cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
“About Miracles”: Seeing the “real thing” in Hong Sang-soo’s Woman on the Beach and Éric Rohmer’s Le Rayon vert

Hong Sang-soo’s cinema is one in which his characters consistently avoid reality, whether by constructing explanatory narratives and patterns or by turning other people into emotionally projected images. Woman on the Beach (2007), I argue, openly diagnoses this tendency and finds instead what one of its characters calls “the real thing.” Placing this film in the context of Hong’s oeuvre as a whole, I explore Hong’s overarching interest in trying to see “the real thing” instead of imaginatively constructing it. And thus, in a career frequently compared to Rohmer’s, Woman on the Beach , with its search for this almost mystical encounter with reality, emerges as Hong’s variation on Rohmer’s own search for what’s real in Le Rayon vert (1986).
A Survey of Healthcare Providers About Reproductive Healthcare for Adolescent Women With Epilepsy.

STUDY OBJECTIVE To evaluate knowledge, attitudes, and practices about sexual and reproductive health (SRH) for adolescent and young adult (AYA) women with epilepsy among general pediatricians, adolescent medicine specialists, and pediatric gynecologists. DESIGN Survey comprising previously validated and novel items that underwent content validity testing and was distributed through specialty listservs. Categorical variables analyzed with χ2 or Fisher exact tests, and continuous variables with Kruskal-Wallis tests. SETTING Online. PARTICIPANTS Physicians and Advanced practice providers. INTERVENTIONS Online survey. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Questions testing SRH knowledge, assessing confidence in SRH counseling practices and frequency of intended SRH counseling, and identifying barriers and facilitators to SRH provision for AYA women with epilepsy. RESULTS Of 329 participants, 57% were general pediatricians, 27% were adolescent medicine specialists, and 16% were pediatric gynecologists. On 15 items assessing knowledge, general pediatricians scored significantly lower than respondents in the other specialties (P < .01). Among 11 items about confidence in SRH skills, general pediatricians were significantly less confident than respondents in the other specialties (P < .01). General pediatricians reported that they would perform annual counseling less often on 7 SRH counseling topics compared with respondents in the other specialties (P < .01). In all, 54% of the respondents reported that barriers to SRH provision include limited time during visits and lack of epilepsy knowledge. Respondents identified facilitators including guidelines/algorithms for managing SRH (83%), provider education (61%), and electronic health record alerts (60%). CONCLUSION Responses suggest suboptimal knowledge, confidence, and care provision regarding SRH for AYA women with epilepsy, particularly among general pediatricians. Identified barriers and facilitators may serve as targets for interventions to improve SRH provision.
Circular Dichroism of Large Oriented Helices: A Free Electron on a Helix

An electron free to move on a helical path is a simple optically active system; the optical properties of which can be calculated exactly. Such a helical system was discussed in the small molecule (or dipole or Rosenfeld) approximation by Tinoco and Woody (1964). The wavefunctions and energies necessary to calculate the optical properties of the helix are identical to those for a particle in a one-dimensional box. Thus, this simple optically active system offers the possibility of furnishing insights into the origins of the optical properties of many chiral systems. For example, it is of interest to understand the origins of the interesting circular dichroism (CD) bands often associated with molecular aggregates such as cholesteric liquid crystals, chromosomes, nucleic acid in various condensed states, viruses, etc. These chiral systems generally have spatial dimensions that are large compared to the wavelength of the incident light giving rise to the CD bands. Thus, the usual Rosenfeld approximation to the optical properties of such systems will, in general, be inadequate.
A multi-stage noise adaptive switching filter for extremely corrupted images

A multi-stage noise adaptive switching filter (MSNASF) is proposed for the restoration of images extremely corrupted by impulse and impulse-like noise. The filter consists of two steps: noise detection and noise removal. The proposed extrema-based noise detection scheme utilizes the false contouring effect to get better over detection rate at low noise density. It is adaptive and will detect not only impulse but also impulse-like noise. In the noise removal step, a novel multi-stage filtering scheme is proposed. It replaces corrupted pixel with the nearest uncorrupted median to preserve details. When compared with other methods, MSNASF provides better peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR) and structure similarity index (SSIM). A subjective evaluation carried out online also demonstrates that MSNASF yields higher fidelity.
Neural control of innate immunity by beta2-adrenergic receptor (INC5P.323)

The nervous system controls a variety of physiological responses through the release of several chemical messengers. Although the immune system has been thought to be a self-regulated system, there is growing evidence that the immune system and the nervous system are capable of reciprocally regulating their function. We recently identified a unique role for adrenergic signaling in modulating the innate response to pathogen-associated molecular patterns. First, we found that norepinephrine (NE) can suppress pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion from bone marrow-derived macrophages and dendritic cells in response to TLR signaling in vitro. This suppressive effect depends on the early induction of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10, where neutralizing the autocrine IL-10 signaling restores the cytokine secretion. NE exerts its effects by signaling through the beta2-adrenergic receptor (ADRB2). Second, upon challenging mice with a sub-lethal dose of Listeria monocytogenes, ADRB2 knockout mice present with splenomegaly and enhanced bacterial clearance. Additionally, treatment of whole human blood with TLR ligands in the presence of the ADRB2 agonist albuterol suppresses TNFα secretion, demonstrating the presence of this pathway in humans. This supports the hypothesis that ADRB2 signaling is a negative regulator of TLR signaling and suggests that this pathway plays an important role in immune activation and homeostasis.
Differing contributions of density dependence and climate to the population dynamics of three eruptive herbivores

1. Although both endogenous and exogenous processes regulate populations, the current understanding of the contributions from density dependence and climate to the population dynamics of eruptive herbivores remains limited. 2. Using a 17-year time series of three cereal aphid species [Rhopalosiphum padi L., Metopolophium dirhodum (Walker), and Diuraphis noxia (Kurdumov)] compiled from a trapping network spanning the northwestern U.S.A., temporal and spatial patterns associated with population fluctuations, and modelled density dependence in aphid abundances were tested. These models were used to analyse correlations between climate and aphid abundances in the presence and absence of residual variance as a result of density-dependent effects. 3. The temporal dynamics of aphid population fluctuations indicated periodicity, with no clear evidence for a spatial pattern underlying population fluctuations. 4. Aphid abundances oscillated in a manner consistent with delayed density dependence for all three aphid species, although the strength of these feedbacks differed among species. 5. Diuraphis noxia abundances were negatively correlated with increasing temperatures in the absence of density-dependent effects, whereas M. dirhodum abundances were positively correlated with increasing cumulative precipitation in the presence of density-dependent effects; yet, R. padi abundances were unrelated to climate variables irrespective of population feedbacks. 6. Our analysis suggests that endogenous feedbacks differentially regulate aphid populations in the northwestern U.S.A., and these feedbacks may operate at an expansive spatial scale. It is concluded that the contributions of density dependence and climate to aphid population dynamics are species-specific in spite of similar ecological niches, with implications for assessing species responses to climate variability.
Good Rich, Bad Rich: Perceptions About the Extremely Wealthy and Their Sources of Wealth

We compare and contrast Americans’ perceptions of four sources of extreme wealth: Executive, Financial Trader, Entrepreneur, and Heir, and find positive perceptions of the Entrepreneur’s wealth, and negative perceptions of the Heir and the Financial Trader. Respondents read biographies of each archetype, controlling for quantity of wealth and personal attributes, recording their impressions of the character and competence of the individual and the justification of that person’s wealth. Findings are discussed in the context of socio-cultural norms affecting our perceptions of the extremely wealthy and the sources of their wealth.
Group efficacy in asynchronous vs. multi-synchronous virtual teams: an empirical study

Group efficacy has begun to receive more attention in HCI. The paper describes a mixed-design experiment aimed to explore the effect of time on group efficacy development in two computer-mediated virtual conditions: asynchronous vs. multi-synchronous teams. The relationships of group efficacy measures at different times and tool evaluation, team satisfaction and performance are also explored. Forty university students who participate in the study are administered questionnaires over the course of the assigned ten-day task. Results show group efficacy changes as a function of time in the asynchronous environment. In addition, the positive relations between group efficacy and tool evaluation and adoption and team satisfaction were demonstrated for asynchronous groups. The findings indicate group efficacy is dynamic with team development and useful in signaling how technology and collaboration modes impact user experience and interaction in the asynchronous environment.
(CH3)3SiCl/SiCl4 Azeotrope Grows Superhydrophobic Nanofilaments

We describe the vapor-phase reaction (at room temperature and 40−45% relative humidity) of silicon wafers with the azeotropic mixture of trimethylchlorosilane and tetrachlorosilane. Water contact angle analysis indicates that surfaces become nearly perfectly hydrophobic (θA/θR ≥176°/≥176°) after 2 min of reaction. SEM analysis at various reaction times shows the growth of nanofilaments with diameters of ∼30 nm. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of oxidized titanium surfaces that were exposed to the azeotrope vapor indicates that the product is derived from a ∼10:1 ratio of SiCl4 and (CH3)3SiCl. A mechanism for filament growth is proposed.
Tissue-specific Expression of Human Lipoprotein Lipase: EFFECT OF THE 3′-UNTRANSLATED REGION ON TRANSLATION (∗)

Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) is a central enzyme in lipoprotein metabolism and is expressed predominantly in adipose tissue and muscle. In these tissues, the regulation of LPL is complex and often opposite in response to the same physiologic stimulus. In addition, much regulation of LPL occurs post-transcriptionally. The human LPL cDNA is characterized by a long 3′-untranslated region, which has two polyadenylation signals. In this report, human adipose tissue expressed two LPL mRNA species (3.2 and 3.6 kb) due to an apparent random choice of sites for mRNA polyadenylation, whereas human skeletal and heart muscle expressed predominantly the longer 3.6-kb mRNA form. To determine whether there was any functional significance to this tissue-specific mRNA expression, poly(A)-enriched RNA from adipose tissue and muscle were translated in vitro, and the poly(A)-enriched RNA from muscle was more efficiently translated into LPL protein. The increased translatability of the 3.6-kb form was also demonstrated by cloning the full-length 3.2- and 3.6-kb LPL cDNA forms, followed by in vitro translation of in vitro prepared transcripts. To confirm that this increased efficiency of translation occurred in vivo, Chinese hamster ovary cells were transfected with the 3.2- and 3.6-kb LPL cDNAs. Cells transfected with the 3.6-kb construct demonstrated increased LPL activity and synthesis, despite no increase in levels of LPL mRNA. Thus, human muscle expresses the 3.6-kb form of LPL due to a non-random choice of polyadenylation signals, and this form is more efficiently translated than the 3.2-kb form.
Molecular Identification and Functional Expression of μ3, a Novel Alternatively Spliced Variant of the Human μ Opiate Receptor Gene

Studies from our laboratory have revealed a novel μ opiate receptor, μ 3 , which is expressed in both vascular tissues and leukocytes. The μ 3 receptor is selective for opiate alkaloids and is insensitive to opioid peptides. We now identify the μ 3 receptor at the molecular level using a 441-bp conserved region of the μ 1 receptor. Sequence analysis of the isolated cDNA suggests that it is a novel, alternatively spliced variant of the μ opiate receptor gene. To determine whether protein expressed from this cDNA exhibits the biochemical characteristics expected of the μ 3 receptor, the cDNA clone was expressed in a heterologous system. At the functional level, COS-1 cells transfected with the μ 3 receptor cDNA exhibited dose-dependent release of NO following treatment with morphine, but not opioid peptides (i.e., Met-enkephalin). Naloxone was able to block the effect of morphine on COS-1 transfected cells. Nontransfected COS-1 cells did not produce NO in the presence of morphine or the opioid peptides at similar concentrations. Receptor binding analysis with [ 3 H]dihydromorphine further supports the opiate alkaloid selectivity and opioid peptide insensitivity of this receptor. These data suggest that this new μ opiate receptor cDNA encodes the μ 3 opiate receptor, since it exhibits biochemical characteristics known to be unique to this receptor (opiate alkaloid selective and opioid peptide insensitive). Furthermore, using Northern blot, RT-PCR, and sequence analysis, we have demonstrated the expression of this new μ variant in human vascular tissue, mononuclear cells, polymorphonuclear cells, and human neuroblastoma cells.
Democracy Promotion: Done Right, A Progressive Cause

By the beginning of the Obama Administration, democracy promotion had become a rather tarnished idea, and understandably so. Like Islam or Christianity, much blood has been shed beneath its banner. It may be true that democracies don’t go to war with one another, but they certainly go to war, and their wars kill people just as dead as the wars undertaken by illiberal regimes. Anyone on the political left can tell the story: During the Cold War, the United States fought endless proxy wars and engaged in a great deal of overt and covert mischief, all in the name of democracy. During the Bush Administration, the idea of democracy promotion became tightly and inexorably bound up with regime change and the carnage of the Iraq War. Because it came to us in a package that included bloodshed, occupation, torture, and indefinite detentions, Bush’s “Freedom Agenda” left a bitter taste in the mouth.
Adult respiratory distress syndrome in full-term newborns.

To the Editor.— Because of our longstanding interest in adult respiratory distress syndrome in the pediatric age group, it was a pleasure to read the article about neonatal adult respiratory distress syndrome by Faix et al.1 However, our experience with the neonatal form of the syndrome differs quite substantially from that reported by Faix; and, therefore, we would like to report just briefly our data from the last 20-month period. During this time the diagnosis of adult respiratory distress syndrome according to classcial criteria was made in 5 newborn infants.
On the study of neutrino properties

We review the discovery of the neutrino and outline the history of neutrino physics. Many interesting phenomena involving the neutrino are exhibited. We also discuss the long-standing solar neutrino puzzle and the properties of the neutrino which lead to various important results. We present a possible experimental test of the neutrino property. In addition, neutrino oscillation and neutrino spin precession are also demonstrated.
Acetylcholinesterase-containing neurons in the neostriatum and substantia nigra revealed after punctate intracerebral injection of di-isopropylfluorophosphate.

Abstract Infusion of 1 μl arachis oil containing 1.5 μg bis-(1-methylethyl)phosphorofluoridate (di-isopropylfluorophosphate: DFP) into the caudate—putamen nucleus and substantia nigra of rats produced a considerable reduction of histochemical staining for acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in these two brain regions 30–120 min after injection. Therafter, regeneration of AChE occurred within the zone of DFP effect. These new stores of AChE were associated with discrete neuronal perikarya and their processes. Intracerebral DFP administration had little or no histochemically detectable effect of NADH-diaphorase. Thionin staining was similarly unaffected. The results with punctate intracerebral application of DFP were replicated by intramuscular injection of 1.5 mg/kg DFP. Although the significance of dopaminergic-cholinergic interactions in the neostriatum could not be elucidated on the basis of these histochemical data, the thesis was advanced that dopamine neurons in the pars compacta of the substantia nigra also contained AChE, possibly to inactivate acetylcholine released from cholinergic fibers afferent to this neural structure.
INFLUENCE OF SUGARS ON THE GROWTH OF ALBINO PLANTS

In the course of investigations on the influence of carbohydrates on plants by the senior writer (i), the occurrence of albino seedlings of timothy was occasionally noted when germinating the seed. The question then arose, What would be the influence of carbohydrates on these plants? Can an albino plant exist and develop when it is entirely dependent on organic material derived externally, as is the case with species of Monotropa and with other non-chlorophyllous plants? It is true that experiments have been made in which corn and other plants have been grown in the dark with sugars or other organic substances supplied, and that under these conditions plants have maintained themselves for some time and have shown an increase over the original dry weight. The abnormality of the growth in the dark, however, is such, and the augmentation in weight is so slight, that one cannot draw conclusions as to the ability of phanerogamic plants to maintain themselves when the process of photosynthesis is not active. There is only one way of determining whether or not a phanerogamic plant can develop at the expense of organic matter derived externally, and that is to use albino plants. It might be suggested that one might grow green plants in the entire absence of atmospheric carbon dioxide, but this would not prevent entirely the process of photosynthesis, since the carbon dioxide produced in respiration and retained within the plant would be re-utilized in photosynthesis. The experiments with albino corn were made possible by the inheritance studies with corn by the junior writer (3), who obtained during his investigations a hybrid that produced albino corn plants in a simple mendelian ratio. The albino seedlings used were all from self-pollinated ears of green plants. The green plants were heterozygous only for the factor that determines the production of white seedlings. No other visible abnormalities were present in this stock. Such stock had been tested against other albinistic seedlings and had always remained free from any tendency to develop plastids and chlorophyll such as other albino seedlings are known to do. In other words, the albino progeny (approximately 25 percent of the total) from the
Structural Studies of Extension-Induced Mesophase Formation in Poly(diethylsiloxane) Elastomers: In Situ Synchrotron WAXS and SAXS

Amorphous poly(diethylsiloxane) (PDES) elastomers undergo a transition to an aligned mesomorphic state when subjected to uniaxial tension. The structural changes associated with this transition and the kinetics of its formation have been investigated by in-situ synchrotron wide-angle and small-angle X-ray scattering. In the mesomorphic state, the PDES elastomers are biphasic, consisting of aligned mesophase domains and amorphous material. Because of the well-defined structure of the networks used, we were able to determine that the mesophase domain size is governed by the precursor chain length and is unaffected by trapped entanglements. The observed increase in mesophase content with increase in extension ratio in a fully necked sample is caused by an increase in the number of mesophase domains rather than an increase in domain size. In the extended state, PDES elastomers attain a very high degree of segment orientation comparable to that of mesogen-containing liquid crystalline elastomers.
Treatment with antidepressants and histamine receptor mediated 3H-cyclic AMP formation in guinea pig cortex

It has been recently reported that most of the antidepressant drugs block histamine H1 and H2 receptors in the brain under in vitro conditions and it has been suggested that this may be related in part to their therapeutic effect. Since the in vitro and in vivo effects of these drugs may differ, we studied the effect of treatment with antidepressant drugs on histamine receptor sensitivity in the guinea pig brain and observed that chronic treatment with tricyclic antidepressants or phenelzine (an MAO inhibitor) causes a reduction in histamine receptor sensitivity. This reduction is probably mediated through two different mechanisms, since only tricyclic antidepressants cause a reduction after acute treatment. Although some of the side effects of antidepressant treatment may be related to the blockade of histamine receptors, these results do not support the assumption that this effect of antidepressant treatment contributes to their clinical effects.
e-petitioning: exploring citizen's contributions to the policy making process

Our research aims to reveal patterns of e-petitioning co-signing behavior that are indicative of the political mobilization of online "communities" in the case of We the People (WtP), the first web-enabled petitioning system developed by the US Federal government. This internet-based tool enables users to petition the Obama Administration and solicit support for policy suggestions. This poster will highlight our previous studies involving 33 petitions that were initiated during the week the week after the Sandy Hook shooting (December 14--21, 2012) involving gun control and collectively received a response from President Obama. We applied Baumgartner and Jones's work on agenda setting and punctuated equilibrium, which suggests that policy issues may lie dormant for periods of time until a "focusing event" triggers attention from the media, interest groups, and elected representatives. We used techniques from market basket analysis and social network analysis and found evidence of the mobilization of online "communities" for and against gun control laws and alternative policy proposals to address the Sandy Hook tragedy.
The Process of Formation and Perfection of Teachers Between Hope and Reality

Abstract Accelerated pace of social evolution, the existence of a certain type of culture and civilization that sets standards of life and human personality continues to express requirements training and development will, undoubtedly mark the life of school and its main actors. A professional must have knowledge of general education, compulsory and specialized pedagogical knowledge to educational partners to teach them and to decide the manner of curriculum design, learning strategies, interrelation ways / networking, of self – study and improving .This is because no one wants a picture of impaired social non-involvement, incompetence, complacency, nor the race to reach the second himself. He must know the real face of the world to make the learner to see it and understand it in context that are part of his life and the society in which they live. Breath of change has become vital. Research undertaken with a group of experts in education has addressed precisely these aspects of teacher training and improvement. As results, the effects of initiatives taken represent the subject of this article.
Tropical Instability Wave Energetics: Observations from the Tropical Instability Wave Experiment

Ocean velocity data from an array of subsurface moorings deployed from May 1990 to June 1991 during the Tropical Instability Wave Experiment are used to study the energetics of planetary waves in the vicinity of the equator at 1408W. Such waves, observed from August to December 1990, were initiated by barotropic instability arising primarily from the cyclonic shear region of the South Equatorial Current and Equatorial Undercurrent just north of the equator. Subsequently, local barotropic production continued to maintain and modulate these tropical instability waves through a combination of cyclonic shear and meridional velocity component divergence just north of the equator. The end of the wave season coincided with the propagation past the array of a large intraseasonal Kelvin wave.
Interpretation of facial expressions and social anxiety : Specificity and source of biases

Cognitive-behavioural models of social phobia (Clark & Wells, 1995; Rapee & Heimberg, 1997) propose that biased information processing contributes to the maintenance of social phobia. Given the importance of facial expressions in social interactions, recent investigations of these information-processing biases have increasingly used facial stimuli. The current study utilised schematic faces of emotional expressions to investigate interpretations of facial expressions and specific facial features in individuals with high and low social anxiety. Individuals with elevated social anxiety demonstrated biases in their perceptions of negative valence from the faces, whereas group differences were not observed for perceptions of activity or potency. Further, although the two groups generally utilised the same facial features to interpret facial expressions, the results suggested that individuals with high social anxiety may be more lenient in perceiving threat in faces than individuals without social anxiety.
A cytological procedure to screen mammalian temperature-sensitive mutants for cell-cycle-related defects

Interphase cells stained with quinacrine dihydrochloride show distinctive fluorescent nuclear patterns according to their position in the cell cycle. These patterns were used to determine whether temperature-sensitive growth mutants of the Syrian hamster cell line BHK-21 are blocked at specific stages of the cell cycle. These cytological studies confirmed the previous conclusion that ts Af8 cell line derived from BHK cells is a GI cell-cycle mutant. The method promises to be of use as an initial probe in screening for cell-cycle mutants.
Thermal Treatment of Low-Rank Coal and Its Relationship to Flotation Response

Abstract The deleterious effect of oxidation processes on coal flotation is generally recognized by researchers in the field. The present study, however, demonstrates that properly controlled low-temperature heating can actually improve coal flotation and its separation from mineral matter especially for low-rank coals. With a lignite sample, low-temperature heating at 130°C for a given time under ambient atmosphere leads to a higher yield and greater ash rejection during subsequent bench-scale flotation experiments. By combining experimental results from Hallimond-tube and bench-scale flotation experiments, bubble attachment-time measurements, wetting phenomena, and FTIR spectroscopy, it is clear that thermal treatment under the above conditions, which involves dehydration and oxidation reactions, changes the coal sample to a more hydrophobic state. These new results provide further evidence of the complexities involved in the analysis of coal surface chemistry as related to flotation phenomena.
The nucleic acids in a polyploid series of Saccharomyces.

Abstract 1. 1. A polyploid series from haploid through tetraploid in yeasts has been analyzed for a number of cellular characters including dry weight, desoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), ribonucleic acid (RNA), and metaphosphate content. 2. 2. The DNA content per cell is found consistent with an integral ratio in the polyploid series, and this character has proved most reliable of those studied in estimating ploidy. 3. 3. Dry weight, RNA, and metaphosphate content per cell are also ploidy-dependent but vary over a wider experimental range. 4. 4. The reliable estimation of ploidy in yeast provides a critical tool for the analysis of irregular segregation in the yeasts.
Reproducibility of airway responsiveness in horses using flowmetric plethysmography and histamine bronchoprovocation.

Background: Inflammatory airway disease has a high prevalence in horses, but is often a diagnostic challenge. Flowmetric plethysmography and histamine bronchoprovocation (FP/HBP) is a simple and effective tool for diagnosis, but reproducibility of these measurements made over time has not been established. Hypothesis: We hypothesize that the measurement of airway responsiveness in horses using FP/HBP is consistent over both short and long periods of time. Animals: Twenty-nine healthy adult horses from 2 university herds. Methods: In this prospective experimental study, airway responsiveness was determined in each horse at day 0 (baseline [BL]) with FP/ HBP, using PC35 (provocative concentration of histamine needed to increase Δflow by 35%) as a measure of airway responsiveness. Each horse was re-tested 1–4 weeks after BL (short-term [ST]) and again at 3–12 months after BL (long-term [LT]). Results: In the ST period, 23/27 (85%) of the horses had a PC35 that was within 1 doubling concentration of histamine of their BL value, with a mean change of 0.52 doubling concentrations (95% CI 0.26–0.79, range 0–2.06). For the LT data, 19/26 (73%) of horses were within 1 doubling concentration of their BL value, with a mean change of 0.81 doubling concentrations (95% CI 0.45–1.17, range 0.14–3.10). There was no significant difference in reproducibility between the 2 groups of subjects. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Repeated measurements of airway responsiveness obtained with FP/HBP show acceptable reproducibility over time periods up to a year. However, caution must be used when testing horses when ambient air temperature is low.
An integral equation method for the evaluation of conductor and dielectric losses in high-frequency interconnects

An integral equation method is developed to solve for the complex propagation constant in multilayer planar structures with an arbitrary number of strip conductors on different levels. Both dielectric losses in the substrate layers and conductor losses in the strips and ground plane are considered. The Green's function included in the integral equation is derived by using a generalized impedance boundary formulation. The microstrip ohmic losses are evaluated by using an equivalent frequency-dependent impedance surface which is derived by solving for the fields inside the conductors. This impedance surface replaces the conducting strips and takes into account the thickness and skin effect of the strips at high frequencies. The effects of various parameters such as frequency, thickness of the lines, and substrate surface roughness on the complex propagation constant are investigated. Results are presented for single strips, coupled lines, and two-level interconnects. Good agreement with data available in the literature is shown. >
GPR56-Regulated Granule Cell Adhesion Is Essential for Rostral Cerebellar Development

Mutations in GPR56, an orphan G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), cause bilateral frontoparietal polymicrogyria (BFPP), a disorder characterized by mental retardation, seizures, motor developmental delay, and ataxia. BFPP patients have structural abnormalities of the cerebral cortex, cerebellum, and pons. To shed light on the function of GPR56 and the anatomical and behavioral defects underlying BFPP, we analyzed the cerebellum of mice lacking this GPCR. Gpr56(-/-) mice display a severe malformation of the rostral cerebellum that develops perinatally. Defects involve fusion of adjacent lobules, disrupted layering of neurons and glia, and fragmentation of the pial basement membrane. At the age of defect onset, GPR56 expression is restricted specifically to developing granule cells in the rostral cerebellum, suggesting that GPR56 regulates properties of these cells. Indeed, granule cells from the rostral region of perinatal Gpr56(-/-) cerebella show loss of adhesion to extracellular matrix molecules of the pial basement membrane. Interference RNA-mediated knockdown of GPR56 recapitulates the loss of adhesion seen in knock-outs, and reexpression of GPR56 rescues the adhesion defect in knock-out granule cells. Loss of GPR56 does not affect cell proliferation, migration, or neurite outgrowth. These studies establish a novel role for GPR56 in the adhesion of developing neurons to basal lamina molecules and suggest that this adhesion is critical for maintenance of the pia and proper cerebellar morphogenesis.
A networked modular hardware and software system for MRI-guided robotic prostate interventions

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides high resolution multi-parametric imaging, large soft tissue contrast, and interactive image updates making it an ideal modality for diagnosing prostate cancer and guiding surgical tools. Despite a substantial armamentarium of apparatuses and systems has been developed to assist surgical diagnosis and therapy for MRI-guided procedures over last decade, the unified method to develop high fidelity robotic systems in terms of accuracy, dynamic performance, size, robustness and modularity, to work inside close-bore MRI scanner still remains a challenge. In this work, we develop and evaluate an integrated modular hardware and software system to support the surgical workflow of intra-operative MRI, with percutaneous prostate intervention as an illustrative case. Specifically, the distinct apparatuses and methods include: 1) a robot controller system for precision closed loop control of piezoelectric motors, 2) a robot control interface software that connects the 3D Slicer navigation software and the robot controller to exchange robot commands and coordinates using the OpenIGTLink open network communication protocol, and 3) MRI scan plane alignment to the planned path and imaging of the needle as it is inserted into the target location. A preliminary experiment with ex-vivo phantom validates the system workflow, MRI-compatibility and shows that the robotic system has a better than 0.01mm positioning accuracy.
Comparison of spectral radiance responsivity calibration techniques used for backscatter ultraviolet satellite instruments

Methods of absolute radiometric calibration of backscatter ultraviolet (BUV) satellite instruments are compared as part of an effort to minimize pre-launch calibration uncertainties. An internally illuminated integrating sphere source has been used for the Shuttle Solar BUV, Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer, Ozone Mapping Instrument, and Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment 2 using standardized procedures traceable to national standards. These sphere-based spectral responsivities agree to within the derived combined standard uncertainty of 1.87% relative to calibrations performed using an external diffuser illuminated by standard irradiance sources, the customary spectral radiance responsivity calibration method for BUV instruments. The combined standard uncertainty for these calibration techniques as implemented at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center?s Radiometric Calibration and Development Laboratory is shown to less than 2% at 250?nm when using a single traceable calibration standard.
High Stakes: US-China Trade Disputes under the World Trade Organization (WTO)

AbstractThis paper examines US-China trade disputes under the World Trade Organization (WTO) and argues that Chinese leaders are increasingly resorting to the WTO’s dispute settlement mechanism to target issues of most critical concern to domestic constituencies. The following overview of the WTO disputes initiated by China suggests that China’s WTO disputes tend to be dominated by cases involving anti-dumping duties (ADs) and countervailing duties (CVDs). The disproportionate share of such trade remedy cases in China’s WTO cases needs to be viewed in light of the fact that China has become the leading target of such cases worldwide in the past decades. The above pattern of China’s WTO initiation is explicable within the leader cost-benefit analysis, which would lead us to expect Chinese leaders to use the WTO DSM either to open foreign markets for Chinese businesses or to shield domestic firms from perceived unfair foreign trade practices. This paper further argues that the significant expansion of bilateral trade relations in the past decades has provided opportunities for Chinese leaders to identify or threaten retaliation against anti-protectionist groups in the other country in order to mobilise them against the disputed measure.
Defective metabolism of vitamin B12 in fibroblasts from children with methylmalonicaciduria

Abstract Fibroblasts from a patient with B 12 responsive methylmalonicaciduria and from a second patient with methylmalonicaciduria plus abnormal sulfur amino acid metabolism were examined for their ability to accumulate the two B 12 coenzymes, deoxyadenosyl-B 12 ∗ and methyl-B 12 , and for N 5 -methyltetrahydrofolate homocysteine methyltransferase activity. Cells from the first patient accumulated very little deoxyadenosyl-B 12 but accumulated methyl-B 12 normally. His cells had normal methyltransferase activity when assayed with and without added methyl-B 12 coenzyme. In contrast, cells from the second patient accumulated neither coenzyme. Methyltransferase activity was very low when assayed without added methyl-B 12 but increased markedly when coenzyme was added. We conclude that both patients have primary defects in vitamin B 12 metabolism and that these defects are biochemically distinct.
Usefulness of the six-minute walk test after continuous axial flow left ventricular device implantation to predict survival.

The goal of this study was to describe the predictors and significance of poor exercise tolerance after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation. Despite LVAD therapy, some patients continue to exhibit exercise intolerance. The predictors and outcomes of these patients are unknown. A retrospective review of 65 LVAD recipients who performed 6-minute walk tests was conducted. Patients walking 50) univariate predictors identified diabetes mellitus (odds ratio 10.493, p = 0.003) and elevated 1-month right atrial pressure (odds ratio 2.985 for every 5 mm Hg, p = 0.003) as significant predictors of poor performance (<300 m; area under the curve 0.85). The poorly performing group had increased mortality (p = 0.011), with 21% increased risk for overall mortality for every 10 m short of 300 m (fitted Cox model: hazard ratio 1.211, p = 0.0001). The distance walked in meters in a postoperative 6-minute walk test was the strongest predictor of late post-LVAD mortality (p = 0.0002). In conclusion, despite similar severity of heart failure preoperatively, some LVAD recipients may have persistent exercise intolerance postoperatively as assessed by the 6-minute walk test that is independently associated with subsequent reduced survival.
The discovery of the! -helix and" -sheet, the principal structural features of proteins

PNAS papers by Linus Pauling, Robert Corey, and Herman Branson in the spring of 1951 proposed the α-helix and the β-sheet, now known to form the backbones of tens of thousands of proteins. They deduced these fundamental building blocks from properties of small molecules, known both from crystal structures and from Pauling's resonance theory of chemical bonding that predicted planar peptide groups. Earlier attempts by others to build models for protein helices had failed both by including nonplanar peptides and by insisting on helices with an integral number of units per turn. In major respects, the Pauling–Corey–Branson models were astoundingly correct, including bond lengths that were not surpassed in accuracy for >40 years. However, they did not consider the hand of the helix or the possibility of bent sheets. They also proposed structures and functions that have not been found, including the γ-helix.
Library and information science education in developing countries

This paper introduces the special issue on education for library and information science in developing countries. It reviews past articles that appeared in The International Information and Library Review on the same topic and comments on the articles appearing in this issue. Previous articles reveal that this topic has been of interest to readers and contributors to the journal since its beginning. Some issues have remained constant throughout the history of the journal, for instance, the relevance of LIS curriculum to developing countries, dependence on Western education models, lack of respect for the profession and need to upgrade the skills of librarians and other information professionals to address the challenges of the information society. The articles contained in this issue address some of the same concerns with an additional focus on the need for LIS education to prepare graduates to become more involved in the economic and social development of their countries.
Interactions between two electrified liquid columns pinned on a dielectric solid surface

As a preliminary to understanding the complicated interactions between two electrified drops, this paper analyzes the simpler but instructive problem of the electrohydrostatic interactions between two parallel, translationally symmetric supported liquid columns. The columns are taken to be electrically conducting, surrounded by an insulating fluid, and pinned at their contact lines on the surface of an insulating solid support. The issue of the shapes and stability of the columns is mathematically a two‐dimensional, nonlinear free boundary problem, which is solved here by means of the Galerkin/finite element method. Despite the generality of the formulation of the problem and that of the numerical scheme used to solve it, attention is focused here on situations in which the two columns have the same volume per unit length and their undeformed cross sections correspond to semicircles bounded by a straight line that represents the solid plane on which the columns are pinned. Computational results are reported that show different behaviors of electrified columns obtained by varying the direction in which the external field is applied or connecting/disconnecting the columns from power supplies that maintain them at fixed electric potentials. When the potentials of the columns are held fixed, an externally applied field always tends to pull them apart. For isolated columns, however, an externally applied field within a large range of oblique angles tends to pull the columns together. In the absence of an externally applied field, electrostatic interactions can also arise when the columns bear net electrical charges. Whether the interaction forces are attractive or repulsive then depends on the relative amounts of charge on the columns. An attractive force can result even when the two columns bear net charges of the same sign, provided that the relative difference in the amounts of charge is large enough.
Comparative tissue distribution of the processing enzymes "prohormone thiol protease," and prohormone convertases 1 and 2, in human PTHrP-producing cell lines and mammalian neuroendocrine tissues.

Peptide hormones are generated by proteolytic processing of their respective protein precursors by several prohormone processing proteases. The peptide hormone PTHrP is widely expressed in normal and malignant tissues, where proPTHrP undergoes proteolytic processing to generate PTHrp peptides with distinct biological actions. In this study, the tissue distribution of the prohormone processing enzymes PTP, PC1, and PC2 were compared by immunohistochemistry in human PTHrP-producing cancer cell lines, and in mammalian neuroedocrine and other tissues from rat and bovine that contain peptide hormones. PTP, PC1, and PC2 were prominently expressed in PTHrP-expressing human cancer cell lines originating from tumors of the breast, lung prostate, as well as lymphoma. These processing enzymes also showed significant expression in normal mammalian neuroendocrine tissues from bovine and rat, including pituitary, hypothalamus, adrenal medulla, pancreas, and oter tissue. Most neuroendocrine tissues contained prominent levels of at least two of the three processing enzymes examined, and all tissues contained at least one of these three enzymes. Differential expression of processing enzyme proteins was also demonstrated by Western blots. The differential expression of PTP, PC1 and PC2 observed in certain cancer and normal neuroendocrine cell types postulates selective roles for these processing enzymes in different tissues for generating biologically active peptide hormones. Theses results support the importnce of these processing enzymes in their hypothesized roles in prohormone processing.
Feasibility Study of Underwater Acoustic Communications Between Buried and Bottom-Mounted Sensor Network Nodes

This paper presents a feasibility study of underwater communications between buried sensor network nodes. To investigate this problem, two experiments have been conducted: where some sensor nodes are buried in the sediment, and where all sensor nodes are buried in the sediment. The orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) communications have been chosen to test underwater communications because of its unique strength in handling transmissions over long dispersive channels. Since the existing OFDM schemes for underwater communications are designed to achieve high data rate communications within the water column and are not adequate for communications between sensors placed on the ocean floor, a new low-complexity OFDM receiver has been proposed. The proposed receiver performs frame-by-frame channel estimation, residual phase tracking, diversity combining, and data demodulation. This approach is adopted because of its effectiveness in applications with very fast varying channels and a large number of propagation paths. It is demonstrated that the error-free performance can be achieved between buried sensors using the proposed OFDM receiver.
High-energy, 5-Hz repetition rate laser amplifier using wavefront corrected Nd:YLF laser rods

We report on a high-energy laser for pumping an optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification system using 1”-aperture, Nd:YLF laser rods. Improved system performance is demonstrated after Magnetorheological Finishing correction of the large laser rod aberration.
A model for improving secondary CS education

This paper describes how the Institute for Computing Education (ICE) at Georgia Tech is trying to improve the state of computer science education in secondary schools in Georgia. ICE is a partnership between the Georgia Department of Education and the College of Computing at Georgia Tech. The goals for this partnership are to increase the number and quality of computer science teachers and increase the number, quality, and diversity of computer science students. One specific goal is to increase the number of students taking the CS-AP course. We believe that this partnership can serve as a model for other states.