cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Species-specific loss of sexual dimorphism in vocal effectors accompanies vocal simplification in African clawed frogs (Xenopus).

Phylogenetic studies can reveal patterns of evolutionary change, including the gain or loss of elaborate courtship traits in males. Male African clawed frogs generally produce complex and rapid courtship vocalizations, whereas female calls are simple and slow. In a few species, however, male vocalizations are also simple and slow, suggesting loss of male-typical traits. Here, we explore features of the male vocal organ that could contribute to loss in two species with simple, slow male calls. In Xenopus boumbaensis, laryngeal morphology is more robust in males than in females. Larynges are larger, have a more complex cartilaginous morphology and contain more muscle fibers. Laryngeal muscle fibers are exclusively fasttwitch in males but are both fast- and slow-twitch in females. The laryngeal electromyogram, a measure of neuromuscular synaptic strength, shows greater potentiation in males than in females. Malespecific physiological features are shared with X. laevis, as well as with a species of the sister clade, Silurana tropicalis, and thus are likely ancestral. In X. borealis, certain aspects of laryngeal morphology and physiology are sexually monomorphic rather than dimorphic. In both sexes, laryngeal muscle fibers are of mixed-twitch type, which limits the production of muscle contractions at rapid intervals. Muscle activity potentiation and discrete tension transients resemble female rather than male X. boumbaensis. The demasculinization of these laryngeal features suggests an alteration in sensitivity to the gonadal hormones that are known to control the sexual differentiation of the larynx in other Xenopus and Silurana species.
Ion transport through liquid membranes facilitated by crown ethers and their polymers.

The macrocyclic polyethers 4′-methylbenzo-15-crown-5 (15C5) and 4′-methylbenzo-18-crown-6 (18C6) as well as the corresponding crown polymers and crown-styrene copolymers were used as carriers for the transport of sodium and potassium picrate or the corresponding chlorides across a stirred, chloroform membrane. The observation of pronounced bathochromic shifts in the optical spectra of picrate salts on increasing the interionic ion pair distance could be utilized in determining the nature and structure of the migrating species. These species were found to be ion pair crown complexes of at least two kinds, viz., crown-complexed tight ion pairs and crown-separated ion pairs. The feasibility to thus identify the detailed structure of the migrating ionic entity is important as solvents of low polarity such as chloroform or hexane have been used as liquid membranes to represent the interior of biomembranes. The structure of the ion pair is expected to be an important consideration in correlating properties such as membrane potentials or cation selectivities with ionic distribution equilibria. Ion pair extraction equilibrium constants were determined in the H2O−CHCl3 system for the various crown species. The values for 18C6 with sodium and potassium picrate are nearly the same as those for the corresponding polymers. The same was found with 15C5 and sodium picrate; but the potassium forms, in addition to a 1∶1 complex, a 1∶2 complex with 15C5, making the corresponding polymer a more effective extracting agent. The ionic distribution data were interpreted in terms of the salt partition coefficients and the complex formation constants of the ion pair crown complexes in chloroform. The salt migration across the liquid membrane was found to be controlled by the diffusion of the ion pair complex in the chloroform, the extraction equilibrium across the interphase being rapidly established. The thickness of the diffusion layer adjacent to the water-chloroform interphase was estimated to be 50 μ. The ratios of the salt fluxes under otherwise identical conditions were found to be governed by the extraction equilibrium constants, the selectivity ratio for the potassium-to-sodium picrate with 18C6 being 118. This ratio, which was also determined for other crown species, was found to be anion dependent.
THE ACUTE MAMMALIAN TOXICITY OF RARE EARTH NITRATES AND OXIDES.

Acute toxicity studies were conducted on the rare earth nitrates and oxides. The approximate LD50 values for the rare earth nitrates given intraperitoneally to mice ranged from 225 mg/kg to 480 mg/kg, and for rats the values ranged from 210 mg/kg to 335 mg/kg. Rats were able to tolerate 1000 mg/kg of the rare earth oxides given orally or by the intraperitoneal route. When the salts of rare earths were administered orally to rats, the LD50 values ranged from 2750 mg/kg to 4200 mg/kg. With the exception of the transition elements for which the oral LD50 values were greater than 5000 mg/kg, the compounds generally exhibited an increase in toxicity with increasing atomic weight. Intravenous toxicity studies in rats showed that the light lanthanons are highly toxic to rats and an appreciable sex difference in susceptibility was observed. The nitrate salts of cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, and samarium were from 7 to 11 times more toxic to females than to male rats. In contrast, erbium nitrate, a member of the heavy lanthanons, did not show the marked sex difference in toxicity to rats.
Dynamic models for metamorphic core complex formation and scaling: The role of unchannelized collapse of thickened continental crust

Abstract Metamorphic core complexes at collisions between cratons and softer terranes, such as in the northern North American Cordillera, share a set of characteristic features including spatial and temporal association of ductile mid-crustal deformation with brittle normal faulting, spatial coincidence with prior crustal thickening, characteristic spatial scaling and limited duration and extent of deformation. These properties are reproduced in numerical solutions for gravity-driven collapse of a viscous crustal region under conditions where vertical stress is continuous through thickened lithosphere (rigid, deformable conditions). Such solutions allow inversion for effective mechanical properties and crustal geometry from direct observations of aspect ratio and exhumation velocity; in the northern Rockies, core complex geometry is consistent with a twofold decrease in viscosity of the thickened Cordilleran crustal welt.
Guest Editorial: Special Section on Optical Data Communication

This PDF file contains the editorial “Guest Editorial: Special Section on Optical Data Communication” for OE Vol. 37 Issue 12
Retinoblastoma cells in tissue culture.

This review summarizes and discusses research on retinoblastoma (Rb) cells in tissue culture. Retinoblastoma is an intraocular tumor of early childhood which is believed to originate from the primitive multipotential neuroectoderm of the optic cup region. The application of tissue culture techniques to the study of Rb cells permits detailed studies of the biology of this tumor. Classic studies have primarily focussed on growth and metastatic potential of Rb cells. Y-79 Rb cells, for example, have a short doubling time in vitro as well as aggressively growing in the anterior chambers of athymic 'nude' mice. Such active growth may result from secretion of a Retinoblastoma Derived Growth Factor (RDGF) by the cells. Several natural agents have now been shown to halt Rb cell growth in vitro. Among these are the fatty acid, butyrate, and two retinoids: retinol and retinoic acid. Interestingly, the retinoids have different mechanisms of action. Cultured Y-79 and WERI cells appear to be multipotential in that they exhibit both neuronal- and glial-like characteristics. Natural agents such as cyclic AMP and butyrate can induce the cells to differentiate along either neuronal or glial cell lines as assessed morphologically and immunocytochemically. Of interest is that combination of agents such as butyrate and laminin, an extracellular attachment protein, yield totally different morphologies, in this case, pigment epithelial in nature. Tissue culture studies thus not only show the primitive, multipotential nature of the Rb cells but their great plasticity as well. Such studies are also useful in elucidating the multiple factors (e.g., substrata and soluble agents) which code for normal retinal development from embryo to adult.
Diffuse malignant mesothelioma of pleura: Diagnosis and survival in 92 cases

Clinical, radiographic, surgical, and pathologic findings and survival in 92 patients with diffuse malignant mesothelioma (DMM) of the pleura who were examined at the Mayo Clinic between 1950 and 1980, were studied retrospectively. With the use of defined criteria and ordinary tissue stains, the 92 cases were classified into the following histologic subtypes: purely epithelial, 42 cases; mixed, 29 cases; and sarcomatous, 21 cases. Eight of the sarcomatous cases were desmoplastic. Median survivals were 12, 5, and 3 months for the patients in the epithelial, mixed, and sarcomatous groups, respectively. Survival was significantly longer for patients with epithelial DMM. Women survived longer than men but more often had epithelial DMM. Early disease manifested as multiple discrete pleural nodules, predominantly on the parietal pleura. However, nine patients had a dominant mass. Radiographic signs especially suggestive of DMM were nodular pleural thickening, irregular thickening of interlobar fissures, a dominant mass, or decreased volume of the affected hemithorax.
Second viscosity and thermal-conductivity virial coefficients of gases: Extension to low reduced temperature

A recent theory of the initial density dependences of both viscosity and thermal conductivity has been extended to include lower reduced temperatures. New data on the second viscosity virial coefficients of some organic vapors are found to be in substantial agreement with the theory even at the lowest temperatures. We present in tabular form the numerical values for both transport virial coefficients in the reduced temperature range 0.5\ensuremath{\le}${T}^{\mathrm{*}}$\ensuremath{\le}100 and include values for the constituent two-monomer, three-monomer, and monomer-dimer contributions. A brief discussion of the theoretical approach and calculational methods is also given.
A 40V 10W 93%-efficiency current-accuracy-enhanced dimmable LED driver with adaptive timing difference compensation for solid-state lighting applications

This paper describes a floating buck dimmable LED driver for solid-state lighting applications. Adaptive timing difference compensation is proposed to enable the driver to achieve high accuracy of the average LED current, fast settling time, and high-frequency operation over a wide range of input voltages and number of LED loads. The power efficiency of the proposed LED driver is benefited from the capabilities of using synchronous rectification and having no sensing resistor in the power stage. The synchronous rectification under high input supply voltage is enabled by a proposed high-speed and low-power gate driver with pseudo-digital level shifters. Implemented in a 0.35μm 50V CMOS process, the proposed 40V LED driver can operate at 1MHz and achieve 93% peak power efficiency when driving up to 10 series-connected LEDs. It has only 2.8% current error from the average LED current of 345mA and settles within 8.5μs under different line and load variations. The performances of the proposed driver significantly outperform all state-of-the-art counterparts.
The Pathophysiology of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Confirmations, Contradictions, and Conjectures:

Objective:To examine published data regarding patient cohorts with the recently defined chronic fatigue syndrome.Method:Review of thirty-two peer-assessed research publications that included full disclosure of the methodology employed; classification of the findings as confirmed, contradictory, or non-duplicated.Results:Research studies have confirmed that the majority of patients with the chronic fatigue syndrome: 1) are white middle-aged women, 2) have a high prevalence of current major depression and somatization disorder, 3) have abnormal personality traits, 4) believe that their fatigue has a physical cause, and 5) show mild abnormalities of humoral immunity. Contradictory data have been presented with regard to: 1) the time of onset of depressive disorders, 2) the etiologic role of herpetic and enteroviral infections, 3) the presence of abnormal cellular immunity, and 4) the clinical utility of immunoglobulin therapy. Non-duplicated research has indicated 1) hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysfu...
Assessing the Conservation Value of Hybridized Cutthroat Trout Populations in the Quinn River Drainage, Nevada

Abstract The Lahontan cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarki henshawi, an interior basin salmonid, is endemic to the hydrographic Lahontan Basin, which encompasses parts of northern Nevada, northeastern California, and southeastern Oregon. This subspecies is currently listed as threatened under the 1975 U.S. Endangered Species Act. Landscape- and population-level research suggests that this subspecies has survived in a desert environment by living in large, interconnected stream and/or stream-and-lake systems that support a metapopulation dynamic. Threats to the subspecies include habitat fragmentation as well as competition and hybridization with nonnative salmonids. Hybridization with the closely related rainbow trout O. mykiss compromises rangewide recovery efforts by increasing the risk of introgression and subsequent loss of pure populations in restored population networks. Here we use a suite of highly variable genetic markers (microsatellites, simple sequence repeats, and arbitrarily amplified regions...
Contextualism, relativism and ordinary speakers’ judgments

Some authors have recently claimed that relativism about knowledge sentences accommodates the context sensitivity of our use of such sentences as well as contextualism, while avoiding the counterintuitive consequences of contextualism regarding our inter-contextual judgments, that is, our judgments about knowledge claims made in other contexts. I argue that relativism, like contextualism, involves an error theory regarding a certain class of inter-contextual judgments.
Cranial bone graft harvesting: a modified technique.

The first segment of bone to be removed is the thin strip adjacent to the main graft, which can be accomplished by introducing thin, straight or slightly curved osteotomes (with the curve facing outward) through the beveled groove. This segment may be rapidly removed, in several fragments if necessary. The main nonbeveled graft strips are then harvested using thin osteotomes introduced just below the outer table
Pancreas Transplantation for Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus

La transplantation du pancreas est le seul traitement du diabete du type 1 qui peut induire un etat normoglycemique insulinoindependant. Parce qu'on a besoin d'une immunodepression, on l'a surtout realisee chez les diabetiques uremiques avec un taux de succes eleve, particulierement lorsqu'elle est realisee comme procede simultane (SPK); l'insulino-independance est >80% a 1 an avec des taux de survie du patient et de la greffe du rein equivalents ou superieurs a ceux qui ont recu une greffe de rein seul. Les resultats de la transplantations du pancreas solitaires apres greffe du rein (PAK) chez les patients diabetiques nephropathiques ou des greffes de pancreas seuls chez des receveurs non-uremiques se sont egalement ameliores dramatiquement; le taux de survie de greffe a un an depasse, respectivement 80 et 70%, avec les nouveaux immunodepresseurs FK et MMF. De multiples facteurs importants pour la reussite des transplantations du pancreas sont resumes ici dans cet article.
Feasibility of simultaneous surface temperature-emissivity retrieval using SSM/I measurements from HAPEX-Sahel

Abstract An algorithm to simultaneously retrieve land surface temperatures and spectral emissivities in the microwave spectrum for applications with SSM/I measurements is developed and tested over the HAPEX-Sahel region. A closed but overspecified system of radiative transfer equations, written in terms of unknown surface temperatures and unpolarized spectral emissivities at 19, 37, and 85 GHz, is solved with a non-linear least-squares optimization technique. Clear-sky multispectral SSM/I brightness temperature measurements at full resolution pixel scale, obtained at least twice during a diurnal cycle (corresponding to the ascending and descending nodes of a DMSP satellite orbit), are used as input over a target area. It is assumed that the spectral emissivities remain constant during the time period under consideration. High-resolution temperature-moisture profiles obtained from the Meteo France-CNRM balloon-launch station sited at Hamdallay are used to help account for atmospheric effects in the radiative calculations. Retrieved surface temperatures are consistent with ground-based radiometer skin temperature measurements and in situ soil temperature measurements obtained during the 1992 Intensive Observing Period (IOP) at the West-Central supersite for the 8 October golden day case. Qualitative agreement is also found with split window surface temperature estimates retrieved from AVHRR satellite measurements, although this cannot be considered a rigorous verification procedure because of uncertainties in the IR technique and dissimilar overpass times between DMSP and NOAA satellites. The microwave emissivity estimates are consistent with results reported in the published literature. The algorithm is applied over an extended North African region surrounding the HAPEX-Sahel study area for an ensemble of golden days to illustrate its potential for large-scale applications. As an independent test of its utility, output from the algorithm which requires representative estimates of surface temperature and emissivity in the forward radiative transfer model calculations. This test is successful in that rain events are correctly identified and their intensity is accurately retrieved in the course of the 1992 IOP, demonstrating the value of a simultaneous temperature-emissivity algorithm in aiding other types of terrestrial remote sensing schemes.
The Role of Schedule Mismatch in Ending Inventory Decisions in the Presence of Price Cuts

In the high-tech sector, component suppliers are often able to offer preannounced price cuts (price markdowns) to manufacturers due to technological innovation that allows them to produce the existing components at lower costs. In this context, manufacturers (buyers) are primarily concerned with their existing inventory carried beyond the price cuts in order to lower inventory costs. In this research, we develop a newsvendor-based decision model for this problem based on our experience in industry and a focal case study environment. Specifically, we consider the issue of delivery and demand uncertainties, and the interplay of the buying firm’s operating hours and the transportation carrier’s delivery hours, which combine to influence inventory costs and order fulfillment. We illustrate the results with numerical examples and sensitivity analyses, using a real world data set. We found that stockout cost plays a critical role in the ending inventory decisions. Lowering stockout cost will benefit buyers from lower risk of obsolescence costs.
Normative Development in Transracial Adoptive Families: An Integration of the Literature and Implications for the Construction of a Theoretical Framework:

Research on transracial adoption is limited by its overreliance on atheoretical research and the examination of children as the primary unit of analysis. There is also a significant lack of integration of approaches and empirical findings from disparate yet relevant literature. To better understand transracial adoption, this paper reviews and integrates the literature and offers a conceptual framework that can be used to examine the normative development of transracial adoptive families. Implications for practice and research are provided.
The modification of the surface topology of channels in fully stabilized zirconia, as observed using Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy

Abstract This study shows that submillimeter diameter surface channels in ceramics can be fabricated with either a “grooved” (on the size scale of several microns) or a “smooth” surface depending on the surface texture of the fugitive phases used to form the channels. In addition, this study demonstrates that Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy (LSCM) can be utilized to quantitatively determine the dimensions of the surface features to an extent that would not be feasible with conventional optical microscopy or scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
Computation on symmetry-invariant bases

There is standard methodology available to facilitate electronic structure computations on a space that is invariant under a symmetry group. Here, we focus on additional consequences that arise if the basis itself is invariant under the symmetry group (i.e., in the case that application of symmetry operations to each basis vector yields, up to proportionality, a single basis vector). In illustration of the formal development, examples are considered where the symmetries are point-group symmetries and the basis vectors are Slater determinants over singly occupied atomic orbitals, as for an open-shell valence bond (VB) model. Several other types of examples are mentioned, e.g., a basis of chemically motivated resonance structures, as for a VB model, or an orbital basis of atomic orbitals for a one-electron Huckel-type model.
Preparation and Characterization of Porous Magnesium Alloys in Biomedical Applications

Porous magnesium (Mg) alloys were processed by solid state sintering from mixture of elemental metal powders and pore-filling materials, such as, carbamide (urea). The porosity of the Mg alloy was controlled by selecting different particle size of the pore-filling and volume fraction material, as well as the sintering condition, which were arranged by a factorial experimental design. The effects of their porosity and porous structure were analyzed and the mechanical strength was evaluated with compression tests.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Efficient Implementation of Semantic Relations in Lexical Databases

In this paper we develop a formalization of semantic relations that facilitates efficient implementations of relations in lexical databases or knowledge representation systems using bases. The formalization of relations is based on a modeling of hierarchical relations in Formal Concept Analysis. Further, relations are analyzed according to Relational Concept Analysis, which allows a representation of semantic relations consisting of relational components and quantificational tags. This representation utilizes mathematical properties of semantic relations. The quantificational tags imply inheritance rules among semantic relations that can be used to check the consistency of relations and to reduce the redundancy in implementations by storing only the basis elements of semantic relations. The research presented in this paper is an example of an application of Relational Concept Analysis to lexical databases and knowledge representation systems (cf. Priss 1996) which is part of a larger framework of research on natural language analysis and formalization.
CUBIC SPLINE WAVELET BASES OF SOBOLEV SPACES AND MULTILEVEL INTERPOLATION

Abstract In this paper, a semi-orthogonal cubic spline wavelet basis of homogeneous Sobolev space H 2 0 ( I ) is constructed, which turns out to be a basis of the continuous space C 0 ( I ). At the same time, the orthogonal projections on the wavelet subspaces in H 2 0 ( I ) are extended to the interpolating operators on the corresponding wavelet subspaces in C 0 ( I ). A fast discrete wavelet transform (FWT) for functions in C 0 ( I ) is also given, which is different from the pyramid algorithm and easy to perform using a parallel algorithm. Finally, it is shown that the singularities of a function can be traced from its wavelet coefficients, which provide an adaptive approximation scheme allowing us to reduce the operation time in computation.
MySpace and Facebook: applying the uses and gratifications theory to exploring friend-networking sites.

ABSTRACT The increased use of the Internet as a new tool in communication has changed the way people interact. This fact is even more evident in the recent development and use of friend-networking sites. However, no research has evaluated these sites and their impact on college students. Therefore, the present study was conducted to evaluate: (a) why people use these friend-networking sites, (b) what the characteristics are of the typical college user, and (c) what uses and gratifications are met by using these sites. Results indicated that the vast majority of college students are using these friend-networking sites for a significant portion of their day for reasons such as making new friends and locating old friends. Additionally, both men and women of traditional college age are equally engaging in this form of online communication with this result holding true for nearly all ethnic groups. Finally, results showed that many uses and gratifications are met by users (e.g., “keeping in touch with friends”...
Synchronous anatexis, metamorphism, and rapid denudation at Nanga Parbat (Pakistan Himalaya)

The Nanga Parbat-Haramosh massif of the western Himalaya is a north-trending half-window of Indian crust that provides spectacular exposures of Precambrian basement gneisses that have been overprinted by Himalayan metamorphism. We report here petrologic data and U/Pb dates on zircon and monazite which document that Nanga Parbat gneisses underwent a Pliocene-Pleistocene episode of high-grade metamorphism and anatexis during an interval in which the Nanga Parbat massif was undergoing rapid denudation at mean rates of ∼5 mm/yr. We speculate that by initiating decompression melting, this denudation may be at least partly responsible for the anatexis and high-grade metamorphism.
A visually-specified code generator for Simulink/Stateflow

Visual modeling languages are often used today in engineering domains, Mathworks' Simulink/Stateflow for simulation, signal processing and controls being the prime example. However, they are also becoming suitable for implementing other computational tasks, like model transformations. In this paper we briefly introduce GReAT: a visual language with simple, yet powerful semantics for implementing transformations on attributed, typed hypergraphs with the help of explicitly sequenced graph transformation rules. The main contribution of the paper is a Simulink/Stateflow code generator that generates executable code (running on a distributed platform) from the visual input models. The paper provides an overview of the algorithms used and their realization in GReAT.
Insomnia Symptoms and Cardiovascular Disease among Older American Indians: The Native Elder Care Study

Background. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death among American Indians. It is not known if symptoms of insomnia are associated with CVD in this population. Methods. We examined 449 American Indians aged ≥55 years from the Native Elder Care Study. The main outcome-of-interest was self-reported CVD. Results. Short sleep duration, daytime sleepiness, and difficulty falling asleep were positively associated with CVD after adjusting for demographic, lifestyle, and clinical risk factors. Compared with a sleep duration of 7 h, the multivariable odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval [CI]) of CVD among those with sleep duration ≤5 h was 2.89 (1.17–7.16). Similarly, the multivariable OR (95% CI) of CVD was 4.45 (1.85–10.72) and 2.60 (1.25–5.42) for daytime sleepiness >2 h and difficulty falling asleep often/always. Conclusion. Symptoms of insomnia including short sleep duration, daytime sleepiness, and difficulty falling asleep are independently associated with CVD in American Indians aged ≥55 years.
II—Mitchell Green: Perceiving Emotions

I argue that it is possible literally to perceive the emotions of others. This account depends upon the possibility of perceiving a whole by perceiving one or more of its parts, and upon the view that emotions are complexes. After developing this account, I expound and reply to Rowland Stout's challenge to it. Stout is nevertheless sympathetic with the perceivability-of-emotions view. I thus scrutinize Stout's suggestion for a better defence of that view than I have provided, and offer a refinement of my own proposal that incorporates some of his insights.
c-fos expression in brainstem premotor interneurons during cholinergically induced active sleep in the cat.

The present study was undertaken to identify trigeminal premotor interneurons that become activated during carbachol-induced active sleep (c-AS). Their identification is a critical step in determining the neural circuits responsible for the atonia of active sleep. Accordingly, the retrograde tracer cholera toxin subunit B (CTb) was injected into the trigeminal motor nuclei complex to label trigeminal interneurons. To identify retrograde-labeled activated neurons, immunocytochemical techniques, designed to label the Fos protein, were used. Double-labeled (i.e., CTb(+), Fos(+)) neurons were found exclusively in the ventral portion of the medullary reticular formation, medial to the facial motor nucleus and lateral to the inferior olive. This region, which encompasses the ventral portion of the nucleus reticularis gigantocellularis and the nucleus magnocellularis, corresponds to the rostral portion of the classic inhibitory region of. This region contained a mean of 606 +/- 41.5 ipsilateral and 90 +/- 32.0 contralateral, CTb-labeled neurons. These cells were of medium-size with an average soma diameter of 20-35 micrometer. Approximately 55% of the retrogradely labeled cells expressed c-fos during a prolonged episode of c-AS. We propose that these neurons are the interneurons responsible for the nonreciprocal postsynaptic inhibition of trigeminal motoneurons that occurs during active sleep.
Explaining a Positive Test Result to a Patient.

Summary Clinically clear, statistically sound and easy-to-understand interpretation of a screening result for a serious disease to a patient is very important.
Emotion Dysregulation and Emotional Impulsivity among Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Results of a Preliminary Study

Recent reviews argue that emotion dysregulation is an important feature of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and involves a failure to inhibit negative emotions that leads to negative affectively-driven impulsive behavior (i.e., emotional impulsivity). The goal of the current study was to assess (a) whether emotion dysregulation and emotional impulsivity was higher in a group of adults diagnosed with ADHD and (b) if the relationship between core ADHD symptoms (i.e., inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity) and emotional impulsivity is mediated by emotion dysregulation symptoms. A group of adults with (n = 18) and without (n = 23) ADHD completed measures of core ADHD symptoms, emotion dysregulation, and emotional impulsivity. A series of one-way analyses of covariance indicated significant between-group differences in emotion dysregulation and emotional impulsivity when current depression and oppositional defiant disorder ratings were covaried. In addition, the relationship between ADHD symptoms and emotional impulsivity was mediated by emotion dysregulation symptoms. These findings suggest that emotion dysregulation and emotional impulsivity are higher in adults diagnosed with ADHD and that emotion dysregulation symptoms have predictive value beyond core ADHD symptoms.
Group key management scheme for large-scale sensor networks

Wireless sensor networks are inherently collaborative environments in which sensor nodes self-organize and operate in groups that typically are dynamic and mission-driven. Secure communications in wireless sensor networks under this collaborative model calls for efficient group key management. However, providing key management services in wireless sensor networks is complicated by their ad-hoc nature, intermittent connectivity, large scale, and resource limitations. To address these issues, this paper proposes a new energy-efficient key management scheme for networks consisting of a large number of commodity sensor nodes that are randomly deployed. All sensor nodes in the network are anonymous and are preloaded with identical state information. The proposed scheme leverages a location-based virtual network infrastructure and is built upon a combinatorial formulation of the group key management problem. Secure and efficient group key initialization is achieved in the proposed scheme by nodes autonomously computing, without any communications, their respective initial group keys. The key server, in turn, uses a simple location-based hash function to autonomously deduce the mapping of the nodes to their group keys. The scheme enables dynamic setup and management of arbitrary secure group structures with dynamic group membership.
Expression of genes from Rahnella aquatilis that are necessary for mineral phosphate solubilization in Escherichia coli

Rahnella aquatilis is a Gram-negative bacterium that can fix atmospheric nitrogen and also has the ability to solubilize mineral phosphate. We have cloned the genes that confer the mineral phosphate solubilizing (Mps) trait from this organism by mobilizing a cosmid library of R. aquatilis into Escherichia coli HB101. A 7.0-kb EcoRI fragment from a cosmid, when transferred into E. coli strains HB101 and DH5α, conferred the ability to solubilize hydroxyapatite and the production of gluconic acid to E. coli. The relative amounts of soluble phosphate and gluconic acid produced by the cloned 7.0-kb EcoRI fragment in E. coli were significantly higher than those of R. aquatilis. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed two complete open reading frames (ORF1 and ORF2) and a partial ORF. ORF1 and ORF2 encoded proteins of molecular mass 10 kDa and 44 kDa. The 44-kDa protein showed extensive sequence similarity to pqqE of Erwinia herbicola, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Acinetobacter calcoaceticus. The 10-kDa protein revealed strong similarity to the pqqD of K. pneumoniae and A. calcoaceticus.
Teaching digital signal processing with Stanford's Lab-in-a-Box

This paper describes our efforts to include a hands-on component in the teaching of core concepts of digital signal processing. The basis of our approach was the low-cost and open-source “Stanford Lab in a Box.” This system, with its easy to use Arduino-like programming interface allowed students to see how fundamental DSP concepts such as digital filters, FFT, and multi-rate processing can be implemented in real time on a fixed-point processor. The paper describes how the Lab in a Box was used to provide a new dimension to the teaching of DSP.
Dissolution Performance of High Drug Loading Celecoxib Amorphous Solid Dispersions Formulated with Polymer Combinations

The aims of this study were twofold. First, to evaluate the effectiveness of selected polymers in inhibiting solution crystallization of celecoxib. Second, to compare the release rate and crystallization tendency of celecoxib amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) formulated with a single polymer, or binary polymer combinations. The effectiveness of polymers, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose (HPMC) or HPMC acetate succinate (HPMCAS), in maintaining supersaturation of celecoxib solutions was evaluated by performing nucleation induction time measurements. Crystallization kinetics of ASD suspensions were monitored using Raman spectroscopy. Dissolution experiments were carried out under non-sink conditions. Pure amorphous celecoxib crystallized rapidly through both matrix and solution pathways. Matrix and solution crystallization was inhibited when celecoxib was molecularly mixed with a polymer, resulting in release of the drug to form supersaturated solutions. Cellulosic polymers were more effective than PVP in maintaining supersaturation. Combining a cellulosic polymer and PVP enabled improved drug release and stability to crystallization. Inclusion of an effective solution crystallization inhibitor as a minor component in ternary dispersions resulted in prolonged supersaturation following dissolution. This study shows the feasibility of formulation strategies for ASDs where a major polymer component is used to achieve one key property e.g. release, while a minor polymer component is added to prevent crystallization.
Tryptophan 299 is a conserved residue of human pregnane X receptor critical for the functional consequence of ligand binding

Abstract PXR is a xenobiotic receptor that regulates drug metabolism by regulating the expression of drug-metabolizing enzymes including CYP3A4. It can be modulated by chemicals with different structures, functional groups and sizes. X-ray crystal structures of the ligand binding domain of human PXR (hPXR) alone or bound with agonists reveal a highly hydrophobic ligand binding pocket where the aromatic amino acid residue W299 appears to play a critical role in ligand binding. Here, we have investigated the role of W299 on the functional consequence of hPXR ligand binding. We first found that substitution of W299 with a hydrophobic residue retained its response to rifampicin, but substitution with a charged residue altered such agonist response in activating the transcription of CYP3A4. The activity of hPXR mutants on CYP3A4 expression correlates with the ability of hPXR mutants to interact with co-activator SRC-1. We further demonstrated that the effect of replacing W299 by residues with different side chains on hPXR’s function varied depending on the specific agonist used. Finally we interpreted the cellular activity of the hPXR mutants by analyzing reported crystallographic data and proposing a model. Our findings reveal the essential role of W299 in the transactivation of hPXR in response to agonist binding, and provide useful information for designing modulators of hPXR.
Doing “indigenous” ethnography as a cultural outsider: Lessons from the Four Seasons

ABSTRACTThis piece narrates the author's experience with Gonzalez's Four Seasons of Ethnography framework as an ethnographer-in-training in an advanced field research methods course conducted in a small Raramuri village in the Copper Canyon of Mexico. Three core elements emerged as the narrative's focal interest: the nature-based logic of the Four Seasons framework, the tensions between indigenous child-rearing practices and modernizing influences among the Raramuri, and the problematic of conducting indigenously grounded research in a community not one's own. Learnings highlight the unique oeuvre lent by the “Four Seasons” framework and its potential for transforming knowledge production about the “other” within the academy and beyond.
Multidisciplinary Graduate Student Alliance (MGSA): Crafting a Diverse Peer Mentoring Network Within and Beyond a Predominantly White Institution (PWI)

This chapter engages the formation of an interdisciplinary peer-mentoring group that empowered graduate students of color to navigate varied and complex challenges within a predominantly white institution (PWI) in the Rocky Mountain Region. In doing this work, both intended and unintended barriers were exposed and navigated. The chapter describes the journeys of three students and their advisor, who are from diverse backgrounds. Their journeys are followed from the formation of the group through their matriculation and subsequent steps in their respective professional careers. The auto-ethnographic techniques, derived from self-study, involved an application of those utilized by CURVE-Y-FRiENDs (C-Y-F) global network. The challenges identified based on C-Y-F were: (1) intellectual identities, (2) cultural/racial/ethnic/linguistic identities, (3) pursuit of professional careers, and (4) personal/professional relationships. In our work, we identify our journeys’ salient outcomes and provide practical recommendations for various university stakeholders.
Research and statistics: qualitative research methods.

1. Kamila B. Mistry, PhD, MPH* 1. *Department of Pediatrics, Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. You are evaluating a 4-month-old girl. On reviewing her history, you determine that the infant is not up to date on her vaccinations. You review the recommended immunization schedule with the parents and identify which vaccines were missed at 2 months. Both parents show reluctance to have their daughter vaccinated. You inquire about their reasons for not wanting to immunize; however, they do not provide any explanations. You wonder what the possible reasons could be for their perceptions regarding vaccinations. Your literature review reveals a qualitative study by Benin et al (“Qualitative analysis of mothers’ decision-making about vaccines for infants: the importance of trust”) that might offer some insight . ( 1 ) Qualitative research is a systematic form of inquiry aimed at gaining a deeper understanding of the context of experiences, processes, and behaviors. This methodology provides a framework for investigating research questions that focus on understanding the “why” and “how” regarding human behaviors and beliefs, and often are used to generate hypotheses or build theory. (2) Qualitative methods traditionally have been used in the social sciences but also are used in clinical research, particularly when experiences and their underlying meaning cannot be measured by using standardized quantitative approaches. (2)(3) Qualitative and quantitative approaches share many similarities. Both involve defining research aims, selecting samples, and collecting and analyzing …
Evaluation of Four Insecticides for the Control of Six-Spotted Leafhoppers on Lettuce

Techniques which employed a combination of field and laboratory methods were used to evaluate four insecticides—DDT, demeton, malathion, and parathion—for the control of sixspotted leafhoppers, Macrosteles fascifrons ((Stal). With equivalent dosages of toxicant per acre, malathion was as effective at 6 hours as parathion at 12, demeton at 24, and DDT at 48 hours after exposure of leafhoppers to freshly sprayed lettuce plants. Treatments were ineffective in controlling leafhoppers 3 days after application of sprays.
Mouse Insulin Cells Expressing an Inducible RIPCre Transgene Are Functionally Impaired

We used cre-lox technology to test whether the inducible expression of Cre minimize the deleterious effect of the enzyme on beta cell function. We studied mice in which Cre is linked to a modified estrogen receptor (ER), and its expression is controlled by the rat insulin promoter (RIP). Following the injection of tamoxifen (TM), CreER- migrates to the nucleus and promotes the appearance of a reporter protein, enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (EYFP), in cells. Immunocytochemical analysis indicated that 46.6 ± 2.1% insulin cells of adult RIPCreER- EYFP expressed EYFP. RIPCreER-EYFP (+TM) mice were normoglycemic throughout the study, and their glucose tolerance test results were similar to control CD-1 mice. However, an extended exposure to reagents that stimulate insulin synthesis was detrimental to the survival of IN+EYFP+cells. The administration of an inhibitor of the enzyme dipeptidyl-peptidase (DPP4i), which prevents the cleavage of glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1), to adult RIPCreER-EYFP mice lead to a decrease in the percentage of IN+EYFP+ to 17.5 ± 1.73 and a significant increase in apoptotic cells in islets. Similarly, a 2-week administration of the GLP-1 analog exendin 4 (ex-4) induced an almost complete ablation of IN+ expressing a different reporter protein and a significant decrease in the beta cell mass and rate of beta cell proliferation. Since normal beta cells do not die when induced to increase insulin synthesis, our observations indicate that insulin cells expressing an inducible RIPCre transgene are functionally deficient. Studies employing these mice should carefully consider the pitfalls of the Cre-Lox technique.
Investigation on difference of BNP′s level before and after type 2 diabetes taking rosiglitazone and on changes of patients with heart failure in early stage

Objective:In this paper,by measuring the level of BNP of type 2diabetic patients before and after using rosiglitazone,to investigate the effects of rosiglitazone on the type 2 diabetic patient with heart failure.Methods:82 patients in type 2diabetes were divided into groups.Before and after they taking rosiglitazone,their concentration levels of BNP were examined by the chemiluminescen technique.Results:In the group without heart failure,after they taking rosiglitazone for three months,the concentration of BNP has no difference compared with that before they taking it.But after they taking rosiglitazone for six months,the levels of BNP have significant changes compared with those before they taking the medicine,and the contents of BNP become higher in different levels(P0.05).For Group I of the type2 diabetic patients with heart failure,after they taking rosiglitazone for three months,the levels of BNP have increased significantly compared with the former ones(P0.05),and the BNP′s contents of the subjects taking the medicine for six months are significantly higher than those of the subjects taking the medication for three months.For Group II,the BNP′s levels of the subjects taking rosiglitazone for three months have increased significantly compared with those before they taking the medication and the difference is obvious(P0.01).the content of BNP becomes higher after they taking the medicine for six months than for three months(P0.01).Conclusion:Rosiglitazone is possible to cause the patients with type 2 diabetes suffering heart failure and increase the risk of cardiovascular events for patients with heart failure.
Preliminary Design of a High-Temperature Superconducting Transmission Line

High-temperature superconductors offer the potential advantage of reduced refrigeration costs, leading to reconsideration of transmission-line applications. However, because the properties of high-temperature superconductors differ considerably from those of low-temperature superconductors, we have begun with a preliminary design based on limited knowledge of the new materials. The result is a configuration that is quite different from the low-temperature superconducting transmission lines previously designed and demonstrated. The primary emphasis of the design has been to consider materials other than the superconductor itself, i.e., the construction materials. In particular, the low-temperature strength and favorable dielectric properties of aramid fibers have been used.
What’s your ‘vice?’: a combined approach to drugs and other addictive substances and activities

AbstractA person’s use of addictive substances is generally approached one drug at a time. However, individuals readily report use of many drugs, and interestingly, individuals may also include addictive behaviors or activities (e.g. sex, gambling, computer use or shopping) as being problematic. There is not currently a brief assessment to measure both individuals’ use of drugs and their engaging in addictive behaviors in a single questionnaire; though, one might facilitate scholarly understanding of shared addiction processes and might aid increasingly burdened healthcare systems. The main purpose of this work is to offer a preliminary examination of a brief combined assessment of both drug use and addictive behaviors. Specifically, we asked a sample of n = 306 and a replication sample of n = 173 individuals from the general public to report their ‘choice’ or desired drugs and behaviors, which we termed their ‘vices’, in a single assessment. Findings showed that individuals readily reported having ‘vices...