cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Decreased cerebral blood flow in the striatum is an early event in Huntington’s disease pathology (P1.8-044)

Objective: This study was designed to investigate cerebral blood flow (CBF) changes in HD patients and premanifest HD gene carriers. Background: The ultimate cause of neuronal death in Huntington’s disease (HD) is still uncertain. Apart from impairment in systems for handling abnormal proteins, other mechanisms, such as inflammation, might contribute to neurodegeneration and progression of HD. Cerebral hypoperfusion has been described in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, and in traumatic brain injury, and may play a role in HD. Design/Methods: 18 patients with genetically confirmed HD [11 manifest patients (48.6±10.9 y; 3M/8F), 7 premanifest HD gene carriers (47.3±9.4 y; 2M/5F)], and 13 controls (32.4±2.4 y; 7M/6F) underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 3T with pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling (pCASL) to quantify CBF, and 3D-MPRAGE for volumetric segmentation. pCASL images were analyzed with FMRIB Software Library (FSL) and FreeSurfer v5.3.0. Region of interest (ROI) analyses were performed to compare CBF in controls vs premanifest HD gene carriers vs manifest patients with HD (Kruskal-Wallis test followed by Dunn’s multiple comparisons test). Results: Both premanifest HD gene carriers and manifest patients had a significant decrease in CBF in deep gray matter (DGM) in comparison with controls (p=0.037). There was a significant decrease in CBF in bilateral caudate and putamen of manifest patients with HD in comparison with controls. The same changes were observed in premanifest HD gene carriers with a mean of 8 years before the predicted onset of clinical symptoms (p=0.035 and p=0.003 for left and right caudate, respectively; and p=0.029 and p=0.012 for left and right putamen, respectively). Conclusions: Our preliminary results suggest that hypoperfusion may be an early event in HD and precedes motor symptom onset. Decreased CBF and oxygen supply could emerge as a link between neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration in HD. These findings may impact future therapeutic strategies. Disclosure: Dr. Furr-Stimming has received personal compensation for consulting, serving on a scientific advisory board, speaking, or other activities with Medscape and TNS. Dr. Furr-Stimming has received research support from CHDI, Vaccinex, HDSA, ADAMAS, McGraw Hill. Dr. Pessoa Rocha has nothing to disclose. Dr. Latham has nothing to disclose. Dr. Charron has nothing to disclose. Dr. Papadimitropoulos has nothing to disclose. Dr. Colpo has nothing to disclose. Dr. Freeman has received research support from Biogen. Dr. Teixeira has nothing to disclose.
Single Center Experience with the AngioVac Aspiration System.

The AngioVac catheter system is a mechanical suction device designed for removal of intravascular material using extracorporeal veno-venous bypass circuit. The purpose of this study is to present the outcomes in patients treated with the AngioVac aspiration system and to discuss its efficacy in different vascular beds. A retrospectively review was performed of seven patients treated with AngioVac between October 2013 and December 2014. In 6/7 cases, the AngioVac cannula was inserted percutaneously and the patient was placed on veno-venous bypass. In one of the cases, the cannula was inserted directly into the Fontan circuit after sternotomy and the patient was maintained on cardiopulmonary bypass. Thrombus location included iliocaval (2), SVC (1), pulmonary arteries (1), Fontan circuit and Glenn shunt with pulmonary artery extension (1), right atrium (1), and IVC with renal vein extension (1). The majority of thrombus (50–95 %) was removed in 5/7 cases, and partial thrombus removal (<50 %) was confirmed in 2/7 cases. Mean follow-up was 205 days (range 64–403 days). All patients were alive at latest follow-up. Minor complications included three neck hematomas in two total patients. No major complications occurred. AngioVac is a useful tool for acute thrombus removal in the large vessels. The setup and substantial cost may limit its application in straightforward cases. More studies are needed to establish the utility of AngioVac in treatment of intravascular and intracardiac material.
Perception of Movement and Dancer Characteristics from Point-Light Displays of Dance

Dance is one type of movement that expresses emotion, however perceptions of dance movements and the corresponding trait inferences of the dancer have received no attention in the literature. This study examined how people determine dancer trait and emotion characteristics from point-light displays of dance, and whether dance experience affects differential attunements to dance movements. Dancers performed one “sad” and one “happy” dance while being filmed in point light, which is a technique used to isolate movement cues from other person information (such as race, sex, height). Experienced dancers and dance novices served as participants and judged the dances on two types of measures—movement (e.g., constricted-open) and dancer trait characteristics (e.g., happy-sad). The results revealed that all participants easily judged happy dances as happier, stronger, and more approachable, dominant, and extroverted than sad dances. However, movement judgments of happy dances were affected by experience, as experienced dancers perceived movements in the happy dances to be less free, fluid, and relaxed, but more exaggerated, than did novices. These results support ecological theory (McArthur & Baron, 1983) in that all were easily able to determine dancer traits and emotion from dances, but fine discriminations among the dance movements during fast, happy dances were typically made only by those who had dance training and were attuned to minute motion differences.
UNDERSTANDING SOCIAL ORDER IN THE RELIGION OF ISLAM: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

Despite the fact that many of us live in secular societies, religions are also a factor in our daily lives. New information technologies and highly efficient modes of transportation have made it possible for people from various continents to encounter each other. People of different religions and ethnicities have become neighbors in our cities. Religious dialogue is more necessary in our contemporary world than it has ever been in history. This essay analyzes how the Islamic faith shapes the believers worldview and the way of life. A good understanding of religions is viewed as making dialogue and respect possible, especially between Muslims and Christians in our contemporary societies. Focusing on areas of shared beliefs and practices further promotes collaboration on issues of human flourishing. This essay explores the social-political dimensions of the strict monotheism in the religion of Islam and also argues for its relation to the Christian beliefs and practices. The Islamic understanding of human persons as created by God first before all other creatures is viewed as the foundation of human responsibility. A human being is believed as endowed by God with an inherent responsibility to promote economic and social equality.
Tris(3-nitro­pentane-2,4-dionato-κ2O,O′)­cobalt(III)

The structure of the title compound, [Co(C5H6NO4)3], consists of a CoIII ion octahedrally coordinated by three bidentate 3-nitro­pentane-2,4-dionate ligands. The complex was prepared via the nitration of tris­(2,4-penta­nedionato-κ2O,O′)cobalt(III) with a solution of copper(II) nitrate in glacial acetic acid. The central C atom and the nitro group of one 3-nitro­pentane-2,4-dionate ligand are disordered over two positions with an occupancy ratio of 0.848 (4):0.152 (4). A second nitro group is also disordered over two orientations with an occupancy ratio of 0.892 (7):0.108 (7). Two of the ligand methyl groups form C—H⋯O inter­actions with two different nitro groups to form chains running along the c axis. Additional C—H⋯O inter­actions are found between ligand methyl groups and the cobalt-bound O atoms, also resulting in the formation of chains along the c axis.
An event-related potential investigation of the neural representations that support familiarity-based picture recognition

Most models of recognition memory assume that familiarity results from the matching of stimuli to the contents of memory. This matching process accumulates “evidence” that the stimulus was seen before, and when the evidence exceeds a criterion, a feeling of familiarity is experienced. Such models do not specify what constitutes “evidence,” and therefore offer limited insight into the specific attributes that make stimuli feel familiar. In two experiments, this dissertation examined the type of pictorial attributes that serve as “evidence” for familiarity-based picture recognition. Participants encoded briefly presented, masked pictures while event-related brain potentials (ERPs) were recorded. Of primary interest were ERPs for pictures that participants could not identify by name, as previous behavioral research suggests that such items are recognized on the basis of familiarity. Analysis of these encoding ERPs revealed that the global shape of subsequently recognized yet unidentified pictures was fully extracted during the picture’s brief presentation, but that their global object shapes were not successfully matched to object representations in memory (Exp 1 & 2). This result indicated that the memory trace for unidentified pictures contained limited conceptual information, and perceptual details that were abstract rather than detailed/episodic. ERPs recorded during retrieval revealed that the neural correlate of familiarity-based retrieval, the FN400, was present for unidentified pictures (Exp 1 & 2), and that the FN400 was more pronounced when participants were oriented toward processing perceptual, as opposed to conceptual, attributes of pictures during encoding (Exp 2). The behavioral measure of familiarity was consistent was consistent with this finding, which together implied that the largely perceptual representations in the pictorial memory trace were sufficient for later recognition of the unidentified picture, and that the pictures were more familiar when perceptual processing was greatest at encoding. The data presented in this dissertation indicate that familiarity-based picture recognition can be based on evidence that is largely perceptual and abstractly represented. The results are discussed within the context of perirhinal cortex models of familiarity, which suggest that picture familiarity is based on conjunctive features represented by the perirhinal cortex within the medial temporal lobe.
Are N+1 heads better than one?: The case of mutual fund managers

Abstract Recent studies find that mutual funds exhibit differential and persistent performance which is frequently attributed to superior managerial decision making. We extend the literature by examining the impact of the fund’s management structure on performance outcomes. Specifically, we examine directly whether superior outcomes, in terms of risk-adjusted returns, may be explained by behavioral decision making theory that asserts that teams make better decisions than individuals. Empirical results are consistent with the classical decision making theory and the efficient market hypothesis.
CpG DNA Induces Sustained IL-12 Expression In Vivo and Resistance to Listeria monocytogenes Challenge

Vertebrates have evolved innate immune defense mechanisms that recognize and respond to structural patterns that are specific to microbial molecules. One such pattern recognition system is based on unmethylated CpG dinucleotides in particular sequence contexts (CpG motifs); these motifs are common in bacterial DNA but are under-represented ("CpG suppression") and methylated in vertebrate DNA. Mice that are injected with bacterial DNA or synthetic oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) containing CpG motifs respond with a rapid production of IL-12 and IFN-gamma. The serum levels of IL-12 were increased for at least 8 days after a single injection of CpG ODNs, but IFN-gamma levels returned to baseline within 24 h. This Th1-like cytokine response to CpG motifs induces a state of resistance to infection by Listeria monocytogenes in susceptible specific pathogen-free BALB/c mice. Resistance developed within 48 h of pretreatment with CpG ODNs, persisted for at least 2 wk, and was dependent upon IFN-gamma secretion. These data support the hypothesis that CpG DNA motifs are a "danger signal" that activates protective innate immune defenses and may have therapeutic potential.
The Impact of Aramaic (especially Syriac) on the Qur'ān

The impact of Aramaic (especially Syriac) on the Qur'ān has long been a matter of debate among scholars, especially among those of the western academe but also within circles of traditional Muslim scholarship. Central to this discussion is the language and audience of the Qur'ān. Studies on the Qur'ān's foreign vocabulary gradually gave way to more in depth analyses on the text's relationship to Syriac Christian literature as well as debates surrounding the Jewish-Christian dimensions, the text's audience. The textual theories employed in studying the Qur'ān's relationship to the Syriac language and Biblical canon contain the strongest debate concerning the impact of Aramaic (especially Syriac) on the Qur'ān. These textual theories have been given consideration in recent scholarship, which reads the Qur'ān in light of the Aramaic translations of the Gospels, as well as the Syriac translation of the Didascalia Apostolorum.
"My Student Was Apprehended by Immigration": A Civics Teacher's Breach of Silence in a Mixed- Citizenship Classroom

In this article, Dafney Blanca Dabach investigates how teachers and their students of different citizenship statuses navigate tensions in formal state-sponsored citizenship education. In traditional US high school civics courses, undocumented immigrant youths' liminal status is often invisible and overlooked as undocumented youth are educated alongside their peers who have full citizenship rights. Disjunctures between idealized rights and structural exclusions become barriers to meaningful civic education. Through this qualitative case study, Dabach examines the possibilities of a teacher's brokering role across different forms of knowledge and experience in a classroom that included undocumented immigrants, naturalized immigrants, and US-born students whose parental origins spanned twelve countries across five continents. She asks: How do civics teachers who are aware of their students' varied citizenship statuses discuss political participation in mixed-status classrooms during nationally focused events...
The “Fourth Part” of Pediatrics: 50 Years of Display Advertising

The uncertain romance between scholarly journals and the drug industry has long been like a marriage of convenience between partners who become friends ultimately, not because they were very fond of each other originally, but because they needed each other.1 From the very beginning, advertising revenue was a major motivation to establish a journal owned by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and a major focus of the board of directors. The first editor, Dr Hugh McCulloch, proclaimed that “ Pediatrics will consist of four divisions; the fourth division is advertising.”2 Until the late 1970s, this was all display advertising or advertising prepared by advertising agencies in camera-ready format. Classified advertising was introduced later, but a discussion of this form of advertising is not included in this article. I examined a convenience sample of 50 years of display advertising in Pediatrics as well as AAP board minutes, committee reports, and other related documents. A brief questionnaire tapped the memories of a select group of 68 physicians and scientists in academic pediatrics and office-based pediatric practice, and those involved with the AAP, and assessed their reactions to advertising in Pediatrics . Before the establishment of Pediatrics in 1948, the Journal of Pediatrics , owned by CV Mosby Company, St Louis, MO, was the official journal of the AAP. The board determined that “there should be more money accruing to it from the Journal [ of Pediatrics ].”3 One option was to revise the agreement with Mosby. Although he acknowledged that, with one exception, he made more money from the Journal of Pediatrics than from any other, Mosby refused to open his books to the AAP. He also made it clear that “the Journal of Pediatrics is not for sale.”4 The board's alternative was to create a new …
Ion channel properties and episodic activity in isolated immortalized gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons

The mechanism of periodic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion from hypothalamic neurons is difficult to elucidate due to the diffuse distribution of GnRH neurons and the complex interaction of neuronal inputs onto them. Recent use of transgenic techniques allowed construction of an immortalized GnRH neuronal cell line (GT1), which has neuronal markers and secretes GnRH in a periodic fashion. Using the patch-clamp recording technique in the whole-cell and nystatin perforated-patch configuration, the present experiments show that this cell line expressed a tetrodotoxin-sensitive Na channel, two types of Ca channels, three types of outward K channels and a K inward rectifier. The latter current was suppressed in some cells by GnRH or somatostatin. In addition, a gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) response, presumably through GABAA receptors, is recorded. In long-term current-clamp recordings, spontaneous depolarizing activity was found to increase, and then decrease, between 20–35 min after removal of the cells from serum- and steroid-containing medium. In some cases, more than one cycle of activity was seen. Under voltage clamp, an inward current was recorded at similar times, with reversal at about −15 mV. Thus, two mechanisms of cell interaction, GABAA responses and feedback through GnRH responses, and one mechanism of endogenous periodic electrical activity were observed in these cells, which could synchronize periodic GnRH release.
Temperature, methanol, and structure effects in the reversed-phase liquid chromatography of guanine and hypoxanthine and thier ribonucleosides and ribonucleotides

Abstract The combined effects of changes in temperature and percentage of methanol in the mobile phase on the retention behaviour of two sets of purine compounds were investigated. With the bases guanine and hypoxanthine, there was a linear relationship between the In k′ and the reciprocal of the absolute temperature at all concentration of methanol. However, with the nucleosides, in the presence of methanol, the relationship was non-linear, and there appeared to be two components in the curve, indicating two retention mechanisms, one at the higher temperatures, and a different one at the lower temperatures. With teh monophosphate nucleotides, there were to peaks when methanol was present; the temperature at which the second peak appeared was dependent on teh methanol concentration and the structure of the base in the nucleotide. With the di- and triphosphate nucleotides, each nucleotide was represented by multiple peaks when methanol was present in the mobile phase. The enthalpies of retention were calculated for all the purine analogues, and the trend in the enthalpies correspondend to the rentention order of purine compounds, as predicted by Brown and Grushka [Anal. Chem., 52 (1980) 1210].
Recovery of iron from Baotou rare earth tailings by magnetizing roast

The difference of physicochemical properties among minerals in Baotou rare earth tailings is not significant, which leads to a great difficulty in separation of minerals. In this article, the process of magnetizing roast and low-intensity magnetic separation was used to recover iron. Effect of calcination temperature, holding time and carbon/oxygen ratio on roasting efficiency was investigated. The parameters evaluating magnetizing roast efficiency and theoretical value were determined. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis was used to investigate the conversion of Fe phase after roasting. The results show that the best magnetizing roast conditions are calcination temperature of 650 °C, holding time of 2.5 h, and carbon/oxygen molar ratio of 3.85. The best magnetization rate is 2.36, which is close to the theoretical value of 2.33. Based on experiments of low-intensity magnetic separation under different intensities, the best current intensity is 2.0 A to obtain the best separation results. Under the best condition, the concentrate grade of iron is 45.45 % and the recovery of iron is 68.36 %. Most of rare earth, fluorine, and phosphorus are enriched in the magnetic separation tailings. The XRD analysis shows that Fe exists in Fe2O3 before roasting and exists in Fe3O4 after roasting.
The heuristic programming/heuristic DENDRAL project

The Heuristic Programming Project at Stanford University is an interdisciplinary research effort. The problems of interest to this project include, besides the major effort in the Heuristic DENDRAL set of programs, determination of protein structures from X-ray crystallographic data, work in automatic programming and automatic debugging of programs, and studies on the representation problem. Some aspects of the Heuristic DENDRAL work are detailed below:
Mary Lincoln's Madness: Understanding the Factors That Influence the Diagnosis and Treatment of Bipolar Disorder

Mary Lincoln, wife of President Abraham Lincoln, lived a tragic life (Baker, 1989; Emerson, 2007; Goodwin, 2006). Beginning with the death of her mother when she was a little girl, Mrs. Lincoln exp...
Reduced affinity for Isoniazid in the S315T mutant of Mycobacterium tuberculosis KatG is a key factor in antibiotic resistance.

Catalase-peroxidase (KatG) fromMycobacterium tuberculosis is responsible for the activation of the antitubercular drug isonicotinic acid hydrazide (INH) and is important for survival of M. tuberculosis in macrophages. Characterization of the structure and catalytic mechanism of KatG is being pursued to provide insights into drug (INH) resistance in M. tuberculosis. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to prepare the INH-resistant mutant KatG[S315T], and the overexpressed enzyme was characterized and compared with wild-type KatG. KatG[S315T] exhibits a reduced tendency to form six-coordinate heme, because of coordination of water to iron during purification and storage, and also forms a highly unstable Compound III (oxyferrous enzyme). Catalase activity and peroxidase activity measured usingt-butylhydroperoxide and o-dianisidine were moderately reduced in the mutant compared with wild-type KatG. Stopped-flow spectrophotometric experiments revealed a rate of Compound I formation similar to wild-type KatG using peroxyacetic acid to initiate the catalytic cycle, but no Compound I was detected when bulkier peroxides (chloroperoxybenzoic acid,t-butylhydroperoxide) were used. The affinity of resting (ferric) KatG[S315T] for INH, measured using isothermal titration calorimetry, was greatly reduced compared with wild-type KatG, as were rates of reaction of Compound I with the drug. These observations reveal that although KatG[S315T] maintains reasonably good steady state catalytic rates, poor binding of the drug to the enzyme limits drug activation and brings about INH resistance.
Planarization Specification for 22nm and Beyond BEOL CMP

This study discusses topography specifications for 22 nm and beyond CMP process and presents recent experimental data. We evaluated local topography impact on CD development in the subsequent layer using specially designed 22-nm test patterns. A wide range of localized erosions were generated in CMP within a single exposure field to avoid any focus-correction effect by the scanner or any other scanner-induced focus change between different levels of local erosion. Local erosions were measured by atomic force microscopy (AFM) after each process step from CMP to lithography to identify the local planarization effect from other film coatings between CMP and lithography. Post-litho CD inspection was done in the subsequent layer over the local erosion areas. Using experimental results, the paper also discusses BEOL pattern design rule for maximizing the process window.
Diabetes and Hypertension

This article covers presentations and symposia dealing with the relation between diabetes and hypertension that were given at the 16th Scientific Meeting of the American Society of Hypertension, San Francisco, CA, 15–19 May 2001. At a symposium at the 16th Scientific Meeting of the American Society of Hypertension (ASH), San Francisco, CA, 15–19 May 2001, Willa Hsueh, Los Angeles, CA, discussed clinical trials in hypertension. The Sixth Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC-VI, 1997, available at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/hypertension/jnc6.pdf) defined essential hypertension as a blood pressure (BP) >140/90 mmHg, but Hsueh noted that only 25% of patients with hypertension have no complications such as renal disease, cardiac disease, obesity, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia. BP goals are lower for patients with such complications. In the JNC-VI, patients with diabetes were noted to be at high risk and were given a BP goal of 1 g proteinuria, the goal to lessen target organ damage was set at 125/75 mmHg. In the U.K. Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) patients were treated with either an ACE inhibitor (ACEI) or β-blocker (BB) and achieved levels of 144/82 vs. 154/87 mmHg over 8 years. However, at a question-and-answer session after the lecture, it was noted that captopril was given only once or twice daily and therefore may not have had optimal benefit. Both treatments reduced microvascular end points of renal and eye disease, macrovascular end points, and congestive heart failure (CHF), which may in part reflect diabetic cardiomyopathy. The Hypertension Optimal Therapy (HOT) trial of 18,790 patients, of whom 8% had diabetes and were treated with felodipine followed by ACEI and then followed by additional agents, showed a clear relation of BP to cardiovascular disease (CVD) events in the diabetes subgroup when comparing …
Partially folded intermediates in insulin fibrillation.

Native zinc-bound insulin exists as a hexamer at neutral pH. Under destabilizing conditions, the hexamer dissociates, and is very prone to forming fibrils. Insulin fibrils exhibit the typical properties of amyloid fibrils, and pose a problem in the purification, storage, and delivery of therapeutic insulin solutions. We have carried out a systematic investigation of the effect of guanidine hydrochloride (Gdn·HCl)-induced structural perturbations on the mechanism of fibrillation of insulin. At pH 7.4, the addition of as little as 0.25 M Gdn·HCl leads to dissociation of insulin hexamers into dimers. Moderate concentrations of Gdn·HCl lead to formation of a novel partially unfolded dimer state, which dissociates into a partially unfolded monomer state. High concentrations of Gdn·HCl resulted in unfolded monomers with some residual structure. The addition of even very low concentrations of Gdn·HCl resulted in substantially accelerated fibrillation, although the yield of fibrils decreased at high concentration...
Testing for environmental Kuznets curves within a developing country

Previous studies of the association between pollution and income have tended to analyse cross-sectional or panel data for a sample of developing and developed countries. This paper presents an analysis for a single country, Malaysia. This south-east Asian country has more, and probably better, data on environmental quality than perhaps any other developing country. I find that pollution–income relationships from the cross-country studies fail to predict accurately trends in air and water pollution in Malaysia. In particular, none of six pollution-income relationships estimated using a panel data set for Malaysian states has the hypothesized 'environmental Kuznets curve' form. Although these results are inconsistent with the predictions of the cross-country relationships, they make sense in the Malaysian context. Perhaps most important, their interpretation confirms the importance of policy decisions in determining environmental outcomes.
The strontium isotopic composition of basalts from the Gordo and Juan de Fuca Rises, northeastern Pacific Ocean

The strontium isotopic compositions have been determined for twelve tholeiitic basalts dredged from the Gordo and Juan de Fuca Rises. Sr87/Sr86 ratios range from 0.7012 to 0.7031 and average 0.7026. These data, combined with other data from the East Pacific Rise indicate that tholeiite basalts being erupted along the active rises, in the Pacific Ocean, contain less radiogenic Sr87 than basalts erupted on the islands. These isotopic differences between the ocean-ridge tholeiite and the more alkali island basalts indicate that variations in Rb/Sr have persisted in the mantle for billions of years. The possible origins and distribution of these heterogeneties are discussed.
Family-care research: A methodological note

Perceptions about family care vary from custodial to treatment perspectives. Research in this area has tended to ignore this fact; research findings about family care vary widely. More carefully designed research is needed to ascertain the therapeutic value of family care for particular types of mental patients.
The nutritional therapy of histidinemia

Control of the plasma histidine level in histidinemia is possible with the use of an amino acid mixture free of histidine and a carefully monitored intake of histidine. This regimen is compatible with good physical growth and normal mental development. If further clinical experience demonstrates that widespread nutritional intervention in this disease is warranted, it should be possible to obtain good biochemical control.
Functional androdioecy in the flowering plant Datisca glomerata

THE role of androdioecy (the presence of male and hermaphrodite individuals in a breeding population) in the evolution of dioecy has long been the subject of much interest and discussion1–9. But no functionally androdioecious species has been previously documented2 and recent studies have even raised doubt about whether the phenomenon exists at all3. Although many cases of androdioecy have been reported, most of these are based on morphological data alone and, when examined in detail, are actually found to be functionally dioecious10–12. Here we describe functional androdioecy in the flowering plant Datisca glomerata (Presl.) Baill. (Datiscaceae). We suggest that the condition evolved from a dioecious precursor, and not from hermaphroditism as is commonly postulated for the evolution of androdioecy1–9. Androdioecy in this case could be a transitional state in the breakdown of a dioecious breeding system towards hermaphroditism.
Creating Mold-Free Buildings: A Key to Avoiding Health Effects of Indoor Molds

In view of the high costs of building diagnostics and repair subsequent to water damage--as well as the large medical diagnostic and healthcare costs associated with mold growth in buildings--commitment to a philosophy of proactive preventive maintenance for home, apartment, school, and commercial buildings could result in considerable cost savings and avoidance of major health problems among building occupants. The author identifies common causes of mold growth in buildings and summarizes key building design and construction principles essential for preventing mold contamination indoors. Physicians and healthcare workers must be made aware of conditions within buildings that can give rise to mold growth, and of resulting health problems. Timely advice provided to patients already sensitized by exposure to molds could save these individuals, and their families, from further exposures as a result of inadequate building maintenance or an inappropriate choice of replacement housing.
Preprocedural White Blood Cell Count and Major Adverse Cardiac Events Late After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Saphenous Vein Grafts

Elevation of white blood cells (WBCs) is associated with worse outcomes in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), including patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of native coronary arteries, but this relation has not been studied in patients with saphenous vein graft disease undergoing PCI. A total of 530 patients who underwent PCI of saphenous vein grafts from May 1997 to July 2002 were followed for >3 years. Major adverse coronary events (MACEs) were assessed as a composite of death, myocardial infarction, or revascularization during follow-up (mean 2.7 years). Patients with MACEs (n = 287) were younger and had more thrombotic and ostial lesions (p 3 /μl, range 6.6 to 10.1, vs 7.0 × 10 3 /μl, range 5.6 to 8.2; p
Autophagosome assembly and cargo capture in the distal axon

Autophagy is an essential lysosomal degradation pathway in neurons, yet the basic mechanisms involved are poorly understood. Here, we discuss our recent study in which we define autophagosome dynamics in primary neurons. We find that autophagosomes initiate at the distal tip of the axon in primary neurons and undergo retrograde transport toward the cell soma. As they move distally to proximally along the axon, autophagosomes mature and become increasingly acidified, consistent with the formation of an autolysosomal compartment that may more effectively catalyze the degradation of enveloped cargo. Our findings suggest that autophagosome biogenesis and maturation is a constitutive process in primary neurons that is temporally and spatially regulated along the axon.
Compton Scattering of 2.62-Mev Gamma Rays by Polarized Electrons

The differential cross section for Compton scattering of a circularly polarized photon by an electron with given initial spin orientation can be written as a sum of the common Klein-Nishina formula for no polarization and a term sensitive to polarization. The total cross section is $\ensuremath{\sigma}={\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{0}\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{1}$. A measurement of the transmission of 2.62-Mev gamma rays through iron magnetized along the transmission direction relative to that through unmagnetized iron gives the absolute value of ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{1}$ for this energy, if the number ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{s}$ of polarized electrons per iron atom at saturation is known. For ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{s}=2.06$, $\frac{{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{1}}{\ensuremath{\pi}{{r}_{0}}^{2}}=0.089\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.007$. This agrees with the theoretical value 0.093. Alternatively, the theoretical ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{1}$ and the measurements would yield ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{s}=1.97\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.15$.The application of the method of this experiment to measurement of gyromagnetic ratios for ferromagnets is suggested, as is its application to the analysis of circularly polarized radiation.
Transport models for crust and mantle evolution

The exact solutions for the isotopic compositions and the concentrations of two models for mantle—crust evolution are given for arbitrary rates of crustal growth and of backflow to the mantle. In Model I, continents are derived by melt extraction over the history of the earth from undepleted mantle. In Model II, new additions to the continents are derived from a mantle reservoir which becomes increasingly depleted through time by repeated extraction of melts. The key parameters are the chemical fractionation factors for crustal growth and refluxing and the integrated fractional mass removal rates from the crust and the mantle. The relationships between the mean age of the mass of the continents and the isotopic parameters are given. The models suggest that the pre-Archean era (prior to 3.8 AE) was dominated by rapid refluxing of crust to the mantle which during the early Archean gave way to a regime where transport from the mantle to the crust substantially dominated over refluxing of crust to the mantle. The mean age of the mass of the continents appears to be ~1.8 AE. Even for small amounts (~10%) of refluxing Model II shows that highly incompatible elements have very short residence times in the mantle. Mass balance considerations implies that the continents were derived from only a small fraction (~30%) of the mantle.
Model space truncation in shell-model fits

We carry out an interacting shell-model study of binding energies and spectra in the sd-shell nuclei to examine the effect of truncation of the shell-model spaces. Starting with a Hamiltonian defined in a larger space and truncating to the sd shell, the binding energies are strongly affected by the truncation, but the effect on the excitation energies is an order of magnitude smaller. We then refit the matrix elements of the two-particle interaction to compensate for the space truncation and find that it is easy to capture 90% of the binding energy shifts by refitting a few parameters. With the full parameter space of the two-particle Hamiltonian, we find that both the binding energies and the excitation energy can be fitted with remaining residual error about 5% of the average error from the truncation. Numerically, the rms initial error associated with our Hamiltonian is 3.4 MeV and the remaining residual error is 0.16 MeV. This is comparable to the empirical error found in sd-shell interacting shell-model fits to experimental data [B. A. Brown and W. A. Richter, Phys. Rev. C 74, 034315 (2006)].
Energy and Cost Associated with Ventilating Office Buildings in a Tropical Climate

Providing sufficient amounts of outdoor air to occupants is a critical building function for supporting occupant health, well-being and productivity. In tropical climates, high ventilation rates require substantial amounts of energy to cool and dehumidify supply air. This study evaluates the energy consumption and associated cost for thermally conditioning outdoor air provided for building ventilation in tropical climates, considering Singapore as an example locale. We investigated the influence on energy consumption and cost of the following factors: outdoor air temperature and humidity, ventilation rate (L/s per person), indoor air temperature and humidity, air conditioning system coefficient of performance (COP), and cost of electricity. Results show that dehumidification of outdoor air accounts for more than 80% of the energy needed for building ventilation in Singapore’s tropical climate. Improved system performance and/or a small increase in the indoor temperature set point would permit relatively large ventilation rates (such as 25 L/s per person) at modest or no cost increment. Overall, even in a thermally demanding tropical climate, the energy cost associated with increasing ventilation rate up to 25 L/s per person is less than 1% of the wages of an office worker in an advanced economy like Singapore’s. This result implies that the benefits of increasing outdoor air ventilation rate up to 25 L/s per person — which is suggested to provide for productivity increases, lower sick building syndrome symptom prevalence, and reduced sick leave — can be much larger than the incremental cost of ventilation.
Latent autoimmune diabetes in adults: the search for interventions continues.

This Practice Point commentary discusses the findings of a study by Maruyama et al., in which treatment with insulin was compared to sulfonylurea in 60 patients with slowly progressive insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (SPIDDM), a presumed form of latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA). Patients who received insulin had a lower rate of progression to insulin dependency than patients who received sulfonylurea (10% versus 43%, P = 0.003). Here, I review the history of LADA and the current approach to diagnosis and treatment. Diagnosis of LADA is generally by the detection of glutamic acid decarboxylase antibodies in adults who present with the clinical features of type 2 diabetes mellitus, providing presumptive evidence of autoimmunity. Treatment of LADA is usually with insulin, an approach supported by the findings of the study. Nonetheless, some evidence suggests that sulfonylurea actually accelerates loss of β-cell function. Whether this effect had a role in the results obtained by the Maruyama et al. is not yet clear.
The Keck-I Cassegrain ADC

We briefly describe the design, construction and performance of the recently-commissioned Atmospheric Dispersion Corrector (ADC) for the Keck-I Cassegrain focus. This is a "longitudinal" ADC with fused silica prisms slightly over 1- meter in diameter, designed to operate at zenith distances up to 60 degrees and over a 20 arcminute field-of-view with negligible impact on image quality and throughput. It provides dispersion compensation from 0.31 to 1.1 microns. The sol-gel-based antireflection coatings were a major technological challenge, and we encountered some previously unrecognized performance consequences of the LADC design which should be considered before adopting this design.
Nitrogen Status and Fermentation Dynamics for Merlot on Two Rootstocks

Adequate yeast assimilable nitrogen (YAN) levels in grape juice are necessary for yeast cells to complete fermentation to dryness. Nitrogen (N) uptake by grapevine roots varies seasonally; therefore, environmental conditions and cultural practices can affect grapevine N status. In addition, genetic differences between rootstock cultivars can influence root dynamics and, subsequently, N uptake, canopy biomass, and fruit composition. Two rootstock cultivars, 1103P and 101-14 Mgt, were fertilized with nitrogen during spring or fall or received no treatment. Vine biomass, leaf N concentration, fruit composition, juice amino-N levels, and fermentation kinetics were measured. The rootstock 1103 Paulsen (Vitis berlandieri × V. rupestris cv. 1103P) has a root system that tends to produce large canopies and high shoot growth. The rootstock 101-14 Millardet et de Grasset (V. riparia × V. rupestris cv. 101-14 Mgt) has a root system associated with smaller canopies and moderate shoot growth. The scion Merlot (V. vinifera L. cv. Merlot clone 1) was grafted onto the two rootstocks in an experimental block in Oakville, California. Merlot on 1103P had higher YAN levels and completed fermentation faster compared to Merlot on 101-14 Mgt. Differences in fermentation kinetics were observed within rootstock N treatments that were not explained by YAN levels, indicating that other factors related to N metabolism may play important roles in fermentation dynamics. Results indicated that Merlot grown on 1103P in the Napa Valley may require little to no N supplementation while Merlot on 101-14 Mgt may require N supplementation to avoid slow fermentations.
Magnesium-25 nuclear quadrupole resonance

25Mg nuclear quadrupole resonance spectra of MgCl26H2O, MgBr26H2O, MgNO36H2O, and MgF2 were obtained at 77 K by a field-cycling double-resonance technique. Corresponding nuclear quadrupole coupling constants (asymmetry parameters) are 1477 (0.20) kHz, 1004 (0.52) kHz, 1448 (0.74) kHz, and 3438 (0.28) kHz, respectively. 35Cl and 37Cl quadrupole resonaces were found at 1705 and 1355 kHz in the chloride. The NQR result and previously reported single-crystal NMR study together showed that the Y(lqzzl ⩾ |qyy| |qxx| axis of the 25Mg EFG tensor is along the crystal C axis in MgF2, the X or Z axes cannot be assigned because of the high crystalline symmetry. 25Mg … 19F solid effect transitions were observed in MgF2 at 77 K. A dependence of the solid effect on radio-frequency field strength is attributed to the structure of 19F… 19F dipolar interactions within a spin cluster. The 25Mg resonances were observed in MgF2 using double resonance in the laboratory frame and the solid effect, while the 25Mg signals in the hydrates were observed by level crossing. 2H NMR of M9Cl26D20 at 38.4 and 76.6 MHz showed that water molecules undergo 180° flipping along the C2 axis with a correlation time of approximately 10−6 s at 100 K.
Notation System and Overlay Diagrams for the Analysis of Paced Electrocardiograms

With the advent of adaptive dual-chamber pacing, the interaction between the pacemaker and the heart is becoming increasingly complex and the interpretation of paced electrocardiograms more difficult. We have developed a set of notation conventions for use in teaching and rhythm-atrip analysis. Easily-drawn symbols delineate successful, unsuccessful, and inhibited pacing and sensing events as well as refractory and blanking periods. Another application is to generate movable transparent overlays after programming a pacemaker, to be used in interpreting subsequent rhythm strips.
IVIAT: a novel method to identify microbial genes expressed specifically during human infections

In vivo induced antigen technology (IVIAT) is a novel technology that can quickly and easily identify in vivo induced genes in human infections, without the use of animal models. This technology is expected to facilitate the discovery of new targets for vaccines, antimicrobials and diagnostic strategies in a wide range of microbial pathogens.
Theorizing the “Modes of Incorporation”: Assimilation, Hyphenation, and Multiculturalism as Varieties of Civil Participation*:

A partir de l'evolution du concept de multiculturalisme, de son ambition universaliste a la revendication de differences et d'identites, l'A. conteste la vision alarmiste des conservateurs qui voient le multiculturalisme comme une menace a la cohesion sociale americaine. Il propose un modele alternatif d'incorporation dans les systemes sociaux contemporains base sur le concept de societes civiles fragmentees. Il operationnalise ce modele en presentant trois modeles ideal-typiques d'incorporation. En comparant l'accent mis actuellement sur la difference et les regimes d'incorporation bases sur l'assimilation et l'hyphenation ethnique, il voit dans le multiculturalisme non pas une accentuation de la separation mais un mode nouveau et plus democratique d'integration civile
Testosterone exposure in childhood: discerning pathology from physiology.

Introduction: Testosterone (T) drives normal male sexual development both in utero and at puberty. Aberrant T exposure manifests as virilization of a female fetus, contrasexual precocity in girls, and isosexual precocity in boys. Evidence of pathologic T exposure warrants a prompt evaluation. Areas covered: The authors introduce the topic of T exposure in children by reviewing its physiology in the fetus and during childhood and adolescence. Pathologic conditions leading to virilization of a female fetus as well as androgen-mediated gonadotropin-independent precocious puberty in both genders are then discussed. The authors finish by noting exogenous T exposure in children and adolescents, focusing specifically on secondary exposure to topical T preparations. Expert opinion: Contrasexual precocity in a girl or sexual precocity in a boy should prompt evaluation for causes of gonadotropin-independent pubertal changes. Initial biochemical evaluation includes a bone age, T, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, androstenedi...
Nondestructive film thickness measurement using atomic force microscopy at ultrasonic frequencies

We present a technique in which atomic force microscopy (AFM) at ultrasonic frequencies is used to measure the contact stiffness between an AFM tip and thin films on silicon substrates. In this method, the resonance frequencies of the cantilever flexural modes are used to determine the tip-sample contact stiffness. We present experimental results, showing that the contact stiffness is highly sensitive to the thickness of thin metal and polymer films. These results are compared with those from out theoretical model, which we call the Contact Stiffness Algorithm (CSA), that may be used to calculate the contact stiffness between an AFM tip and an arbitrarily layered sample. Unlike transmission electron microscopy (TEM) or scanning electron microscopy (SEM) on a cross-section of the sample, this film thickness measurement technique is non- destructive. It is also capable of high lateral spatial resolution, provided that a sharp AFM tip is used. We present images of a photoresist film on silicon with contrast resulting from the elastic properties of the sample.