cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Representation of the Quantity of Visual Items in the Primate Prefrontal Cortex

Deriving the quantity of items is an abstract form of categorization. To explore it, monkeys were trained to judge whether successive visual displays contained the same quantity of items. Many neurons in the lateral prefrontal cortex were tuned for quantity irrespective of the exact physical appearance of the displays. Their tuning curves formed overlapping filters, which may explain why behavioral discrimination improves with increasing numerical distance and why discrimination of two quantities with equal numerical distance worsens as their numerical size increases. A mechanism that extracts the quantity of visual field items could contribute to general numerical ability.
Moses Finley on Slavery: A personal note

Moses Finley's interest in slavery was a strong component of his interest in the ancient world: it had been fostered both by his teachers at Columbia and by his collaboration with the Frankfurt School in its New York version of Institute of Social Research. The passion, the acumen and the realism of Finley were concentrated on the clarification of the situation of the slaves within the different societies of the classical world. He had been familiar with Karl Marx from his beginnings, before the Grundrisse gave new food for Marxist thought on slavery. His concentration on pre-capitalistic societies rather than on capitalism was not simply a question of historical specialization. Applied to the problem of slavery, the difference between Greece and Rome meant that in Greece Finley examined the relations between servile conditions and political life, whereas in the Roman Empire he observed social stratification with little curiosity for the politics of the Roman rulers.
Response spectral densities of strongly nonlinear systems under random excitation

A new analytical procedure is developed to evaluate the response spectral densities for nonlinear systems excited by Gaussian white noises or filtered Gaussian white noises. The cumulant-neglect closure scheme is applied to truncate the governing differential equations for statistical moments of the response variables at two different times. The truncated equations in the time domain are transformed to a set of linear algebraic equations in the frequency domain, which include the response spectral densities as unknowns. This new procedure is illustrated in the example of a Duffing oscillator, and analytical results are compared with those obtained from Volterra series method and Monte Carlo simulations.
Low energy H atom analyzer using a cesium heat pipe

The efficiency of detecting H and D atoms (E<1 keV) escaping a plasma has been increased by use of a cesium vapor cell to form negative ions by electron attachment collisions. A 30 cm long heat pipe confines the cesium to a localized region. The resulting negative ions are energy analyzed with a single‐channel, parabolic parallel‐plate analyzer and detected by a channel multiplier. The H0 conversion efficiency was 10−2 at 100 eV, increasing to 3.8×10−2 at 500 eV. For a H0 energy of 100 eV, the analyzer is 2.5 orders of magnitude more efficient than a comparable N2 stripping cell analyzer. The analyzer has been used to measure ion temperatures as low as 30 eV on the EBT Plasma experiment.
Lenalidomide for the treatment of B-cell lymphoma

Introduction: Nearly 85% of all non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHLs) are derived from malignant B cells. Many of these patients are of advanced age and have concurrent comorbidities. Novel therapies utilizing unique mechanisms of action are needed to improve quality of life and overall survival in this patient population. Lenalidomide is a potent analog of the immunomodulatory drug thalidomide that exerts its effects by enhancing T-cell and NK-cell activation, decreasing angiogenesis, increasing degradation of TNF-α and downregulating NFκB. Areas covered: A literature search was conducted using the terms ‘lenalidomide' and ‘lymphoma' on PubMed and a review of major hematology conference abstracts, posters and oral presentations held over the last 18 months was performed. There is a growing body of evidence generated from several Phase I and II studies showing antitumor activity of lenalidomide monotherapy in relapsed/refractory (R/R) patients with NHL, as well as in combination therapy in both the upfront and t...
Mid-IR Plasmonics with Engineered Semiconductor Metals

We investigate the utility of heavily doped semiconductors as plasmonic materials for mid-IR applications. The wavelength flexibility and design-ability of these materials allow for the demonstration of nanophotonic structures and devices for long-wavelength IR light.
Aqueous penetration of gatifloxacin and levofloxacin into the rabbit aqueous humor following topical dosing.

The aqueous penetration of the commercial preparations of the fluoroquinolone antibiotics ofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, and gatifloxacin were compared following topical dosing in a rabbit model. Levofloxacin achieved the highest aqueous concentrations, with a mean aqueous level of 4.8014 μcg/mL (p = 0.002, p = 0.00002, p = 0.015.) Ofloxacin (2.5136 μcg/mL) and gatifloxacin (2.4817 μcg/mL) achieved statistically equal aqueous concentrations (p = 0.479). Ciprofloxacin reached the lowest levels in the aqueous humor (0.9616 μcg/mL, p = 0.00002, 0.00004, 0.008). Gatifloxacin alone achieved concentrations in excess of the MIC90s of gram-positive pathogens of concern.
Book Review-"Knowing and Writing School History"

Knowing and writing school history: The language of students' expository writing and teachers' expectations. Luciana C. de Oliveira. 2011. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing, Inc. 152 pp. Paperback. ISBN-13: 978-1617353369. US $45.99.
The pulmonary diffusing capacity in congenital and rheumatic heart disease.

The pulmonary diffusing capacity was determined both in patients with intracardiac septal defects and in patients with valvular heart disease in an effort to find out whether pulmonary congestion and hyperemia as they occur ill cardiac disease have different effects on the process of gas diffusion and whether these effects vary at different stages of the disease process.
Application of the Viscoelastic Continuum Damage Mechanics to Asphalt Mixtures under Indirect Tensile Load

AbstractTraditional studies that applied the viscoelastic continuum damage (VECD) model to asphalt materials were mostly accompanied by uniaxial tests whose specimen size requirement provided challenges for mixtures cored from thin asphalt layers. In this paper, an analysis methodology is presented for determining the pseudostrains and damage characteristic curves of asphalt mixtures from both the horizontal (for tension) and vertical (for compression) axes of the indirect tension (IDT) specimen simultaneously. To validate this methodology, laboratory tests were conducted on asphalt specimens in the IDT mode. Complex modulus tests were conducted at various temperatures and frequencies to allow for the construction of a dynamic modulus master curve, which, in turn, was used to obtain the relaxation modulus. In addition, constant-crosshead strength tests were conducted at two temperatures (10 and 20°C) to evaluate the behavior of the asphalt specimens under growing damage. The results of the laboratory stud...
An intravenous fat emulsion as a nitrogen sparer: Comparison with glucose

THE PROTEIN-SPARING EFFECTS of glucose have been widely investigated, and Gamble [4] in 1947 showed that maximal protein sparing could be obtained by the use of 100 g of glucose. This has been explained on the basis that this quant,ity of glucose would provide substrate for the obligatory glucose users such as nervous system and hemopoietic tissue, for, in postabsorptive man, without an exogenous glucose source, cerebral consumption approximates 140 g of glucose per day [14] and in normal man 110-150 g of glucose per day [ 18, 191. This production is mainly gluconeogenesis from amino acid derived from protein.
Necropsy techniques in reptiles Part 3: Terrestrial chelonians, miscellaneous points and conclusions

The next step is to approach the oral and pharyngeal regions in order to examine the oral cavity and free the tongue, glottis and pharynx for sampling. Two incisions should be made, on either side, medial to the mandibular rami through the skin and intermandibular muscles. The tissues should be TERRESTRIAL CHELONIANS Like other reptiles, chelonians are best examined in dorsal recumbency. The only challenge, compared to other species, is the shell.
Primary mesenchyme cell patterning during the early stages following ingression

Sea urchin primary mesenchyme cells (PMCs) ingress into the blastocoel during an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), migrate along the blastocoelar wall for a period of time, and then settle into a subequatorial ring to form the larval skeleton. Fluorescent-marked blastomeres alone, or in combination with blastomere recombination, were used to track the position of PMCs during the early phases of this movement. Micromeres expressing Golgi-tethered GFP (galtase-GFP) were transplanted onto TRITC-stained hosts (in place of the endogenous micromere) to observe the progeny of a single micromere. Galtase-GFP as a Golgi marker is not transferred between PMCs when the syncytium forms. Thus, the position of cells can be followed relative to beginning position for longer periods than previously reported. The PMC progeny of a single micromere do not disperse upon ingression, but instead remain in a closely associated cluster. Generally, progeny of a single micromere remain in the quadrant of origin. In total, greater than approximately 94% of labeled PMCs remain within the local region of ingression. By contrast, when a transplanted micromere is placed at the vegetal plate after removing all 4 host micromeres, the resultant PMCs ingress and migrate into all 4 quadrants. Similarly, if 1 blastomere is injected at the 2-cell stage, and later the 2 unlabeled micromeres are removed at the 16-cell stage, the remaining PMCs ingress into all 4 quadrants of the vegetal plate. We conclude that the normal restriction of PMCs to a quadrant is due to mechanical constraint from other micromere-PMCs. If a labeled micromere is placed ectopically at the macromere/mesomere boundary, the PMC progeny ingress ectopically and migrate longitudinally along the animal-vegetal axis only. Injection of galtase-GFP into one blastomere at the 4-cell stage shows a 2-step pattern of localization. At late mesenchyme blastula and early gastrula stages, greater than 90% of GFP-expressing PMCs remain in the injected quadrant, while at mid- to late-gastrula stage and beyond, more PMCs are found outside the injected quadrant. The migration that sets up the asymmetry of the larval skeleton first occurs around mid- to late-gastrula stages, when some PMCs from an aboral quadrant migrate to the adjacent oral quadrant. In all, these data combined with previous data suggest that freshly ingressed PMCs migrate along a longitudinal path toward the animal pole and back toward the vegetal pole. Beginning at mid- to late-gastrula stage, PMCs utilize oral-aboral cues from the ectoderm for the first time. At this time, some aboral PMCs migrate into the adjacent oral quadrant to assist in the formation of the ventrolateral cluster.
Effects of allopurinol on hyperuricemia secondary to fasting

Abstract Twenty obese patients were treated with varying dosages of allopurinol during various stages of total fasting. The drug was effective both in preventing any significant rise in serum uric acid when given at the onset of fasting and in reducing elevated levels after fasting had proceeded for some days and was most effective when the dosage was 300–400 mg. per day. This drug was well tolerated while fasting and is recommended for use in selected patients.
pH Dependence and Stoichiometry of Binding to the Fc Region of IgG by the Herpes Simplex Virus Fc Receptor gE-gI

Herpes simplex virus type 1 encodes two glycoproteins, gE and gI, that form a heterodimer on the surface of virions and infected cells. The gE-gI heterodimer has been implicated in cell-to-cell spread of virus and is a receptor for the Fc fragment of IgG. Previous studies localized the gE-gI-binding site on human IgG to a region near the interface between the C(H)2 and C(H)3 domains of Fc, which also serves as the binding site for bacterial and mammalian Fc receptors. Although there are two potential gE-gI-binding sites per Fc homodimer, only one gE-gI heterodimer binds per IgG in gel filtration experiments. Here we report production of recombinant human Fc molecules that contain zero, one, or two potential gE-gI-binding sites and use them in analytical ultracentrifugation experiments to show that two gE-gI heterodimers can bind to each Fc. Further characterization of the gE-gI interaction with Fc reveals a sharp pH dependence of binding, with K(D) values of approximately 340 and approximately 930 nm for the first and second binding events, respectively, at the slightly basic pH of the cell surface (pH 7.4), but undetectable binding at pH 6.0. This strongly pH-dependent interaction suggests a physiological role for gE-gI dissociation from IgG within acidic intracellular compartments, consistent with a mechanism whereby herpes simplex virus promotes intracellular degradation of anti-viral antibodies.
Angiotensin II type 1 receptor-function affected by mutations in cytoplasmic loop CD.

To explore peptide hormone-induced conformational changes, we attempted to engineer a metal–ion binding site between the cytoplasmic loops CD and EF in the angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor. We constructed 12 double and six triple histidine mutant receptors, and tested the ability of each mutant and the wild-type to activate inositol phosphate (IP) production with and without ZnCl2. Inhibition by ZnCl2 in the double and triple His mutant receptors was not significant, but these mutations directly decreased the IP production. Systematic analysis of single His mutants demonstrated that the loop CD-mutants displayed 52–74% inhibition of IP production, whereas the loop EF-mutants did not affect IP production. These results indicate that the cytoplasmic loop CD-segment from Tyr127 to Ile130 is important for Gq/11 activation by the AT1 receptor.
Military Participation in Emergency Humanitarian Assistance

Military forces of the United States and other countries possess training, equipment and capabilities that are suited for work in disaster preparedness and assistance. Information on the use of military units in domestic and foreign disaster-related efforts, particularly by United States forces in the medical area, was obtained by review of the literature and unpublished military reports, and from interviews with people who have been involved with disaster-related activities. The historical reasons for viewing United States forces as resources in disaster situations are identified. Additionally, issues and problems related to disaster preparedness and assistance in general, and more specifically, to the past and future use of military personnel for this mission are examined. The need for a defined military mission for emergency humanitarian assistance and the need for a military organizational structure to support this mission are identified. Once these two critical issues have been properly addressed, the United States military should participate in the establishment of a disaster institute for joint civilian-military disaster planning and training, in both domestic and foreign areas.
CAD for Architectural Design of Energy-Efficient Homes

Application de la conception assistee a l'architecture des maisons en vue d'economiser l'energie
Juvenile X-linked retinoschisis from XLRS1 Arg213Trp mutation with preservation of the electroretinogram scotopic b-wave.

Abstract PURPOSE: To present an Arg213Trp missense mutation in the XLRS1 gene in a family with juvenile X-linked retinoschisis in which one affected male had a normal electroretinogram scotopic b-wave amplitude. METHODS: Two affected males and one unaffected male from this family with X-linked retinoschisis underwent standard clinical examination including an electroretinogram. Mutations in the XLRS1 gene were detected by sequence analysis and by restriction enzyme assay for loss of an MSP-I restriction site. RESULTS: A missense mutation of C to T at nucleotide position 637 was identified in exon 6 of the XLRS1 gene. This changed the positively charged arginine to a nonpolar tryptophan (Arg213Trp) within the biologically important discoidin domain. Clinical examination revealed intraretinal cysts in a spoke-wheel distribution and early macular atrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium. Whereas the older affected patient had an “electronegative” electroretinogram typical of retinoschisis, the 13-year-old grandson with the same XLRS1 mutation had a normal electroretinogram scotopic b-wave. CONCLUSION: Although the electroretinogram is a key diagnostic test for X-linked retinoschisis, this report of a normal electroretinogram scotopic b-wave in a male with molecularly confirmed X-linked retinoschisis indicates that caution is advised in relying on the electroretinogram in differential diagnosis of this condition.
Reproducibility of colonic transit study in patients with chronic constipation

PURPOSE: Major therapeutic decisions are rendered based on a single colonic transit study. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the reproducibility of colonic transit time in patients with chronic constipation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-one patients with chronic idiopathic constipation were randomly selected to undergo two separate colonic transit tests. All clinical conditions, methodology, and patients' instructions were identical on both occasions. The gamma rate (linear correlation analysis) was undertaken between the first and second colonic transit times. Groups were divided according to the diagnoses of colonic inertia (slow-transit constipation), paradoxical puborectalis contraction, and chronic idiopathic constipation (normal-transit constipation). RESULTS: In 35 of 51 patients (69 percent), the results were identical between the two studies; however, in 16 patients (31 percent), the results were disparate (gamma correlation coefficient =0.53;P<0.01). The specific correlation coefficients for patients with colonic inertia, paradoxical puborectalis contraction, and chronic idiopathic constipation were 0.12, 0.21, and 0.60 (P<0.01), respectively. Moreover, the success rate of colectomy for colonic inertia was significantly higher in patients who underwent a repeat transit study confirming inertia than in patients who underwent colectomy based on a single study. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, colonic transit time is reproducible in patients with chronic constipation. The correlation coefficient is best for patients with idiopathic constipation and worst for patients with colonic inertia. This new finding suggests that suboptimal surgical outcome may be attributable to inaccurate diagnosis. Because of this poor correlation coefficient, in patients with colonic inertia, consideration should be given to repeating the colonic transit study before colectomy to help secure the diagnosis and improve outcome.
Changes in the lung after prolonged positive pressure ventilation in normal baboons.

Purpose: The effects of prolonged positive pressure ventilation on lung ultrastructure are not well defined in primates. This study was designed to measure cardiopulmonary and morphological responses to 4 days of positive pressure ventilation in normal baboons. Materials and Methods: Six adult male baboons were mechanically ventilated on air for 96 hours with 2.5 cm positive end-expiratory ventilation and a tidal volume of 12 to 15 mL/kg. Physiological measurements were obtained every 12 hours and serial measurements of ventilation-perfusion (VA/Q) were performed using the multiple inert gas elimination technique. Quantitative morphotometry, lung dry-to-wet ratio, and surfactant analysis were performed at the end of the experiment. Results: Cardiovascular variables, except for a small increase in mean pulmonary artery pressure at 84 and 96 hours, were not significantly affected by positive pressure ventilation. Arterial PO2 decreased, and shunt fraction increased from 0.7% of cardiac output to 5.4% (P < .01). Dispersion of perfusion increased threefold (P < .01), and dispersion of ventilation doubled (P < .01) indicating increased VA/Q mismatch. Respiratory system compliance decreased by 30% (P < .01). There was no lung edema or change in surfactant composition. Lung morphometry showed increases in polymorphonuclear cells and type 11 cell volume. Vacuolated endothelial cells and bare basement membrane were observed consistently. Conclusion: Four days of positive pressure ventilation decreases lung compliance and worsens gas exchange by increasing shunt and VA/Q mismatch in healthy baboons. These effects are accompanied by only minor ultrastructural changes and mild inflammatory responses in the lung.
Symmetries of the overmoded right-angle corner

Diffraction theory has been used to analyse a symmetrically truncated right-angle corner in a previous paper by Lewin and Crain. An inspection of the diffraction fields radiated by the conducting wedges which define this configuration has given insight into the symmetries which should be exhibited by this waveguide junction. It is emphasised here that, in a closed waveguide structure, all interaction terms must be taken into account to converge to a reliable solution. This has not been the case in solving open structures such as conducting strips in free space or open-ended waveguide horns. It is also seen that special care must be taken to account for fields in penumbra regions. This analysis reveals a symmetry of higher-mode generation by the corner when the height is an integral number of half wavelengths which could not otherwise be seen.
Elevation of serum cholesterol and increased fatty streaking in egg yolk:lard fed castrated miniature pigs.

The effects of feeding an experimental diet containing 16.25% (w/w) dry powdered egg yolk and 30.8% total fat (20% from lard) were compared with an isocaloric amount of control (stock) diet in castrated (N = 11 each) and sham-operated (N = 8 each) male miniature pigs of Hormel origin. Piglets were castrated at 2 weeks of age. The experimental diet was fed from 9 weeks of age and serum lipids (cholesterol and triglycerides) and plasma testosterone were determined at 5-week intervals up to 52 weeks of age. At 52 weeks of age, the animals were sacrificed and the aortas evaluated for fatty streaking after Sudan IV staining. Castration was accompanied by significantly (P <= 0.02) elevated serum cholesterol (castrated 84 ± 4 mgm/dl vs. sham, 67 ± 5 mgm/dl; mean ± SEM) within 5 weeks after feeding the stock diet and throughout the duration of the expriment. Except for the initial cholesterol concentration (castrated, 118 mgm/dl vs. sham, 88 mgm/dl), both castrated and sham-operated animals on egg yolk had significantly higher (P <= 0.05) serum cholesterol than their littermate controls. At 52 weeks of age, the serum cholesterol of sham-operated and castrated animals on experimental diet were 152 ± 29 and 292 ± 41 mgm/dl as compared with 68 ± 5 and 96 ± 4 mgm/dl for their littermates on stock diet respectively. No correlation was found between the concentrations of plasma testosterone and serum cholesterol. Consistent with the elevation of serum cholesterol, the castrated animals on egg yolk diet had significantly greater area of the aorta covered with fatty streaking than did the sham-operated group. These data show that castration and feeding of egg yolk: lard diet resulted in hypercholesterolemia and increased fatty streaking.
Giant Excitonic Zeeman Splittings in Colloidal Co2+-Doped ZnSe Quantum Dots

Colloidal Co2+:ZnSe diluted magnetic semiconductor quantum dots (DMS-QDs) were prepared by the hot injection method and studied spectroscopically. Ligand-field electronic absorption and magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectra confirm homogeneous substitutional speciation of Co2+ in the ZnSe QDs. Absorption spectra collected at various times throughout the syntheses reveal that dopants are absent from the central cores of the QDs but are incorporated at a constant concentration during nanocrystal growth. The undoped cores are associated with dopant exclusion from the ZnSe critical nuclei. Analysis of low-temperature electronic absorption and MCD spectra revealed excitonic Zeeman splitting energies (ΔEZeeman) of these Co2+:ZnSe QDs that were substantially smaller than anticipated from bulk Co2+:ZnSe data. This reduction in ΔEZeeman is explained quantitatively by the absence of dopants from the QD cores, where dopant−exciton overlap would be greatest. Since dopant exclusion from nucleation appears to be a ...
Mitochondrial ATP-sensitive potassium channel activity and hypoxic preconditioning are independent of an inwardly rectifying potassium channel subunit in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Hypoxic preconditioning (HP) is an evolutionarily-conserved mechanism that protects an organism against stress. The mitochondrial ATP-sensitive K+ channel (mKATP) plays an essential role in the protective signaling, but remains molecularly undefined. Several lines of evidence suggest that mKATP may arise from an inward rectifying K+ channel (Kir). The genetic model organism Caenorhabditis elegans exhibits HP and displays mKATP activity. Here, we investigate the tissue expression profile of the three C. elegans Kir genes and demonstrate that mutant strains where the irk genes have been deleted either individually or in combination can be protected by HP and exhibit robust mKATP channel activity in purified mitochondria. These data suggest that the mKATP in C. elegans does not arise from a Kir derived channel.
On the theory of anisotropy of crystalline surface tension

Abstract Application of fundamental geometrical and statistical mechanical principles to the terrace ledge kink (TLK) model of crystalline surfaces leads to a two-parameter theory of the anisotropy of surface tension (specific free energy). The contribution to ledge free energy due to the entropy associated with kinks and the effect of neighboring ledges in restricting the kink density as the ledge spacing decreases are calculated by treating each ledge as a cooperative chain. The results show clearly the importance of the kink entropy contribution to ledge free energy. Examples of the predicted anisotropy of surface tension are given for copper. The predicted variations in surface tension are such that rounded areas can appear on the equilibrium form. A critical underpressure is predicted to be necessary to force ledges together on an evaporating crystal.
Distribution systems reliability and economic improvement with different electric energy storage control strategies

With the rapid development of electric energy storage (EES) technologies, there is a growing interest in integrating these into distribution systems to improve their reliability and economy. Different control strategies of EES have corresponding reliability and economic impacts on the system. In this paper, the reliability and economy of radial distribution system integrated with EES are assessed. The control strategy of utilizing EES as a standby backup energy resource is analyzed. This standby backup control strategy improves system reliability the most but falls short on economy improvement. A novel MPC-based control strategy is presented, which can maximize distribution system economy but could not improve reliability as much as the standby backup control strategy. A hybrid control strategy of balancing the reliability and economy improvement by combining the standby backup control strategy and MPC-based control strategy is presented. The reliability and economic analysis of distribution system integrated with EES using proposed control strategies illustrates the effectiveness of the proposed method. It also illustrates that even with the same EES integrated into the distribution system, different control strategies have very different reliability and economic impact on the system. In order to accurately assess the impact of the implemented control strategies, sequential Monte Carlo Simulation is used and implemented EES control operations are included in the simulation.
Loss of structure in freeze-dried carbohydrates solutions: effect of temperature, moisture content and composition

During processing and storage, dehydrated food materials are subject to changes in their structure. Terms used to describe these changes, which are due to the same basic phenomena, vary from process to process. Thus, during freeze-drying, loss of structure is called “collapse”, while during storage, phenomena related to viscous flow of the dried powder matrix are termed “stickiness”. This loss of initial structure often results in the loss of desirable product qualities, though in some cases controlled manipulation of these changes is used to produce improved products. In freeze-drying, collapse of capillaries in the dry layer results in puffing and loss of desirable structure. In dehydrated powders “stickiness” leading to caking and other defects is also a result of collapse phenomena. The collapse temperature of freeze-dried orange juice and carbohydrate solutions was investigated as a function of moisture content and sample composition. It was observed that collapse temperatures decreased as the sample moisture content increased. Mixtures of materials collapsed at a temperature intermediate to that of the individual components. The consequences of these observations to a number of food processes are discussed.
Thyroid Hormones Mediate Steroid-Independent Seasonal Changes in Luteinizing Hormone Pulsatility in the Ewe

Thyroid hormones permit the increase in response to estradiol negative feedback in ewes at the transition to anestrus. In this study, we tested whether the thyroid hormones are also required for steroid-independent seasonal changes in pulsatile LH secretion. In experiment 1, Suffolk ewes were ovariectomized and thyroidectomized (THX) or ovariectomized only (controls) in late November. LH pulse frequency and amplitude were measured for 4 h in December, April, May, June, and August. Pulse frequency was also measured in the presence of estradiol-containing implants during the breeding (December) and early anestrus (March) seasons. As expected, in the presence of estradiol, pulse frequency declined between December and March in control but not THX ewes. In the absence of estradiol, a seasonal decline in frequency and an increase in amplitude occurred in control ewes, concurrent with lengthening photoperiod. A similar trend was seen in THX ewes, but the seasonal changes were lower in magnitude and not significant. In experiment 2, the same protocol was used (pulse measurements in December, May, and June) with a larger THX group size (n = 7). Results were similar to those of experiment 1 for controls. In THX ewes, pulse frequency did not change over time and was significantly elevated relative to that of controls during the summer. Pulse amplitude in THX ewes tended to increase during summer and did not differ from pulse amplitudes in control ewes. These results demonstrate that thyroid hormones are required for steroid-independent cycles in LH pulse frequency; however, some seasonal changes in amplitude still occur in the absence of thyroid hormones. This finding contrasts with the changes in estradiol negative feedback at the transition to anestrus, which are entirely thyroid hormone dependent.
Ball release experiments on a centrifuge : misalignment between the buoyancy force and the axis of rotation

Author Posting. © Cambridge University Press, 2006. This article is posted here by permission of Cambridge University Press for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Fluid Mechanics 564 (2006): 435-454, doi:10.1017/S0022112006001522.
The impact of incomplete knowledge on evaluation

Motivation: Rapidly expanding repositories of highly informative genomic data have generated increasing interest in methods for protein function prediction and inference of biological networks. The successful application of supervised machine learning to these tasks requires a gold standard for protein function: a trusted set of correct examples, which can be used to assess performance through cross-validation or other statistical approaches. Since gene annotation is incomplete for even the best studied model organisms, the biological reliability of such evaluations may be called into question. Results: We address this concern by constructing and analyzing an experimentally based gold standard through comprehensive validation of protein function predictions for mitochondrion biogenesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Specifically, we determine that (i) current machine learning approaches are able to generalize and predict novel biology from an incomplete gold standard and (ii) incomplete functional annotations adversely affect the evaluation of machine learning performance. While computational approaches performed better than predicted in the face of incomplete data, relative comparison of competing approaches—even those employing the same training data—is problematic with a sparse gold standard. Incomplete knowledge causes individual methods' performances to be differentially underestimated, resulting in misleading performance evaluations. We provide a benchmark gold standard for yeast mitochondria to complement current databases and an analysis of our experimental results in the hopes of mitigating these effects in future comparative evaluations. Availability: The mitochondrial benchmark gold standard, as well as experimental results and additional data, is available at http://function.princeton.edu/mitochondria Contact: ogt@cs.princeton.edu Supplementary information:Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Thin-film nanofibrous composite membranes containing cellulose or chitin barrier layers fabricated by ionic liquids

Abstract The barrier layer of high-flux ultrafiltration (UF) thin-film nanofibrous composite (TFNC) membranes for purification of wastewater (e.g., bilge water) have been prepared by using cellulose, chitin, and a cellulose–chitin blend, regenerated from an ionic liquid. The structures and properties of regenerated cellulose, chitin, and a cellulose–chitin blend were analyzed with thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD). The surface morphology, pore size and pore size distribution of TFNC membranes were determined by SEM images and molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) methods. An oil/water emulsion, a model of bilge water, was used as the feed solution, and the permeation flux and rejection ratio of the membranes were investigated. TFNC membranes based on the cellulose–chitin blend exhibited 10 times higher permeation flux when compared with a commercial UF membrane (PAN10, Sepro) with a similar rejection ratio after filtration over a time period of up to 100 h, implying the practical feasibility of such membranes for UF applications.
The MTHFR C677T Variant is Associated with Responsiveness to Disulfiram Treatment for Cocaine Dependency.

Objective: Disulfiram is a one of the few pharmacotherapies for cocaine addiction that shows promise. Since disulfiram and cocaine both affect levels of global methylation we hypothesized the MTHFR gene, whose product is involved in supplying methyl groups for DNA and protein methylation, may be associated with responsiveness to disulfiram in cocaine-dependent individuals. Methods: Sixty-seven cocaine dependent patients were stabilized on methadone for two weeks and then randomized into disulfiram (250 mg/day, N = 32) and placebo groups (N =35) for 10 weeks. Patients were genotyped for the MTHFR (rs1801133, also known as C677T) polymorphism and the data was evaluated for association with cocaine-free urines in the disulfiram or placebo groups. Data from patients that completed all ten weeks of the study (N = 56) were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA), corrected for population structure. Results: The CT or TT MTHFR genotype group (N = 32) dropped from 73% to 52% on disulfiram (p = 0.0001), while the placebo group showed no treatment effect. The CC MTHFR genotype group (N = 24) showed a reduced, but still significant, reduction in cocaine-positive urines on disulfiram compared to placebo; 81-69% (p = 0.007). Conclusion: This study indicates that a patient’s MTHFR genotype may be used to identify individuals who might show improved response to disulfiram treatment for cocaine dependence.
Terahertz NDE for Metallic Surface Roughness Evaluation

Metallic surface roughness in a nominally smooth surface is a potential indication of material degradation or damage. When the surface is coated or covered with an opaque dielectric material, such as paint or insulation, then inspecting for surface changes becomes almost impossible. Terahertz NDE is a method capable of penetrating the coating and inspecting the metallic surface. The terahertz frequency regime is between 100 GHz and 10 THz and has a free space wavelength of 300 micrometers at 1 THz. Pulsed terahertz radiation, can be generated and detected using optical excitation of biased semiconductors with femtosecond laser pulses. The resulting time domain signal is 320 picoseconds in duration. In this application, samples are inspected with a commercial terahertz NDE system that scans the sample and generates a set of time-domain signals that are a function of the backscatter from the metallic surface. Post processing is then performed in the time and frequency domains to generate C-scan type images that show scattering effects due to surface non-uniformity.
The Demography of the Elderly in the Americas: The Case of the United States and Mexico

Due to a variety of demographic trends, the U.S. and Mexico populations are becoming increasingly older. Moreover, aging in the two countries is structured along racial and ethnic lines, reflecting cumulative advantages/disadvantages associated with race and ethnicity throughout the life course. The objective of the paper is to provide a profile of the demographic trends and socioeconomic standing of four groups of elderly living in the United States and Mexico. Data from the 2010 U.S. American Community Survey and the 2010 Mexico Population and Housing Census are used to conduct the analysis. The results show that the most rapid growth is occurring among Mexico’s elderly and the Mexican-origin elderly in the United States. In addition, Mexican elderly in both countries tend to have lower socioeconomic levels than U.S. white and black elderly. Moreover, elderly groups who are particularly disadvantaged are Mexican immigrants in the United States who are not naturalized citizens and indigenous persons living in Mexico. The paper concludes with a discussion of the context in which aging is occurring in the two countries and highlights the need for policies to enhance the quality of life of elderly in the United States and Mexico over the coming decades.
Multicast capacity for large scale wireless ad hoc networks

In this paper, we study the capacity of a large-scale random wireless network for multicast.Assume that n wireless nodes are randomly deployed in a square region with side-length a and all nodes have the uniform transmission range r and uniform interference range R >r. We further assume that each wireless node can transmit/receive at W bits/second over a common wireless channel. For each node vi, we randomly pick k-1 nodes from the other n-1 nodes as the receivers of the multicast session rooted at node vi. The aggregated multicast capacity is defined as the total data rate of all multicast sessions in the network. In this paper we derive matching asymptotic upper bounds and lower bounds on multicast capacity of random wireless networks. We show that the total multicast capacity is Θ(√n over log n dot W over √ k) when k = Ω(n over log n); the total multicast capacity is Θ(W) when k =Θ(n over log n). Our bounds unify the previous capacity bounds on unicast (when k=2) by Gupta and Kumar [7]and the capacity bounds on broadcast (when k=n) in [11,20]. We also study the capacity of group-multicast for wireless networks where for each source node, we randomly select k-1 groups of nodes as receivers and the nodes in each group are within a constant hops from the group leader. The same asymptotic upper bounds and lower bounds still hold. For arbitrary networks, we provide a constructive lower bound Ω(√n over √k dot W) for aggregated multicast capacity when we can carefully place nodes and schedule node transmissions.
Credibility in Compliance and Punishment: Leader Specific Punishments and Credibility

The ability of nation A to compel nation B to grant it concessions depends upon the credibility with which A can commit to punish B for noncompliance. Discarding traditional unitary actor approaches, we assume policy in each nation is set by mortal political leaders and model the compliance/punishment relation between A and B in a noisy infinitely repeated setting. If nations utilize leader specific punishment, that is target policies against leaders rather than the nations they represent, then leaders improve the credibly of their threats to punish noncompliance since citizens have incentives to depose leaders to restore national integrity.
Cadmium- and indium-doped zinc oxide by combustion synthesis using dopant chloride precursors

Cadmium-doped ZnO was prepared for the first time by combustion synthesis using CdCl2 as a dopant precursor, with zinc nitrate and urea as the combustion mixture. Unlike previous studies of combustion synthesis of ZnO in the presence of an indium nitrate precursor, which resulted in (ZnO)mIn2O3 (m = 3 or 4) compound formation, In-doped ZnO was prepared by combustion synthesis in this study using an InCl3 precursor. The doped samples were compared and contrasted with undoped ZnO using scanning electron microscopy, x-ray powder diffraction, energy-dispersive x-ray analyses, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy showed the optical band gap of ZnO to shrink from 3.14 to 3.07 eV and 3.02 eV on Cd and In doping, respectively. Finally, the doped samples showed an improved photoelectrochemical response relative to undoped ZnO over the wavelength range from ∼300 to ∼450 nm.
Retrieval Constraints on the Front End Create Differences in Recollection on a Subsequent Test.

Four experiments were conducted to investigate how the cognitive control of memory retrieval selects particular qualitative characteristics as a consequence of instantiating a retrieval mode for recognition memory. Adapting the memory for foils paradigm from Jacoby, Shimizu, Daniels, and Rhodes (Jacoby, L. L., Shimizu, Y., Daniels, K. A., & Rhodes, M. G. (2005a). Modes of cognitive control in recognition and source memory: Depth of retrieval. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 12, 852–857), we demonstrate that inspecting distractors under different retrieval modes leaves more versus less recollective details in memory. Participants also reported using different rejection strategies under different retrieval modes. The result that retrieval modes are based on selecting qualitative characteristics of the study phase to aid recognition memory was demonstrated by showing that participants cannot establish unique retrieval modes based solely on trace strength or relative judgments of strength. Whether early selection versus late correction criteria will be applied during a memory test depends on the particular retrieval mode established by the characteristics of the recognition memory test.
Equine influenza in England

SIR, — We would like to inform colleagues of several concurrent positive diagnoses of equine influenza virus infection that have been made recently among horses in different parts of England. Four foci of infection in the Midlands, Kent and Hampshire have been identified since the end of May by
Classical radical hysterectomy and nerve-sparing radical hysterectomy in the treatment of cervical cancer.

Aim of the study: To compare Piver III radical hysterectomy (RH) with nerve-sparing radical hysterectomy (NSRH) for cervical cancer patients in terms of postoperative physiology of pelvic autonomic nerves and perioperative complications. Material and methods: Seventy-three consecutive patients with invasive cervical cancer underwent RH (53 cases) or NSRH (20 cases) from 2001 to 2012 at the Department of Gynecology and Gynecologic Oncology of Polish Mother’s Memorial Hospital – Research Institute in Łodź. Results: Compared with patients treated with RH, patients who underwent NSRH presented no significant difference in terms of operative time (146 vs. 143 minutes, p > 0.05), blood loss and hospital stay (9.2 vs. 7.5 days, p > 0.05). A positive surgical margin was found in 6 cases of RH. No serious surgical complications were found in the NSRH group, while there were 4 cases in the RH group. Conclusions: Nerve-sparing radical hysterectomy is safe and feasible surgical management for cervical cancer patients, which should improve the physiology of the pelvic autonomic nerve system postoperatively. The technique is relatively new and its oncologic efficiency has not been fully established yet, moreover it requires sophisticated anatomical knowledge and high operative skills.
Measuring interdependence in ambulatory care.

Summary Rationale, aims and objectives Complex systems differ from complicated systems in that they are nonlinear, unpredictable and lacking clear cause-and-effect relationships, largely due to the interdependence of their components (effects of interconnectedness on system behaviour and consequences). The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the potential for network density to serve as a measure of interdependence, assess its concurrent validity and test whether the use of valued or binary ties yields better results. Method This secondary analysis used the 2010 National Ambulatory Care Medical Survey to assess interdependence of ‘top 20’ diagnoses seen and medications prescribed for 14 specialties. The degree of interdependence was measured as the level of association between diagnoses and drug interactions among medications. Both valued and binary network densities were computed for each specialty. To assess concurrent validity, these measures were correlated with previously-derived valid measures of complexity of care using the same database, adjusting for diagnosis and medication diversity. Results Partial correlations between diagnosis density, and both diagnosis and total input complexity, were significant, as were those between medication density and both medication and total output complexity; for both diagnosis and medication densities, adjusted correlations were higher for binary rather than valued densities. Conclusion This study demonstrated the feasibility and validity of using network density as a measure of interdependence. When adjusted for measure diversity, density-complexity correlations were significant and higher for binary than valued density. This approach complements other methods of estimating complexity of care and may be applicable to unique settings.
Cochlear potentials: A Status Report

A brief overview of sensory receptor processes is given, and cochlear potentials (cochlear microphonic and summating potentials) are discussed in this general context. The problem of the identification of the sources of potential components from gross recordings is stressed and examples relating to microphonic phase and amplitude are given. Some recent results on identifying the source and mechanism of microphonic production are mentioned, as are new evidence concerning the composition of the summating potential.