cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inhibiting retinoic acid mitigates vision loss in a mouse model of retinal degeneration

Abstract In degenerative retinal disorders, rod and cone photoreceptors die, causing vision impairment and blindness. Downstream neurons survive but undergo morphological and physiological remodeling, with some retinal ganglion cells (RGC) exhibiting heightened spontaneous firing. Retinoic acid (RA) has been implicated as the key signaling molecule that induces RGC hyperactivity, obscuring RGC light responses and reducing light avoidance behaviors triggered by residual rods and cones. However, evidence that RA-dependent remodeling corrupts image-forming vision has been lacking. Here we show that disulfiram, an FDA-approved drug that inhibits RA synthesis, and BMS 493, an RA receptor (RAR) inhibitor, reduce RGC hyperactivity and augment image detection in visually impaired mice. Functional imaging of visual cortical neurons shows that disulfiram and BMS 493 sharpen orientation-tuning and strengthen response fidelity to naturalistic scenes. These findings establish a causal link between RA-induced retinal hyperactivity and vision impairment and define molecular targets and candidate drugs for boosting image-forming vision in retinal degeneration.
Screening Forms for Patients for MR Procedures and Individuals for the MR Environment

This appendix presents the screening forms that are to be filled by the patient prior to being scanned. Completion of these screening forms is also required for any person accompanying the patient into the magnet room. There are certain answers that will absolutely contraindicate the patient being scanned (e.g., if the patient has a cardiac pacemaker or ferromagnetic implant) while other questions are more designed to evaluate the patient's tolerance (such as whether they are claustrophobic). Other questions (such as those relating to renal disease) will determine if it is safe to use a contrast agent and make the physician aware of the medical status of the patient.
Vibrational Relaxation of O3(ν2) by O(3P)

Laboratory measurements of the rate coefficient for quenching of O3(ν2) by ground-state atomic oxygen, kO(ν2), at room temperature are presented. kO(ν2) is currently not well known and is necessary for appropriate nonlocal thermodynamic equilibrium modeling of the upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere. In this work, a 266 nm laser pulse photolyzes a small amount of O3 in a slow-flowing gas mixture of O3, Xe, and Ar. This process simultaneously produces atomic oxygen and increases the temperature of the gas mixture slightly, thereby increasing the population in the O3(ν2) state. Transient diode laser absorption spectroscopy is used to monitor the populations of the O3(ν2) and ground vibrational states as the system re-equilibrates. Relaxation rates are measured over a range of quencher concentrations to extract the rate coefficient of interest. The value of kO(ν2) was determined to be (2.2 ± 0.5) × 10–12 cm3 s–1.
The life and times of the central limit theorem

The name Central Limit Theorem covers a wide variety of results involving the determination of necessary and sufficient conditions under which sums of independent random variables, suitably standardized, have cumulative distribution functions close to the Gaussian distribution. As the name Central Limit Theorem suggests, it is a centerpiece of probability theory which also carries over to statistics. Part One of ""The Life and Times of the Central Limit Theorem, Second Edition"" traces its fascinating history from seeds sown by Jacob Bernoulli to use of integrals of exp(x2) as an approximation tool, the development of the theory of errors of observation, problems in mathematical astronomy, the emergence of the hypothesis of elementary errors, the fundamental work of Laplace, and the emergence of an abstract Central Limit Theorem through the work of Chebyshev, Markov and Lyapunov. This closes the classical period of the life of the Central Limit Theorem, 1713-1901. The second part of the book includes papers by Feller and Le Cam, as well as comments by Doob, Trotter, and Pollard, describing the modern history of the Central Limit Theorem (1920-1937), in particular through contributions of Lindeberg, Cramer, Levy, and Feller. The Appendix to the book contains four fundamental papers by Lyapunov on the Central Limit Theorem, made available in English for the first time.
Fungicidal activity of amiodarone is tightly coupled to calcium influx.

The antiarrhythmic drug amiodarone has microbicidal activity against fungi, bacteria and protozoa. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, amiodarone triggers an immediate burst of cytosolic Ca 2+ , followed by cell death markers. Ca 2+ transients are a common response to many forms of environmental insults and toxic compounds, including osmotic and pH shock, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and high levels of mating pheromone. Downstream signaling events involving calmodulin, calcineurin and the transcription factor Crzl are critical in mediating cell survival in response to stress. In this study we asked whether amiodarone induced Ca 2+ influx was beneficial, toxic or a bystander effect unrelated to the fungicidal effect of the drug. We show that downregulation of Ca 2+ channel activity in stationary phase cells correlates with increased resistance to amiodarone. In actively growing cells, extracellular Ca 2+ modulated the size and shape of the Ca 2+ transient and directly influenced amiodarone toxicity. Paradoxically, protection was achieved both by removal of external Ca 2+ or by adding high levels of CaCl 2 (lOmM) to block the drug induced Ca 2+ burst. Our results support a model in which the fungicidal activity of amiodarone is mediated by Ca 2+ stress, and highlight the pathway of Ca 2+ mediated cell death as a promising target for antifungal drug development.
Normal Scores and Expected Order Statistics

Rank tests replace raw scores with their ranks prior to computing a test statistic and its reference distribution. This use of ranks is advocated where the normality of the raw score observations is in doubt. An alternative approach is to replace the raw scores with values that resemble observations from a normal distribution more closely than do the integer-spaced ranks, while taking the order of the raw scores into account. Permutation tests that are carried out following such a rank-preserving transformation of the data is called a normal scores test. Keywords: randomization test; permutation test, rank test; nonparametric test
The effect of knee flexion angle and application of an anterior tibial load at the time of graft fixation on the biomechanics of a posterior cruciate ligament-reconstructed knee

Ten knees were studied using a robotic testing system under a 134-N posterior tibial load at five flexion angles. Three knee positions were used to study the effect of flexion angle at the time of graft fixation (full extension, 60°, and 90°) and two were used to study the effect of anterior tibial load (60° and 90°). Knee kinematics and in situ forces were determined for the intact ligament and the graft for each reconstruction. Graft fixation at full extension significantly decreased posterior tibial translation compared with the intact knee by up to 2.9 2.9 mm at 30°, while in situ forces in the graft were up to 18 35 N greater than for the intact ligament. Conversely, posterior tibial translation for graft fixation at 90° was significantly greater than that of the intact knee by up to 2.2 1.1 mm at all flexion angles; in situ forces decreased as much as 33 30 N. When an anterior tibial load was applied before graft fixation at 90° of flexion, posterior tibial translation did not differ from the intact...
The Stomatin/Prohibitin/Flotillin/HflK/C Domain of Flotillin-1 Contains Distinct Sequences That Direct Plasma Membrane Localization and Protein Interactions in 3T3-L1 Adipocytes

Flotillin-1 is a lipid raft-associated protein that has been implicated in various cellular processes. We examined the subcellular distribution of flotillin-1 in different cell types and found that localization is cell type-specific. Flotillin-1 relocates from a cytoplasmic compartment to the plasma membrane upon the differentiation of 3T3-L1 adipocytes. To delineate the structural determinants necessary for its localization, we generated a series of truncation mutants of flotillin-1. Wild type flotillin-1 has two putative hydrophobic domains and is localized to lipid raft microdomains at the plasma membrane. Flotillin-1 fragments lacking the N-terminal hydrophobic stretch are excluded from the lipid raft compartments but remain at the plasma membrane. On the other hand, mutants with the second hydrophobic region deleted fail to traffic to the plasma membrane but are instead found in intracellular granule-like structures. Flotillin-1 specifically interacts with the adaptor protein CAP, the Src family kinase Fyn, and cortical F-actin in lipid raft microdomains in adipocytes. Furthermore, CAP and Fyn associate with different regions in the N-terminal sequences of flotillin-1. These results furthered our understanding for how flotillin-1 can function as a molecular link between lipid rafts of the plasma membrane and a multimeric signaling complex at the actin cytoskeleton.
Effect of chromatic surround during nondifferential training and generalization test upon generalization along the angularity dimension in pigeons

Two groups of pigeons were nondifferentially trained in the presence of a white vertical line. For one of these, the surround was chromatic; for the other, it was black. The two groups were subdivided; half of each group was tested for generalization with a chromatic and half with a black surround. The chromatic surround during training produced steeper angularity gradients than the black surround; surround color during generalization test did not influence angularity gradient slope.
The unit ball is an attractor of the intersection body operator

Abstract The intersection body of a ball is again a ball. So, the unit ball B d ⊂ R d is a fixed point of the intersection body operator acting on the space of all star-shaped origin symmetric bodies endowed with the Banach–Mazur distance. E. Lutwak asked if there is any other star-shaped body that satisfies this property. We show that this fixed point is a local attractor, i.e., that the iterations of the intersection body operator applied to any star-shaped origin symmetric body sufficiently close to B d in Banach–Mazur distance converge to B d in Banach–Mazur distance. In particular, it follows that the intersection body operator has no other fixed or periodic points in a small neighborhood of B d . We will also discuss a harmonic analysis version of this question, which studies the Radon transforms of powers of a given function.
Brain energetics and cerebral death.

Summary The energy-charge potential of the brain, defined as the ratio of high- and low-energy phosphate levels, may be correlated with brain viability after injury. Two different states of dysergic brain metabolism may be induced by subarachnoid hemorrhage, depending on the intracranial pressure. Simultaneous measurements of oxidative metabolism and ATP, ADP, and AMP levels were made in rats after cisternal injection of fresh arterial blood under high (>50 mm Hg) and normal (5-10 mm Hg) intracranial pressure. The hyperbaric injections were uniformly associated with progressive and severe cerebral infarctions. These were correlated with low flow and depressed energy charge potential. A low rate of blood flow and metabolism persisted and the animals showed no signs of recovery postoperatively. Injections under normal pressure were associated with an equally severe suppression of brain blood flow and metabolic rates, but energy charge potential was preserved and clinical function, flow and metabolism were eventually recovered. Despite the cerebral dysfunction, which may appear similar in both cases, the prognosis for viability in the two instances is quite different. These paradigms are useful in formulating concepts of the energy state necessary for functional brain survival.
Manipulation and the Pareto rule

Abstract This paper examines rules that map preference profiles into choice sets. There are no agendas other than the entire set of alternatives. A rule is said to be “manipulable” if there is a person i , and a preference profile, such that i prefers the choice set obtained when he is dishonest to the one obtained when he is honest. It is “nonmanipulable” if this can never happen. The paper indicates how preferences over choice sets might be sensibly derived from preferences over alternatives, and discusses seven different notions of manipulability associated with seven different assumptions about preferences over sets of alternatives. The paper has two sections of results. In the first I show that the Pareto rule, that is, the rule that maps preference profiles into corresponding sets of Pareto optima, is nonmanipulable in four of the seven senses of manipulability, and manipulable in three of them. In the second section, I examine this conjecture: If an arbitrary rule is nonmanipulable and nonimposed, and if indifference is disallowed, then every choice set must be contained in the set of Pareto optima. The conjecture is true under the strongest definition of nonmanipulability.
Philosophical issues in the paraphilias.

Purpose of review Controversies surrounded the development of paraphilias in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) 5. This review examines the philosophical issues that emerge from an analysis of those debates and current literature. Recent findings The resolution of controversies in the publication of the DSM 5 drew upon the available evidence, theories of mental disorder, and normative assumptions. The rise of the Internet presents difficult challenges in this field. Summary Numerous philosophical assumptions underlie the psychiatric understandings of paraphilias. The focus here is on the nosological issues such as boundary justification for the determinations of normative and nonnormative human sexuality; the importance of not collapsing the distinction between mental disorder and crime, and the relationship between fantasy and action; epistemological questions of perspectivity, reasons-giving, and relationship of communication to truth claims; and sex differences not only in the paraphilias but also in the social context in which sex is formed and given expression.
Phase oscillations in lead monoxide under the X-ray beam

Abstract Time-resolved X-ray diffraction is used to examine phase oscillations in the lead monoxide system. The X-ray beam maintains the system far from equilibrium by producing highly disordered metastable lead monoxide. Experimentally determined logistics maps indicate that a minimum of three phases are required for the oscillations. One phase is a disordered phase, the other are commensurate and incommensurate phases in different diffraction domains. The oscillations are postulated to occur between the crystalline phases and the disordered phase. The kinetics are modeled as quasiperiodic for three or more phases, one disordered and two or more crystalline. The model predicts temperature, X-ray beam intensity, and defect dependence, but does not account for nonlinear effects.
Resource allocation for mobile video conferencing

We consider resource allocation for mobile videoconferencing applications. We represent the performance of a session by a sigmoid utility function of the average bit rate over one or more groups of pictures, subject to an outage constraint. The goal is to maximize the total expected utility of all active video-conferencing users. We propose that resources can be allocated if the base station chooses a price per unit rate based on total demand and the users respond by choosing rates. Since video-conferencing is interactive, an outage constraint requires that resources be assigned based on a user's channel. We suggest that prices should be set to statistically guarantee a minimum rate for users with poor combined pathloss and shadowing.1
“Shooting in the dark” versus “Breaking it down”: Understanding students’ approaches to case-based instruction

Although the literature is replete with claims of the benefits of case-based instruction, few researchers have examined how individual students respond to and approach learning from this instructional method. In this paper we paint a picture of the contrasting experiences of two students enrolled in a case-based biochemistry laboratory course. These experiences are highlighted to support and extend knowledge gained from the first author's study of the responses and approaches of a freshman class of veterinary students recently introduced to case-based instruction. In the primary study, nine students were interviewed three times during the semester to explore their initial and changing responses and approaches to the case method. Using a constant comparative analysis method, three common themes were identified. In this paper we illustrate these themes by contrasting two students' responses and approaches to the same casebased course.
Spacecraft relative attitude formation tracking on SO(3) based on line-of-sight measurements

Relative attitude formation control systems are developed for multiple spacecraft, based on the line-of-sight measurements between spacecraft in formation. The proposed control systems are unique in the sense that they do not require constructing the full attitudes of spacecraft and comparing them to obtain the relative attitudes indirectly. Instead, the control inputs are directly expressed in terms of line-of-sight measurements to control relative attitude formation precisely and efficiently. It is shown that the zero equilibrium of the relative attitude tracking errors is almost globally asymptotically stable. The desirable properties are illustrated by numerical examples, including an image processing routine to simulate vision-based line-of-sight sensors.
GSK3β mediates acentromeric spindle stabilization by activated PKCζ

Upon fertilization, the mammalian egg undergoes a precise series of signaling events that orchestrate its conversion into a zygote. Mouse eggs contain acentrosomal spindle poles when arrested at meiotic metaphase II. The meiotic spindle is thought to provide a scaffold that mediates spatial and temporal regulation of the signaling pathways orchestrating post-fertilization events. Many kinases have been found to be enriched at the MII meiotic spindle, such as Protein Kinase C (PKC), and are thought to have an important role in regulating signaling events initiated through fertilization. In this study phosphorylated PKC zeta (p-PKC zeta) and Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3beta (GSK3 beta) were found to be enriched at both acentrosomal spindle poles and the kinetochore region. Phosphorylated PKC zeta (p-PKC zeta) was immunopurified from MII eggs and was found to co-localize with known microtubule stabilizing components found in somatic cells, including GSK3 beta and Partition deficit protein 6 (Par6). Both fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) and immunofluorescence confirmed the existence and close association of these proteins with p-PKC zeta at the meiotic spindle. When GSK3 beta is phosphorylated on ser9 its activity is inhibited and the spindle is stabilized. However, when GSK3 beta is dephosphorylated (on ser9) it becomes active and the spindle is destabilized. The mechanism by which p-PKC zeta maintains spindle organization appears to be through GSK3 beta and suggests that p-PKC zeta phosphorylates GSK3 beta on the ser9 position inactivating GSK3 beta and consequently maintaining spindle stability during meiotic metaphase arrest.
Automated analysis of individual particles using a commercial capillary electrophoresis system

Capillary electrophoretic analysis of individual submicrometer size particles has been previously done using custom-built instruments. Despite that these instruments provide an excellent signal-to-noise ratio for individual particle detection, they are not capable of performing automated analyses of particles. Here we report the use of a commercial Beckman P/ACE MDQ capillary electrophoresis (CE) instrument with on-column laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection for the automated analysis of individual particles. The CE instrument was modified with an external I/O board that allowed for faster data acquisition rates (e.g. 100 Hz) than those available with the standard instrument settings (e.g. 4 Hz). A series of eight hydrodynamic injections expected to contain 32 +/- 6 particles, each followed by an electrophoretic separation at -300 V cm(-1) with data acquired at 100 Hz, showed 28 +/- 5 peaks corresponding to 31.9 particles as predicted by the statistical overlap theory. In contrast, a similar series of hydrodynamic injections followed by data acquisition at 4 Hz revealed only 8 +/- 3 peaks suggesting that the modified system is needed for individual particle analysis. Comparison of electropherograms obtained at both data acquisition rates also indicate: (i) similar migration time ranges; (ii) lower variation in the fluorescence intensity of individual peaks for 100 Hz; and (iii) a better signal-to-noise ratio for 4 Hz raw data. S/N improved for 100 Hz when data were smoothed with a binomial filter but did not reach the S/N values previously reported for post-column LIF detection. The proof-of-principle of automated analysis of individual particles using a commercially available CE system described here opens exciting possibilities for those interested in the study and analyses of organelles, liposomes, and nanoparticles.
Social positions in the city of light

Abstract: This article describes the social positions of inhabitants in the otherworldly City of Light as reported by a limited number of Mormon near-death experiencers (NDErs). These social positions included men and women and various relatives and friends, in addition to authorities or administrators, genealogists, guardians, guides, homemakers, missionaries, teachers, and students. These reports of social positions in the City of Light are similar to those described by other researchers, and are comparable to those found in our own world.
A Generalized Mahonian Statistic on Absorption Ring Mappings

Based on a coin-tossing scheme, a generalized Mahonian statistic is defined on absorption ring mappings and applied in obtaining combinatorial interpretations of the coefficient ofqjin the expansion of ?ki=1(1+q+q2+?+qmi). In the permutation case, the statistic coincides with one studied by Han that specializes many known Mahonian statistics.
Generation Of Mj Pulses At 117 Nm By Frequency Conversion Of XeF Laser Radiation

Third harmonic conversion of radiation from a XeF laser is described and processes that limit the conversion efficiency are examined. Proposed experiments at the 200 mJ pump level, designed to produce VUV pulses near the mJ level, are discussed.
Relations among Asian nations and the role of frontiers

Abstract The forces of internationalism, nationalism, and communalism are vastly shaping the global stage upon which states must formulate actions necessary to sustain stability and promote economic growth. In this regard, the case of Asia represents a consolidation of both prominent progress but also persistent challenge. Despite the relatively low inter-state tensions encompassing Northeast Asia, there still remain the critical issues of Taiwan and its disputed identity, coupled with North Korea's nuclear ambitions. Here, the United States, while not a part of the region geographically, is an important variable in influencing domestic and regional policies of states. In Southeast Asia, a slightly different pattern prevails, wherein significant domestic challenges are juxtaposed with a favorable trend with respect to international relations. As such, the relative tranquility enjoyed by Southeast Asian states is to an extent offset by detrimental domestic economic policies and political divisions within b...
Cholinergic regulation of calcium sensitivity in cardiac muscle

The range of calcium concentrations over which activation of cardiac contractile proteins occurs (calcium sensitivity) is regulated by a cAMP controlled phosphorylation of the inhibitory subunit of troponin (TNI) [6, 8]. Phosphorylation of TNI increases the concentration of calcium required for activating myofibrillar ATPase [8] and for generating active tension in hyperpermeable fibers [6]. As TNI goes from a completely dephosphorylated to a completely phosphorylated state, there is a decrease in calcium sensitivity that, in hyperpermeable fibers, may produce as much as a five fold increase in the concentration of calcium required for 50% of maximum activation ([Ca]50) [6]. In both hyperpermeable [6] and intact [2, 11] cells, catecholamines appear to promote cAMP production and TNI phosphorylation. Dephosphorylation of TNI is promoted by cGMP in the hyperpermeable trabecula [6] and by acetylcholine in the perfused heart [2]. Therefore calcium sensitivity may be regulated not only by catecholamine control of protein kinase but in addition by cholinergic control of phosphatase through guanylate cyclase and cGMP. In the present study, the effects of muscarinic cholinergic stimulation on the calcium sensitivity of the contractile system have been examined in the hyperpermeable rat trabecula. Exposure to 10 μm methacholine increases calcium sensitivity in all fibers that initially require 3.3 μm Ca2+ or greater for 50% activation. The extent of the change is inversely and linearly related to the initial calcium sensitivity. The effect of methacholine on calcium sensitivity is prevented by 10 μm atropine, implicating the muscarinic receptor in the action of the cholinergic agent.
IBM® PC applications programs and supporting documentation

A set of programs and supporting documentation has been developed for a wide range of problems in operations research, modern industrial engineering, statistics, engineering economy and control methods such as inventory management and project management. The programs are written in BASIC for the IBM PC and all compatible machines. The software and text are offered at nominal cost.
Remarks on the relation between different (open) string field theories

Abstract It is shown that the different three-string vertices, related by conformal transformations, are in the same BRST cohomology class. We use this result to discuss the relation between different (open) string field theories.
The Dynamics of Polar Solvation

Fluorescence upconversion experiments with subpicosecond resolution are described. The time dependent fluorescence spectra of several probe molecules in polar solvents are measured and used to construct the Stokes shift correlation function C(t). The correlation functions decay nonexponentially in contrast to the predictions of simple Debye/Onsager continuum theory. At high values of the static dielectric constants the solvation times are much slower than predicted from standard continuum theory. Generalizations of continuum theory to include non-spherical shapes, non-Debye dielectric response and saturation effects are discussed. The experimental data are qualitatively in accord with predictions based on a frequency and position dependent dielectric response.
Short-wavelength plasma turbulence and temperature anisotropy instabilities: recent computational progress

Plasma turbulence consists of an ensemble of enhanced, broadband electromagnetic fluctuations, typically driven by multi-wave interactions which transfer energy in wavevector space via non- linear cascade processes. Temperature anisotropy instabilities in collisionless plasmas are driven by quasi-linear wave–particle interactions which transfer particle kinetic energy to field fluctuation energy; the resulting enhanced fluctuations are typically narrowband in wavevector magnitude and direction. Whatever their sources, short-wavelength fluctuations are those at which charged particle kinetic, that is, velocity-space, properties are important; these are generally wavelengths of the order of or shorter than the ion inertial length or the thermal ion gyroradius. The purpose of this review is to summarize and interpret recent computational results concerning short-wavelength plasma turbulence, short-wavelength temperature anisotropy instabilities and relationships between the two phenomena.
The development of egg-fragments in annelids

1. The unfertilized eggs ofChatopterus, taken near the beginning of the maturation-period, may readily, by strong centrifuging, be broken into fragments of varying size and contents. Both nucleated and non-nucleated fragments of various sizes may be fertilized, and may develop into actively swimming dwarf larvae, some of which approach the normal whole larvae in form, structure and movements. 2. The fragments may contain varying combinations of the three main zones produced by centrifuging, including those derived from the hyaline mid dle zone whicharealmost entirely composed of hyaloplasm. Any of the fragments irrespective of their contents may develop if of sufficient size. 3. The cleavage-pattern of the fragments, irrespective of their contents, closely follows that of the whole eggs, including the size-relations, the alternation of spiral cleavages and the arrangement of the blastomeres. The first cleavage may or may not be accompanied by the formation of a polar lobe, the fragments being probably derived in the first case from the lower hemisphere, in the second from the upper one. In both cases the cleavage is unequal in the normal proportions, and there seems to be only one type of regular cleavage. 4. Since hyaline fragments may segment normally and may produce actively swimming dwarf larvae of nearly normal appearance, it seems probable that the basis of localization, cleavage-patterns, and differentiation must be sought in some kind of internalstructure in the apparently structureless hyoplasm or ground-substance. 5. Some review and discussion is offered of the evidence that the ooplasmic structure is progressively developed and transformed before, during and after cleavage. 6. The relation between mosaic development and embryonic induction or organizing activities is discussed, including some consideration of the question of organizing centers in the "mosaic" types of cleavage.
Methods of Neuro-Simulation for Field Development

This paper introduces a methodology for optimizing field development schemes. The use of numerical simulation models in establishing field development strategies is a widely practiced approach. In field development studies, a large number of scenarios which result in a time consuming and expensive process must be considered. The objective of this paper is to structure the field development schemes using artificial neural networks (ANNs) in conjunction with numerical reservoir simulation; a process we call neuro-simulation. In neuro-simulation, a few field development scenarios are examined using a numerical simulator. The results of these studies are then used to train the ANN. The trained ANN is used as a predictive tool for field development purposes. Using neuro-simulation, the number of numerical simulations is significantly reduced. The use of the neuro-simulation approach becomes practical especially during the early life of the field when the recovery data and the field properties are sparse and sporadic. The neuro-simulation approach provides the flexibility of considering any location as a potential site in contrast to the conventional simulation approach when the well locations are restricted to the predefined block centers. The neuro-simulation approach is faster and more efficient than its conventional counterpart. The results obtained from neuro-simulation compare well with the results obtained from a reservoir simulator.
The TX16: A Highly Programmable Multi-microprocessor Architecture

A modular multiprocessor merges existing chip sets and a sophisticated, functional programming approach to solve computationally intensive algorithms at mainframe speeds?at a fraction of the cost.
Study of the Electrochemical Properties of H-LiMnBO3 Compound

The compound h-LiMnBO3 with hexagonal structure and space group of P-6 was synthesized. This compound displayed a particular electrochemical behavior. In the voltage rang of 0.1-3.0 V at 5 mA/g, the first discharge capacity was around 1420 mAh/g. Cyclic voltammogram indicated that the reductive process took place below 1.5 V.
Detection of differentially expressed genes in an isogenic breast metastasis model using RNA arbitrarily primed-polymerase chain reaction coupled with array hybridization (RAP-array).

To facilitate the study of the mechanisms of breast cancer metastasis we have previously characterized a pair of breast tumor cell lines that originate from the same breast tumor cell line MDA-MB-435, but which have diametrically opposite metastatic capabilities. These cell lines constitute a stable and accessible experimental system for the identification of metastasis-related genes and for the study of their role in the process of metastasis. In this study, we used a combination of RNA arbitrarily primed-polymerase chain reaction (RAP-PCR) fingerprinting and cDNA arrays (here termed “RAP-array”) to identify genes differentially expressed with respect to metastatic phenotype. RAP-PCR was used to generate radioactive probes of reduced complexity for hybridization to nylon membranes containing 588 cDNAs of known identity. Single RAP-PCR fingerprint probes hybridized from 61 (10.4%) to 116 (19.7%) of the filter array targets, with a signal detection overlap of ∼21%. A total of 344 (57%) of the 588 target genes were detected by five single RAP-PCR fingerprints. The advantage of using reduced complexity probes was highlighted by the fact that the combination of RAP probes before hybridization compromised the overall detection rate by up to 40%. Sequential application of RAP-PCR probes allowed the screening of a greater, and an alternative fraction of the transcript population than was achieved with a radiolabeled total cDNA probe. Verification by quantitative reverse transcriptase-PCR confirmed significantly increased expression of keratin 9 (>100-fold) in nonmetastatic breast tumor cells and of CD70 (fivefold) in metastatic cells. The differential expression of keratin 9 and CD70 was maintained between cells grown as primary xenografts in athymic mice. The RAP-array method enabled the detection of genes not revealed using other screening methods and that are candidates for further investigation in the context of metastatic phenotype.
Kinetics of T cell cytokine gene expression in gerbils after a primary subcutaneous Brugia pahangi infection.

The majority of patients infected with lymphatic filariae are microfilaremic but tend to manifest little obvious pathology because of the infections. Data collected from the Mongolian gerbil–Brugia spp. model for human lymphatic filariasis suggest this experimental animal model system most closely represents this patient group and will be useful in studying immunological parameters associated with chronic infections. This article reports the quantitation of interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, IL-10, IL-13, and interferon (IFN)-γ messenger RNA (mRNA) in gerbils after a primary subcutaneous infection with Brugia pahangi. Chronically infected gerbils showed elevated IL-4 in all tissues, compared with earlier time points, linking this Th2 cytokine to the downregulation of responsiveness, which develops in gerbils and humans. Both IL-5 and IL-13 mRNA expression were transient in all tissues. The peak in IL-5 at 14–28 days postinfection reflects the peak of peripheral eosinophilia observed in B. pahangi–infected gerbils....
Reporting accounting changes and fundamental errors: a teaching note

Mastering the requirements for reporting accounting changes and fundamental errors in comparative statements is a challenging topic for many accounting students. Because authoritative literature focuses on identifying events and associating them with reporting methods, many illustrative examples confound the differences between reporting methods with the differences between the factual situations in which the methods apply. This paper presents a single-context teaching aid that focuses on mastering basic reporting methods inherent in the International Accounting Standard governing accounting changes and in the US generally accepted accounting principles. Suggestions are also provided for class discussions of issues surrounding the reporting of accounting changes and fundamental errors.
Demography and Evolution on Providencia Island, Colombia1

HUMAN mating patterns and human fertility are two biological factors which are affected by sociocultural patterns and which contribute directly to the maintenance and change of gene frequencies in a population. Empirical studies of these interrelationships are surprisingly few. In this report we analyze data from the population of the Caribbean island of Providencia. We indicate some aspects of sociocultural structure which affect demographic features of the society and suggest how they do so. In addition, we present data which enable us to calculate random genetic drift and effective migration ratio for the island of Providencia.
New candidates for near-infra-red-absorbing active layers in multijunction organic photovoltaics: Characterization and performance

Dye molecules were modified through exchange of a central nucleofugal functional group. Profound changes in the bandgap spacing and HOMO-LUMO levels were observed. Concentration quenching was observed for all the dyes and increases in external quantum efficiency of devices were observed after dyes were diluted through distribution within a polymer host. The addition of the phenoxy functional group in one derivatized dye appeared to reduce the effect of fluorescence concentration quenching. All characterization herein allows for prediction of the effects of other nucleofugal syntheses on these dyes for more successful application in NIR bulk heterojunction photovoltaics.
Binocular eye tracking with the Tracking Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscope

Abstract The development of high magnification retinal imaging has brought with it the ability to track eye motion with a precision of less than an arc minute. Previously these systems have provided only monocular records. Here we describe a modification to the Tracking Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscope (Sheehy et al., 2012) that splits the optical path in a way that slows the left and right retinas to be scanned almost simultaneously by a single system. A mirror placed at a retinal conjugate point redirects half of each horizontal scan line to the fellow eye. The collected video is a split image with left and right retinas appearing side by side in each frame. Analysis of the retinal motion in the recorded video provides an eye movement trace with very high temporal and spatial resolution. Results are presented from scans of subjects with normal ocular motility that fixated steadily on a green laser dot. The retinas were scanned at 4° eccentricity with a 2° square field. Eye position was extracted offline from recorded videos with an FFT based image analysis program written in Matlab. The noise level of the tracking was estimated to range from 0.25 to 0.5 arc min SD for three subjects. In the binocular recordings, the left eye/right eye difference was 1–2 arc min SD for vertical motion and 10–15 arc min SD for horizontal motion, in agreement with published values from other tracking techniques.
Connecting the invisible dots: Reaching lesbian, gay, and bisexual adolescents and young adults at risk for suicide through online social networks

Young lesbian, gay, and bisexual (young LGB) individuals report higher rates of suicide ideation and attempts from their late teens through early twenties. Their high rate of Internet use suggests that online social networks offer a novel opportunity to reach them. This study explores online social networks as a venue for prevention research targeting young LGB. An automated data collection program was used to map the social connections between LGB self-identified individuals between 16 and 24 years old participating in an online social network. We then completed a descriptive analysis of the structural characteristics known to affect diffusion within such networks. Finally, we conducted Monte Carlo simulations of peer-driven diffusion of a hypothetical preventive intervention within the observed network under varying starting conditions. We mapped a network of 100,014 young LGB. The mean age was 20.4 years. The mean nodal degree was 137.5, representing an exponential degree distribution ranging from 1 through 4309. Monte Carlo simulations revealed that a peer-driven preventive intervention ultimately reached final sample sizes of up to 18,409 individuals. The network's structure is consistent with other social networks in terms of the underlying degree distribution. Such networks are typically formed dynamically through a process of preferential attachment. This implies that some individuals could be more important to target to facilitate the diffusion of interventions. However, in terms of determining the success of an intervention targeting this population, our simulation results suggest that varying the number of peers that can be recruited is more important than increasing the number of randomly-selected starting individuals. This has implications for intervention design. Given the potential to access this previously isolated population, this novel approach represents a promising new frontier in suicide prevention and other research areas.
Reoperation after esophageal replacement in childhood

Abstract Background : Esophageal replacement is associated with significant morbidity that may lead to operative interventions. This study reviews the management and outcome of children who underwent reoperation after esophageal replacement. Methods : Eighteen patients who underwent esophageal replacement from 1985 to 1997 were reviewed retrospectively. Ten patients underwent reoperation. Patient management, perioperative morbidity, and the dietary intake at follow-up were recorded for each patient. Results : Of the reoperated patients, 7 had esophageal atresia, 2 had caustic ingestion, and 1 had achalasia. Nine patients received a colon interposition, and 1 received a reverse gastric tube as the initial esophageal replacement. Seven patients required revision of the anastomoses. Three patients required complex esophageal reconstruction: 1 underwent gastric transposition, 1 underwent free jejunal graft, and 1 underwent gastric transposition combined with free jejunal graft. Seven patients were eating well at follow-up. Two patients still required partial gastrostomy tube feeding. One patient died 6 months postoperatively from aspiration pneumonia. Conclusions : Esophageal replacement continues to be a challenging operation associated with significant complications. Most reoperative procedures were directed toward strictures and persistent fistulae. Complete graft failure can be managed by gastric transposition or free jejunal graft. Despite the perioperative morbidity, most patients have good functional outcome.
Bypassing prefertilization barriers to hybridization in Nicotiana using in vitro pollination and fertilization.

In vitro pollination of placenta attached ovules was useful in bypassing unilateral incongruity barriers for several Nicotiana interspecific hybrid combinations (N. tabacum cv. ‘Ky 17’ X N. amplexicaulis, ‘Ky 17’ X N. benthamiana, and ‘Ky 17’ X N. repanda). By measuring the pollen tube growth over time, prefertilization barriers were determined to be the cause of the incongruity. Seedling necrosis was a problem in the development of the N. amplexicaulis hybrid and it prevented maturation of the N. repanda hybrid. Callus produced from cotyledons of the N. amplexicaulis hybrid eventually resulted in plants that survived to maturity. This procedure was not successful for the N. repanda materials. The N. amplexicaulis and N. benthamiana hybrids were sterile but following chromosome doubling by midrib culture, male and female fertile plants were produced. Conventional hybridization, fertilized ovule culture, and in vitro pollination were unsuccessful in obtaining hybrids of ‘Ky 17’ crossed with N. arentsii or N. bonariensis. Apparently, strong postfertilization barriers prevent the production of viable seed of these hybrids. Each of the N. repanda — N. tabacum reciprocal hybrids could not be rescued using callus culture; this adds support to the existence of strong sexual postfertilization barriers. A recent report, however, showed that it was possible to obtain this hybrid using the technique of somatic hybridization. Thus, it appears that it may also be possible to obtain asexual hybrids of N. arentsii and N. bonariensis with N. tabacum.
Determination of Intermolecular Forces

Some of the basic problems associated with the determination of intermolecular forces are considered.
Early neurogenesis in Xenopus: the spatio-temporal pattern of proliferation and cell lineages in the embryonic spinal cord.

Abstract Lineage tracing techniques and pulse labeling experiments were used to reveal the lineages and the pattern of proliferation of neural precursors in the Xenopus neural plate. After gastrulation there is a wave of mitosis; most cells of the neural plate undergo a single division during this wave. After this first division, many cells leave the cell cycle and differentiate as primary neurons. In the stage 3536 hatching larvae, clones of primary neurons usually contain only two cells. The remainder, most of which arise from the superficial layer, are predominantly the precursors of secondary neurons. They are mitotically quiescent until stage 20, and then undergo another one to two rounds of division during embryonic life. Secondary precursors and primary neurons are never part of the same clone, although, in individual clones, primary neurons are frequently of different types. By the neural plate stage, separate precursors seem to exist for primary and secondary neurons, but the precursors of primary neurons themselves are pluripotent.
Large-scale molecular screening for galactosemia alleles in a pan-ethnic population

DNA samples from 4,796 subjects from diverse ethnic groups were screened for five frequently encountered galactose-1-phosphate uridyl transferase (GALT) mutations: S135L (cDNA nt 404C→T, as numbered from the initiator ATG codon, with A=1); Q188R (cDNA nt 563A→G); K285 N (cDNA nt 855G→T); the Duarte variant, N314D (cDNA nt 940A→G); and the Los Angeles variant, which contains L218L (cDNA nt 652C→T) and N314D. Among Whites, the gene frequency of the Q188R mutation was 0.29%, and that of the K285 N mutation was 0.062%. Only one S135L mutation was encountered among 505 African-Americans (gene frequency 0.10%). The pan-ethnic gene frequencies of the Duarte and the Los Angeles variants were 5.1% and 2.7%, respectively. Both of these frequencies were significantly less among African-Americans and Asians than among Whites and Hispanics. Native Americans revealed a higher incidence of the both variants. Based upon the gene frequency of the Q188R mutation in the White population, the birth incidence of classic galactosemia is estimated at one patient per 47,000 in the White population. This prevalence would be increased by inbreeding. It agrees well with the results from newborn screening programs and is only minimally higher than that reported in most studies, suggesting that most, if not all, infants with the galactosemia genotype are born and survive sufficiently long to be screened.