cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On the Volatility of Online Ratings: An Empirical Study

Many online rating systems represent product quality using metrics such as the mean and the distribution of ratings. However, the mean usually becomes stable as reviews accumulate, and consequently, it does not reflect the trend emerging from the latest user ratings. Additionally, understanding whether any variation in the trend is truly significant requires accounting for the volatility of the product’s rating history. Developing better rating aggregation techniques should focus on quantifying the volatility in ratings to appropriately weight or discount older ratings. We present a theoretical model based on stock market metrics, known as the Average Rating Volatility (ARV), which captures the fluctuation present in these ratings. Next, ARV is mapped to the discounting factor for weighting (aging) past ratings and used as the coefficient in Brown’s Simple Exponential Smoothing to produce an aggregate mean rating. This proposed method represents the “true” quality of a product more accurately because it accounts for both volatility and trend in the product’s rating history. Empirical findings on rating volatility for several product categories using data from Amazon further motivate the need and applicability of the proposed methodology.
Frequency domain identification of proprioceptive evoked potentials in compliant kinematic experiments

Proprioception is a critical component of closed-loop motor control with sensory information being used to dynamically adjust and correct movement. We mapped brain responses in healthy adults to proprioceptive stimulation at different steady state frequencies. A haptic robotic device generated small, short, recurrent force pulses producing displacements of approximately 1 cm of the subject's index finger. Four stimulation frequencies were used: 2 Hz, 3 Hz, 5 Hz and 7 Hz. Finger displacement and high resolution 63 channel EEG were simultaneously recorded. The resulting proprioceptive steady state evoked potentials (PSSEPs) and the compliant kinematics of the subject's index finger were analyzed in the frequency domain. The harmonics of the input force pulse were used to interpolate and extrapolate the estimated kinematic and proprioceptive linear transfer functions beyond the fundamental frequencies of stimulation experiments. We used the relative SNR of the EEG channels to rank and identify the most important components of the spatial and frequency response. A physiologic, task-free, quantification of proprioceptive ability could have applications to diagnose and rehabilitate people with neurodegenerative and motor disorders.
An introduction to the physics of underwater sound and their application to passive anti-submarine warfare

Summary form only given. The need has been recognized for a thorough understanding of the basic principles of underwater sound, as the primary phenomenon governing the application of passive antisubmarine warfare. The author describes the basics of underwater acoustics and its association with the undersea warfare effort. He presents some highlights of the present state-of-the-art applications in passive antisubmarine warfare and gives some possible future directions that this field might pursue. >
Using content and network analysis to understand the social support exchange patterns and user behaviors of an online smoking cessation intervention program

Informational support and nurturant support are two basic types of social support offered in online health communities. This study identifies types of social support in the QuitStop forum and brings insights to exchange patterns of social support and user behaviors with content analysis and social network analysis. Motivated by user information behavior, this study defines two patterns to describe social support exchange: initiated support exchange and invited support exchange. It is found that users with a longer quitting time tend to actively give initiated support, and recent quitters with a shorter abstinent time are likely to seek and receive invited support. This study also finds that support givers of informational support quit longer ago than support givers of nurturant support, and support receivers of informational support quit more recently than support receivers of nurturant support. Usually, informational support is offered by users at late quit stages to users at early quit stages. Nurturant support is also exchanged among users within the same quit stage. These findings help us understand how health consumers are supporting each other and reveal new capabilities of online intervention programs that can be designed to offer social support in a timely and effective manner.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa Chemotaxis Associated with Blooms of N(2)-Fixing Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria).

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Schroeter) Migula, a numerically significant bacterium found during N2-fixing blooms of the blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) Anabaena sp. in the Chowan River, North Carolina, was chemotactically attracted to amino acids when tested in a radioassay. The bacterium was labeled with 32Pi, and the disintegrations per minute determined by liquid scintillation counting were proportional to the number of cells accumulating in microcapillaries containing amino acids. Positive chemotaxis was observed toward all of the amino acids tested, although the degrees of response varied. Since many nitrogen-fixing blue-green algae secrete nitrogenous compounds, this attraction may be instrumental in establishing a symbiotic relationship between this bacterium and blue-green algae in freshwater.
Ionic circuit analysis of K+/H+ antiport and amino acid/K+ symport energized by a proton-motive force in Manduca sexta larval midgut vesicles.

Amino acid/K+ symport (cotransport) across a model epithelium, the lepidopteran midgut, is energized by an electrogenic H+ V-ATPase (H+ pump) in parallel with an electrophoretic K+/H+ antiporter (exchanger). Attempts to analyze this process using well-known equilibrium thermodynamic equations (Nernst, Gibbs), diffusion equations (Nernst, Planck, Einstein, Goldman, Hodgkin, Katz) and equations based on Ohm's law (Hodgkin, Huxley) have all encountered major difficulties. Although they are useful for analyzing nerve/muscle action potentials, these state equations assume that brief perturbations in membrane conductance, gm, and membrane voltage, Vm, occur so rapidly that no other parameters are significantly disturbed. However, transport studies often extend for minutes, even for hours. Perturbation of one parameter in complex transport systems invariably results in a state change as all of the other elements adjust to the prolonged stress. The development of a comprehensive mathematical treatment for transport systems that contain pumps and porters (transporters) has been hampered by the empirical nature of the concept of membrane permeability and conductance. The empirical definition of permeability was developed before pumps and porters were known. Thus, 'permeability' is a gross parameter that, in practice if not in theory, could describe all transport pathways including pumps, porters and channels. To surmount these difficulties, we have applied ionic circuit analysis to vesicular systems containing insect midgut transport proteins. In this analysis, pumps, porters and channels, as well as ionic concentration gradients and membrane capacitance, are components of ionic circuits that function to transform metabolic energy (e.g. from ATP hydrolysis) into useful metabolic work (e.g. amino acid uptake). Computer-generated by an H+ V-ATPase to K+/2H+ antiport and amino acid/K+ symport in the lepidopteran midgut.
Developmental Influences on Adult Intelligence: The Seattle Longitudinal Study

1. Introduction and Preview 2. Methodological Issues 3. The Database 4. Cross-Sectional Studies 5. Longitudinal Studies 6. Studies of Cohort and Period Differences 7. Intervention Studies 8. Methodological Studies 9. The Relationship Between Cognitive Styles and Intellectual Functioning 10. Health and Maintenance of Intellectual Functioning 11. Health Behaviors and Intellectual Functioning 12. Lifestyle Variables That Affect Intellectual Functioning 13. The Sequential Study of Personality Traits and Attitudes 14. Influences of Personality on Cognition 15. Family Studies of Intellectual Abilities in Adulthood 16. Subjective Perceptions of Cognitive Change 17. Influences of Family Environment on Cognition 18. Biological Influences on Cognitive Change 19. The Prediction of Individual Cognitive Decline 20. The Role of Longitudinal Studies in the Early Detection of Dementia 21. Summary and Conclusions Appendix Tables References Index
Thioether-ligated nickel(I) complexes for the activation of dioxygen

The preparation of phenyltris[1-adamantyl(thiomethyl)]borate [PhTtAd], which incorporates the large 1-adamantyl thioether substituent, is described. This derivative was sought to permit the preparation of four-coordinate nickel(I) complexes. Following a synthetic scheme for the related tert-butyl ligand, [PhTtBut], the following complexes were prepared and characterized fully, [PhTtAd]Ni(CO), [PhTtAd]Ni(PMe3) and [κ2-PhTtAd]Ni(η2-CH2SAd). The last species is a degradation product resulting from attempted reduction of the nickel(II) precursor, [PhTtAd]NiCl, in the absence of a ligand suitable for trapping the nickel(I) fragment.
Therapeutic effects of cell-permeant peptides that activate G proteins downstream of growth factors.

In eukaryotes, receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) and trimeric G proteins are two major signaling hubs. Signal transduction via trimeric G proteins has long been believed to be triggered exclusively by G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). This paradigm has recently been challenged by several studies on a multimodular signal transducer, Gα-Interacting Vesicle associated protein (GIV/Girdin). We recently demonstrated that GIV’s C terminus (CT) serves as a platform for dynamic association of ligand-activated RTKs with Gαi, and for noncanonical transactivation of G proteins. However, exogenous manipulation of this platform has remained beyond reach. Here we developed cell-permeable GIV-CT peptides by fusing a TAT-peptide transduction domain (TAT-PTD) to the minimal modular elements of GIV that are necessary and sufficient for activation of Gi downstream of RTKs, and used them to engineer signaling networks and alter cell behavior. In the presence of an intact GEF motif, TAT-GIV-CT peptides enhanced diverse processes in which GIV’s GEF function has previously been implicated, e.g., 2D cell migration after scratch-wounding, invasion of cancer cells, and finally, myofibroblast activation and collagen production. Furthermore, topical application of TAT-GIV-CT peptides enhanced the complex, multireceptor-driven process of wound repair in mice in a GEF-dependent manner. Thus, TAT-GIV peptides provide a novel and versatile tool to manipulate Gαi activation downstream of growth factors in a diverse array of pathophysiologic conditions.
A path analytic model of store loyalty involving self-concept, store image, geographic loyalty, and socioeconomic status

A model is introduced which posits that store loyalty is primarily determined by store-image evaluation and shopping-complex loyalty. Store image-evaluation, in turn, is hypothesized to be determined, to a major extent, by self-image/store-image congruity, and shopping-complex loyalty by area loyalty and socioeconomic status. The model was tested using a path analytic procedure and the results were consistent with the model. A replication study was attempted and the results reinforced the validity of the proposed model.
Lateral electrostatic accelerometer using Radioisotope Powered Electron Lithography

We used RadioIsotope Powered Electron Lithography (RIPEL), a new radioisotope emission-based electron lithography technique we recently presented [1], to fabricate a representative MEMS accelerometer. Because of nanoscale lithography dimensional control, the device shows high degree of dimensional matching (1–5%) between several devices. Moreover, measured accelerometer beam edge roughness is small (±10nm), which leads to the consistency between the measured pull-in-voltage and the theoretical calculation value. Furthermore, the small average deviation on the beam width (±15nm) leads to good pull-in-voltage uniformity from device to device (1–5%). Therefore, we demonstrate feasibility of using RIPEL to fabricate MEMS devices at nanoscale, with high precision, over large substrate for reduced cost.
ALFALFA SEEDLINGS GROWN OUTDOORS ARE MORE RESISTANT TO UV‐INDUCED DNA DAMAGE THAN PLANTS GROWN IN A UV‐FREE ENVIRONMENTAL CHAMBER

The relative UV sensitivities of alfalfa seedlings grown outdoors versus plants grown in a growth chamber under UV-filtered cool white fluorescent bulbs have been determined using three criteria: (1) level of endogenous DNA damage as sites for the UV endonuclease from Micrococcus luteus. (2) susceptibility to pyrimidine dimer induction by a UV challenge exposure and (3) ability to repair UV-induced damage. We find that outdoor-grown plants contain approximately equal frequencies of endogenous DNA damages, are less susceptible to dimer induction by a challenge exposure of broad-spectrum UV and photorepair dimers more rapidly than plants grown in an environmental chamber under cool white fluorescent lamps plus a filter that removes most UV radiation. These data suggest that plants grown in a natural environment would be less sensitive to UVB-induced damage than would be predicted on the basis of studies on plants grown under minimum UV.
Accumulation of Chemical Elements in Texas Shrimp Pond Soils

Abstract— This study evaluated changes in chemistry of shrimp pond soils over one production cycle. Several soil nutrients, pH, organic matter, and total soluble salts were analyzed in the upper 10 cm of pond-bottom soil on two Texas shrimp farms in two consecutive years. Soil concentrations of S, P, Ca, Mg, K, Na, Mn, and Zn increased from one year to the next, S increased by 400 ppm. Organic matter did not accumulate. The pH decreased in all pond soils, owing perhaps to the oxidation of organic matter and/or inorganic compounds. There was no statistical difference in shrimp yield between the two consecutive years. These results indicated that the accumulation of S and soluble salts derived from seawater and feed should be monitored and evaluated to prevent excessive chemical element loading of pond soil and discharge water.
Consequences of fission in the coral Siderastrea siderea: growth rates of small colonies and clonal input to population structure

Colony age and size can be poorly related in scleractinian corals if colonies undergo fission to form smaller independent patches of living tissue (i.e., ramets), but the implications of this life-history characteristic are unclear. This study explored the ecological consequences of the potential discrepancy between size and age for a massive scleractinian, first by testing the effect of colony origin on the growth of small colonies, and second by quantifying the contribution of ramets to population structure. Using Siderastrea siderea in St. John (US Virgin Islands) as an experimental system, the analyses demonstrated that the growth of small colonies derived from sexual reproduction was 2.5-fold greater than that of small ramets which were estimated to be ≈100 years older based on the age of the parent colonies from which they split. Although fission can generate discrete colonies, which in the case of the study reef accounted for 42% of all colonies, it may depress colony success and reef accretion through lowered colony growth rates.
Acoustic signature analysis and data fusion of vehicles based on acoustic sensor arrays

Considerable interest has arisen in the recent years utilizing inexpensive acoustic sensors in the battlefield to perform targets of interest identification and classification. There are many advantages of using acoustic sensor arrays. They are low cost, and relatively have low power consumption. They require no line of sight and provide many capabilities for target detection, bearing estimation, target tracking, classification and identification. Furthermore, they can provide cueing for other sensors and multiple acoustic sensor responses can be combined and triangulated to localize an energy source target in the field. In practice, however, many environment noise factors affect their performance in detecting targets of interest reliably and accurate. In this paper, we have proposed a novel approach for detection, classification, and identification of moving target vehicles. The approach is based on Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) coupled with Particle Filtering (PF) technique. Using SVD dominant features of vehicle acoustic signatures are extracted efficiently. Then, these feature vectors are employed for robust identification and classification of target vehicles based on a particle filtering scheme. The performance of the proposed approach was evaluated based on a set of experimental acoustic data from multiple vehicle test-runs. It is demonstrated that the approach yields very promising results where an array of acoustic sensors are used to detect, identify and classify target vehicles in the field.
SU-GG-T-539: Carbon Fiber Couch Effect On Skin Doses as a Function of Photon Energy

Purpose: To evaluate the dosimetric effect of a carbon fiber couch (CFC) on delivered skin dose as a function of photonenergy.Method and Materials: A carbon fiber couch (BrainLab) was incorporated into a commercial TPS (Pinnacle) through auto‐contouring. A retrospective investigation on 2 lung and 2 prostate patient plans was performed. Targets and OARs, together with a skin contour of 0.3 cm thickness in contact with the CFC, were outlined in each plan. For each patient two sets of treatment plans were generated: 1) set of four plans with 4‐, 5‐, 7‐, and 9‐fields, all with 6MV beams, and 2) set of four plans, identical to the first set except that the CFC was intersected by 18MV beams. IMRT optimization was performed for each plan. Both sets of plans for each patient were normalized such that 95% of the PTV was covered by the same dose, escalated to the maximum allowed by the OAR constraints. CFC effect as function of beam energy was tallied by the highest dose to 2 cm2 of skin. The observed skin doses range from 20% to more then 87% of the prescription doses. Results: If 18MV rather than 6MV energies are used in the beams traversing the CFC the skin dose reduction ranges from 12% to more than 45%. An additional sparing for some OARs was also observed for the prostate cases, while the opposite was observed for the lung case. Conclusion: The results indicate that mixed energy 6MV/18MV (18MV for the beams passing through the CFC) IMRT plans would result in a substantial skin sparing of more than 45% compared to IMRT plans with only 6MV beams. The high skin doses in some cases (87% of the prescription) suggest that in hypofractionated SRS/SRT the CFC skin effect needs to be considered.
Flatness, LCM-stability, and related module-theoretic properties

Abstract The relationship between flatness and LCM-stability is clarified by the following two results. A finitely generated ideal I of an integral domain is flat if and only if I is n-flat for some integer n ⩾ 2. There exists an integral domain with a nonflat ideal J = (a, b, c) such that Jab ∩ Jac ∩ Jbc = J(ab, ac, bc). Next, related module-theoretic properties, (∗∗) and (∗), respectively weaker than projectivity and flatness, are introduced. Under appropriate finiteness conditions, these properties are preserved by certain inverse limits. Their study leads to new characterizations of quasicomplete local rings and coherent integral domains.
PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF VERY DESIRABLE AND UNDESIRABLE CHILDCARE WORKERS IN A RESIDENTIAL SETTING

Scores on the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16 PF) were different for childcare employees designated by their supervisors most and least desirable. This led to a rationale, specific to this setting, which potentially could augment procedures for selection of employees. The methods and cautionary concerns are proposed to other agencies.
Microdialysis sampling in tumor and muscle: Study of the disposition of 3-amino-1,2,4-benzotriazine-1,4-di-N-oxide (SR 4233)

Microdialysis sampling was used to study the pharmacokinetics and disposition of SR 4233 (3-amino-1,2,4-benzotriazine-1,4-di-N-oxide), a representative of a new class of bioreductive antineoplastic agents. The pharmacokinetics of unbound SR 4233 in plasma was determined using a flexible microdialysis probe implanted into the jugular vein of conscious, freely-moving rats. No difference in the plasma pharmacokinetics was observed between healthy and tumor bearing rats. In both cases a biexponential decay following an i.v. dose was observed with t1/2 (alpha) of 13.4 +/- 3.2 minutes and t1/2 (beta) of 37.0 +/- 14.4 minutes. Binding of SR 4233 to plasma proteins was determined to be concentration independent at 21.4 +/- 2.9%. A linear microdialysis probe was used to sample solid tumor and muscle tissue in vivo to study the disposition of SR 4233 into these tissues. Similar elimination kinetics were observed in both tissues although the peak concentration of SR 4233 in muscle was 20 times that in the tumor. The extent of reductive metabolism was much greater in the tumor relative to muscle. This was observed after both a systemic dose of SR 4233 and direct dosing to the tissue through the microdialysis probe. This study demonstrates the potential of microdialysis sampling in vivo to the study of the disposition of drugs.
The relationship between cup-to-disc ratio and estimated number of retinal ganglion cells.

PURPOSE To investigate the relationship between cup-to-disc ratio (CDR) and estimates of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) number. METHODS This cross-sectional study included 156 healthy eyes, 53 glaucoma suspects, and 127 eyes with glaucoma. All eyes had standard automated perimetry (SAP), Cirrus SD-OCT, and stereoscopic optic disc photography within 6 months. CDR was determined from stereoscopic photographs by two or more masked graders. The number of RGCs in each eye was estimated using a published model that combines estimates of RGC number from SAP sensitivity thresholds and SD-OCT retinal nerve fiber layer measurements. RESULTS The mean estimated RGC count was 1,063,809 in healthy eyes; 828,522 in eyes with suspected glaucoma; and 774,200 in early, 468,568 in moderate, and 218,471 in advanced glaucoma. Healthy eyes had a mean vertical CDR of 0.45 ± 0.15 vs. 0.80 ± 0.16 in glaucomatous eyes. There was good correlation between stereophotographic vertical CDR and SD-OCT vertical CDR (R(2) = 0.825; P < 0.001). The relationship between estimated RGCs and vertical CDR was best represented using a third degree polynomial regression model, including age and optic disc area, which accounted for 83.3% of the variation in estimated RGC counts. The nonlinear relationship between RGC estimates and CDRs indicated that eyes with a large CDR would require loss of large RGC numbers for a small increase in CDR. CONCLUSIONS The relationship between estimated RGC counts and CDR suggests that assessment of change in CDR is an insensitive method for evaluation of progressive neural losses in glaucoma. Even relatively small changes in CDR may be associated with large losses of RGCs, especially in eyes with large CDRs. (ClinicalTrials.gov numbers, NCT00221923, NCT00221897.).
Surgically Exteriorizing the Rectum of the Growing Chick

Abstract THE separation of urine and feces in chickens has been accomplished by several different techniques. Coulson and Hughes (1930) collected urine directly from the cloaca of unanesthesized hens with a flared glass catheter. Sturkie and Joiner (1959) used a cannula sutured inside the cloaca to collect urine. The use of the catheter of cannula technique was good only for short periods of urine collection and not adaptable to the young chick. Exteriorization of the ureteral openings has been described by Hester et al. (1940) and Hart and Essex (1942). Dixon and Wilkinson (1957) modified the techniques for exteriorizing the ureters of hens, and this procedure was later modified by Ainsworth (1965). These methods required several incisions or sutures and often required the birds to wear a type of harness. Newberne et al. (1957) exteriorized the ureteral orifices of 4–5 week old chicks. They describe a method for collecting both . . .
SENSORY PROFILE CHANGES IN BROILER TISSUES DUE TO COOKING, STORAGE, AND REHEATING

Abstract Broiler tissues (breast, thigh, and skin) were evaluated individually to profile sensory flavor changes due to cooking, refrigerated storage (up to 5 days), and then reheating. Each storage time was compared with a freshly cooked sample (Control) by a trained descriptive analysis panel. Patterns of change in the three tissues were mapped by factor analysis (FA). Stored breast tissues differed significantly from Control breast tissues at each storage time for all descriptive attributes except meaty and liver-organy. Stored thigh tissues were significantly different from Control thigh tissues for all attributes except bitter and metallic at 1-day storage. Stored skin tissues, evaluated by aroma only, were significantly different from Control skin tissues for all attributes except meaty and liver-organy. Notes associated with “on-flavors” decreased with storage time. “Off-notes” (burned, cardboard, painty) increased with storage time. Bipolar plots of FA scores indicated that breast and thigh tissue differed at Day 0 on meaty and liver-organy notes but converged in a similar manner at Day 5, exhibiting off-notes of cardboard, and rancid-painty. There were significantly fewer changes in skin than in breast or thigh tissues.
A case study of a severe winter storm in the Middle East

A detailed synoptic and mesoscale analysis is conducted of an intense convective outbreak which struck much of Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria in early March 1980. Severe winter weather caused considerable personal hardship and economic disruption over a wide area. The planetary-scale circulation featured a confluent flow pattern across North Africa and southern Europe downstream of a block just west of the Greenwich meridian. A strong subtropical jet stream was maintained across North Africa in the confluent flow regime. Synoptic-scale disturbances from the Atlantic were diverted northward across Scandinavia from where they plunged south-eastward toward the Mediterranean to the west of the Black Sea. A series of three disturbances, the last being the most powerful, swept through the eastern Mediterranean as the vortex settled south-eastward toward the Middle East. Our analysis of the available evidence has established that three physical mechanisms contributed primarily to the extreme nature of the event. First, the steady south-eastward movement of mobile short wave troughs resulted in the progressive cooling of the lower and middle troposphere over the eastern Mediterranean Sea and the Middle East. Second, sea surface heat and moisture fluxes contributed to destabilization and the generation of extreme instability where the cold air from higher latitudes had a long overwater fetch. Third, exceptionally heavy precipitation fell where a strong low-level moist, unstable westerly air stream impinged on the coastal mountains. The strong westerly flow was generated to the south of an intense subsynoptic-scale vortex that formed in the lower and mid troposphere as the updraught region of a powerful short-wave-trough/ jet-streak system aloft ingested air that had been destabilized below.
Macrobenthic community structure before and after pollution abatement in the Neches River estuary (Texas)

Macrobenthos and physicochemical conditions in the lower 39 km of the Neches River estuary were studied from August, 1984 to May, 1985. The results were compared with data collected in 1971–1972. Between 1972 and 1984 the permitted BOD waste load in the tidal Neches River was reduced from 123 125 kg d to 8717 kg d. River discharge and dissolved oxygen concentrations were consistently higher and salinity was lower, during the same seasons, during the 1984–1985 study. A total of 50 taxa of macrobenthos were collected in 1971–1972 and 104 taxa were collected in 1984–1985. The numbers of taxa per collection at each station in 1984–1985 were at least twice those found in 1971–1972. Minimum densities in 1984–1985 were much higher than the maximum densities in 1971–1972 at all stations. Patterns of dominance, Sorenson's similarity index, and diversity (\(\bar d\)) values indicated improved water quality in 1984–1985. Statistical analysis of macrobenthic diversity indicated significant differences between upper estuary and lower estuary stations in 1971–1972. No significant differences were found in 1984–1985. Significant differences in numbers of taxa, macrobenthos densities, and \(\bar d\) values between the two studies were found. Reductions of waste loads, increased river discharge, and deepening of the navigation channel were among the factors that probably contributed most to the changes in community structure of the macrobenthos observed.
Calcium, BOBs, QEDs, microdomains and a cellular decision: control of mitotic cell division in sand dollar blastomeres

Abstract The role of Ca 2+ in controlling cell processes (e.g. mitosis) presents an enigma in its ubiquity and selectivity. Intracellular free Ca 2+ , (Ca 2+ i ) is an essential regulator of specific biochemical and physiological aspects of mitosis (e.g. nuclear envelope breakdown (NEB)). Changes in Ca 2+ i concentrations during mitosis in second cell-cycle sand dollar ( Echinaracnius parma ) blastomeres were imaged as Ca 2+ -dependent luminescence of the photoprotein aequorin with multi-spectral analytical video microscopy. Photons of this luminescence were seen as bright observable blobs (BOBS). Spatiotemporal patterns of BOBS were followed through one or more cell cycles to detect directly changes in Ca 2+ i , and were seen to change in a characteristic fashion prior to NEB, the onset of anaphase chromosome movement, and during cytokinesis. These patterns were observed from one cell cycle to the next in a single cell, from cell to cell, and from egg batch to egg batch. In both mitosis and synaptic transmission increases in Ca 2+ i concentration occurs in discrete, short-lived, and highly localized pulses we named quantum emission domains (QEDs) within regions we named microdomains. Signal and statistical optical analyses of spatiotemporal BOB patterns show that many BOBS are linked by constant displacements in space-time (velocity). Linked BOBS are thus nonrandom and are classified as QEDS. Analyses of QED patterns demonstrated that the calcium signals required for NEB are nonrandom, and are evoked by an agent(s) generated proximal to a Ca 2+ i -QED; models of waves, diffusible agonists and Ca 2+ -activated Ca 2+ release do not fit pre-NEB cell data. Spatial and temporal resolution of this multispectral approach significantly exceeds that reported for other methods, and avoids the perturbations associated with many fluorescent Ca 2+ reporters that interfere with cells being studied (Ca 2+ -buffering, LIV toxicity, etc.). Spatiotemporal patterns of Ca 2+ i -QED can control so many different processes, i.e. specific frequencies used to control particular processes. Predictive and structured patterns of calcium signals (e.g. a language expressed in Ca 2+ ) may selectively regulate specific Ca 2+ -dependent cellular processes.
Synthesis and characterization of oligonaphthylamines

Abstract Colored oligonaphthylamine films were electrochemically synthesized in an aqueous acidic medium containing KI. Five colored films were obtained: clear, green, blue, purple and pink. CV and IR data suggest that the oligonaphthylamine products are 1,4-coupled via amine/imine linkages. The observed acid-base behavior, electrochemistry and UV-Vis spectroscopy of the oligonaphthylamine films are similar to those of poly/oligoanilines and known naphthylamine derivatives. The clear oligonaphthylamine film is the most reduced oligonaphthylamine species, containing all 1,4-amine linkages. The pink deprotonated oligonaphthylamine film is the most oxidized species containing the most imine linkages. The blue and purple protonated oligonaphthylamine films correspond to intermediate oxidation states. However, Raman spectroscopy of the green oligonaphthylamine film reveals it to be an oligonaphthylamine-I − 3 complex.
Consistency of Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale Factor Structure across a Broad Spectrum of Schizophrenia Patients

Background: The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) has been the workhorse of psychopathology assessment in studies of schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders for over 40 ye
Finite extension and torsion of papillary muscles: A theoretical framework

We present a new analytical solution for the finite extension and torsion of a nonlinearly pseudoelastic, homogeneous, transversely isotropic, incompressible, solid circular cylinder. This solution can be used to guide the performance and interpretation of experiments, and to identify a specific functional form of a three-dimensional constitutive relation directly from data. We submit, therefore, that this solution can be used by experimentalists to quantify the multiaxial constitutive relations, including shear, of both passive and tonically activated papillary muscles for the first time.
Ultrasound Dilution: An Accurate Means of Determining Cardiac Output in Children

Background Cardiac output is a useful measure of myocardial performance. Cardiac output monitoring is frequently performed in critically ill adults to guide physicians' treatment strategies. However, standard methods of determining cardiac output in children are not without risk and can be problematic secondary to their invasive nature and other technical problems. The COstatus system (Transonic Systems, NY), which is based on ultrasound dilution technology, works off in situ catheters and uses an innocuous indicator to allow for routine measurements of cardiac output and blood volumes in pediatric patients. The purpose of this study was to validate cardiac output measured by the COstatus system with those obtained by the clinical standard technique of pulmonary artery thermodilution. Methods This was a prospective evaluation performed at a single institution. Any child with a structurally normal heart undergoing hemodynamic evaluation in the cardiac catheterization laboratory was included. A prograde right heart catheterization was performed, and cardiac output was first determined by using the pulmonary artery thermodilution technique. Thermodilution results were then compared with cardiac output measurements obtained using the COstatus system. The results were analyzed by standard correlation, Bland-Altman, and Critchley and Critchley analyses. Results Twenty-eight patients were evaluated with a median age of 8 yrs and a median weight of 31 kg. The mean thermodilution cardiac index = 3.18 L/min (± 1.35 L/min), and the mean COstatus system cardiac index = 3.17 L/min (± 1.31 L/min). Standard Pearson correlation tests revealed an excellent correlation coefficient of 0.95 (p Conclusion The ultrasound dilution technique of determining cardiac output using the COstatus system provides a less invasive method than the traditional pulmonary artery thermodilution for accurately determining cardiac output in children. This is the first validation of the COstatus system in pediatric patients. Further studies are required to establish its accuracy in pediatric patients with cardiac shunts and other hemodynamically unstable conditions.
Indentation of a plane membrane with a rigid paraboloid

The indentation of a rectangular nonlinear hyperelastic membrane by a rigid paraboloid is presented in this paper. The strain-energy-density function for the membrane is assumed to have the Mooney form. The total potential energy of the deformed membrane can be obtained by integration. Due to the presence of a rigid indentor, the total potential energy for a deformed membrane is subjected to an inequality constraint condition. A slack variable is introduced to convert the inequality constraint condition into an equality constraint condition. Furthermore, a substitutional method is used to eliminate one of the unknown variables. In order to solve for the remaining unknown variables, the Raleigh-Ritz method and the minimum potential energy principle are employed. The deformations of a square membrane under various degrees of indentation are presented.
The development of play as the development of consciousness

Children develop the capacity for consciousness of self and other as mental representation becomes an alternative intentional state distinct from perception.
Otalgia as the sole presenting manifestation of subdural hematoma.

A case is reported of a 57-year-old man with sudden development of nontraumatic left-sided otalgia without any localizing features on otolaryngologic or neurologic examinations. The condition persisted despite empirical antibiotic therapy and simple analgesics. A subsequent computed tomography of the head revealed a subacute left frontoparietal subdural hematoma that was confirmed on magnetic resonance imaging. Neurosurgical drainage was performed with complete symptom resolution. This case report illustrates a possible rare sole presenting manifestation of subdural hematoma. This condition should be considered early in cases of otalgia if no causes are deduced after extensive otolaryngologic evaluation.
Indoleamine 2,3‑dioxygenase expression and activity in patients with hepatitis C virus‑induced liver cirrhosis

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) is an immunoregulatory enzyme. It plays a key role in various malignancies, infection and autoimmune diseases. IDO induces immunosuppression through the depletion of tryptophan and its downstream metabolites. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has infected more than 12 million individuals in Pakistan. The aim of the present study was to assess the expression and activity of IDO in HCV-infected patients. The functional enzymatic activity of IDO was measured by colorimetric assay. Serum samples from 100 HCV-infected patients were taken to examine IDO activity and samples from 100 healthy volunteers were used as controls. Liver sections from patients with HCV (n=35) and healthy controls (n=5) were used for immunohistochemical studies. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that IDO was overexpressed in 28 of 35 (80%) cirrhotic liver samples, whereas 5 of 35 (14.2%) cases presented moderate and 2 of 35 (5.7%) cases presented mild expression of IDO. The enzymatic activity of IDO was significantly higher in the serum samples of HCV-infected patients as compared with those in the control. These data indicate that the expression of IDO correlated with the pathogenesis of disease. In summary, it is suggested that the high expression of IDO in the progressively cirrhotic livers of HCV-infected patients might contribute to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. IDO may characterize a novel therapeutic target against HCV.
Using Waveform Cross-Correlation and Satellite Imagery to Identify Repeating Mine Blasts in Eastern Kazakhstan

The estimation of earthquake occurrence rates and seismic hazard analyses, along with treaty verification requirements to identify and characterize seismic sources in particular regions, requires removing mine blasts from seismic catalogs (Mackey et al. 2003). While efforts progress to formulate generalized discriminants based solely on seismic data, these efforts are often hampered by poor data quality and a significant need for custom processing due to the widely ranging propagation characteristics of each region (Hartse et al. 1997; Taylor and Hartse 1998; Stump et al. 2002). Many regions of interest to researchers and to the treaty verification community are sparsely instrumented, geologically complex, and contain both natural and anthropogenic seismicity. A number of temporal methods have been used to detect and remove anthropogenic seismicity from seismic catalogs; many of these rely on earthquake metadata such as epicenter location and depth, the quality of which may be poor. Mackey et al. (2003) performed simple time-of-day analysis on events from a number of Russian regional catalogs, including the annual Earthquakes of the USSR catalog. By investigating regions with local daytime seismicity greater than 65%, several areas of industrial seismic contamination were identified. Wiemer and Baer (2000) mapped normalized daytime to nighttime ratio of events, Rq , and calculated the probability of occurrence within a tight spatial grid to remove likely mining seismicity from catalogs in Switzerland and North America. This method was successful at highlighting regions of anomalously high daytime seismicity and removing those events, but it also removed a small percentage of tectonic events, which occur with fairly even time distribution throughout the day. Additionally, events with bulletin depths greater than 30 km were not considered. Significant inaccuracies in depth or epicenter location may inappropriately exclude industrial events from identification. Relatively straightforward waveform correlation and clustering analyses, however, have proven …
Adiabatic state conversion and pulse transmission in optomechanical systems.

Optomechanical systems with strong coupling can be a powerful medium for quantum state engineering of the cavity modes. Here, we show that quantum state conversion between cavity modes of distinctively different wavelengths can be realized with high fidelity by adiabatically varying the effective optomechanical couplings. The conversion fidelity for Gaussian states is derived by solving the Langevin equation in the adiabatic limit. Meanwhile, we also show that traveling photon pulses can be transmitted between different input and output channels with high fidelity and the output pulse can be engineered via the optomechanical couplings.
Robust image representation for efficient recognition and retrieval

Image representation plays an essential role in image categorization and retrieval applications. Images span on visual and spatial space. Encoding both visual and spatial information for effective and efficient image matching remains a fundamental problem in computer vision. The objective of my research is to construct a robust image representation for efficient recognition and retrieval.
Malignant schwannoma in siblings with neurofibromatosis.

Three brothers with neurofibromatosis (NF) died of sarcoma. The probrand tumor had malignant schwannoma. The histologic nature of the sarcoma in the other two brothers was not known, but it seemed likely to be similar to that of the proband. However, the sarcomatous lesions in these two siblings developed in the patients’ right lower limbs which showed clinical and radiological evidence of anterior bowing of the tibia. Their mother and two other siblings have neurofibromatosis, but have not developed malignant tumors. The unaffected father died at age 61 of carcinoma of the common bile duct. An unaffected sister developed adenocarcinoma of both colon and lung. Although it is known that patients with NF are at a high risk of developing malignant sarcoma and second primary malignancies, it is not clear whether this association is genetically determined. The family we report has some of the features of a “cancer family” and suggests that sarcomatous transformation in patients with NF may be genetically influenced. This report raises the possibility that the presence of congenital malformation and exposure to irradiation may predispose patients with neurofibromatosis to develop malignant schwannoma. Cancer 59:829-835, 1987.
An assessment of continuing education needs of dietitians

Abstract We conducted a survey of dietitians from four upper mid western states to determine their perceived continuing education needs. Sixty percent of those surveyed (359 dietitians) returned the self-assessment questionnaire. The questionnaire elicited information about the continuing education activities that respondents were currently attending as well as their preferences for future activities. It also elicited employment information and respondents' assessments of their need for continuing education in three broad subject areas: managerial sciences; nutritional care sciences; and behavioral, communicative, and sociocultural sciences. The dietitians responded that they were willing to attend continuing education activities on their own time if the subject matter was relevant to their professional practice. Respondents preferred state and district meetings and workshops over such events at a national level, and college-or university-sponsored workshops, conferences, and seminars were preferred over formal credit courses.
Changes in the organization of the sea urchin egg plasma membrane upon fertilization: indications from the lateral diffusion rates of lipid-soluble fluorescent dyes.

We have used fluorescence photobleaching recovery to measure the diffusion of lipid probes (1,2-acyl-2-(N-4-nitro-benzo-2-oxo-1,3-diazole)aminocaproylphosphatidylcholine (NBD-PC)) and the 3,3′-diacylindocarbocyanine iodides (CndiI) with even acyl chain lengths (n = 10 to 18) in the plasma membranes of the sea urchin egg Strongylocentrotus purpuratus before and after fertilization. At 15°C measured diffusion coefficients, D, ranged from (1 to 5) × 10−9 cm2/sec, diffusing fractions from 36 to 77% for the CndI's. D shows a relative minimum at n = 12 for unfertilized eggs, a relative maximum at n = 14 for fertilized eggs. Thus the effect of fertilization on diffusion coefficient is dependent on probe structure. The fraction of molecules free to diffuse also depends upon acyl chain length; this fraction was smaller in fertilized eggs than in unfertilized eggs for all chain lengths. Our results indicate that different lipid analogs probe different microenvironments and suggest the existence of domains of lipids differing in composition or physical state from the average for the egg plasma membrane.
An Event Data Analysis of Third-Party Mediation in the Middle East and Balkans

Event data on the Israel-Lebanon and Israel-Palestinian conflicts in the Levant (1979-1999) and the Serbia-Croatia and Serbia-Bosnia conflicts in the Balkans (1991-1999) are used to test two sets of process-related hypotheses embedded in the theoretical and qualitative literatures on mediation. Cross-correlation analysis is used to examine the time delay in the effects of mediation on the level of violence over time. Results show that these effects vary somewhat, depending on the conflict, and differ substantially, depending on who is conducting the mediation. Whether conflict reduction is most effectively achieved with sanctions or rewards is tested. Results show that a reduction in violence is generally associated with mediation combined with conflictual action directed toward both of the antagonists and combined with cooperative action directed to the weaker antagonist.
Early projections and voter turnout in the 1980 presidential election

still open in a significant number of states, particularly those located in the Mountain and Pacific time zones. This chronology, together with some anecdotal observations, led to the conjecture by many political observers that the early projections materially depressed voter turnout in the affected states. This conjecture provides the initial motivation for the present study. The conjecture that projections significantly depress voter turnout is more interesting than at first might appear, because it presupposes that the decision to vote is well understood. Many students of public choice would shy away from this presupposition. If persons vote because they hope possibly to alter the outcome of an election, or if they vote because they find participation in the political competition to be entertaining, then early projections may be expected to decrease turnout. On the other hand, if persons vote in order to influence the size of the victor's mandate, or if they vote out of a sense of civic duty, then it is not at all clear that turnout will be affected. Two questions pertaining to early projections and voter participation are