cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mutagenicity of atrazine: A maize-microbe bioassay

A water-soluble extract from maize plants grown in the presence of atrazine contained a mutagenic agent(s) when tested on strains of yeast. Atrazine alone or control plants not treated with atrazine did not express mutagenic properties. The reversion frequency at the waxy locus in pollen grains from plants grown in atrazine was higher than in control plants. We suggest that atrazine may be degraded by the plant into environmental mutagenic agents.
E-066 Pathogenesis of Dural Sinus Malformations as Demonstrated by Fetal Imaging: A Decision-Making Crucible for Parents and Clinicians

Introduction Two recent concurrent and contrasting cases of dural sinus malformation (DSM), followed at serial time points in utero by ultrasound and MR at the Boston Children’s Hospital Advanced Fetal Care Center (AFCC), illuminate the range of complex decision-making challenges faced by parents and consulting clinicians, and led us to study all such cases presenting to our institution over the past five years. Materials and methods We reviewed serial imaging (MR and US) findings, including calibre and contents of the dural sac, presence or absence of feeding arteries, brain parenchymal signal, and ventricular and extraaxial spaces, as well as clinical outcome, for all 9 cases of DSM referred to the Boston Children’s AFCC over the past five years. All cases of vein of Galen malformation, pial arteriovenous fistula, fetal pial vein thrombosis without sinus dilatation, and other pathologies were excluded. We additionally reviewed other published cases. Results One of the two index cases showed no visible arterial inflow, an enlarged superior sagittal sinus (SSS)/torcular complex containing a small core of solid thrombus surrounded by stagnant blood, and a clear change in the dynamics of growth of the DSM, with development of a small focal brain parenchymal abnormality. The second case may represent the first middle meningeal arteries-to-SSS dural AVF visualised in detail in utero, and is contrasted with a morphologically homologous case of DSM diagnosed with acute neurologic presentation at age 6 months, and managed with endovascular intervention. Review of the 9 cases of in utero DSM consultations tracked by fetal ultrasound and MR at the AFCC over the past 5 years, and a review of other published cases, allowed us to develop a model of the pathogenesis of DSM. Prognosis seems to depend on the relationship of the gestational age to the particular temporal dynamics of the individual lesion. Conclusion DSM may be diagnosed in utero at various stages of its pathogenesis – with a patent arteriovenous flow, or with a growing stagnant venous pouch. Detailed serial imaging demonstrates that differing temporal dynamics across cases may determine the natural history. Given the wide range of potential neurological outcomes, from normal development to severe disability, decision making in this context is often fraught with tension. Construction of rational individual management schema depends upon detailed assessment of each case. Disclosures D. Orbach: None. A. Storey: None. D. Morash: None. J. Estroff: None. E. Smith: None. C. Trenor: None. H. Olson: None.
Using DTMon to monitor transient flow traffic

We evaluate the performance of the DTMon dynamic traffic monitoring system to measure travel times and speeds in transient flow traffic caused by non-recurring congestion. DTMon uses vehicular networks and roadside infrastructure to collect data from passing vehicles. We show DTMon's ability to gather high-quality real-time traffic data such as travel time and speed. These metrics can be used to detect transitions in traffic flow (e.g., caused by congestion) especially where accurate flow rate information is not available. We evaluate the accuracy and latency of DTMon in providing traffic measurements using two different methods of message delivery. We show the advantages of using dynamically-defined measurement points for monitoring transient flow traffic. We compare DTMon with currently in-use probe-based systems (e.g., AVL) and fixed-point sensors and detectors (e.g., ILD).
Selective neurotoxicity of COOH-terminal fragments of the β-amyloid precursor protein

The primary component of amyloid deposits found in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease is the beta-amyloid protein, a derivative of a much larger precursor protein (beta PP). We have previously reported that overexpression of carboxyl (COOH)-terminal fragments of beta PP from an integrated DNA construct leads to degeneration of neuronally differentiating mouse embryonic stem cells and that the neuronal degeneration is related to approximately 14- and 15-kDa COOH-terminal fragments of the precursor protein. We here demonstrate that these putative cytotoxic fragments contain intact beta-amyloid protein. When such transformed cell lines are treated with dimethyl sulfoxide to induce differentiation into muscle cells, however, the resulting muscle cells remain viable (as do control non-transformed cells), despite the production of comparable amounts of the 14- and 15-kDa fragments. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that particular COOH-terminal fragments of beta PP are amyloidogenic and neurotoxic.
Rethinking Little Rock: The Cold War Politics of School Integration in the United States.

(2006). Rethinking Little Rock: The Cold War Politics of School Integration in the United States. European Education: Vol. 38, Post-Cold War Studies in Education (II), pp. 65-81.
Fabry-Perot resonators based on photonic crystal mirrors with strong gradients of reflected phase

Photonic Crystal mirrors with phase responses that are strongly varying as a function of wavenumber are designed, fabricated, and characterized. When used in Fabry-Perot resonators, these mirrors enable effective cavity lengths that are strong functions of wavenumber. Our measurements demonstrate that these cavities have very useful device applications, including wavelength-stable sensors and miniaturized high quality factor resonators.
Representation of internal models of action in the autistic brain

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have deficits in motor control, imitation and social function. Does a dysfunction in the neural basis of representing internal models of action contribute to these problems? We measured patterns of generalization as children learned to control a novel tool and found that the autistic brain built a stronger than normal association between self-generated motor commands and proprioceptive feedback; furthermore, the greater the reliance on proprioception, the greater the child's impairments in social function and imitation.
Prospects for stem cell therapeutics: myths and medicines

With common scientific themes and experimental strategies, stem cell biology is evolving into a recognizable discipline. Its clinical arm, regenerative medicine, is also gaining momentum-invigorated by the potential of stem cells to provide treatments for a host of medical conditions that are poorly served by drug therapy. But are the expectations for stem cell therapies realistic or overstated? In the past year, neurons, insulin-producing cells, and hematopoietic stem cells have been generated from embryonic stem cells or cultivated from somatic tissues of the adult. These cells have yielded modest and preliminary hints of functional reconstitution in animal models. Although encouraging, significant hurdles remain before the promise of stem cells will be realized in the clinic.
Separation anxiety in first-time mothers: infant behavioral reactivity and maternal parenting self-efficacy as contributors.

Abstract This short-term longitudinal study examined the contribution of infant behavioral reactivity and maternal parenting self-efficacy to first-time mothers’ (total n = 32) separation anxiety. Infants’ behavioral reactivity indexed by gaze and facial affect were observed in the conditions of routine play and maternal still face at 3 months. Mothers reported their self-perceived parenting efficacy at 3 months and separation anxiety at 6 months. Results revealed that infants’ frequent gazing at their mother, greater negative affect, and less positive affect observed during the still face, but not during the routine play, contributed to heightened maternal separation anxiety. In addition to a direct link between low maternal parenting self-efficacy and high maternal separation anxiety, maternal parenting self-efficacy buffered against the impact of infant negative reactivity on maternal separation anxiety. The role of infant reactivity and maternal self-efficacy in parenting was discussed.
Analysis of transport patterns during an SCOS97-NARSTO episode

Abstract Objectives for the current study included use of SCOS97-NARSTO data to understand transport factors in the occurrence of high ozone concentrations during 4–7 August 1997. Meteorological data for the case study included observations at 110 SCOS97-NARSTO surface sites, and upper-air measurements from 12 rawinsonde and 26 profiler sites. Analysis showed that the peak ozone resulted from an infrequent combination of large-scale upper-level synoptic forcing associated with a weak local coastal 700 mb ridge. Its movements over the California South Coast Air Basin lowered and strengthened the coastal subsidence inversion and also rotated the upper-level synoptic background flow from its normal westerly onshore direction to a less common offshore easterly flow during the nighttime period preceding the peak-ozone hours. Resulting easterly upper-level background winds produced easterly surface flow directions at inland sites, so that a surface frontal convergence zone formed where this flow met the westerly onshore combined sea breeze and upslope flows. The maximum inland penetration of the convergence zone on the peak-ozone day was to the western side of the San Gabriel Mountains, the location of maximum ozone concentrations.
A note on the effects of a thin visco-elastic mud layer on small amplitude water-wave propagation

In this note we investigated the effects of a thin visco-elastic mud layer on wave propagation. Within the framework of linear water-wave theory, analytical solutions are obtained for damping rate, dispersion relation between wave frequency and wave number, and velocity components in the water column and mud layer. The wave attenuation rate reaches a maximum value when the mud layer thickness is about the same as the mud boundary layer thickness. Heavier mud has a weaker effect on the wave damping. However, the wave attenuation rate does not always decrease as the elastic shear modulus increases. In the range of small values for elastic shear modulus, the wave attenuation can be amplified quite significantly. The current solutions are compared with experimental data with different wave conditions and mud properties. In general, good agreements are observed.
The “Flying Carpet” concept: A possible alternative to nuclear space propulsion

Abstract This paper examines the potential performance of a new concept for very high specific impulse propulsion for scientific explorations beyond the solar system. The concept is based on an ultra-light weight solar-electric membrane that is deployed, stretched, stabilized, and oriented by small electric thrusters at its corners. The potential performance is found to be greatly superior to what can be achieved by multiple planetary flybys. The concept is viewed as an alternative to nuclear space propulsion.
Investment Under Profit‐Sharing Contracts: The Adverse Selection Case

In this paper we analyze investment behavior under profit‐and‐ loss sharing contracts in an environment of asymmetric information. Under certain restrictive assumptions, PLS contracts are characterized with over investment, where the equilibrium level of investment exceeds the first best (full information) level. A zakat tax on profit is shown to restore efficiency.
Medial and lateral orbital wall surgery for balanced decompression in thyroid eye disease.

Objectives/Hypothesis: Diplopia remains a major potential complication of orbital decompression performed for thyroid eye disease. We sought to examine the effect of medial and lateral wall surgery with sparing of the orbital floor on the incidence of postoperative diplopia. Study Design: Retrospective review. Methods: A retrospective review was made of 63 consecutive medial and lateral orbital wall surgeries (40 patients) performed between December 1996 and May 2002 for orbital decompression of thyroid eye disease. Results: The average patient age was 50.9 years of age (age range, 14-83 y). The studied group was predominantly female (sex ratio, 36:4). Indications were compressive optic neuropathy (34), exposure keratopathy (25), and aesthetic concerns (4). The mean time since surgery was 31.5 months (range, 3-69 mo). The medial wall was approached by a transcaruncular (59) or endoscopic (4) technique. Two patients had fat removal. The average improvement in exophthalmos was 4.1 mm (range, 0-10 mm). The average palpebral fissure improvement was 2.0 mm (range, 0-7 mm). Two patients had cerebrospinal fluid leaks during excavation of the sphenoid bone. These were diagnosed and repaired primarily without complication. New-onset diplopia occurred in four patients. Two of these patients required strabismus surgery. Conclusion: A 10% new-onset diplopia rate compares favorably with other surgical series. Medial and lateral wall surgery only, sparing the floor, may reduce diplopia after surgery for orbital decompression in thyroid eye disease.
Human T Lymphocyte Isolation, Culture and Analysis of Migration In Vitro

The migration of T lymphocytes involves the adhesive interaction of cell surface integrins with ligands expressed on other cells or with extracellular matrix proteins. The precise spatiotemporal activation of integrins from a low affinity state to a high affinity state at the cell leading edge is important for T lymphocyte migration. Likewise, retraction of the cell trailing edge, or uropod, is a necessary step in maintaining persistent integrin-dependent T lymphocyte motility. Many therapeutic approaches to autoimmune or inflammatory diseases target integrins as a means to inhibit the excessive recruitment and migration of leukocytes. To study the molecular events that regulate human T lymphocyte migration, we have utilized an in vitro system to analyze cell migration on a two-dimensional substrate that mimics the environment that a T lymphocyte encounters during recruitment from the vasculature. T lymphocytes are first isolated from human donors and are then stimulated and cultured for seven to ten days. During the assay, T lymphocytes are allowed to adhere and migrate on a substrate coated with intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), a ligand for integrin LFA-1, and stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1). Our data show that T lymphocytes exhibit a migratory velocity of approximately 15 microm/min. T lymphocyte migration can be inhibited by integrin blockade or by inhibitors of the cellular actomyosin machinery that regulates cell migration.
THE VIOLENT OFFENDER'S PERCEPTION OF VICTIM CONTRIBUTION AND THE VICTIM-OFFENDER RELATIONSHIP

ABSTRACT This study was designed to examine whether the violent offender's perception of victim contribution is related to the victim-offender relationship. Subjects consist of 273 male prison inmates serving sentences in the Arizona State Prison system for violent crimes. Interview and record data were collected Results indicate that offenders who victimize strangers are less likely to perceive victim contribution than offenders who victimize acquaintances. Conclusions and implications for public policy are discussed
Biogenesis of the Sodium-Activated Potassium Channel Slack-B is Controlled by the Dephosphorylation of N-Terminal Serines

Slack-B channels are expressed predominantly in brainstem regions and the olfactory bulb. Using liquid-chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, we determined that two Ser residues (S34 and S44) close to the N-terminus of Slack-B are basally phosphorylated. To test the biological role of these sites we performed site-directed mutagenesis, creating mutations that mimic either phosphorylation (S->E) or dephosphorylation (S->A) at each or both site. We found that correlated with a 20-fold increase in whole-cell currents, levels of the nonphosphorylated mutant channel are greatly increased in cRNA-injected Xenopus oocytes as compared to wild type (WT) Slack. Next, comparing the rate of protein accumulation in oocytes injected with equal amounts of WT or mutant-encoding cRNA, we confirmed that the initial rate of protein accumulation is significantly increased for the nonphosphorylated channel. Additionally, the time constant for protein accumulation was much faster for nonphosphorylated channel, becoming saturated within two days. In contrast, levels of the WT channel accumulated with linear kinetics. We observed similar changes in Slack-B channel levels in HEK293 cells transiently transfected with bicistronic vectors carrying DsRed (transfected cell indicator) and WT or mutant Slack-Bl. To rule out the possibility that changes in current result from effects of the mutations on electrophysiologic parameters, we performed both macroscopic and single channel evaluation of each of the mutants. We found no significant differences among the WT and mutant Slack-B channels. Taken together, the results indicate that dephosphorylation of these sites in nascent peptide chains is a required step for permitting the translation of Slack mRNA to go to completion during channel synthesis. Our findings also suggest that regulation of the phosphorylation state of S34 and S44 may allow neurons to alter channel abundance rapidly in response to stimulation.
Race, Gender, Power, and the US Subprime Mortgage and Foreclosure Crisis: A Meso Analysis

This study addresses two largely unanswered questions about the United States subprime crisis: why were minority applicants, who had been excluded from equal access to mortgage credit prior to the spread of subprime loans, superincluded in subprime mortgage lending? And why didn't the flood of mortgage credit in the 2000s housing boom – an oversupply of credit suggesting supercompetition – reduce the proportion of minority and women borrowers burdened with unpayable subprime mortgages? This contribution develops a meso analysis showing how banking strategies were shaped by and reinforced patterns of racial and gender inequality, permitting lenders in evolving financial markets to offer new loan instruments to previously excluded loan applicants, and to exercise social power over – and thus extract rent from – these borrowers.
Observation of Coulomb correlations of resonant tunneling and inelastic hopping.

We have observed Coulomb correlations between the two resonant tunneling conduction channels, one per spin orientation, associated with each localized site in the barrier of a metal-insulator-metal tunnel junction. Our data support the recent theory of Glazman and Matveev pertaining to correlated resonant tunneling. We also infer correlated inelastic hopping along chains consisting of two localized sites.
Packaging Sensing Cells in Spores for Long-Term Preservation of Sensors: A Tool for Biomedical and Environmental Analysis

Whole-cell sensing systems have successfully been employed for detection of various biologically and environmentally important analytes. A limitation to their use for on-field analysis is the paucity of preservation methods for long-term storage and transport. For that, we have previously developed spore-based genetically engineered whole-cell sensing systems that are able not only to maintain the activity of the sensing cells but also to preserve it for long periods of time in normal and extreme environmental conditions. Herein, we have employed these spore-based sensing systems for analysis of real samples, such as blood serum and freshwater. Spores were able to germinate in the presence of the sample matrix, and the minimum time required for the spores to germinate and generate vegetative sensing cells able to elicit a measurable response to target analytes resulted to be around 2 h. Of the two spore-based sensing systems selected to detect model analytes in real samples, one was able to detect arsenic concentrations as low as 1 x 10(-7) M in freshwater and serum samples, and the other one could sense down to 1 x 10(-6) M of zinc in serum. The analysis of human serum samples from healthy subjects for their zinc content proved the viability of spore-based sensing systems. The complete assays, including spore germination and analyte detection, were performed in 2.5 h or less for arsenic and zinc. Furthermore, the assay is inexpensive and simple to carry out and offers unique advantages for the incorporation of the spore-based sensing systems into portable analytical platforms, such as microfluidic devices, to be employed for on-site analysis.
Bainbridge Festive Foods

Lara Owens and Kathleen Pegram were starting to worry about their newly acquired business, Bainbridge Festive Foods. Bainbridge, a supplier of specialty jams, jellies, and pickles, sold its product through many outlets but relied heavily on a relationship with Cracker Barrel (a restaurant usually accompanied with a country gift store). Many issues face Bainbridge Festive Foods and its new owners. This case offers the opportunity to examine a small agribusiness facing many common issues: reputation (food quality and safety), change in ownership, reliance on one outlet, and a price structure that had not been examined since the firm's inception.
Ocean acidification worse in coral reefs

The rate of ocean acidification in coral reefs outpaces the rise in carbon dioxide (CO2) in Earth's atmosphere, indicating that anthropogenic carbon emissions alone are not to blame for the threat to coral reefs, a new study shows.
Steps of Surface Etching and Carbon Deposition on The Graphite Basal Plane

The reactions of O2, H2O, CO2, NO2. NO, and N2O with single crystal graphite between 400 and 700°C have been studied by STM to obtain quantitative kinetics by measuring the number and size of monolayer pits on the basal plane versus temperature and time. At low temperature the reaction initiates exclusively from the point defects on the basal plane to form monolayer pits. The shape of the monolayer pits vary from nearly triangular to hexagonal to circular depending on the rate of the reaction and the reacting gases. The sizes of the monolayer pits grow linearly with reacting time. The monolayer reaction rates follow the order of RNO2 > RN2O > RNO > RO2 > RH2O > RCO2. The activation energies for reactions with O2, H2O, NO2, NO, and N2O, are determined to be 127, 205, 60, 89, and 74 kJ/mol respectively. Carbon deposition from hydrocarbons onto surfaces of single crystal graphite has been examined to study the fundamental steps of chemical vapor deposition. Uniform monolayer pits on graphite surface were first produced by reactive etching of freshly cleaved single crystal of graphite in oxygen and carbon was then made to deposit exclusively on these defects in the basal plane. Carbon vapor deposition forms unique structures around the monolayer steps. By measuring the sizes of structures on steps in various gases versus temperature and pressure, the kinetics of hydrocarbon decomposition and the role of surface diffusion can be determined.
Development of tunable polarimetric optical scattering instrument from 4.3-9.7 microns

To examine the polarimetric Bidirectional Scatter Distribution Function (BSDF) of samples in the mid-wave infrared (MWIR) and long-wave infrared (LWIR), a full Stokes polarimetric optical scatter instrument has been developed which is tunable from 4.3-9.7 microns through the use of six external-cavity quantum-cascade lasers. The polarimeter is realized through a dual-rotating-retarder configuration, which allows full Mueller-matrix extraction over the tunable wavelengths. Optical characterization of the polarimeter components was conducted to establish performance baselines for the system. The dynamic range of the system is nine orders of magnitude.
Efficient Semi-supervised Spectral Co-clustering with Constraints

Co-clustering was proposed to simultaneously cluster objects and features to explore inter-correlated patterns. For example, by analyzing the blog click-through data, one finds the group of users who are interested in a specific group of blogs in order to perform applications such as recommendations. However, it is usually very difficult to achieve good co-clustering quality by just analyzing the object-feature correlation data due to the sparsity of the data and the noise. Meanwhile, one may have some prior knowledge that indicates the internal structure of the co-clusters. For instance, one may find user cluster information from the social network system, and the blog-blog similarity from the social tags or contents. This prior information provides some supervision toward the co-cluster structures, and may help reduce the effect of sparsity and noise. However, most co-clustering algorithms do not use this information and may produce unmeaningful results. In this paper we study the problem of finding the optimal co-clusters when some objects and features are believed to be in the same cluster a priori. A matrix decomposition based approach is proposed to formulate as a trace minimization problem, and solve it efficiently with the selected eigenvectors. The asymptotic complexity of the proposed approach is the same as co-clustering without constraints. Experiments include graph-pattern co-clustering and document-word co-clustering. For instance, in graph-pattern data set, the proposed model can improve the normalized mutual information by as much as 5.5 times and 10 times faster than two naive solutions that expand the edges and vertices in the graphs.
Assistive technology patenting trends and the Americans with Disabilities Act

This article examines the ways in which the growing economic market for assistive technology (AT) may be analyzed in the context of effective implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). It summarizes the results of an ongoing study of patent data from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO). The purpose of the study is to examine how the ADA is fostering innovation and economic opportunity for AT developers, manufacturers, and retailers. The findings suggest that evaluations of the ADA based on its perceived costs to society need to be balanced by the range of societal benefits accruing from the law, including those unanticipated economic benefits found in the present study. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Solar wind helium abundance as a function of speed and heliographic latitude: Variation through a solar cycle

We present a study of the variation of the relative abundance of helium to hydrogen in the solar wind as a function of solar wind speed and heliographic latitude over the previous solar cycle. The average values of A(sub He), the ratio of helium to hydrogen number densities, are calculated in 25 speed intervals over 27-day Carrington rotations using Faraday Cup observations from the Wind spacecraft between 1995 and 2005. The higher speed and time resolution of this study compared to an earlier work with the Wind observations has led to the discovery of three new aspects of A(sub He), modulation during solar minimum from mid-1995 to mid-1997. First, we find that for solar wind speeds between 350 and 415 km/s, A(sub He), varies with a clear six-month periodicity, with a minimum value at the heliographic equatorial plane and a typical gradient of 0.01 per degree in latitude. For the slow wind this is a 30% effect. We suggest that the latitudinal gradient may be due to an additional dependence of coronal proton flux on coronal field strength or the stability of coronal loops. Second, once the gradient is subtracted, we find that A(sub He), is a remarkably linear function of solar wind speed. Finally, we identify a vanishing speed, at which A(sub He), is zero, is 259 km/s and note that this speed corresponds to the minimum solar wind speed observed at one AU. The vanishing speed may be related to previous theoretical work in which enhancements of coronal helium lead to stagnation of the escaping proton flux. During solar maximum the A(sub He), dependences on speed and latitude disappear, and we interpret this as evidence of two source regions for slow solar wind in the ecliptic plane, one being the solar minimum streamer belt and the other likely being active regions.
Angiotensin II Mediates Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Type 2 Internalization and Degradation Through an Angiotensin II Type I Receptor–Dependent Mechanism

Angiotensin-converting enzyme type 2 (ACE2) is a pivotal component of the renin–angiotensin system, promoting the conversion of angiotensin II (Ang-II) to Ang-(1-7). We previously reported that dec...
Abusive and disruptive behavior in the surgical team.

Mean, abusive, and disruptive behavior among physicians interferes with teamwork and may result in decreased patient safety. Therefore, it must be discouraged through reinforcement of appropriate behavioral norms.
Would the field of cognitive neuroscience be advanced by sharing functional MRI data

During the past two decades, the advent of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has fundamentally changed our understanding of brain-behavior relationships. However, the data from any one study add only incrementally to the big picture. This fact raises important questions about the dominant practice of performing studies in isolation. To what extent are the findings from any single study reproducible? Are researchers who lack the resources to conduct a fMRI study being needlessly excluded? Is pre-existing fMRI data being used effectively to train new students in the field? Here, we will argue that greater sharing and synthesis of raw fMRI data among researchers would make the answers to all of these questions more favorable to scientific discovery than they are today and that such sharing is an important next step for advancing the field of cognitive neuroscience.
Is connexin36 critical for GABAergic hypersynchronization in the hippocampus

Non-technical summary In some forms of incurable epilepsies, GABAergic interneurons, which physiologically mediate inhibition in the brain, are thought to mediate excitation. The presence of a specific form of electrical communication between these cells, which is mediated by structures called gap junctions, has been proposed to be involved in the generation of synchronized epileptiform discharges. In support of this hypothesis is the repeated finding in the literature that the drug carbenoxolone, which is an effective blocker of gap junction function, decreases epileptiform activity in models of epilepsy both in vivo and in vitro. Our work challenges this view and highlights additional side-effects of carbenoxolone, which are unrelated to gap junctions, but seem to contribute to its reported antiepileptic activity. A full knowledge of these additional mechanisms is important for the rational development of new molecules to be used in the therapy of epilepsy.
Price Cap Regulation: A Case Study of Some Pitfalls of Implementation

There has been considerable discussion of price-cap regulation as an alternative to traditional rate-of-return regulation. This paper examines some of the practical pitfalls of price-cap regulation. First, a model of a terminating price cap is developed. Next, this model is used to propose some problems of implementation. These problems are evaluated in the context of a case study of the Tucson Electric Power Company, which faced a type of price cap for several years in the 1980s. Extensions of the specific case to more general lessons about price-cap regulation are considered.
Mechanism of pneumococcal cell wall degradation in vitro and in vivo.

We compared the products of autolytic amidase-catalyzed wall degradation in vivo (in penicillin-induced lysis) and in vitro. Pneumococci labeled in their cell wall stem peptides by radioactive lysine were treated with penicillin, and the nature of wall degradation products released to the medium during lysis of the bacteria was determined. At early times of lysis (20% loss of wall label), virtually all the radioactive peptides released (greater than 94%) were of high molecular size and were still attached to glycan and teichoic acid. At times of more extensive bacterial lysis (56%), progressively larger and larger fractions of the released peptides became free, i.e., detached from glycan and teichoic acid. Analysis of the nondegraded residual wall material by high-resolution high-pressure liquid chromatography revealed that this in vivo-triggered autolysis did not involve selective hydrolysis of some of the chemically distinct stem peptides. Parallel in vitro experiments yielded completely different results. Purified pneumococcal cell walls labeled with radioactive lysine were treated in vitro with low concentrations of pure amidase, and the nature of wall degradation products released during limited hydrolysis and after more extensive degradation was determined. In sharp contrast to the in vivo experiments, the main products of in vitro hydrolysis were free peptides. After a short treatment with amidase (resulting in a 20% loss of label), the material released was enriched for the monomeric stem peptides. At all times of hydrolysis (including the time of extensive degradation), only a relatively small fraction of the released wall peptides was covalently attached to glycan and teichoic acid components (17% as compared with 40% in the intact cell wall). We propose that the in vivo-triggered amidase activity first attacks the amide bonds in some strategically located (or unprotected) stem peptides that hold large segments of cell wall material together. The observations indicate that the in vivo activity of the pneumococcal autolysin is under topographic constraints.
High-Performance On-Chip Interconnect Circuit Technologies for sub-65nm CMOS

The continued increase in performance and integration levels of VLSI designs for the last three decades has been fueled by shrinking transistor sizes. Unlike devices, on-chip wires get slower with technology scaling and pose performance and power challenges as VLSI designs scale into the nanometer regime. At the same time signal integrity issues have also become important due to increased cross-talk and inductive effects and pose reliability challenges for on-chip signaling. In this tutorial the authors discussed various techniques for improving performance, energy-efficiency and signal integrity of on-chip signaling. The scope of these techniques includes solutions at the architectural, circuit and physical design level
The AIL automated interface layout system

We describe an automated layout system called AIL that generates the user interface for the PERSIVAL digital library project. AIL creates a layout based on a variety of content components and associated meta-data information provided by the PERSIVAL generation and retrieval modules. By leveraging semantic links between the content components, the layout that AIL provides is both context and user-model aware. In addition, AIL is capable of interacting intelligently with the natural language generation components of PERSIVAL to tailor the length of the text content for a given layout.
Visual evoked potentials in a rabbit model of hepatic encephalopathy. I. Sequential changes and comparisons with drug-induced comas.

The recording of visual evoked potentials in rabbits has been shown to be an objective, reproducible, noninvasive technique for quantitating changes in the pattern of cerebral neuronal activity. The development of hepatic encephalopathy due to galactosamine-inducedfulminant hepatic failure was consistently associated with a series of distinctive changes in the visual evoked potential waveform. The pattern of the visual evoked potential in hepatic coma (due to galactosamine-inducedfulminant hepatic failure) differed fundamentally from that in ether-induced coma, but was identical to that in comas induced by three drugs which activate γ-aminobutyric acid-ergic neural mechanisms: pentobarbital, diazepam, and muscimol. These findings are compatible with activation of the γ-aminobutyric acid inhibitory neurotransmitter system contributing to cerebral neuronal inhibition in hepatic coma due to galactosamine-inducedfulminant hepatic failure.
Retinoic acid, hypoxia, and GATA factors cooperatively control the onset of fetal liver erythropoietin expression and erythropoietic differentiation.

Abstract The cytokine erythropoietin (Epo) is an essential factor promoting the survival, proliferation, and differentiation of erythroid progenitor cells. Epo expression and the initial phase of definitive erythropoietic differentiation in the fetal liver (E9–E12) are compromised in mouse embryos lacking the retinoic acid receptor RXRα. Our previous work demonstrated that the Epo gene is a direct target of retinoic acid action, via a retinoic acid receptor binding site in the Epo gene enhancer. However, Epo expression and erythropoietic differentiation become normalized in RXRα mutants from E12. In this study, we have investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying the transition in Epo gene regulation from RXRα-dependence to RXRα-independence. We find that three independent regulatory components are required for high level Epo expression in the early fetal liver: ligand-activated retinoic acid receptors, the hypoxia-regulated factor HIF1, and GATA factors. By E11.5, the fetal liver is no longer hypoxic, and retinoic acid signaling is no longer active; Epo expression from E11.5 onward is enhancer-independent, and is driven instead by basal promoter elements that provide a sufficient level of expression to support further erythropoietic differentiation.
Simulation on demand for pricing many securities

We develop a sequential experiment design procedure to construct multiple metamodels based on a single stochastic simulation model. We apply the procedure to approximate many securities' prices as functions of a financial scenario. We propose a cross-validation method that adds design points and simulation effort at the design points to target all metamodels' relative prediction errors. To improve the expected quality of the metamodels given randomness of the scenario that is an input to the simulation model, we also propose a way to choose design points so that the scenario is likely to fall inside their convex hull.
Is health literacy related to health behaviors and cell phone usage patterns among the text4baby target population

Background: Text4baby provides educational text messages to pregnant and postpartum women and targets underserved women. The primary purpose of this study is to examine the health behaviors and cell phone usage patterns of a text4baby target population and the associations with health literacy. Methods: Pregnant and postpartum women were recruited from two Women, Infant and Children clinics in Atlanta. Women were asked about their demographics, selected pregnancy or postpartum health behaviors, and cell phone usage patterns. Health literacy skills were measured with the English version of the Newest Vital Sign. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine health behaviors and cell usage patterns by health literacy classification, controlling for commonly accepted confounders. Results: Four hundred sixty-eight women were recruited, and 445 completed the Newest Vital Sign. Of these, 22% had inadequate health literacy, 50% had intermediate health literacy, and 28% had adequate health literacy skills. Compared to adequate health literacy, limited literacy was independently associated with not taking a daily vitamin during pregnancy (OR 3.6, 95% CI: 1.6, 8.5) and never breastfeeding their infant (OR 1.4, 95% CI: 1.1, 1.8). The majority (69.4%) of respondents received nine or more text messages a day prior to enrollment, one in four participants (24.6%) had changed their number within the last six months, and 7.0% of study participants shared a cell phone. Controlling for potentially confounding factors, those with limited health literacy were more likely to share a cell phone than those with adequate health literacy (OR 2.57, 95% CI: 1.79, 3.69). Conclusions: Text4baby messages should be appropriate for low health literacy levels, especially as this population may have higher prevalence of targeted unhealthy behaviors. Text4baby and other mhealth programs targetting low health literacy populations should a lso be aware of the different ways that these populations use their cell phones, including: sharing cell phones, which may mean participants will not receive messages or have special privacy concerns; frequently changing cell phone numbers which could lead to higher drop-off rates; and the penetrance of text messages in a population that receives many messages daily.
Retrievable and Permanent Inferior Vena Cava Filters: Selected Considerations

The use of inferior vena cava (IVC) filters is increasing rapidly, and the recent availability of retrievable IVC filters is certain to accelerate this process. Unfortunately, because the risks and benefits of these devices have not been adequately studied, several important issues remain. Limitations of the quality of the data in the available literature make it virtually impossible to accurately quantify the specific rates of complications with various devices. Although many clinicians believe that the use of an IVC filter obviates anticoagulation, new data support the need for long-term anticoagulation in such patients. The recent introduction of retrievable IVC filters may eliminate the need for long-term anticoagulation if the filter can be removed, but further data are needed to ascertain the place of these devices in modern therapy. The increasing use of these devices increases the need for clinicians to be aware of the potential limitations and risks of IVC filters.
Estimating Operational Impacts of Freeway Work Zones on Extended Facilities

This paper presents an approach to estimating the operational impacts of freeway work zones. The focus is on significant work zones on freeway corridors as defined by FHWA. The methodology is based on deterministic freeway capacity concepts described in the Highway Capacity Manual and allows the analyst to test impacts of a range of work zone configurations in an extended time-space domain. The focus on extended facilities refers to the analysis of multiple segments of various types, including basic freeway, ramp, and weaving segments. The cost-effective and time-efficient analysis approach can model effects of work zones such as lane closures, lower speed limits, capacity reduction, and the implicit effects of traffic diversion, peak reduction, and other intelligent transportation system strategies. Performance measures include total delay, queuing impacts, average running speed, and the potential to estimate user cost. The methodology focuses on a corridor-based analysis of work zones on freeways. It is...
Gender Differences in Science Achievement: Differential Effect of Ability, Response Format, and Strands of Learning Outcomes.

The purpose of this study was to determine patterns of gender differences in science achievement of fifth graders, taking into account the role of ethnicity, ability, response format, and strands of learning outcomes. The results indicated that the gender differences in science achievement did not depend on ethnicity. However, response format, ability, and strands of learning outcomes had differential effects on student performance. In particular, at the high ability level boys did better than girls on the open-ended format in physical sciences, but there were no gender differences in nature of science, earth and space sciences, and life sciences. There were no gender differences in science achievement for the low and medium ability students. Regardless of gender, the largest achievement gaps between the low, medium, and high ability students were on the open-ended format in physical sciences.
Intraocular larva migrans in dogs.

The clinical and histologic features are described in 4 cases of intraocular larva migrans in dogs. Clinically, a small, raised, greyish nodule about 1/4–1/6 the diameter of the cptic disc was visible on the surface of the retina. In 3 of the cases, the lesion was recognized during ophthalmoscopic examination, and in one it was discovered histologically. The lesion is a granuloma resembling those seen in other organs of dogs affected by visceral larva migrans, and contains nematode larvae of the genus Toxocara.
Stochastic Resource Allocation Over Fading Multiple Access and Broadcast Channels

We consider the optimal rate and power allocation that maximizes a general utility function of average user rates in a fading multiple-access or broadcast channel. By exploiting the greedy structure of the capacity-achieving resource allocation for both multiple-access and broadcast channels, it is established that a utility-maximizing allocation policy can be obtained through dual-based gradient descent iterations with fast convergence and low complexity per iteration. Relying on stochastic averaging tools, we further develop a class of stochastic gradient iterations which are capable of asymptotically converging to the optimal benchmark with guarantees on the minimum average user rates, even when the fading channel distribution is unknown a priori.
Fast Acquisition of Heart Rate in Noncontact Vital Sign Radar Measurement Using Time-Window-Variation Technique

The fast acquisition of heart rate (HR) is a challenge in noncontact vital sign detection using a Doppler radar system. Most of the previous studies use long-period time windows to guarantee a sufficient frequency spectrum resolution for HR measurement using the peak searching method on the frequency spectrum. For fast acquisition of HR, the length of the time window is less than 5 s and the accuracy is significantly degraded due to insufficient spectrum resolution. For vital sign detection using complex signal demodulation (CSD), measuring HR variation becomes a difficult job due to respiration harmonic interference and insufficient frequency spectrum resolution. In this paper, a time-window-variation technique is developed for fast acquisition of HR from short-period time windows and measuring HR variation using CSD. Experiments are performed on four human subjects under controlled laboratory conditions by a 5.8-GHz continuous-wave Doppler radar vital sign detection system. The HR measurement results within 2–5-s time windows are compared by applying a simple fast Fourier transform (FFT) and peak searching method, a 10-s sliding-time-window FFT method, and the proposed method. The proposed method achieves the smallest average error among the three techniques. The proposed method has also proved to be able to measure HR variation using CSD.
On the Role of Politics in the Development of Mathematics in Africa

A survey of the state of mathematics in Africa clearly shows that African governments have continued the colonial policy of investing very little in mathematics: 45 sub-Sahara African countries have entered the new millennium equipped with a total of less than 10 Ph.D.s in mathematics education and less than 100 Ph.D.s in mathematics. One purpose of the paper is to ask and suggest an answer to the question: Why invest in mathematics in Africa?
Will E-Learning Kill the University

With many predicting the end of higher education, will e-learning be the final blow that kills the university?