cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The clinical consequences of hemizygosity across 2 MB of 10q23 are restricted to Cowden syndrome

Cowden syndrome is caused by germline mutations in PTEN and clinically characterized by hamartomas, macrocephaly, classic dermatologic stigmata, and an estimated 85 % lifetime risk of female breast cancer. A young woman with macrocephaly, tricholemmomas, AV malformations, and mammary papillomatosis was found to be hemizygous for PTEN in her germline DNA. Using MLPA, comparative genomic hybridization, and DNA sequencing, we identified a 2-Mb deletion in chromosome 10 spanning 344-kb centromeric and 1.7-Mb telomeric of PTEN. Her father who has a clinical history including macrocephaly, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, colonic polyposis, acral keratoses, and goiter was also found to have the same deletion. In benign breast tissue from the hemizygous female, PTEN protein expression was significantly reduced in luminal and stromal cells but present in the myoepithelium. Compared with a typical papilloma of the breast which had intense cytoplasmic PTEN staining, the majority of the patient’s papilloma had significantly decreased PTEN expression while some cells had mislocalized perinuclear PTEN expression. In addition to PTEN, 22 other protein-coding genes were deleted including two predicted haploinsufficient genes and five additional genes that have previously been associated with hereditary predispositions to certain diseases. However, because all significant clinical features of the proband and her father are common to patients with genetic alterations in PTEN, the other 22 hemizygous protein-coding genes appear to be haplosufficient.
Strategic route extension in transit networks

This study proposes a methodology through which transportation analysts and policy makers can use spatial optimization to support strategic planning, with the goal of extending existing service networks. Based on modeling objectives common to many service industries, an approach is developed for integrating geographic information systems (GIS) and spatial optimization modeling in order to extend an existing transit system through prioritizing route and stop additions. Development of a strategic methodology such as this is vital for agencies interested in extending transit networks to accommodate urban growth and development. This is especially true in public transit applications, such as bus route planning, as the future of bus-based public transportation depends on the success of route expansion and modification. The developed approach is applied to the transit system in Columbus, Ohio.
Mentation on the immunological modulation of gastrointestinal motility

The immunological modulation of gastrointestinal motility is currently one of the most dynamic and fascinating areas of enteric research, as investigators are beginning to focus their studies on the pathophysiology of various gastrointestinal dysmotilities. The new fruits of this investigative initiative has resulted in the appearance of a fascinating series of articles which demonstrate that intestinal inflammatory events alter a distinct population of enteric neurons and that these alterations last long past the apparent resolution of the inciting event. Studies over the past few years have unequivocally demonstrated that the muscularis externa itself is an active and complex immunological compartment with unique features. The rodent muscularis externa is constitutively populated by a dense network of muscularis macrophages throughout the entire gastrointestinal tract. Although few other leukocytes are present in the rodent, the human muscularis is densely populated by both macrophages and mast cells. Postoperative ileus and endotoxin-induced ileus have turned out to be extremely useful rodent models to elucidate the importance of muscularis leukocytes in causing intestinal dysfunction. Using models of ileus, studies have demonstrated that a complex molecular inflammatory scenario is triggered within the muscularis externa, which consists of MAP kinase phosphorylation, transcriptior factor activation and the subsequent induction of various cytokines, chemokines and, importantly, smooth muscle inhibitory substances, such as nitric oxide and prostaglandins from iNOS and COX-2. This local molecular inflammatory milieu leads to leukocyte extravasation. Data suggests that the muscularis macrophage network is the conductor of the molecular and cellular inflammatory responses which causes ileus.
Schumpeter's Leadership Democracy

Schumpeter's redefinition of representative democracy as merely leadership competition was canonical in postwar political science. Schumpeter denies that individual will, common will, or common good are essential to democracy, but he, and anyone, I contend, is forced to assume these conditions in the course of denying them. Democracy is only a method, of no intrinsic value, its sole function to select leaders, according to Schumpeter. Leaders impose their views, and are not controlled by voters, and this is as it should be, he says. I respond that his leadership democracy is implausible, both descriptively and prescriptively. Competitive election is a necessary, but not a sufficient condition of democracy, not sufficient even for the limited empirical purpose of regime classification. Any adequate definition of democracy must make reference to the common will, the common good, and other values, I submit.
Theory of multicomponent chromatography a state-of-the-art report

Abstract Chromatography at high concentration and with large sample size, as desired for preparative separations, involves non-linear isotherms and interference of sorbable components with one another. Theoretical developments of the last fifteen years and their implications for separation methods are reviewed in the light of the concepts of wave propagation and coherence.
Identification of aerobactin genes in clinical isolates of E. coli using a non-radioactive DNA probe

Summary A digoxigenin-labelled gene probe was used for the identification of aerobactin genes in 21 E. coli strains from clinical isolates by means of a colony hybridization test. The results were compared with those obtained by previous hybridization experiments with radiolabeled DNA probes as well as with a crossfeeding-assay. It could be demonstrated that only after an additional proteinase K treatment of the filters before hybridization and after a repeated blocking during the immunological detection procedure, specific hybridization signals could be observed.
A Generalization of the Input-Output Pollution Control Model and Product Selection

The input-output pollution control model given in [1] is generalized. The generalization makes it easier for the model to handle many problem instances. A linear program is used to solve the new model. An example is given to show that the new model can handle classes of problems that the original model cannot handle.
Photoelectric measurement of lobster (homarus americanus) response to feed attractants

Abstract The apparatus described was designed to measure the speed and direction of lobster response to feed attractants with minimal observer influence on the test animal. Lobster activity was monitored in an 84 × 10 × 10 in (213 × 25 × 25 cm) plexiglas tank based on interruption of photoelectric cells. Impulses from the photocells trigger the pens of a 6-channel event recorder. During its operation the apparatus is covered with an opaque plastic sheet. Lobster behavior was such that the animals always settled in one of the chamber ends and the test material could be injected at the far end. The lobsters responded to a variety of test materials.
Representation of the Equatorial Stratospheric Quasi-Biennial Oscillation in EOF Phase Space

Abstract A 35-year record of monthly mean zonal wind data for the equatorial stratosphere is represented in terms of a vector (radius and phase angle) in a two-dimensional phase space defined by the normalized expansion coefficients of the two leading empirical orthogonal functions (E0Fs) of the vertical structure. The tip of the vector completes one nearly circular loop during each cycle of the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO). Hence, its position and rate of progress along the orbit of the point provide a measure of the instantaneous amplitude and rate of phase progression of the QBO. Although the phase of the QBO bears little if any relation to calendar month, the rate of phase progression is strongly modulated by the first and second harmonics of the annual cycle, with a primary maximum in April/May, in agreement with previous studies based on the descent rates of easterly and westerly regimes. A simple linear prediction model is developed for the rate of phase progression, based on the phase of the Q...
Mapping the 5' ends, 3' ends, and splice sites of mRNAs from the early E3 transcription unit of adenovirus 5.

Abstract Using nuclease gel analyses, the sites in the ∼4000 nucleotide (nt) E3 transcription unit of adenovirus 5 (Ad5) that encode the 5′ ends, 3′ ends, and 5′ and 3′ splice sites of the ∼10 E3 mRNAs were determined. Transcription initiation of all mRNAs occurs at two major (nt 1 and 8) and approximately two minor sites, situated 20–30 nt 3′ to a TATA box. There are two major 3′ end sites (nt 2227 and 3308), located ∼20 nt downstream from ATTAAA and an AATAAA sequences, respectively. Thus, ATTAAA, as well as the usual AATAAA,apparently can function as a 3' end signal. There are two 5′ splice sites (nt 372 and 923), both with ↓GT at the intron boundary. There are four 3′ splice sites (nt 766, 1817, 2201, and 2880), all with AG↓ at the intron boundary. The nt 1817, 2201, and 2880 3′ splice sites are located immediately upstream from open reading frames, such that splicing at the different sites allows synthesis of completely different proteins.
Dylan's back—again

With the release of his twenty-ninth album, "Empire Burlesque," Bob Dylan will most likely have to confront a real problem: the critics and die-hard Dylan fans will love it, but it won't sell that well. Today's rock fans are clearly too enamoured with Madonna and Tears for Fears to bother with' a middle-age rock star whose beginnings they have no knowledge of. Too bad; their loss is everyone else's gain. With this album, Dylan has firmly ensconced himself as songwriter and singer extraordinaire once again, twenty years after such classics as "Bringing It All Back Home," "Highway 61 Revisited," and "Blonde On Blonde." That Dylan means business here is self-evident. For the first time in an American released album, the lyrics are printed on the album sleeve. No more having to strain under headphones to discover the lyrics; no more having to wait for the publication of a songbook. Dylan sounds fully confident in these songs. He should be, since he has assembled a wealth of musicians, including the Jamaican rhythm duo of drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare, guitarists Ron Wood of the Rolling Stones and Mick Taylor, formerly of the Stones, and keyboardist Benmont Tench and guitarist Mike Campbell of Tom Petty's Heartbreakers. Top that off with the 12-inch dance king remix efforts of Arthur Baker and you have an album that not only speaks, but rocks like few Dylan albums ever have. Maybe the journey of this album has been signaled from previous albums, particularly 1983's brooding "Infidels," but certainly not this particular path. Alternating between love songs and political themes, "Empire Burlesque" is riddled with allusions and private symbolism giving the songs an eerie tone that is both playful, yet less ominous sounding than albums released during Dylan's born again Christian faze. Rather than beat his audience over the head with his views, Dylan is more subtle, using the rapier to draw blood. He even answers his critics, particularly on the album's final track, the haunting "Dark Eyes," accompanying himself on guitar and harmonica: "They tell me to be discreet for all intended purposes/They tell me revenge is sweet and from where they stand, I'm sure it is/But I feel nothing for their game where beauty goes unrecognized/All I feel is heat and flame and ajl
Temperature effect on sodium and chloride movements in larval Ambystoma gracile

Abstract o 1. Unidirectional sodium and chloride fluxes and net potassium loss were measured on animals acclimated to 5, 15 and 25°C. These measurements were also made on animals after acutely increasing or decreasing their temperature 10 or 20°C. 2. Na and Cl unidirectional fluxes are not affected the same by a 10 or 20°C increase in temperature. 3. Results are discussed in the light of postulated sodium-cation and chloride-anion exchanges.
In silico prediction of noncoding RNAs using supervised learning and feature ranking methods

We propose here a new approach for ncRNA prediction. Our approach selects features derived from RNA folding programs and ranks these features using a class separation method that measures the ability of the features to differentiate between positive and negative classes. The target feature set comprising top-ranked features is then used to construct several classifiers with different supervised learning algorithms. These classifiers are compared to the same supervised learning algorithms with the baseline feature set employed in a state-of-the-art method. Experimental results based on ncRNA families taken from the Rfam database demonstrate the good performance of the proposed approach.
Dietary Intervention and DEHP Reduction

Rudel et al. (2011) reported a surprising reduction in metabolites of bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) in their dietary intervention study, considering that—to the best of the industry’s knowledge—the plasticizer is no longer used in the food packaging products that the authors removed from the subjects’ dietary routine. Although we question the public health significance of a potential reduction of a few micrograms per liter of DEHP metabolites, we initially saw the study as having the potential to improve our understanding of how low-level exposure to DEHP, suggested by the presence of the metabolites, may be occurring. Unfortunately, in reviewing the Rudel et al. analysis more thoroughly, we were disappointed.
Foundations of multivariate inference using modern computers

Abstract Fisher suggested in 1930s algebraically structured pivot functions (PFs) whose distribution does not depend on unknown parameters. These pivots provided a foundation for (asymptotic) statistical inference. T.W. Anderson [Introduction to Multivariate Statistical Analysis, Wiley, New York, 1958, p. 116] introduced the concept of a critical function of observables, which finds the rejection probability of a test for Fisher's pivot. H.D. Vinod [J. Econometrics 86 (1998) 387] shows that V.P. Godambe's [Biometrika 78 (1985) 419] pivot function (GPF) based on Godambe–Durbin `estimating funtions' (EFs) from [Ann. Math. Statist. 31 (1960) 1208] are particularly robust compared to pivots by B. Efron and D.V. Hinkley [Biometrica 65 (1978) 457] and R.M. Royall [Internat. Statist. Rev. 54 (2) (1986) 221]. Vinod argues that numerically computed algebraic roots of GPFs based on algebraically scaled score functions can fill a long-standing need of the bootstrap literature for robust pivots. This paper considers D.R. Cox's [Biometrica 62 (1975) 269] example in detail and reports on a simulation for it. This paper also discusses new pivots for Poisson mean, binomial probability and normal standard deviation. We propose inference methods for a modified standard deviation designed to represent financial risk. In the context of regression problems, we propose and discuss Godambe-type multivariate pivots (denoted by GPF 2 ) which are asymptotically χ 2 .
Phytoplankton production, biomass and community structure following a summer nutrient pulse in Chesapeake Bay

Unusually high concentrations of NH4+ (up to 10 μM) were observed in the surface waters of polyhaline Chesapeake Bay during July 2000, supporting elevated rates of simulated in situ integrated primary production (4.6 g C m−2 day−1) and chlorophyll-a (chl-a) specific integrated primary production (56 mg C mg chl-a−1 day−1). These rates were the highest measured in the polyhaline Bay during a 5-year sampling program. Chl-a and the percent contribution of phytoplankton >20 μm to the total phytoplankton increased after the ammonium pulse. We hypothesize that increased wind-driven mixing and a tilting of the pycnocline caused by northeast winds combined to increase the transport of NH4+ from below the pycnocline to the surface water. Summer wind and chl-a data collected in the southern Bay between 1984 and 2000 revealed that chl-a was significantly higher 2 weeks after northeast winds than in years when no northeast wind occurred. Episodic peaks in NH4+ and primary productivity resulting from wind events lasting only a few days are poorly captured by traditional shipboard surveys, but may be detected if sampling is focused on periods when wind forcing favors enhanced NH4+ transport to the surface waters. This process of introduction of NH4+ to the surface water from sediments followed by enhanced primary productivity may help explain some of the phytoplankton blooms that are observed in the polyhaline Bay and other estuaries during summer months.
TH-C-204B-04: Assessing the Potential of Cerenkov Radiation for in Vivo Imaging of Tumor Hypoxia

Purpose: To assess whether in vivooptical imaging using Cerenkov radiation can (a) produce results that are comparable to those from microPET tumorimaging and (b) provide information that facilitates future dual‐tracer imaging experiments. Method and Materials: (a) Subcutaneous tumors were established by injecting HT‐29 human colon adenocarcinoma cells into the shoulders of 4 nude mice and were grown until they reached a volume of 1cm3. 200microCi of 18F‐EF5 was injected via intraperitoneal injection and 3 mice were imaged using microPET whilst the other was imaged in an IVIS Spectrum.Images were acquired immediately and 1 hour following injection on both machines using acquisition times of 10mins (PET) and 2mins (IVIS). (b) A mathematical model of the Cerenkov emission spectrum was developed and used to predict the ability of Cerenkov imaging to resolve signals from different tracers. Results: (a) In the initial PET and IVIS images the tracer signal was confined to the region of the gastrointestinal region and there was no accumulation in the tumor. After 1 hour both sets of images showed similar biodistribution throughout the body along with uptake in the tumor. (b) The model predicted that different radionuclides can be distinguished through an energy‐dependent red‐shift in their emission spectra leading to higher intensity signals in the optical spectrum.Conclusion: We have shown that 18F‐EF5 Cerenkov imaging of subcutaneous tumors can be performed optically. More specifically our results show that the biodistribution and tumor uptake observed using this technique is in agreement with the microPET data. Our modeling suggests that the spectral differences between radionuclides coupled with the differences in decay rates between tracers labeled with different radioisotopes could be used to develop techniques for separating signals from two tracers for surface‐level tumors thus potentially allowing multiple aspects of tumor biology to be imaged simultaneously.
Photomultiplier tube base for high pulsed anode currents

Abstract The stability of photomultiplier tube (PMT) gain for signal conditions of high pulsed anode currents requires a PMT base circuit capable of maintaining constant voltage to the last few dynodes for the pulse duration. For the experimental conditions at the Los Alamos Meson Physics Facility (LAMPF) with a macropulse duration of 500 μs at 120 Hz, conventional base circuits do not meet stability requirements. The new base circuit uses high voltage transistors to furnish pulse currents to the last four dynodes of the PMT from a single capacitor source which is recharged during the period between macropulses.
Efficient mapping of advanced signal processing algorithms on multi-processor architectures

Modern microprocessor technology is migrating from simply increasing clock speeds on a single processor to placing multiple processors on a die to increase throughput and power performance in every generation. To utilize the potential of such a system, signal processing algorithms have to be efficiently parallelized so that the load can be distributed evenly among the multiple processing units. In this paper, we study several advanced deterministic and stochastic signal processing algorithms and their computation using multiple processing units. Specifically, we consider two commonly used time-frequency signal representations, the short-time Fourier transform and the Wigner distribution, and we demonstrate their parallelization with low communication overhead. We also consider sequential Monte Carlo estimation techniques such as particle filtering, and we demonstrate that its multiple processor implementation requires large data exchanges and thus a high communication overhead. We propose a modified mapping scheme that reduces this overhead at the expense of a slight loss in accuracy, and we evaluate the performance of the scheme for a state estimation problem with respect to accuracy and scalability.
Design of Band-Notched Ultrawideband Square Aperture Antenna With a Hat-Shaped Back-Patch

A new square aperture antenna fed by a coplanar waveguide (CPW) is proposed for ultrawideband (UWB) applications. A corner-notched rectangular patch was printed on the backside of the substrate for enhancing the impedance bandwidth. Impedance matching for different ranges within the UWB can be easily obtained by adjusting the width and height of the back-patch, the distance from the back-patch to the lower edge of the aperture, and the size of the two notched corners in the back-patch. A rejected frequency band within the UWB was produced by embedding a pair of U-shaped slotlines in the back-patch. Measured and simulated results are presented along with simple design rules.
Uncertainty Quantification in Flood Inundation Mapping Using Generalized Likelihood Uncertainty Estimate and Sensitivity Analysis

AbstractThe process of creating flood inundation maps is affected by uncertainties in data, modeling approaches, parameters, and geoprocessing tools. Generalized likelihood uncertainty estimation (GLUE) is one of the popular techniques used to represent uncertainty in model predictions through Monte Carlo analysis coupled with Bayesian estimation. The objectives of this study are to (1) compare the uncertainty arising from multiple variables in flood inundation mapping using Monte Carlo simulations and GLUE and (2) investigate the role of subjective selection of the GLUE likelihood measure in quantifying uncertainty in flood inundation mapping. The role of the flow, topography, and roughness coefficient is investigated on the output of a one-dimensional Hydrologic Engineering Center–River Analysis System (HEC–RAS) model and flood inundation map for an observed flood event on East Fork White River near Seymour, Indiana (Seymour reach) and Strouds Creek in Orange County, North Carolina. Performance of GLUE ...
Distribution of viral antigen and tissue lesions in persistent and acute infection with the homologous strain of noncytopathic bovine viral diarrhea virus.

Viral distribution and lesions were compared between calves born with persistent infection (PI) and calves acutely infected with the same bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) isolate. Two PI calves from 1 dairy herd were necropsied. The PI viruses from these calves were isolated, characterized by sequencing, and found to be identical. This virus strain, designated BVDV2-RS886, was characterized as a noncytopathic (ncp) type 2 BVDV. To establish acute infections, BVDV2-RS886 was used to inoculate clinically healthy, seroneg- ative calves which were 3 weeks to 3 months old. Nine calves received 10 6 -10 7 tissue culture infective dose of BVDV2-RS886 intranasally. Four additional age-matched animals served as noninfected controls. Infected calves were necropsied at 3, 6, 9, or 13 days postinoculation (dpi). Viral antigen was detected by immunohis- tochemistry in frozen sections, and lesions were evaluated in hematoxylin eosin-stained paraplast sections. In the PI calves, a wide distribution of viral antigen was found in all tissues and was not associated with lesions. In the acutely infected calves, viral antigen was widespread in lymphoid tissues at 6 dpi but had been mostly eliminated at 9 and 13 dpi. Depletion of lymphoid tissues was seen at 6, 9, and 13 dpi and repopulation at 9 and 13 dpi. In 1 of the calves at 13 dpi, severe arteritis was present in lymph nodes and myocardium. This comparison shows that an ncp BVDV strain that causes no lesions in PI animals is able to induce marked depletion of lymphoid tissues in calves with acute infection. Therefore, the failure to eliminate PI cattle from a herd causes problems not only in pregnant cattle but may also affect other age groups.
Body Image And Eating Disorders, Over-Exercising, Body Dysmorphic Disorder And Other Health Concerns Effecting Student Athletes

Body image and eating disorders are a real issue amongst student athletes, especially females. Three of the most commonly known eating disorders are Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge Eating Disorder. This article describes these and several other health concerns effecting student athletes, how to identify them, and how and where to get the student athlete the professional help needed. As this article articulates and as the research shows, these disorders develop out of an athletes desire to fit a specific size, shape, or stereo-type. Coaches and parents need to be properly educated on all types of body image disorders as well as being proactive in their approach by educating athletes at a young age about the dangers of eating and over-exercise disorders and assuring them that they are at their peak performance when they are not partaking in these issues.
EXCHANGE RARE REGIMES AND EXTERNAL ADJUSTMENT: NEW ANSWERS TO AN OLD DEBATE

During the birth and infancy of the Bretton Woods system, the debate on exchange rate regimes was dominated by systemic arguments and concerns. The fathers of Bretton Woods believed that a centrally supervised system of fixed exchange rates was key for postwar prosperity, as it would shield international trade both from exchange rate volatility and from exchange rate manipulation by individual countries. Against this view, a classic 1953 article by Milton Friedman argued that exchange rate volatility was a symptom rather than a cause of economic imbalances. Fixing the exchange rate would not remove these problems but merely suppresses them, until they became so virulent that they erupted, in the form of a currency crisis, or painful domestic adjustment. Flexible exchange rates, in contrast, provided a mechanism for adjustment on an ongoing basis. “Changes in it occur rapidly, automatically, and continuously and so tend to produce corrective movements before tensions can accumulate and a crisis develop.” Friedman also argued that with good macroeconomic management, exchange rates were unlikely to be very volatile, and very unlikely to burden trade in goods and services, which in any case could avail itself from futures markets to hedge exchange rate risk. More than half a century after Friedman’s article, and over 30 years after the end of the Bretton Woods era, many of Friedman’s claims have been clearly proven either right or wrong. On the one hand, floating exchange rates did in fact turn out to be volatile—more so than Friedman anticipated. A celebrated article by Michael Mussa (1986) documented conclusively that flexible exchange rate regimes do indeed display much higher real exchange rate variability than pegged regimes—especially for advanced economies, where exchange rates were driven mainly by capital flows. On the other hand, Friedman turned out to be right in his conjecture that flexible exchange rates would, at most, impose a modest burden on trade. Although currency unions retained their fans and triumphed in continental
The influence of CEO self-monitoring on innovative capabilities and firm performance

CEOs play a critical role in fostering organizational innovation, which is widely considered a critical element for organizational survival, growth, and performance. CEO personality is emerging as ...
Automatic Verification of Pipelined Microprocessors

We address the problem of automatically verifying large digital designs at the logic level, against high-level specifications. In this paper, we present a methodology which allows for the verification of a specific class of synchronous machines, namely pipelined microprocessors. The specification is the instruction set of the microprocessor with respect to which the correctness property is to be verified. A relation, namely the β-relation, is established between the input/output behavior of the implementation and specification. The relation corresponds to changes in the input/output behavior that result from pipelining, and takes into account data hazards and control transfer instructions that modify pipelined execution. The correctness requirement is that the β-relation hold between the implementation and specification. We use symbolic simulation of the specification and implementation to verify their functional equivalence. We characterize the pipelined and unpipelined microprocessors as definite machines (i.e. a machine in which for some constant k, the output of the machine depends only on the last k inputs) for verification purposes. We show that only a small number of cycles, rather than exhaustive state transition graph traversal and state enumeration, have to be simulated for each machine to verify whether the implementation is in β-relation with the specification. Experimental results are presented.
Sources of elemental fractionation and uncertainty during the analysis of semi-volatile metals in silicate glasses using LA-ICP-MS

We investigate elemental fractionation and sources of analytical uncertainty during in situ determination of a range of semi-volatile trace metals (e.g., Cd, Sn, Pb, Zn, Cu, Mo) in silicate glasses using laser ablation-ICP-MS (LA-ICP-MS), and compare the performance of single-volume and two-volume ablation chambers. In a single-volume ablation chamber we document the differential response of volatile and refractory elements relative to 43Ca at different ablation sites within the ablation chamber as a primary source of analytical uncertainty. This fractionation is unrelated to interaction between the laser pulse and solid material during progressive ablation, but does correlate with the local He velocity at the position of analysis. Evidence suggests that fractionation relates to differences in behaviour of refractory and volatile elements during condensation from the laser-induced plasma, and interaction between condensate and the carrier gas. The dependence of fractionation on local He flow regime results in relatively poor reproducibility in 43Ca normalized ratios (up to ∼20%, 2 s) for a number of volatile metals as well as some with siderophile and chalcophile tendencies (e.g., B, Co, Cu, Zn, Mo, Ag, In, Sn, Sb, W, Pb). Fractionation of this type may be a major feature of many single-volume ablation chambers and also may occur in other instances where the He flow regime varies substantially with location in the ablation chamber. Analyses within a two-volume sample chamber, where the He flow rate at the site of ablation remains more uniform across the chamber, show no evidence for this style of elemental fractionation, and normalized ratios measured for volatile trace metals show reproducibilities for normalized ratios that are typically <10% (2 s).
A separating framework for increasing the timestep in molecular dynamics

In molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, the Newtonian equations of motion are solved numerically, and a space/time trajectory of the molecular system is obtained [1,2]. Typically, explicit integration algorithms are used: new positions and velocities for all atoms are computed in closed form through simple relations involving positions and velocities at previous steps. Standard explicit schemes are simple to formulate and fast to propagate, but they impose a severe restriction on the integration timestep size: Δt must resolve the most rapid vibrational mode [3]. This generally limits Δt to the femtosecond (10−15 s) range and the trajectory length to the nanosecond (10−9 s) range. This feasible simulation range is still very short relative to motions of significant biological interest.
Practical population group assignment with selected informative markers: Characteristics and properties of Bayesian clustering via STRUCTURE

Population stratification, which is caused by population genetic substructure (PGS), is a critical issue for the design and interpretation of genetic association studies. Methods to address this problem have been devised, but little is known at this point about practical genotyping requirements for resolving PGS based on different marker characteristics. In this report, we seek to (1) identify a small, practical marker set to differentiate African Americans (AAs) from European Americans (EAs), and (2) assess the impact of marker efficiency and sample size on clustering individuals into subgroups by the methods of STRUCTURE (Pritchard et al., [2000a] Genetics 155:945-959). A panel of 37 markers was genotyped for 865 individuals (640 EAs and 225 AAs) from the Northeastern United States. Among EAs, the assignment accuracy reached >99% using only the 4 most efficient markers. Among AAs, the assignment accuracy exceeded 95% when using the 6 most informative markers. Smaller sample size increased the variance in population differentiation, rather than degrading the results consistently. We conclude that the use of marker-efficiency measures for marker selection yielded a relatively small set of STR markers that were effective at differentiating EA and AA populations. The number of markers required is much lower than has been suggested in previous studies.
Stability of Sulfur Compounds on Venus

Abstract The abundances of the major sulfur compounds in the lower atmosphere of Venus have been calculated assuming equilibrium between the atmospheric gases and the mineral phases CaSO 4 , CaSiO 3 , SiO 2 , Fe 3 O 4 , FeS, and FeS 2 . Various combinations of these phases form stable assemblages under different conditions of oxidation while certain other assemblages are excluded. By analogy with Earth, it is expected that iron will be more abundant than sulfur in the Venus crust, and this should result in iron compounds controlling the degree of oxidation as well as the abundances of the sulfur compounds. Maximum surface fugacitied in atmospheres for the major sulfur species at the mean temperature of 700°K and all oxidation conditions are as follows: P S 2 ≈10 −3 , P SO 2 ≈10 1.6 , P SO 3 ≈10 −6 , and P H 2 S ≈ 10 −2.5 with P h 2 S the leat certain of these values.
PPL - an extensible language that failed

PPL, a conversational extensible language, has been running on the DEC PDP-10 for over a year now. Its applications have included: matrix, vector, polynomial, rational and complex arithmetic; formula, list, string, tree and graph manipulation; significant programs in real-time radar air traffic control simulation and parser generation for context-free languages; and a host of useful conversational tasks in population biology, algebra word problems and optimization of programs. Indeed, the parser for another extensible language(ECL) was generated in PPL(using the De Remer algorithm). PPL is now used by over 450 students in Harvard's introductory programming course. Needless to say, for me and a number of others, PPL is the preferred medium for writing programs and serves as an important and enjoyable tool of thought. To me, PPL is rich, highly versatile and easy to use As is the case for most other languages, PPL evokes both adoring remarks from its proponents and the usual scorn from its detractors. In analogy to the process of stellar evolution, if there is such a thing as a “main sequence” for the life of programming languages, PPL seems well launched on it (though programming languages probably die by fizzling out, not by exploding). Yet PPL is a failure. A few years ago, the vision of extensible languages held by some was that users could rapidly and cheaply extend the base of an extensible language to encompass the data, the operations, the notation and the control natural to many diverse application areas. In short, one was supposed to be able to manufacture personalized languages of reasonable efficiency and substantial utility with great ease just by applying some easily learned extension techniques. It was thought that just as programmers decree the organization of processes (by defining and calling subroutines),they should also decree appropriate organizations for data and for notation, in order to attain more clarity and efficiency.
Efficient Channel Search Algorithms for Cognitive Radio in a Multichannel System

In a cognitive radio (CR) network, secondary users (SUs) are allowed to opportunistically access a licensed spectrum that is not currently being occupied by primary users. This paper is concerned with the problem of how to quickly and accurately locate an unoccupied channel or determine that there is no unoccupied channel, from multiple (yet finite) candidate channels for a SU with a single detector. To design channel search algorithms, we propose a design criterion that minimizes average searching time subject to constraints on the error probabilities for a multichannel system. Relying on the proposed design criterion, we develop two efficient channel search algorithms that are based on a sequential application of the sequential probability ratio test and energy detection to the candidate channels.
A simplified design procedure for cascade form low-pass digital filters

A technique is presented for the design of cascade form recursive low-pass digital filters which can assist in minimizing the number of coefficient bits. Simple constraints on the pole positions due to filter coefficient quantization allow intuitive adjustments of pole positions to arrive at a desired frequency response function.
The impact of housing displacement on the mental health of low-income parents after Hurricane Katrina

Previous studies in the aftermath of natural disasters have demonstrated relationships between four dimensions of displacement - geographic distance from the predisaster community, type of postdisaster housing, number of postdisaster moves, and time spent in temporary housing - and adverse psychological outcomes. However, to date no study has explored how these dimensions operate in tandem. The literature is further limited by a reliance on postdisaster data. We addressed these limitations in a study of low-income parents, predominantly non-Hispanic Black single mothers, who survived Hurricane Katrina and who completed pre and postdisaster assessments (N = 392). Using latent profile analysis, we demonstrated three profiles of displacement experiences within the sample: (1) returned, characterized by return to a predisaster community; (2) relocated, characterized by relocation to a new community, and (3) unstably housed, characterized by long periods in temporary housing and multiple moves. Using regression analyses, we assessed the relationship between displacement profiles and three mental health outcomes (general psychological distress, posttraumatic stress, and perceived stress), controlling for predisaster characteristics and mental health indices and hurricane-related experiences. Relative to participants in the returned profile, those in the relocated profile had significantly higher general psychological distress and perceived stress, and those in the unstably housed profile had significantly higher perceived stress. Based on these results, we suggest interventions and policies that reduce postdisaster housing instability and prioritize mental health services in communities receiving evacuees.
Psychological factors, immunologic activation, and disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis

The purpose of this study was to use structural equation modeling techniques to examine potential interrelationships among psychological factors, im-munologic activation, and disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The subjects were 80 male patients with a diagnosis of classic or definite RA. Measures included the Beck Depression Inventory, the Arthritis Helplessness Index, and the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales (AIMS) pain score. Joint counts and immunophenotypic analyses of peripheral blood lyMPHocytes also were collected. Path analysis showed that percentage of HLA-DR+ cells in the peripheral blood and helplessness were related to join count. In addition, joint count had an effect upon depression. Depression had an effect upon pain, but there was no reciprocal effect of pain upon depression. This study describes a preliminary path model of interrelationships among psychological factors, immunologic activation, and disease activity in RA.
Sex‐Role Attitudes and Psychological Well‐Being

Sex-role concepts of 162 senior college women are explored in relationship to ego strength, happiness, and achievement plans. The majority of women believe it possible to assume the roles of wife and mother while concomitantly pursuing extra-familial interests. Neither happiness nor the establishing of relationships with men differentiated women traditional in sex-role orientation from women primarily interested in realizing their own potential. Differences in ego strength were found to be associated with plans for marriage and career: Subjects who obtained the highest ego-strength scores were actively pursuing both objectives. The latter finding suggests that ego strength may be negatively related to the adoption of the traditional female sex-role. The traditional conceptions of masculine and feminine are [assumed to be] inappropriate to the kind of world we can live in in the second half of the twentieth century. An androgynous conception of sex role means that each sex will cultivate some of the characteristics usually associated with the other in traditional sex role definitions … tenderness and expressiveness should be cultivated in boys and socially approved in men … [and] achievement need, workmanship and constructive aggression should be cultivated in girls and approved in women [Rossi, 1964, p. 608].
Feasibility study for non-metallic IED detection using forward-looking ground penetrating radar integrated with target feature classification

Recent IED strategies have adapted to conventional metal detection equipment by avoiding the use of metal in the IED. Therefore, in this paper, extracted polarization features of buried dielectric objects which represents non-metallic IED targets, were examined using a forward-looking GPR (FLGPR) configuration. The fully polarimetric backscattered data for the buried targets were numerically simulated using the FDTD simulation in Agilent's EmPro 3D EM software. Target features were calculated through post processing. Simulation results and extracted features of dielectric targets in FLGPR configuration will be presented in this paper.
Inactivation of E. Coli in Water Using Photocatalytic, Nanostructured Films Synthesized by Aerosol Routes

TiO2 nanostructured films were synthesized by an aerosol chemical vapor deposition (ACVD) method with different controlled morphologies: columnar, granular, and branched structures for the photocatalytic inactivation of Escherichia coli (E. coli) in water. Effects of film morphology and external applied voltage on inactivation rate were investigated. As-prepared films were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), and UV-VIS. Photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical inactivation of E. coli using as-prepared TiO2 films were performed under irradiation of UVA light (note: UVA has a low efficiency to inactivate E. coli). Inactivation rate constants for each case were obtained from their respective inactivation curve through a 2 h incubation period. Photocatalytic inactivation rate constants of E. coli are 0.02/min (using columnar films), and 0.08/min (using branched films). The inactivation rate constant for the columnar film was enhanced by 330% by applied voltage on the film while that for the branched film was increased only by 30%. Photocatalytic microbial inactivation rate of the columnar and the branched films were also compared taking into account their different surface areas. Since the majority of the UV radiation that reaches the Earth’s surface is UVA, this study provides an opportunity to use sunlight to efficiently decontaminate drinking water.
MECHANISMS CONTRIBUTING TO FLUID-FLOW-INDUCED CA2+ MOBILIZATION IN ARTICULAR CHONDROCYTES

We previously showed that fluid flow, which chondrocytes experience in vivo and which results in a variety of morphological and metabolic changes in cultured articular chondrocytes, can also stimulate a rise in intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i). However, the mechanism by which Ca2+ is mobilized in response to flow is unclear. In this study, we investigated the roles of intracellular Ca2+ stores, G-proteins, and extracellular ATP in the flow-induced Ca2+ response in bovine articular chondrocytes (BAC). Cells loaded with the Ca2+ sensitive dye Fura-2 were exposed to steady flow at 34 ml/min (37 dynes/cm2) in a parallel plate flow chamber. Whereas ryanodine and caffeine had no effect, both neomycin and thapsigargin significantly decreased the Ca2+i response to flow, suggesting a role for Ca2+ store release, possibly through an inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3)-dependent mechanism. Twenty-four-hour treatment with pertussis toxin also significantly decreased the response, suggesting that the mechanism may be G-protein regulated. In addition, ATP release by chondrocytes does not appear to mediate the flow-induced Ca2+ response because suramin, a P2 purinergic blocker, had no effect. These results suggest that BAC respond rapidly to changes in their mechanical environment, such as increased fluid flow, by a mechanism that involves IP3 stimulated Ca2+i release and G-protein activation. J. Cell. Physiol. 180:402–408, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.