cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of propofol‐induced sedation on intradermal test reactions in dogs with atopic dermatitis

We compared the effect of propofol and saline control on intradermal test reactions in dogs with atopic dermatitis undergoing outpatient intradermal testing (IDT). Nineteen dogs were used in this clinical study. Patients were randomly allocated to receive either intravenous (IV) propofol or IV 0.9% saline, and IDT was performed on the right or left (randomized) lateral thorax. One investigator, unaware of the treatments, interpreted all IDT results. Injection sites were analysed using a subjective and objective method. A value of P or= 1+ on all dogs, significantly more positive sites were apparent during propofol sedation than during saline administration. In addition, the greater number of individual dogs experiencing more positive reactions >or= 1+ during propofol sedation was significant. When subjectively analysing reactions >or= 2+, the greater number of positive reactions and the greater number of dogs with more positive reactions observed during propofol treatment was not significantly different from the saline control. When analysed objectively, the greater number of positive reactions observed during propofol sedation was not significant. A greater number of dogs had higher subjective scores and larger objective measurements during propofol sedation compared with saline administration. In summary, propofol sedation was associated with an overall greater number of positive IDT reactions compared with the saline control. Although not always significant, this difference should be considered when choosing propofol for skin testing dogs with atopic dermatitis.
Substrate Specifity Profiling of the Aspergillus fumigatus Proteolytic Secretome Reveals Consensus Motifs with Predominance of Ile/Leu and Phe/Tyr

Background The filamentous fungus Aspergillus fumigatus (AF) can cause devastating infections in immunocompromised individuals. Early diagnosis improves patient outcomes but remains challenging because of the limitations of current methods. To augment the clinician's toolkit for rapid diagnosis of AF infections, we are investigating AF secreted proteases as novel diagnostic targets. The AF genome encodes up to 100 secreted proteases, but fewer than 15 of these enzymes have been characterized thus far. Given the large number of proteases in the genome, studies focused on individual enzymes may overlook potential diagnostic biomarkers. Methodology and Principal Findings As an alternative, we employed a combinatorial library of internally quenched fluorogenic probes (IQFPs) to profile the global proteolytic secretome of an AF clinical isolate in vitro. Comparative protease activity profiling revealed 212 substrate sequences that were cleaved by AF secreted proteases but not by normal human serum. A central finding was that isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine, and tyrosine predominated at each of the three variable positions of the library (44.1%, 59.1%, and 57.0%, respectively) among substrate sequences cleaved by AF secreted proteases. In contrast, fewer than 10% of the residues at each position of cleaved sequences were cationic or anionic. Consensus substrate motifs were cleaved by thermostable serine proteases that retained activity up to 50°C. Precise proteolytic cleavage sites were reliably determined by a simple, rapid mass spectrometry-based method, revealing predominantly non-prime side specificity. A comparison of the secreted protease activities of three AF clinical isolates revealed consistent protease substrate specificity fingerprints. However, secreted proteases of A. flavus, A. nidulans, and A. terreus strains exhibited striking differences in their proteolytic signatures. Conclusions This report provides proof-of-principle for the use of protease substrate specificity profiling to define the proteolytic secretome of Aspergillus fumigatus. Expansion of this technique to protease secretion during infection could lead to development of novel approaches to fungal diagnosis.
Use of Agricultural Soil Survey Maps for Engineering Geologic Mapping

Geologic mapping for construction of canals and pipelines as well as for irrigation and drainage developments, etc., is both expensive and time consuming. Published regional geologic maps are usually too general for such purposes. Due to the frequent uncertainty of the final alinements and location of project structures, the areas mapped during reconnaissance and feasibility studies may be disproportionately large. For example, in California the widths of mapped areas for preconstruction purposes for Folsom South and Tehama-Colusa canals are about 60–150 m, while reconnaissance maps of Mid-Valley Canal cover a stretch 5–7 km wide. Experience developed from several projects in the Central Valley, California, indicates that National Cooperative Soil Survey (NCSS) “agricultural” soil maps provide an excellent, readily available base for “office compilation” of engineering geologic maps for the reconnaissance-feasibility stages of an investigation. Such soil maps are made essentially for agricultural use, but reflect the character and composition of underlying formations, topography, and other data valuable to engineering geology. On the west side of California9s San Joaquin Valley, for example, grouping of different soil types was utilized to delineate the following units: (1) river channel and low flood plain alluvium; (2) alluvium of intermediate flood plains; (3) alluvium of upper flood plains; (4) the outer rim of west side piedmont alluvium; (5) young west side piedmont alluvium; and (6) old west side piedmont alluvium, etc. The method was used for preparation of geologic maps of San Luis Canal and the Westlands Service Area, San Luis Drain and the associated Kesterson and South Dos Palos reservoir sites, Mid-Valley Canal, six wildlife conservation ponds, and other projects. This approach is particularly good in alluviated basins but may also provide some important data on depth and character of hard bedrock in mountainous regions.
Estimation of Delay of M PPM Signals in Laguerre Communications

In this note the maximum likelihood detector for M pulse-position-modulated (PPM) signals in Laguerre communications is derived. A decision-directed maximum likelihood estimator for the delay of M PPM signals is discussed.
Is Size of Fecal Pellets a Reliable Indicator of Species of Leporids in the Southern Rocky Mountains

Abstract In the southern Rocky Mountains, USA, snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) and mountain cottontails (Sylvilagus nuttallii) are syntopic. Previous researchers used size of fecal pellets to identify leporid species in the Southern Rockies, a common criterion for identifying species of cervids. We measured 655 fecal pellets from 10 mountain cottontails and 2,374 fecal pellets from 23 snowshoe hares. We found no relationship between the body weight of mountain cottontails and the size of their fecal pellets (r = 0.04, F = 0.01, P = 0.91) but found one for snowshoe hares (r = 0.48, F = 9.3, P = 0.005). Although the 2 species differed in the size of their fecal pellets, the difference between means (1.2 mm) was sufficiently small to require measuring individual pellets and is only applicable to individuals of adult size. Although fecal pellet counts may be used to estimate presence and relative abundance of snowshoe hares in the absence of syntopic leporids, where multiple species of leporids are syntopic...
Raman measurement of mixing and finite-rate chemistry in a supersonic hydrogen-air diffusion flame

Abstract Uhraviolet (UV) spontaneous vibrational Raman scattering and laser-induced predissociative fluorescence (LIPF) from a KrF excimer laser are combined to simultaneously measure temperature, major species concentrations (H2, O2, N2, H2O), and OH radical concentration in a supersonic lifted co-flowing hydrogen-air diffusion flame. The axisymmetric flame is formed when a sonic jet of hydrogen mixes with a Mach 2 annular jet of vitiated air. Mean and rms profiles of temperature, species concentrations, and mixture fraction are obtained throughout the supersonic flame. Simultaneous measurements of the chemical species and temperature are compared with frozen chemistry and equilibrium chemistry limits to assess the local state of the mixing and chemistry. Upstream of the lifted flame base, a very small amount of reaction occurs from mixing with hot vitiated air. Downstream of the lifted flame base, strong turbulent mixing leads to subequilibrium values of temperature and OH concentration. Due to the interaction of velocity and temperature in supersonic compressible flames, the fluctuations of temperature and species concentrations are found to be higher than subsonic flames. Farther downstream, slow three-body recombination reactions result in superequilibrium OH concentrations that depress temperatures below their equilibrium values.
Direct, parallel nanopatterning of silicon carbide by laser nanosphere lithography

A technique to create nanopatterns on hard-to-machine bulk silicon carbide (SiC) with a laser beam is presented. A monolayer of silica (SiO2) spheres of 1.76-µm and 640-nm diameter are deposited on the SiC substrate and then irradiated with an Nd:YAG laser of 355 and 532 nm. The principle of optical near-field enhancement between the spheres and substrate when irradiated by a laser beam is used for obtaining the nanofeatures. The features are then characterized using a scanning electron microscope and an atomic force microscope. The diameter of the features thus obtained is around 150 to 450 nm and the depths vary from 70 to 220 nm.
Orbits of algebraic numbers with low heights

We prove that the two smallest values of h(α)+h(1/1-α)+h(1-1/α) are 0 and 0.4218..., for α any algebraic integer.
Trehalose levels and trehalase activity in germinated and ungerminated spores of Nosema algerae (Microspora: Nosematidae)

Abstract Gas chromatographic analysis of carbohydrates in ungerminated Nosema algerae spores revealed trehalose at concentrations above 0.4 m and traces of glucose. After germination in KCl at pH 9.5, only one-third of the trehalose remained, and a large increase in glucose was found. A significant amount of glucose was also detected when germination was inhibited by NH4Cl, but the trehalose concentration was unchanged. Trehalase activity in the soluble and insoluble fractions of crude N. algerae spore homogenate, its response to temperature, pH, and trehalose concentration, and its relationship to spore germination were investigated. The temperature optima are 43.7°C for the supernatant and 43.9°C for the residue fraction. The Km's are 26 m m for the supernatant and 25 m m for the residue. Thirty-minute temperature tolerance tests showed 50% activity reductions at 35°C for the supernatant and 38°C for the residue. The pH optima were 5.5 for the supernatant and 5.25 for the residue fractions. A significantly greater proportion of the total enzyme activity was associated with the supernatant fraction in germinated than in ungerminated spores. Neither NH4Cl nor γ radiation appeared to exert inhibitory effects directly through trehalase.
The role of the cytotoxic T–lymphocyte response and virus cytopathogenicity in the virus decline during antiviral therapy

Although it is clear that HIV can lyse HIV-infected CD4 T cells, it is still controversial whether the depletion of CD4 T cells seen in HIV-infected patients after years of asymptomatic disease is caused by the direct cytopathic effects of the virus or is mediated by the immune response. Assuming the initial decline in viraemia during highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is caused by the death of cells productively infected with HIV, I investigate how the rate of the virus decline is affected by the efficiency of the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) response. I find that whether the stronger immune response causes a more rapid virus decline depends critically on how the virus is controlled by the CTL response (lytic versus non-lytic mechanisms). Moreover, variation in the efficiency of the immune response does not always cause variation in the rate of the virus decline (and, therefore, in the death rate of infected cells), implying that the constancy of the virus decline rate measured in different patients does not necessarily indicate that the virus is cytopathic. The potential problems associated with the model and the approach undertaken are also discussed.
Trihalomethyl Cations and Their Superelectrophilic Activation1

Ab initio molecular orbital and density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed to investigate energies, geometries, and reactivities of halomethyl cations and their protonated analogues. On the basis of calculated energies the observed superelectrophilic activation of the halomethyl cations in superacid solutions is discussed. The protonated halomethyl cations have considerable kinetic and thermodynamic stability. 13C NMR chemical shifts of selected systems were calculated by IGLO method and compared with experimental data.
Virtual navigation of interior structures by lidar

In this project, we propose to develop a prototype system that can automatically reconstruct 3D scenes of the interior of a building, cave or other structure using ground-based LIDAR scanning technology. We develop a user-friendly real-time visualization software package that will allow the users to interactively visualize, navigate and walk through the room from different view angles, zoom in and out, etc.
ERK and p38 MAPK pathways, but not iNOS, mediate the adenosine A1 receptor-induced delayed protection against in vivo myocardial infarction

Abstract Introduction: Extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) mediation of adenosine A1 receptor (ADO A1R)-induced delayed preconditioning (PC) against in vivo myocardial infarction (MI) remains unknown, whereas the involvement of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in this cardioprotection is controversial. We thus tested the roles of ERK, p38 MAPK, and iNOS in ADO A1R-induced delayed PC agaist in vivo MI. Methods: 24 hr after a bolus of ADO A1R agonist CCPA (100 μg/kg ip) or vehicle, rats (N = 6/group) underwent 25 min of regional ischemia + 2 hr of reperfusion and then the infarct size (IS) was determined. Additional rats were treated with CCPA or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and heart proteins were extracted 6 or 24hr later for Western blot determination of iNOS expression. Results: Data (mean ± SEM), were analyzed by one-way ANOVA. CCPA treatment reduced IS from 45 ± 2% (control) to 26 ± 2%∗ of area at risk (∗p Conclusions: These findings suggest that ERK and p38 MAPK, but not iNOS, mediate ADO A1R-induced delayed PC.
Nevoid Hypertrichosis: Multiple Patches Associated With Premature Graying of Lesional Hair

A 23-month-old Caucasian girl had congenital circumscribed areas of deeply pigmented terminal hairs that gradually lost their pigment over the next two years. Physical examination revealed no other abnormalities. Histologic examination demonstrated terminal hair in otherwise normal skin consistent with nevoid hypertrichosis. The clinical and histologic characteristics of nevoid hypertrichosis are compared with other types of hypertrichotic patches.
Simulations of Congenital Septal Defect Closure and Reactivity Testing in Patient-Specific Models of the Pediatric Pulmonary Vasculature: A 3D Numerical Study With Fluid-Structure Interaction

Clinical imaging methods are highly effective in the diagnosis of vascular pathologies, but they do not currently provide enough detail to shed light on the cause or progression of such diseases, and would be hard pressed to foresee the outcome of surgical interventions. Greater detail of and prediction capabilities for vascular hemodynamics and arterial mechanics are obtained here through the coupling of clinical imaging methods with computational techniques. Three-dimensional, patient-specific geometric reconstructions of the pediatric proximal pulmonary vasculature were obtained from x-ray angiogram images and meshed for use with commercial computational software. Two such models from hypertensive patients, one with multiple septal defects, the other who underwent vascular reactivity testing, were each completed with two sets of suitable fluid and structural initial and boundary conditions and used to obtain detailed transient simulations of artery wall motion and hemodynamics in both clinically measured and predicted configurations. The simulation of septal defect closure, in which input flow and proximal vascular stiffness were decreased, exhibited substantial decreases in proximal velocity, wall shear stress (WSS), and pressure in the post-op state. The simulation of vascular reactivity, in which distal vascular resistance and proximal vascular stiffness were decreased, displayed negligible changes in velocity and WSS but a significant drop in proximal pressure in the reactive state. This new patient-specific technique provides much greater detail regarding the function of the pulmonary circuit than can be obtained with current medical imaging methods alone, and holds promise for enabling surgical planning.
A Further Study of Information “Chunking” and Short-Term Retention

Summary The present study was designed to examine the effects of letter frequency and organizational pattern on the short-term retention of letter stimuli. A total of 60 Ss were tested individually in a two-by-four mixed analysis-of-variance design with two levels of digram-letter frequency (high and low) and four levels of organizational pattern (12 lines with one letter per line, six lines with two letters per line, four lines with three letters per line, and one line with 12 letters per line). The results showed that both main effects and the interaction term are significant and can be interpreted in terms of Miller's “chunking” model of information storage and retrieval.
Insulin-like peptides in the lobster Homarus americanus II. Insulin-like biological activity

The in vitro incorporation of [14C]glucose into glycogen in lobster muscle was used to measure insulin-like biological activity. Glycogenesis was significantly increased by the same hepatopancreas eluate which was previously found to have the greatest insulin immunoreactivity. Hemolymph but not gut extract also increased the rate of glycogenesis.
Deuterium double-transition quadrupole-resoname spectra and the structures of catechol, resorcinol, and hydroquinone

Abstract The double-transition NQR spectra of deuterium in catechol-(O)- d 2 , two phases of resorcinol-(O)- d 2 , and one phase of hydroquinone-(O)- d 2 have been examined at 77 K to obtain site and line pairing assignments for these materials. The interpretation of these lines, allowed by intermolecular dipole coupling between sites, has indicated the presence of previously unsuspected structure changes in catechol and hydroguinone at low temperatures, thus indicating the power of the method for detailed elucidation of the topology of such coupled network structures in solids. The fine and site assignments of previous work were confirmed for the alpha and beta phases of resorcinol.
α-Helix mimetics as inhibitors of protein-protein interactions

The inhibition of protein-protein interactions using small molecules is a viable approach for the treatment of a range of pathological conditions that result from a malfunctioning of these interactions. Our strategy for the design of such agents involves the mimicry of side-chain residues on one face of the alpha-helix; these residues frequently play a key role in mediating protein-protein interactions. The first-generation terphenyl scaffold, with a 3,2',2''-substitution pattern, is able to successfully mimic key helix residues and disrupt therapeutically relevant interactions, including the Bcl-X(L)-Bak and the p53-hDM2 (human double minute 2) interactions that are implicated in cancer. The second- and third-generation scaffolds have resulted in greater synthetic accessibility and more drug-like character in these molecules.
Localization of an acid proteinase in hempseed

Abstract An acid proteinase was detected in a solubilized preparation of dormant hempseed. It has an optimum pH of 3·2 with hemoglobin as substrate, and 4·3 with its natural substrate, edestin. The enzyme is temperature sensitive, the optimal temperature being 53°. Aleurone grains (protein bodies) are the principal subcellular site for the acid proteinase.
Object-based land cover classification of shaded areas in high spatial resolution imagery of urban areas: A comparison study

Abstract A significant proportion of high spatial resolution imagery in urban areas can be affected by shadows. Considerable research has been conducted to investigate shadow detection and removal in remotely sensed imagery. Few studies, however, have evaluated how applications of these shadow detection and restoration methods can help eliminate the shadow problem in land cover classification of high spatial resolution images in urban settings. This paper presents a comparison study of three methods for land cover classification of shaded areas from high spatial resolution imagery in an urban environment. Method 1 combines spectral information in shaded areas with spatial information for shadow classification. Method 2 applies a shadow restoration technique, the linear-correlation correction method to create a “shadow-free” image before the classification. Method 3 uses multisource data fusion to aid in classification of shadows. The results indicated that Method 3 achieved the best accuracy, with overall accuracy of 88%. It provides a significantly better means for shadow classification than the other two methods. The overall accuracy for Method 1 was 81.5%, slightly but not significantly higher than the 80.5% from Method 2. All of the three methods applied an object-based classification procedure, which was critical as it provides an effective way to address the problems of radiometric difference and spatial misregistration associated with multisource data fusion (Method 3), and to incorporate thematic spatial information (Method 1).
On Using Mobility to Propagate Malware

Mobility can be exploited to spread malware among wireless nodes. In this paper, we present an analytical model for estimating the evolution of infections spanning multiple network domains that host mobile nodes. We validate the accuracy of the proposed model by comparing its predictions to simulations driven by realistic mobility patterns. Our results show that such a mobile infection requires less than a day to infect the majority of a mobile population with thousands of wireless nodes spanning hundreds of network domains. Moreover, if mobile nodes are allowed to infect nodes within the same domain that are connected to the wired network, then an even smaller number of mobile nodes can inflict comparable damage in similar time frames. Unfortunately, these infections generate negligible activity at global malware monitoring stations (e.g., network telescopes and honeypots), which contributes to their stealthiness. By observing the infection's spatial evolution we show that popular domains are infected during the early stages of the infection. This observation is likely to be useful in designing countermeasures against mobile infections. By placing monitors in approximately 10% of the most visited domains, we can detect the mobile worm before it reaches a majority of the population. Finally, we elucidate why simply placing telescopes in just the popular domains is not sufficient for early detection.
The influence of genetic counselors on the acceptance of mid-trimester amniocentesis.

Objective. To determine the effect of the genetic counselor on the acceptance of genetic amniocentesis.Methods. We studied women with singleton pregnancies who would be at least 35 years of age at the estimated date of delivery without fetal structural anomalies or family history of chromosomal abnormalities. The acceptance rate of genetic amniocentesis among women evaluated by each counselor was compared with the average acceptance rate for our population. Chi-square test, Fisher exact test and ANOVA were used for analysis.Results. Of the 2,180 women met our inclusion criteria, 1,719 (78.9%) accepted genetic amniocentesis. The maternal age at estimated date of delivery, the proportion of women who conceived by in vitro fertilization, and the proportion with history of miscarriage were similar among women evaluated by each of the six genetic counselors. However, the acceptance rate of genetic amniocentesis was significantly lower in women evaluated by counselor C [115/170 (67.6%), P = 0.001] and significa...
Characterization and Functional Study of Antrodia camphorata Lipopolysaccharide

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a highly proinflammatory molecule isolated from bacteria. This study demonstrated the existence of LPS in a medicinal fungus, Antrodia camphorata. Because no LPS had been identified in any fungus organism, the purification of LPS from A. camphorata was attempted. LPSs from six strains of A. camphorata (35396, 35398, 35716, B71, B85, and B86) were isolated. Chemical and functional properties were investigated on the fungus LPS. Compositional analysis revealed that sorbitol, fucose, galactose, and glucose were the neutral sugars in LPS of A. camphorata. Galactosamine, glucosamine, galactose, and glucose were the predominant monosaccharide species in E. coli O129 LPS molecules, whereas galactosamine and glucosamine were absent in A. camphorata LPS. Because these properties are different from those of bacterial LPS, the functions between fungus and bacterial LPS are also discussed. The vascular endothelial lining of blood vessels, which controls leucocyte traffic and activation, may be one of the primary targets of LPS action during sepsis. Assays for biological activity were performed on endothelial cells with anti-inflammatory effects associated with sepsis. A. camphorata LPS apparently showed a lesser extent of cytotoxicity than bacterial LPS. In contrary to the proinflammatory property of bacterial LPS, LPS from A. camphorata differentially reversed bacterial LPS-induced intercellular adhersion molecule-1 and monocyte adhesion; both were indicators during inflammatory process. In conclusion, basic chemical properties categorized A. camphorata extracts into lipopolysaccharide. However, the detailed functional structures and bioactivities of A. camphorata LPS were totally different from those of bacterial LPS. The investigation of the existence and anti-inflammatory effect of fungus LPS is at present a truly novel and important finding. These results show that LPS isolated from A. camphorata offers a novel therapeutic target for anti-inflammation against E. coli infection.
HEALTH SCREENING: III

A 43-year-old white female with end-stage renal disease (ESRD)from idiopathic membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis has been on hemodialysis for three years. Past medical history is unremarkable except for hypertension. Family history is negative. The patient dialyzes thrice weekly with infrequent side effects and works full time as a graphic designer. Menstruation is regular with occasional heavy flow.
Cytoarchitecture of ras oncogene-expressing tumor cells: Butyrate modulation of substrate adhesion, cytoskeletal actin content and subcellular microfilament distribution

Abstract 1. 1.The subcellular distribution of particular cytoskeletal (CSK) and cell-substrate adhesive elements was assessed during the morphologic response of cultured tumor cells to the shape modulating agent sodium butyrate (NaB). 2. 2.NaB induced marked increases in cellular and CSK actin content and in the matrix-associated proteins fibronectin and p52. 3. 3.Subcellular fractionation indicated disproportionate increases in the actin content of the substrate-attached cellular residue (SAM fraction) which contains the majority of cell-substrate adhesive elements. 4. 4.Augmented cell spreading and substrate attachment characteristic of NaB-treated cells is likely due to increased elaboration of cell-to-substrate adhesive structures and reflected in an enhanced deposition of actin into the CSK and SAM compartments.
Castration Decreases Single Cell Levels of mRNA Encoding Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase in the Diagonal Band of Broca and the Sexually Dimorphic Nucleus of the Preoptic Area

Using quantitative in situ hybridization histochemistry (ISHH), we determined the effect of castration on single cell levels of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) mRNA in discrete hypothalamic regions of the male rat brain associated with the control of gonadotropin secretion. A 48-base oligodeoxynucleotide probe was used to detect with equal affinity the two isoforms of GAD message, GAD65 and GAD67. GAD message also was quantitated in a number of selected areas of the brain to contrast GAD gene expression amongst several populations of GABAergic neurons. Comparison of 11 brain regions demonstrated a 9.3-fold range in the quantity of single cell GAD mRNA with levels being highest in the amygdala and the diagonal band of Broca, moderate in the piriform cortex, caudate nucleus, substantia innominata, globus pallidus, cingulate cortex and medial septal nucleus, and lowest in the lateral septal nucleus and the medial preoptic nucleus (MPN). Castration markedly reduced single cell GAD mRNA levels in the DBB and the MPN, two discrete hypothalamic structures known to contain dendritic fields, cell bodies, and axons of GnRH neurons projecting to the median eminence. A striking finding was a dense core of steroid-sensitive GABAergic neurons within the MPN comprising the sexually dimorphic nucleus of the preoptic area (SDN-POA). Similar to the MPN as a whole, the amount of GAD mRNA expressed by cells in the SDN-POA of sham operated control rats was greater than in castrated animals. GAD mRNA levels were inversely related to serum LH titers, suggesting a role for these neurons in the mechanism controlling gonadal steroid negative feedback on LH secretion. This report provides the basis for future work to determine if GAD65, GAD67 or whether both isoforms are affected by gonadal steroid input.
Insomnia as a Transdiagnostic Process in Psychiatric Disorders

Insomnia is a major public health concern, and is highly comorbid with a broad range of psychiatric disorders. Although insomnia has historically been considered a symptom of other disorders, this perspective has shifted. Epidemiological and experimental studies suggest that insomnia is related to the onset and course of several psychiatric disorders. Furthermore, several randomized controlled trials show that cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia delivered to individuals who meet diagnostic criteria for insomnia and another psychiatric disorder improves the insomnia as well as the symptoms of the comorbid psychiatric disorder. Taken together, these results encompassing a range of methodologies have provided encouraging evidence and point toward insomnia as a transdiagnostic process in psychiatric disorders.
Pax6 expression is sufficient to induce a neurogenic fate in glial progenitors of the neonatal subventricular zone.

Background The forebrain subventricular zone (SVZ) of neonatal mammals contains a large, heterogeneous population of migratory and proliferating precursors of interneurons and glia. These cell types are produced in large numbers in the immediate postnatal period, the glioblasts populating the hemispheres with astrocytes and oligodendrocytes, the neuroblasts migrating to the olfactory bulb to become interneurons. How cell fate decisions are determined or stabilized in this mixed population is not clear, although previous studies indicate the importance of two transcription factors, Pax6 in neurons and Olig2 in glia, and suggest there may be reciprocal repression between these genes. Methodology/Principal Findings In examining the SVZ of neonatal mouse and rat brain, we find that the very large majority of SVZ cells express either Pax6 or Olig2, but few express both. We have used in vivo retro- and lenti-virus injections into the neonatal SVZ and in vitro gene transfer to demonstrate that pax6 over-expression is sufficient to down-regulate olig2 and to promote a neuronal lineage development and migration pattern in olig2-expressing cells. Furthermore, we provide evidence that Pax6 binds to the olig2 promoter and that an HEB sequence in the promoter is required for the Pax6 repression of olig2 transcription. Lastly, we constructed a lentivirus to target olig2-expressing cells in the SVZ to trace their fates, and found that the very large majority developed into glia. Conclusions/Significance We provide evidence for a direct repression of olig2 by Pax6. Since SVZ cells can display developmental plasticity in vitro, the cross-repression promotes a stabilization of cell fates. This repression may be critical in a germinal zone in which immature cells are highly migratory and are not organized into an epithelium.
Hyperglycemic oxoaldehyde, glyoxal, causes barrier dysfunction, cytoskeletal alterations, and inhibition of angiogenesis in vascular endothelial cells: aminoguanidine protection

Vascular endothelium is vulnerable to the attack of glucose-derived oxoaldehydes (glyoxal and methylglyoxal) during diabetes, through the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Although aminoguanidine (AG) has been shown to protect against the AGE-induced adverse effects, its protection against the glyoxal-induced alterations in vascular endothelial cells (ECs) such as cytotoxicity, barrier dysfunction, and inhibition of angiogenesis has not been reported and we investigated this in the bovine pulmonary artery ECs (BPAECs). The results showed that glyoxal (1–10 mM) significantly induced cytotoxicity and mitochondrial dysfunction in a dose- and time-dependent (4–12 h) fashion in ECs. Glyoxal was also observed to significantly inhibit EC proliferation. The study also revealed that glyoxal induced EC barrier dysfunction (loss of trans-endothelial electrical resistance), actin cytoskeletal rearrangement, and tight junction alterations in BPAECs. Furthermore, the results revealed that glyoxal significantly inhibited in vitro angiogenesis on the Matrigel. For the first time, this study demonstrated that AG significantly protected against the glyoxal-induced cytotoxicity, barrier dysfunction, cytoskeletal rearrangement, and inhibition of angiogenesis in BPAECs. Therefore, AG appears as a promising protective agent in the treatment of AGE-induced vascular endothelial alterations and dysfunction during diabetes, presumably by blocking the reactivity of the sugar-derived dicarbonyls such as glyoxal and preventing the formation of AGEs.
Enhancing Spatial and Temporal Cognitive Ability in Construction Education Through Augmented Reality and Artificial Visualizations

It is essential to provide the future industry workforce to fully develop the learning abilities to effectively solve construction problems. The Construction Management (CM) students’ ability to solve problems is hindered by the lack of exposure to construction processes on the job-site, which results in the students’ lack of understanding of the dynamic complex spatial constraints (e.g., how construction products are related to one another in particular contextual space) and the temporal constraints (e.g., the dependencies for coordinating subcontractors’ processes). As the spatial-temporal-constraint problems pervade projects during the construction phase, their full understating to solve CM problems will significantly enable students to improve productivity levels. This research uses Augmented Reality Technology (ART) and a layer of artificial visualizations to simulate the environmental context and spatial temporal constraints. The superimposition of images serves as an instructional mechanism to virtually incorporate jobsite experiences. The assumption is that the enhancement of spatial-temporal constraints enables learners to visualize context and hidden processes. Therefore, this research expects to demonstrate a significant improvement of the perception of the reality through the combination of two layers (the real environment and the computer-generated information) including the learners’ ability to understand the complexity of construction products (e.g., assemblies) and associated process in the jobsite.
Assay of cyclic 3'-5'-monophosphate in the regenerating forelimb of the newt, Triturus.

The cyclic adenosine 3′-5′-monophosphate content of four regenerate stages in the forelimb of the newt, Triturus viridescens, was assayed using the Gilman method and compared to the content in the normal, unamputated, forelimb. The concentration was found to be highest in the earliest stages of regeneration, followed by a sharp drop and then a rise to a plateau approximately that of the unamputated limb. The possibility that cyclic AMP acts as a second messenger for nervous and hormonal influences on regeneration is discussed.
Economics modeling of multichip systems testing strategies

Summary form only given, as follows. To produce high-quality and cost-effective multichip systems, they must be designed with test and fault diagnosis as critical design requirements. However, deciding on where and when to test, and whether to apply Design For Test (DFT) and Built-in Self Test (BIST) at the IC, multichip module (MCM) or board level requires considerable study and evaluation to determine the economics of the various solutions and the payback. In this paper we explore the tradeoffs between various test and rework strategies for multichip module designs. Some of these strategies incorporate various DFT options at both the MCM and IC levels. We analyze the impact of various cost, yield, and test effectiveness parameters on the final cost and quality of multichip modules. Experimental trade-off analysis data generated for some leading-edge multichip designs are also presented. The results clearly indicate that incorporating DFT and BIST with varying degrees at the chip or MCM levels is economically justifiable and results in cost reduction as well as quality improvement. The results also indicates that the MCM cost could vary by about 10-20% depending on the test strategy used. However, proper determination of where and how to test, and whether to employ DFT and BIST at the IC or MCM levels, requires an evaluation of the economics of the various solutions and the payback. That process is highly dependent on the design under consideration and the parameters associated with the available manufacturing environment(s).
Isoenzyme Polymorphism in Flowering Plants I. Diffusion of Enzymes Out of Intact Pollen Grains

Esterases, leucine aminopeptidases, catalases, amylases and acid phosphatases diffuse out of intact and ungerminated pollen grains of Oenothera organensis, whether suspended in 1 % sodium chloride or in pollen medium. A total of 15 esterase isozymes are recorded; 5 of them appear within 5 minutes, 8 within 30 minutes, 9 within 2 hours, and 13 within 19 hours. Pollen grains suspended for 19 hours gave much stronger isozyme bands than macerated pollen grains. However, one esterase hand was consistently missing from the 19 hour suspensions, although present in all others. It is suggested as a working hypothesis that the early growth of pollen tubes and possibly even germination of pollen grains may be influenced by the metabolic products of pistillate tissues caused by the diffused pollen enzymes, and that inactivation of these enzymes by stigmatic or stylar components could lead to incompatibility reactions.
Predictors of Autism Enrollment in Public School Systems

With a number of disparities present in the diagnosis and treatment of children with autism spectrum disorders, the education system plays a crucial role in the provision of both these service elements. Based on school and federal census data, this article examines one state’s public school autism enrollment and possible predictors of enrollment within each jurisdiction. The authors’ analyses found that actual prevalence is inconsistent with expectations across jurisdictions, with socioeconomic status indicators, race, geographic location, and racial diagnostic discrepancies in special education significantly predicting enrollment. This report exemplifies how secondary analysis of educational data can allow states to better allocate funding, begin to address issues pertaining to lags and unmet standards, and find model systems within their states.
Piperidine Alkaloids in Nitrogen Fertilized Pinus ponderosa

We fertilized individual, pole-size ponderosa pine trees at two low-quality sites and pine saplings at a relatively high-quality site, with ammonium nitrate. Six to 12 months later, we measured total %N and 2,6-disubstituted piperidine alkaloids in the foliage. The N additions raised foliar %N above deficiency levels (i.e., from 1.0–1.1% to 1.4–1.6%) at the low-quality sites, but did not elevate foliar %N in saplings at the higher quality site, where it was already (1.9%) well above critical levels. In control trees with foliar N below a threshold of 1.1%, we detected no more than trace levels of alkaloids, indicating that alkaloid production is highly constrained by N deficiency. The N additions increased mean concentrations of the predominant alkaloid, pinidine, at all three sites. Mean total alkaloid concentrations for fertilized trees at the two low-quality sites were 12 and 155 μg/g dry wt higher than controls (relative increases of 12× and 4.5×, respectively). For saplings at the high-quality site, the mean total increased by 584 μg/g dry wt (1.6×) with the N additions. Allocation of foliar N to alkaloids was highest in fertilized saplings (0.81%) compared to control saplings (0.53%). These findings demonstrate that foliar alkaloid concentrations can be increased by nitrogen fertilization of forest trees growing on both low- and high-quality sites. Fertilizing for the purpose of inhibiting potential herbivores may be more successful at higher quality sites where alkaloid levels are enhanced relative to food quality (foliar %N).
SPATIAL COHERENCE AND DENSITY CORRELATIONS OF TRAPPED BOSE GASES

We study first- and second-order coherence of trapped dilute Bose gases using appropriate correlation functions. Special attention is given to the discussion of second-order or density correlations. Except for a small region around the surface of a Bose-Einstein condensate the correlations can be accurately described as those of a locally homogeneous gas with a spatially varying chemical potential. The degrees of first- and second-order coherence are therefore functions of temperature, chemical potential, and position. The second-order correlation function is governed both by the tendency of bosonic atoms to cluster and by a strong repulsion at small distances due to atomic interactions. In present experiments both effects are of comparable magnitude. Below the critical temperature the range of the bosonic correlation is affected by the presence of collective quasiparticle excitations. The results of some recent experiments on second- and third-order coherence are discussed. It is shown that the relation between the measured quantities and the correlation functions is much weaker than previously assumed.
Motion and context sensing techniques for pen computing

We explore techniques for a slender and untethered stylus prototype enhanced with a full suite of inertial sensors (three-axis accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer). We present a taxonomy of enhanced stylus input techniques and consider a number of novel possibilities that combine motion sensors with pen stroke and touchscreen inputs on a pen + touch slate. These inertial sensors enable motion-gesture inputs, as well sensing the context of how the user is holding or using the stylus, even when the pen is not in contact with the tablet screen. Our initial results suggest that sensor-enhanced stylus input offers a potentially rich modality to augment interaction with slate computers.
The influence of PTSD symptoms on alcohol and drug problems: Internalizing and externalizing pathways

The present study used longitudinal data from a community study of familial alcoholism to examine the extent to which the long-term influence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms on future adult alcohol and drug problems was mediated by increases in early adult internalizing or externalizing symptoms. The subsample of participants included in this study were exposed to at least one traumatic event and had measures of both pre- and post-trauma functioning (n = 166; 62% men; 57% children of parents with an alcohol disorder; 68% non-Hispanic Caucasian, 26% Hispanic). The average age of participants was 13.1-year-old at the pre-trauma assessment, 20.3 years old at the early adult post-trauma assessment, and 25.7 years old at the adult follow-up assessment. Results from path analyses indicated that PTSD symptoms directly influenced risk for adult drug problems, but PTSD symptoms only influenced risk for adult alcohol problems to the extent that PTSD symptoms increased early adult externalizing symptomatology. Early adult internalizing symptomatology did not significantly mediate the influence of PTSD on either adult alcohol or drug problems. These findings suggest that the association between PTSD and future drug problems may be best explained by a PTSD-specific self-medication mechanism, whereas the association between PTSD symptoms and future alcohol problems may be best explained by an increased propensity to engage in externalizing behaviors. This study is among the first prospective, community-based studies to examine the risk mechanisms that link PTSD symptoms to alcohol and drug problems.
Beyond the Rainbow: Retrieval Practice Leads to Better Spelling than Does Rainbow Writing.

In three experiments, we compared the effectiveness of rainbow writing and retrieval practice, two common methods of spelling instruction. In experiment 1 (n = 14), second graders completed 2 days of spelling practice, followed by spelling tests 1 day and 5 weeks later. A repeated measures analysis of variance demonstrated that spelling accuracy for words trained with retrieval practice was higher than for words trained with rainbow writing on both tests (η p 2 = .49). In experiments 2 (second graders, n = 16) and 3 (first graders, n = 12), students completed 2 days of spelling practice followed by a spelling test 1 day later. Results replicated experiment 1; spelling accuracy was higher for words trained with retrieval practice compared with rainbow writing (η p 2 = .42 and .64, respectively). Furthermore, students endorsed both liking and learning from retrieval practice at least as much as (and sometimes more than) rainbow writing. Results demonstrate that retrieval practice is a more useful (and as engaging) training method than is rainbow writing and extend the well-established testing effect to beginning spellers.
Mechanism of emulsion polymerization of styrene with persulfate as activator in the absence and presence of mercaptan and a retarder

With the use of persulfate containing radioactive sulfur it is shown that the termination reaction of the polymerization of styrene is a coupling of the free radical chains. In the presence of m-dinitrobenzene as a retarder evidence has been presented that the termination reaction is a disproportionation and not a combination of two free radical chains. Mercaptan in the emulsion polymerization of styrene acts solely as a chain transfer agent. Any chemical reaction between persulfate and mercaptan does not contribute to the initiation. In the presence of detergent the rate of initiation of the polymerization of styrene is equal to the rate of thermal dissociation of persulfate: Thus, any reaction between persulfate with monomer and detergent does not contribute to the initiation. The much smaller rate of initiation in the absence of detergent is attributed to the slight solubility of styrene, the concentration of the monomer being so small that it cannot capture all the free radicals. The effect of the detergent is a physical one, by its solubilizing action it increases the solubility of the monomer in the water layer to such an extent that the “activator” now becomes 100% efficient.