cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and preliminary in vitro metabolic studies on N,N-dimethyl-N′-2-imidazolyl-N′-benzyl-1,2-ethanediamine, an analog of the carcinogenic antihistamine methapyrilene

This paper describes the synthesis and preliminary metabolic studies on N,N-dimethyl-N′-2-imidazolyl-N′-benzyl-1,2-ethanediamine (compound 12), an imidazole analog of the carcinogenic antihistamine methapyrilene. The 2-aminoimidazole starting material is carried through a five-step reaction sequence which involves introduction of the benzyl and dimethylaminoethyl side chains via sequential acylation of the 2-amino group and reduction of each intermediate amide. Metabolic studies on compound 12 and a d2-analog were performed with rabbit liver microsomes. Chemical ionization mass spectral analysis indicates the presence of metabolites formed by N-demethylation and imidazole C-oxidation. In addition, a seven membered ring metabolite has been identified which apparently is formed by intramolecular cyclization of an intermediate methylene iminium ion.
Short Communications. Biphenyl-3,4′-Dinitrene

Photolysis of biphenyl-3,4′ -diazide in a rigid glassy matrix at 77 K yields quintet state biphenyl-3,4′ -dinitrene with zero-field splitting parameters of |D/hc- = 0.153 cm−1 and |E/hc| = 0.019 cm−1 determined by electron spin resonance spectroscopic studies. Curie plot studies are consistent with assigning the quintet to be the ground state in this species. This finding confirms qualitative connectivity-based predictions for this general connectivity type of openshell system, and is in qualitative agreement with spectral INDO-CI computational predictions for both planar and twisted geometries of the dinitrene.
Angiotensin II Stimulates p90rsk in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells : A Potential Na+-H+ Exchanger Kinase

Abstract Angiotensin II is a multifunctional agonist for vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), stimulating increases in signal events, cell growth, and ion flux. We previously defined protein kinase C (PKC)–dependent and –independent mechanisms by which angiotensin II stimulated activity of the Na+-H+ exchanger isoform-1 (NHE-1) and identified a 90-kD kinase that exhibited increased activity in VSMCs isolated from genetically hypertensive rats. To determine whether this 90-kD kinase was p90rsk (RSK), VSMCs were stimulated with 100 nmol/L angiotensin II, and NHE-1 kinase activity was measured by phosphorylation of recombinant NHE-1 (a glutathione S-transferase fusion protein containing amino acids 516 to 815 of the cytoplasmic carboxyl tail) in vitro. NHE-1 kinase (90 kD) activity was markedly decreased by immunodepletion of RSK. Characterization of RSK activation by angiotensin II revealed many similarities to the 90-kD NHE-1 kinase, including time course and NHE-1 domain phosphorylation, as well as regul...
Synchronized moving aperture radiation therapy (SMART): improvement of breathing pattern reproducibility using respiratory coaching

Recently, at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) we proposed a new treatment technique called synchronized moving aperture radiation therapy (SMART) to account for tumour motion during radiotherapy. The basic idea of SMART is to synchronize the moving radiation beam aperture formed by a dynamic multileaf collimator with the tumour motion induced by respiration. The two key requirements for being able to successfully use SMART in clinical practice are the precise and fast detection of tumour position during the simulation/treatment and the good reproducibility of the tumour motion pattern. To fulfil the first requirement, an integrated radiotherapy imaging system is currently being developed at MGH. The results of a previous study show that breath coaching techniques are required to make SMART an efficient technique in general. In this study, we investigate volunteer and patient respiratory coaching using a commercial respiratory gating system as a respiration coaching tool. Five healthy volunteers, observed during six sessions, and 33 lung cancer patients, observed during one session when undergoing 4D CT scans, were investigated with audio and visual promptings, with free breathing as a control. For all five volunteers, breath coaching was well tolerated and the intra- and inter-session reproducibility of the breathing pattern was greatly improved. Out of 33 patients, six exhibited a regular breathing pattern and needed no coaching, four could not be coached at all due to the patient's medical condition or had difficulty following the instructions, 13 could only be coached with audio instructions and 10 could follow the instructions of and benefit from audio-video coaching. We found that, for all volunteers and for those patients who could be properly coached, breath coaching improves the duty cycle of SMART treatment. However, about half of the patients could not follow both audio and video instructions simultaneously, suggesting that the current coaching technique requires improvements.
Lateral hypothalamic orexin neurons are critically involved in learning to associate an environment with morphine reward

Previously, we reported that lateral hypothalamic (LH) orexin neurons are stimulated in proportion to the preference shown for reward-associated cues during conditioned place preference (CPP) testing. Here, we examine for the first time the role of these neurons in the acquisition of morphine CPP. Results show that LH orexin neurons, but not those in the perifornical area (PFA), are stimulated during conditioning when morphine is given in a novel drug-paired environment (CPP compartment) but not when given in the home cage, nor when saline was given in the CPP environment. Furthermore, bilateral excitotoxic lesions of the LH orexin area completely blocked the acquisition of morphine CPP. Lesions that spared LH orexin neurons had no effect. Orexin neurons in the LH project to the ventral tegmental area (VTA), an area important in the acquisition of morphine CPP. Therefore, we investigated the importance of the LH orexin connection to the VTA in the acquisition of a morphine CPP using a disconnection technique involving a unilateral excitotoxic lesion of LH orexin neurons and contralateral blockade of VTA orexin receptors. Results indicated that a unilateral LH orexin lesion together with a microinjection of the orexin A antagonist (SB 334867) into the contralateral VTA prior to each morphine-pairing session was sufficient to block the development of a morphine CPP. Either of these treatments by themselves was not sufficient to block CPP development. These results demonstrate the importance of LH orexin neurons and their projections to the VTA in the formation of associations between environmental cues and drug reward.
The Musical Stages of Speech: A Developmental Model of Pre-Verbal Sound Making

The development of language has classically been under­ stood within a cognitive context. Yet the musical elements of speech represent perhaps the most personal part of human expression. Expressive sounds impact the content of spoken words and characterize distinct feelings. This article presents a rationale for the musical development of speech and a means of understanding the level of vocal activity that occurs in a pre-verbal context. The Model identifies three Musical Stages of Speech: Stage I, Cry­ ing/Comfort Sounds; Stage II, Babbling, Lalling, and In­ flected Vocal Play; Stage III, Single­ and Double-Word Utterances. At each stage of language acquisition, specific techniques that enhance vocalizing are offered in order to sequentially build upon each developmental level. The Musical Stages of Speech integrate the cognitive, physical, and emotional components of development through the identification of musical elements that stratify levels of pre-verbal speech.
Micro-osteoperforations: Minimally invasive accelerated tooth movement

Safe, minimally invasive, and cost-effective treatments are being sought to shortened orthodontic treatment time. Based on the well-known principle that orthodontic force triggers inflammatory pathways and osteoclast activity, we hypothesized that controlled micro-trauma in the form of micro-osteoperforations (MOPs) will amplify the expression of inflammatory markers that are normally expressed during orthodontic treatment and that this amplified response will accelerate both bone resorption and tooth movement. We tested our hypothesis in an animal model and in a human clinical trial. In adult rats, MOPs treatment significantly increased molar protraction with concomitant increase in inflammatory cytokine expression, osteoclastogenesis, and alveolar bone remodeling. Likewise, in human subjects, MOPs increased the rate of canine retraction concomitant with increased TNFα and IL-1β levels in gingival crevicular fluid. Moreover, MOPs treatment did not produce additional pain or discomfort in the patients tested. Our data supports our conclusion that MOPs offers a safe, minimally invasive, and easy mechanism to accelerate orthodontic tooth movement.
Tai Chi and Perceived Health Status in Older Adults Who Are Transitionally Frail: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background and Purpose Tai chi, a Chinese exercise derived from martial arts, while gaining popularity as an intervention for reducing falls in older adults, also may improve health status. The purpose of this study was to determine whether intense tai chi (TC) exercise could improve perceived health status and self-rated health (SRH) more than wellness education (WE) for older adults who are transitionally frail. Subjects Study subjects were 269 women who were ≥70 years of age and who were recruited from 20 congregate independent senior living facilities. Methods Participants took part in a 48-week, single-blind, randomized controlled trial. They were randomly assigned to receive either TC or WE interventions. Participants were interviewed before randomization and at 1 year regarding their perceived health status and SRH. Perceived health status was measured with the Sickness Impact Profile (SIP). Results Compared with WE participants, TC participants reported significant improvements in the physical dimension and ambulation categories and borderline significant improvements in the body care and movement category of the SIP. Self-rated health did not change for either group. Discussion and Conclusion These findings suggest that older women who are transitionally frail and participate in intensive TC exercise demonstrate perceived health status benefits, most notably in ambulation.
An Inexpensive, Diver-Assisted Percussion Coring Device

ABSTRACT Mountain Lake, Giles County, Virginia, contains soft sediments from which undisturbed cores are logistically difficult to collect by conventional gravity coring. Whereas other more expensive types of corers might successfully sample the sediments in this or similar aquatic systems, our new diver-assisted percussion coring device assembled with hardware costing about $50.00 enabled flawless collection of 7 cores (100% of tries). We describe here this percussion coring device, its operation, and probable application.
Polyacrylate resin microcapsules for taste masking of antibiotics.

AbstractVarious microencapsulated dosage forms were prepared to limit the release of an antibiotic in solution for up to 3 days and in the oral cavity following per oral administration. An experimental antibiotic, clarithromycin (TE-031), was used in these studies. The drug was first encapsulated in gelatin followed in some cases by crosslinking with glutaraldehyde. The gelatin microcapsules were then coated with acrylic resins (Eudragit®), whose solubility properties vary according to pH. A non-solvent coacervation technique was used to apply the Eudragit resins. It was found that crosslinking the gelatin retarded release of TE-031 somewhat relative to that from uncrosslinked gelatin microcapsules in a 72 h release experiment conducted at room temperature. Coating the gelatin microcapsules with Eudragit resins L100, S100, or E100 slowed the release of TE-031 further still; less TE-031 was released over 72 h from the Eudragit-coated formulations prepared with crosslinked gelatin compared with formulations...
Renal tumor quantification and classification in contrast-enhanced abdominal CT

Kidney cancer occurs in both hereditary (inherited) and sporadic (non-inherited) form. It is estimated that almost a quarter of a million people in the USA are living with kidney cancer and their number increases, with 51,000 diagnosed with the disease every year. In clinical practice, the response to treatment is monitored by manual measurements of tumor size, which are 2D, do not reflect the 3D geometry and enhancement of tumors, and show high intra- and inter-operator variability. We propose a computer-assisted radiology tool to assess renal tumors in contrast-enhanced CT for the management of tumor diagnoses and responses to new treatments. The algorithm employs anisotropic diffusion (for smoothing), a combination of fast-marching and geodesic level-sets (for segmentation), and a novel statistical refinement step to adapt to the shape of the lesions. It also quantifies the 3D size, volume and enhancement of the lesion, and allows serial management over time. Tumors are robustly segmented and the comparison between manual and semi-automated quantifications shows disparity within the limits of inter-observer variability. The analysis of lesion enhancement for tumor classification shows great separation between cysts, von Hippel-Lindau syndrome lesions, and hereditary papillary renal carcinomas (HPRC) with p-values inferior to 0.004. The results on temporal evaluation of tumors from serial scans illustrate the potential of the method to become an important tool for disease monitoring, drug trials, and non-invasive clinical surveillance.
Initial Obsevation of the Crystal-Amorphous Transition and the Formation of Ripple Patterns on Silicon Induced by 7 ps Pulses at 1.05 µm

We describe our preliminary observations of the interaction of short pulse 1 µm radiation with crystalline silicon. In particular we find that for 7 ps pulses, but not for 46 ps pulses, the crystal-amorphous transition can be induced on the Si surface. Additionally, we have measured the single shot melting threshold for c-Si to be 0.6 ± 0.2 J cm -2 for 7 ps pulses. The formation of ripple patterns and other surface structures with pulses as short as 4 ps is also reported.
Monte Carlo road safety reasoning

This paper presents a framework for reasoning about the future motion of multiple objects in a road scene. Unlike previous approaches, we do not look for known dangerous configurations of objects, but rather we reason about the future paths of all objects in the scene, and assess their danger. Monte Carlo path planning is used to generate a probability distribution for the possible future motion of every car in the scene. This framework can be used to either control the car, or to display warnings for the driver.
Building Markov state models with solvent dynamics.

Background Markov state models have been widely used to study conformational changes of biological macromolecules. These models are built from short timescale simulations and then propagated to extract long timescale dynamics. However, the solvent information in molecular simulations are often ignored in current methods, because of the large number of solvent molecules in a system and the indistinguishability of solvent molecules upon their exchange.
Should risky treatments be reserved for secondary prevention? Theoretical considerations regarding risk-benefit tradeoffs.

Abstract Objective Clinical intuition suggests that risk-reducing treatments are more beneficial for patients with greater risk of disease. This intuition contributes to our rationale for tolerating greater adverse event risk in the setting of secondary prevention of certain diseases such as myocardial infarction or stroke. However, under certain conditions treatment benefits may be greater in primary prevention, even when the treatment carries harmful adverse effect potential. Study Design and Setting We present simple decision-theoretic models that illustrate conditions of risk and benefit under which a treatment is predicted to be more beneficial in primary than in secondary prevention. Results The models cover a spectrum of possible clinical circumstances, and demonstrate that net benefit in primary prevention can occur despite no benefit (or even net harm) in secondary prevention. Conclusion This framework provides a rationale for extending the familiar concept of balancing risks and benefits to account for disease-specific considerations of primary vs. secondary prevention.
Phototransduction in transgenic mice after targeted deletion of the rod transducin α-subunit

Retinal photoreceptors use the heterotrimeric G protein transducin to couple rhodopsin to a biochemical cascade that underlies the electrical photoresponse. Several isoforms of each transducin subunit are present in the retina. Although rods and cones seem to contain distinct transducin subunits, it is not known whether phototransduction in a given cell type depends strictly on a single form of each subunit. To approach this question, we have deleted the gene for the rod transducin α-subunit in mice. In hemizygous knockout mice, there was a small reduction in retinal transducin α-subunit content but retinal morphology and the physiology of single rods were largely normal. In homozygous knockout mice, a mild retinal degeneration occurred with age. Rod-driven components were absent from the electroretinogram, whereas cone-driven components were retained. Every photoreceptor examined by single-cell recording failed to respond to flashes, with one exception. The solitary responsive cell was insensitive, as expected for a cone, but had a rod-like spectral sensitivity and flash response kinetics that were slow, even for rods. These results indicate that most if not all rods use a single transducin type in phototransduction.
Successful transplantation of an older donor heart with documented myocardial bridging : A case report

Abstract Myocardial bridging, the overlying of myocardial tissue onto epicardial coronary arteries, is an anatomic variant that is widely present in the general population. This condition can be associated with reduced forward coronary flow. Once these hearts are identified in potential donors by either visual inspection or coronary catheterization, they may no longer be considered suitable for transplantation. We present a case study that successfully utilized such a heart explanted from an older donor with “bench” myotomy repair before implantation.
Responsiveness of peripheral veins to vasodilators and the effect of nifedipine on α-adrenergic responsiveness in hypertension

Vasodilators have varying hemodynamic properties that may be important in determining their efficacy for different disorders. We used the dorsal hand vein technique to measure the effects of several vasodilators infused locally and to measure the action of systemically administered nifedipine. The venodilatory effects of hydralazine, verapamil, diazoxide, and nitroglycerin were determined in peripheral veins of healthy subjects. The potency (ED50, the dose producing half-maximal response) was as follows: nitroglycerin (0.0007 micrograms/min) greater than verapamil (6.5 micrograms/min) greater than diazoxide (75 micrograms/min) greater than hydralazine (660 micrograms/min). The effect of oral nifedipine on alpha-adrenergic responsiveness of hand veins was determined. Nifedipine given in therapeutic doses for the treatment of hypertension was associated with a threefold increase in the ED50 for phenylephrine (92 to 277 ng/min; p less than 0.05) and norepinephrine (2.9 to 11.5 ng/min; p less than 0.05). Therapeutic doses of nifedipine are associated with measurable shifts in the dose-response curves to these two alpha-adrenergic agonists in the hand vein. The hand vein technique can be used not only to compare the potency of locally infused drugs but also to measure venous effects of vasoactive drugs at therapeutic concentrations achieved after systemic administration.
Single-bit re-encryption with applications to distributed proof systems

We examine the implementation of the distributed proof system designed by Minami and Kotz [17]. We find that, although a high-level analysis shows that it preserves confidentiality, the implementation of the cryptographic primitives contains a covert channel that can leak information. Moreover, this channel is present with any traditional choice of public key encryption functions. To remedy this problem, we use the Goldwasser-Micali cryptosystem to implement single-bit re-encryption and show how to make it free of covert channels. We then extend the primitive to support commutative encryption as well. Using this primitive, we design a variant of the Minami-Kotz algorithm that not only is free of covert channels, but also has additional proving power over the original design.
Law & psychiatry: least restrictive alternative revisited: Olmstead's uncertain mandate for community-based care.

More than three decades have passed since the courts first suggested that involuntarily hospitalized psychiatric patients had a right to be treated in the least restrictive alternative setting that met their needs (1). The doctrine has had its ups and downs since that time; it has been embraced by many lower courts but rejected at the highest appellate level. Now the U.S. Supreme Court has reinvigorated the concept, but has also balanced it with competing concerns, in its important decision in Olmstead v. L.C. (2). In its heyday in the 1970s, the doctrine of the least restrictive alternative was viewed as a major tool for moving committed patients out of state mental hospitals and into community settings (3). As supported by a number of decisions in lower federal courts, the doctrine rested on the argument that the state could not deprive persons of liberty to an extent unwarranted to meet its legitimate goals. Thus although the state may have had the power to commit persons with mental illness to inpatient treatment against their will to protect those persons or others, it could not do so when means less restrictive of liberty were available to accomplish the same ends. In short, if patients could be safely treated in the community, there was no warrant for their confinement in inpatient settings. The application of this reasoning about the least restrictive alternative appeared straightforward, so long as community-based facilities existed to which patients could be transferred. What happened, however, if a state had failed to create enough such placements? Could the courts compel states to redirect funds away from state hospitals and into community care? Although the enthusiastic lower-court judges who undertook to reform state mental health systems in the activist 1970s believed the answer was yes, and ordered states to act accordingly, the U.S. Supreme Court took a somewhat different view. Two decisions of the high court underscored the justices’ reluctance to have courts involved in mandating the creation of community treatment facilities, thereby altering states’ spending priorities, a quintessential legislative function (4). The court first refused to read apparently clear statutory language in the 1975 federal Developmentally Disabled Assistance and Bill of Rights Act as creating a right to treatment in the community, holding that the language was merely “hortatory” (5). Then, in its 1982 decision in Youngberg v. Romeo (6), the court pulled the rug out from under a constitutional right to treatment in the least restrictive alternative altogether. Although the concept had already made its way into a number of state commitment statutes, the federal courts seemed to be out of the business of compelling states to create alternative treatment venues in the community.
Impacts of Fuzzy Logic Modeling for Constraints Optimization

Today’s US naval vessels are required to perform an ever more complicated array of missions, thus increasing the number of constraints imposed on the ship design. As designers we struggle to find a means to effectively express the relationships of these competing, interdependent, and often subjective constraints. The majority of current optimization schemes require designers to define crispvalued constraints even when in the presence of subjective ‘‘soft’’ constraints, thereby ignoring the uncertainty that is inherent during the definition of early-stage design constraints. One method capable of handling these subjective constraints is Fuzzy Logic (FL). FL is a rule-based method for soft computing that can be used to model the uncertainty of crisp-valued objective data, as well as for the modeling of subjective linguistic variables. A Fuzzy Logic System (FLS) is unique in its ability to concurrently consider multiple input design constraints of different types, such as objective and subjective, and of different units, such as length and area. A key component of FL modeling is the fuzzification of crisp input design constraints. Fuzzification itself is the act of mapping a crisp input constraint to a membership function (MF), also called a fuzzy utility curve. The MFs are used by the FLS to model uncertainty of the input data. Taken the current state of optimization techniques, it is believed that further improvement in optimization may be possible by introducing the modeling capabilities of FL. In this paper the authors investigate the impacts of using FL to quantify and model the subjectivity of design constraints associated with a general ship arrangements optimization process. A brief overview of FLSs is given, followed by a discussion of the methodology used to design a FL constraint MF. The University of Michigan Intelligent Ship Arrangements (ISA) system, a program designed to assist in the development of optimized ship arrangements, is used for the platform of this study. In one example the ISA program is run using crisp constraint inputs, the program output is then compared to the output of the same run when using fuzzy inputs. This process serves to highlight the significance of utilizing FL for the modeling of design constraints during optimization. Another ISA run, showing an example of the arrangements process, is used to help the reader understand the critical process of choosing the correct fuzzifier for modeling of an input constraint.
The Comparative Method, Hypothesis Testing & Phylogenetic Analysis – An Introductory Laboratory

extbook discussions of scientific methodology often focus almost exclusively upon controlled experiments, but biologists also use many non-experimental techniques for testing hypotheses. Particularly important are the comparative methods developed for phylogenetic analysis by biologists who study systematics. Today, these comparative methods can be applied at multiple levels of organization from behavior and ecology, to more traditional levels of gross anatomy and development, and downward to information carrying macromolecules (DNA, RNA and proteins). Phylogenetic analysis is important not only for evolutionary biology, but also for applied fields of biology from conservation to medicine (Harvey et al. 1996). Because such analyses have become so fundamental to modern biology, we feel that all students majors and nonmajors should have a basic understanding of them. Practicing phylogenetic analysis can also strengthen students' logical and mathematical abilities (Bilardello & Valdes 1998), and their general problem-posing and problem-solving skills.
Dynamic Walking on Uneven Terrain Using the Time-Varying Divergent Component of Motion

This paper presents a framework for dynamic walking on uneven terrain using a novel time-varying extension of the divergent component of motion (DCM). By varying the natural frequency of the DCM, we are able to achieve generic CoM height trajectories during stepping. The proposed approach computes admissible DCM reference trajectories given desired zero moment point (ZMP) plans for single and double support, permitting both flat-footed and heel-toe walking. Real-time planning is accomplished using reverse-time integration of the discretized DCM dynamics over a finite time horizon. To account for discontinuities during replanning, linear model predictive control (MPC) is implemented over a short preview window, enabling smooth transitions between steps. DCM tracking control is achieved using a time-varying proportional-integral controller based on the virtual repellent point (VRP). The effectiveness of the combined approach is verified in simulation using a 30 DOF model of THOR, a compliant torque-controlled humanoid. We demonstrate dynamic locomotion on uneven terrain and heel-toe walking using a complementary whole-body controller to track the corresponding VRP forces.
Analysis of Economic Efficiency of Nigerian Small Scale Farmers: A Parametric Frontier Approach

This study analysed the economic efficiency of Nigerian small scale farmers using the parametric frontier approach. Farm level data were collected from randomly sampled 393 small scale farmers in Benue S tate, Nigeria. The average level of technical, allocative and economic ef ficiency was estimated at 30%, 12% and 36% respectively. The study showed that technical inefficiency was higher than allocative inef ficiency. Also, the low economic efficiency level can largely be explained by the low level of technical ef ficiency relative to allocative ef ficiency. High level of technical inefficiency was highly attributable to the low availability of extension services and information about technical aspects of crop technologies. On the other hand, high level of cost inef ficiency was highly attributable to the low profitability that results from inadequate organization of farmers into collective farmers' institutions that can provide opportunities for risk sharing and improved bargaining power.
Visualizing word senses in WordNet Atlas

This demo presents the second prototype of WordNet Atlas, a web application that gives users the ability to navigate and visualize the 146,312 word senses of the nouns contained within the Princeton WordNet. Two complementary, interlinked visualizations are provided: an hypertextual dictionary to represent detailed information about a word sense, such as lemma, definition and depictions, and a zoomable map representing the taxonomy of noun synsets in a circular layout. The application could help users unfamiliar with WordNet to get oriented in the large amount of data it contains.
Transcriptional errors and the drift barrier

Population genetics predicts that the balance between natural selection and genetic drift is determined by the population size. Species with large population sizes are predicted to have properties governed mainly by selective forces; whereas species with small population sizes should exhibit features governed by mutational processes alone. This “drift-barrier hypothesis” has been successful in explaining extensive variation in genome size, mutation rate, transposable element abundance, and other molecular features across diverse taxa (1⇓–3). However, in PNAS Traverse and Ochman (4) report a striking exception to this theory by showing that transcriptional error rates are nearly equal across several bacterial species with very different population sizes.
Effect of immunization of mothers on cytomegalovirus infection in suckling mice.

SummaryFemale weanling mice were immunized with suspensions of MCMV infected salivary glands, then mated. Protection was conferred to their young by breast feeding, and to a lesser extent it was acquired in utero. Protection was manifested by a reduction in mortality, and by a reduction in the quantity of virus recovered from brain, liver, spleen, and salivary gland after challenge with 30 LD50. Neutralization antibody (plaque reducing activity) was present in serum of immunized females and in the plasma of sucklings born of and nursed by them, or those only nursed by them. It was not present in unimmunized females or in sucklings born of but not nursed by immunized females.
Sex Differences in Reported Psychophysiological Reactivity

On a self-report questionnaire, 9 out of 18 items presumed to reflect sympathetic or parasympathetic dominance differentiated between males and females. It was suggested that these findings related partly to cultural expectations, partly to differential stresses, and partly to real physiological or structural differences.
Characterization Method for Determination of Trajectory Prediction Requirements

*† ‡ Concepts for trajectory-based operations depend heavily on the performance of the underlying trajectory prediction capability. To address the system-level question “how good of a prediction is good enough?” a fast-ti me simulation method is presented. Modeling and simulation lends itself to capturing the se nsitivity of a concept’s critical performance criteria, to the performance of its supporting trajectory-prediction capability. Given the significant initial cost to develop and va lidate an appropriate simulation tool a characterization method is proposed to provide quicker, yet less precise results in the interim. The analysis characterizes the traj ectory-prediction errors associated with key modeling options for a specific concept. Concept developers can then identify the relative sizes of trajectory prediction errors associated with key modeling options, and qualitatively determine which options would lead to the failure of their concept. The characterization method is demonstrated for a case study involving future airport surface traffic management automation. Of the four sources of error considered in this study, the average variation from the baseline trajectory associat ed with acceleration segments is 10%; the average variation associated with turn modeling is 4%; and the average variation associated with taxi-speed estimation is 29%. These results and the judgment of the concept developer indicate that potential error associated with accelerations segments is unacceptable, the potential error associated with turn modeling is acceptable, and the potential error associated with taxi-speed estimation is of concern and needs a higher fidelity concept simulation to obtain a more precise result. These results point to some specific surfaceautomation trajectory-prediction requirements that can be implement ed right away while modeling and simulation tools are developed to determine other requirements in greater detail.
Faculty Scholarship Has a Profound Positive Association With Student Evaluations of Teaching—Except When It Doesn’t

Conventional wisdom holds that research-productive faculty are also the finest instructors. But, is this commonly held belief correct? In the current study, the notion that faculty scholarship exhibits a positive association with teaching evaluations is investigated. Reflecting the data structure of faculty nested within university, the current study uses hierarchical linear modeling, and finds that scholarship displays a positive correspondence with teaching evaluations, but only for male faculty publishing in elite or top-tier marketing journals. Although this linkage is only found under specific conditions, it stands in contrast to much of the extant literature, which reports little to no correlation between research and teaching evaluations. In addition, significant control variables and interactions, at both the faculty level (i.e., gender, faculty title) and university level (i.e., tuition, entry GPA, flagship university), are identified. In total, the findings suggest that while there is an associa...
The effects of oral d-amphetamine on impulsivity in smoked and intranasal cocaine users

Abstract Background Effective treatments for cocaine use disorders remain elusive. Two factors that may be related to treatment failures are route of cocaine used and impulsivity. Smoked cocaine users are more likely to have poorer treatment outcomes compared to intranasal cocaine users. Further, cocaine users are impulsive and impulsivity is associated with poor treatment outcomes. While stimulants are used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and attenuate certain cocaine-related behaviors, few studies have comprehensively examined whether stimulants can reduce behavioral impulsivity in cocaine users, and none examined route of cocaine use as a factor. Methods The effects of immediate release oral d -amphetamine (AMPH) were examined in 34 cocaine users (13 intranasal, 21 smoked). Participants had three separate sessions where they were administered AMPH (0, 10, or 20 mg) and completed behavioral measures of impulsivity and risk-taking and subjective measures of abuse liability. Results Smoked cocaine users were more impulsive on the Delayed Memory Task, the GoStop task and the Delay Discounting Task than intranasal cocaine users. Smoked cocaine users also reported more cocaine craving and negative mood than intranasal cocaine users. AMPH produced minimal increases on measures of abuse liability (e.g., Drug Liking). Conclusions Smoked cocaine users were more impulsive than intranasal cocaine users on measures of impulsivity that had a delay component. Additionally, although AMPH failed to attenuate impulsive responding, there was minimal evidence of abuse liability in cocaine users. These preliminary findings need to be confirmed in larger samples that control for route and duration of cocaine use.
Construction of Eukaryotic Expression Vector for TGF-β1 and its Expression in Mouse Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Objective:To construct eukaryotic expression vector of the transforming growth factor β1(TGF-β1),and express the fusion protein TGF-β1-copGFP in mouse marrow mesenchymal stem cells(BMSC).Methods:The full-length coding sequence of TGF-β1 was amplified from the cDNA of mouse lung sample by PCR, and was cloned into theXbaⅠ/BstBⅠ sites of the pCDH1-EF1-copGFP expression vector. After sequencing, the recombinant plasmid was transfected into BMSC and was observed by laser confocal microscopy and Western blot.Results:The results of PCR and sequencing showed that the recombinant plasmid pCDH1-TGFβ1-EF1-copGFP was constructed. What's more, the TGF-β1-copGFP protein can expressed in BMSC.Conclusion:The recombinant plasmid pCDH1-TGFβ1-EF1-copGFP was constructed and it can express the protein TGF-β1 in BMSC, which provided a better understanding of the biological behavior of BMSC regulated by TGF-β1.
Rayleigh-Ritz Variational Solution Technique

Purpose of Lesson To develop and apply the Rayleigh-Ritz solution technique to demonstrate the need for accurate boundary models in variational methods and to identify the modeling limitations that motivate the use of the finite element method.
Evolution of simple multicellularity increases environmental complexity

Multicellularity--the integration of previously autonomous cells into a new, more complex organ- ism--is one of the major transitions in evolution. Multicellularity changed evolutionary possibilities and facilitated the evolution of increased complexity. Transitions to multicellularity are associated with rapid diversification and increased ecological opportunity but the potential mechanisms are not well understood. In this paper we explore the ecological mechanisms of multicellular diversification during experimental evolution of the brewer's yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The evolution from single cells into multicellular clusters modifies the structure of the environment, changing the fluid dynamics and creating novel ecological opportunities. This study demonstrates that even in simple conditions, incipient multicellularity readily changes the environment, facilitating the origin and maintenance of diversity.
Childbirth, Women, and Doulas

This note of thanks written to Amy’s labor support woman, referred to as her doula, displays the intensity with which some women view the childbirth experience and the experience of childbirth with a doula as transformative. While not every woman has the same experience with a doula, the overall medical consensus is that doulas provide positive childbirth outcomes for women and their babies. One of the roles of the doula, specifically in hospital childbirth, is to advocate for the laboring woman as she navigates the medical system in addition to providing continuous physical and emotional support. How and in what way this happens is the target of this book. This research investigated the work of doulas and the perceptions of how doulas differed from other medical personnel. It examined the different aspects of the doulas’ role as they prepared, accompanied, and then reflected back with the birthing woman and her partner about the childbirth experience.
Culture and Couples: Does Partner Disability Differentially Infl uence Mental Health Across Mexico and the US?

Though considerable research has been devoted to examining the effects of marriage on health and on how couples affect each other’s health, there is little information on older ethnic couples, and none, of which we are aware, on cross national comparisons of couples and health. In this research, we address this limitation by examining the influence of one partner’s disability on the other partner’s change in depressive symptoms among older Mexican American and Mexican couples. Data are from respondents aged 65 and over from two waves (1993–1994, 1995–1996) of the Hispanic Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly (H-EPESE, n = 553 couples) and two waves (2001, 2003) of the Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS, n = 832 couples). Using OLS regression, we assess the extent to which husbands’ disability levels influence change in depressive symptoms for wives and vice versa. We address three research questions: (1) Is increased disability of one spouse associated with an increase in depressive symptoms from baseline to follow-up in Mexico and the US?; (2) Does this relationship vary by gender in the two countries?; and (3) Does this relationship vary by nativity in the US? Results suggest that increased levels of disability of wives are associated with an increase in husbands’ depressive symptoms in the H-EPESE and that increased levels of disability of husbands are associated with an increase in wives’ depressive symptoms in the MHAS. Finally, there is preliminary evidence that, in the US, this relationship is modified by nativity, such that only the foreign born wives do not show significantly increased depressive symptoms with increased disability of the spouse. As the population continues to age and become more diversified, caregiving burdens will likely increase and put pressure on family systems to respond. It is important to examine the potential impact of disability of spouses on their partners and to clarify gender and cultural differences in health in the couple context.
Virtual humans for temperature visualization in a tangible augmented reality educational game

Our primary objective is to enable effective game based learning approaches in tangible augmented reality. In game based learning there is often a tradeoff in motivation between the educational aspects and game aspects. For example, consider our previous work - a tangible augmented reality application for passive solar energy education (AR-SEE), in which users learn about the science behind architectural design by interacting with a tangible model house and an augmented reality-based visualization of energy transfer within the house. This research extends AR-SEE to begin to convert this educational simulation into an effective educational game by introducing gaming elements, such as interactive virtual humans. Although it is known that AR-SEE does enable learning, it is unknown how the addition of interactive virtual humans will affect user perception of temperature data and learning. In this paper, the goal was to compare user perception of two approaches to temperature data visualization in in tangible augmented reality on mobile phones: 1) the current particle-based visualization (i.e., based on the science of energy transfer) and 2) novel virtual human-based visualizations. The game was intended for high school students. However, as a preliminary study, we conducted a user study with 27 3rd and 4th year architecture students that compared these two visualization approaches and their impact on temperature estimation, motivation, and perceived learning effectiveness. In the future, we plan to integrate this game into high school curricula.
Student-Athlete Educational Records? The Involvement of FERPA Within Recent NCAA Division I Academic Scandals

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) was enacted in 1974 to protect the privacy of student academic records (FERPA, 2015). FERPA restricts the disclosure without consent of certain student records, files, documents, and other materials managed by educational institutions (U.S. Department of Education, 2004). Athletic departments have been criticized for expanding these rules to protect themselves in times of academic scandals (Escoffery, 2014; Riepenhoff & Jones, 2009; Salzwedel & Ericson, 2003). This study investigated the use of FERPA during two recent academic scandals involving Division I universities’ athletics programs: the University of North Carolina and the University of Notre Dame. Both universities were investigated for student-athlete academic dishonesty and employed different paths when disseminating information to the public demonstrating the ambiguous and inconsistent application of FERPA. Recommendations for universities faced with implementing FERPA to protect student rec...
Online decision making for stream-based robotic sampling via submodular optimization

We consider the problem of online robotic sampling in environmental monitoring tasks where the goal is to collect k best samples from n sequentially occurring measurements. In contrast to many existing works that seek to maximize the utility of the selected samples online, we aim to find the cardinality constrained subset of streaming measurements under irrevocable sampling decisions so that the prediction over untested measurements is most accurate. Using the information theoretic criterion, we present an online submodular algorithm for stream-based sample selection with a provable performance bound. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our algorithm via simulations of information gathering from indoor static sensors.