cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The gap-startle paradigm for tinnitus screening in animal models: limitations and optimization.

Abstract In 2006, Turner and colleagues (Behav. Neurosci., 120:188–195) introduced the gap-startle paradigm as a high-throughput method for tinnitus screening in rats. Under this paradigm, gap detection ability was assessed by determining the level of inhibition of the acoustic startle reflex produced by a short silent gap inserted in an otherwise continuous background sound prior to a loud startling stimulus. Animals with tinnitus were expected to show impaired gap detection ability (i.e., lack of inhibition of the acoustic startle reflex) if the background sound containing the gap was qualitatively similar to the tinnitus pitch. Thus, for the gap-startle paradigm to be a valid tool to screen for tinnitus, a robust startle response from which to inhibit must be present. Because recent studies have demonstrated that the acoustic startle reflex could be dramatically reduced following noise exposure, we endeavored to 1) modify the gap-startle paradigm to be more resilient in the presence of hearing loss, and 2) evaluate whether a reduction in startle reactivity could confound the interpretation of gap prepulse inhibition and lead to errors in screening for tinnitus. In the first experiment, the traditional broadband noise (BBN) startle stimulus was replaced by a bandpass noise in which the sound energy was concentrated in the lower frequencies (5–10 kHz) in order to maintain audibility of the startle stimulus after unilateral high-frequency noise exposure (16 kHz). However, rats still showed a 57% reduction in startle amplitude to the bandpass noise post-noise exposure. A follow-up experiment on a separate group of rats with transiently-induced conductive hearing loss revealed that startle reactivity was better preserved when the BBN startle stimulus was replaced by a rapid airpuff to the back of the rat’s neck. Furthermore, it was found that transient unilateral conductive hearing loss, which was not likely to induce tinnitus, caused an impairment in gap prepulse inhibition as assessed with the traditional BBN gap-startle paradigm, resulting in a false-positive screening for tinnitus. Thus, the present study identifies significant caveats of the traditional gap-startle paradigm, and describes experimental parameters using an airpuff startle stimulus which may help to limit the negative consequences of reduced startle reactivity following noise exposure, thereby allowing researchers to better screen for tinnitus in animals with hearing loss.
Fragile X mental retardation protein expression in Alzheimer's disease.

The FMR1 protein product, FMRP, is an mRNA binding protein associated with translational inhibition of target transcripts. One FMRP target is the amyloid precursor protein (APP) mRNA, and APP levels are elevated in Fmr1 KO mice. Given that elevated APP protein expression can elicit Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in patients and model systems, we evaluated whether FMRP expression might be altered in Alzheimer’s autopsy brain samples and mouse models compared to controls. In a double transgenic mouse model of AD (APP/PS1), we found no difference in FMRP expression in aged AD model mice compared to littermate controls. FMRP expression was also similar in AD and control patient frontal cortex and cerebellum samples. Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) is an age related neurodegenerative disorder caused by expanded CGG repeats in the 5’UTR of the FMR1 gene. Patients experience cognitive impairment and dementia in addition to motor symptoms. In parallel studies, we measured FMRP expression in cortex and cerebellum from three FXTAS patients and found reduced expression compared to both controls and Alzheimer’s patient brains, consistent with animal models. We also find increased APP levels in cerebellar, but not cortical, samples of FXTAS patients compared to controls. Taken together, these data suggest that a decrease in FMRP expression is unlikely to be a primary contributor to Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis.
Biological Clocks: Riding the Tides

Animals with habitats in the intertidal zone often display biological rhythms that coordinate with both the tidal and the daily environmental cycles. Two recent studies show that the molecular components of the biological clocks mediating tidal rhythms are likely different from the phylogenetically conserved components that mediate circadian (daily) rhythms.
Antimycobacterial activity of steroids, long-chain alcohols and lytic peptides

As a continuation of our project aimed at a search for new antimycobacterial agents, several naturally occurring and synthetic compounds have been evaluated against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv and M. avium. Emphasis was placed on steroids and a series of isoprene long-chain alcohols to gain new insight into their structural activities. Maximum activity of isoprenoid derivatives seemed to depend on the hydrophobic chain length from the hydrophilic hydroxyl moiety. In contrast, ergosterol peroxide produced significantly greater inhibition than the corresponding steroids. Bile acids, amino acid-based surfactants and cholesteryl esters possessing different alkyl side chains were surprisingly the least effective. Encapsulation of compounds in cyclodextrins did not lead to significant loss in activity. Considering the inhibitory activity observed for the active steroids and isoprene long-chain alcohols, the phytyl moiety appeared to be critical for maximum activity. The implications of these findings for t...
The hydrokinetic power resource in a tidal estuary: The Kennebec River of the central Maine coast

Abstract Power levels available from the kinetic energy of tidal flows can be significant in coastal or estuarine regions with relatively modest tidal ranges. For example, the central Maine coast, where the mean semi-diurnal tidal range is about 3 m, includes several river estuaries with narrow interconnecting passages where tidal currents exceed 2 m s−1. A numerical circulation model applied to this region shows that the vigorous tidal flows lead to available power peaks exceeding 3 kW per square meter of turbine aperture in several sites during a spring tide. At one promising location, the peak power density is 6.5 kW/m2 near the surface and the energy capacity in a 500 m2 section under mean tidal conditions is about 2700 MWh per year, sufficient to meet the average consumption needs of about 150 homes connected to an electrical grid capable of accepting the tidal power pulses and blending them with traditional sources.
Toward a 100-Gsample/s photonic A-D converter

We propose a 100-Gsample-per-second (GSPS) real time photonic analog-to-digital converter architecture and demonstrate the 100-GSPS photonic sampling and 1:8 time-division optical demultiplexing required to implement such a converter. The high-speed demultiplexing is achieved with a lithium niobate intensity modulator-based serial-parallel converter. Experimental results are presented indicating the potential for >4-bit performance in a fully implemented analog-to-digital conversion system.
Conservation monitoring: estimating mammal densities in woodland habitats

Conservation and ecological monitoring programmes often estimate animal densities over time, but in wooded and forested areas practical techniques are still poorly developed. Here I have examined five simple methods of deriving densities of large and medium-sized mammals using line transects driven through miombo woodland habitat in Africa. These methods calculated area by dividing the number of individuals seen by (i) an average of each species' sighting distances, (ii) a fixed 200 m belt width, (iii) the area visible from the centre of the transect, (iv) visible area weighted by species' vegetation preferences, and (v) by dividing the number of groups seen by area visible from the transect. Individual-based methods produced quite divergent estimates of species' densities and overall biomass with belt transects giving the lowest values. The group method and corresponding individual-based method gave similar values, however. Most of these calculations yielded considerably higher density estimates than aerial surveys conducted in the same area over a similar time period. Sightings of species were not distributed evenly across vegetation types although the majority of mammal species were observed more often in open habitat. These findings indicate that ground-based conservation monitoring programmes should set transects through several vegetation types, restrict comparisons to those studies that use the same methodology, and refrain from comparing ground and aerial surveys.
Assessment of fungal (Penicillium chrysogenum) growth on three HVAC duct materials

Abstract Many building investigators have documented fungal biocontamination in heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) ducts. It has been suggested that emissions of spores and volatile organic compounds from the growing fungi may contribute to poor indoor air quality and result in adverse health effects. Laboratory experiments were conducted to evaluate the susceptibility of three types of ventilation duct materials (fibrous glass ductboard, galvanized steel, and insulated flexible duct) to fungal ( P. chrysogenum ) growth. Each sample was inoculated with spores of P. chrysogenum and incubated in a static chamber controlled at 97% relative humidity (RH) and 21°C for six weeks. Culturable spores on each sample were enumerated before and after incubation to determine the extent of fungal amplification. The results indicated that, of the newly purchased duct materials, only the flexible duct supported moderate growth of P. chrysogenum . No fungal growth was detected on the fibrous glass and galvanized steel. The number of culturable spores on galvanized steel even decreased during the test period. Wetting the clean duct samples with sterile water did not increase amplification of the P. chrysogenum over the level seen without the wetting. Soiling the samples with dust collected from residential heating and air-conditioning systems enhanced the susceptibility of all three duct materials to fungal growth; however, at different levels of soiling. At a moderate level (0.4–0.7 mg cm −2 ) of soiling, growth occurred on the fibrous glass ductboard and the flexible duct, but not the galvanized steel. At a markedly higher level (9–18 mg cm −2 ) of soiling, growth was seen on the galvanized steel as well. The results of these experiments suggest that dust accumulation and/or high humidity should be properly controlled in any HVAC duct to prevent the growth of P. chrysogenum .
Molecular characterization of four midgut aminopeptidase N isozymes from the cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni

Abstract Four aminopeptidase N (APN) isoforms, TnAPN1, TnAPN2, TnAPN3 and TnAPN4, were identified from the cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni , by cDNA cloning. The deduced amino acid sequences of the four APNs indicate that TnAPN1, TnAPN2, TnAPN3 and TnAPN4 are synthesized as preproteins of 110, 106, 114 and 108 kDa, respectively. Sequence features of the T. ni APNs include the presence of a signal peptide at their N-termini and a prepeptide at the C-termini for the GPI anchor, the zinc binding/gluzincin motif HEX 2 HX 18 E, the gluzincin aminopeptidase motif GAMENWG and the presence of glycosylation sites. After removal of the signal peptide and the C-terminal prepeptide, the predicted molecular weights of TnAPN1, TnAPN2, TnAPN3 and TnAPN4 are 106, 102, 110 and 104 kDa, respectively. Enzymatic activity assays of various larval tissues showed that aminopeptidase activities were mainly localized in the midgut and the specific enzyme activity per mg of midgut tissue proteins was constant in T. ni larvae regardless of the composition of dietary proteins and amino acids. Both enzyme activity assays and RT-PCR analyses for the expression of the APN genes in T. ni larval tissues demonstrated that APN genes were expressed in Malphigian tubules in addition to the midgut, which was the first observation that APNs were also synthesized in insect Malphigian tubules. The finding of APN gene expression and enzyme activity in the Malphigian tubules indicated the biochemical and functional similarity of the insect Malphigian tubules to the mammalian counterpart, the kidney, in which APNs are known to play important functions.
The effect of injection molding conditions on the mechanical properties of an in situ Composite. I: Polypropylene and a liquid crystalline copolyester based on hydroxynaphthoic acid

In this study, the effect of injection molding conditions on the mechanical properties of polypropylene/liquid crystalline copolyester in situ composites was investigated. Molding conditions such as fill time, mold temperature, and mold thickness were varied to determine the most significant variables that influence mechanical properties. The mechanical property variations were correlated to the shear or extensional stress, which deforms a dispersed phase, and to the Graetz number, which indicates the influence of heat transfer. It was found that higher flexural moduli were obtained in thinner molds and that the maximum mechanical properties for a given mold thickness were obtained near a Graetz number of ten. This indicated that heat transfer was a controlling factor in the formation of in situ composites.
THE SILENT CARRIER ALLELE: β-THALASSEMIA WITHOUT A MUTATION IN THE β-GLOBIN GENE REGION

The silent carrier of β thalassemia has a decreased β/α globin synthesis ratio, but normal Hb A2 and Hb F levels and red cell indices. We have restudied the first described family (N. Engl. J. Med. 281:1327, 1969), in which the father is a silent carrier,the mother has high Hb A2 β-thalassemia trait, and both children have β thalassemia of intermediate clinical severity. The relative excess α globin in this family is not due to an increase in α-globin gene numbers. The maternal and paternal β-globin genes were cloned from the daughter's genomic DNA. The maternal gene contains a previously reported IVS-1 splice junction βo thalassemia mutation. Sequence analysis of the paternal gene failed to reveal any base changes of functional significance. In HeLa cells the gene was expressed at normal levels with proper processing of RNA. Haplotype analysis revealed that the affected son and daughter inherited different eγδβ-globin gene clusters from the father. However, the father was homozygous for all polymorphic restriction sites downstream from a Taq I site approximately 3 kb 5' to the δ-globin gene. Two explanations for these results are: (1) recombination within primordial germ cells of the father occurred downstream from the Taq I site (2) the paternal silent carrier allele is not linked to the β-globin cluster. Studies which distinguish between these possibilities are in progress. In either case, the mutation responsible for β thalassemia is outside the region analyzed by structural and functional studies.
The management of change: Lessons learned from the IAIMS experience

The critical elements of the change process were designed into the strategic planning process and the pilot project for the Integrated Academic Information Management System (IAIMS) at the University of Maryland. These elements were: Support by the institutional leadership; a critical mass of interested participants from diverse groups across the organization, committed to the project and with ownership of the plan; a motivating level of dissatisfaction with the status quo; the construction of a scenario describing the desired future and an assessment of needs to achieve it; technical and consulting help; a pilot project with replicable features to demonstrate the concept and feasibility of the approach; and participation of opinion leaders initially with later identification of additional opinion leaders who would become part of the pattern of acceptance of the innovation and diffusion of the technology across the campus. © 1988 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Interaction of thyroxine, energy metabolism and swimming performance of rats

Abstract Time required for exhaustive swimming by young-mature rats weighted with lead weights (4% of body weight) was found to decline over a ten week experimental period. While a positive relationship existed between thyroid status and swimming time, a concomitant decrease in swimming time occurred in each of the respective five groups of rats: control (C) rats with intact thyroids, athyroid (A-Tdx), hypothyroid (Hypo-Tdx), euthyroid (Eu-Tdx), and hyperthyroid (Hyper-Tdx) rats between day 70–140. The latter three groups were thyroidectomized (Tdx) and given daily replacement therapy of L-thyroxine (L-T 4 ) during the experimental period. Epididymal fat pads were found to be almost non-existent in the A-Tdx rats. Serum triglycerides of A-Tdx, Eu-Tdx, and Hypo-Tdx animals were significantly lower than in C. Daily food intakes were also lower in the A-Tdx and Hypo-Tdx groups than in C and Hyper-Tdx groups. Thyroxine insufficiency, the decreasing feed intake, and particularly the ability to carry the increasing absolute weight load during exercise are factors that may be important in explaining the observed decline in work capacity during the ten week experimental period.
An MBoC Favorite: Proteasomal proteomics: identification of nucleotide-sensitive proteasome-interacting proteins by mass spectrometric analysis of affinity-purified proteasomes

The proteasome is a complex multifunctional machine that destroys proteins marked for ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis. In this paper, the authors employ an elegant approach to isolate and define yeast proteasomes and their suite of interacting proteins (Verma et al., 2000). This paper has something for everyone. The method the authors developed has now become the standard in the field for rapid proteasome purification. They identified and validated a new subunit of the proteasome. And their work gave a powerful glimpse into the role of the proteasome as a node of intracellular protein interactions, with dozens of proteasome-interacting proteins (PIPs) associating with core proteasome subunits in a nucleotide-dependent manner. The technological achievement and unique biological insight provided by this study justify its place as one of MBoC’s most-cited articles.
Introduction and expression of genes for metabolic engineering applications in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Metabolic pathway engineering in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae leads to improved production of a wide range of compounds, ranging from ethanol (from biomass) to natural products such as sesquiterpenes. The introduction of multienzyme pathways requires precise control over the level and timing of expression of the associated genes. Gene number and promoter strength/regulation are two critical control points, and multiple studies have focused on modulating these in yeast. This MiniReview focuses on methods for introducing genes and controlling their copy number and on the many promoters (both constitutive and inducible) that have been successfully employed. The advantages and disadvantages of the methods will be presented, and applications to pathway engineering will be highlighted.
Multiwavelength three-dimensional scattering with dual-surface integral equations

We apply dual-surface integral equations, which have the same form as, and yet eliminate, the spurious solutions from conventional electric- and magnetic-field integral equations, to determine the scattering from multi-wavelength, three-dimensional perfect conductors. We determine accuracy by increasing the patch density and by comparisons with a high-frequency solution, a finite-difference time-domain solution, and measurements. Surface currents and scattered far fields computed with the dual-surface magnetic-field equation are displayed for perfectly conducting cubes 3 and 15 wavelengths on a side. Condition numbers and the number of iterations for convergence of the conjugate gradient method are shown to be linearly related to the electrical size of the scatterer. The logarithmic relationship between the number of iterations and the inverse of the residual error is also confirmed. For large scatterers the number of computer operations increases as the fifth power of electrical size; however, on massively parallel computers the run time increases only as the third power of the electrical size.
Using Classroom Assistants to Tutor Struggling Third Graders: How Long Will it Take to Read at Grade Level?

Based on a request from a local principal, this study evaluated how long it would take for third graders, who were reading at primer or first-grade level, to read at grade level; whether their reading gains would remain stable once they stopped receiving tutoring; and whether classroom assistants could provide the tutoring. Her questions were in response to her state's newly implemented Gateway policy, under which students in the third, fifth, and eighth grades could not be promoted if they failed a mandated reading assessment. Three cohorts of students received tutoring, 3 to 5 days per week, 40 minutes per session, across an academic year. Overall, 28 of the 37 tutees passed the state-mandated third-grade reading assessment; 26 passed the fifth-grade assessment two years later. However, only half of the tutees who passed the mandated third-grade assessment could read grade-level passages. Discussion focuses on the policy implications of the discrepancy between these two reading measures.
Average of forecasts: an improvement

Stein-rules are used in forming combination forecasts. Such forecasts have smaller prediction risk, under certain conditions, than the preferred method of average of forecasts. The new composite forecasts will be theoretically biased, but are likely to have smaller mean squared error of forecasts as shown in the empirical exercises examined. When the forecasts appear to be unbiased and have a common mean, Lindley-type combination is most useful.
The Light of Planets

A FEW facts relative to this subject may be interesting. At Plymouth on August 12, about 9 o'clock, favoured with a beautifully clear horizon, the brilliancy of Mars was so great that it cast a distinctly black shadow on a piece of white paper from an ordinary walking stick held at a distance of 4½ inches; the outline of the hand, under the same conditions, was also easily perceptible. A faint, yet decided, darkening of the white cliffs of the shore was caused by a person standing upright—the slope being about 45°. The point of observation was at the extreme north-west of the Sound, and the splendour of the planet's light reflected from three or four miles of water is perhaps unrivalled.
Accurate Quantification of Lithium in Aluminium-Lithium Alloys with Electron Energy-Loss Spectrometry

The composition of the Al$_3$Li ($\delta$') metastable precipitation-hardening phase is an important factor in understanding the strengthening behaviour of Al-Li base alloys. The procedure for using electron energyloss spectrometry in a transmission electron microscope for accurate quantification of the Li content of $\delta$' is established. All factors that can affect the accuracy of the analysis procedure are considered, namely: the specimen preparation, the mode of operation of the microscope, the identification of spectra from through-thickness regions of the specimen, the calibration of the Li/Al partial cross-section ratio, the deconvolution of the spectra and the background extrapolation scheme. The composition of the $\delta$' phase in the temperature range 155-290$^\circ$C is determined, and the non-stoichiometry of this phase is clearly shown.
Module locking in biochemical synthesis

We are developing a framework for computation with biochemical reactions with a focus on synthesizing specific logical functionality, a task analogous to technology-independent logic synthesis. Our method synthesizes biochemical reactions that compute output quantities of molecular types as a function of input quantities, either deterministically or probabilistically. An important constraint is the timing, captured in the relative rates of the biochemical reactions: all the outputs of a given phase must be produced before the next phase can begin consuming them as inputs. To achieve this synchronization, the reaction rates must sometimes be separated by orders of magnitude: some much faster than others, some much slower. This might be costly or infeasible given a specific library of biochemical reactions. In this paper, we describe a novel mechanism for locking the computation of biochemical modules - analogous to handshaking mechanisms in asynchronous circuit design. With locking, our method synthesizes robust computation that is nearly rate independent, requiring at most two speeds (ldquofastrdquo and ldquoslowrdquo). The trade-off is with respect to the size of the solution: more reactions are needed. We characterize this trade-off for interand intra-module locking in general and for a variety of specific modules that we have designed. In particular, we discuss locking in detail for a stochastic module that implements probabilistic computation, producing different combinations of molecular types according to specified probability distributions.
Inorganic nutrient composition of retail beef in the United States

Abstract The inorganic nutrient content of retail beef in the United States has been determined in a large-scale study. There were no significant differences in inorganic content based upon the United States Department of Agriculture grades of Good, Choice, and Prime. Only the element zinc showed nutritionally significant variations among different retail cuts. Iron values were shown to be only two-thirds of the values reported in the widely used Agriculture Handbook No. 8 (1963 edition). The values for iron in the 1963 edition of Agricultural Handbook No. 8 are calculated using a factor that is over 80 years old and should be replaced by the newer analyzed values that are contained in a newly revised (1986) section of Agricultural Handbook No. 8 on beef.
TH-D-304A-08: Quantitative PET Imaging of Heterogeneous Tumors: The Influence of Patient Position On Recovered Activity

Purpose: Dose‐painting will require precise quantification of uptake within sub‐regions of heterogeneous tumors. We have measured and characterized the effect of patient positioning on heterogeneity within PET images for 2D and 3D acquisition. Methods and Materials: Position‐dependent variations in recovery coefficients (RC) were measured on a multi‐slice PET imaging system using a phantom of five P 18P F‐filled spheres: two10mm and 15mm diameter, one 5mm. Spheres of each size were repositioned in 1mm increments between acquisitions while two kept stationary. 2D and 3D coincident counts were acquired at 4 minutes‐per‐position, and images generated with iterative reconstruction protocols. Measured RC variations were used to calculate expected SUV changes within heterogeneous tumors, for patient positions sampled from distributions of axial, radial, and angular uncertainties associated with head and neck (HN) cancer.Results: For sub‐voxel shifts in axial direction, the peak‐to‐trough RC values (RCBPTB) in 2D mode were 41%, 8% for 5mm and 10mm diameter sub‐regions. In 3D mode, these axial RCBPTB values were 24% and 7%. RCBPTB for radial shifts were 31% and 14% for images acquired in 2D mode, and 37% and 12% for 3D acquisition. All RCBPTB for15mm spheres were within the noise background, as determined from measurements of the stationary spheres.Random adjustments of head position resulted in notable changes in visual appearance and spatial distribution within PET images. For a very heterogeneous HN tumor, estimated population correlation coefficient between images was 0.8 (n = 1000 images × 696 voxels). However, correlation between individual images ranged from 1.0 to 0.6. Conclusion: Reproducibility is necessary for quantitative PET imaging; stable and precise voxel values will result in reliable voxel‐based image analysis. However, sub‐voxel verification of position of tumor sub‐regions is impossible, so shift‐interpolated images, which correspond to more reproducible mean RC values, could potentially reduce this systematic uncertainty.
Are Canadian Inner Cities Becoming More Dissimilar? An Analysis of Urban Deprivation Indicators:

The dominant paradigms in contemporary Canadian inner-city research have been documenting the influx of well-educated professionals into select inner-city neighbourhoods and the distinctiveness of ...
And then came the microelectrode.

It is difficult to fully appreciate the contributions made by the microelectrode to the understanding of cardiac electrophysiology without some idea of the prior state of the field. What was known about cardiac electrophysiology had been derived largely from studies of the electrocardiogram and cardiac electrogram and by the application of stimuli, usually electrical, to the heart. The voltage–time course of the atrial and ventricular action potentials had been revealed by the recording of monophasic potentials through suction electrodes or other means of registering injury potentials. The various phases of refractoriness had been defined by stimulation but this information usually was not related to the monophasic action potential. Evidence of the basic mechanisms underlying the observed phenomena was largely lacking. The major contributions to understanding the nature and mechanisms for arrhythmias and conduction disturbances resulted from precise measurements of the electrocardiogram and careful deductive reasoning. Early studies on in vitro preparations [1] had demonstrated reentrant excitation and identified an inexcitable barrier, unidirectional block and slow conduction as the necessary substrate for this arrhythmia. These abnormalities were attributed to a vaguely described depression of excitability. Some ectopic rhythms were ascribed to abnormal impulse generation and several theories as to mechanism were presented but largely without experimental justification. All in all one knew what was happening in the heart but without an understanding of why. The ability to record the transmembrane potentials of cardiac muscle brought about a rapid and immense increase in understanding of the basis for normal and abnormal cardiac electrical activity. Intracellular electrodes had been employed to study giant nerve fibers [2] and permitted the brilliant experiments and deductions by Hodgkin, Huxley and Katz [3,4] among others. These experiments provided for the first time an understanding of the conductance changes and ionic currents causing the depolarization and repolarization shown … * Address for correspondence: 600 Gropetree Drive, Apt. 6 EM, Key Biscane, FL 33149, USA
Understanding the Complexity of Clients’ Lives Infusing a Truly Integrative Career-Personal Perspective into Graduate Training

This article discusses training issues related to the new paradigm proposed by Robitschek and DeBell, in which vocational topics in counseling psychology are viewed as primary issues and contextual factors in people’s lives. Specifically, the new paradigm is conceptualized as a truly integrative career-personal perspective in the training of delivery of counseling services. Existing literature regarding the overlap of career and social-emotional counseling is reviewed in the context of the new integrative paradigm, with particular focus on evidence related to foundational assumptions underlying the paradigm. Suggestions for how to implement a truly integrative career-personal perspective throughout graduate training are offered.
Poxviruses and the Passive Quest for Novel Hosts

Poxviruses are famous, or infamous, as agents of disease introduced into novel host species and between populations of the same species. This discussion concerns selected examples of poxviruses associated with vertebrate infections, i.e., the Chordopoxvirus subfamily of the family Poxviridae. Brief note is made of examples of members of the genera Leporipoxvirus and Parapoxvirus-like agents that have been recognized to have significant trans-host species impact. The remaining bulk of the discussion involves examples of members of the genus Orthopoxvirus, which are known to be (have been) involved with human disease, and their zoonotic origins.
THE CHEMICAL NATURE OF KERATOHYALIN GRANULES OF THE EPIDERMIS

Keratohyalin granules were isolated in the native form from the epidermis of newborn rats by the use of citric acid and a detergent. The isolated granules revealed a fine granular substructure in the electron microscope similar to that seen in situ. Analyses of amino acids by automated column-chromatography showed that proline and cystine are present in large proportions whereas histidine is present in a small amount. Accordingly, it was concluded that keratohyalin represents a sulfur-rich amorphous precursor of the horny cell content, rather than a sulfur-poor side product of the keratinization process, or a unique histidine-rich protein as proposed by in situ histochemical and radioautographic studies.
ANALYTIC MULTI-REGGE THEORY AND THE POMERON IN QCD I: THE SUPER-CRITICAL POMERON

The formalism of analytic multi-Regge theory is developed as a basis for the study of abstract critical and super-critical pomeron high-energy behavior and for related studies of the Regge behavior of spontaneously broken gauge theories and the pomeron in QCD. Asymptotic domains of analyticity for multiparticle amplitudes are shown to follow from properties of field theory and S-matrix theory. General asymptotic dispersion relations are then derived for such amplitudes in which the spectral components are described by the graphical formalism of hexagraphs. Further consequences are distinct Sommerfeld-Watson representations for each hexagraph spectral component, together with a complete set of angular momentum plane unitarity equations which control the form of all multi-Regge amplitudes. Because of this constraint of “reggeon unitarity” the critical pomeron solution of the reggeon field theory gives the only known “non-trivial” unitary high-energy S-matrix. By exploiting the full structure of multi-Regge amplitudes as the pomeron becomes super-critical, one can study the simultaneous modification of hadrons and the pomeron. The result is a completely consistent description of the super-critical pomeron appearing in hadron scattering. Reggeon unitarity is satisfied in the super-critical phase by the appearance of a massive “gluon” (Reggeized vector particle) coupling pair-wise to the pomeron.
Flexibility of syntrophic enzyme systems in Desulfovibrio species ensures their adaptation capability to environmental changes

The mineralization of organic matter in anoxic environments relies on the cooperative activities of hydrogen producers and consumers obligately linked by interspecies metabolite exchange in syntrophic consortia that may include sulfate reducing species such as Desulfovibrio. To evaluate the metabolic flexibility of syntrophic Desulfovibrio to adapt to naturally fluctuating methanogenic environments, we studied Desulfovibrio alaskensis strain G20 grown in chemostats under respiratory and syntrophic conditions with alternative methanogenic partners, Methanococcus maripaludis and Methanospirillum hungatei, at different growth rates. Comparative whole-genome transcriptional analyses, complemented by G20 mutant strain growth experiments and physiological data, revealed a significant influence of both energy source availability (as controlled by dilution rate) and methanogen on the electron transfer systems, ratios of interspecies electron carriers, energy generating systems, and interspecies physical associations. A total of 68 genes were commonly differentially expressed under syntrophic versus respiratory lifestyle. Under low-energy (low-growth-rate) conditions, strain G20 further had the capacity to adapt to the metabolism of its methanogenic partners, as shown by its differing gene expression of enzymes involved in the direct metabolic interactions (e.g., periplasmic hydrogenases) and the ratio shift in electron carriers used for interspecies metabolite exchange (hydrogen/formate). A putative monomeric [Fe-Fe] hydrogenase and Hmc (high-molecular-weight-cytochrome c3) complex-linked reverse menaquinone (MQ) redox loop become increasingly important for the reoxidation of the lactate-/pyruvate oxidation-derived redox pair, DsrC(red) and Fd(red), relative to the Qmo-MQ-Qrc (quinone-interacting membrane-bound oxidoreductase; quinone-reducing complex) loop. Together, these data underscore the high enzymatic and metabolic adaptive flexibility that likely sustains Desulfovibrio in naturally fluctuating methanogenic environments.
An overview of the evolution and conservation of West Indian amphibians and reptiles

The total area of the West Indies is small, only 0.15% of Earth's land area, but the region supports 3.0% (180 species) of the world's amphibians and 6.3% (520 species) of the world's known reptiles. Nearly all species are endemic to a single island or island bank. Rates of discovery are high indicating that many more species remain to be found. Most or all of the groups arrived at different times during the Cenozoic Era (the last 65 million years) by dispersal over water, principally on flotsam from South America. This resulted in a filtered fauna that has relatively few higher-level groups. The vacant niches led to unusually large radiations (mega-radiations) of species, explaining the presence of extremes in ecology and morphology among the species. The conservation status of only the amphibians has been assessed comprehensively, and 84% of those species are considered threatened. The reptiles may be similarly threatened. Species are threatened mostly because they have small distributions and habitat destruction is continuing. Across the region only about 10% of primary forests remain, and some countries (e.g., Haiti) with high levels of faunal diversity have no original forests. Some species that have disappeared for decades are possibly extinct, while others face extinction soon from habitat destruction. Efforts to curb deforestation and to save targeted species through breeding programs are helping, but the continued survival of many West Indian amphibians and reptiles is tenuous. Measures having immediate impact, such as salaries and logistical support for park guards, are needed immediately. Greater facilitation of biotic surveys and inventories, through relaxing of permitting restrictions, also is needed to better understand the diversity that exists and to focus conservation efforts.
Modeling respiratory motion variations in the 4D NCAT phantom

The current 4D NCAT phantom includes a flexible, parameterized respiratory model based on respiratory-gated CT data of a normal subject. A limitation of this model is that it is based on only one realization of the normal respiratory motion. The data upon which it was based also had a resolution lower than that offered by more advanced CT scanners and consisted of only four time frames that did not adequately cover normal tidal breathing. We further develop the 4D NCAT to more accurately model normal and abnormal states of respiration. Over two-hundred sets of 4D respiratory gated CT image data from normal and abnormal patients obtained from the Massachusetts General Hospital were used to characterize variations in the respiratory motion. Each dataset contains twenty time frames over the respiratory cycle with the patient breathing normally. With the improved resolution and better coverage of tidal breathing, this data was used to improve the respiratory model of the 4D NCAT phantom. Using automatic and semiautomatic techniques, the different respiratory structures were segmented from each time frame of each CT dataset. The time series of segmented structures were used to characterize the respiratory motion in each case. From an analysis of all normal and abnormal patient datasets, we determined the range of sizes and shapes of the right and left lungs and the range in motion (expansion in the anterior and inferior (diaphragm) directions) in the different lung regions. This analysis was used to further parameterize the general respiratory model of the 4D NCAT to more realistically model normal and abnormal variations in anatomy and in the respiratory motion. With the ability to model variations in the respiratory motion indicative of a patient population, the phantom will be a great resource to investigate the effects of respiratory motion on medical imaging and to develop compensation methods for these effects.
On a rotational flow disturbed by gravity

We examine a rapidly rotating flow that exhibits periodic vortex detachment. Specifically, the rotation/symmetry axis of a fluid-filled cylinder is set perpendicular to gravity. A free buoyant cylindrical float placed within the container is acted upon by both centrifugal and gravitational forces, the competition of which causes fluid motion and, in certain parameter ranges, flow instability. The motion is determined, a criterion for separation is advanced, preliminary experiments and data are described and the relationship of this phenomenon to other examples of vortex shedding in rotating fluids is discussed.
Agar-gel immunodiffusion test for rapid identification of pollock surimi in raw meat products.

A test for the rapid identification of raw pollock surimi (TRIPS) was developed. This was an adaptation of previously developed field screening agar-gel immunodiffusion tests for speciation of meat products. It was specific for Alaska pollock surimi at 2% concentration and other surimis at higher concentrations, showed detectable sensitivity to surimi in meat at 2-4%, and was 100% accurate in detection in laboratory trials.
Cohesion from Conflict: Does Intergroup Conflict Motivate Intragroup Norm Enforcement and Support for Centralized Leadership?

Classic work suggests that intergroup conflict increases intragroup cohesion and cooperation. But how do group members respond when their peers refuse to cooperate? Simmel ([1908] 1955) argued that...
A Semi Parametric Method for Estimating Local House Price Indices

Spatial autoregressive hedonic models utilize house prices lagged in space and time to produce local house price indices: e.g., the STAR model might be used this way. This paper complements these models with a semiparametric approach, the Local Regression Model (LRM) designed to use large databases to produce neighborhood price indices and confidence intervals at each point on a spatial. The greater flexibility of the LRM may allow it to identify space-time asymmetries missed by other models. The LRM is fitted to 49,511 sales from 1972Q1 - 1991Q2 in Fairfax County, Virginia. The local price indices display plausible and significant variations over space and time. On average, LRM indices are the same as a standard hedonic price index for the entire county. The LRM price indices in selected neighborhoods are shown to differ significantly from those in some other neighborhoods. A new method for estimating standard errors addresses an overlooked problem common to all local price indices: How to evaluate the amount of noise in the estimates. Out-of-sample prediction errors demonstrate that LRM adds significant information to the hedonic model. Moran's I-statistics suggest that future research could usefully add a STAR or spatial autocorrelation model to the LRM.
Major Urinary Metabolites in Hamsters and Rats Treated with N-Nitroso(2-hydroxypropyl)(2-oxopropyl)amine

Rats and hamsters were administered a single dose of N-[1-14C]nitroso(2-hydroxypropyl)(2-oxopropyl)amine (HPOP), and their urinary metabolites were examined at various time intervals. In both species, urinary excretion of radiolabeled metabolites reached a plateau at 6 h following injection. At this time, 35 and 28% of the total dose was found in the urine of rats and hamsters, respectively. Separation by liquid chromatography and subsequent characterization by nuclear magnetic resonance, gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy, and infrared showed that the major metabolites in rat urine were HPOP, N-nitrosobis(2-hydroxypropyl)amine (BHP), and their glucuronic acid conjugates. The conjugates accounted for 30 and 9%, while free HPOP and BHP accounted for 42 and 16% of the total metabolites, respectively. Hamster urine, on the other hand, contained free HPOP, BHP, their glucuronic acid conjugates, and a sulfate ester of HPOP not found in rat urine. Six h following administration of HPOP, hamster urine contained BHP, BHP glucuronide, HPOP, HPOP glucuronide, and HPOP sulfate ester at levels of 35, 9, 16, 9, and 14%, respectively. These data suggest that hamsters reduce HPOP to BHP more efficiently than rats, while rats are more effective in forming their glucuronic acid conjugates. Hamsters differ significantly from rats in their capacity to form and excrete the sulfate ester of HPOP.
Thematic Hierarchy and Derivational Economy

What thematic hierarchy is has been controversial, and whether it should exist as a theoretical construct has been questioned. This work shows that if thematic hierarchy is represented structurally as layers of projections, it helps to account for some newly observed constraints on object deletion in Chinese. Chinese exhibits much flexibility in the number and type of arguments that can occur with verbs, and subjects and objects seem to be interchangeable in many cases. However, it is shown that constraints can be found amid the great flexibility in argument structure-object deletion is not possible in the cases not following thematic hierarchy, although subject deletion is still possible. Moreover, object deletion is unacceptable in the cases where arguments are added syntactically. Again, subjects can be deleted in such constructions. These generalizations will be captured by the aforementioned layers of projections reflecting thematic hierarchy and a notion of derivational economy-simpler structures are favored when choices are available.
The Red Road to Wellness: Cultural Reclamation in a Native First Nations Community Treatment Center

This article explores how Native American cultural practices were incorporated into the therapeutic activities of a community-controlled substance abuse treatment center on a “First Nations” reserve in the Canadian north. Analysis of open-ended interviews with nineteen staff and clients—as contextualized by participant observation, program records, and existing ethnographic resources—yielded insights concerning local therapeutic practice with outpatients and other community members. Specifically, program staff adopted and promoted a diverse array of both western and Aboriginal approaches that were formally integrated with reference to the Aboriginal symbol of the medicine wheel. Although incorporations of indigenous culture marked Lodge programs as distinctively Aboriginal in character, the subtle but profound influence of western “therapy culture” was centrally evident in healing activities as well. Nuanced explication of these activities illustrated four contributions of cultural analysis for community psychology.
Work and earnings of low-skilled women: Do employee and employer reports provide consistent information?

The employment and earnings effects of the state-oriented federal welfare reform legislation of 1996 have been extensively studied using either survey or administrative data. Because information may differ substantially across these sources, it is difficult both to identify the true effects of these interventions and to compare evaluation estimates of these interventions that rely on these different data sources. This paper uses data gathered as part of the Wisconsin Child Support Demonstration Evaluation to examine the extent to which administrative (unemployment insurance) and survey records on employment and earnings for a sample of low-skilled women are congruent. Our findings suggest that there are substantial differences in both mean earnings and mean employment rates between survey and unemployment insurance (UI) data. We identify the extent to which these disparities can be explained by differences between these data sources in the definition of earnings or the method of data collection. We also examine the differences between UI and survey sources in estimates of employment and earnings growth among low-skilled women.