cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Review of “The fateful history of Fannie Mae: new deal birth to mortgage crisis fall” By James R. Hagerty

Charleston, SC, USA, The History Press, 2012, ISBN 978-1-60949-769-9In The Fateful History of Fannie Mae: New Deal Birth to Mortgage Crisis Fall, James R. Hagerty discusses the history of one of th...
Expanded mental health benefits and outpatient depression treatment intensity.

Background: The justification for higher cost-sharing for behavioral health treatment is its greater price sensitivity relative to general healthcare treatment. Despite this, recent policy efforts have focused on improving access to behavioral health treatment. Objectives: We measured the effects on outpatient treatment of depression of a change in mental health benefits for employees of a large U.S.-based corporation. Research Design: The benefit change involved 3 major elements: reduced copayments for mental health treatment, the implementation of a selective contracting network, and an effort to destigmatize mental illness. Claims data and a difference-in-differences methodology were used to examine how the benefit change affected outpatient treatment of depression. Subjects: Subjects consisted of 214,517 employee-years of data for individuals who were continuously enrolled for at least 1 full year at the intervention company and 96,365 employee-years in the control group. Measures: We measured initiation into treatment of depression and the number of outpatient therapy visits. Results: The benefit change was associated with a 26% increase in the probability of initiating depression treatment. Conditional on initiating treatment, patients in the intervention company received 1.2 additional (P < 0.001) outpatient mental health treatment visits relative to the control group. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the overall effect of the company's benefit change was to significantly increase the number of outpatient visits per episode of treatment conditional on treatment initiation.
Predictors of Burden in Spouse Caregivers of Individuals With Alzheimer's Disease

This study used the following model of distress: Distress = [Exposure to Stress + Vulnerability]/[Psychological and Social Resources]. The constructs in the model were operationalized as (a) distress in response to caregiver experiences (burden); (b) exposure to stress (care recipient functional impairment in activities of daily living [ADLs]); (c) vulnerability (caregiver health problems, anger, and anxiety); and (d) resources (coping, outlook on life, and social supports). Long-term burden (15-18 months after entry) was predicted by several baseline variables: burden, care recipient ADLs, vulnerability and resource variables, and specific interactions of burden, ADLs, vulnerability, and resource variables. The interactions showed that caregivers with high vulnerability and low resources had higher burden scores than caregivers with other combinations of these variables.
High temperature stability of dispersion strengthened copper alloys irradiated with fast neutrons

Abstract Two heavily cold-worked dispersion strengthened copper alloys, GlidCop™ CuA125 and GlidCop™-Nb, were irradiated at three different conditions to study their response to high temperature neutron irradiation. The results revealed that the GlidCop™-Nb possesses a greater resistance to irradiation-induced changes in the mechanical properties than GlidCop™ CuA125. Although the CuA125 exhibited significant decreases in ultimate strength and increases in elongation, the minimum strength was still higher than that of unirradiated as-wrought CuA125. For all of the alloys the changes in mechanical properties were independent of displacement rate and temperature.
Time-Resolved Spectroscopy with Fourier Transform Spectrometers: Maintaining the Fellgett Advantage

It is shown how the relative white light and IR zero path signals can be adjusted on FT-IR interferometers which share common optics for the two beams so that the full Fellgett advantage is recovered for time-resolved spectra. Time-resolved KBr:CN− vibrational fluorescence spectra in the electronic ground state are used to illustrate the improved measurement technique.
The electrophoretic homogeneity of the myosin subunits

Abstract Gel electrophoresis of myosin in concentrated urea solutions demonstrates that the dissociated chains of myosin migrate as a monodisperse electrochemical species. At lower urea concentrations a complex dissociation-association system is obtained. Sedimentation, viscosity, optical rotation and gel electrophoresis studies under the latter conditions indicate the equilibrium nature of the system.
Limited recovery of striatal dopaminergic fibers by adrenal medullary grafts in MPTP-treated aging mice.

Abstract Systemic injection of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) damages the dopaminergic (DA) nigrostriatal system in C57BL 6 mice. We have investigated the effect of MPTP neurotoxicity and subsequent adrenal medullary grafts into the striatum of young (2–3 months) and aging (12 months) mice. MPTP treatment (4 × 20 mg/kg ip given 3 or 12 h apart in young mice and 12 h apart in aging mice) resulted in 80–90% depletion of striatal DA and virtual disappearance of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-immunoreactive (IR) fibers in both young and aging mice 1 week following treatment. Only partial recovery of TH-IR fibers was seen 5 weeks after MPTP treatment in young mice, while virtually no recovery was seen in aging mice. Adrenal medullary minced pieces were grafted into the striatum of young and aging mice 1 week after MPTP treatment. In young mice, dense TH-IR fibers were observed in the striatum on the grafted side 4 weeks later, far denser than those in sham-operated striatum. Although this staining was most prominent around the grafts, many TH-IR fibers also were found in the ventral striatum close to the nucleus accumbens. No such increase in TH-IR fibers was found on the nongrafted side. DA concentration on the grafted side recovered to 45% of the control level. In aging mice receiving similar grafts, TH-IR fibers also were observed in the grafted striatum, but were less dense and more restricted around the site of the graft compared with young mice. DA concentration on the grafted side was 29% of the control level. We conclude that the MPTP-depleted nigrostriatal DA system in aging mouse brain can recover partially following adrenal medullary grafts, but the degree of recovery is more limited compared with that in young brain.
On foot in SIM CITY: using SIM COPTER as the basis for an ESL writing assignment

This article describes a computer-assisted language learning (CALL) simulation-based activity for ESL writing using SIM COPTER. Participants have two roles: (a) a pilot who must locate an assigned destination and write directions how to walk there and (b) a visitor who must use another participant's directions to get to an unknown destination. Superficially an exercise in writing simple street directions, the activity requires a serious consideration of audience initially beyond most beginning ESL student writers. The activity makes the concept of audience more accessible by concretizing it. It is argued that ESL texts do not adequately deal with the concept of audience. CALL simulation-based writing activities provide an ideal way to do so in a realistic, communicative way.
A simple and versatile fear-conditioning chamber requiring no shock scrambler

Abstract A chamber is described which permits the direct administration of electric shock without an intervening polarity-scrambling device. The chamber design allows convenient manipulation of a variety of visual and auditory stimuli which may be programmed to serve as conditioned stimuli for fear.
FUROSEMIDE GLUCURONIDATION IN INFANTS: IMPLICATIONS OF BETA-GLUCURONIDASE RESISTANT ISOMER FORMATION

FUROSEMIDE GLUCURONIDATION IN INFANTS: IMPLICATIONS OF BETA-GLUCURONIDASE RESISTANT ISOMER FORMATION
GABA and hypothalamic feeding systems

Abstract Intrahypothalamic injections of the GABA agonist, muscimol (50 ng/μl) in volumes of 0.1 to 0.5 μl were made and the effects on feeding observed. The results of a topographical analysis of the hypothalamus indicated that both the PVH and VMH may be separate, though not necessarily independent, foci of a medial, GABA sensitivity satiety system. Microinjections of muscimol into these areas resulted in feeding which was dose-dependent and was attenuated by pretreatment with the GABA antagonist, bicuculline methiodide. Similar injections of other compounds into the PVH provided further evidence for the involvement of GABA in hypothalamic feeding mechanisms. During the light phase of the lighting cycle 0.3 μl injections of muscimol (100 ng) and flurazepam diHCl (20 μg) increased feeding. Similar injections of glycine (500 ng) did not influence feeding during the light phase. During the dark phase, 0.3 μl injections of bicuculline methiodide (30 ng) or picrotoxin (160 ng) suppressed feeding. Similar injections of carbachol (250 ng) increased drinking during the dark phase. Injections of strychnine (950 ng) during this phase were without effect. Suppression of feeding was observed after muscimol injections into the region lateral to the fornix suggesting that the excitatory lateral hypothalamic feeding system also may have GABAergic components. Injections into this area of compounds (allylglycine or EOS, respectively) that inhibit the GABA synthetic or degradative enzymes also influenced feeding. Injections of allyglycine abolished amphetamine, but not fenfluramine anorexia suggesting that GABAergic and catecholaminergic systems may be interrelated in hypothalamic feeding control.
The preparation and use of the hamster cheek pouch for studies of the microcirculation

Abstract The cheek pouch is a useful microcirculatory preparation which has both advantages and disadvantages as outlined below and should be chosen for use with these characteristics in mind. There are several advantages to the use of the cheek pouch over other tissues. (1) The ease of access and relatively non-traumatic double layered preparation make it useful in low magnification studies requiring repeated observation of the same site. (2) The pouch is highly vascular and all classes of microcirculatory vessels can usually be seen within the field of the microscope. Thus, comparative studies on the various microvascular segments are possible. (3) The clarity and optical properties of the pouch are good when compared with other densely vascularized tissues. (4) The pouch possesses both skeletal muscle and cutaneous microcirculatory beds. Therefore, it is particularly useful for comparative studies. Also this arrangement allows one to study the effects of skeletal muscle stimulation on a vascular bed and to use the noncontractile portion of the pouch as a control site. The hamster cheek pouch also suffers from several disadvantages. (1) The animals must be anesthetized. (2) Fairly extensive dissection and clearing of the pouch is required for high resolution studies. (3) The pouch preparation is virtually alymphatic and therefore is not a suitable tissue for studies of water flux. (4) The nerve and blood supplies are diffuse and therefore the pouch is not well suited for perfusion studies or for denervation experiments.
Waterfowl and Lunate Crescents in Western North America: The Archaeology of the Pacific Flyway

California and Great Basin archaeologists have long discussed and debated the function of chipped stone crescents found in Terminal Pleistocene and Early Holocene sites in the Far West of North America. Because they are found over a vast area, in sites occupied over a period spanning at least 4,000 years (~12,000–8,000 cal BP), it may be that crescents were used for a variety of purposes. Here we focus on lunate crescents and their strong association with wetland localities (lakes, marshes, estuaries, and islands). We reconsider whether crescents could have been used as transverse projectile points to hunt waterfowl. We also assess the biogeographical legacies of migrating birds to propose that as many as four species of large anatids (tundra swan, greater white-fronted goose, snow goose, Ross’s goose) that now breed in the Canadian High Arctic once bred in the Great Basin and adjacent regions during the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene. We propose that crescents were used primarily in the taking or processing of geese and swans, some of which may have bred and molted in what are now temperate latitudes. After the Laurentide ice sheet retreated, these four species established High Arctic breeding grounds and no longer bred in the Great Basin. In this scenario, the absence of some populations of molting geese and swans helps explain why crescents fell out of the archaeological record after ~8,000 cal. BP. When crescents were used, Native Americans in the Far West may have had access to millions of large waterfowl.
Decentralized control by rational controllers

A strongly decentralized control problem is considered where only local information is available on both states and goals (the desired states) of each subsystem. A theory is presented which allows one to optimize the behavior of a system with such an information structure.
Steroid-free tacrolimus monotherapy after pretransplantation thymoglobulin or Campath and laparoscopy in living donor renal transplantation.

Living donor renal transplantation was performed under a regimen of recipient pretreatment and low-dose postoperative immunosuppression with subsequent weaning. From October 9, 2002, to December 31, 2004, 196 consecutive, unselected laparoscopic live donor nephrectomies resulting in 196 living donor renal transplantations were performed. Recipients were pretreated with rabbit antithymocyte globulin (thymoglobulin; 24 patients or [12%]) or Campath 1H (alemtuzumab; 166 patients [85%]), or were not in protocol (6 patients [3%]), and were given postoperative steroid-free low-dose tacrolimus immunosuppressive monotherapy with subsequent weaning. There was no donor mortality. Major and minor donor morbidities were 2.6% and 4.2%, respectively. Laparoscopic live donor nephrectomy recipient outcomes with a mean follow-up of 401 days included (1) recipient and graft survival of 99.0% and 97.4%, respectively; (2) no ureteral stenosis; (3) 0.5% delayed graft function, from recurrent focal segmental glomerulosclinosis; and (4) no vascular thrombosis. The incidence of acute rejection at 30, 90, and 401 days was 1.5%, 3.8%, and 11.2% (all 196 recipients), 0%, 25%, and 29.2% (thymoglobulin recipients), and 1.8%, 3.9%, and 8.4% (Campath 1H recipients), respectively. Sixty-six patients (33.7%) are receiving spaced-dose immunosuppressive monotherapy. The mean creatinine concentration in all recipients was 1.5 ± 1.1 mg/dL. There were no instances of cytomegalovirus tissue invasive disease or posttransplantation lymphoproliferative disease. The incidence of new-onset posttransplantation insulin-dependent diabetes was 0.5%. At current follow-up, the use of Campath 1H rather than thymoglobulin for pretreatment seems to have significantly improved the efficacy of our regimen.
Optimization of parameters for fitting linear accelerator photon beams using a modified CBEAM model.

Measured beam profiles and central-axis depth-dose data for 6- and 25-MV photon beams are used to generate a dose matrix which represents the full beam. A corresponding dose matrix is also calculated using the modified CBEAM model. The calculational model uses the usual set of three parameters to define the intensity at beam edges and the parameter that accounts for collimator transmission. An additional set of three parameters is used for the primary profile factor, expressed as a function of distance from the central axis. An optimization program has been adapted to automatically adjust these parameters to minimize the {chi}{sup 2} between the measured and calculated data. The average values of the parameters for small (6{times}6 cm{sup 2}), medium (10{times}10 cm{sup 2}), and large (20{times}20 cm{sup 2}) field sizes are found to represent the beam adequately for all field sizes. The calculated and the measured doses at any point agree to within 2% for any field size in the range 4{times}4 to 40{times}40 cm{sup 2}.
The effect of endogenous altered peptide ligands on peripheral T-cell responses

Abstract Numerous studies have shown that a T cell can productively interact through its TCR with less-than-optimal ligands resulting in partial T-cell activation. These ligands, that we called ‘altered peptide ligands’ (APLs), can act as partial agonists, antagonists or weak agonists for the T cells. Here we discuss the self-antigen system that we used to provide evidence that endogenous APLs exist in vivo and affect T-cell development. We also report the ability of endogenous APLs to induce partial T-cell activation of peripheral T cells, and describe in which circumstances this could occur in vivo.
Embedding and Multiplexing Large Scale Sensor Arrays for Digital Clay

Digital Clay is proposed as the next generation human-machine communication interface with a morphing, tangible and haptic shape / surface. It is composed of a large array of hydraulic actuators in a planar pin-rod style and corresponding control system. It will be constructed using MEMS technology ultimately to satisfy the resolution, manufacturing and cost requirements. Per the ultimate objective, Digital Clay may have 10,000 to 1,000,000 actuators and, consequently, an array of sensors of similarly large numbers. In this paper the sensing system of the Digital Clay is investigated and solutions are given for current and future implementation.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
End-point sensitivity in quantum dynamic calculations

A simple way is described for assessing the accuracy of quantum dynamic calculations as the (integration) end-points are varied. It depends upon the determination of first order elementary sensitivity coefficients (i.e., partial derivatives) of the corresponding dynamic scattering matrix with respect to each of the chosen end-points. The sensitivity coefficients draw upon knowledge of the propagated wavefunction matrix; no further significant work is required than that which is already involved in obtaining the scattering matrix.
Playing With Dialectics: Black Female Friendship Groups as a Homeplace

Female friendships are significant to many Black females because they represent a homeplace, or a safe space. This study uses Baxter and Montgomery's (1996, 1998) relational dialectics theory and Collins’ (2000) Black feminist thought to understand the interplay of contradictions in the stories that Black females tell in their friendship groups. The contradictions embedded in the stories were finances (spending/saving), language (“good”/“bad” English), appearance (satisfaction/dissatisfaction), and race (acceptance/rejection of otherness). The interaction of these tensions showed that the friends engaged in group segregation and integration, which ultimately enabled them to freely express their culturally based truths without fear of marginalization.
Cell type-specific expression analysis to identify putative cellular mechanisms for neurogenetic disorders

Recent advances have substantially increased the number of genes that are statistically associated with complex genetic disorders of the CNS such as autism and schizophrenia. It is now clear that there will likely be hundreds of distinct loci contributing to these disorders, underscoring a remarkable genetic heterogeneity. It is unclear whether this genetic heterogeneity indicates an equal heterogeneity of cellular mechanisms for these diseases. The commonality of symptoms across patients suggests there could be a functional convergence downstream of these loci upon a limited number of cell types or circuits that mediate the affected behaviors. One possible mechanism for this convergence would be the selective expression of at least a subset of these genes in the cell types that comprise these circuits. Using profiling data from mice and humans, we have developed and validated an approach, cell type-specific expression analysis, for identifying candidate cell populations likely to be disrupted across sets of patients with distinct genetic lesions. Using human genetics data and postmortem gene expression data, our approach can correctly identify the cell types for disorders of known cellular etiology, including narcolepsy and retinopathies. Applying this approach to autism, a disease where the cellular mechanism is unclear, indicates there may be multiple cellular routes to this disorder. Our approach may be useful for identifying common cellular mechanisms arising from distinct genetic lesions.
Use of Guinea Pigs as Model to Study Galactose-Induced Cataract Formation

Because the dietary requirement for ascorbic acid is similar in humans and guinea pigs, galactose-induced cataract research with the guinea pig as an experimental model instead of the rat might be appropriate and may represent a closer analogy to galactosemic cataract formation in humans. In this study, dietary ascorbic acid was found in all guinea pigs to have a retarding or delaying effect on the development of galactose-induced cataracts.
3D Virtual Worlds: Assessing the Experience and Informing Design

Teams meet in 3D virtual worlds more frequently than ever before, yet the tools for evaluating 3D collaboration environments are underdeveloped. To close the 3D collaboration tool evaluation gap, the authors integrate lessons from the gaming industry and distributed work research. They develop two complementary approaches. First, the individual userâ€™s perspective using eye-tracking (ET) is addressed, and second, the collaborative experience of the group using a technique called All-Views-Qualitative-Analysis (AVQA) is evaluated. The latter integrates the points-of-view of all subjects in a small group collaborating on a creative work task in a 3 dimensional virtual world. The authors show how these techniques enable evaluation of 3D environment design from the perspective of human computer interaction theory and theories related to distributed work. The paper discusses why designers should seek ways to leverage the advantages of 3D collaboration technologies and avoid recreating mirrors of physical space in these environments.
Conserved Sequence and Structural Motifs Contribute to the DNA Binding and Cleavage Activities of a Geminivirus Replication Protein

Tomato golden mosaic virus (TGMV), a member of the geminivirus family, has a single-stranded DNA genome that replicates through a rolling circle mechanism in nuclei of infected plant cells. TGMV encodes one essential replication protein, AL1, and recruits the rest of the DNA replication apparatus from its host. AL1 is a multifunctional protein that binds double-stranded DNA, catalyzes cleavage and ligation of single-stranded DNA, and forms oligomers. Earlier experiments showed that the region of TGMV AL1 necessary for DNA binding maps to the N-terminal 181 amino acids of the protein and overlaps the DNA cleavage (amino acids 1-120) and oligomerization (amino acids 134-181) domains. In this study, we generated a series of site-directed mutations in conserved sequence and structural motifs in the overlapping DNA binding and cleavage domains and analyzed their impact on AL1 function in vivo and in vitro. Only two of the fifteen mutant proteins were capable of supporting viral DNA synthesis in tobacco protoplasts. In vitro experiments demonstrated that a pair of predicted alpha-helices with highly conserved charged residues are essential for DNA binding and cleavage. Three sequence motifs conserved among geminivirus AL1 proteins and initiator proteins from other rolling circle systems are also required for both activities. We used truncated AL1 proteins fused to a heterologous dimerization domain to show that the DNA binding domain is located between amino acids 1 and 130 and that binding is dependent on protein dimerization. In contrast, AL1 monomers were sufficient for DNA cleavage and ligation. Together, these results established that the conserved motifs in the AL1 N terminus contribute to DNA binding and cleavage with both activities displaying nearly identical amino acid requirements. However, DNA binding was readily distinguished from cleavage and ligation by its dependence on AL1/AL1 interactions.
Connections between discriminants and the root distribution of polynomials with rational generating function

Abstract Let H m ( z ) be a sequence of polynomials whose generating function ∑ m = 0 ∞ H m ( z ) t m is the reciprocal of a bivariate polynomial D ( t , z ) . We show that in the three cases D ( t , z ) = 1 + B ( z ) t + A ( z ) t 2 , D ( t , z ) = 1 + B ( z ) t + A ( z ) t 3 and D ( t , z ) = 1 + B ( z ) t + A ( z ) t 4 , where A ( z ) and B ( z ) are any polynomials in z with complex coefficients, the roots of H m ( z ) lie on a portion of a real algebraic curve whose equation is explicitly given. The proofs involve the q-analogue of the discriminant, a concept introduced by Mourad Ismail.
Labor Productivity–The Use of Staffing Guides and Other Productivity Methods in U.S. Hotels: A Survey Study

ABSTRACT This paper examines the issue of labor productivity in hotels. It elaborates on various measurement methods used by American hoteliers, including staffing guides, with a special focus on productivity standards. Advantages of physical, financial, and mixed methods such as percentage methods, revenue per employee, value-added, Data Envelopment Analysis, and Stochastic Frontier Analysis are discussed. While the use of percentages and staffing guides was found to be commonplace, results revealed that some fairly stable standards were already in place in the surveyed hotels. Results also revealed that, at least in the surveyed companies, few hoteliers attempted to monitor or improve revenue per employee, focusing instead on physical labor inputs and outputs or simple labor percentages.
Ring-type ESD damage caused by electrostatic chuck of ion implanter

Electrostatic discharge (ESD) due to electrostatic chuck (ESC) during ion implantation was observed in our fab. This defect could burn out the inter-layer dielectric and jeopardize the circuit performance. the yield impact on 0.35 micrometers product could be 40 percent. The defect distributed around the wafer edge and has a ring-type map. This defect occurred right after ESD implantation. The fringe field of the electrostatic chuck is the key reason why ring-type electrostatic discharge damage happened right after ion implantation. Our experimental result also showed that the junction characterization and surface conductivity will influence the probability of ESD damage caused by electrostatic chuck of ion implanter.
Frozen Starters from Internal-pH-Control-Grown Cultures

Abstract Frozen starters were prepared by growing and freezing unconcentrated individual Streptococcus cremoris strains in an internal-pH-control medium (PHASE 4). Frozen cultures were stored for 3 mo, with and without a cryoprotectant, and assayed monthly for cell viability and activity. Individual strains showed variations in their ability to survive storage at −20°C. Addition of glycerol helped preserve cell viability and activity at −20°C. Storage at −40 and −80°C in PHASE 4 preserved activity and viability without need of cryoprotectants. Unfrozen PHASE 4 cultures retained original activity and viability after 1 mo refrigerated storage. Frozen PHASE 4-grown starters have been used successfully in Cheddar and cottage cheese making for over 1 yr.
Differential diagnosis of ADHD: Are objective measures of attention, impulsivity, and activity level helpful?

Abstract The diagnostic utility of objective measures of inattention, impulsivity, and activity level was assessed by examining the classification of ADHD and non-ADHD patients, as well as normal children. Discriminant function analyses correctly classified 72.4% of subjects in the ADHD versus normal control comparison, and 66.2% in the ADHD versus non-ADHD comparison. Poor performance on objective measures was generally indicative of ADHD relative to normal controls, but “average” performance could not be used to rule out ADHD. Diagnostic classification indices were much lower in the ADHD versus non-ADHD patient discrimination. CPT-inattention scores had moderate sensitivity, but low specificity; CPT-impulsivity and actigraph scores had low sensitivity but high specificity. These findings are discussed in terms of the utility of these objective measures for assessing ADHD in clinical and nonclinical populations.
Congenital left atrial appendage aneurysm with intact pericardium: Diagnosis by transesophageal echocardiography

vealed a residual bidirectional flow disturbance across one site of the repair, with subsequent resolution over a 2-month period. The clinical importance of such a residual flow abnormality rests on the differentiation between inadequate or incomplete surgical repair and a transient postoperative shunting across suture lines that will eventually obliterate or endothelialize. In that respect, this residual flow abnormality appears analogous to flow disturbances described after ventricular septal defect patch repair, where it has been postulated to occur along the suture line and not through the patch material itself.gr lo This study illustrates the usefulness of serial postoperative echocardiographic and color Doppler evaluation in ascertaining the true nature of post-repair residual shunting. We conclude that the diagnosis of a pseudoaneurysm and the detection of shunting flow through its communication with the left ventricle can be significantly facilitated by colorflow Doppler imaging. Early residual shunting after surgical repair may indicate a transient flow disturbance along suture lines, with subsequent obliteration or endothelialization.
Amyloid burden correlates with cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease presenting with aphasia.

Background and purpose A subset of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) present with early and prominent language deficits. It is unclear whether the burden of underlying β-amyloid pathology is associated with language or general cognitive impairment in these subjects. Methods The relationship between cortical β-amyloid burden on [11C]Pittsburgh compound B (PiB) positron emission tomography (PET) and performance on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), the Wechsler Memory Scale − Third Edition (WMS-III), the Boston Naming Test (BNT) and the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB) was assessed using regression and correlation analyses in subjects presenting with aphasia who showed β-amyloid deposition on PiB PET. Results The global PiB ratio was inversely correlated with MoCA (P = 0.02) and the WMS-III Visual Reproduction (VR) subtest (VR I, P = 0.02; VR II, P = 0.04). However, the correlations between PiB ratio, BNT (P = 0.13), WAB aphasia quotient (P = 0.11) and WAB repetition scores (P = 0.34) were not significant. Conclusion This study demonstrates that an increased cortical β-amyloid burden is associated with cognitive impairment, but not language deficits, in AD subjects presenting with aphasia. The results suggest that β-amyloid deposition could be partly contributing to impaired cognition in such patients whilst language dysfunction may be more influenced by other pathological mechanisms, perhaps downstream pathways of β-amyloid deposition.
Implementing a Back-to-Rehab Day

This article discusses the process of planning and implementing an event during which former patients are invited to return to their acute inpatient rehabilitation facility to visit the treating team, provide information about their treatment satisfaction, participate in follow-up interviews, and measure the functional gains made since discharge. For staff members and former patients and their families, Back-to-Rehab Days are rewarding and educational experiences.
Morphology of the secondary cosmic microwave background anisotropies: the key to ‘smouldering’ reionization

We show how the morphological analysis of the maps of the secondary CMB anisotropies can detect an extended period of “smoldering” reionization, during which the universe remains partially ionized. Neither radio observations of the redshifted 21cm line nor IR observations of the redshifted Lyman-alpha forest will be able to detect such a period. The most sensitive to this kind of non-gaussianity parameters are the number of regions in the excursion set, Ncl, the perimeter of the excursion set, Pg, and the genus (i.e. ’1 - number of holes’) of the largest (by area) region. For example, if the universe reionized fully at z = 6, but maintained about 1/3 mean ionized fraction since z = 20,then a 2 arcmin map with 500 2 pixel resolution and a signal-to-noise ratio S/N = 1/2 allows to detect the non-gaussianity due to reionization with better than 99% confidence level.
Muscle strength and hypertrophy occur independently of protein supplementation during short-term resistance training in untrained men

Short-term resistance training has consistently demonstrated gains in muscular strength, but not hypertrophy. Post-resistance training protein ingestion is posited to augment the acute anabolic sti...
Purification and properties of rat liver mitochondrial glutathione peroxidase

Glutathione peroxidase (glutathione:hydrogen peroxide oxidoreductase, EC 1.11.1.9) was purified from rat liver mitochondria. The enzyme was shown to be pure by polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis and to contain multiple forms that differed in charge. Selenium was specifically associated with the enzyme. The enzyme was inhibited by iodoacetic acid and iodoacetamide in an unusual pattern of reduction by sulfhydryl compounds and pH dependency. The mitochondrial and cytoplasmic forms of the enzyme were compared, and an explanation of the inhibition patterns is offered.
Testicular torsion and usefulness of radionuclide scanning

Abstract The usage of the testicular scan to differentiate torsion from epididymo-orchids in 33 patients is reported. Our results yielded a surgically confirmed accuracy rate of 77 per cent, and a clinical accuracy rate of 100 per cent. The entity of missed torsion has a characteristic appearance, which we have termed the “halo sign.”
Measurements on a Proposed Short Wavelength Laser System in Xenon III

Measurements on a proposed short wavelength laser system at 108.9 nm in doubly ionized Xenon are reported. Previous electron spectroscopy data indicate that a population inversion should be created between the Xe III states 5s0 5p6 1S0 and 5s0 5p6 1P1 due to selective Auger decay following photoionization of a 4d electron from the neutral atom. Using a high repetition rate laser produced plasma x-ray source and time correlated photon counting, we measured the lifetime of the 1S0 upper state to be 4.75 ±0.15 nsec with a collisional quenching rate of 2.8±0.2x107 (torr-sec)-1. We also determined the Auger branching ratio into the upper and lower states by measuring fluorescence intensities. Implementation of this laser scheme is discussed including limitations in photopumping short wavelength lasers due to amplified spontaneous emission.
Somatosensory inattention after dopamine-depleting intracerebral 6-OHDA injections: spontaneous recovery and pharmacological control.

The unilateral injection of 6-hydroxydopamine into the area ventralis tegmenti of rats pretreated with desmethylimipramine resulted in an inattention to somatosensory stimuli impinging on the contralateral body surface. Three separate groups of rats could be identified, that varied in their behavioral deficit: (1) 7 rats showed no recovery of orientation to touch during 4 months postoperatively; (2) 8 showed a marked loss of orientation followed by recovery that was nearly complete within one month; (3) 11 showed a minimal deficit in orientation. Those rats that did recover showed a characteristic pattern: orientation began first to touch of rostral body points (e.g. snout) and only later to touch of caudal body regions. The administration of low doses ofα-methyl-p-tyrosine or spiroperidol to rats that had spontaneously recovered from their somatosensory loss reinstated their contralateral inattention while not affecting their orientation to ipsilateral touch. As these drugs took effect, orientation was affected first at the caudal body points and only later at more rostral regions. As the drug effects dissipated, orientation was restored rostrocaudally. High correlations were observed between neostriatal DA and the extent of somatosensory orientation observed immediately after surgery(r = +0.76) or during the entire postoperative month(r = +0.66). While the results point clearly to the role of neostriatal DA loss in the somatosensory inattention syndrome, a loss of the DA-containing terminals in olfactory tubercles and nucleus accumbens septi may contribute to this impairment.
Net fluxes of CO2, but not N2O or CH4, are affected following agronomic-scale additions of urea to prairie and arable soils

Abstract While experimental addition of nitrogen (N) tends to enhance soil fluxes of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), methane (CH 4 ), and nitrous oxide (N 2 O), it is not known if lower and agronomic-scale additions of urea-N applied also enhance trace gas fluxes, particularly for semi-arid agricultural lands in the northern plains. We aimed to test if this were true at agronomic rates [low (11 kg N ha −1 ), moderate (56 kg N ha −1 ), and high (112 kg N ha −1 )] for central North Dakota arable and prairie soils using intact soil cores to minimize disturbance and simulate field conditions. Additions of urea to cores incubated at 21 °C and 57% water-filled pore space enhanced fluxes of CO 2 but not CH 4 and N 2 O. At low, moderate, and high urea-N, CO 2 fluxes were significantly greater than control but not fluxes of CH 4 and N 2 O. The increases in CO 2 emission with rate of urea-N application indicate that agronomic-scale N inputs may stimulate microbial carbon cycling in these soils, and that the contribution of CO 2 to net greenhouse gas source strength following fertilization of semi-arid agroecosystems may at times be greater than contributions by N 2 O and CH 4 .
Influences of lavender fragrance and cut flower arrangements on cognitive performance

Summary Olfactory and visual effects of lavender fragrance and cut flower arrangements on cognitive performance of university students (34 females and 32 males) were examined by measuring their performance of completing a mental arithmetic task (calculating speed and calculating accuracy). For female participants, olfactory effects of the lavender fragrance tended to enhance calculating speed and calculating accuracy, and visual effects of the cut flower arrangements significantly improved calculating speed. For male participants, visual effects of the cut flower arrangements tended to improve calculating accuracy. The combined olfactory and visual treatment did not show positively additive effects to benefit cognitive performance for either gender.
The heart's Da Vinci code: a Renaissance at Keystone

At a recent Keystone symposium on "Molecular Pathways in Cardiac Development and Disease" in Colorado, significant advances in the understanding of heart development were discussed. The identification and isolation of cardiovascular progenitors, their modulation by secreted factors, and some tantalizing insights into cardiac regeneration were some of the highlights of what was characterized by some as a renaissance in cardiovascular development.
Efficient synthesis of small molecule macroarrays: optimization of the macroarray synthesis platform and examination of microwave and conventional heating methods

We report a method for the efficient construction of small molecule macroarrays using microwave-assisted SPOT-synthesis. Macroarrays of 1,3-diphenylpropenones (chalcones) were synthesized rapidly and in high purity starting from robust, Wang-linker-derivatized planar supports. We have optimized the entire chalcone macroarray construction process and evaluated the efficiency and utility of microwave-assisted reactions in array synthesis. Microwave heating was found to be most beneficial for reactions that require temperatures greater than the boiling points of the solvents. These microwave-assisted conditions permitted straightforward access to macroarrays of 2,4,6-triarylpyridines derived from the original chalcone scaffold.
Loop-transfer recovery via Hardy-space optimization

A Hardy-space optimization technique is adapted to solve the Linear-Quadratic-Gaussian with Loop-TransferRecovery problem. Repetitive computations for the sequence of filter or controller gains as some parameter approaches zero or infinity are avoided. The limit values of the Loop-Transfer-Recovery compensator are obtained by the Hardy-space optimization in one iteration without involving infinite filter or controller gains.
The Tracking Study: description of a randomized controlled trial of variations on weight tracking frequency in a behavioral weight loss program.

Abstract Background Observational evidence from behavioral weight control trials and community studies suggests that greater frequency of weighing oneself, or tracking weight, is associated with better weight outcomes. Conversely, it has also been suggested that frequent weight tracking may have a negative impact on mental health and outcomes during weight loss, but there are minimal experimental data that address this concern in the context of an active weight loss program. To achieve the long-term goal of strengthening behavioral weight loss programs, the purpose of this randomized controlled trial (the Tracking Study) is to test variations on frequency of self-weighing during a behavioral weight loss program, and to examine psychosocial and mental health correlates of weight tracking and weight loss outcomes. This paper describes the study design, intervention features, recruitment, and baseline characteristics of participants enrolled in the Tracking Study. Methods/design Three hundred thirty-nine overweight and obese adults were recruited and randomized to one of three variations on weight tracking frequency during a 12-month weight loss program with a 12-month follow-up: daily weight tracking, weekly weight tracking, or no weight tracking. The primary outcome is weight in kilograms at 24 months. The weight loss program integrates each weight tracking instruction with standard behavioral weight loss techniques (goal setting, self-monitoring, stimulus control, dietary and physical activity enhancements, lifestyle modifications); participants in weight tracking conditions were provided with wireless Internet technology (wi-fi-enabled digital scales and touchscreen personal devices) to facilitate weight tracking during the study. Conclusion This study was successful in recruiting adult male and female participants and is positioned to enhance the standard of care with regard to weight tracking recommendations.
Lipid Composition of Citrus Leaves from Plants Resistant and Susceptible to Citrus Bacterial Canker

The contents and composition of lipids in citrus leaves in relation to their general resistance to infection by strains of Xanthomonas campestris pv. citri (Xcc) were determined. The composition and contents of total polar lipids and phospholipids and the degree of fatty acid unsaturation were significantly different between resistant and susceptible species. Leaves from resistant plants had less phospholipids, but more free sterols than those from susceptible plants. The predominant fatty acids in the phospholipids were palmitic (16:0), linoleic (18:2) and α-linolenic acid (18:3). The degree of fatty acid unsaturation was higher in susceptible plants than in resistant plants. Major phospholipids in citrus leaves were phosphatidylchloline (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), and phosphatidylinositol (PI). β-Sitosterol, campesterol and lanosterol were major sterols in the leaves of citrus plants with resistant species having a higher ratio of free sterols to total phospholipids than susceptible species. Differences in lipid metabolism may contribute to differences in Xcc-resistance of citrus leaves.
CLINICAL DISCUSSION SESSIONS AND SMALL GROUPS

Because most adults learn more efficiently and what they learn is retained longer when they are able to engage in active learning, discussion groups are at the center of medical education. Group discussion is an active learning process. Active learning supports participant interchange through structured and supportive educational procedures. Small group discussions provide opportunities for identification of new areas of knowledge acquisition by students. They also can be used to formally integrate previous knowledge though active integrating discussion. The clinical instructor who uses small group discussions effectively will find that his role as information provider is diminished, but that his role as facilitator is greatly enhanced. The paper focuses on purposes for discussion groups, the role of the clinical instructor, and offers specific suggestions for techniques to enhance small group discussions.
A linear solution to the effective four-dimensionality problem

AbstractIn this note we formalize certain aspects of observation processin an attempt to link the logic of the observer with properties of theobservablesstructures. Itisshownthatan observerwithBoolean logicperceives her environment as a four-dimensional Lorentzian manifold. Introduction. Topos theory ([1], [6], [7], [2], [4], [3]) oﬀers an independent (of the set the-ory) approach to the foundations of mathematics. Topoi are categories withset-like objects, function-like arrows and Boolean-like logic algebras. Han-dling these generalized sets and functions in a topos may diﬀer from thatin classical mathematics (i.e. the topos Set of sets): there are non-classicalversions of mathematics, each with its non-Boolean version of logic. Onepossible view on topoi is this: abstract worlds, universes for mathematicaldiscourse, inhabitants (observers) of which may use non-Boolean logics intheir reasoning. From this viewpoint the main business of classical physicsis to construct models of the universe with a given bivalent Boolean modelof the observer, and choose the most adequate one. In a sense, our task isinverse: with a given model of the universe, to construct models of the ob-server, and ﬁnd out how the observer’s perception of the universe changes if1
A Bulk Perturbation in a Grafted Brush

We find the response of a grafted polymer brush in a melt state to the insertion of a small, impenetrable object in its bulk. The response is calculated by means of perturbation theory applied to Semenov's self-consistent mean-field theory of polymer brushes. We find that both the induced pressure field and the deformation of the free surface decay exponentially away from the region of insertion. The pressure field exhibits no dependence on the depth at which the object is inserted. The decay length for both quantities is of the order of the thickness of the brush, h0. We also discuss the induced interaction between two immersed objects.
Should functioning AV fistulas be ligated after renal transplantation

PurposeThere is limited literature available to guide physicians on a course of action when they are approached by renal transplant recipients regarding the status of their vascular accesses. Howev...
Arrangement of repeated sequences in the DNA of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.

Abstract The arrangement of repeated sequences in the DNA of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has been studied by electron microscopy and reassociation kinetics. Inverted repeats observed in the electron microscope are mostly less than 1000 base-pairs in length and are distributed randomly with an average separation of 33,000 bases. Comparison of the number and distribution of these inverted repeats with the amount of DNA in the foldback fraction isolated by hydroxyapatite chromatography suggests that much of the material in the foldback fraction contains a sequence distinct from the class of inverted repeats observed in the electron microscope. C0t ‡ analysis of DNA fragments several thousand nucleotides in length shows that moderately repetitive sequences are interspersed with unique sequences. Most of these interspersed, repeated sequences are a few hundred nucleotides in length, as determined from electron micrographs. DNA sequence arrangement in C. elegans is therefore similar to the arrangement found in most other eukaryotes.