cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Whys and wherefores of juxtaglomerular apparatus function

The juxtaglomerular apparatus is an anatomic structure which links the distal end of the thick ascending limb at the macula densa with the glomerular vascular pole. Specialized interstital cells and renin containing granular cells are located in the vascular hilum at this site. Evidence has accumulated that this connection is critical for local regulation of renin secretion and glomerular vascular tone via the tubuloglomerular feedback mechanism. The tubuloglomerular feedback mechanism maintains a constant chloride concentration at the macula densa at a set point determined by the volume state of the animal, a effect probably important for adjustment of renin secretion to changing salt balance. Evidence supporting these two regulatory roles is reviewed here.
Prenatal phthalate exposure is associated with childhood behavior and executive functioning

BackgroundExperimental and observational studies have reported biological consequences of phthalate exposure relevant to neurodevelopment.ObjectiveOur goal was to examine the association of prenata...
A contribution to the mathematical biology of automobile driving: II. Passing as a case of psychophysical discrimination

The decision to pass or not to pass in view of an oncoming car is considered as a case of comparative judgment in which it is to be decided whether the time it will take to pass safely is greater or less than the time it will take to collide with the oncoming car. H. D. Landahl's well-known theory of psychophysical discrimination is used, and it is assumed that the “distracting stimuli” considered previously (Rashevsky, 1959,Bull. Math. Biophysics,21, 375–85) tend to increase the standard deviation of Landahl's fluctuation function. Effects of the “distracting stimuli” on the threshold of the neuroelements in Landahl's circuit are also considered. On this basis an expression is derived which gives the probability of a collision accident in passing as a function of the “distracting stimuli.”
Survival of BRCA1 negative ovarian cancer patients based on family history.

Abstract Objective. To compare survival of ovarian cancer patients with and without a family history of breast or ovarian cancer who are known to be without mutations in BRCA1. Methods. Patients with ovarian cancer were tested for germline mutations in BRCA1 by polymerase chain reaction amplification of DNA for single-strand conformation polymorphism and direct sequencing analysis to examine the 22 coding exons of BRCA1 in fresh and archived tumor specimens. Demographic and survival data were collected for statistical analysis. Survival data were calculated by the method of Kaplan and Meier and compared by the log-rank test. Results. Of the 110 patients tested at our institution, 100 were noted to be negative for BRCA1 mutations. After exclusion of nonepithelial histologies, benign tumors, primary peritoneal carcinoma, and incomplete staging, 87 patients remained for analysis, of which 37 demonstrated a family history of breast or ovarian cancer. The two groups showed similar age at diagnosis, stage, grade, residual disease, and type of chemotherapy. Median actuarial survival was 75 months for those patients with a family history versus 70 months for those without ( P = 0.73). Evaluation of patients with two or more relatives with breast or ovarian cancer also revealed no differences in survival. Conclusions. Family history of breast or ovarian cancer does not affect survival of patients with ovarian cancer in the absence of mutations in BRCA1. Previously described differences in survival among patients with BRCA1 mutations may be more related to genetic factors than to biases introduced by the presence of family history.
Room-temperature stabilization of nanoscale superionic Ag2Se

Superionic materials are multi-component solids in which one sub-lattice exhibits high ionic conductivity within a fixed crystalline structure. This is typically associated with a structural phase transition occurring significantly above room temperature. Here, through combined temperature-resolved x-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry, we map out the nanoscale size-dependence of the Ag2Se tetragonal to superionic phase transition temperature and determine the threshold size for room-temperature stabilization of superionic Ag2Se. For the first time, clear experimental evidence for such stabilization of the highly ionic conducting phase at room temperature is obtained in ∼2 nm diameter spheres, which corresponds to a >100 °C suppression of the bulk phase transition temperature. This may enable technological applications of Ag2Se in devices where high ionic conductivity at room temperature is required.
A quantitative analysis of pallidal discharge during targeted reaching movement in the monkey.

Neurons in the globus pallidus have been studied during reaching movements of the arm made at varying speeds. The reaching task is similar to one used in earlier experiments, in which disruption of normal pallidal output caused changes in movement time. The pallidal cells studied were those that showed task-related changes in activity and a modification of discharge when the arm was manipulated outside of the task. Neuronal discharge was assessed to evaluate two possible models, one in which the timing of task-related discharge varied as a function of movement time and the other in which the amplitude (mean firing rate) of the change in discharge varied as movement time varied. The relation between neuronal discharge and movement time was examined quantitatively on a trial-by-trial basis using a statistical algorithm that identified each phase of the change in neuronal discharge on each trial. A nonparametric statistic was used to determine the correlation between movement time and the duration or latency of changes in neural firing or the mean discharge during each phase of the cell's response. For fifty-five percent of the 40 neurons studied, the timing of the cell's response (duration or latency) varied as a function of movement time. For only 10 cells (25%) was there a significant correlation between movement time and the mean firing rate during one or more phases of the cell's response. Both timing and frequency modulation with movement time were limited to cells responsive to manipulation at the wrist or the shoulder.
Estimating Benefits from Mileage-Based Vehicle Insurance, Taxes, and Fees

Mileage-based pricing involves variabilization strategies, that is, strategies such as pay-as-you-drive insurance or car-sharing that are aimed at converting the fixed charges for driving to variable charges. They do not directly involve pricing of highway facilities. They nevertheless can reduce congestion by inducing some drivers to change their mode of travel or drive shorter distances. Variabilization strategies are particularly promising since about 80% of the user cost of driving is fixed. Once a vehicle has been purchased and taxes, fees, and insurance have been paid, there is little financial incentive not to use it heavily. How effective are variabilization strategies relative to highway facility-pricing strategies, such as pricing of added highway capacity? The congestion reduction and other economic benefits of policies to variabilize fixed vehicle charges are estimated, and they are compared with conventional highway facility expansion and a pricing strategy involving adding a lane and pricing...
Modifications of nonionic surfactants with perfluorinated terminal groups

Abstract Two industrial nonionic surfactants, Pluronic F68 and Butronic R1, were modified by diesterification with perfluorobenzoic or linear perfluorinated carboxylic acids. The modified surfactants form more stable emulsions with perfluorodecalin and perfluorodecalin/perfluorotripropylamine mixtures compared to the parent compounds. Stabilities of the different emulsions are compared quantitatively. The sizes of the emulsified particles do not show significant variations with the modification of the surfactants.
Combined Heat and Power System For a Carbon Black Manufacturer: System Selection and Specification

ABSTRACT This research investigates the use of combined heat and power (CHP) system for a carbon black manufacturer to reduce the energy cost. The analysis of the facility energy consumption shows that a steamturbine-driven CHP system could provide for the electric needs of the company. The recuperation of the heat from the low pressure steam can be injected into the reactor to provide heat, which can substitute for some of the heat from the natural gas. For the electric needs, our study indicates that the facility can benefit from generating a baseline load to ensure that no excess electricity is produced. The suggested solution in this research is to be considered as a preliminary solution. Further studies are necessary to be carried out by professional CHP developers to yield more accurate specifications and costs.
Lemierre's and Lemierre's-like syndromes in association with infectious mononucleosis.

Objective This study aimed to review cases of Lemierre's and Lemierre's-like syndromes in paediatric patients, to examine a possible association with Epstein-Barr virus as a predisposing factor, and to assess the impact of this virus on the severity of illness. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of data from the in-patient database at Winthrop University Hospital, from January 2001 to October 2007. We reviewed clinical and laboratory findings as well as the outcome of infection in patients aged 21 years or less with a diagnosis of Lemierre's syndrome. An additional case of Lemierre's-like syndrome was also included. The illness severity and duration of in-patient management of those testing positive for heterophile antibody were then compared with the same parameters in patients who tested negative. Results Of the five patients diagnosed with Lemierre's syndrome, two had concomitant acute infection with Epstein-Barr virus. Additionally, a 19-year-old adolescent was admitted during this period with acute infectious mononucleosis, Fusobacterium necrophorum sepsis, sinusitis, frontal lobe abscess and ophthalmic vein thrombosis. The clinical presentation of all patients included fever, sore throat, and ear or neck pain. The duration of symptoms ranged from two days to three weeks prior to admission. The patients with acute Epstein-Barr virus infection had been diagnosed with infectious mononucleosis prior to admission, and tested positive for heterophile antibody. These patients subsequently underwent more extensive in-patient treatment, including intensive care management and ventilator support. The patients who tested negative for heterophile antibody experienced a milder course of illness, with a shorter duration of in-patient management. Conclusion Two patients diagnosed with Lemierre's syndrome, and a third with Fusobacterium necrophorum sepsis, had coexisting acute Epstein-Barr virus infection. Patients who tested positive for heterophile antibody experienced a more severe course of illness. These observations suggest a possible association between Epstein-Barr virus infection and the severity of concomitant Lemierre's syndrome.
Semiconductor Nanoparticles as Energy Mediators for Photosensitizer-Enhanced Radiotherapy

Purpose It has been proposed that quantum dots (QDs) can be used to excite conjugated photosensitizers and produce cytotoxic singlet oxygen. To study the potential of using such a conjugate synergistically with radiotherapy to enhance cell killing, we investigated the energy transfer from megavoltage (MV) X-rays to a photosensitizer using QDs as the mediator and quantitated the enhancement in cell killing. Methods and Materials The photon emission efficiency of QDs on excitation by 6-MV X-rays was measured using dose rates of 100–600 cGy/min. A QD-Photofrin conjugate was synthesized by formation of an amide bond. The role of Forster resonance energy transfer in the energy transferred to the Photofrin was determined by measuring the degree of quenching at different QD/Photofrin molar ratios. The enhancement of H460 human lung carcinoma cell killing by radiation in the presence of the conjugates was studied using a clonogenic survival assay. Results The number of visible photons generated from QDs excited by 6-MV X-rays was linearly proportional to the radiation dose rate. The Forster resonance energy transfer efficiency approached 100% as the number of Photofrin molecules conjugated to the QDs increased. The combination of the conjugate with radiation resulted in significantly lower H460 cell survival in clonogenic assays compared with radiation alone. Conclusion The novel QD-Photofrin conjugate shows promise as a mediator for enhanced cell killing through a linear and highly efficient energy transfer from X-rays to Photofrin.
Hierarchical clustering for image databases

The organization of an image database is one of the important issues in efficient storage and retrieval of images. Most of the existing image databases are based on flat structures, with the possibility of an index into the database that can help in narrowing down the images to be searched. In this paper, the author presents a technique to create a hierarchical data structure based on the clustering approach such that a user can select or discard a number of images for subsequent operations. The presented technique is based on application of wavelet analysis to scale the images in hierarchy, and can take advantage of the structure of compressed images in the JPEG 2000 standard
The vibration dance of the honey bee. I. Communication regulating foraging on two time scales

Abstract The relationship between the vibration dance and foraging was investigated for the honey bee, Apis mellifera. Foraging-age workers responded to the vibration dance by moving into the area of the hive where waggle dances were concentrated and by increasing their rate of movement throughout the colony. Vibrated non-foraging-age bees did not move into the waggle dance region or exhibit increased movement in the hive. Small peaks of vibration dance activity, which tended to coincide temporally with small peaks of foraging activity, occurred with a similar frequency throughout the year. These small vibration peaks may have adjusted foraging to short-term fluctuations in food availability. In spring and summer all study hives exhibited large, morning peaks of vibration dance activity, which preceded foraging. Since there was a significant, positive slope for the regression of the magnitude of these morning vibration peaks on the mean level of waggle dancing occurring later during the same day, morning vibration activity may have exerted a long-term ‘priming’ influence on foraging behaviour. In fall and winter, compared with spring and summer, morning vibration dance peaks were smaller, less frequent and tended to coincide with, rather than to precede, foraging activity.
Power asymmetries in tourism distribution networks

Abstract This paper takes a strategic contingencies theory perspective to understanding the power asymmetries that arise between tourism organizations in tourism distribution networks in the exchange of critical resources. After addressing the sources of these power asymmetries, we suggest strategies by which less powerful organizations can influence these power asymmetries and capture a greater share of the value network by managing their exchange relationships. By using intraorganizational strategies less powerful organizations in interorganizational networks can gain greater power in exchange relationships. We illustrate applications of our proposed strategies in the context of the convention and meetings industry.
Structures and X-ray diffraction patterns of compounds in the Sr-Nd-Cu-O system

A comprehensive review of phases found in the Sr–Nd–Cu–O system which contains the high Tc superconductor phase Sr1−xNdxCuO2 has been prepared. This paper summarizes the crystal structures reported in the literature and the X-ray powder diffraction patterns reported in the ICDD Powder Diffraction File (PDF). In order to supplement the PDF with new patterns, calculated X-ray powder diffraction patterns generated from reported structures are provided for five ternary oxides: Sr0.86Nd0.14CuO2, SrNdCuO3.5, Sr6Nd3Cu6O17, Sr2NdCu2O5.66, and Sr1.2Nd1.8Cu2O6.
Diagnosis of Pneumocystis carinii Infection in HIV-Seropositive Patients by Identification of P carinii in Pleural Fluid

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) is the most common pulmonary complication of AIDS and is typically diagnosed by the identification of P carinii organisms in sputum, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, or tissue obtained with transbronchial biopsy. We describe two HIV-seropositive patients with pleural effusions in whom the diagnosis of P carinii infection was made by examination of pleural fluid. Pleural effusions associated with PCP are very unusual but can provide a source of diagnostic material particularly in those HIV patients who have development of a spontaneous pneumothorax and require chest tube insertion. (Chest 1993; 103:1890-91)
Calculation of trinucleon binding energies and charge form factors using the boundary condition model

Abstract Trinucleon binding energies and charge form factors are calculated using the Faddeev formalism and a two nucleon s-wave interaction given by the boundary condition model. The calculated binding energy is compared with that obtained using Brayshaw's modification of the Faddeev equations.
ON THE THEORY OF THE ONE-DIMENSIONAL LUTTINGER LIQUID

Basic properties of the one-dimensional Luttinger liquid are studied from the point of view of an effective conformal field theory.
Optical enhanced luminescent measurements and sequential reagent mixing on a centrifugal microfluidic device for multi-analyte point-of-care applications

A centrifugal-based microfluidic device 1 was built with lyophilized bioluminescent reagents for measuring multiple metabolites from a sample of less than 15 μ L. Microfluidic channels, reaction wells, and valves were cut in adhesive vinyl film using a knife plotter with features down to 30 μ m and transferred to metalized polycarbonate compact disks (CDs). The fabrication method was simple enough to test over 100 prototypes within a few months. It also allowed enzymes to be packaged in microchannels without exposure to heat or chemicals. The valves were rendered hydrophobic using liquid phase deposition. Microchannels were patterned using soft lithography to make them hydrophilic. Reagents and calibration standards were deposited and lyophilized in different wells before being covered with another adhesive film. Sample delivery was controlled by a modified CD ROM. The CD was capable of distributing 200 nL sample aliquots to 36 channels, each with a different set of reagents that mixed with the sample before initiating the luminescent reactions. Reflection of light from the metalized layer and lens configuration allowed for 20% of the available light to be collected from each channel. ATP was detected down to 0.1 μ M. Creatinine, glucose, and galactose were also measured in micro and milliMolar ranges. Other optical-based analytical assays can easily be incorporated into the device design. The minimal sample size needed and expandability of the device make it easier to simultaneously measure a variety of clinically relevant analytes in point-of-care settings.
Deletion of the short arm of chromosome 1 (del 1p) is a strong predictor of poor outcome in myeloma patients undergoing an autotransplant.

Abstract Several chromosomal abnormalities detected by conventional cytogenetic analysis have an adverse impact on the outcome in myeloma patients. A wide spectrum of abnormalities involving chromosomes 1, 13, 14, and 17 has been described. We analyzed the outcome of 83 patients with clonal cytogenetic abnormalities, who underwent high-dose therapy and autologous stem cell transplantation for multiple myeloma at our institution. Clonal abnormalities were detected at diagnosis by conventional cytogenetic analysis in 83 patients. Patients underwent a single autologous transplant between April 2000 and May 2005. Preparative regimen was high-dose melphalan alone (73), or a combination of topotecan, melphalan, and cyclophosphamide (TMC = 10). The most commonly observed chromosomal abnormalities were deletion of chromosome 13 (32%), hyperdiploidy (21%), deletion of chromosome 1p (18%), and t (11; 14) in 7% patients. Median follow-up among surviving patients was 25.5 months. Median interval from diagnosis to autotransplant was 7.7 months (range: 2.5-52). Median progression-free survival (PFS) for the entire group was 19 months and the median overall survival (OS) was 52 months. On univariate analysis, both PFS and OS were significantly shorter in patients with deletion 1p (P = .001 and
A Management Perspective on Risk of Security Threats to Information Systems

Electronic commerce and the Internet have enabled businesses to reduce costs, attain greater market reach, and develop closer partner and customer relationships. However, using the Internet has led to new risks and concerns. This paper provides a management perspective on the issues confronting CIO's and IT managers: it outlines the current state of the art for security in e-commerce, the important issues confronting managers, security enforcement measure/techniques, and potential threats and attacks. It develops a scheme for probabilistic evaluation of the impact of security threats with some illustrative examples. This methodology may be used to assess the probability of success of attacks on information assets in organizations, and to evaluate the expected damages of these attacks. The paper also outlines some possible remedies, suggested controls and countermeasures. Finally, it proposes the development of cost models which quantify damages of these attacks and the effort of confronting these attacks. The construction of one such cost model for security risk assessment is also outlined. It helps decision makers to select the appropriate choice of countermeasure(s) to minimize damages/losses due to security incidents. Finally, some recommendations for future work are provided to improve the management of security in organizations on the whole.
Droplet sizes in microemulsions

Abstract A free energy expression for spherical droplets of a three component microemulsion is presented which contains contributions from the interfacial energy as well as from the interactions between droplets. The model gives an expression for the equilibrium radius of the droplets which leads directly to conditions for the existence of a droplet phase and phase separation into droplet and excess phases.
Analysis of terrain using multispectral images

Automated terrain analysis is required for many practical applications, such as outdoor navigation, image exploitation, remote sensing, reconnaissance and surveillance. In this paper, we present a hierarchical approach to analyze multispectral (MS) imagery for autonomous land vehicle navigation. The approach integrates several strategies to label various terrain classes in these images acquired using twelve spectral bands in the visible and near-infrared spectrum. At the low (pixel) level, it combines texture gradient results from specifically selected channels by varying the size of gradient operators and performing multithresholding and relaxation-based edge linking operations to obtain robust closed region boundaries. At the high (symbolic) level, it makes use of the spectral, locational, and relational constraints among regions to achieve accurate terrain image interpretation. Details of the technique with examples from real imagery collected by an autonomous land vehicle (ALV) are presented.
Winter Wheat Blends (Mixtures) Produce a Yield Advantage in North Carolina

Seed mixtures, or blends, of small grain cultivars are unknown in eastern U.S. wheat production, where numerous diseases and abiotic stresses often reduce yield and quality. In 2004-2005 and 2005-2006, a field experiment was conducted at Kinston, Plymouth, and Salisbury, NC, to compare performance of eight soft red winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars having a range of maturities with that of 13 blends, each consisting of equal proportions of two or three of the cultivars. The blends were composed to have complementary disease resistance traits. Disease pressure was at most moderate in any environment. Blends significantly outyielded the means of their respective components (midcomponents) in Plymouth in 2005 (P = 0.042) and across all environments (P = 0.039), with a mean overall blend advantage of 0.13 Mg ha -1 . Averaged across environments, two blends significantly outyielded their midcomponents (P < 0.011). Yield stability of blends exceeded that of pure cultivars by the stability variance model and principal component analysis. In general, blends did not differ significantly from midcomponents for test weight (P = 0.37), protein content (P = 0.10), hardness (P = 0.68), or falling number (sprouting tolerance, P = 0.89), but seed diameter nonuniformity of blends exceeded that of midcomponents (P = 0.0002). Wheat blends may offer a small yield advantage to North Carolina growers even in the absence of severe disease.
Clinical Experience in More Than 2000 Patients with Myasthenia Gravis

The vast strides in terms of pathophysiologic understanding which have been made in the past 25 years of research in myasthenia gravis are remarkable. This period of time has also seen the evolution of many applicable technological advances to better our care of these patients. Myasthenia's place in the autoimmune family of diseases has been demonstrated. No clear-cut strategy resulting from these discoveries has, however, been more than one of temporary relief or clinical improvement. In our center over these years the performance of early thymectomy in all cases of generalized myasthenia seems to be the one demonstrably reliable technique available. The effect of this procedure on coexisting neoplasia and other autoimmune disease suggests continuing avenues of investigation.
Comparisons between the FEL and the conventional laser

Abstract Some comparisons are made between the FEL and conventional lasers, and the state-of-the-art is described for laser systems with regard to peak-power capability, short-wavelength operation, and tunability. FELs will be most useful in those portions of the electromagnetic spectrum where conventional lasers are not readily available, and the most likely FEL laboratory instrument will be for far-infrared radiation.
Ritual and mound formation during the Bonito phase in Chaco Canyon

Recent socioeconomic models for the Bonito phase (ca. A.D. 850-1150) in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, rely heavily on the inference that ritual activity was a causal factor in the design and construction of architectural features. A particular example of this inferential argument concerns earthen mounds, which are widely viewed as evidence for ceremonial gatherings and the intentional creation of sacred architecture. However, a critical evaluation of the physical attributes of Chacoan mounds indicates that these features do not offer clear evidence for either periodic ceremonies or intentional design.
Twelve‐year tillage and crop rotation effects on yields and soil chemical properties in northeast Iowa

Abstract Long‐term tillage and crop management studies may be useful for determining crop production practices that are conducive to securing a sustainable agriculture. Objectives of this field study were to evaluate the combined effects of crop rotation and tillage practices on yield and changes in soil chemical properties after 12 years of research on the Clyde‐Kenyon‐Floyd soil association in northeastern Iowa. Continuous corn (Zea mays L.) and a corn‐soybean [Glycine max L. (Herr.)] rotation were grown using moldboard plowing, chisel plowing, ridge‐tillage, or no‐tillage methods. Tillage and crop rotation effects on soil pH, Bray P1, 1M NH4OAc exchangeable K, Ca, and Mg, total C, and total N in the top 200 mm were evaluated. Profile NO3‐N concentrations were also measured in spring and autumn of 1988. Crop yields and N use efficiencies were used to assess sustainability. Bray P1 levels increased, but exchangeable K decreased for all cropping and tillage methods. Nutrient stratification was evident for...
Muscle‐derived neurotrophin‐3 reduces injury‐induced proprioceptive degeneration in neonatal mice

During perinatal development, proprioceptive muscle afferents are quite sensitive to nerve injury. Here, we have used transgenic mice that overexpress neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) in skeletal muscle (myo/NT-3 mice) to explore whether NT-3 plays a neuroprotective role for perinatal muscle afferents following nerve injury. Measurements of NT-3 mRNA using RT-PCR revealed that levels of endogenous NT-3 mRNA in wild-type muscles remained constant during the first postnatal week following nerve crush or nerve section on postnatal day (PN) 1. In comparison, myo/NT-3 mice had significantly elevated levels of NT-3 mRNA that were maintained or increased following injury. To assess whether muscle-derived NT-3 could prevent injury-induced neuronal death, neuron survival in the DRG was analyzed in mice 5 days after sciatic nerve crush on PN3. Retrograde prelabeling of muscle afferents and parvalbumin immunocytochemistry both revealed that overexpression of NT-3 in muscle significantly reduced neuronal loss following injury. Similar neuroprotective effects of NT-3 were observed in wild-type mice injected with exogenous NT-3 in the gastrocnemius muscles. To test whether NT-3 could prevent muscle spindle degeneration, spindle number and morphology were assessed 3 weeks after sciatic nerve crush or section on PN1. No spindles were present in either wildtype or myo/NT-3 muscles after nerve section, demonstrating that NT-3 overexpression cannot maintain spindles following complete denervation. Moreover, NT-3 overexpression could not prevent moderate spindle loss in muscle and did not stimulate new spindle formation following nerve crush. Our results demonstrate that in addition to its early actions on sensory neuron generation and naturally occurring cell death, NT-3 has important neuroprotective effects on muscle afferents during postnatal development. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Neurobiol 50: 198–208, 2002; DOI 10.1002/neu.10024
Interstitial deletion of chromosome 4, del(4)(q12q21.1), in a mentally retarded boy with a piebald trait, due to maternal insertion, ins(8;4)

A 17-year-old boy who was diagnosed with “Waardenburg syndrome” showed moderate growth and mental retardation. Chromosome analysis showed an apparent interstitial deletion 4q12q21.1. The mother had a direct insertion of the deleted segment into a chromosome 8. The rearrangement was confirmed to be nonreciprocal and an insertion by in situ hybridization using whole chromosome 4 and 8 painting probes. The mother's karyotype is 46,XX,ins(8;4)(q21.2; q12q21.1); that of the propositus is 46,XY, der(4)ins(8;4)(q21.2;q12q21.1)mat. This is the first report of an inherited proximal 4q deletion. Am. J. Med. Genet. 75:78–81, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Evidence that limbic neural plasticity in the right hemisphere mediates partial kindling induced lasting increases in anxiety-like behavior : effects of low frequency stimulation (quenching?) on long term potentiation of amygdala efferents and behavior following kindling

Behavioral and physiological effects of partial kindling of the right ventral hippocampus by perforant path (PP) stimulation were investigated in the cat. Partial kindling produced lasting changes in affect (increased defensive response to rats) and predatory attack (decreased pawing and biting attack). Partial kindling also induced long term potentiation (LTP) of amygdala efferent transmission to ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) and periaqueductal gray (PAG) in left and right hemispheres. LTP of field population spikes evoked in area CA3 by PP stimulation was also observed. LTP was detected using evoked potential methods. These findings parallel previous studies of left PP-CA3 partial kindling. Analysis of covariance removing effects of LTP from behavioral changes suggests that initiation of increased defensiveness at 2 days after completion of partial kindling depended on LTP of left and right amygdalo-VMH and right amygdalo-PAG transmission. From 6 days after kindling onward, increased defensiveness depended on LTP of right amygdalo-PAG transmission. Depotentiation of amygdala efferent LTP by bilateral low frequency amygdala stimulation (LFS) (900 pulses at 1 Hz, once daily for 7 days) selectively reduced LTP in right amygdala efferents. At the same time, defensive, but not predatory attack behavior, was returned to levels seen prior to partial kindling. Both depotentiation and reduction of defensiveness were transient. Defensiveness increased to post-kindling levels by 76 days after LFS. At the same time, LTP was restored in the right amygdalo-PAG pathway. In contrast LTP in the right amygdalo-VMH pathway remained depotentiated. Effects of LFS were not due to damage, as thresholds to evoke amygdala efferent response were unchanged. These findings suggest that lasting change in affect following partial hippocampal kindling depends on LTP of right amygdala efferent transmission to PAG. The findings parallel studies of non-convulsant pharmacological induction of lasting increases in defensiveness and amygdalo-PAG LTP with FG-7142. The parallel between the present findings and the FG-7142 experiments suggests that lasting changes in defensive response are dependent on LTP of right amygdala efferents to the PAG, however produced. The findings suggest further that the spectrum of behavioral changes produced by partial kindling are dependent on changes in a variety of neural circuits, and that amygdala efferent transmission changes are responsible for changes in defensive behavior, but not predatory attack behavior. Clinical implications are discussed.
Dual-task assessment of age differences in automatic process development

The present experiment assessed dual-task performance in 20 young (mean age 21) and 20 old (mean age 72) adults. Ss first received extensive single-task practice on consistent and varied search tasks. Next, they received dual-task practice in 2 conditions: (a) varied visual search plus varied memory search and (b) consistent visual search plus varied memory search. In the varied-varied condition, young and old adults showed similar dual-task decrements. These results, along with the current data in the literature, suggest that practice may play an important role in determining age-related dual-task differences (or lack thereof). In the consistent-varied condition, young adults attained single-task performance levels, because they had automatized the consistent task. Old adults were unable to match their single-task performance levels, indicating that they were unable to automatize the consistent task.
Graphene-diamond-silicon devices with increased current-carrying capacity: sp 2 -Carbon-sp 3 -Carbon-on-Silicon technology

Graphene demonstrated potential for practical applications owing to its excellent electronic and thermal properties. Typical graphene field-effect transistors (FETs) and interconnects built on conventional SiO 2 /Si substrates reveal the breakdown current density on the order of 108 A/cm2, which is ∼100× larger than the fundamental limit for the metals but still smaller than the maximum achieved in carbon nanotubes. It was discovered by some of us that graphene has excellent thermal conduction properties with the thermal conductivity K exceeding 2000 W/mK at room temperature [1]. Few-layer graphene largely preserves the heat conduction properties [2]. However, the thermally resistive SiO 2 , with the thermal conductivity in the range from 0.5 to 1.4 W/mK, creates a bottleneck for heat removal. The latter does not allow graphene to demonstrate its true current-carrying potential. We show that by replacing SiO 2 with synthetic diamond one can substantially increase the current-carrying capacity of graphene to as high as ∼ 20×108 A/cm2 under ambient conditions. The two-terminal and three-terminal top-gated graphene devices (see Figure 1) were fabricated on synthetic single-crystal diamond (SCD) and ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD). To ensure Si integration, the UNCD layers were grown at low temperatures compatible with Si CMOS technology [3]. Our results indicate that graphene's current-induced breakdown is thermally activated. It was found that the current carrying capacity of graphene can be improved not only on SCD but also on an inexpensive UNCD. The latter was attributed to the decreased thermal resistance of UNCD at elevated temperatures (see Figure 2). The obtained results are important for graphene's hetero-integration on Si substrates. The enhanced current-carrying capacity is beneficial for the proposed applications of graphene in interconnects and high-frequency transistors.
Building a cathedral for your soul: Generosity as a virtue and a practice:

ObjectiveTo evaluate the virtue of generosity as it relates to how we are what we are.Study DesignSystematic review of the literature.ResultsGenerosity has to do with our very being and our behavin...
Information Access and Protest Policing Post-9/11 Studying the Policing of the 2004 Republican National Convention

The War on Terror, created by the Bush administration in the wake of 9/11, has brought about changes in domestic intelligence and protest policing that have proven hard to conclusively identify, track, and explain despite the importance of these changes to research on the repression of social movements. This paper argues that a second important trend has also been part of the War on Terror: increasing government secrecy regarding its protest control and anti-terrorism programs. Using battles over access to information on NYPD’s and the City of New York's planning for, and execution of, protest control strategies at the 2004 Republican National Convention, this article examines how information secrecy operates by using fears of terrorism as a veil and examines the collateral damage to academic inquiry, and therefore also to public dialogue and debate, created by increasing government secrecy.
Electrodeposition Techniques for Carbon Rod Flameless Atomic Absorption Analysis

Abstract Two techniques involving electrodeposition of Cu on a carbon rod (CR) prior to atomic absorption (AA) analysis are described. The in situ technique involves electrodeposition from ul samples contained in the well of the CR in an attempt to decrease matrix effects. The bulk electrolysis technique allows preconcentration of Cu on the CR from very dilute metal ion solutions. Analysis of Cu in solutions as dilute as 1.6 × 10−10 M (70 ml volume) appears possible.
Sex differences in bone mineral density in 1653 men and women in the sixth through tenth decades of life: The rancho bernardo study

This cross-sectional population-based study examined the effect of age and sex on bone mineral density (BMD) in the elderly. BMD was measured at the spine and hip using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry and at midshaft and ultradistal radius using single-photon absorptiometry in 672 men and 981 women aged 50-98 years. In both sexes, mean BMD levels decreased significantly with age at all sites except the male spine. In linear regression models, the slope of loss was significantly greater in women than in men at all sites except the ultradistal radius. The slope was steeper at most sites in women aged 50-59 years than in older women, 60-98 years. In both age groups, mean age-adjusted BMD levels were lower at all sites in women who were past or never users of replacement estrogen than in women who were current estrogen users. Current estrogen users generally had lower slopes of loss with age than never or past estrogen users; however, few of these differences were statistically significant. We conclude that BMD levels decrease in old age in both sexes. Continued bone loss in old age raises the possibility that intervention to retard further loss may still be warranted in the elderly.
Stability of distributed congestion control with heterogeneous feedback delays

We investigate how congestion control can achieve efficient usage of network resources in the presence of heterogeneous communication delays between network users and resources. To this end, we consider a fluid flow model of network behavior. We study the stability of the system's behavior under small perturbations around the target equilibrium point (local stability). We establish several criteria for stability of certain linear delay-differential equations, via a technique which essentially reduces the question to studying stability of ordinary differential equations. These results are then used to derive sufficient conditions for local stability of the network congestion control problem. The same issue has been studied by Johari et al. (2001), where the authors propose a conjecture according to which local stability can be ensured in a distributed way. The correctness of the conjecture was established by Johari et al., only in degenerate cases where feedback delays coincide. Our results show that a modified form of the conjecture holds true for arbitrary feedback delays.
How sticky should a virus be? The impact of virus binding and release on transmission fitness using influenza as an example

Budding viruses face a trade-off: virions need to efficiently attach to and enter uninfected cells while newly generated virions need to efficiently detach from infected cells. The right balance between attachment and detachment—the right amount of stickiness—is needed for maximum fitness. Here, we design and analyse a mathematical model to study in detail the impact of attachment and detachment rates on virus fitness. We apply our model to influenza, where stickiness is determined by a balance of the haemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) proteins. We investigate how drugs, the adaptive immune response and vaccines impact influenza stickiness and fitness. Our model suggests that the location in the ‘stickiness landscape’ of the virus determines how well interventions such as drugs or vaccines are expected to work. We discuss why hypothetical NA enhancer drugs might occasionally perform better than the currently available NA inhibitors in reducing virus fitness. We show that an increased antibody or T-cell-mediated immune response leads to maximum fitness at higher stickiness. We further show that antibody-based vaccines targeting mainly HA or NA, which leads to a shift in stickiness, might reduce virus fitness above what can be achieved by the direct immunological action of the vaccine. Overall, our findings provide potentially useful conceptual insights for future vaccine and drug development and can be applied to other budding viruses beyond influenza.
The Interplay of Trait Anger, Childhood Physical Abuse, and Alcohol Consumption in Predicting Intimate Partner Aggression:

The current study examined three well-established risk factors for intimate partner aggression (IPA) within Finkel and Eckhardt's I(3) model, including two impellance factors-trait anger and childhood physical abuse history-and the disinhibiting factor of alcohol consumption. Participants were 236 male and female college students in a committed heterosexual dating relationship who completed a battery of self-report measures assessing childhood physical abuse, trait anger, alcohol consumption, and IPA perpetration. Results revealed a significant three-way interaction showing that as the disinhibition factor alcohol consumption increased, the interaction of the two impelling factors, trait anger and childhood physical abuse, became increasingly more positive. Individuals who had high levels of childhood physical abuse and alcohol consumption were at greater risk of IPA perpetration when trait anger was high. Consistent with the I(3) model, these findings suggest that trait anger and a history of childhood physical abuse may increase tendencies to aggress against one's partner, whereas alcohol consumption may reduce individuals' abilities to manage these aggressive tendencies. The importance of interplay among these risk factors in elevating IPA risk is discussed, as are the implications for clinicians working with male and female IPA perpetrators.
Molecular analyses of mitochondrial pseudogenes within the nuclear genome of arvicoline rodents

Nuclear sequences of mitochondrial origin (numts) are common among animals and plants. The mechanism(s) by which numts transfer from the mitochondrion to the nucleus is uncertain, but their insertions may be mediated in part by chromosomal repair mechanisms. If so, then lineages where chromosomal rearrangements are common should be good models for the study of numt evolution. Arvicoline rodents are known for their karyotypic plasticity and numt pseudogenes have been discovered in this group. Here, we characterize a 4 kb numt pseudogene in the arvicoline vole Microtus rossiaemeridionalis. This sequence is among the largest numts described for a mammal lacking a completely sequenced genome. It encompasses three protein-coding and six tRNA pseudogenes that span approximately 25% of the entire mammalian mitochondrial genome. It is bordered by a dinucleotide microsatellite repeat and contains four transposable elements within its sequence and flanking regions. To determine the phylogenetic distribution of this numt among the arvicolines, we characterized one of the mitochondrial pseudogenes (cytochrome b) in 21 additional arvicoline species. Average rates of nucleotide substitution in this arvicoline pseudogene are estimated as 2.3 x 10(-8) substitutions/per site/per year. Furthermore, we performed comparative analyses among all species to estimate the age of this mitochondrial transfer at nearly 4 MYA, predating the origin of most arvicolines.
On an evolutionary model of sex differences in mathematics: Do the data support the theory?

The target article draws on evolutionary theory to formulate a biosocial model of sex differences in quantitative abilities. Unfortunately, the data do not support some of the crucial hypotheses. The male advantage in geometry is not appreciably greater than the male advantagi in algebra, and the greater male variability in mathematics cited by Gear is not cross-culturally invariant.
Marginality - A Neglected Dimension in the Design of Work

In this article the author examines the relationship between marginality and work design. He discusses the definition of marginality in a social context and examines how individuals who fit this definition have been shown to be valuable to organizations. The aim of his paper is to determine if certain jobs are more marginal than others, if certain personalities are more oriented towards marginality than others and if people with these personalities excel in marginal job roles. He notes that if this is true organizations should try to match marginal people with marginal job positions.
Beam scanning with coupled VCOs

An eight element beam scanning array using strongly coupled voltage controlled oscillators (VCOs) is described. A constant, progressive phase shift between elements can be synthesized by adjusting the natural frequencies of the end elements [6]. The VCOs in the array are used to implement this frequency detuning. Measured radiation patterns indicate continuous scanning from -15/spl deg/ to +30/spl deg/ off broadside with an effective radiated power (ERP) of 8.5 W at 8.4 GHz. >
A General Music Experience in China: Reflections and Lesson Ideas

In this article, the authors share their recent experiences with a fourth grade general music classroom in China as members of the People-to-People Ambassador Program. They provide a description of...