cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Structure and function of the zona pellucida: identification and characterization of the proteins of the mouse oocyte's zona pellucida.

Abstract The zona pellucida is an acellular coat which surrounds the plasma membrane of fully grown mammalian oocytes and which performs a variety of important functions during oogenesis, fertilization, and preimplantation development. In this investigation the proteins of the mouse oocyte's zona pellucida have been identified and characterized by using zonae pellucidae isolated individually from fully grown oocytes with mouth-operated micropipets. Various morphological and biochemical criteria were employed to assess the purity of the isolated zonae pellucidae and, in most cases, they were found to be virtually free of contamination by other oocyte proteins. It was determined that each zona pellucida contains 4.8 ng of protein, which represents 80% or more of the dry weight of the zona pellucida and about 17% of the oocyte's total protein. Electrophoretic analyses of as few as five isolated zonae pellucidae treated with diazotized [ 125 I]iodosulfanilic acid revealed the presence of only three radiolabeled proteins, designated ZP1, ZP2, and ZP3. The same three proteins were identified by Coomassie blue staining when large numbers of isolated zonae pellucidae (approximately 750) were subjected to SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. These three proteins migrate as broad bands on SDS-polyacrylamide gels, consistent with their being glycoproteins, with apparent molecular weights of 200,000 (ZP1), 120,000 (ZP2), and 83,000 (ZP3). The same proteins were radiolabeled when intact oocytes were treated with diazotized [ 125 I]iodosulfanilic acid, a reagent which does not penetrate the oocyte's plasma membrane, or when isolated zonae pellucidae were treated with 3 H-labeled 1-dimethylaminonaphthalene-5-sulfonyl chloride. Results of amino acid analysis and high-resolution two-dimensional electrophoresis of the individual proteins suggest that each protein represents a unique polypeptide chain. The proteins ZP1, ZP2, and ZP3 represent about 36, 47, and 17%, respectively, of the total protein of the zona pellucida. In the presence of reducing agents which cause dissolution of the zona pellucida, ZP1 is converted into a species which migrates with an apparent molecular weight of 130,000, suggesting that it exists as an oligomer, stabilized by disulfide bonds, in the unreduced state. The results of these experiments are discussed in terms of the properties of the zona pellucida before and after fertilization and are compared with results obtained using vitelline envelopes of eggs from nonmammalian animal species.
THE EFFECTS OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ON STRATEGIC DECISION MAKING

Information technology (IT) may be defined as computer-based technology for the storage, accessing, processing and communication of information. Many writers have suggested that the use of IT should improve strategic decisions and have developed a number of propositions about the effects of IT on strategic decision making. However, no study has yet addressed the specific effects of IT on major phases of this process. Using Mintzberg, Raisinghani and Theoret's (1976, ‘The structure of unstructured decision processes’, Administrative Science Quarterly, 21, 2, 246–75) strategic decision-making model, this study assessed the effects of IT on the major phases of the process through an intensive examination of eight decisions in four companies. the results of the study provide new information on the specific ways IT improves decision-making efficiency and effectiveness at each stage of the strategic decision process.
CT-based myocardial perfusion imaging-practical considerations: acquisition, image analysis, interpretation, and challenges

Methods for non-invasive, cardiac risk assessment have historically relied on exercise stress testing with or without echocardiography or radionuclide imaging and pharmacological stress testing when appropriate. More recently, CT-based modalities like CT angiography (CTA) have been shown to reliably differentiate low from high-risk coronary disease. The advent of newer CT technology now allows for CT-based myocardial perfusion imaging (CTP) that provides functional information, that when analyzed with anatomic data from CTA, can provide a comprehensive risk assessment strategy. In this review, we discuss the research and implementation; as well as the quantitative, semiquantitative, and qualitative methods of image analysis of CT-based perfusion. We also discuss the present state of technology and challenges associated with the methodology. In each section, when appropriate, we provide some information regarding the translation of these methods being utilized in the international, multicenter CORE320 study that is evaluating the combined CT-based imaging (CTA and CTP) strategy of risk assessment in comparison to the combined reference standard of radionuclide myocardial perfusion imaging and invasive angiography.
Frequency of Six Early Childhood Education Approaches: A 10-Year Content Analysis of Early Childhood Education Journal

The frequency of early childhood education approaches spanning 10 years of publications was investigated. A content analysis of publications (N = 492) from Early Childhood Education Journal was conducted. From a previous content analysis six approaches or search words were identified: Bank Street, Head Start, High/Scope, Montessori, Reggio Emilia, and Waldorf. Overall, the current content analysis demonstrated that the Head Start approach most frequently appeared. The results indicate that approaches vary as to their frequency of appearance and that contributors of Early Childhood Education Journal have investigated, reflected upon, and expanded upon approaches to educating young children to different degrees. This finding may be beneficial to future contributors of Early Childhood Education Journal. In addition, we have provided a brief overview of each approach that early childhood professionals may use to aid parents with their early childhood education enrollment decisions.
Abstract A41: SOX11 transcriptionally regulates a cytokine-based gene signature in lung cancer-associated fibroblasts (LCAF) to promote tumor growth

Increasing evidence points to an important role for the tumor microenvironment in cancer progression. However, the role of tumor stroma in the pathogenesis of lung cancer is poorly understood. Desmoplasia is a common pathologic feature of many NSCLC. We noted a similar phenotype in a mouse model of lung cancer driven by expression of oncogenic Kras. Lung cancer-associated fibroblasts (LCAFs) and normal lung fibroblasts (NLFs) from the mouse model of Kras-driven lung cancer were isolated and queried at the functional level using a xenograft model. First, we observed that LCAFs promote tumor growth more favorably than NLFs in vivo when co-injected with mouse tumor cells. Moreover, NLFs passaged in vivo acquire features of LCAFs as indicated by an increased tumor-promoting capacity on mouse and human NSCLC xenografts. In addition, conditioned media from LCAFs stimulated cell proliferation in vitro more significantly than that of NLFs. Expression profiling of NLFs and LCAFs using microarrays uncovered a gene set that includes multiple secreted proteins and genes related to inflammatory processes. Moreover, the SRY-related HMG transcription factor Sox11 was highly up-regulated in LCAFs compared to NLFs. Over-expression and knock-down experiments have confirmed that Sox11 regulates the expression of many of the secreted proteins expressed in LCAFs. The relevance of these findings for human NSCLC is suggested by the observation that the mouse LCAF gene expression signature was predictive of survival in a large cohort of human NSCLC. Besides, Sox11 and several of the secreted proteins expressed in LCAFs, along with their putative receptors, were up-regulated in human NSCLC samples. In conclusion, we have identified a potentially novel regulator of the transition between NLFs and LCAFs and, thus, uncovered a new signaling hub that could be used for therapeutic intervention.
Locally adaptive detection algorithm for forward-looking ground-penetrating radar

This paper proposes an effective anomaly detection algorithm for a forward-looking ground-penetrating radar (FLGPR). One challenge for threat detection using FLGPR is its high dynamic range in response to different kinds of targets and clutter objects. The application of a fixed threshold for detection often yields a large number of false alarms. We propose a locally-adaptive detection method that adjusts the detection criteria automatically and dynamically across different spatial regions, which improves the detection of weak scattering targets. The paper also examines a spectrum-based classifier. This classifier rejects false alarms (FAs) by classifying each alarm location based on its spatial frequency-spectrum. Experimental results for the improved detection techniques are demonstrated by field data measurements from a US Army test site.
Matrix elements of a many-boson Hamiltonian in a representation of correlated basis functions

The set of basis functions $$\Psi = \psi \prod\limits_i {\rho _{k_i } } $$ in which Ψ is a real correlation factor and ρk is the Fourier component of the density operator, is useful in describing the ground and low excited states of a many-boson system such as liquid4He. We consider the problem of computing the matrix elements of the Hamiltonian in this representation. A closed expression is obtained for the general matrix element, and examples which involve the phonon splitting and coalescing states are given.
Media Preferences of Older and Younger Adults

This study updates and extends research on television viewing and magazine reading of older adults and compares it with media preferences of college students. Older adults (n = 74; mean age = 72.08) reported higher levels of television viewing than college students (n = 149; mean age = 19.87). Viewing preferences of both groups were more similar than expected. Although more men than women reported watching television for information, most respondents cited entertainment as the primary motive for television viewing. All but older females showed a stronger preference for male characters. Magazine readership was strongly differentiated by gender and age.
Self-movers and unmoved movers in Aristotle's Physics VII

Rejetant la these de R. Wardy selon laquelle la conception du mouvement developpee par Aristote au livre VII de la «Physique» doit etre comprise a la lumiere de la conception du moteur immobile developpee au livre VIII, l'A. defend la these contraire de D. W. Ross et etudie la situation textuelle et conceptuelle du livre VII dans le developpement de la pensee d'Aristote
Hot zone formation during carbon monoxide oxidation in a radial flow reactor

Abstract A high-temperature zone formed during the atmospheric oxidation of carbon monoxide on the external surface of a radial-flow reactor, which was a hollow cylinder of reticulated alumina ( 32 mm o.d, 25 mm i.d, and 102 mm high) impregnated with Pd. The reactor was placed horizontally inside a vessel with a sapphire window and a set of gold-plated mirrors enabled continuous monitoring of the entire cylindrical reactor surface temperature by an infrared camera. The high-temperature regions formed close to the extinction of the uniformly ignited state and was separated by a sharp temperature front from the surrounding cold region. The temperature difference between the cold and hot regions was up to 150°C for a feed containing 6 vol% carbon monoxide and 70 vol% O 2 . The size of the hot zone, which was of the order of a few cm, decreased upon cooling of the vessel. The slow motion of the temperature fronts (breathing) caused complex oscillations in the size of the hot zone and the overall reaction rate.
Anesthesia for cardioversion

Abstract A method of anesthesia, essentially amnesia, for patients undergoing cardioversion has been presented. A review of the administration of anesthesia in 150 cases has indicated the safety of the method and the absence of complications in this group of patients presenting with cardiac arrhythmias.
Micromechanical modeling of shock-induced chemical reactions in heterogeneous multi-material powder mixtures

Abstract Shock waves create a unique environment of high pressure, temperature, strain rate, and gradients thereof. Chemical reactions that occur in this regime can lead to the synthesis of new materials that are not possible under conventional conditions. Shock-induced chemical reactions (also known as shock synthesis) is difficult to study experimentally due to the small time and space scales over which it occurs. To aid in our understanding, numerical simulations of shock-induced chemical reactions (SICR) are performed on the mesoscopic level. The model reaction, Nb +2 Si ⇌ NbSi 2 , is chosen for this research because it has been studied extensively. Comparisons of the calculated results with the available experimental data are presented to validate the modeling process, and additional calculations are used to determine the reaction threshold.
The histophysiology of antibody-forming sites in the marine toad

The normal histologioal features of the lymphatic organs — pericardial nodes, jugular bodies, spleen, and kidney — of the marine toad, Bufo marinus, are decribed. The lymph nodes and spleen of the marine toad lack the compartmental organization of corresponding mammalian organs and contain relatively less internal connective tissue. The cellular stroma composed of reticulum cells and fixed macrophages plays a more important role in maintaining structural organization than do the connective tissue. Changes in the cellular composition of the lymphatic parenchyma were observed in animals immunized with bovine serum albumin suspended in Freund's complete adjuvant. In addition to an increase in the number of lymphocytes and the presence of lymphoid hemocytoblasts, cells occurred which possessed many of the morphological characteristics of mammalian plasma cells. These plasma cells, which exhibited positive fluorescent antibody reaction, were more abundant in the kidney than in the lymph nodes or spleen of an immunized animal. Granulomas developed at the site (gastrocnemius muscle) of injection of antigen in complete adjuvant, and similar cystic lesions arose in the kidney. Apparently, the antigen-adjuvant mixture found its way from the site of injection (gastrocnemius muscle) into the kidney, probably via the renal portal system, and established lesions in the kidney. Appreciable numbers of antibody-forming cells, or plasma cells, were found in the muscle granulomas and in the kidney lesions. The lymphoid tissue of the kidney is considered the principal site of antibody formation in the marine toad, Bufo marinus.
Cooperative localization of marine vehicles using nonlinear state estimation

This paper investigates the problem of cooperative navigation of autonomous marine vehicles using range-only acoustic measurements. We consider the use of a single maneuvering autonomous surface vehicle (ASV) to aid the navigation of one or more submerged autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), using acoustic range measurements combined with position measurements for the ASV when data packets are transmitted. The AUV combines the data from the surface vehicle with its proprioceptive sensor measurements to compute its trajectory. In previous work, we presented an experimental demonstration of this approach, using an extended Kalman filter (EKF) for state estimation. In the present paper, we analyze the observability properties of the cooperative ASV/AUV localization problem and present experimental results comparing several different state estimators. Using the weak observability theorem for nonlinear systems, we demonstrate that this cooperative localization problem is best attacked using nonlinear least squares (NLS) optimization. We present experimental results for this new approach and compare it to alternative state estimators, demonstrating superior performance.
Tachyon: A constraint-based temporal reasoning model and its implementation

We provide an overview of Tachyon, an implementation of a constraint-based model for representing and reasoning about qualitative and quantitative aspects of time. Tachyon's data model provides substantial expressiveness, fast computation over convex intervals, and will serve as a testbed for topology-driven techniques for handling calculations over non-convex intervals. Our implementation of this model features a graphical interface using X-Windows and InterViews. We are currently exploring the use of Tachyon in a number of areas, including scheduling, project planning, feasibility analysis, and spatio-temporal data management.
Incremental analysis of diagnostic peritoneal lavage fluid in adult abdominal trauma

It is uncertain how much diagnostic peritoneal lavage (DPL) fluid must be recovered from abdominal trauma patients to avoid falsely low red blood cell (RBC) counts. A study was carried out to investigate this controversy. A convenience sample of adult abdominal trauma patients in a Level 1 university trauma center who were undergoing DPL with 1 L crystalloid was enrolled. Subjects with grossly positive or colorless effluent were excluded. A blinded prospective experimental design was used. Differences were evaluated among RBC counts collected at 200, 400, 600, and 800 mL of returned fluid using repeated-measures analysis of variance. In 11 patients, mean RBC counts collected at 200 and 400 mL were 24,600 (95% confidence interval [CI], 20,700 to 29,100) and 39,700 (95% CI, 33,200 to 47,100) cells/microL. These were substantially lower than the final mean count of 95,800 (95% CI, 80,000 to 115,800), measured at 800 mL (F = 23.7, P 600 mL of effluent to avoid misleading, low RBC counts and misclassification of patients.
The role of the sutures in biomechanical dynamic simulation of a macaque cranial finite element model: Implications for the evolution of craniofacial form

The global biomechanical impact of cranial sutures on the face and cranium during dynamic conditions is not well understood. It is hypothesized that sutures act as energy absorbers protecting skulls subjected to dynamic loads. This hypothesis predicts that sutures have a significant impact on global patterns of strain and cranial structural stiffness when analyzed using dynamic simulations; and that this global impact is influenced by suture material properties. In a finite element model developed from a juvenile Rhesus macaque cranium, five different sets of suture material properties for the zygomaticotemporal sutures were tested. The static and dynamic analyses produced similar results in terms of strain patterns and reaction forces, indicating that the zygomaticotemporal sutures have limited impact on global skull mechanics regardless of loading design. Contrary to the functional hypothesis tested here, the zygomaticotemporal sutures did not absorb significant amounts of energy during dynamic simulations regardless of loading speed. It is alternatively hypothesized that sutures are mechanically significant only insofar as they are weak points on the cranium that must be shielded from unduly high stresses so as not to disrupt vitally important growth processes. Thus, sutural and overall cranial form in some vertebrates may be optimized to minimize or otherwise modulate sutural stress and strain.
Treatment of exercise incontinence with a vaginal pessary: A preliminary study

Nine incontinent volunteers completed a preliminary study evaluating the use of a Hodge vaginal pessary with support in the treatment of incontinence during physical exercise. Urine loss was measured by weight changes in pads worn during exercise sessions, done both with and without pessaries. Satisfaction with this treatment modality was assessed by questionnaire. The average urine loss of the group during the exercise session without the pessary was 43 g, and with the pessary 16 g. Eight of the 9 women found the pessary comfortable and easy to use.
Bacterial tracheitis as a complication of tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy

We describe two patients in whom bacterial tracheitis developed shortly after elective tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy. Bacterial tracheitis has not previously been reported in this clinical setting. Prompt recognition is essential if a fatal outcome is to be avoided. The cause remains uncertain, but the outcome is good if timely treatment is instituted.
A Compact Low-Pressure Drop Desiccant Bed for Solar Air Conditioning Applications—2: Bench Scale Tests

Bench scale tests of a laminar flow silica gel packing element are reported. The packing is based on a coated sheet concept with a single layer of 0.25 mm silica gel particles lining narrow passages of width 1.46-3.75 mm. Adsorption and desorption tests were performed for fixed inlet conditions and a uniform initial bed condition. Measured outlet air moisture contents and air temperatures were compared with theoretical predictions and reasonable agreement obtained. The major discrepancies appear to be system related, such as excessive air bypass and inaccurate accounting for heat loss from the sides of the unit.
Percutaneous Pinning for Surgical Neck Fracture: Method of Choice—Affirms

Percutaneous pinning for proximal humerus fractures is an excellent treatment method in appropriate selected patients. Indications include low energy injuries, valgus impacted proximal humerus fractures, fractures with good bone stock, no medial calcar comminution, and minimal tuberosity comminution. Contraindications include high energy injuries, fractures with comminution at the medial calcar and tuberosities, osteopenia, and unreliable patients. Advantages over open reduction and internal fixation include shorter operating room time, less soft tissue stripping around the fracture, smaller incision and less scarring. While there is a steep learning curve, percutaneous pinning has distinct advantages in selected cases, making it a useful part of the armamentarium for treatment of proximal humerus fractures.
Complications of the Weil Osteotomy

Introduction. The Weil osteotomy is commonly used for multiple forefoot pathologies yielding metatarsalgia. Despite its common use, the Weil osteotomy is associated with a high complication rate. Methods. A literature review was undertaken with predetermined criteria. To maximize the articles for review, prospective and retrospective studies were considered as well as multiple indications. Seventeen articles qualified for analysis, and study format, patient demographics, surgical indication, and complication rates were documented. The data obtained were totaled and evaluated for trends. Results. Details of 1131 Weil osteotomies are reported. The most commonly reported complication of the Weil osteotomy was floating toe, reported in 233 cases, with an overall occurrence of 36%. Recurrence was reported in 15% of the cases. Transfer metatarsalgia was reported in 7% of the cases, whereas delayed union, non-union, and malunion were collectively reported in 3% of the cases. Discussion. There is no consensus regarding utilization of the Weil osteotomy with prophylactic surgery, plantar plate repair, and adjunctive interphalangeal arthrodesis. These variables may alter complication rates and provide new avenues for research.
Effects of darkness and of desmethylimipramine on pineal gland concentrations of adenosine 3', 5'-monophosphate

Abstract The concentration ol cyclic AMP in the pineal glands of rats exposed to constant light for 7 days and then placed in darkness for up to 3 hr was no different from that measured in the pineal glands of rats kept in constant light. However, if the norepinephrine re-uptake inhibitor desmethyli-mipramine (DMI) was injected into rats 1 hr before placing them in the dark, then exposure to darkness caused a rapid, sustained increase in pineal gland concentrations of cyclic AMP. While bilateral adrenal demedullation did not prevent the increase in pineal cyclic AMP in rats treated with DMI and exposed to darkness, bilateral superior cervical ganglionectomy abolished completely the darkness-induced rise in cyclic AMP in DMI-trcated rats. Furthermore, prior treatment of rats with the β-adrenergic antagonist ( ± )-propranolol prevented the darkness-induced increase in cyclic AMP in rats treated with the inhibitor of norepinephrine re-uptake. It appears that increases in sympathetic activity to the pineal gland, induced by darkness, can raise the concentration of cyclic AMP in the gland but only when nore-pinephrine re-uptake is prevented.
Finite representation of Banach spaces-smoothness

We discuss the finite representability of a Banach space E in another Banach space F, assuming that F satisfies certain smoothness conditions. We apply these results to develop a classification of superreflexive spaces into isomorphic classes, called k-superreflexive spaces (k = 1, 2,…, ∞); and we derive a strong converse to Dvoretsky's near-sphericity theorem. Further, our main theorem complements an important recent result of Krivine.
Nurse-driven, protocol-directed weaning from mechanical ventilation improves clinical outcomes and is well accepted by intensive care unit physicians

Abstract Purpose Ventilator weaning protocols can improve clinical outcomes, but their impact may vary depending on intensive care unit (ICU) structure, staffing, and acceptability by ICU physicians. This study was undertaken to examine their relationship. Design/Methods We prospectively examined outcomes of 102 mechanically ventilated patients for more than 24 hours and weaned using nurse-driven protocol-directed approach (nurse-driven group) in an intensivist-led ICU with low respiratory therapist staffing and compared them with a historic control of 100 patients who received conventional physician-driven weaning (physician-driven group). We administered a survey to assess ICU physicians' attitude. Results Median durations of mechanical ventilation (MV) in the nurse-driven and physician-driven groups were 2 and 4 days, respectively ( P = .001). Median durations of ICU length of stay (LOS) in the nurse-driven and physician-driven groups were 5 and 7 days, respectively ( P = .01). Time of extubation was 2 hours and 13 minutes earlier in the nurse-driven group ( P Conclusions A protocol for liberation from MV driven by ICU nurses decreased the duration of MV and ICU LOS in mechanically ventilated patients for more than 24 hours without adverse effects and was well accepted by ICU physicians.
A note on perfect double error-correcting codes on q symbols

The existence of perfect double error-correcting codes on q symbols (q ≧ 2) is discussed. (i) References are given for q = 2, 3, 5. (ii) It is shown that there are no perfect double error-correcting codes for q = 4, 6. (iii) Some remarks are made concerning arbitrary q.
First principle energy bands and optical properties of insulating crystals

A first principle study of the energy bands of insulating crystals is presented. In contrast to most investigations which use local approximations to the nonlocal Hartree-Fock exchange potential, we treat the nonlocality of such potential in a consistent fashion. It is shown, in fact, that the nonlocality is quite strong. New results are given for LiBr, LiCl, NaCl, NaBr, Ar, Kr, and KCl. Such results are combined with previously published ones in order to achieve a more complete picture. It is seen that the Hartree-Fock approximation gives results which do not compare well with the experimental data. Correlation effects are shown to be important and are treated using the random phase approximation (RPA) for the self-energy operator. This treatment gives results which agree well with the experimental data of most alkali-halide and rare gas crystals.
The Local Balances of Vorticity and Heat for Blocking Anticyclones in a Spectral General Circulation Model

Abstract Blocking anticyclones that appear in perpetual January simulations of a spectral general circulation model are examined. Blocks in three geographical regions are studied: the North Pacific, the North Atlantic and western North America. Local time-averaged balances of vorticity and heat are evaluated for composite cases of blocking. The following common relationships emerged from these budgets. The time-mean divergence term is, in general, a flat-order term in the vorticity balance throughout the troposphere and its pattern over severe orography is closely related to the underlying topography. Above the surface layer, the horizontal advection of time-mean absolute vorticity by the mean wind mainly balances the divergence term with the net effect of the time-mean vorticity forcing being a tendency for the blocking pattern to propagate downstream. The transient eddy vorticity transports act to shift the block upstream and hence they mainly offset the downstream tendency due to the time-mean flow; th...
The effect of the Q base modification on the usage of tRNAHis in globin synthesis

Abstract The incorporation of histidine by two competing histidine isoaccepting tRNA species into rabbit globin in a rabbit reticulocyte lysate was studied. The results show that incorporation by each isoacceptor is in proportion to its abundance, indicating that neither species is used preferentially. In a previous study ( McNamara and Smith (1978) J. Biol. Chem. 253 , 5964–5970 ) we showed that neither tRNAHis species responds preferentially to either of the histidine codons and that there is no preferential incorporation by either species into any histidine-containing site in either globin subunit. The Q base modification is found in one tRNAHis isoacceptor while the other is hypomodified in this this characteristic. The results indicate that none of the aspects of tRNA function in translation that have been examined is affected by Q base.
Engineering Ethics: Peace, Justice, and the Earth, Second Edition

A response of the engineering profession to the challenges of security, poverty and underdevelopment, environmental sustainability, and native cultures is described. Ethical codes, which govern the behavior of engineers, are examined from a historical perspective linking the prevailing codes to models of the natural world. A new ethical code based on a recently introduced model of Nature as an integral community is provided and discussed. Applications of the new code are described using a case study approach. With the ethical code based on an integral community in place, new design algorithms are developed and also explored using case studies. Implications of the proposed changes in ethics and design on engineering education are considered. Table of Contents: Preface / Acknowledgments / Introduction / Engineering Ethics / Models of the Earth / Engineering in a Morally Deep World / Engineering Design in a Morally Deep World / Implications for Engineering Education / Final Thoughts / Re erences / Author's Biography
The first nerve graft, Vulpian, and the nineteenth century neural regeneration controversy

We present translations from the French of 1863 and 1870 papers in which Philipeaux and Vulpian reported performing first nerve allografts and then nerve autografts in dogs. With the latter, they had some evidence of success in two of seven animals. It is our belief, based on an extensive search of the literature, that this was the first nerve grafting performed.
Water Bears & Pillbugs: Two Invertebrate Models that Offer Authentic Opportunities to Explore Research Methods in Biology

Biological research entails myriad techniques and considerations for proper experimental design and data collection. The duality of field-based research techniques and laboratory protocols makes introducing this topic to high school and undergraduate college students a challenge. Two invertebrate models that serve as wonderful tools to support an inquiry process to balance techniques in the field and in the laboratory are terrestrial isopods and water bears. Both are easy to collect and rear, are relatively little-known species, and offer the chance for students to work directly with aspects of natural history, ecology, and biology. The 10-step process presented here offers an outline to follow in guiding students through a research cycle in the course of a semester (16 weeks).
QCD Fokker-Planck equations with color diffusion.

Fokker-Planck equations are derived for QCD Wigner distributions taking into account quantum color dynamics. These equations show that the anomalously large color diffusion coefficient in a high {ital T} quark-gluon plasma leads to strong damping of collective color modes.
Inadequate follow-up of abnormal screening mammograms: findings from the race differences in screening mammography process study (United States)*

Objective Despite relatively high mammography screening rates, there are reports of inadequate follow-up of abnormal results. Our objective was to identify factors associated with inadequate follow-up, and specifically, to determine if this outcome differed by race/ethnicity.
Augmentations of glucose uptake and glucose transporter‐1 in macrophages following thermal injury and sepsis in mice

Glucose is the primary metabolic substrate of macrophages, which are critical components of the host response to injury and infection. We have carried out a series of studies to examine macrophage glucose uptake and the status of glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) at both the mRNA and protein level. Peritoneal macrophages that were obtained from mice undergoing sham burned (S), 15%TBSA burn (B) +/- Pseudomonas aeruginosa burn infection (B + I) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) administration. [3H]deoxyglucose uptake was significantly increased (B, 157 +/- 9%; B + I, 243 +/- 19%; S + LPS, 231 +/- 24%; S + TNF-alpha, 379 +/- 18%; B + LPS, 230 +/- 13%; and B + TNF, 305 +/- 23%, P< 0.01 vs. sham). GLUT1 mRNA and protein levels were increased as well (mRNA: B, 135 +/- 13%; B + I, 250 +/- 33%; S + LPS, 282 +/- 29%; S + TNF-alpha, 193 +/- 19%; B + LPS, 378 +/- 20%; and B + TNF-alpha, 204 +/- 16%; protein: B, 159 +/- 27%; B + I, 181 +/- 17%; S + LPS, 219 +/- 26%; S + TNF-alpha, 343 +/- 51%; B + LPS, 366 +/- 41%; and B + TNF-alpha, 415 +/- 44, P< 0.01 vs. sham). Macrophages co-cultured with LPS or TNF-alpha in vitro demonstrated a similar response pattern. Following burn injury and infection, macrophages augment their cellular glucose uptake, which is facilitated by an increased GLUT1 mRNA and protein levels. TNF-alpha elicited by LPS may mediate this enhanced carbohydrate metabolism at the point of glucose entry into the cell.
The Incidence of Symptomatic Intracranial Hemorrhage in Term Appropriate-for-gestation-age Infants

Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage in term infants is rare. In over 23,000 deliveries the authors were only able to find 12 diagnosed cases for an incidence of 5.9/10,000 livebirths (greater than or equal to 2,500 g and greater than or equal to 37 weeks' gestation). No consistent clinical patterns were identified. However, the obstetrical risk factors were a precipitate delivery, a second stage of more than 2 hours, the use of pitocin, and a forceps delivery. The number of cases of asymptomatic ICH was unknown because routine surveillance was not done. Furthermore, some infants may have become symptomatic following discharge, which may have resulted in an undercounting of the incidence of ICH. Most infants, however, became symptomatic by the second day.
Negative staining and image classification — powerful tools in modern electron microscopy

Vitrification is the state-of-the-art specimen preparation technique for molecular electron microscopy (EM) and therefore negative staining may appear to be an outdated approach. In this paper we illustrate the specific advantages of negative staining, ensuring that this technique will remain an important tool for the study of biological macromolecules. Due to the higher image contrast, much smaller molecules can be visualized by negative staining. Also, while molecules prepared by vitrification usually adopt random orientations in the amorphous ice layer, negative staining tends to induce preferred orientations of the molecules on the carbon support film. Combining negative staining with image classification techniques makes it possible to work with very heterogeneous molecule populations, which are difficult or even impossible to analyze using vitrified specimens.
Dual-frequency IVUS transducer for acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging

Coronary atherosclerotic disease is the major cause of mortality in the United States. Elasticity imaging techniques such as acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging using intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) transducers can be used to characterize coronary plaque. Conventional IVUS transducers with frequencies of 20 MHz – 60 MHz are not optimized for high-voltage, long-duration pulses required for ARFI imaging. In this work, a dual-frequency IVUS transducer, consisting of a 6.5 MHz “pushing” element and a 26 MHz “tracking” element, was designed and fabricated for ARFI application. In ARFI testing with a 160 V, 1000-cycle burst excitation, a displacement of 12.3 µm was detected in a phantom with a Young's modulus of 10 kPa at an axial depth of 3.5 mm. The result of this study suggests great potential of this dual-frequency IVUS transducer for intravascular ARFI imaging.
Scaling of the photon noise in semiconductor cascade lasers

Semiconductor cascade lasers have larger photon noise than conventional semiconductor lasers as a result of positive correlations in photon emission in different gain stages which are connected electrically in series. The photon noise of a cascade laser can be related to the photon noise of a single-stage laser with a scaled external circuit impedance. This scaling relation for the photon noise holds for bipolar as well as unipolar cascade lasers.
Intracellular movement of fodrin.

Fodrin is an actin/calmodulin-binding protein with similarities to spectrin (erythrocytes) and TW 260/240 (brush border). It is concentrated beneath the plasma membranes of neurons and other cells. We have observed translocations of fodrin in both neurons and lymphocytes. Newly synthesized, radiolabeled fodrin moves down axons at a maximum velocity (about 50 mm/day) that is slower than the most rapidly axonally transported proteins (group I). A portion of fodrin appears to move more slowly at velocities (1–10 mm/day) resembling those of actin and myosin (group IV) and tubulin and neurofilament proteins (group V). In lymphocytes, when certain surface antigens are induced by cross-linking agents to migrate to one pole of the cell and form a cap, fodrin redistributes beneath the membrane and forms a subcap. The movements of fodrin in lympohocyte capping and in the axonal transport of group IV polypeptides have certain similarities. In both cases, the redistribution of fodrin is accompanied by concomitant redistributions of actin, myosin, and calmodulin, and both processes proceed at similar velocities. We consider the possibilities that these two processes are related, both being driven by a submembrane force-generating system comprising in part actin, myosin, and fodrin, and that fodrin serves to link various organelles or proteins to this system.
Plasticity of the cortical dentition representation after tooth extraction in naked mole-rats.

Naked mole-rats (Heterocephalus glaber) have a large cortical representation of their behaviorally important front teeth, accounting for 30% of primary somatosensory cortex (SI). Here we investigated the plasticity of this dental representation after the extraction of a single lower tooth. The representation of the contralateral lower incisor normally accounts for 15% of somatosensory cortex in mole-rats. In five mole-rats the lower right incisor was extracted on either postnatal day 7 or 21. After 5– 8 months the deprived tooth zone in S1 was investigated with multiunit microelectrode recordings. The results revealed a dramatic reorganization of the orofacial representation in SI. Neurons in the cortical lower tooth representation were responsive to tactile inputs from surrounding orofacial structures, including the contralateral upper incisor, ipsilateral lower incisor, tongue, chin, gums, and buccal pad. Neurons in the former lower tooth zone had complex receptive fields that often encompassed multiple sensory surfaces surrounding the extracted tooth in the periphery. These results suggest that the representation of the dentition in mammals is capable of significant reorganization after the loss of sensory inputs from the teeth. These data parallel findings in the somatosensory hand area of primates after deafferentation where cortex can become activated by a mixture of widely spaced surrounding sensory surfaces (e.g., chin and upper arm). J. Comp. Neurol. 485:64 –74, 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. Indexing terms: somatosensory; teeth; dental; neocortex; phantom
The effects of military body armour on the lower back and knee mechanics during box drop and prone to standing tasks

Modern day body armour (BA) has been successful at increasing survivability from previously lethal explosives; however, it has been suggested to reduce warfighter's performance and increase risk of injury. Joint biomechanics have a foremost impact on performance and risk of injury. The immediate and prolonged effects of wearing BA on biomechanics of the lower back and knee during box drop (BD) and prone to standing tasks were investigated. The immediate effects of BA on both tasks were an increase of ≥4% (p ≤ 0.02) in temporal task durations and a decrease of ~1.66 N/kg (p = 0.03) in normalised peak ground reaction force for the BD test. The prolonged duration of walking with BA (i.e. 45 min) was not found to cause more changes in our measures than walking without BA. Quantitative data related to the effects of BA are important for risk assessment and mission design such to reduce the risk of injury without compromising performance. Practitioner Summary: The effects of wearing military body armour (BA) on biomechanics of the lower back and knee were investigated. Though wearing BA was found to affect some biomechanical measures related to performance, the prolonged effects of exposure on our measures were the same whether or not the participants wore BA.
Perceptual learning and aging: improved performance for low-contrast motion discrimination.

Previous research has shown age related differences in discriminating motion at different levels of contrast (Betts, Sekuler, & Bennett, 2009; 2012; Betts, Taylor, Sekuler & Bennett, 2005). A surprising result of this research is that older as compared to younger observers showed improved performance in detecting motion of large high contrast stimuli suggesting age-related differences in center-surround antagonism. In the present study we examined whether perceptual learning methods could be used to improve motion discrimination performance for older individuals under high- and low-contrast conditions. The stimuli were centrally presented Gaussian filtered sine-wave gratings (Gabors) that were either 5 or 0.7 degree diameter with contrast of 0.92, 0.22, or 0.028. Older and younger participants received 3 days of training. The task was to identify if the motion direction was leftward or rightward. Duration thresholds for motion discrimination were derived using two randomly interleaved staircases and compared between pre-/post- test sessions. Both older and younger subjects showed lower duration thresholds as a result of training. The improved performance, for older subjects, due to training was observed for all size and contrast conditions, with training with small low-contrast stimuli resulting in a 23% improvement in motion discrimination performance. Older observers, as compared to younger observers, did show evidence of decreased spatial suppression across all contrast levels. These results suggest that perceptual learning techniques are effective for improving motion discrimination performance, especially for conditions that are difficult for older individuals.
BanyanNet-a bidirectional equivalent of ShuffleNet

A multihop, wavelength division multiplex (WDM) based network, BanyanNet, is proposed for the realization of terabit lightwave networks, BanyanNet can he considered as a the bidirectional equivalent of the popular ShuffleNet. Exploiting its representation, we developed a fast, decentralized, bidirectional routing algorithm for BanyanNet. The performance of BanyanNet is compared to that of the ShuffleNet and bilayered ShuffleNet. For N=p/sup m//spl times/k networks, the p=2 BanyanNet provides better performance in channel efficiency, total and user throughput than the corresponding ShuffleNet, and offers more flexible network configurations than the bilayered and p=4 ShuffleNet. >
Integrated Modular Avionics (IMA) Partition Scheduling with Conflict-Free I/O for Multicore Avionics Systems

The trend in the semiconductor industry toward multicore processors poses a significant challenge to many suppliers of safety-critical real-time embedded software. Having certified their systems for use on single-core processors, these companies may be forced to migrate their installed base of software onto multicore processors as single-core processors become harder to obtain. These companies naturally want to minimize the potentially high costs of recertifying their software for multicore processors. In support of this goal, we propose an approach to solving a fundamental problem in migrating legacy software applications to multicore systems, namely that of preventing conflicts among I/O transactions from applications residing on different cores. We formalize the problem as a partition scheduling problem that serializes I/O partitions. Although this problem is strongly NP-complete, we formulate it as a Constraint Programming (CP) problem. Since the CP approach scales poorly, we propose a heuristic algorithm that outperforms the CP approach in scalability.
Mapping of transcription start sites in Saccharomyces cerevisiae using 5′ SAGE

A minimally addressed area in Saccharomyces cerevisiae research is the mapping of transcription start sites (TSS). Mapping of TSS in S.cerevisiae has the potential to contribute to our understanding of gene regulation, transcription, mRNA stability and aspects of RNA biology. Here, we use 5′ SAGE to map 5′ TSS in S.cerevisiae. Tags identifying the first 15–17 bases of the transcripts are created, ligated to form ditags, amplified, concatemerized and ligated into a vector to create a library. Each clone sequenced from this library identifies 10–20 TSS. We have identified 13 746 unique, unambiguous sequence tags from 2231 S.cerevisiae genes. TSS identified in this study are consistent with published results, with primer extension results described here, and are consistent with expectations based on previous work on transcription initiation. We have aligned the sequence flanking 4637 TSS to identify the consensus sequence A(Arich)5NPyA(A/T)NN(Arich)6, which confirms and expands the previous reported PyA(A/T)Pu consensus pattern. The TSS data allowed the identification of a previously unrecognized gene, uncovered errors in previous annotation, and identified potential regulatory RNAs and upstream open reading frames in 5′-untranslated region.