cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recruitment of RNA polymerase II by the pioneer transcription factor PHA-4

Pioneer transcription factors initiate cell-fate changes by binding to silent target genes. They are among the first factors to bind key regulatory sites and facilitate chromatin opening. Here, we identify an additional role for pioneer factors. In early Caenorhabditis elegans foregut development, the pioneer factor PHA-4/FoxA binds promoters and recruits RNA polymerase II (Pol II), often in a poised configuration in which Pol II accumulates near transcription start sites. At a later developmental stage, PHA-4 promotes chromatin opening. We found many more genes with poised RNA polymerase than had been observed previously in unstaged embryos, revealing that early embryos accumulate poised Pol II and that poising is dynamic. Our results suggest that Pol II recruitment, in addition to chromatin opening, is an important feature of PHA-4 pioneer factor activity.
The effects of punishment of repetitions and the acquisition of “stutter-like” behaviors in normal speakers

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine if a punishing stimulus, presented contingent upon repetitions, would cause normal speakers to develop behaviors that are “stutter-like,” resembling the secondary reactions often observed in stutterers. Ten normal-speaking adult males spoke spontaneously during a 15 minute A-B-A (base rate-punishment-withdrawl) single subject experiment. Repetitions decreased when the stimulus “you repeated” was made contingent upon their occurrence, but several other behaviors, “stutter-like” in nature, surfaced. As a less spontaneous speaking style was adopted, speech rate decreased significantly. Within a few minutes, the subjects developed some avoidant behaviors that may be characteristic of stuttering. The results were interpreted as having at least one therapeutic implication that could be particularly troublesome. The data seem to indicate that when clinicians focus solely on the reduction of repetitions in stuttering therapy, they may be generating avoidance behaviors that facilitate the development of stuttering.
Potential for carbon dioxide sequestration in the Lower Cretaceous Sunniland Formation within the Sunniland Trend of the South Florida Basin, U.S.

Abstract The Sunniland Trend (Trend) in south Florida is an arcuate trend about 235 kilometers long by 30 kilometers wide that has supported oil production from the Sunniland Formation for over 60 years. The individual oil fields within the Trend have average porosities that range 15–18%, and have the potential to serve as carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) sequestration reservoirs due to their high porosity and proven ability to trap hydrocarbons for millennia. In addition, the non-oil-bearing porous intervals of the Sunniland Formation along the Trend have relatively high porosities as well, with an average porosity range of 10–20%. All of the porous intervals in the Sunniland Formation within the extent of the Trend, including the oil-bearing intervals, have the potential to store ∼1.2 billion tons of CO 2 , which could potentially support CO 2 sequestration for multiple large-scale power plants in the southeastern United States for their entire 40-year lifespan. The Sunniland Formation is an example of the large CO 2 storage capacities that are potentially available in depleted oil and gas basins if all porous units, including those which are non-oil bearing, are considered for storage.
Trends in Waist Circumference among U.S. Adults

Objective: Waist circumference has been proposed as a measure of obesity or as an adjunct to other anthropometric measures to determine obesity. Our objective was to examine temporal trends in waist circumference among adults in the U.S. Research Methods and Procedures: We used data from 15, 454 participants ≥20 years old in National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) III (1988 to 1994) and 4024 participants ≥20 years old from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999 to 2000. Results: The unadjusted waist circumference increased from 95.3 (age-adjusted, 96.0 cm) to 98.6 (age-adjusted, 98.9 cm) cm among men and from 88.7 (age-adjusted 88.9 cm) to 92.2 (age-adjusted 92.1 cm) cm among women. The percentiles from the two surveys suggest that much of the waist circumference distribution has shifted. Statistically significant increases occurred among all age groups and racial or ethnic groups except men 30 to 59 years old, women 40 to 59 and ≥70 years old, and women who were Mexican American or of “other” race or ethnicity. Discussion: These results demonstrate the rapid increase in obesity, especially abdominal obesity, among U.S. adults. Unless measures are taken to slow the increase in or reverse the course of the obesity epidemic, the burden of obesity-associated morbidity and mortality in the U.S. can be expected to increase substantially in future years.
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi associated with a single agronomic plant host across the landscape: Community differentiation along a soil textural gradient

Abstract The arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi (phylum Glomeromycota) are important for the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems because of their influence on plant nutrient relations and plant responses to stress. To assess the impact of dispersal limitation and identify niche-related environmental gradients affecting AM fungal community composition and structure, we studied AM fungal communities in an assemblage of maize fields across an eastern New York State landscape. We expressed AM fungal community differences in terms of abundance structure (Bray–Curtis dissimilarities), the presence of unique phylogenetic lineages (UniFrac), and mean phylogenetic relatedness between samples (mean patristic distance, MPD). We did not find strong evidence of dispersal limitation or isolation by distance within or between field sites. To identify environmental factors that may be related to community differentiation, we projected vectors of edaphic variables onto nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) ordinations of community dissimilarity measures. Of these factors, soil textural components appeared most strongly related to AM fungal community differences. We speculate that this pattern may be explained by the relationship between texture and soil moisture availability. In addition to soil textural components, phylogenetic measures of community differentiation suggested that AM fungal community structure was affected by nutrient concentrations, particularly Mg. Of the two phylogenetic indices of community differentiation, MPD was more consistent and stable with our data, whereas the UniFrac metric failed to be interpretable in several cases. Overall, our data suggest that, rather than phosphorus or pH, soil texture may have an influence on AM fungal community structure over large agroecological scales.
AMPS: a flexible, scalable proxy testbed for implementing streaming services

We present the design, implementation, and performance evaluation of AMPS --- a flexible, scalable proxy testbed that supports a wide and extensible set of next-generation proxy streaming services. AMPS employs a modular architecture and is built on top of a commodity Linux system. We study the performance of AMPS proxy using a server-proxy-client configuration in a switched-Gigabit LAN environment. We identify the CPU to be the system bottleneck. Through profiling study, we further identify the kernel network protocol processing and the Network Reception Module inside the proxy to be the most CPU-intensive components. We also quantify the maximum achievable throughput for two of the principal components of the proxy - the control plane and data plane, and characterize the end-to-end performance along the server-to-proxy-to-client path. We discuss lessons learned and the various optimizations made in the course of our study to improve system performance.
UBQLN2/P62 cellular recycling pathways in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia.

Recent findings highlight a pathologic and functional convergence in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with frontotemporal dementia (ALS-FTD) at the level of protein recycling and disposal. Genes linked to rare cases of familial ALS and ALS-FTD, like UBQLN2, OPTN, SQSTM1/p62, and VCP, may converge onto a unifying pathogenic pathway and thereby provide novel therapeutic targets common to a spectrum of etiologically diverse forms of ALS and ALS-FTD. Interactions between these genes need to be further explored to understand their common molecular pathways. Future efforts should be directed toward generation and characterization of in vivo models to dissect the pathogenic mechanisms of ALS and ALS-FTD and the role of protein degradation pathways, both centrally, at the cell body, and peripherally, at the level of the synapse. Such efforts will rapidly accelerate the discovery of new drugs that regulate accumulation of pathogenic proteins and their downstream consequences in ALS and ALS-FTD and, possibly, other neurodegenerative diseases as well. Muscle Nerve, 2012
The respiratory gas exchange of sea turtle nests (Chelonia, Caretta)

Sea turtles lay about 100 leathery-shelled eggs in a 25 cm diameter chamber carefully excavated about 50 cm deep in a nesting beach, where the eggs exchange gases (at approximately 28 degrees C) during their 60-day incubation period. The sand surrounding the spherical nest chamber restricts the diffusion of gases into and out of the nest so that as embryonic development progresses, PO2 decreases and PCO2 increases in the gas inside the nest. PO2 falls to 80-100 torr and PCO2 rises to 40-60 torr inside 100-egg man-made Chelonia and Caretta nests. The change in gas tensions in the nest during development is very similar to that seen in the air cell of the chicken egg. Gas tensions inside the turtle nest and in the sand surrounding the nest can be described by a radial steady-state diffusion model. The rate of diffusion of gases in the sand is 30-50% of the rate found in the nest and 6-12% of the rate found in an equal volume of air. The sand surrounding the turtle nest appears to determine the gas exchange of the eggs in the nest and is functionally analogous to the shell surrounding the chicken embryo. The female sea turtle may construct her nest so as the maximize its gas exchange and minimize gas partial pressure gradients inside the nest.
EEG and blood pressure effects of TRH in rabbits

Abstract Different doses of synthetic thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) were injected into the cisterna magna of curarized rabbits to determine whether this naturally occurring substance induces physiological changes and whether such changes might help explain the reported analeptic actions of this agent. By this route, TRH in doses of from 20 ng to 200 μg produced an EEG activation pattern lasting at least 40 min, a rise in blood pressure for approximately 15 min, Mayer-like waves and mydriasis. The character of these responses, and the potency of TRH, support the hypothesis that this substance may be involved in numerous neurophysiological phenomena, and were diametrically opposite to those produced by barbiturates. Pentobarbital (5 mg/kg i.v.) and chlorpromazine (5 mg/kg i.v.) failed to antagonize the basic actions of TRH (20 μg). Scopolamine (2 mg/kg i.v.) completely blocked the EEG activation caused by TRH (20 μg), but not the pressor effect. Curarization abolished the hyperthermia observed in non-curarized rabbits. The intracisternal injection of TRH to four noncurarized rabbits also produced EEG activation, a pressor response, Mayer-like waves and mydriasis.
Kinetics Of Dissipation And Biodegradation Of Crude Oil In Alaska's Cook Inlet

Abstract The results of a study to quantitatively define the magnitude of oil pollution problems in Alaska's Cook Inlet are reported. Physical dissipation and biodegration rates were determined and combined with estimates of hydrocarbon input rates to assess the fate of oil in Cook Inlet. The question of accumulation of crude oil components within the Inlet is considered from the above results and by direct analysis. Results indicate that hydrocarbon accumulation is less than our present limits of detection. Cook Inlet flushing is 90 per cent complete in 10 months. Experimental results show that unsupplemented Cook Inlet water effectively degrades Cook Inlet crude, that this biodegradation is essentially complete in the order of a few months, and that the biodegration capacity of Cook Inlet is large. Thus biodegration is more important than physical flushing in removing hydrocarbon pollutants from Cook Inlet. The methods and results are discussed in terms of their applicability to other areas.
Differences in molar wear gradient between juvenile macaques and langurs

Interspecific differences in the amount and form of molar wear in nonhuman primates are only beginning to be documented and understood. The purpose of this study was to look at the wear gradient between M1 and dm2 in a sample of macaques and langurs to determine if differences in wear gradient could be related to differences in diet. A skeletal collection of wild shot Presbytis cristatus and Macaca fascicularis from the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University was examined using stereophotogrammetric techniques. X, Y, and Z coordinates were used to compute the areas of dentin exposure on the buccal cusps of M1 and the buccal cusps of dm2. The relationship between these variables was examined using Bartlett's three group method and least squares regression. Intergeneric comparisons of the resultant y-intercepts indicate that the macaques have more dentin exposed on dm2 when there is none exposed on M1. Factors that might be responsible for this difference include differences in dentin/enamel structure, differences in molar eruption timing, and differences in behavior. At the present time, behavioral differences between the genera appear to be the most likely cause of the difference in wear gradient.
Inheritance of Resistance to Western Corn Rootworm Adults in Field Corn

Under field conditions the adults of the western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera LeConte (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), caused severe damage to foliage of 37-day-old corn plants. Injury was recorded by the following grading system: corn plants with 0 to 1, considered resistant; and 4 to 6, susceptible. The Mather (1949. Biometrical Genetics. The Study of Continuous Variation. Methuen & Co., London, 158 p.) experimental design was used. This included both parents (F6×F44)F2- 2-2-1-1-3 and C. I. 187-2, each replicated 3 times the F1, replicated 3 times; the F2, 6 times; and the F3lines, included as 25 separate lines. Under these conditions the first parent was found resistant. The C. 1. 187-2 parent was susceptible. The first generation plants were on the average more susceptible than C. I. 187-2, indicating that resistance was inherited as recessive. The F2 generation consisted of 71 plants, 17 resistant and 54 susceptible; the F3 population included 289 plants, 219 susceptible and 70 resistant. Results from 2 generations indicate a monogenic type of inheritance. The minimum number of factors was estimated by calculating the various components of variation, namely environmental, fixed, and unfixed genetic variation. Results were in agreement with the assumed monogenic type of inheritance.
ATHLETE: An Option for Mobile Lunar Landers

As part of the NASA Exploration Technology Development Program, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory is developing a vehicle called ATHLETE: the all-terrain hex-limbed extra-terrestrial explorer. Each vehicle is based on six wheels at the ends of six multi-degree-of-freedom limbs. Because each limb has enough degrees of freedom for use as a general-purpose leg, the wheels can be locked and used as feet to walk out of excessively soft or other extreme terrain. Since the vehicle has this alternative mode of traversing through or at least extracting itself out of extreme terrain, the wheels and wheel actuators can be sized for nominal terrain. There are substantial mass savings in the wheel and wheel actuators associated with designing for nominal instead of extreme terrain. These mass savings are comparable-to or larger-than the mass increase of the articulated limbs. As a result, the entire mobility system, including wheels and limbs, can be lighter than a conventional mobility chassis. In addition, each limb has sufficient degrees-of-freedom to use as a general-purpose manipulator. Our prototype ATHLETE vehicles have quick-disconnect tool adapters on the limbs that allow tools to be drawn out of a "tool belt" and positioned by the limb. A power-take-off from the wheel actuates the tools, so that they can take advantage of the 1+ horsepower motor in each wheel to enable drilling, gripping or other power-tool functions. One of the most attractive uses for ATHLETE limbs is as part of a "mobile lander". Lunar landers are traditionally conceived-of as static - remaining stationary after landing on pads that deploy to a large radius to reduce the likelihood of overturning and that incorporate energy absorption (e.g. crushable materials) to cushion whatever residual impact remains after the rocket propulsion system is shut down. Landers implicitly integrate all the subsystems required for a complete spacecraft-power, communications, computation, inertial sensing, etc. All these subsystems would need to be re-implemented on any rover that deploys from a lander. Instead, these subsystems can be used "as-is" (perhaps with additional qualification testing) if only the lander were equipped with post-landing mobility. This obvious advantage of mobile landers has been recognized for decades (see Section 3), but use of ATHLETE limbs as landing outriggers together with crushable materials under the primary structure of the lander combines the benefits of the reduced mobility mass and tool-use of the ATHLETEconcept with the intrinsic efficiency of the mobile lander concept.
Distribution of coelobites (cavity-dwellers) in coral rubble across the Florida Reef Tract

The interstices of coral rubble, the most common deposits of many reefs, provide extensive surfaces for a variety of sessile and vagile coelobites (cavity-dwellers). In the northern Florida Reef Tract there are at least 80 different sessile coelobites in coral rubble collected from 21 stations from in-shore lagoon to fore-reef, depth 40 meters. Three microzones of coelobites on the undersides of rubble were distinguished on the bases of their dominant community assemblages; algal microzone in the peripheral area, sponge-bryozoan microzone in the transitional area, and foraminiferal microzone in the central area. In the transect that extends some 6–7 km across the reef tract, the biomass is largest in the rubble of the shallow (1–3 m) shelf margin and it decreases shoreward and in deeper water; however, the maximum variety of species comes in the fore-reef at depths of about 20–30 m. Four coelobite zones are recognized in the reef transect based on distribution pattern and relative abundance of diagnostic species; 1) in-shore lagoon zone, 2) lagoon-reef zone, 3) marginal reef zone, and 4) fore-reef zone. Although this paper does not propose a comprehensive explanation for the distribution of coelobites, it does emphasize the importance of two factors that affect coelobite development and distribution: interstitial sediment as a negative (limiting) factor and flushing as a positive factor.
Solution-processed photodetectors from colloidal silicon nano/micro particle composite

We demonstrate solution-processed photodetectors composed of heavy-metal-free Si nano/micro particle composite. The colloidal Si particles are synthesized by electrochemical etching of Si wafers, followed by ultra-sonication to pulverize the porous surface. With alkyl ligand surface passivation through hydrosilylation reaction, the particles can form a stable colloidal suspension which exhibits bright photoluminescence under ultraviolet excitation and a broadband extinction spectrum due to enhanced scattering from the micro-size particles. The efficiency of the thin film photodetectors has been substantially improved by preventing oxidation of the particles during the etching process.
Determination of Vitamin C in the Living Organism

WHILE determining the vitamin C content of urine taken from healthy individuals or patients suffering from various diseases by titration with 2–6 dichlorophenolindophenol, we tried to perform this test in the living organism itself. First we injected small quantities of a 1/1,000 normal sterile solution of the dye into the sole of healthy and scorbutic guinea pigs. We observed that decoloration of the dye takes place much more rapidly in healthy animals than in guinea pigs suffering from scurvy. When methyl blue was injected simultaneously, its colour remained unchanged, which shows that decoloration of dichlorophenolindophenol was not due to resorption but to reduction.
Thirty-Year Multivariate Risk Assessment Is a Stronger Predictor of Cardiovascular Disease than the 10-Year Model

Identifying individuals at risk for developing coronary heart disease (CHD)1 is fundamental to the practice of primary prevention in modern cardiology because it enables clinicians to determine which patients are eligible to receive evidence-based therapies that can prevent or delay the progression of atherosclerotic disease. Several multivariable risk-prediction algorithms are available, and the most widely used in the US is the Framingham cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk profile, from which the Framingham Risk Score (FRS) is derived. The FRS estimates an individual’s risk of developing nonfatal myocardial infarction or CHD-related death (“hard events”) over a 10-year period, on the basis of what are now considered to be the traditional risk factors of age, total cholesterol concentrations, HDL cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, and cigarette smoking status; the equations are sex specific. Individuals are then stratified into low risk ( 20% risk over 10 years) based on their score (1), and this risk score then guides a clinician’s decision to institute antiplatelet or lipid-lowering therapy or advise intensive lifestyle modification. Several multivariate risk assessment algorithms in addition to the FRS have since been proposed and validated in diverse populations to estimate risk for a period of less than 10 years. The FRS has been critiqued for its relatively limited view of only a10-year timeframe, because an individual’s lifetime risk of CHD may be high, but a 10-year risk prediction model sometimes underestimates this risk and can delay efforts to modify that risk. A greater duration of exposure to untreated risk factors allows for continued progression of subclinical atherosclerosis. Examination of the Framingham cohort showed that despite younger individuals in lower risk groups having a very low 10-year CHD …
Toward gene therapy for growth hormone deficiency via salivary gland expression of growth hormone.

Objectives Salivary glands are useful targets for gene therapeutics. After gene transfer into salivary glands, regulated secretory pathway proteins, such as human growth hormone, are secreted into saliva, whereas constitutive secretory pathway proteins, such as erythropoietin, are secreted into the bloodstream. Secretion of human growth hormone into the saliva is not therapeutically useful. In this study, we attempted to re-direct the secretion of transgenic human growth hormone from the saliva to the serum by site-directed mutagenesis.
Identifying predictive variables for long-term weight change after participation in a weight loss program

Abstract Objective and design To determine if there was an association between weight change and 31 independent variables among obese persons 2 years after a weight loss program. Data were obtained from subjects' records and from questionnaires administered at enrollment and after a 2-year follow-up. Setting The 8-week weight control program was taught by registered dietitians and developed by the staff at the Sid Richardson Institute for Preventive Medicine, Houston, Tex. Subjects/samples Of the 1,460 subjects who attended at least one of eight classes, 509 subjects (123 men and 386 women) responded to the mailed follow-up questionnaire. Main outcome measures Associations between weight change and the 31 independent variables were assessed. Heights and weights were measured by the dietitians during treatment. Two-year follow-up weights were self-reported. Statistical analyses performed Analysis of variance was used for 16 of the independent variables. For the remaining variables we performed a test of the null hypothesis that the correlation coefficient was 0 based on the test of the regression coefficient between the independent and dependent variable. A stepwise regression process was used to determine the best combination of variables predictive of weight change. Results Of the 31 independent variables, 16 were significantly predictive of weight change. The adjusted R 2 for the entire group of 16 variables was .379. Thus, 37.9% of the variance was explained by the joint efforts of the 16 variables. Eight variables with an adjusted R 2 of .371 (accounting for 37.1% of the variance) were most important: feeling in control of eating habits, percentage over ideal body weight at enrollment, percentage of weight loss during the 8-week treatment, frequency of weight measurement, increase in physical activity, frequency of eating in response to emotions, number of pounds gained before subject resumed diet, and occupation. Application/conclusion The predictive variables for weight change may be useful to professionals who treat obese clients and may improve success rates of long-term weight loss.
Biradical Spin, Limited CI, and Heteroatoms

Abstract For alternant π -network systems both heteroatoms and system size have been imagined to influence ground-state spin multiplicities. Here theoretical and computational evidences are presented against a significant influence of system size and in favor of a notable influence of heteroatoms. Pair-excitation limited configuration interaction (CI) is argued to exhibit artifactual system size effects, so that other computational schemes are recommended to predict splitting patterns of weakly coupled electrons. Full CI computations are reported illustrating the influence of heteratom electronegativity on the splitting pattern of a couple -network structures.
Testosterone as a discriminative stimulus in male rats

Testosterone and other anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) are reinforcing in animals, as determined by conditioned place preference or self-administration. Most drugs of abuse produce subjective effects on mood and perception that initiate and maintain drug taking. Whether AAS have similar effects is not known. Food-restricted male Sprague-Dawley rats (n=9) were tested for their ability to discriminate an injection of testosterone from the β-cyclodextrin vehicle using a standard two-lever operant paradigm. In drug discrimination, animals use the subjective effects of drug or vehicle to select the appropriate lever to obtain food pellets under an FR10 schedule of reinforcement. All rats demonstrated vigorous responding for food (1415.1±76.1 responses/20 min) with 94.9% of responses on the active lever. For the first 30 days, rats received 1 mg/kg testosterone sc 30 min before testing. On Day 14, one rat achieved the discrimination criteria of 9/10 consecutive days with >90% responses on the active lever and ≤5 responses on the inactive lever before the first reinforcement. Subsequently, rats were tested with testosterone at different doses (2, 7.5, 15 mg/kg at 30 min before testing) and times (2 mg/kg at 30 or 60 min before testing), each for 20 days. One additional rat demonstrated successful discrimination at Day 54 with 2 mg/kg testosterone 60 min before testing. The remaining 7 rats failed to discriminate testosterone within 110 days. When analyzed according to less-stringent standards, 4 additional rats met criteria for testosterone discrimination. However, continued performance was not stable. Thus, testosterone was unable to consistently support drug discrimination. We conclude that testosterone does not produce rapid interoceptive effects. (NIH DA12843 to RIW)
Immigration Statistics for the Twenty-First Century:

Of the three main contributors to population growth-fertility, mortality, and net migration-the latter is by far the most difficult to capture statistically. This article discusses the main sources of federal statistical data on immigration, each with its own characteristic set of strengths, weaknesses, possibilities, and limitations in the context of the interested social scientist. Among the key limitations, the article argues, are the elimination of parental birthplace from the Census and the lack of complete data concerning the legal statuses of the U.S. population. This article will conclude with suggestions on remedying such deficiencies, at relatively low marginal cost, such as the inclusion of questions on parental birthplace, instituting a regular survey of randomly selected legal immigrants, and the use of the "two-card method" in statistical data.
Bilateral Uveitis With Exudative Retinal Detachment: Angiographic Appearance

In four patients with bilateral uveitis and exudative retinal detachments, corticosteroid therapy was not always effective. Although fluorescein angiography did not reveal the precise cause of these nonrhegmatogenous retinal detachments, the angiographs had a characteristic appearance. Fluorescent dye permeated the choroidal vasculature through the Bruch membrane and the retinal pigment epithelium and entered the subretinal space, thereby elevating the sensory retina. Retinal vascular extravasation was not observed. When the inflammatory reaction subsided, abnormal leakage of dye also ceased, and the sensory retina reattached. The literature on exudative retinal detachments is reviewed, and the various causes are discussed.
Relationship between current quality of life and family of origin dynamics for college students with Attention- Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Objective: This study examines the relationship between current quality of life, family of origin relationship dynamics, and the presence of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in college students.Method: Participants were 37 ADHD undergraduate college students and 59 non-ADHD undergraduate students. Participants completed a background information questionnaire, Quality of Life Questionnaire, Family Environment Scale, and the Family Adaption and Cohesion Scale II.Results: In comparison to the control group, the ADHD group reported lower quality of life. The ADHD and non-ADHD groups did not differ significantly in reported family of origin relationship dynamics. Family of origin dynamics were highly predictive of current overall quality of life for the ADHD group, but less so for the non-ADHD group.Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that family of origin relationship dynamics deserve further study with respect to how they impact adult quality of life for individuals with ADHD.
Postmodernism, Realism, and the Problem of Identity

“Identity” has a troubling history. In the name of identities, lines have been drawn between who may govern themselves and who is enslaved, who can live in the neighborhood and who is excluded, who...
High time cadence solar Magnesium II index monitor

Variability in the solar UV and EUV irradiance is an important driver of the temperature of the Earth's upper atmosphere. The variation of the Magnesium II emission at 280 nm is a useful proxy for the variation at shorter wavelengths. Currently, the emission by the Mg II lines is measured only a few times per day at best, and often only a single measurement per day is available. An instrument dedicated to measuring only the Magnesium II solar output on a high time cadence will greatly improve our knowledge of the energy input to the atmosphere. Such an instrument would have very modest power, size, and weight requirements, and could easily be one component of a suite of solar instruments on a future space mission. We present some design options for a lightweight solar Magnesium II monitor that would provide measurements suitable for space weather studies.
Re: Endocrine Treatment, with or without Radiotherapy, in Locally Advanced Prostate Cancer (SPCG-7/SFUO-3): An Open Randomised Phase III Trial

Methods This randomised trial included men from 47 centres in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. Between February, 1996, and December, 2002, 875 patients with locally advanced prostate cancer (T3; 78%; PSA<70; N0; M0) were centrally randomly assigned by computer to endocrine treatment alone (3 months of total androgen blockade followed by continuous endocrine treatment using fl utamide; 439 patients), or to the same endocrine treatment combined with radiotherapy (436 patients). The primary endpoint was prostate-cancer-specifi c survival, and analysis was by intention to treat. This study is registered as an international standard randomised controlled trial, number ISRCTN01534787.
Long Term Effect of P188 on Meniscus Preservation Following Blunt Trauma

Acute knee joint injury has been associated with the development and progression of secondary osteoarthritis (OA). Previous work implicates that acute damage to tissue matrix and cells of the meniscus and articular cartilage may play important roles in early-stage OA [1]. Additionally, it has been shown that articular cartilage matrix repair hinges on chondrocyte preservation [2]. Therefore, inhibition of cell death may halt tissue degeneration. Recently, the FDA-approved surfactant Poloxamer 188 (P-188) has been shown to decrease acute cell death by repair of its plasma membrane, as well as mediate p38 signaling and subsequent inflammatory and apoptotic signaling leading to a reduction in degeneration of impacted cartilage [3, 4]. Therefore, it was hypothesized that matrix glycosaminoglycans of the meniscus will be preserved in the long-term following traumatic impaction and subsequent treatment with P-188.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Where We Now Stand.

Only in the last decade have significant attempts been made to evaluate scientifically the methods of instruction in economics. Noting the acceleration in scientific evaluation, Lumsden focuses his attention on where we now stand in the evaluation of two methods of instruction: programmed learning materials and television.
Predictors of adult humans' self-control and impulsiveness for food reinforcers

Humans vary in the degree to which they demonstrate self-control--choice of larger, more delayed over smaller, less delayed reinforcers. When reinforcers consist of food, individual human subjects' choice behavior varies from virtually exclusive self-control to exclusive impulsiveness. The present experiment, using 26 men and 26 women subjects, explored some possible sources of this individual variation through assessing the correlation of behaviors exhibited in the self-control paradigm with various subject characteristics. The results suggest that self-control is negatively related to individuals' reported susceptibility to hunger (Factor 3 of the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire) and positively related to overall rating of juice desirability, but not to gender or to various measures of caloric deprivation or personality. Relatively high self-perceived levels of food deprivation may decrease self-control, whereas assigning a relatively high value to the reinforcer may increase self-control. Both tendencies would have been adaptive for evolving humans.
Zebrafish nephrogenesis is regulated by interactions between retinoic acid, mecom, and Notch signaling

The zebrafish pronephros provides a conserved model to study kidney development, in particular to delineate the poorly understood processes of how nephron segment pattern and cell type choice are established. Zebrafish nephrons are divided into distinct epithelial regions that include a series of proximal and distal tubule segments, which are comprised of intercalated transporting epithelial cells and multiciliated cells (MCC). Previous studies have shown that retinoic acid (RA) regionalizes the renal progenitor field into proximal and distal domains and that Notch signaling later represses MCC differentiation, but further understanding of these pathways has remained unknown. The transcription factor mecom (mds1/evi1 complex) is broadly expressed in renal progenitors, and then subsequently marks the distal tubule. Here, we show that mecom is necessary to form the distal tubule and to restrict both proximal tubule formation and MCC fate choice. We found that mecom and RA have opposing roles in patterning discrete proximal and distal segments. Further, we discovered that RA is required for MCC formation, and that one mechanism by which RA promotes MCC fate choice is to inhibit mecom. Next, we determined the epistatic relationship between mecom and Notch signaling, which limits MCC fate choice by lateral inhibition. Abrogation of Notch signaling with the γ-secretase inhibitor DAPT revealed that Notch and mecom did not have additive effects in blocking MCC formation, suggesting that they function in the same pathway. Ectopic expression of the Notch signaling effector, Notch intracellular domain (NICD), rescued the expansion of MCCs in mecom morphants, indicating that mecom acts upstream to induce Notch signaling. These findings suggest a model in which mecom and RA arbitrate proximodistal segment domains, while MCC fate is modulated by a complex interplay in which RA inhibition of mecom, and mecom promotion of Notch, titrates MCC number. Taken together, our studies have revealed several essential and novel mechanisms that control pronephros development in the zebrafish.
Party Identification and Party Enrollment: The Difference and the Consequence

This article concerns the relationship between voters' p)rofessed party identification as determined by opinion surveys and their officially recorded party enrollment in those states having enrollment systems. It presents evidence showing the extent to which these two measurements of partisanship do and do not coincide, and the reasons for the relationship The evidence points strongly to the conclusion that party enrollment systems affect the wa)y some voters perceive the nature of partisanship, or at least the way they respond to the party identification question, with the result that survey responses imay fail to present an accurate picture of voter feelings of party allegiance or of political independence.
Use of Chlorella vulgaris for CO2 mitigation in a photobioreactor

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a colorless gas that exists at a concentration of approximately 330 ppm in the atmosphere and is released in great quantities when fossil fuels are burned. The current flux of carbon out of fossil fuels is about 600 times greater than that into fossil fuels. With increased concerns about global warming and greenhouse gas emissions, there have been several approaches proposed for managing the levels of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere. One of the most understudied methods for CO2 mitigation is the use of biological processes in engineered systems such as photobioreactors. This research project describes the effectiveness of Chlorella vulgaris, used in a photobioreactor with a very short gas residence time, in sequestering CO2 from an elevated CO2 airstream. We evaluated a flow-through photobioreactor's operational parameters, as well as the growth characteristics of the C. vulgaris inoculum when exposed to an airstream with over 1850 ppm CO2. When using dry weight, chlorophyll, and direct microscopic measurements, it was apparent that the photobioreactor's algal inoculum responded well to the elevated CO2 levels and there was no build-up of CO2 or carbonic acid in the photobioreactor. The photobioreactor, with a gas residence time of approximately 2 s, was able to remove up to 74% of the CO2 in the airstream to ambient levels. This corresponded to a 63.9-g/m3/h bulk removal for the experimental photobioreactor. Consequently, this photobioreactor shows that biological processes may have some promise for treating point source emissions of CO2 and deserve further study.
Vascular changes after cardiopulmonary bypass and ischemic cardiac arrest: roles of nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase

Cardiac surgery involving ischemic arrest and extracorporeal circulation is often associated with alterations in vascular reactivity and permeability due to changes in the expression and activity of isoforms of nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase. These inflammatory changes may manifest as systemic hypotension, coronary spasm or contraction, myocardial failure, and dysfunction of the lungs, gut, brain and other organs. In addition, endothelial dysfunction may increase the occurrence of late cardiac events such as graft thrombosis and myocardial infarction. These vascular changes may lead to increased mortality and morbidity and markedly lengthen the time of hospitalization and cost of cardiac surgery. Developing a better understanding of the vascular changes operating through nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase may improve the care and help decrease the cost of cardiovascular operations.
A dual knowledge representation for a domain-independent Intelligent Training System

A dual knowledge representation is discussed which encompasses the instructor's organization of pedagogical knowledge and the domain expert's structuring of conceptual knowledge. This representation forms the basis of the knowledge structures of ITS Challenger, a domain-independent environment in which intelligent training systems (ITS) can be developed. The intelligent features of systems developed through ITS Challenger include adaptation to the student's knowledge level, dynamic problem generation, error analysis and student feedback. The instructional design methodology is based on objectives that are associated with learning types and instructional strategies. An ITS in orbital dynamics has been developed and has demonstrated its effectiveness as an instructional tool.
Fathers' and Mothers' Cognitive Stimulation in Early Play with Toddlers: Predictors of 5th grade Reading and Math

Developmental support in early parent-infant interactions has been shown to predict children's early development and later academic success, but the long-term combined impacts of maternal and paternal interactions are rarely examined. For 229 low-income children in the US Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project, parent-toddler interactions at age 2, observed separately with fathers and mothers, were examined in relation to child outcomes at age 3 and 5th grade. In families with resident biological fathers, both mother and father cognitive stimulation independently predicted 5th grade math and reading, over and above program impacts and child gender. In other families, only mother cognitive stimulation predicted later child outcomes, even if fathers were involved in children's lives. Adding early developmental indicators to the model showed that the contributions of mothers' early cognitive stimulation on children's later academic skills were significantly mediated by children's early development ...
From Desert to Rainforest: Phenotypic Variation in Functionally Important Traits of Bushy-Tailed Woodrats (Neotoma cinerea) Across Two Climatic Extremes

Changes in body size inversely related to ambient temperatures have been described in woodrats (Neotoma) over time scales ranging from decades to millennia. However, climate-mediated variation in other traits has not been evaluated, and the effects of precipitation have been overlooked. We assessed variation in skull morphology among bushy-tailed woodrats (Neotoma cinerea) over two sampling transects spanning coastal rainforest and interior desert environments to determine whether skull morphology varied with climate. We also tested whether previously described size-temperature relationships could be generalized to our study populations. In both transects, linear measurements of functionally significant traits differed between coastal and interior populations. Geometric morphometric analyses of shape confirmed some of those differences and revealed additional patterns of skull variation. Variation in some linear measurements, including body size, was predicted by climate. However, body and skull size, as well as measurements of skull components, displayed varying responses. Although longitudinal patterns of body size variation supported Bergmann’s rule, skull size variation was only weakly associated with climate. The strongest phenotypic responses to climate were those of auditory, dental, and palatal skull traits. Altogether, our findings suggest that geographic variation in temperature and precipitation mediated selective heterogeneity and plasticity in skull traits associated with food processing and sensory organs in N. cinerea. This was consistent with our expectation of resource-dependent phenotypic variation among populations in environments with highly contrasting climatic regimes.
Resistivity of liquid semiconductors viewed as pseudo-binary alloys☆

Abstract It is shown that the proposition of independent scattering suggested by Enderby and Simmons to account for the transport properties of liquid semiconductors follows in lowest order from the leading terms in the expansion of the scattering potential.
Metabolism of [2-3H]- and [6-3H]-nicotinic acid in intact Nicotiana tabacum plants

Abstract Earlier observations of Dawson on the relative incorporation of [2- 3 H]- and [6- 3 H]-nicotinic acid into nicotine have been confirmed in intact Nicotiana tabacum plants. All the tritium in the nicotine derived from [2- 3 H]-nicotinic acid was located at C-2 of the pyridine ring. However the radioactive nicotine derived from [6- 3 H]-nicotinic acid was not labelled specifically at C-6 with tritium. By carrying out feeding experiments with [6- 14 -C, 2- 3 H]- and [6- 14 C, 3 H]-nicotinic acids, it was established that there was very little loss of tritium from C-2 and C-6 of nicotinic acid during 5 days of metabolism in the tobacco plant.
Wake Measurements Around Operating Wind Turbines

Researchers at Oregon State University have conducted wind measurement programs to describe the wake behind large horizontal axis turbines at Goodnoe Hills, Washington, (MOD-2), and behind the FloWind vertical axis wind turbine near Ellenburg, Washington. Wake measurements were taken using portable kite anemometers as well as fixed place anemometers under several atmospheric stability conditions and turbine operating conditions. Centerline hub height (midrotor) measurements were taken downwind and crosswind from 3-9 diameters. These wake programs are discussed and the velocity deficits measured are compared to the estimated deficits calculated from wake models.
Neutralization of diphtheria toxin by human immunoglobulin classes and subunits.

Abstract This investigation found that the human antibody class of importance in neutralizing diphtheria toxin was IgG, and that toxin neutralization was retained by the F(ab′) 2 and Fab′ subunitrs of IgG. IgM and IgA did not neutralize diptheria toxin, although these two antibody classes reacted with diptheria toxoid in the indirect hemagglutination test.
Tantalum, tantalum nitride, and chromium adhesion to polyimide: effect of annealing ambient on adhesion

The adhesion of Ta, TaN (cubic), TaNx (mixture of cubic and amorphous phases), and Cr to 3,3',4,4'-biphenylene tetracarboxylic acid dianhydride-p-phenylenediamine-derived polyimide (BPDA-PDA PI) has been characterized. The PI surface was subjected to CF4-reactive ion etching (RIE) and Ar-sputtering prior to interface preparation. The peel adhesion at T-0 (initial) shows the following order: TaNx∼ TaN < Ta∼ Cr, with all samples failing in apparently virgin PI. After ten thermal cycles to 400°C in forming gas the peel adhesion showed the following trend: TaNx < TaN∼ Ta ∼ Cr, whereas if the annealing was done in N2 the order changed to TaNx∼ TaN « Ta < Cr. The peel locus of failure was always in the apparently virgin PI in the Cr/PI samples, while the Ta/PI samples failed in the modified PI, and the TaN/PI and TaNx/PI samples failed between the Ta-nitride and the Cu peel backing film after thermal cycling.