cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Infrared spectra of NO adlayers on Pt; their interpretation in terms of a vibrational-coupling model

Abstract Infrared spectra of NO adsorbed on single-crystal Pt (111) and polycrystalline Pt foil have been measured over a temperature range 100 to 473 K and at adsorbant pressures from 5 × 10−10 to 1 Torr. Relatively intense absorption bands have been found over the wavenumber range 1450–1780 cm−1, the wavenumber depending on the temperature, coverage and, apparently, the presence of impurities. A model based on an assumed interaction force constant coupling NO molecules adsorbed on adjacent sites accounts quantitatively for most of the spectroscopic observations.
Abstract 2344: Distinct combinations of signaling pathways promote migration of MDA-MB-231 breast carcinoma cells in response to different stimuli

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Cancer cell invasion and metastasis are predicated on the activation of signaling pathways that control dynamic organization of cytoskeletal architecture. The coordinate reorganization of an actin network pushing at the leading edge and an actin-myosin mediated retraction at the rear of the cell facilitates cell polarity to allow directed movement. Motility of the highly invasive breast carcinoma cell line MDA-MB-231 is promoted by various stimuli including lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and epidermal growth factor (EGF). The goal of this project is to delineate the signaling pathways mediating motility in response to each of these stimuli. Identifying common and conditional pathways mediating cell motility has important implications for therapeutic intervention of cancer cell invasion and metastasis. We conducted migration, invasion, and morphology assays in the presence of inhibitors for pathways known to contribute to the cytoskeletal reorganization required for cell migration. LPA, HGF and EGF were evaluated for their capacity to signal through the Rho family small GTPases, Rho and Rac, the MAP kinase pathway via MEK1/2 and myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) to influence cell migration and invasion. LPA is a recognized component of breast cancer progression and potent stimulator of Rho activity, which has been extensively implicated in the migration of carcinoma cells in a variety of cancers including breast. Surprisingly, LPA-stimulated migration of MDA-MB-231 cells was not affected by Rho inhibitors but was instead sensitive to Rac inhibition. In contrast, Rho was required for HGF and EGF-stimulated migration of MDA-MB-231 cells while Rac had no effect on these processes. Other common pathways mediating cell motility including MLCK are used by all three chemoattractants. MDA-MB-231 cells employed all of the pathways examined for invasion, potentially reflecting the complexity of navigating in a three dimensional environment. These observations suggest that while multiple signaling pathways contribute to the migratory potential of a cancer cell, not all pathways are operating under all conditions. Different context-specific pathways may supplement a core of common pathways to create a functional signal but the characteristics of the response will likely rely on the particular combination used by the cell. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2344. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-2344
Using Q Methodology as a mixed methods approach to study beliefs about early childhood education

Studying early childhood practices as either appropriate or inappropriate limits our understanding of a complex issue. Q Methodology was used as a mixed method quantitatively and qualitatively to explore beliefs about developmentally appropriate practices as aligned to the National Association for the Education of Young Children's guidelines. The purposeful sample comprised 23 teachers, 15 parents, and 15 teacher education candidates from the Southwest of England. A principal components analysis of the data indicated three conceptual viewpoints that provided distinct narratives about the types of practices and experiences that are considered appropriate and inappropriate in early childhood education. The three views were of the culturally responsive teacher, the classroom that has a social cohesiveness based on open communication, and the teacher as the primary mechanism as an agent of change. A rationale for the use of Q Methodology to explore the inherent subjectivity in educational values, beliefs, or opinions is provided.
Influence of ground cover on dynamics of Amblyseius fallacis Garman (Acarina; Phytoseiidae) in New York apple orchards

Abstract Four studies were conducted between 1989 and 1992 to determine the influence of vegetation beneath apple trees on the dynamics of the mite predator Amblyseius fallacis (Garman). Withholding herbicide applications in the spring to allow ground cover to grow beneath trees did not result in greater numbers of A. fallacis in trees during the summer compared with plots where herbicides were applied and ground cover was greatly reduced. A survey of 23 commercial orchards revealed that A. fallacis overwintered on trees in many of these sites (14). Typhlodromus pyri (Scheuten) and Typhlodromus occidentalis (Nesbitt) were also found in the trees. In two of the orchards phytoseiids and European red mites, Panonychus ulmi (Koch), were sampled the following spring and summer. Amblyseius fallacis were found in the trees at bloom (10 May) and there was no evidence that they first increased in density in the ground cover and then colonized trees. Overwintering predator populations were repeatedly sampled in six orchards during autumn, winter, and spring 1991–1992. Amblyseius fallacis and T. pyri overwintered in high numbers in the trees. Amblyseius fallacis was also found in high numbers in the ground cover. Typhlodromus pyri also overwintered in the ground cover, but in lower numbers. Both predator species suffered high overwintering mortality, with that of T. pyri apparently less than that of A. fallacis . Treatment of ground vegetation with a pyrethroid insecticide in the spring did not affect arboreal A. fallacis densities during the summer; however, treatment of trees with the insecticide greatly reduced A. fallacis densities. In New York, ground cover in apple orchards directly beneath the trees does not appear to play a large role in the dynamics of A. fallacis .
Strategic interactions, market information and predicting the effects of mergers in differentiated product markets

Abstract This paper reports an experiment conducted to examine the effects of changing the form of strategic interactions (Bertrand or Cournot), and changing underlying information conditions on the usefulness of the ‘ALM,’ a merger simulation device used by the US Department of Justice. The experiment consists of 20, 60-period quadropolies. After period 40 a merger is induced. Behaviorally, Cournot markets are much more variable than Bertrand markets. Also, providing information about others’ actions and earnings dampens merger-related comparative statics effects. Consequently, the ALM predicts post-merger performance poorly. Nevertheless, results do not undermine a previous finding that the ALM screens out nonproblematic consolidations.
The role of incongruency and involvement in destination print advertising.

Through advertising, marketers place their ads in an environment overpopulated with information, competing with hundreds of other advertisers for the same consumer attention. One approach used in the creative development of ads is the inclusion of information that is incongruent with consumers' expectations. The goal of this study was to investigate the role of information incongruency and message involvement through the pictorial element of tourism print ads. The attitudinal evaluations of ad viewers were measured for various combinations of incongruency and message involvement, for a better understanding of how to design effective destination print ads. Linear mixed modeling was used to explore the relationships among various constructs like incongruency, involvement, attention, cognitive, and affective attitude. The findings of this study potentially suggest ways to advertise destination attractions in print ads.
IS 31. TMS for treating depression

TMS as a treatment for acute depression has been one of the most successful clinical applications of the non-invasive brain stimulation (NBS) methods. There are now 2 different device manufacturers who have US FDA approval to market their devices for treating depression, and many governments and insurance companies are paying for this treatment, which is included in most professional society depression treatment guidelines. Early on, things did not look as promising. For several reasons, clinical depression was perhaps an unlikely initial choice. The neuroanatomical circuits involved were only minimally described, and the actual source and nature of the dysfunction in depression is still unknown, especially when compared with other CNS diseases like movement disorders, or tinnitus. However, ECT was and is a mainstay of depression treatment and stood as a lighthouse beacon example that other focal NBS methods might be devised that would have clinical utility. In 2013, approximately 20 years after the first antidepressant studies, there appears to be at least one general form of TMS treatment that has substantial class I evidence of acute efficacy. This involves intermittent stimulation of the left prefrontal cortex at intensities equal to or greater than motor threshold, at 10 Hz or greater, for at least 2000 stimuli per day, weekly for 4–6 weeks. Remission and response rates with these parameters are between 30% and 60% in patients who have tried and failed other medications. This effect is likely better than would be seen if these patients had taken yet another additional medication. It is unclear how TMS compares with ECT results, but it is likely slightly less effective, but clearly with a side effect and ease of use advantage. The treatment effect appears clinically durable if patients return to their pretreatment medications, or in some studies even medication free, with relapse rates at 3–6 months in the 20% range. Patients who respond once to TMS tend to re-respond at high percentages, and loss of efficacy appears to be rare. Maintenance studies are underway. However because of the way that TMS was researched and approved with a rush to test and get to market something that worked, the parameters and dosing regimens described above are only first approximations of how to best use TMS to treat depression. Current active areas of research involve delivering higher doses (number of stimuli) in a more concentrated fashion, determining better targeting strategies, using larger less focal coils, stimulation at other brain regions, different frequencies of stimulation, or coupling TMS with forms of behavioral therapy. It is likely that further understanding of the pathophysiology of the depressions, coupled with enhanced understanding of how to use the NBS methods to change and modify the brain, will continue to improve on the successful early launch of TMS to treat depression.
Surface‐Immobilized Monolayers of Conjugated Oligomers as a Platform for Fluorescent Sensors Design: The Effect of Exciton Delocalization on Chemosensing Performance

Surface-immobilized monolayers of fluorescent molecular sensors consisting of a short conjugated oligo(p-phenylene ethynylene) core end-capped with an acceptor fluorophore (analyte receptor) display significant signal amplification due to enhanced intermolecular energy transfer within the monolayer. This general phenomenon offers a superior platform for designing ratiometric fluorescent sensors. An example of how this can be used to convert a narrow-range threshold fluorescent pH indicator (fluorescein) to a broad-range ratiometric fluorescent chemosensor is described.
Recovery of decreased glutamate decarboxylase immunoreactivity after rat hippocampal kindling

The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that chronic γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) disinhibition of granule cells could explain permanent kindled epileptogenicity. Quantitative and statistical comparisons of glutamate decarboxylase immunoreactivity (GAD-IR), the synthesizing enzyme for GABA, were made of GAD-IR cells and puncta in stratum granulosum of the fascia dentata. The use of GAD immunocytochemistry in kindled and control tissue was used to allow direct anatomic confirmation that we were measuring changes in GAD-IR which would represent GABA synthesis for release by the recurrent inhibitory system of the fascia dentata. Immediately after the last kindled seizure, optically detected GAD-IR puncta densities were significantly reduced in stratum granulosum. At 3 or 7 days after the last kindled seizure, GAD-IR was normal in puncta, indicating that the transient GAD-IR loss was probably a metabolic response to the recent seizure represented by over-use of GAD needed for synthesis of GABA after a prolonged kindled seizure. When the prolonged kindled seizures were discontinued GAD-IR recovered in the puncta. This transient effect did not occur in other areas such as Ammon's horn (CA3) or substantia nigra. The extent of the GAD-IR loss showed no correlation with the severity of the final behavioral seizure (R = 0.23), or the final afterdischarge (AD) duration in entorhinal cortex (R = 0.17) or motor cortex (R = 0.53). A massed stimulation control group given 19 shorter-duration ADs every 10 min (non-kindling) did not reduce GAD-IR. These findings support the hypothetical model that prolonged kindled seizures release excessive GABA which depletes GAD in axon terminals for 1 day after the seizure. However, such a transient suppression of GAD-IR provides no evidence that disinhibition contributes to the kindling process, because kindling proceeds normally with inter-seizure intervals as long as 1 week. The finding of full recovery of GAD-IR within 1 week does not support the model of loss of GABA inhibition to explain the permanency of kindled epileptogenesis.
A rational approach to wound difficulties after sternotomy: reconstruction and long-term results

One hundred fifty-one patients were reconstructed after median sternotomy by a single plastic surgeon over a 6-year period. The treatment included immediate reconstruction (63 patients) and delayed reconstructions (88 patients). Ninety eight percent of the patients had definitive healing at 6 weeks with an overall 30-day mortality of 4 percent. The issues of long-term intravenous antibiotics, perceived skin deficiency, cardiac decompensation, Candida infections, and reexploration of a healed mediastinum after flap reconstruction are discussed. Follow up (4 months to 6 years) of patients treated with reconstruction compared favorably with patients treated with rewiring procedures (20 patients) in regard to strength, chest wall stability, pulmonary function testing, and functional return to hobbies and employment.
Scanning probe microscope imaging of polyaniline thin films in non-contact mode

The structure of electropolymerized thin films of polyaniline has been studied using the techniques of contact and non-contact scanning probe microscopy (SPM). Films exposed to Ir+ cations in solution, as well as unexposed films, were examined. Contact-mode SPM images of these films reveal only a diffuse, amorphous surface structure in both types of film, while non-contact SPM images indicate an intricate, nanometer-scale domain structure. Film growth is in a layer-by-layer mode, with each layer consisting of small polymer bundles of average dimension 1000 ± 75 A. The Ir+ incorporation in these films does not involve a restructuring of the film morphology. The relevance of the microscopic domain structure to models describing conduction mechanisms in these films is also discussed.
High Flow Rate Per Power Pumping of Aqueous Solutions and Organic Solvents With Electroosmotic Pumps

We present experimental investigations of porous glass electroosmotic pumping of various low conductivity solutions. We evaluate pump pressure, flow rate, and current for sodium borate buffer, deionized water, deuterium oxide, methanol, and acetone. We present data for several figures of merit associated with steady state pumping, and present selected transient data measurements.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Femtosecond laser posterior lamellar keratoplasty: a laboratory model.

PURPOSE To evaluate feasibility of femtosecond laser application in posterior lamellar keratoplasty. METHODS To evaluate the laser's effectiveness through opaque corneas, anterior corneal caps were resected from opaque corneas induced with 80% acetone solution. To evaluate the femtosecond laser posterior lamellar keratoplasty surgical procedure, human corneoscleral rims were mounted on an artificial anterior chamber. After corneal pachymetry, the femtosecond laser was used to create a 6-mm-diameter, 200-microm-thick endostromal lenticule. Access to the lenticule was provided by a small perilimbal surface opening, also created by the laser. The lenticule was removed using a pair of corneal forceps. A donor lenticule of similar dimensions was created, its endothelial surface coated with viscoelastic, inserted, and positioned on the recipient bed. Two sutures were placed to seal the small surface opening. RESULTS The femtosecond laser produced an effective and smooth dissection through opaque corneas even at deeper settings. Graft transplantation was fairly simple and effective. CONCLUSION Femtosecond laser posterior lamellar keratoplasty is a procedure that may provide an alternative to penetrating keratoplasty or the technically challenging manual posterior lamellar keratoplasty.
Regional astrogliosis in the mouse hypothalamus in response to obesity.

Obesity is associated with chronic low-grade inflammation in peripheral tissues, which contributes to the development of comorbidities such as insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease. While less extensively characterized, obesity also promotes inflammation in the central nervous system (CNS) and the consequences of this inflammation for CNS function are only beginning to be examined. In response to CNS insults such as inflammation, astrocytes undergo a process of hypertrophy and hyperplasia known as reactive astrogliosis. We used immunohistochemistry to examine the differential distribution of the astrocyte marker glial-fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in the brains of diet-induced or genetically obese mice compared with their respective lean controls to determine whether different nuclei of the hypothalamus showed comparable astrogliosis in response to obesity. The areas that showed the highest differential GFAP immunoreactivity between lean and obese animals include the medial preoptic, paraventricular, and dorsomedial nuclei. Comparatively, little astrogliosis was seen in the ventromedial nucleus, lateral hypothalamus, or anterior hypothalamic area. In obese animals high levels of GFAP immunoreactivity were often associated with the microvasculature. There were no differences in the differential distribution of GFAP staining between obese animals and their lean controls in the diet-induced compared with the genetic model of obesity. The exact cause(s) of the astrogliosis in obesity is not known. The finding that obesity causes a distinct pattern of elevated GFAP immunoreactivity associated with microvessels suggests that the astrogliosis may be occurring as a response to changes at the blood–brain barrier and/or in the peripheral circulation.
Anomalous antiferromagnetic coupling in [ZnTe¦MnTe] superlattices

Abstract Neutron diffraction studies of magnetic order in epitaxial magnetic semiconductor superlattices [(ZnTe) ¦ (MnTe)] have revealed long-range coupling between antiferromagnetic layers of MnTe interleaved with thin (4–6 atomic planes) layers of ZnTe. Both in-phase and anti-phase couplings have been observed with a gradual transfer (in samples with thinner ZnTe layers) between the two forms of ordering as temperature is increased.
Geobotanical relationship of Draba chionophila (Brassicaceae) rosettes and miniature frost-sorted stripes in the high equatorial Andes

Summary Draba chionophila , a small rosette-plant that reaches the highest elevation of vascular species in the Venezuelan Andes, grows in frost-disturbed areas where miniature sorted stripes develop. A 100-plant population examined at 4480–4525 m showed preferential establishment in pebble-filled troughs, where 85% of the rosettes were rooted. Only 11 plants grew in adjacent fine-soil ridges, and 4 rosettes at the edge between the two. Trough soils were significantly coarser (due to greater gravel and lower fine-grain contents) and had lower organic matter, lower porosity and greater bulk density than soils along stripe ridges. Chi-square tests show spatial patterns of Draba are not random, and that the fraction of plants growing on each stripe segment is close to an expected plant distribution based solely on the differential ability of trough and ridge soils to support needle-ice growth. Soil parameters also indicate that needle ice forms more often on fine ridges, where Draba might suffer frost-heaving damage. Draba has a stout, napiform taproot that allows it to become firmly anchored in stable subsoil (AC horizon, 5–10 cm), less affected by frost than surface A1 (0–5 cm) layers. AC horizons have greater fine-grain and organic-matter fractions than surface soils, thus store ample moisture. Draba 's extensive lateral roots grow within AC layers and cover large areas, up to 2.5 m 2 ; this presumably helps them capture water and nutrients from coarse paramo soils.
Hyperthermia-enhanced serotonin (5-HT) depletion resulting from D-fenfluramine exposure is preventable

Abstract Recent findings indicate that elevations in body temperature during acute d-fenfluramine (Fen) exposure enhance long-term 5-HT depletion. Therefore, we hypothesized that when repeated exposure to d-Fen produced repeated elevations in body temperature, 5-HT reductions would be greater in comparison to a single d-Fen exposure. Groups of animals were exposed to d-Fen for 1 or 4 days in a 28 °C environment. Exposure to d-Fen in the 28 °C environment induced an increase in body temperature and resulted in a long-term decrease in brain 5-HT. However, brain 5-HT was not different between the two groups. An additional experiment revealed that if the initial exposure to d-Fen does not induce elevations in body temperature, then long-term 5-HT depletion can be prevented. We conclude that the central nervous system rapidly adapts to the 5-HT depleting action of d-Fen thereby preventing further decreases in 5-HT concentrations from d-Fen exposure. In addition, this rapid adaptation circumvented the hyperthermia-enhanced 5-HT depletion that results from d-Fen exposure in a warm environment.
Surface-stress effects on elastic properties. II. Metallic multilayers.

In the adjoining paper we presented a detailed model describing the effects of surface stress on the equilibrium spacing and biaxial modulus of thin metal films. We extend the model to describe the effects of interface stress on metallic multilayers. The model predicts that very thin layers will equilibrate to a spacing in the plane smaller than the bulk spacing for the material, and that this effect will vanish as the reciprocal of the layer thickness. The model predicts enhancements in the biaxial modulus of metallic multilayers which scale with the reciprocal of the layer thickness. The magnitude of both the strain and the resulting change in biaxial modulus are proportional to the magnitude of the interface stress. In order to verify the predictions of the interface stress model, we performed molecular-dynamics computer simulations of metallic multilayers using the ``universal'' form of the embedded-atom-method (EAM) potentials, an analytic form of the EAM potential, and a slightly modified version of the analytic form. The model was found to predict accurately the equilibrium properties of metallic multilayers. We discuss the limitations of the EAM potentials and the implications of this work for the supermodulus effect.
Using a DSS to incorporate expert opinion in strategic product development funding decisions

Abstract Research investigating Decision Support Systems (DSS) suggests they provide support to decision makers confronted with unstructured problems. Strategic decisions are often characterized as unstructured: they address external markets, new products, and changing competitors. This paper examines the development and adaptive implementation of a multicriterion DSS, which captured the expertise of recognized experts in different functional groups of an organization, for use in allocating product development funds to new programs. The DSS increased the number of factors considered by decision makers and provided a method for ranking competitors using a discrete set of criteria. The study demonstrates the use of DSS as a vehicle for incorporating of expert opinion in group decision processes, and illustrates specific DSS benefits that include information aggregation and problem structuring.
Studies of Anandamide Accumulation Inhibitors in Cerebellar Granule Neurons: Comparison to Inhibition of Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase

The endocannabinoid, N-arachidonylethanolamine (AEA) is accumulated by neurons via a process that has been characterized biochemically but not molecularly. Inhibitors of AEA accumulation have been characterized individually but have not been compared in a single study. Our purpose was to compare the potency of five previously described compounds (AM404, AM1172, VDM11, OMDM-2, and UCM707) both as inhibitors of AEA and N-palmitoylethanolamine (PEA) accumulation by cerebellar granule neurons and as inhibitors of AEA hydrolysis. The compounds all inhibited AEA accumulation; AM404, VDM11 and OMDM-2 with IC50 values of approximately 5 μM, whereas AM1172 and UCM707 exhibited IC50 values of 24 and 30 μM, respectively. The compounds also inhibited PEA accumulation; AM404 being the most potent with an IC50 of 6 μM, whereas the other compounds had IC50 values in the range of 30–70 μM. All of the compounds potently inhibited AEA hydrolysis by brain membranes; the K I values for AM404, VDM11, and UCM707 were less than 1 μM; AM1172 and OMDM-2 exhibited K I values of 3 and 10 μM, respectively. The IC50 values for inhibition of AEA accumulation were compared to the IC50 values for PEA accumulation and AEA hydrolysis using linear regression. None of the regressions were significant. These data indicate that inhibition of AEA accumulation by neurons is not a result of the inhibition of endocannabinoid hydrolysis and is a process different from the accumulation of PEA. These studies support the hypothesis that the cellular AEA accumulation beyond simple equilibrium between intracellular and extracellular concentrations occurs because AEA binds to an intracellular protein that is not FAAH but that also recognizes the AEA uptake inhibitors.
Abnormalities in visually guided saccades suggest corticofugal dysregulation in never-treated schizophrenia

Background Previous studies have reported intact visually guided saccades in schizophrenia, but these are limited by potential acute and long-term pharmacological treatment effects, small sample sizes, and a failure to follow patients over time. Methods Visually guided saccades were examined in 44 antipsychotic-naive patients experiencing their first episode of schizophrenia prior to treatment and again after 6, 26, and 52 weeks of antipsychotic treatment. Thirty-nine matched healthy individuals were followed over the same period. Results Before treatment, patients showed faster saccade latencies to unpredictable visual targets, suggesting reduced inhibitory regulation of brainstem saccade generators by neocortical attentional systems. Risperidone treatment reduced this deficit, suggesting a facilitation of attentional function, but haloperidol treatment did not. However, there was also a modest decline in saccade accuracy after risperidone treatment. The ability to sustain fixation of static central and peripheral targets was unimpaired before and after treatment. Conclusions These findings provide evidence for impairments in neocortical attentional systems that cause reduced corticofugal regulation of brainstem systems in schizophrenia. This dysfunction appears to be minimized by the atypical antipsychotic risperidone but at the cost of a subtle reduction in saccade accuracy, possibly mediated via adverse effects on cerebellar vermis function.
Accurate lymph node staging is of greater prognostic importance than subclassification of the T2 category for gastric adenocarcinoma.

Background: Examination of 15 or more lymph nodes is necessary for accurate staging of gastric adenocarcinoma. This study examined whether prognostic discrimination is improved by distinguishing between pT2 tumors limited to the muscularis propria (MP) and those extending to subserosa (SS).
The intrinsic activation of factor x in blood coagulation

Abstract It is shown that Factor X activator of the intrinsic system of blood coagulation consists of a complex of components which can be readily dissociated to their precomplex forms and re-combined to once again produce a Factor X activator. No altered form of Factor VIII or Factor IXa exists which is capable of directly activating Factor X. It is also shown that Factor X activator is most active when both Factors VIII and IXa are complexed to the same phospholipid micelle.
Nuclear magnetic relaxation dispersion in monoclinic lysozyme crystals

Nuclear magnetic relaxation measurements are reported as a function of field strength corresponding to the frequency range from 0.01 to 20 MHz for water protons in monoclinic lysozyme crystals at 278 and 298 K. Though the instrumentation used selects only a portion of the total magnetization to sample, the data clearly indicate a field dependence of the relaxation rate that signals the presence of slow motions characterized by time constants in the range of tenths of microseconds and slower. The data support, but do not uniquely prove, the hypothesis that this time scale is that appropriate to the isotropic averaging of locally anisotropic water molecule motion at the protein surface.
Computational models of Variable Resolution (VRX) CT scanners

Variable Resolution X-ray (VRX) CT scanners allow imaging of different sized anatomy at the same proportional level of detail using the same device. For example, the same scanner can be used to image large animals such as dogs, and small ones, like mice, with the same level of anatomical detail. This is achieved by tilting the x-ray detectors so that the projected size of the detecting elements is varied producing reconstructions of smaller fields of view with higher spatial resolution [1], [2]. The resolution of central region of a relatively large field of view can be further enhanced by using two or more detectors with different degrees of tilting [3], [4]. Scanners with such “target” regions are useful for following the evolution of pre-diagnosed lesions or any other situation in which a high resolution is indispensable only for a small region of the patient's anatomy, but a larger field of view is needed to avoid artifacts. A computational model of multi-arm VRX scanners was developed as a fundamental aid in the study and development of these devices [4], [5]. This work studies the effect of varying several parameters of the computational model on the quality of the reconstructed image. This will affect the usefulness of the simulator in predicting the quality of the images produced by the scanner being modeled. The parameters studied include the number of X-ray beams per detector cell, the number of energy bins in which the incoming polychromatic beam is divided, and the number of views used in the reconstruction. All these parameters will affect the performance of the simulator both in terms of the time required to perform the computations, and the accuracy of the resulting image. The ideal combination of parameters will allow for faster computation without compromising significantly the resulting quality.
Genome demethylation and imprinting in the endosperm

Imprinting occurs in the endosperm of flowering plants. The endosperm, a product of central cell fertilization, is critical for embryo and seed development. Imprinting in the endosperm is mainly due to the inherited differences in gamete epigenetic composition. Studies have also shown that there are differences in genomic DNA methylation patterns between embryo and endosperm. Examining those differences, along with mutations in the DNA demethylase gene DEMETER, gives insight into the number of imprinted genes and how an antagonistic relationship between TE defense and gene regulation could evolutionarily affect imprinting establishment. Finally, studies demonstrate that DEMETER demethylase activity influences endosperm chromatin composition, and could possibly enhance DNA de novo methylation activity.
First trimester ultrasonography in screening and detection of fetal anomalies

An obstetrical ultrasound examination provides invaluable information regarding the fetus. Until the mid-1980s, ultrasound in the first trimester was limited to localization of the pregnancy, establishing viability, and accurate dating. With the advent of high-resolution ultrasound and transvaginal scanning, a significant amount of information about the fetus can be gained and provided to the patient at a very early stage in gestation. This article provides an overview of the role of first trimester (11-13 + 6 weeks' gestation) ultrasound in screening and diagnosis of fetal anomalies. The first trimester is an ideal time for screening for aneuploidy, primarily due to the advantages that nuchal translucency (NT) measurement provides. NT measurement is also useful in establishing the risk of congenital cardiac disorders and a number of genetic and non-genetic syndromes. Significant NT thickening is associated with an increase in perinatal morbidity and mortality. Potential mechanisms resulting in increased NT are discussed. A number of new ultrasound markers for fetal aneuploidy have been investigated over the past several years, some of which appear to improve the screening efficacy of early ultrasonography. The role of these is reviewed. A number of fetal anomalies can now be consistently diagnosed in the first trimester. Their appearance at this early gestational age is discussed as well. It is clear that, data obtained by first trimester ultrasound are useful in counseling expectant parents and in planning the appropriate follow-up.
Racial and gender effects on pure-tone thresholds and distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) in normal-hearing young adults.

This study examined racial and gender effects on behavioral thresholds and distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) in the same subjects. Pure-tone behavioral thresholds and DPOAEs were measured in 60 young normal-hearing adult subjects (20 Caucasian, 20 Asian, 20 African-American, with ten females and ten males in each group). Behavioral thresholds were measured from 1000 through 16 000 Hz using Bekesy tracking. A DPOAE frequency sweep was measured with primary stimulus levels of L1/L2=60/45 dB SPL, and an f2/f1 of 1.2 at discrete f2 frequencies between 2000 through 12 000 Hz for each subject. Significant racial and gender differences in behavioral thresholds were found at 14 000 and 16 000 Hz, with the African Americans and females having the best hearing sensitivity. Based on the current results, similar findings for DPOAE frequency sweeps can be expected amongst different racial groups given that no significant differences were identified between the groups. To further define the effects of r...
Does open access improve the process and outcome of podiatric care

Background : Open access to clinics is a management strategy to improve healthcare delivery. Providers are sometimes hesitant to adopt open access because of fear of increased visits for potentially trivial complaints. We hypothesized open access clinics would result in decreased wait times, increased number of podiatry visits, fewer “no shows,” higher rates of acute care visits, and lower minor amputation rates over control clinics without open access. Methods : This study was a national retrospective case-control study of VHA (Veterans Hospital Administration) podiatry clinics in 2008. Eight case facilities reported to have open podiatry clinic access for at least one year were identified from an email survey. Sixteen control facilities with similar structural features (e.g., full time podiatrists, health tech, residency program, reconstructive foot surgery, vascular, and orthopedic surgery) were identified in the same geographic region as the case facilities. Results : Twenty-two percent of facilities responded to the survey. Fifty-four percent reported open access and 46% did not. There were no differences in facility or podiatry panel size, podiatry visits, or visit frequency between the cases and controls. Podiatry visits trended higher for control facilities but didn’t reach statistical significance. Case facilities had more new consults seen within 30 days (96%, 89%; P = 0.050) and lower minor amputation rates (0.62/1,000, 1.0/1,000; P = 0.041). Conclusions : The VHA is the world’s largest managed care organization and it relies on clinical efficiencies as one mechanism to improve the quality of care. Open access clinics had more timely access for new patients and lower rates of minor amputations. doi:10.4021/jocmr545w
Nuclear magnetic resonance and rheological studies on the thixotropic properties of montmorillonite-water systems.

Several proposed mechanisms of the thixotropic behavior of montmorillonite-water systems were evaluated. The effects of temperature, reshearing, concentration, and storage time on these systems were studied by means of NMR and rheological measurements. The specific parameters used were the change in line width of the NMR spectrum and the static yield values obtained from the rheograms. The results indicate clear agreement with the theory that the colloidal particles upon contact adhere to form a spacious matrix resembling a house of cards.
Standard cell based pseudo-random clock generator for statistical random sampling of digital signals

A statistical random sampling technique has recently emerged as an elegant design-time efficient technique to address many timing issues of on-chip signals. To obtain reliable measurement results, it requires uniformly distributed sampling edges within the interval defined by the periodic cycles of the signal under measurement. This paper analyzes the characteristics of a random sampling clock relative to the signal under measurement and provides design rules for synthesis of pseudo-random sampling clocks. The proposed circuit provides a way to mix a range of frequencies in a pseudo-random fashion to produce uniformly distributed edges for random sampling, which yields measurement accuracy very close to that of true random sampling. A practical circuit design technique of pseudo-random clock generation is proposed based on a standard cell approach. This allows on-chip integration of a random clock generator while keeping the overall system design-time efficient and portable across varying technologies. The proposed designs are targeted to IBM Cu-08 standard cell libraries and provide a measurement resolution of 1 ps.
Ayahuasca and Spiritual Crisis: Liminality as Space for Personal Growth

There is an increased controversy surrounding Westerners' use of ayahuasca. One issue of importance is psychological resiliency of users and lack of screening by ayahuasca tourism groups in the Amazon. Given the powerful effects of ayahuasca coupled with lack of cultural support, Western users are at increased risk for psychological distress. Many Westerners who experience psychological distress following ayahuasca ceremonies report concurrently profound spiritual experiences. Because of this, it may be helpful to consider these episodes “spiritual emergencies,” or crises resulting from intense and transformative spiritual experiences. Although the author warns readers to avoid romantic comparisons of Western ayahuasca users to shamans, ethnographic data on indigenous shamanic initiates along with theory on liminality may be of some use to understand difficult experiences that accompany ayahuasca use. Given that psychotherapy is culturally sanctioned, therapists trained in treating spiritual crises can help Western ayahuasca users make meaning of their distress. Three case studies are offered as examples of individuals working through various sorts of crises following ayahuasca ceremonies.
Multimodal approach to feature extraction for image and signal learning problems

We present ZEUS, an algorithm for extracting features from images and time series signals. ZEIS is designed to solve a variety of machine learning problems including time series forecasting, signal classification, image and pixel classification of multispectral and panchromatic imagery. An evolutionary approach is used to extract features from a near-infinite space of possible combinations of nonlinear operators. Each problem type (i.e. signal or image, regression or classification, multiclass or binary) has its own set of primitive operators. We employ fairly generic operators, but note that the choice of which operators to use provides an opportunity to consult with a domain expert. Each feature is produced from a composition of some subset of these primitive operators. The fitness for an evolved set of features is given by the performance of a back-end classifier (or regressor) on training data. We demonstrate our multimodal approach to feature extraction on a variety of problems in remote sensing. The performance of this algorithm will be compared to standard approaches, and the relative benefit of various aspects of the algorithm will be investigated.
Smarter objects: using AR technology to program physical objects and their interactions

Graphical User Interfaces (GUI) offers a very flexible interface but require the user's complete visual attention, whereby Tangible User Interfaces (TUI) can be operated with minimal visual attention. To prevent visual overload and provide a flexible yet intuitive user interface, Smarter Objects combines the best of both styles by using a GUI for understanding and programming and a TUI for day to day operation. Smarter Objects uses Augmented Reality technology to provide a flexible GUI for objects when that is needed.
Ocean science in the NRC

Oceanographers all share an interest in the environment and want to make progress understanding it. To make progress in this and in other aspects of our science we need a steady influx of young scientists, better ways of observing and computing, and new ideas about how things work. We need to have a community agreement on a few goals, and we need to convince our government that our science and technology is worth supporting. How do we get these things accomplished? On the small scale, we work through our local institutions, a method that has served much of our science very well. On the larger scale, we need groups of various kinds. For example, UNOLS [Universities National Oceanographic Laboratories System], made up of all the operators of the academic fleet, helps to schedule the ships and advises NSF on funding priorities. Similarly, the Deep-Sea Drilling Project is coordinated by a group made up of the ten institutions that operate ocean-going research ships: Joint Oceanographic Institutions, Inc.
Lipoprotein lipase deficiency in chronic kidney disease is accompanied by down-regulation of endothelial GPIHBP1 expression

Background Chronic renal failure (CRF) is associated with hypertriglyceridemia and impaired clearance of very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) and chylomicrons which are largely due to lipoprotein lipase (LPL) deficiency/dysfunction. After its release from myocytes and adipocytes, LPL binds to the endothelium in the adjacent capillaries where it catalyzes hydrolysis of triglycerides in VLDL and chylomicrons. The novel endothelium-derived molecule, glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored binding protein 1 (GPIHBP1), plays a critical role in LPL metabolism and function by anchoring LPL to the endothelium and binding chylomicrons. GPIHBP1-deficient mice and humans exhibit severe hypertriglyceridemia and diminished heparin-releasable LPL, pointing to the critical role of GPIHBP1 in regulation of LPL activity. Given its central role in regulation of LPL activity and triglyceride metabolism, we explored the effect of chronic kidney disease (CKD) on GPIHBP1 expression.
Facies Model of a Semiarid Freshwater Wetland, Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania

The sedimentology and stratigraphy of a freshwater wet- land in early Pleistocene (; 1.75 Ma) volcaniclastic deposits, Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania, are characterized using texture, mineralogy, micro- fossils, and stratigraphic description to create a depositional facies model. The freshwater wetland was located on the margin of a semi- arid, closed basin containing a playa lake. The lake-margin deposits are dominated by two distinct lithologies: waxy claystones and earthy sediments. Waxy sediments are olive green, dense claystones that con- tain authigenic minerals such as trona, and represent a fluctuating saline, alkaline lake (Hay 1976). Earthy sediments are beige, friable siltstones that contain siliceous microfossils, bone fragments, and minor pebbles; they represent the freshwater wetland. Microfossils from the earthy sediments and diatomites indicate freshwater marsh biota with some rare salt-tolerant species. Associated lithofacies are: diatomite, carbonate, and sandstone. Interpretation of vertical and lateral lithofacies variations in the 2 km 2 wetland, based on ; 50 excavations, identified seven distinct sub- environments: spring deposits, perennial marsh, pool, ephemeral wet- land, fringing wetland, wetland channel, and ephemeral stream. The stratigraphic sequence, estimated to represent an ; 40-50 kyr long interval, indicates that persistent (; 10 3 yr) wet periods prevailed dur- ing the deposition of thick waxy clays when the lake expanded and flooded the wetlands, and equally long intervening dry periods caused the lake to contract, allowing the flourishing of wetlands and accretion of earthy sediment. The lithofacies associations in the Olduvai paleo- wetland provides an important first step in the development of a de- positional environmental model for freshwater wetlands that can be tested elsewhere, particularly in arid and semiarid settings.
Surface waves of printed antennas on planar artificial periodic dielectric structures

The characteristics of surface waves from a Hertzian (elementary) dipole on a multilayer structure with planar periodic material elements are investigated. An integral-equation moment method in conjunction with an analytical array scanning scheme is applied to the boundary-value problem associated with source interaction with infinite periodic structures. A pole-extraction technique and the saddle-point method are applied to find the far-zone periodic surface waves due to a current source. The investigation provides a fundamental study of surface wave properties of printed circuit antennas on planar artificial periodic (photonic bandgap) structures. It is found from the power patterns that surface waves are suppressed in the directions with wave bandgap and greatly enhanced in the directions just outside the bandgap zones. The surface wave pattern may be highly directive and the beam angle varies with frequencies. The finding suggests possible frequency-space selection devices. Experiments are carried out to validate the surface wave bandgap phenomenon and the beam angle frequency-selection property.