cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sociodemographic Barriers to Early Detection of Autism: Screening and Evaluation Using the M-CHAT, M-CHAT-R, and Follow-Up

Parents (n = 11,845) completed the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (or its latest revision) at pediatric visits. Using sociodemographic predictors of maternal education and race, binary logistic regressions were utilized to examine differences in autism screening, diagnostic evaluation participation rates and outcomes, and reasons for non-participation. Families of lower maternal education and racial minorities exhibited inflated initial screen positive rates and lower participation at Follow-Up, although not at the evaluation. Economic challenges, such as invalid phone numbers, were identified as barriers to reaching these families. Families of higher education and White race were more likely to decline participation in evaluation. Results suggest the need for increased public education about childhood development to enhance awareness, reduce stigma, and streamline screening.
On the kinetics of self-poisoning catalytic reactions

Abstract The kinetics of self-poisoning reactions have been often described by empirical relations. Little attention has been given in the literature to the analysis of self-poisoning kinetics in relation to a reaction mechanism. In this paper the standard treatment of catalytic reactions is applied to reaction systems undergoing deactivation. It is shown that the kinetics of currently accepted poisoning models can be obtained using this treatment. Furthermore, it is shown that knowing the order of the poisoning kinetics on the active surface area will indicate the number of sites involved in the formation of surface residues. The approach presented here offers more insight into the basic processes occurring during self-poisoning than can be obtained from empirical rate laws.
Mammalian alphaherpesvirus miRNAs.

Abstract Mammalian alphaherpesviruses are major causes of human and veterinary disease. During productive infection, these viruses exhibit complex and robust patterns of gene expression. These viruses also form latent infections in neurons of sensory ganglia in which productive cycle gene expression is highly repressed. Both modes of infection provide advantageous opportunities for regulation by microRNAs. Thus far, published data regarding microRNAs are available for six mammalian alphaherpesviruses. No microRNAs have yet been detected from varicella zoster virus. The five other viruses—herpes simplex viruses-1 and -2, herpes B virus, bovine herpesvirus-1, and pseudorabies virus—representing both genera of mammalian alphaherpesviruses have been shown to express microRNAs. In this article, we discuss these microRNAs in terms of where they are encoded in the viral genome relative to other viral transcripts; whether they are expressed during productive or latent infection; their potential targets; what little is known about their actual targets and functions during viral infection; and what little is known about the interactions of these viruses with the host microRNA machinery. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: “MicroRNAs in viral gene regulation”.
Patent Infringement: Lessons from Industrial Economics

Once a patent is found to have been infringed the law generally entitles the patentholder to monetary losses suffered as the result of the illegal conduct. It is shown here that there are important differences between the losses awarded under U.S. case law and those that economic models of competition indicate would allow patentholders to just capture the social value of their innovations and, with that, provide private incentives for efficient levels of innovation. The prevailing case law generally overestimates the harm, providing an incentive for the patentholder to opportunistically claim infringement. In the end this increases the reward to innovation and encourages overinvestment. The record of the widely read State Industries vs. Mor-Flo Manufacturing Co. (883 F.2d 1573, Fed. Cir. 1989, cert. denied, 493 U.S. 1022, 1990) provides a case study.
DC Protection on the Electric Ship

The need for DC power at continuous uninterrupted rates is a reality for ship survival during highly intense combat and regular travel. One of the new proposed distribution systems on the all-electric ship (E-ship) is designed using a DC distribution method (zones) in which the use of transformers and possible frequency issues/manipulations can be eliminated with the use of power electronics. These power electronic devices can greatly simplify the system by providing more available space, possible cost reduction, and variable control. One key feature is to make sure that the DC buses/systems and converters/rectifiers are protected from faults/arcing, transients, and other malicious events that can cause unwanted interference, shutdown, and possible damage or destruction. DC faults/arcing can have a detrimental impact on the ship performance. DC protection should permit high speed and high sensitivity detection of faults enhancing reliability in the supply of electric power. DC fault protection geared towards a lower voltage scenario/system has not yet been studied and analyzed rigorously. The research goal has been to develop a method in which the system can detect a DC fault and arcing phenomena and return to normal operating conditions once the fault is removed. The method also ensures that transient load changes will not be detected as faults tripping a false alarm. The use of power electronics, logic, and DC fault detection methods will be employed to solve how to protect the system and maintain stability.
Salinity Tolerance of Cool-Season Turfgrass Cultivars Under Field Conditions

In order to utilize effluent or wastewater as irrigation on turfgrass sites it will require the identification of cool-season turfgrass cultivars with increased salinity tolerance. Evaluation of current cultivars and experimental selections for salinity tolerance is an important first step in making information available to turfgrass managers. An overhead irrigated field screening method was developed to closely mimic the challenges associated with irrigation of turf with saline water under summer stress conditions. A total 48 clones from each turfgrass cultivar were planted in a randomized complete block design with four replications (12 clones per replication) and were irrigated overhead with saltwater (EC =10 dS/m). This technique effectively identified differences in salinity tolerance, of Kentucky bluegrass, bentgrass, and perennial ryegrass cultivars and selections as measured by percent green ratings. The most salt tolerant cultivars included: Liberator, Eagleton, Diva, and Rhythm Kentucky bluegrasses; Declaration, Kingpin, and 007 creeping bentgrasses; and RKS, Gator 3, and MSH Comp perennial ryegrasses. Cultivars and selections exhibiting the least salinity tolerance were: RSP, A03-TB676, A03-84, and Julia Kentucky bluegrasses; EBM Comp and Tiger II colonial bentgrasses; SR7200 velvet bentgrass; and Fiesta III perennial ryegrass.
IC failure analysis: techniques and tools for quality and reliability improvement

Abstract Failure analysis is an important function for integrated circuit manufacturing. It provides information necessary for technology advacement and for corrective action to improve quality and reliability. In this article the role of failure analysis is discussed, common and new techniques and tools are reviewed, and oppurtunities for the future are considered.
REGIONAL WATER MANAGEMENT: AN ASSESSMENT OF INSTITUTIONS IN ENGLAND AND WALES1

Water management institutions vary in comprehensiveness, level of governmental intervention, and basis of geographic delimitation. In 1973 the British Parliament created ten integrated water authorities in England and Wales based on river basins. They are responsible for all aspects of the water industry and are virtually the sole providers of water services. In 1983 Parliament reorganized the governing boards of the authorities along corporate lines. Evaluation of the British institutional arrangement and performance suggests that the comprehensive regional water authorities facilitate efficiency, effectiveness, and adequate technology, but that they limit representation of legitimate local and public interests and poorly accommodate existing governmental units.
Effect of intracerebroventricular angiotensin II on body weight and food intake in adult rats

We recently reported that intracerebroventricular infusions of ANG II decreased food intake and increased energy expenditure in young rats. The aim of the present study was to determine if intracer...
Induction motor drive design for traction application based on drive-cycle energy minimization

Typical AC traction drive electrical components include the motor, inverter, dc link and filter elements. Drive design parameters and component values are chosen to minimize system-level drive losses. This paper presents a systematic approach for selecting rotor flux magnitude and passive component values in an induction motor drive using a comprehensive loss-minimization algorithm. The total losses obtained are lower for the proposed system-based minimization than for previously reported machine-based minimization algorithms. The effect of individual loss components on the total system loss is also studied. A standard extra-urban drive cycle is used as an example to illustrate the implementation of overall cycle-energy loss minimization. Simulation and reduced-scale experimental studies are conducted to validate the presented design scheme for a rotor-flux-oriented-control-based induction motor drive.
Systematic bias in genomic classification due to contaminating non-neoplastic tissue in breast tumor samples.

Background Genomic tests are available to predict breast cancer recurrence and to guide clinical decision making. These predictors provide recurrence risk scores along with a measure of uncertainty, usually a confidence interval. The confidence interval conveys random error and not systematic bias. Standard tumor sampling methods make this problematic, as it is common to have a substantial proportion (typically 30-50%) of a tumor sample comprised of histologically benign tissue. This "normal" tissue could represent a source of non-random error or systematic bias in genomic classification.
Dislocation rearrangement in fatigue-hardened aluminium during preparation for transmission electron microscopy

Abstract A method of thinning is described in which a thin (600 A) anodic layer is kept intact on the surface of an aluminium foil during thinning. Such an arrangement suppresses both the escape and rearrangement of dislocations within the foil. When rearrangement does occur, slip traces left at the foil–oxide interface record the manner in which this occurs. Experimental difficulties limit total thinning by this method to about 2 μ. Starting with previously thinned, fatigue-hardened foils 2·5 μ thick, dislocation arrangements were compared after thinning anodically and electrolytically to transmission thickness. Qualitatively, the arrangements are similar; namely cell structure with average dimensions ∼ 2 μ. However, the anodically thinned foils gave good evidence for dislocation motion during thinning in about 15% of the cells, namely, movement from one cell boundary to another. It is concluded that substantially more rearrangement takes place during electrolytic thinning.
Fusion of visual cues of intensity and texture in Markov random fields image segmentation

This study proposes an algorithm that fuses visual cues of intensity and texture in Markov random fields region growing texture image segmentation. The idea is to segment the image in a way that takes EdgeFlow edges into consideration, which provides a single framework for identifying objects boundaries based on texture and intensity descriptors. This is achieved by modifying the energy minimisation process, so that it would penalise merging regions that have EdgeFlow edges in the boundary between them. Experimental results confirm the hypothesis that the integration of edge information increases the precision of the segmentation by ensuring the conservation of the homogeneous objects contours during the region growing process.
Performance measurement: Lessons learned for development management

Abstract There is increasing recognition in the United States that at all levels of government, effective, performance-oriented program management is needed — management that focuses on program quality and on the results achieved using public resources. This article describes a performance measurement system; reviews the uses of such a system in any organization and particularly in development management; describes likely users; and discusses how a performance measurement system could be implemented in international development organizations, generalizing from what the authors and colleagues have learned about performance measurement through literature reviewed, interviews with US federal agency and overseas development officials, and personal experience.
Frequency of low serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in hospitalized patients with “desirable” total cholesterol levels

Abstract Because the National Cholesterol Education Program guidelines suggest that levels of total serum cholesterol
Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) for Real-Time Detection of Halon Alternative Agents

We report the results of an evaluation of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for the detection of candidate halon replacement compounds (CF4, CF3H, CF2H2, C2F5H). The fundamental (1.064 μm) from a Nd:YAG Q-switched pulsed laser was focused into an air flow containing 0.0005−5% of the analyte halocarbon compounds. The laser-produced plasma emission consists of a large number of intense fluorine atom lines in the 600−850 nm spectral range. Limit-of-detection studies indicate that LIBS can detect these compounds in the parts per million range. Also, we have recorded single-shot LIBS spectra with good signal-to-noise ratios using an intensified photodiode array. Our results indicate that LIBS is a promising detection technique for in situ and real-time measurement of halons during use in full-scale fire suppression testing.
Improving the manufacturability of electronic designs

The application of statistical circuit design techniques can prevent problems of low yield in manufacture of circuits. Statistical circuit design techniques analyze the yields of circuit designs whose underlying components exhibit random fluctuations. These techniques can help produce more robust designs by calling attention to areas where statistical variations are likely to combine in such a way as to cause circuit failure. Nonparametric boundary analysis (NBA), a technique introduced in Hewlett Packard EEsof's IC-CAP 5.0, permits yield analysis when the random fluctuations result from an arbitrary stochastic process, in addition to well-studied processes such as the Gaussian.
Nitric oxide, angiotensin II, and hypertension

Although initially adaptive, the changes that accompany hypertension, namely, cell growth, endothelial dysfunction, and extracellular matrix deposition, eventually can become maladaptive and lead to end-organ disease such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, and renal failure. A functional imbalance between angiotensin II (Ang II) and nitric oxide (NO) plays an important pathogenetic role in hypertensive end-organ injury. NO, an endogenous vasodilator, inhibitor of vascular smooth muscle and mesangial cell growth, and natriuretic agent, is synthesized in the endothelium by a constitutive NO synthase. NO antagonizes the effects of Ang II on vascular tone, cell growth, and renal sodium excretion, and also down-regulates the synthesis of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and Ang II type 1 receptors. On the other hand, Ang II decreases NO bioavailability by promoting oxidative stress. A better understanding of the pathophysiologic mechanisms involved in hypertensive end-organ damage may aid in identifying markers of cardiovascular susceptibility to injury and in developing therapeutic interventions. We propose that those antihypertensive agents that lower blood pressure and concomitantly restore the homeostatic balance of vasoactive agents such as Ang II and NO within the vessel wall would be more effective in preventing or arresting end-organ disease.
An automated Rayleigh-wave detection algorithm

Abstract : The desire to operate denser networks in order to monitor seismic activity at lower thresholds leads to greater emphasis on automated data processing. An algorithm for detecting and characterizing long-period Rayleigh wave arrivals has been developed and tested. The routine continuously monitors all directions of approach to a station, in a manner similar to beamforming. The detector is based on cro ss-powers between the Hilbert-transformed vertical and rotated horizontal signals, so it is sensitive to both the power and polarization properties of the three-component wavefield. Elliptically polarized Rayleigh arrivals are enhanced, while linearly polarized Love waves and body phases are suppressed. A test using one month of data from station ANMO demonstrated that this technique can with high reliability detect Rayleigh arrivals which would be visible to an analyst. The measured arrival times and azimuths are accurate enough to permit automated association of the detections to events in a bulletin.
Hippocampal gamma oscillations in rats

In this article, we investigate the influence of acute exposure to 2-aminoethoxy-diphenylborate (2-APB), a membrane-permeable inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) receptor, and store-operated Ca2+ channel (SOC) blocker on the complexity of hippocampal gamma oscillations. Our central hypothesis is that acute exposure to 2-APB significantly reduces the hippocampal gamma oscillations. To test this hypothesis, we use brain-slice recordings and the advanced nonlinear dynamical analysis method based on the Lempel-Ziv (LZ) estimator. Our nonlinear dynamical analysis results estimated from brain-slice recordings suggested that 2-APB exposure significantly reduces the hippocampal gamma oscillations.
Metals in our minds: therapeutic implications for neurodegenerative disorders

BACKGROUND Abnormal interactions of copper or iron in the brain with metal-binding proteins (such as amyloid-beta peptide [Abeta] or neuromelanin) that lead to oxidative stress have emerged as important potential mechanisms in brain ageing and neurodegenerative disorders. Although a controlled study of desferrioxamine in Alzheimer's disease(AD) had some promising results, concerns about toxicity and brain delivery have limited trials of traditional chelators. The therapeutic significance of metal dysregulation in neurodegenerative disorders has remained difficult to test. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS Clioquinol was identified as a prototype metal-protein-attenuating compound (MPAC). In a blinded and controlled 9 week study of a mouse model of AD, oral clioquinol decreased brain Abeta by 49% without systemic toxicity. The concentrations of copper and zinc in the brain rose by about 15% in mice treated with clioquinol. Two other studies in mice showed that the raising of brain copper concentrations through diet or genetics could lower amyloid load and increase survival. A recent placebo-controlled trial in 36 patients with AD showed that clioquinol (250-750 mg daily) reduced plasma concentrations of Abeta(1-42), raised plasma concentrations of zinc, and-in a subset with moderate dementia-slowed cognitive decline over 24 weeks. Two recent experiments also showed the neuroprotective effects of iron chelation in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease. WHERE NEXT?: The experimental and transgenic-animal studies of metal-protein interactions are convincing but do not provide conclusive answers either about causality or whether this strategy will protect against neurodegeneration in human beings. The finding that clioquinol could modulate plasma concentrations of amyloid and cognition in patients with AD needs to be interpreted cautiously, but is an important first step. Clioquinol was withdrawn because of concerns of its association with subacute myelo-optic neuropathy in Japan; therefore, any additional studies with this drug will likely be small and closely monitored proof-of-concept studies. The development of optimal second-generation MPACs is a desirable goal and may permit greater insights into the significance of metal-protein interactions across several neurodegenerative disorders.
The Influence of Experimental Hypo- and Hyperthyroidism on the Effects of Nostal®, Thiopental Sodium, and Hexobarbital Sodium in the Adult Albino Rat*

Abstract Hypothyroidism produced by either feeding suitable concentrations of propylthiouracil, or by thyroidectomy, greatly increased the average recovery time of both male and female adult albino rats to Nostal®, thiopental sodium., and hexobarbital sodium. Thyroidectomy in male rats apreciably increased the incidence of acute deaths following Nostal®. The LD 50 of propylthiouracil injected intraperitoneally in a 5 per cent acacia suspension is 342 mg./Kg. No tolerance was built up to propylthiouracil when low concentrations were fed in the diet for two weeks. Intra-peritoneal injection of propylthiouracil in acacia suspension one hour prior to Nostal® had no effect on recovery time or incidence of acute death. Delayed deaths occurred sooner. Hyperthyroidism produced by feeding effective concentrations of either thyroglobulin or thyroxin caused no consistent shortening of the average recovery time from Nostal® and did not influence the incidence of either acute or delayed death.
Mechanisms of Chlamydia trachomatis Entry into Nonphagocytic Cells

The mechanisms of entry for the obligate intracellular bacterium C. trachomatis were examined by functional disruption of proteins essential for various modes of entry. RNA interference was used to disrupt proteins with established roles in clathrin-mediated endocytosis (clathrin heavy chain, dynamin-2, heat shock 70-kDa protein 8, Arp2, cortactin, and calmodulin), caveola-mediated endocytosis (caveolin-1, dynamin-2, Arp2, NSF, and annexin II), phagocytosis (RhoA, dynamin-2, Rac1, and Arp2), and macropinocytosis (Pak1, Rac1, and Arp2). Comparative quantitative PCR analysis was performed on small interfering RNA-transfected HeLa cells to accurately determine the extent of C. trachomatis entry after these treatments. Key structural and regulatory factors associated with clathrin-mediated endocytosis were found to be involved in Chlamydia entry, whereas those for caveola-mediated endocytosis, phagocytosis, and macropinocytosis were not. Thus, clathrin and its coordinate accessory factors were required for entry of C. trachomatis, although additional, uncharacterized mechanisms are also utilized.
Evidence Suggesting the Existence of Asperger Syndrome in the Mid-1800s

Originally published in Putnam's Monthly Magazine in 1853, nearly a century before autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was formally recognized, Herman Melville's Bartleby is the naive tale of a nonconforming, socially awkward character. However, when placed into contemporary context, retrospective analysis indicates that Bartleby may in fact have been a victim of the modern diagnosis of ASD, more specifically, a high-functioning form of autism termed Asperger syndrome . In 1853, it is unlikely that individuals who would now be characterized as having ASD would have been accepted by society. Without proper diagnosis and any appropriate form of treatment, such individuals had little chance of improvement or inclusion. The following is a modern case study, proposing that Melville's Bartleby was affected with the modern syndrome of ASD, and his work was thus suggesting the existence of Asperger Syndrome in the mid-1800s.
One-step optimal space vector PWM current regulation using a neural network

This paper presents the solution for an optimal deadbeat current regulator for use in a three-phase PWM inverter connected to an AC motor. A general solution to the one-step, least-squares current error problem with modulation index constraints is derived using a space vector formulation in conjunction with the modulation index cube. The control produces a deadbeat response when it is possible and the best approximation when it is not. The contours of constant modulation index with respect to the desired current adjustment naturally decompose into a simple, four-neuron-per-phase neural network. It is also shown that the use of this neural network will improve the performance of a standard PI regulator. The neural network is implemented using simple analog circuits. >
TextRWeb: Large-Scale Text Analytics with R on the Web

As digital data sources grow in number and size, they pose an opportunity for computational investigation by means of text mining, NLP, and other text analysis techniques. R is a popular and powerful text analytics tool; however, it needs to run in parallel and requires special handling to protect copyrighted content against full access (consumption). The HathiTrust Research Center (HTRC) currently has 11 million volumes (books) where 7 million volumes are copyrighted. In this paper we propose HTRC TextRWeb, an interactive R software environment which employs complexity hiding interfaces and automatic code generation to allow large-scale text analytics in a non-consumptive means. For our principal test case of copyrighted data in HathiTrust Digital Library, TextRWeb permits us to code, edit, and submit text analytics methods empowered by a family of interactive web user interfaces. All these methods combine to reveal a new interactive paradigm for large-scale text analytics on the web.
Case Study of a Complicated Postpartum Recovery Related to Acute Fatty Liver of Pregnancy

Poster Presentation Background Acute fatty liver of pregnancy (AFLP) is a fatty acid metabolism disorder that usually occurs when the mother is carrying a male infant and has an associated risk for long‐chain 3‐hydroxyacyl‐coenyme A dehydrogenase (LCHAD) deficiency in the infant. The disease is usually evidenced in the third trimester of pregnancy or postpostpartum but may occur as early as 26 weeks gestation. Researchers have established an AFLP triad: symptoms: nausea/vomiting, jaundice, epigastric pain; laboratory results: renal dysfunction, coagulopathy, liver function abnormalities, hypoglycemia; and complications: renal failure, coagulopathy, ascites, and encephalopathy. Case On Day 2 the woman had a decreased level of consciousness and was “not acting right” according to the nurse. The rapid response team was called, and after a stat head computerized tomography (CT), the woman was transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU). Blood tests at that time revealed low sodium, 124; potassium, 4.8; low chloride, 95; elevated creatinine, 2.3; low glucose, 9; elevated aspartate aminotransferase (AST), 131; elevated alanine transaminase (ALT), 65; elevated alkaline phosphatase, 308; total bilirubin, 9.3; direct bilirubin, 6.1; elevated internationalized normal ratio (INR), 2.6; elevated prothrombin time (PT), 26.4; elevated partial thromboplastin time (PTT), 48.6; elevated ammonia level, 53; low platelets, 52; and low fibrinogen A head CT was ordered due to continued decreased mentation with hepatic encephalopathy. A small subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) was noted and neurosurgery and neurology were consulted. A follow‐up magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to further evaluate the SAH and electroencephalogram (EEG) was used to evaluate subclinical seizure activity. The woman was transferred to the neurosurgical ICU for further care and seizure monitoring. The woman remained in status epilepticus with a pentobarbital infusion for 28 days due to encephalopathic state with severe diffuse cerebral dysfunction. Conclusion Interdisciplinary collaboration resulted a full recovery for the woman, and she was discharged on Day 87.
FLUX chip: design of a 20-GHz 16-bit ultrapipelined RSFQ processor prototype based on 1.75-/spl mu/m LTS technology

We describe the design and implementation of a single-chip microprocessor based on LTS Rapid Single-Flux-Quantum (RSFQ) technology. Two such chips are to be used in a dual-processor module, being developed by a SUNY-TRW collaboration as a spin-off of the HTMT project. Each FLUX chip represents a simple 16-bit 2-way long-instruction-word (LIW) microprocessor with a pipelined instruction memory of 30-bit instructions, decode and issue units, 8 integer ALUs interlaced with 8 registers, and input/output ports through which two FLUX chips can communicate with each other at a 7-GHz communication rate over a multi-layer MCM. The FLUX instruction set consists of /spl sim/25 instructions. High performance is reached with a scalable design featuring (1) a very high clock rate, (2) localized, regular and ultrapipelined processing in registers with very short wires, (3) instruction-level parallelism utilization with bit-level resolution of data hazards. A 16-bit implementation of FLUX processor consists of /spl sim/90,000 Josephson junctions on a /spl sim/10 mm/spl times/15 mm chip area. Our estimates show that the processor will be able to operate at clock frequencies up to 20 GHz when implemented using TRW's 4 kA/cm/sup 2/, 1.75-/spl mu/m Nb-trilayer technology.
A new perspective in defending against DDoS

Distributed denial of service (DDoS) is a major threat to the availability of Internet services. The anonymity allowed by IP networking, together with the distributed, large scale nature of the Internet, makes DDoS attacks stealthy and difficult to counter. As various attack tools become widely available and require minimum knowledge to operate, automated anti-DDoS systems are increasingly important. This paper studies the problem of providing an anti-DoS service (called AID) for general-purpose TCP-based public servers. We design a random peer-to-peer (RP2P) network that connects the registered client networks with the registered servers. RP2P is easy to manage and its longest path length is just three hops. The AID service ensures that the registered client networks can always access the registered servers even when they are under DoS attacks. It creates the financial incentive for commercial companies to provide the service, and meets the need for enterprises without the expertise to outsource their anti-DoS operations.
Putting spatial attention on the map: Timing and localization of stimulus selection processes in striate and extrastriate visual areas

This study investigated the cortical mechanisms of visual-spatial attention in a task where subjects discriminated patterned targets in one visual field at a time. Functional magnetic imaging (fMRI) was used to localize attention-related changes in neural activity within specific retinotopic visual areas, while recordings of event-related brain potentials (ERPs) traced the time course of these changes. The earliest ERP components enhanced by attention occurred in the time range 70–130 ms post-stimulus onset, and their neural generators were estimated to lie in the dorsal and ventral extrastriate visual cortex. The anatomical areas activated by attention corresponded closely to those showing increased neural activity during passive visual stimulation. Enhanced neural activity was also observed in the primary visual cortex (area V1) with fMRI, but ERP recordings indicated that the initial sensory response at 50–90 ms that was localized to V1 was not modulated by attention. Modeling of ERP sources over an extended time range showed that attended stimuli elicited a long-latency (160–260 ms) negativity that was attributed to the dipolar source in area V1. This finding is in line with hypotheses that V1 activity may be modulated by delayed, reentrant feedback from higher visual areas. © 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Affective Disorder in Juvenile Offenders: A Preliminary Study

OBJECTIVE: The authors’ goal was to determine the prevalence of major mental disorders and substance abuse in adolescents admitted to a juvenile detention center. METHOD: As part of a routine mental health screening, modules from the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children were administered to 50 youths (11–17 years old) at an urban juvenile detention center. RESULTS: A high rate of affective disorder (42%) was found among these adolescents: 10 (20%) met criteria for mania, another 10 met criteria for major depressive disorder, and one met criteria for bipolar disorder, mixed type. Thirty (60%) met criteria for conduct disorder, and very high rates of alcohol, marijuana, and other substance dependence were found. There was a strong association between affective disorder and conduct disorder; adolescents with mania had much higher rates of reported abuse of substances other than alcohol or marijuana. CONCLUSIONS: Juvenile offenders have high rates of affective disorder. Further studies are needed to exa...
Orexins in the Brain-Gut Axis

Orexins (hypocretins) are a novel pair of neuropeptides implicated in the regulation of energy balances and arousal. Previous reports have indicated that orexins are produced only in the lateral hypothalamic area, although orexin-containing nerve fibers were observed throughout the neuroaxis. Recent evidence shows that orexins and functional orexin receptors are found in the periphery. Vagal and spinal primary afferent neurons, enteric neurons, and endocrine cells in both the gut and pancreas display orexin- and orexin receptor-like immunoreactivity. Orexins excite secretomotor neurons in the guinea pig gut and modulate gastric and intestinal motility and secretion. In addition, orexins modulate hormone release from pancreatic endocrine cells. Moreover, fasting up-regulates the phosphorylated form of cAMP response element binding protein in orexin-immunoreactive enteric neurons, indicating a functional response to food status in these cells. The purpose of this article is to summarize evidence for the existence of a brain-gut network of orexin-containing cells that appears to play a role in the acute regulation of energy homeostasis.
Effectiveness of improved hydrogen peroxide in decontaminating privacy curtains contaminated with multidrug-resistant pathogens.

We tested the ability of an improved hydrogen peroxide solution to decontaminate privacy curtains in inpatient and outpatient areas. The microbial contamination of the curtains was assessed before and after the curtains were sprayed with improved hydrogen peroxide. The disinfectant reduced the microbial load on the privacy curtains by 96.8% in 37 patient rooms.
Simplified model for combined applications of viscoelastic material and shape memory alloys to vibration control

This paper studies the vibration control of a flexible beam using a constrained viscoelastic damping treatment and layered shape memory alloy (SMA). The SMA layer is used as an actuator, which is capable of changing its elastic modulus and recovery stress. A linear control law is determined based on optimal regulator theory. The control results are discussed.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The Importance of the Montreal Protocol in Mitigating the Potential Intensity of Tropical Cyclones

AbstractThe impact of the Montreal Protocol on the potential intensity of tropical cyclones over the next 50 years is investigated with the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM), a state-of-the-art, stratosphere-resolving atmospheric model, coupled to land, ocean, and sea ice components, with interactive stratospheric chemistry. An ensemble of WACCM runs from 2006 to 2065 forced with a standard future scenario is compared to a second ensemble in which ozone-depleting substances (ODS) are not regulated (the so-called World Avoided). It is found that by the year 2065, changes in the potential intensity of tropical cyclones in the World Avoided are nearly 3 times as large as for the standard scenario. The Montreal Protocol thus provides a strong mitigation of the adverse effects of intensifying tropical cyclones.The relative importance of warmer sea surface temperatures (ozone-depleting substances are important greenhouse gases) and cooler lower-stratospheric temperatures (accompanying the massive...
Social behavior shapes the chimpanzee pan-microbiome

Animal sociality facilitates the transmission of pathogenic microorganisms among hosts, but the extent to which sociality enables animals’ beneficial microbial associations is poorly understood. The question is critical because microbial communities, particularly those in the gut, are key regulators of host health. We show evidence that chimpanzee social interactions propagate microbial diversity in the gut microbiome both within and between host generations. Frequent social interaction promotes species richness within individual microbiomes as well as homogeneity among the gut community memberships of different chimpanzees. Sampling successive generations across multiple chimpanzee families suggests that infants inherited gut microorganisms primarily through social transmission. These results indicate that social behavior generates a pan-microbiome, preserving microbial diversity across evolutionary time scales and contributing to the evolution of host species–specific gut microbial communities.
Dynamics and Aerodynamics of a Landing Airplane during a High-Speed Lateral Runway Departure

A recent accident involved a landing jet airplane that exited the left side of the runway at high speed. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and fire and all crewmembers on board were fatally injured. This paper describes model development and simulations aimed at generating information for use in failure modes and effects analysis of this runway departure accident. The trajectory of a landing airplane on runway is determined by aerodynamic forces and moments, engine thrust forces and tire forces. Preliminary analysis of the factual evidence indicated that the motion to the left of the accident airplane was driven by tire forces. To support the analysis of this accident, best modeling practices of ground vehicle dynamics and aircraft aerodynamics were combined to develop a model that accurately represented the accident airplane. It was modeled as a wheeled ground vehicle with nonlinear tire characteristics and nonlinear landing gear suspensions. The wheeled ground vehicle was excited by aerodynamic forces and moments and engine thrust forces calculated using available recorded data and airframe manufacturer models. The developed model is accurate even in situations where high speed, high side-to-side vertical load shifts, large sideslip angles, anti-skid braking, and potential wheel lift make airplane models that rely on bicycle-type and other relatively simple tire/runway interaction models inaccurate.
Social Expectation Improves Speech Perception in Noise

Listeners’ use of social information during speech perception was investigated by measuring transcription accuracy of Chinese-accented speech in noise while listeners were presented with a congruen...
Induction of proliferative responses of T cells from Babesia bovis-immune cattle with a recombinant 77-kilodalton merozoite protein (Bb-1).

Abstract A major portion of a Babesia bovis-specific gene encoding a 77-kDa merozoite protein (Bb-1) produced during natural infection in cattle and in microaerophilous culture was subcloned into the pGEX1N expression vector. Recombinant Bb-1 protein fused to glutathione S-transferase (Bb-1-GST) was used to examine cellular immune responses in B. bovis-immune cattle. Sera from rabbits immunized with Bb-1-GST reacted with fusion protein and with the native antigen present in crude B. bovis but not with B. bigemina merozoites. Bb-1-GST but not GST induced strong proliferation of T lymphocytes from these immune cattle, and Bb-1-reactive T-cell lines which consisted of a mixed population of either CD4+ and CD8+ cells or CD4+, CD8+, and "null" (gamma delta T) cells were established by in vitro stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells with the recombinant fusion protein. Three CD4+ CD8- and three CD4- CD8+ Bb-1-specific T-cell clones were identified after limiting-dilution cloning of the cell lines. The studies described here demonstrate that the 77-kDa protein of B. bovis contains T-cell epitopes capable of eliciting proliferation of two types of T cells in immune cattle, an important consideration for the design of a recombinant subunit vaccine.
Transformational programming: using the Shakespeare corpus to help students learn decision structures nifty assignment

It is often difficult for CS1 instructors to provide programming experiences that match the logical complexity of the real world. The programming assignments either create so much overhead that the focus of the assignment becomes something other than the decision structures, or the decision structures themselves get watered down to triviality. This nifty assignment uses the Shakespeare Corpus (found in various forms at http://www.folgerdigitaltexts.org/download/, including the XML format used in this assignment) to give students the experience of creating their own transform scripts (emulating but not resorting to XSLT programming) to help them learn how to use nested decision structures. The results of their efforts are visualized in a simple HTML file linked to a simple CSS file. Beyond learning how to utilize decision structures, students also learn how to use incremental steps to solve complex problems.
Evaluation of Echocardiographic Measures of Left Ventricular Function in Patients with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: Assessment of Reproducibility and Comparison to Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Background Patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) require frequent imaging to assess left ventricular (LV) function. Poor imaging windows can limit the diagnostic utility of echocardiography. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) is the gold standard for the assessment of LV function but has not been universally adopted in patients with DMD. The study objectives were (1) to evaluate the reproducibility of echocardiographic measures of LV function, (2) to evaluate which echocardiographic methods correlate best with CMR LV ejection fraction (LVEF), and (3) to evaluate whether CMR provides additional value compared with echocardiography. Methods Twenty-eight participants with DMD prospectively underwent echocardiography and CMR. Two blinded readers measured fractional shortening from M-mode and two-dimensional images and LVEF using four-chamber, biplane Simpson, 5/6 area-length, and three-dimensional methods. Speckle-tracking echocardiography was used to analyze circumferential strain. Readers subjectively rated function and segmental wall motion. Agreement was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients, Bland-Altman plots, Spearman correlation, and weighted κ. Results Two-dimensional fractional shortening and 5/6 area-length LVEF had the best combination of reproducibility and correlation with CMR LVEF, though both misclassified approximately 20% as either normal or abnormal function. Other measures of LV function were less reproducible, with worse correlations with CMR LVEF. Thirty-seven percent of segments not visible on echocardiography were believed to have wall motion abnormalities by CMR. Conclusions Two-dimensional fractional shortening and 5/6 area-length LVEF represent the most accurate and reproducible echocardiographic measures of LV function in patients with DMD. CMR should be considered when neither of these techniques is measurable or when it is necessary to detect more subtle cardiovascular changes.
Critical Legal Studies and Feminist Jurisprudence

The theories about the relationship between law and morals discussed in Chaps. 2 and 3 and theories of constitutional interpretation in Chap. 4 by no means exhaust the available legal theories that have been prominent in the philosophical literature. In the debates about the validity of laws pertaining to the family and family relationships one will find not only variations of legal positivism and natural law theory, but approaches to the law that attempt to determine how legal decisions are made by judges. What is legal reasoning and how does it differ (if at all) from moral and political reasoning? How does a judge begin the process of legal reasoning? Is her choice of a guiding principle based on the self-evident nature of the principle, as would be recommended by natural law, or is it to be found in whatever policies and practices promote the general welfare, such that we can say “The law is whatever the judge says that it is”? The latter approach to legal reasoning, first developed in the United States in the 1920s and 1930s, is Legal Realism. It was a reaction to an earlier theory now called Legal Formalism. Another theory, influenced by Legal Realism and originating in the 1970s, is Critical Legal Studies. A fourth, partly influenced by both Legal Realism and CLS, is the radical version of Feminist Legal Theory. We will discuss these in order.
The emerging field of epigenetics in neurodegeneration and neuroprotection

Epigenetic mechanisms - including DNA methylation, histone post-translational modifications and changes in nucleosome positioning - regulate gene expression, cellular differentiation and development in almost all tissues, including the brain. In adulthood, changes in the epigenome are crucial for higher cognitive functions such as learning and memory. Striking new evidence implicates the dysregulation of epigenetic mechanisms in neurodegenerative disorders and diseases. Although these disorders differ in their underlying causes and pathophysiologies, many involve the dysregulation of restrictive element 1-silencing transcription factor (REST), which acts via epigenetic mechanisms to regulate gene expression. Although not somatically heritable, epigenetic modifications in neurons are dynamic and reversible, which makes them good targets for therapeutic intervention.
Biographical Feature: Paul C. Schreckenberger, Ph.D.

On a bookshelf in my office, next to the Manual of Clinical Microbiology , still sits a dog-eared copy of a pamphlet entitled “Practical Approach to the Identification of Glucose-Nonfermenting Gram-Negative Bacilli, a Guide to Identification,” authored by Paul C. Schreckenberger, Ph.D. ([1][1
Theory of spin dynamics in YBa2Cu3O7−δ: Fermiology effects

Abstract We reconcile the Fermi surface shape observed in photoemission experiments in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7−δ with recent neutron data. A peak at Q 0 = ( π / a , π / a ) is found for δ = 0.3 as a consequence of the q -dependent exchange interaction. The associated correlation length is roughly T independent, and the T , ω dependences of the peak height are found to be in reasonable agreement with experiment. We present predictions for the (even smaller) peak structure associated with the fully oxygenated system and demonstrate agreement with Cu NMR for both δ values.
Overview of Reliability and Vulnerability in Critical Infrastructure

The concept of interconnection is an important one for a wide range of social, economic and political issues. Broadly defined, interconnection refers to a state of reciprocal connection. In this context, two or more interconnected entities can exchange ideas, currency, information and other valuable goods with each other, often for mutual benefit. For example, telecommunication backbone providers frequently interconnect at points of presence (POPs) or Internet exchanges (IXs) in order to accommodate peering relationships between large networks or to provide data transit for smaller systems. One obvious benefit accrued through this type of practice is extending the geographic reach of each backbone involved with the interconnection arrangement, providing access to new markets and potential customers. Over time, these interconnections can strengthen or decline, depending on the benefits acquired through interconnectivity. If the relationship between entities strengthens significantly, the condition of interdependency can emerge. In this context, the entities involved require the reliable operation of their interconnected partner(s) to function properly. If the relationship between entities weakens significantly, connections may be disbanded.