cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Automatic Detection of Code-switching Style from Acoustics.

Multilingual speakers switch between languages in an non-trivial fashion displaying inter sentential, intra sentential, and congruent lexicalization based transitions. While monolingual ASR systems may be capable of recognizing a few words from a foreign language, they are usually not robust enough to handle these varied styles of code-switching. There is also a lack of large code-switched speech corpora capturing all these styles making it difficult to build code-switched speech recognition systems. We hypothesize that it may be useful for an ASR system to be able to first detect the switching style of a particular utterance from acoustics, and then use specialized language models or other adaptation techniques for decoding the speech. In this paper, we look at the first problem of detecting code-switching style from acoustics. We classify code-switched Spanish-English and Hindi-English corpora using two metrics and show that features extracted from acoustics alone can distinguish between different kinds of code-switching in these language pairs.
Stellar Structure and Evolution

In previous chapters we examined physical processes that occur near a star’s surface (atomic excitation, ionization, absorption) and in the interior (nuclear fusion). Now we unite them in detailed models of stars. We use the models to analyze the structure of stars during the main stage of life when they burn hydrogen to generate the heat and pressure that balance gravity. We then consider what happens when the hydrogen fuel runs out. As we will see, old stars begin burning heavier nuclei and working their way up the periodic table of the elements. How far a star gets depends on its mass: stars with masses below about 8 M ⊙ reach carbon and oxygen before experiencing a relatively meek death; stars with masses above about 8 M ⊙, by contrast, create all the heavier elements and then literally go out with a bang.
Almost sure convergence of weighted sums of random elements in Banach spaces

Let {Vk∶k≥1} be a sequence of random elements in a real separable normed linear space X, and let {ank∶n≥1, k≥1} be an array of real numbers. Several theorems are given which provide conditions for the convergence with probability one of \(s_n = \sum\nolimits_{k = 1}^n {a_{nk} V_k } \)to the zero element of X. One result states that if X is B-convex and if the random elements are independent with expected values zero and uniformly bounded rth moments for some r>1, then, under a given set of conditions on {ank}, Sn→0 in X with probability one.
Tropomyosin dynamics during cardiac muscle contraction as governed by a multi-well energy landscape

Abstract The dynamic oscillations of tropomyosin molecules in the azimuthal direction over the surface of the actin filament during thin filament activation are studied here from an energy landscape perspective. A mathematical model based on principles from nonlinear dynamics and chaos theory is derived to describe these dynamical motions. In particular, an energy potential with three wells is proposed to govern the tropomyosin oscillations between the observed regulatory positions observed during muscle contraction, namely the blocked “B”, closed “C” and open “M” states. Based on the variations in both the frequency and amplitude of the environmental (surrounding the thin filament system) driving tractions, such as the electrostatic, hydrophobic, and Ca2+-dependent forces, the tropomyosin movements are shown to be complex; they can change from being simple harmonic oscillations to being fully chaotic. Three cases (periodic, period-2, and chaotic patterns) are presented to showcase the different possible dynamic responses of tropomyosin sliding over the actin filament. A probability density function is used as a statistical measure to calculate the average residence time spanned out by the tropomyosin molecule when visiting each (B, C, M) equilibrium state. The results were found to depend strongly on the energy landscape profile and its featured barriers, which normally govern the transitions between the B-C-M states during striated muscle activation.
Implementing a Software Solution Across Multiple Ultrasound Vendors to Auto-fill Reports with Measurement Values

Reliable transmission of ultrasound measurements into radiology reports is fraught with potential sources of error. In a conventional workflow, measurements are either written by hand on worksheets and/or dictated from worksheets or the images themselves into the radiology report. Valuable physician time is spent dictating, checking, and editing these values and this process is error-prone. Our approach was to use a transfer-software application to auto-populate measurements, with a goal of achieving >90% utilization rate by both technologists and radiologists. Implementation involved creating measurement fields for each measurement on each ultrasound unit of our multisite academic department. These fields were then mapped in both the transfer-software and the dictation software, to set up a 1:1:1 correspondence for each field. As a result, each measurement acquired by the technologist would automatically populate the radiology report within the dictation software. We created and mapped 128 fields for 39 exam templates. After implementation, technologist utilization rate was 86%-96% and overall radiologist utilization rate was 92%-93%. Radiology resident utilization rate was highest, at 95%-96%. We provide a guide for implementation and lessons learned.
The Effect of Debate Training on Students Participating in the Bicentennial Youth Debates.

This study, utilizing a unique one-time-only field environment, investigated the transfer skills of BYD participants with previous forensics experience versus those with no previous experience. The...
Detection of Missing Components Using a Goodness-of-Fit Test on Pixel Frequency Distributions

This paper presents a statistical method to perform the inspection of missing components on printed circuit boards (PCBs). It is a referential inspection method which uses the frequency distributions of pixel intensities as the reference pattern. A test analogous to the chi-square goodness-of-fit test is used to make the comparison between the reference frequency distribution and the frequency distribution generated by the object under inspection. The description of two variants of the test and some of the results when applied to the inspection of PCBs are presented.
Global Citizenship Education in South Korea: Ideologies, Inequalities, and Teacher Voices.

Guided by neoliberalism and post-colonialism, this article takes the case of global citizenship education (GCE) in South Korea to explore social studies teachers’ experiences and their everyday voi...
Unusual sequence of ice cover formation on Mirror Lake, New Hampshire, USA

ABSTRACTFor the only time in 52 years of monitoring the ice-cover dynamics of Mirror Lake, New Hampshire, USA, complete ice cover formed for 6 continuous days (24–30 Nov 2018), melted to open water...
What Should Law School Rankings Measure and How Should We Measure it: A Comment on Heald & Sichelman's Rankings

There are obvious benefits to ranking academic departments based on objective measures of faculty research output. However, there are considerable difficulties associated with producing reliable and accurate rankings. In this short comment, we offer an evaluation of Heald and Sichelman's recent foray into the project of ranking law schools. Heald and Sichelman are to be commended for the transparency and rigor of their rankings effort. At the same time, it is important to note that their rankings involve a series of contestable discretionary choices and could give rise to potential counter-productive gaming by law schools seeking to improve their place in the rankings. In particular, Heald and Sichelman's system places a thumb on the scale on behalf of more senior faculty who publish in traditional law reviews and write in popular substantive areas like constitutional law. This raises the concern that rankings of this type could discourage law schools from hiring faculty that are young, produce interdisciplinary scholarship, and write in otherwise under-represented fields. Nonetheless, Heald and Sichelman have taken an important step forward, and other scholars should look to build profitably upon their work.
Poly(ADP-Ribose) Polymerase Inhibitors in Pancreatic Cancer: A New Treatment Paradigms and Future Implications

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive malignancy. Most of the patients of PDAC present at later stages of disease and have a five-year survival rate of less than 10%. About 5–10% PDAC cases are hereditary in nature and have DNA damage repair (DDR) mutations such as BRCA 1 and 2. Besides having implications on screening and prevention strategies, these mutations can confer sensitivity to platinum-based therapies and determine eligibility for poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi). In the presence of DDR mutations and PARPi, the cells are unable to utilize the error-free process of homologous recombination repair, leading to accumulation of double stranded DNA breaks and cell death eventually. Various PARPi are in clinical development in PDAC in different subgroup of patients as monotherapies and in combination with other therapeutics. This review would focus on the mechanism of action of PARPi, history of development in PDAC, resistance mechanisms and future directions.
Many-body electronic structure of LaScO 3 by real-space quantum Monte Carlo

We present real-space quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) calculations of the scandate ${\mathrm{LaScO}}_{3}$ that proved to be challenging for traditional electronic structure approaches due to strong correlation effects resulting in inaccurate band gaps from DFT and $GW$ methods when compared with existing experimental data. Besides calculating an accurate QMC band gap corrected for supercell size biases and in agreement with numerous experiments, we also predict the cohesive energy of the crystal using the standard fixed-node QMC without any empirical or nonvariational parameters. We show that promotion (optical) gap and fundamental gap agree with each other illustrating a clear absence of significant excitonic effects in the ideal crystal. We obtained these results in perfect consistency in two independent tracks that employ different basis sets (plane wave versus localized Gaussians), different codes for generating orbitals (quantum espresso versus crystal), different QMC codes (qmcpack versus qwalk) and different high-accuracy pseudopotentials (ccECPs versus Troullier-Martins) presenting the maturity and consistency of QMC methodology and tools for studies of strongly correlated problems.
Function, Innervation, and Neurotransmitter Signaling in Mice Lacking Type-II Taste Cells.

Abstract The Skn-1a transcription factor (Pou2f3) is required for Type II taste cell differentiation in taste buds. Taste buds in Skn-1a-/- mice lack Type II taste cells but have a concomitant expansion of Type III cells, providing an ideal model to determine the relative role of taste cell types in response specificity. We confirmed that chorda tympani responses to sweet, bitter, and umami stimuli were greatly reduced in the knock-outs (KOs) compared with wild-type (WT) littermates. Skn-1a-/- mice also had reductions to NaCl that were partially amiloride-insensitive, suggesting that both Type II and Type III cells contribute to amiloride-insensitive salt detection in anterior tongue. We also confirmed that responses to sour stimuli are equivalent in the KOs, despite the large increase in the number of Type III taste cells. To examine their innervation, we crossed the Htr3a-GFP (5-HT3A-GFP) reporter mouse with the Skn-1a-/- mice and examined geniculate ganglion neurons for GFP expression and responses to 5-HT. We found no change in the number of 5-HT3A-expressing neurons with KO of Skn-1a. Calcium imaging showed that only 5-HT3A-expressing neurons respond to exogenous 5-HT, while most neurons respond to ATP, similar to WT mice. Interestingly, despite loss of all Type II cells, the P2X3 antagonist AF353 blocked all chorda tympani responses. These data collectively raise questions pertaining the source of ATP signaling in the absence of Type II taste cells and whether the additional Type III cells are innervated by fibers that would have normally innervated Type II cells. Significance Statement Despite numerous studies, the role of specific taste cell types in taste responsivity and their connectivity to gustatory nerves is incompletely understood. Here we show that in Skn-1a knock-out (KO) mice where only Type I and III cells exist within taste buds, the number of gustatory ganglion cells innervating Type III cells remains unchanged and these neurons exhibit normal responses to gustatory neurotransmitters. Further, we show that although ATP release from taste buds is undetectable in Skn-1a KO mice, ATP is still required to drive gustatory neural output via the chorda tympani nerve. The source of the required ATP is unclear and begs further study.
A young man with hypertension and hypokalemia.

A 20-year-old man with a 1-year history of untreated hypertension presented to the emergency department for evaluation and management of a hypertensive emergency. During the past 3 weeks, he had progressively worsening headaches, and on the day of presentation, his blood pressure was 184/154 mm Hg.
Stability in unstable places: property crime in a campus environment

In recent years, campus crime has become the focus of a growing body of literature; however, spatial analyses only represent a small facet of campus crime research. To date, the majority fails to consider longitudinal aspects of campus crime. To address this gap, this study analyzed geographic similarity between property crime distributions across 3 years of police incident data for a metropolitan university in the southern USA and its surrounding community. Using ArcMap and a spatial test developed by Andresen (Appl Geogr 29(3):333–345, 2009), the degree of similarity between annual, seasonal, and semesterly spatial distributions of property crime were analyzed. The results indicated 41.2% of all property crimes occurred within 5% of locations. Significant levels of similarity for the seasonal and semesterly distributions of on-campus property crime were found, which largely became nonsignificant once zero-crime locations were removed. None of the annual analyses, nor the analyses of the campus and its surrounding community reached a significant level of similarity. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Revisit the effects of fucoidan on gut microbiota in health and disease: What do we know and what do we need to know?

Abstract Fucoidan is a highly sulfated polysaccharide which is mainly isolated from marine brown seaweeds. During the past decades, fucoidan has been the focus of intense research due to its multifunctional properties and profound clinical significance. Today, oral preparations of fucoidan are widely used as therapeutic drugs and dietary supplements in China, Australia, Russia, South Korea and Japan. Accumulating evidence indicates that dietary fucoidan is not absorbed in the upper gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, when reaching the distal colon, fucoidan would exert a significant effect on gut microbiota. Previous studies have illustrated a remarkable array of beneficial impacts of fucoidan on gut microbiota, however, still we are at the beginning of this research field. In this review article, I revisit the effects of fucoidan on gut microbiota in health and disease and highlight that future studies need to focus on deciphering the structure-activity relationship of fucoidan as a potential prebiotic and demonstrating a causal role of gut microbiota in the treatment of diseases by fucoidan and its associated derivatives.
Caution on Plasma Cytokine Findings in 2019 Novel Coronavirus Cases

In the initial 41 cases of 2019 novel coronavirus published in Lancet, elevated blood IL-10 cytokine data from these patients and four healthy subjects were presented as argument to not consider immunosuppressive therapy. We propose this is an erroneous interpretation of the cytokine measures, as parallel increases in pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines indicate an intact immune axis and do not diminish the potential role of immunosuppression. We show data in healthy control subjects strong correlations between pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, and immunosuppressive therapies should be considered in 2019 novel coronavirus cases. Funding: This study was funded by NIH K01AG42498 (WW) and R01AG54046 (WTH). The funders have no role in the data analysis or manuscript preparation. Declaration of Interest: WTH has served as a consultant to ViveBio LLC, Biogen Inc., and AARP Inc.; received research support from Fujirebio USA; and has a patent on CSF-based diagnosis of FTLD-TDP (assigned to Emory University).
What we have learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic: Time to think outside the box, maybe far outside

The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has had a profound effect on our lives and careers; this presentation explores some of the lessons we have learned from it and others that it may yet teach us. Socioeconomic effects have been profound, not all of them favorable. Travel and meeting activities, as well as many other activities, have been severely restricted. Social unrest has become intense, and it may have questionable political consequences, as the United States is undergoing a contested election result.
Surgical Techniques: Operative Decompression Using the Infraclavicular Approach for VTOS with Intraoperative Venography

The infraclavicular approach provides direct access to the costoclavicular space for focused treatment of VTOS. Using this approach anterior first rib resection and subclavian venolysis can be performed within the same procedure without unnecessary exposure or manipulation of the brachial plexus or subclavian artery. Additionally, sacrifice of collateral veins that usually exist in the supraclavicular and axillary areas is easily avoided. Finally, the infraclavicular approach provides excellent exposure for surgical reconstruction of the subclavian vein with either patch angioplasty or interposition bypass grafting if required. This approach offeres excellent technical and clinical results as have been reported by multiple groups.
Encouraging a Culture of Caring for Children with Disabilities: A Cooperative Approach

This article begins by analyzing the Report of the Surgeon General's Conference on Children's Mental Health. This Report vividly documents the plight of children with mental disabilities and their families. A national health crisis has been created due to major deficiencies in the diagnosis, treatment, education, and deliver of other services to children with emotional and behavioral disorders. This article examines the systemic reforms recommended by the Surgeon General's Report to stem this health care crisis.Systemic reforms, however, require a significant amount of time to develop and implement. These reforms occur on a gradual and incremental basis. This article suggests legal measures a state can take on a more expedited basis to improve mental health services for children and their families; measures that can provide a framework for the systemic reforms that are ultimately needed.This article recommends that legal measures to improve mental health care be drafted and implemented from a cooperative interdisciplinary perspective. This approach takes into account the resources and knowledge of all state agencies and institutions, not just those traditionally associated with mental health issues. Areas of suggested legal intervention include the substantive criteria and procedures for residential placement; parental custody relinquishment; the foster care system; and juvenile justice placements.
Conclusion: Reform and the Anthropology of Technopolitics

The conclusion situates statistical reforms as integral to the profound transformations agriculture and rural livelihoods are currently undergoing in Turkey. While Turkey’s official “political” integration with the EU has stalled, its technical and infrastructural integration continues apace, itself a kind of politics pointing to the technopolitical nature of such reform. Ostensible adjustments to technical systems are having major impacts on lives and livelihoods. I close with some reflections on the implications of projects like this one for anthropological work on lives and livelihoods, as well as on the technical regimes of expert knowledge and power that are involved in knowing and intervening upon them.
Virus removal and inactivation in a hybrid microfiltration–UV process with a photocatalytic membrane

Abstract The study describes the first application of photocatalytic membranes for virus removal and inactivation. In the proposed hybrid treatment process, a UV lamp and a microfiltration membrane are positioned in foci of two parabolic reflectors facing each other and UV light is focused on a photocatalyst-coated outer surface of the microfilter. The ceramic tubular membrane (nominal pore size of 0.8 μm) is operated in an inside-out geometry. To evaluate virus removal and inactivation efficiency of the hybrid photocatalytic microfiltration–UV process, bacteriophage P22 is used as a model virus. The kinetics of P22 inactivation by direct UV is found to fit Collins–Selleck model with the coefficient of specific lethality Λ CS = 1.972. Batch UV disinfection and crossflow filtration tests with membranes coated or uncoated with a layer of photocatalyst show that the hybrid photocatalytic microfiltration–UV process is considerably more effective in inactivating the virus (LRV = 5.0 ± 0.7) than the constituent processes – UV disinfection and microfiltration – applied in series (aggregate LRV = 2.0 ± 0.5) or together but without the photocatalytic coating on the membrane (LRV = 2.4 ± 0.2). Potential applications of the proposed treatment process include disinfection of turbid, high fouling potential and high flow rate streams.
Measurement of Gas and Aerosol Phase Absorption Spectra across the Visible and Near-IR Using Supercontinuum Photoacoustic Spectroscopy.

We demonstrate a method to measure the absorption spectra of gas and aerosol species across the visible and near-IR (500 to 840 nm) using a photoacoustic (PA) spectrometer and a pulsed supercontinuum laser source. Measurements of gas phase absorption spectra were demonstrated using H2O(g) as a function of relative humidity (RH). The measured absorption intensities and peak shapes were able to be quantified and compared to spectra calculated using the 2012 High Resolution Transmission (HITRAN2012) database. Size and mass selected nigrosin aerosol was used to measure absorption spectra across the visible and near-IR. Spectra were measured as a function of aerosol size/mass and show good agreement to Mie theory calculations. Lastly, we measured the broadband absorption spectrum of flame generated soot aerosol at 5% and 70% RH. For the high RH case, we are able to quantifiably separate the soot and water absorption contributions. For soot, we observe an enhancement in the mass specific absorption cross sectio...
Death, Bereavement, and Creativity

Does creativity, on average, increase or decrease during bereavement? Dates of death of relatives and close friends of 33 French artists and 15 American artists were gathered from electronic sources and biographies, and information on over 15,000 paintings was collected from the Blouin Art Sales Index and the online collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, the National Gallery of Art, the J. Paul Getty Museum, and the Musee d’Orsay, including more than 12,000 observations on price. An event study indicates that there is no evidence that the death of a friend or relative makes an artist more creative, and there is some evidence that prices of paintings are significantly lower during the first year following the year of death of a friend or relative. Furthermore, paintings that were created during this bereavement period are less likely to be included in a major museum’s collection. The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2017.2850. This paper was...
Nucleolus: Structure and Function

The nucleolus is the nuclear subdomain that assembles ribosomal subunits in eukaryotic cells. The nucleolar organiser regions of chromosomes, which contain the genes for pre-ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA), serve as the foundation for nucleolar structure. The nucleolus disassembles at the beginning of mitosis, its components disperse in various parts of the cell and reassembly occurs during telophase and early G1 phase. Ribosome assembly begins with transcription of pre-rRNA. During transcription ribosomal and nonribosomal proteins attach to the RNA. Subsequently, there is modification and cleavage of pre-rRNA and incorporation of more ribosomal proteins and 5S rRNA into maturing pre-ribosomal complexes. The nucleolus also contains proteins and RNAs that are not related to ribosome assembly and a number of new functions for the nucleolus have been identified. These include assembly of signal recognition particles, sensing cellular stress and transport of human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) messenger RNA. Key Concepts: The nucleolus, whose primary function is to assemble ribosomes, is the largest structure in the cell nucleus. The nucleolus organiser regions of chromosomes, which contain the genes for pre-rRNA, are the foundation for the nucleolus. All active nucleoli contain at least two ultrastructural components, the nucleolar dense fibrillar component representing early pre-ribosomal complexes and the granular component containing more mature pre-ribosomal particles. Most nucleoli in higher eukaryotes also contain fibrillar centres, which are the interphase equivalents of the nucleolus organiser regions. The nucleolus disassembles at the beginning of mitosis and begins to reassemble in telophase. Ribosome assembly begins with the transcription of pre-rRNA by RNA polymerase I. Ribosomal and nonribosomal proteins and 5S RNA associate with the pre-rRNA during and after transcription. The pre-rRNA is modified and processed into rRNA with the aid of nonribosomal proteins and small nucleolar RNAs. The nucleolus has numerous other functions including assembly of signal recognition particles, modification of transfer RNAs and sensing cellular stress. Keywords: nucleolus; ribosome biogenesis; pre-rRNA; RNA processing; SnoRNAs
Improvement of Alumina Dissolution Rate through Alumina Feeder Pipe Modification

Aluminum reduction cells use about 1.9 kg of alumina in order to produce 1 kg of aluminum. That is, for modern reduction cells operating in the 350 to 400 kA range, 5000 to 6000 kg of alumina is fed daily. Considering that 5000 to 10000 kg of molten bath is available to dissolve the alumina, the dissolution rate is an important factor in order to avoid muck and enable alumina feed control system to operate within the 2 to 5% alumina concentration. However, on top of cell status, alumina properties have an impact on alumina dissolution rate. Hence, supplier changes and/or segregation of alumina within the delivery system may have negative impact on alumina dissolution rate leading to muck and/or anode effects. This paper discusses modification to an alumina feeder pipe promoting the dissolution rate. Promising results obtained during trial in a pilot plant section are presented and discussed.
ESTIMATION OF THE ELECTRICAL AXIS OF THE FETAL HEART.

Abstract 1. 1. A method is presented for the estimation of the electrical axis of the fetal heart based upon information avaiable in the fetal electrocardiogram as recorded in a simple fashion with surface electrodes. 2. 2. The electrical axes of the fetal heart, in general, fall into the range +90 to +180 degrees, with a mean at 134 degrees, showing a pronounced right axis shift as compared with the adult EKG. 3. 3. The typical values for the fetal cardiac electrical axis, centering around 138 degrees, are consistent with the significant role of the right side of the heart in intrauterine life and with relatively equal muscularity of the fetal right ventricle as compared with the left. 4. 4. Breech presentations, as expected, show apparent electrical axes with negative values (−180 degrees to 0 degrees). 5. 5. Instances of intrauterine fetal difficulty or fetal distress, and congenital heart disease, seem to be associated with electrical axis values in the upper quadrants (−180 degrees to 0 degrees); hence, it is indicated that the electrical axis of the fetal heart will be a new and useful criterion for the assessment of the state of the fetus, and the fetal heart, in utero.
Ndfip1 limits TH17 differentiation and proinflammatory cytokine production. (LYM3P.741)

Ubiquitination and subsequent degradation of pathway proteins is an important way of terminating an effector cell response. Three classes of enzymes: E1 ubiquitin activating enzymes, E2 ubiquitin conjugating enzymes, and E3 ubiquitin ligases, work sequentially to ubiquitinate selected substrates. Ndfip1 (Nedd4-family interacting protein 1) is a protein that activates the catalytic function of several related E3 ubiquitin ligases. Previous work from our lab showed that mice lacking Ndfip1 have increased numbers of TH17 cells and that Ndfip1 is expressed in T cells. Thus, we hypothesized that Ndfip1 has a T cell-intrinsic role in limiting TH17 cell differentiation. Using a mixed chimera model, we show that T cells that lack Ndfip1 are much more likely to produce IL-17A and GM-CSF, two proinflammatory cytokines produced by TH17 cells. Additionally, Ndfip1-deficient T cells produce more IL-17A and GM-CSF when cultured under TH17 polarizing conditions. These data may help to explain why mice that lack Ndfip1 are more susceptible to IL-17-mediated pathology in a DSS colitis model, compared to their Ndfip1-sufficient counterparts. This work reveals a biologically relevant role for Ndfip1 in limiting TH17 differentiation and GM-CSF production, as well as associated inflammatory pathology. We are now working to identify components of Ndfip1-mediated ubiquitin complexes and determine the underlying mechanism by which Ndfip1 limits proinflammatory cytokine production by TH17 cells.
Using floating-gate based programmable analog arrays for real-time control of a game-playing robot

This paper presents preliminary results of a mobile manipulator robot tasked to play the classic Towers of Hanoi game. We first discuss the control algorithms necessary to enable necessary game-playing behavior and provide results of implementing our methodology in a high fidelity 3D environment. After attaining success in the simulation environment, we provide results on implementation of the same control software using physical robot hardware. Additionally, preliminary analysis for implementing analog Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) control on this platform using a floating-gate based reconfigurable analog IC is explored. Using this concept of floating gate analog arrays for control enables off-loading of the processing, which could be helpful for real-time implementation of robot behavior.
Influence of DMSO on antifungal activity during susceptibility testing in vitro

Dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) binds within the plasma membrane of cells and increases membrane permeability. DMSO is used in antifungal (AF) susceptibility assays for water insoluble agents. DMSO was observed to cause Candida albicans to express enhanced, diminished, or no change in growth compared to control medium, suggesting DMSO could influence the efficacy of water-insoluble AF agents. The activity of 4 water soluble AF agents against 6 yeast species was tested under conditions similar to the CSLI M27-A3 method. Growth response to 0.5% and 1% DMSO was variable. In 15 of 67 AF assays, DMSO resulted in a different MIC-2 (substantial inhibition of growth) value compared to control. Two of these involved differences of two doubling dilutions. The results imply that, in some cases of water-insoluble AF drug-yeast combinations, the MIC-2 may be skewed from the more clinically relevant MIC, providing one reason for possible discordance between MIC results and clinical outcomes.
Necrotizing enterocolitis can be caused by polycythemic hyperviscosity in the newborn dog

Although necrotizing enterocolitis has been associated with polycythemia in human infants, a causal relationship has not been established. Forty-six unanesthetized puppies were studied (age 6 to 14 days). Normovolemic polycythemia (Hct 0.70) was induced in 19 pups by exchange transfusion with 75 ml/kg packed red blood cells. Hypervolemic polycythemia (Hct 0.70) was induced in 14 pups by transfusion with 50 ml/kg RBC. Thirteen pups received exchange transfusion with whole blood and served as controls (Hct 0.40). Gross autopsy was performed on all pups 24 hours after transfusion or at death. Necrotizing enterocolitis was defined as areas of violaceous discoloration of the bowel associated with blood in the intestinal lumen. Although lesions appeared throughout the bowel in some pups, involvement of the distal small bowel was most common. Diagnosis was confirmed by microscopic examination. Both gross and microscopic lesions appeared similar to those in necrotizing enterocolitis in human infants. The disorder was seen in 11 of 19 pups with normovolemic polycythemia, eight of 14 pups with hypervolemic polycythemia, and only one of 13 control animals ( P
Proteomic profile changes in membranes of ethanol-tolerant Clostridium thermocellum

Clostridium thermocellum, a cellulolytic, thermophilic anaerobe, has potential for commercial exploitation in converting fibrous biomass to ethanol. However, ethanol concentrations above 1% (w/v) are inhibitory to growth and fermentation, and this limits industrial application of the organism. Recent work with ethanol-adapted strains suggested that protein changes occurred during ethanol adaptation, particularly in the membrane proteome. A two-stage Bicine-doubled sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis protocol was designed to separate membrane proteins and circumvent problems associated with membrane protein analysis using traditional gel-based proteomics approaches. Wild-type and ethanol-adapted C. thermocellum membranes displayed similar spot diversity and approximately 60% of proteins identified from purified membrane fractions were observed to be differentially expressed in the two strains. A majority (73%) of differentially expressed proteins were down-regulated in the ethanol-adapted strain. Based on putative identifications, a significant proportion of these down-regulated proteins were involved with carbohydrate transport and metabolism. Approximately one-third of the up-regulated proteins in the ethanol-adapted species were associated with chemotaxis and signal transduction. Overall, the results suggested that membrane-associated proteins in the ethanol-adapted strain are either being synthesized in lower quantities or not properly incorporated into the cell membrane.
Late-onset pure cerebellar ataxia: Differentiating those with and without identifiable mutations

Late onset cerebellar ataxia can be caused by several genetic mutations but a large percentage of patients remain undiagnosed. Thirty-eight patients with onset of slowly progressive, pure cerebellar ataxia >or=40 years-of-age were identified from a large ataxia database. Their clinical findings and quantitative oculomotor tests were reviewed; all were screened for SCA1, SCA2, SCA3, SCA6, SCA8, SCA14, and the Fragile X premutation (FMR1). All 47 exons of CACNA1A were screened for mutations. Genetic analysis uncovered a mutation in 11 patients. The SCA6 mutation was present in 8 patients (repeats 22-23). Three additional genetic mutations were found: SCA1 (42 repeats), SCA3 (66 repeats), and SCA8 (121 repeats). Patients without identified genetic mutations were characterized by 1) a later age of onset, 2) truncal without extremity ataxia, 3) and down beat nystagmus. Although only a third of these idiopathic late onset ataxia patients had a positive family history, this homogeneous syndrome probably represents a yet to be identified genetic disorder.
Mexican American intergenerational caregiving model.

This study employed grounded theory to formulate a conceptual model of intergenerational caregiving among Mexican American families. The sample consisted of 10 Mexican American caregivers of various generations older than 21 who provided at least one intermittent service (without pay at least once a month) to an elder, related through consanguinal or acquired kinship ties. The inductively generated theory of role acceptance is composed of four phases: (a) introduction—early caregiving experiences, (b) role reconciliation, (c) role imprint, and (d) providing or projecting care. This model can be used to study varied generations of Mexican American caregivers. It also provides a framework for comparison with other groups of caregivers. The results can help in designing nursing interventions to support caregivers based on understanding the issues, to create and design systems that address the varying and ever-changing needs of informal caregivers, and to assist in the formulation of policy that supports Mexi...
Exploitation of complementary sensors for precise ground-registration of sensed objects

In remote sensing, one is often interested in not only ascertaining the presence of certain resources or objects of interest, but also in determining their locations. Ground registration involves locating the target in sensor coordinates and performing a series of coordinate transformations to convert this location to earth coordinates. One application of this would be in preparing a scaled map showing the precise locations of the resources/objects of interest. To improve ground registration accuracy one can combine multiple looks from a single sensor and/or looks from multiple sensors. One advantage in utilizing multiple sensors is that one can fuse the measurements in such a way as to exploit the best characteristics of each sensor. This paper is applied to vehicular mounted remote sensing and presents the benefits obtained when combining radar and IR as a means of determining ground coordinates of the objects of interest.
Germ-line specific variants of components of the mitochondrial outer membrane import machinery in Drosophila

A search of the Drosophila genome for genes encoding components of the mitochondrial translocase of outer membrane (TOM) complex revealed duplication of genes encoding homologues of Tom20 and Tom40. Tom20 and Tom40 were represented by two differentially expressed homologues in the Drosophila genome. While dtom20 and dtom40 appeared to be expressed ubiquitously, the second variants, called tomboy20 and tomboy40, were expressed only in the male germ-line. Transcripts for tomboy20 and tomboy40 were detected in primary spermatocytes as well as post-meiotic stages. Transcription of tomboy20 and tomboy40 in spermatocytes was not dependent on the transcription factor Cannonball, which is responsible for controlling expression of gene products exclusively required for post-meiotic germ cell differentiation. Epitope-tagging and transient expression of dTom20 and Tomboy40 in mammalian cell culture showed proper targeting to mitochondria.
Statistical Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus quasiequilibrium theory calculations in mass spectrometry

The statistical theory [Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus quasiequilibrium theory (RRKM/QET)] for calculating dissociation rate constants is explained and its implementation is outlined with sample computer programs. The energy deposition involved in various types of ionization processes is discussed and related to the appearance of the mass spectrum. The RRKM/QET calculations are used to explain the kinetic shift and its effect on the observed onset for fragmentations in the halobenzene ions. Direct dissociation versus rearrangement reactions are discussed in terms of the dissociation rates and the observation of metastable ions. Finally, it is shown how an average rate constant can be obtained from metastable peak intensities as a function of the ion extraction voltage in a conventional mass spectrometer.
Designing and manufacturing Surface Mount Assemblies

Summary Surface mount assembly techniques provide a significant advantage at cost, volume, and reliability over the current “thru-hole” technology. These are well documented and the manufacturing equipment and related products are becoming readily available to support new production lines. Also, as experience grows, improved products and ideas are developed from the cooperative efforts of vendors and users in standardization organizations and in problem solving sessions. The broad selection of package types and product technologies available now are sufficient to begin conversion of existing electronic system products for size reduction or feature enhancement. Definitely, new products should be designed with surface mount technology.
Adjustable ellipsoid nanoparticles assembled from re-engineered connectors of the bacteriophage phi29 DNA packaging motor.

A 24 × 30 nm ellipsoid nanoparticle containing 84 subunits or 7 dodecamers of the re-engineered core protein of the bacteriophage phi29 DNA packaging motor was constructed. Homogeneous nanoparticles were obtained with simple one-step purification. Electron microscopy and analytical ultracentrifugation were employed to elucidate the structure, shape, size, and mechanism of assembly. The formation of this structure was mediated and stabilized by N-terminal peptide extensions. Reversal of the 84-subunit ellipsoid nanoparticle to its dodecamer subunit was controlled by the cleavage of the extended N-terminal peptide with a protease. The 84 outward-oriented C-termini were conjugated with a streptavidin binding peptide which can be used for the incorporation of markers. This further extends the application of this nanoparticle to pathogen detection and disease diagnosis by signal enhancement.
On the rumpling mechanism in nickel-aluminide coatings Part II: characterization of surface undulations and bond coat swelling

A quantitative characterization of the surface morphology of platinum-modified nickel aluminide bond coats that develops in the course of cyclic and isothermal oxidation at 1150 °C is presented. The amplitude and wavelength of surface undulations and their evolution with oxidation time are evaluated. Surface roughening (rumpling) is accompanied by swelling of the bond coat, especially during the initial stages of oxidation. The experimental results indicate that the two processes may be related and a possible link between rumpling and swelling is suggested. It is expected that the data will be useful in developing refined models of rumpling.
Depletion of cultured human fibroblasts of pyridoxal 5′-phospate: Effect on activities of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and cystathionine β-synthase

Abstract Human skin fibroblasts were grown in culture medium containing virtually no pyridoxal. Cells cultured under these conditions grew to confluence for several passages without morphologic signs of degeneration and without changes in activity of two control enzymes, hexokinase and lactate dehydrogenase. The pyridoxal 5′-phosphate content of these fibroblasts fell to about 3% of values obtained during growth in pyridoxal-supplemented medium. The effect of such depletion on the activities of three pyridoxal 5′-phosphate-dependent enzymes was assessed during four consecutive passages. Total activity of cystathionine β-synthase and of aspartate aminotransferase in cell extracts fell to a mean of 50% of control values whereas total activity of alanine aminotransferase remained unchanged. Saturation of these enzymes with cofactor differed as well. The ratio of holoenzyme activity to total enzyme activity fell to less than 15% or predepletion values for cystathionine β-synthase and to 60% for aspartate aminotransferase. In contrast, alanine aminotransferase remained completely saturated with cofactor. Maximal saturation of aspartate amino-transferase with pyridoxal 5′-phosphate was achieved when pyridoxal 5′-phosphate-depleted fibroblasts were grown in medium containing as little as 1 ng/ml of pyridoxal, but addition of 10 ng/ml of pyridoxal was required for maximal saturation of cystathionine β-synthase. Maximal intracellular content of pyridoxal 5′-phosphate was achieved only when 100 ng/ml of pyridoxal was added to the growth medium. Interestingly, the activity of pyridoxine kinase remained constant during all depletion and repletion experiments. We conclude that the ability to grow human fibroblasts under these conditions provides a system for the study of apoenzyme-coenzyme interactions both in intact cultured cells and in cell extracts.
Clonidine impairs recovery of beam-walking after a sensorimotor cortex lesion in the rat.

Beam-walking in the rat is a useful model for studying the effects of drugs on motor recovery following brain injury. In the present experiment, the effect of clonidine HCl on beam-walking recovery was investigated. Groups of rats were first trained to traverse a narrow elevated beam and then subjected to a right sensorimotor cortex suction-ablation injury. After 24 h, each rat received a single dose of clonidine HCl (20, 60, or 200 micrograms/kg, i.p., salt weight) or saline. Recovery of beam-walking ability was scored over the next 12 days. Treatment with clonidine significantly slowed the rate of recovery (Kruskal-Wallis H = 8.755, df = 3; 0.02 less than P less than 0.05). Furthermore, the impairment persisted for at least 5 days after the rats were treated (Kruskal-Wallis H = 8.47, df = 3; 0.02 less than P less than 0.05). These data are consistent with the hypothesis that norepinephrine, working through central alpha 2-adrenergic receptors, influences motor recovery after a unilateral sensorimotor cortex lesion in the rat. Since many stroke patients are treated with centrally acting antihypertensive drugs, the potential effects of specific classes of these drugs during the recovery period, should be carefully considered.
Patients with CHF and depression have greater risk of mortality and morbidity than patients without depression.

We thank Dr. Jiang and colleagues for their thoughtful comments. We were pleased to read their well-done study [(1)][1]published almost concurrently with ours [(2)][2]. Whereas their study shares a number of similarities with ours, it also presents a number of differences that might explain why the