cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lithium treatment decreases blood pressure in genetically hypertensive rats

Chronic lithium treatment was examined for effects on the blood pressure of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). Treated rats were allowed continuous access to a pelleted lithium diet (1.7 g LiCl (40 mmol)/kg diet) for 21 days. Control SHRs were fed a similar diet lacking the lithium. Two groups of control rats were examined. One group had continuous access to control diet (ad lib controls); a second group was pair-fed a daily ration of control diet such that their mean body weight remained similar to the lithium treated group (pair-fed controls). Heart rate, systolic, diastolic and mean arterial blood pressures were recorded on day 21 from freely moving conscious rats. Systolic, diastolic and mean arterial blood pressure was significantly lower (approximately 15 mmHg) in the lithium treated SHRs as compared to either control group; the pair-fed and ad lib controls had similar blood pressures at the end of the treatment periods. Heart rate was increased in the lithium treated animals. All rats gained weight during the 21 days of treatment, although the lithium treated group and the pair-fed control group did not gain weight as much or as rapidly as the control group that had continuous access to control diet. Plasma and brain lithium levels were in the moderate range (0.3--0.4 meq/l) and all rats appeared healthy at the end of the experiment. These results suggest that chronic treatment may have clinically relevant effects on blood pressure.
Involvement of scientists in the NASA Office of Space Science education and public outreach program

Since the mid-1990's NASA's Office of Space Science (OSS) has embarked on an astronomy and space science education and public outreach (E/PO) program. Its goals are to share the excitement of space science discoveries with the public, and to enhance the quality of science, mathematics and technology education, particularly at the precollege level. A key feature of the OSS program is the direct involvement of space scientists. The majority of the funding for E/PO is allocated to flight missions, which spend 1%-2% of their total budget on E/PO, and to individual research grants. This paper presents an overview of the program's goals, objectives, philosophy, and infrastructure.
Crossover SAFT Equation of State: Application for Normal Alkanes

In this paper we develop a crossover modification of the statistical associating fluid theory (SAFT) equation of state for macromolecular chain fluids which incorporates the scaling laws asymptotically close to the critical point and is transformed into the original classical SAFT equation of state far away from the critical point. A comparison is made with experimental data for pure methane, ethane, n-hexane, n-decane, and n-eicosane in the one- and two-phase regions. We also present comparisons with experimental single-phase data for n-triacontane and n-tetracontane. We show that, over a wide range of states, the crossover SAFT model yields a much better representation of the thermodynamic properties of pure fluids than the original SAFT equation of state. The crossover SAFT equation of state reproduces the saturated pressure data in the entire temperature range from the triple point to the critical temperature with an average absolute deviation (AAD) of about 3.8%, the saturated liquid densities with a...
Dielectric spectroscopy of molecular interactions based on the avidin-biotin complex

Dielectric spectroscopy is used to probe the electrical properties of biomolecules dissolved in liquids. A 40 μl cell is constructed out of acrylic with polished, stainless steel electrodes. Experiments are performed on avidin and biotin-labeled BSA, showing characteristics of aggregation. Experiments with avidin and biotin demonstrate shifts in dielectric relaxation of the avidin associated with changes in the dipole moment and size of the molecule due to biotin binding. These shifts are analyzed in the context of biomolecular changes. These experiments demonstrate the utility of impedance spectroscopy to detect changes due to small molecules binding to proteins.
Assessment of Cluster Overlaps to Improve Accuracy of Module Detection from PPI Networks

Recent computational techniques have facilitated analyzing genome-wide protein-protein interactions. Various graph-clustering algorithms have been applied to the protein interaction networks for identifying protein complexes and functional modules. Since each protein performs multiple functions, a clustering algorithm should be able to produce overlapping clusters. In this paper, we use the seed-refinement algorithm to generate a set of preliminary overlapping clusters. Next, for further refining the preliminary clusters, we carry out a systematic analysis of their overlaps by novel metrics: overlap coverage and overlapping consistency. We propose the cluster-merging algorithm to yield final clusters by parameterizing the metrics. In the test with the yeast protein-protein interaction network, we demonstrate the proposed approach improves accuracy on detecting protein complexes and functional modules by optimizing the parameter values.
Predictors of differences in the perception of antimicrobial resistance risk in the treatment of sick, at-risk, and high-risk feedlot cattle

Abstract Concerns exist that some uses of antimicrobials in cattle may lead to the emergence, proliferation, dissemination and persistence of resistant pathogenic bacteria in animal agriculture, which in turn can infect humans via the food supply. The degree of perceived risk varies with the clinical indication for which the antimicrobial in question is used. In this study, four uses of antimicrobials are considered, including in acutely sick, chronically sick, at-risk, and high-risk cattle, contrasting the degree of risk among these uses. Using a random sample of 103 feedlot cattle veterinarians and variables drawn from the theory of planned behavior, we predict differences in risk perception by clinical indication with differences in perceived efficacy of antimicrobials, social pressures to use antimicrobials, and moral obligations to use antimicrobials. In most models, veterinarians who perceived that others in the feedlot industry (i.e., other feedlot veterinarians, nutritionists, feedlot clients, and retained owners of cattle) were more likely to expect them to use antimicrobials in one situation versus another, the less likely those veterinarians perceived the risk of antimicrobial risk to be greater in the former versus the latter situation. Only two of these contrasts contained influences outside the immediate feedlot relationships. This exception involves the ‘downstream’ public: meat packers, retailers, and consumers. Veterinarians who believe that using antimicrobials for acutely sick cattle is more beneficial than using antimicrobials for chronically sick cattle were more likely to believe that antimicrobial resistance was a less probable outcome in acutely sick cattle than in chronically sick cattle.
Airflow, diffusion, and momentum flux patterns in a high mountain valley

Abstract A series or pairs of superpressured balloons, released in a high mountain valley of central Colorado, facilitated a statistical evaluation of circulation features and turbulence in relative Lagrangian coordinates. The results revealed a monotonic increase of diffusivity coefficients and momentum fluxes with height up to the level of surrounding peaks and ridges.
Solubilization of sarcoplasmic reticulum with Triton X-100.

The nonionic detergent Triton X-100 has been found to solubilize approximately 80% of the protein, and nearly all the phospholipid from sarcoplasmic reticulum membranes. The soluble fraction contains Ca 2+ dependent ATPase, but no basic ATPase activity. In comparative experiments, Triton X-100 causes much less enzyme denaturation than ionic detergents. Analytical ultracentrifugation and disc electrophoresis indicate that the Triton-solubilized material consists of particles having a a molecular weight of approximately 80,000 daltons. These particles have a strong tendency to aggregate into size isomers. The aggregation proceeds at a faster rate in the presence of MgCl 2 , and is temperature dependent with an optimum at 25°. When the solubilized fraction is centrifuged on a sucrose density gradient, [ 32 P]-labeled protein and phospholipid are separated, and ATPase activity is lost. If ATP is present in the density gradient during centrifugation, both ATPase inactivation and separation of protein from phospholipid are partially prevented. Gel electrophoresis of SR solubilized with sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) shows that approximately 60% of the membrane protein migrates in a band corresponding to a molecular weight of 90,000 daltons. This fraction is absent in residues of SR previously extracted with Triton. Minor components are also separated in the SDS gels.
Shoulder limited joint mobility in people with diabetes mellitus.

Abstract Background Limited joint mobility at the shoulder is an understudied problem in people with diabetes mellitus. The purpose of this study was to determine the differences in shoulder kinematics between a group with diabetes and those without diabetes. Methods Fifty-two participants were recruited, 26 with diabetes and 26 non-diabetes controls (matched for age, BMI and sex). Three-dimensional position of the trunk, scapula and humerus were collected using electromagnetic tracking sensors during scapular plane elevation and rotation movements. Findings Glenohumeral external rotation was reduced by 11.1°–16.3° (P Interpretation Shoulder limited joint mobility, in particular decreased external rotation, was seen in individuals with diabetes as compared to control participants. Future research should investigate causes of diabetic limited joint mobility and strategies to improve shoulder mobility and prevent additional detrimental changes in movement and function.
The Irony of Socrates

To specify the particular approach of this paper toward the subject of Socratic irony, it is necessary to begin with some terminological distinctions. The Greek noun 'eironeia' is standardly understood as deception or dissembling, but in its earliest recorded usage, namely, among Aristophanes' comedies and Plato's early dialogues, the latter of which will be the focus of this paper, 'eir6neia' and its cognates have a more precise sense. In discussing cunning intelligence among the Greeks, Marcel Detienne and Jean-Pierre Vernant cite the
Interaction-induced dipole and absorption spectra of collisional He-Ar pairs.

We compute the absorption coefficient in the far infrared of collisional He-Ar pairs for comparison with measurements at four temperatures (140, 165, 200, and 240 K) in mixtures of helium and argon. An accurate {ital ab} {ital initio} dipole surface and an advanced model of the He-Ar interaction potential are input. The comparison with the measured absorption spectra shows agreement, generally within the accuracy of the measurement of roughly 10{percent}. This fact suggests that this {ital ab} {ital initio} dipole surface of He-Ar pairs is probably as accurate as it was claimed to be ({plus_minus}3{endash}5{percent}) in the range where the optical interactions take place at the above temperatures. Three types of line profiles are considered: classical, quantal, and a {open_quote}{open_quote}symmetrized{close_quote}{close_quote} quantal profile, which has been believed to approximate the classical profile. Classical and symmetrized profiles diverge, however, with increasing frequency. This fact suggests that analyses of measured spectra based on symmetrized profiles should be reconsidered. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}
Image texture segmentation using a neural network

In this paper we use a neural network called the Lyapunov associative memory (LYAM) system to segment image texture into different categories or clusters. The LYAM system is constructed by a set of ordinary differential equations which are simulated on a digital computer. The clustering can be achieved by using a single tuning parameter in the simplest model. Pattern classes are represented by the stable equilibrium states of the system. Design of the system is based on synthesizing two local energy functions, namely, the learning and recall energy functions. Before the implementation of the segmentation process, a Gauss-Markov random field (GMRF) model is applied to the raw image. This application suitably reduces the image data and prepares the texture information for the neural network process. We give a simple image example illustrating the capability of the technique. The GMRF-generated features are also used for a clustering, based on the Euclidean distance.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Polyethylene Glycol Content of Osmotically Stressed Callus Cultures

Summary Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is often used as an osmoticum to induce water stress in plant tissues. Callus cultures of Pinus taeda L. and Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench were supported on Murashige and Skoog (MS) liquid medium amended with PEG for a 7- to 8-week period. During this culture period, callus PEG content was quantified by a spectrophotometric procedure using trichloroacetic acid. After 1 week, PEG absorption reached 35 % of the callus dry mass; callus PEG content remained in the 35 to 50 % range for the duration of the culture period. Compartmentation of PEG within calli was determined by measuring PEG efflux into MS medium over time, disrupting the plasmalemma using either elevated temperature (54°C) or freezing treatment, and measuring the residual PEG content of callus homogenates. Both elevated and freezing treatments accelerated PEG efflux from calli. The additional PEG released by freezing and elevated temperatures accounted for 2 to 11 % of the total callus PEG content; this was assumed to have been released from the symplast or the plasmalemma. The other 89 to 98 % of the total callus PEG was considered apoplastic.
Day-to-Day Variation of the Normal Orthogonal Electrocardiogram and Vectorcardiogram

Day-to-day variation of the corrected orthogonal electrocardiogram was investigated in 20 normal subjects. Ten recordings were made in each individual with chest electrode positions left unmarked first, after which 10 subjects underwent another series of 10 consecutive daily recordings with marked electrode locations. Mean and maximal day-to-day variations of durations and amplitudes of different deflections of scalar leads as well as variations of directions and magnitudes of several QRS and T spatial vectors have been studied using computer technics for measurement and analysis. Repeat variability in the unmarked recordings was relatively large. For example, the maximum (96%) variability in QRS spatial maximum and in R-wave amplitudes in leads X and Z were, respectively, 0.50, 0.61, and 0.35 mv. Marking of the chest did reduce variability of amplitude and angular measurements by approximately 25%, but even then a substantial variation from day-to-day remained. Relative changes in T-wave amplitude and di...
Chitosan–alginate 3D scaffolds as a mimic of the glioma tumor microenvironment

Despite recent advances in the understanding of its cell biology, glioma remains highly lethal. Development of effective therapies requires a cost-effective in vitro tumor model that more accurately resembles the in vivo tumor microenvironment as standard two-dimensional (2D) tissue culture conditions do so poorly. Here we report on the use of a three-dimensional (3D) chitosan-alginate (CA) scaffold to serve as an extracellular matrix that promotes the conversion of cultured cancer cells to a more malignant in vivo-like phenotype. Human U-87 MG and U-118 MG glioma cells and rat C6 glioma cells were chosen for the study. In vitro tumor cell proliferation and secretion of factors that promote tumor malignancy, including VEGF, MMP-2, fibronectin, and laminin, were assessed. The scaffolds pre-cultured with U-87 MG and C6 cells were then implanted into nude mice to evaluate tumor growth and blood vessel recruitment compared to the standard 2D cell culture and 3D Matrigel matrix xenograft controls. Our results indicate that while the behavior of C6 cells showed minimal differences due to their highly malignant and invasive nature, U-87 MG and U-118 MG cells exhibited notably higher malignancy when cultured in CA scaffolds. CA scaffolds provide a 3D microenvironment for glioma cells that is more representative of the in vivo tumor, thus can serve as a more effective platform for development and study of anticancer therapeutics. This unique CA scaffold platform may offer a valuable alternative strategy to the time-consuming and costly animal studies for a wide variety of experimental designs.
1571 ONTOGENY OF NAKATPASE ACTIVITY IN THE THICK ASCENDING LIMB OF HENLE AND OF THE URINARY CONCENTRATING CAPACITY IN RATS

1571 ONTOGENY OF NAKATPASE ACTIVITY IN THE THICK ASCENDING LIMB OF HENLE AND OF THE URINARY CONCENTRATING CAPACITY IN RATS
The melting points of binary mixtures of oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acids

1. The melting points of binary mixtures of oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acids have been reported.
Anharmonic gap modes in a perfect one-dimensional diatomic lattice for standard two-body nearest-neighbor potentials

Two-body potentials of the Toda, Born-Mayer, Lennard-Jones, and Morse type are used in a one-dimensional diatomic lattice to demonstrate both analytically and numerically that stable anharmonic gap modes are a general feature of these perfect lattices. Associated with each vibrational mode is a localized dc lattice expansion, which forms an integral part of this dynamical configuration.
Estimating Lizard Home Range: The Rose Model Revisited

Abstract In 1982, B. Rose pointed out that home-range area could easily be underestimated unless sufficient numbers of sightings were obtained for each individual, and recommended a population-specific test to determine the minimum sample size at which home-range area can be accurately measured. This recommendation has been generally ignored. We explore how sample size affects interpretation of space use data in male lava lizards, Microlophus albemarlensis, and male eastern collared lizards Crotaphytus collaris. Using the criteria established by Rose, the minimum sample sizes for collared lizards and lava lizards were 45 and 84 sightings, respectively. These are much larger samples than we anticipated and reinforce the need for empirical determination of minimum sample size. Our data suggest that lizard movement rate is a better predictor of minimum sample size than home-range area. Collared lizard home ranges were over 10 times larger than lava lizard home ranges, yet the higher movement rates of collare...
Impact of agricultural practice on regional climate in a coupled land surface mesoscale model

[1] The land surface has been shown to form strong feedbacks with climate due to linkages between atmospheric conditions and terrestrial ecosystem exchanges of energy, momentum, water, and trace gases. Although often ignored in modeling studies, land management itself may form significant feedbacks. Because crops are harvested earlier under drier conditions, regional air temperature, precipitation, and soil moisture, for example, affect harvest timing, particularly of rain-fed crops. This removal of vegetation alters the land surface characteristics and may, in turn, affect regional climate. We applied a coupled climate model (MM5) and land surface model (LSM1) to examine the effects of early and late winter wheat harvest on regional climate in the Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility in the Southern Great Plains, where winter wheat accounts for 20% of the land area. Within the harvested, winter wheat region, simulated 2 m air temperature was 1.3°C warmer in the early harvest scenario at midday averaged over the 2 weeks following harvest. Soils in the harvested area were drier and warmer in the top 10 cm and wetter in the 10–20 cm layer compared to those in the late harvest. Midday soils were 2.5°C warmer in the harvested area at midday averaged over the 2 weeks following harvest. Harvest also dramatically altered latent and sensible heat fluxes. Although differences between scenarios diminished once both scenarios were harvested, the short-term impacts of land management on climate were comparable to those from land cover change demonstrated in other studies.
Social, environmental and genetic factors in the ontogeny of phenotypic differentiation in a lizard with alternative male reproductive strategies

Adult male tree lizards, Urosaurus ornatus, practise alternative (territorial or sneaker/satellite) reproductive strategies that are correlated with differences in throat color and body size. In this study we raised tree lizards from hatching in the laboratory to examine the question of whether the phenotypic expression of secondary sex coloration and body size can be facultatively influenced by social or abiotic environmental factors. We compared males reared in the laboratory under different social and environmental conditions to males in the field and found no effect of different conditions on phenotypic differentiation (Figs. 2–4). Thus, phenotypic differences between morphs probably result largely from nonfacultative expression of different genotypes. This suggests that alternative male morphs practise a mixed evolutionary stable strategy (ESS) rather than one morph making the best of a bad situation. However, in the context of ESS theory it is difficult to explain our further result that the nonterritorial morph in this species grows faster and reaches a larger adult body size than the territorial morph (Fig. 5).
Complex Networks: Traffic Dynamics, Network Performance, and Network Structure

This paper explores traffic dynamics and performance of complex networks. Complex networks of various structures are studied. We use node betweenness centrality, network polarization, and average path length to capture the structural characteristics of a network. Network throughput, delay, and packet loss are used as network performance measures. We investigate how internal traffic, through put, delay, and packet loss change as a function of packet generation rate, network structure, queue type, and queuing discipline through simulation. Three network states are classified. Further, our work reveals that the parameters chosen to reflect network structure, including node betweenness centrality, network polarization, and average path length, play important roles in different states of the underlying networks.
Impact of double-blind reviewing on SIGMOD publication rates

Starting with the 2001 SIGMOD conference, the SIGMOD Chair, in consultation with the SIGMOD Advisory Committee, imposed a double blind rule on all future SIGMOD conferences. While there are many reasons why double-blind reviewing might be a good idea, the one most frequently cited is that it is fairer to more junior researchers. It is not, however, without its problems, including anecdotal reports of papers being rejected because their authors failed to cite their own papers as related work in order to not violate the anonymity rules and a complication of the job of the program chair who must interpret and enforce the double-blind rules. One very qualified individual turned down an offer to be PC chair of an upcoming SIGMOD conference because he did not want to have to deal with the headaches of double-blind reviewing.
Integrated non-III-nitride/III-nitride tandem solar cell

III-nitrides have recently been demonstrated as potential photovoltaic device material particularly in the high-energy portion of the solar spectrum [1–2]. The large lattice mismatch between InN and GaN however, makes it difficult to grow good quality high In-composition InGaN films for low bandgap subcells. The integration of III-N based solar cells, which have currently been demonstrated to work well above 2.0 eV, with mature IV and III–V based solar cell technologies, which work well at bandgaps ≤ 2.0 eV, has the potential to improve the efficiency of current multi-junction solar cells. In this paper, we present the first on-wafer integration of InGaN/GaN solar cells with non-III-nitride (GaAs) solar cells.
Tailored Response Test: A new approach for teaching in medical education

The Tailored Response Test (TRT) is an innovative approach for evaluating higher cognitive processes. This study was designed to assess its value as a learning device. Two Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) stations assessed formulation of a differential diagnosis of abdominal pain: a Patient station and a TRT station. The order of the two stations for each student was varied in a double-blind, crossover design. Students who had the TRT first scored significantly higher overall on the Patient station (mean = 42 + 6) compared with students who did not (mean = 38 + 8, p = 0.001 level), and were able to generate a broader differential diagnosis. These results suggest that the TRT, which involves active cognitive processing, had a positive effect on learning. This study supports its use as both an evaluation and a learning tool. Further studies are needed to determine the mechanisms in the TRT which produce this effect.
An Open-Ended, Inquiry-Based Approach to Environmental Microbiology

An undergraduate environmental microbiology course was used to examine the hypothesis that students could best grow as biologists, inform career decisions, and experience the scientific process by engaging in a collaborative, research-based laboratory format. Students learned how to use scientific literature to formulate relevant questions and hypotheses and develop detailed experimental research proposals. They collected, analyzed, interpreted, and presented original scientific data in the form of a research-poster conference. Course objectives were measured using two Likert-style surveys, and the resulting data supported the original hypothesis of this work.
Multiple Kernel Discriminant Analysis and Decision Fusion for Robust Sub-Pixel Hyperspectral Target Recognition

Hyperspectral image based automatic target recognition (ATR) systems often project the high dimensional hyperspectral reflectance signatures onto a lower dimensional subspace using techniques such as principal components analysis (PCA), Fisher's linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and stepwise LDA. In a general classification framework, these projections are sub-optimal, and in the absence of sufficient training data, are likely to be ill conditioned. In recent work, the authors proposed a divide and conquer approach that partitions the hyperspectral space into contiguous subspaces followed by multi-classifiers and decision fusion. Although this technique alleviated the small sample size problem and provided a good recognition performance in light and moderate pixel mixing, the performance significantly decreased under severe mixing conditions, as does with conventional ATR techniques. In this work, the authors propose a kernel discriminant analysis based projection in each subspace of the partition, followed by the multi-classifier, decision fusion framework to ensure robust recognition even in severe pixel mixing conditions. The performance of the proposed system (as measured by overall target recognition accuracies) is greatly superior to conventional dimensionality reduction techniques, as well as the more recently proposed divide-and-conquer technique.
Pharmacodynamic Study Using FLT PET/CT in Patients with Renal Cell Cancer and Other Solid Malignancies Treated with Sunitinib Malate

Purpose: To characterize proliferative changes in tumors during the sunitinib malate exposure/withdrawal using 3′-deoxy-3′-[ 18 F]fluorothymidine (FLT) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) imaging. Patients and Methods: Patients with advanced solid malignancies and no prior anti-VEGF exposure were enrolled. All patients had metastatic lesions amenable to FLT PET/CT imaging. Sunitinib was initiated at the standard dose of 50 mg p.o. daily either on a 4/2 or 2/1 schedule. FLT PET/CT scans were obtained at baseline, during sunitinib exposure, and after sunitinib withdrawal within cycle #1 of therapy. VEGF levels and sunitinib pharmacokinetic (PK) data were assessed at the same time points. Results: Sixteen patients (8 patients on 4/2 schedule and 8 patients on 2/1 schedule) completed all three planned FLT PET/CT scans and were evaluable for pharmacodynamic imaging evaluation. During sunitinib withdrawal (change from scans 2 to 3), median FLT PET standardized uptake value (SUV mean ) increased +15% (range: −14% to 277%; P = 0.047) for the 4/2 schedule and +19% (range: −5.3% to 200%; P = 0.047) for the 2/1 schedule. Sunitinib PK and VEGF ligand levels increased during sunitinib exposure and returned toward baseline during the treatment withdrawal. Conclusions: The increase of cellular proliferation during sunitinib withdrawal in patients with renal cell carcinoma and other solid malignancies is consistent with a VEGF receptor (VEGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) withdrawal flare. Univariate and multivariate analysis suggest that plasma VEGF is associated with this flare, with an exploratory analysis implying that patients who experience less clinical benefit have a larger withdrawal flare. This might suggest that patients with a robust compensatory response to VEGFR TKI therapy experience early “angiogenic escape.” Clin Cancer Res; 17(24); 7634–44. ©2011 AACR .
On Detecting Subtle Pathology via Tissue Clustering of Multi-parametric Data using Affinity Propagation

We propose a novel framework for tissue abnormality characterization in normal appearing brain tissue (NABT) that is progressively deteriorating, using affinity propagation applied to multi-parametric data created using a combination of magnetic resonance (MR) protocols. While traditional tissue segmentation and clustering can reveal clusters pertaining to healthy and diseased tissue easily, a complete characterization of the effect of pathology requires the study of heterogeneity of NABT. The problem is rendered challenging by the fact that there are no training samples available for such tissue and hence classification based techniques cannot be used and neither can traditional clustering techniques since the number of clusters are not known a priori. Our framework for the automated clustering of tissue types employs a combination of a) manifold learning, that determines the underlying non-linear structure and embeds it into a lower dimensional space and b) affinity propagation (AP), which is a novel clustering technique that combines model- and similarity- based clustering, to automatically obtain exemplar-based clustering. We also define a novel probabilistic clustering technique. The number of clusters associated with a tissue type is indicative of its heterogeneity. By computing the overlap of these clusters in each of the MR protocols, we obtain a measure of the degree of abnormality in a tissue type and the protocol most sensitive in providing that classification. This general framework is applied towards the characterization of NABT in patients with multiple sclerosis. Results demonstrate a greater heterogeneity in NABT surrounding the lesions along with a greater overlap between the NABT and lesion tissue.
Relativistic simulations of eccentric binary neutron star mergers: One-arm spiral instability and effects of neutron star spin

We perform general-relativistic hydrodynamical simulations of dynamical capture binary neutron star mergers, emphasizing the role played by the neutron star spin. Dynamical capture mergers may take place in globular clusters, as well as other dense stellar systems, where most neutron stars have large spins. We find significant variability in the merger outcome as a function of initial neutron star spin. For cases where the spin is aligned with the orbital angular momentum, the additional centrifugal support in the remnant hypermassive neutron star can prevent the prompt collapse to a black hole, while for antialigned cases the decreased total angular momentum can facilitate the collapse to a black hole. We show that even moderate spins can significantly increase the amount of ejected material, including the amount unbound with velocities greater than half the speed of light, leading to brighter electromagnetic signatures associated with kilonovae and interaction of the ejecta with the interstellar medium. Furthermore, we find that the initial neutron star spin can strongly affect the already rich phenomenology in the postmerger gravitational wave signatures that arise from the oscillation modes of the hypermassive neutron star. In several of our simulations, the resulting hypermassive neutron star develops the one-arm ($m=1$) spiral instability, the most pronounced cases being those with small but non-negligible neutron star spins. For long-lived hypermassive neutron stars, the presence of this instability leads to improved prospects for detecting these events through gravitational waves, and thus may give information about the neutron star equation of state.
Secular Trends in Helicobacter pylori Seroprevalence in Adults in the United States: Evidence for Sustained Race/Ethnic Disparities

Helicobacter pylori seroprevalence levels in US adults participating in the continuous National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999-2000) increased with age in all racial/ethnic groups, with significantly higher age-standardized levels in Mexican Americans (64.0%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 58.8, 69.2) and non-Hispanic blacks (52.0%, 95% CI: 48.3, 55.7) compared with non-Hispanic whites (21.2%, 95% CI: 19.1, 23.2). Although seroprevalence levels remained similar to those found in National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys from 1988 to 1991 among non-Hispanic blacks and Mexican Americans, they were significantly lower in non-Hispanic whites, especially at older ages. The factors driving the decline in H. pylori seroprevalence appear to be acting preferentially on the non-Hispanic white population.
Effect of testosterone propionate on losses incident to inadequate dietary intake.

IT is KNOWN that the ratio of potassium to nitrogen lost from the body during short periods of starvation with or without marked dehydration may exceed the ratio of potassium to nitrogen in normal muscle tissue (5, 6, 10, 12, 13, 16, 32). It has also been observed that the administration of testosterone to subjects receiving an adequate diet may at first lead to a ratio of potassium to nitrogen retained in the body greater than that which pertains in normal muscle tissue (28, 29). In such subjects the serum potassium may fall to extremely low levels (7, 28, 29). The administration of testosterone to an obese man during a period of submaintenance diet and weight loss resulted in a diminution in the urinary nitrogen output and an increase in the urinary excretion of organic acids (23). This observation suggests that testosterone diminishes the rate of utilization of protein or muscle tissue and necessitates an increase in the oxidation of fat to meet the energy requirements.
Presenting controversial issues in engineering education

The author shows how he introduced a controversial issue, namely that involving cancer and electromagnetic fields from power lines, into a graduate course on Simulation of Biomedical Systems. The students are presented arguments on both sides of the issue as to whether or not electromagnetic fields from power lines can cause cancer. As part of the option in writing their final report, they are told they can write on either side of the argument, as long as they present clear results substantiating their point of view. The students have found the course to be interesting and the introduction of some form of controversy into an engineering course novel. >
Mood, energy, cognition, and physical complaints: a mind/body approach to symptom management during the climacteric.

Recent studies suggest that energy and cognitive and physical complaints such as fatigue, disrupted sleep, concentration problems, and pain are more problematic than clinical depression during the climacteric and may contribute to depressed mood. Central nervous system pathways that mediate mood, cognition, and energy are influenced by fluctuations of circulating estrogen during perimenopause. Symptoms are also influenced by other factors, including psychosocial and environmental stresses and supports. Health care for women from perimenopause to postmenopause should include an accurate assessment of energy and cognitive, physical, and emotional symptoms. Multidisciplinary approaches that combine prevention, symptom management, and health promotion are most effective for women. A mind/ body program for perimenopause and menopause is presented as an example of a comprehensive treatment approach for assessment and management of perimenopause and menopause. This 10-week group program combined information, self-education, relaxation training, group support, lifestyle modification, and psychological coping skills.
FLIR Systems Today

FLIR systems have evolved since 1964 to the point that they represent a proven extension of man's sensory perception. Understanding of the technologies relevant to this sensory extension has also developed to an advanced point. For each generic application of thermal imaging there are peculiar tradeoffs relative to detectors, image formation, signal processing, and display. Civil aviation, law enforcement and resource management, among others, suggest applications of modern FLIR equipment. Improved performance and increased reliability have made feasible new applications of thermal imaging. Cost, however, remains to be reduced before any of these new systems will find wide acceptance. Techniques do exist to significantly reduce FLIR cost without sacrificing performance. All of this will be discussed and FLIR imagery will be shown to validate many points.© (1976) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Spectral encoding of ultrashort pulses

We are pursuing a project aimed at demonstrating the physical feasibility of a novel, highspeed communications network based on encoding and decoding of coherent ultrashort light pulses. In the envisioned ultrashort pulse code-division multiple-access (CDMA) system, a multiplicity of users are connected together via a common fiber optic communications medium; multiple-access is achieved by assigning different, minimally interfering code sequences to different subscriber pairs.
Abrasive Surface Deformation of Sapphire

The depth of slip and the size of deformation twins introduced into sapphire by abrasive grinding depend on surface orientation. Enhanced depths of slip minimize surface chipping and striations, and grinding can result in basal slip depths of 30 ..mu..m and twins 75 ..mu..m in size. Basal twins in nonbasal surfaces are largest for single-point diamond abrasion directions parallel to a (1100) basal twin shear direction, whereas optically detectable rhombohedral twins are produced only in 30 and 60/sup 0/ surfaces.
Multiflow: Multicast clean-slate with anticipated route calculation on OpenFlow programmable networks

Increasingly popular, Internet applications for multimedia broadcasting require multipoint communication, in order to reduce network traffic rates. However, the widespread adoption of traditional multicast protocols is still held back by the current Internet structure, where the responsibility for management of multicast groups is distributed among network devices. By using distributed algorithms, such protocols generate delays in processing control groups events. In this paper we propose a clean-slate approach for multimedia multicasting, where the end to end calculation of the best route is performed to decrease delays in group configuration. The prototype developed implements this approach using OpenFlow technology. Results obtained through experimentation show a performance gain in relation to traditional IP multicasting. Key words: Multicast, SDN, OpenFlow.
In vitro and in vivo functional analysis of human T cell lymphotropic virus type 1 pX open reading frames I and II.

Human T lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is a complex retrovirus containing regulatory and accessory genes encoded in four open reading frames (ORF I-IV) of the pX region. It is not clear what role pX ORFs I and II-encoded proteins have in the pathogenesis of the lymphoproliferative diseases associated with HTLV-1 infection. The conserved ORF I encodes for a hydrophobic 12-kDa protein, p12, (I) that contains four SH3 binding motifs (PXXP) that localizes to cellular endomembranes when overexpressed in cultured cells. Differential splicing of pX ORF II results in the production of two nuclear proteins, p13(II) and p30(II). p13(II) also localizes to mitochondria. p30(II) shares homology with the POU family of transcription factors. We have identified functional roles of pX ORF I and ORF II in establishment and maintenance of infection in a rabbit model. To functionally study p12(I) we have tested a proviral clone with selective ablation of ORF I (ACH.p12(I)) for its ability to infect quiescent peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Our data indicate that T cells infected with the wild-type clone of HTLV-1 (ACH) are more efficient than ACH.p12(I) in infecting quiescent PBMC. These findings parallel our animal model data and suggest a role for p12(I) in the activation of quiescent lymphocytes, a prerequisite for effective viral replication in vivo. To test the ability of p30(II) to function as a transcription factor we have constructed p30(II) as a Gal4-fusion protein. When transfected with Gal4-driven luciferase reporter genes, the p30(II)-Gal4-fusion protein induces transcriptional activity up to 50-fold in both 293 and HeLa-Tat cells. These systems will be useful to identify molecular mechanisms that explain the functional role of pX ORF I and ORF II-encoded proteins in HTLV-1 replication.
Non-classical planning for robotic applications

For my dissertation I am focusing on non-classical planning for robotic applications. Much classical planning research relies on assumptions that do not hold in real world robotics applications. In many cases the entire world state is not known in advance and the events that occur in the future can not be known with certainty. Robots operating in the real world also need to be responsive and react to dynamic obstacles and events.
Reduced order models for assessing CO2 impacts in shallow unconfined aquifers

Abstract Risk assessment studies of potential CO2 sequestration projects consider many factors, including the possibility of brine and/or CO2 leakage from the storage reservoir. Detailed multiphase reactive transport simulations have been developed to predict the impact of such leaks on shallow groundwater quality; however, these simulations are computationally expensive and thus difficult to directly embed in a probabilistic risk assessment analysis. Here we present a process for developing computationally fast reduced-order models which emulate key features of the more detailed reactive transport simulations. A large ensemble of simulations that take into account uncertainty in aquifer characteristics and CO2/brine leakage scenarios were performed. Twelve simulation outputs of interest were used to develop response surfaces (RSs) using a MARS (multivariate adaptive regression splines) algorithm ( Milborrow, 2015 ). A key part of this study is to compare different measures of ROM accuracy. We show that for some computed outputs, MARS performs very well in matching the simulation data. The capability of the RS to predict simulation outputs for parameter combinations not used in RS development was tested using cross-validation. Again, for some outputs, these results were quite good. For other outputs, however, the method performs relatively poorly. Performance was best for predicting the volume of depressed-pH-plumes, and was relatively poor for predicting organic and trace metal plume volumes. We believe several factors, including the non-linearity of the problem, complexity of the geochemistry, and granularity in the simulation results, contribute to this varied performance. The reduced order models were developed principally to be used in probabilistic performance analysis where a large range of scenarios are considered and ensemble performance is calculated. We demonstrate that they effectively predict the ensemble behavior. However, the performance of the RSs is much less accurate when used to predict time-varying outputs from a single simulation. If an analysis requires only a small number of scenarios to be investigated, computationally expensive physics-based simulations would likely provide more reliable results. If the aggregate behavior of a large number of realizations is the focus, as will be the case in probabilistic quantitative risk assessment, the methodology presented here is relatively robust.
An Inquiry into the Origins of 'The Wealth of Nations': Exploring a Myth Concerning the Relationship between Adam Smith and Scripture

There is a subset of literature that asserts that the title of Adam Smith’s famous work, The Wealth of Nations, is an allusion to passages from the Bible, such as Isaiah 60:5, which reads, “Then you shall see and be radiant;/your heart shall thrill and exult,/because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you,/the wealth of the nations shall come to you.” An implication of this claim is that Smith viewed his work as helping to usher in an eschatological period of peace and prosperity. Strong forms of the claim of this relationship between Smith and Scripture argue for a direct reliance of the former upon the latter. Weaker forms of the claim merely raise the possibility of the relationship or point more broadly to the significance and relevance of scriptural passages. This paper will examine these claims against the historical context of Smith and his work, raising serious doubts about the possibility that Smith could have intended a direct biblical allusion in the title of his magnum opus. The relationship between “the wealth of nations,” Adam Smith, and English translations of the Bible shows that Smith did not, in fact, allude to the passages in Isaiah and that the rise of political economy itself was part of the background for the appearance of the phrase in English bibles.
New Diver-Operated Bedload Sampler

A scuba-diver-operated sampler allows accurate measurement of bedload discharge. The new device is a portable pit-type sampler, which is pushed into the streambed by a diver. The sampler satisfies the essential requirement of stability in operation, and because it rests below the bed surface, does not interfere with the flow. Sediment particles are deposited in the sampler as they are transported over the leading edge of the wedge-shaped cavity. The sampler opening is adjustable in size so that it will accept a wide range of particle grain sizes. In initial testing, the sampler performed well, compared to the dune-tracking (sonic depth-sounding) method of Richardson and others (1961). Because the art of scuba-diving has evolved to the point where diving is now an accepted method in scientific and technical investigations, and is routine procedure in many fields, use of the sampler is entirely practical.
Toxicity of nicotinic acid and some of its derivatives.

SummaryThe relative toxicity of subcutaneous injections of nicotinic acid, nicotinamide, coramine, pyridine and their respective methyl derivatives has been determined. Methylation decreases the toxicity of coramine and nicotinamide, increases the toxicity of pyridine and has little or no apparent influence on the toxicity of nicotinic acid. The toxicity of the non-methylated compounds appears to be due directly to the structure of the compounds rather than to the depletion of the body stores of methyl donors in the process of detoxication.