cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Noiseonomics: The relationship between ambient noise levels in the sea and global economic trends

In recent years, the topic of noise in the sea and its effects on marine mammals has attracted considerable attention from both the scientific community and the general public. Since marine mammals rely heavily on acoustics as a primary means of communicating, navigating, and foraging in the ocean, any change in their acoustic environment may have an impact on their behavior. Specifically, a growing body of literature suggests that low-frequency, ambient noise levels in the open ocean increased approximately 3.3 dB per decade during the period 1950–2007. Here we show that this increase can be attributed primarily to commercial shipping activity, which in turn, can be linked to global economic growth. As a corollary, we conclude that ambient noise levels can be directly related to global economic conditions. We provide experimental evidence supporting this theory and discuss its implications for predicting future noise levels based on global economic trends.
A phage-associated enzyme of Bacillus megaterium which destroys the bacterial cell wall.

Abstract A virulent Bacillus megaterium phage G, which produces a spreading halo around its plaque, has been isolated. The halo is caused by a lytic substance which diffuses faster than the phage. Broth lysates of phage G also contain a lytic substance which has the characteristics of an enzyme and which dissolves B. megaterium cell walls. The enzyme has been characterized, separated from phage, and purified to the extent of increasing the specific activity 118 times. It is rapidly destroyed at 65°;, and has a temperature coefficient of activity of 1.54 and a pH optimum of about 4.5. In pH 8.6 buffer, it migrates electrophoretically to the anode in a single peak. It is resistant to trypsin, papain, deoxyribonuclease (DNAse), and ribonuclease (RNAse) but is destroyed by chymotrypsin. The action of the enzyme on cell walls is accompanied by the appearance of nondialyzable reducing sugar. The enzyme appears not to be serologically related to phage. Data are presented to show that the enzyme may be found in the cells in increasing amounts up to the time of lysis, probably starting shortly before the first mature phage particles are formed; that the rate of premature lysis brought on by the addition of cyanide correlates with the amount of enzyme present at any time; that proflavine, at a concentration which partially inhibits phage growth, allows development of the full titer of the enzyme; and that, by 3 seconds after the onset of phage lysis, the cell wall has been destroyed. No enzyme activity seems to be present in purified phage preparations at concentrations up to 3 × 1013 per milliliter. It is hypothesized from the above data that the enzyme is produced in the cell under the influence of phage and, in this case, may function in an escape mechanism for the phage by destroying the cell wall.
A program to determine the optimal rank order of pairwise similarities from incomplete triads data: Profit

Description. Nonmetric scaling techniques (Kruskal, 1964; Shepard, 1962a, b; Shepard, 1966) as embodied in the TORSCA (Young & Torgerson, 1967) or PARSCAL (Johnson, 1973) programs produce multidimensional scaling solutions from rank orders of pairwise similarities between N points. The present program produces a rank order for (~) pairs of stimuli for data gathered by Torgerson's method of triadic combinations (Torgerson, 1958) or, more· commonly, the method of incomplete triads. Coombs (1964, pp. 352-359) suggests a method of triangular analysis to arrange these triad judgments inte a single rank order. We have supplemented Coombs' basic algorithm with a set of routines to transform triangular matrices to poduce the best rank orders in terms of the fewest number of inconsistencies. With sophisticated subjects, the rank orders needed for the nonmetric scaling programs can be obtained directly by asking the subject to rank order all pairs of stimuli in order of similarity. The method of incomplete triads is particularly appropriate for subjects who cannot consider a large number of relationships simultaneously but who can decide which two of three stimuli are most similar and which two are least similar. Children as young as 5 years of age can make such judgments. Seitz (1971) demonstrated the usefulness of this type of data, using metric scaling techniques suggested by Torgerson (1958). Metric techniques, however, require repeated measurement on each triad since distance is estimated from frequency of choice. For more than five stimuli, many trials for a single subject or the data from several subjects must be combined to obtain the necessary measures. There is a major advantage in not combining the data from more than one subject since one is usually interested in a description of the perceived similarity among stimuli for individuals. The nonmetric procedures used in the present program can be employed without repeated measurements on each triad and can be applied to individual subjects. Thus, for six stimuli, only 20 trials are necessary; for nine stimuli, 84 trials are necessary. Input. Input consists of the data gathered from all possible triads, given N stimuli. The data from each triadic stimulus array forms a data input unit consisting of the designation numbers of the two stimuli judged as most similar and the two stimuli judged as least similar. The data input units can be read into the program in any order as long as the data within each unit follows the sequence: most similar pair, least similar pair.
Distributed video conferencing systems

The emergence of the Internet as a global communications infrastructure has enabled the development of new distributed multiparty video conferencing solutions. These distributed solutions differ considerably from the circuit-switched centralized approaches which preceded them. In this paper we discuss these differences from a general perspective and then describe an actual distributed multiparty solution. The multimedia multiparty teleconferencing (MMT) system implemented at the IBM T.J. Watson Research Center is a high quality video conferencing solution that runs over an IP network. The solution addresses multicast, synchronization, video mixing, error handling, and directory service issues. A detailed description of a solution for secure video conferencing through corporate firewalls is presented.
Links between Literacy Skills and Accurate Spatial Relations in Representations of the Face: Comparison of Preschoolers, School Children, Dyslexics, and Mentally Retarded:

Summcrsy.-A specific link is found between low or absent literacy skills and a specific misrepresentation of spatial relations exclusively of the upper part of the human face. This misrepresentation, determined by simple measurement, is found in 32% of the pictorial representations of 407 preschoolers whose drawings were published by various authors as well as in 32% of 44 preschoolers tested here. By contrast, after having had instruction in literaq, the proportion of such misrepresentations of the face drops to 7.5% and 1095, respectively, although, as expected, not in the drawings by 236 mildly mentally retarded or by 297 dyslexic children, 33% and 39% of whom, respectively, still misrepresent the face. In addition to a developmental factor, a further one, as yet undetermined, may be at work and related to a specific deficit in representing che spatial relations of the face. Data further suppott the previously suggested existence of a specific and general trend for a link between literacy skills and accurate representation of the spatial relations of the pattern of the face also noted previously in diverse cultural groups and periods. The goal of this analysis was to investigate the existence of a specific link between two cognitive functions, literacy skills and accurate pictorial representation of the spatial relations of the human face. This study did not concern art as such or graphic representation in general but subtle, yet elementary spatial relations of up/down and right/left orientation reflected in the depiction of facial features and analogously in lexical signs, as shown in previous studies (Pontius, 1976, 1980, 1981, 1982a, 1982b). Presentation of the human face has been shown to play a special role ever since mankind created art, as well as in children's development (Carey & Diamond, 1978). For at least 35,000 years the period of paleolithic art has produced magnificent ice-age animals and their faces (Marschack, 1972) but if humans were depicted at all, they showed no faces or merely profile faces. The frontal view of the human face with its intricate spatial relation among the features of the upper part of the face was almost never depicted until the "neolithic period" of art (Schmitz, 1969), a virtually worldwide preliterate period that lasted for instance in Europe up to four millenia ago. Yet even during this period of "neolithic art" when the depiction of the full human face began, this was still done in a specifically distorted way (Pontius,
Mesoporous Molecular Sieve Derived TiO2 Nanofibers Doped with SnO2

Mesoporous silica spheres were used as templates to prepare 5 to ∼10 nm Sn doped TiO2 (TDT) nanofibers using SnCl4 and TiCl4 as precursors. The as-made nanofibers were crystalline anatase but transformed into the rutile phase after annealing above 700 °C. The Sn dopant amount in the TDT nanofibers can be controlled by changing the molar ratio of SnCl4 to TiCl4. The dopant Sn atoms were incorporated into the anatase lattice at a level of ∼15%. The photodegradation of various dyes was catalyzed by the TDT nanofibers and was shown to be more effective than P25 and the undoped TiO2 nanofibers.
High-reflectivity intracavity Bragg mirrors for the far-infrared p-Ge laser

Multi-layer mirrors capable of >99.9% reflectivity at ~100 micron wavelengths were constructed using thin silicon etalons separated by empty gaps. Due to the large difference between the index of refraction of silicon (3.384) and vacuum (1), calculations indicate that only three periods are required to produce 99.9% reflectivity. The mirror was assembled from high purity silicon wafers, with resistivity over 4000 ohm-cm to reduce free carrier absorption. Wafers were double side polished with faces parallel within 10 arc seconds. The multi-layer mirror was demonstrated as a cavity mirror for the far-infrared p-Ge laser.
Predictors of body size stigmatization in Hispanic preschool children.

Objective: The purpose of the current study was to verify the occurrence of body size stigmatization in Hispanic preschoolers who are “at risk” for obesity and to examine potential predictors of body size stigmatization. Methods and Procedures: At a local preschool, 70 lower-socioeconomic, Hispanic caregivers and their preschoolers participated. Preschoolers completed an attribution task including positive and negative adjectives to assess body size stigmatization. Child's perceived size and caregiver's body dissatisfaction were assessed using a line drawing ranging in size from very underweight figures to very overweight figures. Adult and child body indices were then assessed. Results: Body size stigmatization in child participants was observed. Stepwise multiple regressions revealed that child BMI was the only significant predictor of the number of positive adjectives the child assigned to the overweight picture. As child BMI increased, the number of positive adjectives assigned to the overweight picture decreased. Two predictors, caregiver body dissatisfaction with self and caregiver BMI, significantly predicted the number of negative traits the child assigned to the overweight figure. Caregivers with higher BMIs and increased body dissatisfaction were most likely to have children who showed negative body size stigmatization. Discussion: Increasing rates of obesity have not led to greater acceptance of the obese and even children who are at greater risk for obesity show body size stigmatization at early ages. Caregivers are influential in the development of body size stigmatization in children and must be considered in the development of programs aimed at reducing stigmatization and obesity.
Platelet-derived growth factor receptor inhibition to treat idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome.

Abstract Hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) is a heterogeneous group of rare disorders characterized by peripheral blood and tissue eosinophilia leading to end-organ damage. Hypereosinophilic syndrome can be fatal, particularly in patients with endomyocardial fibrosis, and treatment has traditionally been palliative or preventive. The disease shares features with myeloproliferative disorders, such as chronic myeloid leukemia, including responsiveness to hydroxyurea and interferon. The tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib, a highly effective treatment for chronic myeloid leukemia, has shown efficacy in normalizing eosinophil counts and resolving signs and symptoms in some HES patients. Fusion of the Fip1-like 1 gene ( FIP1L1 ) and the platelet-derived growth factor receptor α gene ( PDGFRA ) was discovered in the majority of patients with imatinib-sensitive HES, and all patients with the fusion responded to imatinib. The product of this fusion gene, FIP1L1-PDGFRα, is a constitutively active protein-tyrosine kinase capable of transforming hematopoietic cells. The efficacy of relatively low imatinib concentrations in HES, mediated by inhibition of FIP1L1-PDGFRα kinase activity, causally implicates FIP1L1-PDGFRA in the pathogenesis in certain HES patients.
Turnover and Down-Regulation of GABAA Receptor α1, β2S, and γ1 Subunit mRNAs by Neurons in Culture

Benzodiazepines (BZDs), barbiturates, ethanol, and general anesthetics potentiate the action of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) at the type A GABA receptor (GABA(A)R) and have profound effects on mood, arousal, and susceptibility to seizures. GABA(A)R number and subunit mRNA levels change in animal models of epilepsy and anxiety and following exposure to GABA(A)R agonists and positive modulators, but the mechanism of receptor down-regulation remains unknown. Persistent exposure (48 h) of brain neurons in primary culture to GABA results in a 30% decrease in the levels of mRNA encoding the alpha1, beta2S, and gamma1 GABA(A)R subunit isoforms, which form a receptor enhanced by nonselective BZDs. Down-regulation of alpha1 mRNA (t1/2 = 8 h) precedes down-regulation of receptor number (t1/2 = 25 h), suggesting that GABA-induced GABA(A)R down-regulation is a consequence of decreased mRNA levels. The apparent half-life of the alpha1 mRNA in the presence of alpha-amanitin (9 h) is consistent with the time course of alpha1 mRNA down-regulation. Moreover, the stability of the alpha1, beta2S, and gamma1 subunit mRNAs is not altered by chronic GABA exposure. The results demonstrate that GABA(A)R subunit mRNA down-regulation is not a consequence of accelerated mRNA degradation and argue that GABA-induced GABA(A)R down-regulation is due to inhibition of transcription.
Demographic composition of the feeding population of juvenile loggerhead sea turtles ( Caretta caretta ) off Charleston, South Carolina: evidence from mitochondrial DNA markers

To determine the origin of juvenile loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) that occupy the Charleston Harbor Entrance Channel at Charleston, South Carolina, USA, mitochondrial DNA restriction-fragment length polymorphisms from this feeding population were compared to haplotypes from candidate nesting populations. Previous studies have defined two major nesting populations in the southeastern USA, one corresponding to Florida and the other to Georgia/South Carolina. These nesting populations are distinguished by both unique haplotypes and frequency distributions of common haplotypes. The frequency distribution of haplotypes in the juvenile feeding-ground population was significantly different from both nesting populations, implying that the feeding aggregate is drawn from two or more nesting populations. Assuming that these turtles are derived exclusively from rookeries in the southeastern USA, a maximum likelihood estimator indicates that approximately half are from the Florida rookery and half are from the northern (Georgia/South Carolina) rookery complex. Because 91% of nesting in the southeastern USA occurs in Florida rookeries and 8% in the northern complex, the 50:50 ratio indicates that juvenile turtles from Georgia and South Carolina tend to feed preferentially near their respective rookery locations. Human encroachment on this feeding habitat may pose an especially high risk to the smaller Georgia/South Carolina rookeries.
Effect of Fast vs Slow Intralipid Infusion on Gas Exchange, Pulmonary Hemodynamics, and Prostaglandin Metabolism

Intralipid (20 percent, 500 ml) was infused fast (5 h) or slow (10 h) randomly in patients with lung injury to relate changes in plasma prostaglandin (PG) concentrations to gas exchange and pulmonary hemodynamics. Data were collected at baseline, midpoint of infusion, and 2 h following infusion. Vasodilator and vasoconstrictor PG metabolites, 6-keto-PGF1 α , and thromboxane B 2 , respectively, were measured in radial arterial blood samples. Slow Intralipid infusion increased shunt fraction (QS/QT) without changing mean pulmonary artery pressure (MPAP), whereas fast Intralipid infusion increased MPAP without changing Qs/QT. Prostaglandin levels did not change significantly during either infusion. However, in both groups when the PC substrate was removed, hemodynamic and metabolite values decreased in parallel. In conclusion, we were unable to demonstrate a cause and effect relationship between plasma levels of 6-keto-PGF1 α and thromboxane B 2 and the observed pulmonary hemodynamic response to slow or fast Intralipid infusion.
Replication of CNTNAP2 association with nonword repetition and support for FOXP2 association with timed reading and motor activities in a dyslexia family sample

Two functionally related genes, FOXP2 and CNTNAP2, influence language abilities in families with rare syndromic and common nonsyndromic forms of impaired language, respectively. We investigated whether these genes are associated with component phenotypes of dyslexia and measures of sequential motor ability. Quantitative transmission disequilibrium testing (QTDT) and linear association modeling were used to evaluate associations with measures of phonological memory (nonword repetition, NWR), expressive language (sentence repetition), reading (real word reading efficiency, RWRE; word attack, WATT), and timed sequential motor activities (rapid alternating place of articulation, RAPA; finger succession in the dominant hand, FS-D) in 188 family trios with a child with dyslexia. Consistent with a prior study of language impairment, QTDT in dyslexia showed evidence of CNTNAP2 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) association with NWR. For FOXP2, we provide the first evidence for SNP association with component phenotypes of dyslexia, specifically NWR and RWRE but not WATT. In addition, FOXP2 SNP associations with both RAPA and FS-D were observed. Our results confirm the role of CNTNAP2 in NWR in a dyslexia sample and motivate new questions about the effects of FOXP2 in neurodevelopmental disorders.
THE EXISTENCE OF ECONOMIES OF STRUCTURE AND OF SCALE IN COMMERCIAL BANKING

A NUMBER OF EMPIRICAL STUDIES of branchand unit-bank costs have been undertaken in the past few years. These studies have sought to relate bank cost to bank "output" with little attention being given in most of them to the definition of bank output. All but a few have recognized the relevance of a real-valued index of bank output, as opposed to a separate cost-analysis of each banking service, in a publicpolicy-oriented study of branch versus unit banking, but have chosen arbitrary proxies for that index (assets, deposits, loans, and investments, etc.). Stuart Greenbaum was the first to give detailed consideration to the construction of an output index. Greenbaum felt that a bank-output index should not reflect interbank interest differences. This paper establishes the necessity of including interbank interest differences in an output index that is intended to measure the service provided by a bank. An interest-insensitive index is appropriate for intrabank decision-making but inappropriate in a study intended to guide the formation of public policy on banking structure. An operational definition of bank output is defined and is used in the estimation of long-run average-cost curves for branch and for unit banks in the Seventh Federal Reserve District after extensive stratification by both bank size and product-mix. The index consists of current operating revenue and a measure of the bank's timedeposit output. Considerable work is done in the appendices to this study with alternative measures of bank output, the principal concern being the effect of removing interbank interest differences from the output index and of deleting the measure of time-deposit output. Although the extensive stratification prevents a definitive acceptance of the hypotheses that branch banks are less efficient than unit banks and that economies of scale exist for both branch and unit banks, there is strong supportive evidence. This evidence challenges, as does that of previous studies, the existence of an empirical foundation for the continuing policy "bias" in favor of branch banking.
Microstructural evolution of a-Si:H prepared using hydrogen dilution of silane studied by real time spectroellipsometry

We have applied real time spectroellipsometry to measure the nucleation and growth of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) films prepared by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition from H2-diluted SiH4 on crystalline Si (c-Si) substrates at 200°C. For a H2-dilution ratio R=[H2]/[SiH4] of 10, optimum microstructural evolution is observed during the growth of 0.3 μm a-Si:H film, namely, smoothening during coalescence followed by long-term surface stability. At lower and higher R values, surface roughening in the thick film regime (d>20 nm) is larger, particularly for R≥20 due to crystallite development. Although dilution levels of 20≤R≤30 lead to microcrystallinity in thick films (0.3 μm), the structural evolution and optical properties in thin films (<20 nm) are characteristic of high quality a-Si:H. Thus, real time spectroellipsometry suggests that in the preparation of i-layers for solar cells, R∼10 may be optimum for the bulk i-layer whereas a 10 to 20 nm layer with much larger R may be beneficial at the p/i-interface. These suggestions have been verified in p–i–n cells deposited on specular SnO2-coated glass substrates.
Regulation of mammary gland factor/Stat5a during mammary gland development.

The rat homolog of sheep mammary gland factor (MGF)/Stat5 has been isolated and used to study the regulation of Stat5 during mammary gland development and PRL regulation in COS cells transfected with Stat5a and the PRL receptor. Two alternatively spliced isoforms, designated Stat5a1 and Stat5a2, were identified, the latter encoding a carboxy-terminal truncated protein. A polyclonal antibody to a carboxy-terminal peptide of Stat5a1 was generated and used to measure the level of this isoform during mammary gland development and after PRL induction in COS cells transiently transfected with Stat5a and the long form of the PRL receptor. Surprisingly, Stat5a mRNA and protein were readily detected both in virgin rats and after mammary gland involution. The levels of Stat5a increased during pregnancy, were highest in late pregnancy, and then, unexpectedly, decreased during lactation, the time at which the highest levels of milk protein gene expression are observed. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays using the ...
Three-Dimensional Structure of the Inosine−Uridine Nucleoside N-Ribohydrolase from Crithidia fasciculata†,‡

Protozoan parasites rely on the host for purines since they lack a de novo synthetic pathway. Crithidia fasciculata salvages exogenous inosine primarily through hydrolysis of the N-ribosidic bond using several nucleoside hydrolases. The most abundant nucleoside hydrolase is relatively nonspecific but prefers inosine and uridine as substrates. Here we report the three-dimensional structure of the inosine-uridine nucleoside hydrolase (IU-NH) from C. fasciculata determined by X-ray crystallography at a nominal resolution of 2.5 A. The enzyme has an open (alpha, beta) structure which differs from the classical dinucleotide binding fold. IU-nucleoside hydrolase is composed of a mixed eight-stranded beta sheet surrounded by six alpha helices and a small C-terminal lobe composed of four alpha helices. Two short antiparallel beta strands are involved in intermolecular contacts. The catalytic pocket is located at the C-terminal end of beta strands beta 1 and beta 4. Four aspartate residues are located at the bottom of the cavity in a geometry which suggests interaction with the ribose moiety of the nucleoside. These groups could provide the catalytically important interactions to the ribosyl hydroxyls and the stabilizing anion for the oxycarbonium-like transition state. Histidine 241, located on the side of the active site cavity, is the proposed proton donor which facilitates purine base departure [Gopaul, D. N., Meyer, S. L., Degano, M., Sacchettini, J. C., & Schramm, V. L. (1996) Biochemistry 35, 5963-5970]. The substrate binding site is unlike that from purine nucleoside phosphorylase, phosphoribosyltransferases, or uracil DNA glycosylase and thus represents a novel architecture for general acid-base catalysis. This detailed knowledge of the architecture of the active site, together with the previous transition state analysis [Horenstein, B. A., Parkin, D. W., Estupinan, B., & Schramm, V. L. (1991) Biochemistry 30, 10788-10795], allows analysis of the interactions leading to catalysis and an explanation for the tight-binding inhibitors of the enzyme [Schramm, V. L., Horenstein, B. A., & Kline, P. C. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 18259-18262].
Income and Appraised Values: A Reexamination of the FRC Returns Data

This paper compares the income of those office properties that are included in the FRC index, with the appraised values that are used to determine the index's appreciation component. We find that the appraised value of the portfolio was a constant multiple of its current income, over the 1978–1988 period. This seems at odds with what modern valuation theory would suggest, since both nominal interest rates and several measures of real rates varied widely over the sample. An alternate interpretation of our results is that the appraised values were based on a set of expectations about future income growth, that turned out over the period, to be continually at odds with respect to actual income.
(Acetonitrile)[bis-(2-pyridylmeth-yl)amine]bis-(perchlorato)copper(II).

In the title compound, [Cu(ClO4)2(C12H13N3)(C2H3N)], the CuII atom is six-coordinate in a Jahn–Teller distorted octahedral geometry, with coordination by the tridentate chelating ligand, an acetonitrile mol­ecule, and two axial perchlorate anions. The tridentate ligand bis­(2-pyridylmeth­yl)amine chelates meridionally and equatorially while an acetonitrile mol­ecule is coordinated at the fourth equatorial site. The two perchlorate anions are disordered with site occupancy factors of 0.72/0.28. The amine H is involved in intra­molecular hydrogen bonding to the perchlorate O atoms and there are extensive but weak inter­molecular C—H⋯O inter­actions.
Investigating the effect of Cortical Discharge Variability on the accuracy of population decoders

Estimation of the response properties of cortical neurons from within a recorded population is an essential component in a cortically-controlled brain machine interface application. The response properties of interest typically include precise spike timing, mean firing rate and any inherent correlation in the activity of the recorded ensemble. These response properties are essential for the operation of a neural decoder that translates the observed cortical activity to command signals for controlling robotic arms. In this work we investigate the effect of cortical discharge variability on the decoding performance. Specifically cortical discharge variability was induced in two types of cortical network models. The first one is a probabilistic model in which the activity was modeled as an inhomogeneous Poisson process with firing probability that depends on the neuron's own firing history and those of other neurons connected to it through time-varying synaptic couplings. The second is a biophysical leaky integrate and fire model. Neurons in both models were cosine-tuned to movement direction with random tuning widths.
Online Education: The Revolution That Wasn't

(2009). Online Education: The Revolution That Wasn't. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning: Vol. 41, No. 3, pp. 56-58.
Calcium-mediated fusion to produce ultra large osmotically active mitochondrial inner membranes of controlled protein density

Abstract We have developed a new membrane fusion method which produces ultra large, spherical mitochondrial inner membranes attached to microscope slides. The fused inner membranes measured up to 200 μm in diameter. The technique fuses native inner membranes as well as inner membranes in which the protein density has been varied by enriching with exogenous phospholipid. The fusion process is accomplished through the use of calcium, low pH and elevated temperature. Characterization of the fused membranes was carried out using phase, fluorescence, and freeze-fracture electron microscopy. These ultra large, fused inner membranes were found to model the inner membranes from which they were formed. The fused inner membranes were found to be osmotically active and are large enough for measuring the lateral diffusion of membrane components by fluorescence recovery after photobleaching and are large enough for microelectrode impalement.
Nonlinear control of constrained linear systems

This paper addresses the problem of obtaining nonlinear state-feedback controllers for controlling constrained dynamic systems, a problem which is, perhaps, the most important outstanding problem in control design. A novel off-line, optimization-based design procedure is employed; the control law is constructed from the solution to a finite number of optimal open-loop control problems. The design procedure permits relatively simple modification and improvement to the control law to be made in those regions of the state-space in which simulation reveals deficiencies. This potential for incremental improvement constitutes an important advantage over alternative methods. The results are relevant when high performance is required of systems subject lo constraints on controls and states.
Physicochemical, carbohydrate and sensory characteristics of highbush and rabbiteye blueberry cultivars

The chemical composition, colour and texture of fresh berries from three rabbiteye ('Climax', 'Premier' and 'Tifblue') and two highbush ('Bluecrop' and 'Jersey') blueberry cultivars were measured. Shear (482 vs 290 N), compression (6.50 vs 3.96 N) and puncture forces (1.48 and 0.85 vs 0.81 and 0.43 N) were higher (P ≤ 0.05) for rabbiteye than for highbush cultivars. Shear for 'Bluecrop' blueberries averaged 254 N, whereas for 'Climax' it was 565 N. The puncture force required to penetrate the skin was lower for 'Bluecrop' (0.78 N) and 'Jersey' (0.83 N) and higher for 'Climax' (1.71 N). However, sensory panellists found no differences (P > 0.05) in colour, flavour or skin toughness among the five cultivars. 'Climax' was rated lower in seediness. Rabbiteye cultivars contained more fibre and complex polysaccharides than highbush cultivars. These differences in complex carbohydrates that make up the cell wall layers may contribute to the toughness of rabbiteye cultivars and their possible longer fresh shelf-life, though taste panellists did not find this toughness objectionable.  2005 Society of Chemical Industry
UPTAKE OF RADIOACTIVE THYMIDINE AND CYTIDINE BY EHRLICH ASCITES TUMOR CELLS IN DIFFERENT STAGES OF GROWTH.

In Strong A female mice, the Ehrlich ascites tumor inoculated into the peritoneal cavity grows exponentially for the first 7 days with a doubling time of about 36 hours. The tumor enters then into a late stage during which the number of tumor cells in the peritoneal cavity does not increase. The uptake of intraperitoneally injected thymidine decreases from the exponential to the late stage, mostly because of a decrease in the fraction of cells in DNA synthesis. During the exponential phase, the uptake of thymidine is a function of the amount of radioactive thymidine injected per tumor cell, the utilization decreasing with increasing cell dose. The uptake of intraperitoneally injected cytidine decreases slightly with time after inoculation although the fraction of tumor cells in RNA synthesis remains constant.
Semiparametric estimation of the covariate-specific ROC curve in presence of ignorable verification bias.

Covariate-specific ROC curves are often used to evaluate the classification accuracy of a medical diagnostic test or a biomarker, when the accuracy of the test is associated with certain covariates. In many large-scale screening tests, the gold standard is subject to missingness due to high cost or harmfulness to the patient. In this paper, we propose a semiparametric estimation of the covariate-specific ROC curves with a partial missing gold standard. A location-scale model is constructed for the test result to model the covariates’ effect, but the residual distributions are left unspecified. Thus the baseline and link functions of the ROC curve both have flexible shapes. With the gold standard missing at random (MAR) assumption, we consider weighted estimating equations for the location-scale parameters, and weighted kernel estimating equations for the residual distributions. Three ROC curve estimators are proposed and compared, namely, imputation-based, inverse probability weighted and doubly robust estimators. We derive the asymptotic normality of the estimated ROC curve, as well as the analytical form the standard error estimator. The proposed method is motivated and applied to the data in an Alzheimer's disease research.
8 Galectin-1 is Located in Fibroblasts of Neonatal Mouse Lung and is up-Regulated by Retinoic Acid

Background: Our previous work demonstrated that galectin-1 is enriched in the tips of developing secondary alveolar septa in neonatal mouse lung. Thus, we hypothesize that galectin-1 is a regulator and/or marker of alveologenesis, a process that is impaired in infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
Gradient-index wide-angle photographic objective design

Wide-angle photographic lens systems utilizing axial gradient elements are studied. The resulting two- and three-element designs are compared with a six-element homogeneous wide-angle lens designed by Nippon Kogaku K.K., U.S. Patent 4,099,850. Practical considerations for manufacturing are also discussed.
Semantic Network Array Processor and Its Applications to Image Understanding

The problems in computer vision range from edge detection and segmentation at the lowest level to the problem of cognition at the highest level. This correspondence describes the organization and operation of a semantic network array processor (SNAP) as applicable to high level computer vision problems. The architecture consists of an array of identical cells each containing a content addressable memory, microprogram control, and a communication unit. The applications discussed in this correspondence are the two general techniques, discrete relaxation and dynamic programming. While the discrete relaxation is discussed with reference to scene labeling and edge interpretation, the dynamic programming is tuned for stereo.
A solution of a problem by M. Henriksen and R.G. Woods

Abstract Henriksen and Woods [Topology Appl. 97 (1999) 175–205, Problem (C), p. 203] asked whether there are Tychonoff spaces X and Y with X × Y being Baire such that: (a) Every separately continuous function f :X×Y→ R has a dense (in fact: G δ ) set C ( f ) of points of continuity; (b) There exists a separately continuous function g :X×Y→ R for which C ( g ) fails to contain either A × Y or X × B for any dense G δ set A ⊂ X or dense G δ set B ⊂ Y . We will answer this question by showing the spaces X and Y can even be complete metric and condition (b) can be strengthened to the following: There exists a separately continuous function g :X×Y→ R so that if C ( g ) contains either A × Y or X × B , then both A and B are empty.
Leukotriene C4 and D4 contract rat glomerular mesangial cells

The sulfidopeptide leukotrienes, LTC4 and LTD4, have vasoconstrictor effects in the kidney, reducing both renal blood flow and the glomerular filtration rate. As one mechanism regulating the glomerular filtration rate, mesangial cell contraction may reduce the capillary surface area, thereby lowering the ultrafiltration coefficient. Using image analysis microscopy to quantify changes in cell morphology, we found that LTC4 and LTD4 (1 X 10(-12)M to 1 X 10(-6)M) reduced the cross-sectional area of cultured mesangial cells from rat glomeruli. The response to LTC4 and LTD4 (10(-6)M), as measured by the percentage of responding cells (30 to 35%), the maximum decrease in cross-sectional area (25 to 32%), and the time course was identical to that for angiotensin II (10(-6)M). The contraction induced by LTD4 was attenuated by an LTD4 receptor antagonist (4R,5S,6Z-nor-LTD1). Also, preincubation with colchicine prevented LTC4-induced contraction. Leukotriene B4, a non-sulfidopeptide leukotriene that stimulates chemotaxis and chemokinesis, had negligible agonist activity. Mesangial cells cultured on less adhesive teflon membranes were more responsive to LTD4 (62% of cells responded) than cells cultured on glass or polystyrene (35% of cells responded). Mesangial cell contraction was not merely a shape-change as a result of cell damage, since cellular injury was not documented by lactate dehydrogenase release and proliferation of mesangial cells was not retarded by LTC4. Furthermore, the contraction was independent of cell size. Because leukotrienes stimulate cyclooxygenase products in other cells, we examined the ability of the sulfidopeptide leukotrienes to stimulate prostaglandin and thromboxane synthesis. LTC4 and LTD4 did not stimulate PGE2 formation, the major cyclooxygenase product of rat mesangial cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Snoidal sine-Gordon kinks and renormalization effects

The effects of a condensate of snoidal-wave solutions of a sine-Gordon theory in one space and one dimension at finite temperature are studied. The resulting statistical mechanics and renormalization of snoidal kinks are uniquely characteristic of our treatment.
Treating Histologically Mild Chronic Hepatitis C: Monotherapy, Combination Therapy, or Tincture of Time?

The recent National Institutes of Health Consensus Conference on hepatitis C solidified the justification for a selective approach to treatment.Nevertheless, the high profile of chronic hepatitis C...
A "dust curtain" in gaseous core nuclear reactors for rockets.

THE use of nuclear, rather than chemical, energy for the propulsion of space vehicles would greatly extend the possibilities of space travel, and in recent years much progress has been made towards the realization of nuclear propulsion devices. The principle of rocket propulsion rests on the production of a highly heated working fluid, called the propellant gas, which is expanded and ejected through a nozzle, thereby converting its thermal energy to directed kinetic energy. The heating of the propellant can be derived from the reaction of combustibles with a chemical system, or, in the nuclear system, from the nuclear reaction of fissile materials. In the nuclear reactor the fissile material is the fuel, and the thermal energy released by fission is transferred to the propellant, usually hydrogen. This energy transfer can be achieved by the use of a solid core which serves as an intermediate medium for the energy delivery to the propellant. Although the solid core reactor has reached a prototype engine demonstration after a decade of development1, it does not, however, make the optimum use of the nuclear energy in a rocket engine. This stems from the fact that fission energy is released at very high level (106 eV or 1010 K) which has been degraded in a solid core reactor to 3,000 K, the limit of the operational temperature of a solid core heat exchanger. It is therefore desirable to use a gaseous core in which the fuel, namely the highly energetic fission particles, and the propellant are intimately mixed, thus transferring energy directly via collisions and radiation.
Estimation of the rate of tooth wear in permanent incisors: a cross-sectional digital radiographic study.

Summary This study used conventional digital radiography to estimate the rate of tooth wear (TW) of maxillary and mandibular central incisors based on a cross-sectional study design. The crown length of 1239 permanent maxillary and mandibular central incisors from 346 persons (age groups: 10, 25, 40, 55 and 70 years ±3) were measured by three calibrated dentists. Study teeth were intact incisally, had clearly visible incisal edges and cementoenamel junctions and had natural tooth antagonists. Measures were based on digital radiographic images (N = 666) archived in MiPACS within the electronic health record (axiUm®) from the College of Dentistry patient database. Incisor crown length decreased at a linear rate in both arches over the 60 years represented by the age groups. The average crown length for maxillary incisors in the youngest age group was 11·94 mm, which decreased by an average of 1·01 mm by median age 70. For mandibular incisors, the average crown length in the youngest age group was 9·58 mm, which decreased by an average of 1·46 mm in the oldest age group. Males and females showed similar rates of TW. Regardless of age, females demonstrated smaller mean crown height for maxillary incisors than males (P < 0·0001). Measures by the examiners demonstrated good agreement, with an interclass correlation coefficient of 0·869 and an average intra-examiner correlation of 99·5%, based on repeated measurements (n = 100). TW was estimated to average 1·01 mm for maxillary central incisors and 1·46 mm for mandibular central incisors by age 70 years.
Moving Movement Detectors

Single nerve cells readily recordable in the ventral nerve cord of locusts and crickets respond to moving targets but not to the forced movement of the eye. This asymmetry of response is shown to be due to an inhibition generated whenever large areas of the hemispheric receptive fields of these units are stimulated. Dimming of a large, stationary target movement of a large field of vertical bars, or movement of the eye while viewing a large pattern are all potent inhibitory stimuli which can prevent the cell's otherwise vigoious response to a small target or arrest a response which is already under way. These properties of single insect neurons are phenomenologically similai to human sensations described by psychophysicists as saccadic suppression and backward masking, as well as to the properties of some vertebrate visual neurons. It is argued that the spatial and dynamic characteristics of neurons in visual input pathways may well acount for some psychophysical findings generally interpreted in terms of central mechanisms such as “efference copy,” and must be incorporated inmodels seeking to explain perceptual stability during eye movement.
The use of structured reflective journal questions to promote fundamental development of clinical decision-making abilities of the first-semester nursing student.

ABSTRACTThe ability to reflect is becoming a core competency in many nursing educational programs. A clinical journal assignment was developed for first-semester (novice) nursing students. The aim was to see if the process of reflection-onaction through the medium of journal writing promoted fundamental clinical decision-making abilities of the first semester nursing student. This author discusses components of the clinical decision-making process used to structure six clinical journal questions for use by the first semester nursing students during their clinical rotation. Exemplars of students’ self-reported reflections are included.
Optimum Bid Estimation on Fixed Cost Contracts

The paper presents a competitive bidding model which can be readily implemented in a competitive bidding environment within the construction industry. A method of obtaining a fast and accurate approximation of the optimum bid for a class of bidding problems is developed. The Newton Approximation Method is employed in approximating the root of an equation which maximizes the expected monetary value of a contract. A bidding chart and an example application of the technique are presented.
Segmental dependent transport of low permeability compounds along the small intestine due to P-glycoprotein: The role of efflux transport in the oral absorption of BCS class III drugs

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of P-gp efflux in the in vivo intestinal absorption process of BCS class III P-gp substrates, i.e. high-solubility low-permeability drugs. The in vivo permeability of two H2-antagonists, cimetidine and famotidine, was determined by the single-pass intestinal perfusion model in different regions of the rat small intestine, in the presence or absence of the P-gp inhibitor verapamil. The apical to basolateral (AP−BL) and the BL−AP transport of the compounds in the presence or absence of various efflux transporters inhibitors (verapamil, erythromycin, quinidine, MK-571 and fumitremorgin C) was investigated across Caco-2 cell monolayers. P-gp expression levels in the different intestinal segments were confirmed by immunoblotting. Cimetidine and famotidine exhibited segmental dependent permeability through the gut wall, with decreased Peff in the distal ileum in comparison to the proximal regions of the intestine. Coperfusion of verapamil with the drugs sign...
Radiative transfer in a plane-parallel medium with space-dependent albedo, ω(x)

Presentation d'une methode de calcul du transfert de chaleur radiatif entre deux plaques paralleles dans un milieu a albedo variable dans l'espace. Application numerique a une couche a limites transparentes
Quantitative laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy of potassium for in-situ geochronology on Mars

Laser-inducedbreakdownspectroscopy is explored for the development of an in-situ K–Ar geochronology instrument for Mars. Potassium concentrations in standard basaltic glasses and equivalent rock samples in their natural form are quantified using the potassium doublet at 766.49 and 769.90 nm. Measurement precision varies from 0.5 to 5.5 (% RSD) over the 3.63% to 0.025% potassium by weight for the standard samples, and little additional precision is achieved above 20 laser shots at 5 locations. For the glass standards, the quantification limits are 920 and 66 ppm for non-weighted and weighted calibration methods, respectively. For the basaltic rocks, the quantification limits are 2650 and 328 ppm for the non-weighted and weighted calibration methods, respectively. The heterogeneity of the rock samples leads to larger variations in potassium signal; however, normalizing the potassium peak by base area at 25 locations on the rock improved calibration accuracy. Including only errors in LIBS measurements, estimated age errors for the glasses range from approximately ± 30 Ma for 3000 Ma samples to ± 2 Ma for 100 Ma samples. For the basaltic rocks, the age errors are approximately ± 120 Ma for 3000 Ma samples and ± 8 Ma for 100 Ma samples.
Dependence of Mercurian Atmospheric Column Abundance Estimations on Surface-Reflectance Modeling

Column abundance estimates of sodium, and analogously, potassium, in Mercury's exosphere are strongly correlated to the surface reflection model used to calibrate the spectral data and the surface reflection model incorporated into the atmospheric radiative transfer solution. Depending on the surface reflection model parameters used, there can be differences in calibration factors of up to +/- 30% and differences in estimated column abundance of up to +/- 35%. Although the surface reflectance may not be used in the calibration of spacecraft measurements, the interaction between the reflected surface light and the atmospheric brightness remains important.