cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Online Teacher Education: A Formal-Informal Partnership Between Brooklyn College and the American Museum of Natural History

This article describes the evolution of a partnership between Brooklyn College (BC) of the City University of New York (CUNY) and the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) that ultimately resulted in the formal incorporation of the museum's online Seminars on Science (SoS) courses into master's degree programs at Brooklyn College for teachers of science in childhood and middle childhood. The challenges faced and their resolution are described along with program evaluations and participant comments.
Rationale for the application of exposure and response prevention to the treatment of anorexia nervosa

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a serious illness, affecting approximately 1% of women and one tenth as many men.(1) The disorder is characterized by severe restriction of food intake resulting in an inappropriately low body weight, intense fear of weight gain, and self-evaluation strongly related to body shape and weight. Mortality rates of individuals with AN can be as high as 10%, with the likelihood of death increasing with longer duration of illness.(2–4) Treatment for AN typically begins with acute weight restoration. Behavioral approaches that focus on weight restoration, developed in the 1960s and 1970s, led to inpatient and day treatment programs that, given adequate time, are successful in restoring body weight to near-normal levels. However, after successful weight restoration, many patients continue to exhibit significant eating disorder psychopathology, including fear of “fat,” excessive preoccupation with shape and weight, and abnormal eating behaviors. The rate of relapse following acute treatment is substantial, with as many as 30–50% of adult hospitalized patients requiring re-hospitalization within one year of discharge.(5–7) A recent treatment trial for patients with AN attempted to prevent relapse by providing cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), emphasizing normalized eating and cognitive restructuring, with either fluoxetine or placebo and observed relapse rates of up to 57% after one year.(8) These high relapse rates highlight that acute weight restoration is only a first step in a more extensive recovery process for patients with AN,(9) and that current treatments available to prevent relapse are not adequate. Given the substantial relapse rate in this population, new treatment approaches are needed. Treatment approaches to AN, especially medication trials, have typically been based on phenomenological similarities between AN and other psychiatric illnesses. For example, the common occurrence of depressive symptoms among patients with AN, especially but not exclusively during the underweight state, led to a number of studies evaluating antidepressant treatments.(10) However, these medication treatments have been disappointing. Nonetheless, the pursuit of parallels with other, better characterized disorders with interventions of established efficacy remains appealing.(11–13) The purpose of this review is to describe: 1) the hypothesis that anxiety is central to the perpetuation of AN; 2) the rationale for utilizing CBT principles of Exposure and Response Prevention for treatment of AN; and 3) an outline of how Exposure and Response Prevention might be adapted for the treatment of individuals with AN.
Inhaled nitric oxide therapy in children

Inhaled nitric oxide therapy improves oxygenation and reduces the need for treatment with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in term newborns with hypoxaemic respiratory failure and persistent pulmonary hypertension. In this review, we summarise the current status of iNO therapy in the newborn and the potential role of iNO in other paediatric populations.
FEM-predicted regional tissue strains aligned with the white matter tracts predict axonal injury

Finite element modeling (FEM) is frequently used to study the biomechanical effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Utility of these models in predicting tissue injury depends on close correspondence between calculated mechanical response parameters and those actually occurring in tissue, as well as the establishment of accurate thresholds of tissue injury for each of these parameters. We developed a three-dimensional FEM of the neonatal piglet brain and used it to predict the spatial distributions of tissue strains during horizontal, coronal and sagittal rotations of the head in order to evaluate our hypothesis that the spatial pattern of axonal injury is attributed to differences in regional tissue strains. The maximum principal strains and the white matter tract (WMT) oriented strains were compared. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was used to obtain the directions of the axonal fibers in the white matter tracts. While both maximum principal strains and the white matter tract oriented strains are correlated with regional axonal injury, WMT-oriented strain had a higher predictive power (WMT strain Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) area under curve = 0.848; Max Principal Strain ROC area under curve=0.807). The strain thresholds predicting axonal injury were 4.7% for WMT strain and 39.9% for Max Principal Strain.
Structural modification of simply-supported laminated plates using embedded shape memory alloy fibers

Abstract Shape memory alloy (SMA) fibers, and in particular Nitinol fibers, have been embedded in advanced composite materials to demonstrate numerous structural control/modification concepts. A large number of control concepts have been postulated, formulated and demonstrated by using the unique control parameters available from Nitinol fiber actuators. Several new paradigms for structural design and control have resulted from the unusual behavior and mechanical properties of SMA. A brief introduction to SMA, laminated composite plates with embedded SMA fibers and a description of some of the available control parameters is presented. A linear analysis for a simply-supported symmetrically laminated composite plate embedded with SMA fibers using the Rayleigh-Ritz method is presented. Results of deflection, free vibration, buckling, and structural acoustic control are discussed. Two novel structural control techniques, active strain energy tuning (ASET) and active property tuning (APT), are highlighted and the authority of each technique demonstrated.
Unidirectional block between isolated rabbit ventricular cells coupled by a variable resistance.

We have used pairs of electrically coupled cardiac cells to investigate the dependence of successful conduction of an action potential on three components of the conduction process: (a) the amount of depolarization required to be produced in the nonstimulated cell (the "sink" for current flow) to initiate an action potential in the nonstimulated cell, (b) the intercellular resistance as the path for intercellular current flow, and (c) the ability of the stimulated cell to maintain a high membrane potential to serve as the "source" of current during the conduction process. We present data from eight pairs of simultaneously recorded rabbit ventricular cells, with the two cells of each pair physically separated from each other. We used an electronic circuit to pass currents into and out of each cell such that these currents produced the effects of any desired level of intercellular resistance. The cells of equal size (as assessed by their current threshold and their input resistance for small depolarizations) show bidirectional failure of conduction at very high values of intercellular resistance which then converts to successful bidirectional conduction at lower values of intercellular resistance. For cell pairs with asymmetrical cell sizes, there is a large range of values of intercellular resistance over which unidirectional block occurs with conduction successful from the larger cell to the smaller cell but with conduction block from the smaller cell to the larger cell. We then further show that one important component which limits the conduction process is the large early repolarization which occurs in the stimulated cell during the process of conduction, a process that we term "source loading."
Use of an Annular Chamber for Testing Thermal Preference of Westslope Cutthroat Trout and Rainbow Trout

ABSTRACT Remaining populations of westslope cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii iewisi) in western North America are primarily confined to cold headwaters whereas nonnative rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) predominate in warmer, lower elevation stream sections historically occupied by westslope cutthroat trout. We tested whether differing thermal preferences could account for the spatial segregation observed in the field. Thermal preferences of age-1 westslope cutthroat trout and rainbow trout (125 to 150 mm total length) were assessed in the laboratory using a modified annular preference chamber at acclimation temperatures of 10, 12, 14, and 16°C. Final preferred temperature of westslope cutthroat trout (14.9°C) was similar to that of rainbow trout (143°C) when tested in a thermal gradient of 11–17°C. The high degree of overlap in thermal preference indicates the two species have similar thermal niches and a high potential for competition. We suggest several modifications to the annular preference c...
Nonparametric Steganalysis of QIM Steganography Using Approximate Entropy

This paper proposes an active steganalysis method for quantization index modulation (QIM)-based steganography. The proposed nonparametric steganalysis method uses irregularity (or randomness) in the test image to distinguish between the cover image and the stego image. We have shown that plain quantization (quantization without message embedding) induces regularity in the resulting quantized object, whereas message embedding using QIM increases irregularity in the resulting QIM-stego. Approximate entropy, an algorithmic entropy measure, is used to quantify irregularity in the test image. The QIM-stego image is then analyzed to estimate secret message length. To this end, the QIM codebook is estimated from the QIM-stego image using first-order statistics of the image coefficients in the embedding domain. The estimated codebook is then used to estimate secret message. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme can successfully estimate the hidden message from the QIM-stego with very low decoding error probability. For a given cover object the decoding error probability depends on embedding rate and decreases monotonically, approaching zero as the embedding rate approaches one.
Alaska's delta agricultural project: A review and analysis☆

Abstract The process of agricultural development for one of the United States, Alaska, is analysed. Economic activity in Alaska has mainly been oriented towards resource extraction and an agricultural industry is underdeveloped. In the past, gold discoveries and, more recently, oil, have attracted large numbers of people to the region for relatively short periods of time. These periodic changes have forced the regional economy through a series of boom-bust cycles. The development of agriculture which began in the 1970's is one attempt to reduce the cyclical nature of the state's economy. One example of this development effort is the Delta agricultural project. This project consists of a 60,000 acre tract of latent agricultural land which is planned to be in agricultural production by 1982. Farm sizes are large, averaging 2600 acres. A benefit/cost analysis indicates the project to be economically feasible for two crops: barley and rapeseed. Public involvement in the project comes largely through actions by state government. These include sale of state land, development of government financing and organisation of project marketing. An increasing involvement in financing and marketing from the private sector is anticipated following indications of successful production and marketing of crops. Problems related primarily to marketing and individual farm management remain and must be resolved generally through actions of the affected public. Project success will most probably come as these issues are addressed on a continuing basis.
Simple Direct Coupling for a Flame Detector and an HPLC Column

Trace metal speciation, as a means to indicate likely sources and transportation mechanisms of elements in the environment, is of vital importance to both the analytical chemist and the toxicologist. Several workers have described methods involving the direct coupling of chromatographic columns to various atomic spectroscopic detectors. These include graphite furnace atomic absorption, inductively coupled plasma emission, flame emission, and flame absorption spectrometry.
QUARK-ANTIQUARK CONDENSATES IN STRONG MAGNETIC FIELDS

We discuss the effect of large external magnetic fields on the QCD vacuum structure. We show that the deformed vacuum leads to substantial changes in the hadronic spectrum.
Sexual behavior in sexually abused children

Sexual behavior is reported more often in sexually abused children than in nonabused children, but the consistency of this finding varies with the research method.
Full-wave modeling of sub-millimeter wave diode parasitics

Intrinsic carrier dynamics and extrinsic parasitic couplings of zero-bias millimeter-wave and submillimeter-wave diodes are investigated in the context of THz integrated circuits. More specifically, a two-step diode characterization procedure, aimed at improving device performance in the THz band is developed. Intrinsic and extrinsic effects are considered independently to clearly identify the factors impacting high frequency operation. Numerical examples, involving a sub-mmW Schottky barrier diode are presented to illustrate the working mechanism of the proposed characterization technique.
Pulmonary function changes in long-term survivors of bone marrow transplantation

Purpose: This study was undertaken to evaluate long-term pulmonary function changes in patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation (BMT), to assess their clinical significance, and to identify factors influencing these changes. Methods and Materials: Pulmonary function tests (PFT) were evaluated before and after BMT in 11 adult patients undergoing BMT between 1985 and 1991. Forced expiratory volume at 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), diffusing capacity (DLCO), and total lung capacity (TLC) were evaluated. One hundred and three patients (92.8%) received total body irradiation (TBI) to a total dose of 14 Gy in nine equal fractions. The lung dose was restricted to <6.5 Gy in 95% of patients with partial transmission lung shielding. Seventy-eight percent of patients had acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD), 69% chronic graft-vs.-host disease (cGVHD), and 63% posttransplant pulmonary infection. Effects of GVHD, TBI, radiation dose to the lungs, dose rate of TBI, posttransplant pulmonary infection. Busulfan use for conditioning, age, and history of smoking were evaluated for their influence on pulmonary function. Results: Posttransplant FEV1, FVC, and TLC were lower than pretransplant values (< 0.05) at 6 months and 1 year posttransplant with subsequent recovery. DLCO was significantly lower at all posttransplant intervals. FEV1 did not fall significantly in patients without acute or chronic GVHD and recovered earlier than in patients without posttransplant pulmonary infection. Recovery of FVC, TLC, and DLCO was also delayed in patients with acute and chronic GVHD and posttransplant pulmonary infection. Multiple regression analysis revealed an association between a higher radiation dose to the lungs, and decreased FVC at 2 years (p = 0.01). Progressive obstructive pulmonary disease was not observed. Conclusion: An initial decline in PFTs with subsequent recovery was observed. Factors associated with delayed recovery and incomplete recovery of PFTs were GVHD, posttransplant pulmonary infection, and higher radiation dose to the lungs. The conditioning regimen used at Medical College of Wisconsin, including relatively high TBI doses with partial transmission pulmonary shielding, appears to be well tolerated by the lungs in long-term survivors. No progressive decline in PFTs or symptomatic decline in pulmonary function was observed during the time interval studied.
Ion Cyclotron and Fast Hydromagnetic Wave Generation in the ST Tokamak

A test coil operating at 25 MHz is used to generate waves in the vicinity of the ion-cyclotron frequency and its harmonics in the $\mathrm{ST}$ tokamak. Coil-loading and magnetic-probe signals show that propagating natural modes are excited efficiently in this plasma torus for both slow (ion cyclotron) and fast hydromagnetic waves. These data permit the formulation of an empirical model for wave propagation in the toroidal plasma.
Regulation of the Profile of Iron-Management Proteins in Brain Microvasculature:

The distribution of brain iron is heterogeneous, but the mechanism by which these regional differences are achieved and maintained is unknown. In this study, the authors test two hypotheses related to brain iron transport. The first is that there is regional variability in the profile of proteins associated with iron transport and storage in the brain microvasculature. The second hypothesis is that the iron status of the brain will dictate the response of the protein profile in the microvasculature to changes in systemic iron status. The profile analysis consists of transferrin (iron transport), ferritin (iron storage), transferrin receptor (iron uptake), and divalent metal transporter 1 (release of iron from endosomes). An additional protein involved in cellular iron efflux, ferroportin, was not detected in brain microvasculature. The results show that there are significantly higher levels of these proteins in the microvasculature from each area of the brain compared to a whole brain homogenate, but no regional differences within the microvasculature. The levels of ferritin observed in the microvasculature indicate that the microvascular endothelial cells have significant iron storage capacity. There are no significant changes in the regional protein profiles in response to systemic iron manipulation when brain iron status was normal. In contrast, in Belgrade rats, whose brain is iron deficient, the expression of both divalent metal transporter 1 and transferrin receptor was increased compared with control in almost all brain regions examined, but not transferrin or ferritin. These findings indicate that regional brain iron heterogeneity is not maintained by differences in microvascular iron-management protein levels. The results also indicate that brain iron status dictates the response of the microvascular protein profile to systemic iron manipulation.
5-HT3 receptor antagonism by ondansetron does not attenuate prolactin response tod-fenfluramine challenge in healthy human subjects

Prolactin responses tod-fenfluramine (d-FEN) challenge (0.5 mg/kg PO) were examined after pre-treatment with and without the 5-HT3 receptor antagonist ondansetron (16 mg PO) in 11 physically healthy male volunteers. Compared to pretreatment with placebo, pre-treatment with ondansetron did not significantly attenuate the PRL response tod-FEN challenge. These data are consistent with other data suggesting little role for 5-HT3 receptors in the PRL response to 5-HT agonist challenge in human subjects.
Solution structure and peptide binding studies of the C-terminal Src homology 3-like domain of the diphtheria toxin repressor protein

The diphtheria toxin repressor (DtxR) is the best-characterized member of a family of homologous proteins that regulate iron uptake and virulence gene expression in the Gram-positive bacteria. DtxR contains two domains that are separated by a short, unstructured linker. The N-terminal domain is structurally well-defined and is responsible for Fe2+ binding, dimerization, and DNA binding. The C-terminal domain adopts a fold similar to eukaryotic Src homology 3 domains, but the functional role of the C-terminal domain in repressor activity is unknown. The solution structure of the C-terminal domain, consisting of residues N130-L226 plus a 13-residue N-terminal extension, has been determined by using NMR spectroscopy. Residues before A147 are highly mobile and adopt a random coil conformation, but residues A147-L226 form a single structured domain consisting of five β-strands and three helices arranged into a partially orthogonal, two-sheet β-barrel, similar to the structure observed in the crystalline Co2+ complex of full-length DtxR. Chemical shift perturbation studies demonstrate that a proline-rich peptide corresponding to residues R125-G139 of intact DtxR binds to the C-terminal domain in a pocket formed by residues in β-strands 2, 3, and 5, and helix 3. Binding of the proline-rich peptide by the C-terminal domain of DtxR presents an example of peptide binding by a prokaryotic Src homology 3-like protein. The results of this study, combined with previous x-ray studies of intact DtxR, provide insights into a possible biological function of the C-terminal domain in regulating repressor activity.
Pretreatment elevated D-dimer levels without systemic inflammatory response are associated with thrombotic complications of thermal ablation of the great saphenous vein.

Objective To examine possible association of plasma levels of biomarkers of inflammation and hemostatic activation with the incidence of thrombotic complications after thermal ablation of the great saphenous vein (GSV). Methods This was a prospective cohort study of 120 patients with primary chronic venous disease and reflux limited to the GSV and its tributaries, who were to undergo treatment with radiofrequency ablation of the GSV. Plasma concentration of C-reactive protein (high-sensitivity CRP) and D-dimer were measured immediately prior to the ablation procedure, and in 64 patients, at 20 to 36 hours, 1 week, and 1 month after the treatment. A complete bilateral duplex ultrasound scan was performed prior to treatment, within the first 36 hours and at 1 month after treatment. Incidence of thrombotic complications was based on findings of duplex ultrasound scans. Results Sixteen patients developed thrombotic complications. These included seven endovenous heat-induced thromboses, seven thromboses of untreated superficial veins, one thrombosis of the posterior tibial vein, and one gastrocnemius vein thrombosis. In two patients, endovenous heat-induced thromboses coincided with superficial phlebitis. Multivariate analysis showed that patients who had a combination of normal baseline levels of CRP and elevated levels of D-dimer were more than seven times more likely to develop thrombotic complications compared with all other patients (odds ratio, 7.3; 95% confidence interval, 2.2-23.9; P = .002). Both CRP and D-dimer levels significantly increased at 24 to 36 hours and returned to the baseline values at 1 month after the treatment. The D-dimer levels were significantly higher in patients with thrombotic complications at the baseline, 24 to 36 hours and 1 week after the treatment but became not statistically significant a month after the treatment. Conclusions These findings suggest that preoperative activation of the hemostatic system plays an important role in the development of thrombotic complications after thermal ablation of the GSV and that such activation can be detected by commonly used clinical practice laboratory tests.
Made you blink! Contingent attentional capture produces a spatial blink.

Previous studies have shown that the capture of attention by an irrelevant stimulus can be eliminated by foreknowledge of the spatial location of the relevant target stimulus. To explore whether spatial certainty is sufficient to eliminate capture, four experiments are reported in which the spatial location of the target is certain but the temporal position is uncertain. Subjects viewed a central rapid serial visual presentation stream in which a target letter was defined by a particular color (e.g., red). On critical trials, irrelevant color singletons appeared in the periphery. In Experiments 1 and 2, peripheral singletons produced a decrement in central target identification that was contingent on the match between the singleton color and the target color. Experiments 3 and 4 provided evidence that this decrement reflected a shift of spatial attention to the location of the distractor. The results suggest that spatial certainty is not sufficient to eliminate attentional capture and that attentional capture can result in a spatial “blink” that is conditional on top-down attentional control settings.
A method for computing multicomponent chemical equilibria based on equilibrium constants

Abstract The equilibrium activities and concentrations of N chemical species in a multicomponent system may be calculated given M independent equilibrium constants relating these species and N - M mass balances. These N equations are solved by Newton-Raphson iteration. Where initial concentration estimates are poor or the number of species large, an additional curve crawler technique introduces components by stepwise infinitesimal increments.
Effects of increasing intensity levels of intermittent and continuous 1000-Hz tones on human equilibrium.

Human equilibrium was measured during exposure to continuous and intermittent 1000-Hz tones presented both asymmetrically (one ear) and symmetrically (both ears). Intermittency combined with asymmetry produced greater decrements in equilibrium than either variable alone. The results are interpreted as a possible demonstration of acoustic stimulation of the vestibular system.
Discriminative stimulus effects of N-substituted analogs of phencyclidine in rhesus monkeys

In daily sessions of a two-lever, discrete-trial, food-reinforced procedure, rhesus monkeys were trained to discriminate between subcutaneous injections of ketamine (1.0 or 1.8 mg/kg) and control injections. In tests of stimulus generalization, cumulative doses of drugs were administered in single sessions and either control- or ketamine-appropriate responding produced food. Ketamine (1.8 and 3.2 mg/kg) and phencyclidine (0.32 mg/kg) produced an average of more than 90% ketamine-appropriate responding. In contrast, d-amphetamine, atropine, chlorpromazine, codeine, diazepam and quipazine, tested at doses up to and including those that markedly reduced response rates, produced exclusively control-appropriate responding. Dose-related ketamine-appropriate responding was produced by each of ten 1-phenylcyclohexylamines, the potencies of which varied with the length, electronegativity, and number of N-alkyl chains present. The most potent analog of phencyclidine, N-ethyl-1-phenylcyclohexylamine, was approximately equipotent with phencyclidine. These data are consistent with previous reports that the discriminative stimulus effects produced by phencyclidine are representative of a unique class of drugs, and that alkyl substitutions in the region of the piperidine ring alter the potency, but not the characteristic pharmacological activity, of the resulting analogs. The potencies of some of these analogs compared to phencyclidine in rhesus monkeys, however, differed from their relative potencies in rodents. Thus, there appear to be species differences in the role of the nitrogen pharmacophore of these compounds in producing phencyclidine-like behavioral effects.
On the compression of locational and environmental data in multi-vehicle missions: a control systems approach

Mobile agents that take part in multi-vehicle missions usually need to share environmental and locational information with other agents and with control stations through a communication channel. In real scenarios, the agents have to deal with different communication issues, such as interference, loss of connectivity and unexpected reduction of available bandwidth. One way to overcome these issues is by minimising the amount of data in the communication channel, which not only speeds up the sharing of information, but would also avoid the loss of data. We propose a control systems approach that allows the compression of the shared information. Given some problem-dependent mathematical assumptions, our method aims to simplify the calculation of the stationary errors by computing the sign of the errors rather than their exact values and the control law may then be used to stabilise the system. The approach allows for the compression of the outputs involved in the calculation of the errors as such outputs rep...
Constrained Kalman filtering via density function truncation for turbofan engine health estimation

Kalman filters are often used to estimate the state variables of a dynamic system. However, in the application of Kalman filters some known signal information is often either ignored or dealt with heuristically. For instance, state variable constraints (which may be based on physical considerations) are often neglected because they do not fit easily into the structure of the Kalman filter. This article develops an analytic method of incorporating state variable inequality constraints in the Kalman filter. The resultant filter truncates the probability density function (PDF) of the Kalman filter estimate at the known constraints and then computes the constrained filter estimate as the mean of the truncated PDF. The incorporation of state variable constraints increases the computational effort of the filter but also improves its estimation accuracy. The improvement is demonstrated via simulation results obtained from a turbofan engine model. It is also shown that the truncated Kalman filter may provide a more accurate way of incorporating inequality constraints than other constrained filters (e.g. the projection approach to constrained filtering).
The content of social media's shared images about Ebola: a retrospective study

Abstract Objective Social media have strongly influenced awareness and perceptions of public health emergencies, but a considerable amount of social media content is now carried through images, rather than just text. This study's objective is to explore how image-sharing platforms are used for information dissemination in public health emergencies. Study design Retrospective review of images posted on two popular image-sharing platforms to characterize public discourse about Ebola. Methods Using the keyword ‘#ebola’ we identified a 1% sample of images posted on Instagram and Flickr across two sequential weeks in November 2014. Images from both platforms were independently coded by two reviewers and characterized by themes. We reviewed 1217 images posted on Instagram and Flickr and identified themes. Results Nine distinct themes were identified. These included: images of health care workers and professionals [308 (25%)], West Africa [75 (6%)], the Ebola virus [59 (5%)], and artistic renderings of Ebola [64 (5%)]. Also identified were images with accompanying embedded text related to Ebola and associated: facts [68 (6%)], fears [40 (3%)], politics [46 (4%)], and jokes [284 (23%)]. Several [273 (22%)] images were unrelated to Ebola or its sequelae. Instagram images were primarily coded as jokes [255 (42%)] or unrelated [219 (36%)], while Flickr images primarily depicted health care workers and other professionals [281 (46%)] providing care or other services for prevention or treatment. Conclusion Image sharing platforms are being used for information exchange about public health crises, like Ebola. Use differs by platform and discerning these differences can help inform future uses for health care professionals and researchers seeking to assess public fears and misinformation or provide targeted education/awareness interventions.
Robustness analysis and tuning of synthetic gene networks

Motivation: The goal of synthetic biology is to design and construct biological systems that present a desired behavior. The construction of synthetic gene networks implementing simple functions has demonstrated the feasibility of this approach. However, the design of these networks is difficult, notably because existing techniques and tools are not adapted to deal with uncertainties on molecular concentrations and parameter values. Results: We propose an approach for the analysis of a class of uncertain piecewise-multiaffine differential equation models. This modeling framework is well adapted to the experimental data currently available. Moreover, these models present interesting mathematical properties that allow the development of efficient algorithms for solving robustness analyses and tuning problems. These algorithms are implemented in the tool RoVerGeNe, and their practical applicability and biological relevance are demonstrated on the analysis of the tuning of a synthetic transcriptional cascade built in Escherichia coli. Availability: RoVerGeNe and the transcriptional cascade model are available at http://iasi.bu.edu/%7Ebatt/rovergene/rovergene.htm Contact: gregory.batt@imag.fr
The Sandstone-Derived Provenance Record of the Gualala Basin, Northern California, U.S.A.

Abstract Detrital zircon U/Pb ages and Pb isotope compositions of detrital feldspars from the Late Cretaceous–Eocene Gualala Basin in northern California indicate that the basin received sediments from the southern Sierra Nevada, the Mojave block, and the Salinian block. Mesozoic detrital-zircon age components and Pb isotope compositions of detrital feldspars from the basin are similar to U/Pb zircon ages and Pb isotope compositions from previously studied coeval conglomerate clasts. The detrital zircons and feldspars, however, also include additional age and Pb isotope components that are unobserved or poorly represented in the conglomerate-based provenance record. These new data suggest a more complex provenance history than that inferred from previously studied conglomerate clasts, and strongly imply a connection to the Mojave Desert. Provenance evolution of the sediments in the basin indicates that significant contribution of sediment from the Mojave Desert began during the Paleocene, when it is inferred that the drainage network expanded eastward from its previous extent. The presence of Mojave-derived Late Permian zircons, as well as feldspars that have high 208Pb/204Pb ratios, in the Eocene-age German Rancho Formation indicates that the basin remained in the vicinity of the Mojave Desert until the Eocene. This result demonstrates that the Gualala Basin had undergone very little northward motion at that time, and consequently requires that no significant northward translation took place prior to ~ 50 Ma. The results of this study highlight the value of additional provenance constraints combined with age distributions when identifying sediment source terranes.
Cardiac Actions of Protein Kinase C Isoforms

Protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms have emerged as important regulators of cardiac contraction, hypertrophy, and signaling pathways that influence ischemic/reperfusion injury. This review focuses on newer concepts regarding PKC isoform-specific activation mechanisms and actions that have implications for the development of PKC-targeted therapeutics.
Optimizing Antenna Array Geometry for Interference Suppression

The determination of an optimum antenna array geometry for suppressing interference is addressed. An optimization problem is derived whose solution yields an optimum array geometry for a given interference environment. A specific example is solved via the Simulated Annealing Optimization algorithm and results are presented for arrays of varying configurations
Elements in the Distal 5-Flanking Sequence and the First Intron Function Cooperatively to Regulate Glutamine Synthetase Transcription during Adipocyte Differentiation

Glutamine synthetase (GS) expression increases dramatically during adipocyte differentiation of confluent 3T3-L1 cells. To identify differentiation-responsive cis-acting elements in the GS gene, several GSfusion genes were prepared and analyzed in stably transfected 3T3-L1 cells under conditions that trigger adipocyte differentiation. We find that the GS proximal 5'-flanking sequence lacks the regulatory elements required for differentiation-responsive expression. In contrast, a 2 kb intron 1 restriction fragment fused upstream of a heterologous promoter does drive reporter gene expression during hormone-triggered differentiation. The enhancer activity was localized to a 310 bp sequence near the middle of intron 1. Expression of fusion genes that include this 310 bp sequence does not temporally coincide with native gene expression. However, a composite gene that includes a far upstream GS sequence and the 2 kb intron 1 sequence yields a qualitatively different pattern of expression that closely resembles that of the native GS gene. The far upstream sequence alone exhibits no enhancer activity. Electrophoretic mobility shift analyses indicate that a 32 bp sequence within the 310 bp functional enhancer specifically binds differentiation-associated nuclear proteins. Although a C/EBP consensus sequence occurs in the 32 bp fragment, supershift analyses exclude C/EBP isoforms as the binding factor. In contrast, mutational analysis of the putative enhancer suggests that an HNF-3 isoform is involved. Thus our data indicate that elements in the distal 5'-flanking sequence and the first intron function cooperatively to regulate GS transcription and that HNF-3 may participate in that regulation.
The STEM Pathway for Women: What Has Changed?

In previous decades, researchers have identified a gender gap in the careers and academic achievement of men and women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Recently, it has been suggested that some of these gender gaps no longer exist; however, the picture is more nuanced, for women are represented well in some STEM fields (such as biology) and not in others (such as computer science). The current research employed survey methodology to explore the perceptions of 360 finalists and semifinalists of the prestigious Science Talent Search. Two cohorts of participants who were either in their late 30s (Cohort 2) or late 20s (Cohort 1) were contacted to investigate factors that influenced them to select or not select STEM college majors and occupations. Comparisons between men and women revealed that women recalled having lower self-efficacy in STEM in college than men, and fewer women selected STEM majors as undergraduates. Interest was cited as a major influence for occupational select...
Effects of KS-501, KS-502 and their enantiomers on calmodulin-sensitive enzyme activity and cellular proliferation

Calmodulin plays an important role in cellular proliferation as part of a signal transduction pathway activated by phospholipase C. Drugs that block the ability of calmodulin to bind to and activate its target enzymes inhibit the growth of a wide variety of malignant cells. To identify more potent and selective inhibitors of this potential target for new drug development, we studied two recently synthesized compounds, KS-501 and KS-502, for their activity against calmodulin-sensitive enzymes and for their ability to block the growth of parental and multidrug-resistant leukemic cells. KS-501 and KS-502 inhibited the activation of a calmodulin-sensitive cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase. The mechanism of enzyme inhibition was through interfering with calmodulin activation rather than through a direct effect on the enzyme. KS-501 was more potent than KS-502 and was studied in greater detail. This compound inhibited the activation of calmodulin kinase I and II, but had less effect against cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cyclic AMP)-sensitive kinase. KS-501 was also more effective than KS-502 in inhibiting the growth of sensitive L1210 leukemic lymphocytes. Both compounds were less effective inhibitors of multidrug-resistant L1210 leukemia than of the parental line. These studies identify a new class of calmodulin inhibitor, with selectivity for calmodulin-dependent kinases over cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase. Since the total synthesis of the KS-compounds has been accomplished, it should now be possible to develop derivatives with greater activity and selectivity.
A Transcript Map of the Chromosome 19q-Arm Glioma Tumor Suppressor Region

Allelic loss of the chromosome 19q arm is a frequent event in human diffuse gliomas, suggesting that it contains a tumor suppressor gene. Recent deletion mapping studies have broadly implicated a 1.6-Mb interval between D19S241E and D19S596, with a limited subset of tumors, suggesting that the region may be as narrow as 150 kb. Focusing on this smaller interval, we have used cDNA selection, exon amplification, and genomic sequencing to identify three novel transcripts (EHD2, GLTSCR1, and GLTSCR2) and to map two known genes (SEPW1 and CRX). A partial transcript map of 19 transcripts and two EST markers has been constructed for the 1.6-Mb interval D19S241E-D19S596. Ten of these transcripts, including the 5 mapped to the 150-kb deletion interval, have been examined for alterations in a panel of gliomas with allelic loss of 19q. Tumor-specific alterations have not been identified in the transcripts examined thus far. Collectively, these data should facilitate subsequent efforts to identify and characterize the remaining transcripts in the 1.6-Mb interval.
Cc Chemokine Receptor (Ccr)2 Is Required for Langerhans Cell Migration and Localization of T Helper Cell Type 1 (Th1)-Inducing Dendritic Cells Absence of Ccr2 Shifts the Leishmania major–Resistant Phenotype to a Susceptible State Dominated by Th2 Cytokines, B Cell Outgrowth, and Sustained Neutrophilic Inflammation

There is growing evidence that chemokines and their receptors regulate the movement and interaction of antigen-presenting cells such as dendritic cells (DCs) and T cells. We tested the hypothesis that the CC chemokine receptor (CCR)2 and CCR5 and the chemokine macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1α, a ligand for CCR5, influence DC migration and localization. We found that deficiency of CCR2 but not CCR5 or MIP-1α led to distinct defects in DC biology. Langerhans cell (skin DC) density in CCR2-null mice was normal, and their ability to migrate into the dermis was intact; however, their migration to the draining lymph nodes was markedly impaired. CCR2-null mice had lower numbers of DCs in the spleen, and this was primarily due to a reduction in the CD8α1 T helper cell type 1 (Th1)-inducing subset of DCs. Additionally, there was a block in the Leishmania major infection–induced relocalization of splenic DCs from the marginal zone to the T cell areas. We propose that these DC defects, in conjunction with increased expression of B lymphocyte chemoattractant, a B cell–specific chemokine, may collectively contribute to the striking B cell outgrowth and Th2 cytokine–biased nonhealing phenotype that we observed in CCR2-deficient mice infected with L. major. This disease phenotype in mice with an L. major–resistant genetic background but lacking CCR2 is strikingly reminiscent of that observed typically in mice with an L. major–susceptible genetic background. Thus, CCR2 is an important determinant of not only DC migration and localization but also the development of protective cell-mediated immune responses to L. major.
Fuzzy spatial pattern processing using linguistic hidden Markov models

In this work, we propose a hidden Markov model (HMM), called the linguistic HMM, suitable for processing sequences of fuzzy vectors. A fuzzy vector B is an n-tuple of fuzzy numbers. Since fuzzy numbers are often associated with linguistic terms, such as "small," "medium," etc., a fuzzy vector can also be called a linguistic vector. Similarly, an HMM that processes linguistic vectors can be called a "linguistic HMM." The derivation of the linguistic HMM (LHMM) from the continuous HMM is performed using the extension principle and the decomposition theorem. We prove that a LHMM behaves in the same fashion as the CHMM in the degenerate linguistic case when the fuzzy numbers are singletons (real numbers). We also provide an example where an LHMM was used for the recognition of a play (pick-and-shoot) during a basketball game. The positions of the players were described using spatial fuzzy relations. For the recognition experiment, we generated two sets of 100 sequences containing pick-and-shoot and non pick-and-shoot sequences, respectively. The LHMM results obtained for the fuzzy sequences were compared to the CHMM results obtained on a crisp version of the same sequences. The results obtained showed that the fuzzy spatial relations together with the LHMM provide a better description of the movement than the CHMM.
RACE AND GENDER EFFECTS ON FEAR OF CRIME: AN INTERACTIVE MODEL WITH AGE*

While the literature on fear of crime is not wholly consistent, results generally indicate that blacks, women, and the elderly are the groups most fearful. In those instances where race, gender, and age have been simultaneously taken into account, studies have generally assumed that the relationships are additive. However, the gerontological literature suggests that age ofen interacts with other status characteristics in producing quality of life differences. Multiple regression techniques are used on survey data from eight Chicago neighborhoods to assess whether or not the effects of age, race, and gender on fear of crime are interactive. Findings indicate that significant interactions are present, and the relevance of these findings are discussed in terms of actual and perceived risks of victimization and of subcultural interpretations of crime and fear of crime.
Pulsed Corona Discharge for Removal of NOx from Flue Gas

There are many types of non-thermal discharge devices that have been investigated for environmental applications. The potential of these devices for the destruction of pollutants or toxic molecules has already been demonstrated in several contexts, such as NOx and SO2 in power plant flue gases [Dinelli et al. 1990; Frank and Hirano 1990] and diesel engine exhaust [Higashi et al. 1992], heavy metals [Masuda et al. 1987] and volatile organic compounds [Yamamoto et al. 1992] in industrial effluents, and chemical agents such as simulated nerve gases [Fraser et al. 1985]. These devices operate on the same basic principle: produce a discharge in which a majority of the electrical energy goes into the production of energetic electrons, rather than into gas heating. Even though the electrons are short-lived under atmospheric pressure conditions and rarely collide with a pollutant molecule, they undergo many collisions with the dominant background gas molecules, thus producing radicals that, in turn, decompose the toxic compounds. The efficiency of the approach arises from the fact that the radicals have long lifetimes and react selectively with the contaminant molecules.
Darwinian Evolution in Physics and Biology: The Dilemma of Missing Links

In the Origin of Species 1 Darwin presented a major dilemma of his own theory of evolution, which he called “the absence of transitional varieties” and which is currently referred to as the dilemma of missing links. The dilemma consists of two parts. The first part involves Darwin’s conclusion that his theory predicts a continuous structure for living forms. In contrast to this continuum, the biota has a grainy structure due to the coalescence of organisms into species. The second part, which involves missing links in the geologic record, refutes Darwin’s attempt to resolve the first part of the dilemma. In this paper, we make an analogy between laser operation and Darwin’s theory of evolution which leads to Darwin’s continuum. The analogy, however, is flawed insofar as biological reproduction usually involves two parents; lasers are more analogous to a biota with uniparental reproduction. We modify laser theory to make it consistent with biparental reproduction, which causes the laser output to coalescence into a few modes, which are analogous to discrete species. The temporal changes predicted by this modified model are consistent with the geologic record.