cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
DWBA predicted relative product rotational state distribution for H + D2 → HD + D

Abstract Relative product rotational state distributions for H + D 2 → HD + D are reported based on the DWBA of Suck Salk, and are shown to agree reasonably well with observations. The rotational peak positions are found to have good correlation with computed “semiclassical” angular momentum.
Temporal-winner-take-all networks for arbitrary selection in connectionist and neural networks

Summary form only given. It is commonplace in connectionist/neural-net models to include winner-take-all (WTA) networks for selecting a single, most active subnetwork out of a set of competing, interconnected subnetworks. However, there is also a need for subnetwork selection, that is on a totally arbitrary basis. To implement arbitrary selection the authors propose temporal winner-take-all (TWTA) networks. A TWTA network includes an arbiter that chooses a winner on the basis of the arrival times of signals from the contending subnetworks. The differences in the arrival times can be due to quasi-random, intuitively meaningless differences between the generation times of the signals and/or the travel times of different signals on their way to the arbiter. The process of arbitrary selection generally involves several repeated attempts at choosing a winner. A probabilistic analysis shows that a winner is almost certain to emerge after a few tries at most, under reasonable settings of parameters. Also, a preliminary version of a developing connection machine simulation of the proposed TWTA network has yielded promising results. >
Legislating Fear and the Public Health in Gilded Age Massachusetts

Between 1876 and 1881 Massachusetts experienced an outbreak of human rabies (hydrophobia). The entire state--the Governor, the legislature, the State Board of Health, newspapers, and the citizenry and elected officials of every town and city--reacted to the disease. Central to the response was the Commonwealth's legislature--called the General Court. Through public hearings, their own debates, and the passage of legislation, it resolved widespread fear and anger, mediated conflicting concepts of disease, and promoted social solidarity in the face of an epidemic. This article first narrates the General Court's legislative actions; it then examines the conflicting understandings of disease causality; finally, it explores the social and political rituals the legislature drew upon to deal with this public health crisis. Arguing that public health legislation is simultaneously instrumental and symbolic, this article demonstrates that attention to both enriches the study of epidemics, historical and yet to come.
Assessment of carbonate-phosphoric acid analytical technique performed using GasBench II in continuous flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry

Abstract The commonly used online automated analytical method (in particular Thermo GasBench II) to determine stable carbon and oxygen isotope ratio composition of calcium carbonate in continuous flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry is evaluated. We have analyzed the isotopic composition of three in-house calcium carbonate standards as unknown samples for assessment of speed, accuracy and precision of isotopic measurements. Isotopic analyses of CO2 extracted from carbonate-phosphoric acid reaction were performed, where temperature of reaction and the time allowed for the reaction was varied in the range 25–90 °C and 3–101 min (and 12 h), respectively. Our results suggest that for isotopic analyses, carbonate-acid reaction may be conducted at any temperature in the range 50–90 °C for an hour; 50–70 °C seems to be a more restricted range. The results are reproduced accurately if the raw isotopic values are normalized against international standards also analyzed under the same experimental conditions as that of the samples. For isotopically homogeneous calcium carbonate samples, isotopic analyses may also be performed after 15 min of carbonate-acid reaction at 70 °C, which is significantly less time than what is routinely used. Care must be taken to ensure complete dissolution of carbonate sample as incomplete reaction or partial dissolution of isotopically heterogeneous grains would result in respective isotopic variability of CO2 gas produced during carbonate-acid reaction.
Neurons in Paradoxical Sleep and Motivated Behavior

Single-cell recordings were taken with electrodes permanently implanted in unrestrained rats during normal sleep, paradoxical sleep, quiet awake, and highly motivated awake periods. In most areas, neuronal activity increased when normal sleep changed to paradoxical sleep. The hypothalamus showed a significantly greater increase than most other areas. The hippocampus differed strikingly from all other areas by showing a decrement in all cases. The average firing rates in paradoxical sleep exceeded those of the quiet awake state as well as those of normal sleep. Comparison of paradoxical sleep with motivated behavior illustrated that changes in brain activity during paradoxical sleep were related to anatomically specifiable groupings, but no such differentiation appeared in motivated behavior.
Changing the gold standard in adjuvant therapy for breast cancer:from tamoxifen to aromatase inhibition.

Abstract The introduction of third generation aromatase inhibitors [anastrozole, letrozole, and exemestane] has certainly improved outcomes in patients with early breast cancer. Although survival benefit has not been identified (except in the subpopulation of patients with lymph node positive breast cancer on the MA17 study), the primary endpoints in all studies reached statistical significance in favor of Al. The strategy can include: replacing TAM outright after diagnosis; switching from TAM to one of the aromatase inhibitors after 2–3 years; or to add an AI after 5 years of TAM. DFS, recurrence, and the incidence of contra lateral breast cancer is influenced favorably with such an approach. The following issues remained unanswered: Will the OS be improved as well? Is the incidence of serious long-term side effects acceptable to our patients [osteoporosis, fractures, cognitive function and lipid profile changes]? What is the influence of chemotherapy on the effect of aromatase inhibitors? We still do not know the true role of AI in HER2 positive disease. Which effect do AI have in pre-menopausal women (with the use of LHRH agonists)? How long should patients after TAM be receiving AI? Several of these questions will be certainly answered with the new generation of studies, but many of these questions have just been generated with these new results.
Making a Theory Useful: Lessons Handed Down

What makes a theory useful? Whether one is evaluating and investigating one's own or another's theory, there are some useful lessons to keep in mind. One lesson is that the reason a "good" theory should be testable, be coherent, be economical, be generalizable, and explain known findings is that all of these characteristics serve the primary function of a theory--to be generative of new ideas and new discoveries. Other lessons concern how to develop a theory (whether one's own or an adopted one). One lesson is to know what the theory is and what it is not--don't make it into something else either by "improving" it or by unfairly dismissing it. Know the theory's domain of applicability--do test its limits but don't overextend it. Know when the theory makes a prediction and when it does not--know when it is simply silent. This article concludes by offering the metaphor that the lessons for developing a theory to make it useful have a lot in common with good parenting. For example: Neither spoil nor abuse the theory; neither neglect nor abandon it; support and nurture the theory; don't overprotect it but do defend it; be patient with the theory--don't push it too hard or too fast; and finally, don't forget to love and enjoy it.
DEVELOPMENT OF A MATHEMATICAL MODEL FOR OXIDATION OF POTATO CHIPS AS A FUNCTION OF OXYGEN PRESSURE, EXTENT OF OXIDATION AND EQUILIBRIUM RELATIVE HUMIDITY

The rate of oxidation of potato chips as a function of oxygen partial pressure, extent of oxidation and equilibrium relative humidity was determined. We used the results to build mathematical models with the rate of oxidation as the dependent variable and the other three factors as independent variables. A mixed approach was used in model building which included incorporation of the knowledge of kinetics of lipid autoxidation mechanisms in food products as well as empirical relations. We developed a relatively simple model with only four constants. Statistical analysis indicates a good fit of this equation to the experimental results and suggests an experimental design allowing evaluation of the constants with less experimentation. The equation developed is useful for package simulation and optimization and storage life prediction, and we expect that the model can be applied to other food products.
An active menopause: using exercise to combat symptoms.

There's no better time than the brief years surrounding menopause for a woman to start or renew an exercise program. Exercise may reduce the immediate symptoms of menopause, and it decreases the long-term risk of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and obesity. The exercise prescription includes aerobic exercise, resistance training, and stretching components, and should be individualized according to the woman's exercise history.
Treatment with tin prevents the development of hypertension in spontaneously hypertensive rats

Cytochrome P-450-dependent metabolites of arachidonic acid (AA) increased in the kidneys of young, spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) during the period of rapid elevation of blood pressure (BP) but not in adult SHRs or in Wistar Kyoto rats (WKYs) with normal BP. Treatment of SHRs and WKYs with stannous chloride (SnCl2), which selectively depletes renal cytochrome P-450, restored BP to normal, coincident with a natriuresis, in young but not in adult SHRs and did not affect either BP or sodium excretion in WKYs. Depletion of renal cytochrome P-450 was associated with decreased generation of these AA metabolites only in young SHRs. The antihypertensive effect of SnCl2 in young SHRs was greatly reduced by prevention of its cytochrome P-450-depleting action.
Common TLR5 Mutations Control Cancer Progression

The mechanisms regulating tumor-associated inflammation are incompletely understood. In this issue of Cancer Cell, Rutkowski and colleagues indicate that TLR5 signaling deficiency, which occurs in ∼10% of the population, changes interactions with commensal microbiota and deregulates a cascade of inflammatory events that can suppress or accelerate extraintestinal cancers.
Self-Induced Chaos in a Single-Mode Inversionless Laser

A single-mode inversionless laser with a three-level phaseonium as an active medium can by itself exhibit complex nonlinear dynamics. Nonlinear interaction between two spectrally separated gain regions of the phaseonium and a lasing field gives rise to instabilities and chaotic self-pulsations of a type not observed in conventional lasers with population-inverted gain media. We calculate the bifurcation diagram and uncover multistability and a torus-doubling cascade in transition to chaos.
Fragment-parallel composite and filter

We present a strategy for parallelizing the composite and filter operations suitable for an order-independent rendering pipeline implemented on a modern graphics processor. Conventionally, this task is parallelized across pixels/subpixels, but serialized along individual depth layers. However, our technique extends the domain of parallelization to individual fragments (samples), avoiding a serial dependence on the number of depth layers, which can be a constraint for scenes with high depth complexity. As a result, our technique scales with the number of fragments and can sustain a consistent and predictable throughput in scenes with both low and high depth complexity, including those with a high variability of depth complexity within a single frame. We demonstrate composite/filter performance in excess of 50M fragments/sec for scenes with more than 1500 semi-transparent layers.
The Value of Dispersants for Offshore Oil Spill Response

Oil spill response strategies are designed to minimize environmental impacts to the extent possible. Each response option must be evaluated for operational limitations (e.g., sea state), potential effectiveness, environmental impacts of the response option itself, and applicability under various oil spill scenarios (e.g., size and location of the spill) in addition to health and safety of the responders. Although mechanical recovery is often favored for its ability to directly remove oil from the environment, it has long been recognized that for large offshore spills this technology has significant limitations. In addition to known operational limits in the presence of currents and waves, the dynamic-nature of offshore oil slicks, i.e., rapid spreading and movement, has resulted in mechanical recovery only treating a small fraction of spilled oil in the past. Because of these limitations, the oil and gas industry has worked to develop alternative response tools that can be used in addition to mechanical recovery to more effectively treat large offshore oil spills. This paper provides a review of the primary oil spill response options, a detailed discussion that addresses misperceptions and misunderstandings about dispersants and their use, and a description of dispersant use during the Deepwater Horizon incident. The information provided will support the use of dispersants as a primary response tool for large offshore oil spills when the goal is to minimize environmental harm.
A new high-efficiency stepper motor driver for old technology stepper motors

Stepper motors have been used to drive mechanical systems for many decades. Stepper motors require a current-limited multiphase driver, and techniques have evolved from simple resistive drivers to complex high efficiency, high-performance switching devices. The first high-efficiency switching designs were patented over 30 years ago and have become widely used throughout industry. This has caused a shift in driver technology from a quad-drive system to an H-bridge system, and a change in motor design from four windings to two. There are a great many older systems with the earlier motor technology still in use. Retrofitting such systems can take one of several paths: (1) Replacing the entire mechanical drive motor system, its driver, and reworking all the associated communications protocol between the driver and the outside world; (2) Choosing a high-efficiency “H”-bridge driver, reworking its communications protocol and raising the drive voltages to hazardous levels to get the older-technology motor to perform adequately; (3) Designing a high-efficiency, high-performance motor driver system that will work with older-technology motors and existing communications protocols. This paper presents a high-efficiency, high-performance stepper motor driver and that provides all the advantages of a modern motor driver, yet works with existing older-technology stepper motors. It also solves a well-known failure mode of the standard “H” bridge drive system, and will pay for itself in decreased electrical energy costs compared to an old-technology resistive driver. An application-specific communications controller and motor driver will be described to create a drop-in replacement for an existing controller-driver system.
A QUASI-LINEAR STOCHASTIC FOKKER–PLANCK EQUATION IN σ-FINITE MEASURES

Solutions of quasi-linear stochastic Fokker–Planck equations for the number density of a system of solute particles in suspension are derived. The initial values and the solutions take values in a class of σ-finite Borel measures over Rd where d ≥ 1. The stochastic driving noise is defined by Ito differentials. For the special case of semi-linear stochastic Fokker–Planck equations, the solutions can be represented as solutions of first-order stochastic transport equations driven by Stratonovich differentials.
Effect of caloric restriction on body weight loss and body fat utilization in obese hyperglycemic mice (obob)

Abstract Obese-hyperglycemic mice (obob) and their lean litter mates were subjected to caloric restriction of varying degrees. Body weight loss was initially proportional to the degree of caloric restriction but was gradually diminished as restriction was prolonged, until eventually the body weight of all animals stabilized at a new level. On the same food intake the cumulative body mass loss, prior to stabilization of body weight, was greater in the obese than in the lean animals. When, however, both the caloric restriction and the body weight loss were expressed as a percentage of the ad lib. fed animal, the regression line relating these two variables did not differ significantly between lean and obese mice. In a separate experiment it was established that the composition of body mass lost by partial food deprivation differed markedly between obob and lean controls, the proportion of fat being much greater in the former. These data fail to support the hypothesis that an impairment of fat mobilization from the fat depots of calorically restricted obese hyperglycemic mice leads to a decreased rate of energy utilization by their tissues.
The magnetostriction of CoFeNiMo metallic glasses measured with a tunneling transducer

Abstract The longitudinal magnetostriction as a function of the Co/Fe content of the metallic glass series Co72−xFexNi3 Mo1Si12B12, for 0 ≤ x ≤ 10, is reported. The measurement is performed using a novel technique, based on electron tunneling, which provides a highly sensitive, noncontact, quasi-dc and direct measurement of magnetostrictive strains. The minimum value of the longitudinal magnetostriction measured is (−1.65±0.24) ppm for 0% Fe, and the maximum (in this composition range) is (2.51±0.15) ppm for 10% Fe, with a zero-magnetostriction composition of 5.25% Fe. These data are compared to those previously reported for a similar metallic glass series, but with higher Mo content. Increasing the Mo content in these glasses is shown to decrease the Fe content at the zero-magnetostriction composition point.
Fast Bundle Algorithm for Multiple-Instance Learning

We present a bundle algorithm for multiple-instance classification and ranking. These frameworks yield improved models on many problems possessing special structure. Multiple-instance loss functions are typically nonsmooth and nonconvex, and current algorithms convert these to smooth nonconvex optimization problems that are solved iteratively. Inspired by the latest linear-time subgradient-based methods for support vector machines, we optimize the objective directly using a nonconvex bundle method. Computational results show this method is linearly scalable, while not sacrificing generalization accuracy, permitting modeling on new and larger data sets in computational chemistry and other applications. This new implementation facilitates modeling with kernels.
Nucleon-antinucleon interactions

Abstract The Skyrme approach (a model of QCD in the classical limit) is capable of giving the principal features of the static nucleon-antinucleon interaction including, for the first time, the sharp onset of annihilation. We discuss these results as well as how they might be tied to the previous success of the Skyrme approach in describing the annihilation channels, to provide a full theoretical description of annihilation from start to finish.
Drug Rehabilitation in West Malaysia: An Overview of Its History and Development

West Malaysia has had a long history of drug use, beginning as early as the 1800s. While early use was primarily restricted to Chinese coolies and Indian immigrant laborers, the 1970s saw drug use become the domain of the youth of Malaysia and achieve the proportions of a national crisis. This paper traces the early origins of drug use and misuse in Malaysia, its development and expansion during the 1970s and the current efforts at eradication and rehabilitation. This examination of Malaysian efforts in response to the spread of drug use or misuse may provide researchers and practitioners in other countries some historical and cross cultural perspectives on current international efforts at eradicating similar problems.
Concise Review: Stem Cell-Based Approaches to Red Blood Cell Production for Transfusion

Blood transfusion is a common procedure in modern medicine, and it is practiced throughout the world; however, many countries report a less than sufficient blood supply. Even in developed countries where the supply is currently adequate, projected demographics predict an insufficient supply as early as 2050. The blood supply is also strained during occasional widespread disasters and crises. Transfusion of blood components such as red blood cells (RBCs), platelets, or neutrophils is increasingly used from the same blood unit for multiple purposes and to reduce alloimmune responses. Even for RBCs and platelets lacking nuclei and many antigenic cell-surface molecules, alloimmunity could occur, especially in patients with chronic transfusion requirements. Once alloimmunization occurs, such patients require RBCs from donors with a different blood group antigen combination, making it a challenge to find donors after every successive episode of alloimmunization. Alternative blood substitutes such as synthetic oxygen carriers have so far proven unsuccessful. In this review, we focus on current research and technologies that permit RBC production ex vivo from hematopoietic stem cells, pluripotent stem cells, and immortalized erythroid precursors.
Doxycycline levels in preocular tear film of horses following oral administration.

Objective To determine the concentration of doxycycline in preocular tear film following oral administration in horses as a possible therapeutic modality for infectious and keratomalacic equine keratitis. Procedure Eight broodmares without ocular disease from a Thoroughbred breeding facility were included in this study. Each mare received 20 mg/kg of doxycycline by mouth once daily in the morning for five consecutive days. Tears were collected 1 h after doxycycline administration starting on day one of administration and continuing for 10 consecutive days. Doxycycline levels in the tears were measured using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometric detection (LC-MS/MS). Results Doxycycline was present in the tears of each mare at low µg/mL levels with the highest concentration appearing on the third to fifth days (8.21–9.83 µg/mL). Doxycycline levels had fallen below quantifiable ranges by day 10. No systemic side-effects were noted in any of the horses included in this study. Conclusions Oral doxycycline is present in preocular tear film of normal horses with noninflamed eyes and may be useful as treatment in equine ulcerative keratomalacia. The oral dose listed was tolerated well by the horses in this study. The drug levels attained at 20 mg/kg once daily orally of doxycycline may aid in the treatment of corneal ulceration in horses, but further study is warranted.
Prolonged hepatomegaly in mice that cannot inactivate bacterial endotoxin

Transient hepatomegaly often accompanies acute bacterial infections. Reversible, dose-dependent hepatomegaly also occurs when animals are given intravenous infusions of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). We found that recovery from LPS-induced hepatomegaly requires a host enzyme, acyloxyacyl hydrolase (AOAH), that inactivates LPS. When we challenged Aoah−/− mice with low doses of LPS or Gram-negative bacteria, their livers remained enlarged (as much as 80% above normal) many weeks longer than did the livers of Aoah+/+ animals. When compared with livers from LPS-primed Aoah+/+ mice, LPS-primed Aoah−/− livers had (1) more numerous and larger Kupffer cells, (2) intrasinusoidal leukocyte aggregates and activated sinusoidal endothelial cells, and (3) sustained production of interleukin (IL)-10 and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) for tumor necrosis factor (TNF), IL-10, and IRAK-M. Depleting Kupffer cells decreased the liver enlargement by ≈40%, whereas depletion of neutrophils, dendritic cells, natural killer (NK) cells, NK-T cells, or B cells had no effect. Pretreatment with dexamethasone almost completely prevented prolonged hepatomegaly in Aoah−/− mice, whereas neutralizing TNF or interleukin-1β was only partially effective. In contrast, an antagonistic antibody to the IL-10 receptor increased LPS-induced hepatomegaly by as much as 50%. Conclusion: our findings suggest that persistently active LPS induces Kupffer cells to elaborate mediators that promote the accumulation of leukocytes within enlarged sinusoids. Large increases in IL-10 and several other modulatory molecules are unable to prevent prolonged hepatomegaly in mice that cannot inactivate LPS. The striking findings in this mouse model should encourage studies to find out how AOAH contributes to human liver physiology and disease. (HEPATOLOGY 2011;)
Identification of a Lipid Transfer Protein as the Major Protein in the Surface Wax of Broccoli (Brassica oleracea) Leaves

Presence of proteins in the surface wax of plants has been noted but no protein has been identified heretofore. A 9-kDa protein was purified as the major protein from the surface wax of broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) leaves and the N-terminal amino acid sequence was determined. A cDNA corresponding to the wax-associated protein, designated WAX9, was sequenced revealing an open reading frame that codes for an 11.9-kDa polypeptide of 118 amino acids including a 25-amino acid leader peptide. The amino acid sequence showed 40 to 50% identity with nonspecific lipid transfer proteins isolated from various plants. Northern blots showed that a wax9 transcript of 650 nucleotides was highly expressed in leaves, stems, and flower buds and only at a reduced level in open flowers and not in roots. The transcript level decreased as the leaf fully expanded. The results suggest that the wax9 gene is expressed at the highest level at the time of maximal synthesis of the surface wax. Immunogold labeling studies showed that the WAX9 protein was present mainly in the cell wall of the epidermis and mesophyll tissues as well as in the phloem. However, immunological measurements showed that 50 and 4% of the total WAX9 was in the surface wax in the young and old leaves, respectively. Since immunogold labeling method would involve the loss of the surface wax, it would not detect the WAX9 protein in the wax. Thus, the present results reveal for the first time that a major portion of lipid transfer protein is in the surface wax.
Analyses of Social Structure in Japan

The two studies under review, appearing so close together, offer conflicting portrayals of contemporary Japanese behavior and attitudes. They continue a near outworn but still fascinating debate: Does Japan have a unique social structure? Whether unique or not, has the Japanese social structure undergone change, and, if so, in what direction? What is the relationship between social structure, fixed or variable, and rapid industrialization, political transformation, demographic transition, largescale bureaucratization, and the like in present-day Japan? What may be learned from these relationships in Japan to gain insight about other national societies, advanced or less-developed? In their own distinctive ways, Nakane and Cole treat these questions brilliantly and convincingly-perhaps the most lucid presentations of these problems yet to appear in English. Their divergence lies primarily in disciplinary approach, analytical concept, and observational method. Together they sharpen the dilemmas in understanding Japan. More generally, their disagreement points up the difficulties of assessing the role of tradition in moder societies. For fullest benefit, one should be read only with the other.
User-centric portals for managed learning environments

There is a growing concern throughout higher education that the gap between what university central services traditionally provide and what academics currently need is widening. Members of both the administrative staff and the academic community (staff and students) are finding that the performance of routine tasks is becoming increasingly difficult due to the nature of their institution's information systems. These systems have evolved in an ad hoc basis and are usually comprised of multiple unconnected data repositories. Users are often prevented from carrying out work by inappropriate access control mechanisms and the lack of appropriate client software. There are broadly two approaches to addressing this problem. One is the "big bang", where all existing systems are replaced simultaneously with a new single centralised system. Before such an approach can be taken it is necessary to fully understand the dynamics of an institutions information systems, in order to specify the new, all encompassing system. This is a major task in itself. An alternative, more attractive, approach is to integrate existing systems using user-centric portals. This is the objective of the INSIDE project, which is piloting value-added services based on distributed information bases, in order to further the development and delivery of a "joined up system" for an institution.
Quechuan Voices: The Art of Storytelling through Song

Sarah Anderson examines Claudia Llosa’s 2009 film, The Milk of Sorrow (La teta asustada) for its use of song as a storytelling medium for expressing Quechuan women’s rights in Peru. The author argues that Llosa’s film represents Quechuan women’s healing processes and their desire for liberation from the trauma of rape and the specters of race, class, and gender oppressions experienced during Peru’s 1980-2000 Civil War. Anderson explicates the main character Fausta’s song for three major symbols of Quechuan knowledge: healing the disease contracted by “the milk of sorrow,” with traditional medicinal practices; Quechuan links to traditional food sources and land rights through a potato hidden in Fausta’s vagina; and the potato’s manifestation into a growing plant as a symbol of hope for indigenous Quechuan assertion of culture, land, and identity rights, especially for women.
Factors Related to Voluntary Parental Decision-Making in Pediatric Oncology

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the current study was to examine demographic and contextual correlates of voluntariness in parents making research or treatment decisions for their children with cancer. METHODS: Participants included 184 parents of children with cancer who made a decision about enrolling the child in a research or treatment protocol within the previous 10 days. Parents completed questionnaires that assessed voluntariness, external influence by others, concern that the child’s care would be negatively affected if the parent did not agree, time pressure, information adequacy, and demographics. RESULTS: Lower perceived voluntariness was associated with lower education, male gender, minority status, and not having previous experience with a similar decision. Parents who reported lower voluntariness also perceived more external influence and time pressure, had more concern about the child’s care being negatively affected if they declined, and perceived that they had either too much or not enough information about the decision. In a multivariate regression, education, minority status, gender, external influence, and too little information remained significantly associated with voluntariness. CONCLUSIONS: Several groups of parents appear to be at risk for decreased voluntariness when making research or treatment decisions for their seriously ill children, including fathers, nonwhite parents, and those with less education. Parental voluntariness may be enhanced by helping parents to mitigate the effects of unhelpful or unwanted influences by others and ensuring that their information needs are met. * Abbreviations: DMCI — : Decision-Making Control Instrument
Response to Sagan and Singer

Agata Sagan and Peter Singer strive heroically to salvage their claim that a stem cell, no less than an embryo, is an entity with the potential to become an adult. Their salvage operation fails, but not without advancing the discussion on an important point. They note that factors that alter gene expression in a cell are in many cases environmental, as opposed to intrinsic factors and changes that generate a new type of cell or organism. This is evident, for example, in diseases arising from altered gene expression caused by poor nutrition in a developing embryo. But this is beside the point. In the process described by Sagan and Singer, whereby a stem cell is joined to an enucleated ovum and a developing embryo is produced, the epigenetic constitution of the stem cell nucleus is dramatically changed from one that orients it to functioning as a part of a larger organism, to one that programmes it to develop itself into the mature stage of the organism as a whole. This shows that the cell produced by that process—just like a zygote produced in natural fertilization—is a new, whole organism. The epigenetic state of a nucleus is not sufficient to define an entity as an embryo. If a zygotic nucleus formed by fertilization were transplanted to an enucleated muscle or skin cell, the …
Mutations in AKAP5 disrupt dendritic signaling complexes and lead to electrophysiological and behavioral phenotypes in mice.

AKAP5 (also referred to as AKAP150 in rodents and AKAP79 in humans) is a scaffolding protein that is highly expressed in neurons and targets a variety of signaling molecules to dendritic membranes. AKAP5 interacts with PKA holoenzymes containing RIIα or RIIβ as well as calcineurin (PP2B), PKC, calmodulin, adenylyl cyclase type V/VI, L-type calcium channels, and β-adrenergic receptors. AKAP5 has also been shown to interact with members of the MAGUK family of PSD-scaffolding proteins including PSD95 and SAP97 and target signaling molecules to receptors and ion channels in the postsynaptic density (PSD). We created two lines of AKAP5 mutant mice: a knockout of AKAP5 (KO) and a mutant that lacks the PKA binding domain of AKAP5 (D36). We find that PKA is delocalized in both the hippocampus and striatum of KO and D36 mice indicating that other neural AKAPs cannot compensate for the loss of PKA binding to AKAP5. In AKAP5 mutant mice, a significant fraction of PKA becomes localized to dendritic shafts and this correlates with increased binding to microtubule associated protein-2 (MAP2). Electrophysiological and behavioral analysis demonstrated more severe deficits in both synaptic plasticity and operant learning in the D36 mice compared with the complete KO animals. Our results indicate that the targeting of calcineurin or other binding partners of AKAP5 in the absence of the balancing kinase, PKA, leads to a disruption of synaptic plasticity and results in learning and memory defects.
Inorganic Glue Enabling High Performance of Silicon Particles as Lithium Ion Battery Anode

Silicon, as an alloy-type anode material, has recently attracted lots of attention because of its highest known Li þ storage capacity (4200 mAh/g). But lithium insertion into and extraction from silicon are accompanied by a huge volume change, up to 300%, which induces a strong strain on silicon and causes pulverization and rapid capacity fading due to the loss of the electrical contact between part of silicon and current collector. Silicon nanostructures such as nanowires and nanotubes can overcome the pulverization problem, however these nano-engineered silicon anodes usually involve very expensive processes and have difficulty being applied in commercial lithium ion batteries. In this study, we report a novel method using amorphous silicon as inorganic glue replacing conventional polymer binder. This inorganic glue method can solve the loss of contact issue in conventional silicon particle anode and enables successful cycling of various sizes of silicon particles, both nano-particles and micron particles. With a limited capacity of 800 mAh/g, relatively large silicon micron-particles can be stably cycled over 200 cycles. The very cheap production of these silicon particle anodes makes our method promising and competitive in lithium ion battery industry.
Markedly hypoplastic circumflex retroesophageal right aortic arch: MR imaging and surgical implications

Circumflex retroesophageal right aortic arch with a markedly hypoplastic retroesophageal segment is a rare anomaly of the aortic arch. Adequate surgical management relies on precise diagnosis, which might not be feasible with echocardiography. To demonstrate the utility of MR imaging in establishing the diagnosis and to describe potential pitfalls in making the diagnosis. Three patients with a circumflex retroesophageal right aortic arch with a markedly hypoplastic retroesophageal segment were retrospectively evaluated. All patients underwent evaluation by echocardiography and MR imaging. The MR imaging consisted of 3-D MR angiography in two patients and fast gradient recalled echo with cardiac-triggered segmented acquisition in one patient. Surgical confirmation was obtained on all three patients. The arch anatomy was accurately depicted in all three patients by MR imaging and in none of the patients by echocardiography. MR imaging is extremely useful in establishing the diagnosis of markedly hypoplastic retroesophageal circumflex right aortic arch and thus helps in surgical planning.
Cell cycle-dependent regulation of store-operated ICRAC and Mg2+-nucleotide-regulated MagNuM (TRPM7) currents

Calcium signaling is a central mechanism for numerous cellular functions and particularly relevant for immune cell proliferation. However, the role of calcium influx in mitotic cell cycle progression is largely unknown. We here report that proliferating rat mast cells RBL-2H3 tightly control their major store-operated calcium influx pathway, I(CRAC), during cell cycle progression. While I(CRAC) is maintained at control levels during the first gap phase (G1), the current is significantly up-regulated in preparation for and during chromatin duplication. However, mitosis strongly suppresses I(CRAC). Non-proliferating cells deprived of growth hormones strongly down-regulate I(CRAC) while increasing cell volume. We further show that the other known calcium (and magnesium) influx pathway in mast cells, the TRPM7-like magnesium-nucleotide-regulated metal (MagNuM) current, is largely uncoupled from cell cycle regulation except in G1. Taken together, our results demonstrate that both store-operated calcium influx via I(CRAC) and MagNuM are regulated at crucial checkpoints during cell cycle progression.
The Wilkins Lecture, 1964 - Galileo today

Galileo has now moved out of history into myth. He is more than the creator of an era. He has become a hero of our civilization, the symbol of a great adventure like Prometheus or rather like the Ulysses of Dante and Tennyson. There was in his earlier triumph, the note of divine surprise, of an incredible world opening up. There is also, later, darkness closing in on the hero. Let me quote a famous letter of his to Diodati from 1638: ‘Alas, honoured Sir, Galileo, your dear friend and servant, has become by now irremediably blind. Your Honour may understand in what affliction I find myself, as I consider how that heaven, that world, that universe, that by my observations and clear demonstrations I had amplified a hundred and a thousand times over what had been seen and known by the learned of all past centuries, has now shrunk for me to the space occupied by my person.'
Communication Between NF-κB and Sp1 Controls Histone Acetylation Within the Proximal Promoter of the Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein 1 Gene

The induction of the monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 gene (MCP-1) by TNF occurs through an NF-kappaB-dependent distal regulatory region and an Sp1-dependent proximal regulatory region that are separated by 2.2 kb of sequence. To investigate how these regions coordinate activation of MCP-1 in response to TNF, experiments were performed to examine the role of coactivators, changes in local chromatin structure, and the acetylation of histones at the MCP-1 regulatory regions. An E1a-sensitive coactivator was found to be required for expression. In vivo nuclease sensitivity assays identified changes in response to TNF at both the proximal and distal regions that were dependent on the p65 subunit of NF-kappaB and Sp1. Chromatin immunoprecipitations used to analyze factor assembly and histone acetylation at the distal and proximal regions showed that Sp1 binding to and histone acetylation of the proximal region was dependent on NF-kappaB p65. Conversely, Sp1 assembly at the proximal region was required for p65 binding to and acetylation of the distal region, suggesting communication between the two regions during gene activation. These data and the NF-kappaB p65-dependent histone acetylation of a middle region sequence suggest a potential order for the assembly, acetylation and accessibility of the MCP-1 regulatory regions in response to TNF.
Detection of conformation bias between the complementary strands of deoxynucleotide repeat (TG/AC)n.

Antiparallel complementary strands of DNA contribute symmetrically to the helical structure and its stability; rough conformational differences between complementary strands would interfere with this symmetric contribution and the stability. To detect conformational differences between complementary strands, we challenged the complementary strands to different “pore size” of acrylamide gels and measured differences in migration during electrophoretic mobility analysis. Changes in migration differences revealed a significant structural bias between the complementary strands of the dinucleotide repeat deoxy-(TG/AC)n.
Characterization of neuropeptide Y-expressing cells in the mouse retina using immunohistochemical and transgenic techniques.

The amacrine cells of the retina are a complex family of interneurons. They are made up of numerous subgroups, each with different morphologic and/or biochemical properties and each presumably serving a different function. In this study, we characterized one subgroup, defined by its expression of a peptide, neuropeptide Y (NPY). The cells were identified using antibodies to NPY and characterized using a transgenic mouse line that expressed the reporter enzyme, b-galactosidase, in the NPY-immunoreactive (NPY-IR) cells. We found that NPY-IR cells were present in two layers, the inner nuclear layer (INL) and the ganglion cell layer (GCL). The cells in both layers were densely distributed, with those in the INL having a mean density of 1452 6 65 cells/mm 2 , and those in the GCL having a mean density of 644 6 41 cells/mm 2 . The cells in the INL extended their processes in the sublamina of the inner plexiform layer (IPL) closest to the INL/IPL border, the presumptive OFF sublamina, and the cells in the GCL extended their processes in the sublamina near the GCL/IPL border, the presumptive ON sublamina. Both populations of cells were immunoreactive to a GABA transporter and, thus, likely GABAergic. The high density of these cells suggests that they play a prominent role in IPL processing. The location of their processes suggests that one population acts in the pathway that mediates OFF responses, and the other in the pathway that mediates ON responses, and their expression of a GABA marker indicates that their actions are likely inhibitory. J. Comp. Neurol. 432:296 ‐306, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Test scheduling for core-based systems using mixed-integer linear programming

We present optimal solutions to the test scheduling problem for core-based systems. Given a set of tasks (test sets for the cores), a set of test resources (e.g., test buses, BIST hardware) and a test access architecture, we determine start times for the tasks such that the total test application time is minimized. We show that the test scheduling decision problem is equivalent to the m-processor open shop scheduling problem and is therefore NP-complete. However a commonly encountered instance of this problem (m=2) can be solved in polynomial time. For the general case (m>2), we present a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model for optimal scheduling and apply it to a representative core-based system using an MILP solver available in the public domain. We also extend the MILP model to allow optimal test set selection from a set of alternatives. Finally, we present an efficient heuristic algorithm for handling larger systems for which the MILP model may be infeasible.
Comparative study of DCT and wavelet-based coding

We study the performance difference of the discrete cosine transform (DCT) and the wavelet transform for both image and video coding, while comparing the other aspects of the coding system on an equal footing. Based on the state-of-the-art coding techniques, we point out that, for still images, the performance gap between DCT and wavelet based coding is within one dB in PSNR at the same bitrate. This is in contrast to the common perception that the wavelet transform is much superior to the DCT for image compression. For video coding, the advantage of using the wavelet transform over the DCT is even less pronounced.
Ground Validation for the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM)

Abstract An overview of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Ground Validation (GV) Program is presented. This ground validation (GV) program is based at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and is responsible for processing several TRMM science products for validating space-based rain estimates from the TRMM satellite. These products include gauge rain rates, and radar-estimated rain intensities, type, and accumulations, from four primary validation sites (Kwajalein Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands; Melbourne, Florida; Houston, Texas; and Darwin, Australia). Site descriptions of rain gauge networks and operational weather radar configurations are presented together with the unique processing methodologies employed within the Ground Validation System (GVS) software packages. Rainfall intensity estimates are derived using the Window Probability Matching Method (WPMM) and then integrated over specified time scales. Error statistics from both dependent and independent val...
Anthropology in the design of preventive behavioral health programs for children and families living in disadvantaged neighborhoods

Applied anthropologists working with public health researchers and clinicians have the opportunity to make tangible impacts on illness and disease in children and families living in disadvantaged neighborhoods. Stanford ECHALE was a randomized controlled trial of an experimental intervention to prevent obesity among low-income seven- to 11-year-old Latina girls and their families. The two-year school- and home-based experimental intervention included (1) an after-school folkloric dance program, and (2) a screen-time reduction curriculum. An active placebo comparison intervention involved health education. Moreover, an ethnographic study complemented the clinical trial. The novel challenges of conducting ethnographic and clinical research projects in seven public elementary schools demanded that the research team engage with community stakeholders and multiple collaborating agencies to address many conceptual, logistical, and ethical concerns. Overall, field-based participant observation, consideration of political economic structures, along with ethnography and narrative analysis, contributed to culturally competent program design, high participant retention rates, and procedures to protect children engaged in the research. Anthropologists can also play an integral role in guiding the strengthening of social networks needed to enhance social capital and increase community involvement allowing for portions of the interventions to be sustained after the research funding ends. [obesity prevention, culturally tailored health interventions, girls, Latino health, applied anthropology]