cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rate Distortion Theory in Cellular Signaling

Summary form only given. Cells often use signal transduction networks to make decisions critical to proper cell functioning. However, the performance and efficiency of many cellular decision-making systems is relatively unclear. Here we use rate distortion theory as theoretical tool for studying performance-cost tradeoffs in cellular decision making. The rate distortion function provides a lower bound on the rate at which information must be transmitted through the cellular signal transduction network in order to achieve a given performance criterion. To study gradient sensing performance of D. discoideum cells, we developed a model of the cell's directional response to a chemoattractant gradient that arises from a random direction. The distribution of the gradient angle represents a priori knowledge of the chemoattractant source location from the perspective of the cell. Using a distortion function closely related to the chemotactic index - a widely used measure of chemotactic performance - we computed the rate distortion function that minimizes the mutual information between the gradient angle and the directional response of the cell. We found that the input-output maps that optimally achieve the rate distortion function closely match published models that capture key characteristics of the signaling network in D. discoideum, implying that these cells have evolved to respond to chemoattractant sources in an efficient manner.
Nitric Oxide and Posttranslational Modification of the Vascular Proteome: S-Nitrosation of Reactive Thiols

Nitric oxide (NO*) is known to exert its effects via guanylyl cyclase and cyclic GMP-dependent pathways and by cyclic GMP-independent pathways, including the posttranslational modification of proteins. Much ongoing research is focused on defining the mechanisms of NO*-mediated protein modification, the identity and function of the modified proteins, and the significance of these changes in health and disease. S-nitrosation or thionitrite formation has only been found on a limited number of residues in a subset of proteins in in vitro and in vivo studies. Protein S-nitrosation also appears to be reversible. There are several theories about the in vivo S-nitrosating agent, and most suggest a role for oxidation products of NO* in this process. Flux in cellular S-nitrosoprotein pools appears to be regulated by NO* availability and is redox-sensitive. An analysis of S-nitrosation in candidate proteins has clarified the mechanism by which NO* regulates enzymatic and cellular functions. These findings suggest the utility of using proteomic methods to identify unique targets for protein S-nitrosation to understand further the molecular mechanisms of the effects of NO*.
Assessing the effect of oil price on world food prices: Application of principal component analysis

The objective of this paper is to investigate the co-movement of food prices and the macroeconomic index, especially the oil price, by principal component analysis to further understand the influence of the macroeconomic index on food prices. We examined the food prices of seven major products: eggs, meat, milk, oilseeds, rice, sugar and wheat. The macroeconomic variables studied were crude oil prices, consumer price indexes, food production indexes and GDP around the world between 1961 and 2005. We use the Scree test and the proportion of variance method for determining the optimal number of common factors. The correlation coefficient between the extracted principal component and the macroeconomic index varies between 0.87 for the world GDP and 0.36 for the consumer price index. We find the food production index has the greatest influence on the macroeconomic index and that the oil price index has an influence on the food production index. Consequently, crude oil prices have an indirect effect on food prices.
Thermal degradation of solar collector surfaces

Abstract X-ray diffraction analyses indicate that electrodeposited black chrome and black zinc surfaces can be characterized by a metal-to-metal-oxide ratio that decreases (from 3.65 to 0.33 for black zinc and from 4.00 to 0.58 for black chrome) with increasing temperature of thermal exposure and this decrease correlates with the degradation observed in the optical selectivity ( α s ϵ t,H ) properties of these overgrowths. While black chrome surfaces are stable up to 500°C, black zinc surfaces (used in this study) degrade optically when heated to above 250°C. When the temperature of heat treatment is increased (from ambient to 300°C for black zinc and from ambient to 600 °C for black chrome) the particles comprising these surfaces increase in size (from 90 to 157 nm for black zinc and from 106 to 193 nm for black chrome) and exhibit a more spherical appearance in comparison with the more faceted particles comprising the as-plated surfaces.
A Novel Silicon Nanotips Antireflection Surface for the Micro Sun Sensor

We have developed a new technique to fabricate an antireflection surface using silicon nanotips for use on a micro Sun sensor for Mars rovers. We have achieved randomly distributed nanotips of radii spanning from 20 to 100 nm and aspect ratio of ∼200 using a two-step dry etching process. The 30° specular reflectance at the target wavelength of 1 μm is only about 0.09%, nearly 3 orders of magnitude lower than that of bare silicon, and the hemispherical reflectance is ∼8%. When the density and aspect ratio of these nanotips are changed, a change in reflectance is demonstrated. When surfaces are covered with these nano-tips, the critical problem of ghost images that are caused by multiple internal reflections in a micro Sun sensor was solved.
Bilateral Polyorchidism With Diffuse Microlithiasis: A Case Report of an Adolescent With 4 Testes

Polyorchidism is a rare congenital anomaly, with only 140 pathologically proven cases reported. Bilateral polyorchidism is far less common than triorchidism. Most cases present as a painless scrotal mass or are found incidentally during evaluation of other inguinoscrotal pathologies. We report a case of bilateral polyorchidism with 4 testes, 2 in each hemiscrotum that presented as left-sided testicular pain and hydrocele.
Careers of an elite cohort of U.S. basic life science postdoctoral fellows and the influence of their mentor's citation record.

There is general agreement that the number of U.S. science PhDs being trained far exceeds the number of future academic positions. One suggested approach to this problem is to significantly reduce the number of PhD positions. A counter argument is that students are aware of the limited academic positions but have chosen a PhD track because it opens other, non-academic, opportunities. The latter view requires that students have objective information about what careers options will be available for them. The scientific careers of the 1992-94 cohort of NIH National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) Kirchstein-NRSA F32 postdoctoral fellows (PD) was determined by following their publications (PubMed), grants (NIH and NSF), and faculty and industry positions through 2009. These basic life science PDs receive support through individual grant applications and represent the most successful class of NIH PDs as judged by academic careers and grants. The sex dependence of the career and grant success and the influence of the PD mentor's citation record were also determined Of the 439 1992-94 NIGMS F32 fellows, the careers of 417 could be determined. Although females had significantly higher rates of dropping out of science (22% females, 9% males) there was no significant difference in the fraction of females that ended up as associate or full professors at research universities (22.8% females, 29.1% for males). More males then females ended up in industry (34% males, 22% females). Although there was no significant correlation between male grant success and their mentor's publication record (h index, citations, publications), there was a significant correlation for females. Females whose mentor's h index was in the top quartile were nearly 3 times as likely to receive a major grant as those whose mentors were in the bottom quartile (38.7% versus 13.3%). Sixteen years after starting their PD, only 9% of males had dropped out of science. More females (28%) have dropped out of science, primarily because fewer went into industry positions. The mentor's publication record does not affect the future grant success of males but it has a dramatic effect on female grant success.
New GLUT-1 mutation in a child with treatment-resistant epilepsy

Mutations in the human glucose transporter type I (GLUT-1) gene may result in a phenotype of epilepsy, developmental delay, and movement abnormalities. We present a previously unreported mutation, c.1454 C>T (pPro485Leu) as a likely cause of intractable infantile-onset epilepsy and mild developmental delay in an 11-year-old girl. CSF:serum glucose ratio was 45%. She has had clinical improvement on a modified Atkins diet. Our patient helps further refine the phenotype of Glut-1 deficiency and reveals a new pathologic mutation.
What price loyalty? A fresh look at loyalty programs in the credit card industry

There is controversy about the effects of loyalty programs in the customer relationship management literature. Although some managers and researchers believe that customer loyalty created through loyalty programs leads to higher firm profits, others have found evidence that loyalty programs do not have a positive effect on firm's profits. In this article, we present our findings regarding the effect of reward cards and affinity cards on customer profitability in the context of credit card industry. We find surprising evidence that customers who own either a reward card or an affinity card generate significantly less profit than those customers who do not have these cards. Equally puzzling is the fact that these customers also have lower average lifetime with the firm. This leads us to a puzzle as to why these practices are widely prevalent in the industry. We find that loyalty cards provide value to the issuers in terms of risk management. They serve as a mechanism to reduce the risk associated with more profitable customers by attracting less risky customers. Thus, through loyalty cards the financial institution is able to balance out the total risk of the portfolio of customers by acquiring customers, who although less profitable, are less risky.
Determination of bound modes of multilayer planar waveguides by integration of an initial-value problem

A numerical method for the determination of the bound modes of multilayer planar dielectric waveguides is presented. It is based on the idea of tracing the evolutions of the eigenvalues (effective indices) of the waveguide as the physical parameters of the waveguide change. The eigenvalues are obtained by numerical integration of an initial-value problem. A mathematical proof is given that shows that the method guarantees that all bound modes of a lossless multilayer waveguide will be found. For a lossy waveguide, a similar mathematical proof is not available; however, numerical evidence shows that the method is still capable of finding all bound modes whose real parts of the effective indices are greater than those of the substrate and cover. The method is conceptually and computationally simple, but it is limited to searching for bound modes only.
Understanding Bacillus anthracis pathogenesis.

. Inthis guinea pig inhalation model,spore-containing macrophages de-tach from the lung and are carriedtoward the regional lymph nodesin the media stinum. It is duringthis period that germination oc-curs. There is no overt pulmonaryinfection during inhalation an-thrax and the lungs remain clear ofvegetative bacilli
Inherently safer design of solvent processes at the conceptual stage: Practical application for substitution

Abstract The implementation of inherently safer design concepts is considered beneficial to avoid hazards during early stages of design. The application of existing process design and modeling techniques that aid ‘substitution’, ‘intensification’ and ‘attenuation’ has been shown in this work. The techniques have been applied to solvent processes because of the inherent hazards associated with them, such as large inventories, and presence of highly toxic and flammable materials. For ‘substitution’, computer aided molecular design technique has been applied to select inherently safer solvents for a solvent operation. For ‘intensification’ and ‘attenuation’, consequence models and regulatory guidance from EPA RMP have been integrated into process simulation. Combining existing techniques provides a design team with a higher level of information to make decisions based on process safety. A case study has been shown for liquid extraction of acetic acid–water mixture. Suitable solvents were identified using ICAS 11.0-ProCAMD, and consequence models were integrated into Aspen plus simulator using a calculator sheet. Solvents such as 5-nonanone, 2-nonanone and 5-methyl-2-hexanone provide inherently safer options, but conventionally-used solvent, ethyl acetate, provides higher degree of separation capability. A conclusive decision regarding feasible solvents and operating conditions would depend on design requirements, regulatory guidance, and safety criteria specified for the process. Inherent safety has always been an important consideration to be implemented during early design steps, and this paper presents a methodology to incorporate the principles and to obtain inherently safer alternatives.
Compatibility Equations of Nonlinear Elasticity for Non-Simply-Connected Bodies

Compatibility equations of elasticity are almost 150 years old. Interestingly, they do not seem to have been rigorously studied, to date, for non-simply-connected bodies. In this paper we derive necessary and sufficient compatibility equations of nonlinear elasticity for arbitrary non-simply-connected bodies when the ambient space is Euclidean. For a non-simply-connected body, a measure of strain may not be compatible, even if the standard compatibility equations (“bulk” compatibility equations) are satisfied. It turns out that there may be topological obstructions to compatibility; this paper aims to understand them for both deformation gradient F and the right Cauchy-Green strain C = F T F. We show that the necessary and sufficient conditions for compatibility of deformation gradient F are the vanishing of its exterior derivative and all its periods, that is, its integral over generators of the first homology group of the material manifold. We will show that not every non-null-homotopic path requires supplementary compatibility equations for F and linearized strain e. We then find both necessary and sufficient compatibility conditions for the right Cauchy-Green strain tensor C for arbitrary non-simply-connected bodies when the material and ambient space manifolds have the same dimensions. We discuss the well-known necessary compatibility equations in the linearized setting and the Cesaro-Volterra path integral. We then obtain the sufficient conditions of compatibility for the linearized strain when the body is not simply-connected. To summarize, the question of compatibility reduces to two issues: i) an integrability condition, which is d(F dX) = 0 for the deformation gradient and a curvature vanishing condition for C, and ii) a topological condition. For F dx this is a homological condition because the equation one is trying to solve takes the form dφ = F dX. For C, however, parallel transport is involved, which means that one needs to solve an equation of the form dR/ ds = RK, where R takes values in the orthogonal group. This is, therefore, a question about an orthogonal representation of the fundamental group, which, as the orthogonal group is not commutative, cannot, in general, be reduced to a homological question.
Heritability and longitudinal stability of schizotypal traits during adolescence.

The study investigated the genetic and environmental etiology of schizotypal personality traits in a non-selected sample of adolescent twins, measured on two occasions between the ages of 11 and 16 years old. The 22-item Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire- Child version (SPQ-C) was found to be factorially similar to the adult version of this instrument, with three underlying factors (Cognitive-Perceptual, Interpersonal-Affective, and Disorganization). Each factor was heritable at age 11–13 years (h 2 = 42–53%) and 14–16 years old (h 2 = 38–57%). Additive genetic and unique environmental influences for these three dimensions of schizotypal personality acted in part through a single common latent factor, with additional genetic effects specific to both Interpersonal-Affective and Disorganization subscales at each occasion. The longitudinal correlation between the latent schizotypy factor was r = 0.58, and genetic influences explained most of the stability in this latent factor over time (81%). These longitudinal data demonstrate significant genetic variance in schizotypal traits, with moderate stability between early to middle adolescence. In addition to common influences between the two assessments, there were new genetic and non-shared environmental effects that played a role at the later assessment, indicating significant change in schizotypal traits and their etiologies throughout adolescence.
Renewable optical fiber sensors based on a dynamically modified surface interaction

A novel approach to the production of biospecific, optical-fiber sensors is described which is based on a dynamic modification procedure. The fiber surface is first modified with a hydrophobic layer, and the specified agent is then associated with this surface through either its inherent or designed hydrophobicity. With this procedure, riboflavin, modified at the N-3 position with a C-8 moiety, is dynamically associated with a C-18 modified optical fiber surface. The dynamically modified sensor responds to riboflavin binding protein which quenches riboflavin fluorescence upon binding. By washing in an appropriate solvent, the modified riboflavin can be removed, and the sensing surface can be reproducibly renewed.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The Interaction between Pesticide Use and Genetic Variants Involved in Lipid Metabolism on Prostate Cancer Risk.

Background. Lipid metabolism processes have been implicated in prostate carcinogenesis. Since several pesticides are lipophilic or are metabolized via lipid-related mechanisms, they may interact with variants of genes in the lipid metabolism pathway. Methods. In a nested case-control study of 776 cases and 1444 controls from the Agricultural Health Study (AHS), a prospective cohort study of pesticide applicators, we examined the interactions between 39 pesticides (none, low, and high exposure) and 220 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 59 genes. The false discovery rate (FDR) was used to account for multiple comparisons. Results. We found 17 interactions that displayed a significant monotonic increase in prostate cancer risk with pesticide exposure in one genotype and no significant association in the other genotype. The most noteworthy association was for ALOXE3 rs3027208 and terbufos, such that men carrying the T allele who were low users had an OR of 1.86 (95% CI = 1.16–2.99) and high users an OR of 2.00 (95% CI = 1.28–3.15) compared to those with no use of terbufos, while men carrying the CC genotype did not exhibit a significant association. Conclusion. Genetic variation in lipid metabolism genes may modify pesticide associations with prostate cancer; however our results require replication.
Enhanced Heat Transfer: Endless Frontier, or Mature and Routine?

This paper considers the many techniques that have been developed to enhance convective heat transfer. They are presented according to the mode of heat transfer. The current advanced enhancement represents 3rd generation heat transfer technology. Many studies of Prof. Franz Mayinger are integral to this development. It is felt that this field has a bright future.
Identifying human spatio-temporal activity patterns from mobile-phone traces

Understanding and modeling people's mobility is a crucial component of transportation planning and management. Research in this area was originally concentrated on modeling commuting flows as they generally account for a vast majority of trips. Nowadays however, more and more trips are done to perform other activities, such as leisure. Identifying the types of places visited during a trip can be beneficial to understand the performed activities and so characterize the daily mobility of a population. In this paper we analyze a large mobile phone location dataset to monitor human locations over the course of two week time interval. We then map human locations to geographical features of the visited places and use that to characterize the daily human mobility. A limited number of visited land use patterns is found that allows describing different types of people and their daily mobility choices. The resulting patterns are characterized with peculiar trip lengths and home locations, thus showing interesting insights into modeling human travel demand, with applications to transportation activity-based models and place recommender systems.
Effects of intragastric and intravenous glucose on restraint model of stress ulceration.

Intragastric glucose prevents acute stress-induced gastric mucosal injury in the restrained rat. Because increased gastric contractions contribute to mucosal injury in this model and because parenteral glucose infusions have been shown to suppress gastric contractility, we hypothesized that centrally mediated responses to hyperglycemia might contribute to the cytoprotective effect of intragastric glucose. We compared intragastric and intravenous 25% glucose with saline infusions during cold restraint and measured their impact on gastric contractility), acidity, and mucin concentration. We found that both intravenous and intragastric glucose infusions increased serum glucose to over 500 mg/dl after 4 hr of stress. Intragastric glucose increased residual volume and gastric pH, as well as decreased gastric mucosal injury, but intravenous glucose had no effects on gastric function. We found that none of the potentially protective effects of intragastric glucose are mediated by central responses to hyperglycemia, and likewise that intravenous glucose has no effect on gastric mucosal injury.
The aluminum content of chondritic meteorites as determined by activation analysis

Abstract A method is presented for the non-destructive determination of aluminum in stony meteorites by neutron activation with subsequent gamma counting. Data are reported for ten chondrites. The data indicate little variation in chondritic aluminum contents, the average value being about 1.33 per cent.
Mcl-1: the 1 in CLL

Although Mcl-1 has been established as a survival and maintenance protein during in vitro incubations of primary CLL cells, in this issue of Blood, Pepper and colleagues further demonstrate the association of Mcl-1 with other prognostic factors and the role of this antiapoptotic protein in disease progression and outcome for patients with CLL.
Practitioner Methodology for Entry-Level Hiring Assessment: Issues for Academic Outcomes Assessment

Abstract A mail questionnaire was used to examine the attitudes of regional sales managers concerning the skills and personal characteristics most important for the success of field salespersons calling on their customers and prospects. The regional sales managers were also asked to specify the methodology for assessing those skills and characteristics in the hiring process. The findings indicated that practitioners often do not use formal tests or measurement devices to assess such skills and characteristics, relying instead on informal or qualitative evaluation. Both educators and practitioners might benefit by working together in the development of quantitative hiring criteria and assessment methodologies consistent with course-work outcomes objectives.
Behavioral observations in thermal imaging of the big brown bat: Eptesicus fuscus

Bats are often difficult to observe in their natural habitat. Because of their nocturnal, acoustically oriented behavior and their tendency to group together in inaccessible crevices, researchers have been limited in their ability to obtain even the most basic data on their ecology and behavior. A number of strategies have been used to quantify the behavior of bats in their natural environment. Since 1978, when Slusher first introduced military night vision applications at the Entomological Society of America symposium, there have been few applications of similar techniques in the study of bats. In the study of bats, infrared imaging provides these advantages: it is portable; self-contained; non- invasive; and can provide a permanent recording of bat location and behavior which may be used for subsequent laboratory analysis and comparison, and is especially effective where stop and slow motion video permits observation of transient occurrences and allows for sampling techniques. In the current study, big brown bats, Eptesicus fuscus, were first observed in a laboratory setting to determine their responses to the presence of the IR imager. Following the determination of its non- invasive nature, big brown bats were located and observed in natural surroundings. The data obtained showed that infrared imaging has potential application in counting emerging bats; counting or estimating size of nesting colonies or area occupied in situ; location of bats roosting in inaccessible sites; non-invasive behavior investigation such as following movement of individuals in the roost; diagnosing infection sites in injured bats; image processing for both graphic presentation and analysis of data.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Reply to the Letter to the editor: Staphylococcus aureus screening and decolonization in orthopaedic surgery and reduction of surgical site infections.

To the editor: We appreciate the meta-analysis performed by Verhoeven and colleagues and respect that it is a well-conducted meta-analysis only looking at randomized, prospective studies. The benefit of this analysis is that the authors were able to combine the study results to provide statistics to determine the significance of Staphylococcus aureus screening and decolonization, which demonstrated significance in surgical patients. However, because the authors narrowed their search parameters so greatly, they only included 3 orthopaedic randomized, prospective studies. For our systematic review, we purposely laid out a search for all orthopaedic literature evaluating S aureus screening and decolonization. To our knowledge, this type of systematic review had not yet been performed in orthopaedics before, but had been conducted in general surgery. We did not attempt to perform a meta-analysis, as we knew it would not be appropriate to combine data mathematically from studies of such varied designs. We purposely included retrospective and nonrandomized studies to provide an increased number of studies, which all reported the trend that S aureus screening and decolonization was effective for reducing surgical site infections. Although the authors correctly pointed out that the entire patient population of Bode et.al. [1] was utilized in our review, even if the study was removed from our review, the results of our findings would still show favorable results for S aureus screening and decolonization. In summary, we believe that both our systematic review and the meta-analysis of Verhoeven and colleagues demonstrate that there is a trend for S aureus screening and decolonization to reduce surgical site infections in orthopaedics. We wholeheartedly agree that the current orthopaedic literature is lacking in a large, prospective, randomized control trial evaluating the effectiveness of a S aureus screening and decolonization strategy in orthopaedic patients, specifically total joint arthroplasty patients. Conducting such a study would be the most robust method to determine if this protocol is effective. However, as the authors noted, this would be a sizeable study, since the prevalence of orthopaedic surgical site infections is low. For now, we believe that our systematic review and the meta-analysis of Verhoeven and colleagues both provide support for instituting S aureus screening and decolonization protocol in orthopaedic patients, and further research is needed either to strengthen or refute this finding.
Factors Affecting Lead Concentrations in Drinking Water: Solder and Sediment

Abstract The lead content of the drinking water on a 15-acre urban campus was evaluated by a method employing graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy. Water samples were collected from supply mains, distribution lines, and drinking water fixtures in 14 buildings that range in age up to 80 years. Despite the age of many installations, the majority of the fixtures delivered water with less than 50 μg of lead per liter. Solder appears to be the major source of lead contamination in the drinking water. However, the concentrations of lead in these samples varied between and within buildings as well as between and within fixture types. Several factors, particularly sediment in the drinking water, contribute to this variability. These findings are discussed in light of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's proposed lead standard for drinking water (10 μg/L).
Progressive osseous heteroplasia in the face of a child

We describe a rare case of progressive osseous heteroplasia of the face in a child. Biopsy showed osteoma cutis superficially with ectopic bone formation in the deeper tissues including skeletal muscle. Analysis of DNA from peripheral blood leukocytes showed mutations in the gene encoding the alpha subunit of the stimulatory G protein of adenylyl cyclase (GNAS1), confirming the diagnosis of progressive osseous heteroplasia.
Recovery of Antarctic stream epilithon from simulated scouring events

Microbial mats are common in polar streams and often dominate benthic biomass. Climate change may be enhancing the variability of stream flows in the Antarctic, but so far studies investigating mat responses to disturbance have been limited in this region. Mat regrowth was evaluated following disturbance by experimentally scouring rocks from an ephemeral McMurdo Dry Valley stream over two summers (2001-02 and 2012-13). Mats were sampled at the beginning and resampled at the end of the flow season. In 2012-13, mats were additionally resampled mid-season along with previously undisturbed controls. In 2001-02 rocks regained 47% of chlorophyll a and 40% of ash-free dry mass by the end of the summer, while in 2012-13 rocks regrew 18% and 27%, respectively. Mat stoichiometry differed between summers, and reflected differences in biomass and discharge. Oscillatoria spp. were greatest on scoured rocks and Phormidium spp. on undisturbed rocks. Small diatoms Humidophila and Fistulifera spp. increased throughout the summer in all mats, with the latter more abundant in scoured communities. Collectively, these data suggest that mats are variable intra-annually, responsive to hydrology and require multiple summers to regrow initial biomass once lost. These results will aid the interpretation of long-term data, as well as inform Antarctic Specially Managed Area protocols.
MEMS viscosity sensor

Quartz shear resonators are employed widely as sensors to measure Newtonian viscosities of liquids. Perturbation of the electrical equivalent circuit parameters of the plate resonator by the fluid loading permits calculation of the mass density - shear viscosity product. Use of doubly rotated resonators does permit additional information to be obtained, but in no case can the viscosity and mass density values be separated. In these measurements, the resonator surface is exposed to a measurand bath whose extent greatly exceeds the penetration depth of the evanescent shear mode excited by the active element. Here we discuss the more complicated situation where the separation between the resonator and a confining wall is less than the penetration depth of the fluid occupying the intervening region. The resonator perturbation in this case is a sensitive function of the separation. This important fact permits extreme miniaturization, since for temperatures and pressures ordinarily encountered with gases and liquids, and for frequencies between 10 MHz and 1 GHz, the penetration depth varies from micrometers to nanometers. Micro-electro-mechanical (MEMS) versions of viscometers and associated types of fluid sensors are thereby enabled.
Dose-dependent effects of testosterone on sexual function, mood, and visuospatial cognition in older men.

Context: The relationships between testosterone dose and its effects on sexual function, mood, and visuospatial cognition are poorly understood. Objective: To elucidate testosterone dose-response relationships in older men, we examined the effects of graded testosterone doses on sexual function, mood, and visuospatial cognition in healthy, older men (age, 60–75 yr). Setting: This study was performed at the General Clinical Research Center. Intervention/Methods: Subjects each received a long-acting GnRH agonist to suppress endogenous testosterone production and were randomized to receive one of five doses (25, 50, 125, 300, and 600 mg) oftestosteroneenanthateweeklyfor20wk.Questionnaireswereused to evaluate sexual function. Scores for overall sexual function as well as subcomponents of sexual function (libido, sexual activity, and erectile function) were calculated. Results: Changes in overall sexual function (P 0.003) and waking erections (P 0.024) differed by dose. An interaction between libido and being sexually active was observed, such that libido changed by testosterone dose only among men who reported being sexually active at the beginning of the study (P 0.009). Men’s log-transformed free testosterone levels during treatment were positively correlated with overall sexual function (P 0.001), waking erections (P 0.040), spontaneouserections(P0.047),andlibido(P0.027),butnotwith intercourse frequency (P 0.428) or masturbation frequency (P 0.814). No effects of testosterone dose were observed on two measures of mood: Hamilton’s Depression Inventory (P 0.359) and Young’s Mania Scale (P 0.851). The number of trials completed on a computer-based test of visuospatial cognition differed by dose (P0.042), but the number of squares correctly completed on this task did not differ by dose (P 0.159). Conclusions: Different aspects of male behavior respond differently to testosterone. When considered together with previous data from young men, these data indicate that testosterone dose-response relationships for sexual function and visuospatial cognition differ in older and young men. (J Clin Endocrinol Metab 90: 3838–3846, 2005)
Spatial Dynamics of Foodwebs

Foodwebs are important units of biodiversity, and yet, our knowledge of their spatial dynamics is sketchy at best. Here I attempt to synthesize existing knowledge into a framework that can both identify crucial gaps in the theory as well as facilitate empirical investigations. The synthesis is based on two major axes, foodweb complexity and type of movement, and considers two types of spatial effects, foodweb persistence via a reduction in local extinction and foodweb diversity via an increase in species coexistence. It highlights both invariant properties that are robust to increasing foodweb complexity and emergent properties that result from the interplay between foodweb dynamics and type of movement. It underscores the need for a comparative theoretical framework that can yield testable predictions.
Dust environment of comet P/Halley: a review

Recent major advances in the understanding of comet Halley’s dust environment are highlighted and a wide range of related problems reviewed. Addressed individually are selected spacecraft results, namely the dust composition, the detection of subfemtogram grains, and the particle-mass distribution; jets, the dust-emission pattern, and the existence of discrete sources on the nucleus surface; CN and C2 jets; large-scale phenomena, including an antitail, streamers, and a sunward spike; infrared observations, highlighted by recent detections of the 3.4 µm emission feature, first applications of array detectors, and rare far-infrared data; the chemical modification of low-temperature ices by UV and cosmic-ray irradiation processes, their laboratory simulations, and applications to the evolution of comets; the “interstellar-connection” models of comet origin; and the formation of a mantle made of refractory organic material on the nucleus surface.
Evolving ‘omics’ technologies for diagnostics of head and neck cancer

Squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck (SCCHN) is the sixth most common malignancy and is a major cause of cancer morbidity and mortality worldwide. As with most solid cancers, the cure rate for SCCHN is excellent if tumors are diagnosed early in the course of the disease. Early diagnosis of cancer remains difficult because of the lack of specific symptoms in early disease as well as the limited understanding of etiology and oncogenesis. Advances in proteomics and genomics contribute to the understanding of the pathophysiology of neoplasia, cancer diagnosis and anticancer drug discovery. The powerful ‘omics’ technologies have opened new avenues towards biomarker discovery, identification of signaling molecules associated with cell growth, cell death, cellular metabolism and early detection of cancer. Analysis of tumor-specific omics profiles provided a unique opportunity to diagnose, classify, and detect malignant disease; to better understand and define the behavior of specific tumors; and to provide direct and targeted therapy. These technologies however still require integration and standardization of techniques and validation against accepted clinical and pathologic parameters. This article provides a summary of technologies, potential clinical applications, and challenges of omics in head and neck cancer.
Visual Cortex Neurons of Monkeys and Cats: Temporal Dynamics of the Spatial Frequency Response Function

We measured the responses of striate cortex neurons as a function of spatial frequency on a fine time scale, over the course of an interval that is comparable to the duration of a single fixation (...
Two-dimensional and axisymmetric viscous flow in apertures

The flow in a plane liquid jet from an aperture is obtained by direct simulation of the Navier–Stokes equations. The gas–liquid interface is tracked using the level set method. Flows are calculated for different Reynolds and Weber numbers. When We = ∞, the maximum value of the discharge coefficient appears around Re = O(100). The regions that are vulnerable to cavitation owing to the total stress are identified from calculations based on Navier–Stokes equations and viscous potential flow; the two calculations yield similar results for high Reynolds numbers. We prove that the classical potential flow solution does not give rise to a normal component of the rate of strain at the free streamline. Therefore, the normal component of the irrotational viscous stresses also vanishes and cannot change the shape of the free surface. The results of calculations of flows governed by the Navier–Stokes equations are close to those for viscous potential flow outside the vorticity layers at solid boundaries. The Navier–Stokes solutions for the axisymmetric aperture are also given for two values of Reynolds numbers. The results for axisymmetric and planar apertures are qualitatively similar, but the axisymmetric apertures have a lower discharge coefficient and less contraction.
A Planar Liquid Lens Design Based on Electrowetting

In this paper, a planar liquid lens is designed and implemented based on competitive electro wetting. A droplet of silicone oil confined in an aqueous solution works as a liquid lens. Electro wetting then controls the shape of the confined silicone oil and the focal length of a liquid lens varies depending upon an applied electric potential. A ring-type planar electrode successfully confined a droplet of silicone oil in an aqueous solution by electro wetting. With an external DC voltage applied in the range of 0-200 V, the confined silicone oil droplet changed its shape. Using the liquid lens, optical magnification was demonstrated and the focal length change of the liquid lens was characterized. The focal length varied from 12 mm to 22 mm with a 3 mm-diameter liquid lens. The demonstrated liquid lens has a simple structure and is easy to fabricate. The planar structure envisages an integrated optical system for lab-on-a-chip applications.
Stimulation of PAR-1 or PAR-4 promotes similar pattern of VEGF and endostatin release and pro-angiogenic responses mediated by human platelets

AbstractBackground: Platelets mediate angiogenesis through the secretion of several factors, including the pro-angiogenic vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and the anti-angiogenic endostatin. Although previous findings indicated that these molecules are packed into different alpha-granules and selectively released by specific stimulation of protease-activated receptor (PAR)-1 or PAR-4, recent evidences are against this hypothesis. Objectives: To elucidate the controversies about the VEGF and endostatin release and the overall angiogenic effect of PARs-stimulated platelets. Methods: VEGF and endostatin were quantified by enzyme linked-immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Endothelial proliferation (pNPP assay), wound healing (scratch assay) and tubule formation (matrigel) of human microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC-1) and endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) were determined using supernatants from PAR-1- or PAR-4-stimulated platelets. Results: Activation of washed platelets (WPs) by PAR-1- or PAR-4-activat...
On the Utilization and Integration of RFID Data Into Enterprise Information Systems Via WinRFID

It is challengeable to utilize and integrate RFID data into current Enterprise Information Systems because high volume of RFID data is captured at high speed and the data are in heterogeneous formats. In this paper, we propose a “store and forward” and subscription-based integration approach in WinRFID Data Collector to solve the challenges. The Data Collector is a middleware which processes and delivers data to end application based on rules defined in subscription conditions. “Event Cycle” based data reporting defined in EPCglobal Application Level Event specification is analyzed. WinRFID subscription is proposed to provide real-time event notification. The data processing and integration capability of the Data Collector is measured and analyzed.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
A Low Power High Performance Radix-4 Approximate Squaring Circuit

An implementation of a radix-4 approximate squaring circuit is described employing a new operand dual recoding technique. Approximate squaring circuits have numerous applications including use in computer graphics, digital radio modules, implementation of division and function approximation in ALU circuits. The theory of operation of the circuit is described including radix-4 operand dual recoding. Our recoding yields non negative partial squares and other features which simplify the design of the approximate squaring circuit. Results of the implementation in terms of delay, power, and area in both 130nm and 90nm technologies are presented and analyzed. The results show the circuit is power, area and performance efficient, yielding reduction factors by three or more when compared to a truncated multiplication approach using state-of-the-art logic synthesis tools. The radix-4 squaring circuit is also shown to be more efficient than a radix-2 state-of-the-art binary squaring circuit.
Plasma Glucose and Insulin Concentrations and Feeding Behavior in Ponies

The hypothesis that changes in blood glucose concentrations and(or) utilization rate affect feeding behavior in ponies was tested. Ponies (n = 4) were fasted for 4 h, then given iv injections of 50% glucose [.2 g glucose/BW.75 kg (low dose, LD) or 1.0 g glucose/BW.75 kg (high dose, HD)] or an equal volume of normal saline (HDS; LDS) 5 min before being allowed access to pelleted feed. Blood samples were drawn at regular intervals pre- and post-treatment and analyzed for plasma glucose (PG), immunoreactive insulin (IRI) and glucagon concentrations. All glucose-treated animals immediately ate meals of size (HD = .67 +/- .23 kg, LD = .62 +/- .30 kg) and duration (HD = 54 +/- 19 min; LD = 49 +/- 16 min) comparable to those observed after saline injections (HDS = .58 +/- .29 kg in 48 +/- 16 min. LDS = .58 +/- .10 g in 50 +/- 15 min). There was a tendency, however, to prolong the interval between the first and second meal (first intermeal interval) after glucose injections (LD = 62 +/- 16 min, P less than .10; HD = 65 +/- 12 min, P less than .05) relative to saline treatment (LDS = 44 +/- 15 min; HDS = 35 +/- 8 min). Glucose-treated ponies PG was elevated (P less than .01) at the time of refeeding (LD = 122 +/- 14 mg/100 ml; HD = 259 +/- 69 mg/100 ml) relative to controls (84 +/- 2 mg/100 ml) as was 11.2 ng/ml; control = 2.67 +/- 2.20 ng/ml). The concentration of glucagon did not change significantly with either feeding of glucose treatment. The animal's PG and IRI dropped to within or below control ranges by 35 (LD) or 65 min (HD) post-treatment. The results indicated that, in ponies, intravenous glucose loads can prolong the duration of satiety experienced after a meal. Exogenously-induced hyperglycemia and resultant hyperinsulinemia do not, however, affect the first meal size or duration of ponies after a 4 h fast.
Functional voiding disorders of childhood

Voiding problems in children are common and lead to symptoms of incontinence, urinary tract infections, urinary frequency, and urgency. Most voiding disorders occur in children with relatively normal neurologic and urinary systems and are believed to be functional in nature. Functional voiding disorders have a complex etiology involving faulty decision making and toilet habits. These disorders present with various combinations of symptoms and may be difficult for the physician and the parents to recognize. A catalog of the most common voiding disorders and their treatment is outlined. The close relationship between voiding and stooling dysfunction and their treatment is also presented.
Spartina alterniflora Biomass Allocation and Temperature: Implications for Salt Marsh Persistence with Sea-Level Rise

To predict the impacts of climate change, a better understanding is needed of the foundation species that build and maintain biogenic ecosystems. Spartina alterniflora Loisel (smooth cordgrass) is the dominant salt marsh-building plant along the US Atlantic coast. It maintains salt marsh elevation relative to sea level by the accumulation of aboveground biomass, which promotes sediment deposition and belowground biomass, which accretes as peat. Peat accumulation is particularly important in elevation maintenance at high latitudes where sediment supply tends to be limited. Latitudinal variation in S. alterniflora growth was quantified in eight salt marshes from Massachusetts to South Carolina. The hypothesis that allocation to aboveground and belowground biomass is phenotypically plastic was tested with transplant experiments among a subset of salt marshes along this gradient. Reciprocal transplants revealed that northern S. alterniflora decreased allocation to belowground biomass when grown in the south. Some northern plants also died when moved south, suggesting that northern S. alterniflora may be stressed by future warming. Southern plants that were moved north showed phenotypic plasticity in biomass allocation, but no mortality. Belowground biomass also decomposed more quickly in southern marshes. Our results suggest that warming will lead northern S. alterniflora to decrease belowground allocation and that belowground biomass will decompose more quickly, thus decreasing peat accumulation. Gradual temperature increases may allow for adaptation and acclimation, but our results suggest that warming will lower the ability of salt marshes to withstand sea-level rise.