cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PMD Uncovers Widespread Cell-State Erasure by scRNAseq Batch Correction Methods

Single cell RNAseq (scRNAseq) batches range from technical replicates to multi-tissue atlases, thus requiring robust batch correction methods that operate effectively across this similarity spectrum. Currently, no metrics allow for full benchmarking across this spectrum, resulting in benchmarks that quantify removal of batch effects without quantifying preservation of real batch differences. Here, we address these gaps with a new statistical metric [Percent Maximum Difference (PMD)] that linearly quantifies batch similarity, and simulations generating cells from mixtures of distinct gene expression programs (cell-lineages/-types/-states). Using 690 real-world and 672 simulated integrations (7.2e6 cells total) we compared 7 batch integration approaches across the spectrum of similarity with batch-confounded gene expression. Count downsampling appeared the most robust, while others left residual batch effects or produced over-merged datasets. We further released open-source PMD and downsampling packages, with the latter capable of downsampling an organism atlas (245,389 cells) in tens of minutes on a standard computer.
Planning Major Activity Center Distributor Systems

Automobile and transit trips destined to a major activity center terminate at peripheral locations, and each tripmaker completes the journey either by transferring to a distributor system or by walking. The mode by which each traveler completes his journey is specified as that which requires least travel time. The major activity center is represented by a two-dimensional, rectangular coordinate grid system and trip end data are assigned to each node. Optimum station locations are tested in relation to the grid reference. Since exhaustive search of all possible station location combinations for a generalized system consisting of k stations is computationally infeasible, a random search method is described for a major metropolitan CBD. The results of the study indicate that for this type of transportation system a relatively small amount of input data can be efficiently utilized to render a comprehensive systems analysis.
Is the Sum Greater than Its Parts? Circuit Court Composition and Judicial Behavior in the Courts of Appeals

Building on strategic models and the collegial nature of the U.S. courts of appeals, this article assesses the influence of a circuits' composition on individual judges' behaviors and the president's role in shaping the courts. As partisanship is one of the few signals of a nominee's ideology known to an executive administration at the time of appointment, it is important to measure partisan composition as a factor in individual behavior as well as other measures of overall ideology of the circuit. This article finds that the composition of the circuits influences individual behavior, even after controlling for individual ideology, panel effects, and other contextual factors. This remains true whether we examine composition based on partisanship or on more nuanced ideological measures. Noting that presidents, on average, create new partisan majorities within two circuits per four-year term, these findings suggest turnover on circuit courts may have influences on case outcomes outside of a particular new appointee's voting record.
Suppression of Ventricular Tachycardia With Dronedarone: A Case Report

Suppression of Ventricular Tachycardia With Dronedarone. Introduction: Dronedarone is a multichannel blocker with similar electrophysiological properties to amiodarone. Dronedarone has not been studied in humans as an agent to suppress ventricular arrhythmias. Methods: This case report describes the dramatic antiarrhythmic effects of dronedarone in a patient with nonischemic cardiomyopathy and recurrent ventricular tachycardia, which was resistant to multiple antiarrhythmic agents and endocardial catheter ablation. Results: Dronedarone was effective in completely suppressing ventricular tachycardia. Conclusion: Further research is needed to establish a potential larger role for dronedarone in controlling ventricular arrhythmias in humans. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 22, pp. 201-202, February 2011)
Heterotrophic Nitrification by Arthrobacter sp

Arthrobacter sp. isolated from sewage oxidized ammonium to hydroxylamine, a bound hydroxylamine compound, a hydroxamic acid, a substance presumed to be a primary nitro compound, nitrite, and nitrate. The concentration of free hydroxylamine-nitrogen reached 15 mug/ml. The identification of hydroxylamine was verified by mass spectrometric analysis of its benzophenone oxime derivative. The bound hydroxylamine was tentatively identified as 1-nitrosoethanol on the basis of its mass spectrum, chemical reactions, and infrared and ultraviolet spectra. Hydroxylamine formation by growing cells was relatively independent of pH, but the accumulation of nitrite was strongly favored in alkaline solutions. The formation of hydroxylamine but not nitrite was regulated by the carbon to nitrogen ratio of the medium. The hydroxamic acid was the dominant product of nitrification in iron-deficient media, but hydroxylamine, nitrite, and 1-nitrosoethanol formation was favored in iron-rich solutions. Heterotrophic nitrification by Arthrobacter sp. was not inhibited by several compounds at concentrations which totally inhibited autotrophic nitrification.
Reinforcement learning via practice and critique advice

We consider the problem of incorporating end-user advice into reinforcement learning (RL). In our setting, the learner alternates between practicing, where learning is based on actual world experience, and end-user critique sessions where advice is gathered. During each critique session the end-user is allowed to analyze a trajectory of the current policy and then label an arbitrary subset of the available actions as good or bad. Our main contribution is an approach for integrating all of the information gathered during practice and critiques in order to effectively optimize a parametric policy. The approach optimizes a loss function that linearly combines losses measured against the world experience and the critique data. We evaluate our approach using a prototype system for teaching tactical battle behavior in a real-time strategy game engine. Results are given for a significant evaluation involving ten end-users showing the promise of this approach and also highlighting challenges involved in inserting end-users into the RL loop.
Digitally tuned analog VLSI controllers

Digital controllers have historically enjoyed many advantages over those synthesized by analog electronics, but there are still some drawbacks to discrete-time implementations of controllers and signal processing algorithms: costly conversion of analog signals to digital and back, quantization errors, digital noise, time discretization, computation of signals by one CPU, and relatively large circuitry with limited processing speed. The key disadvantage of digitals systems is the signal latency due to A/D and D/A conversion time and relatively slow signal processing. The key disadvantages of analog signal processing are: limited accuracy due to limited tolerances of transistors and limited flexibility for adaptation. When digitally tuned analog controllers are used, then both disadvantages can be eliminated. Limited tolerances of circuit elements can be also compensated by digital tuning. Furthermore, this approach gives the possibility to reconfigure the system. Digitally controlled analog circuits have the following advantages: lower cost, high speed and small signal latency, parallel processing, direct implementation of continuous time designs, and smaller system noise important for a precision control.
Neurons of a limited subthalamic area mediate elevations in cortical cerebral blood flow evoked by hypoxia and excitation of neurons of the rostral ventrolateral medulla

Sympathoexcitatory reticulospinal neurons of the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) are oxygen detectors excited by hypoxia to globally elevate regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF). The projection, which accounts for >50% of hypoxic cerebral vasodilation, relays through the medullary vasodilator area (MCVA). However, there are no direct cortical projections from the RVLM/MCVA, suggesting a relay that diffusely innervates cortex and possibly originates in thalamic nuclei. Systematic mapping by electrical microstimulation of the thalamus and subthalamus revealed that elevations in rCBF were elicited only from a limited area, which encompassed medial pole of zona incerta, Forel's field, and prerubral zone. Stimulation (10 sec train) at an active site increased rCBF by 25 ± 6%. Excitation of local neurons with kainic acid mimicked effects of electrical stimulation by increasing rCBF. Stimulation of the subthalamic cerebrovasodilator area (SVA) with single pulses (0.5 msec; 80 μA) triggered cortical EEG burst–CBF wave complexes with latency 24 ± 5 msec, which were similar in shape to complexes evoked from the MCVA. Selective bilateral lesioning of the SVA neurons (ibotenic acid, 2 μg, 200 nl) blocked the vasodilation elicited from the MCVA and attenuated hypoxic cerebrovasodilation by 52 ± 12% ( p < 0.05), whereas hypercarbic vasodilation remained preserved. Lesioning of the vasodilator site in the basal forebrain failed to modify SVA-evoked rCBF increase. We conclude that (1) excitation of intrinsic neurons of functionally restricted region of subthalamus elevates rCBF, (2) these neurons relay signals from the MCVA, which elevate rCBF in response to hypoxia, and (3) the SVA is a functionally important site conveying vasodilator signal from the medulla to the telencephalon.
The Unstoppable Connexin43 Carboxyl-Terminus New Roles in Gap Junction Organization and Wound Healing

Intercellular connectivity mediated by gap junctions (GJs) composed of connexin43 (Cx43) is critical to the function of excitable tissues such as the heart and brain. Disruptions to Cx43 GJ organization are thought to be a factor in cardiac arrhythmias and are also implicated in epilepsy. This article is based on a presentation to the 4th Larry and Horti Fairberg Workshop on Interactive and Integrative Cardiology and summarizes the work of Gourdie and his lab on Cx43 GJs in the heart. Background and perspective of recently published studies on the function of Cx43-interacting protein zonula occludens-(ZO)-1 in determining the organization of GJ plaques are provided. In addition how a peptide containing a PDZ-binding sequence of Cx43, developed as part of the work on cardiac GJ organization is also described, which has led to evidence for novel and unexpected roles for Cx43 in modulating healing following tissue injury.
Prediction of localized thinning in sheet metal using a general anisotropic yield criterion

Abstract The forming limit diagram (FLD) is a useful concept for characterizing the formability of sheet metal. The ability to accurately predict the FLD for a given material has been shown to depend on the shape of the selected yield function. In addition, both experimental and numerical results have shown that the level of the FLD is strongly strain path dependent. In this work, a combination of Marciniak–Kuczynski (M–K) analysis and a general anisotropic yield criterion developed by Karafillis and Boyce (Karafillis, A.P., Boyce, M.C., 1993. A general anisotropic yield criterion using bounds and transformation weighting tensor. J. Mech. Phys. Solids 41, 1859) is used to predict localized thinning of sheet metal alloys for linear and nonlinear strain paths. A new method for determining the constants in the yield criterion is proposed. The optimal values are obtained by fitting the initial yield stresses and calculated FLD under linear strain paths with the experimental measurement. Using this approach, accurate yield functions can be defined for both Al2008-T4 and Al6111-T4. Comparisons of computed FLDs with the experimental data of Graf and Hosford (Graf, A., Hosford, W.F., 1993b. Effect of changing strain paths on forming limit diagrams of Al 2008-T4. Metall. Trans. A. 24, 2503; Graf, A., Hosford, W.F., 1994. The influence of strain path changes on forming limit diagrams of Al 6111-T4. Int. J. Mech. Sci. 36, 897) show good agreements.
MRSP: prevalence in practice

Staphylococcus pseudintermedius , described as a new species in 2005 (Devriese and others 2005), is part of the normal microflora of skin and mucosae of dogs. It is commonly associated with various cutaneous, ear and wound infections such as pyoderma and otitis externa in dogs and cats. S pseudintermedius belongs to the Staphylococcus intermedius group (SIG) of bacteria, along with Staphylococcus intermedius and Staphylococcus delphini . Because species in the SIG group share common phenotypic characteristics, sometimes it is difficult to differentiate between them based on phenotypic tests alone. However, SIG isolates from dogs can be considered to be S pseudintermedius because of their host specificity. S pseudintermedius is very common in dogs, with an estimated 46 to 92 per cent of dogs carrying it (Bannoehr and Guardabassi 2012). It mainly colonises the skin, hair follicles and mucosal sites of healthy dogs; however, the mouth and perineum are the most common site of S pseudintermedius carriage (Paul and others 2012). The rapid emergence of meticillin-resistant S pseudintermedius (MRSP) in small animals in the past decase has drawn attention to veterinary practice. …
Simulation and design of a digital control system with TUTSIM

The author discusses the use of an educational popular continuous simulation language for designing a digital control system. The TUTSIM dynamic simulation program is capable of simulating control systems with a digital controller in the loop. A built-in parameter estimation routine is employed to achieve control parameter optimization. PID control of a first order system with time delay is presented as an illustration of the technique. However, because the optimization is based on simulation of the system at various points in the control parameter space, the method is applicable to nonlinear systems and more complex digital control algorithms. Furthermore, the system error used and the performance index based on the error are easily changed. >
A Forkhead/winged helix-related transcription factor mediates insulin-increased plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 gene transcription.

Abstract Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) is an important regulator of fibrinolysis by its inhibition of both tissue-type and urokinase plasminogen activators. PAI-1 levels are elevated in type II diabetes and this elevation correlates with macro- and microvascular complications of diabetes. Insulin increases PAI-1 production in several experimental systems, but the mechanism of insulin-activated PAI-1 transcription remains to be determined. Deletion analysis of the PAI-1 promoter revealed that the insulin response element is between −117 and −7. Mutation of the AT-rich site at −52/−45 abolished the insulin responsiveness of the PAI-1 promoter. This sequence is similar to the inhibitory sequence found in the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylkinase/insulin-like growth factor-I-binding protein I promoters. Gel-mobility shift assays demonstrated that the forkhead bound to the PAI-1 promoter insulin response element. Expression of the DNA-binding domain of FKHR acted as a dominant negative to block insulin-increased PAI-1-CAT expression. A LexA-FKHR construct was also insulin responsive. These data suggested that a member of the Forkhead/winged helix family of transcription factors mediated the effect of insulin on PAI-1 transcription. Inhibition of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase reduced the effect of insulin on PAI-1 gene expression, a result consistent with activation through FKHR. However, it was likely that a different member of the FKHR family (not FKHR) mediated this effect since FKHR was present in both insulin-responsive and non-responsive cell lines.
Geology and structure of Beta Regio, Venus: Results from Arecibo Radar Imaging

Arecibo radar images of a portion of the equatorial region of Venus provide the first high resolution (1.5- to 2.0-km) synoptic coverage of Beta Regio. Within this area, tessera, a complex deformed terrain, is identified as a major geologic unit with the largest region corresponding to a plateau on the east flank of the highland. Three models are proposed to explain the origin and evolution of Beta Regio and are identified as Mantle Plume/Passive Crust, Mantle Plume/Active Crust, and Mantle Plume/Crustal Spreading. The Mantle Plume/Passive Crust model appears to be the most consistent with the geology in this region and suggests that a plume disrupts a preexisting region of tessera.
Unique Design Considerations for Transistorized T.V.

Design considerations involved in the development of a 19'' 114° transistorized portable T. V. receiver are given. The operating characteristics of the receiver are discussed, and some of the design problems which are unique in nature are described in detail.
Can contraction patterns predict neonatal outcomes

AbstractObjective: To estimate the association between contraction patterns in labor and neonatal outcomes.Methods: A nested case–control study within a consecutive term birth cohort included women in labor with intrauterine pressure catheters (IUPCs) who reached the second stage. Cases were women delivering neonates with composite morbidity: special care or intensive care unit admission, umbilical artery pH ≤ 7.1 or 5-min Apgar < 7. The control group delivered without any components of the composite morbidity. Contraction frequency, duration, relaxation time, Montevideo units (MVUs) and baseline tone in the last 30 min prior to delivery were compared. We used logistic regression to adjust for potential confounders and receiver operating characteristic curves to evaluate the ability of contraction parameters to predict adverse neonatal outcomes.Results: There were 183 cases of adverse neonatal outcomes and 2172 controls without the composite outcome. Contraction duration, relaxation time, MVUs and baselin...
The role of Doppler echocardiography in the assessment of left ventricular diastolic function.

The role of Doppler echocardiography of transmitral filling velocities in the assessment of diastolic function in man has not been adequately defined. It is now appreciated that multiple interacting factors such as loading conditions influence the transmitral velocity profile independent of intrinsic left ventricular diastolic function. Extrapolating the status of diastolic function from the transmitral velocity profile is complicated by these factors. The load dependence of ventricular filling has tempered the initial enthusiasm for the clinical application of the Doppler technique. In the present review, studies examining invasive parameters of diastolic function and Doppler indices of diastolic filling are discussed to gain greater insight and understanding of the role of Doppler echocardiography in the noninvasive assessment of diastolic function. These studies have demonstrated a relatively consistent influence of left ventricular relaxation, chamber stiffness, and left atrial pressure on the transmitral velocity filling profile. Impairment of relaxation impedes early filling and may result in a compensatory increase in atrial contribution to filling. An independent decrease in left atrial pressure from altered loading conditions may also reduce filling in early diastole. Increased left ventricular chamber stiffness (i.e., noncompliant left ventricle) impairs atrial contribution to filling and may enhance early filling. Theoretically, reduced left atrial contractility may decrease atrial contribution to filling. Pulmonic vein flow demonstrating increased retrograde flow during atrial systole helps to exclude impaired left atrial contractility. An increased left atrial pressure from altered loading conditions may also augment early filling. Therefore, an invasive or clinical assessment of left atrial pressure as being increased, decreased, or normal greatly aids in the interpretation of the transmitral filling velocity profile when inferences on the status of diastolic function are being made. Diastolic dysfunction is likely when a given pattern of filling cannot be explained on the basis of left atrial pressure. In situations where reasonable estimates on the status of left atrial pressure cannot be done, striking alterations in the transmitral velocity filling profile may be useful.
The optic system of the teleost Cichlasoma biocellatum.

The retinal projections of the fresh water teleost. Cichlasoma biocellatum, were examined using a modification of the Nauta-Gygax method following unilateral enucleations and removal of retinal quadrants. After the unilateral enucleations, degeneration was found in the fasciculus medialis nervioptici, fasciculus geniculatus tractus optici, fasciculus dorsomedialis tractus optici, and the accessory optic tract. The pretectal nucleus, nucleus corticalis, and accessory optic nucleus contained debris of terminal degeneration. The majority of the optic fibers terminated in five layers in the optic tectum. The quadrant removals showed that fibers from the retinal quadrants formed layers in the ribbon shaped optic nerve running the width of the nerve. The dorsal to ventral arrangement of the fibers was: dorsal nasal quadrant; dorsal temporal quadrant; ventral nasal quadrant; and the ventral temporal quadrant. The fibers from only the posterior half of the retina supplied the fasciculus geniculatus tractus optici and the corpus geniculatum laterale. Fibers from the anterior half of the retina supplied the accessory optic tract and nucleus. All other tracts and nuclei examined received fibers from all the retinal quadrants. The projection of the retinal quadrants to the tectal quadrants was specific and always formed five layers of degeneration.
Susceptibility and Fluctuation

Bounds are presented relating zero-field static isothermal magnetic susceptibilities to the mean-square fluctuations of corresponding magnetization variables. The lower bounds contain the first frequency moment of a spectral density. When this moment $\overline{\ensuremath{\omega}}$ approaches zero, the upper and lower bounds merge, and the susceptibility is determined by the mean-square fluctuation. In particular, if the susceptibility diverges at a temperature ${T}_{c}$, and if the expectation of the double commutator appearing in $\overline{\ensuremath{\omega}}$ is finite at and near ${T}_{c}$, then the fluctuation and the susceptibility diverge in the same manner, and their critical exponents will be identical.
Timing of Tracheotomy in Mechanically Ventilated Critically Ill Morbidly Obese Patients

Background. The optimal timing of tracheotomy and its impact on weaning from mechanical ventilation in critically ill morbidly obese patients remain controversial. Methods. We conducted a retrospective chart review of morbidly obese subjects (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m(2) or BMI ≥ 35 kg/m(2) and one or more comorbid conditions) who underwent a tracheotomy between July 2008 and June 2013 at a medical intensive care unit (ICU). Clinical characteristics, rates of nosocomial pneumonia (NP), weaning from mechanical ventilation (MV), and mortality rates were analyzed. Results. A total of 102 subjects (42 men and 60 women) were included; their mean age and BMI were 56.3 ± 15.1 years and 53.3 ± 13.6 kg/m(2), respectively. There was no difference in the rate of NP between groups stratified by successful weaning from MV (P = 0.43). Mortality was significantly higher in those who failed to wean (P = 0.02). A cutoff value of 9 days for the time to tracheotomy provided the best balanced sensitivity (72%) and specificity (59.8%) for predicting NP onset. Rates of NP and total duration of MV were significantly higher in those who had tracheostomy ≥ 9 days (P = 0.004 and P = 0.002, resp.). Conclusions. The study suggests that tracheotomy in morbidly obese subjects performed within the first 9 days may reduce MV and decrease NP but may not affect hospital mortality.
The kettle wax phase in the system sodium laurate, sodium chloride and water

A study of the new phase, kettle wax, in the system sodium laurate, sodium chloride and water has been carried out using analytical and visual methods. The lower boundaries of kettle wax and its equilibria were established and when plotted occupy a highly dominant island region on the phase diagram. It occupies a portion between 60 and 70 wt. % soap and about 3 and 7 wt. % of salt.
A comparative study of e-government XBRL implementations: The potential of improving information transparency and efficiency

Abstract This study examines the e-government implementation of eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) to increase accountability and transparency in business and financial information. The business and financial information gathered in XBRL format is machine-readable and interoperable, thereby improving the ease of public dissemination and analysis. This study focuses on identifying and examining the determinants of successful XBRL implementation and draws from several bodies of literature: e-government, institutionalism, collaborative public management, regulatory compliance, and management information systems to identify determinants of successful implementation. This study selects four diverse implementations: the Netherlands, Australia, the United States, and Singapore. Empirical analysis follows a comparative case study method. The findings of this exploratory study underscore the importance of program goals and strategic alignment in achieving information transparency and efficiency, the advantage of strategies correlating to institutional setting, the critical need to provide incentives for adoption, and the usefulness of incremental implementation. The managerial and theoretical implications of these findings as well as future research opportunities are explored.
Dentists who participate in a practice-based research network may adopt less invasive approaches to treating dental caries.

Article title and bibliographic information Caries treatment in a dental practice-based research network: movement toward stated evidence-based treatment. Gilbert GH, Gordan VV, Funkhouser EM, Rindal DB, Fellows JL, Qvist V, Anderson G, Worley D, National Dental PBRN Collaborative Group. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2013; 41(2):143-53 . Reviewer Frederick A. Curro, DMD, PhD Purpose/Question Are dental practitioners who participate in a dental practice-based research network (PBRN) more amenable to changing their assessment of caries diagnosis and treatment procedures? Source of funding Government – National Institutes of Health Type of study design Cohort study Level of evidence Level 2: Limited-quality, practitioner questionnaire Strength of recommendation grade Not applicable
Relaxations for probabilistically constrained programs with discrete random variables

We consider mathematical programs with probabilistic constraints in which the random variables are discrete. In general, the feasible region associated with such problems is nonconvex. We use methods of disjunctive programming to approximate the convex hull of the feasible region. For a particular disjunctive set implied by the probabilistic constraint, we characterize the set of all valid inequalities as well as the facets of the convex hull of the given disjunctive set. These may be used within relaxation methods, especially for combinatorial optimization problems.
Efficient online computation of core speeds to maximize the throughput of thermally constrained multi-core processors

We address the problem of efficient online computation of the speeds of different cores of a multi-core processor to maximize the throughput (which is expressed as a weighted sum of the speeds), subject to an upper bound on the core temperatures. We first compute the solution for steady-state thermal conditions by solving a linear program. We then present two approaches to computing the transient speed curves for each core: (i) a local solution, which involves solving a linear program every time step (of about 10 ms), and (ii) a global solution, which computes the optimal speed curve over a large time window (of about 100 s) by solving a non-linear program. We showed that the local solution is insensitive to the weights assigned in the performance objective (hence the need for the global solution). This is because a reduction in the speed of a core can only reduce the temperature of the other cores over much larger time periods (of the order of several seconds). The local solution is then completely determined by the temperature constraint equations. We show that the constraint matrix exhibits a special property - it can be expressed as the sum of a diagonal matrix and a matrix with identical rows. This allows us to solve the multi-core thermal constraint equations analytically to determine the (temporally) local optimum speeds. Further, we showed that due to this property, the steady-state speed solution selects a set of threads to operate at maximum temperature, and turns off all unused cores. Hence, to ensure that all available threads are scheduled, we impose a ldquofairnessrdquo constraint. Finally, we show how the open-loop speed control methods proposed above could be used together with a feedback controller to achieve robustness to model uncertainty.
Organized Sports Participation In Children With and Without Adhd: The Roles of Self-Perceived Peer Relations and Physical Abilities

Objective Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterized by impairing symptoms of inattention and/or hyperactivity and previous literature reported that children with ADHD have poor peer relationships and motor impairment which may lead to decreased participation in organized sports. The primary research aim of this study is to explore the direct and indirect effects that ADHD diagnosis, self-concept of peer relations, and self-concept of physical abilities have on sports participation. Patients and methods Preliminary data from the South Carolina Project to Learn about ADHD in Youth (SCPLAY) was employed to investigate peer relations and physical abilities as mediators of the association between ADHD and sport participation. Three hundred and thirty children reported their level of organized sports participation using a Health Risk Behavior Survey derived from the CDC's Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Regression and path analysis was utilized to determine significant associations and investigate mediation. Results A higher percentage of males (68.7%) were diagnosed with ADHD and a higher proportion of participants classified themselves as non-Hispanic White (56%). Polytomous logistic regression revealed that an ADHD diagnosis was related to never participating in sports (OR=5.1; 95%CI 1.19, 21.68) and to low sports participation (OR=2.9; 95%CI 0.99, 8.18). Path analysis revealed peer relations and physical abilities were directly related to sports participation, with corresponding coefficients of -0.02 (p-value=0.04) and 0.04 (p-value Conclusion ADHD diagnosis is related to decrease sports participation. This study also concludes that the direct effects of peer relations and physical abilities on sports participation are significant.
The Future of Interactive Advertising Viewed Through an IMC Lens

AbstractThis paper considers the future of interactive advertising (IA). While some suggest that IA is the wave of the future, others suggest that in five years IA will be mainstream marketing and will no longer be a novel concept. In order to examine this issue, the authors consider IA as it serves another important marketing concept, Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC). Thus IA is examined through an IMC lens. After a brief discussion of the definition of IA and the focus on a five-year time frame, three trends are presented with a focus on expected technologies. This presentation is followed with a discussion of IA as it contributes to IMC, and an examination of questions for future research. The paper concludes that IA will likely evolve and expand in form and that this evolution will remain a key in successful advertising and product/service interaction.
New phases in CP-violating B decay asymmetries from mixing to singlet down quarks.

Groups such as E{sub 6} with extra SU(2){sub {ital L}} singlet down quarks give rise to flavor-changing neutral currents (FCNC`s) through the mixing of four or more down quarks. These currents may substantially contribute to the processes of {ital B}{sub {ital d}}{sup 0-}{ital {bar B}} {sub {ital d}}{sup 0} and {ital B}{sub {ital s}}{sup 0-}{ital {bar B}} {sub {ital s}}{sup 0} mixing, within the allowed range of nonzero values for the four quark mixing parameters. These would then introduce new angles and phases into the {ital CP}-violating {ital B} decay asymmetries. Other, negative FCNC experiments put limits on these angles. Using a maximum likelihood analysis with contributions from both the standard model and the FCNC`s, we find large regions for new physics phases contributing to {ital CP}-violating {ital B} decay asymmetries. From the bound on the mixing elements, the new singlet down quark might have a mass above the 500 GeV range.
Ruthenium(IV) in nitric acid media

Abstract Nitrosyl ruthenium nitrates undergo photolytic dissociation to yield nitric oxide and a Ru(III) intermediate which is spontaneously oxidized in nitric acid to a Ru(IV) species. The Ru(III)-Ru(IV) conversion is acid dependent and proceeds faster at high acid concentrations. The photodissociation reaction can be reversed by sparging the nitric acid solution containing Ru(IV) with NO. The Ru(IV) species obtained by photodissociation in nitric acid has been identified as Ru4(OH)124+ by the commonality of its chemical and electrochemical behavior in perchloric acid. The Ru(IV) species can be reduced in two one-electron processes to species with average oxidation numbers of 3.75 and 3.5. The Ru(IV) species can be oxidized to Ru(VIII); in addition, a species with an intermediate oxidation state with an average value of 4.38 has been observed.
Taxes and the Two-Earner Family: Impact On the Work Decision

Data from the National Longitudinal Survey for 1970 are used to provide some new empirical estimates of the effect of changes in the marginal rates of income and payroll taxation on the hours worked by two-earner families. A family labor supply madel incorporating tax and nontax parameters is estimated using Aitken's generalized least squares estimator for seemingly unrelated equations. The results of the study show that the tax structure is a significant factor in the work decision of the two-earner family and that changes in the marginal rate of tax can be expected to cause a realignment of work responsibilities within the family.
Nurse-led care was non-inferior to physician-directed care in symptomatic moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnoea.

Is nurse-led care non-inferior to physician-directed care in patients with symptomatic moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA)? ### Design: randomised controlled trial (RCT). ACTRN 012605000064606. ### Allocation: concealed. ### Blinding: blinded (research assistants). ### Follow-up period: 3 months. ### Setting: 3 academic sleep medicine services in Australia. ### Patients: 195 patients (mean age 50 y, 74% men) 18–75 years of age, who had Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) scores ⩾8, history of snoring “most nights” or “every night,” and oxygen saturation (SaO2) dip >2% at a rate of >27 dips/hour. Exclusion criteria were unstable cardiovascular disease, neuromuscular disease affecting or potentially affecting respiratory muscles, moderate to severe respiratory disease or documented hypoxemia or awake SaO2 <92%, and psychiatric disease. ### Intervention: nurse-led care (n = 100) or physician-directed care (n = 95). Nurse-led care involved autotitrating CPAP between 4 and 20 cm H2O for 4 consecutive …
Oral treatment of the TRAMP mice with doxazosin suppresses prostate tumor growth and metastasis.

BACKGROUND We used the TRAMP mouse model for testing the effect of oral doxazosin treatment on the in vivo prostate tumor growth and metastasis. METHODS Five groups of TRAMP mice at different ages were orally fed with 1 mg/kg of doxazosin or DMSO for 45–196 days. At the end of oral treatment, tumor weight was determined, and metastasis to multiple organs examined. The levels of MUC18, Bcl-2, Bax, caspase-3, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), phospho (Ser473)-AKT, and Ki-67 in the mouse prostate tumors were determined. RESULTS Oral treatment of the TRAMP mice with doxazosin for 45–81 days did not decrease the size of preexisting prostate tumors, but it limited the metastasis to peri-aortic lymph nodes. A prolonged treatment of TRAMP mice with doxazosin (156–196 days), if administered early, decreased the prostate tumor weight and completely suppressed metastasis. The doxazosin treatment did not further decrease the expression of an already low level of Bcl-2 in all prostate tumors, but it increased the expression of Bax, and the activation of caspase-3, and the cleavage of a downstream substrate, PARP. The treatment reduced the expression of MUC18, phospho (Ser473)-AKT, and Ki-67. The treatment in the early phase appeared to promote prostate tumor growth and increased the expression of a proliferative index, Ki-67. CONCLUSIONS Doxazosin, if administered early, may be useful for preventing the prostate tumor formation, and also for limiting or completely suppressing the metastasis of prostate cancer in the TRAMP model. The mechanism of doxazosin is consistent with the established hypothesis. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The evolution of neural dynamics permitting isocortical-limbic-motor communication

The first cortically based associative circuits integrated olfactory, motivational, and motor information. Many of the neural dynamics present in these evolutionarily ancient, olfactory-motor circuits, such as the broadband frequency, phase, and amplitude modulations seen during recognition of a rewarded olfactory stimulus, are also found in isocortical circuits. These results suggest that mechanisms permitting olfactory associative processing formed the basis for evolutionarily more recent large-scale couplings involving isocortical areas.
Robust Sensor for Extended Autonomous Measurements of Surface Ocean Dissolved Inorganic Carbon

Ocean carbon monitoring efforts have increased dramatically in the past few decades in response to the need for better marine carbon cycle characterization. Autonomous pH and carbon dioxide (CO2) sensors capable of yearlong deployments are now commercially available; however, due to their strong covariance, this is the least desirable pair of carbonate system parameters to measure for high-quality, in situ, carbon-cycle studies. To expand the number of tools available for autonomous carbonate system observations, we have developed a robust surface ocean dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) sensor capable of extended (>year) field deployments with a laboratory determined uncertainty of ±5 μmol kg–1. Results from the first two field tests of this prototype sensor indicate that measurements of DIC are ∼90% more accurate than estimates of DIC calculated from contemporaneous and collocated measurements of pH and CO2. The improved accuracy from directly measuring DIC gives rise to new opportunities for quantitative...
Lysosomal acid lipase mutations that determine phenotype in Wolman and cholesterol ester storage disease.

Mechanisms producing the divergent phenotypes, Wolman disease (WD) and cholesterol ester storage disease (CESD), associated with the genetic deficiency of human lysosomal acid lipase/cholesterol ester hydrolase (hLAL) function were investigated with the determination of HLAL activity levels, mRNA and protein expression, and defects in structural gene sequences in cells from three WD and five CESD patients. Measured with natural substrates, HLAL activities were all below 2% of normal, regardless of phenotype. Immunoblotting showed a lack of detectable hLAL protein in all mutant fibroblasts. Four CESD, but no WD genomes contained at least one allele with a specific exon 8 splice junction mutation, c.894 G>A, that encodes a shortened form of hLAL mRNA. Other CESD mutations were identical in type to the WD defects: nucleotide deletions (positions 397, 684, 980), insertions (594), or substitutions (193, 347) that result in premature terminations precluding any function. The only exception was a substitution at nucleotide 866 in the CESD case without an exon 8 splicing mutation; expression of the predicted S289C change in a transfection assay produced a low, but clearly measurable, level of acid esterase activity. Although it is not easily demonstrated in conventional assays, CESD is distinct from WD in that at least one mutant allele has the potential to produce enough residual enzymatic function to ameliorate the phenotype; in the majority of CESD cases this may come from a single, easily detected, splicing mutation in one allele.
Role of oxygen pressure on the stability of lanthanum strontium manganite–yttria stabilized zirconia composite

Abstract We have investigated the structural and chemical stability of La 0.8 Sr 0.2 MnO 3 (LSM)–8 mol.% yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) composite. LSM and YSZ powders were mixed and sintered at 1400 °C for 10 h in controlled atmosphere (PO 2 = 0.21 to 10 −6 atm). The unit cell volume of LSM increases during exposure to reduced oxygen partial pressure while it remains unchanged for YSZ. During reduction in the oxygen partial pressure from 0.21 atm to 10 −6 atm, the solubility of manganese in YSZ increases from ∼10 at.% to ∼15 at.%. Lower oxygen partial pressure also results in the grain growth and formation of La 2 Zr 2 O 7 and MnO x (Mn 3 O 4 ) compounds lowering the stability of the LSM–YSZ composite. On subsequent sintering in 0.21 atm PO 2 , the La 2 Zr 2 O 7 and MnO x compounds tend to disappear indicating the reversibility of the interaction. The reversibility of LSM–YSZ reaction has been independently confirmed using La 2 Zr 2 O 7 and MnO x .
The use of complimentary passes to improve ridership on bus transit systems

The urban bus transportation industry's dramatic patronage decline since World War II has resulted, in part, from transit management's lack of a marketing awareness. Only through a complete marketing program can the industry determine and provide various services to meet the diverse needs of the community. This research examines a complimentary pass package distribution, one of several marketing “tools” available to transit management, in terms of its ability to attract new passengers to urban bus transit lines. Part one of the study examines, by means of a survey of transit operators, any past uses of complimentary pass packages in ridership promotion campaigns. Part two distributes complimentary pass packages to a random sample in a selected city and determines subsequent pass utilization by various market subgroups. An attitudinal survey of pass recipients’ feeling toward various transportation issues is also conducted. The survey of transit operators showed little previous use of complimentary pass pa...
Predicting object functionality using physical simulations

It is challenging for a robot acting in the world to interact with and use novel objects. While a person may be able to look past visual differences and recognize the intended function of an object, doing so is more difficult for robots, which tend to rely on visual similarity to recognize categories of objects. A robot that recognizes and classifies objects based on their functional properties and potential capabilities is better prepared to use unknown objects. We propose a technique for functionally classifying objects using features obtained through physical simulations. The described method simulates spheres falling onto an object from above. We show how a feature vector can be derived from the results of the physics-based simulation, and that this feature vector is informative for a variety of affordance classification tasks. This process allows a robot equipped with a 3D sensor to determine the functionality of objects in its environment given only a few training examples from various function classes. We show that this method is able to accurately learn membership of 3D models in three function classes: “drinking vessel”, “table”, and “sittable”. We then show that this can be extended to 3D scans of objects using the models as training examples.
Semi-Analytical Method for Rapid Simulation of Time-Resolved Reflectance in Layered Epithelial Tissues

A novel, real-time, semi-analytical technique (PI-scaling) utilized a combination of absorption scaling and path integrals (PI) to create a weighting formula for rapid construction of libraries of time-resolved reflectance curves from bi-layered epithelial tissue models.
Genetic and anthropologic factors in gluten-sensitive enteropathy.

Gluten-sensitive enteropathy (GSE), a disease characterized by intestinal villous atrophy and malabsorption, is due to a sensitivity to wheat protein, gliadin, and probably has its basis in an underlying immunologic defect. GSE has a genetic basis in that some 70–80% of north American and northern European patients bear the HLA-B8 histocompatibility type and about 90% bear the HLA-DRw3 histocompatibility type. These histocompatibility types are both increased because they are in linkage disequilibrium in normal populations. This suggests that HLA-B8 and HLA-DRw3 genes are in linkage disequilibrium with a GSE disease gene, accounting for the association of the disease with certain histocompatibility antigens. A gene coding for a lymphoid surface antigen has been identified which is not HLA-linked. This gene is distributed at a low frequency in the general population; it has been proposed that both the HLA and non-HLA genes important to GSE code for different domains of the single surface receptor molecule that somehow predisposes to a heightened immune reaction to gliadin, thus causing the disease. GSE is most prevalent where HLA-B8 occurs at the highest frequency in the general population and is not seen in populations where HLA-B8 is not found. One explanation for this is that the gene complex containing HLA-B8 (and HLA-DRw3) evolved in response to infectious agents: Individuals bearing this complex were capable of more vigorous antibody response. However, such individuals were also more likely to be hypersensitive to wheat protein; as wheat became domesticated these individuals may have been at a disadvantage. It is only in regions such as northern Europe where wheat domestication occurred relatively late that one finds both a high frequency of HLA-B8 and a high incidence of GSE.
Cleavage of phycocyanobilin from C-phycocyanin.

Abstract The bile pigment chromophore of C-phycocyanin, phycocyanobilin, was cleaved from the protein by several procedures. Comparison of the crystalline phycocyanobilin dimethyl ester by chemical, spectral, and chromatographic properties was made. The pigment was found to be identical by all procedures. Highest yields of phycocyanobilin were obtained by the methanol cleavage. The conversion of phycocyanobilin to mesobiliverdin by KOH was confirmed.
X-autosome translocation in normal mother and effectively 21-monosomic daughter

A phenotypically normal mother carries a balanced X-21 translocation. Autoradiography of the mother's cells reveals that in all cells the normal X is late replicating. Her only pregnancy produced like-sex twins, one of whom is phenotypically and karyotypically normal. The co-twin is mentally retarded and has multiple anomalies. Her karyotype is 46,XX,der(21),t(X;21)(q11;p11?)mat. In the majority of informative cells from the daughter, one normal X and the entire X t replicate late. This maintains X dosage compensation, but results in effective monosomy 21. The phenotype of the infant is similar to others with 21q−.