cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 2366: Transcriptome analysis of human metastasis prostate cancer cells deciphers new function of Esrrb

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA Orphan nuclear receptor family member, Estrogen Related Receptor β (esrrb) became a research hot topic in recent years. Although the function of esrrb is relatively well studied in stem cells and early embryonic development, little is known about its function in cancer. Esrrb is reported to arrest prostate cancer cell cell-cycle by upregulating p21. Here we investigate the transcriptome alteration induced by esrrb expression and its synthetic ligand DY131 in a human prostate cancer cell line. We distinguished 205 qualified differentially expressed (DE) genes regulated by esrrb alone, and 3202 genes with DY131 treatment with esrrb expression, indicating esrrb has both ligand independent and ligand dependent activity. From the esrrb-regulated transcriptome, we established a hypothetical esrrb transcription regulation model in prostate cancer cells by matching the DNA motif recognized by transcriptional factors (TFs) to the promoter sequences of differentially expressed genes. We found esrrb-regulated gene expression is mediated by TAGLN, HOXB2 and HOXB8 from our model. Our findings potentially provide multiple markers to characterize esrrb's function in prostate cancer. Citation Format: Yuan Lu, Jilong Li, Jianlin Cheng, Dennis B. Lubahn. Transcriptome analysis of human metastasis prostate cancer cells deciphers new function of Esrrb. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 2366. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-2366
DNA content of mitotically-active condensed chromosomes of Drosophila melanogaster.

Two-wavelength Feulgen microspectrophotometry was used to determine the DNA content of mitotically-active ganglionic cells of first-and thirdinstar larvae of Drosophila melanogaster. The measurements revealed that the DNA values differ, on the average, by a factor of approximately two, with the metaphase cells of the first-instar larvae having about four times the haploid amount of the spermatozoon, and the metaphase cells of the third-instar larvae having about eight times the haploid amount. The increase from 4C to 8C in the course of development without any pronounced modification of the heterochromatic—euchromatic ratio is interpreted as evidence of an increase in the number of chromosomal strands. It is suggested, accordingly, that these mitotically-active chromosomes are multistranded or polynemie.
The effect of change in chemical structure of some thyroxine analogues on the metamorphosis of Rana pipiens tadpoles.

Forty-three different substances structurally related to tliyroxine were assayed for their metamorphosing effect on Rana pipiens tadpoles. Triiodinated compounds with iodines at the 3,3′,5 positions were found more active than tetraiodinated compounds. The 3,5- and 3,3′ diiodinated compounds tested also had some activity except for the 3,5 diiodothyroformic acid. None of the monoiodinated compounds assayed showed biological activity. The most active compound studied was 3,3′,5-triiodothyropropionic acid which was 300 times more potent that ?-thyroxine. IN 1912 Gudernatsch (1) showed that tadpole metamorphosis was under the control of the thyroid gland. Since these original observations, many iodinated compounds have been reported capable of inducing amphibian metamorphosis. Recently the relationship of thyroxine-like metamorphosing activity and chemical structure of some compounds has been studied by Roche et al.(2) and reviewed by Bruice et al. (3). The recent discovery of naturally occurring thyroxine-l...
Semantic-Friendly Indexing and Quering of Images Based on the Extraction of the Objective Semantic Cues

Abstract image semantics resists all forms of modeling, very much like any kind of intelligence does. However, in order to develop more satisfying image navigation systems, we need tools to construct a semantic bridge between the user and the database. In this paper we present an image indexing scheme and a query language, which allow the user to introduce cognitive dimension to the search. At an abstract level, this approach consists of: (1) learning the “natural language” that humans speak to communicate their semantic experience of images, (2) understanding the relationships between this language and objective measurable image attributes, and then (3) developing corresponding feature extraction schemes. More precisely, we have conducted a number of subjective experiments in which we asked human subjects to group images, and then explain verbally why they did so. The results of this study indicated that a part of the abstraction involved in image interpretation is often driven by semantic categories, which can be broken into more tangible semantic entities, i.e. objective semantic indicators. By analyzing our experimental data, we have identified some candidate semantic categories (i.e. portraits, people, crowds, cityscapes, landscapes, etc.) and their underlying semantic indicators (i.e. skin, sky, water, object, etc.). These experiments also helped us derive important low-level image descriptors, accounting for our perception of these indicators. We have then used these findings to develop an image feature extraction and indexing scheme. In particular, our feature set has been carefully designed to match the way humans communicate image meaning. This led us to the development of a “semantic-friendly” query language for browsing and searching diverse collections of images. We have implemented our approach into an Internet search engine, and tested it on a large number of images. The results we obtained are very promising.
Synthesis and dopamine transporter affinity of 2-(methoxycarbonyl)-9-methyl-3-phenyl-9-azabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane derivatives

A series of 9-methyl-3β-phenyl-2-substituted-9-azabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane derivatives were synthesized and evaluated as cocaine-binding site ligands at the dopamine transporter (DAT). The conformation of the bicyclic structures and the stereochemistry of the substituents were determined by NMR and X-ray crystallography. The in vitro binding affinity (Ki) of the 9-azabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane derivatives was measured in rat caudate-putamen tissue, and they were found to be 100-fold (Ki = 2−14 μM) less potent than cocaine and other tropane analogs. From these results it is evident that the cocaine-binding site at the DAT is very sensitive to structural modifications of the unsubstituted methylene bridge [C(6)−C(7)] of cocaine and cocaine-like compounds.
The Lockean Case for Religious Tolerance: The Social Contract and the Irrationality of Persecution

John Locke's non-religious arguments for tolerance are often seen as inadequate. He is criticized for: (1) failing to give reasons in support of a strict separation between the roles of church and ...
Folic acid and the prevention of neural tube defects: A position paper of the national society of genetic counselors.

Considerable scientific evidence demonstrates the reduction in risk for neural tube defects (NTDs) associated with maternal preconceptional folic acid supplementation. The National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) endorses the U.S. Public Health Service recommendations for folic acid supplementation at the 0.4 mg level for women in the general population and at the 4.0 mg level for women at high or increased risk for NTD pregnancies for at least 4 weeks prior to active pursuit of conception. We encourage targeted educational efforts and surveillance to assess results of this dietary supplementation. The NSGC further urges the Food and Drug Administration to fortify staple foodstuffs with folic acid for a population-based approach to minimize the number of NTD births.
Bedrock foundations for manager development

Six essential elements, constituting a firm foundation on which business leaders may build effective manager-development activities, are presented. Dynamic integrative unity is the incompassing concept to be considered, as all the elements need to be taken into consideration simultaneously for effectiveness.
In vivo regulation of peripheral-type benzodiazepine receptor and glucocorticoid synthesis by Ginkgo biloba extract EGb 761 and isolated ginkgolides.

Glucocorticoid excess has broad pathogenic potential including neurotoxicity, neuroendangerment, and immunosuppression. Glucocorticoid synthesis is regulated by ACTH, which acts by accelerating the transport of the precursor cholesterol to the mitochondria where steroidogenesis begins. Ginkgo biloba is one of the most ancient trees, and extracts from its leaves have been used in traditional medicine. A standardized extract of Ginkgo biloba leaves, termed EGb 761 (EGb), has been shown to have neuroprotective and antistress effects. In vivo treatment of rats with EGb, and its bioactive components ginkgolide A and B, specifically reduces the ligand binding capacity, protein, and messenger RNA expression of the adrenocortical mitochondrial peripheral-type benzodiazepine receptor (PBR), a key element in the regulation of cholesterol transport, resulting in decreased corticosteroid synthesis. As expected, the ginkgolide-induced decrease in glucocorticoid levels resulted in increased ACTH release, which in turn ...
Synthesis, structure and reactivity of organometallic complexes of Sm(II)

Abstract The synthesis of (C5Me5)2Sm(THF)2 by metal vapor methods provided the first soluble organometallic Sm(Il) complex. This compound allowed the development of the chemistry of the highly reducing Sm(Il) ion in an organometallic environment. The unique combination of physical properties associated with (C5Me5)2Sm(THF)2, i.e. high reduction potential, oxophilicity, solubility, and 4f valence orbitals, allows this compound to do reductive chemistry not possible with other one electron reducing agents. The reactivity of (C5Me5)2Sm(THF)2 with a variety of unsaturated substrates including CO, alkynes, diynes, alkenes, isocyanides and azo compounds is discussed. Recent results on the chemistry of the unusual bent metallocene (C5Me5)2Sm is presented. The synthetic, structural and reactivity features of organometallic Sm(II) complexes are compared and contrasted with the known chemistry of trivalent organometallic complexes.
Enhanced suppression of plant growth through production of L-tryptophan-derived compounds by deleterious rhizobacteria

Plant-growth-suppressive activity of deleterious rhizobacteria (DRB) may be due to production of metabolites absorbed through roots. Auxins produced in high concentrations in the rhizosphere by DRB contribute to reduced root growth. Selected DRB able to produce excessive amounts of auxin compounds for suppression of weed seedling growth may be effective for biological control of weeds. The objectives to this study were to assess the ability of DRB originating from weed seedlings to synthesize auxins from L-tryptophan (L-TRP), determine effects of DRB with or without L-TRP on seedling root growth, and characterize auxins produced from L-TRP using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Auxins expressed as indole-3-acetic acid (IAA)-equivalents were produced by 22.8% of the DRB tested based on a colorimetric method. Under laboratory conditions, a DRB isolate classified as Enterobacter taylorae with high auxin-producing potential (72 mg L−1 IAA-equivalents) inhibited root growth of field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis L.) by 90.5% when combined with 10−5M L-TRP compared with non-treated control. Auxin derivatives produced by E. taylorae from L-TRP in broth culture after 24 h incubation identified by HPLC included IAA (102 μg L−1), indole-3-aldehyde (IALD; 0.4 μg L−1), and indole-3-lactic acid (ILA; 7.6 μg L−1). Results suggest that providing L-TRP with selected auxin-producing DRB to increase phytotoxic activity against emerging weed seedlings may be a practical biological control strategy.
83 Comparative analysis of vertically migrating euglena viridis populations in tidal and non‐tidal benthic environments

Benthic populations of Euglena viridis exhibit vertical migration behavior on high energy intertidal beaches and along the sand banks of freshwater streams. This study examines similarities and differences in the migratory behavior and cell morphology of populations of E. viridis inhabiting Scripps Beach, La Jolla, California and Coble Brook, Burlington, North Carolina. The timing of migration was measured by counting the number of cells in samples collected from the sediment surface throughout the day. Sediment cores were extracted and sectioned to determine the vertical distribution of the population. Neutral density filters and opaque canisters were used to shade the substratum to 56%, 22%, 2%, and 0% of incident irradiance (Io) to examine the effect of light on cell morphology and migratory behavior. On intertidal beaches, E. viridis exhibited a tidal rhythm in vertical migration with cells migrating below the sediment surface at night (>15 cm) and during daytime high tides. In this habitat, the upward migration response was enhanced at irradiances lower than 100% Io but cell morphology was not altered by shading. On the banks of freshwater streams, E. viridis exhibited a diurnal migratory rhythm with both tear-drop and spherical morphologies observed throughout the day. The population was most concentrated at the surface around solar noon and at night it was located between 1 and 2 cm below the surface. Shading did not enhance upward migration but it did affect cell morphology. These results will be interpreted in the context of the dominant selection pressures in each environment.
Brain connectivity study of joint attention using frequency-domain optical imaging technique

Autism is a socio-communication brain development disorder. It is marked by degeneration in the ability to respond to joint attention skill task, from as early as 12 to 18 months of age. This trait is used to distinguish autistic from nonautistic populations. In this study, diffuse optical imaging is being used to study brain connectivity for the first time in response to joint attention experience in normal adults. The prefrontal region of the brain was non-invasively imaged using a frequency-domain based optical imager. The imaging studies were performed on 11 normal right-handed adults and optical measurements were acquired in response to joint-attention based video clips. While the intensity-based optical data provides information about the hemodynamic response of the underlying neural process, the time-dependent phase-based optical data has the potential to explicate the directional information on the activation of the brain. Thus brain connectivity studies are performed by computing covariance/correlations between spatial units using this frequency-domain based optical measurements. The preliminary results indicate that the extent of synchrony and directional variation in the pattern of activation varies in the left and right frontal cortex. The results have significant implication for research in neural pathways associated with autism that can be mapped using diffuse optical imaging tools in the future.
Quadratic programming for nonlinear regression

A quadratic programming algorithm is described for use with the magnified diagonal method of nonlinear regression with linear constraints. The regression method is published in JACM, July 1970.
Gender dichotomization at the level of ingroup identity: What it is, and why men use it more than women.

In 5 studies (N = 756), we show that men's relative to women's gender ingroup identities are characterized by greater levels of gender dichotomization, a tendency to distance masculine from feminine traits. We demonstrate further that men's gender dichotomization is motivated, in part, by a need to eschew femininity from their ingroup identity to bolster a precarious gender status. Studies 1-3 establish and replicate the basic effect, and rule out alternative explanations (positivity, projection, status striving) for men's tendency to dichotomize more than women. Studies 4 and 5 demonstrate the motivated nature of gender dichotomization by establishing that men, but not women, dichotomize more strenuously when reminded of the precariousness of their gender status, and report stronger motivation to restore their gender status upon learning that their ingroup is becoming less dichotomized. Across 3 studies, strength of identification with their gender group moderates men's dichotomization tendencies. Discussion considers the implications of these findings for understanding the precarious nature of manhood and identifies practical applications of gender dichotomization in the interpersonal realm.
Techniques for improved magnetic recording

This article describes some of the techniques which may be used to improve the frequency response, reduce the distortion, and increase the signal-to-noise ratio of magnetic recording systems. Also discussed are some new methods of measurements by which these improvements may be evaluated. The author believes the application of the techniques to practical systems will not necessarily follow immediately; however, magnetic recording is already well established in many fields of application and its future looks bright.
Proline metabolism in cartilage: the importance of proline biosynthesis.

Abstract Mammalian cells have the capacity to synthesize proline from ornithine or glutamic acid, although preformed proline usually is available from extracellular sources. We have measured the rate of proline formation from ornithine in the presence of physiologic concentrations of proline. In rat xiphoid cartilage organ cultures with ornithine and proline present at equimolar concentrations, we have found that at least 20% of the proline incorporated is derived from ornithine. In addition, we have studied the proline biosynthetic and degradative enzymes in several different tissues. The rate of proline incorporation is threefold greater in xiphoid cartilage than in liver or kidney; and in each of these tissues, the levels of the proline biosynthetic and degradative enzymes correlate with the relative demand for proline incorporation. The biosynthetic enzymes pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase and ornithine aminotransferase are present at high levels in xiphoid cartilage, whereas the degradative enzymes proline oxidase and pyrroline-5-carboxylate dehydrogenase are absent and at very low levels, respectively. In contrast, in liver and kidney, pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase is at a much lower level and proline oxidase and pyrroline-5-carboxylate dehydrogenase are present at high levels. It appears that proline biosynthesis is an important process, especially in collagenforming tissues, and that proline oxidation is limited to a few specialized mammalian tissues.
Renal Excretion of Sodium in Arterial Hypertension

Patients with arterial hypertension excrete a sodium load more rapidly than do individuals with normal blood pressure. The relationship of this abnormal sodium excretory response to blood pressure and such extrarenal factors as the central nervous system, dietary salt intake, body fluid volume and sodium content, and the adrenal glands has been studied. On the basis of this and other evidence, it is suggested that the exaggerated natriuresis is the result of a renal tubular defect which occurs after the development of hypertension.
Fifteen-year trend in the use of reproductive surgery in women in the United States.

Objective To determine trends in female reproductive surgery volume. Design Database analysis using the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project databases from 1988, 1992, 1998, and 2002. Setting Academic medical center. Patient(s) All patients who underwent reproductive surgeries using United States community hospital discharge data and inpatient and outpatient data for New Jersey (NJ) and Maryland (MD). Intervention(s) SAS statistical software was used to estimate the number of reproductive surgeries per year; weighted least squares analysis was performed to estimate trends in surgeries. Main Outcome Measure(s) Number of reproductive surgeries. Result(s) Nationally, approximately 250,000 inpatient female reproductive surgeries are performed yearly. There was a modest decreasing trend (−17%) in total reproductive surgeries, and the number of procedures with an associated diagnosis of infertility declined 79%; neither change reached statistical significance. Alternatively, a significant decline occurred in surgeries of the fallopian tubes and ovaries. Likewise, inpatient surgeries were unchanged in NJ and actually increased in MD (+13%), although outpatient surgeries declined in both states (−12% and −37%, respectively). Conclusion(s) The increased use of assisted reproductive technology (ART) has coincided with a decrease in surgeries on the fallopian tubes and ovaries. With the exception of surgery for tubal infertility, reproductive surgery has largely been complementary to, rather than replaced by, ART.
Natural groundwater recharge response to urbanization: Vermillion River watershed, Minnesota.

Urban development of rural land can be a concern for water resources and wildlife. The quantity and quality of surface water runoff and groundwater recharge can be significantly affected by urbanization. Base flow in streams and cold-water habitat, e.g., for trout, depend on groundwater. If water recharge to aquifers is reduced, and surface runoff is increased, streamflow and cold-water habitat can be adversely affected. An investigation of the changes to groundwater recharge resulting from the urbanization of a rural/natural area in the Vermillion River watershed in Minnesota was conducted. Well established principles and relationships for the estimation of infiltration (Soil Conservation Service (SCS) and Green-Ampt (GA) methods] and evapotranspiration [Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)-56 Penman-Monteith) were applied, and percolation or groundwater recharge was determined using a water budget approach. The relationships were assembled in three models called the FAO-SCS, the FAO-GA, and the GA mo...
Functional selectivity of allosteric interactions within G protein-coupled receptor oligomers: the dopamine D1-D3 receptor heterotetramer.

The dopamine D1 receptor–D3 receptor (D1R-D3R) heteromer is being considered as a potential therapeutic target for neuropsychiatric disorders. Previous studies suggested that this heteromer could be involved in the ability of D3R agonists to potentiate locomotor activation induced by D1R agonists. It has also been postulated that its overexpression plays a role in L-dopa–induced dyskinesia and in drug addiction. However, little is known about its biochemical properties. By combining bioluminescence resonance energy transfer, bimolecular complementation techniques, and cell-signaling experiments in transfected cells, evidence was obtained for a tetrameric stoichiometry of the D1R–D3R heteromer, constituted by two interacting D1R and D3R homodimers coupled to Gs and Gi proteins, respectively. Coactivation of both receptors led to the canonical negative interaction at the level of adenylyl cyclase signaling, to a strong recruitment of β-arrestin-1, and to a positive cross talk of D1R and D3R agonists at the level of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling. Furthermore, D1R or D3R antagonists counteracted β-arrestin-1 recruitment and MAPK activation induced by D3R and D1R agonists, respectively (cross-antagonism). Positive cross talk and cross-antagonism at the MAPK level were counteracted by specific synthetic peptides with amino acid sequences corresponding to D1R transmembrane (TM) domains TM5 and TM6, which also selectively modified the quaternary structure of the D1R-D3R heteromer, as demonstrated by complementation of hemiproteins of yellow fluorescence protein fused to D1R and D3R. These results demonstrate functional selectivity of allosteric modulations within the D1R-D3R heteromer, which can be involved with the reported behavioral synergism of D1R and D3R agonists.
Hypersonic Shock Wave Impingement on Turbulent Boundary Layers: Computational Analysis and Uncertainty

Current status of computational uncertainty for impinging hypersonic shock wave turbulent boundary-layer interactions (SWTBLIs) is evaluated by comparison of computational results with vetted experiments. Employed is one of NASA’s production real gas Reynolds-averagedNavier–Stokes finite volume codes, DPLR, alongwith several commonly used turbulence models. Uncertainty and residual errors, inherent to the analysis and turbulence model implementation, are numerically evaluated for physics quantities of interest. These uncertainty results should prove of value to computational practitioners and developers and to designers making use of modern computational methods to innovate and develop hypersonic hardware such as prototype scramjet engines. Reported are statistical means, variances, and confidence limits of uncertainty measures for the physics quantities of interest to reveal the certitude with which computations of impinging hypersonic SWTBLIs can be relied. A hybrid computational fluid dynamics correlation approach yields improved peak heating estimates in the vicinity of SWTBLIs.
179 EFFECT OF SERUM DURING CULTURE ON DAY 14 ELONGATED BOVINE EMBRYOS

It has been reported that the addition of serum to embryo culture media alters gene expression and triggers the development of large offspring syndrome. The objectives of this study were to determine gene expression levels in embryos cultured in the absence or presence of 5% calf serum and in vivo-derived (IVD) embryos and to determine the effects of serum on the length of elongated embryos. Abattoir-derived oocytes were obtained from a commercial provider and fertilized at 24 h of maturation with semen from a bull previously used for IVF. At 18 h post-insemination (hpi), embryos were denuded and groups of 15 presumptive zygotes were cultured in 30-μL drops of modified SOF medium with amino acids and 6 mg mL–1 of BSA (mSOFaa). At 72 hpi, cleavage rate was assessed and embryos were randomly allocated into 2 treatments: mSOFaa without and with 5% calf serum. Embryos were then cultured to 168 hpi and blastocyst rates were assessed and recorded. Blastocysts (n = 5 to 10) from each treatment were transferred into synchronized recipients, and Day 14 embryos were recovered 7 days post-transfer. Embryos were photographed, measured, and immediately stored at –80°C in a minimal volume of PBS + 0.1% polyvinyl alcohol. Messenger RNA was isolated using a Dynabeads mRNA Direct Kit™ (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA), and reverse transcription was performed using an iScript™ cDNA Synthesis Kit (Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., CA). Quantitative PCR was performed to determine the transcript abundance for COX6A, IFNT1a, PLAC8, IGF2R, and GAPDH for each sample. The GAPDH was used as a reference gene, and gene expression was calculated as a ratio of expression levels between each gene of interest and GAPDH. Expression levels for each gene were determined from standard curves generated by serial dilutions of PCR amplicons starting with 0.4 pg/reaction. Blastocyst development rates were higher in embryos cultured with serum compared with the nonserum treatment (14.9 and 7.4% respectively; chi-square, P < 0.001). Lengths of elongated embryos from the serum (3395.3 ± 414.7 μm) and nonserum (2784 ± 741.8 μm) culture treatments differed from the IVD (6297.7 ± 677.2 μm) treatment (mean ± SE; ANOVA, P < 0.0052). There were no differences in the mean expression levels for COX6A, IFNT1a, PLAC8, and IGF2R across treatment groups, but in the serum treatment, 3 out 11 overexpressed IFNT1a, 4 out of 11 overexpressed IGF2R, and 2 out of 11 overexpressed PLAC8, defined as being 2 standard deviations above the mean of the IVD treatment for each respective gene. In the in vitro-produced nonserum and IVD treatments, overexpression by this definition was not observed. Although mean expression levels were not affected by culture with serum under these conditions, very high expression of IFNT1a, IGF2R, and PLAC8 was observed in some embryos cultured with serum, but not in embryos cultured without serum or IVD embryos.
Tryptophan and kynurenine determination in untreated urine by reversed-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography

Abstract A fast and sensitive method for the analysis of tryptophan and some of its metabolites is discussed. A reversed-phase chromatographic system with water mobile phase can separate tryptophan, N-formalkynurenine, kynurenine and 3-hydroxykynurenine in less than 15 min at a flow-rate of 1 ml/min. The application of the method to the analysis of tryptophan and kynurenine in untreated urine of a patient loaded with tryptophan is described. The ease and speed of analysis makes the method very attractive for clinical purposes. Among other things, it was found that tryptophan in untreated urine degrades with time, even if the sample is frozen at −11°.
Exchange-rate risk and U.S.–Japan trade: Evidence from industry level data

Since the Bretton Woods system of fixed exchange rates broke down in 1973, the resulting increase in exchange-rate variability has introduced uncertainty into trading relationships worldwide. Has this increased volatility had an effect on Japanese–U.S. trade? To answer this question, we apply cointegration analysis to disaggregated export and import data for 117 Japanese industries from 1973 to 2006. We find that in the long run, the trade shares of most industries are relatively unaffected by increased uncertainty, while other industries experience a relative increase or decrease in their proportion of overall trade. In the short run, some industries are influenced by exchange-rate volatility, but this effect is often ambiguous. Japanese exports of certain manufactures seem to improve in the long run relative to overall trade flows. J. Japanese Int. Economies 22 (4) (2008) 518–534.
X-ray diffraction by crystals of beef heart ubiquinol: Cytochrome c oxidoreductase

Abstract Beef heart mitochondrial ubiquinol: cytochrome c oxidoreductase has been crystallized in the shape of hexagonal bipyramids. At present the crystals diffract X-rays to 4·7 A. From preliminary analysis the diffraction pattern appears to be consistent with space group P6122 or P6522 and with unit cell parameters a = b = 212 A and c = 352 A .
Methods for Handling Missing Data in the Behavioral Neurosciences: Don't Throw the Baby Rat out with the Bath Water.

Missing data are a major problem in the behavioral neurosciences, particularly when data collection is costly. Often researchers exclude cases with missing data, which can result in biased estimates and reduced power. Trying to avoid the deletion of a case because of a missing data point can be conducted, but implementing a naive missing data method can result in distorted estimates and incorrect conclusions. New approaches for handling missing data have been developed but these techniques are not typically included in undergraduate research methods texts. The topic of missing data techniques would be useful for teaching research methods and for helping students with their research projects. This paper aimed to illustrate that estimating missing data is often more efficacious than complete case analysis, otherwise known as listwise deletion. Longitudinal data was obtained from an experiment examining the effects of an anorectic drug on food consumption in a small sample (n=17) of rats. The complete dataset was degraded by removing a percentage of datapoints (1-5%, 10%). Four missing data techniques: listwise deletion, mean substitution, regression, and expectation-maximization (EM) were applied to all six datasets to ensure that each approach was applied to the same missing data points. P-values, effect sizes, and Bayes factors were computed. Results demonstrated listwise deletion was the least effective method. EM and regression imputation were the preferred methods when more than 5% of the data were missing. Based on these findings it is recommended that researchers avoid using listwise deletion and consider alternative missing data techniques.
Chemical stabilization of a Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol prodrug in polymeric matrix systems produced by a hot-melt method: Role of microenvironment pH.

This research was conducted in order to fabricate stable polyethylene oxide (PEO)-based transmucosal systems of a Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) prodrug, a hemisuccinate ester, using a hot-melt method. Since Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC-HS) was heat labile, a series of processing aids were evaluated in order to facilitate hot-melt production at lower temperatures, thereby reducing THC-HS degradation. The stability of THC-HS was influenced both by the processing conditions such as heating time and temperature, and the postprocessing storage conditions. The type of formulation additive also affected the extent of degradation. In the presence of polyethylene glycol (PEG)-400, the percentage of relative degradation of THC-HS to THC was 13.5% and 49.4% at 80°C and 120°C, respectively. In contrast, incorporation of vitamin E succinate (VES) reduced processing degradation to 2.1% and 9.2%, respectively, under the same conditions. Severe degradation of THC-HS was observed during storage, even under freezing conditions (−18°C). A VES-Noveon AA-1 combination was observed to best stabilize the prodrug systems both during processing and postprocessing. Stabilization of THC-HS was achieved in these polyethylene oxide matrices at 4°C, with almost 90% of theoretical drug remaining for up to 8 months. Investigation of the pH effect revealed that the pH of the microenvironment in these polymeric systems could be modulated to significantly improve the stability of THC-HS, degradation being the least in a relatively acidic medium.
Hydrodynamic study of the functional morphology of the benthic suspension feeder Phoronopsis viridis (Phoronida)

Ambient water currents were altered by the morphology of an active suspension feeder, Phoronopsis viridis Hilton (phylum Phoronida), to produce a flow around its ciliated crown of feeding tentacles (lophophore). To test the effects of specific morphological characteristics on patterns of water movement, the morphology of model phoronids was varied and the resultant paths of water movement were compared to those around living phoronids. Living individuals were collected from the intertidal sandflats at Bodega Bay, California/USA, in the springs of 1984 and 1985. Although P. viridis actively produce a feeding current, use of various models demonstrated that the gross pattern of flow around a living phoronid was created by the physical interaction of its morphology with ambient currents. The important aspects of that morphology were the presence of a wide, porous crown of tentacles atop a cylindrically-shaped body. A hydrodynamic consequence of this morphology was that dye eroded off the substratum from a circular area around the base of the body and entrained upwards into the lophophore. In addition, rates of water movement were slowed at the lophophore and near the substratum adjacent to a phoronid, particles were slowed and diverted from horizontal paths immediately downstream of the lophophore, and the number of visible suspended particles within the wake per unit time increased with ambient velocity. Paths of water movement around a phoronid were also influenced by its angle and height relative to the substratum, indicating that P. viridis could behaviorally modify their local flow environment.
Three-dimensional subharmonic ultrasound imaging in vitro and in vivo.

Rationale and Objectives Although contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging techniques such as harmonic imaging (HI) have evolved to reduce tissue signals using the nonlinear properties of the contrast agent, levels of background suppression have been mixed. Subharmonic imaging (SHI) offers near complete tissue suppression by centering the receive bandwidth at half the transmitting frequency. The aims of this study were to demonstrate the feasibility of three-dimensional (3D) SHI and to compare it to 3D HI. Materials and Methods Three-dimensional HI and SHI were implemented on a Logiq 9 ultrasound scanner with a 4D10L probe. Four-cycle SHI was implemented to transmit at 5.8 MHz and receive at 2.9 MHz, while two-cycle HI was implemented to transmit at 5 MHz and receive at 10 MHz. The ultrasound contrast agent Definity was imaged within a flow phantom and the lower pole of two canine kidneys in both HI and SHI modes. Contrast-to-tissue ratios and rendered images were compared offline. Results SHI resulted in significant improvement in contrast-to-tissue ratios relative to HI both in vitro (12.11 ± 0.52 vs 2.67 ± 0.77, P P = .04). Rendered 3D subharmonic images provided better tissue suppression and a greater overall view of vessels in a flow phantom and canine renal vasculature. Conclusions The successful implementation of SHI in 3D allows imaging of vascular networks over a heterogeneous sample volume and should improve future diagnostic accuracy. Additionally, 3D SHI provides improved contrast-to-tissue ratios relative to 3D HI.
Modifying gene expression programs by altering core promoter chromatin architecture.

Transcriptional activation of the IFN-β gene in response to virus infection requires the assembly of an enhanceosome, which instructs a recruitment program of chromatin modifiers/remodelers and general transcription factors to the promoter. This program culminates with sliding of a nucleosome blocking the core promoter to a downstream position, a prerequisite for transcriptional activation. We show that delivery of this nucleosome to the same downstream position to create an accessible IFN-β core promoter prior to enhanceosome assembly results in major changes in the gene expression program with regard to the temporal pattern and the signal specificity of the transcriptional response. Thus, the identity of a gene expression program is achieved and maintained by the dynamic interplay between specific enhanceosomes and specific local chromatin structure.
Single-pass online learning: performance, voting schemes and online feature selection

To learn concepts over massive data streams, it is essential to design inference and learning methods that operate in real time with limited memory. Online learning methods such as perceptron or Winnow are naturally suited to stream processing; however, in practice multiple passes over the same training data are required to achieve accuracy comparable to state-of-the-art batch learners. In the current work we address the problem of training an on-line learner with a single passover the data. We evaluate several existing methods, and also propose a new modification of Margin Balanced Winnow, which has performance comparable to linear SVM. We also explore the effect of averaging, a.k.a. voting, on online learning. Finally, we describe how the new Modified Margin Balanced Winnow algorithm can be naturally adapted to perform feature selection. This scheme performs comparably to widely-used batch feature selection methods like information gain or Chi-square, with the advantage of being able to select features on-the-fly. Taken together, these techniques allow single-pass online learning to be competitive with batch techniques, and still maintain the advantages of on-line learning.
In vivo depth-resolved birefringence measurements of the human retinal nerve fiber layer by polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography

To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of in vivo depth-resolved birefringence measurements of the human retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) by use of polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT). Because glaucoma causes nerve fiber layer damage, which may cause loss of retinal birefringence, PS-OCT is a potentially useful technique for the early detection of glaucoma. We built a fiber-based PS-OCT setup that produces quasi-real-time images of the human retina in vivo. Preliminary measurements of a healthy volunteer showed that the double-pass phase retardation per unit depth of the RNFL near the optic nerve head is 39±6°/100 µm.
When 'Digoxin Use' Is Not the Same as 'Digoxin Use': Lessons From the AFFIRM Trial

This statistical viewpoint refers to ‘Increased mortality among patients taking digoxin—analysis from the AFFIRM study’[†][1], by M.G. Whitbeck et al. , on page 1481; and ‘Lack of evidence of increased mortality among patients with atrial fibrillation taking digoxin: findings from post hoc propensity-matched analysis of the AFFIRM trial’[‡][1], by M. Gheorghiade et al., on page 1489 Two reports relating to the Atrial Fibrillation Follow-up Investigation of Rhythm Management (AFFIRM) Trial1 explore the association of digoxin use with mortality among patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). The AFFIRM trial randomized 4060 patients with AF and a high risk of stroke or death to rate control vs. rhythm control. In the rate control arm, different therapies were allowed to achieve adequate heart rate control, including digoxin, beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers (verapamil and diltiazem), and combinations of these drugs. In the rhythm control arm, antiarrhythmic drugs included amiodarone, disopyramide, flecainide, moricizine, procainamide, propafenone, quinidine, sotalol, and combinations of these drugs. While the strategy of rate control vs. rhythm control was randomized, the choice of specific agents used was left to the discretion of the treating physician in both arms. During a mean follow-up of 3.5 years, there were 356 deaths (23.8%) in the rhythm control group and 310 deaths (21.3%) among the rate control group, a directionally but not significantly lower mortality with rate control ( P = 0.08). In the article by Whitbeck et al. , digoxin use was assessed at randomization and during follow-up.2 The association of digoxin use with mortality was evaluated treating digoxin as a time-dependent covariate in a Cox proportional hazard model.3 By using digoxin as a time-dependent covariate, patients changed from being in the ‘on-digoxin’ group to the ‘not on-digoxin’ group if their medication use changed over time in the study, and … [1]: #fn-2
The Next Decade in Internet Time: Ways Ahead for New Media Studies

In this paper three features of the Internet/new media that have developed over the last decade are discussed: the relational Internet, the enclosed Internet, and the "mean world" Internet. These features correspond to the three interrelated elements of new media infrastructure proposed by Lievrouw & Livingstone (2006): the practices in which people engage to interact and share information and meaning; the tools, devices or artifacts that people create and use in order to do so; and the social arrangements or institutional forms that develop out of and around those practices and tools. Together, the three features have had an important influence on the ways that new media are understood and used, and have helped shift popular discourses and the study of new media from an emphasis on possibility, novelty, adaptability and openness, toward greater preoccupations with risk, conflict, vulnerability, routinization, stability and control. Given these conditions, the author proposes that three problem areas - again corresponding to practices, tools, and social arrangements - may be important directions for new media studies over the "next decade in Internet time". Network literacies and pedagogies must be developed and implemented that prepare individuals to be full and effective participants in society, politics, and culture. Dead media may pose increasing challenges to sustainable cultural heritage, as well as to ever more intrusive regimes of total surveillance and capture of personal information, enabling a "right to be forgotten." Commons knowledge projects may challenge and even reconfigure the foundations of institutional authority, expertise, legitimacy, and power.
Presence Pedagogy as Framework for Research in Virtual Environments

INTRODUCTION Presence Pedagogy (P2) codifies an approach to teaching and learning designed to capitalize on social affordances of tools such as virtual worlds (Bronack et al, 2008). Based on ten years of experience teaching in immersive environments such as Activeworlds, Teleplace, and Opensim, this framework was developed to offer a novel perspective concerning which teaching practices are more likely than others to foster the development of reflective communities of practice that support all learners involved. The novel role presence plays in this model has enabled the manifestation of instructional practices in spaces like virtual worlds that otherwise are difficult or impossible to employ. In much the same way, we contend that presence-based research practices also may lead to novel ways to frame, investigate, and report on phenomena embedded within immersive worlds.
Iron Deficiency After Arrival is Associated with General Cognitive and Behavioral Impairment in Post-Institutionalized Children Adopted from Eastern Europe

To investigate the role of iron deficiency in general cognitive and behavioral development in post-institutionalized (PI) children during the early post-adoption period. PI children (N = 57) adopted from Eastern Europe or Central Asia (9–46 months of age) were seen at baseline around 1 month after arrival into the US and at follow-up 6 months later. Measures included anthropometry, iron status, the Toddler Behavior Assessment Questionnaire-R (TBAQ-R), the Mullen Scales of Early Learning, and examiner-rated behaviors during testing. 26 % were iron deficient at baseline; 18 % were iron deficient at follow-up. There was a trend for those with iron deficiency at baseline to be more fearful on the TBAQ-R. Those with iron deficiency at follow-up displayed more hyperactivity on both the TBAQ-R and the examiner-rated behaviors. Those with iron deficiency at follow-up were more likely to score below average on the Mullen Early Learning Composite (iron deficient: 80 %; good iron status: 32 %). The association between iron status at follow-up and the Mullen Early Learning Composite was mediated by inattention and hyperactivity behaviors during testing. Iron deficiency is associated with neurobehavioral alterations months after arrival, mediated by the effect on attention and activity levels. Iron status needs to be monitored at least through the first half-year post-adoption, particularly in children exhibiting rapid catch-up growth. Additionally, developmental evaluation is recommended in those with iron deficiency, even in children with good iron status at arrival.