cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthesis of mono‐6‐deoxy‐6‐N,N,N′,N′,N′‐pentamethylethylenediammonio‐cyclomaltoheptaose, a single‐isomer, monosubstituted, permanently dicationic β‐CD and its use for enantiomer separations by CE

The dichloride salt of mono-6-deoxy-6-N,N,N′,N′,N′-pentamethylethylenediammonio-cyclomaltoheptaose (PEMEDA-BCD), the first single-isomer, monosubstituted, permanently dicationic β-CD has been synthesized, analytically characterized, and used for the capillary electrophoretic separation of the enantiomers of a group of analytes in acidic and basic BGEs. When the concentration of PEMEDA-BCD was changed in the BGEs, the resulting effective mobilities of the analytes and the respective separation selectivities followed the predictions of the ionic strength-corrected charged resolving agent migration model. Good separation selectivities and favorable normalized EOF mobilities allowed for the rapid, efficient separation of the enantiomers of anionic, weak acid and nonionic analytes in the low- and/or high-pH BGEs.
Epistasis, associated lethals and brood effect in larval colour polymorphism of the patch butterfly, Chlosyne lacinia

Epistasis, associated lethals and brood effect in larval colour polymorphism of the patch butterfly, Chlosyne lacinia
Implementation of Sensory Feedback and Trajectory Tracking in Active Telemanipulation Systems

This paper presents an approach to the implementation of sensory feedback in a robotic telemanipulation system. The system considered here consists of kinematically similar master-slave robotic manipulators. We propose a control scheme whereby the slave tracks the motion commanded by the human operator through the master mechanism. The scheme also accommodates, in a unified manner, different sources of sensory feedback. These include combined effects of the interaction with unknown environments and changes in structural properties of the slave manipulator due to additional unknown loads. The control algorithm is based on continuously sliding variable structure control, which is a nonlinear and highly robust control scheme. Due to the robustness of the scheme, the need for a priori information about the environment and the load is minimal. This information can be passed on to the system in the form of upper bounds of the interaction forces and additional loads. Experimental studies with a Pneumatic Haptic Interface (PHI) system were conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed scheme. We used a virtual slave with percent 25 uncertainty to verify the robustness of the controller. We have shown that the proposed scheme can accurately estimate the environmental interaction torques and can robustly track the trajectories commanded by the human operator.
Whose News Do You Trust? Explaining Trust in Private versus Public Media in Africa

Why do citizens in postauthoritarian African democracies trust government-owned broadcast media more than they trust private broadcasters, given the public media’s lack of independence and history ...
Photoglottography: A clinical synopsis

Summary Although photoglottography (PGG) has been used as a measure proportional to glottal area, it has not been widely applied in the clinic to study dysphonic patient populations. Historically, PGG has required the insertion of either a light source or photosensor at least to the level of the oropharynx or nasopharynx. This invasive nature of PGG has probably limited its appeal to those who are unwilling to risk injury or discomfort to subjects. Additionally, the effort and time necessary to carefully hand-mark glottal events for analysis has limited its clinical use. This report presents a brief overview of PGG and describes two techniques to help enhance its clinical application: a minimally invasive transoral technique of illumination and an automated technique to identify glottal events. In addition, two possible factors that may confound the interpretation of transoral PGG results were evaluated: the effects of transoral versus transnasal light sources, and effects of change in articulatory configuration on PGG results.
Non-covalent immobilization of homogeneous cationicchiral rhodium–phosphine catalysts on silica surfaces

Non-covalent immobilization of [(R,R)-Me-(DuPHOS)Rh(COD)]OTf by interaction of the triflate counter ion with surface silanols of silica supports leads to an active, stable, enantioselective, asymmetric hydrogenation catalyst.
Membrane transport proteins: surprises in structural sameness.

An X-ray crystal structure of an organic anion transporter identifies it as an ion channel instead. Its similarity to an unrelated family of water channels raises evolutionary questions that have been recently bubbling up around membrane proteins.
Individual differences in the potential and realized developmental plasticity of personality traits

Changes in personality over ontogeny can occur even when every agent (individual or genotype) is exposed to the same set of cues, experiences or environmental conditions. A recent Bayesian model (Stamps and Krishnan, in press) shows how individual differences in the means and variances of prior distributions of estimates of variables such as danger can generate predictable individual differences in behavioral developmental trajectories, and predictable changes in the differential consistency (broad-sense repeatability) of behavior over ontogeny, even if every subject is reared and maintained under the same conditions. We use this model to highlight the distinction between potential plasticity (the ability of an agent to change its phenotype in response to different types of experience) and realized plasticity (the extent to which an agent’s phenotype actually changes in response to a specific experience), and to demonstrate why the realized behavioral developmental plasticity of a given agent might vary as a function of the type of cues to which that agent was exposed over ontogeny. We describe two commonly used experimental protocols for studying individual differences in developmental plasticity (within-individual versus replicate individual designs), discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each for investigating individual differences in the developmental plasticity of personality traits, and explain why replicate individual designs provide better estimates than within-individual designs of the potential developmental plasticity of behavioral traits. More generally, we suggest that a Bayesian approach to development, especially one which assumes that individuals differ with respect to the information provided by their immediate and distant ancestors, can provide valuable insights into how genes, epigenetic factors, maternal effects and personal experiences might combine across the lifetime to affect the development of personality and other behavioral traits.
Preservation of canine hearts

Summary Canine hearts were perfused for 24 hrs by hypothermic perfusion. When these hearts were resuscitated they demonstrated pressure-volume curves that were similar to their own control. Electron micrographic studies showed good morphological preservation. However, physiological preservation was not attained, as the orthotopic homotransplanted, preserved heart failed soon after orthotopic implantation.
Ketosis and the Ketogenic Diet, 2010: Advances in Treating Epilepsy and Other Disorders

Since the authors’ 1997 review of the ketogenic diet in Advances in Pediatrics, a remarkable increase has been seen in interest in its use, in reports of its effectiveness, and in studies of how the diet works. Although used primarily for treating seizures in children, the diet has also been shown to be useful in treating intractable seizures in adults, and possibly for treating other nonepileptic conditions, such as brain tumors, Alzheimer’s disease, and diabetes. The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, adequate protein, low-carbohydrate diet designed to produce ketosis through mimicking the metabolic changes of starvation. It is carefully calculated to be nutritionally adequate for each individual, providing 90% of needed calories as fat, a minimum of 1 g/kg of protein, and minimal carbohydrates. The ratio of fats to protein and carbohydrate is classically 4:1. The diet and its cousins—the modified Atkins diet, the medium chain triglyceride (MCT) diet, and the low glycemic index treatment—have provided substantial advances in the treatment of childhood seizures. However, because of myths and misunderstandings about the benefits and side effects of the diet, and because of the lack of trained physicians and dieticians to provide the diet, it is used too infrequently. This report summarizes progress made during the past decade and provides information about both the diet’s documented usefulness in childhood epilepsy and its potential uses in other conditions. A considerably fuller discussion of the classic ketogenic diet and its implementation are provided elsewhere [1–3]. The ketogenic diet only should be undertaken only under the medical supervision of a physician and a dietician knowledgeable in its management. Many myths and misconceptions exist about the ketogenic diet, such as: 1. The ketosis of starvation and of the ketogenic diet is dangerous and similar to the ketoacidosis of diabetes. 2. High-fat diets are unpalatable and difficult to calculate and prepare.
Anxiolytic effects of the GABAA receptor partial agonist, L-838,417: Impact of age, test context familiarity, and stress

The partial α2,3,5 GABAA receptor agonist, L-838,417 has been reported to have anxiolytic effects in adult rodents. Although maturational differences exist for the GABAA receptor subunits, the anxiolytic effects of L-838,417 have not been tested in younger animals. The goal of the present experiments was to determine whether L-838,417 reverses anxiety-like behavior induced by either an unfamiliar environment (Experiment 1) or repeated restraint stress (Experiment 2) differentially in adolescent and adult, male and female Sprague–Dawley rats using a modified social interaction test. In Experiment 1, rats were injected with 0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, or 4.0 mg/kg L-838,417, i.p. and tested 30 min later in an unfamiliar test context for 10 min. In Experiment 2, rats were exposed to restraint stress (90 min daily for 5 days). Immediately after the last restraint session, animals were injected with L-838,417 and placed alone for 30 min in the test apparatus to familiarize them to this context prior to the 10 min social interaction test. In Experiment 1, L-838,417 produced anxiolytic effects in adults at 1.0 mg/kg, as indexed by a transformation of social avoidance into preference and an increase in social investigation. In adolescents, a dose of 2.0 mg/kg eliminated social avoidance, but had no anxiolytic effects on social investigation. Testing under familiar circumstances (Experiment 2) after repeated restraint stress eliminated age differences in sensitivity to L-838,417, with 0.5 mg/kg reversing the anxiogenic effects of prior stress regardless of age, but with doses ≥ 1 mg/kg decreasing social investigation, an effect possibly due in part to locomotor-impairing effects of this compound. Although locomotor activity was suppressed in both experiments, higher doses of L-838,417 were necessary to suppress locomotor activity in Experiment 1. Thus, anxiolytic effects of L-838,417 were found to be context-, age-, and stress-dependent.
Temperature dependence of liquid density: The choice of a reference state

Abstract Some reduced equations of state where the scaling parameters are different from the parameters for the liquid-vapor critical point were studied. The problem is pertinent for many compounds for which the critical point cannot be reached. First, calculations were made for the equation of Shelomentsev and Bolotin, both in its original form and in our modification where the scaling parameters pertain to both the normal melting point and the normal boiling point. Good results were obtained for saturated liquid densities of normal paraffins, but the inconvenience of dealing at the same time with two physical reference states remains. Second, a modified Guggenheim density equation was used, but with the parameters at the normal boiling point instead of at the critical point. Again for n-paraffins, good results were obtained both for density and for isobaric expansivity. Two characteristic parameters for each material are needed. Two ‘universal’ parameters, the same for all paraffins, can be used also, but the predictive accuracy is somewhat lower.
A missing link in software engineering

Before software development can become a true engineering discipline, its practitioners must be well schooled in computer science, discrete mathematics, and a subject too rarely addressed in most university courses today: engineering economy.
Scales of above-ground and below-ground competition in a semi-arid woodland detected from spatial pattern

Abstract. Semi-arid woodlands are two-phase mosaics of canopy and inter-canopy patches. We hypothesized that both aboveground competition (within canopy patches), and below-ground competition (between canopy patches), would be important structuring processes in these communities. We investigated the spatial pattern of trees in a Pinus edulis-Juniperus monosperma woodland in New Mexico using Ripley's K-function. We found strong aggregation of trees at scales of 2 to 4 m, which indicates the scale of canopy patches. Canopy patches were composed of individuals of both species. Crown centers of both species were always less aggregated than stem centers at scales less than canopy patch size, indicating morphological plasticity of competing crowns. In the smallest size classes of both species, aggregation was most intense, and occurred over a larger range of scales; aggregation decreased with increasing size as is consistent with density-dependent mortality from intraspecific competition. Within canopy patches, younger trees were associated with older trees of the other species. At scales larger than canopy patches, younger trees showed repulsion from older conspecifics, indicating below-ground competition. Hence, intraspecific competition was stronger than interspecific competition, probably because the species differ in rooting depth. Woodland dynamics depend on the scale and composition of canopy patches, aggregated seed deposition and facilitation, above- and below-ground competition, and temporal changes in the spatial scale of interactions. This woodland is intermediate in a grassland-forest continuum (a gradient of increasing woody canopy cover) and hence we expected, and were able to detect, the effects of both above- and below-ground competition.
A bulk silicon SOI process for active intevated sensor

Abstract This paper reports a process for the formation of very high quality single-crystal silicon films on glass substrates. The process utilizes the electrostatic bonding of silicon and glass wafers, with subsequent etching of the silicon to form siliconon-insulator (SOI) films having thicknesses controlled from less than 2.μm to over 20,μm with better than 10% uniformity. The use of Corning type 1729 glass substrates yields an excellent thermal expansion match to the silicon film and allows the use of post-bond processing temperatures as high as 850 °C, permitting the formation of both transducer and transistor structures in the film after bonding and etch-back. Thus, the process offers one means of integrating MOS or bipolar circuitry into dissolved-wafer sensing structures. MOS devices formed in such films show characteristics similar to those in standard bulk silicon, including n-channel mobilities of 640 cm2/V s, the highest ever reported for SOI on glass. A variety of related processes are also possible, where some or all of the high-temperature silicon device processing is performed before bonding to the glass substrate.
Batch-injection attachment for the Hart DSC

Abstract An attachment for performing batch injections or incremental titrations with a Hart Scientific model 7707 DSC is described. The effects of the attachment on calorimeter performance in the isothermal mode are minimal. The attachment can be used for determining heats of reaction under some circumstances, but is best suited for modifying the environment in the ampule around heat-producing samples such as living materials.
Functional endoscopic sinus surgery: an overview.

"Functional endoscopic sinus surgery" is a minimally invasive technique for treating chronic and acute sinusitis. It is based on the concept that most diseases of the paranasal sinuses are due to obstruction of the anterior ethmoid cells in the region of the middle meatus. With use of surgical treatment of the ethmoid sinus and endoscopic instrumentation, chronic and acute sinus disease can be managed; associated morbidity is minimal. Thus, the need for radical resection of the ethmoid sinus and the Caldwell-Luc operation has decreased. Herein the origins and anatomic basis of endoscopic sinus surgery are described, and some current applications in the management of diseases of the paranasal sinuses are reviewed.
Philosophical underpinnings for equilibrium of values and implications for management education: A response to Harold Leavitt

I first of all address the dilemma caused by the difference between us "humanizers" and big organizations. In particular, I look at the value systems of big organizations. Leavitt listed a number of causes that encourage and contribute to the unhealthy environments of big organizations. I elaborate on their value systems as a fundamental cause. Second, I elaborate on our enemies. Leavitt listed a number of enemies, including the systemizers of big organizations. I extend Leavitt's list of our enemies—the additional enemy being within our own psyche of sharing a similar value system to a certain extent—hence pointing to the challenge of combating our own way of thinking as a first priority for management learning and education. Third, in response to Leavitt's call to train our students appropriately, I extend Leavitt's discussion about what we can do about big organizations in light of the framework of situated cognition and learning (e.g., Brown, Collins, & Duguid, 1989; Rogoff, 1990).
20 Years of Best Practices: 2014 Community College Futures Assembly Raises Questions on 2020 Community Colleges

Since 1995, the Community College Futures Assembly has served as a national independent policy think tank for identifying critical issues facing community colleges and recognizing exemplary programs nationwide. Convening annually in January in Orlando, Florida, the assembly provides an interactive learning environment where tough questions are raised, critical issues are discussed, and policy implications are vetted. The focus for 2014 Community College Futures Assembly was the future direction of community colleges, highlighting decision makers’ views on the approaching challenges. This paper provides a brief analysis of the 2020 community college, focusing on several emerging themes including student centered learning, increasing competition, and the link between degrees and jobs.
Sequences of the soluble tryptic peptides from myoglobin of yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares).

Abstract 1. 1. Amino acid sequences of the soluble tryptic peptides of yellowfin tuna myoglobin, comprising 60% of the total residues, are presented. 2. 2. The amino terminus is acetylated as shown by Fourier transform nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of an N- terminal dipeptide. 3. 3. Comparison of peptide sequences from yellowfin tuna myoglobin with corresponding regions of mammalian myoglobins shows obvious homology around the heme-attachment site and the carboxyl terminus, but marked dissimilarity is evident at other locations, such as the amino terminal region.
Multiple faces elicit augmented neural activity

How do our brains respond when we are being watched by a group of people? Despite the large volume of literature devoted to face processing, this question has received very little attention. Here we measured the effects on the face-sensitive N170 and other ERPs to viewing displays of one, two and three faces in two experiments. In Experiment 1, overall image brightness and contrast were adjusted to be constant, whereas in Experiment 2 local contrast and brightness of individual faces were not manipulated. A robust positive-negative-positive (P100-N170-P250) ERP complex and an additional late positive ERP, the P400, were elicited to all stimulus types. As the number of faces in the display increased, N170 amplitude increased for both stimulus sets, and latency increased in Experiment 2. P100 latency and P250 amplitude were affected by changes in overall brightness and contrast, but not by the number of faces in the display per se. In Experiment 1 when overall brightness and contrast were adjusted to be constant, later ERP (P250 and P400) latencies showed differences as a function of hemisphere. Hence, our data indicate that N170 increases its magnitude when multiple faces are seen, apparently impervious to basic low-level stimulus features including stimulus size. Outstanding questions remain regarding category-sensitive neural activity that is elicited to viewing multiple items of stimulus categories other than faces.
Confrontation naming impairment in dementia

The effects of dementia etiology and severity on the confrontation naming ability of individuals with Alzheimer's, Huntington's, and Parkinson's diseases and multi-infarct dementia are investigated. Although naming impairment is reported as a consequence of dementing illness, confrontation naming is not found to be significantly impaired in mildly involved patients. Further, although moderate Huntington's and Parkinson's patients made more naming errors than normals, only moderate Alzheimer's disease patients are found to be significantly different. Regardless of etiology, most misnamings are found to be semantically related or semantically and visually related to the stimulus. Results challenge the theory that misnamings of dementia patients result primarily from misperception.
Separation, purification and some properties of pneumococcal neuraminidase isoenzymes.

Abstract 1. 1. Neuraminidase from a rough strain of Diplococcus pneumoniae has been partially purified by a series of steps involving (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 fractionations, ultrafiltration through a Diaflo XM-50 filter, heat treatment at 55–56° for 4 min, and batchwise absorption and desorption from DEAE-cellulose. The most variable stages in this procedure involved the heat and DEAE-cellulose treatments. 2. 2. Enzyme purified in this manner was resolved into two peaks of activity by chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and into three populations of neuraminidase activity upon CM-cellulose chromatography. Both discontinuous and linear gradient elutions with phosphate-citrate buffer (pH 6.4) range 0.01–0.10 M were used. 3. 3. The initially eluted CM-cellulose enzyme fraction (Fraction I) was in turn resolved into two activity peaks upon sequential chromatography on CM-Sephadex with the same developing buffer system. Comparable fractions, modified in their origins only insofar as deletion of the heating and batchwise DEAE-cellulose steps, provided 5 isoenzyme peaks on CM-Sephadex chromatography. It is presumed that these results reflect associated-dissociation phenomena due to temperature and monovalent cation exposure. 4. 4. The second CM-cellulose peak of enzyme activity (Fraction II) was additionally resolved into three isoenzymes by serial CM-Sephadex chromatography. Two of these neuraminidase forms appeared at elution volumes sufficiently different from those which were derived from CM-cellulose Fraction I or modified CM-cellulose Fraction I so as to indicated their non-identity. Furthermore, the CM-cellulose Fraction II isoenzymes possessed much lower specific activities than those which were similarly obtained from CM-cellulose Fractions I. 5. 5. Confirmation of the existence of multiple forms of pneunomococcal neuraminidase came from polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis experiments. The appearance of at least five zones of enzyme activity was found on electrophoretic zymograms of the partially purified material. CM-cellulose Fraction I preparations exhibited a minimum of three zones of activity, but each zone gave indications of heterogeneity. Correlations between isoenzyme zone as found above and activity peaks resultant from ion-exchange chromatography have not yet been carried out. 6. 6. Further enrichment of pooled CM-cellulose Fractions II was effected by precipitation with 0.65 saturated (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 . This procedure led to a 400-fold purification, and an apparently crystalline enzyme. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the crystalline enzyme showed the presence of at least six protein staining bands. Zymograms of unstained replicate disc gels indicated that the enzymatic area, which encompassed only two of the protein species present, was now apparently somewhat more homogeneous. Whether the residual neuraminidase-negative proteins represent inactive forms of the enzyme, or impurities with almost identical salt solubility and ion-exchange properties, remains to be determined.
Abstract: Visualizing Large Scale Scientific Data Provenance

Visualization increases the understanding of scientific data by facilitating exploration and explanation of the data. Provenance contributes to data understanding by exposing contributing factors that went in to producing a particular research result. However, provenance of scientific data can grow voluminous quickly because of the large amount of (intermediate) data and ever-increasing complexity. While previous research on visualizing provenance data focuses on small to medium sized provenance data, we develop visualization techniques for exploration and explanation of large scale provenance, including layout algorithm, visual style, graph abstraction techniques, graph matching algorithm, and temporal representation technique to deal with the high complexity.
Alpha-2 Adrenergic Receptor Expression in the Intestine of Neonatal Rats Exposed In Utero to Cocaine † 341

Alpha-2 Adrenergic Receptor Expression in the Intestine of Neonatal Rats Exposed In Utero to Cocaine † 341
A comprehensive field study of end-user programming on mobile devices

TouchDevelop represents a new programming environment that enables users to develop mobile applications directly on mobile devices. TouchDevelop has successfully drawn a huge number of end users, who have published thousands of TouchDevelop scripts online. To enhance end-user programming on mobile devices, we conduct a comprehensive field study of 17322 TouchDevelop scripts and 4275 users. Our study consists of an overall study on the characteristics of scripts (e.g., structural features, code reuse) and users (e.g., expertise), and a longitudinal study on how they evolve over time. Our study results show important characteristics of scripts such as dense external method calls, high code-reuse ratio, and also reveal interesting evolution patterns of users. The findings and implications in our study provide valuable guidelines for improving tool support or services for end users and increasing the popularity of end-user programming on mobile devices.
Commutation Behavior of Diffused High-Current Rectifier Diodes

This paper suggests a practical manner in which the commutation characteristics of a rectifier diode may be presented. It gives quantitative recovery data for two popular types of diffused 250-ampere rectifier diodes in terms of circuit parameters. The recovered charge of the diode under prevailing circuit conditions is used, and quantitative data are given for the selection of appropriate protective circuitry.
Spectroscopic properties of jet-cooled methanol clusters, n=1–6, attached to perylene

Abstract Supersonically cooled clusters of perylene/(CH 3 OH) n ( n =1–6) have been studied using resonance-enhanced near-threshold two-photon ionization followed by time-of-flight mass-spectrometry. The perylene S 0 →S 1 transition is displaced to lower energy in all cases, but the amount of the displacement varies irregularly with cluster size over ≈150 cm −1 . Much greater variations are observed in the threshold ionization energy, over a range >3000 cm −1 .
Induction of human neuronal cells by defined transcription factors

Three papers in this issue demonstrate the production of functional induced neuronal (iN) cells from human fibroblasts, a procedure that holds great promise for regenerative medicine. Pang et al. show that a combination of the three transcription factors Ascl1 (also known as Mash1), Brn2 (or Pou3f2) and Myt1l greatly enhances the neuronal differentiation of human embryonic stem cells. When combined with the basic helix–loop–helix transcription factor NeuroD1, these factors can also convert fetal and postnatal human fibroblasts into iN cells. Caiazzo et al. use a cocktail of three transcription factors to convert prenatal and adult mouse and human fibroblasts into functional dopaminergic neurons. The three are Mash1, Nurr1 (or Nr4a2) and Lmx1a. Conversion is direct with no reversion to a progenitor cell stage, and it occurs in cells from Parkinson's disease patients as well as from healthy donors. Yoo et al. use an alternative approach. They show that microRNAs can have an instructive role in neural fate determination. Expression of miR-9/9* and miR-124 in human fibroblasts induces their conversion into functional neurons, and the process is facilitated by the addition of some neurogenic transcription factors. Somatic cell nuclear transfer, cell fusion, or expression of lineage-specific factors have been shown to induce cell-fate changes in diverse somatic cell types1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12. We recently observed that forced expression of a combination of three transcription factors, Brn2 (also known as Pou3f2), Ascl1 and Myt1l, can efficiently convert mouse fibroblasts into functional induced neuronal (iN) cells13. Here we show that the same three factors can generate functional neurons from human pluripotent stem cells as early as 6 days after transgene activation. When combined with the basic helix–loop–helix transcription factor NeuroD1, these factors could also convert fetal and postnatal human fibroblasts into iN cells showing typical neuronal morphologies and expressing multiple neuronal markers, even after downregulation of the exogenous transcription factors. Importantly, the vast majority of human iN cells were able to generate action potentials and many matured to receive synaptic contacts when co-cultured with primary mouse cortical neurons. Our data demonstrate that non-neural human somatic cells, as well as pluripotent stem cells, can be converted directly into neurons by lineage-determining transcription factors. These methods may facilitate robust generation of patient-specific human neurons for in vitro disease modelling or future applications in regenerative medicine.
Use of Saccharomyces cerevisiae BLYES expressing bacterial bioluminescence for rapid, sensitive detection of estrogenic compounds.

An estrogen-inducible bacterial lux-based bioluminescent reporter was developed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae for applications in chemical sensing and environmental assessment of estrogen disruptor activity. The strain, designated S. cerevisiae BLYES, was constructed by inserting tandem estrogen response elements between divergent yeast promoters GPD and ADH1 on pUTK401 (formerly pUA12B7) that constitutively express luxA and luxB to create pUTK407. Cotransformation of this plasmid with a second plasmid (pUTK404) containing the genes required for aldehyde synthesis (luxCDE) and FMN reduction (frp) yielded a bioluminescent bioreporter responsive to estrogen-disrupting compounds. For validation purposes, results with strain BLYES were compared to the colorimetric-based estrogenic assay that uses the yeast lacZ reporter strain (YES). Strains BLYES and YES were exposed to 17-estradiol over the concentration range of 1.2 10 8 through 5.6 10 12 M. Calculated 50% effective concentration values from the colorimetric and bioluminescence assays (n 7) were similar at (4.4 1.1) 10 10 and (2.4 1.0) 10 10 M, respectively. The lower and upper limits of detection for each assay were also similar and were approximately 4.5 10 11 to 2.8 10 9 M. Bioluminescence was observed in as little as 1 h and reached its maximum in 6 h. In comparison, the YES assay required a minimum of 3 days for results. Strain BLYES fills the niche for rapid, high-throughput screening of estrogenic compounds and has the ability to be used for remote, near-real-time monitoring of estrogendisrupting chemicals in the environment.
Quasi-static discrete Green's function for SAW devices

A discrete Green's function is derived for surface acoustic wave device analysis, giving the currents in an infinite array of regular electrodes when a voltage is applied to one electrode. Simple formulas are obtained by using the quasi-static approximation, which assumes the frequency to be such that electrode reflections are insignificant. The function exhibits distortion associated with the nonuniform charge distribution, and is shown to be causal.
The Impact of Age and Motivation on Cognitive Effort: Implications for Cognitive Engagement in Older Adulthood

We examined age differences in the effort required to perform the basic cognitive operations needed to achieve a specified objective outcome, and how hypothesized increases in effort requirements in later life are related to intrinsic motivation associated with enjoyment of and participation in effortful cognitive activities. Young (N 59; 20–40 years) and older (N 57; 64–85 years) adults performed a memory-search task varying in difficulty across trials, with systolic blood pressure responsivity— calculated as the increase over baseline during task performance—used as a measure of effort expenditure and task engagement. Consistent with expectations, older adults exhibited greater levels of responsivity (i.e., effort) at all levels of objective task difficulty, and this increase was reflected in subjective perceptions of difficulty. Older adults also exhibited greater levels of disengagement (i.e., effort withdrawal) than younger adults at higher levels of task difficulty, conceivably reflecting the disproportionately greater effort required for successful performance in the former group. We also found that, relative to younger adults, older adults’ engagement was more sensitive to the importance attached to the task (i.e., motivation to do well). Finally, we also obtained evidence that increased costs associated with cognitive engagement in later life were negatively associated with intrinsic levels of motivation to engage in effortful cognitive activity. The results support the general conclusion that the costs of cognitive activity increase with age in adulthood, and that these costs influence individuals’ willingness to engage resources in support of demanding cognitive activities.
Hybrid $S$ -Parameters for Transmission Line Networks With Linear/Nonlinear Load Terminations Subject to Arbitrary Excitations

We propose a generalized S-parameter analysis for transmission lines (TLs) with linear/nonlinear load terminations subject to arbitrary plane-wave and port excitations. S-parameters are prevalently used to model TLs such as cable bundles and interconnects on printed circuit boards (PCBs) subject to port excitations. The conventional S-parameter approach is well suited to characterize interactions among ports. However, nontraditional port excitations associated with plane-wave coupling to physical ports at TL terminals lead to forced, as well as propagating, modal waves, necessitating a modification of the standard S-parameter characterization. In this paper, we consider external plane-wave excitations, as well as port (internal) sources, and propose a hybrid S-parameter matrix for characterization of the associated microwave network and systems. A key aspect of the approach is to treat the forced waves at the ports as constant voltage sources and induced propagating modal waves as additional entries (hybrid S-parameters) in the S-parameter matrix. The resulting hybrid S-matrix and voltage sources can be subsequently exported to any circuit solver such as HSPICE and Agilent's Advanced Design System for the analysis of combined linear and nonlinear circuit terminations at ports. The proposed method is particularly suited for susceptibility analysis of cable bundles and PCBs for electromagnetic interference evaluations. It also exploits numerical techniques for structural and circuit domain characterization and allows for circuit design optimization without a need to perform any further computational electromagnetic analysis
An abnormal cervicovaginal cytology smear in uterine carcinosarcoma is an adverse prognostic sign: analysis of 25 cases.

Carcinosarcoma of the uterus has been poorly characterized on cervicovaginal (Pap) smears, and we examine whether they effectively screen for carcinosarcoma and whether an abnormal Pap smear result has any clinical importance. Twenty-five patients with histologically confirmed carcinosarcoma had a conventional Pap smear shortly before diagnosis. Eleven smears (44%) originally were read as abnormal (malignant or atypical), and 4 additional cases were read as abnormal on retrospective review (15/25 [60%]). All malignant elements were epithelial, and 2 cases (8%) had atypical spindle cells, but no diagnostic sarcoma. Cervical involvement was the only histologic parameter correlating with an abnormal Pap smear result (P = .04). Univariate analysis found stage III or IV disease was an adverse prognostic sign compared with stage I or II disease (mean survival, 8 vs 36 months, respectively; P = .001), and multivariate analysis indicated that an abnormal Pap smear result correlated with worse survival (P = .023). The conventional Pap smear is insensitive (60%) for detecting carcinosarcoma, but when the result is abnormal, the Pap is an important stage-independent adverse prognosticator. Carcinosarcoma, earlier known as malignant mixed mesodermal/mullerian tumor, is an uncommon uterine tumor that occurs principally in older women. The tumor typically appears grossly as a large intrauterine mass that often fills and expands the endometrial cavity and histologically discloses a mixture of malignant epithelial and mesenchymal elements. These tumors usually are associated with a poor prognosis. Our study had 3 aims: (1) test whether the routine Papanicolaou (Pap) smear effectively screens for the detection of carcinosarcoma, (2) search for consistent findings to recognize carcinosarcoma on Pap smears, and (3) examine whether the finding of an abnormal smear has independent clinical significance.
First and second transmembrane segments of α3, α4, β2, and β4 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunits influence the efficacy and potency of nicotine

The first three transmembrane segments (M1-M3) of human nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) have been implicated in determining the efficacy of nicotine by studies of alpha3/alpha4 subunit chimeras. Nicotine has full efficacy on the alpha4beta2 nAChR and partial efficacy on the alpha3beta2 nAChR. Now, we have exchanged individually three amino acids between the alpha4 and the alpha3 subunits at positions 226(M1), 258(M2), and 262(M2). Also, similar exchanges were made in the beta2 and beta4 subunits at positions 224(M1), 226(M1), and 254(M2) (using alpha subunit numbering). Expression of these mutated nAChRs in Xenopus laevis oocytes showed that the mutated M1 amino acids were important in influencing the potency of ACh and nicotine. It is hypothesized that these M1 amino acids affect the stability between the resting and activated states of the nAChR. M2 amino acids altered the efficacy of nicotine, usually without altering its potency. When the residue located at position 258 in the M2 region of the alpha subunit was valine (as in the alpha3 subunit), the resulting nAChR exhibited partial efficacy for nicotine that was voltage-dependent. Therefore, we believe that these M2 amino acids contribute to the formation of a binding site for nicotine in the alpha3beta2 nAChR channel, which results in a low-affinity channel block, causing the lower efficacy of nicotine on this nAChR.
Nonparametric Extraction of Transient Changes in Neurotransmitter Concentration From Dynamic PET Data

We have developed a nonparametric approach to the analysis of dynamic positron emission tomography (PET) data for extracting temporal characteristics of the change in endogenous neurotransmitter concentration in the brain. An algebraic method based on singular value decomposition (SVD) was applied to simulated data under both rest (neurotransmitter at baseline) and activated (transient neurotransmitter release) conditions. The resulting signals are related to the integral of the change in free neurotransmitter concentration in the tissue. Therefore, a specially designed minimum mean-square error (MMSE) filter must be applied to the signals to recover the desired temporal pattern of neurotransmitter change. To test the method, we simulated sets of realistic time activity curves representing uptake of [11C]raclopride, a dopamine (DA) receptor antagonist, in brain regions, under baseline and dopamine-release conditions. Our tests considered two scenarios: 1) a spatially homogeneous pattern with all voxels in the activated state presenting an identical DA signal; 2) a spatially heterogeneous pattern in which different DA signals were contained in different families of voxels. In the first case, we demonstrated that the timing of a single DA peak can be accurately identified to within 1 min and that two distinct neurotransmitter peaks can be distinguished. In the second case, separate peaks of activation separated by as little as 5 min can be distinguished. A decrease in blood flow during activation could not account for our findings. We applied the method to human PET data acquired with [11C]raclopride in the presence of transiently elevated DA due to intravenous (IV) alcohol. Our results for an area of the nucleus accumbens-a region relevant to alcohol consumption-agreed with a model-based method for estimating the DA response. SVD-based analysis of dynamic PET data promises a completely noninvasive and model-independent technique for determining the dynamics of a neurotransmitter response to cognitive or pharmacological stimuli. Our results indicate that the method is robust enough for application to voxel-by-voxel data
NEW SPECIES OF OSWALDOCRUZIA (NEMATODA: MOLINEOIDAE), NEW SPECIES OF RHABDIAS (NEMATODA: RHABDIASIDAE), AND OTHER HELMINTHS IN RANA CF. FORRERI (ANURA: RANIDAE) FROM COSTA RICA

Oswaldocruzia costaricensis n. sp. (Strongylida: Molineidae) from the intestines and Rhabdias savagei n. sp. (Rhabditida: Rhabdiasidae) from the lungs of Rana cf. forreri (Anura: Ranidae) are described and illustrated. Oswaldocruzia costaricensis represents the 77th species assigned to the genus and differs from the other Neotropical species in the genus by possessing a Type II bursa and long cervical alae. Rhabdias savagei represents the 47th species assigned to the genus and differs from other Neotropical species in the genus by possession of 4 lips and a postequatorial vulva. Rana cf. forreri was also found to harbor the trematodes, Haematoloechus parcivitellarius and Megalodiscus temperatus, the nematodes, Aplectana incerta, Aplectana itzocanensis, Cosmocerca podicipinus, Foleyellides striatus, Subulascaris falcaustriformis, and a larva of the nematode Brevimulticaecum sp. Cosmocerca panamaensis is considered to be a synonym of Cosmocerca podicipinus.
Pre-service teachers’ science beliefs, attitudes, and self-efficacy: a multi-case study

The aim of this multi-case study was to explore the extent and nature of changes in elementary pre-service teachers’ beliefs, attitudes, and self-efficacy toward science and science teaching as a result of participating in a science methods course. The study specifically focused on three groups of pre-service teachers based on their varying beliefs, attitudes, and self-efficacy prior to the course. The study examined factors that may have contributed to changes in these domains as well as interrelationships among the three constructs.
A 5-day course of systemic corticosteroids is adequate to treat acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Commentary on: Leuppi JD, Schuetz P, Bingisser R, et al. Short-term vs conventional glucocorticoid therapy in acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: the REDUCE randomised clinical trial. JAMA 2013;309:2223–31.[OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3][Web of Science][4] The course of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is punctuated by episodes of exaggerated symptoms, termed ‘exacerbations’, that require additional treatment. Exacerbations are associated with significant morbidity, disease progression, mortality and high costs. The majority of exacerbations are associated with exaggeration of baseline airway inflammation induced by bacterial or viral infection. In addition, eosinophilic exacerbations have been reported. Enhanced inflammation at exacerbation provides rationale for treatment with anti-inflammatory agents, such as corticosteroids. Systemic corticosteroids shorten recovery time, improve lung function, reduce treatment failure and length of hospital stay. However, they do not reduce mortality in exacerbations. Most guidelines advocate 10–14 days of systemic steroids, at a dose of about 40 mg/day. These recommendations are based … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DJAMA%26rft.volume%253D309%26rft.spage%253D2223%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1001%252Fjama.2013.5023%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F23695200%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1001/jama.2013.5023&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=23695200&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febmed%2Fearly%2F2013%2F09%2F19%2Feb-2013-101475.atom [4]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=000319859200026&link_type=ISI
Persistency of excitation and overparameterization in model reference adaptive control

It is shown that if a model-reference adaptive controller is designed for an overparameterized plant, the persistence of excitation of the measured vector signal in the adaptive loop will be lost independently of the number of frequencies in the reference input. The model-plant transfer-function-matching parameters lie in a linear variety in the parameter space. The estimated parameters will converge to this variety if the reference input has enough frequencies. Parameter perturbations and unmodeled dynamics in the plan may cause near-overparameterization which can result in a low level of persistent excitation (PE). The loss of PE or the low level of PE can lead to loss of stability and robustness in the presence of modeling errors. >
Nutrition and intestinal mucosal immunity.

The intestinal mucosa is the barrier between non-harmful and harmful molecules, including those derived from the intake of nutrients. The mucosa, in constant contact with antigens derived from food, resident bacteria, and pathogenic microorganisms, is selective in absorption and generation of an immune response. This is a necessary, although not a completely understood, function. The intestinal mucosa provides a protective barrier that is maintained in healthy individuals, allowing the influx of nutrient molecules while excluding those that are harmful. Although alterations in this barrier, due to inflammation or changes in permeability, have been extensively studied, breakdown of the protective barrier can also occur with alteration in route and type of nutrition resulting in deterioration of immunologic protection of the mucosa. This article examines normal defenses and the effect of nutrition on intestinal mucosal immunity.