cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of nitric oxide on human and canine prostates

Abstract Objectives To determine whether nitric oxide (NO) is a mediator of prostatic smooth muscle activity. Methods Pharmacologic experiments using electrical field stimulation (EFS) were performed on strips of human and canine prostate. Results EFS alone elicited frequency-dependent contractions in preparations of human and canine prostates. The greatest contractile activity was achieved at 30 Hz. In the presence of 10 −5 M guanethidine (GUA) and 2 × 10 −1 M atropine (ATR), EFS elicited relaxation of canine prostate strips relative to baseline tension. A weak biphasic response consisting of initial relaxation and subsequent contraction relative to baseline tension was observed in the human prostate strips exposed to similar conditions. The smooth muscle activity observed in the presence of GUA plus ATR was attributed to nonadrenergic, noncholinergic (NANC) nerve transmission. 10 −4 M L-N G -nitroarginine methylester (NAME) significantly increased EFS-elicited NANC smooth muscle activity both in human and canine prostates. L-arginine, 10 −2 M, reversed the effect of L-NAME in human and canine prostates. Sodium nitroprusside, 10 −4 M, a donor of NO, caused relaxation of both human and canine prostates. The mean magnitude of the relaxant response/cross-sectional area in human prostate (2.64 ± 0.4 g/cm 2 ) was significantly greater than in the canine prostate (1.09 ± 0.17 g/cm 2 ) ( P Conclusions These results provide compelling evidence that NO plays a role in mediating contractile function of human and canine prostates.
Efficient and portable parallel algorithms for cholesky decomposition

In this dissertation we consider design issues such as data, layout, data, dependency, communication scheduling, and parallel models in order to develop parallel algorithms for Cholesky decomposition. Our intention is to design efficient and portable parallel algorithms for large scale dense linear systems to be run in the distributed memory environment. To consider the issue of portability, we utilize the well known LogP model for designing parallel algorithms and for performing theoretical run time analysis. We developed a contention free communication scheduling for the parallel algorithms in order to reduce the communication cost. To study the impact of data layout on performance, we designed the parallel algorithms based on column, row and block data distribution utilizing the fan-in and fan-out methods. Specifically we introduced panel size for 1D layouts and granularity size for 2D layouts for the task partitioning. To determine the efficiency of the parallel algorithms, we derived lower bound results and theoretical run time performance. The analysis on the parallel algorithms shows that parallel algorithms for 1D data layouts are optimal. However for 2D data layouts, the parallel algorithms are efficient, if not necessarily asymptotically optimal. We then implemented the parallel algorithms using MPI. The experimental results show that fan-in outperforms fan-out for 2D layouts, especially for larger processor size. The performance for the 1D fan-out row-based parallel algorithm was no worse than that of the column-based parallel algorithms. This seems to refute the common notion that row-based parallel algorithms are not, as efficient as column-based parallel algorithms. The experimental results indicated that performance was impacted as panel size and/or granularity size varied. This provides insights that the constant factors for lower bound and run time performance call not be ignored.
Elevation of rat brain amino acids, ammonia and idiogenic osmoles induced by hyperosmolality.

Summary The effects of acute hyperosmolality obtained with NaCl, sucrose or glucose on rat brain and plasma osmolalities, electrolytes, lactate, amino acid, nitrogen, ammonia and amino acids were studied. Sixty minutes after the intraperitoneal injection of each hyperosmolal medium, both brain and plasma osmolalities were increased and brain water decreased. Na + and K + in brain and plasma were increased by hyperosmolal Na + or glucose injection, whereas hyperosmolal sucrose had an opposite effect. Acute hyperosmolality also increased brain amino acid nitrogen, lactate and ammonia. Hyperglycemia had the greatest effect on ammonia production. The increases of electrolytes, amino acid nitrogen, lactate, ammonia and glucose could only account for 90% of the total brain osmolality; thus, with acute hyperosmolality 10% of brain osmoles (40–50 mOsm/kg brain H 2 O) were unidentified or ‘idiogenic’ osmoles. Brain amino acids including GABA, glutamine, glycine, lysine and threonine were increased by acute hyperosmolality. However, the increase of taurine, glutamate, aspartate and urea in brain was affected only by hyperosmolal NaCl, whereas the sugars had no effect. These data suggest that acute hyperosmolality induces complex changes in brain amino acid metabolism, affecting especially the putative neurotransmitter amino acids associated with the formation of ammonia and of ‘idiogenic’ osmoles.
Printed-Circuit Steering Coils

Beam steering coils utilizing "turns" etched on printed-circuit boards have been constructed and tested. This approach offers an economical method for achieving high-quality, compact steering coils. The circuit-boards are rolled into a cylinder and inserted inside a short steel tube. Boards for vertical and horizontal steering are located in separate layers. For our application, three coil sizes were constructed with inside diameters of 25 cm. 20.6 cm, and 17.3 cm respectively. Active length is 0.6 of the inside diameter in all cases. The coils produce an integrated deflection field in either the vertical or horizontal direction of ~ 316 Gauss-cm when excited with 5 A at ~ 30V. The conductor pattern on the circuit-board was designed to produce a nearly uniform angular deflection for all rays transmitted, in spite of the short length/diameter ratio. The magnetic field integrated over a length of 152 cm was measured at several radii and azimuths. Values at 0.4 and 0.8 of bore radius were within ~ 0.5% and ~ 1.5% respectively of the central value. Suggestions for further refinement of deflection uniformity are presented.
A note on [a, b]-compactness

Abstract In this note we study the relationship between [a, b]-compactness in the sense of open covers, and [a, b]-compactness in the sense of complete accumulation points.
The Effects of Moisture on Multilayered Ceramic Top Brazed Flat Packs

Recent moisture resistance tests of various multilayer top brazed ceramic flat packs have revealed a serious design deficiency. These flat packs which utilize a tungsten interconnect system, in the presence of high humidity, suffer a galvanic corrosion which anodically consumes the tungsten. This may ultimately produce an open circuit. The results indicate that the lead plating system does not adequately seal off the interface area where the tungsten stripe gresses from the inside of the package.
Gender Disparity in Civic Engagement among Former Offenders in the U.S. Population

The study examines gender disparities in civic engagement: volunteering, religious affiliation, and other group membership (such as social clubs, recreational groups, trade unions, commercial groups, professional organizations, or groups concerned with children like the PTA or boy scouts) as reflected in the National Epidemiologic Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) - Waves 1 and 2 datasets collected in years 2001–2002 and 2004–2005. This comparison was conducted with special focus on female former offenders. After controlling for socio-demographic and mental health variables, adjusted odds ratios indicated that female former offenders were at increased likelihood to be civically disengaged than their male counterparts. Policy implications of study findings involving females offenders are discussed.
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Expression Is Not Regulated by Estradiol or Medroxyprogesterone Acetate in Endometrial Carcinoma

Abstract Objective: To determine whether the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is altered by treatment of an in vivo tumor with 17β-estradiol (E2) or medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA). Methods: A well-differentiated endometrial carcinoma tumor was isolated from a patient and explanted into the dorsal skin of ovariectomized nude mice, from which it was serially passaged in vivo. The explanted tumor retained all the properties of the original tumor, including estrogen and progesterone receptor expression and growth promotion and inhibition by E2 and MPA, respectively. The mice were treated with continuous E2 administration followed by treatment with either a single intramuscular administration of 2 mg MPA or weekly administrations of 2 mg MPA. Untreated tumor-bearing mice served as controls. The tumors were harvested at 0 to 21 days from first MPA administration. RNA from the tumors was isolated and VEGF expression was determined by Northern analysis. Results: VEGF was expressed in the absence of treatment with E2 or MPA, and expression was unaltered by continuous treatment with E2. Additional treatment with a single dose of MPA did not alter expression at Days 1, 2, 3, 7, 14, and 21, and additional treatment with weekly doses of MPA did not alter expression at Weeks 1, 2, and 3. Conclusions: VEGF is constitutively expressed in this in vivo model of endometrial carcinoma, and its expression is unaltered by treatment with E2 or E2 + MPA. Regulation of VEGF expression is not a mechanism by which these hormones exert their growth effects on endometrial tumors.
Turbulent combustion and diesel engine noise

Prior results at this laboratory have indicated a causal link between the turbulence of combustion and the noise radiated from a Diesel engine. The purpose here is to solidify this view through new data analysis techniques and further experimentation. The combustion process is isolated as the culprit in causing random fluctuations in cylinder pressure which are causally related to noise radiation. However, prior results above 3500 Hz are shown to be in error because of vibration of the cylinder pressure pickup. Analysis techniques used are Fourier, coherence and signal averaging techniques.
The Role of Public Health Nurses in Bioterrorism Preparedness

Background Public health nurses have a central function in the public health system. Nurses conduct disease surveillance, which is an important first step in recognizing diseases caused by bioterrorist agents. Unfortunately, the current public health infrastructure and expectations for public health nurses are not clearly defined and therefore pose serious difficulties for conducting disease surveillance. Increased surveillance activities for bioterrorism preparedness add more responsibilities to the work of public health nurses. Methods A qualitative study on disease surveillance was conducted with public health officials at regional and local levels, working in a variety of urban and rural settings in one large public health region in Texas. Data analysis was supported by qualitative research software, The Ethnograph. Results The study found that the nurses working at the local level were extremely dedicated to serving their communities, had formed informal partnerships that are essential for disease surveillance, and effectively used informal communication channels to obtain critical surveillance information. The study revealed that nurses had unmet needs and experienced multiple barriers to conducting disease surveillance. Conclusions The study's findings could have implications for public policy and nursing leadership. Defining the structure of the public health system and the scope of public health nurses' responsibilities will serve as the cornerstone for improvement of bioterrorism preparedness.
Image reconstruction from sensitivity encoded MRI data using extrapolated iterations of parallel projections onto convex sets

Parallel imaging techniques for MRI use differences in spatial sensitivity of multiple receiver coils to achieve additional encoding effect and significantly reduce data acquisition time. Recently, a projection onto convex sets (POCS) based method for reconstruction from sensitivity-encoded data (POCSENSE) has been proposed. The main advantage of the POCSENCE in comparison with other iterative reconstruction techniques is that it offers a straightforward and computationally efficient way to incorporate non-linear constraints into the reconstruction that can lead to improved image quality and/or reliable reconstruction for underdetermined problems. However, POCSENSE algorithm demonstrates slow convergence in cases of badly conditioned problems. In this work, we propose a novel method for image reconstruction from sensitivity encoded MRI data that overcomes the limitation of the original POCSENSE technique. In the proposed method, the convex combination of projections onto convex sets is used to obtain an updated estimate of the solution via relaxation. The new method converges very efficiently due to the use of an iteration-dependent relaxation parameter that may extend far beyond the theoretical limits of POCS. The developed method was validated with phantom and volunteer MRI data and was demonstrated to have a much higher convergence rate than that of the original POCSENSE technique.
An efficient motion estimator with application to medical image registration

Image registration is a very important problem in computer vision and medical image processing. Numerous algorithms for registering single and multi-modal image data have been reported in these areas. Robustness as well as computational efficiency are prime factors of importance in image data registration. In this paper, a robust/reliable and efficient algorithm for estimating the transformation between two image data sets of a patient taken from the same modality over time is presented. Estimating the registration between two image data sets is formulated as a motion-estimation problem. We use a hierarchical optical flow motion model which allows for both global as well as local motion between the data sets. In this hierarchical motion model, we represent the flow field with a B-spline basis which implicitly incorporates smoothness constraints on the field. In computing the motion, we minimize the expectation of the squared differences energy function numerically via a modified Newton iteration scheme. The main idea in the modified Newton method is that we precompute the Hessian of the energy function at the optimum without explicitly knowing the optimum. This idea is used for both global and local motion estimation in the hierarchical motion model. We present examples of motion estimation on synthetic and real data (from a patient acquired during pre- and post-operative stages) and compare the performance of our algorithm with that of competing ones.
Millimeter-Wave Generation in an Optoelectronic Oscillator Using an Ultrahigh Finesse Etalon as a Photonic Filter

A Fabry-Perot etalon with a finesse of 100 000 is used as a photonic filter in a single loop optoelectronic oscillator. The etalon provides narrow bandwidth microwave filtering at harmonics of its 1.5 GHz free spectral range for oscillation in the range of 6 to 60 GHz. Fiber delays as long as 2 km are added to the loop with no spurious modes visible above the noise floor. The environmental stability of the etalon makes it suitable as a secondary reference for feedback to the optical frequency which contributes to the reduction of phase noise and long term frequency drift.
Physical characteristics of the M.D. Anderson Hospital clinical neutron beam.

Abstract The physical characteristics of the M.D. Anderson Hospital (MDAH) clinical neutron beam are presented. The central-axis percent depth-dose values are intermediate between a 4 and 6 MV X-ray beam. The build-up curves reach a depth of maximum dose at 1.2 cm and have surface dose values of approximately 30%. Teflon flattening filters are employed to flatten the beam at the depth of the 75% dose level. Two wedges are available for shaping the beam; they are made of Teflon and produce wedge angles of 31 ° and 45 ° as defined by the ICRU. Output factors ranged from 0.88 for a 4 × 4 cm field to 1.12 for a 20 × 20 cm field. Tungsten blocks reduced the dose received at D max to 25% of the unblocked value but only 52% of the unblocked value at a depth of 22.8 cm.
Reading the Romance of Fan Cultural Production: Music Videos of a Television Lesbian Couple

This paper considers fan music videos centering on Bianca and Lena, characters on the American daytime soap opera All My Children from 2003–2004. Though their romance was canonical, for many fans the videos provide more satisfying narratives than the show's episodes and hence illustrate how fans invested in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) characters and storylines renegotiate the texts of popular media. Yet while fan cultures have often been discussed as sites of counter-hegemonic energy for queer representation, they may also be quite conventional around love, sex, and relationships. In this vein, the Bianca/Lena videos generally drew on dominant discourses of monogamous romantic love that figure in the normative mainstreaming of certain forms of queer identity over others. Discussion of the music videos in this paper situates them in relation to audience creativity and queer fandom more broadly, and illuminates the significance of fan cultural production with respect to the contours and stake...
Review: Statins are not associated with cognitive impairment or dementia in cognitively intact adults

Source Citation Swiger KJ, Manalac RJ, Blumenthal RS, Blaha MJ, Martin SS. Statins and cognition: a systematic review and meta-analysis of short- and long-term cognitive effects. Mayo Clin Proc. 20...
Study of slits in microstrip ring resonators for microwave and optoelectronic applications

Distributed transmission line theory is used to accurately model microstrip ring resonator circuits. The dependence of the resonant modes on the azimuthal position of slits in the ring resonator is clearly demonstrated. The results form the basis for the design of resonators for microwave and optoelectronic applications.
On equidistributing principles in moving finite element methods

Abstract This paper examines approximate equidistributing principles derived by Herbst, Schoombie and Michell two moving finite element methods applied to a simple transport equation and shows that these principles are weak to distinguish between alternative node distributions. Stronger distributing principles are derived that determ the asymptotic node distribution uniquely, provided the initial distribution is given.
P-glycoprotein and sister P-glycoprotein sequences from mummichog, Fundulus heteroclitus, liver and intestine

Abstract P-glycoproteins (Pgps) responsible for efflux of xenobiotics from drug-resistant and normal cells may also contribute to xenobiotic resistance in aquatic organisms. We recently reported elevation of Pgp in liver and liver tumors of mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus) inhabiting a creosote-contaminated site (Cooper, P. S., Van Veld, P. A., & Vogelbein, W. K. (1999). Altered expression of the xenobiotic transporter P-glycoprotein in liver and liver tumors of mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus) from a creosote-contaminated environment. Biomarkers, 4, 48–58). Here we provide sequence information on specific forms of Pgp in this resistant population. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction was used to amplify overlapping cDNA fragments corresponding to the C-terminal halves of two Pgp-related sequences from liver and intestine. From liver, we amplified 3 kb of a cDNA similar to mammalian sister Pgp (Spgp). We also amplified 2.7 kb of another cDNA from mummichog intestine and liver that was similar to the mammalian Mdr Pgp. Analysis of these sequences confirms that Spgps are well conserved proteins that are closely related to but distinct from true Pgps. Features of the single mummichog Mdr sequence suggest that the initial gene duplication event producing the mammalian mdr1 and mdr2 gene lineages occurred after the separation of teleost and tetrapod vertebrates. These cDNA fragments will provide useful probes for screening fish cDNA and genomic libraries for Pgp homologs and for gene-specific analysis of Pgp expression in fish tissues.
Sensitivity patterns for the induction of homeotic shifts in a favorable strain of mice.

In an effort to develop a prescreening system that is sensitive, is compatible with in-vivo administration of presumptive teratogens, and utilizes morphological endpoints, we are studying the induction of homeotic shifts in the axial skeleton. Our earlier work had demonstrated the existence of critical periods for certain such shifts, even though the (C57BL x NB)F/sub 1/ hybrid used was not entirely suitable for the purpose. Using 100 R x-rays on successive days during the period of major organogenesis, we have now analyzed the sensitivity patterns of the BALB/c, since this strain normally straddles thresholds for the position of axial borders. Mortality, birthweight, and skeletal anomalies were analyzed, in addition to the homeotic shifts. There are a number of indications that, at given stages during the study period, BALB/c embryos correspond developmentally to chronologically somewhat earlier stages of two strains studied previously. The present results do not support the hypothesis that factors influencing the quantitative skeletal characters act by way of body size. Since homeotic shifts can be produced by a number of mechanisms and are obvious indications that developmental interference has occurred, and since such shifts are easy to score and convenient to analyze quantitatively, our identification of a highlymore » suitable strain and of stages of maximum sensitivity in this strain should aid in making the system useful in the prescreening for chemical teratogens.« less
Mechanism of diffusive transport in molecular spider models.

Recent advances in single-molecule chemistry have led to designs for artificial multipedal walkers that follow tracks of chemicals. We investigate the motion of a class of walkers, called molecular spiders, which consist of a rigid chemically inert body and several flexible enzymatic legs. The legs can reversibly bind to chemical substrates on a surface and through their enzymatic action convert them to products. The legs can also reversibly bind to products, but at a different rate. Antal and Krapivsky have proposed a model for molecular spider motion over regular one-dimensional lattices [T. Antal and P. L. Krapivsky, Phys. Rev. E 76, 021121 (2007).]. In the model the legs hop from site to site under constraints imposed by connection to a common body. The first time a leg visits a site, the site is an uncleaved substrate, and the leg hops from this site only once it has cleaved it into a product. This cleavage happens at a rate $rl1$, slower than dissociation from a product site, $r=1$. The effect of cleavage is to slow down the hopping rate for legs that visit a site for the first time. Along with the constraints imposed on the legs, this leads to an effective bias in the direction of unvisited sites that decreases the average time needed to visit $n$ sites. The overall motion, however, remains diffusive in the long time limit. We have reformulated the Antal-Krapivsky model as a continuous-time Markov process and simulated many traces of this process using kinetic Monte Carlo techniques. Our simulations show a previously unpredicted transient behavior wherein spiders with small $r$ values move superdiffusively over significant distances and times. We explain this transient period of superdiffusive behavior by describing the spider process as switching between two metastates: a diffusive state $D$ wherein the spider moves in an unbiased manner over previously visited sites, and a boundary state $B$ wherein the spider is on the boundary between regions of visited and unvisited sites and experiences a bias in the direction of unvisited sites. We show that while the spider remains in the $B$ state it moves ballistically in the direction of unvisited sites, and while the spider is in the $D$ state it moves diffusively. The relative amount of time the spider spends in the two states determines how superdiffusively the spider moves. We show that the $B$ state is Markovian, but the $D$ state is non-Markovian because the duration of a $D$ period depends on how many sites have been visited previously. As time passes the spider spends progressively more time in the $D$ state (moving diffusively) and less time in the $B$ state (moving ballistically). This explains both the transient superdiffusive motion and the eventual decay to diffusive motion as $t\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}$.
In-vivo imaging of blood flow in human retinal vessels using color Doppler optical coherence tomography

Quantification of retinal blood flow may lead to a better understanding of the progression and treatment of several ocular disorders, including diabetic retinopathy, age- related macular degeneration, and glaucoma. Current techniques, such as fluorescein angiography and laser Doppler velocimetry are limited, failing to provide sufficient information to the clinician. Color Doppler optical coherence tomography (CDOCT) is a novel technique using coherent heterodyne detection for simultaneous cross- sectional imaging of tissue microstructure and blood flow. This technique is capable of high spatial and velocity resolution imaging in highly scattering media. We implemented CDOCT for retinal blood flow mapping in human subjects. No dilation of the pupil was necessary. CDOCT is demonstrated for determining bidirectional flow in sub- 100micrometers diameter vessels in the retina. Additionally, we calculated Doppler broadening using the variance of depth- resolved spectra to identify regions with large velocity gradients within the Xenopus heart. This technique may be useful in quantifying local tissue perfusion in highly vascular retinal tissue.
Learning from failure: congestive heart failure in the postgenomic age

The prognosis of heart failure is worse than that of most cancers, but new therapeutic interventions using stem and other cell-based therapies are succeeding in the fight against it, and old drugs, with new twists, are making a comeback. Genetically engineered animal models are driving insights into the molecular mechanisms that cause hearts to fail, accelerating drug discoveries, and inspiring cell-based therapeutic interventions for both acquired and inheritable cardiac diseases.
Tape-bounded turing acceptors and principal AFLs

Conditions are given under which the classes of formal languages defined by non-deterministic (deterministic) tape-bounded Turing acceptors will be principal AFLs.
Chimeric Ply187 endolysin kills Staphylococcus aureus more effectively than the parental enzyme.

Peptidoglycan hydrolases are an effective new source of antimicrobials. A chimeric fusion protein of the Ply187 endopeptidase domain and LysK SH3b cell wall–binding domain is a potent agent against Staphylococcus aureus in four functional assays.
In situ surface plasmon study of the electropolymerization of Fe(vbpy)32+ onto a gold surface

Abstract Sequential multilayer electropolymerization of Fe(vbpy)32+ (vbpy=4-vinyl-4′-methyl-2,2′-bipyridine) onto a thin gold electrode was followed in situ with surface plasmon spectroscopy (SPS) using a 1 mW HeNe laser at 6328 A. The robustness of the gold film electrode necessary for electrochemical deposition in 0.10 M tetraethylammonium perchlorate+acetonitrile is imparted by use of a thin film of 3-mercaptopropyl-trimethoxysilane attached to a SF10 slide to which the metal is covalently bonded. As each polymer layer is deposited by cycling a potentiostat from 0.0 to −1.75 and back to 0.0 V, a plasmon spectrum (reflectivity versus prism angle) is obtained. SP analysis of the angular shift of the spectrum, which increases as the polymer layer thickens, yields an estimate of both the thickness and index of refraction of the polymer film. We found that the plasmon spectrum shifts to higher angles as the polymer layer thickens, along with a progressive decrease in the depth of the resonance minimum. Our modeling shows this unusual spectral behavior involving the resonance minimum is consistent with a Fe(vbpy)32+ chromophore absorption at 6328 A, along with thickening of the polymer film. This work demonstrates that SPS is a viable in situ technique for obtaining thickness measurements of electrodeposited thin films.
Isolation of the rat F1-ATPase inhibitor gene and and its pseudogenes

Abstract Multiple mitochondrial ATPase inhibitor genes have been identified in the rat genome. The sequences of two genomic clones indicate that one encodes the functional gene, and the other is a processed pseudogene. The ATPase inhibitor gene isolated is about 1.5 kb long and the coding region contains three exons and two introns. The presence of multiple pseudogenes in the rat is suggested by this study and this is unique since in the bovine genome only a single gene has been found, which is also confirmed here. The presence of multiple inhibitor transcripts in the rat suggests that the functional gene might have multiple transcriptional start sites.
Anticipatory effects of intonation: Eye movements during instructed visual search

Three eye-tracking experiments investigated the role of pitch accents during online discourse comprehension. Participants faced a grid with ornaments, and followed pre-recorded instructions such as "Next, hang the blue ball" to decorate holiday trees. Experiment 1 demonstrated a processing advantage for felicitous as compared to infelicitous uses of L+H* on the adjective noun pair (e.g. blue ball followed by GREEN ball vs. green BALL). Experiment 2 confirmed that L+H* on a contrastive adjective led to 'anticipatory' fixations, and demonstrated a "garden path" effect for infelicitous L+H* in sequences with no discourse contrast (e.g. blue angel followed by GREEN ball resulted in erroneous fixations to the cell of angels). Experiment 3 examined listeners' sensitivity to coherence between pitch accents assigned to discourse markers such as 'And then,' and those assigned to the target object noun phrase.
Uneasy riders: some literary modernists and the aristocracy

A significant strain of thought in European modernist literature identified the formal achievement and classic timelessness to which its high art aspired with the historical aristocracy and its traditions. At the same time, modernist authors portrayed the twentieth-century deadend of this aristocracy through the demise of one of its potent symbols: the horseman-soldier. Novelists (Proust, Ford, Roth) explored the class-inflected idea of the artwork within depictions of a changing society. Lyric poets (Rilke, Yeats) located an aristocratic realm of aesthetic play apparently outside of history. Both kinds of writers assimilated this artistic/noble realm with childhood immaturity on the one hand, with death on the other. In this attraction to an expiring aristocracy, such modernism was uncertain how grown-up and modern it wanted to be.
Function-based behavioural modelling

Using mathematical behaviour models to determine system performance is crucial to the design of complex systems. Nevertheless, during the early stages of design, it is often difficult to create behavioural models as component solutions have not been fully identified. What is known is information about the desired functionality of the system is known. Particularly for complex system design, functional-based representations are important during the early stages of design. The objective of the work presented in this paper is to develop a functional model-based method for creating behavioural models to facilitate early behaviour model creation, model reuse, and concept evaluation. Significant contributions of this work include establishing the method and the formal addition of quantitative flow modelling to existing qualitative functional modelling methods. This quantitative flow modelling method enables a natural and consistent extension of qualitative functional modelling to quantitative behaviour modelling. An extensive example application of the method based on the dynamic modelling of a Society of Automotive Engineers Formula competition racecar is included to illustrate and verify the method.
Stability analysis for several second-order Sigma-Delta methods of coarse quantization of bandlimited functions

We investigate the stability and robustness properties of a family of algorithms used to “coarsely quantize” bandlimited functions. The algorithms we will consider are one-bit second-orderΣΔA-quantization schemes and some modified versions of these. We prove that there exists a bounded region that remains positively invariant under the two-dimensional piecewise-affine discrete dynamical system associated with each of these quantizers. Moreover, this bounded region can be constructed so that it is robust under small changes in the quantizer. We also show some interesting properties of the resulting binary sequences.
Identification of Novel Potentially Toxic Oligomers Formed in Vitro from Mammalian-derived Expanded huntingtin Exon-1 Protein

Huntington disease is a genetic neurodegenerative disorder that arises from an expanded polyglutamine region in the N terminus of the HD gene product, huntingtin. Protein inclusions comprised of N-terminal fragments of mutant huntingtin are a characteristic feature of disease, though are likely to play a protective role rather than a causative one in neurodegeneration. Soluble oligomeric assemblies of huntingtin formed early in the aggregation process are candidate toxic species in HD. In the present study, we established an in vitro system to generate recombinant huntingtin in mammalian cells. Using both denaturing and native gel analysis, we have identified novel oligomeric forms of mammalian-derived expanded huntingtin exon-1 N-terminal fragment. These species are transient and were not previously detected using bacterially expressed exon-1 protein. Importantly, these species are recognized by 3B5H10, an antibody that recognizes a two-stranded hairpin conformation of expanded polyglutamine believed to be associated with a toxic form of huntingtin. Interestingly, comparable oligomeric species were not observed for expanded huntingtin shortstop, a 117-amino acid fragment of huntingtin shown previously in mammalian cell lines and transgenic mice, and here in primary cortical neurons, to be non-toxic. Further, we demonstrate that expanded huntingtin shortstop has a reduced ability to form amyloid-like fibrils characteristic of the aggregation pathway for toxic expanded polyglutamine proteins. Taken together, these data provide a possible candidate toxic species in HD. In addition, these studies demonstrate the fundamental differences in early aggregation events between mutant huntingtin exon-1 and shortstop proteins that may underlie the differences in toxicity.
Nitrate changes in processing soil samples in Eastern Arkansas.

Abstract The changes in nitrate‐nitrogen during routine handling of soil samples was investigated for samples taken from profiles (0 to 90 cm) of eight soils used in cotton production. Variables included holding soil samples in the field‐moist condition for from 2/3 of a day to 8 days, and drying times of 0 to 7 days from unpacking to testing. Only the one soil that had recently received ammonium‐nitrogen showed an appreciable change in nitrate‐nitrogen when held in a moist condition. Holding of the other samples in a moist condition for 8 days tended to give slightly lower results. The time of testing after unpacking modified the nitrate level only slightly in all samples except the one soil that had been recently fertilized with anhydrous ammonia. Minor variations in nitrate‐nitrogen content during processing of samples taken from unfertilized soils were not great enough to appreciably affect nitrogen fertilizer recommendations for cotton.
Neuronal Migration Is Regulated by Endogenous RNAi and Chromatin-Binding Factor ZFP-1/AF10 in Caenorhabditis elegans

Endogenous short RNAs and the conserved plant homeodomain (PHD) zinc-finger protein ZFP-1/AF10 regulate overlapping sets of genes in Caenorhabditis elegans, which suggests that they control common biological pathways. We have shown recently that the RNAi factor RDE-4 and ZFP-1 negatively modulate transcription of the insulin/PI3 signaling-dependent kinase PDK-1 to promote C. elegans fitness. Moreover, we have demonstrated that the insulin/IGF-1-PI3K-signaling pathway regulates the activity of the DAF-16/FOXO transcription factor in the hypodermis to nonautonomously promote the anterior migrations of the hermaphrodite-specific neurons (HSNs) during embryogenesis of C. elegans. In this study, we implicate the PHD-containing isoform of ZFP-1 and endogenous RNAi in the regulation of HSN migration. ZFP-1 affects HSN migration in part through its negative effect on pdk-1 transcription and modulation of downstream DAF-16 activity. We also identify a novel role for ZFP-1 and RNAi pathway components, including RDE-4, in the regulation of HSN migration in parallel with DAF-16. Therefore, the coordinated activities of DAF-16, ZFP-1, and endogenous RNAi contribute to gene regulation during development to ensure proper neuronal positioning.
Sensitive skin: perceptions, evaluation, and treatment.

Abstract Background: Patients with sensitive skin can present a challenge for dermatologists and cosmetic chemists alike. Knowledge of this common skin condition and appropriate dermatologic treatment, in combination with a rational approach to skin-care product selection, are important to patient well-being. Objective: This report summarizes the subjective and objective findings in patients with sensitive skin while presenting a theory to explain disease physiology. Finally, a recommended treatment approach and formulation guidelines are presented. Conclusion: Sensitive skin possesses one or more of the following anatomic cutaneous changes: heightened neurosensory input, enhanced immune responsiveness, and/or diminished barrier function. Cosmetic and skin-care product formulation considerations for sensitive skin include products with a paucity of ingredients, absence of common sensitizers, minimum number of irritants, and absence of cutaneous sensory or vasodilatory stimulants.
Secondary Structure Alone Is Generally Not Statistically Significant for the Detection of Noncoding RNAs

Motivation Several results in the literature suggest that biologically interesting RNAs have secondary structures that are more stable than expected by chance. Based on these observations, we developed a scanning algorithm for detecting noncoding RNA genes in genome sequences, using a fully probabilistic version of the Zuker minimum-energy folding algorithm. Results Preliminary results were encouraging, but certain anomalies led us to do a carefully controlled investigation of this class of methods. Ultimately, our results argue that for the probabilistic model there is indeed a statistical effect, but it comes mostly from local base-composition bias and not from RNA secondary structure. For the thermodynamic implementation (which evaluates statistical significance by doing Monte Carlo shuffling in fixed-length sequence windows, thus eliminating the base-composition effect) the signals for noncoding RNAs are still usually indistinguishable from noise, especially when certain statistical artifacts resulting from local base-composition inhomogeneity are taken into account. We conclude that although a distinct, stable secondary structure is undoubtedly important in most noncoding RNAs, the stability of most noncoding RNA secondary structures is not sufficiently different from the predicted stability of a random sequence to be useful as a general genefinding approach.
Digital PIV Measurements of Acoustic Particle Displacements in a Normal Incidence Impedance Tube

Acoustic particle displacements and velocities inside a normal incidence impedance tube have been successfully measured for a variety of pure tone sound fields using Digital Particle Image Velocimetry (DPIV). The DPIV system utilized two 600-mj Nd:YAG lasers to generate a double-pulsed light sheet synchronized with the sound field and used to illuminate a portion of the oscillatory flow inside the tube. A high resolution (1320 x 1035 pixel), 8-bit camera was used to capture double-exposed images of 2.7-micron hollow silicon dioxide tracer particles inside the tube. Classical spatial autocorrelation analysis techniques were used to ascertain the acoustic particle displacements and associated velocities for various sound field intensities and frequencies. The results show that particle displacements spanning a range of 1-60 microns can be measured for incident sound pressure levels of 100-130 dB and for frequencies spanning 500-1000 Hz. The ability to resolve 1 micron particle displacements at sound pressure levels in the 100 dB range allows the use of DPIV systems for measurement of sound fields at much lower sound pressure levels than had been previously possible. Representative impedance tube data as well as an uncertainty analysis for the measurements are presented.
The effect of network delay estimation error on computation offloading decisions

We study a computation offloading system with multiple cloud resources that can serve as offload targets. In this system, given a computational job, an M-ary decision must be made to select a local or remote (offload) compute resource where the job will be executed. Such a decision is made using estimators that approximate the job's completion time for each of the M resources. The effectiveness of a decision and, thus, the selected resource, can be measured by the decision difference. To characterize the effect of the network delay estimation error on the decision difference, we develop and solve a stochastic model using the Monte Carlo simulation technique in a wide range of simulations. The simulation results indicate that the network delay estimation error has no impact on the decision difference until a certain inflection point, at which the error term begins to result in incorrect decisions. These findings provide insight into the appropriate selection of estimators that enable computation offloading decision-making.
Geometry and Curvature of Diffeomorphism Groups withH1Metric and Mean Hydrodynamics

Abstract Holm, Marsden, and Ratiu (Adv. in Math.137(1998), 1–81) derived a new model for the mean motion of an ideal fluid in Euclidean space given by the equationV(t)+∇U(t) V(t)−α2[∇U(t)]t·ΔU(t)=−grad p(t) where div U=0, andV=(1−α2Δ) U. In this model, the momentumVis transported by the velocityU, with the effect that nonlinear interaction between modes corresponding to length scales smaller thanαis negligible. We generalize this equation to the setting of ann-dimensional compact Riemannian manifold. The resulting equation is the Euler–Poincare equation associated with the geodesic flow of theH1right invariant metric on D sμ, the group of volume preserving Hilbert diffeomorphisms of classHs. We prove that the geodesic spray is continuously differentiable fromT D sμ(M) intoTT D sμ(M) so that a standard Picard iteration argument proves existence and uniqueness on a finite time interval. Our goal in this paper is to establish the foundations for Lagrangian stability analysis following Arnold (Ann. Inst. Grenoble16(1966), 319–361). To do so, we use submanifold geometry, and prove that the weak curvature tensor of the right invariantH1metric on D sμis a bounded trilinear map in theHstopology, from which it follows that solutions to Jacobi's equation exist. Using such solutions, we are able to study the infinitesimal stability behavior of geodesics.
Increased Hepatic Na,K-ATPase Activity during Hepatic Regeneration Is Associated with Induction of the β1-Subunit and Expression on the Bile Canalicular Domain

Cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating the activity of the sodium pump or Na,K-ATPase during proliferation of hepatocytes following 70% liver resection have not been defined. Na,K-ATPase may be regulated by synthesis of its α- and β-subunits, by sorting to either the sinusoidal or apical plasma membrane domains, or by increasing membrane lipid fluidity. This study investigated the time course of changes during hepatic regeneration for Na,K-ATPase activity, lipid composition and fluidity, and protein content of liver plasma membrane subfractions. As early as 4 h after hepatic resection, Na,K-ATPase activity was increased selectively in the bile canalicular fraction. It reached a new steady state at 12 h and remained elevated for 2 days. Although hepatic regeneration was associated with a reduced cholesterol/phospholipid molar ratio and increased fluidity, measured with two different probes, these changes in lipid metabolism were in the sinusoidal membrane domain. The Na,K-ATPase β1-subunit, but not the α1-subunit, was increased selectively at the bile canalicular surface as shown by immunoblotting of liver plasma membrane subfractions and the morphological demonstration at both the light and electron microscopic levels. Furthermore, cycloheximide blocked the rise in β1-subunit mRNA levels. Since the time course for β1-subunit accumulation was similar to that for activation of Na,K-ATPase activity, this change implicated the β1-subunit in activating sodium pump activity.
Efficiency of a simple approach to damper allocation in MDOF structures

A simple approach to the design of optimal damper configurations has recently been suggested. This practical method is designated simplified sequential search algorithm (SSSA). Although some comparisons showed that the efficiency of the SSSA is similar to that of more sophisticated methods, a more comprehensive investigation is needed in order to gain more insight into its effectiveness. In this study, the SSSA is applied to several regular building models with different natural periods, numbers of storeys, levels of added damping, and different ground motions. Only one type of passive energy dissipation device is considered: linear viscous dampers. It is concluded that, in the case of regular buildings, the SSSA will generally lead to efficient damper configurations, particularly for low-to-medium-rise buildings and for a number of dampers equal to or greater than 1.5–2 times the number of storeys. The resulting damper configurations are found to be sensitive to ground motion characteristics, especially for low levels of supplemental damping. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A re-radiating CRLH-transmission line leaky wave antenna using distributed amplifiers

In this paper, a re-radiating CRLH-transmission line leaky wave antenna using distributed amplifier structure is proposed. The active leaky wave antenna consists of four FETs and two CRLH-transmission lines separately connected to gate and drain side of the FETs, which serve as two leaky wave antennas. The gate side CRLH-transmission line operates as a receiving antenna. The signal received by the antenna will then travel to each unit-cell and be amplified through the FETs. The amplified signal then goes to the drain side CRLH-transmission line, which operates as a transmitting antenna, and will be re-radiated. Furthermore, if the two CRLH leaky wave antennas are designed to be identical, the radiated beam will be directed in the same angle but opposite direction that the incident wave arrived and can operate as a repeater or transponder. In addition, this leaky wave antenna can also perform as a high-gain frequency dependent beam-scanning antenna if properly excited from one port. A 24-cell prototype demonstrates the proposed leaky wave antenna, performing both re-radiating and beam scanning functionality.