cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adsorption of Bisulfate and Sulfate Anions on a Pt(111) Electrode

A modified radioactive labeling method was used to study bisulfate and sulfate anion adsorption on a Pt(111) electrode from aqueous HClO4/H2SO4 media. The highest surface concentration of the anion is 3.2 × 1014 ions/cm2, which corresponds to a coverage (packing density) of 0.21 ± 0.01monolayer. Overall, the coverage data confirm our previous results reported in J. Electroanal. Chem. 1993, 348, 451. We found fast adsorption kinetics and a semilogarithmic anion adsorption isotherm. In the “butterfly” electrode potential range [that is, in the range where anomalous anion adsorption was found on the Pt(111) electrode (Clavilier, J. J. Electroanal. Chem. 1980, 107, 211)], the charge on the anion and, consistently, electrosorption valency vary with the electrode potential, demonstrating progress in bisulfate dissociation to sulfate, with the increase in potential. On the plateau of the surface concentration−electrode potential plot, we conclude that the adsorbate is a partially discharged (or neutralized) sulf...
The CD44 receptor is a molecular predictor of survival in ovarian cancer.

Purpose: CD44 is a cell surface receptor implicated in cancer progression and metastases. Malignant tumors may show a loss of CD44 splice control mechanisms. We investigated the role of CD44 splice variant expression in ovarian tumors and metastases, and its association with survival.
“The Giddy Rise of the Environmentalists”: Corporate Real Estate Development and Environmental Politics in San Diego, California, 1968–73

AbstractChanges in US real estate development during the 1960s and early 1970s were a catalyst for popular environmentalism. New flows of capital between builders and investors, including direct in...
Cathepsin S elicits itch and signals via protease-activated receptors.

The sensation of itch is mediated by two distinct non-overlapping populations of cutaneous nerve fibers that evoke comparable degrees of itch (Namer et al., 2008; Johanek et al., 2008). One set of fibers, the mechano-insensitive population, is more responsive to histamine than to cowhage. The other set is mechanosensitive and is more responsive to cowhage than to histamine (Namer et al., 2008; Johanek et al., 2008). Histamine is a classical mediator of itch and is associated with a wheal and flare. Since most clinical itches do not have a wheal or flare and do not respond to antihistamines, histamine is not thought to contribute to most itches (Ikoma et al., 2006). Cowhage refers to a tropical legume or, in this case, the loose hairs that cover the pods of Mucuna pruriens, and evoke itch. The active component of cowhage is mucunain, a cysteine protease that serves as a ligand for protease-activated receptors (PARs) 2 and 4 (Reddy et al., 2008). The identification of an endogenous mediator with properties similar to cowhage could lead to insights into non-histamine mediated itch. We focused on human cathepsin S because it shares active site sequence homology with mucunain and is selectively up-regulated in human keratinocytes upon stimulation with interferon-gamma, consistent with a possible pruritic role in inflammatory skin disease (Schwarz et al., 2002).
An endothelial cell-specific requirement for the UL133-UL138 locus of human cytomegalovirus for efficient virus maturation

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infects a variety of cell types in humans, resulting in a varied pathogenesis in the immunocompromised host. Endothelial cells (ECs) are considered an important target of HCMV infection that may contribute to viral pathogenesis. Although the viral determinants important for entry into ECs are well defined, the molecular determinants regulating postentry tropism in ECs are not known. We previously identified the UL133-UL138 locus encoded within the clinical strain-specific ULb' region of the HCMV genome as important for the latent infection in CD34(+) hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs). Interestingly, this locus, while dispensable for replication in fibroblasts, was required for efficient replication in ECs infected with the TB40E or fusion-inducing factor X (FIX) HCMV strains. ECs infected with a virus lacking the entire locus (UL133-UL138(NULL) virus) complete the immediate-early and early phases of infection but are defective for infectious progeny virus production. ECs infected with UL133-UL138(NULL) virus exhibited striking differences in the organization of intracellular membranes and in the assembly of mature virions relative to ECs infected with wild-type (WT) virus. In UL133-UL138(NULL) virus-infected ECs, Golgi stacks were disrupted, and the viral assembly compartment characteristic of HCMV infection failed to form. Further, progeny virions in UL133-UL138(NULL) virus-infected ECs inefficiently acquired the virion tegument and secondary envelope. These defects were specific to infection in ECs and not observed in fibroblasts infected with UL133-UL138(NULL) virus, suggesting an EC-specific requirement for the UL133-UL138 locus for late stages of replication. To our knowledge, the UL133-UL138 locus represents the first cell-type-dependent, postentry tropism determinant required for viral maturation.
Control Beliefs and Risk for Death, Stroke and Myocardial Infarction in Middle-aged and Older Adults: An Observational Study

Background Chronic health conditions account for the largest proportion of illness-related mortality and morbidity as well as most of healthcare spending in the USA. Control beliefs may be important for outcomes in individuals with chronic illness.
Cooperative interactions between activating transcription factor 4 and Runx2/Cbfa1 stimulate osteoblast-specific osteocalcin gene expression

The role of ATF4 (activating transcription factor 4) in osteoblast differentiation and bone formation was recently described using ATF4-deficient mice (Yang, X., Matsuda, K., Bialek, P., Jacquot, S., Masuoka, H. C., Schinke, T., Li, L., Brancorsini, S., Sassone-Corsi, P., Townes, T. M., Hanauer, A., and Karsenty, G. (2004) Cell 117, 387-398). However, the mechanisms of ATF4 in bone cells are still not clear. In this study, we determined the molecular mechanisms through which ATF4 activates the mouse osteocalcin (Ocn) gene 2 (mOG2) expression and mOG2 promoter activity. ATF4 increased the levels of Ocn mRNA and mOG2 promoter activity in Runx2-containing osteoblasts but not in non-osteoblastic cells that lack detectable Runx2 protein. However, ATF4 increased Ocn mRNA and mOG2 promoter activity in non-osteoblastic cells when Runx2 was co-expressed. Mutational analysis of the OSE1 (ATF4-binding site) and the two OSE2s (Runx2-binding sites) in the 657-bp mOG2 promoter demonstrated that ATF4 and Runx2 activate Ocn via cooperative interactions with these sites. Pull-down assays using nuclear extracts from osteoblasts or COS-7 cells overexpressing ATF4 and Runx2 showed that both factors are present in either anti-ATF4 and anti-Runx2 immunoprecipitates. In contrast, pull-down assays using purified glutathione S-transferase fusion proteins were unable to demonstrate a direct physical interaction between ATF4 and Runx2. Thus, accessory factors are likely involved in stabilizing interactions between these two molecules. Regions within Runx2 required for ATF4 complex formation and activation were identified. Deletion analysis showed that the leucine zipper domain of ATF4 is critical for Runx2 activation. This study is the first demonstration that cooperative interactions between ATF4 and Runx2/Cbfa1 stimulate osteoblast-specific Ocn expression and suggests that this regulation may represent a novel intramolecular mechanism regulating Runx2 activity and, thereby, osteoblast differentiation and bone formation.
Theory of highly excited semiconductor nanostructures including Auger coupling: Exciton-biexciton mixing in CdSe nanocrystals

We present a theory of highly excited interacting carriers confined in a semiconductor nanostructure, incorporating Auger coupling between excited states with different number of excitations. The Coulomb matrix elements connecting exciton, biexciton, and triexciton complexes are derived and an intuitive picture of breaking neutral multiexction complexes into positively and negatively charged multiexciton complexes is given. The general approach is illustrated by analyzing the coupling of biexciton and exciton in CdSe spherical nanocrystals. The electron and hole states are computed using an atomistic $s{p}^{3}{d}^{5}{s}^{*}$ tight binding Hamiltonian including an effective crystal field splitting and surface passivation. For each number of electron-hole pairs the many-body spectrum is computed in the configuration-interaction approach. The low-energy correlated biexciton levels are broken into charged complexes: a hole and a negatively charged trion and an electron and a positively charged trion. Out of a highly excited exciton spectrum a subspace coupled to biexciton levels via Auger processes is identified. The interaction between correlated biexciton and exciton states is treated using exact diagonalization techniques. This allows to extract the spectral function of the biexciton and relate its width and amplitude to the characteristic amplitude and time scale of the coherent time evolution of the coupled system. It is shown that this process can be described by the Fermi's golden rule only if a fast relaxation of the excitonic subsystem is accounted for.
The Operational Implementation of a Great Lakes Wave Forecasting System at NOAA/NCEP*

AbstractThe development of a Great Lakes wave forecasting system at NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) is described. The system is an implementation of the WAVEWATCH III model, forced with atmospheric data from NCEP’s regional Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model [the North American Mesoscale Model (NAM)] and the National Digital Forecast Database (NDFD). Reviews are made of previous Great Lakes wave modeling efforts. The development history of NCEP’s Great Lakes wave forecasting system is presented. A performance assessment is made of model wind speeds, as well as wave heights and periods, relative to National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) measurements. Performance comparisons are made relative to NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) wave prediction system. Results show that 1- and 2-day forecasts from NCEP have good skill in predicting wave heights and periods. NCEP’s system provides a better representation of measured wave periods, relative to the GLER...
Teaching Mediation: When Practice Outweighs Theory

As a peace and conflict researcher, certified in both solution-oriented and transformative mediation, I am always pleased to see attempts at bridging differences between opposing parties. Ironicall...
The Heritable Syndrome of Prolonged Q-T Interval, Syncope, and Sudden Death: Electron Microscopic Observations

A family with the heritable syndrome of prolonged Q-T interval is reported. Three members died suddenly. Six had a prolonged Q-T interval. One had syncopal episodes for four years but has had no syncope since therapy with propranolol was initiated two years ago. The inheritance appears to be autosomal dominant. There was no evidence of hearing defects. Histologic and electron microscopic studies were performed on cardiac tissue from one patient. This is the first report of electron microscopic studies, and the findings suggest a possible defect of calcium metabolism in the myofiber.
Towards Practical Print-from-video: Improved Pattern Filtering

Print-from-video can be achieved by using super-resolution (SR) techniques. These techniques involve combining information from multiple low resolution images to generate and print a high resolution image. Among the existing SR techniques, the most suitable technique for deployment on portable consumer electronics products having limited processing and memory resources is the shift-and-add method. However, this technique is known to generate artifacts when applied to real video sequences. This paper introduces a number of improvements made to the shift-and-add technique to reduce the level of artifacts so that it can be deployed on portable camera devices. These improvements, named improved pattern filtering, consist of three computationally efficient steps of frame alignment, frame selection, and frame fusion. In these steps, motion vector field and DCT coefficient information are derived from an MPEG codec and utilized to improve the quality of printed images. The effectiveness of the developed solution is demonstrated by showing both quantitative and qualitative comparison results.
Direct Machining Of A Non-Axisymmetric Phase Corrector

One of the most challenging optical components to fabricate is a non-axisymetric part. We at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory recently used the Large Optics Diamond Turning Machine, (LODTM), to make a part called a phase corrector. The Phase corrector is an annular opical component that is used to generate a known spectrum of time varying aberration. If the corrector has the proper distribution of spatial frequencies and amplitudes it will function correctly. Since the frequencies and amplitudes were the important requirement on the surface figure, the surface of the part was specified in the Fourier domain. A surface profile was generated from the spectrum which contained spatial frequencies as high as 40 cycles per revolution. The spatial frequency maps into a time domain frequency for the z- axis tool bar that is dependent on the spindle speed. At 40 cycles per revolution, any reasonable spindle speed taxed the band width limits of the z-axis tool bar. In order to decrease the errors in the surface figure due to machine dynamics, a technique for compensating for the dynamics in the Fourier domain was developed. The non-axisymetric phase corrector was directly machined out of brass on the LODTM. Test measurements of the surface figure were made with an LVDT on LODTM and compared to the commanded profile both in the spatial and frequency domains. The surface quality was measured with a Wyco Model 1000P surface analyzer.
Ubiquitination Regulates Expression of the Serine/Arginine-rich Splicing Factor 1 (SRSF1) in Normal and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) T Cells

T cells from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) exhibit reduced expression of the critical T cell receptor (TCR)-associated CD3ζ signaling chain and are poor producers of the vital cytokine IL-2. By oligonucleotide pulldown and mass spectrometry discovery approaches, we identified the splicing regulator serine/arginine-rich splicing factor (SRSF) 1 or splicing factor 2/alternative splicing factor (SF2/ASF) to be important in the expression of CD3ζ chain. Importantly, increases in the expression of SRSF1 rescued IL-2 production in T cells from patients with SLE. In this study, we investigated the regulation of SRSF1 expression in resting and activated human T cells. We found that T cell stimulation induced a rapid and significant increase in mRNA expression of SRSF1; however, protein expression levels did not correlate with this increase. Co-engagement of CD28 induced a similar mRNA induction and reduction in protein levels. Proteasomal but not lysosomal degradation was involved in this down-regulation as evidenced by blocking with specific inhibitors MG132 and bafilomycin, respectively. Immunoprecipitation studies showed increased ubiquitination of SRSF1 in activated T cells. Interestingly, T cells from patients with SLE showed increased ubiquitination of SRSF1 when compared with those from healthy individuals. Our results demonstrate a novel mechanism of regulation of the splicing factor SRSF1 in human T cells and a potential molecular mechanism that controls its expression in SLE.
Methodenstreit: The economics of competing interests

Abstract The Methodenstreit between the Austrian School and the German Historical School was a famous controversy of nineteenth century economics. This paper argues and presents evidence to the effect that this debate was spurred by interest-group concerns. In essence, Austrian economists were trying to enter the German academic cartel managed by Schmoller.
Design of a Piezoelectric-hydraulic Pump with Active Valves

The design of a piezoelectric-hydraulic pump with innovative active valves is presented in this study. The pump structure consists of a piezoelectric stack actuator and two piezoelectric unimorph d...
Cooperative forest fire surveillance using a team of small unmanned air vehicles

The objective of this paper is to explore the feasibility of using multiple low-altitude, short endurance (LASE) unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) to cooperatively monitor and track the propagation of large forest fires. A real-time algorithm is described for tracking the perimeter of fires with an on-board infrared sensor. Using this algorithm, we develop a decentralized multiple-UAV approach to monitoring the perimeter of a fire. The UAVs are assumed to have limited communication and sensing range. The effectiveness of the approach is demonstrated in simulation using a six degree-of-freedom dynamic model for the UAV and a numerical propagation model for the forest fire. Salient features of the approach include the ability to monitor a changing fire perimeter, the ability to systematically add and remove UAVs from the team, and the ability to supply time-critical information to fire fighters.
Clostridium difficile infection in orthopaedic patients

In a review of the results of toxin assays, twenty-five orthopaedic patients who had a Clostridium difficile infection and associated diarrhea were identified. The infection was due to the use of antibiotics in all but one patient. Seventeen patients had received the antibiotics prophylactically. The two most commonly implicated antibiotics were cefazolin and clindamycin, because those drugs had been commonly used for prophylaxis at the study institutions. However, other antibiotics were implicated. There was a positive correlation between the delay in diagnosis and the severity of the illness. A white blood-cell count of more than 20 x 10(9) per liter indicated severe disease in our survey. The possibility of Clostridium difficile infection should be considered in patients who have signs and symptoms that mimic those of intestinal obstruction. Patients who have an unexplained fever or high white blood-cell count and in whom diarrhea develops in the postoperative period should be treated immediately with metronidazole, and a specimen of stool should be obtained for an assay for Clostridium difficile toxin. If the diagnosis of Clostridium difficile infection is confirmed by the presence of toxin in the stool and the patient has persistent, severe diarrhea, oral administration of vancomycin should be added to the regimen. The duration of antibiotic prophylaxis should be minimized to decrease the risk of Clostridium difficile colitis.
Nicotine suppresses hyperexcitability of colonic sensory neurons and visceral hypersensivity in mouse model of colonic inflammation.

Recently, we reported that nicotine in vitro at a low 1-μM concentration suppresses hyperexcitability of colonic dorsal root ganglia (DRG; L1-L2) neurons in the dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced...
The Duplicity of Paper: Counterfeit, Discretion, and Bureaucratic Authority in Early Colonial Madras

Shifts in writing technology are usually taken to mark a shift from discretionary to rule-bound, impersonal forms of government. Equating writing technology with rules, however, obscures how counterfeiting, both alleged and real, and the exertion of official discretion can consolidate a government of writing. In his important study of Yemeni scribal culture, The Calligraphic State: Textual Domination and History in a Muslim Society, Brinkley Messick modifies Weberian models of domination by calling for the study of textual domination that intersects in diverse ways with other dimensions of authority. Messick relates the demise of the calligraphic state to the advent of legal codification and print technology. With the arrival of impersonal documents of government and a form of rational law, he argues, writing itself ceased to be the “non-arbitrary mark of the person” and the relationship between the sign and signified was no longer connected by an intermediary figure. Similarly, the notion that the innovations of disciplinary writing constituted a new assemblage of control exercised through the “unavoidable visibility of subjects” has been extremely productive in delineating the colonial career of modern infrastructural power. Following the work of Bernard Cohn, the colonial state's “investigative modalities” have been shown to be integral to colonial command and the production of an ever-accumulating corpus of reports. Statistical surveys, reports, and censuses in colonies did not create a uniform template of rule but did enable the operation of inherently selective, targeted, and differentially articulated projects of governance. These gains notwithstanding, the debates over colonial governance have remained limited to differing estimations of the state's successful mastery of information, and whether its taxonomies were collaboratively authored by intermediaries or imposed upon the colonized. We need to give more attention to the complex articulation of records and reports with the law under conditions of exogenous rule.
Risk factors for a complicated clinical course among women hospitalized with pelvic inflammatory disease.

The aim of this study was to identify factors ascertainable at initial presentation that predict a complicated clinical course in HIV-negative women hospitalized with pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). We used data from a cross-sectional study ofwomen admitted for clinically diagnosed PID to a public hospital in New York City. A complicated clinical course was defined as undergoing surgery, being readmitted for PID, or having a prolonged hospital stay (>-14 days) but no surgery. Logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors of complications. In adjusted analyses, older age (>-35 years) was a risk factor for prolonged hospital stay (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 3.9; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.3-11.6) and surgery (OR 10.4; CI 2.5-44.1); self-reported drug use was a risk factor for readmission for PID (OR 7.7; CI 1.4-41.1) and surgery (OR 6.2; CI 1.8-20.5). Older age and self-reported drug use appear to be independent risk factors for a complicated clinical course among women hospitalized with PID. Infect. Dis. Obstet. Gynecol.
Task plan generation for intelligent machines

The issue of structural formulation of task plan generation for intelligent machines is investigated from the perspective of artificial intelligence. The knowledge base of the machines is represented by a relational database, and the task-planning process is modeled by a condition/event net. It is shown that the task plans generated by the formulation proposed are Petri net languages and that any task-planning strategy can be achieved by a supervisory task planner. The objective of such a structural formulation is to establish a formal framework for the task plan generation of intelligent machines in terms of concepts in mathematical logic. This framework can serve as the foundation of analytical task plan generation at different levels of the hierarchical structure of intelligent machines. In other words, the framework may play the role of domain space upon which various analytical design approaches, such as the probabilistic method and neural network computing, can be integrated to specify the task plan generation in both architectural and computational aspects. >
An indirect mixed-sensitivity approach to microgravity vibration isolation: the exploitation of kinematic coupling in frequency-weighting design-filter selections

The isolation systems planned for use with the International Space Station have been appropriately modeled using relative position, velocity, and acceleration states. In theory, frequency-weighting design filters can be applied to these state-space models, in order to develop optimal H/sub 2/ or mixed-norm controllers with desired stability and performance characteristics. In practice, however, the kinematic coupling among the various states can lead through the associated frequency-weighting-filters, to conflicting demands on the Riccati design "machinery". In addition, kinematic coupling can result in a redundancy in the demands imposed by the frequency weights. This paper suggests a rational approach to the assignment of frequency-weighting design filters, in the presence of the kinematic coupling among states that exists in the microgravity vibration isolation problem.
Molecular Cloning and Characterization of SmLIM, a Developmentally Regulated LIM Protein Preferentially Expressed in Aortic Smooth Muscle Cells

Differentiated, quiescent vascular smooth muscle cells assume a dedifferentiated, proliferative phenotype in response to injury, one of the hallmarks of arteriosclerosis. Members of the LIM family of zinc-finger proteins are important in the differentiation of various cells including striated muscle. We describe here the molecular cloning and characterization of a developmentally regulated smooth muscle LIM protein, SmLIM, that is expressed preferentially in the rat aorta. This 194-amino acid protein has two LIM domains, and comparisons of rat SmLIM with its mouse and human homologues reveal high levels of amino acid sequence conservation (100 and 99%, respectively). SmLIM is a nuclear protein and maps to human chromosome 3. SmLIM mRNA expression was high in aorta but not in striated muscle and low in other smooth muscle tissues such as intestine and uterus. In contrast with arterial tissue, SmLIM mRNA was barely detectable in venous tissue. The presence of SmLIM expression within aortic smooth muscle cells was confirmed by in situ hybridization. In vitro, SmLIM mRNA levels decreased by 80% in response to platelet-derived growth factor-BB in rat aortic smooth muscle cells. In vivo, SmLIM mRNA decreased by 60% in response to vessel wall injury during periods of maximal smooth muscle cell proliferation. The down-regulation of SmLIM by phenotypic change in vascular smooth muscle cells suggests that it may be involved in their growth and differentiation.
On the implications of routing metric staleness in delay tolerant networks

Delay Tolerant Network (DTN) routing addresses challenges of providing end-to-end service where end-to-end data forwarding paths may not exist. The performance of current DTN routing protocols is often limited by routing metric ''staleness'', i.e., routing information that becomes out-of-date or inaccurate because of long propagation delays. Our previous work, ParaNets, proposed a new opportunistic network architecture in which the data channel is augmented by a thin end-to-end control channel. The control channel is adequate for the exchange of control traffic, but not data. In this paper we present Cloud Routing, a routing solution for the ParaNets architecture. We motivate the need for such a solution, not only because of stale routing metrics, but also because of congestion that can occur in DTNs. Unable to use up-to-date routing metrics to limit congestion, existing DTN routing solutions suffer from low goodput and long data delivery delays. We show how Cloud Routing avoids congestion by smart use of forwarding opportunities based on up-to-date routing metrics. We evaluate our solution using extensive OPNET simulations. Cloud Routing extends network performance past what is currently possible and motivates a new class of globally cognizant DTN routing solutions.
Bidding in P2P content distribution networks using the lightweight currency paradigm

This paper presents a micropayment-based architecture for P2P content distribution networks using the lightweight currency protocol. Under this architecture, autonomous peers form a dynamic overlay network that evolves as peers buy and sell documents with the lightweight currency protocol (LCP). By adopting a payment-based system, member peers are forced to contribute resources in order to obtain benefits, thus eliminating the free-rider problem. We present a document search mechanism that is based on bidding, with the use of micropayments.
“You have to know the past to (blog) the present:” Using an Educational Blog to Engage Students in U.S. History

In this study the authors investigate whether a whole-class educational blog could facilitate culturally relevant instruction and authentic intellectual work in U.S. history. Qualitative data were collected and analyzed that included student comments posted to an educational blog, classroom observations, and follow-up interviews. Based on the analysis, the authors determined four major findings: (a) Students were able to engage in historical analysis while working in the blog environment when it was focused on a single source and included a hard scaffold; (b) when students situated the activities in relevant cultural experiences, they were able to better use their prior knowledge;(c) a variety of affordances related to blogging encouraged and supported students as they completed their work; and (d) the blogging activities were constrained by the limits of students’ literacy and historical skills, and the limits of technology.
Scalable, Dynamic Analysis and Visualization for Genomic Datasets

A challenge in data analysis and visualization is to build new-generation software tools and systems to truly accelerate scientific discoveries. The recent focus of Princeton's next-generation software project is to investigate how to develop new-generation data analysis and visualization capabilities for genomic scientists to analyze high-throughput genomic datasets. This paper describes the software tools we have recently developed to enable dynamic, large-scale data analysis and visualization of multiple datasets on large-scale, high-resolution display wall systems. Our initial experience with the deployed tools at Princeton's Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics is very encouraging. Scientists can effectively learn new knowledge from multiple datasets, find new insights, and generate new hypotheses that are not possible with current methods.
MPEG-4 Bandwidth Prediction for Broadband Cable Networks

In this paper, we analyze the bandwidth requirements of MPEG-4 and propose and evaluate the accuracy of two new MPEG-4 video traffic models. The first predicts the size of the B-frame while the second predicts the size of the group of pictures (GOP). In a broadband cable network, the B-frame prediction model can be employed by a cable headend to provision video bandwidth efficiently or more importantly, reduce bit rate variability and bandwidth requirements via selective B-frame dropping, thereby minimizing buffering requirements and packet losses at the set top box. It will be shown that the model provides highly accurate prediction for a wide variety of video types, in particular, high action and regular movies encoded in high quality resolution. This is an important benefit since high motion MPEG videos demand the highest bandwidth and generate the widest range of bit rate requirements. Although the B-frame prediction model is very simple to implement, this paper also proposes two methods to simplify its operation further without sacrificing prediction accuracy. We then enhance the B-frame and GOP prediction models using a new scene change detector metric.
Investigating the mechanisms of hoarding from an experimental perspective.

Background: Acquiring and discarding objects are routine decision processes for most people. Despite the ubiquitous need to make such decisions, little is known about how they are made and what goes wrong when individuals acquire and fail to discard so many items that many areas of their home become unlivable (i.e., clinical hoarding). We hypothesize that clinical hoarding reflects a normal variation in the tendency to acquire and retain objects, only just at a more extreme level. Methods: To test this hypothesis, we examined 89 nonclinical, undergraduate students’ performance on a novel experimental paradigm that measures decisions about acquiring and discarding everyday objects. To test our hypothesis, and validate our task as a possible research tool for studying hoarding, we related decisions on the task to a variety of measures known to correlate with clinical hoarding. The paradigm was sensitive to individual differences, as subjects varied widely in the quantity of objects they chose to acquire and retain under an increasing pressure to discard. In addition, we replicated expected relationships from the clinical hoarding literature between acquisition and retention tendencies and self-report measures of hoarding, indecisiveness, and obsessive-compulsive behavior. Results: Our data suggest that decisions about objects, even in a nonclinical undergraduate population, vary widely and are influenced by the same variables that influence clinical hoarding, but to a less extreme degree. Conclusions: Future research with this experimental task can separately investigate the role of acquisition, retention, impulsivity, and sensitivity to constraints in clinical hoarding to inform our understanding of this disorder. Depression and Anxiety 0:1‐13, 2009. r 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Category Management and Coordination in Retail Assortment Planning in the Presence of Basket Shopping Consumers

This paper studies the assortment planning problem with multiple merchandise categories and basket shopping consumers (i.e., consumers who desire to purchase from multiple categories). We present a duopoly model in which retailers choose prices and variety level in each category and consumers make their store choice between retail stores and a no-purchase alternative based on their utilities from each category. The common practice of category management (CM) is an example of a decentralized regime for controlling assortment because each category manager is responsible for maximizing his or her assigned category's profit. Alternatively, a retailer can make category decisions across the store with a centralized regime. We show that CM never finds the optimal solution and provides both less variety and higher prices than optimal. In a numerical study, we demonstrate that profit loss due to CM can be significant. Finally, we propose a decentralized regime that uses basket profits, a new metric, rather than accounting profits. Basket profits are easily evaluated using point-of-sale data, and the proposed method produces near-optimal solutions.
Chemotherapy only in early-stage Hodgkin lymphoma: More relapses but "same" (or possibly worse) survival - Reconsidering the misguided trend to omit radiotherapy

The standard treatment of early-stage Hodgkin lymphoma (ESHL) as recommended by most national guidelines is combined modality treatment (CMT) that includes a short course ABVD followed by a small field of low dose radiotherapy (RT). Recently a trend to treat patients with more chemotherapy alone has been promoted by some claiming that chemotherapy alone is good enough, and the overall survival is similar. These arguments need to be carefully examined, and the risk of more chemotherapy upfront and salvage considered. The suggestion that interim PET will identify patients that can have similar results with chemotherapy alone has recently been questioned by the results of both European and UK studies. It is the subject of this critical review.
Goodness-of-fit test for a logistic regression model fitted using survey sample data

After a logistic regression model has been fitted, a global test of goodness of fit of the resulting model should be performed. A test that is commonly used to assess model fit is the Hosmer–Lemesh...
Lactoferrin protects rabbits from Shigella flexneri-induced inflammatory enteritis

Shigella species cause bacillary dysentery in humans by invasion, intracellular multiplication, spread to adjacent cells, and induction of brisk inflammatory responses in the intestinal epithelium. In vitro data suggest that lactoferrin, a glycoprotein present in human mucosal secretions, has a role in protection from bacterial enteric infections. We sought to determine the activity of lactoferrin in vivo, using the concentration present in human colostrum, to investigate its effect on the development of clinical and pathological evidence of inflammation in a rabbit model of enteritis. Lactoferrin protected rabbits infected with Shigella flexneri from developing inflammatory intestinal disease. Typical histological changes in ill animals included villous blunting with sloughing of epithelial cells, submucosal edema, infiltration of leukocytes, venous congestion, and hemorrhage. Lactoferrin at a concentration normally found in human colostrum blocks development of S. flexneri-induced inflammatory enteritis.
NCL: a C++ class library for interpreting data files in NEXUS format.

Summary: The NEXUS Class Library (NCL) is a collection of C++ classes designed to simplify interpreting data files written in the NEXUS format used by many computer programs for phylogenetic analyses. The NEXUS format allows different programs to share the same data files, even though none of the programs can interpret all of the data stored therein. Because users are not required to reformat the data file for each program, use of the NEXUS format prevents cut-and-paste errors as well as the proliferation of copies of the original data file. The purpose of making the NCL available is to encourage the use of the NEXUS format by making it relatively easy for programmers to add the ability to interpret NEXUS files in newly developed software. Availability: The NCL is freely available under the GNU General Public License from http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.
Asthma and Adolescents: Review of Strategies to Improve Control.

One of every 10 adolescents in the United States has asthma. Adolescents who lack asthma control are at increased risk for severe asthma episodes and death. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute 2007 asthma guidelines and research studies indicated that school nurses are instrumental in assisting adolescents to monitor their asthma, learn asthma self-management skills, and improve health outcomes. This integrative review examines the research from 2005 to 2011 to identify strategies for school nurses to employ with adolescents to foster self-management skills. The research reviewed here supports the need for school nurses to engage adolescents with asthma to practice self-management behaviors. They should educate the adolescent for asthma, monitor how well the adolescent controls asthma, manage acute asthma episodes by using an asthma action plan, and coordinate care by obtaining written consent from parents to share health information with health care providers.
Uniform asymptotic stability of linear time-varying singularly perturbed systems

Abstract An upper bound for the singular perturbation parameter is found for the uniform asymptotic stability of singularly perturbed linear time-varying systems.
Effect of nitrogen-form on plant growth and nutrient composition of creeping bentgrass

The effect of nitrogen-form on the growth and nutrient composition of ‘Penncross’ creeping bentgrass [Agrostis palustris (Huds.)] was determined on turfgrass grown in nutrient solution culture under greenhouse conditions. The nutrient solutions consisted of a modified Hoagland’s solution with the form of nitrogen as either nitrate, ammonium, urea, or a 50:50 ratio of nitrate:ammonium. Non-nitrogen and water (control) treatments were applied. The N concentration was 150 mg N kg −1 with the N sources being (NH4)2SO4, Ca(NO3)2 • 4H2O, and CO(NH2)2 for the ammonium, nitrate, and urea treatments, respectively. The turfgrass was maintained at a height of 1 cm and clipped twice weekly. Dry weight and macronutrient and micronutrient content were determined for shoot, root, verdure, and total plant at the end of the 10 week study. The nitrate treatment yielded the highest shoot dry weight while the urea treatment yielded the highest root, verdure, and total plant dry weight. Both the nitrate- and urea-treated plants yielded more root dry matter than did the ammonium-treated plants. Nitrogen form influenced macronutrient content in the root and verdure. The ammonium-treated plants had the highest N concentration in the roots compared to plants of the nitrate and urea treatments. The nitrate- and urea-treated plants resulted in higher P, Ca, and Mg concentrations in the root compared to those of the ammonium treatment. The urea-treated plants had the highest P, Ca, and Mg concentrations in the verdure. Nitrogen-form influenced micronutrient content in the shoot, root, and verdure. In the shoot tissue, urea-treated plants had the highest B concentration, ammonium-treated plants the highest Fe concentration, and nitrate-treated plants the highest Mn. Generally, the nitrate- and urea-treated plants had higher concentrations of micronutrients in the root tissue compared to the ammonium-treated plants and, in the verdure, nitrate-treated plants had the highest concentrations of micronutrients.
Texto, comunicación y cultura en "Los ríos profundos" de José María Arguedas

Analyse textuelle et semantique inspiree des theories de la communication de Jakobson et de Greimas. Le narrateur pluriel, le modele naturel et social, texte, mythe et sujet dans ce roman de J. M. Arguedas.
The structure and dynamics of secretory component and its interactions with polymeric immunoglobulins

As a first-line vertebrate immune defense, the polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (pIgR) transports polymeric IgA and IgM across epithelia to mucosal secretions, where the cleaved ectodomain (secretory component; SC) becomes a component of secretory antibodies, or when unliganded, binds and excludes bacteria. Here we report the 2.6A crystal structure of unliganded human SC (hSC) and comparisons with a 1.7A structure of teleost fish SC (tSC), an early pIgR ancestor. The hSC structure comprises five immunoglobulin-like domains (D1-D5) arranged as a triangle, with an interface between ligand-binding domains D1 and D5. Electron paramagnetic resonance measurements confirmed the D1-D5 interface in solution and revealed that it breaks upon ligand binding. Together with binding studies of mutant and chimeric SCs, which revealed domain contributions to secretory antibody formation, these results provide detailed models for SC structure, address pIgR evolution, and demonstrate that SC uses multiple conformations to protect mammals from pathogens.
Resuscitative interventions during simulated asystole deviate from the recommended timeline

Objectives Determine how consistently providers follow neonatal resuscitation programme (NRP) guidelines in the management of asystolic infants requiring intensive resuscitation in a simulated environment and determine time to first administration of intravenous adrenaline. Design Neonatal fellows (n=10) underwent delivery room simulation involving an asystolic infant as part of their educational curriculum. Each intervention performed by the resuscitation team during the scenario was timed and compared against recommended timeline (RT) as suggested by NRP. Results Ten simulations were conducted. Heart rate auscultation and initiation of positive pressure ventilation occurred on average within 10 s of the RT. Asystole was correctly identified by auscultation in 6 (60%) cases. Initiation of cardiopulmonary resuscitation on average was 60 s later than RT. Time to place an umbilical catheter was almost twice the RT (354±100 s) and time to first dose of intravenous adrenaline was almost 120 s later than the RT. Average time to discontinuation of resuscitation was 17 min, 43 s, which was 10 min, 42 s after initial intravenous adrenaline. Conclusions Critical resuscitation steps during intensive resuscitation often occur later than the RT. Identifying asystole by auscultation is difficult, takes time and can delay responses. Even a trained team during a simulation code took over 7 min to administer the initial dose of intravenous adrenaline. Recommendations related to discontinuation of resuscitation should clearly delineate what constitutes effective resuscitation (minimum of early intubation, intravenous adrenaline). We recommend the ‘timer’ to discontinuation of resuscitation only starts following the first dose of intravenous adrenaline.
Abstract 3206: Multistage vectored siRNA targeting ataxia-telangiectasia mutated for breast cancer therapy.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC The ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) protein plays a central role in DNA damage response and cell cycle checkpoints, and may be a promising target for cancer therapy if normal tissue toxicity could be avoided. Our strategy to target ATM for breast cancer therapy involves the use of liposomal-encapsulated, gene-specific ATM small interfering RNA (siRNA) delivered with a well-characterized porous silicon-based multistage vector (MSV) delivery system (MSV/ATM). Here we have shown that biweekly treatment of MSV/ATM suppressed ATM expression in tumor tissues, and consequently inhibited growth of MDA-MB-231 orthotopic tumor in nude mice. At the therapeutic dosage, neither free liposomal ATM siRNA nor MSV/ATM triggered acute immune response in BALB/c mice, including changes in serum cytokines, chemokines or colony-stimulating factors. Weekly treatments of mice with free liposomal ATM siRNA or MSV/ATM for 4 weeks did not cause significant changes in body weight, hematology, blood biochemistry, or major organ histology. These results indicate that MSV/ATM is biocompatible and efficacious in inhibiting tumor growth, and that further preclinical evaluation is warranted for the development of MSV/ATM as a potential therapeutic agent. Citation Format: Rong Xu, Yi Huang, Jun Hua Mai, Guo Dong Zhang, Xiao Jing Guo, Xiao Jun Xia, Eugene J Koay, Xue Wu Liu, Mauro Ferrari, Hai Fa Shen. Multistage vectored siRNA targeting ataxia-telangiectasia mutated for breast cancer therapy. [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 3206. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-3206
Gastric retention associated with gastroduodenal disease. A study of 17 cases.

Two hundred and seventeen hospitalized male veterans were found to have evidence of gastric retention due to local disease, usually duodenal ulcer. The diagnosis of gastric retention was clinically unsuspected in one–third, often because of “ayptical” features. For example, half did not have typical obstructive vomiting, and one–sixth had no vomiting.
Influence of selected weed control practices on araneid faunal composition and abundance in sugarcane

In a 3-year study of spiders collected in weedy versus weed-free habitats in Louisiana sugarcane fields, pitfall trap catches showed no differences in diversity (as determined by the number of species and their individuals) of ground associated spider fauna. Diversity of foliage associated spider fauna was 27% higher in grass and mixed weedy than in weed-free and broadleaf habitats in 1983, based on D-Vac samples. Sweep net counts in 1984 revealed a 39% higher foliar spider diversity in weedy than in weed-free habitats. Overall spider abundance in sugarcane decreased with seasonal progression. Additionally, comparisons of weed-free, grass, broadleaf, and mixed weed habitats showed that weed floral composition seems to have little effect on the collective spider abundance and faunal diversity.
Draft Genome Sequence of Lactobacillus crispatus JCM5810, Which Can Reduce Campylobacter jejuni Colonization in Chicken Intestine

ABSTRACT We present the 2.05-Mb draft genome sequence of Lactobacillus crispatus JCM5810, a chicken intestinal isolate with the ability to reduce Campylobacter jejuni colonization in chickens. The genome sequence will provide insights on the probiotic mechanisms of L. crispatus JCM5810.