cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fast and Robust Probabilistic Inference of Iris Mask

Iris masks are essential in iris recognition. The purpose of having a good iris mask is to indicate which part of iris texture map is useful and which part is occluded or contains noisy artifacts such as eyelashes, eyelids and specular reflections. The accuracy of the iris mask is extremely important. The performance of the iris recognition system will decrease dramatically when iris mask is inaccurate, even when the best recognition algorithm is used. Traditionally, people used naive rule-based algorithms to estimate iris masks from the iris texture map. But the accuracy of the iris mask generated in this way is questionable. In this paper, we propose a probabilistic and learning-based method to automatically estimate iris mask from iris texture map. The features used in this method are very simple, yet the resulting estimated iris mask is significantly more accurate than the rule-based methods. We also demonstrate the effectiveness of the algorithm by performing iris recognition based on masks estimated by different algorithms. Experimental results show the masks estimated by the proposed algorithm help to increase the iris recognition rate on NIST Iris Challenge Evaluation (ICE) database.
Variation in Avian Vocalizations during the Non-Breeding Season in Response to Traffic Noise

Low-frequency traffic noise that leads to acoustic masking of vocalizations may cause birds to alter the frequencies or other components of their vocalizations in order to be heard by conspecifics and others. Altering parts of a vocalization may result in poorer vocal performance or the message contained in the vocalization being received incorrectly. During the winters of 2011–2012 and 2012–2013, we recorded and measured the ‘chick-a-dee’ call of Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) and the ‘po-ta-to-chip’ call of American Goldfinches (Spinus tristis) to determine whether components of the calls produced in areas of high traffic noise and low traffic noise differed in any way. We found that both chickadee and goldfinch calls had higher minimum frequencies in areas with high traffic-noise than in low traffic-noise areas. The maximum frequencies showed no differences in either species' calls. This suggests that chickadees and goldfinches alter the part of their calls that are acoustically masked by traffic noise in effort to better transmit the vocalization. These differences suggest that increasing anthropogenic noise may influence avian communication and that noise management should be included in conservation planning.
Determination of p-methylthiobenzamide and p-methylthiobenzamide-S-oxide from rat plasma using solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography.

Abstract p -Methylthiobenzamide (PMTB) is a thiocarbonyl compound exhibiting marked hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity. We describe a high-performance liquid chromatographic method for analyzing PMTB and a metabolite, p -methylthiobenzamide-S-oxide (PMTBSO), from rat plasma using a solid-phase extraction technique. In this way, PMTB and PMTBSO can be extracted from 0.5 ml of plasma and separation achieved by an ODS analytical column in as little as 9 min. The mobile phase used was methanol—water (55:45, v/v) and the wavelength for detection was 290 nm. The limits of detection in plasma were 15 ng/ml for PMTB and 33 ng/ml for PMTBSO; the absolute recovery from spiked plasma samples was greater than 84.4% for both compounds and the internal standard. The method was linear throughout the range used with correlation coefficients greater than 0.969. The intra-day accuracy ranged from 1.52 to 15.23% relative error for the PMTB concentration range 151–3025 ng/ml; accuracy of 4.97% or less was obtained for PMTBSO concentrations of 1672–20 068 ng/ml. The intra-day precision (coefficient of variation) of the procedure was found to be no greater than 5.28% for PMTB and 7.9% for PMTBSO. Inter-day accuracy and precision measurements were similar.
A general limit theorem for dynamic systems with an application to population growth

Abstract It is shown in this paper that a certain limiting property of a system of linear homogenous difference equations is characterized by a solution to a nonlinear system. An application of the result to population growth is also discussed.
Problems of abstraction and extraction in cultural geography research: implications for fieldwork in Arctic North America

If methods are how we answer research questions, then theories are how we know what question to ask. Therefore, all research begins with a necessarily high level of abstraction which then informs decisions about the appropriate targets, goals, and scale at which methods are carried out. Numerous critics have argued that fieldwork should not be extractive, meaning it should not collect data for the benefit of the researcher without returning anything to the community. The distinction between the “abstract” and the “on the ground” work done by geographers is thus far from distinct. In this essay, I discuss questions about how to do field-informed research of intellectual value that is neither extractive nor perpetuates colonial imaginaries of spaces of problem and solution. While a single essay cannot answer these questions, I use research involving northern Canadian communities, and in particular, my own focus group research on the cultural politics of diamond mining in Nunavut, to add clarity to these que...
Programs for the Gifted; A Case Book in Secondary Education, Samuel Everett, Editor. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1961. 299 pp. $5.50

(1962). Programs for the Gifted; A Case Book in Secondary Education, Samuel Everett, Editor. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1961. 299 pp. $5.50. The Educational Forum: Vol. 27, No. 1, pp. 113-113.
Alloimmunization to red blood cell antigens affects clinical outcomes in liver transplant patients

Transfusion therapy of liver transplant patients remains a challenge. High volumes of intraoperative blood transfusion have been shown to increase the risk of poor graft or patient survival. We conducted a retrospective study of 209 consecutive liver transplant cases at our institution. Only patients receiving their first liver transplant, with no other simultaneous organ transplants, were included. Cox proportional hazard modeling was used to identify clinical variables correlated with postoperative patient mortality. Statistically significant variables for poor patient survival were the number of red blood cell and plasma units transfused, a history of red blood cell alloantibodies, and the immunosuppressive regimen used. History of pregnancy also approached statistical significance but was less robust than the other 3 variables. Our findings suggest that blood transfusion and immune modulation greatly affect the survival of patients after liver transplantation.
Efficacy of delayed or discontinuous FK506 administrations on nerve regeneration in the rat sciatic nerve crush model: lack of evidence for a conditioning lesion-like effect.

We examined whether the nerve regenerative property of FK506 exhibits a 'window-of-opportunity' corresponding to the time of injury for maximal efficacy in the sciatic nerve crush model. FK506 (5 mg/kg, s.c.) was administered over the 18-day period of study according to three dosage regiments: delayed (days 9-17), discontinuous (days 0-8) and continuous (days 0-17) administrations. Quantitation of axonal calibers and the extend of myelination in the soleus nerve at 18 days demonstrated that both delayed and discontinuous administrations were equally effective, arguing against a 'window-of-opportunity' for FK506 nerve regenerative effect. However, both protocols were less effective than continuous administration indicating that the compound needs to be given during the entire regenerative period to elicit maximal efficacy.
Synaptic localization of striatal NMDA, quisqualate and kainate receptors.

Abstract Striatal binding of labeled glutamate to N- methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) receptors, d,l -α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazoleproprionic acid (AMPA) to quisqualate receptors and kainate to kainate receptors was examined in rats which had received unilateral decortications or unilateral striatal quinolinic acid lesions. One week after decortication, there were no significant changes in NMDA, quisqualate or kainate receptors in the striatum ipsilateral to the lesion, when compared to the striatum contralateral to the lesion. In contrast, binding to NMDA receptors was reduced by 92 %, to quisqualate receptors by 80 % and to kainate receptors by 81 % in striatum 3 months after quinolinic acid lesions. The reduction in NMDA receptor binding was significantly greater than the loss of quisqualate or kainate receptors. These results suggest that NMDA, quisqualate and kainate receptor recognition sites are located postsynaptically in the striatum. These results also have implications for the quinolinic acid model of Huntington's disease.
Skeletal muscle signaling associated with impaired glucose tolerance in spinal cord-injured men and the effects of contractile activity

The mechanisms underlying poor glucose tolerance in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI), along with its improvement after several weeks of neuromuscular electrical stimulation-induced resistance exercise (NMES-RE) training, remain unclear, but presumably involve the affected skeletal musculature. We, therefore, investigated skeletal muscle signaling pathways associated with glucose transporter 4 (GLUT-4) translocation at rest and shortly after a single bout of NMES-RE in SCI (n = 12) vs. able-bodied (AB, n = 12) men. Subjects completed an oral glucose tolerance test during visit 1 and ≈90 NMES-RE isometric contractions of the quadriceps during visit 2. Muscle biopsies were collected before, and 10 and 60 min after, NMES-RE. We assessed transcript levels of GLUT-4 by quantitative PCR and protein levels of GLUT-4 and phosphorylated- and total AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-α, CaMKII, Akt, and AS160 by immunoblotting. Impaired glucose tolerance in SCI was confirmed by higher (P < 0.05) plasma glucose concentrations than AB at all time points after glucose ingestion, despite equivalent insulin responses to the glucose load. GLUT-4 protein content was lower (P < 0.05) in SCI vs. AB at baseline. Main group effects revealed higher phosphorylation in SCI of AMPK-α, CaMKII, and Akt (P < 0.05), and Akt phosphorylation increased robustly (P < 0.05) following NMES-RE in SCI only. In SCI, low skeletal muscle GLUT-4 protein concentration may, in part, explain poor glucose tolerance, whereas heightened phosphorylation of relevant signaling proteins (AMPK-α, CaMKII) suggests a compensatory effort. Finally, it is encouraging to find (based on Akt) that SCI muscle remains both sensitive and responsive to mechanical loading (NMES-RE) even ≈22 yr after injury.
Using hepatitis A and B vaccination as a paradigm for effective HIV vaccine delivery

Background: An understanding of vaccine acceptance and uptake is imperative for successful vaccination of populations that will be primary targets for vaccination after a vaccine against HIV is developed and ready for dissemination. Experiences with vaccination against vaccine-preventable hepatitis (VPH) among men who have sex with men (MSM) may offer key insights to inform future HIV vaccination strategies. The purpose of this analysis was to explore what is known currently about vaccination among MSM, using knowledge gained from vaccination against VPH, and to identify important considerations from these experiences that must be explored further as a vaccine against HIV is promoted among MSM. Because cultural and political differences make it difficult to extrapolate findings from studies in one country to another, we have focused our analyses on studies conducted in the USA. Methods: Through a qualitative systematic review of published reports, we identified eight studies that reported correlates of VPH among MSM in the USA. Results: Six major domains of variables associated with vaccination against VPH were identified, including: demographics (e.g. younger age, higher educational attainment); increased vaccine knowledge; increased access to health care; provider recommendation; behaviours (e.g. same-sex behaviour, health-promoting and disease-preventing behaviours); and psychosocial factors (e.g. openness about one’s sexual orientation, reduced barriers to being vaccinated, self-efficacy). Conclusions: Further research is needed to understand vaccination behaviour among MSM and to maximise acceptance and uptake after a vaccine exists. Experiences with VPH provide a real-world model on which to base preliminary assumptions about acceptance and uptake of a vaccine against HIV.
Evaluation of the Coagulation and Inflammatory Responses in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients and Donors

: New strategies that modify the coagulation/inflammatory cascades may be applicable to solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients in the treatment of complications. However, data on kinetics of post-SOT cascades are needed before considering these strategies. Prospectively collected pre-transplant serum measurements of inflammatory (high-sensitive C-reactive protein, HS-CRP) and coagulation (d-Dimer, DD; protein C, PC) markers were compared to post-operative (day 1–90) values in deceased-donor liver (DDLT) and renal (DDRT) transplant recipients, living-related renal recipients (LRT) and donors (LRD). A total of 85 SOT were enrolled: 25 DDLT, 32 DDRT/LRT, 28 LRD. HS-CRP increased in all groups, mainly immediate post-SOT and in LRDs. DD had a similar pattern mainly in LRT and LRD. PC increased significantly over time in the DDLT group ( p < 0.01). Compared to those with no complications (infection, rejection or thrombosis), day 30 HS-CRP (p = 0.04) and DD (p = 0.06) were elevated in the DDRT/LRT group with complications; PC was decreased at day 7 (p = 0.04) and day 30 (p = 0.009) in DDLT and DDRT/LRT groups with complications, respectively. In conclusion, activation of the inflammatory/coagulation cascades occurs after SOT and is least pronounced in DDLT. This activation diminishes over time unless transplant complications occur. Our results support further research in approaches to altering these cascades in SOT recipients.
Childhood asthma and obesity—what is the true link?

Obesity rates have increased significantly in children in many parts of the world, especially in North America.1 According to data from the most recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, approximately 17% (or 12.5 million) of US children and adolescents 2 to 9 years old are obese.2 The impact that childhood obesity has on pediatric diseases has become a major prevention initiative by the Obama administration and several public health organizations. Children with obesity are at increased risk for developing asthma, one of the most common chronic diseases in children.3 Childhood asthma accounts for more than 14 million missed school days per year and is the primary cause of school absences in the United States.4 A relation between obesity and asthma is supported by prospective studies in adults and children suggesting that being overweight and obese can precede the onset of asthma5 and studies in adults showing alleviation of asthma symptoms with weight loss.6 Despite consistent evidence linking obesity to the incidence and prevalence of asthma and several postulated hypotheses to explain this association, a definitive mechanism remains a mystery. Genetic and Environmental Factors Asthma and obesity are likely to be connected in a multifactorial fashion. Although genetic susceptibility can contribute to the development of asthma and obesity, the rapid increase in a relatively short period suggests that changes in lifestyle, such as diet, physical activity, early life exposures, and other environmental interactions, also can play a role. Epigenetic mechanisms associated with obesity and asthma have been proposed. Obesity and asthma likely have their beginnings in utero and in early childhood. Diet and nutrition, especially prenatal and early infant diet, may play a part in these diseases. Greater consumption of fruits and vegetables, antioxidants, minerals and vitamins, fish, and legumes during pregnancy seems to confer protection against childhood asthma and wheeze7 and may influence the neonatal immune system and lung development.8 However, 1 study showed that fatty acid dietary supplementation during pregnancy did not lower the overall incidence of asthma.9 To further support the idea that intrauterine nutrition is important, associations between low birth weight and resulting obesity and asthma have been shown. In 1 study, low birth weight led to the development of asthma and excess body mass increased the risk.10 Rapid growth in body mass index (BMI) during the first 2 years of life increased the risk of asthma up to 6 years of age based on published data from 8 European birth cohorts.11
The growth of Paracoccus halodenitrificans in a defined medium.

A synthetic medium, consisting of inorganic salts and any of a number of carbon sources, supported the aerobic growth of Paracoccus halodenitrificans when supplemented with thiamine. The same medium plus a nitrogenous oxide supported anaerobic growth when additionally supplemented with methionine. The observation that vitamin B12 or betaine replaced methionine suggested that P. halodenitrificans had a defect in the cobalamin dependent pathway for methionine biosynthesis, as well as the inability to synthesize betaine when growing anaerobically.
Evidence-based psychosocial treatments for adolescent substance abuse

This review synthesized findings from 17 studies since 1998 regarding evaluation of outpatient treatments for adolescent substance abuse. These studies represented systematic design advances in adolescent clinical trial science. The research examined 46 different intervention conditions with a total sample of 2,307 adolescents. The sample included 7 individual cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) replications (n = 367), 13 group CBT replications (n = 771), 17 family therapy replications (n = 850) and 9 minimal treatment control conditions (n = 319). The total sample was composed of approximately 75% males, and the ethnic/racial distribution was approximately 45% White, 25% Hispanic, 25% African American, and 5% other groups. Meta-analysis was used to evaluate within-group effect sizes as well as differences between active treatment conditions and the minimal treatment control conditions. Methodological rigor of studies was classified using Nathan and Gorman (2002) criteria, and treatments were classified using criteria for well-established and probably efficacious interventions based on Chambless et al. (1996). Three treatment approaches, multidimensional family therapy, functional family therapy, and group CBT emerged as well-established models for substance abuse treatment. However, a number of other models are probably efficacious, and none of the treatment approaches appeared to be clearly superior to any others in terms of treatment effectiveness for adolescent substance abuse.
Postdate fetal surveillance: Is 41 weeks too early?

During an 18-month period, 293 patients had a nonstress test and ultrasonographic evaluation of amniotic fluid volume twice weekly beginning at 41 weeks' gestation. Patients were admitted for induction of labor for either an abnormal nonstress test result or oligohydramnios. A control population consisted of 59 low-risk patients who were delivered between 39 and 41 weeks' gestation and had antepartum testing within 4 days of delivery. Study patients .who were delivered between 41 and 42 weeks' gestation had a significantly increased incidence of abnormal nonstress tests, oligohydramnios, cesarean sections for fetal distress, and admissions to the neonatal intensive care unit compared with control patients. The abnormal fetal testing and adverse perinatal outcome associated with pregnancies over 42 weeks were also found in pregnancies between 41 and 42 weeks' gestation. These data support the concept that postdate fetal testing should begin at 41 weeks of gestation.
Indented synapses in Aplysia.

Abstract A new type of synaptic contact has been found in Aplysia californica, in which a post-synaptic spine extensively invaginates the pre-synaptic element. The post-synaptic spine, usually less than 0.25 μm in diameter, may protrude up to 2 μm into the pre-synaptic element. In some instances a larger post-synaptic element indents and forms multiple thin projections into the pre-synaptic varicosity. Along or at the end of these projections a zone occurs at which the surface membranes of the two opposed synaptic elements are rigidly parallel, and the extracellular gap is approximately 60% greater than normal and contains a small amount of electron-dense material. Synaptic vesicles are concentrated against the pre-synaptic membrane in these regions. There are twice as many vesicles per unit area positioned against the membrane at these zones than at similar active zones occurring in the alternative type of synapse, which has a flat, rather than indented, geometry. Single pre-synaptic varicosities have been found to form both flat and indented synapses. These findings raise the possibility that these two forms of synapse may be dynamic transformations of each other, having differing synaptic effectiveness.
Moving Out but Not Up Economic Outcomes in the Great Migration

The migration of millions of southerners out of the South between 1910 and 1970 is largely attributed to economic and social push factors in the South, combined with pull factors in other regions o...
A case of external iliac arteriovenous fistula and high-output cardiac failure after endovenous laser treatment of great saphenous vein

Valvular incompetence in the great saphenous vein (GSV) is the most common cause of superficial venous insufficiency and symptomatic varicose vein development. Recently, less invasive modalities such as foam sclerotherapy, radiofrequency ablation (RFA), and endovenous laser treatment (EVLT) have gained popularity in the treatment of saphenofemoral junction and saphenous truncal incompetence over the traditional approach of surgical ligation and stripping. Here, we present the case of a 32-year-old woman who underwent EVLT and was diagnosed subsequently with ipsilateral external iliac arteriovenous (AV) fistula and high-output cardiac failure. She was stabilized medically and treated surgically with a covered stent placed in the external iliac artery with complete resolution of the fistula and cardiac failure. We reviewed the literature and discuss the complications of AV fistulae after EVLT.
The definition of sex stereotypes via the adjective check list

The Adjective Check List (ACL) was employed in the empirical definition of male and female stereotypes by 50 male and 50 female college student subjects. Judgments by male and female subjects correlated highly. There were 33 male adjectives and 30 female adjectives on which at least 75% of both sexes agreed. With a 60% agreement criterion, there were 98 male and 83 female adjectives. Both male and female stereotypes were treated as hypothetical persons and were shown to be highly deviant on standard ACL norms, with the male stereotype being more deviant and perhaps more “disturbed” than the female stereotype. It was concluded that the ACL is a promising method for the definition and study of sex stereotypes.
SAR Analysis of Adenosine Diphosphate (Hydroxymethyl)pyrrolidinediol Inhibition of Poly(ADP-ribose) Glycohydrolase

Polyadenosine diphosphoribose glycohydrolase (PARG) catalyzes the intracellular hydrolysis of adenosine diphosphoribose polymers. Because structure-activity data are lacking for PARG, the specific inhibitor adenosine diphosphate (hydroxymethyl)pyrrolidinediol (ADP-HPD) was utilized to determine the effects of structure on inhibitor potency using PARG isolated from bovine thymus (bPARG) and recombinant bovine PARG catalytic fragment (rPARG-CF). Both enzymes were strongly inhibited by submicromolar levels of ADP-HPD, but ADP and the phosphorylated pyrrolidine displayed no activity. Utilizing ADP-HPD analogues containing 2-, N(6), or 8-adenosyl substituents or guanine instead of adenine, the importance of adenine ring recognition as well as a correlation between loss of PARG inhibition and the length and bulkiness of 8-adenosyl substituents was shown. Utilization of ADP-HPD analogues lacking one or both pyrrolidine cis-hydroxyls demonstrated their importance for inhibitor binding. Last, the similarity between naturally occurring bPARG and heterologously expressed rPARG-CF was demonstrated. Therefore, readily available rPARG-CF is suitable for use in future studies to determine the structural aspects of PARG.
Quantifying the expertise of classifiers using 4-value logic

An intelligent agent---defined as an autonomous, adaptive, cooperative computer program---must credibly represent its expertise in negotiations with peer agents. Given an agent-based classifier, the determination of where in the domain the classifier is an expert must be explicitly stated. Likewise, where the classifier is confused should also be represented. Currently, an error measures provides an estimate of the relative size of the expertise and confusion sets, but error does not offer a distinct opinion on an untruthed feature vector's membership---i.e., whether its classification is based on specific information, conjecture or chance. We propose the theory for estimating the complete membership of a classifier's expertise sets and confusion sets. From these sets, we construct a 4-value classifier that hypothesizes for each new feature vector whether its classification can be made confidently or not. Examples are given that demonstrate the utility of this theory using multilayer perceptrons.
Temperature and excitation wavelength dependencies of 3-pentanone absorption and fluorescence for PLIF applications

The temperature and excitation wavelength dependencies of 3-pentanone absorption and fluorescence were studied in support of planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) imaging of temperature and mixture fraction in flows of practical interest. The temperature dependencies (300–875 K) of absorption and fluorescence were measured for gaseous 3-pentanoneat atmospheric pressure in a nitrogen bath gas using 248, 266, and 308 nm excitation. The results indicate that the fluorescence signal per unit mole fraction using 248 nm excitation is highly temperature-sensitive below 600 K, while the signal from 308 nm excitation is not temperature sensitive below 500 K. For quantitative measurements over a broad range of temperatures, one must choose excitation schemes carefully to balance the trade-off between measurement sensitivity and the amount of signal at the expected conditions. As an example of such a choice and to show the capabilities of ketone PLIF techniques, we include temperature and mixture fraction images of a 300–650 K heated air jet using near-simultaneous 308 and 266 nm excitation.
Copper deficiency impairs survival in endotoxin-treated rats

Abstract Copper (Cu) deficiency causes low activities of antioxidant enzymes, an effect which could weaken resistance against endotoxin induced injury. Weanling rats fed 0.2 ppm Cu for 6 weeks showed poor survival (2/12) 20 h after injection ip with 10 mg/kg endotoxin. Rats fed 15 ppm Cu showed good survival after this treatment (10/10). At 3 h after endotoxin injection, Cu-deficient rats displayed much larger increases than adequates in serum alanine aminotransferase activities, an indicator of liver injury. Deficient rats had low activities of 3 antioxidant enzymes: serum ceruloplasmin, hepatic Cu−Zn superoxide dismutase and serum extracellular superoxide dismutase. The last activities were reduced 3 h after endotoxin treatment in both Cu-adequate and deficient rats, but the final levels were much lower in the deficients. Thus, rats with low activities of Cu enzymes with potential antioxidant function showed poor survival of endotoxemia.
Coping with Minimal Reading Requirements: Suggestions for the Reading Teacher.

Abstract This article discusses certain features of state‐mandated minimal reading requirements. The discussion is directed toward practical strategies which reading teachers may employ as they deal with such requirements. This is unlike most published articles which address administrators at the school and state level. The leverage provided by minimal reading requirements allows secondary reading teachers to expand their programs into content classrooms and to provide better services for disabled readers. Cautions and suggestions for dealing with test limitations are offered. Finally, the rationale for requiring an ostensibly low criterion level of reading achievement for high school graduation is presented.
Antibodies as allosteric proteins—II.: Comparison with experiment

Abstract The hypothesis that antibodies are allosteric proteins is evaluated in terms of data on complement fixation and conformational changes in antigen-antibody complexes. This evaluation suggests that the allosteric cluster hypothesis may be a viable working hypothesis.
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS OF THE NESSUS PROBABILISTIC STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS COMPUTER PROGRAM

The NESSUS probabilistic structural analysis computer program combines state-of-the-art probabilistic algorithms with general purpose structural analysis methods to compute the probabilistic response and the reliability of engineering structures. Uncertainty in loading, material properties, geometry, boundary conditions and initial conditions can be simulated. The structural analysis methods include nonlinear finite element and boundary element methods. Several probabilistic algorithms are available such as the advanced mean value method and the adaptive importance sampling method. The scope of the code has recently been expanded to include probabilistic life and fatigue prediction of structures in terms of component and system reliability and risk analysis of structures considering cost of failure. The code is currently being extended to structural reliability considering progressive crack propagation. Several examples are presented to demonstrate the new capabilities.
Ionic stability of precipitation samples

Abstract Event and weekly precipitation sampled with three types of collectors was stored under five different conditions and analyzed throughout a six-week time period to monitor changes in ionic composition. Ca ++ , Mg ++ , Na + , K + , H + , NH 4 + , SO 4 2− , NO 3 − and Cl − were the constituents under observation. Dramatic variations in the concentrations of some species are attributable to the sample particulate loading. Although cooling retarded changes in ionic composition, immediate filtering after wet-only collection was the most effective means of retaining sample integrity and preventing adsorption-desorption reactions.
Physiological Evaluation of Chronic Right Ventricular Bypass

Investigations with an implantable left ventricular (LV) assist pump indicated inadequate circulatory support in the presence of induced ventricular fibrillation (VF). Consequently, a right ventricular (RV) bypass pump was developed to provide a stable pulmonary blood flow. This report evaluates the physiological effects of the RV pump alone and in conjunction with an LV pump. Eleven calves have been evaluated by standard cardiac catheterization techniques during chronic pumping (1 to 85 days, mean 30 days, and continuing). Pressures, flows, and RV and LV function were monitored with transducer-tipped catheters and angiography. Effective pulmonary compliance was also measured. The RV bypass studies revealed (1) pump capability up to 8 L/min, reducing RV pressure and work to zero, (2) pulmonary artery pressure not significantly increased (20 to 40 mm Hg), (3) pulmonary compliance identical with sham-operated calves, and (4) no pathological changes noted in lungs. Data suggest that biventricular bypass pump...
Planar MEMS Supercapacitor using Carbon Nanotube Forests

Planar micro supercapacitors utilizing vertically aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) forests with the design of interdigital electrodes have been demonstrated. Conductive substrates using Mo/Al/Fe metal stack shows best CNT forest synthesis results with high electrical conductivity and dense CNT structures. Prototype devices show measured specific capacitances about 1000 times higher than those with plain metal electrodes without CNT forests. Furthermore, charging/discharging experiments show over 92% efficiency and very robust cycling stability. As such, we believe these planar MEMS supercapacitors could be applicable in various systems including energy harvesters, pulse-power supplies and advanced microelectronics as on-chip capacitors.
How related are hair pulling disorder (trichotillomania) and skin picking disorder? A review of evidence for comorbidity, similarities and shared etiology

Hair pulling disorder (HPD; trichotillomania) and skin picking disorder (SPD) are relatively common and potentially severe psychiatric conditions that have received limited empirical attention. Researchers are increasingly recognizing the similarities and co-occurrence of HPD and SPD, and several authors have suggested that the two disorders should be categorized together in the DSM-5. In the present article, we critically examined the evidence for comorbidity of HPD and SPD, and reviewed a diverse literature pertaining to shared risk factors and similarities in clinical characteristics. Evidence suggests that the two disorders co-occur more often than can be expected by chance, have substantial similarities in a variety of clinical characteristics (e.g., symptom presentation and course of illness) and may have some distal risk factors in common (e.g., genetic vulnerabilities). Implications for classification in the DSM-5, clinical management and research on etiology were discussed.
Daily cytokine fluctuations, driven by leptin, are associated with fatigue severity in chronic fatigue syndrome: evidence of inflammatory pathology

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a debilitating disorder characterized by persistent fatigue that is not alleviated by rest. The lack of a clearly identified underlying mechanism has hindered the development of effective treatments. Studies have demonstrated elevated levels of inflammatory factors in patients with CFS, but findings are contradictory across studies and no biomarkers have been consistently supported. Single time-point approaches potentially overlook important features of CFS, such as fluctuations in fatigue severity. We have observed that individuals with CFS demonstrate significant day-to-day variability in their fatigue severity. Therefore, to complement previous studies, we implemented a novel longitudinal study design to investigate the role of cytokines in CFS pathophysiology. Ten women meeting the Fukuda diagnostic criteria for CFS and ten healthy age- and body mass index (BMI)-matched women underwent 25 consecutive days of blood draws and self-reporting of symptom severity. A 51-plex cytokine panel via Luminex was performed for each of the 500 serum samples collected. Our primary hypothesis was that daily fatigue severity would be significantly correlated with the inflammatory adipokine leptin, in the women with CFS and not in the healthy control women. As a post-hoc analysis, a machine learning algorithm using all 51 cytokines was implemented to determine whether immune factors could distinguish high from low fatigue days. Self-reported fatigue severity was significantly correlated with leptin levels in six of the participants with CFS and one healthy control, supporting our primary hypothesis. The machine learning algorithm distinguished high from low fatigue days in the CFS group with 78.3% accuracy. Our results support the role of cytokines in the pathophysiology of CFS.
Molecular Genetics of the Brown (b)-Locus Region of Mouse Chromosome 4. I. Origin and Molecular Mapping of Radiation- and Chemical-Induced Lethal Brown Deletions

Over a period of many years, germ-cell mutagenesis experiments using the mouse specific-locus test have generated numerous radiation- and chemical-induced alleles of the brown (b; Tyrp 1) locus in mouse chromosome 4. We describe here the origin, maintenance and initial molecular characterization of 28 b mutations that are prenatally lethal when homozygous. Each of these mutations is deleted for Tyrp 1 sequences, and each of 25 mutations tested further is deleted for at least one other locus defined by molecular clones previously found to be closely linked to b by interspecific backcross analysis. A panel of DNAs from mice carrying a lethal b mutation and a Mus spretus chromosome 4 was used in the fine structure mapping of these molecularly defined loci. The deletional nature of each of these prenatally lethal mutations is consistent with the hypothesis that the null phenotype at b has an effect only on the quality (color) of eumelanin produced in melanocytes. The resulting deletion map provides a framework on which to build future molecular-genetic and biological analyses of this region of mouse chromosome 4.
Diversity measure minimization based method for computing sparse solutions to linear inverse problems with multiple measurement vectors

The problem of computing sparse solutions to linear inverse problems arises in a large number of signal processing application areas. We address the problem of finding sparse solutions to linear inverse problems when there are multiple measurement vectors (MMV) and the solutions are assumed to have a common, but unknown, sparsity profile. This is an important extension to the single measurement sparse solution problem that has been extensively studied in the past. Of particular interest are methods based on minimizing diversity measures. A measure appropriate for the multiple measurement problem is developed, and an algorithm is derived based on its minimization. The algorithm developed, M-FOCUSS, generalizes the focal underdetermined system solver (FOCUSS) algorithm developed for the single measurement case. The convergence of the algorithm is established and a simulation study is conducted to evaluate its effectiveness. The results clearly show the ability of M-FOCUSS to utilize multiple measurement vectors for accurate identification of the sparsity structure and sparse solution computation.
Overcoming Recurrent Cutaneous Reactions from Imatinib Using Once-Weekly Dosing

OBJECTIVE:To describe the use of once-weekly imatinib in a patient who developed recurrent cutaneous reactions associated with imatinib.CASE SUMMARY:A 65-year-old Asian woman received investigational treatment with imatinib 300 mg/d as maintenance therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Exfoliative dermatitis developed after 3 weeks of administration. Attempts to resume imatinib at lower dosages, with or without a low-dose corticosteroid, resulted in recurrent reactions. Once-weekly administration of imatinib, however, produced a tolerable, less severe reaction. After the woman had experienced exfoliative dermatitis for 4 months, the reaction subsided and disappeared.DISCUSSION:Once-weekly administration of imatinib allowed imatinib therapy to continue, and this dosing schedule appeared safe. Patients with severe cutaneous reactions who need to continue imatinib may benefit from this strategy, along with lowering of the dosage and premedication with a corticosteroid.CONCLUSIONS:In a patient with recurre...
Magnetically modulated optical nanoprobes

We have developed magnetically modulated optical nanoprobes (MagMOONs) to magnetically modulate the signal from fluorescent probes and thus separate it from autofluorescence, electronic offsets, and other background signals. These micro- and nanosized particles emit fluorescence signals, indicating chemical concentrations, and blink in response to rotating magnetic fields. Demodulating the signal dramatically enhances the probe’s signal to background ratio. The probes and methods promise to improve immunoassays, intracellular chemical sensing, and fundamental biochemical research.
Molecular Pathways: Gene-environment interactions regulating dietary fiber induction of proliferation and apoptosis via butyrate for cancer prevention

Gene-environment interactions are so numerous and biologically complicated that it can be challenging to understand their role in cancer. However, dietary fiber and colorectal cancer prevention may represent a tractable model system. Fiber is fermented by colonic bacteria into short-chain fatty acids such as butyrate. One molecular pathway that has emerged involves butyrate having differential effects depending on its concentration and the metabolic state of the cell. Low-moderate concentrations, which are present near the base of colonic crypts, are readily metabolized in the mitochondria to stimulate cell proliferation via energetics. Higher concentrations, which are present near the lumen, exceed the metabolic capacity of the colonocyte. Unmetabolized butyrate enters the nucleus and functions as a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor that epigenetically regulates gene expression to inhibit cell proliferation and induce apoptosis as the colonocytes exfoliate into the lumen. Butyrate may therefore play a role in normal homeostasis by promoting turnover of the colonic epithelium. Because cancerous colonocytes undergo the Warburg effect, their preferred energy source is glucose instead of butyrate. Consequently, even moderate concentrations of butyrate accumulate in cancerous colonocytes and function as HDAC inhibitors to inhibit cell proliferation and induce apoptosis. These findings implicate a bacterial metabolite with metaboloepigenetic properties in tumor suppression.
Predictive or Oblivious: A Comparative Study of Routing Strategies for Wireless Mesh Networks under Uncertain Demand

Traffic routing plays a critical role in determining the performance of a wireless mesh network. To investigate the best solution, existing work proposes to formulate the mesh network routing problem as an optimization problem. In this problem formulation, traffic demand is usually implicitly assumed as static and known a priori. Contradictorily, recent studies of wireless network traces show that the traffic demand, even being aggregated at access points, is highly dynamic and hard to estimate. Thus, in order to apply the optimization-based routing solution in practice, one must take into account the dynamic and uncertain nature of wireless traffic demand. There are two basic approaches to address the traffic uncertainty in network routing: (1) predictive routing which infers the traffic demand with maximum possibility based in its history and optimizes the routing strategy based on the predicted traffic demand and (2) oblivious routing which considers all the possible traffic demands and selects the routing strategy where the worst-case network performance could be optimized. This paper conducts a systematic comparison study of these two approaches based on the extensive simulation study over a variety of network and traffic scenarios. It identifies the key factors of the network topology and traffic profile that affect the performance of each routing strategy and provides guidelines towards the strategy selection in mesh network routing under uncertain traffic demands.
Lipid peroxidation and the reactions of superoxide and hydrogen peroxide in mouse spermatozoa.

Mouse spermatozoa released from the cauda epididymidis underwent spontaneous lipid peroxidation during aerobic incubation at 37 degrees C in medium containing 113 mM NaCl, 0.4 mM EDTA, and 15 mM sodium phosphate ( NTPC ). The rate of lipid peroxidation, as measured by malonaldehyde production, was 0.045 nmol malonaldehyde/h per 10(3) cells. The motility of these cells declined with time in medium NTPC ; the percent spermatozoa showing no motility increased linearly with production of malonaldehyde. All flagellar activity stopped at 0.80 nmol malonaldehyde/10(8) cells, independent of the malonaldehyde production rate. Spermatozoa suspended in NTPC at 24 degrees C produced O(2), with an intrinsic rate of 1.96 nmol/min per 10(8) cells; this increased to 3.80 nmol/min per 10(8) cells in 10 mM cyanide. Mouse sperm contain 3.5 U/10(8) cells of superoxide dismutase activity, 91% of which is sensitive, and 9% of which is insensitive, to cyanide inhibition. Mouse sperm also produce H2O2, all of which can be attributed to the action of superoxide dismutase on O(2) produced. Mouse sperm contain high levels of glutathione and of glutathione reductase and peroxidase activities, implicating the glutathione system as the major protective enzyme system against cell damage by autoxidation. This is in contrast to rabbit spermatozoa, which have little endogenous glutathione and rely on superoxide dismutase as protective enzyme against peroxidative damage.
How features of the human face affect recognition: a statistical comparison of three face recognition algorithms

Recognition difficulty is statistically linked to 11 subject covariate factors such as age and gender for three face recognition algorithms: principle components analysis, an interpersonal image difference classifier, and an elastic bunch graph matching algorithm. The covariates assess race, gender, age, glasses use, facial hair, bangs, mouth state, complexion, state of eyes, makeup use, and facial expression. We use two statistical models. First, an ANOVA relates covariates to normalized similarity scores. Second, logistic regression relates subject covariates to probability of rank one recognition. These models have strong explanatory power as measured by R/sup 2/ and deviance reduction, while providing complementary and corroborative results. Some factors, like changes to the eye status, affect all algorithms similarly. Other factors, such as race, affect different algorithms differently. Tabular and graphical summaries of results provide a wealth of empirical evidence. Plausible explanations of many results can be motivated from knowledge of the algorithms. Other results are surprising and suggest a need for further study.
Achievable Region for Multiterminal Source Coding with Lossless Decoding in All Sources Except One

In this paper, we consider a class of multiterminal source coding problems, where all sources, except one, are reconstructed perfectly. Our framework generalizes the hitherto open single helper problems due to Csiszar and Korner, by adding complete side information at the decoder, and lossy reconstruction of the remaining source. In this setup we obtain a single-letter characterization (bearing resemblance with the Slepian-Wolf formula) of the achievable rate-distortion region. Thus we establish that perfect reconstruction in all but one source constitutes a sufficient structural condition for existence of single-letter description in the general multiterminal setup. We also show that known coding theorems are special cases.