cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Search, similarity, and integration of features between and within dimensions

Three experiments test the claim that conjunction search is difficult only because the target resembles each distractor, whereas the distractors are highly discriminable from each other. The results show that when similarity is controlled, there is an additional difficulty created by the need to conjoin features. In addition, a target with standard values (blue and vertical) is found more easily than targets with nonstandard values (e.g., violet and tilted). Similarity may result in shared components in the functional codes that represent the targets and the distractors. A hypothesis that is based on coarse coding of features values relates the difficulty of feature search with nonstandard targets to problems in coding conjunctions of features within dimensions. Consistent with this account, illusory targets are reported not only in the usual conjunction displays but also in displays containing different features that may share the same underlying components.
Changes in DNA content of rat tracheal epithelial cells during neo-plastic progression in vitro

Flow cytometric DNA analysis was used to compare nuclear DNA content of carcinogen-induced F-344 rat tracheal epithelial cell lines as they progressed from non-tumorigenic (preneoplastic) to tumorigenic (neoplastic) populations in vitro. All of the tracheal epithelial cell lines established from carcinogen-treated tracheas showed increases in nuclear DNA content as compared to normal cell populations. For five cell lines, measurements were made during the preneoplastic state as well as after conversion to the neoplastic state. Four of the five cell lines showed a major shift in DNA content as the culture progressed from preneoplastic to neoplastic populations. However, there was no consistent change in DNA content as cultures progressed to neoplastic populations in vitro. Two cell lines showed shifts to higher levels as the cultures became tumorigenic, while two showed shifts to lower levels. Additionally two cell lines (3F3 and 165D) had DNA distribution profiles indicative of mixed cell populations during the neoplastic phase. These studies demonstrate that the transition from preneoplastic tracheal epithelial cells to neoplastic populations is often associated with a change in DNA content, and would suggest that the malignant cell type emerges as a new cell type from preneoplastic progenitor populations.
Controlling interlayer exchange coupling in one-dimensional Fe/Pt multilayered nanowire

We report a first-principles density-functional study of interlayer exchange coupling (IEC) in one-dimensional Fe/Pt multilayered nanowire. The magnetic moment of the interfacial Fe atom in the Fe/Pt multilayered nanowire is found to be higher than that of the Fe atom away from the interface. A mechanism based on multistep electron transfer between the layers and spin flip within the layer is proposed to explain the magnetic-moment enhancement at the interface. The calculated IEC and magnetoresistance are found to switch signs as the width of the nonmagnetic Pt spacer varies. Depending on the width of the Pt spacer, the competition among short- and long-range direct exchanges, indirect Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida exchange, and superexchange is found to be responsible for the nonmonotonous feature in IEC.
NEW TACTICS FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES: REGIMENS BASED ON INTERMEDIATE-ACTING INSULIN TAKEN AT BEDTIME

In type 2 diabetes mellitus, achieving normal fasting plasma glucose concentrations is probably more important than control of postprandial concentrations. It is suggested that, for some patients, treatment based on intermediate-acting insulin taken at bedtime will have more success than conventional regimens in lowering fasting, and thereby mean, plasma glucose concentrations, without causing hypoglycaemia.
The effect of river pulsing on sedimentation and nutrients in created riparian wetlands.

Sedimentation under pulsed and steady-flow conditions was investigated in two created flow-through riparian wetlands in central Ohio over 2 yr. Hydrologic pulses of river water lasting for 6 to 8 d were imposed on each wetland from January through June during 2004. Mean inflow rates during pulses averaged 52 and 7 cm d -1 between pulses. In 2005, the wetlands received a steady-flow regime of 11 cm d -1 with no major hydrologic fluctuations. Thirty-two sediment traps were deployed and sampled once per month in April, May, June, and July for two consecutive years in each wetland. January through March were not sampled in either year due to frozen water surfaces in the wetlands. Gross sedimentation (sedimentation without normalizing for differences between years) was significantly greater in the pulsing study period (90 kg m -2 ) than in the steady-flow study period (64 kg m -2 ). When normalized for different hydrologic and total suspended solid inputs between years, sedimentation for April through July was not significantly different between pulsing and steady-flow study periods. Sedimentation for the 3 mo that received hydrologic pulses (April, May, and June) was significantly lower during pulsing months than in the corresponding steady-flow months. Large fractions of inorganic matter in collected sediments indicated that allochthonous inputs were the main contributor to sedimentation in these wetlands. Organic matter fractions of collected sediments were consistently greater in the steady-flow study period (1.8 g kg -1 ) than in the pulsed study period (1.5 g kg -1 ), consistent with greater primary productivity in the water column during steady-flow conditions.
Introduction: vascular neurosurgery.

This issue of Neurosurgical Focus comes at an exciting and perhaps transformational time for those neuroscientists and clinicians involved in the study and treatment of complex cerebrovascular disease. Our diagnostic and therapeutic practices have seen dramatic advances. Imaging capabilities, both anatomical and functional, have improved at a dramatic rate and include neuronavigation modalities for intraoperative guidance, the application of new MR imaging sequences to cerebrovascular disease, and fluorescence angiography to aid in intraoperative decision making.
Social Support, Assimilation and Biological Effective Blood Pressure Levels.

This study explores the role of social support on blood pressure levels among a sample of immigrants. The measure of blood pressure used is biological effective blood pressure, a mathematically tra...
The Impact of Personal Identity and Racial Identity on Drug Attitudes and Use among African American Children

The purpose of this study was to empirically test for a positive relationship between the two components of the self-system and to determine the relative contribution of each component to drug use ...
Derivation of adipocytes from human embryonic stem cells.

Human embryonic stem (hES) cells are undifferentiated and pluripotent cells that hold great therapeutic potential, but are hampered by our limited knowledge to promote specific cell differentiation. Here we provide the first report of the directed differentiation of hES cells into adipocytes. Embryoid bodies (EBs) derived from hES cells are shown to respond to factors that promote adipogenesis. Differentiated cells were observed that displayed the key features of adipocytes, i.e., expression of specific molecular markers, such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ2 (PPARγ2), adipocyte fatty acid binding protein (aP2) and adiponectin, the secretion of leptin, and the accumulation of lipid droplets in cytoplasm. Taken together, our results demonstrate that adipocytes derived from hES cells in vitro can provide a novel model system to study human adipogenesis and obesity.
Role of Soil Health in Maintaining Environmental Sustainability of Surface Coal Mining

Mountaintop coal mining (MCM) in the Southern Appalachian forest region greatly impacts both soil and aquatic ecosystems. Policy and practice currently in place emphasize water quality and soil stability but do not consider upland soil health. Here we report soil organic carbon (SOC) measurements and other soil quality indicators for reclaimed soils in the Southern Appalachian forest region to quantify the health of the soil ecosystem. The SOC sequestration rate of the MCM soils was 1.3 MgC ha–1 yr–1 and stocks ranged from 1.3 ± 0.9 to 20.9 ± 5.9 Mg ha–1 and contained only 11% of the SOC of surrounding forest soils. Comparable reclaimed mining soils reported in the literature that are supportive of soil ecosystem health had SOC stocks 2.5–5 times greater than the MCM soils and sequestration rates were also 1.6–3 times greater. The high compaction associated with reclamation in this region greatly reduces both the vegetative rooting depth and infiltration of the soil and increases surface runoff, thus bypa...
Multisplines, nonwavelet multiresolution, and piecewise polynomials

Multisplines provide a method to get piecewise polynomial representations that zoom in on details. Since they use multiple spline-based multiresolution simultaneously, they offer control on the polynomial order (of the piecewise polynomials) as well as the number of continuous derivatives. We explore some of the properties of multisplines and their relationship to piecewise polynomials. We show that instead of using wavelets to transcend resolutions, we can use the even translates of the scaling function.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Rotundity of Orlicz Spaces

Abstract Rotund Orlicz spaces and Orlicz spaces that contain isomorphic copies of l ∘ and c o are characterized in the class of Orlicz spaces over measure spaces that are not purely atomic.
Prediction Instruction in Basal Readers.

Abstract This study investigated prediction instruction in three basal reader series, at grade levels 1, 3, and 5. Instructional materials were examined within a framework which was developed from theoretical analyses and empirical research related to prediction strategies. The framework Included (our parameters of prediction Instruction: use of prior knowledge In prediction, source of prediction, locus of prediction, and monitoring of prediction. Differences In prediction instruction within and between basal reader series were investigated using a series of chi‐square analyses. Results Indicate that there are significant differences In the four parameters of prediction instruction between the basal reader series and within basal reader series at different grade levels. Results also Indicate that many basal reader materials do not contain explicit definitions of predictions, nor do they provide rationale statements related to prediction instruction. Implications for prediction instruction in basal readers...
Geographical and temporal variation in response to insecticides in various life stages of Aphis gossypii (Homoptera: Aphididae) infesting cotton in California.

Five California populations of cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover, ere tested for variability in their responses to the organophosphorus insecticides oxydemeton-methyl, chlorpyrifos, and dicrotophos; the pyrethroid biphenate; and the chlorinated hydrocarbon endosulfan. In the dipped-leaf contact bioassay, alatiform nymphs were significantly more tolerant to all five insecticides compared with apterous adults. A subsequent geographical survey for resistance with single discriminating concentrations revealed that 6 of 13 earlyseason A. gossypii populations had significantly greater survival when exposed to one or more of the organophosphates or endosulfan than the other populations. These populations were collected primarily from the eastern range of the major cotton-growing region of California. A survey of aphid response to pesticides over time showed that survival declined in some of the populations as the season progressed. Populations that had significant survival at the discriminating concentrations as adults also showed improved survival of offspring exposed to residues.
Visual form perception is a function of the visual cortex

Rats prepared with serial visual-cortical ablations can relearn the horizontal-vertical stripes discrimination problem if given interoperative training. However, they fail to discriminate between obliquely oriented stripes. The findings are discussed in relation to the concept that pattern perception is completely dependent upon the integrity of cortically related systems. Furthermore, the criteria for constructing pattern discriminanda are outlined, and reasons are presented for abandoning some of the classical stimuli used to test form perception in striate-extra-striate preparations.
The Poetry of Decline

Thinking about the politics of this poem, well-discussed by others in this forum, drew me to compare it directly to Brodsky's "Stikhi o zimnei kampanii 1980-go goda" ("Lines on the Winter Campaign, 1980," 1980). It contains many signature themes and rhetorical flourishes from the early 1980s, a tremendously productive time for the poet. The haunting formulation of his 1980 "Ekloga 4-ia (zimniaia)" ("Eclogue IV: Winter"), "Vremia est' kholod" ("Time equals cold"),' is transformed in this poem into an equation between northern invaders and the deadly cold they bring to the emotionally warmer people they attack. It is winter during the invasion, and bullets careen through cold air seeking warmth in the musculature of bodies below. The mechanics of war are described with a precision we might think cool: the grotesque metaphor for a tank engaged in mine clearance refuses to sentimentalize incalculable loss.
Rotational stochastic resonance

We demonstrate the concept of stochastic resonance in optically induced rotations and discuss its applications for optimizing the effects of optical torques on small anisotropic particles and optically bound systems of particles.
Radio Observations of SN 1979C: Evidence for Rapid Presupernova Evolution

We present new radio observations of the supernova SN 1979C made with the Very Large Array (VLA) at 20, 6, 3.6, and 2 cm from 1991 July to 1998 October, which extend our previously published observations (Weiler et al.), which began 8 days after optical maximum in 1979 April and continued through 1990 December. We find that the radio emission from SN 1979C has stopped declining in flux density in the manner described by Weiler et al. and has apparently entered a new stage of evolution. The observed "flattening," or possible brightening, of the radio light curves for SN 1979C is interpreted as due to the supernova shock wave entering a denser region of material near the progenitor star and may be indicative of complex structure in the circumstellar medium established by the stellar wind from the red supergiant (RSG) progenitor.
On the LTI properties of adaptive feedforward systems with tap delay-line regressors

It is shown that an adaptive system whose regressor is formed by tap delay-line (TDL) filtering of a multitone sinusoidal signal is representable as a parallel connection of a linear time-invariant (LTI) block and a linear time-varying (LTV) block. A norm-bound (induced 2-norm) is computed explicitly on the LTV block and is shown to decrease as N/sup -1/, where N is the number of taps. Hence, the adaptive system becomes LTI in the limit as the number of taps goes to infinity. In the more realistic case where the number of taps N is finite, the new "LTI plus norm-bounded perturbation" representation renders, for the first time, the adaptive system analyzable by standard robust control methods.
Injection efficiency of bound modes

Previous work on efficiency of light injection into the core of a fiber from a thin film and a bulk distribution of sources in the cladding have used the fields of a weakly guiding fiber. This approximation simplifies the analysis of the power efficiency by introducing universal values for the eigenvalues of different fibers with the same V-number, but cannot predict accurately the behavior of the injected light into a fiber with arbitrary differences in indices of refraction. The exact field solution was used in the expressions of the power efficiency, p sub eff, and its behavior as a function of the fiber parameter was analyzed. Weakly guiding results obtained previously are confirmed. However, P sub eff does not always increase with the V-number but with the difference in the indices of refraction, eta sub core-eta sub clad. For the bulk distribution it was found that P sub eff increases with the wavelength, lambda, and decreases with the fiber core radius, a, i.e., it decreases with the V-number. However, for the thin film, the P sub eff remains almost constant with lambda and the fiber core radius.
Neuroplastic adaptations to exercise: neuronal remodeling in cardiorespiratory and locomotor areas

Neuronal activity has been shown to be attenuated in cardiorespiratory and locomotor centers of the brain in response to a single bout of exercise in trained (TR) vs. untrained (UN) animals, but the mechanisms remain obscure. Based on this finding, dendritic branching patterns of seven brain areas associated with cardiorespiratory and locomotor activity were examined in TR and UN animals. Twenty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats were kept in individual cages and divided into TR and UN. TR were provided with a running wheel and exercised spontaneously. After 85 or 120 days, exercise training indexes were obtained, including maximal oxygen consumption, percent body fat, resting heart rate, and heart weight-to-body weight ratios. The brain was removed and processed according to a modified Golgi-Cox procedure. Impregnated neurons from seven brain areas were examined in coronal sections: the periaqueductal gray, posterior hypothalamic area, nucleus of the tractus solitarius, rostral ventrolateral medulla, cuneiform nucleus, nucleus cuneatus, and cerebral cortex. Neurons were traced using a camera lucida technique and analyzed using the Sholl analysis of dendritic branching. t-tests were conducted to compare the mean number of intersections per neuron by grouping inner rings and outer rings and also comparing the total number of intersections per animal. There were significant differences between groups in the posterior hypothalamic area, periaqueductal gray, cuneiform nucleus, and nucleus of the tractus solitarius in the inner rings, outer rings, and the total number of intersections per animal. Our results show that dendritic fields of neurons in important cardiorespiratory and locomotor centers of the brain are attenuated in TR animals.
Islet-Derived Fibroblast-Like Cells Are Not Derived via Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition From Pdx-1 or Insulin-Positive Cells

As recent studies suggest that newly formed pancreatic β-cells are a result of self-duplication rather than stem cell differentiation, in vitro expansion of β-cells presents a potential mechanism by which to increase available donor tissue for cell-based diabetes therapies. Although most studies have found that β-cells are resilient to substantial in vitro expansion, recent studies have suggested that it is possible to expand these cells through a process referred to as epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). To further substantiate such an expansion mechanism, we used recombination-based genetic lineage tracing to determine the origin of proliferating fibroblast-like cells from cultured pancreatic islets in vitro. We demonstrate, using two culture methods, that EMT does not underlie the appearance of fibroblast-like cells in mouse islet cultures but that fibroblast-like cells appear to represent mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-like cells akin to MSCs isolated from bone marrow.
Evolution of H5 subtype avian influenza A viruses in North America

The phylogenetic relationships of the hemagglutinin (HA) and non-structural (NS) genes from avian influenza (AI) H5 subtype viruses of North American origin are presented. Analysis of the HA genes of several previously uncharacterized isolates from waterfowl and turkeys provided clear evidence of significant sequence variation and existence of multiple virus clades or sub-lineages, maintained in migratory waterfowl. Phylogenetic analysis of NS gene sequences further demonstrated multiple sub-lineages and also demonstrated re-assortment of two NS alleles in wild duck populations. Based on currently available HA1 gene sequences, at least four clades exist with waterfowl isolates included in three of the four groups. The most genetically unstable of these sub-lineages is composed of recent poultry isolates from the outbreak of AI in Central Mexico. This group of viruses, which replicated unabated in chickens for at least 16 months, exhibited an increased rate of mutation in both the HA and NS gene. Comparison of the HA1 sequence data for all available North American H5 subtype viruses demonstrated minimal variation both in and around the amino acids predicted to be involved in the HA receptor binding site. The sequences also revealed that migratory waterfowl, live poultry market chicken, and turkey isolates uniformly lack a glycosylation site at amino acid 236 in the HA protein which is present in commercial chicken isolates.
A framework for organizing cancer-related variations from existing databases, publications and NGS data using a High-performance Integrated Virtual Environment (HIVE).

Years of sequence feature curation by UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot, PIR-PSD, NCBI-CDD, RefSeq and other database biocurators has led to a rich repository of information on functional sites of genes and proteins. This information along with variation-related annotation can be used to scan human short sequence reads from next-generation sequencing (NGS) pipelines for presence of non-synonymous single-nucleotide variations (nsSNVs) that affect functional sites. This and similar workflows are becoming more important because thousands of NGS data sets are being made available through projects such as The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and researchers want to evaluate their biomarkers in genomic data. BioMuta, an integrated sequence feature database, provides a framework for automated and manual curation and integration of cancer-related sequence features so that they can be used in NGS analysis pipelines. Sequence feature information in BioMuta is collected from the Catalogue of Somatic Mutations in Cancer (COSMIC), ClinVar, UniProtKB and through biocuration of information available from publications. Additionally, nsSNVs identified through automated analysis of NGS data from TCGA are also included in the database. Because of the petabytes of data and information present in NGS primary repositories, a platform HIVE (High-performance Integrated Virtual Environment) for storing, analyzing, computing and curating NGS data and associated metadata has been developed. Using HIVE, 31 979 nsSNVs were identified in TCGA-derived NGS data from breast cancer patients. All variations identified through this process are stored in a Curated Short Read archive, and the nsSNVs from the tumor samples are included in BioMuta. Currently, BioMuta has 26 cancer types with 13 896 small-scale and 308 986 large-scale study-derived variations. Integration of variation data allows identifications of novel or common nsSNVs that can be prioritized in validation studies. Database URL: BioMuta: http://hive.biochemistry.gwu.edu/tools/biomuta/index.php; CSR: http://hive.biochemistry.gwu.edu/dna.cgi?cmd=csr; HIVE: http://hive.biochemistry.gwu.edu.
The new look in lamp bases

THERE are many uses for aluminum in the lamp industry. For example, it is the reflecting coating on all lamps of the sealed beam type; it is used in some lamps as a powder for its beneficial effect on lamp performance, and in the manufacture of a heat-reflecting disk to reduce the base and socket temperatures in some lamp designs. But by far the largest amount of the material is employed in its newest use, the manufacture of bases. This paper is a discussion of data and tests on aluminum as it performs as a base-making material.
Calculating disability-adjusted-life-years lost (DALYs) in discrete-time

Disability-adjusted-life-years lost (DALYs) is a common outcome metric for cost-effectiveness analyses, and the equations used for such calculations have been presented previously by Fox-Rushby and Hanson (see, e.g., “Health Policy and Planning 16:326–331, 2001”). While the equations are clear, the logic behind them is opaque at best for a large share of public health practitioners and students. The objective of this paper is to show how to calculate DALYs using a discrete time formulation that is easy to teach to students and public health practitioners, is easy to apply for those with basic discounting skills, and is consistent with the discounting methods typically included on the costing side of cost-effectiveness analysis. A continuous-time adjustment factor is derived that can be used to ensure exact consistency between the continuous and discrete time approaches, but this level of precision is typically unnecessary for cost-effectiveness analyses. To illustrate the approach, both a new, simple example and the same example presented in Fox-Rushby and Hanson are used throughout the paper.
Green tissue-specific production of a microbial endo-cellulase in maize (Zea mays L.) endoplasmic-reticulum and mitochondria converts cellulose into fermentable sugars

BACKGROUND: Commercial conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to fermentable sugars for biofuels and chemical byproducts uses relatively expensive bulk production of biologically active cellulase enzymes, which could alternatively be achieved by using solar energy for direct production of these enzymes within feedstock crop cellulosic biomass. RESULTS: The Acidothermus cellulolyticus endo-cellulase E1 has been produced in transgenic maize plants. This heterologous enzyme was specifically targeted for accumulation into two sub-cellular compartments, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) or mitochondria of plant leaves and stalks. Furthermore, successful use of this maize-produced heterologous cellulase in converting cellulose into fermentable sugars for biofuels, has been confirmed. CONCLUSIONS:Green-specificexpressionofcellulasesinmaizeplantscanavoidpubliccontroversiesassociatedwithproduction of transgene products in maize seeds and/or pollen. Sub-cellular targeting of cellulases may result in better expression of transgene products because these compartments, specially ER, normally contain molecular chaperones that enhance protein folding and there the biological activity. Also, using solar energy to produce cellulases within crop cellulosic biomass can replace the costly process of cellulase production in microbial bioreactors, and therefore, save costs. c � 2008 Society of Chemical Industry
Evaluating the Impact of Criterion-Referenced Measurement on Remediation Decisions

The state of Georgia initiated the use of a criterion-referenced test to identify students in need of academic remediation. Remediation efforts were to be mandated to foster performance on the state's minimal competency test, which is required for graduation. This paper examines the relations among criterion-referenced test scores, subsequent predicted remediation need decisions, and actual performance, without remediation, on the minimal competency test. The results indicate that an excessively large number of students would be required to be remediated who subsequently (without remediation) successfully passed the minimal competency test. Special emphasis is placed on the procedures used to establish cutoff standards and the occurrence of classification errors. Recommendations concerning the use of criterion-referenced tests for classification decisions are presented.
Supercontinuum generation in an As 2 Se 3 -based chalcogenide PCF using four-wave mixing and soliton self-frequency shift

We theoretically find a bandwidth of 4 µm can be generated using four-wave mixing and soliton self-frequency shift in an As 2 Se 3 -based chalcogenide PCF with an air-hole-diameter-to-pitch ratio of 0.4 and a pitch of 3 µm.
Measuring Language Attitudes: The Speech Evaluation Instrument:

This paper describes investigations in the measurement of listeners' evaluations of spoken language. Lack of integration in research in this area has been due in part to the numerous measurement in...
A Practical Algorithm for Solving Dynamic Membrane Equations

Many investigators work with the Hodgkin-Huxley model of membrane behavior or extensions thereof. In these models action potentials are found as solutions of simultaneous non-linear differential equations which must be solved using numerical techniques on a digital computer. Recent membrane models showing pacemaker activity, such as that of McAllister, Noble, and Tsien, involve solutions covering long periods of time, up to fisve seconds, and many ionic currents. Those added requirements make it desirable to have an efficient algorithm to minimize computer costs, and a systematic and simple solution method to keep the program writing and debugging to manageable levels.
NEW SPECIES OF NEW WORLD LEPTOHYPHINAE (EPHEMEROPTERA: TRICORYTHIDAE)

The genera Leptohyphes Eaton and Tricorythodes Ulmer are confined to the New World, and the Nearctic limits of Leptohyphes has been extended from Texas to Maryland and Utah. Useful nymphal characters are presented for both genera, and descriptions and figures are included for 22 new species of Leptohyphes Eaton, and 7 new species of Tricorythodes Ulmer.
Proliferation Decrease in the Olfactory Epithelium during Postnatal Developmenta

: Olfactory sensory cells are replaced continuously throughout the life of an animal. In postnatal rats proliferation density decreases dramatically, and continues to decrease into adulthood at least up to 11 months of age. This is true in both the basal cell and supporting cell populations. However, correlation analysis revealed there was no correlation in mitotic rate between the two cell types, suggesting that proliferation of the two cell types is regulated differently. With age, the rat body size and the area covered by olfactory epithelium increases. We present evidence that supporting cell proliferation provides only for growth, whereas proliferation of basal cells provides for both growth and replacement. Further, we present evidence that in older animals the sensory cells live longer than they do in younger animals.
Silicon micromachined waveguides for millimeter-wave and submillimeter-wave frequencies

The development of micromachining techniques to create silicon-based waveguide circuits, which can operate up to high submillimeter-wave frequencies, is reported. As a first step, a WR-10 waveguide has been fabricated from
Optimum Linear Shaping and Filtering Networks

Optimum transmitter and receiver transfer characteristics are obtained for linear communication systems under assumptions of fixed power levels and fixed over-all distortion of message signal. Two separate criteria of performance are used as the basis for optimization: (a) the mean-square value or variance of the receiver output noise component and (b) the probability that the noise component of receiver output exceeds a preassigned tolerance value at least once during some finite period of observation.
Transmission characteristics of 28 GHz NLOS paths

Non-line-of-sight "bounce" links take advantage of a single reflection from building walls or terrain features to provide coverage in shadowed regions. In this paper, we address the utility of 28 GHz bounce paths for practical communications channels. While the paths provide sufficient received signal strength, the pulse stretching and other effects caused by diffuse scattering would be expected to cause significant dispersion and thus intersymbol interference (ISI). It should be possible to minimize the ISI with a properly designed equalizer, but the equalizer would be more complicated than one designed to cope with a small number of specularly reflected signal components.
Sterile cockpit or not: it's all about team and effective communication.

In the February 2010 issue of this Journal, an article appeared discussing the impact of protocol-driven communication during cardiopulmonary bypass. As the authors pointed out in their summary, the cardiac surgical operating room is an intense environment with significant complexity and a cadre of well-meaning, continuously multitasking individuals. Although the check and balance system designed for patient safety has proved its merit through the years, there is a difference in terms of effective reactive communication versus proactive communication for a surgical team. Therefore the ‘‘sterile cockpit’’ philosophy, although useful may not be broadly applicable to critical time rather than critical events. Of interest was the discussion after the article. In response to a question related to breakdowns in communication between surgeons and perfusionists, Dr Sundt relayed a recent experience involving activated clotting time management. As a perfusionist, I was pleased to read Dr Sundt’s reply, because it presented a reality that many of my peers have been concerned with for some time. As Dr Sundt digressed into their change in heparin administration protocol, it was recounted that after protocol change, initiation of cardiopulmonary bypass without even the administration of heparin had almost occurred several times. This being concern enough, what I found even more alarming was the perfusion response: ‘‘Well, Dr So-and-So goes on CPB without asking what the ACT is.’’ Further, Dr Sundt went on to say after questioning such perfusion conduct, ‘‘The perfusionists are not personally at fault—this is the culture in our institution.’’ That may be so, yet I find the perfusion response old, tired, an attempt to shift responsibility or defer responsibility, and not contemporaneous with what perfusion practice in 2010 should be. Likewise, I have experienced a situation when an eager young medical student was observing for the first time an open cardiac surgical procedure. With eyes wide, he asked the surgeon during cannulation ‘‘Is that the heart–lung machine behind you?’’ only to hear the following: ‘‘Mr Rosinski will tell you that it is extracorporeal circulation with artificial oxygenation involving systemic anticoagulation, myocardial arrest and reperfusion. But it’s just a pump.’’ Clearly more than operating a pump is occurring during bypass. There
Experience with response surface methods for occupant restraint system design

Response surface methodologies (RSMs) have been proposed as surrogate models in vehicle design processes to gain insight and improve turnaround time for optimization and robust design. However, when studying the vehicle occupants during crash events, nonlinearities in responses, coupled with the relatively high dimensionality of vehicle design, can yield misleading results with little or no warning from the response surface algorithms. To ensure the accuracy and reliability of RSMs, fast and dependable error estimation procedures are essential for enlightening how well a response surface predicts highly nonlinear phenomena, given a limited number of model simulations. Such error estimation methods are also useful for providing guidance on how many simulation runs are needed for reliable RSM construction. In this paper, a fast cross validation error estimate procedure is first presented, applied to the multivariable adaptive regression spline (MARS) response surface method. The fast error estimation procedure is then compared to a more thorough and time-consuming validation procedure. Several types of occupant restraint system models, such as belted and unbelted cases and 5 th and 50 th percentile occupants, are considered. Finally, an error reduction approach which employs a more computationally expensive Kriging RSM instead of MARS is investigated. Throughout, guidelines and thumb-rules for applying MARS and other RSMs to occupant crash models are proposed.
Toxicities and early outcomes in a phase 1 trial of photodynamic therapy for premalignant and early stage head and neck tumors.

Summary Objectives Management of early superficial lesions in the head and neck remains complex. We performed a phase 1 trial for high-grade premalignant and early superficial lesions of the head and neck using photodynamic therapy (PDT) with Levulan (ALA). Materials and methods Thirty-five subjects with high grade dysplasia, carcinoma in situ, or microinvasive (⩽1.5 mm depth) squamous cell carcinoma were enrolled. Cohorts of 3–6 patients were given escalating intraoperative light doses of 50–200 J/cm2 4–6 h after oral administration of 60 mg/kg ALA. Light at 629–635 nm was delivered in a continuous (unfractionated) or fractionated (two-part) schema. Results PDT was delivered to 30/35 subjects, with 29 evaluable. There was one death possibly due to the treatment. The regimen was otherwise tolerable, with a 52% rate of grade 3 mucositis which healed within several weeks. Other toxicities were generally grade 1 or 2, including odynophagia (one grade 4), voice alteration (one grade 3), and photosensitivity reactions. One patient developed grade 5 sepsis. With a median follow-up of 42 months, 10 patients (34%) developed local recurrence; 4 of these received 50 J/cm2 and two each received 100, 150, and 200 J/cm2. Ten (34%) patients developed recurrence adjacent to the treated field. There was a 69% complete response rate at 3 months. Conclusions ALA-PDT is well tolerated. Maximum Tolerated Dose appears to be higher than the highest dose used in this study. Longer followup is required to analyze effect of light dose on local recurrence. High marginal recurrence rates suggest use of larger treatment fields.
Estrogen receptor β regulates endometriotic cell survival through serum and glucocorticoid-regulated kinase activation

Objective To determine the expression and biological roles of serum and glucocorticoid–regulated kinase (SGK1) in tissues and cells from patients with endometriosis and from healthy control subjects. Design Case-control. Setting University research setting. Patient(s) Premenopausal women. Intervention(s) Endometriotic tissues were obtained from women with ovarian endometriosis, and normal endometrial tissues were obtained from women undergoing hysterectomy for benign conditions. Main Outcome Measure(s) Expression levels of SGK1, the role of SGK1 in endometriosis pathology, and regulation of SGK1 by estrogen receptor (ER) β. Result(s) Transcript and protein levels of SGK1 were significantly higher in endometriotic tissues and cells compared with normal endometrium. SGK1 mRNA and protein levels were stimulated by E2, by the ERβ-selective agonist diarylpropionitrile, and by prostaglandin E2. SGK1 was transcriptionally regulated by ERβ based on small interfering RNA knockdown and chromatin immunoprecipitation of ERβ followed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. SGK1 knockdown led to increased cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, and SGK1 activation was correlated with the phosphorylation of FOXO3a, a proapoptotic factor. Conclusion(s) ERβ leads to SGK1 overexpression in endometriosis, which contributes to the survival of endometriotic lesions through inhibition of apoptosis.
Understanding self-deception demands a co-evolutionary framework

The foundational theme of the target article is that processes of self-deception occur in a functional context: a social one through which self-deceptive processes enhance fitness by affecting an actor's performances. One essential component of this context not addressed explicitly is that audiences should have been selected to resist, where possible, enhancements falsely bolstered by self-deception. Theoretical implications follow.
Case Series of Turkey Farms from the H5N2 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Outbreak in the United States During 2015

SUMMARY Between December 2014 and June 2015, an outbreak of H5N2 HPAI caused the largest and most expensive agriculture emergency in U.S. Department of Agriculture–Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service history. The outbreak affected 21 states; 232 poultry farms (211 commercial and 21 backyard) were affected, and approximately 49.6 million birds were depopulated on poultry farms. The majority of affected farms were commercial turkey operations (n = 160). This report is a case series describing 104 H5N2 HPAI-affected turkey farms in Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin that had H5N2 HPAI virus detected between March 5 and June 1, 2015. The farm manager or farm personnel voluntarily completed an epidemiologic questionnaire administered by state and federal animal health officials. Equipment and vehicle sharing with other farms was common, particularly for feed trucks (77% of farms shared feed trucks with other farms), live haul loaders (90.4%), poult trailers (72.0%), and...
Comparisons of Acids in Smoke of Lamina and Midrib of Flue-cured Tobacco Leaves

Acids of lamina and midrib cigarette smoke were converted into trimethylsilyl derivatives and they were analyzed with glass capillary column gas chromatography. Then compositional differences of acids between lamina and midrib cigarette smoke were discussed. The concentrations of organic acids were higher for lamina cigarette smoke than for midrib cigarette smoke. Large concentration difference were found in formic, acetic, propionic, lactic, glycolic, furoic, benzoic, phenylacetic, fumalic and m-hydroxybenzoic acid. Succinic and methylsuccinic acid were similar in lamina smoke and in midrib smoke.A large amount of 2,3-dihydro-3,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl-4H-pyran-4-one(amino-carbonyl reaction product) was identified for the first time in lamina smoke.
Unique epitopes for carbonic anhydrase II autoantibodies related to autoimmune retinopathy and cancer-associated retinopathy

High titers of anti-carbonic anhydrase II (anti-CA II) autoantibodies were detected in sera of patients with autoimmune retinopathies (AR), including cancer-associated retinopathy (CAR) and also in normal population. The goal was to investigate whether unique immunodominant epitopes for anti-CAII autoantibodies occur in AR and CAR. A cohort of 216 patients with symptoms of AR and CAR and healthy controls, seropositive for anti-CA II autoantibodies were analyzed for the prevalence of CAII major domains. Autoantibody titers against CAII in sera were determined by ELISA. Biotinylated 12-mer synthetic peptides, overlapping the entire sequence of CAII, were coated onto a microplate and monospecific sera were tested for their ability to bind specific peptides by ELISA. We identified 3 epitopes common for AR, CAR and control subjects but the key epitopes were significantly different between sera from different groups (p = 0.009). Ninety one percent of AR sera predominantly reacted with the N-terminal epitope 85-90 (p < 0.0001), which corresponded to the catalytic core of the enzyme. The major epitope for 77% of CAR autoantibodies was found to be reactive with the peptide 218-222 (P = 0.0005) clustered within the α-helix. The analysis of epitope position in a 3D structure of the native CAII revealed their partial or full exposure on the protein surface. Anti-CAII autoantibodies from normal healthy controls did not share the major determinants with either group of patients. We also observed an epitope shift in antibody recognition from the AR-like epitope profile to the CAR-like profile in a patient who developed cancer 2 years after initial symptoms of vision loss (p < 0.0001). In conclusion, autoantibodies against CAII recognized different epitopes, depending whether they originated in patients with or without cancer. Also, antibodies targeted different determinates within the molecule during the development of retinopathy from non-paraneoplastic to paraneoplastic, suggesting an intramolecular epitope spreading phenomenon. Accurate distinction between AR and CAR is critical in designing immunotherapies and better diagnosis for those two conditions.
Voriconazole and Liposomal Amphotericin B (Ambisome) Effectively Prevent Mold Infections in Patients (pts) with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) Following Remission Induction Chemotherapy (RIC).

Invasive fungal infections (IFI) are a frequent cause of morbidity and death in pts with AML and high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (HR-MDS). Because early diagnosis of IFI is difficult, antifungal prophylaxis (AFP) including mold-active agents has become an important strategy to reduce morbidity and mortality in this patient population and is routinely used at MDACC for AML and HR-MDS pts undergoing RIC. We retrospectively compared the efficacy and safety of 6 AFP regimens (Sept 97- July 04) among 659 evaluable pts with newly diagnosed AML and HR-MDS who received RIC and had been enrolled in our prospective AFP trials. See regimens listed in Table below. There were no significant differences among the 6 regimens with regard to key baseline characteristics (age, gender, diagnosis, cytogenetics, type of RIC, Zubrod PS, WBC count, non-fungal infection and protected environment) and median days of AFP. 37 pts (5.6%) developed IFI (yeast 3 %; mold 2.6%). No mold infections were observed among pts randomized to AMBI or VORI. With the exception of VORI, which was significantly more effective than IV ITRA (p =0.03), all comparisons of efficacy among the AFP regimens were not significant. Drug discontinuation was the highest with IV VORI (21%) and ABLC (18%). VORI was more toxic than IV ITRA, Caspo, and F+I (p=0.023, 0.001 and 0.031 respectively). VORI toxicity was reversible and consisted of visual and/or auditory hallucinations and elevation in serum bilirubin. There was a trend toward developing VORI toxicity if baseline bilirubin levels were elevated (OR=4.9; p=0.10). We conclude that the rate of IFI in AML and HR-MDS pts undergoing RIC given mold-active AFP is 5.6 %. VORI and AMBI effectively prevented mold infections. VORI was more effective that IV ITRA but was associated with a high rate of reversible drug-related adverse events.
Domestic virtues and national importance: sailors, commerce, and virtue in Mansfield Park, Persuasion, and The Wealth of Nations

Many scholars have noted the ways in which Jane Austen's narratives bring to life elements of Adam Smith's moral philosophy as articulated in Theory of Moral Sentiments. His economic treatise Wealth of Nations is also worth considering. Looking at the representations of sailors in Mansfield Park and Persuasion, this essay traces connections to Wealth of Nations to argue that Austen is cautiously but increasingly accepting the role of commerce in her society. Through her portrayal of naval officers, she conceptualises commercial ambition and domestic affection as intertwined rather than in tension. This connection provides a check to acquisitiveness and mercantile urges. She also appears to reject specialisation as a desirable human occupation. As a result, she unites the sympathies of The Theory of Moral Sentiments with the entrepreneurial energy of The Wealth of Nations. While Fanny Price and Anne Elliot are each, in their own ways, exemplary women, it is noteworthy that Austen gives us William Price and Captain Wentworth as exemplary, naval, commercial, men.
Intranasal Opioid Administration in Rhesus Monkeys: PET Imaging and Antinociception

The goal of this study was to evaluate the effects of intranasally administered opioids in rhesus monkeys using the tail-withdrawal assay, and to correlate these effects with measures of receptor occupancy using positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. Initial experiments characterized the antinociceptive effects of intranasal (IN) fentanyl and buprenorphine relative to intramuscular (IM) injection. Fentanyl (0.010–0.032 mg/kg) and buprenorphine (0.1–1.0 mg/kg) produced dose-dependent increases in tail-withdrawal latency that did not differ between routes of delivery. The second experiment compared the ability of IN and intravenous (IV) naloxone (NLX) to block the antinociceptive effects IV fentanyl, and to measure receptor occupancy at equipotent doses of NLX using PET imaging. IN and IV NLX (0.0032–0.032 mg/kg) produced dose-dependent decreases in fentanyl-induced antinociception. Again, there was no difference observed in overall potency between routes. PET imaging showed that IV and IN NLX produced similar decreases in receptor occupancy as measured by [11C]carfentanil blocking, although there was a trend for IV NLX to produce marginally greater occupancy changes. This study validated the first procedures to evaluate the IN effects of opioids in rhesus monkeys.