cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Engineering of a protein probe with multiple inputs and multiple outputs for evaluation of alpha synuclein aggregation states

Abstract The aggregation of α-synuclein (αS) into oligomers and fibrils is implicated in the pathology of Parkinson’s Disease (PD). While a molecular probe for rapid and comprehensive evaluation of αS aggregation states is critical for a better understanding of PD pathology, identification of therapeutic candidates, and the development of early diagnostic strategies, no such probe has yet to be developed. A structurally flexible αS variant, PG65, was previously developed as a target binding-driven, conformation-switching molecular probe for rapid αS oligomer detection. Though informative, detection using PG65 provides no comprehensive assessment of the αS aggregation states. In the present study, we report engineering of a molecular probe, PG65-MIMO (a PG65 variant with Multiple-Inputs and Multiple-Outputs), that rapidly (within 2 hr) produces comprehensive information on αS aggregation states. PG65-MIMO generates distinct fluorescence responses to the three major αS conformers (monomers, oligomers, and fibrils). PG65-MIMO also displays unique fluorescent signals for αS oligomers, depending on the tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine (TCEP) concentration. Our results suggest that the TCEP dependent signaling of PG65-MIMO may be associated with its conformational states. Overall, our study illustrates engineering of an αS variant to create a molecular probe for handling multiple inputs and multiple outputs, addressing the technological gap in αS detection.
The Role of School Connectedness in Supporting the Health and Well-Being of Youth: Recommendations for School Nurses

The importance of students feeling connected in school cannot be overstated, as this perception is crucial to support their health and well-being. A lack of school connectedness can lead to adverse physical and mental health outcomes, including bully victimization. Numerous factors, including individual, social, and environmental, influence students' perceived sense of school connectedness. School nurses are well positioned to establish and maintain school connectedness due to their knowledge, accessibility to students, and familiarity with the school environment. This article details the importance of school connectedness and describes the associations between school connectedness, bullying, and mental health. In addition, we offer recommendations geared toward school nurses regarding strengthening school connectedness and promoting a culture of care and inclusivity within school environments, especially salient in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Coprime DFT filter bank design: Theoretical bounds and guarantees

Coprime DFT filter banks (coprime DFTFB) achieve the effect of an MN-DFTFB by using two DFTFBs of size only M and N, where M and N are coprime integers. However, coprime DFTFBs need to be designed properly, to avoid unwanted bumps in stopbands or unsatisfactory total spectrum coverage, quantified by overall amplitude responses. In this paper, a detailed theoretical analysis will be made on the tradeoffs between bumps and overall amplitude responses. It will be shown that the bump level at the center frequency f b of a bump, is approximately one-fourth of the overall amplitude response at f b . Then, a novel design will be introduced based on an optimization problem pertaining to overall amplitude responses. The original problem is relaxed to a computationally tractable optimization program, which can be solved with alternating minimization algorithms. It is verified with simulations that the new designs cover the spectrum completely.
Acetylcholinesterase inhibition via a series of polyacene probe molecules: an example of integrated probe management techniques.

Abstract Rate control in acetylcholinesterase (AChE) appears to involve a single anionic site whose anionic center binding controls rate-related changes in the free (E) and acyl (EA) enzyme forms. Changes in enzyme conformation associated with ligand binding at this center affect AChE's acylation and hydrolysis rates. This comprehensive study of probe ligand binding to AChE includes data based on both steady-state kinetic inhibition and ligand fluorescence quenching data. It was made possible via the custom synthesis of numerous probe molecules of known stereochemistry. These probes act as rulers of the E and EA enzyme forms of AChE and provide comparative data from both kinetic and thermodynamic (fluorescence quenching) based binding constants. Data obtained from the binding of these probes indicate that AChE's anionic center in the E conformer lies at the bottom of a sterically restricted narrow cleft in the protein surface. This is consistent with X-ray crystallographic data for AChE. The anionic center of the EA conformer, responsible for allosteric rate control, has an altered stereochemistry. It is characterized by a decrease in the relative affinity for hydrophobic cations and by an ability to bind large organic cations. Binding of substrate, H + , or organic cations at this anionic center controls k 2 in the E conformer and k 3 in the EA conformer. Substrate binding to the E conformer results in the ES enzyme form which maximizes k 2 . Binding studies based on fluorescence quenching of appropriate acridine ligands with both the E and EA enzyme form indicate binding at only a single anionic site. No ternary complex (EII' or EAII') resulting from two site binding to separate active and allosteric sites was detected. In AChE, nonspecific, low level affinities at surface anionic or hydrophobic areas is ubiquitous; however, it is not great enough to be responsible for rate controlling activities. These low affinity casual bindings do not appear to modify the fundamental activity of either the E or EA conformers and thus have little effect on enzyme rate control.
Screening Recommendations for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea.

Clinical Question Dermatologists diagnose and treat sexually transmitted infections with varying frequency, and have an opportunity to monitor at-risk individuals for chlamydia and gonorrhea. What are the recommended screening guidelines for chlamydia and gonorrhea in men and women in the United States? Bottom Line While the evidence for screening men for chlamydia and gonorrhea remains insufficient at this time, all sexually active females younger than 25 years and all older women at risk for infection should be screened for both chlamydia and gonorrhea.
The CuSO4-NaOH Test of Ephedrine Isomers and Related Compounds *

The CuSO4-NaOH test was applied to a series of 27 aromatic amines, of which 6 were optical isomers of ephedrine. Twenty-two of them showed positive results (development of a purplish or deep blue color). All those that give positive readings contain an OH group which is attached to the β-C-atom from the amine N. The Cu-complexes formed by 16 amines are insoluble in alkaline solution. Thirteen amines yield Cu-complexes that are soluble in ether. The same test can serve as a means to distinguish the three ephedrines from the three pseudoephedrines, and also the optical isomers of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine from the racemic isomers.
Inducing Risk Preferences

Inducing preferences is a method of creating a laboratory commodity that enables tests of expected utility in both single-person and multi-person economic environments. Keywords: testing expected-utility theory; inducing preferences; attention; Nash equilibrium; incentives
Cattell, James McKeen (1860–1944)

James McKeen Cattell (1860–1944) helped establish the context within which clinical psychology emerged and evolved through his late-nineteenth-century program of mental tests, his influential 1904 programmatic statement explicitly calling for the development of a practical psychology, and his attempt (in the 1920s) to promote such a practical psychology through The Psychological Corporation, which he founded. Keywords: Columbia University; Science; The Psychological Review; mental testing
Endoscopic biopsy can detect high-grade dysplasia or early adenocarcinoma in Barrett's esophagus without grossly recognizable neoplastic lesions

Abstract There is uncertainty regarding the value of endoscopic biopsy surveillance in Barrett's esophagus because, in retrospective studies, some patients with high-grade dysplasia in endoscopic biopsy specimens have had unexpected advanced adenocarcinoma discovered at the time of esophageal resection. We compared the accuracy of preoperative endoscopic biopsy diagnoses with the final pathologic diagnoses in esophagectomy specimens in 4 patients who had both high-grade dysplasia and intramucosal carcinoma and 4 other patients who had only high-grade dysplasia preoperatively. The histologic lesions in all 8 patients were documented in intact mucosa with no gross evidence of neoplasia by endoscopy. The preoperative diagnoses were defined with an endoscopic biopsy protocol in which specimens were taken with large-channel biopsy forceps at least every 2 cm throughout the length of Barrett's epithelium. Final pathologic diagnoses derived from detailed analysis of the resected specimens confirmed high-grade dysplasia without carcinoma in 4 patients and intramucosal carcinoma in 2 patients. The remaining 2 patients with a preoperative diagnosis of intramucosal carcinoma had focal submucosal invasion by carcinoma in the resected specimens, but no involvement of the muscularis propria or adventitial lymph nodes. Because the natural history of high-grade dysplasia is not known, the decision to operate on patients with this lesion must be carefully weighed and individualized for each patient. Two of our patients who underwent esophageal resection for high-grade dysplasia without cancer died, one immediately postoperatively and the other 9 mo later after a postoperative stroke. Once intramucosal carcinoma is documented, surgery should be considered if the patient is an acceptable operative risk. We conclude that systematic preoperative endoscopic biopsy of intact mucosa in Barrett's esophagus can correctly detect high-grade dysplasia, either alone or in combination with early, treatable adenocarcinoma.
Ethological isolation between sympatric and allopathic species of the Obscura group of Drosophila

Abstract Mating within and between six species of the obscur a species group of Drosophila has been studied in Elens-Wattiaux observation chambers. Ethological (sexual) isolation is found between any two of these species, although some cross-mating is observed in almost all combinations. The degree of the isolation is, however, by no means proportional to the morphological or to the chromosomal differences between the species, or to their ability to produce viable hybrids if and when the cross-mating does take place. Three sibling species living sympatrically in western North America are isolated from each other at least as strongly as they are isolated from the much less closely related Japanese and European species. The two sibling species, sympatric in Hokkaido, Japan, are again quite strongly isolated from each other. Natural selection promotes ethological isolation and other premating isolating mechanisms between related species exposed to the challenge of hybridization.
Antibiotic Polymers: α-Aminobenzyl-penicilln (Ampicillin)

Abstract Ampicillin (α-aminobenzylpenicillin) partially degrades and polymerizes spontaneously in aqueous solution to yield ordered marcromolecules with molecluar weight varying between 1000 and over 5000. As studied by spectrometry (UV, IR and NMR), chemical and microbiological reactivity, the polymers are formed at least in part by subunits of intact ampicillin and its pencilloic acid derivative, the proportion of the latter increasing with molecullar weight. The resulting dimers, trimers and polymers vary in configuration according to which of serveral functional groups establish covalent bonds with each other but show in general a partial loss of cyclic structure with preservation of the aromatic side chain and formation of new peptide linkages between subunits.
Brain-stem auditory evoked potentials in rats with high-dose pentobarbital

Brain-stem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) are relatively resistant to alteration by barbiturate drugs, but the effects of the high doses that are used clinically to produce deep barbiturate coma for the treatment of intracranial hypertension and postischemic anoxic encephalopathy on BAEPs are unknown. We gave high-dose pentobarbital infusions to mechanically ventilated rats while recording serial BAEPs from the scalp. Pentobarbital progressively suppressed and then abolished all peaks. First the later waves, then all but the first wave, and finally all waves were abolished at intravenous doses of 120, 220, and 260 mg/kg, respectively, in addition to the initial anesthetic dose of 60 mg/kg i.p. The changes were at least partially reversible; peaks returned in reverse order of their disappearance. Peak latencies increased with dose. The results show a significant effect of pentobarbital on BAEPs in the rat, suggesting that BAEPs may be useful in assessing the depth of and recovery from barbiturate coma.
Effect of extinction trials on spontaneous blinking

Ss who received unpaired presentations of the CS and UCS following a series of paired presentations of the stimuli showed an immediate increase in spontaneous blink rate which was similar to but of longer duration than the increase shown by Ss for whom the UCS intensity was increased and the stimuli remained paired.
Transport kinetics and selectivity of HpUreI, the urea channel from Helicobacter pylori

Helicobacter pylori's unique ability to colonize and survive in the acidic environment of the stomach is critically dependent on uptake of urea through the urea channel, HpUreI. Hence, HpUreI may represent a promising target for the development of specific drugs against this human pathogen. To obtain insight into the structure-function relationship of this channel, we developed conditions for the high-yield expression and purification of stable recombinant HpUreI. Detergent-solubilized HpUreI forms a homotrimer, as determined by chemical cross-linking. Urea dissociation kinetics of purified HpUreI were determined by means of the scintillation proximity assay, whereas urea efflux was measured in HpUreI-containing proteoliposomes using stopped-flow spectrometry to determine the kinetics and selectivity of the urea channel. The kinetic analyses revealed that urea conduction in HpUreI is pH-sensitive and saturable with a half-saturation concentration (or K(0.5)) of ~163 mM. The extent of binding of urea by HpUreI was increased at lower pH; however, the apparent affinity of urea binding (~150 mM) was not significantly pH-dependent. The solute selectivity analysis indicated that HpUreI is highly selective for urea and hydroxyurea. Removing either amino group of urea molecules diminishes their permeability through HpUreI. Similar to urea conduction, diffusion of water through HpUreI is pH-dependent with low water permeability at neutral pH.
A novel phylogeny and morphological reconstruction of the PIN genes and first phylogeny of the ACC-oxidases (ACOs).

The PIN and ACO gene families present interesting questions about the evolution of plant physiology, including testing hypotheses about the ecological drivers of their diversification and whether unrelated genes have been recruited for similar functions. The PIN-formed proteins contribute to the polar transport of auxin, a hormone which regulates plant growth and development. PIN loci are categorized into groups according to their protein length and structure, as well as subcellular localization. An interesting question with PIN genes is the nature of the ancestral form and location. ACOs are members of a superfamily of oxygenases and oxidases that catalyze the last step of ethylene synthesis, which regulates many aspects of the plant life cycle. We used publicly available PIN and ACO sequences to conduct phylogenetic analyses. Third codon positions of these genes in monocots have a high GC content, which could be historical but is more likely due to a mutational bias. Thus we developed methods to extract phylogenetic information from nucleotide sequences while avoiding this convergent feature. One method consisted in using only A-T transformations, and another used only the first and second codon positions for serine, which can only take A or T and G or C, respectively. We also conducted tree-searches for both gene families using unaligned amino acid sequences and dynamic homology. PIN genes appear to have diversified earlier than ACOs, with monocot and dicot copies more mixed in the phylogeny. However, gymnosperm PINs appear to be derived and not closely related to those from primitive plants. We find strong support for a long PIN gene ancestor with short forms subsequently evolving one or more times. ACO genes appear to have diversified mostly since the dicot-monocot split, as most genes cluster into a small number of monocot and dicot clades when the tree is rooted by genes from mosses. Gymnosperm ACOs were recovered as closely related and derived.
Yellow-flowered species of Linum in Central America and western North America

Twenty-five yellow-flowered species ofLinum are found in western North America and Central America. These are divided into two unranked subgeneric groups, the “L. schiedeanum” and the “L. rigidum” com plexes. The former encompasses the species believed to be most primitive in North America. The greatest density and diversity of taxa of this segment of the genus are in east-central Mexico and point to that region as the probable area of establishment and differentiation of the yellow-flowered species in North America. TheL. rigidum complex includes the most highly specialized of the North American species and is believed to have been derived from some member of theL. schiedeanum group in comparatively recent times. The intermediate position ofL. sulcatum, a widespread North American species is discussed. Keys to, descriptions, and distribution maps of all the species are included.
G.P.95

Gene therapy approaches for DMD using recombinant adeno-associated viral (rAAV) vectors have the potential to halt dystrophic progression and reverse aspects of the muscle pathophysiology. Advantages of rAAV-delivery of micro-dystrophins include long lasting (years) expression of the delivered gene cassette, potential for systemic delivery to all muscles of the body (including the heart) and applicability to all patients regardless of their mutation. However, AAV vectors have a limited cloning capacity of
Tax Compliance With Two-Sided Uncertainty

Does government concealment of its audit policies increase or decrease taxpayer compliance? This article analyzes the impact of uncertainty about government audit policies on compliance using a game-theoretic model. The taxpayer is assumed to possess private information about his or her income, but does not know the tax agency's true audit capabilities. Similarly, the tax agency is assumed to possess private information about its audit technology (e.g., the cost of an audit or the probability that an audit will discover unreported income), but does not know a taxpayer's true income. The equilibrium of this game with two-sided uncertainty is determined and analyzed. The equilibrium is also compared to that of a game in which the taxpayer knows the tax agency's audit parameters. The results show that uncertain audit policies may well lead to less compliance, so that a government policy of concealment may be counterproductive.
Odor Threshold Determinations of 53 Odorant Chemicals

In order to assist in assessing potential odor problems arising from chemical manufacturing operations, the odor thresholds of 53 commercially important odorant chemicals have been determined using a standardized and defined procedure. The odor threshold data previously available have shown wide variation reflecting the diversity of procedures and techniques used. Factors that may affect the odor threshold measurement include the mode of presentation of the stimulus to the observer, the influence of extraneous odorants in the presentation system, the type of observer used, the definition of the odor response, the treatment of the data obtained, and the chemical purity of the odorant. The experimental approach used has minimized these variations. The odorants were presented to a trained odor panel in a static air system utilizing a low odor background air as the dilution medium. The odor threshold is defined as the first concentration at which all panel members can recognize the odor. The effect of chemica...
Nurse Practitioner Redux

FOR those of us who were involved with the early nurse practitioner (NP) movement, the recent expansive embracing of advanced practice nurses is at once gratifying and thought provoking. It will be interesting to see if history repeats itself and NPs will continue to provide only a small proportion of primary care to Americans. I hope this will not be the case and that NPs soon will play a significant role in primary care. To assure the success of NPs, we might learn some valuable lessons from history. History As a nurse who had gone on to medical school and training in general pediatrics, I held the firm belief that the maldistribution of health care in this country could be resolved if nurses, with additional clinical training, would work with physicians as teams providing primary care. The work of Drs Henry K. Silver (a physician) and Loretta C. Ford (a
Retrofitting high molecular weight DNA cloned in P1: introduction of reporter genes, markers selectable in mammalian cells and generation of nested deletions

Abstract The bacteriophage P1 cloning system is proving to be quite useful for the cloning and analysis of genomic DNA inserts of up to 95 kb in size. In an effort to use that DNA directly in biological experiments we have embarked on a scheme to retrofit the P1 DNA using a mini-Tn10 transposon system. This transposon system is used in two ways: (i) to introduce a variety of sequence signals that are recognizable in mammalian cells, such as mammalian cell-responsive resistance markers and reporter genes, and (ii) to generate a nested set of deletions in a P1 clone by using a loxP site locateed within the transposon. In this report we show that such transpositions into P1 DNA are efficient, distributed throughout the entire length of the genomic fragment and do not disrupt the DNA in any location other than the site of insertion of the transposon. The Tn10-based P1 transduction system described here provides a general scheme for retrofitting any large genomic DNA cloned in a P1 vector, thus facilitating the use of clones from the current P1 recombinant libraries in cellular transformation studies.
Information re-use and edge detection in intra mode prediction

In intra mode prediction, obtaining the best solution among all supported modes requires extremely high computation. Most fast search algorithms use a reduced search set to avoid this problem. Yet, these methods greatly degrade picture quality and increase bitstream size if very limited computational resource is applicable. In this paper, we proposed a scheme, which allows us to take extensive advantage of correlation within a video sequence. Prediction errors and modes of neighboring blocks are employed in our mode prediction scheme. The proposed method can either work alone or with existing direction detection methods to significantly reduce computation without losing much performance.
Row-convex tableaux and the combinatorics of initial terms

Abstract We characterize the initial terms under a diagonal term order of the supersymmetric Schur/Weyl module S D (V − ⊕V + ) associated to a row-convex shape D . We show the biwords corresponding to the initial terms of S D are closed under dual-Knuth equivalence and that the recording tableaux for these words are decomposable in the sense of Reiner and Shimozono (J. Algebra, 174 (1995) 489–522). We consider the natural action of bases of S D in which the elements have distinct initial terms on a generalization of the bases of Reiner and Shimozono (J. Algebra, 174 (1995) 489–522) and show this action is given by a unitriangular matrix.
Mapping of the normal distribution of substance P-like immunoreactivity in the spinal trigeminal nucleus of the cat

Although a recent preliminary report indicated a pattern of substance P-like immunoreactivity within the spinal trigeminal nucleus that is similar to the projection sites for dental afferent fibers, details of this substance P distribution are lacking. Our purpose was to describe in cats the complete normal pattern of this immunoreactivity within each of the spinal trigeminal subnuclei. Special emphasis was given to the distribution of substance P-like immunoreactive axons and terminals located in the rostral subnucleus caudalis and the periobex region of subnucleus interpolaris, as these are regions shown to receive dental afferent fibers. Careful mapping in normal cats showed, within the resolution of the light microscope, a consistent pattern of distribution that included only a portion of the previously identified dental relay sites, but was somewhat broader in certain levels and more restricted in others. The results are compared with those provided by others from regions such as the dorsal horn and subnucleus caudalis of the spinal trigeminal nucleus. The findings also provide an anatomical basis for a recent physiologic report on specific cell types associated with dental nociceptive afferent fibers. This study also provides a baseline control for future investigations of possible changes in substance P-like immunoreactivity that follows various peripheral, including dental and central, lesions.
Autonomic modulation: an emerging paradigm for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

A variety of experimental and clinical reports have engendered a different approach to cardiac arrhythmias as well as other cardiovascular conditions. The focus of a new paradigm is the autonomic nervous system and its important role in various pathological states. From an overall standpoint, this new paradigm can be encompassed by the term “autonomic modulation,” which would include autonomic nerve stimulation or autonomic denervation to modulate the autonomic activity in physiological or pathophysiological functions of the heart as well as other visceral organ systems. Article see p 279 Vaso-vagal syncope is the most common form of neurally mediated syncope.1 The pathophysiology of vaso-vagal syncope is still controversial, but it is thought to be related to prolonged orthostatic stress, which causes increased peripheral venous pooling with a subsequent fall in venous return to the heart. This in turn causes a hypercontractile state, which leads to activation of ventricular mechanoreceptors and a sudden increase in the afferent neural traffic to the brain. The result is sympathetic withdrawal and parasympathetic enhancement that manifests as hypotension (vasodepressor type), bradycardia (cardioinhibitory type), and syncope.1 In other words, vaso-vagal syncope is a disorder caused by an abnormally amplified autonomic reflex involving both sympathetic and parasympathetic components. Over the past 2 decades, β-blockers, α-agonists, mineralocorticoids, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and dual-chamber pacemaker implantation all produced initial promising but later disappointing results.1–3 Vaso-vagal syncope continues to be a vexing clinical arrhythmia. In this issue of Circulation Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology , Yao et al4 reported 10 patients who had drug-refractory, frequent, and highly symptomatic vaso-vagal syncope. Based on the hypothesis that …
Dimand-Dore on cournot-bertrand: A reply and more

This note refutes the novel thesis of Jean Magnan de Bornier [1992] that all of Cournot's analysis in his 1838 classic was about price rivalry. It also reiterates the proposition that Cournot treated both quantity and price rivalry and that Cournot was clearly aware of the symmetry between quantity conjectures and price conjectures in 1838. It is conjectured that the many misinterpretations of Cournot derive from failure to work through Cournot's simple mathematics and a mental truncation of the Recherches into just Chapter VII.
The Theory and Application of a New Method of Detecting Chromosomal Rearrangements in Drosophila melanogaster

A new method of detecting chromosomal rearrangements in Drosophila melanogaster has been applied to the problem of measuring the biological effects of ionizing radiations from nuclear detonations. The method, itself, is an outgrowth of studies of the bithorax pseudoallelic genes near the middle of the right arm of the third chromosome (Lewis, 1951). It will be called the “bithorax” method. Results of applying it to the detection of X-ray induced rearrangements will be considered first.
Microscopic first-principles model of strain-induced interaction in concentrated size-mismatched alloys

The harmonic Kanzaki-Krivoglaz-Khachaturyan model of strain-induced interaction is generalized to concentrated size-mismatched alloys and adapted to first-principles calculations. The configuration dependence of both Kanzaki forces and force constants is represented by real-space cluster expansions that can be constructed based on the calculated forces. The model is implemented for the fcc lattice and applied to ${\mathrm{Cu}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Au}}_{x}$ and ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Pt}}_{x}$ alloys for concentrations $x=0.25$, 0.5, and 0.75. The asymmetry between the $3d$ and $5d$ elements leads to large quadratic terms in the occupation-number expansion of the Kanzaki forces and thereby to strongly non-pairwise long-range interaction. The main advantage of the full configuration-dependent lattice deformation model is its ability to capture this singular many-body interaction. The roles of ordering striction and anharmonicity in Cu-Au and Fe-Pt alloys are assessed. Although the harmonic force constants defined with respect to the unrelaxed lattice are unsuitable for the calculation of the vibrational entropies, the phonon spectra for ordered and disordered alloys are found to be in good agreement with experimental data. The model is further adapted to concentration wave analysis and Monte Carlo simulations by means of an auxiliary multiparametric real-space cluster expansion, which is used to find the ordering temperatures. Good agreement with experiment is found for all systems except ${\mathrm{CuAu}}_{3}$ (due to the known failure of the generalized gradient approximation) and ${\mathrm{FePt}}_{3}$, where the discrepancy is likely due to the neglect of magnetic disorder.
Age differences in P3-reaction time associations

Abstract Eight healthy old and 12 healthy young women had event-related potentials (ERPs) recorded during the performance of a memory retrieval task. For each subject the single trial data recorded at Pz were analyzed using Woody's adaptive filter technique. The old subjects differed from the young in several respects: P3 amplitude at Pz was smaller, P3 latency and reaction time (RT) were greater, the relationship between P3 latency and RT was considerably altered. The adaptive filter increased the amplitude of P3 but the age-related amplitude difference persisted, suggesting that this difference is not due to increased latency variability with age. The old subjects had lower single trial P3-RT correlations and longer elapsed time from P3 peak to the response than did the young subjects. Both groups had greater RTs for outset items (‘negative’ responses) than for inset items (‘positive’ responses). For the young subjects P3 latency was also greater for the outset compared to the inset items but this difference was not found for the old subjects. Thus, the relationship between P3 latency and RT is altered in the aged — P3 and RT are less tightly coupled than in the young.
Protective activity of processed tomato products on postprandial oxidation and inflammation: A clinical trial in healthy weight men and women

individuals. Methods and results: Twelve women and 13 men (mean age = 27 ± 8 years; mean body mass index = 22 ± 2) consumed high-fat meals known to induce postprandial oxidative stress on two separate occasions containing either processed tomato product or non-tomato alternative. Blood samples were collected at 0, 30, 60, 90, 120 min, then hourly until 360 min. Flowmediated dilation (FMD) was performed at 0 and 210 min. Endpoints included changes in glucose, insulin, lipids, oxidized low-density lipoprotein (OxLDL), inflammatory cytokines, and FMD. Both meals induced increases in plasma glucose, insulin, and lipid concentrations (p 240 min was observed after the tomato meal (p = 0.006). Tomato significantly attenuated high-fat meal-induced LDL oxidation (p < 0.05) and rise in interleukin-6 (p < 0.0001), a proinflammatory cytokine and inflammation marker. Conclusion: The data indicate that consuming tomato products with a meal attenuates postprandial lipemia-induced oxidative stress and associated inflammatory response. The relevance of OxLDL and inflammation to vascular injury suggests a potentially important protective role of tomato in reducing cardiovascular disease risk. ClinicalTrials.gov Registration number ‐
Contagion and competitive intra-industry effects of bankruptcy announcements

Abstract This paper investigates the effect of bankruptcy announcements on the equity value of the bankrupt firm's competitors. On average, bankruptcy announcements decrease the value of a value-weighted portfolio of competitors by 1%. This negative effect is significantly larger for highly levered industries and industries where the unconditional stock returns of the nonbankrupt and bankrupt firms are highly correlated; the effect is significantly positive for highly concentrated industries with low leverage, suggesting that in such industries competitors benefit from the difficulties of the bankrupt firm.
A Higher-Order Theory of Presupposition

So-called `dynamic' semantic theories such as Kamp's discourse representation theory and Heim's file change semantics account for such phenomena as crosssentential anaphora, donkey anaphora, and the novelty condition on indefinites, but compare unfavorably with Montague semantics in some important respects (clarity and simplicity of mathematical foundations, compositionality, handling of quantification and coordination). Preliminary efforts have been made by Muskens and by de Groote to revise and extend Montague semantics to cover dynamic phenomena. We present a new higher-order theory of discourse semantics which improves on their accounts by incorporating a more articulated notion of context inspired by ideas due to David Lewis and to Craige Roberts. On our account, a context consists of a common ground of mutually accepted propositions together with a set of discourse referents preordered by relative salience. Employing a richer notion of contexts enables us to extend our coverage beyond pronominal anaphora to a wider range of presuppositional phenomena, such as the factivity of certain sententialcomplement verbs, resolution of anaphora associated with arbitrarily complex definite descriptions, presupposition `holes' such as negation, and the independence condition on the antecedents of conditionals. Formally, our theory is expressed within a higher-order logic with natural number type, separation-style subtyping, and dependent coproducts parameterized by the natural numbers. The system of semantic types builds on proposals due to Thomason and to Pollard in which the type of propositions (static meanings of sentential utterances) is taken as basic and worlds are constructed from propositions (rather than the other way around as in standard Montague semantics).
Improved efficiency in polymer light-emitting diodes using air-stable electrodes

By placing an electron transport layer between the semiconducting polymer and the metallic contact, we have achieved improved efficiencies for yellow light-emitting diodes (LEDs) fabricated with poly (2,5-bis(cholestanoxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene) as the electroluminescent layer and with aluminum and indium as the electron injecting electrodes. Quantum efficiencies of LEDs with the electron transport layer and an aluminum electrode are about 0.25% photons per electron, better by a factor of five than similar devices made without the electron transport layer; quantum efficiencies of LEDs with the electron transport layer and an indium electrode are about 0.4% photons per electron, better by a factor of two than devices without the electron transport layer.
SUBTRACTION PORTAL VENOGRAPHY

Photographic subtraction was made of 38 canine portal venograms to remove the images of the overlying abdominal structures and enhance the radiographic contrast of portal veins. The improved visual quality of the subtracted portogram aided in the detection of portosystemic shunts and intrahepatic portal veins. The subtraction studies revealed portosystemic shunts not detected on the initial portal venogram.
Recent Advances in CARS Imaging: New Capabilities for Combustion Diagnostics

Single laser pulse methods for 1D and 2D coherent spectral imaging with coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy have recently been developed for studies of gas phase reacting systems, with particular focus on combustion diagnostics. Article not available.
Interphotoreceptor matrix in the fovea and peripheral retina of the primate Macaca mulatta: distribution and glycoforms of SPACR and SPACRCAN.

SPACR and SPACRCAN localization in the interphotoreceptor matrix (IPM) of the fovea and peripheral retina of Macaca mulatta was established with antibodies to these core proteins and the chondroitin sulfate epitopes and lectin binding properties of these molecules were defined. The IPM of both rods and cones labeled with anti-SPACR, anti-SPACRCAN, anti-ΔDi6S antibodies and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA). Whereas anti-SPACR and anti-SPACRCAN antibodies labeled rod and cone matrix compartments with similar intensity, the ΔDi6S chondroitin antibody labeling was more intense around cones than rods. Peanut lectin (PNA) labeling was present only around cones. No IPM labeling was observed with ΔDi0S-chondroitin or ΔDi4S-chondroitin antibodies. Western blots of undigested IPM extracts showed anti-SPACR immunoreactivity at 150 kDa, colocalizing with the position of WGA and PNA binding. In Western blots of the chondroitinase ABC digested sample and samples double digested with chondroitinase ABC and AC II, anti-SPACR immunoreactivity, WGA and PNA labeling intensity were virtually identical to that in the undigested sample, with prominent staining of the 150 kDa SPACR band. In contrast, anti-SPACRCAN immunoreactivity was not present in the undigested sample, but was evident in both the chondroitinase ABC and double digested samples as a broad band at approximately 230 kDa. ΔDi6S, ΔDi4S, WGA and PNA labeling colocalized with the anti-SPACRCAN immunoreactivity in the chondroitinase ABC digested sample. These findings indicate that SPACR and SPACRCAN are present around cones in the fovea and both rods and cones in the peripheral retina, but that the specific glycoforms of these molecules are different depending on whether present in the cone or rod associated IPM.
Hierarchical Modeling and Computationally-Efficient Transient Simulation of On-Chip Power Grid

We report on an unconditionally-stable, Crank-Nicolson numerical integration scheme for the computationally-efficient, transient electromagnetic analysis of the on-chip power grid during switching. Compared to the conditionally-stable finite-difference time-domain approach, this scheme provides for two orders of magnitude reduction in the time required for the numerical simulation. The resulting transient electromagnetic field solver is interfaced with a SPICE simulation engine. Its use is demonstrated through the transient, nonlinear switching analysis of a portion of an on-chip power grid used in the 90-nm CPU process.
The frequency of withdrawal from acute care is impacted by severe acute renal failure.

Introduction: In the general intensive care setting, decisions to withdraw life support when patients deteriorate despite aggressive treatment are estimated to occur in 10% of all patients and in 40% of the patients who die. Acute renal failure (ARF) severe enough to necessitate renal replacement therapy (RRT) is associated with in-hospital mortality approximating 50%. Yet the impact of severe ARF on decisions to withdraw treatment has not been previously described. In chronic renal failure patients, voluntary withdrawal from maintenance dialysis occurs in 10%–20% of patients when increasing complications and poor quality of life ensue, and knowing these data facilitates discussions with patients and families. Having similar data for complicated ARF would facilitate decision making for families and caregivers when these difficult situations arise. Methods: All cases of ARF requiring RRT during 2000–2001 at University of Michigan Hospital (n = 383) were entered prospectively into an outcome study at the ti...
A descriptive study of prune belly in New York State, 1983 to 1989.

Objective: To determine the prevalence and spectrum of prune belly in a defined population. Design: Population-based descriptive study using New York State's Congenital Malformations Registry. Setting: The Congenital Malformations Registry is a statewide registry of children diagnosed as having congenital anomalies before the age of 2 years. Patients: Infants with the diagnosis of prune-belly syndrome born during the years 1983 to 1989 to women who were New York State residents and verified by medical record review. Main Outcome Measures: The live birth prevalence of prune belly for the total population and for population subgroups, such as race, sex, plurality, and maternal age. The occurrence of other malformations with prune belly. Results: Sixty cases of prune belly were ascertained (50 male and 10 female). The live birth prevalence was 3.2 per 100 000 and declined over the time period. The prevalence was higher in males, 5.1 per 100 000, than females, 1.1; and higher in blacks, 5.8, than whites, 2.6. The live birth prevalence of prune belly in twins, 12.2 per 100 000, was four times higher than that found in singletons, 3.0. More than 36 (60%) of patients died, most in the first week. Forty-two (70%) of patients had one of the commonly described associated defects; pulmonary hypoplasia was the most common. Almost one third of patients had defects other than those typically associated with prune belly. Conclusions: Twins, blacks, and children born to younger mothers appear to be at higher risk. Mortality remains high, especially early with many deaths due to pulmonary hypoplasia. Further studies should include stillborns and terminated pregnancies. (Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 1995;149:70-76)
ON THE HETEROGENEITY OF “BENIGN” NEUTROPENIA OF CHILDHOOD

Chronic benign granulocytopenia of childhood (CBGC) is generally accepted as a homogeneous, self limited entity of variable duration, characterized by absolute peripheral blood polymorpho-nuclear leukocyte (PMN) counts <1500/mm3, relative depletion of band and mature granulocytes in bone marrow and absent to mild infections. Our previous observations that some patients within this group have distinct functional aberration of PMNS -- e.g. “Lazy Leukocyte Syndrome” prompted the current study. Eleven children with CBGC were studied. Each had absolute PMN counts <1000/mm3 with 6 <500/mm3. Four functional PMN assays were performed: chemotaxis (Boyden chamber); capillary tube migration; phagocytosis (Baker's yeast ingestion), and; membrane deformability (cell elastimetry technique). The data showed marked heterogeneity in functional PMN profiles. One child had decreased capillary tube migration, one was deficient in all functions tested, six showed various combinations of functional abnormalities and only three children had normal PMN activities in each assay. We conclude: 1) CBGC is not a distinct clinical entity; 2) the spectrum of abnormal PMN functional profiles observed strongly suggests that abnormalities of a number of individual steps of normal PMN function may produce a common clinical phenotype; 3) of the assays employed, membrane deformability was most consistently abnormal; 4) the clinical course of these patients, when followed long term, may not always be benign.
Programs for control of an analogue-signal switching network

Abstract A suite of programs has been developed to control the network of analogue-signal switching multiplexers in the AGS complex. The software is driven by a relational database which describes the architecture of the multiplexer tree and the set of available analogue signals. Signals are routed through a three-layer multiplexer tree, to be made available at four consoles, each with three 4-trace oscilloscopes. A menu-structured operator interface program is available at each console, to accept requests to route any available analogue signal to any of the console's 12 oscilloscope traces. A common routing-server program provides automatic routing of requested signals through the layers of multiplexers, maintaining a reservation data base to denote free and occupied trunks. Expansion of the analogue-signal system is easily accommodated in software by adding new signals, trunks, multiplexers or consoles to the data base. Program control of the triggering signals for each of the oscilloscopes is also provided.
Photojournalism, Anthropology, and Ethnographic Authority

In examining the imagined worlds of empire, John Comaroff critically examines the colonizers' images of empire, one being the notion of an "idyllic countryside." He writes, "For those who lamented a paradise lost to the cause of the industrial revolution, the idealized British past was situated in a pristine countryside cast timelessly in the early 18th century" (1989:667). These idealizations parallel Renato Rosaldo's (1989:120) notion of "imperialist nostalgia" as "conventional trope," or Donna Haraway's (1989:267) "colonial-nostalgic aesthetic."' Rosaldo "dismantles" the "ideology of imperialist nostalgia" examining the "process of yearning for what one has destroyed"; he suggests, provocatively and disturbingly, that anthropologists "inhabit partially overlapping ideological spaces" with colonizers and missionaries in "mourning the passing of traditional society" (1989:115116, 120). One could also implicate photojournalists and postcolonials in sharing this "conventional trope" of yearning for a pastoral past. As Raymond Williams (1973:289) reminds us, the persistence of these images of pastoralism accompanying agrarian capitalism is matched only by their historicity and by variable and powerful meanings "in feeling and activity; in region and time" (1973:4). Idyllic representations2 of New Zealand high-country life proliferate in a variety of genres, authored indigenously and exogenously. For indigenous authors who sparsely inhabit this country of tussock grasslands-runholders and station hands, such as shepherds and shearers-high-country pastoralism is a way of life. Exogenous authors do not inhabit the mountain lands but have contact with them-urban and down-country people may be recreationists (hikers, skiers, fishermen), conservationists, farm advisers, service people, journalists, writers, artists, or sometimes tourists. Representative genres include imaginative writing-detective fiction,3 novels,4 poetry,5 and cartoons;6 indigenous nonfiction7-station correspondence, scrapbooks, farm diaries, station and family histories,8 autobiographies, and descriptive accounts of high-country pastoral life, usually in the form of vignettes and