cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Attitudes toward Aging in a Southwestern Sample: Effects of Ethnicity, Age, and Sex:

The present study, conducted in a Southwestern community, surveyed 257 adults varying in ethnicity, age, and sex on several measures of attitudes toward aging. Contrary to most previous research, the attitudes were positive in all groups, with persons aged sixty years or older giving the most positive responses on a number of items. American Indians and Hispanics were more likely to enjoy spending time with old people than Anglo-Americans, who, in turn, were more likely to disagree that people do not do much when they are old. Men were more likely to look forward to growing old than women and wished to reach an older age. In general, subjects from all ethnic, sex, and age groups reported being satisfied with their lives. The results suggest that the stereotypes of the elderly today are no longer primarily negative.
Molecular recognition: Cyclobutane thymine diners as rigid two-site receptors

Abstract Cyclobutane photodimers of thymine were synthesized and shown, in organic solvent, to bind to mono-and bis-diamidopyridine derivatives.
In situ spectroscopic investigations of adsorbed surfactant and polymer layers in aqueous and non-aqueous systems

Abstract Adsorption of surfactants and polymers at the solid—liquid interface is used widely to modify interfacial properties in a variety of industrial processes such as flotation, ceramic processing, flocculation/dispersion, detergency and enhanced oil recovery. A molecular level understanding of the structure of the adsorbed layer is beneficial for improving these processes by manipulating the adsorbed layer. In this paper we discuss the use of fluorescence, electron spin resonance (ESR) and Raman spectroscopy for the study of adsorbed surfactant and polymer layers in aqueous and non-aqueous systems. For example, fluorescence studies using pyrene probe on adsorbed surfactant and polymer layers in aqueous systems along with ESR and Raman spectroscopy reveal the role of surface aggregation and conformation of the adsorbed molecules in controlling the dispersion and wettability properties of the system. In non-aqueous systems, ESR studies using paramagnetic nitroxide probes show how the adsorption of water affects the conformation of adsorbed surfactant molecules and thus affects their dispersion properties.
A Comparison of Visual Familiarization and Object-Examining Measures of Categorization in 9-Month-Old Infants

Three studies were conducted to determine whether differential patterns of categorization observed in studies using visual familiarization and object-examining measures hold up as procedural confounds are eliminated. In Experiment 1, we attempted as direct a comparison as possible between visual and object-examining measures of categorization. Consistent with previous reports, 9-month-old infants distinguished a basic-level contrast (dog-horse) in the visual task, but not in the examining task. Experiment 2 was designed to reduce levels of nonexploratory activity in an examining task; 9-month-olds again failed to distinguish categories of dogs and horses. In Experiment 3, we adopted a paired-comparison test format in the object-examining task. Infants did display a novel category preference under paired testing conditions. The results suggest that the different patterns of categorization often seen in looking and touching tasks are a reflection, not of different categorization processes, but of the differ...
Toward Mapping Gridded Drought Indices to Evaluate Local Drought in a Rapidly Changing Global Environment

Uncertain future climate, recent persistent droughts, and subsequent water conflicts increasingly threaten the sustainability of regional water resources in the United States. Climate change and ongoing water disputes brought about by changes in water availability and timing emphasize the need for decision makers to develop proactive adaptive management strategies to mitigate losses. Developing a drought management system equipped with advanced visualization settings is critical to lay out drought evolvement at local scales, yet an effort has not been made to evaluate how different spatial discretization can represent local drought as opposed to conventional drought monitoring. Gridded drought indices, including the standardized precipitation index (SPI), Palmer drought severity index (PDSI), and Hydrologic drought index (HDI) at high-resolution spatial (12 km by 12 km) scales are demonstrated to provide useful insights to evaluate local drought possibly driven by a rapidly changing global environment. A new method for duration factors in PDSI is also discussed to better represent drought conditions over time and space.
Managing information well: Toward an ontology-driven informatics platform for data sharing and secondary use in epilepsy self-management research centers.

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological condition that requires active self-management to reduce personal and population burden. The Managing Epilepsy Well Network, funded by the US Centers for Disease ...
A critical role for β cell M3 muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in regulating insulin release and blood glucose homeostasis in vivo

One of the hallmarks of type 2 diabetes is that pancreatic beta cells fail to release sufficient amounts of insulin in the presence of elevated blood glucose levels. Insulin secretion is modulated by many hormones and neurotransmitters including acetylcholine, the major neurotransmitter of the peripheral parasympathetic nervous system. The physiological role of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors expressed by pancreatic beta cells remains unclear at present. Here, we demonstrate that mutant mice selectively lacking the M3 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor subtype in pancreatic beta cells display impaired glucose tolerance and greatly reduced insulin release. In contrast, transgenic mice selectively overexpressing M3 receptors in pancreatic beta cells show a profound increase in glucose tolerance and insulin release. Moreover, these mutant mice are resistant to diet-induced glucose intolerance and hyperglycemia. These findings indicate that beta cell M3 muscarinic receptors play a key role in maintaining proper insulin release and glucose homeostasis.
Optimized adoptive T-cell therapy for the treatment of residual mantle cell lymphoma

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is an aggressive B-cell neoplasm with few patients achieving long-term survival with current treatment regimens. High-dose therapy is effective in reducing the tumor burden; however, patients eventually relapse due to minimal residual disease. Having demonstrated efficacy in other malignancies, the effectiveness of dendritic cell-based immunotherapy for minimal residual MCL was examined. We demonstrated that dendritic cells (DC) primed with MCL antigens stimulated the activation of MCL-specific T cells that recognized and destroyed both MCL cell lines and primary MCL in vitro. In addition, in vivo studies demonstrated that adoptively transferred MCL-specific T cells were able to significantly inhibit tumor growth in mice with minimal residual MCL. Subsequently, when combined with CHOP chemotherapy, adoptive T-cell therapy was able to significantly extend the survival of the mice by further reducing the tumor burden. These results clearly show that MCL-specific cellular immunotherapy is effective in treating minimal residual MCL, paving the way for future clinical studies.
Reconstructed Stream Flow for the Salt and Verde Rivers From Tree‐Ring Data

ABSTRACT: The Salt and Verde Rivers of central Arizona provide the water supply for metropolitan Phoenix and a considerable acreage of irrigated agriculture. Rapid urbanization has caused concern over future water supply and aggravated flooding in the already flood-prone Salt River Valley. Tree-ring data were used as a proxy source to extend the annual and seasonal runoff records back to A.D. 1580 and thus to determine whether the period of record for annual discharge adequately represents the long term flow characteristics of the two rivers. Results show that several periods of extended low flow have occurred during the past 400 years, many of which were more severe then any comparable period since 1890. The low flow periods appear to have a recurrence interval of about 22 years. Also the gaged records contain an above average number of high seasonal and annual flows when compared to the entire 400 years. The reconstructions contain important implications for future water supply and flood potentials in the Salt River Valley.
Five Possible Isocyanoazulenes and Electron-Rich Complexes Thereof: A Quantitative Organometallic Approach for Probing Electronic Inhomogeneity of the Azulenic Framework

Efficient syntheses of all five possible isocyanoazulenes, the four isomeric archetypal compounds CN1Az, CN2Az, CN4Az, and CN6Az, as well as the 1,3-di-tert-butyl derivative of CN5Az (Az = azulenyl), are described. Compounds CN1Az and CN2Az show unexpected shifts of the S0 → S1 transition in their electronic spectra relative to azulene. The origins of these “anomalous” shifts have been addressed by DFT calculations, cyclic voltammetry, and comparison of the electronic spectra of isocyanoazulenes with those of the corresponding isomeric cyanoazulenes. Despite the high propensity of the azulenic nucleus to undergo multihapto coordination and C−C coupling in the presence of low-valent metals, the isocyanoazulenes react with 1/6 equiv of Cr(η6-naphthalene)2 to afford thermally stable Cr(CNxAz)6 (x = 1, 2, 4, 6), which contain six discrete azulenyl groups separated from the Cr center by isocyanide linkers. All Cr(CNxAz)6 species undergo oxidation to form the corresponding paramagnetic cations [Cr(CNxAz)6]+, wh...
A morphological signature transform for shape description

Abstract A novel shape description method based on the multiresolution morphological image processing by non-convex multiple structuring elements is presented. A binary image which contains the object shape to be described is represented by means of a multiresolution pyramid. A set of primary structuring elements along with their rotated versions is used. The method is based on the successive morphological erosions of the input image at different resolutions by primary and rotated structuring elements. The areas of successively eroded images are computed for each structuring element at each pyramid level. The obtained set of numbers is arranged into vectors, ordered, and used as a shape descriptor. Results are included to show that the method is robust against noise and invariant to both rotation and scale change.
Cognitive frequency hopping based on interference prediction: theory and experimental results

Wireless services in the unlicensed bands are proliferating but frequently face high interference from other devices due to a lack of coordination among heterogeneous technologies. In this paper we study how cognitive radio concepts enable systems to sense and predict interference patterns and adapt their spectrum access accordingly. This leads to a new cognitive coexistence paradigm, in which cognitive radio implicitly coordinates the spectrum access of heterogeneous systems. Within this framework, we investigate coexistence with a set of parallel WLAN bands: based on predicting WLAN activity, the cognitive radio dynamically hops between the bands to avoid collisions and reduce interference. The development of a real-time test bed is presented, and used to corroborate theoretical results and model assumptions. Numerical results show a good fit between theory and experiment and demonstrate that sensing and prediction can mitigate interference effectively.
XXII. Non-linear distortion, with particular reference to the theory of frequency modulated waves.—Part I

Summary Explicit expressions are derived for harmonic and cross-modulation products in the output current of a non-linear resistive device, such as a thermionic valve, resulting from the application of a wave of E.M.F. This wave may consist of any number of sinusoidal components.
Effect of Sea Surface Temperature–Wind Stress Coupling on Baroclinic Instability in the Ocean

Abstract The impact of the observed relationship between sea surface temperature and surface wind stress on baroclinic instability in the ocean is explored using linear theory and a nonlinear model. A simple parameterization of the influence of sea surface temperature on wind stress is used to derive a surface boundary condition for the vertical velocity at the base of the oceanic Ekman layer. This boundary condition is applied to the classic linear, quasigeostrophic stability problem for a uniformly sheared flow originally studied by Eady in the 1940s. The results demonstrate that for a wind directed from warm water toward cold water, the coupling acts to enhance the growth rate, and increase the wavelength, of the most unstable wave. Winds in the opposite sense reduce the growth rate and decrease the wavelength of the most unstable wave. For representative coupling strengths, the change in growth rate can be as large as ±O(50%). This effect is largest for shallow, strongly stratified, low-latitude flows.
PD-1 regulates T cell proliferation in a tissue and subset-specific manner during normal mouse pregnancy

The regulation of T cell homeostasis during pregnancy has important implications for maternal tolerance and immunity. Evidence suggests that Programmed Death-1 (PD-1) participates in regulation of T cell homeostasis and peripheral tolerance. To examine the contribution of PD-1 signaling on T cell homeostasis during normal mouse pregnancy, we examined T cell number or proportion, PD-1 expression, proliferation, and apoptosis by flow cytometry, BrdU incorporation, and TUNEL assay in pregnant mice given anti-PD-1 blocking antibody or control on days 10, 12, and 14 of gestation. We observed tissue, treatment, and T cell-specific differences in PD-1 expression. Both pregnancy and PD-1 blockade increased T cell proliferation in the spleen, yet this effect was limited to CD4 T cells in the uterine- draining nodes. In the uterus, PD-1 blockade markedly altered the composition of the T cell pool. These studies support the idea that pregnancy is a state of dynamic T cell homeostasis and suggest that this state is partially supported by PD-1 signaling.
Virilizing ovarian tumor in a 2 1/2-year-old girl

A virilizing ovarian tumor in a 2 1/2-year-old girl, the youngest known patient, is described. Serum testosterone level was elevated; 24 hour excretion of urinary 17-ketosteroids was increased and was not suppressed by administration of dexamethasone. The histological appearance of the tumor was felt to be compatible with the diagnosis of lipoid cell tumor; virilization decreased after surgical removal. However, the patient died 17 months after initial diagnosis, from diffuse metastatic disease originating in an apparently unrelated undifferentiated sarcoma of the oropharynx.
A wide QRS/T angle in bundle branch blocks is associated with increased risk for coronary heart disease and all-cause mortality in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study.

Abstract Background Repolarization abnormality in bundle branch blocks (BBB) is traditionally ignored. This study evaluated the prognostic value of QRS/T angle for mortality in the presence and absence of BBB. Methods and results Total 15,408 participants (mean age 54 years, 55.2% women, 26.9% blacks, 2.8% with BBB) were from the Arteriosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. Sex stratified Cox regression models were used to compute hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for coronary heart disease (CHD) and all-cause mortality for wide spatial QRS/T angle with and without BBB including right BBB (RBBB), left BBB (LBBB) and indetermined-type ventricular conduction defect (IVCD) and RBBB combined with left anterior fascicular block. During a median 22-year follow-up, 4767 deaths occurred, 728 of them CHD deaths. Using the No-BBB with QRS/T angle below median value as gender-specific reference groups, the mortality risk increase was significant for both women and men with No-BBB and QRS/T angle above the median value. In the pooled ICVD/LBBB group, the risk for CHD death was increased 15.9-fold in women and 6.04 fold in men, and for all-cause deaths 3.01-fold in women and 1.84-fold in men. However, the mortality risk in isolated RBBB group was only significantly increased in women but not in men. Conclusion A wide spatial QRS/T angle in BBB is associated with increased risk for CHD and all-cause mortality over and above the predictive value for BBB alone. The risk for women is as high as or higher than that in men.
Stabilization of neuronal connections and the axonal cytoskeleton.

Stabilization of axonal connections is an underappreciated, but critical, element in development and maintenance of neuronal functions. The ability to maintain the overall architecture of the brain for decades is essential for our ability to process sensory information efficiently, coordinate motor activity, and retain memories for a lifetime. While the importance of the neuronal cytoskeleton in this process is acknowledged, little has been known about specializations of the axonal cytoskeleton needed to stabilize neuronal architectures. A novel post-translational modification of tubulin that stabilizes normally dynamic microtubules in axons has now been identified. Polyamination appears to be enriched in axons and is developmentally regulated with a time course that correlates with increased microtubule stabilization. Identifying one of the molecular mechanisms for maintaining neuronal connections creates new research avenues for understanding the role of stabilizing neuronal architecture in neuronal fun...
Change at last in auditing standards

Auditing and the standards are an on-going work as they deal with business which changes continually. Each time there is a major change in the business world, the standards must be updated or almost completely removed and replaced by new standards. This implies that there is a delay in setting the next standards; furthermore, this can harm business. This article is concerned with the auditing standards and their effects on business. The paper shows how the Public Company of Accounting Oversight Board and the Securities Exchange Commission are critical to the auditing standards settings.
24.1: Character Contrast under Uniform Ambient Conditions

The measurement of small-area black regions (such as a character stroke) on a white screen can be subject to large errors because of veiling glare in the detector. By using replica masks we can enable more accurate measurements of small-area-black and character contrasts even under ambient illumination.
Structure and elemental composition of pellicular warts of Euglena spirogyra (Euglenophyceae)

The cellular surface of Euglena spirogyra (Ehrbg.) can be variously ornamented with mineralized protuberances termed pellicular warts. In this study using light and electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, the structure and elemental composition of warts of E. spirogyra cells were analysed. The data show the warts to be tiered aggregations of mucilage-associated, predominantly iron-enriched granules that form regularly spaced mases overlying the ridges of helically arranged pellicular striae. Wart morphology, substructure and elemental composition are described and discussed in the light of their possible systematic and phylogenetic implications for their species. Some features of the wart mineralization process are also compared with similar extracellular biomineralizing events in other euglenoids.
Preoperative serum hCG level and intraoperative failure of laparoscopic linear salpingostomy for ectopic pregnancy

Objective: To identify factors that predict failure of linear salpingostomy requiring salpingectomy for ectopic pregnancy. Methods: Using a retrospective cohort, we examined the various risk factors of women with ectopic pregnancies presenting for conservative laparoscopic management. Success or failure of laparoscopic linear salpingostomy was the primary end point. Results: One hundred fifty-seven women underwent laparoscopic linear salpingostomy for ectopic pregnancy, of whom 120 had successful procedures and 36 had unsuccessful operations because of bleeding and needed subsequent salpingectomy either by laparoscopy or laparotomy. The likelihood of success of laparoscopic linear salpingostomy was unrelated to gestational age, size of the ectopic pregnancy, surgical technique, or experience of the surgeon or resident. However, median (quartiles) serum beta hCG levels were significantly higher in patients who underwent failed salpingostomy (10,103 [3549–19,962] IU/L) compared with those who underwent successful salpingostomy (1692 [565–3971] IU/L, P < .01). Median blood loss (225 [181–562] mL versus 100 [50–200] mL, respectively, P < .01) and mean (± standard error of the mean [SEM]) operating times (111.1 ± 6.1 minutes versus 76.8 ± 2.3 minutes, P < .01) were significantly greater with failed salpingostomy followed by salpingectomy, compared with successful salpingostomy. Conclusion: Preoperative serum beta hCG level was the only significant determinant of failure of laparoscopic linear salpingostomy for ectopic pregnancy. Morbidity due to intraoperative blood loss and operating time was significantly increased as a result of attempting and failing to complete laparoscopic linear salpingostomy.
Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-dioxins and Dibenzofurans: Gas-Phase Hydroxyl Radical Reactions and Related Atmospheric Removal

Gas-phase reactions with the hydroxyl radical (OH) are expected to be an important removal pathway of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/F) in the atmosphere. Our laboratory recently developed a system to measure the rate constants of the gas-phase reactions of OH with semivolatile organic compounds using on-line mass spectrometry. We have now incorporated electron capture mass spectrometry (EC-MS) into this system to increase its sensitivity to PCDD/F, which tend to have low vapor pressures. OH reaction rate constants were determined in helium for 1,2,3,4-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin at 373−432 K using a heated quartz reaction chamber. The photolysis of O3 in the presence of H2O and the photolysis of H2O2 (both at λ = 254 nm) served as OH sources. An extrapolation using the Arrhenius equation gives a 1,2,3,4-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin−OH reaction rate constant of 8.5 × 10-13 cm3 s-1 at 298 K, which is in excellent agreement with the value predicted by a structure−activity method. T...
Growth and the development of sexual size dimorphism in lorises and galagos

Three fundamental ontogenetic pathways lead to the development of size differences between males and females. Males and females may grow at the same rate for different durations (bimaturism), grow for the same duration at different rates, or grow at a mix of rate and duration differences. While patterns of growth and the development of adult body size are well established for many haplorhines, the extent to which rate and duration differences affect strepsirrhine growth trajectories remains unclear. Here, we present iterative piecewise regression models that describe the ontogeny of adult body mass for males and females of five lorisoid species (i.e., lorises and galagos) from the Duke Lemur Center. We test the hypotheses that, like most haplorhines, sexual size dimorphism (SSD) is a result of bimaturism, and males and females of monomorphic species grow at the same rate for a similar duration. We confirm that the galagos in this sample (Galago moholi and Otolemur garnettii) show significant SSD that is achieved through bimaturism. Unlike monomorphic lemurids, the lorises in this sample show a diversity of ontogenetic patterns. Loris tardigradus does follow a lemur-like trajectory to monomorphism but Nycticebuscoucang and Nycticebus pygmaeus achieve larger adult female body sizes through a mixture of rate and duration differences. We show that contrary to previous assumptions, there are patterns of both similarity and difference in growth trajectories of comparably sized lorises and galagos. Furthermore, when ontogenetic profiles of lorisoid and lemurid growth are compared, it is evident that lorisoids grow faster for a shorter period of time.
Hyaluronic acid-N-hydroxysuccinimide: a useful intermediate for bioconjugation.

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is an abundant nonsulfated glycosaminoglycan component of synovial fluid and the extracellular matrix. HA is an important building block for biocompatible and biointeractive materials with applications in drug delivery, tissue engineering, wound repair, and viscosupplementation. Herein we describe the synthesis and characterization of HA-N-succinimide, an activated ester of the glucuronic acid moiety. This HA-active ester intermediate is a precursor for fluorescent probes, drug−polymer conjugates, and cross-linked hydrogels. As a demonstration, we used HA-NHS to prepare HA-BODIPY by coupling with the hydrazide derivative of the fluor. Intracellular uptake of HA-BODIPY into human ovarian cancer cells, which overexpress cell-surface HA receptors, was visualized using confocal microscopy.
Measuring the validity and performance of energy models

Abstract This paper is concerned with approaches to validating and judging the performance of energy models. There has been a proliferation of models of all sorts. These models not only attempt to deal with many different aspects of industry and market behaviour but also involve widely different modelling methodologies. Several attempts have been made to classify and to evaluate these methodological approaches; they are not repeated here. Rather this paper focuses on criteria for determining the validity of a model that are quantitative and hopefully rigorous. Different validation criteria are suggested for econometric time-series models, models, and mathematical programming models. Finally, an appeal is made for including validation measures in future energy modelling studies.
Are cutaneously derived electrocardiography signals reliable surrogates for subcutaneous sensing algorithm testing

Prehospital wireless transmission of electrocardiograms showing presumed ST-elevation myocardial infarction to an on-call cardiologist's handheld device: can the reduction in time to reperfusion be maintained in a single community and achieved in larger and medically complex communities? George L. Adams , Ghassan H. Abusaid , Benjamin A. Lee , Charles Maynard , Galen S. Wagner , Alejandro Barbagelata ,1 The Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX Department of Health Services, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Insulin-like growth factor-1 and myocyte growth: the danger of a dogma. Part I. Postnatal myocardial development: normal growth.

The possibility that the human heart may respond to an increase in pressure and volume loads not only by hypertrophy of pre-existing myocytes but also by myocyte cellular hyperplasia has been a matter of controversy for several decades. The critical heart weight theory introduced by Linzbach in the late 1940s and early 1950s [l] has suggested that in the presence of a cardiac weight of nearly 500 g or greater, hyperplasia of myofibers begins and this cellular process constitutes the prevailing form of myocyte growth in the heart. These initial findings were restricted to the left ventricle, but similar adaptations subsequently have been shown at the level of the right ventricle [2], indicating that the entire heart may react to a sustained increase in workload by the generation of new myocytes through mitotic division of the stressed muscle cells. In contrast, experimental studies have demonstrated that short-term cardiac hypertrophy in the adult heart results from an enlargement of myocytes with little DNA synthesis in myocyte nuclei, possibly representing the formation of polyploid cells [3-51. Thus, it has become a general belief that no proliferation of myocytes occurs once cell division has ceased immediately after birth in the mammalian myocardium. These studies in the pressure-overloaded rat heart have examined thymidine incorporation early after the imposition of the overload and the lack of autoradiographic labeling in myocytes has been interpreted as a definitive indication of the terminally differentiated
Tinnitus modulation by deep brain stimulation in locus of caudate neurons (area LC)

Tinnitus is an auditory disorder characterized by perception of internally generated phantom auditory sensations without corresponding mechanical stimuli arising from the body or external environment. Current auditory based treatment approaches, sometimes in conjunction with nonauditory based strategies, such as Tinnitus Retraining Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, have been helpful in mitigating symptoms for the majority of patients. Yet there are over 1 million tinnitus sufferers who still endure troublesome chronic, continuous head noises that are debilitating and interfere with activities of daily living. Here we show that application of deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapy to a locus of caudate neurons (area LC) in the body of the nucleus, a subsite of the striatum that is not part of the classical auditory pathway, can decrease or increase tinnitus loudness perception. The DBS lead traversed through or was adjacent to area LC in six Parkinson's disease and essential tremor subjects with concomitant tinnitus who underwent implantation of the subthalamic or ventral intermediate nucleus. In five subjects where the DBS lead tip traversed area LC, tinnitus loudness in both ears was suppressed to a nadir of level 2 or lower on a 0-10 rating scale. In one subject where the DBS lead was outside area LC, tinnitus was not modulated. In three subjects with preoperative and postoperative audiograms, hearing thresholds were unchanged by area LC stimulation. Neuromodulation of area LC may be interrupting perceptual integration of phantom sensations generated in the central auditory system. This new, basal ganglia based approach to tinnitus modulation warrants further investigation and may be ultimately refined to treat patients with refractory symptoms.
Convergent Synthesis of Fostriecin via Selective Alkene Couplings and Regioselective Asymmetric Dihydroxylation

A highly convergent synthesis of fostriecin is described, featuring sequential palladium-catalyzed Negishi cross couplings to form the C7−C8 bond and C8−methyl bond, followed by late-stage regio- and stereoselective dihydroxylation of C8−C9.
Ultraviolet Laser Studies On Endogenous Brain Bioamine-Aldehyde Condensation Products

Irradiation of brain tissue with a He-Cd U.V. laser microfluorimeter (325 nom) disclosed the presence of endogenous fluorochromes in discrete brain structures. The in situ emission spectra were measured and the fluorescence was recorded photographically. The fluorochromes were found to have properties similar to those of bioamine-aldehyde condensation products. In addition, observations were made which suggested that axonal transport of these fluorochromes occurs.© (1977) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Experiences with a Computer Science Advisory Council

This paper provides a description of the Stephen F. Austin State University Computer Science Advisory Council and the ongoing advisory program. Experience has shown that a well-formed council operating with the computer science faculty in a well-planned advisory program can contribute significantly toward curriculum refinement, faculty development, financial assistance, resource improvement, and student employment. The methods for forming a council and establishing a program, and the benefits derived - all of which are discussed in the paper - have potential applicability to other computer science departments.
Effect of a self-etch primer/adhesive on the shear bond strength of orthodontic brackets.

Conventional adhesive systems use 3 different agents (an enamel conditioner, a primer solution, and an adhesive resin) during the bonding of orthodontic brackets to enamel. A unique characteristic of some new bonding systems in operative dentistry is that they combine the conditioning and priming agents into a single product. Combining conditioning and priming saves time and should be more cost-effective to the clinician and, indirectly, to the patient. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of the use of a self-etch primer on the shear bond strength of orthodontic brackets and on the bracket/adhesive failure mode. Brackets were bonded to extracted human teeth according to 1 of 2 protocols. In the control group, teeth were etched with 37% phosphoric acid. After the sealant was applied, the brackets were bonded with Transbond XT (3M Unitek, Monrovia, Calif) and light cured for 20 seconds. In the experimental group, a self-etch acidic primer (ESPE Dental AG, Seefeld, Germany) was placed on the enamel for 15 seconds and gently evaporated with air, as suggested by the manufacturer. The brackets were then bonded with Transbond XT as in the first group. The present in vitro findings indicate that the use of a self-etch primer to bond orthodontic brackets to the enamel surface resulted in a significantly (P = .004) lower, but clinically acceptable, shear bond force (mean, 7.1 +/- 4.4 MPa) as compared with the control group (mean, 10.4 +/- 2.8 MPa). The comparison of the adhesive remnant index scores indicated that there was significantly (P = .006) more residual adhesive remaining on the teeth that were treated with the new self-etch primer than on those teeth that were bonded with the use of the conventional adhesive system.
Singing Off Key: A Racial Critique of Elementary School Songbooks.

Not only in the culture and organization of Western schools is European hegemony emphasized, classroom materials provide a substantial place for the creation and perpetuation of racist ideology. Often overlooked in critiques of classroom materials are texts that pertain to what are sometimes called enrichment subject materials, such as art and music. Examined in this review is the representation of those of African ancestry in grade school music materials. After surveying nearly 70 years of songbooks from one publisher’s series, it is determined that they are saturated with racist stereotypes and that such representations likely negatively impact children as they read and sing.
Monolayer-protected bimetal cluster synthesis by core metal galvanic exchange reaction

Bimetallic monolayer-protected nanoparticles have been synthesized by the core metal galvanic exchange reaction of dodecylthiolate monolayer-protected metal (Ag, Pd, Cu) clusters with the more noble metal metal thiolate complexes AuI[SCH2(C6H4)C(CH3)3] and PdII[S(CH2)11CH3)2]. The bimetal nanoparticles produced are stable and can be isolated without core aggregation or decomposition. These new materials have been examined by UV−vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. Their optical properties reflect bimetal cluster formation by time-dependent shifts in the surface plasmon resonance absorbance. Transmission electron microscopy results suggest that the core metal replacement can also effect a change in nanoparticle core size. Formation of bimetallic nanoparticles appears to stabilized the less stable member of the metal pair.
Design and simulation of strained Si/SiGe dual channel MOSFETs

This paper reports the design, modeling and simulation of NMOS and PMOS transistors with a tensile strained Si channel layer and compressively strained SiGe channel layer for a 65 nm logic technology node. A unified modeling approach consisting of different physics based models has been formulated in this work and their ability to predict the device behavior has been investigated.
Global invertibility of nonsmooth mappings

On etend le theoreme de Hadamard d'inversibilite globale a la classe des applications localement continues de Lipschitz
The ultraviolet excess of luminous quasars. II: Evidence for massive accretion disks

This paper presents new infrared, optical, and ultraviolet spectra of three high-redshift quasars. They are analyzed along with three published quasar spectra. After accounting for other sources of radiation, the continua are fitted with spectra predicted for optically thick steady-state accretion disks which include the effects of general relativity. The two fitting parameters, the mass of the accreting black hole and the accretion rate, are determined by the data with a formal accuracy of 20 percent. The masses range from 0.2-0.5 billion solar mass for 3C 273 and PKS 0405-123 to 1-3 billion solar masses for the high-redshift quasars. The values depend on the assumed disk inclination and the angular momentum of the hole. The high luminosities of these six quasars are all within a factor of 2 of their Eddington limits, and this conclusion is not extremely sensitive to the modeling assumptions.
Importance of boundary conditions for topological production of textures and Skyrmions

The Kibble mechanism has recently been used to estimate the production of topological objects such as Skyrmions in hadronic events and textures in the context of the Universe. These objects correspond to a nontrivial third homotopy group of an appropriate group manifold. We discuss the importance of boundary conditions required for a topological description of such objects. These considerations show that textures do not have any topological meaning in the context of a homogeneous and isotropic universe and actually are homotopic to trivial configurations (as long as the universe is much bigger than the horizon size). We point out (and as has been noted by others) that a scale-invariant distribution of density fluctuations is expected for the spontaneous breaking of any global symmetry as long as the connected component of the vacuum manifold is degenerate. It does not matter whether the vacuum manifold has any nontrivial homotopy group. For the case of Skyrmion production in hadronic events, our considerations lead to a strong suppression of the Skyrmion production. A recent numerical simulation of the texture formation found that textures rarely occur. Our results provide a simple explanation of this result.
In vivo 31P NMR spectrum of Hymenolepis diminuta and its change on short-term exposure to mebendazole.

Abstract The 31 P NMR spectrum of the adult tapeworm, Hymenolepis diminuta , at 37°C during perfusion with physiological saline was composed of 10 peaks. Based on chemical shifts and analysis of worm extracts, the phosphorus components included glucose-6-phosphate, fructose-6-phosphate, phosphorylcholine, glycerophosphoryl choline and -ethanolamine, nucleotide monophosphate-diphosphate and -triphosphate, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and uridine diphosphate glucose. The mean level of nucleotide triphosphate was 0.86 nmol (mg fresh weight) −1 and the nucleotide triphosphate/-diphosphate ratio 3.9. Based on the nucleotide triphosphate level, worms were viable for at least 3 h and the intracellular pH was maintained constant at approximately 6.7. Short-term exposure to mebendazole perfused at 11 or 27 μM solubilized in physiological saline containing 0.5% Tween 80 or 0.1% dimethyl sulphoxide had little effect on the nucleotide triphosphate level. Some cytological changes, however, were evident following perfusion of mebendazole. In contrast, exposure to 2,4-dinitrophenol caused a rapid decline in nucleotide triphosphate level. It was concluded that mebendazole does not exert its primary effect on oxidative phosphorylation.
The underlying structures of sentences are the primary units of immediate speech processing

Two studies of the subjective location of clicks in spoken sentences indicate: (1) within-clause phrase structure boundaries do not significantly affect the segmentation of spoken sentences; (2) divisions between underlying structure sentences determine segmentation even in the absence of corresponding explicit clause divisions in the surface phrase structure. These results support a model of speech processing according to which listeners actively segment and organize spoken sequences into potential underlying syntactic structures.
Precipitin Reactions in Hypersensitivity Pneumonitides.

SummarySera from patients with farmers' lung, pigeon breeders' disease, bagassosis, and maple bark strippers' disease were examined for the presence of precipitating antibodies against the corresponding antigenic materials. All sera showed reactions with 3 or 4 of the antigens. The one exception was the serum from the patient with maple bark strippers' disease, which reacted only with the antigens thought to cause the disease.
Pheromones exert top-down effects on visual recognition in the jumping spider Lyssomanes viridis

In diverse and productive habitats, predaceous arthropods are expected to frequently encounter dangerous conspecifics and heterospecifics. This should make quick and accurate discriminations between species and sexes adaptive. By simultaneously sampling both visual cues and pheromones, and by utilizing stringent species- and sex-specific visual recognition templates, an individual should be able to increase both its speed and accuracy in making such discriminations. We tested for the use and stringency of visual recognition templates in the jumping spider Lyssomanes viridis by presenting males with animated images of conspecifics, heterospecifics and composite images that combined the facial coloration and morphology of one sex or species with the leg coloration of another. Males' courtship versus threat displays indicated whether a stimulus was perceived as a potential mate or a threat. By comparing males' visual inspection times of, and display types towards, the various images in the presence versus absence of female pheromones, we were able to deduce whether males tend to inspect a subset of the color pattern and morphological features that make up their conspecific recognition templates (i.e. those on just the face or just the legs), or all features, and whether this changes in the presence of pheromones. We found that the male recognition template for conspecific female was surprisingly coarse, whereas the recognition template for conspecific male, and especially the male face, was more specific. Pheromones hastened the recognition of images with coloration and morphology closely matching those of conspecifics, presumably by activating conspecific visual recognition templates. When males were presented with an image that was, overall, a poor match to a conspecific female, but that contained a subset of female or female-like features, female pheromones usually did not hasten recognition, but did increase the likelihood that the image would be identified as a female. Taken together, our data suggest that males examined features on both the face and the legs in both the presence and absence of pheromones, and that female pheromones tipped the balance in favor of a female identification when a male was unsure how to categorize an incongruous set of visual features.
Protein-sodium dodecyl sulfate complexes: determination of molecular weight, size and shape by controlled pore glass chromatography.

Abstract The peak position vs log molecular weight curves of protein-SDS complexes chromatographed on controlled pore glass of narrow pore size distribution is linear over a molecular weight range of 17,000–385,000. A glass with a pore size of approximately 500 A allows the inclusion of all complexes in this range. Peak position curves on glasses with broad pore distributions show decreased resolution and deviate from linearity at low elution coefficients. Exclusion size analysis of the elution coefficients of individual complexes from different columns with pore diameters ranging from 197 to 650 A gives from 120 to 423 A as their longest dimension. Assuming constant hydration and SDS-to-protein ration, the found dimension suggests the shape of a football, rather than a sphere or rigid rod.
The Cognitive Benefits of Interacting With Nature

We compare the restorative effects on cognitive functioning of interactions with natural versus urban environments. Attention restoration theory (ART) provides an analysis of the kinds of environments that lead to improvements in directed-attention abilities. Nature, which is filled with intriguing stimuli, modestly grabs attention in a bottom-up fashion, allowing top-down directed-attention abilities a chance to replenish. Unlike natural environments, urban environments are filled with stimulation that captures attention dramatically and additionally requires directed attention (e.g., to avoid being hit by a car), making them less restorative. We present two experiments that show that walking in nature or viewing pictures of nature can improve directed-attention abilities as measured with a backwards digit-span task and the Attention Network Task, thus validating attention restoration theory.
Longitudinal examination of teachers' burnout in a school district.

Teachers in a rural school district were administered the Maslach Burnout Inventory three times over a five-year period. Teachers scoring high on emotional exhaustion and low on personal accomplishment were classified as “experiencing burnout.” Across the three waves, the proportion of teachers meeting these criteria for burnout were 7%, 11%, and 11%, respectively. By grade, burnout was noted among 3%, 8%, and 9%, respectively, over time for senior high-school teachers; 7%, 7%, and 11% for junior high-school teachers; and 9%, 17%, and 12% for elementary school teachers. Interventions must consider grade taught and are probably most cost-effective for elementary school. It is important to establish norms across time and across school settings to determine high-risk groups deserving interventions.
Impact of Nest Substrate Limitations on Patterns of Illegitimacy in the Fathead Minnow, Pimephales promelas (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae)

The fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) is a nest-building North American cyprinid that spawns multiply and exhibits exclusive male parental care. Here, we examined the effects of nest substrate availability on the genetic mating system in 2 natural populations from the glacial pothole region of eastern South Dakota. The sites differed dramatically with respect to the type and density of available nest substrate. Substrate effects were examined by comparing the percentage and distribution of illegitimate offspring between the 2 sites. A total of 1338 embryos from 42 nests (21 from each site) were genotyped at 4 or 5 microsatellite loci. Bimodally distributed frequencies of illegitimate offspring occurred in the nests of guardian males from both sites and indicate the presence of nest takeovers as well as previously undocumented alternative reproductive tactics. As predicted, the rate of usurped nests, a previously documented behavior, was higher in the nest substrate-limited population; furthermore, males were significantly larger here and acquired more mates, suggesting a difference in sexual selection regime. Although these results are based on a single comparison between 2 sites, the results are intriguing and provide a foundation for future studies.