cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lipoapoptosis induced by saturated free fatty acids stimulates monocyte migration: a novel role for Pannexin1 in liver cells

Recruitment of monocytes in the liver is a key pathogenic feature of hepatic inflammation in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), but the mechanisms involved are poorly understood. Here, we studied migration of human monocytes in response to supernatants obtained from liver cells after inducing lipoapoptosis with saturated free fatty acids (FFA). Lipoapoptotic supernatants stimulated monocyte migration with the magnitude similar to a monocyte chemoattractant protein, CCL2 (MCP-1). Inhibition of c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) in liver cells with SP600125 blocked migration of monocytes in a dose-dependent manner, indicating that JNK stimulates release of chemoattractants in lipoapoptosis. Notably, treatment of supernatants with Apyrase to remove ATP potently inhibited migration of THP-1 monocytes and partially blocked migration of primary human monocytes. Inhibition of the CCL2 receptor (CCR2) on THP-1 monocytes with RS102895, a specific CCR2 inhibitor, did not block migration induced by lipoapoptotic supernatants. Consistent with these findings, lipoapoptosis stimulated pathophysiological extracellular ATP (eATP) release that increased supernatant eATP concentration from 5 to ~60 nM. Importantly, inhibition of Panx1 expression in liver cells with short hairpin RNA (shRNA) decreased supernatant eATP concentration and inhibited monocyte migration, indicating that monocyte migration is mediated in part by Panx1-dependent eATP release. Moreover, JNK inhibition decreased supernatant eATP concentration and inhibited Pannexin1 activation, as determined by YoPro-1 uptake in liver cells in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that JNK regulates activation of Panx1 channels, and provide evidence that Pannexin1-dependent pathophysiological eATP release in lipoapoptosis is capable of stimulating migration of human monocytes, and may participate in the recruitment of monocytes in chronic liver injury induced by saturated FFA.
Inanimorata: The Dread of Things

Some time ago, my friend and colleague Prof. Charles Harvey wrote a paper concerning inanimate objects and their possible deontologization.1 In that article, Charlie proposes that inanimate matter is at odds with animate beings and that this animus causes events which leave us puzzled: socks disappear, books move from place to place, cars re-park themselves, and things get lost and lost things return. When something is needed most desperately, it cannot be found. When its use is most sought, it ceases to function. Sometimes it does seem as though things have it in for us, and are willfully disobedient to our demands. Perhaps they have a will, and that will is turned against us simply because we are the blessed animata and they the cursed inanimata.
Multigenic modeling of complex disease by random forests.

Abstract The genetics and heredity of complex human traits have been studied for over a century. Many genes have been implicated in these complex traits. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) were designed to investigate the association between common genetic variation and complex human traits using high-throughput platforms that measured hundreds of thousands of common single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). GWAS have successfully identified many novel genetic loci associated with complex traits using a univariate regression-based approach. Even for traits with a large number of identified variants, only a small fraction of the interindividual variation in risk phenotypes has been explained. In biological systems, protein, DNA, RNA, and metabolites frequently interact to each other to perform their biological functions, and to respond to environmental factors. The complex interactions among genes and between the genes and environment may partially explain the “missing heritability.” The traditional regression-based methods are limited to address the complex interactions among the hundreds of thousands of SNPs and their environmental context by both the modeling and computational challenge. Random Forests (RF), one of the powerful machine learning methods, is regarded as a useful alternative to capture the complex interaction effects among the GWAS data, and potentially address the genetic heterogeneity underlying these complex traits using a computationally efficient framework. In this chapter, the features of prediction and variable selection, and their applications in genetic association studies are reviewed and discussed. Additional improvements of the original RF method are warranted to make the applications in GWAS to be more successful.
FLUORESCENT AND PHOSPHORESCENT PYRIMIDINE LABELS. α‐DIKETONE DERIVATIVES OF URACIL AND THYMINE

Abstract The syntheses of 1-(3,4-dioxopentyl)uracil (V), 1-(2,3-dioxobutyl)uracil (XIIa), 1-(2,3-dioxobutyl)-3-methyluracil (XIIb) and 1-(2,3-dioxobutyl)thymine (XIIc) are described. These are the first compounds to be prepared which have α-diketone functions attached to biologically important pyrimidines. Preparation of the dioxopentyluracil was by oximation of 1-(4-oxopentyl)uracil, and of the dioxobutyl compounds was by alkylation of the appropriate pyrimidine with the dimethoxy ketal of bromobiacetyl, followed by hydrolysis under special conditions. The characteristics of the absorption and emission spectra in various solvents are presented and discussed. Dioxopentyl uracil exhibits both phosphorescence and fluorescence at room temperature; the dioxobutyl pyrimidines are fluorescent but non-phosphorescent under the same conditions. The fluorescence quantum yields of all four compounds are about 0.2%, similar to those of biacetyl or 2,3-pentanedione.
Demo abstract: Power aware core scheduling in multicore smartphones

Modern smartphones are increasingly equipped with mul-ticore processors. However, current applications are yet to take full advantage of this new architecture, particularly in the area of managing power consumption. This demo demonstrates three new scheduling algorithms that dynamically schedule an optimal number of cores with each core running at an optimal frequency. A unique feature of these scheduling algorithms is that they take into account the tradeoff between power consumption, performance and user experience. They achieve the best tradeoff under the current context. A prototype implementation on a quad-core HTC One smartohone shows that these algorithms result in significant reduction in power consumption while ensuring good performance and user experience. The demo includes several different popular smartphone applications such as video streaming using YouTube, Candy Crush game, audio streaming using Pandora, navigation using Google Maps, and converting video from .avi to .mp4 format. Users can run these applications using one of the three new scheduling algorithms under different tradeoff scenarios and observe the amount of power savings achieved by the new algorithms.
Bilingual flipcharts help improve oral health-related knowledge and self-efficacy of Korean-American caregivers of preschoolers.

Objective We have limited knowledge on ways to improve oral health-related behaviors for caregivers of minority preschoolers. Our objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of a bilingual educational flipchart. Methods We piloted a bilingual flipchart with Korean-American caregivers of preschoolers (n = 219) and administered pre-/post-intervention surveys. The paired t-test evaluated changes in knowledge and self-efficacy (for all caregivers and stratified by acculturation). Results There were significant improvements in knowledge on the bacterial etiology of tooth decay (P = 0.02), mother-to-child transmission of tooth decay (P = 0.03), fluoride toothpaste safety (P < 0.0001), and dental visit frequency (P < 0.0001). Caregivers' self-efficacy to keep their child's teeth healthy also improved (P < 0.0001). There were differences in knowledge measures based on caregivers' acculturation. Conclusions Bilingual educational materials help improve the oral health-related knowledge and self-efficacy of Korean-American caregivers of preschoolers. Larger confirmatory studies are needed and future work should evaluate clinical outcomes associated with improved knowledge and self-efficacy.
Inspection and quality control-an overview

This report provides information on the latest robotics and vision system technologies affecting the quality assurance of the manufacturing sector today. Machine vision, sensors, artificial intelligence, and expert systems are all explored. Applications and examples of actual implementations of these technologies are also given.
Binomial Distribution: Sample Size Estimation

The need to estimate the sample size parameter n in the binomial distribution arises in many practical problems, such as estimating wildlife population sizes based on sample counts. Attempts to find reasonable estimators can be traced back to the early 1900s, when the method of moments estimator was proposed. But the method of moments estimator, as well as the maximum likelihood estimator, suffers serious shortcomings in terms of performance, not the least of which is a highly unstable behavior. Following a few examples and a brief history of the problem, this entry details some of the difficulties that arise when estimating n, and presents the results of attempts that have been made to overcome those difficulties either by modifying the method of moments or maximum likelihood estimator, or adopting a Bayesian approach.
Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial

Prostate cancer is the most common malignancy diagnosed and the second most common cause of cancer death in American men. Although effective treatment strategies exist, the prolonged natural history of the disease makes prevention attractive. Androgens are involved in the development and progression of prostate cancer. Finasteride (a 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor) prevents the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone within the prostate decreasing prostate growth. The Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial randomized 18,882 men 55 years or older to finasteride versus placebo in order to assess the medication's ability to decrease the prevalence of prostate cancer over a seven-year period. Finasteride resulted in a 24.8% reduction in the prevalence of prostate cancer; however, men diagnosed with prostate cancer in the treatment arm were found to have higher grade prostate cancer. Secondary data analyses have sought explanations for this finding as well as provided additional insight into the use of prostate-specific antigen in clinical practice. Keywords: Prostatic Neoplasms; Chemoprevention; Testosterone 5-Alpha-Reductase; Prostate-Specific Antigen; Prostate Biopsy
Mathematics and the World: What do Teachers Recognize as Mathematics in Real World Practice

Elementary school teachers are encouraged to better integrate appropriate mathematics pedagogy with deeper, more relevant mathematics content. However, many teach a mathematics they do not fully understand to students who see, recognize, and use less mathematics than ever before. Both teachers and students struggle to articulate the role mathematics plays in society as mathematics becomes more embedded into our technology. In this study, we asked teachers to record the mathematics they used on a daily basis during a 1-week period. Their responses indicate that they do not recognize that mathematics plays any important role in technological and professional practices. This negatively impacts their ability to effectively teach mathematics in the elementary classroom because they cannot make connections between classroom practices and real-world uses of mathematics.
The Shift in United States-Sudan Relations: A Troubled Relationship and the Need for Mutual Cooperation

With the Cold War over and external strategic and ideological considerations removed, African problems now exist mainly in national and regional contexts. However, the devastating situation in Sudan continues to draw global attention and, in particular, the United States that still manifests interest in the Sudan. This article contends that, although US-Sudan relations had been mostly antagonistic and hostile before 2000, cooperation grew, especially after the catastrophic humanitarian disaster of 11 September 2001. However, the need for sustainable, mutual cooperation and interdependence in achieving internal peace in Sudan and ending the war on terrorism cannot be understated.
Toward Ultraintense Compact RBS Pump for Recombination 3.4 nm Laser via OFI

In our presentation we overview progress we made in developing a new ultrashort and ultraintensive laser system based on Raman backscattering (RBS) amplifier /compressor from time of 10th XRL Conference in Berlin to present time of 11th XRL Conference in Belfast. One of the main objectives of RBS laser system development is to use it for pumping of recombination X-ray laser in transition to ground state of CVI ions at 3.4 nm. Using elaborate computer code the processes of Optical Field Ionization, electron energy distribution, and recombination were calculated. It was shown that in very earlier stage of recombination, when electron energy distribution is strongly non-Maxwellian, high gain in transition from the first excited level n=2 to ground level m=1 can be generated. Adding large amount of hydrogen gas into initial gas containing carbon atoms (e.g. methane, CH4) the calculated gain has reached values up to 150–200 cm−2 Taking into account this very encouraging result, we have proceed with arrangement of experimental setup. We will present the observation of plasma channels and measurements of electron density distribution required for generation of gain at 3.4 nm.
An automated controlled-flow air infiltration measurement system

A description is presented of an automated, controlled flow air infiltration measurement system. This system measures total air flow, a volume per unit time, due to infiltration in a test space. Data analysis is discussedand the mixing problem is analyzed. Different modes of operating the system are considered: (a) concentration decay, (b) continuous flow in a single chamber, and (c) continuous flow in a multichamber enclosure. Problems associated with the use of nitrous oxide as a tracer gas are described.
Functional screening in the melanophore bioassay.

The melanophore bioassay is a robust, sensitive, and versatile procedure for screening G protein–coupled receptors in a variety of formats. Because melanophores contain a wide variety of G proteins, they can be employed as a sensitive, real-time response system for studying transfected receptors and for defining equilibria for drug effects. This assay can be run in 96-well microtiter plates or in open-lawn 1536 format, and can yield conventional agonist-antagonist as well as constitutive assays. Keywords: melanophore; G-protein coupled receptors; high throughput screening; constitutive screening
Nature and Progress of Agrarian Reform in Latin America

Agrarian reform has become a major subject of political discussion in Latin America. Its preeminence is due to developments within Latin America, to the late President John F. Kennedy and the Alliance for Progress which he sponsored; and to the Castro regime in Cuba. In this paper we shall discuss the background of the problem throughout the area, and then look in some detail at the four major agrarian reform efforts which have been undertaken so far: those of Mexico, Bolivia, Venezuela, and Cuba.
Neurodevelopmental Outcomes of Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants Ventilated With Continuous Positive Airway Pressure vs. Mechanical Ventilation

To compare continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) vs. traditional mechanical ventilation (MV) at 24 h of age as predictors of neurodevelopmental (ND) outcomes in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants at 18–22 months corrected gestational age (CGA). Infants ≤1000 g birth weight born from January 2000 through December 2006 at two hospitals at the Cincinnati site of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network were evaluated comparing CPAP (n = 198) vs. MV (n = 109). Primary outcomes included the Bayley Score of Infant Development Version II (BSID-II), presence of deafness, blindness, cerebral palsy, bronchopulmonary dysplasia and death. Ventilatory groups were similar in gender, rates of preterm prolonged rupture of membranes, antepartum hemorrhage, use of antenatal antibiotics, steroids, and tocolytics. Infants receiving CPAP weighed more, were older, were more likely to be non-Caucasian and from a singleton pregnancy. Infants receiving CPAP had better BSID-II scores, and lower rates of BPD and death. After adjusting for acuity differences, ventilatory strategy at 24 h of age independently predicts long-term neurodevelopmental outcome in ELBW infants.
Image Dependent Log-likelihood Ratio Allocation for Repeat Accumulate Code based Decoding in Data Hiding Channels

Error correction codes of suitable redundancy are used for ensuring perfect data recovery in noisy channels. For iterative decoding based methods, the decoder needs to be initialized with proper confidence values, called the log likelihood ratios (LLRs), for all the embedding locations. If these confidence values or LLRs are accurately initialized, the decoder converges at a lower redundancy factor, thus leading to a higher effective hiding rate. Here, we present an LLR allocation method based on the image statistics, the hiding parameters and the noisy channel characteristics. It is seen that this image-dependent LLR allocation scheme results in a higher data-rate, than using a constant LLR across all images. The data-hiding channel parameters are learned from the image histogram in the discrete cosine transform (DCT) domain using a linear regression framework. We also show how the effective data-rate can be increased by suitably increasing the erasure rate at the decoder.
Emission Spectral Measurements in the Plenum of an Arc Jet Wind Tunnel

Arc jet wind tunnel facilities are used to evaluate thermal protection system materials for re-entry vehicles. The high speed, high temperature flowfield generated by the arc jet can simulate the extreme aerodynamic heating environment experienced during re-entry so that the survivability of heat shield materials and performance of various designs options can be tested. Although the re-entry heating environment can be approximated in the arc jet facility, the flowfield only partially simulates the actual re-entry flight conditions. Reynolds numbers are not matched so that surface shear stress distributions and mass transfer rates due to ablation or other mechanisms are not modeled correctly. Unlike flight conditions the arc freestream air is in non-equilibrium because of the rapid expansion that occurs in the supersonic nozzle. To properly study the actual re-entry flow environment, computational fluid dynamics, computational chemistry and radiation models must be used. Arc jet tunnel tests serve to validate these models. To perform accurate simulations inlet and boundary-conditions are needed, which come from measurements of the flowfield. The present study is concerned with measurements in the plenum region of an arc heater. In the past, conditions in the arc heater flowfield have been predicted using simulations since conventional measurement techniques could not be used in the harsh extremely high temperature environment. The present study is part of a recent push to utilize optical techniques to help better characterize the arc jet flowfields. Emission measurements have been made in the shock layer and the constrictor section of the arc heater to determine temperatures and species number densities. LIF measurements have been made in the free stream to determine temperature and velocity.
Toolkit for data reduction to tuples for the ATLAS experiment

The final step in a HEP data-processing chain is usually to reduce the data to a ‘tuple’ form which can be efficiently read by interactive analysis tools such as ROOT. Often, this is implemented independently by each group analyzing the data, leading to duplicated effort and needless divergence in the format of the reduced data. ATLAS has implemented a common toolkit for performing this processing step. By using tools from this package, physics analysis groups can produce tuples customized for a particular analysis but which are still consistent in format and vocabulary with those produced by other physics groups. The package is designed so that almost all the code is independent of the specific form used to store the tuple. The code that does depend on this is grouped into a set of small backend packages. While the ROOT backend is the most used, backends also exist for HDF5 and for specialized databases. By now, the majority of ATLAS analyses rely on this package, and it is an important contributor to the ability of ATLAS to rapidly analyze physics data.
Adenosine suppresses exocytosis from cone terminals of the salamander retina

In the retina, adenosine is released in the dark and has been shown to inhibit Ca2+ influx through voltage-gated Ca2+ channels in cones. Therefore, we tested whether adenosine can inhibit exocytosis from isolated cone photoreceptors. Simultaneous measurements of membrane exocytosis and Ca2+ were made from cones using the activity-dependent dye, Synaptored-C2, and the Ca2+ indicator dye, Fluo-4. Adenosine suppressed exocytosis in cones, indicating that transmitter release is also reduced from cone terminals, and further supports an inhibitory mechanism for modulating transmitter release onto second-order neurons. Furthermore, this raises the possibility that adenosine might be neuroprotective for photoreceptors and second-order neurons by suppressing Ca2+ levels in cones and reducing exocytosis of L-glutamate, respectively.
On Cooled Anodes in Contact with a Laminar Arc-Heated Flow

This paper is concerned with the physics and operating characteristics of cooled anodes In contact with an arc-heated laminar plasma flow in a constant area duct. Various modes of anode behavior are identified and described. Some Influences of gas type, flow rate, arc current, anode material and geometry are demonstrated. A theory is developed to explain the low-current mode of the anode characteristic. It is shown that the local current density on the anode surface is related approximately to the surface's local bias relative to its electrically floating voltage. Anode current distribution data is presented; the distribution is shown to be unstable above a transition bias volt,. age, with the current concentrating intensely on the edge of the anode toward the cathode. Neighboring points on the duct wall are shown to be electrically independent. This fact greatly simplifies an interpretation of anode phenomena. The information presented makes a fairly complete picture of the physical behavior of finite-length, cooled anodes in contact with fully-developed laminar plasma-arc flows.
Chemosensory Input and Taste Discrimination in the Blowfly

Simultaneous recording of behavioral responses and action potentials from single chemoreceptors in the proboscis of intact blowflies revealed that acceptance of a solution can be mediated either by input from one water receptor or from one salt receptor. Rejection of higher concentrations of salt is mediated by the same salt receptor. A difference of three impulses in the first 100 milliseconds of activity can determine whether the fly accepts or rejects the solution.
Baseline performance analysis of the LSD/DOA ATR against MSTAR data

Large computational complexity arises in model-based ATR systems because an object's image is typically a function of several degrees of freedom, such as target class, pose, articulation, configuration and sensor geometry. Most model- based ATR systems treat this dependency by incorporating an exhaustive search through a library of image views. This approach, however, requires enormous storage and extensive search processing. Some ATR systems reduce the size of the library by forming composite averaged images at the expense of reducing the captured pose specific information, usually resulting in a decrease in performance. The Linear Signal Decomposition/Direction of Arrival (LSD/DOA) system, on the other hand, forms a reduced-size, essential-information object data set which implicitly incorporates target and sensor variation specific data. This reduces ATR processing by providing a low computational-cost indexing function with little loss of discrimination and pose estimation performance. The LSD/DOA system consists of two independent components: a computationally expensive off-line component which forms the object representation and a computationally inexpensive on-line object recognition component. The size of the stored data set may also be adjusted, providing a means to trade off complexity versus performance. The focus of this paper will be the performance of the LSD/DOA ATR against the MSTAR (public) data set.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Effect of radio-frequency on heating characteristics of beef homogenate blends

Abstract The heating characteristics of different lean-to-fat ratios in ground beef (90/10, 85/15, 80/20, 73/27) was investigated using radio-frequency (RF) heating of ground beef homogenates. A homogenate model system was prepared with ground beef in phosphate buffer (pH 6.0). Homogenate blends were packaged in vacuum bags, immersed in pre-heated water at 10, 25 and 50 °C, and heated in the RF equipment to a target temperature of 60 °C. Beef homogenate blends with more lean and less fat (90/10 and 85/15) heated more rapidly, reaching the target temperature faster than the higher fat composition blends. The RF heating rates of the beef homogenate blends varied with water temperature; higher temperature resulted in rapid RF heating. The RF heating rate at 50 °C was the most rapid in heating all homogenate blends. The instrumental color characteristics for RF heated homogenate blends exhibited lower L * and a * values than uncooked homogenate blends. RF heating resulted in reduced redness and more oxidation of myoglobin (metmyoglobin formation) and lesser oxy- and deoxy-myoglobin redox forms in all beef homogenate blends independent of the initial water temperature. The results present scope to explore short time heating processes which will minimize quality deterioration in RF heated meat products.
Optimum levels of CPAP for tracheal extubation of newborn infants

Arterial oxygen tension and functional residual capacity were studied in 16 intubated, spontaneously breathing newborn infants recovering from respiratory disease. Studies were made at 2 cm H 2 O continuous positive airway pressure, at zero end expiratory pressure, and following extubation. The study showed that Pa O 2 and FRC at 2 cm H 2 O CPAP were the same as observed following extubation, but that both values were significantly lower at ZEEP.
Helium emission spectra—I. intermediate pressure studies

Abstract The apparent cross sections of the n1P(n = 3,4,5,6) and n1,3D(n = 4,5,6,7) levels have been measured as a function of pressure between 5 and 200 mTorr at 1·5KeV electron impact excitation energy. The 41S apparent cross section was measured under the same conditions to observe secondary electron effects. A detailed analysis is made on the mechanisms of excitation transfer out of the n1P levels in terms of radiative and collision processes. Collisional n1P↔nF transfer cross sections are calculated for the n = 4 and n = 5 levels and the results are in agreement with the principle of detailed balance. An analysis of the 61P apparent cross section indicates that collision processes other than n1P↔nF become important at n = 6 level in determining collisional transfer out of n1P. Evaluation of n1,3D apparent cross sections show that direct collisional gain and loss become more important as n increases.
Modelling and mapping dynamic variability in large fire probability in the lower Sonoran Desert of south-western Arizona

In the lower Sonoran Desert of south-western Arizona, climate change and non-native plant invasions have the potential to increase the frequency and size of uncommon wildfires. An understanding of where and why ignitions are more likely to become large fires will help mitigate the negative consequences of fire to native ecosystems. We use a generalised linear mixed model and fire occurrence data from 1989 to 2010 to estimate the relative contributions of fuel and other landscape variables to large fire probability, given an ignition. For the 22-year period we examined, a high value for the maximum annual Normalised Difference Vegetation Index was among the strongest predictors of large fire probability, as were low values of road density and elevation. Large fire probability varied markedly between years of moderate and high fine fuel accumulation. Our estimates can be applied to future periods with highly heterogeneous precipitation. Our map-based results can be used by managers to monitor variability in large fire probability, and to implement adaptive fire mitigation at a landscape scale. The approaches we present have global applications to other desert regions that face similar threats from changing climate, altered fuels and potential punctuated changes in fire regimes.
MANOVA Simultaneous Test Procedures: The Power and Robustness of Restricted Multivariate Contrasts:

A Monte Carlo study was conducted using SAS-IML to compare the multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) simultaneous test procedures (STPs) of 0, 'T, A, and V in terms of power and Type I error u...
Audio-visual analysis for event understanding

Endowing machine with human-like seeing and hearing capabilities has long been an endeavor for generations of scientists. Although seeing and hearing are granted to a human, doing so by a computer is a formidable challenge. In this talk, I will focus on event understanding using audio and visual information either separately or jointly. In particular, I will describe the following pieces of work conducted jointly with my collaborators: presence detection ("where", "what", "when", and "who") in an office environment using multi-sensory inputs from streams of video, audio and computer interactions (mouse and keyboard information); active speaker detection in a meeting room using microphone arrays and camera arrays; human action recognition with expandable graphical models; group event recognition with a varying number of group members and with limited training data.
Orthogonal sensor suite and the signal-processing algorithm for human detection and discrimination

The focus of this paper is a review of methods and algorithms for human motion detection in the presence of non-stationary environmental background noise. Human footstep forces on the ground/floor generate periodic broadband seismic and sound signals envelopes with two characteristic times, T 1 (the footstep repetition time, which is equal to the time of the whole body periodic vibrations) and T 2 (the footstep duration time, which is equal to the time interval for a single footstep from "heel strike" to "toe slap and weight transfer"). Human body motions due to walking are periodic movements of a multiple-degrees-of-freedom mechanical system with a specific cadence frequency equal to 1/T 1 . For a walking human, the cadence frequencies for the appendages are the same and lie below 3 Hz. Simultaneously collecting footstep seismic, ultrasonic, and Doppler signals of human motion enhance the capability to detect humans in quiet and noisy environments. The common denominator of in the use of these orthogonal sensors (seismic, ultrasonic, Doppler) is a signal-processing algorithm package that allows detection of human-specific time-frequency signatures and discriminates them using a distinct cadence frequency from signals produced by other moving and stationary objects (e.g. vehicular and animal signatures). It has been experimentally shown that human cadence frequencies for seismic, passive ultrasonic, and Doppler motion signatures are equivalent and temporally stable.
Stalking (obsessional following): A review of some preliminary studies

Obsessional following is a "stalking" behavior in which a person engages in an abnormal or long-term pattern of threat or harassment directed toward a specific individual. In a review of preliminary research during the past 20 years, the author finds 10 studies, all nonrandom samples of convenience, published between 1978 and 1995 in which obsessional followers charged with criminal behavior or investigated by law enforcement (N = 180) were identifiedAggregate data from these studies suggest that obsessional followers were likely to be males in their mid to late thirties with prior psychiatric and criminal histories. There was often a chronic history of failed heterosexual relationships and unemployment, but on average the subjects were more intelligent than other criminal offenders. Axis I mental disorders and Axis II personality disorders were common and varied. Approximately one-half of obsessional followers threatened the victims, but usually were not physicaUy violent. Frequency of any per- sonal violence, depending on the study, was 3-36%. Incidence of homicide was less than 2%. The author theorizes that obsessional followers, perhaps a subset of stalkers in general, evi- dence abnormal, "preoccupied" attachment patterns, their pursuit fueled by a disturbance in thei¢ narcissistic fantasy linking them to their victims. Such disruption is usually caused by an acute or chronic rejection that stimulates rage as a defense against shame.
Efficient electroblotting of human very-low-density lipoproteins and low-density lipoproteins from composite gradient gels to nylon membranes.

Abstract Rinsing of gradient composite acrylamide/agarose gels with 1 % Triton X-100 permits the efficient electrotransfer of very-low-density and low-density lipoproteins from the gels and does not appear to interfere with subsequent capture of the lipoproteins by charged nylon membranes. Overall efficiency of the transfer/capture process can approach 95% and does not appear to be significantly affected by total lipoprotein concentrations up to 5000 mg/dl. Direct immunoquantification of transferred apolipoproteins on the membrane is feasible as well. The nylon membranes used, however, must be pretested to ensure capture efficiency.
Identification of a selective small molecule inhibitor of breast cancer stem cells

A high-throughput screen (HTS) with the National Institute of Health-Molecular Libraries Small Molecule Repository (NIH-MLSMR) compound collection identified a class of acyl hydrazones to be selectively lethal to breast cancer stem cell (CSC) enriched populations. Medicinal chemistry efforts were undertaken to optimize potency and selectivity of this class of compounds. The optimized compound was declared as a probe (ML239) with the NIH Molecular Libraries Program and displayed greater than 20-fold selective inhibition of the breast CSC-like cell line (HMLE_sh_Ecad) over the isogenic control line (HMLE_sh_GFP).
Atrial Fibrillation Initiation in a Patient-Specific Cubic Hermite Mesh

The precise mechanisms by which atrial fibrillation (AF) initiates are poorly understood, though conduction block and wavebreak may contribute. Electrical mapping studies may improve our understanding of the mechanisms of AF; computational models of the atria may assist through improving data visualization, and simulation studies. We seek to test the hypothesis that localized conduction slowing precedes conduction block and fibrillation, and occurs in preserved anatomic locations amongst AF patients.A smooth, C1-continuous tricubic Hermite model of each atrium in a patient with AF who gave informed consent was constructed from computed tomography (CT) images. Electrical data were recorded with 64-unipole basket electrodes in each atrium. Local activation times were determined manually at each unipole, and fit as activation time fields to the endocardial surfaces. Activation patterns at lower rates (∼2 Hz) were unremarkable, but isochronal crowding on the medial aspect of the posterior left atrial wall occurred just before AF initiated at 220-millsecond paced cycle length (Figure, isochrone spacing of 5 millseconds). This case study suggests that regional conduction slowing may precede AF initiation, and further study may have implications for optimal ablation strategies.
Use of neuroendocrine markers, p53, and HER2 to predict response to chemotherapy in patients with stage III non-small cell lung cancer: a Cancer and Leukemia Group B study

Abstract Several studies have suggested that non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients whose tumors have neuroendocrine (NE) features may be more responsive to chemotherapy. In addition, increased expression of p53 and HER2 may confer relative chemotherapy resistance and shortened survival. The Cancer and Leukemia Group B performed a series of studies involving sequential chemotherapy followed by radiation for patients with unresectable stage III NSCLC. The objectives of this study were to analyze pathological specimens using immunohistochemistry for NE markers, p53 and HER2 to determine if there was a correlation between marker expression and response or survival. Of 160 eligible patients, 28 (18%) were not evaluable because of inadequate material. The percentage of specimens positive for markers was as follows: neuron-specific enolase 38%, Leu-7 2%, chromogranin A 0%, synaptophysin 5%, ⩾2+NE markers 3%, p53 61%, and HER2 65%. There was no statistically significant correlation between any individual marker and response to induction chemotherapy or response to combined chemotherapy/radiation except for synaptophysin. Six of 6 (100%) synaptophysin positive tumors responded by the completion of all therapy compared with 69/125 (55%) synaptophysin negative tumors ( P =0.04). None of the individual markers had a significant effect on survival in univariate analysis. Neuron-specific enolase was marginally significant in multivariate analysis ( P =0.08). In conclusion, this study did not demonstrate that expression of NE markers, p53 and HER2 were predictive of response to chemotherapy, combined chemotherapy/radiation or for survival in this group of patients with stage III NSCLC. Future studies must employ either different markers or be performed on more adequate surgical specimens.
X-ray absorption spectroelectrochemical cell for "in-situ" studies of thin films.

A thin layer X-ray absorption spectroelectrochemical cell is described. It is suitable for in-situ studies of thin films and has the advantage that both fluorescence and transmission measurements can be made at the same time so as to ensure accurate calibration of the X-ray energy. Use of the cell is demonstrated in a study of the structure of a nickel oxide material anodically deposited on a graphite substrate which contains multivalent nickel states and appears promising for use in the fabrication of ultracapacitors.
The amiloride-sensitive Na+/H+ exchange antiporter and control of intracellular pH in hippocampal brain slices

The intracellular pH, 7.54 ± 0.03 (mean ± S.D., n = 15), determined with the Neutral red method, of the hippocampal brain slice preparation under baseline incubation conditions is considerably more alkaline than the bath buffer pH. Neutralization by amiloride suggests that the alkalinity was due to Na+/H+ exchange antiporter activation. To characterize the brain Na+/H+ exchange antiporter we compared the inhibitory effects of MIA, amiloride and other 5-N substituted analogues on proton extrusion after acid loading by transient exposure to ammonium chloride in the isolated hippocampal brain slice preparation. The potencies of amiloride compounds on the initial recovery rate of intracellular pH after acid-loading were DMA > MIA > HMA = MHA ≥ IPA-HCl > IPA > MNPA = Amil > Benzamil. The greater potency of the 5-N substituted analogs of amiloride over amiloride and benzamil strongly suggest that Na+/H+ exchange antiporter is the mechanism responsible for alkalinization in the isolated hippocampal brain slice in vitro.
ROLE OF EICOSANOIDS IN REGULATING CAPILLARY PERFUSION: EVALUATION OF CAPILLARY BLOOD VOLUME WITH CONTRAST ULTRASOUND

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEU) can quantify tissue capillary blood volume (CBV). This technique has been used to study functional control of capillaries in response to metabolic stimuli. Increases in muscle CBV in response to insulin are partially regulated by nitric oxide (NO) release. However
The Effect of Piston Bowl and Spray Configuration on Diesel Combustion and Emissions

A numerical and experimental study of the effect of piston bowl and spray configuration on diesel combustion and emissions has been conducted. The objective of this study is to gain better understanding of the effect of the piston bowl shape and fuel injector configuration on fuel-air mixing, combustion, and emissions in a diesel engine. Ideally, a uniform fuel-air mixture in the cylinder is desired to prevent the formation of regions containing a rich mixture, where soot is usually formed, and regions of lean mixtures, where nitrogen oxides are formed. Different piston bowl shapes and fuel injectors (number of nozzles, spray angle) have been considered and simulated using computational fluid dynamics and experiments. CFD calculations of fuel mass fraction, and measurements of cylinder pressure and emissions species are included. The results show that computer simulations coupled with experiments provide insight into the interactions between fluid flow, fuel-air mixing, combustion, and emissions.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Laser-excited fluorescence and fluorescence probes for diagnosing bulk damage in cable insulation

Laser excited fluorescence (LEF) and fluorescence probes have been used to observe bulk damage in aged cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) insulation of power transmission cable. 'Water trees' in the shape of bow-ties (50 micrometers to 1 mm) and striations near the cable core were observed under a microscope when the aged XLPE samples were irradiated by an Argon-ion laser. Changes in the bulk fluorescence of samples subjected to various aging conditions were observed as well. XLPE samples could be bulk-stained by soaking them in solutions of fluorescent dyes such as rhodamine 6G, Acridine Yellow G, resorufin and Nile Red in order to probe and highlight defects under similar LEF conditions. Resorufin proved useful for preferential staining of the water-trees making them flagrantly visible. Rhodamine 6G and Acridine Yellow G soaked samples provided evidence of chemical and/or physical changes surrounding these trees: A halo arising from dye fluorescence quenching could be observed surrounding the trees. The chemical and spectroscopic properties of fluorescent probes may provide insight into chemical/physical features of observed defects.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Regulation of T-helper-cell lineage development by osteopontin: the inside story

Studies of osteopontin (OPN)-dependent regulation of immune responses have focused on the cytokine activities of the secreted form of this protein. Recent evidence has revealed that an intracellular form of OPN expressed by dendritic cells regulates the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the differentiation of T helper (T(H))-cell lineages. In this Opinion article, we discuss the properties of both OPN isoforms and their respective contributions to the immune response. We propose that cell-type-specific expression of secreted and intracellular OPN regulates the development of distinct effector T(H) cells, including that of T(H)1 and T(H)17 cells.
Thermal behavior of butterfat fractions and mixtures of tripalmitin and butterfat

The melting and crystallization behavior of blends of tripalmitin and butterfat were compared with that of butterfat fractions, which were prepared by dry fractionation and by solvent extraction. There were marked similarities in the behavior of the blends, the dry fractions and some solvent fractions. This similarity was not shared with the behavior of the hardest solvent fractions. The functionality or hard butterfat fractions seemed to derive from an enrichment in long-chain saturated triglycerides. Improved functionality could therefore be achieved equally well by blending or by fractionation. Blends of tripalmitin and butterfat could be used as model butterfat fractions, or as an alternative to butterfat fractions in some applications.
Studies on microbial protein synthesis with Azotobacter vinelandii as the test organism I. Incorporation of radioactive phosphate and sulfate into the resting cells in the presence of antibiotics and antimetabolites

The effects of the three antibiotics, chloramphenicol, streptomycin and penicillin and two antimetabolites, p-fluorophenylalanine and 8-azaguanine, on the synthesis of nucleic acid and protein in Azotobacter vinelandii were investigated by studying the kinetics of incorporation of radioactive phosphate and sulfate into the resting cells. The results are in general agreement with those obtained with other microorganisms and indicate that nucleic acid plays a direct part in protein synthesis and that the reverse phenomenon does not occur.
Chondroid hamartoma presenting as a neonatal nasal mass

We present a case of a 3-month-old female with a right nasal mass. Upon evaluation with computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and angiography, a large right intranasal mass extending through the cribiform plate, displacing the dura, was noted. The patient underwent a combined midfacial degloving and bifrontal craniotomy for complete resection of the tumor mass. Pathologic evaluation demonstrated a mesenchymal tumor with spindle and stellate cells from which islands of immature cartilage emerged. The spectrum of histologic features closely resembled a mesenchymal chondroid hamartoma typically located in the chest wall. It is the first reported case of a chondroid hamartoma of the head and neck in the literature to date. We examine the characteristics and treatment of this unusual tumor.
Closed-form solutions for linear regulator design of mechanical systems including optimal weighting matrix selection

Vibration in modern structural and mechanical systems can be reduced in amplitude by increasing stiffness, redistributing stiffness and mass, and/or adding damping if design techniques are available to do so. Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) theory in modern multivariable control design, attacks the general dissipative elastic system design problem in a global formulation. The optimal design, however, allows electronic connections and phase relations which are not physically practical or possible in passive structural-mechanical devices. The restriction of LQR solutions (to the Algebraic Riccati Equation) to design spaces which can be implemented as passive structural members and/or dampers is addressed. A general closed-form solution to the optimal free-decay control problem is presented which is tailored for structural-mechanical system. The solution includes, as subsets, special cases such as the Rayleigh Dissipation Function and total energy. Weighting matrix selection is a constrained choice among several parameters to obtain desired physical relationships. The closed-form solution is also applicable to active control design for systems where perfect, collocated actuator-sensor pairs exist.
Phase error correction for multiple planes using sharpness metrics

Phase errors introduced in the object beam of a digital hologram degrade the image quality of the object. We present computer simulations showing the effect of multiple planes of phase errors in the propagation path. By using a nonlinear optimization technique to maximize sharpness metrics, we show results that account for aberrations in multiple planes and correct anisoplanatic blur. This paper demonstrates this technique for two and three phase screens.