cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Structure and morphology of electrospun silk nanofibers

AbstractNanoscale ﬁbers of natural silks of Bombyx mori and Nephila clavipes were produced from solutions in hexaﬂuoro-2-propanol. Theelectrospun ﬁbers were observed by optical, scanning electron, and transmission electron microscopy. These nanoﬁbers showed opticalretardation, appeared to have a circular cross-section, and were thermally stable under nitrogen to 280 8C(N. clavipes) and to 245 8C(B. mori). The diameter of the ﬁbers ranged from approximately 6.5–200 nm making them orders of magnitudes smaller than the naturalsilks spun by most silkworms and spiders. The smallest ﬁber diameters correspond to 200 molecules in the cross section of the N. clavipesﬁbers and 150 in B. mori. Electron diffraction patterns of annealed electrospun ﬁbers of B. mori and N. clavipes exhibit diffraction peaksdemonstrating orientational and crystalline order comparable to that of naturally spun silks.q 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: N. clavipes; B. mori; Electrospinning 1. IntroductionThe useful physical properties of natural silk ﬁbers [1]and the ability to produce these proteins using biotechnol-ogy [2], have provided the impetus for the efforts in both thebiosynthesis and the spinning of these proteins. A greatmany organisms produce silk. Silkworms and spiders aretwo main ones. Silkworm silk, of the domesticated Bombyxmori, is well known and has been of interest for at least 5000years due to its importance as a textile ﬁber [3,4].Incomparison, the study of spider silks is relatively new. Orbweaving spiders are sophisticated users of silk. Somepossess up to seven different sets of glands which produce asmany different ﬁbers, all designed for specialized appli-cations [5]. The most prominent set is the major ampulatewhich produces the protein for dragline silk. One of themost carefully studied spider silk ﬁbers is the dragline ofthe orb weaver Nephila clavipes. This is partially due to thespider’s large size and the associated relatively largequantities of silk it can produce. Dragline ﬁbers produced bythe orb weaver exhibit a highly desirable combination ofstrength, toughness and compressibility, not evident insynthetic high-performance ﬁbers [6]. Some synthetic poly-mers such as Kevlar
Thermal conductivity of epoxy/surface functionalized carbon nano materials

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and graphite nanoplates were functionalized by chemical methods. The functionalized chemical structures were characterized by Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR). It is found that carboxyl groups were grafted onto MWCNTs and graphite nanoplates surfaces. Epoxy and cyanate ester polymer composites with functionalized MWCNTs and graphite nanoplates were prepared, and their thermal conductivities were measured by the a Netzsch Nano Flash, which showed that the thermal conductivity of the polymer composites can be significantly improved by building chemical bondings between polymer matrix and carbon nano fillers.
Fetal Laryngeal Stenosis/Atresia and Congenital High Airway Obstructive Syndrome (CHAOS): A Case Report

Congenital high airway obstructive syndrome (CHAOS) is a rare but fatal disease with predictably characteristic features including stenotic or atretic upper airway, hyperplastic lungs, elevated diaphragm, massive fetal ascites and fetal hydrops. Diagnosis of CHAOS by ultrasound scan is possible and clinically important since advanced intrauterine surgery to correct the defect is possible. We report a case of fetus of CHAOS with massive ascites, pulmonary hyperplasia and laryngeal stenosis/atresia. We feel that it is important to recognize the entity both by ultrasound scan and by the pathologist so that some cases can be corrected by intrauterine fetal surgery.
The Crystal Structure of Potassium Permanganate

The crystal structure of potassium permanganate was determined from Laue and x-ray single crystal oscillation photographs. It was found that the unit cell is orthorhombic, contains four molecules, and has the dimensions: $a=9.09\mathrm{A} b=5.72\mathrm{A} c=7.41\mathrm{A}$ The symmetry of the crystal is $2Di\ensuremath{-}16 ({{V}_{h}}^{16})$, and the structure may be given by the following parameters, expressed as fractions of the unit cell dimensions: The agreement between the observed intensity and the calculated structure amplitude is satisfactory. The crystal, isomorphous with barytes, celestine and anglesite, has a closely similar structure, though the parameters are different. The manganese is surrounded by four oxygen atoms at an average distance of 1.59A, the arrangement being a nearly regular tetrahedron. The average oxygen-to-oxygen distance in a tetrahedron is 2.62A. The smallest distance between oxygens in different tetrahedra is 2.72 A. The potassium is surrounded by nine oxygens at a mean distance of 2.97A.
Reovirus uses multiple endocytic pathways for cell entry

Entry of reovirus virions has been well studied in several tissue culture systems. After attachment to junctional adhesion molecule A (JAM-A), virions undergo clathrin-mediated endocytosis followed by proteolytic disassembly of the capsid and penetration to the cytoplasm. However, during in vivo infection of the intestinal tract, and likely in the tumor microenvironment, capsid proteolysis (uncoating) is initiated extracellularly. We used multiple approaches to determine if uncoated reovirus particles, called intermediate subviral particles (ISVPs), enter cells by directly penetrating the limiting membrane or if they take advantage of endocytic pathways to establish productive infection. We found that entry and infection by reovirus ISVPs was inhibited by dynasore, an inhibitor of dynamin-dependent endocytosis, as well as by genistein and dominant-negative caveolin-1, which block caveolar endocytosis. Inhibition of caveolar endocytosis also reduced infection by reovirus virions. Extraction of membrane cholesterol with methyl-β-cyclodextrin inhibited infection by virions but had no effect when infection was initiated with ISVPs. We found this pathway to be independent of both clathrin and caveolin. Together, these data suggest that reovirus virions can use both dynamin-dependent and dynamin-independent endocytic pathways during cell entry, and they reveal that reovirus ISVPs can take advantage of caveolar endocytosis to establish productive infection.
Sustained visual-spatial attention produces costs and benefits in response time and evoked neural activity

Abstract This study investigated the simple reaction time (RT) and event-related potential (ERP) correlates of biasing attention towards a location in the visual field. RTs and ERPs were recorded to stimuli flashed randomly and with equal probability to the left and right visual hemifields in the three blocked, covert attention conditions: (i) attention divided equally to left and right hemifield locations; (ii) attention biased towards the left location; or (iii) attention biased towards the right location. Attention was biased towards left or right by instructions to the subjects, and responses were required to all stimuli. Relative to the divided attention condition, RTs were significantly faster for targets occurring where more attention was allocated (benefits), and slower to targets where less attention was allocated (costs). The early P1 (100–140 msec) component over the lateral occipital scalp regions showed attentional benefits. There were no amplitude modulations of the occipital N1 (125–180 msec) component with attention. Between 200 and 500 msec latency, a late positive deflection (LPD) showed both attentional costs and benefits. The behavioral findings show that when sufficiently induced to bias attention, human observers demonstrate RT benefits as well as costs. The corresponding P1 benefits suggest that the RT benefits of spatial attention may arise as the result of modulations of visual information processing in the extrastriate visual cortex.
The midline forehead island flap.

. The midline forehead island flap exemplifies pedicled island flaps based on random circulation. The use of this flap for medial canthal reconstruction is set forth by photographs, diagrams, and appropriate commentary.
Construction of the CLEOIII tracking system: Silicon vertex detector and drift chamber

Abstract The CLEO III group is constructing a tracking system (4-layer silicon vertex detector and 47-layer central drift chamber) to be compatible with the interaction region to be installed as part of the staged luminosity upgrade program at the Cornell Electron Storage Ring. Compared to CLEO II, the double-sided silicon detector will have improved signal-to-noise due to long integration times and improvements in the p-type implant barrier on the n-type side. Diamond beams will provide a low mass rigid support system. Although having less radial extent than the current CLEO II tracking system, CLEO III will have equivalent momentum resolution because of material reduction in the drift chamber inner wall and gas. Helium based gas provides further improvements in the spatial resolution.
A Surgical Technique for Management of Lower Lumbar Fractures: Case Report

A surgical technique for the repair of lower lumbar and sacral fracture-dislocation injuries is described. A combination of plastic plates and intramedullary pins was used to align and stabilize the displaced spinal column. A successful clinical case is documented.
The language bioprogram hypothesis.

It is hypothesized that creole languages are largely invented by children and show fundamental similarities, which derive from a biological program for language. The structures of Hawaiian Pidgin and Hawaiian Creole are contrasted, and evidence is provided to show that the latter derived from the former in a single generation. A realistic model of the processes of Creole formation shows how several specific historical and demographic factors interacted to restrict, in varying degrees, the access of pidgin speakers to the dominant language, and hence the nature of input to the children of those speakers. It is shown that the resulting similarities of Creole languages derive from a single grammar with a restricted list of categories and operations. However, grammars of individual Creoles will differ from this grammar to a varying extent: The degree of difference will correlate very closely with the quantity of dominant-language input, which in turn is controlled by extralinguistic factors. Alternative explanations of the above phenomena are surveyed, in particular, substratum theory and monogenesis: Both are found inadequate to account for the facts. Primary acquisition is examined in light of the general hypothesis, and it is suggested that the bioprogram provides a skeletal model of language which the child can then readily convert into the target language. Cases of systematic error and precocious learning provide indirect support for the hypothesis. Some conjectures are made concerning the evolutionary origins of the bioprogram and what study of Creoles and related topics might reveal about language origins.
Modern software development concepts: a new philosophy for CS2

In this paper we propose a significantly different approach to CS2, the second course in the undergraduate computer science curriculum. Rather than a central focus on the design and implementation of data structures, we propose that the central focus be on modern software development concepts such as object-oriented design, exceptions, GUIs, graphics, collection classes, threads, and networking. We believe that these are the important concepts that students should be exposed to and should use in the second computer science course.
A brief survey of the mathematics of quantum physics

The mathematics of quantum physics started from matrices and from differential operators. It inspired the theory of linear operators in Hilbert space and of unitary representation for symmetry groups and spectrum generating groups. The Dirac bra-ket formalism led first to Schwartz's theory of distributions and then to its generalization, the Rigged Hilbert Space (RHS) or Gelfand triplet. This Schwartz-RHS provided the mathematical justification for Dirac's continuous basis vector expansion and for the algebra of continuous observables of quantum theory. To obtain also a mathematical theory of scattering, resonance and decay phenomena one needed to make a mathematical distinction between prepared in-states and detected observables (“out-states”). This leads to a pair of Hardy RHS's and using the Paley-Wiener theorem, to solutions of the dynamical equations (Schrodinger or Heisenberg) given by time-asymmetric semi-groups, expressing Einstein causality.
A note on separation in mean-lower-partial-moment portfolio optimization with fixed and moving targets

As measures of portfolio risk, Lower Partial Moments (LPMs) have several advantages over variance, the traditional measure of risk. A separation theorem can be proven in the context of mean-LPM portfolio optimization, when the target is equal to the risk-free interest rate. The question of which other targets admit separation has remained open, however. We attempt to answer this question and clear up some confusion in the literature caused by previous attempts. We distinguish between a fixed and a moving target, that is, a target that depends on the (distribution of the) random return whose risk measure is being evaluated. We show that the risk-free interest rate is the only fixed target that guarantees linear separation. Among moving targets, we show that linear separation holds if the target is set equal to the mean return of the portfolio under consideration.
Leveraging Lean Six Sigma to Culture, Nurture, and Sustain Assessment and Change in the Academic Library Environment

This paper explores the application of Lean Six Sigma, a business improvement philosophy and methodology, in the academic library environment as one means to nurture and sustain a culture of assessment and change. It includes an overview of the philosophy and an example of an actual virtual reference improvement project that was conducted using Lean Six Sigma tools and principles at The Ohio State University Libraries. It concludes with a discussion of the benefits and limitations of deploying a Lean Six Sigma initiative within a library organization.
Ferromagnetism and magnetic resonance artifacts of platinum embolization microcoils.

We performedin vitro tests of ferromagnetism of platinum microcoils of two manufacturers. In addition, we performedin vitro magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on these two devices to determine their levels of magnetic susceptibility artifact production. We found that both devices were nonferromagnetic and produced a very low level of artifact during MRI.In vivo MRI of a dog and 2 patients having previous placement of platinum microcoils was performed without coil mignation or significant artifact production. Platinum microcoils are highly MR-compatible.
Image compression in digital mammography: Effects on computerized detection of subtle microcalcifications

Our previous receiver operating characteristic (ROC) study indicated that the detection accuracy of microcalcifications by radiologists is significantly reduced if mammograms are digitized at 0.1 mm x 0.1 mm. Our recent study also showed that detection accuracy by computer decreases as the pixel size increases from 0.035 mm x 0.035 mm. It is evident that very large matrix sizes have to be used for digitizing mammograms in order to preserve the information in the image. Efficient compression techniques will be needed to facilitate communication and archiving of digital mammograms. In this study, we evaluated two compression techniques: full frame discrete cosine transform (DCT) with entropy coding and Laplacian pyramid hierarchical coding (LPHC). The dependence of their efficiency on the compression parameters was investigated. The techniques were compared in terms of the trade-off between the bit rate and the detection accuracy of subtle microcalcifications by an automated detection algorithm. The mean-square errors in the reconstructed images were determined and the visual quality of the error images was examined. It was found that with the LPHC method, the highest compression ratio achieved without a significant degradation in the detectability was 3.6:1. The full frame DCT method with entropy coding provided a higher compression efficiency of 9.6:1 at comparable detection accuracy. The mean-square errors did not correlate with the detection accuracy of the microcalcifications. This study demonstrated the importance of determining the quality of the decompressed images by the specific requirements of the task for which the decompressed images are to be used. Further investigation is needed for selection of optimal compression technique for digital mammograms.
Further Insights into the Oxidation Chemistry of Norepinephrine and Epinephrine in the Presence of Cysteine

Abstract Oxidations of dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE), and epinephrine (EPI) at pH 7.4 in the presence of free L -cysteine (CySH) have been previously shown to generate a number of cysteinyl conjugates of these catecholaminergic neurotransmitters that serve as precursors of various dihydrobenzothiazines (DHBTs). In this investigation it is demonstrated that oxidations of NE or EPI, but not DA, in the presence of free CySH also generate three previously unknown DHBTs: 6,8-bis[(2-amino-2-carboxyethyl)thio]-3,4-dihydro-5-hydroxy-2H-1,4-benzothiazine-3-carboxylic acid (A), 6,7,8-tris[(2-amino-2-carboxyethyl)thio]-3,4-dihydro-5-hydroxy-2H-1,4-benzothiazine-3-carboxylic acid (B), andN-[9-[(2-amino-2-carboxyethyl)thio]-7-carboxy-3,6,7,8-tetrahydro-10-hydroxybenzo[1,2-b: 4,3-b′]bis[1,4]thiazin-2-yl]- L -cystine (C). The β-hydroxy side chain residues of NE and EPI are required in order to formA–C,hence explaining the fact that these compounds are not formed upon oxidation of DA in the presence of CySH. A further new product unique to the oxidation of EPI in the presence of CySH at pH 7.4 isN-[6-[(2-amino-2-carboxyethyl)thio]-2,7-dihydro-5-hydroxy-7-methylpyrrolo[2,3-h]-1,4-benzothiazin-3-yl]- L -cystine (D). Reactions pathways that account for formation ofA–Dare presented along with a discussion of their potential formation as aberrant metabolites in the brain in a number of neurodegenerative disorders.
1H, 13C and 15N NMR assignments of the C1A and C1B subdomains of PKC-delta.

The Protein Kinase C family of enzymes is a group of serine/threonine kinases that play central roles in cell-cycle regulation, development and cancer. A key step in the activation of PKC is translocation to membranes and binding of membrane-associated activators including diacylglycerol (DAG). Interaction of novel and conventional isotypes of PKC with DAG and phorbol esters occurs through the two C1 regulatory domains (C1A and C1B), which exhibit distinct ligand binding selectivity that likely controls enzyme activation by different co-activators. PKC has also been implicated in physiological responses to alcohol consumption and it has been proposed that PKCα (Slater et al. J Biol Chem 272(10):6167–6173, 1997; Slater et al. Biochemistry 43(23):7601–7609, 2004), PKCe (Das et al. Biochem J 421(3):405–413, 2009) and PKCδ (Das et al. J Biol Chem 279(36):37964–37972, 2004; Das et al. Protein Sci 15(9):2107–2119, 2006) contain specific alcohol-binding sites in their C1 domains. We are interested in understanding how ethanol affects signal transduction processes through its affects on the structure and function of the C1 domains of PKC. Here we present the 1H, 15N and 13C NMR chemical shift assignments for the Rattus norvegicus PKCδ C1A and C1B proteins.
Influence of partial reinforcement of running on the extinction of continuously reinforced barpressing in rats

Two experiments with rats show that resistance to extinction of continuously reinforced barpressing is not increased by partial reinforcement of runway running and that, in general, reinforcement manipulations related to one response have little influence on the other.
Effect of motor planning on use of motor abundance

This study examined the hypothesis that the degree to which motor redundancy is used to coordinate joint motions for reaching is influenced by motor planning and enhanced when the task requires greater movement flexibility. Subjects reached at arm's length to the same centrally placed target under conditions where the target location was either certain or uncertain, using a double-step paradigm. The hypothesis was evaluated by partitioning the across-trials variance of the joint configuration at each percent of the reach into a component corresponding to the use of different joint angle combinations to achieve an equivalent hand position (GEV) and a component leading to a variable hand position (NGEV). Pointer-tip movement variability along the path and variable targeting error did not differ between conditions. Larger overall joint variance was found for the uncertain target condition. Most of this increase was GEV, which was significantly higher in the uncertain condition for control of both movement extent and movement direction. In contrast, NGEV differed between the two conditions only for the control of movement extent early in the reach, suggesting that target uncertainty led to inter-trial timing variability along the movement path. The results suggest that more flexible patterns of joint coordination are used when the nervous system must plan reaching movements to an uncertain target direction.
Squamous cell carcinoma in situ in condyloma acuminatum.

This is the 14th case report of squamous cell carcinomain situ developing in perianal condyloma acuminata. A 72-year-old nonhomosexual man suffered this lesion 11 months after his condyloma was first fulgurated. The lesion was excised locally. He received no local or systemic chemotherapy. Random biopsies on several occasions since that time have not shown any evidence of local recurrence. Squamouscell carcinomain situ in perianal condyloma must be distinguished from Bowen's disease and extramammary Paget's disease of the perianal skin, both of which have associated skin rashes. Although Bowen's disease and extramammary Paget's disease frequently are associated with either local or distant malignancies, no such association has been found for squamous cell carcinomain situ in condyloma unless the patient also has the aquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Since this lesion is a premalignant lesion like Bowen's disease and extramammary Paget's disease, squamous cell carcinomain situ in condyloma is treated by local excision. If the margins are free of tumor, the resection is curative. No local or systemic recurrence of this condition has been reported following adequate local resection. Patients with condyloma acuminata should undergo treatment to eliminate all of the warts. When the condylomata recur, or when the patient has AIDS, the lesions should be examined histologically for evidence of premalignant or malignant degeneration
A cost/benefit analysis of commercial fusion-fission hybrid reactor development

A simple algorithm was developed that allows rapid computation of the ratio,R, of present worth of benefits to present worth of hybrid R&D program costs as a function of potential hybrid unit electricity cost savings, discount rate, electricity demand growth rate, total hybrid R&D program cost, and time to complete a demonstration reactor. In the sensitivity study, these variables were assigned nominal values (unit electricity cost savings of 4 mills/kW-hr, discount rate of 4%/year, growth rate of 2.25%/year, total R&D program cost of $20 billion, and time to complete a demonstration reactor of 30 years), and the variable of interest was varied about its nominal value. Results show thatR increases with decreasing discount rate and increasing unit electricity savings and ranges from 4 to 94 as discount rate ranges from 5 to 3%/year and unit electricity savings range from 2 to 6 mills/kW-hr.R increases with increasing growth rate and ranges from 3 to 187 as growth rate ranges from 1 to 3.5%/year and unit electricity cost savings range from 2 to 6 mills/kW-hr.R attains a maximum value when plotted against time to complete a demonstration reactor. The location of this maximum value occurs at shorter completion times as discount rate increases, and this optimal completion time ranges from 20 years for a discount rate of 4%/year to 45 years for a discount rate of 3%/year.
Fasting hyperglycemia impairs glucose-but not insulin-mediated suppression of glucagon secretion

Aim: Our aim was to assess the effect of chronic hyperglycemia on glucose- and insulin-mediated suppression of glucagon secretion by the α-cell. Methods: Thirty subjects with normal glucose tolerance, 27 with impaired fasting glucose and/or impaired glucose tolerance, and 32 type 2 diabetic subjects were studied with oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp. Fasting plasma glucagon concentration and plasma glucagon concentration during the OGTT and insulin clamp were measured. Results: During the OGTT, the decrement in the plasma glucagon concentration (area under the curve) was correlated inversely with the fasting plasma glucose concentration (r = −0.35; P < 0.001). As the fasting glucose level increased, the suppression of plasma glucagon progressively diminished. In contrast, during the euglycemic insulin clamp, the suppression of plasma glucagon was not correlated with the fasting plasma glucose concentration and was similar in subjects with normal glucose tolerance, s...
Treatment of norovirus infections: Moving antivirals from the bench to the bedside

Noroviruses (NV) are the most common cause of acute gastrointestinal illness in the United States and worldwide. The development of specific antiviral countermeasures has lagged behind that of other viral pathogens, primarily because norovirus disease has been perceived as brief and self-limiting and robust assays suitable for drug discovery have been lacking. The increasing recognition that NV illness can be life-threatening, especially in immunocompromised patients who often require prolonged hospitalization and intensive supportive care, has stimulated new research to develop an effective antiviral therapy. Here, we propose a path forward for evaluating drug therapy in norovirus-infected immunocompromised individuals, a population at high risk for serious and prolonged illness. The clinical and laboratory features of norovirus illness in immunocompromised patients are reviewed, and potential markers of drug efficacy are defined. We discuss the potential design of clinical trials in these patients and how an antiviral therapy that proves effective in immunocompromised patients might also be used in the setting of acute outbreaks, especially in confined settings such as nursing homes, to block the spread of infection and reduce the severity of illness. We conclude by reviewing the current status of approved and experimental compounds that might be evaluated in a hospital setting.
Engineering future cyber-physical energy systems: Challenges, research needs, and roadmap

Cyber-physical energy systems require the integration of a heterogeneous physical layers and decision control networks, mediated by decentralized and distributed local sensing/actuation structures backed by an information layer. With the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) [1] requirements and president's visions of more secure, reliable and controllable cyber-physical system, a new paradigm for modeling and research investigation is needed. In this paper, we present common challenges and our vision of solutions to design advanced Cyber-physical energy systems with embedded security and distributed control. Finally, we present a survey of our research results in this domain.
Cyclic Vectors in the Anderson Model

We prove that for Anderson models in the localized regime, the vectors δ_n are cyclic with probability one and, in particular, the spectrum is simple.
Where are the speculative bubbles in US housing markets

Abstract In the first half of this decade, US house prices experienced significant real rates of appreciation. The dramatic increase in house prices led some economists to conclude that there was a speculative bubble in the US housing market. This paper explores how much of the recent appreciation in US house prices was attributable to the fundamental economic determinants of house prices. On the demand side, we note that the rate of homeownership in the US increased from 66.8% in 1999 to 69% in the fourth quarter of 2005. http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/housing/hvs/historic/histt14.html , accessed 10/17/2007. Each percentage point increase in the homeownership rate increases the demand for owner-occupied housing by about one million units. On the supply side, land prices and housing construction costs increased substantially in real terms over this period. The national average increase in house prices conceals significant spatial variation in appreciation rates. According to OFHEO, house prices in some California cities increased by more than fifteen percent per year during this period while house prices in Texas cities increased four percent per year. The increase in aggregate housing demand had different effects on metropolitan area house prices because housing market supply elasticities vary spatially. We estimate housing supply elasticities for 133 metropolitan areas and conclude that although areas on the East Coast and in California had large observed price increases, they owe much of their house price increases to inelastic supplies of owner-occupied housing.
Quantification of videostrobolaryngoscopic findings--measurements of the normal glottal cycle.

Videostrobolaryngoscopic (VSL) images of vocal fold behavior in 32 male and 33 female normal speakers were analyzed by computer. Image analysis software enhanced the glottal image, allowing extraction of the glottal area. Frame-by-frame analysis produced 20 glottal area values for each glottal cycle. The glottal area waveform (GAW) plots these values. From the GAW, features such as peak glottal area, duration of opening and closing, and rates of vocal fold opening and closing were measured. Acoustic measures of sound pressure level(SPL) and fundamental frequency were used to compare changes in GAW with changes in loudness and pitch. Analysis of the data showed significant differences between the sexes in GAW, peak glottal area, closed period, closing slope, and size and incidence of the posterior glottal gap. Intensity and frequency changes significantly affected GAW. Intensity variations affected the steepness of the closing phase and the duration of the closed period. Frequency changes affected the open period and the relative duration of opening vs. closing. This study provides quantitative measures of the VSL image that supplement and corroborate perceptual observations. These measures provide normative data against which similar measures of dysphonic larynges can be compared.
Psychopathic traits and men’s anger response to interpersonal conflict: A pilot study

Abstract Psychopathy is associated with emotional dysfunction that impedes the experience of emotions such as fear and sadness and has been purported to facilitate violent behavior. However, findings relative to the association between psychopathy and anger have not been reliably substantiated. Theorists have proposed that psychopathy predisposes one to experience greater frustration and anger, whereas other experts have suggested that there is no convincing evidence for this assertion. In the present study, we tested the relationship between psychopathy subfactors and anger subsequent to conflict or non-conflict interactions. Sixty-eight collegiate-men completed the Self-Report Psychopathy Scale and read vignettes depicting either a conflict or non-conflict scenario and were asked to imagine themselves in the situation. Following presentation of the vignettes, participants completed a lexical-decision-task assessing affective states. Results indicated that the psychopathy subfactors demonstrated strong differential associations, where Factor 1 showed negative and Factor 2 showed positive association with anger activation in response to interpersonal conflict. Findings are discussed in terms of the importance of anger as a facilitator of violence in some psychopathic individuals.
Stimulated Active Potassium Secretion in a Patient With Colonic Pseudo-Obstruction: A New Mechanism of Secretory Diarrhea

Background & Aims: Secretory diarrhea is caused by inhibition of intestinal active sodium absorption and stimulation of active chloride secretion. The resulting increase in fecal sodium salts causes an isotonic increase in fecal water output. Abnormalities in potassium transport are not known to be a cause of secretory diarrhea. The aim of our report is to describe a patient with secretory diarrhea that was mediated by excess intestinal secretion of potassium. Methods: A 78-year-old woman developed colonic pseudo-obstruction, complicated by severe diarrhea and hypokalemia. Her stools were collected quantitatively on 11 occasions and analyzed for electrolyte concentrations. Rectosigmoid potential difference was measured. Results: The diarrheal fluid had a very high potassium concentration (130–170 mEq/L) and a very low sodium concentration (4–15 mEq/L). Stool potassium losses were as high as 256 mEq/day (normal, 9 mEq/day), and fecal sodium losses were never higher than 13 mEq/day. Potential difference between colonic lumen and a peripheral reference electrode was −14 mV (lumen side negative). Conclusions: Fecal potassium salts were the exclusive driving force for severe secretory diarrhea in a patient with colonic pseudo-obstruction. The high fecal output of potassium was due to stimulation of active colonic potassium secretion, possibly because of changes in autonomic nervous system activity and distention of the colon in association with colonic pseudo-obstruction. The extremely low fecal excretion of sodium indicates that active sodium absorption was not inhibited. This case study reveals an ion transport mechanism of secretory diarrhea that has not been previously appreciated.
How does the Support Influence the Catalytic Activity of the Keggin Ion

Heteropoly acids, HPA are well known solid acid and oxidation catalysts that find application in hetergeneous and homogeneous reactions. In the former, surface area and stability problems are diminshed by supporting the HPA. Typical supports include oxide substrates and porous carbon materials. The HPA's show some instability on these supports however. In this work, we demonstrate that HPA encapsulated in sol-gel silica matrices show enhanced catalytic performance without compromising the catalytic activity of the HPA. In addition, the specific role of the support in the catalytic process is described as well.
The role of homocystine in protecting protein-depleted dogs exposed to fatal doses of chloroform.

Davis and Whipple first demonstrated the striking protective action of carbohydrate and protein against chloroform toxicity (5, 7) and subsequent reports have stressed particularly the beneficial effects of protein (10). During the last three decades numerous compounds and groups of compounds have been studied and reported to be protective against this and other hepatotoxic drugs (8). Studies have shown that the protein-sparing action of carbohydrate accounts for the protective action of this group of compounds. The active moieties in protein have been shown to be sulfur-containing amino acids (12).
Assessment of Adolescent Refusal Skills in an Alcohol Misuse Prevention Study

Although many substance abuse prevention programs seek to enhance the ability of adolescents to refuse offers of alcohol and other drugs, few report assessments of refusal skill ability or its relationship to substance use. This report describes a procedure to assess the ability of adolescents to refuse the offer of a beer, and presents the findings of those assessments as well as their relationships to alcohol misuse prevention knowledge, susceptibility to peer pressure, internal health locus of control, self-esteem, and alcohol use and misuse. A one-third random sample (n = 1012) of 10th graders participating in a longitudinal evaluation of an alcohol misuse prevention curriculum was assessed individually. Students rated their own refusals, which were also rated by trained female and male raters. The results indicated that adolescents refuse the offer of a beer only somewhat convincingly. Those adolescents with better refusal skills had higher levels of alcohol misuse prevention knowledge, especially regarding resisting pressures to use alcohol and the application of knowledge of typical alcohol-related situations. They also reported less susceptibility to peer pressure, greater internal health locus of control and self-esteem, and less alcohol use and misuse. The results provide support for teaching refusal skills in substance abuse prevention programs and for assessing refusal skills in the evaluation of such programs.
Self-discipline gives girls the edge : Gender in self-discipline, grades, and achievement test scores

Throughout elementary, middle, and high school, girls earn higher grades than boys in all major subjects. Girls, however, do not outperform boys on achievement or IQ tests. To date, explanations for the underprediction of girls' GPAs by standardized tests have focused on gender differences favoring boys on such tests. The authors' investigation suggests an additional explanation: Girls are more self-disciplined, and this advantage is more relevant to report card grades than to achievement or aptitude tests. Eighth-grade girls at an urban magnet school were more self-disciplined than their male counterparts according to delay of gratification measures and self-report, teacher, and parent ratings. Whereas girls earned higher grades in all courses, they did only marginally better on an achievement test and worse on an IQ test. Mediation analyses suggested girls earned higher GPAs at least in part because they were more self-disciplined.
Feed intake and performance by yearling Boer goat doelings consuming deep-stacked or ensiled broiler litter

ABSTRACT Forty-eight Boer goat doelings (10.4 ± 0.13 mo of age and 27.1 ± 0.98 kg in BW) were used in a 9-wk experiment to compare feeding value of deep-stacked (DS) and ensiled (EN) broiler litter. The broiler litter was processed for 82 d before use. Treatments were feeding 1% of BW (DM) 3:1 corn–soybean meal mixture and moderate-to-high-quality grass hay free choice (Cont-F); 1% of BW hay and the concentrate mixture free choice (Cont-C); 1% of BW hay, 1.1% of BW corn, and DS or EN free choice (DS-L and EN-L, respectively); and 1% BW hay and DS or EN free choice (DS-H and EN-H, respectively). Daily samples of DS and EN averaged 70.9 and 73.3% OM (DM basis), 21.8 and 23.2% CP, and 34.0 and 37.2% NDF, respectively. Total OM intake was less for DS-H and EN-H versus DL-L and EN-L broiler-litter treatments (P
Field trials of the Nereus hybrid underwater robotic vehicle in the challenger deep of the Mariana Trench

This paper reports the results of sea trials of the Nereus hybrid underwater robotic vehicle (HROV) conducted in May and June 2009 in the Challenger Deep of the Mariana Trench, where the vehicle successfully performed scientific observation and sampling operations at hadal depths of 10,903 m. The Nereus underwater vehicle is designed to perform scientific survey and sampling to the full depth of the ocean — significantly deeper than the depth capability of all other present-day operational vehicles. For comparison, the second deepest underwater vehicle currently operational worldwide can dive to 7,000 m maximum depth. Nereus operates in two different modes. For broad-area survey, the vehicle can operate untethered as an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) capable of exploring and mapping the sea floor with sonars and cameras. Nereus can be converted at sea to become a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to enable close-up imaging and sampling. The ROV configuration incorporates a lightweight fiber-optic tether for high-bandwidth, real-time video and data telemetry to the surface enabling high-quality teleoperation. A manipulator, lightweight hydraulic power unit, and sampling instruments are added to provide sampling capabilities. This paper reports a brief overview of the Nereus vehicle design, and reviews the initial results of the eight dives conducted on this expedition, including two dives to more than 10,900 m depth. The Nereus vehicle is designed to render all parts of the Earth's seafloor reachable and the sea trials of its full-ocean depth capability in May and June 2009 were successful.
A microwave interferometer as a non-contacting cardio-pulmonary monitor

A coherent, phase-locked microwave interferometer radar system that records the mechanical vibrations of the surface of the chest cavity resulting from the cardiac activity within the chest is described. The instrument operates at 9.3 GHz, which corresponds to a free-space wavelength of 3.1 cm. With a phase resolution of about 0.01 degrees of carrier phase shift, the system has the capability to detect target displacements of roughly 1 mu m. With this resolution, the vibration of the anterior wall of the chest cavity of a cooperating supine subject is readily detected. The microwave energy passes through normal clothing; the subject can be fully clothed and no physical contact whatever between the subject and instrument is required. The analog data from the interferometer are digitized and subjected to digital signal processing on an IBM-PC/AT personal computer. The processed recording from a group of young male students reveals distinct peaks during each cardiac cycle that represent high-velocity displacements of the chest wall. Studies are currently in progress to relate these peaks to mechanical events in the cardiac cycle. >
ACTION OF MITOCHONDRIAL DNAASE I IN DESTROYING THE CAPACITY OF ISOLATED CELL NUCLEI TO FORM GELS

1. DNA prepared from non-gelable rat liver nuclei isolated in the presence of disrupted mitochondria at pH 6.0, has been compared with DNA obtained from gelable nuclei isolated at pH 4.0. The DNA of the non-gelable nuclei is partially depolymerized relative to the DNA of the gelable nuclei. 2. It has been found that sufficiently small quantities of crystallized DNAase I can cleave a very large part of the DNA of gelable nuclei isolated at pH 4 from the residual protein of these nuclei without causing extensive depolymerization of the DNA. At the same time the gelable nuclei are rendered non-gelable. 3. Partially purified DNAase II can also render gelable nuclei isolated at pH 4 non-gelable, and in so doing presumably also cleaves the DNA from the residual protein of the nuclei. 4. Mitochondrial DNAase I appears to be the enzyme responsible to a large extent for the cleavage of DNA from the residual protein of gelable rat liver cell nuclei with concomitant destruction of the gel-forming capability of these nuclei, when the nuclei are subjected to the action of disrupted mitochondria at pH 6.0 during the isolation procedure. 5. Mitochondrial DNAase II does not appear to exert appreciable action on nuclei during the course of isolation of the nuclei at pH 6.0 in the presence of disrupted mitochondria. 6. It is probable that DNAase I is not the sole enzyme responsible for destroying the gelability of nuclei isolated at pH 6.0 in the presence of disrupted mitochondria. Protease may be involved. 7. Sodium dodecyl sulfate at pH 6.0–6.3 cleaves the DNA of isolated gelable nuclei from the residual protein of these nuclei over a period of 2 to 3 hours. At pH 7.0–7.5, however, there is negligible cleavage over a period of 96 hours. 8. If non-gelable nuclei are isolated at pH 6.0 in the presence of disrupted mitochondria, DNA subsequently can be removed from them by the use of detergent at pH values ranging from 6.0–7.5 without the necessity of incubation in the detergent solution, since the DNA had already been detached from the residual protein by the action of the mitochondrial enzyme system during isolation of the nuclei.
Dosage compensation of the sex chromosomes

Differentiated sex chromosomes evolved because of suppressed recombination once sex became genetically controlled. In XX/XY and ZZ/ZW systems, the heterogametic sex became partially aneuploid after degeneration of the Y or W. Often, aneuploidy causes abnormal levels of gene expression throughout the entire genome. Dosage compensation mechanisms evolved to restore balanced expression of the genome. These mechanisms include upregulation of the heterogametic chromosome as well as repression in the homogametic sex. Remarkably, strategies for dosage compensation differ between species. In organisms where more is known about molecular mechanisms of dosage compensation, specific protein complexes containing noncoding RNAs are targeted to the X chromosome. In addition, the dosage-regulated chromosome often occupies a specific nuclear compartment. Some genes escape dosage compensation, potentially resulting in sex-specific differences in gene expression. This review focuses on dosage compensation in mammals, with comparisons to fruit flies, nematodes, and birds.
The revolution of myelodysplastic syndromes

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are clonal disorders of the hematopoietic system with resultant cytopenias and shortened survival. Better recognition of MDS and an aging population, some of whom have been treated with chemotherapy and radiation therapy for other cancers, is largely responsible for the growing incidence of this malignancy, which is divided into lower- and higher-risk subtypes. Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents are the first-line treatment options for patients with lower-risk MDS and symptomatic anemia or for those requiring transfusion support. Lenalidomide has been successfully used for patients with the del(5q) chromosomal abnormality who are also transfusion dependent. Hypomethylating agents, such as azacitidine and decitabine, are indicated for patients with higher-risk disease, with azacitidine demonstrating a survival advantage. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a curative therapeutic approach available to less than 5% of patients with MDS. Combination therapies and newer single agents targeting the important cellular pathways are being explored for treatment of MDS with promising results.
Design strategies for high-dimensional electromagnetic systems

The increasing need for more computing power, the integration of multiple functionalities and the trends towards miniaturization of electronic systems have all contributed to rapid advancement in semiconductor and associated technologies. Higher frequencies of operation together with non-negligible coupling arising from form-factor size constraints, and inability to ignore parasitics imply that full-wave EM (Electromagnetic) simulation is an essential part of electronic system design.
Energetics of East Pacific Easterly Waves during Intraseasonal Events

AbstractThe background atmospheric state of the east Pacific warm pool in which easterly waves develop varies dramatically on intraseasonal time scales. East Pacific intraseasonal variability is well known to modulate local convective and circulation patterns. Westerly (easterly) intraseasonal phases are associated with westerly (easterly) low-level wind and positive (negative) convective anomalies. This study investigates the perturbation available potential energy (PAPE) and perturbation kinetic energy (PKE) budgets of easterly waves composited during westerly, easterly, and neutral intraseasonal phases, respectively. The mechanisms, magnitudes, locations, and vertical structures of easterly waves are shown to strongly vary as a function of intraseasonal phase. Easterly waves draw energy from low-level barotropic conversion, regardless of phase, although the location and magnitude of the conversion varies strongly. During neutral and westerly intraseasonal phases, the generation of PAPE associated with ...