cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interocular symmetry of abnormal multifocal electroretinograms in adolescents with diabetes and no retinopathy.

PURPOSE. To investigate, in adolescents with type 1 diabetes and no retinopathy, the spatial correspondence between abnormal multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG) responses in the two eyes. METHODS. mfERG and fundus photographs were measured in both eyes of 68 adolescents with type 1 diabetes and no retinopathy (13 to 19 years old; best corrected visual acuity 20/20), and 30 age-matched controls. The mfERG stimulus was comprised of 103 hexagons, and subtended 45°. mfERG implicit times (IT) and amplitudes (AMP) were derived. Fifteen patients for IT, and five for AMP with at least one eye defined as abnormal (six or more locations with abnormal Z-scores; P 0.03) were analyzed. RESULTS. Nasal retina had significantly more abnormal IT locations compared with temporal retina (P 0.015), and the opposite was true with regard to abnormal AMP (P 0.001). The proportion of abnormal responses in the superior retina was not significantly different from that in the inferior retina (P 0.1 for IT and AMP). Interocular correspondence of locations with abnormal mfERG IT was significant for all 15 patients (P values 0.0001– 0.012), and agreement between eyes was 68% to 94% (AC1 agreement coefficient: 0.48 – 0.94). Overall interocular correspondence was also significant (P 0.0002), with 86% agreement (AC1 0.76). Overall interocular correspondence of locations with abnormal mfERG AMP was also significant (P 0.0002). CONCLUSIONS. Interocular spatial correspondence of abnormal mfERG responses exists in adolescents with type 1 diabetes and no retinopathy. This is most apparent for IT abnormalities. This correspondence could be used in clinical trials, and raises the possibility of initiating treatment in both eyes at early disease stages as new topical treatments emerge. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2012;53:316 –321) DOI:10.1167/iovs.11-8825
A balanced Franson interferometer

Our balanced Franson interferometer allows observation locally of Hong-Ou-Mandel and biphoton de Broglie interference and non-local Franson interference with suppressed single-photon interference. Advantages are its size, pulsed source compatibility, and passive visibility monitoring.
Baryons in a large- N matrix model

A large-$N$ matrix model with fermions is considered in a gauge-invariant formalism. In large $N$ the model contains "baryons." The baryon wave functions and masses are computed explicitly to leading order in $N$. Higher-order corrections are also considered. The baryon wave functions are of the WKB type. The WKB "potential" is shown to be linear for strong coupling, Coulomb-type for weak coupling.
Differential files: their application to the maintenance of large data bases

The representation of a collection of data in terms of its differences from some pre-established point of reference is a basic compaction technique which finds wide applicability. This paper describes a differential database representation which is shown to be an efficient method for storing large and volatile databases. The technique confines database modifications to a relatively small area of physical storage and as a result offers two significant operational advantages. First, because the "reference point" for the database is inherently static, it can be simply and efficiently stored. Moreover, since all modifications to the database are physically localized, the process of backup and the process of recovery are relatively fast and inexpensive.
Relationship of mother and child food purchases as a function of price: a pilot study.

Abstract To our knowledge, there are no data on parental influences on child purchasing behavior of healthy or unhealthy foods. Mothers and children in ten families were given $5.00 to purchase portions of preferred fruits/vegetables and high energy-dense snack foods for each of ten trials of price manipulations. For five of the trials the price of the fruit/vegetable increased in price from $0.50 to $2.50 (in $0.50 increments), while the price of the energy-dense snack food remained constant at $1.00. For the remaining five trials, the commodity that previously rose in price remained constant at $1.00 and the other commodity varied from $0.50 to $2.50. Same-price elasticity was shown for both the child and parent purchases, and parent purchases were significantly related to child purchases of both healthy (regression estimate=0.46, p 0.001 ) and unhealthy (regression estimate=0.12, p = 0.036 ) foods. Children's purchases of unhealthy snack food items were positively related to family socioeconomic status, and negatively related to child age. These results indicate that parental food choice and purchasing behaviors may play a role in the development of children's purchasing of both healthy and unhealthy foods.
High-speed response to laser heating and cooling in thermo-magnetic writing on magneto-optical disk memory

In order to use Magneto-Optical (MO) media for multi media applications, it is necessary to achieve higher density, higher data transfer rate and lower cost technologies than current MO media. MO recording is thermo- magnetic recording. MO recordings makes use of temperature modulation caused by light intensity modulation from the laser diode for recording. So, it is important to realize high speed response to the light intensity modulation for high data transfer rate recording. The high speed response is also indispensable to make small magnetic domains. So, it is important for high density recording, too. We investigate the temperature response to the light intensity modulation on MO disk. consequently, we found that MO medium shows the high speed response when the laser spot scanning velocity is large.
Review of the poster "Dosimetric comparison of gamma knife radiosurgery vs. 125I plaque brachytherapy in a cohort of choroidal melanomas".

Abstract Historically, treatment for choroidal melanomas was surgical enucleation. Currently, treatment methods such as stereotactic radiosurgery and brachytherapy are being used to spare the eye. The poster “Dosimetric Comparison of Gamma Knife Radiosurgery vs . I-125 Plaque Brachytherapy in a Cohort of Choroidal Melanomas” presented at ASTRO 2007 by Anderson et al . provides a comparison of these methods. The dose to disk, fovea and lens in 29 patients from a simulated I-125 treatment and a delivered Gamma Knife radiosurgery was compared. Thirty Gy was prescribed to the 50% Isodose line in the radiosurgery and 85 Gy was prescribed to the apex of the tumor in the I-125 simulation. It was found that the Gamma Knife spares the disk better in 59% of the tumors, including those ≥6.5 mm in height; spares the fovea better in 69% of the tumors, including those ≥5.5 mm; and spares lens better in only 30% of the tumors, with no distinction in size. Tumor location was not taken into account for this study, which could explain the variations in smaller tumors. For larger tumors, gamma knife will protect most organs at risk more effectively. This study shows how a tumor's parameters can be used in selecting treatment modality.
Acceleration of pulsars to high velocities by asymmetric radiation

HERE we propose that pulsars are accelerated by the emission of asymmetric low frequency electromagnetic radiation and rapidly attain characteristic velocities exceeding 100 km s−1.
E-selectin prefers fatty-sweet receptors on rolling neutrophils.

In this issue of Blood, Nimrichter and colleagues have defined the structure and function of distinct E-selectin ligands on the plasma membrane of neutrophils. They demonstrate that as few as 60 receptors/μm2 of these sialylated and fucosylated glycolipids facilitate neutrophil capture and rolling at sites of acute inflammation.
Hamiltonian dynamics of spatially-homogeneous Vlasov-Einstein systems

We introduce a new matter action principle, with a wide range of applicability, for the Vlasov equation in terms of a conjugate pair of functions. Here we apply this action principle to the study of matter in Bianchi cosmological models in general relativity. The Bianchi models are spatially-homogeneous solutions to the Einstein field equations, classified by the three-dimensional Lie algebra that describes the symmetry group of the model. The Einstein equations for these models reduce to a set of coupled ordinary differential equations. The class A Bianchi models admit a Hamiltonian formulation in which the components of the metric tensor and their time derivatives yield the canonical coordinates. The evolution of anisotropy in the vacuum Bianchi models is determined by a potential due to the curvature of the model, according to its symmetry. For illustrative purposes, we examine the evolution of anisotropy in models with Vlasov matter. The Vlasov content is further simplified by the assumption of cold, counter-streaming matter, a kind of matter that is far from thermal equilibrium and is not describable by an ordinary fluid model nor other more simplistic matter models. Qualitative differences and similarities are found in the dynamics of certain vacuum class A Bianchi models and Bianchi type I models with cold, counter-streaming Vlasov-matter potentials analogous to the curvature potentials of corresponding vacuum models.
aarD, a Providencia stuartii homologue of cydD: role in 2′‐N‐acetyltransferase expression, cell morphology and growth in the presence of an extracellular factor

In a search for genes involved in regulation of the 2'-N-acetyltransferase in Providencia stuartii, a mini-Tn5Cm insertion has been isolated in a locus designated aarD. The aarD1::mini-Tn5Cm mutation resulted in a 4.7-fold increase in the levels of beta-galactosidase accumulation from an aac(2')-lacZ transcriptional fusion and a 32-fold increase in the levels of gentamicin resistance in P. stuartii. The wild-type aarD locus was cloned on a 5.0 kb Cla I fragment and complemented the aarD1 mutation. Nucleotide sequence analysis of this fragment identified two large open reading frames whose deduced products displayed significant amino acid identity, 64% and 64%, respectively, to the CydD and CydC proteins of Escherichia coli, which are involved in formation of the cytochrome d oxidase complex. Physical mapping indicated the aarD1::mini-Tn5Cm insertion was within the open reading homologous to CydD. The strain containing the aarD1 mutation was unable to grow in the presence of toluidine blue or on glycerol minimal media in the presence of zinc, suggesting that aarD is functionally equivalent to cydD. Additional phenotypes resulting from the aarD1 mutation included: altered cell morphology, a reduced growth rate and the inability of cells to grow beyond early log phase. Further examination of this phenomenon revealed that the aarD1 mutant was unable to grow in the presence of a self-produced extracellular factor(s). This novel phenotype was limited to P. stuartii as E. coli cydD and delta cydAB::kan mutants were also sensitive to a self-produced extracellular factor.
Familial Aggregation of Paget's Disease of Bone

This epidemiologic study of Paget's disease of bone used data from 788 cases and 387 spouse controls to investigate the following: (1) the extent to which this disorder aggregates in families; (2) the cumulative incidence of the disease in first-degree relatives of patients throughout life; and (3) the influence of age at diagnosis (less than 55 versus 55+ years) and presence of bone deformity in the case on risk of Paget's disease in relatives. A positive family history in parents or siblings was reported by 12.3% of cases and 2.1% of controls. The rate of Paget's disease was approximately seven times as high in relatives of cases as in relatives of controls, and this increased rate did not differ according to gender of case or control or gender of relatives. Cumulative incidence of Paget's disease to age 90 was much higher in relatives of cases (8.9 +/- 1.0% SEM) than in relatives of controls (1.8 +/- 0.9% SEM). Among relatives of cases, cumulative risk was highest when the case had both early age at diagnosis and bone deformity (20.7 +/- 3.6% SEM) compared with risk when the case had early age at diagnosis but not bone deformity (10.8 +/- 3.2% SEM), bone deformity but not early age at diagnosis (5.8 +/- 1.3% SEM), or neither bone deformity nor early age at diagnosis (3.6 +/- 0.8% SEM). Risk in siblings of cases was higher when a parent was affected (22.1 +/- 8.0% SEM) than when both parents were unaffected (6.7 +/- 1.1% SEM).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Glycosylation of annexin I and annexin II.

Abstract Human placental annexin I and annexin II were shown to be glycosylated by one-dimensional affinity blotting with the lectin concanavalin A, which recognizes D-mannose and D-glucose residues. Further evidence that annexin I and annexin II are glycosylated was provided by the finding that these proteins incorporated D-[2,6- 3 H]mannose and D-[6- 3 H]glucose when they were biosynthesized by the human squamous carcinoma cell line SqCC Y 1 . Annexin I and annexin II could be rapidly purified from a human placental membrane extract by concanavalin A-Sepharose, which indicated that these proteins contain two biantennary mannosyl residues.
Using phase to recognize English phonemes and their distinctive features in the brain

The neural mechanisms used by the human brain to identify phonemes remain unclear. We recorded the EEG signals evoked by repeated presentation of 12 American English phonemes. A support vector machine model correctly recognized a high percentage of the EEG brain wave recordings represented by their phases, which were expressed in discrete Fourier transform coefficients. We show that phases of the oscillations restricted to the frequency range of 2–9 Hz can be used to successfully recognize brain processing of these phonemes. The recognition rates can be further improved using the scalp tangential electric field and the surface Laplacian around the auditory cortical area, which were derived from the original potential signal. The best rate for the eight initial consonants was 66.7%. Moreover, we found a distinctive phase pattern in the brain for each of these consonants. We then used these phase patterns to recognize the consonants, with a correct rate of 48.7%. In addition, in the analysis of the confusion matrices, we found significant similarity–differences were invariant between brain and perceptual representations of phonemes. These latter results supported the importance of phonological distinctive features in the neural representation of phonemes.
Relationship between Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Immune Function in Cancer and HIV/AIDS

Objective: Chronic stress is widespread, and is detrimental to immune functioning and to overall physical and emotional health. These effects may be potentiated in patients with chronic illness, as high levels of chronic stress are common in this population. Numerous studies support the efficacy of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) in improving psychological functioning. If a strong relationship is found between MBSR and immune function, then MBSR may be implemented as a strategy to improve immune functioning and overall well-being. Methods: In the present review paper, the relationship between MBSR and immune function is evaluated. Empirical studies measuring immune markers as they relate to a standard MBSR intervention were reviewed. Relevant articles primarily involved patients with cancer or HIV. Therefore, the associations of immune measures with psychological distress are discussed, with an emphasis on patients with these conditions. A psychoneuroimmunological (PNI) framework was utilized to propose a mechanism for the relationship between MBSR and immune function. Results: Overall, the findings support a positive relationship between MBSR intervention and beneficial immunological outcomes. Variability in immune measures assessed across studies precludes pooling data to develop more conclusive results. Conclusions: MBSR has been shown to consistently improve emotional functioning and quality of life, and these effects appear to facilitate immune function.
An intramolecular salt bridge drives the soluble domain of GTP-bound atlastin into the postfusion conformation.

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) network branching requires homotypic tethering and fusion of tubules mediated by the atlastin (ATL) guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase). Recent structural studies on the ATL soluble domain reveal two dimeric conformers proposed to correspond to a tethered prefusion state and a postfusion state. How the prefusion conformer transitions to the postfusion conformer is unknown. In this paper, we identify an intramolecular salt bridge mediated by two residues outside the GTPase domain near the point of rotation that converts the prefusion dimer to the postfusion state. Charge reversal of either residue blocked ER network branching, whereas a compensatory charge reversal to reestablish electrostatic attraction restored function. In vitro assays using the soluble domain revealed that the salt bridge was dispensable for GTP binding and hydrolysis but was required for forming the postfusion dimer. Unexpectedly, the postfusion conformation of the soluble domain was achieved when bound to the nonhydrolyzable GTP analogue guanosine 5′-[β,γ-imido]triphosphate, suggesting that nucleotide hydrolysis might not be required for the prefusion to postfusion conformational change.
Status of the Los Alamos tritium beta decay experiment

The Los Alamos tritium experiment employs a gaseous tritium source and a magnetic spectrometer to determine the mass of the electron antineutrino from the shape of the tritium beta spectrum. Since publication of the first result from this apparatus (mν < 27 eV at 95% confidence), work has concentrated on improving the data rates. A 96-element Si microstrip array detector has been installed to replace the single proportional counter at the spectrometer focus, resulting in greatly increased efficiency. Measurements of the 1s photoionization spectrum of Kr now obviate the need for reliance on the theoretical shakeup and shakeoff spectrum of Kr in determining the spectrometer resolution.
Studies on the Methane Fermentation: VI. The Influence of Carbon Dioxide Concentration on the Rate of Carbon Dioxide Reduction by Molecular Hydrogen.

has been used because the large gas volume change is advantageous for making rate measurements by a manometric technique. Methods.-A pure culture of Mb. omelianskii was grown in a previously described2 ethanol-bicarbonate medium which was incubated until 3.0 to 5.5 ml. N/10 acetic acid had been formed per 10 cc. The cells from a 500ml. culture were separated by centrifugation, washed once, and resuspended in 10-15 ml. of a solution containing 0.2 per cent NaCl, 0.2 per cent KC1 and 0.03 per cent Na2S 9H20, pH 7. These operations must be carried out so as to minimize exposure of the cells to oxygen. The mixture of chlorides is preferable to distilled water because it increases the rate of sedimentation. The final suspensions contained 0.4-0.5 mg. cell-nitrogen per ml. and took up 5-7 X 103 cmm. H2/hr./mg. cell-N at high carbon dioxide tensions. If not used immediately the cells were stored at 3?C. in vacuo; under these conditions they retain their full activity for at least two days. All rate measurements were made at 37'C. by the Warburg manometric technique. The H2-C02 Reaction.-Since our strain of Mb. omelianskii has been shown to form methane from hydrogen and carbon dioxide,6 it is only necessary to present indirect evidence that the same reaction occurs under the conditions of our manometric experiments. For this purpose the ratio H2 uptake/CO2 uptake, which according to equation (1) should equal 4, has been determined. A value of 3.53 was found (table 1). In arriving at this value, the hydrogen uptake was calculated from pressure changes on the assumption that one volume of methane was produced for each four volumes of hydrogen disappearing. Carbon dioxide uptake was calculated on the basis of the initial and final bicarbonate and the partition of carbon
Bayesian confidence intervals for ROC curves

The probability density of correct detection probability for any false alarm probability on a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve is obtained using Bayesian methods. Simulations demonstrate that this density provides rigorous and practical methods for obtaining ROC curve confidence intervals.
Aperture symmetry and lattice arrangement modulated second-harmonic emission from sub-wavelength metallic apertures

We measure strong angular dependent second-harmonic generation from sub-wavelength aperture arrays with disordered, Penrose and square arrangements with different shapes. These measurements help to resolve the role symmetry plays in second-harmonic generation from aperture arrays.
Learning Communities and Special Efforts in the Retention of University Students: What Works, What Doesn't, and is the Return Worth the Investment?:

Retention has been a topic of concern and study for decades in American universities. Over the past five to ten years it has become an area in which more efforts have been focused. At a comprehensive four-year higher education institution in the northeastern United States, several special programs have been developed, implemented, and evaluated over a two-year period. The four programs are all unique in their configuration but alike in their underlying goal—to increase retention. Results of this evaluative research study revealed that the two learning communities were more effective in retaining students than the two non-learning community programs.
Thromboembolism following removal of femoral venous apheresis catheters in patients with breast cancer

ABSTRACT Background Apheresis catheters have simplified collection of peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC), but may be associated with thrombosis of the instrumented vessels. We performed a retrospective analysis to study the prevalence of thromboembolism associated with the use of femoral apheresis catheters in patients with breast cancer. Patients and methods Patients were participants in clinical trials of high-dose chemotherapy with autologous PBSC rescue. They underwent mobilization with either high-dose cyclophosphamide (n=21) or cyclophosphamide/paclitaxel (n=64), followed by filgrastim. Double lumen catheters (12 or 13 Fr) were placed in the femoral vein and removed within 12 h of the last apheresis procedure. Apheresis was performed using a continuous flow cell separator and ACD-A anticoagulant. Thromboembolism was diagnosed by either venous ultrasonography or ventilation-perfusion scan. Results Nine of 85 patients (10.6%) undergoing large volume apheresis with use of a femoral catheter developed thromboembolic complications. Pulmonary embolus (PE) was diagnosed in five and femoral vein thrombosis in four patients. Four of the five patients who developed PE were symptomatic; one asymptomatic patient had a pleural-based, wedge-shaped lesion detected on a staging computed tomography scan. The mean number of apheresis procedures was 2.4 (range one to four) and the mean interval between removal of the apheresis catheter and diagnosis of thrombosis was 17.6 days. In contrast, none of 18 patients undergoing apheresis using jugular venous access and none of 54 healthy allogeneic donors undergoing concurrent filgrastim-mobilized PBSC donation (mean 1.7 procedures/donor) using femoral access experienced thromboembolic complications. Conclusions Thromboembolism following femoral venous catheter placement for PBSC collection in patients with breast cancer may be more common than previously recognized. Healthy PBSC donors are not at the same risk. Onset of symptoms related to thrombosis tended to occur several weeks after catheter removal. This suggests that the physicians not only need to be vigilant during the period of apheresis, but also need to observe patients for thromboembolic complications after the catheter is removed. The long interval between the removal of apheresis catheter and the development of thromboembolism may have a potential impact on prophylactic strategies developed in future, such as the duration of prophylactic anticoagulation. Avoidance of the femoral site in breast cancer patients, and close prospective monitoring after catheter removal, are indicated.
Are There Two Types of Unipolar Depression

Personality traits and clinical characteristics in psychiatric outpatients with affective disorder were examined. Two groups of unipolar patients, divided on the basis of treatment response to tricyclic antidepressants, were compared to a bipolar group. While the unipolar-T (tricyclic responder) group showed premorbid personality traits of chronic anxiety and obsessiveness, neither the bipolar nor unipolar-L (tricyclic nonresponder, lithium carbonate responder) groups showed such findings. In fact, the unipolar-L and bipolar groups were similar not only with regard to personality variables, but also in terms of both drug response and certain family history features. These findings cast doubt on the homogeneity of unipolar depression and suggest the possibility of a subtype of unipolar depression with psychobiologic and personality features resembling bipolar affective disorder.
Litigation Outcome Prediction of Differing Site Condition Disputes through Machine Learning Models

AbstractThe construction industry is one of the main sectors of the U.S. economy that has a major effect on the nation’s growth and prosperity. The construction industry’s contribution to the nation’s economy is, however, impeded by the increasing number of disputes that unfold and oftentimes escalate as projects progress. The majority of construction disputes are resolved in courts unless project contracts call for alternate dispute resolution mechanisms. Despite the numerous advantages offered by the litigation process, the extra financial burdens and additional time required by this process makes litigation less desirable in resolving the disputes of a very dynamic construction industry. It is believed that construction litigation could be reduced or even avoided if parties have a realistic understanding of their actual legal position and the likely outcome of their case. Consequently, researchers in the artificial intelligence field have developed tools and methodologies for modeling judicial reasonin...
Time-domain measurement method to guard against preamplifier saturation

This paper investigates the cause of preamplifier saturation, discusses the 1 dB compression point and considers the ramifications of collecting data with a saturated amplifier. Two common saturation analysis methods, the attenuator check and band-pass filter, are considered as ways to guard against preamplifier saturation. After a brief discussion on the amplifier's input signal and its composition, a time-domain measurement method, consisting of seven steps, is introduced as another way to prevent preamplifier saturation.
Specific recognition of RNA/DNA hybrid and enhancement of human RNase H1 activity by HBD.

Human RNase H1 contains an N-terminal domain known as dsRHbd for binding both dsRNA and RNA/DNA hybrid. We find that dsRHbd binds preferentially to RNA/DNA hybrids by over 25-fold and rename it as hybrid binding domain (HBD). The crystal structure of HBD complexed with a 12 bp RNA/DNA hybrid reveals that the RNA strand is recognized by a protein loop, which forms hydrogen bonds with the 2′-OH groups. The DNA interface is highly specific and contains polar residues that interact with the phosphate groups and an aromatic patch that appears selective for binding deoxyriboses. HBD is unique relative to non-sequence-specific dsDNA- and dsRNA-binding domains because it does not use positive dipoles of α-helices for nucleic acid binding. Characterization of full-length enzymes with defective HBDs indicates that this domain dramatically enhances both the specific activity and processivity of RNase H1. Similar activity enhancement by small substrate-binding domains linked to the catalytic domain likely occurs in other nucleic acid enzymes.
Analysis of combinatorial cis-regulation in synthetic and genomic promoters

Despite countless catalogues of genomic binding sites for transcription factors, predicting the expression of a gene purely based on its DNA sequence has remained very inaccurate. Gertz et al. present a general thermodynamic model that accurately captures the relationship between a gene promoter sequence, including weak, statistically undetectable regulatory sites, and its expression output. The work implies that chromatin plays a relatively minor role in directing gene expression and will facilitate rational genetic design in biotechnology and synthetic biology. This paper presents a general thermodynamic model that accurately captures the relationship between a gene promoter sequence, including weak, stastically undetectable regulatory sites, and its expression output. The work implies a relatively minor role of chromatin and will facilitate rational genetic design in biotechnology and synthetic biology. Transcription factor binding sites are being discovered at a rapid pace1,2. It is now necessary to turn attention towards understanding how these sites work in combination to influence gene expression. Quantitative models that accurately predict gene expression from promoter sequence3,4,5 will be a crucial part of solving this problem. Here we present such a model, based on the analysis of synthetic promoter libraries in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). Thermodynamic models based only on the equilibrium binding of transcription factors to DNA and to each other captured a large fraction of the variation in expression in every library. Thermodynamic analysis of these libraries uncovered several phenomena in our system, including cooperativity and the effects of weak binding sites. When applied to the S. cerevisiae genome, a model of repression by Mig1 (which was trained on synthetic promoters) predicts a number of Mig1-regulated genes that lack significant Mig1-binding sites in their promoters. The success of the thermodynamic approach suggests that the information encoded by combinations of cis-regulatory sites is interpreted primarily through simple protein–DNA and protein–protein interactions, with complicated biochemical reactions—such as nucleosome modifications—being downstream events. Quantitative analyses of synthetic promoter libraries will be an important tool in unravelling the rules underlying combinatorial cis-regulation.
Undergraduate Psychology in Japan and the United States

Three Japanese and two United States undergraduate psychology departments were compared using data from catalogs and surveys. Course listings and professors' theoretical orientations were similar, but American courses were more encompassing, participative, demanding and oriented toward psychological careers. Japanese students entered the university better prepared, but Americans studied more and were expected to acquire more specific content. Japanese students put more emphasis on intercollegiate activity groups, experience they considered important to later job performance and life adjustment. Overall, differences were attributed to different phasing of educational demands, fewer professional opportunities in psychology in Japan, and generally different emphases in higher education.
Quinidine therapy in hospitalized patients with ventricular arrhythmias

Quinidine serum levels and pharmacokinetic data were assessed during steady state therapy with oral quinidine sulfate in 19 hospitalized patients who were being treated for ventricular arrhythmias. A new high performance liquid chromatography assay was employed. Four patients were studied both after the first dose of quinidine and at steady state, and the initial dose pharmacokinetic values were found not to be predictive of steady state. The mean half-life of quinidine was 4.5 hours, but there was wide individual variation. The elimination rate constant for quinidine was significantly lower in patients with echocardiographic evidence of left ventricular dilatation than in patients with normal echocardiographic left ventricular size. The average urinary excretion of quinidine was only 11.3%. The pharmacokinetic data in seven chronic alcoholic patients without clinical or laboratory evidence of hepatic insufficiency did not differ from the data obtained in nonalcoholic patients. However, with severely impaired liver function, there may be marked prolongation of quinidine half-life predisposing to quinidine toxicity. The possible clinical implications of these findings are discussed.
Comparison of follicle-stimulating-hormone-stimulated dimeric inhibin and estradiol responses as indicators of granulosa cell function in polycystic ovary syndrome and normal women.

Context: Follicular phase secretion of inhibin B, like that of estradiol (E2), correlates with the quantity and quality of developing follicles. However, it has not been established whether inhibin B responses to gonadotropin stimulation parallel those of E2 as a reflection of granulosa cell functional capacity. Objective: Our objective was to determine whether inhibin B responses to FSH stimulation are similar to those of E2 in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and normal women.
From cooperative to motivated information sharing in groups: moving beyond the hidden profile paradigm

A seminal study conducted by Stasser and Titus (1985) found that groups often make suboptimal decisions on tasks structured as hidden profiles because they tend to discuss and incorporate into their decisions information that is shared (known to all members) at the expense of information that is unshared (known to a single member). In other words, groups are not able to take advantage of the unique knowledge and expertise of their members. Over the past 19 years this unsettling finding has stimulated much research that seeks answers to the questions: why and under what conditions will groups favor shared information over unshared information in their collective decisions? This article presents a review and a critique of the literature on collective information sharing that was initiated by the Stasser and Titus study. The preponderance of research in the Stasser and Titus tradition carries with it strong theoretical assumptions that bear little mundane realism to natural decision‐making groups. For exampl...
Changes in Pulmonary Vascular Resistance Following Closure of Ventricular Septal Defects

In five patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) associated with ventricular septal or endocardial cushion defects, measurements of pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) were made up to seven days after surgical closure. Before operation, the ratio of mean pulmonary arterial pressure [See Equation in PDF File] to mean systemic arterial pressure [See Equation in PDF File] averaged 0.77. Catheters placed at operation were used to measure pressure in the pulmonary artery, a systemic artery, and right and left atria. Cardiac output was determined by dye dilution. Controlled mechanical ventilation maintained a normal alveolar ventilation and arterial PO2. Postoperative [See Equation in PDF File], [See Equation in PDF File], and PVR were initially elevated, averaging 42 mm Hg, 0.57, and 1,132 dyne sec cm-5, respectively. These values decreased to 29, 0.38, and 459 in three to seven days in the four survivors, but rose in the single death. With unassisted ventilation and 100% 02, or with acidosis (pH 7....
Computationally efficient resampling of nonuniform oversampled SAR data

A computationally efficient technique is developed to resample SAR data oversampled in the slow-time domain for a platform accelerating along the track. The algorithm segments the data between uniformly spaced points on the synthetic aperture, then performs a weighted average on the demodulated SAR data in each segment to adjust the effective sample position on the aperture. The weighting is derived using a first-order Taylor series approximation and used parameters from the velocity and acceleration of the platform and the radar waveform.
Effect of Dietary Sodium Chloride, Protein, and Strain Difference upon Water Consumption and Fecal Moisture Content of Broiler Breeder Males

Water consumption of birds and moisture content and water-holding capacity of feces were determined for caged immature broiler breeder males of Strains A and B. Both strains were fed a commercial type corn-soy diet containing 16% protein and .35% sodium chloride. The breeder males of Strain A were also fed different levels of dietary proteins (12, 14, 16, and 18%) for 3 weeks and sodium chloride (0, .17, .35, and .70%) for 3 weeks to evaluate the effect on the criteria listed. A commercial type feeding and water restriction program was used. Strain A males consumed more water and had a significantly greater moisture content and a significantly reduced moisture-holding capacity of feces than did Strain B males when fed the same diet. The dietary levels of salt used had no effect on water consumption (off feed day), fecal moisture, or water holding capacity of the feces in strain A males. Water consumption on feed day significantly increased as dietary salt increased. Although decreasing dietary protein below 16% had no influence on water consumption, it did significantly decrease fecal moisture and increase the water-holding capacity of feces. It was concluded that strain differences in water consumption exist and that the large quantity of water consumed and high fecal moisture content of Strain A males was not related to dietary salt or protein.
Alteration in endothelin receptor sub-type responsiveness and in the endothelin–TXA2 mimetic U46619 interaction, in type-2 hypertensive diabetic Zucker rats

Abstract Background: Type-2 diabetes is characterized by endotheliopathy, which increases target organ damage and mortality. There is excessive endothelin-1 and TXA 2 production, and abnormal vascular reactivity to endothelin-1, manifested as a paradoxical hypotensive action in Zucker diabetic, but not lean rats. We examined the hypothesis that there is an alteration in the ET-A/ET-B receptor subtype sensitivity, and/or the interaction or cross-talk between ET-1 and TXA 2 in type-2 diabetes, using Zucker diabetic rats and their lean littermates. Materials and methods: Hemodynamic studies were performed in lean and Zucker fatty diabetic rats of both sexes. Laser doppler flowmetry was used to measure renal cortical (RCF) and medullary blood flow (MBF) responses. Dose response curves for mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), MBF and RCF in response to ET-1, U46619, acetylcholine, and l-NAME (25mg/kg) were constructed after pre-treatment of the rats with either BQ610 1mg/kg i.v. or BQ788 0.5mg/kg i.v. The effects of BQ610 and BQ788 on whole blood impedance aggregation were also assessed. Results: BQ788, but not BQ610 abolished both the paradoxical hypotensive action of ET-1 in Zucker diabetic rats ( n =7 each, P P P P P Conclusion: ET-B receptor antagonism abolished the abnormal vascular reactivity and MBF responses to ET-1, and also normalized the vasoactive responses to the level seen in healthy lean Zucker rats. ET-1 receptor blockade influences the responses to TXA 2 receptor activation. In the systemic and renal circulation, this interaction appears to be mostly ET-B receptor mediated, whilst in platelets, ET-A receptor role may be predominant. The interaction or cross-talk between ET-1 and TXA 2 is altered in the type-2 diabetic state. Collectively, these pathophysological changes may contribute to the vicious circle of diabetic endotheliopathy.
The hierarchical model of distributed system security

A description is given of the hierarchical model (HM), an access matrix-based model used to define nondisclosure in distributed multilevel secure applications such as secure file systems, secure switches, and secure upgrade downgrade facilities. The HM explicitly encodes access rights, synchronization primitives, and indirection in its state matrix. Serializability of concurrent commands is formally defined in terms of the HM syntactic model of computation. HM serializability conditions are independent of the semantic security predicate. Finally, an example that illustrates the HM is presented. >
A digital Rayleigh fade compensation technique for coherent IJF-OQPSK systems

A digital pilot-symbol-aided Rayleigh fade compensation technique for coherent intersymbol interference-jitter-free offset quadrature phase shift keying (IJF-OQPSK) is proposed. Instead of a fixed valued pilot symbol sequence, a scrambled pilot symbol sequence is transmitted to measure, and therefore to compensate for, the Rayleigh fading channel. The bit error rate (BER) performance of this system is investigated in fast Rayleigh fading, additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN), and cochannel interference (CCI) environments by using computer simulation. The simulated results show that a 2.5 dB improvement is achieved over the differentially detected pi /4-DQPSK at a BER of 10/sup -3/. Unlike the differentially detected pi /4-DQPSK, the system does not have an error floor or residual bit error, provided that the frame length N is not longer than the upper limit of frame length, N/sub max/. Another significant advantage is that the proposed IJF-OQPSK modulated signal is shown to suffer less spectral spreading than pi /4-QPSK signaling over a nonlinearly amplified channel. >
The insula: a critical neural substrate for craving and drug seeking under conflict and risk

Drug addiction is characterized by the inability to control drug use when it results in negative consequences or conflicts with more adaptive goals. Our previous work showed that damage to the insula disrupted addiction to cigarette smoking—the first time that the insula was shown to be a critical neural substrate for addiction. Here, we review those findings, as well as more recent studies that corroborate and extend them, demonstrating the role of the insula in (1) incentive motivational processes that drive addictive behavior, (2) control processes that moderate or inhibit addictive behavior, and (3) interoceptive processes that represent bodily states associated with drug use. We then describe a theoretical framework that attempts to integrate these seemingly disparate findings. In this framework, the insula functions in the recall of interoceptive drug effects during craving and drug seeking under specific conditions where drug taking is perceived as risky and/or where there is conflict between drug taking and more adaptive goals. We describe this framework in an evolutionary context and discuss its implications for understanding the mechanisms of behavior change in addiction treatments.
Crystallization and atomic scale structure of sputtered amorphous Fe-B films

We have used electron microscopy, electron diffraction and structure modelling techniques to investigate crystallization behavior and structure of sputtered Fe 100-x B x films (X = 16. - 24 at.%) of 100 A - 300 A thickness. Electron micrographs of most as deposited films showed a network of voids and low density regions. Areas of crystalline iron oxides were present on surfaces of most films, monoclinic e-Fe 2 O 3 as thin platelets ∼ 4000 A in diameter and cubic Fe 3 O 4 with 100A-200A granular morphology. Crystallization phenomena depended on heating rate and on whether oxide was present. Diffraction patterns and radial distribution functions of as-deposited films showed little dependence on B-content and were similar to those reported for liquid quenched Fe-B alloys. The average nearest neighbor distance for X = 24, at.% was 2.574A and increased by only 1.% with decreasing B content. The average nearest neighbor coordination number varied between 11.2 and 11.5. Binary dense random packing models for Fe-B alloys were generated using sphere diameters of 2.55A and 1.70A for Fe and B. No B-B nearest neighbor pairs were allowed, "tetrahedron perfection" of the Fe configurations was controlled, and structures were relaxed with Lennard-Jones potentials. Models reproduced peak positions and relative peak heights of experimentally observed diffraction patterns and distribution functions only when different levels of tetrahedron perfection were used for model structures of different B content, indicating that the simple binary dense random packing algorithm does not adequately simulate effects of B on arrangements of Fe atoms in the amorphous alloys. Agreement achieved between experimental and model results became poorer with decreasing B content. Coordination numbers of the model structures were about 20% smaller than those obtained experimentally.
Early vasospasm on admission angiography in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage is a predictor for in-hospital complications and poor outcome

Background and Purpose— Early vasospasm (EVSP), defined here as arterial narrowing seen on diagnostic angiography within the first 48 hours of aneurysmal rupture, is a rarely reported and poorly defined phenomenon in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The purpose of this study was to characterize EVSP in a large database of such patients. Methods— We analyzed the relationship of EVSP to clinical characteristics, in-hospital complications, and outcome at 3 months among 3478 patients entered into 4 prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of tirilazad conducted in neurosurgical centers around the world between 1991 and 1997. Results— Three hundred thirty-nine (10%) of 3478 patients had EVSP. EVSP was significantly more likely in patients with poor neurological grade on admission, history of SAH, intracerebral hematoma, larger aneurysm, thick SAH on cranial computed tomography, and intraventricular hemorrhage. EVSP was not associated with delayed cerebral vasospasm. After ad...
A computer tool kit for chemists

Abstract This series of papers is devoted to demonstrating selected members of a family of thirteen general rule-based systems that can be used as educational and research aids by chemists and engineers with minimal computer skills. As the key systems do not use the state-of-the-art and therefore do no mimic human reasoning, they can predic unprecedented events. Here the family of general rule-based systems are described briefly and the CURFIT system is demonstrated. In CURFIT, whose basis is the least-squares curve-fitting method, the raw data and their user-stipulated maximum tolerances or uncertainties are used to reject erroneous data points, detect curvature, and determine the equation(s) that describe the data to within the stipulated maximum tolerances. Within the available computer resources there is no limit on the number of variables in the fitting equation, and different equations can be unambiguously compared.
Double-strand gap repair in a mammalian gene targeting reaction.

Abstract To better understand the mechanism of homologous recombination in mammalian cells that facilitates gene targeting, we have analyzed the recombination reaction that inserts a plasmid into a homologous chromosomal locus in mouse embryonic stem cells. A partially deleted HPRT gene was targeted with various plasmids capable of correcting the mutation at this locus, and HPRT+ recombinants were directly selected in HAT medium. The structures of the recombinant loci were then determined by genomic Southern blot hybridizations. We demonstrate that plasmid gaps of 200, 600, and 2,500 bp are efficiently repaired during the integrative recombination reaction. Targeting plasmids that carry a double-strand break or gap in the region of DNA homologous to the target locus produce 33- to 140-fold more hypoxanthine-aminopterin-thymidine-resistant recombinants than did these same plasmids introduced in their uncut (supercoiled) forms. Our data suggest that double-strand gaps and breaks may be enlarged prior to the repair reaction since sequence heterologies carried by the incoming plasmids located close to them are often lost. These results extend the known similarities between mammalian and yeast recombination mechanisms and suggest several features of the insertional (O-type) gene targeting reaction that should be considered when one is designing mammalian gene targeting experiments.