cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A real-time, practical sensor fault-tolerant module for robust EMG pattern recognition

Unreliability of surface EMG recordings over time is a challenge for applying the EMG pattern recognition (PR)-controlled prostheses in clinical practice. Our previous study proposed a sensor fault-tolerant module (SFTM) by utilizing redundant information in multiple EMG signals. The SFTM consists of multiple sensor fault detectors and a self-recovery mechanism that can identify anomaly in EMG signals and remove the recordings of the disturbed signals from the input of the pattern classifier to recover the PR performance. While the proposed SFTM has shown great promise, the previous design is impractical. A practical SFTM has to be fast enough, lightweight, automatic, and robust under different conditions with or without disturbances. This paper presented a real-time, practical SFTM towards robust EMG PR. A novel fast LDA retraining algorithm and a fully automatic sensor fault detector based on outlier detection were developed, which allowed the SFTM to promptly detect disturbances and recover the PR performance immediately. These components of SFTM were then integrated with the EMG PR module and tested on five able-bodied subjects and a transradial amputee in real-time for classifying multiple hand and wrist motions under different conditions with different disturbance types and levels. The proposed fast LDA retraining algorithm significantly shortened the retraining time from nearly 1 s to less than 4 ms when tested on the embedded system prototype, which demonstrated the feasibility of a nearly “zero-delay” SFTM that is imperceptible to the users. The results of the real-time tests suggested that the SFTM was able to handle different types of disturbances investigated in this study and significantly improve the classification performance when one or multiple EMG signals were disturbed. In addition, the SFTM could also maintain the system’s classification performance when there was no disturbance. This paper presented a real-time, lightweight, and automatic SFTM, which paved the way for reliable and robust EMG PR for prosthesis control.
Needle visualization using photoacoustic effect

We investigated a novel needle visualization using the PA effect to enhance needle-tip tracking. An optical fiber and laser source are used to generate acoustic waves inside the needle with the PA effect. Acoustic waves are generated along the needle. Some amount of acoustic energy leaks into the surrounding material. The leakage of acoustic waves is captured by a conventional US transducer and US channel data collection system. Then, the collected data are converted to a PA image. The needle-tip can be visualized more clearly in this PA image than a general US brightness mode image.
Control of multivehicle systems in the presence of uncertain dynamics

In this paper, we present a cooperative control architecture for high-order multivehicle systems having non-identical nonlinear uncertain dynamics. The proposed methodology consists of a local cooperative controller and a vehicle-level controller for each vehicle. The former controller receives the relative output measurements of the neighbouring vehicles in order to solve a containment problem formulated on a leader–follower framework. Specifically, the leaders generate trajectories in which the vehicles (followers) converge to the convex hull formed by those of the leaders. For a special case with one leader, this controller synchronises the output of the vehicles with the output of the leader. The latter controller receives the internal-state measurements for suppressing the nonlinear uncertain dynamics of the vehicle by using a decentralised adaptive control approach. The interaction topology between vehicles is described by undirected graphs and extensions to directed graphs are further discussed. Th...
EFFECT OF VISUAL COMPLEXITY IN IDENTIFICATION OF TACHISTOSCOPIC IMAGES

Summary.-The present study of gender differences in hemispheric processing involved identification of tachistoscopically presented images of varying complexity. A computerized tachistoscopic program was administered to 24 men and 34 women. Time to identify contour and detailed pictures presented to the left or right cerebral hemisphere was recorded. Mean reaction time for contour pictures was significantly faster than for detailed pictures, and mean reaction time to the right hemisphere was significantly faster than that to the left hemisphere. The mean reaction time for men to identify pictures exposed to the left hemisphere was significantly slower than that for exposure to the right hemisphere for women. The mean reaction time for both men and women to identify contour pictures exposed to the right hemisphere was significantly faster than the mean time to identify detailed pictures presenred to the left hemisphere. The interaction of gender, hemisphere, and complexity was also significant in that mean reaction times for men to identify detailed pictures presented to the leEt hemisphere were slower than the times for women to identify contour pictures presented to the right hemisphere. The results are discussed in relation to theories about hemispheres, gender, and differences in picture features.
Paranormal Beliefs: Testing the Marginality Hypothesis

Abstract Using a 1978 national Gallup poll, we test the hypothesis that social marginality is a predictor of belief in paranormal phenomena. Being female and not being married generally correlate as hypothesized with paranormal belief, but age, low education, being Black, and being unemployed generally do not. The marginality hypothesis has a questionable theoretical foundation and fails to predict a variety of beliefs consistently.
Z 0 -tagged quark jets at the large hadron collider

The Large Hadron Collider will allow studies of hard probes in nucleus-nucleus collisions which were not accessible at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider—even the study of small cross-section Z 0-tagged jets becomes possible. Going beyond the measurement of back-to-back correlations of two strongly interacting particles to measure plasma properties, we replace one side by an electromagnetic probe which propagates through the plasma undisturbed and therefore provides a measurement of the energy of the initial hard scattering. We show that at sufficiently high transverse momentum the Z 0-tagged jets originate predominately from the fragmentation of quarks and anti-quarks while gluon jets are suppressed. We propose to use lepton-pair tagged jets to study medium-induced partonic energy loss and to measure in-medium parton fragmentation functions to determine the opacity of the quark gluon plasma.
Photophysics of backbone fluorescent DNA modifications: reducing uncertainties in FRET.

We have investigated the photophysical properties of backbone fluorescent DNA modifications with the goal of reducing many of the sources of uncertainty commonly encountered in Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) measurements. We show that backbone modifications constrain rotational motions, providing a way by which the orientation of the dye can be controlled in a predictable manner, and reduce the uncertainties in donor−acceptor distance associated with the flexible linkers commonly used in conjugate chemistry. Rotational rigidity also prevents undesirable dye−DNA interactions, which have been shown to affect the photophysical properties of the dye. Unusually large FRET efficiencies for donor−acceptor pairs separated by 102 A (three helical turns) were measured and attributed to the favorable relative orientation of the dipoles. The same FRET efficiency was measured for a sample in which the donor−acceptor separation was 12 A shorter, demonstrating the important role of relative orientation in FRET...
Reaction of montmorillonite with acid aqueous solutions: solute activity control by a secondary phase

Abstract Al, Ca, Mg and Na montmorillonites were reacted with acid aqueous solutions in order to test the assumption of equilibrium underlying solubility determinations of thermodynamic properties of montmorillonite. The value calculated for the equilibrium constant varied with pH over the pH range 1.5–4.2. Hence montmorillonite was not in a unique state of equilibrium with all solutions over this range. Therefore the derivation of thermodynamic properties of montmorillonite by the application of a single step dissolution equation to results of solubility studies in mildly acidic solutions is invalid. Indications of solute activity control by a secondary solid phase were given by: (1) the dependence of the solution concentrations of some, but not all, montmorillonite constituent elements upon each other; and (2) a lack of congruency in the dissolution of montmorillonite. These indications were confirmed by a principal components statistical analysis, which showed that the solution activities of Si, Al and H after long-term treatments of the mineral from undersaturation were always related by the same expression. This particular expression is equivalent to an equilibrium constant for the reversible dissolution of a secondary solid phase that is enriched in silicon by comparison with montmorillonite. An aluminous solid phase was also shown to be formed.
Politywide Analysis and Imperial Political Economy: The Relationship between Valley Political Complexity and Administrative Centers in the Wari Empire of the Central Andes

Abstract This article tests a model for the political economy of the Wari Empire (AD 600–1000) of Peru. This model divides the empire into core and periphery zones. In the core, Wari political economy was organized to extract surplus agricultural production to feed the capital. In the periphery, the Wari strove to extract prestige goods. We suggest that there is a strong relationship between where the empire chose to locate its centers in the periphery and the political complexity of the local population in which the center was placed. We argue that in areas of low political organization sites should be located near the geographic center of a population. These sites will tend to function as local administrative centers geared toward the organization and exploitation of the area's wealth potential. In areas with more complex political organization sites should be located on the margins of a population. These sites should have functioned as gateway centers controlling, or at least profiting from, interregional exchange. Our model was systematically tested through the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The results suggest that much of the variability found in Wari site placement in the periphery can be explained by differences in local sociopolitical complexity.
Care of Infants and Children With Bronchiolitis: A Systematic Review

Bronchiolitis is the most frequent cause of hospitalization in the infant population. Management varies widely, and the efficacy of many routinely implemented therapies is not supported by evidence. The purpose of the systematic review was to identify the best evidence available regarding the care of infants and children with bronchiolitis. A two-phase literature search was performed, and 20 publications were appraised. An abundance of evidence regarding management of bronchiolitis was revealed resulting in numerous recommendations. Use of a clinical pathway is proposed as a possible solution for moving this evidence into practice.
Purification and characterization of intact and truncated forms of the Escherichia coli biotin carboxyl carrier subunit of acetyl-CoA carboxylase.

Biotin biosynthesis and retention in Escherichia coli is regulated by the multifunctional protein, BirA. The protein acts as both the transcriptional repressor of the biotin biosynthetic operon and as a ligase for covalent attachment of biotin to a unique lysine residue of the biotin carboxyl carrier protein (BCCP) subunit of the acetyl-CoA carboxylase. Biotinyl-5′-AMP is the activated intermediate for the ligase reaction and the allosteric effector for DNA binding. We have purified and characterized apoBCCP and a truncated form containing the COOH-terminal 87 residues (apoBCCP87). Molecular masses of the proteins measured using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry conformed to the expected values. The assembly states of apoBCCP and apoBCCP87 were determined using sedimentation equilibrium ultracentrifugation. Nearly quantitative enzymatic transfer of biotin from BirA-biotinyl-5′-AMP to the apoBCCP forms was assessed using two methods, mass spectrometric analysis of acceptor proteins after incubation with BirA-bio-5′-AMP and a steady state fluorescence assay. The BirA catalyzed rates of transfer of biotin from bio-5′-AMP to apoBCCP and apoBCCP87 were measured by stopped-flow fluorescence. Kinetic parameters estimated from these measurements indicate that the intact and truncated forms of the acceptor protein are functionally identical.
Uncertainty issues in the modeling and optimization of batch reactors with tendency models

The calculation of optimal input policies for operation of chemical batch reactors is greatly affected by the accuracy of the process model. Approximate process models for batch reactors can be developed via a gray ☐ modeling technique known astendency modeling. Because these models are approximate models, the introduction of process—model mismatch may have a significant effect on the success of the process optimization. In this paper, the effect the process—model mismatch, represented by the parametric uncertainty of the tendency model, has on the process optimization is examined. We develop techniques that allow confidence limits to be placed on the optimal input policy as well as on the performance index, by considering the sensitivity of the optimal input policy with respect to uncertain model parameters. The uncertainty of the optimal operating policy can indicate whether the next experiment in the tendency modeling algorithm should be used for process optimization or for improvement in model accuracy. Also considered is the issue of operating the next batch with a suboptimal policy that is at a fraction of the distance between the previous policy and the calculated optimal one, so that the uncertainty of the new policy is reduced to an acceptable level.
Contrast effects in the rat: A developmental study

Two experiments investigated the exhibition and development of positive and negative contrast effects in the consummatory behavior of juvenile and adult rats. Over a 4-day session, animals were given alternating 30-sec presentations of 2 bottles containing either 32 or 4% sucrose solutions. In Experiment I, different groups of rats were tested both cross-sectionally and longitudinally using a cohort-sequential design. Cross-sectionally, animals at all ages exhibited both types of contrast and demonstrated increasing positive contrast effects with greater age. Discrepancies between the longitudinal and cross-sectional samples were found to be due to the repeated testing procedure of the former design. Experiment II replicated the positive and negative contrast effects in the juvenile animals, indicating that the processes responsible for contrast effects are operating in the rat at a very early age.
A Reconciliation Among Discrete Compromise Solutions

The application of compromise solutions to discrete multi-objective problems brings about some technical flexibilities, such as the selection of distance function for computing both normalized attribute ratings and distances between two alternatives, and the choice between the ideal and negative-ideal alternatives for implementing the axiom of choice. These flexibilities are undesirable, since the method may yield conflicting preference-alternative rankings, depending on parameter choice. This paper introduces a credibility measurement of distance function and takes a broader concept of the axiom of choice in order to reconcile disagreement among compromise solutions.
The Planck-Benzinger thermal work function in the condensation of water vapor

Based on the Planck–Benzinger thermal work function using Chun's method, the innate temperature-invariant enthalpy at 0 K, ΔH0(T0), for the condensation of water vapor as well as the dimer, trimer, tetramer, and pentamer form in the vapor phase, was determined to be 0.447 kcal mol−1 for vapor, 1.127 for the dimer, 0.555 for the trimer, 0.236 for the tetramer, and 0.079 kcal mol−1 for the pentamer using ΔG(T) data reported by Kell et al. in 1968 and Kell and McLaurin in 1969. These results suggest that the predominant dimeric form is the most stable of these n-mers. Using Nemethy and Scheraga's 1962 data for the Helmholtz free energy of liquid water, the value of ΔH0(T0) was determined to be 1.21 kcal mol−1. This is very close to the value for the energy of the hydrogen bond EH of 1.32 kcal mol−1 reported by Nemethy and Scheraga, using statistical thermodynamics. It seems clear that very little energy is required for interconversion between the hypothetical supercooled water vapor and glassy water at 0 K. A hypothetical supercooled water vapor at 0 K is apparently almost as highly associated as glassy water at that temperature, suggesting a dynamic equilibrium between vapor and liquid. This water vapor condensation is highly similar in its thermodynamic behavior to that of sequence-specific pairwise (dipeptide) hydrophobic interaction, except that the negative Gibbs free energy change minimum at 〈Ts〉, the thermal setpoint for vapor condensation, where TΔS = 0, occurs at a considerably lower temperature, 270 K (below 0°C) compared with ∼350 K. The temperature of condensation 〈Tcond〉 at which ΔG(T) = 0, where water vapor begins to condense, was found to be 383 K. In the case of a sequence-specific pairwise hydrophobic interaction, the melting temperature, 〈Tm〉, where ΔG(Tm) = 0 was found to be 460 K. Only between two temperature limits, 〈Th〉 = 99 K and 〈Tcond〉 = 383 K, where ΔG(Tcond) = 0, is the net chemical driving force favorable for polymorphism of glassy water and hypothetical supercooled water vapor. Analysis of the water vapor condensation process based on the Planck–Benzinger thermal work function confirms that a thermodynamic molecular switch occurs at 10 K, wherein a change of sign in [ΔCp(T)]cond leads to a true negative minimum in the Gibbs free energy of vapor condensation, and hence a maximum in the related equilibrium constant, Kcond. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2006
Structural aspects of visual similarity.

The hypothesis that visual representations for lines and/or points are independent structural units was tested using similarity judgment and speeded discrimination for pairs of six-segment letter-like figures. The stimuli were constructed such that each of two comparison figures had five segments in common with a standard figure. One figure was similar to the standard in its higher order structure (connectedness and closedness properties), whereas the other differed. The results show that the figures with similar higher order structure were systematically judged more similar to the standard than the figures with different structure. The former were also more difficult to discriminate from standards than the latter, as indicated by both time and error measurements. These effects were less pronounced in sequential than in simultaneous comparisons.
Intake and Digestion of ‘Jesup’ Tall Fescue Hays with a Novel Fungal Endophyte, without an Endophyte, or with a Wild-Type Endophyte

Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) is an important forage resource for beef (Bos taurus L.) production in the North-South transition zone. Recently, the cultivar 'Jesup' was released to provide improved stand survival when infected with a novel (nontoxic) endophyte marketed as MaxQ (Pennington Seed, Madison, GA), and warrants evaluation as a source of winter hay for beef cattle. Intake and digestion experiments were conducted to evaluate Jesup tall fescue containing the MaxQ endophyte (presumably without ergot alkaloids), Jesup with no endophyte, and Jesup with a wild-type endophyte capable of producing ergot alkaloids. Initial growth of the three endophyte treatments was harvested in April and a regrowth harvested in June. These six hays were fed to goats (Capra hircus L.) and sheep (Ovis aries L.). The hays harvested in June were also fed to cattle. The digestibility of the endophyte treatments was similar but goats had greater daily dry matter intake when fed MaxQ compared with wild-type hay (2.63 vs. 2.43 kg 100 -1 kg body weight; P = 0.07) while intake was similar to the endophyte-free hay. Sheep consumed hays similarly, regardless of harvest date, as did steers fed the June harvest. Daily intake of hays harvested in April and June were similar for goats, whereas sheep consumed more of the April hays (2.89 vs. 2.57 kg 100 -1 kg body weight; P < 0.01) and both digested the April hays to a greater extent. Endophyte status of the hays had little influence on their quality.
Squeezing in a fiber interferometer with a gigahertz pump

We report 5.1 dB of squeezing from a fiber interferometer pumped with a 1-GHz pulse source that successfully eliminates guided-acoustic-wave Brillouin scattering in significant frequency regimes. The pulse source is a diode-pumped Nd:YLF laser actively mode locked at 1.314 microm. The squeezing results are consistent with the limits imposed by the Gaussian pulse shape and the detection quantum efficiency.
Which Nonprofit Organizations Borrow

The tax benefit, bankruptcy value, and pecking-order theories of corporate capital structure are discussed in context of nonprofit organizations. A bivariate probit model shows that coefficients differ between models meaning mortgages and tax-exempt bonds are not equivalent forms of debt. Organizations with proportionally more program revenues, contributions, total assets, total revenues, and executive compensation are more likely to have a mortgage. Nonprofits that rely on special event fund-raising or contributions have a lower probability of using bond financing. The use of debt is also influenced by the nature of the organization's mission as measured through the NTEE classification.
Effects of a Self-Monitoring Device on Socially Relevant Behaviors in Adolescents with Asperger Disorder: A Pilot Study

This article reports the results of two case studies. Two middle school-aged participants with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders were taught to self-monitor behaviors impacting their social acceptance by peers in their general education settings: oral self-stimulatory behaviors and conversation skills. Results indicate that the intervention was effective to some degree with both participants. As a result of the self-monitoring intervention, one participant decreased self-stimulatory behaviors; however, his data were highly variable throughout the study though lower on average during intervention than in baseline. The other participant's targeted skills in communication were only slightly improved. Self-monitoring using a vibrating reminder appears to be a low-cost intervention with high levels of social acceptability, low training requirements for teachers or students, and no social stigma.
STRUCTURE OF THE AMIDE I BAND OF PEPTIDES MEASURED BY FEMTOSECOND NONLINEAR-INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY

Femtosecond infrared (IR) pump probe and dynamic hole burning experiments were used to examine the ultrafast response of the modes in the 1600−1700 cm-1 region (the so-called amide I modes) of N-methylacetamide (NMA) and three small globular peptides, apamin, scyllatoxin, and bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI). A value of 16 cm-1 was found for the anharmonicity of the amide I vibration. Vibrational relaxation of the amide I modes of all investigated peptides occurs in ca. 1.2 ps. An even faster value of 450 fs is obtained for NMA, a model for the peptide unit. The vibrational relaxation is dominated by intramolecular energy redistribution (IVR) and reflects an intrinsic property of the peptide group in any environment. Dynamic hole burning experiments with a narrow band pump pulse which selectively excites only a subset of the amide I eigenstates reveal that energy migration between different amide I states is slow compared with vibrational relaxation. Two-dimensional pump−probe (2D-IR) spectra th...
Knowledge management barriers: why the technology imperative seldom works

Knowledge management has made inroads in all fields and continues to evolve as a pivotal task for companies trying to survive in today's competitive marketplace. While this recent surge is justified, many companies have yet to realize value or gain returns from their investments in information technology solutions to aid in managing knowledge. From interviews with executives responsible for knowledge management ventures as well as front-line employees using those systems, four common issues have emerged that executives need to consider while pushing IT-driven knowledge initiatives.
Hepatic portal venous gas in a patient with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer on bevacizumab therapy: a case report and review of the literature

The presence of hepatic portal venous gas (HPVG) is a rare finding. It is most commonly caused by bowel necrosis and typically carries a grave prognosis. Bevacizumab has emerged as an effective standard therapy in the frontline management of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Although bevacizumab is associated with gastrointestinal perforation, it has not been shown to cause HPVG. A 75-year-old man, diagnosed with metastatic NSCLC, was treated with palliative chemotherapy consisting of paclitaxel, carboplatin, and bevacizumab for six cycles. He continued on maintenance bevacizumab after that for a total of six doses, given every 3 weeks, with continued stable disease. During a surveillance CT scan 4 weeks after the last dose of bevacizumab, HPVG was shown. This is the first case of HPVG associated with bevacizumab therapy in a patient with metastatic NSCLC. The HPVG may have been an early warning sign of impending bowel perforation, and bevacizumab was immediately discontinued, with HPVG completely resolving on follow-up CT scan 2 weeks later. We recommend that bevacizumab therapy be immediately and permanently discontinued whenever HPVG is observed, as this may help avoid a potentially catastrophic outcome.
Science policy - needed research (a note)

Abstract The nation needs to ask, answer and act upon a series of important questions for science policy.
Adaptive Dynamic Modularity in a Connectionist Model of Context-Dependent Idea Generation

Cognitive control -the ability to produce appropriate behavior in complex situations -is a fundamental aspect of intelligence. It is increasingly evident that this control arises from the interaction of dynamics in several brain regions, and depends significantly on processes of modulation and dynamical biasing. While most research has focused on explanations of behavioral responses seen in experiments and pathologies, it is reasonable to expect that internal functions such as planning and thinking would also use similar control mechanisms. In this paper, we present a connectionist model for an idea generation process that can rapidly retrieve old ideas in familiar contexts and search for novel ideas in unfamiliar ones. Based on a simple reinforcement signal, the system learns context-dependent biases that represent effective internal "response systems" for generating ideas from conceptual elements. A broad goal of the research is to show that preconfigured structural modularity, limited real-time selectivity, and adaptive modulation can interact to produce the flexible functionality necessary for cognition and intelligent behavior.
Color discrimination and luminance

This experiment studied the relation between luminance level and color discrimination at 570 millimicrons. A variety ofstimuli whose luminances varied from .1 to 100 ft-L were viewed against a variety of surrounds. 1t was found that color discrimination ability was a joint function of the luminance level of the stimulus and the ratio of the luminance of the stimulus to that of the surround.
Scaling Social Impact: Building Sustainable Social Ventures at the Base-of-the-Pyramid

AbstractThis paper examines the process through which ventures scale their social impact in base-of-the-pyramid communities. A careful review of extant literature reveals two distinct modes of scaling social impact – breadth and depth scale. Drawing on a longitudinal study of Naandi and Drishtee – two exemplary social ventures in rural India – it is suggested that the depth and breadth scale develop through different processes. Each venture dynamically balances a minimum critical specification of social innovation, affordability, and market penetration while scaling social impact. We chart this path to scale in the two social ventures, and find that the relationship between minimum critical specifications and social impact is mediated by contrasting approaches to resource mobilization, operating routines, and entrepreneurial adjustment. The findings suggest that the process of scaling social impact can be characterized by a punctuated equilibrium model of system change.
Towards a molecular model for bismuth(III) subsalicylate. Synthesis and solid-state structure of [Bi(Hsal)3(bipy)(C7H8]2 and [Bi(Hsal)(sal)(1,10-phenanthroline)(C7H8]2

The synthesis and characterization of the first bismuth salicylate complexes, stabilized by chelating amine ligands, offers the possibility for detailed investigation of molecular precursors of the biologically significant compound bismuth subsalicylate (BSS).
Colony growth of corals transplanted for restoration depends on their site of origin and environmental factors

We determined that growth differences among coral fragments transplanted for restoration were influenced by both source population and environmental factors. In two common garden experiments, storm-generated fragments of Acropora palmata were transplanted from two source populations in the British Virgin Islands to a restoration site (a ‘common garden’) that lacked A. palmata. In the first experiment, colonies from different sources grew at different rates in the first year after transplanting, suggesting either genetic differences among source populations or enduring acclimation to conditions at the source site. No differences in growth among source populations were detected in the second common garden experiment. To isolate environmental effects on growth, we subdivided fragments from three source populations to create genetically identical pieces that were attached separately at both source and restoration sites. Genetically identical pieces from all source populations grew slightly faster at their source than at the restoration site, implying a subtle home-site advantage. Overall, our results suggest that matching environmental conditions at source and restoration sites may increase the success of restoration projects.
Inhibitory Cross-talk between Estrogen Receptor (ER) and Constitutively Activated Androstane Receptor (CAR) CAR INHIBITS ER-MEDIATED SIGNALING PATHWAY BY SQUELCHING p160 COACTIVATORS

Estrogen receptor (ER) activity can be modulated by the action of other nuclear receptors. To study whether ER activity is altered by orphan nuclear receptors that mediate the cellular response to xenobiotics, cross-talk between ER and constitutive androstane receptor (CAR), steroid and xenobiotic receptor, or peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ was examined in HepG2 cells. Of these receptors, CAR substantially inhibited ER-mediated transcriptional activity of the vitellogenin B1 promoter as well as a synthetic estrogen responsive element (ERE)-containing promoter. Treatment with an agonist of CAR, 1,4-bis-(2-(3,5-dichloropyridoxyl))benzene, potentiated CAR-mediated transcriptional repression. In contrast, an antagonist of CAR, androstenol, alleviated the repression effect. Although CAR interacted with the ER in solution, CAR did not interact with the ER bound to the ERE. CAR/retinoid X receptor bound to the ERE but with much lower affinity than ER. Incremental amounts of CAR elicited a progressive reduction of the ER activity induced by the p160 coactivator glucocorticoid receptor interacting protein 1 (GRIP-1). In turn, increasing amounts of GRIP-1 progressively reversed the depression of ER activity by CAR. An agonist or antagonist of CAR potentiated or alleviated, respectively, the CAR-mediated repression of the GRIP-1-enhanced ER activity, which is consistent with the ability of theses ligands to increase or decrease, respectively, the interaction of CAR with GRIP-1. A CAR mutant that did not interact with GRIP-1 did not inhibit ER-mediated transactivation. Our data demonstrate that xenobiotic nuclear receptor CAR antagonizes ER-mediated transcriptional activity by squelching limiting amounts of p160 coactivator and imply that xenobiotics may influence ER function of female reproductive physiology, cell differentiation, tumorigenesis, and lipid metabolism.
Components of curiosity: Berlyne reconsidered.

Berlyne has found that collative stimuli—stimuli with the attributes of complexity, incongruity, or ambiguity, among others—attract longer visual exploration than their less perplexing counterparts. He has postulated a curiosity motive to account for the finding; this paper suggests an alternative explanation of some of his results. The first of two experiments evaluates whether viewing time allotted to collative stimuli is increased by prior curiosity-arousal. The second evaluates whether a ‘set to remember’ also increases viewing of collative stimuli. Results indicate (a) that both experimental conditions elevate attention to collative stimuli, and to approximately the same extent; but (b) that curiosity-arousal particularly elevates attention to incongruous stimuli, whereas, a ‘set to remember’ increases attention to complex stimuli. Control subjects given instructions patterned after Berlyne's seem to exhibit a self-induced remembering set. This emphasizes the need to separate the effects due to curiosity from those due to a remembering orientation.
Review article toxic oil syndrome: review of immune aspects of the disease.

In 1981–1982, individuals in fourteen central and northwest provinces in Spain were affected by an illness that was eventually labeled toxic oil syndrome (TOS) by the World Health Organization. Tho...
IFIP vibes: WCCE 2009 in Brazil

There is still time to submit a paper to the IFIP World Conference on Computers in Education! The conference, which is held every five years or so, will be in Bento Goncalves, RS, Brazil, on 27-31 July 2009. The deadline for paper submission is 31 December 2008.
VACUUM-PUFF FREEZE DRYING OF TROPICAL FRUIT JUICES

SUMMARY— A study was made to develop high Quality juice powders from four tropical fruits. Guava and mango puree, passion fruit and pineapple juice were dehydrated in a vacuum-puff freeze-drying process. Sucrose in amount (25–40%) approximating nectar formulations was mixed with single-strength juice or puree samples, blended 2 min, and frozen. Freezing temperatures of various samples were measured in a constant temperature bath of −21.6°F. Samples initially frozen in blast freezers at −40°F or 0°F with 0.25–1.0 lb/ft2 were vacuum-puffed and freeze dried on aluminum trays at 50μ Hg and 120–130°F shell temperature for 6–9 hr to 1–2% moisture. Puffing was affected by (1) rapid freezing of the juice-sucrose mixture; (2) artificially entrapping some gas in the mixture before freezing; (3) changing the pressure or temperature in the chamber to effect gas expansion; and (4) increasing the mixture viscosity to limit bubble sizes. Results of drying over 160 different samples showed that: (1) added sucrose to give a 40° 5° Brix in the mixture resulted in a stable ‘puffed’ structure; (2) several permissible calcium salts and silica at 0.1–0.5% (w/w) added to the mixture before drying, improve the free-flowing properties of the dried product. Process variables are discussed and typical sample compositions given.
Warm blood cardioplegic induction: An underused modality

Warm blood cardioplegic induction (WBCI) improves recovery of cardiogenic shock hearts by repaying their energy debt before cold ischemic arrest. This study tests the hypothesis that despite the absence of shock, many hearts are energy depleted and would benefit from WBCI. Twenty-five consecutive (nonshock) patients undergoing open heart operations received antegrade WBCI. Simultaneous samples were drawn from the aortic root and coronary sinus 15 seconds and 2 minutes after cardiac arrest. Samples were analyzed and compared to determine the oxygen consumption, oxygen extraction ratio, and glucose uptake across the left ventricular myocardium. There was a positive linear correlation between oxygen and glucose uptake (p < 0.001). By univariate analysis, severe multivessel disease and high Parsonnet (severity) score were predictors (p < 0.05) of increased metabolic uptake during warm induction. In addition, patients requiring urgent operations (unstable angina, left main disease, or congestive heart failure) and those with a history of hypertension (coronary artery bypass grafting) or left ventricular overload (valve patients) had higher consumption of oxygen and glucose (p < 0.05) compared with patients undergoing elective operations or those without a history of hypertension. In conclusion, warm cardioplegic induction in nonshocked hearts results in increased metabolic uptake indicating energy repayment and correlates with severity of underlying myocardial disease. The need for WBCI is especially great in patients with a history of hypertension or left ventricular overload and those requiring an urgent operation, where increased metabolic extraction was still present after 2 minutes. In addition, even for completely elective patients, WBCI may be useful if the patient has severe multivessel disease or a high Parsonnet score.
Agonistic relationships between female mountain gorillas (Gorilla gorilla beringei)

Females in some mountain gorilla groups can be ranked on the basis of decided, non-aggressive approach-retreat interactions. However, data on four gorilla groups show that females do not form clear agonistic dominance hierarchies. Most aggressive interactions between females were undecided, and most dyads had undecided dominance relationships (Fig. 2). Females ignored aggression or responded to it aggressively more often than they responded submissively (Fig. 3). Moreover, directional inconsistency in aggression (including escalated contests) was high, and in some groups females showed significant bidirectionality in initiation of aggression (i.e., the more often they received aggression from partners, the more often they directed aggression at those partners; Fig. 4). Assigning ranks on the basis of aggressive interactions has limited power to explain variation in rates of initiating aggression and in responses and outcomes to aggression. Aggression was most common during feeding, but usually did not interrupt feeding bouts. It was proportionately more common in contexts that seem to involve competition for access to males (Figs 5, 6). This is consistent with the argument that females depend crucially on male services. As predicted by current models of female primate social relationships, agonistic relationships between gorilla females are unlike those typical in cercopithecine primates. They resemble those of some other primates and some equids in which contest competition for food is relatively unimportant and ecological costs of female transfer are low.
5-OHKF and NorKA, Depsipeptides from a Hawaiian Collection of Bryopsis pennata: Binding Properties for NorKA to the Human Neuropeptide Y Y1 Receptor

Two new cyclic depsipeptides, 5-OHKF (1) and norKA (2), together with the known congeners kahalalide F (3) and isokahalalide F ((4S)- methylhexanoic kahalalide F) (4) were isolated from the green alga Bryopsis pennata. The structures of the new compounds were established on the basis of extensive 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic analysis and mass spectrometric (ESIMS) data. The absolute configuration of each amino acid of 5-OHKF (1) and norKA (2) was determined by chemical degradation and Marfey’s analysis. The biological activities of these two compounds are also reported.
Dirichlet Processes in Nonlinear Mixed Effects Models

In this article, we use two efficient approaches to deal with the difficulty in computing the intractable integrals when implementing Gibbs sampling in the nonlinear mixed effects model (NLMM) based on Dirichlet processes (DP). In the first approach, we compute the Laplace's approximation to the integral for its high accuracy, low cost, and ease of implementation. The second approach uses the no-gaps algorithm of MacEachern and Muller (1998) to perform Gibbs sampling without evaluating the difficult integral. We apply both approaches to real problems and simulations. Results show that both approaches perform well in density estimation and prediction and are superior to the parametric analysis in that they can detect important model features, such as skewness, long tails, and multimodality, whereas the parametric analysis cannot.
Autonomous Interplanetary Orbit Determination Using Satellite-to-Satellite Tracking

A new method of interplanetary orbit determination is described that uses only scalar satellite-to-satellite observations such as crosslink range to estimate the orbits of all of the participating spacecraft simultaneously. This method, called liaison navigation, does not work in the two-body problem or for constellations in low Earth orbits in which two-body dynamics dominate. If the constellation is strongly affected by a third body such as the moon, the gravitational effect of the third body can make all of the spacecraft states observable. In the three-body problem, spacecraft in the vicinity of the L 1 and L 2 Lagrange points experience significant accelerations due to both of the primary bodies, and these are ideal locations for investigating the feasibility of liaison navigation. Covariance analysis is used to estimate the accuracy of liaison navigation for spacecraft in Earth-moon and sun-Earth halo orbits generated in the circular restricted three-body problem. With only data noise, the estimation accuracy for the spacecraft positions in some configurations is excellent. In addition, a range bias is successfully estimated, along with the satellite states. Principles of constellation design that lead to more accurate liaison navigation estimates are described, along with techniques for reducing the fit-span length.
Resonance Raman Spectroscopy of Discrete Silica-Supported Vanadium Oxide

Vanadium oxide deposited as discrete oxovanadium groups, [(−O)3V═O], in transparent silica xerogels were investigated by resonance Raman spectroscopy. Spectra were collected at 351 and 257 nm excitation into two distinct absorption bands of the oxovanadium site. Three new bands associated with vibrations of the vanadium oxide site were observed at 496, 568, and 720 cm−1. From these additional modes and the previously known vibrations at 1064, 1033, and 923 cm−1 an empirical force field was determined from which a normal-mode analysis of the primary stretching vibrations of the vanadium oxo group was carried out. This analysis indicates that for most of the observed bands the interfacial Si−O−V stretches are the primary component, and in fact, only the weak band at 923 cm−1 was dominated by the terminal V═O stretch. Shifts in the band positions with 18O isotopic enrichment are in general agreement with the normal-mode analysis, moreover, the enrichment indicates that the bridging groups are generally quite...
Automatic Physiological Waveform Processing for fMRI Noise Correction and Analysis

Functional MRI resting state and connectivity studies of brain focus on neural fluctuations at low frequencies which share power with physiological fluctuations originating from lung and heart. Due to the lack of automated software to process physiological signals collected at high magnetic fields, a gap exists in the processing pathway between the acquisition of physiological data and its use in fMRI software for both physiological noise correction and functional analyses of brain activation and connectivity. To fill this gap, we developed an open source, physiological signal processing program, called PhysioNoise, in the python language. We tested its automated processing algorithms and dynamic signal visualization on resting monkey cardiac and respiratory waveforms. PhysioNoise consistently identifies physiological fluctuations for fMRI noise correction and also generates covariates for subsequent analyses of brain activation and connectivity.
Policy Cultures: The Case of Science Policy in the United States

Throughout its history, the relationship between government and science in the United States has been mutually beneficial but also contentious. This article reviews the recent history of this relationship and attributes the conflict to different norms and values in each of the institutions. A policy culture is the result. It sets the limits of government action and shapes the policy agenda, the debates, and their outcomes. The evolving norms of policy culture are examined on the basis of two specific controversies: pork-barrel support of science and university-industry relations. The article concludes with a discussion of why the study of a policy culture helps us understand the ways in which values shape science policy.
Color clustering techniques for color-content-based image retrieval from image databases

Image retrieval based on color content is an auxiliary function for traditional text-annotated image databases. Most color-based image retrieval systems adopt color histograms as the feature of color content. One of the most important steps in these systems is to reduce histogram dimensions with the least loss in color content. A good clustering technique is vital for this purpose. This paper examines the color conservation property by applying different clustering techniques in perceptually uniform color spaces and different images. For studying color spaces, the perceptual uniform spaces, such as Mathematical Transformation to Munsell system (MTM) and C.I.E. L*a*b*, are investigated. For evaluating clustering techniques, the equalized quantization approach, the hierarchical clustering approach, and the Color-Naming-System (CNS) supervised clustering approach are studied. For analyzing color loss, the error bound, the quantized error in color space conversion, and the average quantized error of 400 color images are explored. An image retrieval application based on color content is shown to demonstrate the difference in applying these clustering techniques. These simulation results suggest that good clustering techniques usually lead to more effective retrieval.
Ulnar nerve injury and perioperative arm positioning

Primum non nocere. Hippocrates included this admonition in Epidemics, Book I, Second Constitution, to do good or "to do no harm." However, even the most conscientious health care provider will encounter unexpected and serious adverse medical events. This discussion focuses on one relatively common, often perplexing, and usually unexplained perioperative complication: ulnar neuropathy. Perioperative ulnar neuropathy has received increased scientific attention because it accounts for one third of all nerve injury claims in the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Closed Claims Study database. In addition, these injuries may result in chronic pain or paresthesia, employment disability, catastrophic economic damages, and malpractice litigation. We will explore the current understanding of perioperative ulnar nerve dysfunction by summarizing the relevant scientific literature and information within the ASA closed-claims database, describing the epidemiologic features of perioperative nerve injuries, discussing relevant clinical investigations and recommendations for safe arm positioning during anesthesia, and reviewing the medico-legal issues inevitably intertwined with this topic, particularly the doctrine of res ipsa loquitur.