cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Part I. Telomerase levels in human metastatic brain tumors show four-fold logarithmic variability but no correlation with tumor type or interval to patient demise

Telomerase expression has been found in the majority of human neoplasms at their primary sites and, in some tumor types, has been correlated with patient prognosis. In part one of this two-part study, we investigated whether telomerase was expressed ubiquitously in metastases to the brain and whether varying levels of expression existed or correlated with patient prognosis. A second aim of this study was to acquire data on brain metastases preliminary to the investigation of whether the telomerase assay could be used for the detection of tumor cells in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). We investigated 35 brain metastases utilizing the sensitive telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) assay coupled with densitometric quantitation of telomerase levels on frozen, banked tissue specimens. Specimens metastatic to the brain analyzed in this study included melanoma, adenocarcinoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, germ cell neoplasm, squamous cell carcinoma, osteogenic sarcoma, and secondary lymphoma. Telomerase was found in 32 of 35 metastases. Quantitation of the telomerase products showed a fourfold logarithmic variation, following standardization of protein concentrations. Levels of telomerase expression showed no statistical correlation with either tumor subtype or interval from date of procedure to patient demise. Interestingly, in two patients with two metastatic samples each taken at discordant times, the telomerase levels were higher in the metastasis specimen taken closer to the time of demise. This suggests a possible increase in telomerase level within a given patient's neoplasm as the disease became more advanced, although too few cases were available to reach a firm conclusion in this regard. We conclude that most brain metastases express telomerase, albeit at widely varying levels, which are not clearly correlated with patient survival. These results influence the potential utility of telomerase analysis for the detection of small numbers of metastatic tumor cells in CSF, as addressed in the companion manuscript.
Shaping molecular beams with intense light

We discuss the possibility of manipulating the center-of-mass motion of molecules using the nonlinear interaction of a moderately intense, long-pulse laser field with the molecular polarizability tensor. Recent theoretical work demonstrating the possibility of focusing and trapping molecules is extended to consider the effects of circularly and elliptically polarized light and the effect of nonspherical laser optics. The aberrations affecting the quality of the “molecular lens” are analyzed and the means by which they can be minimized are discussed. Molecular focusing is extended to a general field of molecular optics; the possibilities of steering, reflecting, and collimating molecular beams are illustrated. Application of the mechanical force of light to disperse and separate species according to their mass, velocity, or quantum state is proposed.
Identification of Allergen-Susceptibility Genes Using Recombinant Inbred Mouse Model of Allergic Asthma

Recombinant Inbred Mouse Model of Allergic Asthma D. N. Grigoryev, E. P. Hoffman, M. Wills-Karp, K. C. Barnes; Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, Children’s National Medical Center, Washington, DC, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH. RATIONALE: Knowledge of genetic determinants conferring susceptibility to allergic asthma (AA) remains limited. Identification of chromosomal regions harboring AA susceptibility loci and utilization of recombinant inbred (RI) murine strains may accelerate the discovery of asthma-associated candidate genes. METHODS: AA-sensitive A/J (A) 4-week old mice were sensitized (days 0 and 3) with PBS 1 Alum (200 mg/100 ml) or OVA HDM allergen 1 Alum. Mice were challenged intratracheally with PBS or OVA HDM allergen (150 mg/40 ml) on days 10 and 17, and lungs were harvested 6 hours after the second challenge. Gene expression profiles were generated for control (n55) and AA-affected (n55) lung tissues using the 430MOEA (22626 genes) GeneChips and data were analyzed by GCOS1.4GCRMA-SAM streamline. Genes with a false discovery rate (q<0.05%) and 64 expression fold change versus control were considered significantly affected by AA and linked to the corresponding genetic markers in the mouse genome. RESULTS: The genomic distribution of 167 AA-associated genes was skewed towards chromosomes 1, 11, and 7 which were represented by 12.6%, 12.0% and 8.4% of the allergen challenge-induced genes, respectively. Genomes of 24 available recombinant inbred (RI) backcrosses of A and AA-resistant C57BL/6J (B) strains (AxB) were screened for global parental genetic contributions. This analysis identified the highest content of susceptible A parental genetic markers in AxB-7 (66%) and AxB-9 (62%), suggesting high sensitivity of these strains to allergen challenge. CONCLUSIONS: Bioinformatical identification of allergen sensitive/ resistant backcross strains facilitates selection of RI mice for AA phenotyping and will accelerate the discovery of AA susceptibility-associated candidate genes. Funding: NHLBI HopGene Program in Genomics HL 66618
On the spontaneous magnetization in the Ising model

The equality between the spontaneous magnetization and the “long range order” is established for the Ising model with nearest neighbour interactions for low and high temperatures. The proof is presented for the two-dimensional lattice but works also in higher dimensions. The result verifies that the valuem*=(1−(Shβ)−4)1/8 of the spontaneous magnetization below the critical point calculated by Onsager and Yang is the true value, which has been a long standing open question.
A role for an inhibitory connexin in testis

Abstract Functional expression of gap junction proteins can be obtained conveniently with the paired oocyte cell–cell channel assay. So far all gap junction proteins (connexins), with the exception of one, have been found to make functional channels either by themselves or as hybrid channels (two hemichannels of different connexin composition). Connexin33 (cx33) appears not to follow this rule. Expression of cx33 in oocytes does not yield functional channels, and attempts to identify another connexin with which cx33 can form hybrid channels have failed so far. The observation was made that cx33 inhibits functional expression of other connexins in a connexin-specific way. While expression of cx32 remains unaffected by coinjection into oocytes of cx33 mRNA together with cx32 mRNA, junctional conductance obtained with cx43 is marginally reduced whereas coinjection of cx33 mRNA at equimolar concentrations almost completely abolishes functional cx37 expression. The fact that testis is the only tissue found to express significant levels of cx33 mRNA together with cx37 and cx43 suggests a possible functional role for an inhibitory connexin. A model is proposed where cx33 limits a cell's capability to make functional channels by allowing formation of heterotypic channels with other cells while formation of homotypic channels is disallowed. Such a mechanism would permit asynchronous maturation of germ cells while at the same time allowing communication between germ cells and Sertoli cells.
Analysis of phases in the structure determination of an icosahedral virus

The constraints imposed on structure-factor phases by non­crystallographic symmetry (NCS) allow phase improvement, phase extension to higher resolution and hence ab initio phase determination. The more numerous the NCS redundancy and the greater the volume used for solvent flattening, the greater the power for phase determination. In a case analyzed here the icosahedral NCS phasing appeared to have broken down, although later successful phase extension was possible when the envelope around the NCS region was tightened. The phases from the failed phase-determination attempt fell into four classes, all of which satisfied the NCS constraints. These four classes corresponded to the correct solution, opposite enantiomorph, Babinet inversion and opposite enantiomorph with Babinet inversion. These incorrect solutions can be seeded from structure factors belonging to reciprocal-space volumes that lie close to icosahedral NCS axes where the structure amplitudes tend to be large and the phases tend to be 0 or π. Furthermore, the false solutions can spread more easily if there are large errors in defining the envelope designating the region in which NCS averaging is performed.
DIFFERENTIAL ITEM FUNCTIONING: ITS MULTIDIMENSIONAL MODEL AND RESULTING SIBTEST DETECTION PROCEDURE

A multidimensional model of differential item functioning (DIF) developed by Shealy and Stout is presented. It explains how individual items combine to produce differential test functioning (DTF) at the test level. Recent developments based on this approach, including development of the DIF/DTF detection procedure SIBTEST, are surveyed. The Shealy-Stout model not only offers insight into how DIF can occur, but suggests methods for investigating the root causes of DIF, which are useful to both substantive and statistical researchers of DIF. This new modeling paradigm offers the possibility of the proactive reduction of DIF in tests at the item manufacturing stage. SIBTEST is a nonparametric procedure that both tests for and estimates the amount of DIF in an item or set of items while controlling inflated Type I error by using a regression correction technique. It is shown to perform as well as and in many realistic situations better than other popular DIF assessment procedures. Recent modifications to the procedure demonstrate that it can be an effective tool for examining both crossing DIF and, through the use of kernel smoothing, local DIF. The procedure has been extended for use with tests containing polytomous items as well as tests that are intentionally multidimensional. Many real and simulated data analyses are presented.
Linking to Web Knowledge Bases and Applications to Web Search

The development and availability of Web knowledge repositories, in particular Wikipedia, as the largest, inter-linked, and up-to-the-minute encyclopedic collection, have changed remarkably not only the way in which people fulfill their informational needs on the Web but also the way in which information can be organized and provided by Web search engines. The talk will focus on the task of entity extraction and linking to Wikipedia and other Web knowledge repositories. It will also cover work that employs such entity repositories in conjunction with query logs of commercial Web search engines to address Web information retrieval tasks such as context-aware search, query suggestion, question answering, retrieval of support for factual statements, and automatic aggregation of topic pages as an alternative to the ten blue links.
Mothers of Sexual Assault Victims: How Women "Do Mother" After Their Child Has Been Sexually Assaulted

The sexual assault of a child has a profound impact on not just the child, but those closest to them. This research examined the ways that women react and cope with the sexual assault of their child within the framework of their role as mothers, or how they are able to “do mother” in the aftermath of the assault. A total of 21 mothers who had a child sexually assaulted were interviewed across the state of Illinois. The experiences of these women are presented and discussed within the feminist literature regarding the societal role of mother.
Issues of Identity Development Among Asian‐American Lesbians and Gay Men

This study examined the factors that affect an Asian-American individual's choice of identification with Asian-American and lesbian or gay identity. Nineteen Asian-American lesbians and 16 Asian-American gay men belonging to Asian-American lesbian or gay organizations answered survey questionnaires. Results indicated that most of the respondents identified more strongly with their lesbian or gay identities than with their Asian-American identities; however, most indicated that acknowledgment of both aspects of identity was preferred. Other situational factors, including disclosure of lesbian or gay identity to family and to the Asian-American community, as well as discrimination because of sexual orientation, race, and gender, were examined in regard to identity development.
Masculinity as a Moderator of Discrimination and Parenting on Depressive Symptoms and Drinking Behaviors Among Nonresident African-American Fathers

This study examined relationships between masculinity ideologies, perceived discrimination, and parenting behaviors on depressive symptoms and drinking behavior among 332 nonresident AfricanAmerican fathers. Masculinity ideologies also were examined as moderators of perceived discrimination and parenting behaviors on outcomes. Results from hierarchical regression analyses showed that culturally based traditional masculinity was associated with less depressive symptoms. Perceived discrimination was linked to more depressive symptoms; however, positive relationships with sons were associated with less depressive symptoms and drinking behavior among fathers. Parenting behaviors explained additional variance in depressive symptoms and drinking behavior after controlling for masculinity ideologies, perceived discrimination, and sociodemographics. More cooperative parenting behaviors between fathers and mothers were associated with more depressive symptoms among fathers with high interconnected masculinity beliefs. Strategies for incorporating masculinity ideologies and the fatherhood role into interventions, clinical practice, and policies to improve the mental health and health behaviors of nonresident African-American fathers are discussed.
Flexible low power consumption OLED displays for a Universal communication device

In this paper we will outline the technical challenges and progress towards enabling a novel communication device based on a roll-out, low power consumption, OLED display. Advanced mobile communication devices require a bright, high information content display in a small, light-weight, low power consumption package. We believe that phosphorescent OLED (PHOLED) technology fabricated on a truly flexible substrate, enables a mobile Universal Communication Device (UCD) to offer a high information content display in an extendable form, while rolling up into a small form factor when not in use. This communication device is of great interest for a range of both consumer and military applications. From the display perspective, the key component is achieving a long-lived, low power consumption display. We believe the OLEDs are the preferred display media, and in this talk we will outline our flexible phosphorescent OLED technology. The key to reliable operation is to ensure that the organic materials are fully encapsulated in a package designed for repetitive flexing. UDC has been developing long-lived flexible OLED (FOLED) displays based on plastic substrates and multi-layer monolithic encapsulation. Recent progress in this area will also be reported. Finally, we will outline the backplane requirements for flexible OLED displays and compare the various technology options that can be used to fabricate the UCD.
Motion at the liquid-solid interface-developing design tools from fundamental models

Although it is well known that the enforced flow of dielectric liquids over a solid interface can give rise to charge separation with the resulting accumulation of static charges, the underlying physics is complex. The incidence of streaming electrification in large transformers (and other industrial equipment) has generated the need for both an understanding and mathematical description of the physics. Modelling of the phenomena is needed since the mechanisms do not readily scale so that small-scale laboratory experiments cannot be used to predict performance. This contribution chronicles the development of both steady-state and transient descriptions of the streaming electrification process. The nature of the phenomenon is such that appropriate assumptions and approximations need to be made. As a consequence, it is also important to include some experimental verification of the outcomes; at least in qualitative form. The entrainment of charge from the interface Helmholtz layer also intimately involves the flow of the liquid. A description of the flow regimes and a transient solution of the flow through a duct are thus an integral part of the modelling effort The utility of the steady-state model developed is demonstrated by application to an oil-cellulose system typical of a large core-form transformer. The method advocated takes advantage of the repeat duct arrangement in such units. The results presented allow the internal behaviour of such a unit to be studied in considerable depth, and provide insight into the complex interplay between generation and relaxation in circumstances when flow rates, temperature, external fields and influent charge are changed.
Assessment of Student Pharmacists' Knowledge Concerning Folic Acid and Prevention of Birth Defects Demonstrates a Need for Further Education

Adequate periconceptional consumption of folic acid can prevent neural tube birth defects, and all women capable of becoming pregnant are recommended to consume 400 microg/d. Most women, however, are unaware of this recommendation and do not consume adequate amounts of folic acid. It is important, therefore, that healthcare professionals, such as pharmacists, be capable of educating women regarding folic acid. The aim of this study was to assess knowledge regarding prevention of birth defects by folic acid among student (future) pharmacists in the final year of a professional degree program. Over a 3-y period (1998-2000), students (n = 98) enrolled in a PharmD program completed a survey consisting of five multiple-choice questions concerning folic acid and birth defects. Almost all students (93.9%) correctly identified folic acid as preventing birth defects. Of these students, many also knew that supplementation should begin before pregnancy (73.9%). Fewer, however, were able to correctly identify either the recommended level of intake (55.4%) or good sources of folic acid (57.6-65.2%). These results show that although student (future) pharmacists are aware of folic acid's ability to prevent birth defects, many lack the specific knowledge needed to effectively counsel women in future clinical practice.
Tone Bender: A collaborative activity for signal processing education & psychoacoustic data collection

Collaborative web-based activities can serve as a cogent method for large-scale, psychoacoustic data collection. The advancing maturity of web-based platforms makes it feasible to rapidly develop entertaining games that can collect information on specific tasks, such as audio and image annotation, on a large scale. The accessibility and entertainment value of these games make them attractive to educators as well, since they promote interactive learning methods through gaming. To this end, we have developed Tone Bender, a collaborative activity developed for signal processing education and data collection on the perception of musical instruments. In this paper, we describe how Tone Bender collects perceptual information from players and provide sample lessons for K-12 curricula using the game as an educational platform.
Genetic variation in dopamine moderates neural response during reward anticipation and delivery: Evidence from event-related potentials

Neuroimaging studies have found moderating effects of dopamine genes during both the anticipation and delivery of rewards, particularly the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) genotype. Event-related potential studies, meanwhile, have focused on the stimulus-preceding negativity (SPN) and the feedback negativity (FN) during reward anticipation and delivery, respectively. In anticipation of uncertain outcomes, we observed an increased SPN among Met homozygotes. We also observed an increased FN among Met homozygotes in response to outcome delivery, an effect that was driven primarily by an increased response to monetary gains. The COMT genotype moderates event-related potential responses during both the anticipation and delivery of uncertain reward, suggesting that the SPN and FN are sensitive to dopaminergically mediated and reward-related neural activity.
Early-stage firms and delay-based inventory control using decision-making tableaux

A resource constrained early-stage firm commercialising assembled products faces supply chain (SC) problems that could ultimately cause the company to fail. Delays, complexity, and associated cost overruns throughout the SC can quickly drain cash flow, putting a new firm in a disadvantaged position. This is exacerbated by the increased use of outsourced global suppliers, demands of resellers, and pressure for rapid growth. A decision-making tableau over a conceptual delay-based SC model is proposed, which identifies qualitative behaviour of inventories with respect to delays inherently present in the SC. The method can foster improved strategic decisions in new venture SC set-up and management that can reduce costly variations. A real-world case scenario is given illustrating a current state and substantially improved future state with the help of the proposed approach. The paper concludes with a discussion on the results, limitations, and direction of future research.
A Genetic Approach to Finding a Controller to Back Up a Tractor-Trailer Truck

Problems of control can be recast as requiring the discovery of a computer program (i.e., control strategy) that takes the state variables of a problem as its inputs and produces the values of the control variables as its output This paper describes the recently developed genetic programming paradigm which genetically breeds a population of computer programs to solve problems. Genetic programming begins with a population of hundreds or thousands of random computer programs and improves them from generation to generation using the Darwinian operation of fitness proportionate reproduction and the genetic operation of sexual recombination. The sexual recombination operation combines parts of two parental computer programs to produce new offspring programs, each parent being selected proportional to fitness, This paper shows, step by step, how to apply genetic programming to the four dimensional control problem of backing up a tractor-trailer truck to a loading dock. Genetic programming breeds an approximately correct computer program (i.e., control strategy) that successfully performs the required task.
Healing Responses of the Lower Urinary Tract

Healing of the urinary tract follows a series of events similar to other epithelial surfaces. This process, however, occurs more rapidly in the urinary tract. A variety of factors that can affect the healing response of the urinary tract are presented in this article. It is important for the veterinarian to be aware of these factors so that the appropriate surgical or medical treatment can be provided to the patient to optimize the healing processes.
Health Care System Financing And Design: Convergent Trends In North America And Europe

A study of the evolution of health care systems in Canada and Europe shows that the earlier effort at making health care services available to everybody was followed by reform measures focused on cost containment. In the U.S., the rapid rise in health care cost and low access are widely recognized as twin problems. Health care reform in this country first focused on cost containment through managed care to make health insurance affordable, and then shifted to expanding access to coverage at the state level without doing away with the private health insurance market.
Epidemiology of rhabdoid tumors of early childhood.

Author(s): Heck, Julia E; Lombardi, Christina A; Cockburn, Myles; Meyers, Travis J; Wilhelm, Michelle; Ritz, Beate | Abstract: BackgroundRhabdoid tumors are a rare and aggressive cancer subtype which is usually diagnosed in early childhood. Little is known about their etiology. The purpose of this study was to describe the epidemiology of rhabdoid tumors and examine their relation to perinatal characteristics.MethodsWe identified 44 atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors (AT/RT) of the central nervous system (CNS) and 61 rhabdoid sarcomas (renal and extra-renal non-CNS tumors) from California Cancer Registry records of diagnoses 1988-2007 among children l6 years of age. We randomly selected 208,178 controls from California birthrolls. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine associations between rhabdoid tumors and perinatal characteristics.ResultsAfter adjustment for demographic characteristics, low birthweight (l2,500 g) strongly increased risk for developing both rhabdoid sarcomas (OR = 2.43, 95% CI 1.09, 5.41) and AT/RT (OR = 2.99, 95% CI 1.31, 6.84). Both preterm delivery (l37 weeks gestation, OR = 2.63, 95% CI 1.34, 5.17) and late term delivery (g42 weeks, OR = 3.66, 95% CI 1.54, 8.71) also increased risk of rhabdoid sarcomas. Rhabdoid sarcoma cases (OR = 3.08, 95% CI 1.11, 8.55) and AT/RT cases (OR = 3.16, 95% CI 1.23, 8.13) also were more likely to be multiple births.ConclusionThe excess of twin pregnancies may suggest an association with infertility treatments. This is the first population-based epidemiologic study to examine these rare tumors.
Cultures of Violence and Acts of Terror Applying a Legitimation–Habituation Model to Terrorism

Although uniquely positioned to provide insight into the nature and dynamics of terrorism, overall the field of criminology has seen few empirically focused analyses of this form of political violence. This article seeks to add to the understanding of terror through an exploration of how general levels of violence within a given society influence the probability of political dissidents within that society resorting to terror as a form of political action. Drawing on the legitimation–habituation thesis, the authors explore whether general levels of legitimate and illegitimate violence within a society predict terrorist violence (both internal and external in direction) within that society. To do so, the authors use zero-inflated negative binomial regression models to perform time series cross-sectional analysis on predictors of terrorist events from the Global Terrorism Database. The authors find support for their core hypothesis and provide a discussion of the implications for the findings within their da...
Detection of SNP epistasis effects of quantitative traits using an extended Kempthorne model

Epistasis effects (gene interactions) have been increasingly recognized as important genetic factors underlying complex traits. The existence of a large number of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) provides opportunities and challenges to screen DNA variations affecting complex traits using a candidate gene analysis. In this article, four types of epistasis effects of two candidate gene SNPs with Hardy-Weinberg disequilibrium (HWD) and linkage disequilibrium (LD) are considered: additive x additive, additive x dominance, dominance x additive, and dominance x dominance. The Kempthorne genetic model was chosen for its appealing genetic interpretations of the epistasis effects. The method in this study consists of extension of Kempthorne's definitions of 35 individual genetic effects to allow HWD and LD, genetic contrasts of the 35 extended individual genetic effects to define the 4 epistasis effects, and a linear model method for testing epistasis effects. Formulas to predict statistical power (as a function of contrast heritability, sample size, and type I error) and sample size (as a function of contrast heritability, type I error, and type II error) for detecting each epistasis effect were derived, and the theoretical predictions agreed well with simulation studies. The accuracy in estimating each epistasis effect and rates of false positives in the absence of all or three epistasis effects were evaluated using simulations. The method for epistasis testing can be a useful tool to understand the exact mode of epistasis, to assemble genome-wide SNPs into an epistasis network, and to assemble all SNP effects affecting a phenotype using pairwise epistasis tests.
The synthesis and characterization of a technetium nitrosyl complex with cis-{2-pyridyl,diphenylphosphine} coligands. The X-ray crystal structure of [TcCL2(NO) (pyPPh2-P,N) (pyPPh2-P)]

Abstract The reaction of the Tc(II) nitrosyl complex (Bu 4 N) [Tc(NO)Cl 4 ] with excess pyPPh 2 in refluxing MeOH gives the bis -pyridyl-diphenylphosphine complex [TcCl 2 (NO)(pyPPh 2 - P , N ) (pyPPh 2 - P )]. The IR spectrum of the crystalline product shows a medium intensity band at 1092 cm −1 and a very strong band at 1732 cm −1 which is assigned to v (Tc=N) from the nitrosyl core. The FAB(+) mass spectrum shows the protonated parent ion of 725 m / z and the peak associated with the loss of a chloride ligand from the parent ion of 690 m / z . The 1 H NMR spectrum of the diamagnetic Tc(1) complex shows an extended series of multiples in the aryl region between 7.0 and 9.15 ppm. The X-ray crystal structure shows an unusual cis arrangement of these bulky phosphine ligands with one of these phosphine ligands coordinated in a bidentate manner. The Tc-N bond length of 1.743(5) A is consistent with the multiple bonding expected for the linearly bonded nitrosyl ligand. The Tc-N-O bond angle of 177.2(5)° reflects the sp hybridization of the nitrosyl-nitrogen atom. The Tc-P bonds are 2.400(2) and 2.405(2) A, which are unexceptional, as are the Tc-Cl bonds of 2.447(2) and 2.441(2) A. The coordination geometry of this complex is best described as a very distorted octahedron. The P-Tc-N bond angle of the chelated pyridyl phosphine ligand is 66.1(1)°, which reflects the very small bite angle imposed by the four-membered chelate ring of this phosphine. This is compensated for by a large P-Tc-P angle of 107.82(5)°, imposed by the cis -phosphine coordination of these bulky tri-aryl phosphine ligands. Crystal data for C 34 5 H 29 Cl 4 N 4 OP 3 Tc: triclinic space group P1, a=9.8440(3), b=13.4854(5), c=14.2401(5) A , α=106.406(1), β=96.013(1), γ=92.792(1) 2 V=1797.35(11) A 3 , with D calc =1.419 g cm −3 . Structure solution based on 5018 observed reflections converged at R =5.28%, for (1>2 σ (1)); GOF=1.73.
The perceived reality of television and aggressive predispositions among children in Mexico

Abstract The perceived reality of television among Mexican children is examined, with 300 children in Mexico City schools as respondents. The prediction of perceived reality from real life experiences, exposure to and functions and gratifications of television, demographics, and interpersonal contact is attempted, and the relationship between perceived reality and the child's aggressive predispositions is explored. Similarities and dissimilarities are outlined between the findings with the Mexican sample and the findings of an earlier, similar study of American children. In both cultures, the influence of significant others and the use of TV for companionship significantly predict perceived reality. Various differences between the two cultures (e.g., the importance of the level of abstraction for the referent in the American sample and not in the Mexican study) are discussed.
Effects of hormonal contraceptives on bone mineral density.

The clinical research to date on the effects of 3 types of hormonal contraceptives, i.e. depot medroxyprogesterone acetate ('Depo-Provera'), levonorgestrel subdermal implants ('Norplant'), and oral contraceptives, on bone mineral density in premenopausal women is reviewed. The large variance in results across studies for each method is in part due to differences in research design, techniques for measuring bone mineral density, age of the study participants and type of oral contraceptive preparation. However, the balance of the evidence leans toward a positive effect of oral contraceptives on bone mineral density in women of all age. On the other hand, few observations have yet been published on the effects of the new progestin oral contraceptives on bone mineral density. The few extant data suggest a positive impact of levonorgestrel subdermal implants on bone mineral density in women of all ages. Although the findings are preliminary, it appears that depot medroxyprogesterone acetate may exert a negative effect on bone mineral density. More specifically, caution should be exercised in prescribing long term depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (e.g. > 5 years) especially in young adolescents (e.g. < 16 years old) who may not have yet reached peak bone mass.
Programmable logic devices in undergraduate digital design courses

It is pointed out that design automation tools and programmable logic devices allow the student to put the design into a single chip and test and debug the logical operations with a simulator. Students enjoy applying the programmable logic devices while gaining knowledge of current design practices. An actual senior design project is used as an example.
The effects of external potassium and long duration voltage conditioning on the amplitude of sodium currents in the giant axon of the squid, Loligo pealei.

Giant axons were voltage-clamped in solutions of constant sodium concentration (230 mM) and variable potassium concentrations (from 0 to 210 mM). The values of the peak initial transient current, Ip, were measured as a function of conditioning prepulse duration over the range from less than 1 msec to over 3 min. Prepulse amplitudes were varied from Em = -20 mv to Em = -160 mv. The attenuation of the Ip values in high [Ko] was found to vary as a function of time when long duration conditioning potentials were applied. In both high and low [Ko], Ip values which had reached a quasi-steady—state level within a few milliseconds following a few milliseconds of hyperpolarization were found to increase following longer hyperpolarization. A second plateau was reached with a time constant of about 100–500 msec and a third with a time constant in the range of 30 to 200 sec. The intermediate quasi-steady—state level was absent in K-free ASW solutions. Sodium inactivation curves, normalized to Ipmax values obtained at either the first or second plateaus, were significantly different in different [Ko]. The inactivation curves, however, tended to superpose after about 1 min of hyperpolarizing conditioning. The time courses and magnitudes of the intermediate and very slow sodium conductance restorations induced by long hyperpolarizing pulses are in agreement with those predicted from the calculated rates and magnitudes of [K+] depletion in the space between the axolemma and the Schwann layer.
Candida albicans Ultrastructure: Colonization and Invasion of Oral Epithelium

The colonization and invasion of various animal oral mucosae by Candida albicans were examined in an organ culture model. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy of the oral epithelium between 12 and 30 h after inoculation with the fungus revealed the morphological relationships between host and parasite. Examination of the fungi in thin sections showed five distinct layers in the cell wall of C. albicans within the epithelium, but changes were evident in the organization and definition of the outer cell wall layers in budding hyphae and in hyphae participating in colonization and invasion of the epithelial cells. Adherence of the fungus to the superficial cells of the oral mucosa appeared to involve intimate contact between the epithelial cell surface and the deeper layers of the fungal cell wall. During invasion a close seal was maintained between the invading hyphae and the surrounding epithelial cell envelope, there being no other evidence of damage to the host cell surface except at the site of entry. Within the epithelial cells there was only occasional loss of cytoplasmic components in the vicinity of the invading hyphae. These findings would suggest that enzymatic lysis associated with the invasive process is localized and that the mechanical support provided by surface adherence and the intimate association between the fungus and the epithelial cell envelope may permit growth of Candida on through the epithelium.
FDDI, technology and applications

Physical Medium (PMD) (S. Mirchandani, et al..) Physical Layer (PHY) (R. Limaye) Medium Access Control (MAC) (J. Kadambi & S. Data) Station Management (SMT) (M. Wood) FDDI-II (R. Calvo & S. Mirchandani) FDDI Performance Tuning (S. Mirchandani & J. Kadambi) Cabling and Plant Layout (S. Mirchandani & C. Clark) FDDI Concentrator Design (S. Haddock) FDDI Adapter Design (S. Rege & R. Kalkunte) FDDI Systems Testing (S. Dhawan) Connectionless Protocols Over FDDI (D. Katz) Applications of FDDI (N. Taneja & S. Mirchandani) Interconnecting LANs Using FDDI (C. Michelson) Migrating to FDDI (R. Khanna) Appendix Glossary Index.
Basal metabolism of the black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) and the Siberian polecat (M. eversmannii)

Black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes) and Siberian polecats (M. eversmannii) are mediumsized (about 1 kg) mustelids with similar ecological and morphological characteristics. We measured basal metabolic rates (BMR) for both species. In contrast with the commonly stated belief that mustelids have relatively high mass-specific BMR, neither the BMR of ferrets nor that of polecats in winter was greater than standard allometric predictions for all mammals. As suggested by previous authors, we believe that our relatively lower measurements for BMR are due to our efforts to minimize stress during the experimental procedure. These results support the contention that BMR in mustelids is no different from what is expected of mammals of this body mass. Seasonal differences were found in polecat BMR (higher in summer) but not in ferret BMR. Reasons for this interspecific difference may relate to differences in natural histories of these species.
Microbenchmark performance comparison of high-speed cluster interconnects

Today's distributed and high-performance applications require high computational power and high communication performance. Recently, the computational power of commodity PCs has doubled about every 18 months. At the same time, network interconnects that provide very low latency and very high bandwidth are also emerging. This is a promising trend in building high-performance computing environments by clustering - combining the computational power of commodity PCs with the communication performance of high-speed network interconnects. There are several network interconnects that provide low latency and high bandwidth. Traditionally, researchers have used simple microbenchmarks, such as latency and bandwidth tests, to characterize a network interconnects communication performance. Later, they proposed more sophisticated models such as LogP. However, these tests and models focus on general parallel computing systems and do not address many features present in these emerging commercial interconnects. Another way to evaluate different network interconnects is to use real-world applications. However, real applications usually run on top of a middleware layer such as the message passing interface (MPI). Our results show that to gain more insight into the performance characteristics of these interconnects, it is important to go beyond simple tests such as those for latency and bandwidth. In future, we plan to expand our microbenchmark suite to include more tests and more interconnects.
Six new species of aglajid opisthobranch mollusks from the tropical Indo-Pacific

Six new species of aglajid opisthobranchs are described from various localities in the tropical Indo-Pacific. Philinopsis falciphallus n. sp., found from the Marshall Islands to the Red Sea, is distinguished by its reddish body color, a distinct black or maroon longitudinal line on the foot, a posterior projection on the posterior shield and a penis with a chitinous, sickle-shaped spine and numerous smaller spines. Philinopsis coronata n. sp., known only from the Philippines, is similar to P. falciphallus but dominated by yellow body color and a ventral surface of the foot with yellow and maroon spots. It has a trumpet-shaped penis with a crown of rounded tubercles on the apex and anterior and posterior zones of penial spines. Philinopsis ctenophoraphaga n. sp. is found from the Philippines, Indonesia and the Red Sea. It feeds on platyctene ctenophores, including Coeloplana meteroris. It can be distinguished by its elongate posterior lobe of the headshield, reddish color with white spots, thinly muscularized buccal mass and simple, unarmed penis. Chelidonura mandroroa n. sp. is characterized by its black body with orange patches lined by yellow. It has a simple penis with a cuticularized apical papilla. This species has been found from Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Madagascar and Kenya. Chelidonura alisonae n. sp. is apparently restricted to the central and eastern Pacific of the Hawai’ian Islands, Johnston Island, the Marianas Islands and Easter Island. It is similar in coloration to C. hirundinina, but has orange lines on the dorsal and lateral shields and has a broad right posterior lobe rather than an acutely pointed one. The penis is simple and unarmed. Odontoglaja mosaica n. sp., found from the Indian Ocean of Madagascar and South Africa, differs from O. guamensis by possessing a reticulate pattern on the notum rather than a pattern of brown spots. It also has a shorter penial papilla that is bifurcate rather than undivided one.
Addressing the Controversy of Estimating Pulmonary Arterial Pressure by Echocardiography.

Background There is currently controversy over whether echocardiography provides reliable estimations of pulmonary pressures. The objective of this study was to determine the factors influencing the accuracy and reliability of estimating right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) using echocardiography in patients with advanced lung disease or pulmonary arterial hypertension. Methods Between January 2001 and December 2012, 667 patients with advanced lung disease or pulmonary arterial hypertension underwent right heart catheterization and transthoracic echocardiography. Of those, 307 had both studies within 5 days of each other. The correlation and bias in estimating RVSP according to tricuspid regurgitation (TR) signal quality and reader expertise were retrospectively determined. Reasons for under- and overestimation were analyzed. The diagnostic performance of estimated RVSP, relative right ventricular size, eccentricity index, and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion was compared for classifying patients with pulmonary hypertension (mean pulmonary artery pressure ≥ 25 mm Hg). Results Invasive mean and systolic pulmonary artery pressures were strongly correlated ( R 2 = 0.95, P P > .05). When TR signals were uninterpretable, eccentricity index and right ventricular size were independently associated with pulmonary hypertension (area under the curve, 0.77). Conclusions Echocardiography reliably estimates RVSP when attention is given to simple quality metrics.
A Bayesian Examination of Deep Convective Squall-Line Sensitivity to Changes in Cloud Microphysical Parameters

AbstractDeep convective cloud content, precipitation distribution and rate, dynamics, and radiative fluxes are known to be sensitive to the details of liquid- and ice-phase cloud microphysical processes. Previous studies have explored the multivariate convective response to changes in cloud microphysical parameter values in a framework that isolated the cloud and radiation schemes from the thermodynamic and dynamic environment. This study uses a Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithm to generate sets of cloud microphysical parameters consistent with a specific storm environment in a three-dimensional cloud-system-resolving model. These parameter sets, and the corresponding large ensemble of model simulations, contain information about the univariate model sensitivity, as well as parameter–state and parameter–parameter interactions. Examination of the relationships between cloud parameters and in-cloud vertical motion and latent heat release provides information about the influence of microphys...
The role of alterations in free radical metabolism in mediating cognitive impairments in Down's syndrome.

Down’s syndrome (DS) is a genetic disorder involving an excess of chromosome 21 (trisomy 21) in approximately 96% of the cases and comprises approximately 15% of the population with mental retardation (Heller, 1969). In addition to the constitutional mental deficiencies associated with the syndrome many DS patients develop dementia associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in their later years of life (Thase et al., 1984). The genetic locus for Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD1), a key enzyme in free radical metabolism, is located on chromosome 21, and the activity level of this enzyme is elevated by approximately 50% in a variety of cells of DS patients (see Kedziora and Bartosz, 1988; Sinet, 1982). Because alterations in free radical metabolism may be involved in neuronal death and may be associated with a number of pathological manifestations of DS, it is important to understand the role of free radical metabolism in cognitive impairments of DS, the topic discussed in this chapter.
Symposium: behavior modification by drugs. I. Pharmacology of the amphetamines.

The pharmacology of the amphetamines has been studied for several decades. There is now a great deal of information about their tissue distribution and catabolism, largely by enzymatic oxidative processes. The most clearly characterized actions of the amphetamines occur at catecholamineconaining nerve terminals and tend to enhance the availability of the transmitter to post-synaptic receptors. The actions of the drugs in the CNS include stimulation of the ascending reticular formation of the brainstem, and probably enhancement of the activity of a behavior reinforcement system mediated by the median forebrain bundle. Toxic effects of amphetamine include apparent interactions at the basal ganglia to produce stereotyped behaviors in animals and man. All of these actions might involve catecholaminergic synaptic transmission systems. Under careful, controlled medical supervision the amphetamines are remarkably safe, although in excessive doses they can produce severe toxic, sympathomimetic and psychotic effects and can be lethal. They are subject to gross abuses, and to habituation. Tolerance develops to some of their actions, but usually not to their legitimate and rational uses in narcolepsy and hyperkinesis. Withdrawal symptoms are relatively minor.
Overview of human cytomegalovirus pathogenesis.

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a betaherpesvirus with a global seroprevalence of 60-90%. HCMV is the leading cause of congenital infections and poses a great health risk to immunocompromised individuals. Although HCMV infection is typically asymptomatic in the immunocompetent population, infection can result in mononucleosis and has also been associated with the development of certain cancers, as well as chronic inflammatory diseases such as various cardiovascular diseases. In immunocompromised patients, including AIDS patients, transplant recipients, and developing fetuses, HCMV infection is associated with increased rates of morbidity and mortality. Currently there is no vaccine for HCMV and there is a need for new pharmacological treatments. Ongoing research seeks to further define the complex aspects of HCMV pathogenesis, which could potentially lead to the generation of new therapeutics to mitigate the disease states associated with HCMV infection. The following chapter reviews the advancements in our understanding of HCMV pathogenesis in the immunocompetent and immunocompromised hosts.