cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Autonomous hardware/software partitioning and voltage/frequency scaling for low-power embedded systems

Warp processing is a recent computing technology capable of autonomously partitioning the critical kernels within an executing software application to hardware circuits implemented within an on-chip FPGA. While previous performance-driven warp processing has been shown to provide significant performance improvements over software only execution, the dynamic performance improvement of warp processors may be lost for certain application domains, such as real-time systems. Alternatively, as power consumption continue to become a dominant design constraint, we present and thoroughly analyze a low-power warp processing methodology that leverages voltage and/or frequency scaling to substantially reduce power consumption without any performance degradation—all without requiring designer effort beyond the initial software development.
NEUROENDOCRINE RESPONSES TO LABORATORY PANIC: COGNITIVE INTERVENTION IN THE DOXAPRAM MODEL

Abstract Doxapram is a respiratory stimulant that appears to be a potent and specific panicogenic agent. It also elicits an abnormal ventilatory response in patients with panic. A replication study confirmed these findings and demonstrated that behavioral and ventilatory responses to doxapram were significantly modified by a psychological intervention designed to cognitively block panic. The replication study provided an opportunity to simultaneously investigate the neuroendocrine effects of the illness, the drug, the drug-induced panic attacks, and the cognitive intervention. Epinephrine (EPI), norepinephrine (NE), growth hormone (GH), adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), and cortisol were studied in patients with panic and control subjects given placebo and doxapran injections after receiving either standard instructions or a brief cognitive intervention. Patients with panic had elevated levels of EPI, ACTH, and cortisol throughout the study. Doxapram had little or no detectable effects on plasma NE, GH, ACTH, and cortisol. Doxapram-induced panic attacks were not associated with elevations in NE, GH, ACTH, or cortisol. Doxapram led to a rapid and very brief rise in plasma EPI, which was small in subjects who did not panic and pronounced in patients who did panic. The cognitive intervention attenuated the EPI response to doxapram, perhaps through its effect on panic, and modified the temporal pattern of ACTH and cortisol secretion. These results suggest that: (1) further study of catecholamine responses within the first few minutes after panic induction is needed; (2) intense panic can occur without significant activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis; and (3) cognitive factors can modulate neuroendocrine activity in laboratory studies of patients with panic.
Identification of Amino Acids in HIV-1 and Avian Sarcoma Virus Integrase Subsites Required for Specific Recognition of the Long Terminal Repeat Ends

A tetramer model for HIV-1 integrase (IN) with DNA representing 20 bp of the U3 and U5 long terminal repeats (LTR) termini was assembled using structural and biochemical data and molecular dynamics simulations. It predicted amino acid residues on the enzyme surface that can interact with the LTR termini. A separate structural alignment of HIV-1, simian sarcoma virus (SIV), and avian sarcoma virus (ASV) INs predicted which of these residues were unique. To determine whether these residues were responsible for specific recognition of the LTR termini, the amino acids from ASV IN were substituted into the structurally equivalent positions of HIV-1 IN, and the ability of the chimeras to 3 ′ process U5 HIV-1 or ASV duplex oligos was determined. This analysis demonstrated that there are multiple amino acid contacts with the LTRs and that substitution of ASV IN amino acids at many of the analogous positions in HIV-1 IN conferred partial ability to cleave ASV substrates with a concomitant loss in the ability to cleave the homologous HIV-1 substrate. HIV-1 IN residues that changed specificity include Val72, Ser153, Lys160–Ile161, Gly163–Val165, and His171–Leu172. Because a chimera that combines several of these substitutions showed a specificity of cleavage of the U5 ASV substrate closer to wild type ASV IN compared with chimeras with individual amino acid substitutions, it appears that the sum of the IN interactions with the LTRs determines the specificity. Finally, residues Ser153 and Val72 in HIV-1 IN are among those that change in enzymes that develop resistance to naphthyridine carboxamide- and diketo acid-related inhibitors in cells. Thus, amino acid residues involved in recognition of the LTRs are among these positions that change in development of drug resistance.
Wave-particle-duality processors: characteristics, requirements, and applications

Highly energy-efficient computing can be implemented by exploiting the physical nature of wave-particle duality (WPD) in coherent light propagation and detection. Requirements to satisfy the definition of WPD processors are elucidated and some of their properties evaluated with specific examples. Advantages and disadvantages are discussed and unique possible applications indicated.
Polynucleosomal Synthesis of Poly(ADP‐ribose) Causes Chromatin Unfolding as Determined by Micrococcal Nuclease Digestion

We have evaluated the influence of protein poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation in the relaxation of chromatin by exposing a rat liver polynucleosomal extract to micrococcal nuclease (MNase) digestion. The kinetic susceptibility of polynucleosomes to endonuclease digestion was determined as a function of the time of incubation as well as endonuclease concentration. To validate our assay, we also ran control experiments with protein-free calf thymus DNA as the opposite of polynucleosomal DNA. Rat liver chromatin was also incubated in the absence or presence of exogenously added 200 microM betaNAD(+), the poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation substrate, before MNase digestion. For incubations in the presence of betaNAD(+), the synthesis of polynucleosomal poly(ADP-ribose) was stopped with 1 mM benzamide. After addition of MNase, endonuclease digestion was blocked with EDTA to chelate the Mg(2+) ions needed for enzymatic activation, and the samples were subjected to electrophoresis through 1.5% agarose gels. As expected, a faster degradation of chromatin into oligonucleosomal DNA ladders was observed upon protein poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation when the chromatin extract was preincubated with 200 microM betaNAD(+). Thus, our results are consistent with the conclusion that the covalent poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation of polynucleosomal proteins favors a more "relaxed" or "open" structure, which renders chromatin more susceptible to MNase digestion.
Differential effects of fluoranthene and benzo[a]pyrene in MCF-7 cells.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous environmental contaminants, which are suspected carcinogens and may affect the reproductive system as potential endocrine disruptors. Therefore, we tested fluoranthene (FL) and benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) on human breast cancer cell line (MCF–7 cells) to determine possible toxic effects. The cells were incubated in the presence of medium, medium containing 0.1% dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) as vehicle, or in the presence of FL (10, 50, and 100 μ g/ml), BaP (10, 50, and 100 μ g/ml), 17β –estradiol (E2; 5 μ g/ml and 500 ng/ml), or tamoxifen (Tx; 5 μ g/ml and 500 ng/ml). After 24 h, FL (100 μ g/ml), BaP (100 μ g/ml), or Tx (5 μ g/ml) killed significant numbers of cells. After 72 h, FL (50 and 100 μ g/ml), BaP (100 μ g/ml), E2 (5 μ g/ml), or Tx (5 μ g/ml and 500 ng/ml) decreased MCF–7 cell viability significantly as demonstrated by the MTT assay. Measurement of DNA synthesis was conducted using 3H–thymidine incorporation into MCF–7 cell DNA for 72 h. After 72 h, BaP ...
Physical Rehabilitation of the Canine Neurologic Patient

Rehabilitation therapy is a key component of recovery from neurologic disease. Each patient requires a rehabilitation protocol designed specifically for the patient's neurologic condition, owner expectations and level of participation, and expertise of the veterinary team. Initial therapy for nonambualtory patients may include standing exercises, range of motion, pain control, toe pinch exercise, aquatic exercise, and basic nursing care. Sling assisted walking with foot protection, cavaletti rails, and physioroll balancing are used commonly for ambulatory patients. As recovery progresses, stair climbing, carrying or pulling weights, resistance band walking, swimming against resistance, and exercises specific to the home environment are added. Modalities such as electrical stimulation, ultrasound, cryotherapy, and heat therapy are useful adjuncts but do not take the place of active exercise.
Solvent vapor annealing: an efficient approach for inscribing secondary nanostructures onto electrospun fibers.

Solvent vapor annealing (SVA) is originally developed to attain equilibrium nanostructures from microphase-separated block polymer thin films. Interestingly, by carefully choosing a solvent vapor that can selectively mobilize the amorphous chains of a semicrystalline polymer while preserving the integrity of its crystalline structure, this study demonstrates that the SVA method can also be utilized to introduce hierarchical structures onto semicrystalline polymer-based materials. This study on electrospun poly(e-caprolactone) (PCL) fibers clearly shows that acetone, a poor solvent for PCL, can effectively delocalize the amorphous chains and redeposit them onto the pre-existing crystal edges, giving rise to secondary nanostructures inscribed onto the PCL fibers. In the past decade, various fiber fabrication methods and numerous fiber products are reported. The easy one-step approach reported here provides new insight into the design and fabrication of structurally hierarchical polymeric materials.
Effect of manure on accumulation of dry matter, nitrogen, and phosphorus by soybean

Manure application for soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] production is being considered by livestock producers, but the manure's influence on dry matter (DM), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) accumulation is not well documented. The objectives of this study were to measure N, P, and DM accumulation patterns and quantities by three genetically-different soybean varieties. Two preplant, sweep-injected manure application rates and a control were main plot treatments and three soybean varieties were subplots at seven experimental sites in 1996 and 1997. Starting in mid-June and continuing on a 15-d schedule until maturity, whole-plant samples were collected, dried, weighed, and analyzed for N and P. Plant DM increased with increasing manure rates at each sampling after mid-June. Nitrogen concentration differences among manure rates were greatest early in the season and diminished with time, whereas P concentration differences were consistent throughout the sampling period. Compared to the control treatment, ma...
A Sawmill Industry-Wide Musculoskeletal Ergonomics Intervention Program in Washington State

The Hazard Impact Project (HIP-sawmill) of the Washington State sawmills was presented in this paper. This project involved multiple parties to tackle work-related musculoskeletal disorders in the sawmill industry. Five sawmills voluntarily participated in this project. Based on injury statistics, the project team decided to select lumber handler jobs to be studied. Site visits were conducted and jobs were analyzed using a number of different evaluation tools including the newly published Washington State's Ergonomics Regulation. Evaluations were done between comparable production processes in the five sawmills in order to determine variations of physical exposure and identify solutions. It was found that often solutions to problems at one sawmill could be found at another sawmill. Sometimes solutions to reduce or eliminate certain risk factors at one job might be located at the up-stream of the production line, rather than at the workstation where the risk factors were identified. Simple solutions could ...
Synthesis of a dA-dT base pair analogue and its effects on DNA-ligand binding.

Abstract Two nucleoside derivatives containing the base analogues 3-deazaadenine and 3-methyl-2-pyridone have been prepared as analogues of dA and dT, respectively. After conversion into the appropriately protected phosphoramidites, DNA sequences were prepared with site-specifically placed analogues. When present in a duplex DNA sequence, the analogues result in the deletion of one or both of the hydrogen bonding functional groups (the N3-nitrogen of dA and the O2-carbonyl of dT) present in the minor groove. Binding by two ligands, 4′,6-diamidine-2-phenyl indole (DAPI) and Hoechst 33258 in the minor groove has been probed using a variety of DNA sequences. These sequences contain a d(GAATTC) 2 core with analogue nucleosides substituted for one or more of the dA and dT residues. DAPI bound strongly to any sequence that contained both O2-carbonyls of the central two dT residues. The presence of a dc 3 A residue did in some cases enhance binding. With one of the central O2-carbonyls deleted, the binding was noticeably reduced, and with both absent, no significant binding could be detected. Similar although less dramatic results were observed with Hoechst 33258 binding to analogue sequences.
Direct chemical ionization of relatively involatile samples. Application to underivatized oligopeptides

By direct explosure of the sample to the ion plasma in a chemical ionization source, spectra of many relatively involatile compounds can be obtained with sample temperatures at least 150° below those usually required. A number of peptides that have not been derivatized are shown as examples. Determination of the complete amino acid sequence is possible with samples of 10−7 g.
Electronic structure of CuCl

Self-consistent energy band structure obtained by two different ab initio methods (LCAO and LMTO) shows that CuCl is a direct gap semiconductor. No indirect gap is found at ambient or high pressures as required by Rusakov's model and Abrikosov's speculations invoking Herring's excitonium state as the origin of superdiamagnetism or high-temperature superconductivity in CuCl. Band gap predictions are compared with several existing experiments including new infrared absorption measurements we have performed and report here.
Behavioral plasticity in C. elegans: paradigms, circuits, genes.

Life in the soil is an intellectual and practical challenge that the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans masters by utilizing 302 neurons. The nervous system assembled by these 302 neurons is capable of executing a variety of behaviors, some of respectable complexity. The simplicity of the nervous system, its thoroughly characterized structure, several sets of well-defined behaviors, and its genetic amenability combined with its isogenic background make C. elegans an attractive model organism to study the genetics of behavior. This review describes several behavioral plasticity paradigms in C. elegans and their underlying neuronal circuits and then goes on to review the forward genetic analysis that has been undertaken to identify genes involved in the execution of these behaviors. Lastly, the review outlines how reverse genetics and genomic approaches can guide the analysis of the role of genes in behavior and why and how they will complement the forward genetic analysis of behavior. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Neurobiol 54: 203–223, 2003
The Troposphere and Radio Waves

The effect of tropospheric reflections upon both long and short waves is explained by assuming a fairly strong reflection from inversion layers located from 1 to 10 kilometers above the earth's surface. Weather conditions influence the propagation of wireless waves because the changing cyclones and anticyclones vary the height and the reflecting power of the inversion discontinuities. At times the reflected wave from the inversion layer is very strong.
The ADSP-21020: an IEEE floating point and fixed point DSP for HLL programming

Much has been written about the problems of programming DSPs in a high-level language (HLL) like C. In general, most users are not satisfied with the efficiency of the compilers available for DSPs. Yet, with DSP systems becoming larger and larger, there is increasing need for DSPs to be programmed in an HLL. Rather than focusing on C language efficiency alone, the authors looked at the DSP architectures and the C language itself. The results of efforts in this regard are discussed. The authors report on the DSP/C compiler and its implementation for the ADSP-21020. DSP/C is an HLL intended for DSP application and the ADSP-21020 is an IEEE single precision floating point and 32-bit fixed point DSP designed for HLL application. >
Bile Acid Transporters: Structure, Function, Regulation and Pathophysiological Implications

Specific transporters expressed in the liver and the intestine, play a critical role in driving the enterohepatic circulation of bile acids. By preserving a circulating pool of bile acids, an important factor influencing bile flow, these transporters are involved in maintaining bile acid and cholesterol homeostasis. Enterohepatic circulation of bile acids is fundamentally composed of two major processes: secretion from the liver and absorption from the intestine. In the hepatocytes, the vectorial transport of bile acids from blood to bile is ensured by Na+ taurocholate co-transporting peptide (NTCP) and organic anion transport polypeptides (OATPs). After binding to a cytosolic bile acid binding protein, bile acids are secreted into the canaliculus via ATP-dependent bile salt excretory pump (BSEP) and multi drug resistant proteins (MRPs). Bile acids are then delivered to the intestinal lumen through bile ducts where they emulsify dietary lipids and cholesterol to facilitate their absorption. Intestinal epithelial cells reabsorb the majority of the secreted bile acids through the apical sodium dependent bile acid transporter (ASBT) and sodium independent organic anion transporting peptide (OATPs). Cytosolic ileal bile acid binding protein (IBABP) mediates the transcellular movement of bile acids to the basolateral membrane across which they exit the cells via organic solute transporters (OST). An essential role of bile acid transporters is evident from the pathology associated with their genetic disruption or dysregulation of their function. Malfunctioning of hepatic and intestinal bile acid transporters is implicated in the pathophysiology of cholestatic liver disease and the depletion of circulating pool of bile acids, respectively. Extensive efforts have been recently made to enhance our understanding of the structure, function and regulation of the bile acid transporters and exploring new potential therapeutics to treat bile acid or cholesterol related diseases. This review will highlight current knowledge about structure, function and molecular characterization of bile acid transporters and discuss the implications of their defects in various hepatic and intestinal disorders.
Energetics of nestling house sparrows Passer domesticus.

Abstract 1. Energy utilization of nestling house sparrows, Passer domesticus, during growth and development, is partitioned by means of measurements of resting metabolism, caloric content of the carcass, and metabolized energy. 2. Caloric content per g of fresh tissue decreases from day 1 through day 3 of development, then increases progressively thereafter as a result of increased lipid and decreased water content. 3. Daily increases in caloric content of the carcass (production) range from 1·6 kcal (day 1) to 3·8 kcal (day 5), and the average daily increase is 2·9 kcal. 4. Weight-specific resting metabolism at 36°C increases from hatching through the 10th day of development. 5. Metabolized energy and gross energy intake reach a maximum at about the 13th day of nestling development and decrease in older nestlings. 6. Efficiency of energy utilization is lowest in 1- to 3-day-old nestlings (55·7–58·5%), increases thereafter and approximates adult levels (67·1–70·2%) before fledging. 7. Ratios of production/metabolized energy and production/gross energy intake are highest during the first 5 days of development and decrease with age of the nestling. 8. Over the entire developmental period, 290·1 kcal are ingested by each nestling, of which 199·2 kcal (68·7%) is metabolized and the rest (90·0 kcal) excreted; the metabolized energy can then be partitioned into resting metabolism (113·4 kcal), cost of activity (47·4 kcal) and caloric content of the carcass (38·4 kcal).
Regulation of nitrate reductase in cultured tobacco cells

Summary 1. The nitrate reductase (NAD(P)H 2 :nitrate oxidoreductase, EC 1.6.6.2) of tobacco cells ( Nicotiana tabacum L. var. Xanthi) grown in suspension culture on a chemically defined medium is induced by nitrate. The enzyme decays in cells grown into nitrate starvation, and it is not formed in cells grown on casein hydrolysate as the sole nitrogen source. 2. In the presence of nitrate, nitrate reductase is repressed by casein hydrolysate in proportion to the ability of the casein hydrolysate to meet the nitrogen needs of the cells for growth. 3. The action of amino acid mixtures as regulators of nitrate reductase is a consequence of the interaction of two classes of amino acids: repressors and derepres-sors. Alanine, asparagine, glycine, methionine, proline, threonine, valine, aspartate, glutamate, histidine and leucine repress. Arginine and lysine derepress in the presence of any of these repressors. Cysteine and isoleucine also derepress, but not in the presence of either methionine or alanine. 4. Repressors inhibit growth and derepressors prevent this inhibition, which is to be expected if repression of nitrate reductase by a single repressor starves the cells for reduced nitrogen, and derepression overcomes this condition.
Metal—Molecule charge-transfer excitations on silver films

Abstract Electron energy loss spectra of CO, O 2 , CH 2 H 4 , and C 5 H 5 N adsorbed on silver films evaporated at 20 K show in addition to the intramolecular transitions new bands between 2 and 4 eV. These are identified as metal-molecule charge-transfer excitations localized at sites of microscopic roughness and occur for molecules that show surface-enchanced Raman scattering under similar conditions.
Anterior commissural white matter fiber abnormalities in first-episode psychosis: a tractography study.

article i nfo Background: The Anterior Commissure (AC) is an important interhemispheric pathway that connects contralateral temporal lobes and orbitofrontal areas. The role of the AC is not yet well understood, although abnormalities in this white matter tract have been reported in patients diagnosed with chronic schizophrenia. However, it is not known whether changes in the AC are present at earlier stages of the disease. Methods: Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Images (dMRI) were acquired from 17 First Episode Schizophrenia Patients (FESZ) and 20 healthy controls. The AC was reconstructed using a streamline tractography approach. DMRI measures, including Fractional Anisotropy (FA), Trace, Axial Diffusivity (AD) and Radial Diffusivity (RD) were computed in order to assess microstructural changes in the AC. Results: FA was reduced, while trace and RD showed increases in FESZ. AD did not show differences between groups.
Anterior cruciate-retaining total knee arthroplasty

Fifty patients underwent bilateral total knee arthroplasty retaining both cruciate ligaments on one side and only the posterior cruciate ligament on the other. Patients were questioned about pain, instability, "feel," and ability to climb stairs. Seventy percent of patients stated that their anterior and posterior cruciate-retaining knee was their better knee overall. Ten percent stated that their posterior cruciate-only knee was better. Twenty percent could find no difference. There were no meaningful differences in inpatient care, physical therapy requirements, strength, range of motion, or component positioning. Fourteen patients handled stairs using each knee equally. Twenty-nine climbed stairs leading with the anterior and posterior cruciate-retaining knee and seven patients led with the posterior cruciate-only knee. Complaints of clunks, pops, and clicks occurred in 11 patients with posterior cruciate-only knee arthroplasties and in 4 patients retaining both anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments. Retaining the anterior cruciate ligament can provide a knee that subjectively "feels" better.
Effect of Histamine and Antihistaminics on Coagulation of Normal and Heparinized Rabbit Plasma

SummaryThe effects of histamine and a large number of antihistaminic drugs upon the coagulation of normal and heparinized rabbit plasma have been investigated. It has been established that the amount of each compound required for an antiheparin effect is critical. At concentrations below the critical level the drugs have little or no effect upon the coagulation system studied. At concentrations above this level several of the antihistaminics as well as histamine produced a progressively increased incoagulability of the system. This anticoagulant effect is related to concentration and the action is on some substance other than heparin. Thenfadil, methapyrilene and thonzylamine had no effect upon normal or heparinized plasma. Of all the compounds tested, 194-B, methaphenilene, pyranisamine, 204, phenazoline, tripelennamine, diphenhydramine, pyrathiazine, P.D. AH-853 and p-Fluorobenzyl D.P.E. gave the best results in that, upon reaching the critical concentration for heparin inactivation, they did not become...
Biomass energy : exploring the risks of commercialization in the United States of America

Abstract Considering the development and diffusion of any new technology in the marketplace necessarily involves some recognition of risk. However, for setting policy agenda, it is very useful to distinguish among different types of risks, especially where the technology presents a new process for existing economic activities or involves the expanded use of current economic resources. This is because the influence of extraordinary risks is likely to be much more important given the greater range of uncertainties presented to market decision-makers. Many new biomass technologies being considered currently for the production of energy involve extraordinary risks because the processes are nonconventional and require major market changes for commercial success. In this paper, we identify different types of risks discussed in the literature, and consider how the different classes of risk can be better assessed and managed by biomass program managers.
DQE and system optimization for indirect-detection flat-panel imagers in diagnostic radiology

The performance of indirect-detection flat-panel imagers incorporating CsI:Tl x-ray converters is examined through calculation of the detective quantum efficiency (DQE) under conditions of chest radiography, fluoroscopy, and mammography. Calculations are based upon a cascaded systems model which has demonstrated excellent agreement with empirical signal, noise- power spectra, and DQE results. For each application, the DQE is calculated as a function of spatial-frequency and CsI:Tl thickness. A preliminary investigation into the optimization of flat-panel imaging systems is described, wherein the x-ray converter thickness which provides optimal DQE for a given imaging task is estimated. For each application, a number of example tasks involving detection of an object of variable size and contrast against a noisy background are considered. The method described is fairly general and can be extended to account for a variety of imaging tasks. For the specific examples considered, the preliminary results estimate optimal CsI:Tl thicknesses of approximately 450 micrometer (approximately 200 mg/cm2), approximately 320 micrometer (approximately 140 mg/cm2), and approximately 200 micrometer (approximately 90 mg/cm2) for chest radiography, fluoroscopy, and mammography, respectively. These results are expected to depend upon the imaging task as well as upon the quality of available CsI:Tl, and future improvements in scintillator fabrication could result in increased optimal thickness and DQE.
A finite element solutionof three‐dimensional mixed convection gas flows in horizontal chnnels using preconditioned iterative metrix methods

An algorithm is presented for the finite element solution of three-dimensional mixed convection gas flows in channels heated from below. The algorithm uses Newton's method and iterative matrix methods. Two iterative solution algorithms, conjugate gradient squared (CGS) and generalized minimal residual (GMERS), are used in conjunction with a preconditioning technique that is simple to implement. The preconditioner is a subset of the full Jacobian matrix centered around the main diagonal but retaining the most fundamental axial coupling of the residual equations. A domain-renumbering scheme that enhances the overall algorithm performance is proposed on the basis of and analysis of the preconditioner. Comparison with the frontal elimination method demonstrates that the iterative method will be faster when the front width exceeds approximately 500. Techniques for the direct assembly f the problem into a compressed sparse row storage format are demonstrated. Elimination of fixed boundary conditions is shown to decrease the size of the matrix problem by up to 30%. Finally, fluid flow solutions obtained with the numerical technique are presented. These solutions reveal complex three-dimensional mixed convection fluid flow phenomena at low Reynolds numbers, including the reversal of the direction of longitudinal rolls in the presence of a strong recirculation in the entrance region of the channel.
Research Note: Cardiovascular Effects of Neurotensin in Anesthetized White Leghorn Hens

Abstract Solutions of neurotensin (NT) at 0, 12, 60, 120, and 600 nM were infused i.v. into anesthetized, 16- to 34-wk-old hens at 60 μL/kg per minute for 30 min. These infusates increased plasma NT concentrations to steady state values of about .1, .2, 1, 2, and 10 times the postprandial concentration of NT in hepatic portal blood, respectively. None of these concentrations significantly affected heart rate or arterial (carotid) or central venous (jugular) blood pressure.
Functional connectivity : shrinkage estimation and randomization test

We develop new statistical methods for estimating functional connectivity between components of a multivariate time series and for testing differences in functional connectivity across experimental conditions. Here, we characterize functional connectivity by partial coherence, which identifies the frequency band (or bands) that drives the direct linear association between any pair of components of a multivariate time series after removing the linear effects of the other components. Partial coherence can be efficiently estimated using the inverse of the spectral density matrix. However, when the number of components is large and the components of the multivariate time series are highly correlated, the spectral density matrix estimate may be numerically unstable and consequently gives partial coherence estimates that are highly variable. To address the problem of numerical instability, we propose a shrinkage-based estimator which is a weighted average of a smoothed periodogram estimator and a scaled identity matrix with frequency-specific weight computed objectively so that the resulting shrinkage estimator minimizes the mean-squared error criterion. Compared to typical smoothing-based estimators, the shrinkage estimator is more computationally stable and gives a lower mean squared error. In addition, we develop a randomization method for testing differences in functional connectivity networks between experimental conditions. Finally, we report results from numerical experiments and analyze an EEG data set recorded during a visually-guided hand movement task.
Real-time correction scheme for calibration and implementation of microscope-based image-guided neurosurgery

Microscope-based image-guided neurosurgery can be divided into three steps: calibration of the microscope optics; registration of the pre-operative images to the operating space; and tracking of the patient and microscope over time. Critical to this overall system is the temporal retention of accurate camera calibration. Classic calibration algorithms are routinely employed to find both intrinsic and extrinsic camera parameters. The accuracy of this calibration, however, is quickly compromised due to the complexity of the operating room, the long duration of a surgical procedure, and the inaccuracies in the tracking system. To compensate for the changing conditions, we have developed an adaptive procedure which responds to accruing registration error. The approach utilizes miniature fiducial markers implanted on the bony rim of the craniotomy site, which remain in the field of view of the operating microscope. A simple error function that enforces the registration of the known fiducial markers is used to update the extrinsic camera parameters. The error function is minimized using a gradient descent. This correction procedure reduces RMS registration errors for cortical features on the surface of the brain by an average of 72%, or 1.5 mm. These errors were reduced to less than 0.6 mm after each correction during the entire surgical procedure.
History of Aerosol Therapy: Liquid Nebulization to MDIs to DPIs

Inhaled therapies have been used since ancient times and may have had their origins with the smoking of datura preparations in India 4,000 years ago. In the late 18th and in the 19th century, earthenware inhalers were popular for the inhalation of air drawn through infusions of plants and other ingredients. Atomizers and nebulizers were developed in the mid-1800s in France and were thought to be an outgrowth of the perfume industry as well as a response to the fashion of inhaling thermal waters at spas. Around the turn of the 20th century, combustible powders and cigarettes containing stramonium were popular for asthma and other lung complaints. Following the discovery of the utility of epinephrine for treating asthma, hand-bulb nebulizers were developed, as well as early compressor nebulizers. The marketing of the first pressurized metered-dose inhaler for epinephrine and isoproterenol, by Riker Laboratories in 1956, was a milestone in the development of inhaled drugs. There have been remarkable advances in the technology of devices and formulations for inhaled drugs in the past 50 years. These have been influenced greatly by scientific developments in several areas: theoretical modeling and indirect measures of lung deposition, particle sizing techniques and in vitro deposition studies, scintigraphic deposition studies, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, and the 1987 Montreal Protocol, which banned chlorofluorocarbon propellants. We are now in an era of rapid technologic progress in inhaled drug delivery and applications of aerosol science, with the use of the aerosolized route for drugs for systemic therapy and for gene replacement therapy, use of aerosolized antimicrobials and immunosuppressants, and interest in specific targeting of inhaled drugs.
Trust, but verify: predicting contribution quality for knowledge base construction and curation

The largest publicly available knowledge repositories, such as Wikipedia and Freebase, owe their existence and growth to volunteer contributors around the globe. While the majority of contributions are correct, errors can still creep in, due to editors' carelessness, misunderstanding of the schema, malice, or even lack of accepted ground truth. If left undetected, inaccuracies often degrade the experience of users and the performance of applications that rely on these knowledge repositories. We present a new method, CQUAL, for automatically predicting the quality of contributions submitted to a knowledge base. Significantly expanding upon previous work, our method holistically exploits a variety of signals, including the user's domains of expertise as reflected in her prior contribution history, and the historical accuracy rates of different types of facts. In a large-scale human evaluation, our method exhibits precision of 91% at 80% recall. Our model verifies whether a contribution is correct immediately after it is submitted, significantly alleviating the need for post-submission human reviewing.
LMR, DTA: adaptive communication algorithms for asynchronous real-time distributed systems using token-ring networks

We present two adaptive communication algorithms called LMR and DTA, for asynchronous real-time distributed systems that use IEEE 802.5 token-ring networks and FDDI networks, respectively. The objective of the algorithms is to minimize end-to-end missed-deadline ratio of application tasks. While LMR adapts application tasks to workload fluctuations by reprioritizing transnode application messages, DTA performs adaptation by dynamically changing token holding times of host machines, respectively. We study the performance of the algorithms through benchmark-driven experimental studies. The performance of the algorithms is compared with an adaptive resource allocation algorithm that performs adaptation by dynamically replicating application processes for load sharing. The experimental results indicate that LMR and DTA outperform the process replication algorithm for load patterns that cause communication latencies to grow faster than execution latencies. Furthermore, we observe that LMR and DTA perform as "good" as the process replication algorithm for load patterns that cause execution latencies to grow faster than communication latencies.
Population structure of red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) in the northern Gulf of Mexico, as inferred from variation in nuclear-encoded microsatellites.

Allelic variation at eight nuclear-encoded microsatellites was assayed among 967 red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) sampled from four consecutive cohorts at seven geographic localities (=28 samples total) in the northern Gulf of Mexico (Gulf). Number of alleles per microsatellite ranged from 6 to 21; average direct-count heterozygosity values per sample (±SE) ranged from 0.560±0.018 to 0.903±0.009. Tests of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium revealed significant departures from expected genotype proportions at one microsatellite, which was omitted from further analysis. Tests of genotypic equilibrium indicated that genotypes between pairs of microsatellites were randomly associated. Homogeneity tests of allele distributions across cohorts within localities were non-significant following correction for multiple tests executed simultaneously, and results from molecular analysis of variance indicated that the genetic variance component attributable to variation among cohorts did not differ significantly from zero. Homogeneity tests of allele distributions among localities (cohorts pooled) revealed significant differences both before and after correction for multiple tests. Neighbor-joining clustering of a pairwise matrix of θ values (an unbiased estimator of F ST), spatial autocorrelations, and regression analysis revealed a pattern of isolation by distance, where genetic divergence among geographic samples increases with geographic distance between sample localities. The pattern and degree of temporal and spatial divergence in the nuclear-encoded microsatellites paralleled almost exactly those of mitochondrial (mt) DNA, as determined in a prior study. Stability of both microsatellite and mtDNA allele distributions within localities indicates that the small but significant genetic divergence among geographic samples represents true signal and that overlapping populations of red drum in the northern Gulf may be influenced by independent population dynamics. The degree of genetic divergence in microsatellites and mtDNA is virtually identical, indicating that genetic effective size of microsatellites and mtDNA in red drum are the same. This, in turn, suggests either that gene flow in red drum in the northern Gulf could be biased sexually or that red drum populations may not be in equilibrium between genetic drift and migration. If a sexual bias exists, the observation that divergence in mtDNA is considerably less than 4 times that of microsatellites could suggest female-mediated dispersal and/or male philopatry. The observed isolation-by-distance effect indicates a practical limit to dispersal. Approximate estimates of geographic neighborhood size suggest the limit is in the range 700–900 km. Although the genetic studies of red drum indicate significant genetic divergence across the northern Gulf, the genetic differences do not delimit specific populations or stocks with fixed geographic boundaries.
Southern California Hypocenter Relocation with Waveform Cross- Correlation, Part 2: Results Using Source-Specific Station Terms and Cluster Analysis

We obtain precise relative relocations for more than 340,000 southern California earthquakes between 1984 and 2002 by applying the source-specific station-term (SSST) method to existing P- and S-phase picks and a differential lo- cation method to about 208,000 events within similar-event clusters identified with waveform cross-correlation. The entire catalog is first relocated by using existing phase picks, a reference 1D velocity model, and the SSST method of Richards-Dinger and Shearer (2000). We also perform separate relocations of Imperial Valley events by using a velocity model more suited to this region. Next, we apply cluster analysis to the waveform cross-correlation output to identify similar-event clusters. We re- locate earthquakes within each similar-event cluster by using the differential times alone, keeping the cluster centroid fixed to its initial SSST location. We estimate standard errors for the relative locations from the internal consistency of differential locations between individual event pairs; these errors are often as small as tens of meters. In many cases the relocated events within each similar-event cluster align in planar features suggestive of faults. We observe a surprising number of such faults at small scales that strike nearly perpendicular to the main seismicity trends. In general, the fine-scale details of the seismicity reveal a great deal of structural com- plexity in southern California fault systems.
Semantic Evidence for Functional Categories in Interlanguage Grammars.

This study investigates how semantic properties of functional categories are acquired by second language (L2) learners in an instructional setting. The following properties of the functional category (FC) of AspectP are under investigation: 1) English simple present tense cannot denote an ongoing event; 2) progressive morphology is needed for an ongoing interpretation; and 3) English bare verbal forms denote closed, or completed, events. All three properties are not instantiated in Bulgarian. Only the first two properties are explicitly taught in English classrooms in Bulgaria, while the third is not. A Truth Value Judgement Task, a guided composition task and a proficiency test were administered to 112 Bulgarian learners of English and 24 native speaker controls. Results indicate that L2 learners at all proficiency levels are aware of the English aspectual contrasts.These findings suggest that L2 learners are able to acquire interpretable formal features not transferable from their native language. Furthermore, they are able to acquire properties of the grammar that are not explicitly taught in language classrooms.
Rank-Approximate Nearest Neighbor Search: Retaining Meaning and Speed in High Dimensions

The long-standing problem of efficient nearest-neighbor (NN) search has ubiquitous applications ranging from astrophysics to MP3 fingerprinting to bioinformatics to movie recommendations. As the dimensionality of the dataset increases, exact NN search becomes computationally prohibitive; (1 + ∊) distance-approximate NN search can provide large speedups but risks losing the meaning of NN search present in the ranks (ordering) of the distances. This paper presents a simple, practical algorithm allowing the user to, for the first time, directly control the true accuracy of NN search (in terms of ranks) while still achieving the large speedups over exact NN. Experiments on high-dimensional datasets show that our algorithm often achieves faster and more accurate results than the best-known distance-approximate method, with much more stable behavior.
Field Instruction and the Mature Student

Abstract As increasing numbers of mature students enter schools of social work, it is a challenge and an obligation for field instructors to discover ways to recruit and sustain them in the educational endeavor. Building upon three theoretical perspectives-Freire's pedagogy of the oppressed, Knowles's andragogy, and Schon's reflective learning and teaching, this paper highlights ways in which field instructors can build upon the strengths of mature students to enhance their development as professional social workers. It discusses “parallel process”, “learning styles”, and “contracting” as proactive strategies to fully engage mature students in attaining a graduate degree.
Proposed Carbon Dioxide Concentrating Mechanism in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Aquatic photosynthetic microorganisms account for almost 50% of the world's photosynthesis ([19][1]). These organisms face several challenges in acquiring CO2 from the environment. The first challenge is presented by the properties of ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase (Rubisco). Rubisco is
Therapeutic thoracentesis: the role of ultrasound and pleural manometry

Purpose of reviewTherapeutic thoracentesis is one of the most commonly performed medical procedures. The availability of handheld ultrasound machines has greatly enhanced the evaluation and management of patients with pleural effusions, with advantages including the absence of radiation, ease of use
Nuclear data sheets for A = 212

A review of information available on level schemes and decay characteristics for all nuclei with mass number A = 212 is presented. Experimental data and their evaluation, adopted values, comparison with theory, and arguments for spin and parity assignments are given. Inconsistencies and discrepancies in the level schemes are discussed.
Treatment-induced errors in occlusion following orthognathic surgery

Posttreatment occlusion following orthognathic surgery is often different from that predicted in the treatment plan. Differences between intended and actual occlusion may be treatment-induced occlusal errors caused by mismatches between the centers of rotation of the mandible and of the articulated models. Discrepancies in the position of the articulator center of rotation (relative to the position of the center of rotation of the patient's mandible) influence the magnitude of occlusal errors. A computer model was developed to quantify these errors. As the center of rotation of the articulated models becomes more divergent from the patient's center of rotation, the magnitude of the occlusal errors increases. This magnitude increases most rapidly along the line that is perpendicular to the line joining the patient's center of rotation and a preselected mandibular landmark (incisor tip or molar cusp, for instance). For small changes in vertical dimension, clinically insignificant errors result, independent of the degree of mismatch between the centers of rotation. Clinical implications of these findings are discussed.