cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Discriminative stimulus properties of a σ receptor agonist in the rat: role of monoamine systems

The role of the dopaminergic, noradrenergic and serotonergic systems in the production of the discriminative stimulus (DS) properties of the sigma receptor agonist (+)-N-allylnormetazocine [(+)-NANM/(+)-SKF 10,047] was measured in rats. The partial generalization of the noradrenergic agonist clonidine with (+)-NANM and partial antagonism of (+)-NANM by yohimbine suggest that the noradrenergic system may play a role in (+)-NANM DS. Activation of the dopaminergic system by apomorphine did not produce (+)-NANM DS however, haloperidol, which binds to the sigma receptor with high affinity, antagonized (+)-NANM DS. These data suggest that the haloperidol antagonism of (+)-NANM DS is a function of antagonism at the sigma receptor rather than antagonism at the dopamine receptor. Since yohimbine does not bind to the sigma receptor, yohimbine antagonizes (+)-NANM by a mechanism different from that of haloperidol. There was no evidence to suggest serotonergic mediation of (+)-NANM DS.
The tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate elevates serum progesterone levels.

Summary The phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoyl-13-acetate (TPA), the most potent promoter of two-stage carcinogenesis in mouse skin, simulates some of the early effects of several carcinogens in immature chicks. Actinomycin D, ethionine, thioacetamide (non-mutagenic in the Ames Salmonella test) and kepone are known to increase serum progesterone concentrations and induce synthesis of ovalbumin in chicks. Intraperitoneal administration of TPA to chicks caused a 5- to 7-fold elevation of serum progesterone levels and induced ovalbumin synthesis. Phorbol ester, 4α-phorbol-12,13-didecanoate, which is inactive as a mouse skin tumor promoter, did not increase serum progesterone levels nor did it induce ovalbumin synthesis.
Gender and Psychiatric Comorbidity in Substance-Abusing Individuals

Significant differences in the phenomenology of psychopathology were found between male and female substance abusers. Women reported higher rates of utilization of mental health services (t-test, P < 0.0026) and had more depressive traits. Male substance abusers had significantly higher rates of sociopathy (t-test, P < 0.0368).Women had a higher prevalence of benzodiazepine abuse (X2 - 9.62, P < 0.01).The trend in our findings was that men tended to be antisocial and alcoholic, and women were more likely to express dysphoria and abuse drugs other than alcohol. The gender effect on comorbidity may affect the presentation of individual cases and subsequent treatment strategy.
Certification with Multiple Signatures

Certificate Authority (CA) is a single point of failure in the design of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI). A single compromised CA breaks the entire infrastructure. The disclosed CA key can be used by adversaries to issue rogue certificates for any domains without the consent of the domain owners. These rogue certificates have been used in Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attacks. Studies have been conducted to prevent and reduce the damages of breached CAs and rogue certificates in different ways. However, few have a mechanism to fully and efficiently verify whether a CA or a certificate can be trusted or not. There is a need to develop new methods to ensure certificates with a high level of trustworthy in order for the PKI to be more resistant to compromised CAs and rogue certificates.We propose an alternative approach to mitigate the issue of CA breaches by imposing multiple signatures on a server certificate. This is analogous with the redundancy approach that is commonly adopted in the practice of IT management. Since CAs are run and managed by independent organizations, the probability of breaking multiple CAs in a short period of time is reduced significantly. If S signatures are imposed on a certificate, the compromise of S-1 CAs will not break the PKI system. In this paper, we describe a framework of our approach and analyze its security. We also provide a brief overview of the most relevant counter measures against CA breaches and rogue certificates.
Peripheral configuration and central projections of the lateral line system in Astronotus ocellatus (Cichlidae): a nonelectroreceptive teleost.

The lateral line system of Astronotus ocellatus comprises one trunk canal, one tail canal, and three head canals. The sensory receptors on the head are innervated by rami of the dorsal anterior, ventral anterior, and posterior lateral line nerves, and those along the trunk and tail by rami of the posterior lateral line nerve. The peripheral configuration of lateral line canals and nerves was examined in whole mount preparations, the central connections of restricted groups of endorgans studied using HRP and degeneration methods, and the neuronal morphology and cytoarchitecture of the lateralis region invetitigated with Nissl, silver, and Golgi methods. Neurons of the lateralis cell column are diffusely arrayed and of variable morphology. They are oriented primarily in the transverse plane and, with the exception of a dorsal lamina of large multipolar cells, are not organized into zones. Lateralis fibers bifurcate on entering the brainstem, course in lateral tracts, and give off medially directed collaterals to terminate in the ipsilateral nucleus medialis and nucleus caudalis. In addition, fibers terminate in the eminentia granularis of the cerebellum, but only fibers supplying endorgans in the head canals penetrate the granule cell zone of the cerebellar corpus. Fibers supplying sense organs in adjacent canals overlap in their central endings, whereas fibers of distantly separated receptors do not overlap. The rami supplying trunk and tail canal organs do not project as far rostrally in the central neuropil as do the other rami. Endings of posterior lateral line fibers lie dorsal to those of the anterior lateral line nerves, and some lateralis fibers terminate within the confines of the magnocellular, descending, and posterior nuclei of the octavus column. Although there is spatial order to the lateralis projections, there is no clear somatotopic organization in the lateralis region.
Hybrid control for mobile target localization with stereo vision

In this paper, we control image collection for a mobile stereo camera that is actively localizing a group of mobile targets. In particular, assuming that at least one pair of stereo images of the targets is available, we propose a novel approach to control the rotation and translation of the stereo camera so that the next observation of the targets will minimize their localization uncertainty. We call this problem the Next-Best-View problem for mobile targets (mNBV). The advantage of using a stereo camera is that, using triangulation, the two simultaneous images taken by the robot during a single observation can yield range and bearing measurements of the targets, as well as their uncertainty. A Kalman filter fuses the full state history and covariance estimates, as more measurements are acquired. Our solution to the mNBV problem determines the relative transformations between camera and targets that will minimize the fused uncertainty of the targets' locations. We determine a motion plan that realizes the mNBV while respecting field of view constraints. In particular, with every new observation, we compute a new mNBV in the frame relative to the camera and subsequently realize this view in global coordinates via a gradient descent algorithm that also respects field of view constraints. Integration of mNBV with motion planning results in a hybrid system, which we illustrate in computer simulations.
Characterization of the Barrier Properties of Mucosal Membranes

The barrier properties of the nasal, rectal, and vaginal membranes were investigated in the rabbit by comparing physical characteristics and permeability to model hydrophilic and lipophilic compounds. It was found that the nasal, rectal, and vaginal mucosae differ in their physical characteristics and interactions. The nasal mucosa had the highest in vitro transport of both the model hydrophilic compound, mannitol, and the model lipophilic compound, progesterone. Although the nasal mucosa was found to have some hydrophilic character, it appears that these mucosae are primarily lipophilic in nature. The role of the lipid domain in the barrier properties of these mucosal membranes was investigated using progesterone and a series of its hydroxyprogesterone analogues. Membrane permeability was found to decrease as the order of hydrophilicity of the progestins increased, indicating that the lipid domain plays an important role in the barrier function of these membranes. The changes observed in the physical properties and permeability of the mucosal membranes after extraction of the lipids also demonstrated the importance of the lipid domain in the maintenance of the mucosal barrier.
Hyaluronan promotes the malignant phenotype

Hyaluronan is a high-molecular-weight, negatively charged polysaccharide with unusual physical and interactive properties. Hyaluronan is localized in the extracellular matrix, at the cell surface, and inside cells. Its tissue distribution is ubiquitous, but it is particularly concentrated in pericellular matrices surrounding proliferating and migrating cells. Hyaluronan contributes to cell behavior in at least three ways. Its unique physical properties influence the biomechanical properties of extracellular and pericellular matrices; it is a template for assembly of other pericellular macromolecules; and it interacts directly with cell surface receptors that transduce intracellular signals. Experimental studies in animal models have documented a crucial role for hyaluronan in tumor growth and metastasis. Cellular manipulations have shown that hyaluronan promotes anchorage-independent growth and invasiveness, hallmarks of the malignant phenotype.
Silica-based nanospheres, nanowires, nanosubstrates, nanotubes, and nanofiber arrays

Silica-based nanospheres, nanosphere wire-like agglomerates, nanotubes, and nanofiber arrays, bi- and coaxial SiC/SiO2 nanowires, and silica nanosubstrates have been generated and their structural, mechanical, and catalytic properties examined. Nearly monodisperse SiO2 nanospheres of diameter ≤30 nm have been synthesized in gram quantities and used to sequester active copper sites for the selective catalytic conversion of ethanol to acetaldehyde in a process that is at least three times more efficient than that which uses fumed silica produced from the flame hydrolysis of silicon tetrachloride. A Ni(III) solution has been reduced in an electroless process on the surface of the nanospheres, producing a ferromagnetic crystalline nickel coating of variable thickness. Partially agglomerated SiO2 nanospheres of diameter ∼45 nm have been used as nanosubstrates for SnOx crystallites of diameter 3–6 nm. The agglomeration of smaller nanospheres (d≤10 nm) to wire-like configurations has suggested the means to grow silica nanotubes and to produce unique silica nanofiber arrays. Generated silica nanotubes may fill an existing need for the catalytic conversion of high molecular weight hydrocarbons (MW∼1000). Both coaxial and side-by-side biaxially structured silicon carbide-silica nanowires have now also been generated from C/Si/SiO2 mixtures. The structure of these nanowires, their cross-sectional shape, and their structural transformation between a biaxial and coaxial configuration have been studied. The Young's modulus of the biaxially structured nanowires has been measured to be 50–100 GPa, depending on the size of the nanowires.
Auto-immune-like cone dystrophy

Purpose: To describe rapid loss of cone vision in an adult due to putative auto-immune rejection. Methods: Clinical and electrophysiological examination, including full-field and multi-focal electroretinograms (ERGs), were used to assess retinal function. Serum was analyzed for antibodies to retinal antigens. Results: The patient lost cone vision in the course of several months while rod vision remained unaffected. Initially short wavelength (S) cone function appeared more resistant to the degeneration. Cancer associated retinal antibodies were present in the sera of the patient but no cancer has been found. Conclusion: Rapid loss of cone function can occur in an adult without a concomitant neoplasm although serum antibodies to retinal antigens suggest an autoimmune cause.
The dependence of exciton transport efficiency on spatial patterns of correlation within the spectral bath

Spatial correlations in spectral bath motions have been proposed to explain long-lived coherence in exciton transport. Systems of interest, ranging from photosynthetic complexes to organic photovoltaics, contain inhomogeneous environments. We consider the possibility that the degree of spatial correlation varies throughout an exciton transport system. We model exciton transport in the Fenna–Matthews–Olson complex (FMO), a photosynthetic light-harvesting complex. Although it remains unclear whether significant spatial correlations exist in FMO, its very high exciton transport efficiency makes it an interesting case for studies of exciton transport. We also simulate a highly symmetric ten-site model system. We use an extension of the environment-assisted quantum transport model to simulate transport, allowing the spatial correlation function to vary throughout the system. We demonstrate both via analysis and via simulation that exciton transport efficiency is most sensitive to changes in correlation between the site coupled to the trap and its neighboring sites. This asymmetry in sensitivity is highly robust and appears irrespective of changes in parameters such as transition dipole orientations and initial conditions. Our results suggest that in the design of exciton transport systems, efforts to increase efficiency by controlling spatial correlation should be focused on the region near the site of exciton trapping.
Output feedback control of dissipative distributed processes via microscopic simulations

Abstract A continuous-time feedback controller design methodology is developed for distributed processes, whose dynamic behavior can be described by microscopic evolution rules. Employing the micro-Galerkin method to bridge the gap between the microscopic-level evolution rules and the “coarse” process behavior, “coarse” process steady-states are estimated and nonlinear process models are identified off-line through the solution of a series of nonlinear programs. Subsequently, output feedback controllers are designed, on the basis of the nonlinear process model, that enforce stability in the closed-loop system. The method is used to control a system of coupled nonlinear one-dimensional PDEs (the FitzHugh–Nagumo equations), widely used to describe the formation of patterns in reacting and biological systems. Employing kinetic theory based microscopic realizations of the process, the method is used to design output feedback controllers that stabilize the FitzHugh–Nagumo equations at an unstable, nonuniform in space, steady state.
Naturally occurring neuron death in the ganglion cell layer of the neonatal rat: morphology and evidence for regional correspondence with neuron death in superior colliculus

Abstract Light and electron microscopic examination of the inner layers of the normal infant rat retina reveal naturally degenerating cell bodies in the ganglion cell layer, degenerating axons in the optic fiber layer, and degenerating processes in the inner plexiform layer. The degenerating ganglion cell bodies are characterized by condensed nuclear chromatin, an abundance of free monosomes, and few cisternae of rough endoplasmic reticulum. The cells correspond to one type of degenerating neuron described in normal bird embryos but are surprisingly quite different from the morphology of the majority of naturally degenerating neurons in the infant rat superior colliculus. The reason for this difference appears related to the relative immaturity of the ganglion cells when they die. By inspection of the present material and from previous results14 it is clear that the timing of cell death in the ganglion cell layer and colliculus overlaps considerably. Furthermore, counts of degenerating profiles in 6-and 7-day-old rats (the days when cell death appears maximal in both structures) show that caudal superior colliculus and nasal ganglion cell layer, which are normally connected, have significantly more degenerating profiles than rostral colliculus and temporal ganglion cell layer, which are also connected. It may be that these corresponding patterns of cell death reflect a reciprocal control of neuron survival in the two structures. In the course of our study of degenerating cells we also find evidence for two populations of normal neurons in the developing ganglion cell layer. One is a large pale cell which is relatively rich in intracytoplasmic organelles and the other is a small, more densely staining cell which has relatively sparce organelles and coarse nuclear chromatin (at least at the earlier postnatal ages). The possibility exists that this second cell type represents an interneuron located in the ganglion cell layer.
Impact of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring on the management of hypertension in children.

BackgroundAmbulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) is widely utilized for the evaluation and management of hypertension in adults but has not been routinely used in the care of hypertensive children.DesignTo examine the potential impact that the routine use of ABPM might have on the evaluation an
The effect of modeled drag reduction on the wall region

The low-dimensional model derived for the wall region of a turbulent boundary layer (Aubry et al., 1988) is applied to a drag-reduced flow. In agreement with some experimental results, drag reduction is modeled by thickening the wall region, which is achieved by applying stretching transformations to the original flow. By application of a Galerkin projection, a set of ordinary differential equations (ODEs) is obtained whose structure is identical to the set corresponding to the unmodified flow. The coefficients of the ODEs are modified in a nontrivial way. The bifurcation diagrams plotted for different values of the stretching parameter are different in detail but the structure is globally the same. In particular, the intermittent behavior which Aubry et al. identified with the cyclic bursting events experimentally observed is still present. The scenario by which intermittency appears through a subcritical Hopf bifurcation in which a heteroclinic cycle is created and disappears through a bifurcation to traveling waves is identical. These results hold for values of the stretching between 1 and 2.65, the value at which the top of the buffer layer reaches the centerline of the pipe. This is in agreement with experimental results for flows whose drag is reduced but which still display intermittency. The bifurcations occur in the stretched flow at increased levels of dissipation (relative to the unstretched flow), consistent with theoretical pictures of drag reduction, in which the increase of scale is due to stabilization by an increase of dissipation in the turbulent part of the flow. Moreover, this method is a systematic way to perturb the coefficients of the ODEs of Aubry et al. (1988). Under this kind of perturbation, the behavior of the solution (in the part of the bifurcation diagram physically relevant) is found to be extremely robust.
A Novel Approach to Perform Gate-Level Yield Analysis and Optimization Considering Correlated Variations in Power and Performance

Increasing levels of process variation in current technologies have a major impact on power and performance and result in parametric yield loss. In this paper, we develop an efficient gate-level approach to accurately estimate and optimize the parametric yield, defined by leakage power and delay limits, by finding their joint probability distribution function. We consider inter-die variations, as well as intra-die variations, with correlated and random components. The correlation between power and performance arises due to their dependence on common process parameters and is shown to have a significant impact on the yield, particularly in high-frequency bins. We then propose a new heuristic approach to incrementally compute the gradient of yield with respect to gate sizing and gate-length biasing in the circuit with high efficiency and accuracy. We show how this gradient information can be effectively used by a nonlinear optimizer to perform yield optimization. The proposed yield-analysis approach is compared with Monte Carlo simulations and shows high accuracy, with the yield estimates achieving an average error of 2%. The proposed optimization approach is implemented and tested, and we demonstrate an average yield increase of 40% using gate sizing (as compared to a deterministically optimized circuit). Even higher improvements are demonstrated when both gate sizing and gate-length-biasing techniques are used.
The Possibility of Virtue

To have a virtue is to possess a certain kind of trait of character that is appropriate in pursuing the moral good at which the virtue aims. Human beings are assumed to be capable of attaining those traits. Yet, a number of scholars are skeptical about the very existence of such character traits. They claim a sizable amount of empirical evidence in their support. This article is concerned with the existence and explanatory power of character as a way to assess the possibility of achieving moral virtue, with particular attention paid to business context. I aim to unsettle the so-called situationist challenge to virtue ethics. In the course of this article, I shall defend four claims, namely, that virtues are more than just behavioral dispositions, that at least some virtues may not be unitary traits, that psychologists cannot infer virtues from overt behavior, and that the situationist data do not account for the observational equivalence of traits. Since it rests on a misconception of what virtue is, the situationist objection remains unconvincing.
My Life in an Ashram

This article describes the author's experiences at the Himalayan Institute, a New Age ashram located in Pennsylvania, from the dual perspectives of an ethnographer interested in understanding transplanted Indian traditions and as an individual engaged in a spiritual quest. The article reflects on the nature of the self in a meditative state, presents a brief ethnography of the ashram, discusses principles of yoga philosophy as applied to the author's own life situation, and ruminates on the relationship between the ethnographic self and the personal self.
The energetic consequences of loop 9 gating motions in acetylcholine receptor-channels.

Non technical summary Muscle cells have receptors that are activated by the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. The probability that these channels conduct ions across cell membranes increases dramatically when transmitter molecules are present at two binding sites, which are far from the region that regulates ionic conductance. In order to understand the molecular basis of receptor ‘gating’ we seek to learn how neurotransmitters and other small molecules activate this protein. We used single-channel electrophysiology of receptors expressed in tissue-cultured cells to study the effects of mutations at the C-terminus of loop 9, a region near intra-protein interfaces that are known to be important with regard to gating and assembly. We found that the mutation had modest but measurable effects on channel gating (mainly those in the epsilon subunit). We also found that mutations of loop 9 in the alpha subunit increase the kinetic heterogeneity of gating, which suggests that they alter the stability of the extracellular transmembrane domain interface.
HIV/AIDS Knowledge and Beliefs Among Haitian Adolescents in Miami-Dade County, Florida.

This study examined HIV/AIDS knowledge and beliefs in Haitian adolescents in an HIV epicenter, Miami-Dade Florida. This study examined survey data from 300 Haitian adolescents, aged 13 through 18, from both low- and middle-income neighborhoods. A sub-sample of 80 adolescents was selected for in-depth interviews and continuous observations with their families and networks of friends, which added rich descriptions to the quantitative data. Overall knowledge about HIV/AIDS was high with the majority of adolescents identifying unprotected sex and sharing injection drug needles as HIV transmission routes. Moreover, approximately 75% of the adolescents reported condom use as an effective preventive strategy. However, misconceptions that could reduce adolescents' adoption of HIV preventive strategies were also identified. The adolescents' sources for information about HIV/ AIDS as well as implications for prevention interventions are discussed.
Existence, Uniqueness, and Optimality of Sibling-Property Codes for Infinite Sources

By definition Huffman codes only exist for finite sources, since the Huffman algorithm cannot be applied to an infinite source. On the other hand, Gallager's sibling property, which was introduced as a characterization of Huffman codes, extends naturally to (countably) infinite sources. Thus we define a Huffman-Gallager code as any code that has the sibling property, and we present some basic facts about such codes: (1) For any source, a Huffman-Gallager code exists and its list of node probabilities is unique. (2) A Huffman-Gallager code is optimal, and given an optimal code, there exists a Huffman-Gallager code with the same codeword lengths. (3) For sources with infinite entropy, the existence and uniqueness results continue to hold, and the optimality results hold for a natural extended form of optimality.
Nonlinear modeling of ultrasonic transmit-receive system using Laguerre-Volterra networks

The precise knowledge of the electromechanical properties of an ultrasonic transmit-receive system can be used to optimize the excitation waveform in transmission-mode tomographic imaging. Although a linear system hypothesis is often postulated to model the dynamic transformation of the excitation waveform delivered at the transducer of the transmitter (input) into the received waveform at the receiver (output), linearity may not be appropriate in order to account for the actual dynamic characteristics of the system. In this work, we use a nonlinear system modeling/identification method to find a mathematical model of the nonlinear dynamic transformation between the excitation and received signals. The method employs the Laguerre-Volterra Network that has been successfully applied to modeling dynamic physiological systems. The obtained nonlinear model can be used to derive an optimal excitation waveform that produces the maximum peak value of the received signal for given power of the excitation signal. Using experimental data from a commercial ultrasonic array, we show how an optimal excitation signal can be derived from the obtained nonlinear model that maximizes the peak received value. We also demonstrate that the optimally designed excitation waveform offers significant performance improvement over conventional pulse waveforms (~35 times greater peak value).
Children at familial risk for Tourette's disorder: Child and parent diagnoses.

Tourette's disorder (TD) is a neuropsychiatric disorder that onsets in childhood and appears to result from an interaction of genetic and environmental factors. The goal of the current prospective longitudinal study is to examine the onset of TD in offspring of parents with TD. At-risk children and control children were enrolled between the ages of 3 and 6 years and prospectively studied with yearly structured assessments over intervals of 2–5 years. Of 34 at-risk children free of tics at baseline, 10 (29%) subsequently developed a tic disorder, including 3 with TD. None of the 13 control children developed a tic disorder (P = 0.045). OCD or subclinical OCD emerged in 11 cases but no controls (P = 0.021). Finally, ADHD occurred in 14 at-risk children but no controls (P = 0.005). When at-risk families were dichotomized into bilineal or unilineal categories, rates of TD in children with two affected parents were three times the rate observed for children with one affected parent. These findings support the hypothesis that at least some cases of TD result from a complex genetic etiology. TD, OCD, and ADHD are significantly increased in children with TD parents. Furthermore, the risk is even greater when both parents are affected. Finally, our diagnosis of tic disorders in 21% of subjects initially reported by parents to be unaffected affirms the value of structured clinical assessments. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Effect of bariatric surgery on peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets in women.

Abstract Background The use of bariatric surgery to treat refractory obesity is increasingly common. The great weight loss that can result from these procedures has been shown to ameliorate certain deleterious effects of obesity. However, the effect of surgery on immune status is unclear. We investigated the relationship between surgical weight loss and peripheral blood lymphocyte percentages in women. Methods Women (n = 20, age range 25–59 years, body mass index [BMI] range 36.4–68.2 kg/m 2 ) who had undergone either gastric banding (n = 14) or gastric bypass (n = 6) were enrolled in a prospective study to determine the percentages of their peripheral blood T cells (CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+), CD19+ B cells, and CD3−/CD16+CD56+ natural killer precursor cells before and 85 ± 7 days (3 months) postoperatively using flow cytometry. The data are expressed as the percentage of total lymphocytes ± the standard error of the mean. Results A decrease in the BMI at 3 months postoperatively was 12% in the overall study population and 8% and 20% in the banding and bypass groups, respectively. No significant changes were found in the CD4+ or CD8+ T cells ( P = .9 and P = .5, respectively), CD19+ B cells ( P = .6), or natural killer precursor cells ( P = .25) in the overall population or among the patients when stratified by surgical procedure (gastric banding or bypass). The change in CD3+ T cells approached significance ( P = .06). A "same direction" (negative) correlation was found between the decrease in BMI and changes in the CD4+ T cell percentages between the pre- and postoperative levels in all the participants, and in the bypass and banding groups separately. However, it only reached statistical significance in the bypass group ( r = −.96, P = .002). When studying the correlation between the decrease in BMI and the changes in CD3+ T cell percentages between the pre- and postoperative levels, a borderline significant negative correlation was found for all participants ( r = −.44, P = .05) and in the bypass group ( r = −.76, P = .08). The rate of change in the CD4+ and CD3+ T cells was greatest among those with the least weight loss and decreased with greater weight loss. Conclusion An inverse relationship exists between the change in certain T cells (CD4+ and CD3+) and the amount of weight lost after bariatric surgery, mainly gastric bypass surgery. The greater the decrease in BMI, the lower the change in these T cells.
Prey morphology constrains the feeding ecology of an aquatic generalist predator.

Resource availability and accessibility are primary factors guiding the distribution and abundance of organisms. For generalists, prey availability reflects both prey abundance and differences in quality among prey taxa. Although some aspects of prey quality, such as nutritional composition, are well studied, our understanding of how prey morphology contributes to overall prey quality is limited. Because snakes cannot reduce prey size by mastication, many aspects of their feeding ecology (e.g., maximum prey size, feeding performance, and the degree of postprandial locomotor impairment) may be affected by prey shape. We conducted a uniquely comprehensive comparison of prey quality for a generalist species, the banded watersnake (Nerodia fasciata), using prey that were similar in mass and presumably similar in nutritional composition but different in shape and habitat association. Specifically, we compared nutritional composition and shape of paedomorphic salamanders (Ambystoma talpoideum) and sunfish (Lepomis marginatus) and used a series of repeated-measures experiments to examine feeding performance (number of prey consumed, maximum prey size, and intra-oral transport time), digestive metabolism (specific dynamic action, SDA), and postprandial locomotor performance of snakes fed Ambystoma and Lepomis. Cost of digestion was similar between the prey types, likely reflecting their similar nutritional composition. However, snakes consumed larger Ambystoma than Lepomis and intra-oral transport time was much shorter for Ambystoma. Snakes fed Lepomis also suffered greater reduction in crawling speed than those fed Ambystoma. These differences highlight the need for behaviorally integrated approaches to understanding prey quality and support field observations of the importance of amphibian prey for juvenile watersnakes.
Distributed Morphology and the Syntax—Morphology Interface

A theory of the syntax/morphology interface is first, a theory of how ‘words’ and their internal structure – the traditional domain of morphology – relate to the structures generated by the syntax, and second, a theory of how the rules for deriving complex words relate to the rules for deriving syntactic structures. A prominent line of research in this area consists of approaches assuming some version of the Lexicalist Hypothesis. For present purposes, this is the claim that (at least some) words are special in ways that e.g. phrases are not, and that this ‘specialness’ calls for an architecture in which the derivation of words and the derivation of syntactic objects occur in different modules of the grammar (the Lexicon versus the syntax).1 While the ‘words’ derived in the Lexicon serve as the terminals in the syntactic derivation, there is a sharp division between syntax and morphology according to Lexicalist approaches of this type. In this way, the interface between syntax and morphology in such a theory is opaque or indirect: there is no reason to expect the structure and composition of ‘words’ to relate to the structure and composition of syntactic objects in any transparent or for that matter systematic fashion. A second line of research advances the hypothesis that ‘words’ are assembled by rules of the syntax. Thus the ‘word’ is not a privileged derivational object as far as the architecture of the grammar is concerned, since all complex objects, whether words and phrases, are treated as the output of the same generative system (the syntax). According to this view, which we assume here, the theory of the syntax/morphology interface might better be said to be a theory of (1) the primitive elements of the syntactic derivation (the traditional question of the morpheme); (2) the principles governing the assembly of these primitives into complex objects (the question of what structures the syntax and perhaps PF rules can derive); and (3) the manner in which phonological forms relate to the primitives and to the complex objects constructed from the primitives. Such an approach allows for a transparent (or direct) interface between syntax and morphology, because it hypothesizes that the same generative system derives all complex objects.2 In the default case, then, the principles that govern the composition of ‘words’ are the same as those that govern the composition of larger syntactic objects.
Scalable Local Area Service Discovery

Existing methods for local area service discovery either don't scale or rely on a trustworthy directory server; in some environments these restrictions are unacceptable or impractical. This paper describes "Repeat-BAND", a generic method for service discovery that scales automatically without depending on any central component. The automatic scaling makes it fast on small networks and automatically load controlled on large networks, irrespective of the number of simultaneous discoveries taking place. It is generic in the sense that the automatic scaling technique can be applied to improve any particular service discovery system, and it is applicable across a large variety of types of network because we show how all the tuning parameters are derived. We present results showing controlled load discovery with scalability up to very large networks. We also show that the algorithms are simple and easy to implement; an important practical requirement since the method is used in Windows Vista and licensed by many hardware vendors. In addition, we consider the industrial requirement as to the certification of independent implementations, an aspect normally ignored in the academic literature.
Beta-blockers for hypertension: Are they going out of style?

Although beta-blockers lower blood pressure in most patients, the outcomes of clinical hypertension trials of these drugs have been disappointing, and the value of beta-blockers in treating hypertensive patients who do not have compelling indications for them has been questioned. Until these drugs are proved beneficial, they should be used as antihypertensive therapy only in patients with compelling cardiac indications for them or as add-on agents in those with uncontrolled or resistant hypertension.
Constraints on the outer-core tangent cylinder using normal-mode splitting measurements

SUMMARY Assuming that the heterogeneity within the outer core takes the form of a tangent cylinder, the normal-mode splitting data are inverted for constraints on perturbations in compressional wave speed and density. The trade-off between the mantle, outer core and the inner core is explored with various data subsets, model parametrizations, damping strengths and data correction. In addition, an estimate of uncertainty is obtained by the Monte Carlo simulations. The resulting values within the tangent cylinder are 0.06 ± 0.12 per cent for compressional wave speed and −0.06 ± 0.20 per cent for density, and they suggest that the tangent cylinder is seismically homogeneous with the rest of the outer core.
Determination of Antimony, Tin, and Arsenic in High Antimonial Lead Alloys by Vacuum X-ray Fluorescence

A method of x-ray fluorescence analysis for high antimonial lead alloys has been developed to cover antimony concentrations between 6 and 18%, a range not covered in previously published x-ray methods. The proposed method utilizes a General Electric XRD 6 VS spectrometer, chill-cast mold, and a special cutting bit to produce a smooth surface. Ten separate 10-sec counts are taken at 120° intervals to offset nonhomogeneity of the surface. Average counts vs concentration are plotted to obtain calibration curves and percentage concentration. The precision and accuracy of the proposed method compare favorably with the classical wet method. The average standard deviation of the proposed method in terms of the amount present is 1.19% for antimony, 2.03% for tin, and 2.37% for arsenic. These values are within the limits required in the specifications of most high antimonial lead alloys. A time saving of 2 h per sample is realized by the x-ray method over the classical wet method.
Promiscuous aggregate-based inhibitors promote enzyme unfolding.

One of the leading sources of false positives in early drug discovery is the formation of organic small molecule aggregates, which inhibit enzymes nonspecifically at micromolar concentrations in aqueous solution. The molecular basis for this widespread problem remains hazy. To investigate the mechanism of inhibition at a molecular level, we determined changes in solvent accessibility that occur when an enzyme binds to an aggregate using hydrogen−deuterium exchange mass spectrometry. For AmpC β-lactamase, binding to aggregates of the small molecule rottlerin increased the deuterium exchange of all 10 reproducibly detectable peptides, which covered 41% of the sequence of β-lactamase. This suggested a global increase in proton accessibility upon aggregate binding, consistent with denaturation. We then investigated whether enzyme−aggregate complexes were more susceptible to proteolysis than uninhibited enzyme. For five aggregators, trypsin degradation of β-lactamase increased substantially when β-lactamase wa...
Nanostructured cobalt phosphide-based films as bifunctional electrocatalysts for overall water splitting

Nanostructured cobalt phosphide-based films were prepared using a simple, three-step electrodeposition–thermal annealing–phosphidation method. The films are effective electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction in acidic and alkaline electrolytes, and the oxygen evolution reaction in alkaline electrolyte. A symmetrical alkaline electrolysis cell with low overpotential of 0.41–0.51 V was demonstrated.
Correlation of Inflammation in Frozen Sections With Site of Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer.

Importance During Mohs micrographic surgery of nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC), inflammation in histologic frozen sections has been found to occasionally presage the detection of tumors in frozen sections of adjacent excision specimens. Objective To quantify the correlation between the location of inflammation without visible tumor in histologic frozen sections and the location of subsequently detected NMSC. Design, Setting, and Participants A retrospective cohort study of 3148 cases pertaining to frozen sections associated with the staged excision of NMSC was performed from September 8, 2008, to September 18, 2009, at an urban academic medical center, with the collected data analyzed on May 9, 2013. Exposures Consecutive cases of Mohs micrographic surgery performed at an academic medical center. Main Outcomes and Measures For each wedge-shaped tissue segment corresponding with 1 hour of time on a clock face, the proportion of patients with inflammation at the source location of the segment who subsequently had a tumor at this same location; the proportion of patients who had neither inflammation nor subsequent tumor at the source location of the segment; the probability of subsequent tumor at this location given the prior finding of inflammation at the same location; and the probability that a location was without tumor in the absence of preexisting inflammation at that location. Results Of the medical records of 3148 cases of NMSC that were reviewed, 60 showed inflammation in histologic frozen sections from an excision specimen that was followed by tumor in the subsequent excision specimen. Of these 60, 39 (65%) were b asal cel carcinoma and 21 (35%) were squamous cell carcinomas; 53 (88%) were Mohs stage 1. In 7 of 12 segments, a significant positive correlation was found between the presence of inflammation and the presence of nearby tumor with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.196 to 0.384 ( P Conclusions and Relevance During Mohs micrographic surgery of NMSC with the examination of frozen sections, histologic inflammation is modestly predictive of adjacent tumor whereas lack of inflammation strongly predicts that no additional tumor will be found.
Reply to “Conventional Ductography Combined With Digital Breast Tomosynthesis for Imaging of Pathologic Nipple Discharge”

AJR 2016; 206:W45 0361–803X/16/2062–W45 © American Roentgen Ray Society Reply to “Conventional Ductography Combined With Digital Breast Tomosynthesis for Imaging of Pathologic Nipple Discharge” We thank Dr. Cohen [1] for commenting on our recent article [2] and for sharing experiences with other imaging modalities for the evaluation of pathologic nipple discharge. The results of our study show that ultrasound is a valuable diagnostic tool; however, we agree with Dr. Cohen that the management of patients with pathologic nipple discharge can be challenging when there are no findings on conventional imaging with mammography and sonography. At our institution, patients with pathologic nipple discharge and no findings on a conventional imaging workup are referred for surgical consultation. After consultation with a surgeon, the patient may undergo further imaging with conventional MRI, undergo surgical duct exploration, or be monitored. We recently reported our experience with conventional MRI in this setting [3]. The concept of combining conventional ductography with tomosynthesis is intriguing and may help minimize the number of false-negative conventional examinations. This technique may help to reduce the number of patients who undergo unnecessary surgical duct explorations, and we look forward to clinical data that define the sensitivity and specificity of this approach. Manisha Bahl Jay A. Baker Sujata V. Ghate Division of Breast Imaging, Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC
Toxic Shock Syndrome Complicating Orthopaedic Manipulation of Bone. A Report of Two Cases

In 1978, Todd and Fishaut described toxic shock syndrome, a multisystem disorder usually associated with toxic shock syndrome toxin-1, a toxin elaborated by Staphylococcus aureus . Most cases occur during menstruation and are associated with vaginal colonization by strains of this bacterium that elaborate the toxin. Other risk factors include the use of tampons, a young age, and a low serum concentration of anti-toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 antibody8. Toxic shock syndrome can also occur in patients who are not menstruating; the risk factors are less certain but include nasal operations and the presence of a non-operative or operative wound. Toxic shock syndrome that is not related to menstruation is less often associated with the isolation of Staphylococcus aureus that produces toxic shock syndrome toxin-1; only 40 to 60 per cent of isolates from such patients produce the toxin, compared with 90 to 100 per cent of isolates from patients who are menstruating4,6,14. Other toxins, most notably staphylococcal enterotoxin-B, have been implicated in toxic shock syndrome in non-menstruating patients. Orthopaedic procedures have not been considered a risk factor for toxic shock syndrome, and there have been few reports of toxic shock syndrome associated with bone manipulation and implants. One report described two patients who survived after insertion of an external fixator18 and one, a patient who died after removal of a metallic internal-fixation device from the healed site of a right femoral varus derotational osteotomy combined with a right arthrodesis of the wrist with iliac-crest bone graft and fixation with two Kirschner wires13. Staphylococcus aureus grew on culture of specimens obtained during incision and drainage of the iliac crest and the wrist13. Additionally, Irvine et al. reported a death due to toxic shock syndrome after removal of three …
High-Resolution Interpretation of Sonic Logging Measurements Using Stochastic Inversion With Spatial Slowness Sensitivity Functions

Sonic logging tools excite compressional, shear, and different dispersive modes in a wellbore. Waveforms acquired at the receiver array are processed to calculate compressional and shear slowness logs, from which one can estimate relevant dynamic elastic properties of rock formations surrounding the borehole. Shoulder-bed effects often influence the interpretation of sonic logging measurements when the tool operates across formations with thin beds. To address that challenge, we introduce a new method that reduces shoulder-bed effects and provides a high resolution shear slowness log. At several discrete frequencies, the method uses stochastic inversion to match simulated flexural mode slownesses with those obtained from processed field data. The method gives accurate results with quantitative indicators of parameter uncertainty. Axial spatial slowness sensitivity functions are used for forward modeling, which significantly reduces computation time. We apply the new method to a synthetic case and obtain accurate and stable shear slowness estimations. In a field case, the inverted results not only correlate well with the original log, but also provide an enhancement in vertical resolution.
The Synthesis of InP drom Indium Halides and Tris(Trimethylsilyl)Phosphine

InP has been prepared by the reaction of InX3 (X = Cl, Br, I) with P(SiMe3)3. The intermediates and product have been characterized by XPS, elemental analysis and X-ray powder diffraction.