cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PPAD is not targeted as a citrullinated protein in rheumatoid arthritis, but remains a candidate for inducing autoimmunity

We thank Dr Quirke and colleagues for their interest in our study. We have some concerns, however, that the authors’ attempt to reconcile our work on Porphyromonas gingivalis peptidylarginine deiminase (PPAD) autocitrullination with their model of periodontal disease in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) misrepresents our data.1 ,2 The discovery that citrullination is the primary antigenic determinant recognised by autoantibodies in RA has generated considerable interest in the family of enzymes, peptidylarginine deiminases (PADs), that catalyse this post-translational protein modification.3 The identification of a bacterial PAD from P gingivalis led to the initial hypothesis by Rosenstein et al 4 that infection with this periodontal pathogen may be aetiologically linked to RA. Two distinct mechanisms have since been hypothesised by which PPAD may trigger loss of tolerance to citrullinated proteins and autoimmunity in RA—first, by acting as a citrullinating enzyme on bacterial and host proteins,4 ,5 and second, through the process of enzyme autocitrullination.6 In the absence of experimental evidence to support PPAD autocitrullination in P gingivalis or in vivo, Quirke et al 2 posited a third mechanism in which PPAD acts as a substrate for human PADs, thereby becoming the target of a citrulline-specific antibody response. The first two hypotheses support P gingivalis as a unique periodontal bacterium relevant to RA pathogenesis. The uniqueness of P gingivalis for RA is lost, however, when considering the third hypothesis of bacterial proteins as putative substrates for human PADs. Under this premise (not supported by experimental data), human PADs may generate citrullinated antigens from any conceivable pathogen, making P gingivalis expendable as a model organism. To strengthen the credibility of PPAD for inducing autoimmunity in RA, Quirke et al variably use these three hypotheses.2 Importantly, our study only addressed the question of PPAD autocitrullination as a possible link …
Predicting buying behaviour from buyer intent

Businesses attempt to predict the chances of success for products and services. How can that be done beforehand, when only the intent to buy can be measured? This study focused on how to understand consumer decision making, especially the link between buyer intention and purchase, through multiattribute and decision analysis models. Marketing strategists tend to use the Fishbein behavioural intention model in making their decisions. This research shows that decision analysis, particularly the analytic hierarchy process, should be utilized more by marketing strategists, especially when dealing with intent to purchase situations.
Energy Harvesting From Broadband Random Vibrations: Comparison of Single-Mode and Multi-Mode Electroelastic Solutions

Vibration-based energy harvesting has been heavily researched over the last decade with a primary focus on resonant excitation. However, ambient vibrational energy often has broader frequency content than a single harmonic, and in many cases it is entirely stochastic. As compared to the literature of deterministic energy harvesting, very few authors presented modeling approaches for energy harvesting from broadband random vibrations. These efforts have combined the input statistical information with the single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) dynamics of the energy harvester to express the statistical electromechanical response characteristics. In most cases, the motion input (base acceleration) is assumed to be ideal white noise. White noise has a flat power spectral density (PSD) that might in fact excite higher vibration modes of an electroelastic energy harvester. In particular, piezoelectric energy harvesters constitute such continuous electroelastic systems with more than one vibration mode. This paper presents modeling and simulations of piezoelectric energy harvesting from broadband random vibrations based on distributed-parameter electroelastic solution. For white noise–type base acceleration of a given PSD level, first the general solution of the distributed-parameter problem is given. Closed-form representations are extracted for the single-mode case and these are analogous to the SDOF equations reported in the literature of energy harvesting. It is reported that the single-mode predictions might result in significant mismatch as compared to multi-mode predictions. Using the electroelastic solution, soft and hard piezoelectric power generators are compared under broadband random excitation. Shunt damping effect of power generation on the stochastic vibration response under broadband random excitation is also reported.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Serum Anti-glycan Antibody Biomarkers for Inflammatory Bowel Disease Diagnosis and Progression: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background: Anti-glycan antibody serologic markers may serve as a useful adjunct in the diagnosis/prognosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). This meta-analysis/systemic review aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value, as well as the association of anti-glycan biomarkers with IBD susceptible gene variants, disease complications, and the need for surgery in IBD. Methods: The diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), 95% confidence interval (CI), and sensitivity/specificity were used to compare the diagnostic value of individual and combinations of anti-glycan markers and their association with disease course (complication and/or need for surgery). Results: Fourteen studies were included in the systemic review and nine in the meta-analysis. Individually, anti-Saccharomyces cervisiae antibodies (ASCA) had the highest DOR for differentiating IBD from healthy (DOR 21.1; 1.8–247.3; two studies), and CD from UC (DOR 10.2; CI 7.7–13.7; seven studies). For combination of ≥2 markers, the DOR was 2.8 (CI 2.2–3.6; two studies) for CD-related surgery, higher than any individual marker, while the DOR for differentiating CD from UC was 10.2 (CI 5.6–18.5; three studies) and for complication was 2.8 (CI 2.2–3.7; two studies), similar to individual markers. Conclusions: ASCA had the highest diagnostic value among individual anti-glycan markers. While anti-chitobioside carbohydrate antibody (ACCA) had the highest association with complications, ASCA and ACCA associated equally with the need for surgery. Although in most individual studies the combination of ≥2 markers had a better diagnostic value as well as higher association with complications and need for surgery, we found the combination performing slightly better than any individual marker in our meta-analysis. (Inflamm Bowel Dis 2012)
Performance of the nictitating membrane CR following CS-US interval shifts

The present study assessed the effects of CS-US interval shifts upon the performance of the rabbit’s nictitating membrane conditioned response. The results showed that gradual daily reductions of the CS-US interval from 250 to 50 msec did not decrement the asymptotic performance rate. Moreover, the high performance rates found on trials utilizing 100-and 50-msec CS-US intervals were sustained even though these intervals do not allow for the regular occurrence of an anticipatory CR. When simultaneous CS and US presentations were given, decreases in conditioned responding developed. Finally, the reacquisition of the membrane CR was immediate, despite the decrementai effects of prior backward and simultaneous CS and US presentations upon CR maintenance performance. The results were evaluated with regard to theories addressing response timing requirements of conditioned responses.
Kalman filter and extended Kalman filter using one-step optimal measurement selection

Motivated by problems in waveform-agile sensing systems, we consider the application of an optimal measurement selection technique to discrete-time Kalman and extended Kalman filters. The optimal linear measurement is selected prior to taking the observation at each step of the filter. The measurement is described through a measurement matrix B that depends on the prior state covariance, the available energy, and the observation noise variance. The tracking performance of this method is compared to that obtained using other measurement techniques. Our simulations suggest that the performance improvement is most pronounced when the dimension of the state space is large, there is a large eigenvalue spread in the prior covariance, and the signal-to-noise ratio is low.
A Distributed Image Processing Architecture Based On A High-Speed Local Area Network

This paper seeks to describe work in progress towards the development of a very-high-speed (80 - 200 Mbits/sec) Local Area Network (LAN) for the support of a distributed image processing system. The current practice in most medical, scientific and industrial image acquisition and processing equipment is to use complete, stand-alone image processors dedicated to a particular application. Such a system is not very expandable or flexible and is not cost-effective. A better approach would be to put together a distributed system from individual subsystems (digitizers, preprocessors, array processors, disks, high-resolution displays, etc.) and to link them all together with a high-capacity LAN, capable of the transfer of complete images at near-real-time rates. This would result in a flexible system, reconfigurable and upgradable by simply adding more powerful devices to the existing installation, and also ensure a standard, unified interface between different components. Some possible architectures for the network are discussed. Other factors affecting the design are also considered, based on typical medical imaging systems and needs. A parallel is drawn between the proposed system and the Digital Imaging Network for the Picture Archiving and Communications System (DIN/PACS) currently under development.
The Theory of Coda Wave Interferometry

Coda waves are sensitive to changes in the subsurface because the strong scattering that generates these waves causes them to repeatedly sample a limited region of space. Coda wave interferometry is a technique that exploits this sensitivity to estimate slight changes in the medium from a comparison of the coda waves before and after the perturbation. For spatially localized changes in the velocity, or for changes in the source location, the travel-time perturbation may be different for different scattering paths. The coda waves that arrive within a certain time window are therefore subject to a distribution of travel-time perturbations. Here I present the general theory of coda wave interferometry, and show how the time-shifted correlation coefficient can be used to estimate the mean and variance of the distribution of travel-time perturbations. I show how this general theory can be used to estimate changes in the wave velocity, in the location of scatterer positions, and in the source location.
Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Factors in Cortical Development

Transcription factors with bHLH motifs modulate critical events in the development of the mammalian neocortex. Multipotent cortical progenitors are maintained in a proliferative state by bHLH factors from the Id and Hes families. The transition from proliferation to neurogenesis involves a coordinate increase in the activity of proneural bHLH factors (Mash1, Neurogenin1, and Neurogenin2) and a decrease in the activity of Hes and Id factors. As development proceeds, inhibition of proneural bHLH factors in cortical progenitors promotes the formation of astrocytes. Finally, the formation of oligodendrocytes is triggered by an increase in the activity of bHLH factors Olig1 and Olig2 that may be coupled with a decrease in Id activity. Thus, bHLH factors have key roles in corticogenesis, affecting the timing of differentiation and the specification of cell fate.
Supine vs semirecumbent and upright 12-lead electrocardiogram: does change in body position alter the electrocardiographic interpretation for ischemia?

Abstract Objective The goal of this study was to determine if a change in body position alters the 12-lead electrocardiographic (ECG) interpretation for ischemia and ST-segment elevation, the latter having direct implications for initial patient management in the emergency department. Methods Twelve-lead ECGs were sequentially obtained from a convenience sample of healthy adult volunteers in 3 positions (supine, 0°; inclined, 45°; and upright, 90°). The tracings were randomized, blinded, and then independently read by 2 trained emergency medicine physicians who also assessed for the presence of ischemia and ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. Results Seventy-five subjects were enrolled, with 7 (9%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4-18) having ischemia on the supine ECG, 9 (12%; 95% CI, 6-22) on the incline, and 9 on the upright tracings. ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction pattern was present on 2 (3%; 95% CI, 0-9) supine, 2 inclined, and 2 upright ECGs. Conclusions Changes in body position result in some ischemic variations of the 12-lead ECG.
INTERCELLULAR SPACES OF THE HUMAN EPIDERMIS AS DEMONSTRATED WITH LANTHANUM

In normal human epidermis, lanthanum penetrated into the basal lamina-basal cell interspaces, including half-desmosome areas, non-specific intercellular junctions, desmosomes, close approximations and most of the occluding zonules and macules. The majority of what were previously claimed to be tight junctions were permeated by lanthanum, revealing that they were actually gap junctions. Maculae occludentes which follow desmosomes, for instance, were found not to be tight. On the other hand, the interspace between the stratum granulosum and stratum corneum was only rarely permeated. Lanthanum filled the intercellular channels between the lateral plasma membranes of granular cells but was stopped near the exit of the channel into the interspace. Truly tight junctions (zonulae occludentes or the distal junctions of the stratum granulosum ) were found to be responsible for this occlusion. Intercellular spaces between the horny cells were not commonly permeated by lanthanum.
Narrow‐band Jovian kilometric radiation: A new radio component

A new component of Jupiter's radio spectrum is investigated. The component emits in a very narrow bandwidth (less than or equal to 40 kHz) near 100 kHz. Its waveform is a very smooth and gradual rise and subsequent fall in intensity, usually over two hours. The emission is polarized with left hand polarization associated with the Jovian northern magnetic hemisphere and right hand with the south. The emissions deviation from a strict system 3 rotation period repetition rate is examined. The emission source of the narrow band component which rotates 3 to 5 percent slower than all other forms of Jovian radio emission is determined from propagation considerations, coupled with the observed lack of corotation, to a source region near the equatorial plane at the outer edge of the Io plasma torus. The narrow band KOM (nKOM) form is examined using observations from the PRA instrument. The spectrum and occurrence statistics are described and contrasted with the tapered or broadband KOM (bKOM) characteristics.
Research Note: Kinetic and Inhibition Studies with Turkey Acrosin

Abstract Acrosin was extracted from turkey spermatozoa and partially purified by chromatofocusing. Enzyme activity was tested over a pH range with three different substrates. In each case, the pH optimum was between pH 8 and 9. When N-α-benzoyl-DL-arginine-p-nitroanilide·HCl (BAPNA) was used as a substrate, the Km and Vmax were 1.17 ± .05 × 10−3M and 1.50 ± .07 × 104 μmol/min·milligram, respectively. Turkey acrosin amidase activity was inhibited by aprotinin, ovomucoid, soybean trypsin inhibitor, benzamidine, p- aminobenzamidine, and zinc.
Parameter space warping: shape-based correspondence between morphologically different objects

This paper presents a novel and comprehensive method for the automated determination of correspondences between two morphologically different two-dimensional (2-D) or three-dimensional (3-D) objects. Correspondences are determined by warping parametric representations of the objects to be matched. The warp is guided by the minimization of a similarity criterion function that measures features related to structural correspondence, including Euclidian point-to-point distance and differences in normals and curvature. The method uses a continuous harmonic parameterization for both the object and the warp, which provides: 1) a high degree of computational efficiency; 2) robust extraction of differential features, not subject to discretization errors or noise amplification in differentiation; 3) direct formulation of constraints to avoid overlaps in the resulting correspondence set; and 4) a scale-space paradigm of object shape and warp. The new method does not search for individual landmarks, but operates with a complete, integrated representation of the object geometry. The method was tested on 2-D and 3-D objects with substantial shape differences. Results demonstrated substantial improvements of 2%-33% in correspondence accuracy and 15%-59% in correspondence quality compared with direct registration methods.
Gonadotropin Subunit Transcriptional Responses to Calcium Signals in the Rat: Evidence for Regulation by Pulse Frequency

Alterations in the frequency of calcium influx signals to rat pituitary cells can regulate the expression of gonadotropin subunit mRNAs in a differential manner, producing effects that are similar to those previously found for GnRH. The present study was conducted to investigate whether this reflects a transcriptional response to calcium pulse frequency, as determined by alterations in primary transcript (PT) expression. Perifused rat pituitary cells were given pulses of the calcium channel-activator Bay K 8644 (BK; with 10 mM KCl in the injectate) for 6 h. The response to alterations in pulse dose was examined by giving pulses of 1, 3, or 10 microM BK at 60-min intervals. Maximal increases in LHbeta and FSHbeta PTs were obtained with the 3-microM BK pulse dose and with the 10-microM dose for alpha. To investigate the effect of calcium pulse frequency, 3-microM BK pulses were given at intervals of 15, 60, or 180 min. Alpha PT was selectively stimulated by 15-min pulses and LHbeta by 15- and 60-min pulses of BK. In contrast, FSHbeta PT was maximally stimulated by the slower, 180-min pulse interval. These findings reveal that pulsatile increases in intracellular calcium stimulate alpha, LHbeta, and FSHbeta transcription in a differential manner. Thus, intermittent changes in intracellular calcium appear to be important in the transmission of GnRH pulse signals from the plasma membrane to the gene, and they may mediate the differential actions of pulse frequency on gonadotropin subunit gene expression.
Adaptive parameter estimation using parallel Kalman filtering for spread spectrum code and Doppler tracking

We present a new digital direct-sequence (DS) receiver with joint estimation of code delay, multipath gains and Doppler shift. A parameter estimator consisting of a parallel bank of extended Kalman filters (EKF’s) extracts estimates of the timing, T and the multipath coefficients, fl distorting the received signal. A "detected" estimate of the Doppler shift, Vr distorting the received signal is also provided by the estimator. We compute the bit error rate that results when a RAKE matched filter uses the estimated parameters to detect the DPSK encoded binary data in the received signal. The bit-error rate (BER) is evaluated, and successful performance of the proposed receiver in the presence of Doppler shift distortion is observed in many cases. We demonstrate that the receiver can operate when the multipath coefficients vary in time (Doppler spread).
Security-policy monitoring and enforcement with JavaMOP

Software security attacks represent an ever growing problem. One way to make software more secure is to use Inlined Reference Monitors (IRMs), which allow security specifications to be inlined inside a target program to ensure its compliance with the desired security specifications. The IRM approach has been developed primarily by the security community. Runtime Verification (RV), on the other hand, is a software engineering approach, which is intended to formally encode system specifications within a target program such that those specifications can be later enforced during the execution of the program. Until now, the IRM and RV approaches have lived separate lives; in particular RV techniques have not been applied to the security domain, being used instead to aid program correctness and testing. This paper discusses the usage of a formalism-generic RV system, JavaMOP, as a means to specify IRMs, leveraging the careful engineering of the JavaMOP system for ensuring secure operation of software in an efficient manner.
A Note on Scripture in the Summa theologiae

Beginning with the question of whether Aquinas's Summa theologiae inevitably distorts the meaning of biblical texts by removing them from their narrative context, this essay suggests that one way to think about Aquinas's use of Scripture in the Summa theologiae is to read together, as an ensemble, the biblical texts that he cites when treating a particular theme. Focusing on his first four questions on the virtue of faith (ST II-II, qq. 1–4), I argue that Aquinas's selection of biblical texts from across the canonical Scriptures enables him to provide a nuanced biblical perspective on a particular theme even without finding it necessary to quote Scripture in every article. I seek to bring to light the way that the various biblical texts in the question—whose functions within the articles are widely diverse, from providing the hinge for a responsio to framing a minor objection–complement and echo one another.
Validation of six genetic determinants of susceptibility to estrogen-induced mammary cancer in the rat and assessment of their relevance to breast cancer risk in humans.

When treated with 17β-estradiol, female ACI rats (Rattus norvegicus) rapidly develop mammary cancers that share multiple phenotypes with luminal breast cancers. Seven distinct quantitative trait loci that harbor genetic determinants of susceptibility to 17β-estradiol−induced mammary cancer have been mapped in reciprocal intercrosses between susceptible ACI rats and resistant Brown Norway (BN) rats. A panel of unique congenic rat strains has now been generated and characterized to confirm the existence of these quantitative trait loci, designated Emca3 through Emca9, and to quantify their individual effects on susceptibility to 17β-estradiol−induced mammary cancer. Each congenic strain carries BN alleles spanning an individual Emca locus, introgressed onto the ACI genetic background. Data presented herein indicate that BN alleles at Emca3, Emca4, Emca5, Emca6, and Emca9 reduce susceptibility to 17β-estradiol−induced mammary cancer, whereas BN alleles at Emca7 increase susceptibility, thereby confirming the previous interval mapping data. All of these Emca loci are orthologous to regions of the human genome that have been demonstrated in genome-wide association studies to harbor genetic variants that influence breast cancer risk. Moreover, four of the Emca loci are orthologous to loci in humans that have been associated with mammographic breast density, a biomarker of breast cancer risk. This study further establishes the relevance of the ACI and derived congenic rat models of 17β-estradiol−induced mammary cancer for defining the genetic bases of breast cancer susceptibility and elucidating the mechanisms through which 17β-estradiol contributes to breast cancer development.
New stability results for direct adaptive impedance control

Stable and robust execution of contact tasks is of paramount importance for robot manipulators in many applications. This paper presents two adaptive schemes for controlling the end-effector impedance of robot manipulators to enable reliable execution of contact tasks. The first scheme, position-based adaptive impedance control consists of two subsystems: a simple "filter" that modifies the end-effector position trajectory based on the sensed contact force and the desired dynamic relationship between the position and force, and an adaptive controller that produces the joint torques required to track this modified trajectory. The second control strategy is developed using a model reference adaptive impedance control approach by formulating the desired relationship between the end-effector position and contact force as a "reference model", and then devising a control scheme to ensure that the end-effector dynamics emulates this reference model. The proposed controllers are very general and computationally efficient since they do not require knowledge of the manipulator dynamic model or parameter values of the manipulator or the environment, and are implemented without calculation of the robot inverse dynamics or inverse kinematic transformation. It is shown that the control strategies are globally stable in the presence of bounded disturbances, and that in the absence of disturbances the ultimate bound on the size of the controller errors can he made arbitrarily small.
Molecular pathology as the driving force for personalized oncology

Innovative Tissue-Based DiagnosticsPhiladelphia, PA, USA, 4–5 June 2012This article focuses on the current and emerging molecular diagnostics relevant to clinical practice of oncology discussed in the session of Molecular Pathology as the Driving Force for Personalized Oncology, one of the three main themes of innovative tissue-based diagnostics with the other two being pathology in cancer drug development, and in vivo microscopy and intraoperative imaging. The session brought together seven topics and a keynote presentation in the area of precision cancer diagnosis and treatment: single gene molecular testing as the most popular cancer molecular diagnostics in current time, panel gene mutation analysis as an emerging theme for cancer therapy targeting at multiple signaling pathways, and the next-generation sequencing platform – an ultimate molecular analysis of cancer for future clinical practice. Novel tactics based on existing technology were emphasized including in vitro drug sensitivity testing and e...
Localism and Regionalism in Presidential Elections: Is There a Home State or Regional Advantage?

NE major tenet of folk wisdom in American national politics suggests the importance of geographic considerations in the determination of presidential nominations and final election outcomes. According to the conventional wisdom, presidential and vice-presidential nominees of the two major political parties must be selected with great attention paid to potential home state and regional advantages that might be brought to the party presidential ticket. Such a view places great emphasis on the ability of presidential and vice-presidential candidates to capture their states for the party ticket, as well as to increase the probability that states within each candidate's home region will give their electoral votes to the ticket in November. Of course, this assumes that aggregate electoral outcomes at the state level are affected positively by home state and regional considerations in other words, that having a presidential or vice-presidential candidate from a given state or region on the party ticket increases the likelihood that the ticket will carry the "advantaged" states in the presidential election. Further, at the individual level this view assumes that home state and/or regional attachments enter into the decisional calculus of at least some voters, with the result being shifts in aggregate behavior away from what would be expected in the absence of such advantages. Is the conventional wisdom about geographic advantages supported empirically? At the very simple level of winning and losing, home state and regional advantages do not appear to be significant. For instance, Lewis-Beck and Rice (1983) note that, of the 42 cases from 1884 to 1980, only 23 (about 55 percent) presidential candidates were able to carry a plurality of the vote in their home states. During the same period, only 29 of 48 (approximately 60 percent) vice-presidential candidates were able to deliver their states to their presidential party ticket. Rosenstone (1983) demonstrates that in more recent years (i.e., 1948 to 1972), 11 of 14 of the major party presidential candidates were able to carry their
ODEs with Heat PDE Actuator Dynamics

In this chapter we use the backstepping approach from Chapter 2 to expand the scope of predictor feedback and build a much broader paradigm for the design of control laws for systems with infinite-dimensional actuator dynamics, as well as for observer design for systems with infinite-dimensional sensor dynamics.
Evidence for the continuation of meiosis and spermiogenesis in in vitro cultures of spermatogenic cells from Xenopus laevis

Spermatogenic cells were obtained from Xenopus laevis testes by collagenase dissociation and subsequently separated into two fractions by density gradient centrifugation in Metrizamide and by unit gravity sedimentation in bovine serum albumin gradients. One fraction was highly enriched for primary spermatocytes while the other fraction was highly enriched for early-mid stage spermatids. The cells from each fraction were cultured separately in modified DNOM medium for 23 days to determine the extent to which differentiation could be maintained in vitro. Differential cell counts revealed that early-mid stage spermatids continues to differentiate in vitro through the stages of cytoplasmic shedding. Spermatocytes passed through both meiotic divisions throughout the 23 day period and produced spermatids which also differentiated through the cytoplasmic shedding stages. The results demonstrated that significant differentiative potential is retained by Xenopus spermatogenic cells cultured in vitro even after dissociation and cell separation procedurs.
Hormonal reactivity to MRI scanning in adolescents

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a procedure that is now widely used to study emotional and cognitive processes in children and adolescents. However, the context within which brain imaging data are collected is a social context that may induce anxiety and stress. Several hormones have been shown to be responsive to environmental stressors. These stress responses may impact ability to successfully complete the procedure or collect imaging data. To investigate these issues, we measured salivary cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and testosterone in 160 adolescents during both a simulation (practice) and actual MRI. Hormones were all responsive to the MRI scan, indicating that an MRI scan itself can induce a stress response, with some hormones predicting the likelihood that an adolescent could successfully complete the scan with adequate data. The simulation scan did not hinder hormonal responses to the actual MRI. These data suggest that researchers should consider the effects of heightened hormonal reactivity to the scanning environment; adolescent's reactions to brain imaging may contribute to image data loss and may potentially influence outcome measures.
VARIABLE GIZZARD SHAD RECRUITMENT WITH RESERVOIR PRODUCTIVITY: CAUSES AND IMPLICATIONS FOR CLASSIFYING SYSTEMS

Achieving sustainable prey fish assemblages that support sport fish predator populations is a fundamental challenge to fisheries managers. Among Midwestern and Southeastern (USA) reservoirs, gizzard shad, Dorosoma cepedianum, have been widely stocked to improve predator growth. However, these stockings have yielded highly variable effects on sport fish, due in part to highly variable recruitment of gizzard shad. To determine whether reservoir productivity can be used to classify reservoirs according to recruitment of gizzard shad, we quantified gizzard shad recruitment along a mesotrophic to hypereutrophic productivity gradient. We sampled 12 reservoirs during May through June 1993, to evaluate the hypothesis that larval gizzard shad foraging success and survival increase with reservoir productivity. Both hatch abundance and survival of larval gizzard shad correlated positively with total phosphorus concentrations (TP), an indicator of reservoir productivity. Abundance of 15-mm (total length) larval gizzard shad survivors, an indicator of age-0 year class strength, increased by two orders of magnitude across TP concentrations. Larval gizzard shad foraging success increased with availability of preferred, small zooplankton prey. However, abundance of small zooplankton did not increase with reservoir TP concentrations, and larval survival did not increase with foraging success. These results provide mechanistic understanding for the relative lack of gizzard shad in mesotrophic reservoirs, and the dominance of gizzard shad in hypereutrophic reservoirs. In hypereutrophic reservoirs, negative effects of gizzard shad on sport fish may be alleviated by reducing phosphorus loading from the watershed, suggesting a watershed approach to this fishery and water quality problem.
Regulation of tau pathology by the microglial fractalkine receptor

Summary Aggregates of the hyperphosphorylated microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT) are an invariant neuropathological feature of tauopathies. Here, we show that microglial neuroinflammation promotes MAPT phosphorylation and aggregation. First, lipopolysaccharide-induced microglial activation promotes hyperphosphorylation of endogenous mouse MAPT in nontransgenic mice that is further enhanced in mice lacking the microglial-specific fractalkine receptor (CX3CR1) and is dependent upon functional toll-like receptor 4 and interleukin-1 (IL-1) receptors. Second, humanized MAPT transgenic mice lacking CX3CR1 exhibited enhanced MAPT phosphorylation and aggregation as well as behavioral impairments that correlated with increased levels of active p38 MAPK. Third, in vitro experiments demonstrate that microglial activation elevates the level of active p38 MAPK and enhances MAPT hyperphosphorylation within neurons that can be blocked by administration of an interleukin-1 receptor antagonist and a specific p38 MAPK inhibitor. Taken together, our results suggest that CX3CR1 and IL-1/p38 MAPK may serve as novel therapeutic targets for human tauopathies. Video Abstract
Effect of device type and plasma process on the oxide thickness dependence of plasma-induced charging damage

The electrical stress which the thin gate oxide of MOS transistors may undergo during gate charging in a plasma processing environment can introduce undesirable oxide damage. This damage can be either critical, i.e. irreversible oxide breakdown, or latent, i.e. showing itself as deteriorated oxide reliability and stability. Plasma process-induced charging damage has been extensively studied in numerous papers investigating its physical nature, relation to plasma parameters, or its effect on device reliability. As device scaling continues, the concern about plasma damage increases, since device shrinkage enhances antenna ratios for charge collection, and the decreasing gate oxide thickness reduces the voltage range at which tunneling currents may damage the gate insulator. This paper addresses the plasma damage sensitivity of CMOS devices with oxide thickness in the 40-90 /spl Aring/ range. The device yield of plasma sensitive antenna devices is studied with respect to oxide thickness, device type, and the plasma process under which damage occurs. In addition to device yield, latent damage in intermediate antenna structures is studied as a function of oxide thickness and device type.
Family System Dynamics, Gender, and Psychosocial Maturity in Late Adolescence:

The tolerance for individuality, intimacy, and interpersonal differences within the family's relational system were assessed as indicators of family system differentiation. These indicators of diff...
A hand-shake protocol for spread spectrum multiple access networks

A receiver-based protocol for spread-spectrum multiple-access networks is proposed and analyzed. This scheme is based on a handshake procedure before any formal transmission of data packets. The protocol is collision-free during data transmission and can limit the number of simultaneous transmissions. The system is modeled as a two-dimensional Markov chain from which the throughput can be determined. Numerical results are presented and compared with those for other protocols. With a minislotted channel, the handshaking time is reasonably short, and it is shown that the performance can be significantly improved when the average packet length is not too small. Moreover, very high throughput can still be maintained, even when the offered traffic is high. The proposed protocol can be applied in multipoint to point situations as well as in multihop radio networks with a central station in each hop. >
Pregnancy Complicated by Cardiac Valvular Disease and Hypertension

scenario in association with temporal exposure to a foreign substance. Unfortunately, identification of the responsible agent is not as straightforward as it appears. We report here a case we encountered recently. A &yearold woman with a long history of reactive airway disease and peanut and soy allergies was admitted for treatment of an anaphylactic reaction after inadvertently ingesting peanut oil at a party. Her initial systemic reaction was treated successfully with subcutaneous epinephrine, corticosteroids, $-agonists, and antihistamines. At 3 h and 6 h following admission, the patient suffered two recurrences of airway obstruction, hypotension, and generalized cutaneous eruption. Both of these recurrences happened while she was receiving inhalation therapy with ipratropium bromide (Atrovent) by metereddose inhaler. After investigation, we found the drug to contain soya lecithin as one of its "inert" ingredients. We discontinued its use, which resulted in complete resolution of the patient's symptoms. There were no further recurrences. Drug-induced anaphylaxis poses a significant threat because it is unexpected, sudden, and potentially !ethal. One should consider that causes of anaphylaxis may include hidden "inert" additive ingredients in commonly prescribed drugs Specifically, clinicians treating soy-allergic patients should be cognizant of the potential for severe systemic allergic reactions with ipratropium bromide therapy.
Professional Securities Analysts Meet Professors Of Financial Analysis: A Pilot Study Of Financial Statement Assessment Differences

This multivariate behavioral research investigates whether the financial assessments made by professors of financial analysis differ from those made by private sector financial analysts. Professors of financial analysis and professional private sector securities analysts were put into separate groups for the study. Members of the two groups were asked by way of a mailed survey to analyze multi-year comparative financial statements of a business enterprise using variables related to liquidity, long term debt, cash flow, dividend prospects, profitability, and overall financial condition. The study found a significant statistical difference in assessment results of the analysts and the professors. These results indicate that general purpose financial statements convey different information to the two user groups. The paper describes the data collection process, statistical analysis, and results of the research as well as limitations and a call for additional research.
Assessment of subthreshold and developing behavioral health concerns among U.S. army soldiers.

ABSTRACTThis study aimed to merge existing methodologies of identifying high-risk soldiers to create a comprehensive testable model to assist leaders in the identification, mitigation, and prevention of negative behavioral health (BH) issues. In 2011, a total of 2,664 active duty U.S. Army soldiers completed a survey of demographic and military characteristics, combat exposures, and BH diagnoses and symptoms. Multivariable linear and logistic regression models were fit to examine the relationship between demographic and military characteristics, subthreshold behavioral and social health issues, and positive screening for BH symptoms. The “recent loss of someone close” and self-reporting a history of BH issues were the strongest and most consistent predictors of subthreshold behavioral and social health issues. This study found that individual and occupational factors were associated with subthreshold behavioral and social health issues, which were in turn, associated with screening positive for BH symptom...
The phase diagram of high-pressure superionic ice

Superionic ice is a special group of ice phases at high temperature and pressure, which may exist in ice-rich planets and exoplanets. In superionic ice liquid hydrogen coexists with a crystalline oxygen sublattice. At high pressures, the properties of superionic ice are largely unknown. Here we report evidence that from 280 GPa to 1.3 TPa, there are several competing phases within the close-packed oxygen sublattice. At even higher pressure, the close-packed structure of the oxygen sublattice becomes unstable to a new unusual superionic phase in which the oxygen sublattice takes the P21/c symmetry. We also discover that higher pressure phases have lower transition temperatures. The diffusive hydrogen in the P21/c superionic phase shows strong anisotropic behaviour and forms a quasi-two-dimensional liquid. The ionic conductivity changes abruptly in the solid to close-packed superionic phase transition, but continuously in the solid to P21/c superionic phase transition. At high pressure, water forms superionic ice with an oxygen lattice and melted liquid hydrogens, which could exist on ice-rich planets. Here, Sun et al. predict a new phase of superionic ice where the hydrogens preferentially diffuse in two-dimensions within oxygen superlattice with the P21/c symmetry.
Clinical studies with phenylpropanolamine: a metaanalysis

The combined analysis of parallel double-blind studies of prescription anorectic drugs in 1973 showed 0.23 kg/wk more weight loss than placebo at the end of the studies. In 1985, the combined studies of phenylpropanolamine (PPA) and PPA with caffeine gave 0.27 kg/wk more weight loss than placebo, but since 1985, this difference has dropped to 0.14 kg/wk in the combined studies with PPA. The incidence of adverse reactions in the combined studies with PPA were 19% and 14% for placebo (P less than 0.02). These adverse reactions were mild, however, and ceased with drug discontinuation. The two nonprescription anorectic drugs, PPA and benzocaine, and their combination, were compared in a 40-patient study. Benzocaine gave less weight loss than PPA (P less than 0.05 ANOVA). Thus, PPA is safe and effective for weight loss, appears less effective than prescription anorectics in studies exceeding 4 wk, and weight loss was not enhanced by combination with benzocaine.
Gas-Phase Conformations: The Ion Mobility/Ion Chromatography Method

Ion mobility spectrometry coupled to mass spectrometry provides a powerful tool to explore the three-dimensional shape of polyatomic ions. Applications include the investigation of cluster ion geometries and conformations of flexible molecules such as biopolymers and synthetic polymers. The ion structure is obtained by measuring collision cross sections in a high pressure drift tube filled with helium and comparing it to model structures obtained by various theoretical methods such as molecular modeling and electronic structure calculations. The temperature of the drift tube is generally adjustable (typically from 80 to 800 K) providing a unique opportunity to address topics such as the thermal motion of floppy molecules, the unfolding process of folded structures, the kinetics of structural interconversion, and the kinetics of dissociation processes. In addition, the ion mobility instrumentation can be used to obtain thermochemical data of ligand addition reactions, giving important additional information about the polyatomic ions under investigation. The theoretical background and the concepts of these ion mobility based experiments and the instrumentation employed are briefly reviewed in this chapter. Furthermore, some detailed examples and a very brief summary of selected applications found in the literature are given.
A comparison of potential electric propulsion systems for orbit transfer

Electric propulsion concepts are compared on the basis of trip time for the low earth orbit (LEO) to geosynchronous earth orbit (GEO) mission. Resistojet, arcjet, magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD), pulsed inductive, and ion engine thruster concepts are included. The optimum (minimum trip time) value of specific impulse is found to be dependent upon the specific mission and system being considered. As expected, the devices which can deliver good efficiency at low specific impulses promise the fastest trip times. The solution for trip time and propellant mass for the constant power, continuous low acceleration orbit transfer problem (one way and round trip) is presented in nomograph form. The influences of mission Delta V, thruster efficiency, specific impulse, power, power and propulsion system mass, and payload mass are clearly illustrated.
A Novel Bonding Technique Using Metal-Induced Crystallization of Amorphous Silicon

This study investigates the use of aluminum-induced crystallization of amorphous silicon as a potential bonding mechanism for a sandwich stack of films between two silicon substrates. Similar procedures using copper diffusion bonds have been in use, but these require temperatures as high as 400 °C. Using the crystallization of amorphous silicon as the bonding mechanism has allowed the bonding temperature to be lowered by more than 100 K. Fracture experiments for a low-k material were conducted, and the results using amorphous silicon bonding was compared to epoxy bonding control experiments. Essentially identical results were obtained for the two bonding mechanisms. Low-temperature bonding techniques are of great interest to future progress in the microelectronics industry, and these results are promising advances.
Laboratory Testing in Chiropractic Practice

Chiropractic is a system of healing based on the belief that health is maintained when the spinal column is in its proper position and the nervous system is not impinged. This healing art is often misunderstood by patients and other health care providers. This article gives a brief history of chiropractic, describes the education of doctors of chiropractic, outlines their practice guidelines, and describes their interaction with the clinical laboratory.
Fate of Released Entomopathogens with Reference to Risk Assessment of Genetically Engineered Microorganisms

Entomopathogens are likely to be among the first genetically engineered microorganisms (GEMs)released into the environment. Environmental concerns constitute a major question about such releases: GEMs might have deleterious, unexpected properties outside the laboratory; they could cause ecological disruptions; or they could transfer genetic information to other species. The probability of environmental harm is a product of six other areas of probability, including the organism's survival, multiplication, and spread. Furthermore, research of the biology and ecology of the “parental” organisms for genetic engineering is one of the few kinds of study that can be done before an actual release. Therefore, this paper reviews the persistence, dispersal, populationgrowth, and environmental effects of releases of natural strains of entomopathogenic viruses and bacteria. In some respects we have a good understanding of the ecology of these organisms, but there are also major gaps in our knowledge. At this time, it is difficult to predict population dynamics after the release of parental strains of entomopathogens much less predict the population dynamics of a GEM. Therefore, releases will have to be evaluatedon 2 case-by-case basis until we gain experience with them. In general, such releases are expected to have a low probability of environmental harm.