cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genetic Image Interpretation

Publisher Summary Image interpretation is the process of understanding the meaning of an image by identifying significant objects in the image and analyzing their spatial relationships. The need for reliable automated image interpretation methods is quickly growing, and image interpretation remains an area of active research. Traditional methods of image interpretation generally include segmentation, object recognition, and image interpretation steps. Segmentation refers to the process of dividing an image into regions that correspond to individual objects or structures. Accurate segmentation is critical to the success of any image interpretation method. Image interpretation can best be done by incorporating information about individual objects and their relationships into the process. Image segmentation represents a crucial preliminary stage of image interpretation. Segmentation is a difficult problem and rarely results in unambiguous and complete segmentation. The goal of image interpretation is to assign a label to each image object. The labeling should be consistent with the available a priori knowledge and, should favor more probable interpretations if there are multiple options. In case images have been previously segmented into meaningful objects, two main approaches exist to achieve image interpretation: discrete and probabilistic labeling approaches. Image interpretation methods frequently consist of independent region growing segmentation followed by post-processing object labeling steps. This chapter considers another approach to image interpretation that integrates the segmentation and the object recognition steps into a single image interpretation process, incorporates contextual knowledge, and uses a genetic algorithm technique to produce an optimal image interpretation while utilizing a hypothesize-and-verify control strategy.
Electrophysiological Properties of the Airway : Epithelium in the Murine, Ovalbumin Model of Allergic Airway Disease

The electrophysiological properties of cultured tracheal cells (CTCs) were examined in a murine (C57BL/6J), ovalbumin (OVA)-induced model of allergic airway disease (AAD) at early (3-day OVA-aerosol) and peak (10-day OVA-aerosol) periods of inflammation. Transepithelial potential difference, short-circuit current (Isc), and resistance (R T ) were lower in CTCs from 10-day OVA-aerosol animals compared to CTCs from naive mice. In cells cultured for 5 weeks, R T was greater in naive CTCs than in 10-day OVA-aerosol CTCs at all times ( P −4 mol/L) was increased in CTCs from 10-day OVA-aerosol mice compared to naive mice (6.0 ± 0.37 μA/cm 2 versus 1.8 ± 0.56 μA/cm 2 ; P versus 39 ± 7%; P
THE EFFECTS OF ALLOYING ON THE RESISTANCE OF FERRITIC STAINLESS STEELS TO LOCALIZED CORROSION IN Cl- SOLUTIONS

The pitting resistance of Fe-Cr and Fe-Cr-Mo alloys has been correlated with characteristics of the passive films as analyzed by Auger Electron Spectroscopy. Increased film protectivity as a result of increased Cr in the alloy can be directly attributed to film Cr-enrichment and decreased thickness. Increased Mo in the alloy or passivation at noble potentials, while exerting beneficial effects on passive film resistance to breakdown, do little to change the macrocharacteristics of the film. Rather, it is suggested that the roles of alloying and/or film stability are related to the susceptibility and distribution of weak points of the film. In solutions which cause pitting, chloride is not generally incorporated into the film, suggesting that the role of halides is to interact with weak points of the film at the solution/film interface.
The critical divide: knowledge about the curriculum and the concrete problems of curriculum policy and practice

Before I became a university professor, I was an elementary and secondary school teacher and the president of a teachers union. Thus, part of my commitment has always been to work at the intersecti...
A Stochastic Linearization Approach to Optimal Primary Control of Power Systems with Generator Saturation

Quasilinear Control (QLC) is a set of methods used for analysis and design of systems with nonlinear actuators and sensors. It is based on the method of stochastic linearization, which replaces a nonlinearity by an equivalent gain and bias. Here, we leverage QLC to systematically design an optimal droop controller for primary frequency control of power systems with asymmetric generator saturation and renewable penetration. The droop parameters are found by solving an optimization problem wherein the cost function is a combination of the change in frequency and the actuator input. Simulation studies show that the combined output and control cost is improved compared to a baseline design, and that the systematic design process provides an appropriate response to any change in input or system parameters.
A Snapshot Spectral Imaging Architecture for Compact and Robust Target Detection and Spectral Reconstruction

We introduce an architecture for snapshot spectral imaging that combines pixelated interference Alters and stacked photodiode imagers. Simple design decisions permit target detection with improved signal-to-noise ratios or spectral reconstruction with enhanced accuracy while maintaining the compactness and robustness required for human-borne and vehicle-mounted sensors.
The political in the technical: understanding the influence of national political institutions on climate adaptation

A growing body of research shows that local and international institutions as well as party politics affect climate adaptation. Yet few studies have considered the role of political institutions at...
Arithmetic: Must It Be Mechanical Monotony and Individualized Boredom?.

recent movement in the direction of individualization of elementary school arithmetic curricula may well be leading many youngsters down a dull, seemingly endless road paved with computation problem after computation problem. Ever since the introduction of programs such as the Individualized Prescribed Instructional materials produced by the Learning, Research, and Development Center at the University of Pittsburg (along with other commercial and teacher-made versions of a student tailored curriculum), school personnel have been attempting to individualize their programs in arithmetic. It is time to take a close look at what is happening in the classrooms because, from what I have observed, the situation may be turning off more children than we realize. One typical program of individualization employs the use of a leading publisher's textbook series for grades one through six. The company supplies the school with a set of level sheets numbered in sequence, and the teacher is instructed to test the students to determine the level to which they should be assigned. The youngsters are then given level sheets listing the textbook pages that are to be completed in a dictated order. Let's assume that the child is at level twenty-two, which involves multiplication instruction and repetition. The company has gone through the books and listed all of the pages concerned with multiplication; the youngster is served a dose of the topic about as pleasant as three tablespoons of castor oil. I have witnessed children doing exercise after exercise based on one of the four computational processes. While this is going on, the teacher is busy grading the reams of papers these little clerks are turning out. Since everyone is busy working and each child has a beautiful folder stuffed with evidence of his industry to present to mom and dad, no one questions the value of this individualized activity. The various agencies such as the state departments of public instruction and local district supervisors reinforce this activity by administering expensive standardized tests to children to rate and compare their performances to peers, districtwide, statewide, and nationwide. In this respect, the deluge of pages of computational exercises may help Mary answer more test exercises correctly, since it is easy to conclude that the best way to increase a student's probability of scoring highly on these instruments is to practice the type of exercises that appear on them. I was talking recently to a sixth grader in a school that used a mathematics series that is color coded to enable students to work at
COPD-associated miR-145-5p is downregulated in early-decline FEV1 trajectories in childhood asthma.

Background Many microRNAs (miRNAs) have been associated with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Longitudinal lung function growth trajectories of children with asthma—normal growth, reduced growth (RG), early decline (ED), and RG with an ED (RGED)—have been observed, with RG and RGED associated with adverse outcomes, including COPD. Objective Our aim was to determine whether circulating miRNAs from an early age in children with asthma would be prognostic of reduced lung function growth patterns over the next 16 years. Methods We performed small RNA sequencing on sera from 492 children aged 5 to 12 years with mild-to-moderate asthma from the CAMP clinical trial, who were subsequently followed for 12 to 16 years. miRNAs were assessed for differential expression between previously assigned lung function growth patterns. Results We had 448 samples and 259 miRNAs for differential analysis. In a comparison of the normal and the most severe group (ie, normal growth compared with RGED), we found 1 strongly dysregulated miRNA, hsa-miR-145-5p (P Conclusion Our results showed that miR-145-5p is associated with the ED patterns of lung function growth leading to COPD in children with asthma and additionally increases airway smooth muscle cell proliferation. This represents a significant extension of our understanding of the role of miR-145-5p in COPD and suggests that reduced expression of miR-145-5p is a risk factor for ED of long-term lung function.
Is There a Risk-Return Tradeoff? Evidence from High-Frequency Data

This paper examines the intertemporal relation between risk and return for the aggregate stock market using high-frequency data. We use daily realized, GARCH, implied, and range-based volatility estimators to determine the existence and significance of a risk-return tradeoff for several stock market indices. We find a positive and statistically significant relation between the conditional mean and conditional volatility of market returns at the daily level. This result is robust to alternative specifications of the volatility process, across different measures of market return and sample periods, and after controlling for macroeconomic variables associated with business cycle fluctuations. We also analyze the risk-return relationship over time using rolling regressions, and find that the strong positive relation persists throughout our sample period. The market risk measures adopted in the paper add power to the analysis by incorporating valuable information, either by taking advantage of high frequency intraday data (in the case of realized, GARCH, and range volatility) or by utilizing the market's expectation of future volatility (in the case of implied volatility index).
African Literature as Celebration of Culture and Philosophy: Reading of and Reflecting on Chinua Achebe's Works/Speeches

This paper is a close textual study that provides an interpretive analysis of selected speeches and works by Chinua Achebe (Africa's most celebrated writer and novelist). It is designed to highlight his subtle and subversive approach to creative writing about Africa (from the African's perspective) and his role as a professor of literature who used writing to fight racism and "set the records straight." Achebe, as an African nationalist and a philosopher of (IGBO) culture, took to writing African literature as a form of "restoration of celebration" based on the urgent historical "need to alter things" and confront European false sense of cultural superiority that was used to justify colonialism, economic exploitation and underdevelopment.
Choice for goods under threat of destruction

Abstract The choices related to preservation often involve consideration of the fate of the non-selected land. Yet, theory traditionally assumes that the fate of non-selected goods does not influence consumers’ preferences. Results from a framed field experiment involving the private choice of wine show that consumer preferences can dramatically shift for items under the threat of imminent destruction. This shift (upwards of 58% increase) may explain why conservation professionals, despite decades of scientific evidence, have failed to adopt cost-effective techniques that would yield large conservation benefits at no additional cost. Interestingly, economists exhibit similar preference shifts.
The Role of the T'ien-kan Ti-chih Terms in the Naming System of the Yin

used the Shih-chi PjL , Yin pen-chi together with appelations found in the oracle bone inscriptions to construct a genealogical table of the Yin ruling family. (See table I). The hori zontal lines indicate intergenerational succession, and the vertical lines indicate fraternal succes sion. In this genealogical table one finds that, except for the first eight rulers, all the rulers were named after one of the Ten Celestial Stems.
An examination of the finite difference numerical approach to the solution of electrochemically-induced diffusive transport at stationary solid cylinder electrodes: Single sweep voltammetry of reversible systems

Abstract Extensive computational testing of a finite-element Galerkin/B-spline (GBS) numerical model of electrochemical transport recently developed in this laboratory yielded results which agreed with predictions for planar and spherical hydrodynamics but were in disagreement with M.M. Nicholson's explicit finite difference (CEFD) model for the important case of nernstian boundary conditions at stationary solid cylinder electrodes. This disparity prompted a detailed re-examination of both models. We shown in this note that the CEFD approach was imprecise in its formulation of the first-order space derivative and was incorrect in applying established criteria for computational stability. Our re-examination of the same problem using implicit (IFD) and modified explicit finite difference (EFD) methods gave stable solutions which agreed fairly closely with each other; the GBS model agreed with the IFD solution to within ±0.3%. We are thus obliged to conclude that attempts to use the original non-dimensionalized cylindrical CEFD model to calculate concentration profiles, surface fluxes, and current-voltage curves are destined to yield incorrect results except for large radii, fast potential scan rates, or both, in which cases transport occurs essentially by planar diffusion which this model adequately describes.
THE PREPARATION OF PURIFIED PROGESTIN

An improved method for the preparation of highly purified progestin is described and chemical assay methods are discussed. The extraction procedure utilizes boiling alcohol instead of hot or cold benzene. The preferred assay method entails injection of the recently castrated adult female rabbit for 5 days followed by autopsy and histological examination of the uterus though estrin-primed immature rabbits exhibit the same sensitivity to progestin as adult animals.
Genetically modified Streptococcus mutans for the prevention of dental caries.

There are many examples of positive and negative interactions between different species of bacteria inhabiting the same ecosystem. This observation provides the basis for a novel approach to preventing microbial diseases called replacement therapy. In this approach, a harmless effector strain is permanently implanted in the host’s microflora. Once established, the presence of the effector strain prevents the colonization or outgrowth of a particular pathogen. In the case of dental caries, replacement therapy has involved construction of an effector strain called BCS3-L1, which was derived from a clinical Streptococcus mutans isolate. Recombinant DNA technology was used to delete the gene encoding lactate dehydrogenase in BCS3-L1 making it entirely deficient in lactic acid production. This effector strain was also designed to produce elevated amounts of a novel peptide antibiotic called mutacin 1140 that gives it a strong selective advantage over most other strains of S. mutans. In laboratory and rodent model studies, BCS3-L1 was found to be genetically stable and to produce no apparent deleterious side effects during prolonged colonization. BCS3-L1 was significantly less cariogenic than wild-type S. mutans in gnotobiotic rats, and it did not contribute at all to the cariogenic potential of the indigenous flora of conventional Sprague-Dawley rats. And, its strong colonization properties indicated that a single application of the BCS3-L1 effector strain to human subjects should result in its permanent implantation and displacement over time of indigenous, disease-causing S. mutans strains. Thus, BCS3-L1 replacement therapy for the prevention of dental caries is an example of biofilm engineering that offers the potential for a highly efficient, cost effective augmentation of conventional prevention strategies. It is hoped that the eventual success of replacement therapy for the prevention of dental caries will stimulate the use of this approach in the prevention of other bacterial diseases.
A 2 Gb/s ΔΣ Directly Driven Wireless Link

One-bit ΔΣ modulation in a wireless transmitter is studied as a potential candidate for multifunction broadband transmit front ends. Characterizing a single ΔΣ modulated transmit element is the first step towards a transmit array for radar/communication applications. A wireless link directly driven by a 2 Gb/s ΔΣ bit sequence is analyzed through simulation and measurement. Effects of clock jitter, asymmetrical rise/fall edges and asymmetrical rise/fall times of the digital signal are studied. A Xilinx Virtex II-Pro FPGA is used to generate the ΔΣ bit sequences. The transmit and receive antennas simultaneously perform bandpass filtering of the noise in the ΔΣ spectrum.
Adipocyte-Breast Cancer Cell Interactions: Preventive Effects of Omega-3 Fatty Acids

According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer is the most common type of cancer and the second leading cause of death among women in the United States. Menopausal women with obesity face a higher risk of developing breast cancer. Our hypothesis is that omega-3 fatty acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) regulates adipocyte-secreted factors thereby modulating breast cancer cell metabolism. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the interaction between adipocytes and breast cancer cells with emphasis on the role of omega 3 fatty acids in modulating this interaction. To accomplish this, the effects of conditioned media from 3T3L1 preadipocytes/differentiated adipocytes or human mesenchymal stem cells on MCF7 breast cancer cells and vice versa were analyzed. Cells were treated with 100μM of EPA, prior to conditioned media transfer. Conditioned media from EPA-treated adipocytes reduced interleukin-6 (IL-6) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) secretion from MCF7 cells. To further determine wh...
Is chronic nipple piercing associated with hyperprolactinemia

Literature on hyperprolactinemia in the setting of a nipple piercing is limited to individuals with concomitant breast/chest wall infection. It is unclear if chronic nipple stimulation from a piercing alone can cause sustained elevations of serum prolactin. Nipple piercing is emerging as a more mainstream societal form of body art, and the answer to this clinical question would potentially alter patient management. Our aim was to assess serum prolactin levels in subjects with nipple piercing. Inclusion criteria were as follows: men and women ≥ 18 years old with nipple piercing(s) present > 6 months. Exclusion criteria included: women who are pregnant, lactating or < 6 months postpartum; subjects on medications known to increase prolactin levels; chest wall/breast infection at the time of phlebotomy or conditions known to be associated with hyperprolactinemia. Three men and eight women were enrolled. Median (range) ages for men and women were 33 (24-42) and 27 years (23-42), respectively. All except one subject had bilateral piercings. The median interval from nipple piercing to blood draw was 4.0 (2.0-12.0) years. None of the subjects had hyperprolactinemia. Median (range) prolactin levels for men and women were 5.6 ng/mL (3.8-7.4) and 8.0 ng/mL (2.8-10.9), respectively. Our results suggest that in the absence of any concomitant infection, chronic nipple piercing is not associated with hyperprolactinemia.
Molecular Dynamics Simulation of the Human U2B Protein Complex with U2 snRNA Hairpin IV in Aqueous Solution

Abstract A 2200-ps molecular dynamics (MD) simulation of the U2 snRNA hairpin IV/U2B″ complex was performed in aqueous solution using the particle mesh Ewald method to consider long-range electrostatic interactions. To investigate the interaction and recognition process between the RNA and protein, the free energy contributions resulting from individual amino acids of the protein component of the RNA/protein complex were calculated using the recently developed glycine-scanning method. The results revealed that the loop region of the U2 snRNA hairpin IV interacted mainly with three regions of the U2B″ protein: 1) β 1-helix A, 2) β 2- β 3, and 3) β 4-helix C. U2 snRNA hairpin IV bound U2B″ in a similar orientation as that previously described for U1 snRNA with the U1A′ protein; however, the details of the interaction differed in several aspects. In particular, β 1-helix A and β 4-helix C in U2B″ were not observed to interact with RNA in the U1A′ protein complex. Most of the polar and charged residues in the interacting regions had larger mutant free energies than the nonpolar residues, indicating that electrostatic interactions were important for stabilizing the RNA/protein complex. The interaction was further stabilized by a network of hydrogen bonds and salt bridges formed between RNA and protein that was maintained throughout the MD trajectory. In addition to the direct interactions between RNA and the protein, solvent-mediated interactions also contributed significantly to complex stability. A detailed analysis of the ordered water molecules in the hydration of the RNA/protein complex revealed that bridged water molecules reside at the interface of RNA and protein as long as 2100ps in the 2200-ps trajectory. At least 20 bridged water molecules, on average, contributed to the instantaneous stability of the RNA/protein complex. The stabilizing interaction energy due to bridging water molecules was obtained from ab initio Hartree-Fock and density functional theory calculations.
Net Absorption of Dietary Phosphorus from Various Inorganic Sources and Effect of Fungal Phytase on Net Absorption of Plant Phosphorus by Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus

Year-2 channel catfish (average weight 765 g) were fed a commercial-type, all-plant diet containing supplemental phosphorus (0.40%) from one of various sources, or fungal phytase (1,000 and 3,000 units), in 1-m3 circular raceways for 21 d at a temperature of 28–30 C. Subsequently, net absorption of phosphorus from the diets was determined by the chromic oxide indicator method in which feces were collected from the rectum. Net absorption of the supplemental phosphorus was corrected for the absorbed residual phosphorus in the basal diet. Net absorption coefficients for monosodium phosphate, monoammonium phosphate, finely ground defluorinated rock phosphate and monocalcium phosphate were 88.6, 85.4, 81.7, and 81.2%, respectively, and were not significantly different. Net absorption coefficient for dicalcium phosphate was significantly lower, 74.8%, but was significantly higher than those for coarsely ground defluorinated rock phosphate and tricalcium phosphate, which were 55.1 and 54.8%, respectively. These data are in general agreement with relative bioavailability values based on growth response for channel catfish determined in other research, and should be appropriate for determining available phosphorus allowances in commercial feeds and establishing phosphorus budgets in aquaculture feeding operations. The net absorption of phosphorus from the all-plant basal diet was 31.2% and increased significantly to 55.1 and 62.5% with the addition of 1,000 and 3,000 units of fungal phytase, respectively.
Evaluation of vanadium and vanadium-base alloys in hot-trapped sodium

Corrosion tests were conducted with vanadium-base alloys in zirconium-purified sodium from 450° to 750°C for 500 to 4000 hr. The materials tested were vanadium, binary vanadium alloys containing from 10 to 40 wt pct Ti, and two ternary alloys: V-5Ti-15Cr and V-15Ti-7.5Cr. The sodium was analyzed to contain from 1.7 to 8.7 ppm O by the vacuum-distillation technique. The behavior of these materials was determined from weight change data, and from chemical, metallographic, and electron-microprobe analyses of the test specimens. At temperatures up to 650°C, the maximum weight-change varied from a weight loss of 0.45 for vanadium to a weight gain of 0.46 mg per sq dm-day for the V-40Ti alloy. Chemical analyses of the corrosion test specimens indicated that vanadium-base materials were sensitive to the activity of oxygen, carbon, and/or nitrogen in sodium. Alloys containing >10 wt pct Ti increased in oxygen, carbon, and in some tests, nitrogen content, indicating that alloys of this titanium content are not compatible with sodium of the present purity. Complex titanium carbide precipitates were observed near the surface. V-5Ti-15Cr alloy was more resistant to liquid sodium than the other vanadium materials investigated.
The vibrational spectra of crystalline pyruvoyl chloride

Abstract The complete vibrational spectra of crystalline pyruvoyl chloride have been recorded and analyzed. This compound is an unstable liquid at room temperature. It was synthesized by a known procedure and all sample handling and data gathering were carried out at low temperatures. As an aid to the assignment, pyruvoyl bromide, also an unstable liquid at room temperature, was synthesized and its low temperature i.r. spectra was recorded. A tentative vibrational assignment is proposed and this assignment and the structure of pyruvoyl chloride are compared to those of other molecules of the pyruvate class.
Supporting Real-Time Operations and Execution through Timeline and Scheduling Aids

Since 2003, the NASA Ames Research Center has been actively involved in researching and advancing the state-of-the-art of planning and scheduling tools for NASA mission operations. Our planning toolkit SPIFe (Scheduling and Planning Interface for Exploration) has supported a variety of missions and field tests, scheduling activities for Mars rovers as well as crew on-board International Space Station and NASA earth analogs. The scheduled plan is the integration of all the activities for the day/s. In turn, the agents (rovers, landers, spaceships, crew) execute from this schedule while the mission support team members (e.g., flight controllers) follow the schedule during execution. Over the last couple of years, our team has begun to research and validate methods that will better support users during realtime operations and execution of scheduled activities. Our team utilizes human-computer interaction principles to research user needs, identify workflow processes, prototype software aids, and user test these. This paper discusses three specific prototypes developed and user tested to support real-time operations: Score Mobile, Playbook, and Mobile Assistant for Task Execution (MATE).
Status Variation on Family Farms: Effects of Crop, Machinery, and Off‐farm Work1

Uncertainties facing farm enterprises place a premium on flexibility and adaptability in the work force. A study of 695 North Carolina farm couples is used to examine the extent to which 12 tasks on a farm are shared among family members and hired workers. Using husband alone as the norm, this pattern is contrasted with husband and son, husband and wife, husband and hired help, and husband and other statuses. Production, support, and household tasks are distinguished. Type of crop and amount of machinery used make a difference to status variation in production tasks, requiring more sharing on the part of the husband, but have less impact on support and household tasks. The latter are affected more by whether the husband or wife works off the farm. Despite status variation, farm work remains highly gendered; if the husband shares production work, it is with his son or a hired worker.
Thermal expansion effects and heat conduction in granular materials.

In this paper, we report results and analysis on a simulation study of the effects of thermal expansion in granular systems. We show that these effects impact the force distribution inside a two-dimensional system of disks that are subject to thermal heating under two different boundary conditions. A significant increase in the average force is observed for steel particles confined within a box with fixed walls at temperature rises of $50\text{ }\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}\text{C}$ and $100\text{ }\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}\text{C}$, respectively. As previously noted in the literature, thermal expansion also induces compaction. The results show that a systematic and controllable increase in granular packing can be induced by simply raising and then lowering the temperature, without the input of mechanical energy in agreement with previous experimental observations. We find that the evolution of the packing fraction is well described by a fractional relaxation model, which follows the Mittag-Leffler law.
Professional standards in cell and tissue processing

In the United States, standards for cell and tissue processing have been developed by a variety of professional tissue banking organizations. Several organizations, including the American Association of Tissue Banks and the Eye Bank Association of America, have accreditation programs for member institutions. Some governmental agencies, such as the New York State Department of Health and the Food and Drug Administration, have adopted strict regulations, which may subject noncompliant tissue banks to certain enforcement actions. Professional tissue banking organizations have also issued guidelines that provide recommendations for implementing efficacious policies and procedures for the acquisition, processing, storage, and distribution of tissues.
42 Diversity of phycoerythrin-containing picocyanobacteria that share the same spectral phenotype

Phycoerythrin (PE) is an important light-harvesting pigment for many marine picocyanobacteria. There are numerous spectral forms of PE, which differ in their ability to absorb blue and green wavelengths of light, depending on the precise chromophore composition. It remains unclear how the evolutionary history of this family of proteins relates to the diversity of the marine picocyanobacteria. In order to ascertain the level of diversity present in marine picocyanobacterial communities and to determine if specific spectral phenotypes are homologous or convergent, we have begun to examine the genetic diversity found in marine picocyanobacterial strains that share the same or similar spectral signatures for PE fluorescence. The strains we examined are all clonal cultures isolated from a range of environments, including the Arabian Sea and Black Sea. We report results from sequence data obtained using degenerate primers for 16S rRNA, rpoC1, and PE genes; we also examine the utility of taxonomically grouping these organisms by using physiological characteristics such as size and PE signature.
Neuron types, receptors, behavior, and taste quality.

Abstract Neurophysiological studies on chorda tympani (CT) single fibers and behavioral studies on generalization of learned aversions in hamsters ( Mesocricetus auratus ) are reviewed. The work on hamsters is compared to work on other species, including the laboratory rat and several primate species, including humans. This body of data demonstrates associations between response profiles of physiologically defined specialist CT neurons and behavioral stimulus generalizations on one hand, and characteristics of putative taste receptors, on the other. Response profiles of generalist CT neurons are similarly associated with receptor characteristics, but are not associated with specific behavioral discriminations. The associations of peripheral nerve data with both receptor and behavior strongly suggest specific codes for “sucrose-like” and “NaCl-like” taste qualities. Definitive conclusions regarding “patterns” or “labeled lines” requires an understanding of mechanisms of central neural processing of the several specialist and generalist taste-afferent inputs.
A palladium-catalyzed rearrangement of 1-vinyl-1-cyclobutanols.

Abstract 2-methyl-2-cyclopentene-1-ones are produced by treating 1-vinyl-1-cyclobutanols with bis(benzonitrile)palladium dichloride and benzoquinone in THF.
Heavy and light chain contributions to antigen binding in an anti-digoxin chain recombinant antibody produced by transfection of cloned anti-digoxin antibody genes

We used immunoglobulin gene transfection to study the effect that substituting an homologous light (L) chain for a parental L chain has on antigen fine specificity and affinity. High-affinity monoclonal anti-digoxin antibodies 26-10 and 40-100 were selected for study because their L chains are 92% homologous (although the H chains differ), and their binding with digoxin and digoxin analogs show very different properties. In order to generate a recombinant transfectoma, the genes encoding the 26-10 H and L chains were cloned. After the sequenced clones had been shown to contain the V gene and the transcriptional control elements, the H and L chain V region genes were subcloned into different expression vectors. Both constructs were transfected into myeloma J558L, a lambda 1 chain producer, to verify that the genetic constructs expressed correctly. The recombined 26-10 antibody was identical to parental 26-10 antibody in fine specificity and affinity. The 26-10 L chain construct was then transfected into a cell line, CR-101, that expresses the 40-100 H chain and a lambda 1 chain. The transfectoma 1E6, secreting 40-100 H chain and 26-10 L chain, was selected. Appropriate gene expression in 1E6 was proven by polymerase chain reaction cloning and sequencing. The fine specificity properties of the 1E6 recombinant derive from both the 40-100 and 26-10 antibodies; however, the affinity of 1E6 is 130 times less than that of the parental antibodies. We conclude that, in 1E6, the H and L chains are codominant in their influence on antigen specificity and that homologous pairing of H and L chains is required for optimal affinity.
Energies of the ground states of He, Li + , and O 6+

A complete 14-parameter calculation for the ground state of He and similar 10-parameter calculations for the ground states of ${\mathrm{Li}}^{+}$ and ${\mathrm{O}}^{6+}$ have been carried out. In addition, using the four most important of eleven terms, which were tried individually as fifteenth parameters, an 18-parameter calculation for He has been carried out but without minimizing against the scale parameter $k$. Similar 12-parameter calculations were carried out for ${\mathrm{Li}}^{+}$ and ${\mathrm{O}}^{6+}$ using the two most important terms beyond the tenth in the He calculation. As a result, the 18-parameter nonrelativistic ionization potential of He is found to be 198311.4 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. The series of 6, 10, 14, 18 parameter values appears to converge to ${198312.}_{3}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ with an error of less than 2 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. Adding the relativistic corrections yields ${198310.}_{4}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ which agrees to 0.1 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ with the latest experimental value. Considering the uncertainties of the theoretical and experimental values, the magnitude of the Lamb shift of the ground state of He (compared to ${\mathrm{He}}^{+}$) must be less than 3 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ which does not contradict present theoretical estimates. Similar agreements but within wider limits of error are found for the 12-parameter energy values of the ground states of ${\mathrm{Li}}^{+}$ and ${\mathrm{O}}^{6+}$.
Compressed sensing in photoacoustic tomography with in vivo experiments

The data acquisition speed in photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT) is limited by the laser repetition rate and the number of parallel ultrasound detecting channels. Reconstructing PACT image with a less number of measurements can effectively accelerate the data acquisition and reduce the system cost. Recently emerged Compressed Sensing (CS) theory enables us to reconstruct a compressible image with a small number of projections. This paper adopts the CS theory for reconstruction in PACT. The idea is implemented as a non-linear conjugate gradient descent algorithm and tested with phantom and in vivo experiments.
Characterization and quantification of starch in cocoa beans and chocolate products.

Average starch content was 5.30%, range 4.50-7.00%, for 12 lots of cocoa beans representing major geographic regions of production. Starch content of beans increased as the fruit grew and ripened. An increase in starch content was also observed during fermentation, probably due to loss of soluble solids through exudative sweating. Characteristics of isolated starch were identical, irrespective of bean source. Granule size varied from 2 μm to 12.5 μm, with 80% being 2 pm to 6 pm in diameter. Gelatinization started at 61°C and was completed by 68°C. Cocoa starch was 36% amylose and 64% amylopectin. Dutching (alkali treatment) did not affect starch content. Among products analyzed, starch contents were: cocoa, 16%; chocolate liquor, 7%; dark chocolate, 3%; milk chocolate, 1%. Starch measurements for milk chocolate suggest some form of complexing between milk protein and cocoa starch.
A general method for purification of H1 histones that are active for repression of basal RNA polymerase II transcription

H1 histones were purified from extracts of salt-treated nuclei as a co-product of RNA polymerase II transcription factors from both Drosophila embryos and HeLa cells by a simple and general method. This procedure was also used to purify H1 as co-product of the core histones from calf thymus. The key steps in this purification exploit the solubility of H1 in 2.26 M ammonium sulfate and the chromatographic properties of the highly charged H1 molecules on a phenyl-Sepharose resin. H1 that is prepared by this procedure is active for in vitro repression of basal RNA polymerase II transcription. This method provides a new means of purifying H1 by a mild procedure that is likely to be generally useful for studies of transcription and chromatin structure.
An RNA binding motif in the Cbp2 protein required for protein-stimulated RNA catalysis.

Abstract The fifth and terminal intron of yeast cytochromeb pre-mRNA (a group I intron) requires a protein encoded by the nuclear gene CBP2 for splicing. Because catalysis is intrinsic to the RNA, the protein is believed to promote formation of secondary and tertiary structure of the RNA, resulting in a catalytically competent intron. In vitro, this mitochondrial intron can be made to self-splice or undergo protein-facilitated splicing by varying the Mg2+ and monovalent salt concentrations. This two-component system, therefore, provides a good model for understanding the role of proteins in RNA folding. A UV cross-linking experiment was initiated to identify RNA binding sites on Cbp2 and gain insights into Cbp2-intron interactions. A 12-amino acid region containing a presumptive contact site near the amino terminus was targeted for mutagenesis, and mutant proteins were characterized for RNA binding and stimulation of splicing. Mutations in this region resulted in partial or complete loss of function, demonstrating the importance of this determinant for stimulation of RNA splicing. Several of the mutations that severely reduced splicing did not significantly shift the overall binding isotherm of Cbp2 for the precursor RNA, suggesting that contacts critical for activity are not necessarily reflected in the dissociation constant. This analysis has identified a unique RNA binding motif of alternating basic and aromatic residues that is essential for protein facilitated splicing.
Expert capnogram analysis

A real-time expert system that deciphers CO/sub 2/ waveforms (capnograms) is described. The Capnogram Analyzer Expert System (CAES) was designed using both traditional pattern-recognition methods and an artificial intelligence (AI) approach for signal description and classification. The pattern-recognition technique is used to extract features from the digitized CO/sub 2/ waveforms. The AI approach involves abstracting CO/sub 2/ waveforms from numeric representation to higher-level symbolic representation and a so-called reasoning step to analyze the symbolic data. The CAES consists of three essential components: segmentation, single breath cycle identification and waveform classification. Each component is an expert in itself and is responsible for abstracting the waveform information from a lower level to a higher level using its own domain-specific knowledge base. >
Comparatively high in-field critical current in type-II superconductors from heterogeneous columnar pins: A molecular dynamics study

Abstract Theoretical work predicts that the strong dependence of T c on pure shear strain within the a – b plane of optimally doped YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7− δ results in heterogenous columnar pins of vortex lines about dislocation lines and about nano-columns inclusions aligned in parallel to the c axis. The critical current of a rigid vortex lattice driven by the Lorentz force in the presence of such clusters of pin/antipin lines is computed using two-dimensional (2D) collective pinning theory and by numerical simulation of the corresponding 2D vortex dynamics. Both theory and computer calculation find that the antipin component of the heterogenous columnar pins contributes substantially to the net in-field critical current.
Skeletal muscle tissue transcriptome differences in lean and obese female beagle dogs

Summary Skeletal muscle is a large and insulin-sensitive tissue that is an important contributor to metabolic homeostasis and energy expenditure. Many metabolic processes are altered with obesity, but the contribution of muscle tissue in this regard is unclear. A limited number of studies have compared skeletal muscle gene expression of lean and obese dogs. Using microarray technology, our objective was to identify genes and functional classes differentially expressed in skeletal muscle of obese (14.6 kg; 8.2 body condition score; 44.5% body fat) vs. lean (8.6 kg; 4.1 body condition score; 22.9% body fat) female beagle adult dogs. Alterations in 77 transcripts was observed in genes pertaining to the functional classes of signaling, transport, protein catabolism and proteolysis, protein modification, development, transcription and apoptosis, cell cycle and differentiation. Genes differentially expressed in obese vs. lean dog skeletal muscle indicate oxidative stress and altered skeletal muscle cell differentiation. Many genes traditionally associated with lipid, protein and carbohydrate metabolism were not altered in obese vs. lean dogs, but genes pertaining to endocannabinoid metabolism, insulin signaling, type II diabetes mellitus and carnitine transport were differentially expressed. The relatively small response of skeletal muscle could indicate that changes are occurring at a post-transcriptional level, that other tissues (e.g., adipose tissue) were buffering skeletal muscle from metabolic dysfunction or that obesity-induced changes in skeletal muscle require a longer period of time and that the length of our study was not sufficient to detect them. Although only a limited number of differentially expressed genes were detected, these results highlight genes and functional classes that may be important in determining the etiology of obesity-induced derangement of skeletal muscle function.
Stress relaxation and dynamic viscoelastic properties of end‐linked poly(dimethyl siloxane) networks containing unattached poly(dimethyl siloxane)

Stress relaxation in uniaxial extension and dynamic shear moduli G′ and G″ have been studied in networks of vinyl-terminated poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) of five different molecular weights (Mn from 1800 to 29,200) crosslinked with cis-dichlorobis (diethyl sulfide) platinum (II) and containing 10 and 15 wt % of two samples of high-molecular-weight unattached linear hydroxyl-terminated PDMS (Mw 700,000 and 950,000). The Mw/Mn ratio of both the network prepolymers and the unattached linear species was approximately 2. In stress relaxation the stretch ratio was 1.25 or less and the shear relaxation modulus was calculated from the neo-Hookean stress-strain relation. In the dynamic measurements, the strain amplitude was 15% or less; after conversion to the timedependent shear relaxation modulus G(t) the two sets of measurements were combined and the contribution of the unattached species G1(t) was calculated by difference. After multiplication by (1 − v)−1G/Ge, where v2 is the volume fraction of network, G is the plateau modulus of the uncrosslinked polymer, and Ge is the equilibrium modulus of the network containing unattached molecules, G1(t) was compared with G11(t), the relaxation modulus was essentially the same in both environments. The relaxation was slower in the networks than in the uncrosslinked polymer by 1 to 2 orders of magnitude, and it increased gradually with increasing Ge, which is a measure of total to pological obstacles represented by crosslinks plus trapped entanglements. A similar but less striking difference between relaxation in a network and in the homologous environment of a linear polymer was previously observed in end-linked polybutadiene networks and the butadiene phase of a styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer. It appears that, in these systems where the topology of the obstacles is fixed, the reptation is severely restricted or else alternative modes of configurational rearrangement which contribute to relaxation in the uncrosslinked polymer are suppressed.
Colony Location Algorithm for multiobjective assignment problem with application to e-Brokerage

Trade matching problem of e-brokerage can be described by a multiobjective assignment model. To solve the problem, we propose a novel artificial-life based algorithm, colony location algorithm (CLA). It mimics the growth process with resource competition. By using fertilization operation, the growth of the colonies located at right fields can be encouraged. Thus, the optimal solution can be found when the colonies all locate on the right fields. The computational example from an experimental website of e-brokerage has proven that CLS can achieve a Pareto optimal solution without the information of the preference structure of decision makers. It provides an alternative method for multiobjective optimization problems.