cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Robotically assisted versus conventional freehand technique during beating heart anastomoses of left internal thoracic artery to left anterior descending artery.

Abstract Background . Although robotically assisted coronary arterial anastomoses are being performed clinically, the short-term and long-term quality and integrity of the left internal thoracic artery (LITA) to left anterior descending artery (LAD) anastomosis remains unknown. The goal of this study was to perform a histologic and angiographic assessment of porcine beating heart LITA to LAD anastomoses using either robotic assistance or a conventional freehand technique. Methods . Twelve pigs underwent beating heart LITA to LAD anastomoses using either the robotically assisted (n = 6) or conventional freehand techniques (n = 6). Quantitative histologic analysis was performed in all animals in order to determine the degree of vascular wall damage. Selective coronary arteriography was performed in all animals immediately after the procedure in order to evaluate anastomotic patency. The unpaired Student's t test was used for all comparisons between groups. Results . There were no differences in vascular wall damage between the robotically assisted and freehand techniques. Postoperative angiography revealed no stenoses in either group. Conclusions . Use of the robotically assisted technique for creation of a LITA to LAD anastomosis was not associated with increased histologic damage when compared with the freehand technique in a beating heart porcine model. Furthermore, there was no difference between the two techniques in postoperative patency rate. These results support further clinical investigation of robotically assisted coronary bypass surgery.
Can linguistic competence be dissociated from natural language functions

THE preservation of non-verbal intellective functions in spite of severe disruption of natural language has been well documented by studies of aphasia1. But are the cognitive functions specific to normal verbal communication also preserved in the absence of language? In addition to its theoretical significance, this question has practical importance with respect to both infra-human primates and severe aphasics2. These groups cannot use natural language because of the destruction or apparent absence of crucial cortical zones of the brain and effective communication may depend on their mastering an alternative symbol system which captures relevant cognitive properties of natural language. A crucial test of the hypothesised dissociation between natural language and its cognitive prerequisites is whether aphasic subjects can use arbitrarily designed symbols to represent elements of experience (events, properties, actions and so on); encode meaningful relationships in terms of the configurational properties, or syntax, of the symbol sequence; and have the capacity to encode such relationships in alternative syntactic forms3,4.
Inflammatory Pseudotumor Causing Small Bowel Obstruction and Mimicking Lymphoma in a Patient with AIDS: Clinical Improvement after Initiation of Thalidomide Treatment

A patient with AIDS was diagnosed with inflammatory pseudotumor with small bowel involvement. After receiving thalidomide treatment, serum tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and soluble TNF receptor II levels normalized, his constitutional and gastrointestinal symptoms diminished, and the mass lesion shrunk.
Agonist-stimulated phosphorylation of the G protein-coupled receptor for parathyroid hormone (PTH) and PTH-related protein

The objectives of the present study were to determine whether the G protein-coupled receptor for PTH and PTH-related protein (PTHrP) is subject to agonist-specific phosphorylation and to characterize the relevant kinase(s). The opossum kidney PTH/PTHrP receptor stably expressed in human embryonic kidney 293 cells was coupled to adenylyl cyclase, with half-maximal activation occurring in the presence of 0.1 nM bovine (b) PTH-(1-34). Immunoprecipitation of extracts of 32P-labeled cells using a monoclonal antibody to the PTH/PTHrP receptor revealed the presence of a major 32P-labeled protein of approximately 85 kilodaltons that was not evident in untransfected 293 cells. bPTH-(1-34) treatment produced a rapid dose-dependent increase in phosphorylation of the 85-kilodalton receptor, with a maximal effect that was 3.5 +/- 0.7-fold (n = 4) over basal. Half-maximal phosphorylation occurred with 10 nM bPTH-(1-34), similar to the hormone concentration required for 50% receptor occupancy. Activation of protein kinase A or protein kinase C with forskolin or phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate also increased PTH/PTHrP receptor phosphorylation, but to a lesser degree than PTH. Neither of these kinases mediated the effect of PTH, as blockade of the protein kinase A pathway (with H-89) or the protein kinase C pathway (with the bisindolylmaleimide GF 109203X) did not inhibit bPTH-(1-34)-induced PTH/PTHrP receptor phosphorylation. These results suggest that agonist-stimulated PTH/PTHrP receptor phosphorylation may involve a nonsecond messenger-activated kinase, such as a member of the G protein-coupled receptor kinase family.
The Ties Allowed to Bind: Kinship Legalities and Migration Restriction in the Interwar Americas

New immigration restrictions in the United States and elsewhere in the 1920s and 1930s made legal entry dependent on specific kinship formalities. This article explores the impact of the new system through a study of British Caribbean migrants. Because family patterns and the place of church and state sanction within them varied greatly by class‐‐here, as in many parts of the world‐‐the result was a curtailment of mobility that affected elites very little, and working-class would-be migrants enormously. In order to elucidate de facto patterns of exclusion, the author concludes, historians of transnational labor must begin paying more attention to the work “family” does. Modern states make kinship legalities into criteria for access to rights in ways large and small, and the wonder is that something that generates such pervasive difficulties and inequities manages to seem both innocent and natural. The pattern is not eternal, and it got worse precisely as other things got better. The first decades of the twentieth century saw modern states expanding their social commitments, widening the kinds of rights they guaranteed and the range of people who could claim them. Family status was built into many of the rules governing access to these social and economic guarantees. (This point was established by scholars two decades ago but has only recently gained public acknowledgment, thanks to gay rights activism over marriage equality.) Meanwhile, the same early-twentieth-century era saw states systematize barriers to entry‐‐in a sense, policing access to the expanding social compact-in-the-making. Family status, central to the internal entitlements of modern citizenship, was equally fundamental to this “external” dimension, that is, to the policing of boundaries through the new international mobility control regime. One way to open up this phenomenon for analysis is to listen to people for whom it was not natural at all: those who lived through its moment of creation. The new United States immigration system relied on numerical limits along varying lines. In 1924, the British Caribbean was placed under this emergent “quota control” system for the first time. Suddenly, very specific kinship legalities had enormous weight in regulating entry and employment. Legitimate spouses and children of US citizens could enter the United States as nonquota migrants. Consensual partners and illegitimate children could not, nor could siblings or parents of citizens, whether or not those ties were formalized and documented. To those who lived through this transition, such rules were the opposite
Multiple model nonlinear filtering for low signal ground target applications

The design and implementation of a multiple model nonlinear filter (MMNLF) for ground target tracking using ground moving target indicator (GMTI) radar measurements is described. Like the well-known interacting multiple model Kalman filter (IMMKF), the MMNLF is based on the theory of hybrid stochastic systems. However, since it models the probability distribution for the target in a region, rather than just the distribution's first and second moments, a nonlinear filter is able to capture more fine-grained detail of the target motion and requires fewer models than typical IMMKF implementations. This is illustrated here with a two-model MMNLF in which one motion model incorporates terrain constraints while the second is a nearly constant velocity (CV) model. Another feature of the MMNLF is that it enables incorporation of prethresholded measurements. To implement the filter, the target state conditional probability density is discretized on a set of moving grids and recursively updated with sensor measurements via Bayes' formula. The conditional density is time updated between sensor measurements using alternating direction implicit (ADI) finite difference methods, generalized for this hybrid application. In simulation testing against low signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) targets, the MMNLF is able to maintain track in situations where single model filters based on either of the component models or filters that use thresholded data fail. Potential applications of this work include detection and tracking of foliage-obscured moving targets.
High speed all optical logic gates based on quantum dot semiconductor optical amplifiers

A scheme to realize all-optical Boolean logic functions AND, XOR and NOT using semiconductor optical amplifiers with quantum-dot active layers is studied. nonlinear dynamics including carrier heating and spectral hole-burning are taken into account together with the rate equations scheme. Results show with QD excited state and wetting layer serving as dual-reservoir of carriers, as well as the ultra fast carrier relaxation of the QD device, this scheme is suitable for high speed Boolean logic operations. Logic operation can be carried out up to speed of 250 Gb/s.
Gender and self-employment selection: An empirical assessment

This paper presents a unique assessment of the factors that influence men's and women's decisions to switch from wage employment to self-employment; virtually all studies of self-employment entry have heretofore focussed solely upon men. Using longitudinally matched data from the Current Population Survey, novel empirical patterns adduced here include: (1) the relatively strong, positive influence of fertility upon women's selection into self-employment; (2) the greater propensity of small business employees to switch to self-employment; and (3) the significant relationship between wage-sector occupation and predisposition to self-employment.
Substance abuse and AIDS: the need for mental health services.

Drug users with AIDS or ARC have multiple needs for mental health services, including education, drug-abuse treatment, and psychiatric treatment.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Guided Self-Help and Orlistat for the Treatment of Binge Eating Disorder: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial

Background Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has efficacy for binge eating disorder (BED) but not obesity. No controlled studies have tested whether adding obesity medication to CBT facilitates weight loss. We performed a randomized, placebo-controlled study of orlistat administered with guided self-help CBT (CBTgsh). Methods Fifty obese BED patients were randomly assigned to 12-week treatments of either orlistat plus CBTgsh (120 mg three times a day [t.i.d.]) or placebo plus CBTgsh and were followed in double-blind fashion for 3 months after treatment. Results Seventy-eight percent of patients completed treatments without differential dropout between orlistat+CBTgsh and placebo+CBTgsh. Intent-to-treat remission rates (zero binges for past 28 days on Eating Disorder Examination Interview) were significantly higher for orlistat+CBTgsh than placebo+CBTgsh (64% versus 36%) at posttreatment but not at 3-month follow-up (52% in both). Intent-to-treat rates for achieving 5% weight loss were significantly higher for orlistat+CBTgsh than placebo+CBTgsh at posttreatment (36% versus 8%) and 3-month follow-up (32% versus 8%). Significant and comparable improvements in eating disorder psychopathology and psychological distress occurred in both treatments. Conclusions The addition of orlistat to CBTgsh was associated with greater weight loss than the addition of placebo to CBTgsh. Clinical improvements were generally maintained at 3-month follow-up after treatment discontinuation.
Child and Parent Perspectives on Routes to and from School in High Crime Neighborhoods

Abstract This study examined children's understanding of the danger and potential harm they face while traveling to and from school in two urban neighborhoods with high crime and violence rates. A qualitative methodology was used to explore how students negotiate danger or potential harm within the context of their routes to and from school.Structured interviews with three hundred seventy-seven second, fourth, sixth, and eighth graders (and 106 of their parents) were analyzed utilizing an inductive coding process (emergent themes). When students were asked to discuss the safety of their school routes, emergent themes included student's fear/awareness of death, fear of violence/victimization, and fear of gangs. Students also mentioned getting driven to school and better monitoring as ways that their school routes could be made safer. Parents discussed similar fears and concerns as their children. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Preliminary evaluation of secondary controls on mercury in soils of geothermal districts

Abstract An evaluation of the mercury concentration in soils of six Colorado geothermal areas is completed utilizing regression analysis. Regression analysis incorporated the secondary effects of pH and the organic carbon, iron, and manganese concentrations on mercury in soils. The technique is used to evaluate a geothermal anomaly at Glenwood Springs, Colorado. The results indicate that secondary influences on mercury in soils of geothermal areas may be of importance in evaluating areas of anomalous mercury leakage.
The effects of thiazolidinediones on human bone marrow stromal cell differentiation in vitro and in thiazolidinedione-treated patients with type 2 diabetes.

Thiazolidinedione (TZD) therapy has been associated with an increased risk of bone fractures. Studies in rodents have led to a model in which decreased bone quality in response to TZDs is due to a competition of lineage commitment between osteoblasts (OBs) and adipocytes (ADs) for a common precursor cell, resulting in decreased OB numbers. Our goal was to investigate the effects of TZD exposure on OB-AD lineage determination from primary human bone marrow stromal cells (hBMSCs) both in vitro and in vivo from nondiabetic subjects and patients with type 2 diabetics. Our experimental design included 2 phases. Phase 1 was an in vitro study of TZD effects on the differentiation of hBMSCs into OBs and ADs in nondiabetic subjects. Phase 2 was a randomized, placebo-controlled trial to determine the effects of 6-month pioglitazone treatment in vivo on hBMSC differentiation using AD/OB colony forming unit assays in patients with type 2 diabetes. In vitro, TZDs (pioglitazone and rosiglitazone) enhanced the adipogenesis of hBMSCs, whereas neither altered OB differentiation or function as measured by alkaline phosphatase activity, gene expression, and mineralization. The ability of TZDs to enhance adipogenesis occurred at a specific time/stage of the differentiation process, and pretreating with TZDs did not further enhance adipogenesis. In vivo, 6-month TZD treatment decreased OB precursors, increased AD precursors, and increased total colony number in patients with type 2 diabetes. Our results indicate that TZD exposure in vitro potently stimulates adipogenesis but does not directly alter OB differentiation/mineralization or lineage commitment from hBMSCs. However, TZD treatment in type 2 diabetic patients results in decreased osteoblastogenesis from hBMSCs compared with placebo, indicating an indirect negative effect on OBs and suggesting an alternative model by which TZDs might negatively regulate bone quality.
Who Is Hurt by Procyclical Mortality

There is renewed interest in understanding how fluctuations in mortality or health are related to fluctuations in economic conditions. The traditional perspective that economic recessions lower health and raise mortality has been challenged by recent findings that reveal mortality is actually procyclical. The epidemiology of the phenomenon — traffic accidents, cardiovascular disease, and smoking and drinking — suggests that socioeconomically vulnerable populations might be disproportionately at risk of “working themselves to death” during periods of heightened economic activity. In this paper, I examine mortality by individual characteristic during the 1980s and 1990s using the U.S. National Longitudinal Mortality Study. I find scant evidence that disadvantaged groups are significantly more exposed to procyclical mortality. Rather, working-age men with more education appear to bear a heavier burden, while those with little education experience countercyclical mortality.
InAsSb/InTlSb superlattice: a proposed heterostructure for long wavelength infrared detectors

A novel superlattice (SL) heterostructure, comprising of InTlSb well and InAsSb barrier lattice matched to InSb, is proposed for long wavelength 8−12 urn detectors. Improvements in the InTlSb epilayers’ structural quality are expected, as it will be sandwiched between higher quality zinc-blende InAsSb epilayers. Preliminary energy band calculations of 30A InAs0.07Sb0.93/100A In0.93Tl0.07Sb SL show the band alignment favorable to type I with three heavy-hole subband confinement in the valence band and a partial electron subband confinement in the conduction band due to the small conduction band offset. Including the effect of strain indicates significant changes in the band offsets, with optical bandgap essentially unaltered. The optical band gap of this SL was computed to be 0.127 eV (9.7 µm) at OK, indicating its potential for long wavelength applications.
Time-resolved circular dichroism of native oat phytochrome photointermediates

Time-resolved circular dichroism (TRCD) spectral studies of the Pr→Pfr phototransformation in native oat phytochrome (124 kDa) were performed in the 500-800 nm spectral region from 500 ns to 500 ms after photolysis at 10 o C. The first intermediate observed in our measurements, lumi-R, had an absorption maximum at 695 nm, but its difference TRCD spectrum showed a CD maximum near 660 nm. This result differed from results of previous steady-state CD measurements where the intermediates of the photoconversion were trapped at low temperatures
Experimental studies on the cercaria and metacercaria of a strigeoid Trematode, Posthodiplostomum minimum.

Abstract It is probable that very young Physa became infected with the cercariae of P. minimum centrarchi . Snails infected in nature produced 840 to 8,940 cercariae per 24 hours, and the maximum longevity of cercariae was 32 1 2 hours. Cercariae were found to be infective for at least 24 hours after emergence. Cercariae did not emerge at 15 °C, but did at 18 °C and higher; they were not infective at 15 °C, but were at 18 to 27 °C. Of 14 species of fish exposed to the cercariae of the centrarchid line only sunfish and bluegills became infected. Fathead minnows were experimentally infected with the minnow line of cercariae. Metacercariae taken from a species of one fish family and transplanted into a species of a different fish family did not survive as long as when transplanted into a fish of the same family. Because of the host specificity involved in the metacercarial stages subspecific names are proposed: Posthodiplostomum minimum minimum for the minnow line, Posthodiplostomum minimum centrarchi for the centrarchid line. Development and migration of the metacercaria was studied from one hour post infection until full development was reached. The larvae utilize blood vessels, at least in part, during migration to the final site. The parasite cyst is probably formed by secretion through the worm cuticle and it eventually separates from the worm to form a capsule. A very thin host cyst composed of fibrous connective tissue became apparent at about 27 to 29 days in liver tissue, and the adjacent liver cells took on a compressed appearance. The worms did not excyst without partial digestion of the parasite cyst, and agitation. Fathead minnows exposed to abnormally large concentrations of the cercaria of Posthodiplostomum m. minimum died in 16 hours to 5 days. There was marked hyperemia at the bases of the fins, but most of the fish did not show a nervous response to the effects of the infection. In abnormally heavy infections metacercariae were found in unusual locations—liver, spleen, kidneys, ovaries, musculature and eyes. And in one instance the body wall burst, liberating many larvae without killing the fish. The ability of the metacercariae to withstand pepsin solution became apparent at about 26 to 44 days of development. Pepsin solution at pH 2 was more deleterious to the metacercariae than Ringer's solution at the same pH. The lower range of pH tolerance of the larvae was from pH 3 to pH 7. Trypsin at pH 8 was slightly more deleterious to the metacercariae than Ringer's solution at the same pH. The saline tolerance range of the metacercariae was from 0.65 to 1.25% Ringer's solution. Penicillin-Streptomycin had no ill effects on metacercariae in concentrations of 1,000 units each per ml or lower, and in fact increased their ability to survive.
On variational features of vortex flows

Ideal incompressible fluid is a Hamiltonian system which possesses an infinite number of integrals, the circulations of velocity over closed fluid contours. This allows one to split all the degrees of freedom into the driving ones and the “slave” ones, the latter to be determined by the integrals of motions. The “slave” degrees of freedom correspond to “potential part” of motion, which is driven by vorticity. Elimination of the “slave” degrees of freedom from equations of ideal incompressible fluid yields a closed system of equations for dynamics of vortex lines. This system is also Hamiltonian. The variational principle for this system was found recently (Berdichevsky in Thermodynamics of chaos and order, Addison-Wesly-Longman, Reading, 1997; Kuznetsov and Ruban in JETP Lett 67, 1076–1081, 1998). It looks striking, however. In particular, the fluid motion is set to be compressible, while in the least action principle of fluid mechanics the incompressibility of motion is a built-in property. This striking feature is explained in the paper, and a link between the variational principle of vortex line dynamics and the least action principle is established. Other points made in this paper are concerned with steady motions. Two new variational principles are proposed for steady vortex flows. Their relation to Arnold’s variational principle of steady vortex motion is discussed.
Amperometric ATP Microbiosensors for the Analysis of Chemosensitivity at Rat Carotid Bodies

The physiological application of amperometric adenosine triphosphate (ATP) microbiosensors for characterizing the stimulus-response at rat carotid bodies superfused with high potassium concentrations, during normoxic hypercapnia, and during hypoxia is demonstrated using the peripheral arterial chemoreceptors in the carotid body of rats as a model system. Amperometric microbiosensors based on glucose oxidase (GOD) and hexokinase (HEX) immobilized within a polymer matrix at the surface of Pt disk microelectrodes (diameter: 25 µm) are positioned at a distance of approximately 100 µm above the carotid body surface for detecting extracellular ATP. A linear calibration function of ATP microbiosensors in the physiologically relevant concentration range of 0–40 µM ATP enables quantitative detection of ATP released at the carotid body surface in response to physiological stimuli. It is shown that these stimuli induce extracellular ATP release from the carotid body at levels of 4–10 µM. Other electroactive neurotra...
Ion beam deposition of diamond-like carbon from an r.f. inductively coupled CH4-plasma source

Abstract In this paper, we describe a robust process for depositing diamond-like carbon (DLC) films from an r.f. inductively coupled CH4-plasma source (18 cm in diameter). This process represents a significant improvement in ability to carry out reliable fault-free and long duration operation. A pure Maxwellian distribution of discharge electrons (homogeneity) and a wide range of electron temperatures are important attributes of the r.f. plasma source. By variation of r.f. power the composition and plasma density were optimized to minimize the source contamination and provide enhanced deposition stability and reproducibility. Beam energy was varied in the range 100–900 eV to obtain different combinations of sp 3 sp 2 ratio and level of hydrogenation. Hard coatings with high electrical resistivity and moderate stress were deposited on the silicon, silicon dioxide, glass, and Al2O3TiC substrates. Deposition rate and coatings thickness ranges were 10–40 nm/min and 5–1000 nm, respectively. The deposition uniformity was within 3% over 16.5 cm.
Seismic Responses of Reinforced Soil Retaining Walls and the Strain Softening of Backfill Soils

AbstractConsidering that most geosynthetic-reinforced soil structures (GRS) are backfilled with well-compacted granular soils exhibiting evident strain-softening, it is expected that the mobilized soil strength beyond the peak would affect the response of GRS structures if the earthquake-induced deformation is large. This issue is particularly relevant if GRS structures are to be designed against seismic loading based on permanent displacement. In this study, a calibrated finite-element procedure was used to investigate the influences of strain softening of backfill soils on the deformation and reinforcement load of wrapped-face GRS walls. Dense Toyoura sand, a medium dense Japanese silty sand, and loose Fuji River sand were used as backfills of model GRS walls, which were subjected to sinusoidal excitation ranging from 0.1 to 0.6g. From the study, it is found that the permanent deformation of GRS walls was attributed to the compaction of backfill, smeared shear deformation of soil, shear deformation alon...
Interrater reliability of the Psychiatric Research Interview for Substance and Mental Disorders in an HIV-infected cohort: Experience of the National NeuroAIDS Tissue Consortium

The interrater reliability of the Psychiatric Research Interview for Substance and Mental Disorders (PRISM) was assessed in a multicentre study. Four sites of the National NeuroAIDS Tissue Consortium performed blinded reratings of audiotaped PRISM interviews of 63 HIV-infected patients. Diagnostic modules for substance-use disorders and major depression were evaluated. Seventy-six per cent of the patient sample displayed one or more substance-use disorder diagnoses and 54% had major depression. Kappa coefficients for lifetime histories of substance abuse or dependence (cocaine, opiates, alcohol, cannabis, sedative, stimulant, hallucinogen) and major depression ranged from 0.66 to 1.00. Overall the PRISM was reliable in assessing both past and current disorders except for current cannabis disorders when patients had concomitant cannabinoid prescriptions for medical therapy. The reliability of substance-induced depression was poor to fair although there was a low prevalence of this diagnosis in our group. We conclude that the PRISM yields reliable diagnoses in a multicentre study of substance-experienced, HIV-infected individuals.
EFFECT OF TRANQUILIZERS ON LIBIDO, SPERM PRODUCTION AND IN VITRO SPERM SURVIVAL IN DOGS.

SummaryAdditions of promazine or chlor-promazine in concentrations below 200 μg/ml of media suitable for prolonged storage of dog sperm were without effect on sperm motility. Higher levels of these drugs were spermicidal. Oral administration of chlor-promazine to 8 dogs (4.4 mg/kg of body-weight) every other day or daily for 9 days did not reduce the libido of dogs trained to routine semen collection procedures. Motility of the sperm collected was unaffected, and sperm output was inconsistently higher in the treated group. It is concluded that the in vivo levels of chlorpromazine studied did not alter the normal hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal relationship.
Genetic analysis of pertussis toxin promoter activation in Bordetella pertussis

Bordetella pertussis regulates expression of its virulence factors such as pertussis toxin (Ptx) via the bvg locus, which encodes a two-component system composed of a sensor protein, BvgS, and a transcription activator, BvgA. We used a ptx-lac fusion on the B. pertussis chromosome to analyse promoter activation by alteration of specific sequences upstream of and within the promoter. Our data demonstrate that a pair of heptanucleotide inverted repeats separated by a turn of the DNA helix within the upstream repeat region (centred around nucleotide -136.5) are crucial cis-activating elements, and probably represent the initial BvgA-binding site. In addition, we demonstrate that the sequence between these repeats and the promoter plays a role in activation. Our data are most consistent with a model of co-operative binding of BvgA dimers to this intervening region and interaction with RNA polymerase at the promoter to activate ptx transcription. In the core promoter region both the non-consensus 21 bp spacing and the specific sequence between the -35 and -10 elements are crucial for promoter activity.
Directly data-derived articulatory gesture-like representations retain discriminatory information about phone categories

HighlightsProposed a method to extract sparse gesture-like primitives from articulatory data.Learnt primitive movements for different phonemes using a weak supervision step.Demonstrated that primitives for different phones are linguistically interpretable.Proposed and evaluated features on an interval-based phone classification task.Showed that purely production-based primitives perform well for phone classification. How the speech production and perception systems evolved in humans still remains a mystery today. Previous research suggests that human auditory systems are able, and have possibly evolved, to preserve maximal information about the speaker's articulatory gestures. This paper attempts an initial step toward answering the complementary question of whether speakers' articulatory mechanisms have also evolved to produce sounds that can be optimally discriminated by the listener's auditory system. To this end we explicitly model, using computational methods, the extent to which derived representations of "primitive movements" of speech articulation can be used to discriminate between broad phone categories. We extract interpretable spatio-temporal primitive movements as recurring patterns in a data matrix of human speech articulation, i.e., representing the trajectories of vocal tract articulators over time. To this end, we propose a weakly-supervised learning method that attempts to find a part-based representation of the data in terms of recurring basis trajectory units (or primitives) and their corresponding activations over time. For each phone interval, we then derive a feature representation that captures the co-occurrences between the activations of the various bases over different time-lags. We show that this feature, derived entirely from activations of these primitive movements, is able to achieve a greater discrimination relative to using conventional features on an interval-based phone classification task. We discuss the implications of these findings in furthering our understanding of speech signal representations and the links between speech production and perception systems.
Technology assessment for an integrated PC-based platform for three telemedicine applications

This paper investigates the design and technical efficacy of an integrated PC based platform for three different medical applications. The technical efficacy of such a telemedicine platform has not been evaluated in the literature and optimal technical requirements have not been developed. The first application, with the Department of Surgery, Division of Urology, tests the utility of a telemedicine platform including radiology images for a surgical stone disease consultation service from an off site location in West Virginia. The second application, with the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Clinical Pharmacology, investigates the usefulness of telemedicine when used for a clinical pharmacology consultation service from an off-site location. The third application, with the Department of Pediatrics, will test telemedicine for trauma care triage service first within an off-site location in Virginia and then from there to Georgetown University Medical Center.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
High conductance in ultrathin films of ZnO

Lattice-matched thin films of Ga-doped ZnO (GZO) grown on ZnO substrates have significantly better electrical properties than those grown on quartz substrates. At room temperature, mobility in a 125-nm-thick GZO layer grown by pulsed laser deposition on ZnO is increased by 30%, concentration by 50%, and conductivity by 95% over a similar layer grown on quartz. For ultrathin layers, the differences are much more dramatic: a 5-nm-thick GZO layer grown on ZnO has an excellent resistivity of 4 × 10−4 Ω cm, whereas one grown on quartz exhibits no measurable conductance.
The Geranylgeranyltransferase I Inhibitor GGTI-298 Induces Hypophosphorylation of Retinoblastoma and Partner Switching of Cyclin-dependent Kinase Inhibitors A POTENTIAL MECHANISM FOR GGTI-298 ANTITUMOR ACTIVITY

The geranylgeranyltransferase I inhibitor GGTI-298 has recently been shown to arrest human tumor cells in the G1 phase of the cell cycle, induce apoptosis, and inhibit tumor growth in nude mice. In the present manuscript, we provide a possible mechanism by which GGTI-298 mediates its tumor growth arrest. Treatment of the human lung carcinoma cell line Calu-1 with GGTI-298 results in inhibition of the phosphorylation of retinoblastoma protein, a critical step for G1/S transition. The kinase activities of two G1/S cyclin-dependent kinases, CDK2 and CDK4, are inhibited in Calu-1 cells treated with GGTI-298. Furthermore, GGTI-298 has little effect on the expression levels of CDK2, CDK4, CDK6, cyclins D1 and E, but decreases the levels of cyclin A. GGTI-298 increases the levels of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors p21 and p15 and had little effect on those of p27 and p16. Most interesting is the ability of GGTI-298 to induce partner switching for several CDK inhibitors. GGTI-298 promotes binding of p21 and p27 to CDK2 while decreasing their binding to CDK6. Reversal of partner switching and G1 block was observed after removal of GGTI-298. Furthermore, GGTI-298 treatment results in an increased binding of p15 to CDK4, which is paralleled with decreased binding to p27. The results demonstrate that the GGTI-298-mediated G1 block in Calu-1 cells involves increased expression and partner switching of CDK inhibitors resulting in inhibition of CDK2 and CDK4, and retinoblastoma protein phosphorylation.
Critical Behavior of Anisotropic Cubic Systems

The critical behavior in zero field above ${T}_{c}$ of ferromagnets or ferroelectrics with a Hamiltonian of cubic symmetry is studied, to order ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}^{2}$, by exact renormalization-group techniques in $d=4\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\epsilon}$ dimensions with $n$-component spins. For $\ensuremath{\epsilon}=1$, $n\ensuremath{\ge}3$, a crossover from isotropic (Heisenberg) to characteristic cubic behavior occurs, with the new value $2{v}^{C}=1+[\frac{(n\ensuremath{-}1)}{3n}]\ensuremath{\epsilon}+[\frac{(n\ensuremath{-}1)}{324{n}^{3}}](17{n}^{2}+290n\ensuremath{-}424){\ensuremath{\epsilon}}^{2}+O({\ensuremath{\epsilon}}^{3})$, and cubic symmetry appearing in the four-spin correlation function. Experiments on structural phase transitions are considered briefly.
Large deflections of eccentrically loaded arches

Auf Grund der Hypothesen von Ebenbleiben und Normalitat der Querschnitte werden die Differentialgleichungen der nichtlinearen Theorie der Bogentrager abgeleitet und im Falle des schlanken, durch Einzellasten belasteten Kreisbogentragers mit undehnbarer Mittellinie auf die Form der Pendelgleichung gebracht. Diese Gleichung wird dann benutzt, um die grossen Durchbiegungen und die Spannungsresultierenden eines Zweigelenkkreisbogens, der durch eine lotrechte exzentrische Einzellast belastet wird, zu berechnen. In der Nahe der kritischen Last bewirken kleine Exzentrizitaten bedeutende Grossenanderungen der Spannungsresultierenden und der Durchbiegungen.
Proteins and DNA from modern planktonic foraminifera

A chemical dissection protocol, originally developed to extract mineral-associated proteins from vertebrate bone, can be used to extract proteins and DNA from modern planktonic foraminifera. Chemical dissection successfully concentrates mineral-associated proteins awat from ectoplasm (cytoplasm outside the shall) and endoplasm (cytoplasm inside the shell) proteins. It also yields intact proteins and high molecular weight DNA from the endoplasm. At least twenty intact products were recovered from the mineral-associated fraction of modern Globorotalio menardii (Parker, Jones and Brady). The mineral-associated proteins from spinose Globigerinoides ruber (d'Orbigny) were richer in aspartate plus asparagine (Asx) residues than cytoplasm proteins. Planktonic foraminifera resemble other calcifying invertebrates both in their large number of mineral-associated proteins, and in the relative enrichment of Asx in these proteins compared to other cellular proteins. Mineral-associated proteins apparently degrade easily and rapidly postmortem, and Asx-enrichment may be a degredation phenomenon. The Chemically resistant endoplasm maintained the morphology of the calcified shell even after the mineral was dissolved away. Nevertheless, intact proteins and high molecular weight DNA were recovered from this resistant endoplasm fraction with further processing. Neither the ectoplasm not the mineral- associated fraction yielded high molecular weight DNA. Actin was identified at its original apparent molecular weight by Western blot from the partially solubilized endoplasm of five species examined: Globigerinoides sacculifer (Brady), Globigerinella aequilateralis (Brady), Globorotalio truncatulinoides (d'Orbigny), Globorotalia ungulata Bermudez, and Pulleniatina obliquiloculata (Parker and Jones).
Growth Profile of Chamaedorea cataractarum (Cascade Palm) Seedlings with Different Colored Plastic Mulch

Cascade palms (Chamaedorea cataractarum Mart.) are slow growing, ornamental plants suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. The purpose of this study was to determine effects of colored plastic mulch on the growth of Chamaedorea cataractarum Mart. Seedlings grown in soil were compared with those grown using red and blue plastic much cover. The study was conducted in triplicate settings at two different green houses and at two different locations in one of the green houses. Plant growth was monitored for plant height, stem thickness at the base, number of leaves and leaflets, chlorophyll a and b, root density, root length and shoot dry weight. Data were analyzed in a randomized complete block design. Light reflected from both mulch colors and the bare substrate had low radiance values in the blue, red and far-red wavelengths. Mulch color had a relatively small significant effect on plant height (P = 0.0728). Plants grown on red mulch had smaller height than those grown on bare substrate and on blue mulch. Although the differences were not significant, plants grown on blue mulch had higher growth rates (height, stem diameter), as well as higher number of leaves and leaflets.
Discovering unknown capabilities of labstats

With strains on budgets throughout higher education, departments aim to identify and distinguish between areas in which money is needed or where funds can be reduced. In computer lab management, tracking usage of software and hardware is always a challenging obstacle. At Lewis & Clark College, we have struggled to establish and provide for the correct lab usage quickly and efficiently. This obstacle involving lab usage has become especially critical, as we have seen an increase in the use of computer labs over the past couple of years. Until recently we were unable to provide clear evidence and accurate data of the increased usage to our decision makers. The recent deployment of LabStats solved this problem for us.LabStats, a Computer Lab Solutions product, has given us a chance to seek the information we want, whenever we want. In this paper, I discuss how we continue to utilize the information provided from LabStats in order to become more efficient and effective in customer service and managing lab resources. I also illustrate how LabStats features can assist lab managers in their daily responsibilities of: application usage, offline lab computers, tracking student users, lab inventory, live usage display, managing lab hours, and a slew of other uses to maximize lab capabilities
Light-sharing interface for dMiCE detectors using sub-surface laser engraving

We have previously reported on dMiCE, a method of resolving depth or interaction (DOI) in a pair of discrete crystals by encoding light sharing properties as a function of depth in the interface of a crystal-element pair. A challenge for this method is the cost and repeatability of interface treatment for each crystal pair. In this work, we report our preliminary results on using sub-surface laser engraving (SSLE) as a means of forming this depth-dependent interface in a dMiCE detector. A surplus first-generation SSLE system was used to create a partially reflective layer 100-microns thick at the boundary between two halves of a 1.4-by-2.9-by- $20~\hbox{mm}^{3}$ LYSO crystal. The boundary of these paired crystal elements was positioned between two 3-mm wide Silicon photomultiplier arrays. The responses of these two photodetectors were acquired for an ensemble of 511-keV photons collimated to interact at a fixed depth in just one crystal element. Interaction position was then varied to measure detector response as a function of depth, which was then used to maximum-likelihood positions. Despite use of sub-optimal SSLE processing we found an average DOI resolution of 3.4 mm for front-sided readout and 3.9 mm for back-sided readout while obtaining energy resolutions on the order of 10%. We expect DOI resolution can be improved significantly by optimizing the SSLE process and pattern.
An upgraded high-velocity dust particle accelerator at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota

Abstract In 1975, Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota acquired a 2 MeV dust particle accelerator from NASA/GSFC that was used to test the lunar ejecta and micrometeorite (LEAM) experiment flown on Apollo 17. This high-speed dust particle accelerator is still fully functional and is currently being upgraded. Improvements to the electronic detection system have been undertaken including a computer-based, data acquisition system and new particle detection sensor electronics. These sensors have additional amplifiers that extend the range of charge detection to 1×10 −12 C allowing for the detection of larger particles. Improvements to the vacuum system have also been made. The accelerator beam line is now pumped with an oil-free, turbomolecular pump reducing possible problems with hydrocarbon contamination. In this work, we describe the facility, and outline some of the recent improvements to the dust particle accelerator and discuss its capabilities and limitations. We also summarize some of the recent experiments conducted using the facility.
Can large disk built-in caches really improve system performance?

Via detailed file system and disk system simulation, we examine the impact of disk built-in caches on the system performance. Our results indicate that the current trend of using large built-in caches is unnecessary and a waste of money and power for most users. Disk manufacturers could use much smaller built-in caches to reduce the cost as well as power-consumption, without affecting performance.
Reduced-Risk Management of Rhagoletis cerasi Flies (Host Race Prunus) in Combination with a Preliminary Phenological Model

Seasonal flight activity of Rhagoletis cerasi (L.) (Diptera: Tephritidae) adults was monitored using yellow sticky traps at sweet cherry orchards under different management regimes in Bursa, northwestern Turkey, during 1997–1998. In the reduced-risk backyard orchards, soil ploughing in the fall or spring to destroy the pupae was combined with a single application of an insecticide, while conventionally managed orchards received six to seven insecticide applications for controlling adults. Traps in commercial orchards caught significantly fewer adults than those in reduced-risk backyard orchards. Levels of cherry fruit fly fruit damage were very low (0.1%) in commercial orchards, whereas infestation rates averaged 2.2% in reduced-risk orchards. A preliminary phenology model was developed for optimal timing of insecticide applications based on air temperature summations since 1 February. In the reduced-risk backyard orchards, the first flies were captured between 25 May and 2 June, corresponding to an average degree-day (DD) accumulation of 582.50 ± 10.50 DD at an altitude of 150 m. However, first adult emergence at 1170 m was recorded between 6 and 14 June, averaging 667.50 ± 14.50 DD. Adult emergence exhibited bimodal peaks in a single flight at low altitude but there was a single peak at high altitude sites. Total adult flight period averaged 459 ± 29.50 and 649 ± 25.50 DD at low and high altitude sites, respectively. Our prediction model suggests that the optimum spray-window for a single insecticide application occurs between 577.70 and 639.40 DD at 150 m and between 780.90 and 848.60 DD at 1170 m.
The Bauschinger Effect of Sheet Metal Under Cyclic Reverse Pure Bending

Abstract In some sheet metal forming operations, metal flow involves a series of bending and unbending steps. In any such bending sequence the occurrence of the Bauschinger effect is likely. Correct process modelling of such forming operations therefore requires inclusion of the Bauschinger effect. This paper presents results of an experimental procedure developed for the determination of the Bauschinger effect. Sheet strips were subjected to a series of bending and reverse bending steps by means of a pure moment bending device. Results show the Bauschinger effect in steel and aluminum sheet as a function of strain amplitude, prestrain, and sheet thickness.