cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Corticotropin-induced changes in a soluble desmolase preparation.

Abstract Following simple homogenization, substantial desmolase activity is recovered in rat adrenal 105 000 × g supernatant. The desmolase complex sediments at 3–4 S on sucrose gradients, is found in the clear cytosol, requires NADPH, is derived from mitochondria and is inhibited by aminoglutethimide and pregnenolone. The lipid fraction contains little or no desmolase activity but greatly enhances pregnenolone synthesis in soluble desmolase preparations, presumably by supplying free cholesterol substrate. Prior adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) administration enhances pregnenolone synthesis in the 105 000 × g supernatant, and cycloheximide, an inhibitor of adrenal protein synthesis, does not block this effect of ACTH (but rather potentiates it). The ACTH effect may be largely explained by an increase in free cholesterol, which enhances the activity of both the lipid fraction and clear cytosol, since: free cholesterol levels are increased by ACTH, particularly with cycloheximide pretreatment; type I and inverted type I difference spectrum changes, indicating greater cholesterol availability for binding to cytochrome P -450, are enhanced by ACTH with or without cycloheximide treatment; cholesterol-rich lipid fraction enhances such spectral changes and obliterates the differences in spectral and pregnenolone-synthesizing activities betwen control and ACTH-stimulated soluble desmolase preparations; and desmolase stimulatory properties of clear cytosol co-chromatographs with [ 14 C]cholesterol. Since cycloheximide blocks ACTH-induced effects in intact mitochondria but not in the soluble desmolase preparation, it is postulated that the labile protein required during ACTH action functions to overcome a śrestraining influence’ which is present in intact mitochondria but not in the soluble desmolase system. The ‘restraining influence’ may be due to limited cholesterol-desmolase interaction.
Classifying topoi and finite forcing

We show that Robinson’s finite forcing, for a theory +rT, is a universal construction in the sense of categorical algebra: it is the satisfaction relation for the universal model in the classifying topos 6 of a certain universal Horn theory defined from .K Assuming, without loss of generality, that .I- is axiomatized by universal sentences, we construct, as sheaf subtopoi of 6, the classifying topoi for (i.e., universal examples of) finitely generic models, existentially closed models, and arbitrary models of .I- (with complemented primitive predicates).
Antibiotic resistance in pneumococci: Implications for laboratory testing and treatment

ARDS. Chest 96(4):885-892, 1989. al: The effect of end stage liver failure on Skerrett S J, Niederman M, Fein A: RespiraFein AF, Feinsilver S, Niederman M: Atypithe incidence and resolution of the adult tory infections and acute lung injury in syscal manifestations of pneumonia in the eldrespiratory distress syndrome. J Crit Care temic illness. Clin Chest Med erly. Clin Chest Med 12(2):319-336, 1 9 9 1 . 2:162-173, 1987. 10(4):469-502, 1989. Fein A, Lippmarm M, Holtzman H, et al: The McCabe WR, Kreger BE, Johns M: Type speTran DD, Groeneveld B J, van der Meulen J, risk factors, incidence and prognosis of the cifie and crossreactive antibodies in Gramet al: Age, chronic disease, organ system adult respiratory distress syndrome follownegative bacteriemia. N Engl J Med failure, and mortality in a medical intening septicemia. Chest 83:40--42, 1983. 287:261, 1972. sive care unit. Crit Care Med 18(5):474Gorelick K, Scannon PJ, Hannigen J, Wedel Montgomery AB, Stager MA, Carrico C, et 479, 1990. N, Ackerman SK: Randomized placeboal: Causes of mortality in patients with the Ziegler El, Fisher CI, Sprung CL, et al: Treatcontrolled study of E5 monoclonal autoenadult ~espiratory distress syndrome. Am ment of gram-negative bacteremia and sepdotoxin antibody, lnLarrick J, Borrebolck Rev Respir Dis 132:485-489, 1985. tic shock with HA-I A human monoclonal C (eds): Therapeutic Monoclonai AntiOhlsson K, Bjork P, Bergenfeldt M, et al: Inantibody against endotoxin: A randomized, body. New York, Stockton Press, 1990, pp tefleukin-1 receptor antagonist reduces double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. N 253-261. mortality from endotoxic shock. Nature Engl J Med 324(7):429-436, 1991. Hinshaw LB, Tekamp-Olson P, Chang ACK, 348(360):550-552, 1990. Ziegler El, McCutchan L, Fiel'er J, et al: et al: Survival of primates in LD.50 septic Pepe PE, Polkin RT, Reus DH, et al: Clinical Treatment of gram-negative bacteremia shock (update). predictors of the adult respiratory distress and shock with human antiserum to a muIdell JS, Gonzaiez K, Bradford H, et ah Prosyndrome. Am J Surg 144:124-130, 1982. tant Escherichia coli. N Engl Mad coagulant activity in broncboalveolar layReynolds HN, Haupt MT, ThiU-Baharozian 307:1225-1230, 1982. age in the adult respiratory distress MC, Carlson RW: Impact of critical care Address correspondence to Alan M. Fein, MD, Disyndrome. Am Rev Respir Dis 136:1466physician staffing on patients with septic rector, Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine Divi1474, 1987. shock in a university hospital medical intension, Winthrop-University Hospital, 222 Station Matuschak GM, Rinaldo JE, Pinsky MR, et sive care unit. JAMA 260:3446-3450, 1988. Plaza Noah, Suite 400, Mineola, NY 11501.
Some of My Friends are Fat, others are Thin and Some are Built like Arnold Schwarzenegger: A Body Typing Exercise That Teaches Critical Thinking

Undergraduate students benefit from a class exercise that examines the relationship between body builds and personality characteristics. Procedures were designed to allow students to confront biases about their own friends and acquaintances in the context of Sheldon's somatotypes (Sheldon and Stevens, 1940; Sheldon, Stevens and Tucker, 1942). Class discussion about this demonstration can incorporate a broad range of topic areas, including stereotyping, the history of personality theory, personality assessment techniques, the importance of research control and the limitations of correlational research.
Proinflammatory Phenotype and Increased Caveolin-1 in Alveolar Macrophages with Silenced CFTR mRNA

The inflammatory milieu in the respiratory tract in cystic fibrosis (CF) has been linked to the defective expression of the cystic transmembrane regulator (CFTR) in epithelial cells. Alveolar macrophages (AM), important contibutors to inflammatory responses in the lung, also express CFTR. The present study analyzes the phenotype of human AM with silenced CFTR. Expression of CFTR mRNA and the immature form of the CFTR protein decreased 100-fold and 5.2-fold, respectively, in AM transfected with a CFTR specific siRNA (CFTR-siRNA) compared to controls. Reduction of CFTR expression in AM resulted in increased secretion of IL-8, increased phosphorylation of NF-κB, a positive regulator of IL-8 expression, and decreased expression of IκB-α, the inhibitory protein of NF-κB activation. AM with silenced CFTR expression also showed increased apoptosis. We hypothesized that caveolin-1 (Cav1), a membrane protein that is co-localized with CFTR in lipid rafts and that is related to inflammation and apoptosis in macrophages, may be affected by decreased CFTR expression. Messenger RNA and protein levels of Cav1 were increased in AM with silenced CFTR. Expression and transcriptional activity of sterol regulatory element binding protein (SREBP), a negative transcriptional regulator of Cav1, was decreased in AM with silenced CFTR, but total and free cholesterol mass did not change. These findings indicate that silencing of CFTR in human AM results in an inflammatory phenotype and apoptosis, which is associated to SREBP-mediated regulation of Cav1.
Channels strategies for handling low signal-to-noise ratios in holographic data storage systems

Holographic data storage systems are receiving great attention. This talk will explore several strategies (i.e., equalization, detection, error correction coding, interleaving and modulation coding) to cope with low SNRs of these systems.
Conserved currents and associated symmetries; Goldstone's theorem

We consider, in the framework of local field theory with translation symmetry, automorphisms connected with locally conserved currents. We show that such automorphisms lead to symmetries, i.e. are implementable by unitary operators, whenever the smallest mass in the theory is non-zero. Therefore we conclude that a “spontaneously broken symmetry” is possible only in the event that the smallest mass is zero. This establishes the theorem first conjectured byGoldstone.
PLANNING CRAFT : HOW PLANNERS COMPOSE PLANS

Conceiving urban plan making as practical judgment shifts theoretical attention from questions of belief to questions of meaning. How do we make urban plans that combine intelligent coordination with savvy communication to anticipate and cope with urban complexity? Consider adopting a pragmatic approach that relies on coherence to inform the appraisal, comparison and selection that accompany practical judgment. Plans compose the meaning and consequence of future actions. Pragmatic composition combines representation and interpretation to frame problems of urban complexity. Four orientations are described using plan examples: protocol, precedent, prototype and policy.
Utilization of restaurant waste oil as a precursor for sophorolipid production.

Approximately 100 billion liters of oil is generated per week as waste from restaurants around the country. Because of health, environmental, and economic factors, current methods of disposal are ineffective for disposal of the restaurant oil wastes. In this study we have investigated the ability of Candida bombicola to fermentatively transform the restaurant oil waste into glycolipids called sophorolipids. Batch and fed-batch studies were carried out using oil waste as the lipid feedstock in Erlenmeyer flasks and in a fermentor. Batch fermentation in a fermentor gave the highest yield of sophorolipids of 34 g L -1 . Fermentation using oleic acid as control feedstock were also carried out. Batch fermentation in the fermentor using this pure fatty acid gave a highest yield of 42 g L -1 . The difference in the sophorolipid yield was attributed to the fatty acid composition of restaurant oil waste.
Visualization of a high-resolution galaxy formation simulation

Due to increasing computational resources, three dimensional, time-dependent numerical simulations have become an important astrophysical method to study structure for- mation in the early Universe. Even the complicated non-linear processes that drive the formation of the first galaxies can now be tackled using tailored numerical simulation codes that are run on large computational clusters. In this work we describe a 3D visualization of one of the most detailed galaxy formation simulations ever carried out in numerical astrophysics.
The Burnside algebra of a quasigroup

Abstract The paper extends the concept of a Burnside algebra from finite groups to finite quasigroups, based on an earlier specification of quasigroup permutation actions as members of a certain covariety of coalgebras. For quasigroups, the Burnside algebra carries two distinct product operations, denoted respectively as “(direct) product” and “reduced tensor product.” The direct product arises from categorical products in the covariety, while the reduced tensor product arises from bisimulations. In the associative case, the direct product and reduced tensor product agree. With respect to the direct product, the Burnside algebra of a quasigroup is semisimple, and its structure may be described in terms of marks, exactly generalizing the associative case. With respect to the reduced tensor product, nilpotent elements may exist. The problem of finding a primitive set of idempotents for the semisimple part of the reduced tensor product reduct of the Burnside algebra is raised. As a first step towards the solution of this problem, the primitive reduced tensor idempotent multiple of the regular representation is identified in terms of the orbitals of the action of the right multiplication group. There is a characterization of those quasigroups for which this multiple is the same as in the group case.
Understanding the Anodic Mechanism of a Seafloor Fuel Cell: Interactions Between Geochemistry and Microbial Activity

Seafloor fuel cells made with graphite electrodes generate electricity by promoting electron transfer in response to a natural voltage difference (−0.7 to −0.8 V) between anoxic sediments and overlying oxic seawater. Geochemical impacts of a seafloor fuel cell on sediment solids and porewaters were examined to identify the anodic mechanisms and substrates available for current production. In an estuarine environment with little dissolved sulfide, solid-phase acid volatile sulfide and Cr2+-reducible sulfur minerals decreased significantly toward the anode after 7 months of nearly continuous energy harvesting. Porewater iron and sulfate increased by millimolar amounts. Scanning electron microscope images showed a biofilm overcoating the anode, and electron microprobe analyses revealed accumulations of sulfur, iron, silicon and phosphorus at the electrode surface. Sulfur deposition was also observed on a laboratory fuel cell anode used to generate electricity with only dissolved sulfide as an electron donor. Moreover, current densities and voltages displayed by these purely chemical cells were similar to the values measured with field devices. These results indicate that electron transfer to seafloor fuel cells can readily result in the oxidation of dissolved and solid-phase forms of reduced sulfur producing mainly S0 which deposits at the electrode surface. This oxidation product is consistent with the observed enrichment of bacteria most closely related to Desulfobulbus/Desulfocapsa genera within the anode biofilm, and its presence is proposed to promote a localized biogeochemical cycle whereby biofilm bacteria regenerate sulfate and sulfide. This electron-shuttling mechanism may co-occur while these or other bacteria use the anode directly as a terminal electron acceptor.
The virion host shutoff function of herpes simplex virus degrades the 5' end of a target mRNA before the 3' end.

Abstract During lytic infections, the virion host shutoff ( vhs ) function of herpes simplex virus (HSV) disaggregates host polysomes and induces rapid turnover of both cellular and viral mRNAs. To examine the steps in vhs -induced mRNA degradation, an RNase protection assay was used to compare the relative decay rates of sequences from the 5′ and 3′ ends of a selected target mRNA. In cells infected with wild-type HSV-1, sequences at the 5′ end of the HSV-1 thymidine kinase mRNA were degraded more rapidly than those at the 3′ end of the transcript. In contrast, in cells infected with a vhs mutant, the decay rates of sequences at the 5′ and 3′ termini of the transcript were much slower and were essentially indistinguishable from each other. Vhs -induced degradation of the transcribed portion of the mRNA was not preceded by detectable shortening of the poly(A) tail in vivo ; nor was a poly(A) tail required to make an RNA a target for the vhs activity in vitro . The results suggest that degradation of sequences at or near the 5′ end of an mRNA is an early step in vhs -induced decay.
Thermodynamic consistency in microkinetic development of surface reaction mechanisms

The foundation of microkinetic analysis over 10 years ago has drastically changed the way of parametrization of rates of surface-catalyzed reactions. In the initial stages of development, some parameters arose from experimental data whereas others were fitted to experimental data. Semiempirical and first principles quantum mechanical and statistical mechanics simulations nowadays are powerful tools in estimating kinetic parameters. However, even in best cases, some tuning of parameters is typically necessary for quantitative model predictions. During this process, parameters of reaction mechanisms may violate thermodynamics. Here we review thermodynamic constraints of reaction networks and derive expressions applicable to surface reactions. We present three examples of ethylene hydrogenation, ammonia synthesis, and hydrogen oxidation to assess the thermodynamic validity of literature mechanisms. Various methods to ensure thermodynamic consistency are discussed and demonstrated with a specific example of H...
Intra-appendage movements during walking in the scorpion Hadrurus arizonensis

1. 1. Movements of walking legs and of individual leg joints in walking scorpions (Hadrurus arizonensis) were studied by high-speed (50 frames/sec) cinematography. 2. 2. As revealed from overhead and lateral views, the movement of the distal leg tip (pretarsus) is relatively similar for the four ipsilateral legs (Fig. 1). 3. 3. Due to their differing orientations and lengths, stepping movements of the four ipsilateral legs are accomplished by quite different activities of homologous joints (Figs 3–6). For example, major differences between legs in movements of the coxa-trochanter (C-T), femur-patella (F-P) and patella-tibia (P-T) joints for legs 1–4 were observed.
Role of Reactive Oxygen Species in Determining Nitrification Inhibition by Metallic/Oxide Nanoparticles

The toxicity of several metallic/oxide nanoparticles ( TiO2 , CuO, ZnO, and Ag) to nitrifying bacteria was evaluated individually or in combination in batch studies. Except for the mixture of ZnO and Ag, the mixture inhibition of nanoparticles was roughly the sum of individual inhibition among the nanoparticles studied. Although there was no inhibitory effect of TiO2 nanoparticles under ambient light or dark conditions, nitrification inhibition was significantly increased when TiO2 nanoparticles were exposed to ultraviolet (UV) for 30 min. Under UV exposure, both TiO2 nanoparticles (anatase) and bulk amorphous TiO2 generated the same amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the bacterial cell although TiO2 nanoparticles were more toxic than the bulk counterpart. While the inhibition was well correlated to intracellular ROS concentration, the ROS correlations were different for the different forms of TiO2 or for the different nanoparticles (e.g., Ag versus TiO2 ). ROS is therefore not a good chemical mar...
Cost Analysis of Percutaneous Pulmonary Valve Replacement

Percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation is currently being used to treat right ventricular outflow tract obstruction or insufficiency in congenital heart disease. Presumably this alternative to surgical conduit replacement may result in cost savings owing to shorter hospital stays; however, a formal cost comparison has not been undertaken. Total hospital costs of percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation were compared to costs of surgical conduit replacement. Midterm cost-savings analysis was then modeled over 5 years using initial costs and reintervention rates. Need for surgical or transcatheter reintervention was derived from published data (5-year freedom from reintervention was assumed to be 53% for percutaneous pulmonary valves and 90% for surgical conduits). Cost of Melody valve and delivery device ($30,500) was higher than the conduit cost ($8,700), but total procedural costs were nearly identical at just less $50,000 for each procedure. When considering the increased need for reintervention in patients with Melody valves, surgical conduit revision results in moderate cost savings at 5 years after the initial procedure ($19,928 per patient). In conclusion, Melody valve implantation compares reasonably well to surgical conduit revision despite the added midterm costs, but ongoing analysis including the impact of nonsurgical options on quality-of-life measurements and improvement of reintervention rates for percutaneously placed valves needs to be considered.
Reducibility and thermal scaling in nuclear multifragmentation

Abstract Recent studies have revealed the existence of a number of reducibility and thermal scaling properties in nuclear multifragmentation. The probability of emitting n -fragments is found to be reducible to the probability of emitting a single fragment through the binomial expression. The resulting one fragment probability shows thermal scaling by producing linear Arrhenius plots. Similarly, the charge distributions associated with n -fragment emission are reducible to the one-fragment charge distribution. Thermal scaling is also observed. The reducibility equation contains a constant whose value, zero or positive, can be related to a univariant (two phase) or bivariant (one-phase) regime. The light fragment particle-particle angular correlations also show reducibility to the single-particle angular distributions as well as thermal scaling . A mass scaling associated with the angular correlations suggests emission from several small sources ( A ≈ 20). The limits of applicability of scaling and reducibility are discussed as well as their implications for the mechanism of multifragmentation.
Differential effects of voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels on low and high frequency mediated neurotransmission in guinea-pig ileum and rat vas deferens.

Abstract The ω-conotoxins GVIA, MVIIA, MVIIC and SVIB reduced in a concentration-dependent manner the low frequency electrically stimulated twitch response of the guinea pig ileum and rat vas deferens. The relative activities of the conotoxins showed some difference between the two preparations in that for ileum it was MVIIA=GVIA>MVIIC=SVIB and for the vas deferens it was MVIIA>GVIA≫SVIB>MVIIC. High frequency electrical stimulation of both preparations resulted in a neurally-mediated ω-conotoxin GVIA resistant component that was sensitive to high concentrations of either ω-conotoxin MVIIC (300 nM–1 μM) or ω-agatoxin IVA (300 nM–1 μM) but not to ω-conotoxin MVIIA. Lower levels of either ω-conotoxin MVIIC or ω-agatoxin IVA (30–100 nM) failed to significantly affect the ω-conotoxin GVIA resistant component. This ω-conotoxin GVIA resistant component was large in the ileal preparation comprising 30–40% of the maximal response at 20 Hz but relatively small (10%) in the vas deferens. These studies revealed that the N-type voltage-dependent calcium channel (VDCCs) exclusively controls neurotransmission during low frequency stimulation but at higher frequencies there is an additional non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic (NANC) neurotransmission that appears to be regulated via Q-type VDCC.
Introduction to the special issue on the formation of an American monetary union

This special issue of the Financial History Review contributes to the vast literature on the political economy of monetary unions. Inspired by the recent events in Europe, it reaches back in history to consider an earlier experiment in forming a monetary (as well as economic and political) union. In this historical case the pivotal event was the ratification of the United States Constitution in 1788, two centuries before the Maastricht Treaty. Between formal independence in 1781 and the implementation of the Constitution reforms in 1789, the fledgling country was organised politically into a loose confederation of thirteen, virtually sovereign states. Despite the nominal powers granted to the national government under the Articles of Confederation, it lacked the direct means to collect taxes and to enforce its policies. Consequently, during this brief period, state governments could and did pursue their own economic and monetary policies.
The allies in Russia, 1917–20: Intervention as seen by the whites 1

This article examines Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War from the perspective of the Whites. Allied actions and inaction, as well as the question of supply to the White armies, appeared significantly different to the Whites than they did to the intervening powers. Information from the archives of White institutions and leaders makes it possible to shed new light on certain aspects of intervention and present others in a different shade than that presented by Western contemporaries and historians relying on memoirs of foreign participants and the records of Western governments and officials.
The occurrence of open-bite in the monkey: an observation.

Abstract In one of several experimental monkeys in which a block section involving two deciduous central incisors had been removed surgically, a marked anterior open-bite developed, apparently as the result of a tongue habit. The tongue-movement pattern was at first a means of soothing the surgical wound but became habitual after a period of time. The events that occurred during the development of this animal illustrate the influence of one environmental factor in the production of open-bite and suggest a neurosensory rationale.
Multilevel model prediction

Multilevel models are proven tools in social research for modeling complex, hierarchical systems. In multilevel modeling, statistical inference is based largely on quantification of random variables. This paper distinguishes among three types of random variables in multilevel modeling—model disturbances, random coefficients, and future response outcomes—and provides a unified procedure for predicting them. These predictors are best linear unbiased and are commonly known via the acronym BLUP; they are optimal in the sense of minimizing mean square error and are Bayesian under a diffuse prior.
Postradiation sarcoma of bone in Hodgkin disease

We report 16 cases seen in the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) during the past 50 years. These patients had been treated with external radiation for Hodgkin disease and had developed sarcomas in the field 4–31 years after the diagnosis of Hodgkin disease. Most of the tumors (12 of 16) occurred in the chest wall. There were three tumors of the pelvis and an unusual osteosarcoma of the femur following treatment for a primary Hodgkin disease of the femur. The tumors were predominantly osteosarcomas (9). In addition, there were five malignant fibrous histiocytomas, one fibrosarcoma, and one chondrosarcoma. Prognosis was poor; the mean survival was 12 months. Survival of patients with other primary cancers who developed radiation sarcomas was not significantly different from that of patients with Hodgkin disease. Hodgkin disease is now the most common tumor among radiation-induced sarcomas in previously normal bone and has surpassed breast cancer, which was previously the most common original tumor.
Face Recognition using 3D Summation Invariant Features

In this paper, we developed a family of 2D and 3D invariant features with applications to 3D human faces recognition. The main contributions of this paper are: (a) systematically deriving a family of novel features, called summation invariant that are invariant to Euclidean transformation in both 2D and 3D; (b) developing an effective method to apply summation invariant to the 3D face recognition problem. Tested with the 3D data from the Face Recognition Grand Challenge v1.0 dataset, the proposed new features exhibit achieves a performance that rivals the best 3D face recognition algorithms reported so far.
The Lethal Form of Cushing’s in 7B2 Null Mice Is Caused by Multiple Metabolic and Hormonal Abnormalities

The neuroendocrine-specific protein 7B2, which serves as a molecular escort for proPC2 in the secretory pathway, promotes the production of enzymatically active PC2 and may have non-PC2 related endocrine roles. Mice null for 7B2 exhibit a lethal phenotype with a complex Cushing’s-like pathology, which develops from intermediate lobe ACTH hypersecretion as a consequences of interruption of PC2-mediated peptide processing as well as undefined consequences of the loss of 7B2. In this study we investigated the endocrine and metabolic alterations of 7B2 null mice from pathological and biochemical points of view. Our results show that 7B2 nulls exhibit a multisystem disorder that includes severe pathoanatomical and histopathologic alterations of vital organs, including the heart and spleen but most notably the liver, in which massive steatosis and necrosis are observed. Metabolic derangements in glucose metabolism result in glycogen and fat deposition in liver under conditions of chronic hypoglycemia. Liver failure is also likely to contribute to abnormalities in blood coagulation and blood chemistry, such as lactic acidosis. A hypoglycemic crisis coupled with respiratory distress and intensive internal thrombosis most likely results in rapid deterioration and death of the 7B2 null. (Endocrinology 143: 2324 –2332, 2002)
Quadrature mirror filter design for an arbitrary number of equal bandwidth channels

The two-channel quadrature mirror filter structure of Croisier and Esteban may be extended to an arbitrary number of equal bandwidth channels, given certain restrictions on the bandpass filters. The most serious restriction is that the stopband attenuation of eacli band-pass filter must be high for all frequencies outside twice the nominal 3 dB bandwidth of the filter. This restriction is not really a limiting factor for speech subband waveform coding since high adjacent channel attenuation is a necessity for the confinement of quantization noise. A key feature of our filter structure is that the number of multiplies, adds, and stored coefficients required for implementation is significantly less than those needed for the conventional QMF structure, given the same number of channels. Fortran code for a 16-channel filter structure is listed as an example of efficient implementation.
Implications of hydrologic variability on the succession of plants in Great Lakes wetlands

Primary succession of plant communities directed toward a climax is not a typical occurrence in wetlands because these ecological systems are inherently dependent on hydrology, and temporal hydrologic variability often causes reversals or setbacks in succession. Wetlands of the Great Lakes provide good examples for demonstrating the implications of hydrology in driving successional processes and for illustrating potential misinterpretations of apparent successional sequences. Most Great Lakes coastal wetlands follow cyclic patterns in which emergent communities are reduced in area or eliminated by high lake levels and then regenerated from the seed bank during low lake levels. Thus, succession never proceeds for long. Wetlands also develop in ridge and swale terrains in many large embayments of the Great Lakes. These formations contain sequences of wetlands of similar origin but different age that can be several thousand years old, with older wetlands always further from the lake. Analyses of plant communities across a sequence of wetlands at the south end of Lake Michigan showed an apparent successional pattern from submersed to floating to emergent plants as water depth decreased with wetland age. However, paleoecological analyses showed that the observed vegetation changes were driven largely by disturbances associated with increased human settlement in the area. Climateinduced hydrologic changes were also shown to have greater effects on plant-community change than autogenic processes. Other terms, such as zonation, maturation, fluctuations, continuum concept, functional guilds, centrifugal organization, pulse stability, and hump-back models provide additional means of describing organization and changes in vegetation; some of them overlap with succession in describing vegetation processes in Great Lakes wetlands, but each must be used in the proper context with regard to short- and long-term hydrologic variability.
Respirator Protection and Acceptability Among Agricultural Workers

Abstract Results are presented of field determinations of effectiveness (workplace protection factor; WPF) and acceptability (questionnaire responses) by respirator users in indoor swine production, poultry production, and grain handling facilities. Dust mass and endotoxin in air samples collected over 4 hours outside the mask and inside the mask were compared to yield the WPF. Disposable respirators had a mean WPF of 13; quarter-mask respirators, 22; half-mask respirators, 19; and powered air purifying helmets, 30. These values are generally less than laboratory-based measures of effectiveness but similar to other field data. Acceptability among these four classes of respirators varied among the three user groups: poultry operators preferred the powered helmet; grain handlers preferred the half-mask; and swine producers were split between the quarter-mask and half-mask respirators. Fully disposable masks were preferred by only 20 to 22 percent of the workers in each setting. Among all groups of workers, ...
High-Sensitivity Inductive Pressure Sensor

A new type of pressure sensors with extremely high sensitivity is introduced. Unlike piezoresistive, capacitive, and linear-variable-differential-transformer-based pressure sensors, the new sensor is based on a technique for substantially changing the inductance of a coil. The prototype device has demonstrated a change in inductance of approximately 34.5 mH over a pressure range of 10 kPa. The sensor offers a number of desirable features, including linearity, low temperature, and pressure hysteresis, in addition to small size.
Automated translation of ASIC designs

Summary form only given, as follows. Tremendous advances in application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) technology are continually being made in speed, power, and gate density. This paper discusses the development of an automated translation process that allows the advances in ASIC technology to be applied to existing ASIC designs without having to redesign the ASICs. This translation process is accomplished by replacing an existing design with a functionally equivalent design that is created to take advantage of the advances in ASIC technologies. The translation process makes use of various HDL (Hardware Design Language) based computer tools, old and new technology libraries, and VHDL (Very High Speed Integrated Circuit HDL). Automated translation has proven to be time and cost effective and is being applied in various projects at the author's sponsoring company.
Joint video encoding in DVB/ATSC multi-program transmission: MPEG-2 vs. H.264/AVC bitrate control

The main constrains in DVB/ATSC systems are limited bandwidths of available broadcasting channels. Obviously, providers want to broadcast as many video programs as possible with the best possible quality of service. However, the picture quality of encoded video is inversely proportional to the compression factor. In addition, the bandwidth required to broadcast an individual video program with high quality depends on the nature of the contents and it varies in time. A more uniform picture quality and a more efficient utilization of channel capacity are achieved using joint video encoding in multiprogram transmission. The objective of joint rate control is to dynamically distribute the channel capacity among programs according to their respective complexities. More existing approaches are based on MPEG-2 standard [4]. This paper presents a framework which allows the comparison MPEG-2 vs. H.264 standard in joint coding of multiple programs. Operational encoder control and optimized bitrate allocation in standard simulation models are explained in-depth. It is shown experimentaly that joint bitrate control can keep almost the user-required picture quality among multiple programs in comparison to an independent encoding.
A public database for gene expression in human cancers.

A public database, SAGEmap, was created as a component of the Cancer Genome Anatomy Project to provide a central location for depositing, retrieving, and analyzing human gene expression data. This database uses serial analysis of gene expression to quantify transcript levels in both malignant and normal human tissues. By accessing SAGEmap (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/SAGE) the user can compare transcript populations between any of the posted libraries. As an initial demonstration of the database’s utility, gene expression in human glioblastomas was compared with that of normal brain white matter. Of the 47,174 unique transcripts expressed in these two tissues, 471 (1.0%) were differentially expressed by more than 5-fold (P < 0.001). Classification of these genes revealed functions consistent with the biological properties of glioblastomas, in particular: angiogenesis, transcription, and cell cycle related genes.
Advanced Reinforced Thermoplastic Composites for Mass Transit and Heavy Truck Applications

The objective of the research effort is to develop cost-effective high performance thermoplastic composite materials and product forms and manufacturing of structural components for mass transit, heavy truck and military transport applications. Thermoplastic composites technologies possess the potential to provide structures with lower cost, lighter weight, and improved performance. This paper discusses an integrated processing and product development approach for select components such as seats, floor segments, and roof cover doors generic to mass transit, heavy transit and military transport. Long fiber thermoplastic (LFT) and continuous thermoplastic fiber forms have been used in processes ranging from extrusion-compression to vacuum thermoforming. About 40-60% weight savings with equivalent or enhanced performance have been achieved in these applications. Process modeling such as fiber/polymer melt flow in the LFT process has also been discussed in this paper.
Nanowires as Building Blocks for Nanoscale Science and Technology

The field of nanotechnology represents an exciting and rapidly expanding research area that crosses the borders between the physical, life and engineering sciences [1, 2]. Much of the excitement in this area of research has arisen from recognition that new phenomena and unprecedented integration density are possible with nanometer scale structures. Correspondingly, these ideas have driven scientists to develop methods for making nanostructures. In general, there are two philosophically distinct approaches for creating small objects, which can be characterized as top-down and bottom-up. In the top-down approach, small features are patterned in bulk materials by a combination of lithography, etching and deposition to form functional devices. The top-down approach has been exceedingly successful in many venues with microelectronics being perhaps the best example today. While developments continue to push the resolution limits of the top-down approach, these improvements in resolution are associated with a near exponential increase in cost associated with each new level manufacturing facility. This economic limitation and other scientific issues with the top-down approach have motivated efforts worldwide to search for new strategies to meet the demand for nanoscale structures today and in the future [3–5].
Wavelet-domain shift invariant motion estimation and compensation

Motion estimation and motion compensation (MEMC) has been applied inside the wavelet-transformed domain for video compression at low bit rates. However, pixel-based motion estimation in the wavelet domain is not as straightforward as in the spatial domain due to the shift variance property caused by decimation. The paper finds a new wavelet-based motion estimation and compensation method, named as the sub-decimation decomposition method, to perform shift invariant motion estimation inside the wavelet transformed domain, so that better matching blocks are compensated to achieve more efficient video compression.
Proposal for Standardized Tabular Reporting of Observational Surgical Studies Illustrated in a Study on Primary Repair of Bile Duct Injuries

Background A standard format for reporting observational surgical studies does not exist. This creates difficulties in comparing studies and in performing synthesis through systematic reviews and meta-analyses. This article proposes a method called "standard tabular reporting" and illustrates its use in a case series of bile duct reconstructions for biliary injuries occurring during cholecystectomy. Study Design A database dealing with biliary injuries was constructed in sections. Each section was designed to be turned into a table covering one element of the subject. Whenever possible, American College of Surgeons NSQIP "Classic Variables and Definitions" were used for forming sections and tables. However, most tables are original and specific to biliary injury. The database was populated from clinical records of patients who sustained a biliary injury during cholecystectomy. Results Tables were created dealing with the following subjects: demographics, index operation, presentation, classification of injury, preoperative risk assessment, preoperative laboratory values, operative repair technique, postoperative complications, and long-term outcomes. Between 1997 and 2013, 122 primary bile duct reconstructions were performed, with 1 mortality and 47 complications. Good long-term results were obtained in 113 (92.6%) patients. No secondary surgical reconstructions have been needed. Conclusions Presentation of data in a standard format would facilitate comparison and synthesis of observational studies on the same subject. The biliary reconstructive methods used resulted in very satisfactory outcomes.
Incorporating failure analysis into engineering design

In order to increase the interest of beginning engineering students in solving "real life" engineering problems, a separate module, which was part of an engineering design course at Penn State , Ogontz, was presented. The majority of the students were freshmen, with some sophomores. The topic of failure analysis was introduced, focusing on structural/material related failures. The time constraints, other topics presented in this course, academic/informational level of the students, and the format of the projects included generally resulted in a thin layer of information being presented on a complex topic. However, it is hoped that these students gained an increased appreciation of the complex nature of the design process, as well as a new understanding of the role of failure in design and engineering. >
Brachial plexus injuries in adults

The loss of upper extremity function following a traumatic brachial plexus injury causes devastating functional deficits that require complex surgical reconstruction. Because of advances and innovations in surgical techniques, it is now possible to reliably restore elbow flexion and shoulder stability, provided intervention is prompt. Recently, innovations have provided additional surgical reconstructive options that can be expected to improve functional outcomes. For example, methods are available that may, at times, restore basic grasp function in patients with lower plexus rupture or avulsion. Surgeons from all disciplines must be cognizant of these new possibilities and seek out additional training or partnerships across specialty boundaries to provide the best possible care in these devastating injuries. In many such reconstructive schemes, nerve transfer from multiple intraand extraplexal donor nerves and microvascular transfer of functioning free muscles to the paralyzed limb are integral parts of the total reconstructive plan. The complexity and rigor of these procedures for both
The Alternative Sigma Factor σH Is Required for Toxin Gene Expression by Bacillus anthracis

Expression of the structural genes for the anthrax toxin proteins is coordinately controlled by host-related signals, such as elevated CO(2), and the trans-acting positive regulator AtxA. In addition to these requirements, toxin gene expression is under growth phase regulation. The transition state regulator AbrB represses atxA expression to influence toxin synthesis. During the late exponential phase of growth, when AbrB levels begin to decrease, toxin synthesis increases. Here we report that toxin gene expression also requires the presence of sigH, a gene encoding the RNA polymerase sigma factor associated with development in Bacillus subtilis. In the well-studied B. subtilis system, sigma(H) is required for sporulation and other post-exponential-phase processes and is part of a feedback control pathway for abrB expression. Our data indicate that a Bacillus anthracis sigH-null mutant is asporogenous and toxin deficient. Yet the sigma factor is required for toxin gene expression in a manner that is independent of the pathway leading to post-exponential-phase gene expression. Sigma(H) positively controls atxA in an AbrB-independent manner. These findings, combined with previous observations, suggest that the steady-state level of atxA expression is critical for optimal toxin gene transcription. We propose a model whereby, under toxin-inducing growth conditions, control of toxin gene expression is fine-tuned by the independent effects of sigma(H) and AbrB on the expression of atxA.
Point spread and transfer functions for the rainbow holographic process.

By using Fourier optics a theoretical analysis of the rainbow holographic process is made. The monochromatic and the polychromatic point spread functions, the monochromatic and the polychromatic transfer functions are derived. From these functions the real resolution (including monochromatic resolution and color blur) of the rainbow holographic image for different limiting apertures and the cutoff spatial frequency of the transfer function are calculated. These calculations are less laborious in contrast to the tedious evaluation of the diffraction theory. The formulas are general and applicable to the conventional hologram. The imaging plane hologram is first explained as a specific case of the rainbow hologram in this paper.
Robust video coding - an overview

Robust video coding is creating coded video data which provides received and decoded video of application-appropriate quality when transmitted over an imperfect channel. Video contains an enormous amount of redundancy, both from signal processing and psychological perspectives, which effective compression attempts to remove. However, ideal source coding leaves a coded stream which is extremely vulnerable to errors, and therefore compression and transmission provisions that avoid catastrophic failure caused by lost, delayed, or errant data are imperative. Robustness in video coding is obtained through source coding, channel coding, and error concealment following decoding. This paper first discusses issues specific to video in providing robustness and then poses the problem with two extremes of providing robustness and an example. Common strategies employed in robust video coding are then briefly described, and the specific application of these strategies in session papers are presented. The paper concludes with a discussion of future directions in robust video coding.
Atmospheric channel transfer function estimation from experimental free-space optical communications data

Using an 850-nanometer-wavelength free-space optical (FSO)communications system of our own design, we acquired field data for the transmitted and received signals in fog at Point Loma, CA for a range of optical depths within the multiple-scattering regime. Statistical estimators for the atmospheric channel transfer function and the related coherency function were computed directly from the experimental data. We interpret the resulting channel transfer function estimates in terms of the physics of the atmospheric propagation channel and fog aerosol particle distributions. We investigate the behavior of the estimators using both real field-test data and simulated propagation data. We compare the field-data channel transfer function estimates against the outputs from a computationally-intensive radiative-transfer theory model-based approach, which we also developed previously for the FSO multiple-scattering atmospheric channel. Our results show that the data-driven channel transfer function estimates are in close agreement with the radiative transfer modeling, and provide comparable receiver signal detection performance improvements while being significantly less time and computationally-intensive.