cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A kinetic model for distribution coefficients and application to Mg-calcites

Abstract A review of experimental and natural Mg-calcite occurrences indicates that no simple relation exists between mMg mCa in solution and X Mg X ca in growing calcite crystals. The great variability of the data suggests a strong influence of precipitation kinetics on the distribution of Mg+2 between solution and crystal. We have derived a kinetic formulation for the distribution coefficient (λMg = XMg/XCa/ mMg/mCa) based upon the existence, at steady state conditions, of a constant mass surface phase. The resulting formulation is consistent with both experimental and natural Mg-calcite compositions. The primary factors which influence the value of λMg are temperature and the ratio of KspMCO3 to the activity product ([M+2][CO3−2]/[MCO3]) for magnesite and calcite. The results suggest that Mg-calcite composition (XMg/XCa) is at best a crude measure of the mMg/mCa ratio in paleosolutions.
Coalescent Size Versus Coalescent Time with Strong Selection

This work studies the coalescent (ancestral pedigree, genealogy) of the entire population. The coalescent structure (topology) is robust, but selection changes the rate of coalescence (the time between branching events). The change in the rate of coalescence is not uniform, rather the reduction in the time between branching events is greatest when the coalescent is small (immediately after the common ancestor is the only member of the coalescent) with little change when the coalescent is large (immediately preceding when that common ancestor becomes fixed and the size of the coalescent is N). This provides that the reduction in the coalescent time due to selection is much greater than the reduction in the cumulative size of the coalescent (total number of ancestors of the present population after and including the most recent common ancestor) due to selection. If Ns ≫ 1, the coalescent and fixation times are approximately equal to \( \tfrac{{\ln 2N s}} {s} \) , which is much less than the value N which would result from neutral drift (N rather than the canonical haploid neutral fixation time 2N is the appropriate comparison for the model considered here), in particular, it is 70% less for Ns=10 and 95% less for Ns=100. However, for those values of Ns, and N ranging between 103 and 106, the reduction in the cumulative size of the coalescent of the entire population compared to the neutral case ranges from 17% to 65% (depending on the values of N and s). The coalescent time for two individuals for Ns of 10 and 100 is reduced by approximately 70% and 94%, respectively, compared with the neutral case. Because heterozygosity is proportional to the coalescent time for two individuals and the number of segregating alleles is proportional to the cumulative size of the coalescent, selection reduces heterozygosity more than it reduces the number of segregating alleles.
Lacrosse-related laryngeal injury

Summary This case report illustrates a severe laryngeal fracture from injuries sustained during a lacrosse match. Contact sports such as lacrosse are popular with pediatric and teenage children. Laryngeal injury can be a life-threatening injury due to airway compromise, and prompt emergency medical treatment can be life saving. This case report details a patient's presentation, clinical exam, radiology and endoscopic findings, treatment including securing the airway and fracture repair, and outcome. The risk of mortality or severe morbidity warrants a high index of suspicion is given for children and teenagers with blunt neck trauma during contact sports such as lacrosse.
Asymptotic expressions for guided TM and TE waves in a graphene parallel-plate waveguide

In this paper, the guidance conditions for graphene parallel-plate waveguides are examined. Asymptotic expressions are given for all TE and TM modes with different regions of validity for different frequencies. The behavior of propagation constants at optical frequencies is shown to be different from in the microwave regime due to a difference in conductivities. We show that asymptotic expressions for guided waves in a graphene parallel-plate waveguide using the Lambert W function give good approximations for finding the wavenumber along the propagation direction at optical frequencies for all TM/TE modes. The results from this paper can aid the design of graphene-based devices by providing simple formulas for the propagation constants.
Influence in Relationships: A Meta-Analysis on Health-Related Social Control

People in close relationships influence the health behavior of their significant others. Recent research has explored one form of influence—social control—and produced results that suggest varying relationships between social control, health outcomes, and psychological well-being. For the present article, we conducted a meta-analysis to compare three predominant models of social control. We observed that measures of social control that distinguish between positive and negative forms of social control demonstrated stronger associations with health outcomes than did general measures of social control. Furthermore, measures of positive and negative social control were related to proposed psychological mediators.
“I Become a Part of the Learning Process”: Mentoring Episodes and Individualized Attention in Graduate Education

Meaningful interactions with faculty can help graduate students’ progress successfully through their academic work, develop scholar-practitioner identity, and begin to cultivate academic relationships and relational skills that will help them succeed. These outcomes emerged from a critical incident technique study in which we interviewed 21 master’s students. Based on the findings, we propose individualized attention as an organizing theme to help us consider how to intentionally engage with our students from a relational perspective. The concept of individualized attention, as developed in this inquiry, suggests: invitation, engaged presence, care, and enthusiasm as elements of the relational practice of teaching and learning.
An Incoherent Optoelectronics Millimeter-Wave Receiver

Kenneth J. SchlagerMarquette University, College of Engineering, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201AbstractMillimeter wave radio development has been limited by the very high cost of millimeterwave components. Millimeter wave receivers almost exclusively use the superheterodyneapproach and coherent detection. An alternate approach with low cost potential wouldutilize direct incoherent thermal detection of millimeter wave energy. Some of the pro-blems and prospects of such an optoelectronic receiver are explored in this paper.Incoherent detectionIncoherent detection of radio signals involves the direct detection of radiation to theaudio frequency level without the need as in coherent receivers for radio (rf) amplifica-tion, local oscillator mixing or intermediate (if) amplification prior to detection. Acoherent radio receiver preserves frequency and phase information while such information islost in the incoherent detection process. Incoherent radio receivers have the advantageof broad bandwidth and therefore greater sensitivity in radiometric applications. Coherentradio receivers have superior sensitivity at smaller predetection bandwidths and are pre-ferable in all applications where frequency and phase information are important. Blockdiagrams illustrating the two detection concepts are shown in Figure 1. The term opto-electronic is used to characterize the technique since the thermal detector and some of thetechniques used are borrowed from optoelectronic infrared technology.Although the incoherent radio receiver is potentially superior both in performance andcost in broad band radiometric applications, its application has been limited by certainproblems in detector sensivity and system selectivity which still must be solved to realizethe potential of the approach. Some recent developments in detector technology and certaindesign innovations have improved the incoherent radio receiver, so that it could be compe-titive in performance with the coherent heteorodyne receiver and at greatly reduced cost.These twin problems of selectivity and sensitivity will now be addressed.The selectivity problemThe application of a thermal detector that responds to a broad band of radiation fromthe visible and infrared to the radio frequencies introduces a severe problem of selec-
Which Formulation Allows Using a Constant Shear Modulus for Small-Strain Buckling of Soft-Core Sandwich Structures?

Although the stability theories energetically associated with different finite strain measures are mutually equivalent if the tangential moduli are properly transformed as a function of stress, only one theory can allow the use of a constant shear modulus G if the strains are small and the material deforms in the linear elastic range. Recently it was shown that, in the case of heterogeneous orthotropic structures very soft in shear, the choice of theory to use is related to the problem of proper homogenization and depends on the type of structure. An example is the difference between Engesser's and Haringx's formulas for critical load of columns with shear, which were shown to be energetically associated with Green's and Almansi's Lagrangian finite strain tensors. In a previous brief paper of the authors in a conference special issue, it was concluded on the basis of energy arguments that, for constant G, Engesser 's formula is correct for sandwich columns and Haringx's formula for elastomeric bearings, but no supporting experimental results were presented. To present them, is the main purpose of this technical brief.
Mechanism of Water Splitting by Photosystem II

The light driven water splitting achieved in the oxygen evolving complex (OEC) of Photosystem II is a critical process that sustains our biosphere. Photosynthetic water splitting is fascinating in its complexity, inspiring due to its practical applications in designing artificial photosynthesis, and not yet understood. At the heart of the water splitting process is the Mn4Ca cluster embedded in a fine tuned protein environment.The electronic structure and geometry of this cluster were probed by X-ray spectroscopy at the functional room temperature state.1, 2 Detailed kinetic analysis of the X-ray induced damage was performed and allowed selection of undamaging conditions for experimentation. High-quality extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectra of the OEC at room temperature will be presented and compared with XRD and DFT derived molecular models of the dark stable S1 state. The determined Debye-Waller factors, sensitive to dynamic processes, support the rigid structure of the Mn4Ca cluster at room temperature.Laser-pump X-ray probe time-resolved X-ray emission measurements (XES) allowed monitoring of changes in the electronic structure of the OEC in real time during the catalysis. Using time-resolved XES we monitored the evolution of the electronic structure of the OEC of Photosystem II during the most critical S3 to S0 transition which results in O2 evolution. Our data show no oxidation but only a gradual reduction of the Mn centers after excitation of the complex past the S3 state. These observations allow us to propose a unique O-O bond formation and water splitting mechanism. Combined with DFT modeling, our analysis reveals the mechanism of catalytic water splitting.1. Davis et al. J. Phys. Chem. B 117, 9161-9169 (2013).2. Davis et al. J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 3, 1858-1864 (2012).
Escherichia coli-derived von Willebrand factor-A2 domain fluorescence/Förster resonance energy transfer proteins that quantify ADAMTS13 activity.

The cleavage of the A2 domain of von Willebrand factor (VWF) by the metalloprotease ADAMTS13 regulates VWF size and platelet thrombosis rates. Reduction or inhibition of this enzyme activity leads to thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP). We generated a set of novel molecules called VWF-A2 FRET (fluorescence/Forster resonance energy transfer) proteins, where variants of yellow fluorescent protein (Venus) and cyan fluorescent protein (Cerulean) flank either the entire VWF-A2 domain (175 amino acids) or truncated fragments (141, 113, and 77 amino acids) of this domain. These proteins were expressed in Escherichia coli in soluble form, and they exhibited FRET properties. Results show that the introduction of Venus/Cerulean itself did not alter the ability of VWF-A2 to undergo ADAMTS13-mediated cleavage. The smallest FRET protein, XS-VWF, detected plasma ADAMTS13 activity down to 10% of normal levels. Tests of acquired and inherited TTP could be completed within 30 min. VWF-A2 conformation changed progressively, and not abruptly, on increasing urea concentrations. Although proteins with 77 and 113 VWF-A2 residues were cleaved in the absence of denaturant, 4M urea was required for the efficient cleavage of larger constructs. Overall, VWF-A2 FRET proteins can be applied both for the rapid diagnosis of plasma ADAMTS13 activity and as a tool to study VWF-A2 conformation dynamics.
Chinese Word Segmentation in MSR-NLP

Word segmentation in MSR-NLP is an integral part of a sentence analyzer which includes basic segmentation, derivational morphology, named entity recognition, new word identification, word lattice pruning and parsing. The final segmentation is produced from the leaves of parse trees. The output can be customized to meet different segmentation standards through the value combinations of a set of parameters. The system participated in four tracks of the segmentation bakeoff -- PK-open, PK-close, CTB-open and CTB-closed - and ranked #1, #2, #2 and #3 respectively in those tracks. Analysis of the results shows that each component of the system contributed to the scores.
Woodward-Lawson versus Orchard: Round three

Due to circumstances beyond my control this is a regrettably delayed rebuttal to a note by Dr. Steyskal entitled "The Woodward-Lawson Method - To Bury or Not to Bury?" that appeared in the February 1989 issue of the AP-S Newsletter.
Thrust faults along the dichotomy boundary in the eastern hemisphere of Mars

[1] Mars Orbiter Laser Altimetry (MOLA) data have been used to characterize lobate scarps along the dichotomy boundary in the eastern hemisphere of Mars. These structures are the surface expression of thrust faulting of the southern highlands. Displacement on the thrust faults is generally less than 1 km except in the case of the Amenthes Rupes thrust fault, where the maximum displacement is on the order of 3 km. The ratio of maximum displacement to fault length γ of the population of thrust faults is ∼6.2 × 10−3 (n = 26), consistent with previous estimates for Martian thrust faults based on photoclinometrically derived topography, and other planetary thrust fault populations. Thrust faulting is roughly coincident with Late Noachian to Early Hesperian fracturing and normal faulting along the dichotomy boundary. This suggests that the formation of the present-day dichotomy boundary involved compressional and extensional deformation. The long-wavelength topography suggests that the dichotomy boundary in the eastern hemisphere may have been formed by flexure of the southern highlands lithosphere. Lithospheric flexure alone cannot account for the thrust faulting of the highlands along the dichotomy boundary. A combination of stresses due to bending, erosion, and global contraction may have formed the lobate scarp thrust faults.
Genetic Diversity and Improvement of Contemporary Proprietary North American Dent Corn

Coefficient of parentage (CP) is useful to estimate genetic diversity (1 - CP) among a set of lines. Estimated diversity among 846 proprietary inbred corn (Zea mays L.) lines registered in the United States from 1976 to 2005 shows favorable diversity of 0.944. Less diversity (0.859) was found among 47 widely grown hybrids from 1995 to 2001. Cluster analysis of the 55 parental inbreds formulating these 47 hybrids found nine family clusters, four that were Iowa Stiff Stalk Synthetic (BSSS) and five that were non-BSSS, with intergroup diversity of 0.99 between BSSS and non-BSSS. There was less genetic diversity among BSSS (0.64) than among non-BSSS (0.90) inbreds. Genetic diversity within the nine family clusters B73/B14, B73/B37, B73/ Maiz Amargo, B37/B14/Maiz Amargo, Miscellaneous/Oh43, Mo17/LH123, LH82, Oh07/ Midland/Female Composite, and lodent were 0.238, 0.285, 0.285, 0.735, 0.817, 0.525, 0.346, 0.554, and 0.539, respectively. Evaluation of the lineage of 470 recently (1996-2005) registered proprietary inbreds found that 170 (36%) are direct descendents of the public inbred B73. Breeding progress was estimated using progeny to parent side-by-side comparisons. Significant increases per breeding cycle were found for inbred grain yield (6%), plant height (2.3%), ear height (2.2%), and kernel weight (3%), but ear length decreased 4%. Hybrid grain yield increased 2.2% per breeding cycle. A positive correlation (0.36) was found between inbred and hybrid grain yields.
Anisotropic Self-Diffusion in Block Copolymer Cylinders

Self-diffusion measurements have been performed on an ordered asymmetric poly(ethylene-alt-propylene-b-dimethylsiloxane) PEP−PDMS block copolymer (Mn = 30 000, fPEP = 0.79) using forced Rayleigh sc...
First demonstration of 60 GHz-fT, GaInP/GaAs HBT IC technology with 28 ps ECL gate delay

A fully integrated GaInP/GaAs HBT IC process with Schottky diodes, nichrome resistors, MIM capacitors and air-bridge inductors is presented. The HBTs have an fT and fmax of 60 and 45 GHz, respectively. Unloaded ECL gate delays of 28 ps are obtained from ring oscillator measurements. A divide-by-eight prescaler circuit clocks at 12.5 GHz.
Type 4 Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors Have Clinical and In Vitro Anti-inflammatory Effects in Atopic Dermatitis

Increased cyclic AMP-phosphodiesterase activity in peripheral blood leukocytes is associated with the immune and inflammatory hyperreactivity that characterizes atopic dermatitis. Atopic phosphodiesterase has high sensitivity to a variety of enzyme inhibitors, suggesting an increased therapeutic advantage. The objective of this study was to use in vitro assays to identify a potent phosphodiesterase inhibitor and then to investigate its effectiveness in treating atopic dermatitis. Leukocyte enzyme activity was measured by radioenzyme assay, whereas prostaglandin E 2 and interleukins 10 (IL-10) and 4 (IL-4) were measured in 24-h culture supernatants of mononuclear leukocytes by immunoassays. The effect of a topical phosphodiesterase Inhibitor on atopic dermatitis lesional skin was assessed by double-blind, paired comparisons of active drug and placebo ointments applied to symmetrically involved sites over a 28-d period. Using in vitro assays, we demonstrated the ability of selective high-potency phosphodiesterase inhibitors to reduce prostaglandin E 2 , IL-10, and IL-4 production in atopic mononuclear leukocyte cultures. We selected the Type 4 phosphodiesterase inhibitor, CP80,633, based on its inhibitory potency, for clinical testing by topical, bilateral paired comparisons in 20 patients with atopic dermatitis and demonstrated significant reductions of all inflammatory parameters. Phosphodiesterase inhibitors modulate several pathways contributing to the exaggerated immune and inflammatory responses, which characterize atopic dermatitis. This in vivo demonstration of anti-inflammatory efficacy may provide a useful alternative to the over-reliance on corticosteroid therapy in atopic disease.
COMPOUNDING OF DISCRIMINATIVE STIMULI FROM THE SAME AND DIFFERENT SENSORY MODALITIES1

Rats' responding was maintained by fixed-interval schedules of reinforcement in the presence of a tone or two separate lights. The lights were either of low, moderate, or high intensity. Compounds of these single discriminative stimuli each maintained a greater frequency of response than did the single stimuli, and the compound composed of stimuli from different sensory modalities (light+tone) maintained a greater level of responding than did the compound composed of stimuli from the same sensory modality (light+light). Combining lights of different intensity had no differential effect on responding. However, in the second experiment, a compound composed of a light and a tone, each of greater intensity than the light and tone of another compound, initially maintained a higher frequency of response, demonstrating intensity effects during stimulus compounding when the increase in intensity occurs through the component stimuli. This intensity effect, however, was only transitory.
The Dissents of John Marshall Harlan I

I want to start by offering you two quotations. Both are from Harlan's famous dissent from Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896, when the rest of the Justices held that it was constitutional to segregate people according to their race. The first quotation is famous; the second is not well-known—in fact, some of you may have never heard it before. Here is the first quotation:
Focusing on targets through exclusion

Automatic target recognition (ATR) schemes attempt to locate and classify given target objects. Successful approaches either require substantial computing power to correlate target models with all pixels or use a search strategy to minimize the amount of pixels considered as candidates. The search refinement approach to ATR can be accomplished by continually examining various resolutions of the data sets for candidate objects or through a technique of excluding areas that could not contain the object. This paper describes an approach for excluding areas which are identified a priori as 'clutter' and should not contain the areas of interest.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Consumer Evaluation of Target Marketing to the Bottom of the Pyramid

ABSTRACT Bottom of Pyramid (BOP) research has emphasized how marketing to the world's poor is profitable for companies and can generate significant revenue growth. But marketing targeting BOP consumers can also do harm, creating ethical concerns over exploitative marketing practices. This article measures the ethical evaluation by the average (non-BOP) consumer of target marketing to the BOP, and measures the consumer's willingness to take action against the company when it is marketing unethically. Findings show that non-BOP consumers do not consider companies to be ethically wrong in marketing to the BOP, provided marketing practices are evaluated as fair for BOP consumers. However, non-BOP consumers will take action against companies perceived to be marketing unethically to BOP consumers.
Optimal strategies for the immigration lottery

Abstract This paper considers the so-called OP-1 program in which certain foreign nationals can apply to a lottery for resident alien status in the United States. Based on the way the lottery will be administered, there are advantages for a candidate to submit multiple applications. We find the optimal number of applications for a candidate to submit in order to maximize his or her chances of winning. We also consider two extensions to a multiple year lottery. Current legislation has made no provision for repeating the lottery so these extensions would be relevant only if new legislation is passed.
Corticotropin releasing hormone inhibits an inwardly rectifying potassium current in rat corticotropes

1. The perforated-patch-clamp technique was used to identify an inwardly rectifying K+ current (IK(IR)) in cultured rat anterior pituitary cells highly enriched in corticotropes. IK(IR) was rapidly activating and highly selective for K+. The K+ conductance was approximately proportional to the square root of the extracellular K+ concentration. 2. IK(IR) was blocked in a voltage-dependent manner by external Ba2+ and Cs+, slightly attenuated by 5 mM 4-aminopyridine (15% inhibition) and insensitive to 10 mM tetraethylammonium, 2 mM Ca2+, 1 mM Cd2+ and 50 microM La3+. 3. In physiological saline, 100 microM Ba2+, which inhibits 86% of IK(IR) at the cell resting potential, depolarized cells by 6.1 +/- 0.7 mV from a mean resting potential of -59.6 +/- 0.8 mV. 4. Corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH), which activates adenylyl cyclase and stimulates adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) secretion from corticotropes, inhibited IK(IR) by 25% and depolarized the cells by 10.2 +/- 1.0 mV. Dibutyryl cAMP ((Bu)2cAMP) mimicked these effects. 5. The membrane depolarization evoked by Ba2+ or CRH increased the cell firing frequency. Comparison of cells exhibiting a membrane potential of approximately -50 mV revealed that spike frequency in the presence of CRH (109 +/- 7 spikes (5 min)-1) was greater than in control (60 +/- 5 spikes (5 min)-1) or Ba(2+)-treated (77 +/- 15 spikes (5 min)-1) corticotropes. 6. The data suggest that IK(IR) contributes to maintenance of the resting membrane potential of rat corticotropes. Inhibition of IK(IR) plays a role in, but does not account for all of, the membrane depolarization and enhancement of firing frequency evoked by CRH.
Failure distributions and area transformation of thin SiO2 films

The failure distributions of a small area can be transformed to distributions of a larger area provided the data to be transformed exhibit a bimodal distribution with an extrinsic region that characterises the defect-related region explicitly. The defect density follows a power-law relationship that shows a decline in defect density as the area increases.
B Cells Modulate Systemic Responses to Pneumocystis murina Lung Infection and Protect On-Demand Hematopoiesis via T Cell-Independent Innate Mechanisms when Type I Interferon Signaling Is Absent

HIV infection results in a complex immunodeficiency due to loss of CD4(+) T cells, impaired type I interferon (IFN) responses, and B cell dysfunctions causing susceptibility to opportunistic infections such as Pneumocystis murina pneumonia and unexplained comorbidities, including bone marrow dysfunctions. Type I IFNs and B cells critically contribute to immunity to Pneumocystis lung infection. We recently also identified B cells as supporters of on-demand hematopoiesis following Pneumocystis infection that would otherwise be hampered due to systemic immune effects initiated in the context of a defective type I IFN system. While studying the role of type I IFNs in immunity to Pneumocystis infection, we discovered that mice lacking both lymphocytes and type I IFN receptor (IFrag(-/-)) developed progressive bone marrow failure following infection, while lymphocyte-competent type I IFN receptor-deficient mice (IFNAR(-/-)) showed transient bone marrow depression and extramedullary hematopoiesis. Lymphocyte reconstitution of lymphocyte-deficient IFrag(-/-) mice pointed to B cells as a key player in bone marrow protection. Here we define how B cells protect on-demand hematopoiesis following Pneumocystis lung infection in our model. We demonstrate that adoptive transfer of B cells into IFrag(-/-) mice protects early hematopoietic progenitor activity during systemic responses to Pneumocystis infection, thus promoting replenishment of depleted bone marrow cells. This activity is independent of CD4(+) T cell help and B cell receptor specificity and does not require B cell migration to bone marrow. Furthermore, we show that B cells protect on-demand hematopoiesis in part by induction of interleukin-10 (IL-10)- and IL-27-mediated mechanisms. Thus, our data demonstrate an important immune modulatory role of B cells during Pneumocystis lung infection that complement the modulatory role of type I IFNs to prevent systemic complications.
Simulation data as data streams

Computational or scientific simulations are increasingly being applied to solve a variety of scientific problems. Domains such as astrophysics, engineering, chemistry, biology, and environmental studies are benefiting from this important capability. Simulations, however, produce enormous amounts of data that need to be analyzed and understood. In this overview paper, we describe scientific simulation data, its characteristics, and the way scientists generate and use the data. We then compare and contrast simulation data to data streams. Finally, we describe our approach to analyzing simulation data, present the AQSim (Ad-hoc Queries for Simulation data) system, and discuss some of the challenges that result from handling this kind of data.
Visual influences on auditory pluck and bow judgments

In the McGurk effect, visual information specifying a speaker’s articulatory movements can influence auditory judgments of speech. In the present study, we attempted to find an analogue of the McGurk effect by using nonspeech stimuli—the discrepant audiovisual tokens of plucks and bows on a cello. The results of an initial experiment revealed that subjects’ auditory judgments were influenced significantly by the visual pluck and bow stimuli. However, a second experiment in which speech syllables were used demonstrated that the visual influence on consonants was significantly greater than the visual influence observed for pluck-bow stimuli. This result could be interpreted to suggest that the nonspeech visual influence was not a true McGurk effect. In a third experiment, visual stimuli consisting of the wordspluck andbow were found to have no influence over auditory pluck and bow judgments. This result could suggest that the nonspeech effects found in Experiment 1 were based on the audio and visual information’s having an ostensive lawful relation to the specified event. These results are discussed in terms of motor-theory, ecological, and FLMP approaches to speech perception.
Diffusion and localization of a particle in a periodic potential coupled to a dissipative environment.

The phase diagram of a Hamiltonian which describes a particle moving in a periodic potential and coupled to an external heat bath has been analyzed in detail. By renormalization-group methods, it is proved that this system exhibits an unusual transition between diffusive behavior and a self-trapped phase. The dynamics along the transition line is shown to be integrable and the order parameter, the mobility, is computed exactly.
Real-life safety and efficacy of vardenafil in the treatment of erectile dysfunction-results from 30,010 U.S. patients.

ABSTRACT Introduction Clinical trials show that vardenafil produces effective and satisfactory first-dose success rates and reliability for erection and intercourse in men with erectile dysfunction (ED). Aim This study was conducted to evaluate real-life efficacy, safety, and acceptance of vardenafil in men with ED. Methods This open-label, prospective study, conducted in 6,740 U.S. centers, included an initial visit and one or two follow-up visits within a 2-month period of the first vardenafil dose. Vardenafil was administered in 5–20 mg doses. Main Outcome Measures Efficacy variables included first-dose success rates for vaginal penetration, maintenance of erection, and satisfaction based on physician and patient assessments. Safety was assessed by adverse events (AEs). Results A total of 30,010 men were included in the safety/intent-to-treat (S/ITT) analysis, with 26,043 men in the adjusted S/ITT population. Vardenafil improved erectile function in 78% of men, with 75% rating overall efficacy as “satisfying” or “very satisfying.” The overall rates of successful penetration and maintenance with vardenafil following the first dose were 78% and 68%, respectively. For men with mild and moderate ED, first-dose success rates for penetration were 89% and 82%, respectively, and for maintenance, 82% and 71%, respectively. First-dose penetration and maintenance of erection rates were 76% and 66%, respectively, for men with self-reported hypertension, and 70% and 60%, respectively, for men with diabetes mellitus. At study end, 67% of patients preferred to continue using vardenafil. The most frequently reported AEs were headache (4%) and flushing (2%). Vardenafil was well tolerated, with a “satisfied/very satisfied” tolerability rating in 75% of cases as assessed by the physician. Conclusions This observational study demonstrated the tolerability and efficacy of vardenafil in men with ED and comorbidities. Vardenafil provided a high rate of first-dose intercourse success and a favorable safety profile in patients with and without comorbid disease. Cheng E. Real-life safety and efficacy of vardenafil in the treatment of erectile dysfunction—Results from 30,010 U.S. patients.
What is a Cognitive Process

In this commentary to Serrano et al. (2013), I applaud this foundation article for being a breath of fresh air because it addresses the question “What is cognition?” Too often in the cognitive sciences, we leave that question unanswered or worse, unasked. I come not to criticize but to offer a helpful suggestion aimed a pulling together some of the separate strands weaved throughout this article.
Comparison between 60 matched pairs of postmenopausal black and white women: analysis of risk factors related to bone mineral density.

Abstract Purpose Osteoporosis is a systemic disease in which bone density is reduced, leading to weakness of the skeleton and increased vulnerability to fractures. The purpose of this study was to compare known or suspected risk factors (medical, gynecological, and lifestyle characteristics) related to bone loss between 60 matched pairs of black and white postmenopausal women. Methods The two racial groups were matched one for one on selective anthropometric variables [age (years), standing height (cm), and body weight (kg)] in order to equate age and body size between groups. Information on risk factors was obtained from an orally administered questionnaire and body composition variables (in addition to those used for matching) assessed by anthropometry and total body dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Four skinfold sites (chest, triceps, mid-axillary, and abdomen) were measured with Harpendon calipers and four body circumferences (chest, forearm contracted, waist, and gluteal) were assessed with a Gulick tape. DXA radius, spine, femur, and whole body measurements were obtained on a Hologic QDR-2000 with software version 7.20. Results White women reported significantly higher proportions of alcohol use, family history of broken bones, and a greater utilization of hormones, calcium and vitamins than did black women. Black women reported a greater numbers who had other diseases (i.e., overactive thyroid, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, or kidney stones). Although age and body weight were similar in both groups, black women had greater lean tissue and less body fat than white women. Blacks had significantly higher bone mineral density across all body sites with the exception of the mid- and ultra-distal radius. Conclusion On the basis of these data, it was concluded that part of the difference often observed in bone density between black and white postmenopausal women might be due to lifestyle factors.
Progressive Overgrowth of the Cerebriform Connective Tissue Nevus in Patients With Proteus Syndrome

Background Proteus syndrome is a rare overgrowth disorder that almost always affects the skin. Objective Our purpose was to evaluate progression of skin lesions in patients with Proteus syndrome. Methods Skin findings were documented in 36 patients with Proteus syndrome. Progression of skin lesions in 16 of these patients was assessed by comparing photographs obtained on repeated visits for an average total duration of 53 months. Results The skin lesion most characteristic of Proteus syndrome, the cerebriform connective tissue nevus, showed progression in 13 children but not in 3 adults. The cerebriform connective tissue nevus progressed by expansion into previously uninvolved skin, increased thickness, and development of new lesions. Lipomas increased in size, number, or both in 8 of 10 children with lipomas. In contrast, epidermal nevi and vascular malformations generally did not spread or increase in number. Limitations Only 3 adults with Proteus syndrome were evaluated longitudinally. Conclusion The cerebriform connective tissue nevus in Proteus syndrome grows throughout childhood but tends to remain stable in adulthood.
A critical pathway reduced resource use without compromising safety and effectiveness in community acquired pneumonia

Source Citation Marrie TJ, Lau CY, Wheeler SL, et al., for the CAPITAL Study Investigators. A controlled trial of a critical pathway for treatment of community-acquired pneumonia. JAMA. 2000 Feb 9;...
Ablation of developing podocytes disrupts cellular interactions and nephrogenesis both inside and outside the glomerulus

Podocyte loss in adults leads to glomerulosclerosis. However, the impact of podocyte loss on glomerulogenesis and the development of the kidney as a whole has not been directly studied. Here, we used a podocyte-specific Cre transgene to direct the production of diphtheria toxin (DTA) inside podocytes during nephrogenesis. Affected podocytes underwent translational arrest and apoptosis, leading to oliguria, proteinuria, hematuria, interstitial hemorrhage, and perinatal death. Glomerular cell-cell interactions were disrupted, even before overt podocyte apoptosis. VEGF production by podocytes was greatly decreased, and this was associated with reduced endothelial fenestration and altered glomerular vascular architecture. In addition to these glomerular anomalies, embryonic podocyte ablation also led to structural changes and increased apoptosis in proximal tubules. The collecting ducts, however, only showed molecular changes that are likely an indirect effect of the greatly reduced urine flow. Although podocyte loss significantly impacted the development and maintenance of the vasculature both inside and outside the glomerulus, our results suggest that there is a lack of long-range signaling from deep-seated, mature glomeruli to the differentiating cells in the outer nephrogenic zone. This study illustrates the tight integration of various cell types in the developing kidney and shows that the impact of podocyte loss during development is much greater than that in adults. This study also shows the specificity and effectiveness of a genetically controlled podocyte ablation system in mice where the additional readily available tools can further expand its applications.
Hyaline Cell‐Rich Chondroid Syringoma‐ Report of Two Cases.

Case 1: A 38 year-old man presented with a painless right post auricular mass, slowly growing for ten years. Clinical impression was a salivary gland lesion. The excised mass measured 3 cm and was gelatinous. Case 2: A 28 year-old man presented with a lump in the region of the left heel, slowly growing for several years. Excision revealed a lobulated pink-gray mass measuring 2 cm. In both cases, histology demonstrated a circumscribed encapsulated proliferation of tumour cells surrounded by abundant myxoid stroma. There were almost exclusively hyaline cells with plasmacytoid features, arranged predominantly in nests and sheets with abundant pink cytoplasm and hyaline inclusions. Round to oval nuclei with occasional small nucleoli and rare mitotic figures were seen. Both cases stained strongly positive for low molecular weight cytokeratin, S 100 and vimentin and were negative for desmin, smooth-muscle actin and muscle-specific actin. We describe two cases of hyaline cell-rich chondroid syringoma, a histologically benign entity. The importance in recognizing this entity is that these tumors can easily be confused with malignant neoplasms including malignant melanoma, myxoid chondrosarcoma and alveolar soft part sarcoma. Follow up for a year has shown no evidence of metastases or recurrence in both cases.
Americans Form Society for Precision Engineering

At a joint Japan-United States conference held at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina, U. S. A., on November 14 and 15, 1985, a proposal was presented to the Americans suggesting the formation of a Society that would include in its charter a liaison with the Japan Society of Precision Engineering. The Americans present appointed an informal organizing committee with a directive to determine the interest in such a Society and to propose a method for its formation if sufficient interest was found.The committee drafted and circulated a questionnaire. The results indicated sufficient interest to form a new, independent American Society of precision Engineering. A non-profit corporation has been established and the first conference was organized and held on November 5, 6 and 7, 1986, in Dallas, Texas. Concurrently, an invitation for applications for charter membership was circulated which has resulted in approximately one hundred charter members. The informal organizing committee disbanded at the Dallas Conference and was replaced by an elected interim Board of Directors. Another conference is scheduled for November 4, 5, and 6, 1987, in Columbus, Ohio, at which time it is planned to elect a permanent Board and officers and adopt a constitution.
Safety and tolerability of methacholine challenge in infants with recurrent wheeze.

Bronchial hyperreactivity (BHR) is a key feature of asthma, but measurement can usually not be achieved in infants with standard lung function tests. We investigated the safety and tolerability of methacholine challenge in infants with recurrent wheezing episodes. 78 methacholine challenges in 51 sedated infants aged 12–36 months with recurrent wheezing episodes were performed. Methacholine challenge was stopped when clinical signs (coughing, wheezing, or cyanosis) or a drop of oxygen saturation (SPO2) of at least 5% or a drop of transcutaneous oxygen tension (PtcO2) of at least 0.8 kPa or an increase of resistance (RrsSO), of 50% by single occlusion technique were observed. Prior to methacholine challenge, all children were symptom-free with a mean SPO2 of 97.4% (SD 1.80%). In 48 cases (61.5%), no clinical sign was observed, 17 (21.8%) coughed, and 13 (16.7%) wheezed. A mean reduction of SPO2 of 5.0% (SD 3.89%) for the entire population was observed. In 15 of 78 cases, a decrease of SPO2 <90% occurred. T...
Mobile agents: overcoming early hype and a bad name

When faced with the term "mobile agent", most software developers imagine, at best, maintenance, visualization, or debugging problems that would make mobile agents difficult to use in any production application. At worst, they imagine security problems that would make mobile agents only one step short of viruses and worms. Even those software developers who recognize these two visions as exaggerated often dismiss mobile agents as a technology that does not provide any benefits over their normal distributed-computing practices. These developer biases arise from reasons both simple - early unrealized hype and an unfortunate name - and profound -legitimate concerns about security, efficiency, and programmer convenience. To overcome the biases, the mobile-agent community must view their current systems only as excellent vehicles for exploring the hard research problems, and must make an intense effort to move individual mobile-code ideas and techniques into simpler, but initially more palatable, mobile-code systems.
Bacterial activity in South Pole snow.

Large populations (200 to 5,000 cells ml−1 in snowmelt) of bacteria were present in surface snow and firn from the south pole sampled in January 1999 and 2000. DNA isolated from this snow yielded ribosomal DNA sequences similar to those of several psychrophilic bacteria and a bacterium which aligns closely with members of the genus Deinococcus, an ionizing-radiation- and desiccation-resistant genus. We also obtained evidence of low rates of bacterial DNA and protein synthesis which indicates that the organisms were metabolizing at ambient subzero temperatures (−12 to −17°C).
Two Regions of Bacillus subtilis Transcription Factor SpoIIID Allow a Monomer To Bind DNA

Nutrient limitation causes Bacillus subtilis to develop into two different cell types, a mother cell and a spore. SpoIIID is a key regulator of transcription in the mother cell and positively or negatively regulates more than 100 genes, in many cases by binding to the promoter region. SpoIIID was predicted to have a helix-turn-helix motif for sequence-specific DNA binding, and a 10-bp consensus sequence was recognized in binding sites, but some strong binding sites were observed to contain more than one match to the consensus sequence, suggesting that SpoIIID might bind as a dimer or cooperatively as monomers. Here we show that SpoIIID binds with high affinity as a monomer to a single copy of its recognition sequence. Using charge reversal substitutions of residues likely to be exposed on the surface of SpoIIID and assays for transcriptional activation in vivo and for DNA binding in vitro, we identify two regions essential for DNA binding, the putative recognition helix of the predicted helix-turn-helix motif and a basic region near the C terminus. SpoIIID is unusual among prokaryotic DNA-binding proteins with a single helix-turn-helix motif in its ability to bind DNA monomerically with high affinity. We propose that the C-terminal basic region of SpoIIID makes additional contacts with DNA, analogous to the N-terminal arm of eukaryotic homeodomain proteins and the “wings” of winged-helix proteins, but structurally distinct. SpoIIID is highly conserved only among bacteria that form endospores, including several important human pathogens. The need to conserve biosynthetic capacity during endospore formation might have favored the evolution of a small transcription factor capable of high-affinity binding to DNA as a monomer, and this unusual mode of DNA binding could provide a target for drug design.
Combined histochemical staining, RNA amplification, regional, and single cell cDNA analysis within the hippocampus

The use of five histochemical stains (cresyl violet, thionin, hematoxylin & eosin, silver stain, and acridine orange) was evaluated in combination with an expression profiling paradigm that included regional and single cell analyses within the hippocampus of post-mortem human brains and adult mice. Adjacent serial sections of human and mouse hippocampus were labeled by histochemistry or neurofilament immunocytochemistry. These tissue sections were used as starting material for regional and single cell microdissection followed by a newly developed RNA amplification procedure (terminal continuation (TC) RNA amplification) and subsequent hybridization to custom-designed cDNA arrays. Results indicated equivalent levels of global hybridization signal intensity and relative expression levels for individual genes for hippocampi stained by cresyl violet, thionin, and hematoxylin & eosin, and neurofilament immunocytochemistry. Moreover, no significant differences existed between the Nissl stains and neurofilament immunocytochemistry for individual CA1 neurons obtained via laser capture microdissection. In contrast, a marked decrement was observed in adjacent hippocampal sections stained for silver stain and acridine orange, both at the level of the regional dissection and at the CA1 neuron population level. Observations made on the cDNA array platform were validated by real-time qPCR using primers directed against β-actin and glyceraldehyde-3 phosphate dehydrogenase. Thus, this report demonstrated the utility of using specific Nissl stains, but not stains that bind RNA species directly, in both human and mouse brain tissues at the regional and cellular level for state-of-the-art molecular fingerprinting studies.
Cloning and subcellular localization of the phosphoprotein and nucleocapsid proteins of Potato yellow dwarf virus, type species of the genus Nucleorhabdovirus.

We have cloned and characterized mRNAs corresponding to the phosphoprotein (P) and nucleocapsid (N) genes of the sanguinolenta strain of Potato yellow dwarf virus (PYDV). The P and N messenger RNAs both begin with a common AAACA pentanucleotide and are 1546 nt and 962 nt in length, and capable of encoding 52 kDa and 31 kDa proteins, respectively. The N mRNA contains a 12 nt 5� non-translated sequence (NTS) and a 83 nt 3