cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High-Throughput Proteomics Using High-Efficiency Multiple-Capillary Liquid Chromatography with On-Line High-Performance ESI FTICR Mass Spectrometry

We report on the design and application of a high-efficiency multiple-capillary liquid chromatography (LC) system for high-throughput proteome analysis. The multiple-capillary LC system using commercial LC pumps was operated at a pressure of 10 000 psi to deliver mobile phases through a novel passive feedback valve arrangement that permitted mobile-phase flow path switching and efficient sample introduction. The multiple-capillary LC system uses several serially connected dual-capillary column devices. The dual-capillary column approach eliminates the time delays for column regeneration (or equilibration) since one capillary column was used for a separation while the other was being washed. Several serially connected dual-capillary columns and electrospray ionization (ESI) sources were operated independently and can be used either for “backup” operation or for parallel operation with other mass spectrometers. This high-efficiency multiple-capillary LC system utilizes switching valves for all operations, e...
Controller optimization for protocol intensive applications

Applications implementing complex protocols tax the capabilities of conventional finite state machine synthesis techniques. In this paper, we present sequential optimization techniques whose complexity scales with the number of state bits rather than the number of states. These techniques create designs which are comparable or superior to those synthesized by conventional state-based optimization and assignment. Furthermore, they provide viable synthesis techniques for designs which are too large for synthesis with the conventional method.
Operant Conditioning of a .300 Hitter?: The Effects of Reinforcement on the Offensive Efficiency of a Barnstorming Baseball Team

Nine members of a professional touring baseball team served as subjects in an experiment to test the effects of reinforcement on individual and team offensive production. A new baseball statistic, the Efficiency Average (EA), was developed and recorded as the dependent variable. The experiment was conducted via an ABAB design. During the two phases of reinforcement, subjects' EAs were posted in the dugout prior to each game. After seven games, the three players with the highest cumulative EAs for that period were given $5.00, $3.00, and $2.00 respectively by rank order. Six of the subjects increased their offensive efficiency over baseline levels as evidenced by higher EAs during the first phase of reinforcement. Four subjects' EAs decreased with the reinstatement of baseline conditions, and EAs increased for four subjects when reinforcement was continued during the final phase. Team EA and run production was significantly higher for the 28 games when reinforcement was contingent upon EA ranking than for ...
DIY World Builder: An immersive level-editing system

This paper presents an immersive system for building virtual worlds from within the worlds themselves. The system incorporates solutions for editing and texturing terrain, adding foliage, water, structures, and text, adding and controlling lights, including the time of day, and texturing objects in the scene. In a tracked head-mounted display environment, the user controls movement using a hybrid solution combining real walking and pointing-directed flying, and selects and manipulates objects using a hybrid wand and forearm-mounted interaction tablet interface. The user receives immersive cues such as wind from fans mounted around the physical space and audio from headphones. Feedback through a vibrotactile belt and a novel passive floor technique are used to indicate to the user when she is approaching the edge of the tracked space. Preliminary user testing showed positive user experience and suggestions for future improvements.
Bifunctional [c2]daisy-chains and their incorporation into mechanically interlocked polymers.

A strategy for the formation of mechanically interlocked polymers is presented. Ring-closing olefin metathesis has been shown to provide a very high yielding route to [c2]daisy-chains suitably functionalized to allow their one-step conversion to bisolefins which can be used as monomers in ADMET polymerizations to afford mechanically interlocked polymers. Metathesis, in two different guises is making a hitherto unreachable goal in synthesis a reality.
Alpha-synuclein-immunopositive myenteric neurons and vagal preganglionic terminals: autonomic pathway implicated in Parkinson's disease?

Abstract The protein alpha-synuclein is implicated in the development of Parkinson's disease. The molecule forms Lewy body aggregates that are hallmarks of the disease, has been associated with the spread of neuropathology from the peripheral to the CNS, and appears to be involved with the autonomic disorders responsible for the gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms of individuals afflicted with Parkinson's. To characterize the normative expression of alpha-synuclein in the innervation of the GI tract, we examined both the postganglionic neurons and the preganglionic projections by which the disease is postulated to retrogradely invade the CNS. Specifically, in Fischer 344 and Sprague–Dawley rats, immunohistochemistry in conjunction with injections of the tracer Dextran–Texas Red was used to determine, respectively, the expression of alpha-synuclein in the myenteric plexus and in the vagal terminals. Alpha-synuclein is expressed in a subpopulation of myenteric neurons, with the proportion of positive somata increasing from the stomach (∼3%) through duodenum (proximal, ∼6%; distal, ∼13%) to jejunum (∼22%). Alpha-synuclein is co-expressed with the nitrergic enzyme nitric oxide synthase (NOS) or the cholinergic markers calbindin and calretinin in regionally specific patterns: ∼90% of forestomach neurons positive for alpha-synuclein express NOS, whereas ∼92% of corpus-antrum neurons positive for alpha-synuclein express cholinergic markers. Vagal afferent endings in the myenteric plexus and the GI smooth muscle do not express alpha-synuclein, whereas, virtually all vagal preganglionic projections to the gut express alpha-synuclein, both in axons and in terminal varicosities in apposition with myenteric neurons. Vagotomy eliminates most, but not all, alpha-synuclein-positive neurites in the plexus. Some vagal preganglionic efferents expressing alpha-synuclein form varicose terminal rings around myenteric plexus neurons that are also positive for the protein, thus providing a candidate alpha-synuclein-expressing pathway for the retrograde transport of putative Parkinson's pathogens or toxins from the ENS to the CNS.
Amnesia, Nostalgia, and the Politics of Place Memory:

This article examines two seemingly opposed modes of place-making, urban sprawl and historic preservation, and their relationship to memory. The author contends that urban sprawl creates a landscap...
Using Symptom Validity Tests to Detect Malingered ADHD in College Students

Recently there has been growing concern that college students may feign symptoms of ADHD in order to obtain academic accommodations and stimulant medication. Unfortunately research has only begun to validate detection tools for malingered ADHD. The present study cross-validated the results of Sollman, Ranseen, and Berry (2010) on the efficacy of several symptom validity tests for detection of simulated ADHD among college students. Undergraduates with a history of diagnosed ADHD were randomly assigned either to respond honestly or exaggerate symptoms, and were compared to undergraduates with no history of ADHD or other psychiatric disorders who were also randomly assigned to respond honestly or feign symptoms of ADHD. Similar to Sollman et al. (2010) and other recent research on feigned ADHD, several symptom validity tests, including the Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM), Letter Memory Test (LMT), Digit Memory Test (DMT), Nonverbal Medical Symptom Validity Test (NV-MSVT), and the b Test were reasonably suc...
A media taxonomy

This media taxonomy serves both research and development of multimedia applications. Two graduate courses used it successfully, one on multimedia design and another on the research and evaluation of interactive multimedia. It correlates well with previous categorizations of multimedia and helps researchers better understand the impact and value added by an individual medium in a multimedia presentation.
A Hitchhiker's Guide to Life on the Internet

This paper provides a survey level introduction to the Internet, the high-speed communications network that provides access to remote supercomputers, libraries, and other specialized information services. In addition to describing the physical and logical topology of the network, it describes the supercomputing and network-oriented visualization capabilities offered by one node on the Internet, the Natl. Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA). Petroleum engineering studies are used as vehicles throughout the paper.
Characterization of carbon aerogels by transport measurements

Carbon aerogels are a special class of low-density microcellular foams. These materials are composed of interconnected carbon particles with diameters of approximately 10 nm. The temperature dependence of the dc electrical resistivity and magnetic susceptibility (χ) from 4 K to room temperature, magnetoresistance (MR) in a magnetic field up to 15 T, and Raman scattering were measured as a function of aerogel density. While Raman scattering measurements are not sensitive to variations in density, the χ data show that there are more free carriers in samples of higher density. Aerogel samples with different densities all show a negative temperature coefficient of resistivity and a positive MR. The less dense samples exhibit a stronger temperature dependence of resistivity and a stronger field dependence of the MR, indicating that with decreasing density and increasing porosity, charge carriers are more localized. Data analysis precludes variable-range hopping in favor of nearest-neighbor hopping and fluctuation-induced tunneling as the most likely conduction mechanisms for carbon aerogels.
Does housing wealth contribute to or temper the widening wealth gap in America

Abstract Does housing help to increase or temper the widening gap in the distribution of wealth? Paradoxically, it may do both. Housing wealth is still the cornerstone of household wealth, and homeowners hold almost all of the nation's wealth. The uneven distribution of household net wealth is worsening, even though housing helped homeowners increase net wealth during the last recession. Because housing wealth is more balanced than other types of wealth and home equity is more important to low‐income and minority households, it helps create a more egalitarian overall distribution of wealth. This article demonstrates that the relationship between housing wealth and the distribution of household net wealth and other types of wealth is significant and should be included in the criteria that frame future debates on housing policy.
The effects of localized cold work on the heating characteristics of thermal therapy implants.

The use of cylindrical palladium-cobalt alloy rods has proven effective in the clinical ablation of prostate cancer. In order to thermally destroy tissue, the ferromagnetic implants must heat to temperatures greater than 42 degrees C and produce a power output of at least 400 mW. However, localized cold work such as bending may effect the heating characteristics of these rods and have detrimental clinical effect. Three different types of test devices were manufactured to introduce cold work at one point in the implant: a sharp bend, a curvature, and an MTS three-point bend. After bending, each rod was then restraightened. Rod power output before and after bending was measured by calorimetry. Statistical comparison of power output for prebent and restraightened rods versus degrees bent was performed through the use of the SAS MIXED procedure to fit a mixed-model repeated-measures ANOVA with the use of multivariate models. In vitro testing showed that there was only a small change in the power output before and after rods were cold worked regardless of the type of bending. Therefore, localized cold work does not affect the clinical heating characteristics of rods.
Commentary on Seki

Dr. Seki’s study presents a relatively unusual pediatric population. Of the 68 patients studied, 18 were nonresponders to prior treatment and 50 were previously untreated. This large sample of untreated patients provides an excellent opportunity for study. Dr. Seki noted that the initiation protocol for zonisamide administration was 2mg/kg per day, given twice daily, morning and evening. However, he soon observed that the drug was better tolerated when started at 1mg/kg per day. Most patients, including children, will tolerate this drug better if the rate of increase is also slowed down. Of 44 patients with symptomatic or cryptogenic localization related epilepsy, excellent results were observed in 36 (82%), and a good response was reported in 4 others. Only 4 had either a poor response or no response. For the patients with generalized epilepsy, excellent responses were observed in 10 of 11 of the symptomatic cryptogenic and 8 of 9 of the idiopathic patients. For simple partial, complex partial, and secondarily generalized epilepsy patients, up to 90% of responses were excellent or good. However, if we start to look at patients with West syndrome, Lennox–Gastaut syndrome, and en-
Immunochemical Studies with Pregnant Mare Serum Gonadotropin

Immunological relationships among pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG), its subunits and equine pituitary gonadotropmns (LH and FSH) were examined. For this purpose a homologous double antibody radioimmunoassay (RIA) for PMSG was developed and characterized. Levels of PMSG in serum samples collected from 2 mares during the first trimester of pregnancy were measured in the RIA and were found to be similar to values previously reported using bioassay and heterologous RIA techniques. Compared with PMSG which has been isolated from serum, preparations of this gonadotropin isolated from endometrial cup tissue were found to give parallel but slightly less potent (X0.3-0.9) inhibition curves. Extremely small amounts of PMSG were detected in pregnant mare urine. Isolated PMSG subunits were found to have a low degree of nonparallel cross reaction in the PMSG RIA; assay of heterologous subunit combinations revealed the importance of the a-subunit for immunological recognition. Antisera to PMSG subunits were tested in additional RIAs. When PMSG-o antiserum was used, all equine gonadotropins showed parallel inhibition curves, but these preparations demonstrated much less cross reaction with PMSG-$3 antiserum. Equine pituitary gonadotropins showed significant cross reactions in the PMSG RIA while those of other species gave minimal and nonspecific cross reactions. These data, in conjunction with data obtained from RIA5 employing antiserum to eLH and eFSH, demonstrate a very close immunological relationship between PMSG and eLH.
Verb subcategorization frequencies: American English corpus data, methodological studies, and cross-corpus comparisons.

Verb subcategorization frequencies (verb biases) have been widely studied in psycholinguistics and play an important role in human sentence processing. Yet available resources on subcategorization frequencies suffer from limited coverage, limited ecological validity, and divergent coding criteria. Prior estimates of verb transitivity, for example, vary widely with corpus size, coverage, and coding criteria. This article provides norming data for 281 verbs of interest to psycholinguistic research, sampled from a corpus of American English, along with a detailed coding manual. We examine the effect on transitivity bias of various coding decisions and methods of computing verb biases.
Urological manifestations of vascular disease

We have detailed several of the urological manifestations of vascular disease. With the aging of the North American population, urologists will encounter the urological complications of vascular disease with ever-increasing frequency.
Solvent effects, species and extraction method effects, and coinitiator effects in the grafting of lignin

A general method of grafting lignin has been developed which allows solvent extracted lignin, steam exploded lignin, and kraft lignin to be converted to complex polymers. The lignins grafted have been obtained from aspen, poplar, oak, grasses, and pine. The lignins are research samples, pilot plant products, and commerical products from paper production. Nonionic copolymers of virtually any composition and molecular weight can be made from lignin and 2-propenamide by free radical reaction of 2-propenamide in the presence of the lignin. The water soluble product is a thickening agent and has limiting viscosity number in water at 30°C that vary from 0.1 to 2.0 dL/g. The grafting reaction is rapid and yields of 80 wt % or more can be obtained in as little as 30 min from reactions run in 1,4-dioxacyclohexane or dimethylsulfoxide. The reaction is initiated by a hydroperoxide, chloride ion, and lignin.
On estimation of static power-peformance in TCAM

High demand on network security, and quality of service (QoS) along with increasing line rates made ternary content addressable memories more attractive for fast searching in network routers switches for forwarding and filtering IP (Internet Protocol) signals. While high performance through parallel search is achieved in the TCAM circuits, the power dissipated in these systems is high compared to other storage devices (eg. binary CAM). Past research on TCAM cells, mainly concentrated on optimizing dynamic power by reducing the switching activity or matchline swing. At present the power dissipation in TCAM cells is exacerbated with rapid scaling of CMOS technology, where subthreshold leakage is becoming dominant in the total power. In this research, we estimate the TCAM static power at 65 nm and 45 nm and propose solutions to optimize static power. A case study of four most popularly used TCAM cells is also presented with a discussion on relative performance impact.
Energy scaling laws for distributed inference in random fusion networks

The energy scaling laws of multihop data fusion networks for distributed inference are considered. The fusion network consists of randomly located sensors distributed i.i.d. according to a general spatial distribution in an expanding region. Under Markov random field (MRF) hypotheses, among the class of data-fusion policies which enable optimal statistical inference at the fusion center using all the sensor measurements, the policy with the minimum average energy consumption is bounded below by the average energy of fusion along the minimum spanning tree, and above by a suboptimal policy, referred to as Data Fusion for Markov Random Fields (DFMRF). Scaling laws are derived for the energy consumption of the optimal and suboptimal fusion policies. It is shown that the average asymptotic energy of the DFMRF scheme is strictly finite for a class of MRF models with Euclidean stabilizing dependency graphs.
Antihypertensive Effects of Exercise Among Those With Resistant Hypertension

Dimeo et al1 tested the hypothesis that aerobic exercise training reduces ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) among individuals with resistant hypertension and found that daytime systolic (6 mm Hg) and diastolic (3 mm Hg) ABPs were reduced after an 8- to 12-week aerobic exercise training program. Their findings indicate that exercise is effective antihypertensive therapy in a clinical population that is not responsive to drug therapy. Nonetheless, they should be interpreted with caution for the reasons below. Daytime ABP was the primary outcome. A complete description of the ABP methods including the timing when ABP was taken and procedures for handling missing …
Review: Framingham risk scores have variable accuracy in predicting CVD events in different patient populations.

Source Citation Brindle P, Beswick A, Fahey T, Ebrahim S. Accuracy and impact of risk assessment in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease: a systematic review. Heart. 2006;92:1752-9. 166...
A High Affinity Binding Site for the HIV-1 Nucleocapsid Protein

The nucleocapsid protein (NC) of HIV-1 is a small zinc finger protein that contributes to multiple steps of the viral life cycle, including the proper encapsidation of HIV RNA. This is accomplished through an interaction between NC and a region at the 5'-end of the RNA, defined as the Psi element. However, the specificity of NC for Psi or for RNA in general is not well understood. To study this problem, we used SELEX to identify high affinity RNA ligands that bind to NC. A 'winner' molecule (SelPsi), as well as a subregion of Psi RNA, were further characterized to understand the interaction between NC and SelPsi and its relationship to the interaction between NC and Psi. The comparison makes predictions about the sequence and structure of a high affinity binding site within the HIV-1 Psi element.
Nanografting Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate under Potential Control: new insights into tip-directed molecular assembly

We have demonstrated that under potential control, sodium dodecyl sulfate can form ordered and stable patterns within nanoscale regions of a pre-existing SAM where thiol molecules have been mechanically removed. The results offer novel insights into the mechanism of nanografting and new routes to fabricating diverse chemical structures on surfaces.
Venereal transmission of pseudorabies viruses indigenous to feral swine.

Between 1995 and 1998, we designed a series of studies in which we attempted to determine the main routes of transmission involved in the natural infection of pseudorabies virus (PRV) indigenous to free-ranging feral swine (Sus scrofa). Naturally infected feral sows transmitted the infection to uninfected feral boars, with which they had been commingled for a 6-wk period. Pseudorabies virus was isolated from boar preputial swabs, but not from nasal swabs. Three of the same PRV-infected feral sows did not transmit the infection to domestic boars during a 16 wk commingling period, despite the fact that they became pregnant. Feral boars, naturally infected with PRV, transmitted the virus to domestic gilts while penned together during 6 wk. Pseudorabies virus was isolated from vaginal swabs, but not from nasal swabs of gilts, after 2 and 3 wk of commingling. When the same infected boars were commingled with either feral or domestic boars for 13 wk, PRV transmission did not occur. None of the exposed boars dev...
Interaction of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Vpr Protein with the Nuclear Pore Complex

The Vpr protein of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) performs a number of functions that are associated with the nucleus. Vpr enhances the nuclear import of postentry viral nucleoprotein complexes, arrests proliferating cells in the G2 phase of the cell cycle, and acts as a modest transcriptional activator. For this paper, we have investigated the nuclear import of Vpr. Although Vpr does not encode a sequence that is recognizable as a nuclear localization signal (NLS), Vpr functions as a transferable NLS both in somatic cells and in Xenopus laevis oocytes. In certain contexts, Vpr also mediates substantial accumulation at the nuclear envelope and, in particular, at nuclear pore complexes (NPCs). Consistent with this, Vpr is shown to interact specifically with nucleoporin phenylalanine-glycine (FG)-repeat regions. These findings not only demonstrate that Vpr harbors a bona fide NLS but also raise the possibility that one (or more) of Vpr’s functions may take place at the NPC. The accessory gene vpr is present in all viruses that belong to the five phylogenetic lineages of primate lentiviruses. The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Vpr protein is well conserved in terms of primary sequence and is approximately 96 amino acids in length. To date, a number of functions have been ascribed to HIV-1 Vpr (18). First, Vpr has been shown to act early in viral infection as a facilitator of postentry nucleoprotein complex (often referred to as the preintegration complex [PIC]) nuclear import (30, 40). This activ
White matter integrity correlates of implicit sequence learning in healthy aging

Previous research has identified subcortical (caudate, putamen, hippocampus) and cortical (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, DLPFC; frontal motor areas) regions involved in implicit sequence learning, with mixed findings for whether these neural substrates differ with aging. The present study used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) tractography to reconstruct white matter connections between the known gray matter substrates, and integrity of these tracts was related to learning in the alternating serial reaction time task (ASRT) in younger and healthy older adults. Both age groups showed significant sequence learning (better performance to predictable, frequently occurring vs. less frequent events), with an age-related difference in the late learning stage. Caudate-DLPFC and hippocampus-DLPFC tract integrity were related to ASRT sequence learning, and these brain-behavior relationships did not differ significantly between age groups. Additionally, age-related decreases in caudate-DLPFC tract integrity mediated age-related differences in late stage sequence learning. Together, these findings complement studies of gray matter substrates underlying implicit sequence learning, and provide evidence for similar white matter integrity-sequence learning relationships in younger and healthy older adults.
Tuning the oviduct to the anandamide tone

Anandamide (N-arachidonoylethanolamide) is a lipid signal molecule that was the first endogenous agonist for cannabinoid receptors to be discovered. Cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1) is widely distributed in neurons and nonneuronal cells in brain and peripheral organs including sperm, eggs, and preimplantation embryos. A study by Wang and colleagues in this issue of the JCI demonstrates that a critical balance between anandamide synthesis by N-acylphosphatidylethanolamine–selective phospholipase D (NAPE-PLD) and its degradation by fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) in mouse embryos and oviducts creates locally an appropriate “anandamide tone” required for normal embryo development, oviductal transport, implantation, and pregnancy (see the related article beginning on page 2122). Adverse effects of elevated levels of anandamide on these processes resulting from FAAH inactivation are mimicked by administration of (-)-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC; the major psychoactive constituent of marijuana), due to enhanced signaling via CB1. These findings show that exogenous THC can swamp endogenous anandamide signaling systems, thereby affecting multiple physiological processes.
Modal gating of Na+ channels as a mechanism of persistent Na+ current in pyramidal neurons from rat and cat sensorimotor cortex

The kinetic behavior of brain Na+ channels was studied in pyramidal cells from rat and cat sensorimotor cortex using either the thin slice preparation or acutely isolated neurons. Single-channel recordings were obtained in the cell-attached and inside-out configuration of the patch- clamp technique. Na+ channels had a conductance of about 16 pS. Patches always contained several Na+ channels, usually 4–12. In both preparations, long depolarizing pulses revealed two distinct patterns of late Na+ channel activity following transient openings. (1) Na+ channels displayed sporadic brief late openings sometimes clustered to “minibursts” of 10–40 msec. These events occurred at a low frequency, yielding open probability (NPo) values below 0.01 (mean = 0.0034). (2) In the second gating mode, an individual Na+ channel in the patch failed to inactivate and produced a burst of openings often lasting to the end of the pulse. This behavior was observed in about 1% of depolarizations. Shifts to the bursting mode were usually confined to a single 400 msec pulse, but rarely occurred during two or more consecutive pulses applied at 2 sec intervals. Sustained bursts did not require preceding transient openings to occur since they were also observed during slow depolarizing voltage ramps. The similar incidence of inactivation failures in cell-attached versus inside-out recordings suggests that the bursting mode is a property of the channel and/or adjacent membrane-bound structures. Calculations indicate that brief late openings and rare sustained bursts suffice to generate a small but significant whole-cell current. Since the Na+ channels mediating early, brief late, and sustained openings were identical in terms of their elementary electrical properties, we propose that the fast and the persistent Na+ currents of cortical pyramidal cells are generated by an electrophysiologically uniform population of Na+ channels that can individually switch between different gating modes.
Injection of Nuclear Rocket Exhaust and Water into a Deep Unsaturated Zone

Nuclear rocket engine technology is being considered as a means of interplanetary vehicle propulsion for a manned mission to Mars. Significant technological research and development are required be...
Prenatal survival and loss in some Cricetid rodents

In spite of the fact that during recent years much stress has been placed upon the dynamic aspects of mammalian populations, very little is known about prenatal survival and loss. Detailed studies of prenatal mortality in North American wild mammals appear to have been limited to the brush rabbit (Mossman, 1955), mule deer (Robinette et al. , 1955) and meadow vole (Hamilton, 1941). The extensive work on the wild rabbit in England has been well reviewed by Brambell (1948). Other Old World studies include work on the brown rat (Perry, 1945), common shrew (Brambell, 1935), bank vole (Brambell and Rowlands, 1936), multi-mammate mouse (Brambell and Davis, 1941), and gray squirrel (Deanesly and Parkes, 1933). The estimates of intrauterine loss in these studies, depending on what information is available, varied from 9 to 43 per cent. This discussion presents data gathered in Minnesota between 1950 and 1955 on the meadow vole ( Microtus pennsylvanicus ), red-backed vole ( Clethrionomys gapperi ), woodland deer mouse ( Peromyscus maniculatus gracilis ) and the prairie deer mouse (P. m. bairdii ). All of the red-backed voles and woodland deer mice and part of the meadow voles were taken from the vicinity of Basswood Lake, Lake County, Minnesota, and all of the prairie deer mice and most of the meadow voles were taken from the Rosemount Agricultural Experiment Station in Dakota County, Minnesota. The collecting of material at Basswood Lake was partially supported by the Quetico-Superior Wilderness Research Center. This contribution is Paper No. 3548, Scientific Journal Series, Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station, St. Paul, Minnesota. In order to make a thorough analysis of intrauterine mortality rates it is necessary to know the number of ova ovulated, the number that are fertilized, the number of zygotes that implant and the number of embryos that survive to parturition. Our data only partially fulfill …
The Synthesis and Characterization of a Novel Block Copolymer Consisting of Poly(Propylene Fumarate) and Poly(Ethylene Oxide)

A block copolymer was developed consisting of poly(propylene fumarate) (PPF) and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) blocks. The former component allows the copolymer to be crosslinked, while the latter component allows the physical properties to be controlled. The compositions and segmental lengths of the two components were varied, and the copolymer was subsequently characterized.
Consequences of egg-size variation in the red-winged blackbird

Life-history theory predicts that as parents increase their investment in individual offspring, the survival rates of those offspring should also increase (Winkler and Wallin 1987, Stearns 1992, Bernardo 1996). For oviparous taxa, parental investment may be directed toward eggs or hatchlings. Birds are ideal organisms to test general hypotheses of parental investment owing to the substantial interspecific variation in relative investments made by parents toward eggs and hatchlings and because of the ability of researchers to isolate and quantify these investments. The altricial-precocial continuum, based on the development of young at hatching (Nice 1962), provides a convenient description of interspecific patterns in relative energy investment directed toward eggs versus hatched young. Precocial young hatch from energy-rich eggs and require little parental care after hatching, whereas altricial young hatch from relatively energy-poor eggs and require considerable parental care after hatching (Sotherland and Rahn 1987). We can use these patterns of energy investment in eggs versus young to make predictions about the relative importance of each of these stages in determining offspring performance in different taxa along the life-history continuum. Parents of altricial young spend a large amount of effort during the breeding season feeding and caring for young relative to parents of precocial young. Therefore, we predict that variation in the quality of parental care after hatching should have a larger influence on offspring performance in altricial species than in precocial species. However, because altricial young hatch from energy-poor eggs, factors associated with eggs should have a smaller influence on the performance of altricial species relative to precocial species. Thus, based on interspecific variation in patterns of energy investment, we predicted that the importance of the egg stage to subsequent performance of young birds will increase with increasing precocity of the young. One measure of parental investments in eggs is size, with large eggs presumably requiring a greater energy investment by females than do small eggs.
American dreams and Brazilian racial democracy: The making of race and class in Brazil and the United States

The extensive literature critiquing the weakness of cross-class Afro-Brazilian solidarity is perhaps equaled in size by the structurally similar literature on the weakness of cross-race working-class solidarity in the United States. For many critics, marginalized or exploited people in Brazil and the United States do not have the political consciousness they ought to have, given apparently objective conditions. What if we started, instead, from E. P. Thompson’s insight that class is a “cultural as much as an economic formation,” that it is “a relationship and not a thing,” acknowledging that political consciousness is the partially contingent result of culturally specific struggles and utopias, as much as of determinate historical conditions? Drawing on ethnographic research on conflicts between AfroBrazilian villagers and Brazil’s spaceport, supplemented by comparative data on the mobilization around inequalities in Brazil and in the United States, this article sketches a comparative anthropology of political consciousness that attempts to avoid the objectivizing pitfalls of the genre.
Response of relapsed central nervous system hairy cell leukemia to vemurafenib

Hairy cell leukemia (HCL) is a rare chronic B-cell lymphoproliferative malignancy that accounts for 2% of all adult leukemias.[1] There have been previous reports of CNS involvement by HCL, but the...
81 CLINICAL RELEVANCE OF MYOCARDIAL BRIDGING DETECTED BY 64-SLICE MULTIDETECTOR COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHIC ANGIOGRAPHY.

Background Myocardial bridging (MB) is an intramyocardial coronary artery segment commonly found in the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD). Correlation of symptoms with the presence of the MB is controversial. Methods 108 patients with MB detected by 64-slice multidetector computed tomographic angiography (MDCTA) were followed prospectively for the evaluation of cardiac symptoms. Patients were contacted by telephone at 6 months and 1 year, and a standardized questionnaire was completed. Patients were divided into two groups: group 1, patients with MB; group 2, age- and gender-matched controls without MB. Results There was no significant difference between the presenting cardiac symptoms (chest pain, shortness of breath, or palpitations) between the two groups (34 vs 39% p value = NS). During the 6- and 12-month follow-ups, there was a significant and equal decrease in the symptoms in both groups (Table). Conclusions In an age- and gender-matched population, the presence of MB detected by MDCTA was not associated with an increase in cardiac symptoms, either at presentation or during a 12-month follow-up period. MDCT provides a unique opportunity to accurately and noninvasively diagnose MB; the clinical relevance requires further evaluation.
Changes of Serum Cardiac Muscle Enzymogram and Heart Function before and after Interventional Therapy in Ventricular Septal Defect Patients and Its Clinical Significance

Objective To explore the changes of cardiac muscle enzymogram and heart function before and after transactheter closure of ventricular septal defect(VSD).Methods The serum levels of cardiac troponin(cTnI),carcatine kinase(CK),lactie dehydrogenase(LDH),aspartate aminotransferase(AST)and the left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)were detected by two-dimensional echocardiography,and the change before and after intervention was analyzed.Results The serum level of cTnI in VSD patients after treatment was markedly higher than that before intervention[(0.29±0.17)μg/L vs(0.02±0.01)μg/L,t=9.0 P0.01].The LVEF decreased after intervention[(75.4±5.1)% vs(78.3±6.2)%,t=2.14 P0.05].The levels of CK,CK-MB,LDH,AST concotrations had no significant diffe-rence between the patients before and after intervention(Pa0.05).Conclusion Catheterization to treat VSD may have influence on enzymogram and the heart function,which may be related to the minor myocardial damage during the operation.
Thyroid Hormone Metabolism in Kidney Epithelial Cells in Continuous Culture

Renal T4 to T3 conversion is catalyzed by membrane-bound enzyme, iodothyronine 5′deiodinase (5′D), that prefers rT3 as a substrate, is inhibited by propylthiouracil (PTU), and shows ping-pong reaction kinetics with thiols as cosubstrate (1–3). Recent studies have shown that >90% of the kidney 5′D is associated with the tubular epithelium of the outer cortex (4). Since established renal epithelial cell lines that retain properties of either the proximal or the distal convoluted tubule are available, selected cell lines were examined for the presence of 5′D activity and for the presence of nuclear T3 receptors.
A Clinician’s Guide to the Treatment of Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci Bacteremia and Endocarditis

Treatment of serious enterococcal infections is often difficult due to the inherent high level of antimicrobial resistance seen among some species including a rising level of high level aminoglycoside resistance (HLAR), vancomycin resistance (VRE), and multidrug resistance. Prior to the turn of this century, therapeutic options were limited and relied primarily on the use of ampicillin, aminoglycosides, and vancomycin. Over the past two decades, treatment has changed with the introduction of new antimicrobials with activity against VRE and an increasing use of aminoglycoside sparing regimens including the use of ampicillin and ceftriaxone. For the treatment of ampicillin susceptible infections with or without the presence of HLAR, the combination of ampicillin and ceftriaxone is now the preferred regimen due to the lower risk of adverse reactions including nephrotoxicity. Among the two antibiotics recommended for VRE severe infections in the 2015 AHA/IDSA infective endocarditis guidelines, daptomycin and linezolid, there is ongoing debate about the merits of both due to concerns about perceived mortality differences, adverse drug reactions, and proper dosing. Given the bactericidal activity of daptomycin, we currently prefer this agent for the initial treatment of serious VRE infections with proper dosing of at least 8 mg/kg and up to 10–12 mg/kg.
Complications of Sinusitis

BackgroundSinusitis is a common disorder associated with significant patient symptomatology that adversely affects quality of life. Sinusitis can cause further morbidity and mortality through its i...
Product Strategies and the Perceived Competitive Situation: Do They Affect Retailer Profitability?

The primary objective of this study was to explore the relationship between the employment of selected product strategies and the financial success of the member stores of a retail grocery cooperative. For the purposes of the study, the perceived competitive situation of the grocery stores was also entered into these relationships.
College Socialization and the Economic Views of Affluent Americans

Affluent Americans support more conservative economic policies than the nonaffluent, and government responds disproportionately to these views. Yet little is known about the emergence of these consequential views. We develop, test, and find support for a theory of class cultural norms: These preferences are partly traceable to socialization that occurs on predominantly affluent college campuses, especially those with norms of financial gain, and especially among socially embedded students. The economic views of the student's cohort also matter, in part independently of affluence. We use a large panel data set with a high response rate and more rigorous causal inference strategies than previous socialization studies. The affluent campus effect holds with matching, among students with limited school choice, and in a natural experiment; and it passes placebo tests. College socialization partly explains why affluent Americans support economically conservative policies.
Hepatic tumors of infancy and childhood.

Primary tumors of the liver are rare. With the exception of neuroblastoma in the first year of life, metastatic hepatic masses are almost never a primary clinical manifestation of tumor. Two-thirds of the primary tumors of the liver are malignant.
A comprehensive guideline for choosing parameters in the Eschenauer-Gligor key predistribution

The Eschenauer-Gligor random key predistribution scheme is well known as the standard approach to secure communication in large-scale wireless sensor networks. The performance of the scheme has received considerable attention in the literature, yet there is still a lack of a comprehensive and rigorous guideline for identifying all possible combinations of scheme parameters to ensure an occurring probability p for the event that each sensor is directly connected to at least k neighboring sensors, for arbitrary k and p. This paper fills the gap and provides fundamental guidelines on choosing parameters of the scheme. We also significantly improve a recent result in [Zhao et al., IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control 2016].
Unearthing worm replication origins

Unlike in animals in which gastrulation marks the onset of zygotic transcription and a transition from random to site-specific localization of replication origins, transcription and origin specification in Caenorhabditis elegans are in place before gastrulation. Nonetheless, origin-site redistribution takes place after gastrulation, and is coordinated with changes in the sites of active transcription.
Repeated exposures and child centered nutrition phrases increases young children’s consumption and liking of lentils

Abstract Background Use of repeated exposure in fostering development of food preferences has been examined; however, other techniques such as adult verbal communication have not. Child centered nutrition phrases (CCNP) have been developed, but the efficacy of adults’ use of these developmentally appropriate, nutritionally sound messages to improve children’s intake and liking of lentils has not been evaluated. Objective To determine whether repeated taste exposure (RE) and RE + CCNP would increase young children’s liking and intake of lentils. Methods Children (3–6 y; n = 29) were offered lentils on 14 occasions (baseline, 12 exposures, and post). Taste preference and consumption were recorded and lentil consumption was measured to the nearest 0.1 g. A generalized linear model was used to assess the potential group (RE or RE + CCNP) by exposure interaction on the proportional intake (weight eaten divided by weight offered). A subsequent logistic regression analysis was carried out to estimate the change in the odds of children reporting liking in the RE + CCNP group compared to the RE group. Results Children’s consumption and liking of lentils increased with repeated exposure. Children exposed to CCNPs consumed a greater amount of lentils, although it was not statistically significant; however their reported liking at the beginning (p = 0.04) and intermediate (p = 0.02) time periods was more frequent than children who did not receive CCNP. Conclusions Repeated taste exposure resulted in increased liking and intake of lentils in young children, and the use of CCNP may facilitate children’s liking and intake of certain foods.
Lung Cancer Pathological Image Analysis Using a Hidden Potts Model.

Nowadays, many biological data are acquired via images. In this article, we study the pathological images scanned from 205 patients with lung cancer with the goal to find out the relationship between the survival time and the spatial distribution of different types of cells, including lymphocyte, stroma, and tumor cells. Toward this goal, we model the spatial distribution of different types of cells using a modified Potts model for which the parameters represent interactions between different types of cells and estimate the parameters of the Potts model using the double Metropolis-Hastings algorithm. The double Metropolis-Hastings algorithm allows us to simulate samples approximately from a distribution with an intractable normalizing constant. Our numerical results indicate that the spatial interaction between the lymphocyte and tumor cells is significantly associated with the patient’s survival time, and it can be used together with the cell count information to predict the survival of the patients.
Some Effects of Everyday Moods and Possible Individual Differences in these Effects

This volume deals, in part, with the effects of energetical states on cognitive processes. This topic has been the focus of recent research for social, cognitive and clinical psychologists interested in the effects of everyday moods an arousal states. In the first half of this chapter, I shall review some of this research — especially that dealing with the effects of such states on everyday social judgements and behaviour. This will be followed by a discussion of some of the possible processs through which these effects might be mediated. Researchers in the areas of research from which my illustrations are drawn have not devoted much attention to the issue of individual differences. Nonetheless, in the second half of the chapter, I will argue that work on moods may contribute to an understanding of the basis of individual differences in energetical states, and their consequences for cognition.
Nonsurgical Management of Pediatric Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction

Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are a subgroup of craniofacial pain problems involving the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), masticatory muscles, and associated head and neck musculoskeletal structures. These disorders are subclassified into TMJ articular disorders and masticatory muscle disorders. Patients with TMD most commonly present with pain, restricted or asymmetric mandibular motion, and TMJ sounds during mandibular movements. The prevalence tends to increase with age. Management of TMJ articular disorders consists of a combination of patient education, home-care plan, biobehavioral therapy, physical therapy, orthotic jaw appliance therapy, pharmacotherapy, and/or surgery. The goal is to increase function, reduce pain, and improve quality of life.