cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Introducing a molecular basis to physiology in undergraduate medical education.

Background Medical professionals in India need to understand the concepts of molecular genetics to stay up-to-date with clinical care as well as to strengthen basic research in the biomedical sciences. Methods We introduced a modular course on 'Fundamentals in molecular and cellular biology' for first-year medical undergraduate students in the second semester of the first MBBS year in 2015, as part of 'Innovations in teaching physiology' at St John's Medical College. This was a voluntary, add-on course with didactic lectures, hands-on practical classes and a research paper presentation. Evaluation of students' performance in the course took into account their performance in the research paper presentation-based group activity and their attendance for the hands-on practical sessions. Feedback on the content, delivery, evaluation and future improvements of the course was sought from the students. Results About 65% of students regularly attended the 10-hour long course. Of the students evaluated for the course, 43% achieved the highest, and 11% achieved the lowest grade assigned. Nearly 72% of the students provided feedback on the course. Conclusion This first outing of the modular course on 'Fundamentals in molecular and cellular biology' generated excitement among the students and achieved some learning for them. It also brought to light hidden challenges in conducting such a voluntary course for medical students in India. Our experience with the course will help in designing a better-integrated course for exposure of first-year medical students to advances in molecular biology and its applied aspects as they progress through the MBBS course.
Direct detection rate of heavy Higgsino-like and Wino-like dark matter

Abstract Many viable dark matter models contain a WIMP candidate that is a component of a new electroweak multiplet whose mass M is large compared to the electroweak scale m W . A generic amplitude-level cancellation in such models yields a severe suppression of the cross section for WIMP-nucleon scattering, making it important to assess the impact of formally subleading effects. The power correction of order m W / M to the heavy WIMP limit is computed for electroweak doublet (Higgsino-like) dark matter candidates, and a modern model of nuclear modifications to the free nucleon cross section is evaluated. Corrections to the pure Higgsino limit are determined by a single parameter through first order in the heavy WIMP expansion. Current and projected experimental bounds on this parameter are investigated. The direct detection signal in the pure Higgsino limit remains below neutrino backgrounds for WIMPs in the TeV mass range. Nuclear corrections are applied also to the heavy Wino case, completing the investigation of combined subleading effects from perturbative QCD, 1 / M power corrections, and nuclear modifications.
ApoE and mitochondrial dysfunction

Alzheimer disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia in the elderly, affecting more than 5.4 million individuals in the United States. AD is associated with progressive neuronal loss in the cortex and hippocampus, accompanied by extracellular amyloid plaques containing amyloid-β (Aβ) deposits, and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles. The majority of AD cases (>95%) are sporadic with a late onset age (i.e., LOAD). The etiology is heterogeneous, with complex environmental and genetic interactions. The APOE gene is a major genetic factor and the most validated risk determinant of LOAD.1 Of the 3 major human APOE polymorphic alleles, e2, e3, and e4, e4 is associated with an increased gene dose-dependent risk of developing LOAD, with a 3–4-fold increase with 1 copy and a 9–15-fold increase with 2 copies, relative to the most common e3 allele; e4 is also associated with a younger age at onset and an accelerated rate of cognitive decline in patients with AD. By contrast, the rarest allele, e2, is associated with a decreased risk of AD. The understanding of the molecular mechanisms by which ApoE modulates the risk of AD could be key to understanding the pathogenic mechanism of LOAD.
Electroplasticity: A review of mechanisms in electro-mechanical coupling of ductile metals

A review of the experimental and theoretical research on electroplastic deformation of metals is presented herein. We focus on the fundamental physics of electro-mechanical couplings and on the num...
An Ensemble Trust Scoring Method for Internet of Things Sensor Networks

The effectiveness of Internet-of-Things (IoT) systems is highly dependent upon the data it collects at the front-end sensor network. If the collected data is corrupted, the performance of the back-end decision support can degrade. This research outlines a novel method for estimating the trustworthiness of data in an IoT network. The proposed ensemble-based method estimates a trust score for each data point generated by a sensor using models that assess both its consistency with other sensors within the network and its history of producing data consistent with the widespread network. One key advantage of the proposed ensemble method is its robustness to corruption from multiple sensors within the network. Numerical experiments are performed on a smart-home data set and demonstrate the ability for the proposed method to 1) identify corrupted data and 2) produce estimates of the data that are robust to simultaneous corruption in multiple sensors.
Moving sidewinding forward: optimizing contact patterns for limbless robots via geometric mechanics

Contact planning is crucial to the locomotion performance of limbless robots. Typically, the pattern by which contact is made and broken between the mechanism and its environment determines the motion of the robot. The design of these patterns, often called contact patterns, is a difficult problem. In previous work, the prescription of contact patterns was derived from observations of biological systems or determined empirically from black-box optimization algorithms. However, such heuristic-based contact pattern prescription is only applicable to specific mechanisms, and is challenging to generalize. For example, the stable and effective contact pattern prescribed for a 12-link limbless robot can be neither stable nor effective for a 6-link limbless robot. In this paper, using a geometric motion planning scheme, we develop a framework to design, optimize, and analyze contact patterns to generate effective motion in the desired directions. Inspired by prior work in geometric mechanics, we separate the configuration space into a shape space (the internal joint angles), a contact state space, and a position space; then we optimize the function that couples the contact state space and the shape space. Our framework provides physical insights into the contact pattern design and reveals principles of empirically derived contact pattern prescriptions. Applying this framework, we can not only control the direction of motion of a 12-link limbless robot by modulating the contact patterns, but also design effective sidewinding gaits for robots with fewer motors (e.g., a 6-link robot). We test our designed gaits by robophysical experiments and obtain excellent agreement. We expect our scheme can be broadly applicable to robots which make/break contact.
Mice with diverse microbial exposure histories as a model for preclinical vaccine testing.

Summary Laboratory mice comprise an expeditious model for preclinical vaccine testing; however, vaccine immunogenicity in these models often inadequately translates to humans. Reconstituting physiologic microbial experience to specific pathogen-free (SPF) mice induces durable immunological changes that better recapitulate human immunity. We examined whether mice with diverse microbial experience better model human responses post vaccination. We co-housed laboratory mice with pet-store mice, which have varied microbial exposures, and then assessed immune responses to influenza vaccines. Human transcriptional responses to influenza vaccination are better recapitulated in co-housed mice. Although SPF and co-housed mice were comparably susceptible to acute influenza infection, vaccine-induced humoral responses were dampened in co-housed mice, resulting in poor control upon challenge. Additionally, protective heterosubtypic T cell immunity was compromised in co-housed mice. Because SPF mice exaggerated humoral and T cell protection upon influenza vaccination, reconstituting microbial experience in laboratory mice through co-housing may better inform preclinical vaccine testing.
Direct conversion of adult fibroblasts into motor neurons.

Summary Generation of patient-derived neurons provides an unprecedented approach in modeling neurological diseases. Here, we describe the direct conversion of adult fibroblasts into motor neurons via lentiviral delivery of transcription factors. Compared with iPSC-based approach, directly converted neurons from donors retain features associated with age, making them ideal systems for modeling age-related neurological diseases. Low yield is the major challenge of this protocol. High quality lentiviruses and optimized cell culture conditions are critical to improve the final yield. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Ding et al. (2020) , Ding et al. (2021) , and Liu et al. (2016)
Peer Collaboration in a Hypermedia Learning Environment

AbstractThis article describes peer collaboration in a hypermedia learning environment and documents the factors that facilitate the development of a collaborative culture among middle school students. Findings from a four-year research study involving middle school students as hypermedia designers are reported. The key research questions investigate how collaboration is encouraged, facilitated, and taught; the benefits of peer collaboration; peer collaboration’s impact on student learning; and the negative aspects of collaboration. We address these three questions, focusing on the factors that help establish and support a collaborative culture in a technology-intensive classroom.
The London Apprentice Riots of the 1590s and the Fiction of Thomas Deloney

and seventeenth centuries, culminating in 1597 in the lowest real wages in English history.2 For example, flour prices in London nearly tripled between 1593 and 1597.3 Experiencing rates of immigration and population growth that far outstripped the rest of the country, London saw an eightfold increase of vagrancy in the period 156
Algorithms for polynomial real root isolation

This thesis investigates algorithms for polynomial real root isolation of polynomials with integer and real algebraic number coefficients. A real root isolation algorithm computes isolating intervals (intervals containing exactly one root) for all of the real roots of a polynomial. Improved algorithms are derived and implemented for both integral and algebraic polynomials. Some of the improvements include fast algorithms for polynomial permutation and transformation, improved algorithms for computing the sign of a real algebraic number, algorithms for computing a root bound of a polynomial with real algebraic number coefficients, the use of multiple extensions, and the use of interval arithmetic. Algorithms based on Sturm sequences, Rolle's theorem and the derivative sequence, and Descartes' rule of signs and polynomial transformations are considered. The algorithms are carefully compared both theoretically and empirically. Improved computing time bounds are obtained, strong conjectures are provided for the average computing times, and insight is given into the performance of the various algorithms. This thesis contains the first careful comparison and implementation of these algorithms for polynomials with real algebraic number coefficients. Real root isolation is an essential and time consuming part of G. E. Collins' cylindrical algebraic decomposition (CAD) based quantifier elimination (QE) algorithm. The improved algorithms presented in this thesis significantly reduce the computing time of Collins' algorithm. The different root isolation algorithms are compared using inputs that arise in the CAD algorithm. The CAD algorithm is also used to study the effect of perturbation of the coefficients of a polynomial on the number of real roots of the polynomial. Results from this study have implications for algorithms that use interval arithmetic.
Ethics, Science, and the Helping Professions: A Conversation with Robyn Dawes

the Rest of Us Systematically Fail to Think Rationally (Dawes, 2001). His areas of research interest include intuitive expertise, human coopera tion, irrationality, and methodology. He is well known for House of Cards: Psychology and Psy chotherapy Built on Myth (Dawes, 1994) in which he reviews the psychotherapy literature and concludes that it reflects a similarity in effects achieved by professionals and nonprofession als. He was recently elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Using level‐of‐effort paradata in non‐response adjustments with application to field surveys

Summary. The paper considers the use of level-of-effort (LOE) paradata to model the non-response mechanism in surveys and to adjust for non-response bias, particularly bias that is missing not at random or non-ignorable. Our approach is based on an unconditional maximum likelihood estimation (call-back) model that adapts and extends the prior work to handle the complexities that are encountered for large-scale field surveys. A test of the ‘missingness at random’ assumption is also proposed that can be applied to essentially any survey when LOE data are available. The non-response adjustment and the test for missingness at random are then applied and evaluated for a large-scale field survey—the US National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Although evidence on non-ignorable non-response bias was found for this survey, the call-back model could not remove it. One likely explanation of this result is error in the LOE data. This possibility is explored and supported by a field investigation and simulation study informed by data obtained on LOE errors.
Divalent cation-induced surface tension increase in acidic phospholipid membranes: Ion binding and membrane fusion

Abstract Chelation binding of divalent cations to phospholipid membranes may cause deformation in the headgroup regions of these lipid molecules. This deformation may be responsible for the observed large increase in surface tension of acidic phospholipid membranes induced by divalent cations. On the other hand, simple binding of monovalent cations without being followed by such a deformation of membrane molecules, does not result in a large surface tension increase in the membrane. A theoretical explanation for the above situation is given and the divalent cation-induced acidic phospholipid membrane fusion as well as other lipid membrane fusions are discussed in terms of the increased surface energy of membranes.
Choroidal Detachment: Clinical Manifestation, Therapy and Mechanism of Formation

Abstract One hundred and twelve eyes of 103 patients were analyzed during a 9½-year period after surgical drainage of a choroidal (ciliochoroidal) detachment (CD). Choroidal detachment in five groups of postoperative patients was studied. CD after surgery for cataract, for cataract and glaucoma, and for glaucoma alone had different time courses, but in all of these, there were similar amounts of protein (67% of plasma protein concentration) in the suprachoroidal fluid (SCF). In marked contrast was a group of patients with intraoperative choroidal effusions and very little protein (18% of plasma concentration) in the SCF. Identified also was a chronic recurrent form of CD that usually persisted for more than three months. Three distinct mechanisms by which choroidal effusion is formed were recognized, (1) one with evidence for the effusion occurring through an intact isoporous membrane (groups 1–3) ; (2) a second in which hemorrhagic SCF appeared acutely or subacutely (groups 1 and 2) through a disrupted isoporous membrane; and (3) a third form, an intraoperative choroidal effusion in patients with elevated episcleral venous pressure. Increased filtration rate of serum through an intact choriocapillary membrane caused molecular sieving of serum proteins. Inflammation, infection, cataract formation, and corneal edema were uncommonly encountered. Indications for surgery and recommended surgical technique are outlined in detail.
Structure of outer membrane protein A transmembrane domain by NMR spectroscopy

We have determined the three-dimensional fold of the 19 kDa (177 residues) transmembrane domain of the outer membrane protein A of Escherichia coli in dodecylphosphocholine (DPC) micelles in solution using heteronuclear NMR. The structure consists of an eight-stranded beta-barrel connected by tight turns on the periplasmic side and larger mobile loops on the extracellular side. The solution structure of the barrel in DPC micelles is similar to that in n-octyltetraoxyethylene (C(8)E(4)) micelles determined by X-ray diffraction. Moreover, data from NMR dynamic experiments reveal a gradient of conformational flexibility in the structure that may contribute to the membrane channel function of this protein.
Effects of prostaglandin E2 on amiloride-blockable Na+ channels in a distal nephron cell line (A6).

We studied the mechanisms by which prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) regulates amiloride-blockable 4-pS Na+ channels in A6 distal nephron cells. With each apical cell-attached patch acting as its own control...
Children's spelling errors on syllable-initial consonant clusters.

Read (1975) discovered that children sometimes fail to spell consonants when the consonants occur in clusters at the ends of words. For example, children may spell sink as sek, leaving out the /n/. The present research shows that children also omit consonants in clusters at the beginnings of words. For example, children may spell play as pay
Responses of photosynthesis, respiration, growth and cellular constituents to hypo-osmotic shock in the red alga Gracilaria tikvahiae

Abstract 1. 1.A short-term (hours-2 days) transient decrease in photosynthesis and increase in dark respiration accompanied hypo-osmotic shock from 26 to 16‰ salinity in G. tikavahiae. 2. 2.Growth rate of G. takvahiae equilibrated to 16%o was equal that at 26%o, supporting classification of this alga as a euryhaline species. 3. 3.Levels of free amino acids were the same in G. tikvahiae grown at 26 and 16‰; levels of ash were markedly different and suggests osmotic adjustment is achieved primarily through inorganic solutes. 4. 4.Levels of six ions (K + , Na + , Ca2+ , Mg2+, Cl−1, SO2−4) collectively constitute ca 97% of the ash of G. tikvahiae at both salinities, only levels of Cl− and Ca2+ were proportional to salinity and, relative to dissolved components of seawater, only K + is enriched in the ash. 5. 5.An apparent excess of inorganic anions in G. tikvahiae at 16‰ may be a biochemical response to displace the higher influx of protons from a less saline, more acidic medium; such a response would explain, in part, the ecological success of G. tikvahiae in shallow estuaries where wide salinity fluctuations are common.
Sex differences in obese children and siblings in family-based obesity treatment.

Objective: The primary goal was to evaluate sex differences in child weight control programs that targeted increasing physical activity (increase) or the combination of reducing sedentary behavior and increasing physical activity (combined). A second goal was to evaluate the benefits of family-based interventions on nontargeted siblings. Research Methods and Procedures: Sixty-seven families with obese children and 89 siblings were randomized to interventions that targeted increasing physical activity (increase) or the combination of reducing sedentary behavior and increasing physical activity (combined). Targeted participants and nontargeted siblings were followed for 1 year. Results: At 12 months, boys showed significantly better percentages of overweight changes (−15.8%) for the combined treatment than girls (−1.0%), with no significant differences for the increase intervention for boys (−9.3%) or girls (−7.6%). Boys adhered to treatment better than girls (p < 0.01). Adherence and predilection for physical activity were significant predictors of targeted child weight loss at 1 year in multiple regression analysis. Predictors of sibling weight loss included age, number of siblings, targeted child percentage of overweight change, and the interaction of group assignment by same sex of treated sibling. Discussion: Gender may influence response to programs that attempt to decrease sedentary behavior, and generalization of treatment effects to siblings may depend on the intervention and characteristics of the siblings.
Regulation of Rac1 by Simvastatin in Endothelial Cells DIFFERENTIAL ROLES OF AMP-ACTIVATED PROTEIN KINASE AND CALMODULIN-DEPENDENT KINASE KINASE-β

These studies explore the connections between simvastatin, Rac1, and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathways in cultured vascular endothelial cells and in arterial preparations isolated from statin-treated mice. In addition to their prominent effects on lipoprotein metabolism, statins can regulate the small GTPase Rac1, and may also affect the phosphorylation of the ubiquitous AMPK. We explored pathways of statin-modulated Rac1 and AMPK activation both in arterial preparations from statin-treated mice as well as in cultured endothelial cells. We treated adult mice with simvastatin daily for 2 weeks and then harvested and analyzed arterial preparations. Simvastatin treatment of mice led to a significant increase in AMPK and LKB1 phosphorylation and to a decrease in protein kinase A activity relative to control animals, associated with a marked increase in Rac1 activation. Exposure of bovine aortic endothelial cells to simvastatin for 24 h strikingly increased GTP-bound Rac1 and led to increased phosphorylation of AMPK as well as the AMPK kinase LKB1. These responses to simvastatin were blocked by mevalonate or geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate but not by farnesyl pyrophosphate. Small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated knockdown of AMPK abrogated simvastatin-induced Rac1 activation and LKB1 phosphorylation. Importantly, siRNA-mediated knockdown of the key AMPK kinase, calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase β, completely blocked simvastatin-induced endothelial cell migration and also abrogated statin-promoted phosphorylation of AMPK and LKB1, as did pharmacological inhibition with the specific calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase β inhibitor STO-609. Moreover, siRNA-mediated knockdown of Rac1 completely blocked simvastatin-induced LKB1 phosphorylation, but without affecting simvastatin-induced AMPK phosphorylation. These findings establish a key role for simvastatin in activation of a novel Rac1-dependent signaling pathway in the vascular wall.
Search and detection modeling of military imaging systems

For more than 50 years, the U.S. Army RDECOM CERDEC Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate (NVESD) has been studying the science behind the human processes of searching and detecting, and using that knowledge to develop and refine its models for military imaging systems. Modeling how human observers perform military tasks while using imaging systems in the field and linking that model with the physics of the systems has resulted in the comprehensive sensor models we have today. These models are used by the government, military, industry, and academia for sensor development, sensor system acquisition, military tactics development, and war-gaming. From the original hypothesis put forth by John Johnson in 1958, to modeling time-limited search, to modeling the impact of motion on target detection, to modeling target acquisition performance in different spectral bands, the concept of search has a wide-ranging history. Our purpose is to present a snapshot of that history; as such, it will begin with a description of the search-modeling task, followed by a summary of highlights from the early years, and concluding with a discussion of search and detection modeling today and the changing battlefield. Some of the topics to be discussed will be classic search, clutter, computational vision models and the ACQUIRE model with its variants. We do not claim to present a complete history here, but rather a look at some of the work that has been done, and this is meant to be an introduction to an extensive amount of work on a complex topic. That said, it is hoped that this overview of the history of search and detection modeling of military imaging systems pursued by NVESD directly, or in association with other government agencies or contractors, will provide both the novice and experienced search modeler with a useful historical summary and an introduction to current issues and future challenges.
An algorithm for solving a dual cosine series

Abstract Solutions to dual trigonometric series are frequently given as double singular integrals, which are not conducive to automatic numerical evaluation. It is suggested that by performing a preliminary Fourier analysis on the data, the double singular integrals can be eliminated, and the solutions reduced to a finite number of precisely specified elementary arithmetic operations. This technique is used to reduce to an algorithm the analytic solution to a dual cosine series which had earlier been derived by the method of orthogonality relations. Some computational results are also presented.
Conversion of progesterone to pregnenolone by rabbit testis

Abstract The conversion of progesterone-4- 14 C to pregnenolone- 14 C by homogenate of rabbit testis is reported. Details of the identification of pregnenolone- 14 C are given and the influence of certain cofactors demonstrated.
Abstract 954: Multidrug resistance transcriptome analysis highlights compounds that sensitize resistant hepatocellular carcinoma through increased histone acetylation.

No effective systemic therapy exists for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Surgery is the mainstay treatment for patients with early stage HCC tumors. Either resection or transplantation is advocated if the HCC is within the Milan criteria. Nonsurgical treatments including percutaneous ethanol injection, radiofrequency ablation, and transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) are used as adjuvant therapy to surgery but also to treat unresectable HCC. Although a meta-analysis showed a beneficial survival effect for patients with intermediate HCC treated by TACE using doxorubicin and cisplatin, the survival benefit of systemic chemotherapy for the treatment of liver cancer is marginal at best. Although Sorafenib, a multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is becoming established as the first line of therapy for advanced HCC, it was recently shown to be a substrate of ABCB1 and ABCG2, two major transporters involved in multidrug resistance (MDR) and expressed in hepatocytes. In this study, the MDR transcriptome was analyzed in a cohort of 38 patients using TaqMan-based qRT-PCR, with the aim of finding ways to sensitize this intrinsically MDR cancer. The study reveals a 45-gene signature, validated using an independent cohort of 53 patients, that predicts overall survival (OS). We used the Connectivity Map tool, designed to reveal connections among drugs, genes, and pathological states, to identify three compounds that converted the gene expression profile of HCC cell lines from one matching patients with poor OS to one with good OS. These compounds increased histone acetylation, resulting in the sensitization of tumor cells to conventional chemotherapy including cisplatin, sorafenib and 5-FU. This work provides new treatment strategies based on gene expression profiling and connectivity data for a disease for which no effective systemic treatments exist. More importantly, the current study reveals a new strategy to sensitize any type of refractory cancer to chemotherapy. Citation Format: Jean-Pierre Gillet, Jesper B. Andersen, James P. Madigan, Sudhir Varma, Chung-Pu Wu, Anna M. Calcagno, Suresh V. Ambudkar, Snorri S. Thorgeirsson, Michael M. Gottesman. Multidrug resistance transcriptome analysis highlights compounds that sensitize resistant hepatocellular carcinoma through increased histone acetylation. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 954. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-954
Wavelet Shrinkage with Double Weibull Prior

In this article, we propose a denoising methodology in the wavelet domain based on a Bayesian hierarchical model using Double Weibull prior. We propose two estimators, one based on posterior mean (Double Weibull Wavelet Shrinker, DWWS) and the other based on larger posterior mode (DWWS-LPM), and show how to calculate them efficiently. Traditionally, mixture priors have been used for modeling sparse wavelet coefficients. The interesting feature of this article is the use of non-mixture prior. We show that the methodology provides good denoising performance, comparable even to state-of-the-art methods that use mixture priors and empirical Bayes setting of hyperparameters, which is demonstrated by extensive simulations on standardly used test functions. An application to real-word dataset is also considered.
Confidence interval for statistical power using a sample variance estimate.

Aims To improve estimation of statistical power by constructing its confidence interval. Background Statistical power is often computed using a sample variance estimated from previous studies. The sample variance deviates from the population variance and its use makes the estimated statistical power less accurate. The estimated power thus computed may be higher than the actual statistical power in the planned study. Data sources The standard deviation for body mass index is estimated by using the standard literature on weight-loss research. Review methods This is a methodology paper. Discussion Researchers avoid estimating the population variance in statistical power analysis by using the standardised effect size. The rule-of-thumb numbers for 'small', 'medium' and 'large' standardised effect sizes are .2,.5, and .8, but these numbers may not fit all the studies in different contexts. It is recommended that researchers start with a simple effect size that has some clinical importance and then estimate the population variance in running statistical power analysis. The use of an estimated variance in power analysis introduces uncertainty to the computed statistical power. To account for the uncertainty in estimating the variance, researchers can use the confidence interval to accurately assess the actual statistical power in planned hypothesis testing. Conclusion The confidence interval provides a more realistic view of power than a single-value estimate of the nominal power does, which tends to be higher than the actual power in a clinical study. Implications for practice/research The authors have introduced a useful technique to construct a confidence interval on statistical power using a sample variance from a previous study. The method can be easily implemented to plan statistical power and sample size in a clinical study.
Distribution of extreme solar energetic proton fluxes

Abstract The knowledge of the high intensity tails of probability distributions that determine the rate of occurrence of extreme events of solar energetic particles is a critical element in the evaluation of hazards for human and robotic space missions. Here instead of the standard approach based on fitting a selected distribution function to the observed data we investigate a different approach, which is based on a study of the scaling properties of the maximum particle flux in time intervals of increasing length. To find the tail of the probability distributions we apply the “Max-Spectrum” method (Stoev, S.A., Michailidis, G., 2006. On the estimation of the heavy-tail exponent in time series using the Max-Spectrum. Technical Report 447, Department of Statistics, University of Michigan) to 1973–1997 IMP-8 proton data and the 1987–2008 GOES data, which cover a wide range of proton energies. We find that both data sets indicate a power-law tail with the power exponents close to 0.6 at least in the energy range 9–60 MeV. The underlying probability distribution is consistent with the Frechet type (power-law behavior) extreme value distribution. Since the production of high fluxes of energetic particles is caused by fast Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) this heavy-tailed distribution also means that the Sun generates more fast CMEs than would be expected from a Poissonian-type process.
Expression and modulation of RPE cell membrane complement regulatory proteins.

Purpose Complement, inflammation, and oxidant injury contribute to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Membrane complement regulatory proteins (mCRPs) such as CD46, CD55, and CD59, protect host cells from complement attack. The factors that regulate RPE mCRP expression are not well understood. In this study, the authors sought to determine whether cytokines and hydroquinone (HQ) affect mCRP expression in cultured human RPE (hRPE) and cultured mouse RPE (mRPE) cells. Methods Cultured hRPE and mRPE cells were stimulated with cytokines for various times or with HQ for multiple 6-hour periods. mRNA and protein expression of mCRPs in cultured hRPE cells from 10 donors, native hRPE, and mouse eyecups and native mRPE cells were evaluated by real-time RT-PCR, Western blot analysis, and flow cytometry, respectively. Results Three mCRPs were expressed in cultured hRPE cells (CD59>CD46>CD55). CD46 and CD59 protein were detected in native hRPE cells. CD59 protein levels in cultured hRPE cells were higher than in native hRPE cells. CD46 protein polymorphisms were observed in cultured hRPE cells. Cultured hRPE cell mCRP expression was upregulated by TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, and a repetitive nonlethal dose of HQ. CD59a levels were higher in mouse eyecups than in nonocular tissues. Mouse mCRP mRNA and protein were detected in native mRPE cells. Responsiveness to cytokines in cultured mRPE cells differed from that in cultured hRPE cells. Conclusions Human and mouse RPE cell mCRPs are upregulated by inflammatory cytokines and repetitive nonlethal oxidant exposure in a species-specific manner. Increased cell mCRPs may help to protect RPE cells from complement- and oxidant-mediated injury in diseases such as AMD.
Endoparasitic diseases of reptiles

Wild and captive reptiles are frequently infected with various endoparasites, many of which are minimally pathogenic. However, the stress of captivity, improper husbandry, and poor sanitation can lead to serious disease and ultimately death in heavily parasitized captive reptiles.
Presidential Rhetoric and the Economy

Does the relative optimism of presidential remarks on the economy affect U.S. economic performance? We theorize that the relative optimism of presidential remarks should affect economic performance by altering consumer perceptions of the economic news and consumer sentiment, which in turn affect the risks consumers are willing to take in spending decisions. We measure the relative optimism of presidential remarks on the economy through content analysis of all public statements on the general economy and unemployment from January 1978 through April 2002. Controlling for current and past economic performance, we use vector autoregression analysis to show that presidential remarks significantly affect people's perceptions of the economic news, as well as their confidence about current and future economic conditions. Using simulation analyses, we also demonstrate that presidential rhetoric operating through these indirect channels can have substantial impacts on U.S. economic growth and unemployment. The larg...
Systemic morphine treatment induces changes in firing patterns and responses of nociceptive afferent fibers in mouse glabrous skin.

Abstract Patients receiving opioids for pain may experience decreased effectiveness of the drug and even abnormal pain sensitivity—hyperalgesia and/or allodynia. We hypothesized that peripheral nociceptor hyperexcitability contributes to opioid-induced hyperalgesia and tested this using an in vitro mouse glabrous skin-nerve preparation. Mice were injected intraperitoneally with escalating doses of morphine (5, 8, 10, 15 mg/kg) or saline every 12 hours for 48 hours and killed approximately 12 hours after the last injection. Receptive fields of nociceptors were tested for mechanical, heat, and cold sensitivity. Activity was also measured during an initial 2-minute period and during 5-minute periods between stimuli. Aberrant activity was common in fibers from morphine-treated mice but rare in saline-treated mice. Resting background activity was elevated in C-fibers from morphine-treated mice. Both C- and Aδ-fibers had afterdischarge in response to mechanical, heat, and/or cold stimulation of the skin as well as spontaneous, unevoked activity. Compared to saline, morphine treatment increased the proportion of fibers displaying polymodal rather than mechanical-only responses. A significant increase in Aδ-mechanoreceptive fibers responding to cold accounted for most of this change. In agreement with this, morphine-treated mice showed increased sensitivity in the cold tail flick test. In morphine-treated mice, aberrant activity and hyperexcitability of nociceptors could contribute to increased pain sensitivity. Importantly, this activity is likely driving central sensitization, a phenomenon contributing to abnormal sensory processing and chronic pain. If similar changes occur in human patients, aberrant nociceptor activity is likely to be interpreted as pain and could contribute to opioid-induced hyperalgesia.
Heat-sensitive DNA-binding activity of the cI product of bacteriophage lambda.

The binding of λ genecI product to λ DNA was studied at temperatures from 0°C to 46° C. Binding activity of the products ofcIts mutants was higher at 22° C than at 0° C, 26° C or 30° C. BothcI+ andcIts products lost DNA-binding activity at 46° C, but after subsequent cooling to 22° C, they regained 50–100% of their activity.
Multiracial Groups and Educational Inequality: A Rainbow or a Divide?

How do multiracial groups "fit" into the system of racial oppression and privilege in the United States? Are the outcomes of multiracial individuals explained by the Latin Americanization hypothesis (Bonilla-Silva 2002), or a hardening racial divide between blacks and all other racial groups (Gans 1999; Yancey 2006)? Using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, I address these questions and show that the educational outcomes of multiracial groups and individuals are not consistently explained by measures of appearance, as suggested by these theories. Although the educational outcomes of Latinos and single-race groups are significantly associated with skin color and the racial perceptions of observers, multiracial young adults' high school and college educational outcomes are not consistently related to either measure of appearance. Parental education and family income are the most important predictors of educational outcomes for multiracial respondents across different types of outcomes. The implications of these findings for racial inequality and research on multiracial groups are discussed.
Electroosmosis in Nitella.

The role of electroosmosis was studied directly in Nitella . The cells were mounted in a water-tight barrier between two chambers containing reversible electrodes for the application of potentials, and fitted with calibrated capillaries to measure water movement. No water movement was found when small existing bioelectric potentials were short-circuited through an external connection, nor when external potentials up to 1 or 2 volts were applied (producing currents up to 5 µa). Higher potentials (up to 10 volts) caused small movements of water, toward the negative pole. Larger and often irreversible water movements were produced by potentials up to 20 volts—sometimes persisting after current flow. A variety of evidence suggests that the effects are caused by injury at the cathodal end of the cell, allowing water to be attracted osmotically at the intact end and forced out at the injured end (transosmosis). This injury is reversible under small applied potentials, irreversible after large ones (100 to 200 times the natural bioelectric values). Such water flows persist in low salt concentrations (up to 0.09 M NaCl) but almost completely vanish in isotonic (0.26 M) mannitol. This confirms the osmotic, rather than the electroosmotic nature of the water movement. It is estimated that electroosmosis cannot account for more than 1 per cent of the water movement (or turgor) in Nitella cells. The dead cellulose walls display a small electroosmotic water flow at very high current densities (under 20 volts applied potential).
Fukunaga-Koontz transform based dimensionality reduction for hyperspectral imagery

Fukunaga-Koontz Transform based technique offers some attractive properties for desired class oriented dimensionality reduction in hyperspectral imagery. In FKT, feature selection is performed by transforming into a new space where feature classes have complimentary eigenvectors. Dimensionality reduction technique based on these complimentary eigenvector analysis can be described under two classes, desired class and background clutter, such that each basis function best represent one class while carrying the least amount of information from the second class. By selecting a few eigenvectors which are most relevant to desired class, one can reduce the dimension of hyperspectral cube. Since the FKT based technique reduces data size, it provides significant advantages for near real time detection applications in hyperspectral imagery. Furthermore, the eigenvector selection approach significantly reduces computation burden via the dimensionality reduction processes. The performance of the proposed dimensionality reduction algorithm has been tested using real-world hyperspectral dataset.
T cell binding to B lymphoid cell lines in humans: a marker for T-B cell interaction?

Abstract Binding of human circulating T cells to established normal and malignant B cell lines results in rosette formation. The percentages of B cells, circulating T cells, and thymocytes able to bind to the B-LCL Raji were 0%, 59 ± 4% and 61 ± 6%, respectively. The percentage of rosettes formed between Raji cells and circulating mononuclear cells from 92 normal individuals was 27.8 ± 5.3%, and remained stable over several months. This phenomenon seems to involve relatively mature B cells, and a T cell marker which appears early in T cell ontogeny. In the peripheral blood, most of the B-LCL binding T cells exhibit a ‘helper-inducer’ phenotype, as determined with the monoclonal antibodies Leu 3a and OKT4. However, a significant percentage of T cells with so-called ‘cytotoxic-suppressor’ markers (Leu 2a and OKT8) also bind to B-LCL. The T cells involved in this morphological interactive reaction with B cells might conceivably be specifically involved in regulating B cell functions. Enumeration of this particular subset may be useful in conditions where abnormal T-B cell interactions are suspected.
Evaluation of a pneumotachograph for controlled ventilation in childhood.

A T-piece pneumotachograph has been evaluated experimentally to determine its suitability for use during controlled pulmonary hyperventilation. The pressure drop across the instrument is sufficiently linear per unit of flow to allow minute volumes of up to 8 L. to be recorded. During intermittent flow there is an error of measurement ranging from —2.8 per cent for rates of breathing up to 100 per minute, to +5 per cent for rates between 100 and 200 per minute. Calibration of the pneumotachograph and integrator can be carried out using a syringe. When compared with room air, 50 per cent nitrous-oxide-oxygen gives a similar integrator deflection, enabling this gas mixture to be used during the period of study without the need to apply a gas viscosity correction factor to the integrator deflection obtained. ab ]Fr|ReSUMe
Does uncertainty influence the number of firms in an industry

Abstract We present evidence on the impact of uncertainty on the number of firms in an industry using data on a cross-section of US manufacturing industries. Results show that greater price uncertainty significantly decreases the number of firms in an industry.
Nonlinear image reconstruction algorithm for diffuse optical tomography using iterative block solver and automatic mesh generation from tomosynthesis images

In this paper, we report a nonlinear 3D image reconstruction algorithm featuring 3D finite element forward modeling with an iterative multi-right-hand-side solver and an automatic mesh generation technique for efficient geometry modeling. The forward mesh was generated based on 3D tomosynthesis images acquired simultaneously with optical measurements. An efficient iterative solver based on a QMR algorithm with the capacity of solving multi-RHS was used to enhance the computational efficiency. The mesh generation algorithm was developed based on a moving mesh process and is able to generate high-quality mesh with low computational complexity. In addition, an approximated adjoint method was used to form the Jacobian matrix for the inverse problem. The performance was satisfactory in numerical simulations. For a typical reconstruction, the run-time was under 5 minutes on a Pentium-based PC. It is worth mentioning that the mesh generation module not only works for binary 2D or 3D image stacks, but also for any other binary description of the object, which makes it generalizable to many other potential applications.
The Joy Before Cooking: Preparing Ourselves to Write a Risk Research Recipe

Rather than the conventional practice of compiling a list of interesting research projects and then attempting to make the case that each represents a high priority, I will attempt an approach rooted in decision analysis. The information of greatest value, according to decision theory, is that which most enables us to make more reliable, transparent, and cost-effective decisions. Therefore, I begin with a brief discussion of how and why typical decisions relying on cancer dose-response information can fall short, in an attempt to assess where and how this aspect of risk assessment is “broken” before generating a list of research projects to “fix” it. I discuss the problem of model uncertainty in dose-response assessment, and conclude it is impossible to gauge how valuable it might be to know the correct model until we agree on guidelines for how to make decisions given imperfect information in this regard. After discussing four broad research areas that arguably represent particularly high priorities give...
Sex differences in the association of the apolipoprotein E epsilon 4 allele with incidence of dementia, cognitive impairment, and decline.

We examined longitudinal associations between the apolipoprotein E e4 allele (ApoE4(+) status) and several cognitive outcomes and tested effect modification by sex. Data on 644 non-Hispanic Caucasian adults, from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA) were used. Dementia onset, cognitive impairment and decline were assessed longitudinally. After 27.5 years median follow-up, 113 participants developed dementia. ApoE4(+) predicted dementia significantly (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.89; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.93-4.33), with nonsignificant sex differences. Taking all time points for predicting cognition, women had significantly stronger positive associations than men between ApoE4(+) status and impairment or decline on the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT; delayed recall and List A total recall) and on Verbal Fluency Test-Categories. This ApoE4 × sex interaction remained significant with Bonferroni correction only for CVLT-delayed recall. Taking time points prior to dementia for cognitive predictions, the positive association between impairment in CVLT-delayed recall and ApoE4(+) status remained stronger among women, though only before Bonferroni correction. While ApoE4(+) status appears to be a sex neutral risk factor for dementia, its association with verbal memory and learning decline and impairment was stronger among women.