cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Functional near-infrared spectroscopy during optic flow with and without fixation

Background and purpose Individuals with visual vertigo describe symptoms of dizziness, disorientation, and/or impaired balance in environments with conflicting visual and vestibular information or complex visual stimuli. Physical therapists often prescribe habituation exercises using optic flow to treat these symptoms, but there are no evidence-based guidelines for delivering optic flow and it is unclear how the brain processes such stimuli. The purposes of this study were to use functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to explore cerebral activation during optic flow, and determine if visual fixation had a modulating effect on brain activity. Methods Fifteen healthy participants (7 males and 8 females; mean age 41 years old) stood in a virtual reality environment and viewed optic flow moving unidirectionally in the yaw plane with and without fixation. Changes in cerebral activation were recorded from the bilateral fronto-temporo-parietal and occipital lobes using fNIRS. Results Cerebral activation was greater with visual motion than while viewing a stationary scene. Greater cerebral activation in the bilateral fronto-temporo-parietal lobes was observed when optic flow was viewed with fixation. Discussion and conclusions Optic flow activates the bilateral fronto-temporo-parietal regions of the cerebral cortex. This activation is greater while viewing optic flow and a fixation target, providing preliminary evidence supporting the use of a fixation target during habituation exercises.
Comparing Immigrant Education Levels and Resultant Labor Market Outcomes: The European Versus the Native Born Experience in the United States

In this paper we study the effects that education level has on the labor force participation and income of European immigrants in the United States. Although there are five million European- born persons currently living in the United States, they are a rather understudied group, most probably because of the assumption of their unproblematic assimilation in to the mainstream. Using secondary data from the Current Population Survey (CPS) and New Immigrants Survey, we compare the labor market outcomes of the native White American and immigrant European population before the 2008 economic crisis, focusing on the differences that education makes in the lives of these immigrants.
Medical student professionalism education at new york university school of medicine.

Medical education research is emerging as a career path for academic physicians. The research aims to improve physician training by applying the scientific method to curriculum design. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
Apparent bidirectional conduction block following radiofrequency catheter ablation of typical atrial flutter.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to determine the reliability of activation sequence mapping in assessing the presence of bidirectional conduction block (BCB) in typical atrial flutter (AFL) ablation.
Therapeutic Strategies at Psychosocial Crisis Points in the Treatment of Childhood Cancer

How can we best deploy the usually scarce mental health resources to provide optimal psychosocial support to the pediatric cancer patients and their families? This is a persistent question that is asked of us by social workers from other centers, and that we ourselves must grapple with at Memorial. We are currently defining ways of tracking the illness and its treatment, including psychosocial interventions, in order to determine those points of social and emotional stress at which patients and families require special help to enhance optimal coping.
Characteristics of µ−e+K° Events Produced by a Neutrino Beam

A search for new phenomena in neutrino interactions has been made in film from the 15 foot bubble chamber exposed to the neutrino horn beam at FNAL. The chamber was filled with 20 percent neon. An external muon identifier (EMI) which surrounded a part of the chamber was very effective in separating muons from strongly interacing particles. About 80,000 pictures were taken which yielded approximately one neutrino interaction in every 10 frames.
The Case for Pumped Storage Hydro in the UK's Energy Mix

Electrical energy storage (EES) is increasingly being considered as a necessary corollary to inflexible renewable generation [1,2] for electricity markets today and in the future. Energy storage is not new - the GB electricity system has benefited from pumped storage generation since the 1960’s. But no new stations have been built since the liberalisation of energy markets in the late 1980s. Investors have anticipated scale deployment of battery storage, but to date only limited capacity has been contracted by National Grid, largely for frequency control purposes. So the question arises, why did we recognise value in storage three decades ago but not now? Using the example of pumped hydro energy storage (PHES) – the dominant electrical EES technology currently deployed in GB – as a reference, this paper considers the question of how EES has been valued in the past. Crucially, we consider the issue of valuation beyond the economics of the energy system to a fuller social cost-benefit perspective. Has policy explicitly considered the question of societal valuation? What may be required in terms of valuation approaches to make the case for future investments in and deployment of storage capacity? We draw three main conclusions. First, that there is a need to recognise and articulate the societal value that may be delivered by EES. Second, a market framework that recognises this value is needed. Third, development through both of these first two stages requires greater policy certainty and clarity round low carbon economic development pathways in general, and the outcomes that may be served by EES in particular.
On the derivation of the Schrödinger equation from stochastic mechanics

It is shown that the existing formulations of stochastic mechanics are not equivalent to the Schrodinger equation, as had previously been believed. It is argued that this is a reflection of fundamental inadequacies in the physical foundations of stochastic mechanics.
The Spector of Malignancy and Criteria for Cell Lines as Substrates for Vaccines

While preparing for this meeting, I felt like Rip van Winkle awakening from a 20-year sleep to discover how much has happened and has been learned in the interim.
Hopf–Cole Transformation and Schrödinger Problems

We study generalized Hopf–Cole transformations motivated by the Schrodinger bridge problem. We present two examples of canonical transformations, including a Schrodinger problem associated with a quadratic Renyi entropy.
Bipolar disorder and PTSD screening and telepsychiatry diagnoses in primary care

Abstract Objective To describe clinical diagnoses from telepsychiatrist consultation in safety net primary care settings for adult patients screening positive for bipolar disorder, PTSD, or both. Methods Patients were administered the PTSD Checklist (PCL-6) and the Composite International Diagnostic Interview 3.0 (CIDI) for bipolar disorder. Positive screening result definitions were PCL-6 score of ≥14 and CIDI positive stem question responses and score of ≥8. Patient characteristics were assessed by survey. Psychiatrists consulted in primary care via telehealth and recorded clinical diagnoses. Results Among 767 patients attending consultation with a telepsychiatrist, 495 (65%) screened PCL-6 positive only, 249 (32%) screened both PCL-6 and CIDI positive, and 23 (3%) screened CIDI positive. Approximately two-thirds screening PCL-6 positive were diagnosed with PTSD, and most had comorbid mood disorder diagnoses, with bipolar disorder diagnosis occurring more often in those screening CIDI positive compared to negative (42% vs. 15%). Positive predictive values were 64.9% for PCL-6 and 43.8% for CIDI. Conclusion Most individuals screening positive for PTSD and/or bipolar disorder had two or more psychiatric diagnoses; misclassification exists for both instruments but was greater for CIDI. Psychiatrist consultation early in treatment for individuals screening positive on the PCL-6 and/or CIDI could help clarify diagnoses and improve treatment planning.
Sequence-based autosomal STR characterization in four US populations using PowerSeq™ Auto/Y system

The forensic science community is poised to utilize modern advances in massively parallel sequencing (MPS) technologies to better characterize biological samples with higher resolution. A critical component towards the advancement of forensic DNA analysis with these technologies is a comprehensive understanding of the diversity and population distribution of sequence-based short tandem repeat (STR) alleles. Here we analyzed 786 samples of individuals from different population groups, including four of the mostly commonly encountered in forensic casework in the USA. DNA samples were ampliﬁed with the PowerSeq™ Auto/Y System Prototype Kit (Promega Corp.), and sequencing was performed on an Illumina® MiSeq instrument. Sequence data were analyzed using a bioinformatics processing tool, Altius. For additional data analysis and profile comparison, capillary electrophoresis (CE) size-based STR genotypes were generated for a subset of individuals, and where possible, also with a second commercially available MPS STR assay. Autosomal STR loci were analyzed and frequencies were calculated based on sequence composition. Also, population genetics studies were performed, with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, polymorphic information content (PIC), and observed and expected heterozygosity all assessed. Overall, sequence-based allelic variants of the repeat region were observed in 20 out of 22 different STR loci commonly used in forensic DNA genotyping, with the highest number of sequence variation observed at locus D12S391. The highest increase in allelic diversity and in PIC through sequence-based genotyping was observed at loci D3S1358 and D8S1179. Such detailed sequence analysis, as the one performed in the present study, is important to help understand the diversity of sequence-based STR alleles across different populations and to demonstrate how such allelic variation can improve statistics used for forensic casework.
Rapid Implementation of a SARS-CoV-2 Diagnostic Quantitative Real-Time PCR Test with Emergency Use Authorization at a Large Academic Safety Net Hospital.

Summary Background Significant delays in the rapid development and distribution of diagnostic testing for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) infection have prevented adequate public health management of the disease, impacting the timely mapping of viral spread and the conservation of personal protective equipment. Furthermore, vulnerable populations, such as those served by the Boston Medical Center (BMC), the largest safety net hospital in New England, represent a high-risk group across multiple dimensions, including a higher prevalence of pre-existing conditions and substance use disorders, lower health maintenance, unstable housing, and a propensity for rapid community spread, highlighting the urgent need for expedient and reliable in-house testing. Methods We developed a SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic medium-throughput qRT-PCR assay with rapid turnaround time and utilized this Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)-certified assay for testing nasopharyngeal swab samples from BMC patients, with emergency authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Findings The in-house testing platform displayed robust accuracy and reliability in validation studies and reduced institutional sample turnaround time from 5–7 days to less than 24 h. Of over 1,000 unique patient samples tested, 44.1% were positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Conclusions This work provides a blueprint for academic centers and community hospitals lacking automated laboratory machinery to implement rapid in-house testing. Funding This study was supported by funding from the Boston University School of Medicine, the National Institutes of Health, Boston Medical Center, and the Massachusetts Consortium on Pathogen Readiness (MASS CPR).
Thymus Transcriptome Response to Avian Pathogenic E. coli (APEC) Infection

Colibacillosis, caused by avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC), is responsible for multi-million dollar losses in the poultry industry every year in the United States. Therefore, it is important to understand the functional genomics of avian response to APEC, to find effective control strategies. The transcriptome characterizes genetic elements that are expressed. The thymus transcriptomes of 24 birds with known challenge status, necropsy day, and pathology level were sequenced using RNA-Seq. Many innate immune response pathways were significantly changed. Differentially expressed (DE) genes analysis showed APEC infection affected immune homeostasis through impairing the engagement of regulatory signal transduction pathways for T cell development. This study gives insight into T cell development and immune response under APEC infection. The DE gene analysis revealed gene networks that affect T cell development as well as immune homeostasis following APEC infection. These results add knowledge of host immune response to APEC infection.
Toward the Design of a Reconfigurable Liquid-Metal Pixel Array

Pixelated liquid-metal (LM) arrays have shown promise in realizing versatile, reconflgurable RF components. However, unused LM pixels introduce parasitic effects. Here we demonstrate comparative designs of a pixelated nodal LM array combining electrocapillary and continuous electrowetting actuation methods. LM is actuated both two dimensionally and three dimensionally to switch between “ON” and “OFF” states. Unused LM elements are hidden at a bottom reservoir during the OFF state, eliminating their parasitic effect.
Modeling Risk Factors for Sleep- and Adiposity-Related Cardiometabolic Disease: Protocol for the Short Sleep Undermines Cardiometabolic Health (SLUMBRx) Observational Study

Background: Obesity and short sleep duration are significant public health issues. Current evidence suggests that these conditions are associated with cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, inflammation, and premature mortality. Increased interest in the potential link between obesity and short sleep duration, and its health consequences, has been driven by the apparent parallel increase in the prevalence of both conditions in recent decades, their overlapping association with cardiometabolic outcomes, and the potential causal connection between the two health issues. The SLUMBRx (Short Sleep Undermines Cardiometabolic Health) study seeks to contribute to the development of a comprehensive adiposity-sleep model while laying the groundwork for a future research program that will be designed to prevent and treat adiposity- and sleep-related cardiometabolic disease risk factors. Objective: This SLUMBRx study aims to address 4 topics pertinent to the adiposity-sleep hypothesis: the relationship between adiposity and sleep duration; sex-based differences in the relationship between adiposity and sleep duration; the influence of adiposity indices and sleep duration on cardiometabolic outcomes; and the role of socioecological factors as effect modifiers in the relationship between adiposity indices, sleep, and cardiometabolic outcomes. Methods: SLUMBRx will employ a large-scale survey (n=1000), recruiting 159 participants (53 normal weight, 53 overweight, and 53 obese) to be assessed in 2 phases. Results: SLUMBRx was funded by the National Institutes of Health, Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute through a K01 grant award mechanism (1K01HL145128-01A1) on July 23, 2019. Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval for the research project was sought and obtained on July 10, 2019. Phase 1 of SLUMBRx, the laboratory-based component of the study, will gather objective adiposity indices (air displacement plethysmography and anthropometrics) and cardiometabolic data (blood pressure, pulse wave velocity and pulse wave analysis, and a blood-based biomarker). Phase 2 of SLUMBRx, a 1-week, home-based component of the study, will gather sleep-related data (home sleep testing or sleep apnea, actigraphy, and sleep diaries). During phase 2, detailed demographic and socioecological data will be collected to contextualize hypothesized adiposity and sleep-associated cardiometabolic disease risk factors. Collection and analyses of these data will yield information necessary to customize future observational and intervention research. Conclusions: Precise implementation of the SLUMBRx protocol promises to provide objective and empirical data on the interaction between body composition and sleep duration. The hypotheses that will be tested by SLUMBRx are important for understanding the pathogenesis of cardiometabolic disease and for developing future public health interventions to prevent its conception and treat its consequences.
A supercharacter theory based on the degrees of irreducible characters

In this article, a possible supercharacter theory based on the degrees of the irreducible characters of a finite group is introduced. An investigation is then included into which finite groups allow this particular supercharacter theory. In particular, it is shown that groups with at most seven conjugacy classes must allow this supercharacter theory. However, there are groups with eight conjugacy classes that do not have this supercharacter theory. In addition, it is shown that semidirect products $$A \rtimes B$$ where both A and B are cyclic groups and at least one is of prime order always allow this type of supercharacter theory.
Ortho-Novum® 1/80-21 (Ortho Pharm.)

Ortho-Novum is a combination oral contraceptive preparation. It acts mainly through the mechanism of gonadotropin suppression due to the estrogenic and progestational activity of the constituents. The predominant effect of estrogen is to inhibit secretion of FSH, while continued action of progesterone (related, but not equated to progestins) is to inhibit LH. Alterations in the genital tract, such as changes in the cervical mucus and the endometrium, may also contribute to the contraceptive effectiveness.
Phonetic symbolism in adult native speakers of English: Three studies.

Three studies using adult native speakers of English are reported. Each study asked subjects to label elliptical or triangular figures of different size with a CVC trigram. It was the purpose of th...
Welding pool measurement using thermal array sensor

Selective laser melting (SLM) is an additive manufacturing (AM) technology that uses a high-power laser beam to melt metal powder in chamber of inert gas. The process starts by slicing the 3D CAD data as a digital information source into layers to create a 2D image of each layer. Melting pool was formed by using laser irradiation on metal powders which then solidified to consolidated structure. In a selective laser melting process, the variation of melt pool affects the yield of a printed three-dimensional product. For three dimensional parts, the border conditions of the conductive heat transport have a very large influence on the melt pool dimensions. Therefore, melting pool is an important behavior that affects the final quality of the 3D object. To meet the temperature and geometry of the melting pool for monitoring in additive manufacturing technology. In this paper, we proposed the temperature sensing system which is composed of infrared photodiode, high speed camera, band-pass filter, dichroic beam splitter and focus lens. Since the infrared photodiode and high speed camera look at the process through the 2D galvanometer scanner and f-theta lens, the temperature sensing system can be used to observe the melting pool at any time, regardless of the movement of the laser spot. In order to obtain a wide temperature detecting range, 500 °C to 2500 °C, the radiation from the melting pool to be measured is filtered into a plurality of radiation portions, and since the intensity ratio distribution of the radiation portions is calculated by using black-body radiation. The experimental result shows that the system is suitable for melting pool to measure temperature.
Large-scale fast Fourier transform on a heterogeneous multi-core system

As interest in hybrid computing systems increases, people are eager to find new ways to exploit the unique and efficient computational power of the heterogeneous multi-core systems. Although there has been much interest in implementing high-performance fast Fourier transform (FFT) libraries on this kind of system, most existing libraries focus on small-scale FFTs whose data can fit in the local storage of a single accelerator. Real-world FFT applications often require much larger scale FFTs, but it is extremely challenging for heterogeneous multi-core system with distributed architectures to make efficient large FFT implementations. In this paper, we introduce the first known FFT library for the heterogeneous multi-core system with distributed architecture that can solve one-dimensional FFTs larger than what fits in a single accelerator. Our implementation achieves 67% performance improvement of FFTW 3.2.2 (Fastest Fourier Transform in the West) and sustains over 36 single precision FFT GFLOPs 'end-to-end' Achieving such high performance requires novel schemes for large-scale FFT factorization, data permutation and all-to-all exchanges, and buffer designs to maximize use of the local storage while minimizing communication overhead. One important finding in this paper is that large-scale FFT on this kind of architecture behaves as data transfer bound which is quite different from other architectures. A significant contribution of this paper is that for each major component of our algorithm, we explore many possible design options and present quantitative performance comparisons. This provides value beyond specific architecture, as it illustrates the fundamental features associated with different communication paradigms and mechanisms for the heterogeneous multi-core system. Today's computer systems are increasingly being designed to include general purpose accelerators. The techniques in this paper can also be applied to these architectures especially when they have limited local storage or steep cache hierarchies. We also provide insights on applying techniques in this paper to similar architectures.
Embryonic diapause in Aulocara elliotti and Ageneotettix deorum (Orthoptera: Acrididae): low-temperature relationships.

Controlled environmental chambers were used to determine the effect of constant low temperatures (0–18°C) on diapause termination of the eggs of Aulocara elliotti (Thomas) and Ageneotettix deorum (Scudder), species that require low temperatures for diapause termination. When eggs of A. elliotti and A. deorum were incubated at 30°C without low-temperature treatments, 6.1% of A. elliotti hatched after ≍36 d of incubation and 1.5% of A. deorum hatched after ≍46 d of incubation. Exposure times (days) to selected constant low temperatures ranged from 15 to 100 d. For both species, the greatest hatch at all low temperatures was induced with exposures of >60 d. Optimum conditions for diapause termination of A. elliotti were calculated to be between 75 and 98 d exposure to 6.6–8°C. Optimum conditions for diapause termination of A. deorum were calculated to be between 75 and 77 d exposure to 7–8.6°C. These studies provide insight about the univoltinism of these insects and offer evidence that with these species, embryonic diapause terminates before the prolonged subfreezing temperatures of winter.
The Kukri Erosion Surface; a reassessment of its relationship to rocks of the Beacon Supergroup in the central Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica

Much of Antarctica's Devonian to Jurassic geological history is interpreted from the study of the Beacon Supergroup in the central Transantarctic Mountains. The upper part of the succession has been extensively investigated, although, few studies focus on the basal rocks. Deposition occurred within a Transantarctic basin believed to have extended along the edge of the East Antarctic Craton in early Beacon time, either as a marginal, passive margin, or a cratonic basin. Early basinal deposits include the Devonian Taylor Group and Upper Carboniferous–Lower Permian glacial sediments. Previous studies concluded that the Taylor Group in CTM was deposited as a continuous sheet across the low-relief Kukri Erosion Surface that developed on the planed Ross orogenic belt. These interpretations also concluded that late Palaeozoic glaciation truncated the Devonian sheet. New data suggest that this view, and current models for the early Beacon basin, maybe incorrect. Lithofacies, palaeocurrent orientations, sandstone composition, and stratigraphical relationships of central Transantarctic Mountains rocks suggest that deposition occurred within two intermontane or successor basins following post-orogenic uplift of the Ross terrain. Segregation of lithofacies and onlap of Taylor Group rocks onto an undulating Kukri Erosion Surface show that a basement high separated non-marine deposits between the Byrd and Ramsey glaciers from marine sediment in the Ohio Range. Onlap of glacial rocks and palaeocurrent data suggest intermontane conditions continued until the Early Permian.
Fabrication of localized plasma gold-tip nanoprobes with integrated microchannels for direct-write nanomanufacturing

We present the microfabrication and characterization of an AFM-tip like device with integrated gas delivery microchannel for the generation of localized microplasmas. The device plasma is generated within a submicron region around its tip for direct-write micro and nanofabrication. The device is fabricated by forming a tall, sharp micromolded gold tip in a KOH etched inverted pyramid followed by thermo-compression bonding and consecutive tip transfer, microfluidic channel patterning and formation of supporting cantilever beam. The tall tip overcomes the height problems of previous designs. Preliminary experiments have been carried out demonstrating the generation of localized microplasma at atmospheric conditions with 1,000V AC stimulation. By mounting the device to a commercialized AFM station and operated in tapping mode, imaging with the same device has also been demonstrated.
Optical parametric oscillator threshold and linewidth studies

This paper presents a detailed study of the optimum design parameters for the LiNbO 3 parametric oscillator. Theoretical and experimental studies of the optical parametric oscillator (OPO) threshold parameters and of linewidth control are presented. Consideration is given to practical factors that limit OPO performance such as laser beam quality and crystal damage mechanisms. In addition, stable single axial mode operation is reported.
Abstract: Natural Gas Hydrates: Resource of the 21st Century?

The estimated amount of gas in the hydrate accumulations of the world greatly exceeds the volume of known conventional gas reserves. However, the role that gas hydrates will play in contributing to the world’s energy requirements will depend ultimately on the availability of sufficient gas hydrate resources and the “cost” to extract them. Yet considerable uncertainty and disagreement prevails concerning the world’s gas hydrate resources. Gas hydrates occur in sedimentary deposits under conditions of pressure and temperature present in permafrost regions and beneath the sea in outer continental margins. The combined information from Arctic gas-hydrate studies shows that, in permafrost regions, gas hydrates may exist at subsurface depths ranging from about 130 to 2,000 m. The presence of gas hydrates in offshore continental margins has been inferred mainly from anomalous seismic reflectors known as bottom-simulating reflectors, that have been mapped at depths below the sea floor ranging from about 100 to 1,100 m. Current estimates of the amount of gas in the world’s marine and permafrost gas hydrate accumulations are in rough accord at about 20,000 trillion cubic meters.
Frequency dependence of cat vestibulo-ocular reflex direction adaptation: single frequency and multifrequency rotations.

Abstract Vertical and horizontal vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) eye movements were recorded in alert cats during horizontal rotation in total darkness before and after a 2 h vestibulo-ocular reflex direction adaptation procedure. Adaptation stimuli were whole body horizontal vestibular rotation coupled to synchronous vertical optokinetic motion. The waveform of the adaptation stimuli was either a sinusoid at 0.05, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5 or 1 Hz, or a sum of sinusoids containing 0.2, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 1.1, and 1.7 Hz. Exposure to single frequency stimuli produced adaptive vertical VOR with a gain that was greatest near the training frequency; adaptive VOR phases were advanced below, accurate at, and lagged above the training frequency. Exposure to the multifrequency waveform produced a uniform modest increase in gain across frequencies, with accurate adaptive VOR phase.
A Classificational Sequence of Meteorites

A classificational sequence of meteorites, based upon what is called the Tschermak-Brezina-Prior—or, for brevity, Prior's—classification, is presented and discussed in detail. In an appendix, certain quotations from a paper by G. T. Prior are included for reference, and in exposition of some of the particulars of the forenamed system.
Response Bias in College Freshmen's Responses to Mail Surveys.

This study compared the attitudes and demographic characteristics of an intact group of college freshmen to those of a sample responding to a mail survey and a sample responding to a telephone follow-up. Contrary to expectation, the three samples did not differ significantly in mean attitude responses. The absence of significant mean differences indicated no significant bias in college freshmen's responses to a mail survey. However, a higher percentage of returns was received from females and higher achievers than from males and low achievers.
Interfacial debonding and fiber pull-out stresses of fiber-reinforced composites. III: With residual radial and axial stresses

Abstract A fiber-reinforced elastic composite with residual radial and axial stresses is considered. The effects of the residual stresses on the fiber pull-out process are studied. The shear lag model is used for stress analyses, and the interfacial shear strength is adopted as the debonding criterion. The results show that for a bonded interface the applied axial stress on the fiber required to debond the interface depends strongly on the residual axial stress but is not sensitive to the residual radial stress. When the interface is partially debonded during fiber pull-out, the residual axial stress is relaxed in the debonded region. However, the residual axial stress in the bonded region influences the stress required for partial debonding by modifying the stress at the end of debonding.
In situ plastid and mitochondrial DNA determination: Implication of the observed MINIMAL PLASTID GENOME NUMBER

The total loss of plastid DNA has never been reported for any alga or plant cell line, with the sole exception of the protozoan Euglena, yet plastid distribution at mitosis is apparently stochastric (Birky and Skavaril, Journal of Theoretical Biology, vol. 106, pp. 441-447, 1984) and accidental loss might be expected. It is not obvious how stem cells of photosynthetic eukaryotes avoid this problem. The chrysophyte alga Ochromonas danica, described as having but one or two plastids, can proliferate indefinitely without the benefit of photosynthesis. Under such conditions its plastid genome copy number per cell might drop to the absolute minimum compatible with maintaining its inheritance. In situ quantitation of Ochromonas plastid DNA in both photosynthetic and enriched mixotrophic growth, and in heterotrophic growth in prolonged darkness, suggests that plastids are capable of very wide variation (7 to >200 genomes/plastid) in their DNA content, and likewise, cells can vary from one to >8 plastids per cell, with total genomes numbers from 7 to >1,000 per cell. Among many growth conditions tested, the smallest plastids were found in rapidly dividing cells grown in the dark, many of which contained but oine plastid. The inability to find plastids with fewer than seven plastid genome equivalents of DNA, even in these rapidly multiplying cells grown in total darkness for months, suggests that multiple copies of the plastid genome may be very carefully maintained, even in the prolonged absence of photosynthesis. This implies that multiple copies are important for reasons other than photosynthetic capability; two possibilities are the biosynthetic steps necessary for eukaryote cell survival known to occur solely within a plastid, and/or the potential that multiple plastid genome copies provide to escape the effects of Muller's ratchet.
Calcium and fresh-water survival in the Euryhaline cyprinodonts, Fundulus kansae and Fundulud heteroclitus

Abstract 1. 1. The ability of calcuim ion to maintain the euryhaline cyprinodonts, Fundulus kansae and F. heteroclitus, in deionized water after hypophysectomy has been studied. 2. 2. Exposure of hypophysectomized F. kansae to deionized water caused a sharp drop in the osmotic pressure of the serum, dur in part to loss of serum sodium. The addition of calcium, with or without sodium, enabled the animals to maintain serum osmolarity at elvels significantly higher than the group held in deionized water. 3. 3. Exposure of hypophysectomized F. heteroclitus to deionized water solutions containing from 20 to 400 p.p.m. calcium, and in one case 200 p.p.m. sodium and 400 p.p.m. calcium, invariably led to fresh-water failure. F. heteroclitus is unable to maintain serum osmolarity in fresh water after hypophysectomy, and this loss of regulatory function is not affected by the addition of calcium.
Excitation-Neurogenesis Coupling in Adult Neural Stem/Progenitor Cells

A wide variety of in vivo manipulations influence neurogenesis in the adult hippocampus. It is not known, however, if adult neural stem/progenitor cells (NPCs) can intrinsically sense excitatory neural activity and thereby implement a direct coupling between excitation and neurogenesis. Moreover, the theoretical significance of activity-dependent neurogenesis in hippocampal-type memory processing networks has not been explored. Here we demonstrate that excitatory stimuli act directly on adult hippocampal NPCs to favor neuron production. The excitation is sensed via Ca(v)1.2/1.3 (L-type) Ca(2+) channels and NMDA receptors on the proliferating precursors. Excitation through this pathway acts to inhibit expression of the glial fate genes Hes1 and Id2 and increase expression of NeuroD, a positive regulator of neuronal differentiation. These activity-sensing properties of the adult NPCs, when applied as an "excitation-neurogenesis coupling rule" within a Hebbian neural network, predict significant advantages for both the temporary storage and the clearance of memories.
Synapse Formation and Modification between Distal Retinal Neurons in Larval and Juvenile Xenopus

A serial section analysis of photoreceptor synaptic bases was undertaken in the clawed frog Xenopus laevis. The developmental period from tadpole stage 48 through metamorphosis was studied. Horizontal cells contacted rod and cone photoreceptors at ribbon synapses; the number of such contacts per receptor base was constant for rods, but increased for cones as a function of developmental stage. In pre-metamorphic animals bipolar cells contacted receptors only through basal junctions; their number in cone bases increased dramatically during development but was unchanged in rod bases. A densitometric estimation of the cleft width of basal junctions showed that it ranged from 10 to 18 nm, but the junctions could not be divided reliably into the 'wide' and 'narrow' categories reported for other vertebrate species. Near metamorphic climax a new type of ribbon-related bipolar cell junction appeared. Gap junctions between horizontal cells and conventional synapses of horizontal cell onto bipolar cell processes were first seen in mid-larval developmental stages.
Faculty perceptions of webcasting in health sciences education

Pre-recorded lectures (podcasts) and recordings of live lectures (lecture-capture) are now everyday occurrences on many college campuses. Student use and opinions of these technologies have been frequently studied. However, there has been little reported on how faculty perceive these technologies. This article reports the results from a 2010 survey of dental, medical, and nursing faculty about their experiences with podcast/lecture capture technologies as teaching tools. A 46-item survey was distributed electronically to full-time faculty at the schools of Dentistry, Medicine, and Nursing on the campus of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) in Fall 2010 to determine their experiences and perceptions of podcast/lecture capture technologies as teaching tools. Of the 398 respondents, 32% employed lecture capture while only 2% used podcasting. Of those faculty not currently recording materials, 83 (68%) stated that they plan to do so in the next 2 years. Lack of time, 26 (24%) and training, (22%) are major reasons stated for not recording course content. Although a large number of faculty believe student learning has improved through the use of these technologies (74%, n=86), few stated that test scores have improved following implementation of electronic delivery of course materials (29%, n=34). There was no correlation between the use of podcast/lecture capture technologies and faculty gender, school, or years of teaching. A wide array of technologies to record lectures and present additional course materials electronically are in use at the health sciences programs on the IUPUI campus. Overall, faculty view these technologies in a favorable light.
Molecular analysis of rearrangements in human ribosomal RNA gene clones

Abstract Human placental DNA, enriched for ribosomal sequences, was cloned in the phage vector λCharon 16A. Recombinants containing 28S rDNA sequences were isolated, and all were found to have deletions in the insert and/or vector DNA. Electron microscopic analysis was used to map the deletions and provide evidence that unstable forms of the recombinants can revert to the original vector or undergo further rearrangements. Specific deletions are manifested as previously unreported plaque phenotypes.
Modulation of Sympathetic and Somatomotor Function by the Ventromedial Medulla

The ventromedial medulla is implicated in a variety of functions including nociceptive and cardiovascular modulation and the control of thermoregulation. To determine whether single microinjections into the ventromedial medulla elicit changes in one or multiple functional systems, the GABA(A) receptor antagonist bicuculline was microinjected (70 nl, 5-50 ng) into the ventromedial medulla of lightly anesthetized rats, and cardiovascular, respiratory, and nociceptive measures were recorded. Bicuculline microinjection into either the midline raphe or the laterally adjacent reticular nucleus simultaneously increased interscapular brown adipose tissue temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, expired [CO(2)], and respiration rate and elicited shivering. Bicuculline microinjection also decreased the noxious stimulus-evoked changes in heart rate and blood pressure, decreased the frequency of heat-evoked sighs, and suppressed the cortical desynchronization evoked by noxious stimulation. Although bicuculline suppressed the motor withdrawal evoked by noxious tail heat, it enhanced the motor withdrawal evoked by noxious paw heat, evidence for specifically patterned nociceptive modulation. Saline microinjections into midline or lateral sites had no effect on any measured variable. All bicuculline microinjections, midline or lateral, evoked the same set of physiological effects, consistent with the lack of a topographical organization within the ventromedial medulla. Furthermore, as predicted by the isodendritic morphology of cells in the ventromedial medulla, midline bicuculline microinjection increased the number of c-fos immunoreactive cells in both midline raphe and lateral reticular nuclei. In summary, 70-nl microinjections into ventromedial medulla activate cells in multiple nuclei and elicit increases in sympathetic and somatomotor tone and a novel pattern of nociceptive modulation.
Determination of aldehydes and ketones by derivatization and liquid chromatography—mass spectrometry

Abstract A method for determining nanogram amounts of carbonyl compounds was developed. Carbonyl compounds were collected as their 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine derivatives, and the derivatives were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography—mass spectrometry (HPLC—MS) via a moving-belt interface. The method employed reversed-phase gradient LC on 2 mm I.D. columns and methane chemical ionization. Negative ion mass spectra were recorded to distinguish aldehydes from ketones. The analysis of engine exhaust, vapors from decomposed polymers, and liquid soaps illustrate three applications for LC—MS: confirmation of identifications made by LC, determination of compounds in unresolved chromatographic peaks, and characterization of unidentified LC peaks.
Evolutionary biology and personality psychology: Implications of genetic variability

Abstract Biological considerations raise an important set of issues for psychology: what behavioral attributes of the species are genetically based, what are the mechanisms by which genetic influences affect behavior, what are the evolutionary antecedents of genetically-based attributes, and what are their consequences? This article examines a subset of these issues by exploring some potential consequences of extant genetic variability for personality functioning, social interaction and the current genetic evolution of our species. Behavior genetics provides a methodology for discovering genetically-influenced behavioral variation. Five disparate areas (socialization, personality development, personality assessment, interactionism and assortative mating) are examined in which findings from behavior genetics can guide research and theory in personality psychology. Relationships between organismic and social parameters are emphasized. The final section combines these five areas by placing them within the broader context of theory-building in psychology.
Cellular mechanisms of prostaglandin E2 and vasopressin interactions in the collecting duct.

As the final segment of the nephron, the collecting duct is the ultimate regulator of renal salt and water excretion. Balance between intake and renal excretion of salt and water is fine-tuned by the action of several hormones targeted to the collecting duct. Vasopressin is, perhaps, the prototypical example of such a hormone. As total body water decreases and plasma osmolality rises, vasopressin secretion from the posterior pituitary increases [1]. Picomolar concentrations of circulating vasopressin lead to increased water permeability of the apical membrane of the collecting duct cell, resulting in increased water reabsorption and increased total body water [2,3]. There is abundant evidence demonstrating that vasopressin's effect on water reabsorption in the collecting duct is mediated through the classic second messenger, cAMP [3]. V 2 selective receptors are linked via a G protein, to stimulation of plasma membrane adenylyl cyclase, resulting in increased cell cyclic AMP levels [4, 5]. The increased cyclic AMP then leads to augmented water permeability of the apical membrane [6, 7]. As one might expect with such an important biologic process, other hormones and autocoids provide a counter-regulatory influence to modulate vasopressin mediated increases in osmotic water permeability. There is good evidence that the arachadonic acid metabolite, prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 ) plays a critical physiologic and pathophysiologic role in inhibiting vasopressin action in the collecting duct [8, 9]. Not only is the collecting duct the major renal site of synthesis for this cyclo-oxygenase product of arachidonic acid but PGE 2 production is stimulated by vasopressin itself [10–12]. PGE 2 infusion significantly blunts water reabsorption and cycloxygenase inhibition augments vasopressin antidiuresis [9, 13]. Thus, there is good evidence that the autocoid PGE 2 plays an important role in regulating vasopressin-stimulated osmotic water flow.
The effect of normal red cell constituents on the activities of red cell enzymes.

Abstract The effect of 2,3-DPG, pyridoxal-5′- P , pyridoxal, pyridoxine creatine and bicarbonate was studied on the activity of red cell glycolytic and pentose phosphate shunt enzymes at saturating and limiting substrate concentrations. 2,3-DPG strongly inhibits the activity of hexokinase, phosphoglucomutase, phosphofructokinase, aldolase and glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase. In the case of the first four enzymes, 2,3-DPG competes with the substrate and glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase is inhibited in a noncompetitive fashion. Pyridoxal-5′- P inhibits some of the enzymes inhibited by 2,3-DPG, including hexokinase, phosphoglucomutase, phosphofructokinase and aldolase; in addition, it also inhibits the activity of phosphoglucose isomerase, pyruvate kinase, glucose-6- P dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase. In some cases, the inhibition was competitive; in others, it was noncompetitive. Creatine and bicarbonate do not significantly inhibit any of the enzymes studied. The studies reported in this report indicate possible roles of 2,3-DPG and pyridoxal-5′- P in the regulation of glucose metabolism in red cells.
Impaired cortical bone acquisition and osteoblast differentiation in mice with osteoblast-targeted disruption of glucocorticoid signaling.

To determine the role of endogenous glucocorticoids in bone, we previously developed transgenic mice in which a 2.3 kb fragment of the Col1a1 promoter drives 11s-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 2 expression in mature osteoblasts. This transgene should inactivate glucocorticoids upstream of all receptor signaling pathways. In the present study, we show that femoral cortical bone area and thickness were approximately 10–15% lower in transgenic mice than in wild-type littermates. Femur length was unchanged, indicating that bone elongation was not affected in this model. Expression of osteocalcin mRNA, pOBCol2.3-GFP (a green fluorescent protein marker of mature osteoblasts), and the formation of mineralized nodules were impaired in ex vivo transgenic primary calvarial cultures. The extent of crystal violet staining in bone marrow cultures, indicative of the number of adherent stromal cells, was also decreased. These data suggest that endogenous glucocorticoids are required for cortical bone acquisition and full osteoblast differentiation. It appears that blocking glucocorticoid signaling in vivo leads to a decrease in the commitment and/or expansion of progenitors entering the osteoblast lineage.
Highly Conductive Poly(phenylene thienylene)s: m-Phenylene Linkages Are Not Always Bad

Two isomeric polymers, which contain meta- or para-phenylene linkages between conducting segments, have been synthesized and compared by electrochemical methods. The nonconjugated poly(1,5-diacetoxy-m-phenylene tetrathienylene) (PMPT-OAc) showed similar electroactivity to the para-isomer, poly(2,5-diacetoxy-p-phenylene tetrathienylene) (PPPT-OAc), in the cyclic voltammetry and in-situ conductivity measurements. Spectroelectrochemistry showed a similar buildup of sub-band-gap electronic transitions. Deacetylation of the polymers was performed successfully by reaction with hydrazine, producing PMPT-OH and PPPT-OH. Both phenol-substituted polymers exhibited greater electroactivity than the acetoxy-substituted polymers. In addition, the phenol substituents were found to lower the “turn-on” potential in the conductivity−potential profile for PMPT-OH, but not for PPPT-OH. An alkoxy-substituted PMPT-OMe shows electroactivity similar to that of PMPT-OAc in the cyclic voltammetry, in-situ conductivity, and spectro...