cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Novel popout and familiar popout in a brightness discrimination task.

A single novel word among several familiarized words may be localized more effectively than the familiarized words (novel popout). Early demonstrations of novel popout attributed the effect to the capture of attentional resources by novel stimuli. Christie and Klein (1995, 1996) argued that differential recollection of novel versus fainiliar words could alternatively account for the popout effect. In the present experiments, participants judged which of four locations contained a physically brighter word. A bright novel word was localized significantly better than a bright familiar word in one-novel/three-familiar arrays, inconsistent with a retrievability account of novel popout. However, a bright familiar word was also localized better than a bright novel word in three-novel/one-familiar arrays, inconsistent with the mismatch theory proposed by Johnston and Hawley (1994). The results suggest that familiarity and novelty provide a perceptual segregation of the odd item; superior brightness discrimination at that location may be due either to attentional capture or to locational ambiguity within the larger group.
Hyperplastic Forming: Process Potential and Factors Affecting Formability

Aluminum has an outstanding potential for reducing the mass of automobiles. One of the key problems is that it is very difficult to form without tearing. This paper has two distinct goals. First, the authors argue in an extended introduction that high velocity forming, as can be implemented through electromagnetic forming, is a technology that should be developed. As a process used in conjunction with traditional stamping, it may offer dramatically improved formability, reduced wrinkling and active control of springback among other advantages. In the body of the paper they describe the important factors that lead to improved formability at high velocity. In particular, high sample velocity can inhibit neck growth. There is a sample size dependence where larger samples have better ductility than those of smaller dimensions. These aspects are at least partially described by the recent model of Freund and Shenoy. In addition to this, boundary conditions imposed by sample launch and die impact can have important effects on formability.
Transition Metal FRET of Cyclic Nucleotide-Gated Channels Labeled with the Fluorescent Unnatural Amino Acid Anap

Current methods are ineffective at measuring ion channel structural dynamics within a cellular membrane. Fluorescent labeling of proteins can report changes in protein structure, particularly when binding sites for transition metal ions are added near the fluorophore, because transition metal ions can quench fluorescence through a FRET mechanism (tmFRET). The use of small-molecule, cysteine-reactive fluorophores is limited in a cellular context, however, because background cysteine residues in biological membranes are also labeled, making changes in fluorescence difficult to interpret. As a result, unnatural amino acids with small fluorescent side chains are an appealing choice for specifically labeling ion channels expressed in cells. To this end, we incorporated a fluorescent unnatural amino acid, 3-(6-acetylnaphthalen-2-ylamino)-2-aminopropanoic acid (Anap) (Lee et al 2009; Chatterjee et al 2013), into the cyclic nucleotide-gated channel CNGA1 at position Q417 near the endogenous Ni2+-potentiation site (H420) by replacing Q417 with an amber stop codon (CNGA1_Q417tag). Large currents were measurable from CNGA1_Q417tag channels in Xenopus ooctyes with both injection of a plasmid encoding orthogonal amber suppressor tRNA/aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase (pAnap) and incubation with L-Anap methyl ester. In the absence of either pAnap or L-Anap methyl ester, little or no current was observed, indicating that incorporation was specific for Anap at Q417tag. Compared to wild-type CNGA1 channels, CNGA1_Q417Anap channels had similar cyclic nucleotide- and voltage-dependence, and similar potentiation by both Ni2+ and Co2+ at H420. Since the absorption spectra of Co2+ overlaps substantially with the emission spectra of Anap, currents and fluorescence of CNGA1_Q417Anap channels were measured simultaneously using patch-clamp fluorometry with and without Co2+. Anap fluorescence was quenched reversibly when Co2+ potentiated CNGA1_Q417Anap currents. This approach will be useful in measuring gating conformational changes of ion channel proteins with tmFRET.
Relative hepatotoxicity of ortho and meta mono substituted thiobenzamides in the rat

Thiobenzamide is known to be hepatotoxic in the rat and the relative hepatotoxicity of para-substituted thiobenzamides has previously been shown to depend strictly on the electronic character of the para substituent. We have now extended this study to include ortho and meta monosubstituted thiobenzamides. Among the meta-substituted compounds, hepatotoxicity varies in strict accordance with the electronic character of the substituent, whereas the ortho-substituted compounds show no toxicity at comparable doses regardless of the nature of the substituent. Explanations for these substituent effects are provided in terms of the chemical reactivity of the compounds and their corresponding S-oxide and S,S-dioxide metabolites.
Shades of green: A psychographic segmentation of the green consumer in Kuwait using self-organizing maps

This study uses self-organizing maps (SOM) to examine the effect of various psychographic and cognitive factors on green consumption in Kuwait. SOM is a machine learning method that can be used to explore patterns in large and complex datasets for linear and non-linear patterns. The results show that major variables affecting green consumption are related to altruistic values, environmental concern, environmental knowledge, skepticism towards environmental claims, attitudes toward green consumption, and intention to buy green products. The study also shows that SOM models are capable of improving clustering quality while extracting valuable information from multidimensional data.
The effects of the urban built environment on the spatial distribution of lead in residential soils.

Lead contamination of urban residential soils is a public health concern. Consequently, there is a need to delineate hotspots in the landscape to identify risk and facilitate remediation. Land use is a good predictor of some environmental pollutants. However, in the case of soil lead, research has shown that land use is not a useful proxy. We hypothesize that soil lead is related to both individual landscape features at the parcel scale and the landscape context in which parcels are embedded. We sampled soil lead on 61 residential parcels in Baltimore, Maryland using field-portable x-ray fluorescence. Thirty percent of parcels had average lead concentrations that exceeded the USEPA limit of 400 ppm and 53% had at least one reading that exceeded 400 ppm. Results indicate that soil lead is strongly associated with housing age, distance to roadways, and on a parcel scale, distance to built structures.
Current measurements within the electrospray emitter

A movable disc-like wire probe electrode placed inside the electrospray (ES) capillary was used to measure currents flowing within the ES device for the first time. Currents were measured between the wire probe and the ES capillary. Current maps revealing measured current versus wire probe position were generated for a variety of solution conditions in the positive and negative ion modes and are compared to potential maps. The electrospray device was found to subsist on highly stable total currents; this current regulator aspect of the ES device showed remarkable resiliency regardless of the proportion of current produced at the wire probe electrode versus the ES capillary. However, kinks observed in the current and potential maps are attributed to adsorbed air participating in electrochemical reactions, and turbulence in solution flow in the region of the Taylor cone. From differential electrospray emitter potential (DEEP) maps, current maps, and cyclic voltammetry experiments performed at different wire probe locations, evidence is provided for separate regimes of current flow in the bulk solution and in the thin “skin” of highly conductive electrolyte constituting the outer surface (air interface) of the Taylor cone. Current maps reveal that current is drawn more evenly along the length of the ES capillary when solutions are highly conductive, in agreement with previous results for DEEP maps. In less conductive solutions, the area close to the capillary exit contributes more heavily to current production. Evidence that contaminant participation in electrochemical processes occurring within the electrospray device can be largely responsible for production of the excess charge in ES droplets is also provided. These investigations complement previous DEEP mapping studies to further elucidate the details of the electrochemical processes occurring within the electrospray device.
A remark on the poincaré lenma in analytic complexes with nondegenerate levi form

(1982). A remark on the poincare lenma in analytic complexes with nondegenerate levi form. Communications in Partial Differential Equations: Vol. 7, No. 12, pp. 1467-1482.
Photonic crystal lasers in InGaAsP on a SiO(2)/Si substrates and its thermal impedance.

Two-dimensional photonic crystal defect lasers in InGaAsP membranes directly bonded to a SiO2/Si substrate have been demonstrated. Lasing at wavelengths near 1550 nm was obtained with incident threshold pump powers as low as 1.5 mW. Good agreement between experimental data and three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulation was achieved. The thermal impedance of this laser is also characterized.
The ubiquitin-activating enzyme (E1) gene family in Arabidopsis thaliana

Conjugation of multiple ubiquitins serves as a committed step in the degradation of a variety of intracellular eukaryotic proteins by the 26S proteasome. Conjugates are formed via a three-enzyme cascade; the initial step requires ubiquitin-activating enzyme (E1), which couples ubiquitin activation to ATP hydrolysis. Previously, we showed that many higher plants contain multiple E1 proteins and described several E1 genes from wheat. To facilitate understanding of the roles of the different plant E1s, we characterized the E1 gene and protein family from Arabidopsis thaliana. Arabidopsis E1s are encoded by two genes (AtUBA1 and AtUBA2) that synthesize approximately 123-kDa proteins with 81% amino acid sequence identity to each other and 44-75% sequence identity with confirmed E1s from other organisms. Like other E1 proteins, AtUBA1 and 2 contain a cysteine residue in the putative active site for forming the ubiquitin thiol-ester intermediate. Enzymatic analysis of the corresponding proteins expressed in Escherichia coli demonstrated that both proteins activate ubiquitin in an ATP-dependent reaction and transfer the activated ubiquitin to a variety of Arabidopsis E2s with near equal specificity. Expression studies by quantitative RT-PCR and histochemistry with transgenic plants containing AtUBA promoter-beta-glucuronidase-coding region fusions showed that the AtUBA1 and 2 genes are co-expressed in most, if not all, Arabidopsis tissues and cells. Collectively, the data indicate that E1 proteins, and presumably the rest of the ubiquitin pathway, are present throughout Arabidopsis. They also show that the AtUBA1 and 2 genes are not differentially expressed nor do they encode E1s with dramatically distinct enzymatic properties.
Hemoglobin A1c Criterion for Diabetes Diagnosis Among Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Populations

ABSTRACT Objective To report on the performance of the recently recommended hemoglobin A1c (A1C) criterion for diabetes diagnosis in comparison with the standard fasting plasma glucose and 2-hour post-glucose challenge (PG) test criteria across racial and ethnic groups. Methods We evaluated local and national survey data from 689 Dominican, 4, 862 Hispanic, 4, 694 African American, and 6, 883 white study subjects. We compared rates of diabetes classification by diagnostic criteria, agreement and disagreement between A1C and PG criteria for diagnosing diabetes, and differences in cardiometabolic risk among the 3 diagnostic groups across racial and ethnic stratifications. Results The A1C-based diabetes diagnoses were higher among Dominican and African American study subjects (81.6% and 67.0%, respectively), and lower among Hispanic and white subjects (46.0% and 37.9%, respectively). Among those not meeting any PG criterion for diabetes, the A1C criterion identified diabetes in 8.3% of Dominican, 3.5% of African American, 0.9% of Hispanic, and 0.5% of white study subjects. The A1C criterion, however, did not identify diabetes in 64.5% of white, 46.1% of Dominican, 44.0% of African American, and 41.9% of Hispanic subjects who were diagnosed with diabetes by a PG criterion. For single tests, the agreement was greatest between A1C and fasting plasma glucose test criteria among Dominican, Hispanic, and African American study populations—76.9%, 65.6%, and 60.7%, respectively. There was no clear difference in selected cardiometabolic risks between A1C and PG-only diabetes diagnoses across racial and ethnic groups. Conclusion The A1C criterion yields racialand ethnic-specific differences in diagnosing diabetes and in test agreements with PG-based criteria. Furthermore, diagnostic differences were observed between the Dominican subgroup and the Hispanic study population, of whom 91.5% were Mexican American. (Endocr Pract. 2011;17: 210-217)
The Costs of Type B Behavior: Females at Risk in Achievement Situations'

This study investigated the costs associated with the Type B behavior pattern in an achievement task completed by 84 male and female fifth- and sixth-grade students preselected for their Type A-B scores. We hypothesized that the achievement behaviors of Type B girls, in comparison to boys and Type A girls, would be most negatively affected by failure experiences. Hypothesis-testing strategies were assessed during a discrimination task that included eight training, four forced failure, and four success problems. Self-ratings of performance were obtained following failure and success experiences, and preference for challenge was measured. As expected. Type B girls in comparison to all other children showed the greatest decrement in their hypothesis-testing strategies during failure, appeared to have the most difficulty recovering from failure, were the only group to view their performance following success as poorer than other children's performance, and exhibited the least preference for challenge. These findings suggest that Type B girls are at risk in achievement situations.
Lunar meteorite Queen Alexandra Range 93069 and the iron concentration of the lunar highlands surface

Lunar meteorite Queen Alexandra Range 93069 is a clast-rich, glassy-matrix regolith breccia of ferroan, highly aluminous bulk composition. It is similar in composition to other feldspathic lunar meteorites but differs in having higher concentrations of siderophile elements and incompatible trace elements. Based on electron microprobe analyses of the fusion crust, glassy matrix, and clasts, and instrumental neutron activation analysis of breccia fragments, QUE 93069 is dominated by nonmare components of ferroan, noritic- anorthosite bulk composition. Thin section QUE 93069,31 also contains a large, impact-melted, partially devitrified clast of magnesian, anorthositic-norite composition. The enrichment in Fe, Sc, and Cr and lower Mg/Fe ratio of lunar meteorites Yamato 791197 and Yamato 82192/3 compared to other feldspathic lunar meteorites can be attributed to a small proportion (5-10%) of low-Ti mare basalt. It is likely that the non- mare components of Yamato 82192/3 are similar to and occur in similar abundance to those of Yamato 86032, with which it is paired. There is a significant difference between the average FeO concentration of the lunar highlands surface as inferred from the feldspathic lunar meteorites (mean: approx. 5.0%; range: 4.3-6.1 %) and a recent estimate based on data from the Clementine mission (3.6%).
Inequality, unemployment and growth: New measures for old controversies

This essay surveys some of the work of the University of Texas Inequality Project, a small research group that for the past decade has worked primarily to develop new measures of economic inequality, using a method based on the between-groups component of Theil’s T statistic. In this way, inequality statistics can be computed from many diverse and mundane sources of information, including regional tax collections, employment and earnings, census of manufacturing, and harmonized international industrial data sets. The rich data environment so constructed permits new analyses of patterns of economic change, by region, by sector, and by country, and broadly supports the idea that the movement of inequality is closely related to macroeconomic events at the national and the global level.
Simplified local-density theory of the cohesive energy of metals

A simplified but accurate theory of the cohesive energy of metals has been developed from the density-functional formalism of Kohn and Sham. In this theory, the total energy of both the free atom and the solid is expressed as a sum of a core and a valence binding energy, and the cohesive energy is reduced (apart from a zero-point vibrational term) to a difference in binding energies. The free-atom binding energy is directly calculated, and accurately (to within 3%) matches the experimental ionization energy in nonrelativistic elements. The binding energy of the metal, on the other hand, is obtained by the generalized pseudopotential method developed previously by the author. This latter step permits all band-structure and self-consistent screening effects to be incorporated analytically. The calculated cohesive energy agrees well with both experiment (to about 20%) and heavy numerical computation (to about 10%) in simple as well as $d$-band metals. More importantly, the method permits the physical origins of the cohesion to be identified in each case, and these are discussed for 22 nontransition metals. It is found that band-structure effects are important in all nonalkali metals and, in particular, that $\mathrm{sd}$ hybridization contributes 30%-60% of the cohesion in the alkaline-earth and noble metals. In addition, the large relativistic energy shifts inherent in the binding energies of the heavy metals are seen to approximately cancel in the cohesive energy.
Research Note: Naloxone Inhibits Drinking in the Chick Induced by Angiotensin II

Abstract Subcutaneous injection of Angiotensin II (AII) induces a rapid increase in water intake in the chick. These studies were designed to determine whether this response was mediated through the opioid system. Injection of AII stimulated a rapid increase in water intake. Administration of naloxone, an opioid antagonist, attenuated AII-induced drinking in the chick. These data would indicate that the opioids may be involved in the drinking response elicited by AII.
A Primary Approach to Reading: Review of Early Literacy Interventions Implemented in Pediatric Settings

Children who begin school with less developed early literacy skills often have a difficult time catching up to their peers, and children who are poor readers in the first few years of school continue struggling with reading when compared with their peers at later grades. Before school entry, schools may be limited in their regular access to families. In contrast, pediatricians are poised to assist with prevention-oriented literacy efforts for young children, as almost all children see health care providers regularly for well-child visits before starting school. The purpose of this review was to examine the literature on early literacy interventions implemented in pediatric health settings. Across 14 studies, results indicated that all interventions included providing books to participants, most included anticipatory guidance from the physician, and about two thirds included modeling of reading skills in the waiting room. Typically examined outcomes were parent attitudes and behaviors, and results demonstr...
Shift in energy of a Gγ = 2 depolarization resonance by means of a partial Type III Siberian Snake in an electron cooling system

Abstract A significant downward shift in the energy of an imperfection depolarizing resonance for a stored and electron-cooled proton beam in the Cooler ring at the Indiana University Cyclotron Facility (IUCF) is explained by the confinement fields of the electron beam, which combine to act as a partial Siberian Snake of Type III, which shifts the spin tune. As imperfection depolarizing resonances may be used for the purpose of energy calibration, the existence of a major source of systematic error in a ring with electron cooling may be of general interest. The Type III snake also may have useful applications.
Home Energy Conservation in the Las Vegas Valley

Pulte Homes, a production home builder and community developer partnering with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Building America program, has collaborated with the Center for Energy Research at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and NV Energy, the local electric utility, on an energy conservation project in the Las Vegas Valley. This study entails four model homes at a new development named Villa Trieste, located in the Summerlin community of Las Vegas. The models, ranging in floor plan area from 1,487 to 1,777 square feet, have been constructed under the Environments for Living program and have been platinum certified by LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for Homes. According to the Home Energy Rating System Index, all four models are over 50% more efficient than homes of equal size built to 2006 International Energy Conservation Code standards. The study focuses on the cost benefit of installing additional efficiency upgrades in future homes at the development. Though all proposed upgrades offer reductions in energy use, many offer little improvement relative to their installation costs. Higher-efficiency windows, heat recovery ventilators, and R-36 spray foam attic insulation have been deemed appropriate measures for future homes. All homes are to be equipped with photovoltaic arrays; increasing the size of the arrays will cost-effectively reduce net energy consumption.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
The chemokine receptor CXCR4 as a novel independent prognostic marker for node-positive breast cancer patients

Background Node-positive breast cancer patients are a high-risk group. However, not all such patients will succumb to the disease. The molecular basis for this biologic heterogeneity is poorly understood. The chemokine receptor CXCR4 is a marker of metastatic disease. Its prognostic role in node-positive patients is unknown. We postulate that high CXCR4 overexpression in node-positive breast cancer specimens predicts a poor outcome. Methods 185 node-positive breast cancer patients were evaluated. All had standardized treatment and surveillance protocols. CXCR4 levels were detected with Western blots. Results were quantified against 1 µg of HeLa cells. CXCR4 expression was defined as high (≥7.5-fold) or low (<7.5-fold). Primary endpoints were cancer recurrence and death. Statistical analyses were Kaplan–Meier curves, log-rank test, and Cox proportional hazard model, with a P-value of ≤0.05 as significant. Results The mean follow-up time was 54 months; 148 patients (80%) had low CXCR4 and 37 patients (20%) had high CXCR4 level. The 5-year overall survival (OS) for the low and high CXCR4 group was 69% and 57%, respectively (P = 0.02). The 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) for the low and high CXCR4 group was 62% and 53%, respectively (P = 0.08). On multivariate analysis, T stage (P = 0.001) and grade (P = 0.04) were independent predictors of DFS, while T stage (P = 0.005), grade (P = 0.024), and CXCR4 level (P = 0.01) were independent predictors of OS. Conclusion High CXCR4 level in cancer specimens independently predicts a poor outcome for patients with node-positive breast cancer. J. Surg. Oncol. 2012; 106:393–398. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
α-Synuclein Populates Both Elongated and Broken Helix States on Small Unilamellar Vesicles

The misfolding of the protein α-synuclein (αS) has been implicated in the molecular chain of events leading to Parkinson disease. Physiologically, αS undergoes a transition from a random coil to helical conformation upon encountering synaptic vesicle membranes. On analogous small unilamellar vesicles (SUVs), the conformation of αS is dominated by a single elongated αS helix. However, alternative broken helix states have been postulated, mandating experimental clarification. Here, the upper limit for the free energy difference between elongated and broken helix conformations on SUVs resembling synaptic vesicles was determined to be 1.2 ± 0.4 kcal/mol, which amounts to a population ratio of 7.6:1 between both states (12% broken helices). In response to helix breaks at different positions, αS rearranged in an opportunistic manner, thereby minimizing helix abrogations to as little as one to two turns. Enthalpy and entropy measurements of gel state SUV-αS interactions indicated that broken helix states retain the ability to relieve membrane-packing stress. Thus, broken helix states are a distinct physiological feature of the vesicle-bound αS state, making it a “checkered” protein of multiple parallel conformations. A continuous interconversion between structural states may contribute to pathological αS misfolding.
Enfuvirtide, a new drug for HIV infection.

The addition of enfuvirtide to a new optimised regimen of antiretroviral agents has been convincingly shown to improve virological and immunological responses in patients who are highly experienced with previous treatment. Therapy for these individuals however remains far from satisfactory. Only 19·6% of patients who received enfuvirtide achieved less than 50 copies of HIV RNA per mL after 24 weeks of therapy (7·3% with the optimised background regimen). The durability of response is unknown as is any effect on progression of clinical disease. The addition of enfuvirtide to a regimen comes at a staggering increase in cost. The yearly cost of a zidovudine lamivudine tenofovir plus lopinavir/ritonavir regimen is US$21 500 (average wholesale price); the yearly cost of enfuvirtide is about $20 000. These considerations dampen enthusiasm for enfuvirtide and cost in particular will restrict its use. Still enfuvirtide illustrates the science of drug discovery that has advanced the pharmacotherapy of HIV infection and improved the lives of those infected. And these are reasons to welcome its availability. (excerpt)
National Solution or Model from Abroad? Analyzing International Influences on the Parity Movement in France

In the 1990s a movement emerged in France for the equal representation of women and men in political life. Proponents of ‘parity’ achieved reform of the Constitution in 1999 and the electoral law in 2000, which together require political parties to nominate 50 percent women and 50 percent men among their electoral candidates. Given the unusual set of theoretical arguments developed over the course of the campaign, many sources portray parity as a uniquely French answer to the under-representation of women in political life. I argue that the parity instead constituted a reaction to earlier failed attempts to promote women's political presence, shaped strongly by two influences from abroad — the Green movement and the Council of Europe — and one at home, the bicentennial of the French Revolution.
TREATMENT OF THREATENED S.I.D.S. WITH MEGADOSF THIAMINE HYDROCHLORIDE

Steinschneider presented good evidence that infants who died suddenly and unexpectedly frequently have premonitory symptoms which enable the alert physician to recognize the danger (Pediat 50:646, 1972). Fehily (Br. Med. J. 2:590, 1944) described a syndrome of sudden death in Chinese infants in Hong Kong called “breast milk toxicity syndrome”. It commonly occurred in infants who were breast fed by their B1 avitaminotic mothers and was related to caloric intake. When maternal calorie intake was forcibly reduced by Japanese invaders, the syndrome disappeared. It reappeared when rationing of rice was discontinued. Rarity of the syndrome under the age of 1 month and over 5 months, a peak incidence at 3-4 months, predilection for “well nourished” males, higher incidence in early spring, death during sleep and lack of autopsy histopathology, were identical to the epidemiology of modern S.I.D.S. with the exception of breast Vs bottle feeding. Japanese investigators showed that thiamine deficiency produced autonomic dysfunction and detected histopathology within the central and peripheral components of the system. In 9 infants within this age group, symptoms of autonomic dysfunction suggested candidacy for S.I.D.S. and included life threatening apnea in all. Monitoring in hospital confirmed the symptoms. All of the infants were treated with thiamine hydrochloride, varying from 30 to 300 mg/day. No damaging side effects were seen and symptoms disappeared rapidly in all. All are well in follow up and only 2 have remained extensively dependent upon thiamine.
Improving MR quantification of regional blood volume with intravascular T1 contrast agents: Accuracy, precision, and water exchange

The goal of this work was to develop a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between vascular proton exchange rates and the accuracy and precision of tissue blood volume estimates using intravascular T1 contrast agents. Using computer simulations, the effects of vascular proton exchange and experimental pulse sequence parameters on measurement accuracy were quantified. T1 and signal measurements made in a rat model implanted with R3230 mammary adenocarcinoma tumors demonstrated that the theoretical findings are biologically relevant; data demonstrated that over-simplified exchange models may result in measures of tumor, muscle, and liver blood volume fractions that depend on experimental parameters such as the vascular contrast concentration. As a solution to the measurement of blood volume in tissues with exchange that is unknown, methods that minimize exchange rate dependence were examined. Simulations that estimated both the accuracy and precision of such methods indicated that both the inversion recovery and the transverse-spoiled gradient echo methods using a "no-exchange" model provide the best trade-off between accuracy and precision.
Photoreceptor transplantation: anatomic, electrophysiologic, and behavioral evidence for the functional reconstruction of retinas lacking photoreceptors.

Abstract We have investigated the possibility of using transplatation of immature or mature rodent photoreceptors as well as mature human photoreceptors to reconstruct retinas in which photoreceptor degeneration is either inherited or environmentally induced. To this end, we have devised methods for isolating and transplanting the outer nuclear layer (ONL) (e.g., the photoreceptor layer) to the subretinal space of mature rodents. In addition we found that if portions of the inner retina are transplanted along with the intact photoreceptor sheet, photoreceptor organization is better maintained. In ultrastructural studies of the reconstructed retina an outer plexiform-like layer (OPL) is visible at the interface of the transplanted ONL and the host inner nuclear layer, with invaginating ribbon synapses characteristic of those formed by rod photoreceptors evident within this OPL. Ribbon synapses are found only rarely in unreconstructed retina. These results suggest that synaptic connections between transplanted photoreceptors and host cells may be made. Evidence for the potential recovery of function following photoreceptor transplantation is found in visually evoked cortical responses and behavioral responses (pupillary reflex) to light stimulation of the reconstructed eye. These findings suggest the possibility that neural transplantation can reconstruct a sensory end organ—in this case the retina—to restore evoked activity and an appropriate behavioral response to sensory stimulation.
BOUNDARY CONDITION TESTS OF BID AND ASK PRICES OF INDEX CALL OPTIONS

Boundary conditions are established and tested for call options on the S&P 100 Index. The data consist of daily closing bid and ask quotes for the first four months of 1984. Four types of tests—the immediate exercise, European lower bound, vertical spread, and butterfly spread (convexity rule)—are performed on both an immediate and delayed execution basis. Violations are infrequent and those that occur tend to reverse by the end of the following day. Index options, therefore, are priced consistently with rational boundary conditions.
Monoamniotic twin pregnancy: continuous inpatient electronic fetal monitoring—an impossible goal?

Objective We sought to determine the effectiveness of continuous fetal monitoring in monoamniotic twins and assess the percentage of successful monitoring across gestation. Study Design This was a single-center retrospective cohort analysis of monoamniotic twins. Each subject's entire electronic fetal heart tracing was reviewed. The primary outcome measure was the percentage of time that 0, 1, and 2 fetuses were successfully monitored. To compare the effectiveness of monitoring across gestation, these data were stratified by gestational age ( 30 weeks). Results A total of 10,402 hours of fetal monitoring were reviewed for 17 monoamniotic twin pairs. Successful monitoring of 0, 1, and 2 fetuses occurred 21.2%, 27.1%, and 51.6% of the time, respectively. Successful monitoring of both fetuses was positively correlated with gestational age ( 30 weeks 57%; P Conclusion Successful monitoring of both fetuses occurred 51.6% of the time. Continuous monitoring efficiency improved with advancing gestational age.
Isolation, characterization, and mapping of four novel polymorphic markers and an H3.3B pseudogene to chromosome 9p21-22

Alterations in chromosomal region 9p21-22 are among the most frequently encountered cytogenetic changes present in a number of human malignancies. In addition, the causative genes of a number of hereditary cancers have been genetically mapped to this region. We describe the isolation and precise localization of four novel polymorphic markers and a previously identified marker, D9S1846, from this region. Moreover, we have identified a retroposon-rich area within this oncogenic region containing a processed H3.3B pseudogene flanked by an L1 sequence and an Alu element. Together, these finely mapped and ordered reagents should prove useful for genetic mapping, sequencing, and loss of heterozygosity studies of the 9p21-22 region.
Occurrence and speciation of organometallic compounds in freshwater systems

Abstract Organometals and organometalloids have been found in environmental samples as a result of their extensive usage and biotic and abiotic methylation processes. Alkyllead and organotin compounds are the most widely used organometals. In connection with studies of organometallic speciation, highly sensitive, and specific analytical techniques have been developed using combination analytical systems. At present, combination systems consisting of a separation technique coupled with an element-specific, atomic spectrometric detector are most satisfactory. A variety of atomic spectrometric detectors have been used in combination with gas chromatography and liquid chromatography.
Evaluating Public and Community Health Programs

This commentary provides a comprehensive review of key issues related to evaluating public and community health programs. This book is a valuable resource introducing a participatory model for evaluation and describes the approaches and methods for evaluating community health programs and policy interventions. Topics in the chapters are logically sequenced with sufficient details to orient public health and community health students as well as practitioners to program evaluation. The book's emphasis on participatory approaches throughout the program evaluation process is congruent with the current trend of encouraging community-based participatory research in public health and health promotion. Two primary evaluation frameworks that are most common in public and community health are integrated and discussed: the Donaldson three-step program theory-driven evaluation approach and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's six-step Framework for Program Evaluation in Public Health. The book consists of a detailed survey of methods in community assessment, planning, program design, quantitative and qualitative data collection, data analysis, and reporting of findings to provide readers with a systematic, step-by-step process to program evaluation. It is a timely and well-written resource for faculty and students interested in participatory research to develop community-validated evaluation research. Language: en
Four Hundred Consecutive Pars Plana Vitrectomies With the Vitrophage

• We performed 400 consecutive pars plana vitrectomies, using the vitrophage. Most patients (68%) showed some degree of visual improvement; only 8% had a decline in visual acuity postoperatively. The major operative complications were controllable bleeding from iris vessels and intravitreal stalks (19%) and retinal tears (2%). No retinal dialysis was noted. The major, early postoperative complications were related to corneal decompensation in 38% of the cases; this persisted beyond two weeks in only 7%. Increased intraocular pressure occurred in 19% and postoperative rubeosis iridis developed in 10% of the diabetic patients. Complications related to rebleeding occurred in 18% of the diabetic patients within the first two weeks, and an additional 9% had late rebleeding. Less frequent complications included one case of endophthalmitis, late retinal detachment in 5%, and phthisis bulbi in 2% of all cases. All complications were considerably more frequent and severe in the diabetic population.
The Quiche Mayas of Utatlan: The Evolution of a Highland Guatemala Kingdom

Now available in paperback for the first time since its publication in 1980, The Quiche Mayas of Utatlan offers a full account of the Quiches, the most powerful Maya group in the Guatemala highlands at the time of the Spanish Conquest. The Quiches ruled from the city they built on the highland plains, to which they gave the splendid name K'umarcaaj, but which became known throughout the Maya world as Utatlan. Robert M. Carmack re-creates the setting of this empire, and peoples it with the rulers, priests, warriors, allies, and travelers who gave it life. He describes the fall of Utatlan to the conquistadors, and the Quiches' efforts to retain a semblance of their political structure and belief system. Drawing upon archaeological discoveries and native and Spanish written documents, Carmack has produced a work that is essential to understanding the Quiche people and indispensable to a full appreciation of the immortal work the Popol Vuh, the ""first book of the New World.
Solid Phase Conjugation Chemistry: Use of Alloc as a Protecting Group for 2′-Aminolinker Containing Oligonucleotides

Abstract The drug properties of antisense and antigene oligonucleotides can he enhanced by strategic positioning of ligands capable of ameliorating these properties.1,2 Certain ligands may improve the cellular delivery of oligomers and increase their affinity for the target gene and resistance to nucleases. The 2′-O-position is an attractive modification site.3 Oligonucleotides possessing the 2′-O-akyl modifications exhibit higher chemical stability under depurination conditions, higher stability to enzymatic cleavage by both endo- and exonucleases, and increased affinity for target mRNA. In addition, they form highly stable triple helices. Thus they promise to be versatile compounds in controlling gene expression by antisense and antigene technologies.
Structure of the sulfur-adsorbed Cu3Au(110) surface

Abstract The sulfur-adsorbed Cu 3 Au(110) surface (precise bulk composition is 71.7% Cu and 28.3% Au) has been studied with RHEED and Auger spectroscopy. The sulfur is segregated from inside of the bulk crystal. It has been found that the composition and the structure of the surface depend on the surface sulfur concentration. The ratio of Au and Cu concentration on the surface drops drastically in a uniform way with the increase of the sulfur coverage. At different sulfur coverages (2 × 2), (2 × 3), (2 × 4) and (3 × 2) structures and some incommensurate (3 × 2) ∗ structures have been observed. It is found that under low sulfur coverage the original (2 × 1) lattice at the first layer of the clean surface remains mostly unchanged, although some Au atoms are lost from the surface due to the sulfur adsorption. Under very high sulfur coverage the surface appears to be similar to the sulfur-adsorbed Cu(110) surface, in which the sulfur atoms are adsorbed at the hollow site of the substrate lattice. The linear relation of surface composition changes implies that the hollow site model is valid for all the surfaces with different sulfur concentration. The different reconstructions are formed by different periodical distributions of occupied and unoccupied sites, which depend on the sulfur coverage.
Abstract IA1: Characterization of pancreatic circulating tumor cells for novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most lethal cancers where the vast majority of patients are diagnosed too late and conventional therapies have largely been ineffective, making early detection modalities and novel avenues for drug development greatly needed. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) shed into blood from represent a noninvasive liquid biopsy that can serve as a source for dynamic disease monitoring and a valuable source of cells to study the metastatic process. Although extraordinarily rare, we have developed a microfluidic CTC capture device to isolate sufficient number of CTCs for investigation. Using an endogenous pancreatic cancer mouse model, we have been able to isolate mouse pancreatic CTCs and subjected CTCs to single molecule RNA sequencing to identify cellular pathways contributing to metastasis. An initial candidate CTC gene Wnt2 was found to suppress anoikis, enhances anchorage-independent sphere formation, and increases metastatic propensity in vivo. This effect is associated with Map3k7 (Tak1) kinase activation and upregulation of fibronectin. Translation of these findings in human pancreatic CTCs revealed enrichment of Wnt signaling as well as upregulation of multiple Wnt genes during formation of non-adherent tumor spheres by pancreatic cancer cell lines. This demonstrates the potential of molecular analysis of CTCs to identify candidate therapeutic targets to prevent the distal spread of cancer. Citation Format: David T. Ting. Characterization of pancreatic circulating tumor cells for novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Pancreatic Cancer: Progress and Challenges; Jun 18-21, 2012; Lake Tahoe, NV. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(12 Suppl):Abstract nr IA1.
Expression of Adrenomedullin, a Hypotensive Peptide, in the Trophoblast Giant Cells at the Embryo Implantation Site in Mouse

Adrenomedullin (AM) is a newly discovered hypotensive peptide which is believed to play an important role for blood pressure control in the adult. Although it has been well established that a major production site of AM is vascular endothelial cells, we now show that AM is most highly expressed in trophoblast giant cells, which are derived from the conceptus and are directly in contact with maternal tissues at the implantation site. Northern blot and in situ hybridization analyses show that the AM mRNA begins to be detected just after implantation and its level peaks at 9.5 days postconception (d.p.c.) in those cells. Expression then falls dramatically after 10.5 d.p.c., coincident with the completion of the mature chorioallantoic placenta. Immunohistochemical analyses show that the AM peptide is secreted from the trophoblast giant cells into the surrounding tissues, i.e., embryo, decidua, and maternal circulation. In contrast, the expression of an AM receptor was not detected by Northern blot analyses in either embryo or trophoblast giant cells at 7 d.p.c., when the AM gene is most highly expressed in the trophoblast giant cells. This suggests that the AM produced and secreted from the embryo's trophoblast giant cells acts on the maternal tissues rather than on the embryonic tissues. Based on these results, we propose that the high production of AM may be the mechanism by which the embryos survive at the early postimplantation period by pooling maternal blood in the implantation site in order to secure nutrition and oxygen before the establishment of efficient embryo-maternal circulation through the mature placenta.
The Transition between Transcriptional Initiation and Elongation in E. coli Is Highly Variable and Often Rate Limiting

We perform a genome-wide analysis of the transition between transcriptional initiation and elongation in Escherichia coli by determining the association of core RNA polymerase (RNAP) and the promoter-recognition factor sigma70 with respect to RNA transcripts. We identify 1286 sigma70-associated promoters, including many internal to known operons, and demonstrate that sigma70 is usually released very rapidly from elongating RNAP complexes. On average, RNAP density is higher at the promoter than in the coding sequence, although the ratio is highly variable among different transcribed regions. Strikingly, a significant fraction of RNAP-bound promoters is not associated with transcriptional activity, perhaps due to an intrinsic energetic barrier to promoter escape. Thus, the transition from transcriptional initiation to elongation is highly variable, often rate limiting, and in some cases is essentially blocked such that RNAP is effectively "poised" to transcribe only under the appropriate environmental conditions. The genomic pattern of RNAP density in E. coli differs from that in yeast and mammalian cells.
How High-Resolution Basal-State Functional Imaging Can Guide the Development of New Pharmacotherapies for Schizophrenia

We describe here a coordinated brain imaging and animal models approach in which we have shown that the hippocampal CA1 region is a principal node in schizophrenia pathogenesis and have identified a novel treatment approach to the disorder based on inhibition of glutamate release. To identify biomarkers, we have focused on the putative prodromal period, typically lasting a few years, preceding the first onset of psychosis. About one-third of a high-risk cohort followed prospectively for 2.5 years will progress to threshold psychosis, making it possible to perform a relatively short prospective study. We have utilized a technological development in functional imaging techniques in which we measure cerebral blood volume (CBV), which allows for interrogation of subregions of the brain in the basal state at submillimeter resolution. Measurements of CBV in schizophrenia as well as in high-risk or prodromal stages can then pinpoint brain subregions differentially targeted during the earliest stages of the disorder. Our data suggest that the CA1 subfield of the hippocampal formation is most consistently implicated across disease stages, identifying a putative biomarker suitable for guiding drug development. Our studies in transgenic mice mutant in the glutamate synthetic enzyme glutaminase support the hypothesis that CA1 hyperfunction is due to altered glutamatergic neurotransmission. As a proof of principle, the glutaminase-deficient mice suggest that pharmacotherapies that reduce glutamatergic neurotransmission in the CA1 subfield may be a uniquely effective therapeutic strategy in schizophrenia and preventative in prodromal stages of the disorder.