cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nonlinear SSVEP responses are sensitive to the perceptual binding of visual hemifields during conventional ‘eye’ rivalry and interocular ‘percept’ rivalry

We conducted behavioral and EEG experiments to identify physiological correlates of perceptual binding during two types of binocular rivalry: (1) conventional ‘eye’ rivalry where perception alternates between the two monocular images presented one to each eye and (2) interocular ‘percept’ rivalry, where perception alternates between percepts formed by grouping complementary hemifields one from each eye. We employed ‘frequency-tagging’ by flickering a grating in each hemifield of each eye at different frequencies to elicit SSVEP responses specific to each hemifield of each eye. When the gratings in complementary visual fields of the two eyes were congruent in color and orientation, robust interocular ‘percept’ rivalry was observed with roughly equal probability to conventional ‘eye’ rivalry. The SSVEPs evoked by the flickering gratings were enhanced by conscious perception at both posterior and frontal electrodes only during conventional ‘eye’ rivalry and not during interocular ‘percept’ rivalry, suggesting that dominance of one eye is the basis of most previous reports of SSVEP modulation by conscious perception. We also observed nonlinear SSVEP responses at the sums of our four fundamental frequencies. These combination responses were only produced by flicker in complementary visual hemifields – in the same eye or across eyes, but never by incongruent flickering gratings that occupy the same visual field across eyes, suggesting that they are related to the binding of the visual hemifields (monocular or interocular) into a coherent percept. These combination responses were modulated by the type of rivalry experienced by the observer, but not by the specific conscious perception. Neural processes related to perceptual binding of both rival percepts take place during binocular rivalry even when only one percept is consciously perceived. This suggests that conventional ‘eye’ and interocular ‘percept’ rivalry both involve competition between percepts.
‘Land grab’ as development strategy? The political economy of agricultural investment in Ethiopia

This paper examines the domestic political economy of so-called ‘land-grabbing’ in Ethiopia, assessing the motivations of the Ethiopian government, which has strongly promoted foreign agricultural investment. The paper draws on a unique set of federal and regional databases detailing foreign and domestic investments in Ethiopia to analyse the likely role investment will play in the Ethiopian economy and the areas which have been targeted for investment. The analysis identifies increased foreign exchange earnings as the main likely contribution of investment but in doing so highlights concerns for food security in Ethiopia, as the goal of national self-sufficiency has given way to a risky trade-based food security strategy. The paper also argues that the federal government's attempts to direct investment to sparsely-populated lowlands have important implications for the ethnic self-determination that is a key tenet of Ethiopia's federal system.
VALIDATION AND REFINEMENT OF EXPERT SYSTEMS - INTERPRETATION OF NMR-SPECTRA AS AN APPLICATION IN ANALYTICAL-CHEMISTRY

Abstract Wehrens, R., Buydens, L. and Kateman, G., 1991. Validation and refinement of expert systems: interpretation of NMR spectra as an application in analytical chemistry. Chemometrics and Intelligent Laboratory Systems , 12: 57–67. In this article we propose a strategy for the validation and improvement of expert systems in analytical chemistry. An application of this approach in two-dimensional NMR spectrum interpretation is shown, and the results indicate that significant performance improvements can he achieved in this domain.
A Method for Adaptive Habit Prediction in Bulk Microphysical Models. Part II: Parcel Model Corroboration

AbstractIt is common for cloud microphysical models to use a single axis length to characterize ice crystals. These methods use either the diameter of an equivalent sphere or mass–size equations in conjunction with the capacitance model to close the equations for ice vapor diffusion. Single-axis methods unnaturally constrain growth because real crystals evolve along at least two axis directions. Thus, they are unable to reproduce the simultaneous variation in mass mixing ratio, maximum dimension, and mass-weighted fall speeds. While mass–size relations can at times capture the evolution of one of these with relatively low errors, the other properties are generally under- or overpredicted by 20%–40%. Part I of this study describes an adaptive habit method that evolves two axis dimensions, allowing feedbacks between aspect ratio changes and mass mixing-ratio evolution. The adaptive habit method evolves particle habit by prognosing number and mass mixing ratios along with two axis length mixing ratios. Compa...
Insight into the stability of the hydrophobic binding proteins of escherichia coli: Assessing the proteins for use as biosensors

Spectroscopic methods were used to monitor the unfolding of the leucine specific (LS) and the leucine-isoleucine-valine (LIV) binding proteins. Our studies indicate that ligand-free protein undergoes a simple two-state unfolding, whereas the protein-ligand complex undergoes a three-state unfolding model. Ligand binding causes significant stabilization of both proteins. There is correlation between ligand hydrophobicity and protein stabilization: the most hydrophobic ligand, isoleucine, causes the most significant stabilization of LIV protein. A disulfide bond present in N-domain of both proteins makes a large contribution to the protein stability of these periplasmic binding receptors.
What is the normal aganglionic segment of anorectum in adults

INTRODUCTION: Ultrashort-segment Hirschsprung's disease as a cause of obstructed defecation is controversial because of a lack of knowledge regarding the normal aganglionic zone of the distal rectum. The intent of this study was to define the normal aganglionic zone of the distal rectum through histologic review of cadaveric dissections. METHODS: Cadavers were obtained from the anatomic pathology laboratory at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Strip myectomy with overlying mucosa was performed from distal to the dentate line to at least 3 cm into the anal canal and rectum after the pelvis was hemisected. Specimens were fixed in 10 percent buffered formalin. Specimens were sectioned serially every 3 mm and embedded in paraffin. Four-micron slices were then stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Each section was examined by a gastrointestinal pathologist. The presence or absence of nerves and ganglion cells was recorded. RESULTS: Thiry cadavers were obtained for analysis. Mean age at time of death was 79 (range, 65–97) years. There were 13 men. The mean distance of aganglionic bowel from the dentate line was 6.6 (range, 0–21) mm in Meissner's plexus and 5.1 (range, 0–15) mm in Auerbach's plexus. CONCLUSION: The normal distance of aganglionic bowel wall is 2 cm or less from the dentate line. The absence of ganglion cells proximal to this normal aganglionic zone in the patient with clinical findings of lifelong obstructed defecation defines ultrashort-segment Hirschsprung's disease.
A rough-hard-sphere theory for diffusion in supercritical carbon dioxide

Abstract A rough-hard-sphere (RHS) theory is found to successfully account for the effects of molecular rotation and dynamically correlated molecular collisions on self-diffusion in carbon dioxide at temperatures from 35 to 100°C and pressures from 70 to 246 atm. The Mathur-Thodos empirical equation finds its molecular basis within the framework of the RHS theory. The theory is also applicable to tracer diffusion of benzene in carbon dioxide at 35–55°C and 91–158 atm, where densities are greater than 0.500 g/cm 3 . Its failure at lower densities suggests that the molecular dynamics computer result of self-diffusion is inadequate for describing the effect of collective molecular motion encountered in tracer diffusion across the entire density range. Further computer work is recommended which will refine the prediction of tracer diffusion in supercritical fluids using the RHS theory.
Mystical Dreaming: Patterns in Form, Content, and Meaning

This article enriches the psychological understanding of religious mysticism by exploring patterns of form, content, and meaning in self-described mystical dreams, drawing on extensive sleep and dream interviews conducted with 100 contemporary Americans. Four major hypotheses regarding mystical expe
Long-term acceptance of fully allogeneic cardiac grafts by cotransplantation of vascularized thymus in miniature swine.

Background We have previously reported the ability of both thymokidney and vascularized thymic lobe (VTL) allografts to induce transplantation tolerance to renal allografts across a full major histocompatibility complex (MHC) mismatch in thymectomized miniature swine. However, whether vascularized thymus is capable of inducing tolerance to less tolerogeneic organs when it is transplanted simultaneously is not yet known. The present study investigates cardiac allograft survival and the mechanism of long-term acceptance in recipient swine following cotransplantation of VTL and cardiac grafts from fully MHC-mismatched donors. Methods Animals received a heart graft, a heart graft and a VTL, or a heart graft and a donor thymocyte infusion. Immunosuppressive regimens consisted of 12 or 28 days of tacrolimus. Results All animals that received a VTL maintained their grafts significantly longer than their counterparts that received only a heart graft, and those receiving 28 days of tacrolimus maintained their heart grafts long-term. Recipients of a donor thymocyte infusion demonstrated slightly prolonged cardiac graft survival but all rejected their grafts, highlighting the importance of thymic stroma. Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte responses against third-party antigens by cells from tolerant animals showed restriction by both self and donor MHC, whereas responses of controls were restricted to self MHC only. The presence of donor dendritic cells in the VTL grafts and results of co-culture assays suggest that both central and regulatory mechanisms were involved in achieving long-term acceptance. Conclusion This is the first demonstration of the long-term acceptance of fully MHC-mismatched cardiac allografts in large animals.
Molecular characterization and functional expression of the DSC1 channel.

Abstract Drosophila Sodium Channel 1 ( DSC1 ) was predicted to encode a sodium channel based on a high sequence similarity with vertebrate and invertebrate sodium channel genes. However, BSC1 , a DSC1 ortholog in Blattella germanica , was recently shown to encode a cation channel with ion selectivity toward Ca 2+ . In this study, we isolated a total of 20 full-length cDNA clones that cover the entire coding region of the DSC1 gene from adults of Drosophila melanogaster by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Sequence analysis of the 20 clones revealed nine optional exons, four of which contain in-frame stop codons; and 13 potential A-to-I RNA editing sites. The 20 clones can be grouped into eight splice types and represent 20 different transcripts because of unique RNA editing. Three variants generated DSC1 currents when expressed in Xenopus oocytes. Like the BSC1 channel, all three functional DSC1 channels are permeable to Ca 2+ and Ba 2+ , and also to Na + in the absence of external Ca 2+ . Furthermore, the DSC1 channel is insensitive to tetrodotoxin, a potent and specific sodium channel blocker. Our study shows that DSC1 encodes a voltage-gated cation channel similar to the BSC1 channel in B. germanica . Extensive alternative splicing and RNA editing of the DSC1 transcripts suggest the molecular and functional diversity of the DSC1 channel.
Remote Steering of C. Elegans Using Nanoparticle Heating

Remote and parallel stimulation of a subpopulation of neurons will aid the understanding of signal processing in the complex neuronal networks tremendously. We present a method capable of stimulating neurons deep inside the body. It relies on manganese iron oxide nanoparticles targeted to the neuron's plasma membrane to convert energy from an alternating magnetic field to local heat which opens the temperature sensitive Calcium channel TRPV1. Expressing this channel in neurons will allow us to remotely stimulate and control the neurons. We apply the method to trigger the ASH and ADL neurons in C. elegans which control the chemical avoidance reaction.In the course of this study, we have characterized nanoscale heating and heat propagation inside cells quantifying heat conduction over nanometer distances, important knowledge to optimize the efficacy of hypothermia treatment for cancer.
SU-C-218-05: A CFD-Based Approach to Validating Flow in a Prototype Dynamic Perfusion Phantom for Dynamic Contrast Fnhanced (DCE) Imaging

Purpose: A dynamic phantom for quality assurance of dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) imaging has been designed to achieve perfusion (in terms of flow rates) comparable to capillary exchange that occurs in human tissue. The validation of this physical phantom is critical to establishing its usefulness as a quality assurance tool. This study seeks to evaluate the use of computational fluid dynamics(CFD) to validate perfusion properties within the prototyped dynamic DCE phantom. Methods: The phantom was evaluated in two parts, the vascular network, followed by the porous media compartments. CFD simulation software (Fluent) approximates fluid motion assuming the polymer phantom to be a solid, rigid object, receiving constant laminar flow. The fluid simulated in this model was a blood analog with a non‐Newtonian fluid viscosity fitted to the Carreau model. The velocity across the system was visualized and the flow rates across the porous compartments were estimated. Results: The flow across the perfusion phantom was qualitatively and quantitatively evaluated. The flow rates for highly permeable compartments demonstrating high rates of perfusion were quantified to estimate the differential perfusion and flow rate. Less permeable compartments showed decreased velocity profiles and flow rates across the scaffold, in some cases resulting in low flow or backflow, which was also observed for less porous compartments under experimental conditions. The compilations of simulations offer a range of flow rates representative of normal and diseased tissue (in the liver). Conclusions:CFD is an effective tool for validation of design of a DCE phantom. The results of CFD analysis have been applied to both demonstrate the potential for the phantom to simulate a wide range of realistic perfusions characteristics, as well as to establish limits in the phantom design that would otherwise Result in non‐physiological flow and perfusion values. Sponsored by NIHP01CA59827 and F31 EB012436‐02. Sponsored by NIHP01CA59827 and F31 EB012436‐02.
Light-quark mesons and four-quark condensates at finite temperature

We propose an analogue of the familiar gap equation for the case of four-quark condensates at finite temperature. The condensates of interest correspond to scalar, vector, pseudoscalar, axial vector, and tensor Dirac structures. Working with correlators at zero chemical potential without factorization, we arrive at coupled equations for these four-quark condensates and the masses of certain light-quark mesons. We study the temperature dependence of the four-quark condensates and masses; in one of our models, factorization of the four-quark condensates is shown to be increasingly violated as the temperature is increased toward T{sub c}. The 2{sup ++} tensor mesons a{sub 2}(1320)-f{sub 2}(1270) are identified as especially sensitive probes of the four-quark condensates. (c) 2000 The American Physical Society.
Bar magnets mask the effect of normal magnetic disturbances on pigeon orientation

In a previous publication we reported a correlation between normal fluctuations of the earth's magnetic field and the day-to-day variations in the initial bearings chosen by homing pigeons released repeatedly at a single test site under sunny skies. We here examine the question whether this correlation reflects a cause-and-effect relationship. A series of 20 test releases was conducted in 1974 to compare the bearings of pigeons wearing bar magnets glued to their backs with the bearings of pigeons wearing brass bars. As in a pilot series conducted in 1970, the day-to-day variations in the bearings of the birds wearing brasses were inversely correlated with the variations in the K index of magnetic disturbance, whereas no such correlation was found for the bearings of the birds wearing magnets. We conclude that the magnets mask the effect of the K fluctuations, which suggests that it is the magnetic events themselves that influence the orientational response of normal pigeons. This conclusion is further supported by a demonstration that bar magnets, like natural magnetic disturbances, deflect the birds' bearings to the left.
Dietary pattern analysis: a new direction in nutritional epidemiology.

Recently, dietary pattern analysis has emerged as an alternative and complementary approach to examining the relationship between diet and the risk of chronic diseases. Instead of looking at individual nutrients or foods, pattern analysis examines the effects of overall diet. Conceptually, dietary patterns represent a broader picture of food and nutrient consumption, and may thus be more predictive of disease risk than individual foods or nutrients. Several studies have suggested that dietary patterns derived from factor or cluster analysis predict disease risk or mortality. In addition, there is growing interest in using dietary quality indices to evaluate whether adherence to a certain dietary pattern (e.g. Mediterranean pattern) or current dietary guidelines lowers the risk of disease. In this review, we describe the rationale for studying dietary patterns, and discuss quantitative methods for analysing dietary patterns and their reproducibility and validity, and the available evidence regarding the relationship between major dietary patterns and the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Standardized admission order set improves perceived quality of pediatric inpatient care

BACKGROUND: Few studies exist on the ability of standardized preprinted order forms to improve patient care. OBJECTIVE: To examine resident-perceived effects of introducing a pediatric admission order set (PAOS) on the quality of inpatient care. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Children's Hospital, a nonprofit, tertiary-care teaching hospital and major referral center with approximately 3,000 admissions per year. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 97 pediatric residents (PL-1, n = 34; PL-2, n = 33; and PL-3, n = 30) who did the vast majority of the inpatient admissions. MEASUREMENTS: Residents were asked to rate the PAOS overall and with respect to 9 specific dimensions using a 5-point Likert scale. RESULTS: Overall, 89% of respondents approved of the PAOS, 58% reported using it ≥90% of the time, and all said that they would recommend it to their colleagues. Eighty-four percent thought that it improved inpatient care, and 75% thought that medical errors were reduced. Eighty-eight percent reported that the PAOS saved time; 93% said it was convenient; and most reported less need for clarification with secretaries (81%) and nurses (82%). In multivariate regression analyses, the only predictor of overall rating was whether the PAOS improved inpatient care (P = 0.04). Improved patient care, meanwhile, was predicted by whether the PAOS was comprehensive (P = 0.01), reduced medical errors (P = 0.01), and required less clarification with nurses (P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: A standardized admission order set is a simple, low-cost intervention that residents believe may benefit patients by reducing medical errors and expediting high-quality care. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2009;4:90–96. © 2009 Society of Hospital Medicine.
Development of Modular Laboratory Equipment for Instruction in Biomedical Instrumentation

Modularized hardware for use in laboratory instruction of biomedical instrumentation is described. It consists of a mainframe and a variety of instrument modules performing elementary signal processing functions which can be inserted into the mainframe and appropriately interconnected to synthesize biomedical instrumentation. The use of modular hardware as described offers pedagogical as well as economical benefits over the use of commercially available biomedical equipment in laboratory instruction in biomedical instrumentation.
The maximum likelihood estimate for radiation source localization: Initializing an iterative search

The maximum likelihood estimate approach is adopted in this paper for finding the unknown radiation source location and strength. The problem is nonlinear and has to rely on iterative numerical algorithms. Since the problem has possibly multiple local maxima, the initial estimate in those iterative algorithms plays a critical role in guaranteeing the global optimum. This paper proposes a way to generate such an initial estimate which is easy to calculate. Besides some insights that justifies the proposed approach, it is shown that the proposed initial estimate actually converges to the true but unknown maximum likelihood estimate asymptotically thus ensuring that the initial estimate is indeed in a neighborhood of the maximum likelihood estimate and consequently the convergence to the global optimum by local iterative numerical algorithms.
Differences in Social Support and Loneliness in Adolescents According to Developmental Stage and Gender

The purpose of this study was to examine differences in both perceived social support and loneliness according to the three stages of adolescent development (early, middle, and late), as determined by chronological age and gender. The sample consisted of 113 early adolescents, 106 middle adolescents, and 106 late adolescents. Data were collected in classroom settings. All participants responded to the PRQ85--Part II, A Social Support Measure; the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale; and a demographic data sheet. Results of the study, which used the two-way analysis of variance, indicated that there were no statistically significant differences in perceived social support or loneliness across the three stages of adolescence. Findings also indicated that girls reported statistically significantly higher levels of perceived social support than boys; however, there were no statistically significant gender differences in loneliness.
A Convenient Synthesis of 9-(5′-DEOXY-β-D-Allofuranosyl)-Adenine (5′-Homoadenosine)

Abstract The synthesis of 5′-homoadenosine, a chain extended analogue of adenosine, has been developed by coupling the appropriately protected deoxyallofuranose derivative with adenine.
Construction of a Preclinical Multimodality Phantom Using Tissue-mimicking Materials for Quality Assurance in Tumor Size Measurement

World Health Organization (WHO) and the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) working groups advocated standardized criteria for radiologic assessment of solid tumors in response to anti-tumor drug therapy in the 1980s and 1990s, respectively. WHO criteria measure solid tumors in two-dimensions, whereas RECIST measurements use only one-dimension which is considered to be more reproducible 1, 2, 3,4,5. These criteria have been widely used as the only imaging biomarker approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 6. In order to measure tumor response to anti-tumor drugs on images with accuracy, therefore, a robust quality assurance (QA) procedures and corresponding QA phantom are needed. To address this need, the authors constructed a preclinical multimodality (for ultrasound (US), computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)) phantom using tissue-mimicking (TM) materials based on the limited number of target lesions required by RECIST by revising a Gammex US commercial phantom 7. The Appendix in Lee et al. demonstrates the procedures of phantom fabrication 7. In this article, all protocols are introduced in a step-by-step fashion beginning with procedures for preparing the silicone molds for casting tumor-simulating test objects in the phantom, followed by preparation of TM materials for multimodality imaging, and finally construction of the preclinical multimodality QA phantom. The primary purpose of this paper is to provide the protocols to allow anyone interested in independently constructing a phantom for their own projects. QA procedures for tumor size measurement, and RECIST, WHO and volume measurement results of test objects made at multiple institutions using this QA phantom are shown in detail in Lee et al. 8.
Examining aging sexual stigma attitudes among adults by gender, age, and generational status

Objectives: Stigma related to later life sexuality could produce detrimental effects for older adults, through individual concerns and limited sexual health care for older adults. Identifying groups at risk for aging sexual stigma will help to focus interventions to reduce it. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to examine cross-sectional trends in aging sexual stigma attitudes by age group, generational status, and gender.Method: An online survey was administered to a national sample of adults via a crowdsourcing tool, in order to examine aging sexual stigma across age groups, generational status, and gender (N = 962; 47.0% male, 52.5% female, and .5% other; mean age = 45 years). An aging sexual stigma index was formulated from the attitudinal items of the Aging Sexual Knowledge and Attitudes Scale.Results: This sample reported moderately permissive attitudes toward aging sexuality, indicating a low level of aging sexual stigma. Though descriptive data showed trends of stigma attitudes increasing ...
Comparative Analysis of Metal Concentrations and Sediment Accumulation Rates in Two Virginian Reservoirs, USA: Lakes Moomaw and Pelham

Lacustrine sedimentation and trace metal accumulation are naturally occurring processes that can be altered by anthropogenic activities. Indices of sediment or metal dynamics are important for the management and operational use of man-made reservoirs and their drainage basins. In this study, we compared two reservoirs in Virginia, USA, to quantify the effect of varying watershed characteristics on sediment and metal fluxes. Lake Pelham is a human-impacted reservoir surrounded by agricultural fields and anthropogenic developments, whereas Lake Moomaw is an undeveloped reservoir surrounded by moderate to extremely sloping forested landscapes. Three sediment cores were taken from each reservoir to estimate 210Pb-based sediment accumulation rates, organic matter content, and indices of trace metal enrichment and accumulation. The average 210Pb-based sediment accumulation rates were 0.348 ± 0.053 and 0.246 ± 0.043 g cm−2 year−1 for Lake Pelham and Lake Moomaw, respectively. The sediment trace metal results showed strong correlation with sediment organic content, and both reservoirs had moderate to high enrichment of Cu and little enrichment of Zn and Pb. Overall, Lake Moomaw had relatively low sediment accumulation and metal enrichment. Comparatively, Lake Pelham had significantly greater metal concentrations, which were highest in the upper reaches of the reservoir. Lake Pelham also had higher sediment accumulation rates and higher metal enrichment, reflecting the impact of human development within the greater watershed. Results from this study suggest that urbanization can increase reservoir sediment and metal fluxes, but atmospheric deposition is also important in forested watersheds that have not undergone anthropogenic land-use change.
A cytosolic FAD-containing enzyme catalyzing cytochrome c reduction in Trypanosoma cruzi. I. Purification and some properties.

Abstract A cytosolic flavoprotein enzyme for the protozoan, Trypanosoma cruzi , has been purified essentially to homogeneity by DEAE-cellulose and 2′,5′-ADP-agarose column chromatography. The native enzyme has a molecular weight of 100,000 ± 6,000, is composed of two identical subunits of molecular weight 52,000 ± 1,000, and contains FAD in the ratio of 1 mol of FAD per mol of enzyme subunit. The enzyme is NADPH-dependent and is capable of reducing cytochrome c , ferricyanide, 2,6-dichloroindophenol, and menadione, but not adrenalin. It does not hydroxylate either sodium salicylate or sodium p -hydroxybenzoate, but N -methylaniline and N,N -dimethylaminobenzaldehyde-supported oxidation of NADPH has been demonstrated. Plots of initial velocity against NADPH concentration give hyperbolic curves with K m values of 6.289 × 10 −5 m . The enzyme is clearly different from the microsomal NADPH-cytochrome c reductase in its intracellular distribution, molecular weight, dimeric nature, presence of only FAD, and activity against secndary and tertiary aromatic amines.
Pro-HEART — A randomized clinical trial to test the effectiveness of a high protein diet targeting obese individuals with heart failure: Rationale, design and baseline characteristics

There is ample research to support the potential benefits of a high protein diet on clinical outcomes in overweight/obese, diabetic subjects. However, nutritional management of overweight/obese individuals with heart failure (HF) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) or metabolic syndrome (MS) is poorly understood and few clinical guidelines related to nutritional approaches exist for this subgroup. This article describes the design, methods, and baseline characteristics of study participants enrolled in Pro-HEART, a randomized clinical trial to determine the short term and long term effects of a high protein diet (30% protein [~110 g/day], 40% carbohydrates [150 g/day], 30% fat [~50 g/day]) versus a standard protein diet (15% protein [~55 g/day], 55% carbohydrates [~200 g/day], 30% fat [~50 g/day]) on body weight and adiposity, cardiac structure and function, functional status, lipid profile, glycemic control, and quality of life. Between August, 2009 and May, 2013, 61 individuals agreed to participate in the study; 52 (85%) - mean age 58.2 ± 9.8 years; 15.4% Blacks; 57.7% Whites; 19.2% Hispanics; 7.7% Asians; 73.1% male; weight 112.0 ± 22.6 kg - were randomized to a 3-month intensive weight management program of either a high protein or standard protein diet; data were collected at baseline, 3 months, and 15 months. This study has the potential to reveal significant details about the role of macronutrients in weight management of overweight/obese individuals with HF and DM or MS.
3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine triphosphate as an inhibitor and substrate of purified human immunodeficiency virus reverse transcriptase

Reverse transcriptase was purified from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). It utilized the artificial primer-template poly(rA)-oligo(dT)12-18 more efficiently than activated calf thymus DNA, poly(rI)-oligo(dC)12-18, poly(rC)-oligo(dG)12-18, or poly(rCm)-oligo(dG)12-18. Maximum activity was observed at pH 7.0 to 7.6 in the presence of 5 mM MgCl2 and 100 mM KCl. 39-Azido-39-deoxythymidine triphosphate competed with dTTP for binding to HIV reverse transcriptase. Different kinetic constants were obtained with different primer-templates. Km and Ki values of 2.8 and 0.04 microM, respectively, were obtained with poly(rA)-oligo(dT)12-18. The corresponding values were 1.2 and 0.3 microM, respectively, with activated calf thymus DNA and 0.3 and 0.01 microM, respectively, with extracted virus and native template. Inhibition of the host cell DNA polymerases alpha and beta was considerably weaker. The Km and Ki values obtained with activated calf thymus DNA as the primer-template were 2.4 and 230 microM, respectively, for DNA polymerase alpha and 6.0 and 73 microM, respectively, for DNA polymerase beta. 39-Azido-39-deoxythymidine triphosphate could also serve as an alternate substrate for HIV reverse transcriptase. The resulting incorporation of 39-azido-39-deoxythymidine triphosphate into poly(rA)-oligo(dT)12-18 caused chain termination and premature deceleration of the reaction. The terminated primer could not be elongated when incubated with dTTP and HIV reverse transcriptase. Images
Life span and stress resistance of Caenorhabditis elegans are differentially affected by glutathione transferases metabolizing 4-hydroxynon-2-enal

The lipid peroxidation product 4-hydroxynon-2-enal (4-HNE) forms as a consequence of oxidative stress, and acts as a signaling molecule or, at superphysiological levels, as a toxicant. The steady-state concentration of the compound reflects the balance between its generation and its metabolism, primarily through glutathione conjugation. Using an RNAi-based screen, we identified in Caenorhabditis elegans five glutathione transferases (GSTs) capable of catalyzing 4-HNE conjugation. RNAi knock-down of these GSTs (products of the gst-5, gst-6, gst-8, gst-10, and gst-24 genes) sensitized the nematode to electrophilic stress elicited by exposure to 4-HNE. However, interference with the expression of only two of these genes (gst-5 and gst-10) significantly shortened the life span of the organism. RNAi knock-down of the other GSTs resulted in at least as much 4-HNE adducts, suggesting tissue specificity of effects on longevity. Our results are consistent with the oxidative stress theory of organismal aging, broadened by considering electrophilic stress as a contributing factor. According to this extended hypothesis, peroxidation of lipids leads to the formation of 4-HNE in a chain reaction which amplifies the original damage. 4-HNE then acts as an "aging effector" via the formation of 4-HNE-protein adducts, and a resulting change in protein function.
Dietary and nutritional aspects of fatty acid binding proteins.

Abstract Information on cytosolic fatty acid binding protein (FABP) related to dietary and pharmacological manipulations is discussed in terms of FABP function. FABP present in liver, heart, intestinal mucosa and omental fat responds to different diets. A parallel change occurs in tissue levels of FABP and metabolism of fatty acids. It seems FABP migh play a role in lipid metabolism by interacting with membrane bound enzymes. The available data also support the argument in favor of FABP involvement in intracellular transport, compartmentalization and channeling of fatty acids.
Norms, Values, and Solidarity: A Durkheimian Perspective on Escaping from the Inner City

convey the ideals of perseverance, ambition, and hard work symbolic of the core values of the external society. Minority inner-city youth who ascribe to collectively shared values of ambition, creativity, and hard work effectively signal to the outside world that they are worth investing in. The formula for success described in this volume provides a foundation on which to build a sociologically theoretical model that incorporates some of Emile Durkheim s claims about the link between norms, values, and social cohesion and the notion that attachment
The Child's Conception of Food: The Development of Categories of Acceptable and Rejected Substances

Abstract Children ranging in age from 3 years and 6 months to 12 years and 5 months and young adults sorted 23 pictures of a variety of edible and inedible items (e.g., milk, aspirin, sand, and grasshopper) according to 13 different attributes (e.g., “tastes good,” “will help you grow”). These results were used to determine the degree to which the children understood adult motivations for acceptance and rejection of food. Four-year-olds made most of the same edible-inedible distinctions that adults made. However, younger children believed that: 1) if something is edible, it can be safely consumed in any amount and will support growth; 2) if 2 foods are acceptable (e.g., spaghetti and banana), then the combination is acceptable; and 3) contact of an acceptable food with a disgusting (e.g., grasshopper) or dangerous (e.g., paint) substance does not render the acceptable food inedible (lack of contamination sensitivity).
Nuclear Reactions with 21-Mev He 3 in a Cyclotron

${\mathrm{He}}^{3}$ ions were accelerated to a maximum energy of 21 Mev. Bombardment of Be, C, O, and Ni led to numerous known activities. The relative cross sections of the ${\mathrm{He}}^{3}$ reactions involving O and Ni nuclei are evaluated. The half-lives of ${\mathrm{C}}^{11}$ and ${\mathrm{Zn}}^{62}$ were found to be 20.74\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.10 minutes and 8.4\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.2 hours, respectively.
Patterned entry and egress by Epstein-Barr virus in polarized CR2-positive epithelial cells.

In polarized epithelium direction of viral entry and release correlates with proclivity of a virus to establish local versus systemic infection. The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), whose principal tissue reservoir is B lymphocytes, also has disease manifestations in epithelium, suggesting intertissue spread potentially influenced by epithelial cell polarity. We stably transfected the B lymphocyte EBV receptor (CR2/CD21) into Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) epithelial cells used extensively to study effects of cell polarity on infection by both DNA and RNA viruses. CR2/CD21 was detected on both apical and basolateral surfaces of polarized MDCK cells, with predominant expression basolaterally. However, infectivity was up to four-fold greater apically, suggesting that endogenous cell surface molecules, sorted asymmetrically onto polarized plasma membranes, may be involved in EBV entry into MDCK cells. EBV gp350/220, a replicative cycle glycoprotein added to the virus envelope on egress through the cell membrane, was immunolocalized by confocal microscopy to basolateral cell surfaces only. Apical entry of EBV with subsequent basolateral release of newly replicated virus favors systemic infection by viral dissemination to underlying lymphocytic aggregations. Under conditions of long-term culture, latent EBV was not stably maintained in these cells, suggesting that the epithelial phase of acute EBV infection may be transient.
Cahokia and the Archaeology of Power

Cahokia and the Archaeology of Power. Thomas E. Emerson. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1997.318 pp.
Application-Level Adaptive Congestion Detection and Control for VoIP

For decades, researchers have worked extensively in the area of congestion control for packet-switched networks. Many proposed solutions take advantage of the congestion-control mechanism in transmission control protocol (TCP), and these approaches work well for networks that have heavy TCP traffic. However, these approaches are not universally effective - they fail completely for protocols that do not implement congestion-control mechanisms. In particular, these approaches do not work with the user datagram protocol (UDP). Realtime media-streaming technologies such as voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) and video conferencing use UDP and therefore do not respond well to existing congestion-avoidance techniques. We propose a new, adaptive, responsive, end-to-end technique to implement application-level congestion detection and control for real-time applications such as VoIP. Unlike existing methods, which rely on packet loss as a signal to reduce the transmission rate, our solution reacts to network congestion to prevent packet loss, thus improving the QoS of applications that employ our algorithm.
Importance of hyperphosphataemia in the cardio-renal axis

Hyperphosphataemia occurs in nearly all patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). In the past, the need to manage hyperphosphataemia focused primarily on its role as a contributor to secondary hyperparathyroidism and renal osteodystrophy. There is now widespread recognition that disturbances in phosphorus metabolism and/or the therapeutic measures used to manage it are important risk factors for cardiovascular calcification. This serious complication of chronic kidney disease may contribute to the very high mortality rate from cardiovascular causes in patients undergoing long-term dialysis. New strategies for controlling serum phosphorus levels and for better management of mineral metabolism in general are required to address these issues in patients with ESRD.
Maximum likelihood multiple subspace projections for hidden Markov models

The first stage in many pattern recognition tasks is to generate a good set of features from the observed data. Usually, only a single feature space is used. However, in some complex pattern recognition tasks the choice of a good feature space may vary depending on the signal content. An example is in speech recognition where phone dependent feature subspaces may be useful. Handling multiple subspaces while still maintaining meaningful likelihood comparisons between classes is a key issue. This paper describes two new forms of multiple subspace schemes. For both schemes, the problem of handling likelihood consistency between the various subspaces is dealt with by viewing the projection schemes within a maximum likelihood framework. Efficient estimation formulae for the model parameters for both schemes are derived. In addition, the computational cost for their use during recognition are given. These new projection schemes are evaluated on a large vocabulary speech recognition task in terms of performance, speed of likelihood calculation and number parameters.
Quantitative assessment of intestinal injury using a novel in vivo, near-infrared imaging technique.

Intestinal injury owing to inflammation, severe trauma, and burn is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Currently, animal models employed to study the intestinal response to injury and inflammation depend on outdated methods of analysis. Given that these classic intestinal assays are lethal to the experimental animal, there is no ability to study the gut response to injury in the same animal over time. We postulated that by developing an in vivo assay to image intestinal injury using fluorescent dye, it could complement other expensive, time-consuming, and semiquantitative classic means of detecting intestinal injury. We describe a novel in vivo, noninvasive method to image intestinal injury using a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera that allows for serial visual and quantitative analysis of intestinal injury. Our results correlate with traditional, time–consuming, semiquantitative assays of intestinal injury, now allowing the noninvasive, nonlethal assessment of injury over time.
Numerical simulation of hyper-spectral volume holographic imaging using the slice-and-cascade method

We present the analysis of rainbow-illumination volume holographic hyper-spectral imaging using a slice-and-cascade numerical method. The experiments are in good agreement with the simulations.
Universal mechanisms for data-parallel architectures

Data-parallel programs are both growing in importance and increasing in diversity, resulting in specialized processors targeted at specific classes of these programs. This paper presents a classification scheme for data-parallel program attributes, and proposes micro-architectural mechanisms to support applications with diverse behavior for using a single reconfigurable architecture. We focus on the following four broad kinds of data-parallel programs - DSP/multimedia, scientific, networking, and real-time graphics workloads. While all of these programs exhibit high computational intensity, coarse-grain regular control behavior, and some regular memory access behavior, they show wide variance in the computation requirements, fine grain control behavior, and the frequency of other types of memory accesses. Based on this study of application attributes, this paper proposes a set of general micro-architectural mechanisms that enable a baseline architecture to be dynamically tailored to the demands of a particular application. These mechanisms provide efficient execution across a spectrum of data-parallel application and can be applied to diverse architectures ranging from vector cores to conventional superscalar cores. Our results using a baseline TRIPS processor show that the configurability of the architecture to the application demands provides harmonic mean performance improvement of 5%-55% over scalable yet less flexible architectures, and performs competitively against specialized architectures.
Circulating Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) p24 Antigen-Positive Lymphocytes: A Flow Cytometric Measure of HIV Infection

Asymptomatic individuals seropositive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) progress in a heterogeneous fashion toward AIDS. To facilitate monitoring of disease progression and response to therapy, a rapid, new flow cytometric assay (FCA) lymphocyte p24-FCA, has been devised to quantify peripheral blood lymphocytes expressing cell-associated HIV-1 p24 antigen. Results from 55 asymptomatic, HIV-1-seropositive, serum p24 antigen-negative individuals ranged from undetectable (less than 0.1%) to 13.6% p24+ lymphocytes (mean, 2.0%). Mean values for three other groups studied were 0.1% for seronegative, viral culture-negative laboratory workers (n = 24); 4.2% for untreated patients with AIDS (n = 16); and 0.3% for AIDS patients receiving zidovudine (n = 11). Lymphocyte p24-FCA values were inversely related to the number of days to positive viral cultures and to levels of CD4+ lymphocytes. The ratio of p24+ lymphocytes to CD4+ lymphocytes may reflect the fraction of infected CD4+ lymphocytes. Lymphocyte p24-FCA determination may provide a method for monitoring response to antiretroviral therapy regardless of serum p24 antigen status.
Agent based simulation output analysis

In most realistic simulations there are multiple outputs of interest and the overall performance of the system can only be estimated in terms of these multiple outputs. We propose a method that uses agent-based modeling to determine a truncation point to remove significant initialization bias. Mapping the output of multiple replications into agent paths that traverse the sample space helps determine when a near steady state has been reached. By viewing these paths in reversed time, qualitative and quantitative methods can be used to determine when the multivariate output is leaving its near-steady state regime as the paths coalesce back towards their common initialization state. The methodology is more efficient and general than typical approaches for finding a truncation point for scalar outputs of individual replicates. Artificial bootstrap-like re-sampling of simulation runs is proposed for expensive simulations to estimate system performance sensitivity.
Cassette for the Generation of Sequential Gene Disruptions in the Yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe

The ability to conveniently construct gene disruptions is an important methodology for genetic analysis of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Because of the limited number of selectable m...
Adventures in archiving and using three years of webcam images

Recent descriptions of algorithms applied to images archived from webcams tend to underplay the challenges in working with large data sets acquired from uncontrolled webcams in real environments. In building a database of images captured from 1000 webcams, every 30 minutes for the last 3 years, we observe that these cameras have a wide variety of failure modes. This paper details steps we have taken to make this dataset more easily useful to the research community, including (a) tools for finding stable temporal segments, and stabilizing images when the camera is nearly stable, (b) visualization tools to quickly summarize a years worth of image data from one camera and to give a set of exemplars that highlight anomalies within the scene, and (c) integration with LabelMe, allowing labels of static features in one image of a scene to propagate to the thousands of other images of that scene. We also present proof-of-concept algorithms showing how this data conditioning supports several problems in inferring properties of the scene from image data.