cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A token is not a token …: Interactive effects of intrinsic and extrinsic reinforcement with children

The interactive effects of intrinsic and extrinsic reinforcement have receive much theoretical and empirical attention in recent years (Ford & Foster, 1976; Greene, Sternberg, & Lepper, 1976; Lepper & Greene, 1976; Reiss & Sushinsky, 1976). These studies have raised concerns that extrinsic reinforcers such as money or attractive activities, toys, or foods may “undermine” the intrinsic reinforcement value of a target activity. A major problem in this research is that the constructs of “extrinsic” and “intrinsic” reinforcement have not been consensually operationally defined, so that the same experimental variable may be labeled as “intrinsic” in one study and “extrinsic” in another (Dyer & Parker, 1975). In particular, researchers have not systematically attempted to identify the potential intrinsic components of extrinsic reinforcers, although a consequating action or stimulus may have intrinsic value in addition to its extrinsic purchasing power. This study addresses the question of whether the postreinforcement decreases in response frequency below baseline levels that have been found to occur with extrinsic reinforcers can be prevented through programming these reinforcers so that they have intrinsic value in addition to extrinsic value.
The Effects of Selenium on the Emergence of Aflatoxin B1-Induced Enzyme-Altered Foci in Rat Liver

The effects of selenium on the emergence of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)-induced enzyme-altered foci were studied in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Animals were fed a selenium-deficient diet and supplemented with 5.0, 2.0, and 0.2, or 0 ppm selenium in drinking water for 3 weeks prior to initiation with 2.0 mumol/kg AFB1. After a 1-week period of selenium normalization, the animals were placed on a diet of ordinary rat chow, and were administered a promoting regimen of 500 ppm phenobarbital in drinking water for 1 week, after which time each rat received a two-thirds partial hepatectomy. The promoting regimen of phenobarbital in tap water was then reduced to 100 ppm and continued for 7 weeks. Subsequently, the rats were sacrificed, their livers excised, and fresh frozen sections prepared and stained histochemically to demonstrate areas of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) activity. Selenium supplementation was observed to diminish the induction of GGT-positive foci, especially at the 5.0-ppm level. These data suggest that selenium is able to protect against the hepatocarcinogenic effects of AFB1 in the rat, and that the enzyme-altered foci bioassay may be a useful technique in assessing the interaction of selenium on the process of hepatocarcinogenesis.
Pulpectomy of necrotic primary teeth may be an effective tool in managing the primary dentition.

Article Title and Bibliographic Information Evolution and prognosis of necrotic primary teeth after pulpectomy. Mendoza AM, Reina JE, Garcia-Godoy F. Am J Dent 2010;23:265-8. Reviewer Jonathan D. Shenkin, DDS, MPH Purpose/Question To determine the outcomes of completing a pulpectomy on primary teeth that have been determined to have a necrotic pulp Source of Funding Information not available Type of Study/Design Case series Level of Evidence Level 3: Other evidence Strength of Recommendation Grade N/A: Not applicable
Aneuploidy in Drosophila, II. Further validation of the FIX and ZESTE genetic test systems employing female Drosophila melanogaster.

Abstract Two sensitive genetic systems for the detection of germline aneuploidy employing Drosophila melanogaster females were described in the first paper of this series (Zimmering et al., submitted to Mutation Research). Designated FIX and ZESTE, these systems permit the rapid and efficient detection of exceptional offspring derived from aneuploid female germ cells. The current report presents test results from a survey of 8 additional chemicals that have been analyzed in both systems. The tested chemicals include: acetonitrile, cadmium chloride, carbendazim, dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), methylmercury(II) chloride, methoxyethyl acetate, propionitrile and water. Excluding the negative control, water, only the fungicide carbendazim failed to induce aneuploidy in either test system. Of the remaining 6 chemicals one, methylmercury(II) chloride, was positive in the FIX system but not in ZESTE, while MEA was positive in ZESTE and borderline in FIX. The results provide little evidence of germ-cell stage specificity of response to the tested chemicals. Comparison of the induced rates of aneuploidy indicates that these can exhibit departures from simple additivity to the spontaneous rates: induced rates in the ZESTE system are generally higher and more variable than those from FIX. Possible reasons for the difference in responsiveness between FIX and ZESTE flies are discussed as is the question of the classification of those chemicals which induce chromosome loss events but not chromosome gains.
Effect of delivery route on natural history of cervical dysplasia.

Objective This study was undertaken to determine the (1) impact of delivery route on the natural history of cervical dysplasia and (2) overall regression rates of cervical dysplasia in pregnant women. Study design A retrospective analysis was performed on 705 pregnant women with abnormal Papanicolaou tests who presented for prenatal care at the Kapiolani Medical Center Women's Clinic in Honolulu, Hawaii, between 1991 and 2001. Data collection included demographics, delivery route, and cervical pathology. Results Two hundred one patients met the inclusion criteria. Regression rates for vaginal and cesarean section groups were as follows: atypical squamous cells (64% vs 70%, P =.32), low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (58% vs 42%, P =.073), and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (53% vs 25%, P =.44). Of the total population, 30% of lesions persisted postpartum, 58% regressed, and 12% progressed. Conclusion Mode of delivery does not influence the natural history of dysplastic lesions. Gravid and nongravid women have similar regression rates.
Estimating human interest and attention via gaze analysis

In this paper we analyze joint attention between a robot that presents features of its surroundings and its human audience. In a statistical analysis of hand-coded video data, we find that the robot's physical indications lead to a greater attentional coherence between robot and humans than do its verbal indications.We also find that aspects of how the tour group participants look at robot-indicated objects, including when they look and how long they look, can provide statistically significant correlations with their self-reported engagement scores of the presentations. Higher engagement would suggest a greater degree of interest in, and attention to, the material presented. These findings will seed future gaze tracking systems that will enable robots to estimate listeners' state. By tracking audience gaze, our goal is to enable robots to cater the type of content and manner of its presentation to the preferences or educational goals of a particular crowd, e.g. in a tour guide, classroom or entertainment setting.
SU-E-T-546: Cumulative Dose Evaluation for Head and Neck Cancers.

Purpose: In this study, we retrospectively analyzed patient treatments utilizing a prototype of the Varian Eclipse™ treatment planning system integrated with their new DART™ technology. Structure volume changes, structure displacements, and dose deviations were analyzed to assess the need for more adaptive treatment planning.Methods: Ten patients with head and neck cancer who received daily cone‐beam imaging CTs, as part of their radiation therapy, were chosen from the University of California San Diego Moores Cancer Center database. With the aid of DART™, we were able to retrospectively calculate the accumulated dose to both the tumor and healthy tissue over the entire course of treatment. This process was accomplished through rigid and deformable registrations of their daily cone‐beam CT scans and cumulative dose measurements. Volumetric changes were compared to their original planning CTimage.Results: Our results showed notable changes to the parotid glands in all patients, in both structure shrinkage and dose escalation, which were often correlated with a medial displacement of the glands towards the high‐dose region. Our study estimated that the mean rate of parotid volume reduction was 0.18 cm3/treatment day with a range of 0.08 – 0.31 cm3/treatment day. GTV, CTV, and PTV regions also showed significant volume reductions which was shown to be more pronounced during the first half of treatment. In 6 out of 9 patients with contoured parotids, the absorbed dose increase to these glands was >3%. The GTV, CTV, and PTV showed smaller variations, and in only 1 out of the 10 patients studied did the dose accumulation increase >3%. Conclusions: While the program used was just a prototype, it is our hope for the future that this project could be integrated clinically to develop more adaptive treatment plans allowing for better treatment accuracy and patient care.
Reduction of PKCβII Activity in Smooth Muscle Cells Attenuates Acute Arterial Injury

Abstract Objective The ubiquitous enzyme Protein Kinase C (PKC) has been linked to the pathogenesis of vascular injury, but the cell-specific and discrete functions of the βII isoform have yet to be discovered in this setting. Our previous findings demonstrated significantly increased PKCβII in the membrane fraction of injured femoral arteries in wild type (WT) mice and revealed reduction of neointimal expansion in PKCβ −/− mice after acute vascular injury. As PKCβ −/− mice are globally devoid of PKCβ, we established novel transgenic (Tg) mice to test the hypothesis that the action of PKCβII specifically in smooth muscle cells (SMCs) mediates the formation of neointimal lesions in response to arterial injury. Methods Tg mice expressing SM22α promoter-targeted mouse carboxyl-terminal deletion mutant PKCβII were produced using standard techniques, subjected to femoral artery injury and compared with littermate controls. Smooth muscle cells (SMCs) were isolated from wild type (WT) and Tg mice and exposed to a prototypic stimulus, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. Multiple strategies were employed in vivo and in vitro to examine the molecular mechanisms underlying the specific effects of SMC PKCβII in neointimal expansion. Results In vivo and in vitro analyses demonstrated that PKCβII activity in SMCs was critical for neointimal expansion in response to arterial injury, at least in part via regulation of ERK1/2, Egr-1 and induction of MMP-9. Conclusions These data identify the SMC-specific regulatory role of PKCβII in neointimal expansion in response to acute arterial injury, and suggest that targeted inactivation of PKCβII may be beneficial in limiting restenosis via suppression of the neointima-mediating effects of Egr-1 and MMP-9.
A case-crossover analysis of the impact of PM2.5 on cardiovascular disease hospitalizations for selected CDC tracking states

Abstract Background Information is currently being collected by the CDC Environmental Public Health Tracking (EPHT) network on hospitalizations due to Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) and there is interest by CDC in exploring the relationship between fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and other cardiovascular (CVD) outcomes in the context of the EPHT program. The goal of this study was to assess the short term effects of daily PM2.5 air pollution levels on hospitalizations for CVD for seven states within the CDC EPHT network (Florida, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, and Washington). Methods Hospitalization data was obtained for 2001–2008 admissions for circulatory disease (primary discharge diagnosis of ICD-9 codes 390-459) from data stewards in those states and included admission date, age, gender, and zip code of residence. We used CMAQ-derived predicted daily PM2.5 data as estimated by EPA at the centroid of each Census Bureau Zip Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) and linked to zip code of patient residence. A time-stratified case-crossover study design with conditional logistic regression was used to evaluate the short-term association of PM2.5 on risk of non-elective hospitalizations for CVD. Specifically, we considered all circulatory disease, ischemic heart disease, acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, cardiac arrhythmia, cerebrovascular disease and peripheral vascular disease endpoints. Results Data were obtained on over 7,500,000 hospitalizations for this time period. Mean annual PM2.5 exposure levels were lowest for New Mexico and Washington (6.5 μg/m3 PM2.5 and 8.4 μg/m3 PM2.5). New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts exhibited the highest annual averages for PM2.5, (12.8 μg/m3, 11.1 μg/m3 and 10.8 μg/m3), respectively. The Northeast states (Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Hampshire and New York) exhibited significant effects of PM2.5 during the cooler months across most disease categories after adjustment for ozone and maximum apparent temperature. Ischemic heart disease risk per 10 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 varied from 1.02 to 1.05 for the cooler months. The largest lag effect was noted on lag days 0 and 1. New Mexico and Washington exhibited no cool or warm month significant effects. Although Florida showed no cooler month effects, significant increases were noted in odds ratios for the warm weather months for all outcomes except peripheral vascular disease. This study is one of the first large scale applications of linkage of hospitalization data by state with national US EPA statistically modeled air pollution data. The results demonstrate that state-wide, there are multiple cardiovascular outcomes in addition to AMI which may be impacted by particulate air pollution.
Temperature dependence of SiO2 film growth with plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition

Abstract The growth per cycle (GPC) temperature dependence was investigated for SiO 2 films prepared by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD). During preparation of PEALD-SiO 2 using bis-diethyl-amino-silane, the GPC was saturated via increasing the precursor dose time and flow rate. The saturated GPC decreased with increasing deposition temperature. GPC saturation curves as a function of precursor dose time were analyzed by a two-step adsorption model, where the amino-silane reversibly adsorbed (physisorption) during the first step, and then irreversibly adsorbed (chemisorption) on the SiO 2 surface upon reaction with surface OH absorbents. This model is in good quantitative agreement with the saturation curve. The GPC value was determined by the surface reaction of amino-silane with OH sites, whose surface density was decreased by increasing the deposition temperature. The GPC saturation became slower with increasing deposition temperature, because the desorption rate of the physisorbed precursor increased with increasing temperature.
Calculating the J/sub c/, B, T surface for niobium titanium using a reduced-state model

A method is presented for calculating the J/sub c/, B, T surface for commercial niobium titanium superconductor given T/sub c/, B/sub c2/ and J/sub c/ over a range B at a given temperature. The J/sub c/ calculated as a function of B and T agrees with measured values of J/sub c/ quite well over a range of T from 1.5 K to 7 K and a range of B from 0.1 T to 10 T. The values of J/sub c/ given by this theory are good enough to be used to calculate the performance of superconducting magnets at temperatures other than 4.2 K, and the theory can be used to predict the magnetization effects of superconductors over a wide range of temperatures and inductions. >
On the calculation of energies of excited states

We reformulate a scheme for calculation of the energies of excited states which, unlike the variation method, does not require that the trial function be orthogonalized to the wavefunctions for lower excited states. The possibility of obtaining wavefunctions as well as energies is discussed, and an example of the scheme's application is made to the harmonic oscillator.
An event-processing system alerting analytically to networked vehicles

There are demands for alerts that use the results of intensive data analysis, such as relationships among events generated by many vehicles over a large area. These alerts require data analysis on servers. However, when a server receives massive amounts of data from vehicles, the processing latency increases because of the communication delays between the vehicles and the servers and the increased workload for data analysis on the server. Therefore we need to develop latency-tolerant alert-generating systems with scalable performance. In this paper, we report on a high-speed event-processing system architecture that integrates event processing in the in-vehicle systems with event processing in the servers. The in-vehicle system analyzes the vehicle's sensor data, detects events, and sends packets of the event information to the servers. The server has a stream-processing system, a pre-aggregation system, and a full-data-accumulation system. The stream-processing system receives the packets from the in-vehicle system. The pre-aggregation system creates and updates decision tables for the alerts repeatedly. The alerter of the stream-processing system generates alerts from the table. We implemented a prototype system to generate alerts about obstacles. We tested input data from actual vehicles and a traffic simulator and estimated the vehicles can receive the alerts within 1.2 sec even when the server receives massive data from 120,000 vehicles, which meets the performance requirement for our alert scenarios.
Managing Resistance to Instructional Modifications in Mainstreamed Environments

A major thrust in education is to help handicapped and nonhandicapped students experiencing mild academic and/or behavioral difficulties succeed in the classroom. To effectively accomplish these goals often requires classroom teachers to make instructional modifications. Unfortunately, teachers sometimes resist making changes when students continue to experience difficulty. This article discusses salient reasons for resistance to instructional modifications and provides strategies that consultative staff (e.g., child study teams) can use to prevent or reduce resistance. Frequent reference is made to expectancy theory, which provides a diagnostic framework for understanding resistance and securing cooperation.
Preoperative planning of breast implants using the Breast Implant Planning Device (BIPD)

Interstitial implantation of the tumor excision site is an important component of the treatment program of breast-conserving surgery and irradiation. The currently accepted method of designing and performing the implant in the operating room does not assure adequate coverage of the volume of tissue at risk, i.e., the tissue immediately adjacent to the walls of the original tumor excision cavity. This communication describes a technique of preoperative implant planning that consistently and reliably ensures adequate coverage of the volume of tissue at risk. An integral part of this technique is the use of a new device called the Breast Implant Planning Device. This device is a modification of previously described implant template devices.
Noise in junction- and MOS-FET's at high temperatures

Abstract At high temperatures a leakage current flows to the gate of a junction-FET and to the substrate of an MOS-FET. It is shown that in a junction-FET there is shot noise of the gate current and a strongly correlated noise component in the drain current. In an MOS-FET the effect of the leakage current is less significant, but there is a shot noise component at the drain. Leakage currents seriously effect the low-noise operation of junction-FET's whereas the effect in MOS-FET's is relatively small.
An application of the regularity lemma in generalized Ramsey theory

Given graphs G and H, an edge coloring of G is called an (H,q)-coloring if the edges of every copy of H ⊂ G together receive at least q colors. Let r(G,H,q) denote the minimum number of colors in a (H,q)-coloring of G. In [9] Erdős and Gyarfas studied r(Kn,Kp,q) if p and q are fixed and n tends to infinity. They determined for every fixed p the smallest q (denoted by qlin) for which r(Kn,Kp,q) is linear in n and the smallest q (denoted by qquad) for which r(Kn,Kp,q) is quadratic in n. They raised the problem of determining the smallest q for which we have r(Kn,Kp,q) = (n 2) - 0(n2 . In this paper by using the Regularity Lemma we show that if q > qquad + ⌈ log2p / 2 ⌉, then we have r(Kn,Kp,q) = (n 2) - 0(n2. ©Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 44: 39-49, 2003
Physiological patterns of electrical stimulation can induce neuronal gene expression by activating N-type calcium channels.

Activity-dependent neuronal gene expression is thought to require activation of L-type calcium channels, a view based primarily on studies in which chronic potassium (K+) depolarization was used to mimic neuronal activity. However, N-type calcium channels are primarily inactivated during chronic depolarization, and their potential contribution to gene expression induced by physiological patterns of stimulation has not been defined. In the present study, electrical stimulation of dissociated primary sensory neurons at 5 Hz, or treatment with elevated K+, produced a large increase in the percentage of neurons that express tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) mRNA and protein. However, blockade of L-type channels, which completely inhibited K+-induced expression, had no effect on TH expression induced by patterned stimulation. Conversely, blockade of N-type channels completely inhibited TH induction by patterned stimulation, whereas K+-induced expression was unaffected. Similar results were obtained for depolarization-induced expression of the immediate early genes Nurr1 andNur77. In addition, TH induction by patterned stimulation was significantly reduced by inhibitors of PKA and PKC but was unaffected by inhibition of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. On the other hand, K+-induced TH expression was significantly reduced by inhibition of the MAPK pathway but was unaffected by inhibitors of PKA or PKC. These results demonstrate that N-type calcium channels can directly link phasic membrane depolarization to gene expression, challenging the view that activation of L-type channels is required for nuclear responses to physiological patterns of activity. Moreover, our data show that phasic and chronic depolarizing stimuli act through distinct mechanisms to induce neuronal gene expression.
Geographic variation of resistance to water loss within two species of lungless salamanders: implications for activity

For many organisms, constraints on activity increase energetic costs, which ultimately reduce the suitability of a particular habitat. Mechanistic species distribution models often use estimates of activity to predict how organisms will respond to climate change. These models couple physiology and morphology with climatic data to estimate potential activity. In turn, the duration of activity is used to estimate the energetic balance of individuals at a given location. Whether individuals remain in positive net energetic balance determines if a given location is suitable for the species. However, because these models often assume that physiology does not vary across the species range, estimates of activity (and consequently energetics) are potentially misleading. To test the consequence of this assumption, we measured total resistance to water loss (R) within two species of lungless salamanders (Plethodon metcalfi and P. teyahalee) collected from locations along their elevational extent in southwestern North Carolina. Because hydration state constrains the activity of salamanders, increasing R would increase potential activity. Here, we leveraged the natural changes in environmental conditions along an elevational gradient to determine if salamanders modify R in different environments. We predicted that salamanders collected from low elevations would have higher R to compensate for the warmer, drier conditions at low elevations that may limit activity. We determined R in the laboratory using a flow-through system at two temperatures (12°C, 18°C) and at three vapor pressure deficits (0.2 kPa, 0.35 kPa, 0.5 kPa). For P. metcalfi, individuals collected from low elevations exhibited the highest R, suggesting either acclimatization or adaptation to local conditions. For P. teyahalee, individuals collected from high elevations exhibited the highest R, but these results may reflect alternative pressures due to differences in behavior. The results also suggest that salamanders might use temperature as a cue to increase R, but the capacity to do so depends upon the temperatures experienced in nature. Moreover, we show that variation in R has the potential to alter the duration of activity over the elevational ranges of these species, illustrating the importance of incorporating geographic variation of physiological traits for predicting a species' response to climate.
Methods for generating families of univariate continuous distributions in the recent decades

There has been a renewed interest in developing more flexible statistical distributions in recent decades. A major milestone in the methods for generating statistical distributions is undoubtedly the system of differential equation approach. There is a recent renewed interest in generating skewed distributions. Generally speaking, the methods developed prior to 1980s may be summarized into three categories: (1) method of differential equation, (2) method of transformation, and (3) quantile method. Techniques developed since 1980s may be categorized as ‘methods of combination’ for the reason that these methods attempt to combine existing distributions into new distributions or adding new parameters to an existing distribution. This article discusses five general methods of combination and their variations. These five are (1) method of generating skew distributions, (2) method of adding parameters (e.g., exponentiation), (3) beta generated method, (4) transformed-transformer method, and (5) composite method. WIREs Comput Stat 2013, 5:219–238. doi: 10.1002/wics.1255 Conflict of interest: The authors have declared no conflicts of interest for this article.
Synchronization and convergence of linear dynamics in random directed networks

Recently, methods in stochastic control are used to study the synchronization properties of a nonautonomous discrete-time linear system x(k+1)=G(k)x(k) where the matrices G(k) are derived from a random graph process. The purpose of this note is to extend this analysis to directed graphs and more general random graph processes. Rather than using Lyapunov type methods, we use results from the theory of inhomogeneous Markov chains in our analysis. These results have been used successfully in deterministic consensus problems and we show that they are useful for these problems as well. Sufficient conditions are derived that depend on the types of graphs that have nonvanishing probabilities. For instance, if a scrambling graph occurs with nonzero probability, then the system synchronizes.
cis- and trans-Regulation of miR163 and Target Genes Confers Natural Variation of Secondary Metabolites in Two Arabidopsis Species and Their Allopolyploids

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play essential roles in plant and animal development, but the cause and effect of miRNA expression divergence between closely related species and in interspecific hybrids or allopolyploids are unknown. Here, we show differential regulation of a miR163-mediated pathway in allotetraploids and their progenitors, Arabidopsis thaliana and Arabidopsis arenosa. miR163 is a recently evolved miRNA in A. thaliana and highly expressed in A. thaliana, but its expression was undetectable in A. arenosa and repressed in resynthesized allotetraploids. Repression of A. arenosa MIR163 (Aa MIR163) is caused by a weak cis-acting promoter and putative trans-acting repressor(s) present in A. arenosa and allotetraploids. Moreover, ectopic Aa MIR163 precursors were processed more efficiently in A. thaliana than in resynthesized allotetraploids, suggesting a role of posttranscriptional regulation in mature miR163 abundance. Target genes of miR163 encode a family of small molecule methyltransferases involved in secondary metabolite biosynthetic pathways that are inducible by a fungal elicitor, alamethicin. Loss of miR163 or overexpression of miR163 in mir163 mutant plants alters target transcript and secondary metabolite profiles. We suggest that cis- and trans-regulation of miRNA and other genes provides a molecular basis for natural variation of biochemical and metabolic pathways that are important to growth vigor and stress responses in Arabidopsis-related species and allopolyploids.
Design of multiparameter steerable functions using cascade basis reduction

An efficient method of computing the least-squares optimal basis functions to steer any function locally is presented. The method combines the Lie group-theoretic and the singular value decomposition approaches. Its efficiency is demonstrated with the design of basis functions to steer a Gabor function under the four-parameter linear transformation group.
Parasitism by Cuscuta pentagona Attenuates Host Plant Defenses against Insect Herbivores

Considerable research has examined plant responses to concurrent attack by herbivores and pathogens, but the effects of attack by parasitic plants, another important class of plant-feeding organisms, on plant defenses against other enemies has not been explored. We investigated how attack by the parasitic plant Cuscuta pentagona impacted tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) defenses against the chewing insect beet armyworm (Spodoptera exigua; BAW). In response to insect feeding, C. pentagona-infested (parasitized) tomato plants produced only one-third of the antiherbivore phytohormone jasmonic acid (JA) produced by unparasitized plants. Similarly, parasitized tomato, in contrast to unparasitized plants, failed to emit herbivore-induced volatiles after 3 d of BAW feeding. Although parasitism impaired antiherbivore defenses, BAW growth was slower on parasitized tomato leaves. Vines of C. pentagona did not translocate JA from BAW-infested plants: amounts of JA in parasite vines grown on caterpillar-fed and control plants were similar. Parasitized plants generally contained more salicylic acid (SA), which can inhibit JA in some systems. Parasitized mutant (NahG) tomato plants deficient in SA produced more JA in response to insect feeding than parasitized wild-type plants, further suggesting cross talk between the SA and JA defense signaling pathways. However, JA induction by BAW was still reduced in parasitized compared to unparasitized NahG, implying that other factors must be involved. We found that parasitized plants were capable of producing induced volatiles when experimentally treated with JA, indicating that resource depletion by the parasite does not fully explain the observed attenuation of volatile response to herbivore feeding. Collectively, these findings show that parasitic plants can have important consequences for host plant defense against herbivores.
High Activity of Low-Michaelis-Menten Constant 3′,5′-Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate-Phosphodiesterase Isozymes in Renal Inner Medulla of Mice With Hereditary Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus

Our previous studies on microdissected kidney tubule segments indicate that the failure of vasopressin (VP) to increase cAMP content in collecting ducts of mice with hereditary nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI mice) is due to abnormally rapid cAMP catabolism via cyclic-3',5'-nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDE). Furthermore, the VP-stimulated cAMP accumulation can be restored by addition of PDE isozyme-specific inhibitors. To elucidate the biochemical basis of the NDI syndrome, we analyzed PDE activities in extracts from inner medullary tissues of NDI mice and from control mice separated with the use of ionex fast protein liquid chromatography on a Mono-Q column. In extracts of inner medullary tissues from either control or NDI mice, the low Michaelis-Menten constant (Km) cAMP-PDE activity specific for cAMP as a substrate (cAMP-PDE) was eluted from a Mono-Q column with linear sodium acetate gradient as peak 3 at Na-acetate concentration (0.75-0.93 M) and was well separated from fractions containing the Ca(2+)-calmodulin sensitive PDE. The cAMP-PDE activity in peak 3 was significantly higher in NDI mice (greater than delta + 100%) than in controls. The sensitivity to effect of cAMP-PDE isozyme-specific inhibitors, rolipram and cilostamide, indicates that peak 3 consists predominantly (approximately 75%) of the rolipram-sensitive PDE-IV isozyme and a minor portion (approximately 25%) of cilostamide-sensitive PDE-III isozyme in both control and NDI mice. Higher activity of PDE-IV in NDI mice was due to 2.4 times higher apparent maximum velocity compared to controls, whereas the apparent Km for cAMP was not different. Our results show that low Km cAMP-PDE activities, predominantly PDE-IV, are higher in inner medulla of NDI mice. We suggest that the higher activity of PDE-IV, and to a lesser degree perhaps also PDE-III, accounts for rapid cAMP hydrolysis, which prevents the increase of cAMP generated in the response to VP in collecting ducts of NDI mice.
On the accuracy of localization systems using wideband antenna arrays

Accurate positional information is essential for many applications in wireless networks. Time-of-arrival (TOA) and angle-of-arrival (AOA) are the two most commonly used signal metrics for localizing nodes with unknown positions. In this paper, we consider a wireless network in which each node is equipped with a wideband antenna array capable of performing both TOA and AOA measurements. Since both the position and orientation of the agent are of interest, we propose a localization framework that jointly estimates these two parameters. The notion of equivalent fisher information is applied to derive the squared error bounds for the position and orientation. Since our analysis starts from the received waveforms rather than directly from the signal metrics, these bounds characterize the fundamental limits of the position and orientation accuracy. Surprisingly, our result reveals that AOA measurements obtained by wideband antenna arrays do not further improve position accuracy beyond that provided by TOA measurements.
Identifying stars of mass >150 M⊙ from their eclipse by a binary companion

We examine the possibility that very massive stars greatly exceeding the commonly adopted stellar mass limit of 150M⊙ may be present in young star clusters in the local universe. We identify ten candidate clusters, some of which may host stars with masses up to 600M⊙ formed via runaway collisions. We estimate the probabilities of these very massive stars being in eclipsing binaries to be & 30%. Although most of these systems cannot be resolved at present, their transits can be detected at distances of 3 Mpc even under the contamination of the background cluster light, due to the large associated luminosities ∼ 10 7 L⊙ and mean transit depths of ∼ 10 6 L⊙. Discovery of very massive eclipsing binaries would flag possible progenitors of pair-instability supernovae and intermediate-mass black holes.
Soft multi-modal data fusion

Clustering groups items together that are most similar to each other and sets those that are least similar into different clusters. Methods have been developed to cluster records in a data set that are of only qualitative or quantitative data. Data sets exist that contain a mix of qualitative (nominal and ordinal) and quantitative (discrete and continuous) data. Clustering records of mixed kinds of data is a difficult problem. A metric to measure the similarity between records of mixed data types is needed. Once a clustering is found, we do not know how to best evaluate the quality of the clustering when there is a mixture of data varieties.
On the Equivalence of Hanning-Weighted and Overlapped Analysis Windows Using Different Window Sizes

This letter is concerned with time-series analysis using overlapped processing windows shaded using the Hanning window function, such as is used in short-time Fourier transform (STFT) analysis. We present a special case where different analysis window sizes produce equivalent outputs where equivalence is defined by the existence of an orthonormal linear transformation relating the two analyses. We apply the concept to the problem of detecting pulses of unknown duration in Gaussian noise. We also demonstrate how the method can be used to apply the PDF projection theorem to shaded overlapped processing windows.
ISLAND ARCS AND CONVECTION.

Abstract : If island arcs are the outcrops of compressive faults, they cannot be products of a uniform field of compressive stress because their symmetry is lower. The polarity of the curvature, however, is provided if the compression is of convective origin. Incipient faulting is then followed by a convergence of the convective flow towards the fault, causing a convergence of the initially parallel stress trajectories. Since the fault propagates at right angle to the trajectories of maximum compressive stress, its outcrop becomes an arc convex towards the upstream side. In oceanic compressive faults due to convection the two conjugate fault planes are not equivalent because overthrusting of the downstream side by the upstream side would lead to the accumulation of a thick crust which would inhibit the progress of faulting along the plane, and because underthrusting is libricated by decomposing serpentine, fluxed basalt etc. This seems the reason why apparently in all long-lived oceanic compressive faults the upstream (usually the oceanward) side underthrusts the downstream side. (Author)
Utilizing GCaMP transgenic mice to monitor endogenous Gq/11-coupled receptors.

The family of GCaMPs are engineered proteins that contain Ca2+ binding motifs within a circularly permutated variant of Aequorea Victoria green fluorescent protein (cp-GFP). The rapidly advancing field of utilizing GCaMP reporter constructs represents a major step forward in our ability to monitor intracellular Ca2+ dynamics. With the use of these genetically encoded Ca2+ sensors, investigators have studied activation of endogenous Gq types of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) and subsequent rises in intracellular calcium. Escalations in intracellular Ca2+ from GPCR activation can be faithfully monitored in space and time as an increase in fluorescent emission from these proteins. Further, transgenic mice are now commercially available that express GCaMPs in a Cre recombinase dependent fashion. These GCaMP reporter mice can be bred to distinct Cre recombinase driver mice to direct expression of this sensor in unique populations of cells. Concerning the central nervous system (CNS), sources of calcium influx, including those arising from Gq activation can be observed in targeted cells types like neurons or astrocytes. This powerful genetic method allows simultaneous monitoring of the activity of dozens of cells upon activation of endogenous Gq-coupled GPCRs. Therefore, in combination with pharmacological tools, this strategy of monitoring GPCR activation is amenable to high throughput analysis of orthosteric and allosteric ligands of Gq coupled receptors in their endogenous environments.
DNA damage and external lesions in brown bullheads (Ameiurus nebulosus) from contaminated habitats

The Comet assay was used to compare levels of DNA damage in brown bullheads (Ameiurus nebulosus) collected from three known contaminated locations, the Cuyahoga River (OH, U.S.A.), Ashtabula River (OH, U.S.A.; both tributaries to Lake Erie, USA), and Ashumet Pond (Cape Cod, MA, U.S.A.), with brown bullheads collected from three paired reference sites, Old Woman Creek (OH, U.S.A.), Conneaut River (OH, U.S.A.; both tributaries to Lake Erie), and Great Herring Pond (mainland MA, U.S.A.), respectively. Blood was sampled from each fish, and the Comet assay was conducted on erythrocytes. The assay results demonstrate that fish from the three contaminated sites each suffered higher DNA damage compared with fish from their respective reference sites. The results also show that the genetic damage was associated with the occurrence of external lesions and deformities in fish. The Comet assay is sufficiently sensitive to detect exposure of natural fish populations to environmental levels of genotoxic contaminants.
mda-9/Syntenin: More than Just a Simple Adapter Protein When It Comes to Cancer Metastasis

Cancer is a progressive disease that, in many instances, if untreated, can culminate in metastatic spread of primary tumor cells to distant sites in the body. Metastasis frequently confers virulence and therapy resistance to cancer cells, and defining the molecular events that control metastasis will be mandatory to develop rational, targeted therapies for effective intervention, prevention of recurrence, and the “holy grail” of engendering a cure. Adapter proteins are physiologically pertinent molecules that, through interactions with key regulatory proteins via specific conserved domains, control important cellular events. Melanoma differentiation associated gene-9 (mda-9), also known as syntenin, is a PDZ domain–containing adapter protein that is involved in organization of protein complexes in the plasma membranes, regulation of B-cell development, intracellular trafficking and cell-surface targeting, synaptic transmission, and axonal outgrowth. Recent studies now define a seminal role for mda-9/sytenin in cancer metastasis. The present review provides a current perspective of our understanding of this important aspect of mda-9/sytenin, suggesting that this gene and its encoded protein and interacting protein partners may provide viable targets for intervening in the final and invariably the most lethal stage of cancer progression, namely, cancer metastasis. [Cancer Res 2008;68(9):3087–93]
Generalized thin sheet analysis in magnetotellurics: an extension of Price's analysis

Summary. Price’s thin sheet analysis for electromagnetic fields has been extended in order to model the effects of crustal resistivity and conductivity variations on magnetotelluric fields. These extensions allow for a general layered medium below the crust and also account for the vertical resistance of the crust as well as its horizontal conductance. An important parameter emerges from the analysis which determines the distance it takes for the crustal current levels to readjust to changes in the crustal conductance. This adjustment distance is given by the square root of the conductivity thickness product multiplied by the resistivity thickness product. Approximate analytical solutions were developed for two-dimensional geometries in order to demonstrate these effects as well as the modifications produced by finite source wavelengths.
The Psychology of Dreams

What is a dream? During wakefulness, the brain interprets information, stores memories, and uses knowledge to form and execute plans of action. In sleep, the brain continues these information processing functions of the waking brain. Throughout the night, and even during the deepest phases of slow-wave sleep, the sleeping brain replays past experiences, creates novel scenarios, and prepares us for the coming day. As during wakefulness, we become consciously aware of some portion of this cognitive activity, creating the thought and imagery that we call ‘dreaming.’ Once conceptualized as omens from the gods or messages from the unconscious mind, more recent approaches to dreaming have focused on the neural and psychological mechanisms that produce dream cognition. In particular, work describing the reactivation and consolidation of memory during sleep has been valuable in informing models of the psychology of dreaming. Here, we describe the current state of the psychology of dreaming and conclude that dreams may reflect the integration of recent experiences with our existing knowledge structures. This framework views dreaming as part of a continuum of spontaneous subjective experience spanning states of sleep and wakefulness and serving functions related to the evolution of memories, including the consolidation of existing memory, their associative linking to other, older memories, and the simulation of possible future events.
The impact of mining expenditure on remote communities in Australia: The ranger uranium mine and the Tanami gold mine in the Northern Territory

While the recent mining boom has been widely addressed in the literature, to date little effort has been devoted to assessing how the returns from mining spatially affect local and remote communities. Given the paucity of adequate data at the local and remote levels, in this article we adopt a factor share approach and find that mining companies in the Northern Territory provide benefits to local communities through their employment of land, labour and capital which translate into expenditure and essential services for the local economy. Moreover, mining companies assist remote communities to develop a social network with external parties which can assist in building enduring value.
Aladdin II

Alladin II is a lattice variation of the Alladin 1 GeV electron storage ring located at the Synchrotron Radiation Center. The new lattice is realized without any physical repositioning of dipoles or quadrupoles by uncoupling and separately powering four sets of quadrupoles. The Alladin II lattice is characterized by long straight sections having zero dispersion and symmetric beta functions that can be varied from 0.5 to 5 m. The Aladdin and Aladdin II lattice functions are compared and dynamic aperture calculations for each lattice are presented. Even though the dynamic aperture for Alladin II is reduced slightly, it is still dominated by the physical aperture. Changes in injection and in the characteristics of the dipole synchrotron radiation sources are also discussed. >
Economic Interdependence and International Conflict: Some Cross-national Evidence

This study examines the relationship between economic interdependence and international conflict. Two schools of thought exist on this issue: some prominent writers suggest that interdependence produces greater international conflict, while others suggest that it produces a decline in conflict. These arguments are reviewed and empirically tested here. Previous empirical studies bearing on this issue are found to use inadequate measures and biased samples. More comprehensive analyses presented here suggest that interdependence can have mixed consequences. Several measures of interdependence that embody its costly aspects are found to be positively associated with conflict, implying that interdependence produces increased international conflict. However, when these measures are controlled for, another key measure is found to be inversely related to conflict. This suggests that both schools of thought may be correct: while the costly aspects of interdependence seem to produce greater international conflict, its beneficial aspects appear to produce a decline in conflict. In recent years, international interdependence has emerged as an important phenomenon in world poiitics and a popular concept in the international relations literature. International issues as diverse as trade embargoes, environmental degradation, nuclear arms races, and the transmission of inflation have been grouped together under the rubric of interdependence. Early writers on interdependence, such as Cooper (1968), focused mainly on the problems it creates for domestic and foreign economic policymaking. More recently, a number of studies have appeared that examine the implications of interdependence for international politics. The most influential of these has been Keohane and Nye (1977). However, other than a few studies that examine whether interdependence is increasing or declining worldwide, I no broad, comparative analyses of the impact of interdependence on international politics
The Case of the Milk of Calcium Renal Cyst

(1972). The Case of the Milk of Calcium Renal Cyst. Hospital Practice: Vol. 7, No. 10, pp. 89-90.