cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
DIFFERENTIAL RESPONSE TO UV STRESS AND DNA DAMAGE DURING THE YEAST REPLICATIVE LIFE SPAN

The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is mortal. Before they die, individual yeasts bud repeatedly producing a finite number of progeny, which have the capacity for a full life span. A feature of aging in many species is the waning of resistance to stress. To determine whether this is the case in yeast, we have examined the survival (viability) of age-synchronized populations of yeasts of various ages, spanning youth, midlife, and old age, after irradiation with ultraviolet light (UV). Resistance to UV was biphasic. There was an increase through midlife, followed by a precipitous decline. For comparison, another mutagenic agent, ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS), was tested in the same way. The response was very different. A uniphase decrease in resistance to this DNA-alkylating agent was found with a plateau later in life. The results argue that the increase in resistance to UV with age is an active process and not simply a monotonic age change. RAS2 is among the genes that determine yeast longevity. This gene is preferentially expressed in young cells and has a life span-extending effect on yeasts. One known function of RAS2 is to mount a protective response to irradiation by UV, which occurs independently of DNA damage. The distinction between UV and EMS found here is consistent with the notion that resistance to UV plays a role in yeast longevity in a manner not related to DNA damage. Furthermore, it suggests that RAS2 may participate in this response. We have found that RAS2 expression and UV resistance coincide in middle-aged yeasts bolstering this possibility. These data and the eclipse in activity of several longevity determining genes at midlife in yeasts also raise the possibility that active life maintenance processes function through this period, after which the organism operates on any remaining reserves until death.
The Great Recession and China's Policy Toward Asian Regionalism

The global recession has had seemingly conflicting impacts on China's policy toward Asian regionalism. But China has never viewed regionalism and globalism as mutually exclusive and has seen strategic value in pursuing both. A stronger China emerging from the crisis is playing both regional and global games with a stronger hand.
Age-Related Differences in Timing Control of Repetitive Movement: Application of the Wing-Kristofferson Model

Abstract Age differences in timing control were investigated, in persons between 6 and 75 years. Subjects performed a repetitive finger-tapping task, attempting to match a 550-ms interresponse interval (IRI). Response variability was analyzed, using the method of Wing—Kris tofferson (1973). An autocovariance technique estimated the proportion of the overall (total) IRI variability contributed by central (clock) and peripheral implementation (motor delay) processes. Significant age and gender differences were revealed only for total and clock variability. Results indicated that (a) young children (6–7 years) had higher variances than all other age groups, (b) older children (9–10 years) were more variable than young and middle-age adults, (c) variances did not differ significantly across three adult age groups (21–75 years), and (d) males were less variable than females for all age groups. In agreement with recent investigations that have used the Wing—Kristofferson methodology, this study suggests that ag...
129 THE RELATIONSHIP OF BODY CONDITION SCORE AT TIME OF AI AND SUBSEQUENT GENDER RATIO OF OFFSPRING

The chance of a female calf being born is less than that of a male calf from lactating dairy cows (M:F ratio from two large data sets was 54:46; Ryan and Boland 1991 Theriogenology 36, 1-10, and Berry et al. 1995 J. Anim. Sci. 78, 76 abst). Data from this study were analyzed to determine if there was a relationship in body condition of the dam at time of artificial insemination and subsequent gender ratio of offspring from lactating Holstein dairy cows. Lactating dairy cows from n = 3 farms were timed-AI at approximately 8 h before or 16 h after a GnRH induced LH surge and were body condition scored (BCS; 1 to 5, with 1 representing least amount of condition) at time of AI. Previous data from our laboratory indicated that cows in the -8 and +16 h groups received AI approximately 36 and 12 h prior to ovulation, respectively, and the longer sperm incubated in vivo the greater the subsequent percentage of female calves were born. In the study, the aforementioned data were analyzed in SPSS for the relationship between gender ratio and BCS from n = 333 cows that carried calves to term utilizing correlation analysis, and for pregnancy losses in cows (n = 1501) that received AI and had been evaluated for BCS utilizing binary logistic regression analysis. Cows were classed into 3 body condition groups at time of AI: 3.5 (high) for analysis. There was a significant negative correlation in BCS with M:F gender ratio (P 0.10) between the three BCS groups suggesting that differences in gender ratio were not the result of sex-specific losses. In summary, BCS at time of AI altered subsequent gender ratio of offspring and was attenuated in the high BCS group by time of AI relative to ovulation. We speculate that differences in gender ratio in cows with different BCS may be due to alterations in the uterine and/or oviductal environment that in turn alters the ratio of X and Y chromosome-bearing sperm at time of fertilization.
Vascular remodeling mediated by Angptl2 produced from perivascular adipose tissue.

Levels of obesity have dramatically increased in the modern world, and this has created a major health care concern for societies to overcome [1–4]. Obesity contributes to the development of diabetes and promotes the risk of death from cardiovascular diseases [1,3,5]. It is well documented that excess adiposity will promote a state of low-grade, chronic inflammation that accelerates disease processes [6]. Adipose tissue was once thought to be purely involved in the storage of excess energy, but it is now appreciated to have endocrine functions through its ability to secrete protein factors that are referred as adipokines [6–10]. Many of these adipokines have pro-inflammatory actions. Examples include tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) [11]. In addition, adipose tissues secrete anti-inflammatory adipokines. Adiponectin is a widely studied, anti-inflammatory adipokine that has insulin-sensitizing and cardiovascular-protective properties [7,12,13]. In a lean, healthy organism, metabolic homeostasis is maintained via a balance in the expression of pro- and anti-inflammatory adipokines. However, under conditions of obesity, adipose tissue dysfunction leads to the downregulation of anti-inflammatory adipokines and the upregulation of pro-inflammatory adipokines, contributing to a chronic and systemic inflammatory state in adipose tissue and throughout the organism.
Isotopic dilution study of the water/vapor interface by phase-sensitive sum-frequency vibrational spectroscopy.

Phase-sensitive sum-frequency vibrational spectroscopy (PS-SFVS) has been used to probe the isotopically diluted water/vapor interfaces in the spectral regions of OD (2200−2800 cm−1) and OH (3000−3800 cm−1) stretches. The experimentally measured Im χS(2) spectra, where χS(2) is the surface nonlinear susceptibility, permit direct characterization of resonances of the interfaces. The Im χS(2) spectrum of the HDO/vapor interface that is intrinsically simpler to analyze can be deduced from the result of isotopic dilution. It exhibits in the bonded-OH region a broad band comprising two parts with opposite signs, in contrast to those deduced earlier from fitting of the |χS(2)|2 spectra and those calculated by MD simulation, but consistent with that obtained for the H2O/vapor interface.
Reversibly Assembled Cellular Composite Materials

We introduce composite materials made by reversibly assembling a three-dimensional lattice of mass-produced carbon fiber-reinforced polymer composite parts with integrated mechanical interlocking connections. The resulting cellular composite materials can respond as an elastic solid with an extremely large measured modulus for an ultralight material (12.3 megapascals at a density of 7.2 milligrams per cubic centimeter). These materials offer a hierarchical decomposition in modeling, with bulk properties that can be predicted from component measurements and deformation modes that can be determined by the placement of part types. Because site locations are locally constrained, structures can be produced in a relative assembly process that merges desirable features of fiber composites, cellular materials, and additive manufacturing.
Post‐Soviet political culture in Russia: An assessment of recent empirical investigations

AT A TIME WHEN THE WORLD SEEMS HEADED toward 'the clash of civilisations' and 'the great divisions among humankind and the dominating source of conflict will be cultural',1 we must make renewed efforts to comprehend the significance of cultural factors for politics in the countries of the former Soviet Union. The concept 'political culture' has been much used and abused in the study of Soviet politics in recent decades. Some attempts were made 25 years ago to bring rigour to the concept by linking the study of political culture in communist countries to the works of anthropologists and political scientists.2 While this early effort at bridge-building between area and discipline proved to be both interesting and stimulating of new ideas and approaches, its promise in Soviet studies could not be realised in the absence of systematic empirical data to test hypotheses. The best that could be done under the circumstances was to rely heavily on interviews with Soviet emigres.3 Initial optimism about use of the political culture concept gave rise in the 1980s to infighting and soul-searching.4 The new data-rich environment of the post-Soviet era challenges us to test theories that heretofore have lain dormant because of 'obstacles to direct observation' that forced scholars to practice anthropology from afar or to engage in flights of fancy through historical extrapolation.5 This article examines the strengths and weaknesses of some recent empirical research on post-Soviet political culture in Russia in order to strengthen further bridge-building efforts to the benefit of both social science and post-Sovietology.6
Emission spectrometric determination of the gaseous elements in metals—VIII. Establishment of a master analytical curve for oxygen without standard samples

Abstract An important problem encountered in establishing analytical curves for the emission spectrometric determination of oxygen in metals is the lack of reliable standard samples. In this paper it is shown that analytical curves obtained from blends of argon and carbon monoxide or from the quantitative release of carbon monoxide from metal oxides in are discharges are congruent with the curves obtained from a variety of analyzed metal specimens. These calibration methods therefore provide a simple means for establishing an analytical curve applicable to many metal systems.
Anaphylactoid and Anaphylactic Reactions

Studies have demonstrated greater hazards associated with anaphylaxis in patients receiving β-blockers. Serious anaphylaxis is more frequent. Evidence suggests this occurs via modulation of adenylate cyclase, which can influence release of anaphylactogenic mediators. Treatment of anaphylaxis in patients exposed to β-blockers is complicated because therapeutic administration of epinephrine (adrenaline) may be ineffective or promote undesired α-adrenergic and vagotonic effects. Risk reduction efforts should be considered for patients receiving β-blockers who are prone to experience anaphylaxis.
Multiple congenital anomalies associated with a 47,XXX chromosome constitution.

An infant with a 47, XXX chromosome constitution, who died shortly after birth, had laryngeal atresia, pulmonary hypoplasia, craniofacial anomalies, urogenital malformations including unilateral renal agenesis, hydrometrocolpos and ovarian dysgenesis, and mildly abnormal endochondral ossification. Implications for genetic counseling are presented.
A Comparison of Procedures for General Contrasts - Unequal Sample Size Case

Three procedures for general contrasts among the means in the unbalanced models are compared. These include the Tukey (T), Scheffe (S) and transformed-Tukey (T-T') procedures. The comparison is based on the lengths of the confidence Intervals. It is shown that the Tukey procedure gives the shortest confidence intervals for pairwise contrasts. A numerical study is carried out for the general contrasts. It is found that the T and T-T' procedures perform similarly. In general, the S'procedure is recommended for contrasts involving many μi's. Recommendations for the choice of the procedures are given.
Linguistic Minorities in Multilingual Settings: Implications for language policies

The 19th-century European notion of the one people-one language nation as the ideal state has been a very pervasive influence in spite of the fact that most countries in the world today are multilingual, that is they contain ethnic groups in contact and not infrequently in competition. Such thinking has held implications for the setting of language policies, from hanging a wooden clog around the neck of a child heard speaking Occitan in Southern France to the considerable budgeting in Ireland for the promotion of Irish. In this book, Paulston presents an analytical framework for explaining and predicting the language behaviour of social groups as such behaviour relates to linguistic policies for minority groups. She argues that a number of factors must be considered in the understanding and establishment of language policies for minority groups: (1) if language planning is to be successful, it must consider the social context of language problems, (2) the linguistic consequences for social groups in contact will vary depending on the focus of social mobilization, i.e. ethnicity or nationalism, and (3) a major problem in the accurate prediction of such linguistic consequences lies in identifying the salient factors which contribute to language maintenance or shift, i.e. answering the question “under what conditions?”. Part I outlines and discusses the analytical framework, beginning with a general consideration of language problems and language policies and of the social factors which contribute to language maintenance and shift. The author continues to discuss four distinct types of social mobilization, which under certain specified social conditions result in different linguistic consequences: ethnicity, ethnic movements, ethnic nationalism, and geographic nationalism. The argument is that such an understanding is vital to helpful educational policies and successful language planning in general. Part II contrasts and compares a number of case studies for clarification of their diverse courses of mother tongue maintenance. It particularly seeks to illustrate the type of social mobilization discussed in Part I and to understand the social conditions which influence and alter the effects of the type of social mobilization.
Real wage rigidity and optimal commercial policy in less developed countries

Abstract This paper examines optimal commercial policy in an LDC in which there is a rigid real wage and imports consist of both final and non-competitive intermediae inputs. The nature of optimal commercial policy depends sensitively upon the composition of imports. When export promotion is hampered by import quotas abroad or difficulties in extending export subsidies, protection will often be optimal in economies that import intermediates but not in economics that import only final goods. The results for the full optimization case establish that there is a general presumption trade policy should be biased in favor of export promotion, although there are well defined conditions under which an import-substituting regime is optimal.
The second real Johnson-Wilson theory and nonimmersions of $RP^n$, Part II

This paper is a continuation of the study begun in the previous paper with the same title. We analyze $ER(2)^{16*+8}(RP^{2n})$ and compute $ER(2)*(RP^{16K+1})$, and use these to prove more nonimmersion theorems for $RP^n$, including many in fairly low dimensions. In particular, we get 12 new nonimmersion results for $RP^n$ where $n < 192$, the range included in the tables Don Davis keeps. These complement the 10 already found in the first paper.
RUNAWAY ELECTRONS IN THE ORMAK DEVICE

Runaway electron currents of up to 140 kA with energies in the MeV-range and lasting for a tenth of a second have been observed in ORMAK. A theory which predicts the production and acceleration of these electrons is presented and compared with recent experimental results. Agreement between the two appears to be good.
Sound velocity and elasticity of single-crystal forsterite to 16 GPa

As an abundant component of Earth's upper mantle, forsterite (Mg2SiO4) has been the subject of extensive investigation for many decades. The pressure dependences of sound velocity and elasticity are of great importance for modeling the composition and evolution of Earth. For this reason, room temperature Brillouin scattering experiments were performed on single-crystal forsterite at pressures up to 16 GPa in a diamond anvil cell. The nine elastic moduli increase linearly over the pressure range studied. Together with previous ambient pressure data, the pressure variation of the bulk modulus is Ks(GPa) = 128.8(5) + 4.2(2)P, and the shear modulus is G(GPa) = 81.6(2) + 1.4(1)P, where the numbers in parentheses are one standard deviation uncertainties in the last digit. Combining with previous ultrasonic data for polycrystalline β-Mg2SiO4 to 3 GPa, the sound velocity contrasts between α- and β-Mg2SiO4 were found to be largely pressure independent at room temperature. If, on the other hand, the pressure dependences of the bulk and shear modulus of the β phase of Mg2SiO4 are assumed to be identical to those for the α phase, the room temperature velocity contrasts between the two phases decrease by 20% and 12% from 1 bar to 13.8 GPa for compressional and shear waves, respectively.
Theory and method for research on aptitude processes

Abstract The theoretical and methodological concepts available to, and needed by, research on aptitudes as cognitive processes are discussed. Contemporary views of cognitive processes are examined in relation to individual difference constructs and methods used to examine their reliability and validity. Individual difference constructs are discussed in relation to cognitive process models and research thereon. Studies of short-term memory processes are reviewed to demonstrate the complementary strengths and weaknesses of experimental and correlational methods and concepts. A coordinated approach to the study of aptitude as information processing is suggested.
Treatment of chronic frontal sinusitis with difficult anatomy: A hybrid balloon technique in four cases.

The presence of frontal cells poses unique challenges when using endoscopic approaches. This study describes the use of a balloon dilation system as an aid for functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) to access the frontal sinus in cases that would traditionally require open approaches. We present a case series of four patients with chronic rhinosinusitis refractive to medical management who underwent FESS with the aid of a balloon dilation system at a tertiary referral center. All patients had variant forms of frontal sinus anatomy. Surgical techniques will be described and use of the balloon system will be reviewed. All patients (aged 13–68 years) successfully underwent fontal sinusotomies with the assistance of a balloon dilation system, which was used in a variety of ways: to dilate the narrow infundibulum of a high intersinus septal cell, to remove an anteriorly located type III frontal sinus cell, to expand the natural frontal ostium in the presence of excessive agger nasi pneumatization, and to remove a type IV frontal sinus cell. All patients were spared an osteoplastic flap or trephination, and there were no intraoperative complications. No postoperative bleeding, infection, or cerebral spinal fluid leaks were reported. Balloon dilation in combination with standard frontal sinus dissection techniques may be beneficial for a select group of patients with complex frontal anatomy. In this series of patients, the balloon dilation system was used as a tool during FESS and eliminated the need for open approaches.
Point Mutagenesis and Cocrystallization of Wild-Type and Mutant Proteins: A Study of Solid-Phase Coexistence in Two-Dimensional Protein Arrays

We are studying the molecular organization of protein arrays using two-dimensional streptavidin crystals bound to biotinylated lipid monolayers at the air−water interface. We constructed a mutant form of the streptavidin protein that successfully alters the molecular organization of the streptavidin crystals. Cocrystallization of streptavidin carrying this single targeted point mutation with wild-type streptavidin yields two-dimensional crystals displaying a chiral morphology with molecular coexistence, indicating a solid-phase transition. The phase coexistence and resulting morphologies are reminiscent of two-dimensional crystal behavior of wild-type streptavidin near its isoelectric point, and this analogy is discussed. These results demonstrate the potential to manipulate protein array formation through point mutagenesis and cocrystallization.
Estimation of multilevel digital signals in the presence of arbitrary impulsive interference

We first study the a posteriori probability density function of the state of a discrete-time system given the measurement data. By applying the Bayesian law to the state and measurement equations of the stochastic system, the a posteriori density is obtained in closed-form and computed recursively for arbitrary i.i.d. state noise and any discrete-type measurement noise (or multilevel digital signal). Then, our effort concentrates on the estimation of impulsive noise which interferes the multilevel signal of interest. By considering the L/sup p/-metric performance criterion, where 0 >
2H NMR determination of the global correlation time of the gramicidin channel in a lipid bilayer

A detailed experimental description of molecular dynamics requires an accurate description of the global correlation time. For the gramicidin cation-selective channel the local dynamics of the polypeptide backbone are thought to play a very significant role in the functional process of this channel which occurs on the 10–100-ns time scale. By solid-state NMR spectroscopy an experimental description of the local dynamics including a description of the axis about which the motions occur, the amplitude of the motions, whether they are diffusional or discontinuous and the frequency of the motions is possible. Initial interpretations of the NMR data for this polypeptide backbone in fully hydrated lipid bilayers suggests that the time scale for the local motions is the same as the kinetic time scale (North and Cross, 1993). Here the global correlation time is found from d4-Ala3 and d4-Ala5-gramicidin A powder pattern spectra to be 36 microseconds at 309 K. This surprisingly long correlation time may reflect the high viscosity of the peptide environment or possibly the higher molecular weight of a peptide-lipid aggregate. Furthermore, this reassessment of the global correlation time supports the initial interpretation of relaxation data for the local motions.
Ultrastructural changes in Euglena after ultraviolet irradiation.

The structural changes associated with the ultraviolet-induced bleaching of light-grown cells of Euglena gracilis were investigated. Our light- and electron-microscopic observations of the bleaching process indicate that there is a continuity of plastid structure in cells 5 generations after receiving a bleaching dose of ultraviolet light. There seems to be a continuous dilution of the plastid thylakoids and a decrease in plastid size in the bleaching cells. There also seems to be a change in the position of the plastids in relation to the mitochondria in the bleaching cells. The plastids and possibly the mitochondria are the only organelles which are affected by the ultraviolet irradiation. The continuity of plastids in bleaching cells of Euglena is discussed in relation to the proposed effect of the ultraviolet light.
The effects of auditory attention measured from human electrocorticograms

Abstract Objective A central question in auditory electrophysiology has been whether selective attention can modulate exogenous components of the scalp-recorded N1 (the ‘N1 effect’). Intracranial electrocorticograms were used in the current work to investigate this issue in greater anatomical detail. Methods Data were recorded from subdural electrodes placed across temporal cortex in 6 patient-volunteers undergoing diagnostic procedures for medically intractable epilepsy. Patients performed a dichotic listening task in which they alternately attended to a series of tones presented to both ears (mean ISI 800 ms) by responding to rare frequency deviants. Results Effects of attention were measured on the largest negative and positive waveform deflections observed between 70 and 220 ms post-stimulus for stimuli presented contralateral to grid location. Peak deflections were most often recorded from the upper bank of the posterior superior temporal gyrus at approximately 89 and 173 ms on average (labeled N90stg and P170stg, respectively). Selective attention had little effect on peak latencies but significantly increased the N90stg for 3 subjects, increased the P170stg for two subjects, and decreased the P170stg for two other subjects. Conclusions Selective auditory attention can modulate neural response in auditory cortex. Significance The effects of attention on the scalp-recorded N1 component may arise in part from the enhancement of exogenous responses in temporal cortex.
The SLUG Zinc-Finger Protein Represses E-Cadherin in Breast Cancer

Loss of expression of the E-cadherin cell-cell adhesion molecule is important in carcinoma development and progression. Because previous data suggest that loss of E-cadherin expression in breast carcinoma may result from a dominant transcriptional repression pathway acting on the E-cadherin proximal promoter, we pursued studies of cis sequences and transcription factors regulating E-cadherin expression in breast cancer cells. E-box elements in the E-cadherin promoter were found to play a critical negative regulatory role in E-cadherin gene transcription in breast cancer cell lines lacking E-cadherin transcription. The E-box elements had a minimal role in E-cadherin transcription in breast cancer cell lines expressing E-cadherin. Two zinc-finger transcription factors known to bind E-box elements, SLUG and SNAIL, repressed E-cadherin-driven reporter gene constructs containing wild-type promoter sequences but not those with mutations in the E-box elements. Additionally, both SLUG and SNAIL repressed endogenous E-cadherin expression. These findings suggest SLUG and SNAIL are potential repressors of E-cadherin transcription in carcinomas lacking E-cadherin expression. Analysis of the expression patterns of SLUG, SNAIL, and E-cadherin in breast cancer cell lines demonstrated that expression of SLUG was strongly correlated with loss of E-cadherin transcripts. Taken together, the data indicate the E-box elements in the proximal E-cadherin promoter are critical in transcriptional repression of the E-cadherin gene, and SLUG is a likely in vivo repressor of E-cadherin in breast cancer.
HybridMR: A Hierarchical MapReduce Scheduler for Hybrid Data Centers

Virtualized environments are attractive because they simplify cluster management, while facilitating cost-effective workload consolidation. As a result, virtual machines in public clouds or private data centers, have become the norm for running transactional applications like web services and virtual desktops. On the other hand, batch workloads like MapReduce, are typically deployed in a native cluster to avoid the performance overheads of virtualization. While both these virtual and native environments have their own strengths and weaknesses, we demonstrate in this work that it is feasible to provide the best of these two computing paradigms in a hybrid platform. In this paper, we make a case for a hybrid data center consisting of native and virtual environments, and propose a 2-phase hierarchical scheduler, called HybridMR, for the effective resource management of interactive and batch workloads. In the first phase, HybridMR classifies incoming MapReduce jobs based on the expected virtualization overheads, and uses this information to automatically guide placement between physical and virtual machines. In the second phase, HybridMR manages the run-time performance of MapReduce jobs collocated with interactive applications in order to provide best effort delivery to batch jobs, while complying with the Service Level Agreements (SLAs) of interactive applications. By consolidating batch jobs with over-provisioned foreground applications, the available unused resources are better utilized, resulting in improved application performance and energy efficiency. Evaluations on a hybrid cluster consisting of 24 physical servers and 48 virtual machines, with diverse workload mix of interactive and batch MapReduce applications, demonstrate that HybridMR can achieve up to 40% improvement in the completion times of MapReduce jobs, over the virtual-only case, while complying with the SLAs of interactive applications. Compared to the native-only cluster, at the cost of minimal performance penalty, HybridMR boosts resource utilization by 45%, and achieves up to 43% energy savings. These results indicate that a hybrid data center with an efficient scheduling mechanism can provide a cost-effective solution for hosting both batch and interactive workloads.
Self‐reported oral health perceptions of Somali adults in Minnesota: a pilot study

Abstract: Objective: To assess self-reported oral health perceptions and associated factors in an adult Somali population living in Minnesota, USA. Methods: We analysed data from a cross-sectional study of Somali adults aged 18 to 65+ years attending a dental school clinic for care. A comprehensive oral examination was performed by the dental school outreach team on all patients who attended a 2-week designated Somali dental clinic. Adults who consented were given an oral health questionnaire to collect information on sociodemographics, marital status, language preference and self-rated oral and general health. We performed summary statistics and differences between proportions using Fisher’s exact test and a comparison of means using one-way anova or a two-sample t-test. Results: The sample consisted of 53 adults, 75% of whom were females. About 49% of subjects reported poor/fair oral health and 38% reported poor/fair general health. Seventy-four percent rated their access to dental care as poor/fair and 83% reported that they did not have a regular source of dental care. Self-rated oral health was significantly associated with marital status (P < 0.05) and self-rated general health (P < 0.01) using Fisher’s exact test. Conclusion: A substantial proportion of Somali adults rated their oral health and access to dental care as poor/fair. These findings suggest that this population would benefit from improved access to oral health care and culturally appropriate oral health education and promotion programs.
Leaf litter decomposition and macroinvertebrate communities in headwater streams draining pine and hardwood catchments

Benthic invertebrates, litter decomposition, andlitterbag invertebrates were examined in streamsdraining pine monoculture and undisturbed hardwoodcatchments at the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory in thesouthern Appalachian Mountains, USA. Bimonthlybenthic samples were collected from a stream draininga pine catchment at Coweeta during 1992, and comparedto previously collected (1989–1990) benthic data froma stream draining an adjacent hardwood catchment. Litter decomposition and litterbag invertebrates wereexamined by placing litterbags filled with pine ormaple litter in streams draining pine catchments andhardwood catchments during 1992–1993 and 1993–1994. Total benthic invertebrate abundance and biomass inthe pine stream was ca. 57% and 74% that of thehardwood stream, respectively. Shredder biomass wasalso lower in the pine stream but, as a result ofhigher Leuctra spp. abundance, shredderabundance was higher in the pine stream than thehardwood stream. Decomposition rates of both pine andred maple litter were significantly faster in pinestreams than adjacent hardwood streams (p<0.05). Total shredder abundance, biomass, and production weresimilar in maple bags from pine and hardwood streams. However, trichopteran shredder abundance and biomass,and production of some trichopteran taxa such asLepidostoma spp., were significantly higher in maplelitterbags from pine streams than hardwood streams(p<0.05). In contrast, plecopteran shredders(mainly Tallaperla sp.) were more important inmaple litterbags from hardwood streams. Shredderswere well represented in pine litterbags from pinestreams, but low shredder values were obtained frompine litterbags in hardwood streams. Resultssuggest conversion of hardwood forest to pinemonoculture influences taxonomic composition of streaminvertebrates and litter decomposition dynamics. Although the impact of this landscape-leveldisturbance on invertebrate shredder communitiesappeared somewhat subtle, significant differences indecomposition dynamics indicate vital ecosystem-levelprocesses are altered in streams draining pinecatchments.
Evaluating classifiers: Relation between area under the receiver operator characteristic curve and overall accuracy

In this study, we investigated the relation between two popular classifier performance measures: area under the receiver operator characteristic curve and overall accuracy. We also evaluated the impact of class imbalance and number of examples in test set on this relation. We perform a set of experiments in which we train multiple neural networks and test them in various, well controlled conditions. The experimental results show that given a large and balanced test set, increase in one performance measure is a very good indicator of increase in the other measure. Furthermore increasing the total number of examples, while keeping the positive class prevalence constant generally increases the correlation between the two measures. Our results also indicate that increasing the extent of class imbalance in the test set has a detrimental effect on this correlation.
Angiotensinogen in Essential Hypertension: From Genetics to Nephrology

There is general consensus that genetic variation accounts in part for individual susceptibilities to essential hypertension. In marked contrast to classic mendelian disorders, in which genetic alterations produce a gain or loss of function, genetic determinants of essential hypertension, high blood pressure of unknown cause, are expected to be small, achieving significance through the cumulative effects of environmental exposure over the course of a lifetime. Whether and how genetic factors that contribute to common diseases can be identified remain unclear. Research on a link between angiotensinogen and essential hypertension illustrates a path that began in genetics and is now leading toward nephrology. Various challenges encountered along the way may prove to be characteristic features of genetic investigations of the pathogenesis of common diseases. The implication of a gene by statistical analysis is only the beginning of a protracted process of functional analysis at increasing levels of biologic integration. The ultimate goal is to develop an understanding of the manner in which genetic variation at a locus can affect a physiologic parameter and to extract from this inference new knowledge of significance for the prevention or treatment of disease.
Packet latency optimization for VOQs in variable-length packet switches

The virtual output queue (VOQ) has been used in input queued and input-output queued packet switches which require switch plane scheduling algorithms to achieve high throughput. However, existing scheduling algorithms such as iSLIP are designed for scheduling fixed size cell units and introduce unfairness in packet latency among VOQs if used for scheduling variable sized packet units. A self-optimized latency (SOL) scheduling algorithm is proposed to deal with scheduling variable-length packets. The SOL is a credit-based scheduling algorithm which assigns a credit flow for each VOQ. During operation, the SOL examines credit flows to grant access to VOQs through the switch plane. Moreover, the SOL also works in conjunction with an average packet length scheduling concept to modify credit flows based on size of packets transferred through the switch plane in order to increase fairness among VOQs. Simulation results show that the SOL scheduling algorithm in a switch plane significantly reduces the packet latency compared to iSLIP scheduling algorithm.
On the theory of pulse propagation in curved beams

Abstract The method of characteristics is used to solve Morley's equations governing the motion of a curved beam subjected to pulse type loading. Plass' results for a straight beam are used as a check for the limiting case h R 0 → 0 . Simulated photoelastic fringe patterns are constructed. An application is made to the study of the propagation of longitudinal pulses in straight rods with a locally severe bend, a problem which Lee and Kolsky have recently considered; an explanation is offered for one of the types of fracture they observed.
Adaptive SRAM memory for low power and high yield

SRAMs typically represent half of the area and more than half of the transistors on a chip today. Variability increases as feature size decreases, and the impact of variability is especially pronounced on SRAMs since they make extensive use of minimum sized devices. Variability leads to a large amount of guard banding in the design phase in order to meet frequency and yield targets. We develop an SRAM architecture that eliminates guard banding. Specifically, our SRAM uses multiple supply voltages that are assigned post-manufacturing. We compensate for variation by powering up manufactured devices that are slower than designed. Specifically, we assign supply voltages to 6T cells on a per-column basis; this gives us sufficiently fine-grained control over devices without excessive area overhead. We show that post-manufacturing voltage assignment results in a 28% reduction in bitline energy compared to a fixed voltage design for the same yield using data from a real-world 45 nm process.
Fibrinolytic activity in experimental intracerebral hematoma.

✓ In an attempt to investigate the role of tissue fibrinolytic activity in the resolution of intracerebral hematoma, an experimental model of intracerebral hematoma was developed in the rat. The fibrinolytic activity was studied using a histochemical fibrin slide technique. A total of 59 adult male rats were studied. Twenty-nine rats were used for developing the intracerebral hematoma model via injection of autologous whole blood into the left frontal lobe; in the remaining 30 rats, the intracerebral hematomas were studied sequentially. Intracerebral hematoma formation was unsuccessful in six (21%) of 29 rats. Four rats died in the immediate postoperative period and two showed no intraparenchymal clot. Intense fibrinolytic activity was demonstrated in the blood vessel walls of the normal brain, especially in the meninges, choroid plexus, and ependymal cell layer. In the initial stages of hematoma resolution, fibrinolytic activity was not seen in the hematoma or parenchyma except in the preexisting blood v...
Summary of accelerator neutrino experiments working group

Our group focused on searches for neutrino oscillations at a muon storage ring. In the experimental realm, we heard a report from J. Wilkes on the first K2K event. S. Boyd discussed distinguishing νμ→ντ from νμ→νs in SuperK using the up/down neutral current ratio. Progress in theoretical work was given by M. Campanelli, discussing matter-enhancement effects in the context of ICANOE. I. Mocioiu presented oscillation probabilities for matter-enhancement over long-baselines vs. L/E. Finally, we examined physics goals for a neutrino oscillation experiment at a muon storage ring long-baseline experiment. In that context, Deborah Harris summarized the discussions at the Lyon Workshop.
Response of grape root borer (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae) neonates to root extracts from Vitaceae species and rootstocks.

Observations at regular intervals of the location of newly hatched grape root borer, Vitacea polistiformis (Harris), larvae moving freely within circular petri dish bioassays were used to measure and compare their response to dry filter paper discs treated with ethanol- or hexane-based extracts of roots from known and potential Vitaceae hosts and a nonhost. Larvae responded most strongly to discs treated with ethanol extracts, suggesting the presence of behaviorally active, polar compounds associated with roots. In single extract bioassays comparing extract versus solvent treated discs, larvae responded positively to ethanol extracts from all Vitis species and rootstocks and Virginia creeper [Parthenocissus quinquefolia (L.) Planch.], but not to apple (Malus domestica Borkh). Paired extract bioassays, in which an extract from the commercially important 3309 rootstock was used as the standard and presented simultaneously with extracts from other root sources, revealed examples of equal, significantly weaker and significantly stronger responses to the 3309 extract. Extracts of the 420 A and V. riparia ‘Gloire’ rootstocks appeared to possess qualities that elicited a consistently greater response than to 3309 extract in these pair-wise comparisons. The active compounds were eluted in ethanol during a 30-min extraction; larvae responded equally to 30- and 60-min 3309 root extracts in paired extract bioassays. Larvae responded equally to extracts of 3309 roots from three spatially separate vineyards in northern Virginia. These results are discussed in relation to the subterranean, plant-insect interactions of grape root borer neonates with the numerous native and non-native Vitis species that may serve as hosts in the eastern United States.
Non-centralized target tracking in networks of directional sensors

An important class of sensors is the class of directional sensors. These sensors detect targets within a range and a predefined direction. In this work, we assume that directional sensors are deployed in a sensor field, where at each node, there are four collocated directional sensors providing a coverage of 360°. The nodes of the sensors broadcast only binary information, that is, they transmit a signal only if one of their sensors detects a target. When they do not broadcast, it is assumed that their sensors have not detected a target. Each node can process the measurements of its own sensors and the information received from other nodes. We study two setups, where at anytime, a target in the sensor field is being tracked by all the nodes or only by one of them at a time. For the latter case, we propose a scheme for making a decision of passing the task of tracking to other nodes in the network. When a processing node is relinquishing processing, it broadcasts relevant information for continued tracking. From this information, other nodes unambiguously decide the next processing node. We explore the implementation of tracking by particle filtering. We demonstrate the performance of the proposed method with simulations of various scenarios.
Neighboring extremals for optimal control problems.

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An Elementary Metabolite Unit (EMU) Based Method of Isotopically Nonstationary Flux Analysis

Nonstationary metabolic flux analysis (NMFA) is at present a very computationally intensive exercise, especially for large reaction networks. We applied elementary metabolite unit (EMU) theory to NMFA, dramatically reducing computational difficulty. We also introduced block decoupling, a new method that systematically and comprehensively divides EMU systems of equations into smaller subproblems to further reduce computational difficulty. These improvements led to a 5000-fold reduction in simulation times, enabling an entirely new and more complicated set of problems to be analyzed with NMFA. We simulated a series of nonstationary and stationary GC/MS measurements for a large E. coli network that was then used to estimate parameters and their associated confidence intervals. We found that fluxes could be successfully estimated using only nonstationary labeling data and external flux measurements. Addition of near-stationary and stationary time points increased the precision of most parameters. Contrary to prior reports, the precision of nonstationary estimates proved to be comparable to the precision of estimates based solely on stationary data. Finally, we applied EMU-based NMFA to experimental nonstationary measurements taken from brown adipocytes and successfully estimated fluxes and some metabolite concentrations. By using NFMA instead of traditional MFA, the experiment required only 6 h instead of 50 (the time necessary for most metabolite labeling to reach 99% of isotopic steady state).
Abnormalities of fine motor control in schizophrenia

Response time and fine motor control during a classification task were examined in schizophrenics and nonschizophrenics. The task involved decisions about either the sensory characteristics of auditory and visual stimuli or the referential meanings of spoken words and viewed pictures. Nonschizophrenics responded more quickly and exhibited a smoother and faster motor response on all tasks. Response time and motor control were influenced by stimulus modality and the complexity of the classification task in both groups. In the analysis of motor control, the schizophrenics differed from the nonschizophrenics in exhibiting a pattern suggestive of a specific difficulty with decisions involving referential meaning. The observed motor control dysfunction in schizophrenics is a psychomotor deficit similar to previously reported abnormalities in smooth pursuit eye movement. Further, the interaction of group and task variables in the motor response suggests that decisions about the abstract referential meaning of words and pictures produce greater cognitive loads in schizophrenics than in nonschizophrenics.