cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rescue and Gating of a Disease Mutation at an M2 glycine in Kir6.2 of ATP-Sensitive Potassium (KATP) Channels

A glycine in the M2 helix of inwardly-rectifying potassium (Kir) channels was hypothesized to bend M2 and gate the intracellular helix-bundle crossing. Bacterial crystal structures position the glycine near the selectivity filter at the extracellular end of the pore. Our previous work characterized a mis-sense mutation at this glycine position identified in a patient with congenital hyperinsulinism (Pinney SE et al., 2008) that would generate Kir6.2 G156R mutant KATP channels. Mutant channels showed near WT surface expression in mammalian cells but no channel activity from inside-out excised patches when heterologously expressed in vitro. Further, additional mutations at G156 produce functional channels only if residues are small and uncharged. To test the hypothesis that the arginine mutation affects permeation by inhibiting conduction through the pore due to its size and charge, we generated double mutant G156R/N160D channels. Double mutant channels were functional; in addition, G156R/N160D did not show strong rectification in contrast to N160D, suggesting electrostatic interaction between the two residues. Single channel activity of double mutant channels exhibit altered intraburst gating kinetics compared to WT, suggesting the mutations or their interaction affects the selectivity filter. However, double mutant channels were sensitive to inhibitor ATP and activators MgADP and long-chain acyl Coenzyme A similar to WT channels. Collectively, our results demonstrate functional rescue of the putative glycine hinge position caused by a disease mutation in KATP channels.
Spin-spin correlation in the two-dimensional Ising model with linear defects and fredholm equations

Abstract The spin-spin correlation functions in the two-dimensional Ising model with linear defects are expressed in terms of Fredholm integral equations. A set of two equations is required if the two spins are on the opposite sides of the defects, and a set of four is needed if the spins are on the same side of the defects.
A powerful, inexpensive experiment controller or IBM PC interface and experiment control language

A very powerful, but inexpensive, advanced technology (16 MHz 80C188EB) experiment controller is described. It can be programmed in either a BASIC-like (ECBASIC) or an ALGOL-like (ECL) procedure specification language. It provides 1-msec resolution, optional transparent total data logging, and is designed to function as a remote peripheral processor in a network with virtually any computer acting as the network supervisor (e.g., IBM compatible or Macintosh). Each serial port on the host computer can support up to 10 simultaneous experiments. The various optional I/O modules provide for opto-isolated normally open or normally closed switch operation input, high current output, as well as D/A and A/D functions. Our I/O modules can also be plugged directly into an IBM PC parallel port by using a small adaptor board. In this way, the advantages of using ECBASIC or ECL to control experiments are available to researchers who wish to simply interface their host computer directly to the apparatus in order to minimize expense.
Physical Activity and Student Performance at School

To review the state of research on the association between physical activity among school-aged children and academic outcomes, the author reviewed published studies on this topic. A table includes brief descriptions of each study's research methodology and outcomes. A review of the research demonstrates that there may be some short-term improvements of physical activity (such as on concentration) but that long-term improvement of academic achievement as a result of more vigorous physical activity is not well substantiated. The relationship between physical activity in children and academic outcomes requires further elucidation.
A Hobbesian Approach to Political-Economic History

Hobbesian theory provides a key to understanding the interaction of economics and politics in the history of many countries, revealing that the suppression of violence is the first task of any nascent state. Only after governments have assured lasting internal peace by monopolizing violence can economic growth and political stability reinforce each other.
Biomechanics of plaque rupture: progress, problems, and new frontiers.

Plaque rupture has become identified as a critical step in the evolution of arterial plaques, especially as clinically significant events occur in critical arteries. It has become common in the past dozen years or so to consider which plaques are vulnerable, even though not yet ruptured. Thrombotic events have remained significant, but in a context where they are seen as being triggered often by plaque rupture. Weaving together considerations from structural mechanics, fluid mechanics, plaque morphology, epidemiological pathology, micromechanical measurements of arterial wall tissues, and emerging information on the complex roles of the matrix metalloproteinases, this critical review draws attention to the relative paucity of data (i) on the mechanical behavior of small test portions of arterial tissues and (ii) on the relation of plaque locations to local vessel curvature and curvature flexure. This is especially important in the epicardial arteries, where combination of biplane angiograms and intravascular ultrasound (both becoming increasingly available in digital recordings) offer opportunities for clinical investigation, allied to biomechanics, to an extent previously not possible. Improved imaging and local tissue property assessments provide related opportunities for the carotid bifurcation. The discussion includes a proposal for developing an assessment scale for plaque vulnerability. © 2002 Biomedical Engineering Society.
Irritable bowel syndrome in the college population: pathophysiology, differential diagnosis, and treatment.

Abstract The irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is best defined as abdominal pain of greater than three months duration, with or without a change in bowel habits. Barium studies, sedimentation rate, and the lactose tolerance test are usually within normal limits. The underlying physiology includes a predominance of 3 cycles/minute basal electrical rhythm (BER). The abdominal pain is poorly localized and usually intermittent, without a clear relationship to medication. Differential diagnosis should include inflammatory bowel disease, infectious colitis or gastroenteritis, lactose intolerance, gallbladder disease, peptic ulcer disease, pelvic inflammatory disease, ovarian cysts and tumors, and endometriosis. A sedimentation rate is an important part of the diagnostic workup which may or may not include barium studies. Anticholinergics have been shown to alter the abnormal BER of irritable bowel syndrome and have proven to be of use in treating this syndrome. Dietary counseling should include advising the patien...
Time simulation of segmented reflector telescopes in multidisciplinary analysis

NASA has an ambitious plan for exploring the universe involving many space-based observatories. The CSI program (Control Structure Interaction) is a NASA funded project to design microprecision spacecraft observatories from a multidisciplinary approach by integrating the structural, control and optical subsystems of these spacecraft. A Focus Mission lnterferometer (FMI), representative of one of NASA's astrometric missions for extrasolar planet detection was selected as the focus for developing this multidisciplinary technology. Very early in this study it was discovered that integrated modeling tools were necessary to predict the on orbit performance of the FMI.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
A computational scheme for the optimal sensor/actuator placement of flexible structures using spatial H2 measures

Abstract This paper develops a spatial H 2 norm-based computational scheme for finding the optimal locations of sensors and actuators in controlled flexible structures. As the optimization index, the spatial H 2 norm of the closed-loop transfer matrix from the disturbance to the distributed controlled output is used. The design of the optimal spatial H 2 controller is based on the reduced model of the flexible structure, which contains the dominant modes that have the largest contribution to the system's spatial H 2 norm. The proposed genetic algorithm (GA) is subsequently used to solve the resulting nonlinear optimization problem. The effectiveness of the proposed scheme is demonstrated by a numerical example on the vibration control of a plate structure. Simulation results also show that the spatial H 2 norm is a better performance index to be used in the structural vibration control when the vibration reduction is required over a continuous area on the structure.
New methodology for breaking steganographic techniques for JPEGs

In this paper, we present general methodology for developing attacks on steganographic systems for the JPEG image format. The detection first starts by decompressing the JPEG stego image, geometrically distorting it (e.g., by cropping), and recompressing. Because the geometrical distortion breaks the quantized structure of DCT coefficients during recompression, the distorted/recompressed image will have many macroscopic statistics approximately equal to those of the cover image. We choose such macroscopic statistic S that also predictably changes with the embedded message length. By doing so, we estimate the unknown message length by comparing the values of S for the stego image and the cropped/recompressed stego image. The details of this detection methodology are explained on the F5 algorithm and OutGuess. The accuracy of the message length estimate is demonstrated on test images for both algorithms. Finally, we identify two limitations of the proposed approach and show how they can be overcome to obtain accurate detection in every case. The paper is closed with outlining a condition that must be satisfied by all secure high-capacity steganographic algorithms for JPEGs.
Liquid fuel microcombustor using microfabricated multiplexed electrospray sources

Abstract The use of hydrocarbons is very appealing for the realization of high energy density power sources, so long as the fuel can be stored in the liquid phase. As a result, except for the most volatile hydrocarbons, a miniaturized combustor must rely on a good design of the fuel atomizer, which should yield small, rapidly evaporating droplets to generate the fuel vapor promptly, mix it with the oxidizer and subsequently burn it with the attending heat release. To achieve this goal, we relied on the use of multiplexed electrosprays and a catalytic reactor for fuel conversion consisting of a pack of catalyst impregnated meshes (Microliths ® ). Fuel dispersion was achieved by microfabricating the fuel distributor in Si using deep reactive ion etching. Tests were performed using JP-8 as the liquid fuel. Preliminary experiments in a 0.8 cm 3 optically accessible combustor, enabling the measurements of droplet size and velocity, revealed that the spreading of the electrospray by Coulombic repulsion is the phenomenon controlling the volume of the mixing/evaporation chamber. Droplet evaporation occurs in the thin (Peclet number dependent) thermal layer preceding the catalytic section of the combustor. Subsequent system optimization in a fully ceramic combustor yielded a volumetric heat release rate as large as 270 MW/m 3 , a value that is of the same order as that of conventional gas turbines. The small overall combustor volume, at only 0.22 cm 3 , suggests that the large volumetric energy density was achieved despite the device large surface-to-volume ratio and attending heat losses. The fuel was fully oxidized, with CO/CO 2 ratios well under 1% over a range of equivalence ratios. Inspection of the combustor inner walls after operating continuously for 10 h, revealed no traces of deposits. The design has the potential of being scaled either up or down, depending on power needs.
An intracellular study of thalamocortical synapses in the orbito-insular cortex.

Abstract Intracellular recordings were made in multimodal orbito-insular cortex in response to electrical stimulation of thalamic association nuclei. Four types of responses were observed: One was short latency excitation; another was short latency excitation followed by inhibition; the third was long latency inhibition followed by excitation; the fourth was rhythmic afterdischarge. The initial excitatory response is viewed as being due to direct thalamocortical input and the later inhibitory ones to intracortical inhibition. The results resemble those obtained in lemniscal systems having specific thalamic relay nuclei, and they provide correlates for recent anatomical reports concerning the projections of the frontal orbital cortex.
In vitro inhibition of vasopressin release in brain by behaviorally relevant ethanol concentrations

Abstract We have investigated the effect of ethanol upon vasopressin (AVP) content in brain and upon in-vitro release of AVP from the rat median eminence. In-vitro ethanol concentrations (5–25 mM), comparable to behaviorally relevant blood ethanol levels, induce a substantial inhibition of AVP release from the median eminence, whereas higher ethanol concentrations (> 50 mM) potentiate release. In vivo, ethanol, at a behaviorally relevant blood ethanol concentration (126 mg%), does not produce a significant difference in AVP content in brain although there is a consistent trend towards an increase in the hypothalamus and neurohypophysis. The results are considered in relation to the effects of ethanol on biogenic amine release and to memory impairments induced by low doses of acute ethanol exposure.
High-Purity Rare Earth Oxides Produced via Precipitation Stripping

Yttrium oxide and lutetium oxide, produced via precipitation stripping from the metal-loaded organic phase of a solvent extraction process, have been analyzed for purity, particle size, and morphology. Composition and purity of the rare earth oxides were measured using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and powder X-ray diffraction. There were no differences in composition between traditionally produced oxide samples and oxide samples generated through precipitation stripping. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to investigate the particle size and morphology. The traditionally prepared oxides are composed of cubelike and rodlike particles and the oxides produced via precipitation stripping are composed of platelike particles. Both procedures produce particles with approximately the same surface area. Precipitation stripping is a viable alternative to traditional acid stripping in solvent extraction processes and can be used to produce high-purity rare earth oxides.
Energy reserves and metabolic expenditures of monarch butterflies overwintering in southern California

. 1. Energetic expenditure and predicted requirements for overwintering metabolism were determined for monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus L.) in southern California. 2. Fat content of butterflies declined steadily from a maximum of 71% lean dry weight in late November to a minimum of 36% lean dry weight in late January. The energy expenditure measured by fat depletion over a 61 day period from 24 November to 25 January was 26.05 joules per day. 3. Butterflies were generally the same temperature as the air at any time they were inactive, whether they were part of a large cluster or roosting solitarily. 4. Oxygen consumption of butterflies increased in a curvilinear fashion with increasing air temperature. Thus, the predicted metabolic requirements for an inactive butterfly during their quiescent period from late November to late January was 30.32 joules per day. 5. In contrast to the steady depletion of fat reserves during their quiescent period in December and January, low and stable fat levels of butterflies in late February coincide with high levels of flight activity, mating and emigration of females from the colony. 6. Progressive tightening of the energy balance due to increasing nocturnal temperatures from northern to southern California coastal areas may limit the southern distribution and duration of overwintering aggregations.
Improvements in biogalvanic energy sources

The paper describes improvements made in biogalvanic energy sources, which significantly prolong their life and reliability. The results of long-termin vivo implants are presented, and comparisons are made between the original bare-metal biogalvanic sources and those which utilise a variety of semipermeable anodic membranes.
The agglomeration of aqueous suspensions of graphite

A description is given of a practical technique for producing compact spherical agglomerates from a liquid suspension of solids following a method outlined by Farnand, Smith, and Puddington. This method involves the addition of an immiscible liquid which preferentially wets the solids and forms liquid bonds between colliding particles. Using a rotatingdrum agglomerator, pellets ranging in size from 0.020 to 0.75 in. diameter were produced from an aqueous suspension of finely-divided graphite. The effects of operating variables such as drum load, speed of rotation, suspension and bridging liquid concentrations are described, followed by a discussion of the mechanism of particle growth. Selective agglomeration is also described. Une technique experimentale pour la production d'agglomerats compacts et spheriques a partir d'une suspension liquide de solide, selon la methode proposee par Farnand, Smith & Puddington, est decrite. L'addition du liquide immiscible mouille preferentiellement les solides et forme un lien liquide entre les particules entrant en collision. Utilisant un agglomerateur a tambour rotatif, des pastilles variant de 0.020 a 0.75” diametre ont ete produites a partir d'une suspension aqueuse de graphite pulverise. L'effet des variables telles que: charge, vitesse de rotation, concentration des liquides selectifs, est decrit. Une discussion relative au mecanisme de croisance de particules et une description de l'agglomeration selective sont donnees.
Service quality as a competitive opportunity

Quality has progressed from a rough conceptualization of a tactical problem to a viable competitive opportunity that should be maximized strategically. We discuss the viability of quality as a sustainable competitive advantage. Based on a longitudinal study of general service hospitals, we provide results indicating that quality not only has a temporal effect on organizational performance, but also translates into long‐term benefits. The findings of this study reinforce anecdotal claims of the efficacy of quality‐based strategies in improving organizational performance.
Innovation in extremis: evolving an application for the critical work of email and information management

We describe our experience of trying to develop a novel application that transforms information management (both coordination-based and personal) from stand-alone resources into resources deeply embedded in email. We explored two models for accomplishing this goal; these were to embed these resources in the email channel and to embed them in the client. Our exploration of the first model was intensive, in-depth and ultimately unsuccessful in large part due to our design process. We adopted Extreme Programming (XP) as a means to explore our second model more efficiently. This paper describes our motivations and experiences while exploring our first model before XP and then the advantages and disadvantages of turning to XP in the exploration of our second model.
From differentiated use to differentiating practices: negotiating legitimate participation and the production of privileged identities

Prevailing approaches for studying relations between digital media and social inequalities focus on ‘differentiated uses’ of digital media. Since differences in access do not fully account for differences in use, many scholars have proposed that differences in digital skills, or related concepts such as literacies, help explain the discrepancies. By implication, interventions aimed at equalizing digital access and skills should help ameliorate gaps in use and hence lessen social inequalities. The contention of this article is that these well-intentioned efforts oversimplify and distort relations between digital media and social inequalities. My argument is based on an in-depth ethnographic study of the launch of a well-resourced public middle school in New York City that attempted to reform public schooling in inclusive ways in light of the rise of digital media. I argue that while the intervention helped mitigate differences in access and skills, it did not ameliorate differences in purportedly beneficia...
Substitution between Goods and Leisure in a Developing Country

The paper explores the substitutability between goods, female leisure, and male leisure. We find that goods and leisure are not separable. We then adapt the Almost Ideal Demand System (AIDS) to include leisure in the system in the same manner as commodities. The model is not sensitive to variations in the assumption of total time available for each individual's work and leisure. Results from Sri Lanka indicate the marginal propensity to consume leisure is quite high, especially in rural areas. This finding has important implications for transfer programs designed to raise food consumption. A somewhat surprising complementarity between male and female leisure was also observed. A number of goods were found to be complements to both male and female leisure.
Alberto Guerreiro Ramos, 20 Years Later: A New Science Still Unrealized in an Era of Public Cynicism and Theoretical Ambivalence

Alberto Guerreiro Ramos's public life and scholarly works challenge us to rethink and reconceptualize the field of public administration, particularly in this era of public cynicism and theoretical uncertainty. This article examines the historical context of his earlier writings and how they influenced his later scholarly work. As a prominent Brazilian scholar working in the United States, Guerreiro Ramos's “in-betweenness,” as he called it, provided him a unique and little-appreciated perspective from which to reevaluate the social sciences. The result was his last book, The New Science of Organizations: A Reconceptualization of the Wealth of Nations, one of the most polemical works published in the field and an examination of the fundamental assumptions of public administration and the social sciences.
EphA2 overexpression is associated with lack of hormone receptor expression and poor outcome in endometrial cancer

BACKGROUND: EphA2 is a tyrosine kinase receptor in the ephrin family that is implicated in oncogenesis and angiogenesis. The objective of the current investigation was to study the role of EphA2 in endometrial cancer and its relation to steroid hormone receptor expression. METHODS: EphA2, estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and Ki-67 expression levels were evaluated using immunohistochemistry in 139 endometrioid endometrial carcinoma (EEC) samples and in 10 benign endometrial samples. Samples were scored by 2 investigators who were blinded to clinical outcome. The results were correlated with clinicopathologic characteristics using univariate and multivariate analysis. A P value <.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: High expression of EphA2 was detected in 48% of EEC samples versus 10% of benign samples. EphA2 overexpression was associated significantly with high disease stage (P = .04), high tumor grade (P = .003), increased depth of myometrial invasion (P = .05), low ER expression (P = .01), low PR expression (P = .006), and high Ki-67 expression (P = .04). Low ER and PR expression levels were associated with high tumor grade, positive lymph nodes, high Ki-67 expression, and high EphA2 expression. On univariate analysis of all patients, high EphA2 expression was associated significantly with shorter disease-specific survival (DSS) (P < .001). On multivariate analysis, age (P < .001), high disease stage (P = .002), and high EphA2 expression (P = .04) were independent predictors of poor DSS. CONCLUSIONS: EphA2 overexpression was associated with aggressive phenotypic features in EEC and was associated inversely with ER and PR expression. Thus, EphA2 may be an important therapeutic target, especially in patients with hormone receptor-negative endometrial carcinoma. Cancer 2009. © 2009 American Cancer Society.
Existence and uniqueness theorems in invariant imbedding—I conservation principles

Abstract : Some of the rigorous aspects of invariant imbedding are discussed: existence and uniqueness of solution, asymptotic behavior over space and time, stability, computational stability, applications to classical boundary-value theory, and so on. An important conservation property, obvious on physical grounds, is used in establishing the existence of the solution of a matrix Riccati equation without recourse to the associated linear differential equation, and thus with out any appeal to spectral theory.
How do students react to analyzing their own genomes in a whole-genome sequencing course?: outcomes of a longitudinal cohort study

Health-care professionals need to be trained to work with whole-genome sequencing (WGS) in their practice. Our aim was to explore how students responded to a novel genome analysis course that included the option to analyze their own genomes. This was an observational cohort study. Questionnaires were administered before (T3) and after the genome analysis course (T4), as well as 6 months later (T5). In-depth interviews were conducted at T5. All students (n = 19) opted to analyze their own genomes. At T5, 12 of 15 students stated that analyzing their own genomes had been useful. Ten reported they had applied their knowledge in the workplace. Technical WGS knowledge increased (mean of 63.8% at T3, mean of 72.5% at T4; P = 0.005). In-depth interviews suggested that analyzing their own genomes may increase students’ motivation to learn and their understanding of the patient experience. Most (but not all) of the students reported low levels of WGS results–related distress and low levels of regret about their decision to analyze their own genomes. Giving students the option of analyzing their own genomes may increase motivation to learn, but some students may experience personal WGS results–related distress and regret. Additional evidence is required before considering incorporating optional personal genome analysis into medical education on a large scale. Genet Med 17 11, 866–874.
Structural Analysis of the Polymorphic 3′ Region of the Human Chorionic Gonadotropin-α Gene in Normal Placenta and Choriocarcinoma Cells

We previously examined the segregation patterns of two polymorphic restriction enzyme sites for EcoRI and Hindlll in the 3′-flanking region of human CG-α gene in placenta and choriocarcinoma. We observed that a unique combination of restriction sites predominates in choriocarcinoma while this pattern was rare in placenta, suggesting a functionally important site in this region of genome. Genomic libraries were constructed from DNA derived from placenta and from the choriocarcinoma cell line JAr to examine the DNA sequence responsible for these polymorphic sites. Several clones were isolated; restriction fragments containing the polymorphic sites were subcloned into pBR322, and the stretch of DNA encompassing the polymorphic sites were sequenced. No apparent DNA rearrangements were observed; sequence analysis showed that both of the polymorphic sites were caused by single base pair mutation in the recognition sequence of each enzyme. Three new polymorphic sites were identified in the 3′ region of the hCG-α...
Antiatherogenic Effects of Thiazolidinediones

Treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) is directed at relieving symptoms of hyperglycemia and reducing the incidence of diabetes-associated pathologies. Complications of atherosclerosis, including myocardial infarction and stroke, are the most common causes of death in diabetic patients. Thiazolidinediones (TZDs) represent a relatively recent addition to the arsenal of pharmaceutical options for diabetes treatment. These agents are potent insulin sensitizers and significantly improve glycemic control in the majority of diabetic patients.1 Troglitazone, the first TZD to be marketed, has been replaced in clinical practice by the more potent TZDs, rosiglitazone and pioglitazone. There are now upwards of a million diabetic patients taking these agents in the United States, and the rising incidence of obesity and type 2 DM predicts an ever-growing patient population of patients who will be candidates for treatment with insulin sensitizers. Given their antidiabetic actions, TZDs would be expected to reduce atherosclerotic complications. Although there are a few hints from small clinical studies that this may be the case, TZDs have not been in clinical use for sufficient time to establish their long-term effects on the development and clinical consequences of atherosclerosis in diabetic patients. In 1995, troglitazone was found to be a high-affinity ligand for the peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ).2 There is now extensive evidence that the TZD class of molecules exerts its insulin-sensitizing effects through this receptor.3 PPAR-γ is a ligand-activated transcription factor that is related to receptors for steroid and thyroid hormones. In addition to regulating glucose homeostasis, it has been shown to play important roles in the development of adipose tissue.4 PPAR-γ exerts its biological effects by activating or repressing gene transcription, although the specific …
Rule-Based Reasoning Via Abstraction

The General Game Playing (GGP) project seeks to create software agents capable of receiving game rules hitherto unseen and, without human interaction, play that game effectively. For the time being, we have chosen to restrict the class of games to be multi-player, finite, deterministic and complete information. (This is precisely the class of games that can be modeled by a finite-state machine.) Due to the finiteness and deterministic restrictions, given the rules of a game it is in principle possible to completely expand the game model and reason about it using model-checking or traditional graph search techniques. In practice, however, the games can be intractably large, making these techniques inadequate; games might also have special structure or properties implied by the rules, which if discovered could mean considerable shortcuts in the search. For this reason, we prefer reasoning about the game rules and only expand the game tree when absolutely necessary, using any insight gained from the rules.
Differential Structure in non-Linear Image Embedding Functions

Many natural image sets are samples of a low dimensional manifold in the space of all possible images. When the image data set is not a linear combination of a small number of basis images, then linear dimensionality reduction techniques such as PCA and ICA fail, and non-linear dimensionality reduction techniques are required to automatically determine the intrinsic structure of the image set. Recent techniques such as ISOMAP and LLE provide a mapping between the images and a low dimensional parameterization of the images. In this paper we consider how choosing different image distance metrics affects the low-dimensional parameterization. For image sets that arise from non-rigid and human motion analysis, and MRI applications, differential motions in some directions of the low-dimensional space correspond to common transformations in the image domain. Defining distance measures that are invariant to these transformations makes Isomap a powerful tool for automatic registration of large image or video data sets.
Characterization of frequency stability: frequency-domain estimation of stability measures

The author focuses on the frequency domain approach, which provides a complete characterization of frequency. The standard characterization of frequency stability in the frequency domain is the spectral density function (SDF). The author describes SDFs that model sampled frequency stability data and that are related to the SDFs of the standard characterization. On the basis of standard techniques in spectral analysis, he outlines a systematic way of estimating SDFs typical of frequency stability data. The recommended procedure is to check for broadband bias in the periodogram using a sequence of data tapers and, if bias is in evidence, to design an autoregressive prewhitening filter to prewhiten the data. The author considers the relationship between the Allan variance and the SDF and outlines two nonparametric ways of translating stability measures between the two domains-one based upon pilot analysis and the other upon J. Rutman's bandpass variance (1978). >
Unexpected diversity in populations of the many‐celled magnetotactic prokaryote

Summary The many-celled magnetotactic prokaryote (MMP) is an uncultivated, highly motile aggregate of 10–30 cells containing numerous chains of greigite (Fe3S4) magnetosomes. It is unique to marine environments and is abundant in slightly sulfidic sediments of the Little Sippewissett salt marsh (Falmouth, MA). We sequenced 16s rDNA genes from a natural population of MMP and found five lineages separated by at least 5% sequence divergence. Fluorescent in situ hybridization probes for three of these lineages showed significant variation in their relative abundances across a seasonal cycle in marsh productivity. The MMP should therefore be considered a separate genus in the δ-proteobacteria rather than a single species as previously thought. All cells in each aggregate express identical SSU rRNAs, suggesting that the aggregates are composed of a single MMP phylotype. This observation supports a model of the MMP as comprised of clonal cells which reproduce by binary fission of the aggregate.
Robust, accurate confidence intervals with a weak instrument: quarter of birth and education

Summary. An instrument or instrumental variable manipulates a treatment and affects the outcome only indirectly through its manipulation of the treatment. For instance, encouragement to exercise might increase cardiovascular fitness, but only indirectly to the extent that it increases exercise. If instrument levels are randomly assigned to individuals, then the instrument may permit consistent estimation of the effects caused by the treatment, even though the treatment assignment itself is far from random. For instance, one can conduct a randomized experiment assigning some subjects to ‘encouragement to exercise’ and others to ‘no encouragement’ but, for reasons of habit or taste, some subjects will not exercise when encouraged and others will exercise without encouragement; none-the-less, such an instrument aids in estimating the effect of exercise. Instruments that are weak, i.e. instruments that have only a slight effect on the treatment, present inferential problems.We evaluate a recent proposal for permutation inference with an instrumental variable in four ways: using Angrist and Krueger’s data on the effects of education on earnings using quarter of birth as an instrument, following Bound, Jaeger and Baker in using simulated independent observations in place of the instrument in Angrist and Krueger’s data, using entirely simulated data in which correct answers are known and finally using statistical theory to show that only permutation inferences maintain correct coverage rates. The permutation inferences perform well in both easy and hard cases, with weak instruments, as well as with long-tailed responses.
Disruption of the actin network enhances MAP‐2c and Fyn‐induced process outgrowth

We investigated the interaction of MAP-2c and Fyn in the initiation of process outgrowth in COS7 cells. Single transfections of Fyn and MAP-2c resulted in a dramatic decrease in flat, rounded COS7 cells, and a significant increase in both the number of cells with multiple short, spike-like processes, and cells with longer processes. Co-transfection of Fyn and MAP-2c resulted in an additive increase in the number of cells with more than two processes and discrete sites of co-localization within processes. When single or double transfected cells were treated with cytochalasin D or lantrunculin there was a dramatic increase in the number of cells with more than two processes. In addition, there was an increase in the length of the processes, both in single and double transfected cells, suggesting that the actin meshwork provides a barrier for MT-based process extension. When co-transfected cells were post-treated with nocodazole, Fyn was not associated with MAP-2c and acetylated, stable tubulin. Although some Fyn/MAP-2c co-localization was retained, punctate staining of MAP-2c and Fyn were observed at the cell periphery, in areas devoid of stable MTs. Mutations in either tyrosine 67 (Tyr67), a site on human MAP-2c phosphorylated by Fyn, or a second tyrosine residue (Tyr50), did not alter the ability of MAP-2c and Fyn to induce process outgrowth. These studies suggest that independent of one another MAP-2c and Fyn are able to induce process outgrowth and in concert can initiate and enhance process outgrowth in an additive manner.
The forgotten endangered languages: Lessons on the importance of remembering from Thailand's Ban Khor Sign Language

Since linguistic and anthropological study of sign languages began in the 1960s, most research has focused on national sign languages, with scant attention paid to indigenous and original sign languages. Vulnerable to extinction, the latter varieties can expand our understanding of language universals, language typologies, historical comparative linguistics, and other areas. Using Thailand as a case study and drawing on three examples – a rare phonological form, basic color terminology, and baby talk/motherese – from Ban Khor Sign Language, an indigenous signed code, this article describes the problem of benign neglect of sign languages in current discussions of language endangerment and argues for the importance of expanding such discussions to include codes expressed in the manual-visual channel.The linguistic field research upon which this article is based was funded by the Endangered Language Fund, the Explorers Club, IIE Fulbright, Sign Language Research Inc., the Thai-U.S. Educational Foundation, the UCLA Department of Anthropology, the UCLA Office of International Studies and Overseas Programs, the UCLA Wagatsuma Memorial Fund, and the Wenner-Gren Foundation. I wish to thank the following individuals and groups for their assistance in various phases of the project: Alexis Altounian, Poonpit Amatyakul, Jean Ann, Wendy Belcher, Ursula Bellugi, Steve Bickler, Ken Kamler, Peter Ladefoged, Tuanvu Le, Chettah Madminggao, Nutjaree Madminggao, Marina McIntire, Carmella Moore, Pam Munro, Carol Padden, Diana Pash, Nilawan Pitipat, Claire Ramsey, Chip Reilly, Olga Solomon, Kelly Stack, Laura Sterponi, Viphavee Vongpumivitch, and Akira Yamamoto. Special thanks belong to Vien Champa, Lahsee Khammee, Jintala Anuyahong, Anucha Ratanasint, Khwanta Sukhwan, Nipha Sukhwan, Phaiwan Sukhwan, Kampol Suwanarat, Thanu Wongchai, James C. Woodward, the Ratchasuda Foundation, the National Association of the Deaf in Thailand, and, of course, the community of Ban Khor.
Cap-domain closure enables diverse substrate recognition by the C2-type haloacid dehalogenase-like sugar phosphatase Plasmodium falciparum HAD1

Haloacid dehalogenases (HADs) are a large enzyme superfamily of more than 500 000 members with roles in numerous metabolic pathways. Plasmodium falciparum HAD1 (PfHAD1) is a sugar phosphatase that regulates the methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway for isoprenoid synthesis in malaria parasites. However, the structural determinants for diverse substrate recognition by HADs are unknown. Here, crystal structures were determined of PfHAD1 in complex with three sugar phosphates selected from a panel of diverse substrates that it utilizes. Cap-open and cap-closed conformations are observed, with cap closure facilitating substrate binding and ordering. These structural changes define the role of cap movement within the major subcategory of C2 HAD enzymes. The structures of an HAD bound to multiple substrates identifies binding and specificity-determining residues that define the structural basis for substrate recognition and catalysis within the HAD superfamily. While the substrate-binding region of the cap domain is flexible in the open conformations, this region becomes ordered and makes direct interactions with the substrate in the closed conformations. These studies further inform the structural and biochemical basis for catalysis within a large superfamily of HAD enzymes with diverse functions.
Symptom Severity and Conservative Treatment for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in Association With Eventual Carpal Tunnel Release

Purpose To study the relationship between the severity of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) symptoms and surgery for CTS and the relationship between conservative treatments and surgery for CTS. Methods A secondary analysis of baseline to 6-month data from a randomized controlled trial, which examined the effectiveness of orthosis/stretch combinations on the symptoms of CTS, was conducted for a total of 96 participants with CTS. Participants completed the Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire and posttreatment surveys. Statistical analyses included exploration of correlates of progression to surgery for CTS and logistical regression to examine the association between conservative treatments and CTS symptoms and progression to surgery for CTS. Results Twenty-one participants received surgery for their CTS, and 31 participants received 1 or more conservative treatments. Severity of baseline CTS symptoms and additional treatments were indicators of progression to surgery. The randomized controlled trial intervention was inversely associated with progression to surgery. Conclusions CTS that does not respond to an initial course of conservative treatment may not improve with additional treatments. More than half of the participants who received additional conservative treatment still progressed to surgery. Current intervention guidelines for CTS provide limited guidance as to the best methods to efficiently treat CTS. Clinical relevance CTS is a costly and high-burden disorder, resulting in reduced quality of life. Research should examine when and for whom conservative care is an effective choice and the association between conservative care and the eventual need for CTS surgery.
Investigating evidential reasoning for the interpretation of microbial water quality in a distribution network

Total coliforms are used as indicators for evaluating microbial water quality in distribution networks. However, total coliform provides only a weak “evidence” of possible fecal contamination because pathogens are subset of total coliform and therefore their presence in drinking water is not necessarily associated with fecal contamination. Heterotrophic plate counts are also commonly used to evaluate microbial water quality in the distribution networks, but they cover even a wider range of organisms. As a result, both of these indicators can provide incomplete and highly uncertain bodies of evidence when used individually. In this paper, it is shown that combing these two sources of information by an appropriate data fusion technique can provide improved insight into microbial water quality within distribution networks. Approximate reasoning methods like fuzzy logic and probabilistic reasoning are commonly used for data fusion where knowledge is uncertain (i.e., ambiguous, incomplete, and/or vague). Traditional probabilistic frameworks like Bayesian analysis, reasons through conditioning based on prior probabilities (which are hardly ever available). The Dempster–Shafer (DS) theory generalizes the Bayesian analysis without requiring prior probabilities. The DS theory can efficiently deal with the difficulties related to the interpretation of overall water quality where the redundancy of information is routinely observed and the credibility of available data continuously changes. In this paper, the DS rule of combination and its modifications including Yager’s modified rule, Dubois–Prade disjunctive rule and Dezert–Smarandache rule are described using an example of microbial water quality in a distribution network.
Design and Uncertainty Analysis for a PVTt Gas Flow Standard.

A new pressure, volume, temperature, and, time (PVTt) primary gas flow standard at the National Institute of Standards and Technology has an expanded uncertainty (k = 2) of between 0.02 % and 0.05 %. The standard spans the flow range of 1 L/min to 2000 L/min using two collection tanks and two diverter valve systems. The standard measures flow by collecting gas in a tank of known volume during a measured time interval. We describe the significant and novel features of the standard and analyze its uncertainty. The gas collection tanks have a small diameter and are immersed in a uniform, stable, thermostatted water bath. The collected gas achieves thermal equilibrium rapidly and the uncertainty of the average gas temperature is only 7 mK (22 × 10(-6) T). A novel operating method leads to essentially zero mass change in and very low uncertainty contributions from the inventory volume. Gravimetric and volume expansion techniques were used to determine the tank and the inventory volumes. Gravimetric determinations of collection tank volume made with nitrogen and argon agree with a standard deviation of 16 × 10(-6) VT . The largest source of uncertainty in the flow measurement is drift of the pressure sensor over time, which contributes relative standard uncertainty of 60 × 10(-6) to the determinations of the volumes of the collection tanks and to the flow measurements. Throughout the range 3 L/min to 110 L/min, flows were measured independently using the 34 L and the 677 L collection systems, and the two systems agreed within a relative difference of 150 × 10(-6). Double diversions were used to evaluate the 677 L system over a range of 300 L/min to 1600 L/min, and the relative differences between single and double diversions were less than 75 × 10(-6).
Lazy inference on object identities in wireless sensor networks

Maintaining the identities of moving objects is an important aspect of most multi-object tracking applications. Uncertainty in sensor data, coupled with the intrinsic combinatorial difficulty of the data association problem, suggests probabilistic formulations over the set of possible identities. While an explicit representation of a distribution over all associations may require exponential storage and computation, in practice the information provided by this distribution is accessed only in certain stylized ways, as when asking for the identity of a given track, or the track with a given identity. Exploiting this observation, we proposed in [1] a practical solution to this problem based on maintaining marginal probabilities and demonstrated its effectiveness in the context of tracking within a wireless sensor network. That method, unfortunately, requires extensive communication in the network whenever new identity observations are made, in order for normalization operations to keep the marginals consistent [2]. In this paper, we have proposed a very different solution based on accumulated log-likelihoods that can postpone all normalization computations until actual identity queries are made. In this manner the continuous communication and computational expense of repeated normalizations is avoided and that effort is expended only when actual queries are made of the network. We compare the two methods in terms of their computational complexities, inference accuracies, and distributed implementations. Simulation and experimental results from a RFID system are also presented.
Comments on "Probability estimation in arithmetic and adaptive-Huffman entropy coders"

This comment points out some omissions in the work of Duttweiler and Chazmas (see ibid., vol.4, p.237, 1995) on credit related to scaled-count estimators that perform count-scaling when the count of the less probable symbol (LPS) reaches a limiting value.