cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Calibrationless Parallel Dynamic MRI with Joint Temporal Sparsity

In this paper, we propose a novel calibrationless method for parallel dynamic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) reconstruction, which overcomes the limitations posed by traditional MRI reconstruction methods that require accurate coil calibration. Thus, calibrationless methods, which remove the requirement of coil sensitivity profiles for MRI reconstruction, are suitable for dynamic MRI. Dynamic MRI contains rich temporal redundant information, i.e., the pixel intensities change smoothly over time. This property can be modeled as various types of temporal sparse priors, in the Fourier transform domain, or in the image domain using finite differences. In addition, the temporally changing patterns of pixels are similar in the various coils, since their signals are different due to the coil sensitivity profiles. Therefore, we model the parallel dynamic MRI problems as joint temporal sparsity tasks, and develop a class of algorithms to solve them efficiently. Experiments on parallel dynamic MRI datasets demonstrate that our proposed methods outperform the state-of-the-art parallel MRI reconstruction algorithms.
Power Delivery Design and Analysis of 14nm Multicore Server CPUs with Integrated Voltage Regulators

Intel® introduced a novel power delivery scheme utilizing Fully Integrated Voltage Regulators (FIVRs) in the Xeon® line of microprocessors fabricated using the 22nm process technology. In this paper, some of the implications of integrating FIVR in the context of Moore's law scaling are addressed. As the Xeon® line is scaled from a 22nm process to a 14nm process, circuit blocks on-die (such as the Core) shrink and the passives required for FIVR are scaled in tandem and optimized. This allows FIVR to continue delivering a compelling power performance benefit to support the scaling of the die. In this paper, an optimized 14nm FIVR power delivery design is presented. The performance metrics of FIVR such as efficiency and transient response were measured and correlated to pre-and post-silicon simulations.
Differential Activation of a Mouse Estrogen Receptor β Isoform (mERβ2) with Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs)

Background:Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are suspected of altering estrogenic signaling through estrogen receptor (ER) α or β (mERβ1 in mice). Several EDC effects have been reported in anim...
A new species of symbiotic palaemonid shrimp of the genus Pseudocoutierea Holthuis, 1951 (Decapoda: Caridea: Palaemonidae) from the eastern Gulf of Mexico, with an updated key for the identification of species of the genus

A new species of symbiotic palaemonid shrimp of the genus Pseudocoutierea Holthuis, 1951, is described based on a specimen collected in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, off the southwest coast of Florida. Pseudocoutierea stephanieae sp. nov., is the seventh known in this genus, and morphologically most similar to P. antillensis Chace, 1972, and P. conchae Criales, 1981, from the western Atlantic, and P. elegans Holthuis, 1952, from the eastern Pacific, all sharing an expanded rostral base or eaves that terminate supra-distally in an acute tooth. This new species can be separated by: the presence of an epigastric knob or tubercle on the anterior mid-dorsal third of the carapace, which is absent in all other congeneric species; the shape of the pterygostomial sinus, which is shallow in this new species, whereas it is deep and well defined in all other congeneric species. An updated dichotomous key to species of Pseudocoutierea is presented.
Implication and What There is

There is one other relation in logic that needs to be considered. That is the relation symbolized by ‘ → ’ and interpreted as ’implies, or ‘if ..., then ...’ These two interpretations reveal the existence of an ambiguity in the semantics of ‘ →. ’ My problem may be stated somewhat in this fashion: what, if anything, about what there is does the relation symbolized by ‘ → ’ and interpreted in various ways intend to mirror ? What others thought it represented is an historical question whose answer is to be found in the works of Leibniz, Aristotle, and all other logicians who laid the foundations of logical theory. But even if I should turn this into an historical study. I would then have indicated what these philosophers intended. And I am not here concerned with that type of historical study. Rather, what I want to determine is the underlying element that causes this type of relation to be introduced. In other words, why is it necessary to have such an element in a language at all?
Distinct differences in striatal dysmorphology between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder boys with and without a comorbid reading disability

There is evidence of greater cognitive deficits in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder with a comorbid reading disability (ADHD/+RD) compared to ADHD alone (ADHD/−RD). Additionally, the striatum has been consistently implicated in ADHD. However, the extent of morphological alterations in the striatum of ADHD/+RD is poorly understood, which is the main purpose of this study. Based on structural MRI images, the surface deformation of the caudate and putamen was assessed in 59 boys matching in age and IQ [19 ADHD/−RD, 15 ADHD/+RD and 25 typically developing controls (TDC)]. A vertex based analysis with multiple comparison correction was conducted to compare ADHD/−RD and ADHD/+RD to TDC. Compared to TDC, ADHD/+RD showed multiple bilateral significant clusters of surface compression. In contrast, ADHD/−RD showed fewer significant clusters of surface compression and restricted to the left side. Regarding the putamen, only ADHD/−RD showed significant clusters of surface compression. Results demonstrate for the first time a greater extent of morphological alterations in the caudate of ADHD/+RD than ADHD/−RD compared to TDC, which may suggest greater implicated cortical areas projecting to the caudate that are associated with the greater neuropsychological impairments observed in ADHD/+RD.
Strategies for Acute and Critical Care Nurses Implementing Complementary Therapies Requested by Patients and Their Families

As consumer use of complementary and alternative medicine or modalities continues to increase in the United States, requests for these therapies in the acute and critical care setting will probably continue to expand in scope and frequency. Incorporation of complementary therapies in the plan of care is consistent with principles of patient- and family-centered care and collaborative decision-making and may provide a measure of relief for the distress of admission to an acute or critical care setting. An earlier article provided an overview of complementary and alternative therapies that nurses may encounter in their practices, with specific attention to implications for acute and critical care nurses. This article provides key information on the legal, ethical, safety, quality, and financial challenges that acute and critical care nurses should consider when implementing patient and family requests for complementary therapies.
Optimal Linkage Shapes of Planar Mechanisms Using Topology Optimization

Through the methods outlined in this paper, a procedure involving two cooperating optimization algorithms is developed to create balanced, structurally optimal planar mechanisms. Two systems are analyzed to demonstrate the approach. In the first example, a walking mechanism is analyzed under quasi-static loading, and topology optimization is performed to create stiff, lightweight linkages. In the second example, a quick-return Watt-II six-bar mechanism, counterweights are added to balance the mechanism using a numerical optimization technique. The inertial forces are calculated by simulation, and optimal linkage shapes are generated to support them using topology optimization.Copyright © 2016 by ASME
Bile acid metabolism in patients with cirrhosis. II. Cholic and chenodeoxycholic acid metabolism.

Primary bile acid kinetics and pool sizes were determined in 12 patients with cirrhosis and 10 patients without liver disease. Labeled bile acids (14C-cholic and 14C-chenodeoxycholic acids) were administered to each patient. Patients with cirrhosis were found to have a total bile acid pool about one-half that of the group of patients without cirrhosis. The diminished total bile acid pool was the result of marked reductions in the cholic and deoxycholic acid pools, whereas the chenodeoxycholic acid pool was not significantly altered. The daily synthesis of cholic acid in patients with cirrhosis was about one-fourth that of the group with no liver disease, whereas chenodeoxycholic acid synthesis was reduced by only 30%. The fractional turnover rate of cholic acid was significantly reduced in patients with cirrhosis, but the rate of turnover of chenodeoxycholic acid was similar in both groups of patients. As a consequence of these alterations in the fractional turnover rate of the primary bile acids, chenodeoxycholic acid turned over more rapidly than cholic acid in cirrhotic patients. Changes in the conversion of cholic to deoxycholic acid could account for the decreased cholic acid turnover rate in patients with cirrhosis. The findings of this report suggest that there is a marked impairment in the cholesterol to cholic acid pathway in patients with cirrhosis, possibly due to a deficiency of the enzyme system which converts the dihydroxy intermediate to the trihydroxy precursor of cholic acid.
Covert reinforcement 1

A new procedure for behavior modification is described. The author designates the procedure as covert reinforcement. The term “covert” is used because the response and reinforcing stimulus are presented in imagination. The word “reinforcement” is employed because the purpose of the procedure is to increase response probability. A rationale for use of the procedure is given in learning theory terms. The details of the procedure are derived from empirical data of learning studies. Examples of the actual application of covert reinforcement to various maladaptive behaviors are presented. An experiment performed by the author and his associates which supports the assumption that reinforcement presented in imagination can increase response probability is described.
Insights into Azetidine Polymerization for the Preparation of Poly(propylenimine)-Based CO2 Adsorbents

The cationic ring-opening polymerization of azetidine to form branched poly(propylenimine) (PPI) is investigated for the purpose of evaluating the utility of PPI/silica composite adsorbents for CO2 capture. The polymerization kinetics and primary:secondary:tertiary amine distribution are monitored with 1H NMR during reaction with varied synthesis conditions (i.e., reaction time 20–150 h), temperature (343–353 K), and monomer to acid initiator (here, HClO4) ratio. It is found that primary amines are converted to tertiary amines with increased polymerization time, while the addition of monomer over the first 6 h of polymerization increases the primary amine content. This suggests a mechanism where the monomer is rapidly consumed, leaving dimers or small oligomers that still contain rings as key reaction centers. The synthesized polymer is neutralized with either NH4OH or a basic resin and impregnated into mesoporous silica (SBA-15). The CO2 capture properties of these composite adsorbents are investigated, ...
Application of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children to the Study of Individual Differences

The Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) is a new test of intelligence and achievement for children ages 2½ through 12½ (Kaufman & Kaufman, 1983a,b). Released in the spring of 1983, the K-ABC has received a good deal of attention from professionals (Reynolds, 1984) and the public (Starr, 1983, West, 1982) alike.
“You can’t know how they are inside”: The Ambivalence of Veiling and Discourses of the Other in Turkey

The question of the veil and what it conceals has long been a trope within orientalist discourses. In our research with veiled women in Turkey, we find that the veil continues to work as an ambivalent signifier through which women position themselves within both Islamic and secular modernity in Turkey. We find that women who cover in a controversial style that has become popular in Turkey since the 1980s (what we are calling veiling fashion, or tesettur fashion) deploy the figure of the more completely veiled woman (those who wear the enveloping outer garment called the carsaf) in order to stabilize their own positions, both discursively and socially. In their discussions, our participants emphasize the ambiguity of the carsaf, opening up a discursive gap between outward appearance and inner piety. By destabilizing the religious signification of the carsaf and by scripting its wearers as “other” – foreign, strange, threatening, and erotic – our research participants produce a discourse in which they themselves can become the pious but modern, socially integrated, authentically Turkish citizens of the republic.
Significance of eosinophilia in chronic rhinosinusitis.

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of serum eosinophilia in the prognosis of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Eosinophils are now considered to play a major role in the ...
Automation in the Clinical Laboratory

Publisher Summary A clinical laboratory has the responsibility to provide a variety of tests that give objective data for the prevention, diagnosis, and rational management of disease. Access to a dependable clinical laboratory is indispensable to every practitioner of modern medicine. A physician sees his patients in many settings, including his office, the emergency room, clinics, and hospitals, but no matter what the circumstances, he would need to call upon the clinical laboratory at some point in the diagnosis and treatment for a test of some type on a sample of fluid or tissue taken from the patient's body. The physician expects the laboratory to perform all tests under carefully controlled conditions and to provide accurate results in as short a time as possible at a reasonable cost to the patient. The extent to which a clinical laboratory can fulfill these expectations depends not only upon the competence and integrity of its multidisciplinary professional and technical staff, but also on its success in substituting mechanized equipment for manual labor.
Auditory cortex mediates the perceptual effects of acoustic temporal expectation

When events occur at predictable instants, anticipation improves performance. Knowledge of event timing modulates motor circuits, improving response speed. By contrast, the neuronal mechanisms underlying changes in sensory perception due to expectation are not well understood. We have developed a novel behavioral paradigm for rats in which we manipulated expectations about sound timing. Valid expectations improved both the speed and the accuracy of subjects' performance, indicating not only improved motor preparedness but also enhanced perception. Single neuron recordings in primary auditory cortex revealed enhanced representation of sounds during periods of heightened expectation. Furthermore, we found that activity in auditory cortex was causally linked to the performance of the task, and that changes in the neuronal representation of sounds predicted performance on a trial-by-trial basis. Our results indicate that changes in neuronal representation as early as primary sensory cortex mediate the perceptual advantage conferred by temporal expectation.
Development of a Water-Cooled Condenser

With the tightening of regulations on CO2 emission, the development of electric vehicles (EV/PHV) is accelerating globally. Since electric vehicles have no heat source, a heat pump system using a water-cooled condenser (WCDS) to generate hot water by a hot refrigerant is required for efficient cabin heating and long-distance electric driving. This report describes the key features of our water-cooled condenser, including high performance, and small and low pressure drop.
Parallel adjustment of phonetic targets in L2 English voice onset time

The phonetic realization of any given speech sound varies considerably across speakers and languages. For instance, the voice onset time (VOT) of [kh] can range from ~40 ms to over 100 ms (Cho & Ladefoged, 1999). Within American English, recent research has demonstrated that the VOT of [kh] is also systematically and linearly related to the VOTs of [ph] and [th] (Chodroff & Wilson, 2017). In the present study, we investigated whether these relations were maintained across L2 speakers of English. L2 speech production could arise from independent acquisition (or adjustment) of the phonetic targets for each speech segment. Alternatively, the presence of covariation would indicate that properties of speech sounds may be altered in tandem. To investigate this, VOT data was obtained from a subset of the ALLSSTAR Corpus, which contained matched connected speech data from 26 L1 American English speakers and 114 L2 English speakers (22 unique L1s). Preliminary analysis revealed strong VOT covariation among aspirated stops across L2 speakers (rs = 0.67 to 0.74), and qualitatively equivalent covariation across L1 speakers (rs = 0.57 to 0.75). The observed covariation may arise from a universal principle of uniformity requiring near-identical implementation of the shared laryngeal feature value.The phonetic realization of any given speech sound varies considerably across speakers and languages. For instance, the voice onset time (VOT) of [kh] can range from ~40 ms to over 100 ms (Cho & Ladefoged, 1999). Within American English, recent research has demonstrated that the VOT of [kh] is also systematically and linearly related to the VOTs of [ph] and [th] (Chodroff & Wilson, 2017). In the present study, we investigated whether these relations were maintained across L2 speakers of English. L2 speech production could arise from independent acquisition (or adjustment) of the phonetic targets for each speech segment. Alternatively, the presence of covariation would indicate that properties of speech sounds may be altered in tandem. To investigate this, VOT data was obtained from a subset of the ALLSSTAR Corpus, which contained matched connected speech data from 26 L1 American English speakers and 114 L2 English speakers (22 unique L1s). Preliminary analysis revealed strong VOT covariation among aspirat...
Observer-perceived light aversion behaviour in photophobic subjects with traumatic brain injury.

BACKGROUND Photophobia is a common sequela of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Diagnostic tools for this debilitating condition are lacking. This investigation sought to determine whether masked observers can distinguish subjects with TBI-associated photophobia from matched controls based on video recordings of their ocular responses to light stimulation. METHODS Cohorts of students (n = 20), photophobic TBI subjects (n = 28) and their matched control subjects (n = 12) were recruited. A custom pupillometer delivered bright (1013 -1014 photons/s/cm2 ), flashing (0.10 Hz) red (625 nm) and blue (470 nm) light stimuli to subjects, and consensual pupil light responses were recorded. Using a five-point scale, masked observers later graded light aversion behaviour in the pupil video recordings obtained from the student cohort based on observed blinking, tearing and squinting. A grading scale was developed and used by masked observers to grade light aversion behaviour in videos obtained from subjects with post-TBI photophobia and the matched controls. These subjects also scored their perceived discomfort during each light pulse using a five-point scale. RESULTS The subjects in the TBI cohort scored both the blue and red flashing stimuli as evoking more discomfort, relative to control subjects, consistent with their reported photophobia. There was strong agreement among the masked observers for their grades of light aversion behaviour in the videos of ocular light stimulation (interclass correlation co-efficient = 0.78; 29 per cent perfect concordance). However, the median grades for the videos obtained from the TBI subject cohort were not significantly different from those for the control group. CONCLUSIONS Clinicians cannot diagnose TBI-related photophobia based solely on video recordings of ocular responses to light. The need remains for an objective test to diagnose and manage this prevalent post-TBI symptom.
Factors Influencing Primary Care Providers’ Unneeded Lumbar Spine MRI Orders for Acute, Uncomplicated Low-Back Pain: a Qualitative Study

Clinical practice guidelines suggest that magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar spine (LS-MRI) is unneeded during the first 6 weeks of acute, uncomplicated low-back pain. Unneeded LS-MRIs do not improve patient outcomes, lead to unnecessary surgeries and procedures, and cost the US healthcare system about $300 million dollars per year. However, why primary care providers (PCPs) order unneeded LS-MRI for acute, uncomplicated low-back pain is poorly understood. To characterize and explain the factors contributing to PCPs ordering unneeded LS-MRI for acute, uncomplicated low-back pain. Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. Veterans Affairs PCPs identified from administrative data as having high or low rates of guideline-concordant LS-MRI ordering in 2016. Providers were interviewed about their use of LS-MRI for acute, uncomplicated low-back pain and factors contributing to their decision-making. Directed content analysis of transcripts was conducted to identify and compare environmental-, patient-, and provider-level factors contributing to unneeded LS-MRI. Fifty-five PCPs participated (8.6% response rate). Both low (n = 33) and high (n = 22) guideline-concordant providers reported that LS-MRIs were required for specialty care referrals, but they differed in how other environmental factors (stringency of radiology utilization review, management of patient travel burden, and time constraints) contributed to LS-MRI ordering patterns. Low- and high-guideline-concordant providers reported similar patient factors (beliefs in value of imaging and pressure on providers). However, provider groups differed in how provider-level factors (guideline familiarity and agreement, the extent to which they acquiesced to patients, and belief in the value of LS-MRI) contributed to LS-MRI ordering patterns. Results describe how diverse environmental, patient, and provider factors contribute to unneeded LS-MRI for acute, uncomplicated low-back pain. Prior research using a single intervention to reduce unneeded LS-MRI has been ineffective. Results suggest that multifaceted de-implementation strategies may be required to reduce unneeded LS-MRI.
Can Voters Detect Malicious Manipulation of Ballot Marking Devices

Ballot marking devices (BMDs) allow voters to select candidates on a computer kiosk, which prints a paper ballot that the voter can review before inserting it into a scanner to be tabulated. Unlike paperless voting machines, BMDs provide voters an opportunity to verify an auditable physical record of their choices, and a growing number of U.S. jurisdictions are adopting them for all voters. However, the security of BMDs depends on how reliably voters notice and correct any adversarially induced errors on their printed ballots. In order to measure voters’ error detection abilities, we conducted a large study (N = 241) in a realistic polling place setting using real voting machines that we modified to introduce an error into each printout. Without intervention, only 40% of participants reviewed their printed ballots at all, and only 6.6% told a poll worker something was wrong. We also find that carefully designed interventions can improve verification performance. Verbally instructing voters to review the printouts and providing a written slate of candidates for whom to vote both significantly increased review and reporting rates—although the improvements may not be large enough to provide strong security in close elections, especially when BMDs are used by all voters. Based on these findings, we make several evidence-based recommendations to help better defend BMD-based elections.
Wifi-VLC dual connectivity streaming system for 6DOF multi-user virtual reality

We investigate a future WiFi-VLC dual connectivity streaming system for 6DOF multi-user virtual reality that enables reliable high-fidelity remote scene immersion. The system integrates an edge server that uses scalable 360° tiling to adaptively split the present 360° view of a VR user into a panoramic baseline content layer and a viewport-specific enhancement content layer. The user is then served the two content layers over complementary WiFi and VLC wireless links such that the delivered viewport quality is maximized for the given WiFi and VLC transmission resources. We formally characterize the actions of the server using rate-distortion optimization that we solve at low complexity. To account for the users' mobility as they explore different 360° viewpoints of the 6DOF remote scene content and maintain reliable high-quality VLC connectivity, we explore dynamic VLC transmitter steering and assignment in the system as graph bottleneck matching that aims to maximize the received VLC SNR across all users. We formulate an effective low-complexity solution to this discrete combinatorial optimization problem of high complexity. The paper also contributes a first actual 6DOF body and head movement VR navigation dataset that we collected and facilitate to assess the performance of our system via simulation experiments. These demonstrate enhanced VLC transmission performance and an up to 7 dB gain in viewport quality over a state-of-the-art VLC cellular system (LiFi), and an up to 10 dB gain in viewport quality over a state-of-the-art traditional wireless streaming method, for 12K-120fps 360° 6DOF VR content. Moreover, the synergistic WiFi-VLC dual connectivity of the proposed system augments its reliability over the reference method LiFi that comprises only VLC links. These outcomes motivate further exploration and prototype implementation of our system.
Effects of Material Preparation in Polyimide/SiO 2 Nanocomposites for Low-Temperature Dielectric Applications

Introducing nanomaterial fillers into a host polymer can significantly change its properties and affect its behaviors. The resulting nanocomposites have the potential to possess new, often enhanced characteristics, making them uniquely qualified for a broader spectrum of new applications. This research investigates the effects of material preparation on nanocomposites using polyimide (PI) as the host polymer and silicon dioxide (SiO2) nanoparticles as the filler. The fabrication and characterization of the PI/SiO2 nanocomposites were explored based on samples produced from two different approaches—a direct mixing process using as-purchased SiO2 nanoparticles and a sol-gel process that relied on chemical reactions to produce SiO2 inside a solvent. The prepared samples and the distribution of the SiO2 nanoparticles in the nanocomposites were characterized with profilometry and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The characterization showed that the directly mixed samples contained visible nanoparticle agglomerates while the sol-gel films had the nanoparticles uniformly distributed inside the host polymer. The DC dielectric breakdown testing revealed that the sol-gel films outperformed the directly mixed samples at both room (300 K) and cryogenic (164 K) temperatures. When the temperature is cooled down to 92 K, the sol-gel samples demonstrated higher dielectric strengths than pure PI films. Our investigation shows that high-quality PI/SiO2 nanocomposites, especially when prepared through the sol-gel process, are promising candidates as dielectrics that can be used in a variety of cryogenic applications.
Angels of Allegory and Experience: Laura Restrepo's "Dulce compañía" and Gabriel García Márquez's "Un señor muy viejo con unas alas enormes"

Establishing an intertextual relation between Restrepo’s novel and Garcia Marquez’s story, this paper examines how Restrepo’s paired commitment to socio-political relevance and to broad legibility shapes her novel’s engagement with the legacy of magic realism and with discursive, especially novelistic, conventions more generally. A comparative analysis of thematic and formal features highlights how this commitment molds Dulce compania’s recapitulation of the theme of the angel of flesh and blood within an updated, urban context and in a commercially successful novel with an international readership. Focusing on narrative and figurative, especially allegorical, discourses, I consider that while the angel allegory in “Un senor muy viejo” is used to excavate literary-rhetorical issues of representation (as argued by Carlos Rincon), in Dulce compania it is oriented towards the preservative revelation of popular forms of belief that emerge from the lived experience of violence and abandonment.
Drosophila Models of Cardiac Aging and Disease

Cardiac dysfunction is a critical problem in the aging population, with heart disease the number one cause of death in humans. While much has been learned about the characteristics of the aging heart from human longitudinal and cohort studies, as well as from vertebrate animal models, substantial logistical obstacles exist to the study of these phenomena in long-lived animals or humans. The emergence of Drosophila as a short-lived model system for studying cardiac function across ages has thus been an important factor in boosting understanding of conserved changes during cardiac aging. Here we discuss established and emerging methodology for assessment of cardiac function in Drosophila and review conserved changes to function during normal aging that have been observed in flies. We also review genetic factors contributing to cardiac aging that have been identified and studied using these techniques, including genes involved in stress response, contractile function, ion exchange, and nutrient sensing. Further, we discuss the use of Drosophila to study longitudinal effects of environmental interventions, such as exercise, on cardiac function. Lastly, we compare transcriptional changes induced by various methods of longevity extension in Drosophila and point out common pathways induced by selective breeding, exercise and dietary restriction.
Isolation and Characterization of Pyridoxine Auxotrophs of Escherichia coli

Abstract Dempsey, Walter B. (University of Florida, Gainesville), and P. F. Pachler. Isolation and characterization of pyridoxine auxotrophs of Escherichia coli. J. Bacteriol. 91:642–645. 1966.—Pyridoxine auxotrophs of Escherichia coli B have been consistently produced by a modified penicillin enrichment method. This modified penicillin technique included a 6-hr growth period in the absence of any pyridoxine followed by a 2-hr treatment with penicillin at 1,000 units per ml. Penicillin was removed from these cultures by membrane filtration and the process was repeated. A minimum of three cycles was found necessary to isolate auxotrophs. Different phenotypes within the group of pyridoxine auxotrophs were distinguished by their responses to feeding with the various forms of pyridoxine, as well as by cross-feeding tests. Two auxotrophs were also differentiated by their frequency of reversion to prototrophy. Cross-feeding tests indicated that seven of the phenotypes fed in a linear sequence. These phenotypes had a very low frequency of reversion. The auxotrophs with a high frequency of reversion cross-fed in a linear sequence and fed the first five of the other seven auxotrophs. One of the auxotrophs isolated was a pyridoxal auxotroph.
Progesterone and pregnenolone sulfate in pregnancy plasma.

Abstract The role of adrenocortical precursors in placental progesterone production in normal pregnancy has been investigated by measuring plasma steroid levels in blood samples obtained concomitantly from various vascular regions, maternal and fetal, in 28 women at the moment of delivery. Pregnenolone sulfate level was found in the highest concentration 170.0 μg per cent ± 26.5 in the umbilical artery supplying the placenta, significantly higher than in the umbilical vein draining this organ (124.0 μg per cent ± 17.7). Inversely, progesterone concentration was higher in the fetal umbilical vein 96.6 μg per cent ± 8.8 than in the artery 53.6 μg per cent ± 5.5. The highest progesterone level 133.9 μg per cent ± 12.4 and a very low pregnenolone sulfate level 37.1 μg per cent ± 5.3 were found in blood samples from the intervillous space. The lowest plasma levels of both steroids have been found in maternal venous blood: progesterone 12.5 μg per cent ± 1.2 and pregnenolone sulfate 27.8 μg per cent ± 3.5. Increasing markedly maternal plasma pregnenolone sulfate by intravenous infusion of this steroid or decreasing it by dexamethasone adrenal suppression did not affect maternal plasma progesterone level. It is concluded that pregnenolone sulfate of adrenal origin does not seem to act as a progesterone precursor to any significant extent.
RNA interference in cultured Drosophila cells.

RNA interference (RNAi) can be used to silence genes in a number of species, including plants, nematodes, protozoans, Drosophila melanogaster, mouse embryos, and mammalian and Drosophila cell cultures. Drosophila cell culture provides the opportunity to study signal transduction pathways and protein function in a simple, well defined cell culture paradigm. Furthermore, because Drosophila are RNAi responsive, the results obtained from experiments performed on cultured cells can be confirmed in the whole organism. RNAi takes advantage of the unique ability of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) molecules to induce gene silencing in a highly specific manner. This phenomenon is efficacious and long lived, being passed to subsequent generations in Drosophila cell culture. To date, many Drosophila cell lines tested respond to dsRNAs by ablating expression of the target protein. Furthermore, all dsRNAs tested have been efficacious at silencing the target gene. Drosophila cell cultures are simple, easily manipulated model systems that will facilitate loss of function studies applicable to a wide variety of questions. Keywords: RNA interference; Drosophila cell culture; double-stranded RNAs
The Bulletin Board: Let it Tell Your Story

(1979). The Bulletin Board: Let it Tell Your Story. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas: Vol. 52, No. 8, pp. 359-361.
POSTNATAL DEVELOPMENT OF BETA CELLS AND ILA SECRETION IN THE PANCREATIC ISLETS OF THE GOLDEN HAMSTER.

Fetal and neonatal endocrine pancreas of the golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) was evaluated cytochemically with regard to maturation of beta cell granulation (aldehyde fuchsin technique) and the structural findings were related to the release of insulin-like activity (ILA) in vitro (rat epididymal fat pad bioassay). In the fetal pancreas 12 hours before birth, beta cells could not be distinguished histochemically although considerable ILA was released. In the absence of distinct islands of Langerhans at birth, a few cells showed AF+ granulation which was accompanied by a slight increase in the ILA. Maximal release of ILA occurred approximately on the second postnatal day when the AF+ granulation was denser and more abundant than at earlier periods. Beyond the second day, the rate of in vitro ILA secretion decreased although islets and beta cells showed progressive structural maturation. There was also a relative increase in the amount of exocrine tissue in the portions of pancreas used for bioassay. Advancing proteolytic inactivation may have accounted for the decrease in effective ILA when the latter was expressed per unit weight of tissue. The data indicate that in the golden hamster, beta cells are biochemically competent before they demonstrate cytochemical maturity.
In vitro incorporation of nascent molybdenum cofactor into human sulfite oxidase.

Abstract We were able to reconstitute molybdopterin (MPT)-free sulfite oxidase in vitro with the molybdenum cofactor (Moco) synthesized de novo from precursor Z and molybdate. MPT-free human sulfite oxidase apoprotein was obtained by heterologous expression in an Escherichia coli mutant with a defect in the early steps of MPT biosynthesis. In vitroreconstitution of the purified apoprotein was achieved using an incubation mixture containing purified precursor Z, purified MPT synthase, and sodium molybdate. In vitro synthesized MPT generated from precursor Z by MPT synthase remains bound to the synthase. Surprisingly, MPT synthase was found capable of donating bound MPT to MPT-free sulfite oxidase. MPT was not released from MPT synthase when either bovine serum albumin or Moco-containing sulfite oxidase was used in place of aposulfite oxidase. After the inclusion of sodium molybdate in the reconstitution mixture, active sulfite oxidase was obtained, revealing that in vitro MPT synthase and aposulfite oxidase are sufficient for the insertion of MPT into sulfite oxidase and the conversion of MPT into Moco in the presence of high concentrations of molybdate. The conversion of MPT into Moco by molybdate chelation apparently occurs concomitantly with the insertion of MPT into sulfite oxidase.
Realization of a multi-valued inner product step processor using CCD's (abstract only)

Systolic arrays are special-purpose computers with high-performance and parallel structures. They provide a general methodology for mapping high-level computations into hardware structures. In a systolic system, data flows from the host-computer memory in a rhythmic fashion, passing through many simple processing elements before it returns to memory, much as blood circulates to and from the heart [1]. Since systolic arrays are special-purpose computers, arithmetic operations need not be performed using binary systems. Therefore, operands may be coded in a multiple-valued, non-binary, form. In fact, benefits of higher radix computation have been confirmed both theoretically and in practice [2]. However, the hardware realization has remained strictly binary. With the availability of multiple-valued logic gates and ROM it becomes feasible to perform non-binary arithmetic directly. This paper presents realization of a ternary (3-valued) inner product step processor, basic processing element in systolic arrays, using CCD gates (inhibit, fixed overflow, addition, and constant) [3]. The CCD technology has the inherent advantages of low power consumption, high packing density, and MOS compatibility, which make it suitable for VLSI implementation. It must be pointed out that the low speed problem of CCD's remains to be solved [3].The inner product step processor [4] performs a multiplication operation followed by an addition operation: S = (U)(v)+S Two single-digit processing devices, half-multiply-add (HMA) and full-multiply-add (FMA) elements, are designed as building blocks such that: HMA: (X)(y)+z = f+3(c) FMA: (X)(y)+Z+W = f+3(c) where the inputs x, y, z and as well as the outputs f and c are all ternary digits. Figure 1 shows an array, composed from HMA's, FMA's and an adder, capable of performing the inner product step computation. For n-digit operands, the array requires (2n-1) HMA's, (n-1)2 FMA's and one n-digit adder. The delay in a CCD circuit is measured by its depth which is equal to the maximum number of gates connect in any path from input to output [3]. For the proposed inner product step processor, the depth is found to be 13n.
Corticostriate projections from reciprocally connected sectors of areas 4 and 5 in the dog

Injections of tritiated leucine were made into area 4 on the medial part of the posterior sigmoid gyrus and area 5 on the rostral part of the lateral gyrus. Both areas were found to project to each other as well as to an overlapping area in the caudate nucleus. These data suggest that areas 4 and 5 in the dog may relate to each other not only through direct reciprocal connections but also through overlapping projections to the neostriatum.
Lecture Notetaking, Information-Processing, and Academic Achievement

(1992). Lecture Notetaking, Information-Processing, and Academic Achievement. Journal of College Reading and Learning: Vol. 25, No. 1, pp. 7-17.
Surface Vibrational Spectroscopic Studies of Hydrogen Bonding and Hydrophobicity

Surface vibrational spectroscopy by sum-frequency generation was used to study hydrophobicity at the molecular level at various interfaces: water-surfactant-coated quartz, water-hexane, and water-air. In all cases, hydrophobicity was characterized by the appearance of dangling hydroxyl bonds on 25 percent of the surface water molecules. At the water-quartz interface, packing restrictions force the water surface layer to have a more ordered, ice-like structure. A partly wettable water-quartz interface was also studied.
Empiricism is not a matter of faith

“Hurrah, this is it!” you exclaim as you set down the most recent issue of Computational Linguistics. “This Zigglebottom Tagger is exactly what I need!” A gleeful smile crosses your face as you imagine how your system will improve once you replace your tagger from graduate school with the clearly superior Zigglebottom method. You rub your hands together and page through the article looking for a way to obtain the tagger, but nothing is mentioned. That doesn’t dampen your enthusiasm, so you search the Web, but still nothing turns up. You persist though; those 17 pages of statistically significant results really are impressive. So you e-mail Zigglebottom asking for the tagger. Some days, or perhaps weeks, later, you get a hesitant reply saying: “We’re planning to release a demo version soon, stay tuned . . . ” Or perhaps: “We don’t normally do this, but we can send you a copy (informally) once we clean it up a bit . . . ” Or maybe: “We can’t actually give you the tagger, but you should be able to re-implement it from the article. Just let us know if you have any questions . . . ” Still having faith, and lacking any better alternative, you decide to re-implement the Zigglebottom Tagger. Despite three months of on-and-off effort, the end result provides just the same accuracy as your old tagger, which is nowhere near that reported in the article. Feeling sheepish, you conclude you must have misunderstood something, or maybe there’s a small detail missing from the article. So you contact Zigglebottom again and explain your predicament. He eventually responds: “We’ll look into this right away and get back to you . . . ” A year passes. You have the good fortune to bump into Zigglebottom at the Annual Meeting of the Association for Computational Linguistics (ACL). You angle for a seat next to him during a night out, and you buy him a few beers before you politely resume your quest for the tagger. Finally, he confesses rather glumly: “My student Pifflewhap was the one who did the implementation and ran the experiments, and if he’d only respond to my e-mail I could ask him to tell you how to get it working, but he’s graduated now and is apparently too busy to reply.” After a fewmore beers, Zigglebottom finally agrees to give you the tagger: “I’ll send you the version of the code I have, no promises though!” And true to his word, what he sends is incomplete and undocumented. It doesn’t compile easily, and it’s engineered so that a jumble of programs must be run in an undisclosed kabalistic sequence known only to (perhaps) the elusive Pifflewhap. You try your best to make it work every now
A limonoid from young calamondin seedlings

Abstract Radioactive tracer work resulted in the finding of a new limonoid in young seedlings of calamondin (Citrus reticulata cv. ‘Austera’ x Fortunella sp.). The compound was identified by NMR and TLC analyses as 6-keto-7β-deacetylnomilol.The results show that this compound was biosynthesized and accumulated during early stages of growth.
Strained-layer InGaAsP diode lasers with tapered gain region for operation at /spl lambda/=1.3 /spl mu/m

A report is given of the first high-power InP-based tapered lasers. Continuous output powers of 0.5 W with nearly 80% of the power in the central lobe have been obtained. This is the highest reported brightness of a 1.3 /spl mu/m source. >
Expression of high- and low-affinity neurotrophin receptors on human transformed B lymphocytes

We performed high-sensitivity flow cytometry and Western blotting to study the expression of the low-affinity NGF receptor (p75NGFR) and of the transmembrane tyrosine kinase (Trk) family of high-affinity receptors for the different neurotrophic factors on Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-transformed human B lymphocytes. Reverse transcriptase (RT) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with single and multiple sets of primers (multiplex RT-PCR) was used to survey the repertoire of neurotrophin receptor transcripts in this cell line. We demonstrated that transformed B cells express detectable levels of Trk b and its mRNA. Conversely, negative results were obtained for p75NGFR, Trk a, and Trk c. Exposure of EBV-transformed B lymphocytes to brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) triggered the phosphorylation of Trk b, as demonstrated by Western blots of cell lysates probed with monoclonal antibody against phosphotyrosine.
Design of a Robust, Multifunctional Thermal Protection System Incorporating Zero Expansion Lattices

On hypersonic vehicles flying within the atmosphere, viscous drag on acreage surfaces, even far from the hot leading edges, generates high temperatures, and, consequently, high thermal stresses and strains. This leads to two significant problems in the design of hypersonic airbreathers: insulation of the cool internal volume of the vehicle from the inclement exterior conditions, and reducing geometric changes in the vehicle surface to preserve aerodynamic shapes and to make it possible to connect the aeroshell to the cool structure within. A multifunctional sandwich structure incorporating very low density insulation as the core, with the structural stiffness provided by a hot face consisting of a low (or zero) thermal expansion lattice, fulfills these requirements. Here we analyze the feasibility of such a structure and discuss design and manufacturing issues, concentrating particularly on bonded joints in the lattice and connections between the hot face and the cool internal structure.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Neural modeling of the dual motive theory of economics

Abstract A neural network is designed to model Cory's theory of the reciprocal modular brain. The network includes competing nodes for selfishness and empathy, analogous to MacLean's reptilian and old mammalian brains, with relative biases changing over time. One version of the network oscillates between times of high activity for each node, never reaching equilibrium. Yet if a third node representing frontal lobe executive function is added, a stable equilibrium is reached that balances empathy and self-interest. Analogies of this network are found with brain pathways for fight-or-flight and tend-and-befriend behavior, including frontal lobe selection between those two behavioral modes.
Your wetting day

Why does water fall off a duck’s back but form bridges between grains of sand at the beach?The answer lies in the physics of surface wetting.