cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Preschool deficits in cardinal knowledge and executive function contribute to longer-term mathematical learning disability

Abstract In a preschool through first grade longitudinal study, we identified groups of children with persistently low mathematics achievement (n = 14) and children with low achievement in preschool but average achievement in first grade (n = 23). The preschool quantitative developments of these respective groups of children with mathematical learning disability (MLD) and recovered children and a group of typically achieving peers (n = 35) were contrasted, as were their intelligence, executive function, and parental education levels. The core characteristics of the children with MLD were poor executive function and delayed understanding of the cardinal value of number words throughout preschool. These compounded into even more substantive deficits in number and arithmetic at the beginning of first grade. The recovered group had poor executive function and cardinal knowledge during the first year of preschool but showed significant gains during the second year. Despite these gains and average mathematics achievement, the recovered children had subtle deficits with accessing magnitudes associated with numerals and addition combinations (e.g., 5 + 6 = ?) in first grade. The study provides unique insight into domain-general and quantitative deficits in preschool that increase risk for long-term mathematical difficulties.
Genome Sequence of Mariprofundus sp. Strain EBB-1, a Novel Marine Autotroph Isolated from an Iron-Sulfur Mineral

Mariprofundus sp. strain EBB-1 was isolated from a pyrrhotite biofilm incubated in seawater from East Boothbay (ME, USA). Strain EBB-1 is an autotrophic member of the class Zetaproteobacteria with the ability to form iron oxide biominerals. Here, we present the 2.88-Mb genome sequence of EBB-1, which contains 2,656 putative protein-coding sequences.
Advances in low-loss, large-area, and multicore fibers

Abstract In this chapter, we discuss recent advances in single-core and multicore optical fibers for increasing capacity for transmission systems. For single-core fibers for long-haul transmission, transmission impairments such as chromatic dispersion and polarization-mode dispersion can be compensated for by digital signal processing; therefore, the only fiber parameters that can be optimized further are fiber attenuation and effective area. We will discuss system figure of merit and design trade-offs for the two parameters and present recent results on ultralow loss and large effective area fibers. For next-generation fibers, multicore fibers for space division multiplexing have the potential to increase the capacity by an order of magnitude. We will present fiber design considerations and review recent progress on multicore fibers.
Preparing African American Men to Make Informed Prostate Cancer Screening Decisions: Development and Pilot Testing of an Interactive Online Decision Aid.

Background: African American men are at a higher risk of developing and dying from prostate cancer compared to white men. The serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening test has a high risk of false-positive results and overdiagnosis; therefore, it is not routinely recommended. Rather, men are encouraged to make individualized decisions with their medical providers, after being fully informed about its potential benefits, limitations, and risks. Objective: This study aimed to describe the development and pilot testing of an interactive Web-based decision aid (DA; Prostate Cancer Screening Preparation [PCSPrep]) for African American men, designed to promote informed decision making for prostate cancer screening. Methods: Four focus groups (n=33) were conducted to assess men’s reactions to DAs developed in prior studies and gather information to modify the content and format. The pilot test employed a pre-posttest evaluation design. A convenience sample of 41 men aged 45-70 years with no history of prostate cancer was recruited from community settings. Participants completed online surveys before and after using PCSPrep that assessed prostate cancer screening knowledge, decision self-efficacy, decisional conflict, and preparation for decision making. Results: Use of PCSPrep was associated with a significant increase in prostate cancer knowledge (49% vs 62% correct responses; P<.001), and men also experienced less decisional conflict (24 vs 15 on a scale of 0-100; P=.008). No changes in self-efficacy about decision making or screening preferences were observed. Most men (81%) reported that using PCSPrep prepared them to make informed decisions in partnership with their provider. Conclusions: PCSPrep was an acceptable DA that improved men’s knowledge, reduced decisional conflict, and promoted the perception of being prepared for shared decision making. Further research is needed to test the DA in a larger randomized trial.
The BDNF Val66Met Polymorphism Moderates the Relationship Between Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Trauma Script-evoked Attentional Bias to Cocaine Cues Among Patients with Cocaine Dependence

Abstract There is extensive variability in cocaine-related attentional bias (AB) following trauma script exposure among cocaine-dependent (CD) patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Therefore, research is needed to identify the specific PTSD-CD patients most likely to exhibit an AB to cocaine cues. A common polymorphism in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), Val66met, is associated with risk for stimulant addiction, and thus, was examined as a moderator of the association between PTSD and cocaine-related AB following trauma script exposure in this study. Adult CD patients with (n = 17) and without (n = 28) PTSD were exposed to a personalized trauma script, followed by a visual dot-probe task assessing cocaine-related AB. Task response times were used to examine traditionally calculated AB scores, as well as trial level bias scores (TL-BS) that more accurately model the temporal dynamics of AB. PTSD-CD patients homozygous for the BDNF Val/Val genotype exhibited greater bias for attending to cocaine-related stimuli following trauma script exposure than those carrying the Met allele. The PTSD by BDNF interaction did not predict response time variability on trials for which only neutral stimuli were presented, thus increasing confidence that the observed effect is specific to cocaine-related stimuli. PTSD-CD patients homozygous for the BDNF Val/Val genotype may be at particularly high risk for negative clinical outcomes (e.g., relapse, treatment dropout) as a function of prolonged attentional engagement with cocaine cues when exposed to trauma reminders.
The association between initial chemotherapy treatment timing, intensity, and end-of-life (EOL) care trajectory among older adults with advanced stage lung cancer (aLC).

e24009Background: The use of chemotherapy regimens with varying intensities at specific time points may have an effect on EOL care trajectories among older adults with aLC (IIIB & IV). Methods: Usi...
Laser-Based Powder-Bed Fusion Strategies for the Fabrication of Cellular Structures with a Fine Resolution

Abstract Laser-based powder-bed fusion (L-PBF) is an additive manufacturing technology that is capable of fabricating net-shaped intricate metallic designs, such as cellular structures, with tailored mechanical properties. Ideally, these cellular structures replicate the human cancellous bone structure for proper bone tissue engineering applications. In this study, we present novel laser scanning strategies and their associated L-PBF processing parameters to fabricate Ti-6Al-4 V cellular structures with a fine resolution to mimic the resolution of human cancellous bone and improve their mechanical performance. In this study, three L-PBF scanning strategies with various laser powers and scanning speeds were defined to fabricate diamond and dodecahedron unit cells with four different cell sizes. With a constant laser spot size of ~80μm, average powder size of 34μm, and layer thickness of 30μm for all the L-PBF processes, the finest achieved resolution for the struts of the cellular structures was 120μm in this study. Furthermore, correlations between the L-PBF processing parameters/scanning strategies and physical/mechanical properties of the cellular structures were comprehensively investigated and are discussed for bone tissue regeneration. In conclusion, the porosity and mechanical properties of several fabricated dodecahedron cellular structures and those of human cancellous bone demonstrated significant similarities, e.g., a porosity of 72.6–87.4%, compressive strength of 0.1–30 MPa, and elastic modulus of 0.01–3 GPa.
Our Current Understanding of Commensalism

Commensalisms, interactions between two species in which one species benefits and the other experiences no net effect, are frequently mentioned in the ecological literature but are surprisingly lit...
Revisiting Senatorial Courtesy and the Selection of Judges to the U.S. Courts of Appeals

We examine how elite attitudes and institutional rules and norms affect appointments to lower federal courts. Using voting data from 1,339 U.S. Courts of Appeals cases, we estimate new ideological ...
Discovery of Parkinson's disease states and disease progression modelling: a longitudinal data study using machine learning.

Summary Background Parkinson's disease is heterogeneous in symptom presentation and progression. Increased understanding of both aspects can enable better patient management and improve clinical trial design. Previous approaches to modelling Parkinson's disease progression assumed static progression trajectories within subgroups and have not adequately accounted for complex medication effects. Our objective was to develop a statistical progression model of Parkinson's disease that accounts for intra-individual and inter-individual variability and medication effects. Methods In this longitudinal data study, data were collected for up to 7-years on 423 patients with early Parkinson's disease and 196 healthy controls from the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) longitudinal observational study. A contrastive latent variable model was applied followed by a novel personalised input-output hidden Markov model to define disease states. Clinical significance of the states was assessed using statistical tests on seven key motor or cognitive outcomes (mild cognitive impairment, dementia, dyskinesia, presence of motor fluctuations, functional impairment from motor fluctuations, Hoehn and Yahr score, and death) not used in the learning phase. The results were validated in an independent sample of 610 patients with Parkinson's disease from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Parkinson's Disease Biomarker Program (PDBP). Findings PPMI data were download July 25, 2018, medication information was downloaded on Sept 24, 2018, and PDBP data were downloaded between June 15 and June 24, 2020. The model discovered eight disease states, which are primarily differentiated by functional impairment, tremor, bradykinesia, and neuropsychiatric measures. State 8, the terminal state, had the highest prevalence of key clinical outcomes including 18 (95%) of 19 recorded instances of dementia. At study outset 4 (1%) of 333 patients were in state 8 and 138 (41%) of 333 patients reached stage 8 by year 5. However, the ranking of the starting state did not match the ranking of reaching state 8 within 5 years. Overall, patients starting in state 5 had the shortest time to terminal state (median 2·75 [95% CI 1·75–4·25] years). Interpretation We developed a statistical progression model of early Parkinson's disease that accounts for intra-individual and inter-individual variability and medication effects. Our predictive model discovered non-sequential, overlapping disease progression trajectories, supporting the use of non-deterministic disease progression models, and suggesting static subtype assignment might be ineffective at capturing the full spectrum of Parkinson's disease progression. Funding Michael J Fox Foundation.
Social Capital and the Higher Education Academic Achievement: Using Cross-Classified Multilevel Models to Understanding the Impact of Society on Educational Outcomes:

This article aims to show the influence of social capital on the academic achievement of American students. Using data from Waves I and IV of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult ...
Use of Intravenous Soybean and Fish Oil Emulsions in Pediatric Intestinal Failure-Associated Liver Disease: A Multicenter Integrated Analysis Report on Extrahepatic Adverse Events.

OBJECTIVE To compare extrahepatic adverse events during fish oil lipid emulsion (FOLE) or soybean oil lipid emulsion (SOLE) treatment in children with intestinal failure-associated liver disease (IFALD). STUDY DESIGN In this multicenter integrated analysis, bleeding, bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), infections, and signs of lipid emulsion intolerance were compared between FOLE recipients (1 g/kg/d) (n = 189) and historical controls who received SOLE (≤3 g/kg/d) (n = 73). RESULTS When compared with SOLE recipients, FOLE recipients had a lower gestational age (30.5 vs 33.0 weeks; P = .0350) and higher baseline direct bilirubin (DB) (5.8 vs 3.0 mg/dL; P < .0001). FOLE recipients had a decreased incidence of bleeding (P < .0001), BPD (P < .001), ROP (P < .0156), bacterial and fungal infections (P < .0001), and lipid intolerance signs (P < .02 for all). Patients with bleeding vs patients without bleeding had higher baseline DB; the ORs for baseline DB (by mg/dL) and treatment (FOLE vs SOLE) were 1.20 (95% CI: 1.10, 1.31; P ≤ .0001) and 0.22 (95% CI: 0.11, 0.46; P ≤ .0001), respectively. In preterm infants, a higher BPD (P < .0001) and ROP incidence (P = .0071) was observed in SOLE recipients vs FOLE recipients. CONCLUSIONS Children with IFALD who received FOLE had fewer extrahepatic adverse events, including a decreased incidence of bleeding, preterm comorbidities, and lipid intolerance signs compared with children with IFALD who received SOLE. TRIAL REGISTRATION CLINICALTRIALS.GOV: NCT00910104 and NCT00738101.
Chapter 25 Free Radicals and Reperfusion Injury

Publisher Summary Ischemia can occur under a variety of pathological situations and during certain surgical procedures. Occlusion of blood vessels during myocardial infarctions and strokes, shock because of severe hemorrhage, and cessation of blood flow to tissues to be transplanted from an organ donor to a recipient are all conditions that result in varying degrees of ischemia-induced injury to the affected tissue. Numerous explanations for ischemia-induced injury have been proposed including hypoxia per se, the activation of proteolytic enzymes, tissue acidosis, and the release of vasoactive compounds, such as histamine, pros taglandins, and bradykinin. Much recent evidence confirms a role for oxygen-derived free radicals in reperfusion injury, although the source of the radicals and the magnitude of contribution to the injury may vary considerably from tissue to tissue and species to species. The two principal sources appear to be the enzyme xanthine oxidase and activated neutrophils. During reperfusion injury to the myocardium in dog and rat, both sources appear to make significant contributions to injury. In rabbit and human, however, xanthine oxidase may make little or no contribution to injury in the heart.
The Postcentral Somatosensory Cortex

Many of our present day concepts of the organization of somatosensory cortex stem from the landmark study of Woolsey, Marshall and Bard, first published in 1937 (7) and then more completely in 1942 (21). These investigators documented important features of the overall organization of the postcentral parietal cortex in Macaca mulatta by recording evoked potentials from the surface of the brain. The basic procedure was to determine the portion of the body surface (the receptive field), where movements of hairs or punctate stimulations of glabrous surfaces with a cat’s vibrissa were capable of evoking responses at a given recording site and to repeat the procedure for a grid of closely spaced recording sites. By removing parts of the brain, they were even able to explore cortical surfaces buried in the central sulcus and on the medial wall of the cerebral hemisphere. These studies led to several important conclusions: (a) the region of postcentral cortex activated by tactile somatic stimuli includes the separate architectonic fields 3 (3a and 3b), 1 and 2 of Brodmann; (b) the cortex is activated almost exclusively from the contralateral half of the body; (c) there is an orderly representation of body parts, with a medial to lateral sequence across cortex from tail to tongue along the body; (d) the cortical organization does not exactly reflect the body surface, so that there are displacements in the cortical map; one clear example given was the separation in cortex of the representation of the face from the caudal head; and (e) the skin surfaces with the greatest tactile acuity have the largest cortical projection areas.
Photoproduction and electroproduction of J PC =1 -+ exotics

We estimate the kinematic dependence of the exclusive photo- and electroproduction of J PC = 1 + exotic mesons due toexchange. We show that the kinematic dependence is largely independent of the exotic meson form factor, which is explicitly derived for a 1 + isovector hy- brid meson in the flux-tube model of Isgur and Paton. The relevance to experiments currently planned at Jefferson Lab is indicated.
Testing the barriers to digital libraries: A study seeking copyright permission to digitize published works

Purpose – The aim was to explore the issues related to acquiring copyright permission with the goal of determining effectiveness and efficiency using the least complex process.Design/methodology/approach – A random sample of books was chosen, relevant information was recorded, request letters were sent and tracked, and results (permission received or denied) were analyzed with respect to publisher, publication data, time required, and issues related to the process.Findings – About 52 percent responded with a yes or no with 24 percent yes responses. Nearly 25 percent never responded, addresses were not found for about 16 percent, approximately 7 percent were too complicated to pursue and response time averaged about three months.Research limitations/implications – Results were affected by the limited staff time available to work on the project, the many changes in staff, and the sometimes lengthy time between follow‐ups.Practical implications – The low rate of positive responses indicates the need to focus...
The Tenth-and-a-Half Amendment

Congress can use its Article I powers to impose substantive obligations on the States, such as an obligation to pay its employees a minimum wage. Under the Supreme Court's decision in Seminole Tribe v. Florida, however, Congress cannot use Article I to authorize private suits to enforce those obligations in federal court. Congress may well respond to Seminole Tribe by compelling state courts to entertain private suits against their own State. It is unsettled whether Congress can use its Article I powers to control a State's courts in this way if the State has, under state law, retained immunity from all state-court suits. This article argues that Congress cannot do so under current Supreme Court precedent. The Tenth Amendment bars Congress from using its Article I powers to "commandeer" the machinery of state government to achieve federal objectives. In light of the concerns underlying this "anticommandeering principle," it would bar a federal law compelling state courts to hear claims against their own State. The immunity that States thus enjoy under the Tenth Amendment is not absolute, however; it is subject to the same limitations as is the States' immunity from suit in federal court under the Eleventh Amendment.
Thermal boundary condition effects on heat transfer in turbulent rough-wall boundary layers

Measurements and predictions are presented which investigate the effects of thermal boundary condition on heat transfer in the turbulent rough-wall boundary layer. Stanton number measurements are reported for the turbulent flow of air over rough plates with a variety of thermal boundary conditions on two separate rough surfaces. The cases considered are constant wall temperature, constant wall heat flux, step wall temperature, and piecewise linear wall temperature distributions. These measurements and data from other sources are compared with predictions using finite difference solutions of the discrete element roughness model and with superposition solutions. The predictions and the measurements are in good to excellent agreement.
Promoter activity of human renin 5'-flanking DNA sequences is activated by the pituitary-specific transcription factor Pit-1.

Abstract Although the renal juxtaglomerular cell is the source of circulating renin, the renin gene is also expressed at a number of extrarenal sites including lactotrope cells of human and ovine pituitaries. In the present study, we demonstrate that GC cells, a pituitary lactotrope precursor cell line, efficiently express transiently transfected hybrid genes containing human renin 5'-flanking DNA sequences -148/+11. Gel mobility shift competition analyses show that a highly conserved sequence in human and rodent renin 5'-flanking DNAs (human coordinates: -80/-58) binds a nuclear factor from GC cells, most likely the pituitary-specific factor Pit-1. Deletional and mutational analyses demonstrate that this site is a major determinant of renin promoter activity in GC cells. Transfection of a Pit-1 expression construct into HeLa cells, where activity of the human renin promoter is low, stimulates expression of cotransfected renin-luciferase constructs. Moreover, activation of the human renin promoter by co-expression of Pit-1 is dependent on an intact Pit-1 site. Taken together, these data strongly suggest that Pit-1 activates pituitary renin gene expression. This finding raises the possibility that member(s) of the POU family of transcription factors, of which Pit-1 is an archetypal member, may direct renin expression in other tissues, including the kidney.
Mo–total organic carbon covariation in modern anoxic marine environments: Implications for analysis of paleoredox and paleohydrographic conditions

[1] Sedimentary molybdenum, [Mo]s, has been widely used as a proxy for benthic redox potential owing to its generally strong enrichment in organic-rich marine facies deposited under oxygen-depleted conditions. A detailed analysis of [Mo]s–total organic carbon (TOC) covariation in modern anoxic marine environments and its relationship to ambient water chemistry suggests that (1) [Mo]s, while useful in distinguishing oxic from anoxic facies, is not related in a simple manner to dissolved sulfide concentrations within euxinic environments and (2) patterns of [Mo]s-TOC covariation can provide information about paleohydrographic conditions, especially the degree of restriction of the subchemoclinal water mass and temporal changes thereof related to deepwater renewal. These inferences are based on data from four anoxic silled basins (the Black Sea, Framvaren Fjord, Cariaco Basin, and Saanich Inlet) and one upwelling zone (the Namibian Shelf), representing a spectrum of aqueous chemical conditions related to water mass restriction. In the silled-basin environments, increasing restriction is correlated with a systematic decrease in [Mo]s/TOC ratios, from ∼45 ± 5 for Saanich Inlet to ∼4.5 ± 1 for the Black Sea. This variation reflects control of [Mo]s by [Mo]aq, which becomes depleted in stagnant basins through removal to the sediment without adequate resupply by deepwater renewal (the “basin reservoir effect”). The temporal dynamics of this process are revealed by high-resolution chemostratigraphic data from Framvaren Fjord and Cariaco Basin sediment cores, which exhibit long-term trends toward lower [Mo]s/TOC ratios following development of water column stratification and deepwater anoxia. Mo burial fluxes peak in weakly sulfidic environments such as Saanich Inlet (owing to a combination of greater [Mo]aq availability and enhanced Mo transport to the sediment-water interface via Fe-Mn redox cycling) and are lower in strongly sulfidic environments such as the Black Sea and Framvaren Fjord. These observations demonstrate that, at timescales associated with deepwater renewal in anoxic silled basins, decreased sedimentary Mo concentrations and burial fluxes are associated with lower benthic redox potentials (i.e., more sulfidic conditions). These conclusions apply only to anoxic marine environments exhibiting some degree of water mass restriction (e.g., silled basins) and are not valid for low-oxygen facies in open marine settings such as continent-margin upwelling systems.
The impact of quality culture on quality management practices and performance in Chinese manufacturing firms

Purpose – One of the commonly cited problems in the implementation of quality practices is related to cultural resistance to change. While the importance of organizational culture to quality management (QM) practices has been recognized in the recent literature, little is known about how quality culture influences quality performance. The purpose of this paper is to examine the mechanism of how the nurture of quality culture in a firm influences quality performance. Design/methodology/approach – This study empirically assesses the path from quality culture to infrastructure practices, core practices, and finally to quality performance using data collected from 397 Chinese manufacturing firms in a structural equitation model. Findings – The results indicate a chain effect that quality culture serves as an antecedent for infrastructure practices to take effect and infrastructure practices provide a supporting foundation for core practices to generate positive impact on quality performance. Anything that bre...
A soft-switched parallel inverter architecture with minimal output magnetics

A parallel power converter architecture based on the resonant pole topology is presented which minimizes the output magnetics required for current sharing. A novel current control scheme applicable to both the new parallel architecture and the single resonant pole inverter is described, and equations for piecewise modeling of the parallel architecture are presented. The paper demonstrates that the parallel architecture overcomes some of the major disadvantages of the conventional resonant pole inverter. >
Antigenic reactivity and electrophoretic migrational heterogeneity of the three polymerase proteins of type A human and animal influenza viruses

Antigenic reactivity of the three polymerase proteins PB1, PB2, and PA of type A influenza viruses of animal and human origin were analysed by radioimmunoprecipitation using monospecific antisera. Each of the polymerase monospecific antisera made against the polymerase proteins of the human A/WSN/33 (H1N1) influenza virus reacted efficiently with the homologous proteins of all the known thirteen HA subtype viruses of avian influenza virus, three subtypes of human influenza virus, swine and equine influenza viruses. This broad reactivity of each of the antisera indicated that the polymerase proteins are antigenically related among the type A influenza viruses and therefore can be considered as type specific antigens similar to the other viral internal proteins nucleoprotein (NP) and matrix protein (M). No electrophoretic migrational heterogeneity was found among the PB2 proteins of different subtype viruses, whereas PB1 protein exhibited minor variation. However, PA protein from among various viral subtypes showed considerable heterogeneity. Each of the polymerase antisera also immunoprecipitated additional antigenically related polypeptides with distinct electrophoretic mobilities from cells infected with each of the influenza viral subtypes.
Parametric evaluation of sputtering in a planar, diode glow discharge—I. Sputtering of oxygen-free hard copper (OFHC)

Abstract A parametric evaluation of the principal factors which affect cathodic sputtering rates in glow discharge sources is performed. Employing a planar, disk cathode in the simple diode geometry, the roles of discharge voltage, current, and pressure are evaluated for the sputtering of oxygen-free hard copper (OFHC). Samples were sputtered at discharge currents of 5–70 mA over an argon pressure range of 1.5–8 torr (200–1064 Pa). In addition, the relationship between applied power and sputter weight loss is investigated. Studies indicate that the current density at the cathode surface and the discharge voltage are directly related and are keys in the determination of sputtering rates. Through factor analysis, an empirical formula is developed which is useful in quantifying sputter rates for a given set of discharge conditions.
Perineal endometriosis in an episiotomy scar: case report and review of literature

PurposePerineal endometriosis is a rare disease characterized by the presence of ectopic endometrial stroma and glands in the perineum. Most commonly observed in the episiotomy scar after normal va...
Changes in cell surface charge and transmembrane potential accompanying neoplastic transformation of rat kidney cells

Free flow electrophoresis measurements have been used to determine the surface charge density of normal rat kidney (NRK) cells and a clone of NRK, designated as 6m2, that exhibit a transformed phenotype at 33° C and a non-transformed phenotype at 39° C. A clone of 6m2, designated 54-5A4, which is transformed at both 33° C and 39° C was also studied. A surface charge density of −1.42 μC/cm2 was obtained for the NRK and non-transformed 6m2 cells at 39° C, whereas at 33° C values of −1.85 and −1.78μC/cm2 were determined for the transformed 6m2 and 54-5A4 cells, respectively. It was found that 72% of the increased charge that appeared on the transformed 6m2 cells compared with the non-transformed 6m2 cells was RNAase sensitive. The time-dependent decrease in surface charge that accompanied the shift of the 6m2 cells from their transformed to non-transformed state was found to mirror the increase in transmembrane potential previously reported using a fluorescent dye technique, and was also comparable to the reported temporal changes in their morphology and virally-coded protein content.
Mid-infrared guided-mode resonance reflectors for applications in high power laser systems

A mid-infrared guided-mode resonance based reflector was designed, fabricated and tested for applications at 2.94µm. The proposed polarization insensitive devices were fabricated using a quartz/hafnium dioxide system.
Identification of the cyanopregnenolone-inducible form of hepatic cytochrome P-450 as a catalyst of aldrin epoxidation.

Abstract In light of recent suggestions that hepatic microsomal aldrin expoxidation activity selectively reflects the phenobarbital (PB)-inducible form(s) of cytochrome P-450 (P-450 PB ), we tested the effect of pregnenolone-16α-carbonitrile (PCN), a synthetic steroid that induces P-450 PCN , a form of the cytochrome biochemically and immunochemically distinguishable from P-450 PB . In hepatic microsomes prepared from rats receiving PB, 3-methylcholanthrene (3-MC), or PCN, the latter compound produced a greater increase in aldrin epoxidation activity relative to control than did PB, whereas 3-MC decreased enzyme activity. Moreover, the aldrin epoxidation activity in microsomes prepared from PCN- or PB-pretreated rats was selectively inhibited by form-specific antibodies directed against P-450 PCN or P-450 PB , respectively, whereas anti-P-450 MC antibodies gave no inhibition with microsomes prepared from induced or control animals. We conclude that P-450 PCN , P-450 PB , and probably other cytochromes P-450 catalyze aldrin epoxidation, precluding use of this enzyme as a specific marker of a single form of the cytochrome.
Characterization of oxide layers on Mg(0001) and comparison of H2O adsorption on surface and bulk oxides

Abstract The composition, continuity, stoichiometry, and thickness of MgO thin films formed on the Mg(0001) surface were characterized by AES, ISS, UPS and XPS. The layer-by-layer mechanism of film growth was supported by comparison of the AES and ISS profiles for oxygen uptake, and by angle-resolved XPS results. Water was found to dissociate on both the thin film and the MgO(100) surfaces, forming surface hydroxyl groups upon adsorption of 200 K. The hydroxyls were characterized by an O(1s) peak at 533.1 eV in XPS and a valence band emission at 11.8 eV in UPS. The coverage of OH species determined by angle-resolved XPS measurements was ∼ 1 monolayer following adsorption at 210 K on a MgO(100) surface which had been sputtered but not annealed. Hydroxyl formation could be suppressed by annealing the sputtered MgO(100) surface prior to H2O exposure at room temperature. Thus sites of lower coordination number than those on the ideal MgO(100) surface are implicated in H2O dissociation.
A COMPARISON OF THE ATTACHED ALGAL COMMUNITIES OF A NATURAL AND AN ARTIFICIAL SUBSTRATE1

SUMMARY A study of communities of attached algae in Lake Mize Florida, wax made during July 1969, July-August 1970 and April 1971. The substrates exposed during the study included glass slides mid the terrestrial form of the amphibious sedge, Eleocharis baldwinii (Torr.) Chapman. Counts were used to determine the relative abundance and densities of the species present on the 2 substrates under different environmental conditions. Such analyses indicated that at any given lime and place, a number of factors influenced the composition of the periphyton. Generally, lightly adhering, resupinate species attained higher densities on glass slides than filamentous and loosely associated metaphytonic species. The epiphytic flora of E. baldwinii contained a large number of both strong attachers and the metaphyton. The vertical range of many attached species was also greater on E. baldwinii than on glass slides.
Hepatoma G2 conditioned medium facilitates early outgrowth of endothelial cells from isolated glomeruli

Since it was first shown that glomerular cells could be propagated in culture [1], this technique has proven to be an invaluable tool for studying the physiology of individual glomerular cells. Epithelial, mesangial, and endothelial cells have been isolated and propagated in several species [2], however, the population of cells obtained consisted of more than one of these glomerular cell types. The limited availability of normal human kidney specimens for tissue culture has led to attempts to optimize culture conditions which could selectively enhance the growth of one specific cell type. Hoshi and McKeehan [3] have demonstrated that medium conditioned by HepG2 cells, a hepatoblastoma line, contained one or more soluble growth factors which favored the growth of human umbilical vein endothelial cells in serum free media. This laboratory has previously reported the growth of human glomerular endothelial cells in the presence of fetal bovine serum supplemented with platelet-derived growth factor [4]. In view ofour continued interest in these cells, and the variation in the ability of different lots of fetal bovine serum to support endothelial cell growth, we investigated the use of hepatoma conditioned medium to further optimize the growth of endothelial cells.
Compact parallel-coupled line bandpass filter using double complementary split ring resonators

A novel compact parallel-coupled line bandpass filter (BPF) with complementary split ring resonators (CSRRs) is presented in this letter.The proposed BPF, with a combination of CSRRs and parallel-coupled lines, has the advantages of compact size and simpler design procedure compared with conventional CRSS BPFs. The prototype filter achieves the measured insertion loss of 1.4 dB at 3.6 GHz. The implementing area is 0.35 λg × 0.14 λg, where λg is the guided wavelength at the resonant frequency. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 54:506–509, 2013; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.27373
Monotonicity and Rationalizability in a Large First Price Auction

This paper proves that the monotonicity of bidding strategies together with the rationality of bidders implies that the winning bid in a first price auction converges to the competitive equilibrium price as the number of bidders increases ( Wilson, 1977 ). Instead of analysing the symmetric Nash equilibrium, we examine rationalizable strategies ( Bernheim (1984) , Pearce (1984) ) among the set of monotonic bidding strategies to prove that any monotonic rationalizable bidding strategy must be within a small neighbourhood of the "truthful" valuation of the object, conditioned on the signal received by the bidder. We obtain an information aggregation result similar to that of Wilson (1977) , while dispensing with almost all symmetric assumptions and using a milder solution concept than the Nash equilibrium. In particular, if every bidder is ex ante identical, then any rationalizable bidding strategy must be within a small neighbourhood of the symmetric Nash equilibrium. In a symmetric first price auction, the symmetry of outcomes is implied rather than assumed. Copyright 2005, Wiley-Blackwell.
Microprocessor implementation of optimal control for a robotic manipulator system

This paper describes the implementation of an algorithm for the on-line optimal path control of a robotic manipulator using an array of Texas Instruments TMS9900 microprocessors and a global memory. In contrast to work by other investigators, this approach utilizes a horizontal decomposition which assigns a single processor to each joint for computing kinematics, but distributes the computation of control by coordinant axes. In the present configuration, the arm is modeled as a point mass under gravity loading and control is computed in Cartesian space utilizing minimum energy techniques.
Relationship between executive functions and motor stereotypies in children with Autistic Disorder

This study reports on the relationship between motor stereotypies and impairments in executive functions (EF) in children with Autistic Disorder (AD) and in children with Developmental Language Disorders (DLD). We hypothesized that low EF performance would predict higher frequency and longer durations of stereotypies in the AD group only. Twenty-two children (age range = 7–9 years, 6 months, girls = 5) with AD were recruited from a longitudinal multi-site study and compared to twenty-two non-autistic children with DLD (age range = 7–9 years, 6 months, girls = 5). The two groups were matched on non-verbal IQ and demographic characteristics. Frequency and duration of stereotypies were coded from videotaped semi-structured play sessions. EF measures included the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task (WCST) Categories, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) Mazes, and Stanford-Binet Fourth Edition (SB-IV) Matrices. The scores for frequency and duration of stereotypies were higher in the AD group. Separate linear regressions revealed that group status, EF, and their interactions predict stereotypies. Specifically, lower EF scores predicted higher frequencies and longer durations of stereotypies in the AD group only. Analyses controlled for age, gender, and parent education. Findings suggest that in AD, EF impairments and stereotypies may be linked to shared brain pathways.
UNIVERSAL OPEN-STRING SINGLET INTERACTION

We argue the existence of a universal open-string interaction induced by open-string singlet exchange from the universality of gravity diagram involving open strings. At the tree level, the interaction is induced by stringy massive excitations of spin-1 and spin-2 at the leading order. The origin of this interaction is purely stringy in nature with the massless contributions canceling each other at the tree level and therefore has no field theory correspondence. The effective dimension-8 interactions at low energies for both spin-1 and spin-2 are given for the four-fermion processes. The spin-2 piece of the interaction to a pair of vector bosons is twice as strong as when it couples to a pair of fermions as a result of the SUSY constraint on the amplitudes and angular momentum decomposition. The massive spin-2 piece of the interaction is separately universal for fermions and vector bosons, in contrast to conventional massive gravity.
Very high resolution space telescope using the Earth atmosphere as the objective lens

Telescopes are critical elements of NASA's space program. Very high resolution telescopes are needed to study planets of neighboring stellar systems and life beyond earth. Telescope resolution is limited by aperture diameter but current technology limits telescope apertures to about 10- meters in diameter. The Earth's atmosphere refracts sunlight such that the sun's image appears about a half degree above its real position during sunset. If we could build a space telescope using the Earth's atmosphere as an objective lens the aperture of such space telescope would be the diameter of the earth. Telescope resolution could be enhanced by up to seven orders of magnitude and would enable detailed images of planets in far away stellar systems.
Escalation of commitment in troubled IT projects: Influence of project risk factors and self-efficacy on the perception of risk and the commitment to a failing project

Abstract Past studies have indicated that project managers may be less likely to continue failing IT projects if they are able to perceive project risks accurately. Using the scenario of a failing IT project, a computer simulation-based experiment investigated the influence of individual self-efficacy and project risk factors on the perception of risk. Participants played the role of a project manager and managed a simulated IT project. The results suggest that project managers are likely to underestimate the risks of a project with endogenous risk factors as compared to a project with exogenous risk factors. Results of this study point to a ‘self-efficacy bias’ where project managers with higher self-efficacy may underestimate the risks of a troubled IT project as compared to project managers with lower self-efficacy. Further, risk perception mediated the influence of self-efficacy on the commitment to a failing IT project.
Identical twins with mature ovarian teratomas

A report of identical twins is presented in which both sisters had mature ovarian teratomas. One of the sisters, who had bilateral teratomas, underwent unilateral oophorectomy and contralateral partial oophorectomy to allow preservation of some of the less affected ovary.
Modulation of Adhesion Molecule Expression by TNF-alpha in Human Coronary Artery Endothelial Cells: Insights into the Pathogenesis of Kawasaki Syndrome

Background: Kawasaki syndrome (KS) is characterized by acute elevations of pro-inflammatory cytokines, matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) and other factors related to vascular remodeling. The events leading to coronary artery damage in KS are unknown. Methods: Human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAEC), treated with TNF-α or pre-treated with various concentrations of salicylic acid or TGF-β prior to stimulation with TNF-α were analyzed for gene and protein expression of adhesion molecules by RT-PCR and cell-based ELISA, respectively. Results: TNF-α up-regulated ICAM-1, E-selectin and MCP-1 gene and protein expression in a time- and dose-dependent manner via the NF-κB pathway, which could be inhibited by salicylic acid, but not TGF-β. By contrast, cultured HCAEC did not produce MMP-9 when induced with TNF-α. However, we did observe increase in MMP-9 enzyme levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from acute phase of KS patients compared to the convalescent phase when cultured in vitro, without any stimulation. Conclusions: The ability of HCAEC to express adhesion molecules and secrete MCP-1 upon exposure to TNF-α allows us to formulate a hypothesis for the pathogenesis of KS: namely, MCP-1 provides a gradient to attract immune cells to sites of inflammation, allowing these cells to attach to the endothelium and undergo extravasation into the extracellular matrix. Once there, the immune cells release enzymes that assists in vascular remodeling, thereby weakening the endothelium and hastening the process of aneurysm formation. In addition to preventing thrombosis and lowering fever in KS, salicylic acid may also function in down-regulating the expression of adhesion molecules during the inflammatory stage. [U.S. Public Health Service grant G12RR/AI-03061 from the RCMI Program, NCRR, NIH]
The effect of uncertainty on the relationship between the frequency of warning signals and prey density

Abstract An altruistic act is a process of transmission of fitness units (not necessarily one to one) from a donor to a recipient or recipients. Hamilton's rule gives the conditions under which an altruistic act should be directed toward relatives. Giving warning signals is different from most altruistic behaviors in that there is usually no physical proximity between the donor and the recipient. As a result, the information to the donor about the presence of potential recipients and the perception of warning signals by recipients may not be perfect. I show that under such conditions, an altruistic act (warning signal) may be given even when recipients are not present. Furthermore, it appears that the expected proportion of predator-prey encounters in which warning signals are given is not a monotonic, simple, positive function of the potential recipient density. Rather, under certain conditions and within a limited range of increment in prey density, the frequency of warning signals may even decrease. This is because the expected proportion of warning signals depends also on the prey's ability to perceive the presence and warning signals of other prey, and on the frequency distribution of costs of warning signals. These factors, in turn, are functions of the habitat type, the nature of prey distribution (clumped or uniform), the hunting strategy of the predator, and the escaping strategy of prey. Therefore, one should consider all these factors when evaluating the effect of one of them on the expected proportion of warning signals.
Relationship of DNA strand breakage produced by bromodeoxyuridine to topoisomerase II activity in Bloom-syndrome fibroblasts

Cells from patients with Bloom syndrome, a cancer-prone disorder with cutaneous photosensitivity and spontaneous chromosome breakage, exhibit an abnormally increased number of sister-chromatid exchanges following treatment with 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU). This effect has been postulated to be mediated by abnormal topoisomerase II activity. We used alkaline elution to measure DNA single-strand breakage following prolonged exposure to BrdU. Five-day exposure to BrdU produced equal numbers of alkali-labile sites in normal and Bloom-syndrome fibroblasts. These breaks were not protein-associated but were produced by alkali. Treatment with topoisomerase II inhibitors induced similar frequencies of DNA single-strand breaks in normal and Bloom-syndrome fibroblasts. These findings imply that BrdU incorporation into cellular DNA induces alkali-labile DNA lesions that are independent of topoisomerase II activity in Bloom and normal cells.
Regio- and stereoselective synthesis of N-H aziridines N-N bond reduction ofN-quinazolinylaziridines

Abstract Hydroxyl-directed aziridination of the isoprenoid alcohols — geraniol, nerol, and (E,E) -farnesol— with Atkinson's N -acetoxyamino-2-ethyl-4(3H)-quinazolonereagent ( 4 ) afforded N -substituted2,3-epimino alcohols. Reduction of these and related N -substitutedaziridines with metal-ammonia or lithium-naphthalenide reagents furnished a series of N-H aziridino alcohols (53–74%) including 2,3- and 6,7-epimino geraniols ( 10 and 13 ), 2,3-epimino nerol ( 17 ), (E,E) -2,3-epiminofarnesol ( 23 ), and syn -2,3-epimino isophorol ( 20 ). A less efficient synthesis of the trans -2,3-epimino isoprenoid alcohols 10 and 23 by irradiation of allylic azidoformates and hydrolysis of the oxazolidinone photoproducts is also reported. These approaches complement known methods for synthesis of N-H aziridines of isoprenoid polyenes. Regioselective conversion of isoprenoid alcohols to N-H aziridino alcohols by aziridination with N -acetoxyamino-2-ethylquinazoloneand metal-ammonia reduction is described. Download full-size image