cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Corticolimbic brain reactivity to social signals of threat before and after sertraline treatment in generalized social phobia.

Background Generalized social phobia (gSP), also known as generalized social anxiety disorder, is characterized by excessive fear of scrutiny by others and pervasive avoidance of social interactions. Pathophysiologic models of gSP implicate exaggerated reactivity of the amygdala and insula in response to social evaluative threat, making them plausible targets for treatment. Although selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) treatment is known to be an effective treatment, little is known about the mechanism through which these agents exert their anxiolytic effects at a brain level in gSP. Methods We acquired functional magnetic resonance imaging data of brain response to social signals of threat (fearful/angry faces) in 21 gSP patients before and after they completed 12 weeks of open-label treatment with the SSRI sertraline. For comparison, 19 healthy control (HC) subjects also underwent two functional magnetic resonance imaging scans, 12 weeks apart. Results Whole-brain voxelwise analysis of variance revealed significant Group×Time interactions in the amygdala and the ventral medial prefrontal cortex. Follow-up analyses showed that treatment in gSP subjects reduced amygdala reactivity to fearful faces (which was exaggerated relative to HCs before treatment) and enhanced ventral medial prefrontal cortex activation to angry faces (which was attenuated relative to HCs before treatment). However, these brain changes were not significantly related to social anxiety symptom improvement. Conclusions SSRI treatment response in gSP is associated with changes in a discrete limbic-paralimbic brain network, representing a neural mechanism through which SSRIs may exert their actions.
Discriminative-stimulus effects of clozapine in squirrel monkeys : comparison with conventional and novel antipsychotic drugs

The effects of conventional and novel atypical antipsychotic drugs were compared to clozapine in squirrel monkeys that discriminated IM injections of clozapine (1.0 mg/kg) from saline in a two-lever drug discrimination procedure. Clozapine (0.03–3.0 mg/kg) produced dose-related increases in responding on the clozapine-associated lever with full substitution at the training dose in all monkeys. Dose-related increases in responding on the clozapine-associated lever and full substitution also were observed with structural analogues of clozapine including perlapine and fluperlapine (0.1–3.0 mg/kg), seroquel (0.1–5.6 mg/kg), and JL 5, JL 8 and JL 18 (0.1–3.0 mg/kg). Other clozapine analogues, including olanzapine, amoxapine, loxapine and clothiapine, and conventional antipsychotic drugs, including phenothiazines such as chlorpromazine and thioridazine, produced some clozapine-associated responding up to the highest doses that could be studied, but did not substitute for clozapine. Olanzapine did produce full clozapine-lever responding following pretreatment with the dopamine D2-receptor agonist (+)-PHNO (0.003–0.01 mg/kg). Putatively atypical antipsychotics that are structurally unrelated to clozapine including risperidone (0.003–0.1 mg/kg), sertindole (0.03–1.0 mg/kg) and remoxipride (0.1–5.6 mg/kg) similarly failed to substitute for clozapine up to the highest doses. The present results indicate that some, but not all, structural analogs of clozapine have clozapine-like discriminative-stimulus effects and that novel antipsychotic drugs which purportedly have clozapine-like clinical efficacy may not produce its interoceptive stimulus effects.
Childhood anxiety and depressive symptoms: trajectories, relationship, and association with subsequent depression

The development of child anxiety and depressive symptoms from mean ages 5.3 to 9.3 years was examined in a community sample of 133 girls and 134 boys, using parent and teacher ratings. Reliable individual differences in anxiety and depressive symptoms at mean age 5.3 and in their change to mean age 9.3 were observed, with significant correlations between depressive and anxiety symptoms at mean age 5.3 years and between their changes with age. Positive cross-lagged correlations from anxiety to depressive symptoms and negative cross-lagged correlations from depressive to anxiety symptoms were apparent in teachers' ratings at 6- to 12-month intervals. Developmental changes in teacher-rated child anxiety symptoms were robust predictors of child self-reported depressive symptoms at mean age 9.3 years. These results suggest assessment and interventions for emotional problems may be usefully implemented during childhood in school and peer social environments.
Electrochemical processes at well-defined surfaces

Abstract The structures of layers of atoms and ions formed on well-characterized single-crystal electrode surfaces in vapor and in electrolytic solutions at atmospheric pressure have been investigated by means of LEED, Auger spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry and related techniques. Electrodeposited layers of metals were generally found to be highly ordered when deposited onto well-defined substrates. Layer structure proved to be a sensitive function of the structure of pre-adsorbed adlattices. In related studies, organic compounds of various types were found to form a layer of oriented adsorbed molecules on atomically smooth substrates. Reactivity of these oriented adsorbed intermediates was sharply dependent upon orientation. Findings of this latter type involved accurate packing density measurements using thin-layer electrodes. Recent work will be reviewed and additional findings presented.
Shocks produced by impulsively driven reconnection

Shock waves produced by impulsively driven reconnection are investigated by carrying out numerical experiments using two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamics. The results of the numerical experiments imply that there are three different categories of shocks associated with impulsively driven reconnection: (1) fast-mode, blast waves which rapidly propagate away from the reconnection site; (2) slow-mode, Petschek shocks which are attached to the reconnection site; and (3) fast-mode, termination shocks which terminate the plasma jets flowing out from the reconnection site.
Transatlantic Trade and the Coastal Area of Pre-Liberia

Transatlantic trade affected the coastal area of West Africa that became Liberia in 1822. The impact of that trade has confused historians of the region, particularly the social and economic effects the trade had on the Vai, Kru, Glebo, and other ethnic groups. Before the arrival of Europeans in the fifteenth century, coastal pre-Liberia had been affected by internal and external social dynamics. The Mande, Mel, and Kwa were the first linguistic groups to reside in the region. The earliest home of the Mande has been traced to the area north of the Niger River, but there is disagreement as to the origins of the Mel and Kwa. All three linguistic groups contributed to population growth. Indeed, such Mel-speaking ethnic groups as the Kissi and Gola, and such Kwa-speakers as the Dei, Bassa, Kran, Kru, and Glebo came to pre-Liberia in about 988 A.D. The Mande-speaking groups, including the Mende, Bandi, Loma, and Vai, settled long after the other two linguistic groups had moved there. The Vai, isolated from other Mande-speakers for over two thousand years, reached the coastal area in the sixteenth century.1
Uncoordinated regulation of mRNA expression of the three isoforms of transforming growth factor-β in the mouse skin carcinogenesis model

The mRNA expression and autoregulation of expression of the three isoforms of transforming growth factor-beta (TGFbeta) were examined in the mouse skin carcinogenesis model by northern analyses. We found that TGFbeta3 mRNA levels followed a pattern similar to those of TGFbeta1 during carcinogenesis: the levels were somewhat low in normal skin but became highly overexpressed in late-stage papillomas and squamous cell carcinomas (15- to 20-fold higher than in normal skin). On the other hand, the TGFbeta2 mRNA levels remained relatively low in all benign and malignant tumors, even though the levels were higher than the nearly undetectable levels in normal skin. In a squamous cell carcinoma cell line (CH72), stable transfection and expression of a mutated simian TGFbeta1 cDNA producing bioactive TGFbeta1 significantly downregulated (mean greater than ten-fold) TGFbeta2 mRNA levels and modestly downregulated (about twofold) murine TGFbeta1 expression but had no effect on TGFbeta3 mRNA. In contrast, treatment of all CH72 clones with exogenous TGFbeta1, TGFbeta2, or TGFbeta3 either had no effect or slightly downregulated TGFbeta1 mRNA, upregulated TGFbeta2 mRNA expression an average of twofold to threefold, and strongly upregulated (mean 13- to 27-fold) TGFbeta3 mRNA levels. TGFbeta treatment of primary cultures of mouse skin keratinocytes upregulated all three TGFbeta mRNA levels slightly to moderately (1.3- to 5-fold). Thus, although TGFbeta1 and TGFbeta3 mRNA expressions were apparently coordinately upregulated during mouse skin carcinogenesis, the three TGFbeta mRNAs were differentially regulated by stable transfection of active TGFbeta1 versus exogenous TGFbeta treatment in CH72 cells and by TGFbeta treatments of normal keratinocytes versus carcinoma CH72 cells.
Infrastructure analysis system (IAS)

The Senior Policy Group, advisors to managers of the National Capital Region (DC, MD, VA) needs a decision aid tool to help in appropriating critical infrastructure protection funds. The proposed system is designed to work with data from energy, water, and healthcare sectors. The system addresses the combined problem of network degradation, and analysis. The system will also provide planning and capital budgeting guidance for government and sector authorities. Currently the Senior Policy Group does not have a comprehensive method for allocating resources. The areas with the highest concentration of infrastructure and sector relationships are most critical to the region. Infrastructure networks are dependent on each other. Network analysis and a graphical user interface are essential elements of the proposed system design. This paper discusses the design process associated with each component of the system. The combined system of inter-related networks will have been modeled and simulated to provide inputs to the decision analysis process required for capital budgeting. This paper presents the results of a prototype to evaluate critical infrastructure.
Alignment and calibration of a focal neurotransmitter uncaging system

Photolysis of caged compounds is a powerful tool for studying subcellular physiological functions. Here we describe protocols for the alignment and calibration of a focal uncaging system. We also report procedures for convenient quantitative calibration of uncaging. Using these methods, we can achieve submicron lateral resolution of photolysis and probe biological function in spines, the smallest signaling compartments of neurons. Initially, the entire alignment procedure takes 4–6 h to perform; periodic fine-tuning of the system takes 1–2 h.
ELEVATED LEVELS OF CIRCULATING INTERLEUKIN-6 AND TRANSFORMING GROWTH FACTOR-beta 1 IN PATIENTS WITH METASTATIC PROSTATIC CARCINOMA

AbstractPurpose: Specific cytokines have been found to be secreted by and influence the growth of prostate cancers in cell culture. Interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha), gr...
SEEPAGE INDUCED SLOPE INSTABILITY

Abstract The incidence of seepage induced failures has decreased significantly due to the drainage layers being placed above geosynthetic lined slopes. Unfortunately, a few long-term failures have occurred due to fines accumulated in the drainage layers at the toe of the slope. Thus buildup of seepage force can occur over time. This paper presents the requisite models and equations to analyze such seepage buildup. Two different seepage submergence ratio concepts are offered. An example problem and a parametric design clearly show the severity of the situation. Full submergence of a cover soil will effectively reduce the slope's factor-of-safety by 50%. Guidelines on submergence ratios from zero to fully saturated are offered. While the analysis of the situation is now available, the preferred design strategy is to avoid seepage forces altogether. To do so, toe drainage systems must be opened up significantly more than the current practice seems to indicate. Some recommended sketches are offered.
Cell shape in the algaPediastrum (Hydrodictyaceae; Chlorophyta)

Species ofPediastrum, a genus in which the colonies assemble from aggregating zoospores, differ in the number and form of prongs on peripheral cells and the amount of space between cells of the colony; cell shape appears to be genetically based. Peripheral cells of theP. boryanum colony, for example, have two prongs per cell;P. simplex has one prong per cell. Prong extension is suppressed in the interior cells ofP. boryanum, but prong sites have been reported in scanning electron micrographs of the cell walls. A mutant unicellular strain in which cells of the colony separate after attaining typical form reveals several prong sites (6 or more) in each cell. Multiple suppressed prong sites are evident inP. simplex cells as well. Polyeders, 4- and 5-pronged unicells, occur in the life cycle ofP. simplex. Based on these observations and a recent report byMarchant (1979) of a microtubule organizing center associated with the prongs, it is suggested that several microtubule organizing centers are to be found in zoospores ofPediastrum species and may be related to species differences in cell shape.
Differential intrastromal invasion by normal ocular surface epithelia is mediated by different fibroblasts

For most mucosal epithelia including the ocular surface, it is generally believed that wound healing is executed by epithelial migration on the plane of erosion or ulceration. In explant cultures, we incidentally observed the phenomenon of intrastromal invasion by corneal, limbal and conjunctival epithelial cells even when cell migration on plastics was promoted. Homotypic and heterotypic tissue recombinants between corneal and conjunctival epithelial cells and their stroma revealed that this phenomena was dependent on viable mesenchymal cells and was more active in conjunctival stroma than corneal stroma. Using organotypic cultures in which 3T3 fibroblasts were incorporated in collagen gel, we noted that this phenomenon was fibroblast-dependent and up-regulated by lifting the culture to the air-fluid interphase. The extent of intrastromal invasion was decreased if 3T3 fibroblasts were treated with increasing concentrations of mitomycin C. The invading epithelial islands retained the same basal and suprabasal epithelial phenotypes as those of the surface epithelial layers using several anti-keratin monoclonal antibodies. Using 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) to eliminate the rapid-cycling, i.e. transient amplifying progenitor basal cells, we further noted that this phenomenon could still be produced by 5-FU-resistant slow-cycling progenitor cells of corneal, limbal and conjunctival explants. In organotypic cultures, conjunctival fibroblasts were more active than corneal fibroblasts in inducing corneal or conjunctival epithelial invasion. As such intrastromal invasion can experimentally be produced by normal non-transformed adult epithelial cells and mediated by fibroblasts, this in vitro phenomenon may be useful for studying the epithelial-mesenchymal interactions operating during embryonic development and post-natal wound healing.
Consistent detection of a monotonic trend superposed on a stationary time series

SUMMARY Consider a time series made up of a signal and a stationary autocorrelated error series. A statistic is proposed for examining the hypothesis that the signal term is constant versus the hypothesis that it is monotonic in time. The statistic is the ratio of a linear combination of the time series values, with coefficients introduced by Abelson & Tukey (1963), to an estimate of the standard error of the linear combination. The statistic has asymptotic power 1 for a broad class of monotonic alternatives. The procedure is illustrated for the series of river heights at a location on the Rio Negro in Brazil where there is concern that the height is rising due to deforestation of the Amazon Basin. The significance level obtained is 0025.
A model for azinphosmethyl attenuation and movement in a Michigan orchard ecosystem: I. Development and presentation of the experimental data base

The environmental behavior of the pesticide azinphosmethyl was studied in a Michigan apple orchard watershed to gather data on initial distribution within the orchard and vertical movement of the pesticide under the influence of rainfall. Examination of residues reaching each layer showed the majority of the dislodgeable residues were distributed to the trees and grass-broadleaves. The litter-moss and soil contained residue levels roughly ten times lower than tree leaf residues. Analysis of residue data throughout the season indicated vertical pesticide movement among layers under both rainfall and no-rainfall conditions. The data were used to parameterize a model for azinphosmethyl attenuation and movement in an orchard ecosystem.
The Economics of Graduate Medical Education

Economists argue that residents effectively pay the full cost of their training, while their institutions treat federal GME funds as general monies. There are more effective ways to alleviate physicians' indebtedness and encourage doctors to go into primary care.
Instrumental Class Power and the Origin of Class-Based State Regulation in the U.S. Electric Utility Industry:

This paper analyzes the creation of state government-regulated electric utilities in the United States before 1915. Analyzing how class actors reactively mobilized power, created policy, and direct...
Risk and Protective Factors in Mathematically Talented Black Male Students: Snapshots From Kindergarten Through Eighth Grade

Within urban elementary schools are Black students who continue to challenge the normative deficit characterization of the educational opportunities of students like them. This study attempts to pr...
Seabird abundance, biomass and prey consumption within Prydz Bay, Antarctica, 1980/1981–1992/1993

Annual observations of seabirds within Prydz Bay, East Antarctica, between the 1980/1981 and 1992/1993 seasons revealed siginificant changes in abundance of the 9 resident and 15 non-resident species. An estimated 4.85 million individual residents and 2.35 million individual non-residents were present each season. For resident and non-resident species, mean abundance was 3.75 and 1.81 birds/km2, and mean biomass was 6.67 and 1.70 kg/km2, respectively. Based on estimated abundances, the total consumption of marine resources by the seabird community within Prydz Bay ranged from 471,000 to 1.1 million tonnes (mean 752,000±176,000 tonnes) per 6-month summer, or between 2.02 and 4.53 kg/km2 per day (mean 3.23±0.76 kg/km2 per day). The mean energy flux to the seabird community within Prydz Bay each summer was 3.13*1012 kJ, (range: 2.0*1012 kJ–4.4*1012 kJ), of which 66% went to the resident species. Regional abundance and biomass estimates for resident and non-resident species were both negatively correlated; when the estimated abundance and biomass of resident species were high, those of non-resident species were low.
Large scale exact quantum dynamics calculations: Ten thousand quantum states of acetonitrile

Abstract ‘Exact’ quantum dynamics (EQD) calculations of the vibrational spectrum of acetonitrile (CH3CN) are performed, using two different methods: (1) phase-space-truncated momentum-symmetrized Gaussian basis and (2) correlated truncated harmonic oscillator basis. In both cases, a simple classical phase space picture is used to optimize the selection of individual basis functions—leading to drastic reductions in basis size, in comparison with existing methods. Massive parallelization is also employed. Together, these tools—implemented into a single, easy-to-use computer code—enable a calculation of tens of thousands of vibrational states of CH3CN to an accuracy of 0.001–10 cm−1.
Propagation of light beams in continuously focusing lens-like media

A method is presented which allows a wave optical calculation of the Gaussian light beam in continuously focusing lenslike media. It is based on a formal quantum theory of physical optics. An example is worked out.
Evidence for three isozymes of chorismate mutase in alfalfa

Abstract Three forms of chorismate mutase (CM1, CM2, CM3) have been found in alfalfa plants. The isozymes are separable by DEAE-cellulose fractionation and gel electrophoresis. They are distinguishable by different molecular weights (46 000, 58 000 and 69 000, respectively), different activation energies (11 300, 20 800 and 13 500 cal/mole, respectively) and differing sensitivity to metabolic inhibitors, CM1 and CM3 are inhibited by phenylalanine and tyrosine and activated by tryptohphan, CM1 and CM2 are inhibited by caffeic and chlorogenic acid. CM3 is unaffected by these dihydroxycinnamic compounds, but is activated by 3,4-dimethoxycinnamic acid and inhibited by ferulic acid, two compounds which have no effect on CM1 and CM2. All isozymes are inhibited by p-coumaric acid. All three forms are present in all plant parts of the mature alfalfa and in green as well as etiolated seedling.
Differential gene expression mediated by late, very late and hybrid baculovirus promoters.

A series of recombinant viruses was constructed to study the regulation of expression from the promoter (Pcap) for the major capsid-protein-encoding gene (vp39) of the baculovirus, Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus. Each virus of this series contains the cat reporter gene under the control of Pcap or portions thereof. Pcap regulation of cat was determined at the RNA and enzyme activity levels, and was compared to cat gene expression driven by Ppolh, the promoter of the polyhedrin gene (polh). Although optimum expression was achieved with a 464-bp region, which included all three Pcap transcription start points (tsp), a 99-bp segment of Pcap containing a single tsp was sufficient to direct late cat expression. Ppolh and Pcap-mediated regulation differed temporally; Pcap-cat constructs were expressed at 12 h post-infection (p.i.) and continued through 48 h p.i., whereas Ppolh-cat were not expressed at 12 h, but were initiated around 18 h p.i. and underwent a burst of expression between 24 and 48 h p.i. A recombinant virus carrying a hybrid and polh promoter (Pcappolh) was also constructed and studied; Pcappolh contained the two distal tsp of Pcap and a proximal tsp of Ppolh. Pcappolh exhibited both 'late' and 'very late' regulation; the distal tsp were regulated as late sites and the proximal tsp was regulated primarily as a very late site although it also showed a weak late response. Hybrid late/very late promoters should prove useful in optimizing foreign gene expression using baculovirus vectors.
Establishing a Voice for History in Schools: The First Methods Textbooks for History Instruction 1896-1902.

This article is an examination of five early history methods textbooks. The textbooks reviewed here represent an overview of pre-1910 history curricula on a theoretical and developmental level, and offer a different view of history instruction. Historians Barnes and Fling and Caldwell created texts for the general or field market, Channing and Hart for students and teachers in public schools, and Mace and Bourne expressly for normal school and college preservice history teachers. Although Channing and Hart probably best represented and perhaps best captured the flavor of the recommendations made by the Committee of Seven, each of the five texts contributed to the traditional history curriculum by offering their descriptions and explanations of various facets of the overall program.
Designing On-Line Mediation Services for C2C Markets

This paper proposes an on-line mediation services (OMS) mechanism to alleviate the consequences of asymmetric information for traders in C2C markets. In an adverse-selection setting, the mechanism facilitates on-line transactions by (1) inducing traders to negotiate efficiently in the presence of ex post discrepancy, and (2) enabling sellers with higher probability of selling a high-quality product to signal their superiority and enjoy a price premium. The mechanism can also be implemented as a profitable business model.
On spatial smoothing of high resolution direction finding of real-valued sinusoidal signals

Spatial smoothing is a well-known method for high-resolution direction estimation, such as the MUSIC algorithm, of coherent sources. This method, however, was designed for complex-valued sinusoidal sources. In this paper we show that this spatial smoothing method equally applies to real-valued sinusoidal signal sources. A theoretical derivation as well as computer simulations are provided in this paper.
Results of Compact Stellarator engineering trade studies

A number of technical requirements and performance criteria can drive stellarator costs, e.g., tight tolerances, accurate coil positioning, low aspect ratio (compactness), choice of assembly strategy, metrology, and complexity of the stellarator coil geometry. With the completion of a seven-year design and construction effort of the National Compact Stellarator Experiment (NCSX) it is useful to interject the NCSX experience along with the collective experiences of the NCSX stellarator community to improving the stellarator configuration. Can improvements in maintenance be achieved by altering the stellarator magnet configuration with changes in the coil shape or with the combination of trim coils? Can a mechanical configuration be identified that incorporates a partial set of shaped fixed stellarator coils along with some removable coil set to enhance the overall machine maintenance? Are there other approaches that will simplify the concepts, improve access for maintenance, reduce overall cost and improve the reliability of a stellarator based power plant? Using ARIES-CS and NCSX as reference cases, alternative approaches have been studied and developed to show how these modifications would favorably impact the stellarator power plant and experimental projects. The current status of the alternate stellarator configurations being developed will be described and a comparison made to the recently designed and partially built NCSX device and the ARIES-CS reactor design study.
Monolithically integrated SiGe-Si PIN-HBT front-end photoreceivers

Fabrication and characterization of monolithically integrated SiGe-Si PIN-HBT transimpedance photoreceivers are reported. SiGe-Si technology has been developed leading to SiGe-Si HBT's with f/sub T/=23 GHz and f/sub max/=34 GHz, and to PIN photodiodes with responsivity of 0.3 A/W at /spl lambda/=850 nm and bandwidth of 450 MHz. SiGe-Si HBT transimpedance amplifiers showed transimpedance gain of 52.2 dB./spl Omega/ and bandwidth of 1.6 GHz, and the photoreceivers exhibited the bandwidth of 460 MHz.
Aortic Lipoprotein Lipase Activity in Relation to Species, Age, Sex, and Blood Pressure

It has been suggested that lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity may play a role in the etiology of atherosclerosis. To determine whether there is an inverse relationship between arterial LPL activity and the tendency for arteries to become atherosclerotic, determinations were made of the activities of the enzyme in homogenates of the aortas of animals under conditions associated with a greater or lesser tendency for atherosclerosis to develop. It was found that the LPL activities of the aortas of old rats and rabbits were significantly lower than those of young animals of the same species, respectively. Rats, which are resistant to the development of atherosclerosis, manifested about twice the aortic LPL activities that rabbits did, the latter animals being notorious for the ease with which they develop the disease. This was true regardless of the age and sex of the animals compared. These results support the hypothesis that low arterial LPL activity may be associated with increased atherogenesis. Aortas of female rats or rabbits, however, showed no greater LPL activities than did aortas of males of the same species. Renal and desoxycorticosterone-salt hypertensions were accompanied by significant increases rather than decreases in aortic LPL activity. The latter results are not consonant with the aforementioned hypothesis.
A Bench-Top, Automated, High-Resolution Analyzer for Ultraviolet Absorbing Constituents of Body Fluids

An automated, high-resolution chromatograph capable of separating as many as 150 ultraviolet-absorbing molecular constituents of body fluids has been previously developed. A smaller, improved version of this analyzer, which uses only one-eighth of the previously required quantity of ion-exchange resin, sample, and eluant, is described. Analysis time has been decreased from 40 to 20 h. A prototype system of this analyzer, which will fit on an ordinary laboratory bench top, has been built and is now being tested. The small prototype analyzer uses a folded, 0.22-cm ion-exchange column for separation and a recently developed dual-beam, dual-wavelength, uv-flow photometer for detection. A unique device has been developed to generate the buffer concentration gradient used in eluting the ion-exchange column. Analyses of body fluids with this prototype are comparable to those achieved with the larger analyzers.
Protecting Cookie-Based Internet User Sessions

Copyright: © 2012 Bassiouni M. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. The use of cookies to store useful information about an Internet session is reaching a universal level. Cookies are used in almost all Internet user sessions including social media (e.g., Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, Twitter, MySpace), media streaming (e.g., YouTube, Metacafe), retail industry (e.g., Amazon, Dell, Walmart) and various other applications (e.g., eBay, AAA). Cookies in these applications are used for many purposes including session and transaction authentication, selecting display mode, tracking of shopping cart contents, identification of user’s preferences, and tracking browsing behavior.
Transition From Crawling to Walking and Infants’ Actions With Objects and People

Associations between infants’ transition to walking and object activities were examined. Fifty infants were observed longitudinally during home observations. At 11 months, all infants were crawlers; at 13 months, half became walkers. Over age, infants increased their total time with objects and frequency of sharing objects with mothers. Bidirectional influences between locomotion and object actions were found. Walking was associated with new forms of object behaviors: Walkers accessed distant objects, carried objects, and approached mothers to share objects; crawlers preferred objects close at hand and shared objects while remaining stationary. Earlier object activities predicted walking status: Crawlers who accessed distant objects, carried objects, and shared objects over distances at 11 months were more likely to walk by 13 months.
Fuzzy techniques for image enhancement and reconstruction

A fuzzy-based enhancement algorithm that considers multiple-object images is presented. This algorithm is based on crisping the boundaries of the objects by minimizing their compactness. This concept is incorporated in an iterative reconstruction-reprojection algorithm which achieves a compromise between the boundary crispness of the reconstructed image and the fidelity of the available projections in incomplete angular coverage situations. Simulation results are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the algorithm. >
A tool for the implementation of databases

This paper describes a tool that may be used to implement databases. The tool is based on a semantic model, and is called Sedaco (SEmantic DAtabase Constructor). Sedaco provides primitives for implementing semantic Schemas and buffers the database designer from most low-level data structuring issues. Sedaco also efficiently maintains consistency within complex semantic databases. The tool is written in С and runs under Unix.
Intimate Partner Violence The Role of the Relationship Between Perpetrators and Children Who Witness Violence

The issue of the father-child relationship has been greatly ignored in the domestic violence research literature. This study investigated whether intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrated by biological fathers resulted in higher levels of posttraumatic stress symptoms and behavior problems than violence perpetrated by nonbiological fathers and whether children who witnessed violence perpetrated by multiple father figures had increased levels of posttraumatic stress disorder and behavioral symptoms. Eighty mothers who experienced domestic incidents completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and the University of California at Los Angeles Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Reaction Index (PTSD-RI) for their children aged 2 to 18. Children with multiple violent father figures had significantly more symptoms on the CBCL than children in the other two research groups while controlling for maternal symptoms and trauma history. There were no significant differences between the biological and nonbiological father groups or among the three groups on the PTSD-RI.
Reporting violence to the police: Predictors through the life course

article i nfo Available online xxxx Scholarship focused on factors that influence police reporting has a long history in the literature. Yet we lack a complete understanding of how these factors differentially influence reporting by age. Purpose: This paper aims to enhance our understanding of underreporting by investigating the relationship be- tween reporting and age, and how thisrelationship differs by crime type. The study further investigateswhether a variety of characteristics differentially influence reporting across the life course. Finally, the study asks how the nature of reporting varies by the victim's age. Methods: National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) data were used to assess whether there are age-related differences in the factors influencing the rate and nature of police reporting. Results: The findings suggest that the rate of reporting differs by crime type but that it generally increases through- outthelifecourse.Theinfluence of incident, victim,and offender characteristics on police reporting varies, not sim- ply between juveniles and adults, but also between young and older adults. The proportion of incidents reported to police by the victim his/herself also continues to increase with age. Conclusions: This suggests that disparities in police reporting cannot be reduced to juvenile-adult comparisons and should be studied across the full life course.
Specific retinal diacylglycerol and protein kinase C beta isoform modulation mimics abnormal retinal hemodynamics in diabetic rats

Purpose. Elevation of diacylglycerol (DAG) and protein kinase C (PKC) levels in diabetic vascular tissue is associated with abnormalities of retinal and renal hemodynamics. The object of this study was to determine whether direct elevation of retinal DAG levels, in the absence of'diabetes or hyperglycemia, can mimic the hemodynamic abnormalities normally observed in diabetic rats. Retinal DAG levels were elevated using an inhibitor of DAG kinase that converts DAG to phosphatidic acid. The effectiveness of a specific PKC-/? isoform inhibitor introduced directly into the retinas of diabetic rats in reversing diabetes-related abnormal retinal hemodynamics was also investigated. Methods. For retinal blood flow studies, diacylglycerol kinase (DGK) inhibitor R59949, at various concentrations, was injected into the vitreous of nondiabetic Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 33), and a PKC-/? isoform-selective inhibitor LY333531 was injected into the vitreous of rats with streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes of 2 weeks' duration (n = 21). Retinal hemodynamic changes were quantitated using video-based fluorescein angiography. Total DAG levels were assayed from five nondiabetic rat retinas after DGK inhibition and retinal PKC activities were assayed from six diabetic rat retinas after PKC-/? inhibition. Results. DGK inhibitor R59949 injected into the vitreous dose dependently increased the mean circulation time (MCT) and decreased retinal blood flow (EC50 = 10~ 8 M). After 30 minutes, 10~ 5 M R59949 induced a 1.7-fold increase in total retinal DAG levels, compared with the levels in vehicle-injected eyes, an increase in MCT from 0.87 ± 0.05 seconds to 1.44 ± 0.12 seconds (P < 0.01) and a decrease in retinal blood flow from 105.3 ± 6.5 pixelVsecond to 64.1 ± 5 pixelVsecond (P < 0.01). The effect of R59949 was sustained for 60 minutes after injection. These retinal hemodynamic parameters after DGK inhibition were comparable to those measured at baseline in rats with STZ-induced diabetes of 2 weeks' duration (MCT = 1.38 ± 0.20 seconds; retinal blood flow = 68 ± 11.2 pixelVsecond). Intravitreal injection of the PKC-/? inhibitor (LY333531) at 10~ 5 M in diabetic rats decreased by a factor of 1.6 the diabetes-related increased PKC activation, decreased the prolonged MCT (0.98 ±0.13 seconds; P< 0.01) and increased retinal blood flow (93.4 ± 14.2 pixelVsecond; P< 0.01). The measured retinal circulatory parameters after PKC inhibition in the retina were comparable to those measured at baseline in the nondiabetic rats. Conclusions. These results provide direct evidence that DAG elevation and subsequent PKC-/? isoform activation are the primary biochemical sequelae responsible for the development of the abnormal retinal hemodynamics observed in diabetic rats. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1997;38:27ll-2720.
Molecular Cloning, Expression, and Functional Significance of a Cytochrome P450 Highly Expressed in Rat Heart Myocytes

A cDNA encoding a P450 monooxygenase was amplified from reverse transcribed rat heart and liver total RNA by polymerase chain reaction using primers based on the 5'- and 3'-end sequences of two rat pseudogenes, CYP2J3P1 and CYP2J3P2. Sequence analysis revealed that this 1,778-base pair cDNA contained an open reading frame and encoded a new 502 amino acid protein designated CYP2J3. Based on the deduced amino acid sequence, CYP2J3 was approximately 70% homologous to both human CYP2J2 and rabbit CYP2J1. Recombinant CYP2J3 protein was co-expressed with NADPH-cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase in Sf9 insect cells using a baculovirus expression system. Microsomal fractions of CYP2J3/NADPH-cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase-transfected cells metabolized arachidonic acid to 14,15-, 11,12-, and 8, 9-epoxyeicosatrienoic acids and 19-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid as the principal reaction products (catalytic turnover, 0.2 nmol of product/nmol of cytochrome P450/min at 37 degrees C). Immunoblotting of microsomal fractions prepared from rat tissues using a polyclonal antibody raised against recombinant CYP2J2 that cross-reacted with CYP2J3 but not with other known rat P450s demonstrated abundant expression of CYP2J3 protein in heart and liver. Immunohistochemical staining of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded rat heart tissue sections using the anti-CYP2J2 IgG and avidin-biotin-peroxidase detection localized expression of CYP2J3 primarily to atrial and ventricular myocytes. In an isolated-perfused rat heart model, 20 min of global ischemia followed by 40 min of reflow resulted in recovery of only 44 +/- 6% of base-line contractile function. The addition of 5 microM 11, 12-epoxyeicosatrienoic acid to the perfusate prior to global ischemia resulted in a significant 1.6-fold improvement in recovery of cardiac contractility (69 +/- 5% of base line, p = 0.01 versus vehicle alone). Importantly, neither 14,15-epoxyeicosatrienoic acid nor 19-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid significantly improved functional recovery following global ischemia, demonstrating the specificity of the biological effect for the 11, 12-epoxyeicosatrienoic acid regioisomer. Based on these data, we conclude that (a) CYP2J3 is one of the predominant enzymes responsible for the oxidation of endogenous arachidonic acid pools in rat heart myocytes and (b) 11,12-epoxyeicosatrienoic acid may play an important functional role in the response of the heart to ischemia.
The Outcome of a Previous Social Interaction with a Same‐sex Conspecific Affects the Behavior of Meadow Voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus

In species where conspecifics compete for resources such as territories, remembering where a neighbor was previously encountered and the outcome of that interaction may give individuals advantages over nearby conspecifics. We used a two-phase experiment to test the hypothesis that female meadow voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus, who during the breeding season are territorial and agonistic toward one another, can use details of an encounter with another female in one location to later navigate nearby areas. During the encounter phase, pairs of females interacted for two minutes in one isolated section of a Y-maze; control females were placed in alone. Females were scored as either winners or losers. Winners displayed twice as many agonistic acts against their opponent. The test phase took place after a retention interval of one hour, 1 d, or 1 wk. Single females were returned to a clean and empty Y-maze and allowed to explore the entire apparatus for 15 min. We recorded the amount of time spent in each section of the maze. After retention intervals of one hour and 7 d winners, losers, and controls spent similar amounts of time in each section. However, after 24 h, winners spent more time in the encounter section; losers and control females spent similar amounts of time in each section. The results suggest that meadow voles’ memory of the details of a single encounter is influenced by the emotional valence attached to that event. The duration of memory may be associated with the establishment of territories by female meadow voles.
NOVEL STRUCTURAL FEATURES AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO THE ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES, OF THE ORGANIC CONDUCTOR (TMTSF)2NO3 AT 298 K AND 125 K.

Abstract The crystal structures, determined at 298 K and 125 K, of the most highly conducting (ambient pressure, T > 12 K) member of the TMTSF (tetramethyltetraselenafulvalene) family, (TMTSF)2 NO3, are presented. Specific features in the structure of (TMTSF)2 NO3 at 125 K form the basis for structural relations to the observed d.c. conductivity and the likelihood of an anion-ordered state below a 41 K phase transition. Although the differences in the crystal structures of (TMTSF)2 NO3 at the two temperatures are minor, the magnitude and anisotropy of the cation-anion and cation-cation interactions are much better described using the low temperature data. It is observed here that the NO− 3 anion remains disordered at 125 K with an N-N′ separation of 0.6 A. The disordered anion model presented here is not the same as that reported earlier, which described C6h (6/m) site symmetry for the nitrate without any N-N′ separation since the N atom remained on the inversion center. In particular, the previously prop...
Female Circumcision and Genital Operations in Egypt and the Sudan: A Dilemma for Medical Anthropology

Editor's Note: The author of this W. H. R. Rivers prize essay, a medical student simultaneously working on an M. A. in anthropology, reviews medical information on the sequelae of the various forms of genital surgery performed in Egypt and the Sudan and examines these procedures in cultural context. This juxtaposition of the health consequences of the procedures and their cultural meanings serves to raise in dramatic form both ethical and methodological issues inherent in the cultural relativist stance of our discipline. I have therefore asked several anthropologists to comment on the essay. The five commentators have been selected because they have carried outfieldwork in Egypt, the Sudan, or another area of Africa where female genital operations are performed and/or because they are concerned generally with issues of gender and health.
Topologically protected surface Majorana arcs and bulk Weyl fermions in ferromagnetic superconductors

A number of ferromagnetic superconductors have been recently discovered which are believed to be in the so-called ``equal spin pairing'' state. In the equal spin pairing state, the Cooper pairs condense forming order parameters ${\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{\ensuremath{\uparrow}\ensuremath{\uparrow}},\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}{\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{\ensuremath{\downarrow}\ensuremath{\downarrow}}$ which are decoupled in the spin sector. We show that these three-dimensional systems should generically support topologically protected surface Majorana arcs and bulk Weyl fermions as gapless excitations. Similar protected low-energy exotic quasiparticles should also appear in the recently discovered noncentrosymmetric superconductors in the presence of Zeeman splitting. The protected surface arcs can be probed by angle-resolved photoemission as well as Fourier transform scanning tunneling spectroscopy experiments.
Comparison of three methods for susceptibility testing of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis to 11 antimicrobial drugs

Objectives: To evaluate the BACTEC TM MGIT TM 960/MGIT Para TB (MGIT) system for drug susceptibility testing of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP), a pathogen implicated in some forms of Crohn’s disease. Methods: MICs of 11 drugs for 10 MAP strains were determined using the MGIT system, the BACTEC TM 460TB system (BACTEC) and conventional agar dilution methods. Results: MICs determined by MGIT methods showed 80%–100% agreement (+ +1 log2 dilution) with those determined by the BACTEC and agar dilution methods for ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, azithromycin and clofazimine. The MGIT and BACTEC methods showed 70%, 80% and 90% agreement (+1 log2 dilution) for MICs of ethambutol, rifabutin and rifampicin; agreement for all drugs increased to 100% at 2 log2 dilution differences. For clarithromycin, the MGIT method had greater agreement with the agar dilution method (70% at the same dilution) than the BACTEC method (60% at +1 log2 dilution); agreement increased to 100% at +2 log2 dilutions in both cases. The MGIT and agar dilution methods agreed 60% and 100% for amikacin MICs at + +1 log2 dilution and + +2 log2 dilutions, respectively. By all methods MICs were higher than achievable serum concentrations for isoniazid and dapsone. There was 100% agreement between all three methods for azithromycin, clarithromycin and ciprofloxacin, and 80% agreement for rifampicin using published MIC thresholds available for M. avium complex strains. Conclusions: This study shows that the MGIT system can be used for rapid and reliable drug susceptibility testing of MAP.