cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Patterns of seed dispersal syndromes on serpentine soils: examining the roles of habitat patchiness, soil infertility and correlated functional traits

AbstractBackground: It is critical to understand the ecological factors shaping seed dispersal in plant communities in order to predict their fate in the face of global change. Communities restricted to patchy habitats may contain more species with ‘directed’ dispersal syndromes that facilitate successful seed dispersal to other patches; however, habitat quality may constrain the presence of and efficiency of dispersal syndromes found within those habitats.Aims: The aim of this study was to hypothesise that if habitat patchiness is an important filter on dispersal syndromes, ‘directed’ vertebrate dispersal should be more prevalent in serpentine habitats because of their patchiness. Alternatively, if habitat quality is more important, wind dispersal should be more prevalent in serpentine habitats because of their low fertility.Methods: Using three datasets representing grassland, chaparral and forest vegetation types, we analysed differences in the composition of dispersal syndromes (vertebrate, wind, pass...
A device for the measurement of residual chemical shift anisotropy and residual dipolar coupling in soluble and membrane-associated proteins

Residual dipolar coupling (RDC) and residual chemical shift anisotropy (RCSA) report on orientational properties of a dipolar bond vector and a chemical shift anisotropy principal axis system, respectively. They can be highly complementary in the analysis of backbone structure and dynamics in proteins as RCSAs generally include a report on vectors out of a peptide plane while RDCs usually report on in-plane vectors. Both RDC and RCSA average to zero in isotropic solutions and require partial orientation in a magnetic field to become observable. While the alignment and measurement of RDC has become routine, that of RCSA is less common. This is partly due to difficulties in providing a suitable isotopic reference spectrum for the measurement of the small chemical shift offsets coming from RCSA. Here we introduce a device (modified NMR tube) specifically designed for accurate measurement of reference and aligned spectra for RCSA measurements, but with a capacity for RDC measurements as well. Applications to both soluble and membrane anchored proteins are illustrated.
Specificity of gentamicin accumulation by rat renal cortex.

Abstract The accumulation of gentamicin by rat renal cortex in vivo and in vitro was not inhibited by probenecid, tetraethylammonium, cephalosporins nor α-aminoisobutyric acid, but was significantly blocked by other aminoglycosides (neomycin, tobramycin and kanamycin). The data suggest that specific binding sites for aminoglycosides are present on the surface or in cells of the renal proximal tubule.
Focus of attention and causal attributions of actors and observers

Abstract An experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis that actors' and observers' causal attributions are a function of their focus of attention. In the presence of observer-subjects, actor-subjects made a choice among several art works in a supposed decision-making study. The experiment was a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design with the factors (1) source of attribution (actors, observers); (2) camera (actor videotaped, actor not videotaped); and (3) situational stability (stable, dynamic environment). As predicted by the focus of attention-causal attribution notion, it was found that actors attributed more causality to the situation than observers under normal circumstances, when the camera was not operative, but that videotaping the actor reversed the usual actor-observer pattern such that actors attributed less causality to the situation than did observers. Further, when the environment was stable, actors attributed more causality to the situation in the no camera condition than in the camera condition, while observers attributed less to the situation in the no camera conditions than in the camera conditions. Additionally, both actors and observers attributed more causality to the situation when the environment was dynamic than when the environment was stable.
Correlational biases in mean response latency differences

Multifarious psychological constructs are indexed by the mean latency difference (MLD), the within-subject difference between mean response latency on two tasks. Two associations consistently emerge in mean latency data. Firstly, across subjects, mean latencies on distinct tasks are positively correlated. This correlation arises from individual differences in general rates of information processing that are a shared influence on response latency in diverse tasks. Secondly, across tasks, the mean and variance of mean latency are positively correlated. Compared to a simple task, a complex task has both a larger average mean latency and a larger variance of mean latency, across subjects. Taken together, these associations make the interpretation of the MLD problematic by biasing correlations between the MLD and (a) task mean latencies, (b) the average of the mean latencies, (c) external criteria, and (d) other MLDs. A variety of mean latency transformations were evaluated and, while they differed in their effectiveness, they did not satisfactorily rectify MLD biases. An alternative approach, focusing on scale invariant contrasts of within-subject response latency distributions, is introduced in the conclusion.
Effect of Mixed Pendent Groups on the Solution and Catalytic Properties of Europium(III) Macrocyclic Complexes: Bifunctional and Monofunctional Amide and Alcohol Pendents in Septadentate or Octadentate Ligands.

Five new Eu(III) macrocyclic complexes have been prepared and their solution and catalytic properties studied. The Eu(III) complexes with septadentate ligands TRED and NB-TRED dissociate rapidly at pH 7.4, 37 °C (TRED = 1,4,7-tris(hydroxyethyl)-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane, NB-TRED = 1-(nitrobenzyl)-4,7,10-tris(hydroxyethyl)-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane). Dissociation rates as determined in the presence and absence of strongly binding competing ligands suggest that under most conditions the Eu(III) complexes of ATHC, ABHC, and CNPHC are more kinetically inert to dissociation than is the Eu(III) complex containing all hydroxyethyl groups (ATHC = 1-(carbamoylmethyl)-4,7,10-tris(hydroxyethyl)-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane, ABHC = 1,7-bis(carbamoylmethyl)-4,10-bis(hydroxyethyl)-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane, CNPHC = 1-(1-carboxamido-3-(4-nitrophenyl)propyl)-4,7,10-tris(2-hydroxyethyl)-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane). Laser-induced luminescence excitation spectra of Eu(III) complexes of ABHC, ATHC, CNPHC...
A Constructivist Learning Approach to Unemployment

This article reports on an experiment aimed at developing a constructivist learning module focused on unemployment. The pedagogical aims include helping the student to construct a realistic picture of unemployment and to combat “blame the victim” ideological explanations of the problem. Students are asked to develop stories about the unemployment experience of someone they knew. Their depictions of the reality of unemployment closely parallel the expectations of many progressive economists.
Dwarf spheroidal satellite formation in a reionized Local Group

Dwarf spheroidal satellite galaxies have emerged a powerful probe of small-scale dark matter clustering and of cosmic reionization. They exhibit structural and chemical continuity with dwarf irregular galaxies in the field and with spheroidal galaxies in high-density environments. By combining empirical constraints derived for star formation at low gas column densities and metallicities in the local universe with a model for dark matter and baryonic mass assembly, we provide an analytical description of how the dwarf spheroidals acquired their stellar content. Their progenitors formed stars until the gas content, initially reduced from the cosmic average by the thermal pressure of the reionized intergalactic medium, was finally ram pressure stripped during the progenitors' accretion on to the host galaxy. Dwarf spheroidal satellites of differing luminosities seem to share very similar most massive progenitor histories that reach thresholds for gas cooling by atomic line emission at epochs at which the Lagrangian volume of the Local Group should have been reionized. We hypothesize that dwarf spheroidals formed the bulk of their stars in partially rotationally supported HI disks in a reionized universe. This model provides an explanation for the "common mass scale" relation and reproduces the empirical luminosity-size and luminosity-metallicity relations. Explosive feedback phenomena, such as outflows driven by the concerted action of supernovae, need not have been significant in the dwarf spheroidals' formation. We further speculate that the true pre-reionization fossils should exhibit a structure distinct from that of the dwarf spheroidals, e.g., in the form of dense isolated or nuclear star clusters.
A wireless network in MosquitoNet

An emerging technology for wireless connectivity provides one of the best combinations of bandwidth, coverage area, and cost for a wireless data network. It also teaches important lessons about software-hardware interface design. To support this vision of ubiquitous connectivity, we are studying issues of wireless and mobile computing at the network, system, and application levels. Our two main goals are to provide seemingly continuous connectivity for mobile hosts, and to support system- and application-level adaptation to dynamically changing network characteristics. We are investigating changes and extensions to standard networking application program interfaces (APIs) that will allow well-written applications to deal gracefully with widely varying network characteristics. When switching between available services, network characteristics can change significantly, even while an application is running.
Sex-role imagery in modern art: An empirical examination

It is not clear to what degree the sex-role images in modern art reinforce or encourage traditional ideas of masculinity and femininity. Since many fewer people are exposed to the fine arts than to mass media such as television, the effects of fine art on people's sex-role conceptions are probably negligible. But fine art is one more link in a vast and complex network of sex-role images and standards. At the very least, the sex-role stereotypes we find in fine art provide us with another index of the degree to which sexism pervades our society and culture.
The American Voter in a Nonpartisan, Urban Election

A telephone survey of voters participating in Lexington, Kentucky's 1985 nonpartisan city council races identified the determinants of the vote. In the absence of partisan cues or extensive media coverage, the local electorate focused primarily on candidates' personalities, background characteristics, and concern for the district. Ideology and name recognition also predicted the vote. Voters' perceptions of office seekers were shaped though contacts with friends and neighbors, volunteers, and campaign literature. Once other variables were controlled, newspaper endorsements had neither a direct nor indirect effect on the voting decision.
Metabolic Adaptation to a Gradual Reduction in Myocardial Blood Flow

Background Studies during 20% to 50% reductions in regional coronary blood flow have revealed a number of metabolic and functional adaptations that suggest the heart downregulates energy requirements and contractility in response to ischemia. In contrast to prior studies of sudden changes in coronary blood flow, we tested whether the heart could reduce ATP consumption commensurate with a gradual decrease in coronary blood flow or whether transient metabolic abnormalities are a necessary trigger in this process. Methods and Results From 0 to 35 minutes, mean left anterior descending coronary artery blood flow was reduced by ≈1% per minute in 10 acutely anesthetized and instrumented swine. Coronary blood flow then was held constant between 35 and 60 minutes at the resulting 35% net blood flow reduction. Although systemic hemodynamics remained stable, a significant decrease in regional left ventricular systolic wall thickening developed (from control value of 45±11% to 18±11% at 60 minutes, P<.001) without a...
Single Units in the Medial Prefrontal Cortex with Anxiety-Related Firing Patterns Are Preferentially Influenced by Ventral Hippocampal Activity

The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and ventral hippocampus (vHPC) functionally interact during innate anxiety tasks. To explore the consequences of this interaction, we examined task-related firing of single units from the mPFC of mice exploring standard and modified versions of the elevated plus maze (EPM), an innate anxiety paradigm. Hippocampal local field potentials (LFPs) were simultaneously monitored. The population of mPFC units distinguished between safe and aversive locations within the maze, regardless of the nature of the anxiogenic stimulus. Strikingly, mPFC units with stronger task-related activity were more strongly coupled to theta-frequency activity in the vHPC LFP. Lastly, task-related activity was inversely correlated with behavioral measures of anxiety. These results clarify the role of the vHPC-mPFC circuit in innate anxiety and underscore how specific inputs may be involved in the generation of behaviorally relevant neural activity within the mPFC.
Laryngeal chondrosarcomas: the Mayo Clinic experience.

Background Laryngeal chondrosarcomas occur infrequently. Their management is often guided by inferences made from the management of sarcomas arising from more commonly afflicted organs. Method A retrospective analysis of patients with laryngeal chondrosarcomas treated at the Mayo Clinic between 1959 and 1992 was performed to assess prognostic factors and outcomes after various treatments. Results A total of 20 patients received treatment during this time period. All chondrosarcomas were low grade; 19 involved the cricoid cartilage and one arose in the supraglottic larynx. Initial treatment consisted of local excision (often subtotal removal) alone in 12 patients (60%), hemilaryngectomy in 2 (10%), near total laryngectomy in 2 (10%), and total laryngectomy in 4 (20%). Six patients (30%) had local recurrence: five initially had local excision and one had hemilaryngectomy. All local recurrences or tumor progression developed >3 years after initial treatment. Salvage surgery was performed in five of the six patients who had local recurrence, and the other patient was observed. Of the five patients who had salvage surgery, three required another resection because of a second recurrence. Conclusions These results suggest that initial conservative subtotal laryngectomy should be explored further because this treatment may provide long-term voice preservation in most patients, and patients who experience a recurrence after local excision often have been given several years of voice preservation. J. Surg. Oncol. 1997;65:269–273. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A prospective study of quantification of urinary incontinence and quality of life in patients undergoing radical retropubic prostatectomy

Abstract Objectives To prospectively evaluate the level of urinary incontinence and its impact on quality of life in patients undergoing radical retropubic prostatectomy. Methods Patients completed a 24-hour pad test together with an incontinence and quality-of-life questionnaire before and after surgery. Results Patients were followed up for an average of 7.6 months (range 4.7 to 12.5) after radical prostatectomy. The 24-hour pad test demonstrated that 87% of patients had some incontinence at 1 month and 63% at 6 months after surgery. The median volume of urine leakage was 34 mL at the last follow-up visit; 55% of patients indicated substantial bother from incontinence at the 1-month follow-up visit and 29% at the 6-month follow-up visit. For most patients, there was a substantial discrepancy between the reported and the measured level of incontinence. Patient-reported bother regarding incontinence correlated best to the actual amount of urine loss. Conclusions Patients become incontinent after surgery but improve over time. Seventeen percent of patients still experienced leakage of more than 150 mL daily at the last follow-up visit. The questionnaire utilized in this study identifies the presence of incontinence but was not accurate in estimating the amount of urine loss. Initially, quality of life was reduced by surgery but improved over time and nearly returned to the preoperative level.
Ectopia of the posterior pituitary gland as a normal variant: assessment with MR imaging.

Ectopia of the posterior lobe of the pituitary gland as demonstrated by MR imaging has been described previously in patients with pituitary dwarfism [1 ], transection of the pituitary infundibulum [2], and compression or destruction of the posterior lobe of the pituitary [3]. We report two patients in whom MR imaging revealed ectopic posterior pituitary glands, even though both patients had normal pituitary func­ tion and otherwise normal MR imaging studies. The studies were performed on a GE Signa 1.5-T unit, and multiplanar spin-echo pulse sequences were utilized. We propose that the demonstration of posterior pituitary ectopia on MR may be a normal variant.
Finite amplitude instability of time-dependent flows

An extension of the StuartWatson technique for examination of the non-linear hydrodynamic instability of time-dependent flows is proposed. An example in Bnard convection is used to illustrate the method. Extensions to more general problems are indicated.
Changes in Amounts of Chloroplast and Cytoplasmic Ribosomal-RNAs and Photomorphogenesis in Dryopteris Gametophytes

The basis for the difference in total-RNA base composition between the filamentous and the prothallial gametophytes of the fern Dryopteris has been examined. Analyses of the relative amounts of chloroplast rRNA (i.e. chloroplast rRNA/chloroplast + cytoplasmic rRNA) indicate a shift to a higher level of chloroplast rRNA in the transition from filamentous to prothallial growth. This increased level of chloroplast rRNA is of sufficient magnitude to be entirely responsible for the observed change in total-RNA base composition. Time-lapse analysis of the photomorphogenetic transition to prothallial growth shows that a 2–3 h lag proceeds the first response (tip swelling). Pulse-labelling experiments reveal an increased synthesis of chloroplast rRNA during the transition to prothallial growth; but this increase occurs after the onset of the photomorphogenetic change and therefore cannot be considered causally involved. These results provide a biochemical correlate for the cytological observations on size changes in the nucleoli and chloroplasts of these gametophytes.
Cavity-Enhanced IR Absorption in Planar Chalcogenide Glass Microdisk Resonators: Experiment and Analysis

Planar microdisk optical resonators fabricated from Ge23Sb7S70 chalcogenide glass on a silicon substrate are applied for cavity-enhanced spectroscopic measurement of chemical molecular absorption fingerprint. A 0.02 cm- 1 detection limit for these devices is demonstrated. This detection limit represents a threefold improvement as compared to a straight waveguide sensor, while the physical device length is reduced by 40-fold. The reduction in device footprint with enhanced sensitivity makes the structure attractive for ldquosensor-on-a-chiprdquo device applications. We also present a design optimization approach for cavity-enhanced IR absorption spectroscopy using traveling-wave resonators, which indicates that further performance improvement can be achieved in optimally coupled, low-loss resonant cavities.
Dose-dependent modulation of CD8 and functional avidity as a result of peptide encounter

The generation of an optimal CD8(+) cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response is critical for the clearance of many intracellular pathogens. Previous studies suggest that one contributor to an optimal immune response is the presence of CD8(+) cells exhibiting high functional avidity. In this regard, CD8 expression has been shown to contribute to peptide sensitivity. Here, we investigated the ability of naive splenocytes to modulate CD8 expression according to the concentration of stimulatory peptide antigen. Our results showed that the level of CD8 expressed was inversely correlated with the amount of peptide used for the primary stimulation, with higher concentrations of antigen resulting in lower expression of both CD8alpha and CD8beta. Importantly the ensuing CD8(low) and CD8(high) CTL populations were not the result of the selective outgrowth of naive CD8(+) T-cell subpopulations expressing distinct levels of CD8. Subsequent encounter with peptide antigen resulted in continued modulation of both the absolute level and the isoform of CD8 expressed and in the functional avidity of the responding cells. We propose that CD8 cell surface expression is not a static property, but can be modulated to 'fine tune' the sensitivity of responding CTL to a defined concentration of antigen.
Correspondence principle analysis of double-photon emission.

The process of simultaneous emission of two photons (of continuous probability distribution in energy) in the transition from one discrete quantum level to another is here analyzed in the correspondence principle limit in which the quantum numbers of the two states are large and the change in quantum number is small by comparison. In this limit, it proves possible to define a classical dynamical quantity [Eq. (19)], the frequency analysis of whose classical variation with time in a definite orbit determines in the given approximation the absolute transition probability and intensity distribution in the continuous spectrum in question.
Effects of the Orphan Drug Act: an Industrial Perspective

AbstractThe recommendations of the Interagency Task Force on “Significant Drugs of Limited Commercial Value” had a major role in the passage of the Orphan Drug Act of 1983. This act was designed to create incentives for the industry to develop orphan drugs, in order to make these drugs available to those who need them. This paper discusses the incentives built into the Act, reports on the results of a mail survey to 100 pharmaceutical manufacturers, and generates recommendations for increasing the effectiveness of the 1983 Orphan Drug Act. The majority of the respondents felt that the delays in orphan drug development reflect the lack of specific FDA guidelines and/or clinical data on safety and efficacy. Industry feels that a ten year marketing exclusivity and increased federal grants for clinical research would accelerate development and marketing of orphan drugs.
Frequent Inactivation of PTEN/MMAC1 in Primary Prostate Cancer

Sporadic prostate carcinoma is the most common male cancer in the Western world, yet many of the major genetic events involved in the progression of this often fatal cancer remain to be elucidated. Numerous cytogenetic and allelotype studies have reported frequent loss of heterozygosity on chromosomal arm 10q in sporadic prostate cancer. Deletion mapping studies have unambiguously identified a region of chromosome 10q23 to be the minimal area of loss. A new tumor suppressor gene, PTEN/MMAC1, was isolated recently at this region of chromosome 10q23 and found to be inactivated by mutation in three prostate cancer cell lines. We screened 80 prostate tumors by microsatellite analysis and found chromosome 10q23 to be deleted in 23 cases. We then proceeded with sequence analysis of the entire PTEN/MMAC1 coding region and tested for homozygous deletion with new intragenic markers in these 23 cases with 10q23 loss of heterozygosity. The identification of the second mutational event in 10 (43%) tumors establishes PTEN/MMAC1 as a main inactivation target of 10q loss in sporadic prostate cancer.
Understanding the Molecular and Functional Mechanisms that Underlie Pharamcogenomics-Based Therapy

Copyright: © 2012 Boggon TJ, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. The era of astonishing amounts of sequencing data is upon us. Current sequencing efforts that aim to discover the mutation burden in cancer, or other diseases, result in vast quantities of information that present key indicators for disease prognostic and driving forces, including acquired point mutations, loss of heterozygosity, missense and nonsense mutations. The key determinant for how this information can be usefully applied is to understand which alterations between normal and diseased cells are ‘driving’ the condition. Therefore provision of a clear molecular and functional basis for disease acquisition and progression will prove to be essential for development of future therapies.
Bimodal-hybrid heterocyclic amine targeting oxidative pathways and copper mis-regulation in Alzheimer's disease

Oxidative stress resulting from metal-ion misregulation plays a role in the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). This process includes the production of tissue-damaging reactive oxygen species and amyloid aggregates. Herein we describe the synthesis, characterization and protective capacity of the small molecule, lipoic cyclen, which has been designed to target molecular features of AD. This construct utilizes the biologically compatible and naturally occurring lipoic acid as a foundation for engendering low cellular toxicity in multiple cell lines, radical scavenging capacity, tuning the metal affinity of the parent cyclen, and results in an unexpected affinity for amyloid without inducing aggregation. The hybrid construct thereby shows protection against cell death induced by amyloid aggregates and copper ions. These results provide evidence for the rational design methods used to produce this fused molecule as a potential strategy for the development of lead compounds for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders.
Three discursive dilemmas for Israeli religious settlers

Israeli religious settlers live in contested territory that they claim is promised to them by God. The settlers are at the center of the Israeli–Palestinian dispute and are the recipients of international condemnation for their illegal behavior. Because the territories are neither sovereign nor legally recognized by Israel, their definition is open to construction. Religious settlers make arguments to satisfy three discursive dilemmas that must be solved in order to normalize their lives. They must 1) construct their own authenticity, 2) marginalize the native others, and 3) establish cultural authority. These dilemmas are explicated in this essay.
Spectral hole burning of acetylene gas inside a photonic bandgap optical fiber

We have observed saturated-absorption spectra of acetylene gas inside a photonic bandgap fiber. Significant signal sizes observed at low pump powers (<20 mW) indicate the utility of this technology for portable optical frequency references.
Mechanism of Vascular Smooth Muscle Relaxation by Estrogen in Depolarized Rat and Mouse Aorta: Role of Nuclear Estrogen Receptor and Ca2+ Uptake

Abstract 17β-Estradiol induces vasodilation in vitro and in vivo, which has been suggested to contribute to the cardiovascular protection by this ovarian steroid hormone. However, the exact mechanism of vasorelaxation by estrogens remains to be elucidated. In this study, we analyzed the potential role of genomic mechanisms involving the nuclear estrogen receptor and inhibition of entry of extracellular Ca2+ in 17β-estradiol–induced vasorelaxation in depolarized aortic rings, isolated from male and female rats and male mice. In both male and female rat aortic rings without endothelium and in intact male mouse aortic rings treated with NG-nitro-l-arginine, 17β-estradiol caused dose-dependent (0.3 to 30 μmol/L) relaxation of contraction evoked by high-K+ depolarization (30 and 45 mmol/L KCl, respectively). The estrogen receptor antagonist ICI 164384 had no effect on 17β-estradiol–induced relaxations. 125I-17β-estradiol binding studies showed the presence of high-affinity cytosolic-nuclear estrogen receptors ...
Type-2 Diabetes and Kidney Stones: Impact of Diabetes Medications and Glycemic Control

Objective To evaluate the impact of diabetic medications and glycemic control on the urine pH, 24-hour urine stone risk profile, and stone composition. Patients and Methods We retrospectively reviewed our database searching for type-2 diabetic patients with kidney stones from July 2002 to January 2013. Patients were divided in 2 groups according to their diabetic medications: insulin vs oral antihyperglycemics. Patients were compared based on their urine collections and stone composition. A linear regression was done to assess which variables could predict a low urine pH. In a subgroup analysis, patients on thiazolidinediones (ie, pioglitazone) were compared with patients on other oral antihyperglycemics. Results We analyzed 1831 type-2 diabetic patients with stone disease; 375 (20.5%) were included in the insulin group and 1456 (79.5%) in the antihyperglycemics group. Linear regression revealed male gender (P = .011) and insulin therapy (P Conclusion Urine pH is inversely related to HbA1c level. Insulin therapy is associated with higher urine pH than oral antihyperglycemic agents despite higher HbA1c suggesting that insulin may modify urine pH independent of glycemic control.
Low-Frequency BOLD Fluctuations Demonstrate Altered Thalamocortical Connectivity in Schizophrenia

The thalamus plays a central and dynamic role in information transmission and processing in the brain. Multiple studies reveal increasing association between schizophrenia and dysfunction of the thalamus, in particular the medial dorsal nucleus (MDN), and its projection targets. The medial dorsal thalamic connections to the prefrontal cortex are of particular interest, and explicit in vivo evidence of this connection in healthy humans is sparse. Additionally, recent neuroimaging evidence has demonstrated disconnection among a variety of cortical regions in schizophrenia, though the MDN thalamic prefrontal cortex network has not been extensively probed in schizophrenia. To this end, we have examined thalamo-anterior cingulate cortex connectivity using detection of low-frequency blood oxygen level dependence fluctuations (LFBF) during a resting-state paradigm. Eleven schizophrenic patients and 12 healthy control participants were enrolled in a study of brain thalamocortical connectivity. Resting-state data were collected, and seed-based connectivity analysis was performed to identify the thalamocortical network. First, we have shown there is MDN thalamocortical connectivity in healthy controls, thus demonstrating that LFBF analysis is a manner to probe the thalamocortical network. Additionally, we have found there is statistically significantly reduced thalamocortical connectivity in schizophrenics compared with matched healthy controls. We did not observe any significant difference in motor networks between groups. We have shown that the thalamocortical network is observable using resting-state connectivity in healthy controls and that this network is altered in schizophrenia. These data support a disruption model of the thalamocortical network and are consistent with a disconnection hypothesis of schizophrenia.
Protandim attenuates intimal hyperplasia in human saphenous veins cultured ex vivo via a catalase-dependent pathway.

Abstract Human saphenous veins (HSVs) are widely used for bypass grafts despite their relatively low long-term patency. To evaluate the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) signaling in intima hyperplasia (IH), an early stage pathology of vein-graft disease, and to explore the potential therapeutic effects of up-regulating endogenous antioxidant enzymes, we studied segments of HSV cultured ex vivo in an established ex vivo model of HSV IH. Results showed that HSV cultured ex vivo exhibit an ~ 3-fold increase in proliferation and ~ 3.6-fold increase in intimal area relative to freshly isolated HSV. Treatment of HSV during culture with Protandim, a nutritional supplement known to activate Nrf2 and increase the expression of antioxidant enzymes in several in vitro and in vivo models, blocks IH and reduces cellular proliferation to that of freshly isolated HSV. Protandim treatment increased the activity of SOD, HO-1, and catalase 3-, 7-, and 12-fold, respectively, and decreased the levels of superoxide (O2•−) and the lipid peroxidation product 4-HNE. Blocking catalase activity by cotreating with 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole abrogated the protective effect of Protandim on IH and proliferation. In conclusion, these results suggest that ROS-sensitive signaling mediates the observed IH in cultured HSV and that up-regulation of endogenous antioxidant enzymes can have a protective effect.
Spiritual Coping and Adjustment in Adolescents With Chronic Illness: A 2-Year Prospective Study

All correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Nina Reynolds, MA, Department ofPsychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1720 Second Avenue South, HMB 195, Birmingham, AL35294, USA. E-mail: nreynold@uab.eduReceived October 9, 2013; revisions received February 14, 2014; accepted February 17, 2014Objective Examine longitudinal relationships between spiritual coping and psychological adjustmentamong adolescents with chronic illness. Methods Adolescents (N¼128; M¼14.7 years) with cystic fibro-sis or diabetes completed measures of spiritual coping and adjustment at two time points 2 years apart;parents also reported on adolescent adjustment. Prospective relationships between spiritual coping andadjustment were evaluated with an autoregressive cross-lagged path model. Results Positive spiritualcoping predicted fewer symptoms of depression and less negative spiritual coping over time, whereasnegative spiritual coping predicted more positive spiritual coping. Depressive symptoms predicted higherlevels of negative spiritual coping and conduct problems over time. The results did not vary by disease.Conclusions Positive spiritual coping may buffer adolescent patients from developing depression andmaladaptive coping strategies. Results also highlight the harmful role of depression in subsequent behaviordifficulties and maladaptive coping. Addressing spiritual beliefs and depressive symptoms in pediatric medicalcare is warranted.Key words adolescents; pediatric chronic illness; psychological adjustment; religious coping; spiritual coping.
Neutron-diffraction determination of magnetic structures

A brief review of magnetic structures determined by neutron-diffraction techniques is presented with particular emphasis on developments in the past few years. A number of recent experimental advances are described, including improvements in monochromators, the technique of neutron polarization analysis, and the profile-fitting method for analysis of neutron powder data. Theoretical aspects discussed are the application of magnetic symmetry and representation theory to the determination of magnetic structures. Magnetic structures of a wide range of materials of general interest are described. These include transition metal compounds with rock-salt, rutile, and hematite-type structures, spinels, perovskites, transition metals and alloys, rare-earth metals and alloys, actinide compounds, and compounds with one- and two-dimensional magnetic properties. Up-to-date data for about 200 of these compounds are summarized in tabular form.
Platinum-group minerals from Onverwacht; I, Pt-Fe-Cu-Ni alloys

Ferroan platinum and two different types of FtFe{u-Ni alloys occur in a sample from tle former Onverwacht mine, Transvaal. Alloy t has a composition near PtFeo.rNt.r"Cuo.ro and is tetragonal, P$/mmm, a 2.741(3J, c 3.6a4Q)4,, D(meas.) 14,3 g/cms, D(calc.) 15.80 g/cm8. It may represent a copper- and nickel-rich variety of tetraferroplatinum. Should that bo the case, the unit cell of type tetraferroplatinum from Mooihoek must be a 2.724(6), c 3.702Q)4. A[oy I is especially characterized by perfect {001} cleavage and is very sectile. Alloy 2 has the composition (Pt,Pd) l.oaFeo.zgCuo.zeNio.zsSbo.ro but its X-ray powder pattern could not be indexed.
An hp-proper orthogonal decomposition–moving least squares approach for molecular dynamics simulation

Abstract The application of model order reduction for molecular dynamic systems exhibits intrinsic complexities due to the highly nonlinear and nonlocal properties of such systems. The most costly computational part of such work is the calculation of potential energy and inter-atomic force fields. We introduce the so-called hp -proper orthogonal decomposition–moving least squares ( hp -POD-MLS) method not only to tackle this force computation, but also to improve the accuracy of reduced displacement approximations in an adaptive and controllable manner. The approach combines the proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) method with the moving least squares (MLS) one to interpolate the inter-atomic force field at an arbitrary time instance; this approximated force field is then fed into the reduced molecular dynamic (MD) governing equation to compute the reduced order displacement field. In fact, this POD–MLS approach is already able to handle efficiently the force computation in the online computational stage (i.e., the online force computational cost is independent of the dimension of the full MD space); however its corresponding approximated displacement error will be very large if the considered total time interval is long. The proposed hp -POD-MLS algorithm will divide adaptively and automatically the global temporal interval into many smaller local subintervals ( h -refinement), and then build the sets of local reduced basis functions over each of these subintervals ( p -refinement). The goal is to reduce the corresponding displacement errors to a desired tolerance over these subintervals. The effectiveness of the algorithm is demonstrated by performing reduced-order simulations of several molecular dynamic systems.
The Efficacy of Publicly-Available Retirement Planning Tools

Publicly-available retirement planning tools are publicized to aid households in their retirement planning efforts, but households are likely overestimating tool effectiveness. The authors conclude that the advice provided from a majority of these tools is extremely misleading to households, and propose a more systematic approach to tool development by improved choice of input variables. Analyzing professional advisor opinion and theory, critical input variables are identified and recommended. A case scenario is developed incorporating these critical variables and used to test the efficacy of 36 publicly-available retirement planning tools.
Subunit composition of chick lens alpha-crystallin.

The subunit composition of chick α-crystallin was analyzed by urea-starch gel electrophoresis at pH 8·6 and 3·1. Three major subunits and two minor components were recorded at pH 8·6 and two subunits at pH 3·1. The sedimentation coefficient of the protein in 8 m urea was S20w, = 1·1. The subunit pattern of the adult protein analyzed at pH 8·6 differs from that of the embryonic protein, α-Crystallin present in adult lens epithelial cells, however, has the same subunit pattern as that found in the embryonic lens fiber cells. The significance of these observations is discussed.
Vibrational Cross-Angles in Condensed Molecules: A Structural Tool

The fluctuations of three-dimensional molecular conformations of a molecule in different environments play critical roles in many important chemical and biological processes. X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods are routinely applied to monitor the molecular conformations in condensed phases. However, some special requirements of the methods have prevented them from exploring many molecular phenomena at the current stage. Here, we introduce another method to resolve molecular conformations based on an ultrafast MIR/T-Hz multiple-dimensional vibrational spectroscopic technique. The model molecule (4′-methyl-2′-nitroacetanilide, MNA) is prepared in two of its crystalline forms and liquid samples. Two polarized ultrafast infrared pulses are then used to determine the cross-angles of vibrational transition moment directions by exciting one vibrational band and detecting the induced response on another vibrational band of the molecule. The vibrational cross-angles are...
Comparison of Soup Stock Preparation and Soup Product Consumption Behavior in an Ethnically Diverse Population

ABSTRACTDue to the globalization of food, the food industry and restaurant businesses demand consumer research to identify their diverse consumers’ expectations, especially for the basic food items such as soup product. In this study, a cross-sectional survey study was conducted using a convenience sample of 400 adults (87 non-Hispanic blacks, 94 non-Hispanic whites, 82 Hispanics/Latinos, 137 Asians) to investigate the factors affecting soup consumption behavior. This study showed that significant racial/ethnic differences exist in soup stock preparation and soup product consumption behavior and that the frequencies of cooking, eating out, acculturation and convenience orientation significantly predicted soup product consumption behavior.
311 DIFFERENTIAL EFFECTS OF A HIGH-SALT DIET ON RENAL EXPRESSIONS OF AT1 RECEPTOR, NAD(P)H OXIDASE, COX-1, COX-2, SOD, GPX, MCP-1, AND PAI-1 IN SALT-SENSITIVE AND -RESISTANT RATS.

Chronic consumption of a high-salt diet causes hypertension (HTN) and renal injury in Dahl salt-sensitive (DSS), but not salt-resistant (DSR) rats. These events are, in part, mediated by oxidative stress and inflammation in the kidney and cardiovascular tissues. Local activation of AT1 receptor plays an important role in the pathogenesis of oxidative stress and inflammation in hypertensive disorders. However, systemic renin-angiotensin system is typically depressed in salt-sensitive HTN. It is of note that circulating and tissue renin-angiotensin systems operate independently. Since renal tissue angiotensinogen is reportedly elevated in hypertensive DSS rats, we hypothesized that differential response to high-salt diet in DSS versus DSR rats may be related to dysregulations of intrarenal AT1 receptor and factors involved in inflammation and reactive oxygen species production. Subgroups of DSS and DSR rats were fed a high-salt (8% NaCl) or low-salt (0.03% NaCl) diet for 2 weeks. DSS rats consuming a regular diet exhibited significant increases in AT1 receptor and COX-2 abundance in the kidney. High-salt intake resulted in marked HTN, proteinuria, and up-regulations of P22phox, MCP-1, and PAI-1, as well as further rises in AT1 receptor and COX-2 abundance in the DSS but not the DSR rat kidneys. Among animals fed a low-salt diet, glutathione peroxidase (GPX) was significantly lower in the DSS compared with DSR kidneys. Consumption of a high-salt diet raised kidney GPX in DSR but not DSS rats and lowered kidney CuZn SOD in DSS rats. Thus, high-salt intake results in up-regulations of AT1 receptor, COX-2, NAD(P)H oxidase, MCP-1, and PAI-1 and down-regulations of key antioxidant enzymes, GPX and CuZn SOD, in DSS rats. These events can contribute to oxidative stress, inflammation, and tissue damage in the DSS kidney.
Effects of intermittent pneumatic calf compression on postoperative thrombin and plasmin activity.

A previous study of neurosurgical patients demonstrated an imbalance between thrombin and plasmin action following surgery. The present study was designed to determine the effect of intermittent pneumatic calf compression on postoperative enzyme activity. Fibrinopeptide A (FPA) and B beta 1-42 levels, reflecting thrombin and plasmin action respectively, were measured daily in patients undergoing elective craniotomy. Two of 9 patients not receiving calf compression developed positive fibrinogen leg scans, while none of 5 patients receiving prophylaxis had positive scans. Calf compression was associated with a markedly altered pattern of changes in the fibrinopeptide values following surgery. Without compression, there was perturbation of the balance between thrombin and plasmin action on the day after surgery as reflected by an increase in the FPA/B beta 1-42 ratio. In contrast, in those receiving prophylaxis there was no change in this ratio on the first postoperative day. Calf compression both blunted the mean postoperative increase in the FPA level (1.8 nM vs 4.7 nM; p less than .05) and augmented the mean B beta 1-42 value (3.0 nM vs 0.2 nM; p less than .05) so that the mean increase in the FPA/B beta 1-42 ratio was only 0.1 with calf compression as compared to 2.2 without it (p less than .05). Systemic modulation of both the coagulation and fibrinolytic pathways thus occurred in association with calf compression.
Wireless communication links for brain-machine interface applications

Recent technological developments have given neuroscientists direct access to neural signals in real time, with the accompanying ability to decode the resulting information and control various prosthetic devices and gain insight into deeper aspects of cognition. These developments - along with deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease and the possible use of electro-stimulation for other maladies - leads to the conclusion that the widespread use electronic brain interface technology is a long term possibility. This talk will summarize the various technical challenges and approaches that have been developed to wirelessly communicate with the brain, including technology constraints, dc power limits, compression and data rate issues.
Co-Creation: From Egosystem to Ecosystem

Once people and place nuggets are revealed, transforming them into jewels is most successful when done collaboratively. Good urbanism invites others to contribute, welcomes them when they do, and brings them in as true partners (figure 4.1). In the words of Jaime Lerner (2010, 191): “A city is a collective dream. To build this dream is vital. [It involves] a process that acknowledges and welcomes the multiple visions that managers, inhabitants, planners, politicians, businesses, and civil society have of their city.… The more generous this vision, the more good practices will multiply.”
Cognitive Dimension of Operant Learning

Tolman bucked the behaviorist ideology early on when he introduced a cognitive framework for instrumental behavior. He spoke of outcome expectancies and the goal-directed nature of instrumental and operant learning. This framework is supported by recent behavioral and neurobiological findings, which provide evidence for the dissociation between habit learning and goal-directed behavior. We review the evidence for goal-directed behavior mediated by response–outcome (R–O) expectancies and stimulus–outcome (S–O) representations. Goal-directed behavior provides the substrate for an intentional psychology and for a theory of agency. It also enables an agent to use its interventions to identify cause–effect relationships and can allow for a deeper understanding of how tools function.
Thoughts from a Safe Harbor: Commentary on The Problem of Thinking by Yvette Esprey

Yvette Esprey’s claim that race has the capacity to disrupt thinking in the analytic situation accords with my own experience. In this discussion I take up the question as to why ruptures that occur around race may have a special capacity to disrupt and disable analytic thinking. I look in detail at Esprey’s instructive clinical experience as it gives us a template, something to fall back on, in those moments when anxiety overwhelms us around a racial disruption. Such a template can settle us until we can restore a sense of self that is both raced and analytically focused on the rupture at hand with all its personal and social/historical resonances.