cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of antibodies to specific infectious agents in bovine fetuses from a slaughterhouse in Minnesota

Abstract Sera from 486 bovine fetuses, approximately 60 to 270 days of gestation, were collected at slaughter and tested for the presence of immunoglobulins (Ig). One hundred ten (27%) of the sera were positive for IgG and/or IgM. The earliest age at which fetuses tested positive for IgM and IgG was estimated to be 100 and 120 days, respectively. Ig concentration increased with increased age of the fetus. Sera that were positive for Ig were tested for the presence of specific antibodies to five different infectious agents. Bovine parvovirus antibodies were found in 99 of 110 sera (90%) by hemagglutination inhibition (HI) test. However, only 35 (31.8%) of these sera were positive by serum neutralization (SN) test. Antibodies to parainfluenza-3 virus were detected in 30 sera (27%) by HI test and in 20 sera (18%) by SN test. Five (4%) sera contained SN antibodies to bovine viral diarrhea virus. Only one (0.9%) serum sample contained SN antibodies to infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus. None of the sera had antibodies against five Leptospira spp. Results of this study suggest that bovine parvovirus may be a potential cause of reproductive problems in cattle.
Computations of cuspidal cohomology of congruence subgroups of SL(3, Z)

Abstract Algorithms are presented which find a basis of the vector space of cuspidal cohomology of certain congruence subgroups of SL(3, Z ) and which determine the action of the Hecke operators on this space. These algorithms were implemented on a computer. Four pairs of cuspidal classes were found with prime level less than 100. Tables are given of the eigenvalues of the first few Hecke operators on these classes.
Effect of small-scale structure on the dynamics of cosmic strings.

The effective equation of state for a string with short-wavelength perturbations is shown to be $\ensuremath{\mu}T={\ensuremath{\mu}}_{0}^{2}$, where $\ensuremath{\mu}$ and $T$ are the mass density and tension in the rest frame of the string and ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{0}$ is the unperturbed string tension. The dynamics of "wiggly" strings in flat spacetime is discussed. The conclusions are in agreement with the results obtained by Carter using different methods.
The analysis, synthesis, manipulation, and feature extraction of the electromyogram of lip muscles during speech☆

Abstract In the initial phase of a research program to study neural control of the speech musculature a need arose for a powerful and convenient methodology to analyze, synthesize, and manipulate electromyographic (EMG) signals. Various techniques were considered until it was determined that a signal processing algorithm originally developed for handling the acoustic speech signal was also applicable to electromyographic signals. This article will discuss the use of a certain class of wavefunctions and how they seem to be a particularly powerful analytical tool in processing electromyographic data. The electromyograms of selected motor units from three muscles of the lower lip, the Orbiculares Oris Inferior, the Depressor Labii Inferioris, and the Mentalis, were studied by the use of the Hanning Cosine Modulated (HCM) wavefunction, time domain model. Using digital processing techniques, an EMG signal is transformed by an analysis procedure into a set of time domain based HCM parameter lists. To verify the analysis completeness, the HCM parameter lists are used by a synthesis procedure to generate a synthetic form of the orginal EMG signal. A comparison shows an exact correspondence between the original and synthetic signals. A Feature Extraction procedure may then be used to extract information of interest from the HCM parameter lists. The HCM parameter lists may also be modified so that the EMG signal may be investigated through an Analysis through Synthesis approach. A summary of the HCM signal processing algorithm is presented. Then through the use of illustrative examples, it is shown that the HCM parameter lists provide a general purpose data base. This data base may then be used for simulation or Synthesis of the EMG signal, diagnostic studies, time and frequency domain analysis, and other important activities.
Forward into the past

Abstract The text examines the question of writing history backwards, with special reference to the history of science. A moral justification for the writing of history is proposed.
The construction and use of convex hulls in limited-angle computerized tomography

A method is developed to construct the convex hull of an object and make use of it in limited-angle x-ray computerized tomography (CT). The convex hull of an object is the smallest convex region containing the object, and therefore it can serve as boundary information in the reconstruction of the object from limited-angle data. Two methods, the intersection version and the superimposition version, of constructing the convex hull of an object from x-ray data are presented. It is shown that the intersection version is very efficient when the noise is very low, whereas the superimposition version is more stable with respect to noise. The usefulness and the construction of the convex hulls of embedded flaws in industrial x-ray CT are also studied. It is demonstrated with simulated data that the use of convex hulls makes it possible to reconstruct high-quality images from limited-angle data.
Salivary expression of taste response to chemical stimulation.

The salivary response to application of various concentrations of citric acid to the tongue was examined in 17 individuals. Responses were reproducible and did not appear to alter with the passage of time. The relation between response and stimulant concentration was formally described by Michaelis-Menten kinetics. The technique could be extended to the study of various stimulants and used to explore the mechanism of taste perception in man.
Dietary induction of cholesterol gallstones in hamsters from three different sources.

Cholesterol gallstones were produced in young male, golden Syrian hamsters, obtained from three different suppliers, by administering a nutritionally adequate, semipurified diet for periods of either 5 or 10 weeks. The major components of the lithogenic diet were casein, cornstarch, butterfat, corn oil and 0.3% cholesterol. The hamsters were obtained from Sesco, Harlan Sprague-Dawley (Engle hamster) and Charles River (Lakeview hamster). There were profound differences among the three groups with respect to gallstone formation and cholesterol metabolism: The highest incidence of gallstones occurred in Sesco hamsters, 44.4% and 63.6% after 5 and 10 weeks on the lithogenic diet, respectively. In the Engle hamster, after a 5-week feeding, cholesterol crystals and gallstones were absent. When the feeding period was extended to 10 weeks, cholesterol gallstones were present in 45.5% of the animals. In the Lakeview hamsters, neither gallstones nor cholesterol crystals were found in the gallbladder after a 5-week period. After 10 weeks, cholesterol gallstones were found in only a single hamster. In all groups, the lithogenic diet produced large increases of liver, serum and biliary cholesterol concentrations and increased liver weights. When the animals were fed for 5 weeks, only the bile of Sesco hamsters became supersaturated. Supersaturated bile was induced in all groups after a 10-week feeding of the lithogenic diet with cholesterol saturation ranging from 1.47 to 1.97. These data indicate that it is possible to induce cholesterol gallstones in hamsters by means of a nutritionally adequate, semipurified diet of moderate cholesterol content. The source of the animals appears to be an important variable, because there were significant differences among the hamsters of differing origins, in cholesterol metabolism and rates of gallstone formation.
Laminar boundary layer at an infinite swept stagnation line with large rates of injection

Three dimensional laminar boundary layer separation at infinite swept stagnation line with high mass injection rates
Motion-Based Structure Separation for Label-Free High-Speed 3-D Cardiac Microscopy

Capturing the dynamics of individual structures in the embryonic heart is an essential step for studying its function and development. Label-free brightfield microscopy allows for higher acquisition frame-rates than techniques requiring molecular labeling, without interfering with embryo viability or needing complex equipment. However, since different structures contribute similarly to image contrast, label-free microscopy lacks specificity. Here, we mitigate this problem by separating a single-channel image series into multiple channels specific to different cardio-vascular structures, based only on their motion patterns. The technique combines images from multiple cardiac cycles and z-sections after nonuniform temporal registration to produce 3-D+time image volumes of one full cardiac cycle with separate channels for static, transient and periodically moving structures. The resulting data is well suited for velocity analysis and 3-D-visualization. We characterize the separating capabilities of our technique on a synthetic cardiac dataset and demonstrate its practical applicability, by reconstructing three-channel views of the beating embryonic zebrafish heart with an effective frame rate of 1000 volumes (256 × 256 × 20 voxels each) per second. This technique enables quantitative characterization of dynamic heart function during cardiogenesis.
Simulation of Focused Radiation Propagation and Transient Heat Transfer in Turbid Tissues

Thermal analysis of a cylindrical tissue subject to a train of ultrashort pulse irradiations was made by developing a combined time-dependent radiation and conduction bio-heat transfer model. Ultrashort pulsed radiation transport in the cylindrical tissue is simulated using the transient discrete ordinate method. Treatment of focused beam is introduced. The model skin tissue is stratified as three layers with different optical, thermal and physiological properties. Comparisons between the collimated irradiation and focused beam are conducted. The effect of pulse train is investigated.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
The Delphi Technique and Judgmental Forecasting

The Delphi technique for judgmental forecasting by expert groups is described and the controversy surrounding its use is summarized. The technique clearly does not eliminate all unwanted psychological effects on group judgment. Furthermore, the design of most Delphi studies makes it impossible to separate the signal from the noise in expert judgment. A methodological standard for evaluating judgmental forecasts is proposed.
Ca EDTA and the excretion of plutonium.

Summary1. A comparison of Ca EDTA and Zr citrate for the therapy of acute Pu poisoning was made in which it was found that Ca EDTA brought forth greater Pu excretion (50% greater than controls) than did the Zr citrate (10% greater than controls). The use of the latter agent resulted in lower Pu skeletal content than occurred in the Ca EDTA treated animals. Combined Ca EDTA and Zr citrate treatment produced the same results as Zr citrate alone. 2. Ca EDTA administered long after Pu was deposited in bone did remove Pu from the skeleton but this is a slow process. 3. A comparison of a regimen of Na EDTA and Ca EDTA with one using Ca EDTA alone in acute Pu exposures showed no advantage to either. 4. Ca EDTA did not influence passage of Pu across the lung alveolar membrane. 5. Ca EDTA did not influence the rate of mobilization of Pu from an intramuscular site. 6. Ca EDTA did not influence the rate of absorption of Pu from the gastrointestinal tract.
Alternative methods of modifying the calixarene conformation. The synthesis and molecular structures oft-butylcalix[4]arene methyl ether complexed with aluminum alkyl species

The configurations of calix[4]arenes may be modified by the formation of donor-acceptor complexes which make use of the basicity of the oxygen atoms of the macrocycle. The complex [t-butylcalix[4]arene methyl ether][AlMe3]2,2, exhibits the previously unseen ‘1,2-alternate’ geometry, while [t-butylcalix[4]arene methyl ether][MeAlCl2]2,3, and [t-butylcalix[4]arene methyl ether][EtAlCl2]2,4, show the ‘1,3-alternate’ configuration.2 crystallizes in the triclinic space groupPl witha=11.14(1),b=11.60(1),c=12.02(1) A, α=77.32(8), β=67.91(8), and γ=69.34(8)o withDc=1.06 g cm−3 forZ=1. Refinement based on 1270 observed reflections led toR=0.106.3 as the benzene solvate belongs to the monoclinic space groupC2/c witha=12.116(2),b=21.557(7),c=23.470(6) A, and β=104.05(2)o withDc=1.13 g cm−3 forZ=4. Refinement based on 2335 observed reflections led toR=0.075.4 crystallizes in the monoclinic space groupC2/c witha=12.062(4),b=21.175(6),c=21.596(5) A, and β=100.78(4)o withDc=1.18 g cm−3 forZ=4. Refinement based on 2529 observed reflections gaveR=0.082. The Al-O lengths in all three complexes are normal for donor-acceptor interactions.
Legg-calve-perthes disease: a review of cases with onset before six years of age.

Background: The prognosis for children in whom Legg-Calve-Perthes disease develops before the age of six years was initially reported to be good, but later studies demonstrated a less favorable prognosis. To assess the natural history of this condition in this age group, we reviewed a large cohort of children who had received minimal treatment for the disease. Methods: The medical records and radiographs of all children with Legg-Calve-Perthes disease seen at our institution between 1944 and 2000 were reviewed. The cases of 172 patients with a total of 188 affected hips were studied. The course of the disease and the final clinical and radiographic outcomes were evaluated in all patients. Results: Typical Legg-Calve-Perthes disease was noted in 164 hips of 160 patients. According to the lateral patellar classification, seven of these hips were in group A; 101, in group B; twenty-seven, in the B/C border group; and twenty-nine, in group C. According to the Stulberg classification, there were 131 Class-I or II (good) results, fourteen Class-III (fair) results, and nineteen Class-IV (poor) results. The lateral pillar classification was highly correlated with the outcome, whereas treatment did not correlate with the outcome. Only lateral pillar group-B/C border and C hips with an onset of the disease between the ages of four years and five years and eleven months had a poor prognosis. We unexpectedly encountered a group of twelve patients with bilateral, simultaneous development of apparent Legg-Calve-Perthes disease. In that group, there were twenty-one Stulberg Class-I or II (good), three Stulberg Class-III (fair), and no Stulberg Class-IV (poor) results, although fourteen of the twenty-four hips were in lateral pillar group C. The outcome in the hips in lateral pillar group C was significantly better when the patient had bilateral simultaneous involvement than when the patient had typical Legg-Calve-Perthes disease. Conclusions: The prognosis for patients with the onset of Legg-Calve-Perthes disease before the age of six years is favorable, with 80% having a good result. Only children between the ages of four years and five years and eleven months with a B/C or C lateral pillar classification of involvement have a less favorable prognosis. Treatment was not found to influence outcome. Simultaneous bilateral disease, which had a more favorable prognosis, may represent a unique disorder. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
A thermogravimetric pyrolysis study of the interaction of di(1,2,3-benzo-triazolatium)hexacyanoruthenate(IV) with certain organic amines

Abstract The thermogravimetric pyrolysis of the interaction products of certain organic amines and tetramethylammonium chloride with di(1,2,3-benzotriazolatium)hexacyanoruthenate(IV) is reported in this study.
Does the mean corpuscular volume help physicians evaluate hospitalized patients with anemia

The authors analyzed the value of using mean corpuscular volume (MCV) as a guide for selecting tests for further evaluation of anemia in hospitalized patients. Of the 2,082 patients with anemia admitted to the medical service of a teaching hospital over one year, 655 (31%) had further diagnostic tests to evaluate the cause of the anemia. Within this group of 655 patients, 399 (61%) had normal MCVs. Over half the patients with abnormal serum vitamin B12, folate, or ferritin levels, or with low serum iron (Fe) levels with elevated total iron-binding capacity (TIBC), did not have the MCVs expected according to the classification of anemia proposed by Wintrobe. Furthermore, 5% of patients with evidence of iron deficiency had high MCVs, and about 12% of patients with decreased vitamin B12 levels had low MCVs. The MCV was quite specific in identifying patients who had low ferritin levels: specificity was 83%; however, sensitivity was only 48%. The MCV was also specific (88%) for identifying patients who had low Fe with elevated TIBC; however, sensitivity was only 43%. The MCV was poor in identifying patients with abnormalities of serum vitamin B12 and folate levels. In this study the MCV did not provide sufficient diagnostic accuracy to be a useful criterion for the selection of more definitive tests in the evaluation of anemia in hospitalized patients.
Computational modeling of the transient hemodynamic response in cerebral cortex

Neural activity triggers a vascular response in the brain that leads to transient changes in oxygen transport, and this mechanism is the basis for popular and powerful functional imaging methods. However, there is limited understanding of oxygen delivery to cerebral cortex both in steady state and during transient perturbations. In this study, a computational model for oxygen transport in the brain was developed and used to fit polarographic oxygen measurements during transient stimulation in cerebral cortex. The hemodynamic response function (HRF) was modeled with convection-diffusion transport in a four-compartment system (erythrocyte, intravascular, extravascular, and intracellular) that includes oxygen dissociation from hemoglobin. This model explained the dynamics of oxygen transport in cortex after brief visual stimulation, successfully fitting ∼90% of experimental measurements within a realistic range of parameters for steady-state flow speed and oxygen consumption, as well as flow and oxygen uptake perturbations.
Accounting for Natural Disasters: The Impact of Earthquake Risk on California Municipal Bond Pricing

While Katrina has raised awareness of the potential impact of hurricanes on municipalities along the Gulf Coast, it remains unclear if the municipal bond market considers other types of natural disaster risk in other areas. We attempt to fill this gap by conducting an analysis to determine if underlying geologic earthquake risk affects interest costs for municipal bond issuers in California. We find that earthquake risk does matter in determining the interest costs for municipalities issuing debt, but not universally—only for municipal bonds issued after Hurricane Katrina and only in relation to underlying geologic earthquake risk.
The Neural Analog Diffusion-Enhancement Layer (NADEL) And Early Visual Processing

We describe a new class of neural network aimed at early visual processing; we call it a Neural Analog Diffusion-Enhancement Layer or NADEL. The network consists of two levels which are coupled through nonlinear feedback. The lower level is a two-dimensional diffusion map which accepts binary visual features as input (e.g. edges and points), and spreads activity over larger scales as a function of time. The upper layer is fed the activity from the diffusion layer and serves to locate local maxima in it (an extreme form of contrast enhancement). These local maxima are fed back to the diffusion layer using an on-center/off-surround shunting anatomy. The maxima are also available as output of the network. The network dynamics serves to cluster features on multiple scales as a function of time, and can be used to support a large variety of early visual processing tasks such as: extraction of corners and high curvature points along edge contours, line end detection, filling gaps and completing contour boundaries, generating saccadic eye motion sequences, perceptual grouping on multiple scales, correspondence and path impletion in long-range apparent motion, and building 2-D shape representations that are invariant to location, orientation and scale on the visual field. The NADEL is now being designed for implementation in Analog VLSI wafer-scale circuits.© (1988) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Economic Growth and Quality of Life: A Comparative Indicator Analysis Between China (Taiwan), U.S.A. and Other Developed Countries

. A composite Quality of Life (QOL) indicator model of five major components—Social, Economic, Energy and Environmental, Health and Education, and National Vitality and Security—was developed. Based on cross-national data of 1975, 32 developed countries and China (Taiwan) were ranked according to their component and overall QOL measures. The influence of income and other variables on QOL was analyzed; it was found that the income variable is not as significantly related to the composite QOL indexes as are other variables and China (Taiwan's) QOL rankings far exceed its per capita income ranking in the international comparison. The U.S. surpassed all the countries studied in providing its citizens with basic human needs and the highest material standard of living. The national vitality and security component indicated, however, that the U.S. may have lost, militarily and strategically, some of its influence and perceived power to the U.S.S.R.
Wireless communication with implanted medical devices using the conductive properties of the body

Many medical devices that are implanted in the body use wires or wireless radiofrequency telemetry to communicate with circuitry outside the body. However, the wires are a common source of surgical complications, including breakage, infection and electrical noise. In addition, radiofrequency telemetry requires large amounts of power and results in low-efficiency transmission through biological tissue. As an alternative, the conductive properties of the body can be used to enable wireless communication with implanted devices. In this article, several methods of intrabody communication are described and compared. In addition to reducing the complications that occur with current implantable medical devices, intrabody communication can enable novel types of miniature devices for research and clinical applications.
If I'd Wanted to Teach About Feelings, I Wouldn't Have Become a Law Professor

“Oh no, do we have to?” is our mock horrified initial reaction to teaching emotions. Our second response, however, is “Well, if we have to, we’d better get good at it.” We go on to analyze how a series of exercises already widely used for other purposes could be adapted to perform double duty, to make students really think about their emotions.
Evoked Potentials During Multiple Sclerosis Therapeutic Trials-Reply

In Reply. —Just prior to the publication of our article 1 describing experience with evoked potentials in a clinical treatment trial in multiple sclerosis, Nuwer et al 2 detailed their observations in another treatment trial. There is something to be learned by comparing the two. It is important at the onset, however, to understand that there were important differences between the two studies and in their results. On trial in the earlier study was the effectiveness of immunosuppressant therapies in retarding gradual deterioration in patients with chronic progressive multiple sclerosis. The study was planned over the long term so that the effects of slowing the immunopathologic process could be detected. Finally, the study demonstrated significant benefit of the program, both on clinical and electrophysiologic bases. Our study, on the other hand, sought to corroborate earlier observations about short-term improvement related to hyperbaric oxygen treatment. 1 The protocol was planned to examine both
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN JOB SATISFACTION AND PSYCHIATRIC HEALTH SYMPTOMS FOR AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS

The workplace has been examined as a source of potential stressors, e.g., role conflict and ambiguity, and the relationship between these stressors and job satisfaction has been empirically demonstrated. The relationship between job satisfaction and health, however, has not been clearly established empirically. Data were collected from 416 experienced Air Traffic Controllers to examine the hypothesized positive relationship between job satisfaction and psychiatric symptomatology. Job satisfaction was measured with self-report instruments while psychiatric symptomatology was assessed via a standardized diagnostic interview. The results provide strong support for the existence of the hypothesized relationship. Satisfaction with the work itself for the ATCs, followed closely by coworker satisfaction, showed the most frequent relationships to the presence or absence of different psychiatric symptoms. The results are discussed in terms of their relationship to research on job related stress.
On The Person And The Work Of The Entrepreneur

Nothing in Schumpeter’s writings is more familiar and more commonly mentioned than his “creative destruction.” Arguably the term is as well known as Adam Smith’s “invisible hand.” One central difference between the two, however, is that creative destruction is a real economic actuality. The invisible hand is a manner of speaking.
Cardiovascular Development and Angiogenesis in the Early Vertebrate Embryo

Embryonic cardiovascular physiology (as opposed to that of the more developed fetus) is being more closely examined by developmental physiologists to explore the onset of cardiovascular function and its regulation, as opposed to the later maturation of these processes as is typically examined in fetal mammal models. As our understanding of embryonic physiology grows, the dogma that the early embryonic heart serves the same convective bulk transport role that it does in the fetal and adult heart is being carefully evaluated. Experimental approaches have involved genetic, surgical and environmental manipulation, and have revealed that blood flow generated by the early embryonic heart is not required for bulk transport of respiratory gases, nutrients, and wastes. Rather, the very small size of the typical vertebrate embryo enables this critical transport function to be achieved by simple diffusion alone. Surprisingly, however, the heart begins to beat (and so expend valuable energy) well before convective blood circulation is actually required. This review postulates that angiogenesis may be a driving factor for the “early” beat of the heart. Recent experiments examining the effect of increased blood pressure and flow pulsatility on proximal blood vessel development offer initial support for the “synangiotropy” hypothesis, namely that the onset of heart beat occurs synchronously with the need for peripheral angiogenesis. Yet, the complexity of the patterns of angiogenesis (regional variations of opposite sign) suggests that we have much more to be learned about the relationship between angiogenesis and the circulation in vertebrate embryos.
Effects of Air Flow, Draw Temperature and Boundary Conditions on Hardening in Ice Cream Manufacturing

Energy consumption by the dairy food industry in the United States constitutes 10% of all energy consumed by the U.S. food industry, and reducing energy consumption in cooling and refrigeration of foods plays an important role in meeting the challenge of the energy crisis. Hardening is an important and energy-intensive step in ice cream manufacturing. This work presents Finite Element Method (FEM) investigation of the hardening process in ice cream manufacturing and assesses the accuracy and acceptability of the presented FEM methods. The FEM results are compared to experimentally data from the literature, and sources of variation including convection coefficient, bottom surface boundary condition and draw temperature are explored.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
ACCUMULATION, TISSUE DISTRIBUTION, AND MATERNAL TRANSFER OF DIETARY 2,3,7,8,-TETRACHLORODIBENZO-p-DIOXIN: IMPACTS ON REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS OF ZEBRAFISH

TCDD (2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin) is a reproductive toxicant and endocrine disruptor in nearly all vertebrates; however, the mechanisms by which TCDD alters the reproductive system is not well understood. The zebrafish provides a powerful vertebrate model system to investigate molecular mechanisms by which TCDD affects the reproductive system, but little is known regarding reproductive toxic response of zebrafish following chronic, sublethal exposure to TCDD. Here we investigate the accumulation of TCDD in selected tissues of adult female zebrafish and maternal transfer to offspring following dietary exposure to TCDD (0.08-2.16 ng TCDD/fish/day). TCDD accumulated in tissues of zebrafish in a dose- and time-dependent manner, except for brain. Chronic dietary exposure resulting in the accumulation of 1.1-36 ng/g fish did not induce an overt toxic response or suppress spawning activity. The ovosomatic index was impacted with an accumulation of as little as 0.6 ng/g fish, and 10% of the females showed signs of ovarian necrosis following accumulation of approximately 3 ng/g TCDD. Offspring health was impacted with an accumulation of as little as 1.1 ng/g female; thus the lowest observed effect level (LOEL) for reproductive toxicity in female zebrafish is approximately 0.6-1.1 ng/g fish. Maternal transfer resulted in the accumulation of 0.094-1.2 ng/g, TCDD, which was sufficient to induce the typical endpoints of larval TCDD toxicity, commonly referred to as blue sac syndrome. This study provides the necessary framework to utilize the zebrafish model system for further investigations into the molecular mechanisms by which TCDD exerts its reproductive toxic responses.
Molecular machines encoded by bacterially-derived multi-domain gene fusions that potentially synthesize, N-methylate and transfer long chain polyamines in diatoms

Silica glass formation in diatoms requires the biosynthesis of unusual, very long chain polyamines (LCPA) composed of iterated aminopropyl units. Diatoms processively synthesize LCPA, N-methylate the amine groups and transfer concatenated, N-dimethylated aminopropyl groups to silaffin proteins. Here I show that diatom genomes possess signal peptide-containing gene fusions of bacterially-derived polyamine biosynthetic enzymes S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (AdoMetDC) and an aminopropyltransferase, sometimes fused to a eukaryotic histone N-methyltransferase domain, that potentially synthesize and N-methylate LCPA. Fusions of similar, alternatively configured domains but with a catalytically dead AdoMetDC and in one case a Tudor domain, may N-dimethylate and transfer multiple aminopropyl unit polyamines onto silaffin proteins.
Exceptional Parental Longevity Associated with Lower Risk of Alzheimer's Disease and Memory Decline

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether offspring of parents with exceptional longevity (OPEL) have a lower rate of dementia than offspring of parents with usual survival (OPUS). DESIGN: Community-based prospective cohort study. SETTING: Bronx, New York. PARTICIPANTS: A volunteer sample of 424 community-residing older adults without dementia aged 75 to 85 recruited from Bronx County starting in 1980 and followed for up to 23 years. MEASUREMENTS: Epidemiological, clinical, and neuropsychological assessments were completed every 12 to 18 months. OPEL were defined as having at least one parent who reached the age of at least 85. OPUS were those for whom neither parent reached the age of 85. Dementia was diagnosed according to case conference consensus based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition, Revised, criteria without access to information on parental longevity. Alzheimer's disease was diagnosed using established criteria. RESULTS: Of 424 subjects, 149 (35%) were OPEL, and 275 (65%) were OPUS. Mean age at entry for both groups was 79. The OPEL group had a lower incidence of Alzheimer's disease (hazard ratio=0.57, 95% confidence interval=0.35–0.93). After adjusting for sex, education, race, hypertension, myocardial infarction, diabetes mellitus, and stroke, results were essentially unchanged. OPEL also had a significantly lower rate of memory decline on the Selective Reminding Test (SRT) than OPUS (P=.03). CONCLUSION: OPEL develop dementia and Alzheimer's disease at a significantly lower rate than OPUS. Demographic and medical confounders do not explain this result. Factors associated with longevity may protect against dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
Automatic diagnosis and response to memory corruption vulnerabilities

Cyber attacks against networked computers have become relentless in recent years. The most common attack method is to exploit memory corruption vulnerabilities such as buffer overflow and format string bugs. This paper presents a technique to automatically identify both known and unknown memory corruption vulnerabilities. Based on the observation that a randomized program usually crashes upon a memory corruption attack, this technique uses the crash as a trigger to initiate an automatic diagnosis algorithm. The output of the diagnosis includes the instruction that is tricked to corrupt data, the call stack at the time of corruption, and the propagation history of corrupted data. These results provide useful information in fixing the vulnerabilities. Moreover, the diagnosis process also generates a signature of the attack using data/address values embedded in the malicious input message, and is used to block future attacks. Such a signature is further associated with the program execution state to reduce false positives without decreasing the detection rate. The proposed techniques enable the development of a decentralized self-diagnosing and self-protecting defense mechanism for networked computers. We report the implementation experience and experimental evaluation of a prototype system on Linux.
Solid‐Phase Epitaxy of Boehmite‐Derived α‐Alumina on Hematite Seed Crystals

The seeded transformation of boehmite-derived alumina was studied by transmission electron microscopy. Crystallographic analysis confirmed that the growth of α-Al2O3 on α-Fe2O3 seed crystals occurs by solid-phase epitaxy, with the orientation relationship [0001]Al2O3||[0001]Fe2O3 and [1120]Al2O3||[1120Fe2O3.
The effects of response bias on self-reported quality of life among childhood cancer survivors

Several studies of long-term adjustment in childhood cancer survivors (CCS) report very positive outcomes, while other studies find significant adjustment problems. These inconsistencies have prompted some investigators to suggest survivors may be biased responders, prone to underreporting on self-report measures. This study tested the hypothesis that CCS are elevated on self-deception response bias (SDRB), and that SDRB is associated with higher ratings of quality-of-life (QOL). One hundred and seven adult (mean age = 31.85) survivors of childhood cancers completed a demographic questionnaire, Short Form-12 (SF-12), Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G), and Self-Deception Enhancement scale (SDE), an SDRB measure. Survivors’ QOL scores were similar to normative groups, but they evidenced much higher levels of response bias. SDE scores were significantly correlated with the FACT-G, and SF-12 Mental Health (but not Physical Health) scores even after accounting for demographic and treatment-related variables. CCS show a biased response style, indicating a systematic tendency to deny difficulties on QOL measures. This may complicate QOL studies by inflating survivors’ reports of their socio-emotional functioning. Understanding how response bias develops may help us learn more about cancer survivors’ adaptation to illness, and the effects of the illness experience on their perceptions of QOL.
Disk space guarantees as a distributed resource management problem: A case study

In the single system UNIX, successful completion of a write system call implies a guarantee of adequate disk space for any new pages created by the system call. To support such a guarantee in a distributed file system designers need to solve the problems of accurately estimating the space needed, communication overhead, and fault tolerance. In the Calypso file system, which is a cluster-optimized, distributed UNIX file system, we solve these problems using an advance-reservation scheme. Measurements show that the overhead of this scheme for typical UNIX usage patterns is 1% to 3%.
Multiple Model Predictive Control: A State Estimation based Approach

An augmented state formulation for multiple model predictive control (MMPC) is developed to improve the regulation of nonlinear and uncertain process systems. By augmenting disturbances as states that are estimated using a Kalman filter, improved disturbance rejection is achieved compared to an additive output disturbance assumption. The approach is applied to a quadratic tank example, which has challenging dynamic behavior, switching from minimum phase to nonminimum phase behavior as the operating conditions are changed.
Muscle contributions to vertical and fore-aft accelerations are altered in subjects with crouch gait

The goals of this study were to determine if the muscle contributions to vertical and fore-aft acceleration of the mass center differ between crouch gait and unimpaired gait and if these muscle contributions change with crouch severity. Examining muscle contributions to mass center acceleration provides insight into the roles of individual muscles during gait and can provide guidance for treatment planning. We calculated vertical and fore-aft accelerations using musculoskeletal simulations of typically developing children and children with cerebral palsy and crouch gait. Analysis of these simulations revealed that during unimpaired gait the quadriceps produce large upward and backward accelerations during early stance, whereas the ankle plantarflexors produce large upward and forward accelerations later in stance. In contrast, during crouch gait, the quadriceps and ankle plantarflexors produce large, opposing fore-aft accelerations throughout stance. The quadriceps force required to accelerate the mass center upward was significantly larger in crouch gait than in unimpaired gait and increased with crouch severity. The gluteus medius accelerated the mass center upward during midstance in unimpaired gait; however, during crouch gait the upward acceleration produced by the gluteus medius was significantly reduced. During unimpaired gait the quadriceps and ankle plantarflexors accelerate the mass center at different times, efficiently modulating fore-aft accelerations. However, during crouch gait, the quadriceps and ankle plantarflexors produce fore-aft accelerations at the same time and the opposing fore-aft accelerations generated by these muscles contribute to the inefficiency of crouch gait.
Nitrogen fixation by unicellular diazotrophic cyanobacteria in the temperate oligotrophic North Pacific Ocean

N2 fixation has been understudied in marine environments outside of the subtropical and tropical oceans and where water temperatures are typically below 20–25uC. We identified nifH phylotypes and measured N2 fixation rates under ambient conditions (maximum of 19uC) in water collected 750 km off the coast of California in oligotrophic waters of the North Pacific Ocean (34uN, 129uW). Near-surface N2 fixation rates averaged 0.25 6 0.05 nmol N L21 d21 for 24 incubation bottles. Despite low ambient concentrations of iron (,0.1 nmol L21) and phosphorus (,0.3 mmol L21), N2 fixation rates were unaffected by iron and phosphorus amendments. Using reverse transcription–quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-QPCR) methodology, we estimated transcript abundance and patterns of expression for several unicellular diazotrophs, including the group A phylotype, which showed the highest daily mRNA abundances. The N2-fixing assemblage extended to 60–80 m depth, well below the seasonal thermocline (40 m). The calculated areal N2 fixation rate (15 m mol Nm 22 d21) was small compared with estimates from other regions of the Pacific; however, the estimated fixation rate was similar to other published results, suggesting that processes other than cellular growth rate may determine the abundance of unicellular diazotrophs. Despite the low N2 fixation rates, the new nitrogen added to the euphotic zone by N2 fixation could account for at least 10% of new production during the study period.
Jointed setae – their role in locomotion and gait transitions in polychaete worms

Abstract Many families of polychaete worms have jointed setae in which the joint is external to the body and is not directly controlled by muscles or nerves. We assessed the role of these specialized structures in the hesionid polychaete, Ophiodromus pugettensis , by examining speed, step length, stride distance, stride frequency and gait transitions in worms with and without setal joints. Individual worms were videotaped while they moved over sandy surfaces at a range of speeds. The worms were then anaesthetized and all their compound setae were trimmed either distally or proximally to the setal joints. After two days of recovery the worms were videotaped a second time while they again moved over sandy surfaces at a range of speeds. From the video tapes we analyzed their locomotory performance before and after setal ablation. Animals in which the setae were shortened but in which the joint was left intact showed no consistent change in speed, step length, stride distance, stride frequency or gait transitions. Animals in which the joint had been removed both changed gaits at slower speeds (walking to undulatory walking and undulatory walking to swimming) and showed a significant decrease in maximum swimming speeds and stride distance. A subset of data containing only cases where the worms were moving at the same speed in the same gait before and after setal ablation was analyzed. In these instances, after the removal of the joint, the worms had significantly smaller stride distances and compensated for this by increasing stride frequency. In O. pugettensis , the undulatory walking gait is analogous to the trot–gallop transition in quadrupedal mammals because the animal switches from moving the appendages on a relatively rigid body to using a combination of body flexion and appendage movement to achieve propulsion, however, unlike quadrupedal mammals this transition takes place over a wide range of speeds and at different sites on the body as speed increases. These experiments indicate that jointed setae may be important both in allowing a worm to better control setal contact and traction with the substrate as well as in altering the effectiveness of its swimming stroke.
Visualization for the management of renewable resources in an uncertain environment

The management of renewable resources such as commercial and recreational fisheries can be difficult due to lack of data, environmental uncertainty, and a multitude of species interactions. It is noted that electronic visualization is essential for interpreting the multidimensional supercomputer results. Furthermore, visualization can show the resource manager how changes in management policy can affect the overall economic performance of the fishery, as well as how sensitive the performance results are to variations in the poorly known data parameters. An implementation of a 'world within a world' vision concept permits visualization of a 3-D solution surface in an inner world, which can be changed along with a corresponding change of the parameters of a 3-D outer world. This implementation allows the resource manager to visualize multidimensional resources along with parameter sensitivity of the optimal value and optimal control. The research discussed pertains to the Lake Michigan fishery. >
Presynaptic nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in the myenteric plexus of guinea pig intestine.

Presynaptic nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) were studied in myenteric plexus preparations from guinea pig ileum using intracellular electrophysiological methods. Microapplication of nico...
Juxtamedullary microvascular responses to arginine vasopressin in rat kidney

Experiments were performed to determine the site of arginine vasopressin (AVP)-induced vascular resistance adjustments that result in decreases in papillary blood flow. Simultaneous measurements of luminal diameter and centerline erythrocyte velocity allowed estimation of single-vessel blood flow in in vitro blood-perfused juxtamedullary nephrons. AVP (0.1-1,000 pM) caused concentration-dependent reductions in outer medullary descending vasa recta (OMDVR) blood flow (10 pM) without altering OMDVR diameter. Afferent arteriolar diameter was significantly decreased by 1 pM AVP, whereas arcuate artery diameter was decreased by 100 pM AVP. Increasing the concentration of AVP to 1,000 pM resulted in significant reductions of vessel diameter in interlobular arteries, distal afferent arterioles, and efferent arterioles. The effects of AVP to decrease afferent arteriolar diameter and blood flow were blocked in the presence of V1 receptor antagonist. These data indicate that afferent arterioles exhibit the greatest sensitivity to the vasoconstrictor effects of AVP, whereas OMDVR appear insensitive. We conclude that the change in OMDVR blood flow produced by AVP is not due to a direct effect of the peptide on this vascular segment but to its effect on upstream vessels.
Analysis of thermionic and thermo-field emission in microscale gas discharges

In recent studies, it has been shown that cold field emission can be an important electron source in microscale discharges. However, if the cathode is heated to a high temperature, thermal emission also becomes significant, which impacts microscale discharge formation. Importantly, in both cold and thermal conditions, the local electric field at the cathode impacts the emission current, and ionization in the discharge can create sufficient space charge to modify the electric field. In this work, a simple two-fluid model is used to evaluate the impact of thermal emission on discharge properties at microscale dimensions. We incorporate two thermal emission models—the 'low field' Schottky emission model, which assumes electron tunneling is negligible, and the 'high field' thermo-field emission model, which accounts for tunneling—in order to accurately predict thermal emission in the microdischarge. We evaluate the impact of ionization on the thermal emission in a microdischarge and find that the presence of positive ions increases emission current, and this effect becomes more pronounced as either the applied voltage or the cathode temperature is increased. The enhanced emission causes breakdown to occur at significantly lower voltages than predicted by the classic Paschen's curve or the more recent modified Paschen's curve that accounts for cold field emission, highlighting how thermal emission can induce substantially different discharge behavior.