cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization of a novel, broad-based fungicidal activity for the antiarrhythmic drug amiodarone

Fungal infections are common in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and pose a major health management problem. There is a need for identification of new antifungals to complement the limited current repertoire and to combat newly arising resistant fungal strains. We have identified a novel antifungal activity for the antiarrhythmic drug amiodarone. Extensive characterization of this activity shows that amiodarone exhibits a growth inhibition for several diverse fungi, including species of Cryptococcus, Saccharomyces, Aspergillus, Candida, and Fusarium. The antifungal activity was shown to be fungicidal; Cryptococcus neoformans treated with amiodarone lost viability within hours of drug exposure. Growth inhibition could be suppressed by addition of very high concentrations (10 mM) of calcium to the medium, suggesting that disruption of calcium homeostasis was involved in the antifungal activity. Direct measurement of radiolabeled calcium efflux showed that addition of amiodarone resulted in an immediate efflux of cellular calcium. In conclusion, amiodarone displays broad-based fungicidal activity and may be acting in part by perturbing the calcium balance.
Butadiene inhalation accelerates arteriosclerotic plaque development in cockerels

1,3-Butadiene (BD), a gas widely used in the rubber industry, is also present in automotive exhaust and in the vapor phase of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS; approximately 400 micrograms/cigarette). The threshold limit value (TLV) for BD which was 10 ppm, has now been reduced to 2 ppm. Extensive investigations of workers have identified very few statistically significant increases in BD-associated cancer mortality. However, two studies have reported increased BD-associated mortality from arteriosclerotic heart disease in black workers in the BD rubber industry. The cockerel is a sensitive animal model for studying effects of environmental agents on arteriosclerosis development. Previous studies showed that inhaled environmental levels of ETS significantly accelerate arteriosclerosis. Surprisingly, the carcinogen-rich tar fraction of ETS was ineffective. The elevated risk of death from arteriosclerotic heart disease in black BD workers and the high BD level in the vapor phase of ETS, raised the question of whether BD would accelerate arteriosclerosis in cockerels. Here, cockerels breathed either 20 ppm BD or filtered air (6 h/day, 80 days). Blinded measurements showed no differences between groups in plaque frequency or location. However, plaque sizes were significantly larger in BD-treated cockerels than in controls--results nearly identical to those reported earlier for ETS-exposed vs. air-exposed cockerels. This indicates that BD may contribute to the atherogenicity of ETS and provides experimental support for the recent reduction in the TLV for BD.
Fluorescent solute-partitioning characterization of layered soft contact lenses

Partitioning of aqueous packaging, wetting, and care-solution agents into and out of soft contact lenses (SCLs) is important for improving wear comfort and also for characterizing lens physico-chemical properties. We illustrate both features of partitioning by application of fluorescent-solute partitioning into DAILIES TOTAL1® (delefilcon A) water-gradient SCLs, which exhibit a layered structure of a silicone-hydrogel (SiHy) core sandwiched between thin surface-gel layers. Two-photon fluorescence confocal laser-scanning microscopy and attenuated total-reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) characterize the lens and assess uptake profiles of six prototypical fluorescent solutes. Comparison of solute uptake in a SiHy-core prototype lens (i.e., O2OPTIX(TM)) validates the core SiHy structure of DAILIESTOTAL1®. To establish surface-layer charge, partition coefficients and water contents are obtained for aqueous pH values of 4 and 7.4. Solute fluorescence-intensity profiles clearly confirm a layered structure for the DAILIES TOTAL1® lenses. In all cases, aqueous solute partition coefficients are greater in the surface layers than in the SiHy core, signifying higher water in the surface gels. ATR-FTIR confirms surface-layer mass water contents of 82±3%. Water uptake and hydrophilic-solute uptake at pH 4 compared with that at pH 7.4 reveal that the surface-gel layers are anionic at physiologic pH 7.4, whereas both the SiHy core and O2OPTIX™ (lotrafilcon B) are nonionic. We successfully confirm the layered structure of DAILIES TOTAL1®, consisting of an 80-μm-thick SiHy core surrounded by 10-μm-thick polyelectrolyte surface-gel layers of significantly greater water content and aqueous solute uptake compared with the core. Accordingly, fluorescent-solute partitioning in SCLs provides information on gel structure and composition, in addition to quantifying uptake and release amounts and rates.
Oregon Institute of Technology Robotic Control System

For our Junior Project course we worked with John Anderson, apart of the Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering and Technology department at Oregon Institute of Technology, to build a Robotic Control System. This system would allow a more cost effective way for teachers and students to create scripts for running a robot in an industry style assembly line. The basic functionality of such a program is to allow the user to create, manage, debug, run and save scripts that will directly manipulate a connected robot. The long term goal was to have a system that will allow any kind of robot to be implemented and have our front end connect to it and work exactly the same. We accomplished this using careful planning to give it the most agile feel possible. We are also attempting to utilize a combination of Microsoft Robotics Studio and direct serial port communication to interact with a Lynxmotion Lynx6 robot.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Case 83: Multifocal Fibrosclerosis with Mediastinal-Retroperitoneal Involvement

A 72-year-old man with a history of congestive heart failure, malignant hypertension, and peripheral and coronary vascular disease was admitted to the hospital 4 days after onset of acute dyspnea and lower-extremity edema. He underwent coronary catheterization; after this procedure, his serum creatinine levels increased from 1.6 to 5.9 mg/dL (141.4–521.6 mol/L). He was subsequently referred for renal and aortic magnetic resonance (MR) imaging to allow more comprehensive evaluation of renal and vascular disease. Prior to admission, the patient had undergone coronary artery bypass graft placement for triple-vessel coronary artery disease (5 years previously) and right carotid endarterectomy (1 year previously). Pathologic specimens of the carotid artery showed dense fibrous tissue and chronic inflammation surrounding the vessel wall.
West Nile virus in Pakistan. 1. Sero-epidemiological studies in Punjab Province

Serum samples collected during 1978-79 from residents of the Chiniot and Changa Manga National Forest (CMF) areas of Punjab Province, Pakistan, had over-all neutralizing (N) antibody positive rates for West Nile (WN) virus of 32.8% (n = 192) and 38.5% (n = 239), respectively. Comparison of the age-specific antibody rates indicated that the pattern of exposure to infection was different in the two areas. Samples from a 1968 serosurvey of residents of the CMF area had an age-specific N antibody profile similar to the 1978 CMF sample, but both the over-all N and haemagglutination-inhibition (HI) antibody positive rates were much higher in the 1968 sample. When tested against antigen prepared from the Pakistan I-746 strain of WN virus, the percentage of sera HI antibody positive and the geometric mean titre of the sera were significantly higher than when tested against the Egypt-101 antigen. One of 124 and 11 of 50 sera from the 1978 and 1968 samples from CMF exhibited detectable HI antibody against dengue-3 virus, respectively, indicating cross-reacting flavivirus antibody was present. None of the positive sera had a higher titre against dengue-3 than against WN virus, but four of the 1968 sera reacted to equal titre against both antigens. During the 1978-79 CMF survey, serum samples from domestic and wild animals were tested for WN virus antibody. Of the 317 wild birds captured, 85 were N-antibody positive. The only frequently bled mammal was the Indian cow, from which 21 of 58 samples were positive for WN antibody.
A 0.7-V 870- $\mu$ W Digital-Audio CMOS Sigma-Delta Modulator

This paper introduces a power-efficient, chopper-stabilized switched-capacitor sigma-delta (SigmaDelta) modulator that combines delayed input feedforward and single-comparator tracking multi-bit quantization to achieve high-precision, low-voltage analog-to-digital (A/D) conversion. An experimental prototype of the proposed architecture has been integrated in a 0.18-mum CMOS technology. The prototype operates from a 0.7-V supply voltage with a sampling rate of 5 MSamples/sec and consumes only 870 muW of total power. The converter achieves a dynamic range of 100 dB, a peak signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 100 dB and a peak signal-to-noise and distortion ratio (SNDR) of 95 dB for a 25-kHz signal bandwidth.
Molecular biology: Genetic code seizes pyrrolysine

Identification of the enzyme that mediates insertion of a rare amino acid, pyrrolysine, into protein solves a puzzle and expands the rules of the genetic code established nearly half a century ago.
Cross-Strand Split Tetra-Cys Motifs as Structure Sensors in a β-Sheet Protein

We have designed "split tetra-Cys motifs" that bind the biarsenical fluorescein dye 4',5'-bis(1,3,2-dithioarsolan-2-yl)fluorescein (FlAsH) across strands of a model beta-rich protein. Our strategy was to divide the linear FlAsH binding tetra-Cys sequence such that dye could be fully liganded only when the strands were arranged in space correctly by native protein conformational proximities. We introduced pairs of alternating cysteines on adjacent beta strands of cellular retinoic acid binding protein to create FlAsH binding sites in the native structure. Selective labeling occurred both in vitro and in vivo relative to sites with fewer than four Cys or with inappropriate geometry. Interestingly, two of the split tetra-Cys motif-carrying proteins bound FlAsH whether native or urea unfolded, while one was capable of binding FlAsH only when native. This latter design exemplifies the potential of split motifs as structure sensors.
Feedback in separated flows over symmetric airfoils

For a flow over an airfoil with laminar separation, a feedback cycle may exist whereby a Kelvin-Helmholtz instability wave emanating from the separation point on the airfoil surface grows along the shear layer and is diffracted as it interacts with the sharp trailing edge of the airfoil, causing acoustic radiation which, in turn, propagates upstream and regenerates the initial instability wave. The analysis is restricted to the high frequency limit. Solutions to the boundary-value problem are obtained using the slowly varying approximation and the method of matched asymptotic expansions. Resonant solutions exist for certain discrete values of the Reynolds and Strouhal numbers. The results are discussed and compared with available data.
Search for Fractional Charges in Water

Results are presented from a search for fractional charges in water from a variety of natural sources. About 30 000 water drops have been measured, comprising 51 ..mu..g of water and dissolved materials. No evidence for fractional charge was seen.
Comparison of the response of diaphragm and upper airway dilating muscle activity in sleeping cats

The steady state and transient effects of hyperoxic hypercapnia on the electromyographic activities of the genioglossus (GG), posterior cricoarytenoid (PCA), and diaphragm (D) were studied in cats instrumented with chronically implanted electrodes during non-rapid eye movement sleep. Hypercapnia (inhalation of 3.4 and 7.4% CO2 in O2) increased the phasic electrical activity occurring during inspiration of all three muscles. Activities of the PCA and D increased in a parallel fashion with increasing CO2. The GG responded to steady state CO2 inhalation alinearly, with larger increases in activity occurring when CO2 was raised from 3.4 to 7.4% than when CO2 was increased from 0 to 3.4%. When gas mixtures containing CO2 were given, the GG reached its new steady state level more slowly than the D or PCA, and when CO2 was rapidly removed from the inspired gas mixture, the GG attained its steady state sooner than the D. These results suggest that in sleeping cats, hypercapnia does not affect either transient or steady state responses of the GG in the same way as the D or the PCA. These differences seem to be explained largely by different threshold characteristics of hypoglossal and phrenic neurons.
On the use of shared storage in shared-nothing environments

Shared-nothing environments, exemplified by systems such as MapReduce and Hadoop, employ node-local storage to achieve high scalability. The exponential growth in application datasets, however, demands ever higher I/O throughput and disk capacity. Simply equipping individual nodes in a Hadoop cluster with more disks is not scalable as it: increases the per-node cost, increases the probability of storage failure at the node, and worsens node failure recovery times. To this end, we propose dividing a Hadoop rack into several (small) sub-racks, and consolidating disks of a sub-rack's compute nodes into a separate shared Localized Storage Node (LSN) within the subrack. Such a shared LSN is easier to manage and provision, and can offer an economically better solution by employing overall fewer disks at the LSN than the total of the sub-rack's individual nodes, while still achieving high I/O performance. In this paper, we provide a quantitative study on the impact of shared storage in Hadoop clusters. We utilize several typical Hadoop applications and test them on a medium-sized cluster and via simulations. Our evaluation shows that: (i) the staggered workload allows our design to support the same number of compute nodes at a comparable or better throughput using fewer total disks than in the node-local case, thus providing more efficient resource utilization; (ii) the impact of lost locality can be mitigated by better provisioning the LSN-node network interconnect and the number of disks in an LSN; and (iii) the consolidation of disks into an LSN is a viable and efficient alternative to the extant node-local storage design. Finally, we show that LSN-based design can deliver up to 39% performance improvement over standard Hadoop.
The degree of maps of free G-manifolds and the average

Suppose that G is a compact Lie group, M and N are orientable, free G-manifolds and f : M → N is an equivariant map. We show that the degree of f satisfies a formula involving data given by the classifying maps of the orbit spaces M/G and N/G. In particular, if the generator of the top dimensional cohomology of M/G with integer coefficients is in the image of the cohomology map induced by the classifying map for M, then the degree is one.
Cyclic phasing clutch using a cardan drag link

Abstract A cyclic phasing clutch is described. An inertia load is driven such that one or more integral revolution of the load can be lost, while the input shaft continues to rotate at a constant speed. No input-output phase change is experienced with revolution loss. The machine has inherent dynamic balance to sustain appreciable inertia loading at high speeds. A relatively unknown mechanism is optimized for use as an acceleration-deceleration generator having a hesitation output. A relay transmission is suggested to shift the load from a constant to a variable speed drive at synchronous positions of zero acceleration.
The role of the dorsal lip in the induction of heart mesoderm in Xenopus laevis

We have examined the tissue interactions responsible for the expression of heart-forming potency during gastrulation. By comparing the specification of different regions of the marginal zone, we show that heart-forming potency is expressed only in explants containing both the dorsal lip of the blastopore and deep mesoderm between 30 degrees and 45 degrees lateral to the dorsal midline. Embryos from which both of these 30 degrees-45 degrees dorsolateral regions have been removed undergo heart formation in two thirds of cases, as long as the dorsal lip is left intact. If the dorsal lip is removed along with the 30 degrees-45 degrees regions, heart formation does not occur. These results indicate that the dorsolateral deep mesoderm must interact with the dorsal lip in order to express heart-forming potency. Transplantation of the dorsal lip into the ventral marginal zone of host embryos results in the formation of a secondary axis; in over half of cases, this secondary axis includes a heart derived from the host mesoderm. These findings suggest that the establishment of heart mesoderm is initiated by a dorsalizing signal from the dorsal lip of the blastopore.
Early Scholars' Visits to Central America: Reports by Karl Sapper, Walter Lehmann, and Franz Termer, edited by Marilyn Beaudry-Corbett and Ellen T Hardy, Theodore E Gutman, 2000

The Cotsen Institute's Director of Publications is archaeologist Marilyn Beaudry-Corbett, herself a specialist on the production and distribution of archaeological ceramics in Mesoamerica and Central America and a scholar of complex society economic organization. Her colleague and the co-editor of this volume, Ellen Hardy, is a Research Associate at The Cotsen Institute and an expert on mortuary customs of the Nicoya region. Theodore (Ted) Gutman (1909-1997) was a longtime supporter of the Institute at UCLA worked on a number of translation projects, several of which are presented here. He was the translator of Karl Sapper's Verapaz im 16. und 17. jahrhundert, which appeared as The Verapaz in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries: A Contribution to the Historical Geography and Ethnography of Northeastern Guatemala (Los Angeles, University of California, Institute of Archae­ology, Occasional Paper 13, 1985). The contributors to the volume's narrative include, in addtion to Beaudry-Corbett and Hardy, nine other anthropologists who are recognized experts on the region and subject matter.
A molecular mechanics analysis of molecular recognition by cyclodextrin mimics of a-chymotrypsin

Abstract : The method of molecular mechanics is used to investigate the structural and electrostatic features of molecular recognition by Beta- cyclodextrin and capped Beta -cyclodextrin models of alpha -chymotrypsin. Since capped Beta -cyclodextrin has been shown to be the more effective biomimetic catalyst, these features of molecular recognition can be interpreted in terms of the relationship between molecular structure and catalytic function. Calculations in vacuo show that the addition of an N-methyformamide cap substituent to each glucose unit appears to change the relative orientation of some glucose fragments from that found in the X-ray structure of the Beta - cyclodextrin macrocycle. These results indicate that certain structural components of molecular recognition, such as the orientation of the secondary hydroxyls and the related orientation of the caps, may be implicated in the catalysis. In addition, the electrostatic component of molecular recognition was investigated by the analysis of molecular electrostatic potential maps calculated in planes parallel to the average plane of the glycosidic oxygen atoms. the results indicate that the addition of the caps to the Beta - cyclodextrin macrocycle subtly alters the pattern of the maps in each plane. However, the general qualitative features of electrostatic recognition by Beta - cyclodextrin and capped Beta -cyclodextrin are similar. Keywords: Artificial enzymes, Enzyme models, Serine protease mimic.
Transcription factor functionality and transcription regulatory networks

Now that numerous high-quality complete genome sequences are available, many efforts are focusing on the “second genomic code”, namely the code that determines how the precise temporal and spatial expression of each gene in the genome is achieved. In this regard, the elucidation of transcription regulatory networks that describe combined transcriptional circuits for an organism of interest has become valuable to our understanding of gene expression at a systems level. Such networks describe physical and regulatory interactions between transcription factors (TFs) and the target genes they regulate under different developmental, physiological, or pathological conditions. The mapping of high-quality transcription regulatory networks depends not only on the accuracy of the experimental or computational method chosen, but also relies on the quality of TF predictions. Moreover, the total repertoire of TFs is not only determined by the protein-coding capacity of the genome, but also by different protein properties, including dimerization, co-factor interactions and post-translational modifications. Here, we discuss the factors that influence TF functionality and, hence, the functionality of the networks in which they operate.
Toward More Optimal Use of Primary Prevention Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators: How Do We Get There?

The implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) has been shown in several randomized clinical trials to improve the survival of patients with systolic heart failure (HF).1–4 As a result, practice guidelines designate ICD therapy as a class I indication in many patients with HF.5–7 Notwithstanding the evidence from randomized clinical trials and practice guidelines, several studies have demonstrated significant underutilization of primary prevention ICDs in many HF patients who are potentially eligible for this therapy.8,9 Some of these studies also described racial and sex-based disparities in the use of this device.8–10 In one investigation of a national HF registry, the majority of patients with a history of myocardial infarction and a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤35% did not receive an ICD, and black patients were significantly less likely than their white counterparts to receive one.8 In another study that used Medicare Claims data, women were 3 times less likely than men to receive an ICD for a primary prevention indication.10 In a third study of ICD use among patients with HF and an LVEF ≤30% in the American Heart Association's (AHA) Get With the Guidelines-Heart Failure (GWTG-HF) program, only a third of these patients had an ICD in place or an ICD planned after discharge.9 Importantly, this analysis showed major race- and sex-based disparities.9 Articles see p 146 and 152 To appreciate the gravity of these findings, two facts must be emphasized. First, sudden cardiac death is the leading cause of death in the United States.11,12 Second, the ICD is the most effective therapy currently available to prevent sudden cardiac death.13 Thus, underutilization of ICD therapy and racial and sex-based disparities in its use constitute major public health problems that must be …
Near-Optimal Codebook Constructions for Limited Feedback Beamforming in Correlated MIMO Channels with Few Antennas

Transmit beamforming with receive combining is a low-complexity solution that achieves the full diversity afforded by a multi-antenna channel. Building on our recent result which shows that even channel statistics are sufficient to achieve perfect feedback performance (in the limit of antenna dimensions) with beamforming and combining, we propose near-optimal codebook designs for correlated channels with a focus on few antennas at the transmitter and the receiver. In the process, we refine the answer to the question: When are channel statistics sufficient to achieve near perfect feedback performance? We show that the condition number of the transmit and receive covariance matrices hold the key to this question. We partition the transmit and receive covariance spaces into 4 regions based on well and ill-conditioning of the covariance matrices and show that the number of bits required for near perfect feedback performance is dependent on the condition numbers of these matrices.
Effectiveness of Nominal and Interacting Group Decision Processes for Integrating R&D and Marketing

Because R&D and marketing are dependent upon each other for new product development, it is imperative that they achieve consensus and organizational integration a team spirit of collaboration and joint commitment. But, consensus and integration are often inhibited by the differing viewpoints of R&D and marketing, which are a natural consequence of their specialized organizational roles and cultures. There is a need for a process that will bridge these dissonant viewpoints and cultures, while otherwise preserving the specialized orientations of the two parties. The bridging properties of three group decision making processes---nominal, interacting, and combined nominal-interacting---were tested by nine strategic planning teams, each composed of R&D and marketing personnel. The combined nominal-interacting process yielded very high levels of statistical consensus and group integration. The nominal process produced statistical consensus but it did not yield high levels of integration. The interacting process did not produce either consensus or integration. The results here and elsewhere indicate that consensus and collaboration problems between R&D and marketing may be alleviated by replacing the interacting decision making process, which is typically used by many organizations, with a combined nominal-interacting process.
Roles for Spectral Centroid and Other Factors in Determining "Blended" Instrument Pairings in Orchestration

Three perceptual experiments using natural-sounding instrument tones arranged in concurrently sounding pairs investigate a problem of orchestration: what factors determine selection of instruments to achieve various degrees of "blend" (fusion of multiple timbres into a single timbral image). The principal finding concerns the spectral centroid of the instruments (the midpoint of the spectral energy distribution). Blend worsened as a function of the overall centroid height of the combination (the centroid of the composite spectrum of the pair) or as the amount of difference between the centroids of the two instruments increased. Slightly different results were found depending on whether the instruments were on the same pitch or separated by a minor third. For unisons, composite centroid, attack similarity, and loudness envelope correlation accounted for 51% of the variance of blend. For minor thirds, centroid difference, composite centroid, attack similarity, and synchrony of offset accounted for 63% of the variance of blend. In a third experiment, instruments were manipulated to have different centroid levels to test if centroid made an independent contribution to blend. The results show that changes in centroid affect blend even when that is the only aspect of the sound that is changing. The findings create the potential for an approach to orchestration based on abstract properties of sound as a substitute for the traditional approach of teaching entirely by example.
Speed of information processing in a calculating prodigy

Abstract Shakuntala Devi, one of the world's most prodigious mental calculators on record, past or present, is especially remarkable for the incredible speed with which she performs mental calculations on very large numbers. This rare phenomenon prompted the question of whether such exceptional performance dependes on the speed of elementary information processes. Devi's rather unexceptional reaction times on a battery of elementary cognitive tasks, which were compared with the mean RTs of college students and older adults on the same tasks, contrasts so markedly with her amazing speed of performing huge arithmetic calculations as to indicate that her skill with numbers must depend largely on the automatic encoding and retrieval of a wealth of declarative and procedural information in longterm memory rather than on any unusual basic capacities. Some kind of motivational factor that sustains enormous and prolonged interest and practice in a particular skill probably plays a larger part in extremely exceptional performance than does psychometric g or the speed of elementary information processes.
Effect of Soil Moisture on polarimetric-interferometric repeat pass observations by UAVSAR during 2010 Canadian Soil Moisture campaign

Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP), a proposed mission in support of the Earth Science Decadal Survey, conducted a field campaign in June 2010 to support algorithm development. As part of the experiment in situ soil moisture measurements were made over a two week period in which multiple UAVSAR flights were conducted. Repeat-pass polarimetric-interferometric data generated from these flights were analyzed to see if phase changes could be correlated with soil moisture changes. Also, we compared the data to that predicted by simple surface scattering models and showed moderate agreement with the Oh model [4].
Measuring anxious responses to predictable and unpredictable threat in children and adolescents.

Research has highlighted the need for new methods to assess emotions in children on multiple levels to gain better insight into the complex processes of emotional development. The startle reflex is a unique translational tool that has been used to study physiological processes during fear and anxiety in rodents and in human participants. However, it has been challenging to implement developmentally appropriate startle experiments in children. This article describes a procedure that uses predictable and unpredictable aversive events to distinguish between phasic fear and sustained anxiety in children and adolescents. We investigated anxious responses, as measured with the startle reflex, in youths (N=36, mean age=12.63years, range=7-17) across three conditions: no aversive events (N), predictable aversive events (P), and unpredictable aversive events (U). Short-duration cues were presented several times in each condition. Aversive events were signaled by the cues in the P condition but were presented randomly in the U condition. Participants showed fear-potentiated startle to the threat cue in the P condition. Startle responses were also elevated between cues in the U condition compared with the N condition, suggesting that unpredictable aversive events can evoke a sustained state of anxiety in youths. This latter effect was influenced by sex, being greater in girls than in boys. These findings indicate the feasibility of this experimental induction of the startle reflex in response to predictable and unpredictable events in children and adolescents, enabling future research on interindividual differences in fear and anxiety and their development in youths. Language: en
The Suppression of Recurrent Herpes Simplex Virus Infections with Lithium Carbonate

There has been considerable interest in the possibility that some psychiatric disorders may be caused by viral infections (Kurstak et al., 1987), and that some psychotropic drugs may possess antiviral activity (Chang, 1975; Wunderlich et al., 1980; Bohn et al., 1983; Patou et al., 1986). In particular, several lines of evidence indicate that lithium salts may possess antiviral activity, especially toward herpes simplex virus (HSV). For example, several clinical reports have suggested that lithium may suppress the reactivation of latent HSV and reduce the number of recurrent infections (Lieb, 1979; Skinner, 1983; Gilis, 1983), while several in vitro studies have demonstrated that lithium can inhibit the replication of HSV by interfering with DNA synthesis (Skinner et al., 1980; Hartley, 1983; Bach and Specter, 1988; Buchan et al., 1988). In view of these interesting reports, we performed a series of clinical studies to examine the putative anti-herpesvirus activity of lithium carbonate in humans.
Endoscopic Techniques for Optical Imaging

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the industrialized world (Landis et al., 1998). Despite recent advancements to reduce the mortality associated with this disease, patient prognosis remains poor, with the current 5-year survival rate under 16%, a rate that has seen no dramatic change over the past 30 years (Jemal et al., 2007; Proctor 2001). It is set to become a worldwide epidemic with the World Health Organization estimating 10 million deaths per year worldwide by the year 2030 (Proctor 2001). While fatal in most cases, early stage lung cancer can be cured. At the time of presentation, less than 15% of patients have localized disease that may be amenable to surgical resection and potential cure; of these patients, the 5-year survival is still a low 60–70%, indicating that even earlier diagnosis is important.
Scheduling a Fuzzy Flowshop Problem with Flexible Due Dates Using Ant Colony Optimization

Most of the work about flowshop scheduling problems assume that the problem data are known exactly at the advance or the common approach to the treatment of the uncertainties in the problem is use of probabilistic models. However, the evaluation and optimization of the probabilistic model is computationally expensive and rational only when the descriptions of the uncertain parameters are available from the historical data. In addition, a certain amount of delay on due dates may be tolerated in most real-world situations although they are handled as crisp dates in most of the previous papers. In this paper we deal with a flowshop scheduling problem with fuzzy processing times and flexible due dates. Schedules are generated by a proposed algorithm in the context of ant colony optimization metaheuristic approach.
Size-dependent feeding and reproduction by boll weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae).

The considerable variation in adult size of the boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis grandis Boheman, has been well documented, but the influences of adult size on reproductive rate are not known. We examined the relationship between the size of boll weevils and their feeding and oviposition. Weevils weighed to the nearest milligram were grouped into five categories based on pupal weight: 20 mg. Numbers of lifetime punctures produced in flower buds (squares) of cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L., by both sexes of adults tended to increase with pupal weight. Boll weevil females with pupal weights >10 mg produced progeny with significantly higher survival to adulthood and also produced a higher percentage of female progeny than those with pupal weights 10 mg averaged 1.8-fold higher than those of females weighing 10 mg than when their pupal weights were < or =10 mg. Although small size negatively affected female reproductive potential, even extremely small females produced some viable offspring. However, the penalties of small adult size, in terms of longevity and reproductive potential, suggest that cultural practices that result in the production of small adults may be used to impact weevil populations.
A Quantitative Analysis of Published Skull Base Endoscopy Literature

Objectives Skull base endoscopy allows for minimal access approaches to the sinonasal contents and cranial base. Advances in endoscopic technique and applications have been published rapidly in recent decades. Setting We utilized an Internet-based scholarly database (Web of Science, Thomson Reuters) to query broad-based phrases regarding skull base endoscopy literature. Participants All skull base endoscopy publications. Main Outcome Measures Standard bibliometrics outcomes. Results We identified 4,082 relevant skull base endoscopy English-language articles published between 1973 and 2014. The 50 top-cited publications ( n = 51, due to articles with equal citation counts) ranged in citation count from 397 to 88. Most of the articles were clinical case series or technique descriptions. Most (96% [49/51])were published in journals specific to either neurosurgery or otolaryngology. Conclusions A relatively small number of institutions and individuals have published a large amount of the literature. Most of the publications consisted of case series and technical advances, with a lack of randomized trials.
Widely-Tunable All-Optical Wavelength Converter Monolithically Integrated with a Total Internal Reflection Corner Mirror Delay Line for 40Gbps RZ Operation

This paper reports on a novel widely tunable all-optical wavelength converter monolithically integrated with a compact turning mirror delay for differential operation at 40Gbps RZ. Wavelength conversion is achieved over 25nm of device tuning range.
PS2-5: Prevalence of Migraine in a Diverse Community – Electronic Methods for Migraine Ascertainment in a Large Integrated Health Plan.

Background/Aims Migraine, a common neurological disorder, is among the top 20 causes of disability worldwide. One-year prevalence of migraine in the US is estimated to range from 8–15%, with women affected at approximately three times the rate of men. Current methods for migraine ascertainment from headache clinics and surveys are costly, affected by clinic-ascertainment bias, and do not work in situations where patient contact is not feasible. With the growing use of electronic medical records (EMR), new methods must be developed for identifying and tracking migraine prevalence over time. We sought to develop an EMR algorithm, to identify migraine, and to characterize its prevalence in Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC).
TOUCH ME – ‘Touch’ genes in the micropylar endosperm

The micropylar region of endosperm (ME) is a physical barrier to radicle emergence in seeds of many different species, including tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and Arabidopsis thaliana. ME is thought to be weakened through cell wall-modifying proteins, and this is supported by transcriptome data showing enrichment of cell wall-associated genes in ME. Gibberellin and ethylene have been suggested to be involved in induction of these genes in ME. However, mechanisms underlying this critical event for germination still remain elusive. In addition to hormonal regulation of ME weakening, recent data from high-throughput analyses suggested that it might be important for the radicle tip to ‘touch’ ME (or mechanosensing), in terms of ME-specific gene induction. This emerging hypothesis can be integrated with previous hypotheses about hormonal regulation of ME-specific gene expression in seeds.
To Love is to Suffer: Older Adults’ Daily Emotional Contagion to Perceived Spousal Suffering

Objectives For older adults coping with a spouse's chronic condition, greater marital satisfaction may not be entirely protective for psychological health. We examined marital satisfaction and gender as moderators of the association between perceived spousal suffering and daily emotional contagion. Based on empathy-altruism and interdependent self-construal theories, we hypothesized that high marital satisfaction and being female would heighten daily emotional contagion, or within-person associations between perceived spouse suffering and distress to spouse suffering. Method Forty-five older adults who had a spouse with a musculoskeletal condition completed daily interviews. Participants reported their marital satisfaction once in the laboratory and then daily perceptions of their spouse's physical suffering and their own distress to spouse suffering via phone at home for 7 days. Results Consistent with hypotheses, there were significant within-person effects such that highly satisfied wives experienced heightened emotional contagion on days when they perceived higher than average spouse suffering. Unexpectedly, men who were high in marital satisfaction experienced heightened daily distress irrespective of their perceptions of level of spousal suffering. Discussion Marital satisfaction can increase daily emotional contagion to spousal suffering among older couples dealing with chronic conditions. Wives' distress may be more dependent on perceiving high levels of partner suffering compared with husbands' distress.
Special-purpose welding robot for intersection welding seam

The welding seam of intersecting pipes is typical and complicated space welding seam.A new welding robot with 5-degree of freedoms robot is designed with the mixed method of series and parallel for special welding technological requirements of welding seam of intersecting pipes,which realized the one integrated design of organization for robot anchor,motion mechanism,welding gun adjusting mechanism and wire feeder.An automatic centering robot trick with 2-degree of freedom is designed,which realized control to gun position and pose separately.The kinematics model of the welding robot is build,and the real-time control mathematical model of welding gun position,welding gun pose and welding speed is build too for the general welding seam of intersection.The welding result indicates that the anchor is secure and accurate,the controllability during the welding is good,and the control method can satisfy the technological requirement of welding seam of intersection.
A Review on Application of Molecular Markers in Rubber Tree

The application of molecular markers in the rubber tree including genetic diversity analysis,genetic linkage mapping,QTLs detecting,marker-assisted selection,variety identifying is summarized.The prospects of molecular markers in the rubber tree in China are given.
Life History Evolution, Plants

For perennial plants, the analysis of evolutionarily stable strategies rooted in empirically parametrized models has allowed prediction of patterns of trait dynamics in natural populations. For monocarpic perennials, strong quantitative predictions about timing of flowering are possible given the simplicity of the core trade‐off; for other traits, complexity in empirically describing trade-offs has restricted predictions to being more qualitative, yet these results have nevertheless advanced our understanding of the principles structuring traits in these systems.
Abdominal Wall Spaces for Mesh Placement: Onlay, Sublay, Underlay

Ventral hernia is a common problem and may be addressed with a number of operative techniques. The optimal positioning of prosthetic mesh has not been established definitively, lending itself to the discretion of the surgeon. These options of onlay, sublay, and underlay mesh placement are discussed along with the associated outcomes as demonstrated in the current surgical literature.
Synthesis of nanocrystalline Fe13at.%B7at.%Si by mechanical alloying

Abstract The synthesis of nanocrystalline Fe-13at.%B-7at.%Si using mechanical alloying of elemental powders in a SPEX mill was investigated. Precise lattice parameter measurements provide insight into the dissolution of Si and B in the nanocrystalline Fe lattice. These data indicate that the complete dissolution of Si in the crystalline Fe matrix required 128 h milling. Only 35% of the total B content was estimated to be in solution after 128 h. Debris from vial and ball wear after this extended milling, however, is found to represent over 35 wt.% of the final composition, and to produce an increase in lattice parameter of approximately 3.7 × 10 −7 nm per hour of milling. In addition, the present results indicate that the disappearance of Si peaks in the X-ray diffraction spectra may be related more directly to the low atomic scattering factor of Si than to its dissolution in Fe.
Fault tolerant aviation data tracker design

When a plane crash occurs, the black box is lost and teams are dispatched at a considerable cost to find it. In the flight-tracker project, the feasibility of transmitting data to ground servers in real time is investigated. There is a great need for tracking flight data in real-time. There are obvious advantages in finding the data instantly after a plane crash instead of waiting for several days until the black box is found. Earlier, this idea has been highlighted in the literature but no software scheme has been presented for its implementation. The flight tracker project includes a distributed handshaking and data transmission protocol and header formats for communication between plane and ground servers. A set of algorithms is developed to packetize the flight data, transmit it to the ground to an array of servers and integrate the transmitted data to recover the flight information. We hope this work will contribute towards saving human lives and improving the safety and reliability of aircrafts.
Challenging Notions of Academic Entitlement and Its Rise among Liberal Arts College Students

To assess academic entitlement, we employed a repeated cross-sectional design to compare survey data from two systematic random samples collected eight years apart, in 2009 (n = 225) and 2017 (n = 159), at a small, private, mid-Atlantic liberal arts college. According to an entitlement scale (based on Greenberger et al., 2008), students were less likely to be entitled in 2017 (27%) than in 2009 (41%) (p = 0.02). In 2009, a higher proportion of males than females felt entitled (50% versus 34%, p = 0.05), a sex difference that disappeared by 2017. To explore academic entitlement further, we developed the “PIE” scale to measure the extent to which students believe “participation,” “improvement” and “effort” should help determine their course grades. Although the proportion of above average PIE scorers was stable from 2009 (36%) to 2017 (34%), in 2017, more females than males were above average on PIE (26% of males versus 44% of females, p = 0.02). PIE, or the desire for recognition of “academic sweat equity,” could reflect students’ support for a learning model that goes beyond mastery and is more developmental and process oriented. These data challenge common conceptions of what constitutes academic entitlement, the belief that it is rising, and suggest continued discussions of what factors should determine grades.
Use of Modern Computers in Structural Analysis

How automatic computer works and how it may be used in solution of structural problems; functional description of digital computer; automatic computer program; computer methods of structural analysis; matrix formulation of load-deformation relationship; examples given.
Oral health care for patients with developmental disabilities: A survey of Michigan general dentists.

Aims The aim of this study to examine the level of access to dental care in Michigan for individuals with DD and explore the dentists' practices, attitudes, and perceived barriers to providing care to this vulnerable population. Methods and results A survey was mailed to a random sample of 1250 general dental practitioners with an active license in the State of Michigan. The survey included questions related to dentists' demographic information, opinion about willingness, barriers, and training needs associated with delivering care to children and adults with developmental disabilities. Descriptive statistics were computed and chi-squared tests and logistic regression models analyzed the association between predictor and key outcome variables. Results show that most dentists treated individuals with developmental disabilities (80.3%). Respondents who indicated that they currently do not treat these patients identified behavior management of patient (67.9%), inadequate training and experiences (52.4%) and severity of patient's condition (41.7%) as the most common reasons for not providing care to individuals with developmental disabilities. Conclusion A majority of Michigan general dentists treat patients with developmental disabilities. Addressing barriers like training and improved reimbursements might help in increasing the number of dentists willing to treat patients with developmental disabilities.
Possible Pathways for Pursuing Burning Plasma Physics and Fusion Energy Development

This report has been prepared in response to a request from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Fusion Energy Sciences to consider possible alternatives on reduced cost options for “next-step” devices. A central focus of next-step devices is the study of “burning” plasmas, which explore the impact of substantial fusion energy production via the deuterium-tritium reaction.