cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Risk Premia in Foreign Currency Futures

This paper tests the uncorrelatedness of increments of daily foreign currency futures prices and derives implications for risk premia based on a heteroscedasticity-robust variance ratio test. There is evidence suggesting the existence of a time-varying risk premia. Moreover, the results suggest that currency futures price is not an unbiased predictor of currency spot price on corresponding maturity date of currency futures contract. The paper also applies a heteroscedasticity-adjusted Box-Pierce Q test to the same data set for comparison.
How Dentists Classified and Treated Non-Carious Cervical Lesions

All North Carolina general dentists were shown color photographs of three non-carious cervical lesions. A fourth picture showed cervical caries. Respondents were asked how they defined each lesion, its cause, treatment and frequency of appearance in practice. Cervical caries was identified and treated by almost all responding dentists, but they applied more varied terms, causes and treatments to non- carious defects.
Development of the chick embryo mesoblast: morphogenesis of the prechordal plate and cranial segments.

A scanning electron microscopic (SEM) examination of the mesoblast layer in the region of the primary organizer of the chick embryo shows that the mesoderm lying on either side of the anteriormost end of the primitive streak adjacent to Hensen's node is organized into circular patches, 175 μm in diameter. Both of these squat cylinders of mesoblat (somitomeres) are joined together by an intervening axial segment laid down by the regression of Hensen's node between them. Since pairs of somitomeres are added tandemly by node regression down the streak, they form the basis for metamerism in the embryonic axis. This study reports that as pairs of somitomeres accumulate, they change architecturally, undergoing morphogenesis in a cranial-to-caudal sequence that is coordinate with neurulation. Ultimately, cranial somitomeres expand under the medullary plate and participate in branchiomeric development, while caudal ones condense and develop into somites. At the light level, the first segmental cleft actually appears between the seventh and eighth somitomeres and is apparently the result of somitomeric contraction. While the seventh somitomeres form “somites” in the sense that their cells are radially oriented, their cranial border merges with the sixth pair. The sixth somitomeres are less condensed than the seventh and lie at the constricture of metenand mylencephalon. The first five somitomeres remain abutted in tandem, but enlarge as component mesenchymal cells become stellate. Finely granular extracellular matrix (ECM) accumulates around these cells and particularly in intersomitomeric interfaces. At the cranialmost end of the embryonic midline lies prechordal plate mesoderm, bordering both notochord and portions of the first somitomeres. At stage 4 the prechordal plate emerges as a 140-μm-diameter disk of condensed, radially oriented mesodermal cells lying at the head of the primitive strek. During subsequent headfold formation and neurulation, the disk grows and undergoes morphogenesis but maintains its radial organization. By stage 8+, the mesoderm in the cranial region adjacent to the neural tube is distinctly patterned.
Observations of the Golgi Substance with the Electron Microscope

OBSERVATIONS by several investigators during the past few years lend support to the view that the Golgi substance is present in living cells in the form of droplets stainable supra-vitally with certain vital dyes1–4. The classical form of the Golgi substance has been considered to be a gross artefact induced by the development of myelin figures from droplets of phospholipid3,4. This view has been accepted by some5–7 and questioned by others8,9. It was felt that observations with the electron microscope might aid in the elucidation of this complex problem. With this possibility in mind, liver and intestinal epithelium were fixed by perfusion in two different fixatives, one the Kolatchev–Nassonov modification of Champy's fluid10 and the other a mixture of equal parts of 2 per cent osmic acid, 3 per cent potassium dichromate and 2 per cent lanthanum nitrate. The pH of the former fixative is 2.0 and that of the latter is 3.4. After fixation, slices of tissue were transferred to the same fixative for varying lengths of time. Both tissues were examined during the period of fixation with oil immersion at a thousand diameters by crushing the tissues under a coverslip in water or glycerine. Neither myelin figures nor the Golgi substance could be identified during the first twenty-four hours with the osmic acid, potassium dichromate, lanthanum nitrate mixture, nor during the first forty-eight hours fixation with modified Champy's fluid. Further treatment with 2 per cent osmic acid for three days at 37° C. resulted in the appearance of the Golgi substance with its typical form and distribution throughout both tissues after fixation in modified Champy's fluid but not after fixation in the osmic, dichromate, lanthanum mixture. Secondary treatment of the tissues preserved in the latter fixative with a mixture of equal parts of 3 per cent potassium dichromate and 1 per cent chromic acid followed by treatment with 2 per cent osmic acid for four days at 37° C. resulted in the development of faint positive images of the Golgi substance, whereas secondary treatment with modified Champy's fluid for twenty-four hours followed by treatment with 2 per cent osmic acid at 37° C. for four days resulted in the development of typical, well-blackened Golgi figures in both tissues.
Determination of hyperfine interaction matrix principal values and principal axis orientations in an orientationally disordered solid: A multifrequency electron spin echo envelope modulation study of nitrogen‐15 in a copper(II)–15N–imidazole complex

A comprehensive experimental study of the magnetic field dependences of ESEEM (electron spin echo envelope modulation) for a spin one‐half nucleus in an orientationally disordered solid is presented. Modulation effects from the remote (unligated) nitrogen of 15N‐labeled imidazole in a Cu(II)–diethylenetriamine–15N‐imidazole complex were registered at electron spin excitation frequencies in the 4.3 to 11.5 GHz range, which encompasses the ‘‘match range’’ of the Cu(II)–15N system under study. Field dependent trends in the ESEEM spectra—trends in spectral amplitudes, linewidths, and frequencies—are analyzed to obtain the magnitude and relative signs of the isotropic and axially symmetric hyperfine coupling constants (and to place an upper bound on the rhombic coupling). The relative utility of each of these trends for measuring hyperfine interactions in orientationally disordered solids is discussed. The orientation of the unique axis of the Cu(II)–15N hyperfine interaction matrix within the Cu(II) electron ...
Farming practices, environmental quality, and the energy crisis

Abstract An interregional, large-scale, linear programming model is used to evaluate the economic and environmental impacts of the energy crisis on agricultural production in the United States. The study examines the behavior of crop production under energy minimization, energy shortage, high energy prices, and high agricultural exports accompanied by high energy prices. The results indicate that energy use and environmental quality in agriculture are closely related via farming methods. The most important impact of an energy crisis on farming methods in the United States is a substantial drop in irrigated cropland. The overall impact of an energy crisis on agricultural environment is somewhat ambiguous. This is because nitrogen use declines in response to a reduction in energy use. On the other hand a reduction in energy use brings more cropland under reduced tillage and thus increases pesticide use.
An evaluation of the distribution of U.S. congressional committee prints through the depository program

Abstract The 1983 depository holdings of Congressional committee prints of two libraries were compared to the listings in the 1983 CIS Index to see if a comprehensive collection of prints could be built relying on the depository program alone. The results indicate that the Government Printing Office's efforts were reasonably satisfactory except for two problem areas where large numbers of prints were not being sent to depository libraries.
Multivariate new better than used in expectation distributions

Abstract Various definitions of multivariate new better than used in expectation (MNBUE) life distributions are introduced and their interrelationships are studied. The definitions are multivariate generalizations of the very useful univariate aging property new better than used in expectations (NBUE), which is weaker than new better than used (NBU) and decreasing mean residual life (DMRL) properties. Various closure properties of the different MNBUE classes are proved. Some examples are given to illustrate the relationship between the proposed MNBUE properties and MNBUE properties presented by Buchanan and Singpurwalla (1977). Examples of well known life distributions, that give rise to the MNBUE distributions are discussed. We also study the dual multivariate new worse than used in expectation (MNWUE) distributions.
Nonlinear Aspects of the BOLD Response in Functional MRI

Abstract Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) using blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) contrast has progressed rapidly and is commonly used to study function in many regions of the human brain. This paper introduces a method for characterizing the linear or nonlinear properties of the hemodynamic response. Such characterization is essential for accurate prediction of time-course behavior. Linearity of the BOLD response was examined in the primary visual cortex for manipulations of the stimulus amplitude and duration. Stimuli of 1, 2, 4, and 8 s duration (80% contrast) and 10, 20, 40, and 80% contrast (4 s duration) were used to test the hemodynamic response. Superposition of the obtained responses was performed to determine if the BOLD response is nonlinear. The nonlinear characteristics of the BOLD response were assessed using a Laplacian linear system model cascaded with a broadening function. Discrepancies between the model and the observed response provide an indirect measure of the nonlinearity of the response. The Laplacian linear system remained constant within subjects so the broadening function can be used to absorb nonlinearities in the response. The results show that visual stimulation under 4 s in duration and less than 40% contrast yield strong nonlinear responses.
The Interdependence Between Homeland Security Efforts of a State and a Terrorist’s Choice of Attack*

Consider a state that chooses security levels at two sites (Targets A and B), after which a terrorist chooses which site to attack (and potentially a scope of attack). The state values A more highly. If the state knows which target the terrorist values more highly, he will choose a higher level of security at this site. Under complete information, if the terrorist’s only choice is which site to attack, the state will set security levels for which the terrorist prefers to attack A over B if and only if the ratio of the value of B to the value of A is greater for the state than for the terrorist. When the state has incomplete information on the terrorist’s target values, the optimal security levels may be such that: a target is completely undefended (but attacked with positive probability); the probability of attack is greater at A than at B; and the expected damage from an attack is greater at A than at B. In total, the results reveal that the state’s choice of security is heavily influenced by the terrori...
PREDICTING SUICIDE RATE AMONG ELDERLY PERSONS IN CANADIAN PROVINCES

In a study of the ten Canadian provinces, the suicide rate among elderly persons was predicted by their average income and the percentage of elderly people with low incomes.
Organotypic Hippocampal Slice Cultures

The hippocampus, a component of the limbic system, plays important roles in long-term memory and spatial navigation. Hippocampal neurons can modify the strength of their connections after brief periods of strong activation. This phenomenon, known as long-term potentiation (LTP) can last for hours or days and has become the best candidate mechanism for learning and memory. In addition, the well defined anatomy and connectivity of the hippocampus has made it a classical model system to study synaptic transmission and synaptic plasticity. As our understanding of the physiology of hippocampal synapses grew and molecular players became identified, a need to manipulate synaptic proteins became imperative. Organotypic hippocampal cultures offer the possibility for easy gene manipulation and precise pharmacological intervention but maintain synaptic organization that is critical to understanding synapse function in a more naturalistic context than routine culture dissociated neurons methods. Here we present a method to prepare and culture hippocampal slices that can be easily adapted to other brain regions. This method allows easy access to the slices for genetic manipulation using different approaches like viral infection or biolistics. In addition, slices can be easily recovered for biochemical assays, or transferred to microscopes for imaging or electrophysiological experiments.
Discharge of biceps brachii motor units is modulated by load compliance and forearm posture

The purpose of this study was to compare the discharge characteristics of motor units in the biceps brachii during brief isometric contractions of the elbow flexors as subjects matched either a target force or a target joint angle with the forearm placed in one of two postures. One task required force control to exert a constant force against a rigid restraint (force task), whereas the other task involved position control to maintain a constant elbow angle while supporting an inertial load (position task). The left arm of right-handed subjects was rotated forward so that the upper arm was horizontal and the forearm was vertical. When the elbow flexor muscles were contracted, the wrist exerted a force in a horizontal direction. Subcutaneous electrodes were used to record the discharge of 20 motor units in neutral and supinated forearm postures during both force and position control. Motor unit recruitment thresholds ranged from 1.3 to 37.9% of maximal voluntary contraction force. Discharge rate was similar at the start of the force and position tasks in both the neutral posture (13.1 ± 0.6 and 12.6 ± 0.6 pps, P = 0.54) and the supinated posture (14.7 ± 1.6 and 14.0 ± 0.9 pps, P = 0.4) and declined during both tasks in the two forearm postures (P < 0.001). Nonetheless, the decrease in discharge rate (P < 0.001), increase in the coefficient of variation for interspike interval (P = 0.04), and increases in the standard deviation of acceleration (P = 0.02) were greatest for the position task in the supinated posture. These findings indicate that the influence of load compliance on the adjustments in motor unit activity during brief isometric contractions with the elbow flexors was modulated by changes in forearm posture.
Primary steps in the photolysis of 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane

Abstract The photolysis of 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane (CHCl2CHCl2) was investigated at room temperature in the presence of I2. The reaction products observed were cis- and trans-1,2-C2H2Cl2, 1,1-C2H2Cl2, C2HCl3, C2Cl4 and CHCl2CHClI. The formation of these products is discussed and is compared with the formation of photodecomposition products of other chlorinated ethanes and ethylenes. General conclusions are drawn about the relative importance of the Cl2, HCl and H2 elimination processes, and of the CCl bond rupture in the photolysis of chlorinated ethanes and ethylenes.
Early-life seizures result in deficits in social behavior and learning

Children with epilepsy show a high co-morbidity with psychiatric disorders and autism. One of the critical determinants of a child's behavioral outcome with autism and cognitive dysfunction is the age of onset of seizures. In order to examine whether seizures during postnatal days 7-11 result in learning and memory deficits and behavioral features of autism we administered the inhalant flurothyl to induce seizures in C57BL/6J mice. Mice received three seizures per day for five days starting on postnatal day 7. Parallel control groups consisted of similarly handled animals that were not exposed to flurothyl and naive mice. Subjects were then processed through a battery of behavioral tests in adulthood: elevated-plus maze, nose-poke assay, marble burying, social partition, social chamber, fear conditioning, and Morris water maze. Mice with early-life seizures had learning and memory deficits in the training portion of the Morris water maze (p<0.05) and probe trial (p<0.01). Mice with seizures showed no differences in marble burying, the nose-poke assay, or elevated plus-maze testing compared to controls. However, they showed a significant difference in the social chamber and social partition tests. Mice with seizures during postnatal days 7-11 showed a significant decrease in social interaction in the social chamber test and had a significant impairment in social behavior in the social partition test. Together, these results indicate that early life seizures result in deficits in hippocampal-dependent memory tasks and produce long-term disruptions in social behavior.
Xenon-based Penning mixtures for proportional counters

Abstract The choice of quench gas can have a significant effect on the gas gain and energy resolution of gas-filled proportional counters. Details are given on
Observations of the unidentified 3.3 micron emission feature in nebulae

Spectrophotometric observations from 2.1 to 4.1 microns of a variety of objects exhibiting the 3.3-micron emission feature (first detected in NGC 7027) are reported. The characteristics of the feature, the various environments in which it is found, and possible emission mechanisms are discussed in light of all the available observations of the feature to date. A resonance feature in solids is the most probable emission mechanism; however, no satisfactory identification has yet been made on the basis of infrared spectroscopy of terrestrial materials.
The home-range concept in rodents revised

The paradigm regarding the ecology of populations of small rodents has had several basic theses: (1) the individual has a home range or is a migrant; (2) factors regulating population parameters (including density) include spatio-social relations between individuals; and (3) the phenomena observed on trial plots with a system of live traps are the same as those beyond the plot. However, the home-range concept in small rodents is open to criticism in that: (1) observations point to much greater ranges of spatial activity in these animals than has been shown hitherto in plot-based studies with systems of live traps; (2) there is great variability in the directions and extent of the spatial activity of small rodents; (3) observations suggest that what is regarded as the area of spatial activity of an individual has limited information content since the ‘tenant’ makes use of the area via tracks and trails along which it moves. Transfers of studies on odour-related information in small rodents from the laboratory to natural populations confirm the significance of odours in the life of these animals and in integrating their populations. It is possible that the need to leave information in the environment (informational conditioning) provokes considerable locomotory and spatial activity in small rodents. Live traps with bait (food) limit the spatial activity of animals. The set of traps in which an individual is caught thus represents not home range but trap range. A new paradigm for the ecology of small rodents should comprise the propositions that: (1) the function of olfactory information is the integration of a population into an ecological system; (2) the maintenance of odour-mediated conditioning in the environment is one of the reasons for locomotor and spatial activity; (3) the patchy distribution of food in the environment (including study plots with traps) gives rise to changes in the use made of space by individuals; (4) the phenomena observed on research plots with live traps containing bait are different to those ongoing at the same time outside these areas. Such a paradigm requires reinterpretation of research results obtained hitherto as well as the application of new research methods.
Correlated level shifting technique with cross-coupled gain-enhancement capacitors

A new technique is proposed to compensate for the loop gain degradation in correlated level shifting. The technique allows the use of a simple single-stage opamp with low gain to realise high effective loop gain. The effect of gain variations on the performance of the proposed correlated level shifting technique is discussed.
Practical analysis on 20H rule for PCB

There are many papers dealing with the 20-H rule, which recommend that the power plane should be shrunk against the ground plane by 20 times of the distance between the planes to realize lower EMI radiation. The effect of the 20-H rule was studied with EM solver using MoM. Bypass capacitors were populated to simulate a realistic printed circuit board (PCB). From the evaluation of the electric and magnetic dipole moment, the contributions of common and differential modes current were calculated. It was found that common mode current in the ground plane was generated when the 20H rule was applied. At the resonance frequencies, the common and differential mode radiations are observed in accordance with its resonance mode, the common mode radiation due to y- or x-directional electric dipole moment for TM01 or TM10 respectively. Considering the common mode current occurrence is a fundamental mechanism of the electromagnetic radiation, it is concluded that the application of the rule increases the radiation.
Crystal Structure of Bacillus anthracis Phosphoglucosamine Mutase, an Enzyme in the Peptidoglycan Biosynthetic Pathway.

ABSTRACT Phosphoglucosamine mutase (PNGM) is an evolutionarily conserved bacterial enzyme that participates in the cytoplasmic steps of peptidoglycan biosynthesis. As peptidoglycan is essential for bacterial survival and is absent in humans, enzymes in this pathway have been the focus of intensive inhibitor design efforts. Many aspects of the structural biology of the peptidoglycan pathway have been elucidated, with the exception of the PNGM structure. We present here the crystal structure of PNGM from the human pathogen and bioterrorism agent Bacillus anthracis. The structure reveals key residues in the large active site cleft of the enzyme which likely have roles in catalysis and specificity. A large conformational change of the C-terminal domain of PNGM is observed when comparing two independent molecules in the crystal, shedding light on both the apo- and ligand-bound conformers of the enzyme. Crystal packing analyses and dynamic light scattering studies suggest that the enzyme is a dimer in solution. Multiple sequence alignments show that residues in the dimer interface are conserved, suggesting that many PNGM enzymes adopt this oligomeric state. This work lays the foundation for the development of inhibitors for PNGM enzymes from human pathogens.
Esophageal Stem Cells, Where Art Thou?

The stem cell biology of the esophageal epithelium is an unresolved area in biomedical research. The field has major clinical implications, as esophageal cancer is a common cause of malignancy-related death, accounting for more than 500,000 deaths per year worldwide ( 1 ). Despite decades of research, there is little consensus regarding how this epithelium is maintained. On page 1091 of this issue, Doupe et al. ( 2 ) show that the esophageal epithelium is generated by a single population of cells that divide randomly into differentiated or proliferative progeny. Their finding contrasts with the prevailing hypothesis that stem cells underlie homeostasis of the tissue.
Medical education in the United States of America

This article was written to provide a brief history of the medical educational system in the USA, the current educational structure, and the current topics and challenges facing USA medical educators today. The USA is fortunate to have a robust educational system, with over 150 medical schools, thousands of graduate medical education programs, well-accepted standardized examinations throughout training, and many educational research programs. All levels of medical education, from curriculum reform in medical schools and the integration of competencies in graduate medical education, to the maintenance of certification in continuing medical education, have undergone rapid changes since the turn of the millennium. The intent of the changes has been to involve the patient sooner in the educational process, use better educational strategies, link educational processes more closely with educational outcomes, and focus on other skills besides knowledge. However, with the litany of changes have come increased regulation without (as of yet) clear evidence as to which of the changes will result in better physicians. In addition, the USA governmental debt crisis threatens the current educational structure. The next wave of changes in the USA medical system needs to focus on what particular educational strategies result in the best physicians and how to fund the system over the long term.
Radiant heat-induced hyperthermia in mice: in vivo effects on the immune system.

Whole-body hyperthermia (WBH) in mice was induced by 2-4-h exposure to radiant heat resulting in core body temperatures of 38·5–40·4°C, and correlated directly with the magnitude and duration of heat treatment. Two-hour heat treatments in this temperature range did not consistently affect generation of antibody-forming cells in vivo, while 4-h treatments at temperatures ≥40°C significantly supressed the antibody-forming cell response. The capacity of lymphocytes from similarly heated mice to generate antibody-forming cells in vitro was not affected, suggesting that the observed in vivo suppression may be mediated by circulating factors rather than by some heat-induced alteration in the cells themselves. In vivo treatment did not alter T-cell responsiveness to the mitogen Con-A or delayed-type hypersensitivity responses to sheep red blood cells. Quantitative and flow cytometric assessment of splenic and thymic lymphocyte numbers showed that WBH did not alter absolute numbers of lymphocytes but did temporar...
Internal models and recursive estimation for 2-D isotropic random fields

Efficient recursive smoothing algorithms are developed for isotropic random fields that can be obtained by passing white noise through rational filters. The estimation problem is shown to be equivalent to a countably infinite set of 1-D separable two-point boundary value smoothing problems. The 1-D smoothing problems are solved using a Markovianization approach followed by a standard 1-D smoothing algorithm. The desired field estimate is then obtained as properly weighted sum of the 1-D smoothed estimates. The 1-D two-point boundary value problems are also shown to have the same asymptotic properties and yield a stable spectral factorization of the power spectrum of the isotropic random fields. >
Pronominal address in Icelandic: from you-two to you-all

The conservatism of modern Icelandic is a bromide so well worn that it is refreshing now and then to be reminded that Icelandic has in fact changed from that Old Norwegian which the settlers brought with them in the ninth century, and that it is not, in the words of a recent writer, ‘eine versteinerte Sprachform’ (Decsy 1973: 48). One striking change, which involves phonological, morphological, syntactic, and sociolinguistic problems, is that of the dual and plural pronouns of the first and second persons. Succinctly stated: ON vit ‘we’ dual and pit ‘you’ dual have become við ‘we’ plural and pið ‘you’ plural, while ON ver ‘we’ plural and per ‘you’ plural have become ‘we’ honorific and ‘you’ honorific. A systematic shift of meaning has affected both pronouns, eliminating the dual meaning in favor of the plural, and the plural in favor of the honorific singular.
Large Particle Penetration During PM10 Sampling

The objective of the present study was to characterize the performance of a federal reference method (FRM) PM10 size-selective inlet using analysis methods designed to minimize uncertainty in measured sampling efficiencies for large particles such as those most often emitted from agricultural operations. The performance of an FRM PM10 inlet was characterized in a wind tunnel at a wind speed of 8 km/h. Data were also collected for 20 and 25 μm particles at wind speeds of 2 and 24 km/h. Results of the present sampler evaluation compared well with those of previous studies for a similar inlet near the cutpoint, and the sampler passed the criteria required for certification as a FRM sampler when tested at 8 km/h. Sampling effectiveness values for particles with nominal diameters of 20 and 25 μm exceeded 3% for 8 and 24 km/h wind speeds in the present study and were statistically higher than both the “ideal” PM10 sampler (as defined in 40 CFR 53) and the ISO (1995) standard definition of thoracic particles (p ...
The gut microbiota and mucosal T cells.

It is intuitive that immune cells in the gut may require microbiota-derived cues for their differentiation. The proximity between host and microbe in the intestine would seemingly necessitate co-adaptation. However, it has been challenging to determine the members and features of the gut microbiota that influence immune system development and function. The recent identification of immunomodulatory members of the commensal microbiota is providing insight into the dependence of select, intestinal immune cell subsets on specific microbial species. In this review, we focus on the gut microbiota’s influence on the development and function of mucosal T cells subsets, specifically intraepithelial lymphocytes and lamina propria CD4 T cells.
Intracranial Perineural Extension of Invasive Mycosis: A Novel Mechanism of Disease Propagation by Aspergillus fumigatus

We describe an immunocompetent woman who had refractory, invasive sphenoid sinus Aspergillus fumigatus infection for which there was radiologic evidence of intracranial perineural spread. The patient responded to a combination of antifungal and adjuvant recombinant cytokine therapy.
Model-Based Cognitive Neuroscience Approaches to Computational Psychiatry Clustering and Classification

Psychiatric research is in crisis. We highlight efforts to overcome current challenges by focusing on the emerging field of computational psychiatry, which might enable the field to move from a sym...
Wide-field-of-view heterodyne receiver at 1.06 μm with photorefractive InP:Fe

Photorefractive InP:Fe with an applied dc field was used to construct a wide-field-of view heterodyne receiver in a double phase-conjugate mirror configuration. Large double phase-conjugate mirror diffraction efficiencies (>20%) and stable (as a function of signal-beam angle) intermediate-frequency powers were measured over an approximately 8° field of view with a minimum rise time of approximately 65 ms. The influence of electric-field strength and sample temperature on rise time was measured.
Circulating plasma VEGF response to exercise in sedentary and endurance-trained men

The skeletal muscle capillary supply is an important determinant of maximum exercise capacity, and it is well known that endurance exercise training increases the muscle capillary supply. The muscl...
Mathematical learning models that depend on prior knowledge and instructional strategies

We present mathematical learning models---predictions of student's knowledge vs amount of instruction---that are based on assumptions motivated by various theories of learning: tabula rasa, constructivist, and tutoring. These models predict the improvement (on the post-test) as a function of the pretest score due to intervening instruction and also depend on the type of instruction. We introduce a connectedness model whose connectedness parameter measures the degree to which the rate of learning is proportional to prior knowledge. Over a wide range of pretest scores on standard tests of introductory physics concepts, it fits high-quality data nearly within error. We suggest that data from MIT have low connectedness (indicating memory-based learning) because the test used the same context and representation as the instruction and that more connected data from the University of Minnesota resulted from instruction in a different representation from the test.
XASH genes promote neurogenesis in Xenopus embryos.

Neural development in Drosophila is promoted by a family of basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors encoded within the Achaete Scute-Complex (AS-C). XASH- 3, a Xenopus homolog of the Drosophila AS-C genes, is expressed during neural induction within a portion of the dorsal ectoderm that gives rise to the neural plate and tube. Here, we show that XASH-3, when expressed with the promiscuous binding partner XE12, specifically activates the expression of neural genes in naive ectoderm, suggesting that XASH-3 promotes neural development. Moreover, XASH-3/XE12 RNA injections into embryos lead to hypertrophy of the neural tube. Interestingly, XASH-3 misexpression does not lead to the formation of ectopic neural tissue in ventral regions, suggesting that the domain of XASH proneural function is restricted in the embryo. In contrast to the neural inducer noggin, which permanently activates the NCAM gene, the activation of neural genes by XASH-3/XE12 is not stable in naive ectoderm, yet XASH-3/XE12 powerfully and stably activates NCAM, Neurofilament and type III β-tubulin gene expression in noggintreated ectoderm. These results show that the XASH-3 promotes neural development, and suggest that its activity depends on additional factors which are induced in ectoderm by factors such as noggin.
Disruption of Cotton Aphid (Homoptera: Aphididae)—Natural Enemy Dynamics by Red Imported Fire Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Red imported Þre ants, Solenopsis invicta (Buren) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), are an invasive species found in high densities throughout southeastern agricultural systems. We tested the hypothesis that Þre ants tend cotton aphids, Aphis gossypii Glover (Homoptera: Aphididae), and thus release them from predation by lady beetle larvae, Coccinella septempunctata L. and Hippodamia convergens Guerin-Meneville (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), and green lacewing larvae, Chrysoperla carnea Stephens (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae). Fire ants preferentially foraged on aphid-infested cot- ton, Gossypium hirsutum L., plants (x 103 47 ants per plant) compared with plants without aphids (x 5 3 ants per plant). In caged greenhouse experiments, Þre ants reduced survival of lady beetle larvae by 92.9% and green lacewing larvae by 83.3%. Furthermore, strong mortality imposed on aphid predators by Þre ants affected aphid survival. With the addition of Þre ants to aphid-predator treatments, aphid survival approximately doubled. In a Þeld experiment, predator larvae were more abundant in cotton plots with experimentally suppressed densities of Þre ants (0.62 0.11 lady beetle larvae per sample; 0.06 0.02 lacewing larvae per sample) than in plots with high Þre ant densities (0.23 0.06 lady beetle larvae per sample; 0.01 0.01 lacewing larvae per sample). Conversely, cotton aphids were more abundant in high Þre ant density Þeld plots (x 6.83 0.03 aphids per leaf) than in low Þre ant density plots (x 4.04 0.03 aphids per leaf). These data suggest that red imported Þre ants enhance cotton aphid survival and density in the Þeld through predator interference.
Receptor Mechanisms Underlying Heterogenic Reflexes Among the Triceps Surae Muscles of the Cat

Receptor mechanisms underlying heterogenic reflexes among the triceps surae muscles of the cat. The soleus (S), medial gastrocnemius (MG), and lateral gastrocnemius (LG) muscles of the cat are inte...
Chemotactic signaling and beyond: link between interleukin-16 and axonal degeneration in multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a progressive inflammatory, and chronic demyelinating, neurodegenerative disease of central nervous system (CNS). Autoimmune responses to myelin and other CNS antigens mediated by cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4+) T cells are critical for initiation and progression of disease. Migration of autoimmune T cells from the peripheral lymph organs into CNS parenchyma leads to inflammation, demyelination and damage of axonal cytoskeleton, which manifest in decreased impulse conduction velocity of motor and sensory nerves. Myelin and axonal pathology causes motor, sensory and autonomic nerve dysfunction, including optic nerve damage leading to double or distorted vision; paresis and paralysis of extremities, painful sensations, and bladder sphincter dysfunction, manifested as bladder incontinence. Gray matter pathology in cortical and subcortical regions, including cerebellum and hippocampus underlies cognitive and behavioral dysfunction consisting of memory deficits, depression, and ataxic gait and tremor.
Robot phylogenetics

Bioinformatics techniques are introduced for the analysis of evolutionary search. These techniques are tested on buildable robots evolved in a virtual simulator for a locomotion task. By using bioinformatic visualizations properties of evolutionary search and relatedness between differing robot genotypes and phenotypes can be examined.
You Get Who You Pay for: The Impact of Incentives on Participation Bias

Designing effective incentives is a challenge across many social computing contexts, from attracting crowdworkers to sustaining online contributions. However, one aspect of incentivizing that has been understudied is its impact on participation bias, as different incentives may attract different subsets of the population to participate. In this paper, we present two empirical studies in the crowdworking context that show that the incentive offered influence who participates in the task. Using the Basic Human Values, we found that a lottery reward attracted participants who held stronger openness-to-change values while a charity reward attracted those with stronger self-transcendence orientation. Further, we found that participation self-selection resulted in differences in the task outcomes. Through attracting more self-directed individuals, the lottery reward resulted in more ideas generated in a brainstorming task. Design implications include utilizing rewards to target desired participants and using diverse incentives to improve participation diversity.
Diagnosis and Management of Rhinosinusitis: Highlights from the 2015 Practice Parameter

Rhinosinusitis is a commonly diagnosed disease in the USA. Rhinosinusitis is classified as acute, recurrent, or chronic (with or without nasal polyps). While acute rhinosinusitis is diagnosed by history and physical examination, chronic rhinosinusitis and recurrent acute rhinosinusitis are diagnosed based on symptoms and the presence of disease on either a sinus CT scan and/or endoscopy. Management of uncomplicated acute rhinosinusitis includes analgesics, saline irrigation, and/or intranasal steroids. Antibiotics and intranasal steroids are recommended for acute bacterial rhinosinusitis. Intranasal and oral steroids with antibiotics are recommended to treat chronic rhinosinusitis although the evidence for antibiotics is weak. Biologics such as omalizumab and mepolizumab are being investigated for the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. Surgery may be indicated in management of refractory chronic rhinosinusitis and rarely for acute bacterial rhinosinusitis. This review discusses highlights of the updated 2014 practice parameter and up-to-date evidence from other literature sources.
Efficacy and safety of CD19-targeted 19-28z CAR modified T cells in adult patients with relapsed or refractory B-ALL.

7010 Background: Adult patients (pts) with relapsed or refractory (R/R) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have dismal prognosis. We previously reported high anti-tumor activity of autologous T cel...
Whole planet coupling between climate, mantle, and core: Implications for rocky planet evolution

Earth's climate, mantle, and core interact over geologic time scales. Climate influences whether plate tectonics can take place on a planet, with cool climates being favorable for plate tectonics because they enhance stresses in the lithosphere, suppress plate boundary annealing, and promote hydration and weakening of the lithosphere. Plate tectonics plays a vital role in the long-term carbon cycle, which helps to maintain a temperate climate. Plate tectonics provides long-term cooling of the core, which is vital for generating a magnetic field, and the magnetic field is capable of shielding atmospheric volatiles from the solar wind. Coupling between climate, mantle, and core can potentially explain the divergent evolution of Earth and Venus. As Venus lies too close to the sun for liquid water to exist, there is no long-term carbon cycle and thus an extremely hot climate. Therefore, plate tectonics cannot operate and a long-lived core dynamo cannot be sustained due to insufficient core cooling. On planets within the habitable zone where liquid water is possible, a wide range of evolutionary scenarios can take place depending on initial atmospheric composition, bulk volatile content, or the timing of when plate tectonics initiates, among other factors. Many of these evolutionary trajectories would render the planet uninhabitable. However, there is still significant uncertainty over the nature of the coupling between climate, mantle, and core. Future work is needed to constrain potential evolutionary scenarios and the likelihood of an Earth-like evolution.
Specificity of Lysine for the Growth of the Turkey Poults and the Prevention of Feather Depigmentation

Abstract A DEFICIENCY of lysine not only depresses the growth of turkey poults but also causes depigmentation of their flight feathers (Vohra and Kratzer, 1957). Although α,e-diaminopimelic acid cannot be utilized by L. mesenteroides (McLaren and Knight, 1953), it replaces lysine for the growth of certain strains of E. coli (Davis, 1952). l -Lysine can be produced by the bacterial decarboxylation of diaminopimelic acid (Casida, 1956). The decarboxylation of lysine by bacteria during putrefaction gives rise to cadaverine which is excreted by animals in cystinuria (Udranszky and Baumann, 1889). Formaldehyde reacts with amines and amides to give hydroxymethyl derivatives which can be biologically active (Kisliuk, 1957). The roles of α,e-diaminopimelic acid, cadaverine, ethyl ester of l -lysine dihydrochloride, and formaldehyde-reacted-lysine in replacing lysine for the growth of turkey poults and feather pigmentation have been investigated in the present study. EXPERIMENTAL For the synthesis of formaldehyde-lysine complex, 20 gm. of l -lysine monohydrochloride and 50 …
Mortality Factors for Oberea schaumii (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)

The poplar branch borer, Oberea schaumii LeConte, was studied over a 5-year period in northern Michigan stands of trembling aspen, Populus tremuloides Michx. Objectives of the study were to describe the mortality and survival of natural populations of O. schaumii and to identify and assess the importance of causes for mortality. O. schaumii generally has a 3-year life cycle in northern Michigan, though some adults mature in 2 years and a significant proportion require 4 years. Most egg niches fail during the 1st year after oviposition because of egg inviability, parasitism, and desiccation. Parasites of these early larval stages were identified as Iphiaulax eurygaster (Brulle) (Braconidae). After the 1st year, the parasites Cenococlius sanguineiventris (Ashmead) (Braconidae) and Cremastus nordi Townes (Ichneumonidae) combined with woodpecker predation to make the last larval and pupal stages most hazardous to maturing larvae.
Analysis on the results of influenza virus surveillance from 2011 to 2014 in Pingdingshan

Objective The aim of this study was to analyze the data of influenza surveillance in Pingdingshan city from 2011 to2012, and understand the influenza epidemic, in order to provide support for influenza prevention and control. Methods The throat swabs were collected from the suspected influenza-like cases from the sentinel hospital in Pingdingshan and examined by real-time PCR. Results A total of 199 influenza strains were detected from 1023 specimens among three surveillance periods, and the positive rate was 19.45%. The positive rate of influenza A(H1N1) virus was 30.65%. The positive rate of influenza A(H3) virus was 22.61%.The positive rate of influenza B virus was 46.23%. Both A(H3) and B were predominant strains from October 2011 to March 2012 in Ping Dingshan. The influenza A(H1N1) virus was predominant strains from October 2012 to March 2013. The three strains were all detected from October 2013 to March 2014, and influenza B virus was the predominant strains. Both A(H1N1) and B were detected in a mixed strain of virus. Conclusion The influenza advantage strains in Pingdingshan were alternating in all monitored cycles. Alert should be paid to the appearance of variants under frequent gene alternation.
The Surgical Management of Hereditary Multifocal Renal Carcinoma

AbstractA family was described recently in which renal carcinoma developed in 10 members in 3 consecutive generations. The cancer tended to develop in patients at an early age, and to occur in both kidneys and at multiple sites more frequently than in nonfamilial renal cancer. The finding of a balanced reciprocal translocation between chromosomes 3 and 8 in affected family members suggests that an inherited genetic defect predisposes to the development of this cancer in middle-aged patients and offers a marker for screening individuals at risk. We herein discuss the surgical management of 4 family members, the proband and 3 relatives, who were discovered on screening to have bilateral, multifocal renal cancer.Certain compromises in the principles of radical tumor surgery have proved effective in these 4 patients. Partial nephrectomy has resulted in total extirpation of the bilateral tumors with survivals of 2 to 4 years without need for chronic dialysis. The sequential order of surgical procedures is impo...
Human oviductal fluid (hOF) proteins. IV. Evidence for hOF proteins binding to human sperm.

In the management of infertile patients, it is well recognized that gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) has a higher success rate than in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer. Oviducts produce unique proteins that may be responsible for the success of GIFT. Unique proteins from human oviductal fluid (hOF) have been purified in the authors' laboratory. One of these proteins of 54kDa molecular weight, and containing carbohydrate, was obtained in a highly purified state. In this study, human sperm were incubated with: (1) a mixture of hOF-specific proteins, and (2) the highly purified hOF glycoprotein, designated human oviductin I (hOV-I). Using indirect immunofluorescence, the authors studied the ability of hOF proteins to bind to human sperm. The mixture of hOF proteins appeared to bind to the surface of the entire sperm. Conversely, hOV-I binding was restricted to the head region only. Studies are in progress to discern the function of the sperm-binding interaction(s) with hOF proteins.