cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Presynaptic dopamine deficit in minimally conscious state patients following traumatic brain injury

Dopaminergic stimulation has been proposed as a treatment strategy for post-traumatic brain injured patients in minimally conscious state based on a clinical trial using amantadine, a weak dopamine transporter blocker. However, a specific contribution of dopaminergic neuromodulation in minimally conscious state is undemonstrated. In a phase 0 clinical trial, we evaluated 13 normal volunteers and seven post-traumatic minimally conscious state patients using 11C-raclopride PET to estimate dopamine 2-like receptors occupancy in the striatum and central thalamus before and after dopamine transporter blockade with dextroamphetamine. If a presynaptic deficit was observed, a third and a fourth 11C-raclopride PET were acquired to evaluate changes in dopamine release induced by l-DOPA and l-DOPA+dextroamphetamine. Permutation analysis showed a significant reduction of dopamine release in patients, demonstrating a presynaptic deficit in the striatum and central thalamus that could not be reversed by blocking the dopamine transporter. However, administration of the dopamine precursor l-DOPA reversed the presynaptic deficit by restoring the biosynthesis of dopamine from both ventral tegmentum and substantia nigra. The advantages of alternative pharmacodynamic approaches in post-traumatic minimally conscious state patients should be tested in clinical trials, as patients currently refractory to amantadine might benefit from them.
A comparison of the utility of urine- and hair testing in detecting self-reported drug use among young adult opioid users.

Abstract Background Biological testing can be used to validate or detect underreported drug use. Since hair testing is increasingly used in survey research, we examined how the utility of hair testing compares to a more common method—urine testing. Methods 532 adults (ages 18–29) reporting past-month heroin use and/or nonmedical prescription opioid use were surveyed about past-month use of various drugs. Participants were urine-tested and the majority (79.3%) provided a hair sample for analysis. We examined the utility of urine vs. hair-testing in detecting past-month use of various drugs. Results Compared to hair testing, urine testing was able to confirm higher proportions of self-reported use of heroin/opioids (85.5% vs. 80.9%), marijuana (73.9% vs. 22.9%), benzodiazepines (51.3% vs. 15.1%), and methadone (77.0% vs. 48.7%), while hair testing was more likely to detect reported cocaine use (66.3% vs. 48.0%) (Ps Conclusions While hair testing is efficacious in detecting drug use in wide window periods (e.g., past-year use), it is less efficacious than urine testing when testing for past-month use of select drugs among opiate/opioid users. However, hair testing is particularly efficacious in detecting unreported use of cocaine and/or oxycodone.
Endothelial cell-specific redox gene modulation inhibits angiogenesis but promotes B16F0 tumor growth in mice.

Glutaredoxin-1 (Glrx) is a small cytosolic enzyme that removes S-glutathionylation, glutathione adducts of protein cysteine residues, thus modulating redox signaling and gene transcription. Althoug...
Editorial: Something new - what's next for child and adolescent psychiatry?

The start of a new decade is often the moment when people pause to reflect on what they have accomplished in the past 10-20 years and where they would like to be at the start of the next decade. Although not designed as such, the 2020 Annual Review issue engages in exactly this sort of a backwards and forwards look at the field of child and adolescent psychiatry and psychology. In doing so, it covers topics that are at the core of the field and have preoccupied researchers and clinicians for decades. It also covers research endeavors that have only more recently captured the attention of the field and that build bridges to disciplines that have not historically been involved in the study of neurodevelopment. In every case, the authors who have contributed to the 2020 Annual Research Review highlight exciting new directions for research and make novel recommendations for how to advance the state of our science.
Evaluation of 19 antiviral drugs against SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Abstract The global pandemic of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 or 2019-nCoV) has prompted multiple clinical trials to jumpstart search for anti-SARS-CoV-2 therapies from existing drugs, including those with reported in vitro efficacies as well as those ones that are not known to inhibit SARS-CoV-2, such as ritonavir/lopinavir and favilavir. Here we report that after screening 19 antiviral drugs that are either in clinical trials or with proposed activity against SARS-CoV-2, remdesivir was the most effective. Chloroquine only effectively protected virus-induced cytopathic effect at around 30 µM with a therapeutic index of 1.5. Our findings also suggest that velpatasvir, ledipasvir, ritonavir, litonavir, lopinavir, favilavir, sofosbuvir, danoprevir, and pocapavir do not have direct antiviral effect.
Electrochemical Quantification of Acetaminophen: An Engaging Cyclic Voltammetry Laboratory for the Quantitative Analysis Course

An engaging, simple, and cost-effective laboratory experiment has been implemented at our institution to teach undergraduate chemistry students about cyclic voltammetry and electrochemistry in general. This experiment involves the application of cyclic voltammetry to analyze a sample of acetaminophen (APAP) with the objective of determining the mass of APAP in a tablet of over-the-counter medication. During five semesters, students working in groups of typically four students each, carried out the experiment as part of their coursework in the laboratory. Seven out of ten groups reported results containing the expected value of 500 mg APAP per tablet in their calculated 95% confidence intervals. Students completed a 10-question quiz at the beginning of the semester and a similar one at the end of the semester. The scores of pre- and postcourse evaluations, which include 10 questions on basic general chemistry quantitative concepts, had an average percent change of 99.2% after, from a 50.7% average percent change before, laboratory implementation. The growth in normalized learning gains in classes performing this experiment also increased by 10.8%.
Worker Types, Job Displacement, and Duration Dependence

The composition of the workforce has implications for the earnings consequences of a job loss and patterns in the job-finding rate.
Social Dynamics of the Montane Vole, Microtus Montanus, and their Population Consequences November 1976

The social structure of a mammalian species is a basic feature of its life histoy. Although a knowledge of the social system is a prerequisite to understanding various reproductive and endocrinologic phenomena seen by other workers studying Microtus, Mus, and Peromyscus in the labrotory, behavior and sociality of Microtus in the field have been overlooked because they are difficult to study and because emphasis in microtine research has been placed on the microtine population "cycle". Project Number 183.
Properties based on Tortuosity

A suite of papers addressing various “types” of tortuosity is shown to be explained by the same simple spatial tortuosity function from percolation theory for which the parameters are obtained from simulation or experiment and percolation theory. Use of cluster statistics of percolation theory in the context of critical path analysis (which produced verifiable hydraulic conductivity distributions in Chap. 10) together with temporal tortuosity concepts from publications of Eugene Stanley’s group is shown to generate a distribution of solute arrival times in agreement with experiment and without appeal to adjustable parameters. The scaling of typical arrival times with system size, which resembles a power law over many decades of time, matches results from early experiments on dispersive transport in amorphous semiconductors and polymers and gives a physical basis for the observed power (ca. 1.64 in polymers and 1.87 in amorphous semiconductors). The solute velocity is thus implied also to follow a power-law, at least approximately, and the resulting time dependence is shown to map the dependence of chemical reaction rates in porous media over 10 orders of magnitude of time scale. Furthermore, the predicted range of dispersivity values is found to agree with experiment (over 2200 individual cases) over 10 orders of magnitude of length scale.
Overexpression of LINCR in the developing mouse lung epithelium inhibits distal differentiation and induces cystic changes

Background: Lung maturation can be disrupted through pro-inflammatory processes including intra-uterine amniotic infection, mechanical ventilation, or oxidative stress. Lincr, originally identified as a gene induced in the lung by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), is also expressed in the developing lung. The Lung-inducible Neuralized-related C3HC4 RING domain (LINCR) protein is structurally related to Drosophila Neuralized, a regulator of the developmentally important Notch signaling pathway. LINCR is expressed in alveolar epithelial type II cells in the mature lung, and its expression is markedly increased by LPS and inflammatory cytokines. To test the hypothesis that targeted overexpression of LINCR in lung epithelium would interfere with normal lung development, we generated double transgenic mice that conditionally overexpress LINCR in lung epithelium under the control of doxycycline. Results: Single transgenic controls and double transgenic mice not treated with doxycycline were unaffected, but double transgenic mice exposed to doxycycline starting at embryonic day 6 developed markedly hypoplastic lungs with decreased numbers of alveoli and large cysts lined with a proximalized and poorly differentiated epithelium expressing Hairy/Enhancer of Split 1, an effector of Notch signaling. The phenotype was similar to that caused by overexpression of activated Notch1 in lung epithelium. Conclusions: LINCR may exert its effects on distal lung development in this model through activation of the Notch signaling pathway. Developmental Dynamics 244:827–838, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
On....An American Tragedy: The Enduring Legacy of Plessy v. Ferguson

This article addresses the legacy of the U.S. Supreme Court decision Plessy v. Ferguson, and its effects since the time of its rendering. The author points out that although the decision did not create racial segregation and discrimination, it confirmed and legitimized practices already in place around much of the nation. Although government imposed segregation has ended, racial separation by choice continues in many areas including housing.
Effects of Guanosine 3',5'-Monophosphate on Glycerol Production and Accumulation of Adenosine 3',5'-Monophosphate by Fat Cells

Abstract The effects of guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cyclic GMP) on glycerol production by isolated fat cells resembled those of adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) but were of lesser magnitude. In Krebs-Ringer phosphate medium, both nucleotides had little or no effect on basal lipolysis. Inhibition of theophylline-stimulated lipolysis by cyclic GMP was less and more variable than that by cyclic AMP. In phosphate 0.8% NaCl medium, with Na+ as the only cation, both nucleotides stimulated glycerol production. The increase was directly related to the concentration of each. On a molar basis, cyclic GMP was less effective than cyclic AMP in stimulating lipolysis. Lipolytic effects of cyclic GMP were also observed in the presence of cyclic AMP and theophylline at concentrations that did not maximally stimulate lipolysis. During incubation of fat cells with cyclic GMP in either medium, accumulation of cyclic AMP was observed. The magnitude of this increase in cyclic AMP was related to the concentration of cyclic GMP over the range of 0.1 to 5 mm. In the presence of 1 mm cyclic GMP, the rate of accumulation of cyclic AMP was essentially constant for 2 hours. After incubation with cyclic GMP, the amount of cyclic AMP in the medium was apparently as high as in cells plus medium. The accumulation of cyclic AMP in the presence of cyclic GMP was not affected by prostaglandin E1 (5 µg per ml), insulin (12 milliunits per ml) or probenecid (0.1 mm). The latter agent did not alter the distribution of cyclic AMP between cells and medium whether or not cyclic GMP was present. The rate of accumulation of cyclic AMP in the presence of 1 mm cyclic GMP was 10 to 20% of that observed during the first 4 min after epinephrine (1.1 µm) was added to fat cells. During the 4 min after epinephrine was added, the accumulation of cyclic AMP was almost entirely intracellular and was not altered by the presence of cyclic GMP. After incubation for more than 30 min under all conditions, a large fraction of the cyclic AMP in the system was found in the medium. Cyclic GMP was 30 to 100 times more effective on a molar basis than was theophylline in preventing the degradation of cyclic AMP by extracts from fat cells. Cyclic GMP also inhibited degradation of cyclic AMP by homogenates of rat kidney and liver. This effect may account for the accumulation of cyclic AMP that occurred when kidney cortex, liver, and chicken erythrocytes were incubated with cyclic GMP with or without hormone.
The Evolution of Audio Recording in Field Surveys

The tools of field survey administration change quickly. By taking advantage of new technology and adapting it for time-honored needs, survey managers can boost the effectiveness, efficiency and quality of data collection. One method which has evolved rapidly is computer audio-recorded interviewing (CARI), an approach to ensuring the quality of data through unobtrusive recording by the computer of the audio portion of inperson interviews, much as silent monitoring has been used to ensure quality at call centers. Several developments in the past few years have improved the technical feasibility of CARI for routine and inexpensive use in field studies. Advances in file compression and available bandwidth enable collection of longer recordings with little strain on transmission capacity and no burden to the interviewer. Use of a simple external file for specifying items to be recorded in a Blaise instrument offers great flexibility in selecting portions of the interview for auditing, even permitting modification of the recorded-item list while an instrument is in production. A web-based monitoring application, for use by trained reviewers in evaluating the audio files, can now provide access to centrally located audio files by geographically distributed staff. Progress has also been made from an operational viewpoint. Work has been done to determine the minimum amount of recording needed to achieve agreement among reviewers as to the authenticity of the recorded session, and cost modeling shows that CARI can provide quality assurance at equal or reduced costs compared to more traditional approaches of re-interview or telephone verification. Use of CARI on several national surveys has provided production experience to bolster laboratory tests. This article reviews the progress of CARI technology in the years since it was introduced, with an emphasis on feasibility for routine use with field surveys.
Myoelectric Activity of the Autotransplanted Canine Jejunoileum

Our aim was to determine the role of the extrinsic nerves in the regulation of the canine jejunoileal interdigestive myoelectric complex (IDMEC). In six dogs, the extrinsic nerves to the jejunoileum were completely divided by autotransplanting this segment of bowel. The proximal 75 cm of autotransplant were isolated as a modified Vella loop, while the remaining portion was left in situ. Electrodes were implanted on the duodenum and on the autotransplanted bowel for later recording of myoelectric activity. After 10 days, the conscious dogs were studied during fasting and after a meal of 200 g liver. During fasting, the IDMEC occurred not only in the innervated duodenum, but also in the autotransplanted segments of jejunoileum. However, the period of IDMEC was shorter in the autotransplanted segments (∼1.5 h) than in the duodenum (∼2.5 h), and a consistent temporal association of IDMEC between the three areas studied was not present. Moreover, feeding interrupted the IDMEC in the duodenum but not in the autotransplanted segments. We concluded that the extrinsic nerves to segments of jejunoileum were not necessary for the appearance of the IDMEC within such segments. However, extrinsic innervation and/or intrinsic myoneural or luminal continuity were necessary for temporal coordination of the IDMEC between segments of small intestine and for postprandial inhibition of the jejunoileal IDMEC.
Adapting and integrating photovoice in a baccalaureate community course to enhance clinical experiential learning

Background The adaptation and incorporation of photovoice--a qualitative research method--into the Community Health Nursing clinical course to foster students' clinical reasoning in a community setting is presented. Method Photovoice was used as a teaching strategy in the windshield survey and key informant interview activities that are part of the community health clinical experience. Students were provided with disposable cameras and were instructed to take photographs of the community. Results Students shared the photographs with faculty and community members and explored ways of developing sustainable community-based interventions that promote and protect health. Conclusion Photovoice can be used as a teaching strategy tool in any clinical course to foster experiential learning.
DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF SPECIAL ELEMENTS FOR CRASH ANALYSIS

A new solution technique is proposed for a class of problems involving deep plastic collapse and large shape distortion of thin shells which is based on the concept of special finite elements with built-in knowledge on local folding mechanisms. These elements are characterized by floating, rather than fixed, boundaries and continuity of slopes of the displacement field. Typically, eighteen special elements would accurately represent the complex deformation pattern of a single corner or fold line. The condition of slope continuity further reduces the number of free parameters to three (3)! The new procedure is illustrated by example of progressively crushing a rigid-plastic box column. (A) For the covering abstract see IRRD 863693.
Halfway Through Reid's Cycle and Counting

100 years ago, San Francisco was hit by a great earthquake. The subsequent simple models of cyclical fault rupture have not yielded useful predictions; long-term study of seismic mechanisms are still required.
VALENCE AND AFFINITY OF EQUINE NONPRECIPITATING ANTIBODY TO A HAPTENIC GROUP.

A nonprecipitable antibody to a haptenic group has been purified from equine serum. It is a 7S β2δ immunoglobulin with high affinity for the specific hapten and two binding sites per antibody molecule. These results rule out univalence and low affinity as explanations of the nonprecipitability of this antibody.
CXCR3 deficiency enhances tumor progression by promoting macrophage M2 polarization in a murine breast cancer model

Tumor associated macrophages play a vital role in determining the outcome of breast cancer. We investigated the contribution of the chemokine receptor CXCR3 to antitumor immune responses using a cxcr3 deficient mouse orthotopically injected with a PyMT breast cancer cell line. We observed that cxcr3 deficient mice displayed increased IL-4 production and M2 polarization in the tumors and spleens compared to WT mice injected with PyMT cells. This was accompanied by larger tumor development in cxcr3(-/-) than in WT mice. Further, tumor-promoting myeloid derived immune cell populations accumulated in higher proportions in the spleens of cxcr3 deficient mice. Interestingly, cxcr3(-/-) macrophages displayed a deficiency in up-regulating inducible nitric oxide synthase after stimulation by either IFN-γ or PyMT supernatants. Stimulation of bone marrow derived macrophages by PyMT supernatants also resulted in greater induction of arginase-1 in cxcr3(-/-) than WT mice. Further, cxcr3(-/-) T cells activated with CD3/CD28 in vitro produced greater amounts of IL-4 and IL-10 than T cells from WT mice. Our data suggests that a greater predisposition of cxcr3 deficient macrophages towards M2 polarization contributes to an enhanced tumor promoting environment in cxcr3 deficient mice. Although CXCR3 is known to be expressed on some macrophages, this is the first report that demonstrates a role for CXCR3 in macrophage polarization and subsequent breast tumor outcomes. Targeting CXCR3 could be a potential therapeutic approach in the management of breast cancer tumors.
Voltammetry of nitrobenzene with cysteine and other acids in DMSO. Implications for the biological reactivity of reduced nitroaromatics with thiols

Abstract A cyclic voltammetric investigation of nitrobenzene in DMSO in the presence of various acids including boc- and methylester-protected cysteine is reported. It has been hypothesized that the reaction of thiols with reduced nitroaromatics is at the root of the biological activity for a variety of nitroaromatics, including a number of medicinally important nitroheterocycles used to treat infections by anaerobic microorganisms. This study shows that the only reaction occurring between cysteine and the 1e − reduction product, the nitro radical anion, is proton transfer. However, by comparing the voltammetry observed in the presence of cysteine to that observed in the presence of a range of different acids in DMSO we found that further reaction occurs between cysteine and the 2e − reduction products, either the nitrogen diol or the nitroso, greatly enhancing the overall rate of the reduction. This solution reaction proceeds through a rapidly formed, oxidizably-detectable intermediate, which, by analogy to known chemistry in aqueous solution, is likely the semi-mercaptal. Thus this study shows that cyclic voltammetry in aprotic solvents is a very useful technique for studying the reactivity of nitroaromatics with thiols and confirms that the substantive reaction occurs at the 2e − stage of the reduction.
ATTITUDE TOWARD THE ELDERLY AND PERCEIVED AGE AMONG TWO COHORT GROUPS AS DETERMINED BY THE AAAT

Two university cohort groups were administered the Kastenbaum and Durkee Age‐Appropriate Attitude Technique (AAAT). One group consisted of 31 subjects whose average age was 28 years; the second group, which consisted of 17 subjects, had a mean age of 37 years. The AAAT was utilized in this study to assess its potential validity with respect to the original study by Kastenbaum and Durkee (1964). Support was found for the original conclusion that a majority of the subjects were unfavorably disposed to the past‐boundness of “Ted” by having perceived him as the eldest character. Tests of significance at the a = .05 level, df = 46 were computed. The t test indicated no significant difference between the two groups. Suggestions for further research are discussed.
Observation of Soliton Turbulence via Coupled Bump-on-Tail Instabilities

We experimentally observe the algebraic k -2 spectrum of soliton turbulence via the coupled interaction of two all-optical bump-on-tail instabilities. The observation confirms predictions of energy equipartition based on wave kinetic theory.
Multifunction LIDAR Sensors for Non-Contact Speed Measurement in Rail Vehicles: Part I — System Installation and Implementation

This study presents speed measurement system using Light detection And Ranging (LIDAR) technology is successfully tested on moving railway cars. The system has multiple mounting capabilities that allow it to attach to various locations on the railcar. Using lasers to measure train speed off of each rail individually, the system determines curvature characteristics of the track based on known track geometry and speed differentials measured by the system. The LIDAR speed measurement system offers a non-contact form of measurement that eliminates noise and unwanted disturbances originating from contact sensors such as wheel-mounted encoders. The results of the study indicate that, with an ability to operate at speeds from 0.5mph and upwards of 100mph, the LIDAR system proves to be a highly versatile and precise measurement device useful in rail geometry measurement applications.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Analysis of fMRI data from tasks containing temporal dependencies: An evaluation of Slotnick (2005).

The conclusion drawn by Slotnick (2005), that the “timecourse analysis” employed in his reanalysis of data from Postle, Berger, Taich, and D'Esposito (2000a) yields evidence consistent with a label...
Shaker K+ Channel T1 Domain Self-tetramerizes to a Stable Structure

The potassium channel T1 domain plays an important role in the regulated assembly of subunit proteins. We have examined the assembly properties of the Shaker channel T1 domain to determine if the domain can self-assemble, the number of subunits in a multimer, Ns and the mechanism of assembly. High pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) size exclusion chromotography (SEC) separates T1 domain proteins into two peaks. By co-assembly assays, these peaks are identified to be a high molecular weight assembled form and a low molecular weight monomeric form. To determine the Ns of the assembled protein peak on HPLC SEC, we first cross-linked the T1 domain proteins and then separated them on HPLC. Four evenly spaced bands co-migrate with the assembled protein peak; thus, the T1 domain assembles to form a tetramer. The absence of separate dimeric and trimeric peaks of assembled T1 domain protein suggests that the tetramer is the stable assembled state, most probably a closed ring structure.
The Inner 200pc: Hot Dense Gas

We present fully-sampled maps of 461GHz CO J = 4 3, 807GHz CO J = 7 6, and 492GHz [CI]3P1 3P0 emission from the inner 3 degrees of the Galactic Center region taken with the Antarctic Submillimeter Telescope and Remote Observatory (AST/RO) in 2001–2002. The data cover −1°.3 < < 2°, −0°.3 < b < 0°.2 with 0.5′ spacing, resulting in spectra in 3 transitions at over 24,000 positions on the sky. The CO J = 4 3 emission is found to be essentially coextensive with lower-J transitions of CO. The CO J = 7 6 emission is spatially confined to a far smaller region than the lower-J CO lines. The [CI] 3P1 3P0 emission has a spatial extent similar to the low-J CO emission, but is more diffuse. Bright CO J = 7 6 emission is detected in the well-known Galactic Center clouds SgrA and SgrB. Analyzing our CO J = 7 6 and CO J = 4 3 data in conjunction with J = 1 0 12CO and 13CO data previously observed with the Bell Laboratories 7-m antenna, we apply a Large Velocity Gradient (LVG) model to estimate the kinetic temperature and density of molecular gas in the inner 200 pc of the Galactic Center region. Typical pressures in the Galactic Center gas are n(H2) · Tkin ∼ 105.2 Kcm−3. We present an (, b) map of molecular hydrogen column density derived from our LVG results.
Immunocytochemical demonstration of β-lipotropin in mouse pituitary cells and neurons cultured in vitro

Abstract Specific antiserum directed against human β-lipotropin was used to demonstrate the presence of β-lipotropin immunoreactivity in dissociated cell cultures of mouse pituitary, hypothalamus, spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia. A large population of pituitary cells and hypothalamic neurons were positive for β-lipotropin immunoreactivity, while only 10–20% of the neurons from spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia were stained. The specificity of the β-lipotropin immunoreaction was confirmed by blocking the reaction by prior absorption of the antiserum with added β-lipotropin.
Kinetic equation for the one-particle distribution function of a classical gas: Derivation and comparison with the Boltzmann equation

Abstract The projection-operator technique, previously used to obtain the kinetic equation (generalized master equation) for the probability density in phase space, is applied to the example of the classical gas with central-force interaction. The N-body kinetic equation is obtained, and from this the exact kinetic equation for the one-particle distribution function. With the assumptions of short-range interaction and low density an approximate equation is obtained. For the case of weak interaction precise agreement with the Boltzmann equation occurs. The exact kinetic equation is not restricted by these assumptions, but contains terms describing processes in dense gases involving three, four, or larger groups of particles.
Bronchodilatation and the Inspiratory Flow Volume Curve

The inspiratory flow volume curve is included in the spirometric tracing provided by most pulmonary function laboratories and is useful in assessing upper airway abnormalities. We analyzed the changes in peak inspiratory flow (PIF), forced inspiratory flow at 50% (FIF50), and forced inspiratory vital capacity (FIVC) that occur with bronchodilator challenge testing (3 puffs of a β-agonist by metered-dose inhaler without a spacer device) in 145 consecutive patients. Fifty-five patients responded to bronchodilators with either a 12% or 200-mL change in FEV 1 or FVC. All of these subjects produced forced expiratory maneuvers that fulfilled American Thoracic Society criteria or acceptability. The FIVC was the only inspiratory parameter that consistently showed a similar correlation to the bronchodilator responsiveness demonstrated by the FEV 1 or FVC. With the reduction in air trapping, a 12% or 200-mL change in the FIVC is additional confirmatory evidence of bronchodilator responsiveness.
Shared Desmosome Gene Findings in Early and Late Onset Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia/Cardiomyopathy

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy (ARVD/C) is an inherited form of cardiomyopathy with low penetrance and variable expressivity. Dominant mutations and rare polymorphisms in desmosome genes are frequently identified. We reasoned that individuals with earlier onset disease would have more frequent desmosome gene mutations and rare polymorphisms. Three groups were compared: Young with symptoms attributable to ARVD/C or a diagnosis of ARVD/C at age of 21 years or earlier, Middle with first symptoms or diagnosis age of 22–49 years, and Late with first symptoms or diagnosis at age of 50 or more years. deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequence analysis was performed on five cardiac desmosome genes, and the presence of mutations and rare missense polymorphisms was compared among the three groups. In the entire Young cohort, 20 (67%) had one or more cardiac desmosome gene mutations. The prevalence of cardiac desmosome gene mutations was similar in the Middle (48%) and Late (53%) cohorts (P = 0.23). Similar numbers of individuals in each cohort had more than one desmosome gene mutation, although the numbers are too small for statistical comparisons. The prevalence of certain rare missense DNA variants was not different among the cohorts (P = 0.71), yet these rare missense alleles were more prevalent in the overall study cohort of 112 ARVD/C participants compared to 100 race-matched controls (P = 0.027). The presence of these variants did not associate with the age of onset of ARVD/C or ventricular tachycardia. These findings highlight the complex interplay of environmental and genetic factors contributing to this condition.
The Role of Negative and Positive Feedback in the Second Language Acquisition of the Passé Composé and Imparfait

This study tests the effectiveness of written recasts versus models in the acquisition of the aspectual distinction between two past tenses in French, the passe compose and the imparfait with a pretest, repeated exposure, and posttest design. Participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions: R (recasting: implicit negative feedback), (modeling: pre-emptive positive evidence), and G (grammar: explicit positive evidence and negative feedback). The M and R groups read a different story with illustrations each week: (a) In the M condition, participants were shown a sentence corresponding to the illustration for 3 seconds, then were asked to answer a related question; (b) in the R condition, participants formed a sentence with given elements based on the illustration, then were exposed to the correct answer for 3 seconds; (c) the G group read traditional grammar lessons, took a short practice, and were presented with the answer key. Posttest results reveal that the R group performed significantly better than the G group but not the M group, partially supporting the hypothesis that recasting is the most effective form of feedback.
Epilepsy and mental retardation limited to females : an x-linked dominant disorder with male sparing

Several X-linked disorders affect females disproportionately or exclusively. These including focal dermal hypoplasia, oral-facial-digital syndrome type I (ref. 3) and epilepsy with bilateral periventricular heterotopias. X-linked dominant inheritance with male lethality is probably responsible for sex-limited expression of these disorders, as affected women have frequent spontaneous abortions and the sex ratio of their live offspring is often skewed. The same inheritance pattern has been proposed for Rett syndrome, Aicardi syndrome and microphthalmia with linear skin defects, but in these sporadic conditions, evidence of male lethality is lacking. We investigated an unusual family with epilepsy and mental retardation limited to females (EFMR, #121250 in ref. 9); this disorder is transmitted both by females and by completely unaffected carrier males. Assignment of the EFMR disease locus (EFMR) to the X chromosome indicates that selective involvement of females in X-linked disease may in some instances result from male sparing rather than male lethality.
Multiscale computation for bioartificial soft tissues with complex geometries

The mechanical function of soft collagenous tissues is inherently multiscale, with the tissue dimension being in the centimeter length scale and the underlying collagen network being in the micrometer length scale. This paper uses a volume averaging multiscale model to predict the collagen gel mechanics. The model is simulated using a multiscale component toolkit that is capable of dealing with any 3D geometries. Each scale in the multiscale model is treated as an independent component that exchanges the deformation and average stress information through a scale-linking operator. An arterial bifurcation was simulated using the multiscale model, and the results demonstrated that the mechanical response of the soft tissues is strongly sensitive to the network orientation and fiber-to-fiber interactions.
FLAT REACTION NORMS AND "FROZEN" PHENOTYPIC VARIATION IN CLONAL SNAILS (POTAMOPYRGUS ANTIPODARUM).

The Frozen Niche-Variation hypothesis (FNV) suggests that clones randomly sample and "freeze" the genotypes of their ancestral sexual populations. Hence, each clone expresses only a fraction of the total niche-use variation observed in the sexual population, which may lead to selection for ecological specialization and coexistence of clones. A generalized form of the FNV model suggests that the same is true for life-history (as well as other) traits that have important fitness consequences, but do not relate directly to niche use. We refer to the general form of the model as the Frozen Phenotypic Variation (FPV) model. A mixed population of sexual and parthenogenetic snails (Potamopyrgus antipodarum) in a New Zealand lake allowed us to examine the phenotypic variation expressed by coexisting clones in two benthic habitats, and to compare that variation to the sexual population. Three clones were found primarily in an aquatic macrophyte zone composed of Isoetes kirkii (1.5-3.0 m deep), and three additional clones were found in a deeper macrophyte zone composed of Elodea canadensis (4.0-6.0 m deep). These clones showed significant variation between habitats, which mirrored that observed in the sexual population. Specifically, clones and sexuals from the deeper habitat matured at a larger size and had larger broods. There was also significant among-clone variation within habitats; and as expected under the FPV model, the within-clone coefficients of variation for size at maturity were low in both habitats when compared to the sexual population. In addition, we found four clones that were common in both macrophyte zones. The reaction norms of these clones were flat across habitats, suggesting little phenotypic plasticity for morphology or life-history traits. Flat reaction norms, high among-clone variation, and low coefficients of variation (relative to the sexual population) are in accordance with the FPV model for the origin of clonal lineages. We also measured the prevalence of infection by trematode larvae to determine whether clones are inherently more or less infectable, or whether they are freezing phenotypic variation for resistance from the sexual population. We did this in the deep habitats of the lake where recycling of the parasite by the vertebrate host is unlikely, thereby reducing the complications raised by frequency-dependent responses of parasites to host genotypes. We found no indication that clones are either more or less infectable than the resident sexual population. Taken together, our results suggest that phenotypic variation for both life-history traits and resistance to parasites is frozen by clones from the local sexual population.
1H NMR studies of Cr(III)–imidazole complexes: can 1H NMR be used as a probe of Cr–guanine DNA adducts?

Abstract Chromate has firmly been established as a mutagen and carcinogen. In addition to potential oxidative damage to DNA resulting from the three one-electron reductions of chromate to Cr(III), the resulting Cr(III) can form DNA adducts. These adducts may also be important in the mutagenic and carcinogenic action of chromate. Cr(III) binds preferentially to guanine-rich DNA segments, and recent studies have indicated that the ion may be complexed to guanine and PO 2 groups from the DNA backbone. Better spectroscopic probes are needed to examine the binding of Cr(III) to guanine in DNA. The NMR spectra of Cr(III) complexes of guanine or related ligands such as imidazoles have not been reported previously, and paramagnetic 1 H NMR spectra could potentially provide a means for examining Cr–guanine interactions selectively. Unfortunately, using Cr(III)–imidazole complexes as models demonstrates that paramagnetic 1 H NMR has limited potential to probe for these interactions.
Global Labor: Algocratic Modes of Organization*

This study investigates a practice that allows workers based in India to work online on projects for corporations in the United States, representing a new mode of labor integration. In the absence ...
High D∗, fast, lead zirconate titanate pyroelectric detectors☆

Large area PZT detectors with D∗ (500 K, 1, 1,) = 7 × 108 cm Hz12/W and fast detectors with a response time of at least 5 nsec have been fabricated. The pyroelectric coefficient of 27 nCcm2 K and a materials figure of merit of 2.8 × 10−9 C cmJ have been measured for these devices.
Carbon incorporation in AlGaAs grown by CBE

Abstract The incorporation of carbon into unintentionally doped AlxGa1-xAs epilayers grown by chemical beam epitaxy (CBE) using arsine and various combinations of group III sources was investigated. Growth of unintentionally doped AlxGa1-xAs using triethylgallium (TEGa)+triisobutylaluminum (TIBAl) resulted in lower hole and carbon concentrations than those grown from TEGa+triethylaluminum (TEAl). The carbon concentration in AlGaAs epilayers increased with decreasing growth temperature below 560°C and increased with increasing growth temperature above 560°C. This “U-shaped” dependence of carbon concentration on growth temperature exhibited its minimum value at ∼ 560°C for both the TEGa+TEAl and TEGa+TIBAl systems. The alkyl-Al compounds are thought to be the controlling species for the carbon incorporation in the low temperature regime, while the AlCH3 formed through β-methyl elimination is responsible for the carbon incorporation in the high temperature regime. Based on this study, we are able to grow high quality AlGaAs epilayers with reduced carbon contamination by using TIBAl instead of TEAl at the growth temperature of 560°C with a V/III ratio of 20. AlGaAs/GaAs modulation-doped structures grown from TEGa+TIBAl show a two-dimensional electron gas mobility as high as 88,600 cm2/V·s at 77 K, which is a 40% improvement over that grown from TEGa+TEAl, with a sheet carrier concentration of 6x1011 cm-2 and a spacer layer thickness of 150 A.
Respiration and blood pressure variability : Mechanical and autonomic influences

The transfer function between broad-band respiratory activity and the heart rate (HR) response can be used to elucidate the frequency dependent phase and magnitude characteristics of the respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) 1 . To understand the complex links between respiratory activity and arterial blood pressure (ABP), the transfer functions between instantaneous lung volume (ILV), parameters of arterial pressure, and central venous pressure (CVP) were determined in healthy human volunteers during 6-minute periods in which the respiratory rate was voluntarily controlled in a predetermined but erratic fashion, or CVP was perturbed with a similar pattern. Pharmacologic autonomic blockade was used to dissect the direct mechanical links between respiration and ABP from the effects of RSA on ABP. The results suggest that with HR fluctuations eliminated, respiration affects ABP in proportion to the rate of change of ILV; however, when neural control of HR remains intact, the RSA plays an important role in the genesis of ABP fluctuations.
Characterization and developmental changes of Na+ currents of petrosal neurons with projections to the carotid body.

Carotid body chemoreceptors transduce a decrease in arterial oxygen tension into an increase in spiking activity on the sinus nerve, and this response increases with postnatal age over the first we...
Decimal/residue conversion by time-integrating correlation

Abstract A time integrating acousto-optic correlator for residue arithmetic processing is described with experimental confirmation included. This system offers superior input and output space bandwidth product to space integrating systems described previously.
Comparison of optimization techniques for sequence pattern discovery by maximum-likelihood

Among a set of observed relevant DNA sequences coming from a set of co-regulated genes, there exist some short, functional yet hidden sub-sequence patterns which recurrently appear across genomic sequences. The task of sequence pattern discovery, also known as motif discovery, is to uncover these unseen subsequences ab initio and then build a motif model for them. A plethora of motif algorithms has been designed to tackle this problem. This paper aims to compare a set of optimization techniques by consolidating them under the same maximum-likelihood (ML) framework. The framework unifies a suite of motif-finding algorithms by maximizing the same function, that enables a systematic comparison of different optimization schemes as well as provision of practical guidance on using these techniques. As a foundation, the ML framework is built for two categories of iterative optimization techniques (i.e. deterministic and stochastic) capable of exploring the sequence alignment space. The deterministic algorithms are to maximize the likelihood function by performing iteratively greedy local search. The stochastic algorithms are to iteratively draw motif location samples using Monte Carlo simulation and simultaneously keep track of solutions with local maximum-likelihoods. A total of five ML-based sequence pattern-finding algorithms are developed, evaluated and compared using simulated and real biological sequences. Results show that deterministic algorithms are more time-efficient than its stochastic counterparts, but their performance is not as good as the stochastic algorithms.
Generalized polya eggenberger family of distributions and its relation to lagrangian katz family

Janardan (1973) introduced the generalized Polya Eggenberger family of distributions (GPED) as a limiting distribution of the generalized Markov-Polya distribution (GMPD). Janardan and Rao (1982) gave a number of characterizing properties of the generalized Markov-Polya and generalized Polya Eggenberger distributions. Here, the GPED family characterized by four parameters, is formally defined and studied. The probability generating function, its moments, and certain recurrence relations with the moments are provided. The Lagrangian Katz family of distributions (Consul and Famoye (1996)) is shown to be a sub-class of the family of GPED (or GPED 1 ) as it is called in this paper). A generalized Polya Eggenberger distribution of the second kind (GPED 2 ) is also introduced and some of it's properties are given. Recurrence relations for the probabilities of GPED 1 and GPED 2 are given. A number of other structural and characteristic properties of the GPED 1 are provided, from which the properties of Lagrangia...
Composition and phenology of Chironomidae from the Nelson Environmental Study Area, University of Kansas

The Nelson Environmental Study Area (NESA) is maintained by the University of Kansas for experimental research in ecology. Since 1983, benthic and emergent aquatic macroinvertebrates have been collected as part of several research projects. In this paper, we present the taxonomic composition and emergence phenologies of Chironomidae collected at NESA. Emergence traps, artificial substrate samplers, light traps and hand-picked specimens from D-nets yielded a total of 123 species, 41 of which are new records for Kansas. Chironominae was the most species rich subfamily with 79 species, while Tanypodinae and Orthocladiinae were represented by 25 and 19 species, respectively. Emergence phenologies from small, replicated, experimental ponds were determined by quantitative sampling in 1988 and 1989. In both years, many taxa showed patterns of seasonal emergence, being restricted to one of the three seasons sampled, while 9 (1988) and 12 (1989) taxa emerged over most or all of the sampling periods.Cladotanytarsus spp. andPsectrocladius vernalis were the most abundant taxa in 1988 and 1989, respectively. Chironomid distribution patterns at NESA and their relevance to patterns across the state are discussed. Annotations are provided for selected taxa and new records for the state are indicated.
A More Scalable and Efficient Parallelization of the Adaptive Integral Method—Part II: BIOEM Application

The parallelization of the adaptive integral method proposed in Part I is used to solve 3-D scattering problems pertinent to bioelectromagnetic (BIOEM) analysis. Detailed numerical results are presented to quantify the computational complexity and parallel efficiency of the method on a petascale supercomputing cluster. Boundaries of acceptable parallelization regions of the method are identified in the N - P plane under realistic resource and efficiency constraints, where N and P denote the number of unknowns and processes, respectively. These regions are shown to be larger than those of an alternative parallelization method for benchmark BIOEM problems. The proposed method is also used to compute the power absorbed by an anatomical human body model to demonstrate its potential for solving complex BIOEM problems. The computations are performed for increasingly higher resolutions of the model and the power absorbed by the entire model and specific tissues in it are compared to safety standards. The highest resolution body model leads to an extreme problem with about 1.2 billion unknowns; the absolute parallel efficiency of the power-absorption simulation with this model is shown to be approximately 78% for matrix fill operations, 66% for memory requirement, and 30% for iterative solution on 8192 processes.