cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Khayyam: a tunable spatial heterodyne spectrometer for observing diffuse emission line targets

We describe first results from a new instrument-telescope configuration that combines all of the capabilities necessary to obtain high resolving power visible band spectra of diffuse targets from small aperture telescopes where significant observing time can be obtained. This instrument –Khayyam- is a tunable all-reflective spatial heterodyne spectrometer (SHS) that is mounted to a fixed focal plane shared by the 0.6m Coude auxiliary telescope and the 3m Shane telescope on Mt. Hamilton. Khayyam has an up to 78 arcmin input field of view, resolving power up to 176000, and a tunable bandpass from 350-700 nm. It is being field tested for initial use to study spatially extended solar system targets where high resolving power is necessary to separate multimodal signals, crowded molecular bands, and to sample low velocities ( 14 N: 15 N and 12 C: 13 C in CN, along with the production rate and the production rate ratios of varies daughter species, particularly C 2 , C 3 , NH 2 , OI, and CN, as a function of heliocentric distance and time.
Photon sieve null corrector

We present the concept of using a photon sieve as an inexpensive null-corrector. A photon sieve is a diffractive element consisting of a large number of holes precisely positioned according to an underlying Fresnel Zone Plate geometry. Using diffraction theory we can enlarge the holes significantly beyond the width of a Fresnel zone such that more light is transmitted and greater efficiency is achieved. Added to this, modification of the equations used to generate the hole locations can also permit the construction of any desired wavefront instead of a simple infinite-conjugate ratio focusing optic. This makes it an ideal optic for testing larger components in a null-corrector configuration. In this talk we will present theoretical and experimental results from tests of this idea. These include the fabrication of a 0.1m diameter intensity photon sieve null-corrector specifically for testing a parabolic primary.
Exact slow-fast decomposition of the singularly perturbed matrix differential Riccati equation

In this paper the Hamiltonian matrix formulation of the Riccati equation is used to derive the reduced-order pure-slow and pure-fast matrix differential Riccati equations of singularly perturbed systems. These pure-slow and pure-fast matrix differential Riccati equations are obtained by decoupling the singularly perturbed matrix differential Riccati equation of dimension n"1+n"2 into the pure-slow regular matrix differential Riccati equation of dimension n"1 and the pure-fast stiff matrix differential Riccati equation of dimension n"2. A formula is derived that produces the solution of the original singularly perturbed matrix differential Riccati equation in terms of solutions of the pure-slow and pure-fast reduced-order matrix differential Riccati equations and solutions of two reduced-order initial value problems. In addition to its theoretical importance, the main result of this paper can also be used to implement optimal filtering and control schemes for singularly perturbed linear time-invariant systems independently in pure-slow and pure-fast time scales.
Histochemical changes in the developing abscission layer in fruits of Prunus cerasus L.

Abscission layer formation in the sour cherry (Prunus cerasus L.) during fruit maturation occurred in the transition zone between the fruit and the pedicel. The abscission layer, consisting of 5–8 rows of cells, was first identified by its low affinity for haematoxylin. The walls of cells in the abscission layer contained less total polysaccharides than adjacent cells. The pectins were degraded and the cellulose was partially broken down resulting in cell separation. The Ca level in the abscission zone decreased and Ca and Mg were lost from the walls of cells in the layer during abscission. After the abscission layer formed, cells associated with the layer had a lower capacity to bind 45Ca than cells distal or proximal to the layer.
Effects of quantal unit latency on statistics of Poisson and binomial neurotransmitter release mechanisms.

Linear random sum theory was used to develop statistics of corrected end-plate potential amplitudes for end-plate potentials composed of coincident (fixed latency model) and non-coincident (variable latency model) unit potentials using the Poisson and the binomial distributions for the neurotransmitter release mechanism. Equations were derived for the mean, variance, variance to mean ratio and coefficient of variation of corrected end-plate potential amplitudes. Analysis of neuromuscular transmission using these equations revealed the following: The mean quantal content of end-plate potentials formed from coincident unit potentials is to a good approximation linearly related to, and less than the quantal content of end-plate potentials formed from non-coincident unit potentials for both release mechanisms. As quantal content increases, the variance to mean ratio of corrected end-plate potential amplitudes formed from noncoincident unit potentials under a Poisson release mechanism initially decreases with increasing quantal content and then asymptotically approaches a constant value; whereas, the ratio is a continuously decreasing function of quantal content for a binomial release mechanism. For the Poisson release mechanism this ratio remains constant and equal to the mean unit amplitude for all values of quantal content when end-plate potentials are composed of coincident unit potentials, but the ratio remains a decreasing function of quantal content for a binomial release mechanism. For the Poisson release mechanism the coefficient of variation of corrected end-plate potential amplitudes formed from non-coincident unit potentials is smaller than the coefficient of variation of corrected amplitudes formed from coincident unit potentials; thus, the inverse of the square of the coefficient of variation is a better approximation for quantal content than the ratio of mean end-plate potential amplitude to mean unit amplitude. For the binomial release mechanism and large values of quantal content, the coefficient of variation of end-plate potentials is smaller than the respective coefficient of variation of end-plate potentials formed from coincident and non-coincident unit potentials for the Poisson release mechanism. Thus, for the binomial release mechanism and large quantal contents, the inverse of the square of the coefficient of variation yields a value of quantal content that is too large.
Effects of pravastatin on mediators of vascular function in a mouse model of soluble Fms-like tyrosine kinase-1-induced preeclampsia

Objective We sought to investigate the mechanisms of action by which pravastatin improves vascular reactivity in a mouse model of preeclampsia induced by overexpression of soluble Fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt)-1. Study Design Pregnant CD-1 mice were randomly allocated to tail vein injection with adenovirus carrying sFlt-1 or murine immunoglobulin G2 Fc (control), and thereafter to receive pravastatin (5 mg/kg/d) or water. Mice were sacrificed at gestational day 18. Protein expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1, and hemeoxygenase-1 were assayed by Western blot in aorta, liver, and kidneys. Serum total cholesterol concentrations were measured. Results Pravastatin up-regulated eNOS expression in the aorta of sFlt-1 mice by nearly 2-fold ( P = .005) to levels similar to control mice. Total cholesterol levels, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1, and hemeoxygenase-1 protein expression were similar across groups. Conclusion Pravastatin prevents vascular dysfunction in part by up-regulation of eNOS in the vasculature. Our data support a role for statins in preeclampsia prevention.
Drugability of extracellular targets: discovery of small molecule drugs targeting allosteric, functional, and subunit-selective sites on GPCRs and ion channels.

Beginning with the discovery of the structure of deoxyribose nucleic acid in 1953, by James Watson and Francis Crick, the sequencing of the entire human genome some 50 years later, has begun to quantify the classes and types of proteins that may have relevance to human disease with the promise of rapidly identifying compounds that can modulate these proteins so as to have a beneficial and therapeutic outcome. This so called ‘drugable space’ involves a variety of membrane-bound proteins including the superfamily of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), ion channels, and transporters among others. The recent number of novel therapeutics targeting membrane-bound extracellular proteins that have reached the market in the past 20 years however pales in magnitude when compared, during the same timeframe, to the advancements made in the technologies available to aid in the discovery of these novel therapeutics. This review will consider select examples of extracellular drugable targets and focus on the GPCRs and ion channels highlighting the corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) type 1 and γ-aminobutyric acid receptors, and the CaV2.2 voltage-gated ion channel. These examples will elaborate current technological advancements in drug discovery and provide a prospective framework for future drug development.
Global Tangles: Law, Headcoverings and Religious Identity

This paper argues that international human rights law is inadequate in understanding the complexities of Muslim women’s headcoverings and that it has failed to protect Muslim women from prohibitive and punitive measures of the liberal State. Through a review of the relevant cases from the European Court of Human Rights as well as a review of prohibitive laws from Muslim-majority Turkey, the paper argues that international human rights law is prejudiced to say the least, and, heeding Janet Halley’s advice, needs to take a break from feminism in order to fully protect Muslim women’s dignity as defined by Muslim women themselves.
New developments in high average power short-pulse induction accelerators for industrial and environmental applications

Abstract Short-pulse accelerator technology developed during the early 1960s through the late 1980s is being extended to high average power systems capable of use in industrial and environmental applications. Kilowatts to megawatts of beam power will be required for processes requiring high dose levels and/or high volume throughput systems. Accelerating potentials can range from less than 1 MV to as much as 10 MV depending on the type of beam, depth of penetration required, and the density of the product being treated. This paper addresses the status of a new family of high average power systems, with output beam power levels up to 300 kW, that use saturable core switches to achieve output pulse widths of 50 to 80 ns. Inductive adders and field emission cathodes are used to generate beams of electrons or X-rays at up to 2.5 MeV over areas of 1000 cm 2 . Similar high average power technology is being used at ≤ 1 MeV to drive repetitive ion beam sources for treatment of material surfaces over 100s of cm 2 .
The Impact of Hypercarbia on the Evolution of Brain Injury in the Setting of Traumatic Brain Injury and Systemic Hemorrhage

The Impact of Hypercarbia on the Evolution of Brain Injury in the Setting of Traumatic Brain Injury and Systemic Hemorrhage
Recent field results from the ERIM International M10 portable lidar

Wider use of lidar systems requires that they continue to become smaller, less expensive, and more reliable. To address this need, ERIM International has developed the M10 portable atmospheric lidar to measure aerosol profiles and cloud optical and physical properties. The system is based on a compact Nd:YAG laser and operates at either 532, 1064, or 1574 nm. The 1574 nm wavelength was added recently to address eye safety concerns. The system has been ruggedized for unattended field use and has been on several data collection campaigns recently. Date and analyses are presented from the Program for Regional Oxidants: Photochemistry, Emissions, and Transport Summer 1997 field study in Pellston, Michigan, and also from the Hyperspectral Day/Night Radiometry Assessment field study at Eglin AFB in Florida.
Inhibition of the glucocorticoid receptor expression by diverse tumor promoters in SENCAR mouse epidermis

Glucocorticoid hormones are very potent inhibitors of keratinocyte proliferation. Their function is mediated by the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) which is highly expressed in mouse epidermis. In the study reported here we compared the effect of 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) and non-phorbol ester tumor promoters such as okadaic acid, chrysarobin, and benzoyl peroxide on the levels of GR protein and mRNA in SENCAR mouse epidermis. Glucocorticoid binding assay and Northern blot analysis revealed that all four tumor promoters decreased both GR protein and mRNA levels in keratinocytes in vivo. We also found that TPA and okadaic acid inhibited GR expression in keratinocyte cell line. These results suggest that GR inhibition may play an important role in mouse skin hyperplasia and promotion of skin carcinogenesis.
Asymmetric synthesis of a CBI-based cyclic N-acyl O-amino phenol duocarmycin prodrug.

A short, asymmetric synthesis of a cyclic N-acyl O-amino phenol duocarmycin prodrug subject to reductive activation based on the simplified 1,2,9,9a-tetrahydrocyclopropa[c]benz[e]indol-4-one (CBI) DNA alkylation subunit is described. A key element of the approach entailed treatment of iodo-epoxide 7, prepared by N-alkylation of 6 with (S)-glycidal 3-nosylate, with EtMgBr at room temperature to directly provide the optically pure alcohol 8 in 78% yield (99% ee) derived from an effective metal–halogen exchange and subsequent regioselective intramolecular 6-endo-tet cyclization. Following O-debenzylation, introduction of a protected N-methylhydroxamic acid, direct trannannular spirocyclization, and subsequent stereoelectronically controlled acid-catalyzed cleavage of the resulting cyclopropane (HCl), further improvements in a unique intramolecular cyclization with N–O bond formation originally introduced for formation of the reductively labile prodrug functionality are detailed.
SU-FF-T-104: Simultaneous Boost and Skin Dose Toxicity Reduction for Breast Cancer Treatments Using IMRT and RapidArc

Purpose: To reduce the overall treatment fractions by about a week and minimize the skindose toxicity by treating stage I‐II breast cancer patients with IMRT and eventually RapidArc both, incorporating a simultaneous boost to the tumor bed. Background:Radiation therapy is prescribed to breast cancer patients after receiving a lumpectomy or mastectomy to remove canceroustissue. In the past, treatments using two 6MV tangential fields with wedges followed by an electron boost to the tumor bed have often resulted in unnecessary dose to unaffected tissue. As a consequence, patients experienced edema, pain, desquamation, discoloration, and other negative side‐effects. IMRT and RapidArc are treatment techniques where the dose can be tailored to the shape of the target, reducing the exposure of adjacent tissues to unnecessary radiation and potential damage. Methods and Materials:Skindose measurements using TLDs from 35 patients receiving conventional radiotherapy were collected over a period of 9 months. Seven 3×3×1 mm3TLD chips were placed on the 4 quadrants of a patient's breast and 3 on the inframmary fold. Same TLD arrangement was used for patients receiving IMRT or RapidArc which, in addition, incorporated a simultaneous boost of an additional ∼10Gy delivered to the tumor bed, within the regular 28 treatment sessions. Results: Preliminary data indicates percent differences of 4–20% less skindose on the IMRT/RapidArc cases, primarily in the inframammary fold region. Furthermore, our skindose data on the IMRT/RapidArc treatments indicates a strong correlation to the size and shape of the breast under treatment suggesting that patients with large breast may experience little skin sparing — confirming observations reported elsewhere. Dose to heart, lungs and contralateral breast were kept to a minimum. Conclusion: This work continues with more breast patients receiving IMRT or RapidArc, and thus far the data continues to support our preliminary observations.
Practice-led research and the future of the creative industries

ABSTRACTEngaging in forms of speculation, or risk-taking as it might well be called, is naturally common in the creative industries, given the creative focus of the industries themselves. Speculation, too, informs research, and academic research is frequently funded because of its potential for uncovering new knowledge, based on speculative endeavour. Practice-led research in universities — research, that is, through creative practice — has grown significantly over the past twenty years, yet its connections with the development of the creative industries has not been widely mapped or often closely considered. If we examine the current conditions of the world around us, examine key elements and themes, it is possible to imagine a future in which practice-led research in universities and the evolution of the creative industries will be closely linked. Perhaps this is not fantasy, but equally it will not happen unless we begin to consider what the relationship is between creative knowledge developed in unive...
Vote-Seeking Incentives and Legislative Representation in Six Presidential Democracies

Through the use of an original data set of bill initiation activity in six presidential democracies, we advance scholarly understanding of how the institutional incentives faced by legislative candidates influence representation. We extend and adapt theory, derived primarily from the experience of the U.S. Congress, demonstrating its viability, once assumed constants from the U.S. case are explicitly modeled, in quite distinct institutional contexts. In particular, we find the focus of individual legislators on national versus parochial concerns responds to the incentives provided by the candidate selection process, general election rules, legislator career patterns, and interbranch relations.
Commitment and Retention of Teachers in Urban Schools: Exploring the Role and Influence of Urban-Focused Preservice Programs: Introduction to This Special Issue

This article was downloaded by: [Andrews, Dorinda Carter]On: 6 August 2009Access details: Access Details: [subscription number 913690340]Publisher RoutledgeInforma Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House,37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK
Role of the dosR-dosS Two-Component Regulatory System in Mycobacterium tuberculosis Virulence in Three Animal Models†

The Mycobacterium tuberculosis dosR gene (Rv3133c) is part of an operon, Rv3134c-Rv3132c, and encodes a response regulator that has been shown to be upregulated by hypoxia and other in vitro stress conditions and may be important for bacterial survival within granulomatous lesions found in tuberculosis. DosR is activated in response to hypoxia and nitric oxide by DosS (Rv3132c) or DosT (Rv2027c). We compared the virulence levels of an M. tuberculosis dosR-dosS deletion mutant (dosR-dosS [dosR-S]), a dosR-complemented strain, and wild-type H37Rv in rabbits, guinea pigs, and mice infected by the aerosol route and in a mouse hollow-fiber model that may mimic in vivo granulomatous conditions. In the mouse and the guinea pig models, the dosR-S mutant exhibited a growth defect. In the rabbit, the dosR-S mutant did not replicate more than the wild type. In the hollow-fiber model, the mutant phenotype was not different from that of the wild-type strain. Our analyses reveal that the dosR and dosS genes are required for full virulence and that there may be differences in the patterns of attenuation of this mutant between the animal models studied.
Twenty-First Century Globalization: A New Development Era

The article argues that twenty-first century globalization is markedly different from twentieth century globalization and reviews the major changes. The discussion focuses on the portee of these changes for development policies and notes three trends: new industrializing countries in the global South have become drivers of the world economy; the agency of development shifts from metropolitan institutions to developing countries; and the pendulum swings from unfettered market forces to growing state coordination. The upshot of these changes is an era of growing development pluralism, with ramifications for international development cooperation. North–South relations, between industrialized and developing countries have long been of pivotal importance, but in the twenty-first century, the importance of North–South development cooperation is receding. At issue are two ruptures in the development field: the twenty-first century brings part of the developing world outside the grasp of Western institutions and ...
Early Adolescent Family Experiences and Perceived Social Support in Young Adulthood

Although the protective role of social support is well established in the health literature, antecedents of perceived social support are not well understood. Research on family experiential factors...
CosTLO: cost-effective redundancy for lower latency variance on cloud storage services

We present CosTLO, a system that reduces the high latency variance associated with cloud storage services by augmenting GET/PUT requests issued by end-hosts with redundant requests, so that the earliest response can be considered. To reduce the cost overhead imposed by redundancy, unlike prior efforts that have used this approach, CosTLO combines the use of multiple forms of redundancy. Since this results in a large number of configurations in which CosTLO can issue redundant requests, we conduct a comprehensive measurement study on S3 and Azure to identify the configurations that are viable in practice. Informed by this study, we design CosTLO to satisfy any application's goals for latency variance by 1) estimating the latency variance offered by any particular configuration, 2) efficiently searching through the configuration space to select a cost-effective configuration among the ones that can offer the desired latency variance, and 3) preserving data consistency despite CosTLO's use of redundant requests. We show that, for the median PlanetLab node, CosTLO can halve the latency variance associated with fetching content from Amazon S3, with only a 25% increase in cost.
External representations in ubiquitous computing design and the implications for design tools

One challenge for ubiquitous computing is providing appropriate tools for professional designers, thus leading to stronger user-valued applications. Unlike many previous tool-builders' attempts to support a specific technology, we take a designer-centered stance, asking the question: how do professional designers externalize ideas for off-the-desktop computing and how do these inform next generation design tools? We report on interviews with designers from various domains, including experience, interaction, industrial, and space designers. The study broadly reveals perceived challenges of moving into a non-traditional design medium, emphasizes the practice of storytelling for relating the context of interaction, and through two case studies, traces the use of various external representations during the design progression of ubicomp applications. Using paperprototyped "walkthroughs" centered on two common design representations (storyboards and physical simulations), we formed a deeper understanding of issues influencing tool development. We offer guidelines for builders of future ubicomp tools, especially early-stage conceptual tools for professional designers to prototype applications across multiple sensors, displays, and physical environments.
Simulation of Electrochemical MHD induced Flow in a Microfluidic Cell without Channels

Numerical simulations of electrochemical magnetohydrodynamics (ECMHD) in a microfluidic cell without channels and having four floor-mounted microband electrodes were performed. Capabilities of the present simulations not available in simulations using other software platforms are highlighted. High resolutions results of the three-dimensional transient simulations are presented with special emphasis on the flow features. The flow field results demonstrate the feasibility of using electrode voltage biasing as a suitable parameter for flow control.
The Effect of Poststenotic Vessel Wall Compliance upon the Pulsus Tardus Phenomenon

Recent studies have investigated the detection of significant arterial stenoses through identification of the "pulsus tardus" phenomenon in Doppler waveforms obtained distal to the stenosis. The etiology of this phenomenon, however, has not yet been determined. Using an in vitro model based upon an electrical circuit analogy, the authors had as their objective to determine whether the compliance of the vessel wall immediately distal to a stenosis, in conjunction with the stenosis, is the cause of pulsus tardus. For a constant stenosis, it was found that the degree of pulsus tardus, as quantitated by the acceleration index, increased as the compliance of the poststenotic segment increased. It is concluded that pulsus tardus distal to an arterial stenosis is likely due to the compliance of the normally distensible artery, in conjunction with the stenosis. Pathological conditions that alter the compliance of the poststenotic segment may affect the degree of pulsus tardus, perhaps limiting its usefulness for ...
Alignment of an Alternate Assessment with State Academic Standards Evidence for the Content Validity of the Wisconsin Alternate Assessment

In this article, the authors describe an alignment and content analysis of the Wisconsin Alternate Assessment (WAA) for students with disabilities. The WAA is an assessment of the academic performance of students with significant disabilities and is an alternative to the traditional on-demand achievement test. Alternate assessments like the WAA are required by federal law and are expected to be aligned with state content standards. The primary purpose of this investigation was to determine the extent to which the WAA adequately measured the concepts and skill areas represented in Wisconsin's Model Academic Standards. The ratings of an expert panel (N = 10) that participated in the WAA Alignment Institute provided data regarding the alignment of WAA items to the standards. The expert panel's responses indicated that the WAA generally meets the multifaceted criteria developed by Webb (1997) and advocated by Title I reviewers for acceptable alignment between assessments and curriculum expectations as articul...
Therapeutic Targeting of Autophagy: Potential and Concerns in Treating Cardiovascular Disease

Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved process by which long-lived proteins and organelles are sequestered by autophagosomes and subsequently degraded by lysosomes for recycling. Autophagy is important for maintaining cardiac homeostasis and is a survival mechanism that is upregulated during stress or starvation. Accumulating evidence suggests that dysregulated or reduced autophagy is associated with heart failure and aging. Thus, modulating autophagy represents an attractive future therapeutic target for treating cardiovascular disease. Activation of autophagy is generally considered to be cardioprotective, whereas excessive autophagy can lead to cell death and cardiac atrophy. It is important to understand how autophagy is regulated to identify ideal therapeutic targets for treating disease. Here, we discuss the key proteins in the core autophagy machinery and describe upstream regulators that respond to extracellular and intracellular signals to tightly coordinate autophagic activity. We review various genetic and pharmacological studies that demonstrate the important role of autophagy in the heart and consider the advantages and limitations of approaches that modulate autophagy.
Forage Availability for White-Tailed Deer Following Silvicultural Treatments in Hardwood Forests

Closed-canopy upland hardwood stands often lack diverse understory structure and composi- tion, limiting available nutrition for white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) as well as nesting and foraging structure for other wildlife. Various regeneration methods can positively influence understory development; however, non-commercial strategies are needed to improve available nutrition in many stands, as some contain timber that is not ready to harvest and others are owned by landowners who are not interested in harvesting timber. Applications of herbicide and prescribed fire have improved availability of food and cover for deer and other wildlife in pine (Pinus spp.) systems. However, this strategy has not been evaluated in hardwood systems. To evaluate the influence of fire and herbicide treatments on available deer forage in upland hardwood systems, we measured forage availability and calculated nutritional carrying capacity (NCC) at 14% crude protein mixed diet, following 7 silvicultural treatments, including controls, in 4 mixed upland hardwood stands July-September 2007 and 2008. We compared NCC among forest treatments and within 4 paired warm-season forage food plots to evaluate the usefulness of food plots in areas where forests are managed. Nutritional carrying capacity estimates (deer days/ha) were greatest following canopy reduction with prescribed fire treatments in both years. Understory herbicide application did not affect species composition or NCC 1 year or 2 years post-treatment. Production of forage plantings exceeded that of forest treatments both years with the exception of early-maturing soybeans and retention cut with fire 2 years post-treatment. We encourage land managers to use canopy reducing treatments and low-intensity pre- scribed fire to increase available nutrition and improve available cover where needed in upland hardwood systems. In areas where deer density may limit understory development, high-quality forage food plots may be used to buffer browsing while strategies to reduce deer density and stimulate the forest understory are implemented. 2011 The Wildlife Society.
Stimulus- and response-locked neuronal generator patterns of auditory and visual word recognition memory in schizophrenia

Examining visual word recognition memory (WRM) with nose-referenced EEGs, we reported a preserved ERP 'old-new effect' (enhanced parietal positivity 300-800 ms to correctly-recognized repeated items) in schizophrenia ([Kayser, J., Bruder, G.E., Friedman, D., Tenke, C.E., Amador, X.F., Clark, S.C., Malaspina, D., Gorman, J.M., 1999. Brain event-related potentials (ERPs) in schizophrenia during a word recognition memory task. Int. J. Psychophysiol. 34(3), 249-265.]). However, patients showed reduced early negative potentials (N1, N2) and poorer WRM. Because group differences in neuronal generator patterns (i.e., sink-source orientation) may be masked by choice of EEG recording reference, the current study combined surface Laplacians and principal components analysis (PCA) to clarify ERP component topography and polarity and to disentangle stimulus- and response-related contributions. To investigate the impact of stimulus modality, 31-channel ERPs were recorded from 20 schizophrenic patients (15 male) and 20 age-, gender-, and handedness-matched healthy adults during parallel visual and auditory continuous WRM tasks. Stimulus- and response-locked reference-free current source densities (spherical splines) were submitted to unrestricted Varimax-PCA to identify and measure neuronal generator patterns underlying ERPs. Poorer (78.2+/-18.7% vs. 87.8+/-11.3% correct) and slower (958+/-226 vs. 773+/-206 ms) performance in patients was accompanied by reduced stimulus-related left-parietal P3 sources (150 ms pre-response) and vertex N2 sinks (both overall and old/new effects) but modality-specific N1 sinks were not significantly reduced. A distinct mid-frontal sink 50-ms post-response was markedly attenuated in patients. Reductions were more robust for auditory stimuli. However, patients showed increased lateral-frontotemporal sinks (T7 maximum) concurrent with auditory P3 sources. Electrophysiologic correlates of WRM deficits in schizophrenia suggest functional impairments of posterior cortex (stimulus representation) and anterior cingulate (stimulus categorization, response monitoring), primarily affecting memory for spoken words.
Mechanisms of sex and age differences in ventricular repolarization in humans.

Introduction Corrected QT interval (QTc) is shorter in postpubertal men than in women; however, QTc lengthens as men age and testosterone levels decrease. Animal studies have demonstrated that testosterone decreases L-type calcium current and increases slow delayed rectifier potassium current; however, it is not known how these contribute to QTc differences by sex and age in humans. We separately analyzed early versus late repolarization duration and performed simulations of the effect of testosterone on the electrocardiogram (ECG) to examine the mechanism of sex and age differences in QTc in humans. Methods Twelve-lead ECGs from 2,235 healthy subjects (41% women) in Thorough QT studies were analyzed to characterize sex- and age-dependent differences in depolarization (QRS), early repolarization (J-T peak ), and late repolarization (T peak -T end ). In addition, we simulated the effects of testosterone on calcium current, slow delayed rectifier potassium current, and surface ECG intervals. Results QTc was shorter in men than in women (394 ± 16 vs 408 ± 15 milliseconds, P P P P Conclusion Shorter QTc in men compared to women is explained by shorter early repolarization, and this difference decreases with age. These sex and age differences in repolarization appear to be caused by testosterone effects on calcium current.
Use of blind equalization for teletext broadcast systems

A new application of blind equalization that appears to ameliorate the delays and improve the reliability of teletext systems is presented. The compatibility with the existing TV system and the cost-effectiveness of this application were considered for practical purposes. Equalizer adaptation does not require a knowledge of the transmitted data sequence or carrier phase recovery. Therefore, a reduction in the existing teletext circuitry has been achieved. In addition, the proposed quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) modulation scheme doubles the teletext data transmission rate and uses the allocated TV bandwidth efficiently. The performance of the proposed blind equalizer has been evaluated in the presence of a multipath broadcast channel. Simulations have shown that substantial improvements are observed in the bit-error-rates for both two-phase PSK and QPSK modulation schemes. >
Intelligent Web topics search using early detection and data analysis

Topic-specific search engines that offer users relevant topics as search results have recently been developed. However, these topic-specific search engines require intensive human efforts to build and maintain. In addition, they visit many irrelevant pages. In our project, we propose a new approach for Web topics search. First, we do early detection for "candidate topics" while extracting words from the HTML text. Secondly, we perform data analysis on the appearance information such as appearance times and places for candidate topics. By these two techniques, we can reduce candidate topics' crawling times and computing cost. Analysis of the results and the comparisons with related research will be made to demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach.
Why Tropical Sea Surface Temperature is Insensitive to Ocean Heat Transport Changes

Previous studies have shown that increases in poleward ocean heat transport (OHT) do not strongly affect tropical SST. The goal of this paper is to explain this observation. To do so, the authors force two atmospheric global climatemodels (GCMs)in aquaplanet configuration with a varietyof prescribed OHTs. It is found that increased OHT weakens the Hadley circulation, which decreases equatorial cloud cover and shortwave reflection, as well as reduces surface winds and evaporation, which both limit changes in tropical SST. The authors also modify one of the GCMs by alternatively setting the radiative effect of clouds to zero and disabling wind-driven evaporation changes to show that the cloud feedback is more important than the wind‐ evaporation feedback for maintaining constant equatorial SST as OHT changes. This work highlights the fact that OHT can reduce the meridional SST gradient without affecting tropical SST and could therefore serve as an additional degree of freedom for explaining past warm climates.
Comments on Buzan et al. “Positive Relationships between Freshwater Inflow and Oyster Abundance in Galveston Bay, Texas”

Buzan et al. critique Turner’s (Estuaries and Coasts 29:345–352, 2006) analysis of the relationship between freshwater inflow and oyster productivity in the Gulf of Mexico, using 16 years of fisheries-independent data for Galveston Bay. They conclude that the catch-per-unit effort (CPUE; number h−1) of marketable oysters increase 1 to 2 years after years with increased freshwater inflows, and they express concerns that water supply managers may mis-apply the results of Turner (Estuaries and Coasts 29:345–352, 2006) to justify a reduced freshwater inflow to Galveston Bay. I find no relationship between the CPUE of oyster spat or marketable oyster density and the commercial harvest, but do find a strong inverse relationship between harvest and river discharge in Galveston Bay. There are three possible factors that may explain why the annual variations in the fisheries-independent data are not coherent with the annual variations in commercial harvest: variable levels of water quality, inconsistent fishing effort, and the fact that the fisheries-independent data are not prorated for the area of the reefs actually fished. I concur, completely, with the apprehension that reductions in freshwater inflow will be implemented without examining the full set of assumptions and consequences, and thereby compromise estuarine ecosystem quality, and perhaps permanently, before mistakes can be seen or reversed.
President's page: the state of cardiology is sound: a president's perspective on leaving office.

![Figure][1] Ralph G. Brindis, MD, MPH, FACC ACC President “We understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the fainthearted …” —President Barack Obama's January 2009
Direct Database Searching Using Tandem Mass Spectra of Peptides

Publisher Summary This chapter describes a procedure for direct protein and nucleotide database searching using tandem mass spectra of peptides. The ability to match tandem mass spectra to sequences in protein or nucleotide databases allows accurate and high throughput identification of peptides and proteins. Most mass spectrometers can convert proprietary data file formats to a form that can be used by the database search programs or the search programs can read the formats directly. The next task calculates the molecular weight of the peptide based on its precursor m / z value. A search of the database involves scanning each entry to find linear combinations of amino acids, proceeding from the N to the C terminus, that are within some tolerance of the mass of the peptide represented by the tandem mass spectrum. Sequence selection can also be guided by the cleavage specificity of the protease used to create the peptide, including consideration of incompletely digested peptides from either side of the primary sites, or it can be performed with no assumptions about how the peptide was created.
Targeting p53 in CML Chronic Phase Leukemia Stem Cells

Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is a hematological disease resulting from generation of BCR/ABL oncogene. Resveratrol is an important phytoalexin which is contained in many plants and it has cytotoxic effects in various cancer types. Gene promoter methylation causes loss of tumor suppressor gene function in human cancer. CHD4 (Chromodomain/Helicase/DNAbinding domain) gene which contains a CpG island is a member of the cadherin family. In this study we aimed to evaluate the role of epigenetic modification of resveratrol in cadherin family genes in K562 human CML cell line. K562 cells were treated with 100 mM (IC50 dose) resveratrol depend on time and dosage during 72 hours and cytotoxicity was evaluated by using WST-1 assay. The RT-qPCR is used for gene expression analysis. Gene expression levels were evaluated by using RT Profiler PCR Array. RT-qPCR results showed that, CHD4 gene expression increased 3.45 fold, according to the control cells that untreated with resveratrol. Significant upregulation was found in CHD4 gene expression among the cadherin family genes in resveratrol treated K562 cells. CHD4 is affected by methylation and frequently is silenced in CML. Downregulation of CHD4 gene expression could trigger activation of the Wnt-pathway and cause aberant cell-to-cell interactions. After treatment with the resveratrol in K562 cells, CHD4 gene expression was upregulated. Resveratrol could increase the cadherin family gene expressions and activation of the Wntpathway is blocked in CML. Also, resveratrol could demethylate CpG island in CHD4 promoter region and increase CHD4 gene expression. Our results indicate that resveratrol may act as a demethylation agent on the promoter of tumor supresor genes such as CHD4 and increase the expression of these genes. Therefore, resveratrol could be used as a pioneering anti-tumorigenesis drug in CML. 411 Targeting p53 in CML Chronic Phase Leukemia Stem Cells Luke F. Peterson, Miao-Chia Lo, Yihong Lui, Diane Gianolla, Emilija Mitrikeska, Nicholas J. Donato, Craig N. Johnson, Shaomeng Wang, Jessica Mercer, Moshe Talpaz Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Moores UCSD Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; DNA Sequencing and Microarray Core, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Medicinal Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
PERSPECTIVES FROM THE FIELD: The National Environmental Policy Act in the Ninth Circuit: Once the Leader, Now the Follower?

Precisely what is the relationship between the developing jurisprudence of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the most renowned “baby” NEPA? What is the societal and environmental value of the current legal structure of these two statutory behemoths both individually and conjunctionally considered? Endeavoring to answer these questions, this study analyzes all published opinions from the First, Ninth, and Eleventh United States Circuit Courts of Appeals during a fifteen year study period (1997 to 2012), where plaintiffs challenged the validity of a federal agency’s compliance with NEPA. It reveals not only that CEQA jurisprudence has strayed from that of NEPA, despite being modeled after it, but, even more astounding, that NEPA jurisprudence of the Ninth Circuit, the federal appellate court that includes California, is following CEQA’s blatant divergence from NEPA as practiced in the rest of the country, creating a fundamentally different version of NEPA applicable only to the Western states. The study concludes by calling on the Council on Environmental Quality to update its NEPA regulations to provide a more clear explanation of the statute’s mandates, including clear direction on how federal agencies should accomplish these mandates.Environmental Practice 16: 329–334 (2014)
Slave Over Master in Colonial Colombia and Ecuador

The social milieu in which slavery took place in Latin America, especially colonial Colombia and Ecuador, was markedly different than in Brazil, the Caribbean, or the thirteen colonies. Paternalistic attitudes of church and government, protective legislation, a slow, even stagnant, pace of economic development and other factors created a situation which a knowledgeable and enterprising slave could often turn to his advantage and even manipulate. From the beginning the Catholic Church took the position that slavery was a contractual arrangement whereby the slave placed his time and the result of his labor at the disposal of his master, but that he remained a human being with certain innate rights: the right to life, limb, body and reputation. A master could not keep his slaves from marrying, for example, for to do so deprived him of the rights of the body. For a violation of any of these rights the master must make restitution to the slave, as if he were a free man. Moreover, in Catholic theology the soul of the black man was equally as important as the soul of any human being.
Metabolic network structure and function in bacteria goes beyond conserved enzyme components

For decades, experimental work has laid the foundation for our understanding of the linear and branched pathways that are integrated to form the metabolic networks on which life is built. Genetic and biochemical approaches applied in model organisms generate empirical data that correlate genes, gene products and their biological activities. In the post-genomic era, these results have served as the basis for the genome annotation that is routinely used to infer the metabolic capabilities of an organism and mathematically model the presumed metabolic network structure. At large, genome annotation and metabolic network reconstructions have demystified genomic content of non-culturable microorganisms and allowed researchers to explore the breadth of metabolisms in silico. Mis-annotation aside, it is unclear whether in silico reconstructions of metabolic structure from component parts accurately captures the higher levels of network organization and flux distribution. For this approach to provide accurate predictions, one must assume that the conservation of metabolic components leads to conservation of metabolic network architecture and function. This assumption has not been rigorously tested. Here we describe the implications of a recent study (MBio 5;7(1): e01840-15), which demonstrated that conservation of metabolic components was not sufficient to predict network structure and function.
Improved 6-Plex Tandem Mass Tags Quantification Throughput Using a Linear Ion Trap-High-Energy Collision Induced Dissociation MS(3) Scan.

The use of tandem mass tags (TMT) as an isobaric labeling strategy is a powerful method for quantitative proteomics, yet its accuracy has traditionally suffered from interference. This interference can be largely overcome by selecting MS2 fragment precursor ions for high-energy collision induced dissociation (HCD) MS3 analysis in an Orbitrap scan. While this approach minimizes the interference effect, sensitivity suffers due to the high AGC targets and long acquisition times associated with MS3 Orbitrap detection. We investigated whether acquiring the MS3 scan in a linear ion trap with its lower AGC target would increase overall quantification levels with a minimal effect on precision and accuracy. Trypsin-digested proteins from Saccharomyces cerevisiae were tagged with 6-plex TMT reagents. The sample was subjected to replicate analyses using either the Orbitrap or the linear ion trap for the HCD MS3 scan. HCD MS3 detection in the linear ion trap vs Orbitrap increased protein identification by 66% with mi...