cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
STUDIES ON THE PHYSIOLOGY OF LACTATION. III. THE RECIPROCAL HYPOPHYSEAL-OVARIAN RELATIONSHIP AS A FACTOR IN THE CONTROL OF LACTATION†§

Investigations during the past few years by Strieker and Giuter (1929), Corner (1930), Nelson and Pfiffner (1930–31), and Turner and Gardner (1931) have established the relation of the anterior hypophysis to the induction of lactation. These various studies have shown that the mammary glands must be developed under the influence of the ovarian hormones before the anterior lobe factor can initiate secretory activity. The degree of development of the glands which is necessary before lactation may be induced and the relative importance of the two ovarian hormones, oestrin (theelin) and progestin (corporin), in the production of gland growth varies in the different species of animals examined. However, it seems definitely established that the mammary glands of any animal must have attained at least the condition present in the adult female of that species before lactation may be induced by the administration of anterior lobe extracts.
WSN11-4: A Cross Layer Design of IEEE 802.15.4 MAC Protocol

In this paper we propose a cross-layer design for IEEE 802.15.4 MAC protocol that is based on a distributed backoff strategy governed by the wireless link quality measurements which are part of the standard. Our performance evaluation indicates that our scheme is more effective, achieving up to 69% higher goodput, and more efficient, delivering up to 154% more data bits per unit of energy consumed in the network, at the expense of an up to 18% degradation in fairness, compared to the basic 802.15.4.
Statistical Models of Association for Comparing Cross-Classifications

In the analysis of cross-classified data, the quantities of interest are frequently odds ratios. Although odds ratios are functions of the interaction parameters in association models, the usual way of normalizing and identifying these parameters means that their relationship with the odds ratios of interest is indirect. This can lead to interpretative confusions. The author points to the benefits of defining the interaction parameters of a model to have a one-to-one relationship with the odds ratios of interest, thus overcoming problems of interpretation. Three examples are presented to illustrate the argument.
The Unperturbed Oxo-Sulfido Functional Group cis-Mo(VI)OS, Related to that in the Xanthine Oxidase Family of Molybdoenzymes: Synthesis, Structural Characterization and Reactivity Aspects

The oxo-sulfido functional group cis-MoVIOS is essential to the activity of the xanthine oxidase family of enzymes but has proven elusive to synthesis in molecules containing no other four-electron ligands. A direct route to molecules containing this group has been achieved. The reaction system [MoO2(OSiPh3)2]/L in dichloromethane yields the complexes [MoVIO2(OSiPh3)2L] (L = phen (1), Me4phen (2), 4,4'-Me2bpy (3), 5,5'-Me2bpy (4), 2 py (5)) (74-96%), which are shown to have a distorted octahedral structure of crystallographically imposed C2 symmetry (1, 5) with cis oxo and trans silyloxy ligands. The related reaction system [MoO3S]2-/2Ph3SiCl/L in acetonitrile affords the complexes [MoVIOS(OSiPh3)2L] (L = phen (6), Me4phen (7), 4,4'-Me2bpy (8), 5,5'-Me2bpy (9)) (36-69%). From the collective results of elemental analysis, mass spectrometry, 1H NMR, and X-ray structure determinations (6, 7), complexes 6-9 are shown to contain the cis-MoVIOS group in molecules with the same overall stereochemistry as dioxo complexes 1-5. The crystal structures of 6 and 7 exhibit O/S disorder, which was modeled in refinements with 50% site occupancies. The Mo=O (1.607(5) (6), 1.645(5) (7) A) and Mo=S (2.257(3) (6), 2.203(2) (7) A) bond distances obtained in this way are somewhat shorter and longer, respectively, than expected. Distances obtained by molybdenum EXAFS analysis using the GNXAS protocol for 6-9 (Mo=O 1.71-1.72 A; Mo=S 2.18-2.19 A) are considered more satisfactory and are in good agreement with EXAFS values for xanthine oxidase. Molybdenum K-edge data for 1 and 6-9 are reported. Reaction of 7 with Ph3P in dichloromethane results in sulfur abstraction and formation of [MoVOCl(OSiPh3)2(Me4phen)] (10), which has a distorted octahedral structure with cis O/Cl and cis silyloxy ligands. Sulfur rather than oxygen abstraction is favored by relative Mo=O/Mo=S bond strengths. Complexes 6-9 should allow exploration of the biologically significant cis-MoVIOS group. (Less)
Hydrothermal treatment of fused silica capillary columns

The activity of fused silica capillary tubing has been shown to vary considerably, which severely influences the reproducibility of column deactivation and inertness. Methods for producing a reproducible, high activity surface with maximum hydroxylation by various hydrothermal treatments were evaluated. Columns pretreated with 20% nitric acid at 200°C for 10 hours, deactivated with D4, coated with OV-73, and crosslinked with azo-tert-butane were found to possess excellent inertness for sensitive analytes such as alcohols, amines, and alkaloid drugs.
Relationship of Scores on the California Psychological Inventory to Age

For a sample of 179 college students (18 to 69 yr. old), age was significantly correlated (.20 to .43) with the California Psychological Inventory scales of Dominance, Capacity for Status, Sociability, Sense of Well-being, Responsibility, Self-control, Tolerance, Good Impression, Achievement via Conformance, Achievement via Independence, Intellectual Efficiency, and Psychological-mindedness.
Comment on the state-of-the-art of tunneling into superconducting niobium

Abstract The various NB tunneling results reported to date are reviewed and compared leading to the conclusion that the origins of the negative pseudo-potential for structurally perfect Nb are still not understood.
The HoVert technique: a novel method for the sectioning of alopecia biopsies

Background: Cicatricial forms of alopecia, including lichen planopilaris (LPP) and discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE), may present with overlapping clinical features. In such cases, histopathological examination may provide key information for resolving the differential diagnosis. Optimally, microscopical analysis for alopecia requires both vertical and horizontal sections, and this may necessitate multiple samples. Here, we present what we term the “HoVert” technique, which produces horizontal and vertical sections from a single biopsy. We hypothesize that the HoVert technique should be useful for differentiating DLE from LPP. Methods: A formalin-fixed 4 mm punch scalp biopsy is transected approximately 1 mm below the skin surface to create an epidermal disc and a lower portion. The epidermal disc is bisected and embedded in conventional fashion to obtain vertical sections. The lower portion is serially sectioned and embedded to obtain horizontal sections. Results: The HoVert technique yields vertical sections permitting visualization of the epidermis, the dermal–epidermal junction and perijunctional inflammation. The technique also provides horizontal sections that permit analysis of follicle number, follicle type, perifollicular inflammation and scarring. Evaluation of both vertical and horizontal sections from a single scalp biopsy maximizes the histopathological information obtained and enhances the diagnosis of LPP or DLE in specific cases. Conclusions: We believe that the HoVert technique represents a simple and diagnostically effective tool in differentiating LPP from DLE. It may also be applicable to the assessment of other forms of alopecia. Nguyen JV, Hudacek K, Whitten JA, Rubin AI, Seykora JT. The HoVert technique: a novel method for the sectioning of alopecia biopsies.
Diverse motives for fictious post-traumatic stress disorder

Fictitious cases of Vietnam-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) present a difficult diagnostic problem. In settings where the motives of avoiding criminal responsibility or gaining financially are apparent, the clinician is alerted to possible fictious cases. But there are a variety of other reasons for fictious presentation of PTSD that the clinician needs to consider. These other reasons include psychotic disorders, concealing other behavior, gaining special attention in a Vietnam veteran PTSD role, explaining and covering up a dysfunctional life, and factitious disorder. Case examples are presented of these various fictious presentations of post-Vietnam PTSD.
Unifocalization of Major Aortopulmonary Collaterals in Single-Ventricle Patients

Background Unifocalization of major aortopulmonary collateral arteries (MAPCAs) in pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect and intracardiac repair has become the standard of care. However, there are no reports addressing unifocalization of MAPCAs in single-ventricle patients. It is unknown whether their pulmonary vascular bed can be reconstructed and low enough pulmonary vascular resistance achieved to allow for superior or total cavopulmonary connections. Methods We reviewed data on all patients with functional single ventricles and unifocalization procedures of MAPCAs. From 1997 to 2005, 14 consecutive children with various single-ventricle anatomies were operated on. Results Patients had a median of three surgical procedures (range, 1 to 5). Two patients had absent, all others diminutive central pulmonary arteries, with an average of 3.5 ± 1.2 MAPCAs. Seven patients (50%) had bidirectional Glenn procedures, and 3 of these had Fontan procedures. Median postoperative pulmonary artery pressures measured 12.5 mm Hg (Glenn) and 14 mm Hg (Fontan), respectively. Six patients are alive today (46%), with 1 patient lost to follow-up. Three patients died early and 3 late after initial unifocalization to shunts. One other patient survived unifocalization, but was not considered a candidate for a Glenn procedure and died after high-risk two-ventricle repair. Another patient with right-ventricle–dependent coronary circulation died of sepsis late after Glenn. Conclusions In selected patients with functional single ventricles and MAPCAs, the pulmonary vascular bed can be reconstructed sufficiently to allow for cavopulmonary connections. Venous flow to the pulmonary vasculature decreases cardiac volume load and is likely to increase life expectancy and quality of life for these patients.
Efficient implementation of the hybrid method for stochastic simulation of biochemical systems

Stochastic effect in cellular systems has been a hot topic in systems biology. Stochastic modeling and simulation methods are important tools to study stochastic effect. Given the low efficiency of stochastic simulation algorithms, the hybrid method, which combines an ordinary differential equation (ODE) system with a stochastic chemically reacting system, shows its unique advantages in the modeling and simulation of biochemical systems. The efficiency of hybrid method is usually limited by reactions in the stochastic subsystem, which are modeled and simulated using Gillespie's framework and frequently interrupt the integration of the ODE subsystem. In this paper we develop an efficient implementation method for the hybrid method with Runge-Kutta type of ODE solvers and compare the efficiency of hybrid methods with three widely used ODE solvers RADAU5, DASSL, and DLSODAR. Numerical experiments with three biochemical models are presented. A detailed discussion is presented for the performances of three ODE solvers.
Pleiotropic actions of insulin resistance and inflammation in metabolic homeostasis

Metabolism and immunity are inextricably linked both to each other and to organism-wide function, allowing mammals to adapt to changes in their internal and external environments. In the modern context of obesogenic diets and lifestyles, however, these adaptive responses can have deleterious consequences. In this Review, we discuss the pleiotropic actions of inflammation and insulin resistance in metabolic homeostasis and disease. An appreciation of the adaptive context in which these responses arose is useful for understanding their pathogenic actions in disease.
Dynamics of evaporating drops. Part II: free oscillations

Abstract Free oscillations of evaporating drops are investigated using a combination of numerical and theoretical analyses. The investigation is based on an evaporation model that expresses the mass flux as a function of the surface curvature and is valid for surface amplitudes up to 10% of the drop radius. The results show that, the period of oscillation is decreased by evaporation, however, the dominant mode of oscillation remains the same as that for a non-evaporating drop. For low evaporation rates, it is shown that the recoil force is responsible for modifications in the period. At high evaporation rates, the period of oscillation also varies significantly in time, due to the decrease of the drop size. The theoretical analysis is mainly concerned with infinitesimal-amplitude oscillations via invoking simplifying assumptions which are supported by numerical results. Closed-form expressions are derived for the period and the kinetic energy of the drop. The predictions of the theory are compared with the results of the numerical simulations and excellent agreements are observed. The effect of oscillations on the rate of evaporation is also investigated, and it is shown that the rate of evaporation decreases for an oscillating drop as compared to a deformed but non-oscillating drop.
Health status outcomes after cardioversion for atrial fibrillation: Results from the Assessment of Cardioversion Using Transesophageal Echocardiography (ACUTE) II Trial

Background Atrial fibrillation is the most common significant cardiac arrhythmia and substantially impacts the health status of patients. Enoxaparin has been shown to be a safe and effective alternative to unfractionated heparin for use with transesophageal echocardiography (TEE)-guided cardioversion, but the implications on health status remain unknown. The aim of the study was to compare the health status outcomes of patients who undergo TEE-guided cardioversion with enoxaparin or unfractionated heparin as anticoagulation bridging therapy. Methods The Assessment of Cardioversion Using Transesophageal Echocardiography (ACUTE) II multicenter trial randomized 155 patients to bridging therapy with either enoxaparin or unfractionated heparin. Of these, 118 were included in the health status substudy. Health status was assessed at baseline and 5 weeks using the RAND 36-item health survey (RAND-36), the Duke Activity Status Index (DASI), and the Health Utilities Index Mark 3 (HUI-3). Results There were no significant differences in the health status measures between the treatment groups. However, patients who remained in normal sinus rhythm at follow-up had absolute improvement in all measures of health status, whereas patients in atrial fibrillation at follow-up had an absolute decrease in the DASI, HUI-3, and 5 of 8 subscales of the RAND-36. These findings reached statistical significance in the HUI-3 and 3 of 8 subscales of the RAND-36. Conclusions Health status outcomes in TEE-guided cardioversion do not significantly differ between anticoagulant bridging therapy with enoxaparin or unfractionated heparin. However, maintenance of sinus rhythm at 5 weeks was associated with an improvement in health status.
Sorting the Relationships Among Performance Measurement, Program Evaluation, and Performance Management

The chapter provides a brief history of program evaluation, performance measurement, and performance management in the United States. It discusses their advantages, disadvantages, applications, and complementarities. The chapter finds that program evaluation and performance measurement have different but basically complementary purposes. Program evaluation provides in-depth, ad hoc information on major program/policy issues. Performance-measurement systems have provided data primarily on outcomes, but, as long as quality controls are in place, can cover many more public programs during each year—information needed by public managers. The chapter also provides suggestions for improving both performance measurement and program evaluation to make them more useful to public officials. Finally, the chapter addresses two future issues meriting attention by evaluators: (a) the need to focus more on linking monetary costs to outcomes; and (b) the need of public officials for obtaining better estimates of future outcomes and costs. ©Wiley Periodicals, Inc., and the American Evaluation Association.
Use of biomarkers to develop treatment strategies for atherosclerosis.

This review focuses on the recent progress in and future prospects for the widened use of biomarkers of inflammation to modify lipid treatment goals in individuals assessed according to traditional risk factors to be at moderate or higher risk for clinical cardiovascular disease events. Elevated blood levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein or lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A 2 independently predict increased risk after adjustment for an individual’s clinical risk status. When elevated individually, each is associated with an approximate doubling of risk for primary or recurrent cardiovascular events. Fourteen major studies, encompassing healthy adults, patients with chronic coronary heart disease, and those with a recent coronary event or stroke, are reviewed, demonstrating the consistent predictive value of these biomarkers across the risk spectrum. When both inflammatory markers are increased, they provide an even greater predictive capability to identify especially high-risk individuals who would benefit most from aggressive lipid-modifying therapies.
Comparison of the performances of a fluent and a nonfluent aphasic on a pantomimic referential task

The pantomimic performances of a typical Broca's (nonfluent) and Wernicke's (fluent) aphasic were compared with each other and with four normal control subjects on a simple task of nonverbal referential communication. Both aphasic subjects demonstrated only about 50% accuracy in their pantomimic communication. Also, measures were obtained of the motoric fluency of the pantomimes of all subjects and comparisons were made between the fluent and nonfluent aphasics. These measures demonstrated distinct differences in the fluency patterns of the pantomimes of the two aphasic subjects similar to the differences in speech fluency which distinguish and characterize these two types of aphasia; that is, the fluent aphasic pantomimed fluently and like the control subjects and the nonfluent aphasic pantomimed nonfluently. The quantitative and qualitative similarities in the fluency patterns of the speech and the pantomimic behaviors of the aphasic subjects are discussed in terms of their implications for a definition of aphasia.
Latino Adolescents’ Loneliness, Academic Performance, and the Buffering Nature of Friendships

This longitudinal study examined Latino adolescents’ feelings of loneliness and the repercussions of loneliness for later educational success. Participants were 640 Latino students (56% girls, 62% Mexican/Mexican–American) who reported on loneliness across the first 2 years of high school. Growth mixture modeling identified three distinct loneliness trajectory classes for the Latino adolescents—consistently low, chronically high, and low but increasing. Language brokering, language use, and school mobility emerged as predictors of class membership. Increasingly and chronically lonely youth experienced academic difficulty, both in terms of academic progress and exit exam success, but support from friends served as a buffer of the negative relationship between loneliness and academic success. This study highlights the pernicious effects of loneliness and suggests promoting prosocial friendship support as a means of facilitating more positive academic outcomes for Latino youth.
Estimating the strength of expert judgement: The case of US mortality forecasts

The use of expert judgement is an important part of demographic forecasting. However, because judgement enters into the forecasting process in an informal way, it has been very difficult to assess its role relative to the analysis of past data. The use of targets in demographic forecasts permits us to embed the subjective forecasting process into a simple time-series regression model, in which expert judgement is incorporated via mixed estimation. The strength of expert judgement is denned, and estimated using the official forecasts of cause-specific mortality in the United States. We show that the weight given to judgement varies in an improbable manner by age. Overall, the weight given to judgement appears too high. An alternative approach to combining expert judgement and past data is suggested.
3D Analysis of Lumbar Spine Facet Joint Cartilage Thickness Distribution

Quantitative knowledge of lumbar facet joint morphology is crucial in understanding the relationship between the geometry and kinematics of the facet joint as well as better understanding degenerative changes. Accurate prediction of lumbar facet joint contact area and stresses requires 3D representation of the thickness distribution of the articular cartilage of the facet joint. Several groups have reported on cervical facet joint cartilage thickness measurements using different approaches [2,3]. To the best of our knowledge, three-dimensional (3D) distribution of lumbar facet joint cartilage thickness has not been reported. Current methods of measuring various geometrical parameters of facet joint cartilage usually utilize high resolution magnetic resonance (MR) imaging techniques. Although these techniques represent the most up-to-date advanced methods in the soft tissue imaging field, facet joint cartilage reconstruction cannot be accomplished with reasonable fidelity using this approach. A study by Koo et al. [1] on knee joint cartilage showed that the accuracy of cartilage thickness measurement in the cartilage models derived from MRI (1.5T) varies with cartilage thickness. This study reported accurate measurements only for cartilage whose thickness ranged from 2.5 mm to 3.3 mm, which is in the range larger than the average lumbar facet joint cartilage assumed to be around 0.8 mm. Therefore, the objective of this study was to 1) analyze 3D lumbar facet joint cartilage thickness distributions based on laser scanner data, 2) compare this method using μCT and 3T MRI.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Acute respiratory failure due to daptomycin induced eosinophilic pneumonia

Summary Daptomycin is an antibiotic that is being used with increasing frequency for the treatment of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections. We report a 65-year-old male patient with vertebral osteomyelitis due to MRSA who developed acute respiratory failure secondary to eosinophilic pneumonia after starting daptomycin therapy. Bronchoscopy showed a bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) with 33% eosinophilia and the transbronchial biopsies revealed organizing pneumonia with many eosinophils. The patient responded rapidly to drug cessation and steroid therapy. Eosinophilic pneumonia is a rare but potentially serious complication of daptomycin therapy that, if recognized early, responds quickly to drug cessation and steroid therapy.
Training the Indigenous Nonprofessional: The Screening Technician.

The ever increasing shortage of professional health manpower and the skyrocketing costs of medical care necessitate a better utilization of available manpower. This paper presents steps which must be taken to develop new careers. The new career of screening technician is utilized to illustrate each of the steps.
Malignant cystosarcoma phyllodes of the breast metastatic to the oral cavity: Report of a case and review of the literature

A case report involving an oral lesion that was found to be histologically identical to the stromal component of malignant metastatic cystosarcoma phyllodes of the breast is described. This represents the first reported histologically confirmed oral manifestation of an extremely rare breast tumor. The literature regarding oral manifestations of metastatic disease in general and of cystosarcoma phyllodes in particular is reviewed.
Primary pulmonary aspergillosis with high fibrinolytic activity in the aortic intima.

Frozen sections of the aorta of a patient with pulmonary aspergillosis were studied for fibrinolytic activity by the histochemical fibrin slide technique. High fibrinolytic activity, caused by a plasminogen activator, was observed along the aortic intima. This unusual observation suggests the existence of a potential for development of fibrinolytic activity in the normal, inactive aortic endothelium of man.
A network of dynamically microprogrammable machines

The MESH research group at the University of Illinois is currently designing a network of mini-computers. Extensions allowing some of the machines making up this network to be dynamically microprogrammable are proposed. These microprogrammable machines will be able to be reconfigured into specialized processors designed to run specific jobs efficiently. Modifications to the network operating system required by this extension are examined, and an example of a job that could be run on the system is given.
Increased target specificity of anti-HER2 genospheres by modification of surface charge and degree of PEGylation.

Genospheres are cationic lipid−nucleic acid nanoparticles prepared by the assembly of the lipids and nucleic acids from an aqueous/organic liquid monophase that independently dissolves the components, where the resultant particles are homogeneously sized (70−110 nm), with efficiently incorporated and protected DNA. In the present study, we demonstrate pH-dependent modulation of the Genosphere surface charge using pH-titratable lipids. By incorporation of the lipids with titratable anionic or imidazole headgroups, Genospheres with neutral or anionic surface charge at neutral pH were produced and compared for cellular uptake and transfection of a reporter gene (luciferase) in culture of breast cancer cells. The extent of particle−cell association was also studied by fluorescent microscopy and quantified by cytofluorometery. The effects of Genosphere surface modification with poly(ethylene glycol) (molecular weight 2000) at low (0.5 mol %) and high (5 mol %) grafting densities, as well as the effects of HER2...
Bird Speciation: Selection and the Origin of Species

Despite the recent flurry of books addressing virtually every aspect of speciation (Schluter 2000; Coyne and Orr 2004; Gavrilets 2004), the primary literature on speciation has lately been dominated by genetics, led, many would agree, by laboratory studies on Drosophila. To many this trend is a welcome, long-awaited marriage of genomics and classical genetics, an elaboration of the foundation laid by Fisher and Dobzhansky; to others the search for "speciation genes," driven frequently by experiments on laboratory hybrids with unclear relevance to natural situations, represents a reductionist trend conflating cause of speciation with consequence. To this latter group, the real drivers of speciation are not in the postzygotic genetics of interacting populations rebounding from allopatry, but in the prezygotic diversity of behavioral and ecological isolating factors, driven by changing environments in the great outdoors. Although largely agnostic with regard to the relevance of speciation genes, and refreshingly broad in its sampling of the literature, Speciation in Birds will come as a welcome antidote to those bemoaning the recent dominance of genetics in the study of speciation. The book's main thesis is that the diverse relationships of birds to their natural and social environment, driven by their extraordinary capacities for dispersal, song, mating behavior, habitat specificity, and innovation, constantly place them in novel situations in which natural selection drives phenotypic, cultural, and ultimately genetic divergence. It showcases all those studies of ecological, behavioral, and organismal diversity that the liter-
Osteosarcoma cell line growth inhibition by zoledronate-stimulated effector cells.

Bisphosphonates have a profound effect on bone resorption and are widely used in the treatment of osteoclast-mediated bone diseases. Zoledronic acid (ZA), a third-generation biphosphonate, has a potent antitumor activity and expands gammadelta (γδ) T cells endowed of major histocompatibility complex-unrestricted lytic activity. Many solid tumors express tumor-specific antigens on their surface, representing targets for immune effector T cells. Nevertheless, the immune surveillance against clinically manifested tumors is relatively inefficient. Therefore, we investigated the hitherto unknown effects of ZA activated γδ T cells of normal donors on osteosarcoma cell lines. γδ T cells were stimulated with ZA and low doses of interleukin-2, and then analyzed for proliferation and generation of effector activity against osteosarcoma cell lines. Our results show the potent anti-tumor activity of ZA-stimulated γδ T cells and the enhanced immunosensitivity of osteosarcoma cell lines to γδ T cells suggesting that osteosarcoma is another γδ T cell susceptible tumor type.
VCode and VData: illustrating a new framework for supporting the video annotation workflow

Digital tools for annotation of video have the promise to provide immense value to researchers in disciplines ranging from psychology to ethnography to computer science. With traditional methods for annotation being cumbersome, time-consuming, and frustrating, technological solutions are situated to aid in video annotation by increasing reliability, repeatability, and workflow optimizations. Three notable limitations of existing video annotation tools are lack of support for the annotation workflow, poor representation of data on a timeline, and poor interaction techniques with video, data, and annotations. This paper details a set of design requirements intended to enhance video annotation. Our framework is grounded in existing literature, interviews with experienced coders, and ongoing discussions with researchers in multiple disciplines. Our model is demonstrated in a new system called VCode and VData. The benefit of our system is that is directly addresses the workflow and needs of both researchers and video coders.
Study of the A−2 from the reaction π−p→KOSK−p at 4.5 GeV/c

Abstract We present a study of A−2→KOSK− from the reaction π−p→KOSK−p at 4.5 GeV/c in the 82-in. hydrogen bubble chamber. From a sample of 542 events from this final state, the mass (and its possible fine structure), width, production distribution and decay correlations of A−2 are examined.
The performance of multi-user cooperative diversity in an asynchronous CDMA uplink

This paper investigates the impact of inter-user non-orthogonality and asynchronous communication on the information-outage probability performance of multi-user decode-and-forward (DF) cooperative diversity in a code-division multiple-access (CDMA) uplink. Each user in the proposed system transmits its own data towards the base station and also serves as a relay for other users. We assume full-duplex communication so that each user can transmit and receive simultaneously at the same frequency. Each user attempts to decode the messages of a plurality of other users and forwards the superposition of multiple re-encoded and re-spread messages. Our cooperative scheme employs a sub-optimum decorrelating receiver to suppress the multi-user interference at both the base station and the relay-side. We evaluate the information-outage probability performance of the proposed scheme in an underloaded, fully-loaded and overloaded CDMA uplink. We consider combining schemes at the base station where the source information is code combined with the relayed information, while the information from multiple relays is either code combined or diversity combined. Under the system parameters contemplated in this paper, diversity combining of the relayed information is nearly as good as code combining because of the associated probabilities of decoding at the relays. We then examine the effect of using practical modulation formats on the information-outage probability performance of the proposed DF multi-user sharing scheme under diversity combining. We see that the performance loss due to modulation constraints and the use of diversity combining instead of code combining is relatively small.
Sleep efficiency for sleep-wake cycles of varied length.

This study was designed to test sleep efficiency while subjects were maintained on non-24-hr regimens of sleep and wakefulness. The regimens studied were 9, 12, 18, 30, and 36-hr sleep-wake cycles. In each regimen the ratio of.sleep to wakefulness was held constant in a 1:2 ratio, i.e. there were 2 hrs of wakefulness for each hour of scheduled sleep. The amounts of sleep obtained under each experimental regimen were less than those obtained under the baseline days or 24 hrs. The sleep losses resulted both from an increase in the latency of sleep onset and increased wakefulness after sleep unset. The primary variables which resulted in less efficient sleep were schedule differences in prior wakefulness, circadian effects on the displacement of sleep onset times, a sleep termination effect, and the frequency of occurrence of the allotted sleep periods. In the short regimens the awake time after sleep onset was strongly associated with the degree to which prior wakefulness was reduced. In the longer regimens the principal sources of awake time were extended sleep length and a sleep termination effect.
Genetic modulation of striatal volume by loci on Chrs 6 and 17 in BXD recombinant inbred mice

Natural variation in the absolute and relative size of different parts of the human brain is substantial, with a range that often exceeds a factor of 2. Much of this variation is generated by the cumulative effects of sets of unknown gene variants that modulate the proliferation, growth and death of neurons and glial cells. Discovering and testing the functions of these genes should contribute significantly to our understanding of differences in brain development, behavior and disease susceptibility. We have exploited a large population of genetically well-characterized strains of mice (BXD recombinant inbred strains) to map gene variants that influence the volume of the dorsal striatum (caudate-putamen without nucleus accumbens). We used unbiased methods to estimate volumes bilaterally in a sex-balanced sample taken from the Mouse Brain Library (www.mbl.org). We generated a matched microarray data set to efficiently evaluate candidate genes (www.genenetwork.org). As in humans, volume of the striatum is highly heritable, with greater than twofold differences among strains. We mapped a locus that modulates striatal volume on chromosome (Chr) 6 at 88 +/- 5 Mb. We also uncovered an epistatic interaction between loci on Chr 6 and Chr 17 that modulates striatal volume. Using bioinformatic tools and the corresponding expression database, we have identified positional candidates in these quantitative trait locus intervals.
Early chip planning cockpit

The design of high-performance servers has always been a challenging art. Now, server designers are being asked to explore a much larger design space as they consider multicore heterogeneous architecture and the limits of advancing silicon technology. Bringing automation to the early stages of design can enable more rapid and accurate trade-off analysis. In this paper, we introduce an Early Chip Planner which allows designers to rapidly analyze microarchitecture, physical and package design trade-offs for 2D and 3D VLSI chips and generates an attributed netlist to be carried on to the implementation stage. We also describe its use in planning a 3D special-purpose server processor.
Practices for Dispreferred Responses Using "No" by a Learner of English

Responding in a manner that does not align with an action or affiliate with a stance implicated in just prior talk is potentially sensitive work. Conversation Analysis (CA) has shown that participants orient to the sensitive nature of sequences of talk used to project responses that do not align, or, are dispreferred (Pomerantz 1984) in some way. This paper examines such responses, especially with the use of no tokens. The talk comes from the interactions of one adult learner of English in a language learning classroom over the course of five ten-week terms. The findings show that the participant's use of no (for other-correction, third-position repair, and multiple sayings) is oriented to by peers as appropriate for the classroom community of practice. Learning, it is suggested, may be seen in the learner's orientation to the preference for affiliation when doing negative responses.
Linguistic Theory and Natural Language Processing

The 1960’s were a tempestuous time — a time of rebellion, a time for defining new directions. And by the end of the 1960’s the field of ‘theoretical’ Linguistics had already rebelled and defined its new direction — a path directly away from the field of Natural Language Processing (NLP) and away from Psycholinguistics. Following Chomsky’s lead, linguists showed little interest in ‘engineering applications’ like NLP.2 And once psycholinguistic studies began to contradict the transformational theories of the time (e.g. by finding that transformational complexity was often at odds with measurable real-time processing complexity), it was the psycholinguistic methods, not the linguistic theories that were dismissed. Down to the present day, most people who call themselves ‘theoretical’ linguists are in complete agreement that processing considerations have little or no role to play in the development of theories of linguistic knowledge. The ‘best theory’, it is believed, will emerge from considerations of elegance alone: the succinct expression of ‘linguistically significant generalizations’.
Loss of PECAM-1 Function Impairs Alveolarization

The final stage of lung development in humans and rodents occurs principally after birth and involves the partitioning of the large primary saccules into smaller air spaces by the inward protrusion of septae derived from the walls of the saccules. Several observations in animal models implicate angiogenesis as critical to this process of alveolarization, but all anti-angiogenic treatments examined to date have resulted in endothelial cell (EC) death. We therefore targeted the function of platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule, (PECAM-1), an EC surface molecule that promotes EC migration and has been implicated in in vivo angiogenesis. Administration of an anti-PECAM-1 antibody that inhibits EC migration, but not proliferation or survival in vitro, disrupted normal alveolar septation in neonatal rat pups without reducing EC content. Three-dimensional reconstruction of lungs showed that pups treated with a blocking PECAM-1 antibody had remodeling of more proximal branches resulting in large tubular airways. Subsequent studies in PECAM-1-null mice confirmed that the absence of PECAM-1 impaired murine alveolarization, without affecting EC content, proliferation, or survival. Further, cell migration was reduced in lung endothelial cells isolated from these mice. These data suggest that the loss of PECAM-1 function compromises postnatal lung development and provide evidence that inhibition of EC function, in contrast to a loss of viable EC, inhibits alveolarization.
An equilibrium for phenotypic variance in fluctuating environments owing to epigenetics

The connection between random environments and genetic and phenotypic variability has been a major focus in the population genetic literature. By providing differential access to the underlying genetic information, epigenetic variation could play an important role in the interaction between environmental and phenotypic variation. Using simulation, we model epigenetic plasticity during development by investigating the dynamics of genetic regulators of the epigenetic machinery that change the variance of the phenotype, while having no effect on the phenotype’s mean. Previous studies have found that increased phenotypic variance is selected for if the environment is fluctuating. Here, we find that when a variance-increasing allele achieves a sufficiently high frequency, it can be out-competed by a variance-reducing allele, with the consequence that the population evolves to an equilibrium phenotypic variability. This equilibrium is shown to be robust to different initial conditions, but to depend heavily on parameters of the model, such as the mutation rate, the fitness landscape and the nature of the environmental fluctuation. Indeed, if there is no mutation at the genes controlling the variance of the phenotype, reduction of this variance is favoured.
Ca2+ Signaling in Cardiac Myocytes Overexpressing the α1 Subunit of L-Type Ca2+ Channel

Voltage-gated L-type Ca 2+ channels (LCCs) provide Ca 2+ ingress into cardiac myocytes and play a key role in intracellular Ca 2+ homeostasis and excitation-contraction coupling. We investigated the effects of a constitutive increase of LCC density on Ca 2+ signaling in ventricular myocytes from 4-month-old transgenic (Tg) mice overexpressing the α 1 subunit of LCC in the heart. At this age, cells were somewhat hypertrophic as reflected by a 20% increase in cell capacitance relative to those from nontransgenic (Ntg) littermates. Whole cell I Ca density in Tg myocytes was elevated by 48% at 0 mV compared with the Ntg group. Single-channel analysis detected an increase in LCC density with similar conductance and gating properties. Although the overexpressed LCCs triggered an augmented SR Ca 2+ release, the “gain” function of EC coupling was uncompromised, and SR Ca 2+ content, diastolic cytosolic Ca 2+ , and unitary properties of Ca 2+ sparks were unchanged. Importantly, the enhanced I Ca entry and SR Ca 2+ release were associated with an upregulation of the Na + -Ca 2+ exchange activity (indexed by the half decay time of caffeine-elicited Ca 2+ transient) by 27% and SR Ca 2+ recycling by ≈35%. Western analysis detected a 53% increase in the Na + -Ca 2+ exchanger expression but no change in the abundance of ryanodine receptor (RyR), SERCA2, and phospholamban. Analysis of I Ca kinetics suggested that SR Ca 2+ release-dependent inactivation of LCCs remains intact in Tg cells. Thus, in spite of the modest cardiac hypertrophy, the overexpressed LCCs form functional coupling with RyRs, preserving both orthograde and retrograde Ca 2+ signaling between LCCs and RyRs. These results also suggest that a modest but sustained increase in Ca 2+ influx triggers a coordinated remodeling of Ca 2+ handling to maintain Ca 2+ homeostasis.
Planar microwave integrated phase-shifter design with high purity ferroelectric material

Ferroelectric materials (FEM's) are very attractive because their dielectric constant can be modulated under the effect of an externally applied electric field perpendicular to the direction of propagation of a microwave signal. FEM may be particularly useful for the development of a new family of planar phase shifters which operate up to X-band. The use of FEM in the microwave frequency range has been limited in the past due to the high losses of these materials; tan /spl delta/=0.3 at 3 GHz is typical for commercial BaTiO/sub 3/ (BTO) and due to the high electric field necessary to bias the structure in order to obtain substantial dielectric constant change. In this paper, a significant reduction in material losses is demonstrated. This is achieved by using a new sol-gel technique to produce barium modified strontium titanium oxide [Ba/sub 1-x/Sr/sub x/TiO/sub 3/ (BST)], which has ferroelectric properties at room temperature. Also demonstrated is how the use of thin ceramics reduces the required bias voltage below 250 V, with almost no power consumption required to induce a change in the dielectric constant. A phase shift of 165/spl deg/ was obtained at 2.4 GHz, with an insertion loss below 3 dB by using a bias voltage of 250 V. Due to the planar geometry and light weight of the device, it can be fully integrated in planar microwave structures.
Stochastic optimization framework (SOF) for computer-optimized design, engineering, and performance of multi-dimensional systems and processes

Many systems and processes, both natural and artificial, may be described by parameter-driven mathematical and physical models. We introduce a generally applicable Stochastic Optimization Framework (SOF) that can be interfaced to or wrapped around such models to optimize model outcomes by effectively "inverting" them. The Visual and Autonomous Exploration Systems Research Laboratory (http://autonomy.caltech.edu edu) at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) has long-term experience in the optimization of multi-dimensional systems and processes. Several examples of successful application of a SOF are reviewed and presented, including biochemistry, robotics, device performance, mission design, parameter retrieval, and fractal landscape optimization. Applications of a SOF are manifold, such as in science, engineering, industry, defense & security, and reconnaissance/exploration. Keywords: Multi-parameter optimization, design/performance optimization, gradient-based steepest-descent methods, local minima, global minimum, degeneracy, overlap parameter distribution, fitness function, stochastic optimization framework, Simulated Annealing, Genetic Algorithms, Evolutionary Algorithms, Genetic Programming, Evolutionary Computation, multi-objective optimization, Pareto-optimal front, trade studies )
Illumination-invariant change detection model for patient monitoring video

Video recording is often conducted in the medical environment. Change detection provides a powerful tool to detect dynamic changes in the video to aid in monitoring and diagnosis. Illumination variation presents a typical problem for a change detection method to gain robustness. In this work, we describe a new method based on an illumination model and test statistics to reduce the sensitivity of detection to illumination changes. The effectiveness of this method is demonstrated by our experimental results.
A Dynamic Systems Approach to Personality

David Magnusson has been the most articulate spokesperson for a holistic, systems approach to personality. This paper considers three concepts relevant to a dynamic systems approach to personality: dynamics, systems, and levels. Some of the history of a dynamic view is traced, leading to an emphasis on the need for stressing the interplay among goals. Concepts such as multidetermination, equipotentiality, and equifinality are shown to be important aspects of a systems approach. Finally, attention is drawn to the question of levels of description, analysis, and explanation in a theory of personality. The importance of the issue is emphasized in relation to recent advances in our understanding of biological processes. Integrating such advances into a theory of personality while avoiding the danger of reductionism is a challenge for the future.