cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Large-amplitude nonlinear motions in proteins

A molecular-dynamics calculation on a hydrated protein, crambin, demonstrates that (i) neighboring dihedral angles are correlated to local transitions in the protein backbone, and that (ii) the amplitude of collective excitations, representing correlated global motions in the protein, samples multicentered distributions. The time dependence of the multicentered dihedral and collective excitations show rapid transitions from the center of one distribution to another, followed for some time by damped, low-amplitude motions around one center. The global nonlinear collective excitations are responsible for most of the atomic fluctuations of the molecule. An analysis appropriate to multimodal conformations is reported.
The relationship between retrospective reports of early child temperament and adjustment at ages 10-12.

For 131 highly stressed 4th- to 6th-grade urban children, retrospective parental reports of child temperament along an easy-difficult dimension, for the infancy (ages 0-2) and preschool (ages 2-5) periods, were obtained during in-depth interviews. Parent judgments of an easier temperament in each of the two age periods, and their sum, related consistently and significantly to positive ratings of current child adjustment. The latter reflected both multiple sources (i.e., parents, former teachers, and current teachers) and different aspects of adjustment (e.g., fewer problem behaviors and more competencies). Language: en
Physical activity and mental health outcomes during menopause: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Many women experience detriments in mental health during the menopausal transition. Physical activity may attenuate these adverse outcomes but few studies investigating such effects exist.Purpose: This study examined the effects of a 4-month randomized controlled exercise trial on mental health outcomes in 164 previously low-active middle-aged women (M age=49.9; SD=3.6).Methods and Results: Participants completed body composition and fitness assessment and a battery of psychological measures at the beginning and end of a 4-month randomized controlled exercise trial with three arms: walking, yoga, control. The results indicated that walking and yoga were effective in enhancing positive affect and menopause-related QOL and reducing negative affect. Women who experienced decreases in menopausal symptoms across the trial also experienced improvements in all positive mental health and QOL outcomes and reductions in negative mental health outcomes. Whether menopausal symptoms increased or decreased across the trial appeared to be determined in part by whether there were increases or decreases in cardiorespiratory fitness.Conclusions: Physical activity appears to enhance mood and menopause-related QOL during menopause, however, other aspects of mental health may be affected only as a result of reduction in menopausal symptoms. Increasing cardiorespiratory fitness could be one way to reduce menopausal symptoms.
Beginning Science Teacher Cognition and Its Origins in the Preservice Secondary Science Teacher Program.

The objectives of this study were to (a) identify the major tenets of a preservice secondary science education program as expressed by science education faculty, (b) identify knowledge structures that beginning secondary science teachers have constructed about the teaching and learning of science, and (c) identify the correlatives that exist between the first two objectives. The study was grounded in the postulates of teacher cognition in that teachers construct their own schema from their experiences in order to comprehend, plan for, and respond to the dynamics of their classroom. This qualitative study consisted of interviews and observations of beginning science teachers, interviews with science education faculty, and an analysis of the course syllabi of that faculty. Methods of single and cross-case analytic induction were combined to analyze the data. Based on the data, it may be concluded that aspects of the program, such as student-centered learning, cooperative learning, general pedagogical knowledge, and pedagogical content knowledge, were adopted into the schema of the beginning teachers; the degree of adoption appeared to be linked to the individual's most significant learning experiences and the constraints of the school situation. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 34: 633–653, 1997.
A New Role for Downstream Toll-like Receptor Signaling in Mediating Immediate Early Gene Expression during Focal Cerebral Ischemia

To better understand the role of downstream Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling during acute cerebral ischemia, we performed cDNA microarrays, on brain RNA, and cytokine arrays, on serum, from wild type (WT), MyD88−/− and TRIF-mutant mice, at baseline and following permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO). The acute stress response pathway was among the top pathways identified by Ingenuity Pathway Analysis of microarray data. We used real-time polymerase chain reaction to confirm the expression of four immediate early genes; EGR1, EGR2, ARC, Nurr77, in this pathway, and insulin degrading enzyme (IDE). Compared to WT, baseline immediate early gene expression was increased up to10-fold in MyD88−/− and TRIF-mutant mice. However, following pMCAO, immediate early gene expression remained unchanged, from this elevated baseline in these mice, but increased up to 12-fold in WT. Furthermore, expression of IDE, which also degrades β-amyloid, decreased significantly only in TRIF-mutant mice. Finally, sE-Selectin, sICAM, sVCAM-1, and MMP-9 levels were significantly decreased only in MyD88−/− compared with WT mice. We thus report a new role for downstream TLR signaling in immediate early gene expression during acute cerebral ischemia. We also show that the TRIF pathway regulates IDE expression; a major enzyme that clears β-amyloid from the brain.
Abstract only: Certified numerical solving of systems of polynomial equations

Polynomial homotopy continuation is at the heart of numerical algebraic geometry, an area whose primary goal is to solve systems of polynomial equations. Recently this field developed rapidly producing several software packages that solve some problems out of reach for purely symbolic techniques. However, the homotopy tracking procedures employ heuristics to follow the homotopy continuation paths. Jointly with Carlos Beltran we have devised a certified homotopy tracking algorithm, which was implemented in Macaulay2. In addition we conducted experiments shedding light on some developments in complexity analysis of polynomial systems solving.
A study on polymorphing superscalar processor dynamically to improve power efficiency

Asymmetric Multicore Processors (AMP) have emerged as likely candidates to solve the performance/power conundrum in the current generation of processors. Most recent work in this area evaluate such multicores by considering large (usually out-of-order (OOO)) and small (usually in-order (InO)) cores on the same chip. Dynamic online swapping of threads between these cores is then facilitated whenever deemed beneficial. However, if threads are swapped too often, the overheads may negatively impact the benefits of swapping. Hence, in most recent work, thread swapping decisions are made at coarse grain instruction granularities, leaving out many opportunities. In this paper, we propose a scheme to mitigate the penalty imposed by thread swapping and yet achieve all the benefits of AMPs. Here, a single superscalar OOO core morphs itself into an InO core at runtime, whenever determined to be performance/Watt efficient. Certain Intel processors already have a similar mechanism to statically morph an OOO core to an InO core to facilitate debug. We extend this existing capability to perform dynamic core morphing at runtime with an orthogonal objective of improving power efficiency. Results indicate that on an average, performance/Watt benefits of 10% can be extracted by our proposed morphing scheme at a very small performance penalty of 3.8%. Since this scheme is based on existing mechanisms readily available in current microprocessors, it incurs no hardware overheads.
GVE '99: Report of the 1999 eurographics/SIGGRAPH workshop on graphics and visualization education

The Graphics and Visualization Education Workshop (GVE ’99), held July 3–5, 1999 in Coimbra, Portugal, was a jointly-sponsored event of Eurographics and ACM SIGGRAPH and was partially supported by the National Science Foundation. It was chaired by Werner Hansmann, University of Hamburg (Germany), Mike McGrath, Colorado School of Mines (USA), and Jose Teixeira, University of Coimbra (Portugal). It assembled 44 colleagues from twelve countries to consider the future in computer graphics education. Among the workshop themes were curriculum for computer graphics in computer science and in art, development of computer graphics for teaching, media, interaction, and collaborations between disciplines and institutions. The workshop was organized as a working event to give all the participants the best opportunity to talk with each other and develop ideas along the themes above. Participants were chosen based on position papers submitted to the workshop organizers, and a small number of participants were chosen to present their papers as a way to get particular ideas into the discussion. Mike Bailey of the San Diego Supercomputer Center was keynoter for the workshop, and Jack Bresenham of Winthrop College summarized the discussions of the workshop in a closing presentation. This note reports the workshop results as developed by the working groups by the end of the workshop. Complete information, including more condensed reports and the participants’ developed position papers, is online at www.eg.org/WorkshopReports/GVE99/ and www.education.siggraph.org/conferences/GVE99/
Scanning electron microscopy of the normal and denervated limb regenerate in the newt, Notophthalmus, including observations on embryonic amphibian limb‐bud mesenchyme and blastemas of fish‐fin regenerates

The present work deals with the morphology of normal and denervated early limb regenerates in the newt and compares them with early limb-bud mesenchyme and blastemas of fish-fin regenerates using the three-dimensional properties of the SEM. It shows that blastemal cells are polymorphic, in contrast to those of the stump-cell population, which are fairly homogeneous and from which blastema cells are said to arise by "dedifferentiation." The appearance of cells had not changed by two days following denervation even though previous biochemical studies have detected many changes in metabolism. Longterm denervation (7 days) did result in morphological changes. A comparison between well-known cell types-myoblasts, Schwann cells, osteoblasts observed in vitro, limb-bud mesenchyme and mesenchymatous fin blastema-was carried out in order to suggest explanations for the blastema-cell polymorphism.
Styles of Image Management During Crises: Justifying Press Censorship

Press freedom is crucial in times of national crisis such as rampant terrorism or war. But press freedom is likely to become a casualty at such times because of legitimate concerns about security f...
Denitrification in Lake Sediments

Abstract The capacity of selected calcareous and non-calcareous lake sediments from Wisconsin to reduce NO3-N gas to N2 gas under anaerobic conditions was examined. Although the individual rates of denitrification varied, all lake sediments examined were able to convert approximately 70% of added NO3-N to N2. In one case, approximately 65% of added NO2-N was also converted to N2. All sediments were able to generate CH4 and when amended with either NO3-N or NO2-N produced N2O as a transient intermediate.
Early onset vitreous amyloidosis in Familial Amyloidotic Polyneuropathy with a transthyretin Glu54Gly mutation is associated with elevated vitreous VEGF

Aim: To report the early vitreous involvement in a rare familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy (FAP) mutation and associated vitreous vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels. Design: Observational case series. Methods: Review of clinical, pathological, photographic, and angiographic records of two FAP siblings with severe vitreous involvement. Laboratory ELISA analysis of vitreous samples for VEGF, and DNA sequence analysis of peripheral blood for transthyretin (TTR) mutational analysis. Results: Two patients underwent 25-gauge vitrectomy in three eyes with marked improvement of visual acuity. Neovascularisation seen intraoperatively responded to endolaser. Analysis of vitrectomy samples for VEGF showed raised levels in all three specimens. Mutational analysis revealed an isolated Glu54Gly mutation in the transthyretin gene. Conclusions: Early involvement of the vitreous occurs in a rare transthyretin mutation of FAP, with increased vitreous levels of VEGF.
The PMESC Programming Library for Distributed-Memory MIMD Computers

Efficient programming of task-parallel problems, where the number and execution times of the computational tasks can vary unpredictably, demands an asynchronous and adaptive approach. In this sort of approach, however, such fundamental programming issues as load sharing, data sharing, and termination detection can present difficult programming problems. This paper presents the PMESC library for managing task-parallel problems on distributed-memory MIMD computers within the context of the SPMD (single program, multiple data) programming model. PMESC offers support for all of the application-independent programming issues involved in SPMD task-parallel computation in a portable and efficient way while still allowing users to customize their codes. Because different problems may require different strategies to achieve good performance, PMESC is based on a straightforward model in which different building blocks can be easily put together and changed to accommodate the particular needs of the different applications. The library provides an interface that allows users to program a virtual machine and thereby ignore the details associated with message passing and machine architecture. These features make PMESC accessible to a wide variety of users.
Spontaneous gallbladder pathology in baboons

Background Gallbladder pathology (GBP) is a relatively uncommon, naturally occurring morbidity in both baboons and humans. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on 7776 necropsy reports over a 20 year period to determine the prevalence of baboon GBP. Results Ninety-seven cases of GBP were identified, yielding a 20 year population prevalence of 1.25%. GBP is more common in adult female baboons, occurring with a female to male ratio of nearly 2:1. Among gallbladder pathologies, cholecystitis (35.1%) and cholelithiasis (29.9%) were the most prevalent abnormalities, followed by hyperplasia (16.5%), edema (15.5%), amyloidosis (5.2%), fibrosis (4.1%), necrosis (4.1%), and hemorrhage (1.0%). Conclusion Many epidemiologic similarities exist between GBP in baboons and humans suggesting that the baboon may serve as a reliable animal model system for investigating GBP in humans.
ETV6-NTRK3 - Trk-ing the primary event in human secretory breast cancer

Abstract In this issue of Cancer Cell , Tognon et al. (2002) propose a single chromosomal translocation as the cause of a particularly troubling form of breast cancer, secretory carcinoma. They challenge widely held beliefs concerning breast carcinogenesis as well as beliefs concerning the absolute association of specific fusion genes with specific tumor types. Their data highlight the role of Trk signaling in breast cancer and also suggest a target for drug development.
TU‐G‐217A‐04: Assessment of Cerebral Autoregulation by Inducing Acute Hypertension in Rats

Purpose: We developed a rat model of acute hypertension by occluding the descending aorta and used cerebral blood flow (CBF) MRI to evaluate cerebral autoregulation (CA) under normocapnia and hypercanpia. This method avoids potential pharmaceutical complications and can be repeatedly applied in the scanner. The long term goal is to apply this approach to study CA in rat models of chronic hypertension, stroke and diabetes. Methods: 9 Long‐Evans rats were used for MRI and blood‐gas measurements. They were mechanically ventilated under normocapnia, and then hypercapnia. Blood pressure (BP) was modulated by a balloon catheter placed in the descending aorta near diaphragm. MRI studies were performed on an 11.7 T MRI using continuous arterial spin labeling. Modulation paradigm: OFF‐ ON(1min)‐OFF. The mean CBF and BOLD (extracted from non‐labeled images) signals of the cerebrum was reported. The changes of CBF, BP and BOLD (▵CBF, ▵BP and ▵BOLD) from the baseline to the occlusion period were analyzed. Total 23 trials under normocapnia and 21 trails under hypercapnia were performed. Results: CBF, BOLD, BP, arterial pO2 and pH increased significantly during the occlusion under both hypercapnia and normocapnia. BP elevation was sustainable. After initial instant transient increase, CBF returned toward the baseline at a faster(p=0.047) rate under normocapnia than under hypercapnia(∼3x). Under normocapnia, ACBF was not linearly correlated to ▵BP(p=0.53). The absence of correlation and faster returning rate under normocapnia indicates CA. By contrast, under hypercapnia, ACBF increased linearly with ABP(p=0.002), which indicates autoregulation impairment. %▵CBF vs. %▵BOLD remained linearly correlated under both conditions. Conclusions: We developed a model of acute hypertension in rat for use in the MRIscanner. CBF MRI results indicated that there were apparent CA under normocapnia but was markedly impaired under hypercapnia. This approach sets the stage for study of CA in rat models of chronic hypertension, stroke and diabetes.
Seasonal pre-migratory fattening and increased activity in a nomadic and irruptive migrant, the Red Crossbill Loxia curvirostra

It is well documented that irruptive and nomadic migrants move in response to resources that are distributed unpredictably in space, time or both. Increasing evidence, however, suggests that irruptive and nomadic species may use seasonal timing mechanisms to prepare for migrations, despite the more facultative nature of their movements. Here we use data from free-living and captive Red Crossbills Loxia curvirostra, a typical irruptive nomad, to examine three hypotheses regarding control of facultative migration: (1) the facultative migration hypothesis, which states that both preparation and departure decisions are regulated by resource availability; (2) the seasonal preparation hypothesis, which states that preparation is initiated by seasonal factors (i.e. endogenous rhythms and/or photoperiod) but that departure decisions are dependent on local resource availability; and (3) the seasonal migration hypothesis, which states that both preparation and departure decisions are initiated by seasonal mechanisms and are independent of local food resources. Red Crossbills in North America are thought to make temporally consistent spring migrations in anticipation of conifer cone maturation. In this study, fat deposits of free-living Red Crossbills peaked in May and June, exceeding even winter deposits. In agreement with the field data, captive birds on a natural photoperiod with constant food and temperature showed a peak in fat deposition and activity levels in June. These findings are consistent with the seasonal preparation and the seasonal migration hypotheses and contribute to a growing literature that suggests that facultative migrants may prepare for movements in similar ways to seasonal migrants.
Bats along the republican river and its tributaries in Southwestern Nebraska: distribution, abundance, and reproduction.

ABSTRACT. Thirteen species of bats occur in Nebraska, but limited information is available on those inhabiting southwestern parts of the state. We investigated the distribution, abundance, and reproductive activity of bats in 5 counties in extreme southwestern Nebraska (Chase, Hays, Dundy, Hitchcock, and Red Willow). From April 2007 to April 2008, we deployed mist nets on 15 occasions at 8 localities over the Republican River and its tributaries. We captured 100 individuals representing 5 species, including the evening bat (Nycticeius humeralis), eastern red bat (Lasiurus borealis), hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus), big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus), and silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans). All species raised young in this region of Nebraska, except L. noctivagans, which was documented only during migration. Lactating females of N. humeralis captured on 15 June and volant young captured on 23 June extend known dates of reproductive activity for this species in the state, and an adult female captured...
Alpha-particle-induced upsets in advanced CMOS circuits and technology

In this paper, we review the current status of single-event upsets caused by alpha-particles in IBM circuits and technology. While both alpha-particles and cosmic radiation can induce upsets, the alpha-particle-induced upset rate has become an increasingly important issue because alpha-particle-induced upsets are no longer limited to memory circuits. Latch circuits have become highly sensitive to alpha-particles. The alpha-particle-induced upset rate of latch circuits is one of the most critical issues for microprocessors requiring both high performance and high reliability.
Mechanism of high-mobility group protein B enhancement of progesterone receptor sequence-specific DNA binding

The DNA-binding domain (DBD) of progesterone receptor (PR) is bipartite containing a zinc module core that interacts with progesterone response elements (PRE), and a short flexible carboxyl terminal extension (CTE) that interacts with the minor groove flanking the PRE. The chromosomal high-mobility group B proteins (HMGB), defined as DNA architectural proteins capable of bending DNA, also function as auxiliary factors that increase the DNA-binding affinity of PR and other steroid receptors by mechanisms that are not well defined. Here we show that the CTE of PR contains a specific binding site for HMGB that is required for stimulation of PR-PRE binding, whereas the DNA architectural properties of HMGB are dispensable. Specific PRE DNA inhibited HMGB binding to the CTE, indicating that DNA and HMGB-CTE interactions are mutually exclusive. Exogenous CTE peptide increased PR-binding affinity for PRE as did deletion of the CTE. In a PR-binding site selection assay, A/T sequences flanking the PRE were enriched by HMGB, indicating that PR DNA-binding specificity is also altered by HMGB. We conclude that a transient HMGB-CTE interaction alters a repressive conformation of the flexible CTE enabling it to bind to preferred sequences flanking the PRE.
Halofuginone- and chitosan-coated amnion membranes demonstrate improved abdominal adhesion prevention.

Our objective was to determine whether coating the amniotic membrane with halofuginone, a type 1 collagen synthase inhibitor, with or without the hemostasis-inducing substance chitosan, reduced the number and severity of adhesions in the rat uterine horn injury model. Sixty retired breeder Sprague-Dawley rats underwent midline laparotomy and a zone of ischemia was created in the left uterine horn of each animal. Rats were randomized to one of six treatment groups: (1) untreated control, (2) oxidized regenerated cellulose (Interceed®) (ORC), (3) plain amnion, (4) amnion coated on both sides with 0.5% solution of halofuginone (HAH), (5) amnion coated on one side with 0.5% halofuginone and on the other side with chitosan (CAH), or (6) amnion coated on both sides with chitosan (CAC). The zone of ischemia in each left uterine horn was wrapped in each treatment. Rats were sacrificed 2 weeks after laparotomy, and adhesions were counted and scored for severity. Data were analyzed using Chi square and a p <0.05 was considered significant. Our results showed that there were no differences in the percentage of animals with adhesions in the untreated, ORC, plain amnion, or CAC groups. No adhesions formed in any animal in the HAH group and only 14% of the animals developed adhesions to the uterine horn in the CAH group (p < 0.05). The percentage of animals with moderate and severe adhesions did not differ between untreated controls and the ORC groups, but were significantly reduced in all four of the amnion groups: plain amnion, HAH, CAH, and CAC (p < 0.05). Amnion coated with halofuginone alone or in combination with chitosan reduced the percentage of animals with adhesions, as well as the percentage of animals with moderate and severe adhesions compared to untreated controls and the ORC group in the rat uterine horn injury model. Amnion alone or coated with chitosan reduced the percentage of rats with moderate and severe adhesions, but not the percentage of rats with adhesions of any type compared to both untreated controls and the ORC group in the rat uterine horn injury model.
Ultrastructure of feeding tubes formed in giant-cells induced in plants by the root-knot nematodeMeloidogyne incognita

The plant pathogenic nematodeMeloidogyne incognita forms conspicuous tubular structures referred to as feeding tubes in special food cells, called giant-cells, induced and maintained in susceptible host roots by feeding nematodes. Feeding tubes are formed by nematode secretions injected into giant-cells via a stylet and apparently function to facilitate withdrawal of soluble assimilates by the parasite. In giant-cells in roots of the four host species examined in this study, feeding tube morphology was identical. Tubes were straight to slightly curved structures just less than 1 μm wide and up to slightly more than 70 μm long. At the ultrastructural level, each tube consisted of a 190–290 nm thick, electron-dense, crystalline wall surrounding an electron-transparent lumen with a diameter of 340–510 nm. The distal end of the tube was sealed with wall material. Older tubes were found free in the host cytoplasm while the proximal ends of young tubes were attached to the host cell wall via short wall ingrowths through which the nematode's stylet was inserted. An elaborate membrane system was associated with the feeding tubes and was most extensive around newly formed tubes. Contiguous to the feeding tube wall, this membrane system consisted of strands of smooth endoplasmic reticulum while rough endoplasmic reticulum predominated toward the outer margin of the membrane system. Vacuoles and mitochondria were excluded from a zone of cytoplasm surrounding feeding tubes. This zone of exclusion, as well as the membrane system noted above, tended to be less pronounced or absent around older tubes no longer being used by the nematode.
Development of a SNLP marker from the Pi-ta blast resistance gene by tri-primer PCR

The Pi-ta gene from indica introgressed into japonica rice has been used to control the blast disease caused by the fungal pathogen Magnaporthe grisea (Herbert) Barr. (anamorph Pyricularia oryzae Cav.) worldwide. A single nucleotide length polymorphism (SNLP) was identified at the intron region of the Pi-ta gene to develop a codominant Pi-ta gene marker suitable for genotyping with an automated machine. The DNA primer specific to the resistant Pi-taallele was labeled with blue dye (FAM, 6-carboxyfluorescein) as a forward primer, the DNA primer specific to the susceptible pi-ta allele was labeled with green dye (HEX, 4,7,2′,4′,5′,7′-hexachloro-6-carboxyfluorescein) as another forward primer and the DNA primer identical to both Pi-ta/pi-ta alleles was unlabeled as the reverse primer for polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Using these three primers, a 181-bp blue peak in homozygous resistant and a green peak of 182–183 bp in homozygous susceptible, and both peaks in heterozygous plants were produced by PCR. The utility of marker was verified using a segregating F2 population, inbred cultivated lines, dominant markers and pathogenicity testing. A codominant Pi-ta marker was thus developed for effective Pi-ta assisted selection for crop improvement. Using highly homologous competitive primers for allele detection by PCR can benefit the study of genome organization of the complex locus.
Emergency department coverage by primary care physicians in a rural practice-based research network: Incentives, confidence, and training

: Context: In rural areas of the United States, emergency departments (EDs) are often staffed by primary care physicians, as contrasted to urban and suburban hospitals where ED coverage is usually provided by physicians who are residency-trained in emergency medicine. Purpose: This study examines the reasons and incentives for rural Oregon primary care physicians to cover the ED and their reported measures of confidence and priorities for additional training. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of primary care physicians in rural Oregon who are members of the Oregon Rural Practice-Based Research Network (ORPRN). The survey was sent to 70 primary care physicians in 27 rural Oregon practices. Findings: Fifty-two of 70 (74%) ORPRN physicians representing 24 practices returned the questionnaire. Nineteen of the 52 responding physicians reported covering the ED. The majority (75%) of physicians covering the ED did so as a requirement for practice employment and/or hospital privileges. Physicians covering the ED reported low confidence in pediatric emergencies and expressed the need for additional training in pediatric emergencies as their top priority. Conclusions: Almost two fifths of surveyed primary care physicians in a rural practice-based research network provide ED coverage. Based on these physicians' low levels of confidence and desire for additional training in pediatric emergencies, effective education models are needed for physicians covering the ED at their rural hospitals.
Function definitions in term rewriting and applicative programming

The frameworks of unconditional and conditional Term Rewriting and Applicative systems are explored with the objective of using them for defining functions. In particular, a new operational semantics, Tue-Reduction , is elaborated for conditional term rewriting systems. For each framework, the concept of evaluation of terms invoking defined functions is formalized. We then discuss how it may be ensured that a function definition in each of these frameworks is meaningful, by defining restrictions that may be imposed to guarantee termination, unambiguity , and completeness of definition. The three frameworks are then compared, studying when a definition may be translated from one formalism to another.
Hidden Markov model-based spectral measure for hyperspectral image analysis

A Hidden Markov Model (HMM)-based spectral measure is proposed. The basic idea is to model a hyperspectral spectral vector as a stochastic process where the spectral correlation and band-to-band variability are modeled by a hidden Markov process with parameters determined by the spectrum of the vector that forms a sequence of observations. In order to evaluate the performance of this new measure, it is further compared to two commonly used spectral measures, Euclidean Distance (ED), Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM) and a recently proposed Spectral Information Divergence (SID). The experimental results show that the HMMID performs more effective than the other three measures in characterizing spectral information at the expense of computational complexity.
Assessment of Measures to Detect Preschool Academic Risk in Very-low-birth-weight Children

The ability of three preschool risk detection tools to accurately identify apparently healthy very-low-birth-weight children (VLBW < 1500 g) who would subsequently experience school failure was studied. The sample of 35 children included 20 girls and 15 boys, 15 African-American children and 20 white children, who were 4 years old when assessed. The tool based on the information processing model had a significantly higher degree of specificity than the readiness or development based tools. None of the tools were sensitive enough to identify more than two thirds of the children who subsequently experienced school failure in grades K through 2.
The study of disorder and nanocrystallinity in C-S-H, supplementary cementitious materials and geopolymers using pair distribution function analysis

Significant progress was achieved with the application of Rietveld method to characterize the crystalline phases in portland cement paste. However, to obtain detailed information on the amorphous or poorly crystalline phases, it is necessary to analyze the total scattering data. The pair distribution function (PDF) method has been successfully used in the study of liquids and amorphous solids. The method takes the Sine Fourier transform of the measured structure factor over a wide momentum transfer range, providing a direct measure of the probability of finding an atom surrounding a central atom at a radial distance away. The obtained experimental characteristic distances can be also used to validate the predictions by the theoretical models, such as, molecular dynamics, ab initio simulations and density functional theory. The paper summarizes recent results of PDF analysis on silica fume, rice husk ash, fly ash, ASR gel, C-S-H and geopolymers.
Sleep and Early Cortical Development

Sleep is increasingly recognized as a key process in neurodevelopment. Animal data show that sleep is essential for the maturation of fundamental brain functions, and growing epidemiological findings indicate that children with early sleep disturbance suffer from later cognitive, attentional, and psychosocial problems. Still, major gaps exist in understanding processes underlying links between sleep and neurodevelopment. One challenge is to translate findings from animal research to humans. In this review, we describe parallels and differences in sleep and development of the cortex in humans and animals and discuss emerging questions.
Diversity of Planctomycetes in Soil in Relation to Soil History and Environmental Heterogeneity

Members of the Planctomycetes, which were once thought to occur primarily in aquatic environments, have been discovered in soils on five continents, revealing that these Bacteria are a widespread and numerically abundant component of microbial communities in soil. We examined the diversity of Planctomycetes in soil samples obtained from experimental plots at an agricultural site in order to assess the extent of Planctomycetes diversity in soil, to determine whether management effects such as past land cover and compost addition affected the composition of the Planctomycetes community, and to determine whether the observations made could provide insight into the ecological distribution of these organisms. Analysis of Planctomycetes 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed a total of 312 ± 35 unique phylotypes in the soil at the site examined. The majority of these Planctomycetes sequences were unique, and the sequences had phylogenetic affiliations that included all major lineages in the Planctomycetaceae, as well as several novel groups of deeply divergent Planctomycetes. Both soil management history and compost amendment had significant effects on the Planctomycetes diversity, and variations in soil organic matter, Ca2+ content, and pH were associated with variations in the Planctomycetes community composition. In addition, Planctomycetes richness increased in proportion to the area sampled and was correlated with the spatial heterogeneity of nitrate, which was associated with the soil management history at the orchard site examined. This report provides the first systematic assessment of the diversity of Planctomycetes in soil and also provides evidence that the diversity of this group increases with area as defined by the general power law description of the taxon-area relationship.
The effects of chronic postweaning amphetamine on rats exposed to alcohol in utero: Weight gain and behavior

Abstract Offspring of rats fed alcohol, pair-fed, or fed ad lib control diets during pregnancy were administered a dose of amphetamine (0, 2 or 10 mg/kg) daily from postnatal day 22 (PN22) to PN42. Body weight was measured regularly from PN22 to PN60, and behavior was measured on PN22, PN28, PN36 and PN42. Rats exposed to alcohol in utero weighed less than controls at birth and throughout most of the experiment, despite a significantly accelerated weight gain relative to controls. By PN60, prenatal alcohol-exposed rats weighed the same as pair-fed controls. There were dose-dependent reductions in the rate of weight gain during amphetamine administration. After the daily injections stopped, the high-dose (10-mg/kg) amphetamine groups showed a higher growth rate than the 0-mg/kg and 2-mg/kg groups. There were no interactions between prenatal treatment and dose of amphetamine on body weight gain. Rats exposed to alcohol in utero showed a greater locomotor activation than controls given 2 mg/kg amphetamine. The magnitude of the locomotor activation to this dose of amphetamine decreased equivalently over the four test days for all prenatal treatment groups. Male but not female rats exposed prenatally to alcohol showed an apparent sensitization to 10 mg/kg amphetamine not seen in control rats between PN28 and PN42. There were no group differences in amphetamine-induced stereotypy or SCH-23390-induced catalepsy. The results implied that children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome who may be treated for attentional dysfunction would show different dose-responses for some behavioral effects of CNS stimulants, but not for growth-retarding “side effects.”
A factor-analytic study of criteria for evaluating student clinicians in speech pathology

This study was designed to determine the most significant criteria used in university training programs to evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness of student clinicians enrolled in clinical practicum. A total of 152 supervisors in 53 ASHA accredited training programs used 40 criteria to evaluate 207 clinicians engaged in speech and language therapy. Factor analysis yielded two distinct dimensions, Technical Skills and Interpersonal Relationship Factors, and indicated that 18 variables contributed most significantly to the evaluative process. Student clinicians were consistently rated higher on variables related to the interpersonal dimension than on those related to technical skills. The identification and structure of the 18 variables suggests that both technical and interpersonal skills are widely regarded as essential to therapeutic effectiveness. The results provide insight into the nature of clinical evaluation and behavior and suggest a restructuring of criteria for evaluating the process of therapeutic treatment.
Argus laser system: performance summary

The Argus Nd:glass laser system, presently operating as an experimental facility for laser fusion experiments, is described. The laser consists of a master oscillator and two identical amplifier chains, each of 20-cm output aperture. Argus is presently capable of delivering more than 4 TW of power in short (<100-psec) pulses, or more than 2 kJ of energy in 1-nsec pulses, to 100-μm targets. Short pulse performance enhancement obtained by increased aperture filling and implementation of image relaying with high power vacuum spatial filters is described. Experimentally recorded near-field and far-field data for several power levels are presented and discussed in terms of the limiting effects of nonlinear beam instabilities upon focal spot intensity.
SITE-SPECIFIC MUTAGENESIS DEMONSTRATES THE ROLE OF TWO TYROSINES IN THE BINDING OF COLIPASE TO DIET ARY FATS • 472

The aim of our study was to determine if the neighboring tyrosine residues located on the hydrophobic surface of colipase mediate the interaction of colipase with lipid interfaces.
A university-based approach to the diffusion of knowledge management concepts and practice

This paper addresses the diffusion of Knowledge Management concepts, principles, and cases into university courses. Although we are now living in a world of gigabit transmission systems and terabyte storage, there are still long delays that often occur before industry practice finds its way into university courses. Knowledge Management practices have been elaborated in books, articles, cases, and symposia for almost a decade, with particular acceleration during recent years. Yet only a small number of universities offer KM courses, and few are offered at top business schools. In order to speed the assimilation of KM courses to universities, we describe the essential tools and resources needed in order to give our colleagues a head start in the preparation for KM courses. We also hope to facilitate the university’s traditional role as an agent for diffusing best practices and sound principles to a broader audience. To achieve this, we present an approach that brings together the intellectual territory, books, resources, and a few early lessons we have learned into a “toolkit” that should aid teachers in several disciplines in planning and delivering KM courses at the university level. The resources for KM teaching are abundant and include dozens of books, hundreds of articles, extensive WWW resources, and a fast-growing group of cases. We provide samples of the most suitable resources. The crucial question for preparing a KM course is the intellectual territory that can be covered. We present eight recommended modules, including: Knowledge Creation, History of KM Theory/Concepts, The Importance of Trust, Knowledge Coding, and Hardware/ Software/Systems, KM ROBEvaluation. Since many approaches or emphases for KM courses are possible, we suggest four examples, each including different proportions of the core modules. These course approaches are: Current Industry Practice, KM History, Concepts and Theory, HumaniPersonnel Factors, and Hardware, Software,
Body composition, resting metabolic rate, and energy requirements of short- and normal-stature, low-income Guatemalan children.

We examined body composition using bioelectrical impedance analysis and isotope dilution (18O and 2H), resting metabolic rate (RMR) by indirect calorimetry, and total energy expenditure (TEE) by doubly labeled water in 15 short-stature (height-for-age -1.5 SD) Guatemalan children aged 4-6 y. Although, in absolute terms significant group differences were found in fat-free mass (FFM), fat mass, and total body water (TBW), there were no significant differences in fat mass and TBW after adjustment for FFM. RMR of the short-stature children (3791 +/- 376 kJ/d) was not significantly different from that of normal-stature children (4038 +/- 531 kJ/d), and the regression between RMR and FFM was also not significantly different between groups. TEE was not significantly different in short-stature (4753 +/- 761 kJ/d) compared with normal-stature children (5304 +/- 1020 kJ/d); the regression between TEE and FFM was not significantly different between the two groups. There were no significant group differences in RMR and TEE after adjustment for FFM. FFM was the strongest predictor of TEE, but could only explain 29% of the variance. We conclude that 1) the lower TBW and fat mass in the short-stature group is proportional to their lower FFM, 2) there is no significant difference in either RMR or TEE between short- and normal-stature children, and 3) TEE is highly variable among these children and cannot be explained by differences in body size alone.
A near-optimal decentralized servomechanism controller for hierarchical interconnected systems

This paper is concerned with decentralized output regulation of hierarchical systems subject to input and output disturbances. It is assumed that the disturbance can be represented as the output of an autonomous LTI system with unknown initial state. The primary objective is to design a decentralized controller with the property that not only does it reject the degrading effect of the disturbance on the output (for a satisfactory steady-state performance), it also results in a small LQ cost function (implying a good transient behavior). To this end, the underlying problem is treated in two phases. In the first step, a number of modified systems are defined in terms of the original system. The problem of designing a LQ centralized controller which stabilizes all the modified systems and rejects the disturbance in the original system is considered, and it is shown that this centralized controller can be efficiently found by solving a LMI problem. In the second step, a method recently presented in the literature is exploited to decentralize the designed centralized controller. It is proved that the obtained controller satisfies the pre-determined design specifications including disturbance rejection. Simulation results elucidate the efficacy of the proposed control law.
Effect of Grain Size and Grain Boundary on Mechanical Yielding Behavior of Fully Stabilized Zirconia

Mechanical properties of fully yttria stabilized zirconia (F-YSZ) with different grain sizes were investigated using instrumented indentation. While the grain size effect on the yield strength was performed on both the coarse-grained and fine-grained F-YSZ, the grain boundary effect was studied on the coarse-grained F-YSZ by performing nanoindentation within the grains and on/near the grain boundaries. Little variations were observed on mechanical properties such as hardness and reduced modulus, interesting results were obtained on the grain boundary effect on the yielding load for the course-grained F-YSZ.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Granulocyte Colony‐Stimulating Factor Prevents Ethanol‐Induced Impairment in Host Defense in Septic Rats

Ethanol is a potent immunosuppressive agent that impairs neutrophil effector function. The purpose of this study was to determine whether granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), a cytokine that increases neutrophil number and functional activity, could prevent the ethanol-induced impairment of antibacterial host defense. Rats were injected with human recombinant G-CSF for 2 days. Eight hr after the last injection of G-CSF, animals were infused with ethanol (or saline) for 1 hr before the subcutaneous injection of live Escherichia coli. The infusion of alcohol was continued after the bacterial challenge and produced blood alcohol levels of 275-300 mg/dl. In control animals, the injection of E. coli resulted in a marked leukopenia. There was an influx of leukocytes into the subcutaneous space where the bacteria were injected, and neutrophil accumulation in tissues adjacent to the focus of infection (i.e., dorsal skin and muscle). Based on myeloperoxidase activity, there was no detectable accumulation of neutrophils in other soft tissues. In acutely intoxicated rats, leukocyte migration to the inflammatory site was impaired, and the number of viable bacteria isolated from the subcutaneous pocket was markedly increased. G-CSF prevented the sepsis-induced leukopenia, increased the influx of neutrophils in to the infection site, reduced the number of bacteria in the subcutaneous lavage fluid, and decreased the incidence of bacteremia in ethanol-treated rats when compared with rats not receiving G-CSF. These results demonstrate that G-CSF is a potent immunomodulator that stimulates neutrophil recruitment selectively to the site of infection and that can be used to ameliorate the ethanol-induced impairment in bacterial host defense.
Molecular characterization of a Dictyostelium G-protein α-subunit required for development

Dictyostelium discoideum utilizes G-protein-regulated transmembrane signaling systems to implement its developmental program. This report describes the Dictyostelium G-protein α-subunit, Gα3, and demonstrates that it is required for normal development. Gα3 is the largest of the four completely sequenced Dictyostelium G-protein α-subunits. The difference in size is due to variability in the N-terminal regions. The regions which are affected by the increased size of Gα3 are the Gβγ binding region and the helical domain that protects the guanine nucleotide cleft. gα3− mutants created by gene disruption fail to aggregate. However, when treated with exogenous pulses of cAMP that mimic the endogenous cAMP oscillations, they are able to aggregate, but development arrests at the tipped mound stage. This conditional developmental phenotype suggests that Gα3 is required for production of the cAMP signal.