cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Long-term functional and oncologic results of transoral robotic surgery for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Objective To examine the long-term functional and oncologic results in patients who underwent transoral robotic surgery (TORS) as primary therapy or as part of combined therapy for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma arising in the tonsil or base of tongue.
Always On: Language in an Online and Mobile World by Naomi Baron

Baron, Naomi S. (2008). New York: Oxford University Press. 304 pp. $45.00, hardcover, ISBN: 978-0-19-531305-5. Naomi Baron's book Always On: Language in an Online and Mobile World is an important b...
Optimization of natural laminar flow airfoils for high section lift-to-drag ratios in the lower Reynolds number range

Relatively thin natural-laminar-flow airfoils were arranged optimally for different design lift coefficients in the wing chord Reynolds number ranges of 200,000-600,00 and 0.875 x 10 to the 6th to 2 x 10 to the 6th. The 9.5 percent thick airfoil ASM-LRN-010, the 7.9 percent thick airfoil ASM-LRN-012, the 10.4 percent thick airfoil ASM-LRN-015, and the 8.2 percent thick airfoil ASM-LRN-017 were designed for high lift-to-drag ratios using Drela's design and analysis.
Benchmarking the Effectiveness of Psychotherapy: Program Evaluation as a Component of Evidence-Based Practice

The medical director of a child guidance center is starting a new treatment program. Following intense media coverage of adverse events associated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, depressed teens and their families are refusing to accept pharmacotherapy. The director has paid for three social work therapists to attend a cognitivebehavioral therapy (CBT) workshop, and these clinicians will begin seeing depressed teens next week. The director, however, is worried. From what she has heard and read, CBT has a good track record in treating depression although it may work best in combination with the medications that her patients are refusing to take. In addition, she wonders how well will CBT work when delivered by her social work therapists to the population of poor, Spanishspeaking teens served by the clinic? In this example, the medical director struggles with how to bring the principles of evidence-based practice (EBP) to bear on the problem of program evaluation. She is asking a critical, pragmatic question: Does therapy work, here, now, and with my patients? This column discusses a method for addressing this query that uses the results of published psychotherapy clinical trials as a gold-standard benchmark against which the outcomes of practice can be measured (McFall, 1996). This methodology views research evidence on the effects of psychotherapy as, literally, a base—solid ground that researchers and practitioners can use as a foundation when trying to solve problems, whether theoretical or applied.
Changes in long-term no-till corn growth and yield under different rates of stover mulch.

Received for publication January 4, 2006. Removal of corn (Zea mays L.) stover for biofuel production may affect crop yields by altering soil properties. A partial stover removal may be feasible, but information on appropriate rates of removal is unavailable. We assessed the short-term impacts of stover management on long-term no-till (NT) continuous corn grown on a Rayne silt loam (fine loamy, mixed, active, mesic Typic Hapludults) at Coshocton, Hoytville clay loam (fine, illitic, mesic Mollic Epiaqualfs) at Hoytville, and Celina silt loam (fine, mixed, active, mesic Aquic Hapludalfs) at South Charleston in Ohio, and predicted corn yield from soil properties using principal component analysis (PCA). The study was conducted in 2005 on the ongoing experiments started in May 2004 under 0 (T0), 25 (T25), 50 (T50), 75 (T75), 100 (T100), and 200 (T200)% of stover corresponding to 0, 1.25, 2.50, 3.75, 5.00, and 10.00 Mg ha-1 of stover, respectively. Stover removal promoted early emergence and rapid seedling growth (P < 0.01). Early-emerging plants grew taller than late-emerging plants up to about 50 d, and then the heights reversed at Coshocton and were comparable at other two sites. Stover management affected corn yield only at the Coshocton site where averagemore » grain and stover yields in the T200, T100, T75, and T50 (10.8 and 10.3 Mg ha-1) were higher than those in the T0 and T25 treatments (8.5 and 6.5 Mg ha-1) (P < 0.01), showing that stover removal at rates as low as 50% (2.5 Mg ha-1) decreased crop yields. Soil properties explained 71% of the variability in grain yield and 33% of the variability in stover yield for the Coshocton site. Seventeen months after the start of the experiment, effects of stover management on corn yield and soil properties were site-specific.« less
Purification and partial characterization of intestinal acid lipase

Intestinal acid lipase is an enzyme whose greatest specific activity is localized to the villus tips of the proximal intestine (Rao, R.H. and Mansbach, C.M. (1990) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1043, 273-280). This suggests that it plays a role in the processing of dietary lipids. We purified the enzyme in order to better characterize it. Acid lipase was isolated from intestinal mucosa of rats by a combination of ammonium sulfate precipitation, butanol extraction and chromatography on DEAE Bio-Gel, CM Bio-Gel and Sephadex G-75. This resulted in a single protein of Mr 53,700 on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The isolation scheme produced a 3344-fold purification resulting in an enzyme whose specific activity was 801 mumols/min per mg protein. The yield was 50%. The purified enzyme was stimulated (20-fold) by the addition of tauro- or glycocholate but no other conjugated bile acid. A sharp peak in activity occurred at pH 5.6. The pI of the enzyme was 6.2. The reaction products produced under prolonged incubation suggested that monoacylglycerol was not hydrolyzed since an overabundance of monoacylglycerol was found with respect to the amount of fatty acid produced. These results suggested that intestinal acid lipase is potentially important in the metabolism of dietary lipids. Its proportionate role awaits further documentation.
Weather conditions and outdoor recreation: A study of New England ski areas

We present a structural model and employ discrete time survival analysis to examine the impact of weather conditions on firms' exit decisions within the New England ski industry. Our results suggest that weather conditions can have significant direct and indirect effects on the closure of ski areas. The results also indicate that larger ski areas are more likely to engage in investment activities to help offset the effects of adverse weather conditions, which tip the odds of success in favor of these ski areas. Consequently, this study shows that climate change may have played a significant role in altering the market structure of the New England ski industry.
Bacteriochlorophylls in gliding filamentous prokaryotes from hot springs.

WE have found bacteriochlorophyll-like pigments in two types of filamentous gliding prokaryotes that occur abundantly in alkaline hot springs. They are temporarily designated F-l and F-2. Representatives of F-2, found in hot springs of Iceland, Japan, New Zealand, Guatemala and the western United States, have been isolated in pure culture. They often exist as thick gelatinous mats up to about 70° C and are bright orange from the high content of carotenoids, but in North America they are normally covered by a layer of blue-green algae such as Synechococcus sp. Because of their colour and morphological characteristics, F-2 filaments were previously thought to be members of the heterotrophic, achlorophyllous flexibacteria1,2. The trichomes are 0.5-1.0µm in diameter and of varying lengths. They are motile and glide on agar substrates at 45° C or 60° C at rates of 0.01-0.04µ/s (Fig. 1 A).
Implementing a culturally attuned functional behavioural assessment to understand and address challenging behaviours demonstrated by students from diverse backgrounds

As the US student population continues to become increasingly diverse, educators have encountered difficulties in distinguishing between cultural differences and genuine disability indicators. This concern is clearly evident in assisting students from diverse backgrounds who demonstrate chronic challenging behaviours. Past practices (e.g. disciplinary office referrals, out-of-school suspensions, expulsion) have contributed to the likelihood of students from diverse backgrounds being misidentified as having an emotional or behavioural disorder. However, by tailoring the functional behavioural assessment (FBA), educators better differentiate cultural factors from disability characteristics and better understand the students’ needs. This paper will discuss the significance in meeting the needs of an increasingly diverse student population, provide an overview of the FBA process and present considerations in creating a culturally attuned FBA.
Solvent, LICL, and Temperature Effects on the Morphological Structure and Electronic Properties of Polyaniline

Extensive gel permeation chromatography coupled with surface structure measurements clearly indicate that polyaniline (pani) base has a tendency to aggregate as a result of interchain hydrogen-bonding. The aggregation is present in the solid state powder; the extent of aggregation is found to be significantly dependent on the synthetic conditions. Pani base powders having a high degree of aggregation have significantly reduced solubility. The degree of aggregation of pani base in solution is found to be dependent on the solvent, concentration, and temperature. As the solvent becomes a better solvent for the base material, the less aggregated is the structure. Solvents which can strongly interact with the polymer disrupt the aggregation. In addition, salts such as LiCl which complex the polymer via a “pseudo-doping” process, also disrupt the internal pani hydrogen-bonding and deaggregate the polymer. As the polymer is deaggregated to different levels by a solvent or by LiCl, the individual chains can better be solvated and thus a conformational change also occurs. The chains adapt a more expanded coil type of conformation. The degree of expansion depends on the solvation power of the solvent. As the level of deaggregation and subsequent chain expansion increases, a significant red shift is observed in the Amaximum of the exciton absorbance and the surface structure of the polymer becomes smoother. It is found that the LiCl induced morphological changes results in increased conductivity upon doping pani base with a protonic acid.
A simple and reproducible breast cancer prognostic test

A small number of prognostic and predictive tests based on gene expression are currently offered as reference laboratory tests. In contrast to such success stories, a number of flaws and errors have recently been identified in other genomic-based predictors and the success rate for developing clinically useful genomic signatures is low. These errors have led to widespread concerns about the protocols for conducting and reporting of computational research. As a result, a need has emerged for a template for reproducible development of genomic signatures that incorporates full transparency, data sharing and statistical robustness. Here we present the first fully reproducible analysis of the data used to train and test MammaPrint, an FDA-cleared prognostic test for breast cancer based on a 70-gene expression signature. We provide all the software and documentation necessary for researchers to build and evaluate genomic classifiers based on these data. As an example of the utility of this reproducible research resource, we develop a simple prognostic classifier that uses only 16 genes from the MammaPrint signature and is equally accurate in predicting 5-year disease free survival. Our study provides a prototypic example for reproducible development of computational algorithms for learning prognostic biomarkers in the era of personalized medicine.
Processing XML documents with overlapping hierarchies

The problem of overlapping markup hierarchies, first mentioned in the context of SGML, often occurs in XML text encoding applications for humanities. Previous solutions to the problem rely on manual maintenance of the markup and address only the problem of representing overlapping features in XML, leaving the issues of automated maintenance and querying open. As a consequence, traditional XML tools are of little practical use when dealing with overlapping markup. In this work we demonstrate the implementation of our framework for management of concurrent XML hierarchies from a computer science perspective. We propose an underlying model, data structures, APIs, and algorithms so that the most of the burden of managing concurrent XML hierarchies would be born by the software.
THE SYNTHESIS AND TURNOVER OF RAT LIVER PEROXISOMES: I. Fractionation of Peroxisome Proteins

Rat liver peroxisomes isolated by density gradient centrifugation were disrupted at pH 9, and subdivided into a soluble fraction containing 90% of their total proteins and virtually all of their catalase, D-amino acid oxidase, L-α-hydroxy acid oxidase and isocitrate dehydrogenase activities, and a core fraction containing urate oxidase and 10% of the total proteins. The soluble proteins were chromatographed on Sephadex G-200, diethylaminoethyl (DEAE)-cellulose, hydroxylapatite, and sulfoethyl (SE)-Sephadex. None of these methods provided complete separation of the protein components, but these could be distributed into peaks in which the specific activities of different enzymes were substantially increased. Catalase, D-amino acid oxidase, and L-α-hydroxy acid oxidase contribute a maximum of 16, 2, and 4%, respectively, of the protein of the peroxisome. The contribution of isocitrate dehydrogenase could be as much as 25%, but is probably much less. After dissolution of the cores at pH 11 , no separation between their urate oxidase activity and their protein was achieved by Sephadex G-200 chromatography.
Unveiling user-generated content: Designing websites to best present customer reviews

Abstract Online customer reviews are an important type of user-generated content, through which consumers share their experiences with products and services in order to help others make informed purchasing decisions. In this article, we discuss the goals of online customer reviews and develop practical, actionable principles that can be used to improve the presentations of customer reviews. We identify four goals—two ultimate, and two intermediate—of online customer reviews. The two ultimate goals are: (1) to assist consumers in making accurate choices, and (2) to reduce the cognitive costs of making such choices. The two intermediate goals are: (1) to help consumers form an unbiased understanding of the product, and (2) to construct a set of evaluative criteria. Drawing on the constructive view of consumer judgment and choice, we present a conceptual model of online-review based consumer judgment and choice. We report principles that will improve the presentation of reviews, and discuss the benefits of the new design over the traditional presentation of online reviews.
Adaptive Control of a Wind Turbine With Data Mining and Swarm Intelligence

The framework of adaptive control applied to a wind turbine is presented. The wind turbine is adaptively controlled to achieve a balance between two objectives, power maximization and minimization of the generator torque ramp rate. An optimization model is developed and solved with a linear weighted objective. The objective weights are autonomously adjusted based on the demand data and the predicted power production. Two simulation models are established to generate demand information. The wind power is predicted by a data-driven time-series model utilizing historical wind speed and generated power data. The power generated from the wind turbine is estimated by another model. Due to the intrinsic properties of the data-driven model and changing weights of the objective function, a particle swarm fuzzy algorithm is used to solve it.
Early morphologic alterations in trophically deprived neuronal death in vitro occur without alterations in cytoplasmic Ca2

Morphologic and functional parameters altered during neuronal death were investigated in chick ciliary ganglion (CG) neurons in vitro isolated from embryonic day 8 (E8, stage 34). Neurons were separated from nonneuronal cells to investigate their inherent cell death program and were cultured with or without trophic support (choroid, iris, pigment epithelium) from their appropriate target tissue. The cell death process was characterized with investigations focused on the earliest events at the onset of commitment to cell death at 11 hours after plating. Initial morphologic changes in the process of cell death were cytoplasmic; swelling, dendritic retraction, blebbing, vacuolization, which are all characteristics of necrosis. Later, nuclear chromatin condensation occurred, a characteristic of apoptosis. An increase in membrane permeability was measured earlier at 8 hours. During these alterations (associated with the initiation of cell death) single cell analysis was performed to evaluate mobile Ca(2+) changes in the same trophically deprived neurons during the course of the death process; Ca(2+) levels remained at 50 nM. Transient Ca(2+) entry was buffered in control and deprived cells at 13 hours but with different parameters. During the execution stage of death mobile Ca(2+) levels were variable. In this final stage of cell death, neurons demonstrated nuclear damage, cytosol disintegration, or morphology sharing both characteristics. These observations define embryonic CG cell death in vitro as neither purely apoptotic nor necrotic but a form of that exhibits features of both. These results also demonstrate a disassociation of changes in cytosolic Ca(2+) from both CG neuronal survival and trophically deprived cell death in vitro.
Differential allocation in a lekking bird: females lay larger eggs and are more likely to have male chicks when they mate with less related males

The differential allocation hypothesis predicts increased investment in offspring when females mate with high-quality males. Few studies have tested whether investment varies with mate relatedness, despite evidence that non-additive gene action influences mate and offspring genetic quality. We tested whether female lekking lance-tailed manakins ( Chiroxiphia lanceolata ) adjust offspring sex and egg volume in response to mate attractiveness (annual reproductive success, ARS), heterozygosity and relatedness. Across 968 offspring, the probability of being male decreased with increasing parental relatedness but not father ARS or heterozygosity. This correlation tended to diminish with increasing lay-date. Across 162 offspring, egg volume correlated negatively with parental relatedness and varied with lay-date, but was unrelated to father ARS or heterozygosity. Offspring sex and egg size were unrelated to maternal age. Comparisons of maternal half-siblings in broods with no mortality produced similar results, indicating differential allocation rather than covariation between female quality and relatedness or sex-specific inbreeding depression in survival. As males suffer greater inbreeding depression, overproducing females after mating with related males may reduce fitness costs of inbreeding in a system with no inbreeding avoidance, while biasing the sex of outbred offspring towards males may maximize fitness via increased mating success of outbred sons.
Nox in parametrically varied methane flames

Fifteen laminar premixed methane-air flames are computed in the pressure range 1–10 atm. and the equivalence ratio range 0.6–1.0. The kinetic scheme includes thermal and prompt NO x , C 2 chemistry and pressure fall-off data for the kinetic rates. Sensitivity analysis shows the influence of pressure and the relative contributions of the different NO x mechanisms. NO x is insensitive to pressure in very lean flames. Thermal NO x dominates in stoichiometric flames, while prompt NO x and N 2 O mechanisms have an influence in the lean flames. The prompt NO x reactions are more influential in NO 2 than in NO production. NO 2 peaks early due to reactions between HO 2 and NO diffusing forward into the cool part of the flame, and then decays to 1% or less of NO. Reactions which control flame speed are very influential on NO. Based on mass fractions, CH scales as CH 4 ·OH·H in the 10 atm. flame, suggesting a simplified scheme for prompt NO x .
On the images of Lie polynomials evaluated on Lie algebras

Abstract We describe the images of multilinear Lie polynomials of degrees 3 and 4 evaluated on su ( n ) and so ( n ) .
Determinants of the Outcomes of Midterm Congressional Elections

An explanatory model for the outcomes of midterm congressional elections is developed. Midterms are a referendum on the performance of the President and his administration's management of the economy. The explanatory model of midterm congressional elections is sufficiently powerful so as to yield honest and accurate pre-election predictions of the national two-party vote in midterm elections. These predictions have usually outperformed pre-election forecasts based on survey data. The model is extended by considering the translation of votes into seats, models of the electorate as a whole and of the individual voter, and the causes of the off-year loss by the President's party.
The Best Deal in Town [Supercomputers]

At one time, supercomputing, a term that was synonymous with the Cray-1, was considered to be the best deal in town. However, by the 1990s, manufacturers began to question the need to continue the development of high-speed computers, turning their attention instead to the potential for developing a "high-capacity and high-speed national research and education computer network."
Exercise-Induced Hormonal Changes and their Effects upon Skeletal Muscle Tissue

The neuroendocrine system plays an integral function in the development and maintenance of muscle tissue. Numerous investigations have confirmed the effects of both aerobic exercise and heavy resistance exercise upon the neuroendocrine system. Although there has been great progress in the area of exercise and neuroendocrinology, many questions regarding hormonal responses to exercise remain unanswered. In particular, there is a need for additional research that will reveal the specific mechanisms by which different exercise protocols induce hormonal responses.
PS2-03: Chronic Hepatitis B Testing in US-born and Foreign-born Asia Pacific Islanders of Kaiser Permanente, Hawai’i

Background/Aims Approximately two billion people worldwide have been infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and about 350 million live with chronic infection. Over half of all liver cancer cases in the world are attributable to chronic, or persistent, HBV infection. Of US residents chronically infected with HBV, 40% to 70% are foreign-born immigrants, mainly Asian/Pacific Islanders (APIs). Disparity by race exists for APIs which makeup approximately 4% of the U.S population and more than 2% of these races are affected with chronic HBV. The purpose of this study is to estimate the prevalence of HBV in foreign and US born APIs and test the differences in these groups for testing (HBV DNA or HBsAg), testing positive for HBV, alanine aminotranferase (ALT) level and other demographic variables.
Wave mechanics of particle detectors.

The operations of many detection devices are usually explained in terms of the ionization tracks produced by classical charged particles. A wave-mechanical analysis does not seem to be available. Mott [Proc. R. Soc. London Ser. A 126, 79 (1929)] has shown that an incident \ensuremath{\alpha} wave emitted by a radioactive nucleus would be scattered by atoms primarily in directions almost forward. However, these scattered waves would appear over the entire sensitive region of the detector. The mechanism that produces a collapse of the wave function to a single track is analyzed here. The incident \ensuremath{\alpha} wave is written as a superposition of minimum-sized packets. Since it is linear, the Schr\"odinger equation for the system including an observer can be solved for each packet individually. After the minimum packets interact with the electrons in the detector, they cannot be recombined to form a plane wave. However, they can be combined in groups to form larger coherent packets interacting with the detector to form tracks. The size and shape of each coherent packet is determined by the properties of the medium that is ionized to produce its track. The track from each packet is seen by the observer and is associated with a state of his memory, recording only one track. Each such packet replaces the particle in the usual explanation. These are the packets required to predict the quantum jumps seen in the scattering of laser light from an isolated atom as I have discussed [Phys. Rev. A 45, 4925 (1992)]. The relation of the probability distribution of these tracks to the wave function is explained.
ABNORMAL TRANSPORT OF VITAMIN B 12 IN PLASMA IN CHRONIC MYELOGENOUS LEUKEMIA.

RECENTLY1 we demonstrated that two substances which we believe to be proteins carry the vitamin B12 in the plasma of normal subjects. These will be referred to as transcobalamin I and II. We then investigated their behaviour in the plasma of patients with chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML) and found a major abnormality.
Trained Porpoise Released in the Open Sea.

A Pacific bottlenose porpoise, Tursiops gilli, was trained for a period of 10 weeks to swim at high speed on command and return to an underwater speaker when a specific sound cue was played. This animal was released in the open sea off Oahu, Hawaii, and worked each day for 7 days. At night it was held in an anchored floating pen. The trainer9s control over the animal was probably associated with the controlled feeding of the porpoise, the development of social ties between the porpoise and trainer, and the animal9s fear of unknown situations.
Morphology and water-barrier properties of silane films on aluminum and silicon

Abstract The goal of this study is to understand the effect of the substrate on the morphology and water-barrier properties of bis-silane films. Silane films are deposited on both Si and Al. Neutron reflectivity is used to assess the effect of hydrothermal conditioning on the films. Aluminum on silicon (no silane) was characterized first to facilitate understanding of the more complicated silane on Al-coated Si. A 200-A Al layer with 55-A oxide covers the surface of the silicon wafer. The reflectivity data show that water penetrates into the oxide layer. Silane films deposited on either Al or Si substrates have similar bulk and top-surface morphology. Studies of silanes on Si wafers, therefore, can be generalized to include Al. The substrate–silane interface, however, does depend on both the substrate and the silane. Because pH of the bis-sulfur silane solution is outside of the stability range for Al2O3, dissolution of the thin oxide film occurs during solution deposition. A water-depletion area is formed at the interface region due to this reaction.
Bacteriology of the Blood in Chronic Infectious Arthritis

In recent years, the theory of the infectious nature of chronic deforming arthritis has gained considerable recognition. As we point out in a paper 1 shortly to be published, numerous clinical data together with the bacteriologic studies of many workers have focused attention on the prominent features of a low grade infection in this disease. On this assumption is based the widely used designation of "chronic infectious arthritis," and the treatment of patients with this condition is similarly affected by this point of view to a large extent. Still, the evidence in favor of the infectious etiology of chronic arthritis is as yet fragmentary, and not conclusive. While many contributions have argued in favor of the infectious nature of chronic arthritis, there are also considerable negative data that do not substantiate the role of infection in this disease.
Partitioning variation in chemical properties of some andepts — A comparison of classification systems

One purpose of classification systems is to group objects with similar properties so that meaningful generalizations can be made concerning their properties, behavior and potential use. It has been difficult to measure the success of such groupings. Similarly it has been difficult to determine how well soil classification systems group properties different from the criteria upon which the systems are based. Eighty soil samples (0–15 cm depth) of the Andept suborder were collected from the Island of Hawaii. Soil chemical properties (pH, exchangeable cations, extractable P, P sorption, and silicon) were measured. The 80 soils were grouped according to Soil Taxonomy, the proposed Andisol order of Soil Taxonomy, the FAO Legend for the Soil Map of the World, the French Classification System, and the 1938 Soil Classification System. Each system's effectiveness in grouping was compared by using regression techniques based on the statistical model of the classification scheme. Each system had a specific category which most effectively grouped soils with similar properties. The most effective category (that which decreased the pooled variance most) was the great group level of Soil Taxonomy, the suborder level of the proposed Andisol order of Soil Taxonomy, the Groupe level of the French System, and the suborder level of the 1938 System. In considering the FAO legend, only soil units were examined. These effectively separated variation in most soil properties in this group of soils. As indicated by the greatest precision (smallest pooled variance) Soil Taxonomy was effective in grouping all soil chemical properties except Na, whereas grouping 80 soils into 3 orders of the 1938 System did not increase homogeneity within groups. The Groupe category of the French System which formed the 2 taxa of sature and desature was effective for most properties, especially soil pH. In our case the two Andisol suborders were identical within the Groupe level of the French System (sature and desature), whereas the four taxa of the Andept great group category corresponded with four great groups of the proposed Andisol order. Lower categories of Soil Taxonomy, the 1938 System, or the French System did little to increase precision, suggesting that differentiae of the lower highly defined categories studied here were correlated with those of more general higher categories.
Polyamines differentially inhibit cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase-mediated phosphorylation in the brain of the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta.

: The effects of the naturally occurring polyamines spermine and spermidine on phosphorylation promoted by cyclic AMP (cAMP)-dependent protein kinase (PK) (cAMP-PK; EC 2.7.1.37) were studied using the brain of the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta. Four particulate-associated peptides (280, 34, 21, and 19 kilodaltons) in day 1 pupal brains are endogenous substrates for a particulate type II cAMP-PK. These phosphoproteins are present in brain synaptosomal, as well as microsomal, particulate fractions but are not present in the cytosol. They are distributed throughout the CNS and PNS and are present in several nonneuronal tissues as well. Phosphorylation of these proteins via cAMP-PK was inhibited markedly by micromolar concentrations of spermine and spermidine. Other particulate-associated peptides phosphorylated via a Ca2+/calmodulin-PK or Ca2+ and cAMP-independent PKs were unaffected by polyamines, whereas the phosphorylation of a 260–kilodalton peptide was markedly enhanced. Spermine did not exert its inhibitory effect indirectly by enhancement of cAMP or ATP hydrolysis or via proteolysis, but its action appears to involve a substrate-directed inhibition of cAMP-PK-promoted phosphorylation as well as enhanced dephosphorylation. Although addition of spermine resulted in marked ribosome aggregation in synaptosomal and microsomal particulate fractions, this phenomenon was not involved in the inhibition of cAMP-PK-promoted phosphorylation.
Allosteric Modulation of GABAA Receptors by an Anilino Enaminone in an Olfactory Center of the Mouse Brain

In an ongoing effort to identify novel drugs that can be used as neurotherapeutic compounds, we have focused on anilino enaminones as potential anticonvulsant agents. Enaminones are organic compounds containing a conjugated system of an amine, an alkene and a ketone. Here, we review the effects of a small library of anilino enaminones on neuronal activity. Our experimental approach employs an olfactory bulb brain slice preparation using whole-cell patch-clamp recording from mitral cells in the main olfactory bulb. The main olfactory bulb is a key integrative center in the olfactory pathway. Mitral cells are the principal output neurons of the main olfactory bulb, receiving olfactory receptor neuron input at their dendrites within glomeruli, and projecting glutamatergic axons through the lateral olfactory tract to the olfactory cortex. The compounds tested are known to be effective in attenuating pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) induced convulsions in rodent models. One compound in particular, KRS-5Me-4-OCF3, evokes potent inhibition of mitral cell activity. Experiments aimed at understanding the cellular mechanism underlying the inhibitory effect revealed that KRS-5Me-4-OCF3 shifts the concentration-response curve for GABA to the left. KRS-5Me-4-OCF3 enhances GABA affinity and acts as a positive allosteric modulator of GABAA receptors. Application of a benzodiazepine site antagonist blocks the effect of KRS-5Me-4-OCF3 indicating that KRS-5Me-4-OCF3 binds at the classical benzodiazepine site to exert its pharmacological action. This anilino enaminone KRS-5Me-4-OCF3 emerges as a candidate for clinical use as an anticonvulsant agent in the battle against epileptic seizures.
Changes in Visual Field Advantage for Facial Recognition: The Development of a General Processing Strategy

During the recognition of tachistoscopically presented faces, subjects initially showing a LVF advantage decrease and then increase that advantage; subjects with an initial RVF advantage shift to a LVFA. We examined whether these shifts result from increasing familiarity with specific faces or rather from the development of a more general facial processing strategy. This was accomplished by changing the set of faces presented for recognition during testing. Across trials, the VFA of initially RVF advantaged subjects showed a linear trend, that of LVF advantaged S's a quadratic trend. These trends don't differ from those of subjects tested with one set of faces, suggesting that subjects were learning a general strategy for facial recognition.
Runtime Techniques to Enable a Highly-Scalable Global Address Space Model for Petascale Computing

Over the past decade, the trajectory to the petascale has been built on increased complexity and scale of the underlying parallel architectures. Meanwhile, software developers have struggled to provide tools that maintain the productivity of computational science teams using these new systems. In this regard, Global Address Space (GAS) programming models provide a straightforward and easy to use addressing model, which can lead to improved productivity. However, the scalability of GAS depends directly on the design and implementation of the runtime system on the target petascale distributed-memory architecture. In this paper, we describe the design, implementation, and optimization of the Aggregate Remote Memory Copy Interface (ARMCI) runtime library on the Cray XT5 2.3 PetaFLOPs computer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. We optimized our implementation with the flow intimation technique that we have introduced in this paper. Our optimized ARMCI implementation improves scalability of both the Global Arrays programming model and a real-world chemistry application—NWChem—from small jobs up through 180,000 cores.
Cost-effectiveness of distal embolic protection for patients undergoing percutaneous intervention of saphenous vein bypass grafts: Results from the SAFER trial

Objectives The goal of this research was to determine the incremental cost and cost-effectiveness of embolic protection in patients undergoing percutaneous revascularization (PCI) of diseased saphenous vein bypass grafts (SVGs). Background Distal protection using the GuardWire balloon occlusion device has been shown to reduce major ischemic complications in patients undergoing SVG PCI, but the cost-effectiveness of this approach is unknown. Methods We prospectively measured medical resource utilization and cost for 801 patients undergoing SVG intervention who were randomized to distal protection using the GuardWire (n = 406) or conventional treatment (n = 395) in the Saphenous Vein Graft Angioplasty Free of Emboli Randomized (SAFER) trial. Long-term survival and cost-effectiveness were projected based on observed 30-day outcomes and a validated survival model for postcoronary artery bypass graft patients. Results Compared with conventional treatment, distal protection increased initial procedural costs by ∼$1,600 ($6,326 vs. $4,779, p l 0.001). However, by reducing ischemic complications, distal protection reduced mean length of stay by 0.4 days and other hospital costs by nearly $1,000 ($6,846 vs. $7,811, p = 0.018). As a result, overall initial hospital costs were only $582 per patient higher with distal protection. Based on the observed 30-day cost and outcome differences in the trial, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for distal protection was $3,718 per year of life saved and remained l$40,000 per year of life saved in 97.3% of bootstrap simulations (95% confidence interval, $0 to $43,079). Conclusions For patients undergoing PCI of diseased SVGs, distal protection using the GuardWire system is an attractive use of limited health care resources.
On the control of a wheeled mobile robot goalkeeper

This paper deals with the control of a wheeled mobile robot goalkeeper, where the goalkeeper's task is to intercept the ball before it goes inside the goal. The control law is based on the use of the kinematics equations and some geometrical rules. In our control strategy, the goalkeeper moves in a predefined path which corresponds to a rendezvous course. The goalkeeper is controlled in the linear velocity to intercept the ball. We consider various simulation examples.
Usability of an adaptable video game platform for children with cerebral palsy

Virtual reality is a recent technology incorporated in upper extremity therapy programs for children with cerebral palsy. However, the systems currently being used cannot be graded to meet the skill level of children with cerebral palsy who have severely impaired upper extremities. These systems are often expensive, making them impractical for the clinical and home settings. “Hands-Up” was designed as a low-cost adaptable video game platform for upper extremity rehabilitation for children with orthopedic disabilities. To evaluate the platform's usability, a study was conducted with three children who had different forms of cerebral palsy and the therapists who treat them. The study consisted of exposing the children to a five-week intervention with the platform and obtaining feedback via questionnaires from their therapists. During the intervention sessions, the children played games using markers that were selected based on their therapeutic goals. The usefulness of the platform, or the platform's ability to assist them with achieving those goals, was assessed with functional tasks. The results of the questionnaires and functional tasks revealed that Hands-Up assisted the participants in achieving their therapeutic goals.
Pharmacodynamic Evaluation of the Activities of Six Parenteral Vancomycin Products Available In the United States

A recent report found that generic parenteral vancomycin products may not have in vivo efficacies equivalent to those of the innovator in a neutropenic murine thigh infection model despite having similar in vitro microbiological activities and murine serum pharmacokinetics. We compared the in vitro and in vivo activities of six of the parenteral vancomycin products available in the United States. The in vitro assessments for the potencies of the vancomycin products included MIC/minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) determinations, quantifying the impact of human and murine serum on the MIC values, and time-kill studies. Also, the potencies of the vancomycin products were quantified with a biological assay, and the human and mouse serum protein binding rates for the vancomycin products were measured. The in vivo studies included dose-ranging experiments with the 6 vancomycin products for three isolates of Staphylococcus aureus in a neutropenic mouse thigh infection model. The pharmacokinetics of the vancomycin products were assessed in infected mice by population pharmacokinetic modeling. No differences were seen across the vancomycin products with regard to any in vitro evaluation. Inhibitory sigmoid maximal bacterial kill (Emax) modeling of the relationship between vancomycin dosage and the killing of the bacteria in mice in vivo yielded similar Emax and EC50 (drug exposure driving one-half Emax) values for bacterial killing. Further, there were no differences in the pharmacokinetic clearances of the 6 vancomycin products from infected mice. There were no important pharmacodynamic differences in the in vitro or in vivo activities among the six vancomycin products evaluated.
Effectiveness of sodium hypochlorite in preventing inoculation of periapical tissues with contaminated patency files.

The aim of this study was to analyze the effectiveness of 5.25% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) in preventing inoculation of periapical tissues with contaminated patency files. Twenty-eight extracted human permanent teeth with single canals were used in the study. Group I teeth were filled with NaOCl, and #15 stainless steel files contaminated with Streptococcus sanguis (ATCC #10556) were allowed to pass through the NaOCl into the culture medium. The teeth in group II were also filled with NaOCl, but the contaminated files used in group II canals were immersed in NaOCl for 10 s prior to being placed into the canals and cultured. The negative control group used sterile files (0% growth), the first positive control group used contaminated patency files in teeth with empty canals (100% growth), and the second positive control group placed contaminated files into broth next to teeth filled with NaOCl (to evaluate potential chlorine leakage; 100% growth). The experimental results showed no positive growth of S. sanguis for groups I and II, indicating that the NaOCl present in the canal after irrigation was sufficient to kill the test organism.
Event-Triggered Reprovisioning with Resource Preemption in WDM Mesh Networks: A Traffic Engineering Approach

We propose a novel scheme for dynamic connection reprovisioning with resource preemption. Study cases show that SLA violations are minimized, particularly for connections with high SLA requirements under heavy network load.
Editorial smarts: contextual and single sentence editing tools

Contextual editing emphasizes the context and purpose of a text, enabling the editor to focus on the writer's intent before editing for grammar. The approach discussed here builds on Mathes and Stevenson's procedure for editing sentences in context, also taking into consideration other editorial issues such as the given/new principle, active and passive voice, transitions, nominalizations, jargon, and wordiness. In this workshop, we are provided with a breakdown process for editing for style that addresses these editorial issues. The purpose of this workshop is threefold: to introduce you to contextual editing, to provide you with an opportunity to experiment with this approach, and to solicit your feedback for the usefulness of this approach for editors and new technical communicators.
Time Course and Stimulus Dependence of Repetition-Induced Response Suppression in Inferotemporal Cortex

Neural responses throughout the sensory system are affected by stimulus history. In the inferotemporal cortex (IT)—an area important for processing information about object shape—there is a substantially reduced response to the second presentation of an image. Understanding the mechanisms underlying repetition suppression may provide important insights into the circuitry that generates responses in IT. In addition, repetition suppression may have important perceptual consequences. The characteristics of repetition suppression in IT are poorly understood, and the details, including the interaction between the content of the first and second stimulus and the time course of suppression, are not clear. Here, we examined the time course of suppression in IT by varying both the duration and stimulus content of two stimuli presented in sequence. The data show that the degree of suppression does not depend directly on the response evoked by the first stimulus in the recorded neuron. Repetition suppression was also limited in duration, peaking at ≈ 200 ms after the onset of the second (test) image and disappearing before the end of the response. Neural selectivity to a continuum of related images was enhanced if the first stimulus produced a weak response in the cell. The dynamics of the response suggests that different parts of the input and recurrent circuitry that gives rise to neural responses in IT are differentially modulated by repetition suppression. The selectivity of the sustained response was preserved in spite of substantial suppression of the early part of the response. The data suggest that suppression in IT is a property of the input and recurrent circuitry in IT and is not directly related to the degree of response in the recorded neuron itself.
A bonding technique for thin GaAs dice with via holes using gold-tin composites

100 mu m thin 2-mm-by-3-mm GaAs dice with via holes have been successfully bonded on alumina substrates using the technique of gold-tin multilayer composite. The bondings are near perfect, as confirmed by a scanning acoustic microscope. Scanning electron microscope images of cross sections reveal that the bonding layers are very uniform and the thickness is 1.5 mu m. EDX analysis shows that the composition of the bonding layer is nearly gold-tin eutectic. No die crackings were observed after the bonding. The specimens underwent 40 cycles of thermal shock test between -196 degrees C and 160 degrees C without incurring bonding degradation and die cracking. >
On-plant selection and genetic analysis of European corn borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) behavioral traits: plant abandonment versus plant establishment.

ABSTRACT Although some studies have investigated how insect behavior could influence resistance evolution to transgenic plants, none have determined if behavioral traits respond to selection pressure and how they may be inherited.Weinvestigated plant establishment and abandonment traits for the European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalisi (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), by conducting a laboratory selection experiment and quantifying patterns of gene expression. Egg masses with emerging larvae were placed on maize plants and silking individuals were collected every 15 min during a 4-h period to generate a plant abandonment (PA) colony. Plants were dissected 24–72 h later, and larvae were collected for a plant establishment colony. Selection of the PA colony showed an increased propensity to abandon the host plant by the third generation. The propensity for larvae to establish on the plants, however, did not show a significant response until the sixth generation. Quantitative real-time—polymerase chain react...
Further results on the synthesis of linear systems

Making use of the new approach for the synthesis of linear feedback systems put forward by the author, the problem of admissibility of a given transfer function is investigated. The solution of the disturbance rejection problem follows as a corollary.