cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Estrogen and brain inflammation: Effects on microglial expression of MHC, costimulatory molecules and cytokines

To model the effects of estrogen on adaptive immunity in the brain, we examined the effects of 17beta-estradiol on microglial parameters related to antigen presentation and T cell activation. Specifically, the effects of 17beta-estradiol on basal and LPS-induced surface staining of Class I and II MHC, as well as CD40, CD80, CD86, CD152, CD28, CD8, CD11b, Fas, FasL, and also ERalpha and ERbeta, were examined in N9 microglial cells. Additionally, the effects of 17beta-estradiol on basal and LPS-induced release of cytokines (TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, IL-2, IL-4, and IL-10) were determined. Data indicate that estrogen increases IL-10 while decreasing TNFalpha and IFNgamma release from resting and LPS-stimulated N9 cells. Additionally, LPS-induced surface staining of MHC Class I, CD40, and CD86 was significantly attenuated by estrogen pretreatment. The basal percentage of cells positive for MHC Class I and II, CD40, and CD152, Fas, and FasL was significantly decreased by estrogen exposure. However, CD8, CD86, CD11b, and CD28 were unaffected by estrogen, and CD80 cell surface staining significantly increased following estrogen exposure. Taken together, these data indicate that estrogen can significantly decrease components of adaptive immunity in microglial cells, and highlight the multi-faceted regulatory effects of estrogen on microglial parameters related to antigen presentation and T cell interaction.
A serendipitous soret effect associated with a laser-induced interfacial temperature jump in an electrochemical system

Abstract A change in the interfacial temperature of an electrode causes a concomitant change in its open-circuit potential. A portion of this change in potential is due to the Soret potential, Δ V s , effected by Gibbs energy gradients of electrolyte ions associated with the extant temperature gradient. In our previously reported use of laser-induced interfacial temperature-jump (LIITJ) perturbations to investigate a variety of interfacial relaxation phenomena, it was necessary to characterize the temporal behavior of Δ V s , and related thermally induced concentration changes, Δ c j (x,t) , as a function of temperature, Δ T(x,t) . In the present work we present analytic and simulated analyses of the operative transport phenomena and show that Δ V s / Δ T (0, t ) and Δ c j (0, t )/ Δ T (0, t ) are constant for any electrolyte and independent of the temporal dependence of Δ T (0, t ) as long as Δ c j (0, t )/ c j o ⪡ 1 ( c j o = bulk concentration of the j th species) and ( t m c n > 10 −10 mol l −1 s ( t m = measurement time; c n = total ion concentration). This serendipitous result means that Soret phenomena will not introduce spurious relaxations into the LIITJ responses. The requisite conditions for this ideal behavior are established.
The Role of Specific Side Groups and pH in Magnetization Transfer in Polymers

The nature of water-macromolecule interactions in aqueous model polymers has been investigated using quantitative measurements of magnetization transfer. Cross-linked polymer gels composed of 94% water, 3% N,N'-methylene-bis-acrylamide, and 3% functional monomer (acrylamide, methacrylamide, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, 2-hydroxyethyl-acrylate, or 2-hydroxyethyl-methacrylate) were studied. Water-macromolecule interactions were modified by varying the pH and specific functional group on the monomer. The magnitudes of the interactions were quantified by measuring the rate of proton nuclear spin magnetization exchange between the polymer matrix and the water. This rate was highly sensitive to the presence of carboxyl side groups on the macromolecule. However, the dependence of the rate on pH was not consistent with simple acid/base-catalyzed chemical exchange, and instead, the data suggest that multiequilibria proton exchange, a wide distribution in surface group pK values, and/or a macromolecular structural dependence on pH may play a significant role in magnetization transfer in polymer systems. These model polymer gels afford useful insights into the relevance of chemical composition and chemical dynamics on relaxation in tissues.
Proterozoic evolution of the western margin of the Wyoming craton: implications for the tectonic and magmatic evolution of the northern Rocky Mountains

Defining the extent and age of basement provinces west of the exposed western margin of the Archean Wyoming craton has been elusive because of thick sedimentary cover and voluminous Cretaceous–Tertiary magmatism. U–Pb zircon geochronological data from small exposures of pre-Belt supergroup basement along the western side of the Wyoming craton, in southwestern Montana, reveal crystallization ages ranging from ~2.4 to ~1.8 Ga. Rock-forming events in the area as young as ~1.6 Ga are also indicated by isotopic (Nd, Pb, Sr) signatures and xenocrystic zircon populations in Cretaceous–Eocene granitoids. Most of this lithosphere is primitive, gives ages ~1.7–1.86 Ga, and occurs in a zone that extends west to the Neoproterozoic rifted margin of Laurentia. These data suggest that the basement west of the exposed Archean Wyoming craton contains accreted juvenile Paleoproterozoic arc-like terranes, along with a possible mafic underplate of similar age. This area is largely under the Mesoproterozoic Belt basin and int...
On the gains to acquiring capital stock S&Ls in merger conversions: A comment

Abstract We reexamine the bidder stock price response to regulatory approval of 11 merger conversion transactions during 1983 to 1987. Bidding firms earn insignificant abnormal returns in the period preceding approval, but the regulatory approval announcement generates a significant negative price response. Our results are in contrast to those reported in Shilling (Journal of Banking and Finance, 15 (1991) 165–172).
CD ROMance: an overview of compact disc read only memory

Revue des caracteristiques techniques et des applications du CD-ROM. Presentation rapide de l'industrie de ce support
Anthrax Lethal Toxin Disrupts Intestinal Barrier Function and Causes Systemic Infections with Enteric Bacteria

A variety of intestinal pathogens have virulence factors that target mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways, including Bacillus anthracis. Anthrax lethal toxin (LT) has specific proteolytic activity against the upstream regulators of MAPKs, the MAPK kinases (MKKs). Using a murine model of intoxication, we show that LT causes the dose-dependent disruption of intestinal epithelial integrity, characterized by mucosal erosion, ulceration, and bleeding. This pathology correlates with an LT-dependent blockade of intestinal crypt cell proliferation, accompanied by marked apoptosis in the villus tips. C57BL/6J mice treated with intravenous LT nearly uniformly develop systemic infections with commensal enteric organisms within 72 hours of administration. LT-dependent intestinal pathology depends upon its proteolytic activity and is partially attenuated by co-administration of broad spectrum antibiotics, indicating that it is both a cause and an effect of infection. These findings indicate that targeting of MAPK signaling pathways by anthrax LT compromises the structural integrity of the mucosal layer, serving to undermine the effectiveness of the intestinal barrier. Combined with the well-described immunosuppressive effects of LT, this disruption of the intestinal barrier provides a potential mechanism for host invasion via the enteric route, a common portal of entry during the natural infection cycle of Bacillus anthracis.
Laboratory study of the cross-shore flow structure in the surf and swash zones

[1] The flow structure of oscillatory broken waves within surf and swash zones was investigated using particle image velocimetry (PIV) in the laboratory. With the resolved spatial distribution of the velocity field, vorticity was computed directly. The results show that flow separation at the bed occurs during the interaction between the uprush bore front and the downwash flow. The separation point advances in the onshore direction with the bore front until the bore reaches the lowest point of the moving shoreline. The bore front continues to climb up onshore and collapses at the highest point of the moving shoreline. In the swash zone, flow attachment to the bed occurs during the transition from the uprush to downwash process. An internal flow circulation is generated at the flow reversal phase as the flow near the bed responds to the gravitational force earlier than the flow in the upper water column, where the uprush momentum is sustained later in phase. The magnitude of the downwash velocity in the swash zone is greater than that of the uprush process. The swash zone flow observed in the experiments should be erosive in the lower part of the swash and accretive in the upper part where flow attachment occurs.
The development of the prootic head somites and eye muscles in chelydra serpentina

University of Minnesota Ph.D. dissertation. June 1912. Major: Biology. 1 computer file (PDF); 66 pages. [120-185]. Reprinted in the American Journal of Anatomy.
An approach to lactate mapping by spin-filtered 2D FT MR imaging

In vivo MR imaging of lactate provides valuable information regarding the functional status of tissues. Such imaging is usually carried out using spectroscopic techniques (Y, 2), which require an extra dimension for chemical-shift encoding in addition to the spatial dimensions. Spatial maps of different metabolites in a tissue can then be se:parated by their different chemical shifts. Such a multidimensional approach has two disadvantages: (i) the need for the extra phase-encoding step leads to long dataacquisition times and/ or poor resolution, and (ii) the lactate map may be contaminated by components, such as fat, that have chemical shifts in the same regions as lactate. An alternative approach to chemical-shift imaging is to use spin-filtering techniques to selectively edit the NMR chemical-shift spectrum and then obtain an image of the desired species. Hurd and Freeman (3) have used such an approach to obtain metabol.ite-specific images of lactate by applying doublequantum spin-filtering techniques. H:owever, the specificity of the double-quantum filter was insufficient, so that an additional dimension for double-quantum encoding was still necessary to separate the lactate image from the residual water and fat images. A method for efficiently and specifically filtering the lactate signal prior to imaging would eliminate the need for the extra dimension for chemical-shift or doublequantum encoding and also eliminate the problem of contamination. In the present work, we have attempted to use a lactate-pass filter integrated with a conventional imaging sequence to produce lactate maps. The performance of the lactate-filtered imaging sequence has been tested on a phantom. Unlike spectroscopic methods, conventional MRI techniques do not have the ability to discriminate between species of different chemical shifts. In order to select lactate for subsequent imaging by a conventional sequence, the spin filter must be highly elhcient in suppressing the unwanted signals. The filter that we have selected is a modified version of cyclic homonuclear polarization transfer (CYCLPOT) (4). The CYCLPOT technique achieves lactate editing by transferring proton nuclear polarization from the lactate CH3 to the lactate CH and then back to CH3. The precession frequency of the signal of interest in the rotating frame is thus switched between the resonance frequencies of the lactate CH and CH3 protons by the polarization transfer. Water, fat, and other unwanted signals can then be suppressed by gradient dephasing and selective RF rephasing (4).
Pattern and zonation: a study of the bathyal megafauna using the research submersible Alvin

Abstract The pattern of distribution of benthic megafauna (defined as the animals readily visible in photographs) on the Gay Head-Bermuda transect differs considerably at the three sclaes measured: within photographs, between photographs and between depths. Detailed natural history observations are given for a series of dives at 1300 and 1800 m. The composition of the megafauna varies markedly between the five depths studied (500, 1000, 1300, 1500 and 1800 m). This corresponds with the high rate of depth-correlated species replacement described elsewhere for the macrofauna. Relative to the macrofauna, the megafauna provides virtually no information on density and diversity in the deep sea. Within a single depth the dominant pattern of species distribution is random, both between and within individual photographs. A regular or even pattern occurs in the brittle star, Ophiomusium lymani , owing to spacing of individuals at high densities. The most pronounced aggregation occurs in the sea urchin, Phormosoma placenta . This deposit-feeding species continually moves as it depletes its food resources in one spot. Unlike Phormosoma , the other sea urchin, Echinus affinis sometimes responds to concentrations of food although only relatively weak aggregations appear in the photographs analyzed. Thus, the food of this species is not usually concentrated. The patchiness of Ophiomusium at low densities is attributed to avoidance of disturbed areas that appear as large burrow-like depressions.
Double excitation of helium by fast protons and antiprotons

Abstract The charge sensitivity of this two-electron process is investigated as a tool for understanding correlation. The helium wave function is approximated by a sum of pair-products of one-electron wave functions, with the coefficients chosen by diagonalizing the fully correlated two-electron Hamiltonian. Thus, spatial correlation is included in both the asymptotic and scattering regions by using these configuration interaction (CI) wave functions for initial, intermediate and final states. Use of CI wave functions also allows the first-order contributions to be expressed in closed, analytical form. Both the energy-conserving and energy-nonconserving parts of the second-order amplitude are found. The former (a correlated generalization of the independent electron approximation) is analytical and the latter is a one-dimensional integral. It is found that the double excitation cross sections are sensitive to the sign of the projectile charge, but that the energy region where this sensitivity is of the same order as for double ionization is 0.1 to 0.5 MeV/amu, whereas the latter has peak charge sensitivity at 1.5 MeV/amu. Comparison is made with the experimental results of Pedersen and Hvelplund [1] and Giese et al. [2].
Primary Repair of Esophageal Atresia Without Staging or Preliminary Gastrostomy

Twenty-two neonates with esophageal atresia and a distal tracheoesophageal fistula were treated by primary repair. Only if an anastomotic leak was demonstrated was a tube gastrostomy for decompression with trangastric placement of a duodenal tube for feeding performed. Twelve newborns were classified as high-risk by the presence of prematurity with low birth weight (less than 2,250 gm), significant pneumonia, or obvious significant associated anomalies. There was one operative death and 1 late death. Three babies required a tube gastrotomy and duodenal tube for anastomotic leaks. All 20 survivors are symptom free and thriving. Progress in perioperative management of neonates with esophageal atresia may obviate the need for routine gastrostomy and for staging of high-risk newborns.
Psychiatric Advance directives: Practical, legal, and ethical issues

Psychiatric Advance Directives are relatively new legal tools that allow competent persons to consent or refuse mental health treatment and designate a proxy decision maker in advance of a mental health crisis, during which they may lose capacity to make healthcare decisions. Psychiatric Advance Directives hold the promise of improving care during mental health crises but also raise a number of clinical, legal, and ethical issues. This article provides an illustration and critical analysis of issues raised by Psychiatric Advance Directives.
Fault Diagnosis in Lab-on-Chip Using Digital Microfluidic Logic Gates

Fault diagnosis is needed for a lab-on-chip to facilitate defect tolerance using reconfiguration. Previously proposed techniques for reading test outcomes and for pulse-sequence analysis are cumbersome and error-prone. We present a fault-diagnosis method to locate a single defective cell and multiple rows/columns with defective cells in a digital microfluidic array. The proposed method can also locate an unknown number of rows/columns-under-test with defective cells. It utilizes digital microfluidic exclusive-or gates to implement an output compactor. The microfluidic compactor can compress 2 r distinct test outcomes to a r-droplet signature. This approach obviates the need for capacitive sensing test-outcome circuits for analysis. We analyze the probability of misdiagnosis and use the compression ratio as a measure to evaluate the proposed fault-diagnosis method.
Built environment and mobility of older adults: important policy and practice efforts.

As people age, they prefer to �age in place.� The concept of aging in place refers to the ability to live in one's own home, wherever that might be, for as long as one can feel confident and comfortable. Where people live and whether these environments can support them are critical questions for public health and public policy, especially since the baby boomers began to turn 65 on January 1, 2011. Equally important for public policy, those aged 85 and older are the fastest growing population group in the United States. The Health and Aging Policy Fellows Program, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Healthy Aging Program, has supported a project to determine how design features of the built environment can support the mobility of older adults. Mobility refers to physical activity, usually walking, but also encompasses the ability to stay connected to nearby community resources and services. The project's purpose is to investigate features that support mobility in built environments. This policy brief introduces the realist synthesis method used in the project and selected national initiatives and activities to place this work in a broader context. Given the importance of mobility concerns to older adults, it must be determined without delay which design features support mobility and how local areas can better prepare to support the health of their aging populations.
Production of involuntary movements by L-dopa in monkeys with tegmental lesions.

Abstract Monkeys with resting tremor produced by tegmental lesions, when given high doses of l -Dopa or a decarboxylase inhibitor plus l -Dopa, develop abnormal involuntary movements which closely resemble those seen in some Parkinson patients on l -Dopa therapy. These abnormal movements in the monkey may be subtle: slight turning of the head, lip smacking, tongue rolling, and chewing. Others may be extreme: marked grimacing associated with chorea-like movements of the head, upper and lower extremities; or with body swaying and peculiar posturing; such movements are dose dependent and disappear when the dosage is lowered. In the monkey, however, the dose of l -Dopa which relieves resting tremor, rarely produces abnormal movements. Such an analogue of abnormal movements produced by l -Dopa in monkeys with resting tremor, similar to that seen in some Parkinson patients on l -Dopa therapy affords a practical means of studying the mechanisms producing these abnormal movements, as well as a means for testing the effects of drugs on abnormal movements prior to clinical trial in man.
The developing constraints on parsing decisions: The role of lexical-biases and referential scenes in child and adult sentence processing

Two striking contrasts currently exist in the sentence processing literature. First, whereas adult readers rely heavily on lexical information in the generation of syntactic alternatives, adult listeners in world-situated eye-gaze studies appear to allow referential evidence to override strong countervailing lexical biases (Tanenhaus, Spivey-Knowlton, Eberhard, & Sedivy, 1995). Second, in contrast to adults, children in similar listening studies fail to use this referential information and appear to rely exclusively on verb biases or perhaps syntactically based parsing principles (Trueswell, Sekerina, Hill, & Logrip, 1999). We explore these contrasts by fully crossing verb bias and referential manipulations in a study using the eye-gaze listening technique with adults (Experiment 1) and five-year-olds (Experiment 2). Results indicate that adults combine lexical and referential information to determine syntactic choice. Children rely exclusively on verb bias in their ultimate interpretation. However, their eye movements reveal an emerging sensitivity to referential constraints. The observed changes in information use over ontogenetic time best support a constraint-based lexicalist account of parsing development, which posits that highly reliable cues to structure, like lexical biases, will emerge earlier during development and more robustly than less reliable cues.
Rhetoric and Technical Communication: An Argument for Historical and Political Pluralism:

Rhetoric has traditionally been associated with philosophy and politics, with social and institutional good. Scientific and technical communication was originally so associated in the works of Francis Bacon but became disassociat ed from politics for historical reasons reflected in the works of Herbert Spencer and John Dewey. Because of changes in science and technology symbolized by Albert Einstein, however, science itselfhas become more political. In response to these changes, technical communication ought to reestablish its traditional association with politics. Specifically, it ought to adopt a rhetorical approach to communication about scientific and technological problems that affect the social and institutional good.
Monte Carlo mixing simulation of the decay out of superdeformed bands in 194 Hg

A simple two level mixing model is employed to perform a Monte Carlo simulation for the decay out of the superdeformed bands SD-1 and SD-3 in {sup 194}Hg. An exponential spin dependence of the interaction between superdeformed and normally deformed states is applied. Average intraband intensities and transition quadrupole moments are determined at each spin. The simple two level mixing approach is consistent with more sophisticated theoretical models. The Monte Carlo approach allows one to determine probabilities for the reproduction of the experimental intensity patterns and transition quadrupole moments. An interaction of v{approx}0.5 eV was determined for spin 12{Dirac_h} in the yrast SD band. The results show that the decay out of the yrast and excited SD bands in {sup 194}Hg can be described with the same spin dependent interaction.
Regulation of cell division by intrinsically unstructured proteins: intrinsic flexibility, modularity, and signaling conduits.

It is now widely recognized that intrinsically unstructured (or disordered) proteins (IUPs or IDPs) are found in organisms from all kingdoms of life. In eukaryotes, IUPs are highly abundant and perform a wide range of biological functions, including regulation and signaling. Despite an increased level of interest in understanding the structural biology of IUPs and IDPs, questions regarding the mechanisms through which disordered proteins perform their biological function(s) remain. In other words, what are the relationships between disorder and function for IUPs? There are several excellent reviews that discuss the structural properties of IUPs and IDPs since 2005 [Receveur-Brechot, V., et al. (2006) Proteins 62, 24−45; Mittag, T., and Forman-Kay, J. D. (2007) Curr. Opin. Struct. Biol. 17, 3−14; Dyson, H. J., and Wright, P. E. (2005) Nat. Rev. Mol. Cell Biol. 6, 197−208]. Here, we briefly review general concepts pertaining to IUPs and then discuss our structural, biophysical, and biochemical studies of tw...
Work in progress — Can one measure of ethical “competence” be useful in varied undergraduate, multidisciplinary settings?

Many educators would like to believe they are helping their students prepare to become intelligent, skilled, responsible — and ethical — workers as they move into adult life. Most research has concluded that few schools have serious, well-designed programs to assess the ethical competence of their students and to ensure that the desired outcomes are met. Educators agree that it is desirable to measure the outcomes of our educational processes. But to measure, one must first identify the desired competencies. This has proven difficult. We will report on a multi-university research program designed to develop measure(s) of ethical “competence”, in order to identify best practices in developing those competencies. We will report on the three measures we are currently designing to measure ethical competence in these settings.
Infrared Chemiluminescence Studies of the H + (CH3)3COCl and H + RC(O)SCl (R = Cl, F, OCH3) Reactions: Observation of OCS Infrared Chemiluminescence

Infrared chemiluminescence from a room-temperature flow reactor was used to study the reactions of H atoms with (CH3)3COCl, ClC(O)SCl, FC(O)SCl, and CH3OC(O)SCl. Infrared emission spectra were recorded from the HCl, HF, and OCS products. The anharmonic shifts from bands involving ν1, ν2, and ν3 excitation are too small to obtain information about bending vs stretch excitation of OCS from the Δv3 = −1 spectra; however, a computer simulation method was developed to analyze the Δv3 = −1 transition to assign the average total vibrational energy of OCS, 〈Ev(OCS)〉. The enthalpy changes for the carbonylsulfenyl chloride reactions were estimated from ab initio calculations. The proposed mechanism for the carbonylsulfenyl chlorides includes two reaction pathways: one involves interaction with the S−Cl bond to give HCl; the second involves an RC(O)SCl·H adduct that subsequently gives RH and OCS (+Cl). The 〈Ev(OCS)〉 values were 17.2, 14.6, and 8.4 kcal mol-1 from FC(O)SCl, CH3OC(O)SCl, and ClC(O)SCl, respectively. ...
Apparent in vivo acetylcholine turnover rate in whole mouse brain: evidence for a two compartment model by two independent kinetic analyses.

— Acetylcholine turnover has been determined in whole mouse brain using a newly available high specific activity [3H]choline (70 Ci/mmol). Animals were killed at various time points (0.25–10 min) after pulse adminstration of [3H]choline (Ch) by microwave irradiation of the head. Steady-state levels of ACh were determined by radioenzymatic analysis as described by Goldberg & McCaman (1973) as modified by McCaman & Stetzer, 1977. Ch levels were determined by a modification of the method of McCaman & Stetzer (1977). Radiolabelled metabolites of [3H]Ch were separated by selective extraction of [3H]Ch and [3H]ACh inio tetraphenylboron in 3-heptanone (Carrollet al., 1977) coupled with an enzymatic separation of [3H]Ch from [3H]ACh. A precursor-product relationship was verified for Ch and ACh specific activities. Acetylcholine turnover rate was determined by the biosynthesis ratio method (Schuberthet al., 1969, Method 1) and by the finite-differences method (Neffet al., 1971, Method 2). Both methods of kinetic analysis revealed two distinct turnover rates for acetylcholine. In the first phase (0.25–1.5 min post-[3H]Ch), the ACh turnover rate averaged 22nmol/g/min (both methods). During the second phase, (2–10 min) acetylcholine turnover rates were significantly (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01) lower; i.e. 7nmol/g/min (Method 1) and 5.9 nmol/g/min (Method 2). The data are consistent with a 2-compartment model for ACh turnover in whole mouse brain. Additionally, the method described for the separation of radiolabelled metabolites of [3H]Ch allows an accurate determination of ACh turnover in as little as 2 mg of tissue.
Characterization of a Langmuir-Blodgett monolayer using molecular dynamics calculations

Abstract Molecular dynamics calculations have been used to explore the structure and dynamics of a monolayer of long-chain molecules supported on a planar substrate. The simulation system consisted of a periodically replicated array of 90 flexible-chain molecules, each with 20 pseudo-atoms, interacting with each other via potentials appropriate to the liquid alkanes and with the substrate via a 9–3 potential. At room temperature and a surface density of 20.8 A 2 /chain, the system consists of highly ordered all-trans chains, with few conformational defects, canted at ≈40° with respect to the surface normal. Results are presented for the pseudo-atom density distribution of the film normal to the surface, the structure factor parallel to the surface, and the density of states for the low-frequency lattice vibrations. The effect of heating the system is also discussed.
Carbon exchange in biological soil crust communities under differential temperatures and soil water contents: implications for global change

Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are an integral part of the soil system in arid regions worldwide, stabilizing soil surfaces, aiding vascular plant establishment, and are significant sources of ecosystem nitrogen and carbon. Hydration and temperature primarily control ecosystem CO 2 flux in these systems. Using constructed mesocosms for incubations under controlled laboratory conditions, we examined the effect of temperature (5-35 °C) and water content (WC, 20-100%) on CO 2 exchange in light (cyanobacterially dominated) and dark (cyanobacteria/lichen and moss dominated) biocrusts of the cool Colorado Plateau Desert in Utah and the hot Chihuahuan Desert in New Mexico. In light crusts from both Utah and New Mexico, net photosynthesis was highest at temperatures > 30 °C. Net photosynthesis in light crusts from Utah was relatively insensitive to changes in soil moisture. In contrast, light crusts from New Mexico tended to exhibit higher rates of net photosynthesis at higher soil moisture. Dark crusts originating from both sites exhibited the greatest net photosynthesis at intermediate soil water content (40-60%). Declines in net photosynthesis were observed in dark crusts with crusts from Utah showing declines at temperatures >25 °C and those originating from New Mexico showing declines at temperatures >35 °C. Maximum net photosynthesis in all crust types from all locations were strongly influenced by offsets in the optimal temperature and water content for gross photosynthesis compared with dark respiration. Gross photosynthesis tended to be maximized at some intermediate value of temperature and water content and dark respiration tended to increase linearly. The results of this study suggest biocrusts are capable of CO 2 exchange under a wide range of conditions. However, significant changes in the magnitude of this exchange should be expected for the temperature and precipitation changes suggested by current climate models.
Effects of ambient inhaled ozone on vocal fold mucosa in bonnet monkeys

Summary Deleterious effects of ambient ozone (O 3 ) on the nasal and lower airways is well documented. However, no investigations have considered possible effects on vocal fold mucosa. To this end, six macaque monkeys were exposed to 0.64 ppm O 3 for 8 h/day for a total of 7 days. Three monkeys were killed 12 h postexposure, and the other three at 7 days postexposure. Larynges were excised and subjected to histological staining and morphometric analyses. Results revealed increases in the thickness of epithelial tissue in the 12 h group. In the 7 day group, differences in both epithelial and lamina propria thicknesses were noted. Additional changes consistent with an initial inflammatory response, with associated disruption in glands and vessels, followed by some evidence of healing, were also noted. Implications of the data for the larynx and voice quality in humans exposed to similar and other environmental toxins are discussed.
Identification of Delay Measurable PDFs Using Linear Dependency Relationships

Recently several methods have been presented to measure the delay of a small set of path delay faults (PDFs), known as a basis set which is used to compute the delays of PDFs. All methods assume that the basis consists of strong robustly tested PDFs because their delays can be measured. This paper presents procedures to identify measurable PDFs whose delays otherwise could not be measured by traditional strong robust sensitization. Path measurement techniques that conditer the bounded delay model allow us to compute the delays of almost all PDFs in existing benchmarks.
Error rates of DPSK systems with MIMO EGC diversity reception over Rayleigh fading channels

This paper analyzes the average bit error probability (BEP) of the differential binary and quaternary phase-shift keying (DBPSK and DQPSK respectively) with multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems employing postdetection equal gain combining (MIMO EGC) diversity reception over Rayleigh fading channels. Finite closed-form expressions for the average BEP of DBPSK and DQPSK are presented. Two approaches are introduced to analyze the error rate of DQPSK. The proposed structure for the differential phase-shift keying (DPSK) with MIMO EGC provides a reduced-complexity and low-cost receiver for MIMO systems compared to the coherent phase-shift keying system (PSK) with MIMO employing maximal ratio combining (MIMO MRC) diversity reception. Finally, a useful procedure for computing the associated Legendre functions of the second kind with half-odd-integer order and arbitrarily degree is presented.
Role of particle evaporation during synthesis of lead oxide by aerosol decomposition

The role of product evaporation during lead monoxide (PbO) powder generation by aerosol decomposition (spray pyrolysis) was investigated at various temperatures in a flow reactor. Particles consisting of phase pure litharge and a mixture of litharge and massicot were formed with the dominant phase changing from litharge to massicot as the pyrolysis temperature was increased. Scanning electron microscopy showed particles produced at lower temperatures had a lumpy surface morphology and at higher temperatures appeared to be solid, indicated by the faceted surfaces and a plate-like morphology. Evaporative losses of PbOx, to the reactor walls were observed due to the substantial vapor pressure of PbOx. A simple model was developed that accounts for particle evaporation and mass transfer of lead oxide vapor to the reactor walls. This model suggested that the loss of lead oxide to the reactor walls was limited by diffusional transport of lead oxide vapor to the reactor walls.
An LPV approach to synthesizing robust active vision systems

Recent hardware developments have rendered controlled active vision a viable option for a broad range of practical problems. However, realizing this potential requires having a framework for synthesizing robust active vision systems, capable of moving beyond carefully controlled environments. It has been shown that this can be achieved by combining robust computer vision and control techniques. However, in some cases robustness is achieved at the expense of performance. In this paper we show that this performance loss can be avoided by recasting the problem into a linear parameter varying (LPV) form and using recently developed robust identification and control tools for this class of problems. These results are experimentally validated using the BiSight robotic head.
Lottery scheduling: flexible proportional-share resource management

This paper presents lottery scheduling, a novel randomized resource allocation mechanism. Lottery scheduling provides efficient, responsive control over the relative execution rates of computations. Such control is beyond the capabilities of conventional schedulers, and is desirable in systems that service requests of varying importance, such as databases, media-based applications, and networks. Lottery scheduling also supports modular resource management by enabling concurrent modules to insulate their resource allocation policies from one another. A currency abstraction is introduced to flexibly name, share, and protect resource rights. We also show that lottery scheduling can be generalized to manage many diverse resources, such as I/O bandwidth, memory, and access to locks. We have implemented a prototype lottery scheduler for the Mach 3.0 microkernel, and found that it provides flexible and responsive control over the relative execution rates of a wide range of applications. The overhead imposed by our unoptimized prototype is comparable to that of the standard Mach timesharing policy.
Evaluating compiler optimizations for Fortran D

Abstract The Fortran D compiler uses data decomposition specifications to automatically translate Fortran programs for execution on MIMD distributed-memory machines. This paper introduces and classifies a number of advanced optimizations needed to achieve acceptable performance; they are analyzed and empirically evaluated for stencil computations. Communication optimizations reduce communication overhead by decreasing the number of messages and hide communication overhead by overlapping the cost of remaining messages with local computation. Parallelism optimizations exploit parallel and pipelined computations and may need to restructure the computation to increase parallelism. Profitability formulas are derived for each optimization. Empirical results show that exploiting parallelism for pipelined computations, reductions, and scans is vital. Message vectorization, collective communication, and efficient coarse-grain pipelining also significantly affect performance. Scalability of communication and parallelism optimizations are analyzed. The effectiveness of communication optimizations is dictated by the ratio of communication to computation in the program. An optimization strategy is developed based on these analyses.
Recovering From Misunderstood Explanations

In this paper, we discuss recent advances in explanation generation and show how an approach based on text planning can be used to support dialogue in explanation.
Hypothyroidism after 131I-monoclonal antibody treatment of neuroblastoma.

Background To determine the prevalence of and risk factors for primary hypothyroidism following treatment with a radiolabeled monoclonal antibody (131I-3F8) in children with neuroblastoma. Procedure In the current study, we assessed thyroid function in 51 neuroblastoma patients who survived for ≥3 months after treatment with 131I-3F8 (a murine IgG3 monoclonal antibody that reacts with the ganglioside GD2) at 4 mCi/kg/day × 5 days (total 20 mCi/kg). Prior therapy in all subjects included dose-intensive chemotherapy; 13 subjects also received external beam radiation to the neck. Oral iodide and liothyronine sodium (T3) were administered for protection of the thyroid gland. Results Thirty-two of 51 subjects (63%) developed hormonal evidence of primary hypothyroidism. The median time to hypothyroidism after treatment with 131I-3F8 was 6.4 months. The probability of developing hypothyroidism was 56% at 2 years following treatment with 131I-3F8. There was evidence for an association between thyroidal uptake of 131I and development of hypothyroidism (hazard ratio 1.83, 95% confidence interval 0.91–3.30; P = 0.09). Conclusions We conclude that hormonal evidence of primary hypothyroidism developed in a majority of subjects treated with 131I-3F8, despite pretreatment with oral iodide plus liothyronine sodium. Alternative strategies for thyroid gland protection are needed. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2010;55:76–80. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Estimation of Bayes Factors in a Class of Hierarchical Random Effects Models Using a Geometrically Ergodic MCMC Algorithm

We consider a Ba yesian random effects model that is commonly used in meta-analysis, in which the random effects have a t distribution, with degrees of freedom parameter to be estimated. We develop a Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm for estimating the posterior distribution in this model, and establish geometric convergence of the algorithm. The geometric convergence rate has important theoretical and practical ramifications. Indeed, it implies that, under standard moment conditions, the ergodic averages used to estimate posterior quantities of interest satisfy central limit theorems. Moreover, it guarantees the consistency of a batch means estimate of the asymptotic variance in the CLT, which in turn allows for the construction of asymptotically valid standard errors. We show how our Markov chain can be used, in conjunction with an importance sampling method, to carry out an empirical Bayes approach for estimating the degrees of freedom parameter. To illustrate our methodology we consider a meta-analys...
Identity Development, Control Theory, and Self-Regulation An Individual Differences Perspective

The Kerpelman, Pittman, and La,nke (1997) control model provides an excellent illustration of the potential contribution that research on social-cognitive processes can make to the literature on identity development. Their microprocess analysis offers a novel perspective within which research on identity formation can be conceptualized and conducted. I argue that a credible explanation of the development of autonomous self-regulated behavior needs to consider differences in the process by which identity standards are internalized and evaluated, and individual differences in how those standards are conserved and/or revised. Research on cognitive dissonance, identity style, and self-determined action is used to support this individual differences analysis.
A study of the impact of radiation exposure on the uniformity of large CsI(Tl) crystals for the BaBar detector

Abstract We describe an apparatus that allows simultaneous exposure of large CsI(Tl) crystals to ionizing radiation and precise measurement of the longitudinal changes in light yield of the crystals. We present herein the results from this device for exposures up to 10 krad .
Infusion of etoposide and vincristine in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

ABSTRACT Infusion of etoposide has previously been evaluated in phase I trials. Vincristine (VCR) given by infusion has been shown in a phase II trial to be active in some cases of non-Hodgkin's ly...
Descriptive studies of H-reflex recovery curves in psychiatric patients

The rate of recovery of the H-reflex, an electrical evoked monosynaptic spinal cord reflex, was abnormally high (fast) in over 20% of unmedicated psychotic patients of all major diagnostic classes. A few patients had significantly lower H-reflex recovery curves. Chronic neuroleptic treatment produced relatively lower recovery curves, whereas fluoxetine, a specific serotonin uptake blocker, produced relatively higher curves.
Head Medium Spacing Measurement Using the Spectrum Method

This paper presents an investigation of the head medium spacing (HMS) measurement for longitudinal recording using the triple harmonic method. The variation of the predicted spacing from slider to slider is determined and compared with numerical predictions from air bearing simulations.
Athena: a resource for rapid visualization and systematic analysis of Arabidopsis promoter sequences

Summary: To better understand the regulatory networks that control plant gene expression, tools are needed to systematically analyze and visualize promoter regulatory sequences in Arabidopsis thaliana. We have developed the Athena database, which contains 30 067 predicted Arabidopsis promoter sequences and consensus sequences for 105 previously characterized transcription factor (TF) binding sites. Athena provides four novel tools to facilitate the analysis of promoter sequences: a promoter visualization tool to enable the rapid inspection of key regulatory sequences in multiple promoters; a TF binding site enrichment tool to identify statistically over-represented TF sites occurring in a user-selected subset of promoters; a data-mining tool to rapidly select promoter sequences containing the specified combination of TF binding sites; and a tool to display the distribution of TF binding site positions in a selected set of promoter sequences. Availability: http://www.bioinformatics2.wsu.edu/Athena Contact: jwyrick@wsu.edu
Probabilistic modeling of chloride contamination and corrosion of concrete bridge structures

We present an approach to the uncertainty modeling and analysis of chloride contamination of concrete and corrosion of reinforcing steel of highway bridge structures that are subjected to the damaging effects of chlorides from deicing salts. The statistics of the governing parameters are generated from a field survey of an aging bridge structure that was exposed to the contaminants for about forty years. The uncertainty analysis and prediction of chloride concentration and reinforcement corrosion is carried out using the direct Monte Carlo method. The model predictions agree very well with the field data, which illustrates the capability of a probabilistic model to quantify the actual condition of a deteriorated structure
Is surgical intervention for ectopic pregnancy in a low resource set-up avoidable?

emergencies of this institute. Majority of patients were multigravida (74.4%) and of age group of 26-30years (35.9%). Fallopian tube was the most common site (99.1%) with only two cases in ovary. Ampulla (71.4%) was found to be most frequent site for implantation in fallopian tube.Pelvic inflammatory diseases (38.5%) and past history of induced abortion (35.9%) were major risk factors. Most patients (63.3%) did not use any contraceptives and 30.3% patients used OCP intermittently. No patient presented before 4weeks of gestation, while 69.2% presented between 4-7weeks and the rest beyond 7week. They presented with shock in 44.9% cases. Surgical treatment was offered in 98.3% cases, while medical treatment was offered to only four cases. conclusion - There is a huge surgical burden due to ectopic pregnancy impinging on our hospital resources. Surgery is resorted to indiscriminately for even those cases that could have been medically treated otherwise. Hence the need to change the mindset of the care-providers at all levels to opt for medical management of ectopic pregnancy wherever applicable.
A NEW GENUS AND TWO NEW SPECIES OF MULTIPLACOPHORANS (MOLLUSCA, POLYPLACOPHORA, NEOLORICATA), MISSISSIPPIAN (CHESTERIAN), INDIANA

Deltaplax new genus, Deltaplax burdicki new species, and Deltaplax dellangeloi new species (Mollusca, Polyplacophora, Neoloricata, Multiplacophora) from the Mississippian Lower Buffalo Wallow Group (Chesterian) of Indiana, USA are described. The new genus is established by one partially articulated and one associated specimen with marginal fringes of two types of large spines, bilaterally symmetrical head and tail valves, and fifteen medial valves arranged in three longitudinal columns similar to those described previously for other multiplacophorans. The two specimens represent separate species differentiated by morphologies of the auxiliary valves, one type of spine, and subtrapezoidal versus triangular tail valves. The tail valve of the articulated specimen also had sutural laminae that projected under the preceding intermediate valve. The presence of sutural laminae allows for placement of multiplacophorans in Subclass Neoloricata of Class Polyplacophora. The head, intermediate, and tail valves are mucronate with comarginal growth lines and ridged insertion plates that probably inserted into soft tissue comparable to the girdle of modern polyplacophorans. The new specimens also indicate one left-handed, one auxiliary, and one right-handed valve in multiplacophorans was equivalent to a single bilaterally-symmetrical intermediate valve of extant polyplacophorans. However, multiplacophoran head valves have plates that project from the lower layer at the lateral margins and articulate with the first intermediate valves that overlap the head and second intermediate valves. These features have not been observed in more typical neoloricates, fossil or modern. Pending systematic revision of the class, Multiplacophora thus is retained as a separate order distinguished by the unique shared characters.