cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Microbial diversity in the predatory mite Metaseiulus occidentalis (Acari: Phytoseiidae) and its prey, Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae)

Abstract Microorganisms associated with the predatory mite Metaseiulus (= Typhlodromus or Galendromus ) occidentalis (Nesbitt) and its prey, the two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae (Koch), were assessed using a high-fidelity polymerase chain reaction (PCR) protocol and primers designed to identify Eubacteria, Archaeabacteria, iridoviruses, Helicosporidia, Cytophaga -like microorganisms, Wolbachia and its bacteriophage WO, fungi and yeast-like organisms. Sequences from four bacterial species related to Wolbachia (α-Proteobacteria), Cardinium , Bacteroidetes , and Enterobacter (γ-Proteobacteria) were obtained from M. occidentalis , and three sequences related to Wolbachia , Rickettsia , and Caulobacter (α-Proteobacteria) were obtained from T. urticae . No nucleotide differences were detected between the 16S rRNA, wspA or wspB Wolbachia sequences obtained from M. occidentalis and T. urticae , which suggest that horizontal transfer of Wolbachia could have occurred. Southern blot analyses of genomic DNA from both M. occidentalis and T. urticae using wspA probes were negative, indicating that this Wolbachia sequence is not integrated into the nuclear genome of either species. Two of the T. urticae colonies tested contained the WO bacteriophage, but none of the six M. occidentalis populations were infected. New M. occidentalis -specific forward and reverse 16S rRNA primers based on the Wolbachia , Cardinium , Bacteroidetes , and Enterobacter sequences obtained were designed and used to amplify PCR products from each of two laboratory and four field-collected samples of M. occidentalis females and eggs, indicating that these infections are widespread. Likewise, species-specific primers for T. urticae were designed for the Wolbachia , Rickettsia , and Caulobacter sequences obtained and used to evaluate T. urticae from strawberries, wine grapes, hops, almonds, and cherries from California, Washington, and Florida; all were positive for Wolbachia and Caulobacter but two of the six were negative for Rickettsia . None of the M. occidentalis colonies tested were positive for the microsporidium Oligosporidium occidentalis , which previously had been associated with a pathogenic condition in some of our laboratory colonies. The Gainesville colonies of M. occidentalis and T. urticae were negative for iridovirus, Archaeabacteria, fungi, Helicosporidia, and yeast-like organisms. So far, Wolbachia is the only symbiont that is shared by this predator and its prey.
Unsupervised Modeling of Object Tracks for Fast Anomaly Detection

A key goal of far-field activity analysis is to learn the usual pattern of activity in a scene and to detect statistically anomalous behavior. We propose a method for unsupervised, multi-attribute learning of a model of moving object tracks that enables fast reasoning about new tracks, both partial and complete. We group object tracks using spectral clustering and estimate the spectral embedding efficiently from a sample of tracks using the Nystrom approximation. Clusters are modeled as Gaussians in the embedding space and new tracks are projected into the embedding space and matched with the cluster models to detect anomalies. We show results on a week of data from a busy urban scene.
Electromagnetic field exposure induces rapid, transitory heat shock factor activation in human cells

Stimulation of human promyelocytic HL60 cells by a 60Hz magnetic field at normal growth temperatures results in heat shock factor 1 activation and heat shock element binding, a sequence of events that mediates the stress-induced transcription of the stress gene HSP70 and increased synthesis of the stress response protein hsp70kD. Thus, the events mediating the electromagnetic field-stimulated stress response appear to be similar to those reported for other physiological stresses (e.g., hyperthermia, heavy metals, oxidative stress) and could well be the general mechanism of interaction of electromagnetic fields with cells.
Scalable enterprise systems: Quality management issues

Abstract Enterprises in today's business environment conduct transactions beyond the traditional boundaries of their physical locations. Many organizations offer services and/or finished products through a combination of delivery methods. Some of these delivery methods involve the Internet, the sales staff on the physical site and/or on the calling centers (own or outsourced). Organizations with such parallel delivery methods face great complexity in business structure and in the dynamics among different business functions. Such organizations are designated as Scalable Enterprise Systems (SES). The complexity of SESs means additional business challenges to stay competitive and maintain sustainable profitability. The main objective of this paper is the identification of a reference framework for quality management (QM) and business process reengineering (BPR) with the ability to constantly learn and the flexibility to adjust to concurrent changes of the SES and the environment. Key elements from QM and BPR are examined and selected, compared and extrapolated to SES. An example is provided to illustrate the relevance of QM and BPR in SES. Future research for SES as it relates to the adaptation of QM and BPR is highlighted.
Surface characterization methods— XPS,TOF-SIMS, and SAM a complimentary ensemble of tools

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS), and scanning auger microscopy (SAM) analytical techniques have played important roles in the characterization of the surface and the interfacial chemistry governing properties and performance of materials, and material interfaces. These techniques afford spatially resolved elemental and molecular analysis of the topmost atomic layers of solid surfaces and interfaces. Currently available instrumentation provides qualitative/quantitative analysis on molecularly complex materials with detection limits in the parts-per-billion (ppb) range and spatial resolutions approaching 30 nm. Each technique is unique in the information attained, therefore necessitating a multitechnique approach to achieve a complete surface characterization. Examples of coating/interfacial characterization by XPS, TOF-SIMS, and SAM are presented illustrating the functionality of these tools and the complimentary natures of them.
Characterization of the Structure and Dynamics of the HDV Ribozyme in Different Stages Along the Reaction Path

The structure and dynamics of the hepatitis delta virus ribozyme (HDVr) are studied using molecular dynamics simulations in several stages along its catalytic reaction path, including reactant, activated precursor, and transition-state mimic and product states, departing from an initial structure based on the C75U mutant crystal structure (PDB: 1VC7). Results of five 350 ns molecular dynamics simulations reveal a spontaneous rotation of U-1 that leads to an in-line conformation and supports the role of protonated C75 as the general acid in the transition state. Our results provide rationale for the interpretation of several important experimental results and make experimentally testable predictions regarding the roles of key active site residues that are not obvious from any available crystal structures.
Consuming ideology: The better homes in America campaign

Better Homes in America (BHA), a national reform campaign during the 1920s, mobilized institutions with diverse interests in defining the modern American home and in addressing an American public as consumers. BHA constructed a modern ideology of home ownership, housework, and consumption built on specific gender, class, and racial differences. This study critiques the discursive and media practices used by the major institutions involved in the campaign: The Delineator magazine, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the discipline of home economics, and the Girl Scouts of America. The analysis has implications for the discursive constitution of ideology and the social construction of gender.
An Escherichia coli membrane protein with a unique signal sequence.

Abstract The smp gene, whose promoter divergently overlaps with the Escherichia coli serB promoter, encodes a 24-kDa membrane protein of unknown function. An smp fusion to the lacZ gene was constructed to select for smp promoter up-mutations. The mutations isolated, however, were located within the smp structural gene rather than within the promoter region. A 15-bp deletion and two different point mutations, corresponding to the hydrophobic region of the Smp signal sequence, resulted in a Lac+ phenotype. The point mutations introduced a positively charged amino acid into the hydrophobic region. The Smp signal sequence is unique in that it is encoded by an mRNA which has the potential to form a 9-bp hairpin structure with a 39-nt loop, that conforms to the idealized mirror symmetric sequence GC(RGUGR)(YUGUY)5(RGUGR)CG. This highly symmetrical region may encode additional intragenic information important for the expression of smp. A computer search revealed that the smp gene product shares homology with elongation factor Ts and ribosomal subunit L4, two components of the E. coli translational apparatus.
Schema discrimination as a function of training

With knowledge of results Ss learned to distinguish between the presence and the absence of a schema and to distinguish between different schemata. Since a schema may be regarded as a statistical concept, the results also show that humans readily learn statistical concepts.
Laser Control of Chemical Reactions

Experiments show how product pathways can be controlled by irradiation with one or more laser beams during individual bimolecular collisions or during unimolecular decompositions. For bimolecular collisions, control has been achieved by selective excitation of reagent vibrational modes, by control of reagent approach geometry, and by control of orbital alignment. For unimolecular reactions, control has been achieved by quantum interference between different reaction pathways connecting the same initial and final states and by adjusting the temporal shape and spectral content of ultrashort, chirped pulses of radiation. These collision-control experiments deeply enrich the understanding of how chemical reactions occur.
Variorum in the Psalms Scroll (llQPs a )

FRAGMENTS of biblical psalms have been found at Qumran in Caves I, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and i i; and there is the Psalms Scroll from Cave ii. There were undoubtedly more texts of the Psalter in the Qumran library than of any other biblical literature27 accounted for to date. By and large, the biblical psalms recovered thus far from Qumran are in very close textual agreement with the psalms of the early medieval Ben Asher manuscripts from Cairo and Aleppo (the textus receptus). In fact, all witnesses to the texts of the biblical psalms, whether in Hebrew or in early Greek, Latin, Aramaic, or Syriac translations, are in broad general agreement, that is, are of one basic recension. It is because of this that it was possible, in a comparatively short time in I961-62, to construct a supporting critical apparatus for the scientific edition of the Psalms Scroll.' The texts of the 38 biblical psalms in the Psalms Scroll are, with some interesting exceptions, the texts we have always known; the order of the psalms and the presence among them of nonbiblical psalms, however, are very surprising. The date of the Psalms Scroll (i IQPsa) is ascertainable through the science of Hebrew-Aramaic palaeography which has been finely developed by Professor Frank M. Cross, Jr., of Harvard.2 By this means alone it is abundantly clear that the scroll dates from about the second quarter or the middle of the first century A.D. I very early reported through the New York Times (March 8, 1962, p. io) that the scroll could be dated about A.D. 30o; and while it is no older than that, it certainly should not be dated any later than A.D. 6o. These dates are generally corroborated by
Memory scans based on alternative test stimulus representations

In a search task similar to that used by Sternberg (1966), Ss were presented with one of three alternative representations of a given stimulus and were required to state whether or not that stimulus was present in a previously memorized list. For each type of stimulus representation and each response (positive or negative), reaction time was recorded. Functions relating reaction time to the size of the memorized list were both qualitatively and quantitatively different from those usually obtained with the Sternberg paradigm. In particular, the form of the functions did not correspond to predictions based on an exhaustive scanning process.
Surface acoustic wave MEMS gyroscope

The design and performance evaluation of a surface acoustic wave (SAW) MEMS gyroscope is presented in this paper. This gyroscope is an integration of a SAW resonator and a SAW sensor. The SAW resonator is used to setup a stable reference vibration and SAW sensor is used for the detection of the secondary SAW generated by the Coriolis force. Further to this resonator, strategically positioned metallic dots that form an array along the standing wave anti-node locations are subjected to the reference vibratory motion. These vibrating dot arrays through the Coriolis effect will generate secondary SAW, which is picked up by the SAW sensor. The SAW resonator is designed and optimized using coupling-of-modes (COM) theory. In view of its one-layer planar configuration, this gyroscope can be implemented easily for applications requiring conformal mounting onto a surface of interest. This SAW gyroscope can be competitively priced inherently rugged, reliable and very sensitive. It is also capable of being wirelessly interrogated, without any sensor power source.
Mechanistic analysis of multi-omics datasets to generate kinetic parameters for constraint-based metabolic models

Background Constraint-based modeling uses mass balances, flux capacity, and reaction directionality constraints to predict fluxes through metabolism. Although transcriptional regulation and thermodynamic constraints have been integrated into constraint-based modeling, kinetic rate laws have not been extensively used.
Faster LASL Lens Design Program.

The following improvements have made the LASL lens design system much faster, though less versatile, and have maintained the calculation accuracy: an increment-vector damping technique optimized by a search procedure, analytic differentiation, simultaneous design on all variables, reliable convergence criteria, vignette control by biased violation errors, bounds for the variables, and an enlarged weighting procedure. The designing system optimizes the sizes and positions of many-ray image spots without considering the classical aberrations. As a sample problem the symposium lens has been redesigned.
The β-factor: measuring wireless link burstiness

Measuring 802.15.4 reception in three testbeds, we find that most intermediate links are bursty: they shift between poor and good delivery. We present a metric to measure this link burstiness and name it β. We find that link burstiness affects protocol performance and that β can predict the effects. We show that measuring β allows us to reason about how long a protocol should pause after encountering a packet failure to reduce its transmission cost. We find that using β as a guide to setting a single constant in a standard sensor network data collection protocol reduces its average transmission cost by 15%. In addition to data from 802.15.4 testbeds, we examine traces from 802.11b networks and find β has a broader relevance in the wireless domain.
Molecular weight of a purified chicken antibody

Abstract Chicken antibody to the 2,4-DNP grous was purified by an immuneadsorbent. Chemical, physical and immunological studies indicated that this antibody was a single pure component and essentially 100 per cent active. Molecular weight of the antibody calculated from the equation of Svedberg and Pedersen and determined by the high speed equilibrium method of Yphantis was 182,750 and 174,916 respectively. Physical parameters of S20·w, D20·w and partial specific volume were experimentally determined.
Antigenic cross-reactivity among Porphyromonas gingivalis serotypes

The goal of our research program is to develop a Porphyromonas gingivalis vaccine. Vaccine development requires identification of antigenic components shared by the many clonal types of P. gingivalis. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the extent and nature of antigenic cross-reactivity among serotypes of P. gingivalis and to identify shared antigenic components. Strains selected to represent serotypes A-D were 33277, A7A1-28 W50 and 381, respectively. Using intact cells, antibodies were raised in rabbits. Titers were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using intact cells as antigen, Western blots were prepared and biologic activity was measured as opsonization (chemiluminescence expressed as mV) and enhancement of phagocytosis and killing by polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Extensive cross-reactivity that varied greatly among serotypes was observed by ELISA. The Western blots showed an even greater extent of cross-reactivity, with shared protein components at approximately 140, 130, 37, 32 and 28 kDa and a shared variable molecular mass smear considered to be lipopolysaccharide and other carbohydrate. Additional protein components at 110, 85, 35 and 20 kDa appeared to be shared by some but not all serotypes. In the functional assays, strains 33277 and 381 were equally well opsonized by anti-33277 and anti-381 (500-650 mV) but opsonized to a much lesser extent by anti-A7A1-28 and anti-W50 (roughly 125 mV and 350 mV respectively). A7A1-28 and W50 were opsonized by all four immune sera almost equally but to a much lower extent (roughly 400 mV and 250 mV respectively). Enhancement of phagocytosis and killing in the presence of active complement mirrored opsonization with the exception that 381 was reasonably well opsonized by anti-A7A1-28 (400 mV) and anti-W50 (350 mV), but poorly killed. The protein components at 140, 130, 37 and 28 kDa shared by all of the four serotypes appear to have potential as vaccine candidate antigens.
The effect of absolute size on the separability of the dimensions of size and brightness

Stimulus dimensions of size and brightness were used in an experimental paradigm which determines whether redundant dimensions are discriminated more easily than single dimensions and whether selective attention to dimensions is possible. Four different absolute sizes were used. The results show that selective attention is possible and that there is no facilitation of discrimination with redundant dimensions, and that these results are uninfluenced by absolute size. Thus, size and brightness are separable dimensions for all absolute sizes tested.
Laboratory studies and investigations

Abstract Routine laboratory tests offer little help in the diagnosis or prognosis of PXE. Quantitation of Ca, P, and Mg in affected and unaffected skin of the PXE patient showed all three elements to be markedly elevated-much more so in the affected skin lesions but also in unaffected skin, with Mg showing the least variation from normal control skin. The concentration of Ca and P was found to correlate positively with extent of body surface area affected but not with duration of disease. Amino acid quantitation of elastic tissue from PXE-affected skin was performed (one patient) and compared with literature values. The polar amino acids, especially glutamic and aspartic acids, have shown some of the greatest increases in PXE elastic tissue; however, this observation requires confirmation. Increased glycosaminoglycan (mucopolysaccharide, proteoglycan) concentration in PXE skin has been well documented for more than 30 years. All of the major categories (hyaluronic acid, dermatan sulfate, heparatin sulfate, chondroitin sulfate) are present in abnormal concentrations to varying degrees. The significance of these findings has been debated and ranges from a purely secondary response to "injured" elastic tissue to an important link in pathogenesis to perhaps even suggesting that either quantitatively or qualitatively abnormal proteoglycans are the primary defect in PXE. Platelet survival studies indicated that platelet survival time was significantly decreased in PXE. Areas of arterial calcification in PXE are most likely "injuring" the platelets, causing their shortened survival time and therefore representing a secondary phenomenon which may be of significance in some unknown way but not in a primary sense. Expense has made metabolic balance studies nearly impossible except in highly specialized, grant-supported institutions. Shorter duration (9-day) studies revealed some abnormalities, such as a greater-than-normal tendency to develop a positive calcium balance on high calcium intake and a slower-than-normal development of a negative balance in response to reduced dietary intake. If taken at face value, the results suggest that the PXE patient has a greater "affinity" for calcium, tending to retain ingested calcium more than normal. The modified methods used create room for question of these preliminary observations, which should be verified by conventional longer-term balance studies. Proteases of many types are involved in metabolic turnover of connective tissue and serve crucial but highly complex roles in regulating the production and degradation of proteins through complicated feedback mechanisms. Normally produced elastases or some abnormal proteolytic enzyme with specific activity against elastic tissue has been postulated in PXE. An abnormal cysteine protease with proteolytic proteoglycanase activity has been observed in PXE fibroblast culture medium. Its purification and study as a possibly significant protease in the pathogenesis of PXE awaits future efforts.
Optimal Fusion of a Given Quaternion with Vector Measurements

Introduction S EVERAL satellites that use devices called autonomous star trackers (ASTs) are presently operating. These devices put out the satellites’attitude in the form of a quaternion.Usually the satellites also carry other attitudemeasuringdevices, such as sun sensors and magnetometers that measure vectors in body coordinates. Although the accuracy of the AST surpasses that of the other sensors, due to the synergistic effect of sensor fusion, it is still desirable to incorporate the measurements of the less accurate sensors in the attitude determination process. The question is, then, how to blend optimally the AST-generated quaternion with vector measurements. This problem rose, for example, in the design of the attitude determinationalgorithm of the MicrowaveAnisotropyProbe (MAP) satellite, which was launched on 30 June 2001. MAP has two ASTs and two sun sensors, one of which is more accurate than the other.Althoughwe have two quaternion-generating devices and two vector-measuring sensors, we consider here only one of each. The extension of the solution, proposed here, to multiple devices and multiple sensors, is immediate. We note that the quaternion is a four-element vector that yields the whole attitude, whereas vector-measuring sensors yield threedimensional vectors each containing only partial information on the attitude. Therefore, we cannot cast the problem of optimal attitude determination in the form of Wahba’s problem. That is, we cannot blend quaternions with vector measurements using known algorithms. If we have more than one simultaneous vector measurement, we can use the vector measurements to,  rst,  nd attitude expressed in quaternionform and, then, blend this quaternionwith the given one. However, when we have only one vector measurement, this is not possible. Therefore, we need an algorithm that can blend the given quaternion even with one vector measurement. The algorithm presented here consists of two steps. In the  rst step, the quaternion is converted into a pair of pseudovector measurements that express the attitude, and then, in the second step, these pseudovector measurements, together with the given vector measurement(or measurements), are used as inputs to the q-method algorithm, which generates the optimal quaternion. The resultant quaternion is optimal in the sense that it is the best  t, in the leastsquares sense, to all of the vectors.
GATA-binding protein 4 (GATA-4) and T-cell acute leukemia 1 (TAL1) regulate myogenic differentiation and erythropoietin response via cross-talk with Sirtuin1 (Sirt1).

Erythropoietin (EPO), the cytokine required for erythrocyte production, contributes to muscle progenitor cell proliferation and delay myogenic differentiation. However, the underlying mechanism is not yet fully understood. Here, we report that EPO changes the skeletal myogenic regulatory factor expression program and delays differentiation via induction of GATA-4 and the basic helix-loop-helix TAL1 and that knockdown of both factors promotes differentiation. EPO increases the Sirt1 level, a NAD+-dependent deacetylase, and also induces the NAD+/NADH ratio that further increases Sirt1 activity. Sirt1 knockdown reduced GATA-4 and TAL1 expression, impaired EPO effect on delayed myogenic differentiation, and the Sirt1 knockdown effect was abrogated when combined with overexpression of GATA-4 or TAL1. GATA-4 interacts with Sirt1 and targets Sirt1 to the myogenin promoter and represses myogenin expression, whereas TAL1 inhibits myogenin expression by decreasing MyoD binding to and activation of the myogenin promoter. Sirt1 was found to bind to the GATA-4 promoter to directly regulate GATA-4 expression and GATA-4 binds to the TAL1 promoter to regulate TAL1 expression positively. These data suggest that GATA-4, TAL1, and Sirt1 cross-talk each other to regulate myogenic differentiation and mediate EPO activity during myogenic differentiation with Sirt1 playing a role upstream of GATA-4 and TAL1. Taken together, our findings reveal a novel role for GATA-4 and TAL1 to affect skeletal myogenic differentiation and EPO response via cross-talk with Sirt1.
Nonlinear dynamics and quasibound state formation in a driven Gaussian potential

We examine the classical and quantum dynamics of an electron in an anharmonic atomic potential well in the presence of monochromatic laser radiation. The atomic potential is modeled by the inverted Gaussian potential. The radiation induces nonlinear resonances and chaos in the electron phase space. As the laser amplitude increases, regions of chaos grow and a pitchfork bifurcation of a key electron periodic orbit occurs leading to the appearance of three dominant periodic orbits which move apart with increasing laser amplitude. Electron quasibound states in the quantum system are found using complex coordinate scaling and Floquet theory. We show that the bifurcation of periodic orbits in the classical phase space is a precursor to the creation of a new quasibound state in the quantum system. As we increase the laser amplitude, the residues of the quasibound states become contracted into regions near the fixed points of the bifurcation and cause stabilization of the electron.
MicroRNA miR-122 as a Therapeutic Target for Oligonucleotides and Small Molecules

The most abundant microRNA (miRNA) in the liver, miR-122, is regulated by specific, liver-enriched transcription factors and is responsible for proper proliferation and differentiation of hepatocytes and for the regulation of lipid and cholesterol metabolisms. miR-122 is also involved in several hepatic disorders, as downregulation of miR-122 is often associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and miR-122 is a required component for the replication and proliferation of the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Various probes have been developed to promote a better understanding of the involvement of miR-122 in liver diseases, including modified antisense agents and small molecule inhibitors. These agents, capable of specifically modifying miR-122 activity, provide excellent tools to investigate the function and regulation of miR-122 and offer potential new lead compounds for drug discovery. Especially small molecule modifiers can display numerous advantages over nucleotide analogs, as discussed in this review.
Lander payload increase by better definition of the Mars atmosphere.

Analysis is presented to show how the payload fraction of advanced Martian en try/lander vehicles is improved by a better definition of the Mars atmosphere than the previous 11- to 30mb estimated range. This gain in vehicles now in the program planning stage illustrates the urgency of an early entry probe to Mars to determine atmospheric density, gradient, constituents, and other characteristics. To best show the improvement in payload fraction, an advanced Martian lander system is presented with key systems trade-offs and decisions. The Saturn V Launch Vehicle was used as the booster. This Lander System Study was based on the launch capability of the Saturn V booster and on a scientific payload weight of 5000 Ib. Two improved systems are then synthesized, one based on an 11-mb atmosphere only and the other on a 30-mb only. Very significant weight savings are achieved in the areas of retardation system and vehicle structure if the atmosphere identified is above 11-mb. Results show payload fraction almost doubled if a 30-mb atmosphere is identified and can be used as a design requirement; and maximum payload that can be carried is more than tripled.
The Relationship Between Herpes Zoster and Stroke

Varicella zoster virus (VZV) infects >95 % of the world population. Typically, varicella (chickenpox) results from primary infection. The virus then becomes latent in ganglionic neurons along the entire neuraxis. In immunocompromised individuals, VZV reactivates and causes herpes zoster (shingles), pain, and rash in 1–2 dermatomes. Multiple case reports showed a link between stroke and zoster, and recent studies have emerged which reveal that VZV infection of the cerebral arteries directly causes pathological vascular remodeling and stroke (VZV vasculopathy). In the past few years, several large epidemiological studies in Taiwan, Denmark, and the U.K. demonstrated that zoster is a risk factor for stroke and that antiviral therapy may reduce this risk. Herein, the history, clinical features, and putative mechanisms of VZV vasculopathy, as well as recent epidemiological studies demonstrating that zoster increases the risk of stroke, are discussed.
A dual Kalman filter for parameter-state estimation in real-time DNA microarrays

Affinity-based biosensors rely on chemical attraction between analytes (targets) and their molecular complements (probes) to detect presence and quantify amounts of the analytes of interest. Real-time DNA microarrays acquire multiple temporal samples of the target-probe binding process. In this paper, estimation of the amount of targets based on early kinetics of the binding reaction is studied. A dual Kalman filter for the parameter-state estimation is proposed. Computational studies demonstrate efficacy of the proposed method.
Fusing adaptive atlas and informative features for robust 3D brain image segmentation

It is an important task to automatically segment brain anatomical structures from 3D MRI images. One major challenge in this problem is to learn/design effective models, for both intensity appearances and shapes, accounting for the large image variation due to the acquisition processes by different machines, at different parameters, and for different subjects. Generative models study the explicit parameters for the generation process, and thus are robust against the global intensity changes; discriminative models are able to combine many of the local statistics, which are insensitive to complex and inhomogeneous texture patterns. In this paper, we propose a robust brain image segmentation algorithm by fusing an adaptive atlas (generative) and informative features (discriminative). We tested our algorithm on several datasets and obtained improved results over state-of-the-art systems.
Enabling improved IR-based feature location

Recent solutions to software engineering problems have incorporated tools and techniques from information retrieval (IR). The use of IR requires choosing an appropriate retrieval model and deciding on a query that best captures a particular information need. Taking feature location as a representative example, three research questions are investigated: (1) the impact of query preprocessing, (2) the impact that different scraping techniques for queries have on retrieval performance, (3) the performance impact that the underlying retrieval model has on identifying the correct source-code functions (the correct documents). These research questions are addressed using the five open source projects released as part of the SEMERU dataset. In the experiments, five methods of scraping queries from modification requests and seven retrieval model instances are considered. Using the standard evaluation metric Mean Reciprocal Rank (MRR), the experimental analysis reveals that better retrieval models are not the ones commonly used by software engineering researchers. Results find that models based on query-likelihood perform about twice as well as models in common use in software engineering such as LSI and thus deserve greater attention. Furthermore, corpus preprocessing has a significant impact as the top performing setting is over 100% better than the average.
Effect of L-dopa on the locomotor activity of rats pretreated with 6-hydroxydopamine.

LARGE doses of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (dopa) cause increased locomotor activity in rats and mice pretreated with a peripherally acting decarboxylase inhibitor1–3. The effect of dopa is enhanced in animals pretreated with a mono-amine oxidase inhibitor4–7 and reduced when the decarboxylation of dopa in the brain is inhibited1. Consequently, the increase in motor activity is thought to be due to the formation of catecholamines in the brain.
Creating a Web-based Virtual Tour at Purdue University

IN THE SUMMER OF 1998, the Department of Computer Graphics began developing a Web-based informational and marketing resource for individuals interested in attending and visiting Purdue University’s West Lafayette campus. The result is an interactive campus map that provides information about the various campus buildings using text, photographs, and VR movie clips. It also provides the ability to search for specific buildings and locations and an on-line guided tour. The site allows the user to navigate the campus using a unique, vector-based graphical user interface. The completed interactive map, titledThe Purdue University Virtual Visit, became available in August of 1998 (http://www.tech.purdue.edu/resources/map/). This contribution will discuss the planning, development, and implementation of the site and the related technologies that were used.
Linear response theory of uniformly complex-scaled many-body systems

Linear response functions for a uniformly complex-scaled many-body system are derived. Differences between these functions and their Hermitian analogs are emphasized including additional poles at metastable excitations. Energy absorption is investigated and it is shown how a complex-scaled external perturbation and its complex-conjugate couples to the system's energy and lifetime.
Cyclobutaneone formation via in situ generated vinylketene complexes of chromium

La reaction du chrome (methoxymethylmethylene) pentacarbonyle avec l'heptene-1yne-6 dans l'acetonitrile conduit aux deux isomeres de la bicyclo [3.2.0] heptanone-6 substitues en α du groupe carbonyle par un groupe methoxy-2propenyl(E) ou (Z)
THE RELATION OF THE SPLEEN TO BLOOD DESTRUCTION AND REGENERATION AND TO HEMOLYTIC JAUNDICE : VIII. REGENERATION OF THE BLOOD OF SPLENECTOMIZED DOGS AFTER THE ADMINISTRATION OF HEMOLYTIC AGENTS.

In the splenectornized dog the anemia caused by hemolytic poisons (hemolytic immune serum and sodium oleate) and by bleeding is of a severer grade, runs a longer course, and is accompanied by a less rapid regeneration of the blood than is the case in the normal dog. Also in the splenectomized dog, especially after the use of hemolytic serum, the leucocytosis is greater than in the normal animal. The splenectomized dog almost uniformly exhibits an increased resistance of the red cells to hypotonic salt solution, but after the administration of hemolytic poisons, and especially hemolytic serum, this increased resistance disappears and a decreased resistance persists for long periods of time. The same change occurs in the normal dog, but in the latter the return to the previous degree of resistance is more rapid than in the splenectomized animal.
A Unifying Model for the Selective Regulation of Inducible Transcription By CpG Islands and Nucleosome Remodeling

We describe a broad mechanistic framework for the transcriptional induction of mammalian primary response genes by Toll-like receptors and other stimuli. One major class of primary response genes is characterized by CpG-island promoters, which facilitate promiscuous induction from constitutively active chromatin without a requirement for SWI/SNF nucleosome remodeling complexes. The low nucleosome occupancy at promoters in this class can be attributed to the assembly of CpG islands into unstable nucleosomes, which may lead to SWI/SNF independence. Another major class consists of non-CpG-island promoters that assemble into stable nucleosomes, resulting in SWI/SNF dependence and a requirement for transcription factors that promote selective nucleosome remodeling. Some stimuli, including serum and tumor necrosis factor-alpha, exhibit a strong bias toward activation of SWI/SNF-independent CpG-island genes. In contrast, interferon-beta is strongly biased toward SWI/SNF-dependent non-CpG-island genes. By activating a diverse set of transcription factors, Toll-like receptors induce both classes and others for an optimal response to microbial pathogens.
Model with quark-lepton correspondence

Based on a Lagrangian density with ${[\mathrm{SU}{(2)}_{L}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\mathrm{U}(1)]}_{\mathrm{WS}}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\mathrm{U}{{(1)}^{\ensuremath{'}}}_{\mathrm{II}}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\mathrm{U}{{(1)}^{\ensuremath{'}\ensuremath{'}}}_{\mathrm{II}}$ symmetry, one investigates a four-generation model with quark-lepton correspondence in which right-handed neutrinos are incorporated. The model includes the results of the Weinberg-Salam model and does not contradict experiments.
Saurian malarial parasites from Guyana: Their effect upon the validity of the family Garniidae and the genus Garnia, with descriptions of two new species

Abstract Saurian malarial parasites from Guyana: their effect upon the validity of the family Garniidae and the genus Garnia , with descriptions of two new species. International Journal for Parasitology , 3: 829–842. Six saurian malaria species were found in Guyana lizards: Plasmodium tropiduri (Aragao and Neiva, 1909) in Tropidurus torquatus and Plica umbra ; P. minasense (Carini and Rudolph, 1912) in Plica plica and Plica umbra; P. cnemidophori (Carini, 1941) in Ameiva ameiva and Plica plica; P. uncinatum sp.nov. in Plica plica; P. attenuatum sp.nov. in Ameiva ameiva; and Garnia telfordi in Ameiva ameiva . Experimental infections of G. telfordi showed both pigmented and unpigmented parasites in erythrocytes, indicating that production of pigment in this species is a variable character. As pigment presence is also variable in G. morula of Panama, absence of pigment as the unique character differentiating Garnia from Plasmodium and the Garniidae from the Plasmodiidae is biologically unsound, and both Garnia and Garniidae are placed into synonymy of Plasmodium and Plasmodiidae. Definition of the Plasmodiidae is broadened to include those saurian malarias which undergo sporogony in dipterans other than mosquitoes, produce gametocytes in blood cells other than erythrocytes, and which may lack pigment demonstrable by light microscopy. P. uncinatum sp.nov. is characterized by presence of elongate, curving gametocytes, rosette- or fan-shaped schizonts with 8–18 nuclei, and immature stages in which the golden pigment mass may occupy one-third to one-half the parasites body area. P. attenuatum has fan-shaped schizonts with 4–8 nuclei and elongate gametocytes. Trophozoites and young schizonts are invariably elongate and lack vacuoles, while immature gametocytes are fusiform.
Extraesophageal Reflux: How Patient Compliance Affects Diagnosis and Treatment

Extraesophageal reflux can be a significant yet elusive issue in the diagnosis and treatment of voice, swallowing, and airway disorders. This paper explores the role of patient compliance during 24...
US Aid Allocation: The Nexus of Human Rights, Democracy, and Development:

Respect for human rights is one of several factors influencing US aid allocation decisions. Whereas previous research identifies human rights practices as being of secondary importance, it typically does not explore whether there is a more complicated relationship between human rights practices and US aid allocation. The authors argue that the impact of human rights varies at different levels of democracy and economic development. Employing data on 151 countries from 1977 to 2004, this study also investigates whether there has been an increase in the impact of human rights practices since the end of the Cold War. The results of the analysis show that during the Cold War, economic development was the prevailing factor in decisions about whether to allocate US aid. In the post-Cold War era, human rights practices are one among several significant variables, albeit exerting a generally negative impact. These results indicate that shifts in the international environment have, in fact, altered the determinants...
Bariatric surgery patients' views of their physicians' weight-related attitudes and practices.

ANDERSON, DREW A. AND THOMAS A. WADDEN. Bariatric surgery patients’ views of their physicians’ weight-related attitudes and practices. Obes Res. 2004;12: 1587–1595. Objective: A prior study found that nearly 80% of bariatric surgery patients felt that they were treated disrespectfully by members of the medical profession. This study assessed patient-physician interactions in a group of bariatric surgery patients and in a group of less obese patients who sought weight loss by other means. Research Methods and Procedures: A total of 105 bariatric surgery candidates (mean BMI, 54.8 kg/m 2 ) and 214 applicants to a randomized controlled trial of the effects of behavior modification and sibutramine (mean BMI, 37.8 kg/m 2 ) completed a questionnaire that assessed patientphysician interactions concerning weight. Results: Only 13% of bariatric surgery patients reported that they were usually or always treated disrespectfully by members of the medical profession, a percentage substantially lower than that found in the previous study. Surprisingly, surgery patients were significantly more satisfied than nonsurgery patients with the care they received for their obesity. Surgery patients also reported significantly more interactions with physicians concerning obesity and weight loss compared with nonsurgery patients. A substantial percentage of both groups, however, reported that their physician did not discuss weight control with them. Discussion: These and other findings suggest that doctorpatient interactions concerning weight may have improved in the past decade; however, there is still much room for improvement. Increased efforts are needed to help physicians discuss, assess, and potentially treat obesity in primary care practice.
Concordance of Genetic Alterations in Poorly Differentiated Colorectal Neuroendocrine Carcinomas and Associated Adenocarcinomas

Background The histopathologic spectrum of colorectal neuroendocrine tumors ranges from benign to highly malignant. In this spectrum, poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma (PDNC) is the most aggressive type, characterized by early dissemination and a rapidly fatal course. Since it is unclear whether PDNC originates from neoplastic transformation of preexisting neuroectodermal cells, pluripotent epithelial stem cells, or adenocarcinoma precursor cells, we investigated the histogenesis of this type of cancer by performing genetic analyses on a series of colorectal tumors. Methods Archived histologic sections of colorectal PDNC from nine patients were analyzed; gastrointestinal carcinoid tumor specimens from four patients were used as controls. The specimens were deparaffinized, microdissected, and analyzed genetically. After DNA extraction, polymerase chain reaction amplification was performed to investigate alteration (i.e., loss of heterozygosity [LOH]) of the APC (adenomatous polyposis coli), DCC (deleted in colorectal carcinoma), and p53 (also known as TP53) genes. Results LOH of the APC, DCC, or p53 genes was observed in six of eight informative PDNC tumors; no LOH was detected in the carcinoid control specimens. Four of five informative PDNC tumors had associated adenocarcinoma; LOH of the APC and p53 genes in these tumors involved the same allele in both tissue components. Four of the five tumors with associated adenocarcinoma showed LOH of the DCC gene; in three of these four tumors, the PDNC and adenomatous components showed LOH of the same allele. Conclusions PDNC and associated adenocarcinoma appear to be derived from the same cell of origin, which is most likely either a pluripotent epithelial stem cell or an adenocarcinoma precursor cell.
A privacy-preserving framework for distributed clinical decision support

We propose a framework for distributed knowledge-mining that results in a useful clinical decision support tool in the form of a decision tree. This framework facilitates knowledge building using statistics based on patient data from multiple sites that satisfy a certain filtering condition, without the need for actual data to leave the participating sites. Our information retrieval and diagnostics supporting tool accommodates heterogeneous data schemas associated with participating sites. It also supports prevention of personally identifiable information leakage and preservation of privacy, which are important security concerns in management of clinical data transactions. Results of experiments conducted on 8 and 16 sites with a small number of patients per site (if any) satisfying specific partial diagnostics criteria are presented. The experiments coupled with restricting a fraction of attributes from sharing statistics as well as applying different constraints on privacy at various sites demonstrate the usefulness of the tool.