cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Racial/ethnic differences in the birth prevalence of congenital anomalies in the United States

Objectives This work aimed to analyze a single large representative population to determine racial/ethnic differences in the prevalence of congenital anomalies (CA). Design This is a population-based comprehensive analysis of racial/ethnic differences in the prevalence of CA diagnoses. We reviewed all live births in the 2008 Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database and determined the birth prevalence of 55 selected CA diagnoses in Caucasians. We then calculated the relative risk of these CA diagnoses in African American, Hispanics, and Asians relative to Caucasians. Result Overall CA prevalence was 29.2 per 1000 in a cohort of 1,048,252 live births, of which 51% were Caucasians. Compared with Caucasians, risk of overall CA was lower in African Americans (RR=0.9, CI: 0.8-0.9) and Hispanics (RR=0.9, CI: 0.8-0.9). Risk of overall CA was similar in Caucasians and Asians. Relative to the Caucasians, African Americans had lower risk of cardiac, genitourinary, and craniofacial CA but higher risk of musculoskeletal anomalies. Hispanics had lower risk of genitourinary and gastrointestinal CA. Asians had higher risk of craniofacial and musculoskeletal CA. Conclusions Observed racial/ethnic differences in risk of CA may be related to genetic susceptibilities, cultural or social differences that could modify exposures, or many potential combinations between susceptibilities and exposures.
Isosurface generation by using extrema graphs

A high-performance algorithm for generating isosurfaces is presented. In this algorithm, extrema points in a scalar field are first extracted. A graph is then generated in which the extrema points are taken as nodes. Each arc of the graph has a list of IDs of the cells that are intersected by the arc. A boundary cell list ordered according to cells' values is also generated. The graph and the list generated in this pre-process are used as a guide in searching for seed cells. Isosurfaces are generated from seed cells that are found in arcs of the graph. In this process isosurfaces appear to propagate themselves. The algorithm visits only cells that are intersected by an isosurface and cells whose IDs are included in cell lists. It is especially efficient when many isosurfaces are interactively generated in a huge volume. Some benchmark tests described in this paper show the efficiency of the algorithm.
Investigation of the Emission Mechanism in Milled SrAl2O4:Eu, Dy Using Optical and Synchrotron X-ray Spectroscopy

There currently exists much debate as to the active state related to the “long afterglow” effect in europium doped oxide materials. Redox couples that consist of Eu+/2+ and Eu2+/3+ are discussed, but no common answer is currently accepted. Here, we present a comparison of the optical properties of a commercially available SrAl2O4:Eu, Dy phosphor, as a function of nanoparticle size reduction via dry mechanical milling. X-ray and optical spectroscopic data indicate a significant decrease in phosphorescence efficiency and an increase in laser stimulated emission efficiency as near surface Eu2+ ions are oxidized to Eu3+ as a consequence of increased exposure during the milling process. These results show evidence only for Eu2+/3+ oxidation states, suggesting the mechanism related to long afterglow effect does not arise from Eu+ species. We also suggest that size reduction, as a rule, cannot be universally applied to improve optical properties of nanostructures.
Spectral modeling of Fe XVII pumped by a free-electron x-ray laser

ABSTRACTThe atomic structure and x-ray pumping of neonlike Fe xvii have been calculated and modeled under free-electron laser excitation conditions using the Flexible Atomic Code. Specically, pumping of the (2p 3 / 2 3s 1 / 2 ) 2 ,1 ,(2p 1 / 2 3s 1 / 2 ) 1 , (2p 3 / 2 3d 5 / 2 ) 1 , and (2p 1 / 2 3d 3 / 2 ) 1 levels that connect with the ground state (2s 2 2p 6 ) 0 by the so-called M2, 3G, 3F, 3D, and 3C transitions have been studied. In addition, the spectrum of sodiumlike Fe xvihas been modeled to account for possible line coincidences with the neonlike spectrum. The calculations includeoscillator strengths, radiative lifetimes, autoionization rates, non-resonant photoionization cross sections, andline emissivities.Keywords: atomic spectra, x-ray pumping, laboratory astrophysics, free-electron laser1. INTRODUCTIONThe combination of electron beam ion traps (EBITs) with accelerator-based light sources is a novel laser-spectroscopic technique for the study of x-ray transitions in highly charged ions. The x-ray emission from asynchrotron or free-electron laser (FEL) is guided into an EBIT, where ions of a certain charge state are createdand conned in an electromagnetic trap. The laser radiation can then pump specic atomic resonances of thenearly stationary highly charged ions and populate energy levels otherwise not readily excited in a low-densitycollisional plasma. The technique allows for new regimes of atomic physics to be explored, such as line-formationprocesses in photoionized plasmas. The EBIT accelerator arrangement has been tested at laboratories such asthe BESSY- iielectron storage ring
Advanced glycation endproducts induce podocyte apoptosis by activation of the FOXO4 transcription factor.

Advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) and a receptor for AGEs (RAGE) have been linked in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy. RAGE is usually localized to podocytes and is increased in diabetes. RAGE activation increases reactive oxygen species production, which mediates hyperglycemia-induced podocyte apoptosis in early diabetic nephropathy. Here, we examined the interaction of AGE and RAGE on podocyte apoptosis. When we exposed murine cultured podocytes to bovine serum albumin (BSA) that was modified by AGEs or to carboxymethyl-lysine BSA, more apoptosis was found when compared with unmodified BSA. Similarly, more podocytes underwent detachment and apoptosis when cultured on AGE-modified collagen IV than on native collagen IV. AGEs isolated from sera of patients with chronic kidney disease also caused apoptosis of podocytes. Apoptosis was diminished by small interference RNA (siRNA) for RAGE in podocytes exposed to AGE-BSA, but not to AGE-modified collagen IV. Both AGE- and carboxymethyl-lysine modified-BSA activated p38MAP kinase and inhibition of this kinase reduced the apoptotic effect of AGE-BSA. Exposure to AGE-BSA was associated with Akt dephosphorylation and FOXO4 transcriptional activation leading to an increase in the expression of an effector protein of apoptosis, Bim. siRNA for FOXO4 abolished AGE-BSA-induced apoptosis of podocytes. Our study suggests that an AGE–RAGE interaction contributes to podocyte apoptosis by activation of the FOXO4 transcription factor.
Characterization of the Bacteroides fragilis bfr gene product identifies a bacterial DPS-like protein and suggests evolutionary links in the ferritin superfamily.

A factor contributing to the pathogenicity of Bacteroides fragilis, the most common anaerobic species isolated from clinical infections, is the bacterium's extreme aerotolerance, which allows survival in oxygenated tissues prior to anaerobic abscess formation. We investigated the role of the bacterioferritin-related (bfr) gene in the B. fragilis oxidative stress response. The bfr mRNA levels are increased in stationary phase or in response to O2 or iron. In addition, bfr null mutants exhibit reduced aerotolerance, and the bfr gene product protects DNA from hydroxyl radical cleavage in vitro. Crystallographic studies revealed a protein with a dodecameric structure and greater similarity to an archaeal DNA protection in starved cells (DPS)-like protein than to the 24-subunit bacterioferritins. Similarity to the DPS-like (DPSL) protein extends to the subunit and includes a pair of conserved cysteine residues juxtaposed to a buried dimetal binding site within the four-helix bundle. Compared to archaeal DPSLs, however, this bacterial DPSL protein contains several unique features, including a significantly different conformation in the C-terminal tail that alters the number and location of pores leading to the central cavity and a conserved metal binding site on the interior surface of the dodecamer. Combined, these characteristics confirm this new class of miniferritin in the bacterial domain, delineate the similarities and differences between bacterial DPSL proteins and their archaeal homologs, allow corrected annotations for B. fragilis bfr and other dpsl genes within the bacterial domain, and suggest an evolutionary link within the ferritin superfamily that connects dodecameric DPS to the (bacterio)ferritin 24-mer.
An examination of the use of audiovisual media in reducing prejudice

This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of audiovisual media as an instructional technique for altering ethnic attitudes among young children. Subjects were 153 children between the ages of five and nine, randomly assigned to one of three groups: Group 1 (Control), Group 2 (subjects viewed one film) or Group 3 (subjects viewed two films). The findings indicated that Group 2 and Group 3 gave significantly fewer prejudiced responses than Group 1 (p < .01). Furthermore, demographic variables (i.e., age, sex, or ethnicity of subject and tester) did not affect the ability of the treatment to modify attitudes. Both the implications and the limitations of these findings are discussed.
Microinjections of an opiate receptor antagonist into the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis suppress heroin self-administration in dependent rats

Recent anatomical evidence suggests that the shell of the nucleus accumbens, the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and the central nucleus of the amygdala, together referred to as the extended amygdala, may play a role in opiate dependence. The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and the shell of the nucleus accumbens have a moderately high density of opiate receptors, which allows for manipulation of opiate neurotransmission with receptor antagonists. The goal of this study was to determine the role these regions play in opiate reinforcement, and whether dependence alters the reinforcing effects of opiates by examining the effect of local administration of the opiate receptor antagonist methylnaloxonium on heroin self-administration in dependent and nondependent rats. Previous studies revealed that blockade of the reinforcing effects of opiates with systemic administration of opiate receptor antagonists results in an increase in heroin self-administration in nondependent rats, and a greater increase in dependent rats. In the present study, methylnaloxonium dose-dependently suppressed heroin intake when injected into the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and shell of the nucleus accumbens of dependent rats, and had no effect in nondependent rats. These results demonstrate that opiate receptors in parts of the extended amygdala may be responsible for the reinforcing effects of opiates in dependent animals and suggest that activity in this system may be recruited during the development of dependence.
Formation of stable, two-dimensional alloy-surface phases: Sn on Cu(111), Ni(111), and Pt(111)

Results are summarized of ion-scattering analysis of the surface structure obtained following deposition and annealing of ultrathin layers of Sn on Cu(111), Ni(111), and Pt(111). It is found that on each substrate, annealing to about 0.4 of the substrate melting temperature gives rise to a stable structure characterized by a p(\ensuremath{\surd}3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} \ensuremath{\surd}3)-R30\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} low-energy electron diffraction pattern and 1/3 monolayer coverage. The surfaces are isostructural and correspond to rippled surface alloy which is a single layer thick. The measured rippling, in which Sn atoms protrude outward from neighboring substrate atoms, is found to be linearly related to the substrate lattice constant suggesting that rippling provides lateral strain relief within the layer. Issues of the depth distribution, the thermal stability, the preferential formation of the p(\ensuremath{\surd}3 \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} \ensuremath{\surd}3 )-R30\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} ordering, and the measured rippling are discussed in light of the ion-scattering results and theoretical studies of surface alloys.
Stimulus-central processing-response compatibility: Guidelines for the optimal use of speech technology

With the emergence of speech technology as a viable display/control alternative, the question of guidelines is of importance. Stimulus-central processing-response (S-C-R) compatibility is proposed as a preliminary set of guidelines. S-C-R compatibility makes a two-part set of predictions about the best input/output (I/O) configuration for a task on the basis of the type of central processing that the task requires. For tasks with predominately spatial central processing demands, the best I/O configuration is predicted to be visual/manual. For tasks with predominately verbal central processing demands, the best I/O configuration is expected to be auditory/speech. A series of three experiments testing these predictions is reviewed. The results are interpreted as supporting the concept of S-C-R compatibility.
Market architectures and institutional testbedding: An experiment with space station pricing policies

By the year 2000 the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) plans to launch and operate an earth orbiting space station. For decades into the future the station is expected to play a dominant role in U.S. space research and in the commercialization of space. If the expectations are correct, then the station will be a complex of potentially valuable resources and services. Much sentiment exists within the government that the allocation of those resources should be based on some sort of market-oriented policy (a more “business-like” approach). This paper is part of a larger project that is intended to ascertain what that policy might be.
Upper and lower gastrointestinal endoscopy mortality: the medical examiner’s perspective

Fiberoptic endoscopy is utilized to diagnose and treat a wide variety of gastrointestinal tract diseases and is currently one of the most commonly performed invasive medical procedures. Though generally considered to be safe, the procedure may be associated with serious complications including death. Herein, we correlate the clinical history with the autopsy findings in gastrointestinal endoscopy (GIE) related fatalities that were reported to the New York City Medical Examiner Office over a 5 year period. The complication rate is higher in therapeutic procedures when compared to diagnostic procedures. Though fatalities following iatrogenic complications are four times more common, emphasis is placed on patients who died following a cardiorespiratory event during or immediately following the procedure. Of 41 upper and 36 lower GIE related fatalities, 10 and 9 respectively, fit this category. The comorbidities frequently associated with fatal cardiorespiratory events were: hypertension and obesity with associated cardiac hypertrophy, diabetes mellitus and coronary artery atherosclerosis. For colonoscopies, the approximate incidence of perforation was 0.00625% and the procedure-related fatality rate was 0.014%. The literature on anesthesia for GIE is also discussed.
Genomic dark matter sheds light on EVI1-driven leukemia.

The orchestration of transcriptional programs depends on proper gene-enhancer pairing. While much remains to be learned about this process in normal development, two recent studies in Cell (Groschel and colleagues) and this issue of Cancer Cell (Yamazaki and colleagues) highlight how the genomic rearrangement of an enhancer plays a causal role in the onset of a leukemogenic program.
Design considerations for a novel phase-contrast adaptive-optic wavefront sensor

The wavefront sensor (WFS) is perhaps the most critical adaptive-optic subsystem, particularly for astronomical applications with natural guide stars, where current WFS sensitivity limitations seriously restrict sky coverage. In this paper, we discuss the possibility of a WFS based on a phase-contrast principle of the sort employed by Zernike for microscopy. Such a WFS would be implemented by inserting a focal-plane filter with a (pi) /2 phase-shifting central spot having a transverse size of the order of the diffraction limit. The result would be an image of the pupil in which intensity is directly proportional to the seeing- and aberration-induced phase variations over the pupil. In comparison, the signals produced by the two most common current WFS schemes, Shack-Hartmann and curvature sensing, are proportional to the phase slope and to the second derivative, respectively. The phase-contrast approach might derive some advantages stemming from its more natural match to the control eigenvectors of the electrostrictive deformable mirrors that are expected to predominate in high-order adaptive optics systems, in the same way that curvature sensors are currently well matched to bimorph mirrors. It may thus yield substantial performance improvements with simpler hardware and lighter computational loads. We examine this and other possible advantages of the phase-contrast WFS, and investigate some of the practical design issues involved in its implementation.© (2002) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
A special case of the n-vertex traveling-salesman problem that can be solved in O(n) time

Abstract The traveling-salesman problem, though in general NP-hard, possesses several special cases that can be solved in polynomial time. In particular, when the cost array C associated with an n -vertex traveling-salesman problem satisfies what are known as the Demidenko conditions, then a minimum-cost traveling-salesman tour can be computed in O( n 2 ) time using a simple dynamic-programming algorithm. In this paper, we identify a subset Λ of the set of all cost arrays satisfying the Demidenko conditions, such that for any C ∈ Λ , the running time of the aforementioned dynamic-programming algorithm can be reduced to O( n ). We obtain this speedup using recently developed techniques for on-line searching in Monge arrays.
Voltage sensitivity of Curie temperature in ultrathin metallic films

In ferromagnetic metals, the surface enhancement of magnetization and the surface magnetic anisotropy are known to be coupled to the surface charge, $\ensuremath{\sigma}$, controllable by bias voltage. In the critical region, these surface parameters are nonlocal relevant fields, from which the Curie temperature of an ultrathin film, ${T}_{C}$, should borrow the dependence on $\ensuremath{\sigma}$. Studying this phenomenon in the $3d$ transition metals, we find a significant sensitivity of ${T}_{C}$ to the charging. Our results suggest the possibility of the near-critical voltage control of the very existence of magnetization in ultrathin metallic films, which can be useful for the future development of spintronics devices.
Fuel Air Ratio With Accurate Primary and Tempering Air Measurement in a Pulverized Coal Fired Utility

Fuel/Air balance is the key to clean combustion. Coal-fired public utilities are under constant pressure to meet environmental air quality standards in reducing NOx emissions. Reduction of NOx is critically dependent on controlled combustion conditions. Accurate measurement of the Primary and Tempering Air provides the capability for an improved control scheme. Measuring the Primary and Tempering Air separately avoids the need to measure the mass air flow in the mixed duct where large temperature variations exist. Such variations cause inaccurate, non-repeatable measurements. Very often, when measuring total air flow in a mixed air duct, a change in the Tempering Air damper will cause more of a temperature distribution change than a mass rate change. Erroneous mass flow rate indications and even wrong air flow direction indications are possible. In addition to the Fuel/Air ratio errors that result, unstable control can lead to an operational change from automatic to manual control.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Exploring labeled spatial datasets using association analysis

We use an association analysis-based strategy for exploration of multi-attribute spatial datasets possessing naturally arising classification. In this demonstration, we present a prototype system, ESTATE (Exploring Spatial daTa Association patTErns), inverting such classification by interpreting different classes found in the dataset in terms of sets of discriminative patterns of its attributes. The system consists of several core components including discriminative data mining, similarity between transactional patterns, and visualization. An algorithm for calculating similarity measure between patterns is the major original contribution that facilitates summarization of discovered information and makes the entire framework practical for real life applications. We demonstrate two applications of ESTATE in the domains of ecology and sociology. The ecology application is to discover the associations of between environmental factors and the spatial distribution of biodiversity across the contiguous United States, and the sociology application aims to discover different spatio-social motifs of support for Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election.
CONVERGENCE OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY SYMPTOMS IN FRIENDSHIP DYADS.

Despite psychometric rationale to include multiple informants, psychological assessment typically involves data collected from the patient (target) only, particularly with regard to depressive and anxious symptomatology. This study addressed this gap in the literature by assessing convergence between targets and their close friends (informants) in an ethnically diverse sample of young adults. One hundred and thirty-nine friendship dyads completed a packet of questionnaires including different versions administered to the targets and informants, with targets completing the standard questionnaire battery focused on their own symptoms and informants completing questionnaires on their view of the target participants' symptoms, rather than their own characteristics. Measures were included to assess a wide range of symptomatology, including behavioral, cognitive, and physiological symptoms of anxiety and depression. The target-informant correlations were largely significant and of small-to-medium magnitude. In ...
Endothelin stimulates transforming growth factor-β1 and collagen synthesis in stellate cells from control but not cirrhotic rat liver

Interactions between hepatic stellate cells and endothelin-1 are implicated in liver fibrosis. We determined endothelin-1, its receptors and its effects on the synthesis of a fibrogenic agent transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1 and collagen in stellate cells from control and CCl(4)-induced cirrhotic rats. The basal synthesis of endothelin-1, TGF-beta1 and collagen was much higher in cirrhotic stellate cells than in control cells. Endothelin-1 stimulated TGF-beta1 and collagen synthesis via endothelin ET(A) and endothelin ET(B) receptors, respectively, in control stellate cells, but did not elicit these effects in the cirrhotic cells despite increased density of the respective receptor subtypes in them. These results indicate that the actions of endothelin-1 on stellate cells may be an important physiological mechanism in maintenance of hepatic architecture. However, inability of endothelin-1 to stimulate TGF-beta1 and collagen synthesis in cirrhotic stellate cells suggests that it does not influence fibrogenic activity by direct action on them probably because the processes are already maximally activated.
Mitigating Colorblind Racism in the Postnetwork Era: Class-Inflected Masculinities in The Shield, Sons of Anarchy, and Justified

This analysis explores the relation between class-stratified White masculinities and moral ambiguity in FX crime drama. Conflicts between morally ambiguous White men in The Shield (2002–2008), Sons of Anarchy (2008–present), and Justified (2010–present) support colorblind racial ideology by positioning a central antiheroic protagonist in opposition to overtly racist characters who embody stereotypes associated with the White underclass. In comparison with traditional crime dramas, these juxtapositions provide realistic depictions of contemporary America by acknowledging the existence of racial prejudice while the antihero’s ultimate victory stands as a rejection of anachronistic racial sensibilities drawing attention away from issues related to systemic inequality.
Pubovaginal Sling Using Polypropylene Mesh and Vesica Bone Anchors

Abstract Objectives. To report preliminary results from a modified pubovaginal sling procedure using polypropylene mesh as the sling suspended by nonabsorbable sutures anchored to the pubic tubercle with Vesica bone anchors. Methods. Thirty-five women with type III stress urinary incontinence (SUI) (with or without associated urethral hypermobility) or type II SUI with additional risk factors such as obesity, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or failed prior incontinence-correcting procedures underwent this modified pubovaginal sling procedure. Postoperative voiding status was evaluated during office follow-up visits and telephone surveys. Results. With a mean follow-up of 8.4 months (range 2 to 18), 32 women (91.4%) were dry, 1 improved, and 2 remained incontinent. The pubovaginal sling procedure was the only operation performed in 46% of patients, with a mean operative time of 72 minutes, a mean estimated blood loss of 137 mL, and a mean hospital period of 2.3 days. Patients on whom concomitant gynecologic procedures were performed had a mean duration of surgery of 122 minutes, a mean estimated blood loss of 202 mL, and a mean hospitalization period of 2.9 days. Thirteen women had preoperative urgency that persisted in 31% of patients. De novo urgency developed in 3 patients. Seven women required prolonged suprapubic tube drainage but no patient remained in permanent retention. There has been no infection or erosion. Conclusions. Our experience with this modified pubovaginal sling procedure using polypropylene mesh and Vesica bone anchors showed excellent results with greater technical ease, minimal morbidity, and decreased hospitalization period when compared to a traditional pubovaginal sling performed in our hands. Additional follow-up will be needed to assess long-term efficacy.
Optimization of post-column chemiluminescent detection for low-molecular-mass conjugates of acridinium esters

Abstract In this study, various factors are examined that affect the post-column chemiluminescence detection of low-molecular-mass compounds labelled with acridinium esters, using 9-phenyl acridinium ester (PAE) as the initial model. Reaction conditions examined included the effect of hydroxide or hydrogen peroxide concentration, ionic strength and surfactant content on the degree and length of light production by the acridinium ester label. Based on these results, a system was developed for the post-column detection of acridinium ester conjugates in HPLC. The final post-column reactor had optimum conditions similar to those for a benchtop luminometer but gave light production over slightly longer periods of time and had a broader range of reagent concentrations that gave a maximum response. The detection limit of this system for PAE was 7 × 10 −19 mol per injection, with linear and dynamic ranges that extended up to 3 × 10 −15 and 3 × 10 −13 mol, respectively. Some preliminary work was conducted examining the use of this system in chromatography-based competitive binding immunoassays with a thyroxine-acridinium ester conjugate being used as the label. The estimated limit of detection was 2.5 × 10 −17 mol (or roughly −12 M for a 25 μl sample) based on the retained fraction of the conjugate.
Purification and partial characterization of alcohol dehydrogenase from wheat

Abstract Further support for hypotheses proposed earlier for the genetic control and subunit composition of the alcohol dehydrogenase of Triticum has been obtained through the purification and partial characterization of the enzyme. The alcohol dehydrogenase of the wheat T. monococcum was purified 103-fold to a specific activity of 55,900 units/mg. Purification was achieved using streptomycin sulfate precipitation, gel filtration chromatography, DEAE-cellulose anion-exchange chromatography, and preparative isoelectric focusing. The native enzyme has a molecular weight of 116,000 and a dimeric subunit structure. The apparent Michaelis constants are 1.2 × 10 −2 m for ethanol and 1 × 10 −4 m for NAD. The substrate specificity of wheat alcohol dehydrogenase differs significantly from the substrate specificities of the enzymes of horse and yeast.
Intragastric feeding differentially affects apparent rate of gastric emptying of phenol red and carbohydrate.

Abstract The effects of intragastric feeding on subsequent gastric emptying of glucose and glucose polymer solutions were investigated in rats having chronic gastric catheters. Rats were tested by a modification of the serial test meal method of Hunt. Six ml of solution was fed by mouth or gastric catheter and stomach contents were drained 15 to 60 minutes later. Dilution of stomach contents by gastric secretions and the fluid used to rinse the stomach was assessed by measurement of phenol red and direct assay of the carbohydrate. These two indicators gave very different results. Intragastric feeding of severely food deprived rats appeared to accelerate gastric emptying 30 to 60 minutes after feeding when phenol red was used but not when carbohydrate was used as a marker. Intragastric feeding did not significantly affect the apparent rate of gastric emptying in this same 30–60 minute period in mildly food deprived rats. Even though phenol red and glucose usually give similar results, it is probably inappropriate to estimate the emptying of glucose solely on the basis of measurements of phenol red. When carbohydrate was used as a marker, the chief effect of intragastric feeding is to produce some dumping of gastric contents 15 minutes after the beginning of intragastric infusion.
A human sound transducer/reproducer: temporal capabilities of a profoundly echolalic child.

Abstract Stimulus-echo latencies of a blind, severely echolalic child were measured to assess the capabilities of spontaneous transduction/reproduction of a verbal signal. Mean offset-to-onset latencies of 270 msec and onset-to-onset latencies of 792 msec are comparable to laboratory reaction times for syllable imitation. Results are considered within the theoretical context of physiological speech, i.e., externalized exposure of a psittacine level of verbal processing divorced from semantic, syntactic, lexical and, quite probably, phonological interference.
Chromogranin B: intra- and extra-cellular mechanisms to regulate catecholamine storage and release, in catecholaminergic cells and organisms.

Chromogranin B (CHGB) is the major matrix protein in human catecholamine storage vesicles. CHGB genetic variation alters catecholamine secretion and blood pressure. Here, effective Chgb protein under-expression was achieved by siRNA in PC12 cells, resulting in ~ 48% fewer secretory granules on electron microscopy, diminished capacity for catecholamine uptake (by ~ 79%), and a ~ 73% decline in stores available for nicotinic cholinergic-stimulated secretion. In vivo, loss of Chgb in knockout mice resulted in a ~ 35% decline in chromaffin granule abundance and ~ 44% decline in granule diameter, accompanied by unregulated catecholamine release into plasma. Over-expression of CHGB was achieved by transduction of a CHGB-expressing lentivirus, resulting in ~ 127% elevation in CHGB protein, with ~ 122% greater abundance of secretory granules, but only ~ 14% increased uptake of catecholamines, and no effect on nicotinic-triggered secretion. Human CHGB protein and its proteolytic fragments inhibited nicotinic-stimulated catecholamine release by ~ 72%. One conserved-region CHGB peptide inhibited nicotinic-triggered secretion by up to ~ 41%, with partial blockade of cationic signal transduction. We conclude that bi-directional quantitative derangements in CHGB abundance result in profound changes in vesicular storage and release of catecholamines. When processed and released extra-cellularly, CHGB proteolytic fragments exert a feedback effect to inhibit catecholamine secretion, especially during nicotinic cholinergic stimulation. Here, we show reciprocal actions of Chromogranin B (CHGB) on catecholamine storage (stimulation) and release (inhibition). The figure synthesizes consequences of experimental results. Within chromaffin cells, CHGB participates in assembly of catecholamine secretory vesicles, and governs their secretory capacity under nicotinic stimulation. After cleavage and release into the extracellular space, CHGB [and its peptide hCHGB[60–67](KFEVRLLR)] exerts negative feedback effects to inhibit the secretory response to acetylcholine (ACh).
New records in Stanley-Wilf limits

We provide examples for patterns q for which the value of the Stanley-Wilf limit L(q) is smaller or larger than any previously known values. The exact values of L(q) are computed. Generalizations are given.
A comparative study of charge mobility measurements in a diamine and in a hexaazatrinaphthylene using different techniques

A comparative study of hole-mobility in N,N′-diphenyl-N,N′-di(3-methylphenyl)-(1,1′-biphenyl)-4,4′-diamine (TPD) using three independent measurement techniques is presented. Time-of-flight (TOF), steady-state space charge-limited current (SCLC) experiments are carried-out in neat films of TPD, sandwiched between electrodes with different work functions. Organic field-effect transistors (OFET) are fabricated from TPD thin films and their electrical properties characterized. The comparative results show that all-electrical measurements that involve carrier injection from a metal electrode into the organic film yield effective mobility values that are one order of magnitude lower than those obtained from time-of-flight experiments in which carriers are created in the film optically. Similarly, SCLC and TOF experiments were used to measure electron-mobility in a discoid organic compound 2,3,8,9,14,15-hexakis-dodecylsulfanyl-5,6,11,12,17,18-hexaazatrinaphthylene (HATNA-(SC12H25)6).
Selecting an Extreme-Value Distribution and the Transforming to a Specified Distribution

If a component fails when its weakest element fails, the component failure time will be the minimum of the failure times for its elements. Because the extreme value distributions are the possible limiting distributions for minimums, they become prime candidates for the failure time distribution. We provide a statistical methodology for selecting the best fitting distribution from among the three types of extreme value distributions. Our Bayesian approach is based on a three-parameter family of transformations that transforms the extreme value distributions to the standard exponential distribution.
From Loops to Fields in 2d Quantum Gravity

We discuss a target space field theory of macroscopic loops W(l,…) in two-dimensional gravity. The propagator and topology-changing amplitudes (string interactions) are considered as off-shell Euclidean Green's functions in this field theory. In the course of the analysis, we identify a new set of operators in the c = 1 system and interpret them in two-dimensional gravity. We also identify an infinite set of new conserved charges in the c = 1 system which are associated with the special states in the theory. The analysis also shows that the eigenvalue coordinate of the matrix model and a zero mode of the Liouville field are not functionally related but are conjugate variables in an integral transform.
Indoor air levels of chlordane in residences in New Jersey

Chlordane has been the most widely used chemical for residential termite control for the past three decades, but in recent years serious questions regarding human exposure and potential health effects have been raised. In 1974 the US Environmental Protection Agency canceled all significant uses of chlordane, with the exception of subterranean termite control. At that time human exposure due to indoor air contamination was not considered to be a significant public health issue. However, since 1980 numerous studies have demonstrated measurable levels of chlordane inside treated homes. The public health risks associated with chlordane use are difficult to define due to incomplete toxicological and exposure assessment data. While most states have imposed no restrictions beyond those required by US EPA, a number of states have prohibited the sale or use of chlordane. New Jersey has chosen instead to develop a series of detailed use restrictions based on current scientific information. This paper presents an analysis of chlordane air monitoring data collected by the New Jersey State Department of Environmental Protection in an attempt to elucidate the issue of human exposure to chlordane.
Improved Materials for Fabrication of Direct Negatives and Plates by Electro-Erosion Printing.

The Direct Negative/Direct Plate (DNP) technology was developed for use with the IBM 4250 electro-erosion printer. This new printer supply allows either negatives or offset printing plates to be printed out directly from the IBM 4250 without any chemical processing. Since the introduction of the original DNP product , under the tradename electroNeg, we have continued to make major improvements in the functional characteristics of the material. These improvements encompass a) Improved optical quality, b) Reduced scratching, c) Increased press life and d) Far greater resistance to handling and environmental corrosion.
Taiwanese Confucianism: Guest Editor's Introduction

This collection demonstrates not only that any Confucianism is localized and historical, but also that any of these historical and localized forms of Confucianism is pregnant with ideas that have significant implications beyond its own location and time.
Informal interactions in nonprofit networks

Nonprofit organizations often need to excel in coordinating with other organizations and must do so in a variety of contexts and levels from the informal to the formal. Their ability to accomplish their mission can critically depend on their efficacy in managing dependencies on others for tasks, accessing needed resources, raising their profile in the community, and achieving their goals. Although much research has been done to understand systems for supporting formal coordination between organizations, there is a gap in understanding how informal coordination can be supported by systems. As a first step towards addressing this gap, we conducted a field study of a network of nonprofit organizations, focusing specifically on informal interactions among them. Based on this study, we characterize informal coordination between organizations and the context for such interactions. Our findings point to a need to further explore a class of interorganizational interactions that may not be adequately explored or understood by our research community.
Aerial Dispersal of Red Pine Scale, Matsucoccus resinosae (Homoptera: Margarodidae)

The aerial dispersal of red pine scale, Matsucoccus resinosae Bean and Godwin, was observed by trapping crawlers (1st instars) in the open at distances as far as 180 m from the edge of an infested 4-ha, 45-yr-old red pine ( Pinus resinosa Ait.) plantation. The ratio of the settling speed of crawlers in still air to the avg horizontal wind speed is crucial for predicting crawler dispersal. The measured settling speed of crawlers was 27±5 cm s−1. In the laboratory no crawlers were removed from needles or twigs by air speeds of 5 m s−1 or less and complete removal of all crawlers required speeds of fully 17–22 m s−1. Consistent with this difficult removal is our estimate that in the forest only ca. 5–25% of the crawlers available for dispersal at any time are actually released. Further, an unexpectedly large number of doublets (2 crawlers touching each other) found on traps under the infested trees suggested that newly-hatched crawlers were most susceptible to removal and that they constituted a large percentage of the total released. Numbers of crawlers captured per unit trap area decreased rapidly in a regular pattern away from the edge of the forest. Compared to the numbers captured underneath the trees, capture leeward was reduced 94% at 2 tree heights and ca. 99.5% at 10 tree heights. Model calculations predict the general pattern of crawler dispersal but overestimate slightly the numbers trapped within the 1st 3 tree heights from the forest edge. We calculate that, in a 5 m s−1 wind, the number of individual crawlers deposited per m2 of land at a distance of 1.6 km from the forest will be ca. 0.075% of those deposited underneath the infested plantation. For the highest capture rates observed beneath the trees, 800 crawlers m−2 h−1, deposition rate would be ca. 0.6 crawlers m−2 h−1 at 1.6 km distance. Thus, assuming that dispersal occurs at this rate on all favorable winds during the period of one wk, as many as 22 crawlers could reach each m2 of canopy 1.6 km away. In a more moderate wind, 2 m s−1, the numbers of voyagers are further reduced by a factor of ca. 30. It appears reasonable that the higher rate is sufficient to start a new infestation at this distance.
Strain-specificity in nicotine attenuation of phencyclidine-induced disruption of prepulse inhibition in mice: relevance to smoking in schizophrenia patients.

Schizophrenia patients may exhibit high tobacco smoking rates in part to self-medicate sensory gating deficits with nicotine contained in tobacco. To test this hypothesis, we induced sensori-motor gating deficits in four mouse strains with phencyclidine, a noncompetitive antagonist of glutamatergic N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors. Nicotine attenuated the disruption in prepulse inhibition induced by phencyclidine in DBA/2J and C3H/HeJ but not in C57BL/6J or 129T2/SvEmsJ mice. These results highlight genetic variations in the regulation by nicotinic cholinergic systems of the dysfunction in glutamatergic transmission contributing to gating deficits in schizophrenia. Further, these findings support the hypothesis of self-medication of gating deficits in schizophrenia through tobacco smoking, and suggest that treatments targeting genetic dysfunctions in nicotinic-glutamatergic interactions that would treat cognitive deficits will assist schizophrenia patients in minimizing tobacco smoking.
Bidirectional temperature-sensing by a single thermosensory neuron in C. elegans

Humans and other animals can sense temperature changes as small as 0.1°C. How animals achieve such exquisite sensitivity is poorly understood. By recording from the C. elegans thermosensory neurons AFD in vivo, we found that cooling closes and warming opens ion channels. We found that AFD thermosensitivity, which exceeds that of most biological processes by many orders of magnitude, is achieved by nonlinear signal amplification. Mutations in genes encoding subunits of a cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP)-gated ion channel (tax-4 and tax-2) and transmembrane guanylate cyclases (gcy-8, gcy-18 and gcy-23) eliminated both cooling- and warming-activated thermoreceptor currents, indicating that a cGMP-mediated pathway links variations in temperature to changes in ionic currents. The resemblance of C. elegans thermosensation to vertebrate photosensation and the sequence similarity between TAX-4 and TAX-2 and subunits of the rod phototransduction channel raise the possibility that nematode thermosensation and vertebrate vision are linked by conserved evolution.
Comparison of photon stimulated dissociation of gas phase and chemisorbed CO

Theoretical interpretation of electron–electron and electron–ion coincidence data for CO in the gas phase indicates one hole, two hole, and two hole–one electron excited states (e.g., the 3σ−1, 5σ−2, and 5 σ−2 6σ states) contribute to molecular dissociation. Detailed comparison with O+ ion yield data for photon stimulated desorption from CO/Ru (001) at both valence and core level excitation energies reveals many similarities but also significant adsorbate‐substrate interaction effects; the most important are due to charge transfer from the substrate which screens the core or valence holes in the adsorbate. Appreciation of the competitive decay rates of the excited states is critical to an understanding of which excited states of either CO gas or the CO/metal system may be expected to lead to dissociation. Resonant decay to the continuum and Auger decay are important decay mechanisms in both systems. Adsorbate–adsorbate interactions on the surface are seen to provide an additional decay mechanism. The excited states responsible for O+, CO+, and CO desorption from the surface are assigned for each of the threshold energies. The two hole–one electron states are the most important for desorption from the surface.
Analysis of Headspace Vapor in Sealed Electronic Packages using Plasma Chromotography Mass Spectroscopy

Plasma chromatography/mass spectroscopy is a relatively new ultra sensitive analytical technique which permits the characterization of trace contaminants on the order of parts per billion and less. The technique is capable of detecting both positive and negative ions which are formed at atmospheric pressure as a result of ion-molecule reactions. The capabilities of the PC/MS technique and its application to the analysis of several organic, chlorine and bromine compounds in the headspace of sealed electronic packages is discussed.
Positive schizotypy and emotion processing

This study examined whether emotion processing traits and task performance are associated with positive schizotypy. Positive schizotypy individuals (n=34, assessed with the Magical Ideation and Perceptual Aberration Scales) reported greater attention to emotions but less emotional clarity than controls (n=56). Moreover, a significantly larger percentage of the schizotypy group was classified as emotionally overwhelmed. Positive schizotypy individuals also exhibited absent affective priming and increased incongruent errors at a short stimulus onset asynchrony and an absence of an effect of emotion on recognition memory, but an increased memory response bias for negative words. Results could not be accounted for by level of neuroticism or current mood. These results suggest that positive schizotypy is associated with the processing of emotional information.
Inhibitory and Stimulatory Effects of Oregano on Lactobacillus Plantarum and Pediococcus Cerevisiae

Increasing concentrations of oregano from 0.5 to 8 g/L in a liquid medium resulted in stimulation, delay, or inhibition of acid production and viability of Lactobacillus plantarum and Pediococcus cerevisiae. The inhibitory factor could be removed from oregano by solvent extraction or autoclaving; residues from these treatments stimulated acid production by the organisms. Organisms growing in media containing sublethal oregano concentrations that had delayed growth and acid production developed resistance to the deleterious effects of the spice. L. plantarum was more resistant than P. cerevisiae to the inhibitory effects of oregano.
Whiteness in Feminist Economics: The Situation of Race in Bargaining Models of the Household:

In response to feminist criticism, economists are re-examining the gendered nature of domestic labor. Many view bargaining models and metaphors as promising feminist alternatives. This article examines how crucial racial differences relevant to the social construction of domestic labor in the US are currently situated in the bargaining power narrative and offers an assessment of this ascending paradigm within feminist economics. The bargaining power narrative fails to acknowledge racial differences that necessarily constitute women’s domestic labor and thereby privileges whiteness.