cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Strong pitch-angle diffusion of ring current ions in geomagnetic storm-associated conditions

Do electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves cause strong pitch-angle diffusion of RC ions? This question is the primary motivation of this paper and has been affirmatively answered from the theoretical point of view. The materials that are presented in the Results section show clear evidence that strong pitch-angle diffusion takes place in the inner magnetosphere indicating an important role for the wave-particle interaction mechanism in the formation of RC ions and EMIC waves.
SU-GG-J-12: A Mouse Model for Radiation-Induced Disruption of the Blood-Brain Barrier

Purpose: The ability of radiation to disrupt the blood‐brain barrier could be exploited therapeutically to enhance the delivery of drugs to tumors. The dynamic interplay between radiation and the delivery of therapeutic drugs of interest, however, is not well understood. We present a mouse model system which can be used to study these effects. Method and Materials: Two 1 mm‐long microdialysis catheters were implanted into the mouse brain parenchyma or orthotopic tumor site. Using a precision radiation device developed by our group, we irradiated one catheter site while leaving the other as a control. Localization was accomplished via cone‐beam CT guidance. Following radiation, we delivered temozolomide orally and then performed micro‐dialysis fluid collection over a six hour period with an awake‐animal system. Microdialysis provides a direct measurement of drug levels in the brain tissue via leakage across a porous membrane. Concentrations were measured by high‐pressure liquid chromatography.Results: Gafchromic EBT film measurements in phantoms demonstrate that for a local dose of 5 Gy to the catheter site, the contralateral control side receives less than 0.1 Gy. Catheter fiducials were visible in the cone‐beam CT and were effectively used to localize radiation. Localized delivery can be validated with immunohistological staining for γH2Ax, a protein affected by double strand breaks. Concentrations of temozolomide were measured with a sensitivity of 0.02 μg/ml. Conclusion: The system provides a highly accurate and direct means of examining the interaction between localized brain irradiation and drug delivery.
Influence of deer, cattle grazing and timber harvest on plant species diversity in a longleaf pine bluestem ecosystem

Abstract Despite a recent slowing in the negative historical trend, losses of naturally-regenerated longleaf pine forests currently continue, largely as a result of conversion to plantations of faster growing pine species. Comparing the impacts of type conversion with silvicultural approaches that maintain longleaf pine and ascertaining their interaction with the influence of other resource management practices, such as grazing, on plant species diversity are essential in discerning the effects of these activities on the long-term sustainability of these ecosystems. A flatwoods longleaf pine bluestem ecosystem, which naturally regenerated following timber harvest during the early 20th century, on the coastal plain of southern Alabama was thinned to a residual basal area of 17 m 2 /ha or clearcut, windrowed and planted with slash pine ( Pinus elliottii ) seedlings in 1972 and then fenced in 1977 to differentially exclude grazing by deer and cattle. Neither grazing by deer alone nor deer in combination with cattle significantly altered vascular plant cover or species diversity; however, substantial differences were noted between the understory plant communities in the thinned forests and clearcut areas. Woody understory vegetation steadily increased through time, with woody plant cover in clearcuts (41%) dominated by the tree seedlings of Pinus elliottii and Quercus spp. being greater than that in thinned forests (31%) which were dominated by shrubs, principally Ilex glabra . While grass cover dominated by Schizachrium scoparium and Andropogon spp. remained stable (∼81%), the foliar cover of all forbs declined through time (from 42 to 18%) as woody plant cover increased. Although the overall species richness and diversity declined and evenness increased through time, understory species richness and diversity were consistently higher in thinned forests than in artificially-regenerated clearcuts. Despite a modest short-term decline in this differential, indicating a partial recovery of the clearcut areas over time, the disparity in understory plant diversity between thinned forests and clearcuts persisted for at least a decade. Whether grazing includes domestic cattle or is limited to native ungulates, such as white-tailed deer, we recommend that longleaf pine forests not be clearcut and replaced by plantations of other pines, if the ecological diversity is to be conserved, high quality habitat is to be maintained and longleaf pine ecosystems are to be sustained.
Heteroepitaxy of Hafnium Diboride on a Hafnium(0001) Single Crystal Surface

A novel heteroepitaxial structure is formed between the metallic hard material hafnium diboride and a hafnium single-crystal substrate. The film is formed by chemical vapor deposition of boron at 750 °C using diborane gas and is characterized with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, low-energy electron diffraction, and X-ray diffraction.
Perturbation Analysis: A Static Analysis Approach for the Non-Intrusive Monitoring of Distributed Programs

Programs written in distributed programming languages are often non-deterministic in nature and hence the execution of such programs is not only dependent upon the program input, but also on the timing of the execution. Thus, an attempt to monitor the run-time behavior of a non-deterministic distributed program through code instrumentation, such as during debugging, can potentially alter the program's behavior. In this paper we introduce notions of non-intrusion that are useful for the monitoring of non-deterministic programs. We develop static perturbation analysis techniques to analyze the affect of run-time monitoring activities on the outcome of a non-deterministic event and identify points in a program at which monitoring activities can be performed non-intrusively.
ASSESSING LANGUAGE USING COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY

In this article, we propose to follow up on the most recent ARAL survey article on trends in computer-based second language assessment (Jamieson, 2005) and review developments in the use of technology in the creation, delivery, and scoring of language tests. We will discuss the promise and threats associated with computer-based language testing, including the language construct in relation to computer-based delivery and response technologies; computer-based authoring options; current developments; scoring, feedback, and reporting systems; and validation issues.
When marital interaction and intervention researchers arrive at different points of view: the active listening controversy

In 1998, John Gottman and his associates published an article which asserted that training ‘active listening’ between couples was an ineffective therapeutic intervention. Not surprisingly, this claim generated considerable controversy, particularly in relation to treatment and educational models that were heavily dependent on active listening as a major part of their intervention programmes. The authors of one such approach, the Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP), were particularly vocal in their disagreement with Gottman's conclusions. This paper provides an account of the controversy, a summary of the current status of the debate and a discussion of the remaining unanswered questions.
Expression of the opioid growth factor, [Met5]-enkephalin, and the zeta opioid receptor in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Despite the prevalence of cancers of the head and neck, survival rates have not changed in the past few decades. Recent work has implicated peptide growth factors and their receptors in the genesis and progression of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Opioid growth factor (OGF, [Met 5 ]-enkephalin) is a tonically active, autocrine and/or paracrine produced, inhibitory factor that influences the growth of normal and abnormal cells and tissues. This peptide interacts with the zeta (ζ) opioid receptor to modulate cellular proliferation, migration, and survival. Both OGF and the ζ receptor are present in mammalian tongue epithelium and skin, and modulate DNA synthesis. In the present study we examined the presence and distribution of OGF and the ζ opioid receptor in the head and neck squamous cell carcinomas from seven individuals. All specimens expressed this growth factor and its receptor regardless of tumor stage, location, and histologic grade. Immunoreactivity for both OGF and the ζ receptor were associated with the cytoplasm but not the nucleus in cells of each of these carcinomas. Our findings that a potent negative growth regulator and its receptor are present in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma lead us to suggest that OGF may modulate the growth of these types of cancers.
Toward personalized therapy in AML: in vivo benefit of targeting aberrant epigenetics in MLL-PTD-associated AML.

Toward personalized therapy in AML: in vivo benefit of targeting aberrant epigenetics in MLL -PTD-associated AML
Modeling Thermal Storage in Wax-Impregnated Foams with a Pore-Scale Submodel

Calculations of heat transfer through porous foams filled with phase-change materials are often performed using either an effective medium approach or a coupled two-temperature model. These models are generally applied to simulate heating processes that occur over a few hours, thus allowing for an assumption of effective melting front in which both liquid and solid phases are present or clear delineation of liquid and solid phases. However, in the instance of a rapidly changing heating process, a melting front cannot be assumed due to the possibility that layers of phases exist. A model has been developed to allow for variable phase sections within the foam without requiring an assumption of local thermal equilibrium, in which the temperature of the foam and phase-change materials are equal to each other at a set point. By assuming spherical pores with microscopic temperature variations therein, the model allows for the existence of multiple phases within a single foam pore while also integrating an effec...
Selection of sites for egg deposition and spawning dynamics in the waccamaw darter

We provided 93 experimental spawning covers for the waccamaw darter. We grouped the covers (3 sizes of slate and one of concave tile) in three arrangements at six Lake Waccamaw locations to separate the variables of water depth, distance from shore, cover density and cover type. Tag returns of marked males suggest low fidelity for nest sites. Egg production under the 3 different sizes of slate was not significantly different. Egg production under the tile was significantly less than that under the slates. Egg production was significantly higher off the undeveloped southeastern shore in 2 m of water and lowest at the shallowest location with the highest experimental cover density. The number of eggs in nest is positively correlated with male size. We conclude that medium size slate covers placed in a linear arrangement in 2 m of water on a mixed sand bottom result in the highest egg production for the waccamaw darter.
Communist and non-communist Europe: Functional differentiation, 1970–1985

Examining four variables related to quality of life in the respective societies — the value of international trade in U.S. dollars, air passenger mileage, total school enrollments and life expectancy — this study distinguishes several Communist Eastern European states from several Non-Communist Western European states over four time intervals: 1970, 1975, 1980 and 1985. The method employed is discriminant analysis. The degree of distinction achieved with the four variables is remarkably clearcut and does not appear to be the simple consequence of different levels of economic development.
Multiple Mechanisms and Determinants Underlie Rem Inhibition of Voltage-dependent Calcium (CaV) Channels

RGK GTPases potently inhibit CaV channels, an effect with critical (patho)physiological implications and potential biotechnology applications. Mechanisms of how RGK proteins inhibit ICa are poorly understood. Critical ambiguities surround: (1) whether inhibition occurs exclusively by either reducing the number of channels (N) at the membrane, or diminishing the activity (Po) of channels in the membrane, and (2) the role of RGK protein sub-cellular localization. Whole-cell experiments on recombinant CaV1.2 channels indicated that Rem inhibited ICa by two distinct effects: a decrease in N, as gauged by gating charge measurements, and a reduction in effective Po of channels at the membrane. These two effects were kinetically distinguishable. Replacing the membrane-targeting C-terminus of Rem with the PKCγ C1 domain permitted acutely inducible membrane translocation of Rem[265]-C1PKCγ and subsequent ICa inhibition by PdBu. Pdbu activation of Rem[265]-C1PKCγ acutely (seconds) inhibited ICa by selectively reducing effective Po, while the decrease in N occurred after a longer time scale (hours). A prevailing paradigm is that membrane localization is essential for RGK GTPase inhibition of ICa. Nevertheless, a Rem C-terminus point mutant, Rem[L271G], that distributes to the nucleus and cytosol, significantly inhibits ICa leading to a suggestion that nuclear targeting represents an alternative mechanistic mode of action for Rem. However, Rem[L271G] exclusively targeted to the nucleus using a nucleus localization sequence had no impact on ICa. By contrast, an exclusively cytosolic Rem[L271G], achieved using a nucleus export sequence, essentially ablated ICa, demonstrating a clear-cut exception to the importance of membrane-targeting for RGK GTPase action on ICa. Our results reveal that the exceptional potency of Rem in inhibiting ICa is achieved via an unusual multiplicity of mechanisms and structural determinants.
SCGaz - A Synthetic Formal Context Generator with Density Control for Test and Evaluation of FCA Algorithms

An efficient way to evaluate FCA algorithms is through a comparative analysis of their performance in typical contexts. Comparisons are normally conducted using randomly generated contexts that may contain duplicated attributes and objects and other types of redundancies. Failing to acknowledge the presence of these redundancies in formal contexts could lead to erroneous comparison analysis. This paper proposes a tool named SCGaz (Synthetic Context Generator) that randomly fills synthetic formal contexts ensuring the absence of some type of redundancies. At the same time, the tool is able to keep track of the contexts density, allowing users to select any density in the bounds of the minimum and maximum permitted for a type of context. Thus, this approach allows more controllable and reliable simulation environment. In this work, an analysis of the time spent to generate different types of formal contexts, including large ones, is presented. As a case study, a performance comparison between Object Intersection algorithm and its dual version, Attribute Intersections, with contexts generated by SCGaz is discussed. Contexts produced by SCGaz in conjunction with real world dataset allow a more in-depth comparative analysis of FCA algorithms performance.
Review of Immunomodulation by Photopheresis: Treatment of Cutaneous T–Cell Lymphoma, Autoimmune Disease, and Allograft Rejection

Photopheresis is an apheresis-based therapy that is currently available at approximately 70 medical centers worldwide. Recent evidence indicates that extracorporeal photopheresis can significantly prolong life as well as induce a 60-75% response rate among individuals with advanced cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). Moreover, a 10-15% cure rate, in response to photopheresis alone, or in combination with interferon-alpha, has been obtained at our institution. These complete responses have been characterized by the complete disappearance of morphologically atypical cells from the skin and blood. Southern blot analysis of peripheral blood specimens has also confirmed the indefinite disappearance of the malignant T-cell clone from the blood of patients with complete responses. Current immunological data obtained from in vitro human studies and from animal models suggest that the basis for the responses of CTCL patients are related to activation of treated macrophages resulting in release of cytokines, including substantial levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), and perhaps, to the induction of anticlonotypic immunity directed against pathogenic clones of T lymphocytes. In addition to the treatment of CTCL, a potential role for photopheresis in the therapy of autoimmune disease has been suggested by recent pilot studies of pemphigus vulgaris, rheumatoid arthritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus. Furthermore, a randomized, single-blinded trial involving 79 patients with early onset, aggressive systemic sclerosis suggested that photopheresis could benefically affect the course of the cutaneous thickening in this form of the disease. Lastly, two independent pilot studies of cardiac transplantation have indicated that photopheresis can reverse acute cardiac allograft rejection and potentially suppress ongoing chronic rejection. Randomized, controlled trials for these new indications for photopheresis therapy are currently in the early stages of implementation.
Sampling by laminar flow entrainment to prevent wall effects

Abstract Laminar flow of a fluid sample entrained as a core inside a column of suitable buffer fluid can be used to prevent measurement interferences from depositions of the sample on container walls. A gamma monitor cell is described that embodies this principle and does not become contaminated when used for continuous monitoring of liquid streams. The monitor is capable of measuring activity of streams containing gamma activity varying from 10 3 to 10 7 d/mml. Errors caused by sample flow variations are less than ±5% of measurement. Calculations indicate that this principle should also be applicable to high-resolution counting of alpha and low-energy-beta activity in gas streams.
Some measurements of the development of the surface inversion in Central Alaska during winter

The strong cooling rates of the surface air, which are observed in Fairbanks in winter immediately following clearing of the sky, can, in the first hours, be explained solely by the negative radiation balance. Later on, gravity drainage of cold air from the surrounding hills into the lower valley contributes about 30% to the observed energy loss of the air above the valley. Energy balance calculations show that the negative radiation balance is compensated mainly by sensible (62%) and soil heat flux (32%) while condensation contributes only a small 6%.
FROM DATA MINING TO BEHAVIOR MINING

Knowledge economy requires data mining be more goal-oriented so that more tangible results can be produced. This requirement implies that the semantics of the data should be incorporated into the mining process. Data mining is ready to deal with this challenge because recent developments in data mining have shown an increasing interest on mining of complex data (as exemplified by graph mining, text mining, etc.). By incorporating the relationships of the data along with the data itself (rather than focusing on the data alone), complex data injects semantics into the mining process, thus enhancing the potential of making better contribution to knowledge economy. Since the relationships between the data reveal certain behavioral aspects underlying the plain data, this shift of mining from simple data to complex data signals a fundamental change to a new stage in the research and practice of knowledge discovery, which can be termed as behavior mining. Behavior mining also has the potential of unifying some other recent activities in data mining. We discuss important aspects on behavior mining, and discuss its implications for the future of data mining.
Wage and hiring dynamics with storable output

Abstract This paper examines the behavior of a firm which holds stocks of labor and finished goods and that is a monopsonist in the labor market. I derive wage and hiring decision rules which relate these magnitudes to the gap between desired and actual levels of labor and finished goods. It is shown that the adjustment parameters that appear in these decision rules are related to the adjustment parameters arising in the multivariate flexible accelerator which describes employment accumulation in this model. It is also found that elasticities of wages and new hires with respect to demand and cost parameters are related to the adjustment parameters in the employment equation.
Isophotes on a smooth surface related to scene geometry

It is shown, through elementary differential geometry, how the shape of the isophotes on a smooth surface is related to the underlying object and the location of the light source. Taking advantage of the principal directions, several characteristics of the isophotes are expressed, among which the geodesic curvature is emphasized. From these results, a variational method is discussed to estimate the surface shape from the image irradiance, subject to a geodesicity constraint on the isophotes. Finally, a local solid shape characteristic based on the principal curvatures ratio is offered.
Altered inflammatory responses following transforming growth factor-β neutralization in experimental guinea pig tuberculous pleurisy

The predominant extrapulmonary form of tuberculosis, which develops in 10% of diseased individuals, is pleurisy. The immune response mounted against Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the pleural cavity is one that is sufficient for clearing the organism without therapeutic intervention. Thus, examining the role of immune constituents in this context will provide understanding of the vital role they play in controlling tuberculosis. In this study, experimental tuberculous pleurisy was induced in guinea pigs, and anti-TGF-beta was administered intrapleurally to the guinea pigs daily throughout the study (8 days). Neutralizing TGF-beta resulted in a significant reduction in the percentage of lymphocytes and CD8+ cells present in the pleural exudate, decreased proliferative responses of pleural cells to ConA and PPD, and decreased mRNA expression of IFN-gamma and CCL5 in pleural effusion cells. Conversely, the percentage of neutrophils was significantly increased in anti-TGF-beta-treated guinea pigs, along with upregulated mRNA expression of CXCL8. The percentage of macrophages in the pleural exudate, TNF-alpha and IL-12p40 mRNA expression, and the histopathological response were not significantly altered. While TGF-beta is generally thought of as an immunosuppressive cytokine, the results of this study demonstrate its importance in promoting an inflammatory response, and highlight its bipolar nature.
A view from within: how doctoral students in educational administration develop research knowledge and identity

This study reports on experiences of doctoral students in educational administration at a time when the effectiveness of programs preparing practitioners and academics in this field are being questioned. Concerns related to how students in educational administration developed knowledge about research and identity as researchers were closely examined in a research-intensive university in the United States. Through participant interviews and personal narratives, findings revealed the challenges encountered at the nexus of the effectiveness of the educational program intersecting with the experiences of the doctoral students. Participants shared the importance of proximity to campus, self-advocacy, student status (full-time versus part-time) and personal and professional goals as influencing their development of research knowledge and identity. There were indicators that communities of practice, relationships with faculty, thematic pedagogy, public practice and action-oriented research were equally important...
Evaluation of oceanic transport parameters using transient tracers from observations and model output

Abstract A method is presented to find the age distribution of ocean waters, the transit-time distribution (TTD), by combining an eddying global ocean model’s estimate of the TTD with hydrographic observations of CFC-11, temperature, and salinity. The method uses a mixture model of an assumed form of the TTD, an inverse Gaussian (IG), and an established Bayesian statistical method. All known significant sources of uncertainty are propagated to arrive at estimates of two oceanic transport parameters associated with the IG TTD, the mean age (Γ) and either the half-variance ( Δ 2 ) or the Peclet number ( Pe = Γ 2 / Δ 2 ). It is found that the uncertainties on Γ do not overlap zero in most locations using only CFC-11, temperature, and salinity. However, the uncertainty on the other IG parameter does not overlap zero in only a few locations. With the inclusion of another transient tracer (3He/3H), the uncertainty on this other IG parameter does not overlap zero in just a few additional locations in the deep North Atlantic Ocean. Neither a single- nor mixture-IG representation is adequate for representing the full TTD in the ocean, particularly in the Southern Ocean. Differences between the IG parameters estimated using the model’s tracers as data (BayesPOP) and those estimated using tracer observations as data (BayesObs) provide information about the sources of model biases, and give a more nuanced picture than can be found by comparing the simulated CFCs with observed CFCs. Using the differences between each of the oceanic transport parameters from BayesObs and those from BayesPOP with and without a constant Pe assumption along each of the hydrographic cross-sections considered here, it is found that the model’s eddy mixing biases often lead to larger model errors than the model’s mean advection time biases. It is also found that mean advection time biases in the model can be statistically significant at the 95% level where mode water is found in the Southern Ocean.
Why it Pays to Major in Economics

In this article, the authors use a large, recent, and accessible data set to examine the effect of economics major on individual earnings. They find a significant positive earnings gain for economics majors relative to other majors, and this advantage increases with the level of education. Their findings are consistent with Black, Sanders, and Taylor (2003), documenting that about two-thirds of the bachelor's degree premium for economics majors can be attributed to the type of job economics majors perform, and about one-third is a premium that economics majors earn over other workers within the same job.
Speed, accuracy, and ease of recall.

Word lists were followed by semantic (category name) or positional (serial position) probes, and serial-position functions were assessed in terms of expended-processing capacity (EPC). EPC indicated the amount of processing consumed by the memory task and was measured as reaction time to light signals which coincided with specific events in the memory task. EPC increased over the course of list presentation, decreased over the course of word retrieval, and was greater for incorrect than correct recall. Overall, more EPC was required to retrieve initial words than terminal words regardless of probe efficacy. Fast, accurate recall of initial words could be accomplished with effective probes, but only at the expense of considerable EPC. Low and high EPC appear to demarcate short- and long-term storage.
The availability explanation of excessive plausibility assessments

Abstract The assessment of hypotheses in hypothesis generation involves a comparison between those hypotheses that have been generated (specified) and those that are not generated (unspecified). Experiment 1 was an investigation of an “availability explanation” for subjects' overconfidence in the probability of specified hypotheses. The conjecture is that subjects have difficulty retrieving unspecified hypotheses from memory. Therefore, the underpopulated set of unspecified hypotheses is assessed as less probable then it actually is and the specified set is assessed as more probable. Two manipulations to increase the availability of unspecified hypotheses were investigated. One involved explicitly requesting subjects to populate the unspecified set; the other was a computer presentation of candidate unspecified hypotheses. Results of experiment 1 were that assessment overconfidence for both experimental groups was reduced. The results support the conjecture that the availability heuristic is at least partially responsible for subjects' overconfidence. The main result of experiment 2 was that the overconfidence bias persisted with different assessment methods for both subject-generated and experimenter-supplied hypotheses.
FAST AND ROBUST INCREMENTAL ACTION PREDICTION FOR INTERACTIVE AGENTS

The ability for a given agent to adapt on-line to better interact with another agent is a difficult and important problem. This problem becomes even more difficult when the agent to interact with is a human, because humans learn quickly and behave nondeterministically. In this paper, we present a novel method whereby an agent can incrementally learn to predict the actions of another agent (even a human), and thereby can learn to better interact with that agent. We take a case-based approach, where the behavior of the other agent is learned in the form of state‐action pairs. We generalize these cases either through continuous k-nearest neighbor, or a modified bounded minimax search. Through our case studies, our technique is empirically shown to require little storage, learn very quickly, and be fast and robust in practice. It can accurately predict actions several steps into the future. Our case studies include interactive virtual environments involving mixtures of synthetic agents and humans, with cooperative and/or competitive relationships.
Utilization of Insecticidal Laminated Tapes to Control German Cockroaches

Although laboratory tests indicated that insecticidal laminated tapes containing propoxur, chlorpyrifos or diazinon remained active for long periods, simulated and actual field efficacy against Blattella germanica (L.) was minimal. Effectiveness was related directly with dosage and was dependent on stimuli that increased cockroach movement or foraging.
MASSIVE GAUGE THEORY AND WEAK FORM FACTORS.

Closely following the theory of Yang and Mills, massive gauge theories are formulated for a four-vector field which is a mixture of spin-1 and spin-0 particles. The gauge invariance of theories can be maintained within the present framework even for massive spin-1 particles. Furthermore, interactions can also be generated for spin-0 particles. The usual gauge transformation for massive electrodynamics is discussed, as well as the chiral gauge transformations. The interactions so generated are shown to lead to the modified Goldberger-Treiman relation.
A quantitative review of self-help research with the severely and profoundly mentally retarded.

Eighty-seven studies published since 1964 through 1982 on training self-help skills to severely and profoundly mentally retarded persons were analyzed according to 19 parameters reflecting their methodological details. The results sho wed a steady interest in this research area over time, but 63 % of the studies focused on toileting and feeding with fewer studies looking at other self-help skills. Package treatments composed primarily of accelerative techniques were most frequently used to train these skills. Methodologically, it was found that these studies typically involved profoundly mentally retarded people (33 % of studies) who were trained by residential staff (69% of studies) in institutional settings (63% of studies). The results also indicated an increase over time in the number of studies rated acceptable on the reliability and design parameters. Finally, very few studies reported assessments of generalization, maintenance, or social validity. It was concluded that, (a) researchers need to broaden their interests in terms of settings, trainers, and behaviors studied to best meet the needs of this population, (b) the experimental quality of this literature is improving, and (c) the social impact of observed behavior changes has yet to be fully explored.
The selective inhibition of hippocampal glutamic acid decarboxylase in zinc-induced epileptic seizures.

The intracerebroventricular administration of Zn2+ (0.3 μmol/10 μl) causes epileptic seizures characterized by running fits, jumping, vocalization, fasiculation of facial muscles, myoclonic movements of the limbs and tonic-clonic convulsions. These episodes are blocked or reversed by γ-aminobutyric acid (0.4 μmol/10 μl). When assayed under conditions where pyridoxal phosphate was not added, the activity of glutamic acid decarboxylase decreased significantly in hippocampus from 18.9 to 15.3 and 9.7 μmol14CO2 formed/gram proteins/20 min, 15 and 30 min following administration of Zn2+. The inhibition of glutamic acid decarboxylase by Zn2+ was selective occurring only in hippocampus and not in the hypothalamus, amygdala, caudate or thalamus. The inhibition of glutamic acid decarboxylase was not due to a reduction in the concentration of endogenous pyridoxal phosphate which remained unaltered in hippocampus following Zn2+ administration.
Cytochrome P450 enzymes belonging to the CYP4 family from marine invertebrates.

Six new cytochrome P450s assigned to the CYP4 family were identified from marine invertebrates belonging to the arthropod, mollusc, and echinoderm phyla. These are the first reported members of the CYP4 gene family from marine invertebrates, and extends the finding of the CYP4 family of cytochrome P450s to molluscs and echinoderms. Members of each phyla (echinodermata, arthropoda (crustacea), and mollusca) expressed genes belonging to the CYP4C subfamily in their respective digestive tissues. A mollusc, the musselMytilus galloprovincialis,expressed a gene belonging to a new CYP4 subfamily, CYP4Y. In Northern blotting experiments with digestive tissues ofM. galloprovincialis,the expression of the CYP4Y1 gene was found to be inhibited by increasing concentrations of the hydrocarbon β-naphthoflavone. Thus, the potential use of marine invertebrate CYP4 genes as biomarkers of xenobiotic exposures may be warranted.
Ventricular function, myocardial delayed enhancement and patient-reported quality of life in adolescents and adults with repaired tetralogy of Fallot

Methods Patients with repaired TOF ≥ 14 years old undergoing cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) had ventricular volumes measured from SSFP cine images in the short axis plane, and peak early and atrial filling rates, early filling fraction and deceleration time calculated from right ventricular inflow curves, generated by the sum of tricuspid inflow and pulmonary insufficiency measured from phase contrast imaging. MDE was scored 0-3 (none, 3 cm) in each of 6 regions of the right ventricle and added for a total score. Patients completed the Short Form 36, version 2, a QOL assessment validated in multiple populations with a normalized scale. Results Forty-seven patients (32 ± 15 years old, 62% male) underwent CMR. MDE was present in 42/46 (91%), with enddiastolic forward flow (EDFF) in the pulmonary artery in 29/45 (64%). Mean right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) was 45 ± 8%, with mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) 54 ± 8%. MDE inversely correlated with RVEF (r = 0.30, p = 0.04). Patients with MDE scores above the median had a lower early filling fraction (35.5 ± 11.9% vs. 44.1 ± 14.6%, p = 0.04), with a trend toward higher atrial filling rates (357 ± 123 vs. 287 ± 128 ml/s, p = 0.08). MDE did not differ in patients with or without EDFF, and did not correlate with pulmonary regurgitant fraction or volume. QOL physical and mental summary scores did not differ from population-derived norms. Physical functioning subscale scores trended lower than the general population (47.6 ± 9.7 vs. 50.0 ± 10.0, p = 0.10) and correlated positively with higher MDE scores (r = 0.32, p = 0.03). Role-physical subscale scores correlated with higher LVEF (r = 0.46, p = 0.001) and longer deceleration time (r = 0.31, p < 0.05) and trended with higher RVEF (r = 0.27, p = 0.07). QOL scores did not differ with EDFF, pulmonary regurgitation, or end diastolic volume.
OutRun: perversive games and designing the de-simulation of eight-bit driving

This paper outlines the development process of a mixed reality video game prototype that combines a classic arcade driving game with a real world vehicle. In this project the user, or player, maneuvers the car-shaped arcade cabinet through actual physical space using a screen as a navigational guide which renders the real world in the style of an 8-bit video game. This case study is presented as a "perversive game": an attempt to disrupt the everyday by highlighting and inverting conventional behavior through humor and paradox.
A Judgmental Decision-Making Approach to Entrepreneurship: Toward a Behavioral Model

An increasing number of scholars have called for a more robust view of the micro-foundations for strategy and entrepreneurship, typically understood as foundations that are rooted in individual cognition, behavior, and action. We offer a rich theoretical model of judgmental decision-making that treats judgmental decision making as an ongoing process, rather than a discreet event, and ties entrepreneurship to strategy through its emphasis on environmental scanning and analysis, action, and resource acquisition and use. In doing so, our theoretical framework not only exposes limitations of existing theories of entrepreneurship, but also contributes to a deeper understanding of the iterative, dynamic, and recursive relationships among evolutionary and discontinuous judgmental decision-making processes that drive entrepreneurial action.
Vesicular disruption of myelin simulated by exposure of nerve to calcium ionophore.

EXPERIMENTAL allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) and experimental allergic neuritis (EAN) are autoimmune demyelinating conditions brought about by sensitisation to central and peripheral myelin extracts, respectively. The lesions are the result of a delayed hypersensitivity-type reaction which can be passively transferred by lymphoid cells but not by sera1–4. Demyelination occurs in areas of cellular infiltrate. This process is mediated in part by mononuclear cells which invade and phagocytise the target myelin tissue. A vesicular transformation of myelin sheaths is known to occur in close proximity to these invading mononuclear cells5–7. The nature of the myelin vesiculation is unclear; however, these changes have been emphasised as a characteristic accompaniment of autoimmune demyelination in experimental animals and in human peripheral nerve disease8. The present study reports the occurrence of the same type of myelin alteration in excised rat peripheral nerve fibres when incubated under conditions which promote a selective influx of calcium ions into the tissues.
Model Studies of the Durability of a Titania-Modified Nafion Fuel Cell Membrane

Nafion membranes degrade in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells due to the interplay of physical and chemical degradation. In the interest of mitigating this problem, Nafion membranes were modified via an in situ sol-gel polymerization of titanium isopropoxide to generate titania quasi-networks. These composite materials are viewed as model systems within the context of durability without an immediate concern for cell performance. The modification did not influence membrane equivalent weight but reduced its hydration capacity. Membrane modulus increased, dimensional stability improved, creep lessened, and the ability of constrained membranes to withstand contractile stresses due to humidity change was greatly enhanced. The damage surface morphology of unmodified Nafion, viewed using scanning electron microscopy, and of constrained samples showed significant failure, whereas the modified membranes showed considerably more structural integrity. Open-circuit voltage (OCV) testing showed that the inorganically modified membrane held voltage better with fluoride emission at least an order of magnitude lower than that of the unmodified membrane. However, the performance curve of the modified membrane before the OCV test is inferior to that of Nafion; but after the test it is slightly better. This in situ sol-gel-derived inorganic modification offers a simple way to enhance membrane durability by reducing both physical and chemical degradation.
Estimating Uncertainty in Brain Region Delineations

This paper presents a method for estimating uncertainty in MRI-based brain region delineations provided by fully-automated segmentation methods. In large data sets, the uncertainty estimates could be used to detect fully-automated method failures, identify low-quality imaging data, or endow downstream statistical analyses with per-subject uncertainty in derived morphometric measures. Region segmentation is formulated in a statistical inference framework; the probability that a given region-delineating surface accounts for observed image data is quantified by a distribution that takes into account a prior model of plausible region shape and a model of how the region appears in images. Region segmentation consists of finding the maximum a posteriori (MAP) parameters of the delineating surface under this distribution, and segmentation uncertainty is quantified in terms of how sharply peaked the distribution is in the vicinity of the maximum. Uncertainty measures are estimated through Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling of the distribution in the vicinity of the MAP estimate. Experiments on real and synthetic data show that the uncertainty measures automatically detect when the delineating surface of the entire brain is unclear due to poor image quality or artifact; the experiments cover multiple appearance models to demonstrate the generality of the method. The approach is also general enough to accommodate a wide range of shape models and brain regions.
A Cautionary Note on the Use of Error Bars

Climate studies often involve comparisons between estimates of some parameter derived from different observed and/or model-generated datasets. It is common practice to present estimates of two or more statistical quantities with error bars about each representing a confidence interval. If the error bars do not overlap, it is presumed that there is a statistically significant difference between them. In general, such a procedure is not valid and usually results in declaring statistical significance too infrequently. Simple examples that demonstrate the nature of this pitfall, along with some formulations, are presented. It is recommended that practitioners use standard hypothesis testing techniques that have been derived from statistical theory rather than the ad hoc approach involving error bars.
Novel Molecular Variants of Allele I of the Escherichia coli P Fimbrial Adhesin Gene papG

P fimbriae of extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli mediate digalactoside-specific adherence via the tip adhesin molecule PapG, which occurs in three known variants (I to III), which are encoded by the corresponding three alleles of papG. In the present study, newly discovered variants of papG allele I and the respective wild-type source strains were characterized. One of the new papG allele I variants conferred a unique agglutination phenotype that combined the phenotypes associated with papG alleles I, II, and III. Comparative hydrophilicity analysis of predicted PapG peptides revealed regions that might explain the observed phenotypic similarities and differences between the PapG variants. The new papG allele I variants occurred either as the sole papG allele or together with both papG alleles II and III, rather than with only papG allele III, as in archetypal strains J96 and CP9. They also occurred in the absence of the usual F13 papA allele. One of the new papG allele I variants occurred in a serogroup O6 strain that, according to random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis, was phylogenetically distant from the “J96-like” clonal group of E. coli O4:H5, which includes all previously identified examples of papG allele I. Cluster analysis of nucleotide and predicted peptide sequences suggested that papG allele I represents the earliest evolutionary branch from a common papG ancestor. These results demonstrate unexpected diversity within papG allele I and, together with previous findings, suggest that the J96-like clonal group of E. coli O4:H5 may represent the original source of papG within the species.
Development of performance matrix for generic product equivalence of acyclovir topical creams

The effect of process variability on physicochemical characteristics and in vitro performance of qualitatively (Q1) and quantitatively (Q2) equivalent generic acyclovir topical dermatological creams was investigated to develop a matrix of standards for determining their in vitro bioequivalence with reference listed drug (RLD) product (Zovirax®). A fractional factorial design of experiment (DOE) with triplicate center point was used to create 11 acyclovir cream formulations with manufacturing variables such as pH of aqueous phase, emulsification time, homogenization speed, and emulsification temperature. Three more formulations (F-12-F-14) with drug particle size representing RLD were also prepared where the pH of the final product was adjusted. The formulations were subjected to physicochemical characterization (drug particle size, spreadability, viscosity, pH, and drug concentration in aqueous phase) and in vitro drug release studies against RLD. The results demonstrated that DOE formulations were structurally and functionally (e.g., drug release) similar (Q3) to RLD. Moreover, in vitro drug permeation studies showed that extent of drug bioavailability/retention in human epidermis from F-12-F-14 were similar to RLD, although differed in rate of permeation. The results suggested generic acyclovir creams can be manufactured to obtain identical performance as that of RLD with Q1/Q2/Q3.
Thematic Review Series: Sphingolipids. New insights into sphingolipid metabolism and function in budding yeast

Our understanding of sphingolipid metabolism and functions in the baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has progressed substantially in the past 2 years. Yeast sphingolipids contain a C26-acyl moiety, all of the genes necessary to make these long-chain fatty acids have been identified, and a mechanism for how chain length is determined has been proposed. Advances in understanding how the de novo synthesis of ceramide and complex sphingolipids is regulated have been made, and they demonstrate that the Target Of Rapamycin Complex 2 (TORC2) controls ceramide synthase activity. Other work shows that TORC2 regulates the level of complex sphingolipids in a pathway using the Slm1 and Slm2 proteins to control the protein phosphatase calcineurin, which regulates the breakdown of complex sphingolipids. The activity of Slm1 and Slm2 has also been shown to be regulated during heat stress by phosphoinositides and TORC2, along with sphingoid long-chain bases and the Pkh1 and Pkh2 protein kinases, to control the actin cytoskeleton, the trafficking of nutrient transporters, and cell viability. Together, these results provide the first molecular insights into understanding previous genetic interaction data that indicated a connection between sphingolipids and the TORC2 and phosphoinositide signaling networks. This new knowledge provides a foundation for greatly advancing our understanding of sphingolipid biology in yeast.