cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Surface Effect Associated with the Use of Oils Containing Zinc Dialkyl Dithiophosphate

It is shown that the operation of engines on crankcase oils containing appreciable amounts of zinc dialkyl dithiophosphate can increase the small-scale roughness of the lifter-foot surfaces. In addition, the small-scale roughness can be reduced by subsequent operation of the same engine parts on oils containing no zinc dialkyl dithiophosphate. This change in roughness coincides with a change in reflectivity that can be detected visually. A similar effect of the additive has been demonstrated in a bench test machine. The increase in roughness which accompanies the operation on the additive-treated oil occurs rapidly and is maintained to high contact loads although some smoothing may occur at high loads. The evidence suggests that the change in roughness results from a reaction of additive decomposition products with the metal surface. The mechanism responsible, however, is not completely understood. Presented as an American Society of Lubrication Engineers paper at the Lubrication Conference held in Los An...
Development of a System for Collecting Loop-Detector Event Data for Individual Vehicles

Typical freeway inductive loop detection systems, under normal operation, aggregate individual loop-detector actuations sampled at 60 Hz into 20-s or 30-s averages of velocity, flow, and lane-occupancy measurements. While such aggregations are appropriate for serving as inputs to control system algorithms, and they save disk space for archiving loop data, a large amount of useful data regarding individual vehicles is lost. For single-loop detectors, the lost information includes individual vehicle arrival, departure, and presence times. For speed traps, the lost information also includes the calculated individual vehicle speed and length. Yet this information about individual vehicles is desirable to transportation researchers and planners. The unavailability of this information makes in-depth investigation of detector errors difficult or even impossible. A system for collecting detector event data is proposed. This system can sample loop actuations with sampling rates of 60 Hz or higher and then save, process, and present the collected event data in real time without interfering with the detector controller's normal operation. A stand-alone Windows program was developed for performing real-time high-frequency loop event data collection. A system reliability test and field application indicate that the system can collect real-time detector event data at a high sampling rate (60 Hz or higher). Additionally, this system makes real-time loop data quality evaluation, loop malfunction identification, and loop error correction feasible.
Physiological factors controlling release of enterokinase from rat enterocytes

The quantitative release of enterokinase from isolated rat enterocytes following treatment with taurocholate-taurodeoxycholate, papain, chymotrypsin, elastase, carbamylcholine, and cholecystokinin-octapeptide was examined. Alkaline phosphatase and lactate dehydrogenase activities were evaluated simultaneously to check for specificity. Bile salts promoted a concentration-dependent release of all enzymes. Concomitantly, bile salts also led to cell destruction in proportion to the amount of enzymes released. Proteases caused the release of enterokinase and alkaline phosphatase with no concomitant increase of lactate dehydrogenase or cell lysis. At equal concentrations, papain released more enzymes than chymotrypsin and elastase. Chymotrypsin and elastase, however, led to higher ratios of enterokinase to alkaline phosphatase found in the media and suggested a selective release of enterokinase (EK) over that of alkaline phosphatase. Bile salts and pancreatic proteases together seem to have an additive effect of the release of EK. Carbamylcholine and cholecystokinin-octapeptide had no effect on enzyme release. These results suggested that pancreatic proteases are involved in the release of enterokinase by a selective action. Bile salts may also play a role through a nonselective detergent effect.
Pulse amplitude analysis: a new dimension in single ion time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Abstract Using single secondary ion detection, it has been shown that the amplitude of pulses formed by a microchannel plate electron multiplier array is dependent on the number of electrons and other ionizing species that are ejected into the microchannel when the ion impacts at the entrance of the microchannel. We have measured the pulse amplitude distribution for impacts where a single electron is ejected and have observed the onset of multiple electron emission when the incident ion velocity is increased. We have shown that pulse amplitude analysis is sensitive to the velocity and number of atoms in a molecular ion. By using pulse amplitude windows, we have measured 252 Cf-PD mass spectra where the 1 + or 2 + ion of insulin can be selectively chosen or rejected on the basis of pulse amplitude. A new component in the 252 Cf-PD mass spectrum in the high mass region has been identified as being due to low velocity neutral species formed by metastable decay in the acceleration region. Elimination of this component should enhance the sensitivity for low intensity high molecular mass species.
The Value of Ambulatory 24 hr Esophageal pH Monitoring in Clinical Practice in Patients Who Were Referred with Persistent Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)-Related Symptoms While on Standard Dose Anti-Reflux Medications

To determine the value of pH testing in clinical practice in gastroesophageal reflux disease patients who failed anti-reflux treatment. Patients resistant to standard dose proton pump inhibitor or an H2-blocker underwent pH testing. Randomly selected patients from the proton pump inhibitor failure group underwent the modified acid perfusion test as compared to patients with non-erosive reflux disease. In the proton pump inhibitor failure group (n = 70), 63.8% had a normal pH test as compared to 29% in the H2-blocker group (n = 31) (P = 0.007). Sensory intensity rating and acid perfusion sensitivity score were significantly higher in the non-erosive reflux disease control group than the proton pump inhibitor failure group (P < 0.05). Most patients who continued to be symptomatic on proton pump inhibitor once daily demonstrated a normal pH test and overall lack of increased chemoreceptor sensitivity to acid.
Leaving Home: A Semistructured Group Experience

The authors present a group format for addressing the needs of students who are at the developmental stage of separating from their families of origin.
Electrical Aspects of Adsorbing Colloid Flotation. XV. Adsorption Isotherms of Mixed Surfactants

Abstract A theory is developed for the calculation of absorption isotherms of binary mixtures of surfactants A and B on solid-water interfaces. The effects of the relative magnitudes of the interaction energies of A-A, A-B, and B-B nearest neighbor pairs are explored. The theory makes use of the random approximation in order to overcome mathematical difficulties which arise in the general case. The possibility of reducing surfactant costs in precipitate and adsorbing colloid flotation by the use of mixed surfactants is suggested.
Determination of the Absolute Configuration of [32](1,4)Barrelenophanedicarbonitrile Using Concerted Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory Calculations of Optical Rotation and Electronic Circular Dichroism

The technique of time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) has very recently been applied to the calculation of both transparent spectral region optical rotations and electronic circular dichroism (CD). Here, we report the concerted application of the new methodologies to the determination of the absolute configuration (AC) of [32](1,4)barrelenophanedicarbonitrile, 1, the first optically active barrelenophane. 1 is conformationally flexible: the two three-carbon bridges of 1 can each exhibit two conformations, leading to three inequivalent conformations of 1: a, b, and c. Conformational structures and energies are predicted using DFT at the B3LYP/6-31G* level. Comparison of the calculated structures to structures obtained via X-ray crystallography of (+)-1 shows that (remarkably) all three conformations a−c are simultaneously present in crystalline (+)-1. The sodium D line specific rotations, [α]D, and CD spectra of a−c are calculated using TDDFT at the B3LYP/aug-cc-pVDZ level. Comparison of the ...
Long-Term Follow-Up of Self-Hypnosis Training for Recurrent Headaches: What the Children Say

The author sent surveys to 178 consecutive youths previously referred for hypnosis for headaches. The survey sought current status of headaches: treatment, application of self-hypnosis, headache intensity, frequency, duration after self-hypnosis, generalization of self-hypnosis to other problems, and attitudes regarding self-hypnosis and life stresses. Of 134 delivered surveys, 52 were returned complete. Years after treatment, 85% (44/52) reported continued relief with self-hypnosis, 44% (23/52) reported decreased headache frequency, 31% (16/52) noted decreased severity, and 56% (29/52) reported that self-hypnosis reduced headache intensity. Many (26/52) emphasized the value of self-hypnosis to life stresses. In children and adolescents, self-hypnosis is associated with significant improvement of headaches and with an enduring positive effect for many years following training. Results suggest common and spontaneous generalizability of self-hypnosis by young people to modulation of other problems in their lives.
How to reduce the cost of hindfoot fusion.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether modification of a surgical practice by using regional anesthesia and local bone grafting would yield the same surgical results as traditional anes...
Oxidants, antioxidants and the ischemic brain

Despite numerous defenses, the brain is vulnerable to oxidative stress resulting from ischemia/reperfusion. Excitotoxic stimulation of superoxide and nitric oxide production leads to formation of highly reactive products, including peroxynitrite and hydroxyl radical, which are capable of damaging lipids, proteins and DNA. Use of transgenic mutants and selective pharmacological antioxidants has greatly increased understanding of the complex interplay between substrate deprivation and ischemic outcome. Recent evidence that reactive oxygen/nitrogen species play a critical role in initiation of apoptosis, mitochondrial permeability transition and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase activation provides additional mechanisms for oxidative damage and new targets for post-ischemic therapeutic intervention. Because oxidative stress involves multiple post-ischemic cascades leading to cell death, effective prevention/treatment of ischemic brain injury is likely to require intervention at multiple effect sites.
Oxometalate-Glass Composites and Thin Films

New glass-composites with ion exchange properties have been developed. Ammonium 12-molybdophosphate (AMP) (ΝΗ4)3ΡΜοΐ2θ4ο, and ammonium 12-tungstophosphate (AWP) (Nh4)3PW12O40, known for their ion exchange capabilities, are included either in preformed aerogels with defined pore size, or are added to sol-gel mixtures during the process of gel formation. Characterization is carried out by FTIR, Raman and EXAFS spectroscopy. Ion exchange capacities for the oxometalate precursors are determined for silver and rubidium and are compared to those of the glass composites. Glass composites show high ion exchange capacity, but some portion of the metalate complexes leaches from the glass during the procedure. This is in contrast to thin composite films, which have almost no porosity and do not show loss of metalate. EXAFS spectroscopy demostrates that the oxometalate microstructure is maintained in glass composites and that rubidium ions after ion exchange in glasses occupy similar cation positions as in the precursor compounds.
An Evaluation of the IPI-Inspection Test

The Color Video Comparator (CVC), a semiautomated inspection device was used to assess the validity of a commercially available selection test for inspectors published by Industrial Psychology, Inc. (IPI). The IPI battery included five aptitude subtests (Blocks, Dimensions, Tools, Precision, and Parts). Factor analysis was performed to determine the underlying factor patterns measured by the IPI-inspection tests. Also, Pearson correlations were performed to evaluate the strength of associations between IPI-inspection tests scores and different inspection performance measures. The results, in general, suggested that the IPI-inspection tests which measure multiple attributes demonstrate a predictive ability for many performance measures of the CVC inspection task.
Distinct T‐cell clonal expansion in the vicinity of tumor cells in plasmacytoma

BACKGROUND Although various clinical observations suggested that myeloma cell growth might be modulated by the immune system, evidence supporting the in situ immunogenicity of myeloma cells remains scarce. The authors reasoned that if there is any specific T-cell/tumor cell interaction in myeloma, it is most likely reflected in the T-cell population in the vicinity of the tumor cells. METHODS The authors used a molecular method to compare the T-cell populations in the vicinity of tumor cells with those in the peripheral blood in patients with plasmacytomas and multiple myeloma. RESULTS Six patients were studied. When compared with the peripheral blood from the corresponding patients, T cells in the vicinity of tumor cells in five of the six patients showed significant contraction of the T-cell receptor (TCR) Vβ repertoire. In addition to this, the T cells isolated from the sites of the tumor cells from four of these five patients also demonstrated significant increase in the number of TCR Vβ gene families with restricted number of CDR3 size peaks and loss of the normal CDR3 size gaussian distribution pattern. These findings were observed in patients who experienced recurrence after allogeneic stem cell transplantation and also in those who had autologous stem cell transplant. They also were found in previously untreated myeloma patients. In all six patients, distinct TCR Vβ recurring transcripts indicative of a T-cell clonal expansion were found in the vicinity of the tumor cells and either absent or detected at only a low frequency in the peripheral blood. CONCLUSIONS Our results provide evidence for an in situ local T-cell clonal expansion in the vicinity of tumor cells and support the presence of specific T-cell/tumor cell interaction in myeloma. Cancer 2001;91:900–8. © 2001 American Cancer Society.
Postoperative studies in patients with tetralogy of Fallot.

Abstract The present series demonstrates that hemodynamic abnormalities persist following intracardiac repair of tetralogy of Fallot despite clinical improvement. The incidence of residual ventricular communication and residual outflow obstruction is consistent with previous reports. The pulmonary incompetence is well tolerated when it exists as an isolated residual abnormality. The use of Teflon cloth to relieve the outflow obstruction has not led to aneurysm formation. This report calls attention to the occurrence of tricuspid insufficiency in patients with tetralogy of Fallot and the increased postoperative morbidity with this combination. Finally, aortic regurgitation is part of the pathophysiology of tetralogy of Fallot and may well affect the results of the intracardiac repair. The long-term consequences of these abnormalities are left to future consideration.
Determination of residence-time distribution in i.v. tubing of in-line drug delivery system using deconvolution technique

Abstract The axial dispersion model was used in this work to describe the residence-time distribution (RTD) of solute molecules traveling along the i.v. tubing of an in-line drug delivery system. The degree of dispersion in this model was assessed by the magnitude of the dispersion coefficient, Ð. In order to determine Ð, a dilute sodium chloride solution was used as the tracer and infused at the beginning of the tubing for a short period of time. This method is termed the finite-pulse change. The elution profiles of sodium chloride at various flow rates were assayed at the entrance and the outlet of the tubing. A numerical deconvolution technique incorporated with Powell's nonlinear least-squares algorithm was then employed as the mathematical tool to search for the values of Ð that give a best fit to these profiles. The results of modeling showed that the axial dispersion model gave an excellentfit to the experimental data. It was also observed that the plot of the obtained dispersion coefficient Ð vs U , the mean fluid velocity in the tubing, was linear with a high degree of correlation. The results obtained in this work provide important information for optimization of in-line drug delivery kinetics.
Structure and mechanism of the diterpene cyclase ent -copalyl diphosphate synthase

The structure of ent-copalyl diphosphate synthase reveals three α-helical domains (α, β and γ), as also observed in the related diterpene cyclase taxadiene synthase. However, active sites are located at the interface of the βγ domains in ent-copalyl diphosphate synthase but exclusively in the α domain of taxadiene synthase. Modular domain architecture in plant diterpene cyclases enables the evolution of alternative active sites and chemical strategies for catalyzing isoprenoid cyclization reactions.
A neural network model to predict lung radiation-induced pneumonitis

A feed-forward neural network was investigated to predict the occurrence of lung radiation-induced Grade 2+ pneumonitis. The database consisted of 235 patients with lung cancer treated using radiotherapy, of whom 34 were diagnosed with Grade 2+ pneumonitis at follow-up. The network was constructed using an algorithm that alternately grew and pruned it, starting from the smallest possible network, until a satisfactory solution was found. The weights and biases of the network were computed using the error back-propagation approach. Momentum and variable leaning techniques were used to speed convergence. Using the growing/pruning approach, the network selected features from 66 dose and 27 non-dose variables. During network training, the 235 patients were randomly split into ten groups of approximately equal size. Eight groups were used to train the network, one group was used for early stopping training to prevent overfitting, and the remaining group was used as a test to measure the generalization capability of the network (cross-validation). Using this methodology, each of the ten groups was considered, in turn, as the test group (ten-fold cross-validation). For the optimized network constructed with input features selected from dose and non-dose variables, the area under the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve for cross-validated testing was 0.76 (sensitivity: 0.68, specificity: 0.69). For the optimized network constructed with input features selected only from dose variables, the area under the ROC curve for cross-validation was 0.67 (sensitivity: 0.53, specificity: 0.69). The difference between these two areas was statistically significant (p = 0.020), indicating that the addition of non-dose features can significantly improve the generalization capability of the network. A network for prospective testing was constructed with input features selected from dose and non-dose variables (all data were used for training). The optimized network architecture consisted of six input nodes (features), four hidden nodes, and one output node. The six input features were: lung volume receiving > 16 Gy (V16), generalized equivalent uniform dose (gEUD) for the exponent a = 1 (mean lung dose), gEUD for the exponent a = 3.5, free expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), diffusion capacity of carbon monoxide (DLCO%), and whether or not the patient underwent chemotherapy prior to radiotherapy. The significance of each input feature was individually evaluated by omitting it during network training and gauging its impact by the consequent deterioration in cross-validated ROC area. With the exception of FEV1 and whether or not the patient underwent chemotherapy prior to radiotherapy, all input features were found to be individually significant (p < 0.05). The network for prospective testing is publicly available via internet access.
Output interpretation: some myths and common errors in simulation experiments

During the more than fifty years that Monte Carlo simulation experiments have been performed on digital computers, a wide variety of myths and common errors have evolved. We discuss some of them, with a focus on probabilistic and statistical issues.
The effects of extended training and acute administration of an anxiolytic on avoidance learning and intertrial responding in the Syracuse strains of rats.

Male and female animals of the SHA/Bru and SLA/Bru strains of rats were given extended two-way avoidance training in the shuttle box at the rate of 30 trials per day for 11 days. SLA/Bru animals increased their avoidance responses (AVRs) from approximately 10 to roughly 25%, whereas animals of the SHA/bru strain remained unchanged at approximately 100% AVRs. SHA/Bru animals made a number of intertrial responses (ITRs) early in the experiment; these declined after about 3 days to the low level made by SLA/Bru animals. Chlordiazepoxide (CDP) had no effect on AVRs in animals of either strain, and had no effect on ITRs made by animls of the SHA/Bru strain, but increased ITRs, in a dose-dependent way, in animals of the SLA/Bru strain. These results are interpreted in terms of the well-established genetic difference in emotional reactivity between animals of the two strains and in terms of genetically determined differences in sensitivity to anxiolytic drugs such as CDP.
Occurrence and behavior of current spokes in MPD arcs

Pulsed MPD arc experiment, determining voltage characteristics and rotating current spokes occurrence and behavior
New Gravity Wave Treatments for GISS Climate Models

Previous versions of GISS climate models have either used formulations of Rayleigh drag to represent unresolved gravity wave interactions with the model-resolved flow or have included a rather complicated treatment of unresolved gravity waves that, while being climate interactive, involved the specification of a relatively large number of parameters that were not well constrained by observations and also was computationally very expensive. Here, the authors introduce a relatively simple and computationally efficient specification of unresolved orographic and nonorographic gravity waves and their interaction with the resolved flow. Comparisons of the GISS model winds and temperatures with no gravity wave parameterization; with only orographic gravity wave parameterization; and with both orographic and nonorographic gravity wave parameterizations are shown to illustrate how the zonal mean winds and temperatures converge toward observations. The authors also show that the specifications of orographic and nonorographic gravity waves must be different in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Then results are presented where the nonorographic gravity wave sources are specified to represent sources from convection in the intertropical convergence zone and spontaneous emission from jet imbalances. Finally, a strategy to include these effects in a climate-dependent manner is suggested.
Combustion modelling for direct injection diesel engines

Successful modelling of combustion systems depends on an adequate as well as a computationally efficient description of the reaction mechanisms. For a typical medium speed compression ignition direct injection (CIDI) engine under normal operating conditions, from 70 to 95 per cent of the injected fuel is in the vapour phase at the start of combustion and 10-35 per cent of the vaporized fuel has mixed to within flammability limits. This indicates that both a premixed combustion mechanism and a diffusion combustion mechanism are important to model CIDI engines. In the early stages of combustion, a premixed combustion mechanism should be utilized while, late in the combustion process, a diffusion-based mechanism will be dominant. The former is chemically based, while the latter is physically based. In this article, the two combustion mechanisms mentioned above and various combinations of the two mechanisms for the intermediate stages of combustion are investigated. The study was done on a Caterpillar 3401 diesel engine. It was found that by utilizing a hybrid scheme whereby the premixed combustion mechanism is employed up to a user-specified crank angle, beyond which point a diffusion combustion method is utilized, reasonable agreement for both in-cylinder pressure and heat release rate with experimental data could be obtained.
The elliptical microstrip antenna with circular polarization

A theoretical analysis of an elliptical microstrip antenna is presented. It is shown that radiation from this antenna is left-hand or right-hand circularly polarized in a narrow frequency band when the eccentricity of the ellipse is small. The theoretical result agrees with the experimental data.
Expression, structure-function, and molecular modeling of vitamin D P450s.

Although vitamin D(3) is a natural product of a sunlight-mediated process in the skin, the secosteroid's biological function is dependent upon specific cytochrome P450 enzymes that mediate the parent vitamin's bioactivation and inactivation. Cytochrome P450C1 (CYP27B1) is the regulatory rate-limiting enzyme that directs the bioactivation process through introduction of a C-1alpha hydroxyl group. The resultant 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) (1,25D) is the biologically active secosteroid hormone that directs the multitude of vitamin D-dependent actions involved with calcium homeostasis, cellular differentiation and growth, and the immune response. The circulating and cellular level of 1,25D is regulated through a coordinated process involving the hormone's synthesis and degradation. Central to the degradation and turnover of 1,25D is the regulatory multi-catalytic cytochrome P450C24 (CYP24) enzyme that directs the introduction of C-24R groups onto targeted 25-hydroxy substrates. Discussed in this article is the action of the rat CYP24 to catalyze the side-chain oxidation and cleavage of 25-hydroxylated vitamin D metabolites. Expression and characterization of purified recombinant rat CYP24 is discussed in light of mutations directed at the enzyme's active site.
Mediating Factors for the Long-term Effects of Parental Alcoholism in Women: The Contribution of Other Childhood Stresses and Resources

The primary aim of this study was to identify the stresses and resources in childhood that mediate the relationship between parental alcoholism and adult outcomes in women. Adult outcomes included alcohol problems and measures of psychosocial adjustment. Standardized measures and a face-to-face interview were used to collect data on 290 community-dwelling women, with siblings as collateral informants. Mediation analysis showed that the effect of parental alcoholism on several adult outcomes was indirect, mediated by the other stresses and resources examined. Contextual models such as those presented here are helpful in understanding the long-term effects of childhood environment on women. (Am J Addict 2005;14:18–34)
Rapid search for tertiary fragments reveals protein sequence–structure relationships

Finding backbone substructures from the Protein Data Bank that match an arbitrary query structural motif, composed of multiple disjoint segments, is a problem of growing relevance in structure prediction and protein design. Although numerous protein structure search approaches have been proposed, methods that address this specific task without additional restrictions and on practical time scales are generally lacking. Here, we propose a solution, dubbed MASTER, that is both rapid, enabling searches over the Protein Data Bank in a matter of seconds, and provably correct, finding all matches below a user-specified root-mean-square deviation cutoff. We show that despite the potentially exponential time complexity of the problem, running times in practice are modest even for queries with many segments. The ability to explore naturally plausible structural and sequence variations around a given motif has the potential to synthesize its design principles in an automated manner; so we go on to illustrate the utility of MASTER to protein structural biology. We demonstrate its capacity to rapidly establish structure-sequence relationships, uncover the native designability landscapes of tertiary structural motifs, identify structural signatures of binding, and automatically rewire protein topologies. Given the broad utility of protein tertiary fragment searches, we hope that providing MASTER in an open-source format will enable novel advances in understanding, predicting, and designing protein structure.
RNA Gene Finding with Biased Mutation Operators

The use of genetic algorithms for non-coding RNA gene finding has previously been investigated and found to be a potentially viable method for accelerating covariance-model-based database search relative to full dynamic-programming methods. The mutation operators in previous work chose new alignment insertion and deletion locations uniformly over the length of the model consensus sequence. Since the covariance models are estimated from multiple known members of a non-coding RNA family, information is available as to the likelihood of insertions or deletions at the individual model positions. This information is implicit in the state-transition parameters of the estimated covariance models. In the current work, the use of mutation operators which are biased toward selection of insertions and deletions at model positions with low insertion or deletion penalties is examined in hopes of speeding up convergence. The performance of the biased and unbiased mutation operators is compared. Both biased and unbiased genetic algorithms are also compared to a steepest-descent algorithm, which is a comparison lacking in prior work
PDMS-based conformable microelectrode arrays with selectable novel 3-D microelectrode geometries for surface stimulation and recording

A method for fabricating polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) based conformable microelectrode arrays (MEAs) with selectable novel 3-D microelectrode geometries is presented. Simply recessed, conically recessed, exponentially recessed, and protruded-well microelectrodes have been fabricated on the MEA with a diameter as small as 10µm. 3-D microelectrode geometry parameters (recess depth, recess slope & profile, and protrusion/planar) can be controlled independently during fabrication. Exponentially and conically recessed microelectrodes are promising in chronic stimulation applications, such as neural prostheses, for their production of a uniform current density profile during stimulation, which can minimize stimulation-induced tissue burning and electrode corrosion. Protruded-well microelectrodes potentially provide a closer and sealed contact to the target tissue surface, avoiding current leakage during stimulation and thus achieving better stimulation efficiency in both charge delivery and spatial specificity.
Clinical and molecular characterization of chromosome 7p22.1 microduplication detected by array CGH

A 28-month-old Peruvian male presented with speech delay and unusual facial features including prominent forehead, anteverted nares, ocular hypertelorism, and low-set and posteriorly rotated ears with a unilateral preauricular pit. The patient had poor speech with no other developmental delays. Height and weight were normal, although closure of the anterior fontanel and bone age were delayed. Head circumference approximated the 95th centile for age. Following normal routine chromosome analysis and subtelomeric FISH, whole genome microarray revealed a novel interstitial duplication at 7p22.1, approximately 1.7 Mb in size, and containing 13 OMIM annotated genes. FISH studies on the propositus and his parents confirmed that the duplication had occurred de novo. This finding represents the smallest interstitial 7p duplication reported to date, and does not include genes previously implicated as candidates for a 7p duplication syndrome. Common phenotypic features of 7p duplication include distinctive facies with hypertelorism,large anterior fontanel, and intellectual disability. Based on the findings in our patient, and those in previously reported cases of 7p duplication, we propose that genes within this duplicated interval may have a role in skeletal maturation,craniofacial development, and speech acquisition.
Increased Pancreatic β-Cell Proliferation Mediated by CREB Binding Protein Gene Activation

The cyclic AMP (cAMP) signaling pathway is central in beta-cell gene expression and function. In the nucleus, protein kinase A (PKA) phosphorylates CREB, resulting in recruitment of the transcriptional coactivators p300 and CREB binding protein (CBP). CBP, but not p300, is phosphorylated at serine 436 in response to insulin action. CBP phosphorylation disrupts CREB-CBP interaction and thus reduces nuclear cAMP action. To elucidate the importance of the cAMP-PKA-CREB-CBP pathway in pancreatic beta cells specifically at the nuclear level, we have examined mutant mice lacking the insulin-dependent phosphorylation site of CBP. In these mice, the CREB-CBP interaction is enhanced in both the absence and presence of cAMP stimulation. We found that islet and beta-cell masses were increased twofold, while pancreas weights were not different from the weights of wild-type littermates. beta-Cell proliferation was increased both in vivo and in vitro in isolated islet cultures. Surprisingly, glucose-stimulated insulin secretion from perfused, isolated mutant islets was reduced. However, beta-cell depolarization with KCl induced similar levels of insulin release from mutant and wild-type islets, indicating normal insulin synthesis and storage. In addition, transcripts of pgc1a, which disrupts glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, were also markedly elevated. In conclusion, sustained activation of CBP-responsive genes results in increased beta-cell proliferation. In these beta cells, however, glucose-stimulated insulin secretion was diminished, resulting from concomitant CREB-CBP-mediated pgc1a gene activation.
The role of markets and policies in delivering innovation for climate change mitigation

This paper identifies market incentives and international and domestic policies that could technologically alter energy systems to achieve greenhouse gas stabilization targets while also meeting other societal goals. I consider the conceptual basis and empirical evidence on the effectiveness and efficiency of climate technology policies. The paper reviews the literature on trends and prospects for innovation in climate change mitigation and examines the evidence on induced innovation and the implications for the choice of technology policy. I then consider the impact of technological advances on the environment, the role of direct government support for R&D, and the complementarities between policies internalizing
Video Annotation in a Learning Environment

Numerous studies have demonstrated that annotation is an important part of human reading behavior in both printed and electronic environments. Annotation in the electronic environment requires special support due to limited media affordances. We have witnessed continuous improvement of annotation functions in some electronic reading environments, such as text documents in Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat and images in Flickr. However, comparatively little research has been conducted to understand people’s needs for making annotations when they watch videos, let alone work to develop tools to support their needs. With the increasing use of videos in many aspects of our lives, from professional activities to personal entertainment, by not only specialists but also general consumers, there is need for more efforts on designing annotation facilities for video navigation and manipulation devices. This study focuses on video annotation in a learning environment. We studied how people in a teaching assistant training class annotated videotaped instructional presentations. We attempted to understand the value of annotation in achieving their learning objectives and how video annotation functions helped in supporting their tasks. The results of this study provide implications for video annotation system design.
Online, map-based estimation of forest attributes

Areal estimates of forest attributes are obtained from maps constructed using forest inventory plot data, satellite imagery, and the k-nearest neighbors technique. The map-based areal estimates are calculated by aggregating attribute predictions for individual image pixels and are statistically comparable to estimates obtained for the same areas using inventory plot data only. Online, map-based estimation provides general access to information derived from inventory data without revealing exact plot locations or proprietary ownership information, two crucial issues for forest inventory in the USA. Techniques are discussed for increasing the speed of online estimation without compromising accuracy.
Identification of the targets of cross-reactive antibodies induced by Streptococcus pneumoniae colonization.

Much of the efficacy of current pneumococcal conjugate vaccines lies in their ability to decrease carriage of vaccine serotypes in the population. Novel and more-broadly acting vaccines would also need to target carriage in order to be as effective. We have previously shown that model murine carriage of Streptococcus pneumoniae can elicit antibody-dependent immunity and can protect against a virulent heterologous challenge strain. This study set out to identify S. pneumoniae surface antigens that may elicit cross-reactive antibodies following colonization. Western blot analysis using sera from colonized mice identified the previously characterized immunogens pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA), putative proteinase maturation protein A (PpmA), and pneumococcal surface adhesin A (PsaA) as such antigens. Using flow cytometry, PspA was found to be the major target of surface-bound cross-reactive IgG in sera from TIGR4Δcps-colonized mice, with a modest contribution from PpmA and none from PsaA. In human sera, however, only mutants lacking PpmA were shown to have reduced binding of surface IgG compared to wild-type strains, suggesting that prior exposure to S. pneumoniae in humans may induce PpmA antibodies. We also investigated if cross-reactive antibodies induced by these antigens may be cross-protective against carriage. Despite the immunogenicity of PspA, PpmA, and PsaA, mice were still protected following colonization with mutants lacking these antigens, suggesting they are not necessary for cross-protection induced by carriage. Our findings suggest that a whole-organism approach may be needed to broadly diminish carriage.
Information search heuristics based upon profitability

Heuristics are developed for information scanning activities in large collections of information. These search heuristics are consistent with human information processing behavior identified in prior empirical research. They rely on available knowledge, and provide a guide for the design of computer-based systems which support information scanning. Conclusions are presented which describe how to incorporate time and subjective information profitability into an optimal search strategy, as well as appropriate information to elicit during queries. >
Gradualism, identity, reinforcements, and change

Abstract This paper reflects the ongoing development of gradualism, a drug treatment perspective that seeks to make use of the full array of effective, creative, and innovative harm reduction and abstinence-oriented treatments available to help addicted individuals move along a continuum from active/chaotic use to abstinence or moderation, as appropriate. The essence of gradualism is an emphasis on positive change and transformation as therapeutic goals. The paper first looks at manifestations of gradualism in harm reduction treatment facilities. Following this is a discussion of the role of identity transformation in the change process. The final section explores how contingency management or motivational incentive interventions could be used in harm reduction settings to facilitate this kind of therapeutic movement.
A role for caveolae/lipid rafts in the uptake and recycling of the endogenous cannabinoid anandamide.

The mechanisms responsible for the uptake and cellular processing of the endogenous cannabinoid anandamide are not well understood. We propose that anandamide uptake may occur via a caveola/lipid raft-related endocytic process in RBL-2H3 cells. Inhibitors of caveola-related (clathrin-independent) endocytosis reduced anandamide transport by ∼50% compared with the control. Fluorescein derived from fluorescently labeled anandamide colocalized with protein markers of caveolae at early time points following transport. In this study, we have also identified a yet unrecognized process involved in trafficking events affecting anandamide following its uptake. Following uptake of [3H]anandamide by RBL-2H3 cells, we found an accumulation of tritium in the caveolin-rich membranes. Inhibitors of both anandamide uptake and metabolism blocked the observed enrichment of tritium in the caveolin-rich membranes. Mass spectrometry of subcellular membrane fractions revealed that the tritium accumulation observed in the caveolin-rich membrane fraction was not representative of intact anandamide, suggesting that following metabolism by the enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), anandamide metabolites are rapidly enriched in caveolae. Furthermore, HeLa cells, which do not express high levels of FAAH, showed an accumulation of tritium in the caveolin-rich membrane fraction only when transfected with FAAH cDNA. Western blot and immunocytochemistry analyses of RBL-2H3 cells revealed that FAAH was localized in intracellular compartments distinct from caveolin-1 localization. Together, these data suggest that following uptake via caveola/lipid raft-related endocytosis, anandamide is rapidly metabolized by FAAH, with the metabolites efficiently recycled to caveolin-rich membrane domains.
The algorithms course: teaching recent advances in the state of the art

Many proofs of properties of algorithms may be simplified by the use of the method of indicator random variables. In addition, the relative speed of competing algorithms for the minimum-spanning-tree prob-lem, and also for the problem of finding shortest paths in a graph, is affected by the development of a data structure called the Fibonacci heap. These are just the most important of the recent advances in the state of the art of analyzing algorithms which, in our opinion, need to be taught as part of the algorithms course. We provide here a large number of updated methods which we have recently used in returning to teaching this course after a hiatus of many years.
Somatic therapies in the treatment of catatonia

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a safe and effective treatment for catatonia when benzodiazepines fail to work or when more immediate resolution is required. ECT may be used for all forms of catatonia, regardless of etiology, and may be particularly useful in cases of refractory catatonia. ECT appears to be more rapidly effective in stuporous catatonia than in other forms. There are no absolute contraindications to treatment with ECT, though relative contraindications, including several medical conditions, do exist. Transcranial magnetic stimulation is being explored as another possible somatic treatment for catatonia.
Earthquake detection through computationally efficient similarity search.

Seismology is experiencing rapid growth in the quantity of data, which has outpaced the development of processing algorithms. Earthquake detection—identification of seismic events in continuous data—is a fundamental operation for observational seismology. We developed an efficient method to detect earthquakes using waveform similarity that overcomes the disadvantages of existing detection methods. Our method, called Fingerprint And Similarity Thresholding (FAST), can analyze a week of continuous seismic waveform data in less than 2 hours, or 140 times faster than autocorrelation. FAST adapts a data mining algorithm, originally designed to identify similar audio clips within large databases; it first creates compact “fingerprints” of waveforms by extracting key discriminative features, then groups similar fingerprints together within a database to facilitate fast, scalable search for similar fingerprint pairs, and finally generates a list of earthquake detections. FAST detected most (21 of 24) cataloged earthquakes and 68 uncataloged earthquakes in 1 week of continuous data from a station located near the Calaveras Fault in central California, achieving detection performance comparable to that of autocorrelation, with some additional false detections. FAST is expected to realize its full potential when applied to extremely long duration data sets over a distributed network of seismic stations. The widespread application of FAST has the potential to aid in the discovery of unexpected seismic signals, improve seismic monitoring, and promote a greater understanding of a variety of earthquake processes.
Que faut-il penser des proximités radiculaires ?

Quotidiennement, le parodontiste est confronte aux problemes delicats que pose le traitement des lesions parodontales severes, associees a des encombrements dentaires.Ces encombrements peuvent etre compliques de proximites radiculaires, considerees traditionnellement par les parodontistes comme un facteur etiologique aggravant de la maladie parodontale.Les resultats des etudes epidemiologiques relatives a l'incidence des situations anatomiques atypiques sur l'atteinte chronique du parodonte sont tres contradictoires, et les proximites radiculaires paraissent ne pas devoir echapper a cette controverse. En effet, de nombreuses observations radiographiques laissent supposer que la minceur des septa osseux interdentaires n'est pas un facteur de susceptibilite du parodonte a l'agression bacterienne.Aujourd'hui, la seule evidence qu'il y ait, est la difficulte que rencontre le parodontiste dans le traitement des lesions associees a des proximites radiculaires. C'en est assez pour justifier cet article qui ne fait que poser le probleme et tenter de le definir. Pour savoir ce qu'il faut reellement penser des proximites radiculaires, d'autres etudes plus approfondies s'imposent.
Systemic Trichosporon loubieri infection in a cat

Our study describes a case of systemic Trichosporon loubieri infection in a cat with acute dyspnea, anorexia, and aggressiveness. Physical examination revealed multiple ulcerative cutaneous lesions on the abdomen, neck, and thorax. Thoracic radiographs and ultrasound showed multiple mediastinal nodules and marked pleural effusion, respectively. A cutaneous biopsy from the ulcerated wounds revealed necrogranulomatous dermatitis and panniculitis with numerous intralesional fungal hyphae. Fungal culture on fresh swab samples from the cutaneous lesions yielded growth of a fungal organism that was further identified as Trichosporon loubieri by PCR and DNA sequencing. The cat was subsequently euthanized and submitted to autopsy. Gross pathology changes consisted of multifocal to coalescing white nodules ranging from 5 to 10 mm in diameter that expanded the mediastinal fat, intrathoracic lymph nodes, lungs, and costal pleura. These lesions consisted of areas of necrogranulomatous inflammation with numerous intralesional fungal hyphae morphologically similar to those observed in the cutaneous biopsy sample. Gross and histologic changes were consistent with a systemic fungal infection, and the etiologic diagnosis was supported by fungal culture. Fungal identity was confirmed by DNA sequencing of D1-D2 and TS1 regions.