cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Separation and characterization of venom components in Loxosceles reclusa--III. Hydrolytic enzyme activity.

Abstract Fractions 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9 of the prep-disc electrophoretic separation of Loxosceles reclusa spider venom showed enzymic activity toward the hydrolysis of indoxyl-acetate and were therefore considered as hydrolytic enzyme components in the spider venom. Fraction 5 was designated as a lipase due to its higher affinity for the longer chain synthetic substrates. Fraction 6 was designated as a nonspecific esterase due to its action on alkyl and phosphate esters. Fraction 9 was designated as the primary alkaline phosphatase activity in the venom. Electrophoretic assays revealed two venom protein bands exhibiting alkaline phosphatase and three venom proteins exhibiting esterase activity. Two of the bands were arylesterases and one was an aliesterase; acetylcholinesterase was not detected.
Elective coronary revascularization, an iatrogenic form of acute coronary syndrome: how can clinicians reduce the risks?

Widespread debate has recently been directed at the question of whether or not cardiac biomarkers such as creatine kinase or troponin T or I should be routinely measured in patients undergoing coronary revascularization. Whereas in the past the long-term consequences of biomarker elevations were ill defined, recent large cohort and clinical trial reports have solidified the short- and long-term prognostic importance of biomarker elevations in patients undergoing percutaneous or surgical coronary revascularization. On the basis of these reports, a legitimate question is whether routine sampling should now be done, and what are the causes and therapeutic responses that relate to this phenomenon? We critically review the literature regarding the prognostic implications of elevated biomarkers after coronary revascularization and make treatment recommendations on the basis of contemporary evidence.
CASTRATION AND THE GROWTH OF MUSCLES IN THE RAT

THE endocrine secretions of the testis influence the growth of certain muscles of the guinea pig out of proportion to the body weight (Papanicolaou and Falk, 1938; Kochakian, Humm and Bartlett, 1948; Scow and Roe, 1953; Kochakian et al., unpublished). Since this phenomenon is I an expression of the protein anabolic effect of androgens (Kochakian, 1946), it seemed that a similar phenomenon might be evident in the rat (Kochakian, 1950; Kochakian et al., 1950). PROCEDURE Rats of the Sprague-Dawley strain were castrated at 36–40 days of age. They were maintained in individual cages in an air-conditioned room kept at 25.5–26.6°C. and with constant artificial light 12 hours per day. They were fed ad libitum a prepared mixture in parts per 100 consisting of casein 16.7, yeast (Fleischmann's 2019) 9.2, sucrose 61.2, hydrogenated vegetable oil 7.4, celluflour 1.8, and Wesson's salts 3.7. In addition a daily supplement of one drop of cod liver oil (Patch's) and one drop of 34% tocopherol concentrate from wheat germ...
Nanopores: The art of sucking spaghetti.

Biomolecules are notorious for their unpredictable flexibility. Some of the smallest nanopores ever created are being used to manipulate individual DNA molecules, with far-from simple results.
Scalable Monte Carlo image synthesis

This paper describes a scalable photorealistic renderer that is designed to render scenes of arbitrary complexity on computer systems of arbitrary size. The rendering algorithm is a Monte Carlo method to compute approximate solutions of the rendering equation. The software implementation uses a diffusive load balancing method coupled with a message driven concurrent pipeline. Measured performance in rendering replicated models on up to 128 computers shows scaling efficiencies as high as 99%. Simple extensions will partition extremely large models across physically distributed memory as well as perform out-of-core calculations.
Acidification of soil-water in low base-saturated sand soils of the superior uplands under acid and normal precipitation.

Lakes and streams are acidified by direct precipitation and water channeled through nearby soils, but water in low base-saturation soils can produce highly acidic percolate after prolonged contact and subsequent degassing in surface waters. Theories advanced by Reuss (1983), Reuss and Johnson (1985), and Seip and Rustad (1984) suggest that soils with less than 15% base saturation are susceptible to soil-water pH depression of up to 0.4 unit, which is sufficient to cause negative alkalinity in soil solutions. High concentrations of mobile anions (notably sulfate) are responsible for the negative alkalinity and these solutions on CO2 degassing in surface waters can retain acidities equivalent to a pH value of 5.0 or less. This mechanism purports to explain why some lakes acidify when they are surrounded by acid soils and cation leaching is not required.
The Effect of Dopamine on Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone-Induced Prolactin Secretion In VitroM*

The direct effects on PRL release of acute changes in dopamine (DA) and TRH concentrations were measured in an in vitro perifusion system. Hemisected anterior pituitaries of lactating rats were perifused with medium that received a coinfusion of DA at 20 ng/ml. These tissues released PRL at 35% of the release rate of controls in the absence of DA. Interruption of the DA coinfusion for 9 min caused a 2-fold increase in PRL release, which was resuppressed when the DA treatment was resumed. During continuous DA exposure, TRH administration (10 ng/ml for 12 min) induced a gradual but slight increase in PRL release. However, when this TRH treatment was administered immediately after the end of the DA interruption, it evoked an immediate 2-fold increase in PRL release to 4 times the initial release rate in the presence of DA. This pronounced effect of TRH after the brief DA interruption was also observed when an 18 min interval was imposed between the two manipulations. During continuous coinfusion of DA at 100...
Flexibility measurement of domain-specific reconfigurable hardware

Traditional metrics used to compare hardware designs include area, performance, and power. However, these metrics do not form a complete evaluation of reconfigurable hardware. For these designs, flexibility is also a key issue, since it is the flexibility of reconfigurable hardware that allows it to implement a variety of circuits. Despite its importance, there is not yet an established method to measure flexibility. This paper explores the flexibility testing issue for domain-specific reconfigurable architectures. We discuss the concept of flexibility as it pertains to domain-specific architectures, and propose a flexibility testing technique involving synthetic circuit generation. This technique is then used to compare three different domain-specific architecture generation algorithms, demonstrating that the testing can in fact differentiate between architectures of differing levels of flexibility.
Cavernous lymphangioma of the lip: report of case

An early misdiagnosis of a lymphangioma results in an unusually late appearance of this lesion.
Nitrogen Placement and Tillage Effects on Dry Matter and Nitrogen Accumulation and Redistribution in Winter Wheat

Nitrogen losses observed with no-till practices when N fertilizer is surface broadcast prompted the need to reassess N fertilizer management practices for winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Field studies were conducted on Renfrow silt loam (fine-silty, mixed, thermic Udertic Paleustolls) from 1990 through 1993 near El Reno, OK, to determine the effects of N placement and tillage on dry matter accumulation, N uptake, and N redistribution in winter wheat. Tillage methods were moldboard plowing and no-till with standing stubble. Fertilizer (60 kg N ha -1 ) treatments were surface broadcast (BR) the same day as seeding, banded (8 to 10 cm below the soil surface) below the seed row (BL), banded between the rows (BT), and no N (control). Fall and spring aboveground dry matter and N were greater in plowed than in no-till treatments when precipitation was similar to or above the 24-yr average. Leaf N content was 8, 12, and 3% greater in BR, BL, and BT treatments, respectively, than in the control. Nitrogen accumulation rates (g m -2 d -1 ) in heads from anthesis to final harvest were 0.16 for BR, 0.17 for BL, 0.19 for BT, and 0.13 for the control. Final grain yield and grain N content were not affected by N placement in plowed plots. Under no-till, grain yield was improved by 32% for BL and 15% for BT, and grain N content was increased by 33% for BL and 25% for BT as compared with the BR treatment.
Characterization of Polyamines Having Agonist, Antagonist, and Inverse Agonist Effects at the Polyamine Recognition Site of the NMDA Receptor

The endogenous polyamines spermine and spermidine increase the binding of [3H]MK-801 to NMDA receptors. This effect is antagonized by diethylenetriamine (DET). We report here that spermine increases the rates of both association and dissociation of binding of [3H]MK-801, suggesting that it increases the accessibility of the binding site for MK-801 within the ion channel of the receptor complex. 1,10-Diaminodecane (DA10) inhibited the binding of [3H]MK-801. This effect was due to a decrease in the rate of association with no change in the rate of dissociation of [3H]MK-801. The effect of DA10 was not mediated by an action of DA10 at the binding sites for glutamate, glycine, Mg2+, or Zn2+, and was attenuated by DET. This suggests that DA10 acts at the polyamine recognition site. In hippocampal neurons the NMDA-elicited current was decreased by DA10, an effect opposite to that of spermine. The effects of spermine and DA10 were selectively blocked by DET. It is concluded that DA10 acts as a negative allosteric modulator or inverse agonist at the polyamine recognition site of the NMDA receptor.
Electroencephalographic-Video Monitoring in Neonates, Infants, and Children

Electroencephalographic (EEG)-video monitoring is a valuable tool in the evaluation and management of neonates, infants, and children suspected of having seizures or those with confirmed epilepsy. Monitoring may provide the basis for detection, characterization, and quantification of seizures in each of these age groups. The basic functional components of monitoring include: EEG, polygraphic measures, video, and synchronization devices that assure that all recorded modalities can be precisely correlated in time. Monitoring techniques may vary depending on patient age, clinical condition, and clinical questions to be addressed. Specially designed instrumentation is required to perform monitoring; however, the role of the technologist is central in conducting a study with maximum clinical yield in the most efficient manner. The clinical neurophysiologist must recognize the specific objectives of each monitoring study and appreciate the age-dependent features of the EEG and the types of clinical paroxysmal events that may occur at different ages. Neonates, infants, and older children all demonstrate special features to be considered in the conduct and analysis of EEG-video monitoring.
Acoustic measurement of areal densities of unsupported thin foils

Abstract A new non-destructive method for measuring the areal densities of unsupported thin foils has been developed. This method measures the additional time delay of an acoustic wave transmitted through air from source to receiver when a foil is introduced into the path. The delay depends only upon the areal density of the foil; it is independent of the foil's composition and is capable of absolute calibration in terms of the density of air, the absolute temperature, and fundamental constants. The apparatus is robust and makes no mechanical contact with the foil. The theory of the method is well known but does not seem to have been applied to this use previously. In practice the method has been used to measure areal densities in the range 10–85 μg/cm 2 , where the theory fits the experiment with no adjustable parameters. The measurement range may be adjusted by changing the acoustic frequency. The use of this method and some of its practical limitations are presented.
Constructing Genealogies of Teachers' Emotions in Science Teaching.

This article reports on a three-year ethnographic study with an experienced elementary science teacher and describes the role of her positive and negative emotions in constructing her science pedagogy, curriculum planning, and relationships with children and colleagues. Examples are offered of the different emotional experiences she related to her science teaching, and it is shown how insights from this research are useful and significant to researchers and educators who want to improve science teaching and learning. A conceptual and methodological framework developed by the author that is based on an interdisciplinary approach in researching emotions is presented. Finally, some implications of researching emotions for elementary science teacher education and science education reform are suggested. © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 39: 79–103, 2002
Evaporation of Coincident Protons in α+Ni 58 Reactions

A study has been made of nuclear reactions in which two or more protons are emitted, in the bombardment of nickel isotopes by alpha particles. The most extensive data were obtained for 32-Mev alpha particles, with a ${\mathrm{Ni}}^{58}$ target. A smaller amount of data were obtained at 27 and 42 Mev, and with ${\mathrm{Ni}}^{60}$ and ${\mathrm{Ni}}^{62}$ targets. The two protons were observed in a coincidence arrangement, using scintillation counter $\frac{\mathrm{dE}}{\mathrm{dx}}\ensuremath{-}E$ detectors. The energy correlations and distributions, the angular correlations and distributions and the yields were compared with predictions based on the statistical theory. There was extensive agreement, and therefore it is concluded that most of the observed events arise from evaporation from an excited compound nucleus. For ${\mathrm{Ni}}^{58}$ at 32 Mev, the cross section for compound nuclear events in which two or more protons are evaporated was found to be 560\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}50 mb which is over one third the total reaction cross section. This large cross section can be quantitatively understood in terms of the proton richness of the emitting compound nucleus. This conclusion follows from an analysis in which it is shown that the relative proton and neutron emission probabilities in other experiments (especially with 14-Mev incident neutrons) are strongly correlated with proton richness.
Neighborhood Volume for Bounded, Locally Self-Similar Fractals

We derive the formulas for neighborhood volume (Minkowski volume in d-dimensions) for fractals which have a curvature bias and are thus bounded. Both local surface fractal dimension and local mass fractal dimension are included as well as a radius of the neighborhood volume comparable with the size of the fractal. We consider two types of the neighborhood volumes: simplified and generalized, as well as the volumes below and above the fractal boundary. The formulas derived are generalizations of the equations for isotropic unbounded fractals. Based on the simplified-volume concept, we establish the procedure for calculating a distribution of physical quantities on bounded fractals and apply it to the distribution of trace elements in soil particles. Using the concept of the generalized volume, we show how an expectation value of a physical process can be calculated on bounded fractals, and apply it to the radon emanation from solid particles.
Growth and betaine formation in Medicago sativa tissue cultures

Abstract Static and suspension tissue cultures of Medicago sativa were initiated from sterile seedlings, excised roots and aerial portions of the seedlings. Flask suspension cultures containing chlorophyll were also established. The various tissues were harvested after 30 days, growth rates were determined, and the tissue was later lyophilized. The lyophilized tissues from various batches were extracted separately with 70% EtOH. The betaine mixture was isolated from these extracts and from seeds of the plant as their tetraphenylborate salts. The betaines were separated from the latter complex via ion exchange and column chromatography and were identified by standard procedures. All of the tissues, regardless of origin, produced choline. Only chlorophyllous tissue biosynthesized stachydrine.
Direct measurements of controlled aerodynamic forces on a wire-suspended axisymmetric body

A novel in-line miniature force transducer is developed for direct measurements of the net aerodynamic forces and moments on a bluff body. The force transducers are integrated into each of the eight mounting wires that are utilized for suspension of an axisymmetric model in a wind tunnel having minimal wake interference. The aerodynamic forces and moments on the model are altered by induced active local attachment of the separated base flow. Fluidic control is effected by an array of four integrated aft-facing synthetic jet actuators that emanate from narrow, azimuthally segmented slots, equally distributed around the perimeter of the circular tail end. The jet orifices are embedded within a small backward-facing step that extends into a Coanda surface. The altered flow dynamics associated with both quasi-steady and transitory asymmetric activation of the flow control effect is characterized by direct force and PIV measurements.
Aromatic hydroxylation of salicylic acid and aspirin by human cytochromes P450.

Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) is a well-known and widely-used analgesic. It is rapidly deacetylated to salicylic acid, which forms two hippuric acids—salicyluric acid and gentisuric acid—and two glucuronides. The oxidation of aspirin and salicylic acid has been reported with human liver microsomes, but data on individual cytochromes P450 involved in oxidation is lacking. In this study we monitored oxidation of these compounds by human liver microsomes and cytochrome P450 (P450) using UPLC with fluorescence detection. Microsomal oxidation of salicylic acid was much faster than aspirin. The two oxidation products were 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (gentisic acid, documented by its UV and mass spectrum) and 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid. Formation of neither product was inhibited by desferrioxamine, suggesting a lack of contribution of oxygen radicals under these conditions. Although more liphophilic, aspirin was oxidized less efficiently, primarily to the 2,5-dihydroxy product. Recombinant human P450s 2C8, 2C9, 2C19, 2D6, 2E1, and 3A4 all catalyzed the 5-hydroxylation of salicylic acid. Inhibitor studies with human liver microsomes indicated that all six of the previously mentioned P450s could contribute to both the 5- and 3-hydroxylation of salicylic acid and that P450s 2A6 and 2B6 have contributions to 5-hydroxylation. Inhibitor studies indicated that the major human P450 involved in both 3- and 5-hydroxylation of salicylic acid is P450 2E1.
Greener pathways for energy-intensive commodity chemicals: opportunities and challenges

The chemical industry is poised for significant growth and investment, which presents an opportunity for adoption of greener chemical technologies. This article reviews available and emerging technologies for reducing the fossil fuel demand associated with the ammonia, ethylene, methanol, propylene, and benzene, toluene, and xylenes (BTX) industries. These few energy-intensive commodity chemicals (EICCs) account for around half of the energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of the global chemical industry. Available data are harmonized to characterize potential energy use and GHG emissions savings, while technical and economic barriers to adoption are discussed. This information sheds light on the status of future technological options for reducing the impacts of the chemicals industry, and provides quantitative data to industry analysts and policy makers seeking a greater understanding of such options for EICCs.
Effects of anomalous transport on the potentials of discrete auroral arcs

The evolution of U-shaped double layers in discrete auroral arcs occurs much faster than the global current in the arc flux tube can be redistributed. For asymptotic stability of the arc on MHD time scales, this implies that local transport mechanisms are required to charge the nearly field-aligned flanks of the equipotential structure over an extended region along the magnetic field. The diversion of the uniform upstream current provides a constraint which limits the double-layer potential.
Androgen concentration by a sexually dimorphic population of tachykinin-immunoreactive neurons in the rat ventral premammillary nucleus

Abstract Strong connections with sexually dimorphic nuclei suggest that the ventral premammillary nucleus (PMv) may be involved in the mediation of reproductive behavior. Steriod autoradiography and immunohistochemistry were used to show that: (i) there is a sex difference in the numbers of PMv neurons that contain tachykinin peptides, (ii) dihydrotestosterone concentrating cells are densely distribution in the PMv and about a quarter of these also contain immunoreactive tachykinin and, (iii) size of the immunoreactive tachykinin population does not respond to alterations in levels of gonadal steroids in adulthood. Thus the PMv appears to make a contribution to the regulation of sexual behavior through androgen-concentrating, tachykinin-containing pathways that are anatomically distinct from estrogen receptive circuitry.
Science Signaling Podcast: 16 December 2008

This conversation is about research highlighted in the Editors’ Choice summary titled “Under Cover.” The highlighted articles are C. Xu, E. Gagnon, M. E. Call, J. R. Schnell, C. D. Schwieters, C. V. Carman, J. J. Chou, K. W. Wucherpfennig, Regulation of T cell receptor activation by dynamic membrane binding of the CD3e cytoplasmic tyrosine-based motif. Cell 135 , 702–713 (2008); and M. S. Kuhns, M. M. Davis, The safety on the TCR trigger. Cell 135 , 594–596 (2008).
Contribution of Transcription Factor Binding Site Motif Variants to Condition-Specific Gene Expression Patterns in Budding Yeast

It is now experimentally well known that variant sequences of a cis transcription factor binding site motif can contribute to differential regulation of genes. We characterize the relationship between motif variants and gene expression by analyzing expression microarray data and binding site predictions. To accomplish this, we statistically detect motif variants with effects that differ among environments. Such environmental specificity may be due to either affinity differences between variants or, more likely, differential interactions of TFs bound to these variants with cofactors, and with differential presence of cofactors across environments. We examine conservation of functional variants across four Saccharomyces species, and find that about a third of transcription factors have target genes that are differentially expressed in a condition-specific manner that is correlated with the nucleotide at variant motif positions. We find good correspondence between our results and some cases in the experimental literature (Reb1, Sum1, Mcm1, and Rap1). These results and growing consensus in the literature indicates that motif variants may often be functionally distinct, that this may be observed in genomic data, and that variants play an important role in condition-specific gene regulation.
High-performance ion-exchange chromatography of proteins: The current status

Abstract Ion-exchange chromatography of proteins and peptides has been most successfully achieved historically on hydrophilic gel matrices. The poor mechanical strength of these organic gels has necessitated the development of new supports for high-performance separations. High-performance supports are of three types: totally inorganic, totally organic, and composite inorganic-organic materials. Several ionic species such as diethylaminoethyl ethanol and poly-ethylene imine have been used as stationary phases with similar results. Pore-diameter selection has been shown to be important in both resolution and loading capacity. Capacity is maximum for proteins of 50 to 100 kilodaltons on 300-A-pore-diameter supports. Maximum resolution of high-molecular-weight species also requires macroporous supports. Interestingly, column length is of minor importance in the resolution of proteins. Columns of 5-cm length have approximately the same resolution as those of 30-cm length. Application of high-performance ion-exchange chromatography to a variety of protein mixtures has now been reported. These supports generally give recoveries of enzyme activity equivalent to the classical supports.
Posttraumatic Headache: Surgical Management of Supraorbital Neuralgia

Background Supraorbital neuralgia is a distinct clinical entity that presents with episodic, often unilateral, long-lasting attacks of moderate to severe frontal pain. This may ensue following a traumatic or surgical insult to the supraorbital or supratrochlear nerve. Surgical management of these patients is only sporadically discussed in the available literature. Methods The authors report a series of six consecutive patients undergoing surgical excision of the supraorbital and supratrochlear nerves on the affected side for refractory posttraumatic or postoperative supraorbital neuralgia. End-to-end nerve coaptation by means of a neural tube conduit was used to prevent future neuroma formation. Success was defined as a 50 percent or greater reduction of preoperative pain level. Results Five of six patients demonstrated at least a 50 percent reduction in pain. Three patients experienced complete pain cessation postoperatively. There was one treatment failure. Pain was measured using a visual analogue pain scale. Preoperative average pain was 9.16 +/- 1.3 and postoperative average pain was 1.5 +/- 1.9, an improvement of 7.7 points or 84 percent (p = 0.03). Mean age of the patients was 42 years. Mean follow-up was 14 months. No surgical complications occurred. Conclusion Excision of the supraorbital and supratrochlear nerves with end-to-end coaptation of the proximal nerve stumps by means of a neural tube appears to be an effective treatment in selected patients with chronic, posttraumatic supraorbital neuralgia.
Table tilt: making friends fast

Social capital implies that social networks have value. It is therefore important that when a person is at an academic conference, they must strive to build a strong professional social network for themselves. This can be difficult for many academic conference attendeees. We present Table Tilt, a two-minute ice-breaker game for 2--6 players with iPhones or iPods, that was built to facilitate team building and help individuals build social capital. Table Tilt leverages human sociality and game rules to promote communication and teamwork.
WLAN and WPAN coexistence in UL band

Wireless local- and personal-area networks provide complimentary services in the same unlicensed (UL) radio frequency band of operation. As the mutual benefits of utilizing these services become increasingly apparent, the likelihood of mutual interference may also increase. A method was developed for examining wireless services coexistence in order to evaluate the impact that interference may have on network performance. The methodology for the analysis was centered on deriving a closed-form solution for the probability of collision Pr[C] in terms of the network and radio propagation parameters. In addition, a set of measures of performance was derived based on Pr[C]. In this fashion, the network performance was investigated in regards to the presence of interference. The approach was then illustrated by examining the coexistence between 802.11b and Bluetooth UL band wireless services and summarizing the impact on network performance.
Applying matrix quantization to isolated word recognition

A new approach to isolated word recognition is examined. This approach is based on an extension of vector quantization speech coding, called matrix quantization speech coding, that was developed by Tsao and Gray. In this new approach, a codebook containing a set of time-ordered-sequences of speech spectra represents each vocabulary word. A word is recognized by encoding it with each codebook and classifying the input word according to the codebook that yields the smallest distortion. On the digits, this approach achieved a speaker independent recognition accuracy greater than 98%. The approach is described, experimental results are presented, and comparisons with vector quantization based approaches are given.
A Framework for Modeling Decision Making and Deception with Semantic Information

We propose a mixed logical and game theoretic framework for modeling decision making under the potential for deception. This framework is most appropriate for online communities in which a decision maker must act upon information being provided by various sources with various different motivations. We show that in the simple three-player game we propose there are always equilibria in pure strategies. We then extend the three player game to a case where there are mixed strategy equilibria. We discuss how to approximate the truth of a given statement using a logical construct and how this can be used as a proxy in payoff functions. Finally we discuss as future directions the use of regret functions and live play.
On Channel Reliability Measure Training for Multi-Camera Face Recognition

Single-camera face recognition has severe limitations when the subject is not cooperative, or there are pose changes and different illumination conditions. Face recognition using multiple synchronized cameras is proposed to overcome the limitations. We introduce a reliability measure trained from examples to evaluate the inherent quality of channel recognition. The recognition from the channel predicted to be the most reliable is selected as the final recognition results. In this paper, we enhance Adaboost to improve the component based face detector running in each channel as well as the channel reliability measure training. Effective features are designed to train the channel reliability measure using data from both face detection and recognition. The recognition rate is far better than that of either single channel, and consistently better than common classifier fusion rules
Does in vivo catastrophizing engage descending modulation of spinal nociception

Abstract Prior research has found that pain catastrophizing measured before pain testing is not correlated with the nociceptive flexion reflex (NFR) threshold (a measure of spinal nociception), suggesting that catastrophizing does not alter pain through descending modulatory mechanisms. However, recent evidence suggests that in vivo catastrophizing (measured during or after pain testing) is a better predictor of pain outcomes. In the present study, NFR threshold and pain sensation ratings were assessed in 78 healthy participants by delivering electric stimulations to the sural nerve. After pain testing, participants were asked to rate their affective reaction (displeasure, arousal) to electric stimuli and to report on their pain catastrophizing. Hierarchical regression analyses controlling for participant sex, pre-experiment affect, depressive symptoms, and self-efficacy were used to predict pain-related outcomes (NFR threshold, pain sensation, displeasure ratings, arousal ratings) from in vivo catastrophizing scores. Results indicated that in vivo catastrophizing was related to pain sensation but not to NFR thresholds or arousal reactions. The relation between in vivo catastrophizing and displeasure ratings was not significant after other variables were controlled. These data support prior research suggesting that catastrophizing does not alter pain by engaging descending modulatory mechanisms. Perspective Pain catastrophizing is an important psychological predictor of pain and pain-related functioning. The present study confirms prior reports suggesting that catastrophizing does not work by engaging mechanisms that alter pain transmission in the spinal cord before the signal travels to the brain.
The ovary of Fundulus heteroclitus

Scanning and transmission electron microscopy, together with dissection and light microscopy, have produced heretofore unavailable structural detail of the ovary of Fundulus heteroclitus. Structural and functional interrelationships among developing follicles and other histological elements, particularly as they might relate to vascularization of follicles, oocyte development, and ovulation, are described and discussed. Mature eggs, ovulated into the ovarian lumen, accumulate in the posterior "ovisac" region of the ovary prior to oviposition. This "ovisac" region is thin-walled and apparently nongerminal. The temporary retention of ovulated eggs permits cyclical oviposition even though oogenesis and ovulation are asynchronous. The histological differences between the ovisac and the anterior ovigerous of the ovary are described. The lumenal epithelium of the ovisac displays a localized population of unusual cells with long cytoplasmic extensions. The ultrastructure of these cells suggests that they might function in the transport of ovulated eggs into the oviduct and/or in secreting the substance ("jelly") which forms the surface coat of extruded eggs.
A New FDTD Formulation for Wave Propagation in Biological Media With Cole–Cole Model

The finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method has been widely used to simulate the electromagnetic wave propagation in biological tissues. The Cole-Cole model is a formulation which can describe many types of biological tissues accurately over a very wide frequency band. However, the implementation of the Cole-Cole model using the FDTD method is difficult because of the fractional order differentiators in the model. In this letter, a new FDTD formulation is presented for the modeling of electromagnetic wave propagation in dispersive biological tissues with the Cole-Cole model. The Z-transform is used to represent the frequency dependent dielectric properties. The fractional order differentiators in the Cole-Cole model is approximated by a polynomial. The coefficients of the polynomial are found using a least-squares fitting method
Reflections on Roberta Lamb, Social Actor

I first learned of Roberta Lamb and her research when I reviewed a paper for the Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS) in the summer of 1998. The paper presented preliminary fi...
Complicating Race: The Relationship between Prejudice, Race, and Social Class Categorizations

Although racial stereotyping and prejudice research have received considerable attention, the important element of social class has been largely excluded from social psychological research. Using the Statement Recognition Procedure, two experiments investigated social categorization along race and social class dimensions, the influence of racial and social class prejudice on these categorizations, and differences between White and Black perceivers. Analyses conducted at the subtype of race and social class memberships demonstrated differing patterns of categorization based on subtype membership. For example, lowerclass Black targets were primarily categorized by race, whereas middle-class Black targets were primarily categorized by social class. The results demonstrate the importance of considering social class membership independent of and in conjunction with race. Theoretical and methodological implications regarding the study for race and social class categorizations are discussed.
Estimation of Nonlinear Functionals of Densities With Confidence

This paper introduces a class of k-nearest neighbor (k-NN) estimators called bipartite plug-in (BPI) estimators for estimating integrals of nonlinear functions of a probability density, such as Shannon entropy and Renyi entropy. The density is assumed to be smooth, have bounded support, and be uniformly bounded from below on this set. Unlike previous k-NN estimators of nonlinear density functionals, the proposed estimator uses data-splitting and boundary correction to achieve lower mean square error. Specifically, we assume that T i.i.d. samples Xi ϵ Rd from the density are split into two pieces of cardinality M and N, respectively, with M samples used for computing a k-NN density estimate and the remaining N samples used for empirical estimation of the integral of the density functional. By studying the statistical properties of k-NN balls, explicit rates for the bias and variance of the BPI estimator are derived in terms of the sample size, the dimension of the samples, and the underlying probability distribution. Based on these results, it is possible to specify optimal choice of tuning parameters M/T, k for maximizing the rate of decrease of the mean square error. The resultant optimized BPI estimator converges faster and achieves lower mean squared error than previous k-NN entropy estimators. In addition, a central limit theorem is established for the BPI estimator that allows us to specify tight asymptotic confidence intervals.
Bayesian auxiliary particle filters for estimating neural tuning parameters

A common challenge in neural engineering is to track the dynamic parameters of neural tuning functions. This work introduces the application of Bayesian auxiliary particle filters for this purpose. Based on Monte-Carlo filtering, Bayesian auxiliary particle filters use adaptive methods to model the prior densities of the state parameters being tracked. The observations used are the neural firing times, modeled here as a Poisson process, and the biological driving signal. The Bayesian auxiliary particle filter was evaluated by simultaneously tracking the three parameters of a hippocampal place cell and compared to a stochastic state point process filter. It is shown that Bayesian auxiliary particle filters are substantially more accurate and robust than alternative methods of state parameter estimation. The effects of time-averaging on parameter estimation are also evaluated.
Flow control in high-speed communication networks

Flow control within a virtual circuit on a high-speed network is modeled using fluid-flow queues with a fixed propagation delay for each channel. Data from other virtual circuits are modeled as disturbances of the available service capacities. The resulting dynamics are shown to form a linear hybrid system. This model allows the design of flow control mechanisms on a mathematical basis. Simulation results show a marked improvement over window flow control for a single channel, and a marginal improvement over window flow control for a virtual circuit of three tandem channels. >
Mid-infrared spectroscopy for detection of Huanglongbing (greening) in citrus leaves

In recent years, Huanglongbing (HLB) also known as citrus greening has greatly affected citrus orchards in Florida. This disease has caused significant economic and production losses costing about $750/acre for HLB management. Early and accurate detection of HLB is a critical management step to control the spread of this disease. This work focuses on the application of mid-infrared spectroscopy for the detection of HLB in citrus leaves. Leaf samples of healthy, nutrient-deficient, and HLB-infected trees were processed in two ways (process-1 and process-2) and analyzed using a rugged, portable mid-infrared spectrometer. Spectral absorbance data from the range of 5.15-10.72 μm (1942-933 cm(-1)) were preprocessed (baseline correction, negative offset correction, and removal of water absorbance band) and used for data analysis. The first and second derivatives were calculated using the Savitzky-Golay method. The preprocessed raw dataset, first derivatives dataset, and second derivatives dataset were first analyzed by principal component analysis. Then, the selected principal component scores were classified using two classification algorithms, quadratic discriminant analysis (QDA) and k-nearest neighbor (kNN). When the spectral data from leaf samples processed using process-1 were used for data analysis, the kNN-based algorithm yielded higher classification accuracies (especially nutrient-deficient leaf class) than that of the other spectral data (process-2). The performance of the kNN-based algorithm (higher than 95%) was better than the QDA-based algorithm. Moreover, among different types of datasets, preprocessed raw dataset resulted in higher classification accuracies than first and second derivatives datasets. The spectral peak in the region of 9.0-10.5 μm (952-1112 cm(-1)) was found to be distinctly different between the healthy and HLB-infected leaf samples. This carbohydrate peak could be attributed to the starch accumulation in the HLB-infected citrus leaves. Thus, this study demonstrates the applicability of mid-infrared spectroscopy for HLB detection in citrus.
Formation of Textile Structures for Giant-Area Applications

Recently, textile machine manufacturers introduced to the market significant technological advances. Examples of such advances are higher speeds, higher level of automation, new concept of jacquard weaving that enables control of individual warp threads, CAD systems, and wider machines than seen before. This paper reviews the new development of formation systems of textile structures with emphasis on technologies that enables the production of giant-area fabrics. The review includes broad range of technologies (weaving, knitting, needlepunching, hydroentanglement, meltblowing, etc.). Additionally, the paper sheds the light on the potential of the textile technologies to manufacture electrotextile fabric structures.
Combined MR data acquisition of multicontrast images using variable acquisition parameters and K-space data sharing

A new technique to reduce clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan time by varying acquisition parameters and sharing k-space data between images, is proposed. To improve data utilization, acquisition of multiple images of different contrast is combined into a single scan, with variable acquisition parameters including repetition time (TR), echo time (TE), and echo train length (ETL). This approach is thus referred to as a "combo acquisition." As a proof of concept, simulations of MRI experiments using spin echo (SE) and fast SE (FSE) sequences were performed based on Bloch equations. Predicted scan time reductions of 25%-50% were achieved for 2-contrast and 3-contrast combo acquisitions. Artifacts caused by nonuniform k-space data weighting were suppressed through semi-empirical optimization of parameter variation schemes and the phase encoding order. Optimization was assessed by minimizing three quantitative criteria: energy of the "residue point spread function (PSF)," energy of "residue profiles" across sharp tissue boundaries, and energy of "residue images." In addition, results were further evaluated by quantitatively analyzing the preservation of contrast, the PSF, and the signal-to-noise ratio. Finally, conspicuity of lesions was investigated for combo acquisitions in comparison with standard scans. Implications and challenges for the practical use of combo acquisitions are discussed.
Modulation of Insulin Receptor Substrate-1 Tyrosine Phosphorylation and Function by Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase

Increased serine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) has been observed in several systems to correlate with a decreased ability of the insulin receptor to tyrosine-phosphorylate this endogenous substrate and to inhibit its subsequent association with phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. In the present studies we have examined the potential role of the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase in the increased serine phosphorylation of IRS-1 observed in human embryonic kidney cells treated with an activator of protein kinase C, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate. First, recombinantly produced kinase was shown to phosphorylate intact IRS-1 in a way that decreased the ability of isolated insulin receptor to phosphorylate the tyrosines recognized by the SH2 domains of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. Second, an inhibitor of MAP kinase activation, PD98059, blocked the phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-induced inhibition of the insulin-stimulated increase in IRS-1 associated phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. Third, activation of MAP kinase in intact cells via a regulatable upstream kinase, a RAF:estrogen receptor construct, could also inhibit the insulin-stimulated increase in IRS-1-associated phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. Fourth, an in gel kinase assay showed that MAP kinase was the primary renaturable kinase in cell extracts capable of phosphorylating an IRS-1 fusion protein. Finally, IRS-1 was found to associate in coprecipitation studies with endogenous MAP kinase. These studies implicate MAP kinase as one of the kinases capable of phosphorylating and regulating IRS-1 tyrosine phosphorylation.
Ultrasound diagnosis of traumatic partial triceps tendon tear in the emergency department.

A 20-year-old man was a restrained front-seat passenger involved in a rollover motor vehicle accident that included a secondary impact with a tree. On arrival to the emergency department (ED), the patient was noted to be clinically intoxicated. He was complaining of pain in multiple areas including the face, neck, abdomen, and right upper extremity. The patient denied any past medical history, surgical history, illegal drugs, or current prescription medications. A full review of systems was negative for any significant findings.
Race modifies the association between breast carcinoma pathologic prognostic indicators and the positive status for HER-2/neu.

BACKGROUND Inferences about the variations in the biology of breast carcinoma between African-Americans and Caucasians have been reported. The difference in the prevalence of positive HER-2/neu breast carcinoma was evaluated and the race-specific risk was assessed for positive HER-2/neu among a cohort of women diagnosed with their first primary breast carcinoma, given the accepted prognostic pathologic indicators for positive HER-2/neu status. METHODS Demographic, clinical, and pathologic data were collected from existing databases. The status of HER-2/neu was considered positive if the immunohistochemistry score was 3+ or if the fluorescent in situ hybridization indicated a ratio greater than 2. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine the race-specific risk for HER-2/neu positive breast carcinoma. RESULTS The difference in the prevalence of HER-2/neu-positive status between African-American and Caucasian women was not statistically significant (P = 0.46). For Caucasian women the likelihood for positive HER-2/neu was statistically significant and increased almost linearly within each stage with nuclear grade dedifferentiation relative to the reference group, women with Stage 1, Grade 1 carcinomas. For African-American women, this risk was not significantly associated with stage, nuclear grade, their interaction term, or other pathologic prognostic indicators. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that race modifies the association between the pathologic prognostic indicators of breast carcinoma and the likelihood of HER-2/neu-positive carcinoma. So far, clinical correlative studies of HER-2/neu have not included race as an independent variable. Concerns about the limited generalizability and the need for validation of the findings across racial lines have been expressed previously. Cancer 2005. © 2005 American Cancer Society.