cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
mRNA localization patterns in zebrafish oocytes

In both invertebrate and vertebrate systems, the localization of maternal mRNAs is a common mechanism used to influence developmental processes, including the establishment of the dorsal/ventral axis, anterior/posterior axis, and the germ line (for review, see Bashirullah et al., 1998. Annu. Rev. Biochem. 67, 335-394). While the existence of localized maternal mRNAs has been reported in the zebrafish, Danio rerio, the precise localization patterns of these molecules during oogenesis has not been determined. In this study, in situ hybridization experiments were performed on zebrafish ovaries and activated eggs to examine different mRNA localization patterns. The results establish that while some maternal mRNAs remain ubiquitously distributed throughout the oocyte, other mRNAs follow specific localization patterns, including localization to the animal pole, localization to the vegetal pole, and cortical localization. The animal/vegetal axis is first apparent in stage II oocytes when the earliest mRNA localization is seen. Unique patterns of localization are seen in mature eggs as well. Some mRNAs maintain their oocyte localization patterns, while others localize upon egg activation (fertilization).
Cell surface action of thrombin is sufficient to initiate division of chick cells

Thrombin covalently linked to carboxylate-modified polystyrene beads initiated division of quiescent chick embryo (CE) cells either in medium containing low levels of serum or in serum-free medium. Release of thrombin was monitored by measuring acid-precipitable radioactivity released from 125I-thrombin beads into the medium during incubation with cells. Even if all of the acid-precipitable material released from the beads were active thrombin, it was not sufficient to account for any of the observed cell division, and was 10-30 fold less than the amount necessary to produce the increase in cell number caused by the thrombin beads. Two other kinds of experiments also showed that material released into the medium did not account for the observed initiation of cell division. First, medium taken from cultures incubated with thrombin beads did not initiate cell division when added to new quiescent cultures. Second, in coverslip experiments where populations of cells with an without thrombin feads shared the same medium, only bead-contacted cells divided. Several results suggested that the material which was released from the thrombin beads resulted from cell-associated proteolysis rather than from "leakage" of intact thrombin from the beads. For example, after incubating 125I-thrombin beads with or without CE cells, we were unable to detect any intact thrombin released into the medium. In addition, most of the material released from the beads was acid-soluble and was only released in the presence of CE cells. A few thrombin beads were endocytosed by CE cells, but they were surrounded by an intact plasma membrane. Thus they did not directly interact with the cytoplasm. The close association of many of the beads with the cell surface and the presence of a few beads in endocytic vesicles made it important to consider the possibility that thrombin might be released from the beads directly into the cells. This possibility was explored using ultrastructural (EM) autoradiography. With this technique (where one grain represented 700--900 thrombin molecules), we found that beads inside the cells had approximately the same number of grains as beads not in contact with cells. This suggested that little, if any, additional radioactive material had been released from the beads which were in contact with the cells. In addition, we were unable to detect any grains in the cytoplasm which could be attributed to released thrombin, even using an amount of 125I-thrombin beads which was 8 fold greater than the amount which produced maximal cell division. Taken together, these results provide direct evidence that thrombin action at the cell surface is sufficient to initiate division of CE cells.
Autonomy and the Use of Directive Intervention in the Treatment of Individuals with Serious Mental Illnesses: A Survey of Social Work Practitioners

Social workers in mental health settings struggle to support the principle of autonomy while weighing the need to directively intervene when there is a risk of harm or when clients are nonadherent to treatment. However, our understanding of this tension is incomplete. We therefore engaged in a survey of 193 social workers in North Carolina regarding attitudes toward autonomy and directive interventions, and examined correlates of these attitudes. Findings revealed that respondents having a client with a psychiatric advance directive were significantly more supportive of client autonomy. Respondents who were licensed, working in an inpatient setting, or had briefer client contacts were more likely to endorse the need for directive interventions, and those working in the public sector reported more use of warnings to improve adherence. Implications for practice, training, and research are discussed.
Evolution of cranial epilepsy surgery complication rates: a 32-year systematic review and meta-analysis.

Object Surgical interventions for medically refractory epilepsy are effective in selected patients, but they are underutilized. There remains a lack of pooled data on complication rates and their changes over a period of multiple decades. The authors performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of reported complications from intracranial epilepsy surgery from 1980 to 2012. Methods A literature search was performed to find articles published between 1980 and 2012 that contained at least 2 patients. Patients were divided into 3 groups depending on the procedure they underwent: A) temporal lobectomy with or without amygdalohippocampectomy, B) extratemporal lobar or multilobar resections, or C) invasive electrode placement. Articles were divided into 2 time periods, 1980–1995 and 1996–2012. Results Sixty-one articles with a total of 5623 patients met the study's eligibility criteria. Based on the 2 time periods, neurological deficits decreased dramatically from 41.8% to 5.2% in Group A and from 30.2% to 19...
Extracellular enzyme activity in the mycorrhizospheres of a boreal fire chronosequence

Abstract Saprotrophic microbes are typically credited with producing extracellular enzymes that recycle organic matter, though roots and mycorrhizal fungi also can contribute and may compete with the saprotrophs. We examined extracellular enzyme activity associated with the mycorrhizospheres of arbuscular mycorrhizal, ectomycorrhizal, dual-colonized (arbuscular and ectomycorrhizal), and ericoid mycorrhizal plants in a fire chronosequence in Alaska. Bulk soil and soil from beneath host plants were gathered in July 2004 and assayed for five enzymes that target organic C, P, and N substrates. Compared to bulk soil, activities of the C-targeting enzymes β-1,4-glucosidase and peroxidase were lower in arbuscular mycorrhizospheres and ericoid mycorrhizospheres, respectively. Moreover, extracellular enzyme activity varied among mycorrhizosphere types. Specifically, N-targeting leucine aminopeptidase was highest in arbuscular mycorrhizospheres, followed by ericoid and ectomycorrhizal/dual-colonized mycorrhizospheres; β-1,4-glucosidase had the reverse pattern. In addition, enzymatic stoichiometry suggested that extracellular enzyme producers invested more in C-acquisition than in N-acquisition in recent fire scars compared to mature forests. These data extend previous findings that roots and mycorrhizal fungi compete with saprotrophs by showing that the strength of this effect varies by mycorrhizal host. As a result the community composition of mycorrhizal host plants might mediate enzymatic activity in boreal soils.
How's My Network? Predicting performance from within a Web browser sandbox

Measuring Internet performance for home users can provide useful information for improving networks. Unfortunately, Internet measurements typically require users to install special software, a major impediment to use. To overcome this impediment, we designed and implemented several scripting techniques to predict Internet performance from within the tightly constrained sandbox environment of a Web browser. Our techniques are integrated into a Web site project called “How's My Network” that provides predictions for common Internet activities, with this paper concentrating on the performance of online news, social networks, and online shopping. The contributions of this work include the design, implementation and evaluation of new approaches for predicting Web browser performance.
Relationship of hippocampus and amygdala to coronal MRI landmarks

Magnetic resonance imaging is playing an increasingly important role in the evaluation of the hippocampus, particularly in epilepsy, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer's dementia. Because of the complex configuration of the hippocampus, it is difficult to compare from patient to patient. We developed a system to allow comparison of the hippocampus on coronal images. We performed 34 magnetic resonance studies on 29 normal subjects. Ten anatomic landmarks were identified. These landmarks have a consistent 5-mm periodicity regardless of usual head flexion. In the second phase of our investigation, we showed that the amygdala, hippocampal head, hippocampal body, and hippocampal tail have a consistent relationship to the coronal magnetic resonance imaging landmarks.
Postcontest Blockade of Dopamine Receptors Inhibits Development of the Winner Effect in the California Mouse (Peromyscus californicus)

The winner effect is an accumulation of previous wins that increase future winning. A primary unanswered question about the winner effect is how do individuals integrate information about previous wins? Dopamine (DA) has been implicated because phosphorylated tyrosine hydroxylase (pTH), the rate-limiting enzyme for DA biosynthesis, is elevated following multiple winning experiences. Moreover, DA receptor blockers and agonists influence aggression when administered prior to male-male contests. In the current study, we administered D1- and D2-like DA receptor antagonists immediately after a contest and examined the development of the winner effect in the territorial California mouse, Peromyscus californicus. During a 3-contest training phase, resident males experienced winning contests, followed immediately by a peripheral injection of either a DA receptor antagonist or vehicle or a handling experience (without injection). The DA receptor antagonists used in this study did not influence locomotion. To assess the cumulative effects of previous winning, males were subjected to a final test contest with a more competitive intruder. The winner effect was significantly decreased by both D1- and D2-like receptor antagonists administered during training. During the test contest, attack behavior was significantly reduced by previous administration of both types of DA receptor antagonists compared with controls. D1-like receptor blockade also diminished chasing behavior, whereas D2-antagonist treated animals continued to pursue opponents. During training against a less competitive intruder, there was no difference in aggressive behaviors between experimental and controls males. Our data indicate that DA activity between contests is concomitant with the competitive advantage gained from multiple winning experiences.
Kinetics and thermochemistry of electron attachment to SF6

Thermochemical analysis of the electron capture process of SF6 leads to a rate constant for the reverse process , where θ = 2.303RT, in kcal/mol. The electron affinity of 32±3 kcal/mol is deduced from the observed bimolecularity of the capture process down to 0.1 torr Ar bath gas and estimated entropies of SF6 and SF. The capture process is discussed from the view point of the formation of a metastable SF electron (SF6·e) Langevin complex which appears to have a lifetime of about 2 × 10−13 s. Curve crossing from the SF6·e complex to vibrationally excited (SF)* appears to have a normal rate and A factor. This is interpreted to indicate near-resonant coupling between the orbiting electron and the vibronic motions of SF6, together with similarity in structure of SF6 and SF. It is shown that the apparent slowness of thermal electron ejection from SF is a result of an unfavorable equilibrium constant rather than a slow rate.
Dynamics of target and distractor processing in visual search: Evidence from event-related brain potentials

When multiple objects are present in a visual scene, salient and behaviorally relevant objects are attentionally selected and receive enhanced processing at the expense of less salient or less relevant objects. Here we examined three lateralized components of the event-related potential (ERP) - the N2pc, Ptc, and SPCN - as indices of target and distractor processing in a visual search paradigm. Participants responded to the orientation of a target while ignoring an attentionally salient distractor and ERPs elicited by the target and the distractor were obtained. Results indicate that both the target and the distractor elicit an N2pc component which may index the initial attentional selection of both objects. In contrast, only the distractor elicited a significant Ptc, which may reflect the subsequent suppression of distracting or irrelevant information. Thus, the Ptc component appears to be similar to another ERP component - the Pd - which is also thought to reflect distractor suppression. Furthermore, only the target elicited an SPCN component which likely reflects the representation of the target in visual short term memory.
Studies on the progestational endometrium of the rabbit. I. Light microscopy, day 0 to day 13 of gonadotrophin-induced pseudopregnancy.

The fine structure of the endometrial epithelium of the pseudo-pregnant rabbit from the day of induced ovulation (day 0) to the 13th day is here correlated with previously defined light microscopic phases. In Phase 1 (0-1 day), in which there is a presumed "priming" of the endometrium by ovarian steroidal hormones, no changes were observed. In Phase 2 (1-3 days), in addition to mitotic activity, the epithelium showed a disappearance of the mucification and lymphocytic migration typical of Phase 1 and also of the non-pregnant or "estrous" phase, and showed other nuclear and cytoplasmic changes which probably reflect endogenous growth and protein synthesis. In Phase 3 (4-6 days), two distinct populations of reacting cells were present: (1) surface and cryptal cells investing the now folded mucosal surface, and (2) glandular cells. The first group showed characteristic dome-like protrusions of the cytoplasm into the lumen, and also showed distinct cytoplasmic and nuclear changes which appear to be a prelude to the succeeding phase of fusion but are not necessarily secretory in type. The glandular cells, in contrast, showed cytoplasmic changes which appear to reflect active secretory activity (hypertrophy of the Golgi area, cytoplasmic vacuoles containing electron-opaque material, etc.). This phase coincides with the maximal secretion of uterine-specific proteins, and electron-opaque material is abundant within the endometrial lumen. In Phase 4 (6-8 days), the surface and cryptal epithelium undergoes a transformation into multinucleated cells, the result of a process of lysis of intervening plasma membranes, the precise mechanism of which (i.e., with or without initial membrane fusion) was not determined. Cell fusion proceeded earlier and more actively mesometrially than antimesometrially. The glandular cells showed evidence of reduced secretory activity, but did not at any stage undergo multinucleate-cell transformation. In Phase 5 (8-13 days) there was progressive fusion, and the number of nuclei per cytoplasmic sac appeared increased, presumably due to the continued action of progesterone which is maximal during this phase. Glandular cells showed further reduced secretory activity but remained columnar. Ciliation of the epithelium was sporadic in the pre-secretory phases and rare or absent in the secretory and fusion phases; it became widespread during the phase of decline after day 14, a period which will not be included in this study. The fine structure of the ciliated cells was the same at all stages; there was no evidence for their origin from a reserve population; it is possible that they arise by modification of the multinucleated cells. Cytoplasmic crystals and intramitochondrial densities or lamellae were observed during the secretory and fusion stages, the former only in the glands, the latter in the surface and cryptal epithelium. They appear to be associated with rising or maximal progesterone secretion.
Solving large scale linear prediction problems using stochastic gradient descent algorithms

Linear prediction methods, such as least squares for regression, logistic regression and support vector machines for classification, have been extensively used in statistics and machine learning. In this paper, we study stochastic gradient descent (SGD) algorithms on regularized forms of linear prediction methods. This class of methods, related to online algorithms such as perceptron, are both efficient and very simple to implement. We obtain numerical rate of convergence for such algorithms, and discuss its implications. Experiments on text data will be provided to demonstrate numerical and statistical consequences of our theoretical findings.
Canada, the United States and Arctic Sovereignty: Architecture Without Building?

While a study of Canada/United States (Can/Am) relations in the Arctic might hold intrinsic interest, why should it be a priority? What follows is the first attempt to appraise the evolution of Can/Am relations in the far north within the context of combined analytical frameworks from International Relations (IR). This investigation of Canada, the US and Arctic sovereignty proceeds in the following stages. The first task is to introduce outlooks on security policy derived from IR—realism, liberalism, constructivism and domestic politics—that will be used to account for development of Can/Am relations in the Arctic. This stage is followed by a necessarily brief review of Arctic history, with greater attention to the period from Confederation onward. Assessment of those events in the context of the outlooks derived from IR is carried out in the next stage. The final stage of this study is a conclusion that reviews accomplishments and suggests directions for further research.
Autoregressive HMM speech synthesis

Autoregressive HMM modeling of spectral features has been proposed as a replacement for standard HMM speech synthesis. The merits of the approach are explored, and methods for enforcing stability of the estimated predictor coefficients are presented. It appears that rather than directly estimating autoregressive HMM parameters, greater synthesis accuracy is obtained by estimating the autoregressive HMM parameters by using a more traditional HMM recognition system to compute state-level posterior probabilities that are then used to accumulate statistics to estimate predictor coefficients. The result is a simplified mathematical framework that requires no modeling of derivatives and still provides smooth synthesis without unnatural spectral discontinuities. The resulting synthesis algorithm involves no matrix solves and may be formulated causally, and appears to result in quality very similar to that of more traditional HMM synthesis approaches. This paper describes the implementation of a complete Autoregressive HMM LVCSR system and its application for synthesis, and describes the preliminary synthesis results.
The Neanderthal taxonomic position: models of intra- and inter-specific craniofacial variation

The Neanderthal taxonomic position is a matter of wide disagreement among paleoanthropologists. Some workers consider this fossil human group to represent a different species, Homo neanderthalensis, while others see it as a subspecies of Homo sapiens. This study developed two models of morphological variation to be applied to a comparison between Neanderthals and modern humans: modern human populations provided a measure of intra-specific variation, while the species and subspecies of Pan provided measures of both intra- and inter-specific morphological differences. Although such an approach has been advocated strongly, it has not been systematically undertaken until recently. The techniques of geometric morphometrics were used to collect data in the form of three-dimensional coordinates of craniofacial landmarks. The data were processed using generalized procrustes analysis, and analyzed by an array of multivariate statistical methods, including principal components analysis, canonical variates analysis and Mahalanobis D 2 . The morphological distances between Neanderthals and modern humans, and between Neanderthals and Late Paleolithic/early anatomically modern specimens, are consistently greater than the distances among recent human populations, and greater than the distances between the two chimpanzee species. Furthermore, no strong morphological similarities were found between Neanderthals and Late Paleolithic Europeans. This study does not find evidence for Neanderthal contribution to the evolution of modern Europeans. Results are consistent with the recognition of Neanderthals as a distinct species. 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Recurving western North Pacific tropical cyclones and midlatitude predictability

Data from an ensemble prediction system are used to examine the impact of recurving tropical cyclones on downstream midlatitude forecasts. The ensemble spread, normalized by its climatology, increases after recurvature and peaks approximately 4–5 days later. It returns to climatological levels within a week after recurvature. Initially, the spread increases around the position of the tropical storm. Subsequently, it increases after extratropical transition, and it is associated with a developing wave packet in the midlatitude storm track. The enhanced spread propagates downstream approximately at the group speed of the wave packet. These results suggest that relative to the model's baseline, recurvature-related increase in loss of forecast skill is spatially and temporally localized. Further, energy dispersion of the developing wave packet may constrain the rate at which the forecast errors propagate downstream.
Block-diagonal dominant canonical form via singular value decomposition

Singular value decomposition is used to determine certain parity-orthogonal and orthogonal transformations to obtain a 'Block-diagonal dominant' canonical form of the system model. The canonical form is useful in the partitioning of a large scale system, and is always obtainable when the spectrum of the system matrix is separable into distinct groups relative to the modulus of the eigenvalues-a usual case in control systems. The procedure avoids the use of eigenstructure routines which are not helpful for ill-conditioned matrices. The parity-orthogonal transformations share some properties of orthogonal matrices; the inverse is obtainable from the transpose. The transformations and the procedure are demonstrated by an example. The orthogonal transformations-as opposed to parity-orthogonal transformations-appear relatively efficient for obtaining the canonical form. The transformations and the canonical form are not available in the literature; this is the original contribution of the paper.
Solution space for the independent-gate asymmetric DGFET

Abstract We present an alternative and computationally efficient description of the boundary between the trigonometric and hyperbolic solutions of the Poisson–Boltzmann equation for the independent-gate asymmetric DGFET. In particular, we demonstrate that this boundary consists of two curves and provide the explicit expression for both of them in terms of the Lambert W function.
Girls' Perceptions of Peer Relationship Support and Stress:

This research asked two questions: (a) What is the nature of social milieu perceptions (i.e., social support and stress) for middle school girls? and (b) How do girls' perceptions relate to peer-rated sociometrics? Emotional support; problem-focused support, and behavioral support dimensions were identified using the Social Milieu Scales, as were the social stress domains of general stress, discord, hurt feelings, and embarrassment. Girls differentiated between support and stress provided by their best friend versus friends in general. Individual differences in perceived support and stress were reliably detected on the Social Milieu Scales and were meaningfully related to peer popularity. Popular and neglected girls reported less stress than controversial, rejected, or average girls. Popular girls did not report feeling more supported Supportiveness was positively related to the simple number of friend nominations that a girl received Reciprocity of best friendship was positively associated with increased...
Comparison of the hole pressure and exit pressure methods for measuring polymer melt normal stresses

There has been considerable controversy over whether one can extract the primary normal stress difference (N1) for polymer melts from hole pressure (PH) and exit pressure (Pex) data. In this paper values of PH and Pex are obtained for three polymer melts in the same slit-die apparatus under the same operating conditions. It is found that there is a good correlation between values of N1 obtained by means of a cone-and-plate rheometer and those obtained by means of PH data and the Higashitani-Pritchard theory. On the other hand, values of N1 obtained by means of Pex data for polystyrene were two to five times higher than those obtained by means of the cone-and-plate device. For the lower molecular weight low density polyethylene (LDPE) sample, values of Pex were found to be both positive and negative. For the higher molecular weight LDPE sample, values of Pex were found not to increase monotonically with with σw. Hence, it was difficult to obtain unequivocal values of N1 for LDPE.
Oscillatory Transmission Line Pulsing for Characterization of Device Transient Response

An oscillatory transmission line pulse generation system is introduced. This measurement system allows one to observe the response of an electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection device to a large-amplitude radio-frequency damped sinusoid; such waveforms mimic ESD tests. The trigger voltage of silicon-controlled rectifiers used for ESD protection is observed to be dependent on the past state of the device, due to charge storage in the bipolar bases.
On the Protheticity of Olfactory Pleasantness and Intensity

In Exp. 1, the “protheticity” of the pleasantness of a diverse set of relatively isointensive odorants was estimated using exponents from power functions fitted by an iterative least squares procedure between scale values established by (a) magnitude estimation and (b) category rating and rank ordering. In Exp. 2, this procedure was applied to intensity data derived from quarter-log-step volume dilution series of two hedonically disparate odorants, furfural and methyl salicylate. The goodness of fit of the power functions was somewhat better for the intensity than for the pleasantness data. The pleasantness dimension of the diverse stimuli was slightly prothetic (respective category scaling and rank order/magnitude estimation exponents = 0.60 and 0.63). The intensity dimension of furfural was considerably more prothetic than that of methyl salicylate (respective category/magnitude estimation exponents = 0.20 and 0.68; respective rank order/magnitude exponents = 0.21 and 0.69). These data suggest that the ...
Interactive gaming reduces experimental pain with or without a head mounted display

While virtual reality environments have been shown to reduce pain, the precise mechanism that produces the pain attenuating effect has not been established. It has been suggested that it may be the ability to command attentional resources with the use of head mounted displays (HMDs) or the interactivity of the environment. Two experiments compared participants' pain ratings to high and low levels of electrical stimulation while engaging in interactive gaming with an HMD. In the first, gaming with the HMD was compared to a positive emotion induction condition; and in the second experiment the HMD was compared to a condition in which the game was projected onto a wall. Interactive gaming significantly reduced numerical ratings of painful stimuli when compared to the baseline and affect condition. However, when the two gaming conditions were directly compared, they equally reduced participants' pain ratings. These data are consistent with past research showing that interactive gaming can attenuate experimentally induced pain and its effects are comparable whether presented in a head mounted display or projected on a wall.
Reconsidering Culturally Competent Approaches to American Indian Healing and Well-Being

There is an urgent need to eliminate mental health disparities experienced by American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs). Service providers and researchers often address these disparities by focusing on low rates of participation in Western mental health services. In part, this reflects limited understandings of the sociopolitical and historical context of AI/AN mental health problems. Furthermore, this emphasis fails to recognize the importance of emic understandings of locally resonant coping strategies, healing, and treatment. In this article, we describe (a) a study designed to address these gaps, (b) findings related to the importance of land and place, and (c) a community-university collaboration to translate these findings into meaningful change within one Dine community. Connections to the land were an important cultural strength on which to build efforts to promote mental health. Thus, effective treatment might involve more in-depth understanding of cultural processes through which healing occurs and well-being is maintained.
Magnetic oxide films

Polycrystalline and epitaxial magnetic oxide films have been fabricated by several investigators. This paper deals predominantly with epitaxial films grown by chemical vapor deposition. The majority of the discussion is concerned with substrates, the deposition process, and film characterization. Where possible, comparisons are made with bulk crystals and with films produced by other fabrication techniques.
Perceptions of Paraeducators on Job Retention.

Retaining paraeducators is reported to be an issue for some schools. Jobs with more favorable working conditions are said to draw paraeducators from education. The purpose of this study was to investigate issues related to retention or attrition of paraeducators. Structured interviews were conducted with 21 participants, drawn from two public school districts in North Carolina. Participants included both stayers (those who remain on the job) and leavers (those who left the job) to achieve a balance of information. Four major findings emerged: (a) the length of time paraeducators stayed on the job; (b) the primary reason for taking a job as a paraeducator; (c) difficulties with low pay; and (d) issues related to working conditions.
Comparison of early and late extubation following single-stage anterior laryngotracheoplasty

Abstract Objective To compare the outcomes of early versus late extubation after primary single-stage anterior laryngotracheoplasty (LTP) using thyroid ala graft performed at our tertiary care academic children's hospital. Methods Twenty-five pediatric patients underwent single-stage anterior LTP using thyroid ala grafts between September 2002 and June 2009. Initial trials of extubation were attempted in 15 patients on or prior to postoperative day (POD) 2 and in 10 patients on or after POD 3. The main outcome measures analyzed in this retrospective comparison study were complication rate, length of hospitalization, reintubation during hospitalization, need for additional airway procedures, and overall decannulation rate. Results The rates of various complications in each group were not statistically significant, with the exception of methadone taper. No patients in the early extubation group and four patients in the late extubation group required methadone taper [ p p > 0.05]. Six patients (40%) in the early extubation group and two (20%) in the late extubation group needed reintubation at some point during hospitalization post-LTP [ p > 0.05]. Ten patients [66.7%] in the early extubation group and eight [80%] in the late extubation group required additional airway procedures post-LTP [ p > 0.05]. Ultimately, 12 (80%) of the early extubation group and nine (90%) of the late extubation group were successfully decannulated at the time of most recent follow-up [ p > 0.05]. Conclusions The differences in length of hospitalization, need for additional procedures, reintubation during hospitalization and overall decannulation rate between the early and late extubation groups after single-stage anterior LTP with thyroid ala graft were not statistically significant. Methadone taper was the only complication that was statistically significantly higher in the late extubation group.
Tsar Aleksei Mikhailovich and the Demise of the Romanov Political Settlement

In 1613, the faction headed by the Romanov clan successfully reconstituted the troubled Muscovite political system, largely by calling a truce among the warring boyar parties and re-integrating elite elements that had been ousted during the Time of Troubles. The Romanov political settlement, in turn, was disrupted in the reign of Aleksei Mikhailovich as a host of "new men" were advanced to high stations. Late Imperial scholars were the first to propose that the old boyars were being supplanted by parvenus beginning in the 1640s.' A century later, this observation was confirmed by the pioneering work of Robert Crummey. Crummey was the first to use sophisticated prosopographical techniques to study the composition of the boyar elite. By investigating the backgrounds and career patterns of Russia's most powerful men, he was able to demonstrate that a significant inflation of honors occurred in the second half of the seventeenth century-the "aristocrats" (as Crummey called them) were giving way to "new men."2 Yet even today the exact chronology, depth, and political significance of this status inflation remains unclear. We know it happened, but
Conceptualizing a Business Process Knowledge Construct

This paper provides a glimpse of an ongoing dissertation effort evolving a new theory that enhances existing explanations and predictions related to information systems (IS) use. The new theory defends the existence of a construct labeled Perceived Business Process Knowledge (PBPK). The author hopes to: 1) define PBPK and 2) identify its relationship to attitudes associated with use of IS in organizational environments. The endeavor also encompasses developing an associated measure. This paper offers a short discussion of challenges faced in the PBPK theory and construct development effort, as well as, future goals that may help others.
Tyrosine supplementation mitigates working memory decrements during cold exposure.

In rats, dietary supplementation with the amino acid tyrosine (TYR) prevents depletion of central catecholamines observed during acute environmental stress. Concomitant changes in the animals' behavioral responses to stress suggest that TYR might have similar effects on central catecholamines and cognition in humans exposed to environmental stress. This study aimed to determine if severe cold exposure impairs human cognition and if dietary supplementation with TYR would ameliorate such deficits. Volunteers (N=19) completed three test sessions on different days (35 °C control/placebo, ∼10 °C/placebo, ∼10 °C/TYR) using a double-blind, within subjects design. During each session, volunteers completed two 90-minute water immersions and consumed a food bar (150 mg/kg TYR or placebo) before each immersion (total TYR 300 mg/kg). Cognitive performance,mood,andsalivarycortisolwereassessed.Cortisolwaselevatedinthecold(pb.01).VolunteersmadefewercorrectresponsesonaMatchto-Samplememory measure(pb.05)and reaction time(RT) and errors increasedona choiceRT test(pb.01)inthe cold. Self-reported tension (pb.01), depression (pb.05) and confusion (pb.01) also increased in the cold. When volunteers consumed TYR, correct responses increased on a Match-toSample memory measure (pb.05) and study time for the sample was shorter (pb.05), indicative of more rapid and accurate information processing. Finally, RTon the memory measure revealed a similar pattern across immersions for TYR and thermoneutral conditions, but not cold/placebo (pb.05). This study demonstrates cold exposure degrades cognitive performance and supplementation with TYR alleviates working memory decrements.
Talking About Sexism Meta-Sexist Talk in Presidential Politics

This article investigates “meta-sexist” talk in U.S. media discussions regarding Hillary Rodham Clinton’s failed bid for the U.S. Democratic nomination in 2007-2008. More specifically, it describes how specific accusations/claims of “sexist” treatment of Clinton were introduced, debated, and ultimately evaluated during significant moments in the course of her campaign. Drawing on a collection of 24 televised interactions in which “sexism” was explicitly topicalized in relation to Clinton’s campaign, the analysis describes how interviewers respond to participants’ claims of “sexist” treatment of Clinton within two periods in the nominating process—when Clinton was reported by mainstream media as the undisputed front-runner, and when she was reported as losing. In illustrating the general features of the interviewers’ responsive behavior characteristic of each period, the analysis reveals some of the ways in which the legitimacy of “sexist” claims may be undermined by mainstream media.
Information Security and Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance: An Exploratory Study.

ABSTRACT: The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) created a resurgence of organizational focus on internal controls. In this study, we examine the extent to which the information technology (IT) controls suggested by the ISO 17799 security framework have been integrated into organizations’ internal control environments. We collected survey data from 636 members of the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) on the current usage of IT controls in their organizations. In addition to identifying the most and least commonly implemented IT controls, the survey results indicate that control implementation differences exist based on a company’s status as public or private, the size of the company, and the industry in which the company operates. Training of internal auditors and/or IT personnel is also associated with significant differences in implemented controls. We discuss the implications of our research and offer suggestions for future research.
Special Issues in fMRI-Studies Involving Children

Several exciting neuroscientific questions can only be answered only when investigating the developing brain. However, children are not small adults, and imaging children therefore poses a number of special challenges on different levels. In this chapter, I will try to cover some specific aspects that may need to be considered when planning, conducting, or analyzing pae-diatric imaging studies.
Why Most Flavor Dependence Predictions for Non-Leptonic Charm Decays are Wrong

Nonleptonic weak decays of strange hadrons are complicated by the interplay of weak and strong interactions. Models based either on symmetry properties or on the selection of certain types of diagrams are both open to criticism. The symmetries used are all broken in strong interactions, and the selection of some diagrams and neglect of others is never seriously justified. Furthermore, the number of related decays of strange hadrons is small, so that experimental data are insufficient for significant tests of phenomenological models with a few free parameters.
Effect of L-NAME on oxygen uptake kinetics during heavy-intensity exercise in the horse.

There is evidence that oxidative enzyme inertia plays a major role in limiting/setting the O2 uptake (V˙o 2) response at the transition to higher metabolic rates and also that nitric oxide (NO) com...
Department of Energy's Biological and Environmental Research Strategic Data Roadmap for Earth System Science

Rapid advances in experimental, sensor, and computational technologies and techniques are driving exponential growth in the volume, acquisition rate, variety, and complexity of scientific data. This wealth of scientifically meaningful data has tremendous potential to lead to scientific discovery. However, to achieve scientific breakthroughs, these data must be exploitable—they must be analyzed effectively and efficiently and the results shared and communicated easily within the wider Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Biological and Environmental Research (BER) Climate and Environmental Sciences Division (CESD) community. The explosion in data complexity and scale makes these tasks exceedingly difficult to achieve, particularly given that an increasing number of disciplines are working across techniques, integrating simulation and experimental or observational results (see Table 5 in Appendix 2). Consequently, we need new approaches to data management, analysis, and visualization that provide research teams with easy-to-use and scalable end-to-end solutions. These solutions must facilitate (and where feasible, automate and capture) every stage in the data lifecycle (shown in Figure 1), from collection to management, annotation, sharing, discovery, analysis, and visualization. In addition, the core functionalities are the same across climate science communities, but they require customization to adapt to specific needs and fit into research and analysis workflows. Tomore » this end, the mission of CESD’s Data and Informatics Program is to integrate all existing and future distributed CESD data holdings into a seamless and unified environment for the acceleration of Earth system science.« less
Intervention of Regulatory Bailouts in Loan Partnerships: Evidence of Tarp's Effect on Syndicated Loan Structures

This paper is the first to assess the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) at loan level by looking at the structure of loan syndicates. While the purpose of TARP was to stimulate the flow of credit during the economic downturn, the low cost of capital could have functioned as a double-edged sword by imprudently increasing lenders’ credit risk-appetite. Our analysis reveals two important findings: first we find that while TARP provided low cost funding during the crisis, it effectively prevented moral hazard by its participants as evidenced by the syndicated loans’ more diversified structures. This result is evident in three different measures of syndicated loan’s structure. Second, lender-loan level analyses suggest that TARP’s impact varied across lender groups. Although we find that TARP diversified syndicated loans’ structure in general, it also increased loan concentration among lead arrangers. This result is robust to propensity score matching, instrument variable analysis, alternate variable measures and subsample analysis. These findings support the agency hypothesis by documenting a greater share of lead arranger commitment during a period of time when credit monitoring was strengthened.
Structural Characterization of the Bacterial Succinate/Acetate Proton Symporter SatP in Lipid Bilayer Membranes

Bacterial succinate-acetate/proton symporter SatP is an integral membrane protein, responsible for transport of the negatively charged carboxylic acids across the lipid bilayer. The 20 kDa protein consist of six glycine-rich transmembrane helices, connected by loops, and forms hexameric aggregates. We sought to elucidate the structure and mechanism of this bacterial transporter, as this class is underrepresented in the protein databank, with the goal to learn the mechanism of ligand transport that can be used as a basis for homologous eukaryotic transporters.The protein has been expressed in E. coli using minimal media and labeled with NMR-active 13C/15N nuclei either uniformly, or on a amino acid specific basis. Reconstitution in lipid bilayers yielded the active form of the transporter, which was subjected to magic angle spinning multidimensional NMR experiments, yielding well resolved spectra of the backbone and side chain resonances. Using through bond correlation experiments, we have assigned the majority of the backbone and performed initial structural characterization using the dihedral angles derived from TALOS-N with N, CA and C' chemical shifts. Our current focus is on completing the spectral assignments, which would allow generating the first structural models of this transporter.
Environmental Sustainability of Biofuel Production from Algae

Beside evaluating the economic viability of algal biofuels, the impact that the system has on the environment and on the management of resources needs to be addressed as well, that in turn will determine the sustainability in the long term. Algal biofuels are compared to other solar technologies in terms of storage and transport of the generated energy, interaction with the environment, competition with other resources, and reduction in greenhouse gases emission.
MR Angiography in Sickle Cell Disease: Usefulness of Orthogonal 3D-TOF Examinations in Elimination of Artifactual Flow Gaps

We compared maximum intensity reconstructions (MIP's) of intracranial 3D-TOF MR angiograms performed in 2 orthogonal planes (axial and coronal) with MIP of MRA in the axial plane only in patients with sickle cell disease. MR imaging has revealed ischemic changes in asymptomatic patients (1). Because artifactual MRA flow gaps are recognized in areas of rapid flow turbulence (2) such as are reported in proximal middle cerebral artery (M1) segments in this disease (3), there may be a tendency to inaccurately estimate stenoses on MRA (2). Orthogonal MIP studies in this population may improve accuracy of MRA.Nineteen patients with sickle cell disease (9 asymptomatic, 10 with suspected stroke) and 6 controls were studied using 3D RF-FAST MRA in both axial and coronal planes. MIP images were viewed in rotations about the spinal axis and flow gaps observed to be present or absent in supraclinoid internal carotid arteries (ICA's) and Ml segments. Kappa statistics were used to measure degree of agreement between pa...
Reduction of Busulfan-Induced Granulocytopoietic Toxicity in Mice by Postbusulfan Injection of Endotoxin

AbstractBusulfan produces profound and prolonged hematopoietic depression in mice. However, the decline in pluripotent cell compartments such as those forming spleen colonies (CFU-S) is much more precipitate than the decline in their progeny such as cells forming colonies in methylcellulose (CFU-C) or in granulocytes. Endotoxin was given immediately following a single 60 mg/kg dose of busulfan in order to determine its influence upon the subsequent decline and recovery of CFU-C, total nucleated cells, and marrow granulocytes/humerus. There was no effect on the rate of decline for 3 days following busulfan. However, the decline slowed in endotoxin treated mice on the 4th day and all three values were significantly higher than in controls on Day 5, the nadir for controls. Controls had an abortive recovery evident by Day 7. At this time endotoxin treated mice had higher values than in controls for total nucleated cells and granulocytes, but not for CFU-C. By Day 9, no further effect of endotoxin could be dem...
Tick-borne diseases in the United States.

In the United States, more vector-borne diseases are transmitted by ticks than by any other agent1. During the past 20 years, tick-borne diseases have taken on increased importance as humans have moved into rural areas and increased their recreational outdoor activity. Tick-borne diseases can result from infection with pathogens that include bacteria, rickettsia, viruses, and protozoa (Table 1). In this article, we review recent advances in the understanding of these diseases, particularly the microbiology, epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of the major tick-borne diseases that occur in the United States. Biology of Ticks Ticks are obligate blood-sucking members of the . . .