cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Immunologic monitoring in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is characterized by progressive defects in humoral- and cell-mediated immunity. These defects are manifested as a propensity to develop infections with encapsulated bacteria, and less frequently, with gram-negative enterics. In addition, reactivation of viruses such as herpesvirus is not uncommon. Treatment of the disease further exacerbates immunosuppression by depleting immune effectors and broadening the spectrum of potentially offending pathogens. Risk of infection can potentially be reduced by administration of intravenous immunoglobulin and use of prophylactic antibiotics for individuals who are at high risk. Current work focuses on development of cellular and cytokine therapy to facilitate immune reconstitution in patients with CLL, thereby reducing morbidity and mortality and potentially improving survival.
The safety of adenosine pharmacologic stress testing in patients with first-degree atrioventricular block in the presence and absence of atrioventricular blocking medications.

Pharmacologic stress testing in conjunction with radionuclide myocardial perfusion imaging may be used in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease and risk assessment. Adenosine can cause atrioventricular nodal (AV) block during infusion. In this study, we evaluated whether patients with baseline first-degree AV block could safely undergo adenosine stress testing. We evaluated the frequency of second-and third-degree AV block in patients with baseline first-degree AV block during adenosine stress testing, in the presence and absence of AV blocking medications (digitalis, β-blockers, diltiazem, verapamil). Six hundred consecutive patients underwent pharmacologic stress myocardial perfusion imaging with adenosine infusion at 140 μg/kg/min for 6 minutes. A total of 43 patients (7.16%) had baseline first-degree AV block (PR interval >200 msec), and 557 patients had a baseline, PR interval 240 msec, compared with 58 of 557 patients (10.4%) in the control group (P<.0001). In 16 of the 43 patients (37.3%), second-degree AV block developed, compared with 45 of 557 patients (8.0%) in the control group (P<.0001). In 6 of the 43 patients (13.9%), third-degree AV block developed, compared with 6 of 557 patients (1.0%) in the control group (P<.0001). All types of AV block were short duration and were not associated with any specific symptoms. None of these episodes required specific treatment. The presence of AV blocking medications (digitalis, β-blockers, diltiazem, verapamil) did not increase the incidence of AV block during adenosine infusion. In patients with baseline PR interval of more than 200 msec, the frequency of second- and third-degree AV block during adenosine stress testing was significantly higher than in patients with a normal baseline PR interval. AV blocking medications did not increase the incidence of second- and third-degree AV block during adenosine stress testing. We conclude that it is safe to perform adenosine pharmacologic stress testing in patients with baseline PR prolongation.
Partitioning of host and recombinant cells in aqueous two‐phase polymer systems

The separation of host and recombinant Escherichia coli bacterial cells has been studied using the surface-sensitive technique of partitioning in aqueous two-phase polymer systems. Experiments were designed to probe charge-and hydrophobicity-related property differences of antibiotic-resistant recombinant cells and their antibiotic-sensitive hosts. Differential partitioning was observed in both charge-sensitive and non-charge-sensitive phase systems for three host-recombinant cell systems, but the non-charge-related effects appear to have a greater impact on partitioning behavior. This result suggests that plasmid-encoded products related to antibiotic resistance modify the surface hydrophobicity of the E. coli bacterial cell and that these differences can be exploited for cell separation.
Comparison of ultralow specific on-resistance UMOSFET structures: the ACCUFET, EXTFET, INVFET, and conventional UMOSFET's

Three new ultralow specific on-resistance, vertical channel, power UMOSFET structures, with a trench (UMOS) gate extending all the way between N/sup +/ source and the N/sup +/ substrate (drain), are compared with the conventional UMOSFET structure. Specific on-resistances in the range of 100-250 /spl mu//spl Omega/cm/sup 2/ have been experimentally demonstrated for devices capable of supporting 25 V. This is due to current conduction via an accumulation and/or inversion layer formed under gate bias along the trench gate surface, resulting in the lowest specific on-resistance ever reported. >
Zinc coordination environments in proteins determine zinc functions

Abstract Estimates of the number of zinc proteins in humans are now possible and a functional annotation of the zinc proteome can begin. The catalytic and structural roles of zinc in hundreds of enzymes and thousands of so-called “zinc finger” protein domains have provided a molecular basis for the numerous biological functions of this essential element. Additional, regulatory functions of zinc/protein interactions are being recognized. They include roles of the zinc ion in signal transduction, in controlling the architecture of protein complexes, and in redox-active zinc sites, where the binding and release of zinc is under redox control. Moreover, a considerable number of proteins participate in cellular zinc homeostasis, e.g. membrane transporters, and cellular storage, sensor, and trafficking proteins. These proteins have evolved with mechanisms to handle zinc ions rather specifically and selectively. They perform their functions with a remarkably modest set: One redox state of the zinc ion and nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur ligands from the side chains of histidine, glutamate/aspartate, and cysteine, respectively. By permutation of the ligands in this set, the functional potential of the zinc ion has been fully explored. Different coordination environments modulate the chemical characteristics of the zinc ion, control the kinetics of its binding, and allow it to be either metabolically active or inert. Insights into all these functions are building an understanding of why zinc is so critical for such a multitude of life processes.
Comparison of Standard-Dose vs Low-Dose Attenuation Correction CT on Image Quality and Positron Emission Tomographic Attenuation Correction

Objective To determine if low-dose attenuation correction computed tomography (CTAC) 1) provides images with acceptable anatomic definition and noise compared with standard-dose CTAC and 2) provides acceptable positron emission tomographic attenuation correction. Methods Positron emission tomography/computed tomography was performed on 78 patients. Forty-three patients underwent CTAC with tube current based on a standard weight-based scale. A second group of 35 patients underwent CTAC with tube current based on a low-dose weight-based scale. In a blinded review, two radiologists rated each examination for anatomic definition and image noise at 4 major anatomic levels using a 5-point scale. To evaluate for correct positron emission tomographic attenuation correction at the standard and reduced radiation doses on CTAC, water phantom studies using both imaging techniques were performed and compared. Results Patients who underwent low-dose CTAC received a mean 60.6% reduction in radiation dose compared with those who underwent standard-dose CTAC ( P P P Conclusion Low-dose CTAC significantly reduced the effective dose while providing optimal positron emission tomographic attenuation correction. However, because of decreased image quality, low-dose CTAC was not acceptable for diagnostic interpretation.
Simultaneous propagation of magnetostatic and spin-elastic waves in nonellipsoidal ferrimagnets

Spin-wave propagation parallel to the static biasing field is considered in the presence of magnetostatic boundary effects for a saturated nonellipsoidal ferrimagnet. It is shown that two principal branches exist in the delay-field characteristics, over the same biasing range, with delay decreasing monotonically with applied field. The predominantly magnetostatic branch is related to the experiments of Kedzie, the coupling mechanisms of wire antennas to spin waves, and observations on magnetostatic-mode parametric amplifiers.
Depressive Symptoms in Children and Adolescents With Cancer: A Longitudinal Study

Seventeen adolescent oncology patients and 21 childhood oncology patients were administered a self-report inventory of depression and a self-report psychosocial life events inventory three times at 4-month intervals over a 1-year period. The adolescent oncologic sample had a mean level of depressive symptoms that did not differ from a general population sample of adolescents. The childhood oncologic sample had a mean level of depressive symptoms significantly lower than the reported mean of depressive symptoms for a general population sample of the same age. Depressive symptoms were highly related to psychosocial life events, but except for number of hospitalizations in the childhood oncologic sample, depressive symptoms were unrelated to the course of the oncologic illness.
Antiferromagnetic and paramagnetic specific heat of NiCl2 · 4H2O☆

Abstract An antiferromagnetic-paramagnetic transition at 2.99 ± 0.01°K in NiCl 2 ·4H 2 O has been observed by means of single crystal specific heat measurements from 0.85 to 25°K. The results also indicate that the triplet ground state of the Ni ++ ion is split, with a singlet 11.5°K above a closely spaced doublet.
Towards a handheld stereo projector system for viewing and interacting in virtual worlds

We present a proof-of-concept implementation of a handheld stereo projection display system for virtual worlds. We utilize a single pico projector coupled with a six DOF tracker to generate real-time stereo imagery that can be projected on walls or a projection screen.We discuss the iterative design of our display system, including three attempts at modifying our portable projector to produce stereo imagery, and the hardware and software tradeoff decisions made in our prototype.
Evaluation of Insect Losses

One of the most important and perplexing problems facing the economic entomologist of today is that of evaluating control efforts critically. Without adequate data on insect populations and their natural fluctuations along with a knowledge of damage potentials, it is impossible for the entomologist to provide the informed advice and leadership which is expected of him.
Wave scattering and guidance by dielectric waveguides with periodic surfaces

The extended-boundary-condition method is used to solve the wave scattering and guidance by a stratified medium with a periodic surface. First, the transition matrix for two sets of Flocquet waves incident from above and below a periodic surface separating the two media is derived. The results are applied to the diffraction of an incident plane wave by a multilayered medium having a periodic surface. The theoretical results can easily be applied to the guidance problem for which the complex guiding constant of the periodic structure is obtained. Numerical results for both the scattering and the guidance problems are obtained. The theory is compared with experiment for metallic gratings with surface-plasmon excitations. The calculated guiding constants of a thin film with a periodic sinusoidal surface are also compared with other numerical methods.
Recycling in Vista

A detailed examination of Vista® recycling is given including the effect of recycling on dates and times of files. Forensic implications of Vista recyling are discussed.
Stability of ceramic color reflectance standards

This article reviews the long-term repeatability of spectrophotometric color measurements of ceramic color standards calibrated by Hemmendinger Color Laboratory (HCL) since it was founded 25 years ago. A set of twelve BCRA tiles was measured at HCL in 1977, and a few months later at NBS. The CIELAB color-difference, averaged over the twelve tiles, between HCL and NBS was 0.25 units. Measured at HCL about every four months since that time, the repeatability of measurement, averaged over the twelve tiles, has been better than 0.15 CIELAB units. The difference from the NBS measurements has remained at about 0.25 units over two decades. From these data the conclusion can be drawn that the tiles have not changed color during this period of time by an amount exceeding the limits of instrumental repeatability, namely about 0.15 units. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Col Res Appl, 23: 408–415, 1998
The diagnosis of factitious ulcer of the hand: A case report

Factitious ulceration of the hand frequently is difficult to diagnose due to the cunning nature of patients with self-inflicted disease. A typical case of factitious ulcer is described in which the diagnosis was made with tetracycline fluorescence to demonstrate wound manipulation. Protective immobilization allowed healing of the ulcer and institution of appropriate psychiatric care and avoided more costly diagnostic studies and hospitalization.
A resampling approach for adjustment in prediction models for covariate measurement error

Recent works on covariate measurement errors focus on the possible biases in model coefficient estimates. Usually, measurement error in a covariate tends to attenuate the coefficient estimate for the covariate, i.e., a bias toward the null occurs. Measurement error in another confounding or interacting variable typically results in incomplete adjustment for that variable. Hence, the coefficient for the covariate of interest may be biased either toward or away from the null. This paper presents a new method based on a resampling technique to deal with covariate measurement errors in the context of prediction modeling. Prediction accuracy is our primary parameter of interest. Prediction accuracy of a model is defined as the success rate of prediction when the model predicts new response. We call our method bootstrap regression calibration (BRC). We study logistic regression with interacting covariates as our prediction model. We measure the prediction accuracy of a model by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) method. Results from simulations show that bootstrap regression calibration offers consistent enhancement over the commonly used regression calibration (RC) method in terms of improving prediction accuracy of the model and reducing bias in the estimated coefficients.
Cerebellar Purkinje cell neurodegeneration after cardiac arrest: effect of therapeutic hypothermia

Abstract Aims The cerebellum is among the brain regions most vulnerable to damage caused by cardiac arrest, and cerebellar Purkinje cell loss may contribute to neurologic dysfunction, including post-hypoxic myoclonus. However, it remains unknown whether cerebellar Purkinje cells are protected by post-cardiac arrest therapeutic hypothermia (TH). Therefore, we examined the effect of post-cardiac arrest TH onset and duration on cerebellar Purkinje cell loss. Methods Samples from a previously published study of post-cardiac arrest TH were utilized for the present analysis. Adult male rats subjected to asphyxial cardiac arrest and cardiopulmonary resuscitation were block randomized to normothermia (37.0°C) or TH (33.0°C) initiated 0, 1, 4, or 8h after return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and maintained for 24 or 48h. Cerebella from rats surviving 7 days after ROSC were processed for histology and immunohistochemistry. Purkinje cell density was quantified in Nissl-stained sections of the primary fissure of the cerebellar vermis. Results With post-cardiac arrest normothermia, Purkinje cell density in the primary fissure was severely reduced compared to sham-injured controls (3.8±1.8cellsmm −1 vs. 35.9±2.4cellsmm −1 , p −1 , p Conclusion These results indicate that post-cardiac arrest TH protects selectively vulnerable cerebellar Purkinje cells within a broad therapeutic window. The potential clinical implications for improving Purkinje cell survival require further investigation.
Sampling challenges in nursing home research.

Abstract Background Research on end-of-life care in nursing homes is hampered by challenges in retaining facilities in samples through study completion. Large-scale longitudinal studies in which data are collected on-site can be particularly challenging. Objectives To compare characteristics of nursing homes that dropped from the study to those that completed the study. Methods One hundred two nursing homes in a large geographic 2-state area were enrolled in a prospective study of end-of-life care of residents who died in the facility. The focus of the study was the relationship of staff communication, teamwork, and palliative/end-of-life care practices to symptom distress and other care outcomes as perceived by family members. Data were collected from public data bases of nursing homes, clinical staff on site at each facility at 2 points in time, and from decedents’ family members in a telephone interview. Results Seventeen of the 102 nursing homes dropped from the study before completion. These non-completer facilities had significantly more deficiencies and a higher rate of turnover of key personnel compared to completer facilities. A few facilities with a profile typical of non-completers actually did complete the study after an extraordinary investment of retention effort by the research team. Conclusion Nursing homes with a high rate of deficiencies and turnover have much to contribute to the goal of improving end-of-life care, and their loss to study is a significant sampling challenge. Investigators should be prepared to invest extra resources to maximize retention.
Spatial and fixation conditions affecting the temporal course of changes in perceived relative distance.

The results of two experiments are reported in which the change over time in the perceived depth location of a monocular, luminous test object with respect to two binocular luminous stimuli located at different distances was measured. It was found that: 1) The test object receded perceptually in depth over time achieving a stable location in space after 4 min of viewing. 2) The initial perceived location in depth of the test object depended upon which of the two binocular objects was fixated. When the farther binocular object was fixated the test object appeared further away than when the nearer one was fixated. 3) The size of the further binocular object also affected the initial perceived location of the test object. When it was larger, the test object appeared further away than when it was smaller. 4) There was an interaction between the binocular object fixated upon and the lateral separation between it and the test object: the smaller the separation, the greater the fixation effect.
Using neuroimaging to understand the cortical mechanisms of auditory selective attention

Over the last four decades, a range of different neuroimaging tools have been used to study human auditory attention, spanning from classic event-related potential studies using electroencephalography to modern multimodal imaging approaches (e.g., combining anatomical information based on magnetic resonance imaging with magneto- and electroencephalography). This review begins by exploring the different strengths and limitations inherent to different neuroimaging methods, and then outlines some common behavioral paradigms that have been adopted to study auditory attention. We argue that in order to design a neuroimaging experiment that produces interpretable, unambiguous results, the experimenter must not only have a deep appreciation of the imaging technique employed, but also a sophisticated understanding of perception and behavior. Only with the proper caveats in mind can one begin to infer how the cortex supports a human in solving the "cocktail party" problem. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Human Auditory Neuroimaging.
Evaluating faculty performance under the equal pay for equal work doctrine

The issue of sex discrimination in faculty employment has become a prominent legal and political concern, necessitating the development of objective empirical methods to determine the existence of patterns of discriminatory treatment. In this study, regression techniques are employed to apply the equal pay for equal work interpretation of the fair employment doctrine. Specifically, faculty promotion and salary policies at the University of Texas at Austin are analyzed to determine whether male and female faculty members are rewarded equally for equal academic qualifications and performances. This regression analysis tends to support the discrimination hypothesis with respect to both promotion and salary policies.
Renal Actions of Endothelin during Mannitol and Saline Expansion

AbstractWe evaluated the effects of volume expansion with saline (0.5 ml kg-1 min-1, n = 13) and with 10% mannitol in saline (0.5 ml kg-1 min-1, n = 13) on the cardiorenal actions of endothelin-1 (ET) in rats anesthetized with sodium pentobarbital. We also evaluated to what extent the calcium channel antagonist, verapamil (0.02 mg kg-1 min-1), altered the cardiorenal actions of endothelin in volume-expanded rats (n = 10 with saline and n = 10 with mannitol). In five rats from each group, renal blood flow was measured with an electromagnetic flow probe. Sixty minutes after surgery, control clearances were collected, ET (110 ng kg-1 min-1) was then infused for 30 min, and recovery clearances were collected for 60 min. ET caused a similar increase in mean arterial blood pressure and decrease in renal blood flow and the glomerular filtration rate in the saline and mannitol groups. Verapamil significantly attenuated but did not abolish the ET-induced increase in mean arterial blood pressure in both saline- and...
The separation and characterization of the haemolymph proteins of several insects

Abstract The acrylamide gel electrophoresis technique has proved to be satisfactory for the separation of proteins from the haemolymph of insects and gives good resolution. The possibility of using histochemical reactions to identify various conjugated moieties in the separated bands has also been demonstrated. The results indicate rather rapid shifts in both band size (quantity of protein) and in structure. The picture is highly complicated, and the unknown variables still prevent a useful interpretation of the results so far as the functions of the various bands are concerned.
Geochemical evolution of Cenozoic-Cretaceous magmatism and its relation to tectonic setting, southwestern Idaho, U.S.A

The relationships between Cretaceous to Neogene magmatism and the tectonic setting of southwestern and central Idaho are evaluated. An overview of the tectonics and geology of the northwestern U.S. is presented. Major element, trace element, and Sr, Pb, and Nd isotopic data for the region are used to place constraints on magma source characteristics, the manner in which the magmatic sources evolved through time, and the nature of interactions among mantle and crustal domains in response to changing tectonic environment.
Dynamics of Distorted Harmonic Lattices. II. The Normal Modes of Isotopically Disordered Binary Lattices

Results of computer calculations of normal modes of certain one-, two-, and three-dimensional harmonic lattices are displayed, discussed, and correlated with the frequency spectra for similar lattices reported in an earlier paper. An interesting feature of the results is that localization of the displacements in the normal modes is associated with certain ranges of concentration and mass ratio.
Sequential Confidence Intervals Based on Generalized Hodges–Lehmann Location Estimators and Related Statistics

Statistical inference procedures for location based on the order statistics of the m–averages , for a given integer m < n, are considered. Asymptotic properties of point estimators and related sequential confidence intervals are derived. Small sample numerical results are provided for the cases m = 2, 3, 4, and 5, for selected population distributions. Comparisons of the medians of the m–averages (HL(m)), m=2, 3, 4, and 5, with trimmed mean estimators are made.
Ultrastructural studies on the permeability of the mesothelium to horseradish peroxidase.

Peritoneal mesothelium was exposed for 2–60 min to solutions of horseradish peroxidase by incubation in vitro, or after intraperitoneal injection in vivo. Peroxidase was localized, with the electron microscope in the intercellular clefts of the mesothelium, often along their entire lengths, in vesicles adjoining or contiguous with the clefts, and along the peritoneal and basal surfaces of the cell, and also in intracytoplasmic vacuoles. The intercellular junctions of peroxidase-treated mesothelium did not differ from those of controls: open and closed junctions were present in both groups. Intercellular localization was also obtained when the mesothelium was exposed to peroxidase during or after fixation. Although intracellular absorption of peroxidase and its incorporation into larger vacuoles were observed, there was no clearcut evidence of vesicular transport across the mesothelium in these experiments. These findings are consistent with physiologic data which postulate that mesothelial transport can be accounted for, at least in part, by passive diffusion through a system of pores, and they suggest that these pores are located in the intercellular clefts.
Understanding Trace Element and Isotope Cycling in the Arctic Ocean: U.S. Arctic GEOTRACES Planning Workshop; Washington, D.C., 29 September to 1 October 2010

GEOTRACES is an international research program focused on understanding the cycling of trace elements and isotopes(TEIs) in the oceans. Since the inception of this program, there has been strong interest in carrying out studies in the Arctic Ocean. The Arctic Ocean is at the epicenter of climate change, and warming climate will likely have a profound impact on the carbon budget, geochemical cycles, and ecosystem of the Arctic. Furthermore, these changes will ultimately be felt globally, through feedbacks related, for example, to melting ice and release of carbon from permafrost. This interest has led to several discussions, including a planning meeting held in Germany in June 2009 (http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/res/pi/geotraces/documents/ArcticWorkshopReportNov09B.pdf). Participants at the 2009 workshop outlined important scientific issues and constructed a map of proposed GEOTRACES Arctic Ocean sections but did not formulate plans for implementation. Because of the logistical requirements and costs of working in the Arctic, participants recognized the need for international collaboration to make future GEOTRACES efforts viable in this region.
The myeloid response to pancreatic carcinogenesis is regulated by the receptor for advanced glycation end-products

We identified a critical role for receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) in the intratumoral accumulation of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) during pancreatic carcinogenesis. The absence of RAGE markedly delayed neoplasia and limited MDSC accumulation in mice expressing an oncogenic variant of Kras. In spite of MDSCs, these mice accumulated non-immunosuppressive macrophages. Thus, RAGE regulates carcinogenesis and consequent myeloid responses.
4 THz sidewall-etched varactors for sub-mm-wave sampling circuits

Schottky varactor diodes with 4 THz cutoff frequencies were fabricated using 1 /spl mu/m lithography and self-aligned RIE sidewall etching. A novel microwave characterization technique was used to determine the diode cutoff frequency. Using these devices, subpicosecond pulse generators integrated with 515 GHz bandwidth sampling circuits were fabricated. >
Combined Pulmonary Fibrosis and Emphysema

Combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE) is a distinct clinical entity characterized by the simultaneous coexistence of both upper lobe emphysema and lower lobe pulmonary fibrosis. Although it was first described in 1990, it has not received enough recognition. Due to its unique lung
A Survey of Approaches to Adaptive Application Security

Adaptive systems dynamically change their behavior or structure at runtime to respond to environmental changes. This paper considers one class of adaptive systems - those that adapt application-level security mechanisms. Nowadays, adaptive software security is gaining greater attention as a way to balance the tradeoff between systems security and IT infrastructure overhead. Several adaptive security systems have been developed recently supporting hardware-level to application-level reconfiguration. This paper surveys four adaptive application-level security systems and evaluates them in terms of how well they support critical security services (i.e. authentication, authorization, and tolerance) and what level of adaptation they achieve. Based on our evaluation results, we provide recommendations for future research.
Mothers' Transitions from Welfare to Work and the Well-Being of Preschoolers and Adolescents

Results from a longitudinal study of 2402 low-income families during the recent unprecedented era of welfare reform suggest that mothers' transitions off welfare and into employment are not associated with negative outcomes for preschoolers (ages 2 to 4 years) or young adolescents (ages 10 to 14 years). Indeed, no significant associations with mothers' welfare and employment transitions were found for preschoolers, and the dominant pattern was also of few statistically significant associations for adolescents. The associations that did occur provided slight evidence that mothers' entry into the labor force was related to improvements in adolescents' mental health, whereas exits from employment were linked with teenagers' increased behavior problems.
EVALUACIÓN DE LA APLICACIÓN DE DOS MODELOS DE VALORACIÓN DE OPCIONES A LA ADMINISTRACIÓN DE PORTAFOLIOS

El articulo revisa la teoria de opciones y propone un metodo para la implementacion del «Portfolio Insurance » basado en el modelo binomial, el cual es evaluado en oposicion al modelo de Black-Scholes. Usando datos reales y simulados se encuentra que el metodo de Black-Scholes se desempena mejor en condiciones «inestables »; el modelo binomial, en cambio,obtiene mejores resultados con tendencias definidas en los precios de las acciones (crecientes, decrecientes o estables durante un periodo extendido).
Analysis of strains with mutations in six genes encoding subunits of the V-ATPase: eukaryotes differ in the composition of the V0 sector of the enzyme.

Abstract To address questions about the structure of the vacuolar ATPase, we have generated mutant strains of Neurospora crassa defective in six subunits, C, H, a, c, c′, and c″. Except for strains lacking subunit c′, the mutant strains were indistinguishable from each other in most phenotypic characteristics. They did not accumulate arginine in the vacuoles, grew poorly at pH 5.8 with altered morphology, and failed to grow at alkaline pH. Consistent with findings from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the data indicate that subunits C and H are essential for generation of a functional enzyme. Unlike S. cerevisiae, N. crassa has a single isoform of the a subunit. Analysis of other fungal genomes indicates that only the budding yeasts have a two-gene family for subunit a. It has been unclear whether subunit c′, a small proteolipid, is a component of all V-ATPases. Our data suggest that this subunit is present in all fungi, but not in other organisms. Mutation or deletion of the N. crassa gene encoding subunit c′ did not completely eliminate V-ATPase function. Unlike other V-ATPase null strains, they grew, although slowly, at alkaline pH, were able to form conidia (asexual spores), and were inhibited by concanamycin, a specific inhibitor of the V-ATPase. The phenotypic character in which strains differed was the ability to go through the sexual cycle to generate mature spores and viable mutant progeny. Strains lacking the integral membrane subunits a, c, c′, and c″ had more severe defects than strains lacking subunits C or H.
The engineering-technical writing connection: a rubric for effective communication

This article presents a rubric for evaluating student writing in a technical writing service course. Because technical writing service courses serve engineering students as well as students from a variety of majors, this rubric can help instructors start a dialogue about writing among many disciplines.
X-Ray Vision With Only WiFi Power Measurements Using Rytov Wave Models

In this paper, unmanned vehicles are tasked with seeing a completely unknown area behind thick walls based on only wireless power measurements using wireless local area network (WLAN) cards. We show that a proper modeling of wave propagation that considers scattering and other propagation phenomena can result in a considerable improvement in see-through imaging. More specifically, we develop a theoretical and experimental framework for this problem based on Rytov wave models and integrate it with sparse signal processing and robotic path planning. Our experimental results show high-resolution imaging of three different areas, validating the proposed framework. Moreover, they show considerable performance improvement over the state of the art that only considers the line-of-sight (LOS) path, allowing us to image more complex areas not possible before. Finally, we show the impact of robot positioning and antenna alignment errors on our see-through imaging framework.
Influences of motivational contexts on prescription drug misuse and related drug problems

Prescription drug misuse has emerged as a significant problem among young adults. While the effects of motivational contexts have been demonstrated for illicit drugs, the role of motivational contexts in prescription drug misuse remains understudied. Using data from 400 young adults recruited via time-space sampling, we examined the role of motivational contexts in the frequency of misuse of three prescription drug types as well as drug-related problems and symptoms of dependency. Both negative and positive motivations to use drugs are associated with increases in prescription drug misuse frequency. Only negative motivations are associated directly with drug problems and drug dependence, as well as indirectly via prescription pain killer misuse. Addressing positive and negative motivational contexts of prescription drug misuse may not only provide a means to reduce misuse and implement harm reduction measures, but may also inform the content of treatment plans for young adults with prescription drug misuse problems.
Phytochemicals from Cruciferous Plants Protect against Cancer by Modulating Carcinogen Metabolism

Several epidemiologic studies suggest that consumption of cruciferous vegetables may be particularly effective (compared with total fruit and vegetable consumption) in reducing cancer risk at several organ sites. Crucifers that are widely consumed are especially rich in glucosinolates, which are converted by plant myrosinase and gastrointestinal microflora to isothiocyanates. A number of isothiocyanates and a limited number of glucosinolates that were examined effectively block chemical carcinogenesis in animal models. Many isothiocyanates are also potent inducers of phase 2 proteins. Substantial evidence supports the view that phase 2 enzyme induction is a highly effective strategy for reducing susceptibility to carcinogens. This conclusion has recently received strong molecular support from experiments on mice in which the specific transcription factor, nrf2, which is essential for induction of phase 2 proteins, was deleted. In these knock-out mice, the basal levels of phase 2 enzymes are very low and not inducible. Accordingly, these mice are much more susceptible than their wild-type counterparts to benzo[a]pyrene forestomach carcinogenesis and are not protected by phase 2 inducers. These experiments provide very strong evidence for a major role of phase 2 enzymes in controlling the risk of exposure to carcinogens. An increasing number of phase 2 proteins that exert a variety of protective mechanisms are being identified. Thus, in addition to detoxifying electrophiles, these proteins exercise versatile, long-lasting and catalytic antioxidant protection.
Evolution of the PPM-family protein phosphatases in Streptomyces: duplication of catalytic domain and lateral recruitment of additional sensory domains

Originally identified from eukaryotes, the Mg2+- or Mn2+-dependent protein phosphatases (PPMs) are a diverse group of enzymes whose members include eukaryotic PP2C and some prokaryotic serine/threonine phosphatases. In a previous study, unexpectedly large numbers of PPMs were identified in two Streptomyces genomes. In this work, a phylogenetic analysis was performed with all the PPMs available from a wide variety of microbial sources to determine the evolutionary origin of the Streptomyces PPM proteins. Consistent with earlier hypotheses, the results suggested that the microbial PPMs were relatively recent additions from eukaryotic sources. Results also indicated that the Streptomyces PPMs were divided into two major subfamilies at an early stage of their emergence in Streptomyces genomes. The first subfamily, which contains only six Streptomyces PPMs, possesses a catalytic domain whose sequence and architecture are similar to that of eukaryotic PPMs; the second subfamily contains 89 Streptomyces PPMs that lack the 5a and 5b catalytic domain motifs, similar to the PPMs SpoIIE and RsbU of Bacillus subtilis. Significant gene duplication was observed for the PPMs in the second subfamily. In addition, more than half (54 %) of the Streptomyces PPMs from the second subfamily were found to have at least one additional sensory domain, most commonly the PAS or the GAF domain. Phylogenetic analysis showed that these domains tended to be clustered according to the putative physiological functions rather than taxonomic relationship, implying that they might have arisen as a result of domain recruitment in a late evolutionary stage. This study provides an insight into how Streptomyces spp. may have expanded their PPM-based signal transduction networks to enable them to respond to a greater range of environmental changes.
Psychosocial Correlates of Alienation Study of a Sample of Indochinese Refugees

The major purpose of this investigation was to study the relationship between several measures of psychosocial adjustment and social alienation in a sample of Indochinese refugees residing in the United States. Based on interviews with 460 Indochinese heads of households, the results indicated that alienation was negatively related to socioeconomic status, English proficiency, the number of American acquaintances and friends, and refugees' self-perception. Moreover, alienation was positively correlated with the degree of perceived difference between refugees and Americans. Laotian and Vietnamese refugees showed evidence of a more favorable adjustment than Hmong and Cambodian refugees on several measures.
Effects of insulin on prenylation as a mechanism of potentially detrimental influence of hyperinsulinemia.

To investigate the cause and effect relationship between hyperinsulinemia and the increased amounts of farnesylated p21Ras, we performed hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamps in normal weight volunteers as well as in normal mice and dogs. Insulin infusions significantly raised the amounts of farnesylated p21Ras in the white blood cells of humans, in liver samples of mice and dogs, and in aorta samples of mice. Obese hyperinsulinemic individuals and dogs (made hyperinsulinemic by surgical diversion of the pancreatic outflow from the portal vein into the vena cava) displayed increased amounts of farnesylated p21Ras before the hyperinsulinemic clamps. Infusions of insulin did not alter the already increased levels of farnesylated p21Ras in these experimental models. To further investigate the role of acquired insulin resistance in modulating insulin’s effect on p21Ras prenylation, we induced insulin resistance in rats by glucosamine infusion. Insulin-resistant glucosamine-treated animals displayed significantly...
Phaethon in Ovid and Nonnus

Among the artifacts produced by nineteenth-century Quellenforschung, few have exerted more influence or endured more censure than the lost Hellenistic epyllion which, as reconstructed by G. Knaack, told of the journey of Phaethon to the palace of the sun-god and his disastrous ride in the solar car. Relying chiefly upon the two versions of the story told by Ovid in his Metamorphoses (1.747–2.398) and Nonnus in the Dionysiaca (38.105–434), and applying techniques comparable to the stemmatic method of textual criticism, Knaack traced every shared feature of these two accounts to the inevitable lost Hellenistic ‘original’. Details from Lucian (Dial. Deor. 25) and Philostratus (Imag. 1.11), who were also presumed to have read this lost poem, helped to fill in the blanks. Knaack's thesis illustrates the extremes of which source criticism was capable at a time when it was naively assumed that Roman poets were capable of little more than literal translation of their Greek models. In the early part of this century, a reaction set in against Knaack's method, when it was alleged that there was no common source for the two poets and that Nonnus derived his account of Phaethon directly from his reading of Ovid. The case was first made by J. Braune, who examined four episodes common to both works – Phaethon, Cadmus, Actaeon, and Daphne – and argued that correspondences between the two are due to imitation of Ovid by Nonnus. Braune's arguments did not win complete acceptance; it is noteworthy that even his supporters were not entirely convinced by three of his four test passages, for which abundant evidence survives of sources earlier than Ovid.
Parcellation of cerebellins 1, 2, and 4 among different subpopulations of dorsal horn neurons in mouse spinal cord

The cerebellins (Cblns) are a family of secreted proteins that are widely expressed throughout the nervous system, but whose functions have been studied only in the cerebellum and striatum. Two members of the family, Cbln1 and Cbln2, bind to neurexins on presynaptic terminals and to GluRδs postsynaptically, forming trans-synaptic triads that promote synapse formation. Cbln1 has a higher binding affinity for GluRδs and exhibits greater synaptogenic activity than Cbln2. In contrast, Cbln4 does not form such triads and its function is unknown. The different properties of the three Cblns suggest that each plays a distinct role in synapse formation. To begin to elucidate Cbln function in other neuronal systems, we used in situ hybridization to examine Cbln expression in the mouse spinal cord. We find that neurons expressing Cblns 1, 2, and 4 tend to occupy different laminar positions within the dorsal spinal cord, and that Cbln expression is limited almost exclusively to excitatory neurons. Combined in situ hybridization and immunofluorescent staining shows that Cblns 1, 2, and 4 are expressed by largely distinct neuronal subpopulations, defined in part by sensory input, although there is some overlap and some individual neurons coexpress two Cblns. Our results suggest that differences in connectivity between subpopulations of dorsal spinal cord neurons may be influenced by which Cbln each subpopulation contains. Competitive interactions between axon terminals may determine the number of synapses each forms in any given region, and thereby contribute to the development of precise patterns of connectivity in the dorsal gray matter. J. Comp. Neurol. 522:479–497, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Review of a bromeliad-ovipositing lineage in Wyeomyia and the resurrection of Hystatomyia (Diptera: Culicidae)

Problems associated with the monophyly of Wyomyia Theobald are discussed and part of the classification is revised. One problematical component of the cladogram is a lineage of primarily bromeliad-ovipositing mosquitoes that include the type species Wyeomyia grayii Theobald. When the characters used in the cladistic analysis are partitioned by life stage the arrangement displayed by the combined data does not appear among the various topologies based on a single life stage. However, further analyses support the unique arrangement from the combined data and the following changes in classification are made to reflect the pattern of relationships implied by that cladogram. Phoniomyia Theobald is reduced to a subgenus in Wyeomyia. The name Hystatomyia Dyar is resurrected for 7 species currently without subgeneric placement. Two species representing 2 well-defined groups within Hystatomyia are redescribed and illustrated in larval, pupal, and adult stages. Wyeomyia esmeraldasi (Levi-Castillo) is transferred from W. (Phoniomyia) to W. (Hystatomyia). Wyeomyia intonca Dyar and Knab is removed as ajunior synonym of Wyeomyia circumcincta Dyar and Knab.
Age at sexual debut and subsequent sexual partnering in adulthood among american men

This study examined the association of sexual debut and sexual partnering among men in the United States aged 21 to 44 years who participated in the 2006-2010 National Survey of Family Growth. Age at debut was categorized as <15 years, 15 to 17 years, and ≥18 years to permit comparison with previous research. Sexual partnering was defined as being concurrent, serial monogamist, or monogamist in prior year. Eleven percent reported concurrent partnerships and 6% serial monogamy. Sexual debut <15 and 15 to 17 years was associated with concurrency (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] < 15 = 2.22; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.37-3.61; aOR 15-17 = 1.69; 95% CI = 1.05-2.74). Irrespective of age at sexual debut, interventions to reduce risky lifetime number of partners may prevent risky sexual behavior in early adulthood and later in life.
Molecular Genetics: Introduction to the Introduction

Indianapolis, IN What everyone remembers from school, or knows from current lectures or has overheard in the hallways, is that Mendel experimented with peas about the time of the Civil War, that his work was overlooked for about 35 years, and that it wasn't until 1902 that Archibald Garrod described alkaptonuria as an example of Mendelian inheritance in humans. Furthermore, dominant, recessive, and x-linked probably resonate well, while isodisomy, loss of heterozygosity, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis ring more distantly or evoke public responses such as “maybe I'd better look that up” and private longings for the good old days when medicine was simpler and less lucrative. Fear not; we come to succor the genetically disadvantaged, to refresh those who knew but have forgotten, and to provide light reading for those who are sure they could have written better what follows (had the editor just been more generous with space).
Performance evaluation of the isolated mmWave small cell

In this paper we introduce the performance evaluation of the isolated millimeter-wave (mmWave) small cell. The potential performance of the mmWave small cells is evaluated on the base of PHY layer technique with parameters similar to IEEE 802.11ad standard. Two important practical tasks are addressed in this paper: the efficiency of mmWave spectrum utilization and the small cell optimal coverage. Two approaches for spectrum utilization are considered: frequency reuse-1 (each cell sector operates in three channels) and frequency reuse-3 (each of three cell sectors operates in only one channel). We start from the comparison of these scenarios spectral efficiency. At the next step the interference mitigation techniques are applied in order to improve the system performance for both scenarios. Also we discuss the mmWave small cell coverage and its limits due to the regulator requirements. The impact of small cell radius on MU-MIMO mode performance is addressed and evaluated. Finally, the discussion and recommendations on the small cell size, frequency reuse scenario and interference mitigation techniques are provided.