cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of chain architecture (branching) on the thermal and mechanical behavior of polystyrene thin films

The modulus and glass transition temperature (Tg) of ultrathin films of polystyrene (PS) with different branching architectures are examined via surface wrinkling and the discontinuity in the thermal expansion as determined from spectroscopic ellipsometry, respectively. Branching of the PS is systematically varied using multifunctional monomers to create comb, centipede, and star architectures with similar molecular masses. The bulk-like (thick film) Tg for these polymers is 103 ± 2 °C and independent of branching and all films thinner than 40 nm exhibit reductions in Tg. There are subtle differences between the architectures with reductions in Tg for linear (25 °C), centipede (40 °C), comb (9 °C), and 4 armed star (9 °C) PS for ≈ 5 nm films. Interestingly, the room temperature modulus of the thick films is dependent upon the chain architecture with the star and comb polymers being the most compliant (≈2 GPa) whereas the centipede PS is most rigid (≈4 GPa). The comb PS exhibits no thickness dependence in moduli, whereas all other PS architectures examined show a decrease in modulus as the film thickness is decreased below ∼40 nm. We hypothesize that the chain conformation leads to the apparent susceptibility of the polymer to reductions in moduli in thin films. These results provide insight into potential origins for thickness dependent properties of polymer thin films. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2012
3-O-Deacylation of Lipid A by PagL, a PhoP/PhoQ-regulated Deacylase of Salmonella typhimurium, Modulates Signaling through Toll-like Receptor 4

Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-mediated responses, which are induced by the lipid A portion of lipopolysaccharide, are important for host defense against Salmonellae infection. A variety of different data indicate that the acylation state of lipid A can alter TLR4-mediated responses. The S. typhimurium virulence gene product PhoP/PhoQ signals the presence of host microenvironments to regulate the expression of a lipid A 3-O-deacylase, PagL, and a lipid A palmitoyltransferase, PagP. We now demonstrate that 3-O-deacylation and palmitoylation of lipid A decreases its ability to induce TLR4-mediated signaling. Deacylated lipid A, deacylated and palmitoylated lipid A, palmitoylated lipid A, and unmodified lipid A species were purified from Escherichia coli heterologously expressing PagL and/or PagP. The purified lipid A preparations showed spectra of a single lipid A species on mass spectrometry and gave a single band on thin layer chromatography. The activity of purified lipid A species was examined using human and mouse cell lines that express recombinant human TLR4. Compared with unmodified lipid A, the modified lipid A species are 30–100-fold less active in the ability to induce NF-κB-dependent reporter activation. These results suggest that the lipid A modifications reduce TLR4-signaling as part of Salmonellae adaptation to host environments.
Yield strength of low-density polyethylene-polypropylene blends

Polymer waste recycling is becoming a major problem, because huge amounts of synthetic polymers are manufactured every year for many different purposes. Polymer scraps are gathered from the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW). Within those wastes there are several different polyolefins—such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene—all incompatible with each other. In order to recycle these polymers, compatibilization of these polyolefins is needed to avoid high sorting costs and unacceptably low market-value products. In this work, the compatibilization of low-density polyethylene with polypropylene is accomplished through the addition of maleated polyethylene and maleated polypropylene. Prediction of the tensile properties of these blends is attempted, using a model based on continuity of phases in a two-components mixture of thermoplastics. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 63: 275–281, 1997
Heritability estimates for the visual evoked response

Abstract Cortical response patterns evoked by a light stimulus were studied for identical and fraternal twins and for age and sex-matched control subjects. The evoked potential (VER) responses were analyzed with a dual-channel on-line active band-pass filter system which separated the raw VER into the three common EEG frequency bands. The signals were next fed to the four input channels of a computer of average transients, CAT 1000. For each subject four X-Y plots representing the raw VER and the three major VER components were obtained. The visual evoked response determined from subdermal scalp electrodes is a stable and reliable physical measurement. Using only standard laboratory techniques the first 250 ms of the pattern after the stimulus is almost perfectly reliable for periods as long as 17 weeks. The hereditary nature of the visual evoked response is shown by the high degree of similarity of response patterns for identical twins and by the predictable decrease in similarity for fraternal twins and for unrelated control subjects. The concordance of the visual evoked response intra-class correlations for Mz and Dz twins with those of well established polygenetic, biometric and psychometric human characteristics is remarkable.
Distributional Monte Carlo Solution Technique for Rarefied Gasdynamics

Nomenclature c = molecular velocity vector ci = molecular velocity vector of simulated particle, i F = molecular speed distribution function f = velocity distribution function f = approximate velocity distribution function fM = local Maxwellian distribution function f1, f2 = velocity distribution functions of particle pair undergoing collision interaction gij = relative speed of particle pair, i; j h = kernel bandwidth K = kernel function M2 = second moment of velocity distribution function N = total number of particles Np = number of simulated particles Pi = collision probability of particle, i Qi = change to distribution function due to intermolecular collisions during t t = temporal variable u = mean molecular velocity = collision rate W = statistical particle weight zn = normalized moments of Bobylev distribution function 1, 2 = parameters in local Maxwellian distribution function t = time step = Dirac delta function = relaxation parameter in Bobylev solution = temporal parameter in Bobylev solution = test function
Ka-band reflectarray for interferometric SAR altimeter

This paper describes a large dual-beam, dual polarized Ka-Band reflectarray antenna prototype which was developed to demonstrate that key requirements of a space borne interferometric radar altimeter are achievable. The antenna consists of a 2.5 × 0.26 m aperture comprised of a rectangular grid of square patch printed circuit elements. The 2.6 m focal length offset-fed reflector is illuminated by a waveguide slot array feed focused in the nearfield. Measured results show good agreement with gain and radiation pattern predictions and demonstrates >50% aperture efficiency.
Effects of Subtle Mid-Frequency Auditory Dysfunction upon Speech Discrimination in Noise

Earlier studies have indicated mid-frequency auditory dysfunction and depressed ability to discriminate speech in noise among noise-exposed listeners with high-frequency hearing loss. The present study was designed to determine whether mid-frequency dysfunction contributed to the depressed speech discrimination performance. Normal listeners, and noise-exposed and older listeners with high-frequency hearing loss listened to word lists presented in competing 'cocktail party' noise under unfiltered and low-pass filter conditions. In the low-pass filter condition the performance of the noise-exposed listeners was superior to that of the normal listeners, indicating that mid-frequency auditory dysfunction on the part of noise-exposed listeners does not contribute to their difficulties discriminating unfiltered speech in noise. The performance of the older listeners was below that of the two other groups in both filtered and unfiltered conditions, indicating greater difficulty discriminating speech than would b...
Biobehavioral risk factors in children of schizophrenic parents

Research on risk factors for schizophrenia is reviewed with emphasis on children of schizophrenic parents. As children of schizophrenic parents are not representative of the majority of individuals who become schizophrenic, examination of variables such as those relating to home environment or parental characteristics in these children is not expected to contribute greatly to an understanding of risk for schizophrenia or to the search for early indicators of a genetic liability, whereas study of selected biobehavioral variables may do so. Four areas of biobehavioral functioning that have been examined in high-risk research are discussed. Three of these are considered to be compatible with the hypothesis of a neurointegrative defect underlying schizophrenia-proneness and to be promising for further research.
Late G1 amino acid restriction point in human dermal fibroblasts.

Human dermal fibroblasts arrested in G0 by maintenance in medium supplemented with 0.1% serum were not restimulated to divide when fresh medium containing 10% dialyzed serum but lacking group B amino acids (cystine, isoleucine, lysine, phenylalanine and tyrosine) was added. Unlike rodent cells, the addition of fresh serum-supplemented medium lacking only isoleucine did not cause a growth arrest. The amino acid sensitive growth arrest in human fibroblasts was dependent both on presynchronization in G0 as well as a prestarvation for amino acids prior to stimulation with high serum. When cells were restimulated in the absnece of amino acids, they arrested predominantly in G1, although a small percentage of cells entered early S phase. When medium containing a complete complement of amino acids was then added, cells initiated DNA synthesis following a minimum lag of 2–3 hr. Growth arrested cells initiated DNA synthesis even when complete unsupplemented medium was added, although the addition of high concentrations of insulin or 10% serum increased the rate of entry.
Abstract 4121: Folate pathway in malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM): Novel therapeutic opportunities due to folate receptor alpha overexpression

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Background. The folate pathway is active in several cancers including malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). Membrane receptors folate receptor alpha (FRα), reduced folate carrier 1 (RFC1), proton coupled folate transporter (PCFT) and the enzyme thymidylate synthase (TS) regulate intra-cellular uptake of folate molecules and antifolate drugs. Due to the documented overexpression of folate markers in MPM they arise as potential targets for novel specific therapies with humanized monoclonal anti-FRα antibody and also to antifolate chemotherapy with pemetrexed. Material and Methods. We studied 79 surgically resected MPM (43 epithelioid, 28 biphasic and 13 sarcomatoid histology types). Protein expression of FRα, RFC1, PCFT and TS was examined by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in FFPE tissues placed in tissue microarray platform and results correlated to clinical-pathologic characteristics. Gene expression and DNA copy number changes of the FRα gene (FOLR1) were examined in 53 mesothelioma tumors using Affymetrix U133 Plus 2.0 microarray's and Illumina HumanOmni1-Quad v1.0 chips, respectively. The expression microarray data was analyzed in the GeneSpring GX 11 software (Agilent technologies Inc.) while DNA copy number changes were detected using the Nexus 5.0 software (BioDiscovery Inc.). Results. MPM frequently showed protein over-expression of FRα, RFC1 and PCFT. Nuclear TS expression positively correlated (P 0) had a lower hazard ratio than those who did not (HR=0.309; 95%CI 0.159, 0.601; P=0.0005). Patients with any level (score >0) of cytoplasmic PCFT had lower hazard ratio than those with absence of the marker (HR=0.539; 95%CI 0.306, 0.952; P=0.0332). Our gene expression data analysis on 53 mesothelioma tumors showed greater than 2-fold increase in the FOLR1 and 3-fold increase in the TYMS messenger RNA levels compared to paired normal tissue. Additionally, at least 7 of these tumors show increased gene copy number at the FOLR1 locus (Ch11q 13.4). Conclusions. Folate membrane transporters (FRα, RFC1, PCFT) and the enzyme TS are frequently over expressed in MPM tumor tissues, and PCFT and TS are associated with tumors’ clinico-pathological features. The high level of expression of FRα in MPM supports the rational use of potential utilization of humanized monoclonal anti-FRα antibody and also standard antifolate chemotherapy in this disease. Supported by grant US DoD W81XWH-07-1-0306, ASCO CDA. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4121. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-4121
The Determination of Retainable Phosphorus, Relative Biological Availability, and Relative Biological Value of Phosphorus Sources for Broilers

A 10- to 21-d chick bioassay was conducted to determine the absolute retention value (ARV) for 2 different defluorinated phosphates (DF-1 and DF-2) and a reagent grade dicalcium phosphate (DCP). The total and test P in excreta regressed on feed P levels were subjected to general straight-line (linear), 1-slope broken-line, 2-slope broken-line, and polynomial regression methods to find the best analysis model. The relative biological availability (RBA) and relative biological value (RBV) for P from the 2 different defluorinated phosphates (DF-1 and DF-2) were obtained by the slope ratio method using 3 different bone measurements (% tibia ash, tibia breaking force, tibia weight) and RBV calculated using percentage tibia ash, weight gain, and feed/gain. The DCP was used as reference standard for RBA and RBV. The ARV measured at the breakpoints for test P by 2-slope analysis were determined to be 82.99% for DCP, 76.34% for DF-1, and 70.30% for DF-2. The ARV of test P determined at 0.45% NPP was 62.41% for DCP, 63.58% for DF-1, and 59.25% for DF-2. The relationship of ARV and RBA were similar in that DCP was 6% higher in ARV at the breakpoint compared with DF-1 and the RBA of DF-1 was 71 and 91% from tibia weight and tibia breaking force, respectively, compared with the bone parameters from chicks fed DCP. The DF-1 phosphate had 3 and 7% higher ARV at the breakpoint and 0.45% NPP, respectively, compared with DF-2. The RBA of DF-2 was 59 and 80% from tibia weight and bone-breaking force. The ARV of phosphate sources were independent of an arbitrary reference. The ARV for P sources provide retainable P information for industry-based feed formulation that can reduce excess P in poultry waste. The excreta P data from broilers fed increasing levels of DCP indicates that the data are best described statistically with a 1-slope broken-line regression, 2-slope broken-line regression, or polynomial regression.
Nonoperative management of idiopathic adhesive capsulitis.

Adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder is a common disorder, yet literature on its natural history is limited. This study examined patient characteristics, treatment patterns, and response to treatment of the disease in a large series of patients with this condition. Charts of 234 patients treated at our institution for adhesive capsulitis were reviewed retrospectively. The end points for the study were defined as resolution of symptoms with nonoperative treatment or operative treatment. A total of 105 shoulders in 98 patients were identified with follow-up to end point. Of these, 89.5% resolved with nonoperative treatment, including 17 (89.5%) of 19 diabetic shoulders. The average age of patients who went on to surgery was 51 years, whereas the average age of patients treated nonoperatively was significantly higher at 56. No significant difference was found for success of nonoperative treatment versus operative treatment or patient gender. All patients received nonsteroidal antiinflammatory medications, 52.4% received physical therapy without cortisone injection, and 37.1% received therapy with at least 1 corticosteroid injection. Duration of treatment in successfully nonoperatively treated patients averaged 3.8 ± 3.6 months. Patients who required surgery were treated with an average of 12.4 ± 12.1 months of nonoperative treatment. Initial forward elevation averaged 118° ± 22° with average forward elevation at resolution of 164° ± 17°. External rotation improved from an average of 26° ± 16° pretreatment to 59° ± 18° posttreatment. With supervised treatment, most patients with adhesive capsulitis will experience resolution with nonoperative measures in a relatively short period. Only a small percentage of patients eventually require operative treatment.
5.4: Presentation session: Plenary speaker — Neuroscience informatics and making a difference: Identifying and closing the knowledge gaps discussion/forum: “Neuroinformatics: Building an integrative framework to study brain function, injury, and regeneration”

The analysis of human brain disease has profited enormously from systematic application of reductionist methods. But as we learn more about injury and disease susceptibility, we realize that final outcomes are due to complex interactions among systems that are essentially irreducible. How do we model and test such complexity and take into account the major roles played by genetic variation and environmental perturbations such as changes in diet, stress level, and exercise? We need experimental systems with tightly controlled genomes and environments, but with a level of genetic complexity that faithfully mirrors human population diversity. This is now possible using Genetic Reference Populations of mice and rats. These new resources promise to revolutionize our ability to deliver personalized and predictive health care to humans. In this talk I will review how Reference Populations are being used to study brain function, injury, aging, and regenerative potential.
Arterial plasma epinephrine concentrations and hemodynamic responses after dental injection of local anesthetic with epinephrine

Effects of dental injection of local anesthetic on arterial plasma epinephrine concentrations and cardiovascular function were assessed. High-risk patients receiving local anesthetic with epinephrine should be monitored carefully.
Reversal modes of exchange-spring magnets revealed by torque magnetometry

Torque magnetometry measurements and related micromagnetic simulations are reported for SmCo/Fe exchange-spring films with uniaxial in-plane easy axis of magnetization. Rotating an applied magnetic field in plane, away from the easy direction, gives rise to an irreversible jump in the torque curves at a critical angle. The jump is associated with a switch in chirality of the magnetization spiral structure that develops in the magnetically soft Fe layer, pinned at the interface with the hard SmCo layer. Two reversal modes of the chirality are identified, one at low fields due to an in-plane untwisting of the spiral, and the other at high fields, due to an out-of-plane fanning of the spiral.
Radiation dose limits and liver toxicities resulting from multiple yttrium-90 radioembolization treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Purpose To assess the relationship between cumulative hepatic lobar radiation dose and liver toxicities in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with multiple sessions of yttrium-90 radioembolization. Materials and Methods Forty-one patients with HCC (age range, 46–82 years) underwent radioembolization with 90 Y. Patients were classified according to the Okuda scoring system. All patients received single liver lobar treatments on two or more occasions according to standard clinical 90 Y embolization protocol. Cumulative radiation dose to each liver lobe was measured and patients were followed to assess liver toxicities. Statistical analysis was performed with the Student t test and Kaplan-Meier analysis. Results Patients with Okuda stage I disease received more treatments than those with Okuda stage II disease (mean, 2.65 vs 2.24; P P P P Conclusions Patients with HCC can tolerate high cumulative radiation doses with 90 Y therapy. Compared with patients with Okuda stage II disease, patients with Okuda stage I disease tolerate a higher cumulative radiation dose without liver toxicity, but liver toxicities increase with increasing cumulative radiation doses.
Automated software attack recovery using rollback and huddle

While research into building robust and survivable networks has steadily intensified in recent years, similar efforts at the application level and below have focused primarily on attack discovery, ignoring the larger issue of how to gracefully recover from an intrusion at that level. Our work attempts to bridge this inherent gap between theory and practice through the introduction of a new architectural technique, which we call rollback and huddle. Inspired by concepts made popular in the world of software debug, we propose the inclusion of extra on-chip hardware for the efficient storage and tracing of execution contexts. Upon the detection of some software protection violation, the application is restarted at the last known safe checkpoint (the rollback part). During this deterministic replay, an additional hw/sw module is then loaded that can increase the level of system monitoring, log more detailed information about any future attack source, and potentially institute a live patch of the vulnerable part of the software executable (the huddle part). Our experimental results show that this approach could have a practical impact on modern computing system architectures, by allowing for the inclusion of low-overhead software security features while at the same time incorporating an ability to gracefully recover from attack.
Structural studies of cell surface and secreted IgG in LPS-stimulated murine B cells

We have characterized the cell surface IgG of LPS-stimulated B lymphocytes by surface iodination and specific immunoprecipitation. IgG3 was found to be the predominant IgG subclass expressed on the B cell surface after 5 days of stimulation with LPS. In contrast, IgG2b, IgG3, and IgG1 subclasses are all secreted. Cell surface IgG exhibits detergent binding characteristics not shown by secreted IgG and the gamma chains of the three subclasses of surface IgG examined have the apparent mol. wt of 64 Kd, some 9,000 larger than the H chains of secreted IgG.
Anaesthesia for minimally invasive surgery in children.

Abstract There continues to be an increase in the applications of minimally invasive surgical techniques in infants and children. This increase includes their use for new surgical procedures as well as their application in younger patients including neonates. As with any new surgical procedure, specific modifications of the anaesthetic technique may be necessary. This chapter reviews (i) the pre-operative evaluation of infants and children scheduled for minimally invasive surgery; (2) techniques for pre-medication and anaesthetic induction; (3) intra-operative anaesthetic implications of laparoscopy, including the cardiorespiratory consequences of CO 2 pneumoperitoneum; (4) intra-operative anaesthetic implications of thoracoscopy, including techniques for one-lung ventilation (OLV); and (5) post-operative issues, including pain management and monitoring of cardiorespiratory function as they apply to the patient of paediatric age.
Circulatory Arrest and Low-Flow Cardiopulmonary Bypass Alter CREB Phosphorylation in Piglet Brain

Background The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of low-flow cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and deep hypothermic circulatory arrest followed by postbypass recovery on the phosphorylation state of transcription factor, cyclic adenosine 3′, 5′-monophosphate response element–binding protein (CREB), in the striatum of neonatal brain. Methods Neonatal piglets (1.4 to 2.5 kg) anesthetized with isoflurane and fentanyl were put on CPB. The animals were cooled to 18°C during a 20-minute period. The CPB circuit flow was then either reduced to 20 mL·kg −1 ·min −1 for 90 minutes (low-flow CPB) or turned off for 90 minutes (deep hypothermic circulatory arrest), following with a gradual increase in the flow and rewarming during a 30-minute period and a 2-hour recovery. At the end of the recovery period, the animals were rapidly euthanized, and the striata were removed and frozen for immunochemical analysis by Western blot technique using antibodies against phosphorylated and total CREB. The results are presented as mean ± standard deviation ( p Results Deep hypothermic circulatory arrest did not result in alteration in either the level of CREB or its degree of phosphorylation in the piglet striatum whereas after low-flow CPB, CREB phosphorylation was significantly increased ( p p Conclusions This study indicates that at 2 hours of recovery, low-flow CPB but not deep hypothermic circulatory arrest causes an increase in CREB phosphorylation and expression. Future studies will determine the degree to which the increase in CREB phosphorylation correlates with cell survival and neuronal injury after CPB.
The Zebrafish moonshine Gene Encodes Transcriptional Intermediary Factor 1γ, an Essential Regulator of Hematopoiesis

Hematopoiesis is precisely orchestrated by lineage-specific DNA-binding proteins that regulate transcription in concert with coactivators and corepressors. Mutations in the zebrafish moonshine (mon) gene specifically disrupt both embryonic and adult hematopoiesis, resulting in severe red blood cell aplasia. We report that mon encodes the zebrafish ortholog of mammalian transcriptional intermediary factor 1γ (TIF1γ) (or TRIM33), a member of the TIF1 family of coactivators and corepressors. During development, hematopoietic progenitor cells in mon mutants fail to express normal levels of hematopoietic transcription factors, including gata1, and undergo apoptosis. Three different mon mutant alleles each encode premature stop codons, and enforced expression of wild-type tif1γ mRNA rescues embryonic hematopoiesis in homozygous mon mutants. Surprisingly, a high level of zygotic tif1γ mRNA expression delineates ventral mesoderm during hematopoietic stem cell and progenitor formation prior to gata1 expression. Transplantation studies reveal that tif1γ functions in a cell-autonomous manner during the differentiation of erythroid precursors. Studies in murine erythroid cell lines demonstrate that Tif1γ protein is localized within novel nuclear foci, and expression decreases during erythroid cell maturation. Our results establish a major role for this transcriptional intermediary factor in the differentiation of hematopoietic cells in vertebrates.
Acknowledging One's Physical Disability in the Interview: Does “When” Make a Difference?

The current research investigates acknowledgments that physically disabled individuals make in an interview setting, and examines whether the timing of an acknowledgment makes a difference to the impressions that evaluators form. A total of 137 participants watched an interview of a disabled applicant who (a) made no acknowledgment about the disability; or who acknowledged the disability at the (b) beginning, (c) middle, or (d) end of a job interview. Applicants who did not acknowledge or who acknowledged at the end of the interview were perceived less favorably than were those who disclosed earlier in the interview. Furthermore, participants’ perceptions of the applicant’s psychological wellbeing mediated the effect of acknowledgment timing on hiring-related outcomes. Results are discussed in terms of self-presentational strategies that physically disabled individuals might adopt and the importance of establishing one’s psychological well-being early in the impression-formation process. Today’s workforce is changing dramatically (Hitt, 2000; Kate, 1998), with an increasing number of physically disabled individuals applying for jobs and attempting to gain entry into the workforce. Of the up to 53 to 54 million U.S. citizens who are disabled, approximately 80% report being unsuccessful at finding employment (Rubin, 1997). Disability-related stereotypes (assumptions that the disabled individual is unhappy, poorly adjusted, incapable, or overly dependent) are still prevalent (Colella, 1994; Heatherton, Kleck, Hebl, & Hull, 2000; Hebl & Kleck, 2000; Siller, 1986) and may provide one of the central reasons why physically disabled individuals continue to have trouble gaining opportunities and experiences in the workplace (Hernandez, Keys, Balcazar, & Drum, 1998). Although it is likely that such stereotypes affect the entire job cycle, they may be most restrictive in the initial stages (e.g., pre-employment interviews) in which stereotypes may influence whether or not disabled individuals are even allowed follow-up interviews and organizational entry (e.g., Allport, 1954; Erdley & D’Agostino, 1988). One strategy applicants with physical disabilities might adopt to increase their likelihood of being hired involves a straightforward acknowledgment of
Support vector machines with genetic fuzzy feature transformation for biomedical data classification

Abstract In this paper, we present a genetic fuzzy feature transformation method for support vector machines (SVMs) to do more accurate data classification. Given data are first transformed into a high feature space by a fuzzy system, and then SVMs are used to map data into a higher feature space and then construct the hyperplane to make a final decision. Genetic algorithms are used to optimize the fuzzy feature transformation so as to use the newly generated features to help SVMs do more accurate biomedical data classification under uncertainty. The experimental results show that the new genetic fuzzy SVMs have better generalization abilities than the traditional SVMs in terms of prediction accuracy.
Micromechanical Analysis of Composite Corrugated-Core Sandwich Panels for Integral Thermal Protection Systems

termsA44 andA55 werecalculatedusinganenergyapproach.Usingtheshear-deformableplatetheory,aclosed-form solution of the plate response was derived. The variation of plate stiffness and maximum plate deflection due to changing the web angle are discussed. The calculated results, which require significantly less computational effort and time, agree well with the three-dimensional finite element analysis. This study indicates that panels with rectangular webs resulted in a weak extensional, bending, and A55 stiffness and that the center plate deflection was minimum for a triangular corrugated core. The micromechanical analysis procedures developed in this study were used to determine the stresses in each component of the sandwich panel (face and web) due to a uniform pressure load.
Ideas on the March

Edmund Wilson opened his monumental work, To the Finland Station (1940), with a wonderful vignette of Michelet, in a hurried passion, reading Vico. Out of Michelet's confrontation with Vico, Wilson writes, "a whole new philosophical-artistic world was born" (6). The idea of a new world emerging, a world sanctioned by the romantic and scientific power of history, defines Wilson's "study in the writing and acting of history." All roads in his study lead to Lenin and the Russian Revolution. While Wilson was not a partisan of Lenin, and certainly not an apologist for the Soviet Union, he composed his work with a sense of history unfolding and breathing hard upon his neck. Louis Menand's The Metaphysical Club, a history of the rise of pragmatism in the post-Civil War US, is modeled upon Wilson's classic. The connection between Menand and Wilson's work is hardly fanciful. A reissue of To the Finland Station in 2003 features Menand's foreword, which can be read as a commentary on his own work, published over 50 years later. Menand appreciates Wilson's historical sweep, his willingness to take ideas seriously and to contextualize and link them to historical events. Nor does Wilson shy away from the great-men-in-history approach, peppered with leisurely forays into their personal histories. The key to Wilson's success, in Menand's analysis, was his willingness to combine fact and narration in an act of the imagination, to impose an order on his materials. While Wilson captured the passion of his subjects and their ideas, he managed to maintain a healthy skepticism. In both works, ideas are on the march, trampling through the vineyards where the grapes of history are stored. The qualities that Menand praises in Wilson he takes as the markers for his own work. The Metaphysical Club reads like a dream, with snappy vignettes of major thinkers, informed yet accessible synopses of ideas, and attention to historical events. The imperative behind the work is to trace the relationship between an emerging complex of ideas, born out of the rubble of the Civil War and an emerging industrial civilization. The benchmarks of this new medley of concepts, captured under the name of pragmatism, as
The Phagocytic Function of Sertoli Cells: A Morphological, Biochemical, and Endocrinological Study of Lysosomes and Acid Phosphatase Localization in the Rat Testis*

The lysosomal population of the seminiferous tubules of the rat was studied by conventional electron microscopy and electron microscopic histochemistry. Biochemical determinations of acid phosphatase were carried out in whole cell suspensions of seminiferous tubular cells or in different cell populations purified by sedimentation in albumin gradients. Lysosomes were rarely found in spermatogonia and primary spermatocytes. Young spermatids showed up to six lysosomes per section, and this number increased as spermatid maturation proceeded. Residual bodies had a very heterogeneous lysosomal content. Sertoli cells showed cyclical variations in their lysosomes. These were present in small numbers from stages I-IV of the cycle of the seminiferous epithelium and progressively increased to be numerous in Sertoli cells at stages VI-VIII. After spermiation, their rapidly decreased. Acid phosphatase contents were (nanomoles of nitrophenol formed per mg protein/min): whole cell suspension, 67.5 +/- 7.8; pachytene spermatocytes (72% purity), 76.5 +/- 10.6; round spermatids (73% purity), 95.0 +/- 2.8; residual bodies (88% purity), 96.0 +/- 14.2; and Sertoli cell-enriched fraction, 278.5 +/- 75.7. In a group of rats, endogenous LH and testosterone were lowered by administration of anti-LH antibodies. There was an intense degeneration of meiotic spermatocytes, which were phagocytized and digested by these immature testosterone-depleted Sertoli cells. It is concluded that lysosomes of the seminiferous epithelium show cyclical variations, with an increase toward the time of spermiation and a decrease after the residual bodies have been digested; the acid phosphatase and lysosomal contents of Sertoli cells are higher than those of germ cells, residual body disposal is probably initiated by autophagy and completed by Sertoli cell phagocytosis; and the phagocytic function of Sertoli cells is not hormone (testosterone) dependent.
Overexpression of 12/15-lipoxygenase, an ortholog of human 15-lipoxygenase-1, in the prostate tumors of TRAMP mice.

Changes in the expression and activity of lipidmetabolizing enzymes, including the linoleic acid (LA)-metabolizing enzyme 15-lipoxygenase-1 (15-LO-1), may play a role in the development and progression of human prostate carcinoma (PCa). We reported that human 15-LO-1 (designated as leukocyte type 12-LO or 12/15-LO in mouse) is expressed in human prostate and increased in PCa, particularly high-grade PCa. Genetically engineered mouse (GEM) models of PCa could facilitate the study of this gene and its regulation and function in PCa progression. In this study, we examine the protein expression and enzyme activity levels of 12/15-LO associated with PCa progression in the TRansgenic Adenocarcinoma of Mouse Prostate (TRAMP) model of PCa. This GEM model develops prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN), followed by invasive gland-forming PCa and invasive and metastatic less differentiated PCa, with neuroendocrine (NE) differentiation (NE Ca). In the wild-type and TRAMP prostates, the most prominent LA metabolite was 13-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid (13-HODE). Lesser amounts of 12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid and 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (HETE) were made from arachidonic acid (AA). In TRAMP prostates, 12/15-LO activity was increased compared to wild type at 20, 29, 39, and 49 weeks, as assessed by LA conversion to 13-HODE, and by AA conversion to 12/15-HETE, respectively. Immunostaining demonstrated that the increased capacity to generate 13-HODE was paralleled by an increase in neoplastic epithelial expression of 12/15-LO in PIN and invasive carcinomas. In conclusion, although there is a basal 12/15-LO activity in the wild-type mouse prostate, there is a marked increase in the expression of 12/15-LO with TRAMP PCa progression, paralleling our previously reported increased expression of the ortholog 15-LO-1 in high-grade human PCa. Thus, 12/15-LO and LA metabolism in the TRAMP model shares similarities to human PCa, and may allow to confirm a role for LA metabolism and other biologic functions of 15-LO-1 in human PCa. In addition, the TRAMP model will serve as a tool for testing the suitability of 12/15-LO—and ultimately human 15-LO—as a therapeutic target during PCa progression.
Frequency coding of particle motion by saccular afferents of a teleost fish

SUMMARY The saccule is known to play an important role in hearing in fishes. In this study we investigated spatial frequency selectivity of single saccular afferents in a teleost fish (the sleeper goby, Dormitator latifrons ) to acoustic particle motion at 50–400 Hz. Saccular afferents have similar distributions of best sensitivity (−90.0 to −54.8 dB re. 1 g, mean ± s.d.=−81.1±8.0 dB) and characteristic frequencies (≤50–400 Hz, median=80 Hz) along the longitudinal, side-to-side and dorsoventral axes of fish. They were lowpass, bandpass or broadly tuned to low frequencies with Q 50% at 15 dB above threshold in ranges from 0.28 to 3.30 (1.46±0.71), 0.18 to 2.54 (1.36±0.78), and 0.41 to 4.26 (2.25±0.1.12) along the three axes, showing slightly greater frequency tuning in the vertical axis than horizontal axes. At supra threshold we found tuning plasticity, i.e. best frequencies of saccular afferents shifted to high frequencies as stimulus level increased. Isolevel rate–frequency curves were asymmetrical with shallow slopes at the low-frequency edge and steep slopes at the high-frequency edge. Saccular afferents of the sleeper goby have similar capabilities of coding particle motion frequencies in the three orthogonal axes. Results from this and other studies suggest that (1) the saccule is the major hearing organ in this species, (2) the saccule of this species is capable of encoding sound frequencies in three dimensional space, and (3) saccular afferents in fishes without accessory auditory structures exhibit similar frequency selectivity in response to particle motion.
Counting times in the measurement of radioactivity.

Abstract The activity of a radioactive source is estimated in terms of the ratio of the number of recorded counts to the length of recording time, and the detection efficieH of the counter. If background radiation is appreciable, the count rate with the source in position must be corrected for the count rate due to background. The source and background are measured for either (a) a fixed length of time or (b) a fixed number of counts. Simple charts are presented which enable the investigator to determine the measuring time, or number of counts, required to control the precision of the corrected source count rate when (i) equal time is allocated to source and to background, (ii) equal number of counts are allocated to source and to background, and (iii) time is allocated optimally to the background and to K different sources.
On the utility of dark-field electron microscopy in the determination of the degree of deformation in chrysotile asbestos: An environmental research application

Abstract The degree of microcrystalline deformation in fibers of chrysotile asbestos may be distinguished using high resolution dark-field electron microscopy. This is demonstrated by comparing underformed chrysotile with Union Internationale Contre le Cancer (UICC) standard reference samples. The UICC samples are shown to be partially deformed as a result of milling in the mixing process. Samples of used and unused brake shoe lining dust were examined using this technique; it is shown that chrysotile asbestos in various stages of deformation—relatively undeformed to heavily deformed—survives in automobile brake drum dust. Such dark-field images can serve to identify the source of asbestos found in environmental pollution samples.
In vivo T cell activation induces the formation of CD209(+) PDL-2(+) dendritic cells.

Two critical functions of dendritic cells (DC) are to activate and functionally polarize T cells. Activated T cells can, in turn, influence DC maturation, although their effect on de novo DC development is poorly understood. Here we report that activation of T cells in mice, with either an anti-CD3 antibody or super antigen, drives the rapid formation of CD209+CD11b+CD11c+ MHC II+ DC from monocytic precursors (Mo-DC). GM-CSF is produced by T cells following activation, but surprisingly, it is not required for the formation of CD209+ Mo-DC. CD40L, however, is critical for the full induction of Mo-DC following T cell activation. T cell induced CD209+ Mo-DC are comparable to conventional CD209- DC in their ability to stimulate T cell proliferation. However, in contrast to conventional CD209- DC, CD209+ Mo-DC fail to effectively polarize T cells, as indicated by a paucity of T cell cytokine production. The inability of CD209+ Mo-DC to polarize T cells is partly explained by increased expression of PDL-2, since blockade of this molecule restores some polarizing capacity to the Mo-DC. These findings expand the range of signals capable of driving Mo-DC differentiation in vivo beyond exogenous microbial factors to include endogenous factors produced following T cell activation.
Psychology of the Scientist: LXXXI. Professional School and Traditional Program Graduates: Comparison on Measures of Achievement in Clinical Psychology

Clinical psychologists who graduated from traditional programs and those who graduated from professional schools were compared on both scientifically and professionally oriented criteria of achievement and recognition. Upon controlling for year of graduation from a doctoral program, the professional school graduates were less likely to be APA fellows, less likely to be on the editorial board of specified research oriented journals in clinical psychology, less likely to have diplomate status in the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP), less likely to have been president of state psychological associations, and less likely to have been APPIC internship directors.
Diversity biases in terrestrial mammalian assemblages and quantifying the differences between museum collections and published accounts: A case study from the Miocene of Nevada

Abstract Understanding diversity through time in the fossil record has primarily relied on the raw count of species within a given time interval, or species richness. These estimates are often derived from published fossil data, and standardized for sample size or geographic area. However, most methods that standardize richness by sample size are sensitive to changes in evenness, which introduces a potential problem with relying on published records: published accounts could be more even than the museum collections from which they are drawn. We address this bias in the context of mammalian paleodiversity, comparing published and museum collections of the Hemphillian Thousand Creek fauna to those of the Barstovian Virgin Valley fauna. We rarified specimen data, both number of identified specimens (NISP) and minimum number of individuals (MNI), and presence/absence data to compare published and museum data within and between faunas. Within faunas, published numbers of specimens are more even than museum samples, but the difference for localities in Virgin Valley is not significant. Neither published nor museum numbers of specimens indicate a significant difference between faunas, but the diversity pattern is reversed between the two data sets. Presence/absence rarefactions show no differences between sources; here, published data adequately sample the underlying museum records. Specimen-based evenness is not accurate in the published sample, and therefore we suggest that future studies of diversity in terrestrial mammalian assemblages must assess unpublished collections. Additionally, NISP data for Thousand Creek are more even than MNI data, suggesting that relying solely on NISP for assessing species diversity can also be misleading. Because publication bias alters richness and evenness, diversity estimates using published data must be circumspect about data sources.
Solid clusters above the bulk melting point

The fact that the melting points of nanoparticles are always lower than those of the corresponding bulk material is a paradigm supported by extensive experimental data for a large number of systems and by numerous calculations. Here we demonstrate that tin cluster ions with 10--30 atoms remain solid at $\ensuremath{\sim}50$ K above the melting point of bulk tin. This behavior is possibly related to the fact that the structure of the clusters is completely different from that of the bulk element.
Two Intel 2920 microprocessor implementations of an observer-based output feedback controller

The paper studies two implementations of an observer-based output feedback controller designed to control a third-order single-input single-output linear plant. The first controller is a direct implementation of the observer equations, requiring two inputs. The second controller is an equivalent cascade version of the observer-based controller, requiring only one input. The cancellation of the observer poles which appear as common factors in the numerator and denominator of the cascade controller transfer function yields an nth-order controller. The plant is simulated on an EAI 680 analogue computer and the controllers are implemented digitally on an Intel 2920 microprocessor in the feedback loop and forward loop, respectively. The performances of the two digital controllers are compared.
Identification of Hazardous/Harmful Drinking among Subcritically Injured Patients

Objectives: To examine the relationship between a saliva alcohol test (SAT) and hazardous/harmful drinking, as measured by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), among a sample of subcritically injured patients. Methods: Patients (n = 78) seeking treatment for a subcritical injury were saliva-tested for alcohol and interviewed regarding their drinking behaviors and related difficulties. Associations of SAT values with AUDIT results were determined. Results: SAT results and hazardous/harmful drinking were not independent events (p < 0. 001). Estimates of sensitivity and specificity (using a dichotomous SAT result [≥ 4 mmol/L] to identify positive AUDIT patients) were 65. 2% and 83. 6%, respectively. SAT-positive people had significantly higher AUDIT scores than did SAT-negative individuals (p < 0. 0001). Patients experiencing assault-type injuries were much more likely to be SAT-positive than were patients incurring other types of injury. Discriminant function analysis suggests that AUDIT scores can successfully identify SAT-positive and SAT-negative patients; the analysis accounted for 42. 5% of the variance and correctly classified 84. 6% of the sample. Conclusions: The use of an easy-to-administer, noninvasive, routine SAT, among patients presenting for a subcritical injury in a hospital ED, provides a mechanism for the identification of individuals with a history of hazardous/harmful drinking. However, since discrimination of hazardous/harmful drinking is imperfect, some caution is warranted when conducting such screening activities.