cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
29 MATERNAL EMOTIONAL DEPRIVATION ASSOCIATED WITH LOW BIRTH WEIGHT

Early prenatal identification of the mother who is likely to produce a low birth weight (LBW) infant is difficult, but would be helpful in management. Thirty very low birth weight (VLBW, < 1500 grams) infant-mother pairs and 30 full-term controls (C) were selected sequentially over an 18-month period. They were matched by maternal age, parity and sex of infant. The Michigan Screening Profile for Parenting (MSPP, Helfer et al), which identified potential for problems in parent-child interaction, was administered to each mother at the time of the infant's discharge and again one month later. Preliminary analysis shows significant differences between VLBW's and C's: 1) 42% of VLBW mothers responded negatively or inconsistently to “Emotional needs met” (reflecting a non-nurturing upbringing) versus 19% of C's; 2) 21% of VLBW mothers reported poor relationships with their parents versus 6% of C's; 3) 17% of VLBW mothers had realistic expectations for their children, versus 44% of C's; 4) 29% of VLBW mothers reported a pregnancy interval of less than 1 year versus 7% of C's. 67 LBW's (1500-2500 grams) showed 38% with pregnancy interval less than 1 year, and 45% with psychosocial problems. These results suggest that knowledge of emotional deprivation might lead to earlier identification of women at risk for LBW infants, and to more effective prevention of LBW.
Twinning in Pr24O44: An investigation by high-resolution electron microscopy

Abstract In the oxidation of Pr 7 O 12 to Pr 24 O 44 , the diminished number of defects within the crystal are structurally redistributed. Both structures have a direct relationship to the fluorite lattice for the arrangement of the metal and the oxygen atoms. The defect cluster in these structures consists of two vacancies within the oxygen sublattice that are paired along the [111] direction of the fluorite cell. The transition from one phase to the other is very often accompanied by twinning and also by the formation of antiphase boundaries. It is shown here that twin domains can be related to the loss of symmetry during transformation from the fluorite-related rhombohedral Pr 7 O 12 to the triclinic Pr 24 O 44 . The family tree for the rare-earth oxygen-deficient fluorite-related structures is used to explain the twinning observed in Pr 24 O 44 .
A note on mean-field variational approximations in Bayesian probit models

We correct some conclusions presented by Consonni and Marin (2007) on the performance of mean-field variational approximations to Bayesian inferences in the case of a simple probit model. We show that some of their presentations are misleading and thus their results do not fairly present the performance of such approximations in terms of point estimation under the specified model.
Successional changes in the chicken cecal microbiome during 42 days of growth are independent of organic acid feed additives

Poultry remains a major source of foodborne bacterial infections. A variety of additives with presumed anti-microbial and/or growth-promoting effects are commonly added to poultry feed during commercial grow-out, yet the effects of these additives on the gastrointestinal microbial community (the GI microbiome) as the bird matures remain largely unknown. Here we compared temporal changes in the cecal microbiome to the effects of formic acid, propionic acid, and medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA) added to feed and/or drinking water. Cecal bacterial communities at day of hatch (n = 5 birds), 7d (n = 32), 21d (n = 27), and 42d (n = 36) post-hatch were surveyed using direct 454 sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons from each bird in combination with cultivation-based recovery of a Salmonella Typhimurium marker strain and quantitative-PCR targeting Clostridium perfringens. Treatment effects on specific pathogens were generally non-significant. S. Typhimurium introduced by oral gavage at day of hatch was recovered by cultivation from nearly all birds sampled across treatments at 7d and 21d, but by 42d, S. Typhimurium was only recovered from ca. 25% of birds, regardless of treatment. Sequencing data also revealed non-significant treatment effects on genera containing known pathogens and on the cecal microbiome as a whole. In contrast, temporal changes in the cecal microbiome were dramatic, highly significant, and consistent across treatments. At 7d, the cecal community was dominated by three genera (Flavonifractor, Pseudoflavonifractor, and a Lachnospiracea sequence type) that accounted for more than half of sequences. By 21d post-hatch, a single genus (Faecalibacterium) accounted for 23-55% of sequences, and the number of Clostridium 16S rRNA gene copies detected by quantitative-PCR reached a maximum. Over the 42 d experiment, the cecal bacterial community changed significantly as measured by a variety of ecological metrics and increases in the complexity of co-occurrence networks. Management of poultry to improve animal health, nutrition, or food safety may need to consider the interactive effects of any treatments with the dramatic temporal shifts in the taxonomic composition of the cecal microbiome as described here.
Efficient software-based fault isolation

One way to provide fault isolation among cooperating software modules is to place each in its own address space. However, for tightly-coupled modules, this solution incurs prohibitive context switch overhead. In this paper, we present a software approach to implementing fault isolation within a single address space.Our approach has two parts. First, we load the code and data for a distrusted module into its own fault do main, a logically separate portion of the application's address space. Second, we modify the object code of a distrusted module to prevent it from writing or jumping to an address outside its fault domain. Both these software operations are portable and programming language independent.Our approach poses a tradeoff relative to hardware fault isolation: substantially faster communication between fault domains, at a cost of slightly increased execution time for distrusted modules. We demonstrate that for frequently communicating modules, implementing fault isolation in software rather than hardware can substantially improve end-to-end application performance.
A critical review of the relationship between gestational weight gain and preterm delivery

Objective : To review the relationship between gestational weight gain and preterm delivery. Data Sources : We identified published studies through Medline searches (for the period 1980–1996), and we reviewed bibliographies from published articles. Methods of Study Selection : We excluded non-English-language articles and articles that used total weight gain, unadjusted for gestational age. Thirteen articles were identified for review. Tabulation, Integration, and Results : Eleven of the 13 studies reported a significant association between maternal weight gain and risk of preterm delivery, and most reported that inadequate rate of maternal weight gain was associated with an increased risk (approximately 50–100%) of preterm delivery. Studies examining pattern of gain noted that a low rate of gain during the latter part of pregnancy (but not early pregnancy) was associated with an increased risk of preterm delivery (also approximately 50–100%). The studies' findings were relatively consistent, despite the use of diverse samples, study designs, and analytic strategies. Conclusion : The evidence suggests that a lower rate of weight gain during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of preterm delivery, and that a slow rate of gain during the latter part of pregnancy may be particularly important. To improve our understanding of the mechanisms of these relationships, future studies should examine pattern of gain; they should stratify analyses on the different subtypes of preterm delivery and provide more detailed descriptions of methods for assessing gestational duration.
Influence of Reynolds Number on Performance Modeling of Horizontal Axis Wind Rotors

This paper investigates the influence of Reynolds number on performance modeling of horizontal axis wind rotors. A procedure for accounting for Reynolds number effects on airfoil section models was developed and implemented for NACA 0012 and NACA 4415 profiles; both of these models is valid through angles of attack up to 90 deg and for Reynolds numbers ranging from 4 x 10/sup 4/ to 3 x 10/sup 6/. These models were incorporated into both a lifting line computer code, LL200R, adapted for this report. This enabled greater uncertainty to be obtained in evaluating theoretical performance codes with respect to actual data, as well as providing a means by which a parametric analysis of the relative effects of Re changes on rotor performance to be performed. The use of low Reynolds number section data was found to significantly lower the predicted values of power coefficient, particularly at off-design tip speed-ratios. For symmetrical airfoils, this effect on performance was only significant for low tip-speed- ratios, while cambered airfoils were affected more uniformly at all operating conditions. Changes in performance were induced by parametric variations of wind speed, rotor scale, and rotor generating mode using the Reynolds number dependent section models. Results showmore » that wind speed variations are more significant for smaller rotors at lower wind-speeds, and section models represented at only a single Reynolds number are more suitable for the analysis of constant RPM rotors.« less
SEQUENTIAL ESTIMATION FOR SUPERCRITICAL BRANCHING PROCESSES

The problem of bounded risk point estimation of the offspring mean of a supercritical branching process is considered. A Chow-Robbins type sequential sampling rule is proposed in order to determine a sample size and thereby construct a sequential estimator of the mean. It turns out that, in this example, the sampling rule is asymptotically efficient but, unfortunately, the sequential estimator is not asymptotically risk efficient. Non-ergodicity of the process and the large deviation behavior of the estimator seem to be the underlying reason for this unfortunate phenomenon.
Changes in dendritic spine density in the preoptic area of the female rat at puberty

Preoptic area (POA) neurons stained by a modification of the Golgi-Kopsch method were studied in developing female rats. Particular attention was focused on dendritic spine densities as they might be altered in relation to the onset of puberty. Neurons in the anterior superior and posterior superior portions of the POA showed an increase in mean spine density at the age of vaginal opening. The increase in dendritic spine density in the posterior inferior quadrant of POA occurred prior to vaginal opening. The entire posterior POA maintained peak levels of spine numbers through 55 days of age, but then exhibited a dramatic drop at 75 days. Thus, modification of the neuropil may well continue at least to this age. The increases in spine densities at vaginal opening for the superior POA quadrants, followed by relatively stable values, appear to implicate these areas in the timing of the onset of puberty.
Quality assurance of the timing properties of real-time, reactive system-of-systems

The paper concerns the quality assurance of the timing properties of complex, real-time, reactive system-of-systems. It builds upon our previous work on run-time model checking of timing properties and the automatic white-box testing based on run-time assertion checking, and brings together several technologies to improve the predictability of the system-of-systems' logical and timing behavior. The paper presents microkernel architecture for evolvable system-of-systems to isolate the computations that are likely to change with time from the basic control logics that are invariant in the application domain, and a testing methodology that is based on formal statechart assertions. We demonstrate the approach with a conceptual design of ballistic missile defense battle management software.
Understanding the Usability Construct: User-Perceived Usbility:

The usability profession has seen success in industry and academia, as well as recognition in the popular press. However, inconsistent measurement, unreliable problem identification, inappropriate ...
Wives and household wealth: the impact of the 1870 British Married Women's Property Act on wealth-holding and share of household resources

I examine wealth-holding and the share of household wealth owned by women married in the years surrounding the 1870 Married Women's Property Act. The Act, which gave women married after 1870 the right to own and control personal property, serves as a natural experiment to examine the extent to which individuals respond to the law. I link wealth-holding data to census information and find that, as a result of the Act, women married after 1870 shifted their wealth-holding away from real property to personal property. Moreover, women married after the Act owned a larger share of household wealth than women married before the Act.
Use of Porous Tantalum Metaphyseal Cones for Severe Tibial Bone Loss During Revision Total Knee Replacement

BACKGROUND: The best treatment method for large tibial bone defects during revision knee replacement has not been established. The purpose of this study was to determine the initial results obtained with a unique reconstructive implant, the porous tantalum metaphyseal cone, designed as an alternative treatment for severe tibial bone loss following total knee arthroplasty. METHODS: Porous tantalum metaphyseal cones were implanted during fifteen revision total knee replacements in eight women and seven men who had an average age of 68.1 years at the time of the procedure. The patients had had an average of 3.5 prior total knee replacements. According to the Anderson Orthopaedic Research Institute bone defect classification, eight knees had a Type-3 defect and seven knees had a Type-2B bone defect. All patients were followed clinically and radiographically. RESULTS: The patients were followed for an average of thirty-four months (range, twenty-four to forty-seven months). Overall, the average Knee Society clinical scores improved from 52 points preoperatively to 85 points at the time of the final follow-up. At the final follow-up evaluation, all fifteen porous metaphyseal cones showed evidence of osseointegration with reactive osseous trabeculation at points of contact with the tibia. There was no evidence of loosening or migration of any of these tibial reconstructions at the time of final follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: At the time of short-term follow-up, the porous tantalum metaphyseal tibial cones effectively provided structural support for the tibial implants in this series. The potential for long-term biologic fixation may provide durability for these tibial reconstructions. Long-term follow-up and comparison with alternative reconstructive techniques will be required to evaluate the true effectiveness of this treatment approach. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Mirage effect from thermally modulated transparent carbon nanotube sheets

The single-beam mirage effect, also known as photothermal deflection, is studied using a free-standing, highly aligned carbon nanotube aerogel sheet as the heat source. The extremely low thermal capacitance and high heat transfer ability of these transparent forest-drawn carbon nanotube sheets enables high frequency modulation of sheet temperature over an enormous temperature range, thereby providing a sharp, rapidly changing gradient of refractive index in the surrounding liquid or gas. The advantages of temperature modulation using carbon nanotube sheets are multiple: in inert gases the temperature can reach >2500 K; the obtained frequency range for photothermal modulation is ∼100 kHz in gases and over 100 Hz in high refractive index liquids; and the heat source is transparent for optical and acoustical waves. Unlike for conventional heat sources for photothermal deflection, the intensity and phase of the thermally modulated beam component linearly depends upon the beam-to-sheet separation over a wide range of distances. This aspect enables convenient measurements of accurate values for thermal diffusivity and the temperature dependence of refractive index for both liquids and gases. The remarkable performance of nanotube sheets suggests possible applications as photo-deflectors and for switchable invisibility cloaks, and provides useful insights into their use as thermoacoustic projectors and sonar. Visibility cloaking is demonstrated in a liquid. S Online supplementary data available from stacks.iop.org/Nano/22/435704/mmedia (Some figures in this article are in colour only in the electronic version)
A new application for acousto-optic cells in wavelength division demultiplexing

Wavelength division demultiplexing using acousto-optic cells as dynamic diffraction gratings is proposed. The system has the advantage of high resolution relatively low insertion loss, tunability for a wide range of wavelengths, and tunability for the intensity variation of the deflected beams. Analysis of the demultiplexing system for five channels in the 0.8 mu m region is discussed and computer simulation results are presented. >
Autoantibody Biomarkers in Prostate Cancer

Due to the low specificity of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), there is great need for additional serum biomarkers to supplement or replace PSA for the detection of cancer in patients. Early diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer are now becoming possible by employing the body’s endogenous immune system as a biomarker, which can serve as a natural “amplification strategy” to respond to the low amount of tumor-specific proteins by generating very-high-affinity T cells and antibodies. The strength of using autoantibodies for the detection of cancer lies in the sensitivity, specificity, and efficiency of the immune system. This article reviews the autoantibody biomarkers that have shown to be clinically useful in the diagnosis and prognosis of prostate cancer. Ultimately, autoantibody markers may provide information that can be used to tailor the treatment of individual patients.
An impressed field on a linear antenna: the diffraction theory

The application of diffraction theory to an impressed electric field on a linear cylindrical antenna is considered. It is shown that, physically, the impressed field on the antenna is the result of a diffraction of the driving field from the gap to the antenna surface and can be found by the methods of diffraction theory. The equation for the impressed field on a zero-gap antenna is reexamined. It is found that the impressed field on a zero-gap antenna is concentrated on a narrow strip on the order of the antenna radius. On the other hand, inside the strip the impressed field is inversely proportional to the antenna radius. >
Advances in cooled semen technologies: seminal plasma and semen extender

This study evaluated motility and fertility of uncentrifuged and centrifuged equine semen following dilution in a skim milk-glucose extender with or without supplemental Tyrode's medium. In addition, the effect of seminal plasma addition to each extender was evaluated. For Experiment 1, motility of 48h cooled, stored spermatozoa was evaluated following eight dilution treatments: uncentrifuged and diluted 1:4 (v/v) in skim milk-glucose extender (EZ Mixin CSTJ; CST-1:4) or in CST supplemented 65:35 (v/v) with modified Tyrode's medium (KMT-1:4); uncentrifuged and diluted to 25x10(6) spermatozoa/ml in CST (CST-1:9) or in KMT (KMT-1:9); centrifuged and diluted in CST with 0% seminal plasma (CST-0) or 20% seminal plasma (CST-20) or centrifuged and diluted in KMT containing 0% seminal plasma (KMT-0) or in KMT containing 20% seminal plasma (KMT-20). Sperm motility parameters evaluated included percentage of total motile sperm (% TMOT), percentage of progressively motile sperm (% PMOT), curvilinear velocity (VCL) and straight-line velocity (VSL). Mean % PMOT was lower (P 0.05). We conclude that modified Tyrode's medium was not detrimental to establishment of pregnancy. Use of modified Tyrode's medium may improve spermatozoal motility and pregnancy rates for cooled transport of semen from stallions in which all seminal plasma must be removed because of suspected toxic effects of seminal plasma on spermatozoal viability, however, Tyrode's medium may be detrimental to sperm motility when seminal plasma is present.
Cyclodextrin-based micro neurotransmitter sensor for selective catecholamine hormone detection

This paper reports the fabrication and testing results of the first, within our knowledge, micro neurotransmitter sensor that enables selective detection of catecholamine hormones based on a differently-chemically-modified electrode array with respective cyclodextrin ‘catchers.’ Derangement within a sequence of catecholamine hormones through neuronal terminals is well known for causing human neuronal diseases. However, the accurate, real-time, and relative identification of catecholamine hormones (i.e. dopamine, L-dopa, and L-tyrosine) has been much limited because the affinities of catecholamine hormones are too similar to be distinguished by conventional enzyme-based chemical sensing methods. To address such limitations, we have employed cyclodextrin (CD) ‘catchers’ that physically engage differently-sized hormone molecules with high selectivity. The fabricated neurotransmitter sensor successfully identified individual hormones with respective CD ‘catchers’: α-CDs responded best to L-tyrosine producing 10% higher signature signal compared to others; γ-CDs to L-dopa by 45%; and β-CDs to dopamine by 47%, respectively. For example, the sensitivity of β-CDs detecting Dopamine (8.27×10−9A/M, A: ampere, M: mole) was higher than two other electrodes (7.96×10−9 and 7.54×10−9 A/M for α-CDs and γ-CDs, respectively).
Assessing Landowner Activities Related to Birds Across Rural-to-Urban Landscapes

Fluctuations of bird abundances in the Midwest region of the United States have been attributed to such factors as landscape change, habitat fragmentation, depredation, and supplemental feeding. However, no attempt has been made to estimate the collective role of landowner activities that may influence birds across a landscape. To investigate how landowners might influence birds when the majority (> 90%) of land is privately owned, we surveyed all 1694 private domestic landowners living on three breeding bird survey routes (∼120 km) that represent a continuum of rural-to-urban landscapes in Southeastern Michigan from October through December 2000. Our survey was designed to investigate (1) the proportion of landowners involved in bird feeding, providing bird houses, planting or maintaining vegetation for birds, gardening, landscaping, applying fertilizer, and applying pesticides or herbicides; (2) whether differences existed between urban, suburban, and rural landowner activities; and (3) whether landowners that carried out a given activity were sociodemographically different from those who did not. Of the 968 respondents (58.5% response rate), 912 (94%) carried out at least one of the activities on their land and the average landowner carried out 3.7 activities. A total of 65.6% fed birds, 45.7% provided bird houses, 54.6% planted or maintained vegetation for birds, 72.7% gardened, 72.3% landscaped, 49.3% applied fertilizer, and 25.2% applied pesticides or herbicides. Significant differences existed between the landscapes, with rural landowners having more bird houses and applying pesticides or herbicides in greater frequency. Similarly, urban landowners had a greater density of bird feeders and houses, but planted or maintained vegetation in the lowest frequency. Participation in activities varied by demographic factors, such as age, gender, and occupation. Scaling each activity to all landowners, including nonrespondents, across all landscapes indicates that between 14% and 82% of landowners may be engaged in a particular activity, with application of pesticides or herbicides having the least potential involvement (13.9%–55.4%) and gardening having the greatest potential involvement (40.1%–81.6%). Taken collectively, our results indicate that landowners are both intentionally and unintentionally engaged in a wide range of activities that are likely to influence bird populations.
Thrombopoietin Induces HOXA9 Nuclear Transport in Immature Hematopoietic Cells: Potential Mechanism by Which the Hormone Favorably Affects Hematopoietic Stem Cells

Members of the homeobox family of transcription factors are major regulators of hematopoiesis. Overexpression of either HOXB4 or HOXA9 in primitive marrow cells enhances the expansion of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). However, little is known of how expression or function of these proteins is regulated during hematopoiesis under physiological conditions. In our previous studies we demonstrated that thrombopoietin (TPO) enhances levels of HOXB4 mRNA in primitive hematopoietic cells (K. Kirito, N. Fox, and K. Kaushansky, Blood 102:3172-3178, 2003). To extend our studies, we investigated the effects of TPO on HOXA9 in this same cell population. Although overall levels of the transcription factor were not affected, we found that TPO induced the nuclear import of HOXA9 both in UT-7/TPO cells and in primitive Sca-1(+)/c-kit(+)/Gr-1(-) hematopoietic cells in a mitogen-activated protein kinase-dependent fashion. TPO also controlled MEIS1 expression at mRNA levels, at least in part due to phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activation. Collectively, TPO modulates the function of HOXA9 by leading to its nuclear translocation, likely mediated by effects on its partner protein MEIS1, and potentially due to two newly identified nuclear localization signals. Our data suggest that TPO controls HSC development through the regulation of multiple members of the Hox family of transcription factors through multiple mechanisms.
Management of diabetes mellitus on Yom Kippur and other Jewish fast days.

Objective: To create guidelines for patients with diabetes to fast safely on Yom Kippur and other Jewish fast days, with the primary goal of avoiding hypoglycemia.Methods: Almost 30 years of experi...
A Comment on Gray's Review of THE WAHI WANYATURU

(4) Ziegert does indeed look "Towards a Pleistocene Stratigraphy in North Africa" (major head, p. 137) and he does present a comparative stratigraphic chart (Fig. 31, p. 143) for Morocco (based on A. Ruhlmann!), three south Algerian areas, and Mauritania. The nature and the relevance of the literature that I felt to be apropos can be sampled in my own review of the Saharan region (Butzer 1971:312 ff., 581 ff.).
Persistence of MODIS evapotranspiration impacts from mountain pine beetle outbreaks in lodgepole pine forests, south-central Rocky Mountains

The current extent and high severity (percent tree mortality) of mountain pine beetle outbreaks across western North America has been attributed to regional climate change, specifically warmer summer and winter temperatures and drier summers. This study paired multiple mountain pine beetle outbreak location datasets, both current and historical, with Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO) Modern Era Retrospective-Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) products in order to quantify the full seasonal evapotranspiration impact of outbreak events for decades after outbreak (0 to 60 years). Following mountain pine beetle outbreaks in lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) stands in the Colorado Rockies we observed an 18.7 ± 1.4% (p < 0.01) reduction in the rate of summer evapotranspiration at 14 to 20 years since outbreak. We also observed a 21.6 ± 2.2% (p < 0.01) increase in the rate of summer evapotranspiration, relative to non-attacked stands, in intermediate-aged stands 30 to 40 years since outbreak. Changes to growing season evapotranspiration correlated positively with changes in stand density, stand leaf area index (LAI) and the fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (fPAR), while high incoming solar radiation during the summer months acted to amplify changes to evapotranspiration even given relatively minor changes to summer fPAR and LAI due to the rapid regeneration of understory vegetation. Lodgepole pine mortality from mountain pine beetle outbreaks showed lasting effects on stand-scale evapotranspiration which could have important implications for regional water resources.
Plasmid pKM101 muc‐− and muc‐+ mediated anthracycline mutagenicity and cytotoxicity in Salmonella typhimurium

Muc (mutagenesis: UV: chemical) genes of plasmid pKM101, along with the chromosomal gene recA are known to be important constituents for full expression of inducible error-prone DNA repair in Salmonella typhimurium. This study investigates the affects of muc+ pKM101 and three of its derivatives bearing muc- point mutations (pGW1, pGW16, and pGW21) on spontaneous as well as anthracycline-induced back mutation to histidine independence. Different base-substitution and frameshift his- tester strains of S typhimurium were treated with the anthracyclines daunomycin, Adriamycin, carminomycin, and 4-demethoxy-doxorubicin. In many cases the muc- plasmids did mediate dose-dependent anthracycline mutagenicity as measured by His+ reversion. In many of the his- strains, the presence of muc+ pKM101 or muc- plasmids also resulted in a concomitant elevation of spontaneous reversion patterns over those seen with the plasmid-free parent strains. As a result, the sensitivity of most strains to anthracycline mutagenicity (based on His+ revertants/spontaneous background/microgram anthracycline) was not enhanced by muc+ pKM101 or its muc- mutant derivatives. In contrast, the low incidence of spontaneous His+ reversion in strains of the hisD3052 series, along with the inherently greater sensitivities of these strains to anthracycline-induced reversion, demonstrate most dramatically the mutagenesis-enhancing effects of muc+ pKM101 and muc- plasmids. In these and other cases in which muc- plasmid effects on enhancement of strain sensitivity to mutagenesis or cytotoxicity are observed, the overall spectrum of enhancement is the following, in decreasing order: pKM101 greater than pGW16 greater than pGW1 greater than no plasmid approximately equal to pGW21. Possible correlations are drawn between muc- plasmid effects on anthracycline-induced mutagenesis and cytotoxicity.
Office-Based Anesthesia: Dispelling Common Myths

Background Running parallel with—and perhaps driven by—the huge increase in demand for cosmetic surgery, office-based anesthesia (OBA) is the fastest growing segment of anesthesia practice. Despite this, only 2% of anesthesiology residencies provide exposure to OBA, and many practicing anesthesiologists are not convinced that OBA techniques provide safe, reliable, and effective anesthesia care. Objective To examine OBA techniques and safety records while addressing some of the commonly held beliefs among anesthesiologists regarding OBA. Methods A review of 4800 patients undergoing 5264 cosmetic surgical procedures performed between 1997 and 2007 at Dudley Street Operatory (licensed in Rhode Island as a Physician Office Setting Providing Surgical Treatment and certified by the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities) was conducted. The primary anesthetic technique was deep sedation with a propofol ketamine infusion, combined with local anesthetic injection. Intercostal nerve blocks were performed before surgery in patients who had breast surgery and/or abdominoplasty. Endotracheal or laryngeal mask airway techniques were not used, nor were paralyzing agents, anesthetic gases, or vapors. Results There were 16 unanticipated postoperative admissions in 10 years, all but 3 from surgical complications (hematoma, infection, and pneumothorax during dissection for breast implants). One patient had an acute reaction to a small volume of local anesthetic injected into the nasal septum, one patient with a history of panic attacks had an acute anxiety attack manifested as chest pain, and one patient refused discharge from the operatory to home after a face lift, despite meeting postanesthesia care unit discharge criteria, and was admitted overnight to the hospital. There were no hospital admissions because of pain, nausea, or excessive sedation. Conclusions In experienced hands, OBA techniques deliver an anesthetic for office-based cosmetic surgery superior to the usual general anesthesia performed in hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers. These techniques are safe, do not require expensive equipment other than an infusion pump and vital signs monitor, avoid sore throats and nausea, provide postoperative analgesia, and are well received by patients and surgeons. OBA presents an opportunity for anesthesiologists and aesthetic surgeons to partner for greater patient satisfaction.
Pediatric Interventions Using Noninvasive Vascular Health Indices

Heart disease is currently the leading cause of death in the world.1 It is estimated that greater than a third of the population in the United States has at least 1 type of cardiovascular disease.2 Although its clinical manifestations typically emerge in middle age, the atherosclerotic process begins in childhood.3 Proatherosclerotic fatty streaks and raised lesions, which are deposits of cholesterol/esters and fibrous plaques, respectively, are seen in children as young as 3 and increase in number and severity with age.3 Children with cardiovascular risk factors will develop atherosclerosis in adulthood at an accelerated rate.4 Therefore, interventions during childhood and adolescence could prevent the development of atherosclerosis in adulthood. Noninvasive modalities are ideal to assess these interventions in children because of their safety and feasibility.5 Some of these techniques include carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) by ultrasound, endothelial function by reactive hyperemia, and arterial stiffness by tonometry, oscillometry, and ultrasound.5–7 This article reviews studies of diet, exercise, and pharmacological interventions using noninvasive vascular health indices as outcomes in children and adolescents. An understanding of past investigations will guide future research in this field. ### Endothelial Function One of the earliest detectable cardiovascular changes associated with disease is endothelial dysfunction. In normally functioning vasculature, the endothelium produces nitric oxide in response to shear stress caused by increased blood flow,8 which results in compensatory vasodilatation. If an appropriate degree of dilation is not reached, this is classified as endothelial dysfunction. Endothelial dysfunction can be caused by the reduction of nitric oxide being released or the inactivation of nitric oxide by an excess of reactive oxidative particles.9 Endothelial dysfunction is proinflammatory and prothrombotic.10 However, unlike atherosclerosis, endothelial dysfunction is treatable and reversible.11 Reactive hyperemia assessment is an established noninvasive method to assess endothelial function …
The pessimistic induction, the flight to reference and the metaphysical zoo

Scientific realism says of our best scientific theories that (1) most of their important posits exist and (2) most of their central claims are approximately true. Antirealists sometimes offer the pessimistic induction in reply: since (1) and (2) are false about past successful theories, they are probably false about our own best theories too. The contemporary debate about this argument has turned (and become stuck) on the question, Do the central terms of successful scientific theories refer? For example, Larry Laudan offers a list of successful theories that employed central terms that failed to refer, and Philip Kitcher replies with a view about reference in which the central terms of such theories did sometimes refer. This article attempts to break this stalemate by proposing a direct version of the pessimistic induction, one that makes no explicit appeal to a substantive notion or theory of reference. While it is premature to say that this argument succeeds in showing that realism is probably false, t...
Assessing the quality of molecular divergence time estimates by fossil calibrations and fossil-based model selection.

Estimates of species divergence times using DNA sequence data are playing an increasingly important role in studies of evolution, ecology and biogeography. Most work has centred on obtaining appropriate kinds of data and developing optimal estimation procedures, whereas somewhat less attention has focused on the calibration of divergences using fossils. Case studies with multiple fossil calibration points provide important opportunities to examine the divergence time estimation problem in new ways. We discuss two crossvalidation procedures that address different aspects of inference in divergence time estimation. ‘Fossil cross-validation’ is a procedure used to identify the impact of different individual calibrations on overall estimation. This can identify fossils that have an exceptionally large error effect and may warrant further scrutiny. ‘Fossil-based model cross-validation’ is an entirely different procedure that uses fossils to identify the optimal model of molecular evolution in the context of rate smoothing or other inference methods. Both procedures were applied to two recent studies: an analysis of monocot angiosperms with eight fossil calibrations and an analysis of placental mammals with nine fossil calibrations. In each case, fossil calibrations could be ranked from most to least influential, and in one of the two studies, the fossils provided decisive evidence about the optimal molecular evolutionary model.
Comparison of various oculoplethysmography modalities

This article compares the accuracy of commonly used oculoplethysmography (OPG) equipments--OPG/Gee, OPG/Kartchner, and OPG/Zira--in the detection of significant carotid stenosis. The first 200 patients (400 carotid arteries) with readily available carotid arteriograms were selected from each of the following categories: OPG/Kartchner, OPG/Gee, and OPG/Zira, making a total of 600 patients. The radiologic findings were divided into two categories: the first included patients with normal carotid arteries or vessels with less than 50% stenosis, and the second included patients with carotid stenosis greater than or equal to 50%. The results of OPG/Zira, OPG/Kartchner, and OPG/Gee are listed respectively: diagnostic sensitivity of 88.88%, 92.6%, and 96.0%; diagnostic specificity of 86.77%, 90.7%, and 91.8%; false positive rate of 6.0%, 5.1%, and 3.6%; false negative rate of 22.7%, 13.0%, and 8.9%; overall diagnostic accuracy of 88.25%, 92.0%, and 94.8%; and accuracy in determining bilateral carotid stenosis of 66.0%, 79.0%, and 89.5%. We concluded that the three machines were valuable in the diagnosis of normal carotid arteries and significant unilateral carotid stenosis. However, the OPG/Gee had slightly better overall accuracy and was more valuable in the diagnosis of significant bilateral carotid stenosis. The OPG/Kartchner had the advantage of being applicable in patients with extreme hypertension and cardiac arrhythmias. The OPG/Zira was limited in the diagnosis of bilaterally significant carotid stenosis.
The measurement of cognitive distance: Methods and construct validity

Cognitive distances are mental representations of large-scale environmental distances that cannot be perceived from a single vantage point but require movement through the environment for their apprehension. A comprehensive review of techniques for measuring cognitive distance is organized around five classes of methods: ratio scaling, interval/ordinal scaling, mapping, reproduction, and route choice. Advantages and disadvantages of each class are discussed, with particular reference to assessing estimation accuracy, and to their usefulness in various research contexts. Several general issues related to construct validity are also discussed.
Behavior and Timing Of Life-History Events In A Semi-Captive Population Of the Sonoran Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana sonoriensis)

Abstract The Sonoran pronghorn (Antilocapra americana sonoriensis) has been listed as endangered since 1967, yet little is known about its behavior due to difficulties observing them in the wild. During a study of Sonoran pronghorn in a semi-captive breeding facility in southern Arizona, we observed behaviors and timing of life-history events that have not been documented in peer-reviewed literature, including birth dates of fawns, pre-parturient and post-parturient behavior, timing of breeding season, behavior during the breeding season, date of horn casting by males, and response to predators. Behavior of the Sonoran pronghorn before and after parturition, during breeding, and toward predators was consistent with that reported for other subspecies. Timing of breeding, parturition, and horn casting all occurred earlier than reported for more northerly populations. Variation in timing of life-history activities was the main difference between the Sonoran pronghorn and other subspecies and would be expecte...
Spatiotemporal variation in pollinator taxa on the Santa Ana River woolly star Eriastrum densifolium ssp. sanctorum (Milliken) Mason (Polemoniaceae)

Flood control, via the construction of the Seven Oaks Dam in the Santa Ana River in southern California, has altered habitat in the downstream alluvial wash community and jeopardized the persistence of pioneer plant species that rely on periodic flood-scouring and sand recharge. One species, Eriastrum densifolium ssp. sanctorum (“ Eriastrum ”), an endangered perennial, has been greatly affected and persists in spatially separated populations on successional vegetation terraces. We made “dawn to dusk” observations of pollinators in three phenological stages at four sites, representing young and old seral stages, to identify primary pollinators and to elicit daily, site, and seasonal patterns of visitors. Data were compared to previous observations and correlated with annual rainfall to determine long-term trends. Shifts in pollinator taxa have occurred, with some consistency through time and space, during nine years. The sites with the highest pollinator abundance (older sites) are least suited to Eriastrum . Hummingbirds (prevalent in early season) and the Acton giant flower-loving fly (prevalent in late season) have been consistently present across years, whereas other taxa have varied. A shift from native bees to non-native bees has occurred, although native bees in the families Halictidae and Apidae (Micranthophora and Melissodes) remain important. In general, there was no correlation between taxa abundance and rainfall. Eriastrum appears to be a generalist able to take advantage of the behaviour, cycling, and availability of diverse pollinators daily, seasonally, and annually. !! NOTE !! Supplementary files can be found in the left menu (article tools)
Today: September 11. 2001

Today, it's another city They say. Another New York. Another L.A. Another America changed forever. Newscasters, generals, and presidents say.Today, it's another city They say. Bring third world terrorists to justice. Look for someone slightly darker (than even me) Maybe a guy not so slant-eyed, taller, Who speaks Arabic, Not Chinese or English.
Reconfigurable hardware architecture of the spatial pooler for hierarchical temporal memory

Self-learning hardware systems, with high-degree of plasticity, are critical in performing spatio-temporal tasks in next-generation computing systems. To this end, hierarchical temporal memory (HTM) offers time-based online-learning algorithms that store and recall temporal and spatial patterns. One of the key building blocks in HTM is the spatial pooler. In this paper, we propose a reconfigurable and scalable spatial pooler architecture that is ported onto a Xilinx Virtex-IV FPGA fabric. The concept of synthetic synapses is proposed for dynamic interconnections. The spatial pooler architecture is verified for two different datasets, MNIST and EU numberplate font, with ≈ 91% and ≈ 90% accuracy respectively. Moreover, the proposed hardware model offers speed up of 4817X over the software realization. These results indicate that the proposed architecture can serve as a core to build the HTM in hardware and eventually as a standalone self-learning hardware system.
Brain-Penetrant, Orally Bioavailable Microtubule-Stabilizing Small Molecules Are Potential Candidate Therapeutics for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Tauopathies

Microtubule (MT) stabilizing drugs hold promise as potential treatments for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related tauopathies. However, thus far epothilone D has been the only brain-penetrant MT-stabilizer to be evaluated in tau transgenic mice and in AD patients. Furthermore, this natural product exhibits potential deficiencies as a drug candidate, including an intravenous route of administration and the inhibition of the P-glycoprotein (Pgp) transporter. Thus, the identification of alternative CNS-active MT-stabilizing agents that lack these potential limitations is of interest. Toward this objective, we have evaluated representative compounds from known classes of non-naturally occurring MT-stabilizing small molecules. This led to the identification of selected triazolopyrimidines and phenylpyrimidines that are orally bioavailable and brain-penetrant without disruption of Pgp function. Pharmacodynamic studies confirmed that representative compounds from these series enhance MT-stabilization in the brain...
Abstract 1321: ERK1/2 show different activity profilesin vitroandin vivosubsequent to NOS inhibition

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC Nitric oxide (NO) is a crucial mediator of several survival mechanisms in tumor cells. Previous studies demonstrated that ionizing radiation (IR) stimulates NO generation activating pro-survival mechanisms including receptor tyrosine kinase and NF-κB-dependent pathways. In vitro, the IR-induced activation of these pathways survival pathways is inhibited by the NO synthase inhibitor, NG-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA). Furthermore, the addition of L-NNA to the drinking water of flank xenograft bearing animals slows tumor progression, kills tumor cells and with radiation enhances animal survival. To elucidate the mechanism(s) by which L-NNA acts in such tumors we conducted experiments to study intracelluar signaling pathway activation by L-NNA with and without radiation. Animals bearing flank xenografts received 10 Gy whole body irradiation either with or without prior L-NNA treatment. Tumors were excised at times post IR up to 30 minutes and protein lysates prepared for analysis by western blot. Cell monolayers were also similarly treated prior to cell lysis and protein analysis. The activation (phosphorylation) of ERK1 and ERK2 was assayed in cultured monolayers and in flank xenografts using the A431 and FaDu cell lines. In vitro, the addition of L-NNA to the culture medium had little effect upon the activation of either ERK. In vivo however, L-NNA treatment up-regulated the phosphorylation of both ERK isoforms without irradiation and following irradiation elicited a significant enhancement of ERK1 phosphorylation and an inhibition of ERK2. The current consensus is that ERK1 and ERK2, due to the similarities of their protein sequence, are similarly regulated and in general activate the same substrates. However, recent evidence has emerged to indicate distinct roles for ERK1/2 in addition to their overlapping actions. Indeed, the targeting of ERK2 has been seen to abolish Ras-dependent cell proliferation, an effect not observed with ERK1 targeting. Distinct signaling roles, and the opposite effects we observe upon ERK1 and ERK2 phosphorylation in vivo following L-NNA treatment may explain our previously reported findings of enhanced tumor control. In addition, these findings my shed light upon why ERK inhibitors show only moderate efficacy in clinical trials. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1321.