cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Relationship between gap width and recurrent dental caries beneath occlusal margins of amalgam restorations

Abstract This study examines the relationship between gap width and the presence of recurrent dental caries subjacent to occlusal margins of amalgam restorations. The study population consisted of 35 adult patients of the university's dental clinic who were having occlusal amalgam restorations removed solely because of defective margins. In this group, an impression was made recording the width of a clinically detected gap between the amalgam restoration and the adjacent enamel cavosurface. Of this study population, 20 teeth with recurrent caries were identified from 18 subjects after restoration removal. Upon removal of the restoration, the presence and location of recurrent dental caries associated with a margin was noted. The mean gap widths of recurrent carious sites and non-carious sites were compared in the same tooth. A difference of 187 μm was found between the mean gap width of the recurrent caries sites and the non-carious sites, with the recurrent caries gaps being wider. A paired t-test based on the differences was calculated (P < 0.0001). The results suggest that there is a direct association between gap width and recurrent caries in occlusal margins of amalgam restorations.
The credibility of volunteered geographic information

The proliferation of information sources as a result of networked computers and other interconnected devices has prompted significant changes in the amount, availability, and nature of geographic information. Among the more significant changes is the increasing amount of readily available volunteered geographic information. Although volunteered information has fundamentally enhanced geographic data, it has also prompted concerns with regard to its quality, reliability, and overall value. This essay situates these concerns as issues of information and source credibility by (a) examining the information environment fostering collective information contribution, (b) exploring the environment of information abundance, examining credibility and related notions within this environment, and leveraging extant research findings to understand user-generated geographic information, (c) articulating strategies to discern the credibility of volunteered geographic information (VGI), including relevant tools useful in this endeavor, and (d) outlining specific research questions germane to VGI and credibility.
The Mean Filtration Pressure of Leukocyte Suspensions and Its Relation to the Passage of Leukocytes through Nuclepore Filters and Capillary Networks

Objective: To quantitatively evaluate the deformability of bulk suspensions of leukocytes (WBCs), account for the variance of individual cell mechanical properties, and deduce the potential for WBC entrapment within the capillary network in response to alterations in cell properties.Methods: The transient washout of WBCs initially trapped under low perfusion pressure in 5-μm pores of Nuclepore filters was analyzed for a 0.2-ml bolus of WBCs (derived from hamsters) with equal numbers of filter pores and cells, to characterize the statistical distribution of pressures, pyield, required to dislodge the cells. Contributions of the variance in WBC diameter, pore diameter, and cremaster muscle capillary diameter to pyield were estimated with a WBC cortical shell model and an analysis of the probability function of the ratio of WBC to pore diameter, Λ.Results: For normal WBCs, pyield exhibited a log-normal distribution with mean ((pyield)) of 0.59 cmH2O. Incubation of cells in cytochalasin-B reduced (pyield) alm...
IgG anti-tetanus toxoid antibody synthesis by human bone marrow. I. Two distinct populations of marrow B cells and functional differences between marrow and peripheral blood B cells.

This investigation uses a system for inducing and detecting anti-tetanus toxoid antibody (anti-TT) synthesis to study specific antibody (Ab) synthesis by bone marrow mononuclear cells (MC). We measured the amounts of anti-TT secreted and the number of B cells secreting antibody (Ab). The ELISA plaque detects single B cells secreting specific Ab. The results show that (1) spontaneous anti-TT secretion by MC is higher than spontaneous anti-TT secretion by peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) using an ELISA plaque (P<0.01); (2) spontaneous anti-TT production by MC correlated with the serum anti-TT titers as measured by an ELISA (r=0.75,P=0.005); (3) two types of marrow B cells were identified—one that spontaneously secretes anti-TT and another that produces anti-TT after TT-stimulation; (4) the frequency of anti-TT-secreting B cells is higher in MC than in PBL; (5) the amount of Ab secreted per marrow B cell is not different from that secreted by a peripheral B cell; and (6) marrow B cells could be induced to produce anti-TTin vitro up to 10 months without added cytokines. These results show that bone marrow is a major repository for differentiated B cells that spontaneously produce Abs to maintain circulating Abs titers and for memory B cells that can be induced to produce specific Ab.
Feeding tests in rats on mixtures of nitrite with secondary and tertiary amines of environmental importance.

The possible formation of N-nitroso compounds in vivo from ingested secondary or tertiary amines and nitrite was tested with 13 amino compounds selected on the basis of their widespread availability to man. The amino compounds were administered to rats in the drinking-water with or without sodium nitrite. Survival rates differed little between the various groups and only a few of the amines, either alone or in combination with nitrite, induced a significant incidence of malignant tumours. Lucanthone gave rise to a 30% incidence of liver tumours when given alone but not when given in combination with nitrite. Chlordiazepoxide plus nitrite induced nervous system tumours in 10% of the animals, methapyrilene plus nitrite induced liver tumours in 30%, and dimethyldodecylamine plus nitrite induced tumours of the urinary bladder in 10% of the treated rats. These results provide further evidence that ingestion of secondary and tertiary amines together with nitrite can lead to the formation of significant amounts of carcinogenic N-nitroso compounds in the stomach.
Bulk power transmission by superconducting DC cable

Abstract It is estimated that the total electric system load in the U.S.A. will increase five- to seven-fold by the year 2000. It is reasonable to assume that the transmission line capacities will also increase at least by the same amount. For energy conservation, future transmission lines must be more efficient than those of today. There will also be mounting public pressure to transmit electric power underground because of increasing awareness of environmental quality. There are considerable research activities to develop new technologies to transmit large blocks of power more efficiently by underground cables. The goal of the DC superconducting power transmission line (SPTL) program at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory is to develop such a cable. The DC SPTL has the advantage that it has very high power capability (10 GW and more) and no conductor or dielectric losses. The only “loss” of a DC SPTL is in the refrigeration requirement. It has no systems constraints, such as the stability or reactive compensation requirements of an AC system. The paper discusses the conceptual Los Alamos design, some of the technical problems associated with the development and the approaches to their solution.
Phosphoinositide hydrolysis linked 5-HT2 receptors in fibroblasts from choroid plexus.

Abstract A serotonin (5-HT)-mediated phosphoinositide hydrolysis response was characterized in fibroblasts cultured from rabbit choroid plexus. 5-HT elicited a maximum 8-fold increase in [3H]inositol-phosphate ([3H]IP) formation, while the partial agonists, (+)-lysergic acid diethylamide and (−)-1-(4-bromo-2,5-dimethyoxyphenyl)-2-aminopropane caused 2- and 5-fold increases, respectively. Mianserin, ketanserin, and spiperone were equipotent at blocking the 5-HT-mediated response. Thus, agonist and antagonist profiles indicate interactions with 5-HT2 receptors.
EFFECTS OF PHENYTOIN ON FOLIC-ACID CONJUGASES IN MAN

Abstract Phenytoin (diphenylhydantoin) can lower serum-folic-acid levels as determined by microbiological assay. One mechanism for this effect on folic-acid metabolism that has been proposed is that inhibition of intestinal conjugases leads to malabsorption of dietary polyglutamates of folic acid. However, in-vitro data reported here contain no evidence for an effect of phenytoin on conjugases from human intestine, liver, or brain.
Oxygenated cardioplegia: blood is a many splendored thing.

his issue of The Annuls contains a report by Coetzee T and associates [ l ] that focuses on the role of oxygen in myocardial protection strategies by comparing oxygenated cardioplegic solutions delivered in either a crystalloid or a blood vehicle. The absence of a nonoxygenated cardioplegic group for comparison is of no concern, as the intentional exclusion of oxygen from cardioprotective solutions makes little sense physiologically and deprives the heart of its principal substrate for energy production during cardioplegic infusions. This editorial is written to call attention to the importance of experimental models and methods in interpreting results and to emphasize that blood provides many potential benefits in addition to its capacity to enhance oxygen delivery. The use of a nonhuman primate and the evaluation of post-bypass function in the intact heart without artificial control of preload, afterload, and heart rate adds clinical relevance to this study. Unfortunately, the cardioplegic solutions were dissimilar in more than erythrocyte content, so that differences in cardioplegic calcium, magnesium, pH, and other components may have influenced results in uncertain ways. More importantly, normal hearts arrested for only 90 minutes with multidose cardioplegia would be expected to recover ventricular performance completely, especially as prior studies of both oxygenated crystalloid cardioplegia and blood cardioplegia show this after 4 to 6 hours of aortic clamping [ 2 4 ] .
Absence of neurogenesis of adult rat dorsal root ganglion cells.

Recently, an age-related increase in the number of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) cells was reported in adult rats. This suggests neurogenesis of adult primary afferent neurons, which would be an extremely important phenomenon if it occurred. Other evidence is not compatible with this idea, however, so the issue is not settled. The primary point of contention concerns the counts of DRG cells in relation to age. In our opinion, these disagreements arise, at least in part, because different counting methods give different results for the same material. Thus, any method for determining DRG cell numbers should be calibrated. We previously calibrated some of the common methods used to count DRG cells and found that an empirical method gave accurate cell counts. In the present study, we have used this method and asked whether an age-related increase in the number of lumbar DRG cells can be demonstrated in adult rats. Our data indicate that DRG cell numbers remain essentially constant from 3 to 22 months of age. Mos...
Normed Bilinear Pairings for Semi-Euclidean Spaces near the Hurwitz-Radon Range

A codimension c(≥ 0) orthogonal multiplication of type (k,l;m;m+ c) for semi-Euclidean spaces is a normed bilinear map F: Rk,l × Rm → Rm+C, k + l ≤ m, k > 0, where the signatures of the semi-Euclidean spaces Rm and Rm+C are suppressed. For the Hurwitz-Radon range, i.e. c = 0, F gives rise to (and is determined by) a module over the Clifford algebra C l,k- 1 whose generators possess certain invariance properties with respect to the semi-Euclidean structure on the module. For c = 1, we prove an Adem-type restriction-extension theorem to the effect that F (up to isometries on the source and the range) restricts to an orthogonal multiplication of type (k, l; m; m) if m is even, and extends to an orthogonal multiplication of type (k, l; m + 1; m + 1) if m is odd. The resulting types are in the Hurwitz-Radon range, thereby classified. The main results of the paper give a full description of codimension two full orthogonal multiplications F of type (k, l; m; m + 2). We show that, for m even, F extends to an orthogonal multiplication of type (k, l; m + 2; m + 2). For m odd, we have k + l = 3 and F restricts (again up to isometries on the source and the range) to an orthogonal multiplication of type (k, l; m — 1; m — 1) which is a direct summand of F. AMS Subject Classification: Primary 15A63, Secondary 11E25.
Accumulation of short n-chain ethyl esters by esterases of lactic acid bacteria under conditions simulating ripening Parmesan cheese.

Abstract EstA from Lactobacillus helveticus CNRZ32 (Lbh-EstA), EstB, and EstC from Lactobacillus casei LILA, and EstA from Lactococcus lactis MG1363 (Lcl-EstA) were evaluated for their ability to accumulate esters in a model system simulating Parmesan cheese ripening conditions (10°C, 2 to 3% NaCl, pH 5.4 to 5.5, a w = 0.850 to 0.925) using Capalase K from kid goat as a positive control. All of the LAB esterases and Capalase K mediated the accumulation of esters in the model system in an enzyme specific manner, which was influenced by a w and selectivity for fatty acid chain-length. In general, enzyme mediated accumulation of ethyl esters was higher at a w values of 0.850 and 0.900 than at a w of 0.925, demonstrating that a w is a critical parameter influencing ester accumulation. The substrate selectivity of esterases, a w , and enzyme type may be important factors in the development of fruity flavors, as evidenced by results in this model system simulating Parmesan cheese ripening conditions.
Is colectomy for fulminant Clostridium difficile colitis life saving? A systematic review

Aim It is unclear whether colectomy for fulminant Clostridium difficile colitis (FCDC) leads to a improvement in survival compared with continued medical therapy for this moribund population. Method Selected studies from 1994–2010 were identified through a comprehensive search theme applied to MEDLINE (OvidSP and PubMed), EMBASE and by hand searching. Data regarding mortality rates between medically and surgically treated patients were extracted. Risk of bias was assessed using a Newcastle–Ottawa Scale score. A meta-analysis of the odds ratios for mortality between surgical and medical treatment for FCDC was conducted using the Mantel–Haenszel method and fixed-effects modelling. Results Five hundred and ten patients with FCDC were identified in six studies. The pooled adjusted odds ratio of mortality comparing surgery with medical therapy was 0.70 (0.49–0.99), suggesting that surgery provided a survival benefit. Conclusion Emergent colectomy for patients with FCDC provides a survival advantage compared with continuing antibiotics. Though there is selection bias of patients having surgery, the results of this systematic review suggest that colectomy has a therapeutic role in treating severe forms of C. difficile colitis.
When Birds of a Feather Flock Together: The Role of Core-Self Evaluations and Moral Intensity in the Relationship Between Network Unethicality and Unethical Choice

Leveraging perspectives from social cognitive theory, the attention-based view, and social networks literatures, we tested the relationship between unethical choice and network unethicality, which we define as respondents’ perceptions of their peer advisors’ unethical choices. Although social cognitive theory predicts that perceptions of peer advisor unethical choice are positively associated with unethical choice, we theorize that the nature of this relationship depends on the personality of the actor (core self-evaluation) and the situation (moral intensity). Results from a lagged study suggest that individual and situational variables may act as key buffers to the adverse impact of unethical social influence on ethical choice. Strengths, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.
Tests of the rational expectations-permanent income hypothesis for developing economies

Abstract As part of a larger macroeconomic model of the People's Republic of China, Chow (1985) finds no empirical evidence to reject the rational expectations-permanent income hypothesis (REPIH). Chow's findings for China challenge conventional wisdom, which questions the validity of the REPIH for developing economies because of limited information flows and the absence of developed credit markets. This paper employs the methodology developed by Hall (1978) and Flavin (1981) in a multicountry study of the REPIH for developing economies. Statistical evidence to reject the REPIH is found for each of the countries considered.
Performance characterization of Pd/C nanocatalyst for direct formic acid fuel cells

Abstract Previous work has demonstrated that unsupported Pd (Pd black) based direct formic acid fuel cells (DFAFCs) show unusually high power density at the ambient temperature. In this paper finely dispersed Pd particles have been deposited on carbon supports (Vulcan XC-72®). In particular, both 20 and 40 wt.% Pd on carbon supports (Pd/C) nanocatalysts have been synthesized and their performances, as an anode catalyst for DFAFC, with different formic acid feed concentrations at a moderate temperature have been evaluated. The 20 and 40 wt.% Pd/C based DFAFCs, with dry air and zero backpressure, can generate a maximum power density of 145 and 172 mW cm−2 at 30 °C, respectively. Their open cell potentials are 0.90 V. In comparison to the unsupported Pd, we found that the 20 wt.% Pd/C in the DFAFC shows a lower total current, but a higher current per gram of precious metal than the Pd black catalyst. The supported catalysts also show less deactivation at the high formic acid concentrations.
Corruption, Bureaucracy and Firm Productivity in Africa

This paper estimates the impact of corruption and poor bureaucratic quality on firm productivity for a unique dataset with firm-specific data of more than 900 firms over 12 years for Ghana, Kenya and Tanzania. We first discuss why poor bureaucratic quality and, especially, corruption are expected to have negative impacts on firm productivity. We then employ Data Envelopment Analysis to estimate firm productivity and pooled OLS and Tobit regression analysis to estimate the effects of corruption and bureaucratic quality on firm productivity. We find that less productive firms are more likely to engage in corrupt activities; both poor bureaucratic quality and corruption reduce firm productivity; and corruption has a greater negative impact on productivity.
Ischemia and Ischemic Tolerance in the Brain: an Overview

Stroke is the third leading cause of death and the leading cause of adult disability in the United States. This review outlines the pathways that lead to cell death following stroke, and also summarizes the current literature on the phenomenon of ischemic tolerance. Ischemic tolerance is an endogenous neuroprotective mechanism by which neurons are protected from the deleterious effects of brain ischemia that occur during and after stroke. A better understanding of the processes that lead to cell death after stroke and endogenous neuroprotective mechanisms like ischemic tolerance could help in the development of new treatment strategies for this devastating neurological disease.
Supply and demand for scientists and engineers: a national crisis in the making.

Projections are analyzed for the future supply and demand of scientists and engineers. The demographics of the college-age population combined with estimates of the percentage of students who will pursue careers in science and engineering indicate significant shortfalls between supply and demand for the next several decades at both the baccalaureate and Ph.D. levels. If these projections are realized, the shortage of technical personnel will have a major impact on economic growth, international competitiveness, and national security. Various strategies for recruiting and retaining students in science and engineering are considered.
Synthesis of a Photoaffinity‐Labeled (11Z)‐Retinal: Identification of Retinal/Rhodopsin Cross‐Linked Sites along the Visual‐Transduction Path

The retinal chromophore (11Z)-3-diazo-4-oxoretinal (1) with two photo-labile moieties has been synthesized by semi-hydrogenation of an 11-yne precursor with activated Zn in aqueous media. Incorporation of 1 into opsin yielded diazoketo rhodopsin (DK-Rh), which, upon bleaching, gave rise to intermediates batho-Rh, lumi-Rh, meta-Rh, and meta-II-Rh corresponding to those of native Rh but at lower temperatures. Photoaffinity labeling of DK-Rh and these bleaching intermediates showed that the ionone ring cross-linked to Trp265 of helix F in DK-Rh and batho intermediate, and to Ala169 of helix D in lumi, meta-I, and meta-II intermediates. These results demonstrate the occurrence of large conformational changes along the visual transduction path, which, in turn, is responsible for activation of the G-protein.
A novel kappa agonist inhibits [3H]nimodipine binding to a Ca++ channel receptor protein in rat brain

The novel kappa agonist U50-488H in vitro produced a concentration-dependent decrease (0.25-25 microM) in [3H]nimodipine binding in neuronal P2 fractions [corrected] from rat brain cortex. Kinetic analysis indicates the decrease in binding results from a reduced Bmax with no change in affinity (Kd). The kappa antagonist, MR2266, blocked the decrease in [3H]nimodipine binding to membrane fractions. At equimolar concentrations (25 microM), morphine in vitro had no effect on [3H]nimodipine binding, while U50-488H demonstrated potent inhibition. Further kinetic analysis indicates that the IC50 for U50-488H is 0.5-0.7 microM with a KI by a Dixon plot of 1.5-1.7 microM [corrected]. These results suggest that kappa opiate receptors may be coupled to dihydropyridine receptors and as a result modulate Ca++ entry and neurotransmitter release in brain neurons.
An Unusual Case of the Complete Currarino Triad: Case Report, Discussion of the Literature and the Embryogenic Implications

Objective and importance We present and illustrate an unusual case of the complete familial Currarino triad (an association between a bony sacral defect, a presacral mass, and an anorectal malformation) in which the teratoma arose from the conus medullaris and contained mature neurons, glia, and branching ependymal canals that were in communication with a terminal syrinx. The embryogenic implications are discussed. Clinical presentation The patient was a term neonate when discovered to have imperforate anus. Further workup revealed lumbosacral dysraphism with a presacral mass, a rectovaginal fistula, and a single pelvic kidney. The family pedigree revealed a familial transmission pattern; the patient had a second cousin with anal atresia and a first cousin with similar sacral anomalies. The motor level was L4 with trace L5, and there was absent sensation in the sacral dermatomes. Intervention A diverting colostomy was performed on Day 14, and the infant returned at 3 months of age to undergo near-total resection through the previous abdominal approach. Only a subtotal resection was possible because the mass arose from the low-lying conus and was firmly adherent to the sacral nerve roots and iliac vessel. Follow-up magnetic resonance imaging performed 18 months after surgery revealed that the residual tumor had not progressed. Conclusion Complete Currarino triad is rare and is familial in half of the cases. The special features of the tumor in our case were the presence of mature neurons with ependymal canals and its origin from the conus. The possible embryogenesis may provide evidence that the caudal notochord is important for organized secondary neurulation.
The capacity region of a product Gaussian broadcast channel with degraded message sets

A product Gaussian broadcast channel with three receivers and degraded message sets is considered. A single-letter characterization of the capacity region was obtained in a recent work of Nair and El Gamal based on superposition coding and indirect decoding. Through Lagrangian theory and an extremal entropy inequality, the single-letter expression of Nair and El Gamal is evaluated for the specific product Gaussian model, which leads to an explicit characterization of the capacity region.
Theoretical Experiments on Multiphoton-Assisted Electron-Atom Scattering†

We present the results of numerical experiments in which electron-atom scattering occurs in the presence of a strong laser field. We compare our results for both forward and backward scattering with previous theoretical work in both strong-field and weak-field regimes. Theoretische Experimente zu vielphotonenunterstutzter Elektron-Atomstreuung Wir stellen die Ergebnisse numerischer Experimente, in welchen eine Elektron-Atomstreuung bei Anwesenheit eines starken Laserfeldes auftritt, vor. Die Ergebnisse, fur sowohl Vorwarts- als auch Ruckwartsstreuung, werden mit alteren theoretischen Arbeiten in Regimen mit starkem und schwachem Feld verglichen.
Structural and Functional Characterization of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus’s Class IIb Fructose 1,6-Bisphosphate Aldolase

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most common nosocomial sources of soft-tissue and skin infections and has more recently become prevalent in the community setting as well. Since the use of penicillins to combat S. aureus infections in the 1940s, the bacterium has been notorious for developing resistances to antibiotics, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). With the persistence of MRSA as well as many other drug resistant bacteria and parasites, there is a growing need to focus on new pharmacological targets. Recently, class II fructose 1,6-bisphosphate aldolases (FBAs) have garnered attention to fill this role. Regrettably, scarce biochemical data and no structural data are currently available for the class II FBA found in MRSA (SaFBA). With the recent finding of a flexible active site zinc-binding loop (Z-Loop) in class IIa FBAs and its potential for broad spectrum class II FBA inhibition, the lack of information regarding this feature of class IIb FBAs, such as SaFBA, has been limiting for further Z-loop inhibitor development. Therefore, we elucidated the crystal structure of SaFBA to 2.1 A allowing for a more direct structural analysis of SaFBA. Furthermore, we determined the KM for one of SaFBA's substrates, fructose 1,6-bisphosphate, as well as performed mode of inhibition studies for an inhibitor that takes advantage of the Z-loop's flexibility. Together the data offers insight into a class IIb FBA from a pervasively drug resistant bacterium and a comparison of Z-loops and other features between the different subtypes of class II FBAs.
Scanning electron microscopy of body fluids

Scanning Electron Microscopic (SEM) examination of body fluid specimens submitted for cytopathological diagnosis is technically easy and can be accomplished within hours. Specimens refrigerated for as long as 72 hr show no significant structural alterations that would interfere with recognition of diagnostically significant cells. SEM is particularly well suited for these specimens because the cells are free floating, and even cells in clusters have “natural” surfaces. Clinical uses of SEM on body fluids include the identification of ambiguous cells, distinction of reactive (benign) mesothelial cells from metastatic adenocarcinoma, and distinction of lymphoid cells from small cell carcinoma of the lung. In addition, SEM of these fluids assists cytologists to better understand the cellular features and associations seen in the light microscope. Ultrastructural analysis can be an important component of the Quality Assurance Plan for those cytodiagnostic laboratories that have access to an electron microscopy facility. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, inc.
Binding of an Interferon-inducible Protein (p202) to the Retinoblastoma Protein

Many of the antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, and cell growth regulatory activities of the interferons are mediated by interferon-inducible proteins. One family of such murine proteins is encoded by six or more adjacent and structurally related genes (gene 200 cluster). Two homologous human genes have also been reported. p202, encoded by the Ifi202 gene in the gene 200 cluster, is a 52-kDa nuclear phosphoprotein. Constitutive overexpression of p202 in transfected cells is growth-inhibitory. We report here that p202 binds the cell growth regulatory retinoblastoma protein (pRb) in vitro and in vivo. The binding is due to direct interaction between the two proteins. p202 has two nonoverlapping segments for binding pRb, and pRb has two nonoverlapping segments (one of them including the pocket region) for binding p202. The hypophosphorylated form of pRb binds to p202. p202 is the first interferon-inducible protein found to bind pRb.
Structural Hidden Markov Models Using a Relation of Equivalence: Application to Automotive Designs

Standard hidden Markov models (HMM's) have been studied extensively in the last two decades. It is well known that these models assume state conditional independence of the observations. Therefore, they are inadequate for classification of complex and highly structured patterns. Nowadays, the need for new statistical models that are capable to cope with structural time series data is increasing. We propose in this paper a novel paradigm that we named "structural hidden Markov model" (SHMM). It extends traditional HMM's by partitioning the set of observation sequences into classes of equivalences. These observation sequences are related in the sense they all contribute to produce a particular local structure. We describe four basic problems that are assigned to a structural hidden Markov model: (1) probability evaluation, (2) statistical decoding, (3) local structure decoding, and (4) parameter estimation. We have applied SHMM in order to mine customers' preferences for automotive designs. The results reported in this application show that SHMM's outperform the traditional hidden Markov model with a 9% of increase in accuracy.
The effects of serotonin metabolites on tonic immobility in chickens (Gallus gallus): Dose and time response curves

The effects of melatonin and 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (5-HIAA) on tonic immobility in chickens were examined at various dosages and after several different postinjection time periods. Both of these metabolic byproducts of serotonin produced increases in duration of immobility at 10 min postinjection, but melatonin was much more potent than 5-HIAA. In addition, melatonin produced a decrease in the duration of tonic immobility at 120 min postinjection, while 5-HIAA produced a decrease at 60 min postinjection, which was followed by another increase in duration of immobility at 120 min. These results are discussed in terms of possible neurotransmitters and a central feedback system between brain levels of serotonin, its metabolites, and duration of tonic immobility.
A study of the browning reaction in whole milk powder and ice cream mix powder.

Summary The conditions with respect to moisture content of powder, temperature of storage, and level of oxygen in gas-free space of container, as they may affect the browning of dry milk and ice cream mix powder as a result of aging, are given. The changes accompanying the browning, such as production of carbon dioxide, uptake of oxygen, increase in reducing groups, decrease in solubility and development of caramelized flavor, have been studied, and the extent of these changes in relation to the degree of browning is presented. The darkening or browning of dry milk and ice cream mix powder, unlike some other dehydrated foods, is not related to the usual storage deterioration in flavor. The most common defective, storage flavors of dry milk are the stale and the oxidized flavors. The development of these flavors in milk and ice cream mix powder is not the result of incipient browning. In fact, it appears that the products of browning reaction inhibit the development of these flavors. Browning is accompanied by a development of a specific flavor, a caramelized flavor. The browning does not take place in dry milk or ice cream mix powder when the above products are stored at 40° C. or lower if their moisture content is below 4 per cent.
Silicon neurons that burst when primed

The authors present a silicon neuron that responds with a high-frequency burst of spikes (> 250Hz) when appropriately primed; otherwise it responds with lower frequency single spikes (< 100Hz). Our model is based upon neurons that relay sensory inputs to the cortex. The bursts (2-6 spikes) are caused by an excitatory calcium channel, designed using circuits that capture the channel's nonlinear dynamics. With sufficient priming, the channel opens quickly and closes slowly when the neuron's voltage increases. Priming the channel requires lowering the neuron's voltage for a sufficient period; thus, inhibitory inputs that can control the cell's response mode. We fabricated 7200 relay neurons on a 11.5mm2 chip in 0.25mum CMOS. We plan to use feedback from a cortex chip to prime the relay neurons and thereby realize attention.
Color your website: use of colors on the web

In spite of the wealth of information available on designing international user interfaces, it is not easy for web designers to acquire a deep understanding of culturally appropriate user interface design. There is a lack of tools that assist web developers in creating culturally appropriate user interfaces. In our paper we present an empirical study that identifies culture-specific web interface design elements for a number of countries using semi-automated approach, in order to incorporate the results into a cultural interface design advisor tool. The paper presents results of the pilot study on web design color preferences for a number of countries. Results show that along with ten colors that are used universally in website design for all countries studied, country-specific color palettes could be identified. Examples of these "preferred" palettes are presented in the paper along with suggestions on how designers can work with such palettes creating culturally appropriate websites.
Porcine leptospirosis in Iowa.

The epidemiology of leptospirosis in Iowa swine was examined on the basis of serologic results and herd data from 55 herds in the National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) program and culture results and histories from 578 cases of reproductive failure submitted to the Iowa Veterinary Diagnostic Lab- oratory during a 3-year period. Thirty-eight percent of sera from NAHMS herds contained antibodies against 1 or more of 12 leptospira antigens. Leptospires were isolated from 9 (1.6%) of 578 cases of reproductive failure. Seven (78%) of the isolates were identified as Leptospira interrogans serovar kennewicki and 2 (22%) as serovar grippotyphosa. In 7 herds from which leptospires were isolated, attack rates ranged from 1% to 84%. Clinical leptospirosis, characterized by reproductive failure and confirmed by isolation of leptospires, was sporadic. No significant differences in farrowing averages and reproductive problems were observed between vaccinated and nonvaccinated NAHMS herds or between herds with higher (43-63%) or lower (14-40%) percentages of animals that were serologically positive against serovar bratislava.
Sensor networks - Technologies, protocols and algorithms

Dense collections of smart sensors, actuators, and processors that self-configure to network and process form the basis the new networking and processing paradigm, sensor networks. This tutorial will review the emerging sensor networking technologies, protocols and applications, and look at practical and theoretical issues in designing, deploying, analyzing and evaluating sensor networks. First half of the tutorial will provide an overview of sensor networks, covering hardware platforms and software support. The second half of the tutorial will delve into algorithms for sensor networks, including those for self-organization, power management, topology control, data routing and transport, clustering and data fusion. Examples will be used to expose the scalability and power constraints in these sensor networks. The topic will be of great interest to ISIE attendees; it deals with a novel technology that the computing community can use to create tomorrow's smart systems. Engineers and scientists from various fields will be able to apply this emerging technology within their own fields to overcome limitations associated with present technologies.
A Novel Probability Distribution for Modeling Internet Traffic and its Parameter Estimation

A new probability distribution following from Lavalette's law has been proposed for modeling wireless Internet access session statistics collected in a public nationwide Wi-Fi network. We have derived maximum likelihood estimators for this distribution and found them for three data sets of session duration and traffic volume measurements. Goodness of all fits is nearly perfect. The introduced model outperforms the Pareto, truncated Pareto and modified truncated Pareto distributions. Its flexibility makes it a good candidate for describing both long- tailed and non-long-tailed data.
The future of public health: prospects in the United States for the 1990s.

tuberculo­ sis, and unacceptably high levels of infant and maternal mortality that prevailed during the latter nineteenth and early twentieth century. These problems were due largely to gross lack of sanitation, including fecal con­ tamination of water and food; crowding; and poor public understanding of basic hygiene. In response, many states and local jurisdictions developed health de­ partments to protect people against these severe threats to health. With strong support from legislative bodies, as well as technical and financial support from the federal government, state and local boards of health guided their activities. The departments established laboratories and epidemiologic ser­ vices for investigating the most pressing problems; adopted regulations, including measures of enforcement, for controlling environmental hazards; initiated public health nursing, maternal and child health and other personal health services; and undertook public health education. The formerly high rates of disease and mortality, which typically occur in developing industrial societies, have been vastly reduced through specific public health activities as well as improvements in the general level of living.
Digital Democracy: Reimagining Pathways to Political Participation

Recently, research revolving around blogs has flourished. Usually, academics illus- trate what blogs are, motivations to blog, and, only to some extent, their role in politics. Along these lines, we examine the impact of digital politics by looking specifically at blog readers. Although blog readers might be considered at the forefront of a new technological revolution, and people have specu- lated about their participatory habits both online and off, little research has specifically looked at this growing proportion of the population. This article models factors that predict traditional and online forms of participation, presenting a portrait of a new type of political advocate.
COMPARING DESIGNS OF MARINE RESERVES FOR FISHERIES AND FOR BIODIVERSITY

We compare and contrast the design of networks of marine reserves for two different, commonly stated goals: (1) maintaining high yield in fisheries and (2) conserving biodiversity, in an idealized setting using simple models. The models describe larval dispersal over a system of evenly spaced reserves of equal size, assuming sedentary adults. We initially demonstrate that, since populations in reserve systems can be sustained either by covering a minimal fraction of the coast with small reserves or by covering a smaller fraction of the coast with few large reserves, cost considerations dictate that the conservation goal would be best met by reserves as large as practically possible. In contrast, the fisheries goal of maximizing yield requires maximizing larval export outside of reserves, which we show means that reserves should be as small as practically possible. Meeting the fisheries goal is ultimately more costly because it suggests a larger area of the coastline should be in reserves, but it also improves on conservation goals by enhancing sustainability for species dispersing longer distances.
A three‐point dixon method for water and fat separation using 2D and 3D gradient‐echo techniques

A water and fat separation technique based on a three-point Dixon method using two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) gradient-echo sequences and a new phase-unwrapping approach is presented. Using velocity-compensated sequences, three images, with water and fat protons in phase, opposed phase, and in phase, were acquired in an interleaved fashion for each phase-encoding line of the image. A fast 2D scan permitted acquisition of images within a single breath-hold, eliminating respiratory motion artifacts. The 3D sequence allowed coverage of a large region of interest with thin, contiguous slices. To correct field inhomogeneity effects, phase unwrapping was required. This was accomplished by comparing the corresponding pixels in the two water and fat in-phase images on a pixel-by-pixel basis. This phase-unwrapping approach is faster, more reliable, and requires less user interfacing than other methods. The water and fat separation method performed well in various parts of the body.
A TBR-based trajectory piecewise-linear algorithm for generating accurate low-order models for nonlinear analog circuits and MEMS

In this paper we propose a method for generating reduced models for a class of nonlinear dynamical systems, based on truncated balanced realization (TBR) algorithm and a recently developed trajectory piecewise-linear (TPWL) model order reduction approach. We also present a scheme which uses both Krylov-based and TBR-based projections. Computational results, obtained for examples of nonlinear circuits and a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS), indicate that the proposed reduction scheme generates nonlinear macromodels with superior accuracy as compared to reduction algorithms based solely on Krylov subspace projections, while maintaining a relatively low model extraction cost.
Prenatal maternal speech influences newborns' perception of speech sounds

Abstract Pregnant women recited a particular speech passage aloud each day during their last 6 weeks of pregnancy. Their newborns were tested with an operant-choice procedure to determine whether the sounds of the recited passage were more reinforcing than the sounds of a novel passage. The previously recited passage was more reinforcing. The reinforcing value of the two passages did not differ for a matched group of control subjects. Thus, third-trimester fetuses experience their mothers' speech sounds and that prenatal auditory experience can influence postnatal auditory preferences.
Spectral theory of the operator $(p^{2}+m^{2})^{1/2}-Ze^{2}/r$

Using dilation invariance and dilation analytic techniques, and with the help of a new virial theorem, we give a detailed description of the spectral properties of the operator (p2+m2)1/2−Ze2/r. In the process the norm of the operator ∣x∣α∣p∣−α is calculated explicitly inLp(® N ).
Gene expression profiling in the rhesus macaque: methodology, annotation and data interpretation

Gene microarray analyses represent potentially effective means for high-throughput gene expression profiling in non-human primates. In the companion article, we emphasize effective experimental design based on the in vivo physiology of the rhesus macaque, whereas this article emphasizes considerations for gene annotation and data interpretation using gene microarray platforms from Affymetrix . Initial annotation of the rhesus genome array was based on Affymetrix human GeneChips. However, annotation revisions improve the precision with which rhesus transcripts are identified. Annotation of the rhesus GeneChip is under continuous revision with large percentages of probesets under multiple annotation systems having undergone multiple reassignments between March 2007 and November 2008. It is also important to consider that quantitation and comparison of gene expression levels across multiple chips requires appropriate normalization. External corroboration of microarray results using PCR-based methodology also requires validation of appropriate internal reference genes for normalization of expression values. Many tools are now freely available to aid investigators with microarray normalization and selection of internal reference genes to be used for independent corroboration of microarray results.
The effect of vagal nerve stimulation on voice.

Objective: Vagal nerve stimulation therapy through implanted vagal nerve stimulators is an accepted therapy for refractory seizure disorders. One significant side effect of vagal nerve stimulation is voice change. This study evaluates the impact that these voice changes have on patients' lives, and the physiological effects that vagal nerve stimulation has on the larynx. Methods: Patients were selected from the pool of patients at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center who underwent implantation of vagal nerve stimulator devices. Three methods were used to evaluate the impact the devices had on patients and on their vocal cords. First, a questionnaire was sent to the patients to ascertain the degree of vocal and social impairment that occurs as a result of the implant. Second, videostroboscopy was used to analyze the effect that vagal nerve stimulation had on the larynx. Third, computerized voice analysis objectively analyzed the patients' voices both during and in between vagal nerve stimulations. Results: Although patients noted significant voice changes during stimulation of the implant, the impairment is well tolerated and less debilitating than the underlying seizure disorder. Hyperstimulation of the affected vocal cord was observed during vagal stimulation with paramedian positioning, vocal fold tensing, and loss of mucosal wave. Increase in jitter and shimmer was consistent. Conclusion: Vagal nerve implantation devices create significant but well-tolerated vocal side effects. Investigation of these devices increases our understanding of laryngeal physiology and may give insight into future laryngeal pacing. Preimplantation laryngeal examination should be performed routinely to rule out laryngeal pathology that could lead to significant complications.
ANALYSIS AND DESIGN OF A HYPERSONIC SCRAMJET ENGINE WITH A STARTING MACH NUMBER OF 4.00

When pressures and temperatures become so high in supersonic flight that it is no longer efficient to slow the oncoming flow to subsonic speeds for combustion, a scramjet (supersonic combustion ramjet) is used in place of a ramjet. Currently, the transition to supersonic combustion generally occurs at a freestream Mach number around 5.0 to 6.0. This research details analysis completed towards extending scramjet operability to lower Mach numbers, while maintaining performance at higher Mach numbers within the same flowpath as detailed in the Air Force solicitation AF073-058. The specific goal was to determine whether the scramjet starting Mach number could be lowered to Mach 3.50 and, if not, what the constraints are that prohibit it and what the lowest possible starting Mach number for a scramjet is with today’s technology. This analysis has produced many significant insights into the current and required capabilities for both fuel and overall engine design in lowering the starting Mach number; these results are presented here. The analysis has shown that a scramjet with a starting Mach number of 3.50 is not currently possible with the fuels researched unless fuel additives or other modifications to the system are used. However, a scramjet with a starting Mach number of 4.00 is possible with today’s existing technology. This paper has designed the engine flowpath for this case; its specifications and resulting performance are also detailed here.