cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and preliminary biological evaluation of O6-[4-(2-[18F]fluoroethoxymethyl)benzyl]guanine as a novel potential PET probe for the DNA repair protein O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase in cancer chemotherapy.

Abstract A novel fluorine-18-labeled O 6 -benzylguanine ( O 6 -BG) derivative, O 6 -[4-(2-[ 18 F]fluoroethoxymethyl)benzyl]guanine ( O 6 -[ 18 F]FEMBG, [ 18 F] 1 ), has been synthesized for evaluation as a potential positron emission tomography (PET) probe for the DNA repair protein O 6 -alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (AGT) in cancer chemotherapy. The appropriate radiolabeling precursor N 2,9 -bis( p -anisyldiphenylmethyl)- O 6 -[4-(hydroxymethyl)benzyl]guanine ( 6 ) and reference standard O 6 -[4-(2-fluoroethoxymethyl)benzyl]guanine ( O 6 -FEMBG, 1 ) were synthesized from 1,4-benzenedimethanol and 2-amino-6-chloropurine in four or six steps, respectively, with moderate to excellent chemical yields. The target tracer O 6 -[ 18 F]FEMBG was prepared in 20–35% radiochemical yields by reaction of MTr-protected precursor 6 with [ 18 F]fluoroethyl bromide followed by quick deprotection reaction and purification with a simplified Silica Sep-Pak method. Total synthesis time was 60–70 min from the end of bombardment. Radiochemical purity of the formulated product was >95%, with a specific radioactivity of >1.0 Ci/μmol at the end of synthesis. The activity of unlabeled O 6 -FEMBG was evaluated via an in vitro AGT oligonucleotide assay. Preliminary findings from biological assay indicate that the synthesized analogue has similarly strong inhibiting effect on AGT in comparison with O 6 -BG and O 6 -4-fluorobenzylguanine ( O 6 -FBG). The results warrant further in vivo evaluation of O 6 -[ 18 F]FEMBG as a new potential PET probe for AGT.
Long-term results after accessory renal artery coverage during endovascular aortic aneurysm repair

Objective Current information regarding coverage of accessory renal arteries (ARAs) during endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) is based on small case series with limited follow-up. This study evaluates the outcomes of ARA coverage in a large contemporary cohort. Methods Consecutive EVAR data from January 2004 to August 2010 were collected in a prospective database at a University Hospital. Patient and aneurysm-related characteristics, imaging studies, and ARA coverage versus preservation were analyzed. Volumetric analysis of three-dimensional reconstruction computed tomography scans was used to assess renal infarction volume extent. Long-term renal function and overall technical success of aneurysm exclusion were compared. Results A cohort of 426 EVARs was identified. ARAs were present in 69 patients with a mean follow-up of 27 months (range, 1 to 60 months). Forty-five ARAs were covered in 40 patients; 29 patients had intentional ARA preservation. Patient and anatomic characteristics were similar between groups except that ARA coverage patients had shorter aneurysm necks (P = .03). Renal infarctions occurred in 84% of kidneys with covered ARAs. There was no significant deterioration in long-term glomerular filtration rate when compared with patients in the control group. No difference in the rate of endoleak, secondary procedures, or the requirement for antihypertensive medications was found. Conclusions This study is the largest to date with the longest follow-up relating to ARA coverage. Contrary to previous reports, renal infarction after ARA coverage is common. Nevertheless, coverage is well tolerated based upon preservation of renal function without additional morbidity. These results support the long-term safety of ARA coverage for EVAR when necessary.
Harnessing neuroplasticity for clinical applications

ARTICLE Sir, The recent review article ‘Harnessing neuroplasticity for clinical applications’ (Cramer et al. , 2011) is in many respects an impressively sophisticated summary of current knowledge of CNS plasticity and its potential translation to important new therapeutic applications. However, this otherwise excellent article has one very major omission: anyone reading it who did not already know better would assume that neuroplasticity essentially ends at the foramen magnum. Apart from several brief references to corticospinal tract plasticity, there is no mention of spinal cord plasticity, of its importance in sensorimotor function, and of the rapidly growing evidence that appropriate engagement and guidance of spinal cord plasticity could play a major role in restoring useful function after spinal cord injuries, strokes and other trauma or disease. A major area of active and successful research that applies directly to the subject of the article, ‘Harnessing neuroplasticity for clinical applications,’ is not addressed. A full review of activity-dependent spinal cord plasticity and its potential clinical applications would be nearly as lengthy as Cramer et al . (2011). The relevant information comprises at least six substantial bodies of data, three coming from pathological situations or reduced preparations and three coming from normal life. These six areas are briefly summarized and illustrated here. First, the long-term changes in spinal cord function that develop after injury or disease disrupt supraspinal control have been recognized for at least a century (Riddoch, 1917; Brodal, 1981; Hiersemenzel et al. , 2000; Wolpaw and Tennissen, 2001). Indeed, long-term survival after spinal cord injury depends on meticulous bladder, bowel and skin-care regimens that serve to moderate this plasticity. Perhaps, the best early laboratory evidence of activity-dependent spinal cord plasticity was Anna DiGiorgio's (1929, 1942) demonstration that a short period of abnormal descending activity produced by a …
Editors' Introduction to the Special Issue

The editors of the Educational Psychologist's special issue “Evolution of the Educated Species” begin with an anecdotal account of the project's history, followed by an overview of the articles that comprise the special issue's contents. In the focal article, David C. Geary reviews the theory, rationale, and definitions associated with a science of evolutionary educational psychology. He then provides selected examples of how an “evolutionarily informed” perspective has direct implications for students' learning and motivation in the classroom. Four commentators, with varied perspectives, respond to Geary's provocative assertions. Geary's final response to the commentators includes clarifications and extensions of his evolutionary educational psychology principles.
Hierarchical Cluster Analysis And The Internal Structure Of Tests

Hierachical cluster analysis is shown to be an effective method for forming scales from sets of items. The number of scales to form from a particular item pool is found by testing the psychometric adequacy of each potential scale. Higher-order scales are formed when they are more adequate than their component sub-scales. It is suggested that a scale's adequacy should be assessed by a new measure of internal consistency reliability, coefficient beta, which is defined as the worst split-half reliability of the test. Comparisons with other procedures show that hierarchical clustering algorithms using this psychometrically based decisions rule can be more useful for scale construction using large item pools than are conventional factor analytic techniques.
Measuring metastability and its effect on communication signal processing systems

New digital communication receivers often oversample an intermediate frequency (IF) or baseband signal at a very high rate (16 to 32 times the IF frequency or bit rate) as a means to demodulate the encoded data and synchronize the recovered clock. Unfortunately, an asynchronous data source can result in metastable errors and its effect on communications system performance has not been analyzed before now. Fortunately, our results demonstrate the vitality of 1-bit quantized IF high-speed digital signal processing. We review a practical measurement technique using a digital sampling oscilloscope that can be easily applied to today's digital signal processing systems. This method is used to collect data on a high-speed digital gate array technology used for a digital communication receiver, and the statistics of packet error rate are calculated. The analysis shows the substantial robustness of fast gate array logic and the importance of selecting the right technology. The technique and analysis presented can be applied to other digital systems.
Priming lexical neighbors of spoken words: Effects of competition and inhibition

Two experiments employing an auditory priming paradigm were conducted to test predictions of the Neighborhood Activation Model of spoken word recognition (Lute & Pisoni, 1989, Neighborhoods of words in the mental lexicon. Manuscript under review). Acousticphonetic similarity, neighborhood densities, and frequencies of prime and target words were manipulated. In Experiment 1, priming with low frequency, phonetically related spoken words inhibited target recognition, as predicted by the Neighborhood Activation Model. In Experiment 2, the same prime-target pairs were presented with a longer inter-stimulus interval and the effects of priming were eliminated. In both experiments, predictions derived from the Neighborhood Activation Model regarding the effects of neighborhood density and word frequency were supported. The results are discussed in terms of competing activation of lexical neighbors and the dissociation of activation and frequency in spoken word recognition.
Direction-tunable nanotwins in copper nanowires by laser-assisted electrochemical deposition

Nanotwins can improve mechanical strength and maintain high electrical conductivity in metallic nanowires. We demonstrated a method of pulsed-laser-assisted electrodeposition, which could form dense nanotwins with tunable directions in copper nanowires of uniform sizes. Transmission electron microscopy characterization showed with a growth potential of -0:2 V, nanotwins tend to align along the longitudinal direction of the nanowires, whereas at a larger potential of -0:8 V, nanotwins of {111}g/ type perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the wire were formed. The two types of nanotwins were investigated by comparing the microstructures under different electrochemical conditions and laser irradiation energies. Two different mechanisms are proposed—annealing twins and growth twins.
The social life of cognition

We begin by illustrating that long before the cognitive revolution, social psychology focused on topics pertaining to what is now known as social cognition: people’s subjective interpretations of social situations and the concepts and cognitive processes underlying these interpretations. We then examine two questions: whether social cognition entails characteristic concepts and cognitive processes, and how social processes might themselves shape and constrain cognition. We suggest that social cognition relies heavily on generic cognition but also on unique concepts (e.g., agent, intentionality) and unique processes (e.g., projection, imitation, joint attention). We further suggest that social processes play a prominent role in the development and unfolding of several generic cognitive processes, including learning, attention, and memory. Finally, we comment on the prospects of a recently developing approach to the study of social cognition (social neuroscience) and two potential future directions (computational social cognition and social–cognitive robotics).
Omega: an Overlap-graph de novo Assembler for Metagenomics

Motivation Metagenomic sequencing allows reconstruction of microbial genomes directly from environmental samples. Omega (overlap-graph metagenome assembler) was developed for assembling and scaffolding Illumina sequencing data of microbial communities. Results Omega found overlaps between reads using a prefix/suffix hash table. The overlap graph of reads was simplified by removing transitive edges and trimming short branches. Unitigs were generated based on minimum cost flow analysis of the overlap graph and then merged to contigs and scaffolds using mate-pair information. In comparison with three de Bruijn graph assemblers (SOAPdenovo, IDBA-UD and MetaVelvet), Omega provided comparable overall performance on a HiSeq 100-bp dataset and superior performance on a MiSeq 300-bp dataset. In comparison with Celera on the MiSeq dataset, Omega provided more continuous assemblies overall using a fraction of the computing time of existing overlap-layout-consensus assemblers. This indicates Omega can more efficiently assemble longer Illumina reads, and at deeper coverage, for metagenomic datasets. Availability and implementation Implemented in C++ with source code and binaries freely available at http://omega.omicsbio.org.
The influence of high substrate concentrations on microbial kinetics

High substrate concentrations inhibit growth and may distort the metabolism of microorganisms. Mechanisms causing substrate inhibition are discussed and used to derive several mathematical models representative of the entire concentration range, including stimulation of growth by low substrate concentrations. These kinetic models are tested with a variety of batch culture measurements of specific growth rate and respiration rate at widely-ranging substrate concentrations. Using one of the kinetic models, equations are developed for batch, continuous, and exponential-feed reactors. Comparison of results obtained in continuous culture with results from exponential-feed culture systems is shown to offer a novel experimental method for evaluating the effect of the cell age distribution on the properties and metabolic activity of a culture.
Mitf induction by RANKL is critical for osteoclastogenesis.

Microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (Mitf) regulates the development and function of several cell lineages, including osteoclasts. In this report, we identified a novel mechanism by which RANKL regulates osteoclastogenesis via induction of Mitf isoform E (Mitf-E). Both Mitf-A and Mitf-E are abundantly present in osteoclasts. Unlike Mitf-A, which is ubiquitously expressed and is present in similar amounts in macrophages and osteoclasts, Mitf-E is almost nondetectable in macrophages, but its expression is significantly up-regulated during osteoclastogenesis. In addition to their different expression profiles, the two isoforms are drastically different in their abilities to support osteoclastogenesis, despite sharing all known functional domains. Unlike Mitf-A, small amounts of Mitf-E are present in nuclear lysates unless chromatin is digested/sheared during the extraction. Based on these data, we propose a model in which Mitf-E is induced during osteoclastogenesis and is closely associated with chromatin to facilitate its interaction with target promoters; therefore, Mitf-E has a stronger osteoclastogenic activity. Mitf-A is a weaker osteoclastogenic factor, but activated Mitf-A alone is not sufficient to fully support osteoclastogenesis. Therefore, this receptor activator for nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL)-induced Mitf phenomenon seems to play an important role during osteoclastogenesis. Although the current theory indicates that Mitf and its binding partner Tfe3 are completely redundant in osteoclasts, using RNA interference, we demonstrated that Mitf has a distinct role from Tfe3. This study provides the first evidence that RANKL-induced Mitf is critical for osteoclastogenesis and Mitf is not completely redundant with Tfe3.
Long-term systemic arterial blood pressure control with nicardipine

Nicardipine was administered orally for up to 1 year to 250 patients with essential hypertension. Phase I, a 2- to 4-week placebo washout to establish baseline supine diastolic blood pressure (BP), was followed by 4 weeks of open-label nicardipine dose titration (phase II) to establish optimal dosage on a 3-times-daily regimen for each patient. After nicardipine administration, approximately 79% of the patients had supine diastolic BP less than 90 mm Hg or greater than or equal to 10 mm Hg below baseline. The reduction in systolic and diastolic BPs was somewhat greater in patients older than 60 years. After phase III--an 8-week double-blind comparison of dosage regimens of 2- and 3-times-daily--all patients returned to a 3-times-daily regimen at their optimal daily dosage for 40 weeks of open treatment (phase IV). Supplemental treatment with a diuretic or a beta blocker was required by 67 patients. By the end of phase IV, more than 100 patients had completed 1 year of nicardipine monotherapy (mean supine diastolic BP = 85 mm Hg, approximately 14 mm Hg below baseline). Finally, patients were randomly assigned to continue nicardipine on a double-blind basis or take a matching placebo for 6 weeks (phase V, n = 101). The nicardipine group had only a slight change in supine diastolic BP, whereas those receiving placebo had statistically significant increases in supine diastolic BP toward baseline values. Adverse experiences, attributed to the vasodilatory effects of nicardipine, tended to occur in the first few months of the study and resulted in early withdrawal of 30 patients. Overall, these results show that nicardipine is a well-tolerated antihypertensive agent with efficacy sustained during 1 year of treatment.
Fractured, Fragmented Federalism: A Study in Fracking Regulatory Policy

Unlike the regulation of other heavy industries, fracking—in which companies create cracks in shale rock to extract gas, oil, or other substances—has been exempted from federal reach, leaving regulation to the states, which appear vulnerable to capture by energy interests. As fracking has expanded, become more complex, and generated considerable controversy, some states have sought to quash local government efforts to impose more stringent regulations. Citizens and activists have sought redress through the courts, and some states are fighting over the transport of waste disposal across state lines. The story is one of fractured, fragmented federalism that illustrates the key role played by regulated interests that prefer state to federal regulation, resulting in a variable, often weak state regulatory regime.
Effect of oral glucosamine on joint structure in individuals with chronic knee pain: a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Objective To determine the short-term efficacy of oral glucosamine supplementation by evaluating structural lesions in the knee joints, as assessed using 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods This study was designed as a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Recruitment was performed via mass mailings and an arthritis registry in southwestern Pennsylvania. In total, 201 participants with mild-to-moderate pain in one or both knees, as defined by a Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain score ≥25 and ≤100, were enrolled. Of these subjects, 69.2% had a Kellgren/Lawrence grade ≥2 in at least 1 knee. Participants received 24 weeks of treatment with 1,500 mg glucosamine hydrochloride in beverage form or a placebo beverage. The primary outcome was decreased worsening of cartilage damage on 3T MRI of both knees, assessed according to a validated scoring system, the Whole-Organ MRI Score (WORMS). Secondary outcomes included change in bone marrow lesion (BML) scores in all knees and change in excretion of urinary C-terminal crosslinking telopeptide of type II collagen (CTX-II). Results The adjusted odds ratio (OR) for the likelihood of decreased cartilage damage over 24 weeks in any WORMS-scored subregion of the knee in the glucosamine treatment group compared to the control group was 0.938 (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.528, 1.666). Compared to subjects treated with glucosamine, control subjects showed more improvement in BMLs (adjusted OR 0.537, 95% CI 0.291, 0.990) but no difference in worsening BMLs (adjusted OR 0.691, 95% CI 0.410, 1.166) over 24 weeks. There was no indication that treatment with glucosamine decreased the excretion of urinary CTX-II (β = −0.10, 95% CI −0.21, 0.002). Conclusion The results of this short-term study provide no evidence of structural benefits (i.e., improvements in MRI morphologic features or urinary CTX-II excretion) from glucosamine supplementation in individuals with chronic knee pain.
Benjamin Franklin and Lightning Rods

Franklin’s work on electricity and lightning earned him worldwide fame and respect—ideal assets for brokering aid from France during the American Revolution.
A Note on Stratification in Clinical Trials

Stratification is sometimes proposed to deal with problems of influential covariates in clinical trials. The word stratification, however, may refer to any of four different methods of design and analysis. The methods are capable of addressing three different problems. Which problem and which method are being discussed is often misunderstood. Consequently, the method adopted may not solve the problem that provoked its consideration.
In the Eyes of the Beholder: The Relationship Between Subordinates' Felt Trustworthiness and their Work Attitudes and Behaviors:

This study extends the literature on trust and leadership by examining trust from a new perspective. Specifically, we investigate how subordinates' perceptions of their leaders' trust in them, which we label subordinates' felt trustworthiness, influence their performance, organizational citizenship behavior and job satisfaction. Results demonstrated a positive relationship between felt trustworthiness and these dependent measures. Furthermore, felt trustworthiness was a more significant predictor of these outcomes than the subordinates' perceptions of their leaders' trustworthiness. Implications of these_findings are discussed.
Clinical trials in general surgical journals: Are methods better reported?

Abstract Background: Reports of clinical trials often lack adequate descriptions of their design and analysis. Thus readers cannot properly assess the strength of the findings and are limited in their ability to draw their own conclusions. A review of 6 surgical journals in 1984 revealed that the frequency of reporting 11 basic elements of design and analysis in clinical trials was only 59%. This study attempted to identify areas that still need improvement. Methods: Eligible studies published from July 1995 through June 1996 included all reports of comparative clinical trials on human subjects that were prospective and had at least 2 treatment arms. A total of 68 articles published in 6 general surgery journals were reviewed. The frequency that the previously identified 11 basic elements of design and analysis were reported was determined. Results: Seventy-four percent of all items were reported accurately (a 15% increase from the previous study), 4% were reported ambiguously, and 23% were not reported; improvement was seen in every journal. The reporting of eligibility criteria and statistical power improved the most. For 3 items, reporting was still not adequate; 32% of reports provided information about statistical power, 40% about the method of randomization, and 49% about whether the person assessing outcomes was blind to the treatment assignment. Conclusions: Improvements have been made in reporting surgical clinical trials, but in general methodologic questions poorly answered in the 1980s continue to be answered poorly in the 1990s. Editors of surgical journals are urged to provide authors with guidelines on how to report clinical trial design and analysis. (Surgery 1999;125:41-5.)
Image guidance using 3D-ultrasound (3D-US) for daily positioning of lumpectomy cavity for boost irradiation

The goal of this study was to evaluate the use of 3D ultrasound (3DUS) breast IGRT for electron and photon lumpectomy site boost treatments. 20 patients with a prescribed photon or electron boost were enrolled in this study. 3DUS images were acquired both at time of simulation, to form a coregistered CT/3DUS dataset, and at the time of daily treatment delivery. Intrafractional motion between treatment and simulation 3DUS datasets were calculated to determine IGRT shifts. Photon shifts were evaluated isocentrically, while electron shifts were evaluated in the beam's-eye-view. Volume differences between simulation and first boost fraction were calculated. Further, to control for the effect of change in seroma/cavity volume due to time lapse between the 2 sets of images, interfraction IGRT shifts using the first boost fraction as reference for all subsequent treatment fractions were also calculated. For photon boosts, IGRT shifts were 1.1 ± 0.5 cm and 50% of fractions required a shift >1.0 cm. Volume change between simulation and boost was 49 ± 31%. Shifts when using the first boost fraction as reference were 0.8 ± 0.4 cm and 24% required a shift >1.0 cm. For electron boosts, shifts were 1.0 ± 0.5 cm and 52% fell outside the dosimetric penumbra. Interfraction analysis relative to the first fraction noted the shifts to be 0.8 ± 0.4 cm and 36% fell outside the penumbra. The lumpectomy cavity can shift significantly during fractionated radiation therapy. 3DUS can be used to image the cavity and correct for interfractional motion. Further studies to better define the protocol for clinical application of IGRT in breast cancer is needed.
Validation of an Instrument Measuring Patient Satisfaction With Chest Physiotherapy Techniques in Cystic Fibrosis

Objectives Chest physiotherapy (CPT) has been an important part of cystic fibrosis (CF) treatment regimens for > 40 years. Techniques with different perceived costs, benefits, and patient satisfaction exist. An instrument measuring patient satisfaction with CPT has not been reported. Our goal was to develop and validate such an instrument. Design A cross-sectional survey sent to 349 patients seen at a large, urban, academic CF care center. The two-page survey asked 17 questions related to CPT satisfaction (efficacy, convenience, comfort, overall satisfaction), followed by 4 general CF-care questions (disease severity, importance of therapies, prescribed vs missed therapies). A 5-point Likert-type scale was used for responses. Psychometric analysis included itemetric performance, confirmatory factor analysis, test-retest reliability, and evaluation of subject's responses to the general CF-care questions. Results One hundred twenty-nine individuals returned completed surveys (39%; 66 males and 63 females; age range, 2 months to 47 years). FEV 1 values were 21 to 155% predicted (mean, 76%; n=82). Disease severity was as follows: 60 mild, 47 moderate, and 14 severe. Seventy-nine subjects used postural drainage, percussion, and vibration (PDPV), 21 used a flutter device, and 14 used high-frequency chest wall oscillation (HFCWO). Five subjects used more than one technique. Internal consistency analysis found an overall coefficient α of 0.87 (range, 0.74 to 0.89 for four domains). Factor analysis demonstrated domains for efficacy, convenience, comfort, and overall satisfaction. Mean total satisfaction scores differed significantly among therapies (R 2 = 0.118; F[2,111] = 7.56; p=0.0008): PDPV, 3.8 (SD = 0.6); Flutter, 4.3 (SD = 0.5); and HFCWO, 4.1 (SD = 0.5). Therapies also differed significantly on all subscores. Perceived importance of CPT and compliance with CPT increased linearly with disease severity. Overall satisfaction was positively correlated with CPT compliance. Conclusions The CPT satisfaction survey has good reliability and content validity. Significant differences in patient satisfaction exist among therapies. Sicker patients recognize the importance of, and demonstrate better compliance with prescribed CPT. Increased satisfaction is associated with better compliance with therapy.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF SURFACTANT ENHANCED MIXED SOLVENT SYSTEMS

ABSTRACT The object of this research is to discover substitutes for halogenated solvents In detergent formulations. Recent work in our Laboratories indicates that the study of surfactant enhanced solvent blends may be very rewarding in this regard. In particular, N.N-dialkylamides and N-alkylpyrrolidinones, although they are not as effective as chlorinated solvents, can be more easily blended with water and common surfactants to produce very effective solvent and reaction systems for toxic oils and inorganics. These solvents are biodegradable and not extremely toxic. We have initiated a study of the appropriate physical properties of these blends in order to determine their efficacy as media for the dissolution and degradation of model compounds.
Urbanism, Political Uncertainty and Democratisation

This paper examines how political leaders and urbanists employ city policies and strategies during and after political transformation periods and whether these local policies figure into larger pro...
Potential usefulness of noninvasive autonomic monitoring in recognition of arousals in normal healthy children.

Introduction: Current methods employed for scoring arousals in children may not be sensitive enough. Because arousals are associated with increases in sympathetic tone, measurement of sympathetic activity using noninvasive techniques could provide useful surrogate markers for arousals in children. Methods: Ten healthy children underwent overnight polysomnographic assessment with simultaneous pulse transit time (PTT) and peripheral arterial tonometry (PAT) measurements. Arousals (electroencephalogram and/or movement) and PTT and PAT events were identified independently, with scorers blinded to the other signals. Results: A total of 1985 events were identified in 10 records. Of these, 657 were electroencephalographic arousals, of which 548 (83%) were identified by either PTT and/or PAT. The sensitivity and specificity of PTT for recognizing arousals were 0.74 and 0.25, respectively, whereas the sensitivity and specificity of PAT for recognizing arousals were 0.57 and 0.13, respectively. Because movement arousals result in brief periods of artifact on the PTT and PAT signals, we reanalyzed the PTT and PAT events to include artifact events. Reanalysis increased the sensitivity of PTT for recognizing arousals to 0.96 and that of the PAT to 0.92 and increased PTT and PAT specificity to 0.30 and 0.19, respectively. Conclusion: Both PTT and PAT events are extremely sensitive techniques for arousal recognition in children. Furthermore, a substantial proportion of autonomic events occur in children without any accompanying visually recognizable electroencephalographic changes, suggesting that PTT and PAT may provide useful alternatives for arousal recognition during ambulatory sleep monitoring in children.
Marker Effects in the Genetic Transduction of Tryptophan Mutants of E. COLI

Recombination frequencies have been determined in crosses involving 28 mutant strains for 20 of which the site of the alteration is known from studies of amino-acid substitutions in the protein products. Three of these mutants showed especially high frequencies of recombination when crossed to other single mutants or when crossed to a strain carrying two alterations at opposite ends of the trpA gene. There is no obvious molecular explanation of the high recombination of these three mutants. They include one missense mutant, one amber and one ochre. The low-frequency recombination mutants include all these same classes as well as frameshift mutants. There is nothing unique about the intragenic location of the high-recombination mutants; in each case there is at least one low-recombination mutant in the same codon.—Crosses involving mutants which were isolated in an altered wild type have shown that the behavior of a high-recombination mutant does not result from its molecular configuration alone, but from its combination with the homologous wild-type sequence from the other parent.—Several lines of evidence indicate that recombination in this system frequently involves closely-spaced double exchanges (about 40 codons apart).
Constructing Spirit: Analyzing the Subpolitical in Montesquieu

In his De l'Esprit de lois, Montesquieu identifies the variables which form the esprit or spirit of a state. The rest of his book proceeds to analyze how each of these factors functions, both separately and in conjunction with one another. Despite the importance I argue Montesquieu attaches to his concept of esprit, scholars have generally neglected this topic, for they tend to focus on only one of these variables, while excluding the rest. To address this gap in the literature, I divide the variables into two groups - subpolitical and political - and address the subpolitical in this essay (and the political elsewhere). The subpolitical factors include: environment, religion, mores, manners and commerce. This division allows us to treat spirit more systematically. For Montesquieu physical environment has the effect of changing the passions of men. When treating religion, Montesquieu offers an expansive definition and then proceeds to offer ways to undermine various religions. Mores are concerned with the internal conduct of men, whereas manners are concerned with external conduct. To the extent that either is regulated, this must be done carefully. Montesquieu takes commerce to have positive, transformative effects which lead to peace, soften mores, and foster democracy. I consider the variables in interaction with one another as well. This analysis helps form the framework for understanding the way the political variables operate and how spirit functions more generally.
Mere exposure effects with outgroup stimuli.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the exposure effects with outgroup stimuli. Anyone who has commuted to work via public transportation has probably had this type of experience. An unreinforced exposure is sufficient to enhance one's attitude toward a stimulus, object, or person. As the publication of Zajonc's seminal paper, there have been more than 200 published experiments examining parameters of the mere exposure effect. Furthermore, as Stang noted, numerous studies conducted before Zajonc formalized the exposure effect also evaluated the hypothesis that repeated exposure to a stimulus is sufficient to enhance one's attitude toward it. Thus, there exists a large body of published research testing directly Zajonc's exposure effect hypothesis. The exposure effect has proven to be a robust and reliable phenomenon; a variety of stimuli, exposure conditions, and rating procedures produce strong mere exposure effects.
Elevated levels of δ15N in riverine Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta): trophic enrichment or anthropogenic input?

The natural abundance of stable isotopes of elements in animal tissue is influenced by both biotic and abiotic factors. Biotically, animals feeding at higher trophic levels are enriched in the rati...
Effect of Brooding Paper on the Performance of Bobwhite Quail

Three experiments were conducted to determine the response of bobwhite quail chicks when reared in pens with and without brooding paper. Half the chicks in each experiment was brooded Days 1 to 7 on brooding paper, which covered the litter within a brooder ring. The other half was brooded on either new or reused litter without paper. Results of all three experiments showed a consistent trend of higher 1-week body weights and lower cumulative 1 to 3 week mortality when birds were reared in pens without paper. Overall, no net performance advantages were found for rearing quail with brooding paper at the termination of the 3-week trials.
Hepatitis C Awareness in Medical Staff

[Objective]To investigate the awareness of hepatitis C in medical staff,as well as to suggest strategies for hepatitis C control.[Methods]Using a three-stage-sampling approach,four districts were selected in Shanghai and 3 200 medical staff in key departments from primary to tertiary hospitals in all selected districts were interviewed using a structured questionnaire.Chi-square test and logistic regression were used in data analysis.[Results]There were significant differences of the awareness across different hospital grades and different education levels(P0.05).The awareness rate in the medical staff in secondary and tertiary hospitals was higher than those in primary ones,and the awareness rate increased with higher education level(P_(trend)0.05).The impact factors associated with the awareness of hepatitis C included hospital grades and education levels.[Conclusion]The training on hepatitis C in the medical staff should be enforced,especially to the staff in primary hospitals or with lower education.
Dihydropicrotoxinin binding to crayfish muscle sites possibly related to gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor-ionophores.

[3H]α-Dihydropicrotoxinin, a biologically active analogue of the γ-aminobutyric acid synaptic antagonist picrotoxin, was found to bind to a small quantity of saturable, high-affinity (KD, 1 µM) sites in crayfish muscle homogenates. Dihydropicrotoxinin binding was rapid, reversible, and proportional to protein concentration. This binding, like that of γ-aminobutyric acid, was enriched in sarcolemma fractions, being present at 6-8 pmoles/mg of protein or per gram of wet muscle. The quantity of binding sites varied with muscle types in a manner consistent with varying degrees of inhibitory innervation. The binding was inhibited by picrotoxinin analogues in the same order of potency shown by these compounds in convulsant activity or in inhibition of γ-aminobutyric acid synaptic responses: picrotoxinin and tutin were slightly more active than dihydropicrotoxinin in all systems, whereas picrotin was less active and picrotoxinin acetate and alkali-hydrolyzed picrotoxinin were inactive. γ-Aminobutyric acid up to 0.2 mM did not inhibit dihydropicrotoxinin binding. α-Dihydropicrotoxinin binding sites appear to be related to the physiological action of the drug, and this radioactive toxin may provide a useful probe for postsynaptic membrane macromolecules that regulate the inhibitory chloride ionophore at sites distinct from the γ-aminobutyric acid receptor.
Endocrine Regulation of the Initiation and Maintenance of Parturition

This article examines the research being done and the hypotheses that have been formulated to understand further those processes that act to initiate parturition in women.
Introduction to Thomas Robert Malthus, Principles of Political Economy, 1820

Thomas Robert Malthus’s Essay on Population (1798) contributed one of the central propositions by which British classical political economy came to be defined. His Principles of Political Economy, however, is one of the truly great iconoclastic, dissenting treatises in the history of political economy. Malthus here dissented from the received doctrine of David Ricardo’s theory of value and deductive methodology. He dissented from the ‘law of the market’ associated with James Mill and J. B. Say and embraced by Ricardo and his followers. He further dissented from, or at least was strongly revisionist of, Ricardian and indeed his own prior rent theory, as well as many lesser Ricardian themes. He also dissented from the very negative Whiggish, middle-class perception of the landed, rentier and aristocracy.
Intercalation-mediated nucleic acid nanoparticles for siRNA delivery

Tremendous effort has been made to improve stability and delivery efficacy of small RNA therapeutics. However, nearly all current nano-encapsulation carriers utilize the critical balance between only two interacting parameters: RNA-binding electrostatic interactions and nanoparticle-stabilizing hydrophobic interactions. We report the development of intercalation-meditated nucleic acid (IMNA) nanoparticles, which utilize intercalation as a third interaction to enhance small RNA delivery. This toolbox expansion of interaction parameters may inspire the use of additional forces in nanoparticle drug carriers to increase potency and stability.
The U.S. Subprime Mortgage Crisis: Credit Crunch and Global Financial Meltdown

What began in mid-2008 as a downturn in the U.S. housing market soon plunged the world economy in the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. In response, governments and central banks have been forced to bailout failing and failed financial institutions -- directly through capital infusions and indirectly by providing a wide array of liquidity facilities and guarantees. Why did a seemingly localized problem set off a global financial meltdown? Financial institutions around the world by purchasing over a trillion dollars of complex mortgage-backed securities, especially the so-called subprime loans based on inflated real-estate values made themselves extremely vulnerable to market sentiments.
Breaking soliton equations and negative-order breaking soliton equations of typical and higher orders

We develop breaking soliton equations and negative-order breaking soliton equations of typical and higher orders. The recursion operator of the KdV equation is used to derive these models. We establish the distinct dispersion relation for each equation. We use the simplified Hirota’s method to obtain multiple soliton solutions for each developed breaking soliton equation. We also develop generalized dispersion relations for the typical breaking soliton equations and the generalized negative-order breaking soliton equations. The results provide useful information on the dynamics of the relevant nonlinear negative-order equations.
Coding, reading, and writing: Integrated instruction in written language

We describe the design and a trial run of an integrated course of instruction in reading, writing, and computer programming, in order to assess potential synergies of learning them together. Twelve pre-teen students diagnosed with dyslexia each took a sequence of lessons of approximately 90 minutes each over a 3-month period. In addition to computer learning activities in handwriting, word reading, word spelling, sentence and text reading comprehension, there were coding activities using “Kokopelli's World,” a blocks-style visual language with its own microworld. The results suggest that the potential synergies from this form of integrated instruction in written language and computer programming include increased student motivation, complementary pedagogical affordances and increased awareness of the relationship between written language and technology.
A scalable observation system for introspection and in situ analytics

SOS is a new model for the online in situ characterization and analysis of complex high-performance computing applications. SOS employs a data framework with distributed information management and structured query and access capabilities. The primary design objectives of SOS are flexibility, scalability, and programmability. SOS provides a complete framework that can be configured with and used directly by an application, allowing for a detailed workflow analysis of scientific applications. This paper describes the model of SOS and the experiments used to validate and explore the performance characteristics of its implementation in SOSflow. Experimental results demonstrate that SOS is capable of observation, introspection, feedback and control of complex high-performance applications, and that it has desirable scaling properties.
Tropical Precipitation and Cross-Equatorial Ocean Heat Transport during the Mid-Holocene

AbstractSummertime insolation intensified in the Northern Hemisphere during the mid-Holocene, resulting in enhanced monsoonal precipitation. In this study, the authors examine the changes in the annual-mean tropical precipitation as well as changes in atmospheric circulation and upper-ocean circulation in the mid-Holocene compared to the preindustrial climate, as simulated by 12 coupled climate models from PMIP3. In addition to the predominant zonally asymmetric changes in tropical precipitation, there is a small northward shift in the location of intense zonal-mean precipitation (mean ITCZ) in the mid-Holocene in the majority (9 out of 12) of the coupled climate models. In contrast, the shift is southward in simulations using an atmospheric model coupled to a slab ocean. The northward mean ITCZ shift in the coupled simulations is due to enhanced northward ocean heat transport across the equator [OHT(EQ)], which demands a compensating southward atmospheric energy transport across the equator, accomplished...
1954 Zeitgebers (Time-Givers) for Biological Clocks

External cues, or zeitgebers, keep biological clocks in synchrony with the day–night cycle. Without zeitgebers, biological clocks run slightly off an exact 24-h cycle, so over the span of a few days the internal rhythms of an animal lose their synchrony with the external world. Correct time keeping can be re-established by restoring the zeitgebers.
Flame retardant properties of isosorbide bis-phosphorus esters

Abstract Replacements for organohalogen flame retardants, which are coming under increasing regulatory pressure worldwide, are being actively sought. Most often these are organophosphorus compounds. Organophosphorus flame retardants derived from renewable biomaterials are particularly attractive. They are independent of the supply/cost of petroleum, are often nontoxic or biodegradable and display a small carbon footprint. Starch from seed plants is currently a source of a variety of bio-derived building blocks. One of these, isosorbide, is a dihydroxy ether which may be converted to phosphorus esters. A series of such esters has been evaluated for flame retardant potential in an epoxy resin. A 1% phosphorus loading is generally sufficient to provide polymer with LOI >25 and UL 94 V1.
Exploring Implementation of m-Health Monitoring in Postpartum Women with Hypertension.

Abstract Background: Preeclampsia is a hypertensive disorder in pregnancy where a patients' blood pressure and warning signs of worsening disease need to be closely monitored during pregnancy and t...
Exposure to fentanyl-contaminated heroin and overdose risk among illicit opioid users in Rhode Island: A mixed methods study.

Abstract Background Illicit fentanyl use has become wide spread in the US, causing high rates of overdose deaths among people who use drugs. This study describes patterns and perceptions of fentanyl exposure among opioid users in Rhode Island. Methods A mixed methods study was conducted via questionnaire with a convenience sample of 149 individuals using illicit opioids or misusing prescription opioids in Rhode Island between January and November 2016. Of these, 121 knew of fentanyl and reported known or suspected exposure to fentanyl in the past year. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the first 47 participants. Results Study participants were predominantly male (64%) and white (61%). Demographic variables were similar across sample strata. Heroin was the most frequently reported drug of choice (72%). Self-reported exposure to illicit fentanyl in the past year was common (50.4%, n=61). In multivariate models, regular (at least weekly) heroin use was independently associated with known or suspected fentanyl exposure in the past year (adjusted prevalence ratio (APR)=4.07, 95% CI: 1.24–13.3, p=0.020). In interviews, users described fentanyl as unpleasant, potentially deadly, and to be avoided. Participants reporting fentanyl exposure routinely experienced or encountered non-fatal overdose. Heroin users reported limited ability to identify fentanyl in their drugs. Harm reduction strategies used to protect themselves from fentanyl exposure and overdose, included test hits, seeking prescription opioids in lieu of heroin, and seeking treatment with combination buprenorphine/naloxone. Participants were often unsuccessful in accessing structured treatment programs. Conclusion Among illicit opioid users in Rhode Island, known or suspected fentanyl exposure is common, yet demand for fentanyl is low. Fentanyl-contaminated drugs are generating user interest in effective risk mitigation strategies, including treatment. Responses to the fentanyl epidemic should be informed by the perceptions and experiences of local users. The rapid scale-up of buprenorphine/naloxone provision may slow the rate of fentanyl-involved overdose deaths.