cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of phosphorus content on grain boundary cementite formation in AISI 52100 steel

Intergranular fracture surfaces of high phosphorus (0.023 wt pct P) and low phosphorus (0.009 wt pct P) AISI 52100 steels were investigated by Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES). Cementite, identified by composition and Auger peak shape, was found to form on austenite boundaries in specimens oil quenched from 960 °C to room temperature as well as in specimens quenched from 960 °C and isothermally held at temperatures between Acm and A1. Phosphorus segregates to austenite boundaries during austenitizing and accelerates cementite formation on the austenite boundaries. Concentration profiles obtained by AES during ion sputtering showed that phosphorus may be incorporated in the first-formed cementite and concentrates at cementite/matrix interfaces in later stages of cementite growth. The amount of interphase P segregation in the later stages is proportional to bulk alloy P concentration in accord with McLean’s theory of grain boundary segregation in dilute alloys and appears to approach equilibrium at high reaction temperatures (785 °C). At lower reaction temperatures (740 °C), the interphase segregation is lower than expected, a result that may be attributed to reduced diffusivity of P at the lower reaction temperature.
Choosing Assessment Instruments for Depression Outcome Research With School‐Age Youth

Using effect size results from Erford et al.'s (2011) meta-analysis for treatment of depression in school-age youth, the authors analyzed 6 commonly used instruments for practical and technical strengths and weaknesses. Effect size estimates from these 6 instruments were compared to indicate likely results when used in future depression outcome research.
A Training Model for School, Family, and Community Collaboration

Several authors emphasize the importance of multidisciplinary approaches to working with students, families, and their communities. However, existing school—community collaboration programs have not provided a model for direct clinical services to families using collaborative partnerships with counselors. The authors propose one training model that would allow counselors from different specialties to work together as clinicians, with families, as they provide Parent Education programs.
A framework for linguistic relevance feedback in content-based image retrieval using fuzzy logic

We describe a new approach for exploiting relevance feedback in content-based image retrieval (CBIR). In our approach to relevance feedback we try to capture more of the users' relevance judgments by allowing the use of natural language like comments on the retrieved images. Using methods from fuzzy logic and computational intelligence we are able to reflect these comments into new targets for searching the image database. Such enhanced information is utilized to develop a system that can provide more effective and efficient retrieval.
On-Line Processing of Filler–Gap Constructions in Aphasia

Abstract Two experiments were conducted exploring on-line processing of filler–gap constructions in aphasia. An auditory–auditory lexical decision paradigm was used to investigate whether Broca's and Wernicke's aphasic patients show, as do normals, reactivation of the filler at the gap site. Experiment I investigated the processing of a number of filler–gap constructions including wh-questions, relative clauses as subject, relative clauses as object, and embedded wh-questions. Broca's aphasics showed reactivation of the filler at the gap site, whereas Wernicke's aphasics did not. Experiment II examined object relative clauses and their processing by Broca's aphasics. In addition, we investigated whether the presence (or absence) of the relative pronoun played any role in on-line processing. Broca's aphasics performed as did normals. In addition, their performance was unaffected by the presence or absence of the relative pronoun. The results of these experiments suggest that Broca's aphasics do not have an impairment in processing or representing thematic relationships of NP arguments to predicates or relating traces to their antecedents.
Limit behavior and genericity for nonlinear control systems

Abstract For nonlinear control systems of the form ẋ = X0(x)+Σmi=1ui(t)Xi(x) with constrained control range U ⊂ R m the limit behavior of the trajectories is analyzed. The limit sets are closely related to regions of the state space where the system is controllable. In particular, under a rank condition on the linear span of the derived vectorfields on a limit set, this limit set is contained in the interior of a control set. This result is a mathematical basis for the control of complicated behavior. It also allows the characterization of Morse sets of a differential equation as intersections of topologically transitive sets of control systems. Topological genericity theorems classify the possible limit behavior of a control system for open and dense sets in U × M, where U is the space of admissible control functions, and M is the state space. The methods are a combination of control theoretic arguments and chain transitivity for the control flow on U × M. The results are applied to the Lorenz equations, showing that its strange attractor is contained in a region of controllability, in which its dynamics can be altered, e.g., to yield periodic motions.
Opportunistic content pushing via WiFi hotspots

Metro WiFi networks can be potentially leveraged to offload data traffic from congested cellular networks. In this paper, we design a content pushing system which pushes the content to mobile users through opportunistic WiFi connections. The system responds a user's pending requests or predicted users' future requests, codes these requested contents by using Fountain codes, predicts the user's routes, and prelocates the coded content to the WiFi access points along the user's routes. The content prelocation scheme is based on an order-2 Markov predictor and the connection duration statistics. Through simulations, we show that a significant amount of content can be delivered to mobile users through the proposed system.
The anocellate, flightless genus Lojus McDonald (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae)

The genus Lojus is unique among Western Hemisphere members of the subfamily Pentatominae in lacking ocelli. The only other stinkbugs which lack ocelli are brachypter-ous, which is not the case in Lojus . However, species of Lojus lack hind wings and are, therefore, flightless. Its generic relationships and tribal classification in the Pentatominae are discussed. A key to the species of the genus is provided, including the 2 newly described species, L. brettlizorum and L. ateuchus , from Costa Rica and Ecuador, respectively.
Defective Mre11-dependent activation of Chk2 by ataxia telangiectasia mutated in colorectal carcinoma cells in response to replication-dependent DNA double strand breaks.

The Mre11·Rad50·Nbs1 (MRN) complex binds DNA double strand breaks to repair DNA and activate checkpoints. We report MRN deficiency in three of seven colon carcinoma cell lines of the NCI Anticancer Drug Screen. To study the involvement of MRN in replication-mediated DNA double strand breaks, we examined checkpoint responses to camptothecin, which induces replication-mediated DNA double strand breaks after replication forks collide with topoisomerase I cleavage complexes. MRN-deficient cells were deficient for Chk2 activation, whereas Chk1 activation was independent of MRN. Chk2 activation was ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM)-dependent and associated with phosphorylation of Mre11 and Nbs1. Mre11 complementation in MRN-deficient HCT116 cells restored Chk2 activation as well as Rad50 and Nbs1 levels. Conversely, Mre11 down-regulation by small interference RNA (siRNA) in HT29 cells inhibited Chk2 activation and down-regulated Nbs1 and Rad50. Proteasome inhibition also restored Rad50 and Nbs1 levels in HCT116 cells suggesting that Mre11 stabilizes Rad50 and Nbs1. Chk2 activation was also defective in three of four MRN-proficient colorectal cell lines because of low Chk2 levels. Thus, six of seven colon carcinoma cell lines from the NCI Anticancer Drug Screen are functionally Chk2-deficient in response to replication-mediated DNA double strand breaks. We propose that Mre11 stabilizes Nbs1 and Rad50 and that MRN activates Chk2 downstream from ATM in response to replication-mediated DNA double strand breaks. Chk2 deficiency in HCT116 is associated with defective S-phase checkpoint, prolonged G2 arrest, and hypersensitivity to camptothecin. The high frequency of MRN and Chk2 deficiencies may contribute to genomic instability and therapeutic response to camptothecins in colorectal cancers.
Prediction of Flow Dynamics over Cavities by Detached Eddy Simulation

In this investigation, the flow simulation over different types of cavities (twoand three-dimensional) was performed. The effect of turbulence was implemented with detached-eddy simulation using the Spalart–Allmaras one-equation model. Initially, the flow behavior was investigated and compared for open and closed cavities. In the sound pressure level spectra of the closed cavity, only the broadband noise can be observed, while in the open-cavity case, it consisted of harmonic frequency peaks. Results of the twoand three-dimensional computations were compared with each other and with the available experimental data. It was observed that the results of threedimensional simulations comparedwell with the experimental data, and the amplitude of the pressure fluctuations in the two-dimensional case was larger than in the three-dimensional model. Moreover, the pressure fluctuation of the two-dimensional cavity was more periodic than that of the three-dimensional case. Subsequently, a cavity with two circular openings on top, representing a landing gear housing, was investigated. Results show that the existence of these openings changes the characteristics of the flow inside the cavity, and the computed frequencies differ from the results calculated by the Rossiter semi-empirical formula.
Carnitine Palmitoyltransferase: Effects of Diabetes, Fasting, and pH on the Reaction That Generates Acyl CoA

Abstract Although carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT) has received considerable attention, particularly its regulation by malonyl CoA, most studies have monitored the forward reaction, ie, the formation of acylcarnitine. We examined the opposite or reverse reaction, in which palmitoyl CoA is generated, in osmotically-disrupted rat hepatic mitochondria. Specifically, the effects of pH, fasting, and untreated recent-onset diabetes were investigated. As with the forward (f) reaction, the CPT reverse (r) velocity v pH curve was somewhat parabolic with a pH maximum at approximately 7.2 (except the CPT that was from the diabetic rats). However, as the pH rose, the CPT reverse and forward curves diverged due to a precipitous decline in the forward reaction. This discordance in rates in the alkaline range was apparent in all three groups of CPT but was most prominent in the diabetic preparation (for example, as the pH increased from 7.3 to 8.8, the respective declines in the f and r velocites were 74% and 2%). In addition, under our assay conditions the CPTr from diabetic rats not only had a higher velocity (55.4 ± 1.4 nmol/min/mg protein) than that from the fed (32.1 ± 3.1) or fasted (43.1 ± 3.4) animals, but also the Vmax was found to be twofold greater, even though there was no difference in the Km for palmitoylcarnitine. In summary, diabetes affects the kinetics of the reverse reaction and, regardless of the animal's premortem condition, but more so in the diabetes, this reaction is less attenuated than the forward one as the pH rises.
Boundary Layer and Mesoscale Structure over Lake Michigan during a Wintertime Cold Air Outbreak

Abstract An investigation of a cloud-topped boundary layer during a wintertime cold air outbreak over Lake Michigan has been conducted based on research aircraft 1 and 20 Hz data for five vertically-stacked levels within the boundary layer. Mean east-west cross sections for this northerly flow event have been prepared for heat, moisture, and momentum fields along with spectral decomposition and turbulent flux statistics. Results have been interpreted on the basis of three generalized spatial domains: mesoscale ≥5 km, large eddies from 100 m to <5 km, and higher frequency turbulence <100 m. Mesoscale structures identified in the mean cross-sections include the lower Michigan land breeze, a strong offshore convergence snow band, cloud streets and precipitation bands over the lake, and entrainment spikes in the vicinity of the inversion layer. Analyses of particle concentrations, sizes, and liquid water content have also been presented in mean cross sections, which correspond well with all identifiable mesos...
A strategic framework for defining and segmenting markets

A market consists of customers (actual and potential), needs, products, technologies and competitors. One of the most difficult challenges managers face is how to define relevant and pre‐segmented markets. A market definition too narrow limits potential opportunities; one too large leads to mass marketing thinking and can make an organization's efforts and resources seem almost insignificant. This article reviews useful market terminology and explains how a field‐tested, multipartite framework which is rooted in the strategic marketing literature can be used for developing practical and optimal market definitions and segmentation approaches for business and high‐tech companies. In addition, managenal and academic implications of this new approach are presented.
Effects of grazing management practices on parasite load and weight gain of beef cattle

Stocking rate, method of grazing (rotational vs. continuous) and supplementation are three grazing management variables which strongly affect weight gain of beef cattle. However, reports on the interaction between these variables and parasitism in beef cattle are often conflicting or not conclusive. Although several studies have shown increased parasite loads with increased stocking rates, few studies have included animals treated and untreated with anthelmintics at several stocking rates. Those that did have this treatment combination did not show greater response in weight gain to treatment with anthelmintics at high stocking rates than at low stocking rates. Experiments designed to investigate the effect of rotational and continuous grazing on parasitism have provided variable results. However, as the high stock densities associated with rotational grazing will probably cause animals to graze closer to the ground and to dung pats, and to spread dung more with their hooves, it is not likely that rotational grazing will reduce the need for chemotherapy. Some studies have shown reduced parasite loads with supplementation of untreated animals, but none has apparently investigated whether weight gain response to treatment with anthelmintics is greater for non-supplemented animals than for supplemented animals. Published studies on the interaction between management factors and parasitism in grazing animals reveal many weaknesses. Elimination of these weaknesses and cognisance of recent trends in design and conduct of grazing experiments will substantially improve the quality and value of research in this field.
Cobalamin-dependent and cobamide-dependent methyltransferases.

Methyltransferases that employ cobalamin cofactors, or their analogs the cobamides, as intermediates in catalysis of methyl transfer play vital roles in energy generation in anaerobic unicellular organisms. In a broader range of organisms they are involved in the conversion of homocysteine to methionine. Although the individual methyl transfer reactions catalyzed are simple S N 2 displacements, the required change in coordination at the cobalt of the cobalamin or cobamide cofactors and the lability of the reduced Co +1 intermediates introduces the necessity for complex conformational changes during the catalytic cycle. Recent spectroscopic and structural studies on several of these methyltransferases have helped to reveal the strategies by which these conformational changes are facilitated and controlled.
Products of the reaction of peroxyacetyl nitrate with sulfhydryl compounds.

Abstract Peroxyacetyl nitrate reacts with reduced glutathione producing oxidized glutathione and S -acetyl glutathione. Reaction of peroxyacetyl nitrate with reduced coenzyme A results in the formation of coenzyme A disulfide, accounting for 35–45% of the reacted sulfhydryl. The remaining products can be separated by ion exchange chromatography and are probably higher oxidation states. There is no evidence of formation of S -acetyl coenzyme A. The distribution of products obtained by treatment of coenzyme A with peroxyacetyl nitrate is similar to that obtained by treatment of coenzyme A with hydrogen peroxide. Treatment of proteins with peroxyacetyl nitrate has not provided any evidence of acetylation of sulfhydryl groups detectable by the hydroxamate test. Intramolecular disulfide bonds are formed by treatment of reduced ribonuclease with peroxyacetyl nitrate but no evidence has been obtained in favor of formation of intermolecular disulfide bonds.
Genetics of Male Infertility

Genetics play an important role in the evaluation of the infertile male. The current limitations of classifying the genetic contribution to male infertility and the importance of phenotyping men are discussed, and the core concepts necessary to interpret most genetic studies are reviewed. The current genetic assays used clinically are discussed in detail. The use and interpretation of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane receptor assay are examined in the context of men with clinical bilateral absence of the vas deferens, a karyotype and Klinefelter syndrome, and Y chromosome microdeletions. The role of hormones and epigenetics in evaluating the genetic reproductive potential of men is discussed briefly. A summary of what the field might look like in 2034 is presented.
Twist effects on the mechanical behaviour of Kevlar 29/epoxy strands

Influence de torsion sur la resistance de fibres de Kevlar 29 impregnees de resine epoxyde et sur le module. Comparaison avec des fibres non impregnees
Nasolacrimal Duct Probing in Infants

Use of a fiberoptic endoscope to visualize the vault of the inferior turbinate during lacrimal duct probing and irrigation revealed a high incidence of false passages. This was confirmed on dacryocystofluoroscopy. The creation of false passages as documented by us can help explain clinical probing failure in apparently successful probings in which "metal on metal" is felt in the nose.
Treatment of Wilms' tumour. Current recommendations.

Wilms’ tumour (nephroblastoma, renal embryoma) is the fifth most common paediatric malignancy, arising from the embryonal tissue of kidneys and first formally described by Max Wilms in his classic 1899 monograph. Until the early part of this century, Wilms’ tumour was associated with a less than 20% survival rate. The current survival rate exceeds 80%, primarily due to large multi-institutional trials such as the National Wilms’ Tumor Study (NWTS). These studies have refined and defined the roles of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation in treating Wilms’ tumour, based on staging and histology. The dramatic improvement in the prognosis for children with Wilms’ tumour, especially over the past 20 years, represents a landmark achievement in the history of paediatric oncology.
Acute hemodynamic effects of increasing hemoglobin concentration in children with a right to left ventricular shunt and relative anemia

The short-term effects of increasing hemoglobin concentration were evaluated at cardiac catheterization in seven children (aged 0.3 to 7.5 years) with a right to left ventricular shunt and relative anemia. Diagnoses were tetralogy of Fallot in six and L-transposition of the great vessels with ventricular septal defect and pulmonary stenosis in one. Before and 20 minutes after isovolumic partial exchange transfusion with 20 ml/kg packed red cells, the following variables were measured: hemoglobin, partial pressure of oxygen (PO2), oxygen consumption, oxygen saturation and pressure in the aorta, superior vena cava and right and left atria. After partial exchange transfusion, hemoglobin increased from 13.7 ± 0.5 to 16.4 ± 0.4 g/100 ml (p Thus, an increased hemoglobin concentration in seven children with right to left ventricular shunt and relative anemia decreased the right to left shunt and increased effective pulmonary blood flow, aortic oxygen saturation, PO2and oxygen transport. These short-term effects appear to be related to the increase in systemic resistance after partial exchange transfusion. Correction of relative anemia in children with a right to left ventricular shunt may have significant hemodynamic benefits.
Location of the X inactivation center in primates and other mammals

In humans, the X chromosome inactivation center and an X inactivation-associated metaphase fold are at the same location (bands Xq13----21) or are very closely associated. In other mammals, the location of the X inactivation center is unknown, but it has been suggested that the relationship between the inactivation center and the inactivation-associated fold may make it a useful marker for both identifying the inactivated X and locating the inactivation center in other mammalian species. If a similar metaphase fold is present in other mammals, the inactivation center would be located at the same site or very nearby. All of nine primate species did express an inactivation-associated fold. In most, the fold was located at the band homologous to human Xq13----q21. In one of two chimpanzees, band Xq23----q24 was implicated. In five other mammals an inactivation-associated fold was observed, but in two species, no fold was observed.
Synthesis of Stabilizing Antiwindup Controllers Using Piecewise Quadratic Lyapunov Functions

We consider the problem of antiwindup controller synthesis based on the general antiwindup framework presented in Kothare (Automatica, vol. 30, no. 12, pp. 1869-1883, 1994) applicable to linear time-invariant systems (LTI) subject to a saturating actuator. Our synthesis approach takes advantage of the fact that the antiwindup system is a piecewise affine system and thus, we can utilize piecewise quadratic Lyapunov function theory Johansson and Rantzer (IEEE Trans. Autom. Control, vol. 43, no. 4, pp. 555-559, Apr. 1998), Rantzer and Johansson (IEEE Trans. Autom. Control, vol. 45, no. 4, pp. 629-637, Apr. 2000), and Johansson (Proc. 14th World Congr., Beijing, China, 1999, pp. 521-5260) to determine a stabilizing antiwindup control law. The synthesis problem is expressed in terms of bilinear matrix inequalities (BMIs) and is solved using an iterative approach as well as using commercial software. The performance of the system is optimized by minimizing an upper bound on the induced gain of the system. The proposed approach is demonstrated using examples.
Characteristics of chromosomal abnormalities diagnosed after spontaneous abortions in an infertile population

Purpose To estimate the prevalence of chromosomally abnormal related miscarriages in an infertile population.
Next-generation AMLCD microdisplays

We report on the next generation of transmissive liquid crystal micro-display technology based on single-crystal Si backplane. The demand for ultra-high resolutions in combination with optimization of size, weight, and power are driving Kopin AMLCD to resolutions as high as 2k x 2k. Several key developments are driving the aggressive development of higher density, lower power AMLCD displays. We will review display performance improvements resulting from a transition to 8" Si wafer processing, including smaller design rules and multi-level metal processing. In addition, we will describe new technologies enabling ultra-low power consumption, wide operating temperature range, and "Instant-On" display performance at temperatures as low as -40° C. We will discuss how these technologies are combined in advanced micro-displays, which are enabling the next generation of ruggedized imaging applications.
Disk brake squeal prediction using the ABLE algorithm

Abstract Disk brake squeal noise is mainly due to unstable friction-induced vibration. A typical disk brake system includes two pads, a rotor, a caliper and a piston. In order to predict if a disk brake system will generate squeal, the finite element method (FEM) is used to simulate the system. At the contact interfaces between the pads and the rotor, the normal displacement is continuous and Coulomb's friction law is applied. Thus, the resulting FEM matrices of the dynamic system become unsymmetric, which will yield complex eigenvalues. Any complex eigenvalue with a positive real part indicates an unstable mode, which may result in squeal. In real-world applications, the FEM model of a disk brake system usually contains tens of thousands of degrees of freedom (d.o.f.s). Therefore any direct eigenvalue solver based on the dense matrix data structure cannot efficiently perform the analysis, mainly due to its huge memory requirement and long computation time. It is well known that the FEM matrices are generally sparse and hence only the non-zeros of the matrices need to be stored for eigenvalue analysis. A recently developed iterative method named ABLE is used in this paper to search for any unstable modes within a certain user-specified frequency range. The complex eigenvalue solver ABLE is based on an adaptive block Lanczos method for sparse unsymmetric matrices. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the formulation and the eigenvalues are compared to the results from the component modal synthesis (CMS).
Evaluating a statewide school‐linked services initiative: California's Healthy Start

The policy, political, fiscal, and logistic contexts of California's Healthy Start initiative are described, along with the choices made in accommodating those contexts in the evaluation design and implementation.
Asymptotic behavior of a system of interacting nuclear-space-valued stochastic differential equations driven by Poisson random measures

In this paper we study a system of interacting stochastic differential equations taking values in duals of nuclear spaces driven by Poisson random measures. We also consider the McKean-Vlasov equation associated with the system. We show that under suitable conditions the system has a unique solution and the sequence of its empirical distributions converges to the solution of the McKean-Vlasov equation when the size of the system tends to infinity. The results are applied to the voltage potentials of a large system of neurons and the limiting distribution of the empirical measure is obtained.
New method for solving Boltzmann's equation for electrons in metals

A new set of basis functions is introduced, consisting of products of Fermi-surface harmonics ${F}_{J}(k)$ and polynomials ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{n}(\ensuremath{\epsilon})$ in the energy $\frac{(\ensuremath{\epsilon}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\mu})}{{k}_{B}T}$. The former are orthonormal on the Fermi surface, and the latter are orthonormal with weight function $\ensuremath{-}\frac{\ensuremath{\partial}f}{\ensuremath{\partial}\ensuremath{\epsilon}}$. In terms of this set the exact semiclassical Boltzmann equation takes a particularly simple form, giving a matrix equation which can probably be truncated at low order to high accuracy. The connection with variational methods is simple. Truncating at a 1 \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} 1 matrix gives the usual variational solution where ${\ensuremath{\varphi}}_{k}$ is assumed proportional to ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{\mathrm{kx}}$ for electrical conductivity and $(\ensuremath{\epsilon}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\mu}){\ensuremath{\nu}}_{\mathrm{kx}}$ for thermal conductivity. Explicit equations are given for the matrix elements ${Q}_{Jn,{J}^{\ensuremath{'}}{n}^{\ensuremath{'}}}$ of the scattering operator for the case of phonon scattering, and a perturbation formula for $\ensuremath{\rho}$ is given which is accurate for weak anisotropy. The matrix elements are simple integrals over spectral functions ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}^{2}(\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{},J,{J}^{\ensuremath{'}})F(\ensuremath{\Omega})$ which generalize the electron-phonon spectral function ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}^{2}F(\ensuremath{\Omega})$ used in superconductivity theory. Analogies are described between Boltzmann theory and Eliashberg theory for ${T}_{c}$ of superconductors. The intimate relations between high-temperature resistance and the $s$- or $p$-wave transition temperature are made explicit.
Sensor fusion based seek-and-find fire algorithm for intelligent firefighting robot

Finding a fire fast is crucial in firefighting. For risky situations, it would be idealistic to send a firefighting robot that could quickly and efficiently find the fire and suppress it. This paper introduces an algorithm developed for an intelligent firefighting mobile robot to find a fire efficiently by fusing long wave infrared camera, ultraviolet radiation sensor, and LIDAR. For its validation, an experimental test-bed was constructed with a hallway and two rooms, with one of the rooms containing a real size fire created by propane gas. The robot immediately calculates its path towards the fire, moves towards it avoiding obstacles, and ultimately finds the fire. When the fire is out, the robot returns to its original starting place.
Relative Quantitation of Neuropeptides over a Thousand-fold Concentration Range

Neuropeptides are essential cell-to-cell signaling molecules that influence diverse regulatory and behavioral functions within biological systems. Differing in their amino acid sequences and post-translational modifications, hundreds of neuropeptides are produced via a series of enzymatic processing steps, and their levels vary with location, time, and physiological condition. Due to their wide range of endogenous concentrations and inherent chemical complexity, using mass spectrometry (MS) to accurately quantify changes in peptide levels can be challenging. Here we evaluate three different MS systems for their ability to accurately measure neuropeptide levels: capillary liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-ion trap (CapLC-ESI-IT) MS, ultraperformance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-quadrupole-time-of-flight (UPLC-LC-ESI-Q-TOF) MS, and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) MS. Specifically, eight sample mixtures composed of five neuropeptide standards, with four technical replicates of each, were labeled with H4/D4-succinic anhydride, followed by relative peptide quantitation using the three MS platforms. For these samples, the CapLC-ESI-IT MS platform offered the most robust ability to accurately quantify peptides over a concentration range of 1200-fold, although it required larger sample sizes than the other two platforms. Both the UPLC-ESI-Q-TOF MS and the MALDI-TOF MS systems had lower limits of quantification, with the MALDI-TOF having the lowest. By implementing several data acquisition schemes and optimizing the data analysis approaches, we were able to accurately quantify peptides over a three orders of magnitude concentration range using either the UPLC or MALDI-TOF platforms. Overall these results increase our understanding of both the capabilities and limits of using MS-based approaches to measure peptides.
Safety assessment of near infrared light emitting diodes for diffuse optical measurements.

Background: Near infrared (NIR) light has been used widely to monitor important hemodynamic parameters in tissue non-invasively. Pulse oximetry, near infrared spectroscopy, and diffuse optical tomography are examples of such NIR light-based applications. These and other similar applications employ either lasers or light emitting diodes (LED) as the source of the NIR light. Although the hazards of laser sources have been addressed in regulations, the risk of LED sources in such applications is still unknown. Methods: Temperature increase of the human skin caused by near infrared LED has been measured by means of in-vivo and in-vitro experiments. Effects of the conducted and radiated heat in the temperature increase have been analyzed separately. Results: Elevations in skin temperature up to 10°C have been observed. The effect of radiated heat due to NIR absorption is low – less than 0.5°C – since emitted light power is comparable to the NIR part of sunlight. The conducted heat due to semiconductor junction of the LED can cause temperature increases up to 9°C. It has been shown that adjusting operational parameters by amplitude modulating or time multiplexing the LED decreases the temperature increase of the skin significantly. Conclusion: In this study, we demonstrate that the major risk source of the LED in direct contact with skin is the conducted heat of the LED semiconductor junction, which may cause serious skin burns. Adjusting operational parameters by amplitude modulating or time multiplexing the LED can keep the LED within safe temperature ranges.
Family-Centered Professional Behavior: Frequency and Importance to Parents

This article reports on a study assessing parents' perceptions of the importance and frequency of family-centered behaviors. A nationwide sample of caregivers of children with emotional and behavioral disorders, developmental disabilities, or chronic health problems completed the Family-Centered Behavior Scale, a measurement of the construct of family-centered service delivery. The differences in ratings between caregivers of children with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) and parents of children with other disabilities on the frequency and importance of behaviors exhibited by professionals are described. Results indicate strong agreement between the two groups on which behaviors they consider to be most important, but those behaviors are performed much less frequently, according to caregivers, by professionals serving children with EBD. These results indicate that more intensive training of service professionals and more research about the effectiveness of family-centered practices may be necessary if long-standing professional approaches to this population are to be reversed.
Demographic effects on estimates of automatic face recognition performance

The intended applications of automatic face recognition systems include venues that vary widely in demographic diversity. Formal evaluations of algorithms do not commonly consider the effects of population diversity on performance. We document the effects of racial and gender demographics on the accuracy of algorithms that match identity in pairs of face images. In particular, we focus on the effects of the “background” population distribution of non-matched identities against which identity matches are compared. The algorithm we tested was created by fusing three of the top performers from a recent US Government competition. First, we demonstrate the variability of algorithm performance estimates when the non-matched identities were demographically “yoked” by race and/or gender (i.e., “yoking” constrains non-matched pairs to be of the same race or gender). We also found a shift in the match threshold required to maintain a stable false positive rate when demographic control scenarios varied. These results were verified with two independent data sets that differed in demographic characteristics. In a second experiment, we explored the effects of progressive increases in population diversity on algorithm performance. We found systematic, but non-general, effects when the balance between majority and minority populations of non-matched identities shifted. Finally, we show that identity match accuracy differs substantially when the non-match identity population varied by race. The results indicate the importance of the demographic composition and modeling of the background population in predicting the accuracy of face recognition algorithms.
Age onset of psychotic versus non-psychotic bipolar illness in men and in women

Objective: To investigate the relationship between psychotic symptoms and age at onset of bipolar illness. Method: The charts of bipolar patients treated at the Massachusetts General Hospital Bipolar Clinic were reviewed for age of first affective episode, demographics and history of psychotic symptoms. Results: Data was obtained for 328 bipolar patients (56.7% females) of whom 42% had psychotic symptoms sometime through the course of their illness. Overall, there was no significant difference in age of onset between the psychotic and non-psychotic groups. Additional analysis carried out separately by gender found significant difference for males but not for females. Age at onset for psychotic males was significantly lower than non-psychotic males. Psychosis was less common in males than females. The mean age of onset for psychotic males was significantly lower than psychotic females. Conclusion: This result implies that developmental physiology underlying psychosis in bipolar illness may differ for men and women. The different proportions of males and females in the study samples may account for conflicting results reported in the literature for age of onset of psychotic bipolar illness.
The Bulimic Automatic Thoughts Test: Initial reliability and validity data

The Bulimic Automatic Thoughts Test (BATT) was designed to address some of the limitations found in previous measures of the cognitions of bulimic patients. In this study, bulimic, depressed, obese, and normal subjects were differentiated on the BATT, which suggests that it is a useful measure for detecting cognitions specific to bulimic patients. Scores on the BATT improved after a trial of cognitive-behavioral therapy for the bulimic subjects. The BATT may be useful in predicting which bulimic women will continue to have distorted thinking after treatment and will require additional intervention.
Online Biomedical Concept Annotation Using Language Model Mapping

We report the results of applying language technology to the bioinformatics problem of online concept annotation of biomedical text. We extend our concept annotator, CONANN, to find biomedical concepts in using concept language models. The goal of CONANN is to improve annotation speed without losing annotation accuracy as compared to offline systems, facilitating the use of concept annotation in online environments. Intrinsic and extrinsic evaluations show accuracy competitive with a state-of-the-art biomedical text concept annotator with a speed improvement of more than four times.
The Unique Mitochondrial Form and Function of Antarctic Channichthyid Icefishes

Antarctic icefishes of the family Channichthyidae are the only vertebrate animals that as adults do not express the circulating oxygen-binding protein hemoglobin (Hb). Six of the 16 family members also lack the intracellular oxygen-binding protein myoglobin (Mb) in the ventricle of their hearts and all lack Mb in oxidative skeletal muscle. The loss of Hb has led to substantial remodeling in the cardiovascular system of icefishes to facilitate adequate oxygenation of tissues. One of the more curious adaptations to the loss of Hb and Mb is an increase in mitochondrial density in cardiac myocytes and oxidative skeletal muscle fibers. The proliferation of mitochondria in the aerobic musculature of icefishes does not arise through a canonical pathway of mitochondrial biogenesis. Rather, the biosynthesis of mitochondrial phospholipids is up-regulated independently of the synthesis of proteins and mitochondrial DNA, and newly-synthesized phospholipids are targeted primarily to the outer-mitochondrial membrane. Consequently, icefish mitochondria have a higher lipid-to-protein ratio compared to those from red-blooded species. Elevated levels of nitric oxide in the blood plasma of icefishes, compared to red-blooded notothenioids, may mediate alterations in mitochondrial density and architecture. Modifications in mitochondrial structure minimally impact state III respiration rates but may significantly enhance intracellular diffusion of oxygen. The rate of oxygen diffusion is greater within the hydrocarbon core of membrane lipids compared to the aqueous cytosol and impeded only by proteins within the lipid bilayer. Thus, the proliferation of icefish's mitochondrial membranes provides an optimal conduit for the intracellular diffusion of oxygen and compensates for the loss of Hb and Mb. Currently little is known about how mitochondrial phospholipid synthesis is regulated and integrated into mitochondrial biogenesis. The unique architecture of the oxidative muscle cells of icefishes highlights the need for further studies in this area.
Redefinition of Affymetrix probe sets by sequence overlap with cDNA microarray probes reduces cross-platform inconsistencies in cancer-associated gene expression measurements

Comparison of data produced on different microarray platforms often shows surprising discordance. It is not clear whether this discrepancy is caused by noisy data or by improper probe matching between platforms. We investigated whether the significant level of inconsistency between results produced by alternative gene expression microarray platforms could be reduced by stringent sequence matching of microarray probes. We mapped the short oligo probes of the Affymetrix platform onto cDNA clones of the Stanford microarray platform. Affymetrix probes were reassigned to redefined probe sets if they mapped to the same cDNA clone sequence, regardless of the original manufacturer-defined grouping. The NCI-60 gene expression profiles produced by Affymetrix HuFL platform were recalculated using these redefined probe sets and compared to previously published cDNA measurements of the same panel of RNA samples. The redefined probe sets displayed a substantially higher level of cross-platform consistency at the level of gene correlation, cell line correlation and unsupervised hierarchical clustering. The same strategy allowed an almost complete correspondence of breast cancer subtype classification between Affymetrix gene chip and cDNA microarray derived gene expression data, and gave an increased level of similarity between normal lung derived gene expression profiles using the two technologies. In total, two Affymetrix gene-chip platforms were remapped to three cDNA platforms in the various cross-platform analyses, resulting in improved concordance in each case. We have shown that probes which target overlapping transcript sequence regions on cDNA microarrays and Affymetrix gene-chips exhibit a greater level of concordance than the corresponding Unigene or sequence matched features. This method will be useful for the integrated analysis of gene expression data generated by multiple disparate measurement platforms.
The Genus Hafnia: from Soup to Nuts

The genus Hafnia, a member of the family Enterobacteriaceae, consists of gram-negative bacteria that are occasionally implicated in both intestinal and extraintestinal infections in humans. Despite the fact that the genus currently contains only a single species (H. alvei), more extensive phylogenetic depth (two or more species) is apparent based upon DNA relatedness and 16S rRNA gene sequencing studies. Hafnia causes a variety of systemic infections, including septicemia and pneumonia; however, its role as a gastrointestinal pathogen is controversial. Many of the data supporting a role for hafniae as enteric pathogens were incorrectly attributed to this genus rather than to the actual pathogen, Escherichia albertii. There are numerous gaps in our understanding of this genus, including ecologic habitats and population genetics, disease-producing role in animals, phenetic and genetic methods useful in distinguishing genomospecies within the H. alvei complex, and bona fide pathogenicity factors.
Adipose tissue-derived cells improve cardiac function following myocardial infarction.

Background Adipose tissue consists of mature adipocytes and a mononuclear cell fraction termed adipose tissue-derived cells (ADCs). Within these heterogeneous ADCs exists a mesenchymal stem cell-like cell population, termed adipose tissue-derived stem cells. An important clinical advantage of adipose tissue-derived stem cells over other mesenchymal stem cell populations is the fact that they can be isolated in real time in sufficient quantity, such that ex vivo expansion is not necessary to obtain clinically relevant numbers for various therapeutic applications. Materials and methods The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the therapeutic potential of freshly isolated ADCs in treating rats acutely following myocardial infarction. Rats underwent 45 min of left anterior descending artery occlusion followed by reperfusion. Fifteen minutes post-myocardial infarction, saline or 5 × 10 6 ADCs from green fluorescent protein-expressing transgenic rats were injected into the chamber of the left ventricle. Left ventricular function and morphometry was followed with 2-D echocardiography for 12 wk, at which point hearts were harvested for histological analysis. Results Twelve weeks following cell therapy, left ventricular end-diastolic dimension was less dilated while the ejection fraction and cardiac output of ADC-treated rats were significantly improved compared to control rats ( P Conclusions These data confirm the therapeutic benefit of freshly isolated ADCs delivered post-MI and suggest a novel beneficial mechanism for ADCs through a potent proangiogenic effect.
Low noise reversible MDCT (RMDCT) and its application in progressive-to-lossless embedded audio coding

A reversible transform converts an integer input to an integer output, while retaining the ability to reconstruct the exact input from the output sequence. It is one of the key components for lossless and progressive-to-lossless audio codecs. In this work, we investigate the desired characteristics of a high-performance reversible transform. Specifically, we show that the smaller the quantization noise of the reversible modified discrete cosine transform (RMDCT), the better the compression performance of the lossless and progressive-to-lossless codec that utilizes the transform. Armed with this knowledge, we develop a number of RMDCT solutions. The first RMDCT solution is implemented by turning every rotation module of a float MDCT (FMDCT) into a reversible rotation, which uses multiple factorizations to further reduce the quantization noise. The second and third solutions use the matrix lifting to implement a reversible fast Fourier transform (FFT) and a reversible fractional-shifted FFT, respectively, which are further combined with the reversible rotations to form the RMDCT. With the matrix lifting, we can design the RMDCT that has less quantization noise and can still be computed efficiently. A progressive-to-lossless embedded audio codec (PLEAC) employing the RMDCT is implemented with superior results for both lossless and lossy audio compression.