cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use of the video telescope operating monitor (VITOM) as an alternative to the operating microscope in spine surgery.

Study design Prospective cohort study. Objective To evaluate the efficacy of video telescope operating monitor (VITOM) as an alternative to operative microscope (OM) in spinal surgery. Summary of background data The surgical operating microscope can be expensive, cumbersome, and ergonomically disadvantageous. VITOM is a novel telescope-based exoscope system that can be used as an alternative or supplement to OM. Methods Patients undergoing spinal surgery were enrolled in a prospective cohort study between December 2008 and March 2011. Age, sex, and operation-matched patients undergoing surgery using the standard OM served as the control group. During surgery, the VITOM system was used in place of the OM in 24 patients. Operative time, length of postoperative hospital stay, and intraoperative complications were assessed. RESULTS.: A total of 48 patients were studied in 2 equal cohorts of 24 patients each. Within each cohort, patients underwent single-level (n = 4) and 2-level (n = 7) posterior decompression as well as single-level (n = 11) and 2-level (n = 2) transforaminal lumbar interbody fusions via VITOM, with an equal number of controls using OM. There were no significant differences in age (P = 0.79) or sex (P = 0.77) between cohorts.There were no statistically significant differences in mean operative room time for single-level decompressions (P = 0.38), 2-level decompressions (P = 0.12), single-level transforaminal lumbar interbody fusions (P = 0.13), or 2-level transforaminal lumbar interbody fusions (P = 0.15). Postoperative hospital length of stay averaged 2.9 days for the VITOM group versus 2.8 days for the traditional OM group (P = 0.75). There were no intraoperative complications in either group. Subjectively, surgeons rated the image quality as very high and equal to the OM. Conclusion The VITOM system for spinal surgery provides outstanding image quality and an ease of manipulation rivaling the OM. There were no statistically significant differences in mean operative room time, intraoperative complications, or total hospital length of stay when using this novel system in several common spinal procedures relative to the OM.
Contemporary issues in cultural heritage tourism

Within the last 20 years, there has been a growing recognition of the importance of cultural heritage as part of the tourism industry. From the smallest village to the largest city, governments and...
Human genome regulation.

In the early 90s, Manfred Eigen lectured at Hoffman-La Roche and explained that a gene of 1,000 base pairs has 10605 combinations. This number suggests that the Human Genome cannot be randomly crea...
Colonial andean silver, the global economy, and indigenous labour in Peru’s Huancavelica Mercury Mines of Death

Abstract Silver from Potosi and other colonial Spanish American mines made possible the rise of a global economy, based in significant ways on the trade by Europe of American silver for silks, spices and other Asian goods. Nowhere was the human cost of that commercial network higher, however, than at the Huancavelica mercury mines, where the colonial government forced indigenous workers to toil in conditions so poisonous and dangerous that some officials referred to the site as the “mine of death” and a “public slaughterhouse.” Officials justified the coercion on the grounds that because refiners used mercury to process their silver ores through amalgamation and that the empire and its economy depended on American silver. By 1650 improved ventilation in the Huancavelica mines and better refining techniques had lowered the workers’ death rates, but labour there still may have killed as many as a third of the male population.
Excitatory Drive to the Respiratory System in REM Sleep

REM sleep is sometimes divided into tonic and phasic stages. Tonic REM sleep processes are both excitatory and inhibitory to the respiratory system. Inhibitory effects arise from the atonic processes of the REM state and include atonia of thoracoabdominal and extrathoracic airway muscles. Excitatory effects include increases in respiratory rate, central respiratory drive and rate of rise of diaphragmatic activity. The combination of these varying antagonistic effects determines the level of ventilation.
Luteinizing hormone in cervical mucus

The presence of material like luteinizing hormone (LH) in cervical mucus has not been previously reported. In this study, we show that in human cervical mucus there is LH-like material detectable by radioimmunoassay (RIA) and by bioassay. The content of LH in the cervical mucus of five donors was measured by RIA in samples of mucus obtained daily throughout the menstrual cycle. The concentration of LH in mucus obtained during ovulation was lower than in mucus obtained during the early follicular phase or mucus obtained during the luteal phase. This material exhibits LH-like biologic activity because increasing volumes of cervical mucus added to isolated mice Leydig cells stimulates testosterone secretion by these cells, in a parallel dose-related fashion, to increasing quantities of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). No immunologic cross-reactivity of the cervical mucus was observed with an antiserum specific for the β -subunit of hCG. Taken together, the results of the present study suggest the presence of an LH-like substance within the cervical mucus that exhibits both the immunologic and biologic properties of LH.
Networks and MPI for cluster computing

Cluster computing, message passing, and high-performance networks form the foundation for high-performance computing and modern supercomputers. This chapter introduces the reader to the key concepts needed to understand how cluster computing differs from other types of distributed computing and provides a brief introduction to supercomputing. The material presented here is intended to be introduced in core computer science courses, alongside other parallel and distributed computing concepts. This information can be easily integrated into discussions of shared memory parallelism, and it serves as an example of methods for extreme parallelism that are needed for supercomputing.
Polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEMFC) based power system for long-term operation of leave-in-place sensors in Navy and Marine Corps applications

Abstract We present the details of an autonomous power-on-demand fuel cell system for operating remote sensor packages currently being developed by the US Navy. The system is designed to extend mission lifetime six-fold by replacing non-rechargeable primary batteries with stored hydrogen and a fuel cell. This system utilizes hydrogen gas generated through a reaction between the solid chemical sodium borohydride and water. The chemical delivery mechanism utilizes feedback from the fuel cell output voltage in order to determine the amount of sodium borohydride to be metered into the reaction vessel. The fuel cell can power the load directly or indirectly through a small rechargeable battery. A boost converter is used to increase the voltage output and an integrated power path controller sets whether load power is delivered via the fuel cell or battery. Two methods for chemical delivery are currently under investigation. The deployed system will increase battlefield persistence by greatly extending the lifetime of existing sensors while reducing risk of harm to the warfighter.
Influence of Order within Nonpolar Monolayers on Hydrophobic Interactions.

We report an experimental investigation of the influence of molecular-level order (crystallinity) within nonpolar monolayers on hydrophobic interactions. The measurements were performed using gold film-supported monolayers formed from alkanethiols (CH3(CH2)nSH, with n ranging from 3 to 17), which we confirmed by using polarization–modulation infrared reflection–adsorption spectroscopy to exhibit chain-length-dependent order (methylene peak moves from 2926 to 2919 cm–1, corresponding to a transition from liquid- to quasi-crystalline-like order) in the absence of substantial changes in chain density (constant methyl peak intensity). By using monolayer-covered surfaces immersed in either aqueous triethanolamine (TEA, 10 mM, pH 7.0) or pure methanol, we quantified hydrophobic and van der Waals contributions to adhesive interactions between identical pairs of surfaces (measured using an atomic force microscope) as a function of the length and order of the aliphatic chains within the monolayers. In particular, ...
Using Facebook for Academic Purposes: Current Literature and Directions for Future Research:

This study reviews the international literature on using Facebook for academic purposes to examine whether and how this popular social networking site contributes to teaching and learning in formal...
38-P: CORRELATION OF C1Q ASSAY AND LUMINEX SINGLE ANTIGEN TESTING WITH DSA

Aim Our lab is validating the One Lambda C1q assay. As part of this process we are assessing pattern consistency between C1q and IgG single antigen bead results, and donor specific antibody. The ultimate goal is to improve the specificity of 1. unacceptable antigens listed in UNOS for sensitized solid organ recipients, and 2. antigens to avoid for platelet refractory patients. Methods 66 HLA class I and/or HLA class II positive patients were tested by single antigen IgG methods. (GenProbe LSA). All samples were tested with C1q assay (C1q, Labscreen, One Lambda). For stem cell transplants a CDC PRA was also performed (Gentrak). Results Results in Table 1 . Conclusions The LSA IgG assay clearly detects antibody specificities that do not bind complement C1q as only 68% were positive in both assays. Among regraft patients, the C1q assay demonstrated high specificity in confirming reactivity of the DSA identified in the LSA (IgG) assay. For the primary transplant group in this series, the overall correlation is lower, except among multiparous women. Unfortunately HLA typing is not available for most offspring of this group however C1q IgG did correlate with two known pregnancy exposures. Three samples from multiparous stem cell recipients were also tested in a CDC assay as their reactivity in both the IgG and C1q was so strong as to preclude identification of antigens to avoid. In all cases the CDC-PRA was >80%. Finally, and not surprisingly, the lowest correlation between IgG and C1q was apparent among ventricular assist device recipients. In our experience, serum from these patients often demonstrates non-specific reactivity that wanes over time. The lack of C1q activity supports that antibodies detected in LSA assays should not be presumed harmful.
Toward an integrative model of application-software security

Populist approaches to studying information systems security include architectural, infrastructure-related and system-level security. This study focuses on software security implemented and monitored during systems development and implementation stages. Moving away from the past checklist methods of studying software security, this study provides a model that could be used in categorizing checklists into meaningful clusters. Many constructs, such as principle of least privilege, execution monitoring, social engineering and formalism and pragmatism in security implementations, are identified in the model. The identification of useful constructs to study can form the basis of evaluating security in software systems as well as provide guidelines of implementing security in new systems developed.
Ceramic Phase Diagram Program

More than 100 years ago, scientists discovered the usefulness of phase diagrams for describing the interactions of inorganic materials in a given system. Phase equilibria diagrams are graphical representations of the thermodynamic relations pertaining to the compositions of materials. Ceramists have long been leaders in the development and use of phase equilibria diagrams as primary tools for describing, developing, specifying, and applying new ceramic materials.
Social-Perceptual and Social-Cognitive Skills in Young Children with Williams Syndrome: Evidence for Discontinuity

Abstract Dissociations between social-perceptual (i.e., dynamic perceptions of affective cues) and social-cognitive processing (i.e., interpretation or reasoning with regard to the affective information) have been found in adolescents and adults with Williams syndrome; however, less is known about the developmental precursors of these skills in children with this neurogenetic syndrome. In this review, we examine the literature on social-cognitive skills in children with Williams syndrome. We then present a case report that examines the early social and communication behaviors in young children with Williams syndrome (under 5) that provides additional evidence for an early emerging strength in social-perceptual processing and a weakness in social-cognitive skills. The dissociation of early social-perceptual and social-cognitive behaviors leads to theoretical questions concerning the role of joint attention in language development, as well as the impact of shared attention on social reciprocity.
The Frank -Starling Relationship: Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms

It is probably not an exaggeration to suggest that the modern era of cardiovascular research began with the classical studies of Otto Frank and Ernest Starling on the relationship between end diastolic volume and systolic function in the isolated heart (Frank, 1895; Patterson and Starling, 1914). From the standpoint of integrative physiology, their work provided a mechanism for linking cardiac output to peripheral vascular perturbations (blood volume, venous compliance, skeletal muscle activity, etc.) which can alter central venous pressure and, hence, the degree of stretch of the myocardial muscle fibers. Their findings, still valid, are central to our understanding of the events that take place in such situations as exercise, hemorrhage, and congestive heart failure. For the muscle physiologist, their work provided the challenge of explaining cardiac function in terms of the basic cellular and molecular mechanisms which control force generation and shortening in striated muscle fibers. This effort has continued to the present day. Building on recent advances in the areas of muscle ultrastructure, contractile protein function, and Ca2+ regulation, it is now possible to formulate a generally plausible mechanism which accounts, at least in large part, for the linkage between ventricular filling pressure and systolic performance. The intracellular signaling pathways which mediate this process remain to be clarified.
Stanford-Binet-Fourth Edition (Binet-4)

The latest (fourth) edition of the Stanford-Binet in some ways follows in the tradition of Alfred Binet’s original work and Terman’s American revision of his scale (see Chapter 1). Some of the items found on the Binet-4 have long histories and can be traced directly to Binet’s original work. On the other hand, this newest version of the Binet departs from its predecessors to such an extent, especially in terms of its structure and theory, that it should be considered a new test, as opposed to what is typically considered a mere revision of an earlier scale. The Binet-4, however, does remain a significant achievement in intelligence test technology and, as such, it warrants serious consideration by individuals who use these measures.
Adaptive finite element simulations of waveguide configurations involving parallel 2D material sheets

Abstract We discuss analytically and numerically the propagation and energy transmission of electromagnetic waves caused by the coupling of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) between two spatially separated layers of 2D materials , such as graphene, at subwavelength distances. We construct an adaptive finite-element method to compute the ratio of energy transmitted within these waveguide structures reliably and efficiently. At its heart, the method is built upon a goal-oriented a posteriori error estimation with the dual-weighted residual method (DWR). Furthermore, we derive analytic solutions of the two-layer system, compare those to (known) single-layer configurations, and compare and validate our numerical findings by comparing numerical and analytical values for optimal spacing of the two-layer configuration. Additional aspects of our numerical treatment , such as local grid refinement, and the utilization of perfectly matched layers (PMLs) are examined in detail.
Empirical Analysis of Relationship between High-Tech Industries and US Metropolitan Statistical Areas

AbstractThis study highlights the spatial patterns of high-tech clusters and the effects of high-technology (“high-tech”) industries on the urban economy in US Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs)...
Social Status, Self-Development, and the Process of Sailing Specialization

The specialization framework argues that participation in a leisure activity is a linear process of self-development where people progress from novice to expert. Aversa (1986) challenges this notio...
Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) in the Prevention of HIV: Strategies, Target Populations and Upcoming Treatments

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) against HIV infection with tenofovir/emtricitabine is proven to be effective yet uptake of this preventive measure has been difficult due to several barriers such as cost, access, and misinformation. Certain subpopulations are disproportionately affected by this problem. Several methods have been developed to close the gap in care. New antiretroviral treatment strategies are being investigated for safety and efficacy in preventing HIV infection.
Stimulatory effect of Holy basil and Thai basil on mouse spleen cell proliferation.

Study was conducted on mouse spleen cells, cultured and incubated in-vitro with Holy basil and Thai basil, to observe their effect on proliferation. Four dilutions, namely 1:1, 1:5, 1:25, and 1:125...
A Novel Web Application for Rapidly Searching the Diagnostic Case Archive.

Academic pathologists must have the ability to search their institution's archive of diagnostic case data. This ability is foundational for research, education, and other academic activities. However, the built-in search functions of commercial laboratory information systems are not always optimized for this activity, leading to delays between an initial search request, and eventual results delivery. To solve this problem, a novel web-based search platform was developed, named Pathtools, which allows our staff and trainees to directly and rapidly search our diagnostic case archive. Pathtools was built with open-source components and features a web-based user-interface. Pathtools uses an SQL database which was populated with anatomic pathology case data going back to 1980, and contains 4.2 million cases (as of July 31, 2020). Pathtools has two major modes of operation, “Preview Mode” and “Research Mode.” Since deployment in February of 2019, Pathtools carried out 33,817 searches in Preview Mode, averaging 0.72 s (standard deviation = 1.7) between search submission, and on-screen display of search results. In Research Mode, Pathtools has also been used to produce data sets for research activity, providing the data used in many abstracts and manuscripts our investigators submitted recently. Interestingly, 75% of search activity is from trainees during their preview time. In a survey of residents and fellows, 83% used Pathtools during the majority of their preview sessions, demonstrating an important role for this resource in trainee education. In conclusion, a web-based search tool can rapidly and securely provide search capability directly to end-users, which has augmented trainee education and research activity in our department.
Head and Neck Paragangliomas: Patterns of Otolaryngology Referrals for Genetic Testing Over 2 Decades.

ObjectiveA large proportion of head and neck paragangliomas (HNPGLs) arise in patients with a genetic predisposition due to pathogenic variants in succinate dehydrogenase (SDHx) genes. Contemporary...
Sovereignty in China: a genealogy of a concept since 1840: by Maria Adele Carrai, Cambridge University Press, 2019, 274 pp., US$110.00 (hardback)

Maria Adele Carrai argues that Chinese sovereignty and international law were shaped by the country’s distinctive historical experience and genealogy. To seek unique experiences of China’s sovereig...
Assessing Women’s Health Needs in the Underserved Island Communities of Vanuatu

Vanuatu is a South Pacific island nation with limited resources and dispersed communities. Healthcare provision and population health data is lacking; and women have been an historically undervalued, underserved group. This needs assessment was completed by mothers in the area surrounding a health clinic in Vanuatu to better inform the clinic’s service expansion. In a period of six weeks, 60 parous women, between 17 and 66 years old, were interviewed in their native language (Bislama). Participants provided verbal responses to 29 questions targeting family health needs and pregnancy experiences. The questionnaire was constructed from WHO and UNICEF surveys. Descriptive statistics were calculated. Primary care complaints were the most common health concerns reported by participants. Few women (43.3%, 26/60) knew what a sexually transmitted infection was, and 38.3% (23/60) knew a place offering HIV testing. Thirty percent (18/60) never had a pelvic exam. During their last pregnancies, 98.3% (59/60) received prenatal care with a median of five visits and variable health education. Injectable (65.2%, 15/23) and oral contraception (21.7%, 5/23) were the most utilized family planning methods; one person used condoms (4.3%, 1/23). Eighty-seven percent (52/60) felt unsafe walking through their neighborhoods at night. General knowledge and utilization of women’s health resources were limited in this group. The community-based primary care setting could be an important site for future provision of women’s health services. Future studies and interventions in family planning, sexual health, and prenatal care could aid this community.
Scientific Mashups: Runtime-Configurable Data Product Ensembles

Mashups are gaining popularity as a rapid-development, re-use-oriented programming model to replace monolithic, bottom-up application development. This programming style is attractive for the "long tail" of scientific data management applications, characterized by exploding data volumes, increasing requirements for data sharing and collaboration, but limited software engineering budgets. We observe that scientists already routinely construct a primitive, static form of mashup--an ensemble of related visualizations that convey a specific scientific message encoded as, e.g., a Powerpoint slide. Inspired by their ubiquity, we adopt these conventional data-product ensembles as a core model, endow them with interactivity, publish them online, and allow them to be repurposed at runtime by non-programmers. We observe that these scientific mashups must accommodate a wider audience than commerce-oriented and entertainment-oriented mashups. Collaborators, students (K12 through graduate), the public, and policy makers are all potential consumers, but each group has a different level of domain sophistication. We explore techniques for adapting one mashup for different audiences by attaching additional context, assigning defaults, and re-skinning component products. Existing mashup frameworks (and scientific workflow systems) emphasize an expressive "boxes-and-arrows" abstraction suitable for engineering individual products but overlook requirements for organizing products into synchronized ensembles or repurposing them for different audiences. In this paper, we articulate these requirements for scientific mashups, describe an architecture for composing mashups as interactive, reconfigurable, web-based, visualization-oriented data product ensembles, and report on an initial implementation in use at an Ocean Observatory.
Electrochemical Characterization of Mixed Conducting Ba(Ce0.8−y Pr y Gd0.2)O2.9 Cathodes

The high proton conductivities of doped barium and strontium cerates has led to their consideration as electrolytes in fuel cells operating at intermediate temperatures (600-800°C). The electrochemical properties of Pr-doped barium gadolinium cerate [Ba(Ce 0.8-y Pr y Gd 0.2 )O 2.9 ] have been investigated as part of our assessment of new mixed-conducting electrodes in fuel cells with barium cerate electrolytes. Substitution of Pr for Ce increases the total and electronic conductivities, and the total conductivity of Ba(Pr 0.8 Gd 0.2 )O 2.9 exceeds ∼0.75 S/cm at 800°C in dry air. Electromotive force measurements indicate that the Pr-substituted samples also retain high proton and oxygen-ion conductivities despite their decreased ionic transport numbers. Cathodes prepared using these mixed-conducting Pr-doped barium-gadolinium cerates exhibit low cathodic overpotentials in Ba(Ce 0.8 Gd 0.2 )O 2.9 electrolyte fuel cells. For example, the cathodic overpotential resistance of a Ba(Pr 0.8 Gd 0.2 )O 2.9 cathode is 0.47 Ω cm 2 at 800°C at current densities <100 mA/cm 2 . This is the lowest cathodic overpotential resistance reported for a perovskite electrode on a proton-conducting electrolyte fuel cell at this temperature.
Motor-Skill Learning Is Dependent on Astrocytic Activity

Motor-skill learning induces changes in synaptic structure and function in the primary motor cortex through the involvement of a long-term potentiation- (LTP-) like mechanism. Although there is evidence that calcium-dependent release of gliotransmitters by astrocytes plays an important role in synaptic transmission and plasticity, the role of astrocytes in motor-skill learning is not known. To test the hypothesis that astrocytic activity is necessary for motor-skill learning, we perturbed astrocytic function using pharmacological and genetic approaches. We find that perturbation of astrocytes either by selectively attenuating IP3R2 mediated astrocyte Ca2+ signaling or using an astrocyte specific metabolic inhibitor fluorocitrate (FC) results in impaired motor-skill learning of a forelimb reaching-task in mice. Moreover, the learning impairment caused by blocking astrocytic activity using FC was rescued by administration of the gliotransmitter D-serine. The learning impairments are likely caused by impaired LTP as FC blocked LTP in slices and prevented motor-skill training-induced increases in synaptic AMPA-type glutamate receptor in vivo. These results support the conclusion that normal astrocytic Ca2+ signaling during a reaching task is necessary for motor-skill learning.
Cellular mechanisms of pattern formation in the developing limb.

Publisher Summary This chapter describes limb development in the chick wing emphasizing the musculature and skeletal pattern. The chapter discusses the sequence of events during early limb development and limb outgrowth. The pattern formation along the different axes of the limb and the importance of specialized regions in the wing are discussed in the chapter. The chapter examines the process of cell differentiation and reviews several theoretical models that have been proposed to account for limb development. Limb development consists of a series of sequential processes. A limb site is determined, polarity is established, and outgrowth ensues. As the limb elongates, the skeletal pattern appears in a proximodistal sequence. The stabilization of each element follows after a period in which cell determination is labile and may be influenced by external factors. Pattern development in the limb is a highly intricate process involving cell–cell, cell–tissue, and tissue–tissue interactions that change with time and position in a complicated three-dimensional geometry, which also changes with time.
MDL estimation for small sample sizes and its application to segmenting binary strings

Minimum Description Length (MDL) estimation has proven itself of major importance in a large number of applications many of which are in the fields of computer vision and pattern recognition. A problem is encountered in applying the associated formulas, however, especially those associated with model cost. This is because most of these are asymptotic forms appropriate only for large sample sizes. J. Rissanen has recently derived sharper code-length formulas valid for much smaller sample sizes. Because of the importance of these results, it is our intent here to present a tutorial description of them. In keeping with this goal we have chosen a simple application whose relative tractability allows it to be explored more deeply than most problems: the segmentation of binary strings based on a piecewise Bernoulli assumption. By that we mean that the strings are assumed to be divided into substrings, the bits of which are assumed to have been generated by a single (within a substring) Bernoulli source.
Access to essential drugs in Guyana: a public health challenge

Guyana's pharmaceutical sector faces major challenges that limit access to essential drugs. This study analyzes Guyana's drug policy and regulation, public financing, and drug procurement and delivery. The study also identifies main barriers to drug access and proposes alternatives to strengthen the country's public health functions. Data were collected from the country's regulatory agencies, public procurement agency, pharmacies, wholesalers, and pharmaceutical companies. The information was supplemented with interviews with a convenient sample of Guyanese health authorities and stakeholders. Data were also compiled from scientific databases, and web pages of the country's Ministries of Health, Commerce and Finance, the Bureau of Statistics, and international organizations. Major barriers to drug access include: (1) lack of national drug policy and regulation, and limited role of the regulatory authority; (2) inefficient drug selection and irrational drug use; (3) insufficient financial resources and lack of drug pricing policy; (4) inefficient planning and managing public supply system; (5) deficient epidemiological and information systems; and (6) inadequate infrastructures and human resources shortage. Improving drug access in Guyana requires the strengthening of the country's public health functions and the implementation of a national drug policy and pricing policy, streamlining the drug financing, procurement, and planning and managing drug supply; and adequate infrastructures and human resources.
Psychological Immunization: Theory, Research, and Current Health Behavior Applications

A critical review of McGuire's Inoculation Theory, its research base and current health behavior applications in health education research is presented. Foci include research efforts in the areas of smoking, alcohol, and diabetes management. The theory and its utilization in future resistance-to-persuasion interventions in health education is exam ined.
Television as Escape: Subjective Experience Before an Evening of Heavy Viewing

Television viewers’ subjective experiences before a heavy and light night of television viewing were studied via the Experience Sampling Method. Respondents were supplied with radio controlled paging devices and signalled to report their mood and cognitive states at random times over the course of a week. Subjects reported significantly lower moods before a heavy night of television viewing than before a light night. It was concluded that dysphoric states are one predictor of heavier television use.
Low-order multivariable adaptive control with application to flexible structures

All adaptive controllers require a certain amount of prior information regarding the plant to be controlled to achieve the desired control objectives. In the context of multivariable adaptive control, not only is the prior information quite significant, but also the complexity of the adaptive controller is too high. In this paper, we introduce a low-order multivariable adaptive controller that is easy to implement, and requires less prior information than most other adaptive controllers.
Ethylene glycol monomethyl ether (EGME) inhibits rat embryo ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity.

ABSTRACTThe effects of ethylene glycol monomethyl ether (EGME) on reproductive outcome in the rat, and on ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity in the rat embryo were evaluated. Dams (n=8) were treated by gavage on gestation days 5–12 (sperm = day 0) with 0, 25, 50 or 75 mg/kg EGM'E in 10 ml/kg distilled water. EGME had a dose-dependent effect on reproductive outcome. Gestation length was prolonged, and the number of litters delivered and neonatal body weight were reduced. Whole embryo ODC was measured on gestation days 9, 11, 13 and 15. ODC attained maximum activity in controls on day 11, increasing by more than an order of magnitude above the activity found on day 9. On day 11, a statistically significant dose-dependent inhibition of ODC activity was observed with the maximum dose of EGME inhibiting ODC activity 60 percent. On days 13 and 15, ODC activity declined markedly from peak values, and the dose-dependent inhibition was no longer evident. The study demonstrates a correlation between the inhibit...
Recent advances in porphyrinic metal–organic frameworks: materials design, synthetic strategies, and emerging applications

This highlight presents a review of porphyrin paddlewheel frameworks (PPFs) created using porphyrin metalloligands and paddlewheel secondary building units. The combination of these two components, along with dipyridyl pillaring linkers, results in the assembly of 25 PPFs. We describe the topology control exhibited in this series by considering the preferred coordination geometry of the porphyrin building blocks, the length and steric effects of the pillars, and the use of sequential self-assembly. These PPFs and related porphyrinic metal–organic frameworks are emerging as important materials for applications such as heterogeneous catalysis, gas storage, and light harvesting.
Optogenetic activation of nigral inhibitory inputs to motor thalamus in the mouse reveals classic inhibition with little potential for rebound activation.

The inhibitory output from the internal pallidum and substantia nigra to the thalamus forms an important link in the transmission of basal ganglia processing to cortex. Two hypotheses consider either inhibition of thalamic activity or thalamic excitation via postinhibitory rebound burst firing as the functional mode of this link. We used optogenetics to characterize the synaptic properties of nigral input to motor thalamus in adult mouse brain slices, and to determine in what conditions the nigral inhibition of motor thalamus is transmitted via inhibition or rebound firing. Our results are more consistent with graded inhibition of spiking for conditions expected in normal awake animals, because inhibitory potentials from nigral input were generally not sufficient to elicit rebound spikes when the thalamic neurons were actively firing. However, with bursty or fast trains of nigral input low-threshold rebound spike bursts could be triggered for low levels of excitation. This may form the basis of pathological burst generation and transmission in parkinsonian conditions.
The Ecology of Parent-Child Communications about Daily Experiences in Preschool and Day Care

Abstract The main purpose of this study was to develop a reliable and valid method of describing the ecology of parent-child communication about children's daily experiences in preschool and day care. Ninety parents whose preschool children attended university-based preschool/day care programs in two southeastern communities, completed a 50 item checklist designed to assess the frequency, content, and context of parent-child communication about school. Results indicated that parents and children communicated most frequently on weekdays, particularly when the parent picked the child up from school, at meal times, and when the other parent returned home from work. Topics of conversation focused on the child and his/her good friends, as well as outside play, learning activities, and special events. Children, particularly girls, often communicated by describing, asking questions, and performing. Mothers initiated conversations most frequently, particularly with their younger children, though fathers and child...
Role of central epinephrine in regulation of anterior pituitary hormone secretion

Hypothalamic regulation of anterior pituitary hormones is thought to be mediated by the release of stimulatory and/or inhibitory peptides that are, in turn, regulated by catecholaminergic neurons. The recent development of selective epinephrine (EPI) synthesis inhibitors has made it possible to disrupt central EPI neurotransmission without affecting norepinephrine or dopamine. These compounds were used in the present investigation to assess the involvement of brain EPI systems in regulation of GH, LH, and prolactin (PRL) in male and ovariectomized female rats. Inhibition of central EPI synthesis (1) inhibited episodic and morphine-, but not clonidine-induced GH release, and (2) blocked the LH surge induced by estrogen and progesterone, but did not affect episodic LH release in hormonally untreated rats. Inhibition of peripheral (adrenal) EPI synthesis had no effect on these hormones. Results of these studies suggest an excitatory role for EPI in regulation of GH and LH secretion, mediated by stimulation of GH-releasing hormone and LHRH, respectively. EPI does not appear to have a major function in regulation of PRL secretion.
Divergent human remodeling complexes remove nucleosomes from strong positioning sequences

Nucleosome positioning plays a major role in controlling the accessibility of DNA to transcription factors and other nuclear processes. Nucleosome positions after assembly are at least partially determined by the relative affinity of DNA sequences for the histone octamer. Nucleosomes can be moved, however, by a class of ATP dependent chromatin remodeling complexes. We recently showed that the human SWI/SNF remodeling complex moves nucleosomes in a sequence specific manner, away from nucleosome positioning sequences (NPSes). Here, we compare the repositioning specificity of five remodelers of diverse biological functions (hSWI/SNF, the SNF2h ATPase and the hACF, CHRAC and WICH complexes than each contain SNF2h) on 5S rDNA, MMTV and 601 NPS polynucleosomal templates. We find that all five remodelers act similarly to reduce nucleosome occupancy over the strongest NPSes, an effect that could directly contribute to the function of WICH in activating 5S rDNA transcription. While some differences were observed between complexes, all five remodelers were found to result in surprisingly similar nucleosome distributions. This suggests that remodeling complexes may share a conserved repositioning specificity, and that their divergent biological functions may largely arise from other properties conferred by complex-specific subunits.
Investigation of anomalons in He fragments

Abstract We have studied the mean free path of He fragments from projectile beams of Ar, Fe and Kr of energy 1 ⩽ E ⩽2A GeV at different distances (L ⪋ 2.5 cm ) from their production point and found that they are the same, independent of their (i) energy, (ii) target size, (iii) target excitation, (iv) He multiplicities and (v) production angles.
Visible light induced photocatalytic activity for degradation of acetaldehyde using transition metal incorporated Al-MCM-41 (aluminum doped silica zeolitic material)

Transition metal aluminosilicates (M-Al-MCM-41) with high surface area were analyzed for photocatalytic degradation of acetaldehyde in the gas phase. The photoactivity of the catalyst under visible light irradiation is independent of the loading level of Co ions in the Co-Al-MCM-41 framework. The physical state of the transition metal oxide was characterized by XRD, IR, and diffuse reflectance studies. A high surface area with average pore diameter of 2.5 nm was obtained from BET adsorption studies. Maximal photoactivity was achieved even at low loading levels of the transition metal ion. These catalysts also exhibit good activity for degradation of acetaldehyde in the gas phase under UV light illumination.
Cytochrome P450 Induction, Uroporphyrinogen Decarboxylase Depression, Porphyrin Accumulation and Excretion, and Gender Influence in a 3-Week Rat Model of Porphyria Cutanea Tarda

An experimental model of porphyria cutanea tarda, consisting of depressed hepatic uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase (URO-D) activity and accumulation of highly carboxylated porphyrins in the liver, was produced in 3 weeks in Fischer 344 rats. A single administration of a polychlorinated biphenyl mixture (Aroclor 1254) to iron-loaded female rats maintained continuously on delta-aminolevulinic acid supplemented drinking water produced the porphyric state. Without iron loading, URO-D activity appeared slightly less inhibited (33% of normal vs 23% of normal) but porphyrin accumulation was dramatically less (70 vs 605 micrograms porphyrin/g liver). Similar treatment in male rats produced URO-D activities of 54 and 70% of normal with and without iron loading, respectively, and porphyrin concentrations of 76 and 17 micrograms/g. When hexachlorobenzene was substituted for Aroclor 1254 treatment in female rats, URO-D activity was 61 and 69% of normal (with and without iron loading, respectively) and liver porphyrin concentrations were 96 and 25 micrograms/g, respectively. Hexachlorobenzene did not produce significant porphyric effects in male rats. Aroclor 1254 induced CYP1A to a greater extent in females than in males and to a greater extent than hexachlorobenzene, which showed a greater propensity to induce CYP2B. Overall correlation between URO-D activity depression and porphyrin accumulation was highest when fitted to an exponential curve, indicating the importance of the extreme of the depression URO-D activity in evoking experimental porphyria cutanea tarda.
Developmental Regulation and In Vitro Culture Effects on Expression of DNA Repair and Cell Cycle Checkpoint Control Genes in Rhesus Monkey Oocytes and Embryos

DNA repair is essential for maintaining genomic integrity, and may be required in the early embryo to correct damage inherited via the gametes, damage that arises during DNA replication, or damage that arises in response to exposure to genotoxic agents. The capacity of preimplantation stage mammalian embryos to repair damaged DNA has not been well characterized, particularly in primate embryos. In this study, we examined the expression of 48 mRNAs related to sensing different kinds of DNA damage, repairing that DNA damage, and controlling the cell cycle to provide an opportunity for DNA repair. The expression data reveal dynamic temporal changes, indicating a changing ability of the rhesus embryo to detect and repair different kinds of DNA damage. Low expression or overexpression of specific DNA repair genes may limit the ability of the embryo to respond to DNA damage at certain stages. Additionally, our data reveal that in vitro culture may lead to dysregulation of many such genes and a potentially impaired ability to repair DNA damage, thus affecting cellular viability and long-term embryo viability via effects on genome integrity. This effect of in vitro culture on nonhuman primate embryos may be relevant to assessing the potential advantages and disadvantages of prolonged in vitro culture of human embryos.
A structural analysis of in vitro catalytic activities of hammerhead ribozymes

Ribozymes are small catalytic RNAs that possess the dual functions of sequence-specific RNA recognition and site-specific cleavage. Trans-cleaving ribozymes can inhibit translation of genes at the messenger RNA (mRNA) level in both eukaryotic and prokaryotic systems and are thus useful tools for studies of gene function. However, identification of target sites for efficient cleavage poses a challenge. Here, we have considered a number of structural and thermodynamic parameters that can affect the efficiency of target cleavage, in an attempt to identify rules for the selection of functional ribozymes. We employed the Sfold program for RNA secondary structure prediction, to account for the likely population of target structures that co-exist in dynamic equilibrium for a specific mRNA molecule. We designed and prepared 15 hammerhead ribozymes to target GUC cleavage sites in the mRNA of the breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP). These ribozymes were tested, and their catalytic activities were measured in vitro. We found that target disruption energy owing to the alteration of the local target structure necessary for ribozyme binding, and the total energy change of the ribozyme-target hybridization, are two significant parameters for prediction of ribozyme activity. Importantly, target disruption energy is the major contributor to the predictability of ribozyme activity by the total energy change. Furthermore, for a target-site specific ribozyme, incorrect folding of the catalytic core, or interactions involving the two binding arms and the end sequences of the catalytic core, can have detrimental effects on ribozyme activity. The findings from this study suggest rules for structure-based rational design of trans-cleaving hammerhead ribozymes in gene knockdown studies. Tools implementing these rules are available from the Sribo module and the Srna module of the Sfold program available through Web server at http://sfold.wadsworth.org .
The liquidity effect across the short end of the term structure

Because the Federal Reserve is constantly responding to developments in the economy, it has been difficult to come up with convincing estimates of the effects of exogenous shifts in money supply on interest rates. This study uses exogenous, well-identified reserve supply shocks to estimate how money supply shocks that last one day impact short-term interest rates. The results imply that the one-day liquidity effect is substantial, and that it impacts 30- and 90-day private-sector credit markets more than the expectations theory of the term structure predicts. The effect on public debt is smaller and statistically insignificant, implying that reserve supply shocks widen the gap between interest rates on public and private debt.
Response of photosynthesis and superoxide dismutase to silica applied to creeping bentgrass grown under two fertility levels

Abstract Responses of photosynthesis, Superoxide dismutase activity, and disease tolerance of creeping bentgrass (Agrostis palustris Huds. A.) to soluble potassium silicate (20.8% SiO2) treatments was investigated under two fertilization regimes during 1997 and 1998. Potassium silicate was applied twice a month at 603 and 1205 mL 100 m−2 under high or low fertilization regimes in the field, sampled from which were subjected to low soil moisture in a greenhouse environment. Foliar application of silicate stimulated antioxidant superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the bentgarss, especially under the high fertilization regime. Silicate increased photosynthetic capacity (PC) and chlorophyll content when applied at 603 mL 100 m−2. Dollarspot disease incidence was significantly reduced with silicate treatment regardless of fertilization regime. Silicate did not significantly impact clipping weight. Under low soil moisture (‐0.05 MPa), silicate also enhanced SOD activity, PC, and chlorophyll content as well as...