cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Functional brain activation to emotionally valenced faces in school-aged children with a history of preschool-onset major depression.

Background Recent research has demonstrated that clinical depression can emerge as early as the preschool period. Here, we examine brain function in children with a history of preschool-onset depression (PO-MDD) in comparison with healthy children. Methods Participants were medication naive school-aged children (ages 7–11) with PO-MDD ( n = 22) or no psychiatric history ( n = 16) followed longitudinally as part of the Preschool Depression Study. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging measures of blood oxygen level-dependent signal to examine functional brain activity in response to emotionally valenced faces (sad, fearful, angry, happy, neutral) following a negative mood induction provided to all children. Results In categorical group comparisons, children with PO-MDD demonstrated increased activity in parietal cortex in response to sad faces but no differences in brain activity in a priori regions of interest (e.g., amygdala). However, in dimensional analyses, the severity of depression symptoms at the baseline preschool assessment predicted increased responses to sad faces in amygdala, hippocampal, parietal, and orbital frontal regions. Conclusions School-aged children with a history of PO-MDD showed patterns of functional brain responses to emotionally evocative stimuli similar to patterns found in adults and adolescents with major depression. These patterns were most strongly related to the severity of depression during the preschool period, suggesting that the magnitude of early symptoms may be particularly important for understanding altered brain function. These findings suggest that an early episode of depression before age 6 may be associated with enduring brain change or may represent a biomarker that was present even before the preschool episode.
Brain stem auditory-evoked responses in premature infants.

Brain stem auditory-evoked responses were recorded in 24 infants ranging in age from six-weeks premature to term. At a given age, the latency of the response increased with decreasing stimulus inte...
Organic loading rates affect composition of soil-derived bacterial communities during continuous, fermentative biohydrogen production

Abstract Bacterial community composition during steady-state, fermentative H 2 production was compared across a range of organic loading rates (OLRs) of 0.5–19 g COD l −1 h −1 in a 2-l continuous flow reactor at 30 °C. The varied OLRs were achieved with glucose concentrations of 2.5–10 g l −1 and hydraulic retention times of 1–10 h. The synthetic wastewater feed was amended with l -cysteine and maintained at a pH of 5.5. For each run at a given glucose concentration, the reactor was inoculated with an aliquot of well-mixed agricultural topsoil that had been heat-treated to reduce numbers of vegetative cells. At OLRs less than 2 g COD l −1 h −1 , DNA sequences from ribosomal RNA intergenic spacer analysis profiles revealed more diverse and variable populations ( Selenomonas , Enterobacter , and Clostridium spp.) than were observed above 2 g COD l −1 h −1 ( Clostridium spp. only). An isolate, LYH1, was cultured from a reactor sample (10 g glucose l −1 at a 10-h HRT) on medium containing l -cysteine. In confirming H 2 production by LYH1 in liquid batch culture, lag periods for H 2 production in the presence and absence of l -cysteine were 5 and 50 h, respectively. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of LYH1 indicated that the isolate was a Clostridium sp. affiliated with RNA subcluster Ic, with >99% similarity to Clostridium sp. FRB1. In fluorescent in situ hybridization tests, an oligonucleotide probe complementary to the 16S rRNA of LYH1 hybridized with 90% of cells observed at an OLR of 2 g COD h −1 , compared to 26% of cells at an OLR of 0.5 g COD l −1 h −1 . An OLR of 2 g COD l −1 h −1 appeared to be a critical threshold above which clostridia were better able to outcompete Enterobacteriaceae and other organisms in the mixed soil inoculum. Our results are discussed in light of other biohydrogen studies employing pure cultures and mixed inocula.
Text searching retrieval of answer‐sentences and other answer‐passages

Some new text searching retrieval techniques are described which retrieve not documents but sentences from documents and sometimes (on occasions determined by the computer) multi-sentence sequences. Since the goal of the techniques is retrieval of answer-providing documents, “answer-passages” are retrieved. An “answer-passage” is a passage which is either answer-providing or “answer-indicative,” i.e., it permits inferring that the document containing it is answer-provding. In most cases answer-sentences, i.e., single-sentence answer-passages, are retrieved. This has great advantages for screening retrieval output. Two new automatic procedures for measuring closeness of relation between clue words in a sentence are described. One approximates syntactic closeness by counting the number of intervening “syntactic joints” (roughly speaking, prepositions, conjunctions and punctuation marks) between successive clue words. The other measure uses word proximity in a new way. The two measures perform about equally well. The computer uses “enclosure” and “connector words” for determining when a multi-sentence passage should be retrieved. However, no procedure was found in this study for retrieving multi-paragraph answer-passages, which were the only answer-passages occurring in 6% of the papers. In a test of the techniques they failed to retrieve two answer-providing documents (7% of those to be retrieved) because of one multi-paragraph answer-passage and one complete failure of clue word selection. For the other answer-providing documents they retrieved at all recall levels with greater precision than SMART, which has produced the best previously reported recall-precision results. The retrieval questions (mostly from real users) and documents used in this study were from the field of information science. The results of the study are surprisingly good for retrieval in such a “soft science,” and it is reasonable to hope that in less “soft” sciences and technologies the techniques described will work even better. On this basis a dissemination and retrieval system of the near future is predicted.
Thermomechanical Coupling Analysis of a Disc Brake Rotor

The main purpose of this study is to analyze the thermomechanical behavior of the dry contact between the brake disc and pads during the braking phase. The simulation strategy is based on computer code ANSYS11. The modeling of transient temperature in the disc is actually used to identify the factor of geometric design of the disc to install the ventilation system in vehicles. The thermal-structural analysis is then used to determine the deformation established, the von Mises stresses in the disc, and the contact pressure distribution in pads. The results are satisfactorily compared with those found in the literature.
Static Performance of a Wing-Mounted Thrust Reverser Concept

An experimental investigation was conducted in the Jet-Exit Test Facility at NASA Langley Research Center to study the static aerodynamic performance of a wing-mounted thrust reverser concept applicable to subsonic transport aircraft. This innovative engine powered thrust reverser system is designed to utilize wing-mounted flow deflectors to produce aircraft deceleration forces. Testing was conducted using a 7.9 percent-scale exhaust system model with a fan-to-core bypass ratio of approximately 9.0, a supercritical left-hand wing section attached via a pylon, and wing-mounted flow deflectors attached to the wing section. Geometric variations of key design parameters investigated for the wing-mounted thrust reverser concept included flow deflector angle and chord length, deflector edge fences, and the yaw mount angle of the deflector system (normal to the engine centerline or parallel to the wing trailing edge). Test results indicate that the wing-mounted thrust reverser concept can achieve overall thrust reverser effectiveness levels competitive with (parallel mount), or better than (normal mount) a conventional cascade thrust reverser system. By removing the thrust reverser system from the nacelle, the wing-mounted concept offers the nacelle designer more options for improving nacelle aerodynamics and propulsion-airframe integration, simplifying nacelle structural designs, reducing nacelle weight, and improving engine maintenance access.
Teacher Mobility, School Segregation, and Pay-Based Policies to Level the Playing Field

Abstract Research has consistently shown that teacher quality is distributed very unevenly among schools, to the clear disadvantage of minority students and those from low-income families. Using North Carolina data on the length of time individual teachers remain in their schools, we examine the potential for using salary differentials to overcome this pattern. We conclude that salary differentials are a far less effective tool for retaining teachers with strong preservice qualifications than for retaining other teachers in schools with high proportions of minority students. Consequently large salary differences would be needed to level the playing field when schools are segregated. This conclusion reflects our finding that teachers with stronger qualifications are both more responsive to the racial and socioeconomic mix of a school's students and less responsive to salary than are their less-qualified counterparts when making decisions about remaining in their current school, moving to another school or ...
Increasing the quality of educational intervention research: The need for stronger leaders

This response to Pressley and Harris's methodological paper emphasizes the difficulty of doing valid educational intervention research as well as some of the social/political/psychological factors that influence individual researchers to submit flawed studies for publication. Although individual researchers should take personal responsibility for the scientific integrity of their work, the primary impetus for change in the quality of published research should come through strong editorial leadership from the scientific journals that publish the research.
The effect of dissolved water on the oxidation state of iron in natural silicate liquids

Ferric-ferrous ratios have been measured in 22 experiments on three natural compositions equilibrated at known temperature (950°–1100° C) and oxygen fugacity, and at water-saturated conditions over a pressure range from 0.05 to 0.2 GPa. There does not appear to be any reaction between the melt and the capsule material that affects the redox state of the iron in the melt. An empirical expression for the anhydrous behavior of the redox state of iron in each of these compositions has also been determined at 1 bar as a function of temperature and oxygen fugacity. A direct comparison of the hydrous ferric-ferrous values with the calculated anhydrous values shows that the dissolution of water in a per-alkaline rhyolite, andesite, and an augite minette has no effect on the redox state of the iron in these melts. This result parallels the effect of water on sulfide speciation in basaltic melts, and confirms published results on experimental hydrous basalts.
Novel Methods for CVD of Ge4C and (Ge4C)xSiy Diamond-like Semiconductor Heterostructures: Synthetic Pathways and Structures of Trigermyl-(GeH3)3CH and Tetragermyl-(GeH3)4C Methanes

GeX2·dioxane (X = Cl, Br) complexes insert completely into CBr4 to afford the sterically crowded cluster compounds (BrCl2Ge)4C (1) and (Br3Ge)4C (2) in 80% and 95% yields, respectively. These display physical, spectroscopic, and structural properties that are indicative of highly symmetric molecules with a remarkably strained carbon center. Compounds 1 and 2 react with LiAlH4 to produce the hydrides (H3Ge)3CH (3) and (H3Ge)4C (4) which are readily identified and characterized by spectroscopic methods and gas-phase electron diffraction. Compound 3 is also conveniently prepared from the LiAlH4 reduction of (GeBr3)3CH (5) which in turn is obtained by insertion of GeBr2·dioxane into the C−Br bonds of bromoform. Refinement of the diffraction data for 3 confirmed a model of C3 symmetry, with local C3v symmetry of the GeH3 groups, and gave a Ge−C bond length of 1.96 A. The structure refinement of 4 was based on a model of T symmetry and displayed a rather normal Ge−C bond distance of 1.97 A, which is substantial...
Venezuelan Macronyssidae. II. Nycteronyssus desmodus, n. gen., n. sp., off a vampire bat.

A new genus and species of Macronyssidae, Nycteronyssus desmodus , is described and illustrated from a single female collected off Desmodus youngi Jentink (Desmodontidae), T. F. Amazonas, Venezuela.
The Influence of Metacognitive Training on Preservice Elementary Teachers' Conceptions of Nature of Science.

This study assessed the influence of training in, and use of, metacognitive strategies on the development of prospective elementary teachers’ views of nature of science (NOS). Participants were 49 students (92% female) enrolled in two sections of an elementary science methods course. The sections were randomly assigned to an intervention group and a comparison group. Students in both groups were engaged with explicit‐reflective NOS instruction, which focused on the empirical, tentative, theory‐driven, inferential, and creative NOS. Additionally, students in the intervention group received instruction in, and used, three metacognitive strategies during their engagement with thinking about NOS. The Views of Nature of Science Questionnaire—Form C and the Metacognitive Awareness Inventory were respectively used to assess participants’ views of NOS and metacognitive awareness at the beginning and conclusion of the study. Data analyses indicated that significantly more students in the intervention group explica...
A diagnostic test without numerical integration

Abstract This paper describes a testing procedure for non-nested hypotheses for models requiring high-dimensional integration. Independent and unbiased simulators replace the integrals. The procedure is computationally simple and is not influenced by the asymptotic distribution of the parameter estimates.
Unit Responses from Commissural Fibers of Optic Lobes of Fish

The paired optic lobes of teleost fish are connected by two commissures. One of these, the tectal commissure, was studied with metal microelectrodes. Fibers are rhythmically active for prolonged periods in the dark and respond to light by a decrease in the rate of discharge. There is a rebound acceleration when the light is turned of. Each fiber is influenced by light in one eye only, and there is no response when light is projected into the opposite eye. This behavior resembles the "off" response recorded from the optic lobes and the optic nerve of fish. Unlike most units from the visual pathways of lower animals, single commissural fibers do not seem to give any recognizable response to patterned input such as small light or dark objects or small light sources stationary or moving anywhere in the visual field, nor do they respond to a vertical black bar moved over a white background.
Low-energy impact effects on candidate automotive structural composites

The objective of the work described in this paper was to experimentally characterize the susceptibility of three candidate automotive structural composites to incidental, low-energy impact damage. The composites, each of which had the same urethane matrix, were produced by a rapid molding process suitable for high-volume automotive applications. The reinforcement for the first composite was a random chopped-glass fiber, while the remaining two were reinforced with stitch-bonded carbon-fiber mats, one in a crossply layup, and the other in a quasi-isotropic layup. A pendulum device, representative of events such as tool drops, and a gas-gun projectile, representative of events such as kickups of roadway debris, were used to impact plate specimens. Brick-drop tests were also performed to assess the applicability of the baseline pendulum and gas-gun data to other events. Following the impacts, the damage areas were measured and the plates were cut into either tensile, standard compressive, or compression-after-impact specimens for determining strength degradation. The glass-fiber composite was least susceptible to damage, followed by the crossply carbon-fiber laminate, which had the same thickness. The quasi-isotropic carbon-fiber composite, which was thinner than the other two, sustained the most damage. While compressive strength was significantly degraded by moderate damage in the random-glass-fiber composite, tensile strength was not. On the other hand, both tensile and compressive strengths were degraded in the crossply carbon-fiber laminate (only compressive strength loss was measured in the quasi-isotropic laminate). Compressive strength degradation for a given damage area was similar in the two carbon-fiber laminates. Both showed lesser degradation than did the glass-fiber composite. For the quasi-isotropic carbon-fiber laminate, it was shown that strength degradation produced by an open circular hole provides a reasonable lower bound to the degradation due to an impact damage area of the same size.
Reprogramming Committed B Lineage Cells

It is generally assumed that once a cell commits to a certain lineage it no longer can change its fate. A new study in this issue of Cell (Xie et al., 2004) provides compelling evidence that committed mature B lineage cells can be reprogrammed to become macrophages.
Design insights for a mobile based sensor application framework: for aiding platform independent algorithm design

Modern day smart phones are powerful connected sensory and computation nodes for crowd-sensing, urban-sensing and personal-sensing applications. We have developed an Internet of Things (IoT) platform that can seamlessly handle data from the wide variety of sensors available on mobile phones. It can store and run aggregated analysis on the data in real-time. However, mobile phones themselves are a very heterogeneous set of devices. Each phone comes with a different array of sensors with varying sensitivity and control functions. Also, there are multiple development environments and programming languages. A final problem is seamless prototyping of applications offline and then seamless partitioning of the algorithm between phone and the cloud. In this paper we present early design elements of a framework aimed at addressing these issues.
Exploring the potential of exfoliated graphene nanoplatelets as the conductive filler in polymeric nanocomposites for bipolar plates

Abstract This research explored the potential of using exfoliated graphene nanoplatelets, GNP, as the conductive filler to construct highly conductive polymeric nanocomposites to substitute for conventional metallic and graphite bipolar plates in the polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells. Polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) was selected as the polymer matrix because of its high thermal and chemical tolerance. Solid state ball milling (SSBM) followed by compression molding was then applied to fabricate PPS/GNP nanocomposites. Results showed that PPS/GNP nanocomposites made by this method exhibit excellent mechanical and gas barrier properties but unsatisfied electrical conductivity. However, it was found that the electrical conductivity of these nanocomposites could be substantially enhanced if we combine GNP with second minor conductive filler for a positive synergistic effect and also optimize the processing time of SSBM. Meanwhile, PPS impregnated GNP papers were embedded into these PPS/GNP nanocomposites in order to further improve various properties of the resulting bipolar plates. It is believed that the bipolar plates made from PPS/GNP nanocomposites will allow lighter weight of PEM fuel cells with enhanced performance which is particularly suited for automotive applications.
Rotational multispectral fluorescence lifetime imaging and intravascular ultrasound: Bimodal system for intravascular applications

We report the development and validation of a hybrid intravascular diagnostic system combining multispectral fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIm) and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) for cardiovascular imaging applications. A prototype FLIm system based on fluorescence pulse sampling technique providing information on artery biochemical composition was integrated with a commercial IVUS system providing information on artery morphology. A customized 3-Fr bimodal catheter combining a rotational side-view fiberoptic and a 40-MHz IVUS transducer was constructed for sequential helical scanning (rotation and pullback) of tubular structures. Validation of this bimodal approach was conducted in pig heart coronary arteries. Spatial resolution, fluorescence detection efficiency, pulse broadening effect, and lifetime measurement variability of the FLIm system were systematically evaluated. Current results show that this system is capable of temporarily resolving the fluorescence emission simultaneously in multiple spectral channels in a single pullback sequence. Accurate measurements of fluorescence decay characteristics from arterial segments can be obtained rapidly (e.g., 20 mm in 5 s), and accurate co-registration of fluorescence and ultrasound features can be achieved. The current finding demonstrates the compatibility of FLIm instrumentation with in vivo clinical investigations and its potential to complement conventional IVUS during catheterization procedures.
Writing web histories with an eye on the analog past

While acknowledging that the task of writing web histories introduces new problems and possibilities, this article urges web historians to consider broadcast historiography scholarship that grapples with questions of power, preservation, and the unique challenges of ephemeral media. Methodological concerns in web history and archiving are compared with examples from broadcast history that demonstrate strategies for coping with ephemeral media and the power relations that impact archiving. Recognizing the limitations of historical approaches that compare digital networked forms with old media, this article concludes by suggesting that the emerging field of software studies can help retain the focus on digital culture and digital artifacts. A short case study of Flash software is offered to demonstrate how attention to software, along with approaches informed by cultural histories of broadcast media, can provide a new perspective for exploring the ephemeral nature of web objects and the discursive negotiati...
Isolation and Characterization of an AGAMOUS Homolog from Fraxinus pennsylvanica

An AGAMOUS homolog (FpAG) was isolated from green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) using a reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction method. Southern blot analysis indicated that FpAG was present as a single-copy sequence in the genome of green ash. RNA accumulated in the reproductive tissues (female inflorescence, male inflorescence, and fruit) and vegetative tissues (leaves and in vitro-germinated seedlings). Expression was higher in reproductive tissues than in vegetative tissues. Ectopic expression of FpAG in transgenic Arabidopsis plants resulted in a range of weak to strong APETALA2 (AP2) mutant-like phenotypes, including early flowering, curly leaves, and conversion of petals to stamens. These data indicate functional homology between FpAG and AGAMOUS.
Soft gamma-ray telescope for space flight use

Soft (gamma) -ray imaging instruments onboard currently operating astrophysical observatories attain angular resolutions on the order of 10 arc minutes using coded apertures with uniformly redundant arrays. In crowded regions, e.g. the galactic plane and center regions, unambiguous association with candidates at other wavelengths will often require improved localizations. We discuss a (gamma) -ray telescope design using 'chirp-Z' function codes and coarse position-sensitive image plane detectors. Image plane detector systems consisting of CsI scintillators and avalanche photodiodes are evaluated. Position sensitivity is achieved by either using a matrix of individual CsI/APD detectors or CsI scintillator rods. The aim is to design a narrow field-of-view telescope with sub-arcminute resolution to be flown on a small spacecraft.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
When Past and Present Collide: The Ethics of Archaeological Stewardship

The Archaeological Institute of America's (1999) code of professional standards requires that archaeologists “work actively to preserve the [archaeological] record in all its dimensions and for the long term” and “give due consideration to the interests of others” in their work. At the AIA's 2006 annual meeting in Montreal, participants in a session entitled “When Past and Present Collide: The Ethics of Archaeological Stewardship” explored the implications of these obligations for the conduct of archaeology and suggested ways for archaeologists to engage with stakeholder collaboration, site preservation, and political aspects of archaeology. Presentations by Lynn Meskell, Michael Galaty, Roger Atwood, Daniel Shoup, Ian Hodder, and Lyra Monteiro included case studies from South Africa, Peru, Albania, and Turkey. They examined when archaeologists should take sides in political conflicts over archaeology, how economic and social issues that are unrelated to archaeology can be decisive in site preservation ef...
Radiometric comparison of Mars Climate Sounder and Thermal Emission spectrometer measurements

Mars Climate Sounder (MCS) nadir oriented thermal infrared and solar channel measurements are com- pared with Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) measurements across multiple Mars years. Thermal infrared measurements were compared by convolving the TES data using the MCS spectral band passes. The MCS solar channel measurements were calibrated using Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrom- eter for Mars observations to provide the proper gain factor (3.09 � 10 � 3 Ws r � 1 m � 2 lm � 1 ). The compar- isons of the datasets show that day and night surface and atmospheric temperatures are within 3 K over the course of 5 martian years, after accounting for the local time differences. Any potential interannual variations in global average temperature are masked by calibration and modeling uncertainties. Previous work attributed apparent interannual global surface and atmospheric temperature variations to major dust storm activity; however, this variation has since been attributed to a calibration error in the TES dataset that has been corrected. MCS derived Lambert albedos are slightly higher than TES measurements acquired over the same season and locations. Most of this difference can be attributed to the spectral response functions of MCS and TES. Consistent with previous work, global albedo is highly variable (� 6%) and this variability must be taken into account when determining long term global trends. Vertical aerosol distributions were also derived from the calibrated MCS visible channel limb measurements, demonstrating the utility of the MCS visible channel data for monitoring of aerosols.
SSCH: slotted seeded channel hopping for capacity improvement in IEEE 802.11 ad-hoc wireless networks

Capacity improvement is one of the principal challenges in wireless networking. We present a link-layer protocol called Slotted Seeded Channel Hopping, or SSCH, that increases the capacity of an IEEE 802.11 network by utilizing frequency diversity. SSCH can be implemented in software over an IEEE 802.11-compliant wireless card. Each node using SSCH switches across channels in such a manner that nodes desiring to communicate overlap, while disjoint communications mostly do not overlap, and hence do not interfere with each other. To achieve this, SSCH uses a novel scheme for distributed rendezvous and synchronization. Simulation results show that SSCH significantly increases network capacity in several multi-hop and single-hop wireless networking scenarios.
Efficient search in file-sharing networks

Currently, the most popular file-sharing applications have used either centralized or flood-based search algorithms. Napster has been successful in providing a centralized index with presumably perfect query recall. Succeeding, more distributed protocols like Gnutella and Kazaa have used flood-based search procedures in which a query is propagated through an unstructured network. Query result quality in such networks suffers as queries for items that are rare have high probabilities of not being found as the entire corpus is not covered during a search. In this paper, we present a new and improved implementation of a distributed file-sharing system yielding (1) query result quality better than flooding and close to a centralized index, and (2) low-maintenance network overhead. These improvements result from our optimized approaches to (a) high churn rates (clients and servers frequently entering and leaving the system) and (b) skewed workloads (high variation in access frequencies vs. key). High churn rates are addressed by keeping all data in soft state, which is periodically refreshed, such that the loss of a server or client is quickly reflected in the indexes; higher refresh rates imply fewer false positives. Skewed workloads are load balanced with the use of a layer of indirection for placing and locating data, such that data is partitioned and distributed based on the frequency of use. A trace-driven prototype evaluation based on Gnutella system traces shows that our prototype implementation achieves a low network bandwidth, attains max-average load ratios within a factor of three across all servers, and has positive recall values for over 90% of all queries, despite a high churn rate; the recall would be 100% absent churn.
The Influence of Domestic Firms on Foreign Direct Investment Liberalization

This paper investigates the influence of incumbent firms on the decision to allow foreign direct investment into an industry. Based on data from India’s economic reforms, the results suggest that firms in concentrated industries are more successful at preventing foreign entry, that state-owned firms are more successful at stopping foreign entry than similarly placed private firms, and that profitable stateowned firms are more successful at stopping foreign entry than unprofitable state-owned firms. These results continue to hold when we control for industry characteristics such as the presence of natural monopolies and the size of the workforce. When foreign entry is allowed in an industry, incumbent firms experience a significant decline in market share and profits. The pattern of foreign entry liberalization supports the private interest view of policy implementation.
The in vitro antibacterial activity of ceftriaxone against Streptococcus pyogenes is unrelated to penicillin-binding protein 4

The in vitro activities of penicillin and ceftriaxone were compared against 29 strains of Streptococcus pyogenes with the result that ceftriaxone showed greater activity than penicillin. The morphological changes induced by 12 and 1× MIC concentrations of penicillin and ceftriaxone, respectively, were very similar using scanning electron microscopy. Competitive binding studies using ‘cold’ penicillin or ceftriaxone as inhibitors ofradiolabeled penicillin binding demonstrated that ceftriaxone had a very low affinnity for penicillin binding protein (PBP) 4 compared to that of penicillin. Since ceftriaxone had greater antibacterial activity, this suggests that PBP 4 may not be important to the in vitro of ceftriaxone. In contrast, the IC50 for ceftriaxone was much lower (> 200 fold) for PBPs 2 and 3 compared to PBP 4, suggesting greater avidity of these high molecular mass PBPs for ceftriaxone. These data may at least in part explain the superior in vitro activity of ceftriaxone compared to penicillin against S. pyogenes. These data, together with the observation that PBP 1 was saturated at a lower concentration of penicillin than any of the other PBPs, suggest that the inhibition of PBPs 1, 2, and 3 mediates the bactericidal activity of beta-lactam antibiotics against group A streptococci.
Changes in the proportion of type I and type III collagen in the developing and retained bovine placentome.

The proportions of Type L and Type ill collagen were evaluated from gestational, postpartum-retained, and released bovine placental membranes. Placentomes were excised at 90, 150, 210, and 270 days of gestation (n = 32) and from postpartumretained (2 and 12 h, n = 8) and released (2 h, n = 4) membranes. Placentome components were processed for collagen, hydroxyproline, protein, and dry weight determination. Collagen extracts were separated by SDS-PAGE. Densitometry was used to establish the proportions of collagen alpha chains (Type I = 2a, + 1a2; Type 88 = 345,). No difference in the proportion of maternal caruncular Type I and Type Ill collagen was found. The proportion of Type I fetal cotyledonary collagen was lowest (p < 0.05) at Day 90 of gestation but did not differ between Days 150, 210, 270, or between retained and released fetal membranes. The proportion of Type 88 fetal cotyledonary collagen was greatest (p < 0.05) at Day 90. Retained fetal cotyledons had a greater (p < 0.05) proportion of Type 111 collagen than did released fetal cotyledons. Therefore, although hydroxyproline content was not different between retained and released fetal membranes, the retained bovine fetal cotyledon was characterized by disproportionate amounts of Type 01 collagen as compared to the fetal cotyledon that was not retained.
Characterization of an Arabidopsis Enzyme Family That Conjugates Amino Acids to Indole-3-Acetic Acid

Substantial evidence indicates that amino acid conjugates of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) function in auxin homeostasis, yet the plant enzymes involved in their biosynthesis have not been identified. We tested whether several Arabidopsis thaliana enzymes that are related to the auxin-induced soybean (Glycine max) GH3 gene product synthesize IAA-amino acid conjugates. In vitro reactions with six recombinant GH3 enzymes produced IAA conjugates with several amino acids, based on thin layer chromatography. The identity of the Ala, Asp, Phe, and Trp conjugates was verified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Insertional mutations in GH3.1, GH3.2, GH3.5, and GH3.17 resulted in modestly increased sensitivity to IAA in seedling root. Overexpression of GH3.6 in the activation-tagged mutant dfl1-D did not significantly alter IAA level but resulted in 3.2- and 4.5-fold more IAA-Asp than in wild-type seedlings and mature leaves, respectively. In addition to IAA, dfl1-D was less sensitive to indole-3-butyric acid and naphthaleneacetic acid, consistent with the fact that GH3.6 was active on each of these auxins. By contrast, GH3.6 and the other five enzymes tested were inactive on halogenated auxins, and dfl1-D was not resistant to these. This evidence establishes that several GH3 genes encode IAA-amido synthetases, which help to maintain auxin homeostasis by conjugating excess IAA to amino acids.
Induction of malignancy in vitro in newborn hamster kidney tissue infected with simian vacuolating virus (SV40).

SummaryCell cultures derived from explants of newborn hamster kidney infected with simian vacuolating virus (SV40) consisted of sheets of rapidly growing polygonal, cuboidal and elongated cells. Cultures derived from similar explants free of SV40 consisted initially of slowly growing polygonal and elongated cells, and, after 12 weeks in vitro, only a few scattered elongated cells remained. Cell suspensions from infected cultures injected into newborn hamsters produced tumors at the sites of injection, the tumors becoming apparent as early as 17 days after injection of cells. Histologically, in contrast to the sarcomas produced after malignant transformation of hamster tissue in vitro by polyoma virus, the tumors were predominantly undifferentiated carcinomas with areas of adenocarcinoma, sarcoma and, in one animal, well-differentiated epidermoid carcinoma. SV40 was recovered from the infected cultures and from one of 2 tumors tested.
Ethanol induces hyperprolactinemia by increasing prolactin release and lactotrope growth in female rats.

Background Alcohol drinking is known to cause hyperprolactinemia in both humans and laboratory animals. The mechanism by which alcoholism causes hyperprolactinemia is not known. This study investigated whether increased pituitary production of prolactin, which leads to alcohol-induced hyperprolactinemia, results from an increase in cell number and/or cell production of prolactin in the pituitary. Methods The effects of ethanol on lactotropes were determined in vivo using female rats as an animal model and in vitro using primary cultures of mixed rat anterior pituitary cells and enriched lactotropes. In vivo experiments involved administration of ethanol for 2 and 4 weeks using a liquid diet containing 8.7% ethanol (v/v), which provides 37% of the calories in cyclic, ovariectomized, and estradiol-17β–treated ovariectomized Fischer-344 rats. The control group was pair-fed an isocaloric diet minus the ethanol or fed a normal diet ad libitum. These animals were used to determine ethanol's effects on plasma prolactin levels, pituitary wet weights, pituitary total protein levels, and the number of mitotic lactotropes. In vitro studies determined ethanol's effects in the presence and absence of estradiol on prolactin release and lactotropic cell proliferation. Prolactin levels in plasma and media samples were measured using radioimmunoassay. Mitotic lactotropes were determined using bromodeoxyuridine incorporation assay. Results Ethanol treatment increased in a time-dependent manner the plasma levels of prolactin in cyclic, ovariectomized, and estradiol-treated ovariectomized rats. Ethanol treatment also increased pituitary wet weight and/or pituitary total protein levels and DNA synthesis in lactotropes. Determination of ethanol's action on lactotropic cell proliferation and hormone secretion in vitro using primary cultures of mixed pituitary cells revealed that ethanol stimulated both basal and estradiol-induced prolactin secretion and lactotropic cell proliferation. When ethanol's actions were studied in isolated lactotropes, ethanol alone or in combination with estradiol stimulated prolactin secretion but failed to increase lactotropic cell proliferation. Conclusions These results suggest that ethanol causes hyperprolactinemia by elevating prolactin release from lactotropes and by increasing the number of lactotropes in the anterior pituitary gland. The mitotic action of ethanol requires cell–cell communication between lactotropes and other pituitary cells. Furthermore, ethanol's mode of action on prolactin release and lactotrope growth is similar to that observed for estradiol.
In Vitro Studies with Recombinant Plasmodium falciparum Apical Membrane Antigen 1 (AMA1): Production and Activity of an AMA1 Vaccine and Generation of a Multiallelic Response

Apical membrane antigen 1 (AMA1) is regarded as a leading malaria blood-stage vaccine candidate. While the overall structure of AMA1 is conserved in Plasmodium spp., numerous AMA1 allelic variants of P. falciparum have been described. The effect of AMA1 allelic diversity on the ability of a recombinant AMA1 vaccine to protect against human infection by different P. falciparum strains is unknown. We characterize two allelic forms of AMA1 that were both produced in Pichia pastoris at a sufficient economy of scale to be usable for clinical vaccine studies. Both proteins were used to immunize rabbits, singly and in combination, in order to evaluate their immunogenicity and the ability of elicited antibodies to block the growth of different P. falciparum clones. Both antigens, when used alone, elicited high homologous anti-AMA1 titers, with reduced strain cross-reactivity. Similarly, sera from rabbits immunized with a single antigen were capable of blocking the growth of homologous parasite strains at levels theoretically sufficient to clear parasite infections. However, heterologous inhibition was significantly reduced, providing experimental evidence that AMA1 allelic diversity is a result of immune pressure. Encouragingly, rabbits immunized with a combination of both antigens exhibited titers and levels of parasite inhibition as good as those of the single-antigen-immunized rabbits for each of the homologous parasite lines, and consequently exhibited a broadening of allelic diversity coverage.
Plasma microRNAs as novel biomarkers for endometriosis and endometriosis-associated ovarian cancer.

Purpose: Endometriosis, a largely benign, chronic inflammatory disease, is an independent risk factor for endometrioid and clear cell epithelial ovarian tumors. We aimed to identify plasma miRNAs that can be used to differentiate patients with endometriosis and ovarian cancer from healthy individuals. Experimental Design: We conducted a two-stage exploratory study to investigate the use of plasma miRNA profiling to differentiate between patients with endometriosis, patients with endometriosis-associated ovarian cancer (EAOC), and healthy individuals. In the first stage, using global profiling of more than 1,000 miRNAs via reverse transcriptase quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) in a 20-patient initial screening cohort, we identified 23 candidate miRNAs, which are differentially expressed between healthy controls ( n = 6), patients with endometriosis ( n = 7), and patients with EAOC ( n = 7) based on the fold changes. In the second stage, the 23 miRNAs were further tested in an expanded cohort ( n = 88) of healthy individuals ( n = 20), endometriosis ( n = 33), EAOC ( n = 14), and serous ovarian cancer cases (SOC; n = 21, included as controls). Results: We identified three distinct miRNA signatures with reliable differential expression between healthy individuals, patients with endometriosis, and patients with EAOC. When profiled against the control SOC category, our results revealed different miRNAs, suggesting that the identified signatures are reflective of disease-specific pathogenic mechanisms. This was further supported by the fact that the majority of miRNAs differentially expressed in human EAOCs were mirrored in a double transgenic mouse EAOC model. Conclusion: Our study reports for the first time that distinct plasma miRNA expression patterns may serve as highly specific and sensitive diagnostic biomarkers to discriminate between healthy, endometriosis, and EAOC cases. Clin Cancer Res; 19(5); 1213–24. ©2013 AACR .
Pre-processing stereo transparent images: extraction of non-transparent regions by variable length pattern correspondence

One of the hallmarks of a transparent image is the superimposition of structures in the image. This gives the image its "see through" character. However, portions of a transparent image can be considered non-transparent if no superimposed structures are present. By defining a new type of pixel uniqueness, which the authors call "pattern uniqueness", the nontransparent portions of transparent images can be identified, and either removed to clarify the adjacent image features or used as templates to find and separate superimposed structures. Several adjustable criteria were defined in order to optimize the algorithm's performance: main parameters include two types of pattern similarity and minimum pattern cohesiveness. Simulated stereo image lines were processed by the algorithm with various parameter settings. An analysis of variance determined the influence of parameter alteration on algorithmic performance. It was found that the matching similarity, cohesiveness, and interaction between these variables were very important and could be adjusted to optimize noise tolerance and performance.
On the Riemann problem for liquid or gas‐liquid media

Self-similar solutions to the Riemann problem for water with the modified Tait equation of state are presented. The methods of Smoller for gas dynamics are employed to reduce the problem to the solution of a single non-linear equation. The same methods are used for solving the Riemann problem at a gas-water interface. In both cases the method of interval bisections affords a solution technique free of problems with convergence.
Role of Rifampin-Based Combination Therapy for Severe Community-Acquired Legionella pneumophila Pneumonia

Objective:To review the literature concerning the role of rifampin in the combination treatment of Legionella pneumophila pneumonia.Data Sources:A search of MEDLINE and Ovid databases was conducted (January 1970-May 2011) using the search terms Legionella pneumophila, pneumonia, Legionnaires' disease, rifampin or rifampicin, macrolide, fluoroquinolone, erythromycin, clarithromycin, levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, and moxifloxacinStudy Selection and Data Extraction:In vivo studies published in English that compared antimicrobial therapies including rifampin for the treatment of Legionella pneumonia, as well as in vitro studies including an assessment of rifampin bioactivity, were included.Data Synthesis:Macrolides and fluoroquinolones have been effective as monotherapy in the treatment of L. pneumophila pneumonia. This review includes evidence summaries from 4 bioactivity evaluations. 6 clinical studies, and 6 reported cases of combination rifampin use. Combined with supporting evidence, the role of combinati...
Radioiodinated PARP1 tracers for glioblastoma imaging.

Background Although the understanding of the genetic and molecular basis of cancer has advanced significantly over the past several decades, imaging and treatment options for glioblastoma patients have been more limited (N Engl J Med 359:492-507, 2008). This is in part due to difficulties in diagnosing this disease early, combined with its diffuse, infiltrative growth. This study was aimed at the development of a novel diagnostic tool for glioblastoma through the synthesis of a small molecule based on radioiodinated poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase 1 (PARP1) targeted tracers. This PARP1 is a biomarker that is overexpressed in glioblastoma tissue, but has only low expression levels in the healthy brain (Neoplasia 16:432-40, 2014).
THE STATISTICS OF LONG‐HORIZON REGRESSIONS REVISITED1

This paper compares commonly used approaches for estimating the relation between long-horizon returns and a predetermined variable X1, such as dividend yields. Specifically, we look at regression of (i) nonoverlapping multiperiod returns on Xt (ii) overlapping multiperiod returns on Xt, (iii) single-period returns on multiperiod Xt, and (iv) single-period returns on Xt and its implied long-horizon regression coefficient. We provide analytical formulae which quantify the efficiency of the estimators used in the various approaches. Using the formulae, as well as Monte Carlo simulations, we demonstrate that the relative efficiency of the estimators used in the various approaches differs remarkably, depending on the dynamic structure of the regressor. of special interest for financial economists, when the regressors are highly autocorrelated, we find that the regressions (ii) (iii), and (iv) provide only marginal efficiency gains above and beyond the nonoverlapping long-horizon regression.
The Dumbledore Hypothesis of Cognitive Aging

Cognitive aging is often characterized as a process in which two competing forces determine individual development: a genetically driven senescence process that engenders declines in mental mechanics; and an accumulation of life experience that augments cultural, pragmatic, and knowledge-based competence. The considerable variability in the level and rate of change in complex intellectual activities (e.g., language understanding) is often accounted for in terms of individual differences in abilities associated with these forces. I argue that choice in how effort is allocated may be an essential determinant of cognitive change over the life span—both directly, in the form of attentional engagement, and indirectly, as it sculpts neural substrates that give rise to component abilities.