cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Profile of inhaled levodopa and its potential in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease: evidence to date

Inhaled levodopa is a newly emerging therapeutic option in the treatment of “off ” symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Its mode of delivery offers more rapid absorption of levodopa and shorter onset of clinical benefit compared to oral formulations, and has been shown to be feasible for use in patients with PD experiencing worse motor function due to declining plasma levodopa levels. Clinical development of this compound is supported by preclinical, Phase I–III, long-term-safety studies and studies in special populations, including otherwise-healthy asthmatics and smokers. These investigations demonstrated that the drug is well tolerated without risk of long-term (up to 1 year) changes in pulmonary function or spirometry measures. The most common side effects among PD patients were a mild cough, upper respiratory tract infection, nausea, sputum discoloration, and dyskinesia. Inhaled levodopa offers a different administration method and side-effect profile from the currently available options for rescue therapy for Off periods in PD, though comparative studies have not been performed. The drug is presently under review by the US Food and Drug Administration.
Purification and site-specific N-glycosylation analysis of human recombinant butyrylcholinesterase from Nicotiana benthamiana

Abstract Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) is a glycosylated serine hydrolase found in human serum that has been shown to protect against various cholinesterase-inhibiting organophosphate nerve agents. The supply of plasma-derived butyrylcholinesterase (hBChE) is constrained by the availability of human blood and a complex purification process and its high cost. This constraints necessitates the development of expression platforms capable of large-scale, low-cost production of an active recombinant BChE (rBChE). Traditionally, procainamide affinity chromatography has been used to purify BChE. Recently, an effective affinity chromatography resin based on a potent cholinesterase inhibitor (tacrine-huperzine A hybrid; huperine X termed as Hupresin®) was developed. Here, we describe a purification scheme of rBChE from Nicotiana benthamiana plants. Different extraction buffers were screened for their ability to extract rBChE and native plant proteins. Citrate buffer at pH 4 was selected to minimize extraction of host plant proteins and showed a 4.5-fold enhancement in rBChE specific activity compared to Tris buffer, pH 8. DEAE-Sepharose chromatography increased the purity of rBChE by 70% by removing major host plant protein impurities. The rBChE was then adsorbed to Hupresin® and purified to homogeneity for an overall process yield of 34%. The purification process represents a threefold higher product yield over the established process. Mass spectrometry confirmed the protein sequence and site-specific N-glycosylation analysis was performed.
Pathogen reduction in an algal-based wastewater treatment system employing Galdieria sulphuraria

Abstract The feasibility of an algal-based wastewater treatment system employing an extremophilic alga, Galdieria sulphuraria, in removing dissolved organic carbon and nutrients from primary-settled wastewater has been demonstrated at pilot scale. Here, pathogen-reduction capability of this system was assessed and compared against that of an existing traditional wastewater treatment system (WWTS). While total coliform in the influent (2.3 × 107 CFU/100 mL) was reduced by 3.3 log units in the WWTS, no total or fecal coliform were detected in the algal effluent. Results of qPCR analysis confirmed 98% removal of total bacteria and complete removal of Enterococcus faecalis and Escherichia coli in the algal system. Illumina MiSeq sequencing showed diverse bacteria phyla (>10 classifications) in the WWTS-effluent; but, only two classifications in the algal effluent. Bacteria kingdom relative to the entire microbial population declined from 99% to 83% in the WWTS; and to 17% in the algal system. Proteobacteria phylum (which includes mostly putative pathogenic bacterial genera) dominated the WWTS-effluent (abundance = 35%). Substantial alteration of the bacterial profile was observed in the algal system: Acidobacteria phylum being the most dominant (98%), and Proteobacteria, the least (2%). At the genus level, enteritis-causing Arcobacter species were detected only in the WWTS-effluent with a relative abundance of 0.9%.
HLA-DRB1 Haplotypes, Shared Epitope, and Disease Outcomes in US Veterans with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Objective. To evaluate associations of HLA-DRB1 haplotypes and shared epitope (SE) with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) severity and all-cause mortality in RA. Methods. Patients with RA from the Veterans Affairs Rheumatoid Arthritis (VARA) registry were followed from enrollment until death or December 31, 2013. Clinical characteristics, DNA, and serum were collected at enrollment. Radiographic damage, the presence or absence of subcutaneous nodules, disease activity measures, and functional status were assessed at enrollment and updated during followup. Sixteen HLA-DRB1 haplotypes and SE status were determined from banked DNA. Associations between HLA-DRB1 haplotypes, RA disease characteristics, and mortality were assessed in multivariable regression models. Results. Within VARA, 1443 participants had genotyping and accrued 6150 patient-years of followup. Haplotypes VKA, VRA, LRA, SRA, SRE, SKR, and SEA, and SE alleles were significantly associated with seropositivity for rheumatoid factor (RF) and/or anticyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP). Haplotypes VKA and SKR were associated with higher RF concentrations, while VRA, DRE, and GRQ were associated with lower RF concentrations. Haplotypes VKA, VRA, and LRA were associated with higher concentrations of anti-CCP antibody, while haplotypes SRA, SRE, LEA, SKR, and SEA were significantly associated with lower anti-CCP concentrations. Haplotype VKA (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.08–1.80) was associated with increased frequency of radiographic damage at enrollment but none of the haplotypes were associated with the presence of subcutaneous nodules. Haplotypes SKA (HR 1.52, 95% CI 1.26–1.83) was associated with higher mortality. Conclusion. HLA-DRB1 haplotypes are independently and variably associated with seropositivity, autoantibody concentrations, and outcomes in RA.
Force on a point charge source of the classical electromagnetic field

It is shown that a well-defined expression for the total electromagnetic force ${\mathbit{f}}^{\mathrm{em}}$ on a point charge source of the classical electromagnetic field can be extracted from the postulate of total momentum conservation whenever the classical electromagnetic field theory satisfies a handful of regularity conditions. Among these is the generic local integrability of the field momentum density over a neighborhood of the point charge. This disqualifies the textbook Maxwell-Lorentz field equations, while the Maxwell-Bopp-Land\'e-Thomas-Podolsky field equations qualify, and presumably so do the Maxwell-Born-Infeld field equations. Most importantly, when the usual relativistic relation between the velocity and the momentum of a point charge with bare rest mass ${m}_{\mathrm{b}}\ensuremath{\ne}0$ is postulated, Newton's law $\frac{\mathrm{d}}{\mathrm{dt}}\mathbit{p}=\mathbit{f}$ with $\mathbit{f}={\mathbit{f}}^{\mathrm{em}}$ becomes an integral equation for the point particle's acceleration; the infamous third-order time derivative of the position which plagues the Abraham-Lorentz-Dirac equation of motion does not show up. No infinite bare mass renormalization is invoked, and no ad hoc averaging of fields over a neighborhood of the point charge. The approach lays the rigorous microscopic foundations of classical electrodynamics with point charges.
Interaction Between Sacubitril and Valsartan in Preventing Heart Failure Induced by Aortic Valve Insufficiency in Rats.

ABSTRACT Background Synergistic interactions between neprilysin inhibition (NEPi) with sacubitril and angiotensin receptor type1 blockade (ARB) with valsartan have been implicated in improvement of left ventricular (LV) contractility, relaxation, exercise tolerance, and fibrosis in preexisting heart failure (HF) induced by aortic valve insufficiency (AVI). It is not known whether this pharmacologic synergy can prevent cardiovascular pathology in a similar AVI model. Our aim was to investigate the pharmacology of sacubitril/valsartan in an experimental setting with therapy beginning immediately after creation of AVI. Methods HF was induced through partial disruption of the aortic valve in rats. Therapy began 3 hours after valve disruption and lasted 8 weeks. Sacubitril/valsartan (68 mg/kg), valsartan (31 mg/kg), sacubitril (31 mg/kg), or vehicle were administered daily via oral gavage (N=8 in each group). Hemodynamic assessments were conducted using Millar technology, and an exercise tolerance test was conducted using a rodent treadmill. Results Only sacubitril/valsartan increased total arterial compliance and ejection fraction (EF). Therapies with sacubitril/valsartan and valsartan similarly improved load-dependent (dP/dtmax) and load independent indices (Ees) of LV contractility, and exercise tolerance, whereas sacubitril did not. None of the therapies improved LV relaxation (dP/dtmin), whereas all reduced myocardial fibrosis. Conclusions 1) The synergistic interaction between NEPi and ARB in early therapy with sacubitril/valsartan leads to increased total arterial compliance and EF. 2) Improvement in indices of LV contractility, and exercise tolerance with sacubitril/valsartan is likely because of ARB effect of valsartan. 3) All three therapies provided antifibrotic effects, suggesting both ARB and NEPi are capable of reducing myocardial fibrosis.
Teaching Practice-Based Learning on Inpatient Psychiatric Services.

Psychiatry residents must learn to incorporate new information into clinical practice as the field quickly evolves. The authors developed a practice-based workshop grounded in active learning principles on the inpatient psychiatric unit. Residents rotating on inpatient services observed a patient interview, then brainstormed learner-driven learning objectives. They each independently researched selected topics, then utilized peer instruction and discussion grounded in the clinical case. Topic areas covered over a year were tracked and residents’ experiences were surveyed. The material covered included evidence-based treatments, neuroscience, cultural, and systems psychiatry. Residents rated the workshop as highly effective and engaging (91% and 96%, respectively, on Likert Scale) and positively on the Tutorial Group Effectiveness Instrument (3.8 ± 0.6 for cognitive aspects, 3.2 ± 0.7 for motivational aspects, and 2.7 ± 0.6 for demotivational aspects). This case-based and learner-driven peer teaching model based on an active learning model allows for quick integration of new material into the curriculum with resident satisfaction.
Sluicing on free choice

I explore the implications of the Tense Phrase deletion operation known as sluicing (Ross 1969) for the semantic and pragmatic literature on the Free Choice effect (Kamp 1973, von Wright 1969). I argue that the time-honored ‘I don’t know which’-riders on Free Choice sentences, traditionally taken to show that the effect is pragmatic, are sensitive to scope. Careful attention to such riders suggests that these sluices do not show cancellation on Free Choice antecedents in which disjunction scopes narrower than the modal. EARLY ACCESS
Coordination motives and competition for attention in information markets

Abstract People seek to learn about world events, but often also what others know about those events—for instance, to coordinate their actions. News sources rely on monetizing people's attention to thrive in the market. We find that competition for attention leads to a homogeneous supply of information: News sources are equally accurate in reporting events and equally clear in conveying their reports. This occurs even though people would demand different accuracies and clarities. The type of supplied sources depends on a subtle interaction between the cost structure of producing information and people's coordination motives. We also find that by becoming the “currency” whereby people pay for information, attention causes novel market inefficiencies, whose form and size depend on people's coordination motives. We investigate supply-side policies tackling such inefficiencies.
Adoption and willingness to pay for autonomous vehicles: Attitudes and latent classes

Abstract This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the propensity toward autonomous vehicles (AVs). The main hypothesis of this study is that individuals’ decisions toward AVs vary by their modality style, and it is possible to identify a distinct set of attitudes toward AVs among people with distinct mobility profiles. A latent class clustering analysis model was applied to the survey data, and three distinct user classes (sub-datasets) were identified, including auto-dependent users, all-mode users, and non-drivers (passengers and transit users). Separate structural equation models were developed to identify a distinct set of attitudes for each user class and estimate their propensity toward AV technology. The results showed that attitudes play a critical role in users’ behavior toward AV adoption and WTP. Moreover, the identified attitudes for each class and their contribution to the decisions were different among the three classes, confirming the necessity to develop separate models to account for the heterogeneity in their choice behavior. In view of attitudes, pro-technology showed significant positive impacts on both AV adoption and WTP for auto-dependent users and non-drivers. While self-driving features might motivate auto-dependent users to adopt AV technologies, driving assistance features seemed to be more important for all-mode users in their adoption and WTP decisions. Trip privacy and data privacy concerns presented potential barriers for auto users and all-mode users but did not show significant impacts for non-drivers, who were more likely to be discouraged from adopting AVs by the joy of driving. The findings contribute to the current literature by providing more in-depth insights into users’ attitudes toward AV technologies and a better understanding of their decisions to adopt and pay for AV technologies.
Mantle source and magma oxygen fugacity of Permian Ni-Cu sulfide-bearing mafic-ultramafic intrusions in the Inner Mongolia, North China: Controls on the sulfide saturation of magmas in the Andean-style continental convergent margins

Abstract Permian Erbutu and Kebu Ni--Cu sulfide-bearing mafic-ultramafic intrusions in the central Asian orogenic belt (CAOB) formed in the Andean-style continental convergent margin adjacent to the northern margin of the North China Craton (NCC). The rocks of the two intrusions show arc-like affinity on the primitive mantle-normalized trace element patterns and have eNd(t) ranging from −8.7 to −4.2, which are interpreted to be related to derivation from the metasomatized, enriched, subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) beneath the NCC. Using the olivine-orthopyroxene-spinel oxygen barometer, the magma fO2 of the Erbutu and Kebu intrusions was calculated to be from FMQ-0.8 to FMQ + 0.2, and from FMQ + 1.3 to FMQ + 2.0, respectively. The sulfides in the rocks have δ34SCDT ranging from +5.3 to +7.5‰ for the Erbutu intrusion and from +2.0 to +4.5‰ for the Kebu intrusion, much higher than that of the MORB mantle (δ34SCDT = −1.5 to 0.6‰). The rocks of the Erbutu and Kebu intrusions have δ13C ranging from −26.1 to −20.4‰ and − 26.4 to −20.9‰, respectively, similar to that of organic carbon in the crust (δ13C = −28 to −20‰), but much lower than that of the MORB mantle (δ13C = −7 to −5‰). These may indicate the addition of externally derived sulfur (S) and organic carbon into the magmas, which would increase S contents and decrease S solubility of the magmas, respectively, triggering sulfide saturation of the magmas. It is noted that the sulfide saturation of the Erbutu intrusion was mainly related to the addition of externally derived sulfur in the magmas as sulfur is generally present as S2− species in the low-fO2 magmas. Both intrusions have trace element patterns and eNd(t) values nearly identical to those of the Permian Elitu volcanic rocks in the same region, indicating that they were likely genetically linked. The Elitu volcanic rocks show negative correlation of (Gd/Yb)N with >3.0 wt% MgO, which is interpreted as the primary magmas of the rocks may have experienced early garnet fractionation at high pressure (e.g., 0.8 to 2.0 GPa). The calculated thickness of the crust in this region is ~56 km, equivalent to ~1.7 GPa in pressure. The primary magmas of the Erbutu and Kebu intrusions were produced by partial melting of the enriched SCLM beneath the thickened crust and are likely Ni-enriched, which is also crucial to the economic Ni--Cu sulfide mineralization in the Andean-style continental convergent margin in the CAOB.
Aion: A Bandwidth Optimized Scheduler with AoI Guarantee

This paper investigates bandwidth minimization under AoI constraints – a fundamental problem that has not been studied in AoI research. The problem is of critical importance in bandwidth-limited IoT environment when AoI is used as a constraint. We present a novel fast algorithm called Aion that can construct a scheduler to satisfy AoI constraints with strong theoretical guarantee in terms of minimizing required bandwidth. Specifically, we prove that the bandwidth required by Aion is minimum if the AoI constraint vector meets a special mathematical structure called Fractional Consecutively Divisible (FCD). In the general case when the given AoI constraint vector is not FCD, we prove that the bandwidth required by Aion is tightly upper bounded by a factor of the minimum. The results from this paper lay the foundation for future research on bandwidth minimization with AoI guarantee.
Addressing Greenhouse’s Lack of Natural Pollinators - A UAV-Based Artificial Pollination System

Greenhouses are designed to regulate internal climate conditions and protect plants from pests and from outside contamination. These enclosed structures extend the growing season and maximize crop health. The tradeoff for these benefits is the exclusion of natural pollinators. Artificial pollination products have been implemented to compensate for this problem, but common drawbacks include both high costs and a laborious application of the product. Alternatively, the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) pollinator presented in this paper has been designed for semi-automatic operation for artificial pollination in greenhouses, which overcomes the above drawbacks. This is done by having the UAV fly a pre-planned coverage route, which is generated from dimensions given by an operator. Over the route, the UAV will deploy its payload: a pollen dispenser controlled by its onboard computer. The UAV has been implemented and tested to validate its efficacy, which proved that the design is both cost-effective and adaptable for different greenhouse structures.
Loan Mix Characteristics on Bank Profitability

This study will examine the states within the Chicago-based Seventh Federal Reserve Bank District: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Studying the Seventh Federal Reserve Bank states is interesting because while they are highly similar in terms of geographical closeness, the health of each states’ banking sector has varied tremendously. For example, in a study comparing attributes like customer satisfaction, stability, availability of high interest rates, and size of banking community of each state in the U.S., Iowa comes in at fourteenth, Wisconsin ranks at twenty-first, and Illinois falls all the way to dead last (“Best and Worst States”, 2013). This study hopes to explore the health of the banking industry within each of the five states during periods of economic expansion and contraction to see the extent to which selected variables contribute to a contracting economic state. This article is available in The Park Place Economist: http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/parkplace/vol22/iss1/11
Multicultural Inquiry Toward Demystifying Scientific Culture and Learning Science

This study investigated how student participation in an authentic scientific investigation may shape underrepresented students’ views of science and support students in learning science. The research centered on the instructional approach used in a fifth-grade classroom to engage English language learning students from Latino backgrounds in a geological investigation using Devonian fossils. The teacher combined the use of inquiry with multicultural education strategies and explicit instruction in nature of science. The unique combination of these instructional strategies, which we refer to as “multicultural inquiry,” provided students with opportunities for experiencing scientific activities and negotiating their understandings about scientific culture. Through this instructional approach, students demonstrated science learning and also came to view science as (1) more than just a subject at school, (2) different from media-based depictions, and (3) aligned with the actual disciplines of geology and paleontology. Students also demonstrated self-identification with scientists and interest in pursuing scientific careers. These changes highlight the value of bringing actual scientific practices into classroom settings as related to student views of science.
A new method of high-temperature strain measurement

A new technique for measuring strain at temperatures from room temperature to at least 3000 K has been developed and evaluated. The system was developed for measuring strain during studies of the short-time (seconds to minutes), high-temperature mechanical properties of materials heated by self resistance, but it has general applicability. The technique consists of optically tracking two small ceramiccement targets on the specimen with a digital line scan camera. The targets are illuminated with a laser and viewed through a narrow-band (1-nm) interference filter which eliminates specimen thermal radiation. Experimental testing of the system has been performed on stainless steel and graphite at temperatures up to 1477 K and 3000 K, respectively. With the present lens arrangement, the strain measurement system has a maximum displacement range of 4.24 mm and an overall inaccuracy at temperature of ±4.14 μm. The unique features of this system are: (1) the sensitivity to variations in light level in the tracking range has been substantially reduced; (2) the system is dynamic in that it can operate during heatup and on short-time scales; (3) the nodules are stable and have no adverse effects on the test results; and (4) the system is reliable and easy to use.
Lesions of the Amygdala Central Nucleus Alter Performance on a Selective Attention Task

Previous studies showed a role for the amygdala central nucleus (CN) in attentional processing during the acquisition of Pavlovian associations. Both the acquisition of conditioned orienting responses and the surprise-induced enhancement in the ability of conditioned stimuli to enter into new associations depend on the integrity of CN. In this experiment, the role of CN in the performance of a well-learned selective attention task was examined. Rats with ibotenic acid lesions of CN and control rats first learned a discrete-trial, multiple-choice reaction time task. On each trial, after a constant-duration ready signal, the rats were required to poke their noses into one of three ports, guided by the brief illumination of one of those ports. Rats with CN lesions were slower to acquire the task than control rats but showed equivalent asymptotic sustained performance. Subsequent attentional challenges, which included reducing the duration of the port illumination and varying the duration of the ready signal, had greater impact on the performance of lesioned than control rats. These data resemble those reported from similar tasks after damage to the basal forebrain (BF) system. Together with earlier findings, these data support a role for CN in modulating visuospatial attention in action as well as in the acquisition of associations, perhaps by way of its projections to BF cholinergic systems.
Phylogeny of the water strider genus Gerris Fabricius (Heteroptera: Gerridae) based on COI mtDNA, EF-1α nuclear DNA and morphology

Summary Phylogenetic relationships between water striders (Heteroptera: Gerridae) of genus Gerris Fabricius were examined using molecular and morphological characters. The molecular dataset was 820 bp DNA from the 3′ half of the mitochondrial gene encoding cytochrome oxidase subunit I and 515 bp DNA from the nuclear gene encoding elongation factor 1 alpha. The morphological dataset was a slightly modified version of a previously published dataset. Representatives from all eight recognized species groups of Gerris, as well as six species from three related genera, including Gigantometra gigas, Limnoporus esakii, L. rufoscutellatus, Aquarius najas, A. conformis and A. paludum, were included. Unweighted parsimony analyses of the COI sequences gave a topology with strong support for only those nodes that were already recognized as closely related based on morphological characters. Similar analyses of EF-1α gave a cladogram with a topology quite different from that based on morphology and COI. Unweighted parsimony analyses of the ‘total evidence’ dataset largely supports the traditional view of Gerris phylogeny. Finally, the implications of the reconstructed phylogeny in relation to biogeography and ecological phylogenetics of Gerris is discussed.
Evolutionary history influences the salinity preference of bacterial taxa in wetland soils

Salinity is a major driver of bacterial community composition across the globe. Despite growing recognition that different bacterial species are present or active at different salinities, the mechanisms by which salinity structures community composition remain unclear. We tested the hypothesis that these patterns reflect ecological coherence in the salinity preferences of phylogenetic groups using a reciprocal transplant experiment of fresh- and saltwater wetlands soils. The salinity of both the origin and host environments affected community composition (16S rRNA gene sequences) and activity (e.g., extracellular enzyme activity, CO2, and CH4 production). These changes in community composition and activity rates were strongly correlated, which suggests the effect of environment on function could be mediated, at least in part, by microbial community composition. Based on their distribution across treatments, each phylotype was categorized as having a salinity preference (freshwater, saltwater, or none) and phylogenetic analyses revealed a significant influence of evolutionary history on these groupings. This finding was corroborated by examining the salinity preferences of high-level taxonomic groups. For instance, we found that the majority of alpha- and gamma-proteobacteria preferred saltwater, while many beta-proteobacteria prefer freshwater. Overall, our results indicate the effect of salinity on bacterial community composition results from phylogenetically-clustered salinity preferences.
Mango polyphenolics suppressed tumor growth in breast cancer xenografts in mice: role of the PI3K/AKT pathway and associated microRNAs

The cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory properties of mango polyphenolics including gallic acid and gallotannins have been demonstrated in numerous types of cancers. We hypothesized that the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT pathway and the expression of related miRNAs are involved in the chemotherapeutic activities of mango polyphenolics in a mouse xenograft model for breast cancer. The objectives of this research were to determine the tumor-cytotoxic activities of mango polyphenolics and the underlying molecular mechanisms involving posttranscriptional targets in BT474 breast cancer cells and xenografts in mice. In vitro findings showed cytotoxic effects of mango polyphenolics in BT474 breast cancer cells within a concentration range of 2.5 to 20 mg/L gallic acid equivalents. Mango polyphenolics suppressed the expression of PI3K, AKT, hypoxia inducible factor-1α, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) mRNA, and pAKT, AKT, pPI3K (p85), VEGF and nuclear factor-kappa B protein levels. The involvement of miR-126 was verified by using antagomiR for miR-126, where mango reversed the effect of the antagomiR of miR-126. In vivo, the intake of mango polyphenolics decreased the tumor volume by 73% in BT474 xenograft-bearing mice compared with the control group. In addition, mango reduced the expression of nuclear factor-kappa B (p65), pAKT, pPI3K, mammalian target of rapamycin, hypoxia inducible factor-1α, and VEGF protein in athymic nude mice. A screening for miRNA expression changes confirmed that mango polyphenolics modulated the expression of cancer-associated miRNAs including miR-126 in the xenografted tumors. In summary, mango polyphenolics have a chemotherapeutic potential against breast cancer that at least in part is mediated through the PI3K/AKT pathway and miR-126.
Differential effects of antipsychotics on lateral bias and social attention in female rats.

Rationale Prior research has demonstrated that individuals with schizophrenia may exhibit lateral biases in attention and deficits in social behavior. The use of a noninvasive animal model of attentional impairments in schizophrenia and antipsychotic drugs can help elucidate the biological underpinnings of attentional processes and facilitate the study of novel therapeutics.
Retinotopically defined primary visual cortex in Williams syndrome

Williams syndrome, caused by a hemizygous microdeletion on chromosome 7q11.23, is characterized by severe impairment in visuospatial construction. To examine potential contributions of early visual processing to this cognitive problem, we functionally mapped the size and neuroanatomical variability of primary visual cortex (V1) in high-functioning adults with Williams syndrome and age- and IQ-matched control participants from the general population by using fMRI-based retinotopic mapping and cortical surface models generated from high-resolution structural MRI. Visual stimulation, consisting of rotating hemicircles and expanding rings, was used to retinotopically define early visual processing areas. V1 boundaries based on computed phase and field sign maps were used to calculate the functional area of V1. Neuroanatomical variability was assessed by computing overlap maps of V1 location for each group on standardized cortical surfaces, and non-parametric permutation test methods were used for statistical inference. V1 did not differ in size between groups, although its anatomical boundaries were more variable in the group with Williams syndrome. V1 overlap maps showed that the average centres of gravity for the two groups were similarly located near the fundus of the calcarine fissure, ∼25 mm away from the most posterior aspect of the occipital lobe. In summary, our functional definition of V1 size and location indicates that recruitment of primary visual cortex is grossly normal in Williams syndrome, consistent with the notion that neural abnormalities underlying visuospatial construction arise at later stages in the visual processing hierarchy.
Using ground penetrating radar to 'unearth' buried beaver dams

Beavers, once abundant and widespread in the Northern Hemisphere, are now substantially reduced. Although beaver dams trap sediment, the relative importance of this sediment in Quaternary valley aggradation remains uncertain. We use ground penetrating radar (GPR) and near-surface seismic refraction to quantify the magnitude of beaver-induced Holocene sedimentation in Beaver Meadows, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado (United States). GPR was used to identify radar packages of genetically related strata of glacial and non-glacial origins. We demonstrate that GPR is a useful tool for identifying buried beaver-induced sedimentation with little to no surficial expression. Seismic refraction was used to determine the total volume of sediment above bedrock. Beaver-induced sedimentation constitutes 30%–50% of surficial post-glacial sediments, and post-glacial sediments constitute ∼13% of the total valley fill. Beaver damming in montane valleys was thus an important process trapping sediments within the Holocene at this site. If geoscientists ignore the contribution of beaver-ponded sediments to Quaternary stratigraphy in a wide variety of riverine environments, they neglect a potentially important biotic driver of valley sedimentation.
A study of the Air-blast Method for the Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Flavonoid Compounds on Capillary Fragility

Evaluation of the potency of flavonoid compounds has been determined by an air-blast method which is described. The method used appeared to indicate that the drugs tested protected the lungs of mice from extensive capillary rupture, but actually is of slight value because the results obtained were in general not statistically significant.
A class of convergent primal-dual subgradient algorithms for decomposable convex programs

In this paper we develop a primal-dual subgradient algorithm for preferably decomposable, generally nondifferentiable, convex programming problems, under usual regularity conditions. The algorithm employs a Lagrangian dual function along with a suitable penalty function which satisfies a specified set of properties, in order to generate a sequence of primal and dual iterates for which some subsequence converges to a pair of primal-dual optimal solutions. Several classical types of penalty functions are shown to satisfy these specified properties. A geometric convergence rate is established for the algorithm under some additional assumptions. This approach has three principal advantages. Firstly, both primal and dual solutions are available which prove to be useful in several contexts. Secondly, the choice of step sizes, which plays an important role in subgradient optimization, is guided more determinably in this method via primal and dual information. Thirdly, typical subgradient algorithms suffer from the lack of an appropriate stopping criterion, and so the quality of the solution obtained after a finite number of steps is usually unknown. In contrast, by using the primal-dual gap, the proposed algorithm possesses a natural stopping criterion.
Analysis of electron transfer between parallel quantum wires

Abstract Coupled quantum wire structures, created by applying various potentials to properly shaped gates, have been recently demonstrated. These experiments indicate that directional couplers for electron waveguides, in which the rate of lateral tunneling is controlled by means of external potentials, can be conceived. Such devices could play an important role as switching elements in future logic circuits based on quantum effects. The exact 3-D numerical simulation of these structures is a formidable problem. However, if we can assume that the variation of the potential along the quantum wires is quasi-adiabatic, the transverse wavefunctions and the potential for each cross-section along the wire can be obtained from independent solutions of 2-D self-consitent problems, for which efficient numerical techniques exist. A quasi 3-D transport model can then be obtained by proper matching of the solutions for the transverse sections. This work describes an adaptation of a recursive Green's function technique, based on the tight-binding formalism, which is suitable for a fast analysis of coupled quantum wires. The transmission probability and the conductance are reported for some representative structures at liquid helium temperature.
Ground State of the Exciton-Phonon System

The ground state of a model exciton-phonon Hamiltonian is studied using variational techniques. A single-exciton band is considered in the tight-binding model; the exciton is coupled to Einstein phonons through a short-range linear interaction. We first verify that a variational wave function corresponding to simple displacements of the lattice coordinates (analogous to the Lee-Low-Pines wave function for the polaron) leads to an unphysical result: For strong exciton-phonon coupling the effective mass of the excitons depends discontinuously on the parameters of the Hamiltonian. We obtain an improved trial function by studying an exactly soluble problem: an exciton hopping between two sites and coupled to a phonon field. The new trial function allows distortion of the Gaussian form of the phonon wave function as well as displacement. Analogous trial functions are used to calculate the energy and effective mass for a one-dimensional lattice with nearest-neighbor exciton hopping. The results are a continuous effective mass and a substantial improvement of the ground-state energy over the Lee-Low-Pines trial function. Arguments are given that the qualitative behavior of the ground state is independent of the dimensionality of the lattice, so that the one-dimensional calculation performed here is adequate.
Catapults and grappling hooks: the tools and techniques of information warfare

For years, “hackers” have broken into computer systems, and now an entire industry is dedicated to computer network security. Both hackers and computer security professionals have developed software tools for either breaking into systems or identifying potential security problems within computer networks. This software can be found on compromised systems as well as within the toolkits of legitimate “tiger” teams that operate with the consent of the network owners. This paper describes some of the current techniques and tools employed by the hacker underground in breaching the security of networked computers, focusing primarily on UNIX®-based hosts connected to TCP/IP networks.
Jupiter's Great Red Spot: Fine-scale matches of model vorticity patterns to prevailing cloud patterns

Abstract We report on a set of six new matches between fine-scale features in the vorticity field of a three-dimensional (3D), primitive-equation, finite-difference model of Jupiter’s Great Red Spot that includes no clouds or cloud physics, and quasi-permanent structures in reflected visible-band images of the clouds. These add to similar success by Cho et al. (Cho, J., de la Torre Juarez, M., Ingersoll, A.P., Dritschel, D.G. [2001]. J. Geophys. Res. 106, 5099–5106), who earlier captured four characteristic features of the GRS, also reproduced here, using a 3D quasi-geostrophic, cloud-free contour-dynamics model. In that study and this, the key enabling model attribute is sufficient horizontal resolution, rather than the moist-convective and cloud-microphysics processes often required to match the patterns of clouds in terrestrial hurricanes. The only significant feature that these dry models do not capture is the episodic moist-convective plumes seen in the northwest quadrant adjacent to the GRS. We initialize with Jupiter’s averaged zonal winds plus an approximately balanced, smooth 3D ellipsoidal anticyclone. The threshold horizontal grid-resolution to obtain the fine-scale matches is approximately Δy/Ld ≲ 0.15, where Δy ≲ 300 km is the meridional grid spacing and Ld ∼ 2000 km the Rossby deformation length. For models with this or finer horizontal resolution, the best correspondence with observations is reached after about six vortex turnaround times from initialization (∼30 Earth days), but good facsimiles of nearly all the studied features appear after only 1.5 turnaround times (∼7–8 days). We conclude that in images of Jupiter, it is not accurate to associate clouds with upward motion, since these dry models reproduce the observed cloud patterns without this association, and indeed the synoptic-scale vertical motions in the model, as well as those deduced from observations, do not at all correspond to the observed cloud patterns. Instead, Jupiter’s cloud-top patterns indicate the effects of local shear in the manner of passive-tracer fields. As a corollary, the water clouds on Jupiter, which lie unseen below its visible clouds, are the only ones on the planet likely to correlate with upwelling in the manner that clouds do on Earth. The next step is to extend studies such as this past the reflected visible band, for example to include the GRS’s 5-μm emission bright collar, which may require the inclusion of cloud physics to enable the successful simulation of large voids.
Coronary steal-induced increase in myocardial infarct size after pharmacologic coronary vasodilation

This study was performed to determine if maximal coronary arterial vasodilation of nonischemic areas would produce an increase in myocardial infarct size through a "steal" of collateral flow from an ischemic region. Myocardial infarction was produced by a 2 hour occlusion and reperfusion of the distal left anterior descending coronary artery in anesthetized dogs. Five minutes after occlusion, 7 dogs were given saline solution, and in 12 dogs the coronary vasodilator chromonar (8 mg/kg, intravenously) was administered. Chromonar produced a significant increase (p less than 0.05) in blood flow to nonischemic regions and a concomitant decrease in flow to ischemic areas. Associated with these changes in flow was an elevation in total release and peak plasma creatine kinase compared with values in saline-treated control dogs. Myocardial infarct size determined with nitroblue tetrazolium stanining was significantly increased (p less than 0.05). These demonstarte that maximal coronary vasodilation of nonischemic areas can result in an extension of myocardial infarction by a steal of collateral flow away from the ischemic region.
Utility of accurate mass tags for proteome-wide protein identification.

An enabling capability for proteomics would be the ability to study protein expression on a global scale. While several different separation and analysis options are being investigated to advance the practice of proteomics, mass spectrometry (MS) is rapidly becoming the core instrumental technology used to characterize the large number of proteins that constitute a proteome. To be most effective, proteomic measurements must be high-throughput, ideally allowing thousands of proteins to be identified on a time scale of hours. Most strategies of identification by MS rely on the analysis of enzymatically produced peptides originating from an isolated protein followed by either peptide mapping or tandem MS (MS/MS) to obtain sequence information for a single peptide. In the case of peptide mapping, several peptide masses are needed to unambiguously identify a protein with the typically achieved mass measurement accuracies (MMA). The ability to identify proteins based on the mass of a single peptide (i.e., an accurate mass tag; AMT) is proposed and is largely dependent on the MMA that can be achieved. To determine the MMA necessary to enable the use of AMTs for proteome-wide protein identification, we analyzed the predicted proteins and their tryptic fragments from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Caenorhabditis elegans. The results show that low ppm (i.e., approximately 1 ppm) level measurements have practical utility for analysis of small proteomes. Additionally, up to 85% of the peptides predicted from these organisms can function as AMTs at sub-ppm MMA levels attainable using Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance MS. Additional information, such as sequence constraints, should enable even more complex proteomes to be studied at more modest mass measurement accuracies. Once AMTs are established, subsequent high-throughput measurements of proteomes (e.g., after perturbations) will be greatly facilitated.
Convolutional neural network approach for buried target recognition in FL-LWIR imagery

A convolutional neural network (CNN) approach to recognition of buried explosive hazards in forward-looking long-wave infrared (FL-LWIR) imagery is presented. The convolutional filters in the first layer of the network are learned in the frequency domain, making enforcement of zero-phase and zero-dc response characteristics much easier. The spatial domain representations of the filters are forced to have unit l2 norm, and penalty terms are added to the online gradient descent update to encourage orthonormality among the convolutional filters, as well smooth first and second order derivatives in the spatial domain. The impact of these modifications on the generalization performance of the CNN model is investigated. The CNN approach is compared to a second recognition algorithm utilizing shearlet and log-gabor decomposition of the image coupled with cell-structured feature extraction and support vector machine classification. Results are presented for multiple FL-LWIR data sets recently collected from US Army test sites. These data sets include vehicle position information allowing accurate transformation between image and world coordinates and realistic evaluation of detection and false alarm rates.
Clinical use and toxicity of high-dose tobramycin in patients with pseudomonal endocarditis

The effects and toxicity of tobramycin were assessed in 26 patients receiving high-dose (approximately 8 mg/kg/d) therapy for pseudomonal endocarditis or conventional-dose (approximately 3 mg/kg/d) therapy for various systemic Gram-negative infections. Patients in the high-dose group received an average of 29.5 g of drug over 49 days and the dosage was adjusted to maintain peak serum concentrations of 15-20 mg/l. In the conventional-dose group, patients received an average of 8.6 g of tobramycin over 26.7 days and the dosage was adjusted to achieve peak concentrations of 4-10 mg/l. Clinical evidence of acute renal failure was not apparent in any patient. Five of seven patients in the high-dose group, for whom audiologic data was available, exhibited loss of hearing sensitivity in the high frequency range, but no patients sustained significant reduction in hearing in the conversational frequency range. Patients receiving high-dose tobramycin do not appear to be at greater risk for development of nephrotoxicity than do patients receiving conventional-dose therapy.
The proximal‐virtual team continuum: A study of performance

Research is beginning to accumulate for proximal and virtual team-based work. However, little if any research has examined the effects of the degrees of virtualization on performance, yet purely proximal or virtual teamwork in most professional organizations is becoming rare. This field study examined the effects of virtualization on social influences and social identity factors, and these effects on performance. We found nonlinear relationships between virtualization and cohesion, and virtualization and conflict. Task-relationship orientation and social-technical skills were also found to interact with virtualization on performance. Consequently, recommendations are made regarding hybridization of teams.
γ-Secretase/presenilin inhibitors for Alzheimer’s disease phenocopy Notch mutations in Drosophila

SPECIFIC AIMSThe presenilin/γ-secretase complex processes the amyloid-β (Aβ) precursor protein and the Notch receptor. Because presenilin and the Notch signaling pathway are highly conserved in metazoans, we tested whether Aβ-lowering γ-secretase inhibitors under development for human use in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease would reduce Notch function and cause developmental defects in Drosophila.PRINCIPAL FINDINGS1. γ-Secretase inhibitor DAPT inhibits of Notch proteolysis, nuclear translocation, and signaling and blocks affinity labeling of presenilinN-[N-(3,5-difluorophenacetyl)-L-alanyl]-(S)-phenylglycine t-butyl ester (DAPT) is a γ-secretase inhibitor developed to lower Aβ levels in vivo as a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. We found that DAPT also inhibits proteolysis of a recombinant Notch-based substrate, N100Flag, in a solubilized γ-secretase assay with an IC50 of 5–10 nM. After transmembrane cleavage of Notch (N), the intracellular domain translocates to the nucleus, where it acti...