cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Distribution, Dispersal, and Apparent Survival of Male Gypsy Moths as Determined by Capture in Pheromone-Baited Traps

An average of 3.9% of laboratory-reared, marked male gypsy moths ( Lymantria dispar L.) released uniformly across a 0.64 km2 area were captured in pheromone-baited traps set out 800 m apart in a 64 km2 grid. In contrast, an average of 0.9% of males released simultaneously from a single point at the center of the grid (566 m from the nearest trap) were captured. The 4.0% recapture can be used to estimate the average density and the 0.9% recapture to estimate the maximal density of a population of feral moths, based on the numbers caught in a trapping grid of the same trap density, if we assume that the feral and laboratory-reared moths behave similarly. Approximately 97% of the recaptured males from the uniform release and 80% from the grid center release were captured within 800 m of the release site and no moths were recaptured beyond 1600 m. An average of 18% of males released from the center of a smaller (0.64 km2) grid of higher trap density (80 m spacing) were recaptured. Once again, recaptures occurred predominantly in traps near the center of the grid. The proportion recaptured was highest on the warmer days. Males were released 1, 2 and 3 days after eclosion to assess the effects of adult age, and mortality plus emigration upon trap catch. A higher proportion of older moths (2- and 3-days-old) were captured than one-day-old moths. The apparent average rate of mortality plus emigration between the first and second day after release was 96%, an estimate that may be influenced by individual differences in responsiveness of males to a pheromone source.
Almost common values auctions revisited

In almost common-value auctions one bidder (the advantaged bidder) has a valuation advantage over all other (regular) bidders. It is well known that in second-price auctions with two bidders, even a slight private-value advantage can have an explosive effect on auction outcomes as the advantaged bidder wins all the time and auction revenue is substantially lower than in a pure second-price common-value auction. We explore the robustness of these results to the addition of more regular bidders in second-price auctions, and the extent to which these results generalize to ascending-price English auctions in an effort to provide insight into when and why one ought to be concerned about such slight asymmetries.
Regulation of Endogenous ADP‐Ribosylation by Acute and Chronic Lithium in Rat Brain

In the present study, we investigated the effects of lithium on endogenous ADP-ribosylation in rat brain. It was found that addition of lithium in vitro inhibits endogenous ADP-ribosylation activity in extracts of frontal cortex at therapeutically relevant concentrations. Inhibition is observed at concentrations as low as 0.3 mM and is maximal at 1 mM when 50% inhibition is obtained. A similar degree of inhibition of endogenous ADP-ribosylation was observed for all substrate proteins identified, including Gs alpha, suggesting that lithium's effect may be achieved at the level of ADP-ribosyltransferases and not specific substrate proteins. In contrast to lithium, chloride salts of sodium and potassium do not alter endogenous ADP-ribosylation activity in frontal cortex. To assess the possible in vivo relevance of this in vitro action of lithium, we studied the effect of chronic lithium administration on levels of endogenous ADP-ribosylation in frontal cortex. It was found that chronic lithium treatment, in contrast to the inhibitory effect of the drug in vitro, produced a > 35% increase in endogenous ADP-ribosylation activity. A similar degree of increase was observed for all of the substrate proteins identified. These novel findings raise the possibility that certain endogenous ADP-ribosyltransferases are among the acute targets of lithium in the brain and that adaptations in these enzymes may be part of the mechanisms underlying lithium's long-term effects on brain function.
A one-step derivatization procedure for several carbamate pesticides.

A review by KUHR & DOROUGH (1976) discusses several procedures for the direct conversion of carbamates to compounds amenable to GC analysis. The purpose of this study was to determine if any of these carbamate derivatization procedures could be applied to a wide range of carbamate pesticides at the residue level and still use the standard gas chromatographic columns and operating conditions as described in the EPA manual (THOMPSON 1977) for ECGC. Herein, we report the results of the use of pentafluorobenzyl bromide as a derivatization reagent with 23 carbamates of widely different structure. MATERIALS AND METHODS Reagents and solvents. Alcoholic KOH: was dissolved in 100 mL of 95% ethanol. 1.0 g of solid KOH
Rapid dopamine transmission within the nucleus accumbens: dramatic difference between morphine and oxycodone delivery.

While most drugs of abuse increase dopamine neurotransmission, rapid neurochemical measurements show that different drugs evoke distinct dopamine release patterns within the nucleus accumbens. Rapid changes in dopamine concentration following psychostimulant administration have been well studied; however, such changes have never been examined following opioid delivery. Here, we provide novel measures of rapid dopamine release following intravenous infusion of two opioids, morphine and oxycodone, in drug-naive rats using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry and rapid (1 min) microdialysis coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography - tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). In addition to measuring rapid dopamine transmission, microdialysis HPLC-MS measures changes in GABA, glutamate, monoamines, monoamine metabolites and several other neurotransmitters. Although both opioids increased dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens, their patterns of drug-evoked dopamine transmission differed dramatically. Oxycodone evoked a robust and stable increase in dopamine concentration and a robust increase in the frequency and amplitude of phasic dopamine release events. Conversely, morphine evoked a brief (~ 1 min) increase in dopamine that was coincident with a surge in GABA concentration and then both transmitters returned to baseline levels. Thus, by providing rapid measures of neurotransmission, this study reveals previously unknown differences in opioid-induced neurotransmitter signaling. Investigating these differences may be essential for understanding how these two drugs of abuse could differentially usurp motivational circuitry and powerfully influence behavior.
Osteoporosis—From Pathophysiology to Treatment: Special Topics in Diagnostic Testing. Catherine A. Hammett-Stabler. Washington, DC: AACC Press, 2004, 105 pp., $27.00 ($22.00 AACC members), softcover. ISBN 1-59425-005-7.

It is increasingly important for laboratorians to become familiar with clinical aspects of disease, including pathophysiology, diagnosis, and therapy. This is all the more so when emerging laboratory studies upgrade the role of the laboratory in both diagnosis and management. Osteoporosis is a very relevant case in point where the laboratory is on the verge of playing a dominant role in patient management, both in assisting the clinician in making intervention decisions and in monitoring progression or regression of the disease. As an introductory, easy-to-read text, this is an excellent source for the beginning student of bone physiology and pathophysiology. All of the relevant material is present and up to date and is presented in a manner that is neither too esoteric nor too sophomoric. These are …
Quality Control and Reference Sample Data Bases

A critical aspect of any quality control program is the definition of criteria for “satisfactory’ performance of analytical methods. These criteria should address both expected accuracy and expected precision of the methods, as well as any variation in these figures of merit from one sample type to another. Development of appropriate criteria and their application to analytical programs for the characterization of new reference samples is presented.
Nucleotide-excision repair and prostate cancer risk

Prostate cancer (CaP) is the most commonly diagnosed nonskin cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in American men. Its etiology is not fully understood. Ethnicity/race and family history are associated with it, and incidence increases with age. As with other solid tumors, accumulation of mutations and decline in DNA repair during aging may lead to CaP. However, we believe that conducting a large population screening for every cancer susceptibility gene (e.g. DNA repair) is only meaningful, if we can predict to what extent genetic variants contribute to DNA-repair functional phenotype and CaP risk. This review focuses on the association between CaP and nucleotide excision repair (NER), because some of the DNA adducts generated by CaP-related carcinogens are removed by the NER pathway, and our previous data showed a significant association between lower NER capacity (NERC) and CaP risk. Many laboratories, including ours, have employed a variety of approaches to evaluate the functional significance of DNA-repair single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in human cancer risk assessment. Genetic profiling and computational modeling that can predict NERC may have great potential for CaP-risk assessment, because the current NERC assay is quite labor intensive, costly, and therefore not suitable for population-based screening.
Virus Survival in Soils

Temperature Microbial Activity Soil Moisture Content pH Salt Species and Concentration Virus Adsorption to Soil Aggregation of Virus Particles Soil Properties Virus Type Organic Matter Hydraulic Conditions Mechanisms of Virus Sorption The Role of the Gas–Liquid Interface Keywords: soils; soils, virus survival in; virus survival in soils
Linking Time-Varying Symptomatology and Intensity of Infectiousness to Patterns of Norovirus Transmission

Background: Norovirus (NoV) transmission may be impacted by changes in symptom intensity. Sudden onset of vomiting, which may cause an initial period of hyper-infectiousness, often marks the beginning of symptoms. This is often followed by: a 1–3 day period of milder symptoms, environmental contamination following vomiting, and post-symptomatic shedding that may result in transmission at progressively lower rates. Existing models have not included time-varying infectiousness, though representing these features could add utility to models of NoV transmission. Methods: We address this by comparing the fit of three models (Models 1–3) of NoV infection to household transmission data from a 2009 point-source outbreak of GII.12 norovirus in North Carolina. Model 1 is an SEIR compartmental model, modified to allow Gamma-distributed sojourn times in the latent and infectious classes, where symptomatic cases are uniformly infectious over time. Model 2 assumes infectiousness decays exponentially as a function of time since onset, while Model 3 is discontinuous, with a spike concentrating 50% of transmissibility at onset. We use Bayesian data augmentation techniques to estimate transmission parameters for each model, and compare their goodness of fit using qualitative and quantitative model comparison. We also assess the robustness of our findings to asymptomatic infections. Results: We find that Model 3 (initial spike in shedding) best explains the household transmission data, using both quantitative and qualitative model comparisons. We also show that these results are robust to the presence of asymptomatic infections. Conclusions: Explicitly representing explosive NoV infectiousness at onset should be considered when developing models and interventions to interrupt and prevent outbreaks of norovirus in the community. The methods presented here are generally applicable to the transmission of pathogens that exhibit large variation in transmissibility over an infection.
Factors related to performance of health practices among asian adolescents in the United States.

Purpose This study examined factors related to positive health practices (PHP) among Asian adolescents. More specifically, it tested theoretical relationships postulated between PHP and social support, optimism, self-esteem, loneliness, and acculturation in this population. Method A correlational research design was used and a convenience sample of 151 Asian adolescents was obtained. Participants completed a demographic sheet and six study instruments. Results Significant positive relationships were found between reported performance of PHP and social support, optimism, self-esteem, and acculturation. A significant inverse relationship was found between loneliness and PHP. Conclusions Study findings extend existing knowledge and contribute to a more comprehensive knowledge base regarding health practices among Asian adolescents. Having this knowledge base provides practitioners with a better understanding of the factors related to health practices in Asian adolescents and assists them in developing culturally sensitive interventions aimed at promoting PHP in this population. [Asian Nursing Research 2010;4(2):64–74]
Muscle-specific RNA Processing Continues in the Absence of Myogenin Expression*

During muscle development, muscle-specific gene expression is achieved by a complex set of transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms. We examined the requirement of new protein synthesis and myogenin expression for muscle-specific tropomyosin expression during myogenesis of the rat muscle cell line L6E9. The results show that new protein synthesis is required for both muscle gene transcription and muscle-specific alternate RNA processing. However, once initiated, the synthesis of muscle tropomyosin mRNA continued in the presence of cycloheximide, while the expression of muscle actin, myosin heavy chain, and myogenin mRNA was abolished. These results suggest that muscle-specific processing of tropomyosin transcripts can continue to occur in the absence of myogenin expression unlike the expression of muscle actin and myosin heavy chain mRNAs. However, the transfection of myogenin cDNA into nonmuscle cells induced muscle-specific RNA processing of tropomyosin, suggesting indirect involvement of myogenic factors in the initiation of muscle-specific RNA processing pathways.
An ultra-shallow link base for a double polysilicon bipolar transistor

A techinque is presented for forming an ultrashallow link base in a double polysilicon bipolar transistor. This method is easily integrated into an advanced BiCMOS process, making use of a disposable polysilicon spacer technology for MOSFET lightly doped drain (LDD) formation. It makes use of the diffusion of boron from a disposable polysilicon spacer, through a thin thermal oxide layer to the underlying silicon. A very shallow link base is thus formed, allowing independent optimization of the active and link base regions. This improves the trade-off between base-emitter breakdown and base resistance and results in improved bipolar performance. >
The effect of a receptor layer on the measurement of rate constants.

Many cellular reactions involve a reactant in solution binding to or dissociating from a reactant attached to a surface. Most studies assume that the reactions occur on this surface, when in actuality the receptors usually lie in a thin layer on top of it. The effect of this layer is considered, particularly as it relates to the BIAcore™ measurement device, though the results are applicable to biological systems. A dimensionless parameter measuring the strength of the effect of the receptor layer is found. Asymptotic and singular perturbation techniques are used to analyse association and dissociation kinetics, though the effect of the receptor layer need not be small. Linear and nonlinear integral equations result from the analysis; explicit and asymptotic solutions are constructed for physically realizable cases. In addition, effective rate constants are derived that illustrate the combined effects of transport and the receptor layer on the measured rate constants. All these expressions provide a direct way to estimate rate constants from BIAcore™ binding data.
Four-mask process based on spacer technology for scaled-down lateral NEM electrostatic actuators

This paper presents a four-mask fabrication process of lateral nanoelectromechanical (NEM) electrostatic actuators based on spacer technology. Critical dimensions of the actuators, i.e., the beam width and the gap size between the movable and fixed electrodes can be made smaller than the lithographic resolution by creating nitride spacers on an oxide hardmask followed by selective etching of the oxide hardmask. The combined oxide hardmask, nitride spacer, and another mask (photoresist mask) is then transferred to an underlying polysilicon structural layer to create lateral NEM electrostatic actuators with narrow beam and narrow gap.
IMMUNOLOGIC BASIS OF ANTIGEN-INDUCED AIRWAY HYPERRESPONSIVENESS

▪ Abstract The incidence, morbidity, and mortality of asthma has increased worldwide over the last two decades. Asthma is a complex inflammatory disease of the lung characterized by variable airflow obstruction, airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), and airway inflammation. The inflammatory response in the asthmatic lung is characterized by infiltration of the airway wall with mast cells, lymphocytes, and eosinophils. Although asthma is multifactorial in origin, the inflammatory process in the most common form of the disease (extrinsic asthma) is believed to be a result of inappropriate immune responses to common aero-allergens in genetically susceptible individuals. As such, it has been hypothesized that CD4+ T cells that produce a Th2 pattern of cytokines play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of this disease. Through the release of cytokines such as IL-4, IL-13, and IL-5, these cells orchestrate the recruitment and activation of the primary effector cells of the allergic response, the mast cell and the eo...
A second-order double-sampled delta-sigma modulator using individual-level averaging

A second-order double-sampled delta-sigma modulator is described. It uses all individual-level-averaging switching scheme to convert capacitor mismatch into high-pass noise. With a sampling rate of 25 MHz and an oversampling ratio of 128, the maximum measured signal-to-noise-and-distortion ratio is 82.2 dB, and the total harmonic distortion is -91.0 dB when the input is 2.5 dB below full scale. The modulator is fully differential, occupies 3.75 mm/sup 2/ in a 1.2-/spl mu/m CMOS process, and dissipates 25.9 mW (10.2 mW analog and 15.7 mW digital).
On exact and approximate interpolation of sparse rational functions

The black box algorithm for separating the numerator from the denominator of a multivariate rational function can be combined with sparse multivariate polynomial interpolation algorithms to interpolate a sparse rational function. domization and early termination strategies are exploited to minimize the number of black box evaluations. In addition, rational number coefficients are recovered from modular images by rational vector recovery. The need for separate numerator and denominator size bounds is avoided via correction, and the modulus is minimized by use of lattice basis reduction, a process that can be applied to sparse rational function vector recovery itself. Finally, one can deploy sparse rational function interpolation algorithm in the hybrid symbolic-numeric setting when the black box for the function returns real and complex values with noise. We present and analyze five new algorithms for the above problems and demonstrate their effectiveness on a mark implementation.
A network flow model for biclustering via optimal re-ordering of data matrices

The analysis of large-scale data sets using clustering techniques arises in many different disciplines and has important applications. Most traditional clustering techniques require heuristic methods for finding good solutions and produce suboptimal clusters as a result. In this article, we present a rigorous biclustering approach, OREO, which is based on the Optimal RE-Ordering of the rows and columns of a data matrix. The physical permutations of the rows and columns are accomplished via a network flow model according to a given objective function. This optimal re-ordering model is used in an iterative framework where cluster boundaries in one dimension are used to partition and re-order the other dimensions of the corresponding submatrices. The performance of OREO is demonstrated on metabolite concentration data to validate the ability of the proposed method and compare it to existing clustering methods.
Implementation of idea : Integrating response to intervention and cognitive assessment methods

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) was reauthorized by the U.S. Congress in 2004, yet ongoing regulatory efforts are required to determine its operationalization and implementation. Of particular concern to school psychologists and others involved in the educational process are the guidelines for identification of children with specific learning disabilities (SLD). Two seemingly opposite camps have been arguing for either a response-to-intervention (RTI) approach for SLD identification or a methodology that includes comprehensive evaluations for SLD identification and intervention purposes. In this article, the authors propose a resolution to these critical issues by emphasizing a multitiered approach to serving children with learning problems—one that begins with RTI, but then provides for comprehensive evaluation of cognitive processes if RTI methods are not successful in ameliorating the child's learning difficulties. If a child fails to respond to intervention and demonstrates a deficit in the basic psychological processes following comprehensive evaluation, both the definitional criteria for SLD and the method for determining SLD eligibility will be addressed. This methodology incorporates the best aspects of both the RTI and comprehensive evaluation perspectives to forge a balanced practice model that ensures diagnostic accuracy and optimizes educational outcomes for children with SLD. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 43: 753–770, 2006.
A performance study of loss priorities for MPEG video traffic

We study the performance of a loss priority mechanism for MPEG-coded video traffic. This mechanism, known as partial buffer sharing (PBS), is implemented at an ATM multiplexer. The input to the multiplexer consists of several MPEG streams which are derived from the frame-size trace of a full-motion movie. Each stream contains three types of frames: I, P, and B. The significance of the information carried in MPEG frames differs according to the frame type; with I frames being more important than P and B frames. Hence, PBS with two priority classes is used to reduce the cell loss rate for I frames at the expense of higher loss rates for P and B frames. It is observed that the cell loss rates for the two priority classes are greatly influenced by the level of synchronization among the video streams.
Improving Reading in the Primary Grades

Almost fifteen years have passed since the publication of the National Research Council’s seminal report Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children, which provided researchbased recommendations on what could be done to better position students in prekindergarten through third grade for success in grade four and above. This article by Nell Duke and Meghan Block first examines whether specific key recommendations from the report have been imple mented in U.S. classrooms. They find that recommendations regarding increased access to kindergarten and greater attention to and improvement of students’ word-reading skills have been widely adopted. Others have not. Vocabulary and comprehension, long neglected in the primary grades, still appear to be neglected. Contrary to the report’s recommendations, attention to building conceptual and content knowledge in science and social studies has actually decreased in the past fifteen years. In other words, the easier-to-master skills are being attended to, but the broader domains of accomplishment that constitute preparation for comprehension and learning in the later grades—vocabulary knowledge, comprehension strategy use, and conceptual and content knowledge—are being neglected. Near stagnation in fourthgrade students’ comprehension achievement is thus unsurprising.
Thermodynamic and kinetic aspects of interfacial decohesion

Abstract Thermodynamic and kinetic aspects of interfacial decohesion are analyzed for a uniformly stressed interface in the presence of an embrittling impurity. During the interfacial separation, the impurity penetrates into the interface and reduces it cohesion. Rice (1976) and Hirth and Rice (1980) analyzed the thermodynamics of this process in great detail with emphasis on the limiting cases of infinitely fast and infinitely slow separation. The ‘dynamic’ model of decohesion proposed in this work extends their analysis to an arbitrary relation between the rates of separation and impurity transport to the interface, including transient kinetics in which the two rates are comparable to one another. Such kinetics play an important role in the phenomenon of dynamic embrittlement observed in many materials. Calculations of dynamic decohesion have been performed for two mechanisms of impurity supply to the interface: the reaction kinetics and bulk diffusion. In both cases a kinetic parameter R has been identified such that R ≪1 for slow separation, R ≫1 for fast separation, and R ∼1 for the transient regime. In the transient regime, the work of decohesion, cohesive strength, the impurity concentration at the new surfaces, and other properties depend sensitively on the strain rate in agreement with experimental observations of dynamic embrittlement.
Strategies for Facilitated Forward Chemical Genetics

Completion of the Human Genome Project has provided the scientific community with a wealth of information to further our knowledge of the gene function. Currently, an enormous effort is being applied to studying the relationship between the mapped genes and human disease. In the past, this enormous endeavor has been mainly left to classical geneticists. However, since the gene products, proteins, are dynamic and multifunctional, it has become clear that the study of genes alone may not be sufficient to see the whole picture. This has stimulated the field of chemical genetics at the interface between chemistry and biology. Chemical genetics, inspired by classical genetics, makes use of small molecules as mutation-inducing agents to study protein function. One approach of chemical genetics, forward chemical genetics, is gaining recognition as a powerful strategy. Forward chemical genetics is a three-step process (Figure 1). First, a collection of small molecules is designed and synthesized. The small molecules are then screened in a model organism for the ability to perturb/change a biological process. Once an interesting phenotype is found, the small molecule responsible for it is used to isolate the target protein(s). Finally, upon identification of the target protein, its identity can be linked with the previously observed phenotype, thus gaining better understanding of that particular biological process. In addition, biologically active small molecule can provide important structural information for further development of novel therapeutic agents. Even though the concept of using small molecules to study cellular processes is not new, in practice, the forward chemical genetics approach is still not systematic. Consequently, systematic strategies at every step of the forward chemical genetic process would greatly accelerate the study of protein function and development of novel therapeutic agents. In this review, we will discuss the strategies and research tools that have been developed to accelerate and systematize the field of forward chemical genetics.
Lattice Relaxation of Deep Defects in Light-Soaked N-Type Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon

We report evidence for a deep defect exhibiting very large lattice relaxation in n-type a-Si:H. In light-soaked partially-annealed samples with low phosphorus doping levels one obtains large controlled variation of the Fermi energy position in the mobility gap. Examination by photocapacitance spectroscopy of a sample having a Fermi energy near the minimum in the density of states shows dramatic change in the shape of the photocapacitance spectra. We interpret this as strong evidence for lattice relaxation of deep defects.
NUPTIAL GIFTS AND THE EVOLUTION OF MALE BODY SIZE

In many insect systems, males donate nuptial gifts to insure an effective copulation or as a form of paternal investment. However, if gift magnitude is both body size-limited and positively related to fitness, then the opportunity exists for the gift to promote the evolution of large male size. In the striped ground cricket, Allonemobius socius, males transfer a body size-limited, somatic nuptial gift that is comprised primarily of hemolymph. To address the implications of this gift on male size evolution, we quantified the intensity and direction of natural (fecundity) and sexual (mating success) selection over multiple generations. We found that male size was under strong positive sexual selection throughout the breeding season. This pattern of selection was similar in successive generations spanning multiple years. Male size was also under strong natural selection, with the largest males siring the most offspring. However, multivariate selection gradients indicated that gift size, and not male size, was the best predictor of female fecundity. In other words, direct fecundity selection for larger gifts placed indirect positive selection on male body size, supporting the hypothesis that nuptial gifts can influence the evolution of male body size in this system. Although female size was also under strong selection due to a size related fecundity advantage, it did not exceed selection on male size. The implications of these results with regard to the maintenance of the female-biased size dimorphic system are discussed.
A Closer Examination of the Economic Incentives Created by Tax Return Preparer Penalties

This paper clarifies and extends prior research examining the potential effectiveness of tax preparer penalties by isolating the economic incentives such penalties create from other, potentially conflicting, influences, by examining a wider range of services such penalties might impact, and by explicitly considering the moderating influences of market and institutional factors. Unlike prior studies, we explicitly recognize that (1) increasing penalties provides incentives for practitioners to identify fewer taxreducing opportunities and increase their fees as well as reduce the aggressiveness of their reporting recommendations, and (2) these incentives are moderated by the levels of competition and moral hazard in the environment. We construct experimental markets in which subjects sold and provided a mix of tax services under different penalty, competition, and moral hazard levels. Contrary to the reported findings of much prior research, we provide evidence of an impact of penalty increases on practitio...
Pharmacological Actions of Hydrogen Sulfide Donors on Sympathetic Neurotransmission in the Bovine Anterior Uvea, In Vitro

In the present study, we investigated the effect of three different sources of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) on sympathetic neurotransmission from isolated superfused bovine iris-ciliary bodies. The three agents under consideration were: ACS67, a hybrid of latanoprost and a H2S-donating moiety; l-cysteine, a substrate for endogenous production of H2S and GYY 4137, a slow donor of H2S. We also examined the contribution of prostaglandins to the pharmacological actions of the H2S donors on release of [3H]-norepinephrine ([3H]NE) triggered by electrical field stimulation. ACS67, l-cysteine and GYY 4137 caused a concentration-dependent inhibition of electrically-evoked [3H]NE release from isolated bovine iris-ciliary bodies without affecting basal [3H]NE efflux. The cyclooxygenase inhibitor, flurbiprofen enhanced the inhibitory action of ACS67 and l-cysteine on stimulated [3H]NE release. Both aminooxyacetic acid, an inhibitor of cystathionine-β-synthase and glibenclamide, a KATP channel blocker reversed the inhibition of evoked NE release induced by the H2S donors. We conclude that H2S donors can inhibit sympathetic neurotransmission from isolated bovine iris-ciliary bodies, an effect partially dependent on the in situ production of H2S and prostanoids, and is mediated by an action on KATP channels.
Toward a More Comprehensive Model of Firms’ Human Capital Rents

Strategic human capital research has recently expanded to encompass other types of labor market frictions in addition to those posed by firm-specific human capital. Labor market frictions inhibit trade in human capital, allowing firms that are idiosyncratically advantaged with respect to a particular friction to appropriate human capital rents. Adding to this nascent conversation, I describe how idiosyncratic firm resources and capabilities enable firms to garner human capital rents. By explicitly distinguishing between value creation and value capture, which together drive firm-level human capital rents, this article’s theoretical framework uncovers overlooked circumstances where firms’ pursuit of human capital rents differ in important ways. I discuss theoretic propositions and implications to guide future research.
The effect of relative humidity on the hydrolytic precipitation of silica into an elastomeric network

Etude du systeme tetraethylorthosilicate-polydimethylsiloxane, precipitation par hydrolyse en solution aqueuse d'acide, base ou sel comme catalyseur
Arthroscopic removal of a cannulated screw and washer from the knee joint.

Our described technique for screw and washer removal is safe and simple, avoiding the risk of implant loss in the joint cavity.
High-Resolution, Non-Invasive Imaging of Upper Vocal Tract Articulators Compatible with Human Brain Recordings

A complete neurobiological understanding of speech motor control requires determination of the relationship between simultaneously recorded neural activity and the kinematics of the lips, jaw, tongue, and larynx. Many speech articulators are internal to the vocal tract, and therefore simultaneously tracking the kinematics of all articulators is nontrivial--especially in the context of human electrophysiology recordings. Here, we describe a noninvasive, multi-modal imaging system to monitor vocal tract kinematics, demonstrate this system in six speakers during production of nine American English vowels, and provide new analysis of such data. Classification and regression analysis revealed considerable variability in the articulator-to-acoustic relationship across speakers. Non-negative matrix factorization extracted basis sets capturing vocal tract shapes allowing for higher vowel classification accuracy than traditional methods. Statistical speech synthesis generated speech from vocal tract measurements, and we demonstrate perceptual identification. We demonstrate the capacity to predict lip kinematics from ventral sensorimotor cortical activity. These results demonstrate a multi-modal system to non-invasively monitor articulator kinematics during speech production, describe novel analytic methods for relating kinematic data to speech acoustics, and provide the first decoding of speech kinematics from electrocorticography. These advances will be critical for understanding the cortical basis of speech production and the creation of vocal prosthetics.
An outline for inner-loop studies in FCC fluidized bed

An outline for inner-loop studies in FCC fluidized bed is provided,including mainly baffle,vertical tube bundles and packing.The flow characteristics of both gas and solid in fluidized bed with various inner-loops are described,and the advantages and disadvantages of various types of inner-loop are discussed.The improvement process within the baffle and packing components is summarized,and the direction for future development is discussed according to the advantages and shortcomings in the existing structures of inner-loops.
Microstructure of Laboratory and Nuclear Explosively Deformed Gas-Bearing Sandstones

Project Rio Blanco was a nuclear gas stimulation experiment designed to increase permeability in an existing gas reservoir. In the experiment, three simultaneously-detonated 30 kiloton explosive devices, spaced in a single wellbore, were used to stimulate the low-permeability, gas-bearing sandstones of the Fort Union and Mesa Verde formations in the Piceance Creek basin of Colorado. General information regarding the project and reservoir rock may be found elsewhere [1 and 2].
Posterior urethral valves, unilateral reflux and renal dysplasia: a syndrome.

AbstractInfants with posterior urethral valves and persistent unilateral reflux after valve resection often have an associated nonfunctioning, dysplastic kidney. Spurious function of the unit with reflux may be apparent on the delayed films of the excretory urogram. Misinterpretation of the initial radiographic studies performed without coincident bladder drainage results in the missed diagnosis of this syndrome and misguided surgical management. Of 82 patients with urethral valves 17 (21 per cent) had persistent unilateral reflux. A renal scan was useful in determining nonfunction in 11 (65 per cent) of those patients with persistent unilateral reflux and 1 with bilateral reflux. The functionless kidney was on the left side in 11 of 12 cases (92 per cent). Early nephroureterectomy is advocated to improve voiding dynamics. The prognosis is generally excellent. The embryogenesis of the syndrome is discussed as it relates to the “bud theory” of renal dysplasia and posterior urethral valves.
Sensors and Techniques for Observing Coastal Ecosystems

This chapter reviews the advances in sensor design and related field techniques that are particularly appropriate for coastal ecosystem research and management. Multispectral and hyperspectral imagers are available for mapping coastal land cover and concentrations of organic or inorganic suspended particles and dissolved substances in coastal waters. Thermal infrared scanners can map sea surface temperatures accurately and chart coastal currents, while microwave radiometers can measure ocean salinity, soil moisture and other hydrologic parameters. Radar imagers, scatterometers and altimeters provide information on ocean waves, ocean winds, sea surface height and coastal currents. Using airborne LIDAR one can produce bathymetric maps, even in moderately turbid coastal waters. Since coastal ecosystems have high spatial complexity and temporal variability, they frequently have to be observed from both, satellites and aircraft, in order to obtain the required spatial, spectral and temporal resolutions. A reliable field data collection approach using ships, buoys, and field instruments with a valid sampling scheme is required to calibrate and validate the remotely sensed information.
CHAPTER 24 – Classification and Characteristics of Mouse B Cell—Lineage Lymphomas

This chapter discusses the classification and characteristics of mouse B cell lineage lymphomas. The terminology used for the classification of mouse B cell–lineage neoplasms often reflects that the terminology used for human diseases where neoplasms in the two species were sufficiently similar, but differs where parallels between seemingly related diseases are less certain. Both classification schemes make use of the clinical, histologic, immunophenotypic, and genetic characteristics of specific disorders, with all modalities contributing to an establishment of the human categories. A quick overview of the lists of the human and mouse B cell–lineage neoplasms indicates that although substantial numbers of human lymphoma types have no parallels among the known mouse lymphomas, only two lymphoma types may be mouse specific. Many of the tools that have been used so effectively to characterize and understand human B cell–lineage lymphomas have not gained full purchase with the investigators studying the spontaneous mouse disorders or trying to model human diseases. Comparative genomic hybridization (CGH), spectral karyotypng (SKY), testing for loss of imprinting (LOI) and changes in CpG methylation, tissue arrays, and the expanded use of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) microarrays will contribute much to understanding. Having a system of standardized nomenclature for lymphomas and a view into how molecular profiling can augment histogic studies provides an important foundation for progress.
The structure of time perspective: Age-related differences in Poland:

The purpose of the paper is to present the main findings on the factor structure of time perspective measured using the Polish version of the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (Zimbardo and Boyd,...
On auction design for crowd sensing

The recent paradigm of mobile crowd sensing which collects sensed data from pervasive mobile devices enables a broad range of large scale sensing tasks. In this paper, we aim to study one critical challenge in this paradigm, namely, design of compensation or incentive mechanisms for sensors to expend sufficient resources to take high quality measurements and transmit them to the central fusion unit. Inspired by the widespread use of the generalized second-price auction in search engine advertising business, we analyze the potential and performance of a reverse generalized second-price auction being used for this problem. Our main result is that reverse generalized second-price auction has a special subset of Nash equilibria that can achieve a desired level of error covariance at the central fusion unit with less payment than other common mechanisms such as reverse Vickrey-Clark-Groves or reverse generalized first-price auction.
Do anthropometric measures accurately reflect body composition in preterm infants

SummaryBackground Recent literature suggests that neonatal adiposity is predictive of later metabolic health, while neonatal lean mass is predictive of later cognitive function amongst preterm infants. Anthropometric indices that accurately reflect neonatal body composition could improve clinical care and aid future research, but their validity has not been systematically tested in preterm infants. Objective To determine the weight/length indices that best reflect neonatal body composition in preterm infants. Methods Weight and length were measured, and body composition (fat-free mass (FFM), fat mass (FM) and percent body fat (%BF)) was assessed using air-displacement plethysmography within 72 h of birth in 218 preterm infants. The best weight/length proxy for FFM, FM and %BF were those with the highest proportion variance explained (R2) and lowest root mean square error (RMSE) in linear regression models. Results Among all of the weight/length indices tested, weight/length2 was the best proxy for %BF, but nonetheless exhibited very low variance explained (R2 = 0.27) and high prediction error (RMSE = 3.5% fat). Body weight unadjusted for length was strongly associated with FFM (R2 = 0.97). Conclusions No weight/length index accurately reflected %BF. Weight/length indices are not appropriate for assessment of relative adiposity in preterm infants near birth. What's known on this subject: Compared with term infants, preterm infants have increased fat mass and diminished fat-free mass upon hospital discharge. Early adiposity predicts later metabolic health, while early lean mass is predictive of later neurodevelopmental outcomes. Optimal anthropometric proxies for preterm body composition at birth are not established. What this study adds: Weight is an adequate surrogate for lean mass at birth in preterm infants. There are no weight/length indices that accurately reflect neonatal adiposity at birth.
The Current Understanding of Premonitory Urge Phenomena in Chronic Tic Disorders

Purpose of Review The goal of this review is to collect the progress made in the area of premonitory urge research in the areas of demographics, psychometrics, neurologic, psychopharmacology, and behavioral psychotherapy.
In Vivo Imaging and Tracking of Defined, Repopulating Human Stem Cell Subsets Using Fluorescence Conjugated Nanoparticles in a Clinically Applicable Ex Vivo Protocol.

Abstract Novel stem cell-based therapies require new imaging techniques to enable the visualization and tracking of transplanted cells in vivo for evaluation of homing and engraftment parameters. Here we present in vitro and in vivo data on nanoparticle labeling of umbilical cord blood (UCB) CD34+ and lineage depleted HSC subsets, in addition to labeling of CD34+ human bone marrow, G-CSF and AMD-3100 M-PBSC. For these studies, we used a 24 hr. clinically applicable ex vivo labeling protocol including protamine complexed ferrumoxide nanoparticles conjugated to Alexa 647 dye or Alexa 750 (FE-PRO[647] or Fe-Pro[750]). Cell cultivation was carried out using serum free X-Vivo 15 defined medium with 10 ng/ml rhTPO, rhSCF, and Flt-3-ligand on retronectin. Transplantation of FACS sorted 97.5% pure FE-PRO [647] labeled human UCB-derived CD34+ cells into NOD/SCID/B2M null mice resulted in mean engraftment levels of 66.7%+/−1.0% CD45+ human cells, after 8 weeks, as compared to 41.8%+/−20.4% in control mice that received non-loaded cells. These data indicate that the FE-PRO [647] did not compromise the engraftment capacity of the human HSC (p>0.05). Moreover, transplantation of labeled human UCB-derived CD34+ cells into NOD/SCID/B2M null mice for in vivo tracking using flow cytometry and magnetic resonance imaging allowed visualization of the FE-PRO[647] labeled CD34+ cells in the spleen and marrow of the recipients, up to three weeks post transplantation. In spleens, human CD34+ FE-PRO [647]+ levels decreased from 20.6.0+/−13.4% (N=5) one week post transplantation to undetectable levels after three weeks (N=7). The total human CD45+ engraftment as evaluated in total murine marrow was 18.7+/−11.3% (N=7) after three weeks. All animals in the cohort were positive for CD34+ FE-PRO[647]+ engrafted human cells (0.8+/− 0.2 %, N=7). In vivo imaging of animals transplanted with 2–5 x 105 human CD34+ cells (16.8% Fe-Pro[750]+ labeled) was performed using the Kodak 4000 MM multimodal imaging unit in which the luminescence signal arising from the nano-labeled human cells can be precisely localized by overlaying the images with x-ray pictures of the animals. Surprisingly, asymmetric engraftment was repeatedly observed between right leg tibia-femur and left-leg tibia-femur in a cohort of 8 NOD/SCID mice at various timepoints over a total of 20 days after intravenous transplantation. Human engraftment was subsequently confirmed and correlated to the luminescence signal by flow cytometry of the bones and spleens of the imaged animals, at the same timepoints. These data demonstrate that nano-particles can be used to label repopulating human HSC for subsequent in vivo tracking, without toxicity to the engrafting cells. This technique offers new methods to dynamically image the homing and engraftment of purified human hematopoietic stem cells over the initial three weeks post-transplantation, in live animals.
Impact of an Antipsychotic Discontinuation Bundle During Transitions of Care in Critically Ill Patients.

Introduction:Delirium affects a large proportion of patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Antipsychotics have become frequentl...