cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of packet switches with input and output queuing

A single-stage nonblocking N*N packet switch with both output and input queuing is considered. The limited queuing at the output ports resolves output port contention partially. Overflow at the output queues is prevented by a backpressure mechanism and additional queuing at the input ports. The impact of the backpressure effect on the switch performance for arbitrary output buffer sizes and for N to infinity is studied. Two different switch models are considered: an asynchronous model with Poisson arrivals and a synchronous model with Bernoulli arrivals. The investigation is based on the average delay and the maximum throughput of the switch. Closed-form expressions for these performance measures are derived for operation with fixed size packets. The results demonstrate that a modest amount of output queuing, in conjunction with appropriate switch speedup, provides significant delay and throughput improvements over pure input queuing. The maximum throughput is the same for the synchronous and the asynchronous switch model, although the delay is different. >
Calling All Phones: From a Single-Chip Mobile Communicator to the Smart Phone of the Future

Generally seen as an innovative educational toy, the Speak & Spell played a critical role in the introduction of cost effective and power-efficient voice digitization. Speak & Spell was one of the earliest handheld, battery operated consumer devices having a keyboard and display and produced audio from digitally synthesized sound stored in replaceable cartridge ROM and played through a special digital signal processing clip. Such a technology stood as a precursor to digital voice transmission and ultimately spurred the exponential growth of digital cellular by influencing subsequent technological innovations and trends.
Multigeneration reproductive effects of three phthalate esters in Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes)

Abstract Japanese medaka ( Oryzias latipes ), a freshwater teleost, was used to examine multigeneration reproductive effects of di- n -butyl (DBP), diisononyl (DINP), and diisodecyl (DIDP) phthalate. In the F 0 generation DINP and DIDP were fed to juvenile medaka at 20 μ/g of feed, at 5% fish body weight per day. In a separate study DBP was fed at 12.2, 65 and 776 μg/kg/day. Exposure continued through sexual maturation. Collected eggs were hatched for the F 1 and subsequently the F 2 generations. The endpoints included survival, embryonal development, growth, histopathologic changes, gonadal-somatic index, sexual development, fecundity, vitellogenin (VG) induction and microsomal testosterone metabolism. Neither DINP nor DIDP caused reproductive toxicity based on the endpoints evaluated. However, DBP at 776 μg/kg/day induced vitellogenin, and ovo-testes production in F 1 generation male fish and significantly reduced egg production, when compared to the ethanol control. Multigeneration studies can provide important information on low-dose exposure of fish to persistent pollutants at environmentally relevant concentrations. Studies of this type are needed to fully evaluate the relationship between environmental endocrine biomarkers (e.g. VG) and alteration of reproduction (ES-22330, ES-29782, NJAES-01126).
Analysis of neuro-behavioral Discovery™ data on the Macintosh computer

Abstract This paper describes a suite of routines using IgorPro, a powerful analysis and graphing software package for the Macintosh computer, to enhance the ability to analyze, manipulate, and display data recorded with the Discovery™ acquisition software marketed by DataWave Technologies. The routines are able to time-align fast and slow data channels, and are especially useful for analyses that involve both neural and behavioral data. The software was designed for eyeblink conditioning and vocalization experiments, but it can easily be used for analyzing other types of neurobehavioral data. The data are first prepared on the PC with routines that inspect the header of the data file and translate the data file into a compact binary format that can be read by IgorPro. An option is also available to splice out data from unnecessary portions of an intertrial interval. The new file is then put on the Macintosh computer for display and analysis by IgorPro. These routines enable both neural and behavioral data to be quickly and easily reduced, manipulated, and statistically and graphically summarized.
Absorption coefficients of a hydrogen plasma for laser radiation

The formalism for the calculation of the absorption of radiation by a hydrogen plasma at common laboratory conditions is summarized. The hydrogen plasma absorption coefficient for laser radiation has been computed for a wide range of electron densities and temperatures (10,000-40,000 K). The results of this computation are presented in a graphical form that permits a determination of the absorption coefficient for the following laser wavelengths: 0.176, 0.325, 0.337, 0.442, 0.488, 0.515, 0.633, 0.694, 1.06, 1.15, 2.36, 3.39, 5.40 and 10.6 microns. The application of these results and laser radiation absorption measurements to plasma diagnostics is discussed briefly.
Thermal Conductivity and Thermoelectric Power of Rutile (Ti O 2 )

The thermal conductivity $K$ and the thermoelectric power $Q$ of single-crystal samples of rutile were measured from 2 to 300\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. Pure, niobium-doped, vacuum-reduced, and hydrogen-reduced specimens were investigated. The thermal conductivity of the pure crystals is similar to that usually found for insulators, with a maximum at about 15\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. Boundary scattering determines $K$ below the maximum, and in the range 25 to 100\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K the conductivity varies exponentially with temperature, which is characteristic of umklapp scattering. The Callaway expression for $K$ was used to fit the data over the entire temperature range. From measurements in both the $c$ and an $a$ direction, it was found that the anisotropy ratio $\frac{{K}_{c}}{{K}_{a}}=1.5\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.1$ above 25\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. The ratio decreases below 25\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K to a limiting value of 1.05\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.1. A sample doped with 0.1% Nb has a thermal conductivity quite similar to the pure Ti${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$. The $K$ of the reduced samples is quite depressed at low temperatures and a discussion of possible processes is included. On oxidation of a reduced sample it was discovered that the thermal conductivity did not recover completely to the original values measured on the same specimen before reduction. For one crystal a comparison of $K$ in the reduced and reoxidized states yields values for the extra thermal resistance which are compatible with the number of point defects introduced by the reduction. The thermoelectric power of the semiconducting samples (Nb-doped and reduced) increases rapidly below 100\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K, indicating a large phonon-drag contribution.
The bovine p150/95 molecule (CD11c/CD18) functions in primary cell-cell interaction

Abstract The monoclonal antibody (MAb), C5B6, recognizes the CD11c/CD18 molecule on the surface of bovine peripheral blood monocytes. C5B6 was reactive with 69–83% monocytes, all granulocytes, and less than 5% of lymphocytes from cattle. Of the lymphocyte series, the antibody had specificity for large lymphocytes and two lines expressing T cell markers, but was not reactive with small lymphocytes, thymocytes, a tumor cell line of B-cell lineage, an interleukin 2 (IL2)-dependent T cell line, fibroblasts, or human, sheep, goat or pig peripheral blood mononuclear cells. No dual fluoresence was seen using C5B6 and antibodies to bovine IgM, CD2, CD4 or CD8. Immunoprecipitation of 125 I labeled peripheral blood mononuclear cells with C5B6 antibody defined two bands: 150 000 and 95 000 Da. Antibody to the β chain (CD18) of the leukocyte adhesion receptor family precipitates the 95 kDa β subunit and the three associated α subunits (180, 165 and 150). The bands obtained using MAb C5B6 correlated with the p150/95 bands observed using an antibody that precipitated the α and β chains of the leukocyte adhesion receptor family. Functionally, the primary but not the secondary proliferative response to alloantigens was inhibited by C5B6 MAb. No effect was seen using C5B6 MAb in cytotoxicity assays or in the secondary proliferative response to Brucella abortus or bovine herpes virus type 1.
INORGANIC POLYPHOSPHATE IN MAMMALIAN CELLS AND TISSUES

Inorganic polyphosphate (polyP), a linear polymer of hundreds of orthophosphate (Pi) residues linked by high-energy, phosphoanhydride bonds, has been identified and measured in a variety of mammalian cell lines and tissues by unambiguous enzyme methods. Subpicomole amounts of polyP (0.5 pmol/100 micrograms of protein) were determined by its conversion to ATP by Escherichia coli polyphosphate kinase and, alternatively, to Pi by Saccharomyces cerevisiae exopolyphosphatase. Levels of 25 to 120 microM (in terms of Pi residues), in chains 50 to 800 residues long, were found in rodent tissues (brain, heart, kidneys, liver, and lungs) and in subcellular fractions (nuclei, mitochondria, plasma membranes, and microsomes). PolyP in brain was predominantly near 800 residues and found at similar levels pre- and postnatally. Conversion of Pi into polyP by cell lines of fibroblasts, T-cells, kidney, and adrenal cells attained levels in excess of 10 pmol per mg of cell protein per h. Synthesis of polyP from Pi in the medium bypasses intracellular Pi and ATP pools suggesting the direct involvement of membrane component(s). In confluent PC12 (adrenal pheochromocytoma) cells, polyP turnover was virtually complete in an hour, whereas in fibroblasts there was little turnover in four hours. The ubiquity of polyP and variations in its size, location, and metabolism are indicative of a multiplicity of functions for this polymer in mammalian systems.
The Radiation Polymerization of 4-Methyl-1-pentene, 2-Methyl-1-butene, and 2,3-Dimethyl-1-butene under Conditions of Extreme Dryness

Abstract The γ-ray initiated polymerization of 4-methyl-1-pentene, 2-methyl-1-butene, and 2,3-dimethyl-1-butene has been studied under conditions of extreme dryness. Only low yields of oily low molecular weight polymers were obtained. It is suggested that the low propagation rate constants are responsible for the results obtained.
Effects of norethynodrel on the human endometrium.

The effect of norethynodrel upon the human endometrium in 54 inferti lity patients is described. Ovulation was demonstrated in 15 control pa tients and 39 of the patients had anovulatory cycles. Endometrial biopsies were obtained from all patients on Day 25 of the menstrual cycles before and after treatment. Biopsies were taken from amenorrheic patients immediately before treatment. 34 patients were placed on norethynodrel 10 mg daily for 10 to 20 days. 20 mg daily was given to 20 patients for 10 to 20 consecutive days. The medication was started either on Day 4 of the cycle and continued for the next 20 days or on Day 12 of the cycle and continued for 10 to 18 days. Even though the endometrial glands were arrested in the early proliferative phase treatment of patients with secondary amenorrhea resulted in withdrawal bleeding in most cases. Norethynodrel appeared to exert estrogenic and progesterone effects on the endometrium. This effect was limited to the stroma and less so to the epithelium. Different findings were noted depending upon the dosage and time of cycle administration. A much more intense effect was observed on the endometrium with a 20 mg daily dose than with a 10 mg daily dose. The epithelium and stroma showed a greater progestational effect. Some of the anovulatory patients treated for 2 to 3 months began to ovulate; at present 3 have conceived. 4 of the ovulatory group have also conceived after treatment.
Pathogenesis of antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody-mediated disease

Antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies (ANCAs) are the probable cause of a distinct form of vasculitis that can be accompanied by necrotizing granulomatosis. Clinical and experimental evidence supports a pathogenesis that is driven by ANCA-induced activation of neutrophils and monocytes, producing destructive necrotizing vascular and extravascular inflammation. Pathogenic ANCAs can originate from precursor natural autoantibodies. Pathogenic transformation might be initiated by commensal or pathogenic microbes, legal or illegal drugs, exogenous or endogenous autoantigen complementary peptides, or dysregulated autoantigen expression. The ANCA autoimmune response is facilitated by insufficient T-cell and B-cell regulation. A putative pathogenic mechanism for vascular inflammation begins with ANCA-induced activation of primed neutrophils and monocytes leading to activation of the alternative complement pathway, which sets in motion an inflammatory amplification loop in the vessel wall that attracts and activates neutrophils with resultant respiratory burst, degranulation, extrusion of neutrophil extracellular traps, apoptosis and necrosis. The pathogenesis of extravascular granulomatosis is less clear, but a feasible scenario proposes that a prodromal infectious or allergic condition positions primed neutrophils in extravascular tissue in which they can be activated by ANCAs in interstitial fluid to produce extravascular necrotizing injury that would initiate an innate granulomatous inflammatory response to wall off the necrotic debris.
Everyday memory errors in older adults

ABSTRACT Despite concern about cognitive decline in old age, few studies document the types and frequency of memory errors older adults make in everyday life. In the present study, 105 healthy older adults completed the Everyday Memory Questionnaire (EMQ; Sunderland, Harris, & Baddeley, 1983, Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 22, 341), indicating what memory errors they had experienced in the last 24 hours, the Memory Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (MSEQ; West, Thorn, & Bagwell, 2003, Psychology and Aging, 18, 111), and other neuropsychological and cognitive tasks. EMQ and MSEQ scores were unrelated and made separate contributions to variance on the Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE; Folstein, Folstein, & McHugh, 1975, Journal of Psychiatric Research, 12, 189), suggesting separate constructs. Tip-of-the-tongue errors were the most commonly reported, and the EMQ Faces/Places and New Things subscales were most strongly related to MMSE. These findings may help training programs target memory errors com...
Mature solid teratoma associated with gliomatosis peritonei.

Abstract Presented is a 10-year follow-up of a case of gliomatosis peritonei (grade 0) complicating a mature solid teratoma (grade 0).
Inhibition of proteolysis blocks anterograde-retrograde conversion of axonally transported vesicles

Abstract To test the hypothesis that proteolysis is required for anterograde-retrograde (A-R) conversion of membranous organelles at axon tips, a new experimental paradigm was developed. By cutting the sciatic nerves of rats, a concentrated population of axon tips was produced, and proteases in the axon tips were locally inhibited by immersing the cut end of the nerve into a solution containing protease inhibitors (E-64 or leupeptin). Membranous organelles were pulse-labeled with [ 3 H]leucine at the nerve cell body, and the amount of retrogradely transported radiolabeled vesicles from the axon tips was quantified with a proximal collection ligature. The results show that protease inhibition decreased the amount of radioactivity that was transported retrogradely from the axon tips and correspondingly increased the amount that remained in the tips. Ultrastructural analyses showed that the protease-inhibited axon tips were greatly distended by 40–80 nm membranous tubules. By contrast, the control axon tips had relatively few of these membranous tubules. These results show that protease inhibition at the axon tip blocks the removal of membranous elements from the axon tips by retrograde transport. We propose that proteolysis is an A-R converting mechanism which is critically required at the axon tip for the conversion of 40–80 nm membranous tubules into retrograde organelles. Apparently, the 40–80 nm membranous tubules are normally transient intermediates in the A-R conversion pathway, and they rapidly accumulate in the axon tip if the mechanisms that convert them into retrograde organelles are blocked. These 40–80 nm tubules also accumulate in certain pathologies and in the aging process. In these conditions, A-R conversion of the membranous tubules into retrograde organelles may be impaired.
An efficient algorithm for the exact test on unordered 2 X J contingency tables with equal column sums

Abstract An efficient algorithm for Fisher's exact test on unordered 2 × J contingency tables is proposed based on the network algorithm described by Mehta and Patel (1980, 1983). When either all or some of the column sums are equal, this method substantially reduces the computational effort needed to obtain the exact p -value. The principal computational efficiency is gained from the idea that the network size could be reduced by multiplying the probabilities of equivalent tables in which the first row entries are permutation of each other rather than creating them repeatedly and summing up their probabilities. The ranges of the nodes in the network and the ranges of the arcs emanating from each node to the nodes at the succeeding stages are redefined, so that the algorithm creates only the representatives of equivalent tables which are permutationally distinct without missing any possible table. An equation to calculate the numbers of equivalent tables is given. This method is also applicable to exact Pearson chi-squared and exact likelihood ratio tests. Some numerical examples are presented to compare the computational time of the improved algorithm with the original network algorithm.
A gate to organokrypton chemistry: HKrCCH.

An organic molecule containing krypton, HKrCCH, is reported. The preparation of HKrCCH includes 193-nm photolysis of H2C2/Kr solid mixtures at 8 K and subsequent thermal mobilization of hydrogen atoms at ≥30 K. The identification is based on infrared absorption spectroscopy and supported by ab initio calculations which show ionic and covalent contributions to the bonding. We believe that a series of similar organokrypton molecules can be prepared as computationally demonstrated for HKrC4H and HKrC3H3. These results feature a generally novel way for activating chemically the H−C⋮C− group, which can find practical applications of the krypton catalysis.
Psychiatric disorders and function in adolescents with d-transposition of the great arteries.

Objective To compare adolescents with d-transposition of the great arteries (d-TGA) with healthy adolescents with respect to prevalence of psychiatric disorders and global psychosocial functioning. Study design Subjects, consisting of 139 adolescents with d-TGA (16.1 ± 0.5 years) and 61 healthy adolescents (15.3 ± 1.1 years) without known risk factors for brain disorders, underwent a battery of assessments, including semistructured psychiatric interviews; self-report measures of depressive, anxiety, and disruptive behavior symptoms; and brain magnetic resonance imaging. Previous cognitive functioning and parental stress assessments at age 8 as well as parental post-traumatic stress at age 16 years were explored as potential risk factors predictive of overall psychiatric functioning. Results Compared with healthy adolescents, adolescents with d-TGA had higher lifetime prevalence of structured interview-derived attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (19% vs 7%, P = .03), along with reduced global psychosocial functioning (80.6 ± 11.2 vs 87.2 ± 7.1, P P = .01), anxiety ( P = .02), and disruptive behavior symptoms (parent P P = .03). Nevertheless, these youth scored in the nonclinical range on all self-report measures. Level of global psychosocial functioning was positively related to cognitive functioning ( P P = .008). Conclusions Although adolescents with d-TGA demonstrate significant resilience to known neuropsychological and academic deficits, they show increased rates of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and reduced psychosocial functioning. Impaired cognitive functioning and parental stress at younger age emerged as significant risk factors for psychiatric impairment.
Model comparison: the marrow of model transformation

It has been said that model transformation is the "heart and soul" of model engineering, which stresses the important need to evolve and synthesize refinements from models. At a more concrete level, the concept of model comparison represents the core capability that enables many different modeling tasks. Model comparison could be called the "marrow" of model engineering because it is essential to giving life to many other technologies and features that are critical to model engineering. For example, the application of traditional software engineering practices (e.g., version control, testing) to model engineering requires an ability to compare one or more models to understand their differences and commonalities. Model comparison will continue to be essential toward raising the level of maturity in model engineering by providing common practices already available in traditional programming environments. This talk will present an overview of the importance of model comparison across numerous software engineering practices. A specific discussion of my own work in using model comparison for domain-specific models, in order to support model transformation testing and visualization, will be presented.
A note on Richardson extrapolation as an error estimator for non‐linear reaction–diffusion problems

We develop and test a 6th-order Richardson extrapolation scheme as an error estimator for reaction-diffusion problems. Supporting numerical experiments are presented.
Highly polarized muonic He produced by collisions with laser optically pumped Rb.

We have formed highly polarized muonic helium by stopping unpolarized negative muons in a mixture of unpolarized gaseous He and laser polarized Rb vapor. The stopped muons form muonic He ions which are neutralized and polarized by collisions with Rb. Average polarizations for 3He and 4He of (26.8±2.3)% and (44.2±3.5)% were achieved, representing a tenfold increase over previous methods. Relevant cross sections were determined from the time evolution of the polarization. Highly polarized muonic He is valuable for measurements of the induced pseudoscalar coupling gp in nuclear muon capture.
Propagation prediction in rough and branched tunnels by the ADI-PE technique

The study of radiowave propagation in tunnels is important for the development of telecommunication systems. The vector Parabolic Equation (PE) and the alternate direction implicit (ADI) technique are used to study radiowave propagation in branched tunnels and in tunnels with rough walls. Previous work has shown that the ADI-PE method can accurately predict transmission loss in straight tunnels with smooth walls and with known electrical parameters. We extend the analysis of this method by including the realistic cases of branching tunnels and tunnels with rough walls. We breifly discuss the boundary conditions used in each case as well as compare our results with known numerical or analytical models. The numerical results obtained for the branched tunnel case were compared with the results produced by HFSS and the results for the rough wall case were compared with known analytical loss factors. The results show excellent agreement in both cases.
Endogenous IGFBP-3 is required for both growth factor-stimulated cell proliferation and cytokine-induced apoptosis in mammary epithelial cells.

TNF-α and IGF-I exert opposing effects on mammary epithelial cell (MEC) growth and survival. However, both increase IGF binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) expression, a multifunctional protein that plays both IGF-dependent as well as independent roles in these processes. We have reported that IGF-I utilizes the PI3-K and MAPK pathways to induce IGFBP-3 expression in bovine MEC. Here we show that TNF-α requires the SAPK pathway p38, but not JNK, to induce IGFBP-3 expression. Contrary to reports in cancer cell lines, TNF-α retained its ability to decrease DNA synthesis in cells transfected with IGFBP-3 siRNA. It also retained its ability to inhibit IGF-I-stimulated DNA synthesis in these cells. In contrast, the ability of IGF-I to increase DNA synthesis was attenuated with IGFBP-3 knockdown. IGFBP-3 knockdown also decreased basal DNA synthesis, indicating that a certain level of IGFBP-3 may be required for cell proliferation. While TNF-α alone failed to induce apoptosis, it increased cell death when added with the JNK agonist anisomycin (ANS). TNF-α and ANS were unable to induce apoptosis when either IGFBP-3 or JNK-2 was knocked-down, suggesting that both JNK and IGFBP-3 may interact with a downstream molecule central to apoptosis. There are reports that IGFBP-3 promotes either cell proliferation or apoptosis in different cell systems. However, this is the first report that endogenous IGFBP-3 is required for the action of both stimulatory and inhibitory factors within the same cell line. Therefore, the actions of IGFBP-3 are not pre-determined, but instead governed by cellular context such as JNK activation. J. Cell. Physiol. 220: 182–188, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Effects of frequency separation in periodic active noise control systems

In many practical active noise control (ANC) applications, the primary noise contains multiple closely-spaced harmonics. A narrow-band feedforward ANC system consists of an adaptive filter excited by a composite reference signal, which is the sum of multiple sinusoids corresponding to the harmonic frequencies of the primary noise. This paper analyzes and shows that the convergence of this direct-form controller is dependent on the frequency separation between two adjacent sinusoids in the reference signal. The analysis also proves that the length of the adaptive filter required for achieving the same convergence speed decreases with an increase in frequency separation. This paper also performs mathematical analysis of the direct/parallel-form controller, which significantly improves the convergence speed and reduces filter length by increasing the frequency separation in the individual reference signal for each adaptive filter. Computer simulations are conducted to verify the analysis presented in the paper
Fast hydrogen exchange affects 15N relaxation measurements in intrinsically disordered proteins

Unprotected amide protons can undergo fast hydrogen exchange (HX) with protons from the solvent. Generally, NMR experiments using the out-and-back coherence transfer with amide proton detection are affected by fast HX and result in reduced signal intensity. When one of these experiments, 1H–15N HSQC, is used to measure the 15N transverse relaxation rate (R2), the measured R2 rate is convoluted with the HX rate (kHX) and has higher apparent R2 values. Since the 15N R2 measurement is important for analyzing protein backbone dynamics, the HX effect on the R2 measurement is investigated and described here by multi-exponential signal decay. We demonstrate these effects by performing 15N R2CPMG experiments on α-synuclein, an intrinsically disordered protein, in which the amide protons are exposed to solvent. We show that the HX effect on R2CPMG can be extracted by the derived equation. In conclusion, the HX effect may be pulse sequence specific and results from various sources including the J coupling evolution, the change of steady state water proton magnetization, and the D2O content in the sample. To avoid the HX effect on the analysis of relaxation data of unprotected amides, it is suggested that NMR experimental conditions insensitive to the HX should be considered or that intrinsic R2CPMG values be obtained by methods described herein.
Paramagnetic relaxation enhancements in unfolded proteins: Theory and application to drkN SH3 domain

Site-directed spin labeling in combination with paramagnetic relaxation enhancement (PRE) measurements is one of the most promising techniques for studying unfolded proteins. Since the pioneering work of Gillespie and Shortle (J Mol Biol 1997;268:158), PRE data from unfolded proteins have been interpreted using the theory that was originally developed for rotational spin relaxation. At the same time, it can be readily recognized that the relative motion of the paramagnetic tag attached to the peptide chain and the reporter spin such as (1)H(N) is best described as a translation. With this notion in mind, we developed a number of models for the PRE effect in unfolded proteins: (i) mutual diffusion of the two tethered spheres, (ii) mutual diffusion of the two tethered spheres subject to a harmonic potential, (iii) mutual diffusion of the two tethered spheres subject to a simulated mean-force potential (Smoluchowski equation); (iv) explicit-atom molecular dynamics simulation. The new models were used to predict the dependences of the PRE rates on the (1)H(N) residue number and static magnetic field strength; the results are appreciably different from the Gillespie-Shortle model. At the same time, the Gillespie-Shortle approach is expected to be generally adequate if the goal is to reconstruct the distance distributions between (1)H(N) spins and the paramagnetic center (provided that the characteristic correlation time is known with a reasonable accuracy). The theory has been tested by measuring the PRE rates in three spin-labeled mutants of the drkN SH3 domain in 2M guanidinium chloride. Two modifications introduced into the measurement scheme-using a reference compound to calibrate the signals from the two samples (oxidized and reduced) and using peak volumes instead of intensities to determine the PRE rates-lead to a substantial improvement in the quality of data. The PRE data from the denatured drkN SH3 are mostly consistent with the model of moderately expanded random-coil protein, although part of the data point toward a more compact structure (local hydrophobic cluster). At the same time, the radius of gyration reported by Choy et al. (J Mol Biol 2002;316:101) suggests that the protein is highly expanded. This seemingly contradictory evidence can be reconciled if one assumes that denatured drkN SH3 forms a conformational ensemble that is dominated by extended conformations, yet also contains compact (collapsed) species. Such behavior is apparently more complex than predicted by the model of a random-coil protein in good solvent/poor solvent.
Herpes Simplex Virus Type-1 Encephalitis and Occipital Ischemic Stroke

Childhood ischemic stroke is a rare complication of herpes simplex virus type-1 encephalitis. We describe a previously healthy 3-year-old girl who presented with bilateral occipital ischemic stroke, attributable to herpes simplex virus type-1 encephalitis, highlighting the importance of viral diagnostics in cerebrospinal fluid.
Genetic Recombinations Leading to Production of Active Bacteriophage from Ultraviolet Inactivated Bacteriophage Particles.

In this article, Luria reported that several phages killed by ultraviolet light, then put into the same cell, can often revive themselves and produce normal progeny. He noted that if specific genes were intentionally damaged, through exchanges with another phage they can reconstitute as a normal, undamaged phage. Luria interpreted this as an instance of genetic recombination. This article is a more formal and detailed presentation of his 1947 article in the "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences."
Pathophysiology of Gene-Targeted Mouse Models for Cystic Fibrosis

Grubb, Barbara R., and Richard C. Boucher. Pathophysiology of Gene-Targeted Mouse Models for Cystic Fibrosis. Physiol. Rev. 79, Suppl.: S193–S214, 1999. — Mutations in the gene causing the fatal di...
Patterns of seed dispersal and pollen flow in Quercus garryana (Fagaceae) following post-glacial climatic changes

Aim We examined the genetic structure of Quercus garryana to infer post-glacial patterns of seed dispersal and pollen flow to test the hypotheses that (1) peripheral populations are genetically distinct from core populations and from one another; (2) genetic diversity declines towards the poleward edge of the species’ range; and (3) genetic diversity in the chloroplast genome, a direct measure of seed dispersal patterns, declines more sharply with increasing latitude than diversity in the nuclear genome. We address our findings in the context of known historical oak distribution from pollen core data derived from previously published research. Location Oak–savanna ecosystems from southern Oregon, USA (core populations/non-glaciated range) northward to Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada (peripheral populations/glaciated range). Methods We genotyped 378 trees from 22 sites with five chloroplast and seven nuclear microsatellite loci. For both sets of markers, we estimated genetic diversity and differentiation using an analysis of molecular variance and generated Mantel correlograms to detect genetic and geographical distance correlations. For the nuclear markers, we also used a Bayesian approach to infer population substructure. Results There was a large degree of population differentiation revealed by six chloroplast haplotypes, with little (≤ 3) or no haplotype diversity within sites. Peripheral island locations shared the same, maternally inherited chloroplast haplotype, whereas locations in mainland Washington had greater haplotype diversity. In contrast, genetic diversity of the nuclear markers was high at all locations sampled. Populations clustered into two groups and were significantly positively correlated over large spatial scales (≤ 200 km), although allele richness decreased significantly with latitude. Population substructure was observed between core and peripheral populations because rare alleles were absent in peripheral localities and common allele frequencies differed. Main conclusions The observed pattern of chloroplast haplotype loss at the northern periphery suggests restricted seed dispersal events from mainland sites to peripheral islands. This pattern was unexpected, however, as refugial oak populations remained near the current post-glacial range even during the Last Glacial Maximum. Using nuclear markers, we found high within-population diversity and population differentiation only over large spatial scales, suggesting that pollen flow is relatively high among populations.
Characterization of Gaseous Helium Flow Cryogen in a Flexible Cryostat for Naval Applications of High Temperature Superconductors

A fifty meter proof of concept demonstrator was developed utilizing gaseous helium as a cryogen for the use in a high temperature superconductor (HTS) based degaussing system for use on Navy ships. Increased signature requirements as Navy future missions move into littoral waters have resulted in a new copper degaussing system. This system has an increased weight and installation cost because of the additional copper cable required. High temperature superconductors have been suggested as a replacement to the copper based cable to reduce system weight while maintaining the desired ship's magnetic signature. A feasibility study was conducted in 2004 that showed that a superconductive system provided the same performance at a lower cost and at a lower system weight. Many terrestrial superconducting cable projects use liquid nitrogen as the cryogen to keep the cable cold. However, an inert, gaseous cryogen would be preferred for naval applications, but such a cooling system has never been demonstrated in a power cable. This paper describes the experimental setup and preliminary results of testing a helium cooled loop for use in a HTS based degaussing system.
Tectonic evolution of Eastern Ishtar Terra, Venus

Tectonic deformation is cited as the cause for the complex morphology and topography of Eastern Ishtar Terra. A number of models proposed to account for this deformation are reviewed, and their predictions for the geology of Fortuna Tessera are examined. The detailed geology, topography, and structural fabric of Eastern Ishtar are reviewed, and these observations are compared to the predictions of the existing models for the formation and evolution of Fortuna Tessera. On the basis of the analysis, a number of conclusions are drawn regarding the evolution of Eastern Ishtar Terra. These include the recognition of primary morphological and topographical patterns which allow Eastern Ishtar Terra to be divided into four major physiographic regions named Maxwell Montes, Eastern Fortuna Tessera, Central Fortuna Tessera, and Northern Fortuna Tessera. A model is suggested that accounts for the morphology and high topography of Eastern Ishtar Terra.
RF-induced thermoacoustic tomography

We present our study of pulsed-microwave-induced thermoacoustic tomography under a circular measurement configuration in biological tissues. A wide beam of short-pulse microwave (radio-frequency, RF) energy is used to illuminate a sample from the bottom. An unfocused ultrasonic transducer with a small aperture is used to record the thermoacoustic signals from the side. A backprojection method based on a rigorous theory is used to reconstruct the cross-sectional image from the measured data. The reconstructed image agrees with the original sample very well.
Attitudes and self-efficacy in young adults' computing autobiographies

Little is known about the formation of people's first perceptions about computers and computer code, yet it is likely that these impressions have a lasting effect on peoples' use of technology in their lives and careers. Brief autobiographical essays about these first impressions were solicited from a diverse population of young adults and these essays were analyzed for factors that contributed to positive and negative attitudes about technology, formation of self-efficacy, and authors' relationship with computing later in life. The results suggest that first encounters with code must be accessible, error-tolerant and socially engaging, that mentorship can be a crucial factor in the acquisition of programming skills, and that cultivating positive self-efficacy in programming skills requires repeated positive exposure across the lifespan. These results raise several issues for novice programming languages and tools and suggest a number of new approaches to computing education.
A novel diversity-multiplexing switched MIMO systems in rayleigh fading channels

This paper proposes a new switched criterion based on minimum error rate for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems. The proposed scheme is a closed-loop MIMO system, and the tradeoff between the diversity and multiplexing gains that can simultaneously achieved over a low-rate feedback channel with limited bits. Based on this criterion, a low complexity decision algorithm is proposed. The proposed scheme improves the performance of the receivers, achieves good performance close to the optimal algorithm, has much lower cost, and meets the real-time and rapidity requirements of communication systems. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed decision algorithm achieves excellent performance.
Unified Property Specification for Hardware/Software Co-Verification

Hardware/software co-verification is becoming an indispensable tool for building highly trustworthy embedded systems. A stumbling block to effective co-verification using model checking is the lack of support to unified property specification for hardware, software, and entire embedded systems. In this paper, we develop xPSL, a unified property specification language for co-verification. xPSL extends the IEEE Property Specification Language (PSL) to support specification of temporal assertions over both hardware and software events. The semantics of hardware and software events and their temporal correlations are formalized based on translation of both hardware and software semantics to a common formal semantic basis. xPSL has been applied in co-verification to specify properties of hardware and software components, and furthermore entire embedded systems. Case studies have shown that xPSL is very effective in enabling co-verification of system-level properties and facilitating compositional reasoning.
A piezoelectric-driven inchworm locomotion device

An inchworm locomotion device is presented that can walk on smooth terrain. It consists of a piezoelectric unimorph and two custom-designed legs. A mathematical model is formulated by superimposing the compliant and rigid-body components of the motion. The model is subsequently utilized to evaluate the ground reaction forces and horizontal velocity. Numerical simulation is performed to select the geometry parameters that improve the motion efficiency. An inchworm prototype was tested to verify the theoretical predictions.
Respiratory monitoring using a doppler radar with passive harmonic tags to reduce interference from environmental clutter

A harmonic tag was designed and fabricated to show the feasibility of sensing cardiopulmonary related Doppler shift in the received second harmonic signal. A fundamental frequency of 2.45 GHz was transmitted at a target and a quadrature homodyne receiver used to sense the received signal from a tag on the target. The setup was used to successfully isolate periodic motion from a tag on a programmable mechanical target and to sense respiratory motion of a human subject, even when the targets were in close proximity to other moving objects.
Innovative approaches for improving maternal and newborn health - A landscape analysis

Essential interventions can improve maternal and newborn health (MNH) outcomes in low- and middle-income countries, but their implementation has been challenging. Innovative MNH approaches have the potential to accelerate progress and to lead to better health outcomes for women and newborns, but their added value to health systems remains incompletely understood. This study’s aim was to analyze the landscape of innovative MNH approaches and related published evidence. Systematic literature review and descriptive analysis based on the MNH continuum of care framework and the World Health Organization health system building blocks, analyzing the range and nature of currently published MNH approaches that are considered innovative. We used 11 databases (MedLine, Web of Science, CINAHL, Cochrane, Popline, BLDS, ELDIS, 3ie, CAB direct, WHO Global Health Library and WHOLIS) as data source and extracted data according to our study protocol. Most innovative approaches in MNH are iterations of existing interventions, modified for contexts in which they had not been applied previously. Many aim at the direct organization and delivery of maternal and newborn health services or are primarily health workforce interventions. Innovative approaches also include health technologies, interventions based on community ownership and participation, and novel models of financing and policy making. Rigorous randomized trials to assess innovative MNH approaches are rare; most evaluations are smaller pilot studies. Few studies assessed intervention effects on health outcomes or focused on equity in health care delivery. Future implementation and evaluation efforts need to assess innovations’ effects on health outcomes and provide evidence on potential for scale-up, considering cost, feasibility, appropriateness, and acceptability. Measuring equity is an important aspect to identify and target population groups at risk of service inequity. Innovative MNH interventions will need innovative implementation, evaluation and scale-up strategies for their sustainable integration into health systems.
A New Approach to Evaluate Drug Treatment Response of Ovarian Cancer Patients Based on Deformable Image Registration

Although Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) is the current clinical guideline to assess size change of solid tumors after therapeutic treatment, it has a relatively lower association to the clinical outcome of progression free survival (PFS) of the patients. In this paper, we presented a new approach to assess responses of ovarian cancer patients to new chemotherapy drugs in clinical trials. We first developed and applied a multi-resolution B-spline based deformable image registration method to register two sets of computed tomography (CT) image data acquired pre- and post-treatment. The B-spline difference maps generated from the co-registered CT images highlight the regions related to the volumetric growth or shrinkage of the metastatic tumors, and density changes related to variation of necrosis inside the solid tumors. Using a testing dataset involving 19 ovarian cancer patients, we compared patients' response to the treatment using the new image registration method and RECIST guideline. The results demonstrated that using the image registration method yielded higher association with the six-month PFS outcomes of the patients than using RECIST. The image registration results also provided a solid foundation of developing new computerized quantitative image feature analysis schemes in the future studies.
Large Eddy Simulation of Unidirectional and Wave Flows through Vegetation

AbstractMassively parallel large eddy simulation (LES) experiments were conducted to study the flow fields developed by unidirectional flow over submerged vegetation and wave flow-through emergent vegetation. For the submerged vegetation, vertical profiles of mean and turbulent horizontal and vertical velocities were found to be in good agreement with laboratory experiments. Canopy-averaged bulk drag coefficient calculated from the depth-integrated forces on the cylinders compares well with empirical measurements. For the emergent vegetation, wave-induced drag forces were calculated, and the inertia and pressure-drag coefficients were compared with laboratory experiments, which were found to be in good agreement. Vertical variation of forces and moments about the stem base are presented and compared with a single stem case under a variety of wave conditions and Keulegan-Carpenter (KC) numbers. It is seen that at low KC numbers the effect of the inertia force is significant. The vertical variation of the v...
Hypocholesteremic effect of glutamic acid in the Mongolian gerbil.

SummarySeveral animals have been tested in search of a model to study the mechanism of the hypocholesteremic effect of glutamic acid formula diets, previously demonstrated in human beings. Upon feeding the glutamate formula diet to the Mongolian gerbil, the characteristic decline in serum cholesterol has been demonstrated. These data support the view that the Mongolian gerbil is an excellent animal model for the study of the mechanism by which dietary glutamic acid, under our experimental conditions, lowers serum cholesterol in human beings.
The Science of Idiom: A Method of Inquiry into the Cognitive Design of Language

The idiom of a language is the atmosphere of thought which pervades the signification of all its words and governs the architecture of all its sentences. Idiom appears in the structure of the language as an effect; as a cause, it resides in the experiences and predilections of the speakers of the language. Arising in the domain of ideas, belonging to the content communicated rather than to the communicating instrument, idiom is the attitude of mind common to all members of a linguistic community and inherent in all their thinking. This common attitude creates the master pattern, the cardinal orientation of cognition, to which all the phrases of the language must conform.