cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thiamylal- and halothane-sparing effect of diazepam in dogs.

The thiamylal- and halothane-sparing effect of diazepam was studied in two experiments using 32 conditioned dogs. Twenty-four dogs received 0.05, 0.1 or 0.2 ml/kg diazepam or 0.9% saline (placebo) prior to the administration of thiamylal sodium i.v. Eight dogs received 0.1 or 0.2 mg/kg diazepam i.v. or placebo prior to or during halothane anesthesia. All three doses of diazepam significantly decreased the amount of thiamylal required to allow orotracheal intubation. The 0.2 mg/kg i.v. dose of diazepam produced the most significant effects. Premedication of dogs with diazepam did not reduce the concentration of halothane required to maintain anesthesia. The administration of 0.1 and 0.2 mg/kg diazepam i.v. during halothane anesthesia decreased the concentration of halothane required to maintain anesthesia. These studies demonstrate that diazepam reduces the amount of thiamylal required for orotracheal intubation, and when given intra-operatively reduces the concentration of halothane required to maintain anesthesia.
The elucidation of hydrogen and anion adsorption on Pt(111) through the co-adsorption of metal adatoms and carbon monoxide

Abstract Copper, lead and carbon monoxide adsorbates have been used to probe the adsorption processes on a Pt(111) electrode in H2SO4 and HClO4 solutions. All three adsorbates cause inhibition of hydrogen adsorption in both solutions and a decrease of the anomalous peak recently ascribed to HSO4− adsorption. The “butterfly” peak in HClO4 solution is slightly perturbed by Cu and Pb adatoms. Evidence was found that the species responsible for the anomalous peak for Pt(111) in H2SO4 solutions is not Hads and that HSO4− probably interacts with three Pt(111) sites. A twofold interaction of HSO4− with the Pt(111) surface, however, cannot be ruled out completely. In HClO4 solutions the Cu and Pb adatoms do not cause any decrease of the charge associated with the “butterfly” peak. These results can be explained in terms of PtOH as the species involved with the “butterfly” peak. The electrosorption valence of HSO4ads− is unity, which indicates a strong interaction with the surface and a high charge transfer. The Temkin interaction parameter for Hads is fRT = 42 kJ mol−1, which provides evidence for a large repulsive interaction of Hads on the Pt(111) surface. It decreases in the presence of Cu and CO adsorbates. These results illustrate the usefulness of the competitive adsorption of various adsorbates in probing adsorption processes on electrode surfaces.
A comparison of Yucatan mini-pig and Yorkshire pig skin response to 1318-nm laser pulses

Yucatan mini-pigs and Yorkshire pigs were exposed on their flanks to 1318 nm, 0.5 ms laser pulses. Injuries were readily visible on the Yorkshire pigs immediately, one hour, and 24 hours post exposure but difficult to locate at 3 days post exposure. The Yucatan mini-pig injuries were not seen immediately or at one-hour post exposure, but at 24 hours and three days post exposure they were easily identified. The Yorkshire injuries were round red, well demarcated, with a circular pink area of edema. It is hypothesized that skin pigmentation has an effect on the mechanism of 1318 nm laser energy absorption in skin. Pigmentation may have a significant effect on how infrared laser injuries present, develop and heal.
Alternative Pathways for Association and Dissociation of the Calmodulin-binding Domain of Plasma Membrane Ca2+-ATPase Isoform 4b (PMCA4b)

The calmodulin (CaM)-binding domain of isoform 4b of the plasma membrane Ca2+ -ATPase (PMCA) pump is represented by peptide C28. CaM binds to either PMCA or C28 by a mechanism in which the primary anchor residue Trp-1093 binds to the C-terminal lobe of the extended CaM molecule, followed by collapse of CaM with the N-terminal lobe binding to the secondary anchor Phe-1110 (Juranic, N., Atanasova, E., Filoteo, A. G., Macura, S., Prendergast, F. G., Penniston, J. T., and Strehler, E. E. (2010) J. Biol. Chem. 285, 4015–4024). This is a relatively rapid reaction, with an apparent half-time of ∼1 s. The dissociation of CaM from PMCA4b or C28 is much slower, with an overall half-time of ∼10 min. Using targeted molecular dynamics, we now show that dissociation of Ca2+-CaM from C28 may occur by a pathway in which Trp-1093, although deeply embedded in a pocket in the C-terminal lobe of CaM, leaves first. The dissociation begins by relatively rapid release of Trp-1093, followed by very slow release of Phe-1110, removal of C28, and return of CaM to its conformation in the free state. Fluorescence measurements and molecular dynamics calculations concur in showing that this alternative path of release of the PMCA4b CaM-binding domain is quite different from that of binding. The intermediate of dissociation with exposed Trp-1093 has a long lifetime (minutes) and may keep the PMCA primed for activation.
Parenteral nutritional support in children with cancer

Acute and chronic starvation is often associated with childhood cancer. Total parenteral nutrition (TPN) with 20% glucose and 3.0% amino acids, and minerals and vitamins was instituted to treat or prevent malnutrition in 41 children with cancer, ages three months to 18 years. TPN was required for anorexia, vomiting and diarrhea associated with anti-cancer therapy in 33 patients for intestinal complications or surgery in nine, and for preoperative correction of malnutrition in two. During TPN, general nutrition and appearance improved in all patients. Weight gain was noted in most. Despite gastrointestinal complications which usually require the interruption of chemotherapy and irradiation, in 21 children treatment could be continued at full dose with nutritional support by TPN. TPN was discontinued in six patients when blood cultures became positive. Sepsis was treated successfully by removal of the central venous catheter in all six and administration of antibiotics in three. No metabolic complications were noted. TPN appears to be a safe and effective means of combating the malnutrition which may occur with cancer and its therapy.
Spectral transmittance of visible light by the living human eye.

The ocular media transmit different amounts of visible light depending on wavelength. The magnitude of this transmission can be estimated by reflecting a monochromatic beam of light off the inside of the sclera of a living eye which has an anomalous absence of choroid and retina. Measurements of this kind on three living human eyes are in good agreement with previous transmittance estimates based on in vitro spectrophotometry of enucleated eyes.
Shaken, Not Stirred: Emergence of Neural Selectivity in a “Cocktail Party”

In a crowded environment, how do we hear a single talker while ignoring everyone else? In this issue of Neuron, Zion Golumbic et al. (2013) record from the surface of the human brain to show how speech tracking arises through multiple neural frequency channels, both within and beyond auditory cortex.
Ion activity scales for use with selective ion-sensitive electrodes

The development of a variety of selective ion-sensitive electrodes focuses attention on numerical scales for the activity of individual ionic species, for these electrodes measure the activity of the selected ion only relative to that of the same species in a reference solution of known or assigned ion activity. Nevertheless, scales of ion activity must be based on a convention from outside the realm of thermodynamics. Scales based on different conventions are discussed and compared. In dilute solutions of ionic strength less than 0.1, several reasonable conventions give equivalent results, but the situation is more complex in concentrated solutions where the specific properties of the individual ionic species must be taken into consideration. It is shown that a convention based on the hydration number of each ionic species makes allowance for these individual differences. The scales of ionic activity so derived are found to be consistent with the responses of ion-selective electrodes.
Task Specific Complexity Metrics For Electronic Vision

This paper presents a mathematical basis for establishing achievable performance levels for multisensor electronic vision systems. A random process model of the multisensor scene environment is developed. The concept of feature space and its importance in the context of this model is presented. A set of complexity metrics used to measure the difficulty of an electronic vision task in a given scene environment is developed and presented. These metrics are based on the feature space used for the electronic vision task and the a priori knowledge of scene truth. Several applications of complexity metrics to the analysis of electronic vision systems are proposed.
A one-dimensionally position-sensitive scintillation detector

Abstract A NaI(Tl) detector has been designed to measure the position, along its midline, of a scintillation caused by the absorption of a 137 Cs γ photon. The 1.3 cm thick, 40 cm long scintillator is viewed by twenty-seven photomultipliers, placed closely together on a zig-zag line along the detector. This geometry is shown to be superior to a side-by side linear photomultiplier configuration. The detector utilizes a delay-line readout technique for position assignment, in combination with pulse-height discrimination. The spatial resolution is characterized by 5.8 mm full width at half maximum. The influence of photomultiplier characteristics and geometry, including light guide thickness, has been studied experimentally and by calculations.
Current best estimates of performance for NPOESS environmental data records with oceanographic applications

Data records based on remotely sensed, operational measurements of the ocean comprise 10 of the 38 user-validated data requirements levied on the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) and are drivers of the design and implementation strategy for two of its principal sensors: the Visible-Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) and the Microwave Imager/Sounder (MIS). The NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP) will deliver the VIIRS subset of these NPOESS ocean observations for demonstration and risk reduction after its planned launch in early 2011. This paper focuses on current best estimates of the performance of the system in delivering these ocean products. Test data and associated performance assessments from ongoing NPP VERS environmental testing and design definition activities associated with the MIS sensor provide additional insight into expected performance of the system. This insight translates to performance estimates that continue to meet or exceed comparable heritage operational systems and satisfy key operational threshold requirements for ocean observations.
Cause-specific mortality among male textile workers in Rhode Island

Cause-specific mortality patterns among male textile workers in Rhode Island who died during the period 1968-1978 were examined using the proportionate mortality ratio (PMR) method. Textile worker decedents were identified by the usual occupation and industry statements on Rhode Island death certificates. A statistically significant PMR elevation was observed for nonmalignant respiratory disease (NMRD) among male textile workers (PMR = 110; Observed deaths [Obs] = 433; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 102-120). The PMRs for NMRD by specific textile occupation and by type of textile manufacturing generally exhibited the pattern expected for work-related mortality owing to textile dust exposure. High PMRs were observed among carding, lapping, and combing operatives, the decedents who probably had the highest dust exposure (PMR = 166; Obs = 24; CI = 114-243), and among operatives most likely to have worked in cotton manufacturing (PMR = 137; Obs = 47; CI = 104-179). This is the first report of excess mortality from NMRD among male textile workers in the United States. This finding is consistent with previous evidence that exposure to cotton dust can cause disabling chronic lung disease. Also noteworthy were statistically significant elevated PMRs for cancers of the rectum and esophagus among decedents who had been engaged in textile dyeing and finishing. Owing to the lack of direct information about occupational exposures and smoking habits of the decedents and uncertainties in classifying decedents by type of textile manufacturing, this investigation should be viewed as being exploratory in nature.
The p-Median Structure as a Unified Linear Model for Location—Allocation Analysis

The p-median problem is to select p facility sites from among n locations to minimize the average distance from the populations at the n locations to their nearest facility. A set of linear constraints and a linear objective function describe the problem. By varying the way that the objective function coefficients are derived, many other location problems can be defined as special cases of the same general mathematical form of the p-median model. These models include maximum distance-covering problems, problems with facility costs, and problems having multiple objectives. The diversity of these special cases suggests the use of the model as the core of a computer software system for location—allocation and spatial analyses.
Curtailing Tobacco Use Among Youth: Evaluation of Project 4-Health

This article reports the development and evaluation of Project 4-Health, a theory-driven, research-based program to prevent tobacco use among youth enrolled in 4-H clubs throughout California. Additional goals were to involve youth in discouraging others' tobacco use and to develop youth leadership for tobacco control. To assess program effectiveness, 72 clubs were matched and randomly assigned to the program or control condition. Of 1,853 eligible club members, 88.6% completed the pretest. Of these, 79.5% completed a posttest 4 months after conclusion of program delivery, and 77.6% completed a second posttest 2 years later.Short-term effects were found on 7 of 24 outcome measures, indicating changes in knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral intention, but not in social influence variables or behaviors. No long-term effects were observed. Discussion considers how the challenges of designing, delivering, and evaluating the intervention influenced results and implications for preventing tobacco use through community-based youth groups.
Improving water use efficiency as part of integrated catchment management

Sustainable agricultural development requires technologies and practices that make more efficient and productive use of resources and an enabling environment that encourages the adoption of these technologies. Many institutions and international agencies are showing considerable interest in integrated catchment management (ICM) as a practical means of improving the management of water resources, reducing environmental degradation and promoting sustainable agricultural development. This paper outlines some of the main components of ICM and lists some of the prerequisites for establishing collective responsibility for, in particular, groundwater resources. This paper also discusses the extent to which programmes of ICM can be used as a means of conserving water resources and improving water use efficiency and productivity at the farm and catchment scales.
THE SPORE-GERMINATION PATTERN OF THELYPTEROID FERNS

Cell division patterns in germinating spores of several Thelypteris species were studied using light microscopy of sectioned material and scanning electron microscopy. All species exhibited the same basic germination pattern, characterized by an asymmetric cell division of the spore parallel to the equatorial plane to delimit a proximal rhizoid, followed by a perpendicular division of the basal cell to form the protonemal cell. While spore-germination patterns appear to be a potentially useful taxonomic character in some groups of ferns, the homogeneity in this character exhibited by the thelypteroid group impairs its usefulness in the taxonomy of The-
CHELATION OF FERROUS SULPHATE SOLUTIONS BY DESFERRIOXAMINE B.

DESFERRIOXAMINE B is a specific iron complexing agent originally obtained from an iron-bearing metabolite of Actinomycetes (Streptomyces pilosus)1,2. It is available for clinical use as ‘Desferal’* (desferrioxamine B methanesulphonate) and has undergone extensive evaluation in the treatment of chronic iron overload states3. The compound, a trihydroxamic acid derivative, has a strong affinity for ferric ions (stability constant log K = 30.6) with which it reacts to form a complex known as ferrioxamine, but it is reported to form relatively little complex with ferrous ions4. During the course of investigations involving the use of desferrioxamine B in the treatment of acute iron poisoning in dogs5, it was necessary to determine the extent to which ferrous ions form a complex with the chelate. In this communication we wish to present preliminary results relative to the ability of desferrioxamine B to complex with ferrous iron.
Parkin facilitates the elimination of expanded polyglutamine proteins and leads to preservation of proteasome function.

Parkin, the most commonly mutated gene in familial Parkinson's disease, encodes an E3 ubiquitin ligase. A number of candidate substrates have been identified for parkin ubiquitin ligase action including CDCrel-1, o-glycosylated α-synuclein, Pael-R, and synphilin-1. We now show that parkin promotes the ubiquitination and degradation of an expanded polyglutamine protein. Overexpression of parkin reduces aggregation and cytotoxicity of an expanded polyglutamine ataxin-3 fragment. Using a cellular proteasome indicator system based on a destabilized form of green fluorescent protein, we demonstrate that parkin reduces proteasome impairment and caspase-12 activation induced by an expanded polyglutamine protein. Parkin forms a complex with the expanded polyglutamine protein, heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) and the proteasome, which may be important for the elimination of the expanded polyglutamine protein. Hsp70 enhances parkin binding and ubiquitination of expanded polyglutamine protein in vitro suggesting that Hsp70 may help to recruit misfolded proteins as substrates for parkin E3 ubiquitin ligase activity. We speculate that parkin may function to relieve endoplasmic reticulum stress by preserving proteasome activity in the presence of misfolded proteins. Loss of parkin function and the resulting proteasomal impairment may contribute to the accumulation of toxic aberrant proteins in neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson's disease.
Brownian-Motion Model of Nonrelativistic Quantum Mechanics

In Feynman's space-time approach to nonrelativistic quantum mechanics, the wave function may be considered to be the sum of path integrals over Brownian-motion trajectories. This formalism is entirely equivalent to the Schr\"odinger-equation treatment with its intrinsic indeterminacy. Pursuing the analogy with Brownian motion further, one may introduce a hidden variable corresponding to particle velocity in order to represent the wave function as a sum of path integrals taken over phase-space trajectories. By means of a hidden parameter corresponding to the time scale of fictitious interactions of the particle with the vacuum, one can define generalized propagators which over very short times produce wave functions which are localizable in phase space and hence are deterministic. For long times the conventional Feynman formalism is recovered. This short-time causality does not violate the von Neumann injunction against hidden variables since the new velocity variable turns out to be non-Hermitian over the long time scales normally considered. In contrast to the models proposed by Bohm and others, the present Brownian model is linear and preserves the usual statistical interpretation of the wave function for sufficiently long times.
Sources, trends and regional impacts of fine particulate matter in southern Mississippi valley: significance of emissions from sources in the Gulf of Mexico coast

Abstract. The sources of fine particles over a 10 yr period at Little Rock, Arkansas, an urban area in the southern Mississippi Valley, were identified by positive matrix factorization. The annual trends of PM 2.5 and its sources, and their associations with the pathways of air mass backward trajectories were examined. Seven sources were apportioned, namely, primary traffic particles, secondary nitrate and sulphate, biomass burning, diesel particles, aged/contaminated sea salt and mineral/road dust, accounting for more than 90% of measured PM 2.5 (particles with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm) mass. The declining trend of PM 2.5 mass (0.4 μg m −3 per year) was related to lower levels of SO 4 2− (0.2 μg m −3 per year) due to SO 2 reductions from point and mobile sources. The slower decline for NO 3 − particles (0.1 μg m −3 per year) was attributed to the increasing NH 3 emissions in the Midwest. The annual variation of biomass burning particles was associated with fires in the southeast and northwest US. Of the four regions within 500 km from the receptor site, the Gulf Coast and the southeast US accounted cumulatively for more than 65% of PM 2.5 mass, nitrate, sulphate and biomass burning aerosol. Overall, more than 50% of PM 2.5 and its components originated from sources outside the state. Sources within the Gulf Coast and western Gulf of Mexico include 65% of the busiest ports in the US, intense marine traffic within 400 km of the coast burning rich in S diesel, and a large number of offshore oil and natural gas platforms and many refineries. This approach allowed for the quantitative assessment of the impacts of transport from regions representing diverse mixtures of sources and weather conditions for different types of particles. The findings of this effort demonstrated the influences of emission controls on SO 2 and NO x on PM 2.5 mass, the potential effect of events (i.e. fires) sensitive to climate change phenomena on air pollution and the potential of offshore activities and shipping emissions to influence air quality in urban areas located more than 1000 km away from the sources.
TIMP-1 overexpression promotes tumorigenesis of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells and alters expression of a subset of cancer promoting genes in vivo distinct from those observed in vitro

TIMP-1 (Tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-1) is typically associated with inhibition of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) induced invasion. However, TIMP-1 is overexpressed in many malignancies and is associated with poor prognosis in breast cancer. The mechanisms by which TIMP-1 promotes tumorigenesis are unclear. Reduced levels of TIMP-1 mediated by shRNA in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells had no effect on cellular physiology in vitro or tumor growth in SCID mice compared to vector control MDA-MB-231 cells. However, overexpression of TIMP-1 in MDA-MB-231 cells resulted in inhibition of cell invasion and enhanced phosphorylation of p38 MAPK and AKT in vitro. Additionally, treatment of parental MDA-MB-231 cells with purified TIMP-1 protein led to activation of p38 MAPK and MKK 3/6. cDNA array analysis demonstrated that high expression of TIMP-1 in MDA-MB-231 cells resulted in alterations in expression of approximately 200 genes, 1.5 fold or greater compared to vector control cells (P < 0.1). Real-time RT-PCR confirmed changes in expression of several genes associated with cancer progression including DAPK1, FGFR4 and MAPK13. In vivo, high TIMP-1 expression induced tumor growth in SCID mice compared to vector control cells and increased tumor vessel density. Affymetrix array analysis of vector control and TIMP-1 MDA-MB-231 xenograft tumors revealed that TIMP-1 altered expression of approximately 600 genes in vivo, including MMP1, MMP13, S100A14, S100P, Rab25 and ID4. These combined observations suggest that the effects of TIMP-1 differ significantly in a 2-D environment compared to the 3-D environment and that TIMP-1 stimulates tumor growth.
Interleukin-1 inhibits follicle stimulating hormone-induced differentiation in rat granulosa cells in vitro

Abstract Increasing evidence suggests that factors secreted from cells of the immune system can affect endocrine function. In this report we show that the monokine, interleukin-1, inhibits follicle stimulating hormone-induced development of luteinizing hormone receptors and reduces progesterone secreted from cultured rat granulosa cells. These effects of interleukin-1 were observed in the physiological range of 10−9 M. The ability of sex steroids to influence the immune response together with our results support the hypothesis that there is a bidirectional communication network which links the immune and reproductive endocrine systems.
The microbiome modulates the tumor macroenvironment

Earlier investigations of the tumor microenvironment unveiled systemic networks presenting novel therapeutic opportunities. It has been recently shown that gut microbes modulate whole host immune and neuroendocrine factors impacting the fate of distant preneoplastic lesions toward malignancy or regression. These findings establish a new paradigm of holobiont therapeutic engineering in emerging tumor macroenvironments.
Effects of alteration of hepatic microsomal enzyme activity on liver blood flow in the rat

Abstract The effects of pretreatment with ten daily intraperitoneal injections of phenobarbital (8 mg/100 g/day) 3,4-benzpyrene (1 mg/100 g/day and 3-methyl-cholanthrene (1 mg/100 g/day) and a single injection of SKF-525A (30 mg/kg) on liver blood flow in the rat were studied using radioactive microspheres. Of the hepatic enzyme-inducing agents only phenobarbital caused an increase in total liver blood flow, which averaged 33 per cent, and was associated with a similar increase in liver mass. The polycyclic hydrocarbons caused a small increase in liver mass of 11–15 per cent and no change in liver blood flow. All three agents induced drug-metabolizing enzymes, as judged by zoxazolamine paralysis time. SKF-525A produced no change in liver blood flow or liver mass. Liver blood flow/g of liver was unchanged in all groups. The increase in liver blood flow caused by phenobarbital was due entirely to an increase in flow to the splanchnic organs draining into the portal vein. These results imply that total hepatic blood flow is influenced by the mass of the liver and that the responsible, but as yet unknown, mechanism(s) involve the portal circulation. The different effect of phenobarbital and the polycyclic hydrocarbons on liver blood flow is only one of a number of distinctions between these inducing agents but may account for some of the differences observed in vivo especially with drugs whose clearance is dependent on liver blood flow.
Electron-Beam Float Zone and Vacuum Purification of Vanadium

Electron-beam float zone melting vanadium three passes at 3.9 in./h in 4×10−10 Torr vacuum resulted in resistance ratios of about 700 and a total impurity content of 50 wt ppm. The zoning reduced both carbon and oxygen content. However, while carbon removal was always accompanied by a lowering of the oxygen content, the reverse was not true. The removal of oxygen was probably accomplished by the formation and volatilization of VO. The mechanism for carbon removal was not clearly resolved. Nitrogen was not appreciably affected by electron-beam float zone melting. All metallic impurities, with the exception of Ta and W and possibly Si, were effectively volatilized. No evidence was found for zone refining action on any impurity. Vacuum outgassing further reduced the carbon and oxygen level. However, the oxygen removal was far more effective than the carbon. The nitrogen content increased, particularly on the specimens that lost about 40% in weight due to vanadium evaporation. However, the effect of vacuum ou...
Teacher education and educational self-direction: A conceptual analysis and empirical investigation☆

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to examine the concept of educational self-direction in teacher education, an educational environment that encourages the use of initiative, thought and independent judgment in learning. First, this concept is examined conceptually. The theory and research on occupational self-direction is summarized, and the relevance of this work to education settings is analyzed. Second, the concept is examined empirically. The development of an instrument to assess educational self-direction is documented. Data from two separate studies indicated that the questionnaire was reliable (alpha values from 0.63 to 0.84), and valid. Finally, implications of this work for research on teacher education are considered.
Reason and trust in Reid

My theme in this essay is the anti-rationalism in Reid's thought. I explore three areas of Reid's thought in which anti-rationalism is a prominent feature: Reid's attack on the Way of Ideas and his own account of how beliefs are formed, in particular, perceptual beliefs, his response to the skeptic, and his understanding of the task of the philosopher.
Immune Proteins in Brain Development and Synaptic Plasticity

Many proteins first identified in the immune system are also expressed in the developing and adult nervous system. Unexpectedly, recent studies reveal that a number of these proteins, in addition to their immunological roles, are essential for the establishment, function, and modification of synaptic connections. These include proinflammatory cytokines (e.g., TNFα, IL-6), proteins of the innate immune system (e.g., complement C1q and C3, pentraxins, Dscam), members of the major histocompatibility complex class I (MHCI) family, and MHCI-binding immunoreceptors and their components (e.g., PIRB, Ly49, DAP12, CD3ζ). Understanding how these proteins function in neurons will clarify the molecular basis of fundamental events in brain development and plasticity and may add a new dimension to our understanding of neural-immune interactions in health and disease.
Jump-preserving surface reconstruction from noisy data

A new local smoothing procedure is suggested for jump-preserving surface reconstruction from noisy data. In a neighborhood of a given point in the design space, a plane is fitted by local linear kernel smoothing, giving the conventional local linear kernel estimator of the surface at the point. The neighborhood is then divided into two parts by a line passing through the given point and perpendicular to the gradient direction of the fitted plane. In the two parts, two half planes are fitted, respectively, by local linear kernel smoothing, providing two one-sided estimators of the surface at the given point. Our surface reconstruction procedure then proceeds in the following two steps. First, the fitted surface is defined by one of the three estimators, i.e., the conventional estimator and the two one-sided estimators, depending on the weighted residual means of squares of the fitted planes. The fitted surface of this step preserves the jumps well, but it is a bit noisy, compared to the conventional local linear kernel estimator. Second, the estimated surface values at the original design points obtained in the first step are used as new data, and the above procedure is applied to this data in the same way except that one of the three estimators is selected based on their estimated variances. Theoretical justification and numerical examples show that the fitted surface of the second step preserves jumps well and also removes noise efficiently. Besides two window widths, this procedure does not introduce other parameters. Its surface estimator has an explicit formula. All these features make it convenient to use and simple to compute.
Your M&A map for success

Nearly 70 percent of M&As fail to meet executives' financial expectations. And a large number of acquisitions create no value for stockholders. There are many reasons for these failures, but lack of planning and effective execution may be the most important. What's the solution? The answer, say the authors of this article, is to map the M&A process. Here's how one company did that. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Design Evaluation of an Arctic Research Station From a User Perspective

Extreme environmental and social conditions in polar and circumpolar regions present great challenges to field research personnel. In 1997, a new station was constructed at the summit of Greenland ...
The Smooth Long Noncoding RNA SENCR

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as novel regulators of gene expression, but their mode of action is diverse and ill understood. There are few examples that lncRNAs are also involved in cardiovascular development as well as in cardiovascular (patho)physiology (Figure). An lncRNA called Braveheart was recently shown to be crucial for cardiac development. Braveheart is necessary for activation of a core cardiovascular gene network and functions upstream of mesoderm posterior 1, a master regulator of a common multipotent cardiovascular progenitor.1 Another lncRNA Fendrr was shown to control chromatin modifications and thereby control developmental signaling in the heart.2 Evidence for a role of lncRNAs in cardiomyocytes comes from a third study that studied interactions between the lncRNA CHRF and a microRNA named microRNA-489.3 Recently, an elegant article also provided first evidence for the lncRNA MALAT1 to be enriched in endothelial cells and to control endothelial functions …
Smarter social collaboration at IBM research

In this paper we feature a set of research projects done at several IBM Research laboratories across the world. The work featured here focuses on the topic of smart social collaboration, which studies, designs, and develops social collaboration principles and technologies that can help customize and enhance existing social collaboration tools to suit specific user needs, including cultural, business, and personal needs.
The effect of Schottky barrier lowering and nonplanar emitter geometry on the performance of a thermionic energy converter

An extension of the classical model of thermionic emission was developed to include the effects of nonplanar emitter surfaces and Schottky barrier lowering (SBL) on the output of a thermionic energy converter (TEC). Nonplanar emitter geometries along with Schottky barrier lowering may be useful in increasing both the maximum output power and output current of a thermionic energy converter. The finite element method was used to calculate the enhanced normal electric field at the surface of an emitter coated with an ultra-nanocrystalline diamond (UNCD) film and patterned with field enhancing tips. The result was used to determine the local enhanced output current and power. For the geometries considered the increased surface area of the emitter plays a significant role in increasing the output power and output current. Moreover, a calculation of the single electron time of flight shows that electrons traveling through a field enhanced region of the interelectrode space might spend half as long in transit, thus helping to mitigate the negative space charge effect that degrades the performance of vacuum TECs.
Loading, unloading and reloading of a generalized plane plastica

This article presents a shooting-type numerical procedure for the analysis of a planar, continuous and flexible member where the material is permitted to unload and reload plastically. A kinematic type of strainhardening rule is employed, and large displacements, large rotations and general cross section shapes are admitted. Though numerical and semi-analytical solutions exist in the literature for specific problems where the internal and external loads increase monotonically (see, for example, References 1–4), little attention has been paid to problems where these loads (specifically internal loads) are permitted to decrease or reverse direction. In the present work a comparison is made with the solution to one such problem found in the literature, and the solution to four additional problems is given to show the versatility and usefulness of the method.
Embryology of the gonad with reference to special tumors of the ovary and testis

The ovaries and testes have very similar development patterns until about the fourth month of embryonic life. A review of the similar development (until the fourth month) provides an explanation for the origin of tumors commonly associated with ovarian tissue appearing in the testis and vice versa. Embryonic surface epithelium gives rise to mesothelial tissue from which the common epithelial tumors arise in the ovary. Since these cells disappear from the testis when the tunica albuginea develops, this offers an explanation for the lack of common epithelial tumors in the testis. The embryonic gonadal tissue or sex cord epithelium and the primitive germ cells give rise to similar tumors in both the ovary and the testis. The extraembryonal tumors arise from the extraembryonal cells and trophoblastic cells, which give rise to the endodermal sinus tumors and choriocarcinomas, respectively. Since there is such a similarity in the development of the ovary and testis with the potential for residual cells to remain, an explanation is offered for the development of similar tumors in the ovary and the testis.
Identification of conserved gene structures and carboxy-terminal motifs in the Myb gene family of Arabidopsis and Oryza sativa L. ssp. indica.

Background Myb proteins contain a conserved DNA-binding domain composed of one to four repeat motifs (referred to as R0R1R2R3); each repeat is approximately 50 amino acids in length, with regularly spaced tryptophan residues. Although the Myb proteins comprise one of the largest families of transcription factors in plants, little is known about the functions of most Myb genes. Here we use computational techniques to classify Myb genes on the basis of sequence similarity and gene structure, and to identify possible functional relationships among subgroups of Myb genes from Arabidopsis and rice (Oryza sativa L. ssp. indica).
A sparse reconstruction algorithm for parallel spiral MR spectroscopic imaging

In this paper we propose an efficient sparse reconstruction scheme for the parallel MRSI data acquired using a fast spiral scheme. We model the system using the MR priors estimated from the water reference scan. In our sparse reconstruction approach, we minimize the total variation and l 1 norm of the compartmentalized MRSI data in order to reduce noise, inhomogeneity distortions, and spectral leakage. We demonstrate significant improvement for in vivo brain results when compared to classical regularized SENSE MRSI reconstruction.
Promotion of Smooth Surface Tumorigenicity by Phorbol Myristate Acetate in Balb/3T3 Cells and Balb/3T3 T Proadipocytes

In vitro exposure of Balb/3T3 cells to phorbol and phorbol myristate acetate significantly increased their tumorigenic potential when implanted sc on smooth surface plates into syngeneic mice. This finding supports the hypothesis that many so-called normal cell lines may actually represent initiated cells that can be induced to become tumorigenic following exposure to promoting agents. Since the tumorigenic potential of many tissues in vivo is inversely proportional to the state of differentiation of the stem cell populations undergoing transformation, we assayed the relative tumorigenicity of Balb/3T3 T proadipocytes, which can differentiate in culture, and Balb/3T3 cells, which cannot differentiate in culture. The effects of tumor-promoting agents on these cells were also tested. Plate-implanted Balb/3T3 T proadipocytes were markedly less tumorigenic than Balb/3T3 cells, and Balb/3T3 T proadipocytes were not sensitive to the promotional effects of phorbol myristate acetate.
Phenomena of self-moisture in gas-insulated electromagnetic potential transformers

The reason the moisture in gas of gas-insulated apparatus increases for years is not all the result of being infiltrated by extemal vapor as the past experience. For example, in a gas-insulated substation (GIS), water contents in 7 sets of gas-insulated electromagnetic potential transformers (PT) had increased 10-20 times as against before two years, and the highest was 4330 P LIL, and one set of PT exploded, which was caused by the moisture. However, there was no gas leak found for these sets. There were phenomena of self-moisture in gas of these PT. For these PT, the water content in gas is approximately proportional to the volume of the windings. Therefore. the water within the windings is a primary source of self-moisture in the PT. The moisture from the windings can be condensed on the surface of the windings, which would cause the surface flashover. Some ideas on limitation and control of the self-moisture in maintenance, manufacturing and design are proposed to prevent this type of failure.
THE TIMING AND DISTRIBUTION OF CADDO SALT PRODUCTION IN NORTHWESTERN LOUISIANA

AbstractIn the fall of 2012, the Alabama Museum of Natural History’s Gulf Coast Survey conducted an archaeological survey of four major salt domes in northwestern Louisiana. In total, 13 discrete “salt licks” were visited at these salt domes. The results of this survey indicate that along with Potter’s Pond, the Drake’s Salt Works Site Complex was one of northwestern Louisiana’s most intensively utilized salines during the protohistoric and early historic periods. It is argued here that salt production in this area developed largely in response to an increased demand for salt and salttreated commodities following European contact. Although numerous salt licks would have been known to the Caddo, only a fraction of these licks were involved in salt making. While there were likely many factors involved in determining which licks were favored over others, the availability and strength of liquid brine, resistance to flooding, fuel availability, and proximity to European traders would have been several importan...
Compartmentalization of Pseudorabies Virus and Subvirion Components in BHK-21 Cells and in the Extracellular Fluid

The intracellular and extracellular localization of pseudorabies virions and subvirion components was determined at various stages in the replicative cycle. It was discovered that infectious pseudorabies virus appears first in the nucleus of the infected cell early in the infectious cycle but later accumulates in the cytoplasm. Subvirion components (nucleoids and nucleocapsids) are restricted to the nucleus, and only the complete virion is released from the infected cell.
THREE-PHASE PARTITIONING OF HYDROPHOBIC ORGANIC COMPOUNDS IN GREAT LAKES WATERS

Abstract Great Lakes waters were freshly collected, innoculated with radiolabelled hydrophobic organic compounds and, after equilibration, separated into particle bound, dissolved organic matter bound and freely dissolved phases. In these ambient suspended matter (0.2–5 ppm) and dissolved organic carbon (1–6 ppm) media, the freely dissolved phase generally dominates and the amounts associated with dissolved organic matter rarely exceeds 5% for most compounds. Solubility controls the constituent distribution between particle bound and freely dissolved but plays a much smaller role in mediating the binding to dissolved organic matter. Differences observed in the binding to dissolved and particulate organic matter support the need to consider the distribution of constituents among three phases. Although the concentration and composition of the substrate changes significantly, there is no apparent seasonal effect on the distribution of compounds among the three phases in the Great Lakes.
On the solution of the carbonate chemistry system in ocean biogeochemistry models

Abstract We present a simplified method for solving the local equilibrium carbonate chemistry in numerical ocean biogeochemistry models. Compared to the methods typically used, the scheme is fast, efficient and compact. The accuracy of the solution is dictated by the number of species retained in the expression for alkalinity and there is almost no computational penalty for retaining minor contributions. We demonstrate that this scheme accurately reproduces the results of the commonly used method in the context of a three-dimensional global ocean carbon cycle model. Using this model we also show that neglecting the regional variations in surface dissolved inorganic phosphorus and silicic acid concentrations can lead to significant systematic bias in regional estimates of air–sea carbon fluxes using such models.
High quality GeO 2 /Ge interface formed by SPA radical oxidation and uniaxial stress engineering for high performance Ge NMOSFETs

Slot-plane-antenna (SPA) radical oxidation of Ge is shown to realize (1) orientation independent, (2) small temperature dependent oxidation, (3) smooth interface and (4) low interface state density. Mobility enhancement under uniaxial stress was demonstrated in (100) Ge NFET fabricated by utilizing SPA radical oxidation, for the first time. Drive current of (100) Ge NFET can be enhanced under uniaxial stress in the ballistic transport regime, which satisfies ITRS 22 nm node high performance spec as a Ge CMOS platform.
Lossy Multicasting Over Binary Symmetric Broadcast Channels

Lossy multicasting of a set of independent, discrete-time, continuous-amplitude source components under the mean square error distortion measure over binary symmetric broadcast channels is investigated. The practically appealing concatenation of successive refinement source coding with broadcast coding and, specifically, time-sharing of linear binary codes, is considered. Three different system optimization criteria are formulated for the lossy multicasting problem. The resulting system optimization is fairly general and applies to a variety of combinations of successive refinement source codes and channel codes. The system optimization is investigated in depth for a class of channel optimized quantization with successive refinement, obtained by using standard embedded scalar quantizers and linear mapping of the (redundant) quantizer bitplanes onto channel codewords by using a systematic Raptor encoder. This scheme is referred to as quantization with linear index coding (QLIC). Unlike existing literature on progressive transmission with unequal error protection or channel optimized quantization, the focus here is on the regime of moderate-to-large code block length and the power of modern sparse-graph codes with iterative belief propagation decoding is leveraged. In this regime, the system optimization takes on the form of simple convex programming that reduces to linear programming for QLIC. The performance of QLIC compares favorably with respect to the state of the art channel optimized quantization in the conventional setting of a single Gaussian source over a binary symmetric channel. For the multicast scenario, the performance gap incurred by the practical QLIC design with respect to ideal source and channel codes is quantified.
Adapting large systems to small machines

An evaluation of software available on mini-computers and its adequacy was made. It led to extension of a systems implementation language to two minicomputers. The language LITTLE was chosen for its machine independence and efficiency. Techniques for code generation and storage allocation are recounted with a special emphasis on producing compact code.
Putin's Legacy and Russia's Identity

As a number of scholars have pointed out, post-Soviet Russia faces an identity crisis (Tsygankov 2006a, 2007; Suny 2007). The Soviet regime had promoted its conception of Russia's role in a multina...