cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Housing Stability and Problem Gambling: Is There a Relationship?

ABSTRACT Despite negative consequences, few studies have explored problem-gambling risk and housing stability. This article examined whether gamblers with stable housing would be at lower problem-gambling risk than those with transient/unstable housing. Community-recruited 15- to 85-year-old gamblers (n = 312) provided structured telephone interviews of their gambling problems, substance and psychiatric conditions, and sociodemographics, including current living situations. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition, Text Revision gambling criteria classified three gambling groups. Results show that for every one non-problem gambler, 0.24 subthreshold gamblers experienced stable housing (95% CI = 0.08–0.79). Future research necessitates further delineation of the relationship of housing stability and problem-gambling risk.
Role of methylthioadenosine/S-adenosylhomocysteine nucleosidase in Vibrio cholerae cellular communication and biofilm development.

In Vibrio cholerae, the genes required for biofilm development are repressed by quorum sensing at high cell density due to the accumulation in the medium of two signaling molecules, cholera autoinducer 1 (CAI-1) and autoinducer 2 (AI-2). A significant fraction of toxigenic V. cholerae isolates, however, exhibit dysfunctional quorum sensing pathways. It was reported that transition state analogs of the enzyme methylthioadenosine/S-adenosylhomocysteine nucleosidase (MtnN) required to make AI-2 inhibited biofilm formation in the prototype quorum sensing-deficient strain N16961. This finding prompted us to examine the role of both autoinducers and MtnN in biofilm development and virulence gene expression in a quorum sensing-deficient genetic background. Here we show that deletion of mtnN encoding methylthioadenosine/S-adenosylhomocysteine nucleosidase, cqsA (CAI-1), and/or luxS (AI-2) do not prevent biofilm development. However, two independent mtnN mutants exhibited diminished growth rate and motility in swarm agar plates suggesting that, under certain conditions, MtnN could influence biofilm formation indirectly. Nevertheless, MtnN is not required for the development of a mature biofilm.
Indexing and retrieval strategies for natural language fact retrieval

Researchers in artificial intelligence have recently become interested in natural language fact retrieval; currently, their research is at a point where it can begin contributing to the field of Information Retrieval. In this paper, strategies for a natural language fact retrieval system are mapped out, and approaches to many of the organization and retrieval problems are presented. The CYRUS system, which keeps track of important people and is queried in English, is presented and used to illustrate those solutions.
Fluorodeoxyuridine with continuous leucovorin infusion a phase ii clinical trial in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer

Background. Chemotherapy of colon cancer has used the modulation of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) by leucovorin; however, early studies indicate that leucovorin with fluorodeoxyuridine (FUDR) may be clinically superior. The authors report their experience in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Methods. One hundred twelve evaluable patients with metastatic colorectal cancer were treated with leucovorin and FUDR. Leucovorin was given by continuous intravenous infusion at 500 mg/m2/day on days 1–6, and FUDR was given by intravenous push on days 2–6 at 3:00 p.m. daily, with doses ranging from 270–1350 mg/m2/day. Results. This regimen was well tolerated with doselimiting toxicity of diarrhea and stomatitis, while hematologic toxicity was minimal. At least one chemotherapy regimen had previously failed in 90 of 112 patients (80%). Twenty major responses greater than or equal to partial remission, lasting from 2–40+ months, were observed in this patient population for an overall response rate of 18%. Twelve of 22 previously untreated patients (55%) had major responses. Overall survival of previously untreated patients was 73% (14 of 19) and 50% (11 of 22) at 1 and 2 years, respectively. Of 66 patients who had received prior leucovorin-5-FU (LVFU) therapy with subsequent disease progression, 4 had major responses lasting 95, 241, 350, and 432 days, respectively. Conclusions. These data suggest that the modulation of FUDR by leucovorin may have clinical use. The recommended starting dose of FUDR is 800 mg/m2/day on days 2–6, with subsequent escalation each month in those patients who do not display stomatitis.
Adequacy of reporting race/ethnicity in clinical trials in areas of health disparities

Although federal initiatives have mandated broader inclusion of minorities in clinical research on diseases that have disparities in health by race and ethnicity, it is not clear whether these initiatives have affected reporting of trial results. The objective of this study was to examine the reporting of race/ethnicity in clinical trials reports in areas of known disparities in health (i.e., diabetes, cardiovascular disease, HIV/AIDS, and cancer) and to determine what factors were associated with reporting of race/ethnicity in results. We performed a Medline search covering the period January 1989 to Oct 2000 to identify clinical trials of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, HIV/AIDS, and cancer published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, JAMA, and New England Journal of Medicine. The main outcome measure was the reporting of participation and of results by race/ethnicity of trial participants. Of 253 eligible trials, 40% (n = 102) were non race-focused yet did not report race, while 2% (n = 4) were non gender-focused and did not report gender. Forty-six percent of trials that reported the race/ethnicity of the sample reported only one or two racial/ethnic categories, and in 43% of these trials the total number of individuals reported in each race/ethnicity category did not equal the total reported sample size. Analysis of results by race/ethnicity was reported in only two trials, and by gender in only three trials. In diseases with known racial and ethnic disparities, many clinical trials do not report the race/ethnicity of the study participants, and almost none report analyses by race/ethnicity. Although federal initiatives mandate inclusion of minority groups in research, that inclusion has not translated to reporting of results that might guide therapeutic decisions.
Missed opportunities during pediatric residency training: report of a 10-year follow-up survey in critical care transport medicine.

Objectives The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education requires pediatric residency training programs to provide exposure to the prehospital management and transport of patients. The authors hypothesized that compared with a similar study a decade prior, current pediatric residency training programs have reduced requirements for participation in transport medicine, thus reducing further the opportunities for residents to learn the management of critically ill infants and children. Methods In 2009, a questionnaire was distributed to 182 pediatric residency program directors. The authors obtained information regarding the neonatal and pediatric transport teams, the training program size, and the pediatric residents' role in the transport team. Results Sixty-eight (37%) of the 182 surveyed institutions responded. Residents were involved in neonatal and pediatric transports in 42.8% and 55.0% of programs, respectively. When involved in transports, residents were the neonatal and pediatric team leaders 44.4% and 42.4% of the time, respectively. Evaluation of resident transport performance occurred consistently in only 23.3% (neonatal) and 21% (pediatric) of programs. Most programs (90.3%) endorsed the concept of a curriculum that would uniquely provide an integrated experience in critical care transport to increase resident exposure, competence, and confidence. Conclusions Pediatric residency participation in neonatal and pediatric critical care transport continued to decline among training programs. Residents participating in transports were less likely to function as team leaders and frequently did not receive performance evaluations. Most respondents welcomed a curriculum that would increase residents' exposure to the critically ill infants and children transported by neonatal and pediatric teams.
Effects of lipid composition on the association of plasma proteins with lipid emulsions

Abstract Lipid emulsions stabilized with phospholipids provide a means for experimental study of lipid-protein interactions at the emulsion surface. The triacylglycerol-rich plasma lipoproteins can be modeled by emulsions, to determine how associations with plasma proteins may regulate the metabolism of chylomicrons and very-low-density lipoproteins. In these experiments emulsions of methyl oleate, ethyl oleate, glyceryl trioleate, and erythrityl tetraoleate were prepared. In each case the emulsion was stabilized with egg yolk phosphatidylcholine, and cholesterol was present in amounts similar to nascent triacylglycerol-rich lipoproteins. When these four emulsions were incubated with plasma or with plasma subfractions the glyceryl trioleate and erythrityl tetraoleate emulsions bound the plasma apolipoproteins AI, AIV, CII, CIII, and E plus albumin, in patterns similar to lymph chylomicrons. In contrast the methyl oleate and ethyl oleate emulsions bound less proteins overall, and the pattern was different from lymph chylomicrons. Also in comparison with the glyceryl trioleate emulsion, the commercial emulsion Intralipid bound more albumin and less apolipoproteins. The glyceryl trioleate emulsion bound bovine serum albumin in larger amounts than human serum albumin. Emulsions with cores of erythrityl tetraoleate may be useful as experimental substitutes for triacylglycerols in lipoprotein model emulsions.
Pressure-Driven Superfluid Helium Flow

From the Langer and Fisher thermal-fluctuation theory we have determined the pressure-velocity dependence for pressure-driven intrinsic superfluid helium flow to be $p\ensuremath{\propto}\mathrm{exp}(\frac{\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\beta}{\ensuremath{\rho}}_{s}}{\ensuremath{\rho}{v}_{s}\mathrm{kT}})$. Experiments of pressure-driven intrinsic flow through submicron pores in porous mica are in agreement with this relation.
SU-FF-T-418: Therapeutic Advantage of GRID Therapy Using a Multileaf Collimator

Purpose:Dosimetry of megavoltage spatially fractionated (GRID) radiation therapy using a multileaf collimator(MLC GRID) was carried out using films. Its therapeutic advantage was assessed based on dosimetric measurements by a linear quadratic model. Therapeutic advantages obtained from MLC GRIDs were compared with a Cerrobend GRID. Materials and Methods: A Varian Clinac 2100EX linear accelerator equipped with an MLC was used for the MLC GRID therapy. The two MLC GRID blocks were denoted by MLC5 and MLC10, representing 5×5 and 10×10 mm openings projected at isocenter, respectively. Cerrobend GRID blocks were used for comparison with MLC GRIDs. A linear‐quadratic (LQ) model was used to calculate the survival fraction (SF) of tumor and normal tissues. Therapeutic gain was obtained by the SF ratios of normal tissues under an MLC GRID to that under equivalent open field. Results: 5×5 and 10×10 mm GRIDS (i.e., MLC5 and MLC10 GRIDs) were created using a MLC using 6 MV and 18 MV x rays. Their dose distributions were measured at different depths using a film dosimetry. The peak‐to‐valley dose ratios at the depth of maximum dose at 100cm SSD were found to be 19% for MLC5 and 17% for MLC10. Therapeutic ratios varied from 0.9 to 45 for a wide range of tumor sensitivities at single fraction doses of up to 30 Gy. MLC10 GRID therapy showed a higher therapeutic gain than MLC5 and an 8mm Cerrobend GRID block. Conclusion: With high, single‐fraction doses,MLC GRID radiotherapy exhibited a significant therapeutic advantage over the open field radiotherapy when the tumor cells were more radioresistant. Dosimetric properties of MLC GRIDs allowed for therapeutic evaluation using a modified LQ model. One of the GRIDs investigated, MLC10 showed a great increase in therapeutic benefit compared to MLC5 and a Cerrobend GRID block with 8mm apertures.
Mild acidosis protects hippocampal neurons from injury induced by oxygen and glucose deprivation.

Abstract Hippocampal neurons are extremely sensitive to ischemic injury; two plausible mechanisms have been implicated in mediating such damage. The first involves overexposure of neurons to excitatoryN-methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) receptor agonists, which mobilize damaging concentrations of intracellular calcium; the second involves the generation of damaging tissue acidosis. A recent report shows that exposure to pH 6.6 can block NMDA-induced calcium currents in hippocampal neurons. This suggests that moderate acidity might protect against NMDA-mediated neurotoxicity and ischemic injury in vivo. We have observed such projection in vitro using primary hippocampal cultures. At an extracellular pH of 7.4, 6 h of glucose-free anoxia caused delayed and profound damage to neurons which was partially attenuated by the NMDA receptor antagonist, 2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid (APV). Dropping the pH to 6.5 provided virtually complete protection against this insult. Thus, acidosis need not be viewed exclusively as a damaging component of ischemic insults.
Oxidation of nonylphenol and octylphenol by manganese dioxide: kinetics and pathways.

Due to their potent estrogenicity and ubiquitous occurrence, non-ionic surfactant metabolites nonylphenol (NP) and octylphenol (OP) are of significant concern. Abiotic chemical oxidation by naturally abundant metal oxides may be an important route of their environmental attenuation, but is poorly understood. We investigated the reaction kinetics and pathways of NP and OP with MnO2. At pH 5.5 and 100 mg/L δ-MnO2, 92, 84 and 76% of 4-n-NP, 4-tert-OP and technical nonylphenol (tNP) was transformed in 90 min, respectively. A further experiment using a Mn-containing soil and Mn-removed soil confirmed that soil MnO2 caused NP removal. Multiple reaction products, including hydroquinone, hydroxylated products, dimers and trimers were identified through fragmentation analysis by GC-MS/MS and UPLC-MS/MS, allowing the construction of tentative pathways. This study suggested that abiotic oxidation by MnO2 may contribute to the dissipation of tNP, 4-n-NP, 4-tert-OP and their analogues in the natural environment.
Assessment of mechanisms for Jovian synchrotron variability associated with comet SL‐9

The impact comet SL-9 with Jupiter induced a number of variations in Jupiter's synchrotron radiation, including an increase in emission intensity, spectral changes, and a possible broadening in the latitudinal distribution of the emission. Considered are three potential mechanisms for inducing such effects (electron acceleration, radial diffusion, and pitch-angle scattering), and their consequences.
Analyzing organizational ideology: A workplace assessment exercise

This paper provides an experiential exercise to increase understanding of employees’ attraction to ideological organizations and its relation to employees’ perception of loyalty, value congruence, and affective organizational commitment. Three separate conditions influencing employee attraction to organizational ideology are loyalty, value congruence, and affective commitment. These three component dimensions of employee attraction are outlined and used to define an eight-phase model through which individuals tend to pass in their decision to form and join ideological organizations.
FULL EMPLOYMENT AND THE NEW ECONOMICS -A COMMENT

Professor Killingsworth's paper ‘Full Employment and the New Economics’1 contains many controversial hypotheses. I prefer to avoid the pitfalls of the ‘aggregate demand’ versus ‘structural change’ controversy, and will just comment on some of the strained interpretations Killingsworth places on the data.
Extravesical Ureteral Reimplantation: Results in 128 Patients

AbstractPurpose: We evaluated the results of extravesical ureteral reimplantation in children.Materials and Methods: We reviewed the records of 128 children (174 ureters) who underwent ureteral reimplantation via extravesical techniques. Primary vesicoureteral reflux was the most common diagnosis (73 patients).Results: The extravesical technique produced a successful result in all patients (no reflux or obstruction). The 2 complications included postoperative urosepsis and transient urinary retention.Conclusions: Extravesical ureteral reimplantation is a reliable procedure with predictable results comparable to those of more traditional intravesical techniques.
Studies of Metals in Crocodilians by Spectrochemical Methods

Abstract: This review covers the results of metal determinations using various spectrochemical analytical techniques in crocodilians from various geographical regions. The most widely determined metal is mercury, both inorganic and organic. However, many other metals, including the known toxic metals of lead and cadmium, have been determined. In general, more elevated levels of metals have been determined in crocodilians from potentially contaminated as opposed to more pristine areas. Significant differences in concentrations for many metals have been demonstrated in captive versus wild alligators. The part of crocodilians most widely utilized for food, tail or tail meat, has attracted the most interest, but studies on kidney and liver as well as blood have been reported. Eggs and hatchings have also been examined for several metal concentrations.
Symbolic communication between two chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)

Through use of learned symbols, two chimpanzees accurately specified 11 foods by name to one another when the food item's identity was known by only one. They could not do this when denied use of the symbols. The chimpanzees then spontaneously requested specific foods of one another by name. Requests resulted in cooperative and reciprocal symbolically mediated food exchange.
1,1,2‐trichloro‐1,2,2‐trifluoroethane for oilseed extractions: Demonstration of a viscosity effect

Extractions of full fat soy flake and meal were carried out at 5 to 70 C with hexane and 1,1,2-trichloro-l,2,2-trifluoroethane (FC-113) and their corresponding miscellas in order to evaluate FC-113 as a process solvent. In flake extraction, the rate of oil extraction by FC-113 was markedly improved with increasing temperature while extraction by hexane was relatively independent of temperature. In contrast, extraction of flake by the miscellas from both solvents and extraction of meal by fresh solvents gave similar results. A comparison of solvent properties indicates that the differences can be related to the viscosity dependent diffusion into the microporous flakes and suggests similar efficiencies for FC-113 and hexane in countercurrent flow extractors operating at elevated temperatures.
Sphingosine kinase-2 inhibition improves mitochondrial function and survival after hepatic ischemia–reperfusion

Background & Aims The mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) and inflammation play important roles in liver injury caused by ischemia–reperfusion (IR). This study investigated the roles of sphingosine kinase-2 (SK2) in mitochondrial dysfunction and inflammation after hepatic IR. Methods Mice were gavaged with vehicle or ABC294640 (50mg/kg), a selective inhibitor of SK2, 1h before surgery and subjected to 1h-warm ischemia to ∼70% of the liver followed by reperfusion. Results Following IR, hepatic SK2 mRNA and sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) levels increased ∼25- and 3-fold, respectively. SK2 inhibition blunted S1P production and liver injury by 54–91%, and increased mouse survival from 28% to 100%. At 2h after reperfusion, mitochondrial depolarization was observed in 74% of viable hepatocytes, and mitochondrial voids excluding calcein disappeared, indicating MPT onset in vivo . SK2 inhibition decreased mitochondrial depolarization and prevented MPT onset. Inducible nitric oxide synthase, phosphorylated NFκB-p65, TNFα mRNA, and neutrophil infiltration, all increased markedly after hepatic IR, and these increases were blunted by SK2 inhibition. In cultured hepatocytes, anoxia/re-oxygenation resulted in increases of SK2 mRNA, S1P levels, and cell death. SK2 siRNA and ABC294640 each substantially decreased S1P production and cell death in cultured hepatocytes. Conclusions SK2 plays an important role in mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation responses, hepatocyte death, and survival after hepatic IR and represents a new target for the treatment of IR injury.
Poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid microspheres encapsulated in Pluronic F-127 prolong hirudin delivery and improve functional recovery from a demyelination lesion

Components of the blood have been proposed as potential therapeutic targets for improving cellular regeneration after injury and neurodegenerative disease. In this work, thrombin is shown to increase endogenous neural progenitor proliferation in the intact murine spinal cord. A local injection of heparin before a spinal cord injury reduces cell proliferation and astrogliogenesis associated with scarring. We sought to create depot-formulations of PLGA microsphere and Pluronic F-127 for sustained local delivery of two thrombin inhibitors, heparin and hirudin. Each hydrogel depot-formulation showed delayed drug release compared to microspheres or hydrogel alone. Animals with a lateral demyelination lesion showed a reduction in CD68+ macrophages when treated with hirudin-loaded PLGA/F-127 gels compared to control and heparin-treated animals. Moreover, hirudin-loaded materials showed an accelerated recovery in coordinated stepping and increased oligodendrocyte densities. Together, these data demonstrate that controlled delivery of hirudin accelerates functional recovery from a demyelination lesion in the spinal cord.
Reduction of Se(VI) to Se(-II) by zerovalent iron nanoparticle suspensions

The reaction of selenate (Se(VI)) with zerovalent iron nanoparticles (nano Fe0) was studied using both conventional batch equilibrium and X-ray spectroscopic techniques. Nano Fe0 has a high uptake capacity for removal of dissolved Se(VI) reaching concentrations as high as 0.10 Se:Fe molar ratio in the solid product mixture. Kinetic studies of the Se(VI) uptake reaction in batch experiments showed an initial reaction rate (0–30 min) of 0.0364 min−1 which was four times greater than conventional Fe0 powder. Analysis of the oxidation state of Se in the solid products by X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy showed evidence for the reduction of Se(VI) to insoluble selenide (Se(-II)) species. Structural analysis of the product by extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy suggested that Se(-II) was associated with nano Fe0 oxidation products as a poorly ordered iron selenide (FeSe) compound. The fitted first shell Se–Fe interatomic distance of 2.402 (±0.004) A matched closely with previous studies of the products of Se(IV)-treated Fe(II)-clays and zero-valent iron/iron carbide (Fe/Fe3C). The poorly ordered FeSe product was associated with Fe0 corrosion product phases such as crystalline magnetite (Fe3O4) and Fe(III) oxyhydroxide. The results of this investigation suggest that nano Fe0 is a strong reducing agent capable of efficient reduction of soluble Se oxyanions to insoluble Se(-II).
Leishmania chagasi: The α-tubulin intercoding region results in constant levels of mRNA abundance despite protein synthesis inhibition and growth state

The intercoding regions of many Leishmania sp. genes have been implicated in the regulation of mRNA processing, stability, and translation. Herein we show that the intercoding region of the Leishmania chagasi α-tubulin gene (α-TUB) confers stable β-galactosidase (β-GAL) reporter mRNA levels during promastigote growth and development in vitro and during protein synthesis inhibition. The abundance of both endogenous α-TUB mRNA and β-GAL mRNA from a β-GAL coding region situated upstream of the α-TUB intercoding region did not change significantly as promastigotes grew from logarithmic to stationary phase in vitro and the half-life of the β-GAL mRNA remained constant. The abundance of both the endogenous α-TUB and the β-GAL mRNA increased by less than 2-fold after protein synthesis inhibition corresponding to a moderate increase in mRNA half-life. These data suggest that the α-TUB intercoding region is an excellent control for the study of the regulation of other differentially expressed genes.
Vitamin A metabolism in rats chronically treated with 3,3',4,4',5,5'-hexabromobiphenyl.

Abstract Chronic dietary administration of 3,3′,4,4′,5,5′-hexabromobiphenyl (HBB), 1 mg/kg diet, caused a decrease in retinol (20-fold) and retinyl esters (23-fold) in the livers of female rats, but resulted in a 6.4-fold increase in retinol and 7.4-fold increase in retinyl esters in the kidneys. Liver acyl-CoA: retinol acyltransferase and retinyl palmitate hydrolase activities were reduced while serum concentration of retinol was unaffected by HBB feeding. Metabolism of a physiological dose of [11-3H]retinyl acetate (10 μg), was examined in rats fed either vitamin A-adequate diet, or marginal amounts of vitamin A, or vitamin A-adequate diet containing HBB. A 13-fold greater amount of the administered vitamin A was found in kidneys of HBB-treated rats. In rats fed adequate or low amounts of vitamin A, kidney radioactivity was primarily in the retinol fraction, while in HBB-fed rats the radioactivity was associated mostly with retinyl esters. Fecal and urinary excretion of radioactivity was greatly increased in HBB-treated rats. Chronic HBB feeding results in a loss of ability of liver to store vitamin A, and severely alters the uptake and metabolism of vitamin A in the kidneys. We conclude that HBB causes major disturbances in the regulation of vitamin A metabolism.
An analysis of muscle spindle behavior using randomly applied stretches.

Abstract The behavior of mammalian muscle spindles to relatively large amplitude randomly applied stretches is compared to the linear behavior elicited by small amplitude sinusoidal stretches. The results disclose two apparently independent sources of nonlinear behavior. One is a static nonlinearity affecting both primary and secondary endings in which the sensitivity decreases with stretch amplitude up to about 1% stretch. The other is a ‘dynamic’ nonlinearity affecting only primary endings that is manifest as a charge in the ratio of rate to proportional sensitivity depending on the duration of an applied stretch.
Changes in the magnitude of simultaneous brightness contrast as a function of extended practice

In 35 sessions of 10 trials apiece, each of eight Ss viewed and judged a display which produced simultaneous brightness contrast. All Ss were given an instructional set toward realistic perception. Members of one subgroup were informed as to the magnitude of their judgments; members of another were not. For every S, there occurred highly significant changes in magnitude of simultaneous brightness contrast over time. There were wide individual differences in the nature of the changes, not all of which were decremental. No significant differences were found as between informed and noninformed groups. The results are viewed as giving limited support to the notion of learning in the perception of simultaneous brightness contrast.
Nailing down another HIV target.

The T-20 peptide targets the HIV envelope glycoprotein, inducing dose-dependent reductions in plasma HIV RNA that are equivalent to those induced by existing drugs ( ).
Ground-water-flow conditions within a bottomland hardwood wetland, Eastern Arkansas

Water levels were measured monthly at 9 staff gages and 35 wells along two transects within the Black Swamp bottomland hardwood wetland and perpendicular to the Cache River in eastern Arkansas from December 1989 to September 1992 in order to (1) describe the ground-water-flow conditions at locations within a bottomland hardwood wetland and (2) determine the relation between the frequency of different ground-water-flow conditions and physical characteristics within the wetland. Three ground-water-flow conditions predominated at various times in the Black Swamp: (1) discharge of water from the alluvial aquifer to the wetland, (2) recharge of water from the wetland into the alluvial aquifer, and (3) flow of water from the wetland into the alluvial aquifer and then to the nearby Cache River (local flow). Analyses of hydraulic head differences between surface and ground water indicate that discharge occurred 31% of the measurement times at both transects. Recharge occurred 39% of the measurement times and tended to occur more often at locations that are far from the Cache River and that overlie low ground-water levels in the lower part of the alluvial aquifer. Local ground-water flow occurred 28% of the measurement times and tended to occur more often at locations close to the Cache River. Ground-water pumpage results in water-level declines in the lower part of the alluvial aquifer near the Black Swamp wetland. When compared with an area not affected by pumping, these lower ground-water levels increased the frequency of recharge of Black Swamp water into the alluvial aquifer by nearly a factor of 7, decreased the frequency of local ground-water flow to the Cache River to less than half, and decreased the frequency of discharge by about 22%.
Systematic Individualized Narrative Language Intervention on the Personal Narratives of Children With Autism

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of an individualized, systematic language intervention on the personal narratives of children with autism. Method A single-subject, m...
The effects of constant light and light pulses on the circadian rhythm in the eye ofAplysia

1. A circadian rhythm in the frequency and amplitude of compound action potential (CAP) from the isolated eye ofAplysia persists for a week or morein vitro in constant darkness. This rhythm has a period of about 26 hours (Figs. 1,2) in a specific culture medium and may express several periodic amplitude components (Fig. 3). 2. Constant light (LL) of low intensity shortens the period (Pig. 4) and reduces the range of oscillations. Higher intensity LL results in a further reduction in range, a greater variability of CAP frequency from hour to hour, alterations in the period, and possibly rhythm splits (Fig. 5). 3. Pulses of light given at specific points in the circadian cycle shift the phase of the rhythm (Fig. 7). The resulting phase response curve (Fig. 8) is similar to response curves for the activity of diurnal animals and potassium pulses on the eye rhythm.
A euclidean distance transformation for improved anomaly detection in spectral imagery

Remotely sensed spectral imagery is used in many disciplines, including environmental monitoring, agricultural health, defense and security applications, astronomy, medical imaging, and food quality assessment. The basic tasks performed within any of these fields are target or anomaly detection, classification or clustering, change detection, and physical parameter estimation. Hyperspectral image (HSI) analysis in any field often involves mathematically transforming the raw data into a new space using Principal Components Analysis (PCA) or similar techniques. The dimensionality of this new space is usually smaller than the collected space and as a result reduces computation time of subsequent algorithms. Additionally and more importantly, the results of standard algorithms may perform better in this new, uncor-related space. Many of the currently used transformations in HSI analysis are statistical in nature and therefore place Gaussian or similar assumptions on the data distribution. These assumptions work well with remote sensing imagery with low spectral and/or spatial resolution. In low resolution imagery, each pixel is a mixture of many materials and the data distribution is often sufficiently represented by statistical distributions. However, as the current generation sensors typically have higher spatial and/or spectral resolution, the complexity of the data collected is increasing and these assumptions are no longer adequate. As a result, algorithms based on these statistical transformations do not necessarily provide improved results on modern datasets. A new, data driven, mathematical transformation is presented as a preprocessing step for HSI analysis. Termed the Nearest Neighbor Transformation, this new transformation does not rely on placing assumptions on the data and may improve analytical results from standard HSI anomaly detection algorithms.
Role of Emerald Ash Borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) Larval Vibrations in Host-Quality Assessment by Tetrastichus planipennisi (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae)

The biological control agent Tetrastichus planipennisi Yang (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) is a gregarious larval endoparasitoid of the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), an invasive cambium-feeding species responsible for recent, widespread mortality of ash (Fraxinus spp.) in North America. T. planipennisi is known to prefer late-instar emerald ash borer, but the cues used to assess host size by this species and most other parasitoids of concealed hosts remain unknown. We sought to test whether vibrations produced by feeding emerald ash borer vary with larval size and whether there are any correlations between these cues and T. planipennisi progeny number (i.e., brood size) and sex ratio. The amplitudes and rates of 3-30-ms vibrational impulses produced by emerald ash borer larvae of various sizes were measured in the laboratory before presenting the larvae to T. planipennisi. Impulse-rate did not vary with emerald ash borer size, but vibration amplitude was significantly higher for large larvae than for small larvae. T. planipennisi produced a significantly higher proportion of female offspring from large hosts than small hosts and was shown in previous work to produce more offspring overall from large hosts. There were no significant correlations, however, between the T. planipennisi progeny data and the emerald ash borer sound data. Because vibration amplitude varied significantly with host size, however, we are unable to entirely reject the hypothesis that T. planipennisi and possibly other parasitoids of concealed hosts use vibrational cues to assess host quality, particularly given the low explanatory potential of other external cues. Internal chemical cues also may be important.
The onset of sunspot cycle 24 and galactic cosmic ray modulation

Abstract The annual mean sunspot number (SSN) has a minimum value in 2008, while the monthly mean SSN has a value of zero in August 2009. The galactic cosmic ray modulation for cycle 24 began at earth orbit in January 2010. We study the onset characteristics of the new modulation cycle using data from the global network of neutron monitors. They respond to time variations in different segments of the galactic cosmic ray rigidity spectrum. The corresponding temporal variations in the interplanetary magnetic field intensity ( B ) and solar wind velocity ( V ) as well as the tilt angle of the heliospheric current sheet are also studied. There is a lag of 3 months between a large, sharp increase of the tilt angle of the heliospheric current sheet and the onset of modulation. Some neutron monitors are undergoing long-term drifts of unknown origin.
Positive Organizational Outcomes Associated with a Penchant for Openness

The tension between scientific openness versus secrecy has existed for centuries (Hull 1985). However, both academics and practitioners have recently argued that openness by private firms has many positive attributes. The purpose of this research effort is to review the extant literature on openness and to develop hypotheses regarding its impact on organizational outcomes. We then use a unique database to test the idea with 87 companies. Our findings are that openness is beneficial to the firm from a science, technological, and financial perspective and, perhaps, to the employees from an ethical viewpoint. The managerial and societal implications are also discussed.
6-D-glucopyranosyl fatty acid esters from Brassica napus pollen

6-d-Glucopyranosyl esters of palmitic, oleic, linoleic and linolenic acids were identified in Brassica napus (rape) pollen. These esters are inactive as plant growth promoters in the bean second-internode bioassay.
Socio-environmental and endocrine influences on developmental and caste-regulatory gene expression in the eusocial termite Reticulitermes flavipes.

Background Strict regulation of caste differentiation, at the molecular level, is thought to be important to maintain social structure in insect societies. Previously, a number of extrinsic and intrinsic factors have been shown to influence caste composition in termite colonies. One important factor is the influence of nestmates; in particular, soldier termites are known to inhibit hormone-dependent worker-to-soldier differentiation. However, soldier influences on nestmates at the molecular level are virtually unknown. Here, to test the hypothesis that soldiers can influence nestmate gene expression, we investigated the impact of four treatments on whole-body gene expression in totipotent Reticulitermes flavipes workers: (i) juvenile hormone III (JHIII; a morphogenetic hormone), (ii) soldier head extracts (SHE), (iii) JHIII+SHE, and (iv) live soldiers.
Quantification of differences in frequency content of signal-averaged electrocardiograms in patients with compared to those without sustained ventricular tachycardia☆

To quantify differences in the frequency content of signal-averaged electrocardiograms between patients with and without sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT), the energy spectra of the terminal QRS and ST segments of signal-averaged orthogonal ECGs were computed in 3 groups of patients by squaring the magnitude of the fast-Fourier transformed data. The terminal 40 ms of the QRS complex and ST segment were analyzed as a single unit to enhance frequency resolution. Group I comprised 23 patients with documented, remote myocardial infarction who had manifested subsequent episodes of sustained VT; group II comprised 53 patients with previous, remote infarction without subsequent sustained VT; and group III comprised 11 normal subjects. The terminal QRS and ST segments from patients with sustained VT contained a 10- to 100-fold greater proportion of components in the 20- to 50-Hz range compared with corresponding electrocardiographic segments in patients without VT. There were no significant differences in the peak frequencies among patient groups. However, the relative contribution of the magnitudes of these peak frequencies to the overall maximum magnitude of the spectral plot differed significantly (p less than 0.0001). No frequencies above 50 Hz contributed substantially to the energy spectra of the terminal QRS and ST segments in any group. Thus, differences in the energy spectra do not result from differences in the frequencies of components, but are attributable instead to differences in the amplitudes of components within a relatively narrow range of frequencies. The quantitative approach developed should provide objective indexes for assessing effects of antiarrhythmic interventions on abnormalities recognizable by frequency-domain analysis and improve noninvasive definition of risk for development of sustained VT.
The Influence of Cannabidiol and Δ9‐Tetrahydrocannabinol on Cobalt Epilepsy in Rats

The mechanisms of the anticonvulsant activity of cannabidiol (CBD) and the central excitation of delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta 9-THC) were investigated electrophysiologically with conscious, unrestrained cobalt epileptic rats. The well-known antiepileptics, trimethadione (TMO), ethosuximide (ESM), and phenytoin (PHT), were included as reference drugs. Direct measurements were made of spontaneously firing, epileptic potentials from a primary focus on the parietal cortex and convulsions were monitored visually. ESM and TMO decreased the frequency of focal potentials, but PHT and CBD exerted no such effect. Although CBD did not suppress the focal abnormality, it did abolish jaw and limb clonus; in contrast, delta 9-THC markedly increased the frequency of focal potentials, evoked generalized bursts of polyspikes, and produced frank convlusions. 11-OH-delta 9-THC, the major metabolite of delta 9-THC, displayed only one of the excitatory properties of the parent compound: production of bursts of polyspikes. In contrast to delta 9-THC and its 11-OH metabolite, CBD, even in very high doses, did not induce any excitatory effects or convulsions. The present study provides the first evidence that CBD exerts anticonvulsant activity against the motor manifestations of a focal epilepsy, and that the mechanism of the effect may involve a depression of seizure generation or spread in the CNS.
Seasonality in surface‐layer net zooplankton communities in Prince William Sound, Alaska

The upper-layer net-zooplankton community in Prince William Sound, Alaska, is characterized by strong seasonality. Abundance and wet-weight biomass in the upper 50 m drop to fewer than 100 individuals and 10 mg m−3 in February before rebounding to 5000 individuals and 600 mg m−3 in June. Copepods dominate in all months, but are augmented by other prominent taxa, particularly pteropods and larvaceans during the late spring, summer and fall. The small copepods Pseudocalanus, Acartia and Oithona are common. Though much less abundant, larger calanoids like Neocalanus, Calanus and Metridia contribute substantially to the biomass in spring and early summer. Meroplankters like barnacle nauplii are also occasionally very abundant. Neocalanus, Calanus and Pseudocalanus all exhibit ontogenetic vertical displacement of populations when stage 5 copepodites (C5) leave the surface in late May and early June for deep water. This seasonality has implications for food-webs supporting juvenile pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) and Pacific herring (Clupea pallasi) in Prince William Sound.
Epitaxial Solution Deposition of YBa2Cu3O7−δ‐Coated Conductors

A variety of solution deposition routes have been reported for processing complex perovskite-based materials such as ferroelectric oxides and conductive electrode oxides, due to ease of incorporating multiple elements, control of chemical stoichiometry, and feasibility for large area deposition. Here, we report an extension of these methods toward long length, epitaxial film solution deposition routes to enable biaxially oriented YBa2Cu3O7−δ (YBCO)-coated conductors for superconducting transmission wires. Recent results are presented detailing an all-solution deposition approach to YBCO-coated conductors with critical current densities Jc (77 K)>1 MA/cm2 on rolling-assisted, biaxially textured, (200)-oriented Ni–W alloy tapes. Solution-deposition methods such as this approach and those of other research groups appear to have promise to compete with vapor phase methods for superconductor electrical properties, with potential advantages for large area deposition and low cost/kA·m of wire.
Visual Recognition of Biological Motion is Impaired in Children With Autism

Autistic children and typically developing control children were tested on two visual tasks, one involving grouping of small line elements into a global figure and the other involving perception of hu- man activity portrayed in point-light animations. Performance of the two groups was equivalent on the figure task, but autistic children were significantly impaired on the biological motion task. This latter deficit may be related to the impaired social skills characteristic of autism, and we speculate that this deficit may implicate abnormalities in brain areas mediating perception of human movement.
A Contextual Study of Daily Living Strategies in Neurocognitively Impaired Adults With Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness often recognized as a degenerative neurocognitive condition. For some with the disorder, the impairment is fairly mild, but for others, neurocognitive abilities can be severely compromised. In this study, 5 individuals with schizophrenia had been assessed through a laboratory-based neurocognitive battery as having severe impairment. Their neurocognitive status was unknown to the author, and she was able to observe daily tasks and ask questions about strategies they employed while completing tasks, and analyze the data without preconceptions about their status. This study was guided by notions of ecological validity, which is the comparison between lab tests and real-world functioning. Despite their cognitive deficits, these individuals had remarkable strengths, which included drawing supportive people into their worlds to fulfill their daily tasks. These data contribute to the rehabilitation literature and propose remedies for struggles of daily living when one has...
Ballistic Missiles and International Conflict

Governments are concerned about the dangers posed by ballistic missiles. However, there is almost no theoretical or empirical scholarship on ballistic missiles. This article presents and tests the conventional wisdom that the spread of ballistic missiles makes conflict more likely. Original data on ballistic missiles and on crisis initiation is collected, and analysis using a variety of statistical models is conducted. It is found that among all directed dyads from 1946 to 2007, potential challengers possessing ballistic missiles are significantly more likely to initiate international crises. Further, potential targets armed with ballistic missiles are significantly less likely to be challenged. Crises are less likely to escalate when targets are armed with missiles. The results are obtained after accounting for several control variables. Analysis reveals that the findings are not affected by possible endogeneity bias. The analysis also reveals complex interactive effects between ballistic missiles and nu...
The Selective Value of Bacterial Shape

Why do bacteria have shape? Is morphology valuable or just a trivial secondary characteristic? Why should bacteria have one shape instead of another? Three broad considerations suggest that bacterial shapes are not accidental but are biologically important: cells adopt uniform morphologies from among a wide variety of possibilities, some cells modify their shape as conditions demand, and morphology can be tracked through evolutionary lineages. All of these imply that shape is a selectable feature that aids survival. The aim of this review is to spell out the physical, environmental, and biological forces that favor different bacterial morphologies and which, therefore, contribute to natural selection. Specifically, cell shape is driven by eight general considerations: nutrient access, cell division and segregation, attachment to surfaces, passive dispersal, active motility, polar differentiation, the need to escape predators, and the advantages of cellular differentiation. Bacteria respond to these forces by performing a type of calculus, integrating over a number of environmental and behavioral factors to produce a size and shape that are optimal for the circumstances in which they live. Just as we are beginning to answer how bacteria create their shapes, it seems reasonable and essential that we expand our efforts to understand why they do so.