cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices Arranged in Pyramid Shaped Arrays

We explore SQUID array designs that could be beneficial in a robust 3-D structure involving several substrates and find a design for which there may be some advantages in linearity and dynamic range. Traditional substrates are square in shape, for a 3-D structure three squares would need to be attached together to create a structure with three sides of a cube. We explored how we would arrange an array of SQUIDs on this structure if the substrates were cut into triangles. This would result in a three-sided pyramid (or tetrahedron) shape. The arrays have a feed line at the top entering a single SQUID (or small array) and the number of SQUIDs (small arrays) increased in number each row and a decreasing critical current. We simulated the effects of varying the critical currents and SQUID loop sizes on the average response output and determined that for arrays of 21 10 × 10 bi-SQUIDs have a more linear anti-peak and larger voltage swing than a comparable size 35 × 60 array.
Peripheral prostanoid levels and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug analgesia: replicate clinical trials in a tissue injury model.

Background Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) analgesia is generally attributed to peripheral suppression of cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes, leading to decreased products of the arachidonic acid cascade. This study evaluated the in vivo relationship between levels of prostanoids at the site of tissue injury and analgesia aftersystemic or local NSAID administration in a clinical model of tissue injury. Methods Subjects in two replicate clinical trials had one or two mandibular third molars removed and a microdialysis probe implanted at the surgical site for measurement of immunoreactive prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) or immunoreactive thromboxane B2 (TxB2) and pain measured concurrently. In the first study, ketorolac tromethamine (INN, ketorolac) was administered at pain onset in a 30-mg intramuscular dose, a 1-mg intramuscular dose, or a 1-mg submucosal dose at the extraction site in comparison with placebo. In the second study, subjects received either ketorolac tromethamine 30 mg by the intravenous route or placebo at pain onset. Results PGE2 was detectable in the first postoperative sample, decreased over the next hour, and then increased significantly coincident with the onset of postoperative pain. Administration of 30 mg ketorolac tromethamine produced parallel decreases in pain, PGE2 levels, and TxB2 levels at the surgical site. Administration of 1 mg ketorolac tromethamine intramuscularly or directly at the surgical site was analgesic but without measurable effects on PGE2 levels. Conclusion The temporal profile of PGE2 and TxB2 in the immediate postoperative period is consistent with constitutive COX-1 initially, followed by an increase in PGE2 resulting from expression of COX-2. The temporal association between NSAID analgesia and decreased prostanoids at the site of injury is consistent with a dual COX-1/COX-2 peripheral site of action. The analgesic effects of 1 mg ketorolac tromethamine without a reduction in PGE2 at the site of injury suggests an additional central site for NSAID analgesia. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2002) 72, 175–183; doi: 10.1067/mcp.2002.126501
The effect of inhibitors of prolyl endopeptidase and pyroglutamyl peptide hydrolase on TRH degradation in rat serum

The identity of the enzymes catalyzing the degradation of thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) in rat serum was investigated by the use of specific inhibitors of prolyl endopeptidase and pyroglutamyl peptide hydrolase. These inhibitors did not protect TRH from degradation, but o-phenanthroline afforded significant protection. The participation of "thyroliberinase", a metalloenzyme which cleaves TRH at the pyroglutamyl-His bond was implied. A coupled assay using the chromogenic substrate pyroglutamyl-His-Pro-2-naphthylamide and excess diaminopeptidase IV was developed to specifically quantitate "thyroliberinase" activity. Rat serum catalyzed the degradation of 67.5 nmoles substrate/ml serum/h. The data indicate that TRH is degraded in rat serum predominantly by "thyroliberinase" and that prolyl endopeptidase and pyroglutamyl peptide hydrolase do not contribute significantly to this process.
Moment systems and orthogonal polynomials in several variables

Abstract The first part of this paper deals with general moment (“Appell”) systems on R N generated by a Hamiltonian function H(x, D) and also with representations of GL(N) on the associated spaces of polynomials. The second part discusses the theory of Bernoulli generators on R N determining systems of orthogonal polynomials that are extensions of the Meixner polynomials to several variables. Linear actions for these spaces are discussed. Some tensors related to the general Bernoulli generators are considered.
Rupture of an Infected Liver Cyst Into the Pericardium in a Kidney Transplant Recipient With Polycystic Kidney Disease

Polycystic liver disease is the most common extrarenal manifestation of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. Hepatic cysts often are multiple, and in renal transplant recipients, occult infection with or without concurrent kidney cyst infection is a frequent cause of abdominal pain and fever and may require long-term antibiotic use and hospitalization. Rupture and bleeding of hepatic cysts into the peritoneum or viscera are infrequent complications that have been reported. Identification of a single culprit lesion that could be targeted for surgical intervention often is difficult because such imaging studies as computed tomographic scans, magnetic resonance images, or radionuclide-tagged white cell scans often show several inflamed cysts that can persist over several subsequent scans. Treatment may require surgical intervention. Eradication of infection and wound healing also is made difficult by concomitant immunosuppression in renal transplant recipients. We present the case of a renal transplant recipient with an infected dominant polycystic liver cyst that ruptured into the pericardium, leading to tamponade.
Inhibition of Cellular Uptake of Folate by Blocking Synthesis of the Membrane Folate Receptor

The folate receptor, bound to the plasma membrane through a glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor, requires both sphingolipids and cholesterol in the membrane for full activity. In recent studies, treatment of cells in culture with the mycotoxin fumonisin 1′, which inhibits sphingolipid synthesis, virtually abolished uptake of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate.
Assessment of Physical Activity in Chronic Kidney Disease

Background Physical inactivity plays an important role in the development of kidney disease and its complications; however, the validity of standard tools for measuring physical activity (PA) is not well understood. Study Design We investigated the performance of several readily available and widely used PA and physical function questionnaires, individually and in combination, against accelerometry among a cohort of chronic kidney disease (CKD) participants. Setting and Participants Forty-six participants from the Seattle Kidney Study, an observational cohort study of persons with CKD, completed the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly, Human Activity Profile (HAP), Medical Outcomes Study SF-36 questionnaire, and the Four-week Physical Activity History questionnaires. We simultaneously measured PA using an Actigraph GT3X accelerometer during a 14-day period. We estimated the validity of each instrument by testing its associations with log-transformed accelerometry counts. We used the Akaike information criterion to investigate the performance of combinations of questionnaires. Results All questionnaire scores were significantly associated with log-transformed accelerometry counts. The HAP correlated best with accelerometry counts (r2 = 0.32) followed by SF-36 (r2 = 0.23). Forty-three percent of the variability in accelerometry counts data was explained by a model that combined the HAP, SF-36, and Four-week Physical Activity History questionnaires. Conclusion A combination of measurement tools can account for a modest component of PA in patients with CKD; however, a substantial proportion of PA is not captured by standard assessments.
Perioperative Management of a 7-Year-Old Child With Brugada Syndrome

Brugada syndrome results from abnormalities in the myocardial transmembrane conduction of sodium, resulting in the characteristic electrocardiographic changes of ST segment elevation in the precordial leads and incomplete right bundle branch block in an otherwise structurally normal heart. Affected patients are frequently asymptomatic until their presentation with potentially lethal arrhythmias including ventricular fibrillation. The youngest reported patient with Brugada syndrome to undergo anesthetic management is presented in this article; the pathophysiology of the syndrome is reviewed, and its perioperative implications are discussed.
Parallel, multigrain iterative solvers for hiding network latencies on MPPs and networks of clusters

Parallel iterative solvers are often the only means of solving large linear systems and eigenproblems. However, these solvers are usually implemented in a fine-grain manner and can incur significant performance penalties due to synchronization overheads on large MPPs. This problem is exacerbated in clusters of workstations (COWs) and SMPs that are interconnected via a hierarchy of networks. In this paper, we describe a novel scheme for hiding the synchronization overheads, and thus improving scalability, of block iterative solvers that employ a correction equation through an inner iterative method.Block methods are not only robust in the presence of eigenvalue multiplicities and multiple right-hand sides, but provide better latency tolerance by performing more floating-point operations between synchronizations. We take a different approach to inducing latency tolerance by increasing the granularity at which the correction equation is solved for each block vector. This is accomplished by splitting the processors into smaller subgroups which are then used to solve the correction for each block vector concurrently. The rest of the algorithm is still performed in fine grain. We call this combination of fine and coarse-grain parallelism multigrain parallelism.We implemented a multigrain, block Jacobi-Davidson algorithm for computing the extreme eigenvalues of a symmetric matrix. We obtained improvements of 45-50% over both the block and non-block implementations of the fine-grain method when testing on an IBM SP and on a collection of clusters of Sun workstations.
Treatment of patients with severe insulin deficiency: what we have learned over the past 2 years

The initial injection in 1922 of a pancreatic extract, or insulin as it came to be known, into a patient with diabetes mellitus has since been followed by the successive introduction of longer-acting insulins, more highly purified insulins, and insulins that have been modified to more closely match insulin activity to patients' physiologic requirements. The recently introduced rapid-acting insulin analogues lispro and aspart and the long-acting analogue glargine are further refinements of insulin therapy. Current treatment strategies for severe insulin deficiency are based on the need to provide 2 components of insulin replacement: basal and postprandial. Rapid-acting insulin has been shown to provide superior postprandial glucose control compared with regular insulin. Truly effective control of basal insulin has been achieved by the introduction of the insulin pump in the 1980s and insulin glargine in 2001. Insulin glargine is the first insulin analogue to provide, in a majority of patients, a continuous level of insulin without a pronounced peak after a single daily injection, closely mimicking the normal pancreatic release of basal insulin in healthy individuals. Clinical experience is providing many insights into how basal and prandial components of insulin therapy can be best combined, although evidence from controlled trials will take some years to accumulate. Experience and observations since 2001 indicate that insulin therapy should be introduced earlier in patients with type 2 diabetes to control blood glucose levels. More importantly, the greatest benefit of insulin glargine has been to change positively the way physicians and patients think about insulin therapy. Newer insulin analogues, improved devices for home glucose monitoring, and pulmonary inhaled insulin are other innovations that promise improvement of hemoglobin A(1c) levels.
Mt Mitchell oceanographic expedition in the Gulf

Abstract Between February and June 1992, the NOAA Ship Mt Mitchell conducted a 100-day multi-disciplinary oceanographic research investigation in the Gulf, involving more than 140 marine scientists from 15 nations. The expedition was sponsored by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), Regional Organization for the Protection of the Marine Environment (ROPME), United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Marine Spill Response Corporation (MSRC) and focused on the fate and effects of the 1991 Gulf war oil spills on the region's marine environment. The expedition was unusual, given the limited time in which it was conceived, planned, implemented, and completed. The mission's success may be measured not only in the wealth of scientific data collected, but also in the strides made in local, regional, and international environmental awareness and political cooperation in the Gulf.
Synthesis, Structure, and Reactivity of Unsolvated Triple-Decked Bent Metallocenes of Divalent Europium and Ytterbium

The europium and ytterbium complexes of formula [(C5Me5)Ln]2(μ-η8:η8-C8H8) have been synthesized and structurally characterized to determine the dependence of the (ring centroid)−metal−(ring centro...
Co-operatives and the poor: A comparative perspective☆

Cooperatives have a universal appeal as an instrument of poverty alleviation and yet their record has been less than exemplary. This paper highlights dilemmas faced in cooperative development between the objectives of growth and distribution, and those of decentralization and equity. The paper identifies the various internal and external prerequisites for a successful cooperative movement. By examining the evidence with regard to marketing, credit, and production cooperatives, it argues that in the absence of such prerequisites, alternative forms of institutional arrangements may be at least as effective as cooperative institutions. In any case, a healthy movement that reaches the poor calls for institutional competition.
The Pareto Optimization of Ultrawideband Polyfractal Arrays

The application of global optimization techniques, such as genetic algorithms, to antenna array layouts can provide versatile design methodologies for highly directive, thinned, frequency agile, and shaped-beam antenna systems. However, these methodologies have their limitations when applied to more demanding design scenarios. Global optimizations are not well equipped to handle the large number of parameters used to describe large- antenna arrays. To overcome this difficulty, a new class of arrays was recently introduced called polyfractal arrays that possess properties well suited for the optimization of large- arrays. Polyfractal arrays are uniformly excited with an underlying self-similar geometrical structure that leads to aperiodic element layouts. This paper expands on polyfractal array design methodologies by applying a robust Pareto optimization technique with the goal of reducing the peak sidelobe levels at several frequencies specified over a wide bandwidth. A recursive beamforming algorithm and an autopolyploidy based mutation native to polyfractal geometries are used to dramatically accelerate the genetic algorithm optimization process. This paper also demonstrates that the properties of polyfractal arrays can be exploited to create designs that possess no grating lobes and relatively low sidelobe levels over ultrawide bandwidths. The best example discussed in this paper maintains a dB peak sidelobe level with no grating lobes from a , to more than a minimum spacing between elements, which corresponds to at least a 40:1 bandwidth for the array.
Badiou, Pedagogy and the Arts

The essay distils from Badiou's writing a pedagogy based on his theories of knowledge and truth, as brought to bear on poetry and the arts. By following Badiou's implicit ontology of learning, which presupposes a dynamic and passionate engagement with a concrete situation, the essay argues that Badiou's view of modernity, in particular, contributes greatly to the educational topic, and offers an alternative teaching paradigm to the outmoded schools of criticism of the 20th century. It also argues that the concept of universalism in education, as against identitarian particularism, is further evinced from a discussion of Badiou's study of St. Paul.
A mathematical model for the infectivity-dilution curve of tobacco mosaic virus: Experimental tests☆

Abstract Experimental infectivity-dilution data were obtained with tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) to test a one particle-one cell theoretical model derived in a preceding paper. Curves which best fit the data of each of seven experiments, as well as averaged data of these experiments and composite data from experiments performed over many years, were calculated from the theoretical model on a high speed computer. Although the model does not conform well with the data of some of the individual experiments, it does fit very well with the averaged and composite data. Thus, the new theoretical model represents a reasonable interpretation of the infectivity-dilution curves obtained with TMV. Furthermore, it appears that the mathematical constructs of this model have biological implications.
Theory of space-charge layers in narrow-gap semiconductors

Abstract The interaction of conduction and valence bands is important in the space-charge layer of a narrow-gap semiconductor. Boundary conditions are derived for a six-band effective Hamiltonian, taking evanescent waves into account and used to compute the subbands of the inversion layer in p-InSb. Good agreement is obtained with measurements of subband densities, effective masses and with intersubband spectroscopy.
Use of Microdosing and Accelerator Mass Spectrometry To Evaluate the Pharmacokinetic Linearity of a Novel Tricyclic GyrB/ParE Inhibitor in Rats

Determining the pharmacokinetics (PKs) of drug candidates is essential for understanding their biological fate. The ability to obtain human PK information early in the drug development process can help determine if future development is warranted. Microdosing was developed to assess human PKs, at ultra-low doses, early in the drug development process. Microdosing has also been used in animals to confirm PK linearity across subpharmacological and pharmacological dose ranges. The current study assessed the PKs of a novel antimicrobial preclinical drug candidate (GP-4) in rats as a step toward human microdosing studies. Dose proportionality was determined at 3 proposed therapeutic doses (3, 10, and 30 mg/kg of body weight), and PK linearity between a microdose and a pharmacological dose was assessed in Sprague-Dawley rats. Plasma PKs over the 3 pharmacological doses were proportional. Over the 10-fold dose range, the maximum concentration in plasma and area under the curve (AUC) increased 9.5- and 15.8-fold, respectively. PKs from rats dosed with a 14C-labeled microdose versus a 14C-labeled pharmacological dose displayed dose linearity. In the animals receiving a microdose and the therapeutically dosed animals, the AUCs from time zero to infinity were 2.6 ng · h/ml and 1,336 ng · h/ml, respectively, and the terminal half-lives were 5.6 h and 1.4 h, respectively. When the AUC values were normalized to a dose of 1.0 mg/kg, the AUC values were 277.5 ng · h/ml for the microdose and 418.2 ng · h/ml for the pharmacological dose. This 1.5-fold difference in AUC following a 300-fold difference in dose is considered linear across the dose range. On the basis of the results, the PKs from the microdosed animals were considered to be predictive of the PKs from the therapeutically dosed animals.
The GEM Unification Theory of the Vacuum: Did Dimensional Collapse Trigger the Big Bang

The GEM (Gravity EM) unification theory builds on the Sakharov and Kaluza-Klein approaches to unify all four force fields of nature: Gravity, EM, Strong, and Weak using Feynman Path integral formalism. The model is rudimentary, and can be called a “Bohr Model” of unification. It is basically found that Gravity and the other forces can be understood as quantum electrodynamics. In particular the proton emerges as a fundamental particle despite being composed of quarks and is the principle interaction vertex of the Higgs boson, which is seen here as direct consequence of a hidden 5th dimension, where the Higgs mass is due to 5th dimensional compactification. Collapse and compactification of a 5th dimension is argued as the triggering event for the Big Bang. A particle mass formula based on Feynman Path Integrals including paths across the hidden 5th dimension gives the proton and electron masses to high accuracy and finds the charged bosons responsible for the short range nuclear forces. The masses calculated for the particles are as follows: the charged pion m = 2 me / 140.0 MeV and W boson: mw =2 mp = 80.4 GeV. The c meson m =2985 GeV is identified with the 5th dimension compactification force mediated by the Radion field. The Higgs boson associated with this mass inducing field is the most general EM+Radion scattering quanta off the hidden dimension size with a mass mp/α  127.7 GeV. This results in a structural resonance Higgs = rp where Higgs is the Compton radius of the Higgs boson and Higgs =c/mHiggsc2 the rp electro-dynamic length of the proton rp=e2/mpc2. Vacuum decay results from this value of the Higgs boson mass, which is a key parameter in a mass system that creates the proton-electron mass system and thus hydrogen in the Big Bang. The vacuum is found to decay into proton-electron pairs and to give an “eternally inflating” cosmos of Hubble Time TH  ( 9/ )1/3 /2 e2 /(4oGmemp ) re/c = 1.2 x1010 years. The predicted value of the CBR(Cosmic Background Radiation) temperature from this vacuum decay is TCBR  (4cGme2/(3Th2Stefan-Boltz.)1/3 = 2.65K Support for this consists of observation of the failure of the Sunaeyev-Zeldovich effect, where distant galaxies are not observed to cast shadows in the CBR indicating a source for the CBR in the vacuum itself in the line of sight to more distant galaxies.
Specialized Functions of Cardiac Implantable Devices and How They Can Mimic Malfunction

With each new generation of cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) comes an increasing number of special features designed for safety, diagnostic, and therapeutic purposes. A specialized function of a CIED can be defined as an automated or programmable function beyond fundamental pacemaker behavior as would otherwise be explained by the North American Pacing and Electrophysiology/British Pacing and Electrophysiology Group coding system and rate response. These numerous features can pose challengeswhen assessing normal device function. Many modern CIED features automatically reprogram device settings, which can be mistaken for
Cardiovascular effects of esmolol in patients anesthetized with sufentanil-pancuronium for myocardial revascularization

The efficacy of esmolol in attenuating the hemodynamic responses to stimulation prior to cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) was evaluated in 34 patients with good left ventricular function anesthetized with sufentanil (10 μ g/kg) and pancuronium (0.1 mg/kg) for myocardial revascularization. Patients were randomized to an esmolol group (n = 17) or a placebo group (n = 17). The study medication was infused from 10 minutes before induction of anesthesia through the initiation of CPB. In the placebo group, the heart rate (HR) increased significantly from a baseline of 66.1 ± 1.7 beats/min to 75.9 ± 3.6 beats/min on completion of induction of anesthesia, to 81.2 ± 4.3 beats/ min following tracheal intubation, and to 72.1 ± 3.4 beats/min following sternotomy ( P >0.05). Three patients in the placebo group had persistent tachycardia (HR > 100 beats/min for more than 4 minutes). The baseline HR in the esmolol group was 66.1 ± 2.1 beats/min, which increased to 68.5 ± 2.2 beats/min on completion of induction and to 68.5 ± 2.0 beats/ min following intubation. The HRs of 60.8 ± 1.6 and 62.0 ± 1.7 beats/min following incision and sternotomy were significantly lower than baseline [ P v 2.3 ± 0.1 L/min/m 2 ). The only other significant difference observed between the two groups was the dose of supplemental sufentanil given prior to CPB. The esmolol patients received 1.3 ± 0.4 μ g/kg versus 4.1 ± 0.9 μ g/kg for the placebo group [ P
Season Length Indicators and Land-Use Effects in Southeast Virginia Wet Flats

The growing season concepts used by federal agencies in defining and regulating wetland hydrology ignore land use and rely on published surrogate indicators. This study compared several growing season indicators with measured air and soil temperature and hydrology data on three land-use types in the Great Dismal Swamp ecosystem of Southeast Virginia to determine how accurate the indicators are on each land use. Water-table depths, 1-m air temperatures, and soil temperature at 50-cm depths were measured for 18 mo at plots representing forest, early successional field (field), and tilled (bare ground) land-use treatments at two study areas. Land use affected air and soil temperature through vegetation type and soil surface properties, both of which are important for wetland restoration. Based on soil temperature at 50 cm, the growing season was continuous in forests but was interrupted in January for 1 to 7 d in some field and bare ground plots. Soil temperatures at 50 cm rose above biological zero (5°C) 90 to 128 d before the published -2.2°C growing season started. The published -2.2°C growing season was 28 to 88 d longer than the measured equivalent, and began after the water tables rose and stayed continuously in the upper 30 cm. A continuous growing season declaration is proposed for federal regulations in thermic wet flats on all land uses. Lengthening the growing season did not cause the studied wetlands to fail the minimum federal wetland hydrology requirements for identification or delineation.
A fast adaptive algorithm for spectral estimation

An algorithm based on a direction set (DS) method is presented for spectral estimation. It is a fast algorithm because it has a computational complexity of O(N) for each coefficient update. Its rate of convergence is comparable to that of the modified conjugate gradient (CG) algorithm which has a computational complexity of O(N/sup 2/). Computer simulations illustrate that this algorithm is very effective for spectral estimation. The frequency estimates generated by this algorithm are superior than those obtained by using the modified CG algorithm and yet at a lower computational cost. This algorithm can also be extended to other applications in adaptive signal processing.
Liver failure in a dog following suspected ingestion of blue-green algae (Microcystis spp.): a case report and review of the toxin.

A 2.5 yr old spayed female Weimaraner presented after ingestion of blue-green algae (Microcystis spp.). One day prior to presentation, the patient was swimming at a local lake known to be contaminated with high levels of blue-green algae that was responsible for deaths of several other dogs the same summer. The patient presented 24 hr after exposure with vomiting, inappetence, weakness, and lethargy. Blood work at the time of admission was consistent with acute hepatic failure, characteristic findings of intoxication by Microcystis spp. Diagnosis was suspected by analyzing a water sample from the location where the patient was swimming. Supportive care including fluids, fresh frozen plasma, whole blood, vitamin K, B complex vitamins, S-adenosyl methionine, and Silybum marianum were started. The patient was discharged on supportive medications, and follow-up blood work showed continued improvement. Ingestion is typically fatal for most patients. This is the first canine to be reported in the literature to survive treatment after known exposure. ( JA m Anim Hosp Assoc2013; 49:---–---. DOI 10.5326/JAAHA-MS-5913)
Optimal Tradeoff Between Performance and Security in Networked Control Systems Based on Coevolutionary Algorithms

Networked control systems (NCS) have to be well protected with security mechanisms from malicious attackers on the network (e.g., Internet). However, the additional security mechanism might sacrifice the performance of the NCS due to limited system resources. This paper addresses the issue of the tradeoff between NCS security and the NCS real-time performance. Using a networked DC motor system as an example, a tradeoff model for performance and security on NCS is presented. This paper also presents a framework of performance-security tradeoff optimization based on coevolutionary genetic algorithm (CGA) for the networked DC motor system. Experiments show that CGA is highly efficient in finding the Nash equilibrium for the tradeoff model on NCS. The framework presented in this paper is also demonstrated to be an effective approach for performance-security tradeoff analysis and optimization on NCS.
The Rat Genome Database pathway portal.

The set of interacting molecules collectively referred to as a pathway or network represents a fundamental structural unit, the building block of the larger, highly integrated networks of biological systems. The scientific community's interest in understanding the fine details of how pathways work, communicate with each other and synergize, and how alterations in one or several pathways may converge into a disease phenotype, places heightened demands on pathway data and information providers. To meet such demands, the Rat Genome Database [(RGD) http://rgd.mcw.edu] has adopted a multitiered approach to pathway data acquisition and presentation. Resources and tools are continuously added or expanded to offer more comprehensive pathway data sets as well as enhanced pathway data manipulation, exploration and visualization capabilities. At RGD, users can easily identify genes in pathways, see how pathways relate to each other and visualize pathways in a dynamic and integrated manner. They can access these and other components from several entry points and effortlessly navigate between them and they can download the data of interest. The Pathway Portal resources at RGD are presented, and future directions are discussed. Database URL: http://rgd.mcw.edu
3Dmol.js: molecular visualization with WebGL.

Summary: 3Dmol.js is a modern, object-oriented JavaScript library that uses the latest web technologies to provide interactive, hardware-accelerated three-dimensional representations of molecular data without the need to install browser plugins or Java. 3Dmol.js provides a full featured API for developers as well as a straightforward declarative interface that lets users easily share and embed molecular data in websites. Availability and implementation: 3Dmol.js is distributed under the permissive BSD open source license. Source code and documentation can be found at http://3Dmol.csb.pitt.edu Contact: ude.ttip@seokd
Synthesis of the carbon-14 labeled isotopomers of (R)-N-methyl-3-[2-methylphenoxyl]-benzenepropanamine hydrochloride (atomoxetine hydrochloride, LY139603), and two of its metabolites†

Carbon-14 labeled StraterraTM (Atomoxetine HCl, LY139603, (-)-N-methyl-3-(2-methylphenoxy)-benzenepropanamine hydrochloride), a potent inhibitor of the presynaptic norepinephrine transporter, and two of its major metabolites were synthesized. The key component, S-(+)-3-chloro-l-phenyl-l-propanol-[1-14C] was synthesized by Stille coupling of benzoyl chloride-[carbonyl-14C] with vinyl tri-n-butylstannane, followed by HCl addition to the vinyl ketone, and asymmetric reduction of the ketone by Corey's CBS reagent. Mitsunobu reaction of this S-(+)-3-chloro-l-phenyl-l-propanol-[1-14C] with various phenol derivatives, followed by converting the chloride to amines, gave desired products. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Adaptive decorrelation filtering algorithm for speech source separation in uncorrelated noises

A time-domain vector formulation is presented on analysis and solution of the adaptive decorrelation filtering (ADF) system for blind speech source separation in additive background noise. The formulation leads to a derivation of a gradient descent algorithm and offers insights into the impact of uncorrelated white noise on ADF systems. A new noise-adapted ADF algorithm is then derived by modifying the decorrelation criterion function to exclude noise impact on cross-correlation information of ADF outputs. Speech separation simulations were based on convolutive mixtures of TIMIT speech data generated with long impulse response measured in a real reverberant acoustic experiment. The proposed algorithm significantly improved convergence rate, gains in target-to-interference ratio at ADF outputs, and phone accuracy of separated target speech source.
Surface Proteins of Gram-Positive Bacteria and Mechanisms of Their Targeting to the Cell Wall Envelope

The cell wall envelope of gram-positive bacteria is a macromolecular, exoskeletal organelle that is assembled and turned over at designated sites. The cell wall also functions as a surface organelle that allows gram-positive pathogens to interact with their environment, in particular the tissues of the infected host. All of these functions require that surface proteins and enzymes be properly targeted to the cell wall envelope. Two basic mechanisms, cell wall sorting and targeting, have been identified. Cell well sorting is the covalent attachment of surface proteins to the peptidoglycan via a C-terminal sorting signal that contains a consensus LPXTG sequence. More than 100 proteins that possess cell wall-sorting signals, including the M proteins of Streptococcus pyogenes, protein A of Staphylococcus aureus, and several internalins of Listeria monocytogenes, have been identified. Cell wall targeting involves the noncovalent attachment of proteins to the cell surface via specialized binding domains. Several of these wall-binding domains appear to interact with secondary wall polymers that are associated with the peptidoglycan, for example teichoic acids and polysaccharides. Proteins that are targeted to the cell surface include muralytic enzymes such as autolysins, lysostaphin, and phage lytic enzymes. Other examples for targeted proteins are the surface S-layer proteins of bacilli and clostridia, as well as virulence factors required for the pathogenesis of L. monocytogenes (internalin B) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (PspA) infections. In this review we describe the mechanisms for both sorting and targeting of proteins to the envelope of gram-positive bacteria and review the functions of known surface proteins.
Contrapuntal Readings in Muslim Thought: Translations and Transitions

A diverse and cosmopolitan world, in the best sense of the terms, requires the production of knowledge that will sustain such complexity. Central to such a goal is to ask how we relate to formative documents and exemplars located in a distant past. Historians and interpreters have identified the reading of texts as one of the major challenges. The demands of continuity within traditions and commitment to canons while also being open to creativity are another set of challenges. In fact, the past becomes contested precisely because the present is a contested zone. In order to resist the homogenization of both the past and the present, we require sensitive tools and theoretical applications. If not, we tend to colonize the past and announce the death of certain forms of knowledge (epistemicide) while privileging and preserving other kinds of knowledge as a result of the conjunctions of knowledge and power. Engaging in contrapuntal readings and acknowledging the processes of transculturation could be one way to minimize such deleterious effects.
A Quantitative, Topological Model of Reconnection and Flux Rope Formation in a Two-Ribbon Flare

We present a topological model for energy storage and subsequent release in a sheared arcade of either infinite or finite extent. This provides a quantitative picture of a twisted flux rope produced through reconnection in a two-ribbon flare. It quantifies relationships between the initial shear, the amount of flux reconnected, and the total axial flux in the twisted rope. The model predicts reconnection occurring in a sequence that progresses upward even if the reconnection sites themselves do not move. While some of the field lines created through reconnection are shorter, and less sheared across the polarity inversion line, reconnection also produces a significant number of field lines with shear even greater than that imposed by the photospheric motion. The most highly sheared of these is the overlying flux rope. Since it is produced by a sequence of reconnections, the flux rope has twist far in excess of that introduced into the arcade through shear motions. The energy storage agrees well with previous calculations using the full equations of magnetohydrodynamics, and the agreement improves as the topology is defined using increasingly finer detail. This is the first comparative study of the application of a topological model to a continuous flux distribution. As such, it demonstrates how the coarseness with which the photospheric flux distribution is partitioned affects the accuracy of prediction in topological models.
Segmenting text images with massively parallel machines

Image segmentation, the partitioning of an image into meaningful parts, is a major concern of any computer vision system. The meaningful parts of a text image are lines of text, words, and characters. In this paper, the segmentation of pages of text into lines of text and lines of text into characters on a parallel machine are examined. Using a parallel machine for text image segmentation allows the use of techniques that are impractical on a serial machine due to the computation time needed. It is possible to use a parallel machine to segment text images of lines using spatial histograms with an accuracy of 97.9% at a speed of 30 milliseconds or less per character. Statistically adaptive rules based on dynamic adaptive sampling are used for line segmentation and also for improved accuracy of character segmentation. The segmentation of lines from a page can also be accomplished using a set of statistically adaptive rules which allow sloped lines of text to be segmented. The use of these statistical rules on a parallel machine increases processing time by no more than 1 millisecond per character. Using statistical rules in combination with knowledge about the printed style increases the segmentation accuracy to 99.2% correct for machine-printed text and 89.6% for hand-printed text.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The future of molecular epidemiology.

Subdomains of epidemiological activity classified according to techniques have been shorter-lived than those classified by the type of disease or exposure. Most of us feel comfortable with broad categories defined by disease group (such as ‘cancer epidemiology’) or by exposure (‘nutritional epidemiology’). In the past, brief vogues for terms such as ‘biochemical epidemiology’ have signalled the availability of new techniques that have been ultimately absorbed into these other entities. Will the term ‘molecular epidemiology’ suffer this fate, or does it imply a paradigm shift that will establish it as a genuine descriptor of a major subdomain of epidemiological activity? A MEDLINE search on the term ‘molecular epidemiology’ reveals over 1600 citations mostly on use of molecular techniques to subtype infectious pathogens. I suspect that infectious disease epidemiologists use the term ‘molecular epidemiology’ to describe this set of techniques, not a paradigm shift in their science. Similarly, they use the term ‘seroepidemiology’ to describe studies using the prevalence of serum antibodies in person, place and time to make inferences about the epidemiology of specific infectious diseases. Sprinkled throughout these citations are chronic disease studies, particularly cancer studies, mainly addressing the use of molecular techniques to make improved or novel assessments of exposures, or to define inherited susceptibility. I will address the applications of molecular techniques to cancer epidemiology, assuming that many of the lessons that can be learned apply to the epidemiology other non-infectious diseases.
Mean-Absolute-Deviation Characteristic Lines for Securities and Portfolios

The characteristic line of a security or portfolio relates its rate of return to that of a “market portfolio.” Several investigators have suggested the desirability of obtaining such a line by minimizing the sum of the absolute deviations rather than the sum of the squared deviations around the line. This paper presents a new algorithm for such a regression problem. The procedure has at least two virtues: it is simple, and it produces useful information as a byproduct of the solution process. Empirical evidence is also presented on the differences in the values obtained with the two regression methods i.e., mean-absolute-deviation and least-squares. The differences appear to be relatively slight, at least for well-diversified portfolios.
Investigating healthcare providers' acceptance of personal robots for assisting with daily caregiving tasks

Robots have potential to provide assistance to healthcare providers in daily caregiving tasks. The healthcare providers' acceptance of assistive robots will mediate the success or failure of implementation of robotic systems in care settings. It is essential to understand why and how providers would accept implementation of a robot in their daily work routines. We identified caregiving tasks with which healthcare providers would or would not accept assistance from a personal robot (Willow Garage's PR2). We also explored preferences for human or robot assistance. The healthcare providers we interviewed were quite open to the idea of receiving robot assistance for certain tasks.
Non-contact strain measurement in the mouse forearm loading model using digital image correlation (DIC)

Abstract This study investigates the use of a non-contact method known as digital image correlation (DIC) to measure strains in the mouse forearm during axial compressive loading. A two camera system was adapted to analyze the medial and lateral forearm displacements simultaneously, and the derived DIC strain measurements were compared to strain gage readings from both the ulna and radius. Factors such as region-of-interest (ROI) location, lens magnification, noise, and out-of-plane motion were examined to determine their influence on the DIC strain measurements. We confirmed that our DIC system can differentiate ROI locations since it detected higher average strains in the ulna compared to the radius and detected compressive strains on medial bone surfaces vs. tensile strains on lateral bone surfaces. Interestingly, the DIC method also captured heterogeneity in surface strain fields which are not detectable by strain gage based methods. A separate analysis of the noise intrinsic to the DIC system also revealed that the noise constituted less than 4.5% of all DIC strain measurements. Furthermore, finite element (FE) simulations of the forearm showed that out-of-plane motion was not a significant factor that influenced DIC measurements. Finally, we observed that average DIC strain measurements can be up to 1.5–2 times greater than average strain gage readings on the medial bone surfaces. These findings suggest that strain experienced in the mouse forearm model by loading is better captured through DIC as opposed to strain gages, which as a result of being glued to the bone surface artificially stiffen the bone and lead to an underestimation of the strain response.
RODENTS AS NEST PREDATORS: INFLUENCES ON PREDATORY BEHAVIOR AND CONSEQUENCES TO NESTING BIRDS

Abstract Nest predation is the primary cause of nest failure among birds. As such, it has large consequences on avian populations and is believed to be an important force in the evolution of avian life-history traits. Therefore, using a combination of laboratory and field research, we investigated the potential of northern flying squirrels (Glaucomys sabrinus) and two species of deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus and P. keeni) to be predators on eggs and nestlings of birds, particularly the threatened, canopy nesting Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus). In captivity, both mice and squirrels atempted to prey on eggs and live nestlings of various sizes. Mice atempted to prey on eggs more than nestlings, were more likely to atack nestlings when hungry than when sated, and were more likely to atack small than large nestlings. Individual flying squirrels varied in their propensity to atack but generally were more likely to atempt to open eggs when hungry than when sated. Opening of eggs by both mice and...
THE INFLUENCE OF WATER-LOADING AND LOW TEMPERATURE ON CERTAIN FUNCTIONAL ASPECTS OF THE CRAYFISH ANTENNAL GLAND*

1. The influence of water-loading and low-temperature stress on the physiology of the antennal gland was studied in specimens of the freshwater crayfish, Orconectes virilis . 2. The results of experiments on water-loading suggested that the crayfishes were able to excrete water injected into them, but they did so at the expense of an abnormal loss of salts (sodium). Heavy water-loads caused large and prolonged increases in inulin clearances and urine flow. 3. Low temperature had its primary effect in reducing urine flow and inulin clearance. Low temperature apparently had little effect on the rate of sodium excretion or intensity of water excretion. 4. The urine flow (at 16°C.) of specimens of O . virilis was determined to be 3% of the body weight per 24 hr. This value agreed with the urine flow calculated from average inulin clearances and inulin U/B ratios obtained independently upon specimens of the same species. 5. The results presented in the present paper throw further light upon the function of the crayfish antennal gland. They agree fairly closely with results obtained in other animals where filtration is known to play a role in primary urine formation. However, because of limitations imposed, principally by the lack of morphological evidence for a filtration site in the crayfish kidney, it cannot be stated unequivocally that the crayfish antennal gland is a filtration kidney. The writer wishes to express his gratitude to Dr Leonard B. Kirschner, of Washington State University, for permitting free use of his facilities during the period of this study. Thanks are also given to Dr A. P. M. Lockwood, of Cambridge University, and Dr P. A. Dehnel, of the University of British Columbia, for reading portions of the manuscript.
Using Automatic Question Generation to Evaluate Questions Generated by Children

This paper shows that automatically generated questions can help classify children’s spoken responses to a reading tutor teaching them to generate their own questions. We use automatic question generation to model and classify children’s prompted spoken questions about stories. On distinguishing complete and incomplete questions from irrelevant speech and silence, a language model built from automatically generated questions out-performs a trigram language model that does not exploit the structure of questions.
Improving Word Alignment using Word Similarity

We show that semantic relationships can be used to improve word alignment, in addition to the lexical and syntactic features that are typically used. In this paper, we present a method based on a neural network to automatically derive word similarity from monolingual data. We present an extension to word alignment models that exploits word similarity. Our experiments, in both large-scale and resourcelimited settings, show improvements in word alignment tasks as well as translation tasks.