cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Methamphetamine exposure antagonizes N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-mediated neurotoxicity in organotypic hippocampal slice cultures.

Abstract Glutamatergic systems have been increasingly recognized as mediators of methamphetamine's (METH) pharmacological effects though little is known about the means by which METH interacts with glutamate receptors. The present studies examined effects of METH (0.1–100 μM) on [ 3 H]MK-801 binding to membranes prepared from adult rat cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum, as well as the neurotoxicity produced by 24-h exposure to N -methyl- d -aspartate (5–10 μM; NMDA) employing organotypic hippocampal slice cultures of neonatal rat. Co-incubation of [ 3 H]MK-801 with METH (0.1–100 μM) did not reduce dextromethorphan (1 mM)-displaceable ligand binding. Exposure of slice cultures to NMDA for 24-h produced increases in uptake of the non-vital fluorescent marker propidium iodide (PI) of 150–500% above control levels, most notably, in the CA1 region pyramidal cell layer. Co-exposure to METH (> 1.0 μM) with NMDA (5 μM) reduced PI uptake by approximately 50% in each subregion, though the CA1 pyramidal cell layer was markedly more sensitive to the protective effects of METH exposure. In contrast, METH exposure did not reduce PI uptake stimulated by 24-h exposure to 10 μM NMDA. Co-exposure to the NMDA receptor antagonist d -2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid (20 μM) prevented toxicity produced by exposure to 5 or 10 μM NMDA. These findings indicate that the pharmacological effects of short-term METH exposure involve inhibition of NMDA receptor-mediated neuronal signaling, not reflective of direct channel inhibition at an MK-801-sensitive site.
Improved QCD form factor constraints and

We construct model-independent parametrizations of the individual QCD form factors relevant to Γb → Γclν decays. These results follow from dispersion relations and analyticity, and incorporate an improvement in the technique that reduces the number of necessary parameters. To describe most form factors with 5–10% accuracy over the entire kinematic range, three parameters are necessary, one of which is its normalization at zero recoil. We also apply the improvement to meson decays, and find, using the heavy quark form factor normalization, that almost every B → Dlν and B → D∗lν form factor is well described by a single-variable parametrization. B → πlν requires a total of only three to five parameters, depending on the desired accuracy.
Extraction of Fe (III) and In (III) from aqueous HCl by tri-n-octylamine in nitrobenzene☆

Abstract A study has been made of the distribution of Fe (III) and In (III) between aqueous HCl and solutions of tri-n-octylamine (TOA) in nitrobenzene at trace metal concentrations and under metal loading conditions. The equilibrium between tri-n-octylamine and HCl was also investigated. The equilibrium constant for the reaction TOA + (HCl)a = TOACHl was found to be 5·6 × 106 over the amine salt concentration range 1·7 × 10−3−9·5 × 10−2 M; TOAHCl appears to be an essentially undissociated ion pair in nitrobenzene. The metal extraction data have been interpreted in terms of the extraction of the tetrachloro metal anions. The possibility of the addition of one or more amine hydrochlorides to the extracted metal species must also be considered; these “extra hydrochlorides” are not bound directly to the metal but, rather, are the result of electrostatic interactions. The results give not only an interesting example of the effect of organic phase ionization on the distribution ratio, but also emphasize the hazards of drawing conclusions concerning the metal species extracted from equilibrium extraction data.
Microseconds–Nanoseconds All-Optical Switching of Visible-Near Infrared (0.5 µm–1.55 µm) Lasers with Dye-Doped Nematic Liquid Crystals

Laser induced disorder is an efficient and very fast mechanism to induce changes in the birefringence of nematic liquid crystals, which in turn enable many nonlinear optical processes. Using a 90-degrees twist alignment nematic liquid crystal doped with suitable dye to impart the required photonic absorption and order parameter modulation, we have demonstrated ultrafast all-optical shuttle operation for lasers spanning the visible to near-infrared spectral region (532 nm; 488 nm; 750 nm; 1060 nm; 1550 nm). With increasing intensity, the on-time of the switch decreases from microseconds to the nanoseconds regime, in such a manner that the transmitted light energy/intensity is clamped to below the eye- or sensor-safe levels.
Inhibin immunohistochemical staining: A practical approach for the surgical pathologist in the diagnoses of ovarian sex cord-stromal tumors

Through a brief introduction of inhibin history, characteristics of the antibody against inhibin, and normal tissue distribution of alpha-inhibin expression, this comprehensive review focuses on a practical approach to using alpha-inhibin in the differential diagnosis of ovarian sex cord-stromal tumors (SCSTs). Alpha-inhibin has become a most useful immunohistochemical marker of gonadal SCST, regardless if the tumors are primary, recurrent, or metastatic. However, pathologic diagnosis of individual SCST is still based largely on morphologic criteria. Alpha-inhibin immunohistochemical (IHC) staining should be used only when a difficult morphologic diagnosis is encountered. In this perspective, alpha-inhibin and other properly selected markers should be ordered at the same time. This is simply because alpha-inhibin is not specific for SCSTs. Caution should be exercised in the interpretation of alpha-inhibin-positive cells, because a wide variety of primary and metastatic ovarian tumors may contain significant numbers of alpha-inhibin-positive stromal cells. As with other immunohistochemical stains, a panel of stains and comparison with the corresponding hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) slides is necessary, especially when staining patterns and cellular localization are in question. The antibody will not help to differentiate tumors within the category of SCST. The pattern or the intensity of staining in SCSTs does not predict tumor behavior, although there is a tendency of loss of alpha-inhibin expression in poorly differentiated Sertoli or Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors. In cases where metastatic granulosa or Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors are a concern, positive alpha-inhibin staining is diagnostic, but a negative result does not rule out metastatic disease. Calretinin has been recently recognized as a more sensitive, but less specific marker for SCSTs and it may be used to recognize an inhibin-negative SCST. In this review, we have listed nine of the most commonly encountered clinical scenarios where alpha-inhibin and other markers could be used in diagnostic surgical pathology of ovarian tumors.
Cell blotting: techniques for staining and microscopical examination of cells blotted on nitrocellulose paper

Standard cytological and histological staining procedures were successfully applied on nitrocellulose (NC) paper for staining a spectrum of cell types that were blotted on it. The staining procedures included a Papanicolaou method, a hematoxylin and eosin method, and an immunoperoxidase technique. The cell types consisted of various suspension and monolayer cultures as well as cells freshly prepared from tumor and nontumor tissues. Suspended cells were manually blotted on NC paper; they were fixed in one of the fixatives, which included 80% 2-propanol, 10% neutral-buffered formalin, Carnoy's solution, Bouin's fluid, and B-5 fixative; they were then stained by one or more of the above methods. After staining, the NC paper was dehydrated in absolute 2-propanol; made transparent by soaking in xylene; mounted permanently in a mounting medium (Permount) on a glass slide; and then examined under a microscope. The protein-blotting capacity of NC paper (Schleicher & Schuell) was compared with those of the conventional cell blotting media (Millipore and Gelman) which contained cellulose acetate. Bovine serum albumin was dot-blotted on the NC and the cellulose acetate filters, and stained for protein by amido black. As in cytological/histological staining, the amido black-stained filters were dehydrated in absolute 2-propanol, made transparent in xylene, and mounted in Permount. Densitometric tracings indicated that the NC paper bound the highest amount of protein. The feasibility of cytological/histological staining techniques on NC paper combined with its high protein-blotting capacity allowed in situ staining and microscopical characterization of baby hamster kidney cells binding to fibronectin blotted on the NC paper. The possible significance of these techniques in current cell biological research was discussed.
Asynchronously modulated waves in a ring laser cavity

When modulated through the harmonic motion of one mirror, the counterpropagating waves in a ring laser oscillate out of phase. A solution to the wave equation is presented that satisfies both the time-dependent boundary condition and the resonance condition. This theoretical prediction is confirmed experimentally to leading order in terms that are inversely proportional to the speed of light. The method of solution is applicable to arbitrary phase modulation at more than one spatial location in the cavity. Potential uses include the reduction of the locking problem in ring lasers and the testing of higher-order kinematic effects in the theory of relativity.
Market structure implications of instability in the world coffee market

Abstract This paper estimates an econometric model for the world coffee market in order to test the effects of varying market power on the choice of optimal storage and the degree of instability in prices and export revenues. The empirical results show that for those markets where agents have significant market power, there exists a significant trade off between the price and export earnings instability.
Comparing limb-volume measurement techniques: 3D models from an infrared depth sensor versus water displacement

In our previous work, a new method for measuring limb volume based on infrared depth sensors was presented. The system, which can be operated in the comfort of our homes, allows for the early detection of swelling associated with lymphedema - a chronic disease caused by failure in the lymphatic system. Early detection and management can significantly reduce the potential for symptoms and complications; however, many patients fail to seek medical assistance at the first sign of the disease. So, the proposed system can potentially affect the lives of nearly 500,000 people in the U.S. who suffer from lymphedema with over 2.6 million breast cancer survivors and over 230,000 new cases every year1 who are at-risk for developing this disease at some point in their life. In this paper, a series of improvements made to the system is presented. The changes led to the complete automation of the process of 3D imaging the arms. The proposed technique for limb-volume measurement was compared with the water displacement and the perometry. Being an ongoing research, the results presented here are limited to 14 arms of healthy volunteers. In the future, test will include a larger number of limbs of healthy as well as cancer patients.
Comparison of aua symptom index in unselected males and females between fifty-five and seventy-nine years of age

A symptom index for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) was recently developed and validated by the Multidisciplinary Measurements Committee of the American Urologic Association, Inc. (AUA). The AUA symptom index ascertains the severity of seven nonspecific urinary symptoms associated with clinical BPH. The objective of the present study was to determine the influence of aging and gender on the AUA symptom index. Approximately 750 individuals attended a health fair at Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital which included exhibits related to surgical and medical disease processes affecting the aging population. A nurse specialist randomly invited male and female attendees to complete the self-administered AUA symptom index and two additional inquiries related to age and gender. A total of 101 males and 96 females between fifty-five and seventy-nine years of age completed the AUA symptom index. The mean age of the males and females completing the AUA symptom index was 69.3 +/- 0.5 years and 68.2 +/- 0.6 years, respectively (p = 0.14). The mean AUA symptom scores in the male and female groups were 6.7 +/- 0.5 and 7.5 +/- 0.6, respectively. The difference between the mean AUA symptom scores in the male and female groups was not statistically significant (p = 0.35). The differences between AUA symptom scores were also not significantly different between males and females in five consecutive advancing-age groups between fifty-five and seventy-nine years of age. The percentage of males with mild, moderate, and severe symptoms was 64 percent, 32 percent, and 4 percent, respectively. The percentage of females with mild, moderate, and severe symptoms was 61 percent, 35 percent, and 4 percent, respectively. The present study suggests that prostatism-like symptoms are a manifestation of aging, and that the AUA symptom index is not BPH-specific.
Equivalent circuits and efficiencies of fuel cells

Abstract By introducing an equivalent thermal potential fixed in terms of the heat of reaction, a thermodynamic equivalent circuit is determined for a fuel cell which yields the correct current-potential curve of the cell for low current by formal application of Ohm's law. The thermodynamic power balance and the thermodynamic efficiency also are given correctly. A linear electrical equivalent circuit is constructed which represents closely the electrical performance of the cell over a wide range of current (not approaching zero). The effect of polarization processes on the electrical power and efficiency is taken into account through a single constant parameter. Introduction of the equivalent thermal potential into the circuit yields a thermodynamic equivalent circuit whose output computed by formal use of Ohm's law coincides exactly with that given by the electrical equivalent circuit. The correct electrical properties, thermodynamic power balance, and thermodynamic efficiency follow directly from the circuit. A general theorem is formulated, independently of the validity of an equivalent circuit, connecting the thermodynamic and electrical efficiencies of a fuel cell. Confirmatory experimental results based on hydrogen—oxygen cells are presented, which underline the large reduction in available power brought about by polarization processes and entropy changes in a fuel cell.
The relationship of hemispheric preference, as measured by conjugate lateral eye movements, to accuracy of emotional facial expression

This study investigated the relationship between hemispheric preference and communication accuracy of facial affect. Hemispheric preference was determined by rating conjugate lateral eye movements. Forty right-handed females were classified: 10 right-movers (left hemisphere preference), 15 left-movers (right hemisphere preference), and 15 bidirectionals (no hemispheric preference). Subjects were shown emotionally “loaded” slides portraying happiness, fear, and disgust and their videotaped facial expressions were independently rated for accuracy. It was predicted that negative emotions involved right hemisphere activity and negative affect involved left hemisphere activity. As expected, it was found that left-movers were significantly better than right-movers at nonverbally communicating disgust and fear; hemispheric preference was unrelated to expression of happiness. The accuracy scores of the bidirectionals generally fell in between those of the left-movers and those of the right-movers. The results were discussed in reference to the differential lateralization of positive and negative emotions.
Direct retroperitoneal pelvic packing versus pelvic angiography: A comparison of two management protocols for haemodynamically unstable pelvic fractures.

Abstract Objective To evaluate the outcomes of haemodynamically unstable cases of pelvic ring injury treated with a protocol focused on either direct retroperitoneal pelvic packing or early pelvic angiography and embolisation. Methods A retrospective review of a prospectively collected database in an academic level I trauma centre, treating matched haemodynamically unstable cases of pelvic fracture with either pelvic packing (PACK group, n = 20) or early pelvic angiography (ANGIO group, n = 20). Physiological markers of haemorrhage, time to intervention, transfusion requirements, complications and early mortality were recorded. Results The PACK group underwent operative packing at a median of 45 min from admission; the median time to angiography in the ANGIO group was 130 min. The PACK group, but not the ANGIO group, demonstrated a significant decrease in blood transfusions over the next 24 h post intervention. In the ANGIO group, ten people required embolisation and six died, two from acute haemorrhage; in the PACK group, three people required embolisation; four died, none due to uncontrolled haemorrhage. Conclusions Pelvic packing is as effective as pelvic angiography for stabilising haemodynamically unstable casualties with pelvic fractures, decreases need for pelvic embolisation and post-procedure blood transfusions, and may reduce early mortality due to exsanguination from pelvic haemorrhage.
A Convenient Procedure for the Hydrolysis of Hindered Esters

Abstract Although several procedures for the hydrolysis of hindered esters have been developed, most of them suffer from one or more disadvantages, either in lack of convenience or in stringent conditions which affect other functional groups. Among the presently available methods for effecting this conversion are lithium in ammonia, a strong reducing agent1; boron trichloride, a Lewis acid2; and a variety of reagents which bring about alkyl-oxygen cleavage. Among the latter are lithium iodide in a variety of solvents, usually at elevated temperatures, or in the presence of an organic base3; 1,5-diazabicyclo [4, 3, 0] nonene-5, in boiling xylene4, a reaction which failed in this laboratory5; various mercaptides6,7, which in addition to being experimentally offensive, also cleave aryl alkyl ethers.
Nucleotide sequence and strand displacement amplification of the 70K protein gene from mycobacteria.

Abstract We isolated and determined the nucleotide sequence of the 70K gene from nine mycobacteria and from two related non-mycobacteria with the goal of obtaining a region of requisite specificity to serve as a mycobacterial genus-specific probe. Two different primer sets were then designed to amplify the 70K gene using strand displacement amplification. Using one of the primer sets, 10 different mycobacteria were readily detected with sensitivities of 100 molecules DNA, and with only cross-reactivity to two non-mycobacteria. The other set of primers that were tested amplified the same set of mycobacteria, but exhibited no crossreactivity with non-mycobacterial DNAs. By employing one of the primer sets, we were able to successfully amplify with high sensitivity three different target DNA sequences comprised of the 70K mycobacterial genus target an IS 6110 ( M. tuberculosis complex) target, and an internal amplification control using SDA. These results demonstrate the potential of the 70K gene to serve as a mycobacterial genus-specific probe, and demonstrate the first multiplex amplification by SDA of three DNA targets.
Resist system based on the cationic photocrosslinking of poly(4‐hydroxystyrene) and polyfunctional electrophiles

New resist systems based on acid-catalyzed, electrophilic aromatic substitution are described. These new resists show high sensitivity to deep UV and E-beam radiation with values approaching 2 mJ/cm2 and 2 μC/cm2, respectively. The resists are based on a three component system consisting of poly(4-hydroxystyrene), a polyfunctional, low molecular weight, latent electrophile, and a photoactive onium salt used as an acid generator. Irradiation of the resist film produces a latent image of acid dispersed in the matrix. During the postbaking step the photo-generated acid reacts with the latent polyfunctional electrophile and releases a reactive carbocationic intermediate with concomitant liberation of acetic acid. The carbocationic intermediate then reacts with neighboring phenolic moieties in a crosslinking reaction. The substitution reaction liberates a proton, making the process catalytic in nature, thus incorporating the concept of chemical amplification. These highly sensitive materials can be used as nonswelling negative multipurpose resists that function in deep-UV, x-ray or E-beam modes. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Urine and plasma pharmacokinetics of lofexidine after oral delivery in opiate-dependent patients.

Objectives The objective of this study was to investigate lofexidine urine and plasma pharmacokinetics using three different dosing regimens in opioid dependent subjects. To date, there have been no published studies on lofexidine appearance and excretion in urine of opioid dependent subjects. Methods Subjects were stabilized with 100 mg morphine sulphate on days 3-8 of the study. The dosing regimens of lofexidine hydrochloride were .8 mg twice a day (BID), 1.2 mg BID, or .8 mg three times a day (TID) on days 9 through 16 of the study. Plasma and urine samples were collected at appropriate time points. Area under the concentration-time curve (AUC), maximum concentration in plasma (C(max)), time when maximum concentration was reached (T(max)) and fraction excreted unchanged in urine (Fe) were calculated. Results The average half-life obtained from all profiles was 12.1 +/- 6.3 hr. Steady-state (SS) was reached by study day 15. The plasma pharmacokinetic parameters for 1.2 mg BID and .8 mg TID dosing regimens did not seem to be different at steady state (day 15). T(max) was not statistically significantly different across dosing regimens. Fe values ranged between .01% and 34% with high variability within the same dosing regimen. For the total dose of 2.4 mg/day the two dosing regimens that were evaluated, namely 1.2 mg BID and .8 mg TID, did not show a significant statistical difference in plasma and urine pharmacokinetic parameters. Conclusion Although preliminary due to the limited number of subjects, these findings are the first to document lofexidine urine pharmacokinetics in opiate addicts using a highly sensitive liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometric analysis.
LAPAROSCOPIC ASSISTED RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY

AbstractPurpose: We describe the use of laparoscopy to assist in performing complex pediatric reconstructive cases with the goals of improved cosmesis, and limited postoperative morbidity and adhesion formation.Materials and Methods: Eight patients a mean age of 13.4 years underwent 8 laparoscopic assisted reconstructive procedures at our institution from June 1995 to February 1998. The group consisted of 5 patients with spina bifida, 1 with sacral agenesis, 1 with classic bladder exstrophy and 1 with bladder dysfunction secondary to posterior urethral valves. Information was obtained via personal communication and review of the hospital records.Results: Eight successful laparoscopic assisted procedures were performed, including bladder augmentation and an appendiceal Mitrofanoff procedure in 4 cases as well as tapered ileal Mitrofanoff and Malone antegrade continence enema procedures in 1, and bladder augmentation, appendiceal Mitrofanoff and antegrade continence enema procedure, gastrocystoplasty remova...
Social Interactions and College Enrollment: A Combined School Fixed Effects/Instrumental Variables Approach

This paper provides some of the first evidence of peer effects in college enrollment decisions. There are several empirical challenges in assessing the influences of peers in this context, including the endogeneity of high school, shared group-level unobservables, and identifying policy-relevant parameters of social interactions models. This paper addresses these issues by using an instrumental variables/fixed effects approach that compares students in the same school but different grade-levels who are thus exposed to different sets of classmates. In particular, plausibly exogenous variation in peers’ parents’ college expectations are used as an instrument for peers’ college choices. Preferred specifications indicate that increasing a student’s exposure to college-going peers by ten percentage points is predicted to raise the student’s probability of enrolling in college by 4 percentage points. This effect is roughly half the magnitude of growing up in a household with married parents (vs. an unmarried household).
Constrained robust design experiments and optimization with the consideration of uncontrollable factors.

Robust design (RD) is an effective quality improvement methodology in which the goal is to determine the settings of design parameters that minimize the effect of uncontrollable variation on the response of interest, thereby creating a “robust” system. Although a number of approaches to RD have been proposed in the literature, little attention has been given to the use of RD in situations involving the consideration of uncontrollable factors in constrained experiments. As an alternative approach, we propose a new RD model by incorporating the concept of D-optimality to overcome the limitations of standard experimental approaches, while simultaneously considering controllable and uncontrollable factors. Numerical examples are used to demonstrate our proposed approach, and the results determined from our proposed model are compared to that of the traditional RD approach.
The Catch A Graphic Demonstration of the Value of Embolic Protection Devices

Embolic protection devices are now accepted adjuncts in the prevention of coronary embolization during percutaneous intervention of saphenous vein grafts. Efficacy has been demonstrated in clinical trials, which have shown a reduction in slow flow and myocardial necrosis.1 Approved devices rely on either balloon occlusion of the vessel, with thrombus extraction (eg, PercuSurge …
Synthesis of Methyl 2‐Acetamido‐4,6‐di‐O‐acetyl‐3‐S‐acetyl‐2‐deoxy‐3‐thio‐α‐D‐mannopyranoside

Methyl-2-acetamido-4,6-di-O-acetyl-3-S-acetyl-2-deoxy-3-thio-α-D-mannopy-ranoside has been synthesized by conversion of methyl 2-amino-2-deoxy-4,6-O-benzylidene-α-D-altropyranoside into the corresponding 3-O-methanesulfony1-2-N-[(methylthio)thiocarbonyl]derivative followed by intramolecular displacement of the 3-O-methanesulfonyloxy group with the (methylthio)thiocarbamoyl group.
An Investigation into Motivations of Instructors Teaching Business and Technical Internet-Based Courses at Two-Year Colleges

This research was conducted to determine why two-year community college instructors teach over the Internet. By understanding why these instructors teach over the Internet, colleges can recruit more instructors to teach using the Web thus allowing colleges to offer more Internet courses. They can also use the information to keep the instructors who are currently teaching over the Internet satisfied, and motivate them to continue to teach. To gather this information, a questionnaire was created and evaluated for reliability and validity during a pilot study. It was then sent to those instructors who taught over the Internet, and had their e-mails available on their campus Website. A 30.5% response rate (N=100) was achieved. The survey was divided into two sections, a demographics section and a Likert scale dealing with motivation. The Likert scale had six choices ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree and 31 statements. The demographic data were reported and summarized. The Likert items were examined using factor analysis techniques, and a number of components were discovered. Eight components, made up of the 31 variables from the Likert scale were found using the factor analysis. The eight components in order are labeled: Technical and Computer Challenges, School Promotion, Student Preferences, Personal Benefits, Receiving Computerized Assistance, Growth and Knowledge, Textbook Company Assistance, and Pay.
Colour-blindness in Colombia.

SummaryThe frequency of defective colour vision was studied in two neighbouring villages in the Andes Mountains of Colombia using AO H-R-R Pseudoisochromatic plates. The frequency of red-green colour-blindness in males is almost the same in both villages (2·36–2·53%), being similar to frequencies reported for other ‘mestizo’ populations in Latin America. In one of the communities, families in which colour-blindness occurred were wealthier (P < 0·05) than non-colour-blind families, but there were no significant differences by colour vision class in numbers of surviving children nor mother's marriage age. These findings are consistent with the idea that in societies at the agricultural level, colour-blindness is selectively neutral. The association of colour-blindness with higher socio-economic status is expected given the history of European conquest in the New World, and suggests that the major cause of varying rates of the defect in Latin American populations is socio-economic heterogeneity and by infere...
Clustering Synaptically-Coupled Neuronal Populations under Systematic Variations in Temporal Dependence

Identifying clusters of neurons that exhibit functional interdependency in a recorded population has recently emerged as a direct result of the ability to simultaneously record multiple single unit activity with high- density microelectrode arrays. We demonstrated in a previous study that a graph theoretic approach can identify functional interdependency over multiple time scales between models of neuronal firing in response to a common input or synaptically- coupled in a multi-cluster population. In this paper, we investigate the performance of the technique in the case of neuronal interaction arising at various latencies and interval lengths. We report the capability of the approach to track these variable degrees of interactions. This feature can be very useful in decoding variable motor cortical response patterns during sensorimotor integration in Brain Machine Interface applications.
Assessing the Library's Grants Program

Abstract Objective – The authors analyzed seven years of sponsored research projects at the University of Illinois Library at Urbana–Champaign with the aim of understanding the research trends and themes over that period. The analysis was aimed at identifying areas of future research potential and corresponding support opportunities. Goals included developing institutional research themes that intersect with funding priorities, demystifying grant writing and project management through professional development programs, increasing communication about grant successes; and bringing new faculty and academic staff into these processes. The review and analysis has proven valuable for the Library’s institutional practices, and this assessment may also inform other institutions’ initiatives with grant-writing. Methods – The authors performed a combination of quantitative and qualitative analyses of the University Library’s grant activities that enabled us to accomplish several goals: 1) establish a baseline of data on funded grants; 2) identify motivations for pursuing grants and the obstacles that library professionals face in the process; 3) establish a stronger support structure based on feedback gathered, and through collaborations with other groups that support the research process; and 4) identify strategic research themes that leverage local strengths and address institutional priorities. Conclusions – Analysis of Library data on externally funded grants from the University’s Proposal Data System provided insight into the trends, themes, and outliers. Informal interviews were carried out with investigators to identify areas where the Library could more effectively support those who were pursuing and administering grants in support of research. The assessment revealed the need for the Library to support grant efforts as an integral component of the research process
The Shale Gas Extraction Process and Its Impacts on Water Resources

The emerging trend of shale gas extraction poses some new challenges to existing regulatory regimes worldwide, with most of the applicable regulatory regimes not explicitly covering unconventional gas resources. Particularly regarding water resources, there are some serious negative impacts and a lack of regulation concerning shale gas extraction. This article analyzes and compares some of the existing legal regimes in the United States and the European Union on water resources, and their abilities to cope with the impacts of shale gas extraction.
A light-weight, temporary file system for large-scale Web servers

Several recent studies have pointed out that file I/Os can be a major performance bottleneck for some large Web servers. Large I/O buffer caches often do not work effectively for large servers. This paper presents a novel, lightweight, temporary file system called TFS that can effectively improve I/O performance for large servers. TFS is a more cost-effective scheme compared to the full caching policy for large servers. It is a user-level application that manages files on a raw disk or raw disk partition and works in conjunction with a file system as an I/O accelerator. Since the entire system works in the user space, it is easy and inexpensive to implement and maintain. It also has good portability. TFS uses a novel disk storage subsystem called cluster-structured storage system (CSS) to manage files. CSS uses only large disk reads and writes and does no have garbage collection problems. Comprehensive trace-driven simulation experiments show that, TFS achieves up to 160% better system throughput and reduces up to 77% I/O latency per URL operation than that in a traditional Unix fast file system in large Web servers.
Activation and targeting of immunoglobulin switch recombination by activities induced by EBV infection

EBV is strongly associated with Burkitt’s lymphoma, a B cell malignancy. In certain types of Burkitt’s lymphoma, the c- myc gene has undergone translocation to the S regions associated with heavy chain switch recombination. It has not been established whether EBV infection induces recombination activities, which in turn promote translocation of c- myc, or whether translocation precedes viral infection and provides a growth advantage that is further enhanced by factors encoded or induced by the virus. To distinguish between these possibilities, we have compared the level of switch recombination activities in the EBV-negative lymphoma, BJAB, and in its EBV-infected derivative, BJAB-B1, in experiments that assayed recombination of an extrachromosomal switch substrate during transient transfection. We have found that BJAB-B1 and other EBV-positive B cell lines supported high levels of recombination of switch substrates, to produce junctions like those found in products of chromosomal switch recombination. In contrast, BJAB did not support comparable levels of switch substrate recombination. In EBV-positive B cell lines, the ability to support switch substrate recombination correlated with levels of LR1, a B cell-specific factor which is a transcriptional regulator of c- myc and which also appears to function in switch recombination. Our observations support the hypothesis that EBV infection can induce activities that affect switch recombination and thus contribute to the translocations of c- myc to the S regions that characterize certain classes of lymphomas.
Fault-tolerant parallel algorithms

Fault-tolerant software approaches require the users to writer N versions of the algorithm which should be as different as possible to avoid correlated errors (where all or most versions fail with the same input value). The degree of difference is known as the diversity level of the versions. A new way to improve diversity is proposed. It consists of taking advantage of the higher degree of freedom provided by parallel implementations of an algorithm. Many paradigms for parallel algorithms have been developed, including divide-and-conquer, pipelined/systolic, graph function, and compute-aggregate-broadcast. By writing an algorithm using different parallel paradigms its diversity level can be increased. Software metrics can be used to quantify this level of difference. >
Sequencing the cap-snatching repertoire of H1N1 influenza provides insight into the mechanism of viral transcription initiation

The influenza polymerase cleaves host RNAs ∼10-13 nucleotides downstream of their 5' ends and uses this capped fragment to prime viral mRNA synthesis. To better understand this process of cap snatching, we used high-throughput sequencing to determine the 5' ends of A/WSN/33 (H1N1) influenza mRNAs. The sequences provided clear evidence for nascent-chain realignment during transcription initiation and revealed a strong influence of the viral template on the frequency of realignment. After accounting for the extra nucleotides inserted through realignment, analysis of the capped fragments indicated that the different viral mRNAs were each prepended with a common set of sequences and that the polymerase often cleaved host RNAs after a purine and often primed transcription on a single base pair to either the terminal or penultimate residue of the viral template. We also developed a bioinformatic approach to identify the targeted host transcripts despite limited information content within snatched fragments and found that small nuclear RNAs and small nucleolar RNAs contributed the most abundant capped leaders. These results provide insight into the mechanism of viral transcription initiation and reveal the diversity of the cap-snatched repertoire, showing that noncoding transcripts as well as mRNAs are used to make influenza mRNAs.
Evidence for long-range transport of a low to medium molecular-weight petroleum product off Central California, USA

Suspended particles collected within southern Santa Maria Basin (CA, USA) during November 1991 contained unusually elevated concentrations of parent and alkylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and patterns in straight chain alkanes and saturated biomarkers (terpanes and steranes) indicative of contamination by a distilled petroleum product from a California-sourced oil. Because no active offshore oil and gas drilling was occurring at the time, and there was no record of diesel spills or evidence from previous samplings of discharges of diesel fuel-contaminated drilling muds, petroleum hydrocarbons in the suspended sediments likely were related to a source other than platform discharges. The timing as well as the hydrocarbon composition suggested the presence of a petroleum product (diluent) that was released from an oil field at Guadalupe, approximately 50 km north of Santa Maria Basin. To evaluate diluent contributions, the hydrocarbon composition of suspended sediments were characterized and compared to those of possible source materials, including diluent, formation oils, and well cuttings, using principal component analysis (PCA). Suites of saturated and aromatic hydrocarbons, enriched in the C{sub 13} to C{sub 23} range, contained in some suspended sediments were consistent with relative abundances of low to medium molecular weight components in diluent but were differentmore » from those in formation and seep oils. Results of the PCA support the compositional similarities between the diluent and affected suspended sediments. This suggests that a petroleum product was transported as an oil-particle mixture over long distances with relatively minimal degradation. Wide dispersion of diluent increased potential exposures of marine organisms to toxic lower molecular weight PAHs.« less
Learning annotated hierarchies from relational data

The objects in many real-world domains can be organized into hierarchies, where each internal node picks out a category of objects. Given a collection of features and relations defined over a set of objects, an annotated hierarchy includes a specification of the categories that are most useful for describing each individual feature and relation. We define a generative model for annotated hierarchies and the features and relations that they describe, and develop a Markov chain Monte Carlo scheme for learning annotated hierarchies. We show that our model discovers interpretable structure in several real-world data sets.
Varying coefficient model for gene–environment interaction

Motivation: The genetic basis of complex traits often involves the function of multiple genetic factors, their interactions and the interaction between the genetic and environmental factors. Gene–environment (G×E) interaction is considered pivotal in determining trait variations and susceptibility of many genetic disorders such as neurodegenerative diseases or mental disorders. Regression-based methods assuming a linear relationship between a disease response and the genetic and environmental factors as well as their interaction is the commonly used approach in detecting G×E interaction. The linearity assumption, however, could be easily violated due to non-linear genetic penetrance which induces non-linear G×E interaction. Results: In this work, we propose to relax the linear G×E assumption and allow for non-linear G×E interaction under a varying coefficient model framework. We propose to estimate the varying coefficients with regression spline technique. The model allows one to assess the non-linear penetrance of a genetic variant under different environmental stimuli, therefore help us to gain novel insights into the etiology of a complex disease. Several statistical tests are proposed for a complete dissection of G×E interaction. A wild bootstrap method is adopted to assess the statistical significance. Both simulation and real data analysis demonstrate the power and utility of the proposed method. Our method provides a powerful and testable framework for assessing non-linear G×E interaction. Contact: [email protected] Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Wage and Nonwage Discrimination in Professional Basketball: Do Fans Affect It?

Abstract. Recent research suggests there is substantial wage discrimination against blacks in professional basketball, and that fans are the source of this discrimination. The use of multiple regression analysis does indicate a salary shortfall for black players of fourteen to sixteen percent compared with salaries of white players with comparable on-court performance. To see whether this shortfall is likely to be due to fan discrimination as the relatively scarce white talent is bid into cities with many white fans, the racial composition of teams is related to the proportion of black residents among the populations of franchise cities. There is statistically significant evidence of geographical sorting by race. Evidence of racial bias is less obvious in contexts where a team's performance would be jeopardized, however. Thus, no evidence is found that fan attendance moves inversely with the percentage of playing time accorded black players, and only weak evidence is found that black players have to be better than white players to enter the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Brain metastases in hepatoblastoma

Brain metastases from hepatoblastomas are rare. We report a 2-year-old male who developed multiple hemorrhagic intracranial metastases. Previous reports indicate that brain metastases are an almost uniformly fatal complication of hepatoblastoma, although one long-term survivor has been described. In a child with known hepatoblastoma, the development of neurologic signs or symptoms should lead to the performance of a brain imaging study to exclude the possibility of intracranial extension of the disease.
Search Algorithms for Discovery of Web Services

Web services are designed to standardize interactions between heterogeneous applications using Internet technologies. Within the framework of Internet search technologies, web services provide structured channels to access search engines and web-accessible databases. Our work involves research in methods to discover web service description language (WSDL) documents, which provide interface formats, expected data-types, supported protocols and precise service endpoints. This project extends current discovery research through use of the Google web service, UDDI category searching, and private registry querying with preliminary experiments resulting in a very high percentage of success. The goal is to find WSDL documents for a given domain name, parse the desired service document to obtain invocation formats, and automatically invoke the web service. Contributions of this research will support enhancements of HTML-dependent search tools by providing access to data inaccessible through surface HTML interfaces.
Methodological Issues in Assessing the Effects of Maltreatment Characteristics on Behavioral Adjustment in Maltreated Children

This paper explored methodological issues in examining the impact of maltreatment characteristics on behavioral adjustment in a sample of maltreated school-age children. Different approaches to assessing the effects of maltreatment type were used to determine whether maltreatment characteristics differed by type of maltreatment and whether relationships between maltreatment characteristics and child behavioral functioning differed according to type of maltreatment. Results revealed several differences among the three types of maltreatment subgroups (physical abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse) on characteristics of maltreatment experiences. Correlations between maltreatment characteristics and outcome measures for the sample as a whole obscured findings that relationships were often specific to particular types of maltreatment. Developing generic definitions for maltreatment characteristics applicable to all forms of maltreatment is difficult because of differences in meaning across maltreatment types. Findings suggest that the role of maltreatment characteristics in children's behavioral functioning should be examined separately for each form of maltreatment.
Writing with a Felicitous Tool

(1990). Writing with a felicitous tool. Theory Into Practice: Vol. 29, Microcomputers in Context, pp. 235-245.
Morphogenesis of the turtle shell: the development of a novel structure in tetrapod evolution

Abstract The turtle shell is an evolutionary novelty that is synapomorphic for chelonians. The carapace is initiated by the entrapment of the ribs by the carapacial ridge (CR), a lateral bulge of the dorsal ectoderm and dermal mesoderm. The mechanisms by which the CR is initiated, the ribs entrapped and the dorsal dermis ossified, remains unknown. Similarly, the formation of the plastron remains unexplained. Here, we present a series of anatomical investigations into plastron and carapace formation in the red-eared slider, Trachemys scripta, and the snapping turtle, Chelydra serpentina. We document the entrapment of the ribs by the CR and the formation of the plastron and carapacial bones by intramembranous ossification. We note the formation of the ossification centers around each rib, which suggest that the rib is organizing dermal ossification by secreting paracrine factors. The nuchal ossification center is complex and appears to involve multiple bone-forming regions. Individual ossification centers at the periphery of the carapace form the peripheral and pygial bones. The intramembranous ossification of the plastron proceeds from nine distinct ossification centers, and there appear to be interactions between the spicules of apposing centers as they draw near each other.