cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Visualization tools facilitate geological investigations of Mars Exploration Rover landing sites

The current rate of Mars exploration data acquisition demands that geoscientists and computer scientists coordinate central storage, processing and visualization strategies to anticipate future technological advancements. We investigate how existing 3-D visualization tools can be used to study a part of the Mars orbiter and lander data (about 4 terabytes of data). Our tools assist in juxtaposition of different datum and in viewing data that spans multiple orders of magnitude, specifically for current scientific research pertaining to Mars’ geophysics and geology. These tools also permit effective data fidelity and resolution assessment, allowing quick identification of problems related to the use of differing spatial coordinate systems, a continued problem. Knowledge gained from the small dataset we test, helps us identify key tools needed to accommodate the technology required to process and analyze approximately 64 terabytes of Mars data expected by 2008. We use the current planetary data archives, and identify key visualization techniques and tools that distill multiple data types into manageable end products. Our goal is to broaden the user base, using readily available platform-independent freeware packages, while simultaneously including sufficient modularity to be compatible with future technologies.
Relation of the Aperture of the Eye to Ocular Function

In the eye the iris is the stop and the pupil the aperture of the optical system. With a convex lens one may illustrate the effect of partly covering the aperture when the eye focusses on the retina or in hyperopia, myopia or astigmatism. The effect of changing the shape of the aperture may also be studied upon diffusion images. Read before the Section on Ophthalmology of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, October 15, 1925. (See p.204)
Yeast-like mRNA capping apparatus in Giardia lamblia.

Abstract A scheme of eukaryotic phylogeny has been suggested based on the structure and physical linkage of the RNA triphosphatase and RNA guanylyltransferase enzymes that catalyze mRNA cap formation. Here we show that the unicellular pathogen Giardia lamblia encodes an mRNA capping apparatus consisting of separate triphosphatase and guanylyltransferase components, which we characterize biochemically. We also show that native Giardia mRNAs have blocked 5′-ends and that 7-methylguanosine caps promote translation of transfected mRNAs in Giardia in vivo. The Giardia triphosphatase belongs to the tunnel family of metal-dependent phosphohydrolases that includes the RNA triphosphatases of fungi, microsporidia, and protozoa such as Plasmodium and Trypanosoma. The tunnel enzymes adopt a unique active-site fold and are structurally and mechanistically unrelated to the cysteine-phosphatase-type RNA triphosphatases found in metazoans and plants, which comprise part of a bifunctional triphosphataseguanylyltransferase fusion protein. All available evidence now points to the separate tunnel-type triphosphatase and guanylyltransferase as the aboriginal state of the capping apparatus. We identify a putative tunnel-type triphosphatase and a separate guanylyltransferase encoded by the red alga Cyanidioschyzon merolae. These findings place fungi, protozoa, and red algae in a common lineage distinct from that of metazoa and plants.
Detoxication Enzymes in the Guts of Caterpillars: An Evolutionary Answer to Plant Defenses?

Higher activity of midgut microsomal oxidase enzymes in polyphagous than in monophagous species indicates that the natural function of these enzymes is to detoxify natural insecticides present in the larval food plants. Differing strategies of adaptation to plant defenses may partly account for the great diversity of insect herbivores.
The Business of Health Security: Employee Health Benefits, Commercial Insurers, and the Reconstruction of Welfare Capitalism, 1945–1960

The cash-indemnity health insurance system that emerged in the United States after 1945 represented but one trajectory among many. The late 1930s and early 1940s marked a period of innovation and creative experimentation in voluntarist health care programs. Spurred by the Social Security Act of 1935 and the New Deal's legitimization of the politics of security, unions, consumers, employers, and doctors began developing a range of health care programs that enabled patients to pool the risks and costs of sickness and injury, thus bringing medical care within the reach of more people. Employers and private insurers, too, acceded to the pervasive ideology of security. Invoking the New Deal language of security, life insurance companies competed with community and nonprofit organizations to meet a burgeoning market—the market for prepaid health services. While organized labor advocated noninsurance models, commercial insurance companies, aligning with large employers, dramatically expanded their reach during the 1940s, bringing in large groups of subscribers. By the time substantive collective bargaining over health benefits commenced between unions and management in 1950, commercial group health insurance had become well entrenched in many workplaces, and, as a result of this growth, had undercut the competitive and political conditions that enabled other, more equitable, communal-based health insurance alternatives to thrive.
Effect of Catalase and Anaerobic Conditions upon the Post-thawing Survival of Bovine Spermatozoa Frozen in Citrate- and Tris-buffered Yolk Extenders

Summary Semen samples from six different bulls were extended in citrate-fructose-yolk-glycerol (CFYG) and Tris-fructose-yolk-glycerol (TFYG) extenders with and without catalase, sealed under a high partial pressure of purified nitrogen or argon gas, and equilibrated with glycerol for 6 or 18 hr, and then frozen at rates of 0.8, 3.0, and about 8.0 C per min in the critical region from 5 C to −15 C. The mean percentages of motile cells in TFYG and CFYG were, respectively, 36 and 31 immediately after thawing and 31 and 22 after a post-thawing storage period of 24 hr at 5 C. Thus, the percentage of motile cells in TFYG 24 hr after thawing was equal to that found in freshly thawed CFYG. Neither catalase nor the inert gases exerted a significant influence upon post-thaw recovery of motile spermatozoa, although in the absence of catalase argon gassing showed a positive effect during the period of liquid storage. The slight differences between the periods of glycerol equilibration and among freezing rates were not significant.
Changing patterns in the management of penetrating abdominal trauma: the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Background: Damage control surgery (DCS) and treatment of abdominal compartment syndrome have had major impacts on care of the severely injured. The objective of this study was to see whether advances in critical care, DCS, and recognition of abdominal compartment syndrome have improved survival from penetrating abdominal injury (PAI). Methods: The care of 250 consecutive patients requiring laparotomy for PAI (1997-2000) was reviewed retrospectively. Organ injury patterns, survival, and use of DCS and its impact on outcome were compared with a similar experience reported in 1988. Results: Two hundred fifty patients had a positive laparotomy for PAI. Twenty-seven (10.8%) required abdominal packing and 45 (17.9%) did not have fascial closure. Seven (2.8%) required emergency department thoracotomy and 21 (8.4%) required operating room thoracotomy. Two hundred seventeen (86.8%) survived overall. Small bowel (47.2%), colon (36.4%), and liver (34.4%) were most often injured. Mortality was associated with the number of organs injured (odds ratio, 1.98; 95% confidence interval, 1.65-2.37; p < 0.001). Vascular injury was a risk factor for mortality (p < 0.001), as was need for DCS (p < 0.001), emergency department thoracotomy (p < 0.001), and operating room thoracotomy (p < 0.001). Seventy-nine percent of deaths occurred within 24 hours from refractory hemorrhagic shock. DCS was used in 17.9% (n = 45) versus 7.0% (n = 21) in 1988, with a higher survival rate (73.3% vs. 23.8%,p < 0.001). DCS was associated with significant morbidity including sepsis (42.4%, p < 0.001), intra-abdominal abscess (18.2%, p = 0.009), and gastrointestinal fistula (18.2%, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Penetrating abdominal organ injury patterns and survival from PAI have remained similar over the past decade. Death from refractory hemorrhagic shock in the first 24 hours remains the most common cause of mortality. DCS and the open abdomen are being used more frequently with improved survival but result in significant morbidity.
Language contact and Spanish aspectual expression: a formal analysis

Abstract This paper develops a generative analysis for a particular language contact phenomenon familiar in the variationist and language contact literature, namely indirect transfer [F. Klein, A quantitative study of syntactic and pragmatic indications of change in the Spanish of bilinguals in the U.S, in: W. Labov (Ed.), Locating Language in Time and Space, Academic Press, New York, 1980, p. 69; R. Mougeon, E. Beniak, Linguistic Consequences of Language Contact and Restriction: The Case of French in Ontario, OUP, Oxford, 1991; C. Silva-Corvalan, Language Contact and Change: Spanish in Los Angeles, OUP, Oxford, 1994]. This language contact effect, which is preferential rather than categorical, is difficult to deal with in traditional generative approaches, and has received no attention in this literature. My analysis focuses on Klein’s study of synthetic/analytic verb forms used for the expression of progressive aspect in Spanish, where contact with English causes a skewing in the distribution of use of analytic forms in a bilingual variety compared to a similar monolingual variety. The analysis is carried out in a stochastic OT [P. Boersma, B. Hayes, Empirical tests of the Gradual Learning Algorithm. Linguistic Inquiry 32 (1) (2001) 45–86] framework, where I show that the indirect transfer effects observed by Klein can be captured by way of different ranking of a small set of OT constraints on a linear ranking scale. In addition to providing a model for the indirect transfer effects in Klein’s study, my analysis also makes a typological prediction regarding morphosyntactic expression and Imperfective and Progressive verb forms: no language can have a synthetic Progressive and an analytic Imperfective. This prediction is supported by the absence of any such distribution in the surveys of Bybee et al. [The Evolution of Grammar: Tense, Aspect, and Modality in the Languages of the World, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1994] or Dahl [Tense and Aspect Systems, Blackwell, Oxford, 1985].
Atomic structures of two rhombohedral ferroelectric phases in the Pb(Zr, Ti)O3 solid solution series☆

Abstract The atomic positions in perovskitic PbZr x Ti 1− x O 3 were determined for x = 0.9 and x = 0.58, using X-ray and neutron diffraction. The space group is R3c for x = 0.9, the unit cell containing two formula units of the compound, and R3m for x = 0.58, the unit cell containing one formula unit. A linear relationship is found between the displacements of the two cations in isomorphous ferroelectric of the R3c space group.
Electromagnetic response of lower-dimensional electron systems : implications of omitting the ground state calculation

Abstract The exact electromagnetic response of an electron gas confined by a parabolic potential is compared to those obtained from a complete mean field theory and an incomplete theory which omits the self-consistent ground state calculation. While the results of the complete theory are in agreement with the exact response, it is demonstrated that the incomplete, yet commonly used treatment can introduce substantial deviations from the exact result. In addition, for systems with roughly parabolic confinement, a simple method for estimating the response is provided.
Chest trauma during the Battle of Troy: ancient warfare and chest trauma

The Iliad is the story of the events related to the siege and battle of Troy presenting an unsurpassed view of the strengths and weaknesses of its main characters. And what a revelation it is to see that the human element that ignites and sustains the flames of war did not change through the centuries and was 3,000 years ago the same as it is today! An added source of fascination in Homer's work is his peculiar description of the injuries suffered by the combatants. That, as well as the presence of physicians in the battlefield, is of special interest for us surgeons.
Density and thermal expansion coefficient of liquid helium-4 from measurements of the dielectric constant

Measurements have been made of the dielectric constant of liquid helium from 1.15 K to 4.9 K. The density and thermal expansion coefficient have been derived from these measurements using the Clausius-Mossotti equation. Comparison is made to modern measurements. Formulae are presented representing the absolute density and thermal expansion coefficient from 0 K to 4.9 K. Difficulties and uncertainties in these results are discussed.
Imaging of coherent fields through lenslike systems.

I derive the imaging condition for the complex amplitude of a monochromatic field by a sequence of lenslike elements.
Echocardiographic correlates of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn.

Abstract Aims To compare echocardiographic (ECHO) measures of ventricular function and hemodynamics of infants with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) and normal controls; and to examine their association with clinical outcomes in PPHN. Design/subjects We performed a retrospective review of ECHOs of mechanically ventilated infants (≥ 34 weeks gestational age) with PPHN. Infants with congenital heart disease were excluded. Controls had normal ECHOs within 1 week of age. Outcomes ECHOs measures included a) right (RVO) and left ventricular output (LVO) b) RV and LV myocardial performance index (MPI) c) right ventricular systolic to diastolic duration (S/D) ratio and d) eccentricity index in systole (EIs) and diastole (EId). Results Infants with PPHN (n = 117), 63% of whom were males, had mean (SD) GA and birth weights of 38.6 (1.9) weeks and 3.3 (0.65) kg respectively. LVO, RVO and EIs were significantly lower and heart rate, MPI and RV S/D ratio were significantly higher in infants with PPHN, compared to controls (n = 35). The mean RV S/D ratios were significantly higher in infants with PPHN who died or required ECMO (n = 61), compared to survivors without ECMO (n = 56). Increasing RV S/D ratio was independently associated with a reduction in survival without ECMO [0.21; 95% C.I. 0.06–0.74, p = 0.015]. RV S/D ratio > 1.3 had a sensitivity of 93 (95% C.I. 85–99) % for death or ECMO. Conclusions Elevated RV S/D ratio, a marker of global RV dysfunction, was associated with adverse outcomes in PPHN. Its routine measurement in this population may aid risk-identification and targeted interventions.
SERUM ANTIBODY TO HUMAN ASTROVIRUS AMONG CHILDREN MONITORED LONGITUDINALLY FOR DIARRHEA IN CHILD CARE CENTERS (CCCs). • 1063

SERUM ANTIBODY TO HUMAN ASTROVIRUS AMONG CHILDREN MONITORED LONGITUDINALLY FOR DIARRHEA IN CHILD CARE CENTERS (CCCs). • 1063
Flexible course delivery at penn state

This work describes our effort to establish a flexible course delivery system at the Delaware County Campus of the Pennsylvania State University. Although the idea for this project originated from finding a cost effective model/solution to the problem of under-enrolled courses across University College campuses, other benefits were realized and other objectives were added to our initial goal. Our expanded goals include (i) to improve our course delivery system by supporting more learning styles in our courses via e-learning methodology, (ii) to create a teaching environment that is more flexible in scheduling, (iii) to improve student access to academic specialties across the college, and (iv) to retain students at their home campus longer than previously was possible due to unsuitable course scheduling or lack of availability. We also intend to build on our experience from this project to offer additional degree options on each campus. A brief discussion of this approach including design requirements for a hybrid e-learning delivery approach is included.
Resolved Spectroscopy of the Narrow-Line Region in NGC 1068: Kinematics of the Ionized Gas.

We have determined the radial velocities of the [O III]-emitting gas in the inner narrow-line region of the Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC 1068, along a slit at position angle 202°, from STIS observations at a spatial resolution of 01 and a spectral resolving power of λ/Δλ ≈ 1000. We use these data to investigate the kinematics of the narrow-line region within 6'' (~430 pc) of the nucleus. The emission-line knots show evidence for radial acceleration to a projected angular distance of 17 in most cases, followed by deceleration that approaches the systemic velocity at a projected distance of ~4''. We find that a simple kinematic model of biconical radial outflow can match the general trend of observed radial velocities. In this model, the emitting material is evacuated along the bicone axis, and the axis is inclined 5° out of the plane of the sky. The acceleration of the emission-line clouds provides support for dynamical models that invoke radiation and/or wind pressure. We suggest that the deceleration of the clouds is due to their collision with a patchy and anistropically distributed ambient medium.
Relationship of site-specific cancer mortality rates to altitude

Mortality rates for all malignant neoplasms (combined) and for 34 site-specific cancer categories for selected high and low altitude populations are compared using two related techniques: confidence interval overlap for strictly descriptive purposes and analysis of standardized mortality ratios using lower and upper 95% statistical significance factors for the ratio of an observed value of a poisson variable to its expectation. Techniques are employed to minimize confounding due to industrialization, urbanization or selected cultural characteristics. Cancer mortality data for U.S. counties averaged over the 20-year period, 1950--1969, were used. For most comparisons a deficit in cancer mortality in high altitude counties was observed. The largest differences between the low and high altitude groups were found for cancers of the tongue and mouth, esophagus, larynx, lung and melanoma. Some limitations of ecologic studies are discussed.
Relation between vacancy migration energy and melting temperature

Abstract It is shown on the basis of simple considerations that there exists a simple relation between vacancy migration energy and melting temperature which becomes useful when considering atomic motions in solids.
Alternative nucleic acid analogues for programmable assembly: hybridization of LNA to PNA.

Complementary locked nucleic acid (LNA) and peptide nucleic acid (PNA) hexamers bind to each other with significantly higher affinity than each binds to DNA, and with far greater affinity than DNA binds to complementary DNA. The hybridization is highly specific with a single mismatch causing decreases in Tm values ranging from 12 (G/T) to 30 °C (A/A). Importantly, the hybridization of an LNA oligomer to a PNA oligomer is unaffected by the ionic strength of the buffer. These properties make the LNA/PNA pair an attractive candidate as a replacement for DNA in programmable assembly.
Cultivar diversity as a means of ecologically intensifying dry matter production in a perennial forage stand

The relationship between genotypic diversity and productivity has not been adequately explored in perennial forage production systems despite strong theoretical and empirical evidence supporting diversity's role in ecosystem functioning in other managed and unmanaged systems. We conducted a two-year field experiment with six cultivars of an agriculturally important forage grass, Lolium perenne L. (perennial ryegrass). Dry matter production of L. perenne and the weed community that emerged from the soil seed bank were measured each year in treatments that ranged from cultivar monocultures to three- and six-way cultivar mixtures, all sown at a constant seeding rate. Mean L. perenne dry matter production increased with increasing cultivar diversity and was highest in mixtures that contained cultivars representing the greatest additive trait range (calculated on rankings of three traits: winter hardiness, heading date, and tolerance to grazing). Mixtures had greater yields than those predicted by the mean of their component monoculture yields, but there was evidence that highly productive cultivars may have dampened over-yielding in mixtures. Weed abundance was correlated with L. perenne dry matter, but not L. perenne cultivar diversity. These results suggest that multi-cultivar mixtures may have utility as an approach to ecologically intensifying perennial forage production. Additional research will be necessary to determine the mechanisms responsible for the over-yielding observed in this study and the generality of these findings.
Pharyngocutaneous fistulas: management with one-stage flap reconstruction

After total laryngectomy, postoperative pharyngocutaneous fistula still constitutes a most troublesome and challenging problem. We present 9 cases of postoperative fistulas managed by one-stage flap reconstruction. Possible contributing factors related to earlier management or medical status are identified. When the posterior pharyngeal wall was intact in a large pharyngocutaneous fistula, 4 pectoralis major and 2 latissimus dorsi double island musculocutaneous flaps were used. Autogenous jejunal free grafts were used in 3 patients when circumferential reconstruction was required. The cervical esophagus was successfully reconstructed, facilitating swallowing function, in a one-stage procedure in each patient.
Crystallization kinetics of poly(vinyl alcohol)

The kinetics of crystallization of solvent-free poly(vinyl alcohol) were investigated by isothermal crystallization at temperatures of 142–192°C, for up to 18 min. The crystallization isotherms were analyzed by Avrami's theory. The magnitude of the exponent n was almost constant (0.67–0.71) in the range of 142–182°C, increasing to 1.53 for crystallization at 192°C. Based on thermodynamic analysis of the isotherms and the crystallite growth rate, there are strong indications that crystallization of PVA is one-dimensional. In the absence of water or other swelling agents, kinetic hindrances predominate due to the interactions of the hydroxyl groups. Therefore, the maximum attainable weight fraction of crystallized PVA is considerably lower than that of hydrated PVA samples. Additional parameters affecting the growth rate are discussed, including the degree of undercooling and the average chain length, as controlled by crosslinking.
Effect of growth factors on matrix synthesis by ligament fibroblasts

Although it has been reported that several growth factors modulate soft-tissue healing, the specific effects of growth factors on protein synthesis during ligament healing have not been widely investigated. In this study, we examined the effects of basic and acidic fibroblast growth factors, transforming growth factor beta 1, and epidermal growth factor on collagen and noncollagenous protein synthesis by cultured fibroblasts from medial collateral ligament and anterior cruciate ligament in vitro. Uptake of tritiated proline was used to measure synthesis of collagen and noncollagenous protein, and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was used to analyze the type of collagens synthesized. Our data showed that transforming growth factor beta 1 increased both collagen and noncollagenous protein synthesis by medial collateral and anterior cruciate ligament fibroblasts on a dose-dependent basis. Collagen synthesis by cultured fibroblasts from the medial collateral and anterior cruciate ligaments was increased by treatment with transforming growth factor beta 1 by as much as approximately 1.5 times that of untreated controls. Although the response to transforming growth factor beta 1 by anterior cruciate ligament fibroblasts was equal to that by medial collateral ligament fibroblasts, the amounts of matrix proteins synthesized by anterior cruciate ligament fibroblasts were approximately half of that by medial collateral ligament fibroblasts. The increase was mostly in type-I collagen. Treatment of anterior cruciate ligament fibroblasts with epidermal growth factor increased collagen synthesis by approximately 25% but had little effect on medial collateral ligament fibroblasts. Neither basic nor acidic fibroblast growth factor increased either collagen or noncollagenous protein synthesis. These findings suggest that topical application of transforming growth factor beta 1, alone or in combination with epidermal growth factor, may have the potential to strengthen the ligament by increasing matrix synthesis during its remodeling and healing processes.
Two New Species of Parasterope (Myodocopina, Ostracoda) From Southern California

Es werden zwei neue Arten der Gattung Parasterope von der Sudkuste Kaliforniens beschrieben. Die zu den Fundorten gehorenden okologischen Daten sind in zwei Tabellen zusammengefasst.
A study of the metadata creation behavior of different user groups on the Internet

Metadata is designed to improve information organization and information retrieval effectiveness and efficiency on the Internet. The way web publishers respond to metadata and the way they use it when publishing their web pages, however, is still a mystery. The authors of this paper aim to solve this mystery by defining different professional publisher groups, examining the behaviors of these user groups, and identifying the characteristics of their metadata use. This study will enhance the current understanding of metadata application behavior and provide evidence useful to researchers, web publishers, and search engine designers.
Crise de Foie, Redux?

Disruption of circadian rhythms due to rotating shift work affects up to 20% of the workforce in industrialized countries, resulting in a nearly twofold greater risk of developing the metabolic syndrome in this population ( 1 ). The role of the circadian clock in maintaining metabolic balance is confirmed by the obesity, insulin resistance, and fatty liver observed in mice with mutations in clock components ( 2 ). Fatty liver (steatosis, or nonalcoholic fatty liver disease) is a major driver of metabolic dysregulation ( 3 ). On page 1315 of this issue, Feng et al. ( 4 ) identify a molecular mechanism that links circadian disruption and fatty liver.
Estrogen (E2) and glucocorticoid (Gc) effects on microglia and Aβ clearance in vitro and in vivo

The accumulation of fibrillar aggregates of beta Amyloid (A beta) in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) brain is associated with chronic brain inflammation. Although activated microglia (mu glia) can potentially clear toxic amyloid, chronic activation may lead to excessive production of neurotoxins. Recent epidemiological and clinical data have raised questions about the use of anti-inflammatory steroids (glucocorticoids, Gcs) and estrogens for treatment or prevention of AD. Since very little is known about steroid effects on mu glial interactions with amyloid, we investigated the effects of the synthetic Gc dexamethasone (DXM) and 17-beta estradiol (E2) in vitro in a murine mu glial-like N9 cell line on toxin production and intracellular A beta accumulation. To determine whether the steroid alterations of A beta uptake in vitro had relevance in vivo, we examined the effects of these steroids on A beta accumulation and mu glial responses to A beta infused into rat brain. Our in vitro data demonstrate for the first time that Gc dose-dependently enhanced mu glial A beta accumulation and support previous work showing that E2 enhances A beta uptake. Despite both steroids enhancing uptake, degradation was impeded, particularly with Gcs. Distinct differences between the two steroids were observed in their effect on toxin production and cell viability. Gc dose-dependently increased toxicity and potentiated A beta induction of nitric oxide, while E2 promoted cell viability and inhibited A beta induction of nitric oxide. The steroid enhancement of mu glial uptake and impedence of degradation observed in vitro were consistent with observations from in vivo studies. In the brains of A beta-infused rats, the mu glial staining in entorhinal cortex layer 3, not associated with A beta deposits was increased in response to A beta infusion and this effect was blocked by feeding rats prednisolone. In contrast, E2 enhanced mu glial staining in A beta-infused rats. A beta-immunoreactive (ir) deposits were quantitatively smaller, appeared denser, and were associated with robust mu glial responses. Despite the fact that steroid produced a smaller more focal deposit, total extracted A beta in cortical homogenate was elevated. Together, the in vivo and in vitro data support a role for steroids in plaque compaction. Our data are also consistent with the hypothesis that although E2 is less potent than Gc in impeding A beta degradation, long term exposure to both steroids could reduce A beta clearance and clinical utility. These data showing Gc potentiation of A beta-induced mu glial toxins may help explain the lack of epidemiological correlation for AD. The failure of both steroids to accelerate A beta degradation may explain their lack of efficacy for treatment of AD.
Drosophila memory: will Orb(2) predict the future

Genetically tractable organisms with relatively simple nervous systems offer a realistic platform to understand how and where memories are formed and stored in defined neural circuits. Recent work in Drosophila provides promise that this analysis may soon reach the resolution of identifiable synapses.
Bionic sonar for classifying sonar targets

A variety of experimental results indicate that Dolphins possess a unique and sophisticated sonar system. In addition, this sonar system is highly adaptive in detecting, discriminating and recognizing sonar targets in highly reverberating and noisy environments. In this paper a new approach using Resonance Scattering Theory in target detection and recognition is presented. The results seems to imply that this approach may be useful in shallow water target detection and identification.
Mueller matrix calculation for a slab of random medium with both random rough surfaces and discrete particles

A model for a slab of random medium containing both random rough surfaces and discrete scatterers is presented in this paper. The refractive indices of the surrounding media are different from the background refractive index of the random medium. Kirchhoff rough surface theory is used to derive the transmittivity and reflectivity matrices for the scattering of electromagnetic waves from the rough surfaces. These matrices are used to determine a pair of boundary conditions for the vector radiative transfer equation. The multiple scattering due to the discrete scatterers is computed by solving the radiative transfer equation numerically, including the rough surface scattering effect. Mueller matrices characterizing the random medium are constructed from the scattered Stokes vectors due to four independent polarized incident waves. The Mueller matrices are found to have symmetrical properties, and there are eight nonvanishing matrix elements. >
Using Survey Data to Test Some Standard Propositions Regarding Exchange Rate Expectations

Survey data provide a measure of exchange rate expectations that is superior to the commonly-used forward exchange rate in the respect that it does notinclude a risk premium. We use survey data and the technique of bootstrapping to test a number of propositions of interest. We are able to reject static or "randomwalk" expectations for both nominal and real exchange rates. Expected depreciation is large in magnitude. There is even statistically significant unconditional bias: during the 1981-85 "strong dollar period" the market persistently over estimated depreciation of the dollar. Expected depreciation is also variable, contrary to some recent claims. The expected future spot rate can be viewed as inelastic with respect to the contemporaneous spot rate, in that it also puts weight on other variables: the lagged expected spot rate (as in adaptive expectations), the lagged actual spot rate (distributed lag expectations), or a long-run equilibrium rate (regressive expectations). In one irnportant case, the relatively low weight that investors' expectations put on the contemporaneous spot rate constitutes a statistical rejection of rational expectations: we find that prediction errors are correlated with expected depreciation, so that investors would do better if they always reduced fractionally the magnitude of expected depreciation. This is the same result found by Bilson, Fama, and many others, except that it can no longer be attributed to a risk premium.
The cryoloop: an adaptable reversible cooling deactivation method for behavioral or electrophysiological assessment of neural function.

We describe a very adaptable reversible inactivation technique for the behavioral or electrophysiological analysis of neural circuits. The cryoloop device can be permanently implanted or topically applied in an acute preparation to apply cold to discrete surface regions of the central nervous system (e.g. cerebral cortex or midbrain). The cryoloop consists of a custom shaped, stainless steel, hypodermic tubing and cooling is effected by passing chilled methanol through the lumen of the tubing. Cryoloop temperature is monitored by a microthermocouple attached to the union of the loop, and can be maintained within +/- 1 degrees C of a desired temperature. In chronic preparations, implanted cryoloops have been maintained in cats and monkeys for periods in excess of 2 years. After this period there are no structural, metabolic of functional changes in the deactivated tissue, and full reversibility of cooling-induced effects is maintained. Operation of multiple cryoprobes provides great flexibility of experimental protocols, permits double and triple functional dissociations to be made, and strengthens experimental design considerably.
Habitat structure and fish predation: effects on invertebrate colonisation and breakdown of stream leaf packs

1. We investigated the effects of two features of leaf-pack habitat structure (i.e. mass of a leaf pack and surface area of leaves comprising a leaf pack) and fish predation on colonisation of shredders and- leaf breakdown rates in a coldwater stream. Packs were constructed of red maple (Acer rubrum) leaves. 2. A 2 x 3 x 3 factorial experiment was used to manipulate fish predation (exclusion and control cage), leaf-pack mass (1, 3 and 5 g dry mass) and leaf surface area (small: approx. 17.9 cm 2 , medium: approx. 34.6 cm 2 , large: approx. 65.6 cm 2 ). Exclusion cages had mesh on all sides, whereas control cages lacked mesh on two sides to provide access to fish. 3. Common shredders were Gammarus pseudolimnaeus, Pycnopsyche and Lepidostoma. Shredder biomass per leaf pack increased with the mass of a leaf pack (P 0.7) or leaf surface area (P > 0.7), and interactions among treatment factors were not significant (P > 0.2). 4. Breakdown rates were lower for leaf packs comprised of small leaves (P 0.3). Breakdown rates were highest when packs consisted of few leaves (i.e. leaf packs with large leaves and low mass) and were colonised by many shredders. 5. Fish predation was not an important factor controlling shredder densities in leaf packs over the spatiotemporal scale of our experiment. Nevertheless, we found shredder colonisation was proportional to leaf-pack mass and breakdown rates were affected by leaf-pack size (i.e. number of leaves in a pack). We suspect that fragmentation is the primary mechanism causing the breakdown rates to be dependent on leaf-pack size.
Sodium Molybdate as a Corrosion Inhibitor of Mild Steel in Natural Waters Part 2: Molybdate Concentration Effects

Abstract Sodium molybdate (Na2MoO4) is one of many proposed replacements for chromate-based inhibitors of steel corrosion. However, its ability to protect steel in natural waters, especially flowing natural waters, has not been examined in detail. Part 1 of this study detailed effects of flow rate on the corrosion rate of rotating cylinder electrodes (RCE) of ASTM A36 steel (UNS K02600) exposed to 125 ppm Na2MoO4 solutions under different flow conditions. Part 1 also discussed limitations of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) as a method of examining electrochemical behavior in low-conductivity environments. Part 2 examined the behavior of A36 steel RCE exposed to various concentrations of Na2MoO4. For polished samples, a critical concentration of Na2MoO4 existed, beyond which the corrosion rate increased. However, no critical concentration existed for samples that possessed a corrosion product prior to the addition of inhibitors. Oscillatory open-circuit potential behavior and EIS measurements ...
Novel Carbon Nanotube Deposition System for Fabricating Nano Devices

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are found to be promising material for nanoelectronics due to its ultra small size and unique properties. It provides the possibility of miniaturizing conventional electronic devices, and therefore, people have focused on exploring its applications in nanoelectronics, such as replacing the conventional transistors, resisters and sensors, etc. In order to study its properties and use them as novel devices, methods to manipulate such nano sized particles on micro electrodes have to be developed. Since the size of CNTs is in nano scale, traditional robotic manipulation and assembly cannot be applied. A novel and effective CNT manipulation method is developed and presented in this paper. An automatic and robotic CNT deposition system is used to manipulate CNT across micro electrodes precisely by dielectrophertic (DEP) force. It is also integrated with micromanipulator, micro pump and micro pipette to deposit CNT dilution in desired positions of micro electrodes. This system can potentially be used to fabricate and manufacture an array of CNT based sensors, resulting in a fast, automatic and feasible method for batch making and assembling nano devices.
On the Relevance of Node Isolation to the K-Connectivity of Wireless Optical Sensor Networks

In designing wireless multihop sensor networks, determining system parameters that guarantee a reasonably connected network is crucial. In this paper, we investigate node isolation in wireless optical sensor networks (WOSNs) as a topology attribute for network connectivity. Our results pertain to WOSNs modeled as random-scaled sector graphs that employ directional broad-beamed free space optics for point-to-point communication. We derive a generalized analytical expression relating the probability that no node is isolated to the physical layer parameters of node density, transmitter radius, and angular beam width. Through simulations, we demonstrate that for probability values close to 1, dense networks, and increasing beam width, the probability that the WOSN is connected is tightly upper bounded by the probability that no isolated node exists. In addition, our study demonstrates conditions for probabilistic K-connectivity guarantees and provides empirical insights on the impact of clustering on connectivity by employing simulations to validate analytical derivations. Our analysis provides a methodology of practical importance to choosing physical layer parameter values for effective network level design.
How Do Children Stigmatize People With Mental Illness

A way to promote eliminating stigma surrounding mental illnesses is targeting the phenomenon in children. This study's purpose is to validate models of mental illness stigma on children in Grades 6–8. Children completed the revised Attribution Questionnaire in a pretest of a larger study on a mental health education program. Data from this study permitted testing of roles of demographics in these social cognitive models. Subsequent analyses using manifest model structural equations were mixed, but mostly showed adequate fit for multiple versions of the models. These results suggest that models of blame and dangerousness are relevant to the way 10 to 13-year-olds stigmatize mental illness. Demographics were not found to fit these models satisfactorily. Implications of these findings for stigma-change agenda are discussed.
Distinct p53 Transcriptional Programs Dictate Acute DNA-Damage Responses and Tumor Suppression

The molecular basis for p53-mediated tumor suppression remains unclear. Here, to elucidate mechanisms of p53 tumor suppression, we use knockin mice expressing an allelic series of p53 transcriptional activation mutants. Microarray analysis reveals that one mutant, p53(25,26), is severely compromised for transactivation of most p53 target genes, and, moreover, p53(25,26) cannot induce G(1)-arrest or apoptosis in response to acute DNA damage. Surprisingly, p53(25,26) retains robust activity in senescence and tumor suppression, indicating that efficient transactivation of the majority of known p53 targets is dispensable for these pathways. In contrast, the transactivation-dead p53(25,26,53,54) mutant cannot induce senescence or inhibit tumorigenesis, like p53 nullizygosity. Thus, p53 transactivation is essential for tumor suppression but, intriguingly, in association with a small set of novel p53 target genes. Together, our studies distinguish the p53 transcriptional programs involved in acute DNA-damage responses and tumor suppression-a critical goal for designing therapeutics that block p53-dependent side effects of chemotherapy without compromising p53 tumor suppression.
Arithmetic and trellis coded quantization

This paper presents realizations of entropy-constrained trellis coded quantisation as arithmetic coded trellis coded quantisation. The block diagram of the arithmetic and trellis coded quantisation (ATCQ) is shown. The decoder, encoder and the performance of the ATCQ system are examined. >
An explanation of how migraine headaches can trigger relapse in systemic lupus erythematosus

Abstract Except for a few diseases of molecular mimicry such as rheumatic fever, post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis in children, and gluten-sensitive enteropathy, the cause of autoimmune diseases is unknown. Most autoimmune diseases are remitting-relapsing and the pathophysiology of either the initial attack or subsequent relapses is a mystery. Migraine headaches in systemic lupus erythematosus patients are statistically associated with disease activity, i.e. the patients with bad lupus are the ones who get migraine. T lymphoctes reactive against self are normally suppressed by immunoregulatory T cells (T regs ), but suppression can be broken by CD28 ligation of T regs . This raises intracellular levels of H 2 O 2 , which is a second messenger in the CD28 signaling cascade. Migraine headaches are often accompanied by systemic platelet activation and a brief but intense platelet oxidative burst which raises extracellular H 2 O 2 levels to the point where H 2 O 2 diffusing passively across lymphocyte cell membranes can raise intracellular H 2 O 2 sufficiently to turn off regulatory T cell function via the CD28 signaling cascade. Passive diffusion of H 2 O 2 mimics the effect of H 2 O 2 formation triggered by CD28 ligation. This eliminates the immunosuppressive hold of T regs on self-reactive T cells and the development or worsening of autoimmune disease ensues spontaneously.
Comments on "A new formulation of the algebraic Riccati equation problem" by F. Incertis

It is shown by counterexample that the extended results of the above paper (ibid., vol. AC-26, p.768-70, June 1981) are not valid. Consequently, the formulation cannot be generalized to a wider class of Riccati problems as stated in the paper. >
Total and partial ovariohysterectomy in seven mares.

Summary Reasons for performing study: Ovariohysterectomy appears to have a low mortality rate in mares, but the procedure needs to be reviewed because of the high risk of life-threatening complications. Hypothesis: That ovariohysterectomy can be effective treatment for a variety of uterine diseases in mares and carries a good prognosis. Methods: Diagnosis, clinical data, surgical technique, post operative care, complications and outcome were recorded from medical records of 7 mares that underwent total (6) and partial (1) ovariohysterectomy at the University of Illinois from 1994 to 2001. Results: The indications for ovariohysterectomy were chronic pyometra (4 mares), chronic uterine torsion (n = 2) and chronic intramural haematoma (n = 1). Surgical exposure was difficult but was improved by traction on stay sutures and right-angled clamps. In some cases, application of the TA-90 autosuture instrument as a right-angled clamp to the caudal part of the uterus improved access to the uterine stump. The most common post operative complications were decreased faecal output, decreased intestinal sounds (4 mares) and mild abdominal pain (2). Two mares had mild to moderate incisional infections. Other previously reported complications, such as haemorrhage, septic peritonitis, uterine stump infection or necrosis, and diarrhoea, did not occur. All mares survived over follow-up periods of 6 months to 5 years and were used for riding (6 mares) and embryo transfer (1 mare, after partial ovariohysterectomy). Conclusions and potential relevance: According to this study, the prognosis for mares after ovariohysterectomy appears to be good, despite the technical difficulties of the procedure. The prevalence of life-threatening complications can be lower than reported.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation and brain atrophy: a computer-based human brain model study

This paper is aimed at exploring the effect of cortical brain atrophy on the currents induced by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). We compared the currents induced by various TMS conditions on several different MRI derived finite element head models of brain atrophy, incorporating both decreasing cortical volume and widened sulci. The current densities induced in the cortex were dependent upon the degree and type of cortical atrophy and were altered in magnitude, location, and orientation when compared to healthy head models. Predictive models of the degree of current density attenuation as a function of the scalp-to-cortex distance were analyzed, concluding that those which ignore the electromagnetic field–tissue interactions lead to inaccurate conclusions. Ultimately, the precise site and population of neural elements stimulated by TMS in an atrophic brain cannot be predicted based on healthy head models which ignore the effects of the altered cortex on the stimulating currents. Clinical applications of TMS should be carefully considered in light of these findings.
A Nonlinear Predator - Prey Problem.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses a nonlinear predator–prey problem. A problem that has been of some interest in biology is to describe the population of two species, one of which preys on the other. This occurs either in a predator–prey form or a host–parasite form. It is assumed that an increase in the prey population produces an increase in the predator population, while an increase in the predator population produces a decrease in the prey population. The predator–prey problemare first order differential equations with the functions f(x,y)and g(x,y), which describe the growth rates of the prey and predator species respectively linear in x and y. It is assumed that the existence of an equilibrium point in the first quadrant. When the functions f and g are linear, this equilibrium can be calculated explicitly as the intersection of the lines f = 0 and y = 0. In the nonlinear case, it is natural to expect that there should be an equilibrium point which is approximated by the equilibrium point of the linearized problem.