cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Online informational bariatric seminars: increasing access to bariatric surgery or widening a divide?

Historically our institution has required prospective bariatric patients attend an in-person introductory seminar prior to their first clinic visit. Utilization of the internet has increased dramatically over the last 10 years and in 2016, we added an online seminar. With the emergence of COVID-19 and new rules regarding social distancing, we are currently relying exclusively on web-based orientation. Research suggests there are racial and socioeconomic disparities in the utilization of internet health resources in the general population. To our knowledge this has not been studied in regard to the bariatric population. A retrospective chart review was performed on patients who attended online (OS) and in-person seminars (IPS). Our primary endpoint was to compare the percentage of patients who underwent surgery. Secondary outcomes included differences in demographic and clinical characteristics between the patients who attended the OS versus the IPS. Of the 1152 patients who attended a bariatric orientation, 71.2% scheduled an office visit. The IPS patients had a higher rate of office visits and shorter time between orientation and first visit. Of patients eligible for surgery, there was a higher percentage of Caucasians in the OS group while the IPS group had higher rates of Hispanic and African Americans. Patients from the OS group had higher rates of marriage and employment, and lower rates of medical co-morbidities. When controlling for age, sex, race/ethnicity, marital status, employment status and medical co-morbidities, there was no significant impact of type of orientation on progression to surgery. We found that there was no difference in progression to surgery between the two orientation groups. Importantly, however, we detected marked demographic and clinical differences between the two patient populations. There is an urgent need to address these disparities as we are now heavily relying on patient outreach and education via the internet.
Of men and mice: Human X-linked retinoschisis and fidelity in mouse modeling

X-linked Retinoschisis (XLRS) is an early-onset transretinal dystrophy, often with a prominent macular component, that affects males and generally spares heterozygous females because of X-linked recessive inheritance. It results from loss-of-function RS1 gene mutations on the X-chromosome. XLRS causes bilateral reduced acuities from young age, and on clinical exam and by ocular coherence tomography (OCT) the neurosensory retina shows foveo-macular cystic schisis cavities in the outer plexiform (OPL) and inner nuclear layers (INL). XLRS manifests between infancy and school-age with variable phenotypic presentation and without reliable genotype-phenotype correlations. INL disorganization disrupts synaptic signal transmission from photoreceptors to ON-bipolar cells, and this reduces the electroretinogram (ERG) bipolar b-wave disproportionately to photoreceptor a-wave changes. RS1 gene expression is localized mainly to photoreceptors and INL bipolar neurons, and RS1 protein is thought to play a critical cell adhesion role during normal retinal development and later for maintenance of retinal structure. Several independent XLRS mouse models with mutant RS1 were created that recapitulate features of human XLRS disease, with OPL-INL schisis cavities, early onset and variable phenotype across mutant models, and reduced ERG b-wave to a-wave amplitude ratio. The faithful phenotype of the XLRS mouse has assisted in delineating the disease pathophysiology. Delivery to XLRS mouse retina of an AAV8-RS1 construct under control of the RS1 promoter restores the retinal structure and synaptic function (with increase of b-wave amplitude). It also ameliorates the schisis-induced inflammatory microglia phenotype toward a state of immune quiescence. The results imply that XLRS gene therapy could yield therapeutic benefit to preserve morphological and functional retina particularly when intervention is conducted at earlier ages before retinal degeneration becomes irreversible. A phase I/IIa single-center, open-label, three-dose-escalation clinical trial reported a suitable safety and tolerability profile of intravitreally administered AAV8-RS1 gene replacement therapy for XLRS participants. Dose-related ocular inflammation occurred after dosing, but this resolved with topical and oral corticosteroids. Systemic antibodies against AAV8 increased in dose-dependent fashion, but no antibodies were observed against the RS1 protein. Retinal cavities closed transiently in one participant. Technological innovations in methods of gene delivery and strategies to further reduce immune responses are expected to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of the vector and ultimate success of a gene therapy approach.
Sex Differences in the Association between Metabolic Dysregulation and Cognitive Aging: The Health and Retirement Study.

Background Dysregulation of some metabolic factors increases the risk of dementia. It remains unclear if overall metabolic dysregulation, or only certain components, contribute to cognitive aging and if these associations are sex-specific. Methods Data from the 2006-2016 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) was used to analyze 7,103 participants aged 65+ at baseline (58% women). We created a metabolic-dysregulation risk score (MDRS) composed of blood pressure/hypertension status, HbA1c/diabetes status, total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and waist circumference, and assessed cognitive trajectories from repeated measures of the HRS-Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (HRS-TICS) over 10 years of follow-up. Linear mixed-effects models estimated associations between MDRS or individual metabolic factors (biomarkers) with mean and change in HRS-TICS scores and assessed sex-modification of these associations. Results Participants with higher MDRSs had lower mean HRS-TICS scores, but there were no statistically significant differences in rate of decline. Sex-stratification showed this association was present for women only. MDRS biomarkers revealed heterogeneity in the strength and direction of associations with HRS-TICS. Lower HRS-TICS levels were associated with hypertension, higher HbA1c/diabetes, and lower HDL-C and TC; while faster rate of cognitive decline was associated with hypertension, higher HbA1c/diabetes and higher TC. Participants with higher HbA1c/diabetes presented worse cognitive trajectories. Sex-differences indicated women with higher HbA1c/diabetes to have lower HRS-TICS levels while hypertensive males presented better cognitive trajectory. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that metabolic dysregulation is more strongly associated with cognition in women compared to men, though sex-differences vary by individual biomarker.
Transmission of plant viruses by cicadellids.

Publisher Summary Next to aphids, cicadellids are the most important vectors of plant viruses. The outstanding symptoms produced by cicadellid-transmitted viruses are varied and include necrosis, as in yellow dwarf of potato and phloem necrosis of elm; vein enlargement and leaf curling, as in curly top; tumors, as in wound tumor disease; chlorotic streaking, as in corn streak; wilt, as in the yellow wilt of sugar beets; and scalding or burning of the leaves, as in Pierce's disease of grapes. Transmission of plant viruses by cicadellids is a complicated and subtle process, about which much is yet to be learnt. This chapter indicates that there are probably two major types of transmission by leafhoppers depending on whether the virus multiplies in the vector. At present, the great majority of virus-leafhopper relationships cannot be classified as belonging to either one or the other of these transmission types. Long incubation periods in the vector may be indicative of multiplication and short ones indicative of its absence. There may always be an element of uncertainty about those viruses that the evidence indicates do not multiply in the vector, because such evidence is, of necessity, negative.
PeanutMap: an online genome database for comparative molecular maps of peanut

Molecular maps have been developed for many species, and are of particular importance for varietal development and comparative genomics. However, despite the existence of multiple sets of linkage maps, databases of these data are lacking for many species, including peanut. PeanutMap http://peanutgenetics.tamu.edu/cmap provides a web-based interface for viewing specific linkage groups of a map set. PeanutMap can display and compare multiple maps of a set based upon marker or trait correspondences, which is particularly important as cultivated peanut is a disomic tetraploid. The database can also compare linkage groups among multiple map sets, allowing identification of corresponding linkage groups from results of different research projects. Data from the two published peanut genome map sets, and also from three maps sets of phenotypic traits are present in the database. Data from PeanutMap have been incorporated into the Legume Information System website http://www.comparative-legumes.org to allow peanut map data to be used for cross-species comparisons. The utility of the database is expected to increase as several SSR-based maps are being developed currently, and expanded efforts for comparative mapping of legumes are underway. Optimal use of these data will benefit from the development of tools to facilitate comparative analysis.
Effective evaluation of residency education: how do we know it when we see it?

Evaluation of medical education is a very complex and challenging process. The Supreme Court of the United States, in trying to define when free speech becomes pornography, noted simply that when you see it, you will know it. The proverbial blind men trying to define the elephant defined the pachyderm by describing the individual parts, without being able to se the whole picture. Miller, in his 1989 invited address1 to the Research in Medical Education group, part of the Association of American Medical Colleges, suggested a pyramid as the framework for assessment of clinical performance, the bottom representing Knowledge and the top Action. Most of the clinical assessment on which we rely currently is at the bottom of the pyramid; ie, knowledge. We use in-house testing as a way to examine resident cognitive skills, and the American Board of Pediatrics continues that approach …
A general purpose discrete-time multiplexing neuron-array architecture

The main difficulties in neural network (NN) hardware implementations are the massive connections and problem oriented topology. The authors propose an efficient general purpose discrete-time multiplexing neuron array (MNA) to deal with these problems. A versatile precise multiplier is presented. The proposed MNA can configurate various neural topologies and the size of networks can be easily augmented. The implementations of Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP), Fully-Connected Recurrent (FCR) and Bidirectional Associated Memory (BAM) are considered as applications of the MNA. The MNA can be applied to any type of discrete-time circuit implementation. The basic building blocks are implemented with multipliers and switched-capacitor integrators. Experimental IC building blocks results are in good agreement with theoretical results.
Ontology and Appearing: Documentary Realism as a Mathematical Thought

This paper exposes the relation between the different mathematical orientations, on the one hand, and the modes of documentary film on the other. When we take, with Badiou, mathematics as ontology, and mathematical orientations as orientations to Being, we find in the structural similarity of mathematics and documentary an equivalence: between modes of documentaryand mathematical-ontological decisions, regarding the inscription of 'what is'. From here we move to consider Badiou's notion of 'in-appearing' through a reading of Alain Resnais' documentary Night and Fog.
Redox rhythm reinforces the circadian clock to gate immune response

Recent studies have shown that in addition to the transcriptional circadian clock, many organisms, including Arabidopsis, have a circadian redox rhythm driven by the organism's metabolic activities. It has been hypothesized that the redox rhythm is linked to the circadian clock, but the mechanism and the biological significance of this link have only begun to be investigated. Here we report that the master immune regulator NPR1 (non-expressor of pathogenesis-related gene 1) of Arabidopsis is a sensor of the plant's redox state and regulates transcription of core circadian clock genes even in the absence of pathogen challenge. Surprisingly, acute perturbation in the redox status triggered by the immune signal salicylic acid does not compromise the circadian clock but rather leads to its reinforcement. Mathematical modelling and subsequent experiments show that NPR1 reinforces the circadian clock without changing the period by regulating both the morning and the evening clock genes. This balanced network architecture helps plants gate their immune responses towards the morning and minimize costs on growth at night. Our study demonstrates how a sensitive redox rhythm interacts with a robust circadian clock to ensure proper responsiveness to environmental stimuli without compromising fitness of the organism.
Whiteness in paradise: Japanese immigrant narratives of identity, collective action, and Japan’s national responsibility

In the 1950s, the Dominican government, under Rafael Trujillo, offered free land to Japanese immigrants to settle along the Dominico-Haitian border. The Japanese colonias, or agricultural colonies, were part of nation-building projects in the Dominican Republic (DR) and Japan, which positioned the Japanese colonias as the solution to both ‘the Haitian problem’ and overpopulation, respectively. However, over time the colonias failed, leaving many Japanese migrants disappointed and in need of navigating national identity between the two states. This article examines the ways in which the Japanese immigrants navigate shifting local and national interest, ideologies, and lived experience to file a legal civil action suit against the Japanese government for an unfound paradisiacal immigrant experience in the DR. The Japanese court-case provides a compelling case to explore how immigrants refashion national discourses of identity and collective legal action to hold natal government’s responsible for settlement ...
Evaluation of the impacts of governmental policies on the biofuels supply chain design under uncertainty

There is a growing interest in the use of biomass as a source of energy around the world. In the USA, the renewable fuel standard (RFS) sets policies and mandates to support the production and consumption of biofuels. However, the uncertainties associated with the governmental and local policies and regulations on both production and consumption have imposed significant impacts on the biofuel supply chain network. This study aims to determine the optimal design of the biofuel supply chain to maximise annual profit under the impacts of governmental policies. In this study, two-stage stochastic programming models are developed in which conditional value at risk is considered as a risk measure to control the shortage of mandate. A case study in Iowa is conducted to investigate the effects of different policies and demonstrate the applicability and efficiency of the models.
Chemistry of the cyclopentadienylmetal carbonyls. VIII. The reaction of a cationic cyclopentadienylnickel compound with pentafluorophenyllithium

Abstract Several reactions leading formation to the cationic complex C5H5Ni[(C6H5)3P]2+ are described. This complex, as the tetraphenylborate salt, undergoes thermal decomposition in tetrahydrofuran solution under reflux conditions giving C5H5Ni[(C6H5)3P]C6H5. Reaction of the cationic complex C5H5Ni[(C6H5)3]2+ an C6F5Li proceeds with nucleophilic displacement of a triphenylphosphine ligand by C6F5, to give C5H5Ni[(C6H5)3P]C6F5. in reaction analogous to others reported recently.
Fast algorithms for time series with applications to finance, physics, music, biology, and other suspects

Financial time series streams are watched closely by millions of traders. What exactly do they look for and how can we help them do it faster? Physicists study the time series emerging from their sensors. The same question holds for them. Musicians produce time series. Consumers may want to compare them. This tutorial presents techniques and case studies for four problems:1. Finding sliding window correlations in financial, physical, and other applications.2. Discovering bursts in large sensor data of gamma rays.3. Matching hums to recorded music, even when people don't hum well.4. Maintaining and manipulating time-ordered data in a database setting.This tutorial draws mostly from the book High Performance Discovery in Time Series: techniques and case studies, Springer-Verlag 2004. You can find the power point slides for this tutorial at http://cs.nyu.edu/cs/faculty/shasha/papers/sigmod04.ppt.The tutorial is aimed at researchers in streams, data mining, and scientific computing. Its applications should interest anyone who works with scientists or financial "quants." The emphasis will be on recent results and open problems. This is a ripe area for further advance.
Limited mandibular movement: Causes and treatment

Limited mandibular movement is a challenging clinical problem. A variety of treatment modalities have been described to permit planning of an individual course of treatment for each patient.
A robust pretravel model for touch trigger probes in coordinate metrology

This paper describes a pretravel model for vertically-oriented touch trigger probes with straight styli widely used on coordinate measuring machines (CMMs). Advances in machine accuracy and tighter part tolerances leave probe error as one of the major error sources in dimensional measurement processes. Pretravel accounts for the majority of touch trigger probe errors and is caused by bending deflection of the probe stylus shaft. A trigger force model was first derived and used to model the probing force at the trigger instant. Experimental probing force data were used to validate the trigger force model. The trigger force model was then used to model the bending deflection of the stylus shaft at the trigger instant. Experimental x-y-z coordinate data were used to validate the pretravel model. It is shown that 24 points of equatorial data measured in the probe calibration process can be used to accurately identify the only model parameter. Also, 12 points of equatorial data provides reasonably good results. Model predicted pretravels associated with 1561 probe approach directions were compared with experimental pretravels (range : 16 μm, when using a 50 mm stylus) and the standard deviation of prediction errors can be reduced to around 0.6 μm.
Invited Editorial: Current Impediments to Successful Translational Research in Stroke

Wikipedia offers the following, quite apposite definition of translational research: “Translational research is a way of thinking about and conducting scientific research to make the results of research applicable to the population under study... In the field of medicine, for example, it is used to translate the findings in basic research more quickly and efficiently into medical practice and, thus, meaningful health outcomes ...” [1]. While the potential benefits of the translational approach are self-evident, and notwithstanding the frequent homage paid to the concept (for example, the founding of this journal), one cannot help being concerned by a variety of current structural impediments that, unless attended to and remedied, threaten to diminish future prospects for real success in translational stroke research. In his 2005 Thomas Willis Lecture [2], Vladimir Hachinski captures the essence of the translational challenge with characteristic eloquence: “Advances in stroke are occurring at an unprecedented pace, but often in disciplinary isolation and without optimal mechanisms for systematically translating, integrating and applying the findings. Knowledge accrues in pieces, but is understood in patterns [italics mine]. To optimize knowledge acquisition and application, infrastructures and systems need to be set up along with appealing incentives. The approach needs to be transdisciplinary, going beyond the bounds of any given discipline, reciprocally translational, and transactional, meaning that the interchanges have to yield previously agreed benefits to the parties (The Triple T Approach). A new breed of leaders needs to be developed and nurtured to catalyze the process.... Systematically integrating what we know and evaluating what we do could spur progress. Research is not only an activity but an attitude... No system can replace the individual initiative, creativity and insights that lead to the great discoveries, but progress is not made by breakthroughs alone. No one's work is so exalted that it cannot be improved, nor so humble that it has no value. We can all make a difference” [2]. What, then, are some remediable factors hindering translational stroke research? In my opinion, there are several:
An empirically derived classification of adolescent personality disorders.

Objective This study describes an empirically derived approach to diagnosing adolescent personality pathology that is clinically relevant and empirically grounded. Method A random national sample of psychiatrists and clinical psychologists (N = 950) described a randomly selected adolescent patient (aged 13–18 years, stratified by age and gender) in their care using the Shedler-Westen Assessment Procedure-II-A for Adolescents (SWAP-II-A) and several additional questionnaires. Results We applied a form of factor analysis to identify naturally occurring personality groupings within the patient sample. The analysis yielded 10 clinically coherent adolescent personality descriptions organized into 3 higher-order clusters (internalizing, externalizing, and borderline-dysregulated). We also obtained a higher-order personality strengths factor. These factors and clusters strongly resembled but were not identical to factors similarly identified in adult patients. In a second, independent sample from an intensive day treatment facility, 2 clinicians (the patients' treating clinician and the medical director) independently completed the SWAP-II-A, the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), and a measure of adaptive functioning. Two additional clinicians, blinded to the data from the first 2 clinicians, independently rated patients' ward behavior using a validated measure of interpersonal behavior. Clinicians diagnosed the personality syndromes with high agreement and minimal comorbidity among diagnoses, and SWAP-II-A descriptions strongly correlated in expected ways with the CBCL, adaptive functioning, and ward ratings. Conclusion The results support the importance of personality diagnosis in adolescents and provide an approach to diagnosing adolescent personality that is empirically based and clinically useful.
Implementation and Performance Evaluation of A Progressive Image Retrieval System

An integrated wavelet-based image storage and indexing system is proposed in this research. Indexing features of consideration contains the texture, color and spatial information of images. These features can be naturally extracted during the successive approximation quantization (SAQ) stage of the wavelet compression process. Extensive experimental results are performed to demonstrate the retrieval performance of the new approach.
Brain α-bungarotoxin binding protein cDNAs and MAbs reveal subtypes of this branch of the ligand-gated ion channel gene superfamily

Abstract α-Bungarotoxin (αBgt) is a potent, high-affinity antagonist for nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) from muscle, but not for AChRs from neurons. Both muscle and neuronal AChRs are thought to be formed from multiple homologous subunits aligned around a central cation channel whose opening is regulated by ACh binding. In contrast, the exact structure and function of high-affinity αBgt binding proteins (αBgtBPs) found in avian and mammalian neurons remain unknown. Here we show that cDNA clones encoding αBgtBP α1 and α2 subunits define αBgtBPs as members of a gene family within the ligand-gated ion channel gene superfamily, but distinct from the gene families of AChRs from muscles and nerves. Subunit-specific monoclonal antibodies raised against bacterially expressed αBgtBP α1 and α2 subunit fragments reveal the existence of at least two different αBgtBP subtypes in embryonic day 18 chicken brains. More than 75% of all αBgtBPs have the α1 subunit, but no α2 subunit, and a minor αBgtBP subtype (∼15%) has both the α1 and α2 subunits.
Detection of Pneumocystis carinii in a rat model of infection by polymerase chain reaction.

Abstract The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was employed to detect Pneumocystis carinii in organs of infected rats. Using a pair of oligonucleotides designed to the dihydropholate reductase (DHFR) gene of rat P. carinii , specific amplification of an expected 415 bp region of P. carinii DHFR DNA of this organism was achieved, while no amplification occurred with the human, Candida albicans , and Mycobacterium avium and tuberculosis DNAs. Using rat P. carinii isolated from in vitro cultures and infected lung homogenates, the minimum detection level by PCR on an ethidium bromide gel was about 200 organisms and by Southern analysis with radiolabelled DHFR probe the detection level improved to 20 organisms. This level of sensitivity is sufficient to detect P. carinii specific band on the gel in infected rat lung and other organs. This PCR technique is potentially useful for detecting P. carinii in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluids of AIDS patients and for quantifying the organisms in tissues and in in vitro cultures where a high background with conventional stains makes it harder to determine the number of organisms.
Metaphysics of colliding self-gravitating plane waves

We discuss certain global features of colliding plane-wave solutions to Einstein's equations. In particular, we show that the apparently local curvature singularities both in the Khan-Penrose solution and in the Bell-Szekeres solution are actually global. These global singularities are associated with the breakdown of nondegenerate planar symmetry in the characteristic initial data sets.
A model and measurement technique for micromixing in copolymerization reactors

Abstract A new model is presented for copolymer composition distributions in a stirred tank reactor with unmixed feed streams. The new model is a variant which now explicitly considers the effects of backmixing on the popular, lamellar stretch model. It can also be regarded as an application to time-dependent slab geometries of the droplet diffusion model. An experimental technique based on gradient elution thin-layer chromatography was developed to measure the copolymer composition distribution in styrene-methyl methacrylate copolymers. Results for a laboratory-scale, stirred tank reactor showed good agreement with the statistical or Stockmeyer distribution, thus indicating a close approach to perfect mixing in this small vessel. An upper limit on the initial striation thickness was calculated to be 1 mm.
Guided execution of hybrid similarity-measures for registration of partially overlapped aerial imagery

This work presents a two-phase image registration technique utilizing a hybrid feature-based and an area-based similarity measure of partially overlapped aerial imagery in presence of affine translation and rotation transformations. The resulting selectively guided execution of similarity measures provides a reduction in search space, reducing the computational cost of the proposed algorithm. This multi-stage approach enhances the capability to perform image registration of low resolution imagery where scenes may have many structures but lack well defined structures for conventional feature extraction or lack to have enough variations in the intensity values to diminish statistical dependencies. The inherent statistical attributes of area-based methods are exploited through the sequential use of complex correlation and mutual information on physics-based features.
COLLECTION HISTORY OF PLATANTHERA CHORISIANA (ORCHIDACEAE) IN WASHINGTON STATE

ABSTRACT Although Platanthera chorisiana (Orchidaceae) was reportedly collected in 1912 from Lake Serene (near Edmonds), Snohomish County, Washington State, no other information about this site or collection was known. Since this original collection, it has been collected three more times in the state. Because this State Threatened orchid has never been relocated at the Edmonds site, and because it does occur at Lake Serene, near Mount Index, Snohomish County, Washington State, I reviewed potentially relevant literature and archives starting with the collection year. I documented its collection at Lake Serene, near Mount Index. The 1912 specimen passed from Harry B. Hinman, the collector and a member of the Mountaineers, to Donovan Correll, in Texas. The orchid has persisted at Lake Serene, near Mount Index, for at least 90 yrs.
The orthogonal electrocardiogram as an index of digitalis response in normal adults.

Abstract The present data suggest that quantitation of the changes that occur in the ST-T portion of the electrocardiogram can be used as an index of the response to digitalis in normal individuals. Numerous factors, such as “nonspecific T-wave changes” have made this a difficult area to study. The effect of digoxin on the orthogonal ECG was observed in adult male subjects during a controlled 8-hour period and during the subsequent 4 days. The data were recorded on FM magnetic tape, and analyzed by a digital computer. Two hundred different ECG measurements were examined. The recordings in 10 subjects receiving digitalis were compared to the base-line recordings in the same subjects, and to the recordings in an equal number of subjects who received normal saline (6.4 c.c.) and served as controls. Eight subjects were common to both groups. The spatial magnitude of the maximal T vector, and the spatial magnitude of the time integral of the ST-T complex, provided the best index of the digitalis effect. If the 6-hour response of the digitalis group is corrected for the T-wave change apparent in the control group at 6 hours, the temporal course showed a maximum effect at 4 hours. Two thirds of this response was evident at 30 minutes, and 95 per cent of the peak response was observed 2 hours after intravenous digoxin. Poorer results were obtained with the other ECG measurements, including the P-R interval, heart rate, Q-T index, and directional changes in the S-T segment and T wave.
Quantifying the relation between bond number and myoblast proliferation

Many functions of the extracellular matrix can be mimicked by small peptide fragments (e.g., arginine–glycine–aspartic acid (RGD) sequence) of the entire molecule, but the presentation of the peptides is critical to their effects on cells. It is likely that some effects of peptide presentation from biomaterials simply relate to the number of bonds formed between cell receptors and the adhesion ligands, but a lack of tools to quantify bond number limits direct investigation of this assumption. The impact of different ligand presentations (density, affinity, and nanoscale distribution) on the proliferation of C2C12 and human primary myoblasts was first examined in this study. Increasing the ligand density or binding affinity led to a similar enhancement in proliferation of C2C12 cells and human primary myoblasts. The nanoscale distribution of clustered RGD ligands also influenced C2C12 cells and human primary myoblast proliferation, but in an opposing manner. A rheological technique and a FRET technique were then utilized to quantify the number of receptor–ligand interactions as a function of peptide presentation. Higher numbers of bonds were formed when the RGD density and affinity were increased, as measured with both techniques, and bond number correlated with cell growth rates. However, the influence of the nanoscale peptide distribution did not appear to be solely a function of bond number. Altogether, these findings provide significant insight to the role of peptide presentation in the regulation of cell proliferation, and the approaches developed in this work may have significant utility in probing how adhesion regulates a variety of other cellular functions and aid in developing design criterion for cell-interactive materials.
Aulacotheca collicola n.sp. (medullosaceae) from the early Pennsylvanian of the Illinois basin

Abstract Compressed synangia referable to the medullosan pollen organ genus Aulacotheca Halle have been discovered in Early Pennsylvanian sediments from Rock Island County, Illinois, U.S.A. Specimens were recovered from localized shales containing floral elements suggesting an upland environment. Based on synangial size, morphology, sporangial number, and prepollen type, two distinct forms, A. collicola n.sp. and Aulacotheca sp., are recognized. Synangia of A. collicola are 11–17 × 2.5 – 4.0 mm and have four to six sporangia. Free sporangial tips are acutely pointed and dehiscence is through a longitudinal slit to the inside of the synangium. Prepollen averages 181 × 129 μ m and has a monolete suture with median deflection. Sexine on proximal and distal surfaces shows narrow, closely spaced, anastomosing inpockets; distal and lateral walls are separated by a deep, encircling fold. Synangia of Aulacotheca sp. are 21–33 × 3.8 – 5.5 mm and have 4–6 sporangia. Distally, free sporangial tips have a narrow extension, giving a mucronate appearance. Features of these species suggest that greater morphological diversity in synangial and pollen structure occurs in Aulacotheca and the medullosan pteridosperms than previously recognized.
IMAGERS VIEW COMET HALE-BOPP'S SODIUM TAIL

Ultraviolet, visible, and spectrographic imagers (UVISI) aboard the MSX satellite observed the sodium tail of comet Hale-Bopp last year and successfully modeled it using a point source at the nucleus, or inner coma. UVISI also observed the comet's dust and ion tails (Figure 1). The derived abundance of sodium is much lower than cosmic abundances, suggesting detection of only a fraction of the sodium in the comet [Kupperman et al., 1998; Cremonese et al., 1997]. The additional sodium may remain in the nucleus, in molecular species, or in the dust grains.
Unique 2:1 complex with a trans-chelating bis-pyridine ligand.

The trans-chelating ligand 1,2-bis(2‘-pyridylethynyl)benzene (1) was prepared in a single step by a Sonogashira cross-coupling reaction. Treatment of 1 with trans-bis(acetonitrile)palladium chloride provides the complex [Pd(1)Cl2] while treatment with tetrakis(acetonitrile)palladium(II) tetrafluoroborate provides the 2:1 complex [Pd(1)2](BF4]2. The structural, spectroscopic, and thermal properties of 1 and its Pd(II) complexes are examined.
Calculation of the acoustic radiation field at the surface of a finite cylinder by the method of weighted residuals

In the design of sonar systems it is desirable to compute the acoustic radiation field at the transducer surface, upon which all the significant radiation properties (radiation impedance, beam patterns, etc.) depend. Like other practical array geometries of interest, the finite cylinder does not belong to the class of separable coordinate surfaces of the Helmholtz equation, and consequently, the acoustic field for this geometry cannot be determined analytically. In this paper the surface field is computed numerically from the interior Helmholtz integral equation by the method of weighted residuals. Since the pressure fields over the three surfaces of the finite cylinder must coincide along the locii of intersection between the cylindrical surface and the end caps, the interior Helmholtz integral equation must he constrained to meet this requirement. The matrix representation of this equation which is not self-adjoint is solved by the method of least squares. This enables the constraints to be introduced via Lagrange multipliers. The procedure is used to calculate the surface pressure and radiation impedance of the finite cylinder for a range of axis ratios (diameter/length) and frequencies of interest in sonar applications. Calculations of the radiation resistance and the directivity index determined in this manner are shown to differ from those previously evaluated from the far-field solution. The weighted-residual methods considered are shown to have excellent convergence properties which make them more versatile than alternative numerical methods for solving the problem.
Septal and Anterior Hypothalamic Lesions Some Effects on Sleep and Body Metabolism in Gats

SummaryEleven cats were subjected to lesions which were thought to correspond to Nauta's preoptic brain transections in rats. Seven of these exhibited a brief period of hyperactivity from the fourth through the seventh postoperative day, whereas 4 showed no change. Seven also declined physically, ceased drinking and eating, and died(2) or approached death before sacrifice. This decline could not be correlated directly with the periods of hyperactivity. There was no persistent alteration in sleep-wakefulness cycles. The only gross effect on serum electrolytes was concentration concomitant with dehydration. Potassium levels fell corresponding to a decrease in intake.
Thermal Instability in a Horizontal Fluid Layer Superposed on a Heat-Generating Porous Bed

This paper reports the main results of a series of numerical experiments documenting the phenomenon of convective instability in a horizontal heat-generating porous bed underlying a fluid layer. The problem of interest was modeled with the help of a general flow model for the porous bed. This model accounts for the effects of flow inertia and macroscopic shear in the porous substrate. Both these phenomena are neglected in the more popular Darcy flow model for porous media. The numerical experiments focus primarily on the parametric domain in which the flow in the system is well established, that is, the value of the Rayleigh number is larger than critical. The dependence of the maximum temperature inside the heat-generating porous matrix on the representative dimensionless groups of the problem is predicted. The effect of these groups on the flow field (number, intensity, and shape of convection rolls) and on the temperature field is determined and illustrated for a number of characteristic cases.
An analysis of interday and intraday return volatility - evidence from the Korea Stock Exchange☆

Abstract We examine both interday and intraday return volatility of the Korea Stock Price Index and find that open-to-open return variance is consistently greater than close-to-close return variance. We further document that open-to-open return volatility is greater than interday return volatility measured at any other times of the day. Since the Korea Stock Exchange does not have specialists who post bid and ask quotes to make trades, explanations related to specialists should be ruled out. Our evidence is more consistent with the hypothesis in that opening prices are more volatile than prices at other times of the day because of the lack of continuity during trading halts. This conclusion is supported by the evidence that the opening price after the lunch break is as volatile as the opening price of the day.
Granular cell tumor of the neurohypophysis: Report of a case with intraoperative cytologic diagnosis

Cytological techniques including touch and smear preparations are very useful diagnostic modality in the evaluation of central nervous system (CNS) lesions and, in many instances, may be effectively used as the sole modality of tissue preparation for intraoperative consultation. Cytologic preparations offer many advantages over frozen sections for CNS specimens. These include selective examination of multiple areas from small biopsy specimens, superior preservation and details of cellular morphology, fewer artifacts, faster results, and improved cost-effectiveness. We describe the cytologic diagnosis of a granular cell tumor (GCT) of the neurohypophysis in a 33-year-old male who presented with headache and blurred vision. CT scan revealed an enlarged sella with a 2.15 × 2.0 cm pituitary lesion. Transsphenoidal resection of the mass was performed and submitted for intraoperative consultation. Smears and touch preparations were made on a portion of the mass that showed uniform polygonal cells with round to ovoid nuclei and abundant eosinophilic granular cytoplasm. An intraoperative cytological diagnosis of “favor GCT” was rendered. The histologic sections of the remaining material confirmed the diagnosis. Although GCT of the neurohypophysis is very rare, a specific intraoperative cytological diagnosis is possible. We report the clinical, cytological, and pathological findings of a GCT affecting the neurohypophysis. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2008;36:58–63. © 2007 Wiley–Liss, Inc.
Reconstructed ethnicity: tourism and cultural identity in Third World communities.

Abstract The thesis of this paper is that ethnicity is produced by group-level interactions and ethnic forms evolve as a result of changing structural relations between groups and rhetorical explanations and accounts of inter-group similarities and differences. The evidence for this argument is composed mainly of statements made by leaders and representatives of one group about other groups, and responses to such statements. These statements and associated behaviors are analyzed semiotically in that no distinction is made between the words of movement leaders and such matters as the wearing of an Afro hair style: they are both read as statements about group structure and the history of inter-group relations, although one may be in a more accessible idiom than the other. The paper concludes that the institutions associated with modern mass tourism also function as powerful shapers of ethnic identity.
Infant cardiac MRI using oscillatory ventilation: safe and effective

We hypothesize that use of the high frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) during infant cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) is safe, faster, and results in image quality equivalent to that obtained using conventional ventilation with breath-holding.
It's all About Power and those Pesky Power Vampires

In this issue of New Products, the editors cover an energy source that provides power for emergency situations and a car that helps to train drivers to drive energy efficiently. They also examine a power strip that defeats so-called 'power vampires' and a solar-powered robotic lawnmower. Finally, they persent a green search engine that returns only links to green companies.
A Comparison of Numerical Algorithms for Fourier Extension of the First, Second, and Third Kinds

The range of Fourier methods can be significantly increased by extending a nonperiodic function f(x) to a periodic function f? on a larger interval. When f(x) is analytically known on the extended interval, the extension is straightforward. When f(x) is unknown outside the physical interval, there is no standard recipe. Worse still, like a radarless aircraft groping through fog, the algorithm may wreck on the “mountain-in-fog” problem: a function f(x) which is perfectly well behaved on the physical interval may very well have singularities in the extended domain. In this article, we compare several algorithms for successfully extending a function f(x) into the “fog” even when the analytic extension is singular. The best third-kind extension requires singular value decomposition with iterative refinement but achieves accuracy close to machine precision.
Tracer dispersal in sandy sediment porewater under enhanced physical forcing

Abstract This research (1) integrated a fluorescent dye injection and monitoring system for measuring the mixing of a fluorescent dye tracer (fluorescein) in permeable (sandy) sediments with a cabled ocean observatory, Kilo Nalu, Oahu, Hawaii, and (2) used this system to conduct remotely controlled in situ measurements of wave-enhanced porewater mixing in a physically well-characterized wave-dominated setting. Laboratory results indicated that the fiber-optic sensor is effective at measuring fluorescence-traced enhanced mixing in sandy sediments. Observed dye mixing, driven by paddle-generated surface waves in a laboratory wave channel was 2–3 orders of magnitude greater than molecular diffusion, and decreased with depth in the sediments. Similarly, field experiments used a remotely controlled submersible syringe pump for fluorescent tracer injection into sediment that was monitored with a fiber-optic sensor. These experiments were carried out at 10 m water depth, with mean wave heights of 0.3–1.5 m and periods of ∼15 s. At 15 cm sediment depth, transport rates of 0–5 cm h−1 were measured, with maximum dispersion coefficients 2–3 orders of magnitude faster than sedimentary molecular diffusion. Hydrodynamic measurements collected simultaneously via Kilo Nalu correlated with porewater transport, with significant wave height and diffusion having the strongest covariation.
Changes in muscle mitochondrial lipid composition resulting from training and exhaustive exercise.

Abstract This study was undertaken to determine if the changes in mitochondrial structure and function that occur in muscle with exhaustive exercise could be caused by alterations in lipid composition of mitochondrial membranes. Further, the effect of training on lipid composition was studied to ascertain if lipid changes accompany the adaptation in the level of mitochondrial protein. Training decreased free fatty acids and triglycerides. Exhaustion of untrained animals resulted in increases of total phospholipid and phosphatidyl choline while exhaustion of trained rats caused a lowering of total phospholipid and phosphatidyl choline. Alterations in membrane lipid composition are most likely not the cause of changes in mitochondrial structure and function after exhaustive exercise since mitochondrial yield and lipid levels did not change in concert; i.e. muscle mitochondrial yield was decreased in both untrained and trained rats while total phospholipids were increased in untrained rats and decreased in trained rats as a result of exhaustive exercise. Although the physiological significance of the effects observed remains to be determined, this study does demonstrate that the lipid composition of mitochondria is not a constant parameter but can change in response to a chronic (training) or acute (exhaustive exercise) physiological condition.
How are more complex brains different? One view and an agenda for comparative neurobiology.

Do more complex brains operate on the same principles as simpler brains, merely employing more of the same; or has evolution produced new principles? A neglected research agenda is the search for rele
Structural rearrangement of C70 monolayers induced by octanethiol adsorption

Mixed monolayers of C70 and octanethiol are prepared on Au(111) by a sequential adsorption method. A partial C70 monolayer is first formed and characterized, followed by the vapor deposition of octanethiol. This results in a well-ordered alkanethiol film where single C70 molecules and small molecular clusters are located at domain boundaries and in disordered regions. Substrate step defects have a large influence on the spatial distribution of C70; adjacent to a substrate defect, C70 binds preferentially on the upper terrace and is depleted on the lower terrace. We explain these observations as resulting from the kinetics of alkanethiol monolayer formation, and we present a simple model for the evolution of surface structure in the C70/octanethiol system.
Jejunal diverticulitis with localized perforation and intramesenteric abscess

We report a rare case of a 69-yr-old white man with jejunal diverticulitis with localized perforation and intramesenteric abscess formation. This entity is often overlooked as a cause of acute abdominal pain in the elderly. Although the clinical diagnosis is difficult, a high index of suspicion should warrant a computed tomography scan or enteroclysis.