cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The cell population of aortic fatty streaks in African green monkeys with special reference to granulocytic cells. An ultrastructural study.

Abstract It is generally accepted that the cell population of naturally occurring and experimental atherosclerotic lesions is constituted by smooth muscle cells and non-myogenic foam cells of monocytic origin. In the present investigation were studied aortic fatty streaks from cholesterol-fed African green monkeys. In addition to the traditionally recognized cell types, the majority of the lesions examined contained intimal granulocytic cells identified by their ultrastructural characteristics and granular content as neutrophils, mast cells-basophils, and eosinophils. The neutrophils, and mast cells-basophils additionally contained numerous cytoplasmic lipid droplets. The consistent observation of these cell types in our material suggests that these granulocytic elements are part of the cell population of fatty streaks. The role of these cells is not clear as yet, but it is likely that the enzymatic activity of neutrophils such as lipase, phospholipases A and B, elastase and collagenase may play a role in the clearing of arterial lipid as well as in arterial wall remodeling. The content and release of heparin and histamine by basophils and mast cells may play a role in preventing thrombus formation and in promoting lipolysis. Eosinophil peroxidase may activate histamine release by basophils and mast cells. The cytoplasmic lipid accumulation by neutrophils, basophils and mast cells may in turn contribute to the population of foam cells in these lesions.
Reactivities of Lewis acid adducts of η5-C5H5Fe(CO)2Y (Y = SPh, SO2PH, and PPh2) with nucleophiles

Abstract Complexes of the CpFe(CO)2Y (Cp = η5-C5H5, Y = SPh (I), Y = PPh2, (II), Y = SO2Ph (III)) and Cp′Fe(CO)2SPh (Cp′ = η5-C5(CH3)5 (IV)), form adducts with the Lewis acids AlMe3, AlMe2Cl or AlBr3. All of the Lewis acid adducts of I react with one or more of the nucleophiles L (L = PBu3, PPh3, P(OEt)3, cyclohexene to form ionic products of the [CpFe(CO)2(L)][PhS(AlR3)2]. The cation of each product has been isolated as the PF6− salt and characterized. One of the proposed anions, [PhS(AlMe3)2]−, has been synthesized by an independent by an independent method and characterized as the lithium salt. The Lewis acid adducts of II, and III do not undergo substitution reactions with the same nucleophiles, whereas adducts of IV react only with PBu3 in low yield. The AlMe2Cl and AlBr3 adducts of CpFe(CO)(PPh3)SPh (V) react with PPh3 to form the halides, CpFe(CO)(PPh3)X (X = Cl− and Br− respectively), but the AlMe3 adduct is unreactive.
Delineation of carbonate dust, aluminous dust, and sea salt deposition in a Greenland glaciochemical array using positive matrix factorization

[1] High-resolution trace element records from polar ice cores are fundamental to identifying spatial and temporal variability in dust and sea salt aerosols. Here, we developed high temporal resolution glaciochemical records over recent centuries from an array of seven recently collected Greenland ice cores. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) was used to assess apportionment of trace elements between three unique sources, which were identified as proxies of carbonate dust, aluminous dust, and sea salt. The three PMF factors agree well with literature values and represent the first time carbonate and aluminous dust sources have been quantifiably differentiated using high-resolution glaciochemistry. The concentrations of all three sources varied with ice core site. However, the large array of ice cores provided a regional-scale understanding of the sources and magnitude of dust and sea salt impurities deposited on the Greenland ice sheet. At the regional level, all three sources varied on seasonal, annual, and multiyear timescales. The seasonal deposition of sea salt impurities reached a maximum in the winter, followed by spring peaks of carbonate and aluminous dust. Over the 331 year composite record, only aluminous dust exhibited a long-term increasing trend that peaked in the 1930s and was followed by a 20% decline in recent decades.
Use of quetiapine in children and adolescents

The atypical antipsychotic quetiapine has been examined in children and adolescents in a randomized clinical trial, a number of open-label studies, and several chart review studies. Although only a small amount of information exists, most studies indicate that quetiapine is effective and well tolerated in various pediatric populations. Because quetiapine appears to be well tolerated in the young and associated with manifest salutary effects, it seems to be a promising agent that has potential for use in children and adolescents. This article reviews studies of quetiapine in the treatment of children and adolescents with a variety of psychiatric disorders. Despite these encouraging findings, the number of studies is small, and some have methodological limitations. Methodologically rigorous studies with substantive numbers of subjects are needed to confirm or refute these preliminary impressions.
Brief announcement: analyzing the interactions of self-propagating codes in multi-hop networks

"War of the worms" is a war between opposing computer worms, creating complex worm interactions. We propose a new Worm Interaction Model focusing on random-scan worm interactions. We validate our worm interaction model using extensive ns-2 simulations. This study provides the first work to characterize and investigate multiple worm interactions of random-scan worms in multi-hop networks. The main finding of this study is that maximum number of infected hosts can be drastically affected by the type of interaction.
Distribution of α1a-, α1b- and α1d-adrenergic receptor mRNA in the rat brain and spinal cord

The technique of in situ hybridization with specific ribonucleotide probes was used to determine the distribution patterns of mRNA encoding the alpha 1a-, alpha 1b- and alpha 1d-adrenoceptor (AR) subtypes in rat brain and spinal cord. The expression pattern of alpha 1a-AR mRNA has not been reported previously, and was found to be widespread throughout the rat central nervous system. High levels were found in regions of the olfactory system, several hypothalamic nuclei, and regions of the brainstem and spinal cord, particularly in areas related to motor function. Regions expressing moderate levels of mRNA for this receptor were the septum, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, cerebral cortex, amygdala, cerebellum and pineal gland. Low expression levels were detected in the hippocampal formation. Most nuclei in the basal ganglia and thalamus expressed extremely low or undetectable levels of alpha 1a-AR mRNA. The expression patterns of the alpha 1b- and alpha 1d-AR mRNAs were similar to those described using oligonucleotide probes in earlier studies. High expression of alpha 1b-AR mRNA was noted in the pineal gland, most thalamic nuclei, lateral nucleus of the amygdala and dorsal and median raphe nuclei. Moderate expression levels were noted throughout the cerebral cortex, and in some olfactory, septal, and brainstem regions. The distribution of alpha 1d-AR mRNA was the most discrete of the three receptors examined. Expression was strong in the olfactory bulb, cerebral cortex, hippocampus, reticular thalamic nucleus, regions of the amygdala, motor nuclei of the brainstem, inferior olivary complex and spinal cord. Comparison of the distributions of the alpha 1a-, alpha 1b- and alpha 1d-AR mRNA suggests unique functional roles for each of these receptors.
Boiling Heat Transfer With Binary Mixtures: Part I—A Theoretical Model for Pool Boiling

Experimental evidence available in the literature indicates that the pool boiling heat transfer with binary mixtures is lower than the respective mole- or mass-fraction-averaged value. Although afew investigators have presented analytical work to model this phenomenon, empirical methods and correlations are used extensively. In the present work, a theoretical analysis is presented to estimate the mixture effects on heat transfer. The ideal heat transfer coefficient used currently in the literature to represent the pool boiling heat transfer in the absence of mass diffusion effects is based on empirical considerations, and has no theoretical basis. In the present work, a new pseudo-single component heat transfer coefficient is introduced to account for the mixture property effects more accurately. The liquid composition and the interface temperature at the interface of a growing bubble are predicted analytically and their effect on the heat transfer is estimated. The present model is compared with the theoretical model of Calus and Leonidopoulos (1974), and two empirical models, Calus and Rice (1972) and Fujita et al. (1996). The present model is able to predict the heat transfer coefficients and their trends in azeotropeforming mixtures (benzene/ methanol, R-23/R-13 and R-22/R-12) as well as mixtures with widely varying boiling points (water/ethylene glycol and methanol/water).
CYGNSS: NASA Earth Venture Tropical Cyclone Mission

The NASA Earth Venture Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) is a spaceborne mission scheduled to launch in October 2016 that is focused on tropical cyclone (TC) inner core process studies. CYGNSS attempts to resolve one of the principle deficiencies with current TC intensity forecasts, which lies in inadequate observations and modeling of the inner core. CYGNSS is specifically designed to address these two limitations by combining the all-weather performance of GNSS bistatic ocean surface scatterometry with the sampling properties of a constellation of satellites. CYGNSS measurements of bistatic radar cross section of the ocean can be directly related to the near surface wind speed, in a manner roughly analogous to that of conventional ocean wind scatterometers. The technique has been demonstrated previously from space by the UK-DMC mission in 2005-6.
Effect of the parasitoid Campoletis sonorensis on the growth of its host, Heliothis virescens

Abstract Growth of Heliothis virescens was stopped following parasitism by the ichneumonid parasitoid, Campoletis sonorensis . The source of the active factor was found to be the lateral oviducts of the female parasitoid. The active factor appears to be a protein.
T7 promoter contacts essential for promoter activity in vivo

T7 RNA polymerase promoters consist of a highly conserved 23 base-pair sequence that spans the site of the initiation of transcription (+1) and extends from -17 to +6. To determine the bases within the T7 consensus promoter that are essential for promoter function a library of mutant T7 promoters was constructed, and the in vivo activity of the mutant promoters was correlated to their sequence. The library of mutant promoters was created by randomly mutagenizing the T7 phi 10 promoter between positions -22 and +6 during the synthesis of oligonucleotides containing the phi 10 promoter. The mutagenized oligonucleotides were then ligated to a promoterless chloramphenicol acetyl transferase gene creating a plasmid (pCM-X#) that can potentially express chloramphenicol acetyl transferase in the presence of T7 RNA polymerase. E. coli containing pCM-X# and a second compatible plasmid carrying T7 gene 1 (T7 RNA polymerase) were screened for chloramphenicol resistance or chloramphenicol sensitivity. The point mutations that were found to inactivate a T7 promoter are a C to A or G substitution at -7, a T to A substitution at -8, a C to A, T, or G substitution at -9, and a G to T substitution at -11.
Collaboration in the cloud at Google

Through a detailed analysis of activity for all Google employees, this study shows how the Google Docs suite (documents, spreadsheets and slides) enables and increases collaboration within Google. In particular, visualization and analysis of the evolution of Google's collaboration network show that new employees have started collaborating more quickly and with more people as usage of Docs has grown. Over the last two years, the percentage of new employees who collaborate on Docs per month has risen from 70% to 90%, and the percentage who collaborate with more than two people has doubled from 35% to 70%. Moreover, the culture of collaboration has become more open, with public sharing within Google overtaking private sharing.
A note on parametric image enhancement

Abstract A method for defining image enhancement operators based upon a parametric family is considered. This family of operators can be used for either context-free or context-sensitive enhancement that can be used either locally or globally. A modification of this procedure is suggested whereby the estimation of the parameters is performed using statistics which allow for efficient use of cellular or neighborhood image processors rather than those computed using the usual arithmetic operations.
Through-the-lens camera control

In this paper we introduce through-the-lens camera control, a body of techniques that permit a user to manipulate a virtual camera by controlling and constraining features in the image seen through its lens. Rather than solving for camera parameters directly, constrained optimization is used to compute their time derivatives based on desired changes in user-defined controls. This effectively permits new controls to be defined independent of the underlying parameterization. The controls can also serve as constraints, maintaining their values as others are changed. We describe the techniques in general and work through a detailed example of a specific camera model. Our implementation demonstrates a gallery of useful controls and constraints and provides some examples of how these may be used in composing images and animations.
Contrast matching data predicted from contrast increment thresholds.

Predictions for contrast matches were generated using a model with all parameters fixed, and gave fits to contrast matching data gathered using spatially localized 0.79 octave bandwidth patterns. The model has four mechanisms, each composed of a medium-bandwidth spatial filter followed by acontrast transfer function (a nonlinear function relating mechanism response to physical contrast). Parameters for the contrast transfer functions were fixed by fitting contrast increment threshold data. The success of the predictions shows that a small number of medium-bandwidth mechanisms can account for contrast matching results. Spatial pooling was shown to become insignificant at high contrasts. Relative spatial phase was found to be important in contrast matches using sums of frequencies one octave apart. This model shows that four mechanisms are sufficient to predict contrast matches, but does not rule out the possibility of additional mechanisms or of small changes in the mechanism bandwidths.
The Effects of Semirigid Air-Stirrup Bracing vs. Adhesive Ankle Taping on Motor Performance

The impact on athletic performance is a critical consideration when choosing ankle support devices for competitive athletes. The purpose of this study was to determine if Air-Stirrup ankle bracing and adhesive ankle taping differed in their effects on motor performance. An additional purpose was to determine if there was a subjective preference toward the use of one support method over the other. Twenty-six male athletes performed an agility run, a 40-yard sprint, and a vertical jump while wearing: I) adhesive tape, 2) Air-Stirrup brace, and 3) no support (control). Observed data suggest that both taping and bracing have no substantial effect on agility, sprinting speed, or vertical jumping ability. The difference in perceived comfort ratings reported by subjects with respect to support system shows that subjects were more comfortable using the brace over a standard ankle taping procedure. These results suggest that both the Air-Stirrup brace and conventional tape do not impede athletic performance. This ...
Neuromuscular Scoliosis: Hybrid Fixation and Iliac Screw Modification of Luque–Galveston Technique

The treatment of scoliosis in neuromuscular patients is a challenging problem. The natural history of neuromuscular scoliosis is that of curve progression. However, not all patients need surgical fixation. We discuss the pre-, peri-, and postoperative management of these patients. Our preferred technique is hybrid fixation and iliac screw modification of the Luque–Galveston technique. Rigid fixation with pedicle screws is used proximally and distally. Sublaminar wires are used in the central part of the fixation. If pelvic fixation is to be undertaken, the use of iliac screws with offset connectors is preferred. This technique has provided us with a safe and effective means of fixation in this group of patients.
cis‐1,2,2,3‐Tetra­phenyl‐2,3‐dihydro‐1H‐2‐benzosilole

The title compound, C32H26Si, is a benzosilacyclo­pentene in which the silacyclo­pentene ring assumes an envelope conformation, with the Si atom displaced by 0.953 (2) A from the mean plane of the four C atoms. The Si atom is bonded to two phenyl rings and to two Csp3 atoms in the silacyclo­pentene ring; one phenyl ring is attached to each of these two Csp3 atoms in the cis configuration.
Characteristics of empirically derived subgroups based on intelligence and visual-motor score patterns

Abstract The results from intelligence and visual-motor measures were cluster-analyzed for a large sample of children and adolescents who had been referred to a tertiary center for academic and/or behavior problems. Five subgroups emerged from this analysis. Follow- up comparisons with medical, developmental, and social/adaptive behavior indicated numerous significant differences among the subgroups. Clearly, three of the subgroups had more dysfunctional patterns than the other two subgroups. The results are discussed in terms of the clinical significance of the subgroups.
In vivo emergence of HIV-1 variants resistant to multiple protease inhibitors

INHIBITORS of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) protease have entered clinical study as potential therapeutic agents for HIV-1 infection. The clinical efficacy of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitors has been limited by the emergence of resistant viral variants. Similarly, variants expressing resistance to protease inhibitors have been derived in cell culture1-10. We now report the characterization of resistant variants isolated from patients undergoing therapy with the protease inhibitor MK-639 (formerly designated L-735,524). Five of these variants, isolated from four patients, exhibited cross-resistance to all members of a panel of six structurally diverse protease inhibitors. This suggests that com-bination therapy with multiple protease inhibitors may not prevent loss of antiviral activity resulting from resistance selection. In addition, previous therapy with one compound may abrogate the benefit of subsequent treatment with a second inhibitor.
Systems biology, models, and concurrency

Models will play a central role in the representation, storage, manipulation, and communication of knowledge in systems biology. Models capable of fulfilling such a role will likely differ from the all familiar styles deployed with great success in the physical sciences. Molecular systems at the basis of cellular decision processes are concurrent and combinatorial. Their behavior is as much constrained by relationships of causality between molecular interactions as it is by chemical kinetics. Understanding how such systems give rise to coherent behavior and designing effective interventions to fight disease will require a notion of model that is akin to the concept of program in computer science. I will discuss recent progress in implementing a platform and tools for formal analysis that bring us closer to this vision. Protein interactions are represented by means of rules expressed in a formal language that captures a very simple, yet effective and biologically meaningful level of abstraction. Models, then, are collections of rules operating on an initial set of agents, in complete analogy to rules of organic chemical reactions. I will describe tools for analyzing and navigating rule collections as well as exploring their dynamics. We draw on concepts familiar to computer science, especially event structures, and adapt them to biological needs with the goal of formalizing the notion of "pathway". The challenges are many, but a road map for the future is discernible. Computer science will play a central role in providing an additional foundational layer, both theoretical and practical, that neither physics nor chemistry can offer on their own in the future definition of the biological sciences.
Use of the medical history to predict the future occurrence of leukemias in adults.

Abstract The relationship between disease history and leukemia was studied in 1345 adults with leukemia and 1237 controls from a random sample. Relationships were found between leukemia and 13 other diseases. These diseases occurred at least 5 years prior to the leukemia. For males, an index combining the information in the disease history may help to identify high-risk groups for adult leukemia.
xTune: A formal methodology for cross-layer tuning of mobile embedded systems

Resource-limited mobile embedded systems can benefit greatly from dynamic adaptation of system parameters. We propose a novel approach that employs iterative tuning using lightweight formal verification at runtime with feedback for dynamic adaptation. One objective of this approach is to enable trade-off analysis across multiple layers (e.g., application, middleware, OS) and predict the possible property violations as the system evolves dynamically over time. Specifically, an executable formal specification is developed for each layer of the mobile system under consideration. The formal specification is then analyzed using statistical property checking and statistical quantitative analysis, to determine the impact of various resource management policies for achieving desired timing/QoS properties. Integration of formal analysis with dynamic behavior from system execution results in a feedback loop that enables model refinement and further optimization of policies and parameters. We demonstrate the applicability of this approach to the adaptive provisioning of resource-limited distributed real-time systems using a mobile multimedia case study.
Nietzsche's Antidemocratic Rhetoric

Despite great lack of agreement concerning most other aspects of his thought, a near consensus has emerged over the last decade concerning Nietzsche's later political philosophy, namely, that it is radically antidemocratic. This consensus stands in opposition to Walter Kaufmann's long influential "existentialist" interpretation of Nietzsche as an essentially nonpolitical, even an antipolitical, thinker who was concerned with the individual and not the group. This chapter argues that, contrary to appearances, Nietzsche is not committed to an antidemocratic politics. Philosophers clearly have no political power in our world or much chance of gaining it. The chapter raises initial questions concerning the standard view that Beyond Good and Evil looks forward to the existence of "new philosophers" who, as the value-legislators of a projected "new caste to rule Europe," will impose their own (aristocratic) values on society.
Coverage of Adult Day Services in Long Term Care Insurance Policies

Private long term care insurance is growing in availability with 3.4 million policies sold by the end of 1993. This article examines nine policies with particular emphasis on how coverage of adult day services relates to actual beneficianes' needs and current practices among day center providers. Review of eligibility requirements for beneficiaries and for adult day centers showed variability among policies. Some requirements were counterproductive to beneficiaries' needs whereas others did not encourage the most cost effective care. Based on lessons learned from two Robert Wood Johnson Foundation national programs, recommendations are offered that are intended to make such policies more useful to beneficiaries.
Predicting Time-to-Independent-Release from Current Level of Functioning for Psychiatric Inpatients: A “Survivor” Analysis

Non-optimal psychiatric discharges occur frequently and result in high costs. The Time-Sample Behavioral Checklist (TSBC) has been demonstrated to be the best method for determining successful independent discharge within 2 weeks of assessment for adult inpatients. This study examined the extent to which TSBC indexes and perceived dangerousness predict staff independent discharge-readiness judgments up to 6 months after initial assessment. Data from 22 acute and chronic/mixed units (N = 362) were analyzed using Cox proportional hazard regression. TSBC appropriate interpersonal interaction and appropriate behavior variability predicted shorter time-to-independent-release (TTIR). TSBC bizarre facial expressions and verbalizations predicted longer TTIR. Post hoc analyses suggest that acutely admitted inpatients perceived to be dangerous were discharged sooner than others—a finding that is likely attributable to differential psychotropic medication responsiveness. Implications are discussed for TSBC implementation for earlier identification of discharge-ready inpatients and for tailoring interventions to target behavior that predicts independent discharge success.
Closure spaces that are not uniquely generated

Because antimatroid closure spaces satisfy the anti-exchange axiom, it is easy to show that they are uniquely generated. That is, the minimal set of elements determining a closed set is unique. A prime example is a discrete convex geometry in Euclidean space where closed sets are uniquely generated by their extreme points. But, many of the geometries arising in computer science, e.g. the world wide web or rectilinear VLSI layouts are not uniquely generated. Nevertheless, these closure spaces still illustrate a number of fundamental antimatroid properties which we demonstrate in this paper. In particular, we examine both a pseudo-convexity operator and the Galois closure of formal concept analysis. In the latter case, we show how these principles can be used to automatically convert a formal concept lattice into a system of implications.
Modern method of control over technological processes in the steel-casting industry by means of x-ray fluorescence analysis

Modem XRFA is a very flexible analytical method applicable to all procedures of chemical analysis of substances in research and production laboratories of the steel-casting industry. The low cost and short time of sample preparation combined with the low specific cost of analysis of one specimen guarantee a high return on investments in analytical x-ray systems. Other advantages are connected with environmental safety, high speed, and simplicity of operation. Due to the transparent apparatus and information ties industrial analytical XRFA systems can virtually without limit be built into specific automated procedures of laboratory analysis in systems for control over quality and technological processes and provide rapid and effective remote diagnostics and service through modem communications.
Characterization of maternal motivation in the lactating rat: Contrasts between early and late postpartum responses

We previously assessed the motivational properties of pups relative to those of cocaine in parturient female rats (dams) across the postpartum period and demonstrated that the larger subset of dams in early postpartum (PPD8) preferred the pup-associated chamber, whereas the majority of dams tested in late postpartum (PPD16) preferred the cocaine-associated chamber [Mattson, B.J., Williams, S., Rosenblatt, J.S., Morrell, J.I. 2001. Comparison of two positive reinforcing stimuli: pups and cocaine throughout the postpartum period. Behav. Neurosci., 115, 683-694; Seip, K.M., Morrell, J.I. 2007. Increasing the incentive salience of cocaine challenges preference for pup- over cocaine-associated stimuli during early postpartum: place preference and locomotor analyses in the lactating female rat. Psychopharmacology 194, 309-319]. The present study uses a dual-choice conditioned place preference to ask how the progression of the postpartum period, including natural pup development, influences maternal motivation for pups. Preferences for cued chambers associated with pups that were age-matched to the postpartum stage of the dam in contrast to a stimulus with little incentive salience were higher during the early than the late postpartum, suggesting that the incentive salience of pups diminishes as the postpartum period progresses. Preferences of the early postpartum dams deprived of pups for 15 min, 2, 6, 12 or 22 hrs prior to conditioning and testing did not differ statistically but there was a trend of more pup preference after 22 hr deprivation; pup age was not an important factor in early postpartum. In marked contrast, late postpartum dams only exhibited robust pup-associated place preference when they were conditioned with young (4-7 day-old) pups or after a 22 hr period of deprivation from contemporaneous pups. Together these results suggest that both forces are at work in the mother-pup dyad, changes in the pups as they develop and changes in the physiological and endocrine state of the female as she progresses through the postpartum period.
Extraordinarily Hot X-Ray Emission from the O9 Emission-Line Star HD 119682

We present new optical and X-ray observations to show that the X-ray source 1WGA J1346.5-6255 previously associated with the SNR G309.2-0.6 can be unequivocally identified with the emission-line star HD 119682 located in the foreground open cluster NGC 5281. Images from Chandra in the X-ray band as well as from Magellan in the narrow optical Hα band show a coincidence of the source positions within 05. The X-ray source appears extremely hot for an OB star identified as of O9.7e type. XMM-Newton spectra show plasma temperatures of 1 and >8 keV with an X-ray luminosity of (6.2 ± 0.1) × 1032 ergs s-1. The optical and X-ray properties are very reminiscent of the prototype emission-line star γ Cas. We discuss the ramifications of this similarity with respect to very early type emission-line stars as a new class of hard X-ray sources.
Epoxy-free high-temperature fiber optic pressure sensors for gas turbine engine applications

Pressure measurements at various locations of a gas turbine engine are highly desirable to improve the operational performance and reliability. However, measurement of dynamic pressure (1psi (6.9kPa) variation superimposed on the static bias) in the operating environment of the engine, where temperatures might exceed 600°C and pressures might exceed 100psi (690kPa), is a great challenge to currently available sensors. To meet these requirements, a novel type of fiber optic engine pressure sensor has been developed. This pressure sensor functions as a diaphragm-based extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometric (EFPI) sensor. The structure of the sensor head, composed entirely of fused silica, allows a much higher operating temperature to be achieved in conjunction with a low temperature dependence. The sensor head and the fiber tail have been packaged in a metal fitting connected to a piece of metal extension tubing, which improves the mechanical strength of the sensor and facilitates easy sensor installation. The sensor exhibited very good performance in an engine field test, demonstrating not only that the sensors' package is robust enough for engine operation, but also that its performance is consistent with that of a commercial Kulite sensor.
Insights into physical activity and cardiovascular disease risk in young children: IDEFICS study

The association between physical activity and cardiovascular disease risk factors in children has been the focus of research for over two decades. The majority of this research has focused on children over 10 years of age with little information on very young children. The data recently published in BMC Medicine by Jimenez-Pavon and colleagues suggest that adverse cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk profiles, as indicated by a clustered risk score for the metabolic syndrome, are evident in very young children (two to six years of age), but differ between the sexes. The authors evaluated the relationship of CVD risk profiles and protective levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and concluded that boys aged six years or younger needed >60 minutes of MVPA per day, whereas boys from six to nine years of age needed >80 minutes of MVPA per day; girls in either age group needed approximately 15 minutes less. Therefore, when clinicians recommend physical activity for children they should evaluate “at risk” children on a case-by-case basis rather than using generalized guidelines.
The Method for Object-Based Diagnostic Evaluation (MODE) Applied to Numerical Forecasts from the 2005 NSSL/SPC Spring Program

Abstract The authors use a procedure called the method for object-based diagnostic evaluation, commonly referred to as MODE, to compare forecasts made from two models representing separate cores of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model during the 2005 National Severe Storms Laboratory and Storm Prediction Center Spring Program. Both models, the Advanced Research WRF (ARW) and the Nonhydrostatic Mesoscale Model (NMM), were run without a traditional cumulus parameterization scheme on horizontal grid lengths of 4 km (ARW) and 4.5 km (NMM). MODE was used to evaluate 1-h rainfall accumulation from 24-h forecasts valid at 0000 UTC on 32 days between 24 April and 4 June 2005. The primary variable used for evaluation was a “total interest” derived from a fuzzy-logic algorithm that compared several attributes of forecast and observed rain features such as separation distance and spatial orientation. The maximum value of the total interest obtained by comparing an object in one field with all objects in ...
The results of the NICE.II Iris biometrics competition

The second phase of the Noisy Iris Challenge Evaluation attracted participation by 67 research groups from around the world. In contrast to all current commercial Iris biometrics technology, the NICE competitions focus on performing Iris biometrics on visible-light images. Whereas NICE.I focused on segmentation, NICE.II focused on performance in feature extraction and matching. The eight top-performing algorithms from NICE.II are considered, and suggestions are made for lessons that can be drawn from the results.
Effects of electrical biasing on electrically-evoked otoacoustic emissions

Abstract Electrically-evoked otoacoustic emissions were produced using a 10 μ A, 750 Hz AC current plus a biasing DC current in the range of ±10 μ A. Concurrently, a 1643 Hz tonal stimulation was delivered to the eardrum. At low sound levels, negative DC current increased the emission while positive DC current reduced the emission. Such findings are reasonably explained by a negative-feedback model of cochlear function. At high sound levels, negative DC current reduces the emission, while positive current has little effect. These data can be accounted for by voltage-dependent length changes shown to occur in isolated outer hair cells, with the additional requirement that voltage-dependent K + channels in outer hair cells reduce the effectiveness of positive DC current in changing membrane potential.
Jacuzzi jet-induced pneumoperitoneum.

Pneumoperitoneum outside the setting of recent surgical intervention usually indicates perforation of the gastrointestinal tract. Following radiologic evidence of pneumoperitoneum, surgical exploration of the abdomen may be indicated depending on the nature of the patient’s presentation. We present the radiological findings of a healthy young woman who presented with acute onset of abdominal pain and was found to have extensive pneumoperitoneum. No visceral disruption was evident by multidetector CT or by single-contrast barium fluoroscopic evaluation of the upper gastrointestinal tract. Knowledge of benign causes of pneumoperitoneum by the radiologist may avert an unnecessary laparotomy.
Bond yields compared to amortizing yields

A large amount of theoretical research has been conducted concerning the impact of debt instrument features such as callability, tax treatment, and default risk upon valuation and yield. Almost all this research has been performed on bond-like instruments; this is unfortunate since a large proportion of debt instruments is amortizing. This research develops a model for the spread between bonds and amortizing instruments with otherwise identical features. The shape of the term structure is crucial. Furthermore, the behavior of the spread is systematically related to the level of interest rates, tax rates, degree of default risk, and maturity where the maturity relation changes sign at intermediate maturities.
The infrared spectra of C-13 enriched sodium formate

Abstract The infrared spectra of C-13 enriched sodium formate in solution, mull and pellet are reported. Vibrational assignments based on the product rule and relative intensities are proposed for all fundamentals and some binary combinations of the formate ion.
Spectrotemporal analysis of guided-wave pulse-echo signals: Part 1. Dispersive systems

In this paper, a wavelet-based time frequency analysis is presented to analyze guided-wave signals for rapid inspection of thin-walled structural members. The overall objective is to detect and locate discontinuities using a single broadband signal. Part 1 of this paper shows how the wavelet transform can be used to analyze a dispersive system. A straightforward procedure is developed to extract group delay information from the computed wavelet transform coefficients. The procedure is demonstrated by a simulation study for single-mode and simple dual-mode dispersion signals. Part 2 is an experimental study of multimode dispersion.
Enhanced Pattern Accuracy With Mebes III

Optical lithography continues to improve resolution, further reducing minimum feature sizes in semiconductor device production. A critical step in this process is generation of masks with exceptional accuracy. The MEBES III electron beam lithography system was designed and built to fulfill the requirements of l to 2 micrometer technology and below. The results of overlay machine performance indicate that MEBES consistently meets and surpasses its overlay specifications. This paper discusses the philosophy behind the MEBES III design, the development of metrology methods to verify performance, and the measured accuracy of several machines in a production environment. Measurement tools internal to the MEBES system are compared to a Nikon model 21 X-Y measurement system to verify accuracy of the analysis.
On Upwelling Along a Zonally-Orientated Coastline

Abstract A common observation in major coastal upwelling regions is a reversal of the mean longshore current with depth during active upwelling. A numerical model and a simple analytical model applied to a two-layer ocean on a beta-plane indicate that this undercurrent cannot exist for upwelling off an east-west (zonal) coastline. The models are applied to the coastal upwelling occurring on the Campeche Bank during the period from March to September. The beta-plane solutions for upwelling along an east-west coastline resemble f-plane solutions for a meridional (N–S) coastline. In particular, the hypothesis explaining the undercurrent of Hurlburt and Thompson cannot hold for upwelling along a zonal coastline. The results in this paper form a new hypothesis which could be tested by measuring currents on the Campeche Bank during active upwelling.
Cationic Four- and Five-Coordinate Nickel(II) Complexes: Insights into the Nickel(II)-Catalyzed Copolymerization of Ethylene and Carbon Monoxide

Using the dppp-derived Ni(II) catalyst system 2, several four- and five-coordinate intermediates relevant to the alternating copolymerization of ethylene and carbon monoxide have been characterized. In addition, the activation barriers for the migratory insertion steps corresponding to chain growth have been determined to be at or below ca. 10 kcal/mol, indicating that a strongly stabilized catalyst resting state is most likely responsible for the low activity of 2 for copolymerization.
Study of Validity of Ratings

As part of research on validation of the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule, this study indicates that in addition to the traditional well-known constant errors in ratings explored by numerous investigators, there is an error, which along with many other possible errors, may influence rating systems. This specific error, which may be called “projection error,” is a tendency to rate others high (or low) on the traits on which raters themselves are high (or low). It was hypothesized that the 20 male raters' own traits as measured by personality scales are more predictive of the ratings they assign to others than of their own self-ratings on the same traits. Analysis indicated that the relationship between the Edwards scales and the mean rater's ratings could not be considered a function of chance. Most variables of the Edwards schedule were more predictive of the mean rater's ratings than of the self-ratings and of the mean peer-ratings, without denying the predictability of the latter two for some traits...
Developmental changes in stress adaptation in relation to psychopathology

As modern neuroscience seeks to understand the neural bases for mental illness, it is becoming increasingly important to define how and when complex neural circuits may be altered in individuals who carry the genetic vulnerability for psychopathology. One factor that could potentially play a contributory role in mental illness is the stress response. A variety of studies suggest that stress can alter the activity of several key cortical neurotransmitters, including glutamate, γ-aminobutyric acid, dopamine, and serotonin. Specifically, exposure to neurotoxic levels of adrenal steroid hormone, particularly if this occurs early in life, could potentially induce permanent changes of these transmitter systems in corticolimbic regions, such as the hippocampal formation and cingulate gyrus, that have a high density of glucocorticoid receptors. Overall, exposure to severe stress during the perinatal period could potentially induce alterations in the circuitry of the anterior cingulate cortex and hippocampal formation and interfere with the normal mechanisms underlying attention and learning.
Regulation and execution of apoptosis during Drosophila development.

The development of the Drosophila embryo into an adult fly is a process that integrates cell proliferation and differentiation with programmed cell death, or apoptosis. Apoptosis is an evolutionarily conserved process that is controlled in the developing fly by the products of the genes reaper, grim, and hid. We discuss the role of programmed cell death in the establishment and maintenance of correct patterning in the embryo, and examine the coordination of apoptosis with the hormonally controlled degeneration of larval tissues during metamorphosis. Finally, we address the architecture of the adult eye as an example of how programmed cell death plays a key role in the development of many adult structures. Dev Dyn;218:68–79. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Get the News Out Loudly and Quickly: The Influence of the Media on Limiting Emerging Infectious Disease Outbreaks

During outbreaks of infectious diseases with high morbidity and mortality, individuals closely follow media reports of the outbreak. Many will attempt to minimize contacts with other individuals in order to protect themselves from infection and possibly death. This process is called social distancing. Social distancing strategies include restricting socializing and travel, and using barrier protections. We use modeling to show that for short-term outbreaks, social distancing can have a large influence on reducing outbreak morbidity and mortality. In particular, public health agencies working together with the media can significantly reduce the severity of an outbreak by providing timely accounts of new infections and deaths. Our models show that the most effective strategy to reduce infections is to provide this information as early as possible, though providing it well into the course of the outbreak can still have a significant effect. However, our models for long-term outbreaks indicate that reporting historic infection data can result in more infections than with no reporting at all. We examine three types of media influence and we illustrate the media influence with a simulated outbreak of a generic emerging infectious disease in a small city. Social distancing can never be complete; however, for a spectrum of outbreaks, we show that leaving isolation (stopping applying social distancing measures) for up to 4 hours each day has modest effect on the overall morbidity and mortality.
The protein Sex-lethal antagonizes the splicing factor U2AF to regulate alternative splicing of transformer pre-mRNA.

SOMATIC sexual differentiation in Drosophila melanogaster involves a cascade of regulated splicing events1,2 and provides an attractive model system for the analysis of alternative splicing mechanisms. The protein Sex-lethal (Sxl) 3,4 activates a female-specific 3' splice site in the first intron of transformer (tra) pre-mRNA while repressing an alternative non-sex-specific site5–7. We have developed an in vitro system that recapitulates this regulation in a manner consistent with genetic, transfection and fly transformation studies4–8, Using this system, we have determined the molecular basis of the splice site switch. Here we show that Sxl inhibits splicing to the non-sex-specific (default) site by specifically binding to its polypyrimidine tract, blocking the binding of the essential splicing factor U2AF. This enables U2AF to activate the lower-affinity female-specific site. A splicing 'effector' domain present in U2AF but absent from Sxl accounts for the different activities of these two polypyrimidine-tract-binding proteins: addition of the U2AF effector domain to Sxl converts it from a splicing represser to an activator and renders it unable to mediate splice-site switching.
Biomimetic hydrogels with VEGF induce angiogenic processes in both hUVEC and hMEC.

Angiogenesis is the process by which new blood vessels arise from the pre-existing vasculature. Human endothelial cells are known to be involved in three key cellular processes during angiogenesis: increased cell proliferation, degradation of the extracellular matrix during cell migration, and the survival of apoptosis. The above processes depend upon the presence of growth factors, such as vascular endothelial growth factor isoform 165 (VEGF165) that is released from the extracellular matrix as it is being degraded or secreted from activated endothelial cells. Thus, the goal of the current study is to develop a system with a backbone of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and grafted angiogenic signals to compare the initial angiogenic response of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (hUVEC) or human microvascular endothelial cells (hMEC). Adhesion ligands (PEG-RGDS) for cell attachment and PEG-modified VEGF165 (PEG-VEGF165) are grafted into the hydrogels to encourage the angiogenic response. Our data suggest th...