cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparative sequences of canine and feline endothelin-1.

Background: Endothelin-1 (ET-1, “mature ET-1”) is a potent vasoconstrictor peptide that is made along with “big ET-1” from its precursor, preproET-1. Increased plasma concentrations of ET-1 and big ET-1 occur with various forms of cardiovascular disease in humans. Our laboratory is investigating plasma endothelins as diagnostic tests of cardiovascular disease in dogs and cats; however, commercial immunoassays designed specifically for use in dogs and cats are limited. Objective: Amino acid sequences of feline and canine big ET-1 were obtained and used to predict antibody cross-reactivity with immunoassay test kits from other species. Methods: Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood and total RNA was extracted from canine and feline left ventricles for reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and PCR amplification of segments of the canine and feline preprohormone containing the big ET-1 sequences. The derived amino acid sequences were compared with known big ET-1 and ET-1 sequences of several other species, including human, mouse, and rat. Results: Feline and canine big ET-1 had 87–97% and 89–100% homology, respectively, with that of other mammalian species. Canine ET-1 was identical to human, mouse, and rat ET-1. In contrast, the amino acid sequence of feline ET-1 was unique owing to a leucine for methionine substitution at position 7. Conclusions: It is highly likely that anti-human and anti-rodent ET-1 antibodies will cross-react with mature canine ET-1. In contrast, antibodies to mature ET-1 intended for use with feline tissues and antibodies to big ET-1 in either dogs or cats may have partial or no cross-reactivity depending on the peptide sequences used to produce the antibodies.
Moving Fluid with Bacterial Carpets

We activated a solid-fluid interface by attaching flagellated bacteria to a solid surface. We adsorbed swarmer cells of Serratia marcescens to polydimethylsiloxane or polystyrene. The cell bodies formed a densely packed monolayer while their flagella continued to rotate freely. Motion of the fluid close to an extended flat surface, visualized with tracer beads, was dramatically enhanced compared to the motion farther away. The tracer beads revealed complex ever-changing flow patterns, some linear (rivers), others rotational (whirlpools). Typical features of this flow were small (tens of μm) and reasonably stable (many minutes). The surface performed active mixing equivalent to diffusion with a coefficient of 2 × 10−7 cm2/s. We call these flat constructs “bacterial carpets”. When attached to polystyrene beads or to fragments of polydimethylsiloxane, the bacteria generated both translation and rotation. We call these constructs “auto-mobile beads” or “auto-mobile chips”. Given the size and strength of the flow patterns near the carpets, the motion must be generated by small numbers of coordinated flagella. We should be able to produce larger and longer-range effects by increasing coordination.
The analysis of stress-induced duplex destabilization in long genomic DNA sequences.

We present a method for calculating predicted locations and extents of stress-induced DNA duplex destabilization (SIDD) as functions of base sequence and stress level in long DNA molecules. The base pair denaturation energies are assigned individually, so the influences of near neighbors, methylated bases, adducts, or lesions can be included. Sample calculations indicate that copolymeric energetics give results that are close to those derived when full near-neighbor energetics are used; small but potentially informative differences occur only in the calculated SIDD properties of moderately destabilized regions. The method presented here for analyzing long sequences calculates the destabilization properties within windows of fixed length N, with successive windows displaced by an offset distance d o. The final values of the relevant destabilization parameters for each base pair are calculated as weighted averages of the values computed for each window in which that base pair appears. This approach implicit...
Alexander Pope's garden at Twickenham: an architectural design proposed

The above lines are part of the discussion of retirement and public life which forms one of the themes of Marvell's poem. At the same time we notice that the specified symbolism, the bastions as suggestive of the senses, tells us something of the way the gardener (and the poet) see the nature of man in an unsettled part of the seventeenth-century: on guard in a potentially hostile world. Thus Marvell's overt theme is given resonance. However, the metaphorical nature of the planting the poet describes is not what we usually think of as architectural in gardening: it is too literal a representation of a piece of architecture for that.
RUNOFF RESPONSES AMONG COMMON LAND USES IN THE UPLANDS OF MATALOM, LEYTE, PHILIPPINES

Changing tropical hydrologic regimes have been attributed to conversion from tropical forest to agricultural use and are a threat to many tropical upland ecosystems. A series of experiments were conducted in headwater catchments of Matalom, Leyte, Philippines, to quantify the effect on the near-surface hydrology of land uses common to the steep slopes and thin, calcareous soils. Overland and subsurface runoff were collected to compare the surface hydrologic response of forested, tilled, slash/mulch, and pasture catchments. The forest site demonstrated the lowest annual runoff response, at less than 3% of rainfall, and the highest rainfall threshold which initiated runoff. Conversely, the pasture site demonstrated the greatest annual runoff response (76%) with the lowest thresholds. A pasture with contour-hedgerows demonstrated greater infiltration than the pasture without this conservation practice, generating runoff at 31% of annual rainfall. The plowed and slash/mulch sites had similar annual runoff responses, at 17% and 13% of rainfall, although the predominant flow pathway differed between these sites. Surface runoff accounted for the majority of runoff at the plowed and pasture-fallow sites; whereas, interflow provided the largest contribution to runoff at the slash/mulch and forest sites.
Rocket Observation of X-Ray Emission in a Solar Flare

THE report1 of normal Lyman alpha- and enhanced X-ray emissions from the Sun during a solar flare on July 20, 1956, presents several problems in connexion with observations of ionospheric absorption as well as the physics of the solar corona.
Preliminary findings of a telehealth approach to parent training in autism.

Telehealth or online communication technologies may lessen the gap between intervention requirements for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and the available resources to provide these services. This study used a video conferencing and self-guided website to provide parent training in the homes of children with ASD. The first eight families to complete the 12-week online intervention and three-month follow up period served as pilot data. Parents’ intervention skills and engagement with the website, as well as children’s verbal language and joint attention skills were assessed. Preliminary research suggests telehealth may support parental learning and improve child behaviors for some families. This initial assessment of new technologies for making parent training resources available to families with ASD merits further, in-depth study.
Encoding and decoding amplitude-modulated cochlear implant stimuli—a point process analysis

Cochlear implant speech processors stimulate the auditory nerve by delivering amplitude-modulated electrical pulse trains to intracochlear electrodes. Studying how auditory nerve cells encode modulation information is of fundamental importance, therefore, to understanding cochlear implant function and improving speech perception in cochlear implant users. In this paper, we analyze simulated responses of the auditory nerve to amplitude-modulated cochlear implant stimuli using a point process model. First, we quantify the information encoded in the spike trains by testing an ideal observer’s ability to detect amplitude modulation in a two-alternative forced-choice task. We vary the amount of information available to the observer to probe how spike timing and averaged firing rate encode modulation. Second, we construct a neural decoding method that predicts several qualitative trends observed in psychophysical tests of amplitude modulation detection in cochlear implant listeners. We find that modulation information is primarily available in the sequence of spike times. The performance of an ideal observer, however, is inconsistent with observed trends in psychophysical data. Using a neural decoding method that jitters spike times to degrade its temporal resolution and then computes a common measure of phase locking from spike trains of a heterogeneous population of model nerve cells, we predict the correct qualitative dependence of modulation detection thresholds on modulation frequency and stimulus level. The decoder does not predict the observed loss of modulation sensitivity at high carrier pulse rates, but this framework can be applied to future models that better represent auditory nerve responses to high carrier pulse rate stimuli. The supplemental material of this article contains the article’s data in an active, re-usable format.
Designing research to investigate student learning

The call for evidence-based research in education has accelerated in recent years, accompanied by the need to examine the nature of inquiry into student learning. Donovan and Pellegrino (2003) make a strong appeal to improve the quality of classroom research, stating that "education needs high-quality research if the results are to be reliable for the purposes of improving practice". The challenge for a researcher in the classroom is, how can one generate valid and reliable data to address a hypothesis when the research venue is variable and data are messy? In order to address this question, educators must establish standard methods and experimental designs for research that can be applied in many classroom settings. Our goal in this article is to analyze several different experimental designs and evaluate the validity of each approach in the context of an example research question. We build on the series of recent Pathways articles, which provided standard methods to assess student understanding and practical advice for implementation. In March, we demonstrated how instructors can search for patterns in students' thinking by using validated rubrics. In April, we extended these ideas by providing examples of how to code students' work. In this article, we will explain how we would design a research study to analyze how students approach an ill-structured problem (one with multiple approaches and solutions). We propose the following research question: "How can guiding questions associated with an ill-structured problem help students scaffold their knowledge and promote critical thinking and analysis?"
Pisum lipoxygenase genes.

The copy number, genomic arrangement and linkage relationships of two classes of lipoxygenase gene have been investigated in Pisum(pea) lines. Each of the two classes contained two to three members in P. sativum lines. RFLPs associated with genomic fragments containing the 5′ sequences of one gene class permitted its correlation in genetical analyses with a lipoxygenase locus on linkage group 4, which was previously identified through polypeptide variation. Genetical analyses of RFLPs associated with other fragments identified by low- and medium-stringency hybridization to lipoxygenase cDNAs indicate the existence of other unlinked lipoxygenase gene loci.
Enzyme-Substrate Intermediate at a Specific Lysine Residue Is Required for Deoxyhypusine Synthesis THE ROLE OF LYS329 IN HUMAN DEOXYHYPUSINE SYNTHASE

Deoxyhypusine synthase catalyzes the first step in the post-translational synthesis of hypusine [Ne-(4-amino-2-hydroxybutyl)lysine] in eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A. We recently reported biochemical evidence for a covalent enzyme-substrate intermediate involving a specific lysine residue (Lys329) in human deoxyhypusine synthase (Wolff, E. C., Folk, J. E., and Park, M. H. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272, 15865–15871). In an effort to evaluate the role of this enzyme-substrate intermediate in catalysis, we carried out site-directed mutagenesis (Lys to Arg and/or Ala) of the conserved lysine residues in human deoxyhypusine synthase. A drastic reduction in enzyme intermediate formation and enzymatic activities was observed with mutant proteins with substitution at Lys287 but not with those with mutations at residues 141, 156, 205, 212, 226, 251, or 338. Lys to Ala or Lys to Arg substitution at Lys329 totally abolished covalent enzyme-substrate intermediate formation and deoxyhypusine synthesis activity, indicating that Lys329 is the unique site for the enzyme intermediate and that it is absolutely required for deoxyhypusine synthesis in the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A precursor. The K329A mutant showed spermidine cleavage activity (∼6% of the wild type enzyme) suggesting that in contrast to deoxyhypusine synthesis, spermidine cleavage can occur without enzyme intermediate formation.
A free-cell system of raising seedlings to conserve greenhouse energy use

Abstract Increased energy costs are forcing growers to seek new strategies to stay in business. Greenhouse operators are particularly hard hit. Better utilization of space within the greenhouse and growing plants in less time are two ways to counter rising costs. Container systems based on free or single cells would ease the automation of processes from sowing seed to transplanting seedlings. Automation, coupled with computer based expert systems, could significantly lower unit production costs by making possible the culling, variable spacing, and sorting of seedlings on an individual basis. Preliminary tests indicate that sowing one seed per cell, then culling cells without satisfactory seedlings, could give results equivalent to the labor intensive procedure of sowing multiple seeds per cell, then thinning the emerged plants.
Tau interaction with microtubules in vivo

Tau is a major microtubule-associated protein which induces bundling and stabilization of axonal microtubules (MTs). To investigate the interaction of tau with MTs in living cells, we expressed GFP-tau fusion protein in cultured Xenopus embryo neurons and performed time-lapse imaging of tau-labeled MTs. Tau uniformly labeled individual MTs regardless of their assembly/disassembly status and location along the axon. Photobleaching experiments indicated that interaction of tau with MTs is very dynamic, with a half-time of fluorescence recovery of the order of 3 seconds. Treatment of cells with taxol, a drug that suppresses MT dynamics, rapidly induced detachment of tau from MTs. Although binding of tau to straight MTs was uniform, there was a heightened concentration of tau at the sites of high MT curvature. Our results suggest that dynamic interaction of tau with MTs may modify local mechanical properties of individual MTs and play a crucial role in the remodeling of the MT cytoskeleton during neuronal plasticity.
Job Preference in the People's Republic of China: Distinguishing the Self From Others

ABSTRACT Job-preference rankings were collected from a sample of middle-level managers and cadres in the People's Republic of China in 1986. Respondents provided rankings of 10 job factors as they applied to themselves, other Chinese, and United States workers. Chinese managers viewed their own job preferences as different from the preferences of the other two groups and perceived other Chinese and U.S. workers to have relatively similar job preferences. The Chinese managers also ranked an intrinsic job factor more highly for themselves and extrinsic job factors more highly for other Chinese and U.S. workers. These findings are discussed in terms of management training, leadership roles, perceptual and attributional processes, and cultural factors.
Service Integration to Reduce Homelessness in Los Angeles County: Multiple Stakeholder Perspectives

Homeless people are among the most marginalized individuals in the United States and experience significant rates of morbidity and mortality. Los Angeles County, California, has the highest concentration of homeless individuals in the nation, and although it features the largest health and social services system available to homeless people, it faces significant challenges to provide cost-effective integrated care. Housing and highly coordinated or integrated care represents an efficient and effective way to serve homeless individuals. Based on content analysis of symposium proceedings that included multiple stakeholders who engaged in a daylong structured conversation about challenges and opportunities related to the development of a fully integrated system of care, this manuscript presents insights about the state of service integration in the largest county in the United States. We discuss implications for the health and social services system, including a call for developing an strategic plan to verti...
Efficacy of Cold for Pain: Fact or Fallacy?

(1) A simple and inexpensive therapy, cold application has been accepted for decades as an effective nonpharmacologic intervention for pain management. The purpose of this research synthesis is to explore the literature regarding the physiologic effects of cold, the effectiveness of cold, different modalities used for cold application, and the potential complications associated with the use of cold application. Several studies have shown ice to be effective in pain management associated with orthopedic procedures while other studies have shown contrary evidence. Studies have shown ice to be ineffective in pain associated with abdominal procedures. Studies involving pain associated with injections revealed significant positive findings with adults but not with children. Of the studies reviewed by this author, scientific rigor is often lacking which leaves the validity of the findings in question indicating a need for further investigation into the use of cold for relief of pain. As responsible caregivers, nurses must take the initiative to validate such interventions with a variety of pain experiences with controlled scientific investigations.
Construction of an experimental second-harmonic CUSP GUN GRYO-TWT amplifier

Summary form only given. There is considerable interest in millimeter-wave amplifiers to be used in high-resolution advanced radar and communications applications. The gyro-TWT is an excellent candidate for these applications because of its potential to produce high power at millimeter-wave frequencies with broad bandwidth. There has been significant achievement in fundamental cyclotron frequency mode gyro-TWTs; however, they require superconducting magnets which increases the size, weight and complexity of operating the gyro-TWT. The required magnetic field for a gyro-TWT for a given frequency of operation is reduced by the number of the cyclotron harmonic; thus, with harmonic operation the gyro-TWT can potentially operate at high frequencies with conventional magnets or even permanent magnets. Unfortunately, gyro-TWTs operating at harmonics with a magnetron injection gun (MIG) suffer a significant loss in efficiency especially at higher harmonics. An axis-encircling beam is more suited to interact in a harmonic device. In the case of the MIG, electrons are constrained to a fixed azimuth so some electrons experience a weak RF field, while others over saturate in a strong field. In the axis-encircling beam, electrons rotate through both the peaks and nulls of the mode yielding a more efficient harmonic interaction. A second harmonic TE21 gyro-TWT is being constructed at UCD that is predicted to produce 50 kW in Ka-band with 20% efficiency, 30 dB saturated gain and 3% bandwidth. The device is driven by a 70 kV, 3.5 A axis-encircling electron beam from a Northrop Grumman cusp gun. The magnetic circuit consists of water cooled copper magnet coils and iron pole pieces. The magnetic circuit is designed to provide both the magnetic field reversal required in the cusp gun region to produce the axis-encircling beam and at the same time a constant axial magnetic field of 5.48 kG in the interaction circuit region over the 42 cm length of the circuit. Recently the magnetic circuit was reoptimized to provide a better field profile match to the field profile required by the cusp gun in the field reversal region. In addition, the axial magnetic field is designed to ensure that each section of the device is free from oscillation
Tuning acceptor energy level for efficient charge collection in copper-phthalocyanine-based organic solar cells

We compare organic donor/acceptor heterojunction photovoltaic devices based on copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) as the donor and [6,6]-phenyl C60 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) or buckminsterfullerene (C60) as the acceptor. The effect of the two acceptors on open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current density is studied. Improved interface properties, optimal energy level matching, and more balanced charge transport are believed to be the reasons for better performance of CuPc/PCBM heterojunction device, in terms of photocurrent and fill factor. The energy conversion efficiency of the devices under AM1.5G solar illumination at 130mW∕cm2 is improved to 1.18%, up from 0.74%.
High temperature superconductivitity in Th-doped Nd2CuO4-y

Abstract We have discovered superconductivity with an onset at ≈20 K in the Nd2-xThxCuO4-y system at x = 0.15. The superconductivity appears to be associated with electrons in the CuO2 planes donated by tetravalent Th which substitutes for trivalent Nd. We have also verified the occurence of superconductivity in the Nd2-xCexCuO4-y system, recently reported by Tokura et al., where the superconductivity is apparently due to electrons donated by tetravalent, or intermediate valent (between +3 and +4), Ce which substitutes for the trivalent Nd ion. These results suggest that high Tc superconductivity in the layered copper oxide compounds involving electrons in the CuO2 planes is a general phenomenon.
Correlation of Minimum Sensory Doneness with Internal Temperature of Deep Fat Fried Chicken Thighs

Abstract Breaded raw chicken thighs were deep-fat fried at 163 C (325 F) to specific internal end-point temperatures in the range of 89 to 99 C. A modified triangle test was used by a trained panel to distinguish differences in doneness and preference in internal end-point temperatures. Results indicated that minimum sensory doneness corresponded with an internal thigh temperature of 93 C (200 F) and a fry time of 14.5 min.
Health-related information seeking: Is it worth it?

In spite of often compelling reasons for why people should seek information, they persistently engage in lower levels of it than might be expected, at times seeking no information at all. The idealized model reflecting dogged persistence, pursuing rational search strategies, until a high-quality answer is found is often assumed in the design of information systems. However, many people confronted with health problems engage in avoidance and denial, making a health care system dependent on proactivity problematic. This essay explores six conditions, the idealized model, avoidance, bewilderment, serendipity, ignorance is bliss, and indolence, that arise from low and high effort strategies when typed by good, contingent, and bad health outcomes. Since a substantial proportion of the population does not act in accordance with our assumptions, it may be time for policy makers, system designers and researchers to revisit their approaches to facilitating health-related information seeking.
CdSe–Graphene Oxide Light-Harvesting Assembly: Size-Dependent Electron Transfer and Light Energy Conversion Aspects

Excited-state interaction between CdSe quantum dots (QDs) of different sizes (2.3, 3.2, and 4.2 nm diameter) and graphene oxide (GO) was probed by depositing them as films on conducting glass electrodes. The emission of smaller CdSe QDs (2.3 nm) was quenched by GO three times faster than that of larger QDs (4.2 nm). Electrophoretic deposition allowed us to sequentially deposit single or multiple layers of different sized QDs and GO assemblies on conducting glass electrodes and to modulate the photoresponse in photoelectrochemical solar cells. Superior photoconversion efficiency through the incorporation of GO was attributed to improved charge separation in the composite assembly.
Interpolation/extrapolation of frequency domain responses using the Hilbert transform

The Hilbert transform relates the real and the imaginary parts of the transfer function of a causal system. The objective of this paper is to illustrate how the Hilbert transform relationship can be utilized to interpolate/extrapolate measured frequency domain responses of devices. Sample numerical examples are presented to illustrate the efficacy of this method.
Polysiloxane deactivated fused silica capillaries containing immobilized stationary phases

This article describes a method of preparing immobilized stationary phases which has arisen from the authors' work on polysiloxane deactivation of fused silica capillaries. Although acid treatment is often omitted with fused silica capillaries, there are good reasons for hydrothermal treatment of this column material. Use of Grob's peroxide method gave immobilized 0.25 μm films of SE-54; lowering of the immobilization temperature permitted immobilization of 0.1 μm films of the same phase.
Ridgelet-based implementation of multiresolution time domain

The theory of ridgelet-based analysis of time-domain wave propagation and scattering is developed. Some of the advantages of using ridgelets as compared to conventional wavelets are as follows. First, ridgelets often require less expansion coefficients (unknowns) to describe the fields. Second, radiation boundary conditions can be applied naturally, and therefore one need not employ a perfectly matched layer or other absorbing boundary. Moreover, plane-wave propagation (in arbitrary directions) is easily represented. In this paper, biorthogonal ridgelets are applied as basis functions to simulate time domain electromagnetic wave propagation and several numerical examples are presented.
Statistical adaptation and optimal estimation in movement computation by the blowfly visual system

We combine ideas from two lines of research in visual information processing; the study of the fundamental limits to the reliability of selected visual tasks as set by noise at the photoreceptor level, and the attempt to describe certain visual tasks, thought to be of critical importance, in a functional mathematical framework. Movement detection is considered. Instead of assuming noiseless input, we will explicitly incorporate noise in the photoreceptors that provide the input to the computation. For simple movement stimuli such as sudden displacement steps of wide field patterns, this problem is tractable. Comparing measurements of the statistical efficiency of the blowfly movement-sensitive neuron known as H1 with the performance of an ideal observer who uses realistic photoreceptor signals, we find that over a 10 ms time interval the neuron approaches the ideal observer closely. It thus seems that under these simple conditions, the fly tries to compute movement in an optimal way on a behaviorally relevant time scale. One of the questions prompted by this result is whether optimal processing can be generalized to more complex visual tasks, and if so, what role adaptational processes may play in this. >
Understanding spirituality as experienced by Catholic entrepreneurs

The purpose of this paper is to find out the meaning of spirituality as described by Catholic entrepreneurs based on their daily experiences. The data were collected through open ended interviews. Eight entrepreneurs were interviewed. Data analysis and interpretation used phenomenological approach to get the essential meaning of their experiences. The findings of the study revealed that spirituality was understood as divine power and inner-self driving force that affects the entrepreneurs’ attitude and behaviour toward their business activities. This study is limited to Catholic entrepreneurs. This research has implication to the study of entrepreneurship to offer insight that inner factors have strong influence. For researchers, this study deepens the understanding of entrepreneurs. This research contributes to the theory of entrepreneurship and spirituality since there are still very few studies on this topic.
Effective bandwidth vectors for multiclass traffic multiplexed in partitioned buffer

We consider a traffic model where a single source generates traffic having J (J/spl ges/2) quality of service (QoS) classes, QoS in this case described by a cell loss probability objective /spl epsiv//sub j/ for QoS class j. We assume that /spl epsiv//sub 1//spl ges//spl epsiv//sub 2//spl ges/.../spl ges//spl epsiv//sub J/, in other words, class J has the most stringent QoS requirements and class 1 the least. The traffic from K such independent heterogeneous Markov-modulated fluid sources is multiplexed into a single buffer of size B. There are J-1 thresholds. >
Distributed consensus over network with noisy links

We consider a distributed consensus problem where a set of agents want to agree on a common value through local computations and communications. We assume that agents communicate over a network with time-varying topology and noisy communication links. We are interested in the case when the link noise is independent in time, and it has zero mean and bounded variance. We present and study an iterative algorithm with a diminishing stepsize. We show that the algorithm converges in expectation and almost surely to a “random” consensus, and we characterize the statistics of the consensus. In particular, we give the expected value of the consensus and provide an upper bound on its variance.
Structural and Functional Responses of a Subtropical Forest to 10 Years of Hurricanes and Droughts

Little is known about ecosystem-level responses to multiple, climatic disturbance events. In the subtropical forests of Puerto Rico, the major natural disturbances are hurricanes and droughts. We tested the ecosystem-level effects of these disturbances in sites with different land use histories. From 1989 to 1992, data were collected to determine the effects of Hurricane Hugo and two droughts on litterfall inputs, fine-root biomass, and decomposition rates in three topographic locations (stream, riparian, upslope) within two watersheds. From 1994 to 1998, we added a third watershed and an experiment in which coarse-wood levels were manipulated to simulate hurricane inputs. Data were collected on tree and palm growth rates, litterfall inputs, fine-root biomass, and decomposition rates. From 1994 to 1998, four hurricanes and three droughts were recorded. Measured parameters had unique responses and recovery rates to hurricanes and droughts. Litterfall inputs returned to long-term mean rates within one month...
Cascade Error Projection: A Learning Algorithm for Hardware Implementation

In this paper, we workout a detailed mathematical analysis for a new learning algorithm termed Cascade Error Projection (CEP) and a general learning frame work. This frame work can be used to obtain the cascade correlation learning algorithm by choosing a particular set of parameters. Funthermore, CEP learning algorithm is operated only on one layer, whereas the other set of weights can be calculated deterministically. In association with the dynamical stepsize change concept to convert the weight update from infinite space into a finite space, the relation between the current stepsize and the previous energy level is also given and the estimation procedure for optimal stepsize is used for validation of our proposed technique.
Sociology's “One Law”

Though accepted widely enough for nomination as sociology's one law, there has never been an adequate empirical test of Durkheim's proposition that Catholics have lower suicide rates than Protestants. As a result, the empirical foundation for one important application of Durkheim's assertion that egoism and suicide vary proportionately remains uncertain. We use crossnational, longitudinal data from twelve nations to test Durkheim's proposition. Our comparisions (1) use national, female, and male suicide rates; (2) are made both with and without control for nation's level of development; and (3) are for four different time periods between 1919 and 1972. Results largely refute Durkheim's proposition. However, application of Durkheim's entire theory of integration (egoism and altruism) rather than just his theory of egoism shows that the data may nonetheless be consistent with his theory of variation in suicide rates. After noting sociology's lack of scientific laws, Merton identifies Durkheim's generalization that Catholics have a lower suicide rate than Protestants as an approximation to such a law. More recently, LaCapra calls Durkheim's theory of suicide "perhaps the only significant lawlike statement in sociology" (147; see also Johnson). Whether in books on theory construction and logic of inquiry (e.g., Hage; Stinchcombe; Wallace; Winton), or methods (e.g., Cole; Riley; Selltiz et al.; Smith), or statistics (e.g., Loether and McTavish), or in introductory texts (e.g., Broom and Selznick; Demerath and Marwell; Goodman and Marx; Levin and Spates; Light and Keller; Wilson), sociologists continue to discuss Durkheim's generalization relating to differences in Catholic/Protestant suicide rates as if it were a scientific law. Presumably because of its widespread acceptance Merton
Tools for visualizing properties of spatial and temporal periodicity in geographic data

Exploration of complex spatio-temporal environmental data demands creative methods of analysis. We present a suite of interactive visualization techniques to explore a three-dimensional Fourier transformation of a geographic time series. Such a transformation decomposes geographic time series data into coherent spatial and temporal periodicities that may be otherwise diAcult to observe. The tools reported herein facilitate the exploration of threedimensional representations of both physical and spectral space. These visualization techniques are demonstrated using both idealized and real-world environmental space‐time data. Using the tools described, a user may explore existing hypotheses as well as generate new insights into environmental process. Because the spatial and temporal parameters of the phenomena under investigation are not necessarily predetermined, exploration of the data itself using the techniques described in this paper can drive the phenomena definition. Ultimately, this technique may lead to insight concerning the behavior of a given environmental phenomenon over a variety of scales, or indicate appropriate spatial and temporal scales for further analysis. # 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
"My iPod is my Pacifier": An Investigation on the Everyday Practices of Mobile Video Consumption

New mobile digital video technologies are creating dramatic shifts in the ways that video-based content can be produced, consumed, and delivered. One such shift has been the emergence of mobile video devices like video-enabled iPods and mobile phones. In the same way that the Walkman revolutionized music consumption behaviors, these mobile video devices are changing how, when, and where people are interacting with video. Another revolutionary shift comes from video content web sites like YouTube and Google Video which publish vast quantities of video content viewable on mobile devices. Such technology revolutions change the way users behave and change their expectations in regards to their mobile video experiences. To help understand these changing behaviors, we conducted a three week study of mobile video users in the US and in the UK. In this paper, we highlight some noteworthy observations from this study.
Albumin is a substrate of human chymase. Prediction by combinatorial peptide screening and development of a selective inhibitor based on the albumin cleavage site.

Abstract Human chymase is a chymotryptic serine peptidase stored and secreted by mast cells. Compared with other chymotryptic enzymes, such as cathepsin G and chymotrypsin, it is much more slowly inhibited by serum serpins. Although chymase hydrolyzes several peptides and proteins in vitro, its target repertoire is limited compared with chymotrypsin because of selective interactions in an extended substrate-binding site. The best-known natural substrate, angiotensin I, is cleaved to generate vasoactive angiotensin II. Selectivity of angiotensin cleavage depends in major part on interactions involving substrate residues on the carboxyl-terminal (P1′–P2′) side of the cleaved bond. To identify new targets based on interactions with residues on the aminoterminal (P4–P1) side of the site of hydrolysis, we profiled substrate preferences of recombinant human chymase using a combinatorial, fluorogenic peptide substrate library. Data base queries using the peptide (Arg-Glu-Thr-Tyr-X) generated from the most preferred amino acid at each subsite identify albumin as the sole, soluble, human extracellular protein containing this sequence. We validate the prediction that this site is chymase-susceptible by showing that chymase hydrolyzes albumin uniquely at the predicted location, with the resulting fragments remaining disulfide-linked. The site of hydrolysis is highly conserved in vertebrate albumins and is near predicted sites of metal cation binding, but nicking by chymase does not alter binding of Cu2+ or Zn2+. A synthetic peptidic inhibitor, diphenyl Nα-benzoxycarbonyl-l-Arg-Glu-Thr-PheP-phosphonate, was designed from the preferred P4–P1 substrate sequence. This inhibitor is highly potent (IC50 3.8 nm) and 2,700- and 1,300-fold selective for chymase over cathepsin G and chymotrypsin, respectively. In summary, these findings reveal albumin to be a substrate for chymase and identify a potentially useful new chymase inhibitor.
The pick‐up of sulphur dioxide by paper

The authors have further developed a method, using radioactive sulphur dioxide for examining the effect of variables such as humidity, temperature and furnish on the affinity of sulphur dioxide for paper. The temperature coefficient indicates that a diffusion process determines the rate of uptake which is also almost linearly related to moisture content, being increased by storage under moist conditions.
Misfolding of mutant adenine nucleotide translocase in yeast supports a novel mechanism of Ant1-induced muscle diseases

Approximately one-third of proteins in the cell reside in the membrane. Mutations in membrane proteins can induce conformational changes and expose nonnative polar domains/residues to the lipid environment. The molecular effect of the resulting membrane stress is poorly defined. Adenine nucleotide translocase 1 (Ant1) is a mitochondrial inner membrane protein involved in ATP/ADP exchange. Missense mutations in the Ant1 isoform cause autosomal dominant progressive external ophthalmoplegia (adPEO), cardiomyopathy, and myopathy. The mechanism of the Ant1-induced pathologies is highly debated. Here we show that equivalent mutations in the yeast Aac2 protein cause protein misfolding. Misfolded Aac2 drastically affects the assembly and stability of multiple protein complexes in the membrane, which ultimately inhibits cell growth. Despite causing similar proteostatic damages, the adPEO- but not the cardiomyopathy/myopathy-type Aac2 proteins form large aggregates. The data suggest that the Ant1-induced diseases belong to protein misfolding disorders. Protein homeostasis is subtly maintained on the mitochondrial inner membrane and can be derailed by the misfolding of one single protein with or without aggregate formation. This finding could have broad implications for understanding other dominant diseases (e.g., retinitis pigmentosa) caused by missense mutations in membrane proteins.
Modeling species’ geographic distributions for preliminary conservation assessments: an implementation with the spiny pocket mice (Heteromys) of Ecuador

GIS-based modeling of a species’ environmental requirements using known occurrence records can provide estimates of its distribution for conservation assessments when other data are lacking. We used collection records, environmental variables, maps of land cover and protected areas, and the Genetic Algorithm for Rule-Set Prediction (GARP) to estimate the historical, current, and protected ranges of the spiny pocket mice present in Ecuador (Heteromys australis and H. teleus). The results suggest that ca. 52– 63% of the distributional areas of H. australis in the country are intact, but suitable habitat in protected areas represents only approximately 11–13% of the species’ historical range there. The distribution of H. teleus has been much more reduced, with only ca. 13–19% of its historical distribution still forested and an estimated 2–3% intact and falling in protected areas. Our work highlights critical areas for future fieldwork and demonstrates an integrated approach to estimating a species’ current distribution for preliminary conservation assessments. # 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Quantitative serial sectioning analysis: preview

SUMMARY Quantitative serial sectioning analysis provides all of the geometric information that is available from ordinary stereological analysis. In addition, it circumvents the weaknesses inherent in geometric models that are used to estimate distribution functions and topological properties. It further makes accessible some geometric aspects of microstructures that are not available stereologically, even with model assumptions. At the present state of the art it requires a prodigious effort to prepare and analyse a single sample from a single specimen. However, the current generation of image analysing computers already has the capability for automating data collection and analysis, and there is reasonable potential for automating the sample preparation procedure. Quantitative serial sectioning analysis would render obsolete all of the elegant geometrical probability arguments of stereology. Is it the wave of the future?
Institutionalizing interdisciplinary health professions programs in higher education: the implications of one story and two laws

The interdisciplinary education of health professionals in the USA has increasingly been tied to renewed efforts directed toward quality improvement in the healthcare system, where problems with communication, collaboration, and cooperation are seen as endemic. Many of the published reports and recommendations on interdisciplinary programming, however, have omitted or downplayed the difficulties and challenges of developing and sustaining efforts in this area. Through the presentation of a detailed case study and the exploration of two laws of interdisciplinary programming proposed from it, this paper explores the fundamental difficulties of developing and, more importantly, sustaining interdisciplinary health professions programs in higher educational settings. The utilization of strategies based on emerging forces in the healthcare system and in higher education itself is suggested for initiating interdisciplinary projects, and structural and procedural factors are explored as critical in guaranteeing t...
Multiple-scattering effects on infrared scattering measurements used to characterize droplet size and volume fraction distributions in diesel sprays

We quantify the maximum error due to multiple-scattering effects for an infrared scattering droplet sizing technique. Errors in Sauter mean diameters (SMDs) and liquid volume fractions were estimated based on experimentally determined polarization properties of the scattered light. Light that is multiply scattered from spherical particles becomes randomly polarized, whereas singly scattered light from a spherical particle contains no cross-polarization scattering component. Therefore measurement of the cross-polarization component (in this case parallel) of the scattering signal is a measure of the multiply scattered light. A ratio of parallel to perpendicular polarized scattered light was experimentally determined and used to calculate an error due to multiple scattering. The infrared scattering measurements and polarization measurements used to quantify the multiple-scattering errors were applied to a typical diesel spray that was injected into three different background conditions: a room ambient condition; a room-temperature, high-pressure condition; and a combusting condition. Droplet SMD, liquid volume fraction, and multiple-scattering errors were determined for a number of locations within the spray; results indicate that the combusting case is negligibly affected by multiple scattering. However, the room ambient case exhibited notable errors due to multiple scattering near the centerline of the spray, and the high-pressure case demonstrated susceptibility to multiple scattering throughout all regions investigated. It is important to note, however, that multiple-scattering errors in many cases translate into relatively small effects on the reported droplet sizes.
Correspondence processes in dynamic scene analysis

One of the fundamental problems in dynamic scene analysis is the tracking of objects from frame to frame. A general approach to tracking is to establish correspondences between points, or sets of points, between frames and then group the sets into objects based upon similarity of motion. This paper will focus on processes for establishing the correspondence between sets of points in successive frames. A succession of correspondence processes are discussed, based on the factors which contribute to the complexity of the correspondence problem.
CYP4A mRNA, protein, and product in rat lungs: novel localization in vascular endothelium

The vasodilatory effect of 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE) on lung arteries is opposite to the constrictor effect seen in cerebral and renal vessels. These observations raise questions about the cellular localization of 20-HETE-forming isoforms in pulmonary arteries and other tissues. Using in situ hybridization, we demonstrate for the first time CYP4A (a family of cytochrome P-450 enzymes catalyzing formation of 20-HETE from the substrate arachidonic acid) mRNA in pulmonary arterial endothelial and smooth muscle cells, bronchial smooth muscle and bronchial epithelial cells, type I epithelial cells, and macrophages in adult male rat lungs. Moreover, we detect CYP4A protein in rat pulmonary arteries and bronchi as well as cultured endothelial cells. Finally, we identify endogenously formed 20-HETE by using fluorescent HPLC techniques, as well as the capacity to convert arachidonic acid into 20-HETE in pulmonary arteries, bronchi, and endothelium. These data show that 20-HETE is an endogenous product of several pulmonary cell types and is localized to tissues that optimally position it to modulate physiological functions such as smooth muscle tone or electrolyte flux.
Adjuvant radiotherapy in high-risk cutaneous squamous cell cancer of the head and neck in immunosuppressed patients.

Head and neck cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (HNCSCC) is a growing problem in the immunosuppressed population, and the behavior of these cancers can be unexpectedly aggressive. The role of adjuvant radiation therapy (RT) in the management of high-risk HNCSCC has been an area of much debate. We present a case of HNCSCC with perineural invasion (PNI) successfully treated with surgery and adjuvant RT to prevent recurrence.