cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Item analysis in functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Abstract Behavioral and neuroimaging studies of cognition frequently test hypotheses regarding mental processing of different stimulus categories (e.g. verbs, faces, animals, scenes, etc.). The conclusions of such studies hinge upon the generalizability of their findings from the specific stimuli used in the experiment to the category as a whole. This type of generalizability is explicitly tested in behavioral studies, using “item analysis”. However, generalizability to stimulus categories has up until now been assumed in neuroimaging studies, without employing item analysis for statistical validation. Here we apply item analysis to a functional magnetic resonance imaging study of nouns and verbs, demonstrating its theoretical importance and feasibility. In the subject-wise analysis, a left prefrontal and a left posterior–temporal region of interest showed putative grammatical class effects. An item-wise analysis revealed, however, that only the left posterior–temporal effect was generalizable to the stimulus categories of nouns and verbs. Taken together, the findings of the subject- and item-wise analyses suggest that grammatical-class effects in the left prefrontal cortex depend on the particular word stimuli used, rather than reflecting categorical differences between nouns and verbs. This empirical example illustrates that item analysis not only is sufficiently powered to detect task relevant changes in BOLD signal but also can make theoretically important distinctions between findings that generalize to the item populations, and those that do not.
Bidirectional Plasticity Gated by Hyperpolarization Controls the Gain of Postsynaptic Firing Responses at Central Vestibular Nerve Synapses

Linking synaptic plasticity with behavioral learning requires understanding how synaptic efficacy influences postsynaptic firing in neurons whose role in behavior is understood. Here, we examine plasticity at a candidate site of motor learning: vestibular nerve synapses onto neurons that mediate reflexive movements. Pairing nerve activity with changes in postsynaptic voltage induced bidirectional synaptic plasticity in vestibular nucleus projection neurons: long-term potentiation relied on calcium-permeable AMPA receptors and postsynaptic hyperpolarization, whereas long-term depression relied on NMDA receptors and postsynaptic depolarization. Remarkably, both forms of plasticity uniformly scaled synaptic currents evoked by pulse trains, and these changes in synaptic efficacy were translated into linear increases or decreases in postsynaptic firing responses. Synapses onto local inhibitory neurons were also plastic but expressed only long-term depression. Bidirectional, linear gain control of vestibular nerve synapses onto projection neurons provides a plausible mechanism for motor learning underlying adaptation of vestibular reflexes.
Relationships between protein isoforms and genetic functions demonstrate functional redundancy at the Broad-Complex during Drosophila metamorphosis.

Abstract Metamorphosis in holometabolous insects is an ecdysone-dependent process by which the larval form is replaced by a reproductive, adult form. At the onset of metamorphosis ecdysone induces a set of early genes which coordinate tissue-specific responses to hormone. TheBroad-Complex(BR-C) early gene, which acts as a global regulator of tissue-specific responses to ecdysone, encodes a family of zinc-finger DNA binding proteins known as Z1, Z2, Z3, and Z4. Genetically theBR-Cencodes three complementing functions,br, rbp,and2Bc,and a class ofnpr1alleles that fail to complement any of the other genetic functions. The effects ofBR-Cmutations on metamorphic development are highly pleiotropic, yet little is known about the roles of individualBR-Cproteins in directing the required responses to ecdysone. Because theBR-Cis a vital regulator of metamorphosis it is essential to establish the relationships betweenBR-Cgenetic functions and protein products. We present here the first general and definitive study of these relationships. Using heat-inducible transgenes we have rescued lethality associated with each of the complementing genetic functions and have restored transcriptional activity of tissue-specificBR-C+-dependent target genes. Our data lead us to conclude thatbr+function is only provided by the Z2 isoform. We find that Z1 transgenes provide fullrbp+function, while Z4 provides partial function. Likewise, while Z3 provides full2Bc+function, Z2 also provides partial function. These results indicate possible functional redundancy or regulatory dependence (via autoregulation) associated with therbp+and2Bc+functions. The establishment of these relationships betweenBR-Cgenetic functions and protein isoforms is an important step toward understanding the roles ofBR-Cproteins in directing metamorphic responses to ecdysone.
Ground bounce tracking for landmine detection using a sequential Monte Carlo method

A Sequential Monte Carlo (SMC) method is proposed to locate the ground bounce (GB) positions in 3D data collected by ground penetrating radar (GPR) system. The algorithm is verified utilizing real data and improved landmine detection performance is achieved compared with three other GB trackers.
Identification and characterization of the CRPV E7 protein expressed in COS-7 cells.

Abstract The papillomavirus E7 protein may play an important role in oncogenesis as it is the major viral protein present in human cervical cancer-derived cell lines. Because of the relevance of the cottontail rabbit papillomavirus (CRPV) system for the study of viral-induced malignancies, we characterized its E7 protein expressed by a heterologous strong promoter. An E7-specific antiserum was obtained by immunizing rabbits with a Trp E-E7 fusion protein containing the 88 carboxyl-terminal amino acids of E7. This antiserum specifically precipitated from [ 35 ]S]cysteine but not from 32 PO 4 -labeled transiently transfected COS-7 cells a 14-kDa protein. The protein was present only in the soluble cytoplasmic fraction and exhibited a heterogeneous sedimentation rate in nondenaturing glycerol gradients.
Remodeling of dendrites and spines in the C1q knockout model of genetic epilepsy

Summary Purpose To determine whether developmental synaptic pruning defects in epileptic C1q-knockout (KO) mice are accompanied by postsynaptic abnormalities in dendrites and/or spines. Methods Immunofluorescence staining was performed on biocytin-filled layer Vb pyramidal neurons in sensorimotor cortex. Basal dendritic arbors and their spines were reconstructed with NEUROLUCIDA software, and their morphologic characteristics were quantitated in Neuroexplorer. Key Findings Seven to nine completely filled pyramidal neurons were analyzed from the wild-type (WT) and C1q KO groups. Compared to WT controls, KO mice showed significant structural modifications in their basal dendrites including (1) higher density of dendritic spines (0.60 ± 0.03/μm vs. 0.49 ± 0.03/μm dendritic length in WT, p < 0.05); (2) remarkably increased occurrence of thin spines (0.26 ± 0.02/μm vs. 0.14 ± 0.02/μm dendritic length in control, p < 0.01); (3) longer dendritic length (2,680 ± 159 μm vs. 2,119 ± 108 μm in control); and (4) increased branching (22.6 ± 1.9 vs. 16.2 ± 1.3 in WT at 80 μm from soma center, p < 0.05; 12.4 ± 1.4 vs. 8.2 ± 0.6 in WT at 120 μm from soma center, respectively, p < 0.05). Dual immunolabeling demonstrated the expression of putative glutamate receptor 2 (GluR2) on some thin spines. These dendritic alterations are likely postsynaptic structural consequences of failure of synaptic pruning in the C1q KO mice. Significance Failure to prune excessive excitatory synapses in C1q KO mice is a likely mechanism underlying abnormalities in postsynaptic dendrites, including increased branching and alterations in spine type and density. It is also possible that seizure activity contributes to these abnormalities. These structural abnormalities, together with increased numbers of excitatory synapses, likely contribute to epileptogenesis in C1q KO mice.
Minimally Invasive Radioguided Parathyroidectomy

Minimally invasive radioguided parathyroidectomy (MIRP) is a small incision, outpatient procedure which is directed to identifying and excising the offending parathyroid gland(s) which result in hyperparathyroidism. The technique can be replicated by well-trained surgeons and can result in consistent achievement of biochemical cures of hyperparathyroidism. The procedure is safe, efficient, and results in a high degree of patient satisfaction. This article will outline the indications for and application of the MIRP procedure.
13C NMR Line Shapes in the Study of Dynamics of Perdeuterated Methyl Groups

Subtle features of 13C NMR spectra of perdeuterated methyl groupings are discussed in detail in this work. Standard time-dependent second-order perturbation theory (WBR or Wangsness−Bloch−Redfield theory), couched in a Liouville space formalism, provides the theoretical framework for this development. It is revealed that the 13C line shape is dependent upon both the scalar coupling between magnetically equivalent deuterons and deuteron autocorrelated and cross-correlated quadrupolar spectral densities. As an experimental demonstration of the presented theory, iterative line shape analyses are applied to standard 13C spectra and Carr−Purcell spin−echo spectra for the 13C labeled perdeuterated methyl group in dl-alanine. An activation energy for methyl rotation is determined to be 21.9 ± 1.2 kJ/mol.
Outcome of patients with ductal carcinoma in situ untreated after diagnostic biopsy: results from the Nurses' Health Study.

BACKGROUND Studies of patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) “treated” by diagnostic biopsy alone have been rare, but provide important opportunities to gain insights into the natural history of these lesions. METHODS During a review of 1877 breast biopsy specimens in a nested case–control study of benign breast disease and breast carcinoma risk, the authors identified 13 biopsy specimens with DCIS that were originally diagnosed as benign. Because each of these women was initially given a benign diagnosis, they received no treatment beyond the diagnostic biopsy. RESULTS When compared with women with nonproliferative lesions, the odds ratio (OR) for the development of invasive breast carcinoma among those with retrospectively identified DCIS (n = 6) was 13.5 (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.7–49.7). The OR for the development of any subsequent invasive or in situ breast carcinoma event (n = 10) was 20.1 (95% CI, 6.1–66. 5). A retrospective review of these DCIS biopsy specimens revealed that the nuclear grade was low in four lesions, intermediate in six, and high in three. None showed comedo-type necrosis. Invasive carcinomas developed among women with DCIS of all nuclear grades. All 10 breast carcinoma events (100%) were in the ipsilateral breast. CONCLUSIONS These results provided further evidence that patients with DCIS who received no treatment beyond a diagnostic biopsy were at substantially increased risk for developing ipsilateral invasive breast carcinoma, and that the increased risk in this setting was seen in DCIS of low, intermediate, and high nuclear grades. Cancer 2005. © 2005 American Cancer Society.
Characterization and in vitro Cytotoxicity Testing of Ethanolamine-derived Cadmium Chelating Agents

We have synthesized and characterized the new cadmium chelating agent potassium bis(2-hydroxyethyl)aminoethyldithiocarbonate hemihydrate, K[bhexan] · 0.5H2O (2), that is structurally related to the known effective in vivo cadmium chelating agent potassium bis(2-hydroxyethyl)dithiocarbamate, K[bhedtc] (1). The corresponding cadmium complex of 2 differs from di(bis(2-hydroxyethyl)dithiocarbamato)cadmium(II), Cd(bhedtc)2 (3), in that the insoluble compound exhibits an elemental composition consistent with a cadmium:ligand ratio of 2:1. The cytotoxicity of the 1–3 was investigated using the human osteoblast-like cell line, Saos-2. Compounds 1 or 2 did not affect cell adherence or cell viability in the 100–500 μM concentration range studied, whereas 3 resulted in a concentration-dependent increase in loss of cell adherence and decrease in cell viability. Overall, the results of the loss of cell adherence, trypan blue exclusion and MTT assays showed that administration of 3 (cadmium complex of 1) resulted in cytotoxicity lower than that of cadmium chloride, but higher than that of the chelator 1 alone. The effect of simultaneous addition of cadmium chloride and 1 or 2 on cell viability was also assessed using the MTT assay. For the 100 μM cadmium chloride experiments, cell viability comparable to control cells was achieved for both 1 and 2 in the 100–500 μM concentration range studied. Cell viability comparable to control cells was achieved for 1 but not 2 in the 100–500 μM concentration range studied for the 200 μM cadmium chloride experiments. Thus 1 appears more effective than 2 in the ability to mediate the cytotoxic effects of cadmium in vitro upon concomitant administration.
New horizons in catholic philosophical theology : Fides et ratio and the changed status of thomism

The author considers Pope John Paul II's 1998 encyclical, Fides et ratio, as bringing into view new horizons for Catholic philosophical theology by virtue of its endorsement of a constrained philosophical pluralism. Through a retrospective examination of the history of magisterial interventions as depicted in the encyclical, the author notes how a progressive openness to philosophical pluralism relates to the changed status of Thomism within magisterial teaching on the practice of Catholic philosophical theology. Fides et ratio describes an evolution in magisterial emphasis from proscription to prescription, which corresponds to change in the status of Thomism from an absolute to an exemplary norm. Attention to this decisive shift in the normative status of Thomism, as implied within the encyclical itself, provides both new illumination on the Pope's general intentions and new clarity with regard to some contested interpretive issues. Finally, the author highlights several new challenges that are implied by this development in magisterial teaching.
Fetal development in the rat following disruption of maternal renal function during pregnancy.

Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats received subcutaneous injections of mercuric chloride (1–4 mg/kg) on either gestation day 7, 9, 11, or 13 to determine effects of altered maternal renal function on embryonic and fetal development. Maternal renal function, assessed by urinanalysis, was markedly disrupted for at least 48 hours after treatment and resulted in decreased maternal body weight gain. Residual effects on maternal kidney weight were evident on GD 21 when the females were killed and the fetuses removed and examined for visceral and skeletal development. We did not observe an increased incidence of malformations in the offspring for exposure on any day of gestation. Maternal exposure to mercuric chloride slightly impaired fetal growth over several gestational exposures periods and changed the pattern of rib formation when exposure occurred early in organogenesis. The extent of the changes could not, however, be related to the immediate degree or duration of altered maternal renal function. Rather, we found correlations between lasting effects of exposure as measured by maternal renal weight on GD 21 and supernumerary lumbar rib induction on GD 7 and 9; while for the relationship with fetal weight, the strongest correlation with maternal kidney weight occurred following exposure on GD 9 (p<0.01), with weaker correlations (p<0.10) for GD 7 and 13 exposures. Maternal serum urea was negatively correlated with fetal weight from the GD 7 exposure. This study supports the concept that some specific forms of maternal toxicity may be associated with limited manifestations of developmental toxicity, but, in general, embryonic development was observed to proceed normally in the presence of marked disruptions in maternal renal physiology. Maternal toxicity, especially as routinely measured in developmental toxicity studies, cannot be looked upon as a single disease. Instead, each manifestation must be examined for what it signifies to the physiology and well being of the female and for cause-and-effect relationships with fetal observations. Maternal toxicity and developmental toxicity should not be etiologically linked solely because of their concurrent appearance on the dose-response curve. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Management of difficult coronary sinus rupture

A technique of handling severe coronary sinus rupture when direct suture repair or pericardial patch techniques have failed is described. A pericardial patch is sewn over the coronary sinus with running 5-0 Prolene suture, and an 8-mm thin-walled Gore-Tex conduit then is constructed between the patch and the right atrium to decompress the repair and allow an alternative route for coronary sinus return to the right atrium.
Covering abelian groups with cyclic subsets (part two)

Let G be a finite abelian group, and k and n positive integers. Let S(k) = 1, 2,... , k and g1, g2, ..., g n be elements of G such that each non-zero element of G is of the form ig j , 1 ≤ i ≤ k, 1 ≤ j ≤ n. If there is such a set, then S(k) is said to n-cover G and g1, g2, ..., g n is said to be an n-covering set of G. Clearly G has at most nk + 1 elements. In previous work we investigated how large G can be. In the present paper we complete the case n = 3, showing that G can have at most 2k + 2 elements.
Simple blurry reflections with environment maps

We present a technique which uses existing OpenGL capabilities to approximate the effect of blurry specular reflections and indirect diffuse illumination. It makes use of environment maps, mipmapping with level of detail control, and possibly texture borders. The method is extremely simple to implement, in some cases requiring just a single additional OpenGL statement.
Large vesicle contamination in small, unilamellar vesicles

Small, unilamellar phospholipid vesicles have been prepared using a new, high-powdered cup sonifier that avoids contact of the sample with a titanium probe. These vesicles have been characterized by gel filtration chromatography both before and after fractionation by high-speed centrifugation. Plots of the turbidity of centrifuged vesicles between 300 and 650 nm against the reciprocal fourth power of the scattering wavelength were linear with zero intercepts (extrapolated to infinite wavelength). In the presence of minute quantities of large, multilamellar vesicles, these plots remained linear but had intercepts quantitatively proportional to the amount of contaminating large vesicles. Since this measurement requires only a standard spectrophotometer and very small quantities of lipid, this method is suggested as a useful assay for determining contamination of small vesicle preparations by large vesicles. Two applications of this method as well as a practical limitation are discussed.
Electrochemical reduction of uridine in dimethyl sulfoxide: effect of the ribose group

Abstract The easier electrochemical reduction of uridine (1-β-D-ribofuranosyluracil) in dimethyl sulfoxide as compared to uracil (2, 4-dihydroxypyrimidine) by ca. 0.1 V is explicable on the basis of the electron-withdrawing effect of the ribose group. This effect and possible steric hindrance by the ribose group markedly affect the reaction sequence following the initial one-electron reduction to generate a radical anion, which abstracts a proton from the parent uridine (father—son reaction) to form the neutral uridine free radical and the uridine anion. With increasing uridine concentration, further reduction and protonation reactions are favored, resulting in an increase in the effective faradaic n from ca. 0.5 to 0.8. The availability of only one proton-donating site on uridine, ie, that on N(3), allows explication of the behavior of other hydroxypyrimidines such as uracil.
Evaluation of a new denture bath solution

Soft liners often lose their resiliency, perhaps as a result of oxidizing cleaning solutions and/or infiltration with Candida albicans. This project tested a new denture bath solution and its effects on liners treated with oxidizing solutions and with Candida inoculation. It appears that this denture bath solution has a definite softening effect on these liners.
Crises, Commissions, and Reform: The Impact of Blue-Ribbon Panels

Scholars have found that, even when a crisis creates demand for reform, a focal point is often necessary to overcome obstacles to change. I argue that, with surprising frequency, U.S. blue-ribbon commissions use their bipartisan political credibility to provide this focal point and thereby catalyze postcrisis government reform. Since commission-inspired reform is often designed to integrate or centralize policy making, I further explain that commissions can be useful presidential tools for asserting power over agencies. I test my argument on an original data set that includes new measures of commission influence.
Positioning During the Second Stage of Labor: Moving Back to Basics

The advantages of an upright position during labor are presented, with historic, physiologic, and psychosocial aspects discussed. The influences of modern obstetric practices such as electronic fetal monitoring and anesthesia practices are discussed with findings related to the use of upright positions from the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nursing National Research Utilization Project on Second Stage Labor Management integrated. Recommendations for facilitating upright positions on the labor and delivery unit are presented.
Parallel in situ indexing for data-intensive computing

As computing power increases exponentially, vast amount of data is created by many scientific research activities. However, the bandwidth for storing the data to disks and reading the data from disks has been improving at a much slower pace. These two trends produce an ever-widening data access gap. Our work brings together two distinct technologies to address this data access issue: indexing and in situ processing. From decades of database research literature, we know that indexing is an effective way to address the data access issue, particularly for accessing relatively small fraction of data records. As data sets increase in sizes, more and more analysts need to use selective data access, which makes indexing an even more important for improving data access. The challenge is that most implementations of indexing technology are embedded in large database management systems (DBMS), but most scientific datasets are not managed by any DBMS. In this work, we choose to include indexes with the scientific data instead of requiring the data to be loaded into a DBMS.We use compressed bitmap indexes from the FastBit software which are known to be highly effective for query-intensive workloads common to scientific data analysis. To use the indexes, we need to build them first. The index building procedure needs to access the whole data set and may also require a significant amount of compute time. In this work, we adapt the in situ processing technology to generate the indexes, thus removing the need of reading data from disks and to build indexes in parallel. The in situ data processing system used is ADIOS, a middleware for high-performance I/O. Our experimental results show that the indexes can improve the data access time up to 200 times depending on the fraction of data selected, and using in situ data processing system can effectively reduce the time needed to create the indexes, up to 10 times with our in situ technique when using identical parallel settings.
Novel Genetic Tools for Diaminopimelic Acid Selection in Virulence Studies of Yersinia pestis

Molecular studies of bacterial virulence are enhanced by expression of recombinant DNA during infection to allow complementation of mutants and expression of reporter proteins in vivo. For highly pathogenic bacteria, such as Yersinia pestis, these studies are currently limited because deliberate introduction of antibiotic resistance is restricted to those few which are not human treatment options. In this work, we report the development of alternatives to antibiotics as tools for host-pathogen research during Yersinia pestis infections focusing on the diaminopimelic acid (DAP) pathway, a requirement for cell wall synthesis in eubacteria. We generated a mutation in the dapA-nlpB(dapX) operon of Yersinia pestis KIM D27 and CO92 which eliminated the expression of both genes. The resulting strains were auxotrophic for diaminopimelic acid and this phenotype was complemented in trans by expressing dapA in single and multi-copy. In vivo, we found that plasmids derived from the p15a replicon were cured without selection, while selection for DAP enhanced stability without detectable loss of any of the three resident virulence plasmids. The dapAX mutation rendered Y. pestis avirulent in mouse models of bubonic and septicemic plague which could be complemented when dapAX was inserted in single or multi-copy, restoring development of disease that was indistinguishable from the wild type parent strain. We further identified a high level, constitutive promoter in Y. pestis that could be used to drive expression of fluorescent reporters in dapAX strains that had minimal impact to virulence in mouse models while enabling sensitive detection of bacteria during infection. Thus, diaminopimelic acid selection for single or multi-copy genetic systems in Yersinia pestis offers an improved alternative to antibiotics for in vivo studies that causes minimal disruption to virulence.
Measuring temporal and spatial properties of electrocapillarity: an optical technique.

A noncontact optical method for measuring the wavelength of capillary ripples on a liquid–liquid interface is proposed and demonstrated. The dispersion relationship for the aforementioned capillary waves is derived, relating the wavelength to the interfacial tension. Measurements of the wavelength, and thus the interfacial tension, are presented. Temporal measurements of the change in wavelength in response to an applied voltage (electrocapillarity) are presented and an upper limit is presented for any spatial variation of the wavelength on the interface.
Rapid response to a case of mumps: implications for preventing transmission at a medical research facility

Objective. To prevent transmission among the staff and potentially among the non-human primate (NHP) colony at the U.S. Naval Medical Research Center Detachment in Peru, where an active case of mumps was discovered in a senior laboratory technician in Sep 03, 2007. Material and Methods. Subjects at the research facility were interviewed and potentially susceptible contacts were tested for mumps IgG. Results. In total, 81 out of 106 staff members (76%) had close contact with the case. Only 6/81 (7%) had MMR, 33 (41%) reported having had mumps, and 8 of 45 (18%) of the potentially susceptible individuals did not have immunity (IgG > 20.0). All the susceptible, exposed individuals received MMR vaccine. There were no secondary cases and access to the NHP colony was restricted. Discussion. Immediate and thorough investigation and occupational health response were imperative in preventing secondary cases of mumps among humans and NHP.
Optimal output feedback control of discrete linear, singularly perturbed, stochastic systems

The static output feedback control problem for discrete linear, singularly perturbed, stochastic systems is studied. A recursive algorithm is presented to solve the corresponding coupled non-linear algebraic equations. The algorithm removes the ill-conditioning by decomposing the higher order equations into lower order equations and develops a technique which enables us to obtain an arbitrary accuracy, that is, 0(ej) (j = 1, 2, 3, …)a approximation for this problem. A numerical example is presented to support the theoretical results. Communicated by Professor A. A. Ioannou.
Genetic analysis of tyrosine kinase function in B cell development

B lymphopoiesis is regulated by multiple signals from stromal cell contact, soluble cytokines, antigen, and T helper cells. In vitro and biochemical experiments have implicated tyrosine kinases as key components of many of these signaling pathways. Genetic analysis of the role of these tyrosine kinases has been facilitated by recent advance in transgenic and gene targeting technology as well as by the identification of the genetic basis of several human and murine immune deficiencies. This review discusses the effect of gain and loss of function mutations of selected tyrosine kinases and their regulators and substrates on B cell development and function.
The natural history of untreated sporadic vestibular schwannomas: a comprehensive review of hearing outcomes.

Object Observation is an important consideration when discussing management options for patients with vestibular schwannoma (VS). Most data regarding clinical outcomes after conservative management come from modestsized series performed at individual centers. The authors performed an analysis of the published literature on the natural history of VSs with respect to hearing outcome. Their objective was to provide a comprehensive and unbiased description of outcomes in patients whose disease was managed conservatively. Methods The authors identified a total of 34 published studies containing hearing outcome data in patients with VSs < 25 mm in largest diameter who underwent observation management. The effects of initial tumor size and tumor growth rate on hearing function at latest follow-up were analyzed. Data from individual and aggregated cases were extracted from each study. Patients with poorer hearing (American Association of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Classes C or D, or Gardner-Robertson Cl...
Isolating Mechanisms in COTS-based Systems

Software composition relies on the interaction of software components, either new or sourced from COTS software vendors. Successful component interaction assumes interoperability, which requires the sharing of common characteristics. Shared characteristics make "like" components integrate more easily but also create isolating mechanisms that prevent or inhibit interaction with components that lack such characteristics. Designing systems from COTS components requires understanding their inherent isolating mechanisms. Most approaches only examine composed systems from the perspective of their integration properties. Ignoring or suppressing isolating mechanisms can lead to a partially composed system. Problems may surface anywhere in the system lifecycle including late binding situations at runtime. We examine how shared properties both facilitate membership in a population of like components; yet also serve to inhibit interaction with non-like components. Isolating mechanisms are shown to act across many system levels in the context of COTS based systems
Downlink Throughput Maximization in CDMA Wireless Networks

We investigate optimum rate assignment scheme maximizing network throughput on the downlink of a multirate CDMA wireless network. Systems employing orthogonal variable spreading factor (OVSF) codes as well as systems employing multiple codes have been studied. Our objective is to maximize the network throughput under constraints on total transmit power, total bandwidth and individual QoS requirements specified in terms of minimum rates. First, users are ordered based on their transmit energy per bit requirements to achieve the target received energy per bit to interference power spectral density ratio at the receivers. Based on the initial ordering, we prove that for systems employing multiple codes, greedy rate assignment yields maximum network throughput. For systems employing variable spreading codes, we show that greedy rate assignment is optimal if the minimum rate requirement of a user is larger than or equal to the minimum rate requirement of any other user with a larger transmit energy per bit requirement. Simulation results verify the superiority of the greedy algorithm under various system and channel assumptions
The steady flow of closely fitting incompressible elastic spheres in a tube

The steady flow of a suspension of closely fitting, neutrally buoyant, incompressible and elastic spheres through a circular cylindrical tube is investigated under the assumption that lubrication theory is valid in the fluid region. A series solution giving the displacement field of an elastic incompressible sphere under axisymmetrically distributed surface tractions is developed. It is found that, for closely fitting particles, flow properties of the suspension are strongly dependent on the shear modulus of the elastic material and the velocity of the particle.
A New Ultrasound Imaging Technique Employing Two-Dimensional Electronic Beam Steering

In recent years, ultrasound imaging based on B-mode echosonography has become an accepted and useful technique in medical diagnosis. However, the application of this technique has been limited by the time required to obtain an adequate image, the resolution that can be obtained in the image and problems related to the dynamic range of the echo information. A new ultrasound imaging system which removes or substantially reduces many of these limitations has been developed in the hope that ultrasound tomography may find even more widespread application and greater diagnostic value.
THE CHOICE-WITHIN-CONSTRAINTS NEW INSTITUTIONALISM AND IMPLICATIONS FOR SOCIOLOGY

The variant of new institutionalism that is our focus is a pan-disciplinary theory that asserts that actors pursue their interests by making choices within institutional constraints. We organize our review of the theory around its behavioral assumptions, the operation of institutional forms, and processes of institutional change. At each stage, we give particular attention to the potential contributions of sociology to the theory. The behavioral assumptions of the theory amount to bounded rationality and imply transaction costs, which, in the absence of institutions, may frustrate collective ends. The principle weakness of these behavioral assumptions is a failure to treat preferences as endogenous. We categorize the institutions that arise in response to transaction costs as to whether they are public or private in their source and centralized or decentralized in their making. In detailing the resulting categories of institutional forms, we identify key interdependencies across the public/private and cen...
Structural features that contribute to market power in electric power networks: some preliminary results

The authors report an experiment that examines a primary concern of policy makers: how a structural feature of electric power networks can contribute to the exercise of market power by well-positioned players in deregulated markets. One such feature is the distribution of ownership of a given set of generating assets. For example, two large firms could be allocated baseload and intermediate generators such that either firm would be willing to withhold unilaterally the capacity of its intermediate generators from the market, to benefit from the supra-competitive prices which would result from only selling its baseload units. Conversely, ownership of some of the intermediate generators from each of these firms could be transferred to two other firms, so that no one firm can unilaterally restrict output to spawn supra-competitive prices.
Verteporfin for Age-Related Macular Degeneration:

OBJECTIVE:To review the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, clinical efficacy, adverse effects, drug—drug interactions, and the therapeutic issues concerning the use of verteporfin in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD).DATA SOURCES:Published articles and abstracts in English were identified by MEDLINE (1990–August 2000) searches using the search terms verteporfin, treatment of age-related macular degeneration, and photodynamic therapy (PDT). Additional references were identified from the bibliographies of the retrieved articles. Data were also obtained from approved product labeling.DATA EXTRACTION:The literature was assessed for adequate description of patients, methodology, and outcomes.DATA SYNTHESIS:Verteporfin is a synthetic benzoporphyrin derivative and a cytotoxic photosensitizing agent, which is one component of PDT. PDT involves administration of verteporfin for injection and nonthermal red light at a wavelength of 689 nm. It is metabolized, to a small extent, to its diacid metaboli...
DM determines the cryptic and immunodominant fate of T cell epitopes.

The ability of the immune system to focus T cell responses against a select number of potential epitopes of a complex antigen is termed immunodominance. Epitopes that trigger potent T cell activation, after in vivo priming, are classified as immunodominant. By contrast, determinants that fail to elicit any response are called cryptic. DM, a major histocompatibility complex (MHC) heterodimer, plays a pivotal role in the presentation of MHC class II–restricted epitopes by catalyzing the exchange of class II–associated invariant chain peptide with the antigen-derived peptides within the MHC class II binding groove. Using L cells transfected with genes for MHC class II, invariant chain, and DM, we have studied the contribution of DM in the presentation of two cryptic (peptide 11–25 and peptide 20–35) and one dominant (peptide 106–116) epitope of hen egg white lysozyme (HEL). Cells lacking DM heterodimers efficiently display the determinants HEL 11–25 and HEL 20–35 to T cells. Strikingly, however, cells expressing DM are severely compromised in their ability to present the cryptic HEL 11–25/Ad and 20–35/Ad epitopes. DM-mediated antagonism of HEL 11–25/Ad and 20–35/Ad presentation could thus be central to 11–25/Ad and 20–35/Ad being cryptic epitopes in the HEL system. Interestingly, the display of the immunodominant epitope of HEL, 106–116/Ed, and of a dominant epitope of sperm whale myoglobin (SWM), 102–118/Ad, is entirely dependent on the expression of DM. Thus, cells lacking DM molecules are unable to efficiently express HEL 106–116/Ed and SWM 102–118/Ad determinants. We conclude that the DM heterodimers direct the immunodominant and cryptic fate of antigenic epitopes in vivo.
Service-oriented agility: an initial analysis for the use of agile methods for SOA development

Today, businesses have to respond with flexibility and speed to ever-changing customer demand, market opportunities and external threats. Service oriented architecture (SOA) is a special way to look a IT systems, focusing on their adaptability - the ability to respond to changing and new requirements. It is more than evident that agile approaches to software development seem to be a natural fit for developing such systems. In this article, we try to harden this evidence. We take a look on the fundamentals of agile software development and assess their suitability for SOA-based systems.
A low-profile high-gain SIW slot antenna using anisotropic zero-index metamaterial coating

In this paper, the design, fabrication, and experimental validation of a low-profile high-gain metamaterial-assisted slot antenna is presented. Particularly, a subwavelength end-loaded dipole array is designed to realize the required anisotropic zero-index property for the 5.8 GHz wireless local area network (WLAN) band. This metamaterial coating, which operates based on the leaky mode it supports, is applied to a substrate-integrated waveguide (SIW) fed slot antenna. The resulting antenna is only 0.12λ thick, all while accomplishing a broadside gain higher than 10 dBi and a front-to-back ratio larger than 26 dB, which is ~7 dB and ~10 dB higher than that of the SIW fed slot alone. The -10 dB impedance bandwidth, which is more than 9%, is maintained the same with or without the presence of the metamaterial coating.
Pick-up lines: cues used by male crab spiders to find reproductive females

The low population density of the crab spider Misumena vatia and the high percentage of gravid adult females begs the question, how do adult males find reproductive females? We explored one of the potential mate-locating tactics of adult males, their linefollowing behavior. M. vatia do not build webs; however, they do lay down silken lines during their movements. In both the field and the laboratory, adult males (but not juvenile males) regularly followed lines of other individuals, as well as their own, sometimes multiple times. However, they did not distinguish the direction in which lines were laid, and they even followed lines of other species. Males responded mechanically to these lines, but not chemically. They followed lines of penultimate and adult virgin females, as well as new and old lines, with similar high frequency. Neither washing the lines with water nor washing them with acetone (to remove possible water-soluble or organically soluble pheromones) affected their choice of lines. Due to the low activity of females, their lines may be several days old, over which time any possible chemical information would likely dissipate. Therefore, pheromones seem unlikely to aid males searching for unmated adult females. Nevertheless, even searching males that follow lines largely indiscriminately should derive a benefit because concentrations of lines could denote the presence of females and thereby maximize numbers of females encountered.
Immunohistochemical markers of cell cycle control applied to ovarian and primary peritoneal surface epithelial neoplasms: p21(WAF1/CIP1) predicts survival and good response to platinin-based chemotherapy.

Immunohistochemistry for p53, p21(WAF1/CIP1), and Ki-67 provides insight into the molecular events controlling the cell cycle. We tested the hypothesis that these cell cycle markers will aid in the clinical evaluation of ovarian and primary peritoneal surface epithelial neoplasms (SENs). Paraffin sections from a retrospective surgical series of 117 SENs were immunostained with anti-p53 (clone DO7, Novacastra Laboratories, UK), anti-p21(WAF1/CIP1) (clone EA10, Oncogene Science, Cambridge, MA), and anti-Ki-67 (clone MIB-1, Immunotech, Westbrook, ME). The Ki-67 proliferation index (Ki-67PI) and immunoreactivity were evaluated. One hundred seventeen SENs reacted as follows: p53 50%+ and p21(WAF1/CIP1) 65%+. Ki-67PI ranged from 4% to 88% (mean/median = 44/46%). p53 reactivity associated with transitional cell histology, decreased p21(WAF1/CIP1) staining, increased Ki-67PI, architectural/nuclear grade, and stage (P < .05, 1 x 10(-7), .01, .05/.0001, .001,). p21(WAF1/CIP1) staining was associated with endometrioid/clear cell histology, decreased Ki-67PI, architectural/nuclear grade, and stage (P < 05/.05, .05, .01/1 x 10(-8), 1 x 10(-5)). Ki-67PI associated with increased architectural/nuclear grade but not mucinous histology (P < 1 x 10(-5)/1 x 10(-6), .01). Sixty-seven patients had disease at last follow-up; 53 were dead of disease at 0 to 67 months (mean/median, 21/18), and 14 were alive with disease at 12 to 224 months (mean/median, 56/40). Fifty patients were disease free at 5 to 214 months (mean/median, 59/41). Predictors of survival include decreased Ki-67PI, stage, architectural/nuclear grade (P < 1 x 10(-6), 1 x 10(-10), 1 x 10(-10)/.005) and p21(WAF1/CIP1) IMS (multivariate P < 1 x 10(-6)). p21(WAF1/CIP1), a potent inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinases necessary for cell cycle progression, functions as a key checkpoint in cell cycle control. Immunoreactivity for p21(WAF1/CIP1) provides prognostic information independent of other histological and clinical predictors, p53 IMS, and Ki-67PI in this series of 117 PTs with SENs. Our preliminary data suggest an interrelationship between p21(WAF1/CIP1) expression and an effective clinical response to platinin-based chemotherapy, both associated with apoptosis. Further investigation seems warranted.
Recent developments in light-emitting-diode technology

This paper describes recent trends in LED technology. Emphasis is placed on the LED materials and device-fabrication technologies that have resulted in larger and brighter LED displays with a variety of colors, and on the monolithic red-emitting LED displays that are commonly employed as watch and calculator displays.
On the effect of the addition of SF 6 to a N 2 electrical discharge laser

The electron distribution function has been calculated for simulated conditions of SF6-N2 gas mixtures under conditions typical of a N2 electrical discharge laser. The results indicate that the electron distribution function, transport quantities, and electronic excitation rates change only a few percent in the presence of SF6 provided E/N is unchanged. The enhancement in laser power output with the addition of SF6 is attributed to an increased operating value of E/N in the electrical discharge.
Accelerometer feedforward servo for disk drives

Summary form only given. This paper discusses the design and verification of a new direct adaptive control scheme to attenuate the effect of external disturbances on a disk drive. The adaptive controller acts as an add-on compensator to the existing fixed compensator. An accelerometer which is mounted on the base of the disk drive generates the input signal for the controller. The control objective is to minimize the variance of the position error signal in the presence of external random vibrations. In this paper, only vibrational disturbances parallel to the spindle axis of the disk drive are considered. The stationary modes of a disk platter is split into two modes which are shifted by the disk rotational frequency. A model of the IBM Winchester Lightning 3.5" disk drive was used in simulations. Additionally, a method to frequency weight the solution to a Wiener filtering problem was developed when there is no unique solution. Simulation results show that a 7 dB attenuation at high frequencies can be achieved if frequency weighting method is used.
Cytoplasmic Dynein Light Intermediate Chain Is Required for Discrete Aspects of Mitosis in Caenorhabditis elegans

We describe phenotypic characterization of dli-1, the Caenorhabditis elegans homolog of cytoplasmic dynein light intermediate chain (LIC), a subunit of the cytoplasmic dynein motor complex. Animals homozygous for loss-of-function mutations in dli-1 exhibit stochastic failed divisions in late larval cell lineages, resulting in zygotic sterility. dli-1 is required for dynein function during mitosis. Depletion of the dli-1 gene product through RNA-mediated gene interference (RNAi) reveals an early embryonic requirement. One-cell dli-1(RNAi) embryos exhibit failed cell division attempts, resulting from a variety of mitotic defects. Specifically, pronuclear migration, centrosome separation, and centrosome association with the male pronuclear envelope are defective in dli-1(RNAi) embryos. Meiotic spindle formation, however, is not affected in these embryos. DLI-1, like its vertebrate homologs, contains a putative nucleotide-binding domain similar to those found in the ATP-binding cassette transporter family of ATPases as well as other nucleotide-binding and -hydrolyzing proteins. Amino acid substitutions in a conserved lysine residue, known to be required for nucleotide binding, confers complete rescue in a dli-1 mutant background, indicating this is not an essential domain for DLI-1 function.
Recognizing protein folds by cluster distance geometry.

Cluster distance geometry is a re- cent generalization of distance geometry whereby protein structures can be described at even lower levels of detail than one point per residue. With improvements in the clustering technique, protein conformations can be summarized in terms of alter- native contact patterns between clusters, where each cluster contains four sequentially adjacent amino acid residues. A very simple potential func- tion involving 210 adjustable parameters can be determined that favors the native contacts of 31 small, monomeric proteins over their respective sets of nonnative contacts. This potential then fa- vors the native contacts for 174 small, monomeric proteins that have low sequence identity with any of the training set. A broader search finds 698 small protein chains from the Protein Data Bank where the native contacts are preferred over all alterna- tives, even though they have low sequence identity with the training set. This amounts to a highly predictive method for ab initio protein folding at low spatial resolution. Proteins 2005;60:82- 89.