cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Morphological and electrophysiological properties of pelvic ganglion cells in the rat.

Abstract Intracellular recording and dye injection were used to study the morphological and electrophysiological properties of rat pelvic ganglion cells. The dye-injected cells measured on the average 37 μm by 22.5 μm and had a mean number of 1.5 primary processes (axon and dendrites). The cells received unmyelinated preganglionic inputs from either the pelvic (parasympathetic) or the hypogastric (sympathetic) nerves, but no cells received inputs from both nerves. The number of synaptic inputs to each cell varied between 1 and 5 with a mean of 2. Each cell had at least one large amplitude suprathreshold EPSP which always initiated an action potential. These properties, namely, morphological simplicity, small number of inputs, security of synaptic transmission and lack of convergence between sympathetic and parasympathetic inputs, suggest that the capacity for synaptic modulation and integration in this ganglion is minimal. Such a structure should therefore relay preganglionic information to target organs with little or no alteration.
Leukocytoclastic Vasculitis Associated with Nizatidine Therapy

Nizatidine is a histamine H2-receptor antagonist that has recently been FDA approved for the treatment of duodenal ulcers, benign gastric ulcers, and gastroesophageal reflux disease. Like other prescription and over-the-counter H2-blockers, nizatidine has been extensively used with infrequent side effects. Although rare allergic reactions to the drug have been reported, most nizatidine-associated toxicities have been described as mild and without serious consequences. We describe a patient who developed a serious, rapidly progressing leukocytoclastic vasculitis when treated with nizatidine as prophylaxis against gastric ulceration during interleukin-2 (IL-2) therapy and also when later rechallenged with this same H2-blocker. This is the first recognized case of leukocytoclastic vasculitis associated with nizatidine administration.
Effect of Amino Acid Changes in a Troponin I FHC Hotspot on Protein:Protein Binding and Calcium Sensitivity of Force Development

Mutations in human cardiac troponin I (cTnI) have been associated with restrictive, dilated and hypertrophic cardiomyopathies. The most commonly occurring residue on cTnI that is associated with familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (FHC) is arginine, which is also the most common residue at which multiple mutations occur. Two FHC mutations are known to occur at arginine 204, R204C and R204H, and both are associated with poor clinical prognosis. To determine the effect of these mutations (R204C and R204H), as well as other cTnI mutations, R204P, R204Q, and R204W, calcium-force measurements and cTnI:troponin C (TnC) and cTnI:troponin T (TnT) interactions using the mammalian two-hybrid luciferase assays were utilized. All five mutations showed significant increases in calcium sensitivity of force development ranging from ΔpCa50 0.23 (R204W) to 0.35 (R204P). The mutations associated with FHC, R204C and R204H, had ΔpCa50 values of 0.28 and 0.29 respectively. The cTnI containing the R204P mutation showed the weakest interaction with TnT when compared to wild-type cTnI or the other mutants. The R204H mutation also showed significant impairment in its ability to interact with TnT, while the R204C mutation showed mild impairment when compared to wild-type cTnI. The R204C and R204P mutations showed the greatest impairment in binding to TnC. These results suggest that mutations at the same site on cTnI could affect thin filament interactions differentially, and that significant impairment in the interaction of cTnI with TnT or TnC may be enough to cause significant changes in calcium sensitivity. If the large increase in calcium sensitivity of force development observed with these mutations is associated with the poor prognosis then other R204 mutations are likely to have a poor prognosis. This research was supported by a Hellman Fellowship.
Bilirubin cycles enterohepatically after ileal resection in the rat.

Abstract BACKGROUND & AIMS: Patients with ileal disease, resection, or bypass are at increased risk of developing pigment gallstones, but the pathophysiological mechanisms are unknown. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that ileectomy induces enterohepatic cycling of bilirubin. METHODS: Ileectomy or sham operation was performed in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats with the following control procedures: no operation, ileal transection, proximal or distal jejunectomy, ileocolonic transposition, and ileocecectomy. Bilirubin and bile salt secretion rates were measured after bile duct cannulation performed 3- 11 days after intestinal surgery. Also measured were bilirubin and bile salt concentrations in the colon as well as indices of hemolysis in blood. RESULTS: Compared with controls, bilirubin secretion rates were increased significantly 3-5 days after ileectomy, distal jejunectomy, ileocolonic transposition, and ileocecectomy, with no hemolysis occurring. Bile salt secretion rates also increased significantly after ileectomy but decreased markedly with prevention of coprophagy, whereas bilirubin secretion rates remained elevated. By 8-11 days after surgery, intestinal adaptation normalized bile salt reabsorption, and hypersecretion of bilirubin was abolished. Colonic levels of unconjugated bilirubin and bile salts were increased fivefold and eightfold respectively in ileectomized animals, but unconjugated bilirubin levels remained normal in bile. CONCLUSIONS: These results are consistent with the hypothesis that enterohepatic cycling of bilirubin occurs with bile salt malabsorption. (Gastroenterology 1996 Jun;110(6):1945-57)
Theory of Exchange in Crystalline He 3

In this work a theory of exchange in crystalline $^{3}\mathrm{He}$ is developed. A spin Hamiltonian is deduced and its matrix elements calculated by cluster-expansion methods. A Heisenberg form of the spin Hamiltonian is found adequate, but with the customary exchange integral replaced by an exchange operator, which has matrix elements in phonon space. The diagonal elements of the exchange operator are used to derive an expression for the exchange frequency which depends explicitly on the phonon spectrum of the crystal and on the short-range (hard-core) correlations among particles. Simple arguments are used to show that this expression gives the two outstanding features of exchange in crystalline $^{3}\mathrm{He}$, viz., that the exchange frequency increases exponentially as the lattice constant increases and that it is antiferromagnetic. The density and the temperature dependence of the exchange frequency are calculated using a phonon spectrum and short-range correlation function obtained in a self-consistent fashion from a variational treatment. Various approximations to the phonon spectrum and the short-range correlation function are used in the calculation of exchange frequency, and the results compared. For example, it is found that the correct form of the short-range correlation function for small interparticle distance and the anisotropy of the pair-distribution function must be considered for good agreement with experimentally deduced results.
Structural elucidation of the pentacyclic cinnoline obtained by the reaction of 1,4-naphthoquinone with hydrazine

Abstract The highly insoluble, black compound obtained by treatment of 1,4-naphthoquinone with hydrazine has been shown to be identical with the material which Pummerer had obtained in the reaction of dinaphthoquinone (Ia) with hydrazine and which he had tentatively formulated as Ib. The structure has now been shown to be the pentacyclic cinnoline IIb on the basis of elemental and spectral analyses, derivative formation and its behavior on reduction and oxidative degradation.
THE IMPACT OF JUDICIAL IMPACT STATMENTS

Judicial impact statements, if used indiscriminately, can do little either to protect federal and state judiciaries or assist legislatures. This conclusion emerges clearly from well documented case material available with respect to federal executive experience, the California experience with impact statements, as well as independent interview data which is summarized here. As a result, the broader issue of the reasons and the possible meaning of the currency of such a strategy emerges. Two such issues are addressed here: the behavioral assumptions and power relations that underlie judicial reform.
A nonparametric classification scheme with mean squared error criterion

Abstract A statistical classification scheme for a given set of data requires knowledge of the probability distribution of the observations. Traditional approaches to this problem have revolved around chosen various parametric forms for the probability distribution and evaluating these by goodness of fit methods. Among the difficulties with this method are that it is time consuming, it may not lead to satisfactory results and it may lie beyond the statistical expertise of many practitioners. In this paper, the author's consider the use of a recently developed nonparametric probability density estimator in classification schemes with mean squared error loss criterion. Classical parametric approaches are compared to the nonparametric method on simulated data on the basis of the misclassification probability. Real data from the medical and biological sciences are also used to illustrate the usefulness of the nonparametric method.
Review: Tribological behavior of polyethylene-based nanocomposites

Thermoplastics polyethylene (PE) materials, such as high density polyethylene (HDPE) and ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), are widely used as bearing materials in industrial applications. UHMWPE, with its superior wear resistance and low-friction surface properties, has also been applied successfully as a key material in artificial knee and hip joint replacements. However, the wear debris generated during the joint motions could cause osteolysis and loosening of the implant, contributing to the main cause for joint revision. Many attempts have been made to improve the wear resistance of PE materials in order to elongate the material’s service life. Various nano-fillers, including carbon nanofibers, carbon nanotubes, nano-alumina, and nano-montmorillonite, have been applied as ideal reinforcing components to modify the tribological properties of PE. This article reviews the current status of research in tribological studies of PE-based nanocomposites, mainly UHMWPE and HDPE nanocomposites, including the types of nano-fillers, fabrication methods, and tribological characterization approaches. The dependence of tribological properties of those nanocomposites on the concentrations and modifications of nano-fillers, and other tribological parameters is summarized; the different wear mechanisms are reviewed. New research directions in this field are proposed.
Thermodynamic and Kinetic Analysis of an RNA Kissing Interaction and Its Resolution into an Extended Duplex

Kissing hairpin interactions form when the loop residues of two hairpins have Watson-Crick complementarity. In a unimolecular context, kissing interactions are important for tertiary folding and pseudoknot formation, whereas in a bimolecular context, they provide a basis for molecular recognition. In some cases, kissing complexes can be a prelude to strand displacement reactions where the two hairpins resolve to form a stable extended intermolecular duplex. The kinetics and thermodynamics of kissing-complex formation and their subsequent strand-displacement reactions are poorly understood. Here, biophysical techniques including isothermal titration calorimetry, surface plasmon resonance, and single-molecule fluorescence have been employed to probe the factors that govern the stability of kissing complexes and their subsequent structural rearrangements. We show that the general understanding of RNA duplex formation can be extended to kissing complexes but that kissing complexes display an unusual level of stability relative to simple duplexes of the same sequence. These interactions form and break many times at room temperature before becoming committed to a slow, irreversible forward transition to the strand-displaced form. Furthermore, using smFRET we show that the primary difference between stable and labile kissing complexes is based almost completely on their off rates. Both stable and labile complexes form at the same rate within error, but less stable species dissociate rapidly, allowing us to understand how these complexes can help generate specificity along a folding pathway or during a gene regulation event.
Effect of varying oxidation parameters on the generation of C-dangling bond centers in oxidized SiC

SiC is perhaps the most appropriate material to replace Si in power-metal-oxide semiconductor-field-effect-transistors (MOSFETs), because, unlike the other wide band-gap semiconductors, SiC can be thermally oxidized similarly to Si to form a SiO{sub 2} insulating layer. In studies of oxidized SiC, the authors have used electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) to identify C-dangling bonds generated by hydrogen release from C-H bonds. While hydrogen's effect on SiC-based MOSFETs is uncertain, studies of Si-based MOSFETs indicate that it is important to minimize hydrogen in MOS structures. To examine the role of hydrogen, they have studied the effects of SiC/SiO{sub 2} fabrication on the density of C-related centers, which are made EPR active by a dry heat-treatment. Here, the authors examine the starting and ending procedures of their oxidation routine. The parameter that appears to have the greatest effect on center density is the ending step of the oxidation procedure. For example, samples that were removed from the furnace in flowing O{sub 2} produced the smallest concentration of centers after dry heat-treatment. They report on the details of these experiments and use their results to suggest an oxidation procedure that limits center production.
Scientific metrics for the Next-Generation Space Telescope

As part of NASA's Origins theme, the Next Generation Space Telescope will investigate the origin of galaxies, stars, and planets, using IR observations with a cooled telescope. Located at L2 or farther from the Earth, it will be protected from near-Earth hazards and will be radiatively cooled to allow background limited observations. The scientific goals were described in the 'HST and Beyond report,' and the proposed NGST approach in 'Visiting a Time When Galaxies Were Young.' It is clear that an 8m class telescope in deep space would be a tremendous tool that would lead to surprising discoveries. It will also require revolutionary changes in technology and management approaches, science budget must be small compared with Hubble Space Telescope. A major challenge is to develop a scientific performance metric that represents a consensus on the importance of various engineering parameters, like accuracy, field of view, sensitivity, spatial and spectral resolution, temperature, vibration, stability, and so forth. Such a metric could be used for choosing instrument or telescope configurations, or for selecting or paying a contractor in the performance based contracting approach now in vogue. Ideally, it could also be used for optimizing the cost of the mission, ensuring that effort is proportionate to benefit. The scientific, mathematical, and social aspects of our approach will be reported.
Wavelets as a tool for the construction of a halftone screen

Halftoning using a mask presents the advantage of computational simplicity and implementation speed. Blue-noise masks in particular have the additional advantage of producing visually pleasing halftones without periodic artifacts. However, halftones produced with a blue-noise mask are usually grainy and less sharp compared with error diffusion images. In this paper, we present an algorithm for the construction of a 'max-energy' mask that reduces the perceived graininess in the output halftone by controlling the local spectral energy in the dot profiles of the mask, i.e., the binary patterns that results after the mask is thresholded at a constant gray level. Dot profiles of the max-energy mask are shown and an example halftone is compared against a blue-noise mask halftone.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
We'll take it from here: letting the users take charge of the evaluation and why that turned out well

The operational challenges faced by law enforcement and public safety personnel are constantly evolving, while the training and certification process has stayed the same. New technologies such as virtual reality, mixed reality, or game-based simulators are being researched as promising enhancements to traditional training methods. However, their widespread adoption, particularly by smaller units, faces barriers such as cost - due in no small part to the difficulties of developing and especially evaluating such large-scale interactive systems. In this case study, we present MINT - a low-cost mixed-reality Multimodal INteractive Training system, aimed at supporting the training of small- and medium-sized law enforcement and infantry units. We discuss the challenges and approaches taken in the participatory design of the training system, its agile-based development and implementation, and its qualitative evaluation with users and subject-matter experts.
Data from a longitudinal study provided measurements of cognition to screen for Alzheimer's disease.

Background: This article presents a computerized method to help predict individuals at risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This would be a valuable tool for clinicians in developing treatment plans for potential AD patients. Using the initial level and rates of change in visual memory performance, such a method could predict potential AD patients in a fast and inexpensive manner. A longitudinal case– control study of 52 female and 145 male participants was performed in a gerontology research center using premorbid tests of visual memory and neurologic examinations to identify individuals with and without dementia and AD. Methods: The classification method for each individual starts on the second examination and proceeds to compute that person’s risk of AD one examination at a time based on all the follow-up information of the remaining individuals. Results: By performing a crossvalidation study, the optimal combination of sensitivity and specificity derived from a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed 65% of the Alzheimer cases and 75% of the noncases were correctly classified for females, while 65 and 60% of cases and noncases, respectively, were correctly classified for males. Conclusion: Longitudinal measurements of cognition can be useful in detecting the presence of AD. 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Characterization of 24 microsatellite loci in delta smelt, Hypomesus transpacificus, and their cross-species amplification in two other smelt species of the Osmeridae family.

We characterized 24 polymorphic tetranucleotide microsatellite loci for delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus ) endemic to the San Francisco Bay Estuary, California, USA. Screening of samples (n = 30) yielded two to 26 alleles per locus with observed levels of heterozygosity ranging from 0.17 to 1.0. Only one locus deviated from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium, suggesting these individuals originate from a single panmictic population. Linkage disequilibrium was found in two pairs of loci after excluding the locus out of Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. Twenty-two primer pairs crossamplified in wakasagi smelt ( Hypomesus nipponensis), and 15 primer pairs cross-amplified in longfin smelt (Spirinchus thaleichthys).
Peers and Performance: How In-Group and Out-Group Comparisons Moderate Stereotype Threat Effects

The present study examined how exposure to the performance of in-group and out-group members can both exacerbate and minimize the negative effects of stereotype threat. Female participants learned that they would be taking a math test that was either diagnostic or nondiagnostic of their math ability. Prior to taking the test, participants interacted with either an in-group peer (a female college student) or an out-group peer (a male college student) who had just taken the test, and learned that the student had either performed well or poorly on the test. Exposure to either an in-group or an out-group peer whose performance was consistent with the negative stereotype (a poor-performing female or a strong-performing male) exacerbated stereotype threat effects. In contrast, exposure to an in-group or an out-group peer whose performance challenged the negative stereotype (a strong-performing female or a poor-performing male) eliminated stereotype threat effects. These findings demonstrate that people can look to both in-group and out-group peers as sources of inspiration in the context of a negative stereotype.
Identification of serious illness in febrile adults

Abstract To determine whether age and other readily obtainable clinical and laboratory variables could be used to predict illness severity in febrile adults, data were collected on 39 patients presenting to an emergency department (ED) with rectal temperature ≥37.8°C (100°F). Serious illness was defined as (1) need for emergency surgery; (2) intubation; (3) hypotension requiring treatment; (4) bacteremia requiring antibiotics; or (5) death. Six variables were associated with serious illness in the univariate analysis. In a stepwise logistic regression model, only age ( P P
Characteristics of the interaction of calcium with casein submicelles as determined by analytical affinity chromatography

Interaction of calcium with casein submicelles was investigated in CaCl2 and calcium phosphate buffers and with synthetic milk salt solutions using the technique of analytical affinity chromatography. Micelles that had been prepared by size exclusion chromatography with glycerolpropyl controlled-pore glass from fresh raw skim milk that had never been cooled, were dialyzed at room temperature against calcium-free imidazole buffer, pH 6.7. Resulting submicelles were covalently immobilized on succinamidopropyl controlled-pore glass (300-nm pore size). Using 45Ca to monitor the elution retardation, the affinity of free Ca2+ and calcium salt species was determined at temperatures of 20 to 40 degrees C and pH 6.0 to 7.5. Increasing the pH in this range or increasing the temperature strengthened the binding of calcium to submicelles, similar to previous observations with individual caseins. However, the enthalpy change obtained from the temperature dependence was considerably greater than that reported for alpha s1- and beta-caseins. Furthermore, the elution profiles for 45Ca in milk salt solutions were decidedly different from those in CaCl2 or calcium phosphate buffers and the affinities were also greater. For example, at pH 6.7 and 30 degrees C the average dissociation constant for the submicelle-calcium complex is 0.074 mM for CaCl2 and calcium phosphatemore » buffers, vs 0.016 mM for the milk salt solution. The asymmetric frontal boundaries and higher average affinities observed with milk salts may be due to binding of calcium salts with greater affinity in addition to the binding of free Ca2+ in these solutions.« less
Faster mutation testing inspired by test prioritization and reduction

Mutation testing is a well-known but costly approach for determining test adequacy. The central idea behind the approach is to generate mutants, which are small syntactic transformations of the program under test, and then to measure for a given test suite how many mutants it kills. A test t is said to kill a mutant m of program p if the output of t on m is different from the output of t on p. The effectiveness of mutation testing in determining the quality of a test suite relies on the ability to apply it using a large number of mutants. However, running many tests against many mutants is time consuming. We present a family of techniques to reduce the cost of mutation testing by prioritizing and reducing tests to more quickly determine the sets of killed and non-killed mutants. Experimental results show the effectiveness and efficiency of our techniques.
Neuropsychological Effects of Stimulant Medication on Children’s Learning and Behavior

Stimulants refer to a class of drugs that produce excitation of the central nervous system (CNS) and have been used in the treatment of children and adolescents since the 1930s (Bradley, 1937). Since then, there has been consistent interest in the clinical application of stimulant medication; however, systematic research efforts did not begin until the 1960s (Brown & Borden, 1989), when more rigorous methodology was employed. The focus of this research was on the identification and assessment of target behaviors and side effects in controlled clinical trials. These investigations emphasize several different areas: short-term efficacy, atypical drug response, organic etiologies, predictors of drug response, long-term outcome of treatment, negative consequences, and the use of additional therapeutic modalities in conjunction with stimulants (Jacobvitz, Sroufe, Stewart, & Leffert, 1990). The short-term efficacy studies include carefully controlled drug placebo trials, use in various settings, effects on learning andachievement, dose—response curves, and impact on socialization (Jacobvitz et al., 1990).
Confirmational Response Bias and the Quality of the Editorial Processes Among American Social Work Journals

Objective: To experimentally test for confirmational response bias among social work journals and to assess the time-liness and quality of the referee review process. Method: A positive and a negative version of two stimulus articles were sent to two randomized groups of 31 social work journals; journals were stratified by prestige; the timeliness of journal responses were recorded; four judges rated the quality of referee reviews against a high-quality referee review from a prestigious clinical psychology journal. Results: The differences in acceptance rates between positive and negative versions of the stimulus articles were significant in one case and not significant in the other. Combining the results of this experiment with a previous experiment produced significant results overall; the quality of 73.5% of the referee reviews were inadequate. Conclusion: There are substantial problems of bias, timeliness, and quality in the editorial decisions and review processes of social work journals.
The Charter School Catch-22

When charter schools first emerged nearly two decades ago, critics claimed they would promote segregation by serving privileged white students whose families take advantage of choice. But state laws, philanthropists, and charter school founders targeted these new schools to serve disadvantaged students in urban districts. Critics then tried to show that charter schools serve fewer poor and minority students than neighboring public schools. In fact, enrollment variations by neighborhood appear to be no differently distributed in charter schools than in district-run schools. Now, critics claim charter schools worsen segregation by serving too high a proportion of minority students, essentially making the charter movement a civil rights failure for failing to achieve racially mixed schools. Authors Hill and Lake argue that there is a more important civil rights issue: ensuring good schools and opportunities for high school, college, and beyond for poor and minority students. As charter schools further develo...
Microsatellite loci development in mycoheterotrophic Corallorhiza maculata (Orchidaceae) with amplification in C. mertensiana

 Premise of the study: Microsatellite primers were developed for the fi rst time in the species Corallorhiza maculata , a nonphotosynthetic orchid that is becoming a model for studying mycorrhizal specifi city.  Methods and Results: Eight polymorphic microsatellite markers were developed using an enrichment and cloning protocol. The number of alleles for each locus ranged from two to seven. The loci were tested in three populations, and the resulting high F ST values suggested that these loci have utility in illuminating population structure. Cross-amplifi cation was also achieved in the sister species C. mertensiana.  Conclusions: These microsatellite markers will be useful in further study of the population genetics of this species, including that of previously described mycorrhizal races.
On the symmetry of user mobility in wireless networks

In this paper analyzed WLAN-, GPS-, and synthetic traces that record mobility in a variety of network environments. We observe that from a macroscopic level, human mobility is symmetric. In other words, the number of users that move from point A to point B approximates the number of users that go in the opposite direction, i.e., from B to A. We show that this type of symmetry is more accentuated in synthetic mobility models, in particular, in random way-point mobility. We also study the direction of movement which also exhibits symmetric behavior in both real- as well as synthetic mobility. Additional contributions of our work include metrics to quantify mobility symmetry. We conclude the paper with a discussion of possible applications of our results in mobile networking.
A comprehensive analysis of the expression of crystallins in mouse retina.

Crystallins constitute a diverse group of proteins that areexpressed at high concentrations in the differentiated lens fi-ber cells and augment the refractive power of the transparentlens tissue [1,2]. In vertebrates, three major classes ofcrystallins, α, β, and γ, accumulate in the lens in a spatiallyand temporally regulated manner [3-5]. Their expression in-creases dramatically during differentiation of lens epithelialcells into fibers [1]. The two α-crystallins (αA and αB) be-long to the small heat shock protein family of molecular chap-erones and appear very early during mouse embryonic devel-opment [6,7]. Members of the β/γ-superfamily, which includeβ-crystallins (βA1/A3, βA2, βA4, βB1, βB2 and βB3) and γ-crystallins (γA-F, and γS, formerly βS), are related to micro-bial proteins induced by physiological stress [8,9]. In addi-tion, a growing number of crystallins (known as taxon-spe-cific enzyme-crystallins) are expressed at relatively high lev-els in the lens but only in selected species; these proteins in-clude µ, ζand λ-crystallins that are closely related to meta-bolic enzymes ornithine cyclodeaminase, NADPH:quinoneoxidoreductase and hydroxyl CoA dehydrogenase, respectively[3,10].Originally considered to be static, abundant proteins pro-viding transparency to the lens, it is now generally acceptedthat crystallins were selected from proteins with entirely dif-ferent non-lens roles and are retained in multiple tissues ofthe same organism [6]. Bhat and colleagues were the first todemonstrate the extra-lenticular expression of a crystallin [11].Further studies revealed the presence of αB-crystallin in nu-merous tissues and its increased accumulation in neurologicaldisorders [6,12-14]. Later, it was demonstrated that αA andαB-crystallins have chaperone-like activity [15], are phospho-rylated in vivo and possess autokinase activity [16,17], inter-act with cytoskeleton [18], and protect cells from thermal andmetabolic stress [19]. Furthermore, their ability to preventapoptosis by inhibiting caspases indicates that αA and αB-crystallins have more general physiological functions in non-lens tissues [20].
Trends in US sex ratio by plurality, gestational age and race/ethnicity†

background: The sex ratio in the USA has declined over recent decades, resulting in fewer male births. Concurrent changes in the childbearing population may have influenced the sex ratio, including increases in multiple births, improvements in perinatal survival and increased Hispanic births. methods: Data from the US natality files (1981 –2006) were analyzed to determine the impact of changes in birth characteristics on male birth proportion. Male birth proportion was calculated as the number of male births divided by the total number. In separate analyses, trends in male birth proportion from 1981 to 2006 were adjusted for plurality (singleton, multiple), gestational age (,28, 28 –32, 33– 36, � 37 weeks) and, from 1989, maternal Hispanic ethnicity. Separate analyses were conducted for white and black births. Log binomial regression was performed to estimate crude and adjusted trends with year as independent variable. results: Trends in male birth proportion differed significantly according to plurality among white (P , 0.01), but not black births. Adjustment for gestational age tempered the trends among white singletons (P , 0.0001) and multiples (P , 0.05) but had no effect on trends in black male birth proportion. Adjustment for Hispanic ethnicity had no impact on trends in black male birth proportion and any effect on white births was negated by changes in gestational age trends. conclusions: Lack of consistent influences on, or patterns of change in, the proportion of male births between different subpopulations of births suggests that a single mechanism is unlikely to explain the oft-referenced decrease in the overall US sex ratio.
Words and Stones: The Politics of Language and Identity in Israel

Words and Stones: The Politics of Language and Identity in Israel. Daniel Lefkowitz. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004. 316 pp.
Interest Convergence in Intergroup Education and Beyond: Rethinking Agendas in Multicultural Education

Intergroup movements in the United States in the 1920s-50s provided leadership to schools and communities grappling with rising racial and ethnic unrest. C. A. M. Banks (1996, 2004, 2005) argues that the conceptual limitations of the movement’s scholarship and its decline yield important lessons for multicultural educators. Building upon her work, I use Bell’s (1980) interest-convergence principle to analyze the movement’s successes and failures given the interests and values of prominent political, socioeconomic, and educational constituencies of the time. As an analytic lens, the interest-convergence principle simultaneously clarifies and complicates future agendas in multicultural education research, pedagogy, and curriculum.
Apparatus for Recording Frequency, Duration, and Sequence of Verbal Responses

An apparatus was designed to record the duration and frequency of vocal responses. Utilizing a circuit employing an output transformer, diode rectifier, and an electrolytic capacitor, the output of...
Narrow-linewidth asymmetric cladding distributed Bragg reflector semiconductor lasers at 850 nm

Narrow-linewidth ridge-waveguide distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) single quantum well lasers for spectroscopic applications have been demonstrated. These devices, which were fabricated in the AlGaAs-GaAs material system, use an asymmetric cladding and a first-order surface grating to realize single-mode operation in the range from 850 to 860 nm. To our knowledge, these devices contain the shortest period surface etched gratings DBRs to date, demonstrating spectral linewidth values lower than 40 kHz.
Abelian Group Codes for Channel Coding and Source Coding

In this paper, we study the asymptotic performance of Abelian group codes for the channel coding problem for arbitrary discrete (finite alphabet) memoryless channels as well as the lossy source coding problem for arbitrary discrete (finite alphabet) memoryless sources. For the channel coding problem, we find the capacity characterized in a single-letter information-theoretic form. This simplifies to the symmetric capacity of the channel when the underlying group is a field. For the source coding problem, we derive the achievable rate-distortion function that is characterized in a single-letter information-theoretic form. When the underlying group is a field, it simplifies to the symmetric rate-distortion function. We give several illustrative examples. Due to the nonsymmetric nature of the sources and channels considered, our analysis uses a synergy of information-theoretic and group-theoretic tools.
Relation of bisphosphonate therapies and risk of developing atrial fibrillation.

Bisphosphonates comprise the most common treatment for patients with osteoporosis and fracture risk. Large randomized trials have shown that these therapies may increase the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF). Controversy over the arrhythmia risk prompted the Federal Drug Administration to recently pursue an ongoing safety review to determine the cardiac risk across the entire drug class. Study patients came from 2 large prospective databases (ongoing registry of consecutive patients who underwent coronary angiography and the Intermountain Healthcare health plans database). Medical details regarding bisphosphonate use and cardiovascular risk factors were abstracted from the records. End points included AF, myocardial infarction, and death. In the angiographic database (n = 9,623), patients treated with bisphosphonates were older and more likely to have hypertension, a previous myocardial infarction, heart failure, and osteoporosis. Over 1,481 ± 1,024 days we found no increased risk of AF in the drug-treated group (hazard ratio 0.90, 95% confidence interval 0.48 to 1.68, p = 0.74). In the Intermountain Healthcare health plans database (n = 37,485), patients treated with bisphosphonates were older and were more likely to have hyperlipidemia and osteoporosis. Over 1,667.5 ± 557.0 days, there was no increased risk of AF (hazard ratio 0.82, 95% confidence interval 0.66 to 1.01, p = 0.63). In the 2 databases there was no statistical difference in long-term rates of myocardial infarction or mortality. In conclusion, in a long-term study of >47,000 patients, we were unable to find an association between bisphosphonate therapy and AF. However, patients who received bisphosphonates were older and had more cardiovascular disease that we suspect accounts for the increased arrhythmia risk reported in other trials.
Human activities: Handling uncertainties using fuzzy time intervals

Persons may perform an activity in many different styles, or noise may cause an identical activity to have different temporal structures. We present a robust methodology for recognition of such human activities. The recognition approach presented in this paper is able to handle person-dependent and situation-dependent uncertainties and variations of human activity executions. Our system reliably recognizes human activities with such execution variations, by semantically measuring the similarity between the observations generated by an activity execution and its optimal structure. The system detects fuzzy time intervals associated with low-level gestures of a person, and matches them hierarchically with the representation of the activity that the system is maintaining. Our system is tested for eight types of simple human interactions such as `pushing? and `shaking hands?, as well as complex recursive interactions like `fighting? and `greeting?. The results show that the performance of our system is superior to that of the previous systems using deterministic time intervals.
Rhythms of barbiturate-induced sleep time in deermice entrained to non-twenty-four hour photocycles

Abstract The present experiment examined whether entrainment to twenty-four hour days is advantageous for physiological and behavioral adaptations to a pharmacological challenge. Adult, male deermice ( Peromyscus maniculatus ) were injected with sodium pentobarbital at 8.5, 14.5, 20.5, 2.5 and again at 8.5 hr after light onset while entrained to a 24 hr day (light/dark (LD) 14:10). Time to recover from anesthesia was recorded. Subsequently, the dark phase of the LD cycle was reduced 15–20 min every 10 days until a 23 hr photocycle was achieved, (LD 14:9; T=23 hr). Injections of sodium pentobarbital were again administered at 8.5, 14.5, 20.5 and 2.5 hr after light onset and sleep times recorded. This procedure was repeated at T=21 hr (LD 14:7) and T=18 hr (LD 14:4). A variation in sleep time was observed during entrainment to all T-cycles except T=18 hr. Sleep time after drug administration was generally longer during the light than during the dark phase of each photocycle. Recovery from anesthesia was not compromised in mice entrained to photocycles with periods of 23 or 21 hr; however, entrainment to very short days disrupted the normal pattern of response to barbiturate administration. Entrainment to a range of daylengths that deviate appreciably from 24 hr is consistent with normal physiological function.
Nizatidine for prevention of weight gain with olanzapine: a double-blind placebo-controlled trial

Weight gain is associated with treatment with olanzapine and other psychotropic agents. Nizatidine, a histamine H-2 receptor antagonist, has been proposed to have weight-reducing effects. This double-blind trial evaluated the efficacy of nizatidine in limiting weight gain in patients with schizophrenia and related disorders who were treated with olanzapine for up to 16 weeks. After an initial screening period, 175 patients were randomized to receive olanzapine (5-20 mg) with either placebo or nizatidine (150 mg b.i.d. or 300 mg b.i.d.). Significantly less weight gain was observed on average at weeks 3 and 4 with olanzapine+nizatidine 300 mg b.i.d. (P<0.05) compared to olanzapine+placebo, but the difference was not statistically significant at 16 weeks. Nizatidine was well-tolerated and did not adversely affect clinical outcomes. Nizatidine 300 mg b.i.d. may have an early transient effect in limiting the weight gain, but this potential early effect appeared to be diminished or eliminated by 16 weeks.
Noninvasive real-time multipoint temperature control for ultrasound phased array treatments

A method for noninvasively estimating spatiotemporal temperature changes in samples using diagnostic ultrasound, and using these as inputs to a multipoint ultrasound phased array temperature controller, is presented in this paper. This method is based on a linear relationship between the apparent tissue echo pattern displacements and temperature, as seen along A-lines acquired with diagnostic ultrasound when the sample is heated by external heating fields. The proportionality constant between echo displacement and temperature is determined by the local change in speed of sound due to temperature and the linear coefficient of thermal expansion of the material. Accurate estimation of the displacements and proportionality constant yields accurate calibrated high-resolution (1 mm spatial, sub-/spl deg/C) noninvasive sample temperature estimates. These are used as inputs to a multipoint temperature controller, capable of controlling ultrasound phased array treatments in real-time. Phantom and in vitro results show that the noninvasively estimated temperature values can effectively be used to control ultrasound hyperthermia treatments, almost replacing invasive thermocouple measurements. The mathematical background and assumptions of the noninvasive temperature estimator and the controller are presented in this paper, together with experimental results showing estimator and controller performance and limitations. To the best of our knowledge, this paper presents the first demonstration of real-time treatment control based entirely on noninvasive temperature estimates.
The state of the art: leadership training and development: US perspectives: above and beyond recorded history

There are essentially two overlapping approaches to describe the state of the art of school leadership training and development in the US. The first approach is what I call recorded history. It is a factual documentation of milestone events, governance changes as well as the passage of landmark laws and policies. The second approach, hidden histories, emphasises political contingencies, contextual differences, and the many contradictions in meaning and actions that seem to surround events, structures, and policies. This article describes the tensions between these two approaches and then highlights how US cultural history, policy levers, and exemplary leadership research and pedagogies contribute to the current and future state of affairs in school leadership preparation, training, and development in the US.
Localization of the human type 5, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase gene by in situ hybridization

We report the localization of the gene for the human type 5, tartrate-resistant, iron-containing acid phosphatase isoenzyme (HGM designation ACP5) to chromosome 15 (15q22-q26) using the technique of in situ hybridization to metaphase chromosomes. We have localized this gene using peripheral blood chromosomes obtained from both a normal male and an individual carrying an unbalanced translocation involving chromosome 15 [45,XY,-15,-18,+der(18)-t(15;18)(q13;p11)]. In addition, we have demonstrated the utility of employing a standard fluorescent staining technique (distamycin/DAPI) to an emulsion-coated, Wright-stained, and destained chromosome preparation.
A nurse-guided patient-centered heart failure education program

Objective/Background: Heart Failure (HF) places substantial burden on patients, families, communities, and care systems. Patients who suffer from HF often experience a decline in health resulting in recurrent hospitalizations and debilitating symptoms including breathing problems, fluid retention, and chronic fatigue. HF is the most common cause of repeat hospitalizations in the Medicare program and is estimated to cost the health care system billions of dollars each year. The objective of this article is to review the literature on educational strategies to reduce HF related readmissions and improve self-care management for patients with HF after hospital discharge. Methods : A structured review of PubMed, CINAHL, and MEDLINE resulted in 42 articles. The studies included 13 randomized control trials, six systematic reviews, and 23 studies using quasi-experimental, retrospective or descriptive designs on HF Practice Implications: Current research indicates that assessing patient’s self-care ability and deploying standardized patient education programs focused on self-care management significantly lower exacerbations of symptoms, emergency department visits, and readmission for HF patients. Adding telephone follow-up for continued assessment and support of the patient’s self-care ability can reduce readmissions by 80% and prove to be a cost effective intervention. Measuring the patients self-care ability, deploying a standardized nurse guiding patient education program that includes telephone follow up is suggested in the evidence can result in decreased admissions and improved health outcomes.
Social ties and adolescent sleep disruption.

Teens tend go to bed later, get less sleep, and report more daytime sleepiness. Medical research emphasizes biological determinants of teens’ disrupted sleep (i.e., the timing of puberty and resultant drops in melatonin), rarely or inadequately considering youths’ social ties as a determinant of sleep behaviors. Sociologists recognize how social ties affect health behaviors but have generally neglected sleep, especially among teens. Drawing on a sample of 974 teens from the Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, this study controls for developmental and social relational factors to predict changes in youths’ sleep patterns between 12 and 15 years of age. In general, social relational factors outperform developmental factors in determining youths’ sleep patterns, particularly pointing to the importance of parental, peer, and school ties in promoting healthy sleep behaviors. The implications of these findings for further research are briefly discussed.