cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of MDA on classical conditioning of the rabbit nictitating membrane response

Abstract In Experiment 1, classical conditioning of the rabbit's nictitating membrane response (NMR) was accomplished by pairing tone and light conditioned stimuli (CSs) with a shock unconditioned stimulus (UCS). MDA impaired the acquisition of conditioned responses (CR) to a tone-CS, while significantly enhancing CR acquisition to a light-CS. Experiment 2, employing explicitly unpaired CS, UCS training, revealed no reliable effects of MDA upon nonassociative processes. Subsequent efforts determined if MDA's CR acquisition effects resulted from alterations in sensory processing of the CS, UCS, and/or UCR motor functioning. Specifically, it was determined that MDA: (a) increased the tone-CS intensity threshold for eliciting CRs (Experiment 3); (b) attenuated the tone-induced reflex modification of the unconditioned NMR (Experiment 4); and (c) enhanced UCR frequency at varying UCS intensities (Experiment 5). It was concluded that MDA's effect upon CR acquisition reflected the drug's effects upon CS and UCS/UCR processing and thereby altered the ability of these components of conditioning to enter into associative learning.
Dip-coated silver-doped V2O5 xerogels as host materials for lithium intercalation

Abstract Vanadium pentoxide xerogels have shown high electrochemical performance in terms of energy content. The high specific energy and high intercalation capability make the materials promising for thin film lithium battery and electrochromic device applications. In order to enhance the rate capabilities of the host we increased the electronic conductivity by doping the V 2 O 5 xerogels with silver. Samples were prepared by mixing various amounts of silver powder with V 2 O 5 hydrogel. We were able to prepare silver-doped vanadium pentoxide dip-coated thin films with a molar ratio (Ag/V) ranging from 0.005 to 0.5 (Ag y V 2 O 3 with y = 0.01, 0.1 and 1). With the successful doping, the electronic conductivity of V 2 O 5 was increased by 2 to 3 orders of magnitude. The insertion capacity of the material was maintained and up to 4 moles of lithium per mole of silver-doped V 2 O 5 (XRG) were found to be reversibly intercalated.
What's in the eyes for attentive input

Eye-tracking systems hold some of the greatest potential among AUIs. Here, two systems that focus on eye gazing demonstrate how this simple form of visual attention can perform a level of common interactive tasks.
Neural representation of task difficulty and decision making during perceptual categorization: a timing diagram.

When does the brain know that a decision is difficult to make? How does decision difficulty affect the allocation of neural resources and timing of constituent cortical processing? Here, we use single-trial analysis of electroencephalography (EEG) to identify neural correlates of decision difficulty and relate these to neural correlates of decision accuracy. Using a cued paradigm, we show that we can identify a component in the EEG that reflects the inherent task difficulty and not simply a correlation with the stimulus. We find that this decision difficulty component arises ≈220 ms after stimulus presentation, between two EEG components that are predictive of decision accuracy [an “early” (170 ms) and a “late” (≈300 ms) component]. We use these results to develop a timing diagram for perceptual decision making and relate the component activities to parameters of a diffusion model for decision making.
A Community‐Driven Framework for Climate Reconstructions

Proxy-based reconstructions of past climate provide insights into externally forced and intrinsic variability over regional to global scales and can be used to place recent trends in a long-term context. Comparisons between these reconstructions and the output of Earth system models provide evaluation opportunities to improve our understanding of climate forcings on time scales that are not adequately represented by the instrumental record. They also provide a heuristic tool to explore mechanisms of climate variability, with implications for future climate projections [Schmidt et al., 2014].
Ventral striatopallidothalamic projection: IV. Relative involvements of neurochemically distinct subterritories in the ventral pallidum and adjacent parts of the rostroventral forebrain

Retrograde and anterograde tract-tracing studies were carried out to determine whether the capacity of the nucleus accumbens to influence the thalamic mediodorsal nucleus via ventral striatopallidothalamic connections disproportionately favors the shell over the core subterritory. After injections of Fluoro-Gold into the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus, retrogradely labeled neurons were detected in sections also processed for calbindin-D 28-kD and neurotensin immunoreactivities to facilitate identification of subterritories in the ventral pallidum. Fluoro-Gold-labeled cells were counted in series of sections cut through the ventral pallidum, rostral globus pallidus, nucleus of the vertical limb of the diagonal band, preoptic region, lateral hypothalamus, and the sublenticular gray region, including parts of the extended amygdala. Data were expressed as cells/unit area and as percentages of all labeled forebrain cells. Mediodorsal nucleus-projecting rostroventral forebrain neurons were most numerous in the ventromedial part of the subcommissural ventral pallidum and pallidal parts of the olfactory tubercle. Few were observed in the dorsolateral part of the subcommissural ventral pallidum. In addition, following injections into the ventral pallidum, anterogradely transported biotinylated dextran amine was evaluated in sections processed for calbindin or tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivities. Injection into the ventromedial part of the subcommissural ventral pallidum resulted in robust anterograde labeling of the medial segment of the mediodorsal nucleus and ventral tegmental area and weak labeling of the substantia nigra and subthalamic nucleus. Conversely, after injection into the dorsolateral part of the subcommissural ventral pallidum, anterograde labeling was weak in the mediodorsal nucleus and ventral tegmental area, but robust in the substantia nigra and subthalamic nucleus. The results are consistent with a predominant accumbens shell influence on the mediodorsal nucleus and with cortico-ventral striatopallidal-thalamocortical pathways that begin and end in different parts of the frontal lobe.
EVOLUTIONARY AFFINITIES OF SPECIES ASSIGNED TO LIPOMYCES AND MYXOZYMA ESTIMATED FROM RIBOSOMAL RNA SEQUENCE DIVERGENCE

The evolutionary relationships among species assigned toLipomyces andMyxozyma were estimated from sequence comparisons of selected regions from small (18S) and large (25S) subunit ribosomal RNAs. AmongLipomyces spp.,L. anomalus was a distant outlier, whereasL. kononenkoae, L. lipofer, L. starkeyi, andL. tetrasporus formed a closely related cluster. Of the fiveMyxozyma species compared,M. kluyveri was well separated from other members of its genus but clustered withLipomyces spp. On the basis of rRNA nucleotide differences,Lipomyces and mostMyxozyma spp. appear not to have a teleomorph/anamorph relationship.
Attachment of American Jews to Israel: Perspectives from Local Jewish Community Studies

This paper: (1) examines two “distancing hypotheses” concerning the extent to which distancing from Israel has or has not been occurring in American Jewish society; and, (2) describes and explains geographic variations in levels of attachment to Israel. Distancing Hypothesis I states that younger Jews are less attached to Israel than are older Jews. Distancing Hypothesis II states that the overall attachment of American Jews to Israel has been decreasing over time. Evidence on the distancing hypothesis from national studies of American Jews is briefly reviewed to show that researchers have been unable to agree on a conclusion. Evidence from as many as 37 local Jewish community studies shows support for Distancing Hypothesis I, but the strength of this support varies among communities. Evidence from local community studies, however, does not support Distancing Hypothesis II and sometimes shows the reverse. An implication is that some of the Jewish continuity programming, such as Birthright Israel, may be impacting American Jews. Level of attachment to Israel, whether measured by visits to Israel, willingness to send one’s teenagers to Israel, emotional attachment to Israel, or the extent to which respondents indicate that Israel motivates their donations to Jewish organizations, varies significantly by community. These geographic variations by community can be explained, in part, by community variations in the percentage of married couples who are intermarried, percentage Just Jewish, percentage Orthodox, percentage age 18–34, percentage elderly, and the year each study was conducted.
Sampling Glacial Lake Littoral Fish Assemblages with Four Gears

Abstract Littoral zone fish assemblages are important components of freshwater lakes. Monitoring of littoral fish assemblage structure is important because littoral fishes often comprise the majority of the entire fish assemblage, and fluctuations in the structure and abundance of the littoral fish assemblage can influence trophic interactions and fishery yields at the ecosystem level. Single-gear sampling designs, however, may only capture a subset of the fish assemblage, resulting in a skewed representation of fish assemblage structure. Use of multiple gears can be justified if they provide complementary fish assemblage information. Our objective was to compare glacial lake fish assemblage structure as represented by four gears and to assess whether the gears provide redundant or complementary fish assemblage information. Two northeastern South Dakota glacial lakes were sampled with a beach seine, benthic sled, drop net, and push trawl in August 2011. Results indicated that fish assemblage structure did...
Is there a metabolic program in the skeletal muscle of obese individuals

Severe obesity (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2) is associated with multiple defects in skeletal muscle which contribute to insulin resistance and a reduction in fatty acid oxidation (FAO) in this tissue. These metabolic derangements are retained in human skeletal muscle cells raised in culture. Together, these findings are indicative of a dysfunctional global metabolic program with severe obesity which is of an epigenetic or genetic origin. Weight loss via gastric bypass surgery can “turn off” and/or correct components of this metabolic program as insulin sensitivity is restored; however, the impairment in FAO in skeletal muscle remains evident. Physical activity can improve FAO and insulin action, indicating that this patient population is not exercise resistant and that exercise offers a pathway to circumvent the abnormal program. Findings presented in this review will hopefully increase the understanding of and aid in preventing and/or treating the severely obese condition.
Anonymity and authenticity in the cloud: issues and applications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe personal privacy and data authenticity problems in the cloud and provide solutions to reduce or eliminate them.Design/methodology/approach – This paper reveals issues and applications of anonymity and authenticity in the cloud. It outlines common privacy settings of five web browsers, anonymous browsing on the Tor network and standard methods for verifying the integrity of files obtained in the cloud.Findings – Cloud computing is an emerging technology for libraries which must balance the convenience of ubiquitous access against the potential risks for loss of anonymity and authenticity.Originality/value – This article contributes to the body of literature on user privacy and data preservation in the cloud and their impact on the library community.
Effect of resveratrol on visceral white adipose tissue inflammation and insulin sensitivity in a mouse model of sleep apnea

Effect of resveratrol on visceral white adipose tissue inflammation and insulin sensitivity in a mouse model of sleep apnea
Excitatory Amino Acids in the Rostral Ventrolateral Medulla Support Blood Pressure in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

Abstract —Injection of the excitatory amino acid (EAA) antagonist kynurenic acid (KYN) into the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) of anesthetized rats has no effect on arterial pressure. However, we recently reported that after inhibition of the caudal ventrolateral medulla, injection of KYN into the RVLM decreased arterial pressure to the same level as produced by complete inhibition of the RVLM. We have suggested that these results reflect tonically active EAA-mediated inputs to the RVLM producing both direct excitation of RVLM vasomotor neurons and indirect inhibition of these neurons. On the basis of this model, we hypothesize that the balance between these EAA-driven direct excitatory and indirect inhibitory influences on the RVLM may be altered in models of experimental hypertension. To begin to test this hypothesis, the effects of injecting KYN into the RVLM of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) were compared. In chloralose-anesthetized WKY, bilateral injection of KYN into the RVLM did not alter arterial pressure, whereas similar injections in SHR reduced mean arterial pressure by ≈40 mm Hg. After inhibition of the caudal ventrolateral medulla, which similarly increased arterial pressure in both strains, injection of KYN into the RVLM reduced mean arterial pressure to the same level as produced by autonomic blockade. These results suggest that the balance of excitatory and inhibitory influences on RVLM vasomotor neurons driven by tonically active EAA-mediated inputs to the RVLM is disrupted in SHR and may contribute to the hypertension in SHR.
An acoustic lens design using the geometrical theory of diffraction

The design of an acoustic lens that reduces the diffraction spreading from an ultrasonic transducer to produce a narrow focused beam is proposed. The design is based upon a description of the radiated field using the geometrical theory of diffraction.
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND MEDICINE (ISSUE 7)

This is the seventh article on science, technology and medicine databases in a continuing series of articles summarising and commenting on new database products. Two companion articles, one covering social sciences and humanities, news and general (SSH) (Online & CDROMReview, vol. 20, no. 2) and the other covering business and law (BSL) (Online & CDROM Review, vol. 20, no. 3) will appear in the next two issues of this journal. The articles are based on the newly appearing database products in the Gale Directory of Databases. The Gale Directory of Databases (GDD) was created in January 1993 by merging Computer‐Readable Databases: A Directory and Data Sourcebook (CRD) together with the Directory of Online Databases (DOD) and the Directory of Portable Databases (DPD).
Discussion on: ''Parameter-Dependent Lyapunov Function Approach to Stability Analysis and Design for Uncertain Systems with Time-Varying Delay''

The paper by Cao and Xue considers the employment of the extended linear matrix inequality (LMI) approach of Oliveira et al. [1,2] to the stability analysis of linear systems with constant unknown parameters and time-varying delays. Both delay-independent and delay-dependent cases are considered. The extended LMI approach, incorporating additional instrumental matrix variables, opens the door to lower conservatism in the analysis of parameter-dependent systems as well as the synthesis of state-feedback controllers without requiring all plant polytope vertices to share the same Lyapunov matrix in the stability condition. The later point, of course, implies that quadratic stability is not required and thus the results obtained do not suffer from the conservatism that this assumption would induce for systems with constant parameters. Furthermore, at the price of introducing additional scalars ð", "dÞ and losing convexity of the analysis problem, synthesis results for state/delayed-state feedback are obtained. As in the finite-dimensional case, the extension of the LMIs for time delay systems can be readily done by introducing new vector variables for signals previously defined from the state (e.g. the state derivative), imposing an algebraic constraint on the vector variables to maintain the system dynamics, and applying Finsler’s lemma [2] (although the paper of Cao and Xue does not precisely follow this formulation). In summary, the paper brings together in an interesting and cogent fashion a number of disparate, recent approaches to systems analysis and controller design so as to tackle a particularly difficult problem in delay-differential systems theory. Of particular interest to the reader may be the development of stability conditions for both the delaydependent and delay-independent cases without any requirement on the rate of change of the delay via Lyapunov–Razumikhin functions. It is interesting to note that for the constant delay case, both the Lyapunov–Krasovskii and Lyapunov–Razumikhin LMI results can be reinterpreted in terms of a scaled small gain condition [3]. For the time-varying delay case,
From a sow's ear to a silk purse: real progress in porcine genomics.

An incredible amount of progress has occurred in the past decade since the pig genome map began to develop. The porcine genetic linkage map now has nearly 5,000 loci including several hundred genes, microsatellites and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers being added to the map. Thanks to somatic cell hybrid panels and then radiation hybrid panels the physical genetic map is also growing rapidly and now has over 4,000 genes and markers. Many quantitative trait loci (QTL) scans have been completed and together with candidate gene analyses have identified important chromosomal regions and individual genes associated with traits of economic interests. Using marker assisted selection (MAS) the commercial pig industry is actively using this information and traditional performance information to improve pig production. Large scale pig arrays are just now beginning to be used and co-expression of thousands of genes is now advancing our understanding of gene function. The pig's role in xenotransplantation and biomedical research makes the study of its genome important for the study of human disease. Sequencing of the pig genome appears on the near horizon. This commentary will discuss recent advances in pig genomics, directions for future research and the implications to both the pig industry and human health.
Differences in the toxicity and teratogenicity of cytochalasins D and E in various mouse strains.

Adult toxicity, embryo lethality, and teratogenicity of cytochalasins D and E (CD and CE) were determined for A/J, C57BL/6J, aeae, and OELN mouse strains. The adult LD50 for CD (1.9–2.6 mg/kg) and CE (3.1–3.3) were similar for the strains. Although adult LD50s were similar, the embryo lethality and teratogenicity of CD and CE vary from strain to strain when all were treated with intraperitoneal injections on days 7–9 of gestation. CD was more teratogenic than CE and frequently produced exencephaly while CE did not. CD was more teratogenic in OELN and aeae (ED50 ± 0.7 mg/kg) than in A/J or C57BL/6J (ED50 > 1.2 mg/kg). OELN fetuses were more resistant to lethal effects of CD than the other strains which had fetal LD50s ± 1.2 mg/kg maternal weight. The F1 fetuses of a cross of sensitive aeae and resistant C57BL/6J showed intermediate sensitivity to exencephaly. The results suggest a genetic contribution to the response and differences in action of CD and CE as teratogens.
"Be fruitful and multiply": genesis and generation in reformation Germany.

This essay analyzes vernacular texts on reproduction from sixteenth-century Germany. It examines religious texts, including sermons and devotional treatises for pregnant women, as well as medical texts, such as midwifery manuals, books on the "secrets of nature," and anatomical treatises. Vernacular authors, both medical and clerical, ascribed enormous spiritual and symbolic significance to human generation. Conception, pregnancy, and birth were linked to the biblical account of the creation and fall of mankind. In the creation of the child in the womb, sixteenth-century Germans saw an echo of the original divine act of creation. And in the sufferings of a woman in labor they saw a reenactment of Christ's Passion. Discussions of reproduction thus served as a starting point for meditations on original sin, human mortality, and the relationship between body and soul.
Theory of optical scintillation: Gaussian-beam wave model

Abstract A scintillation model previously developed by the authors is extended in this paper to the case of a propagating Gaussian-beam wave. As in the previous model, we account for the loss of spatial coherence as the optical wave propagates through atmospheric turbulence by eliminating effects of certain turbulent scale sizes that exist between the scale size of the spatial coherence radius of the beam and that of the scattering disc. These mid-range scale-size effects are eliminated through the formal introduction of spatial frequency filters that continually adjust spatial cut-off frequencies as the optical wave propagates. Unlike the previous model, in this paper we include the effect of a finite outer scale in addition to the inner scale. With a finite outer scale, the scintillation index can be substantially lower in strong turbulence than that predicted by a model with an infinite outer scale. This particular behaviour of scintillation in strong turbulence, mostly associated with horizontal paths...
Comparative in vitro study of contraceptive agents with anti-HIV activity : Gramicidin, nonoxynol-9, and gossypol

Gramicidin, a polypeptide antibiotic derived from Bacillus brevis, was compared in vitro with the established contraceptive virucidal agents nonoxynol-9 and gossypol for activity against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The effective antiviral 10 ng/ml concentration of gramicidin required for complete HIV inactivation was a thousand-fold lower than the dose observed for nonoxynol-9 or gossypol. Gramicidin, routinely used as a contraceptive agent in the former Soviet Union, should be considered for in vivo trials as a spermicide with potent antiviral activity.
LOD-based Clustering Techniques for Efficient Large-scale Terrain Storage and Visualization

Large multi-resolution terrain data sets are usually stored out-of-core. To visualize terrain data at interactive frame rates, the data needs to be organized on disk, loaded into main memory part by part, then rendered efficiently. Many main-memory algorithms have been proposed for efficient vertex selection and mesh construction. Organization of terrain data on disk is quite difficult because the error, the triangulation dependency and the spatial location of each vertex all need to be considered. Previous terrain clustering algorithms did not consider the per-vertex approximation error of individual terrain data sets. Therefore, the vertex sequences on disk are exactly the same for any terrain. In this paper, we propose a novel clustering algorithm which introduces the level-of-detail (LOD) information to terrain data organization to map multi-resolution terrain data to external memory. In our approach the LOD parameters of the terrain elevation points are reflected during clustering. The experiments show that dynamic loading and paging of terrain data at varying LOD is very efficient and minimizes page faults. Additionally, the preprocessing of this algorithm is very fast and works from out-of-core.© (2003) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Swell influence on ocean surface roughness and radar scattering from the ocean surface

Swell effects of surface roughness spectral properties, including their wind speed dependence and modification of components characterizing Bragg resonance and surface tilting in radar application, are investigated. Computations of radar cross sections are performed with four different spectral models with various degrees of swell consideration. Swell impact on the resulting radar return is illustrated.
Design space exploration of throughput-optimized arrays from recurrence abstractions (abstract only)

Many compute-bound software applications have seen order-of-magnitude speedups using application-specific accelerators built on specialized architectures such as field-programmable gate arrays. These architectures are particularly good at implementing systems of recurrence equations realized as systolic arrays. We pursue high-level synthesis tools for recurrence equations that can search the space of possible parallel array designs to optimize various design criteria. Most existing approaches produce an array that is latency-space optimal. We target applications that operate on a large collection of small inputs, e.g. a database of biological sequences. For these applications, overall throughput, rather than latency per input, is the most important measure of performance.In this work we introduce a new design space exploration procedure to optimize throughput of a systolic array subject to area and bandwidth constraints of an FPGA device. We show that the throughput of an array is dependent on the maximum number of lattice points executed by any processor in the array, which is determined solely by the array's projection vector. We describe a bounded search process to find throughput-optimized projection vectors, discovering a range of array designs that are optimal for inputs of various sizes.We have written a tool in C++ that accepts recurrence descriptions and produces throughput-optimized array mappings. We have applied our technique to the banded Smith-Waterman and Nussinov RNA folding algorithms, and present novel arrays that are 4-33x and 2-14x faster, respectively, than the currently-used latency-optimized array.
Transcriptional repressor BCL6 controls Th17 responses by controlling gene expression in both T cells and macrophages

The transcriptional repressor protein BCL6 regulates T cell differentiation by repressing Th2 responses and promoting follicular Th cell responses. However, little is known about the role of BCL6 in Th17 responses. We found that memory T cells from BCL6-deficient mice had increased IL-17 production. Additionally, BCL6 expression is upregulated in CD4 T cells cultured under Th17 conditions. T cells from BCL6-deficient mice showed defective Th17 differentiation and enhanced IL-4 production in vitro; however, normal Th17 differentiation was obtained with BCL6-deficient T cells under culture conditions when highly pure naive CD4 T cells were used, when IL-4 production was inhibited, or when TGF-beta levels were increased. Retrovirus-mediated expression of BCL6 in CD4 T cells repressed IL-4 and augmented basal IL-17 mRNA expression. These data support the idea that BCL6 promotes Th17 differentiation through suppression of Th2 differentiation. BCL6-deficient T cells transplanted into Rag1(-/-) mice produced wild-type levels of IL-17, indicating that, in vivo, BCL6-deficient T cells develop relatively normal Th17 responses. Macrophages from BCL6-deficient mice showed strikingly increased expression of the Th17-promoting cytokines IL-6, IL-23, and TGF-beta, and conditioned media from BCL6-deficient macrophages promoted augmented IL-17 expression by T cells. We propose that the increased Th17 activity in BCL6-deficient mice is due, in part, to BCL6-deficient macrophages promoting increased Th17 differentiation in vivo. T cells may require BCL6 for optimal Th17 differentiation; however, BCL6 function in macrophages critically regulates Th17 differentiation in vivo. We hypothesize that increased Th17 differentiation aggravates the severe Th2-type inflammatory disease in BCL6-deficient mice.
Treatment of Chemotherapy-Resistant Human Ovarian Cancer Xenografts in C.B-17/SCID Mice by Intraperitoneal Administration of Clostridium perfringens Enterotoxin

Ovarian cancer remains the most lethal gynecologic malignancy in the United States. Although many patients with advanced-stage disease initially respond to standard combinations of surgical and cytotoxic therapy, nearly 90% develop recurrence and inevitably die from the development of chemotherapy-resistant disease. The discovery of novel and effective therapy against chemotherapy-resistant/recurrent ovarian cancer remains a high priority. Using expression profiling, we and others have recently found claudin-3 and claudin-4 genes to be highly expressed in ovarian cancer. Because these tight junction proteins have been described as the low- and high-affinity receptors, respectively, for the cytotoxic Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (CPE), in this study we investigated the level of expression of claudin-3 and/or claudin-4 in chemotherapy-naive and chemotherapy-resistant primary human ovarian cancers as well as their sensitivity to CPE treatment in vitro. We report that 100% (17 of 17) of the primary ovarian tumors tested overexpress one or both CPE receptors by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR. All ovarian tumors showed a dose-dependent cytotoxic effect to CPE in vitro. Importantly, chemotherapy-resistant/recurrent ovarian tumors were found to express claudin-3 and claudin-4 genes at significantly higher levels when compared with chemotherapy-naive ovarian cancers. All primary ovarian tumors tested, regardless of their resistance to chemotherapeutic agents, died within 24 hours to the exposure to 3.3 microg/mL CPE in vitro. In addition, we have studied the in vivo efficacy of i.p. CPE therapy in SCID mouse xenografts in a highly relevant clinical model of chemotherapy-resistant freshly explanted human ovarian cancer (i.e., OVA-1). Multiple i.p. administration of sublethal doses of CPE every 3 days significantly inhibited tumor growth in 100% of mice harboring 1 week established OVA-1. Repeated i.p. doses of CPE also had a significant inhibitory effect on tumor progression with extended survival of animals harboring large ovarian tumor burdens (i.e., 4-week established OVA-1). Our findings suggest that CPE may have potential as a novel treatment for chemotherapy-resistant/recurrent ovarian cancer.
Ontogcnetic vertical migration in Sebastolobus altivelis as a mechanism for transport of particulate organic matter at continental slope depths

Ontogenetic vertical migration by a demersal fish inhabiting the continental slope off central California was studied as a mechanism for coupling transport of particulate matter between surface waters and the bathyal sea floor. We conducted a 1 -yr survey of Sebastolobus altivelis, a dominant demersal fish, over much of its depth range (400-1,600 m), with a camera sled and bottom trawl, This scorpaenid spawns gelatinous masses of eggs which Iloat to the surface. After hatching, S. altivelis has a protracted pelagic phase and settles as a benthic juvenile at a length of -55 mm. We determined the production of particulate organic matter (POM) in masses of eggs as a measure of the passive upward flux of POM, and the recruitment of POM by settling juveniles as a measure of active transport back to the sea floor. Upward and downward fluxes of particulate organic carbon (POC) associated with planktonic development and ontogenetic migration of S. a/live/is were 4.15.8 and 3.0-5.5 mg C m * yr-I. These upward and downward fluxes are lower by factors of - 10 and -104 than the reported passive upward and downward fluxes measured with particulate interceptor traps in the eastern North Pacific. These data suggest that at bathyal depths, it is unlikely that vertical ontogenetic migrations contribute > 1% to the POC flux reaching the deep-sea floor. The upward flux of POC as buoyant eggs could represent, however, a significant portion of the total upward Aux.
Static and dynamic analysis of space frames with non-linear flexible connections

This paper deals with the effect of non-linearly flexible hysteritic joints on the static and dynamic response of space frames. It is shown that a complementary energy approach based on a weak form of the compatibility condition as a whole of a frame member, and of the joint equilibrium conditions for the frame, is best suited for the analysis of flexibly jointed frames. The present methodology represents an extension of the authors' earlier work14 on rigidly connected frames. In the present case also, an explicit expression for the tangent stiffness matrix is given when (i) each frame member, along with the flexible connections at its ends, is represented by a single finite element, (ii) each member can undergo arbitrarily large rigid rotations and only moderate relative rotations and (iii) the non-linear bending–stretching coupling is accounted for in each member. Several examples, with both quasi-static and dynamic loading, are included, to illustrate the accuracy and efficiency of the developed methodology.
Genome-wide variation in recombination in female meiosis: a risk factor for non-disjunction of chromosome 21

Altered recombination patterns along non-disjoined chromosomes is the first molecular correlate identified for non-disjunction in humans. To understand better the factors related to this correlate, we have asked to what extent is recombination altered in an egg with a disomic chromosome: are patterns limited to the non-disjoined chromosome or do they extend to the entire cell? More specifically, we asked whether there is reduced recombination in the total genome of an egg with a non-disjoined chromosome 21 and no detectable recombination. We chose this subclass of non-disjoined chromosomes to enrich potentially for extremes in recombination. We found a statistically significant cell-wide reduction in the mean recombination rate in these eggs with non-disjoined chromosomes 21; no specific chromosomes were driving this effect. Most importantly, we found that this reduction was consistent with normal variation in recombination observed among eggs. Thus, given that recombination is a multifactorial trait, these data suggest that when the number of genome-wide recombination events is less than some threshold, specific chromosomes may be at an increased risk for non-disjunction. Further studies are required to confirm these results, to determine the importance of genetic and environmental factors that regulate recombination and to determine their impact on non-disjunction.
Laplacian spectra and spanning trees of threshold graphs

Abstract In this paper we study the Laplacian spectra, the Laplacian polynomials, and the number of spanning trees of a special class of graphs called threshold graphs. We give formulas for the Laplacian spectrum, the Laplacian polynomial, and the number of spanning trees of a threshold graph, in terms of so-called composition sequences of threshold graphs. It is shown that the degree sequence of a threshold graph and the sequence of eigenvalues of its Laplacian matrix are “almost the same”. On this basis, formulas are given to express the Laplacian polynomial and the number of spanning trees of a threshold graph in terms of its degree sequence. Moreover, threshold graphs are shown to be uniquely defined by their spectrum, and a polynomial time procedure is given for testing whether a given sequence of numbers is the spectrum of a threshold graph.
HYBRIDIZATION IN CHICKADEES: MUCH TO LEARN FROM FAMILIAR BIRDS

HYBRIDIZATION HAS LONG fascinated ornithologists, as evidenced by both foundational and recent publications in evolutionary and avian biology (Mayr 1963; Grant and Grant 1992, 1997; Gill 1998; Randler 2002), including frequent major contributions in The Auk. For example, work in the United States on the classic Great Plains hybrid zones involving orioles, flickers, buntings, and other taxa continues (e.g. Rising 1983, 1996; Moore and Koenig 1986; Moore and Price 1993; Baker and Johnson 1998; Allen and Omland 2003). Recent intensive work, taking advantage of the potential for direct measures of fitness that are possible when studying entire populations of Darwin's finches on small islands, is providing critical information about ecological and evolutionary consequences of introgressive hybridization (Grant and Grant 1994, 1996, 2002; Grant et al. 2005). Still other studies have focused on the potential for introgression to put species at risk of extinction (Rhymer and Simberloff 1996); research with this emphasis includes recent work, for example, on two pairs of North American wood warblers (Gill 1997, 2004; Rohwer and Wood 1998; Pearson 2000; Shapiro et al. 2004). An especially productive subset of hybridization work examines contact zones, geographic regions where otherwise separate populations overlap and interbreed (Moore 1977, Barton and Hewitt 1989, Harrison 1993). The parapatrically distributed Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) and Carolina Chickadee (P. carolinensis) have long been known to hybridize-to the chagrin of generations of birders, who often have a tough enough time telling these superficially similar species apart-but their contact
Dietary fat and not calcium supplementation or dairy product consumption is associated with changes in anthropometrics during a randomized, placebo-controlled energy-restriction trial

Insufficient calcium intake has been proposed to cause unbalanced energy partitioning leading to obesity. However, weight loss interventions including dietary calcium or dairy product consumption have not reported changes in lipid metabolism measured by the plasma lipidome. The objective of this study was to determine the relationships between dairy product or supplemental calcium intake with changes in the plasma lipidome and body composition during energy restriction. A secondary objective of this study was to explore the relationships among calculated macronutrient composition of the energy restricted diet to changes in the plasma lipidome, and body composition during energy restriction. Overweight adults (n = 61) were randomized into one of three intervention groups including a deficit of 500kcal/d: 1) placebo; 2) 900 mg/d calcium supplement; and 3) 3-4 servings of dairy products/d plus a placebo supplement. Plasma fatty acid methyl esters of cholesterol ester, diacylglycerol, free fatty acids, lysophosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine and triacylglycerol were quantified by capillary gas chromatography. After adjustments for energy and protein (g/d) intake, there was no significant effect of treatment on changes in weight, waist circumference or body composition. Plasma lipidome did not differ among dietary treatment groups. Stepwise regression identified correlations between reported intake of monounsaturated fat (% of energy) and changes in % lean mass (r = -0.44, P < 0.01) and % body fat (r = 0.48, P < 0.001). Polyunsaturated fat intake was associated with the % change in waist circumference (r = 0.44, P < 0.01). Dietary saturated fat was not associated with any changes in anthropometrics or the plasma lipidome. Dairy product consumption or calcium supplementation during energy restriction over the course of 12 weeks did not affect plasma lipids. Independent of calcium and dairy product consumption, short-term energy restriction altered body composition. Reported dietary fat composition of energy restricted diets was associated with the degree of change in body composition in these overweight and obese individuals.
Robustness of a feedback control scheme for plasma instabilities

The robustness of a feedback stabilization scheme using a feedback-modulated beam as a remote suppressor applied to a single plasma instability is investigated. The fluctuation level induced by the instability and its growth rate can be varied by changing experimental control parameters. The principal result is that the feedback scheme is robust, and that the robustness window can be increased by increasing the feedback gain. >
The effect of a simple educational intervention on interest in early abortion training among family medicine residents.

Abstract Objectives We aimed to assess the effect of an educational intervention on the interest in and support for abortion training among family medicine residents. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey before and after an educational lecture on medical and surgical abortion in primary care among 89 residents in 10 New Jersey family medicine programs. Results Before the lecture, there was more interest in medical abortion training than surgical abortion. Resident interest in surgical abortion and overall support for abortion training increased after the educational intervention (p Conclusions Efforts to develop educational programs on early abortion care may facilitate the integration of abortion training in family medicine.
Deletion of a consensus oestrogen response element half-site in the glucocorticoid receptor of human multiple myeloma

We have carried out molecular scanning of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) of the glucocorticoid resistant multiple myeloma cell line U266. An amplified fragment from the 3' untranslated region displayed an aberrant migration by PCR-single-stranded conformational polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) analysis. The mutant allele had a deletion of an 8 base pair sequence containing a half-site of an oestrogen response element. This motif was found conserved in rat GR. This same allele lacked four As in an upstream region with 18 consecutive As in the normal allele. These mutations may affect mRNA stability or alter interactions with regulatory factors.
Reduced Density Matrix Equations for Combined Instantaneous and Delayed Dissipation in Many-Atom Systems, and their Numerical Treatment

A many-atom system excited by light or by collisions, such as is found in the photo-excitation of a molecule adsorbed on a surface or in photosynthesis and vision, leads to energy dissipation on different time scales. A fast dissipation typically occurs due to electronic energy relaxation in the medium, while a slow (delayed) dissipation arises from vibrational energy relaxation. In what follows we briey present a reduced density matrix treatment based on a self-consistent coupling of primary and secondary regions which includes their time correlation, in a generalization valid for an active medium. We also describe a numerical procedure based on an extended Runge-Kutta algorithm which can be applied to systems undergoing simultaneous fast and slow rates of dissipation. We illustrate our treatment with a realistic model for an adsorbate on a solid surface, CO=Cu(001) photoexcited by a femtosecond pulse of light and relaxing by electronic and vibrational pathways. Results for the populations of vibronic states versus time show that they oscillate due to vibrational coupling through dissipative interaction with the substrate, and are therefore in coherent quantum states. The total populations of electronic states are however little affected by vibrational motions. The same formalism and numerical procedure can be followed for example in treatments of photoexcitation of chromophores in biomolecular systems.
Preventing hypothermia in trauma patients by microwave warming of IV fluids

Warming plastic bags containing intravenous solutions in a microwave oven (MWO) raised the temperature from 18 degrees C to an average of 34.1 degrees, 40.2 degrees, and 42.8 degrees C when treated for 120, 150, and 160 seconds, respectively. Fluids at 18 degrees C, when passed through a blood warmer, resulted in temperatures at the distal end (DE) of about 27 degrees C; but if the bags were priorly warmed to 42 degrees C, fluids arrived at the DE at a temperature of about 30 degrees C. Fluids heated by MWO to 42 degrees C through a single short tubing 180 cm long arrived at the DE at a temperature of 33.7 degrees C. Fluids administered at operating room ambient temperature of 18 degrees C arrived to the DE with a temperature of about 19 degrees C, thus most likely contributing to lowering the body temperature of traumatized patients treated with large volumes given at rapid flows. One group of 19 patients undergoing repair of injuries to extremities received infusions warmed by MWO to 42 degrees, while other groups received them at about 20 degrees. After an initial fall, average temperature in the former tended toward normal levels while in the latter, body temperature declined. The simple expedience of MWO warming of the bags to 42 degrees C, and flowing through shorter administration tubing, appears to ameliorate this complication and in some cases prevents it.
The Micropolitics of Change in the Battle Over Gay Marriage

The paper examines landmark Supreme Court decisions over the past three decades, showing the major shifts and continuities between a paradigm that outlawed gay marriage and a new one that accords to (many, though not all) gay married couples the benefits enjoyed by their heterosexual counterparts. It shows that the Supreme Court’s recent ruling allowing gay marriage represents not a wholesale overthrow of a paradigm but a reconfiguration of old and new themes governing jurisprudence on sexuality. Two key shifts stand at the center of this evolution: the conception of homosexuality as an identity, and the association of homosexuality and family life. This latter theme is significant; the comparison of cases shows that the court continues to accord the family a privileged position. The paper uses these findings to suggest areas of further research that will help show how slowly evolving discourses and networks effected these changes.
The totem of the tutelary spirit (mhondoro) and that of the clan of the Sokoto district

(1961). The totem of the tutelary spirit (mhondoro) and that of the clan of the Sokoto district. African Studies: Vol. 20, No. 4, pp. 214-216.
Reference Staffing: Common Practices of Medium-Sized Academic Libraries

In spring 2006,404 medium-sized academic libraries participated in a survey to determine their reference-staffing practices. A medium-sized academic library is one affiliated with a bachelor's degree granting institution where the FTE enrollment is 3,000-9,999. Libraries reported their type of service model, number of questions asked, number of staff, variety of service points, types of staff utilized, hours and other factors used to make staffing decisions. What are the staffing practices in reference departments at medium-sized academic libraries? How many reference and non-reference librarians are scheduled to work at reference service points? How many questions are typically asked during a week? Are students or support staff utilized? What type of model is most prevalent-one central desk with one librarian, several distributed desks with one or more staff members, a tiered service model or something else? What factors do reference managers consider when determining the hours and types of staff scheduled? These questions, and more, are explored in this report.
A numerical methodology for an aeroelastic SBLI flow

A novel concept termed Mesoflaps for Aeroelastic Transpiration (MAT) has the capability to control shock/boundary-layer interactions (SBLIs). The MAT concept consists of a matrix of small flaps (rigidly fixed at their upstream end and covering an enclosed cavity) which are designed to undergo local aeroelastic deflection to achieve proper mass bleed or injection when subjected to gas dynamic shock loads. To investigate the behavior of the MAT system, a coupled aeroelastic finite element scheme was developed. The technique uses an unstructured adaptive grid for both the flow domain and the solid domain and loose-coupling. Issues of optimum fluid cycles per aeroelastic iteration, under-relaxation, and mesh re-gridding vs. motion were considered in the context of the flap deflection. The aeroelastic convergence was significantly accelerated and improved by employing a number of such techniques.