cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Star-shaped Roadmaps - A Deterministic Sampling Approach for Complete Motion Planning

We present a simple algorithm for complete motion planning using deterministic sampling. Our approach relies on computing a star-shaped roadmap of the free space. We partition the free space into star-shaped regions such that a single point called the guard can see every point in the starshaped region. The resulting set of guards capture the intraregion connectivity. We capture the inter-region connectivity by computing connectors that link guards of adjacent regions. We use the guards and connectors to construct a star-shaped roadmap of the free space. We present an efficient algorithm to compute the roadmap in a deterministic manner without computing an explicit representation of the free space. We show that the star-shaped roadmap captures the connectivity of the free space while providing sufficient information to perform complete motion planning. Our approach is relatively simple to implement for robots with translational and rotational degrees of freedom (dof). We highlight the performance of our algorithm on challenging scenarios with narrow passages or when there is no collision-free path for low-dof robots.
Testing the Predictive Capability of the High-Fidelity Generalized Method of Cells Using an Efficient Reformulation

The High-Fidelity Generalized Method of Cells is a new micromechanics model for unidirectionally reinforced periodic multiphase materials that was developed to overcome the original model's shortcomings. The high-fidelity version predicts the local stress and strain fields with dramatically greater accuracy relative to the original model through the use of a better displacement field representation. Herein, we test the high-fidelity model's predictive capability in estimating the elastic moduli of periodic composites characterized by repeating unit cells obtained by rotation of an infinite square fiber array through an angle about the fiber axis. Such repeating unit cells may contain a few or many fibers, depending on the rotation angle. In order to analyze such multi-inclusion repeating unit cells efficiently, the high-fidelity micromechanics model's framework is reformulated using the local/global stiffness matrix approach. The excellent agreement with the corresponding results obtained from the standard transformation equations confirms the new model's predictive capability for periodic composites characterized by multi-inclusion repeating unit cells lacking planes of material symmetry. Comparison of the effective moduli and local stress fields with the corresponding results obtained from the original Generalized Method of Cells dramatically highlights the original model's shortcomings for certain classes of unidirectional composites.
A traitor tracing scheme based on RSA for fast decryption

We describe a fully k-resilient traitor tracing scheme that utilizes RSA as a secret-key rather than public-key cryptosystem. Traitor tracing schemes deter piracy in broadcast encryption systems by enabling the identification of authorized users known as traitors that contribute to unauthorized pirate decoders. In the proposed scheme, upon the confiscation of a pirate decoder created by a collusion of k or fewer authorized users, contributing traitors can be identified with certainty. Also, the scheme prevents innocent users from being framed as traitors. The proposed scheme improves upon the decryption efficiency of past traitor tracing proposals. Each authorized user needs to store only a single decryption key, and decryption primarily consists of a single modular exponentiation operation. In addition, unlike previous traitor tracing schemes, the proposed scheme employs the widely deployed RSA algorithm.
Novel role of oxidants in the molecular mechanism of action of peroxisome proliferators

Peroxisome proliferators are nongenotoxic rodent carcinogens that act as tumor promoters by increasing cell proliferation; however, their precise mechanism of action is not well understood. Oxidative DNA damage caused by leakage of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) from peroxisomes was hypothesized initially as the mechanism by which these compounds cause liver tumors. It seems unlikely that oxidants of peroxisomal origin explain the mechanism of action of peroxisome proliferators because treatment with these compounds in vivo does not lead to increased H2O2 production. On the other hand, Kupffer cell-derived oxidants, such as superoxide, may play a role in initiating tumor nerosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) production that leads to hepatocyte proliferation. Peroxisome proliferators have been shown to activate Kupffer cells both in vitro and in vivo, and the use of Kupffer cell inhibitors such as methyl palmitate and dietary glycine have demonstrated that Kupffer cells are responsible for hepatocyte proliferation by mechanisms involve TNF-alpha. Moreover, peroxisome proliferators activate the transcription factor NF-kappaB, one of the major regulators of TNF-alpha expression, in Kupffer cells. Importantly, activation of NF-kappaB by peroxisome proliferators was shown to be oxidant-dependent, leading to the hypothesis that oxidants of Kupffer cell origin are involved in the mechanism of action. Many of the effects of peroxisome proliferators, including peroxisome induction and hepatomegaly, involve the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha (PPARalpha). Recently, it was shown that peroxisome proliferator-induced cell proliferation and tumors require the PPARalpha. However, PPARalpha is not involved in TNF-alpha production by Kupffer cells because it is not expressed in this cell type. How it is involved in liver tumor remains unclear and one possible explanation is that both Kupffer cell TNF-alpha and parenchymal cell PPARalpha are required. Collectively, recent data are consistent with the hypothesis that oxidants play a role in signaling hepatocellular proliferation due to peroxisome proliferators via activation of NF-kappaB and incrase in mitogenic cytokines such as TNF-alpha.
P–T–t evidence for mechanisms of vertical tectonic motion in a contractional orogen: north‐western US and Canadian Cordillera

The >1800 km long Coast Mountains–North Cascades orogen of the Canadian Cordillera and north-western US developed as a continental magmatic arc. Metamorphic rocks in the orogen contain widespread evidence for burial of supracrustal rocks to depths of c. 40 km, followed by nearly isothermal decompression to depths of <10 km. Near many shallowly-emplaced, mid-Cretaceous plutons, low-pressure contact metamorphic effects were overprinted by high-pressure regional metamorphic minerals and textures, as evidenced by kyanite±staurolite pseudomorphs after andalusite in metapelitic rocks. Therefore, near-pluton rocks record the loading history of the orogen. Metapelitic rocks not associated with plutons only preserve evidence for high-pressure conditions and/or high-temperature decompression, as indicated, for example, by sillimanite and cordierite after kyanite and garnet, respectively. Petrological evidence for burial and decompression is therefore recorded in different rocks. Various regions of the orogen differ in timing of metamorphism, the overall shape of P–T paths and the relative timing and regional extent of the high-pressure event, but most of these data and observations are consistent with thrusting and/or pure shear thickening as primary loading mechanisms throughout the orogen, as opposed to magma-dominated loading. This interpretation is further supported by comparison with thermal models, which demonstrate that the P–T paths are consistent with simultaneous thrusting and folding at a high initial geothermal gradient (35–40 °C km−1) in much of the orogen. A high geothermal gradient supports tectonic models invoking intra-arc contraction and suggests that magmatism played an important role in regional temperature-time paths. This tectonic-thermal history may be typical of other contractional orogens and illustrates the importance of large vertical displacement of crust in magmatic arcs.
The complete amino acid sequence of papain. Additions and corrections.

Abstract The active cysteine of papain was labeled with 14C-iodoacetate and the cystine residues were reduced and coupled with unlabeled iodoacetate. The heptacarboxymethyl papain was then maleyalated and hydrolyzed with trypsin. Key peptides were isolated from this hydrolysate which have permitted completion of the amino acid sequence of the protein. Thus, an earlier tentative and incomplete version of this sequence has been corrected and shown to be in accord with the studies of Drenth et al. (Drenth, J., Jansonius, J. N., Koekoek, R., Swen, H. M., and Wolthers, B. G., Nature, 218, 929 (1968)) by x-ray crystallographic methods.
An Active Layer Extension to MPI

Communication costs represent a significant portion of the execution time of most distributed applications. Thus, it is important to optimize the communication behavior of the algorithm to match the capabilities of the underlying communication fabric. Traditionally, optimizations to the communication behavior have been carried out statically and at the application level (optimizing partitioning, using the most appropriate communication protocols, etc). This paper introduces a new class of optimizations to communication: active run-time matching between the application communication behavior and the communication layer. We propose an active layer extension to the Message Passing Interface (MPI) that dynamically reduces the average communication overhead associated with message sends and receives. The active layer uses dynamic message aggregation to reduce the send overheads and infrequent polling to reduce the receive overhead of messages. The performance of the active layer is evaluated using a number of applications.
The effect of residual Ca2+ on the stochastic gating of Ca2+-regulated Ca2+ channel models

Abstract Single-channel models of intracellular Ca 2 + channels such as the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor and ryanodine receptor often assume that Ca 2 + -dependent transitions are mediated by a constant background [ Ca 2 + ] as opposed to a dynamic [ Ca 2 + ] representing the formation and collapse of a localized Ca 2 + domain. This assumption neglects the fact that Ca 2 + released by open intracellular Ca 2 + channels may influence subsequent gating through the processes of Ca 2 + -activation or -inactivation. We study the effect of such “residual Ca 2 + ” from previous channel opening on the stochastic gating of minimal and realistic single-channel models coupled to a restricted cytoplasmic compartment. Using Monte Carlo simulation as well as analytical and numerical solution of a system of advection–reaction equations for the probability density of the domain [ Ca 2 + ] conditioned on the state of the channel, we determine how the steady-state open probability ( p open ) of single-channel models of Ca 2 + -regulated Ca 2 + channels depends on the time constant for Ca 2 + domain formation and collapse. As expected, p open for a minimal model including Ca 2 + activation increases as the domain time constant becomes large compared to the open and closed dwell times of the channel, that is, on average the channel is activated by residual Ca 2 + from previous openings. Interestingly, p open for a channel model that is inactivated by Ca 2 + also increases as a function of the domain time constant when the maximum domain [ Ca 2 + ] is fixed, because slow formation of the Ca 2 + domain attenuates Ca 2 + -mediated inactivation. Conversely, when the source amplitude of the channel is fixed, increasing the domain time constant leads to elevated domain [ Ca 2 + ] and decreased open probability. Consistent with these observations, a realistic De Young–Keizer-like IP 3 R model responds to residual Ca 2 + with a steady-state open probability that is a monotonic function of the domain time constant, though minimal models that include both Ca 2 + -activation and -inactivation show more complex behavior. We show how the probability density approach described here can be generalized for arbitrarily complex channel models and for any value of the domain time constant. In addition, we present a comparatively simple numerical procedure for estimating p open for models of Ca 2 + -regulated Ca 2 + channels in the limit of a very fast or very slow Ca 2 + domain. When the ordinary differential equation for the [ Ca 2 + ] in a restricted cytoplasmic compartment is replaced by a partial differential equation for the buffered diffusion of intracellular Ca 2 + in a homogeneous isotropic cytosol, we find the dependence of p open on the buffer time constant is qualitatively similar to the above-mentioned results.
Observations on the snow line in the Peruvian Andes

Observations on both the modern and Pleistocene snow lines were made during a journey through the Peruvian Andes. En route observations were supplemented by an evaluation of air photographs in the Servicio Aerofotografico Nacional in Lima and a survey of the literature. The large-scale variation of the Pleistocene snow-line depression is discussed with respect to possible palaeoclimatic implications.
Light Scattering by Irregularly shaped Particles Versus Spheres: What Are Some of the Problems Presented in Remote Sensing of Atmospheric Aerosols?

Effects of light scattering by irregularly shaped particles versus spheres are discussed in the context of defining how they influence aerosol properties inferred from optical remote sensing measurements. Particular attention is given to identifying effects on aerosol properties inferred from data acquired by monostatic and bistatic lidar and spectral solar radiometer measurements.
Outcomes in pediatric cardiac transplantation with a positive HLA cross-match

Richmond ME, Hsu DT, Mosca RS, Chen J, Quaegebeur JM, Addonizio LJ, Lamour JM. Outcomes in pediatric cardiac transplantation with a positive HLA cross-match. Pediatr Transplantation 2012: 16: 29–35. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Abstract: Previous studies have shown poor outcomes in pediatric heart transplant recipients with a high PRA or a positive direct donor–recipient cross-match. This study describes outcomes in patients with a positive cross-match at a large pediatric program. Pediatric heart transplant patients at a large single center between January 1993 and July 2009 were reviewed; those with cross-match data were analyzed. Cross-match data were available in 242/262 (92.4%) patients. Indications for transplant were cardiomyopathy (58%), CHD (32%), and retransplant (7%). PRA was ≥10% in 31/213 (14.6%) patients. A retrospective cross-match was positive in 17/31 (55%) patients with PRA ≥10% and 0/182 with PRA <10%. In positive cross-match patients, rejection frequency in the first year post-transplant was higher than negative cross-match patients (1.69 vs. 0.96 episodes/pt year, p = 0.014). There was no difference in rejection frequency after the first year post-transplant (0.18 vs. 0.12 episodes/pt year, p = 0.14). Overall survival was not significantly different between the groups with a median follow-up time of 4.5 yr. Heart transplantation in patients with a positive cross-match may result in good medium-term survival but a higher frequency of early rejection. Further investigation is warranted to define which patients with a positive cross-match will do poorly.
FLUOXETINE PREVENTS 8-OH-DPAT-INDUCED HYPERPHAGIA IN FISCHER INBRED RATS

Ovariectomized, Fischer rats were hormonally primed with 10 μg estradiol benzoate and 50 μg progesterone or were treated with the sesame seed oil vehicle. Food intake was measured 2 h and 24 h after treatment with 0.25 mg/kg of the 5-HT(1A) receptor agonist, (±)-8-hydroxy 2-(di-n-propylamino) tetralin (8-OH-DPAT), 5 mg/kg of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, fluoxetine, or their combination. Consistent with prior studies, two hour food intake of rats given fluoxetine and 8-OH-DPAT did not differ from vehicle controls. 8-OH-DPAT-induced hyperphagia, evident at 2 h, was blocked by co-treatment with fluoxetine. However, in contrast to prior studies, 5 mg/kg fluoxetine, alone, had only modest effects on food intake. Differences in our experimental protocols and/or the strain of rat may account for the lower anorectic response to fluoxetine. Nevertheless, the absence of a significant response to fluoxetine, alone, coupled with the drug's attenuation of the hyperphagic effect of 8-OH-DPAT, leads to the suggestion that the behavioral response to the combined treatment is more complex than that of simple additivity. Consistent with this suggestion, 24 h food intake of rats given 8-OH-DPAT and fluoxetine was lower than that of vehicle or 8-OH-DPAT-treated rats.
Kinesin and myosin: molecular motors with similar engines

Structure determination of the catalytic domains of two members of the kinesin superfamily reveals that this class of molecular motor exhibits the same architecture as myosin and suggests that these microtubule- and actin-based motors arose from a common ancestor.
Distortion and orientation for triplet coronene in different n-heptane shpol'skii sites using polarized microwave midp technique

Abstract Using phosphorescence microwave double resonance techniques, the type of distortion and the orientation of the magnetic axes are determined for triplet coronene molecules in different Shpol'skii sites in n-heptane single crystals at 1.6 K. Coronene triplet molecules in different sites are found to differ one from another not only in orientation but also in the degree and the sense (quinoidal versus antiquinoidal) of the distortion of the hexagonal coronene structure.
Practical techniques of processing and analyzing speckled fringe pattern in digital speckle interferometry

This paper presents several practical techniques for processing and analyzing speckled fringe patterns. Speckle averaging by known phase shifts or random phase changes is used to acquire quality fringe patterns. Speckle location rearranging is employed to tolerate rigid body motion and speckle rearranging in phase gives enhanced speckle fringe patterns. A simple recursive filter is designed to further suppress speckle noise and an iteration algorithm applied to reconstruct quality fringe patterns. A digital Fourier transformation is utilized to process and analyze carrier like fringe patterns. A computer generated carrier combined with a reconstruction technique is developed to eliminate speckle noise. Combined use of the techniques optimize the results. The techniques and applications are described.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
RFID Tag Characterization in a GHz Transverse Electromagnetic Cell

This paper presents results from a study that attempted to characterize the performance of RFID tags in a GHz Transverse Electromagnetic (GTEM) cell in which an approximately constant electro magnetic (EM) field potentially free of any extraneous interference was maintained. Performance of four commercially available RFID tags manufactured by different vendors was characterized on the basis of horizontal directivity, vertical directivity, sensitivity, and frequency characteristics.
THE ELBW PARENTERAL NUTRITION CALCIUM:PHOSPHORUS RATIO IS INCREASED BY LOW CATION REQUIREMENTS. † 1888

THE ELBW PARENTERAL NUTRITION CALCIUM:PHOSPHORUS RATIO IS INCREASED BY LOW CATION REQUIREMENTS. † 1888
Serum Biomarker Profile Associated With High Bone Turnover and BMD in Postmenopausal Women

Early diagnosis of the onset of osteoporosis is key to the delivery of effective therapy. Biochemical markers of bone turnover provide a means of evaluating skeletal dynamics that complements static measurements of BMD by DXA. Conventional clinical measurements of bone turnover, primarily the estimation of collagen and its breakdown products in the blood or urine, lack both sensitivity and specificity as a reliable diagnostic tool. As a result, improved tests are needed to augment the use of BMD measurements as the principle diagnostic modality. In this study, the serum proteome of 58 postmenopausal women with high or low/normal bone turnover (training set) was analyzed by surface enhanced laser-desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and a diagnostic fingerprint was identified using a variety of statistical and machine learning tools. The diagnostic fingerprint was validated in a separate distinct test set, consisting of serum samples from an additional 59 postmenopausal women obtained from the same Mayo cohort, with a gap of 2 yr. Specific protein peaks that discriminate between postmenopausal patients with high or low/normal bone turnover were identified and validated. Multiple supervised learning approaches were able to classify the level of bone turnover in the training set with 80% sensitivity and 100% specificity. In addition, the individual protein peaks were also significantly correlated with BMD measurements in these patients. Four of the major discriminatory peaks in the diagnostic profile were identified as fragments of interalpha-trypsin-inhibitor heavy chain H4 precursor (ITIH4), a plasma kallikrein-sensitive glycoprotein that is a component of the host response system. These data suggest that these serum protein fragments are the serum-borne reflection of the increased osteoclast activity, leading to the increased bone turnover that is associated with decreasing BMD and presumably an increased risk of fracture. In conjunction with the identification of the individual proteins, this protein fingerprint may provide a novel approach to evaluate high bone turnover states.
Conformational and Spectroscopic Characterization of Intrinsically Disordered Regions in Proteins

Many recognition sites are located in regions of the proteins that are intrinsically disordered and undergo folding upon binding to their targets. The absence of well-defined structures and conformational flexibilities of these intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) enable these proteins to bind to multiple partners with high specificity and affinity. However, structural and functional characteristics of such regions are not well understood. Here we compare molecular simulations to polymer models in order to characterize α-Synuclein conformational ensembles. α-Synuclein is ideal for such a study since it is small and possesses many of the unique characteristics of IDRs. Based on long timescale all-atom molecular dynamics simulations of α-synuclein in explicit water, a hierarchical approach is developed to break the problem into more tractable pieces that can be characterized using a combination of simulation and experimental methods. Integration of secondary structure profiles, clustering and network analysis from MD have been utilized to divide α-Synuclein into minimally interacting fragments. Based on these simulations, α-Synuclein is more globular than polymer model prediction due to contacts that prevent exposure of regions prone to aggregation. These contacts depend on the initial conformation and temperature of the MD simulation. Monomeric α-Synuclein also has a high propensity to form and break β-strands in the same regions that form β-sheets in fibrils associated with Parkinson's disease. Also, the solvent-induced highly collapsed structure of α-Synuclein is held together by transient contacts between distant regions of the protein upto 100s of nanosenconds. We generate the amide-I band of the infrared (IR) and compare it to measured band to further facilitate IR spectral characterization of disordered regions. Finally, we illustrate how the conformational properties of a disordered region could be severally biased by the chosen force field.
Studies on the induction of serum hemopexin by pentobarbital and polycyclic hydrocarbons.

Abstract Induction of the serum glycoprotein hemopexin by sodium pentobarbital and 3-methylcholanthrene is established. Serum hemopexin levels are assayed by a radial immunodiffusion technique. Hemopexin levels were increased up to 200 per cent after repeated injections of pentobarbital, compared with control rabbits injected with saline or distilled water. Induction was confirmed by simultaneous administration of an inhibitor of protein synthesis, cycloheximide, which temporarily interrupted and delayed hemopexin induction. Other aspects of hemopexin synthesis studied are: the effect of starvation, which markedly reduced the serum levels; the combined action of pentobarbital and polycyclic hydrocarbons on induction, which was nonadditive; and the lack of response to repeated doses of 3-methylcholanthrene.
X-ray-induced thermally stimulated luminescence and electronic processes in a segmented poly(ester urethane)

Abstract Thermally stimulated luminescence (TSL) glow curves of x-irradiated Estane® 5703 exhibit considerable variability as the sample thickness is reduced from 1.25 mm to 20 μm. The dependence is presumably associated with the diffusion of oxygen into the sample, which alters electronic trapping sites. Specimens of 1.25-mm thickness exhibit reproducible glow curves, are relatively impervious to oxygen exposure, and are characterized by glow peaks at 145, 405 and 440 K. Radiation-induced optical absorption bands occur at 320, 360, 566 and 375 nm, the latter identified with the diphenylmethyl radical. Temperature dependence of these bands, coupled with electron-spin-resonance data, show that TSL is not associated with destruction of the diphenylmethyl radical, but likely results from the onset of polymer molecular motion ( γ relaxation), which releases trapped charges that recombine with other radicals. Radiative emission characteristic of phenyl deexcitation, but in the absence of diphenylmethyl radical destruction, implies that recombination occurs at presently unidentified radical sites, and part of the electronic energy is transferred along the polymer chain to the phenyl group.
Biphasic mechanisms of amphetamine action at the dopamine terminal.

In light of recent studies suggesting that amphetamine (AMPH) increases electrically evoked dopamine release ([DA]o), we examined discrepancies between these findings and literature that has demonstrated AMPH-induced decreases in [DA]o. The current study has expanded the inventory of AMPH actions by defining two separate mechanisms of AMPH effects on [DA]o at high and low doses, one dopamine transporter (DAT) independent and one DAT dependent, respectively. AMPH concentrations were measured via microdialysis in rat nucleus accumbens after intraperitoneal injections of 1 and 10 mg/kg and yielded values of ∼10 and 200 nm, respectively. Subsequently, voltammetry in brain slices was used to examine the effects of low (10 nm), moderate (100 nm), and high (10 μm) concentrations of AMPH across a range of frequency stimulations (one pulse; five pulses, 20 Hz; 24 pulses, 60 Hz). We discovered biphasic, concentration-dependent effects in WT mice, in which AMPH increased [DA]o at low concentrations and decreased [DA]o at high concentrations across all stimulation types. However, in slices from DAT-KO mice, [DA]o was decreased by all concentrations of AMPH, demonstrating that AMPH-induced increases in [DA]o are DAT dependent, whereas the decreases at high concentrations are DAT independent. We propose that low AMPH concentrations are insufficient to disrupt vesicular sequestration, and therefore AMPH acts solely as a DAT inhibitor to increase [DA]o. When AMPH concentrations are high, the added mechanism of vesicular depletion leads to reduced [DA]o. The biphasic mechanisms observed here confirm and extend the traditional actions of AMPH, but do not support mechanisms involving increased exocytotic release.
Ambivalence, communication and past use: Understanding what influences women's intentions to use contraceptives

Unintended pregnancy among women in the 18-30 age group is a public health concern. The Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM) provides a framework for exploring how women's perceptions of threat, efficacy, and fear influence intentions to use contraceptives. Past use and communication with best friends and partners were also considered. A telephone survey of 18-30-year-old women (N = 599) was completed. After univariate and bivariate analyses were conducted, the variables were entered into a hierarchal, multi-variate linear regression with three steps consistent with the EPPM to predict behavioral intention. The first step included the demographic variables of relationship status and income. The constructs for the EPPM were entered into step 2. Step 3 contained the fear measure. The model for the third step was significant, F(10,471) = 36.40, p < 0.001 and the variance explained by this complete model was 0.42. Results suggest that perceived severity of the consequences of an unintended pregnancy (p < 0.01), communication with friends (p < 0.01) and last sexual partner (p < 0.05), relationship status (p < 0.01), and past use (p < 0.001) were associated with women's intentions to use contraceptives. A woman's perception of the severity was related to her intention to use contraceptives. Half of the women (50.3%) reported ambivalence about the severity of an unintended pregnancy. In our study, talking with their last sexual partner had a positive effect on intentions to use contraceptives, while talking with friends influenced intentions in a negative direction. These results reconfirm the need for public health practitioners and health care providers to consider level of ambivalence toward unintended pregnancy, communication with partner, and relationship status when trying to improve women's contraceptive behaviors. Implications for effective communication interventions are discussed.
Automorphisms of finite fields

Abstract Let F be a finite field, and φ: F ∗ → E a surjective group homomorphism from the multiplicative group F ∗ of F to a non-trivial abelian group E. A theorem of McConnel (Acta Arith.8 (1963), 127–151) describes the permutations σ of F with the property that φ(σx − σy) = φ(x − y) for all x,y ∈ F, x ≠ y. We give a short proof of this theorem, based on an argument of Bruen and Levinger (Canad. J. Math.25 (1973), 1060–1065). In addition, we describe the permutations σ of F for which there exists a permutation κ of E with the property that φ(σx − σy) = κφ(x − y) for all x,y ∈ F, x ≠ y. Finally, we prove a result about automorphisms of the norm form of an arbitrary finite extension of fields.
Subgroups Analysis when Treatment and Moderators are Time-varying

Prevention scientists are often interested in understanding characteristics of participants that are predictive of treatment effects because these characteristics can be used to inform the types of individuals who benefit more or less from treatment or prevention programs. Often, effect moderation questions are examined using subgroups analysis or, equivalently, using covariate × treatment interactions in the context of regression analysis. This article focuses on conceptualizing and examining causal effect moderation in longitudinal settings in which both treatment and the putative moderators are time-varying. Studying effect moderation in the time-varying setting helps identify which individuals will benefit more or less from additional treatment services on the basis of both individual characteristics and their evolving outcomes, symptoms, severity, and need. Examining effect moderation in these longitudinal settings, however, is difficult because moderators of future treatment may themselves be affected by prior treatment (for example, future moderators may be mediators of prior treatment). This article introduces moderated intermediate causal effects in the time-varying setting, describes how they are part of Robins’ Structural Nested Mean Model, discusses two problems with using a traditional regression approach to estimate these effects, and describes a new approach (a two-stage regression estimator) to estimate these effects. The methodology is illustrated using longitudinal data to examine the time-varying effects of receiving community-based substance abuse treatment as a function of time-varying severity (or need).
TALEN Gene Knockouts Reveal No Requirement for the Conserved Human Shelterin Protein Rap1 in Telomere Protection and Length Regulation

The conserved protein Rap1 functions at telomeres in fungi, protozoa, and vertebrates. Like yeast Rap1, human Rap1 has been implicated in telomere length regulation and repression of nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) at telomeres. However, mouse telomeres lacking Rap1 do not succumb to NHEJ. To determine the functions of human Rap1, we generated several transcription activator-like effector nuclease (TALEN)-mediated human cell lines lacking Rap1. Loss of Rap1 did not affect the other components of shelterin, the modification of telomeric histones, the subnuclear position of telomeres, or the 3' telomeric overhang. Telomeres lacking Rap1 did not show a DNA damage response, NHEJ, or consistent changes in their length, indicating that Rap1 does not have an important function in protection or length regulation of human telomeres. As human Rap1, like its mouse and unicellular orthologs, affects gene expression, we propose that the conservation of Rap1 reflects its role in transcriptional regulation rather than a function at telomeres.
HEADSPACE GAS EVALUATION OF WELDED PLUTONIUM STORAGE CONTAINERS

The Can Puncture Device (CPD) serves as a containment vessel during the puncture of nested 3013 containers as part of surveillance operations in K-Area. The purpose of the CPD sampling process is to determine the original pressure and composition of gases within the inner 3013 container. The relation between the composition of the gas sample drawn from the CPD and that originally in the inner 3013 container depends on the degree of mixing that occurs over the interval of time from the puncture to drawing the sample. Gas mixing is bounded by the extremes of no mixing of gases in the inner container and that of complete mixing, in which case the entire CPD system is of uniform composition. Models relating the sample composition and pressure to the initial (pre-puncture) inner can composition and pressure for each of these extremes were developed. Predictions from both models were compared to data from characterization experiments. In the comparison, it was found that the model that assumed complete gas mixing after puncture, the Uniform Mixing Model, showed significantly better agreement with the data than the model that assumed no change in the composition of the inner container, referred to as the Non-Uniform Mixingmore » Model. Both models were implemented as Microsoft{reg_sign} Excel spreadsheet calculations, which utilize macros, to include the effects of uncertainties and biases in the measurements of process parameters and in the models. Potential inleakage of gas from the glovebox is also addressed. The spreadsheet utilizing the Uniform Mixing Model, which was validated by data from the characterization tests, is used to evaluate the pre-puncture composition and pressure within the inner 3013 container. This spreadsheet model is called the Gas Evaluation Software Tool (GEST).« less
Locally testable languages

This paper studies the locally testable languages (or ''events'') introduced by McNaughton and Papert. We characterize these languages by means of their syntactic semigroups and obtain wreath product and direct product decompositions for these semigroups. As a by-product of our study, we find an algebraic characterization of A. Ginzburg's generalized definite languages.
Differential association of β2-microglobulin mutants with MHC class I heavy chains and structural analysis demonstrate allele-specific interactions

Dynamic interactions between major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I heavy chains and β2-microglobulin (β2m) play a critical role in their stability on the cell surface, and their ability to present peptide antigens to CD8+ T-cells. A cursory review of protein sequence homologies and three-dimensional crystal structures of MHC complexes might indicate very similar modes of interaction between the heavy and light chains. In this report, a panel of human β2m mutants was screened to probe the interactions of β2m with the murine MHC molecules H-2Kb, -Db, -Kd, -Ld, and -Dd. Binding experiments coupled with analyses of existing three-dimensional crystal structures demonstrate allelic differences in their interaction with β2m. A comprehensive analysis of the existing murine MHC structures indicates a conformational flexibility on the part of murine β2m that is not present in β2m of the human structures. This flexibility is in a region directly interacting with the heavy chain and may relate to its lower affinity for murine heavy chains relative to human β2m. This defined panel of β2m mutants of differing affinity may also be useful for subsequent studies of thymic selection, T-cell recognition, and more refined algorithms for protein structure prediction.
Impaired response of mature adipocytes of diabetic mice to hypoxia

Adipose tissue contains various cells such as infiltrated monocytes/macrophages, endothelial cells, preadipocytes, and adipocytes. Adipocytes have an endocrine function by secreting adipokines such as interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, leptin, and adiponectin. Dysregulation of adipokines in adipose tissues leads to a chronic low-grade inflammation which could result in atherosclerosis, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes. A sustained inflammatory state, which is characterized by prolonged persistence of macrophages and neutrophils, is found in diabetic wounds. In addition, subcutaneous adipocytes are enormously increased in amount clinically in type 2 diabetes. However, the function of subcutaneous adipocytes, which play an important role in injured tissue subjected to hypoxia, has not been well characterized in vitro due to the difficulty of maintaining mature adipocytes in culture using conventional methods because of their buoyancy. In this study, we established a novel in vitro culture method of mature adipocytes by enclosing them in a hyaluronan (HA) based hydrogel to study their role in response to stress such as hypoxia. BrdU labeling and Ki67 immunostaining experiments showed that hydrogel enclosed mature adipocytes proliferate in vitro. Both mRNA and protein expression analyses for hypoxia regulated genes, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and heme oxygenase 1 (HO1), showed that mature adipocytes of wild type mice respond to hypoxia. In contrast, mature adipocytes of diabetic db/db and TallyHo mice did not efficiently respond to hypoxia. Our studies suggest that mature adipocytes are functionally active cells, and their abnormal function to hypoxia can be one of underlining mechanisms in type 2 diabetes.
Normal Anatomy and Imaging of the Hip: Emphasis on Impingement Assessment

A comprehensive knowledge of normal hip anatomy and imaging techniques is essential in the evaluation and assessment of the patient with hip pain. This article reviews the osseous, soft tissue, and vascular components of the hip and the normal anatomical variants encountered in routine hip imaging. Basic and advanced hip imaging is discussed with particular emphasis on radiographic and computed tomography measurements and their utility in evaluating patients with developmental hip dysplasia and femoroacetabular impingement syndrome.
Low glycemic index treatment: Implementation and new insights into efficacy

Despite the substantial efficacy of the ketogenic diet (KD) in treating refractory epilepsy, use of the KD remains limited because of difficulties in implementation and tolerability. An effective alternative dietary approach is a low glycemic index treatment (LGIT), which liberalizes the extreme carbohydrate restriction of the KD but restricts the type of carbohydrate-containing foods to those that produce relatively small changes in blood glucose. Foods with a "glycemic index" of less than 50 produce less than half the area-under-the-curve elevation of blood glucose compared to a reference food. The LGIT approach produces comparable efficacy to the classic KD, but tolerability is improved and implementation is much simpler. The LGIT appears to be a viable first-line dietary therapy for epilepsy.
Silicon Raman laser, amplifier, and wavelength converter (Keynote Paper)

In silicon, direct electronic transitions leading to light emission have a low probability of occurrence due to the momentum mismatch between upper and lower electronic levels. Until recently, this had prevented the realization of the long waited silicon optical amplifier and laser. Raman scattering, which describes the interactions of light with vibrational levels, can be used as a way to bypass the indirect band structure of silicon and to obtain amplification and lasing. The Raman approach is very appealing because device can be made in pure silicon with a spectrum that is widely tuneable though the pump laser wavelength. While a new research topic, amplifiers with pulsed gain of 20dB and CW gain of 3 dB have already been demonstrated. Using parametric Raman coupling, wavelength conversion from 1550nm to 1300nm has been achieved. A distinguishing feature of silicon Raman devices, compared to fiber devices, is the electronic modulation capability. By integrating a p-n junction with the silicon gain medium, electrically switched lasers and amplifiers have already been demonstrated. These have many exciting applications. For example, the laser can be directly modulated to transmit data, and can be part of a silicon optoelectronic integrated circuit. At the same time, electrically switched amplifiers represent loss-less optical modulators.© (2005) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Changes in the feeding behavior of rats after amygdala lesions.

The feeding behavior of amygdala-lesioned male rats was compared to that of normal controls and amygdala shams after 0- or 24-hr food deprivation and after 24-hr food and water deprivation. Results demonstrated that food deprivation was essential for a significant reduction in 1-hr feeding after dorsomedial amygdala damage and that combined food and water deprivation exaggerated such differences in feeding without producing a significant concomitant reduction in drinking. Findings were discussed in terms of the possible role of the dorsomedial amygdala in the central regulation of deprivation-induced feeding.
Distribution of aromatase P450 transcripts and adipose fibroblasts in the human breast.

The fibroblast component of adipose tissue is the primary extraglandular site of aromatase P450 (P450arom) expression, which is responsible for the conversion of C19 steroids to estrogens. Previously, we have shown positive correlations between the level of P450arom transcripts and the ratio of fibroblasts to mature adipocytes in adipose tissue samples proximal to breast tumors. The present study was conducted to determine the distribution of P450arom messenger ribonucleic acid (RNA) levels and fibroblast to adipocyte ratios in disease-free breasts of premenopausal women. Adipose tissue samples were collected from 3 regions (outer, upper, and inner) of both breasts of 13 women undergoing reduction mammoplasty. The histological composition of adipose tissue (n = 12) was determined by morphometry using a computerized image analysis program. We used a competitive RT-PCR method employing rat P450arom complementary RNA as an internal standard to quantify adipose P450arom transcripts in tissue total RNA samples...
Category Learning by Inference and Classification

The nature of category formation is linked to the tasks applied to learn the categories. To explore this idea, we investigated how three different methods of category learning — Classification Learning, Inference Learning, and Mixed Learning (a mixture of the two) — affect the way people form categories. In Classification Learning, subjects learned categories by predicting the class to which an individually presented exemplar belonged given feature information about the exemplar. In Inference Learning, subjects learned categories by predicting a feature value of a stimulus given the class to which it belonged and information about its other features. In Mixed Learning, subjects received the Classification task on some trials and the Inference task on other trials. The results of two experiments and model fitting indicate that inference and classification, though closely related, require different strategies to be carried out, and that when categories are learned by inference or by classification, subjects acquire categories in a way that accommodates these strategies. q 1998 Academic Press
Infants' reasoning about hidden objects: evidence for event-general and event-specific expectations.

Research over the past 20 years has revealed that even very young infants possess expectations about physical events, and that these expectations undergo significant developments during the first year of life. In this article, I first review some of this research, focusing on infants’ expectations about occlusion, containment, and covering events, all of which involve hidden objects. Next, I present an account of infants’ physical reasoning that integrates these various findings, and describe new experiments that test predictions from this account. Finally, because all of the research I discuss uses the violation-of-expectation method, I address recent concerns about this method and summarize new findings that help alleviate these concerns.
Effect of sperm preparation techniques by density gradient on intra-individual variation of sperm motility

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of sperm preparation by density gradient on the intra-individual variation in sperm motility. Patients presenting for density gradient (DG) sperm preparation were analyzed retrospectively. Patients who had more than one preparation were included. The variation within each patient was studied using the coefficient of variation (CV = standard deviation/mean x 100). Density gradient preparation resulted in a reduction in the CV of sperm motility (CV motility before DG: 19.8 +/- 15.82% vs. CV motility after DG: 15.9 +/- 17.97%, p < 0.001). However, CV of sperm concentration (44.2 +/- 26.51%) and CV progressively motile sperm (49.2 +/- 28.48%) remained very high after DG. This variability should be reflected in counseling patients undergoing intrauterine insemination.
Deposition of urban pollution on the Ara Pacis, Rome

The deposition of urban pollution, mainly due to traffic, has been studied at the Ara Pacis, Rome. This monument was protected by a glass building against environmental factors, especially rainfall, wind and severe cold. The building acts as a green-house and facilitates dry deposition. The pollution (especially soot) derives mainly from the arterial road which is on the western side of the monument. Field tests were carried out in spring, summer and autumn in order to measure the exchange of heat and moisture between air and monument, the thermal shocks associated with shadow and successive lighting. The field tests consisted of monitoring thermal and hygrometric parameters, ventilation, solar radiation and particle size distribution. The particle concentration varies daily and seasonally with emission and atmospheric stability, and has a maximum in the early morning. As the ratio of the areas of the windows to the cross section of the building is very small, the air coming from outside very soon looses its turbulence, and in the absence of eddies there is no resuspension of particles and the sedimentation occurs undisturbed, without any counteracting mechanism. The result is a blackening of the upper part of all the protruding relieves. The thermophoretic cycles appear to be sometimes responsible for increasing the deposition, and sometimes counteracting it, i.e. when the marble is hotter than the air.