cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
TH‐A‐220‐07: Semi‐Automatic Multi‐Modality Image Segmentation for Normal Organ Delineation in Head & Neck Radiation Treatment Planning

Purpose: With increasing availability of MR simulators and their ability to provide better soft tissuecontrast, we propose a semi‐automatic multi‐modality segmentation method to improve medical experts' productivity and consistency in delineating normal radiation‐dose‐limiting tissues in head‐and‐neck cases with co‐registered CT and MR. Methods: Based on our previous graph based semi‐automatic segmentation method for single modality, we minimize a global energy function defined by local probabilistic regional and boundary terms: p(yi | xi) and p(yi, yj | xi not equal to xj),where yi is the image feature (intensity) at voxel i, xi is the classification (target organ or background) and voxels i and j are neighbors. To accommodate information from multiple image modalities, e.g. CT and MR, we use a multi‐value vector for image feature, by defining yi = (yi_CT, yi MR ). CT and MR are registered using rigid mutual information registration to obtain image features from both modalities. Probabilities are estimated from samples collected locally from experts' input by using an intuitive paint brush tool to roughly specify the voxels inside and outside the target organ. Side‐by‐side manual segmentation on the registered CT and MR is used as ground truth for comparison. Results: A preliminary study of brainstem segmentation in 4 patient cases, the dice similarity coefficient is 89.8±0.8% and the surface distance to the ground truth is 0.7±1.5mm. Conclusions: The novelty of our approach is the use of a multi‐value feature vector to exploit image formation from multiple modalities and use these features in a statistical energy minimization scheme for segmentation without removing expert oversight. Our initial results are encouraging and the semi‐automatic method has the potential to reduce user fatigue and improve productivity in treatment planning.
Generalized Euler Equations

Es sei vorausgesetzt, dass in einem optimalen Steuerprozess die Anzahl der Steuervariabeln ≥s−1 ist, wos die Anzahl der Zustandsvariabeln bedeutet. Es wird gezeigt, dass dann die adjungierten Variabeln eliminiert werden konnen, so dass ein System von Differentialgleichungen entsteht, das als eine Verallgemeinerung der Eulerschen Gleichungen der Variationsrechnung angesehen werden kann. Dieses Resultat gilt sowohl fur diskrete als auch fur kontinuierliche Steuersysteme, falls die Steuervariabeln keinen einschrankenden Nebenbedingungen unterworfen werden.
Ionic requirement for epinephrine stimulation of frog skin gland secretion.

The outer surface of isolated frog (R. pipiens) skin was observed through a dissection microscope during addition of epinephrine (2 × 10−6 w/v) to the inside bathing solution. Small droplets formed at pore openings within 30 seconds; the process appeared to be complete within 1 to 2 minutes. After washing out the bathing solution and a 30 minute recovery period, the response could be repeated up to six times. The gland requires NaCl for multiple responses. Neither added Ca nor added K is required. Cs and K may replace Na but only to a minor extent. Mg, Rb and Li could not substitute for Na. Chloride is the preferred anion, and while NO3 may be a partially effective substitute, I and SO4 were not.
Neurofilament and tubulin expression recapitulates the developmental program during axonal regeneration: induction of a specific beta-tubulin isotype

Abstract We examined the differential expression of genes encoding three beta-tubulin isotypes (classes I, II, and IV) and the 68-kDa neurofilament protein (NF68) in rat sensory neurons during development, maturation, and axonal regeneration. Expression of the specific beta-tubulin gene encoding the class II isotype was induced to high levels during development and axonal regeneration, whereas the expression of genes encoding the two other isotypes (classes I and IV) remained comparable to mature levels. Conversely, expression of the NF68 gene was relatively low during development and regeneration. Thus, the developmental program for cytoskeletal gene expression is recapitulated during axonal regeneration. The high level of class II beta-tubulin expression found in developing and regenerating neurons occurs during the longitudinal growth of axons. In contrast, induction of NF68 gene expression is associated with the radial growth of axons in maturing neurons.
“Feeling like a woman, looking like a man, sounding like a no-no”: Grace Jones and the performance of Strangé in the Post-Soul Moment

In Grace Jones' work and that of the other black artists influenced by her, we see the wedding of disco and punk; art and fashion; male and female, animal and human, and human and machine to create new notions of black sexuality. Jones' use of drag puts her into the larger history of the ways that performers of the African Diaspora use performance in complex ways to lobby a critique of the dehumanization of black people. Yet Jones' use of drag and other techniques of performing identity pose challenges of readability. She is, in many ways a trickster figure, sliding out of grasp of both her fans and critics. Like other trickster performers of color who rose to prominence during the same period of the 1980's and early 1990's, Jones uses an outsized, “strange” public persona-one that often risks caricature–to lobby critique and to express anger and ultimately, agency. In this essay, I explore Jones's strategies of drag, theatricality, and disidentificaiton, focusing in on her One Man Show (1981), her perfor...
A haplotype of angiotensin receptor type 1 associated with human hypertension increases blood pressure in transgenic mice.

The renin-angiotensin system plays an important role in the regulation of blood pressure via angiotensin II and the angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AT1R). Human AT1R gene promoter has four SNPs: T/A at −777, T/G at −680, A/C at −214, and A/G at −119, that are in linkage disequilibrium. Variants −777T, −680T, −214A, and −119A almost always occur together (named haplotype I), and variants −777A, −680G, −214C, and −119G almost always occur together (named haplotype II) in Caucasian subjects. Genomic DNA analyses, from 388 normotensive and 374 hypertensive subjects, link haplotype I of the human AT1R (hAT1R) gene with hypertension in Caucasians (p = 0.004, χ2 = 8.46). Our results show increased basal promoter activity of the hAT1R gene in cells (H295R and A7r5) transfected with reporter construct containing haplotype I. We also show increased binding of the transcription factor, USF2, to oligonucleotide containing nucleoside −214A as opposed to −214C. Recombineering of a 166-kb bacterial artificial chromosome containing 68 kb of the 5′-flanking region, 45 kb of the coding sequence, and 53 kb of the 3′-flanking region of the hAT1R gene was employed to generate transgenic mice with either haplotype. We show that (a) hAT1R mRNA level is increased in the kidney and heart of transgenic mice containing haplotype I as compared with haplotype II; (b) USF2 binds more strongly to the chromatin obtained from the kidney of transgenic mice containing haplotype I as compared with haplotype II; and (c) blood pressure and oxidative stress are increased in transgenic mice containing haplotype I as compared with haplotype II.
Vascular Cognitive Impairment and Post-Stroke Cognitive Deficits

Vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) and focal post-stroke cognitive deficits are an unfortunately common occurrence. Despite this, our understanding of risk factors for development of VCI and treatment thereof is embarrassingly limited. While no FDA approved treatments exist for VCI, recent and ongoing research sheds some light on the problem, showing some efficacy of cholinesterase inhibitors and antidepressants, treatment of vascular risk factors, and other investigational drugs. Treatments for focal cognitive impairments such as aphasia and neglect are also limited, primarily by the size of studies that have been done. With the more widespread acceptance of the AHA-ASA diagnostic criteria for VCI and its subtypes, perhaps we will start to see more in the way of compelling treatment trials.
Pathogenic plasticity of Kv7.2/3 channel activity is essential for the induction of tinnitus

Tinnitus, the perception of phantom sound, is often a debilitating condition that affects many millions of people. Little is known, however, about the molecules that participate in the induction of tinnitus. In brain slices containing the dorsal cochlear nucleus, we reveal a tinnitus-specific increase in the spontaneous firing rate of principal neurons (hyperactivity). This hyperactivity is observed only in noise-exposed mice that develop tinnitus and only in the dorsal cochlear nucleus regions that are sensitive to high frequency sounds. We show that a reduction in Kv7.2/3 channel activity is essential for tinnitus induction and for the tinnitus-specific hyperactivity. This reduction is due to a shift in the voltage dependence of Kv7 channel activation to more positive voltages. Our in vivo studies demonstrate that a pharmacological manipulation that shifts the voltage dependence of Kv7 to more negative voltages prevents the development of tinnitus. Together, our studies provide an important link between the biophysical properties of the Kv7 channel and the generation of tinnitus. Moreover, our findings point to previously unknown biological targets for designing therapeutic drugs that may prevent the development of tinnitus in humans.
Design and performance of the ASP lead-glass calorimeter

The design of the ASP detector is described and details of the construction and performance of the lead-glass tracking calorimeter are presented. ASP, a nonmagnetic particle detector, was used at the PEP e+e− storage ring at s = 29 GeV to study low-multiplicity final states consisting primarily of electrons and photons. The design utilized extruded lead-glass bars to obtain a compact electromagnetic calorimeter with good energy resolution, tracking and pattern recognition capabilities.
Steenhuis receives 2011 International Award: Response

Tammo Steenhuis received the International Award at the 2011 Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony, held on 7 December 2011 in San Francisco, Calif. The award honors “an individual scientist or a small team for making an outstanding contribution to furthering the Earth and space sciences and using science for the benefit of society in less favored nations.”
Sentinel lymph nodes and breast carcinoma: Which micrometastases are clinically significant?

Sentinel lymph node biopsy is changing surgical management of breast cancer and pathologic evaluation of lymph nodes. Although it has long been known that lymph nodes contain occult metastases, pathologists have not generally pursued their identification. Compared with level I-II axillary dissection, the reduced number of sentinel lymph nodes has made additional evaluation more attractive; however, the consequences of increased detection of micrometastases has not been fully explored or appreciated. National data suggest that the composition of traditional TNM stage groupings is changing, with a recent increase in node-positive, stage II breast cancer, most likely the result of increased pathologic scrutiny. Clinical management of this new group of stage II patients is complicated by the lack of a historic prognostic comparison group because many of these patients would have been classified as stage I, node-negative in the past. Early outcome data in sentinel lymph node biopsy suggest no adverse outcome for patients with metastases no larger than 2.0 mm, a finding aligned with the current definition of micrometastasis. When sentinel lymph nodes are sliced at 2.0-mm intervals and totally embedded, the probability of identifying all metastases >2.0 mm is high. Using reasonable sampling strategies, minute metastases have a nearly equal chance of being missed or detected. New staging guidelines have established a lower limit for micrometastases and defined metastases no larger than 0.2 mm as isolated tumor cells or tumor cell clusters; nodes with isolated tumor cells will be classified as node negative (pN0) for stage grouping. Rigorous strategies designed to reliably detect single cells or small cell clusters in sentinel nodes remain time-intensive and cost prohibitive.
ETHNICITY AND THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF GENDER IN THE CHINESE DIASPORA

This article analyzes the relationship between married women's waged labor and their position in the racial stratification order, comparing Chinese-Canadians in British Columbia and Chinese-Americans in California and Hawaii. It utilizes a theoretical perspective that sees gender as differentially constructed within ethnic groups and as reflecting the interaction of group heritage, historical experiences, and location in the stratification order. Both historical and current census data are examined. Chinese women had initially low rates of participation in the waged labor force. They first functioned as unpaid labor in family enterprises, entering the waged labor force only after the decline of the era of ethnic enterprise. This may initially have been a response to the limited earning capacity of Chinese males, but women remained there even after husbands' income improved. It would appear that the Chinese community initially possessed a set of norms comparable to the cult of domesticity, but their experi...
Hydrocortisone resistance of activated initiator cells in graft versus host reactions.

ALTHOUGH corticosteroids are usually considered to be lympholytic and immunosuppressive, some immunocompetent cells, presumably lymphoid, resist the actions of corticosteroids; for example, the graft versus host cell in chicken1 and mouse2 thymus, and the bone narrow antibody-forming cell precursor3. We have shown4 that the cell(s) in mouse spleen which can initiate graft versus host (GVH) reactions are resistant to the action of hydrocortisone. In these experiments, hydrocortisone was given to normal mice of parental strains. Two days later the surviving spleen cells (about 20%) were transferred to adult F1 hybrid recipients, where they showed unimpaired GVH responses as measured by splenomegaly. In these circumstances, the GVH initiator cell was exposed to hydrocortisone before coming into contact with antigen (mainly H2), and it was thus unlikely to be dividing rapidly, if at all5. Because there is evidence that corticosteroids have their greatest effects on rapidly dividing cells6,7 we have investigated the hydrocortisone sensitivity of GVH cells during antigenic stimulation, when thymus-derived cells are known to proliferate8,9.
Accounting for expert-to-expert variability: A potential source of bias in performance assessments of high-level radioactive waste repositories

Abstract Expert judgments enter several aspects of many scientific endeavors. They are typically employed to interpret data, predict systems' behaviour and assess uncertainties. In particular, expert judgments are expected to be a relevant source of data for use in performance assessments of high-level radioactive waste repositories. In this paper we consider the task of aggregating the judgments provided by experts with the objective of emphasizing a potential source of bias that might affect the results of the analysis. Typically, the analysts combine mathematical and behavioral schemes to obtain the aggregate measures desired for decision-making purposes. Within this approach to data aggregation, mathematical models are used as tools for sensitivity analysis and they should account for between-expert (expert-to-expert) as well as within-expert variability. A practical example regarding a formal expert judgment elicitation exercise for the future climate at Yucca Mountain vicinity is presented.
Expanded applications for ammonia — coping with releases to atmosphere

Abstract Ammonia is one of the refrigerants sometimes proposed as a replacement in special situations for one or more of the CFCs. Ammonia has very favourable properties as a refrigerant, but has one major drawback—the low concentration levels considered to be toxic. This paper presents information on some existing water chiller and ice thermal storage applications that may be prototypes for future installations. Because many such applications may be intended for locations not typical of industrial environments where ammonia is currently widely used, the question of ammonia concentrations in the neighbourhood of a release must be addressed. Ammonia concentrations at various distances under several different wind speeds for several different rates of release are presented. These graphs were derived from runs made on a computer program that is widely used in environmental studies. The program has some important limitations, and the results cannot be considered authoritative for all situations. However, the program calculates magnitudes of ammonia concentration that suggest that the release problem may not be insurmountable. By directing the release vertically upward with a high velocity, the concentrations in the neighbourhood can also be reduced significantly.
Nutrient Availability and Changes in Microbial Biomass Of Organic Amendments During Field Incubation

Field evaluation of release and availability of nutrients and potentially toxic elements from composts is necessary to estimate their nutrient contribution to crops, potential effect on soil and environmental quality. A biosolids (BSD), a yard waste (YW), and a West Palm Beach cocompost (WPCC) were incubated under field conditions in a citrus grove on an Oldsmar fine sandy soil (sandy, siliceous, hyperthermic Alfic Arenic Haplaquods). The incubation columns and the soil underneath each column were sampled on 0, 240, and 360 days after incubation and analyzed for KCl extractable NH4-N and NO3-N, 0.5 M NaHCO3 extractable P, and Mehlich 3 extractable K, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, and microbial biomass. The total concentration and extractable proportion of each element greatly varied among the three organic amendments. Approximately 34-73% of K, 1-14% of Fe, 7-68% of Zn, 7-47% of Mn, and 2-34% of Cu in the three organic amendments were extractable by the Mehlich 3 reagent at the beginning of incubation. Incubation of th...
Construction of a Wireless Communication Contact Closure System for Liquid Chromatography with Multiple Parallel Mass Spectrometers and Other Detectors

A contact closure system was constructed that uses two contact closure sender boards that communicate wirelessly to four contact closure receiver boards to distribute start signals from two or thre...
No Time to Waste

![Figure][1] Margaret Anderson CREDIT: FASTERCURES When it comes to supporting medical research, time is not on our side. The medical research and development (R&D) enterprise is an intricate ecosystem distinguished by the many sectors that play a vital role—academic institutions,
CPP magnetoresistance of magnetic multilayers: mean-free- path is not the culprit

Abstract The series resistor and Valet–Fert models widely used to describe the current-perpendicular-to-plane (CPP) magnetoresistances of ferromagnetic/non-magnetic (F/N) metal multilayers were recently claimed to apply only for mean-free paths shorter than layer thicknesses; otherwise the mean-free-path was claimed to be an important length scale in the CPP-MR. Contradicting these claims, we show that the behaviors on which they were based do not change when the mean-free path in the N-layer is reduced from about five times to one-fifth its layer thickness. Part of these behaviors can be ascribed to finite spin-memory-loss (spin-flipping) in the F and N metals and the rest might be due to spin flipping at F/N interfaces.
Injectable systems and implantable conduits for peripheral nerve repair

Acute sensory problems following peripheral nerve injury include pain and loss of sensation. Approximately 360,000 people in the United States suffer from upper extremity paralytic syndromes every year. Restoration of sufficient functional recovery after long-gap peripheral nerve damage remains a clinical challenge. Potential nerve repair therapies have increased in the past decade as the field of tissue engineering expands. The following review describes the use of biomaterials in nerve tissue engineering. Namely, the use of both synthetic and natural biomaterials, including non-degradable and degradable nerve grafts, is addressed. The enhancement of axonal regeneration can be achieved by further modification of the nerve guides. These approaches include injectable hydrogel fillers, controlled drug delivery systems, and cell incorporation. Hydrogels are a class of liquid-gel biomaterials with high water content. Injectable and gelling hydrogels can serve as growth factor delivery vehicles and cell carriers for tissue engineering applications. While natural hydrogels and polymers are suitable for short gap nerve repair, the use of polymers for relatively long gaps remains a clinical challenge.
Signaling via the T cell antigen receptor induces phosphorylation of Stat1 on serine 727

The Stat1 transcription factor plays a pivotal role in both, the antiviral and antigrowth actions of interferons. Stat1 acquires the ability to bind DNA by becoming phosphorylated on Tyr701. However, to effectively stimulate gene transcription, it must also be phosphorylated on Ser727. We show that engagement of T cell antigen receptor (TCR)/CD3 complex in either Jurkat cells or peripheral blood lymphocytes stimulates phosphorylation of Ser727 but not Tyr701 of Stat1. This process does not require the expression of tyrosine kinases Lck and Zap-70. Interestingly, pretreatment of T cells with the Src kinase inhibitor PP1 completely abrogated CD3-mediated serine phosphorylation of Stat1, whereas inhibitors to MEK1 and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase had no effect. Phosphorylation of Ser727 of Stat1 in T cells is not restricted to TCR/CD3 but also results when cells are stimulated via the costimulatory molecule CD28. The combination of CD3 and CD28 did not augment phosphorylation of Stat1 Ser727. Surprisingly, Stat1-mediated transcriptional activity in response to IFN-α was enhanced with CD3 stimulation, whereas CD3 alone had little effect. These findings suggest that Stat1 is a signaling molecule in TCR signaling and may play a role in T cell function.
Prospects for the application of GaN power devices in hybrid electric vehicle drive systems

GaN, a wide bandgap semiconductor successfully implemented in optical and high-speed electronic devices, has gained momentum in recent years for power electronics applications. Along with rapid progress in material and device processing technologies, high-voltage transistors over 600?V have been reported by a number of teams worldwide. These advances make GaN highly attractive for the growing market of electrified vehicles, which currently employ bipolar silicon devices in the 600?1200?V class for the traction inverter. However, to capture this billion-dollar power market, GaN has to compete with existing IGBT products and deliver higher performance at comparable or lower cost. This paper reviews key achievements made by the GaN semiconductor industry, requirements of the automotive electric drive system and remaining challenges for GaN power devices to fit in the inverter application of hybrid vehicles.
Adjusting American Indian treaties: A guide to supplemental article and supplementary treaty citations from opinions of the federal, state, and territorial court systems

Abstract Supplemental articles and supplementary treaties were used as tools to modify American Indian treaties. In general, supplemental articles were adjustments to the parameters of a treaty, frequently made as quickly as the same – or the next – day of negotiations, whereas the task of a supplementary treaty was to affect the conditions created in a previous treaty(s). As the law of the land, these materials have been referenced in the opinions of the federal, state, and territorial court systems. This article identifies those 80 documents – a combination of 39 initial treaties and their 41 supplements – cited in the opinions of 101 cases between 1831 and 2000 that bind together these instruments, their modifications, and their application within these various venues.
Racial/ethnic disparities in hospice care: a systematic review.

ABSTRACT Context: Access to hospice is a growing public health matter given that quality care at the end of life should be provided to all individuals regardless of race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status. Health care disparities, particularly among racial and ethnic groups, have been well documented in the scientific literature. However, little is known about the demographics of hospice users or the use of hospice services by specific racial and ethnic groups. Objective: This paper is a systematic literature review of studies that examine rates of hospice use among minority patients versus white patients. Method: Comprehensive literature searches were conducted using the standard scientific search engines MEDLINE, PubMed, Psych Info, and the Cochrane Library for articles published from 1980 through January 2006. Results: Twelve of 13 relevant studies found differences in hospice use between minorities and whites. The majority of studies were retrospective cohort studies using administrative data. No ran...
Ablation of subsurface tumors using an ultra-short pulse laser

Abstract This paper demonstrates the novel technique of ablating subsurface tumors with minimal thermal damage to surrounding healthy tissue using a focused laser beam from an ultra-short pulse diode laser source. Experiments were performed on anesthetized healthy mice as well as mice with mammary tumors in order to demonstrate the fundamental advantages of using a focused-beam, ultra-short pulse laser to ablate subcutaneous tissues. The technique was demonstrated through histological analysis of tissue samples after irradiation of anesthetized mice with or without mammary tumors. To demonstrate the efficacy of subsurface focusing, temperature was monitored at the subsurface tumor location and at the surface in an untranslated sample while irradiating with a focused ultra-short pulsed 1552 nm laser. Results show that temperature rise was dramatically greater at the focal depth than at the surface. Irradiation at the subsurface tumor location while translated over time across the tumor location resulted in precise ablation of the tumor. This work shows that a focused-beam ultra-short pulse 1552 nm laser results in precise ablation at the desired location with high efficacy and a minimal zone of collateral thermal and/or mechanical damage.
Space-Charge Effects in Reflex Klystrons

Space charge in reflex tubes has an effect which causes considerable departure from the existing reflex theory. To a first order, it modifies the electronic admittance by a bunching effectiveness parameter, designated F, which, in general, takes some value between one and three. Several approximate methods have been used to estimate this F factor and the results are presented graphically for comparison with experimental measurements on the 723A/B reflex tube, showing good first-order agreement.
MOLECULAR APPROACHES TO MARINE MICROBIAL ECOLOGY AND THE MARINE NITROGEN CYCLE

▪ Abstract Microbes are recognized as important components of the Earth system, playing key roles in controlling the composition of the atmosphere and surface waters, forming the basis of the marine food web, and the cycling of chemicals in the ocean. A revolution in microbial ecology has occurred in the past 15–20 years with the advent of rapid methods for discovering and sequencing the genes of uncultivated microbes from natural environments. Initially based on sequences from the 16S rRNA gene, this revolution made it possible to identify microorganisms without first cultivating them, to discover and characterize the immense previously unsuspected diversity of the microbial world, and to reconstruct the evolutionary relationships among microbes. Subsequent focus on functional genes, those that encode enzymes that catalyze biogeochemical transformations, and current work on larger DNA fragments and entire genomes make it possible to link microbial diversity to ecosystem function. These approaches have yi...
Medical therapeutics for pulmonary arterial hypertension: from basic science and clinical trial design to evidence-based medicine

Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a severe disease with poor prognosis, caused by obliteration of the pulmonary vasculature as a result of pulmonary-vascular remodeling, active vasoconstriction and in situ thrombosis. Left untreated, pulmonary arterial hypertension results in right-ventricular failure and death. There has been dramatic progress in the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension during recent years. A remarkable number of randomized-controlled trials with agents known to target specific abnormalities present in pulmonary arterial hypertension have been completed. Most commonly, therapeutic efficacy was judged by the ability of the drug under study to improve exercise capacity and to decrease the rate of severe complications. Completed clinical trials have mainly evaluated patients with relatively advanced disease. Despite these advances, responses to therapy in pulmonary arterial hypertension are not uniformly favorable and frequently incomplete. In addition, the methods of delivery and the adverse effect profile of the currently available pulmonary arterial hypertension-specific drugs create further management difficulties. Based on newly identified pathobiologic abnormalities in the pulmonary vasculature, future studies are likely to focus on the discovery of new therapeutic targets. Clinical trial design will continue to evolve in an attempt to enable inclusion of patients with less advanced disease and evaluation of treatment combinations or comparisons of the currently approved drugs.
Fmrp is required for the establishment of the startle response during the critical period of auditory development.

Fragile X syndrome, the most common form of inherited mental retardation, is caused by the absence of the FMR-1 gene product FMRP. In addition to the hallmark cognitive defect, other symptoms are also apparent including hyperactivity, seizures and sensory abnormalities including a characteristic increase in sensitivity to auditory, tactile, visual, and olfactory stimuli. Fragile X is a developmental disorder with the first symptoms apparent in the first year of life but little is known about the role of FMRP in developmental processes. The sensory hyperreactivity of fragile X can be reproduced in fmr-1 knockout (KO) mice evident as abnormal audiogenic startle response and increased audiogenic seizure susceptibility. Here, we studied the onset and emergence of the startle deficit in fmr-1 KO mice during development. The startle response was first detectable at the end of the 2nd postnatal week in wild-type mice. The amplitude of startle response showed a substantial increase until the 4th postnatal week followed by a further but moderate increase up to adulthood. Expression of the fmr1 gene was detectable in the startle circuit before the onset and throughout the development of the startle response. Although the onset and amplitude of the startle response were not altered in fmr1 KO mice until the 3rd–4th postnatal week, beyond this age it failed to develop further resulting in an overall response deficit in adult KO mice. This indicates that although Fmrp is dispensable at the initial steps of startle response development, it is necessary for the full development of the response.
Preparation of superabsorbent cellulosic hydrogels

Abstract In this work, milled softwood (SW) bleached kraft fibers were crosslinked by esterification with poly(vinyl methyl ether-co-maleic acid) (PVMEMA) and polyethylene glycol (PEG). The effects of fiber length, crosslinking reaction time, and dosage of PVMEMA on water absorption and retention value (WAARV) for the crosslinked fibers were determined. The results show that as the softwood fiber length is mechanically decreased from 2.41 to 0.50 mm and employing a weight ratio of fiber to polymers equivalent to 1.00:1.28 the WAARV increased from 86.50 to 189.20 g/g. Analysis of the crosslinked fibers by SEM and light microscope indicated that the polymers and fibers form a crosslinked fibrous matrix. FT-IR spectroscopy was employed to detect the ester linkage between PVMEMA and PEG/SW kraft pulp fibers. The results suggested that the ester crosslinked pulps exhibit excellent water absorbent properties and have the potential of utilizing milled bleached SW kraft fibers, such as refiner dust or pulp fines, for novel water absorbent applications.
Quantitative assessment of magnetic sensor signal processing algorithms in a wireless tongue-operated assistive technology

In this paper, we evaluate the overall performance of various magnetic-sensor signal processing (mSSP) algorithms for the Tongue Drive System based on a comprehensive dataset collected from trials with a total of eight able-bodied subjects. More specifically, we measure the performance of nine classifiers on the two-stage classification used by the mSSP algorithm, in order to learn how to improve the current algorithm. Results show that is it possible to reduce misclassification error from 5.95% and 20.13% to 3.98% and 5.63%, from the two assessed datasets, respectively, without sacrificing correctness. Furthermore, since the mSSP algorithm must run in real time, the results show where to focus the computational resources when they are constrained by the platforms with limited resources, such as smartphones.
Pre-Steady-State Kinetic Studies of the Fidelity of Human DNA Polymerase μ†

DNA polymerase μ (Polμ), an X-family DNA polymerase, is preferentially expressed in secondary lymphoid tissues with yet unknown physiological functions. In this study, Polμ was overexpressed in Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity. The purified enzyme had a lifetime of <20 min at 37 °C, but was stable for over 3 h at 25 °C in an optimized reaction buffer. The fidelity of human Polμ was thus determined using pre-steady-state kinetic analysis of the incorporation of single nucleotides into undamaged DNA 21/41-mer substrates at 25 °C. Single-turnover saturation kinetics for all 16 possible deoxynucleotide (dNTP) incorporations and for four matched ribonucleotide (rNTP) incorporations were measured under conditions where Polμ was in molar excess over DNA. The polymerization rate (kp), binding affinity (Kd), and substrate specificity (kp/Kd) are 0.006−0.076 s-1, 0.35−1.8 μM, and (8−64) × 10-3 μM-1 s-1, respectively, for matched incoming dNTPs, (2−30) × 10-5 s-1, 7.3−135 μM, and (4−61) × 10-7 μM-1 s-1, ...
Estimating the laffer curve and policy implications

Abstract This paper re-examines the Laffer curve for the U.S. based on time-series data during 1959–1991. Total personal income tax revenue is specified as a quadratic function of the income tax rate. Different functional forms such as the linear, the log-log, and the semi-log forms are considered. Major findings show that the bellshaped Laffer curve is statistically significant and that the revenue-maximizing tax rate is between 32.67% and 35.21%. The increase in the maximum personal income tax rate from 31% to 36% in the Budget Reconciliation Bill recently passed by the Congress is expected to push the U.S. position on the Laffer curve toward the maximum point and may reduce income tax revenue collected from the highest income group.
Striated Discharge in Hydrogen

Potential distribution, electron concentration and mean electron energy at eleven points were determined for a discharge through a tube 15 cm long at pressures of.625,.20,.90 and.02 mm, using Langmuir's probe method. The total potential difference was 270-300 volts. The potential dropped to a minimum within 2 mm of the cathode, of 125, 60 and 20 volts for pressures.20,.09 and.02 respectively, giving a reverse gradient in a region 1 to 2 cm long through which the current must have been carried by diffusion of positive ions and electrons. The gradient was also reversed at the anode edge of a striation for pressures of.20 and.09 mm---the lower pressure.02 mm gave a uniform positive column. The electron concentration reached a maximum 1 to 2 cm in front of the cathode; the values, in general, are lower the higher the pressure. The mean electron energy decreases sharply at the cathode to a minimum of 1 to 2 volts, then rises gradually to about 10 volts at the beginning of the positive column; it also reaches 10 volts at a striation. Such electrons have sufficient energy to cause the ionization which is associated with the luminosity in the positive column. The anode drop within 2 mm was only 5 to 15 volts, the potential distribution depending on the position of the nearest striation.
Mitogenic response to epidermal growth factor (EGF) modulated by platelet-derived growth factor in cultured fibroblasts

Abstract The mitotic effects of epidermal growth factor (EGF) were investigated in two cultured fibroblast lines, BALB/C-3T3 and C3H 10T1/2 cells. EGF (30 ng/ml) added to quiescent 3T3 cells in medium containing either platelet-poor plasma or 10 −5 M insulin caused only minimal increases in the percentage of cells stimulated to initiate DNA synthesis. In contrast, EGF acted synergistically with either insulin or plasma to stimulate DNA synthesis in quiescent cultures of 10T1/2 cells, although the maximum effects of EGF were measured at concentrations several-fold greater than those found in either serum or plasma. In either 3T3 or 10T1/2 cells a transient preexposure to platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) caused over a 10-fold increase in the sensitivity to the mitogenic effects of EGF. It is therefore possible that a primary action of PDGF is to increase the sensitivity of fibroblasts to EGF, independent of whether EGF alone is found to be mitogenic.
Health Care Experiences of Hispanics in New and Traditional U.S. Destinations

Over the past 15 years, striking new settlement patterns have emerged that have brought about unprecedented geographic dispersion in the population of approximately 45 million Hispanics in the United States. In this study, the authors compare the health care experiences of working age U.S.-born Mexican Americans and Mexican immigrants living in new and traditional Hispanic destinations. They use a geocoded version of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component linked to contextual data from secondary sources. They characterize destinations as new or traditional using information on the percentage of the population that was Hispanic in 1990 and the growth in percent Hispanic between 1990 and 2000. The authors find that, compared with living in destinations with a well-established Hispanic presence, U.S.-born Mexican Americans living in new destinations have less favorable health care outcomes, including a greater probability of having an unmet need for or delay in receiving medical care and reduced satisfaction with care.
Networking with massive MU-MIMO base stations

Information theory has shown tremendous benefits in net- work capacity and energy efficiency by using a large number of antennas on base stations to implement MU-MIMO tech- nologies. We have recently prototyped two generations of MU-MIMO many-antenna base station. In this talk, we will present how we address the practical challenges in building the prototype and discuss emergent networking issues when deploying such base stations in cellular networks.
Three-dimensional computed tomographic findings of bridging bronchus with pulmonary artery compression.

Afemale infant was born at 40 weeks gestation with a birth weight of 3040 g. At 4 hours after birth, she was admitted and intubated for respiratory distress. Chest radiograph showed a shift of the mediastinal structures to the right. Echocardiography showed no major heart malformation. She was successfully extubated after 17 hours of mechanical ventilation, but mild inspiratory stridor still continued. Three-dimensional computed tomography demonstrated bridging bronchus (BB) with pulmonary artery compression (Figure). The infant was discharged on the 21st day after birth. Since the age of 15 months, she has been hospitalized several times with bronchitis; however, she has not required surgical intervention for airway obstruction. BB is an extremely rare bronchial branching anomaly. 1-3 Three-dimensional computed tomography is a powerful means for demonstrating the special relationships of arterial and tracheal anomalies. n
‘The tender beasts’: peasant mythology in Petr Lutsik’s The Outskirts

Petr Lutsik’s The Outskirts is a critical exploration of the historical permutations and lasting appeal of the figure of the Russian peasant as a cultural icon. The film engages in open-ended dialogue with popular representations of the peasant, notably in Russian folklore and the 1930s cinema of socialist realism. This article investigates the ways in which Lutsik (re)mythologizes Russian peasants; it discusses the director’s collapsing of the conventional temporal barriers between historical eras and the resulting interweaving of cultural trends and movements as an act of challenging the linearity and rigidity of historical time. The article examines Lutsik’s notion of peasants as ‘tender beasts’, exploring the mixture of sensitivity and animalism at the core of the film’s ambivalent portrayal of its protagonists as simultaneously loathsome and admirable, cruel and just. It discusses Lutsik’s engagement with the aesthetics of chernukha and necro-realism in order to depict an atmosphere of bleak, uncompr...
Role of Culture and Context: Ethical Issues in Research with Asian Americans and Immigrants in Intimate Violence

Ethical principles are often presented as univer- sal, immutable rules. However, when conducting research with ethnic minority groups, such as Asian Americans and immigrants, ethical issues need to be placed within a sociocultural context as ethical responses are filtered through the specific value orientations and belief systems of the ethnic group under study. Further, when the group is a marginalized population, power dynamics complicate ethical principles of autonomy. The complexities are further accentuated with sensitive topics such as intimate violence or domestic violence. Consequently, ethical questions about autonomy, informed consent, confidentiality, limits to confidentiality, and protecting participants' safety and reducing distress need to be at the forefront when planning intimate violence research. An overview of sociocultural context of Western biomedical ethics is presented and specific ethical issues that emerge when conducting intimate violence are discussed.
Diversity, Integration, Globalization, and Critical Thinking in the Upper Division

After identifying diversity, integration of business disciplines, globalization of course contents, and infusion of critical thinking skills as four objectives, the author designated a new curriculum with several new courses and identified a number of integrative experiences that allow instructors to demonstrate to the students the linkages existing among the business courses. The author discusses the curriculum revision process and focuses on how an expert, cross-disciplinary team designed and implemented its first course called Gateway. The author also reflects on the revision process. Even without curriculum revisions, any business school can benefit from designing imaginative integrative experiences.
Altica Litigata (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae): A DNA Approach To Species Verification

Th e life cycle from egg to adult of the herbivorous Altica litigata fl ea beetle has been described on plants in the genus Oenothera ( Onagraceae). Adult A. litigata have been reported to feed on primrose, Oenothera species as well as on crape myr- tles, Lagerstroemia species ( Lythraceae). Only the adult life stage has been reported on Lagerstroemia species. Since Altica adult beetles are morphologically diffi cult to distinguish, host species-specifi city for Oenothera species and Lagerstroemia species has been used to identify A. litigata adults in the fi eld. Th us, cytochrome oxidase sub- unit I (COI) sequence was used to test the hypothesis that adult fl ea beetles collected on Oenothera species and Lagerstroemia species and characterized from morphology were A. litigata as expected. We discuss the implications of this work.
Deletion of α4 Integrins from Adult Hematopoietic Cells Reveals Roles in Homeostasis, Regeneration, and Homing

We have explored the functional implications of inducible alpha4 integrin deletion during adult hematopoiesis by generating a conditional-knockout mouse model, and we show that alpha4 integrin-deficient hematopoietic progenitor cells accumulate in the peripheral blood soon after interferon-induced gene deletion. Although their numbers gradually stabilize at a lower level, progenitor cell influx into the circulation continues at above-normal levels for more than 50 weeks. Concomitantly, a progressive accumulation of progenitors occurs within the spleen. In addition, the regeneration of erythroid and myeloid progenitor cells is delayed during stress hematopoiesis induced by phenylhydrazine or by 5-fluorouracil, suggesting impairment in early progenitor expansion in the absence of alpha4 integrin. Moreover, in transplantation studies, homing of alpha4(-/-) cells to the bone marrow, but not to the spleen, is selectively impaired, and short-term engraftment is critically delayed in the early weeks after transplantation. Thus, conditional deletion of alpha4 integrin in adult mice is accompanied by a novel hematopoietic phenotype during both homeostasis and recovery from stress, a phenotype that is distinct from the ones previously described in alpha4 integrin-null chimeras and beta1 integrin-conditional knockouts.
Anti-predatory chemical defenses of ascidians: secondary metabolites or inorganic acids?

Both secondary metabolites and inorganic acids have been hypothesized to protect adult ascidians from predation, raising the possibility of alternative defensive strategies in these sessile, soft-bodied, benthic invertebrates. The objective of this investigation was to determine if ascidian species from the Western Atlantic have these chemical defenses against fish predators, and if so, to determine their location within the body of the ascidian. The palatability of crude organic extracts of whole ascidians, as well as the dissected tunics, viscera, and gonads (when possible) were determined at natural volumetric concentrations using laboratory feeding assays with the bluehead wrasse, Thalassoma bifasciatum. Acidified food pellets were also assayed to determine the effect of lowered pH on predation. Sixteen of the 17 species tested had deterrent organic extracts from some region of the body (Aplidium constellatum, Aplidium stellatum, Ascidia interrupta, Ascidia nigra, Botrylloides sp., Clavellina picta, Didemnum candidum, Didemnum vanderhosti, Diplosoma listerianum, Ecteinascidia turbinata, Eudistoma capsulatum, Eudistoma hepaticum, Rhopalaea abdominalis, Styela plicata, Symplegma rubra, and Trididemnum solidum). The location of the deterrent secondary metabolites was isolated in the gonad in all three solitary species, raising the possibility that these defenses are passed on to eggs or larvae. Nine ascidian species sequestered acid in their tunics (A. interrupta, A. nigra, A. stellatum, D. candidum, D. vanderhosti, E. capsulatum, E. hepaticum, R. abdominalis, and T. solidum) at levels that were effective in deterring fish predation (pH≤3.0). Only one species (Botrylloides nigrum) had neither chemical defense. Results of this study indicate that there is not a clear trade-off between the presence of secondary metabolites and inorganic acid defenses in ascidians, suggesting that these defenses are redundant, or that alternative chemical defenses may have evolved for different predators or for different stages in the life history of the ascidians producing them.