cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neuropsychological consequences of regular marijuana use: A twin study

Background. Results of previous research examining long-term residual effects of marijuana use on cognition are conflicting. A major methodological limitation of prior studies is the inability to determine whether differences between users and non-users are due to differences in genetic vulnerability preceding drug use or due to the effects of the drug.Method. Fifty-four monozygotic male twin pairs, discordant for regular marijuana use in which neither twin used any other illicit drug regularly, were recruited from the Vietnam Era Twin Registry. A minimum of 1 year had passed since the marijuana-using twins had last used the drug, and a mean of almost 20 years had passed since the last time marijuana had been used regularly. Twins were administered a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery to assess general intelligence, executive functioning, attention, memory and motor skills. Differences in performance between marijuana-using twins and their non-using co-twins were compared using a multivariate analysis of specific cognitive domains and univariate analyses of individual test scores. Dose–response relationships were explored within the marijuana-using group.Results. Marijuana-using twins significantly differed from their non-using co-twins on the general intelligence domain; however, within that domain only the performance of the block design subtest of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale – Revised reached a level of statistical significance.Conclusions. Out of the numerous measures that were administered, only one significant difference was noted between marijuana-using twins and their non-using co-twins on cognitive functioning. The results indicate an absence of marked long-term residual effects of marijuana use on cognitive abilities.
Integrating historic site-based laboratories into pre-service teacher education

Abstract In order to change the perception of history as collection facts, historians and history educators must countermand pre-service history teachers׳ experience with and perception of historians as mere transmitters of knowledge. To do this, historians and history educators must provide pre-service history teachers׳ opportunities to work alongside historians in the field as a regular feature of their preparation programs. This exposure not only changes the pre-service teachers׳ perceptions of the work of history practitioners and provides deeper understanding of the construction of history, but also enables future teachers to expand their use of site-based learning in their classrooms. Rather than advocating the development of entirely new programs, the authors outline two models, based on the history education programs at Temple University and Boston University, for integrating historic site-based laboratory work into the existing structures of teacher education programs.
A hypothesis for temporal coding of young and mature granule cells

While it has been hypothesized that adult neurogenesis plays a role in the encoding of temporal information at long time scales, the temporal relationship of immature cells to the highly rhythmic network activity of the hippocampus has been largely unexplored. Here, we present a theory for how the activity of immature adult-born granule cells relates to hippocampal oscillations. Our hypothesis is that theta rhythmic (5-10 Hz) excitatory and inhibitory inputs into the hippocampus could differentially affect young and mature granule cells due to differences in intrinsic physiology and synaptic inhibition between the two cell populations. Consequently, immature cell activity may occur at broader ranges of theta phase than the activity of their mature counterparts. We describe how this differential influence on young and mature granule cells could separate the activity of differently aged neurons in a temporal coding regime. Notably, this process could have considerable implications on how the downstream CA3 region interprets the information conveyed by young and mature granule cells. To begin to investigate the phasic behavior of granule cells, we analyzed in vivo recordings of the rat dentate gyrus, observing that the temporal behavior of granule cells with respect to the theta rhythm is different between rats with normal and impaired levels of neurogenesis. Specifically, in control animals, granule cells exhibit both strong and weak coupling to the phase of the theta rhythm. In contrast, the distribution of phase relationships in neurogenesis-impaired rats is shifted such that they are significantly stronger. These preliminary data support our hypothesis that immature neurons could distinctly affect the temporal dynamics of hippocampal encoding.
Testing the Nature of the Representation for Binocular Rivalry

Recently, several studies proposed a probabilistic framework for explaining the phenomenon of binocular rivalry, as an alternative to the classic bottom-up or eye-dominant interpretation of it. According to the new framework, perception is generated from the observer’s internal model of the visual world, based on sampling-based probabilistic representations and computations in the cortex. To test the validity of this proposal, we trained participants with four patterns of non-rival Gabor patches corresponding to four percepts in binocular rivalry settings where the diagonally oriented Gabor patches where presented at two locations. The probability distribution of the appearance of the trained patterns was set as 10%, 40%, 15% and 35% for the four percepts. We tested participants’ prior and posterior distributions of these four perceptions in both binocular rivalry and non-rivalry situations, where they either made judgments by what was perceived in rivalry or guessed what could possibly be the answers of Gabor orientation pairs when they saw only non-rivalry Gaussian noise. Kullback–Leibler divergence and resampling methods were used to compare the pre-training and post-training distributions from each individual participant. For the non-rivalry inference, three out of five participants showed significant difference between pre and post-training distributions of the four possible answers. Compared with the pre, the post-training distribution all shifted towards the target distribution manipulated in the training session in these participants. The initial dominance in binocular rivalry revealed learning effect for the same participants who learned the target distribution from non-rivalry training. In contrast, for binocular rivalry, none of the participants showed change in the distribution of four perceptions overall from pretest to posttest, suggesting no learning effect transferred from non-rivalry training. These results provided no decisive evidence that binocular rivalry is a visual process based on probabilistic representation, but suggested that the onset and subsequent periods of binocular rivalry might need to be distinguished and might result from different mechanisms.
Optical Properties of Materials using the Empirical Tight-Binding Method

Procedures for calculating the optical properties of periodic systems using the empirical tight-binding method are compared. Results of the linear and nonlinear susceptibilities are presented using a recently developed exact formalism [Lew Yan Voon and Ram-Mohan. Phys. Rev. B47, 15500 (1993)].
Investigation of human lymphocyte plasma membrane associated nucleic acid.

Abstract Plasma membranes were prepared from the human lymphocyte cell line WIL23A by hypotonic swelling, Dounce homogenization, differential and equilibrium centrifugation. The resulting vesiculated membrane fragments were found to have densities of 1.10 and 1.17 g/ml, and were defined by lactoperoxidase mediated whole cell iodination, l -[3H]fucose incorporation, 5′-nucleotidase activity (EC 3.1.3.5) and electron micrographic visualization. Recovery of plasma membrane from whole cell homogenates was estimated to be approximately 30–35% as judged by the recovery of 125I-labeled cell surface protein. When plasma membranes were prepared from cells which had been incubated for 18 h in the presence of 0.5 μCi/ml [3H] thymidine such that greater than 109 acid insoluble counts could be demonstrated in the whole cell h homogenates, no [3H] thymidine label and presumably, therefore, no DNA, could be shown to be coincident with either the 1.10 or 1.17 density. Similar experiments with [3H] uridine suggested that 90% of the plasma membranes did not contain RNA, while 10% remained questionable.
Noise reduction using multi-resolution edge detection

In this paper, a new noise reduction algorithm is proposed. In general, an edge-high frequency information in an image-would be filtered or suppressed after image smoothing. The noise would be attenuated, but the image would lose its sharp information. This defect makes the post-processing harder. One new algorithm performs connectivity analysis on edge-data to make sure that only isolated edge information that represents noise gets filtered out, hence preserving the overall edge structure of the original image. The steps of new algorithm are as follows. First, find the edge from the noisy image by multi-resolution analysis. Second, use connectivity analysis to direct a mean filter to suppress the noise while preserving the edge information. In the first step, we propose a new algorithm to find edges in a very noisy image. The algorithm is based on the analysis of a group of multi-resolution images obtained by processing the original noisy image by different Gaussian filters. After applied to a sequence of images of the same scene but with different signal-noise-ratio (snr), this method is robust to remove noise and keep the edge. Also, through statistic analysis, there exists the regularity that the parameters of the algorithm would be constant with varying images under the same snr.
Biliary secretion of methotrexate in rats and its inhibition by probenecid

Abstract The biliary secretion of methotrexate was investigated in rats under steady‐state conditions. The transport system involved was saturable and displayed Michaelis‐Menten‐type kinetics. Values for the maximal rate of transport and a transport constant analogous to the Michaelis constant were 12 mg/hr and 32 mg/liter (7 × 10 −5 M), respectively. The inhibition of this transport mechanism by probenecid also was investigated, and the relationship between the plasma concentration of probenecid and the biliary clearance of methotrexate was elucidated. The value of K i , the dissociation constant for the transport carrier‐inhibitor complex, was 23 μ g/ml (8 × 10 −5 M ).
Family resources related to wife's time inputs to housework

This study investigates the relationship of family resources to the wife's time spent in housework. Safilios-Rothschild's inventory of resources was used as a guide in selecting variables to understand utility maximization in time use. Results indicate that the number of hours the wife spent in housework increased as the number of hours spent working outside the home decreased, family size increased and her perception that income was adequate decreased. More time also was spent if she had a chronic health condition which worried her. Implications discussed included those for further research to investigate the relationship of sex roles to housework attitudes and behaviours.
A Transient Model of a Hybrid Fuel Cell/Gas Turbine Test Facility Using Simulink

The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL, U.S., D.O.E.) in Morgantown, West Virginia has successfully designed and is operating a fuel cell/turbine hybrid test facility. With the successful operation of this test facility, it is now possible to model, test and evaluate the effect of pressure and temperature transients important to the design and operation of a fuel cell/gas turbine hybrid system and provide a means of quantifying mitigation methods to address adverse impacts of such transients to the operation, safety and efficiency of these systems. This paper deals exclusively with the Simulink, lumped parameter model and its relationship to controls development. Presented in detail are the development, structure and methodology of this Simulink process model as related to the Hybrid Performance (Hyper) test facility in use at NETL. Thus far the model simulates only the test facility, which presently does not have a fuel cell, but a large plenum is used to represent the cathode air volume. Future work will insert fuel cell models developed by NETL. Components of the model are presented and described in detail. Two case studies are presented based on the effect of load shed transients on system performance. These case studies are 1.) Speed controlled load shedding, 2.) Speed set point changing.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Fatigue and fracture behavior of nickel–titanium shape-memory alloy reinforced aluminum composites

Abstract A shape-memory alloy, nickel–titanium (NiTi), has been distributed throughout an aluminum matrix, using powder-metallurgy processing, in the hope of using the shape-memory effect to achieve strengthening and improve the fatigue resistance, as compared with the aluminum matrix. The shape-memory effect was activated by cold rolling the samples at −30°C. Upon reheating to the austenite phase, the NiTi was expected to return to its original shape, while embedded in the aluminum matrix. This action created residual, internal stresses around each particle, which strengthened the material. The yield and ultimate strengths, and fatigue lives of the NiTi reinforced aluminum composites, have been improved considerably, as compared with the unreinforced material. The cross-sectional microstructures of the composites, as well as, the modes of crack growth, have been examined with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to identify fatigue and fracture mechanisms.
The mammalian homolog of suppressor-of-white-apricot regulates alternative mRNA splicing of CD45 exon 4 and fibronectin IIICS.

We have previously described human (HsSWAP) and mouse (MmSWAP) homologs to the Drosophila alternative splicing regulator suppressor-of-white-apricot (su(wa) or DmSWAP). DmSWAP was formally defined as an alternative splicing regulator by studies showing that it autoregulates splicing of its own pre-mRNA. We report here that mammalian SWAP regulates its own splicing, and also the splicing of fibronectin and CD45. Using an in vivo system of cell transfection, mammalian SWAP regulated 5′ splice site selection in splicing of its own second intron. SWAP enhanced splicing to the distal 5′ splice site, whereas the SR protein ASF/SF2 enhanced splicing to the proximal site. SWAP also regulated alternative splicing of the fibronectin IIICS region by promoting exclusion of the entire IIICS region. In contrast, ASF/SF2 stimulated inclusion of the entire IIICS region. Finally, SWAP regulated splicing of CD45 exon 4, promoting exclusion of this exon, an effect also seen with ASF/SF2. Experiments using SWAP deletion mutants showed that splicing regulation of the fibronectin IIICS region and CD45 exon 4 requires a region including a carboxyl-terminal arginine/serine (R/S)-rich motif. Since R/S motifs of various splicing proteins have been shown to interact with each other, these results suggest that the R/S motif in SWAP may regulate splicing, at least in part, through interactions with other R/S containing splicing factors.
Frequency domain analysis of cross-sectional images of the posterior mandible

Abstract The Siemens Orthophos (Siemens, Mu¨nchen, Germany) is a panoramic machine that uses a microchip to control the movements of the radiation source and film. Several programs are available for different views of the facial skeleton and associated structures. Program 16 is dedicated to cross-sectional imaging of the posterior mandible. Three millimeter cross-sections were cut from 12 cadaver specimens of the mandible. These sections were imaged separately by contact radiography, 48° hypocycloidal tomography of Philips Polytome (Philips-Massiot, Paris, France), and program 16 of the Orthophos panoramic machine. Program 16 of the Orthophos was also used to image the cross-sections after they were glued back together with the surrounding parts of the specimens. Four different images of the cross-sections were thus obtained. The contact radiographs were used as gold standards. Frequency domain analysis, which was used to compare the images resulting from each imaging modality, demonstrated that useful diagnostic information was in the range of 0.12 to 0.60 cycles/mm for the contact radiographs. In spite of differing tomographic angles for the Orthophos program 16 and the hypocycloidal tomography, the images of the 3 mm cross-sections showed similar frequency distribution. However, the Orthophos Program 16 did not produce diagnostically useful images when the cross-sections were imaged with the surrounding parts of the specimens probably because of the narrow tomographic angle used for this program. These images had strong low to medium frequency components compared with the gold standard images. These results suggest that diagnostically more useful images with the Orthophos might be obtained by increasing the tomographic angle.
Indexing Severity of Diabetic Foot Infection With 99mTc-WBC SPECT/CT Hybrid Imaging

OBJECTIVE Management of diabetic foot infection (DFI) has been hampered by limited means of accurately classifying disease severity. New hybrid nuclear/computed tomography (CT) imaging techniques elucidate a combination of wound infection parameters not previously evaluated as outcome prognosticators. Our aim is to determine if a novel standardized hybrid image-based scoring system, Composite Severity Index (CSI), has prognostic value in DFI. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Masked retrospective 99m Tc-white blood cell (WBC) single photon emission CT (SPECT)/CT image interpretation and independent chart review of 77 patients (101 feet) suspected of DFI-associated osteomyelitis at a large municipal hospital between January 2007 and July 2009. CSI scores were correlated with probability of favorable outcome (no subsequent amputation/readmission after therapeutic intervention) during median 342-day follow-up. RESULTS CSI ranged from 0–13. Receiver operating characteristic accuracy for predicting favorable outcome was 0.79 (optimal cutoff CSI, ≤2; odds ratio of therapeutic failure for CSI >2, 15.1 [95% CI 4.4–51.5]). CSI of 0 had a 92% chance of favorable outcome, which fell progressively to 25% as indices rose to ≥7. Image-based osteomyelitis versus no osteomyelitis assessment was less accurate than CSI at predicting outcome ( P = 0.016). In patients with intermediate severity (CSI 3–6), treatment failure decreased from 68 to 36% when antibiotic duration was extended to ≥42 days ( P = 0.026). CONCLUSIONS 99m Tc-WBC SPECT/CT hybrid image-derived wound infection parameters incorporated into a standardized scoring system, CSI, has prognostic value in DFI.
Diminished expression of microtubule-associated protein (MAP-2) and beta-tubulin as a putative marker for ischemic injury in neocortical transplants.

Abstract The present study examined the immunoexpression of the neuronal cytoskeletal proteins, MAP-2 and β-tubulin within a timed series of rat fetal neocortical transplants. β-tubulin is a major component of microtubules and MAP-2 regulates the assembly and stability of neuronal microtubules and is a major site for the phosphorylation cAMP dependent protein kinase in neurons. Both proteins are strongly expressed in the soma and dendrites of normal neurons. MAP-2 has been shown to be a sensitive marker for ischemia in neurons and is downregulated in this form of injury. Immunoexpression of both MAP-2 and β-tubulin in grafted cortical neurons was markedly reduced when compared to age-matched or even perinatal specimens at all post-operative times. Dendritic staining was confined to random, thin processes with no laminar patterns and staining within somata was very weak. In some specimens, somatic expression was increased and dendrites were more robustly stained when a portion of the graft was juxtaposed to a fiber tract even though in other regions of the same graft there was very weak immunostaining. The present results corroborate previous studies of cortical transplants indicating an immature structure and metabolism, and it is suggested here that the primary factor is a sublethal form of ischemic injury. Another possibility for the relative paucity of cytoskeletal protein expression could be that transplanted neurons undergo a new developmental scheme (neodevelopment) that is brought about by truncated migration patterns and abnormal synaptic connections.
Clinical Techniques: Considerations for Release of Raptors with Ocular Disease

s Traumatic ocular injuries are frequently identified in raptors presented to rehabilitation centers.1,2 Studies have reported a 14% 28% prevalence of ocular lesions among raptors admitted to rehabilitation facilities. 2 Raptors with se vere bilateral ocular damage are clearly not releasable, but there is varied opinion regarding the release of raptors that have severe visual impairment in 1 eye. 1-4
CXCR3 ligands: redundant, collaborative and antagonistic functions.

CXCR3 is a chemokine receptor that is rapidly induced on naive T cells following activation, and preferentially remains highly expressed on type-1 helper (Th1)-type CD4(+) T cells, effector CD8(+) T cells and innate-type lymphocytes, such as natural killer (NK) and NKT cells. CXCR3 is activated by three interferon (IFN)-γ-inducible ligands CXCL9 (monokine induced by gamma-interferon), CXCL10 (interferon-induced protein-10) and CXCL11 (interferon-inducible T-cell alpha chemoattractant). Although some studies have revealed that these ligands have redundant functions in vivo, other studies have demonstrated that the three CXCR3 ligands can also collaborate and even compete with each other. Differential regulation of the three ligands at specific times in defined anatomically restricted locations in vivo likely participates in the fine control of T-cell trafficking over the course of an immune response. Among the differences in regulation, CXCL10 is induced by a variety of innate stimuli that induce IFN-α/β as well as the adaptive immune cell cytokine IFN-γ, whereas CXCL9 induction is restricted to IFN-γ. In this review, we will discuss how the balance, timing and pattern of CXCR3 ligand expression appears to regulate the generation of effector T cells in the lymphoid compartment and subsequent migration into peripheral sites of Th1-type inflammation in which the CXCR3 ligands also then regulate the interactions and migratory behavior of effector T cells in an inflamed peripheral tissue.
Trouble en Route: Drug Trafficking and Clientelism in Rio de Janeiro Shantytowns

This article examines the ways that endemic drug trafficking has affected local level politics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Drawing on ethnographic analysis of political exchanges in the 1998 national elections in three favelas (shantytowns), I argue that drug trafficking has changed the practice of clientelism. Evidence and analysis in this paper will show that the persistence of drug trafficking in the city has led to the emergence of a two-tiered clientelist system in which politicians make exchanges with traffickers who then, in turn, provide some benefits to favela residents in return for their votes. This results in an arrangement that provides votes to politicians and limited assistance to the poor but does little to build the legitimacy of the political system.
Mechanical Enhancement Of Nanoporous Low-K Films As Interlayer Dielectrics By Ion Implantation

Thin films of Ultra-Low K materials such as Xerogel (K=1.76) and MSQ (K=2.2) were implanted with argon, neon, nitrogen, carbon and helium with 2 × 10 15 cm −2 and 1 × 10 16 cm −2 dose at energies varying from 20 to 50 keV at room temperature. In this work we showed that the surface hardness of the porous films is improved five times as compared to the as-deposited porous films sacrificing the dielectric constant up to 15% after implantation (e.g., from 1.76 to 2.0). The hardness persists after 450 °C annealing. It is also shown that implantation can prevent the penetration of chemical gases such as CVD precursors in the Ultra-Low K dielectrics during a CVD process.
Overexpression of the Na/Ca exchanger and reduced SERCa function

Dear Sir, We have read with great interest Dr Isenberg's editorial [1] published with our article [2] in Cardiovascular Research . Dr Isenberg's analysis highlights the numerous problems in studying Na/Ca exchanger function and Ca regulation and stresses once again that these areas of physiology are far from being completely understood. We feel, however, that some clarification is required on the following points that arise from his assessment of our article: Use of AM-forms of fluorescent indicators vs. patch-pipette loading Dr Isenberg's criticism that the possible compartmentalisation of the AM form of Indo-1 may affect our quantification of Ca fluxes is justified. The issue is not new and there are many unresolved problems with the use of this form of the indicator. Undoubtedly loading of the AM-forms is difficult to control and a possible overloading or loading into sub-cellular compartments cannot be excluded. In this respect, patch-pipette loading should be preferred. However, the reader could be misled to believe that the latter technique should have been used in our experiments. Patch-pipette loading is not a valid alternative to the AM-form of loading when the aim of the experiments is to investigate the physiological role of the Na/Ca exchanger in the intact cell. Na/Ca exchanger function is dependent on extracellular and intracellular [Ca] and [Na]. It is likely that [Ca]pip and [Na]pip modify the normal intracellular concentrations of these two ions. Any Ca buffer (e.g. BAPTA) used in the pipette will also influence the cytoplasmic Ca buffering and so the …
First‐principles calculation of second‐order elastic constants and equations of state for lithium azide, LiN3, and lead azide, Pb(N3)2

First-principle techniques are used to calculate the second-order elastic constants and equations of state for lithium azide, LiN3, and lead azide, Pb(N3)2. The bulk modulus is calculated for these systems in two independent ways and results compared. The Hartree–Fock potential and density-functional theory are used for the exchange correlation with different basis sets to examine the effects of each on the elastic constants and bulk modulus. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2010
A survey of computer science capstone course literature

In this article, we surveyed literature related to undergraduate computer science capstone courses. The survey was organized around course and project issues. Course issues included: course models, learning theories, course goals, course topics, student evaluation, and course evaluation. Project issues included: software process models, software process phases, project type, documentation, tools, groups, and instructor administration. We reflected on these issues and thecomputer science capstone course we have taught for seven years. The survey summarized, organized, and synthesized the literature to provide a referenced resource for computer science instructors and researchers interested in computer science capstone courses.
Inhibited development of Obeliscoides cuniculi in rabbits: the effects of active and passive immunization and resumption of larval development

Rabbits were either actively or passively immunized against Obeliscoides cuniculi and challenged with 5 000 infective larvae (IL). Worm development was inhibited in actively immunized animals and worm egg production was impaired by administration of immune serum. Inhibited fourth stage larvae (L4) from high-level infections (200 000 IL) and normal L4 from low-level infections (4 000 IL) were transferred to actively immunized and normal rabbits. In both instances, large numbers of L4 developed to maturity; however, a significant number of inhibited L4 failed to resume development. Inhibition of larvae resulted in the development of fewer adult male than female worms, and the change in sex ratio was further accentuated in actively immunized recipients. Worm egg production was also reduced in actively immunized rabbits. These data indicate that host immune responses contribute to inhibition of O. cuniculi in rabbits and that worm egg production is also responsive to immunologic control.
Subcutaneous abdominal adipocyte size, a predictor of type 2 diabetes, is linked to chromosome 1q21--q23 and is associated with a common polymorphism in LMNA in Pima Indians.

Abstract Large subcutaneous abdominal adipocyte size (s.c. abd. AS) is associated with insulin resistance and predicts type 2 diabetes in Pima Indians. Because type 2 diabetes is familial, we aimed to determine whether mean s.c. abd. AS is also familial and if so, to identify chromosomal regions linked to this measure. Body composition (hydrodensitometry) and mean s.c. abd. AS (fat biopsy) were measured in 295 Pima Indians (179 with normal, 80 with impaired, and 36 with diabetic glucose tolerance) representing 164 nuclear families. Mean s.c. abd. AS, adjusted for age, sex, and percentage body fat was a familial trait (heritability h 2 = 0.48, P LMNA, the gene encoding for the nuclear envelope proteins lamin A/C. Rare mutations in LMNA were recently shown to underlie familial partial lipodystrophy (FPLD), a syndrome characterized by regional loss of adipose tissue, insulin resistance, and glucose intolerance. A common (allelic frequency 0.43) single nucleotide polymorphism (silent 1908C → T substitution) in exon 10 of LMNA (GenBank X03444) was associated with reduced age-, sex- and percentage body fat-adjusted mean s.c. abd. AS [0.80 ± 0.17 (CC), 0.76 ± 0.15 (CT), 0.73 ± 0.16 (TT) μg lipid/cell, P LMNA might not only underlie rare cases of FPLD, but may also contribute to variation in adipocyte size in the general population.
Description of a new species of the diatom genus Brachysira (Bacillariophyta), Brachysira gravida sp. nov. from the Ocala National Forest, Florida, U.S.A.

The diatom Brachysira gravida Shayler & Siver sp. nov. is described from an oligotrophic, acidic, freshwater lake in the Ocala National Forest in north-central Florida, U.S.A. The richness of Brachysira was previously investigated to reveal that the genus is both abundant and morphologically diverse in this region of Florida and is therefore of particular taxonomic interest. Valves of Brachysira gravida are elliptical-rhombic with a swollen and rounded mid-region, concave margins that are not straight, and protracted rostrate apices. The combination of valve shape and size easily distinguish B. gravida as a distinct species, and provides a designation for several specimens previously published by other authors that could not be conclusively identified. Even though the new species has only been observed in one pond and from a nearby fossil deposit, it supports the concept that a relatively large number of unique and potentially endemic species of siliceous algae exist in the Ocala National Forest.
A 2.5 GHz constant envelope phase shift modulator for low-power wireless applications

A low-power constant envelope phase shift modulator is presented. The circuit switches the phase of a constant amplitude carrier at the output according to the input digital data. The operation is based on a digital circuit and therefore has very low power consumption. A modulator test chip was fabricated in a 0.18 /spl mu/m CMOS process. Experimental results verified the design principle of the modulator. The modulator consumes 2 mA and is suitable for low power wireless applications like sensor networks and personal area networks. Since the design is implemented as a digital circuit and has a broadband frequency response, the modulator can be used at various wireless bands. In addition, the modulator can be used to generate different modulation schemes by controlling the phase, and even amplitude, digitally through a phasor-combining circuit. Therefore, the modulator can potentially be used for software defined radio.
A Prospective Study of Childhood and Adult Socioeconomic Status and Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes in Women

The influence of childhood socioeconomic status (SES) on incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus has not previously been studied. The authors prospectively examined the association of childhood SES (father's occupation) with incidence of diabetes in 100,330 US women who were followed from 1980 to 2002. In 55,115 of those women, 10-year follow-up data (1992-2002) were also available on adult SES (spouse's education). In all, 6,916 new cases of type 2 diabetes were documented. Compared with women from white-collar occupational backgrounds, the multivariate-adjusted risks of diabetes were 1.08 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.95, 1.23) among women whose fathers were laborers and 1.10 (95% CI: 1.03, 1.16) among women whose fathers were blue-collar or lower white-collar workers. Lower adult SES was associated with risk of diabetes independently of childhood SES. Compared with women whose spouses had graduate degrees, women whose spouses were high school graduates had a 1.16 times higher risk of incident diabetes (95% CI: 1.04, 1.29), while women whose spouses had college degrees were at 1.14 times the risk (95% CI: 1.01, 1.29). Compared with women with stable high SES from childhood to adulthood, women with declining SES had a 1.18 times higher risk of incident diabetes (95% CI: 1.06, 1.32). Higher body mass index among women with lower SES accounted for much of these rather modest associations between childhood and adult SES and risk of diabetes.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis and the cause of consumption: from discovery to fact.

Experts seem to agree that the scourge of tuberculosis, which had been steadily worsening for at least 200 years, climaxed in western Europe around the end of the eighteenth century or the beginning of the nineteenth—in either case while the industrial revolution was in full swing. In the year 1800, according to one model, the mortality rate from tuberculosis peaked at 1,000/ 100,000 inhabitants (1) and accounted for one of every four deaths recorded in parish registries from England. Similar rates from records kept in New England at the same time attest to the colossal burden of the disease in the United States as well (2). Burgeoning industrialization created the need for a greatly enlarged workforce in manufacturing cities. Hoards of people converged from rural areas, mainly young adults, but including also adolescents and children. Living and working conditions were appalling and consisted, for many people, of overcrowded dwellings and congested factories where sanitation and hygiene were abominable. Malnutrition was epidemic and medical care, if it can be dignified as such, was virtually useless in those rare instances when it was available. No wonder tuberculosis prospered. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, consumption was considered incurable by most people, patients and physicians alike. Not surprisingly, speculation abounded concerning the cause of what was by far the number one killer of family, friends, and neighbors. Different theories were passionately espoused by leading medical authorities of the day. Some experts advocated contagion, others a constitutional hereditary defect, atmospheric imbalances, the depredations of stress, or an inevitable consequence of the degeneration of the human race; even the role of divine retribution was occasionally evoked. The controversy flourished despite the report in 1865 by Jean-Antoine Villemin, a French military surgeon, that he had been able to transmit tuberculosis from humans to rabbits by inoculation, the first clear demonstration of contagion (3); Villemin’s observations were confirmed by Edwin Klebs, Julius Cohnheim, and Carl Salomonsen in elegant experiments, but the causative agent remained elusive and skeptics prevailed (for review and references see Reference 4). Not long after, the debate was concluded— once and for all—by one of the most definitive pronouncements in medical history, though by no means all physicians believed it, and there are two accounts of the events surrounding the declaration.
Cervical Lymph Node Evaluation and Diagnosis

This article discusses the rationale for imaging cervical lymph nodes and reviews nodal anatomy and common drainage patterns, imaging features of pathologic lymph nodes, and the advantages of various imaging modalities available for evaluation and diagnosis of the lymph nodes.
Comparison of methods for depletion of albumin and IgG from equine serum.

Background: Disease-specific biomarkers hold diagnostic promise in both human and veterinary medicine, but serum biomarkers in low concentrations may be masked by the presence of abundant proteins, mostly albumin and IgG. Methods to deplete albumin and IgG exist, but efficacy of these methods for depleting equine serum of these proteins has not been established. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine if albumin and IgG could be depleted from equine serum using several commercially available kits and procedures. Methods: One-dimensional gel electrophoresis followed by densitometry was used to determine percent of albumin, IgG, and both in pooled serum from 3 horses before and after application of 7 depletion methods. Repeatability was determined by applying the 2 best methods to serum samples from 6 grade horses. Results: For pooled serum, depletion rates varied from 35–90% for albumin and 0–94% for IgG. In the repeatability study, the ProteoExtract method combined with protein G Sepharose beads to remove additional IgG provided the best overall performance with 66% albumin depletion and 100% IgG depletion. A protocol using protein G Sepharose beads to remove IgG followed by ethanol precipitation of nonalbumin proteins with albumin remaining in the supernatant was the second most effective, with 85% albumin depletion and 55% IgG depletion. Although a multiprotein immunodepletion column effectively removed 90% of the albumin, the method was ineffective at removing IgG. Conclusion: Albumin and IgG removal kits optimized for human use have variable efficacy for equine serum. Combined use of the ProteoExtract kit and manual incubation with protein G Sepharose beads provided the most effective depletion.
TOXOPLASMOSIS IN PALLAS CATS

Toxoplasmosis, characterized by antibody titers up to 16 million, isolation of T. gondii from blood, and demonstration of cyst forms of T. gondii in the tissues of neonatal kittens, occurred in pallas cats (Felis manul) in a zoo in California. Infections were clinically inapparent, except in the kittens, which developed fatal encephalitis, pneumonitis, hepatitis, myocarditis and nephritis. A possible source of infection was feral pigeons, which once formed a major part of the cats' diet.
L-type calcium channels: the low down.

L-type calcium channels couple membrane depolarization in neurons to numerous processes including gene expression, synaptic efficacy, and cell survival. To establish the contribution of L-type calc...
Software platform virtualization in chemistry research and university teaching

Modern chemistry laboratories operate with a wide range of software applications under different operating systems, such as Windows, LINUX or Mac OS X. Instead of installing software on different computers it is possible to install those applications on a single computer using Virtual Machine software. Software platform virtualization allows a single guest operating system to execute multiple other operating systems on the same computer. We apply and discuss the use of virtual machines in chemistry research and teaching laboratories. Virtual machines are commonly used for cheminformatics software development and testing. Benchmarking multiple chemistry software packages we have confirmed that the computational speed penalty for using virtual machines is low and around 5% to 10%. Software virtualization in a teaching environment allows faster deployment and easy use of commercial and open source software in hands-on computer teaching labs. Software virtualization in chemistry, mass spectrometry and cheminformatics is needed for software testing and development of software for different operating systems. In order to obtain maximum performance the virtualization software should be multi-core enabled and allow the use of multiprocessor configurations in the virtual machine environment. Server consolidation, by running multiple tasks and operating systems on a single physical machine, can lead to lower maintenance and hardware costs especially in small research labs. The use of virtual machines can prevent software virus infections and security breaches when used as a sandbox system for internet access and software testing. Complex software setups can be created with virtual machines and are easily deployed later to multiple computers for hands-on teaching classes. We discuss the popularity of bioinformatics compared to cheminformatics as well as the missing cheminformatics education at universities worldwide.
COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE OF SEASONALLY DECIDUOUS FORESTS IN THE AMERICAS

Forest canopies with leaves shed annually (seasonally deciduous forests) produce a different subcanopy environment than canopies with persistent leaves (evergreen forests). Although causes differ with latitude, seasonality might affect structure and composition of forests similarly. We explored changes in species composition and vertical structure in seasonally deciduous forests from 0°–40° N in the Americas. We measured all woody stems ≥1 cm dbh within replicated 0.0625-ha plots (16 at each of 9 sites, N > 31 000). Numbers of species, as well as density and basal area, were analyzed parametrically for canopy trees, subcanopy trees, shrubs, and lianas. Numbers of species, especially shrubs and subcanopy trees, were greater in warm (30° N) than cool (40° N) temperate forests. Much larger numbers occurred in subtropical (20° N) and tropical (10° N and 0°) forests, but did not vary in relation to latitude. Higher than expected numbers in areas <0.25 ha in all forests, but especially subtropical forests, indi...
Is Candidate Rhetorical Tone Associated with Vote Choice

Can voters be persuaded to support a candidate based on a candidate’s rhetoric instead of a candidate’s issue positions? Combining theoretical insights on voter decision-making drawn from valence theories of candidate-position taking with insights from theories of rhetoric and persuasion, the authors argue that candidate rhetorical tone can sway voters to a candidate’s side. Using DICTION 5.0, the tone of candidate speech in U.S. presidential elections is examined from 1976-2012. Candidates who present themselves using language that draws on themes of commonality, activity, and realism are more likely to win a citizen’s vote in elections. Rhetorical tone can sway voters, but only those moderate voters who are distant from both candidates. Rhetorical tone is unlikely to have an effect on voters who perceive high ideological agreement with the rhetorically-disadvantaged candidate.
Effectiveness of high-silica zeolites for the adsorption of methyl tertiary-butyl ether from natural water

MTBE adsorption isotherm data were collected for a matrix of high-silica zeolites with different pore sizes (ZSM-5/silicalite, mordenite, beta, Y), exchangeable cations (H + , Na + , NH + 4 ), and hydrophobicities (SiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 ratios). MTBE adsorption capacities of high-silica zeolites were compared with those of one coconut-shell-based and two coal-based granular activated carbons (GACs) as well as a carbonaceous resin. Isotherm experiments were conducted in ultrapure water buffered at pH 7.2 and in Tar River water (Greenville, NC) to determine the effects of co-adsorbing and preloaded natural organic matter (NOM) on MTBE adsorption. The results of this study showed that (1) high-silica zeolites with small pores (ZSM-5/silicalite, mordenite) exhibit higher MTBE adsorption capacities than GACs, (2) NOM has little or no effect on MTBE adsorption capacities of ZSM-5/silicalite zeolites, and (3) equilibrium model results suggest that silicalite-based adsorption systems are cost-competitive with activated-carbon-based adsorption systems while offering operational advantages such as longer adsorber life and possibly greater ease of regeneration.
Type Studies On Basidiomycetes. II

Murrill says that L. torminosus "is exceedingly abundant" in Gainesville, and also describes the above-cited var. glabra of that species. We have carefully studied the type of this variety as well as the specimens determined as L. torminosa in the Gainesville Herbarium, and our conclusion is that none of them belongs to L. torminosus. This incorrect determination of the plant in question is not directly Murrill's fault. Murrill, in order to determine his Lactarii of Florida, relied on Coker's monograph of the species of South Carolina where the same species is likewise described under the name of L. torminosus. Actually, the species occurring so abundantly in the south, and much less commonly in the north of the United States, and corresponding to the characters indicated by Coker, had no valid name up to 1941. A. H. Smith seems to be the only one who clearly saw this situation, and, as a consequence, described this fungus as a new species, L. psammicola, the type of which I have seen at Ann Arbor, in 1941. Though it has been well described by its author (l.c.), our own description is based on innumerable collections and adds some chemical and anatomical data not given before:
Does super-resolution fluorescence microscopy obsolete previous microscopic approaches to protein co-localization?

Conventional microscopy techniques, namely the confocal microscope or deconvolution processes, are resolution limited, ~250 nm, by the diffraction properties of light as developed by Ernst Abbe in 1873. This diffraction limit is appreciably above the size of most multi-protein complexes, which are typically 20–50 nm in diameter. In the mid 2000s, biophysicists moved beyond the diffraction barrier by structuring the illumination pattern and then applying mathematical principles and algorithms to allow a resolution of approximately 100 nm, sufficient to address protein subcellular colocalization questions. This “breaking” of the diffraction barrier, affording resolution beyond 200 nm is termed super resolution microscopy. More recent approaches include single molecule localization (such as PhotoActivated Localization Microscopy (PALM)/STochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy (STORM)) and point spread function engineering (such as STimulated Emission Depletion (STED) microscopy). In this review, we explain basic principles behind currently commercialized super resolution setups and address advantages and considerations in applying these techniques to protein colocalization in biological systems.