cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Epigenetic effects of paternal cocaine on reward stimulus behavior and accumbens gene expression in mice.

Abstract Paternal cocaine use causes phenotypic alterations in offspring behavior and associated neural processing. In rodents, changes in first generation (F1) offspring include drug reward behavior, circadian timing, and anxiety responses. This study, utilizing a murine (C57BL/6J) oral cocaine model, examines the effects of paternal cocaine exposure on fundamental characteristics of offspring reward responses, including: 1) the extent of cocaine-induced effects after different durations of sire drug withdrawal; 2) sex- and drug-dependent differences in F1 reward preference; 3) effects on second generation (F2) cocaine preference; and 4) corresponding changes in reward area (nucleus accumbens) mRNA expression. We demonstrate that paternal cocaine intake over a single ˜40-day spermatogenic cycle significantly decreased cocaine (but not ethanol or sucrose) preference in a sex-specific manner in F1 mice from sires mated 24 h after drug withdrawal. However, F1 offspring of sires bred 4 months after withdrawal did not exhibit altered cocaine preference. Altered cocaine preference also was not observed in F2′s. RNASeq analyses of F1 accumbens tissue revealed changes in gene expression in male offspring of cocaine-exposed sires, including many genes not previously linked to cocaine addiction. Enrichment analyses highlight genes linked to CNS development, synaptic signaling, extracellular matrix, and immune function. Expression correlation analyses identified a novel target, Fam19a4, that may negatively regulate many genes in the accumbens, including genes already identified in addiction. Collectively, these results reveal that paternal cocaine effects in F1 offspring may involve temporally limited epigenetic germline effects and identify new genetic targets for addiction research.
Initial Extracorporeal Shockwave Lithotripsy versus Ureteroscopy: A Re-treatment and Cost Analysis Using a Longitudinal, Population-Based Database

AbstractIntroduction:We sought to compare re-treatment rates between shockwave lithotripsy and ureteroscopy to evaluate the effectiveness of these modalities. Additionally, we aimed to compare cost...
Occupancy, usage and spatial location of second homes in urban China

Abstract Since the late 1980s, homeownership in China has rapidly increased, and along with it the phenomenon of second homes. While research on multiple homes in China has examined second homes' ownership and tenure choice, little is known about the usage and spatial location of second homes. Using the nationally representative data from the 2015 China Household Finance Survey, this paper aims at documenting and analyzing the occupancy, usage and location of second homes of urban households in China. About 20% of urban households in China own second homes. Their leading usages are vacancy, renting and helping relatives, with only small percentages used for weekday commuting and leisure. Second homes' usage is influenced by the household's life cycle, socioeconomic status, the homes' and regional characteristics, and it differs among commodity housing and policy-related housing. Second homes are more common in large cities and in heavily urbanized areas, and they tend to be in relative proximity to primary homes. Unlike mature housing markets in Western countries where second homes are used primarily for leisure and income-generation, multiple homeownership in urban China reflects both family life cycle and institutional constraints more so than leisure pursuit.
Exploring ventricular dysfunction and poor venous drainage during robotic mitral valve surgery.

Background del Nido (DN) cardioplegia is commonly used during robotic mitral valve surgery. Poor venous drainage during surgery may result in venous backpressure and washout of this one-shot cardioplegia, limiting its cardioprotective effects. Methods One hundred eighty-seven patients undergoing isolated robotic mitral valve surgery, from January 2015 to July 2017, were retrospectively reviewed. Intraoperative central venous pressure (CVP) tracings were reviewed and venous drainage was categorized as good or poor and the relationship of the quality of venous drainage to postoperative ventricular dysfunction (operationalized as the need for inotropic support during and after weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass [CPB]) was assessed. Results Drainage was judged to be good in 107 patients and poor in 79 patients. On univariate analysis, 23 patients (41%) with good drainage required inotropic support whereas 33 patients (59%) with poor drainage required inotropic support (P = .0025). On multivariable analysis, poor venous drainage remained significantly associated with inotropic use even after adjusting for cross-clamp and CPB time. Inotrope use was associated with significantly longer intensive care unit length of stay (P = .027). Conclusion Maintenance of excellent venous drainage, as assessed by CVP monitoring, should be a high priority in isolated robotic mitral valve surgery undertaken with DN cardioplegia.
Arbiters of taste: Women, modernism and the making of Paris:

The years 1870–1960 were a period of vibrant innovation in France when traditional ideas about art and living were challenged. At the turn of the twentieth century, Paris became the epicentre for c...
Limiting hospital resources for acute appendicitis in children: Lessons learned from the U.S. epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstract Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the suspension of nonemergent surgeries throughout New York. Our tertiary care children’s hospital pivoted towards a brief trial of intravenous (IV) antibiotic therapy in all patients in order to limit operating room (OR) utilization and avoid prolonged hospital stays. We describe our pandemic-based strategy for non-operative management (NOM) of appendicitis but with a limited duration of IV antibiotics. Methods We performed a retrospective study of children treated for acute appendicitis at our center from 3/31/2020 to 5/3/2020 during the peak of the New York pandemic. We compared appendicitis volume to similar months in prior years. We evaluated failure of NOM, length of stay, and compared characteristics of children we successfully treated with our expanded NOM protocol to previously published inclusion criteria for NOM. Results 45.5% of children (25/55) with acute appendicitis underwent NOM. Of the 30 who underwent surgery, 13 had complicated appendicitis while 17 had simple appendicitis. Three patients were COVID-positive, although none had respiratory symptoms. The majority of patients presenting with acute appendicitis (78.2%) did not meet previously published criteria for NOM. Conclusions We treated a similar volume of children with acute appendicitis during the pandemic compared to prior years. We applied non-operative management to nearly half our patients, even as we expanded inclusion criteria for NOM to reduce OR utilization, but limited the duration of the antibiotic trial to avoid prolonged hospital stays. Type of study Retrospective study. Level of evidence IV.
Structure-Property Relationship of Geopolymers for Aqueous Pb Removal.

The geopolymer—an inorganic polymeric material synthesized from the reaction of aluminosilicate precursors and alkaline activating solutions—has gained wide research attention in recent decades as ...
Blunt cerebrovascular injury in the geriatric population.

OBJECTIVE Blunt cerebrovascular injury (BCVI) is associated with high rates of neurological morbidity and mortality. The detection and management of BCVI has improved with advances in imaging and sensitive screening protocols. Few studies have explored how these injuries specifically affect the geriatric population. The purpose of this retrospective analysis was to investigate the presentation and prognosis of BCVI in the elderly population and to assess its clinical implications in the management of these patients. METHODS All patients presenting to the University of Cincinnati (UC) level I trauma center between February 2017 and December 2019 were screened for BCVI and entered into the prospectively maintained UC Neurotrauma Registry. Patients with BCVI confirmed by CT angiography underwent retrospective chart reviews to collect information regarding demographics, positive screening criteria, cause of injury, antithrombotic agent, injury location, Denver Grading Scale, hospital and ICU length of stay, and discharge disposition. Patients were divided into geriatric (age ≥ 65 years) and adult (age < 65 years) subgroups. Continuous variables were analyzed using the Student t-test and categorical variables with the Pearson chi-square test. RESULTS Of 124 patients with BCVI, stratification by age yielded 23 geriatric and 101 adult patients. Injury in the geriatric group was associated with significantly higher mortality (p = 0.0194). The most common cause of injury in the elderly was falls (74%, 17/23; p < 0.0001), whereas motor vehicle accidents were most common in the adult group (38%, 38/100; p = 0.0642). With respect to the location of injury, carotid (p = 0.1171) and vertebral artery (p = 0.6981) injuries did not differ significantly for the geriatric group. The adult population presented more often with Denver grade I injuries (p < 0.0001), whereas the geriatric population presented with grade IV injuries (p = 0.0247). Elderly patients were more likely to be discharged to skilled nursing facilities (p = 0.0403) and adults to home or self-care (p = 0.0148). CONCLUSIONS This study is the first to characterize BCVI to all cervical and intracranial vessels in the geriatric population. Older age at presentation is significantly associated with greater severity, morbidity, and mortality from injury, with no preference for the particular artery injured. These findings carry important clinical implications for adapting practice in an aging population.
At this Junction

An 81-year-old woman developed painful vision loss to hand motions in the right eye over a several-day period. Dilated fundus examination revealed no acute pathology, but automated perimetry showed a superotemporal visual field defect in the asymptomatic left eye, suggestive of a junctional scotoma. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated enhancement of the right optic nerve extending to its junction with the optic chiasm. The patient's vision failed to improve with intravenous corticosteroids, but demonstrated significant improvement with therapeutic plasma exchange. She was subsequently found to be seropositive for aquaporin-4 autoantibodies, confirming the diagnosis of neuromyelitis optic spectrum disorder.
Mimetic Self-Reflexivity and Intersubjectivity in Complementary and Alternative Medicine Practices: The Mirror Neuron System in Breast Cancer Survivorship

This study examines complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) providers’ practices in the treatment of their breast cancer survivor (BCS) clients and interprets these practices within the context of existing neuroscientific research on the mirror neuron system (MNS). Purposive and snowball sampling was conducted to recruit CAM providers (N=15) treating BCSs from integrative medicine centers, educational institutions, private practices, and professional medical associations across the U.S. In-depth semi-structured interviewing (N=252 single-spaced pages) and inductive qualitative content analysis reveal CAM therapeutic practices emphasize a diachronic form of mimetic self-reflexivity and a serendipitous form of mimetic intersubjectivity in BCS pain management to allow the providers to tune-in to their clients’ internal states over time and experience themselves as an embodied subject in an imaginative, shared space. By employing imagination and an intentional vulnerability in their embodied simulation of the others’ internal states, CAM providers co-create experiences of pain while recognizing what about the other remains an unknown. Although MNs provide the mechanism for imitation and simulation underlying empathy through a neuronally wired grasp of the other’s intentionality, the study suggests that examining mimetic self-reflexivity and intersubjectivity in the therapeutic space may allow for a shared simulation of participants’ subjective experiences of pain and potentially inform research on self-recognition and self-other discrimination as an index of self-awareness which implicates the MNS in embodied social cognition in imaginative ways.
Music Teacher Quality and the Problem of Routine Expertise

Education in the twenty-first century witnessed a profound shift in emphasis from the teacher to the learner, or from pedagogical inputs to learner outcomes. According to neoliberal logic, the teacher is the primary value-add in a relationship that is best characterized as cause (instruction) and effect (learner outcome). As a result, the problem of teacher quality has emerged as the central question of our day. What is effective teaching? What does teacher quality look like? Traditional music educators will posit that excellence in norm-governed forms is the most reliable measure of teacher quality. This essay makes a case for a richer and more varied conception, embracing diversity and openness as defining ideals.
Emerging Trends in Social Network Analysis of Terrorism and Counterterrorism

A key issue in tracking transnational terror trends is the utility of social network analysis, both as a theoretical perspective and as a methodological toolkit, for understanding and assessing terror organizations, and for developing counterterror policies and practices to detect and disrupt terror attacks. Foundational efforts were case studies of particular groups or operations, culling data from newspaper reports and court trial documents, then creating matrix files for analysis with social network computer programs. Mathematicians, game theorists, and computer scientists are dramatically expanding research beyond foundational case studies of terrorist networks. Much of their work centers on devising strategies for counterterror organizations to destabilize clandestine organizations. They develop elegant and precise mathematical models and computer algorithms, then systematically change parameters to assess capabilities of detecting and disrupting terrorist activities under varying conditions. Key issues for future network research include: conducting rigorous comparative analyses of four historical waves of modern terrorism for clues about the present and future waves; building more comprehensive, cohesive, and integrated theoretical models capable of explaining the formation, structure, and consequences of terrorist networks; developing new methods of measuring network relations among terrorists; performing more laboratory experiments as an alternative to collecting inaccessible and dangerous field observation data; and creating large, high-quality relational datasets to test social network theories of terrorism. Keywords: social network analysis; transnational terrorism; counterterror organization; cell structure; matrix; graph theory; computational methods; agent-based modeling
Comparison of Three Degree of Freedom and Six Degree of Freedom Motion Bases Utilizing Classical Washout Algorithms

Vehicle Simulations have many practical applications ranging from leisure use, public safety, civilian training, and commercial design applications. Vehicle simulations are commonly designed to work with three-degree of freedom or six-degree of freedom motion bases. Each system has pros and cons, which make them more suitable for specific applications. These two systems differ drastically when it comes to cost of hardware, software, and complexity. The three degree of freedom system is limited to rotation about the x, y, and z axes. This means this system is limited to causing the sensation of acceleration through rotation about these three axis and from maintaining a tilt angle and using gravity. The tilt in this system is limited typically to a 45 degree angle, which prevents the system from creating a sensation of acceleration over 0.707g’s. The six-degree of freedom system not only has the ability to rotate about the three axes, but can move laterally along all three axes. The ability of this system to more accurately produce these forces would be a given, but is limited to the lateral distance available for movement about each of the three axes. This gives the system the ability to produce additional acceleration, which theoretically allows the system to change accelerations more freely. Tuning of each system is accomplished by placing limits on the system’s ability to rotate and move laterally to insure that the simulation does not request accelerations beyond the capabilities of the motion base. This will prevent the system from creating undesired sensations, which should not be present. These limits unfortunately will not prevent all undesired sensations. Altering control parameters contained in the washout algorithms is another method of tuning, which can attempt to prevent or limit the magnitude of these sensations. The purpose of this study is to compare the two systems ability to replicate the forces or “feel” of actually riding in the vehicle. This comparison will show whether or not the extra
The many meanings of "Smart Grid"

America seems to have decided that a "smart grid" is what we need to solve the problems of our electric power system. But, what exactly is a "smart grid"? The answer is that it is many different things. Some of the things that get talked about are relatively inexpensive and can go a long way toward solving key problems. Others will likely be very expensive, and at this stage may better be left to the realm of research.
Hot-carrier reliability of p-MOSFET with ultra-thin silicon nitride gate dielectric

The degradation of 100 nm effective channel length pMOS transistors with 14 /spl Aring/ equivalent oxide thickness jet vapor deposited (JVD) Si/sub 3/N/sub 4/ gate dielectric under hot-carrier stress is studied. Interface-state generation is identified as the dominant degradation mechanism. Hot-carrier-induced gate leakage may become a new reliability concern. Hot-carrier reliability of 14 /spl Aring/ Si/sub 3/N/sub 4/ transistors is compared to the reliability of 16 /spl Aring/ SiO/sub 2/ transistors.
In-hospital death and hospital-acquired complications among patients undergoing partial cystectomy for bladder cancer in the United States

Abstract Background Partial cystectomy (PC) is a therapeutic option for select patients with bladder cancer, but its associated perioperative risks and costs are unknown. We estimated annual rates of PC in a nationally representative sample of hospitals, and analyzed whether hospital volume affects postoperative outcomes and costs in patients undergoing PC. Methods From the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, we selected a weighted cohort of patients with bladder cancer who underwent PC between 2002 and 2008. Differences in length of stay, charges, and clinical outcomes were calculated based on operative volume, and univariate and multivariate regression models were fitted to predict in-hospital mortality (IHM) and hospital-acquired conditions. Results A total of 10,780 patients with bladder cancer who underwent PC were identified with an annual rate between 1457 and 1628 cases. IHM rates were 1.8%, constituting 195 patients (between 9 and 46 annually). A total of 417 patients (3.9%) experienced a “never event” complication, which Medicare no longer reimburses. The mean annual hospital volume of patients who died was 1.7 cases/y compared with 2.4 cases/y among those without fatal complications. No cases of IHM were identified among hospitals performing at least 5 partial cystectomies/y. In a multivariate regression model increased hospital volume was independently associated with decreased mortality (odds ratio = 0.70, 95% confidence interval; 0.60–0.80). Conclusions Approximately 1 in 25 patients undergoing PC experience a hospital-acquired complication, and nearly 1 in 50 die as a result of the operation. For each additional case a hospital performs annually, the risk of IHM decreases by 30%.
A priori analysis of allowable interval between measurements as a test of model validity

The variance of predicted states can be computed by a Kalman filter for linear models, or by a linear approximation in a neighborhood for nonlinear models. Using these procedures, variances can be projected forward in time until allowable probabilities for statistical errors are exceeded. At this time the model is no longer useful as a predictive device, and a measurement of the system is required. The allowable interval between measurements is suggested as an indicator of model validity. Several statistical procedures for testing the suitability of models as a predictive device are discussed. A useful test must indicate that probability of model rejection increases as the projected variance increases. In usual applications of model testing the process variance is not known and an adaptive calculation of process variance is required in order to calculate the allowance interval between measurements. A new algorithm for calculating process variance is reported and compared with previously reported algorithms.
Image Evaluation by Use of the Sampling Theorem

Summation formulas are derived for the precise calculation of certain quality parameters of the image space: (a) radius of gyration of the point spread function, (b) O’Neill’s sharpness criterion, and (c) the Linfoot quality parameters. These formulas are applicable to any optical system that exists either as a design or as a fabricated object. Also, in the case of a bandwidth-limited object spectrum it is shown that the image may be exactly represented by a summation—in place of the usual convolution integral—over the object space. All derivations employ the sampling theorem.
Comparison of WCl6-CH4-H2 and WF6-CH4-H2 systems for growth of WC coatings

Thermodynamic equilibrium calculations were performed using SOLGASMIX-PV at varying partial pressures of WCl 6 -CH 4 -H 2 and WF 6 -CH 4 -H 2 . Chemical vapour deposition (CVD) phase diagrams, which display equilibrium condensed phases, were then constructed from the results of these calculations. These results indicated that for the WF 6 and WCl 6 systems the phase transformation from W to WC occurs at a lower partial pressure of CH 4 with decreasing total pressure. However, the partial pressure of CH 4 needed to produce WC is lower for WF 6 than WCl 6 . Information from these CVD phase diagrams was used to determine process parameters for the deposition of monolithic hexagonal WC. It was observed that coatings grown at low temperatures contained phases other than those predicted in the CVD phase diagrams. Experimental results on the development of WC coatings based on CVD phase diagrams have been presented and discussed.
Quantum-dot-based multiplexed fluorescence resonance energy transfer

We demonstrate the use of luminescent quantum dots (QDs) conjugated to dye-labeled protein acceptors for nonradiative energy transfer in a multiplexed format. Two configurations were explored: (1) a single color QD interacting with multiple distinct acceptors and (2) multiple donor populations interacting with one type of acceptor. In both cases, we showed that simultaneous energy transfer between donors and proximal acceptors can be measured. However, data analysis was simpler for the configuration where multiple QD donors are used in conjunction with one acceptor. Steady-state fluorescence results were corroborated by time-resolved measurements where selective shortening of QD lifetime was measured only for populations that were selectively engaged in nonradiative energy transfer.
Scatter from X-ray Reflecting Surfaces

Scatter from X ray reflecting surfaces, performing measurement on fused silica, Cer- Vit, beryllium, Kanigen, steel and silicon
Deposition of Highly Ordered CF2-Rich Films Using Continuous Wave and Pulsed Hexafluoropropylene Oxide Plasmas

The structure and composition of fluorocarbon materials deposited in pulsed and continuous wave (CW) hexafluoropropylene oxide (HFPO) plasmas were investigated. Results indicate substantial depende...
Vibrational- and rotational-state dependence of dissociative attachment in e-H/sub 2/ collisions

Resonant scattering theory is applied to the calculation of $e$-${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ dissociative attachment cross sections near threshold for several vibrational and rotational states of the ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ molecule. Typical values just above threshold are, in ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$, 2.8\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}21}$ for the ground state ($v=0$, $J=0$), 8.3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}20}$ for (1, 0), 1.0\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}18}$ for (2, 0), and 3.5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}20}$ for (0, 10). The effect of rotational excitation is found to be significant, although it is not as large as suggested by Chen and Peacher.
The use of Haidinger’s brushes in the study of stabilized retinal images

The entopic phenomenon known as Haidinger’s brushes has many advantages as a target for use in the study of stabilized retinal images. Methods of producing the brush pattern as well as a discussion of its principal characteristics are presented. Data are presented illustrating some of the variables which affect its clarity, appearance, and disappearance.
An Academic Journey

Although I am seventy-six years old and long past adolescence, words my beloved grandfather spoke to me when I was a teenager still resound in my mind: “Tommy (my childhood name),” he said, “now that I finally know something about pediatrics, I must leave.” Ludwig Ferdinand Meyer, M.D., indeed knew something about pediatrics—as a young researcher in Berlin, Germany, he had discovered the role of potassium in infant diarrhea, thus radically improving every child’s chances of surviving infancy. Today I feel much as I imagine my grandfather did then. I have no immediate plans to leave, but hopefully I know something about adolescence. And, like my grandfather before me, I now have an opportunity to share some random thoughts about my career as a research scholar with younger generations. I hope these ideas and reminiscences will be useful to those of you who find yourselves on a similar path. If you, like me, end your career a researcher, then you probably started out in life as one too. As I look back on my own journey, I can see that an intense desire to explore has always been an important part of my being. Perhaps I was born with this drive: according to my mother Ilse’s diary of my early childhood, I was a curious child, always asking a lot of “why” questions. And inquiry was certainly a part of everyday life as I was growing up; my father and grandfather were pediatric researchers, and I eavesdropped on academic discussions throughout my childhood. In my high school years, I undertook my first real research project—the classification of my prized insect collection. I
Comment I on "Simple measure for complexity"

We critique the measure of complexity introduced by Shiner, Davison, and Landsberg [Phys. Rev. E 59, 1459 (1999)]. In particular, we point out that it is over universal, in the sense that it has the same dependence on disorder for structurally distinct systems. We then give counterexamples to the claim that complexity is synonymous with being out of equilibrium: equilibrium systems can be structurally complex and nonequilibrium systems can be structurally simple. We also correct a misinterpretation of a result given by two of the present authors [J. P. Crutchfield and D. P. Feldman, Phys. Rev. E 55, R1239 (1997)].
On measuring the effectiveness of various design validation approaches for PowerPC microprocessor embedded arrays

Design validation for embedded arrays remains as a challenging problem in today's microprocessor design environment. At Somerset, validation of array designs relies on both formal verification and vector simulation. Although several methods for array design validation have been proposed and had great success [Ganguly et al. 1996; Pandey et al. 1996, 1997; Wang and Abadir 1997], little evidence has been reported for the effectiveness of these methods with respect to the detection of design errors. In this paper, we measure the effectiveness of different validation approaches based on automatic design error injection and simulation. The technique provides a systematic way to evaluate various validation approaches at both logic and transistor levels. Experimental results on recent PowerPC microprocessor arrays will be discussed and reported.
Different Methods for Assessing the Features of Eating Disorders in Patients with Binge Eating Disorder: A Replication

Objective: To compare different methods for assessing the features of eating disorders in patients with binge eating disorder (BED). Research Methods and Procedures: A total of 47 participants with BED were administered the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE) Interview and completed the EDE-Questionnaire (EDE-Q) at baseline. A total of 37 participants prospectively self-monitored their eating behaviors daily for 4 weeks and then completed another EDE-Q. Results: At baseline, the EDE and the EDE-Q were significantly correlated on frequencies of objective bulimic episodes (binge eating), overeating episodes, and on the dietary restraint, eating concern, weight concern, and shape concern subscales. Mean differences in the EDE and EDE-Q frequencies of objective bulimic episodes and overeating were not significant but scores on the four subscales differed significantly, with the EDE-Q yielding higher scores. At the 4-week point, the EDE-Q retrospective 28-day assessment was significantly correlated with the prospective daily self-monitoring records for frequency of objective bulimic episodes and the mean difference between the methods was not significant. The EDE-Q and self-monitoring findings for subjective bulimic episodes and objective overeating differed significantly. Discussion: In patients with BED, the three assessment methods showed some areas of acceptable convergence.
Stability of the large tree component in treated and untreated late-seral interior ponderosa pine stands

Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex P. & C. Laws.) stands with late-seral features are found infre- quently, owing to past management activities throughout western North America. Thus, management objectives often focus on maintaining existing late-seral stands. Observations over a 65 year period of stands with no past history of harvest showed substantial ingrowth in the smaller diameter classes and elevated rates of mortality among the largest mature trees in the stand. Adjacent stands, with combinations of thinning and prescribed fire, had far fewer high-risk mature trees and generally lower rates of mortality after treatment. Forecasts using individual-tree diameter growth and mortality models suggest that observed declines in these stands with remaining old trees and a dense understory will continue in the absence of any treatment. Increased vigor in thinned stands appeared to be offset by an increase in mortality of large trees when thinning was followed by prescribed fire. Resume´ : Partout dans l'ouest de l'Amerique du Nord, il est peu frequent de rencontrer des peuplements de pin ponderosa (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex P. & C. Laws.) aux derniers stades de succession ecologique acause du type d'amenagement pratiquedans le passe´. Par consequent, les objectifs d'amenagement sont souvent axes sur le maintien des peuplements aux derniers stades de succession ecologique qui existent encore. Des observations s'etalant sur une periode de plus de 65 ans dans des peuplements qui n'ont pas eterecoltes dans le passemontrent que le recrutement est elevedans les classes inferieures de diametre et que le taux de mortaliteest eleveparmi les plus gros arbres matures. Il y a beaucoup moins d'arbres matures ahaut risque et le taux de mortaliteest generalement plus faible dans les peuplements adjacents apres qu'ils aient etesoumis adiverses combinaisons d'eclaircie et de brulage dirige´. Des previsions basees sur la croissance en diametre des arbres et des modeles de mortaliteindiquent que le declin va se poursuivre en l'absence de traitements dans les peuplements oude vieux arbres persistent et dont le sous-etage est dense. Dans les peuplements eclaircis, l'augmen- tation de la vigueur semble contrebalancee par un accroissement de la mortalitechez les gros arbres lorsque l'eclaircie est suivie d'un brulage dirige´. (Traduit par la Redaction)
Control of Expression of the Arginine Deiminase Operon of Streptococcus gordonii by CcpA and Flp

In Streptococcus gordonii DL1, inactivation of the ccpA gene and a gene encoding an Fnr-like protein (Flp) demonstrated that CcpA was essential for carbohydrate catabolite repression and that Flp was required for optimal expression and anaerobic induction of the arginine deiminase system.
Adjustment of the crystal-diffraction measurement of the pion mass

The measurement of the negative-pion mass by crystal diffraction of pionic x rays is adjusted for the revised fines-structure constant, improved radiative energy-level calculations, and more precise values of the calibration lines. We find that the result quoted earlier should be reduced by 80 ppm (parts per million) to 139.566 plus or minus 0.010 MeV ( plus or minus 73 ppm). (auth)
Neuroprotective interaction effects of NMDA and AMPA receptor antagonists in an in vitro model of cerebral ischemia

An in vitro model of ischemia was developed and characterized using the acute rat hippocampal slice preparation. Neuroprotective concentrations of several competitive and noncompetitive glutamate subtype-selective antagonists (CGS-19755, MK-801, YM90K and GYKI-52466) were initially determined in anoxia-enhanced agonist-induced excitotoxicity experiments. Concentrations which proved to be effective in these studies were subsequently tested for their effectiveness against an ischemic episode. Ischemia was defined as a 30-min exposure to aglycemic media ending in 5 min of concurrent anoxia, a protocol which was arrived at by empirically determining the effect of various hypoglycemic and anoxic insults on the ability of hippocampal slices to retain their electrophysiological viability. Exposure to such an ischemic episode resulted in a loss of viability by most slices, an effect which was strongly dependent on extracellular calcium. AMPA antagonists applied alone produced no neuroprotective effect in the present model of in vitro ischemia, while NMDA antagonists applied alone had a modest neuroprotective effect. In contrast, the coapplication of 10 μM MK-801 and 300 μM GYKI-52466, noncompetitive NMDA and AMPA receptor antagonists, respectively, resulted in almost complete neuroprotection. This protection was comparable to that obtained by withholding extracellular calcium, indicating that the toxic effects of glutamate receptor overstimulation can be accounted for solely by calcium influx. The effect of this combination treatment on the survival rate of hippocampal slices was synergistic, that is greater than the sum of the effects of the individual compounds. The results indicate that neuroprotection against acute ischemic insults may require a combination therapy approach.
A detailed examination of substance P in pathologically graded cases of Huntington's disease

Abstract Substance P concentrations have been found to be reduced in the basal ganglia in Huntington's disease (HD). In order to further examine this finding in the present study we measured substance P-like immunoreactivity (SPLI) in cases of HD which had been graded as to the severity of pathological changes in the striatum. Marked significant reductions of SPLI were found in all striatal nuclei which were significantly correlated with the percentage of neuronal loss in the varying pathologic grades. Similar changes were found in the projection sites of striatal substance P neurons, the globus pallidus interna and the substantia nigra. These changes are consistent with a loss of striatal substance P containing projection neurons in HD. Significant reductions in SPLI were also found in the external pallidum, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and the subthalamic nucleus. Small significant increases in SPLI (20–30%) were found in 3 frontal cortical regions (Brodmann areas 6, 8 and 9). The finding of neurochemical changes in the subthalamic nucleus is of particular interest since lesions in this nucleus are known to result in chorea and therefore might contribute to the chorea which is a cardinal symptom of HD.
THE PROPERTIES OF REPRESSOR AND THE KINETICS OF ITS ACTION.

By experiments with mutants having temperature-sensitive repression systems for the Lac operon, it has been possible to provide evidence indicating that: (a) the i -gene product is the repressor, or physically included in it; (b) the rate of enzyme synthesis varies inversely with the first power of repressor concentration; (c) the repressor is “growth unstable” with a mean life of 1/5 to 1/10 generation; (d) inducers cause structural changes in repressor, manifested by altered thermal stability; (e) and the repressor is composed of subunits, which have a site for combination with inducers.
Attenuating organic contaminant mobility by soil modification

Low organic matter clays, soils and aquifer materials have very little sorptive capability for common groundwater contaminants. Here we use organic cations of the form [(CH3)3NR]+ to displace naturally occurring exchange ions resulting in significantly higher organic matter contents, and greatly enhanced sorptive properties for nonionic organic solutes. The organic phase derived from exchanged hexadecyltrimethylammonium, where R is a C-16 hydrocarbon, behaved as a powerful partitioning medium that was 10 to 30 times more effective on a unit weight basis than natural soil organic matter for removing benzene, dichlorobenzene and perchloroethene from water. This simple soil modification might be used to improve the retardation capabilities of low organic matter soils and aquifer materials, and to enhance the containment capabilities of clay landfill liners and bentonite slurry walls.
A nonheme iron(II) complex that models the redox cycle of lipoxygenase

The air-stable complex [Fe(6-Me3-TPA)(O2CAr)]+ [1; 6-Me3-TPA=tris(6-methyl-2-pyridylmethyl)amine] has been synthesized as a model for the iron(II) site of lipoxygenase. This iron(II) complex reacts with 0.5 equiv ROOH to form a yellow species, which has been formulated as [FeIII(OH)(6-Me3-TPA)(O2CAr)]+ (2) by electrospray mass spectrometry. Addition of more ROOH converts 2 into a purple species, which is characterized by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and resonance Raman spectroscopy as [FeIII(OOR)(6-Me3-TPA)(O2CAr)]+. The purple species is metastable and decomposes via Fe-O bond homolysis to regenerate the starting iron(II) complex. These metal-centered transformations parallel the changes observed for lipoxygenase in its reaction with its product hydroperoxide.
Future Plans for Deep Sea Drilling Project: ABSTRACT

The Deep Sea Drilling Project, funded by the National Science Foundation, guided by JOIDES, managed by Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and subcontracted for drilling by Global Marine, Inc., of Los Angeles, has been extended for 3 years of drilling. The 7-year period of drilling began August 11, 1968, and will extend until August 11, 1975. The present total estimated cost is approximately $70 million. Drilling in the past has carried D/V Glomar Challenger into the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean and Mediterranean Seas. She is presently in the Indian Ocean and will proceed, by present plans, back into the Pacific Ocean in early 1973; in early 1974 her track will go into the Atlantic Ocean, to terminate at the end of contract in the Gulf Coast port. It is hoped that a program of drilling in Antarctic waters can be mounted satisfactorily from the Challenger. Such a program would involve either 2 or 3 austral summers. Additional drilling in the far North Atlantic would be visualized as part of the high-latitude work. It is hoped that penetration into 500-1,000 m of rock beneath the sediment cores can be achieved several times during this period. Emphasis in the extension program, as assembled by the JOIDES panel structure, includes investigation of (1) chemical history of the oceans, (2) diagenesis, (3) basement rocks, (4) interaction between basement rocks and sediments, (5) history of ocean current systems, (6) organic evolution and productivity, (7) global tectonics, (8) trenches, (9) high-latitude oceans, (10) continental margins, and (11) remanent magnetism. End_of_Article - Last_Page 644------------
Experimental Trials Based on a Neocortex-based Adaptive System Pattern

Abstract This paper proposes a general design pattern for building adaptive systems. The Neocortex Adaptive System Pattern (NASP) architecture is an adaptive decision-making architecture. It is derived from the physical architecture observed within the neocortex of a primate brain. This architectural pattern is used as a basis to provide necessary functions to adaptive systems, allowing different adaptive system components with different methodologies and techniques to coexist and cooperate within a single system. Properties of the NASP are illustrated using an agent-based simulation experiment framework composed of simulated tank vs. tank game. This study supplies experimental results that compare adaptive decisions based on accuracy and timeliness. It shows that a more accurate decision may in fact be the less optimal one due to time constraints. The experimentation results suggest that multi-system adaptation can increase system performance, and learned information can identify time frames when an adaptation can increase system performance. The practice of designing and building agent based systems shares many principles and approaches with the NASP. An agent-based architecture has a common environment that is utilized to share the state of the system with member agents. It contains autonomous entities that communicate with each other in order to perform their designed functions. A unique contribution of the NASP approach over other research is to add the ability for different agents to create alternative courses of action and controls such as rule-based, neural, or Bayesian that are used to choose from those alternatives based on their latest information. While counter intuitive, the findings suggest that increased performance in this combatant domain suggest that earlier adaptations, using less information, improve the performance of the adaptive system. The paper provides a literature review of relevant neuroscience literature that describes the parallels between the architecture of the neocortex and NASP. The paper discusses the simulation experiments and associated results that illustrate how tradeoffs between information completeness and timeliness affect system performance within a NASP-based system.
Are rods and cones of dyslexics anomalous

Grosser and Spafford (in this journal, 1989) have advanced an hypothesis and presented measurements which they believe support the idea of an excess of cones in the peripheral retinae of dyslexics. This note points out that their hypothesis is based on the erroneous assumption that normals have no peripheral cones. Further, their data can be explained by at least two alternative, though uninteresting, methodological hypotheses, that uncontrolled eye movements or experimenter suggestion (or both) could have produced their results. Finally, the requisite methods for assessing color vision, and the cones, were not met in the study.
Minorities in Islam/Muslims as minorities

The author would like to thank the following Wake Forest University departments, programs, and offices for making the conference out of which these articles were drawn possible: the Middle East and South Asia Studies, the C.H. Richards Fund of the Department of Politics and International Affairs, the Center for International Studies, the Carswell Fund of the Department of Philosophy, the Humanities Institute, and the Provost’s Global Affairs Funds. The author would further like to thank the editors of Contemporary Islam and the many anonymous reviewers whose comments and feedback contributed to the further development of these articles. In October 2012, Wake Forest University brought together 25 scholars from across the globe and across the disciplines of religion, anthropology, politics, literature, and sociology for a 3-day conference entitled “Minorities in Islam/Muslims as Minorities.” The conference theme was premised on bringing together two rich and burgeoning areas of inquiry that often seem to be working or thinking through their topic separately: one which aims to enrich our understanding of the experience of Muslims as minorities and another which examines the engagement of Muslims with minorities. The themes of this conference are central to Contemporary Islam, as it demonstrates the interaction between local and global in—and the dynamic character of-contemporary Islamic thought and practice. Some papers (such as Warren and Gilmore’s) deal more with theory, others focus a bit more on practice (such as Leichman’s), and some treat theory and practice in near equal measure (such as Shavit’s and Burhani’s). However, the four papers from that conference, published here for the first time, each speak in various ways to the intersection of Islamic thought and practice on the topic—as well as the ways in which Islamic thought and practice is today a translocal phenomenon, crossing boundaries of Sunni and Shi‘i, and expanding from the Middle East to Africa to Asia to Europe and beyond. The status of Muslim minorities residing in non-Muslim contexts is not a new topic for Islamic thinkers. Abu-Salieh’s study of “The Islamic Concept of Migration” demonstrates how such classical Islamic jurists such as Muhammad Ibn Idris al-Shafi‘i (767–820) and Muwaffaq al-Din Ibn Qudama (1147–1223) both maintained that, in general, “Muslims living in dar al-harb [the land of war; land not governed by Cont Islam (2014) 8:211–215 DOI 10.1007/s11562-014-0299-6
Seismic response analysis of nonlinear structures

Abstract A solution method for the response of a class of nonlinear viscoelastic shear building structures subjected to stochastic excitation has been developed by means of a stochastic equivalent linearlization technique. The nonlinear viscoelastic properties of the structures are modelled in terms of an equation of motion which linearly involves the auxiliary variables as part of the restoring force and in terms of the auxiliary equation which describes a nonlinear relationship among the story displacements and auxiliary variables and their time derivatives. This auxiliary equation is linearized using a stochastic linearization technique. The integration of the equation of motion together with the linearized auxiliary equation is carried out numerically using the state-vector formulation. In doing so, an iterative upgrading of the values of the linearization coefficients is performed simultaneously for all the stories in the first time interval until a convergence criterion is satisfied. The iterative process is then repeated in the time intervals that follow, until the entire time interval for which the dynamic analysis is performed is covered. The analysis is based on the modal method which, however, requires the use of complex eigenvalues and eigenvectors. The proposed analysis produces covariance functions of the story displacements and velocities among other response quantities. These covariance functions play an important role in estimating structural reliability. The covariance function thus developed agrees very well with that obtained by the Monte Carlo technique.