cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Potentiation of an IgE-like response to Bordetella bronchiseptica in pigs following Ascaris suum infection.

Abstract Ascaris suum -infected and uninfected pigs were vaccinated with Bordetella bronchiseptica bacterin at 8 and 28 days of age. Only the infected pigs gave Type I cutaneous hypersensitivity to the bacterin when tested at 80 days of age. Only the native sera of infected pigs caused passive cutaneous anaphylaxis 24 h after inoculation into guinea pigs. Heating the sera at 56°C for 4 h abolished this property. Mice infected with A. suum for 34 days did not react to the bacterin. An A. suum infection induces an IgE-like response to B. bronchiseptica in pigs that is not explained by cross-reactive antigens. This finding may have practical implications for the immunization against atrophic rhinitis of swine.
Adenosine analogs mediating depressant effects on synaptic transmission in rat hippocampus: Structure-activity relationships for the N6 subregion

Previous studies have shown that analogs of adenosine with substituents upon the N6-nitrogen (e.g., N6-[1-phenyl-2(R)-propyl]adenosine; R-PIA) are often much more potent than the parent compound in activating adenosine receptors, particulary those of the A1 subtype. The present investigation characterized the potencies of a number of N6-substituted adenosine analogs in depressing excitatory synaptic transmission in slices of rat hippocampus, an electrophysiological response mediated by receptors of the A1 subtype. These potencies correlated well with previously reported affinities of these analogs for A1 receptor sites in brain, but not with coronary vasodilation in the dog heart, an A2 receptor mediated response. Analogs with alkyl or aryl substituents at the N6 position were generally more potent than adenosine, although analogs with a tertiary carbon attached directly to the N6-nitrogen were usually only weakly active. Although it has been suggested that there may be a subregion of the A1 receptor with some specificity for aryl groups, these experiments did not suggest that this was the case. Analogs with chiral centers attached to the N6-nitrogen usually displayed stereoselectivity, with R-isomers more potent than the S-isomers. The mechanism underlying this selectivity appeared to be both a facilitating effect of alkyl substituents in the propyl C1 position of R-PIA, and a hindering effect of substituents in the position normally occupied by the hydrogen attached to propyl C2 of R-PIA. These results indicate that although there are some similarities in terms of requirements for activity at A1 and A2 receptors, differences between the N6 sub-regions of these receptors are sufficient to permit the development of selective analogs for these two receptor sites.
The effect of sex steroids on primary and secondary sex differentiation in the sexually dichromatic reedfrog (Hyperolius argus: Hyperolidae) from the Arabuko Sokoke Forest of Kenya.

The current study examined the role of steroids in primary and secondary sex differentiation in the African reedfrog (Hyperolius argus: Hyperolidae). This species is sexually dimorphic: males have a solid green dorsum and females are reddish-brown with large white spots. This study is the first to report the effects of sex steroids on the development of a sexually dichromatic species and the first to examine the role of sex steroids on development of the vocal sac. Both males and females metamorphosed solid green without spots. Approximately 2 months after metamorphosis, control females transformed to the female-typical color pattern. Control males never developed this color pattern (remained green), but developed vocal sacs. To examine the role of sex steroid hormones on primary (gonadal differentiation) and secondary (vocal sac development and dorsal coloration) sex differentiation, testosterone (T) or estradiol-17β (E2) were administered throughout larval development. At metamorphosis, 53% of the controls were males, based on gross gonadal morphology and histology of a subsample. Both doses of T produced 100% males. All E2-treated animals had ovarian cavities and/or follicles when examined histologically (at both doses) but 50% had testicular tissue in addition to these ovarian characteristics. Both doses of T induced vocal sac development and both doses of E2 induced female coloration. Thus, both T and E2 induced secondary sex characteristics (vocal sac development and dorsal color change, respectively) but E2 produced hermaphroditic gonads, whereas T induced complete sex reversal.
Serial contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging in patients with early relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: implications for treatment trials.

Serial monthly contrast-enhanced MRIs were performed in 10 early relapsing-remitting patients with multiple sclerosis and 2 patients with chronic progressive disease for a period of 12 to 55 months. MRI was performed at 1.5 T using contiguow 5-mm slices with pre- and postgadolinium-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA) T1-weighted and T2-weighted images. New and total number of Gd-DTPA-enhancing lesions were numbered and counted and lesion areas were correlated to an increase of ∼0.5 in Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores. The frequency of enhancing lesions varied from patient to patient; however, there was a correlation between a burst of enhancing lesion number and area above the individual's mean lesion frequency to an increase in EDSS score
Primary afferent projections of the octavus nerve to the inferior reticular formation and adjacent nuclei in the elasmobranch, Rhinobatos sp.

Abstract Projections of primary afferent fibers from the octavus nerve to the inferior reticular formation were determined by nerve degeneration and HRP labeling. Descending afferents from the horizontal ampullary nerve exit the ventral border of the nucleus octavus descendens via arcuate fiber tracts, and project to a group of neurons adjacent to the spinal lemniscus; to the inferior reticular formation; and to the nucleus funiculi lateralis. The possible influence of these afferent projections on directed swimming motion is dicussed.
Rapid photorealistic blendshapes from commodity RGB-D sensors

Creating and animating a realistic 3D human face has been an important task in computer graphics. The capability of capturing the 3D face of a human subject and reanimate it quickly will find many applications in games, training simulations, and interactive 3D graphics. In this paper, we propose a system to capture photorealistic 3D faces and generate the blendshape models automatically using only a single commodity RGB-D sensor. Our method can rapidly generate a set of expressive facial poses from a single Microsoft Kinect and requires no artistic expertise on the part of the capture subject. The system takes only a matter of seconds to capture and produce a 3D facial pose and only requires 4 minutes of processing time to transform it into a blendshape model. Our main contributions include an end-to-end pipeline for capturing and generating face blendshape models automatically, and a registration method that solves dense correspondences between two face scans by utilizing facial landmark detection and optical flow. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method by capturing 3D facial models of different human subjects and puppeteering their models in an animation system with real-time facial performance retargeting.
MODULATION OF MENOPAUSAL HOT FLASHES BY AMBIENT TEMPERATURE

The effect of ambient temperature on frequency, intensity and duration of hot flashes was studied in six women with hot flashes who were exposed to cool (T a = 19°C) and warm (ira = 31°C) /'as for 8-h periods. Heart rate, skin resistance, core and skin temperatures, subjective hot flash intensity and duration were recorded. 2. In the cool T~ as compared with the warm Ta, hot flashes were significantly less frequent (3.0 HFs/8 h vs 12.2 HFs/8 h, P < 0.001) and less intense (2.0 vs 5.6, P < 0.007), and tended to be of shorter duration (2.1 min vs 5.5 min, P < 0.054). 3. The modulation of hot flashes by ambient temperature may be due to changes in central thermoregulatory thresholds, modification of thermoregnlatory effectors, or alteration of the mechanism that initiates hot flashes. Key Word Index: Menopause; hot flash; hot flush; thermoregulation; skin resistance; ambient temperature; human
Low-dose mercury heightens early innate response to coxsackievirus infection in female mice

Objective Mercury is a ubiquitous environmental contaminant with toxic outcomes over a range of exposures. In this study, we investigated the effects of mercury exposure on early immune responses to coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) infection in a murine model of autoimmune heart disease.
Cross-Understanding: Implications for Group Cognition and Performance

In this paper we articulate the cross-understanding construct, a group-level compositional construct having as its components each group member's understanding of each other member's mental model. We describe how the cross-understanding construct explains particular inconsistencies in the groups literature, how it provides explanations for specific group outcomes and processes beyond the explanations currently in the literature, and how different levels and different distributions of cross-understanding affect group performance and learning.
Understanding emotional reactions to a suspenseful movie: The interaction between forewarning and preferred coping style

An experiment is reported that tested the notion that the effects of forewarning to a suspenseful film are dependent upon one's preferred way of coping with stressful events. Preferred coping style was assessed with the MBSS (Miller Behavioral Style Scale) that classifies individuals as either high monitors/low blunters or high blunters/low monitors. Research participants of each type were exposed to a suspenseful film clip from the movie When A Stranger Calls, after receiving either a low or high amount of information about the events in the film. The hypothesis was that high monitors/low blunters would prefer the high forewarning to the low forewarning and would react more negatively in the low forewarning condition. High blunters/low monitors were expected to prefer the low forewarning to the high forewarning and were expected to react more negatively in the high forewarning condition. Emotional responses were measured with self‐reports, skin conductivity, and thought listings. Support for the hypothes...
The Ethnographic Choice: Why Ethnographers Do Ethnography

How do we reconcile the complex and subjective dimensions of ethnographic research as they pertain to ethnographers themselves? What is to be made of the compelling draw the ethnographic process tends to have on its researchers? This article uses hermeneutic phenomenology to examine how ethnographers’ lifeworlds make possible the doing of ethnographic research. I draw on moments from past research to argue for an inexorable link between lifeworlds and ethnography, which results in ethnographers being definitively, yet uniquely and contingently, “chosen” to live as ethnographers. This multilayered snapshot of ethnographic subjectivity seeks to embolden the reflective space necessary for promoting a fuller sense of accountability by ethnographers, a fuller understanding and awareness of the complexities inherent to ours and others’ ethnographic stories.
An Investigation of the Role of Contingent Metacognitive Behavior in Self-Regulated Learning.

Studies have shown that, to achieve a conceptual understanding of complex science topics, learners need to use self-regulated learning (SRL) skills, particularly when learning with Hypermedia Learning Environments (HLEs). Winne and Hadwin (2008) claimed that metacognition is a key aspect of SRL, particularly metacognitive monitoring and control. The aim of this study was to investigate the contingent relationship between metacognitive monitoring [e.g., judgment of learning (JOL)] and metacognitive control (e.g., strategy change) and whether those contingencies predicted learning about the circulatory system using an HLE. As a measure of contingency in metacognitive behavior, we examined the frequencies of learners’ change in strategy use (i.e., adaptive), or lack thereof (i.e., static), when they verbalized a negative JOL. The results showed that the frequency of adaptive metacognitive behavior positively related to learning, and static metacognitive behavior negatively related to learning, above and beyond the effect of prior knowledge. These findings suggest implications regarding future research into SRL, as well as the benefits of helping learners to recognize the necessary contingency that follows from metacognitive monitoring when learning with HLEs.
A Decentralized Approach to Sound Source Localization With Sensor Networks

A sound source localization system has been developed based on a fully decentralized sensor network. Decentralization permits all nodes in a network to handle their own processing and decision-making, and as a result, reduce network congestion and the need for a centralized processor. The system consists of an array of battery operated COTS Ethernet-ready embedded systems with an attached microphone circuit. The localization solution requires groups of at least four nodes to be active within the array to return an acceptable two-dimensional result. Sensor nodes, positioned randomly over a 10 square meter area, recorded detection times of impulsive sources with microsecond resolution. In order to achieve a scalable system, nodes were organized in groups of from 4 to 10 nodes. Grouping was determined by the selecting the nodes farthest apart from each other. A designated leader of each group analyzed the sound source arrival times and calculated the sound source location based on time-differences of arrival. Experimental results show that this approach to sound source localization can achieve accuracies of about 30 centimeters. Perhaps more importantly though, it is accomplished in a decentralized manner, which can lead to a more flexible, scalable distributed sensor network.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Indications for surgical intensive care unit admission of postoperative urologic patients.

Objectives. To analyze the practice of surgical intensive care unit (SICU) admission of postoperative urologic patients and to define objective criteria to predict active treatment requirements and length of stay in the SICU. Methods. The records of 90 consecutive patients admitted to the SICU postoperatively in the 12-month period from January 1996 to December 1996 were retrospectively reviewed. The Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score was calculated from patient parameters acquired within the first 12 hours. The correlation of outcome variables to the length of stay and the requirements for active treatment in the SICU were analyzed and used to develop a risk stratification model. This algorithm was subsequently validated on a population of 46 patients who underwent radical cystectomy the following year. Results. Only the preoperative American Society of Anesthesia class, the event of an intraoperative complication, and the APACHE II score were statistically significant (P <0.05) predictors of length of stay and active treatment. The patients were subsequently categorized into high and low-risk groups, which were found to have mean SICU stays of 39.9 ± 3.92 hours and 20.2 ± 0.45 hours, respectively (P = 0.001), and an active SICU-specific treatment rate of 58.0% and 14.3%, respectively (P = 0.001). These results were confirmed in the validation population. Conclusions. Postoperative risk stratification may be helpful in predicting SICU requirements in the immediate postoperative period and in identifying patients at lower or higher risk of an adverse outcome.
Polymer sensors for nitroaromatic explosives detection

Several polymers have been used to detect nitroaromatic explosives by a variety of transduction schemes. Detection relies on both electronic and structural interactions between the sensing material and the analyte. Quenching of luminescent polymers by electron deficient nitroaromatic explosives, such as trinitrotoluene, may be monitored to detect explosives. Resistive sensing using carbon black particles that have been coated with different organic polymers and deposited across metallic leads can also be used to detect nitroaromatic vapors in an electronic nose approach. Frequency changes in surface acoustic wave devices may be monitored to detect nitroaromatics after their adsorption into polymer coatings. Luminescent polymetalloles have recently been investigated for sensing explosives in aqueous-based solutions and for improved visual detection of trace particulates on surfaces.
IONIC ABSORPTION BY TOMATO PLANTS AS CORRELATED WITH VARIATIONS IN THE COMPOSITION OF THE NUTRIENT MEDIUM.

The nutritive values of food crops and the factors which may modify them are subjects of increasing interest. In recent years vitamin and mineral constituents of plants have been used to evaluate some aspects of nutritive value, and the importance of a variable supply of minerals from plant sources in animal nutrition has been discussed by Maynard (15). During the summers of 1941 and 1942, extensive experiments have been conducted at this laboratory on the effects of varying the relative proportions of macro-nutrients1 supplied to tomato plants on the vitamin content of tomato fruits (6, 11). Although variations in the mineral constituents of the tomato fruit are of relatively minor nutritional importance (10), studies relative to mineral composition were made to aid in an understanding of the physiological processes involved in mineral absorption by plants. In soil studies of the mineral nutrition of plants, Jenny and Ayers (12) have clearly distinguished two aspects of the problem : 1. Soil colloidal phenomena as they are influenced by fertilization and as they in turn influence the composition of soil solutions ; and 2, the absorption and accumulation of the nutrients by plants from the soil solution. For convenience, they have termed the second aspect "the biological accumulation phase by root hair cells." More exactly this aspect might include the localized retention of ions by the living system. Since the cytoplasmic constituents of any organism are changing continuously, chemical analysis of any organ at any given interval can only be empirical. Investigations with artificial culture solutions of known composition have been profitable in studying those empirical relationships involved in ionic absorption by plants. Such factors of nutrient composition as the presence of essential ions, the relative concentration of the constituent ions, the osmotic concentration of the solution, the reaction of the medium, and the total quantity of the nutrient available to the plant can be varied over wide ranges under carefully controlled conditions. It is the purpose of this paper to present data concerned primarily with the mineral composition of tomato plants as it is influenced by the composition of the nutrient medium with special attention given to ionic interaction. In many investigations of the effect of changes in nutrient supply on plant composition, nutrient solutions of fixed composition were utilized to ? The term macro-nutrients as used in this paper refers to the six nutrients (Ca, K, Mg, N03, S04, and P04) in contrast to the micro-nutrients (Cu, Mn, B, Zn, Mo, and Fe). The distinction between these two groups of nutrients is based upon the fact that the former group is needed by the plants in much greater amounts than the latter group.
A model in vitro system for co-transcriptional splicing

A hallmark of metazoan RNA polymerase II transcripts is the presence of numerous small exons surrounded by large introns. Abundant evidence indicates that splicing to excise introns occurs co-transcriptionally, prior to release of the nascent transcript from RNAP II. Here, we established an efficient model system for co-transcriptional splicing in vitro. In this system, CMV-DNA constructs immobilized on beads generate RNAP II transcripts containing two exons and an intron. Consistent with previous work, our data indicate that elongating nascent transcripts are tethered to RNAP II on the immobilized DNA template. We show that nascent transcripts that reach full length, but are still attached to RNAP II, are efficiently spliced. When the nascent transcript is cleaved within the intron using RNase H, both the 5' and 3' cleavage fragments are detected in the bound fraction, where they undergo splicing. Together, our work establishes a system for co-transcriptional splicing in vitro, in which the spliceosome containing the 5' and 3' exons are tethered to RNAP II for splicing.
Analysis of the Over-Station Behavior of Aircraft Low Frequency ADF Systems

A theoretical investigation has been made of the behavior of low-frequency automatic direction finder systems in aircraft on courses near and over the radio station. This behavior is explained in the light of electromagnetic field theory and the equipment characteristics. An equation is derived for the locus of all points where the ADF indicator will start to reverse due to sense-antenna signal phase shift with respect to the loop-antenna signal as the station axis is approached and passed. The equation contains six geometrical and electrical variables. The locus thus defined is similar to a cone or paraboloid, apex down, with the apex located at the radio station in most cases. The equation predicts that for a phase advance of the loop signal, relative to the sense-antenna signal, of slightly more than the 90° value applied by the basic ideal receiver, the apex of the cone-like space figure locus rises off the ground, and that it would be possible to fly under this apex, producing but one reversal of ADF indicator needle with this single reversal starting exactly over the radio station. The altitude of this apex is a relatively simple function of the variables. The results of the flight tests verifying the theoretical findings are given together with some requisites for the use of the findings to eliminate the effects due to improper sense antenna location, provided the location error is not too extreme.
THE MECHANISM BY WHICH EXPERIMENTAL NEPHRITIS IS PRODUCED IN RABBITS INJECTED WITH NEPHROTOXIC DUCK SERUM

1. Glomerulonephritis was produced in rabbits by the injection of antirabbit-kidney duck serum. 2. The clinical and pathologic characteristics of the disease are discussed. 3. It was found possible by appropriate means either to accelerate the development of the nephritis or to prevent its appearance entirely. 4. An apparent correlation was found between the development of the nephritis and the formation of antibodies to duck serum by the injected rabbit. 5. The generally accepted concept of the mechanism of the disease does not appear to be in accordance with the facts here observed. A new hypothesis is presented.
An Hypothesis: The Dramatic Decline in Heart Attacks in the United States is Temporally Related to the Decline in Duodenal Ulcer Disease and Helicobacter pylori Infection

Background Studies of autopsies of military members dying in three US wars indicate that the prevalence of atherosclerosis in successive cohorts of healthy young men and women has dramatically decreased over the past half century. Objective The objective of this study was to compare the decline in the prevalence of atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction with previously published studies on the decline in the prevalence of duodenal ulcer. Methods A plot of the prevalence of coronary atherosclerosis and the prevalence of myocardial infarction in three cohorts of young men and women born from 1930 to 1980 was constructed. Results The figure shows a marked decline in prevalence in atherosclerosis beginning in a military cohort born around 1930 and a similar marked decline in prevalence of myocardial infarction in the US population beginning in 1970. In published studies duodenal ulcer began to decline in prevalence in 1960. As duodenal ulcers began to occur at age 30 and myocardial infarctions began to occur at age 40 at the time of peak prevalence, the cohort born in 1930 was the first to experience a decline in prevalence of both duodenal ulcer and heart attacks. Conclusion The study shows that the decline in heart attacks is temporally related to the decline in duodenal ulcer and by inference, Helicobacter pylori infection.
Synchronized mammalian cell cultures. I. Cell replication cycle and macromolecular synthesis following brief colcemid arrest of mitosis

Chinese hamster fibroblasts in monolayer cultures were synchronized by accumulating mitotic cells in the presence of Colcemid, removing the mitotic cells with a brief trypsin treatment, and growing them in medium lacking Colcemid. Such cultures grew normally and exhibited no significant deviations from control cultures in their mitotic interval, generation time, DNA synthesis kinetics, or proliferative capacity. The macromolecular composition of 106 mitotic cells was chemically determined to be: DNA, 15 μg; RNA, 28 μg; and protein, 190 μg. In stock cultures, the corresponding values were about 60% to 70% of those for mitotic cells. The kinetics of DNA, RNA, and protein synthesis were measured throughout a 12-hour cell cycle by incorporation of tritiated precursors. DNA synthesis began two hours after, and continued until ten hours after Colcemid recovery, with 40 minute interruptions at five and eight hours. RNA synthesis commenced at one hour and continued linearly until the fifth hour, at which time the rate abruptly doubled. Protein synthesis began immediately after cell division (0.5 hour) and continued linearly until the sixth hour, at which time its rate also doubled. The simplest interpretation of the data suggests that most of the DNA involved in transcription was replicated in the first third of the DNA synthesis period. Thereafter, the rates of RNA and protein synthesis increased because of the doubling of the active template population in each cell.
EVALUATION OF CONFIRMATORY FACTOR ANALYTIC AND STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODELS USING GOODNESS-OF-FIT INDICES

Evaluating model fit is important when conducting confirmatory factor analytic and structural equation analyses. This paper proposes a resampling procedure for obtaining estimates of model fit.
Locomotion of Helical Bodies in Viscoelastic Fluids: Enhanced Swimming at Large Helical Amplitudes

The motion of a rotating helical body in a viscoelastic fluid is considered. In the case of force-free swimming, the introduction of viscoelasticity can either enhance or retard the swimming speed and locomotive efficiency, depending on the body geometry, fluid properties, and the body rotation rate. Numerical solutions of the Oldroyd-B equations show how previous theoretical predictions break down with increasing helical radius or with decreasing filament thickness. Helices of large pitch angle show an increase in swimming speed to a local maximum at a Deborah number of order unity. The numerical results show how the small-amplitude theoretical calculations connect smoothly to the large-amplitude experimental measurements.
Beyond the misapprehension of nursing rituals.

TOPIC: The power of nursing symbols and rituals to convey the values of contemporary professional nursing. PURPOSE: To explore the power of symbols and rituals from the perspective of experts in ritual studies, and to demonstrate their significance for the practice of professional nursing. SOURCES: Published literature. CONCLUSIONS: A renewed understanding of the transformative power of nursing symbols and rituals will allow us to see that they do not oppose, but rather complement, science and professional status. Nursing symbols and rituals must not be discarded. They must be reinvented to convey the values of contemporary professional nursing.
New numerical methods for quantum field theories on the continuum

Abstract The Source Galerkin Method is a new numerical technique that is being developed to solve Quantum Field Theories on the continuum. It is not based on Monte Carlo techniques and has a measure to evaluate relative errors. It promises to increase the accuracy and speed of calculations, and takes full advantage of symmetries of the theory. The application of this method to the non-linear σ model is outlined.
Transforming complex loop nests for locality

Over the past 20 years, increases in processor speed have dramatically outstripped performance increases for standard memory chips. To bridge this gap, compilers must optimize applications so that data fetched into caches are reused before being displaced. Existing compiler techniques can efficiently optimize simple loop structures such as sequences of perfectly nested loops. However, on more complicated structures, existing techniques are either ineffective or require too much computation time to be practical for a commercial compiler. This thesis develops the following novel techniques to optimize complex loop structures both effectively and inexpensively for better locality. Extended dependence representation: a matrix representation that incorporates dependence relations between iterations of arbitrarily nested loops. Transitive dependence analysis algorithm: a new algorithm that improves the time complexity of existing transitive dependence analysis algorithms. Dependence hoisting: a new loop transformation technique that permits the direct fusion and interchange of arbitrarily nested loops. The transformation is inexpensive and can be incorporated into most commercial compilers. Computation slicing: a framework that systematically applies dependence hoisting to optimize arbitrary loop structures for better locality. Recursion transformation: the first compiler work that automatically transforms loop structures into recursive form to exploit locality simultaneously at multiple levels of the memory hierarchy. Both the computation slicing framework and recursion transformation have been implemented and applied to successfully optimize a collection of benchmarks. In particular, the slicing framework has successfully blocked four linear algebra kernels: Cholesky, QR, LU factorization without pivoting, and LU with partial pivoting. The auto-blocked versions have achieved performance improvements similar to those attained by manually blocked programs in LAPACK [7]. The automatic blocking of QR and pivoting LU is a notable achievement because these kernels include loop nests that are considered difficult—to our knowledge, few previous compiler implementations have completely automated the blocking of the loop nests in these kernels. These facts indicate that although with a cost much lower than that of existing more general transformation frameworks [34, 42, 2, 36, 49], the computation slicing framework can in practice match or exceed the effectiveness of these general frameworks.
Electrical and Optical Properties of ZnO Processed by Atomic Layer Deposition in Inverted Polymer Solar Cells

We report on the photovoltaic properties of inverted polymer solar cells where the transparent electron-collecting electrode is formed by a ZnO-modified indium−tin oxide (ITO) electrode. The ZnO layers were deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) with varying thicknesses from 0.1 to 100 nm. The work function, surface roughness, and morphology of ITO/ZnO were found to be independent of the ZnO thickness. However, the device performance was found to be strongly dependent on a critical ZnO thickness, around 10 nm. Below the critical thickness the device performance was degraded because of the appearance of a “kink” in the current−voltage characteristics. The kink features became less pronounced after ultraviolet (UV) exposure. This was attributed to oxygen desorption, leading to an increased conductivity of the ZnO layer. At and above this critical thickness, the device performance significantly improved and no longer depended strongly on the thickness of the ZnO layer, in agreement with optical simulatio...
The rotation of light fans by cylindrical lenses

Abstract The rotation of a parallel fan of light is accomplished when the fan is incident on a cylindrical lens with its axis rotated relative to the plane of the incident fan. A matrix representation allows the angles of rotation to be determined as a function of distance from the lens.
Ultrasound prediction of growth abnormalities in fetuses with gastroschisis.

Objective. We seek to determine whether (1) mean abdominal circumference (AC) of fetuses with gastroschisis is smaller than published normative values, (2) diagnosis of AC ≤2.5th percentile is supported by postnatal diagnosis of small-for-gestational age (SGA) and (3) adverse neonatal outcomes are more common in fetuses affected by gastroschisis with a sonographically measured small AC.Methods. Retrospective review of pregnancies complicated with gastroschisis between 2000 and 2008. Patient demographics, method of closure, length of stay, use of ventilator support and gastrointestinal complications were compared.Results. Seventy-four fetuses were identified with 368 ultrasound observations. Mean AC of fetuses with gastroschisis fell between the 2.5th and 50th percentile for gestational age. Thirty patients had AC measurements ≤2.5th of which 50% were SGA at delivery. Eleven of the 74 fetuses were diagnosed with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and all were SGA. Birth weight was lower in those with a...
Tropical forest fragmentation limits pollination of a keystone understory herb

Loss of native vegetation cover is thought to be a major driver of declines in pollination success worldwide. However, it is not well known whether reducing the fragmentation of remaining vegetation can ameliorate these negative effects. We tested the independent effects of composition vs. configuration on the reproductive success of a keystone tropical forest herb (Heliconia tortuosa). To do this we designed a large-scale mensurative experiment that independently varied connected forest-patch size (configuration) and surrounding amount of forest (composition). In each patch, we tested whether pollen tubes, fruit, and seed set were associated with these landscape variables. We also captured hummingbirds as an indication of pollinator availability in a subset of patches according to the same design. We found evidence for an effect of configuration on seed set of H. tortuosa, but not on other aspects of plant reproduction; proportion of seeds produced increased 40% across the gradient in patch size we observed (0.64 to .1300 ha), independent of the amount of forest in the surrounding landscape at both local and landscape scales. We also found that the availability of pollinators was dependent upon forest configuration; hummingbird capture rates increased three and one-half times across the patch size gradient, independent of forest amount. Finally, pollinator availability was strongly positively correlated with seed set. We hypothesize that the effects of configuration on plant fitness that we observed are due to reduced pollen quality resulting from altered hummingbird availability and/or movement behavior. Our results suggest that prioritizing larger patches of tropical forest may be particularly important for conservation of this species.
Robustness of xampling-based RF receivers against analog mismatches

The analog imperfections in RF direct conversion receiver, of which I/Q imbalance is a major detriment, are examined. Existing literatures on I/Q imbalance compensation try to compensate for the imbalance by estimating the mismatches. In this work, xampling-based decoding algorithm is examined. This algorithm is shown to be very efficient in handling the impairments in the analog components. Simulation results are also presented to illustrate some of the benefits of the proposed approach.
Genome wide association for addiction: replicated results and comparisons of two analytic approaches.

Background: Vulnerabilities to dependence on addictive substances are substantially heritable complex disorders whose underlying genetic architecture is likely to be polygenic, with modest contributions from variants in many individual genes. ‘‘Nontemplate’’ genome wide association (GWA) approaches can identity groups of chromosomal regions and genes that, taken together, are much more likely to contain allelic variants that alter vulnerability to substance dependence than expected by chance. Methodology/Principal Findings: We report pooled ‘‘nontemplate’’ genome-wide association studies of two independent samples of substance dependent vs control research volunteers (n=1620), one European-American and the other AfricanAmerican using 1 million SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) Affymetrix genotyping arrays. We assess convergence between results from these two samples using two related methods that seek clustering of nominally-positive results and assess significance levels with Monte Carlo and permutation approaches. Both ‘‘converge then cluster’’ and ‘‘cluster then converge’’ analyses document convergence between the results obtained from these two independent datasets in ways that are virtually never found by chance. The genes identified in this fashion are also identified by individually-genotyped dbGAP data that compare allele frequencies in cocaine dependent vs control individuals. Conclusions/Significance: These overlapping results identify small chromosomal regions that are also identified by genome wide data from studies of other relevant samples to extents much greater than chance. These chromosomal regions contain more genes related to ‘‘cell adhesion’’ processes than expected by chance. They also contain a number of genes that encode potential targets for anti-addiction pharmacotherapeutics. ‘‘Nontemplate’’ GWA approaches that seek chromosomal regions in which nominally-positive associations are found in multiple independent samples are likely to complement classical, ‘‘template’’ GWA approaches in which ‘‘genome wide’’ levels of significance are sought for SNP data from single case vs control comparisons.
Inhibition of membrane-bound adrenodoxin-adrenodoxin reductase activity by puromycin and cycloheximide, which antagonize the adrenal steroidogenic action of ACTH.

Abstract Inhibition of NADPH-dependent adrenodoxin reductase activity in adrenocortical mitochondria by puromycin and cycloheximide was observed at 0.1 mM and 1 mM, respectively. NADPH-dependent reduction of cytochrome P450 was also inhibited at similar concentrations, while solubilized enzymes were unaffected by the antibiotics. Further, puromycin induces high-to-low spin spectral changes with dissociation constants of 0.2 mM and 1.0 mM for membrane-bound and soluble cytochrome P450, respectively. Cycloheximide caused no spin changes.
Candida albicans Cell Wall Proteins

Summary: The Candida albicans cell wall maintains the structural integrity of the organism in addtion to providing a physical contact interface with the environment. The major components of the cell wall are fibrillar polysaccharides and proteins. The proteins of the cell wall are the focus of this review. Three classes of proteins are present in the candidal cell wall. One group of proteins attach to the cell wall via a glycophosphatidylinositol remnant or by an alkali-labile linkage. A second group of proteins with N-terminal signal sequences but no covalent attachment sequences are secreted by the classical secretory pathway. These proteins may end up in the cell wall or in the extracellular space. The third group of proteins lack a secretory signal, and the pathway(s) by which they become associated with the surface is unknown. Potential constituents of the first two classes have been predicted from analysis of genome sequences. Experimental analyses have identified members of all three classes. Some members of each class selected for consideration of confirmed or proposed function, phenotypic analysis of a mutant, and regulation by growth conditions and transcription factors are discussed in more detail.
Potassium‐Induced Release of Endogenous Amino Acids in the Guinea Pig Cochlea

: Guinea pig cochleae were perfused with highpotassium solutions to depolarize hair cells artificially and induce the release of afferent neurotransmitter. Sequential injections of artificial perilymph containing 5 mM KCl, then 50 mM KCl, and finally 5 mM KCl were made into the scala tympani. This injection sequence was conducted under either normal divalent-cation conditions (2.0 mM CaCl2, 1.0 mM MgCl2) or calcium-deficient conditions intended to antagonize evoked transmitter release (0.1 mM CaCl2, 20.0 mM MgCl2). The levels of 21 endogenous primary amines in effluent collected from the scala vestibuli were determined by gradient-elution, reverse-phase HPLC using o-phthaldialdehyde-thiol adducts with fluorescence detection. Analyses indicated effluent concentrations of glutamate, taurine, and a coeluting taurine-γ-aminobutyrate (GABA) fraction (but not GABA alone) increased significantly after exposure to 50 mM KCl and returned to baseline levels after reintroduction of 5 mM KCl under normal divalent-cation conditions. Correspondent changes in the release of these constituents were significantly attenuated under calcium-deficient conditions. This was not the case for potassium-induced changes in the release of arginine, aspartate, and isoleucine. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that the receptoneuronal transmitter is glutamate and further suggest a calcium-dependent mechanism involving taurine.
To replicate or not to replicate: the case of pharmacogenetic studies: Establishing validity of pharmacogenomic findings: from replication to triangulation.

Replication of positive findings from genetic association studies has long served as the gold standard for establishing validity of observed genotype–phenotype associations.1–3 In addition to adequate statistical power and sound epidemiological design aimed at minimizing biases, suggested criteria for successful replication studies include: (1) same genetic variant, (2) same direction of association, (3) same definition of the phenotype, and (4) same ethnic group as reported in the discovery study.1 However, in the context of pharmacogenetics, the phenotype requirement is further constrained by the drug and intervention strategy of the initial investigation. As a result, and because many pharmacogenetic and pharmacogenomic studies arise from randomized clinical trials, replication of gene–drug response associations has proven to be a costly and logistically difficult endeavor.4,5 In light of these constraints, this review presents the case for rethinking the replication requirement and proposes several alternative approaches to validating pharmacogenomic findings. Response by Ioannidis on p 412 The prevailing view is that the requirement of replication, currently imposed or strongly suggested by most peer-reviewed journals, has improved the quality of published studies by reducing false-positive findings and overcoming the winner’s curse.6 At first glance, replication rates for findings from both candidate gene studies and agnostic approaches, such as genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and more commonly whole exome or whole genome scans, appear low. For example, of 70 previously reported candidate loci for common diseases, only 22 had P values <10−7 across 100 subsequently conducted GWAS.7 Similarly, a recent analysis of large-scale genetic studies including at least 50 variants and published between 2007 and 2010 suggests that only 1.2% of initial findings are replicated.8 In pharmacogenetic studies of cardiovascular outcomes, where the phenotype is defined as response to drug treatment, the replication rate (3.4%) is comparable to …
Career Counseling Black Women in a Predominantly White Coeducational University.

A career counseling workshop for Black women featuring the Model—Mentor Process may be an alternative career intervention in a predominantly White coeducational university.
Women, Sex, and Marriage in Moroccan Proverbs

The study of proverbs has a long history. Collectors have come from many walks of life and their motives have been various, but foremost among them was the idea that the proverbs of a people would provide valuable clues about their character and culture and open paths of communication. While this notion is in part correct, the cultural portrait painted by proverbs may be fragmented, contradictory, or otherwise at variance with reality. Proverb collections, both old and new, can still constitute a fertile field for study, but must be regarded not as accurate renderings but rather as tantalizing shadows of the culture which spawned them.
Stereopsis in children with unilateral pseudophakia.

Aim: To evaluate stereoacuity and the factors that can influence stereopsis in children with unilateral pseudophakia. Methods: Charts of 38 patients who were diagnosed as having unilateral cataract and underwent cataract extraction with primary intraocular lens implantation were retrospectively reviewed. Data were collected on gender, age, race, age at presentation and the surgery, cataract types, the presence of strabismus before and after cataract extraction, refractive error and the presence of anisometropia, best corrected visual acuity (VA) of both eyes and stereoacuity. Results: Thirty-eight patients were divided into two groups. Group I had 21 patients whose stereopsis was better than 400 s of arc. Seventeen patients in group II had stereopsis poorer than 400 s of arc. The mean ages at presentation and surgery were 4.9 and 6.3 years in group I and 2.7 and 3.0 in group II, respectively (p = 0.046,0.007). Posterior lenticonus was the most common cataract type in both groups (p = 0.20). Strabismus was more frequently associated with group II. Those who had no strabismus before and after cataract surgery were 66.7% in group I and 47.1% in group II (p = 0.02). Fifty-two per cent of patients in group I had a VA of 20/40 or better, but in group II, only one patient had a VA of 20/40 (p Conclusion: Stereopsis was better in children with later manifesting cataracts, in the absence of strabismus and in cases with a good postoperative VA. The postoperative VA was the most important factor affecting the outcome of stereopsis in children with unilateral pseudophakia.
A comparison of differential diagnostic tests to detect antibodies to pseudorabies glycoproteins gX, gI, and gIII in naturally infected feral pigs.

sera as compared with the other two differential tests. The Feral swine sera were used in this study for the detection gI and gIII ELISAs also detected antibody at lesser amounts of glycoprotein-specific antibodies produced during a natural than did the gX test in the sera that were LA positive but virus-host interaction. These sera sampled a cross section of had SN titers 2 years. The sera were evaluated with the follow- leted glycoprotein must be present in all field strains of PRV, ing PRV serologic tests: latex agglutination (LA), a