cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Early cognitive components of somatosensory event-related potentials.

Abstract Somatosensory event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded during a selective attention task involving electrical stimuli delivered to index fingers or the left and right median nerves at the wrist. In 11 healthy, young subjects, ERPs were recorded from 6 scalp locations while they mentally counted the electrical stimuli designated as target. Sequential ERP events measured included N20 (negativity at 20 ms), P30, P45, N60, P100, N140, P180, and P400. Analysis of amplitude data indicated modifications of both early and late ERP events with selective attention. While electrical stimulation at the wrist yielded early ERP amplitudes that were larger overall and latencies that were generally shorter, the selection attention effects did not differ on the basis of site of stimulation. The early ERP selective attention effects had differing scalp topography, with the P30/P45 effect maximal over postcentral gyrus and N60 effect maximal over prerolandic gyrus. The data further elucidate the temporal features and spatial distribution of somatosensory ERP processes involved in attentional activity.
Can a Lightbulb Sestamibi SPECT Accurately Predict Single-Gland Disease in Sporadic Primary Hyperparathyroidism?

Technetium-99m sestamibi scintigraphy with single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is widely used to guide minimally invasive exploration in patients with sporadic primary hyperparathyroidism (SPH), although its sensitivity in multiglandular disease is limited. We examined the incidence of missed multiglandular disease and associated anatomic findings when sestamibi SPECT was positive for a single intense focus of delayed tracer uptake, termed a lightbulb scan (LBS). Prospectively entered data from 764 patients with SPH treated with initial parathyroid exploration from March 5, 2000, to December 31, 2006, were reviewed. A single radiologist performed blinded interpretation of 585 available sestamibi SPECT images, classifying 167 (28.5%) patients with a LBS. Clinical findings were compared among LBS patients with a single adenoma (true positive) and LBS patients with multiglandular disease (false negative). One hundred fifty of 167 (89.8%) LBS patients had a single adenoma and 3 (1.8%) had carcinoma. Multiglandular disease was anatomically present in 14 of 167 (8.4%) LBS patients compared with 60 of 418 (15.6%) non-LBS patients (p = 0.05). Parathyroid hyperplasia occurred less frequently in LBS patients [5/167 (3%)] compared with non-LBS patients [36/418 (8.6%)], (p = 0.02), while double adenomas occurred equally often in LBS patients [9/167 (5.4%)] compared with non-LBS patients [24/418 (5.7%)], (p = 0.87). Double adenomas in LBS patients were more likely ipsilateral (7/9, p = 0.005) and left-sided (7/7, p = 0.008). LBS patients with multiglandular disease were more likely to have a history of neck irradiation, prior neck exploration, and concomitant thyroid pathology. In patients with SPH, sestamibi SPECT studies show a single bright focus of uptake in only 29% of patients. LBS findings do not exclude multiglandular disease. To avoid unacceptable rates of failure at initial parathyroid exploration, the expert surgeon should use validated adjuncts such as intraoperative PTH monitoring or four-gland exploration.
Risk communication and sustainability science: lessons from the field

Sustainability science aims to help societies across the globe address the increased environmental and health crises and risks that range from poverty to climate change to health pandemics. With the increased magnitude and frequency of these large-scale risks to different societies, scientists and institutions have increasingly recognized the need for improved communication and collaboration among researchers, governments, businesses, and communities. This article argues that risk communication has fundamentally important contributions to make to sustainability science’s mission to create use-inspired, “actionable science” that can lead to solutions. Risk communication research can advance the mission of sustainability science to engage a wide range of stakeholders. This kind of engagement is especially important in the context of addressing sustainability problems that are characterized by high levels of uncertainty and complexity. We introduce three core tenets of risk communication research that are fundamental to advancing sustainability science. Risk communication specifically offers an increased understanding of how system feedbacks, human perceptions, and levels of uncertainty influence the study and design of solutions within social ecological systems.
Peristalsis in the junction region of the Drosophila larval midgut is modulated by DH31 expressing enteroendocrine cells

The underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms that coordinate the physiological processes in digestion are complex, cryptic, and involve the integration of multiple cellular and organ systems. In all intestines, peristaltic action of the gut moves food through the various stages of digestion from the anterior end towards the posterior, with the rate of flow dependent on signals, both intrinsic and extrinsic to the gut itself. We have identified an enteroendocrine cell type that regulates gut motility in the Drosophila melanogaster larval midgut. These cells are located at the junction of the anterior and the acidic portions of the midgut and are a group of enteroendocrine cells that express the peptide hormone Diuretic Hormone 31 in this region of the gut. Using cell ablation and ectopic activation via expression of the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii blue light-activated channelopsin, we demonstrate that these enteroendocrine cells are both necessary and sufficient for the peristalsis in the junction region of the midgut and require the Diuretic Hormone 31 to affect normal peristalsis in this region. Within the same junction region of the midgut, we have also identified morphological features suggesting that this region acts as a valve that regulates the transit of food from the anterior midgut into the acidic portion of the gut. We have characterized and described a set of enteroendocrine cells called the Midgut Junction DH31 expressing cells that are required for peristaltic movement in the junction region between the anterior portion and acidic region of the larval midgut of Drosophila melanogaster. We have shown that the Midgut Junction DH31 expressing cells are necessary and sufficient for motility and that the peptide hormone DH31 is required for peristalsis in the junction region of the midgut. The Drosophila model system will allow for a further dissection of the digestion process and provide a better understanding of the mechanisms that regulate digestion in all organisms.
What is the role of the general practitioner towards the family caregiver of a community-dwelling demented relative?: A systematic literature review

Objective. To identify the attitudes and perspectives of the family physician towards the caregivers of demented relatives and to describe the caregivers’ satisfaction. Design. Systematic review. Subjects. The studied population consisted of dementia family and their general practitioners. Main outcome measures. Outcome measures were the generic tasks and skills of the general practitioner to improve home care from the perspective of the family caregiver. Caregivers were assessed on satisfaction regarding the care provided by their general practitioner. Results. The general practitioner is aware of his/her skills and limits in all aspects of dementia care and his/her role towards the family caregiver. They also acknowledged the importance of an adequate diagnostic process, but they felt uncomfortable disclosing the diagnosis to both the patient and the caregiver. They reported having more confidence in treatment matters than in diagnostic stages. Caregivers’ reports on the attitude of their general practi...
Thermal shock resistance of core reinforced all-ceramic crown systems

The coefficient of thermal expansion of core and veneer porcelains for all ceramic crowns must be compatible to prevent formation of stresses during the firing cycles. The purpose of this study was to use a thermal shock test to evaluate the crazing resistance of six all-ceramic crown systems. The systems tested were: Vita In-Ceram, Vita Hi-Ceram, Dicor veneered with Vitadur N, magnesia core veneered with Ceramco II, magnesia core veneered with Silhouette, and magnesia core veneered with Vita VMK 68. A maxillary central incisor was prepared with 1.0 mm axial and 1.5 mm incisal reduction. Refractory dies were prepared and crowns were fabricated using the manufacturers' recommendations. Six specimens of each system were placed inside a beaker in a furnace at 90 degrees C. After 15 min heat soak, ice water was poured into the beaker through a funnel. The samples were dried in air, reheated, and inspected for crazing using light microscopy. If crazing was observed, this would constitute a failure at a temperature difference (delta T) of 90 degrees C. If no failure occurred, the test was repeated at increasing temperature increments of 10 degrees C until failure. The crazing resistance of each system, expressed as the mean delta T, was: > 200 (Hi-Ceram), 163 +/- 14 (In-Ceram), 152 +/- 19 (Dicor/Vitadur N), 143 +/- 5 (magnesia core/Vita VMK 68), 122 +/- 21 (magnesia core/Silhouette), and 118 +/- 10 (magnesia core/Ceramco II) degrees C. All systems tested resisted crazing due to quenching in ice cold water from 100 degrees C. Systems with lower coefficients of expansion showed significantly greater resistance to thermal shock using ANOVA.
Graphene Valley Filter Using a Line Defect

With its two degenerate valleys at the Fermi level, the band structure of graphene provides the opportunity to develop unconventional electronic applications. Herein, we show that electron and hole quasiparticles in graphene can be filtered according to which valley they occupy without the need to introduce confinement. The proposed valley filter is based on scattering off a recently observed line defect in graphene. Quantum transport calculations show that the line defect is semitransparent and that quasiparticles arriving at the line defect with a high angle of incidence are transmitted with a valley polarization near 100%.
Hepatitis C Assays: The Pitfalls of Polymerase Chain Reaction and Genotyping

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) continues to represent a worldwide threat to the lives of millions of people chronically infected with the virus. Accurately identifying the virus in terms of genetic characteristics, as well as quantifying its replicative equilibrium both during steady state and in the presence of antiviral therapy, is critically important for providing optimal care and prognoses. Genotype testing continues to evolve; however, it is important to recognize its limitations, particularly as we enter the world of direct-acting antivirals, in which the precise subtyping of HCV may play an even more important role in guiding therapy. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has revolutionized the management of chronic viral illnesses, and the advent of real-time PCR has broadened the awareness of the hepatology community to the tenacity of HCV in the face of potent antiviral therapy. With new technology, however, comes the responsibility of learning how to harness the techniques and to avoid common pitfalls of improper use or interpretation.
An Update on Vitrectomy Surgery and Retinal Detachment Repair in Sickle Cell Disease

• Eighteen patients (19 eyes) with sickling hemoglobinopathies underwent vitrectomy or scleral buckling operations. The indications for surgery were tractional or rhegmatogenous retinal detachment or vitreous hemorrhage. The retina was reattached in all four patients with rhegmatogenous detachments requiring scleral buckling surgery but no vitrectomy. All had excellent visual acuity postoperatively. Four of the five patients with vitreous hemorrhage requiring vitrectomy without buckling had substantial improvement in visual acuity. In ten patients with vitreous hemorrhage with either preexisting or iatrogenic retinal breaks, rhegmatogenous detachment, or tractional detachment, the rate of improvement in visual acuity was only 50%. Problems associated with vitreous or retinal surgery in patients with sickling hemoglobinopathies include iatrogenic retinal breaks, intraocular bleeding and secondary glaucoma, anterior segment ischemia, and systemic sickling.
An analysis of Dendy's piecewise polynomial Petrov-Galerkin method for a hyperbolic equation with stagnation points

Abstract A method of Dendy was shown by him, in the absence of stagnation points, to give optimal order error for a large class of piecewise polynomial trial spaces. This result is extended to the situation when stagnation points may be present. The analysis contains a result of interest in connection with numerical solution of singular two-point boundary value problems.
Image oscillation reduction and convergence acceleration for OS-EM reconstruction [PET imaging]

Investigates the use of two approaches to reduce the image oscillation of OS-EM (ordered subset expectation maximization) reconstruction that is due to the inconsistencies among different partial subsets of the projection measurements (the sinogram) when considering as a group. One approach pre-processes the sinogram to make it satisfy a sinogram consistency condition. The second approach takes the average of the intermediary images (i.e. it smoothes image values over sub-iterations). Both approaches were found to be capable of reducing the image oscillation, and a combination of both was most effective. With these approaches, the convergence of OS-EM reconstruction is further improved. For computer-simulated data and real PET data, a single iteration of this new OS-EM reconstruction was shown to yield images comparable to those with 80 EM iterations.
A regional look at acid rain

New, detailed atmospheric computer models are beginning to reveal regional information about acid deposition in eastern North America and elsewhere, allowing scientists to look for the first time at the origin, transport, and deposition of acid rain and its dry equivalents on both a global and local scale. Interpretations of the simulations are expected to play a central role in future national policies on the human causes of the destructive fall-out. One new model developed by Hiram Levy II and Walter Moxim at the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory in Princeton, N J., yields results indicating that over the course of a year, nitrogen-based compounds, which make up one half of the acid material that falls from the sky, are deposited for the most part near the industrialized population centers where they originate, particularly in the northeast United States (see figure). Another model, even more detailed and complex, is being developed for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to predict over shorter periods of time the transport and deposition of a variety of chemicals that cause acid precipitation.
PERINATAL FACTORS LEADING TO LEFT VENTRICULAR DYSFUNCTION IN THE NEONATE

Severe perinatal asphyxia is associated with myocardial dysfunction in the neonate, however, the contributory roles of hypoglycemia and hypocalcemia is less clear. Serum glucose, total and ionized Ca++ and pH were measured at 0,1,4,24 and 48 hours in 10 term asphyxiated infants (BW=3381±772g, GA=40±1.5 wks). M-mode echocardiograms and serum total creatine phosphokinase (CPK) and CPK isoenzymes were measured during the first 8,24, and 48 hours of life. All neonates had fetal distress as evidenced by severe variable or late decelerations in their fetal heart rate tracing. Eight infants required emergency C-section. One minute Apgar scores in all infants were ≤3. Significant left ventricular (LV) dysfunction was diagnosed in the presence of abnormalities in at least 2 of the following 3 echocardiographic findings: left atrial/aortic ratio >1.3, LV pre-ejection period/LV ejection time ratio >0.42 and the LV shortening fraction < 0.28. Four neonates had evidence of LV dysfunction. The MB fraction of CPK isoenzymes was elevated to a greater extent in these 4 infants. Three of the 4 infants with and only one of the 6 without LV dysfunction had hypoglycemia. Serum ionized Ca++ remained normal in all 10 infants. Conclusion: 1) Hypoglycemia significantly contributes to asphyxial myocardial dysfunction; 2) Hypocalcemia is not a significant contributing factor; 3) Serial measurement of M-mode and MB fraction of CPK isoenzymes identifies asphyxiated neonates with significant myocardial dysfunction.
Effect of organic and mineral fertilizers on some soil properties 1

Abstract NPK was applied to a Haynie, very fine, sandy loam as 89.6 MT/ha (40 T/ac) of OF (organic fertilizer as feedlot manure at 45% water content) and as MF (mineral fertilizer) with nutrients equivalent to the manure during 18 months. Organic fertilizer increased soil organic matter content 0.25% more than the MF and 0.2% more than the control. Organic fertilizer increased the CEC 0.3 m.e./100 g more than the MF and 0.4 m.e./100 g more than the control. Organic fertilizer increased exch. Mg by 32 kg/ha while MF decreased exch. Mg slightly.
Compartmental models for human iodine metabolism

Abstract Compartmental models for the various aspects of human iodine metabolism are reviewed, emphasizing the role of Mones Berman in the development of this field. The review first presents published submodels for the peripheral distribution of inorganic iodine, for the thyroidal iodide trapping function, and for the peripheral distribution and metabolism of the thyroid hormones. Approaches to improving understanding of the physiology of the thyroid gland itself through compartmental modeling techniques are then discussed in more detail. The three submodels described above are incorporated into overall models of thyroid iodine metabolism after being simplified to various degrees. Previously published models for thyroid-gland radioiodine metabolism, as well as current work in progress, are illustrated by attempting to fit the models to data from a single (previously unpublished) detailed prolonged 125 I feeding experiment in a normal human subject. Published thyroid gland models reviewed include: (1) the usual presentation, where the thyroid is a single homogeneous iodine compartment; (2) the model of DeGroot and colleagues, where thyroidal iodine is presented as MIT, DIT, T3, and T4, each with an active and linked storage compartment; (3) the thyroid model developed by Berman and colleagues, with less chemical subcategorization but incorporating a delay compartment, in which a fraction of the iodinated material in the thyroid is partially or completely inaccessible to secretion during the delay; and the later updating of Berman's model to include a thyroidal iodide recirculation pool. The experimental data presented fits most of these models for the first 1–2 weeks, but the fit could not be extended to longer data collection times. To overcome this shortcoming, a new thyroid gland model is introduced. It is based on the latest Berman model but describes thyroglobulin metabolism as incorporating multiple delay compartments of various time periods. The overall fit of the long term data is better with this model construct than with any of the published models. It appears that a complex thyroidal substructure, such as that of the multidelay model under development, will be required to account for overall thyroid iodine metabolism as isotopic equilibrium in man is approached.
ANTIBODY FORMATION III. THE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY ANTIBODY RESPONSE TO BACTERIOPHAGE øX 174 IN GUINEA PIGS

Injection of a small bacteriophage phiX 174 into guinea pigs results in an accelerated elimination of phage detectable as early as 24 hours after injection. The immune nature of the accelerated elimination is indicated by its specificity, by the appearance of excess specific serum antibody after phage elimination, and by the prevention of accelerated elimination by 400 r whole body x-irradiation of guinea pigs prior to injection of phage. The early antibody response is considered to be a primary one since an analogous response occurs in newborn guinea pigs, antibody is not detectable in the sera of non-immunized animals, and the second challenge with phiX stimulates a serum antibody response 100-fold greater than that after primary immunization. The early detection of immune elimination appears to be due, in part, to the small amounts of phage employed, since larger doses of phage delay the time of onset of detectable immune elimination. The early rise of serum antibody in the primary and secondary response appears exponential with a similar rate constant of antibody formation. The rate constant is also independent of dose. These findings have led to the suggestion that during this exponential phase, the relative rate of antibody formation at a cellular level may be constant for a given antigen.
Circulating calcium modulates adrenaline induced cyclic adenosine monophosphate production

Inotropic support of the failing myocardium may combine calcium with adrenaline in an attempt to augment the haemodynamic actions of each drug. We have previously shown, however, that calcium blunts adrenaline induced increases in blood pressure and cardiac output in animals and man. The mechanisms by which calcium may interfere with the haemodynamic actions of adrenaline are not well understood. Adrenaline is known to stimulate adenylate cyclase and increase levels of cellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), a crucial second messenger in cell regulation. We evaluated the effect of increased circulating calcium levels on adrenaline stimulated cAMP production in laboratory animals. Calcium infusion in rats nearly doubled the circulating ionised calcium concentration, from 1.27 (SEM 0.03) mM to 2.3(0.18) mM. Adrenaline infusion significantly increased plasma cAMP in saline infused control animals, from 26(6) pmol·ml−1 to 98(22) pmol·ml−1, whereas there was no increase in cAMP plasma levels in the calcium infused rats. The apparent inhibition of adenylate cyclase by calcium may participate in a negative feedback system which helps protect cells from harmful intracellular calcium overload.
Genetic and developmental modulation of cardiac deficits in prenatal alcohol exposure.

Background: Increasing evidence demonstrates that genetic background is an important modulator of alcohol's effects on the developing fetus. Such effects are separable from maternal ethanol metabolism. Here, we study ethanol's effects on cardiogenesis in an avian model that shows strong cell death within neuronal and neural crest precursors following ethanol exposure. Methods: The study design tested the hypothesis that ethanol-induced losses of cardiac neural crest populations would disrupt outflow tract development and thus contribute to the valvuloseptal deficits observed in prenatal alcohol exposure. Three chick strains were exposed to alcohol at gestational windows between gastrulation and early heart septation (day 3 incubation), and then hearts were examined at the completion of morphogenesis (day 10 incubation). Results: Ethanol's impact on cardiac development was influenced by fetal genetics. The B300 X Hampshire Red cross exhibited pronounced cell death within cardiac neural crest populations but had normal development of the heart and aortic arches. Neural crest migration and differentiation into the distal outflow tract were also normal in these embryos, which suggested a capacity to repair earlier losses. The DeKalb White X Hampshire Red cross also did not exhibit cardiac defects. Hearts of the B300 strain had a unique phenotype with respect to ethanol exposure and exhibited a thin ventricular compact layer, dilatation, and reduced myosin/deoxyribonucleic acid and myosin/protein content, a phenotype that indicates disrupted myocardial maturation and inductive cues. The deficit was only observed when ethanol exposure occurred at stages 15 or 18 and apparently was independent of neural crest cell death. Such ventricular thinning might go undetected in the absence of extensive screening. Conclusions: Results add to the increasing evidence that genetic background strongly modulates the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure. The results also suggest that embryos have a varying capacity to repair and recover from earlier neural crest losses.
KNOWLEDGE-BASED SELF-ADAPTATION IN EVOLUTIONARY SEARCH

Self-adaptation has been frequently employed in evolutionary computation. Angeline1 defined three distinct adaptive levels which are: population, individual and component levels. Cultural Algorithms have been shown to provide a framework in which to model self-adaptation at each of these levels. Here, we examine the role that different forms of knowledge can play in the self-adaptation process at the population level for evolution-based function optimizers. In particular, we compare the relative performance of normative and situational knowledge in guiding the search process. An acceptance function using a fuzzy inference engine is employed to select acceptable individuals for forming the generalized knowledge in the belief space. Evolutionary programming is used to implement the population space. The results suggest that the use of a cultural framework can produce substantial performance improvements in execution time and accuracy for a given set of function minimization problems over population-only evolutionary systems.
Distinct and overlapping roles of single-repeat MYB genes in root epidermal patterning

Cell specification in the root epidermis of Arabidopsis generates a position-dependent pattern of root-hair cells and non-hair cells. Here we conduct a comprehensive analysis of the five members of a single-repeat R3 MYB gene family, including CAPRICE (CPC), TRIPTYCHON (TRY), ENHANCER of TRY and CPC 1, 2, and 3 (ETC1, ETC2, and ETC3), and study their role and functional relationship in root epidermal cell specification. Based on genetic and expression analyses, CPC, TRY and ETC1, but not ETC2 or ETC3, promote the hair cell fate by inhibiting non-hair specification. Further, we find that single-repeat MYB activity is required for epidermal patterning throughout root development, beginning during embryogenesis. We also identify a novel regulatory interaction whereby GLABRA2 (GL2) promotes TRY (but not CPC or ETC1) expression in the root epidermis, which generates a second lateral inhibition feedback loop. Gene fusion experiments combining CPC regulatory elements with protein-coding regions of each single-repeat MYB gene suggest that all five proteins are functionally similar, although TRY and ETC2 exhibit distinctions from CPC/ETC1/ETC3. These results provide new insight into the function of these single-repeat MYBs and suggest that divergence of their regulatory sequences is largely responsible for their distinct roles in epidermal cell patterning.
Estimation of Multiphase Flow Functions From Displacement Experiments

A method to obtain accurate estimates of relative permeability functions from low flood rate dynamic displacement data is presented. The simultaneous estimation of the capillary pressure function from this data is also discussed. These functions are estimated using a regression-based approach by parameter estimation with a numerical coreflood simulator. Pressure drop and production data are matched with the coreflood simulator. This estimation problem is solved through minimization of the appropriate weighted least-square objective function. Careful consideration is given to the functional representation of the relative permeability and capillary pressure functions so that the most accurate estimates of those properties can be obtained.
A Survey of Medication Treatment for Hyperactive/Inattentive Students

Since 1971, the Baltimore County Health Department has conducted nine biannual surveys of school nurses in all of the county's public and private schools to determine the prevalence of medication treatment for hyperactivity/inattentiveness among students. The results reveal a consistent doubling of the rate of medication treatment for hyperactive/inattentive students every four to seven years such that in 1987,5.96% of all public elementary school students were receiving such treatment. Related trends from 1971 to 1987 have been that stimulants increased from 76% to 99% of the medication prescribed; methylphenidate hydrochloride rose from 40% to 93% of the total; the male-female ratio dropped from an average of 8:1 to 5:1; the rate of medication treatment for hyperactive/inattentive students rose faster in secondary than in elementary schools; and 25% of students receiving stimulant medication in 1987 were in special education classes or schools. ( JAMA 1988;260:2256-2258)
Dimensions and Correlates of Negative Attitudes Toward Female Survivors of Sexual Violence in Eastern DRC

The aim of the study described in this article is to examine the dimensions and correlates of attitudes toward survivors of sexual violence (SV) in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Four dimensions of attitudes were identified: victim responsibility, victim denigration, victim credibility, and deservingness. Gender roles attitudes represented the most significant correlate of attitudes toward survivors in this population. Other significant correlates of overall attitudes toward survivors included current employment, province of residence, knowledge about the SV law, awareness about where to go for information on sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), and the perceived prevalence of SV in own community. There are differences and communalities in the variables associated with the various dimensions of attitudes. For example, sex of the respondent and discussion of SGBV with others were only significantly associated with the tendency to ascribe responsibility to the victim. The findings indic...
Language development in Down syndrome: From the prelinguistic period to the acquisition of literacy

Down syndrome (DS) is associated with abnormalities in multiple organ systems and a characteristic phenotype that includes numerous behavioral features. Language, however, is among the most impaired domains of functioning in DS and, perhaps, also the greatest barrier to independent meaningful inclusion in the community. In this article, we review what is known about the extent, nature, and correlates of the language and related problems of individuals with Down syndrome. In doing so, we focus largely on the syndrome-specific features of the language phenotype, although we also consider within-syndrome variation. The review focuses on the prelinguistic foundations of language and the major components of language (i.e., vocabulary, syntax, and pragmatics). We also consider two topics in the treatment and education of individuals with DS: prelinguistic communication intervention and the acquisition of literacy skills.
Linking Globalization, Economic Growth and Poverty: Impacts of Agribusiness Strategies on Sub-Saharan Africa: Discussion

In light of current protests against globalization, thoughtful research of the potential benefits and costs of globalization to emerging economies is an important area of research. Weatherspoon, Cacho, and Christy presented several market devices to aid the emerging economies of sub-Saharan Africa. Understanding the devices in the context of sub-Saharan Africa is a rich opportunity for theoretical and empirical research that may benefit the people and emerging economies of sub-Saharan Africa and the profits of firms. I applaud the authors for their marketoriented view of development.
Differential growth rates in stromal cultures of human prostate derived from patients of varying ages

BACKGROUND This study was undertaken to attempt to characterize changes in in vitro growth rates and cellular phenotypes of human prostatic stroma associated with aging and/or development of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). METHODS Prostate stromal cell strains were established from 12 tissue donors of varying age. Culture growth rate was determined by cell counts over a 6-day period. Cell phenotype was assessed by immunocytochemical staining for smooth muscle α-actin, smooth muscle myosin, and prolyl-4-hydroxylase. RESULTS Growth rates of prostate stromal strains in vitro varied. Stromal cells derived from aged males with BPH had significantly slower growth rates than cells from younger donors. A positive reaction for prolyl-4-hydroxylase, a mesenchymal cell marker, was present in all cell cultures regardless of donor age. Expression of smooth muscle-specific actin, a nonspecific smooth muscle cell marker, was present in 48–79% of prostate stromal cultures. Staining for smooth muscle myosin, a specific smooth muscle cell marker, was found to vary significantly with age. The percentage of smooth muscle myosin-positive cells derived from males aged 15, 45, 57, and 72 years were 0.70 + 0.14%, 2.12 + 0.30%, 4.20 + 0.89%, and 26.25 + 1.0%, respectively. The shape and size of actin- and/or myosin-positive stromal cells from a 72-year-old donor culture were also usually larger and polygonal in shape as compared to thin and elongated shapes in 15-year-old donor cultures. The shape of actin- and/or myosin-positive cells from a 45-year-old donor culture demonstrated both phenotypes. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that in human prostate stromal cells cultured as described, the growth rate decreases, the percent of smooth muscle cells increases, and the cellular shape changes with increasing donor age and or/development of BPH. Prostate 38:110–117, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Prostaglandin F2α in the uterus of ewes during early pregnancy

Abstract PGF2α has been postulated to be the uterine luteolytic factor. If this is true, then one might expect the levels of PGF2α to be lower during early pregnancy. However, in the present study levels of PGF2α were found to be significantly higher in both content (ng) and concentration (ng/gm) in the endometrium of day-13 pregnant ewes (2375, 152 respectively) compared to day-13 nonpregnant animals (1478, 89 respectively). These results imply that the luteotropic effects of the embryo must occur by some mechanism other than inhibition of production or release of the uterine luteolytic factor.
Protein studies of human non-Hodgkin's B-lymphoma: Appraisal by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis

We have utilized two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2-D PAGE) coupled with silver stain to identify cellular proteins in human non-Hodgkin's B-lymphoma (NHL). Five cell lines (SKDHL2B, WSU-DLCL2, WSU-NHL, WSU-FSCCL and SKLN1), representing four different NHL maturational stages and a normal Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-transformed line of B-cell origin (SKLN1) were studied. The NHL lines were immunophenotyped using flow cytometry with lineage associated monoclonal antibodies. Whole cell lysates of the cell lines were subjected to 2-D PAGE analyses. The gels were analyzed with an image scanning computer and the qualitative differences of protein patterns were studied. Results revealed great similarities in patterns of the NHL lines. A master map containing common NHL-protein spots was constructed. When the map of each tumor line was compared to the master map, several protein spots were associated with each NHL-grade. Search for these proteins in the normal EBV-transformed B-cell line showed that only one of the proteins (S3; M(r)/pI 19/5.9) was present. Proteins that were detected in malignant NHL, but not in the normal EBV-line, could provide important information regarding the human NHL B-lymphocyte data-bases. Whether or not these proteins are definite malignant markers to distinguish between different NHL maturational stages needs further exploration through electroblotting and microsequencing.
AORTIC CONTRAST ECHOCARDIOGRAM AND LA/AO RATIO IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF PATENT DUCTUS ARTERIOSUS

AORTIC CONTRAST ECHOCARDIOGRAM AND LA/AO RATIO IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF PATENT DUCTUS ARTERIOSUS
Skew products of Bernoulli shifts with rotations. II

IfT is a weakly mixing skew product transformation defined byT(x, y)=σx, y+f(x) (mod 1)), where σ is a Bernoulli shift andf is a function satisfying a Holder type condition and measurable with respect to the past of an independent partition of σ, thenT is Bernoulli.
The hydrolysis of xylan and xylooligosaccharides by ruminal enzymes

Abstract Xylan is hydrolyzed to a mixture of xylooligosaccharides by enzymes in the rumen of the bovine. A random hydrolysis of the xylosidic bonds of xylan, xylotetraose, xylotriose, and xylobiose is effected. Several bacterial cultures obtained from the rumen contents were shown to produce xylan-hydrolyzing enzymes.
Intravascular ultrasound evaluation of the effect of rotational atherectomy in obstructive atherosclerotic coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUNDHigh-speed rotational atherectomy uses a diamond-coated, elliptical burr to abrade occlusive atherosclerosis, especially noncompliant calcified plaque.METHODS AND RESULTSIntravascular ultrasound (IVUS) was used to analyze 28 patients after atherectomy. Arteries treated and imaged were left main (three), left anterior descending (12), left circumflex (five), right coronary (seven), and saphenous vein graft (one). Twenty patients had adjunct balloon angioplasty. Twenty-two (79%) target lesions were calcified; the intimal arc of calcium was 160 +/- 126 degrees (range, 0-360 degrees). After atherectomy, the intima-lumen interface was unusually distinct and circular. The lumen was larger than the largest burr used for both stand-alone (1.19 +/- 0.19-fold the largest burr size) and adjunct balloon procedures (1.30 +/- 0.15-fold the largest burr). Three-dimensional reconstruction of the ultrasound images showed a smooth lumen, especially in calcified plaque. Deviations from cylindrical geometry occurre...
β-Glucanase expression by Ruminococcus flavefaciens FD-1

Ruminococcus flavefaciens has been hypothesized to produce cellulase constitutively. We have studied the effect of carbon source, either cellobiose or cellulose, on the production of cellulase in batch cultures of R. flavefaciens FD-1. Total CMCase and 14C-cellulase activity was approximately 2-fold higher in cellobiose grown cells than in cellulose grown cells, whereas p-nitrophenyl-β-d-cellobiosidase (PNPCase) activity was not affected by culture conditions. The addition of cellulose to cells growing on cellobiose did not alter the amount or rate of PNPCase and 14C-cellulase production. Northern blot analysis of mRNAs produced by R. flavefaciens FD-1 grown using either cellobiose or cellulose as the substrate indicated that two of the four β-glucanase genes cloned from R. flavefaciens FD-1 were only expressed in cells grown with cellulose as the substrate. Although the adherence of cells and cellulase enzyme to native cellulose can complicate interpretations of these data, the results indicate that cellulase synthesis by R. flavefaciens is differentially regulated by carbon source.
Organic Sonochemistry, ultrasonic acceleration of the reduction of simple and deactivated aryl halides using lithium aluminum hydride

Abstract Eleven aromatic halides are reduced in very high yields in the presence of LiAlH4 and sonic waves at 35°.
Congenital Insufficiency of the Pulmonary Valve

Congenital insufficiency of the pulmonary valve may result if the valvular cusps develop faultily or fail to develop. It is commonly associated with ventricular septal defect, with or without pulmonary stenosis. Under these conditions a continuous precordial murmur may be present. Less commonly, congenital pulmonary valvular insufficiency may appear as an isolated cardiac malformation.
Exit times of N-dimensional random walks

We study the exit time T of a sum of independent, identically distributed random vectors, X1, X2, ..., from a subset R of N dimensional Euclidean space when N≧2. We assume that R is invariant under positive dilations and that the boundary of R satisfies certain regularity conditions. The random vector X1 is to have mean zero and a nonsingular covariance matrix. We show that there is a critical exponent, e, independent of X1, X2, ..., such that 0 e implies ETp/2=∞.
A feed-forward neural architecture for estimating the fuzziness in non-sparse data sets

This paper introduces a neural architecture capable of estimating the fuzzy membership functions of nonsparse or overlapping classes of a data set. This architecture consists of m second-order feedforward neural networks, one for each of the m classes in the data set. The response of the ith second-order feed-forward network for any input feature vector gives the membership value of this feature vector to the ith class. The weight matrices of these second-order feed-forward networks are provided by m single-layered feed-forward neural networks. The inputs of these networks are formed by the feature vectors belonging to different classes and their weights are updated using generalized Hebbian learning rules. This architecture can also be used as a feed-forward neural classifier for nonsparse data sets. The IRIS data set and an artificial data set are used to test the performance of the proposed architecture. Experimental results show that the training process can be completed in real time. >
Cephalosporin Substrate Specificity Determinants of TEM-1 β-Lactamase

β-lactamase is a bacterial enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of β-lactam antibiotics such as penicillins and cephalosporins. TEM-1 β-lactamase is a prevalent β-lactamase found in Gram-negative bacteria and is capable of hydrolyzing both penicillins and cephalosporins, except for the extended-spectrum cephalosporins. To identify the sequence determinants in the active site for a given antibiotic substrate, random libraries were constructed that each contain all possible amino acid combinations for the designated region of TEM-1 β-lactamase. To establish the determinants of substrate specificity for cephalosporinsversus those for penicillins, these active site libraries have been screened for mutants with high levels of activity for the second generation cephalosporin cephaloridine. Based on the sequence results, substitutions of W165S, A237T, and E240C were identified as cephalosporin-specific. Kinetic analysis of these mutants was done to determine whether each is capable of distinguishing between the two classes of antibiotics. Both the A237T and E240C substitutions, alone or in combination, exhibited increased cephalosporinase activity and decreased penicillinase activity relative to the wild-type enzyme. A sequence comparison between functional mutants selected for cephaloridine hydrolytic activity and functional mutants previously selected for ampicillin hydrolytic activity suggests that TEM-1 β-lactamase has greater restrictions in maintaining cephalosporinase activity versus maintaining penicillinase activity.
Detection of Grammatical Errors Involving Prepositions

This paper presents ongoing work on the detection of preposition errors of non-native speakers of English. Since prepositions account for a substantial proportion of all grammatical errors by ESL (English as a Second Language) learners, developing an NLP application that can reliably detect these types of errors will provide an invaluable learning resource to ESL students. To address this problem, we use a maximum entropy classifier combined with rule-based filters to detect preposition errors in a corpus of student essays. Although our work is preliminary, we achieve a precision of 0.8 with a recall of 0.3.
Clinical development of an antisense therapy for the treatment of transthyretin-associated polyneuropathy

Transthyretin (TTR)-associated amyloidosis is a late-onset autosomal-dominant genetic disease. Over 100 amyloidogenic mutations have been identified in TTR which destabilize the TTR tetramer thereby inducing the formation of amyloid fibrils in tissues such as the heart and peripheral nerves. This disease mainly affects peripheral nerves, causing familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP) or heart, causing familial amyloid cardiomyopathy (FAC). Circulating TTR is predominantly produced by liver, and the only widely available clinical treatment for FAP is orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT), whereas no treatment currently exists for FAC. Using second-generation antisense technology, we identified an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) targeting TTR, ISIS-TTR(Rx), for the treatment of TTR-associated amyloidosis. When tested in a human TTR transgenic mouse model (hTTR Ile84Ser), ISIS-TTR(Rx) showed a dose-dependent reduction of human TTR (up to >80%) at both the mRNA and protein levels. In cynomolgus monkeys, ISIS-TTR(Rx) treatment produced a time-dependent reduction in plasma TTR levels. After 12 weeks of treatment in monkey, liver TTR mRNA and plasma TTR protein levels were reduced by ~80%. As expected, treatment with ISIS-TTR(Rx) also produced a significant decrease in plasma RBP4 levels that correlated with reductions in TTR levels. ISIS-TTR(Rx) treatment was well tolerated in both rodents and monkeys and produced a PK/PD profile consistent with prior experiences using this chemistry platform. ISIS-TTR(Rx) is currently under evaluation in a Phase 1 clinical trial in normal healthy volunteers, and interim results of this trial will be presented.
Conceptual data modeling of expert systems

Database management system (DBMS) support for expert system knowledge bases requires data-modeling tools matching system needs. To assess its power and fit for this application, the authors applied their logical data structures data-modeling tool, LDS, to an existing rule-based expert system, Galen, and produced a clear logical schema, comprehensible by its producers and other audiences. They believe that this technique could help the design of novel systems and that its use on existing systems will facilitate DBMS support. >
Tenderness and collagen composition of beef semitendinosus roasts cooked by conventional convective cooking and modeled, multi-stage, convective cooking

Beef semitendinosus roasts were cooked in a forced-air convection oven using conventional or modeled, multi-stage cooking. Conventional cooking was defined as cooking at 163°C to a core endpoint of 65°C. The model method was developed using a finite difference heat and mass transfer model optimized for a three-stage cooking process that included preheating, holding, and finishing. Model cooking resulted in lower (P<0.05) Warner-Bratlzer peak shear force values than conventional cooking (3.3 vs 4.7 kg). Collagen total unaltered fraction was lower (44 vs 55%, P=0.05) and enzyme labile fraction was higher (56 vs 45%, P<0.05) in the model-cooked samples than in conventionally cooked samples. The three-stage cooking process results in a more tender product without adversely affecting product yield.