cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cardinal Interpolation with Polyharmonic Splines

If k is a positive integer an n-variate k-harmonic cardinal spline is a tempered distribution f on R n such that ∆ k f is a measure supported on the integer lattice Z n in R n . Symbolically $${{\Delta }^{k}}f\left( x \right)=\sum\limits_{\text{j}\in {{\text{Z}}^{n}}}{{{a}_{j}}}\delta \left( x-j \right)$$ (1) where ∆ is the n variate Laplacian, ∆k = ∆∆k−1 for k > 1, and δ(x) is the unit Dirac measure supported at the origin. A polyharmonic spline is one which is k-harmonic for some k.
Redefining Memory T Cell Subsets

It has become increasingly clear that the terms used to define memory T cell subsets no longer accurately reflect our understanding of memory T cell biology. Here, we discuss the limitations of our current terminology and propose a new approach for defining memory T cell subsets.
SemperFi: a spoofer eliminating standalone GPS receiver

With the advent of autonomous cyber-physical systems such as self-driving cars and unmanned aerial vehicles, the use of Global Positioning System (GPS) for positioning and navigation has become ubiquitous. It is well-known that GPS is vulnerable to signal spoofing attacks. There is a need to design and develop a standalone GPS receiver capable of autonomous recovery during a spoofing attack. In this work, we present SemperFi, a single antenna, standalone, GPS receiver that is capable of tracking legitimate GPS satellite signals and estimating the true location even during a spoofing attack. Unlike majority of wireless systems where data contained in the wireless signals is important, GPS relies on the time of arrival of satellite signals. This presents a unique challenge and to address this challenge, SemperFi consists of specially designed algorithms and modules based on successive interference cancellation that are capable of recovering legitimate GPS signals that are overshadowed completely by a powerful adversary. We implement our design using Soft-GNSS and evaluate its performance against a variety of GPS datasets. Our evaluations show that SemperFi can recover from a seamless takeover attack with an accuracy of 100 m and power advantage of an attacker up to 15 dB. SemperFi can also be incorporated as a pluggable module capable of generating a spoofer free GPS signal for processing on any COTS GPS receiver available today. Finally, we release the implementation of our receiver design to the community for further development.
Partitioned GMM Marginal Model for Time Dependent Covariates: Applications to Survey Data

Addressing correlated observations in longitudinal studies is crucial as extra variation is crucial. In addition, there are usually time-dependent covariates that will affect the responses differently at different times. To estimate the regression coefficients for the time-dependent covariates in such cases require estimation methods other than maximum likelihood. In particular, GMM method is particularly useful. However, most GMM method are applied to combine all valid moment conditions to produce an averaged regression parameter estimate for each covariate. These methods usually assumed that the effect of each covariate on the response is constant at all measured periods. This assumption is not necessarily optimal. In this chapter, we depart from such assumption and instead use a Partitioned GMM model. This model allows one to provide regression coefficents for the data, reflecting effects at different periods. These extra regression coefficients are obtained using a partitioning of the moment conditions as they pertain to the different relationship based on the period. The Partitioned marginal GMM method exhibits benefits over previously proposed models with improved insight into the non-constant relationships realized. We demonstrate this fit using the %PartitionedGMM macro in SAS to survey data obtained from national studies.
Low Loss Square Grid Dielectric Waveguide

A novel square, broadband, and low loss holey core/cladding waveguide has been designed for chip-to-chip communications. The square grid geometry allows for polarization division multiplexing with minimum cross-talk. The design shows a three-fold loss reduction compared to a solid core waveguide.
The strange role of calculus in the United States

In the United States, the first course in single-variable calculus is considered tertiary level mathematics. Initially offered in high schools as a means for strong students to do college-level work, it is now taken by over 20% of high school students and perceived to be a prerequisite for admission into selective colleges and universities. This article describes the growth of this phenomenon and its effects on issues of educational equity. Because U.S. schools are funded locally, there is tremendous variation in the availability of calculus instruction in high school, with the most privileged students having the greatest access. This has profound effects on issues of equity because few universities are effectively addressing the vast disparities in student preparation. This article concludes with observations on what can and should be done to ameliorate the strange situation in the United States with regard to calculus.
Grid Application and Controls Development for Medium-Voltage SiC-Based Grid Interconnects

This paper studies, the grid-interconnection requirements of directly connected medium-voltage (MV) Silicon Carbide-based (SiC-based) converters and details the necessary control implementations. These power electronic converters follow the interconnection standard IEEE 1547-2018, but can also have additional controls supported by the microgrid standards in IEEE 2030.7, which is demonstrated in this work. Additionally, this paper defines the grid applications realized by these directly connected medium-voltage power electronic converters at the distribution scale and demonstrates results. The controls for the studied grid applications are then developed and implemented on the controller. The paper also includes details of the control algorithm development and validations of the control algorithm through hardware-in-the-loop results.
Partners in crime: α-synuclein modulates pathologic tau spreading

Coadministration of fibrillar α-synuclein along with brain-derived tau seeds exacerbates tau spreading in mice.
Days Needed to Characterize the Healthfulness of a Typical Dinner Meal in Direct Observational Research: Mixed Methods Study.

Background: Prior research around the home meal environment has demonstrated that family meals are associated with positive health outcomes for children and adolescents. Researchers have begun using direct observational methods to understand key aspects of family meals such as meal healthfulness and family meal frequency to explain the protective nature of family meals. Direct observational research, however, can be resource intensive and also burdensome for participants. Information about the number of days needed to sufficiently characterize typical meal healthfulness using direct observational research methods is needed. Objective: The current study aimed to produce guidance about the number of meals necessary to approximate typical meal healthfulness at the family dinner meal occasion in a direct observational, mixed methods study of the home food environment. Methods: Families were recruited between 2012-2013 from primary care clinics in the Minneapolis–St Paul metropolitan area (N=120). A total of 800 meals were collected as part of the Family Meals LIVE! mixed methods study. The Healthfulness of Meal Index was used to evaluate meal dietary healthfulness of foods served at 8 family meal occasions. Participating families were provided an iPad (Apple Inc) and asked to video-record 8 consecutive days of family dinner meals with a minimum of two weekend meals. After the meal, families completed a meal screener, which is a self-reported, open-ended measure of the foods served at the meal. Results: Weekend and weekday meals differed in their measurement of meal healthfulness, indicating that at least one weekday and one weekend day are necessary to approximate meal healthfulness. Single-day measurement mischaracterized the strength of the relationship between the quality of what was served and intake by almost 50%, and 3 to 4 observation days were sufficient to characterize typical weekly meal healthfulness (r=0.94; P<.001). Conclusions: Relatively few direct observational days of family meals data appear to be needed to approximate the healthfulness of meals across 1 week. Specifically, 1 weekday and 1 weekend observation are needed, including a total of 3 to 4 days of direct observational meal data. These findings may inform future direct observational study designs to reduce both research costs and participant burden in assessing features of the meal environment.
PRAME immunohistochemistry is useful in the evaluation of conjunctival melanomas, nevi, and primary acquired melanosis.

Background Many dermatopathologists find conjunctival melanocytic proliferations challenging because they are rare relative to their cutaneous counterparts and have nuanced morphology and nomenclature. PRAME immunohistochemistry has been widely adopted for distinguishing cutaneous nevi from melanoma, but limited data exist assessing its utility in evaluating conjunctival specimens. In particular, it is uncertain whether it can predict the risk of melanoma progression in primary acquired melanosis (PAM). Methods 30 clinically annotated cases (two melanomas, three PAM with atypia, seven PAM without atypia, 15 nevi, two combined nevi, and a diagnostically challenging nevus with atypical features) were retrospectively evaluated with PRAME. Results Strong, diffuse PRAME expression was present in melanomas and PAM with high-grade atypia, but not in PAM with low-grade atypia, PAM without atypia, or nevi. Scattered, faintly PRAME-positive intraepithelial melanocyte nuclei were identified in six nevi. A clonal nevus and nests of heavily-pigmented type-A melanocytes in two additional nevi had cytoplasmic staining. Conclusions PRAME was useful for distinguishing melanoma and its probable precursors from benign conjunctival melanocytic proliferations in our cohort. The data alert us to two diagnostic pitfalls in nevi: scattered, PRAME-positive intraepithelial melanocytes and cytoplasmic PRAME staining in type-A melanocytes and melanophages. Larger scale investigations are warranted to further substantiate these promising findings. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Realized Semi(Co)Variation: Signs that All Volatilities are Not Created Equal

I provide a selective review of recent developments in financial econometrics related to measuring, modeling, forecasting and pricing “good” and “bad” volatilities based on realized variation type measures constructed from high-frequency intraday data. An especially appealing feature of the different measures concerns the ease with which they may be calculated empirically, merely involving cross-products of signed, or thresholded, high-frequency returns. I begin by considering univariate semivariation measures, followed by multivariate semicovariation and semibeta measures, before briefly discussing even richer partial (co)variation measures. I focus my discussion on practical uses of the measures emphasizing what I consider to be the most noteworthy empirical findings to date pertaining to volatility forecasting and asset pricing
Association of Sun-Protective Behaviors With Bone Mineral Density and Osteoporotic Bone Fractures in US Adults.

Importance Despite the reassuring emerging evidence on the lack of a causal relationship between sun protection and vitamin D deficiency, there is scarce data on whether multimodal sun protection is associated with reduced bone mineral density (BMD) and/or increased prevalence of osteoporotic bone fractures. This lack of data may lead to worry and decreased sun-protective behaviors on the part of patients. Objective To investigate the association of sun-protective behaviors with BMD z scores and the prevalence of osteoporotic fractures. Design, setting, and participants This population-based cross-sectional study included data from US adults who participated in the 2017 to 2018 cycle of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Data were analyzed between September and November 2020. Main outcomes and measures Definition of sun-protective behaviors (staying in the shade, wearing long sleeves, and sunscreen use), site-specific and total BMD, and osteoporotic fractures (hip, wrist, and spine) in the NHANES data. Results Data from 3418 adults 20 years and older (average age, 39.5 [95% CI, 38.6-40.4] years; 1612 [47.2%] men and 1806 [52.9%] women) who completed the NHANES dermatology questionnaire were included in this study. The prevalence of frequent staying in the shade, wearing of long sleeves, and sunscreen use were 31.6% (95% CI, 27.8%-35.7%), 11.8% (95% CI, 10.6%-13.1%), and 26.1% (95% CI, 23.5%-28.8%), respectively. The use of individual sun-protective behaviors was not associated with diminished site-specific and total BMD z scores in the multivariate models (estimate, -0.23 [95% CI, -0.47 to 0.02], P = .18; -0.08 [-0.27 to 0.12], P = .72; and -0.10 [-0.32 to 0.13], P = .15 for frequent staying in the shade, wearing of long sleeves, and sunscreen use, respectively). Moderate to frequent staying in the shade was associated with reduced prevalence of spine fractures in the multivariate model (odds ratio, 0.19 [95% CI, 0.04-0.86], P = 0.02). Conclusion and relevance In this cross-sectional study, routine use of sun-protective behaviors among the US adult population was not associated with decreased BMD or increased risk of osteoporotic fracture. Sun protection may be associated with a modest decrease in the prevalence of osteoporotic fractures, possibly owing to risk-averse behaviors. These reassuring findings add to the growing body of evidence on the safety of sun protection, with no considerable negative association with bone health.
Turbulent and Nonturbulent Vortices

Since turbulence is the most commonly observed form of fluid behavior, interest has been exceptional in the modeling of related phenomena. Beginning with G. I. Taylor’s seminal paper (Taylor (1921)), one school of study (Favre (1964)) has emphasized the statistical approach. A second major school of thought, following fundamental papers of Landau (1944), Hopf (1984), Lorenz (1963), and Ruelle and Takens (1971) uses Galerkin approximations to simplify the Navier-Stokes equations and bifurcation theory to analyze the resulting ordinary differential system (Barenblatt, Looss and Joseph (1983)). A more recent, computer-oriented approach is to solve the full Navier-Stokes equations numerically, assuming, of course, that these equations represent turbulent flow in some average sense (Markatos (1986)). In addition, there exists a variety of no less interesting, but less studied, approaches, as, for example, the thermodynamic model of Malkus (1960).
Simulation of Populations, with Particular Reference to the Grain Beetle, Tribolium

Suppose a population consists of a species whose life cycle goes with through a number of stages.
Important Nutrition Education Issues and Recommendations Related to a Review of the Literature on Older Adults

Abstract The need for nutrition education for older adults is expanding rapidly as their numbers escalate, yet the quality and amount of nutrition education research for this group is quite limited and difficult to find. Both professionals and older adults themselves have been slow to recognize the benefits of nutrition and nutrition education in controlling health care costs and safeguarding quality of life. Difficulties encountered in conducting a search of nutrition education literature on programs designed for older adults are discussed. One of a series of literature reviews of topics related to nutrition education for older adults, this article draws conclusions about important issues related to the current situation and makes recommendations regarding future research.
Morphological corner detection

This paper presents a new operator for corner detection. This operator uses a variant of the morphological closing operator, which we have called asymmetrical closing. It consists of the successive application of different morphological transformations using different structuring elements. Each of these structuring elements used to probe the image under study is tuned to affect corners of different orientation and brightness. We found that this kind of approach, based on brightness comparisons, leads to better quality results than others and is achieved at a lower computational cost.
Unexpected Long-term Improvements in Urinary and Erectile Function in a Large Cohort of Men with Self-reported Outcomes Following Radical Prostatectomy

Abstract Background It is generally assumed that if a man does not regain urinary continence or erectile function within 12 mo of radical prostatectomy (RP), then the chance of subsequent recovery is low. Objective To determine the probability of achieving good urinary function (UF) or erectile function (EF) up to 48 mo postoperatively in men who reported poor UF or EF at 12 mo after RP. Design, setting, and participants We identified 3187 patients who underwent RP from 2007 through 2013 at a tertiary institution and had extended multidisciplinary follow-up with patient-reported UF and EF scores at ≥12 mo. Intervention Open or minimally invasive RP. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis Primary outcome was good UF as defined by a urinary score ≥17 (range: 0–21) or good EF as defined by a modified International Index of Erectile Function-6 score ≥22 (range: 1–30). The probability of functional recovery beyond 12 mo was determined by Kaplan-Meier analyses. Results and limitations Among patients incontinent at 12 mo, the probability of achieving good UF at 24, 36, and 48 mo was 30%, 49%, and 59%. In patients experiencing erectile dysfunction at 12 mo, the probability of recovering EF at 24, 36, and 48 mo was 22%, 32%, and 40%. On multivariable analyses, 12-mo functional score and age were associated with recovery, but only score was consistently significant. Conclusions Men with incontinence or erectile dysfunction at 12 mo have higher than anticipated rates of subsequent functional improvement. Probability of recovery is strongly influenced by score at 12 mo. Further research should address the impact of ongoing multidisciplinary follow-up care on our observed rates of recovery. Patient summary Many prostate cancer patients continue to recover urinary and erectile function after 12 mo. The level of functional recovery by 12 mo is associated with long-term recovery and should be discussed by the physician and patient when deciding on rehabilitative interventions.
Parameter Selection in Particle Swarm Optimization

This paper first analyzes the impact that inertia weight and maximum velocity have on the performance of the particle swarm optimizer, and then provides guidelines for selecting these two parameters. Analysis of experiments demonstrates the validity of these guidelines.
Periprosthetic Anesthetic for Postoperative Pain After Laparoscopic Ventral Hernia Repair: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance Laparoscopic ventral hernia repair (LVHR) using mesh is a well-established intervention for ventral hernia, but pain control can be challenging. Objective To determine whether instillation of a long-acting local anesthetic between the mesh and the peritoneum after LVHR reduces pain or narcotic requirements. Design, Setting, and Participants A prospective, double-blind, randomized clinical trial with data collection during a brief hospital stay in a tertiary care, community teaching hospital over 3 years between December 15, 2011, and March 28, 2014. Of 120 screened patients undergoing LVHR in this intention-to-treat analysis, 99 eligible patients were randomized. Forty-two patients received the study drug, and 38 patients received placebo. Patients with a history of chronic narcotic use were excluded. Intervention After mesh placement, a long-acting local anesthetic (bupivacaine hydrochloride, 0.50%) or placebo (0.9% normal saline) was injected between the mesh and the peritoneum. Main Outcomes and Measures Postoperative pain (on a standard scale ranging from 0 to 10), and narcotic medication use (intravenous morphine equivalents). There were no adverse events. Results Baseline and operative characteristics were similar except that the treatment group was older (61.8 vs 52.3 years, P = .001). After surgery, pain scores in the recovery room (3.2 vs 4.7, P = .003), interval total narcotic use (6.7 vs 12.5 mg, P = .003 at P = .01 at 8-12 hours), and total intravenous narcotic use (9.2 vs 17.2 mg of morphine sulfate equivalents, P = .03) were significantly less in the treatment group. Conclusions and Relevance Administration of a long-acting local anesthetic between the mesh and the peritoneum significantly reduces postoperative pain and narcotic use after LVHR. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier:NCT01530815
Reduction of high-risk behaviors among incarcerated youths: a challenge in prevention.

The adolescent population in America is at increasing risk for acquiring the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that causes AIDS (CDC, 1998; 1996; 1994; 1993). Although the total number of reported AIDS cases among adolescents 12 to 19 years of age is, thus far, fairly small, the identified caseload in this age group has increased by over 40% during one year alone. In fact, one-fifth of all reported AIDS cases occur among persons 20 to 29 years of age. Many of these young adults contracted HIV infections as teenagers (CDC, 1996). But the trend is changing. In fact, among younger youths, especially those of African heritage, the infection rates are rapidly increasing (CDC, 1999; CDC, 1998). These increases will require focused attention by all health professionals, and public policy officials (Lai, Tsai, Hardy, 1997; Porter, Oakley, Guthrie & Killion, 1999). The purpose of this current study was to describe risk-related behaviors of incarcerated youths that are significant factors when planning community-based programs for HIV/AIDS prevention. Several research questions were generated in this regard and tested. Several significant findings emerged from the data that indicate that African-American youths incarcerated are at greater risk for development of HIV/AIDS than their other ethnic counterparts. Language: en
The innate capacity of proteins to protect against reactive radical species

Maintaining redox homeostasis, or the balance of oxidant and antioxidant forces, is essential for proper cellular functioning in biology. Although the antioxidant nature of many small molecules such as vitamin c and glutathione have been thoroughly investigated, contributions to redox homeostasis from larger biomolecules have received less attention. Evidence has shown that some proteins are antioxidant (in a non-catalytic sense), but large scale examination of this property for a diverse set of proteins has proven difficult. Herein, radical-directed dissociation mass spectrometry (RDD-MS) is used to examine the antioxidant capacity of a series of proteins with diverse biological roles, persistence intervals, and localizations. Digestion of these proteins reveals that all contain antioxidant peptide regions. Examination of the amino acid content of the antioxidant peptides does not reveal significant differences relative to normal peptides, suggesting that sequence may be more important than residue content. Sequence homology analysis across organisms reveals that antioxidant regions are frequently conserved, although many of these regions are also known to have other functions which may have influenced evolutionary pressure. Regardless of the origin, it is clear that many proteins may play secondary roles as sacrificial antioxidants within the cellular milieu.
Perspective: Sloppiness and emergent theories in physics, biology, and beyond

Large scale models of physical phenomena demand the development of new statistical and computational tools in order to be effective. Many such models are “sloppy,” i.e., exhibit behavior controlled by a relatively small number of parameter combinations. We review an information theoretic framework for analyzing sloppy models. This formalism is based on the Fisher information matrix, which is interpreted as a Riemannian metric on a parameterized space of models. Distance in this space is a measure of how distinguishable two models are based on their predictions. Sloppy model manifolds are bounded with a hierarchy of widths and extrinsic curvatures. The manifold boundary approximation can extract the simple, hidden theory from complicated sloppy models. We attribute the success of simple effective models in physics as likewise emerging from complicated processes exhibiting a low effective dimensionality. We discuss the ramifications and consequences of sloppy models for biochemistry and science more generally. We suggest that the reason our complex world is understandable is due to the same fundamental reason: simple theories of macroscopic behavior are hidden inside complicated microscopic processes.
System Wide Information Management (SWIM): Program overview and status update

Presents a collection of slides covering the following topics: system wide information management; nextgen information sharing architecture; SWIM terminal data distribution service deployment; NAS enterprise messaging service; SWIM data exchange; SWIM product portfolio; and SWIM service planning.
An experiment in reducing cellular base station power draw with virtual coverage

Lack of access to cellular service often goes hand-in-hand with lack of access to power. For example, the GSM Association estimates that 95% of people living without cellular access in East Africa also lack access to grid power. This situation forces cellular network operators to build out power infrastructure along with their network infrastructure, dramatically increasing costs. While numerous equipment providers offer "low-power" GSM Base Stations (BTS) for use with renewable energy sources, these have a power floor of roughly 70W, which still necessitates a large upfront expenditure. The naive solution to this problem is duty-cycling---simply turning off the equipment for portions of the day, usually at night. This commonly-adopted approach prevents important use cases such as all-hours emergency calling.Recently, we proposed a technique called virtual coverage to provide on-demand cellular coverage by introducing a "sleep" mode for cellular equipment. The solution turns off the BTS during low-utilization periods, but allows users to power the system back on using specialized autonomous radios if they need to communicate. Incoming communications also wake the BTS, facilitating two-way correspondence. While a potential solution, no real-world deployments have yet validated virtual coverage.The core goal of this work is do just that; we utilize virtual coverage to provide both low power consumption and on-demand access in a real cellular network during a six-month deployment in rural Papua, Indonesia. We demonstrate that the system was used and understood by customers, with more than half of subscribers using the system during "night" (i.e., on-battery) hours, making 730 outbound and receiving 755 inbound communications. Our scheme also allowed the BTS to be in low-power mode for 87% of night hours, reducing night power draw by 56.6%. We believe these results demonstrate that virtual coverage is a viable solution for reducing power draw in rural cellular networks.
Off-shell central charges

Abstract We show that there are only two kinds of (classical) central charges which can occur in the off-shell continuation of a supersymmetry algebra: mass dependent and interaction dependent. Both can be obtained by dimensional reduction, but only the mass-dependent kind allows self-interactions (with certain exceptions: see added note). As an example, we derive both kinds for a massive three-dimensional O(2) chiral multiplet coupled to an O(2) vector multiplet. We also discuss four-dimensional extended multiplets.
FFD bin packing for item sizes with uniform distributions on [0, 1/2]

We study the expected behavior of the FFD bin-packing algorithm applied to items whose sizes are distributed in accordance with a Poisson process with rateN on the interval[0, 1/2] of item sizes. By viewing the algorithm as a succession of queueing processes we show that the expected wasted space for FFD bin-packing is bounded above by 11.3 bins, independent ofN.
A Comparison of Function-Based Differential Reinforcement Interventions for Children Engaging in Disruptive Classroom Behavior

This study provides a direct comparison of differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) and differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA). Participants included three children in center-based classrooms referred for functional assessments due to disruptive classroom behavior. Functional assessments included interviews and brief functional analyses. An alternating treatments design was used to evaluate the relative effectiveness of function-based DRO and DRA interventions. Results indicated that both intervention procedures effectively reduced disruptive behavior, but the DRA procedure consistently resulted in greater reductions in disruptive behavior across all participants. Results are discussed in terms of directions for future functional assessment and intervention research as well as implications for applied practice.
Field assessment of biochemical stress indices for the sandworm Neanthes virens (Sars)

Abstract Certain biochemical stress responses have been observed in the laboratory for Neathhes virens subjected to various environmental and pollutant stressors. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether similar alterations in these biochemical parameters could be detected in a natural population of N. virens from a contaminated site as compared with animals from a nearby reference site. A site in Portland Harbor, Maine, adjacent to an oil storage facility with oil-contaminated sediments was selected as the experimental study area and the reference site was at Pine Point, approximately 15 miles south of Portland. Animals were collected from the two sites on consecutive days on a bimonthly basis at low tide within a day of the full moon from September 1981 through March 1982. Coelomic fluid samples were taken within 2 h after collection and the animals were then frozen in liquid nitrogen for transport back to the laboratory. Coelomic fluid samples were analyzed for glucose and the frozen tissues were analyzed for glycogen, lipid and free amino acid concentrations. Significant differences in these parameters were often observed between the two populations. The glycogen content of animals from the contaminated site was always less than that of animals from the reference site, whereas the lipid levels were always higher. Significant differences between the free amino acid composition of the animals from the two sites were also observed. Although distinct biochemical differences can be detected between these two populations, the considerable biological variation in these parameters may limit their usefulness for field monitoring investigations for this species.
EVALUATION AND OPTIMIZATION OF A LABORATORY-CONSTRUCTED FLOW CHAMBER FOR ON-LINE IMMUNOMAGNETIC SEPARATION

ABSTRACT Immunomagnetic separation (IMS) uses magnetic beads to facilitate separation of antibody-bound labeled antigens from free antigens in solution. Off-line immunomagnetic separation is time consuming due to the requirement of washing the magnetizable beads between assays and the multiple steps involved in the separation process. On-line IMS, in the flow injection mode, can overcome the disadvantages of off-line IMS, such as multiple washing steps. The purpose of this work is to develop, optimize, and validate an on-line magnetic separation flow chamber in the flow injection mode, suitable for post-column immunoreaction detection. The ends of the flow chamber were connected to the flow injection system. The on-line magnetic flow chamber was constructed using 1.0 I.D. × 1.58 O.D.mm Teflon tubing that was attached to an electromagnet. The electromagnet was constructed by wrapping a 305 × 25 × 40 mm block of hard steel with fine copper wire which was supplied with direct current (dc). The magnetic field...
NER initiation factors, DDB2 and XPC, regulate UV radiation response by recruiting ATR and ATM kinases to DNA damage sites

ATR and ATM kinases are central to the checkpoint activation in response to DNA damage and replication stress. However, the nature of the signal, which initially activates these kinases in response to UV damage, is unclear. Here, we have shown that DDB2 and XPC, two early UV damage recognition factors, are required for the damage-specific ATR and ATM recruitment and phosphorylation. ATR and ATM physically interacted with XPC and promptly localized to the UV damage sites. ATR and ATM recruitment and their phosphorylation were negatively affected in cells defective in DDB2 or XPC functions. Consequently, the phosphorylation of ATR and ATM substrates, Chk1, Chk2, H2AX, and BRCA1 was significantly reduced or abrogated in mutant cells. Furthermore, UV exposure of cells defective in DDB2 or XPC resulted in a marked decrease in BRCA1 and Rad51 recruitment to the damage site. Conversely, ATR- and ATM-deficiency failed to affect the recruitment of DDB2 and XPC to the damage site, and therefore did not influence the NER efficiency. These findings demonstrate a novel function of DDB2 and XPC in maintaining a vital cross-talk with checkpoint proteins, and thereby coordinating subsequent repair and checkpoint activation.
A Latent Source Model to Detect Multiple Spatial Clusters With Application in a Mobile Sensor Network for Surveillance of Nuclear Materials

Potential nuclear attacks are among the most devastating terrorist attacks, with severe loss of human lives as well as damage to infrastructure. To deter such threats, it becomes increasingly vital to have sophisticated nuclear surveillance and detection systems deployed in major cities in the United States, such as New York City. In this article, we design a mobile sensor network and develop statistical algorithms and models to provide consistent and pervasive surveillance of nuclear materials in major cities. The network consists of a large number of vehicles on which nuclear sensors and Global Position System (GPS) tracking devices are installed. Real time sensor readings and GPS information are transmitted to and processed at a central surveillance center. Mathematical and statistical analyses are performed, in which we mimic a signal-generating process and develop a latent source modeling framework to detect multiple spatial clusters. A Monte Carlo expectation-maximization algorithm is developed to e...
Naïve prey exhibit reduced antipredator behavior and survivorship.

Prey naivete has been hypothesized to be one of the major driving forces behind population declines following the introduction of novel predators or release of inexperienced prey into predator rich environments. In these cases, naive prey may lack sufficient antipredator behavior and, as a result, suffer increased mortality. Despite this, some evidence suggests that many prey utilize a generalized response to predators. Here, the naivete hypothesis is tested using a predator-prey pair sharing an evolutionary history: the red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii Girard, 1852) and largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides Lacepede, 1802). Using farm-reared, naive crayfish and wild-caught, experienced individuals, laboratory experiments demonstrated that naive, farmed crayfish lack behavioral responses to chemical cues from bass, both in terms of movement and use of structural refuge. In contrast, experienced crayfish responded strongly to the same cues. In a subsequent field tethering experiment, these naive individuals suffered a three-fold increase in predation rate. Based on these results, recognition of predators may not be innate in all prey, and previous experience and learning likely play a key role in the development of antipredator behavior.
Use of multimission facilities to reduce the cost of operations on low cost planetary missions—A Mars Pathfinder example

Abstract JPL's Multimission Image Processing System (MIPS), is developed and maintained to meet requirements that span the NASA family of planetary missions. Remote access is provided via Internet to high performance Unix workstations, a large capacity mass storage subsystem, science instrument data processing and data management software, and photoprocessing services. Many Discovery principal investigators are finding that it would be cost effective to utilize this multimission facility with its established equipment, software, and interfaces with the telemetry processing system, to generate the first level data records for their instruments. This paper describes MIPS support to Mars Pathfinder as an example of the cost effective application of a multimission capability to reduce the cost of operations on a low-cost planetary mission.
Recurrences after irradiation in early vocal cord cancer with literature review

Radiation therapy in early glottic cancer offers an excellent cure rate with preservation of voice. This study is an analysis of 25 (18%) patients who had failures after irradiation. Ten patients were in stage I (T1N0M0) and 15 patients in stage II (T2N0M0). All patients received megavoltage irradiation with an average dose of 6600 rad, 180 to 200 rad per day, 5 days in a week. Of the failures, 15 patients had the tumor controlled by salvage surgery, laryngectomy being the most common surgical procedure. The median time to recurrence was 23 months. A detailed analysis of the failures, along with a literature review, is done in this paper.
A solid-state density functional theory investigation of the structure and vibrational modes of vanadium phosphate polymorphs

Abstract The experimental mid-infrared spectra and structures of the α 1 , α 2 , and β phases of vanadium phosphate (VOPO 4 ) are compared to solid-state density functional theory (DFT) simulations. The effect of basis set is also explored in the orbital descriptions of oxygen, and it is shown that there are drastic changes in the results for each crystal phase. Overall, there was a good agreement in both bond lengths and angles as well as the infrared vibrational modes between the experimental and theoretically obtained values. These results indicate that solid-state DFT provides sufficiently high accuracy to be able to distinguish between energetically similar yet distinct crystalline polymorphs, providing a tool for understanding and predicting the complex polymorphism in VOPO 4 and other inorganic solids.
Effect of Fat-Free Diet on Insulin Requirements in Type I Diabetes Controlled With Artificial β-Cell

We investigated the effect of eliminating calories derived from fat sources on postprandial and basal insulin requirements in five patients with type I (insulindependent) diabetes mellitus. The patients were studied on a metabolic ward on two solid-food diets with similar quantities of carbohydrate and protein with or without the addition of fat. Diet A was isocaloric (weight maintenance) with calories distributed as 45% carbohydrate, 15% protein, and 40% fat. Diet B contained the same carbohydrate and protein content as diet A but was virtually fat free and therefore hypocaloric (1233 ± 106 vs. 1830 ± 99 cal, mean ± SE). The diets were given as five equal meals each day on consecutive days. Insulin requirements and blood glucose measurements were determined by use of the artificial p-cell. During the study, mean (± SE) preprandial blood glucose levels were maintained at 85 ± 11 mg/dl, and peak postprandial blood glucose levels were
First Report of Tobacco rattle virus Causing Corky Ringspot in Potatoes Grown in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

In July 2007, potato tubers cv. Russet Burbank (RB) with necrotic arcs and spots were detected in three fields in Buffalo County, Wisconsin and one field in Benson County, Minnesota. Umatilla Russet (UR) potatoes harvested from the west half of a field in Swift County, MN had similar, but visually distinct necrotic lesions. Portions of one field in Minnesota were abandoned, and the stored potato crop from two fields in Wisconsin was rejected by processors, representing a total crop loss due to tuber necrosis. Tuber symptoms displayed in both cultivars resembled those described for corky ringspot caused by Tobacco rattle virus (TRV) (4). Total RNA was isolated from necrotic tuber tissue crushed in liquid nitrogen and extracted using the Total RNA Isolation Kit (Promega Corp., Madison, WI). These extracts were tested for the presence of TRV by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR using primers complementary to nucleotides 6555 to 6575 and identical to nucleotides 6113 to 6132 within the 3′ terminal open reading f...
The gas and solution phase acidities of HNO, HOONO, HONO, and HONO2

Abstract The acidities of HNO x (where x =1–3) have been calculated in the gas phase and in solution by using high level ab initio molecular orbital theory. Coupled cluster (CCSD(T)) energies, extrapolated to the complete basis set (CBS) limit, were used to determine thermodynamic properties of the species in the gas phase, and the fully polarizable continuum model (FPCM) was used to calculate the effect of solvent on the energy changes. The calculated gas phase heats of formation in kcal mol −1 at 0 K, based on extrapolations through the aug-cc-pVQZ basis set, are: Δ H f (NO)=22.07 (calculated) vs. 21.46±0.04 (experimental); Δ H f (HNO)=26.39 (calculated) vs. 26.3±1 (experimental); Δ H f (NO 2 )=10.12 (calculated) vs. 8.59±0.2 (experimental); Δ H f (HONO 2 )=−29.87 (calculated) vs. −29.75±0.1 (experimental); Δ H f (HONO)=−15.79 (calculated) vs. −17.37±0.32 (experimental); Δ H f (HOONO)=−0.89 (calculated); Δ H f (NO 2 − )=−41.95 (calculated) vs. −43.8±0.2 (experimental); Δ H f (NO 3 − )=−70.76 (calculated) vs. −71.7±0.30 (experimental); and Δ H f (ONOO − )=−16.74 (calculated). The electron affinity of NO is calculated to be 0.62 kcal mol −1 , based on extrapolations up through the aug-cc-pV5Z basis set, and falls within 0.02 kcal mol −1 of the experimental value. The corresponding heats of formation at 0 K in kcal mol −1 of the anions are: Δ H f (HNO)=26.93 (calculated); Δ H f (NO)=22.28 (calculated); Δ H f (NO − )=21.66 (calculated) vs. 20.86±0.16 (experimental). The calculated gas phase acidities of HNO, HONO, HOONO, and HONO 2 are found to be in excellent agreement with experiment to within 1 kcal mol −1 . Solvation calculations show that the free energy change for K a in aqueous solution for HONO 2 , HONO, and HNO can be calculated within ∼2, 3, and 5 kcal mol −1 of experiment, respectively. However, the agreement for HCN (with an established p K a ) and HOONO is much worse and the calculated results suggest that the effect of the directly interacting solvent shells around HCN and HOONO are quite different from those around HONO 2 , HONO, or HNO in terms of the solution phase acidity. Contrary to the view that HNO is an acid in aqueous solution, the p K a is estimated to be between 10 and 13 for HNO consistent with the latest experimental result. This suggests that the behavior of HNO in biological systems warrants further investigation as it is not an acid as has previously been accepted.
An Open Architecture for Embedding VR-Based Mechanical Tools Into CAD Applications

Virtual Reality (VR)-based assembly and disassembly analysis systems have been in use for several years. There have also been various efforts at creating bi-directional integration between CAD systems and VR-based assembly systems. The next step in this integration is to provide the capabilities of CAD and the immersive systems under one umbrella. This paper presents an open/extensible architecture for embedding VR-based mechanical tools within CAD systems to assist in assembly and disassembly analyses. The goal is to allow the user to perform immersive assembly/disassembly evaluations entirely within the CAD system. The architecture discussed in this paper is designed to leverage the inherent visualization and modeling capabilities provided by any commercial CAD system, while allowing the user to use any level of immersion ranging from simple tracking and stereo visualization to complete haptics devices. The focus is on providing assembly and disassembly capabilities using mechanical tools (e.g. wrenches, screwdrivers, etc.). The architecture is designed to be open (generic) for easy adaptation with any CAD system (through the API of the CAD system) and any haptic device (through the API of the haptic device). It provides a template consisting of modules and classes, which are relevant irrespective of the choice of the CAD system or the haptics system. The architecture is also designed to be extensible to include advanced interactions and simulations beyond the basic capabilities implemented in the system described in this paper. The CAD model library structure is leveraged for managing virtual tools and fasteners available to the user. The proposed architecture has been implemented to provide virtual assembly functionality within CATIA V5 using the VirtualHand™ Toolkit from Immersion Corporation. Examples of this implementation using threaded fasteners and tools are also presented. The extensibility of the architecture was tested by implementing a different suite of mechanical tools for a different simulation purpose.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Occupational Therapists as Case Managers

Occupational therapists in today's health care environment are challenged to take on new roles such as case management. In assuming these roles occupational therapists need an understanding of the basic competencies to perform the job. To determine these competencies, the author, an occupational therapist, compares the basic competencies necessary to practice as a certified case manager and as a certified occupational therapist. As a participant/observer of case management she considers these competencies in clinical practice. From that experience she identifies strengths and suggestions for further occupational therapy educational development.
Strong cAMP Response to a GPCR Agonist Challenge Despite Apparent Inactivation

A large variety of neurotransmitters, hormones, paracrine agents, and odorants exert their effects through G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). These receptors activate intracellular G proteins that in turn modulate the activity of different effector proteins. Based largely on the study of the light-activated receptor rhodopsin and the beta-adrenergic receptor, the vast majority of GPCRs are assumed to undergo a process of inactivation or silencing involving receptor phosphorylation and capping by one of the arrestins. The advent of improved cAMP sensors in living cells and enhanced molecular information about phosphodiesterases has led to an increased appreciation of the role that these enzymes play in the shaping and termination of cAMP signals. We report here a high-resolution measurement of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)-triggered cAMP signals near the surface membrane in pituitary GH4C1 cells, using modified cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channels. The signals are transient and the falling phase is due solely to an increase in phosphodiesterase activity. There is no detectable receptor inactivation on this timescale. Surprisingly, this system is highly responsive to subsequent increases in VIP levels. We show that such responsiveness can arise in a system in which receptors remain active and phosphodiesterase activity is just slightly higher than adenylyl cyclase activity, but not in a system that exhibits classical receptor inactivation. The upregulation of phosphodiesterase activity represents a type of inactivation or desensitization that causes a decline in the response to the initial agonist dose and limits the intracellular spread of cAMP. However, this mechanism has the unique feature of allowing the cell to respond to subsequent agonist challenges.