cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pseudosexual and dominance behaviour: their relationship to fecundity in the unisexual gecko, Lepidodactylus lugubris

We examined the hypothesis that pseudosexual behaviour facilitates reproduction in the unisexual gecko, Lepidodactylus luguhris. Thirty-eight hatchlings were housed in isolated or social conditions. Age at initial egg development, days between egg development and laying for the geckos’first three clutches of eggs, inter-clutch intervals and dominance behaviours were recorded. Lepidodactylus lugubris developed their first clutch of eggs at about 9·5 months of age after their endolymphatic sacs became externally visible. The geckos laid their eggs about 28–30 days later with smaller geckos requiring more time between egg development and laying than larger geckos. Grouped geckos formed dominance hierarchies. In the triad and quadrad groups, the subordinate geckos’growth rates were slowed and their fecundity was suppressed. Pseudosexual behaviour was not observed in the geckos and was unrelated to fecundity because isolated geckos developed and laid three clutches of eggs at the same rate as grouped geckos. Dominance behaviour, not pseudosexual behaviour, was related to fecundity in L. lugubris. Dominance behaviour may facilitate dispersal in this colonizing species because subordinate geckos could increase their fecundity by moving to less populated areas.
Atomizing-gas temperature effect on cryogenic spray dropsize

Correlating expressions for two-phase flow breakup of liquid nitrogen, LN2, jets in sonic velocity nitrogen gasflows were obtained for an atomizing-gas temperature range of 111 to 442 K. The correlations were based on characteristic dropsize measurements obtained with a scattered-light scanner. The effect of droplet vaporization on the measurements of the volume-median dropsize was calculated by using previously determined heat and momentum transfer expressions for droplets evaporating in high-velocity gasflow. Finally, the dropsize of the originally unvaporized spray was calculated, normalized with respect to jet diameter and correlated with atomizing-gas flowrate and temperature.
Cafeteria Diet Is a Robust Model of Human Metabolic Syndrome With Liver and Adipose Inflammation: Comparison to High-Fat Diet

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions worldwide and reports estimate that American children consume up to 25% of calories from snacks. Several animal models of obesity exist, but studies are lacking that compare high-fat diets (HFD) traditionally used in rodent models of diet-induced obesity (DIO) to diets consisting of food regularly consumed by humans, including high-salt, high-fat, low-fiber, energy dense foods such as cookies, chips, and processed meats. To investigate the obesogenic and inflammatory consequences of a cafeteria diet (CAF) compared to a lard-based 45% HFD in rodent models, male Wistar rats were fed HFD, CAF or chow control diets for 15 weeks. Body weight increased dramatically and remained significantly elevated in CAF-fed rats compared to all other diets. Glucose- and insulin-tolerance tests revealed that hyperinsulinemia, hyperglycemia, and glucose intolerance were exaggerated in the CAF-fed rats compared to controls and HFD-fed rats. It is well-established that macrophages infiltrate metabolic tissues at the onset of weight gain and directly contribute to inflammation, insulin resistance, and obesity. Although both high fat diets resulted in increased adiposity and hepatosteatosis, CAF-fed rats displayed remarkable inflammation in white fat, brown fat and liver compared to HFD and controls. In sum, the CAF provided a robust model of human metabolic syndrome compared to traditional lard-based HFD, creating a phenotype of exaggerated obesity with glucose intolerance and inflammation. This model provides a unique platform to study the biochemical, genomic and physiological mechanisms of obesity and obesity-related disease states that are pandemic in western civilization today.
Computational complexity of determining the barriers to interface motion in random systems

The low-temperature driven or thermally activated motion of several condensed matter systems is often modeled by the dynamics of interfaces (co-dimension-1 elastic manifolds) subject to a random potential. Two characteristic quantitative features of the energy landscape of such a many-degree-of-freedom system are the ground-state energy and the magnitude of the energy barriers between given configurations. While the numerical determination of the former can be accomplished in time polynomial in the system size, it is shown here that the problem of determining the latter quantity is nondeterministic polynomial time complete. Exact computation of barriers is therefore (almost certainly) much more difficult than determining the exact ground states of interfaces.
The A20 protein interacts with the Epstein-Barr virus latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) and alters the LMP1/TRAF1/TRADD complex.

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) interacts with the tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR)-associated factor (TRAF) molecules, which are important for LMP1-mediated signaling. Two domains of LMP1 can independently activate NF-kB, carboxyl-terminal activating region 1 (CTAR1) and CTAR2. The activation of NF-kB by CTAR1 occurs through direct interaction of LMP1 with the TRAF molecules, whereas CTAR2 interacts with the TNFR-associated death domain protein (TRADD) to activate NF-kB and the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). A20, which is induced by LMP1 through NF-kB, can block NF-kB activation from both domains of LMP1 and inhibit JNK activation from CTAR2. A20 also has been shown to associate with TRAF1 and TRAF2. In this study, an interaction between LMP1 and A20 was detected that was increased by TRAF2 overexpression. A20 did not affect the association of TRAF1 with TRAF2 but did displace TRAF1 from the LMP1 complex. The interaction of LMP1 and TRADD was decreased in the presence of A20, and the LMP1-A20 association was decreased by TRADD, suggesting that A20 and TRADD both interact with LMP1 and may compete for binding. These data indicate that A20 alters the interactions between LMP1 and the TRAF molecules and TRADD, affecting the activation of NF-kB, JNK, and perhaps other TRAF-mediated signaling events.
Thermodynamic and kinetic studies of cytochrome c from different species

Abstract The direct heterogeneous electron transfer reactions of cytochrome c from different vertebrate species are compared in this report. A kinetic study revealed a biphasic temperature dependence at neutral pH for the formal heterogeneous electron transfer rate constants of these cytochromes. The properties of the electrode-solution interface are believed to cause this biphasic kinetic effect. This effect does not correlate with the conformational transitions evident in both formal potential and circular dichroism (CD) measurements as a function of temperature. The conformational transitions seen in the formal potential and CD measurements arise from the alkaline isomerization and heme crevice changes. These are subtle effects compared with the structural changes associated with unfolding of the protein that are evident in differential scanning calorimetric experiments. The conformational stabilities of cytochrome c between species relate to the differences in their amino acid sequences. The amino acid interactions which stabilize the structure of these different cytochrome c molecules have been evaluated and will be discussed.
Analysis of material interface discontinuities and superconvergent fluxes in finite difference theory

Abstract An analysis of material interface discontinuities is developed and applied in finite difference theory to determine mathematically rigorous averaging techniques for material properties. This result is compared with other averaging techniques, particularly harmonic averaging, which is often applied in practice. We also develop a class of formulas of high accuracy for post-processing the difference formula to compute derivatives (fluxes, stresses), and conduct supporting numerical studies.
A cross layer approach to the novel distributed scheduling protocol and event-triggered controller design for Cyber Physical Systems

In Cyber Physical Systems (CPS), multiple real-time dynamic systems are connected to their corresponding controllers through a shared communication network in contrast with a dedicated line. For such CPS, the existing scheduling schemes for instance Centralized or Distributed Scheduling schemes are unsuitable since the behavior of real-time dynamic systems is ignored during the network protocol design. Therefore, in this paper, a novel distributed scheduling protocol design via cross-layer approach is proposed to optimize the performance of CPS by maximizing the utility function which is generated by using the information collected from both the application and network layers. Subsequently, a novel adaptive model based optimal event-triggered control scheme is derived for each real-time dynamic system with unknown system dynamics in the application layer. Compared with traditional scheduling algorithms, the proposed distributed scheduling scheme via cross-layer approach can not only allocates the network resources efficiently but also improves the performance of the overall real-time dynamic system.
The Effects of Molecular Weight and Temperature on the Kinetic Friction of Silicone Rubbers

The frictional stresses of poly(dimethylsiloxane) elastomers of various molecular weights were measured against a supported monolayer of hexadecylsiloxane and a thin film of polystyrene as a function of sliding velocity and temperature. On both surfaces, friction decreases with molecular weight, but increases with sliding velocity, reaches a maximum, and thereafter it decreases or displays a plateau. While the velocity corresponding to the maximum shear stress is nearly independent of the molecular weight of the polymer, it differs between the two substrates. These results are consistent with the models proposed earlier by Schallamach as well as by Chernyak and Leonov, according to which the detachment force per load-bearing chain increases with velocity while the number of chains supporting the total frictional load decreases with velocity and molecular weight. From the temperature-dependent studies, the activation energy of friction on both surfaces is estimated to be ∼25 kJ/mol, which is larger than th...
Properties of grain boundaries in high-Tc superconductors – Notes on a recent presentation

Abstract The purpose of this article is to discuss a view concerning key datasets of the properties of grain boundaries in high-Tc superconductors that was recently expressed in Ref. [R. Gross, Physica C 432 (2005) 105]. The reference also criticizes our previous research. Using examples, I disprove this criticism.
Crystal: from functional description to efficient parallel code

This paper describes how Crystal—a language based on familiar mathematical notation and the lambda calculus—addresses the issues of programmability and performance for parallel machines. What is new about Crystal (or how it is different from existing functional languages) lies in its model of parallel computation and a theory of parallel-program optimization based upon the model. We illustrate the power of our approach with benchmarks of compiled parallel code from the Crystal source. The target machines are hypercube multiprocessors with distributed memory, on which it is considered difficult for functional programs and parallelizing compilers to achieve high efficiency.
Extragenic Suppression analysis of TS mutations using Sec61p

During synthesis, secretory and membrane proteins are cotranslationally translocated into the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum through an aqueous gated channel. Proper folding, degradation, and transport of many polypeptides depend on a diverse set of helper proteins termed chaperone. I hypothesize thatSec 61p is a membrane chaperone, which actively directs membrane protein folding.
Electron disappearance in pulse irradiated CH3Cl, C2H5Cl, CH3Br, and C2H5Br

Abstract Thermal electron attachment rate constants have been determined for CH 3 Cl, C 2 H 5 Cl, CH 3 Br, and C 2 H 5 Br using a microwave conductivity-pulse radiolysis technique. Particular care was taken in purification of the compounds. With CH 3 Cl and C 2 H 5 Cl only upper limits of −15 and −15 cm 3 molecule −1 sec −1 , respectively, could be obtained. The values for CH 3 Br and C 2 H 5 Br are 7.0 × 10 −12 and 2.8 × 10 −13 cm 3 molecule −1 sec −1 , respectively. No evidence was found in any of the four cases for three-body electron attachment in the presence of an excess of propane.
Quark-number selection rule for nonleptonic weak decays

Recent experimental observations such as τ(D0)<τ(D+) were anticipated in a 1972 paper by Hayashi, Nakagawa, Nitto, and Ogawa, in which a quark-number selection rule for nonleptonic weak decays was proposed. We present here a diagrammatic interpretation of this selection rule and discuss several specific predictions and tests involving charmed mesons and baryons as well asb-flavored particles.
Boundary element analysis of anisotropic bimaterials with special Green's functions☆

Abstract The boundary integral equations incorporating the Green's function for anisotropic solids containing planar interfaces are presented. The fundamental displacement and traction solutions are determined from the displacement Green's function of Tewary, Wagoner, and Hirth ( Journal of Materials Research , 1989, 4 , 113–123). The fundamental solutions numerically degenerate to the Kelvin solution in the isotropic limit. The boundary integral equations are formulated with the use of constant boundary elements. The constant boundary elements allow for analytical evaluation of the boundary integrals. The application of the method is demonstrated by analyzing a copper-solder system subjected to mechanical loading.
Tubo-ovarian Abscess in Virginal Adolescents: Exposure of the Underlying Etiology

Tubo-ovarian abscesses (TOA) are acute complications of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID is an infection of the upper genital tract that is usually caused by an ascending sexually transmitted infection. We present two cases of TOA in patients who deny any history of sexual activity or sexual abuse. In our first case a TOA was the primary manifestation of Crohn's disease. The TOA in our second case was attributed to a combination of obesity, constipation, recurrent urinary tract infections, and poor hygiene. In both cases the laparoscopic evaluation revealed purulent fluid collections in the fallopian tubes that were not evident on imaging. These cases support the use of laparoscopy for diagnosis in atypical cases.
Introduction to the Special Issue: Behavioral Interventions to Enhance Academic Outcomes

The purpose of Behavior Modification’s special issue on academics is to feature a collection of studies involving behavioral interventions designed to improve academic outcomes. Studies published in this special issue address a variety of academic subjects (e.g., reading, science, social studies) for students with learning, emotional, behavioral, and developmental disabilities. A total of three rigorous literature reviews and six well-designed intervention studies are presented. The studies included in the special issue clearly illustrate the potential benefit of behavioral interventions designed to improve academic performance and related behaviors (e.g., task engagement, school readiness).
Juvenile hormone diol kinase. II. Sequencing, cloning, and molecular modeling of juvenile hormone-selective diol kinase from Manduca sexta.

Abstract The gene sequence of Manduca sextajuvenile hormone diol kinase (JHDK) codes for an enzyme that has 59% sequence identity to Drosophila melanogaster sarcoplasmic calcium-binding protein-2 (dSCP2). JHDK and dSCP2 are similar to G-proteins with three conserved sequence elements involved in purine nucleotide binding. Both proteins contain two pairs of EF-hand motifs. Characterization and partial purification of the D. melanogaster homolog of M. sexta JHDK from adultD. melanogaster gave material with JHDK activity. This activity has an experimental pI and molecular mass that are nearly identical to those of dSCP2. Moreover, D. melanogasterphosphotransferase activity has very similar chromatographic retention in three systems compared with M. sexta JHDK. Substrate docking to three-dimensional models of JHDK has shown that the three conserved nucleotide-binding elements surround the putative substrate-binding site and align with conserved sequence elements of p21Ras and adenylate kinase. D. melanogaster dSCP2 is a homolog of M. sexta JHDK, and these proteins constitute a novel kinase family that binds nucleotides using the scaffold of an SCP (Protein Data Bank code2SCP).
Segmentation and detection of fluorescent 3D spots.

The 3D spatial organization of genes and other genetic elements within the nucleus is important for regulating gene expression. Understanding how this spatial organization is established and maintained throughout the life of a cell is key to elucidating the many layers of gene regulation. Quantitative methods for studying nuclear organization will lead to insights into the molecular mechanisms that maintain gene organization as well as serve as diagnostic tools for pathologies caused by loss of nuclear structure. However, biologists currently lack automated and high throughput methods for quantitative and qualitative global analysis of 3D gene organization. In this study, we use confocal microscopy and fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) as a cytogenetic technique to detect and localize the presence of specific DNA sequences in 3D. FISH uses probes that bind to specific targeted locations on the chromosomes, appearing as fluorescent spots in 3D images obtained using fluorescence microscopy. In this article, we propose an automated algorithm for segmentation and detection of 3D FISH spots. The algorithm is divided into two stages: spot segmentation and spot detection. Spot segmentation consists of 3D anisotropic smoothing to reduce the effect of noise, top-hat filtering, and intensity thresholding, followed by 3D region-growing. Spot detection uses a Bayesian classifier with spot features such as volume, average intensity, texture, and contrast to detect and classify the segmented spots aseither true or false spots. Quantitative assessment of the proposed algorithm demonstrates improved segmentation and detection accuracy compared to other techniques. © 2012 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry
Objective Assessment of the Information Content of Visible and Infrared Radiance Measurements for Cloud Microphysical Property Retrievals over the Global Oceans. Part I: Liquid Clouds

The importance of accurately representing the role of clouds in climate change studies has become increasingly apparent in recent years, leading to a substantial increase in the number of satellite sensors and associated algorithms that are devoted to measuring the global distribution of cloud properties. The physics governing the radiative transfer through clouds is well understood, but the impact of uncertainties in algorithm assumptions and the true information content of the measurements in the inverse retrieval problem are generally not as clear, making it difficult to determine the best product to adopt for any particular application. This paper applies information theory to objectively analyze the problem of liquid cloud retrievals from an observing system modeled after the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument currently operating on the Aqua and Terra platforms. It is found that four diagnostics—the retrieval error covariance, the information content, the number of degrees of freedom for signal, and the effective rank of the problem—provide a rigorous test of an observing system. Based on these diagnostics, the combination of the 0.64- and 1.64-m channels during the daytime and the 3.75- and 11.0-m channels at night provides the most information for retrieving the properties of the wide variety of liquid clouds modeled. With an eye toward developing a coherent representation of the global distribution of cloud microphysical and radiative properties, these four channels may be integrated into a suitable multichannel inversion methodology such as the optimal estimation or Bayesian techniques to provide a common framework for cloud retrievals under varying conditions. The expected resolution of the observing system for such liquid cloud microphysical property retrievals over a wide variety of liquid cloud is also explored.
Molecular mechanisms of immunosuppression and anti-inflammatory activities by glucocorticoids.

Olucocorticoids (OCs) are physiologic inhibitors of inflammation and have been used for decades as immunosuppressive agents (1, 2). Despite their wide therapeutic efficacy in the treatment of a variety of inflammatory diseases, such as asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and other autoimmune disease (3,4), the molecular mechanisms that underlie the therapeutic affects of OCs were for many years poorly understood. On entering the cell, OCs bind to a cytoplasmic glucocorticoid receptor (OCR), a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily. The hormone-receptor complex then translocates to the nucleus, where it binds to cis-acting DNA sequences, known as hormone response elements (HREs), and modulates transcription of specific target genes (reviewed in reference 5). Binding of the liganded OCR to DNA usually results in activation of transcription through positive HREs (pHREs), but binding to less common so-called negative HREs (nHREs) can result in repression of transcription. In recent years, however, it was found that OCR can modulate transcription in a hormone-dependent manner, not through direct binding to HREs, but through interference with the activity of other transcription factors, such as CREB (6, 7), AP-l (reviewed in reference 5), and NF-KB (8-13), whose activity is regulated in response to extracellular signals received by cell surface receptors. These newly discovered activities of the OCR are extremely important because they provide cross-talk between OCs on one hand and polypeptide hormones and cytokines on the other hand. This form of cross-coupling is likely to be essential for maintenance of cellular homeostasis and provides fine tuning to a variety of physiologic processes, such as differentiation, cell proliferation, and inflammatory and immune responses. Some of the genes that are subject to this crosscoupling include metalloproteinases, such as stromelysin and collagenase, and many cytokines, such as interleukin-2 (lL-2). The repression of such genes by OCs is likely to underlie the antiarthritic and immunosuppressive effects of these hormones (8, 9). The expression of metalloproteinases is the cause for tissue destruction in rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune disorders (3), while the expression of cytokines and their receptors (some of which are also the target of cross-coupling, e.g., IL-2 receptors) are essential for initiation and maintenance of immune and inflammatory responses. Deregulated expression of such genes, many of which are activated by transcription factors AP-l (14) and NF-KB (15), occurs during acute inflammation or various immune disorders, and OC provides a very effective means to curtail their expression and thus prevent disease progression. The purpose of the review is to describe the molecular mechanisms that may account for the potent repressiveeffects of OCs on genes that are activated by transcription factors AP-I and NF-KB.
A Generic Research Paradigm for Identification and Validation of Early Molecular Diagnostics and New Therapeutics in Common Disorders

Genetically complex disorders continue to confound investigators because of their many underlying factors, both genetic and environmental. In order to tease apart the heritable from the non-heritable contributions to disease, clinicians are relying on researchers in the rapidly expanding fields of high-throughput genomics to identify surrogate clinical endpoints, called biomarkers, that provide a measure of the probability that an individual will succumb to the disease in question. The goals of current biomedical research into complex disorders are to identify and utilize these biomarkers, not only for early detection, but also for personalized treatment with knowledge-guided therapeutics. As the identification of these biomarkers is basically a problem of discovery, we discuss new insights into biomarker detection utilizing the most current genomic technologies available. Additionally, we present here a generic paradigm for the validation of such molecular diagnostics as well as new treatment modalities for complex and increasingly common diseases. Lastly, we delve into the ways genomic biomarkers might be implemented in a clinical setting to allow the subsequent application of targeted therapeutics, which can help the ever expanding groups of individuals experiencing these insidious diseases.
Financial impact of in-house attending surgeon: a prospective study.

Background: Current work hour restrictions have required some programs to have staff surgeons cover in-house call. Other programs have considered in-house staff coverage at night for the billable tasks performed during these hours. However, there have been no data published describing the load or value of work that an in-house team performs at night. Therefore, we prospectively recorded tasks performed in a pediatric surgery training center after staff had left for the night. Methods: Between April 2005 and March 2006, all services rendered from 6:00 PM to 6:00 AM that would require staff presence were prospectively recorded by a pediatric surgical fellow on-call. Tasks performed while staff was in the hospital were excluded. Time of service was recorded and assigned to an hour of the night. Billing codes were identified for each task, and relative value units were assigned. The collectable amount for services was calculated using 2006 Medicare reimbursement. Data were analyzed in functional blocks (6:00-10:00 PM, 10:00 PM-4:00 AM, and 4:00-6:00 AM). Results: Data from 111 call nights were collected over the year. Attending staff was in-house 10 of those nights. Of the remaining 101 nights, peak hour of activity was from 12:00 AM to 1:00 AM (35 nights). In the 10:00 PM to 4:00 AM time block, service was rendered 80 nights considering all activity, 68 nights if trauma/burns were excluded, and 45 nights excluding trauma/burns and nonoperative admissions. The sum collectable for all overnight services for the year was $25,855. Conclusion: The in-house resident team performs tasks through the middle of the night on most nights. However, billable revenue generated by these tasks is very small compared with revenue generated from the normal operative schedule. © 2008 Published by Elsevier Inc.
Longitudinal research on beginning teacher development: Complexity as a challenge to concerns-based stage theory

Abstract Stage theory represents a concise explanation for change in teacher professional development with gained experience in the classroom. This study examines the self-task-impact stage chronology proposed by concerns-based theory within the framework of longitudinal research on beginning teaching. The study investigated developmental change in a panel ( N = 79 ) of beginning teachers across two years utilizing the Teacher Concerns Checklist, a concerns inventory, at six application points. Analysis of variance with Scheffe post hoc tests was utilized to rank categories of concerns and to test whether teacher and school contextual variables would affect these rankings. The results confirm findings of similar longitudinal studies, indicating teachers’ concerns for impact consistently rank highest across time. Additionally, the ranking of concerns categories was not affected by the contextual variables. Two aspects of impact , one academic in orientation and the second consisting of personal and individual concerns for students, emerged as distinct dimensions across time. The author proposes a reconsideration of concerns-based theory for its limited ability to comprehensively explain the complex nature of teacher development. Rather than chronological, concerns are recurring and indicate the need to scaffold linkages between student learning, learning theory, and instructional practices early in teaching careers in lieu of singularly focused managerial aspects of teaching.
COHERENSi: A new full-reference IQA index using error spectrum chaos

We introduce a new family of quality indices that are based on the reported findings that biological visual systems exhibit interference in spatial harmonic distortion, and that local phase distortion is more perceived than global phase distortion. This paper specifically addresses a full-reference version of the proposed indices. The proposed quality index has three components: harmonic chaos analysis, phase chaos analysis, and pooling. The first two parts produce two maps that are weighted and summed to produce a single map. Then, we use the mean of the logarithmically scaled combined map as the quality index. We further propose a multi-scale variation of the index. Experimental evaluations were conducted on more than 1,300 images from the TID2 013 image database. We specifically test the quality index on three distortion categories: Simple, Actual, and Noise. Then, we cross-validate the results with the LIVE database. The results show that the proposed index outperforms all known indices based on correlation with subjective evaluation.
Studies of the Thermodynamic Properties of Hydrogen Gas in Bulk Water

The thermodynamic properties of hydrogen gas in liquid water are investigated using Monte Carlo molecular simulation and the quasichemical theory of liquids. The free energy of hydrogen hydration obtained by Monte Carlo simulations agrees well with the experimental result, indicating that the classical force fields used in this work provide an adequate description of intermolecular interactions in the aqueous hydrogen system. Two estimates of the hydration free energy for hydrogen made within the framework of the quasichemical theory also agree reasonably well with experiment provided local anharmonic motions and distant interactions with explicit solvent are treated. Both quasichemical estimates indicate that the hydration free energy results from a balance between chemical association and molecular packing. Additionally, the results suggest that the molecular packing term is almost equally driven by unfavorable enthalpic and entropic components.
Registration and set compression of images using wavelet modulus maxima on massively parallel machines

Compression is based on the removal of redundancy inherent in most images. Most of the work in the area of image compression has been directed at removing the redundancy within the same image. However, if we examine similar images from MRI scans, or CT scans, or aerial images, from surveillance photos; there is often similarity between these images. Removing this inter-image redundancy is the focus of 'set compression' techniques. However, when similar images are registered their compression ratios are much higher, using set compression techniques. In order to register images we consider the Wavelet Modulus Maxima to determine the important control points which provide shift invariant structures. Using these structures and control points form different images in a similar set of images, we register the images using the homologous set of points. By suing the difference image we are able to exploit the inter-image redundancy. The difference image can be further compressed by any other available compression technique to further increase the compression ratio. Since we are dealing with sets of images, these applications are well suited for using parallel architectures. For example in similar sets of medical images, there is a great potential to exploit the inherent parallelism is the process, by working on several images simultaneously. We make use of several nodes on each image as well as process several images in parallel. This paper discusses the issues related to the parallel implementation of our image registration and compression algorithm. This paper also discussed the results and details the gains obtained in parallel implementation using several nodes.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Characterization of autoimmune thyroiditis in MRL-lpr/lpr mice

MRL-lpr/lpr mice are genetically predisposed to develop a systemic lupus erythematosus-like syndrome that is clinically very similar to the human disease. The results presented here demonstrate, for the first time to our knowledge, that MRL-lpr/lpr mice also develop thyroiditis as part of their systemic autoimmune disorder. The thyroid gland was infiltrated by immunocomponent cells with defined lymphoid follicular centers and extensive interstitial lymphocytes dispersed throughout the thyroid epithelium. All the diseased mice were hypothyroid with reduced, relative levels of thyroid hormone (free T4) and elevated levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). They also had high concentrations of circulating IgG class autoantibodies directed against thyroglobulin, thyroperoxidase and double-stranded DNA. The MRL-+/+ age-matched allelic counterpart mice had relatively few lymphocytes in their thyroid tissue, and normal levels of thyroxine and TSH. The non-diseased mice also had undetectable levels of thyroid ...
Practice and age-related loss of adaptability in sensorimotor performance.

The purpose of the present investigation was to examine whether the ability to adapt to task constraints is influenced by short-term practice in older adults. Young (18–29 years old) and old (65–75 years old) adults produced force output to a constant force target and a 1-Hz sinusoidal force target by way of the index finger flexion. Participants completed each task 5 times per session for 5 concurrent sessions. The amount and structure of force variability was calculated using linear and nonlinear analyses. As expected, there was a decrease in the magnitude of variability (coefficient of variation) in both tasks and task-related change in the structure of force variability (approximate entropy) with training across groups. The authors found older adults to have a greater amount of variability than their younger counterparts in both tasks. Older adults also demonstrated an increase in the structure of force output in the constant task but a decrease in structure in the sinusoidal task. Age differences in the adaptability to task constraints persisted throughout practice. The authors propose that older adults' ability to adapt sensorimotor output to task demands is not a result of lack of familiarity with the task but that it is, instead, characteristic of the aging process.
The effect of chlorofluoromethanes on graphite oxidation

Abstract The effect of dichlorodifluoromethane, CCl 2 F 2 and chlorotrifluoromethane, CClF 3 , on the air oxidation of nuclear graphite was studied by the continuous measurement of weight loss. One-half volume per cent CCl 2 F 2 in air reduced the rate of oxidation of CSF and TSGBF nuclear graphites to about one-third the rate in air, whereas CClF 3 had negligible effect. The slight effect of CClF 3 is presumed to be related to its greater stability in a surface pyrolysis reaction. The adsorption of chlorine in the pyrolysis reaction can reduce the active sites available for oxidation. Surface pitting was suppressed during inhibited oxidation and greater BET area was developed than during air oxidation. It is proposed that some impurities react with CCl 2 F 2 to become more effective oxidation catalysts. These impurities, especially vanadium, were present in significant amounts in EGCR graphite. Its oxidation behavior, as a result, showed a lower activation energy and higher rates as the impurities reacted with the halomethanes, unless or until the particular impurities were removed as volatile halides.
Phosphatidylserine exposure during apoptosis reflects bidirectional trafficking between plasma membrane and cytoplasm

Phosphatidylserine (PS) exposure on the external leaflet of the plasma membrane is widely observed during apoptosis and forms the basis for the annexin V binding assay to detect apoptotic cell death. Current efforts to explain PS exposure focus on two potential mechanisms, activation of a phospholipid scramblase or calcium-mediated trafficking of lysosomes to the cell surface. Here, we provide evidence that apoptotic PS exposure instead reflects bidirectional trafficking of membrane between the cell surface and cytoplasm. Using a series of cell lines, some of which expose large amounts of PS during apoptosis and some of which do not, we demonstrate that accumulation of plasma membrane-derived cytoplasmic vesicles in a dynamin-, clathrin- and Cdc42-independent manner is a previously undescribed but widely occurring feature of apoptosis. The apoptotic exposure of PS occurs when these vesicles traffic back to cell surface in a calcium-dependent process that is deficient in a substantial fraction of human cancer cell lines. These observations provide a new model for PS externalization during apoptosis and simultaneously identify an altered step that accounts for the paucity of apoptotic PS exposure in many cell lines.
Generating groups of nilpotent varieties

If is a variety of groups which are nilpotent of class c then is generated by its free group of rank c. It is proved that under certain general conditions cannot be generated by its free group of rank c - 2, and that under certain other conditions is generated by its free group of rank c - 1. It follows from these results that if is the variety of all groups which are nilpotent of class c, then the least value of k such that the free group of of rank k generates is c - 1. This extends known results of L.G. Kovacs, M.F. Newman, P.P. Pentony (1969) and F. Levin (1970).
An unusual case of laryngomalacia presenting as asthma refractory to therapy.

Background Laryngomalacia is the most common cause of stridor in infants, but few reports exist of clinically relevant laryngomalacia in adults. Objective To present and discuss an unusual late presentation of laryngomalacia and its significance in the evaluation and management of asthma. Methods An 18-year-old woman presented to an academic medical center with symptoms of "wheezing" on inspiration and exertion, with relatively normal spirometric findings. She was clinically diagnosed as having asthma at the age of 13 years, but her symptoms were poorly controlled by maximal medical therapy. Further evaluation with rhinolaryngoscopy demonstrated laryngomalacia characterized by redundant soft tissue overlying the right arytenoid cartilage and aryepiglottic fold. Results The patient demonstrated positive bronchoprovocation, with a 33% decrease in forced expiratory volume in 1 second after the administration of histamine, 1 mg/mL. However, with the otolaryngology evaluation, it was determined that her laryngeal findings were clinically significant. She subsequently underwent operative laryngoscopy with carbon dioxide laser excision of the laryngeal abnormality, resulting in improvement in her symptoms and a marked decrease in her need for asthma medication. Conclusions We report an unusual case of laryngomalacia presenting as asthma that was successfully treated with laser surgical excision. This case emphasizes the necessity of differentiating classic wheezing from stridor and upper airway obstruction.
Logistic analysis of risk factors in acute retinopathy of prematurity.

In a prospective study of 328 high-risk neonates, we used computer-assisted logistic regression of 47 potential risk factors to study acute retinopathy of prematurity. Only four factors were significant in the logistic regression equation: ventilator hours, xanthine administration, birthweight, and maternal bleeding. Xanthine administration was identified as a new independent and significant (P
Increased infectivity of oncogenic herpes viruses of primates with tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate.

AbstractCell cultures of simian and human origin infected with two strains each of herpesvirus saimiri (HVS) and herpesvirus ateles (HVA) were compared for production of infectious virus and early and late antigens (EA, LA) in the presence and absence of the tumor promoting agent 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). Second, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infected human and simian lymphoblastoid cell lines of high and low cell passages were also compared for enhanced production of early antigen and virus capsid antigen (VCA) using two concentrations of TPA, owl monkey kidney (OMK) and squirrel monkey lung. Cell cultures infected with HVS and HVA with 20 ng/ml of TPA exhibited higher percentages of early and late antigen producing cells and contained 1.0-1.6 logs more virus. Such cells also had earlier cytopathic effects, larger plaques, and a 3-fold increase in the number of plaques. The TPA also enhanced HVS-EA, and LA both in OMK and human skin fibroblast (HSF) cells. The enhancement of EA was approxima...
A new Middle Eocene omomyine primate from the Uinta Basin, Utah

Une nouvelle espece de primate fut decouverte dans l'Utah et serait apparentee a un herbivore du fait de la particularite des molaires inferieures
Rapid and sensitive detection of cell-associated HIV-1 in latently infected cell lines and in patient cells using sodium-n-butyrate induction and RT-PCR

To develop a rapid and sensitive means of detecting cell-associated human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), donor cells from HIV seropositive patients were treated with the potent viral activator sodium-n-butyrate (NaB) and subsequently assayed by both in situ RNA hybridization and a reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The sensitivity of RT-PCR was estimated to be equivalent to 1 x 10(-16) grams (0.1 fg) or approximately 64 copies of the input standard viral RNA per reaction. The present study takes advantage of the ability of NaB to introduce changes in chromatin structure of latently infected cells, leading to increased HIV gene expression. Human ACH-2 and U1 cell lines were used as representatives of T-lymphocytic and monocytoid cells harboring latent inducible proviruses. HIV gene expression was readily detected when these cells were treated with NaB. Viral gag RNA was detected by both in situ and RT-PCR assays. When peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients, who were all negative for in situ hybridization and serum/plasma p24 assays, were used for detection of viral gene expression, four categories with distinct patterns of induction were observed. The first set of patients showed HIV-positive PBMCs by RT-PCR without any added NaB, and suppression by added NaB or PHA. The second set of samples showed induction of viral RNA by NaB alone. The third set could be induced with PHA, but not NaB, and the fourth set required both NaB and PHA for induction of HIV gene expression. Our results suggest that direct treatment of the cells with HIV activators may be useful in increasing sensitivity of the RT-PCR intended to be used for detection of cell-associated viral RNAs. This approach may be used to confirm true status of the HIV infection when p24 results are negative or HIV RNAs in serum/plasma are below the threshold of detection. Moreover, this method may identify the presence of latent proviral genomes possibly reflecting the true rate of cell-associated viral load in vivo and without possible mutations brought about by long-term co-cultivation assays with cells from seronegative donors.
Analysis of gender differences in the auditory brainstem response

This study examined the effects of hormones, head size, and oral temperatures on latencies and amplitudes of the auditory brainstem response in 10 young women, 10 young men, and 5 postmenopausal women. Significant gender differences between men's and women's auditory brainstem responses were confirmed. Men showed longer latencies and smaller amplitudes than women. Results showed that oral temperature has little effect on auditory brainstem response latencies and amplitudes. Head size affects waves III, V, and the amplitude of wave V, but is not entirely responsible for the gender latency difference. By examining young women with normal monthly hormonal cycles, significant changes in the absolute latencies of wave V were observed. These changes were correlated with hormonal changes as measured from venous blood samples. It was concluded that the etiology of the gender difference is a combination of hormonal and head-size differences.
Early Regeneration of a Clear-Cut Southern Appalachian Forest

The components of hardwood forest regeneration on a southern Appalachian watershed were assessed during the 1st yr following clear—cutting. First—year net primary production (NPP) on the clear—cut was 1955 kg/ha, representing 22% of the NPP of a nearby undisturbed hardwood forest. First—year nutrient pools in NPP for N, P, K, Mg, and Ca were estimated at 29—44% of those in the NPP of the control. The greatest NPP and nutrient pools were represented in descending order by hardwood sprouts, herbs, vines, and seedlings. Woody successional species (Robinia pseudo—acacia, Liriodendron tulipifera, and Vitis aestivalis var. argentifolia) and herbs (Aster spp., Solidago spp., and Erechtites hieracifolia) were important in revegetation due to competitive advantages in growth rates, growth forms, and propagative capacities. The woody successional species had higher tissue concentrations of N and P than most other woody species. Herbs as a group had significantly higher foliar concentrations of K than woody species. Woody successional and herbaceous species collectively had higher biomass and elemental pools than other woody species. Following forest disturbance, these fast—growing species conserve substantial pools of nutrients in their biomass and initiate a rapid recovery of forest elemental cycling processes.
Androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer: new concepts and concerns

Purpose of review The aim of this review is to summarize new concepts and concerns regarding treatment-related osteoporosis, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease in men receiving androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer. Recent findings Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists increase bone turnover, decrease bone mineral density, and increase fracture risk. Bisphosphonates, selective and estrogen receptor modulators significantly increase bone mineral density during androgen deprivation therapy. Ongoing randomized controlled trials will assess efficacy of denosumab, toremifene, and zoledronic acid to prevent fractures in this setting. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists also increase fat mass, decrease insulin sensitivity, and increase serum lipoproteins. In contrast to the classical metabolic syndrome, however, the phenotype of men during androgen deprivation therapy is characterized by increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and preferential accumulation of subcutaneous fat. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists are associated with greater risk of incident diabetes and cardiovascular disease in men with prostate cancer. Summary Androgen therapy increases risk of fractures, diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease in men with prostate cancer. Current and planned studies will evaluate strategies to prevent these treatment-related adverse effects.