cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Human and Guinea Pig Acetylcholinesterase Sequences and Rates of Oxime-Assisted Reactivation

Poisoning via organophosphorus (OP) nerve agents occurs when the OP binds and inhibits the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE). This enzyme is responsible for the metabolism of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) which transmits signals between nerves and several key somatic regions. When AChE is inhibited, the signal initiated by ACh is not properly terminated. Excessive levels of ACh result in a cholinergic crisis, and in severe cases can lead to death. Current treatments for OP poisoning involve the administration of atropine, which blocks ACh receptors, and oximes, which reactivate AChE after inhibition. Efforts to improve the safety, efficacy, and broad spectrum utility of these treatments are ongoing and usually require the use of appropriate animal model systems. For OP poisoning, the guinea pig (Cavia porcellus) is a commonly used animal model because guinea pigs more closely mirror primate susceptibility to OP poisoning than do other animals such as rats and mice. This is most likely because among rodents and other small mammals, guinea pigs have a very low relative concentration of serum carboxylesterase, an enzyme known to bind OPs in vitro and to act as an endogenous bioscavenger in vivo. Although guinea pigs historically have been used to test OP poisoning therapies, it has been found recently that guinea pig AChE is substantially more resistant to oxime-mediated reactivation than human AChE. To examine the molecular basis for this difference, we reverse transcribed mRNA encoding guinea pig AChE, amplified the resulting cDNA, and sequenced this product. The nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences of guinea pig AChE were then compared to the human version. Several amino acid differences were noted, and the predicted locations of these differences were mapped onto a structural model of human AChE. To examine directly how these differences affect oxime-mediated reactivation of AChE after inhibition by OPs, human and guinea pig red blood cell ghosts were prepared and used as sources of AChE, and the relative capacity of several different oximes to reactivate each OP-inhibited AChE were determined. The differences we report between human and guinea pig AChE raise additional concerns about the suitability of the guinea pig as an appropriate small animal model to approximate human responses to OP poisoning and therapies.
Inducing the T cell fates required for immunity.

A naive T cell recruited into an immune response receives its critical inductive signals in the lymph node. The selected T cell must then produce cellular progeny empowered with new functions. Differentiated effector cells divide and migrate to infected tissues with an imprint of the instructions delivered to their progenitor. Some progeny of a selected naive T cell, however, must remain undifferentiated and persist as lymph node-dwelling memory cells to replace and fortify defense should the intruder return. The integration of cell division, differentiation, diversification, and four-dimensional navigation make the clonal burst of a T cell in reaction to microbial invasion an exciting problem of developmental biology, cellular adaptation to environmental cues, and the propagation of signaling pathways through space and time. Epigenetic control of gene expression and an ancient cellular diversification mechanism called asymmetric cell division have recently been proposed to explain how a selected T cell can accomplish its imposing tasks. Future investigations will be directed toward understanding the mechanisms that allow a selected T cell to produce daughter T cells that are different, that are capable of remembering their inductive history, and that fulfill the demand for acute function and regeneration.
Oropharyngeal atresia in a preterm infant : A case report and review of the literature

Oropharyngeal atresia is a rare and often fatal condition that presents soon after birth with severe respiratory distress. We present a case of a premature infant who initially was suspected to have tracheo-esophageal atresia due to prenatal ultrasound findings of polyhydramnios and absent stomach bubble, but was found instead to have oropharyngeal atresia and a complete persistent buccopharyngeal membrane. This case is the first described in which the patient was successfully intubated through a small slit in the persistent membrane.
Plant disease control with antibiotics

The great importance of antibiotics in combating diseases of man has, along with economic factors, deterred investigators from exploring the possibility of using those agents against plant diseases, but some purely experimental evidence in that direction has been accumulated.
Historians and Their Publics

Through much of their first half century as members of an organized profession, academic historians quite comfortably embraced many forms of discourse: communication among specialists within the "guild," communication across fields and disciplines, communication between teachers and students, communication between scholars and a broader public. But if the JAH survey is any indication, manyperhaps most-academic historians now feel that they (and their profession as a whole) have come to inhabit a different, and much more isolated, world than their scholarly ancestors. They feel that they have become too specialized, that their work has become too arcane, that their profession has become cut off from the public. Many scholars evidently feel diminished as a result. So widespread is this assumption, both inside the academy and beyond it, that it is hard to find anyone to challenge it. But there is, in fact, good reason to do so. For despite the sense of isolation and loss that seems to pervade the profession, historians have retained significant audiences beyond the academy. The most obvious, and most common, point of connection is the undergraduate classroom, where virtually all academic historians spend at least some time. Our students are, to some degree, captive audiences, it is true. But those who choose to study history are, on the whole, people who have no plans for an academic career. They are drawn to the subject, it seems reasonable to assume, because we make it seem both interesting and in some way relevant to their lives. Communicating with students is very much a part of making scholarship accessible to a larger world. But there are many other nonacademic audiences with whom historians communicate as well. Scholars in relatively new fields such as women's history, AfricanAmerican history, ethnic histories, gay and lesbian history, and others have helped create new identities and galvanize social and political efforts. Diplomatic historians have, from time to time, had a direct influence on the shaping of foreign policy. Academic historians of the Civil War, the American Revolution, the American West, and other popular fields have continued to attract wide readerships outside the universities. Scholars have played important roles in the making of documentary films, some of which have had very large audiences. Members of the academy are, at present, deeply involved in various efforts (some of them controversial) to create new history curricula for elementary and secondary schools. Academic historians have not ceased to communicate with the larger public. In some respects, scholars
Digital Chopping for Error Control in Analog Adders

Digital electronic schemes for chopping the error contained in the output of normalized analog adders are described in this paper. We first analyze the error contents and then demonstrate the proposed digital chopper with depth discussions on the experimental results obtained.
Feasibility of Adding Enhanced Pedometer Feedback to Nutritional Counseling for Weight Loss

BACKGROUND: Intensive interventions targeting diet and physical activity are effective for weight reduction but are costly. Tailored, computer-generated, step-count feedback may provide an intensive and affordable way to increase the physical activity of people at high risk for cardiovascular disease. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to test the feasibility of adding tailored, computer-generated, step-count feedback to a face-to-face nutritional counseling weight loss intervention. METHODS: We recruited 12 participants, 4 from each of three Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers. There were 11 male participants and 1 female participant. Each had a body mass index of 30 or greater and at least one of the following cardiovascular disease risk factors: diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, obesity, or coronary artery disease. Participants attended one-on-one counseling sessions with a registered dietitian for four sessions over three weeks. At the initial session, each participant received an enhanced pedometer to record time-stamped, step-count data. Participants wore the device daily throughout the intervention. At the three follow-up sessions, the dietitian uploaded the computer data, reviewed a Web-based graphical display of step-count feedback, and helped set new walking goals. RESULTS: All 12 participants completed the program (100% attendance). Initial mean weight was 255 lbs (SD = 49 lbs), and weight loss was just over 4 lbs (n = 12, paired t test, P = .004). Mean daily step counts during the first week averaged 6019 steps per day, increasing to an average of 7358 per day after the third week (average increase of 1339 steps per day, or 0.6 miles, or 12 minutes of walking, n = 10, paired t test, P = .04). CONCLUSIONS: Enhanced pedometer feedback in conjunction with nutritional counseling is feasible and results in significant weight loss and increased walking among individuals at high risk for cardiovascular disease. [J Med Internet Res 2005;7(5):e56]
Progress on the SLAC SNOOP Diagnostic Module for FASTBUS

A SNOOP Diagnostic Module for FASTBUS is under development at SLAC. The SNOOP Module resides on a FASTBUS crate segment and provides diagnostic monitoring and testing capability. It consists of a high-speed ECL front-end to monitor and single-step segment operations, a simple master interface, and a control processor with two serial communication ports. Module features and specifications are summarized, and prototype hardware is shown.
HYDROGEL-BASED NANOCOMPOSITES OF THERAPEUTIC PROTEINS FOR TISSUE REPAIR.

The ability to design artificial extracellular matrices as cell instructive scaffolds has opened the door to technologies capable of studying cell fates in vitro and to guide tissue repair in vivo. One main component of the design of artificial extracellular matrices is the incorporation of protein-based biochemical cues to guide cell phenotypes and multicellular organizations. However, promoting the long-term bioactivity, controlling the bioavailability and understanding how the physical presentations of these proteins impacts cellular fates are among the challenges of the field. Nanotechnology has advanced to meet the challenges of protein therapeutics. For example, the approaches to incorporating proteins into tissue repairing scaffolds have ranged from bulk encapsulations to smart nanodepots that protect proteins from degradations and allow opportunities for controlled release.
A new potential surface for the reaction O(3P) + HCl(X1Σ+) → OH (X2II) + Cl(2P)

Abstract The ab initio calculations for the lowest 3A″ surface of the title reaction and fitting of the data to analytic functions are described. This reaction is believed to be important in the chemistry of the stratospheric ozone layer. The majority of ab initio calculations are done at the CASSCF (complete active space self-consistent field) level, using the molpro suite of quantum chemistry programs. The data are fitted to an expansion in terms of Simmons-Parr-Finlan coordinates and Legendre polynomials in the three-body region and smoothly switched over to extended Rydberg expansions for the diatomics in the asymptotic regions. A limited number of calculations at the multireference configuration interaction level have also been done in the saddle point and the asymptotic regions. The implications of these results to the potential surface are also discussed.
Discovery of the 198 Second X-Ray Pulsar GRO J2058+42

GRO J2058+42, a transient 198 s X-ray pulsar, was discovered by the Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE) on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) during a "giant" outburst in 1995 September-October. The total flux peaked at about 300 mcrab (20-50 keV) as measured by Earth occultation. The pulse period decreased from 198 to 196 s during the 46 day outburst. The pulse shape evolved over the course of the outburst and exhibited energy-dependent variations. BATSE observed five additional weak outbursts from GRO J2058 + 42, each with a 2 week duration and a peak-pulsed flux of about 15 mcrab (20-50 keV), that were spaced by about 110 days. An observation of the 1996 November outburst by the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) proportional counter array (PCA) localized the source to within a 4 s radius error circle (90% confidence) centered on R.A. = 20h 59m.0, decl. = 41 deg 43 s (J2000). Additional shorter outbursts with peak-pulsed fluxes of about 8 mcrab were detected by BATSE halfway between the first four 15 mcrab outbursts. The RXTE All-Sky Monitor detected all eight weak outbursts with approximately equal durations and intensities. GRO J2058 + 42 is most likely a Be/X-ray binary that appears to outburst at periastron and apastron, No optical counterpart has been identified to date, and no X-ray source was present in the error circle in archival ROSAT observations.
Radiation-induced changes in the solid state detector performance for the Mercury atmospheric and surface composition spectrometer (MASCS)

Two Hamamatsu photodiode array detectors of the type that will be flown in the MASCS instrument on the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) mission to Mercury were subjected to proton radiation to verify survival in the mission radiation environment and quantify expected levels of radiation-induced degradation of the dark field response during the mission. These same detector types were also evaluated for susceptibility to latch-up due to ionizing radiation.
Vibration response due to lateral tape motion and impulse force in a linear tape drive

Next-generation, high track-density linear tape drives will require improved tape guiding and dimensional stability in order to achieve better performance and higher storage capacities. Drive vibrations, tape degradation, debris formation, and tape guiding all contribute to unwanted lateral tape motion, which can lead to write errors on the tape. Collisions between the guide and tape edge can be simulated as single-impact events by dropping a mass onto a lever situated below the bottom tape edge. The objective of this study is to evaluate the frequency content of measured lateral tape motion under various operating conditions. The effect of impact location and impulse energy is investigated in a static test where the tape drive is not in operation (tape is stationary). Next, a dynamic test is performed to study the effects of tape speed, tape tension, impact energy, and tape thickness. Finally a durability wear test is conducted to determine the effects of cycling up to 5000 cycles. Lateral tape motion is recorded and the power spectrum density of the signal is determined for each test. Additionally, optical microscopy is employed to quantify the quality of the tape edge after wear testing to investigate any correlation between tape wear and frequency analysis.
Heparin inhibits the growth of astrocytes in vitro

Abstract Heparin at a concentration of 100 μg/ml, inhibits neonatal rat astrocyte proliferation by 45%, and [ 3 H]thymidine incorporation into DNA by 55% when they are stimulated with 2% fetal bovine serum (FBS) in culture. Higher serum concentrations up to 10% FBS decreased this inhibition to 20% and 29% respectively. Inhibition of [ 3 H]thymidine incorporation by heparin is dose-dependent with maximal inhibition at 100 μg/ml, but 39% inhibition is still seen at 1 μg/ml on stimulation by 5% FBS. Heparin or heparin-like molecules in the extracellular matrix of brain capillary walls may be important in the regulation of astrocyte growth in vivo.
LARGE-AMPLITUDE MOTION IN HIGHLY QUANTUM CLUSTERS : HIGH-RESOLUTION INFRARED ABSORPTION STUDIES OF JET-COOLED H2-HCL AND H2-DCL

Abstract High-resolution infrared spectroscopy is used to interrogate a series of inter and intramolecular vibrational quantum states in jet-cooled ortho and para H 2 –HCl and H 2 –DCl complexes, which as a result of weak binding and large zero-point effects provide a novel dynamical window into large-amplitude motion in highly quantum mechanical clusters. The fundamental v HCl =1←0 stretch bands of H 2 –HCl/DCl are observed and elucidate dramatic differences in the vibrationally averaged intermolecular alignment of the H 2 subunit, i.e., T-shaped vs. more nearly isotropic for the lowest ortho (Π) and para (Σ) nuclear spin states, respectively. The two internal-rotor states correlating with H 2 ( j =1) in the o -H 2 –HCl complex are observed via fundamental and combination band excitation built on v HCl =1←0. The 8.5 cm −1 internal-rotor splitting between the ground (Π) and excited (Σ) H 2 alignments confirms the T-shaped minimum energy configuration for the intermolecular potential, with the HCl proton donating into the H 2 subunit. At even higher energies for o -H 2 –HCl, a rich but highly perturbed spectrum of combination band transitions is observed due to the strongly Coriolis coupled manifold ((2 j H 2 +1)(2 j HCl +1)=9) of levels correlating with H 2 ( j =1) and HCl( j =1) subunits. Rotational predissociation broadening accompanied by an abrupt cut off in these combination band spectra is observed and used to estimate a dissociation energy window of D 0 =45±2 and 47±2 cm −1 for the v HCl =0 and 1 intramolecular HCl stretching states, respectively, of the o -H 2 –HCl complex.
Experimental investigation of transition boiling in forced convection

An experimental investigation was conducted to examine the effects of surface condition and of liquid temperature and velocity on transition boiling from a spherical heater in Freon 113. The experimental data indicated that the transition boiling fluxes as well as the maximum heat flux were very sensitive to the condition of the heated surface. Boiling curves exhibiting a double maxima, which were attributed to instances of liquid-solid contact in the transition regime, were obtained. Oxidation and roughness of the heated surface had a strong impact on the magnitude of the maximum heat flux and on the superheat at which it occurred. Nomenclature cp = specific heat k = thermal conductivity q — heat rate q" = heat flux R = sphere radius r — radial coordinate T = temperature t — time Ux = sphere velocity AT = superheat, Tw - Tsat 6 = sphere angle measured from the forward stagnation point p = density = azimuthal angle Subscripts and Superscripts boiling conduction inner liquid time counter in finite difference formulation outer sphere saturation wall b c i L n o s sat w
Project Towards No Drug Abuse: long-term substance use outcomes evaluation.

Abstract Objectives. This paper presents up to 5 years post-program outcomes of Project Towards No Drug Abuse (Project TND), a drug abuse prevention program conducted in South California alternative high school system during years 1994–1999. Methods. The effects of a 9-session health motivation–social skills–decision-making curriculum were evaluated. Twenty-one schools recruited were randomly assigned to standard care (control), classroom only, or a classroom plus semester-long school-as-community component. Last 30-day use of cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana, and hard drugs were assessed at three time intervals: short-term (year 1), middle-term (years 2 or 3), and long-term (years 4 or 5). Multilevel random coefficients modeling were employed to estimate the adjusted levels of substance use. Results. Among 1578 baseline subjects, follow-up data were available for 68% (year 1), 66% (years 2 or 3), and 46% (years 4 or 5) of subjects, respectively. Results revealed significant positive long-term program effects for hard drug use at year 4 or 5 for the two program interventions ( P = 0.02). Conclusions. Project TND reduced hard drug use in the 46% who were successfully followed. It is the first program to demonstrate long-term self-reported behavioral effects on hard drug use among high-risk youth by using a school-based, limited-session model.
Silicon heterocyclic compounds I. The synthesis of medium sized silacycloalkanes by a modified clemmensen reduction of silaacyloins

Abstract The compounds 1,1-dimethyl-1-silacyclooctane, 1,1-dimethyl-1-silacycloaonane, 1,1-dimethyl-1-silacyclodecane and 1,1-dimethyl-1-silacycloundecane were prepared by a modified Clemmensen reduction of the corresponding silacycloacyloins.
Effect of ethanol on spectral binding, inhibition, and activity of CYP3A4 with an antiretroviral drug nelfinavir

Cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) is the most abundant CYP enzyme in the liver and metabolizes approximately 50% of the drugs, including antiretrovirals. Although CYP3A4 induction by ethanol and impact of CYP3A4 on drug metabolism and toxicity is known, CYP3A4-ethanol physical interaction and its impact on drug binding, inhibition, or metabolism is not known. Therefore, we studied the effect of ethanol on binding and inhibition of CYP3A4 with a representative protease inhibitor, nelfinavir, followed by the effect of alcohol on nelfinavir metabolism. Our initial results showed that methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, isobutanol, and isoamyl alcohol bind in the active site of CYP3A4 and exhibit type I spectra. Among these alcohol compounds, ethanol showed the lowest K(D) (5.9±0.34mM), suggesting its strong binding affinity with CYP3A4. Ethanol (20mM) decreased the K(D) of nelfinavir by >5-fold (0.041±0.007 vs. 0.227±0.038μM). Similarly, 20mM ethanol decreased the IC(50) of nelfinavir by >3-fold (2.6±0.5 vs. 8.3±3.1μM). These results suggest that ethanol facilitates binding of nelfinavir with CYP3A4. Furthermore, we performed nelfinavir metabolism using LCMS. Although ethanol did not alter k(cat), it decreased the K(m) of nelfinavir, suggesting a decrease in catalytic efficiency (k(cat)/K(m)). This is an important finding because alcoholism is prevalent in HIV-1-infected persons and alcohol is shown to decrease the response to antiretroviral therapy.
Some Conditions Under which Pentobarbital Stimulates Spontaneous Motor Activity of Mice

The effects of 4 doses of sodium pentobarbital (10, 20, 40, 80 mg./kg., p.o.) on spontaneous motor activity of mice were tested in photocell cages during a 2-hr. period immediately after drug or saline administration. A total of 480 albino mice was divided among several experimental conditions. Increasing doses produced progressively increasing activity in the last 0.5 hr. when normal activity was at a low level. In the first 0.5 hr., the usual intense activity was unchanged by the three lower doses and greatly depressed by the highest dose. Throughout the session, the three lower doses had a stimulant effect on animals tested in a lighted environment in groups of five but not singly, and a small but consistent stimulant effect on both single and grouped animals in a dark environment. Animals fasted for 24 hr. prior to the test were greatly stimulated by the lowest dose and were greatly depressed by the highest dose. The results indicate that the stimulant effect of barbiturates requires both inhibitory influences on normal activity and conditions increasing susceptibility to arousal.
Physiologic dysfunction of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia. II. Role of neuroleptic treatment, attention, and mental effort.

• We conducted two xenon Xe 133 inhalation regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) studies to clarify earlier findings of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) dysfunction in medication-free patients with chronic schizophrenia. In the first study, 24 neuroleptic-treated patients and 25 normal controls underwent three rCBF procedures, first while at rest, then during the Wisconsin Card Sort (WCS), which tests DLPFC cognitive function, and during a number-matching task that controlled for aspects of the WCS-rCBF experience not specifically related to DLPFC. The results were qualitatively identical to those previously reported for medication-free patients. In the second study, rCBF was determined while 18 medication-free patients and 17 normal control subjects each performed two versions of a visual continuous performance task (CPT). No differences in DLPFC blood flow between the two groups were found during either CPT condition. These data suggest that DLPFC dysfunction in schizophrenia is independent of medication status and not determined simply by state factors such as attention, mental effort, or severity of psychotic symptoms. Dysfunction of DLPFC appears to be a cognitively linked physiologic deficit in this illness.
Catastrophe, Chaos, and Complexity Models and Psychosocial Adjustment to Disability:

Rehabilitation professionals may unknowingly rely on stereotypes and specious beliefs when dealing with people with disabilities. One such belief is that an individual's adjustment to disability pr...
Comparison of the Pancreozymin-Secretin Test and the Lundh Test Meal

The pancreozymin-secretin test and the Lundh test meal were performed on different days for comparison. Statistically significant differences in six parameters indicate that the pancreozymin-secretin test is more sensitive in detecting mild, acute or chronic pancreatic disease (P<.01). Results of the Lundh test meal were clearly abnormal in patients with severe chronic pancreatic disease.
Phenetic and Phylogenetic Relationships among Ten Species of Dendroctonus Bark Beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae)

Molecular genetic relationships among 10 species of Dendroctonus bark beetles were assessed using electrophoretic data from 18 gene loci. Cluster and distance Wagner analysis of these data showed a high level of similarity between D. pseudotsugae Hopkins and D. simplex LeConte, D. valens LeConte and D. terebrans (Olivier), and D. adjunctus Blandford and D. approximates Dietz. These groupings correspond generally to groups identified in earlier studies using anatomical, cytogenetic, and behavioral characteristics. The distance Wagner tree indicated that D. rufipennis (Kirby), D. adjunctus, and D. approximatus are the most primitive species. D. valens, D. terebrans, D. simplex, D. pseudotsugae, and D. frontalis Zimmermann appear to be the most evolutionarily advanced of the species studied.
Production of Mercaptoethanol Sensitive Antibody in Bursectomized Chicks

Abstract The antibody titer and class of immunoglobulin was determined in surgically bursectomized birds following 1–4 immunizations with sheep-red-blood cells. While the primary immune response was significantly lower in bursectomized chicks, bursectomized chickens responsed normally to subsequent antigen injections; following the tertiary injection, the mercaptoethanol sensitive antibody was significantly increased in bursectomized chickens.
σ-Bonded complexes of some heteroatom boranes with iron and molybdenum derivatives

Abstract Reaction of the cationic complexes [(π-C5H5)Fe(CO)2 (cyclohexene)]+ and [(π-C7H7)Mo(CO)3]+ with [1,2-GeCHB10H10]− forms the neutral complexes (π-C5H5)Fe(CO)2GeCHB10H10 and (π-C7H7)Mo(CO)2GeCHB10H10. Similar transition metal complexes were obtained with the heteroatom borane anions, [7,8-B9H10CHP]−, [7,8-B9H10As2]−, [B10H12P]− and [B10H12As]−. It is proposed that each heteroatom borane is σ-bonded to either the iron or molybdenum atom by means of a germanium, phosphorus or arsenic atom.
Exchange Mergers and Electronic Trading

Organized commodities and securities exchanges are national exchanges where securities, options, and futures contracts are traded by exchange members for their own accounts and for the accounts of their clients. A wave of mergers between organized exchanges has taken place during the last decade. These mergers result from synergistic effects, tax gains, reduced capital requirements, product diversification, geographical diversification, and advances in electronic trading technology. Technology advancements facilitate mergers by reducing transaction costs, increasing market liquidity, and enhancing transparency and competition. The objective of this article is twofold: 1) to review the recent merger trends and joint ventures among major exchanges around the world, and 2) to describe the associated innovations in electronic trading that incentivized exchange mergers. John Thain took charge of the NYSE in 2003 and led it through several major technological and organizational changes. NASDAQ hastily followed suit in developing its increasingly global and multi-asset-class trading platform. Subsequently, the organized commodities exchanges in the United States started consolidating and modernizing. Thus, Wall Street and many overseas exchanges were driven into the electronic trading era, which set the stage for a series of breath-taking advances. By 2008 investors could select from a menu of alternative trading systems (ATSs) that offered different but competitive financial services. It is exciting to watch these competitors strive to surpass each other as the race to excel moves ahead relentlessly.
Optimal multiple access to data access points in tiered CDMA systems

This work studies a specific two-tier CDMA system in which a microcell attracts only a small number of users and gives them high-speed access while the umbrella macrocell serves multiple simultaneous low-rate users. The microcell, referred to as a data access point (DAP), operates on the same frequency as the macrocell and uses the same chip rate. The DAP users adapt their spreading factor in accordance with interference conditions, whereas the macrocell users have a fixed data rate. The analysis here presents a scheduling method that maximizes the total DAP throughput. The schedule indicates which DAP users should be given access and at what data rate. We also devise a second access scheme which maximizes throughput while ensuring each user is assigned one slot per frame. Our results show that the DAP can support at most two simultaneous users. Further, throughput gains of optimal access are more evident when the DAP contains multiple potential users.
Adaptive difference of Gaussians to improve subsurface imagery

In detection of landmines using ground penetrating radar (GPR), the most significant interference is the specular reflection. Compared with the specular reflection, landmine scattered signals are of small amplitude and difficult to observe. Better detection results can be obtained if the specular reflection can be well separated from the landmine scattered signals. Difference of Gaussians (DOG) is an operation that generates a sharp image from an original image, i.e. in the case of a GPR image, it keeps the specular reflection intact. Therefore by subtracting the DOG output from an original GPR image, we are able to remove the specular reflection and enhance the landmine scattered signals. The DOG takes the difference between two Gaussian curves of zero means and different standard deviations and convolves with the original image. One advantage of the DOG is that the two standard deviations can be chosen properly to suit different applications. We develop an adaptive DOG (ADOG) to process GPR images to improve detection of buried landmines. In the ADOG, the two standard deviations of Gaussians are computed adaptively as a GPR image is scanned from the top to the bottom row. At each row, two windows are used to calculate the two standard deviations and the current row is convolved with the DOG. The output has an unchanged specular reflection while there is a reduced landmine scattered signal. The final image is obtained by subtracting the ADOG output from the original image to remove the specular reflection. The landmine scattered signal is greatly enhanced, allowing more accurate detection.
Shamans and Elders: Experience, Knowledge and Power among the Daur Mongols

Shamans and Elders: Experience, Knowledge and Power among the Daur Mongols. Caroline Humphrey. with Urgunge Onon. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 1996.396 pp.
Predictors of Treatment Response in Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

Abstract Objective To examine predictors of treatment response in pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Method A literature review of psychotherapy (i.e., cognitive-behavioral therapy) and medication studies for pediatric OCD published from 1985 to 2007 was conducted using several databases. Results The literature search produced a total of 21 studies (6 cognitive-behavioral therapy, 13 medication, and 2 combination studies) that met specific methodological criteria. Across studies, the following nine predictors were examined: child sex, child age, duration of illness/age at onset, baseline severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms, type of obsessive-compulsive symptoms, comorbid disorders/symptoms, psychophysiological factors, neuropsychological factors, and family factors. Among all of the studies, there was little evidence that sex, age, or duration of illness (age at onset) was associated with treatment response. Baseline severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms and family dysfunction were associated with poorer response to cognitive-behavioral therapy, whereas comorbid tics and extermalizing disorders were associated with poorer response in medication-only studies. Conclusions Overall, there are limited data on predictors of treatment response for pediatric OCD. The majority of studies are plagued with methodological limitations and post hoc approaches. Additional research is needed to better delineate the predictors of treatment response in pediatric OCD with the goal of developing individualized treatment approaches. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry , 2008;47(8):868-878.
Market structure and gender disparity in health care: preferences, competition, and quality of care

We consider the relationship between market structure and health outcomes in a setting where patients have stark preferences: urology patients disproportionately match with a urologist of the same gender. In the United States, however, fewer than 6% of urologists are women despite women constituting 30% of patients. We explain a portion of this disparity with a model of imperfect competition in which urology groups strategically differentiate themselves by employing female urologists. These strategic effects may influence women's health, as markets without a female urologist have a 7.3% higher death rate for female bladder cancer, all else equal.
Advances in the neurobiology of ADHD.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a lifelong condition that begins in childhood and continues with adult manifestations related to the core symptoms. Approximately 50% to 75% of children with ADHD continue to meet criteria for the disorder as adolescents and adults. Adults with the disorder increasingly present to primary care physicians, psychiatrists, and other practitioners for diagnosis and treatment. Understanding the diagnosis of ADHD in adults requires knowledge of age-dependent decline of symptoms over time. Retrospective recall of symptoms and impairment are valid methods of diagnosing the disorder. ADHD is also a brain disorder with a strong neurobiologic basis, complex etiology, and genetic component. Genetic and environmental vulnerabilities give rise to abnormalities in the brain and subsequent behavioral and cognitive deficits, which may produce the symptoms associated with ADHD. Magnetic resonance imaging studies of ADHD have provided evidence that abnormalities in the brain are caused by the disorder itself rather than treatment of the disorder. Psychiatric comorbidity is common among patients with ADHD and tends to complicate treatment. Acute and long-term use of long-acting stimulant formulations (methylphenidate and amphetamine compounds) have shown robust efficacy and tolerability consistent with the treatment response established in children with ADHD. Non-stimulant medications have demonstrated efficacy as well, and may be preferred in patients with tic and substance use disorders.In this expert roundtable supplement, Timothy E. Wilens, MD, reviews the epidemiology and clinical presentation of adult ADHD. Next, Joseph Biederman, MD, provides an overview of recent advances in the neurobiology of ADHD. Thomas J. Spencer, MD, reviews stimulant treatment of adult ADHD, and Lenard A. Adler concludes with a discussion of non-stimulant trials in adult ADHD.
Power-SLAM: A linear-complexity, consistent algorithm for SLAM

In this paper, we present an extended Kalman filter (EKF)-based estimator for simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) with processing requirements that are linear in the number of features in the map. The proposed algorithm is based on three key ideas. Firstly, by introducing the global-map postponement method, approximations necessary for ensuring linear computational complexity are delayed over many time steps. Then by employing the power method, only the most informative of the Kalman vectors, generated during the postponement phase, are retained for updating the covariance matrix. This in effect minimizes the information loss during each approximation epoch. Finally, linear-complexity, rank-2 updates, which minimize the trace of the covariance matrix, are applied to increase the speed of convergence of the estimator. In addition to being consistent, the resulting estimator has processing requirements that can be adjusted to the availability of computational resources. Simulation results are presented that demonstrate the accuracy of the proposed algorithm (Power-SLAM) when compared to the quadratic computational cost standard EKF-based SLAM, and two linear- complexity competing alternatives.
Pcp1p, an Spc110p-related Calmodulin Target at the Centrosome of the Fission Yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe

In the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the calmodulin-binding protein Spc110p/Nuf1p facilitates mitotic spindle formation from the fungal centrosome or spindle pole body (SPB). The human Spc110p orthologue kendrin is a centrosomal, calmodulin-binding pericentrin isoform that is specifically overexpressed in carcinoma cells. Here we establish an evolutionary and functional link between Spc110p and kendrin through identification and analysis of similar calmodulin-binding proteins in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe (Pcp1p, pole target of calmodulin in S. pombe) and the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans. Like Spc110p and kendrin, Pcp1p and the A. nidulans protein contain predicted coiled-coil secondary structure and a COOH-terminal calmodulin-binding region. Green fluorescent protein fusions of Pcp1p localize to the SPB as analyzed by fluorescence and immunoelectron microscopy. Pcp1p overexpression causes chromosome missegregation, multiple mitotic spindle fragments, and multiple abnormal SPB-like structures, a phenotype remarkably similar to that of many human carcinoma lines, which exhibit chromosome and spindle defects, and supernumerary centrosomes.
Job optimization in ATLAS TAG-based distributed analysis

The ATLAS experiment is projected to collect over one billion events/year during the first few years of operation. The efficient selection of events for various physics analyses across all appropriate samples presents a significant technical challenge. ATLAS computing infrastructure leverages the Grid to tackle the analysis across large samples by organizing data into a hierarchical structure and exploiting distributed computing to churn through the computations. This includes events at different stages of processing: RAW, ESD (Event Summary Data), AOD (Analysis Object Data), DPD (Derived Physics Data). Event Level Metadata Tags (TAGs) contain information about each event stored using multiple technologies accessible by POOL and various web services. This allows users to apply selection cuts on quantities of interest across the entire sample to compile a subset of events that are appropriate for their analysis. This paper describes new methods for organizing jobs using the TAGs criteria to analyze ATLAS data. It further compares different access patterns to the event data and explores ways to partition the workload for event selection and analysis. Here analysis is defined as a broader set of event processing tasks including event selection and reduction operations (skimming, slimming and thinning) as well as DPD making. Specifically it compares analysis with direct access to the events (AOD and ESD data) to access mediated by different TAG-based event selections. We then compare different ways of splitting the processing to maximize performance.
Multichannel ALLIANCES: A Cooperative Cross-Layer Scheme for Wireless Networks

A random access protocol named ALLow improved access in the network via cooperation and energy savings (ALLIANCES) was recently proposed, that achieves high throughput by resolving collisions in wireless networks. ALLIANCES exploits diversity provided by user cooperation. In this paper we propose a multichannel extension of ALLIANCES that in addition to cooperation diversity can exploit multipath diversity. The total bandwidth is divided into noninterfering subchannels and each packet occupies one subchannel for its transmission. First, two schemes are proposed for rate-limited traffic. Users transmit packets on all subchannels. Collisions on a subchannel are resolved via cooperative transmissions, involving either the subchannel on which they occurred only, or all subchannels in a shared fashion. Second, for the case of bursty traffic, a random subchannel selection scheme is proposed to adaptively control the number of transmitted packets for each active user and, thus, keep collision orders small. Third, to accommodate heterogeneous traffic with diverse quality of service requirements, a fixed subchannel selection scheme is presented, where packets with the same traffic type are allocated to the same cluster of subchannels and predefined traffic priorities are taken into account. Analytical performance characterization of the proposed schemes at the physical layer is provided. The analysis provides insight on the relationship between achievable diversity and parameters such as collision order, number of relays, channel length, and number of carriers per subchannel.
A novel reconfigurable metamaterial unit cell based Composite Right/Left Handed microstrip design

In this paper, a new metamaterial (MTM) unit cell implemented in a microstrip transmission line configuration is proposed. Reconfigurable metamaterial-based Composite Right/Left Handed (CRLH) microstrip transmission line, with one-side etching and no via, is presented here for the first time. As a result, it is easier to fabricate and more convenient for integration. By incorporating varactor diodes, the electrical characteristics of the unit cell can be electronically reconfigured through DC voltage tuning. A microstrip line loaded with this new unit cell exhibits a tunable band pass characteristics with right- and left-handed phenomena. This was confirmed using a dispersion diagram. A simple tunable band-pass (7 – 8.25 GHz) filter using the new unit cell is demonstrated. A single unit cell circuit has been fabricated and preliminary measured results correlate closely with simulation results.
Spurious Radiation from a Microstrip Y Junction

The radiation from a microstrip Y junction is calculatcd as a function of angle. It is shown that the radiated power increases monotonically with the Y angle, decreases inversely as the dielectric constant of the substrate for large permittivities, and increases as the square of the substrate thickness for thin substrates.
Consumer Communications, Media Use, and Purchases via the Internet: A Comparative, Exploratory Study

ABSTRACT The Internet provides a fast, efficient and cost-effective alternative for communication, transaction, and distribution. In this study, consumers’ Web-based chatting behavior across three countries (i.e., the U.S., Canada, China) is explored, using an Internet survey of Web-based chatters. Results indicate that chatters’ Internet use does not affect their use of traditional mass media in any significant manner. No difference is found in the frequency of information seeking and chatters’ attitude towards online advertising across the three countries. Internet purchase patterns are contrasted in the three countries, and results suggest that consumers in the U.S. have the highest purchase incidence among the three countries under study. Canadian consumers make significantly fewer purchases than their counterparts in each product category.
Governance of Citizen Participation and its Related Concepts: A Review of Literature

This article reviews the concept of citizen participatory governance or citizen participation in public policy-making, a new mode of institutional arrangement increasingly becoming popular in many industrialized democracies. The governance of citizen participation may take different forms, and past studies used different terms in describing the concept. This article take a brief look at various forms of citizen participation (citizen participation in budgeting, collaborative governance, public-private partnership, and citizen coproduction of public service) and explain their concepts as demonstrated in prior research. In a nutshell, this article conclude that these various forms of citizen participation are not well conceptualized in the past literature and calls for future research in this research area with growing importance.
Detection and treatment of omega-3 fatty acid deficiency in psychiatric practice: Rationale and implementation

A body of translational evidence has implicated dietary deficiency in long-chain omega-3 (LCn-3) fatty acids, including eicosapenaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), in the pathophysiology and potentially etiology of different psychiatric disorders. Case–control studies have consistently observed low erythrocyte (red blood cell) EPA and/or DHA levels in patients with major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Low erythrocyte EPA + DHA biostatus can be treated with fish oil-based formulations containing preformed EPA + DHA, and extant evidence suggests that fish oil supplementation is safe and well-tolerated and may have therapeutic benefits. These and other data provide a rationale for screening for and treating LCn-3 fatty acid deficiency in patients with psychiatric illness. To this end, we have implemented a pilot program that routinely measures blood fatty acid levels in psychiatric patients entering a residential inpatient clinic. To date over 130 blood samples, primarily from patients with treatment-refractory mood or anxiety disorders, have been collected and analyzed. Our initial results indicate that the majority (75 %) of patients exhibit whole blood EPA + DHA levels at ≤4 percent of total fatty acid composition, a rate that is significantly higher than general population norms (25 %). In a sub-set of cases, corrective treatment with fish oil-based products has resulted in improvements in psychiatric symptoms without notable side effects. In view of the urgent need for improvements in conventional treatment algorithms, these preliminary findings provide important support for expanding this approach in routine psychiatric practice.