cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
HLA-DR4 in families with autism.

Autoimmune disorders are observed with increased frequency among parents of individuals with autism, particularly mothers. Because there is evidence supporting an association between autoimmune disorders and specific alleles of the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system, we examined HLA types and subtypes in families with autism. Two groups were studied: 16 families selected from a geographically defined area in eastern Tennessee have males with a diagnosis of autism; and 33 families selected across all regions in the United States have multiple males having autism diagnosis. The HLA-DR4 frequencies of mothers, fathers, and children in these two groups were compared with a reference series of 475 normal, unrelated Caucasians. Results of HLA typing indicated that mothers and their sons in the geographically defined group had a significantly higher frequency of DR4 than normal control subjects (odds ratio=5.54, 95% confidence interval=1.74-18.67 and odds ratio=4.20, 95% confidence interval=1.37-13.27, respectively). No significant difference in the distribution of HLA alleles was evident between the United States-all region group and control subjects. Findings of this study are consistent with a hypothesis that prenatal maternal–fetal immune interaction can affect fetal brain development in a population residing in a geographically defined region. Such immune interactions may involve HLA and related genes in both genetic and epigenetic mechanisms during pregnancy.
Randomized trial showed requesting medical records with a survey produced a more representative sample than requesting separately.

Abstract Objectives The objective of the study was to compare the effect of two approaches to requesting medical records on survey response rates, sample representativeness, and the quality of self-reported screening. Study Design and Setting Eight hundred ninety veterans aged 50–75 years from the Minneapolis VA Medical Center were randomly assigned to (1) records request included with a colorectal cancer screening survey (“with-survey” group) or (2) request in a separate mailing following a completed survey (“after-survey” group). Analyses compared response rates, the proportion and characteristics of patients providing records, and the validity of self-reported screening, by group. Results Response rates did not vary by group (with-survey 76%; after-survey 78%, P = 0.45). 54% of with-survey and 47% of after-survey participants provided complete medical records ( P = 0.06). In the with-survey group, patients with complete medical records were significantly more likely to be married and to have a diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder; in the after-survey group, they were more likely to be aged 65–75 years, Caucasian, to have a family history of colorectal cancer, and to report being screened. Validity of self-reported screening did not vary significantly by group. Conclusion The with-survey approach did not significantly reduce response rates or the quality of self-reported screening and produced a higher number and more representative sample with complete records.
1H NMR data for methyl trans‐β‐(2‐, 4‐, and 5‐Substituted‐3‐thienyl)acrylates

1H NMR data are reported for methyl trans-β-(2-, 4- and 5-substituted-3-thienyl)acrylates. The assignments of the proton resonances are based on spin-spin coupling constants and substituent chemical shifts.
Analysis of the regulation and function of five genes encoding small, acid-soluble spore proteins of Bacillus subtilis

Abstract Four genes [ sspI , sspK , sspM , and sspO (originally called cotK )] encoding minor small, acid-soluble proteins (SASP) unique to spores of Bacillus subtilis are expressed only in the forespore compartment of sporulating cells of this organism. The sspI , sspK and sspM genes are monocistronic, while sspO is the first gene in a likely operon with sspP (originally called cotL ), which also encodes a putative very small protein. Transcription of these genes is primarily, if not exclusively, by RNA polymerase with the forespore-specific sigma factor, σ G . Sequences centered 10 and 35 nt upstream of the 5′-ends of sspI , sspK , sspM and sspO also show homology to the −10 and −35 sequences recognized by σ G . Mutations deleting these genes cause the loss of the appropriate SASP from spores, and the sspK , sspM and sspO (and likely sspP ) mutations had no discernable effect on sporulation, spore properties or spore germination. Loss of sspI also had no effect on sporulation, spore properties or spore germination, but Δ sspI spores had a significant defect in spore outgrowth.
Relationship of adipokines with immune response and lung function in obese asthmatic and non-asthmatic women

Background. Obesity is a risk factor for asthma. Studies in mice suggest that the adipokines leptin and adiponectin affect asthmatic responses. The purpose of this study was to determine if adipokines associated with obesity are (1) altered in obese women with asthma compared to controls and (2) associated with increased cytokines and chemokines involved in allergic inflammation. Methods. We performed a cross-sectional study of asthmatic and non-asthmatic obese premenopausal women. Participants answered questionnaires and performed lung function tests. Serum and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were collected for analysis of cytokines and adipokines. Results. A total of 22 asthmatic (mean body mass index 40.0 ± 5.1 kg/m2) and 20 non-asthmatic women (mean body mass index 41.3 ± 5.6 kg/m2) participated. We found no difference in serum adipokine concentrations between asthmatics and non-asthmatics. Serum adiponectin correlated positively with PBMC eotaxin (rs = 0.55, p = .0003) and RANTES (regulate...
Attenuation of muscarinic receptor-G-protein interaction in Alzheimer disease

Cortical M1 muscarinic receptor-G-protein coupling, high-affinity, guanine nucleotide-sensitive agonist binding (Flynn et al., 1991; Warpman et al., 1993) and muscarinic receptor-stimulated [3H]PIP2 hydrolysis (Ferrari-DiLeo and Flynn, 1993) are known to be defective in Alzheimer disease. Whether this defect reflects an alteration in the M1 muscarinic receptor, its respective guanine nucleotide binding (G) protein or both is not known. This study compares the number and both basal and muscarinic receptor-mediated function of G-proteins in synaptosomal membranes from cerebral cortical samples of age-matched control subjects and Alzheimer disease patients. Immunoblotting with anti-G alpha q/11 and anti-G beta antibodies demonstrated no alteration in the number of these G-protein subunits in Alzheimer disease. Basal [35S]GTP gamma S binding and hydrolysis of [gamma-32P]GTP by high-affinity GTPase also were not significantly altered in Alzheimer disease compared to control membrane samples. However, muscarinic agonist-stimulated GTP gamma S binding and GTP hydrolysis were significantly reduced (80-100%) in Alzheimer disease cortical samples. Diminished agonist-stimulated GTP gamma S binding and GTP hydrolysis correlated with the loss of guanine nucleotide-sensitive, high-affinity agonist binding (KL/KH) ratio) to the M1 receptor subtype. These data provide further evidence for the loss of muscarinic receptor-G protein coupling in Alzheimer disease and support the hypothesis that muscarinic receptor-mediated cortical activation may be compromised in Alzheimer disease.
Gender, Religiosity, and Reactions to Strain Among African Americans

Drawing on Broidy and Agnew's (1997) extension of general strain theory to explain gender differences in deviance and crime, we tested hypotheses explaining why women are more distressed than men, but less likely to commit deviance in reaction to strain. Applying structural equation modeling to analyze data from a national survey of African Americans, we find that African-American women are more distressed than men, but less likely to engage in interpersonal aggression, because they are better protected by religiosity's distress buffering as well as deviance-reducing effects, and more likely to experience self-directed distress (depression and anxiety) in response to strain, which is less likely to lead to other-directed deviance, like interpersonal aggression, than other-directed distress (anger).
Trading places: Does past growth impact inequality?

Abstract Using a broad panel dataset and semiparametric methods, the impact of past economic growth on current income inequality is examined. Increases in past short-run or medium-run growth rates raise current inequality. However, there is an inverted “U”-shaped relationship between past long-run growth and current inequality. Increases in past long-run growth rates raise current inequality in slow-growing economies and reduce current inequality in rapidly growing economies.
Relationships between defoliation, canopy reflectance and pod yield in the peanut-late leafspot pathosystem

Abstract Defoliation of peanut (caused by Cercosporidium personatum ), and reflected radiation (800 nm wavelength) of sunlight from peanut canopies, were assessed weekly beginning approximately 60 days after planting. Visual and reflectance assessments obtained with a hand-held, multispectral radiometer continued until one week prior to digging. Critical-point yield-loss models were developed using either percentage defoliation or percentage reflectance values as the independent variable and pod yield (kg ha −1 ) as the dependent variable. Yield reductions in the four experiments ranged from 52.9 to 79.0%. Based upon coefficients of determination and the standard errors for predicted y -values (yield), the best critical-point models for either assessment method were obtained when peanuts were assessed 2–3 weeks prior to digging. Critical point models using percent reflectance data as the independent variable explained more of the variation in peanut pod yield and had lower standard errors of the y -estimate than critical point models using percent defoliation values as the independent variable. Percent reflectance values explained 96.3–99.3% of the variation in biomass. This study supports the hypothesis that measurements of healthy green leaf area (as estimated by percent reflectance) have a better relationship with pod yield than defoliation based assessments.
Brick-like texture and radial rays in Triassic pisolites of Lombardy, Italy: A clue to distinguish ancient aragonitic pisolites

Abstract Triassic pisolites from the Calcare Rosso, Lombardy, Italy, were formed in a hypersaline vadose environment and now show alternating dolomite and calcite laminae. The calcite consists either of microsparite laminae with a brick-like fabric, or of a mass of mosaic crystals with the external form of square-ended rays. These features suggest that the original laminae and rays were aragonitic, like those of the Holocene supratidal pisolites of the Persian Gulf, which consist of alternating laminae of unoriented nannomicrite with Mg-rich mucilaginous material, and aragonitic fibers with radial orientation separated by mucilaginous films. It is suggested that the transformation to brick-like and ray textures passed through the following diagenetic path: (1) original formation of fibrous aragonite laminae; (2) local aggrading recrystallization of aragonite fibers to large square-ended rays during hypersaline phases; (3) dolomitization of Mg-rich mucilaginous nannomicrite laminae during hyposaline phases; (4) inversion of the aragonite fibers and rays to calcite on a piece-by piece basis that preserved the original textural details, when the pH or Mg/Ca ratio dropped. The brick-like and ray fabrics have not been found in laminae of continental freshwater pisolites because these were deposited as equant and stable crystals of low-Mg calcite. These textures consequently make it possible to establish the chemistry of the depositional and early diagenetic milieu for some ancient pisolitic rocks.
Effect of calcium deficiency on stem thickening and mineral composition of stem of bush beans

Abstract Bush beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Improved Tendergreen) when grown in a nutrient solution with no added Ca had dead terminal growing points and a greatly enlarged stem diameter. Mineral composition of the stems relative to that of control plants showed increases of 9.6, 3.2, 2.0, 24.0, 3.2, 14.8, 1.6, 3.6, 3.5, 32.0, 2.9, 12.8, and 12.0 times respectively for Na, K, Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn, B, Al, Si, Mo, Sr, Ba and Pb. Simultaneously the Ca concentration of the stems was decreased 30.5 times.
Factor V Leiden mutation: the most commonly inherited risk factor for venous thromboembolism

Abstract Factor V Leiden mutation is a common genetic risk factor for venous thrombosis. It has been documented in up to 65% of patients with unexplained venous thromboembolism. This genetic mutation is now known to be the most common inherited cause of activated protein C (APC) resistance. Recently, FV Leiden mutation has been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes (including recurrent fetal loss, severe preeclampsia, placental abruption, intrauterine growth restriction and stillbirth), in addition to venous thromboembolic disorders. In this article, we discuss the genetic basis, diagnosis and clinical significance of FV Leiden mutation. Awareness of the clinical manifestations associated with FV Leiden mutation should ensure screening of appropriate populations and prophylaxis against thromboembolic disease when indicated.
Processing and behavior of nanostructured metallic alloys and composites by cryomilling

Recent interest in nanostructured materials stems, not only from their potential use in a variety of applications, but also from the reported discovery of novel fundamental phenomena. The consolidation of cryomilled powder provides a potential pathway towards large scale manufacturing of nanostructured metallic materials. This approach typically engenders the mechanical attrition of powders in liquid nitrogen, followed by consolidation, using established commercial techniques, such as isostatic pressing and extrusion. In this overview paper, published data are reviewed and discussed with particular emphasis on the following topics: nanostructure evolution mechanisms; primary consolidation and secondary processing methods; thermal stability of cryomilled materials; and mechanical behavior of consolidated materials. Recent mechanical behavior data and the associated mechanisms of cryomilled Al alloys are discussed in an effort to shed light into the fundamental behavior of ultrafine grained and nanostructured materials.
Late lustration programmes in Romania and Poland: supporting or undermining democratic transitions?

In 2006, Poland and Romania embarked on renewed lustration programmes. These late lustration policies expanded the scope and transparency measures associated with lustration as a form of transitional justice. While early lustration measures targeted political elites, late lustration policies include public and private sector positions, such as journalists, academics, business leaders, and others in ‘positions of public trust’. Given the legal controversy and moral complexity surrounding lustration, why lustrate so late in the post-communist transition and why expand the policies? The dominant explanation is that lustration is a tool of party politics and is a threat to democratic consolidation. However, the late lustration programmes do not fit this hypothesis neatly. The new laws have been restructured and packaged with other reform programmes, specifically anticorruption programmes. Late lustration has evolved to include economic and social, as well as political concerns. As such, some post-communist go...
Veterans administration cooperative study of disulfiram in the treatment of alcoholism: Study design and methodological considerations

Disulfiram treatment of alcoholism has been difficult to evaluate in controlled studies because the study design must contend with problems unique to this drug. The therapeutic effect may be a result of the patient's fear of the disulfiram-ethanol reaction rather than a direct pharmacological effect on the craving for alcohol. Good outcome may not be directly related to compliance with the drug regimen; a patient may remain abstinent even if he does not take his medication. The Veterans Administration Cooperative Study "Disulfiram in the Treatment of Alcoholism," is a multicenter, randomized, blinded, controlled clinical trial designed to evaluate the efficacy of disulfiram while addressing these issues. Two control groups are used. The members of one control group will not receive disulfiram and will be told they are not receiving disulfiram. The members of the other control group will be given disulfiram and will be told they are receiving disulfiram; however, the dose of their disulfiram will be measured by doing pill counts and obtaining urine specimens at each clinic visit and measuring urinary diethylamine, a metabolite of disulfiram, and riboflavin (a medication marker).
Linking Mixed‐Format Tests Using Multiple‐Choice Anchors

This study examined the use of an all multiple-choice (MC) anchor for linking mixed format tests containing both MC and constructed-response (CR) items, in a nonequivalent groups design. An MC-only anchor could effectively link two such test forms if either (a) the MC and CR portions of the test measured the same construct, so that the MC anchor adequately represented the entire test, or (b) the relationship between the MC portion and the total test remained constant across the new and reference linking groups. The study also evaluated whether linking mixed-format tests through MC-only anchors would be more effective than a two-stage strategy in which MC portions were equated through MC anchors and then composite scores were scaled to the MC scores. Anchor linking and two-stage linking yielded identical (or nearly so) results for both linear and nonlinear chained linking methods. With post-stratification linking methods the two-stage strategy resulted in smaller bias. The paper discusses some advantages of both approaches.
Finite Element Modeling for Optimizing Hermetic Package Reliability

The thermal stresses in microwave packages are studied by the finite element method. Emphasis is placed on the effects of material construction and design on the reliability of very small hermetic packages. Three different microwave packages have been designed and six finite element models (two for each design) have been analyzed. To verify the validity of the finite element results, some leak tests have been performed and the results agree with the analytical conclusions. The results presented herein should provide a better understanding of the thermal behavior of hermetic packages and should be useful for their optimal design.
Reinnervation of transplanted hypothalamic neurons by host aminergic fibers in rats

Abstract Fetal mediobasal hypothalamic tissue which receives an extensive noradrenergic innervation in the adult brain, was implanted into the vicinity of the medial forebrain bundle of adult rats to determine wether host noradrenergic fibers would innervate the eptopically placed tissue in an organotypic manner. Tissue from the site of implantation was prepared for light and ultrastructural immunocytochemistry at 6,12, or 20 weeks postsurgery. Putative host catecholamine fibers formed dense plexuses in localized portions of the grafts and made synaptic contacts with dendrites and somata of transplanted neurons. This suggests that a mature host central nervous system is capable of a region-specific integration of transplanted neurons.
Effect of ursodeoxycholic acid on methionine adenosyltransferase activity and hepatic glutathione metabolism in rats: Rodriguez-Ortigosa CM, Cincu RN, Sanz S, et al., Supplemental Bile Salts: The Good, the Bad Gut 2002;50:701–6

Abstract Both bile salts and glutathione participate in the generation of canalicular bile flow. In this work, Rodriguez-Drtigosa et al. investigated the effect of different bile salts on hepatic glutathione metabolism. Using the isolated and perfused rat liver, the authors studied hepatic glutathione content, metabolism, and catabolism of this compound in livers perfused with taurocholate, ursodeoxycholate, or deoxycholate. They found that in livers perfused with ursodeoxycholate, levels of glutathione and the activity of methionine adenosyltransferase (an enzyme involved in glutathione biosynthesis) were significantly higher than in livers perfused with other bile salts. In ursodeoxycholate-perfused livers, methionine adenosyltransferase showed a predominant tetrameric conformation, which is the isoform with highest activity at physiological concentrations of substrate. In contrast, the dimeric form prevailed in livers perfused with taurocholate or deoxycholate. The hepatic activities of γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase and γ-glutamyltranspeptidase, enzymes involved, respectively, in biosynthetic and catabolic pathways of glutathione, were not modified by bile salts. Ursodeoxycholate specifically enhanced methionine adenosyltransferase activity and hepatic glutathione levels. As glutathione is a defensive substance against oxidative cell damage, the authors’ observations provide an additional explanation for the known hepatoprotective effects of ursodeoxycholate.
Energy transduction in electron transport.

Abstract Mathematical formulae and computations are presented which may be useful in understanding equilibrium phenomena at an energy transduction site in an electron transport chain, such as variation of apparent midpoint potential with phosphate potential, crossover phenomena, and respiratory control. The model used has been published previously without the present calculations and is intended to be the simplest that can be conceived on purely physicochemical principles. Several alternative explanations of the Wilson−Dutton data are given.
Thyroid transcription factor 1 expression in a case of renal collecting duct carcinoma - Reply

[1] Bishop JA, SharmaR, Illei PB. NapsinA and thyroid transcription factor-1 expression in carcinomas of the lung, breast, pancreas, colon, kidney, thyroid, and malignant mesothelioma. HUM PATHOL 2010;41:20-5. [2] Orsola A, Trias I, Raventos CX, et al. Renal collecting (Bellini) duct carcinoma displays similar characteristics to upper tract urothelial cell carcinoma. Urology 2005;65:59-64. [3] Fernandez-Aceňero MJ, Cordova S, Santonja C. Aberrant TTF-1 expression in papillary high-grade urothelial neoplasm: case report and literature review. Rom J Morphol Embryol 2011;52: 171-4. [4] Matoso A, Singh K, Jacob R, et al. Comparison of thyroid transcription factor-1 expression by two monoclonal antibodies in pulmonary and non pulmonary primary tumors. Appl Immunohistochem Mol Morphol 2010;18:142-9.
Maternal tobacco use and shorter newborn nursery stays.

Objective Nationally, 10%–15% of women report smoking during the last 3 months of pregnancy. Because the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (now the Joint Commission) requires all U.S. hospitals to be smoke-free, and because tobacco is addictive, the maternal desire to smoke after childbirth could lead to requests for early hospital discharge for mothers and newborns. The authors hypothesized that maternal tobacco use would be associated with shorter newborn nursery hospital stays. Methods Birth records from 405,622 singleton, "well" newborns, ≥35 weeks gestation born from 1998 to 2002 in Pennsylvania were merged with perinatal hospital record data and analyzed from 2006 to 2008. Perinatal data from 67,145 mothers self-reporting as having smoked cigarettes on the Certificate of Live Birth and data on their infants were compared 1:2 with data from mothers reporting to be nonsmokers and their infants via chi-square tests with odds ratios, 2-sample t -tests, and multiple linear regression. Results In Pennsylvania, 16.6% of mothers smoked cigarettes during pregnancy. Tobacco-using mothers were more likely to be insured by Medicaid, unmarried, adolescent, not college educated, and have late onset of prenatal care. Their newborns were more likely to be low birth weight and be born at 35–36 weeks gestation. Nonetheless, these newborns had a significantly shorter mean length of stay (48.9 hours vs 52.4 hours; p Conclusions Hospital smoking bans send a strong public health message regarding the risks of tobacco and protect patients and staff from secondhand smoke exposure. However, the association between maternal tobacco use and shorter newborn hospital stays may demonstrate an unintended consequence for the vulnerable population of newborns whose mothers smoke. This association should be considered during prenatal counseling, where smoking cessation can be emphasized, and at the time of mother and infant discharge. These findings are particularly important given the health and socioeconomic disparities between smoking mother–infant pairs and their nonsmoking counterparts.
Heat tolerance and expression of protein synthesis elongation factors, EF-Tu and EF-1α, in spring wheat

Protein elongation factors, EF-Tu and EF-1α, have been implicated in cell response to heat stress. We investigated the expression (accumulation) of EF-Tu and EF-1α in mature plants of spring wheat cultivars Kukri and Excalibur, and tested the hypothesis that cultivars with contrasting tolerance to heat stress differ in the accumulation of these elongation factors under prolonged exposure to high temperature (16 days at 36/30°C). In addition, we investigated the expression of EF-Tu and EF-1α in young plants experiencing a 24-h heat shock (43°C). Excalibur showed better tolerance to heat stress than Kukri. Heat stress induced accumulation of EF-Tu and EF-1α in mature plants of both cultivars, but to a greater extent in Excalibur. Young plants did not show appreciable accumulation of EF-Tu in response to heat shock. However, these plants showed increased accumulation of EF-1α and the accumulation appeared greater in Excalibur than in Kukri. The results support the hypothesis that EF-Tu plays a role in heat tolerance in spring wheat. The results also suggest that EF-1α may be of importance to wheat response to heat stress.
Inference of fatigue-crack closure stresses from ultrasonic-transmission measurements

The nondestructive determination of stress is usually attempted by measuring stress (or strain) related changes in material properties. Included are direct x-ray measurements of lattice constants and indirect inferences of stress or strain from changes in ultrasonic velocities or magnetic properties. However, in problems in which one wishes to determine localized stresses across an interface between two materials, neither approach is satisfactory. X-rays typically measure surface stresses and do not sample the stress condition near an internal interface. Ultrasonic velocity measurements and magnetic measurements can sense interior conditions, but also average over the properties of the intervening material. Hence, they cannot determine the localized stresses at the interface without sophisticated data reduction techniques such as those employed in holographic reconstructions.
Interaction of laser radiation with structures of the eye

An overview of laser-induced ocular injury and strategies for their prevention are presented based on an understanding of the general principles of laser interaction with biological tissue. These principles are outlined and subsequently applied in a discussion of specific laser damage mechanisms occurring within the eye over the visible, ultraviolet, and infrared bands. The ocular structures primarily at risk in each of these spectra are identified, and the international standards of maximum permissible exposures are presented and discussed. A survey of 58 case histories of laser exposure accidents resulting in permanent injury is also provided to characterize and give insight into actual accident scenarios. Basic control measures designed to minimize the incidence of laser accidents in the laboratory are discussed, including the selection of proper eye protection and the control of facility access. >
Supporting the Sexuality of Adults with Mental Retardation Current Status and Future Directions

Historically, individuals with mental retardation have not enjoyed the sexual freedom afforded to individuals without disabilities. Although progress has been made, there is much room for improveme...
Analogy of incremental program development and constructivist learning

During software evolution, programmers add new functionalities and release new versions of software. This complicated work involves not only program development but also learning new knowledge. This paper explores an analogy between incremental program development and constructivist learning, and presents a case study that investigates this analogy. Four types of cognitive processes have been identified. They parallel analogous software engineering activities.
Functional specificity of Sgk1 and Akt1 on ENaC activity

Reabsorption of sodium by the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) is essential for maintaining the volume of the extracellular compartment and blood pressure. The function of ENaC is regulated primari...
A thermal analysis study of bisphenol-A-polycarbonate–dimethylsiloxane block copolymers

The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of three block copolymers of poly(dimethylsiloxane)–Bisphenol-A-polycarbonate was measured in nitrogen and air from just above room temperature to 1000 K. Measurements were made on a Perkin-Elmer TGS-2 system equipped with a System 4 microprocessor controller. Weight loss curves were obtained for heating rates ranging from 1.5 (or lower) to 80°C/min. Results were analyzed according to the method of Flynn and Wall. Two degradation reactions were observed in air and in nitrogen, respectively. In air, the activation energy was found to be 28–35 kcal/mol. In the inert atmosphere, activation energies were 44±3 kcal/mol and 11–27 kcal/mol, respectively. No straightforward relationship was found between the thermal stability of the copolymers and their composition. The morphology of char residues formed at 80°C/min heating rate to 1000 K have been examined in relation to the Si content. The degree of char formation at different heating rates has been established in nitrogen and in air, respectively.
Contractile dysfunction in a mouse model expressing a heterozygous MYBPC3 mutation associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

The etiology of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) has been ascribed to mutations in genes encoding sarcomere proteins. In particular, mutations in MYBPC3, a gene which encodes cardiac myosin bindin...
A Generic Connection Admission Control in ATM Networks

In this paper we introduced a new call admission control (CAC) based on the virtual link with ultra wide bandwidth. Under the virtual link we mean that we have a reservoir that can accommodate an infinitive number of calls. So in each node we have to attach an auxiliary memory such as magnetic tapes with ultra high capacity to receive all the arriving calls. Traditional CAC will be replaced by two controllers: Virtual CAC (VCAC) and draft CAC (DCAC). The main function of VCAC is to collect all the arriving calls without negotiations depending on its high capacity. DCAC will import the calls from VCAC, sort them into classes according to their service category, give them the appropriate VPI over which they will be carried later on the least loaded link among the outgoing links and export them to the router according to the congestion level of the physical link. The proposed scheme looks like a transistor network. The collector is represented by VCAC, the emitter is represented by DCAC and finally the base is represented by the router. The idea of the proposed strategy can be explained as follows: All the calls are admitted to the virtual memory as they arrive without any delay with respect to the extra large memory size. The virtual memory is divided into segments according to the number of the services (audio, data, video, ...etc) and each segment is divided into a number of blocks size of each is a multiple of cell size (i.e. 53 octets), these blocks have the same number of VP's (for all outgoing links) to be connected with them later (the recommended bandwidth allocation strategy is service and path separation). The block capacity is too much greater than its associated link W. Once the block receives a new call it will spool (roll) it to its associated VP which belongs to the least loaded link, unless it becomes saturated. Once a new room appears in one of the associated VP's in any of the outgoing links it will be occupied by a new call. It is worth noting that the calls will be pushed out by applying the famous rule FIFO: first in first out
Marital status and family size of type 1 diabetic patients in a French cohort

Summary Objective To compare the marital status, the number of offspring and the cumulative incidence of type 1 diabetes in offspring of type 1 diabetic men and women. Methods From the database of patients attending our department, we reviewed the files of all the 352 subjects aged ≥ 40 years with type 1 diabetes and compared male and female patients for whom age, age at diagnosis of diabetes, marital status, socio-economic status, number and age of offspring, diagnosed type 1 diabetes in the offspring could be obtained from patient's record and/or direct interview (86 males and 78 females). Results In this population, 73% of women and 81% of men were married or living a marital life (NS), and 35% of women versus 8% of men had no offspring (P Conclusion Type 1 diabetic women born before 1960 had fewer children than men. In this cohort, there was no difference in the cumulative incidence of type 1 diabetes in offspring of type 1 diabetic men and women despite reduced family size in women.
Effect of graded levels of iron, zinc, and copper supplementation in diets with low-phytate or normal barley on growth performance, bone characteristics, hematocrit volume, and zinc and copper balance of young swine.

Fifty crossbred barrows with an average initial age of 31 d and BW of 9.94 kg were used in a 28-d experiment to evaluate the effect of a low-phytic acid (LPA) barley mutant (M) M955, a near-isogenic progeny of the normal barley (NB) cultivar Harrington with about 90% less phytate than NB, to increase the utilization of Fe, Zn, and Cu compared with diets containing NB. The response criteria were growth performance, hematocrit volume, metacarpal bone characteristics, and the apparent absorption, retention, and excretion of Zn and Cu. The 2 barley cultivars (NB and M955) and the 5 trace mineral (TM) treatment concentrations of Fe and Zn (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100% of the requirement as FeSO(4) and ZnSO(4)) and Cu (0, 40, 80, 120, and 160% of the requirement as CuSO(4)) made 10 treatments in a factorial arrangement. Available P was equalized at 0.33% in all diets by adding monosodium phosphate to the basal diet containing NB, and all diets contained 0.65% Ca. Diets were adequate in all other nutrients. Barley and soybean meal were the only sources of phytate in the practical diets that also contained spray-dried whey. The barrows were fed the diets to appetite in meal form twice daily in individual metabolism crates. There were no barley cultivar x TM treatment interactions, and there were no differences between the NB and M955 barley cultivars for any of the response criteria measured. However, for the TM treatments, there were linear increases (P < or = 0.05) in ADFI, ADG, hematocrit volume, metacarpal bone breaking strength and ash weight, and the apparent absorption, retention, and excretion (mg/d) of Zn and Cu. In conclusion, the LPA barley had no effect on the response criteria in this experiment, apparently because of the small increase in the availability of the endogenous trace minerals in the practical diets containing M955 compared with NB. However, increasing the supplementation of Fe and Zn from 0 to 100% (160% for Cu) of the requirement resulted in linear increases in growth performance, hematocrit volume, metacarpal bone strength and ash weight, and the apparent absorption, retention, and excretion of Zn and Cu. Therefore, these results indicate that the inorganic trace mineral supplementation of practical diets for young pigs should not be less than the National Research Council requirements for swine.
Measurement of the switching speed of single FET's

The measurement of the signal delay through a single FET as an estimate of its performance is discussed. It is shown that instead of relying on small ac signals for performance characterization, delays of full logic swings can be accurately measured with conventional electronic equipment. The measurement apparatus is described, and data obtained with advanced submicron FET's is presented, showing that device switching delays can be measured with resolution on the order of 10 ps. Such device delay measurements can be of use in evaluating technologies, and diagnosing performance problems.
Variation-Tolerant Motion Estimation Architecture

In this paper, we study the trade-off between energy-efficiency and variation-tolerance of an error-resilient motion estimation architecture. Error-resiliency is incorporated via algorithmic noise-tolerance (ANT) where an input subsampled replica (ISR) of the main sum-of-absolute-difference(MSAD) block is employed for detecting and correcting errors in the MSAD block. This architecture is referred to as ISR-ANT. In the presence of process variations, the average peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) of ISR-ANT architecture increases by up to 1.8dB over that of the conventional architecture in 130nm IBM process technology. Furthermore, the PSNR variation is also reduced by 7× over that of the conventional architecture at the slow corner while achieving a power reduction of 33%.
COMPARISON OF EFFICACY OF AMERICAN AND AFRICAN AMBLYOMMA TICKS AS VECTORS OF HEARTWATER (COWDRIA RUMINANTIUM) INFECTION BY MOLECULAR ANALYSES AND TRANSMISSION TRIALS

The ability of Amblyomma americanum, Amblyomma cajennense, Amblyomma maculatum, and Amblyomma variegatum to acquire and transmit Cowdria ruminantium infection was investigated. Uninfected nymphs were fed on clinically reacting C. ruminantium-infected sheep and then analyzed for infection by specific DNA detection assays and by tick transmission trials. By polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the mean infection prevalence of A. maculatum ticks (50.7%) was similar to that of A. variegatum, Elevage strain (43.5%; P = 0.83) and Petit Bourg strain (45.9%; P = 0.26) ticks. Though Amblyomma hebraeum were not tested by PCR, by DNA probe their infection prevalence was 94%. In contrast, A. americanum and A. cajennense ticks demonstrated very low susceptibility to C. ruminantium, and the prevalence of infection by PCR was approximately 1%. The higher susceptibility of A. maculatum and A. variegatum to C. ruminantium correlated with superior vector efficiency, depicted by similar prepatent periods and severity of disease transmissions to sheep. Amblyomma americanum and A. cajennense failed to transmit infection, confirming that low susceptibility to C. ruminantium correlates with the poor vector status of these species. These results highlight the importance of A. maculatum as a potential vector that is likely to play a major role in the establishment and maintenance of heartwater, if the disease were to be introduced to the U.S.A., Central, and South America.
An Empirical Justification for the Use of Draft Lottery Numbers as a Random Treatment in Political Science Research

Over the past several years, there has been growing use of the draft lottery instrument to study political attitudes and behaviors (see, e.g., Bergan 2009; Erikson and Stoker 2011; Henderson 2012; Davenport 2015). Draft lotteries, held in the United States from 1969 to 1972, provide a potentially powerful design; in theory, they should provide true randomization for the “treatment” of military service or behavioral reactions to the threat of such service. However, the first draft lottery conducted in 1969 was not conducted in a random manner, giving those citizens born in the fourth quarter of the year disproportionately higher chances of being drafted. In this note, we describe the randomization failure and discuss how this failure could in theory compromise the use of draft lottery numbers as an instrumental variable. We then use American National Election Studies data to provide support for the conclusion that individuals most affected by the randomization failure (those born in the fourth quarter of the year) largely do not look statistically distinct from those born at other times of the year. With some caveats, researchers should be able to treat the 1969 draft numbers as if they were assigned at random. We also discuss broader lessons to draw from this example, both for scholars interested in using the draft lottery as an instrumental variable, and for researchers leveraging other instruments with randomization failures. Specifically, we suggest that scholars should pay particular attention to the sources of randomization failure, sample attrition, treatment and dependent variable selection, and possible failure of the exclusion restriction, and we outline ways in which these problems may apply to the draft lottery instrument and other natural experiments.
Childhood maltreatment and its effect on neurocognitive functioning: Timing and chronicity matter

Childhood maltreatment represents a complex stressor, with the developmental timing, duration, frequency, and type of maltreatment varying with each child (Barnett, Manly, & Cicchetti, 1993; Cicchetti & Manly, 2001). Multiple brain regions and neural circuits are disrupted by the experience of child maltreatment (Cicchetti & Toth, in press; DeBellis et al., 2002; McCrory & Viding, 2010; Teicher, Anderson, & Polcari, 2012). These neurobiological compromises indicate the impairment of a number of important cognitive functions, including working memory and inhibitory control. The present study extends prior research by examining the effect of childhood maltreatment on neurocognitive functioning based on developmental timing of maltreatment, including onset, chronicity, and recency, in a sample of 3- to 9-year-old nonmaltreated (n = 136) and maltreated children (n = 223). Maltreated children performed more poorly on inhibitory control and working-memory tasks than did nonmaltreated children. Group differences between maltreated children based on the timing of maltreatment and the chronicity of maltreatment also were evident. Specifically, children who were maltreated during infancy, and children with a chronic history of maltreatment, exhibited significantly poorer inhibitory control and working-memory performance than did children without a history of maltreatment. The results suggest that maltreatment occurring during infancy, a period of major brain organization, disrupts normative structure and function, and these deficits are further instantiated by the prolonged stress of chronic maltreatment during the early years of life.
Hydroxymethyluracil modifications enhance the flexibility and hydrophilicity of double-stranded DNA

Oxidation of a DNA thymine to 5-hydroxymethyluracil is one of several recently discovered epigenetic modifications. Here, we report the results of nanopore translocation experiments and molecular dynamics simulations that provide insight into the impact of this modification on the structure and dynamics of DNA. When transported through ultrathin solid-state nanopores, short DNA fragments containing thymine modifications were found to exhibit distinct, reproducible features in their transport characteristics that differentiate them from unmodified molecules. Molecular dynamics simulations suggest that 5-hydroxymethyluracil alters the flexibility and hydrophilicity of the DNA molecules, which may account for the differences observed in our nanopore translocation experiments. The altered physico-chemical properties of DNA produced by the thymine modifications may have implications for recognition and processing of such modifications by regulatory DNA-binding proteins.
A Look Ahead Toward Possible Future Analytical Requirements by FDA

Even the most venturesome clairvoyants, with their heads in the clouds and their gaze fixed on futurity, must stand firmly on the ground of the present; and therefore they generally open their dark parable on the shape of things to come with a recitation depicting the status of things as they are, as accurately as circumstances permit. In that tradition, I take as my point of departure a brief exposition on the current analytical requirements of FDA before embarking on my personal prognostication foreshadowing the lineaments toward which future requirements might evolve. Please note at the outset my emphasis on the first person singular, and the disclaimer such usage implies. The prophecies I offer on this program are my own, and do not necessarily adumbrate the developing attitudes and actions of the sponsor.
Effects of Laser Pulse Energy and Annealing Process on Physical Properties of Nanostructured SiO2 Prepared by Pulse Laser Deposition

Silicon dioxide thin film of different thicknesses has been grown on glass substrate by pulsed laser deposition technique with and without annealing temperature under the vacuum pressure of 8×10 mbar. The optical properties such as the absorption, and transmission spectra have been studied for the prepared SiO2 thin film before and after annealing temperature. From the transmission spectra, the optical gap and linear refractive index of the SiO2 thin film was determined. The structure of the SiO2 thin film was tested with X-Ray diffraction, it was formed to be amorphous structure before annealing temperature. The effects of laser pulse energy on the optical properties has been studied before and after annealing temperature. It is found that almost optical properties depends on the laser pulse energy and increases with increasing laser pulse energy and they are enhanced with the annealing temperature.
A Low Power, Precision SAR Analog to Digital Converter for High Temperature Applications

A growing number of industries are calling for low power electronics that operate reliably at temperatures of 175°C and higher. Many of these applications require a precision data acquisition signal chain in order to digitize analog data so that it can be collected and processed. Designing circuits that meet these needs can be very challenging, requiring a data converter that can deliver high performance and reliability in these harsh environments. There are currently a very limited number of integrated circuits commercially available that are specified for operation at these temperatures, and no low power precision data converters with sample rates greater than 100kSPS. This paper presents a new 210°C rated precision analog to digital converter capable of sample rates up to 600 kSPS with 16 bit resolution while maintaining low power consumption and packaged in a small form factor. We will explore the converter architecture of this ADC, present initial test results, and show how high reliability is achiev...
Spread of Enteric Live Adenovirus Type 4 Vaccine in Married Couples

type 4 vaccine to military recruits has resulted in a gratifying reduction in the incidence of specific adenoviral acute respiratory disease (ARD) [1-4]. The vaccine elicits an immune response in vaccinees, and when used as a mass immunization, it also decreased ARD in nonvaccinated contacts [5]. Administration of the live virus orally, as an enteric-coated capsule or tablet, apparently permits bypass of the pharynx with selective infection of the intestine [6], The vaccine strain was not prepared by attenuation of virulence, but the intestinal infection is asymptomatic and has caused no adverse effects [5-7]. Most vaccinees shed virus in the stool repeatedly during the period 2-3 weeks after virus ingestion. In spite of this proliferation and excretion of infectious virus, no evidence was found among military personnel for spread of the virus to contacts living in the same barracks and sharing common table and toilet facilities [1, 8]. In the studies reported here, the question of the propensity for spread of the live adenovirus type 4 vaccine strain was investigated in another setting. In 2 studies, 1 member of 39 civilian married, childless couples was vaccinated. Both virologic and serologic evidence of spread between partners was obtained.