comparison on wellbeing and positive mental health. The research point to the tendency of making social comparisons explained by three motivational principles, namely self-enhancement, self-improvement, and self-identification. With respect to the self-enhancement principle, I discuss social comparison research in relation life satisfaction, depression and anxiety, morale, happiness of people in poor versus rich countries, differences in socio-economic status, friendship, satisfaction with healthcare, unemployment, crime and corruption, body dissatisfaction, African Americans, Facebook and social media, and the COVID-19 pandemic and social isolation. With respect to the self-improvement principle, I discuss research related to cancer patients, socio-economic status, Asian Canadians, self-esteem and Facebook, self-esteem and individualism versus collectivism, body satisfaction, and school children and academic performance. In regard to the self-identification principle, I discuss research on sports fans, school status, task performance, and Facebook and social media.
Government’s Trust Building Tactics to Renew Relationships with Community-based Organizations

Institutional racism embedded in the existing public management practices has systematically created distrust between community-based organizations serving Black, Indigenous, and other people of co...
A product of prestige?: “Race unknown” and competitive admissions in the United States

Policy researchers have difficulty understanding stratification in enrollment in US higher education when race and ethnicity data are plagued by missing values. Students who decline to ethnoraciall...
Long-term outcomes of secondary intraocular lens implantation in children.

PURPOSE This study aims to report long-term outcomes of secondary intraocular lens (IOL) implantation after early cataract surgery in children. METHODS This is a retrospective case series that included children undergoing secondary IOL implantation. The patients had either in-the-bag (ITB) or sulcus implantation; alternative methods of IOL fixation were excluded. Single-piece acrylic IOL was used for ITB and 3-piece acrylic or PMMA IOL for sulcus implantation. The visual acuity outcomes and rate of complications at the last follow-up visit were evaluated. RESULTS One hundred six eyes (70 patients) were analyzed. The mean follow-up was 5.5 ± 3.8 years. Sixty-two eyes (58.5%) had ITB; 44 eyes (41.5%) had sulcus IOL. All but 3 eyes (97.2%) showed stable or improvement in visual acuity. Early inflammation > grade 2 + was noted with sulcus IOL (84% vs 34%, p = 0.01); late inflammation requiring vitrectomy occurred in one eye with sulcus IOL. Mild decentration was seen in 2 eyes with sulcus IOL; one additional subluxed sulcus IOL was exchanged. Sixteen out of 106 eyes (16%) had glaucoma. Eyes that developed glaucoma had early primary surgery (mean, 0.2 years, p < 0.001, significant); there was no difference in glaucoma rates based on implantation site. CONCLUSION Early postoperative inflammation is higher in eyes with sulcus implantation, but good visual acuity outcomes are noted after secondary IOL implantation in children. Glaucoma is the main complication that requires close monitoring and is associated with early age at primary surgery.
The Proxy Advisory & Corporate Governance Industry: The Case for Increased Oversight and Control

The proxy advisory and corporate governance industry plays a significant role in shareholder voting and in the formulation of corporate governance policy. The industry operates with relatively little accountability and virtually free from regulatory oversight. Understanding the relationship between this industry and mutual funds, who in the aggregate are the largest owners of publicly traded shares in the United States, is critical to understanding issues of shareholder rights, the meaning of the right to vote in corporate elections, and the role that institutional investors, like mutual funds, play in the corporate landscape. Mutual funds exercise their substantial voting power by outsourcing key voting functions and corporate governance decisions to the proxy advisory industry. By far, the largest player in the industry is Institutional Shareholder Services (n/k/a RiskMetrics Group, Inc.) (ISS), which is estimated to advise half the world’s common stock. This paper examines the factual and theoretical implications on our corporate polity of using proxy advisers like ISS. The paper addresses the problem from an agency theory perspective and argues that the current relationship between mutual funds and third-party agents like ISS is conceptually at odds with corporate law agency theory. In addition, it is a relationship that has practical implications for public companies, long-term shareholders, and our corporate landscape in general. (The final version of this paper is available in Vol. 14 of the Stanford Journal of Law Business & Finance - 14 Stan.J.Law.Bus. & Fin.384).
Data Inserting with Visual Basic.NET

This chapter contains sections titled: Insert Data into a Database Insert Data into the SQL Server Database Using a Sample Project InsertWizard Insert Data into the Oracle Database Using a Sample Project InsertWizardOracle The General Runtime Objects Method Insert Data into the SQL Server Database Using the Runtime Object Method Insert Data into the Microsoft Access Database Using the Runtime Objects Insert Data into the Oracle Database Using the Runtime Objects Insert Data into the Database Using Stored Procedures Insert Data into the Database Using the LINQ to DataSet Method Chapter Summary Homework
Elongation factor G undergoes an extensive structural rearrangement during ribosomal translocation (752.3)

Translocation of mRNA and tRNAs through the ribosome is catalyzed by the universally conserved elongation factor (EF-G in prokaryotes and EF-2 in eukaryotes). It has been hypothesized that EF-G undergoes structural rearrangements during translocation. Here, we test this hypothesis by following the movement of EF-G relative to the small ribosomal subunit using single-molecule Forster resonance energy transfer (smFRET). We show that ribosome-bound EF-G adopts distinct conformations corresponding to the pre- and post-translocation states of the ribosome. Our results suggest that upon ribosomal translocation, domain IV of EF-G, which is essential for the catalysis of translocation, moves toward the A site of the small ribosomal subunit and promotes translocation of peptidyl-tRNA.Grant Funding Source: These studies were supported by grant from the US National Institute of Health no. GM-099719
Security Needs for the Future Intelligent Vehicles

The need for active safety, highway guidance, telematics, traffic management, cooperative driving, driver convenience and automatic toll payment will require future intelligent vehicles to communicate with other vehicles as well as with the road-side infrastructure. However, inter-vehicle and vehicle to roadside infrastructure communications will impose some security threats against vehicles’ safety and their proprietary information. To avoid collisions, a vehicle should receive messages only from other authentic vehicles. The internal buses and electronics of a vehicle must also be protected from intruders and other people with malicious intents. Otherwise, a person can inject incorrect messages into an authentic vehicle’s internal communication system and then make the vehicle transmit wrong information to the other vehicles within the vicinity. Such an event may have catastrophic consequences. Thus, a detailed study of the security needs of the future vehicles is very important. In this paper, we will present the results of a comprehensive study related to various types of security threats against a vehicle’s electronic communication system. The paper will identify various types of security attacks against a vehicle’s electronic system. The paper will also address various issues that are related to the design of secure microcontrollers, secure electronic modules, secure communications through the vehicle’s internal buses and privacy-protected secure peer-topeer communications.
Rheumatoid arthritis is associated with higher ninety-day hospital readmission rates compared to osteoarthritis after hip or knee arthroplasty: a cohort study.

Objective To examine whether an underlying diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or osteoarthritis (OA) impacts the 90-day readmission rates after total hip arthroplasty (THA) or total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Methods We analyzed prospectively collected data from an integrated health care system, Total Joint Replacement Registry, of adults with RA or OA undergoing unilateral primary THA or TKA during 2009–2011. Adjusted logistic regression models for 90-day readmission were fit. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated. Study year was an effect modifier for the outcome; therefore separate analyses were conducted for each of the 3 study years. Results Of the 34,311 patients, 496 had RA and 33,815 had OA. Comparisons of RA and OA patients, respectively, were 73% and 61% women, 45% and 70% white, and patients had a mean age of 61 versus 67 years (P < 0.001). Crude 90-day readmission rates for RA and OA were 8.5% and 6.7%, respectively. The adjusted odds of 90-day readmission increased from year to year for RA compared to OA patients, from 0.89 (95% CI 0.46–1.71) in 2009 to 1.34 (95% CI 0.69–2.61) in 2010, and to 1.74 (95% CI 1.16–2.60) in 2011. The 2 most common readmission reasons were joint prosthesis infection (10.2%) and septicemia (10.2%) in RA and joint prosthesis infection (5.7%) and other postoperative infection (5.1%) in OA. Conclusion RA is a risk factor for 90-day readmission after primary THA or TKA. An increasing risk of readmissions noted in RA in 2011 is concerning and indicates that further studies should examine the reasons for this increasing trend.
Biaxial and uniaxial extension studies of polydimethylsiloxane networks prepared by end‐linking in solution

Polydimethylsiloxane chains were tetrafunctionally end-linked with tetraethoxysilane in solution, with either a linear dimethylsiloxane oligomer or hexadecane as solvent. Stress-strain isotherms for the networks thus prepared were obtained in the extracted but unswollen state, both in elongation and in compression (biaxial extension, which was achieved by inflation of sheets of the materials). Measurements were carried out to the rupture points in order to provide as large a range of deformation as possible. Comparison of the experimental and theoretical stress-strain isotherms indicated that the experimental results were in good agreement with the constrained junction theory of rubberlike elasticity. The results showed that the constraint parameter k decreases with decrease in the volume fraction v2c of polymer present during cross-linking and incorporated into the network structure, which means that networks prepared at high dilutions have fewer chain-junction entanglements, as expected. However, the experimental values of the phantom modulus [f] are also a function of the weight fraction of soluble (uncross-linked) polymer which had been present. This confirms the expectation that networks prepared at high dilutions have imperfections such as loops and dangling ends. There is an excellent agreement, however, between experiment and theory with respect to the relationships among k, the Mooney-Rivlin 2C1 estimate of the phantom modulus, and v2c.
Sailing the stormy seas: The illness experience of persons with parkinson's disease

Parkinson’s disease is a chronic, progressive disorder with no known cause or promising cure. While substantial information is known about the pathophysiology, little is known about the illness experience of living with the disease. A qualitative study using an ethnographic approach was conducted to provide a rich understanding of the illness experience. The illness experience was apprehended through field work in two support groups and the personal accounts of 14 participants with Parkinson’s disease. The metaphor, “Sailing the Sea in The Eye of the Storm,” is the overarching theme and was chosen to conceptualize the voyage of persons living with Parkinson’s disease. Two prevailing sub-themes were Daily Negotiations in the Midst of Uncertainty and Reconstruction of the Self.
Examples of wavelets for local fields

Using the wavelet theory introduced by the author and J. Benedetto, we present examples of wavelets on p-adic fields and other locally compact abelian groups with compact open subgroups. We observe that in this setting, the Haar and Shannon wavelets (which are at opposite extremes over the real numbers) coincide and are localized both in time and in frequency. We also study the behavior of the translation operators required in the theory.
Nonlinear Geometrical Optics

Using asymptotic methods, one can reduce complicated systems of equations to simpler model equations. The model equation for a single, genuinely nonlinear, hyperbolic wave is Burgers equation. Reducing the gas dynamics equations to a Burgers equation, leads to a theory of nonlinear geometrical acoustics. When diffractive effects are included, the model equation is the ZK or unsteady transonic small disturbance equation. We describe some properties of this equation, and use it to formulate asymptotic equations that describe the transition from regular to Mach reflection for weak shocks. Interacting hyperbolic waves are described by a system of Burgers or ZK equations coupled by integral terms. We use these equations to study the transverse stability of interacting sound waves in gas dynamics.
The use of bit conserving logic in design for testability

A method of design for testability (DFT) and built-in self-test (BIST) based upon bit conserving logic ((BCL) is presented. This method is completely general and requires only two function-independent input test vectors for 100% testing of single stuck-at faults regardless of the size of complexity of the circuit. Both combinational and sequential circuits can be tested with no scan techniques. >
Beta-Glucuronidase Response of Cells Infected with Adenovirus Types 5 and 12

Beta-glucuronidase activity was investigated during a 48-h period in which virus replication and changes in cell morphology occurred. Infection of an established line of chimpanzee liver cells with either nononcogenic adenovirus 5 or highly oncogenic adenovirus 12 under one-step growth conditions produced differing patterns of enzyme activity. There was an increase in total activity and also enhanced leakage of beta-glucuronidase from cells infected with adenovirus 12. In contrast, the enzymatic pattern of cells infected with adenovirus 5 was similar to that of uninfected cells. Hydrocortisone prevented the abnormal release of beta-glucuronidase from adenovirus 12-infected cells. The compound had no effect on total enzyme activity or on virus replication and the development of cytopathology.
Rare decays as diagnostics for Z' gauge couplings at hadron colliders.

We propose rare decays of {ital Z}{prime}{r arrow}{ital f}{sub 1}{ital {bar f}2}{ital V} (with {ital V}={ital W} or {ital Z}, and {ital f}{sub 1,2} ordinary fermions) as diagnostic tests for gauge couplings of possible {ital Z}{prime} gauge bosons at future hadron colliders. Because of the collinear singularity such decay rates have a logarithmic enhancement proportional to ln{sup 2}({ital M}{sub {ital Z}{prime}}{sup 2}/{ital M}{sub {ital V}}{sup 2}). For {ital M}{sub {ital Z}{prime}}{similar to}1 TeV and a large class of models, there would be a sufficiently large ({gt}10{sup 2}) number of leptonic and semileptonic events at projected luminosities at the CERN Large Hadron Collider and Superconducting Super Collider. A discussion of backgrounds and a comparison with the forward-backward asymmetry are given.
Counting On Blood Donors: Increasing the Impact of Reminder Calls

Two experiments were conducted to see if blood drive attendance could be increased by altering the content of reminder calls. In Experiment 1 college students received either a standard reminder (the place, time, and necessity of eating beforehand) or a commitment-enhancing reminder in which they agreed to be “counted on”. Those in the latter condition were significantly more likely (p <.007) to attend a blood drive. Experiment 2 demonstrated that an alternate wording for the commitment-enhancing message was possible; that a verbal response was necessary to ensure the commitment; and that a message enhancing altruism was not as effective. The studies suggest that asking for an additional commitment during a reminder call can appreciably increase blood drive participation rates.
An Arabidopsis thaliana methyltransferase capable of methylating farnesoic acid

We previously reported the identification of a new family of plant methyltransferases (MTs), named the SABATH family, that use S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM) to methylate a carboxyl moiety or a nitrogen-containing functional group on a diverse array of plant compounds. The Arabidopsis genome alone contains 24 distinct SABATH genes. To identify the catalytic specificities of members of this protein family in Arabidopsis, we screened recombinantly expressed and purified enzymes with a large number of potential substrates. Here,we report that the Arabidopsis thaliana gene At3g44860 encodes a protein with high catalytic specificity towards farnesoic acid (FA). Under steady-state conditions, this farnesoic acid carboxyl methyltransferase (FAMT) exhibits KM values of 41 and 71 μM for FA and SAM, respectively. A three-dimensional model of FAMT constructed based upon similarity to the experimentally determined structure of Clarkia breweri salicylic acid methyltransferase (SAMT) suggests a reasonable model for FA recognition in the FAMT active site. In planta, the mRNA levels of At3g44860 increase in response to the exogenous addition of several compounds previously shown to induce plant defense responses at the transcriptional level. Although methyl farnesoate (MeFA) has not yet been detected in Arabidopsis, the presence of a FA-specific carboxyl methyltransferase in Arabidopsis capable of producing MeFA, an insect juvenile hormone made by some plants as a presumed defense against insect herbivory, suggests that MeFA or chemically similar compounds are likely to serve as new specialized metabolites in Arabidopsis.
The effect of progressive, reinforcing telephone education and counseling versus brief educational intervention on knowledge, self-care behaviors and heart failure symptoms.

Background The optimal strategy for promoting self-care for heart failure (HF) is unclear.
Chemical pleurodesis in the presence of persistent air leak

Persistent air leak makes chemical pleurodesis difficult because the chest tube cannot be clamped after drug instillation. A technique is described that obviates the need for clamping the chest tube in this setting.
ACRYLAMIDE GEL ELECTROPHORESIS OF SOLUBLE PLANT PROTEINS: A STUDY ON PEA SEEDLINGS IN RELATION TO DEVELOPMENT.

The application of the technique of acrylamide gel electrophoresis to the separation of components of the soluble proteins of plants is described. The reproducibility of the results is demonstrated with reference to Neurospora proteins, and suitable procedures to document the results are described. These techniques have been applied to the soluble protein complement of segments along the axis of the root of Pisum sativum and of other parts of the seedling. The observations are interpreted in the light of current views on protein synthesis and cellular development. THE GROWING root is a most convenient experimental object for the study of the development of cells from their meristematic to mature state. Successive transverse segments, in a basipetal sequence from the root tip, comprise a series of cell populations which represent, in space, a developmental series in time. Cells pass from the meristematic undifferentiated state near the root tip to the mature differentiated state in the more basal parts of the root. As the cells mature in this way, their enzyme patterns change, and this has been ascribed to changes in the relative amounts of the various proteins rather than to the presence
Quantile smoothing splines

SUMMARY Although nonparametric regression has traditionally focused on the estimation of conditional mean functions, nonparametric estimation of conditional quantile functions is often of substantial practical interest. We explore a class of quantile smoothing splines, defined as solutions to
Combinations of Non-Rigid Deformable Appearance Models

A framework for object recognition via combinations of nonrigid deformable appearance models is described. An object category is presented as a combination of deformed prototypical images. An object in an image can be represented in terms of its geometry (shape) and its texture (visual appearance). We employ finite element based methods to represent the shape deformations more reliably and automatically register the object images by warping them onto the underlying finite element mesh for each prototype shape. Vectors of objects from the same class (like faces) can be thought to define an object subspace. Assuming that we have enough prototype images that encompass major variations inside the class, we can span the complete object subspace. Thereafter, by virtue of our subspace assumption, we can express any novel object from the same class as a combination of the prototype vectors. We present experimental results to evaluate this strategy and finally, explore the usefulness of the combination parameters for analysis, recognition and low-dimensional object encoding.
In vivo characterization of a bigenic fluorescent mouse model of Alzheimer's disease with neurodegeneration

The loss of cognitive function in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients is strongly correlated with the loss of neurons in various regions of the brain. We have created a new fluorescent bigenic mouse model of AD by crossing "H-line" yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) mice with the 5xFAD mouse model, which we call the 5XY mouse model. The 5xFAD mouse has been shown to have significant loss of L5 pyramidal neurons by 12 months of age. These neurons are transgenically labeled with YFP in the 5XY mouse, which enable longitudinal imaging of structural changes. In the 5XY mice, we observed an appearance of axonal dystrophies, with two distinct morphologies in the early stages of the disease progression. Simple swelling dystrophies are transient in nature and are not directly associated with amyloid plaques. Rosette dystrophies are more complex structures that remained stable throughout all imaging sessions, and always surrounded an amyloid plaque. Plaque growth was followed over 4 weeks, and significant growth was seen between weekly imaging sessions. In addition to axonal dystrophy appearance and plaque growth, we were able to follow spine stability in 4-month old 5XY mice, which revealed no significant loss of spines. 5XY mice also showed a striking shrinkage of the neocortex at older ages (12-14 months). The 5XY mouse model may be a valuable tool for studying specific events in the degeneration of the neocortex, and may suggest new avenues for therapeutic intervention.
Antiplatelet Therapy for Postdischarge Medical Management of Acute Coronary Syndrome

Postdischarge management of patients with acute coronary syndrome is often suboptimal, despite their high risk of a subsequent event. Updated American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines emphasize the need for aggressive modification of risk factors and treatment with antiplatelet, antihypertensive, and lipid-lowering agents commenced in-hospital and continued long-term. Antiplatelet therapy involving aspirin and clopidogrel is the mainstay of secondary risk reduction. Increased adherence to medication and risk factor modification at discharge has been demonstrated with acute care quality improvement initiatives. Extension of these initiatives to postdischarge care will provide data on medication adherence post acute coronary syndrome and functional outcomes in the community setting. Successful secondary prevention of cardiovascular events requires implementation of evidence-based guidelines by physicians, and adherence to pharmacotherapy and lifestyle modifications by patients. Primary care physicians are well placed to influence adherence through their ongoing relationships with patients and can save lives by implementing secondary risk reduction measures after discharge.
Demonstration of significant differences in the proliferative capacity of lymphocytes from normal human subjects

Abstract Lymphocytes were obtained from six normal human subjects on three to five occasions. Lymphocyte response to pokeweed mitogen (PWM), phytohemagglutinin (PHA), and a pool of allogeneic lymphocytes was measured by incorporation of [3H]thymidine in cultures established in flat- and round-bottom multiwell plates. Unstimulated and mitogen-stimulated thymidine incorporation were not correlated. Therefore, incremental counts rather than stimulation indices were used to express data. Individual lymphocyte responses were more reproducible in round-bottom well plates. Using these data, correlation was found between the responses to PWM and PHA. Neither of these responses was correlated with the mixed lymphocyte reaction. There were no significant differences in the responses of these subjects to allogeneic lymphocytes. This response may, therefore, allow clear distinction between normal and abnormal lymphocyte reactivity. Among these normal subjects significant differences were found in their responses to both PWM and PHA. The biological import of these differences is not known.
The application of an approximate non-linear filter to systems governed by coupled ordinary and partial differential equations

Abstract An approximate non-linear filter is applied to systems described by coupled ordinary and partial differential equations with both volume and boundary disturbances and measurement errors. Measurements are assumed to be carried out at u discrete number of spatial positions in the distributed portion of the system. The filter is applicable to cases in which the data are available continuously in time and at discrete sampling instants. Both versions of the filter are applied to an ingot heating problem of some interest in steel-making. The numerical results show that the filter is rapidly convergent and quite robust.
HIV integrase as a target for antiretroviral therapy.

Purpose of reviewIntegrase strand transfer inhibitors are the most recent class of antiretroviral agents to be introduced into clinical practice. This review describes the discovery of the first inhibitors and insights into their distinct mechanism of action with potential translational implications
Culture, History, and Grass‐Roots Politics in a Northern Cameroons Kingdom

PREDICTIONS of the results of two plebiscites which took place in Northern Cameroons in 1959 and 1961 were almost wholly wrong, and postballoting analyses proved equally erroneous. They failed because relevant cultural data were not considered. Political events take place in a cultural and historical matrix, and if this fact is ignored, prediction or even general understanding of political developments is impossible. This paper attempts to relate such political episodes to their matrix in an important kingdom of the area. Though many of the details of analysis are peculiar to this particular kingdom, the dominant currents of history and culture in much of Northern Cameroons are similar enough that this example possibly affords broader understanding of contemporary political development in that area.
Dead-end trap cropping: a technique to improve management of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae)

Abstract Use of non-glossy collards as a trap crop for control of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.), in commercial fields of cabbage in New York was unsuccessful because it neither reduced the number of larvae on cabbage nor concentrated the insects on collards. In laboratory and outdoor screenhouse experiments, P. xylostella preferentially laid its eggs on the glossy-type Barbarea vulgaris , a common biennial weed, when compared with broccoli and cabbage. Ovipositional preference in the screenhouse trials varied from 24 to 66 fold for B. vulgaris . However, no larvae were able to develop on B. vulgaris . More importantly, cabbage plants in screenhouses with B. vulgaris had fewer eggs laid on them than cabbage plants in screenhouses without B. vulgaris . We therefore suggest that B. vulgaris , or another plant species that is highly attractive for egg laying, but on which P. xylostella larvae do not survive, may serve as a ‘dead-end’ trap crop and be more successful than trap crop types that may only have increased oviposition. However, candidate dead-end trap crops must also be evaluated for their effects on other insects, diseases and weed management before such plants can be recommended in an overall pest management program.
Welfare Implications of Equilibrium Supply and Demand Curves in an Open Economy

Line integral theory is used to prove that in a closed economy the net domestic social welfare effects of a market distortion can be captured in the distorted market alone by using equilibrium supply and demand curves. Considerable confusion exists in the applied literature about the proper application of this proposition. It is shown that the proposition does not generally hold for open economies. It is shown that in general neither geometric areas behind equilibrium supply curves nor geometric areas behind equilibrium demand curves have any welfare significance.
Teratomas in children and young adults

A review of all teratomas seen at the University of Wisconsin Hospital between 1965 and 1977 revealed that sacrococcygeal and presacral teratomas were most common. In these cases survival was best in infants less than one year old, with the exception of two cases of malignant medulloepithelioma. Testicular teratomas were predominant in the young adult male, and survival was poor. Pathology and treatment of teratomas are discussed, with an accompanying discussion of congenital anomalies associated with teratomas.
Pressure distribution and vortical structure in the wake behind gas bubbles in liquid and liquid-solid systems

Abstract An important characteristic of large bubbles rising in liquid columns and liquid-solid fluidized beds is the near wake. Unsteady wakes are typified by the stable liquid layer, and the cyclic sequence of formation, growth and shedding of vortices near the bubble base. The pressure distribution in the near wake is a critical variable which determines the fluid motion, solids concentration and size of the wake, and is closely related to the wake structure. The static pressure traces in the near wake are examined with varying vertical distance from the bubble nose and lateral distance from the bubble axis of symmetry. Single bubbles are injected into a two-dimensional liquid column and a liquid-solid fluidized bed, and static pressure is measured by means of a transducer mounted on the column wall and interfaced with a high-speed computer data acquisition system. The bubble-wake is visualized using a video camera system synchronized with the data acquisition system. The geometry of the primary wake is shown to be uniquely characterized by the pressure trace, and a one-to-one correspondence between the pressure distribution and vortical structure is established. The effects of particle size and solids holdup are investigated, and compared with stationary water. Pressures vs time traces are normalized as modified pressure coefficient vs dimensionless time. These traces exhibit similar trends in stationary water and in a liquid-solid fluidized bed. However, results show that the presence of solids affects the quantitative nature of the pressure distribution in the near wake behind the bubble.
Asymptotic constitutive approximations for rapid deformations of viscoelastic materials.

Asymptotic constitutive approximations for the rapid finite deformation of general viscoelastic materials are developed. The zero-order approximation is an elastic-type constitutive equation, although different from the elastic equation for the slow-deformation approximation. The higher-order terms are multiple integrals of the departure of the deformation history from the step-function history. The approximations are shown to be form-invariant to change of deformation measure. The approximations are specialized to isotropic solids and to fluids. As observed byMetzner, White andDenn [3] andPipkin [4], fluids undergoing rapid deformations exhibit a solid-like behavior.
Radiographic evaluation of lateral orbital rim

Abstract In taking facial radiographs for evaluation of middle face injuries, the use of a modified Rhese view enables the clinician to arrive at a more accurate diagnosis and a more rational surgical approach. This projection gives a very accurate picture of the separation, if any, of the lateral orbital margin and shows the condition of the posterolateral wall of the orbit.
Intensive insulin therapy in the ICU: Is it now time to jump off the bandwagon?

Following the publication of the Leuven Intensive Insulin Therapy (IIT) study in 2001, tight glycemic control has become regarded as the standard of care in intensive care units throughout the world. The Leuven IIT study, was however, an unblinded, single center study with unique patient and institutional characteristics that may not extrapolate to practice elsewhere in the world. Indeed, recent randomized controlled studies have been unable to demonstrate any benefit from tight glucemic control. We suggest that the widespread adoption of tight glycemic control be abandoned at this time.
Experimental Micrometeorology in an Era of Turbulence Simulation

Micrometeorologists have traditionally used the framework of the ensemble mean, fluctuating decomposition in studying turbulence spectra, Reynolds-flux budgets, surface-exchange relations, and the universal functions of Monin-Obukhov similarity within the “constant-flux” layer. More recently, the growth in supercomputers and computational fluid dynamics has stimulated micrometeorological applications of large-eddy simulation (LES). LES uses a different framework, one based on the resolvable, subgrid-scale decomposition. This framework shift seems to have weakened the vital and historically strong coupling between experimental and computational work in micrometeorology. A challenge for experimentalists today is to address problems posed in the language of the resolvable, subgrid-scale decomposition. We illustrate by discussing measurement strategies for resolvable-scale turbulence fields and for local surface-exchange coefficients.
The spatial distributions of odorant sensitivity and odorant‐induced currents in salamander olfactory receptor cells.

1. Suction electrode and whole-cell recording were used to record membrane currents from defined regions of solitary olfactory receptor cells from Ambystoma tigrinum. 2. Under whole-cell current clamp, stimulation of cells with odorants activated an inward current in the cilia, an outward current in the soma, and induced a membrane depolarization. Clamping the membrane potential at its resting value of -70 mV increased the inward ciliary current 5- to 10-fold and abolished the outward somatic current. 3. Local odorant stimulation was accomplished by ejecting an odorant solution into a steady flow of Ringer solution. A suction electrode was used to immobilize a cell in the flow and to record the odorant-induced somatic current. The amplitude of the odorant response increased approximately linearly with the length of cilia exposed to the stimulus, but was independent of the length of dendrite exposed to the stimulus, indicating that odorant sensitivity is predominantly localized to the cilia. 4. The latencies of responses recorded under flow did not vary with the region of the cilia which was exposed to the stimulus. Also, the magnitude of the inward ciliary current activated by odorants was equal to that of the whole-cell current recorded under voltage clamp. These observations indicate that the odorant-induced inward current is predominantly localized to the ciliary membrane. 5. Under whole-cell current clamp, local application of a high-K+ solution generated an outward somatic current when applied to the dendrite, but had no effect when applied to the cilia. This indicates that the density of the resting K+ conductance is lower in the ciliary membrane than in the dendritic membrane. 6. The results above are consistent with the hypothesis that all components of the transduction mechanism are uniformly distributed within the cilia, and that the cilia are electrotonically compact, even during an odorant-induced conductance increase.