cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CONVOLUTIONAL NEURAL NETWORKS AS AN AID TO BIOSTRATIGRAPHY AND MICROPALEONTOLOGY: A TEST ON LATE PALEOZOIC MICROFOSSILS

Accurate taxonomic classification of microfossils in thin-sections is an important biostratigraphic procedure. As paleontological expertise is typically restricted to specific taxonomic groups and experts are not present in all institutions, geoscience researchers often suffer from lack of quick access to critical taxonomic knowledge for biostratigraphic analyses. Moreover, diminishing emphasis on education and training in systematics poses a major challenge for the future of biostratigraphy, and on associated endeavors reliant on systematics. Here we present a machine learning approach to classify and organize fusulinids—microscopic index fossils for the late Paleozoic. The technique we employ has the potential to use such important taxonomic knowledge in models that can be applied to recognize and categorize fossil specimens. Our results demonstrate that, given adequate images and training, convolutional neural network models can correctly identify fusulinids with high levels of accuracy. Continued efforts in digitization of biological and paleontological collections at numerous museums and adoption of machine learning by paleontologists can enable the development of highly accurate and easy-to-use classification tools and, thus, facilitate biostratigraphic analyses by non-experts as well as allow for cross-validation of disparate collections around the world. Automation of classification work would also enable expert paleontologists and others to focus efforts on exploration of more complex interpretations and concepts.
RAM Cannula and Flexi Trunk Interfaces: A Bench Analysis

Background: Flexi trunk and RAM Cannula are common interfaces used with Bubble CPAP to provide positive airway pressure (PAP) respiratory support in the neonatal intensive care unit. Local neonatal providers anecdotally noted that subjects treated with flexi trunk have demonstrated consistent goal of PAP therapy vs the use of RAM Cannula. This study looked at potential differences in delivered pressure and flow from the sized-paired devices. Methods: This bench study measured pressure and flow using the RAM Cannula (Neotech) and Flexi Trunk (Fisher & Paykel) delivered to a simulated infant head (Michigan Instruments). Both interfaces were connected to a Bubble CPAP System (Fisher & Paykel) with pressure set at 5 and 8 cm H2O and continuous flow set at 10 L/min. The Mallinckrodt Puritan-Bennett PTS 2000 Ventilator Tester was used to measure the pressure and flow, once stabilized, via ports downstream from the simulated nares of the infant model head. Three sizes of Neotech RAM Cannula were used (3mm, 3.5 mm, and 4mm). Three Infant Nasal Prongs BC3020-10, BC3520-10, and BC4030-10 (Fisher & Paykel) were connected to Different sizes Flexi Trunk Midline Interfaces 50mm, 70 mm, and 100mm. Reported Flexi Trunk data is average of all readings for respective prong size. All interfaces were attached to the model head in fashion like patient care. All other openings, within simulated head, were occluded to prevent leak during measurements. IBM SPSS software was used for t-test analysis and significance is set at P
Making the ADHD Diagnosis in Adolescents

Diagnosing Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adolescents requires a baseline knowledge of the diagnostic criteria and presentations, which change over time. This chapter outlines the sequence and components of a comprehensive diagnostic process for the teen presenting with inattention, hyperactivity, and/or impulsivity. Included is a brief history of the diagnosis, helpful in understanding much of the confusion surrounding it. We review the many challenges unique to making an ADHD diagnosis during the developmental whirlwind of the teenage years, along with strategies for accurate determinations.
Zebrafish Models of Cancer Therapy-Induced Cardiovascular Toxicity

Purpose of review: Both traditional and novel cancer therapies can cause cardiovascular toxicity in patients. In vivo models integrating both cardiovascular and cancer phenotypes allow for the study of on- and off-target mechanisms of toxicity arising from these agents. The zebrafish is the optimal whole organism model to screen for cardiotoxicity in a high throughput manner, while simultaneously assessing the role of cardiotoxicity pathways on the cancer therapy’s antitumor effect. Here we highlight established zebrafish models of human cardiovascular disease and cancer, the unique advantages of zebrafish to study mechanisms of cancer therapy-associated cardiovascular toxicity, and finally, important limitations to consider when using the zebrafish to study toxicity. Recent findings: Cancer therapy-associated cardiovascular toxicities range from cardiomyopathy with traditional agents to arrhythmias and thrombotic complications associated with newer targeted therapies. The zebrafish can be used to identify novel therapeutic strategies that selectively protect the heart from cancer therapy without affecting antitumor activity. Advances in genome editing technology have enabled the creation of several transgenic zebrafish lines valuable to the study of cardiovascular and cancer pathophysiology. Summary: The high degree of genetic conservation between zebrafish and humans, as well as the ability to recapitulate cardiotoxic phenotypes observed in patients with cancer, make the zebrafish an effective model to study cancer therapy-associated cardiovascular toxicity. Though this model provides several key benefits over existing in vitro and in vivo models, limitations of the zebrafish model include the early developmental stage required for most high-throughput applications.
A Meta-analytic Review of Non-specific Effects in Randomized Controlled Trials of Cognitive Remediation for Schizophrenia.

Cognitive remediation (CR) has been found to improve cognitive performance among adults with schizophrenia in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). However, im- provements in cognitive performance are often observed in the control groups of RCTs as well. There has been no comprehensive examination of change in control groups for CR, which may inform trial methodology and improve our understanding of measured out- comes for cognitive remediation. In this meta-analysis, we calculated pre-post change in cognitive test performance within control groups of RCTs in 32 CR trials (n = 794 par- ticipants) published between 1970 and 2011, and examined the association between pre- post change and sample size, duration of treatment, type of control group, and participants' age, intelligence, duration of illness, and psychiatric symptoms. Results showed that control groups in CR trials showed small effect size changes (Cohen's d = 0.12 ± 0.16) in cognitive test performance over the trial duration. Study characteristics associated with pre-post change included participant age and sample size. These findings suggest attention to change in control groups may help improve detection of cognitive remediation effects for schizophrenia.
Evaluating Financial Resources for Teacher Education Programs

An interesting paradox exists relative to the financial resources of schools, colleges, and departments of education (SCDEs). Anytime two or more teacher educators, particularly department heads or deans, get together, the discussion invariably turns to the subject of adequate financial support, both for the existing program(s) and for planned or necessary future programs. That SCDEs are underfunded is a widely held belief, supported often in meetings, both formal and informal, and in the literature. Despite this widely held and deeply felt belief among teacher educators, there is little provision for evaluating the financial adequacy of SCDEs, either in terms of institutional processes and procedures or in terms of state, regional, and national accreditation processes. There are several reasons for this paradoxical condition. Many of the approximately 1200 institutions which offer teacher education programs spend too little time on developing short, medium and long range goals and translating them to action plans, and on the identification of financial resources needed to attain goals. Even when such planning programs are present, SCDEs often find themselves with insufficient leverage to influence the allocation of resources and consequently fare poorly in the face of powerful leverages by other professional schools within the institution.
Parenting and Stress

Parenthood is a major adult social role that is negatively associated with psychological well-being, which can be explained by the many stressors that persons in this role encounter. Parents must cope with the economic and emotional strains of raising children, often while juggling other social roles including employment. Important moderators of the relationship between parental status and stress include marital status and gender. As the nature of the parental role and family structures continue to shift in the twenty-first century, so will both the stressful and potentially beneficial connotations of parenthood. Keywords: family; mental health; sociology of family; sociology of mental health; stress
Algebraic ℤ^{}-actions of entropy rank one

We investigate algebraic Z d -actions of entropy rank one, namely those for which each element has finite entropy. Such actions can be completely described in terms of diagonal actions on products of local fields using standard adelic machinery. This leads to numerous alternative characterizations of entropy rank one, both geometric and algebraic. We then compute the measure entropy of a class of skew products, where the fiber maps are elements from an algebraic Z d -action of entropy rank one. This leads, via the relative variational principle, to a formula for the topological entropy of continuous skew products as the maximum of a finite number of topological pressures. We use this to settle a conjecture concerning the relational entropy of commuting toral automorphisms.
Continuous ventricular dimensions in man during supine exercise and recovery. An echocardiographic study.

Abstract Ten healthy men aged 18 to 23 years performed supine bicycle ergometer exercise during continuous echocardiographic recording. Beat to beat analysis of ventricular dimensions revealed that during constant work load exercise end-diastolic dimension did not change and end-systolic dimension decreased insignificantly by 4 percent. The stroke dimension and fractional shortening of the ventricular dimension rose 7 and 5 percent, respectively. During recovery, end-diastolic dimension and stroke dimension increased above the resting value, beginning 26 seconds (range 16 to 45) after cessation of exercise, whereas heart rate fell promptly to resting levels by 37 seconds. The peak increase in end-diastolic dimension and stroke dimension averaged 11 and 35 percent, respectively. Endsystolic dimension coincident with peak end-diastolic dimension decreased 11 percent in 6 of 10 subjects, and was unchanged in four. Fractional shortening of the ventricular dimension increased 8 percent (P These dimensional changes indicate a significant increase in end-diastolic dimension and stroke dimension in all 10 subjects during the recovery phase of supine exercise with a parallel rise in the percent shortening of the ventricular dimensions. During exercise a clear Frank-Starling effect is masked, whereas during recovery the continuing high level of venous return is dissociated from the decreasing heart rate, resulting in a transient increase in end-diastolic volume and a measurable Frank-Starling effect.
A Guided Tour of Mathematical Methods for the Physical Sciences

Mathematical methods are essential tools for all physical scientists. This second edition provides a comprehensive tour of the mathematical knowledge and techniques that are needed by students in this area. In contrast to more traditional textbooks, all the material is presented in the form of problems. Within these problems the basic mathematical theory and its physical applications are well integrated. The mathematical insights that the student acquires are therefore driven by their physical insight. Topics that are covered include vector calculus, linear algebra, Fourier analysis, scale analysis, complex integration, Green's functions, normal modes, tensor calculus and perturbation theory. The second edition contains new chapters on dimensional analysis, variational calculus, and the asymptotic evaluation of integrals. This book can be used by undergraduates and lower-level graduate students in the physical sciences. It can serve as a stand-alone text, or as a source of problems and examples to complement other textbooks.
Family homelessness: State or trait?

Compares conceptualizations of homelessness as a temporary state through which people pass or a permanent trait that emanates from individual characteristics. Evidence from a longitudinal study of 564 homeless families in New York City and additional secondary sources supports the view that for families, homelessness is a temporary state that is resolved by the provision of subsidized housing. Even for single individuals with severe mental disturbances, housing is a key factor in ending homelessness, although here there is more evidence that social services also contribute. Policy implications are that governments should take a more active role in reducing homelessness by providing access to subsidized housing.
Cross-tolerance to cannabinoids in morphine-tolerant rhesus monkeys

Opioids remain the drugs of choice for treating moderate to severe pain, although adverse effects limit their use. Therapeutic utility might be improved by combining opioids with other drugs to enhance analgesic effects, but only if adverse effects are not similarly changed. Cannabinoids have been shown to enhance the antinociceptive potency of opioids without increasing other effects; this study examined whether the effectiveness of cannabinoids is altered in morphine-dependent monkeys. Four monkeys received up to 10 mg/kg morphine twice daily. Changes in the antinociceptive effects of opioid receptor agonists (morphine, U50,488) and cannabinoid receptor agonists (WIN 55,212, CP 55,940, and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol [THC]) were determined by measuring the latency for monkeys to remove their tails from 40, 50, 54, and 58 °C water. Before treatment, all drugs increased tail withdrawal latency from warm (54 °C) water. Chronic morphine treatment decreased the potency of each drug; the magnitude of rightward shift in dose-effect curves was greatest for morphine, WIN 55,212 and CP 55,940 with at least sixfold shifts for each drug during treatment. Discontinuation of morphine treatment resulted in signs that are indicative of withdrawal, including increased heart rate, decreased daytime activity, and tongue movement. Tolerance developed to the antinociceptive effects of morphine and cross-tolerance developed to cannabinoids under conditions that produced modest physical dependence. Compared with the doses examined in this study, much smaller doses of opioids have antinociceptive effects when given with cannabinoids; it is possible that tolerance will not develop to chronic treatment with opioid/cannabinoid mixtures.
B Cell Responses to Influenza Infection and Vaccination

Although vaccines against influenza are widely available, control of the disease remains elusive. In part, this is due to the inability of current vaccines to induce durable, broadly protective immune responses. Prevention of influenza depends primarily on effective antibody responses that block virus entry. Following infection, high-affinity IgA antibodies are generated in the respiratory tract that lead to immune exclusion, while IgG prevents systemic spread. These are effective and long-lasting but also exert immune pressure. Mutation of the antigenic determinants of influenza therefore rapidly leads to emergence of novel variants that evade previously generated protective responses. Not only do vaccines suffer from this strain-specific limitation, but also they are suboptimal in their ability to induce durable immunity. However, recent evidence has demonstrated the possibility of inducing broadly cross-reactive antibody responses. Further understanding of the ways in which high-titer, long-lived antibody responses directed against such cross-reactive epitopes can be induced would lead to the development of novel vaccines that may remove the requirement for recurrent vaccination.
The mean curvature of gravitational fields

Abstract The mean curvature of a gravitational field is defined as a generalization of the average curvature in a given direction by using the gravitational sectional curvature function on non-degenerate tangent 2-planes to the space-time manifold. We find that the mean curvature of a gravitational field is independent of direction as determined by a unit vector. The converse of this result provides a new characterization of spaces admitting gravitational fields. We also define the average curvature (or bending) of a non-degenerate k -plane in a gravitational field and show that it is independent of the choice of non-degenerate k -plane.
Isolation and sequence of a gene encoding a methionine-rich 10-kDa zein protein from maize

We have isolated the gene encoding a methionine-rich 10-kDa zein protein from a lambda EMBL3 maize genomic 'mini' library of the inbred line BSSS-53 and determined its nucleotide sequence. The sequence matches perfectly with a cDNA clone from the inbred line W22 (which has the same restriction fragment length polymorphism as many inbred lines tested) indicating that we have isolated a functional storage protein gene that is very conserved in maize. This comparison also excludes any splicing of any precursor mRNA and therefore any presence of introns. A number of potential regulatory sequences have been located in the flanking regions. The 10-kDa-zein gene represents the last size class in the zein multigene family to be characterized. Its structure allows us now to re-examine the relationship of all the zein proteins and also to compare the structure of a new class of storage proteins that are rich in methionine, an essential amino acid in livestock fodder.
Tablet-based Communication and Children with Multiple Disabilities: Lessons from the Clinical Setting☆

Abstract The advent of tablet-based augmentative/alternative communication systems affords speech-language pathologists and their non- verbal clients’ new opportunities in the clinical setting. This descriptive case study explores how two clinicians introduced one such system to six children with disabilities, and follows the children's progress toward greater communication. Case study methodology and qualitative data collection of field notes, frequency counts and interviews allowed for deep exploration of the phenomenon in its natural environment. Four themes emerged from our data analysis: 1) practical issues exist with the hardware and software, 2) the speech-language pathologist serves as expert guide/facilitator, 3) end-user motivation and engagement are high, and 4) positive communication outcomes are attainable. Strategies for therapeutic implementation stemming from these findings are reported.
Airway Hyperresponsiveness in Allergic Rhinitis: A Risk Factor for Asthma

In order to study whether the methacholine inhalation challenge could predict which patients with allergic rhinitis were at risk to develop asthma, we prospectively studied a group of ragweed-sensitive patients over a four to five year period. On the initial study, 16 of 40 patients (40 percent) were found to be hyperresponsive to methacholine. On the follow-up study, three of these 16 patients (19 percent) were found to have developed asthma from one and one-half to five years after the initial testing. Each had greater methacholine responsiveness on repeat study. The degree of methacholine hyperresponsiveness, judged by the PD 20 , could not predict which of the initial responders would develop asthma. Twenty-four (60 percent) of our patients showed normal responses to methacholine on initial study; none developed asthma and 88 percent remained nonresponders on repeat study. Our study shows that allergic rhinitis patients hyperresponsive to methacholine are at greater risk to develop asthma than those with normal bronchial challenges (p
Pressure-tunable guided-mode resonance sensor for single-wavelength characterization

A method of tuning a one-dimensional guided-mode resonance grating through the use of an air-pressure-responsive membrane is demonstrated here using finite-element method simulation. The device consists of a titanium dioxide (TiO2) grating structure embedded in a flexible polydimethylsiloxane membrane. This grating has a resonant response to TM-polarized light at a wavelength dependent upon the refractive index of the surrounding medium. By varying the pressure by 5500Pa, lateral strain may be applied to the grating; this allows resonances to be produced for medium refractive indices ranging from 1.33 to 1.50 for a fixed-wavelength 850nm light source.
Alkyne Insertion into the Pt−H Bond of Pt(H)(1-pentene)(β-diiminate) Initiates a Reaction Cascade That Results in C−H Activation or C−C Coupling

The lability of the 1-pentene ligand in (Cl-nacnac)Pt(H)(1-pentene) (1; Cl-nacnac = bis(N-aryl)-β-diiminate), which has been synthesized from the reaction of Me4Pt2(μ-SMe2)2 with Cl-nacnacH in pentane, allows the reactivity of the (Cl-nacnac)Pt(H) fragment to be probed. The reaction of 1 with alkynes was explored. Alkynes displace pentene and rapidly undergo insertion into the Pt−H bond of 1 to initiate a reaction cascade. The identity of the final platinum product depends on the substituents on the alkyne reagent. Reaction of 1 with 2-butyne results in hydrogen migration after insertion and yields an η3-allyl product, (Cl-nacnac)Pt(η3-C3H4Me) (2). When reacted with 1, terminal silyl alkynes R3SiC≡CH (R3Si = Me3Si, Ph3Si) undergo C−H activation of one of the silyl substituents after initial alkyne insertion into the Pt−H bond, resulting in net hydrogenation of the alkyne. The result is formation of (Cl-nacnac)Pt((o-C6H4)SiPh2(CH═CH2)) (3) or (Cl-nacnac)Pt((CH2)SiMe2(CH═CH2)) (5), which contains either an ...
Lower quality of life among women with chronic pelvic pain after pelvic inflammatory disease.

Abstract Objective To evaluate the morbidity from chronic pelvic pain after pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). Methods A total of 547 women were studied as part of the PID Evaluation and Clinical Health (PEACH) Study. Chronic pelvic pain was defined as pelvic pain reported at two or more consecutive interviews conducted every 3 to 4 months through 32 months and was graded as mild to moderate (low pain intensity) or moderate to severe (high pain intensity). Mean Medical Outcomes Study Short Form (SF-36) scores at 32 months were compared by chronic pelvic pain categories. Results The mean (± standard deviation) physical health composite scores and mental health composite scores from the SF-36 were progressively lower among women with increasing grade of chronic pelvic pain (physical health composite scores: no chronic pelvic pain = 87.3 ± 10.7, mild to moderate chronic pelvic pain = 79.1 ± 14.6, moderate to severe chronic pelvic pain = 73.6 ± 16.0, P P ≤ .01). Individual physical function, bodily pain, general health, vitality, social function, and mental health scores were also significantly lower among women with chronic pelvic pain and by increasing grade of pain intensity. Conclusion Chronic pelvic pain after PID is associated with reduced physical and mental health.
Apparent Absolute Instability and the Continuous Spectrum

Abstract The role of the continuous spectrum and its associated potential vorticity (PV) in absolute instability are investigated in the context of a semi-infinite version of Eady’s basic state. This flow crudely resembles the zonally averaged midlatitude atmosphere. The disturbances are composed of a zero PV part and a nonzero PV part. A closed form analytic solution is described that features a localized wave packet whose streamfunction field expands and amplifies in an absolutely unstable way. However, since an examination of the PV field associated with this disturbance reveals that the linear amplification of the localized streamfunction wave packet is induced by a nonlocalized PV field, it is clear that the seed for the expansion of the streamfunction wave packet lies not within the wave packet but upstream of the wave packet. While this precise analytic solution allows for the identification of the upstream PV anomalies, any sort of measurement error would render these upstream PV anomalies invisib...
Enhancing Adult Learning in Clinical Supervision

Objective/Background For decades, across almost every training site, clinical supervision has been considered “central to the development of skills” in psychiatry. The crucial supervisor/supervisee relationship has been described extensively in the literature, most often framed as a clinical apprenticeship of the novice to the master craftsman. This approach fails to directly incorporate adult-learning theory (ALT), despite a clear literature supporting its superiority.
Resurfacing history of the northern plains of Mars based on geologic mapping of Mars Global Surveyor data

[1] Geologic mapping of the northern plains of Mars, based on Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter topography and Viking and Mars Orbiter Camera images, reveals new insights into geologic processes and events in this region during the Hesperian and Amazonian Periods. We propose four successive stages of lowland resurfacing likely related to the activity of near-surface volatiles commencing at the highland-lowland boundary (HLB) and progressing to lower topographic levels as follows (highest elevations indicated): Stage 1, upper boundary plains, Early Hesperian, <−2.0 to −2.9 km; Stage 2, lower boundary plains and outflow channel dissection, Late Hesperian, <−2.7 to −4.0 km; Stage 3, Vastitas Borealis Formation (VBF) surface, Late Hesperian to Early Amazonian, <−3.1 to −4.1 km; and Stage 4, local chaos zones, Early Amazonian, <−3.8 to −5.0 km. At Acidalia Mensa, Stage 2 and 3 levels may be lower (<−4.4 and −4.8 km, respectively). Contractional ridges form the dominant structure in the plains and developed from near the end of the Early Hesperian to the Early Amazonian. Geomorphic evidence for a northern-plains-filling ocean during Stage 2 is absent because one did not form or its evidence was destroyed by Stage 3 resurfacing. Remnants of possible Amazonian dust mantles occur on top of the VBF. The north polar layered deposits appear to be made up of an up to kilometer-thick lower sequence of sandy layers Early to Middle Amazonian in age overlain by Late Amazonian ice-rich dust layers; both units appear to have outliers, suggesting that they once were more extensive.
Isolation of novolak resin at low temperature

It is a well known fact that novolak resin undergoes chemical structure changes using vigorous synthesis conditions, such as under high acid catalyst loading and high temperature during isolation. Under such conditions, the structure of novolak resin is rearranged through quinone methide intermediate. We have also observed that the rearranged novolak resin does not perform well in photolithography. In this paper we discus the alternate isolation procedure, eliminating high temperature vacuum distillation. In this process a typical resin synthesis is performed using cresylic acids, catalyst and a solvent with the addition of formaldehyde over time. At the end of the condensation period, distillation is applied using a sub-surface high forced steam. Distillation is performed until all the unreacted cresols are removed. At this point the temperature is raised up to 140 degrees Celsius, and the vacuum is slowly drawn to 35 mm Hg to remove residual water. After the volatiles have been distilled off, the vacuum is released and a solvent is added to adjust the solid content. We discuss in this paper, the properties of the resin in the application of photolithography.
Computer simulation of equations for indicator-concentration curves in parabolic flow model.

Two indicator-concentration parabolic mathematical flow models were simulated on a digital computer for the purpose of comparing the relationship between computed and correct values for flow\((\dot Q)\), mean transit time\((\bar T)\) and volume (Q), in a model tube system. Both parabolic flow model systems were based on pulse input and flow tagging of the indicator substance at the injection site. One flow model (Gonzalez-Fernandez) assumes mean flow concentration at the detection site; the other flow model (Rossiet al.) assumes mean cross-sectional concentration at the detection site. It is concluded from these model and simulation studies that (a) mean flow concentration at the detection site is more appropriate for the determination of\(\dot Q\),-\(\bar T\) andQ; (b) either flow model will give correct values for-\(\dot Q\) at infinite time; however, substantially less time is required for reasonable values of flow with the Gonzalez-Fernandez model; (c) assuming mean flow concentration, 99% accuracy for-\(\dot Q\) requires 10 appearance times (ta); 99% accuracy for-\(\bar T\) requires 100×ta, and (d) for an indicator-concentration system in which mean cross-sectional concentration is assumed at the detection site, correct values for-\(\bar T\) andQ can never be obtained. At the moment, there appears to be no practical way of achieving flow tagging at the injection site or mean flow concentration at the detection site without the use of mixers.
Stopping in high energy nucleus-nucleus collisions. analysis in the Landau hydrodynamic model☆

Abstract We present an analysis of rapidity and transverse energy distributions in nucleus-nucleus collisions recently measured at BNL and CERN. Many of the observed features can be understood in the framework of the Landau hydrodynamic model. This implies a large amount of stopping and suggests a high degree of thermalization.
FKBP5 Genotype and Structural Integrity of the Posterior Cingulum

Alterations in the microarchitecture of the posterior cingulum (PC), a white matter tract proximal to the hippocampus that facilitates communication between the entorhinal and cingulate cortices, have been observed in individuals with psychiatric disorders, such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PC decrements may be a heritable source of vulnerability for the development of affective disorders; however, genetic substrates for these white matter abnormalities have not been identified. The FKBP5 gene product modulates glucocorticoid receptor function and has been previously associated with differential hippocampal structure, function, and affect disorder risk. Thus, FKBP5 is an attractive genetic target for investigations of PC integrity. We examined associations between PC integrity, measured through diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and fractional anisotropy (FA; an index of white matter integrity), and polymorphisms in the FKBP5 SNP rs1360780 in a sample of 82 traumatized female civilians. Findings indicated that, compared with individuals without this allele, individuals who carried two 'risk' alleles for this FKBP5 SNP (T allele; previously associated with mood and anxiety disorder risk) demonstrated significantly lower FA in the left PC, even after statistically controlling for variance associated with age, trauma exposure, and PTSD symptoms. These data suggest that specific allelic variants for an FKBP5 polymorphism are associated with decrements in the left PC microarchitecture. These white matter abnormalities may be a heritable biological marker that indicates increased vulnerability for the development of psychiatric disorders, such as PTSD.
The Robert Haag collection of meteorites by Robert Haag. Robert Haag Meteorites

Book Review: The Robert Haag Collection of Meteorites, Robert Haag. Robert Haag Meteorites, Tucson, Arizona, USA (2003).
Potassium chloride-insoluble myofilaments in vertebrate smooth muscle cells.

Nonactomyosin component differentiation in potassium chloride insoluble myofilaments in vertebrate smooth muscle cells
An experimental study of weak ergodicity in human populations

Abstract In demography, weak ergodicity is usually taken to mean the tendency of an age distribution to “forget” its past, or, equivalently, the essential dependence of current age distribution on only a recent history of age-specific vital rates. We have been interested in providing a more complete mathematical description of the processes underlying weak ergodicity, and decided to begin our inquiry with an experimental approach. Our initial work has been with the discrete formulation of population dynamics, using 10 × 10 matrices for closed populations of human females as experimental data. The findings of our initial experiments are that a sequence of products of human population projection matrices converges towards the sequence defined by its positive, or Perron-Frobenius, eigenstructure, and that, when appropriately defined, sequences both of left and of right eigenvectors converge to constant vectors: left eigenvector sequences converge “forward” from a fixed point in time, while right eigenvector sequences converge “backward” from a given time point. In practice, this means that proportional age structure can be determined from a knowledge only of recent or “late” vital rates, while the relative contribution of initial age structure to eventual population size can be determined with a knowledge of only “early” vital rates in the sequence. For 10 × 10 human population projection matrices, products of 30 or more matrices appear always to contain closely convergent sequences of right and left eigenvectors, and adequate approximations to limiting values usually can be made using about 20 matrices for each limiting eigenvector. Because convergence is not monotone, and because patterns of convergence are specific to the structure of each product, it appears that stronger results will require strong conditions on the sequence of matrices in the product.
The history of the spreading coefficient

Abstract The conditions that enable a drop of one liquid to spread on the surface of an immiscible second liquid were first stated in 1865 by Carlo Marangoni, but within the next few years other authors had independently arrived at the same conclusion. The subsequent development of the concept, resulting in what is now known as the Spreading Coefficient, is traced in this article.
Empirical and theoretical evidence concerning the response of the earth's ice and snow cover to a global temperature increase

Abstract As a guide to the possible effects of a CO2-induced warming on the cryosphere, we review the effects of three warm periods in the past, and out theoretical understanding of fluctuations in mountain glaciers, the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, ground ice, sea ice and seasonal snow cover. Between 1890 and 1940 A.D. the glaciated area in Switzerland was reduced by over 25%. In the Hypsithermal, at about 6000 BP, ground ice in Eurasia retreated northward by several hundred kilometres. In the interglacial Stage 5e, at about 120 000 BP, global sea-level rose by over 6 m. Fluctuations of mountain glaciers depend on mesoscale “weather” and on their mechanical response to it. Any melting of the Greenland ice sheet is likely to be slow in human terms. The West Antarctic ice sheet (its base below sea-level) is susceptible to an ungrounding, and such an event may have been the cause of the sea-level rise above. The East Antarctic ice sheet is susceptible to mechanical “surges”, which might be triggered by a warming at its margin. Both an ungrounding and a surge might occupy less than 100 yr, and are potetially the most important ice changes in human terms. Modelling studies suggest that a 5°C warming would remove the Arctic pack ice in summer, and this may be the most significant effect for further climatic change.
Abstract 1576: An oral therapeutic vaccine for colorectal cancer effectively eradicates intestinal tumors independently of target tumor-antigen specific immunities in APCMin/+ hCEA mice

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL Colorectal cancer is among the leading cause of cancer-related death in patients worldwide, and the requirement of an effective vaccine is urgent. Here, we designed a pseudovirus-based therapeutic vaccine for colorectal cancer, which is comprised of a plasmid encoding a colorectal tumor-associated antigen (human CEA) packaged inside the bovine papillomavirus like particles (VLP-CEA vaccine). Oral immunization of APCMin/+ hCEA mice (a mouse model of human colorectal cancer) with VLP-CEA vaccine greatly reduced the tumor number compared with those received PBS. More importantly, the APCMin/+ hCEA mice that received pseudovirus vaccine had dramatically enhanced survival rates than those only received PBS. Surprisingly, CEA-specific adaptive immunities are dispensible for tumor elimination as similar tumor number reductions are seen in the APCMin/+ or APCMin/+ hCEA mice that are immunized with either VLP-CEA or VLP-GFP (VLPs packaging a GFP-containing plasmid). Consistently, we found that CTL responses are not required for tumor eradication since depleting CD8 T cells prior to vaccinations didn't impair the vaccine efficacy. Finally, we found that VLP-CEA and VLP-GFP are both able to activate the inflammasome which might directly induce tumor cell death. Thus, our data indicate that independent of the target tumor-antigen specific adaptive immunity, our pseudovirus-based therapeutic vaccine for colorectal cancer effectively eliminates already established intestinal tumors in an animal model, and the understanding of the immune mechanism by which pseudovirus vaccines eradicate colorectal tumorigenesis will further our knowledge for designing vaccines for other cancers. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1576. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-1576
Backbone (1)H, (13)C, and (15)N resonance assignments of guanylyl cyclase activating protein-1, GCAP1.

Guanylyl cyclase activating protein 1 (GCAP1), a member of the neuronal calcium sensor subclass of the calmodulin superfamily, confers Ca2+-dependent activation of retinal guanylyl cyclase that regulates the visual light response. GCAP1 is genetically linked to retinal degenerative diseases. We report backbone NMR chemical shift assignments of Ca2+-saturated GCAP1 (BMRB no. 18026).
Immunologic Characterization of Spasmodic Dysphonia Patients Who Develop Resistance to Botulinum Toxin

Abstract Summary: The immune status of six spasmodic dysphonia patients who became resistant to botulinum toxin was compared to that of a series of patients who remained responsive. The two groups were similar in terms of age, sex, and cumulative dose of toxin. Five of the resistant patients had a significant titer of anti-botulinum toxin IgG antibodies, as determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). These same five resistant patients had a circulating titer of anti-heavy chain antibodies, but only three of these patients had a circulating titer of anti-light chain antibodies, as determined by Western blotting. By contrast, none of the responsive patients had antibodies against the holotoxin or its two chains. Interestingly, two of the resistant patients also had a low circulating titer of anti-botulinum toxin IgA antibodies. None of the responsive patients was IgA-positive. The cumulative dose of botulinum toxin administered to resistant patients was lower than that customarily associated with emergence of immunity in dystonia patients.
An assessment of comparative acute toxicity of diisopropyl-fluorophosphate, Tabun, Sarin, and Soman in relation to cholinergic and GABAergic enzyme activities in rats

The sc LD50s (mumol/kg) in rats for diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP), Tabun, Sarin, and Soman were 14.5, 1.9, 1.4, and 0.88, respectively. The relative potency was as follows: DFP less than Tabun less than Sarin less than Soman (1:7.6:10.4:16.4). The relative potencies correlated with the in vitro acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition (in terms of the IC50) by these compounds, in whole brain homogenates or the purified bovine erythrocyte AChE. There was a dose versus time for mortality relationship for all four compounds; the average time for death decreased with increase in dose. However, there was no correlation between time for death and the extent of AChE inhibition. The striatal as well as other regional (medulla, diencephalon, cortex, and cerebellum) AChE activity was inhibited over 90% of the control, by the lethal doses of these compounds. None of the lethal or sublethal doses had any apparent effect on choline acetyltransferase (CAT) or GABA-transaminase activities. Glutamic acid decarboxylase activity was increased by Soman, Sarin, and Tabun at certain lethal doses but was not affected by DFP even at the lethal dose. The results indicate that (a) the acute toxicity of organophosphate acetylcholinesterase inhibitors is directly related to the inhibition of AChE though there is a wide difference in their potency; (b) a substantial inhibition of AChE activity (over 90% of control) is necessary for lethality to ensue after an acute exposure and the margins between lethal and nonlethal doses are extremely small; and (c) qualitative differences seem to exist among the various organophosphates in affecting noncholinergic neurotransmitter enzymes.
Cadmium malignantly transforms normal human breast epithelial cells into a basal-like phenotype.

BackgroundBreast cancer has recently been linked to cadmium exposure. Although not uniformly supported, it is hypothesized that cadmium acts as a metalloestrogenic carcinogen via the estrogen recep...
Plasma ACTH and cortisol concentrations before and after dexamethasone

Alteration in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis occurs in up to 50% of depressed patients and is demonstrated by the failure to suppress cortisol concentrations after dexamethasone administration. Evidence suggesting that these cortisol abnormalities reflect hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction has been inconsistent. We administered the dexamethasone suppression test to 28 psychiatric inpatients, including 17 cortisol suppressors and 11 nonsuppressors. Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) concentrations at 8 a.m. pre- and postdexamethasone were significantly greater in cortisol nonsuppressors than in suppressors. Our data support the hypothesis that pituitary ACTH secretion is altered in depressed patients who have HPA axis abnormalities demonstrated by plasma cortisol measurements.
Molecular conservation of 74 amino acid sequence of ubiquitin between cattle and man

UBIQUITIN (originally ‘ubiquitous immunopoietic polypeptide’ or ‘UBIP’)1 induces lymphocyte differentiation and was first found in bovine thymus during isolation of the thymic polypeptide hormone thymopoietin (originally ‘thymin’)2 which induces T-cell differentiation3 and has secondary effects on neuromuscular transmission2. Ubiquitin, which has a molecular weight of 8,451, is interesting for several reasons. First, it induces differentiation of T cells and, unlike thymopoietin, B cells1. Second, both properties are inhibited by the β-adrenergic blocking agent propranolol, and so the capacity of ubiquitin to induce lymphocyte differentiation seems to depend on reaction with a β-adrenergic receptor. Third, ubiquitin activates adenyl cyclase in lymphocyte precursors and in other tissues, again through a, β-adrenergic receptor (M. Bitensky, and G. G., unpublished). Finally, ubiquitin, as the name implies, is found not only in thymus but in all other animal cells and in yeasts, bacteria and higher plants1. Although its physiological function remains unknown, ubiquitin must be vital to the living cell to have been conserved over such a long evolutionary time span. We have reported the complete primary structure of bovine ubiquitin4—a single polypeptide chain of 74 amino acids—and now report that human ubiquitin has an identical sequence.
Progestin potency – Assessment and relevance to choice of oral contraceptives

Abstract Objectives To evaluate current information on the potency of older and newer progestins and the relevance to oral contraceptive (OC) use. Methods A medline search back to the last review (1985) was conducted. Results A thorough review of the pharmacology of the older and newer progestins and their classification is presented. This is followed by a review of the methods of assessment of progestin potency in women. Histological as well as newer biochemical methods (nuclear receptors and placental protein 14) are examined. Progestin potency values for the older and newer progestins are presented and the reasons for the discrepancies discussed. The delay of menses assay and its problems with newer formulations is examined including data on current 30–35 μg ethinylestradiol containing OCs. The role of progestin potency in disease causation and prevention, especially in relation to breast cancer and the protective effects in ovarian and endometrial cancer is reviewed. The term ‘effective progestin activity’ (EPA) which is dose X potency is defined. The EPA enables comparisons of differing progestin containing preparations. The terms ‘low dose’ and ‘low potency’ and their historical introduction and implications are discussed. Newer epidemiological studies still use the old histological data and delay of menses data despite their limited relevance to OCs in present use. Conclusions Newer progestins are more receptor selective and potency is less relevant than it was with older progestins. Epidemiological studies of progestin potency and its role in disease generally use out of date information. There is still confusion about the relationship of dose and potency in some studies. The use of the EPA can help eliminate this.
An Evaluation of Healthcare Information on the Internet: The Case of Colorectal Cancer Prevention

Health information, provided through the Internet, has recently received attention from consumers and healthcare providers as an efficient method of motivating people to get screened for colorectal cancer (CRC). In this study, the primary purpose was to investigate the extent to which consumers were better educated about CRC screening information because of the information available on the Internet. Another purpose was to identify how better-informed consumers, with reliable and trustworthy health information, were enabled to make sound decisions regarding CRC screening. The data used in this study was taken from the 2003 Health Information National Trends Survey. People aged 55 and older were classified based on their compliance with recommended CRC screening. The study applied the PRECEDE-PROCEED model to evaluate the effects of health information taken from the Internet regarding CRC screening. The credibility and reliance of cancer related information on the Internet was significantly associated with patient compliance to be screened for CRC. Experience and knowledge of Internet use had a significant impact on the utilization of CRC screening. This analysis suggests that the design and publishing websites concerning CRC should emphasize credibility and reliance. Websites providing information about CRC must also contain the most current information so that people are able to make educated decisions about CRC screening.
Pulsed UV laser for fluorescence decay measurements

Abstract Second harmonic generation in a non-linear optical crystal is utilized to obtain pulsed UV emission (λ = 2573 A) which exhibits peak powers of greater than 1 W at repetition rates ranging from single pulse to 1 MHz. Such a system is useful for measuring fluorescence decay times in UV excitable materials which are longer than 10 ns in duration.