cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Appropriate surfactant usage in 1996.

Surfactant therapy has been proven effective in the prevention and treatment of respiratory distress syndrome. Over 6,000 infants have been studied in randomized controlled trials. These studies have demonstrated that both prophylactic administration of surfactant and administration of surfactant to premature infants with established respiratory distress syndrome will decrease the risk of pneumothorax and decrease the risk of mortality. Currently, over 50% of very low birth weight infants in North America receive some sort of surfactant preparation. However, many questions remain regarding optimal usage of surfactant preparations. Recent randomized controlled trials have evaluated issues regarding surfactant dosage, treatment strategy, method of administration, and surfactant preparation. Initial doses in the range of 100–200 mg/kg with repeat doses to selected infants who relapse appears to be the best approach to therapy. Prophylactic surfactant therapy leads to a small but statistically significant reduction in the risk of pneumothorax and mortality. The clinical relevance of these advantages and the cost effectiveness of this care remains under debate. A variety of methods of administration have been used in randomized controlled trials. Trials which compare these methods of administration demonstrate the adequacy of currently tested bolus administration. However, other methods of administration, such as slow infusion of surfactant leads to uneven distribution of surfactant and poor response. Both synthetic surfactants and natural surfactant extracts have been proven effective in the care of these infants. However, randomized controlled trials which directly compare these two preparations demonstrate a small advantage to the use of natural surfactant extracts. Natural surfactant extracts improve initial ventilatory status and decrease the risk of pneumothorax. Surfactant replacement therapy has proven to be effective in the treatment of very low birth weight premature infants. Current clinical trials support the early institution of treatment either prophylactically or as soon as possible in intubated babies with signs of respiratory distress syndrome. Repeat treatment may be important in optimizing outcome due to surfactant inactivation. Currently available natural surfactant extracts improve early clinical outcome and decrease pneumothorax compared to the available synthetic preparations.
Complex formation between transition metal ions and organic solvents: electron spin resonance investigations.

THE electron spin resonance (ESR) technique provides a powerful tool for investigating transition metal complex formation in non-aqueous solutions. In recent work we have shown1 that ESR and optical absorption spectra of different paramagnetic ions are changed when glycerol replaces water as a solvent. Both the variation in line width and the optical ‘red shift’ obtained suggest a change in crystal-field energy levels by spin-orbit mechanisms. Newer theories have linked octahedral–tetrahedral changes to these ligand-field effects on non-bonding d electrons2. Thus, it might be of interest to investigate the ESR spectra of the chlorides of Mn2+, Fe3+ and Cu2+ in different organic solvents including dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO), dimethylformamide, formamide, acetone, glycerol and ethanol. These solvents were chosen to provide a varying dielectric constant and base strength since such parameters are known to affect the equilibrium between the octahedral and tetrahedral states.
External Na dependence of ouabain-sensitive ATP: ADP exchange initiated by photolysis of intracellular caged-ATP in human red cell ghosts

Coupled active transport of Na+ and K+ across cellular plasma membranes is mediated by (Na+ + K+)-stimulated Mg2+-dependent ATPase. Active cation transport by this Na pump involves a cyclic Na-dependent phosphorylation of the enzyme by intracellular ATP and hydrolytic dephosphorylation of the phosphoenzyme, stimulated by K+ (ref. 1). In human red blood cells, skeletal muscle and squid axons, replacement of extracellular K by Na results in a ouabain-sensitive efflux of Na coupled to an influx of extracellular Na. There is apparently no net Na movement nor net hydrolysis of ATP. The rate of Na:Na exchange is stimulated by increased levels of ADP and exchange transport is not observed in cells totally depleted of intracellular ATP. These characteristics suggest that the biochemical mechanism underlying the Na exchange mode of the Na pump involves phosphorylation of the enzyme by ATP (which requires intracellular Na) followed by its dephosphorylation by ADP. Such a reaction has been observed in partially purified (Na+ + K+) ATPase from a variety of sources and its dependence on Na concentration has been described (although not previously for the red cell enzyme). In the present work, intracellular ATP:ADP exchange reaction was initiated by photoreleased ATP following brief irradiation at 350 nm of ghosts containing caged-ATP. The ouabain-sensitive component of the ensuing ATP:ADP exchange reaction shows a biphasic response to extracellular Na. External Na in the range 0--10 mM has an inhibitory effect whilst increasing concentrations beyond this range stimulate the rate of exchange in a roughly linear fashion up to 100 mM Na. These results represent the first direct demonstration of the sidedness of the effects of Na on this partial sequence in the overall enzyme cycle and bear a qualitative resemblance to the Na effects on the Na-ATPase which occur in the absence of intracellular ADP in human red blood cells.
Radiocarbon measurements at the University of Arizona AMS facility

Abstract The current status of 14C measurements at the University of Arizona accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) facility are summarized. New developments in measurements of in situ produced 14C by the spallation of oxygen by cosmic-ray neutrons in terrestrial rocks are also discussed. These results indicate that spallogenic 14C can be measured in high-altitude rock samples, and that the measured production rates agree well with theoretical estimates.
Analytical models for the nonlinear seismic analysis of reinforced concrete structures

Abstract This paper discusses the analytical techniques for nonlinear dynamic analysis of reinforced concrete structures. The paper reviews the strain-rate effect, damping, and the hysteretic behaviour of structural members. Three classifications of analytical models of RC structures are reviewed, and their applications to the different types of structural systems discussed. The three groups are: (1), simple models; (2), line element models; (3), finite element models. A large portion of this paper discusses different hysteresis and analytical line element models of RC members and their application to structural systems.
Alveolar cell carcinoma: does it exist?

A pulmonary tumor with a light microscopic appearance typical of bronchiolar-alveolar cell carcinoma was studied with the electron microscope. The tumor was composed of cells which were remarkably similar to Type 11 alveolar lining cells (granular pneumocytes). Some investigators doubt the existence of alveolar cell carcinoma as a distinct entity, and advocate lumping together all such tumors with pulmonary adenocarcinomas. Evidence presented here and elsewhere, however, indicates that some bronchiolar-alveolar cell carcinomas are composed of cells with the ultrastructural characteristics of granular pneumocytes. Classification of these neoplasms should take electron microscopic findings into account, since ultrastructural differences between tumors with similar light microscopic appearances may eventually be correlated with varying patterns of clinical disease.
Novel and simply producible large-area focal plane infrared imaging device based on quantum wells

We propose a new concept for long wavelength infrared imaging using a pixelless up-conversion device together with a CCD camera. The concept is applicable to wavelengths longer than the CCD response range (longer than about 1.1 micrometer). We present experimental results which support the scheme for infrared imaging. Our first device consists of a long wavelength p-type GaAs/AlGaAs quantum well infrared photodetector (QWIP) on top of which is grown a shorter wavelength InGaAs/GaAs light emitting diode (LED). Upon long wavelength infrared excitation of the QWIP, near infrared light is generated by the LED whose output is directed towards a commercial CCD camera where the up-converted image of the long wavelength infrared source object is formed.
Epigenetic change detection and pattern recognition via Bayesian hierarchical hidden Markov models

Epigenetics is the study of changes to the genome that can switch genes on or off and determine which proteins are transcribed without altering the DNA sequence. Recently, epigenetic changes have been linked to the development and progression of disease such as psychiatric disorders. High-throughput epigenetic experiments have enabled researchers to measure genome-wide epigenetic profiles and yield data consisting of intensity ratios of immunoprecipitation versus reference samples. The intensity ratios can provide a view of genomic regions where protein binding occur under one experimental condition and further allow us to detect epigenetic alterations through comparison between two different conditions. However, such experiments can be expensive, with only a few replicates available. Moreover, epigenetic data are often spatially correlated with high noise levels. In this paper, we develop a Bayesian hierarchical model, combined with hidden Markov processes with four states for modeling spatial dependence, to detect genomic sites with epigenetic changes from two-sample experiments with paired internal control. One attractive feature of the proposed method is that the four states of the hidden Markov process have well-defined biological meanings and allow us to directly call the change patterns based on the corresponding posterior probabilities. In contrast, none of existing methods can offer this advantage. In addition, the proposed method offers great power in statistical inference by spatial smoothing (via hidden Markov modeling) and information pooling (via hierarchical modeling). Both simulation studies and real data analysis in a cocaine addiction study illustrate the reliability and success of this method.
Line-imaging Fabry-Perot interferometer

ABSTRACT A method for measuring the velocity history of a line element on a shock-loaded solid has been demon-strated. Light from a single-frequency laser is focused through a cylindrical lens to a line on a movingtarget. The return Doppler-shifted image is passed through a Fabry-Perot interferometer. Because onlyspecific combinations of incident light angle and frequency can pass through the interferometer, the outputis an incomplete image of the moving target appearing as a set of fringes. This image is focused onto anelectronic streak camera and swept in time. The fringe pattern changes with time as the target surfacemoves, allowing determination of velocity for each point on the target that forms a fringe. Because thevelocity can only be measured at the fringe positions, it is necessary to use an interpolating polynomial toobtain a continuous function of time and velocity along the sampled line. 1. INTRODUCTION Since the late 1960s, shockwave physicists have used optical techniques such as VISAR and Fabry-Perot(FP) interferometry to measure the velocity history of an explosively driven target. In both techniques, alaser illuminates a spot on the moving surface, and the frequency of the Doppler-shifted return light givesa measure of the velocity. Review articles by McMillan, et al. [1], and Barker [2] describe the theory anduse of interferometers for measuring the velocity as a function of time for a single point. A recent paper byGidon and Behar [3] presents a technique for measuring the instantaneous velocity as a function of positionfor an entire surface.In this paper we describe a method, based on Fabry-Perot interferometry, for determining the continuousvelocity history of a line segment on a fast moving surface. The idea was originally proposed by John Corfeof AWE, Aldermaston, U.K. [4], who fielded experiments to test the validity of the technique. We haveperformed similar experiments and have developed computer programs to quantitatively analyze the results.
Irritability in the pediatric population

Irritability is a common symptom associated with several pediatric mental health disorders including depression, anxiety, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and oppositional defiant disorder. Recommended treatments may be significantly different based on the target symptoms. Diagnostic clarification is achieved over time using screening tools, individual and family history, coordination with schools, and targeted observation.
School intervention related to school and community violence.

Schools are well positioned to facilitate recovery for students exposed to community or school violence or other traumatic life events affecting populations of youth. This article describes how schools can circumvent several key barriers to mental health service provision, outcomes that school interventions target, and the role of the family in school-based services. It includes a description of the history of schools in facilitating recovery for students exposed to traumatic events, particularly related to crisis intervention, and the current status of early intervention and strategies for long-term recovery in the school setting. Challenges and future directions are also discussed. Language: en
Exploring visual temporal masking for video compression

In this paper we present work on exploiting visual temporal masking phenomenon applied to video compression. Our results show that it is possible to reduce bitrate of the compressed video sequence without affecting subjective quality and quality of experience (perceptually lossless). The principles we present here are applicable to all modern hybrid coding systems and can be implemented seamlessly with video delivery platforms. Results show up to 6% of additional savings when implemented on top of the state of the art encoder.
Two-photon resonance fluorescence

Abstract The excitation spectrum of a two-level atom interacting with a strong electromagnetic field is considered when the atomic transition frequency is nearly twice the frequency of the laser field. The spectral function consists of four Lorentzian lines describing: the central line peaked near the two-photon resonance, two sidebands peaked at the high and low frequency regions respectively and the one-photon frequency mode. In the limit of high photon densities, the low frequency photon mode is induced by the pump field which removes the singularity occurring at the two-photon resonance frequency.
Ionosphere of Callisto from Galileo radio occultation observations

heights of 29.6 and 49.0 km. Four different methods, based on both photoionization and electron impact ionization, were used to obtain estimates of the corresponding neutral densities at the surface. The various assumptions inherent in these methods required using a variety of parameters, (cross sections, rate constants, etc.) all with their associated uncertainties. It was rather surprising and reassuring to find that all of the methods used to estimate the surface neutral density gave very similar results in each of the eight cases. The estimated values fall between 1 and 3 � 10 10 cm � 3 , leading to an estimate for the column density of from 3 to 4 � 10 16 cm � 2 . INDEX TERMS: 6218 Planetology: Solar System Objects: Jovian satellites; 6028 Planetology: Comets and Small Bodies: Ionospheres—structure and dynamics; 6026 Planetology: Comets and Small Bodies: Ionospheres—composition and chemistry; 6025 Planetology: Comets and Small Bodies: Interactions with solar wind plasma and fields; KEYWORDS: Callisto, ionosphere, atmosphere, radio, occultation
Kinetic Stability May Determine the Interaction Dynamics of the Bifunctional Protein DCoH1, the Dimerization Cofactor of the Transcription Factor HNF-1α

The two disparate functions of DCoH1 (dimerization cofactor of HNF-1)/PCD (pterin-4a-carbinolamine dehydratase) are associated with a change in oligomeric state. DCoH dimers enhance the activity of the diabetes-associated transcription factor HNF-1α (hepatocyte nuclear factor-1α), while the PCD activity of DCoH1 homotetramers aids in aromatic amino acid metabolism. These complexes compete for the same interface of the DCoH dimer. Formation of the DCoH1/HNF-1α complex requires cofolding. The homotetramer of the DCoH1 paralogue, DCoH2, interacts with HNF-1α through simple mixing. To further investigate regulation of DCoH/HNF-1α complex formation, we measured the stability of the DCoH1 homotetramer through unfolding studies by intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence. DCoH2 unfolding is reversible. Surprisingly, the DCoH1 homotetramer is resistant to guanidine unfolding but refolds at a much lower guanidine concentration. We show that a point mutation at the DCoH1 tetramer interface, Thr 51 Ser, overcomes the disso...
Pharmacokinetics of two novel rectal controlled-release morphine formulations.

Administration of morphine by the oral route is not possible in cancer patients who are unable to swallow or are intolerant of oral morphine. Thus, there is a need for reliable alternate routes of drug administration. We compared the bioavailability of two prototype 30-mg morphine sulfate controlled-release suppository formulations (high and low viscosity) with 30-mg oral controlled-release morphine sulfate tablets in a 14-subject single-dose randomized, three-way crossover study. Venous blood samples were obtained immediately prior to and for 24 hr following each dose. Morphine concentrations were determined by radioimmunoassay. Compared with oral controlled-release morphine, the high- and low-viscosity suppository formulations had significantly greater bioavailability (AUC0-24 72.7 +/- 13.2 for the oral preparation versus 98.6 +/- 35.7 and 105.8 +/- 37.3 ng.hr/mL for the suppositories, respectively, P < 0.05), later peak concentration (tmax 2.3 +/- 0.8 versus 3.1 +/- 2.3 and 5.0 +/- 1.5 hr, respectively, P < 0.05), and longer half-value duration (4.3 +/- 1.6 versus 10.4 +/- 5.5 and 9.5 +/- 4.3 hr, respectively, P < 0.05). Peak concentration for the high-viscosity suppository formulation (Cmax 7.75 +/- 2.66 ng/mL) was significantly lower than the low-viscosity suppository (Cmax 9.23 +/- 2.85 ng/mL) and the oral tablet (Cmax 10.4 +/- 2.78 ng/mL) formulations (P < 0.05). The increased bioavailability observed with the two controlled-release suppositories may be the result of partial avoidance of hepatic biotransformation with rectal administration.
Response of zonal chondrocytes to extracellular matrix-hydrogels

We investigated the biological response of chondrocytes isolated from different zones of articular cartilage and their cellular behaviors in poly (ethylene glycol)-based (PEG) hydrogels containing exogenous type I collagen, hyaluronic acid (HA), or chondroitin sulfate (CS). The cellular morphology was strongly dependent on the extracellular matrix component of hydrogels. Additionally, the exogenous extracellular microenvironment affected matrix production and cartilage specific gene expression of chondrocytes from different zones. CS-based hydrogels showed the strongest response in terms of gene expression and matrix accumulation for both superficial and deep zone chondrocytes, but HA and type I collagen-based hydrogels demonstrated zonal-dependent cellular responses.
Diffusion in the Gas Phase: the Effects of Ambient Pressure and Gas Composition,

Gas transport across the pores of a hen's egg shell occurs by a process of diffusion in the gas phase and for any particular gas depends upon its diffusion coefficient and the pore geometry. The egg shell is thus a convenient model for measuring the diffusive permeability of the shell to a given gas species when its diffusion coefficient is altered by either a change in ambient pressure or by changing the second gas in the diffusion pathway. In this study the permeability of the shell to water vapor and O2 was inversely proportional to ambient pressures over the range of .06 to 8 atmospheres' absolute (ata). The permeability of the shell to water vapor in a He environment (KH20, He) was 2.4 times KH20, air. If KO2, N2 is taken as unity, the permeabilities of the shell to O2 in He, Ar, CO2 and SF6 are 3.38, 0.95, 0.88, and 0.52, respectively. The results are interpreted in terms of the Chapman-Enskog equation, from which binary diffusion coefficients can be predicted for given gas pairs and ambient pressures. These results also provide explantations for the structural modification of egg shells in altitude-adapted chickens, and for the reduced insensible water loss in man at high ambient pressure.
A single instrument: engineering and engineering technology students demonstrating competence in ethics and professional standards.

This paper details efforts by the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) to create a single instrument for honors science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) students wishing to demonstrate competence in the IUPUI Principles of Undergraduate Learning (PUL’s) and Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) Engineering Accreditation Criterion (EAC) and Technology Accreditation Criterion (TAC) 2, a through k. Honors courses in Human Behavior, Ethical Decision-Making, Applied Leadership, International Issues and Leadership Theories and Processes were created along with a specific menu of activities and an assessment rubric based on PUL’s and ABET criteria to evaluate student performance in the aforementioned courses. Students who complete the series of 18 Honors Credit hours are eligible for an Honors Certificate in Leadership Studies from the Department of Organizational Leadership and Supervision. Finally, an accounting of how various university assessment criteria, in this case the IUPUI Principles of Undergraduate Learning, can be linked to ABET outcomes and prove student competence in both, using the aforementioned courses, menu of items, and assessment rubrics; these will be analyzed and discussed.
A Graphical Analysis of the Voltage and Current Wave Forms of Controlled Rectifier Circuits

Controlled rectifiers employing gaseous discharge tubes are used more and more frequently in the industrial field owing to the ease of control of the output voltage and the high conversion efficiency. The voltage and current wave forms at the different parts of controlled rectifier circuits are often non-sinusoidal and discontinuous due to the one-way valve-acton of the rectifying elements. This paper presentsagraphical method of constructing the voltage and current wave forms based on a few well-known fundamental principles of electrical engineering. This method is presented step by step and a few typical examples are shown to illustrate its validity.
Immunocytochemical characterization of cysts in the peripheral retina and pars plana of the adult primate.

CONCLUSIONS. Cysts form in the peripheral retina and pars plana in adult monkeys. The peripheral retinal cysts disrupt the normal lamination of the cells, but all types of retinal neurons are still present in the cysts. In an unexpected finding, cysts in the pars plana also contained cells immunoreactive for a few of the markers of retinal cells, suggesting that neurogenesis may occur in the pars plana of the adult primate. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2001;42:3256 ‐3263)
SHREC’08 entry: Training set expansion via autotags

Training a 3D model classifier on a small dataset is very challenging. However, large datasets of partially classified models are now commonly available online. We use an external training set of models with associated text tags to automatically assign tags to both training and query models. The similarity between these tags, used in conjunction with a standard shape descriptor, yields a multiclassifier that outperforms the standalone shape descriptor.
Wnt Signaling and Forebrain Development

Components of the Wnt signaling pathway are expressed in a tightly regulated and spatially specific manner during development of the forebrain, and Wnts are key regulators of regional forebrain identity. Wnt signaling from the cortical hem regulates the expansion and cell-type specification of the adjacent neuroepithelium and, in conjunction with Bmp, Fgf, and Shh signaling, controls dorsal-ventral forebrain patterning. Subsequently, Wnt signaling dynamically regulates the behavior of cortical progenitor cells, initially promoting the expansion of radial glia progenitor cells and later inducing neurogenesis by promoting terminal differentiation of intermediate progenitor cells. A role for Wnt signaling in cell-type specification has also been proposed.
Inferring Cross-Sections: When Internal Visualizations Are More Important Than Properties of External Visualizations

Three experiments examined how cognitive abilities and qualities of external visualizations affected performance of a mental visualization task; inferring the cross-section of a complex three-dimensional object. Experiment 1 investigated the effect of animations designed to provide different task-relevant views of the external object. Experiment 2 examined the effects of both stereoscopic and motion-based depth cues. Experiment 3 examined the effects of interactive animations, with and without stereoscopic viewing conditions. In all experiments, spatial and general reasoning abilities were measured. Effects of animation, stereopsis, and interactivity were relatively small and did not reach statistical significance. In contrast, spatial ability was significantly associated with superior performance in all experiments, and this remained true after controlling for general intelligence. The results indicate that difficulties in this task stem more from the cognitive ability to perform the relevant internal sp...
Long-Run Trends in Incarceration of Drug Offenders in the United States

Estimates are developed for the number of people incarcerated in the United States for drug law violations between 1972 and 2002, broken down by type of institution (federal prison, state prison, or jail) and, to the extent possible, by nature of drug offense (possession or use, trafficking, or other). These time series are compared to trends in drug use indicators, revealing at best weak correlations, and the absolute levels are compared to different market indicators to draw various inferences. For example, even though about 480,000 people are incarcerated for drug law violations, on average retail sellers spend less than 2 hours behind bars per sale. Still, full-time sellers might expect to spend 3 months incarcerated per year of selling, suggesting that there are roughly four active drug sellers for every one who is incarcerated.
Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) microscopy imaging of live cell protein localizations

The current advances in fluorescence microscopy, coupled with the development of new fluorescent probes, make fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) a powerful technique for studying molecular interactions inside living cells with improved spatial (angstrom) and temporal (nanosecond) resolution, distance range, and sensitivity and a broader range of biological applications.
Empowering biologists with multi-omics data: colorectal cancer as a paradigm

Motivation: Recent completion of the global proteomic characterization of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) colorectal cancer (CRC) cohort resulted in the first tumor dataset with complete molecular measurements at DNA, RNA and protein levels. Using CRC as a paradigm, we describe the application of the NetGestalt framework to provide easy access and interpretation of multi-omics data. Results: The NetGestalt CRC portal includes genomic, epigenomic, transcriptomic, proteomic and clinical data for the TCGA CRC cohort, data from other CRC tumor cohorts and cell lines, and existing knowledge on pathways and networks, giving a total of more than 17 million data points. The portal provides features for data query, upload, visualization and integration. These features can be flexibly combined to serve various needs of the users, maximizing the synergy among omics data, human visualization and quantitative analysis. Using three case studies, we demonstrate that the portal not only provides user-friendly data query and visualization but also enables efficient data integration within a single omics data type, across multiple omics data types, and over biological networks. Availability and implementation: The NetGestalt CRC portal can be freely accessed at http://www.netgestalt.org. Contact: ude.tlibrednav@gnahz.gnib Supplementary Information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Error bounds for frequency weighted balanced truncation and relative error model reduction

A new relative error model reduction method is proposed using frequency weighted balanced realization and explicit /spl Lscr//sub /spl infin// norm error bounds are also derived for the relative error and multiplicative error. The method only needs to solve two Lyapunov equations. It is further shown that this method is equivalent to the balanced stochastic truncation if the plant is square and minimum phase. >
2,3,5,6‐Tetra­chloro‐1,4‐di­cyano­benzene–anthracene (1/1)

2,3,5,6-Tetra­chloro-1,4-di­cyano­benzene forms a 1:1 complex with anthracene, C8N2Cl4·C14H10. The two mol­ecules, which both lie on inversion centers, alternate in π stacks. There are no unusual intermolecular interactions.
Hemoglobin differentially induces binding of Candida, Trichosporon, and Saccharomyces species to fibronectin

Fibronectin (FN) is an abundant host protein that is specifically recognized by several pathogenic yeasts. Binding of FN in solution to Candida, Trichosporon, and Saccharomyces species is increased 20- to 110-fold by growth in medium containing hemoglobin, but specific adhesion to immobilized FN is increased only in Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, Candida krusei, and Candida glabrata. Hemoglobin induces both specific and nonspecific binding of soluble FN. Nonspecific binding accounts for all of the enhancement in Trichosporon beigelii and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, but the Candida species possess a saturable, high-affinity binding site for FN that is induced by hemoglobin. Induction of displaceable soluble FN binding correlates with the ability of hemoglobin to regulate adhesion to immobilized FN, since hemoglobin does not induce adhesion of S. cerevisiae or T. beigelii to immobilized FN. Regulation by hemoglobin of FN binding to Candida species may therefore be an important factor in the pathogenesis in these yeast infections.
Glucocorticoid Regulation of Endothelial Cell Tight Junction Gene Expression: Novel Treatments for Diabetic Retinopathy

Loss of blood-retinal barrier (BRB) integrity and vascular permeability characterizes diabetic retinopathy, and new therapies to reverse or prevent vascular permeability are needed to treat this debilitating disease. Glucocorticoids are currently under investigation for use as a local therapeutic treatment for diabetic retinopathy. This review examines the changes that occur to barrier properties in diabetic retinopathy and the potential to use glucocorticoids to restore vascular barrier properties in the retina. Glucocorticoids are useful in preserving the integrity of the blood-brain barrier in the treatment of brain tumors, and these steroids show similar effects on the retinal vasculature suggesting their potential usefulness in treating diabetic retinopathy. Recent progress has been made toward the goal of elucidating the precise mechanism underlying the protective effects of glucocorticoids on the retinal vasculature. Glucocorticoids may act by both suppressing inflammation and by directly affecting the endothelial cells by regulating phosphorylation, organization, and content of tight junction proteins. Further work will advance our understanding of glucocorticoid regulation of barrier properties allowing the ultimate goal of developing a specific and safe therapy to treat or prevent loss of the blood-neural barrier in a number of diseases, including brain tumors and diabetic retinopathy.
Functional Segregation of Color and Motion Processing in the Human Visual Cortex: Clinical Evidence

Anatomical and physiological investigations indicate two major distinct functional streams within the extrastriate visual cortex of the macaque monkey, and behavioral observations suggest that the ventral (occipitotemporal) pathway is the cornerstone for object recognition whereas the dorsal (occipitoparietal) pathway is primarily involved in visuospatial perception and visuomotor performance. In the context of this dichotomy we conducted a psychophysical and neuropsychological study of visual perceptual abilities in two stroke patients, each with lesions involving several extrastriate areas. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated bilateral lesions; in one patient (E.W.) the lesion involves the ventral medial portions of the occipital and temporal lobes, and in the other (A.F.) the lesion involves dorsally the occipital-parietal area, including the region of the temporal-parietal-occipital junction. E.W. suffers from achromatopsia of central origin, prosopagnosia, visual agnosia, and alexia without agraphia. His depth and motion perception, including recognition of moving objects, are normal. He has superior visual field loss bilaterally, and slightly impaired acuity, and complains that the world appears in a deep twilight even on a sunny day. In contrast, A.F. shows specific deficits of stereopsis, spatial localization, and several aspects of motion perception. He is also impaired at recognizing objects presented from unconventional views, but recognition of prototypical views of objects, and color and form discrimination are normal, as is his ability to recognize faces. The anatomical characteristics of the lesions of these two patients permit a direct experimental comparison of the effects of lesions confined to the parietal or temporal pathways. E.W.'s and A.F.'s performance on the psychophysical and neuropsychological tasks discussed here supports the functional distinction between a dorsal and a ventral extrastriate system but additionally suggests the existence of a pathway involved in identification-from-motion that is separate from both the dorsal early motion/spatial analysis pathway and the ventral color/static-form pathway.
Effects of concurrent arithmetical and syntactic complexity on self-paced reaction times and eye fixations.

Two dual-task experiments (replications of Experiments 1 and 2 in Fedorenko, Gibson, & Rohde, Journal of Memory and Language, 56, 246–269 2007) were conducted to determine whether syntactic and arithmetical operations share working memory resources. Subjects read object- or subject-extracted relative clause sentences phrase by phrase in a self-paced task while simultaneously adding or subtracting numbers. Experiment 2 measured eye fixations as well as self-paced reaction times. In both experiments, there were main effects of syntax and of mathematical operation on self-paced reading times, but no interaction of the two. In the Experiment 2 eye-tracking results, there were main effects of syntax on first-pass reading time and total reading time and an interaction between syntax and math in total reading time on the noun phrase within the relative clause. The findings point to differences in the ways individuals process sentences under these dual-task conditions, as compared with viewing sentences during “normal” reading conditions, and do not support the view that arithmetical and syntactic integration operations share a working memory system.
New Product Forecasting

New-product forecasting represents the endeavor to come up with a meaningful estimate on which to guide new-product development and product launch decision making. There are numerous forecasting techniques available, which can be organized into three categories such as judgmental techniques, quantitative techniques, and customer/market research techniques. No single technique is found to be the best, indicating the need for careful application of techniques in appropriate situations. Using a well-structured new-product forecasting process also appears to result in a greater propensity for new-product forecasting success. This emphasizes that new-product forecasting goes beyond technique application into process management. Keywords: market forecast; market potential; new-product forecasting; accuracy; new-product forecasting process; sales forecast; sales potential
Inhibition of TGF-β-induced apoptosis by ethinyl estradiol in cultured, precision cut rat liver slices and hepatocytes

Ethinyl estradiol (EE) is a strong promoter of hepatocarcinogenesis in the rat. Treatment with EE and other hepatic promoters induces transient growth stimulation followed by growth inhibition (mitosuppression) in hepatocytes. Previously, we identified several genes whose transcript levels were increased during EE-induced mitosuppression, including transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta), which inhibits growth and induces apoptosis in hepatocytes. Various hepatic promoters, including phenobarbital and several peroxisomal proliferators, have been shown to inhibit TGF-beta-induced apoptosis in rat hepatocytes. The goal of this study was to investigate whether EE is also an inhibitor of TGF-beta-induced apoptosis in rat hepatocytes. Several approaches to detect apoptosis were used, including the TUNEL assay, detection of high molecular weight DNA fragmentation by field inversion gel electrophoresis and determination of cytosolic cytochrome c levels by western analysis. TGF-beta-induced apoptosis in cultured, precision cut liver slices and hepatocytes of female rats. EE (</=3 microM) completely inhibited TGF-beta-induced apoptosis in these systems in the absence of cytotoxicity. These findings add EE to the list of several hepatic promoters that both induce TGF-beta while simultaneously inhibiting its ability to cause apoptosis.
The performance of a space-time spreading CDMA system with channel estimation errors

Transmit diversity has been studied recently as an effective technique to provide high-performance wireless transmission. Space-time spreading is a transmit diversity scheme that achieves full spatial diversity while maintaining high spectral efficiency. This paper analyzes how channel estimation errors in diversity combining affects the uplink of a space-time spreading CDMA system with two transmit and two receive antennas. Pilot and data from K asynchronous users are transmitted through a Rayleigh multipath fading channel. The channel estimates are obtained at the outputs of correlators and are used in the RAKE combiner. As a system becomes more wideband, more multipaths are resolved, and the energy in each path is reduced. This reduction in signal strength causes increased estimation error and impacts the system performance. This paper studies the tradeoff between diversity and estimation errors.
Low Temperature Growth of Salmonella

SUMMARY—Salmonellae, normally grown at 3.5–37°C, can grow at much lower temperatures. Experimentally, minimum growth temperatbres were obtained when salmonellae were grown on the surface of agar in a temperature-gradient incubator over a temperature range of 1.1 to 12.3°C. These minimum temperatures, as determined by visible growth for 7 serotypes, ranged from 5.5 to 6.8°C. The pattern of survival or growth of S. derby, S. heidelberg, and S. typhimurium was followed by inoculating the organisms into tubes of broth and incubating the tubes in a polythermostat over a temperature range of 1.1 to 12.3°C. Minimum growth temperature obtained for S. heidelberg after 19 days' incubation was 5.3°C. The minimum growth temperature for the same length of time for S. typhimurium and S. derby were 6.2 and 6.9°C respectively. The results indicate a growth temperature shift during extended incubation of Salmonella at low temperatures. This phenomenon and the low temperature. growth capability of Salmonella could be significant in foods stored for long periods of time at temperatures above 5°C.
Comparing the attitudes towards engineering of honors students and engineering students at a liberal arts university

In Fall 2012, 53 honors students and 53 engineering students (including seven students in both honors and engineering) completed a survey designed to examine their attitudes towards engineering and their ability to succeed in engineering. Preliminary analysis of five factors shows that the attitudes of engineers and honors students were similar in many respects. The main areas of difference were that honors liberal arts students had lower confidence in their ability to succeed in science and math and all non-engineers showed lower aptitude for engineering. Non-engineering women showed slightly less affinity for solving open-ended problems. All students expressed similar attitudes about the creativity of engineers and their contributions to solving society's problems.
Performance of a Borehole X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometer for Planetary Exploration

We have designed and constructed a borehole X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRFS) as part of the Mars Subsurface Access program (http://marstech.jpl.nasa.gov/content/detail.cfm?Sect=MTP&Cat=base&subCat=SSA&subSubCat=&TaskID=2256). It can be used to determine the composition of the Mars regolith at various depths by insertion into a pre-drilled borehole. The primary requirements and performance metrics for the instrument are to obtain parts-per-million (ppm) lower limits of detection over a wide range of elements in the periodic table (magnesium to lead). Power consumption during data collection was also measured. The prototype instrument is complete and preliminary testing has been performed. terrestrial soil standard reference materials were used as the test samples. Detection limits were about 10 weight ppm for most elements, with light elements being higher, up to 1.4 weight percent for magnesium. Power consumption (excluding ground support components) was 12 watts.
Role of Polyphosphate Kinase in Biofilm Formation by Porphyromonas gingivalis

In order to assess the role of polyphosphate kinase (PPK) in the physiology of Porphyromonas gingivalis, a ppk gene mutant, CW120, was constructed and characterized. P. gingivalis was demonstrated to synthesize short-chain polyphosphate (polyP) but not long-chain polyP. CW120 failed to survive in the stationary phase as well as the parental cell did, and it was attenuated in biofilm formation on polyvinylchloride and glass surfaces. Furthermore, the complementation by insertion of an intact copy of the ppk gene into the mutant CW120 restored its biofilm formation and stationary-phase survival. These results suggest that PPK may be important for incorporation of these organisms into subgingival plaque in the human oral cavity.
Long-term changes in zooplankton biomass concentration and mean size over the Northwest European shelf inferred from Continuous Plankton Recorder data

Data from the Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) survey over the past 40 years have shown that the abundance of copepods in many parts of the North Atlantic has declined, indicating geographical shifts in the plankton communities. Because the CPR does not sample all zooplankton species with equal efficiency, these observations may give a biased view of the overall changes. Here, we compensate for CPR undersampling by using previously published species-specific correction factors derived from comparisons of catches made with WP-2 ring-nets and the CPR. Based on such corrected data, the southern North Sea showed the highest concentrations of biomass, in contrast to maps based on uncorrected data, in which the areas of highest biomass were in the northern North Sea. Trend analysis confirmed the previously reported general decrease of total biomass. There has also been a general decrease in the mean size of zooplankton over time in the northern North Sea, but this has not been observed elsewhere. The results indicate the importance of smaller zooplankton species in the ecology of the Northwest European shelf. The changes in community structure may have general implications for energy transfer efficiency to higher trophic levels, and for the sustainability of fisheries resources.
Local adaptation in the flowering time gene network of balsam poplar, Populus balsamifera L

Identifying the signature and targets of local adaptation is an increasingly important goal in empirical population genetics. Using data from 443 balsam poplar Populus balsamifera trees sampled from 31 populations, we tested for evidence of geographically variable selection shaping diversity at 27 homologues of the Arabidopsis flowering-time network. These genes are implicated in the control of seasonal phenology, an important determinant of fitness. Using 335 candidate and 412 reference single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), we tested for evidence of local adaptation by searching for elevated population differentiation using FST-based outlier analyses implemented in BayeScan or a Hierarchical Model in Arelquin and by testing for significant associations between allele frequency and environmental variables using BAYENV. A total of 46 SNPs from 14 candidate genes had signatures of local adaptation—either significantly greater population differentiation or significant covariance with one or more environmental variable relative to reference SNP distributions. Only 11 SNPs from two genes exhibited both elevated population differentiation and covariance with one or more environmental variables. Several genes including the abscisic acid gene ABI1B and the circadian clock genes ELF3 and GI5 harbored a large number of SNPs with signatures of local adaptation—with SNPs in GI5 strongly covarying with both latitude and precipitation and SNPs in ABI1B strongly covarying with temperature. In contrast to several other systems, we find little evidence that photoreceptors, including phytochromes, play an important role in local adaptation. Our results additionally show that detecting local adaptation is sensitive to the analytical approaches used and that model-based significance thresholds should be viewed with caution.
Spectrum sensing and reconstruction for cognitive radio

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) opened free “white space” spectrum on November 4, 2008. In this way, Google and other technology companies that wanted access to more free spectrum have gotten their wish [1]. The prerequisite of the access to the free spectrum is to find this kind of spectrum. This paper deals with spectrum sensing and spectrum reconstruction under the umbrella of cognitive radio which is the smart radio to explore and exploit the free spectrum. Spectrum analyzer is used to emulate cognitive radio to do spectrum sensing. The advantage of equipment-based spectrum sensing is to perform quick and semi-continuous measurements and extract more information about the spectrum under investigation. Total variation (TV) reconstruction method is employed to rebuild the spectrum and find the boundary of the frequency band which is occupied.