cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization of Membrane Translocation by Anthrax Protective Antigen

Solving the crystallographic structure of the ring-shaped heptamer formed by protective antigen (PA), the B moiety of anthrax toxin, has focused attention on understanding how this oligomer mediates membrane translocation of the toxin's A moieties. We have developed an assay for translocation in which radiolabeled ligands are bound to proteolytically activated PA (PA63) at the surface of CHO or L6 cells, and translocation across the plasma membrane is induced by lowering the pH. The cells are then treated with Pronase E to degrade residual surface-bound material, and protected ligands are quantified after fractionation by SDS-PAGE. Translocation was most efficient (35%-50%) with LFN, the N-terminal PA binding domain of the anthrax lethal factor (LF). Intact LF, edema factor (EF), or fusion proteins containing LFN fused to certain heterologous proteins [the diphtheria toxin A chain (DTA) or dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR)] were less efficiently translocated (15%-20%); and LFN fusions to several other proteins were not translocated at all. LFN with different N-terminal residues was found to be degraded according to the N-end rule by the proteasome, and translocation of LFN fused to a mutant form of DHFR with a low affinity for methotrexate (MTX) protected cells from the effects of MTX. Both results are consistent with a cytosolic location of protected proteins. Evidence that a protein must unfold to be translocated was obtained in experiments showing that (i) translocation of LFNDTA was blocked by introduction of an artificial disulfide into the DTA moiety, and (ii) translocation of LFNDHFR and LFNDTA was blocked by their ligands (MTX and adenine, respectively). These results demonstrate that the acid-induced translocation by anthrax toxin closely resembles that of diphtheria toxin, despite the fact that these two toxins are unrelated and form pores by different mechanisms.
Effect of target composition on the emission enhancement observed in Double-Pulse Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy☆

Abstract The effect of the matrix composition on the emission enhancement observed in Double-Pulse (DP) Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) was studied for several pure metal targets (Al, Au, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Pt, Si and W). The measurements were performed in air by using a dual-pulse Nd:YAG ns laser emitting 60mJ pulses at 1064nm wavelength. The measurement of the emission enhancement for neutral and ionic lines of all the samples showed a wide range of results. Very low enhancement was observed in Pb, Ni and Mn while the highest values of enhancement were obtained in Cu, Al and Au. The space-averaged thermodynamic parameters of the induced plasmas in DP and in SP LIBS were calculated and the enhancement of ablated atomized mass in DP case was spectroscopically estimated in all the targets. A correlation seems to exist between the ablated atomized mass enhancement and the plasma temperature increase in the DP configuration. An attempt was made to correlate the increase of these two quantities with the melting point and heat, boiling point and heat, reflectivity and ionization energy of the metal. No evident correlation was found. At the opposite, a correlation was observed between the ablated atomized mass enhancement and the thermal diffusivity of the metal. A simple picture is proposed to explain the experimental findings. It is hypothesized that different mass ablation mechanisms prevail depending on the experimental configuration. It may be expected that in the SP case mass ablation is dominated by vaporization, while in the DP case it is dominated by phase explosion and/or melt expulsion.
GEOGRAPHIC DIFFERENTIATION IN ATRIPLEX CONFERTIFOLIA.

Atriplexconfertifolia (Chenopodiaceae) consists of ploidy races extending from diploid through decaploid and is dissected into many racial groups by cytological and flavonoid relationships. On the basis of morphology, the species can be divided into two major subdivisions, one centered in western Nevada and inhabiting chiefly the Great Basin, and one centered in the Colorado Plateau. Western Nevada plants are distinguished by smaller and narrower leaves, as well as by darker spines and other charactristics. Because western Nevada is situated in the lee of the Sierra Nevada Range, it received reduced amounts of rainfall during Pleistocene and Holocene times. These reduced leaf dimensions of A. confertifolia of the rain shadow zone may thus reflect an evolutionary response to aridity.
Mid-infrared FEL absorption spectra

The Vanderbilt Mark III FEL is a tunable source of high- intensity coherent mid-infrared radiation occurring as a train of picosecond pulses spaced 350ps apart. The laser beam is transported to each laboratory under vacuum, but is typically transmitted through some distance of atmosphere before reaching the target. Losses due to absorption by water vapor and CO2 can be large, and since the bandwidth of the FEL is several percent of the wavelength, the spectrum can be altered by atmospheric absorptions. In order to provide an accurate representation of the laser spectrum delivered to the target, and to investigate any non-linear effects associated with transport of the FEL beam, we have recorded the spectrum of the FEL output using a vacuum spectrometer positioned after measured lengths of atmosphere. The spectrometer is equipped with a linear pyroelectric array which provides the laser spectrum for each pulse. Absorption coefficients are being measured for laboratory air, averaged over the bandwidth of the FEL. The high peak powers of this Fel have induced damage in common infrared-transparent materials; we are also measuring damage thresholds for several materials at various wavelengths.
Chronic physical conditions in older adults with mental illness and/ or substance use disorders.

Objectives: To examine the association between mental illness and chronic physical conditions in older adults and investigate whether co-occurring substance use disorders (SUDs) are associated with greater risk of chronic physical conditions beyond mental illness alone. Design: A retrospective cross-sectional study. Setting: Medicare and Medicaid programs in Massachusetts. Participants: Massachusetts Medicare and Medicaid members aged 65 and older as of January 1, 2005 (N = 679,182). Measurements: Diagnoses recorded on Medicare and Medicaid claims were used to identify mental illness, SUDs, and 15 selected chronic physical conditions. Results: Community-dwelling older adults with mental illness or SUDs had higher adjusted risk for 14 of the 15 selected chronic physical conditions than those without these disorders; the only exception was eye diseases. Moreover, those with co-occurring SUDs and mental illness had the highest adjusted risk for 11 of these chronic conditions. For residents of long-term care facilities, mental illness and SUDs were only moderately associated with the risk of chronic physical conditions. Conclusion: Community-dwelling older adults with mental illness or SUDs, particularly when they co-occurred, had substantially greater medical comorbidity than those without these disorders. For residents of long-term care facilities, the generally uniformly high medical comorbidity may have moderated this relationship, although their high prevalence of mental illness and SUDs signified greater healthcare needs. These findings strongly suggest the imminent need for integrating general medical care, mental health services, and addiction health services for older adults with mental illness or SUDs.
Morphology and projections of myenteric neurons to colonic fiber bundles of the cat.

Abstract Regulation of colon function depends on the location of nerve cell bodies and the distribution of intrinsic nerve fibers in the myenteric plexus. The morphology and projections of myenteric neurons through colonic fiber bundles in cat colon were determined using in vivo retrograde transport of HRP and Fast blue. Myenteric neurons were found to project from at least 5 to 59 mm orad (mean: 42 mm) or aborad (mean: 54 mm) through colonic fiber bundles. Approximately 73% of labelled cells were in ganglia within 2.8 mm of colonic fiber bundles in the axis of circular muscle fibers; none was beyond 7.7 mm. There were 2 soma morphologies. One type (Dogiel type I) had a mean soma diameter of 40.5 μm and had a rough somal surface. There were few if any short, broad dendrites, but its one long process extended to a branch point of an adjacent colonic fiber bundle. The other type (Dogiel type III) had a mean soma diameter of 26.4 μm, had a smooth somal surface and had few if any fine dendrites. It also projected a single long axon to colonic fiber bundles. There were twice as many Dogiel type III neurons. We conclude that myenteric neurons in the cat colon project both orad and aborad over relatively long distances through colonic fiber bundles where they form another intrinsic neuronal connection for the myenteric plexus.
Biosynthesis of prolactin and growth hormone in slices of bovine anterior pituitary tissue.

The present paper describes a preparation of bovine anterior pituitary slices which is highly active in the incorporation of 3H-labeled amino acids into prolactin, growth hormone and mixed tissue proteins. Micro modifications of existing procedures were employed for the isolation of the labeled hormones in relatively purified state. These radioactive proteins were indistinguishable from reference hormone standards by chromatographic procedures, gel electrophoresis, amino acid composition, immunological tests, and by C- and N-terminal analysis. (Endocrinology 80: 1111, 1967)
The deficit, difference, and bicultural theories of Black dialect and nonstandard English.

This paper summarizes and evaluates three theories—the deficit, difference, and bicultural theories—which have been used to interpret the linguistic characteristics of black and low SES children. Each theory is assessed in terms of the type of orientation and variables it specifies in accounting for the language characteristics of black and lower-class children. In addition, research that has applied these theories, and the implications of this research for educational reform, are discussed.
Engaging Preservice Teachers in Hypermedia Authoring: Process and Outcomes:

This article presents the methods and outcomes of a semester-long course in hypermedia authoring and instructional strategies for preservice teachers. Participants were required to learn a hypermedia authoring program and work in cooperative learning groups to produce a hypermedia software product for use with children with special needs. Data were collected from process logs; semi-structured, open-ended interviews; questionnaires; and pretest and posttest measures of computer anxiety. During the development of their projects, participants spent nearly an equal amount of time planning their software as they did in the mechanics of producing the software. Posttest findings revealed that participants showed a decrease in computer anxiety through their involvement in the course, and the lowest levels of anxiety were associated with graduate rank and prior teaching experience. Following the course, participants expressed confidence in their abilities to author hypermedia software and an interest in future inv...
The extinction ratio in optical two-guide coupler Delta beta switches

Two-guide Delta beta optical couplers that operate as on-off switches are reexamined using the exact eigenmodes of a slab waveguide model of the coupler. Two-section alternately detuned couplers, with the first section detuned by D and the second section by -D, are treated. The input/output configurations analyzed are case (1) where a single output guide is connected to the same guide of the coupler as the input guide, and case (2) where a single output guide is connected to the coupled guide. For both cases, ideal switching, i.e. complete extinction of the off state, can be obtained in the two-section Delta beta coupler over a wide range of coupler lengths. The results differ from those of conventional coupled-mode theory, however, in that complete extinction can be obtained when the two sections of the coupler have equal lengths only in a few special cases. Over most of the total coupler length range in which ideal switching is possible in both input/output configurations, the lengths of the two sections cannot be equal if complete extinction is to be obtained. >
RNA polymerases in isolated rat heart nuclei and their response to cyclic nucleotides.

Isolated rat, heart nuclei were employed to study RNA polymerase activities and their response to cyclic nucleotides. Nuclei incubated at low ionic strength in the presence of Mg 2+ exhibited a rapid decline in RNA polymerase activity. Physiological levels of cyclic AMP stimulated RNA polymerase under these conditions. Actinomycin D (0.2 to 10 μg ml −1 ) blocked the stimulating effect of cyclic AMP on RNA polymerase. Cyclic GMP (10 −7 to 10 −4 m ) did not affect RNA synthesis under the same incubation conditions. Nuclei incubated at high ionic strength (0.6 m ammonium sulfate) in the presence of Mn 2+ exhibited linear RNA synthesis for at least 40 min. Nuclei incubated with 0.12 m ammonium sulfate in the presence of Mn 2+ exhibited two consucutive peaks of RNA polymerase activity as revealed by pulse labelling. The early peak of RNA polymerase activity was inhibited by alpha amanitin (0.04 or 0.25 μg ml −1 ) to a greater extent than was the later peak. Neither cyclic AMP nor cyclic GMP affected RNA polymerase activity at intermediate (0.12 m ) or high (0.6 m ) ionic strength in the presence of Mn 2+ .
Moderators of delay tolerance in treatment-seeking cocaine users

A substantial amount of attrition in cocaine dependence treatment studies occurs between the initial telephone contact and the first evaluative clinic visit. While decreasing the wait to first visit can significantly reduce pre-intake attrition (PIA), little is known about other factors that moderate delay tolerance for first clinic visit. The current report uses data from 833 subjects who completed a first-contact telephone interview prior to an intake evaluation visit for cocaine use treatment research. Hierarchical logistic regression was used to assess three successive models to predict PIA, with the most inclusive model testing interactions between delay interval and seven predictors: age, gender, treatment motivation, recency of cocaine, alcohol, and tobacco use, and self-reported depression. Consistent with previous reports, greater delay to first clinic visit predicted PIA. However, no evidence for the moderating role of the selected factors was found. Overall, the utility of the logistic models, built on basic demographic and psychiatric factors, was poor, as evaluated using receiver-operator characteristic curves. Alternative factors must be examined to identify predictors that will increase probability of initial enrolment in cocaine-dependence clinical trials.
NEURAL NETWORK BASED ANALYSIS OF EPISODIC HORMONE SECRETION FOR CLINICAL ROUTINE

Introduction. Artificial neural networks (ANN) may yield incredible results in respect to classification of dithered data where classical statistics fails. We present a ready-to-use computer programme for hormone surge detection based on principles of ANN. Methods. 15 plasma growth hormone lime series (8 to 11 hours, one value every 20 min) of different patients were visually evaluated by an expert endocrinologist (JHB), and ‘true’ pulses marked without comment. Next, facts were automatically generated out of those preevaluated data sets of not necessarily equal length using the ‘shilling window’ technique, and were presented to a PC-based ANN (back-propagation, 2-layer topology, 11 inputs, 7 hidden-, I output neuron, language ‘C’) in random order and repeatedly. The ability to self-organize inherent to the ANN enabled it to associate output (puls/no puls) with general input patterns (‘learning’). RESULTS. After a training phase of 400 epochs (20 minutes, 386-AT with coprocessor), the errors F1/F2 had decreased from 175 to 3.4 and 10 to 0.26, respectively. Interpretation of all facts was correct. Although the number of facts was small, with independent test data, the satisfying system's capability to generalize could he demonstated. CONCLUSION. The system enables laboratory staff not specially trained i) to train their local PC-based ANN with prccvaluated hormone time series, and thereafter ii) to routinely perform hormone surge detection. The depersonalized expert knowledge becomes consistent and reproducible without the need to explicitely define pulse criteria. In summary, due to the neural network's self-organizing and learning properties, the programme is a handy tool to evaluate all kinds of episodic hormone secretion.
Political Elites and the Culture of Social Movements

While sociologists have paid a great deal of attention to how political elites matter for the emergence and development of social movements, they have focused less explicitly on how political elites matter for the culture of social movements. This essay reviews work that directly and indirectly addresses this relationship, showing how political elites matter for various aspects of movement culture, like collective identity and framing. It also reviews literature that suggests how movement culture comes to impact political elites. The essay concludes by drawing from very recent scholarship to argue that to best understand political elites and the culture of social movements, we need to think about culture and structure as intertwined and to understand how relations matters in the construction of meaning.
Effect of rigid inclusions on the sintering of mullite synthesized by sol-gel processing

The effect of crystalline particulate inclusions of mullite or zirconia on the sintering and crystallization of a mullite powder matrix was investigated as a function of the inclusion volume fraction and size. The mullite powder was synthesized by sol-gel processing and, within the limits of X-ray diffraction, was amorphous. Composites containing up to 22.5 vol % zirconia reached almost full density after sintering at 1500 °C for 1 h. Under identical conditions, the sintered density of the composites containing crystalline mullite inclusions was considerably lower. The zirconia inclusions were inert but the mullite inclusions enhanced the independent nucleation and growth rate of the mullite crystals in the matrix. The lower sintering rate of the matrix reinforced with crystalline mullite is attributed to the enhanced matrix crystallization.
The late stage following continuous amphetamine administration to rats is correlated with altered dopamine but not serotonin metabolism

Abstract In previous experiments rats pretreated with slow-release d-amphetamine (d-Amp) pellets for 4 1 2 days, given a 12-hr drug-free period, and then injected with d-Amp have been found to show a behavioral syndrome which has similarities to that induced by acute injections of the hallucinogens LSD and mescaline. The present results indicate that rats administered this same drug regimen have large decreases in Dopamine (DA), dihydroxyphenyl acetic acid (Dopac), and homovanillic acid (HVA) in caudate nucleus, smaller decreases in DA with no changes in Dopac and HVA levels in nucleus accumbens, but no alterations in 5-hydroxytryptamine (5HT) and 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (5HIAA) levels in caudate, accumbens, brainstem and hippocampus. Increased 5HIAA levels are found in rats sacrificed with pellets intact following 3 days of continuous d-Amp administration, while sleep deprived and in motor stereotypies. The late and hallucinatory stage following continuous d-amp is correlated more closely with alterations in dopamine than of 5HT.
A brief multiple discrimination procedure using a cardiac response.

Sixteen adult human subjects participated in an experiment examining whether a “no-delay” cardiac orienting paradigm could effectively test discrimination of four different stimulus changes in a single brief session. Subjects heard a 4.5-min train of pulsing tones which changed in frequency, intensity, pulse duration, or location of the sound source at irregular intervals. Cardiac deceleration to changes in frequency, duration, and location were significant at p<.05. It is concluded that changes in continuing stimulation can be effective discrimination probes, and that a number of different discrimination probes can be tested in one session using this procedure. The significance of a failure to elicit a response to change in tone intensity is discussed.
Genetic studies of respiratory syncytial virus temperature-sensitive mutants

Seven temperature-sensitive mutants of RS virus were analyzed genetically for evidence of complementation and recombination. The results of these tests suggested that there were 3 mutually exclusive complementation groups. No evidence of recombination was obtained; however, mixed infection of cells with mutants belonging to 2 different complementation groups yielded viruses which appeared to be complementing heterozygotes.
A quantitative test for copper using bicinchoninic acid

We describe a direct colorimetric assay for copper in serum and biological samples using 2,2'-bicinchoninic acid (BCA), a common reagent in most laboratories. BCA offers the advantage of being highly sensitive and specific for Cu(I) which rapidly forms an intense purple complex in the presence of BCA. The complex has peak absorbances at 562 and 354.5 nm with molar absorptivities of 7.7 x 10(3) liter mol-1 cm-1 and 4.6 x 10(4) liter mol-1 cm-1, respectively. Interference by other metal ions, pH, and detergents is minimal and the results correlate strongly with atomic absorption spectrophotometry.
Modification of the amino acid pool in the parietal muscle of two euryhaline teleosts during osmotic adjustment.

Au cours de l'adaptation de deux poissons euryhalins a des milieux hyper- ou hypotoniques, la teneur en eau du tissus musculaire ne varie pas en depit des modifications de la pression osmotique du plasma sanguin. Les acides amines et particulierement la glycine, l'alanine et une amine la taurine, paraissent impliques dans ce processus de regulation de la pression osmotique intracellulaire.
Program Context, Sensation Seeking, and Attention to Televised Anti-Drug Public Service Announcements

This study examined effects of message and program sensation value, sensation seeking, and drug use on visual attention to televised anti-drug public service announcements (PSAs) among 318 18–22-year-olds, who were placed individually in a simulated home environment with the opportunity to read from print media selections and/or watch a half-hour TV program including two presentations of the test PSA. The TV program was high or low in sensation value. High sensation seekers paid greater attention to high sensation value programming and to PSA embedded in such programming, whereas low sensation seekers paid greater attention to PSA embedded in low sensation value programs. Ongoing attention to a program may help to sustain attention to a subsequent PSA. The findings relate to an activation model of information exposure and indicate that program sensation value and sensation seeking are important factors to be considered in the placement oftelevised drug abuse prevention messages.
"Mirror Mirror": A Qualitative Analysis of Intergenerational Images of Masculinities in Uruguay

While there have been many studies analyzing changes in gender roles for Latin American women, the impact of these changes on men, and on their gender identity, received relatively little analysis. This paper explores intergenerational changes and continuities in the conceptualization of gender roles within the realm of family life. This is accomplished through in]depth interviews with three generations of male Uruguayans; a grandfather, a father and a son in the same family. Interviews reveal a historical shift in the meaning of masculinity and in gender roles in Uruguayan society. Though the study draws on a small sample of 5 families (n = 15), data shed light in the day]to]day impact on menfs lives of large structural shifts.
The measurement of arterial smooth muscle cell mitogens in the blood of oral contraceptive users.

Abstract We have previously shown that serum from young women receiving the same combined mestranol-norethindrone containing oral contraceptive (OC) preparation accelerated the proliferation of arterial smooth muscle cells (SMC) in tissue culture, and this in vitro effect was not a direct action of either of its estrogenic or progestagenic constituents. To identify the substance(s) which might contribute to this potentially atherogenic action, blood was obtained from 20 OC users and control women for the measurement of growth hormone, insulin, somatomedins (insulin-like growth factor IGF-I and IGF-II), and the platelet α-granule constituents platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), β-thromboglobulin, and platelet factor 4 (PF4). No difference was demonstrable between OC users and controls in the levels of any of these growth-promoting hormones, nor in plasma concentrations of any of the platelet α-granule proteins. These studies indicate that the enhanced mitogenicity found in OC sera is probably not attributable directly to these hormones or PDGF, and may instead result from an in vivo OC-induced alteration in other as yet unidentified mediators of cellular growth.
Volume scene graphs

This paper discusses volume scene graphs — a flexible hierarchical structure for composing scenes containing volume data sets and space-filling functions. Scene graph nodes are functions that, when evaluated at a point in space and time, compute and return a value. Typical nodes return values sampled from volume data sets, compute values using procedural texture algorithms, or filter and composite values returned by one or more other scene graph functions. Voxelization of a scene graph repeatedly evaluates the graph's functions over a gridded region of space. Examples are shown that compose scenes containing multiple volume data sets of differing resolutions and modalities.
Dynamics of Stochastic Neuronal Networks and the Connections to Random Graph Theory

We analyze a stochastic neuronal network model which corresponds to an all-to-all net- work of discretized integrate-and-fire neurons where the sy napses are failure-prone. This network exhibits different phases of behavior corresponding to syn chrony and asynchrony, and we show that this is due to the limiting mean-field system possessing multiple attractors. We also show that this mean-field limit exhibits a first-order phase transitio n as a function of the connection strength — as the synapses are made more reliable, there is a sudden onset of synchronous behavior. A detailed understanding of the dynamics involves both a characterization of the size of the giant component in a certain random graph process, and control of the pathwise dynamics of the system by obtaining exponential bounds for the probabilities of events far from the mean.
Second-order nonlinear-optical processes in orientationally ordered materials: relationship between molecular and macroscopic properties

Liquid crystals and polymer glasses can be formed into orientationally ordered materials by raising the temperature of the material to a temperature at which molecular motion is greatly enhanced, applying an external aligning field, and then cooling with the field applied. The resulting material exhibits second-order nonlinear-optical effects. In this paper, the relationship between the molecular hyperpolarizability and the macroscopic susceptibility is presented. The susceptibility is seen to depend on the microscopic order parameters commonly associated with liquid crystals and is discussed in the limits of one-dimensional molecules and poled polymer glasses. Agreement is found between the theory and second-harmonic-generation measurements of polymer glasses. Results of electro-optic measurements are compared with second-harmonic-generation measurements that suggest that the electro-optic effect is mostly electronic in origin.
Observers for Lipschitz nonlinear systems

This paper presents some fundamental insights into observer design for the class of Lipschitz nonlinear systems. The stability of the nonlinear observer for such systems is not determined purely by the eigenvalues of the linear stability matrix. The correct necessary and sufficient conditions on the stability matrix that ensure asymptotic stability of the observer are presented. These conditions are then reformulated to obtain a sufficient condition for stability in terms of the eigenvalues and the eigenvectors of the linear stability matrix. The eigenvalues have to be located sufficiently far out into the left half-plane, and the eigenvectors also have to be sufficiently well-conditioned for ensuring asymptotic stability. Based on these results, a systematic computational algorithm is then presented for obtaining the observer gain matrix so as to achieve the objective of asymptotic stability.
Page placement algorithms for large real-indexed caches

When a computer system supports both paged virtual memory and large real-indexed caches, cache performance depends in part on the main memory page placement. To date, most operating systems place pages by selecting an arbitrary page frame from a pool of page frames that have been made available by the page replacement algorithm. We give a simple model that shows that this naive (arbitrary) page placement leads to up to 30% unnecessary cache conflicts. We develop several page placement algorithms, called careful-mapping algorithms, that try to select a page frame (from the pool of available page frames) that is likely to reduce cache contention. Using trace-driven simulation, we find that careful mapping results in 10–20% fewer (dynamic) cache misses than naive mapping (for a direct-mapped real-indexed multimegabyte cache). Thus, our results suggest that careful mapping by the operating system can get about half the cache miss reduction that a cache size (or associativity) doubling can.
Sexual behavior among parasitic Megarhyssa wasps (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae)

Male wasps of three sympatric species of Nearctic Megarhyssa (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) typically form mixed-species (61.7%) aggregations composed of up to 28 males over sites of female emergence. Observations of 107 aggregations over two seasons in New York state revealed two male mating strategies: postemergence copulation on the tree surface and preemergence insemination accomplished by male abdominal insertion into the female emergence hole. Insertions by one or more males (as many as ten consecutively but not more than two simultaneously) occurred at 88% of the aggregations, with each inserting for an average of 24.8 min. Insemination as a result of preemergence insertion had a success rate of 83% while postemergence copulation attempts were successful 30% of the time (average duration 61.9 s). Individual male reproductive success was very low and not correlated with size, arrival order at emergence sites, or tenacity at the site. Males frequently aggregated at sites of male emergences as well as those of nonconspecifics, though conspecifics to the emerger ultimately played the major role at aggregations. Male-male aggression in aggregations was not apparent, though jostling occurred during the insertion period and during postemergence copulation attempts.
MP22-06 PRELIMINARY EVALUATION OF THE SIMPORTAL MAJOR VESSEL INJURY (MVI) REPAIR MODEL

Background Major vessel injury (MVI) is a dangerous complication associated with laparoscopic surgery that leads, if not properly handled, to blood loss, conversion to open surgery, and eventually death. In this paper, we describe the preliminary evaluation of the SimPORTAL MVI model, created with the goal of simulating an intra-corporeal injury to a large vessel.
MR Safety Issues Particular to Women

Because of its lack of ionizing radiation, MR imaging is increasingly used for patients with cardiovascular disease, including young women. However, the risks related to the MR environment need to be acknowledged and prevented. For women, there are unique gender-related safety issues that are important to address in cardiovascular MR examinations. This article familiarizes radiologists with MR safety issues and current, evidence-based recommendations for specific situations such as pregnancy or lactation and imaging of women who have pelvic gynecologic devices such as intrauterine devices. Practical algorithms to minimize risk and increase MR safety for these women are suggested.
The Relationships Among Various Nonnegative Matrix Factorization Methods for Clustering

The nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) has been shown recently to be useful for clustering and various extensions and variations of NMF have been proposed recently. Despite significant research progress in this area, few attempts have been made to establish the connections between various factorization methods while highlighting their differences. In this paper we aim to provide a comprehensive study on matrix factorization for clustering. In particular, we present an overview and summary on various matrix factorization algorithms and theoretically analyze the relationships among them. Experiments are also conducted to empirically evaluate and compare various factorization methods. In addition, our study also answers several previously unaddressed yet important questions for matrix factorizations including the interpretation and normalization of cluster posterior and the benefits and evaluation of simultaneous clustering. We expect our study would provide good insights on matrix factorization research for clustering.
Colon distention induces persistent visceral hypersensitivity by mechanotranscription of pain mediators in colonic smooth muscle cells

Abdominal pain and distention are major complaints in irritable bowel syndrome. Abdominal distention is mainly attributed to intraluminal retention of gas or solid contents, which may cause mechanical stress to the gut wall. Visceral hypersensitivity (VHS) may account for abdominal pain. We sought to determine whether tonic colon distention causes persistent VHS and if so whether mechanical stress-induced expression (mechanotranscription) of pain mediators in colonic smooth muscle cells (SMCs) plays a role in VHS. Human colonic SMCs were isolated and stretched in vitro to investigate whether mechanical stress upregulates expression of the pain mediator cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). Rat colon was distended with a 5-cm-long balloon, and gene expression of COX-2, visceromotor response (VMR), and sensory neuron excitability were determined. Static stretch of colonic SMCs induced marked expression of COX-2 mRNA and protein in a force- and time-dependent manner. Subnoxious tonic distention of the distal colon at ∼30–40 mmHg for 20 or 40 min induced COX-2 expression and PGE2 production in colonic smooth muscle, but not in the mucosa layer. Lumen distention also increased VMR in a force- and time-dependent manner. The increase of VMR persisted for at least 3 days. Patch-clamp experiments showed that the excitability of colon projecting sensory neurons in the dorsal root ganglia was markedly augmented, 24 h after lumen distention. Administration of COX-2 inhibitor NS-398 partially but significantly attenuated distention-induced VHS. In conclusion, tonic lumen distention upregulates expression of COX-2 in colonic SMC, and COX-2 contributes to persistent VHS.
The two gene pairs encoding H2A and H2B play different roles in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae life cycle

We have isolated Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutants bearing deletions of one or the other of the two divergently transcribed gene pairs encoding H2A and H2B. The deletions produced diverse effects on the yeast life cycle. Deletion of TRT1, one of the H2A-H2B gene pair sets, affected mitotic growth, sporulation, spore germination, the heat shock response, and exit from the stationary phase; deletion of TRT2, the other H2A-H2B gene pair set, had negligible effects on these same processes. Using a genetic complementation assay, we found that the differential effects of the deletions could be attributed to two features of the gene sets: first, the expression of the TRT1 gene pair, but not the TRT2 gene pair, could compensate for the absence of its partner; second, the protein subtypes encoded by the two gene pairs appear to have different functions in the heat shock response.
An optical 3D digitizer for frameless stereotactic surgery

This frameless system for defining the precise spatial coordinates of a site of surgical interest has many advantages over conventional frame based systems and provides accuracy comparable to commonly used units. The system uses computer hardware and software to reconstruct 2D digital images into a 3D volumetric image display. The 3D images, when combined with a spatially digitizing sensor to define a location in space, can be directly registered to anatomical structures or markers in the surgical field. The display can then be used to track the sensor position and, therefore, the surgical position, thus eliminating the guesswork of intuitively transferring radiographic information to the operative field. This system, the ISG Viewing Wand, has proved to be objective and accurate at integrating imaging data with the structures in the operative field, with a clinical accuracy of approximately 3 millimeters.
Digital Quantification of Gene Expression in Sequential Breast Cancer Biopsies Reveals Activation of an Immune Response

Advancements in molecular biology have unveiled multiple breast cancer promoting pathways and potential therapeutic targets. Large randomized clinical trials remain the ultimate means of validating therapeutic efficacy, but they require large cohorts of patients and are lengthy and costly. A useful approach is to conduct a window of opportunity study in which patients are exposed to a drug pre-surgically during the interval between the core needle biopsy and the definitive surgery. These are non-therapeutic studies and the end point is not clinical or pathological response but rather evaluation of molecular changes in the tumor specimens that can predict response. However, since the end points of the non-therapeutic studies are biologic, it is critical to first define the biologic changes that occur in the absence of treatment. In this study, we compared the molecular profiles of breast cancer tumors at the time of the diagnostic biopsy versus the definitive surgery in the absence of any intervention using the Nanostring nCounter platform. We found that while the majority of the transcripts did not vary between the two biopsies, there was evidence of activation of immune related genes in response to the first biopsy and further investigations of the immune changes after a biopsy in early breast cancer seem warranted.
Gifted and Talented Education in China

The year 1977 was significant in the modern history of China because that year marked the dawning of a new era. For the previous 20 years, China had closed its doors to the outside world, but from 1977 onward, with a new Chairman, Deng Xiaoping, the country opened its doors again. With the opening came the call for modernization of the country. Under the slogan known as the Four Modernizations, the Chairman challenged the country to modernize in four areas: agriculture, industry, national defence and science and technology. In order to carry out this challenge, education became important again and the need to produce “rencai” or “people of abilities” to help with the modernization was critical.With this call for training contributing citizens to help build the country, there was a revival for gifted and talented education in various forms. This article will briefly introduce some of the work being done in gifted and talented (g/t) education in today's People's Republic of China and to offer some suggestio...
Estimation of heavy atom content and distribution in chlorite using corrected X-ray powder diffraction intensities

The heavy atom content and distribution in chlorite were estimated using the relative intensities of basal X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) peaks. For these peaks to be meaningful, however, corrections had to be made for the effects of sample thickness, sample length, and preferred orientation of the mineral grains, all of which are 20 dependent. The effects of sample thickness were corrected for by a simple formula. The effects of sample length were accounted for by using rectangular samples and by ensuring that the sample intersected the X-ray beam through the range of diffraction angles of interest. Preferred orientation of mineral grains were either measured directly or estimated. Estimated values were quicker and easier to obtain and were within 5% of measured values. A comparison of the compositional param- eters of chlorite estimated before correcting for these sample effects with those estimated after the cor- rections had been applied indicate that the uncorrected values differed from the corrected values by as much as 55% of the latter values. Mounts of a single sample prepared by different filter-membrane peel and porous-plate techniques yielded widely different compositions until the measurements were corrected for sample effects. Analyses in triplicate indicated that the XRD intensity ratio 003/001 is preferred for calculating heavy atom distributions and abundances in chlorite because of the relative strength of the 001 peak.
Functional MR to localize sustained visual attention activation in patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: A pilot study

PURPOSE To evaluate brain control activation in patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and to provide an initial comparison between activated regions in ADHD subjects and those previously localized in an unaffected population. METHODS Ten patients with ADHD underwent imaging with a functional blood oxygen level-dependent MR technique during sustained visual vigilance. Pixel activation was inspected visually and statistical group analysis was performed. RESULTS Activation was seen over the bilateral middle frontal gyri, the superior parietal lobules, and the inferior parietal lobules. The predominant activity occurred in the right middle frontal gyrus. Application of an additional statistical constraint revealed significant activity in the right inferior and left superior parietal lobules. CONCLUSION ADHD patients effectively tolerated the necessary MR imaging constraints despite their difficulty with confinement and immobility. Single-section functional MR imaging revealed activation in brain regions known to be involved in the maintenance of the attention in healthy subjects responding to auditory, tactile, or visual stimulation; additional areas of activity that were identified may represent true abnormal regions in the affected population or artifacts.
Emotion suppression affects cardiovascular responses to initial and subsequent laboratory stressors.

Objective. The study of anger suppression and risk for cardiovascular disease has relied predominately on inspection of correlations between trait anger-in and cardiovascular risk factors and disease. This approach tells us little about whether inhibitory processes have anything to do with outcomes, and cannot speak to whether suppression of anger per se affects cardiovascular parameters. Drawing on the broader emotion regulation literature, we examined the effects of experimentally induced anger and general negative emotion in the context of expressive and experiential suppression on cardiovascular responses to initial and subsequent laboratory stressors. Design. Of all participants, 201 healthy participants were randomly assigned to one of six conditions formed by crossing emotion (anxiety, anger) and suppression (experiential, expressive, control) conditions. Methods. Participants completed a mental arithmetic task with anxiety or anger induction under their respective suppression manipulation instructions, and subsequently were exposed to a cold pressor task. Systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate values were obtained for each experimental epoch. Results. More robust SBP responses to the initial stressor were evidenced for those in the expressive versus the control condition. In response to the subsequent stressor, those in the experiential suppression condition showed the most pronounced SBP responses, suggesting pronounced delayed effects of this type of suppression. Effects of suppression on SBP reactivity were indistinguishable across anxiety and anger conditions. Conclusion. Effortful suppression of negative emotion has immediate and delayed consequences for stress-induced cardiovascular reactivity. Theoretical and clinical significance of these findings are discussed.
Recent Results in Precision Measurements of Edges, Angles, Areas and Perimeters

This paper presents recent results in precision measurements using computer vision. An edge operator based on two-dimensional spatial moments is used. This operator can locate correctly modeled edges to hundredths of a pixel. This accuracy is unaffected by additive or multiplicative changes to the data values. The precision is achieved by correcting for many of the deterministic errors caused by non-ideal edge profiles using a look-up table to correct the original estimates of edge orientation and location. This table is generated using a synthesized edge which is located at various subpixel locations and various orientations. The edge locator is then used to estimate area and perimeter of imaged objects. Area and perimeter are also measured using averages of estimates from binary images generated by thresholding at many gray values. This method of threshold decomposition is compared to the edge detection methods. The application of these techniques to measurement of imaged machined metal parts is also presented.
The recycling rate of atmospheric moisture over the past two decades (1988?2009)

Numerical models predict that the recycling rate of atmospheric moisture decreases with time at the global scale, in response to global warming. A recent observational study (Wentz et al 2007 Science 317 233–5) did not agree with the results from numerical models. Here, we examine the recycling rate by using the latest data sets for precipitation and water vapor, and suggest a consistent view of the global recycling rate of atmospheric moisture between numerical models and observations. Our analyses show that the recycling rate of atmospheric moisture has also decreased over the global oceans during the past two decades. In addition, we find different temporal variations of the recycling rate in different regions when exploring the spatial pattern of the recycling rate. In particular, the recycling rate has increased in the high-precipitation region around the equator (i.e., the intertropical convergence zone) and decreased in the low-precipitation region located either side of the equator over the past two decades. Further exploration suggests that the temporal variation of precipitation is stronger than that of water vapor, which results in the positive trend of the recycling rate in the high-precipitation region and the negative trend of the recycling rate in the low-precipitation region.