cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Psychiatric morbidity in adult survivors of childhood trauma.

This review focuses on child sexual abuse (CSA) as a prototype of childhood trauma and evaluates the evidence on psychiatric morbidity in adult survivors. An association between CSA and a wide range of psychiatric morbidity has been consistently documented in general population studies. The interpretation of this observed association is fraught with uncertainty that stems primarily from: (1) the retrospective nature of the data on CSA from adults' reports on their early experiences; (2) the adverse family context in which it occurs, which presents a major challenge for evaluating the effect of CSA per se; (3) the well documented lifetime comorbidity among psychiatric disorders, which leaves open questions about the specificity of CSA outcomes in adulthood. Twin study methods offer a solution to the problem of the familial context of CSA. Ascertainment of age of onset of adult disorders in future studies would increase the utility of findings for formulating psychological and biological causal models on the CSA-adult disorders connection. However, the retrospective nature of data on child abuse, because of legal and ethical restraints on research on children, is a formidable obstacle to advancing knowledge in this field.
A Novel Neutrotrophic Property Of Glucagon-Like Peptide 1: A Promoter Of Nerve Growth Factor-Mediated Differentiation In PC12 Cells

The insulinotropic hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (7-36)-amide (GLP-1) has potent effects on glucose-dependent insulin secretion, insulin gene expression, and pancreatic islet cell formation and is presently in clinical trials as a therapy for type 2 diabetes mellitus. We report on the effects of GLP-1 and two of its long-acting analogs, exendin-4 and exendin-4 WOT, on neuronal proliferation and differentiation, and on the metabolism of two neuronal proteins in the rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cell line, which has been shown to express the GLP-1 receptor. We observed that GLP-1 and exendin-4 induced neurite outgrowth in a manner similar to nerve growth factor (NGF), which was reversed by coincubation with the selective GLP-1 receptor antagonist exendin (9-39). Furthermore, exendin-4 could promote NGF-initiated differentiation and may rescue degenerating cells after NGF-mediated withdrawal. These effects were induced in the absence of cellular dysfunction and toxicity as quantitatively measured by 3-(4,5-cimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide and lactate dehydrogenase assays, respectively. Our findings suggest that such peptides may be used in reversing or halting the neurodegenerative process observed in neurodegenerative diseases, such as the peripheral neuropathy associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus and Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Due to its novel twin action, GLP-1 and exendin-4 have therapeutic potential for the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy and these central nervous system disorders.
Lack of Native Vegetation Recovery Following Biological Control of Leafy Spurge

Abstract Leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula L.) is an aggressive exotic species that has been successfully suppressed in a variety of situations using classical biological control (flea beetles; Aphthona spp.). This 9-yr study investigated patterns of vegetation responses following significant reductions in leafy spurge cover and density by flea beetles in southeastern Montana. We hypothesized that the vegetation following leafy spurge suppression would be dominated by species and plant functional groups able to persist through heavy infestations. Flea beetles were first released in 1998, and by 2006 leafy spurge foliar cover was reduced 80% to 90% compared to 1998 values on both release and nonrelease plots. Although total cover of the resident vegetation, excluding leafy spurge, increased 72% to 88%, relative cover of the functional groups (native forbs, native sedges, native grasses, and non-native species) was similar among years and between release and nonrelease plots. Mean diversity and mean species ric...
Kinetic studies in mass spectrometry–VII: Competing cleavage and rearrangement processes in molecular ion decomposition reactions

Apparently competing cleavage and rearrangement reactions in a series of molecular ions have been studied by ionization and appearance potential methods, and by determination of the electron energy dependence of both normal and metastable daughter ion peak intensities. The processes investigated were (i) [M CH3] vs. [M CH2O] in anisole; (ii) [M OC6H5] vs. [M CO] in phenyl ether; (iii) [M NO2] vs. [M NO] in nitrobenzene; (iv) [M C3H7] vs. [M C2H4] in butyrophenone: (v) [M C3H7] vs. [M C3H6] in n-butylbenzene; (vi) [M CH2OH] vs. [M CH2O] in 2-phenylethanol; (vii) [M CH3CO2] vs. [M CH2CO] in benzyl acetate; and (viii) [M C4H9O] vs. [M C4H7] in n-butylbenzoate. The results are interpreted in terms of k vs. E curves with very different frequency factors for the two reaction types. Appearance potentials of metastable ions for the rearrangement reactions have also been measured.
Sequential diets, metabolic costs, and growth of Spodoptera eridania (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) feeding upon dill, lima bean, and cabbage.

This study illustrates the diversity of feeding responses of individually polyphagous southern armyworms, Spodoptera eridania, to plants with differing allelochemics. In spite of the near optimal leaf water and nitrogen contents of the young foliage, it is apparent that vastly different larval growth performance results from dill, lima bean, and cabbage. Cabbage is the poorest food (as measured by larval growth rates and metabolic costs of processing the plant biomass). Unlike the case with certain other plant species or cultivars that are costly to process, with cabbage, S. eridania does not compensate for low efficiencies (E.C.D.'s) with increased consumption rates (R.C.R.'s). Biochemical or physiological reasons for this inability are unknown.
Role of clathrin-mediated endocytosis during vesicular stomatitis virus entry into host cells.

Abstract Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) is well established to enter cells by pH-dependent endocytosis, but mechanistic aspects of its internalization have remained unclear. Here, we examined the functional role of clathrin in VSV entry by expression of a dominant-negative mutant of Eps15 (GFP-Eps15Δ95/295), a protein essential for clathrin-mediated endocytosis. Whereas expression of GFP alone had no effect on VSV infection, expression of GFP-Eps15Δ95/295 severely limited infection. As independent ways to examine clathrin function, we also examined cells that had been treated with chlorpromazine and utilized small interfering RNA (siRNA) techniques. Inhibition of clathrin-mediated endocytosis by chlorpromazine treatment, as well as clathrin knock-down using siRNA duplexes directed against the clathrin heavy chain, also prevented VSV infection. In combination with previous morphological approaches, these experiments establish clathrin as an essential component needed for endocytosis of VSV.
Measuring the Extent of Phase Separation in Poly-3-Hexylthiophene/Phenyl-C61-Butyric Acid Methyl Ester Photovoltaic Blends with 1H Spin Diffusion NMR Spectroscopy

We demonstrate that 1H spin diffusion NMR is a valuable method to estimate the domain size distribution in bulk heterojunction (BHJ) active layers composed of poly-3-hexylthiophene (P3HT) and phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM). Bulk samples were annealed at several temperatures, and a distribution of domain sizes was observed that ranged over hundreds of nanometers. Unannealed samples exhibited a large amount of PCBM in small domains (1 to 5 nm) and smaller amounts in moderate (tens of nm) and large (>100 nm) domains. Annealing the samples at 100 °C had no effect on the morphology as evidenced from 1H spin diffusion NMR, grazing-incidence diffraction, and calorimetry, but phase separation was observed after annealing at 150 °C. Even with this higher temperature processing, the 1H NMR showed conclusively that phase separation remained incomplete; this finding was confirmed with photoluminescence quenching measurements.
Laser welding in a reduced gravity environment

Preliminary results on the effects of reduced gravity on laser welding of stainless steel and other materials are reported. Laser welding experiments using a low power (10-18 watts) Nd-YAG laser have been performed on the NASA KC-135, which flies parabolic maneuvers to simulate reduced gravity conditions. Experiments on 0.005-0.010 inch thick stainless steel samples displayed a pronounced change in weld bead width, depth of penetration and surface ripple with changes in gravity level.
Effects of interstitial heating on the RIF‐1 tumor using an Nd:YAG laser with multiple fibers

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Hyperthermia was induced in tumor-bearing C3H mice using a Nd:YAG laser emitting near-infrared radiation at 1,064 nm. The efficacy of multiple implanted fiberoptics in the control of the RIF-1 tumor was investigated. STUDY DESIGN/MATERIALS AND METHODS RIF-1 tumors in the right hind leg were heated interstitially at 42, 44, or 46 degrees C for 30 or 60 minutes. Two, three, or four 400-microns quartz fibers terminating in a 1.0-cm cylindrical diffusor were inserted into each tumor, as were five microthermocouples to monitor temperature during treatment. Laser Doppler Flow (LDF) was also recorded pre- and post-treatment to determine changes in red blood cell flux in overlying skin (42, 44, or 46 degrees C) and the center of the tumor (46 degrees C). RESULTS These experiments indicated that interstitial heating at 42, 44, and 46 degrees C resulted in tumor growth delay, although long-term control of tumors was not achieved. Treatment using four fibers resulted in the greatest tumor growth delay at 42 and 44 degrees C, increasing tumor doubling time by 50% or greater compared to control tumors; tumor growth delay following 46 degrees C treatments was seven times greater than that in control tumors. Significant changes (decreases) in LDF (P < .05) were seen in four treatment groups, using two fibers at 42 degrees C for 30 minutes, four fibers at 44 and 46 degrees C for 60 minutes on the overlying skin, and 46 degrees C for 60 minutes in the center of the tumor. CONCLUSIONS Initial data indicate that interstitial heating with multiple fibers increases tumor growth delay compared to previous single fiber treatments, with tumor growth delay increasing with increasing treatment temperature; however, long-term tumor control was not achieved under the conditions investigated. Follow-up studies will explore the use of higher temperatures and/or longer treatment times in order to optimize tumor response.
Agonist properties of methadone at the cloned rat μ opioid receptor

Abstract We have studied how methadone, a potent opiate analgesic commonly used in the treatment of heroin addiction, inhibits cAMP accumulation by its interaction with the recently cloned rat μ opioid receptor. We have measured cAMP levels in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells that stably expressed the μ receptor cDNA. When these cells were stimulated with 10 μM forskolin, methadone was able to inhibit the accumulation of cAMP with an IC50 of 28.3 nM. Moreover, methadone's inhibition of cAMP production was reversible by naloxone and was pertussis toxin sensitive. These findings are consistent with the interpretation that methadone binding to the μ opioid receptor is coupled to the activation of a Gi/Go protein.
Late Dephosphorylation of the RB Protein in G2 during the Process of Induced Cell Differentiation

The cell cycle phase-specific phosphorylation status of the RB protein (retinoblastoma tumor suppressor gene product) during an elicited cellular program of G0 arrest and cell differentiation was characterized. The RB protein phosphorylation state is presumed to be an important determinant of cell proliferation or arrest. The cell cycle phase specificity of RB protein phosphorylation and dephosphorylation during HL-60 human leukemia cell proliferation and differentiation was determined using DNA-based fluorescence-activated cell sorting and Western analysis. The RB protein in proliferating G1 cells was phosphorylated, but at a relatively low level. The extent of phosphorylation increased in S phase cells and was maximum in G2 + M cells. After the cells were treated with retinoic acid or 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D3, they began to accumulate in G1/0 and phenotypically convert. Significant unphosphorylated RB protein did not appear until after the first cells had arrested and differentiated. Dephosphorylation of the RB protein was first apparent at the beginning of G2 in the remaining cycling cells after onset of arrest and differentiation had already occurred. By the time the remaining cycling cells had divided and arrested, resulting in G0 cells, a majority of RB protein was dephosphorylated, but some remained phosphorylated. The data indicate that dephosphorylation of RB does not determine residence in G1/0. Rather dephosphorylation appears as one relatively late-occurring component of the metabolic cascade culminating in G0-arrested, phenotypically differentiated cells. Dephosphorylated RB appears as a feature of differentiated cells. The data are consistent with a role for hypophosphorylated RB not so much in deriving, but in possibly sustaining the differentiated state.
Indecomposability of treed equivalence relations

We define rigorously a “treed” equivalence relation, which, intuitively, is an equivalence relation together with a measurably varying tree structure on each equivalence class. We show, in the nonamenable, ergodic, measure-preserving case, that a treed equivalence relation cannot be stably isomorphic to a direct product of two ergodic equivalence relations.
Migration of a colloidal particle in a gradient of electrolyte concentration

Abstract When a charged colloidal particle is placed in a solution which is macroscopically nonuniform in electrolyte composition, polarization of the diffuse part of the double layer surrounding the particle propels it through the fluid. In one experiment, gradients of ion concentration in the diffusion boundary layer next to a rapidly dissolving steel panel cause negatively charged latex particles to deposit on the metal at rates comparable to those achieved by electrodeposition. In a second experiment, diffusion of a salt through a filter membrane into a dilute agitated dispersion of latex causes the latex particles to deposit on the filter. Results of both experiments are consistent with a mechanism in which the charged particles migrate with a velocity equal to their electrophoretic velocity in a spontaneously generated electric field having that strength and direction required to prevent an electric current from accompanying diffusion of the ions.
AMNESIC AND AVERSIVE EFFECTS OF ELECTROCONVULSIVE SHOCK

4 groups of 5 rats were pre-trained to run to a goalbox for food reinforcement and then were given differential goalbox treatment. Groups FS-PECS received foot-shock (FS) and pseudo (P) electroconvulsive shock (ECS) in goalbox and did not differ in trials to fear acquisition from a group receiving FS and ECS in goalbox. Group FS-ECS extinguished goalbox fear faster than Group FS-PECS demonstrating amnesic properties of ECS. Group ECS received only ECS in goalbox and was slower in fear acquisition and faster in fear extinction than either Groups FS-PECS or FS-ECS. Fear acquisition by Group ECS demonstrated aversive properties of ECS. A fourth group received only PECS in goalbox and showed no fear acquisition.
Early Development and Tissue-Specific Patterns of Insulin Binding in Chick Embryo*

We studied the development of insulin binding to its receptor in chick embryos from days 2-18 of the 21-day incubation period. Using partially purified membrane preparations we found that insulin receptors on both brain and liver of day 18 embryos were typical insulin receptors by multiple criteria. Specific insulin binding to preparations of whole embryos was not detected on day 2, but was present by day 3. Insulin receptors were present on both heads and bodies of embryos by day 4. Binding to liver and brains increased with development between days 8 and 18; however, the patterns of increase in the two tissues were quite distinct. In liver, binding was low on day 8, but increased markedly by day 14 (P less than 0.01). Increases after day 14 were less impressive. In contrast, binding to brain preparations was relatively well established by day 8 and did not change significantly between days 8 and 14. An abrupt increase occurred between days 14 and 16 (P less than 0.01), and a second increase took place between days 16 and 18. We have previously shown that insulin is present in chick embryos before known pancreatic development. The current demonstration that insulin receptors are also present early in embryogenesis makes it possible that insulin may influence the embryo at early stages. In addition, the different patterns of increases in insulin binding in liver and brain during mid- to late development suggest complex and tissue-specific mechanisms of regulation.
Correction of Murine β -Thalassemia by Gene Transfer into the Germ Line

A murine beta-thalassemia was corrected by the transfer of cloned beta-globin genes into the mouse germ line. The cloned mouse beta maj-globin gene or the cloned human beta-globin gene was introduced into mice deficient in beta-globin synthesis because of a deletion of the beta maj-globin gene. Both introduced genes produced functional beta-globin chains, leading to a reduction in one case, and elimination in another case, of the anemia and associated abnormalities of the red blood cells.
Correlation between symptoms and laryngeal signs in laryngopharyngeal reflux.

Objective/Hypothesis: Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) is diagnosed by the presence of laryngeal signs and symptoms. Some studies have noted that signs and symptoms may be nonspecific and may have poor correlation. However, many such studies were either observational or had short-term follow-up. Therefore, we conducted subgroup analysis of a prospective concurrent controlled study with a 1 year follow-up to study the correlation between signs and symptoms. Study Design: Prospective study. Methods: Seventy-two patients with suspected gastroesophageal reflux disease related laryngeal symptoms/signs received a 4 month trial of aggressive acid-suppressive therapy. Four month symptomatic nonresponders (<50% improvement) with continued laryngeal inflammation and normalized esophageal acid exposure were then offered laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication. The primary outcome was laryngeal symptom-sign correlation at 1 year postsurgery. Results: Twenty-five of 72 (35%) patients remained unresponsive after 4 months of aggressive acid suppressive therapy. Ten (40%) patients agreed to undergo surgical fundoplication (mean age = 50, male = 4). The most common laryngeal symptoms were sore throat (40%), hoarseness (30%), and cough (20%), whereas the most common signs were medial arytenoid wall erythema/edema (60%), interarytenoid erythema (50%), and arytenoid complex erythema/edema (50%). At 1 year postfundoplication, laryngeal symptoms improved in only 1 of 10 (10%) patient, whereas signs improved in 8 of 10 (80%) patients. Conclusions: There appears to be poor correlation between signs and symptoms of LPR, particularly when monitoring therapeutic outcomes. In patients unresponsive to twice-daily proton-pump inhibitor therapy for 4 months, further aggressive therapy is unlikely to bring additional symptomatic benefit.
Small soil containers as experimental tools: Soil water relations

Abstract Container soil water relations are reviewed relative to the extrapolation of container experiments to the field. The use of soil mixtures for the experimental control of container soil water relations is also discussed.
Anthony Gilby: Puritan in Exile — A Biographical Approach

Perhaps the most succinct introduction to the life of Anthony Gilby is found in the famous decree of the University of Oxford in 1683 which denounced “pernicious books and damnable doctrines, destructive to the sacred persons of princes, their state and government, and of all human society.” Among the collection are Gilby's writings.
Effect of aggregation on the kinetic properties of aspartate aminotransferase.

Abstract In this investigation the steady-state kinetic parameters of the α subform of aspartate aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.1) were determined in 0.2 M Tris · HCl, pH 8.0, at 25°C. The kinetic parameters for both the forward and reverse reactions were determined under conditions where the enzyme is monomeric, while only the steady-state parameters associated with the forward reaction could be determined under conditions where the enzyme is dimeric. The catalytic center activity of the forward reaction for dimeric enzyme decreased relative to that of monomeric enzyme, 245 versus 360 s −1 , while the K m for aspartate increased, 3.3 versus 2.6 mM. No significant change in the Michaelis constant for ketoglutarate was observed. The steady-state parameters of dimeric enzyme are slightly altered in 0.1 M Na 4 P 2 O 7 , pH 8.0, the catalytic center activity and Michaelis constant for ketoglutarate being slightly larger. From the dependence of the initial velocity on enzyme concentration the M.A similar value of dissociation constant was dissociation constant for the monomer-dimer equilibrium is estimated to be 2 · 10 ∞ M.A similar value of dissociation constant was from Sephadex gel filtration experiments.
Stent placement as a bridge to surgery in malignant biliary obstruction (pancreatic cancer, distal bile duct cancer, and hilar tumors)

Abstract Preoperative biliary drainage (PBD) has been a matter of controversy for years. It was initially aimed to improve the clinical status of patients with malignant obstructive jaundice prior to surgery. However, its efficacy and safety have not been proven by randomized controlled trials. Most drawbacks of PBD are related to the increase in procedure-related adverse events and inappropriate biliary decompression. Current trends in PBD show that using self-expanding metallic stents (SEMSs) may reduce the high incidence of stent-related complications with improved outcomes. The aim of this study was to review the current literature regarding PBD in patients with resectable distal pancreaticobiliary and hilar tumors.
Inhibiting TNF-mediated signaling: a novel therapeutic paradigm for androgen independent prostate cancer

The tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor super family comprises of members that induce two distinct signaling cascades, leading to either cell survival or apoptosis. However, in prostate cancer (PCa), TNF-mediated prosurvival signaling is the predominant pathway that leads to cell survival and resistance to therapy. Although inhibition of TNF signaling by pharmacological agents or monoclonal antibodies has gained importance in the field of cancer therapy, toxicity to normal cells has impaired their extensive use for cancer treatment. We previously identified a natural, nontoxic compound psoralidin that inhibited viability and induced apoptosis in androgen independent prostate cancer (AIPC) cells. Thus, the goal of our study is to investigate whether psoralidin inhibits TNF-mediated prosurvival signaling in AIPC cells. Our results suggest that psoralidin inhibits constitutive and TNF-induced expression of TNF-α and its downstream prosurvival signaling molecules such as NF-κB and Bcl-2 in AIPC cells. On the other hand, psoralidin simultaneously induces the death receptor (DR)-mediated apoptotic signaling eventually causing the activation of caspase cascade and resultant induction of apoptosis. Oral administration of psoralidin inhibits expression of TNF-α and NF-κB/p65 in tumor sections, resulting in tumor regression in PC-3 xenografts. Our results suggest that psoralidin inhibits TNF-mediated survival signaling in AIPC and thus is a potent therapeutic agent for prostate cancer.
Forest Policy and Woodfuel Markets in Malawi

Forestry and energy policies in Malawi place the blame for the country's high rate of deforestation on the demand for woodfuel. The government has been involved in a range of questionable supply-side initiatives, as well as in a number of interventions in woodfuel markets, with the objective of slowing rates of deforestation. It seeks to encourage farmers to grow woodfuel to meet market demands, and has provided subsidies to do so. The Forest Department has kept prices for firewood from its plantations low, both in order to discourage the market for wood from free resources, and because of concerns about the impact o fhigh producer prices on the urban poor. In doing so, the government is less able to rely on the market to provide producers with the incentive to plant trees to meet market demands. In any event, the market accounts for a relatively small proportion of total woodfuel demand. Policies do not distinguish between rural household demands and the specific market demands which are having the greatest impact on deforestation: woodfuel for urban markets, for tobacco curing, and for small industries. These, coupled with the expansion of the estate sector, have had a far greater impact on woodland clearance than rural, subsistence woodfuel demands. Rural household energy demands need to be addressed from a much broader perspective which considers the household's larger needs for tree based products or outputs: income, food, fibre, fodder, soil fertility, as well as for fuel.
Unintended Pregnancy Rates at the State Level

CONTEXT: Unintended pregnancy is a key reproductive health indicator but rates have never been calculated for all 50 states. METHODS: State-level estimates of unintended pregnancy rates in 2006 were calculated using data from several sources. The proportion of births resulting from unintended pregnancies was obtained from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System and similar state surveys and the intention status of pregnancies ending in abortion from a national survey of abortion patients. These proportions were applied to birth and abortion counts for each state and fetal losses were estimated. Rates of unintended pregnancy were obtained by dividing relevant figures by the number of women aged 15-44 in each state. Six states and the District of Columbia had no appropriate survey data; their rates were predicted using multivariate linear regression. RESULTS: In 2006 the median state unintended pregnancy rate was 51 per 1000 women aged 15-44. Most rates fell within a range of 40-65 unintended pregnancies per 1000 women. The highest rate was in Mississippi (69); the lowest rate was in New Hampshire (36). Rates were generally highest in the South and Southwest and in states with large urban populations. In 29 states and the District of Columbia more than half of pregnancies were unintended; in nine a consistent upward trend in unintended pregnancy rates between 2002 and 2006 was apparent; no state had a consistent decline. CONCLUSIONS: These rates provide benchmarks for measuring the impact on unintended pregnancy of state policies and practices such as those governing sex education and the funding of contraceptive services. Copyright (c) 2011 by the Guttmacher Institute.
En masse nascent transcription analysis to elucidate regulatory transcription factors

Despite exhaustively informing about steady-state mRNA abundance, DNA microarrays have been used with limited success to identify regulatory transcription factors (TFs). The main limitation of this approach is that altered mRNA stability also strongly governs the patterns of expressed genes. Here, we used nuclear run-on assays and microarrays to systematically interrogate changes in nascent transcription in cells treated with the topoisomerase inhibitor camptothecin (CPT). Analysis of the promoters of coordinately transcribed genes after CPT treatment suggested the involvement of TFs c-Myb and Rfx1. The predicted CPT-dependent associations were subsequently confirmed by chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. Importantly, after RNAi-mediated knockdown of each TF, the CPT-elicited induction of c-Myb- and/or Rfx1-regulated mRNAs was diminished and the overall cellular response was impaired. The strategies described here permit the successful identification of the TFs responsible for implementing adaptive gene expression programs in response to cellular stimulation.
Attribute centrality and imaginative thought.

Participants’ representations of the concepthuman were examined to differentiate three types of associations between concepts and their component attributes: the capacity of concepts to cue attributes (attribute accessibility), the capacity of attributes to cue concepts (instance accessibility), and the extent to which attributes are thought of as central to concepts (attribute centrality). The findings provide information about the concepthuman itself and, more generally, about the functionally distinct roles those different attribute-concept associations play in guiding imaginative thought. College students listed attributes that differentiate humans from other animals, rated the centrality of those attributes, and listed animals that possess those attributes. Other students drew and described extraterrestrials that possessed some of the attributes that were found to vary across those listing and rating tasks. Rated centrality was the most important determinant of an attribute’s impact on imaginative generation. When the imagined extraterrestrials were supposed to possess attributes that had been rated as central to humans (intelligence, emotional complexity, or opposable thumbs), participants projected more aspects of human form onto them than when the creatures were supposed to possess less central attributes or when attributes were unspecified.
Phosphodiesterase 3A expression is modulated by nitric oxide in rat pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells.

Phosphodiesterases (PDEs) limit vasodilation in response to a variety of signaling cascades by metabolizing the cyclic nucleotides cAMP and cGMP. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that NO regulates expression of PDE3A, a cGMP-inhibited PDE. Incubation of rat pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (rPaSMCs) with the NO-donor compound S-nitroso-glutathione (GSNO) increased PDE3A gene expression in a dose- and time-dependent manner. NO-donors increased PDE3A protein levels. Total and milrinone inhibitable cAMP PDE activity were increased 2.8±0.1- and 2.0±0.1-fold respectively in extracts of rPaSMCs exposed to GSNO. The effects of GSNO on PDE3A gene expression were mimicked by the soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) activators YC-1 and BAY 41-2272 and blocked by the sGC inhibitor ODQ. Incubation of rPaSMC with interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α induced PDE3A gene expression, an effect which was inhibited by L-NIL, an antagonist of NO synthase 2, or ODQ. Actinomycin D, an inhibitor of RNA polymerase, blocked the GSNO-induced increase of PDE3A mRNA levels, whereas cycloheximide, an inhibitor of protein translation, did not. These observations suggest that NO modulates PDE3A gene expression via mechanisms dependent upon cGMP synthesis and gene transcription. Prolonged exposure to NO may alter the sensitivity of vascular smooth muscle to cGMP- or cAMP-dependent vasodilators, as well as PDE isoform-selective inhibitors.
Geobag Performance as Scour Countermeasure for Bridge Abutments

This paper presents observations and data from a sequence of laboratory experiments conducted to evaluate geobags as a countermeasure to protect bridge-abutment foundations from failure attributable to scour of the alluvial-river channel in which they are placed. Geobags comprise geotextile cloth bags filled with local sediment or concrete. The experiments focused on the performance of geobags placed as an apron around pile-supported wing-wall abutments retaining erodible embankments, and subject to live-bed and clear-water flow conditions. Though an apron of geobags is shown to substantially reduce or eliminate scour immediately at the abutment, the apron must be formed flexibly of linked geobags. Moreover, a performance concern is that the apron may shift scour to a location flanking or downstream of the apron, and in so doing imperil a nearby pier or riverbank. The experiments indicate the importance of protecting the embankment region beneath and immediately behind the abutment's pile cap. Live-bed conditions proved to be the more critical for abutment protection, owing to the capacity of dunes to destabilize geobags around the edges of the apron. Design guidelines are given and include using current riprap configurations for sizing and placing geobags.
A general theory of the macrotransport of nondepositing particles in the lung by convective dispersion

Abstract A theoretical model of (gas or) aerosol-particle dispersion phenomena in the conducting airways and acini of a symmetrically-bifurcating lung network is proposed. Founded upon the methods of macrotransport analysis for spatially periodic systems (Brenner and Edwards, Macrotransport Processes, Butterworth-Heinemann, Boston, 1993), the model characterizes the transport of nondepositing aerosol particles (or gas molecules) into and out of the lung (following a single inhalation/exhalation breath cycle) as occurring within a spatially periodic expanding/contracting branched network of one-dimensional capillaries (whose transport properties depend, inter alia, upon their specific cross-sectional geometrical and physicochemical characteristics). The model is shown to generalize and (in this and a subsequent article) improve upon former network models of lung dispersion. General formulas are derived for the mean velocity U∗ with which an aerosol bolus transports through the network (at constant gas flow rate), as well as for the dispersion D∗ about this mean. Various physical bases of the model in regards to dispersion phenomena in the lung are discussed, as is the experimental accessibility of the effective transport coefficients Ū∗ and D∗. Explicit expressions for Ū∗ and D∗ are derived in various limits. These are compared with numerical results based upon the symmetrical Weible Model A of the human lung in the special cases of: (i) Taylor dispersion within the airways, for which comparison is made with former network models; and (ii) axial streaming within the airways, for which comparison is made with experimental data. In the latter case, encouraging agreement is found between theory and experiments when the degree of axial streaming in the conducting airways is chosen to be similar as that observed in the branched-tube-network experiments of Scherer et al. (J. appl. Physiol.36, 719–723, 1975).
On the optimality and stability of exponential twisting in Monte Carlo estimation

Estimation of the large deviations probability p/sub n/=P(S/sub n/>or= gamma n) via importance sampling is considered, where S/sub n/ is a sum of n i.i.d. random variables. It has been previously shown that within the nonparametric candidate family of all i.i.d. (or, more generally, Markov) distributions, the optimized exponentially twisted distribution is the unique asymptotically optimal sampling distribution. As n to infinity , the sampling cost required to stabilize the normalized variance grows with strictly positive exponential rate for any suboptimal sampling distribution, while this sampling cost for the optimal exponentially twisted distribution is only O(n/sup 1/2/). Here, it is established that the optimality is actually much stronger. As n to infinity , this solution simultaneously stabilizes all error moments of both the sample mean and the sample variance estimators with sampling cost O(n/sup 1/2/). In addition, it is shown that the embedded parametric family of exponentially twisted distributions has a certain uniform asymptotic stability property. The technique is stable even if the optimal twisting parameter(s) cannot be precisely determined. >
Empirical Methods in Information Extraction

This article surveys the use of empirical, machine-learning methods for a particular natural language-understanding task-information extraction. The author presents a generic architecture for information-extraction systems and then surveys the learning algorithms that have been developed to address the problems of accuracy, portability, and knowledge acquisition for each component of the architecture.
TINCTORIS ON VARIETAS

The twelve extant treatises of Johannes Tinctoris offer a wealth of insight into almost every aspect of fifteenth-century music theory. A graduate of the University of Orleans and a doctor of canon and civil law, Tinctoris was an expert in both the language arts of the trivium (grammar, rhetoric, dialectic) and the mathematical arts of the quadrivium (arithmetic, geometry, music, astronomy). Such was his erudition that he was extolled by Johannes Trithemius, one of the leading German humanists of the fifteenth century, as ‘a man very learned in all respects, an outstanding mathematician, a musician of the highest rank, of a keen mind, skilled in eloquence’. Given Tinctoris’s towering intellect, it is no surprise that frequent citations from many of the major thinkers of antiquity – Pythagoras, Plato, Aristotle, Ovid, Virgil, Cicero and Quintilian – appear in his theoretical discussions on mode, mensural notation and counterpoint.
Multistage information fusion for audio-visual speech recognition

The paper looks into the information fusion problem in the context of audio-visual speech recognition. Existing approaches to audio-visual fusion typically address the problem in either the feature domain or the decision domain. We consider a hybrid approach that aims to take advantage of both the feature fusion and the decision fusion methodologies. We introduce a general formulation to facilitate information fusion at multiple stages, followed by an experimental study of a set of fusion schemes allowed by the framework. The proposed method is implemented on a real-time audio-visual speech recognition system, and evaluated on connected digit recognition tasks under varying acoustic conditions. The results show that the multistage fusion system consistently achieves lower word error rates than the reference feature fusion and decision fusion systems. It is further shown that removing the audio only channel from the multistage system leads to only minimal degradations in recognition performance while providing a noticeable reduction in computational load.
Trends in Cochlear Implants

More than 60,000 people worldwide use cochlear implants as a means to restore functional hearing. Although individual performance variability is still high, an average implant user can talk on the phone in a quiet environment. Cochlear-implant research has also matured as a field, as evidenced by the exponential growth in both the patient population and scientific publication. The present report examines current issues related to audiologic, clinical, engineering, anatomic, and physiologic aspects of cochlear implants, focusing on their psychophysical, speech, music, and cognitive performance. This report also forecasts clinical and research trends related to presurgical evaluation, fitting protocols, signal processing, and postsurgical rehabilitation in cochlear implants. Finally, a future landscape in amplification is presented that requires a unique, yet complementary, contribution from hearing aids, middle ear implants, and cochlear implants to achieve a total solution to the entire spectrum of hearing loss treatment and management.
Delta compression with fixed-length substring coding for fast content download

Delta compression algorithms take advantage of the statistical correlations between different files or packets so that common sequences between two files can be encoded using a copy reference. Delta compression forms the core of fast and efficient content download. We present for the first time, a theoretical framework for delta compression based on information theory and Markov models, including insights into the compression bounds. We also simulated and implemented a generic delta compression scheme and demonstrated its realtime and non realtime performance by applying the scheme on binary data.
Molecular evidence for a new bacteriophage of Borrelia burgdorferi.

We have recovered a DNase-protected, chloroform-resistant molecule of DNA from the cell-free supernatant of a Borrelia burgdorferi culture. The DNA is a 32-kb double-stranded linear molecule that is derived from the 32-kb circular plasmids (cp32s) of the B. burgdorferi genome. Electron microscopy of samples from which the 32-kb DNA molecule was purified revealed bacteriophage particles. The bacteriophage has a polyhedral head with a diameter of 55 nm and appears to have a simple 100-nm-long tail. The phage is produced constitutively at low levels from growing cultures of some B. burgdorferi strains and is inducible to higher levels with 10 μg of 1-methyl-3-nitroso-nitroguanidine (MNNG) ml−1. In addition, the prophage can be induced with MNNG from some Borrelia isolates that do not naturally produce phage. We have isolated and partially characterized the phage associated with B. burgdorferi CA-11.2A. To our knowledge, this is the first molecular characterization of a bacteriophage of B. burgdorferi.
Impact of lithography-friendly circuit layout

Current lithography techniques use a light wavelength of 193nm to print sub-65nm features. This introduces process variations which cause mismatches between desired and actual wafer feature sizes. However, the circuit layout can be modified in a manner which can make it more lithography-friendly. These modifications are implemented as a series of perturbation iterations on the initial layout generated by the CAD tool. The iterations are performed based on estimates of the highest feature variations which are calculated offline for standard cell pairs and stored in a Look-up table (LUT). The iterations are directed by a Simulated Annealing algorithm. In the process we observe the impact of the iterations performed on the initial solution in terms of wirelength, vias and routing congestion. The procedure is validated on ISCAS85 benchmark circuits and a reduction of greater than 20% in the number of instances with the highest cell boundary feature variations is observed. The wirelength and the number of vias showed an increase of roughly 2.2-8.8% and 1.2-7.8% respectively for different circuits.
Redox modification of ryanodine receptors underlies calcium alternans in a canine model of sudden cardiac death

Aims Although cardiac alternans is a known predictor of lethal arrhythmias, its underlying causes remain largely undefined in disease settings. The potential role of, and mechanisms responsible for, beat-to-beat alternations in the amplitude of systolic Ca2+ transients (Ca2+ alternans) was investigated in a canine post-myocardial infarction (MI) model of sudden cardiac death (SCD). Methods and results Post-MI dogs had preserved left ventricular (LV) function and susceptibility to ventricular fibrillation (VF) during exercise. LV wedge preparations from VF dogs were more susceptible to action potential (AP) alternans and the frequency-dependence of Ca2+ alternans was shifted towards slower rates in myocytes isolated from VF dogs relative to controls. In both groups of cells, cytosolic Ca2+ transients ([Ca2+]c) alternated in phase with changes in diastolic Ca2+ in sarcoplasmic reticulum ([Ca2+]SR), but the dependence of [Ca2+]c amplitude on [Ca2+]SR was steeper in VF cells. Abnormal ryanodine receptor (RyR) function in VF cells was indicated by increased fractional Ca2+ release for a given amplitude of Ca2+ current and elevated diastolic RyR-mediated SR Ca2+ leak. SR Ca2+ uptake activity did not differ between VF and control cells. VF myocytes had an increased rate of reactive oxygen species production and increased RyR oxidation. Treatment of VF myocytes with reducing agents normalized parameters of Ca2+ handling and shifted the threshold of Ca2+ alternans to higher frequencies. Conclusion Redox modulation of RyRs promotes generation of Ca2+ alternans by enhancing the steepness of the Ca2+ release–load relationship and thereby providing a substrate for post-MI arrhythmias.
The Online Comment: A Case Study of Reader-Journalist-Editor Interactions

The comment boards of online news organizations allow readers the chance to hold the journalist more accountable than was the case in print media days through publicly posting feedback on the same page as the news story. While journalists self-report this greater accountability and interactivity with readers, current research lacks specific description and analysis of these interactions. Disparate perceptions of the purpose of the comment board among readers, journalists, and public editors become apparent through this case study, an analysis of reader comments on and journalistic and editorial responses to a breaking New York Times story. The study finds that readers tended to post feedback holding the publishing institution accountable, not necessarily the journalist. These results are important because better understanding how the comment board is perceived and utilized will help news organizations to attract and retain readers in the competitive world of online journalism.
Investigating Issues in Map Accuracy When Using an Object-Based Approach to Map Benthic Habitats

In a recent study, benthic habitat maps were created of the Texas Gulf Coast from digital aerial imagery. The images were classified using an object-based image analysis (OBIA) approach and a classification and regression tree (CART) technique. The map was manually edited, changing 26% of the polygons' labels. Accuracy assessments of the unedited map and the edited map revealed the two were not significantly different. The research in this paper evaluates why these maps may have similar accuracies. Our analyses indicate that the small segmentation scale parameter used over-segmented the imagery, reducing the effectiveness of the CART technique and editing.
Methods of Defrosting Turkeys

Abstract MANY poultry processors who market frozen turkeys recommend, as printed on the label, that turkeys be thawed in a refrigerator. Beanblossom and Snyder (1950) recommended that turkeys be thawed in a refrigerator for 2 to 4 days. Hoffert et al. (1952) compared the thawing of half-roasters in an oven, a refrigerator, at room temperature and in water. No significant differences were noted in the palatability of roasters among treatments. Brodine and Carlin (1968) reported that flavor and juiciness scores of cooked breast and thigh meat of turkeys were not affected by the chilling or thawing methods used. Fulton et al. (1967) found that frozen whole turkeys as well as frozen halves, quarters, and cut-up parts can be roasted satisfactorily and would be similar in tenderness and juiciness to those cooked after being thawed. Klose et al. (1961) found that the wide difference in the rate of thawing birds frozen pre-rigor…
Ultra-low Threshold electrically pumped quantum dot photonic crystal nanocavity laser

We demonstrate a quantum dot photonic crystal nanocavity laser electrically pumped by a lateral p-i-n junction. Thresholds of 181nA at 50K and 287nA at 150K are observed, lower than any other laser.
Preparation To Minimize Buffer Mismatch in Isothermal Titration Calorimetry Experiments

There is a growing need to study ligand binding to proteins in native or complex solution using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). For example, it is desirable to measure ligand binding to membrane proteins in more native lipid-like environments such as bicelles, where ligands can access both sides of the membrane in a homogeneous environment. A critical step to obtain high signal-to-noise is matching the reaction chamber solution to the ligand solution, typically through a final dialysis or gel filtration step. However, to obtain reproducible bicelles, the lipid concentrations must be carefully controlled which eliminates the use of dialysis that can disrupt these parameters. Here, we report and validate a rapid preparation ITC (RP-ITC) approach to measure ligand binding without the need for a dialysis step. This general approach is used to quantify ion binding to a K+ channel embedded in bicelles and can be applied to complex, less defined systems.