cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Survey of the large animal diplomates of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine regarding percutaneous lung biopsy in the horse.

A survey designed to obtain information on the indications, contraindications, complications, and methodology of percutaneous lung biopsy in the horse was sent to large animal diplomates of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. Sixty-five of 190 diplomates returned the survey (response rate: 34%) and 59 of these 65 respondents (91%) indicated that they worked with horses. Forty-four diplomates had performed a percutaneous lung biopsy in 1 or more horses (i.e. 75% of those diplomates working with horses and 68% of total respondents). Clinical and radiologic diagnoses that prompted diplomates to perform percutaneous lung biopsy in the horse included a pulmonary miliary pattern (93%), suspicion of pulmonary infiltrative disease (91%), suspicion of pulmonary neoplasia (91%), suspicion of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (20%), and suspicion of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) (7%). Only one of the respondents reported the use of percutaneous lung biopsy in the diagnostic workup if pneumonia was suspected, but 11% of respondents reported that suspicion of pulmonary abscessation would prompt them to perform a percutaneous lung biopsy. In contrast, a variable percentage of respondents felt there were contraindications to performance of this technique, which included neonatal septicemia (68%), pulmonary abscessation (65%), pleuropneumonia (55%) and pneumonia (42%), EIPH (41%), and COPD (26%). No respondent indicated that suspicion of neoplasia was a contraindication to percutaneous biopsy. Most common complications observed by respondents were epistaxis (68% of respondents), putative pulmonary hemorrhage (52%), tachypnea (39%), and respiratory distress (32%). Ten of 44 respondents (23%) had not seen any complications with percutaneous lung biopsy. Forty-two of 44 respondents (96%) warned owners about possible complications before performing percutaneous lung biopsy. All respondents to this question reported that they would perform percutaneous lung biopsies in horses in the future, but 4 of 41 would use the procedure only as a last resort.
THE PLACEBO EFFECT: WHAT'S INTERESTING FOR SCHOLARS OF RELIGION?

Abstract. The placebo effect these days is no longer merely the insubstantial, subjective response that some patients have to a sham treatment, like a sugar pill. It has been reconceived as a powerful mind-body phenomenon. Because of this, it has also emerged as a complex reference point in a number of high-stakes conversations about the metaphysical significance of experiences of religious healing, the possible health benefits of being religious, and the feasibility of using double-blind placebo-controlled trials to investigate the efficacy of prayer. In each of these conversations, the placebo effect is always pointing toward some larger issue, serving some larger agenda. The agendas, though, tend to pull in different directions, leading to a situation that feels at once fractured and stalemated. This essay reviews the main areas of interest, and proposes some specific issues where humanistic scholars of religion in particular might be able to introduce constructive and creative new perspectives.
Use of a palatal reservoir in denture patients with xerostomia

Dentures that included a reservoir for saliva substitute in the palate of the maxillary denture were constructed for three xerostomic patients. Results were obtained through examinations and interviews. All patients found that the reservoir system helped control the xerostomia. Details of design and function were reviewed and general applications were discussed.
Global-symmetry evolution in axion cosmologies.

Cosmological constraints on invisible axion models require a mass scale far below the grand unification scale. Such a hierarchy can lead to an evolution of global symmetries accompanied by a complicated axion domain-wall problem. We show that if this problem is solved at the highest mass scale in the theory, then it does not reoccur at lower mass scales. Two realistic models are discussed.
Extensions of the cardiac plasma membrane from the intercalated disk of one cell into the transverse tubules of the adjacent cell.

In the rat's left ventricle finger-like processes of cell membrane extend from the intercalated disk of one cell into the transverse tubular system of the adjacent cell. The extensions take place through extracellular channels that are oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cell and connect the T-tubules with the tissue interspaces at the intercalated disk. The extensions have an irregular surface with projections varying in height from knobs to longer structures with stalks. The plasma membranes lining these projections may fuse with each other or with the plasma membrane lining the transverse tubules, forming typical tight junctions. These observations indicate that low electrical resistance contacts between cardiac cells are distributed over a wider area than previously suspected. The findings further suggest that in heart muscle the total area of cell membrane exceeds previous estimates and that there may be T-tubular functions other than excitation-contraction coupling.
Postnatal development of serotonin in adrenal medullary cells.

Abstract The ontogeny of serotonin in the chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla in rats from 1 to 48 days of age was studied using immunocytochemical and biochemical methods. Using indirect antibody enzyme PAP method on glycol methacrylate embedded sections, serotonin-immunostaining was evident as distinct granules in medullary cells already at one day of age. Serotonin was present in cells prior to complete maturation as was evident by immunostaining in medullary cells which had not yet migrated into a central medulla and in mitotic cells. However, no immunostaining was observed in the chromaffin precursor cells which were evident through 8 days of age or in ganglion cells. A progressive increase in the number of immunoreactive cells and the amount of serotonin-immunostaining per cell was observed between 1 and 12 days of age. After 12 days of age the serotonin-immunostaining appeared adultlike in distribution. Quantitative determination of the adrenal serotonin content by HPLC-EC substantiated the immunocytochemical observations. While serotonin was present at a concentration of approximately 10 μmoles/kg adrenal weight, the total content increased progressively with age (1.24 ± 0.01×10 −11 moles at one day to 10.00 ± 1.00×10 −11 moles at 48 days of age). Dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine were measured and also increase with age. In conclusion, like the catecholamines, serotonin is already present in adrenal medullary cells at day one neonatally and the indoleamine and catecholamines show essentially a parallel development.
Molecular effect in ion-atom collisions — a summary review

Abstract A survey of the experimental studies of ion-atom collisions in the MeV/amu range using molecular-ion beams (such as H + 2 or H + 3 ) will be presented. Particular attention will be paid to those studies where comparisons were made with experimental results using isotachic (same velocity or same energy/amu) atomic-ion beams (H + ). A semiclassical discussion and/or an explanation of the observed differences — the so called molecular effect — based on the spatial and temporal correlations of the atoms belonging to the same molecular ion will be given. The role played by the binding electron(s) which accompanies the atoms of the same molecular ion in the process of collision with the target atom will be assessed. I shall point out some of the unanswered questions and doubts of some of the published experimental studies. I shall also attempt to make some suggestions for further studies.
Selenium stable isotope ratios in California agricultural drainage water management systems.

Selenium stable isotope ratios are known to shift in predictable ways during various microbial, chemical, and biological processes, and can be used to better understand Se cycling in contaminated environments. In this study we used Se stable isotopes to discern the mechanisms controlling the transformation of oxidized, aqueous forms of Se to reduced, insoluble forms in sediments of Se-affected environments. We measured 80 Se/ 76 Se in surface waters, shallow ground waters, evaporites, digested plants and sediments, and sequential extracts from several sites where agricultural drainage water is processed in the San Joaquin Valley of California. Selenium isotope analyses of samples obtained from the Tulare Lake Drainage District flow-through wetland reveal small isotopic contrasts (mean difference 0.7‰) between surface water and reduced Se species in the underlying sediments. Selenium in aquatic macrophytes was very similar isotopically to the NaOH and Na 2 SO 3 , sediment extracts designed to recover soluble organic Se and Se(0), respectively. For the integrated on-farm drainage management sites, evaporite salts were slightly (approximately 0.6‰) enriched in the heavier isotope relative to the inferred parent waters, whereas surface soils were slightly (approximately 1.4‰) depleted. Bacterial or chemical reduction of Se(VI) or Se(IV) may be occurring at these sites, but the small isotopic contrasts suggest that other, less isotopically fractionating mechanisms are responsible for accumulation of reduced forms in the sediments. These findings provide evidence that Se assimilation by plants and algae followed by deposition and mineralization is the dominant transformation pathway responsible for accumulation of reduced forms of Se in the wetland sediments.
Bio-layer Interferometry for Measuring Kinetics of Protein-protein Interactions and Allosteric Ligand Effects

We describe the use of Bio-layer Interferometry to study inhibitory interactions of subunit e with the catalytic complex of Escherichia coli ATP synthase. Bacterial F-type ATP synthase is the target of a new, FDA-approved antibiotic to combat drug-resistant tuberculosis. Understanding bacteria-specific auto-inhibition of ATP synthase by the C-terminal domain of subunit e could provide a new means to target the enzyme for discovery of antibacterial drugs. The C-terminal domain of e undergoes a dramatic conformational change when the enzyme transitions between the active and inactive states, and catalytic-site ligands can influence which of e's conformations is predominant. The assay measures kinetics of e's binding/dissociation with the catalytic complex, and indirectly measures the shift of enzyme-bound e to and from the apparently nondissociable inhibitory conformation. The Bio-layer Interferometry signal is not overly sensitive to solution composition, so it can also be used to monitor allosteric effects of catalytic-site ligands on e's conformational changes.
The shopping brain: Math anxiety modulates brain responses to buying decisions

Metacognitive theories propose that consumers track fluency feelings when buying, which may have biological underpinnings. We explored this using event-related potential (ERP) measures as twenty high-math anxiety (High MA) and nineteen low-math anxiety (Low MA) consumers made buying decisions for promoted (e.g., 15% discount) and non-promoted products. When evaluating prices, ERP correlates of higher perceptual and conceptual fluency were associated with buys, however only for High MA females under no promotions. In contrast, High MA females and Low MA males demonstrated greater FN400 amplitude, associated with enhanced conceptual processing, to prices of buys relative to non-buys under promotions. Concurrent late positive component (LPC) differences under no promotions suggest discrepant retrieval processes during price evaluations between consumer groups. When making decisions to buy or not, larger (smaller) P3, sensitive to outcome responses in the brain, was associated with buying for High MA females (Low MA females) under promotions, an effect also present for males under no promotions. Thus, P3 indexed decisions to buy differently between anxiety groups, but only for promoted items among females and for no promotions among males. Our findings indicate that perceptual and conceptual processes interact with anxiety and gender to modulate brain responses during consumer choices.
Visual shape retrieval using multiscale term distributions

This paper presents a method for fast and effective similarity-based shape retrieval. Shape similarity is determined by comparing the frequencies with which different types of local structure occur in each shape. The system consists of three processes. (1) The segmentation process uses a scale-space approach to find convex segments that lie between curvature zero-crossings at all scales. Local shape structure is represented by short sequences of segments, called terms. (2) The representation process classifiers the terms into types based on a set of local shape features. Then the distribution of term types within the shape is computed. (3) The retrieval process compares the term type distribution of the query shape to the term type distributions of the database shapes and retrieves the most similar database shapes. Efficient data structures are used to store the distributions compactly and to support fast retrieval. The performance of the method on a test database ranged from 69 percent to 100 percent of ideal performance, depending on the number of items retrieved.
Cardiac-related cortical activity during variations in mean heart rate

Koriath and Lindholm (Int. J. Psychophysiol., 1986; 4: 183-195) reported cardiac-related cortical inhibition and speculated that cardiovascular events could modulate electrocortical activity by setting constraints on cortical excitability during diastole based on levels of blood pressure during systole. One dimension of this proposal could be supported if the extent of cardiac-related cortical activity (CRCA) varies with changes in heart rate and blood pressure. The current study investigated this dimension of cardio-cortical relationship by having each subject perform a fixed-foreperiod reaction time task while pedalling a bicycle ergometer under three conditions of workload: No Pedal (0 kpm/min), Lo Pedal (150 kpm/min), and Hi Pedal (450 kpm/min). Mean HR increased significantly from No Pedal to Lo Pedal to Hi Pedal. Results confirmed the presence of CRCA during variations in mean HR and indicated that the extent of CRCA increases with increases in mean HR. This investigation reinforces the importance of the extrahomeostatic effects of cardiovascular afferent fibers and supports the importance of psychophysiological measures which integrate the activity of cardiovascular, autonomic, and central nervous systems.
On exponential groups

Abstract Let G be a simply connected solvable analytic group. We say that G is an exponential group if its exponential map is bijective. We say that G is an exponential group with real eigenvalues if Ad g has only real eigenvalues for every g in G , where Ad is the adjoint representation of G . By a lattice in G , we mean a discrete subgroup Γ of G such that G Γ is compact. Wedenote the collection of all lattices in G by L ( G ) with the Chabauty topology induced from limit of lattices. Let A ( G ) be the group of all topological automorphisms of G . Equipped with the compact-open topology, A ( G ) acts on L ( G ) continuously. We prove that for every exponential group G with real eigenvalues and for every lattice Γ in G , the orbit A ( G ) Γ is locally compact, and we give a counterexample to the case when G is merely an exponential group.
The 2009 Kurt Hahn Address: Seeking Deeper Understandings from Experiences.

This address used a narrative style to convey several stories drawn from the speaker's life. These stories illustrated various points about the value of experience for expanding learners’ deep unde...
Regulation of TG-interacting factor by transforming growth factor-beta.

TG-interacting factor (TGIF) is a transcriptional co-repressor that directly associates with Smad (Sma- and Mad-related protein) proteins and inhibits Smad-mediated transcriptional activation. By using Affymetrix (Santa Clara, CA, U.S.A.) oligonucleotide microarray analysis, we found that TGIF mRNA level was elevated by transforming-growth-factor-beta (TGF-beta) treatment in a human T-cell line, HuT78. Subsequent reverse-transcription PCR assays indicated that TGF-beta1 and activin were able to induce a rapid and transient increase in the level of TGIF in both HuT78 and HepG2 hepatoma cells. To analyse whether or not the regulation of TGIF mRNA occurs at the transcriptional level, a 2.4 kb human TGIF promoter was isolated. A primer extension assay was performed to localize the putative transcription initiation site of the promoter. When transiently expressed in HepG2 cells, this promoter was stimulated by TGF-beta1 and activin treatment in a time-dependent manner. A series of deletion mutants of the TGIF promoter were also generated to further characterize the TGF-beta responsive region of the promoter. In addition, expression of TGIF was able to cause a dose-dependent inhibition of TGF-beta and activin signalling. Taken together, these experiments indicated that TGIF is a novel transcriptional target of TGF-beta and activin signalling and is likely involved in a negative feedback loop to desensitize TGF-beta/activin action.
Neurotoxic and teratogenic effects of an organophosphorus insecticide (phenyl phosphonothioic acid-O-ethyl -O-[4-nitrophenyl] ester) on mallard development

Phenyl phosphonothioic acid-O-ethyl-O-[4-nitrophenyl] ester (EPN) is one of the 10 most frequently used organophosphorus insecticides and caused delayed neurotoxicity in adult chickens and mallards. Small amounts of organophosphorus insecticides placed on birds' eggs are embryotoxic and teratogenic. For this reason, the effects of topical egg application on EPN were examined on mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) embryo development. Mallard eggs were treated topically at 72 hr of incubation with 25 μl of a nontoxic oil vehicle or with EPN in the vehicle at concentrations of approximately 12, 36, or 108 μg/g egg, equivalent to one, three, and nine times the agricultural level of application used to spray crops. Treatment with EPN resulted in 22 to 44% mortality over this dose range by 18 days of development compared with 4 and 5% for untreated and vehicle-treated controls. EPN impaired embryonic growth and was highly teratogenic: 37–42% of the surviving embryos at 18 days were abnormal with cervical and axial scoliosis as well as severe edema. Brain weights were significantly lower in EPN-treated groups at different stages of development including hatchlings. Brain neurotoxic esterase (NTE) activity was inhibited by as much as 91% at 11 days, 81% at 18 days, and 79% in hatchlings. Examination of brain NTE activity during the course of normal development revealed an increase of nearly sixfold from Day 11 through hatching. The most rapid increase occurred between Day 20 and hatching. Brain acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity was inhibited by as much as 41% at 11 days, 47% at 18 days, and 20% in hatchlings. Plasma cholinesterase and alkaline phosphatase activities were inhibited and plasma aspartate aminotransferase activity was increased at one or more stages of development. Hatchlings from EPN-treated eggs were weaker and slower to right themselves. Histopathological examination did not reveal demyelination and axonopathy of the spinal cord that was characteristic of delayed neurotoxicity in adult birds.
Modeling the Electroplastic Effect During Electrically-Assisted Forming of 304 Stainless Steel

Over the last decade, the Electrically-Assisted Manufacturing (EAM) technique, where electricity is applied to a metal during deformation, has been experimentally proven to increase the workability of many lightweight alloys which are highly desirable to the automotive industry. Recent research by the authors has led to ways of accounting for the formability increases due to the applied electricity, by way of an Electroplastic Effect Coefficient (EEC), and by utilizing this coefficient, simple EAM forming tests can ultimately be modeled.This work provides insight into the authors’ EAM modeling methodology and how it differs from previous EAM modeling attempts. Additionally, from the Electrically-Assisted Forming (EAF) experiments, two methods of accounting for the electroplastic effect will be discussed and compared. Ultimately, these methods will be integrated into the thermo-mechanical model to predict compressive stress-strain profiles for electrically-assisted forming tests under various current densities and die speeds. Finally, the efficiency of applying electricity to the deformation process will be discussed.© 2012 ASME
Developing hybrid approaches to predict pKa values of ionizable groups

Accurate predictions of pKa values of titratable groups require taking into account all relevant processes associated with the ionization/deionization. Frequently, however, the ionization does not involve significant structural changes and the dominating effects are purely electrostatic in origin allowing accurate predictions to be made based on the electrostatic energy difference between ionized and neutral forms alone using a static structure. On another hand, if the change of the charge state is accompanied by a structural reorganization of the target protein, then the relevant conformational changes have to be taken into account in the pKa calculations. Here we report a hybrid approach that first predicts the titratable groups, which ionization is expected to cause conformational changes, termed “problematic” residues, then applies a special protocol on them, while the rest of the pKa’s are predicted with rigid backbone approach as implemented in multiconformation continuum electrostatics (MCCE) method. The backbone representative conformations for “problematic” groups are generated with either molecular dynamics simulations with charged and uncharged amino acid or with ab-initio local segment modeling. The corresponding ensembles are then used to calculate the pKa of the “problematic” residues and then the results are averaged.
SU-E-J-26: Intra-Fraction Motion Management for Radiosurgical Treatments of Trigeminal Neuralgia: Clinical Experience and Motion Analysis

Purpose: To evaluate the patient positioning and intra‐fraction motion management performance of an image‐guidance protocol established for radiosurgical treatments of trigeminal neuralgia patients. Specifically, to analyze patient data for the evaluation of current motion tolerance levels utilized for repositioning. Methods: NovalisTx equipped with Exactrac is used for stereoscopically positioning and treatments. Treatments are delivered with 4mm collimator using 7 equally spaced arcs that are 20 degrees apart and span 100 arc degrees each. Following initial Exactrac positioning, CBCT is obtained for independent confirmation of patient position. Patient is then stereoscopically imaged prior to the delivery of each arc and repositioned when 0.5mm translational tolerance in any direction is exceeded. Data from 48 patients with 607 image pairs has been analyzed. Results: The mean magnitude of 3D deviation was 0.64mm±0.12mm (range 0.07–2.74mm). With the current 0.50mm tolerance level for repositioning, patients exceeded the tolerance 51.4% of the time considering only images following an arc delivery. For those instances, patients were repositioned with a mean magnitude of 0.85mm±0.15mm. With 0.75mm and 1.00mm tolerance limits, the tolerance would have been exceeded only 21.5% and 6.6% of the time, with a mean magnitude of 1.08mm±0.21mm and 1.34mm±0.24mm respectively. Conclusion: Current 0.50mm tolerance level results in a significant number of patient repositions that Result from actual patient motion convolved with the accuracy and precision of the image analysis. Relaxing the re‐positioning tolerance could more selectively correct for actual patient motion at the expense of more variations in patient position. A 0.75mm would decrease the repositioning rate by approximately a factor of two; however, the permissible magnitude of motion will increase, leading to possible dosimetric consequences. Once treatment begins, there was no trend as to when patients exceeded the tolerance. Future analysis will include quantitative dosimetric consequences due to intra‐fraction motion.
Frequency dependent response of charge and spin density wave condensates

Abstract The collective mode response is examined in various materials with a charge density wave (CDW) and spin density wave (SDW) ground state. The behavior of CDW condensates is well described in terms of a pinned collective mode with a large effective mass and long relaxation time. A low frequency collective mode response is evident in the SDW state of (TMTSF) 2 PF 6 , with a relaxation time and effective mass comparable with the parameters which characterize the metallic state.
Buffered and Unbuffered Leaky Bucket Policing: Guaranteeing QoS, Design and Admission Control

Traffic shaping and smoothing using buffers or leaky buckets does not necessarily improve Quality of Service (QoS). In fact there is a trade-off between controlling user traffic and guaranteeing QoS to the users. We consider the first two stages (source node and border node before entering a network cloud) of an end-to-end QoS problem and assume that the QoS requirements across each of the two stages are given. We formulate and solve a mathematical programming problem to select optimal leaky bucket parameters that would enable high-speed telecommunication network providers to optimize traffic policing subject to guaranteeing a negotiated Quality of Service requirement across the first stage namely the source end. We address both the buffered and unbuffered leaky bucket cases where using fluid models we characterize the output process from the leaky buckets for general traffic sources. Using the optimal leaky bucket parameters and output characteristics (effective bandwidths in particular), we solve design and connection admission control problems given QoS requirements at the second stage, namely the border node.
Fault Secure Encoder and Decoder for Memory Applications

We introduce a reliable memory system that can tolerate multiple transient errors in the memory words as well as transient errors in the encoder and decoder (corrector) circuitry. The key novel development is the fault-secure detector (FSD) error-correcting code (ECC) definition and associated circuitry that can detect errors in the received encoded vector despite experiencing multiple transient faults in its circuitry. The structure of the detector is general enough that it can be used for any ECC that follows our FSD-ECC definition. We prove that two known classes of Low-Density Parity-Check Codes have the FSD-ECC property: Euclidean Geometry and Projective Geometry codes. We identify a specific FSD-LDPC code that can tolerate up to 33 errors in each memory word or supporting logic that requires only 30% area overhead for memory blocks of 10 Kbits or larger. Larger codes can achieve even higher reliability and lower area overhead. We quantify the importance of protecting encoder and decoder (corrector) circuitry and illustrate a scenario where the system failure rate (FIT) is dominated by the failure rate of the encoder and decoder.
Is Balloon Angioplasty of Peri-Anastomotic Stenoses of Failing Peripheral Arterial Bypasses Worthwhile?:

Introduction: Surgical revision of failing peripheral arterial bypass grafts has generally been shown to provide superior patency rates compared to balloon angioplasty. We analyzed whether balloon angioplasty, specifically of peri-anastomotic stenoses (PAS), provided acceptable patency rates, because surgery for these lesions is more difficult and is likely associated with higher complication rates compared to surgical revision of stenoses in the body of a graft. Methods: This is a retrospective review of PAS balloon angioplasties performed at a single institution between January 1, 1999, and September 1, 2005. We report ‘‘primary site patency’’ as a stenosis treated by balloon angioplasty, ‘‘revised primary site patency’’ as a stenosis treated by repeat balloon angioplasty, and ‘‘secondary site patency’’ as an angioplastied stenosis treated surgically or when the graft thrombosed and was revised surgically. All procedures were performed in an endovascular operating room based on duplex scan findings sugg...
A Robot in a Water Maze: Learning a Spatial Memory Task

This paper explores several novel approaches to solve the Morris water maze task. In this spatial memory task, the robot must learn how to associate perceptual information with a particular location to aid in navigating to the goal. A self-organizing feature map (SOFM) is used to discretize the perceptual space. The robot must then learn to associate these perceptual states with an action used to navigate through the environment. Two navigational approaches are proposed. The first approach involves computing a probabilistic graph between SOFM nodes and then searching the graph to locate a path to the goal. The second approach uses temporal difference learning to learn the association between an SOFM node and an action that will direct it to the goal. The paper compares the effectiveness of these two approaches and discusses their respective utility.
Standardized assessment of the content knowledge of English language learners K-12: current trends and old dilemmas

Within the context of accountability for US schools, standardized achievement tests are being used for increasingly `high stakes' decisions for all students including those for whom English is a second language, even when their English language skills are not adequate for the task. This article discusses approaches to the standardized assessment of content knowledge for English language learners (ELLs),1 including testing in the student's first language, the use of test accommodations, and measuring growth in English as an alternative for accountability until student control of English is sufficient to assure validity of test scores. Limitations of current research on the use of standardized content assessments with ELLs are presented and alternative approaches suggested.
Subjective and EEG responses to LSD in visualizer and non-visualizer subjects.

Abstract 1. 1. Subjects who reported possessing vivid visual imagery ability responded to LSD by enhanced visual perceptual and visual imagery activity, whereas subjects completely lacking this ability experienced little or no change in visual perception or imagery but responded by increased conceptual activity. Non-visualizers, however, reported vivid visual imagery during dreaming. 2. 2. EEG responses of visualizers and non-visualizers to spectral flickering light were reversed for the two groups and were affected differently by LSD. 3. 3. EEG responses indicated activation effects of LSD in visualizers and decreased EEG activation in non-visualizers.
Improving Arabic Dependency Parsing with Form-based and Functional Morphological Features

We explore the contribution of morphological features -- both lexical and inflectional -- to dependency parsing of Arabic, a morphologically rich language. Using controlled experiments, we find that definiteness, person, number, gender, and the undiacritzed lemma are most helpful for parsing on automatically tagged input. We further contrast the contribution of form-based and functional features, and show that functional gender and number (e.g., "broken plurals") and the related rationality feature improve over form-based features. It is the first time functional morphological features are used for Arabic NLP.
Electrographic correlates of behaviour in tree frogs.

PREVIOUS work has shown that the bullfrog, Rana catesbiana, fulfils neither the electrographic nor the threshold criteria for sleep in the laboratory and that the animal is also vigilant when at diurnal rest in the field1. We describe here the field behaviour of tree frogs (genus Hyla) observed in Florida during March and contrast it with that seen in the laboratory where its electrographic correlates were studied. The findings are compared with previous observations of ranid frogs.
On the Edge of Homelessness: Rural Poverty and Housing Insecurity1

Abstract Homelessness in rural America is a problem hardly recognized, little understood, and only minimally studied by rural sociologists. This article, based on long-term field research in upstate New York, sets the problem of rural homelessness in context, explains the increase in rural poverty that puts more people at risk of homelessness, and examines some trends in rural housing that reduce the ability of poorer residents to secure adequate shelter. The nature of housing insecurity and the strategies poor rural people use to keep themselves from becoming literally homeless are noted. Interviews and questionnaires conducted among insecurely-housed low-income people and interviews and records supplied by agencies and institutions serving the poor provide the information on which arguments are based. The conclusion is that the definition of homelessness should be broadened for rural usage to encompass poor people on the edge of or at high risk of homelessness; also, programs to assist the homeless and prevent homelessness must be appropriate for rural situations.
Myocardial Perfusion Imaging for the Detection of Coronary Heart Disease

A method of myocardial perfusion imaging using /sup 201/Tl is described. Thallium is able to substitute for potassium in biological systems including transport by the sodium--potassium ATP-ase system. The high extraction efficiency of the heart for /sup 201/Tl offers a method whereby a tracer may be administered intravenously and is concentrated to a significant degree by the heart. However, only about 3 to 4 percent of the dose administered lodges in the myocardium. Experiments with dogs indicated that the regional distribution of Tl in the heart reflects the regional distribution of blood flow. The goal is to develop a procedure that can detect those patients with significant disease prior to the onset of a catastrophic event and studies are being undertaken to improve the sensitivity of the method for the detection of smaller lesions in the myocardium. (HLW)
Biophysical and molecular mechanisms underlying the modulation of heteromeric Kir4.1-Kir5.1 channels by CO2 and pH.

CO2 chemoreception may be related to modulation of inward rectifier K+ channels (Kir channels) in brainstem neurons. Kir4.1 is expressed predominantly in the brainstem and inhibited during hypercapnia. Although the homomeric Kir4.1 only responds to severe intracellular acidification, coexpression of Kir4.1 with Kir5.1 greatly enhances channel sensitivities to CO2 and pH. To understand the biophysical and molecular mechanisms underlying the modulation of these currents by CO2 and pH, heteromeric Kir4.1–Kir5.1 were studied in inside-out patches. These Kir4.1–Kir5.1 currents showed a single channel conductance of 59 pS with open-state probability ( P open) ∼ 0.4 at pH 7.4. Channel activity reached the maximum at pH 8.5 and was completely suppressed at pH 6.5 with pKa 7.45. The effect of low pH on these currents was due to selective suppression of P open without evident effects on single channel conductance, leading to a decrease in the channel mean open time and an increase in the mean closed time. At pH 8.5, single-channel currents showed two sublevels of conductance at ∼1/4 and 3/4 of the maximal openings. None of them was affected by lowering pH. The Kir4.1–Kir5.1 currents were modulated by phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) that enhanced baseline P open and reduced channel sensitivity to intracellular protons. In the presence of 10 μM PIP2, the Kir4.1–Kir5.1 showed a pKa value of 7.22. The effect of PIP2, however, was not seen in homomeric Kir4.1 currents. The CO2/pH sensitivities were related to a lysine residue in the NH2 terminus of Kir4.1. Mutation of this residue (K67M, K67Q) completely eliminated the CO2 sensitivity of both homomeric Kir4.1 and heteromeric Kir4.1–Kir5.1. In excised patches, interestingly, the Kir4.1–Kir5.1 carrying K67M mutation remained sensitive to low pHi. Such pH sensitivity, however, disappeared in the presence of PIP2. The effect of PIP2 on shifting the titration curve of wild-type and mutant channels was totally abolished when Arg178 in Kir5.1 was mutated. Thus, these studies demonstrate a heteromeric Kir channel that can be modulated by both acidic and alkaline pH, show the modulation of pH sensitivity of Kir channels by PIP2, and provide information of the biophysical and molecular mechanisms underlying the Kir modulation by intracellular protons.
Follicular Helper CD4 T Cells (TFH)

T cell help to B cells is a fundamental aspect of adaptive immunity and the generation of immunological memory. Follicular helper CD4 T (T(FH)) cells are the specialized providers of B cell help. T(FH) cells depend on expression of the master regulator transcription factor Bcl6. Distinguishing features of T(FH) cells are the expression of CXCR5, PD-1, SAP (SH2D1A), IL-21, and ICOS, among other molecules, and the absence of Blimp-1 (prdm1). T(FH) cells are important for the formation of germinal centers. Once germinal centers are formed, T(FH) cells are needed to maintain them and to regulate germinal center B cell differentiation into plasma cells and memory B cells. This review covers T(FH) differentiation, T(FH) functions, and human T(FH) cells, discussing recent progress and areas of uncertainty or disagreement in the literature, and it debates the developmental relationship between T(FH) cells and other CD4 T cell subsets (Th1, Th2, Th17, iTreg).
The JARID2–PRC2 duality

Polycomb group proteins (PcG) are required for proper developmental regulation and cell fate commitment in metazoans. Recently, four studies reported the identification of JARID2, a JmjC domain-containing protein, as a component of the Polycomb-repressive complex 2 (PRC2), which is involved in implementing histone H3 Lys 27 methylation and transcriptional repression during development. Here, we discuss the implications of these studies for an improved understanding of PcG function in development.
Beam speed effects on Ti–6Al–4V microstructures in electron beam additive manufacturing

The effect of the beam scanning speed on part microstructures in the powder-bed electron beam additive manufacturing (EBAM) process was investigated in this research. Four levels of the beam speed were tested in building EBAM Ti–6Al–4V samples. The samples were subsequently used to prepare metallographic specimens for observations by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. During the experiment, a near-infrared thermal imager was also used to acquire build surface temperatures for melt tool size estimates. It was found that the X-plane (side surface) shows columnar prior β grains, with the width in the range of about 40–110 µm, and martensitic structures. The width of columnar grains decreases with the increase of the scanning speed. In addition, the Z-plane (scanning surface) shows equiaxed grains, in the range of 50–85 µm. The grain size from the lowest beam speed (214 mm/s) is much larger compared to other samples of higher beam speeds (e.g., 376–689 mm/s). In addition, increasing the beam scanning speed will also result in finer α-lath. However, the porosity defect on the build surface also becomes severe at the highest scanning speed (689 mm/s).
Expression of brain lipid binding protein in the brain of the adult canary and its implications for adult neurogenesis.

Brain lipid binding protein (BLBP), a member of the fatty acid binding protein family, is expressed at high levels in the mammalian central nervous system during development, but not in adulthood. Because the brain of adult birds continues to show significant levels of neurogenesis, we thought it likely that BLBP expression would also be present. We used a polyclonal antibody against BLBP to study the presence of this protein in the adult canary brain. This antibody stained 1) fibers and perikarya of radial cells in the telencephalon; 2) Bergmann glia in the cerebellum; 3) astrocytes; 4) tanicytes in the walls of the third ventricle; 5) the neuropil of certain forebrain and brainstem regions, including nuclei of the song system; and 6) some migrating cells in the telencephalon. This anatomical distribution suggests that BLBP plays a role in the neuronal migration and synaptic reorganization of adult avian brain. J. Comp. Neurol. 385:415–426, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Treatment response in antidepressant-naïve postherpetic neuralgia patients: double-blind, randomized trial.

Abstract In 47 patients with postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) who had never had an adequate trial of any antidepressant, we performed a randomized, double-blind, parallel design trial comparing desipramine, amitriptyline, and fluoxetine. Patients were titrated to a maximum of 150 mg/day for desipramine and amitriptyline and 60 mg/day for fluoxetine over a 3-week period and then treated for an additional 3 weeks before tapering off study medication. A total of 38 subjects (81%) completed the entire trial. The modified intent-to-treat analysis of percent change in daily diary pain intensity scores showed no significant differences among the 3 drugs (ANOVA P = .120). Desipramine produced the greatest reduction in pain intensity (47%), followed by amitriptyline (38%) and fluoxetine (35%). Clinically meaningful pain relief (moderate or better) was significantly more likely with desipramine (12/15 patients) than with amitriptyline (9/17) or fluoxetine (5/15); χ 2 P = 0.036). The 11 subjects using opioids at study entry had smaller reductions in pain than those not using concomitant opioids. The fluoxetine group had the highest noncompletion rate (33%), with 1 subject hospitalized for hyponatremia. Although the magnitude of pain reduction and the category pain relief rating was not significantly different among the 3 drugs, the tricyclics desipramine and amitriptyline were well tolerated and provided clinically meaningful pain relief in 53% to 80% of subjects. Perspective Few clinical trials focus on patients who are naive to an entire class of medication. In this randomized blinded trial, the tricyclic antidepressants desipramine and amitriptyline were compared to the serotonin-selective antidepressant fluoxetine. All 3 drugs reduced PHN pain, with desipramine providing satisfactory relief in 80% of those treated.
Is there a critical level of plantar foot pressure to identify patients at risk for neuropathic foot ulceration

The purpose of this study was to identify a point along the spectrum of peak plantar forefoot pressure that has an optimum combination of sensitivity and specificity to screen for neuropathic ulceration. We enrolled 219 diabetic patients in this case-control study in an approximate 2:1 control:case ratio. Cases were defined as patients with an active or recently healed neuropathic ulceration. Controls were defined as those with no history of ulceration. All patients had peak plantar pressures analyzed with the EMED gait analysis system. Peak plantar pressure was, as expected, significantly higher for patients with ulcers compared to controls [83.1 +/- 24.7 N/cm2 (range, 10-125) vs. 62.7 +/- 24.4 N/cm2 (range, 7.3-113), p < .001]. The ulcer group was clearly skewed toward a higher prevalence of elevated peak plantar forefoot pressure compared with the control group, which displayed the opposite trend (control group skewness = 0.286, kurtosis = -0.482; ulcer group skewness = -0.389, kurtosis = -0.289). Using receiver operating characteristic analysis, the optimal cut-point, as determined by a balance of sensitivity and specificity was 70 N/cm2, which yielded a sensitivity of 70.0% and a specificity of 65.1%. We concluded that, while there is no optimal cut-point for clearly screening patients for risk of foot ulceration, the higher the peak pressure, the higher the commensurate risk.
Spontaneous laryngeal reinnervation after recurrent laryngeal or vagus nerve injury.

Objectives:The status of innervation in patients with laryngeal paralysis is somewhat controversial. Electromyographic activity has been frequently documented in the laryngeal muscles of patients w...
Inhibition of Ornithine Decarboxylase (ODC) Decreases Tumor Vascularization and Reverses Spontaneous Tumors in ODC/Ras Transgenic Mice

We have shown that ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) overexpression in the skin of TG.AC v-Ha- ras transgenic mice induces the formation of spontaneous skin carcinomas. Treatment of ODC/Ras double transgenic mice with α-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), a specific inhibitor of ODC enzyme activity, causes a rapid regression of these spontaneous tumors. DFMO treatment led to dramatic decreases in ODC activity and putrescine levels, but v-Ha- ras expression was not affected in the regressed tumors. Moreover, cyclin D1 continued to be strongly expressed in the basal epithelial cells of regressed tumors, and there was no decrease in the proliferative index of these same tumor cells. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling analyses revealed increased DNA fragmentation in DFMO regressed tumors compared with similarly sized spontaneous tumors from ODC/Ras transgenic mice not treated with DFMO. Moreover, the blood vessel count was significantly decreased in regressed tumors within the first four days of DFMO treatment. The decreased vasculature in DFMO regressed tumors was not attributable to altered expression of murine vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) isoforms. Elevated levels of ODC activity in the skin of K6/ODC transgenic mice increased the dermal vascularization compared with that in nontransgenic normal littermates. Our results suggest that ODC stimulates an angiogenic factor(s) other than VEGF and/or may play a key role in a cell survival effector pathway of Ras that is independent of a Ras-induced proliferation pathway.
Comments on the significance of the positions of population I Wolf-Rayet stars in the HR diagram

The size of typical errors in log L/L⊙ and log T eff is investigated for WR stars, and it is found that typically Δ log L/L⊙ = ±(0.25 ± 0.03), and Δ log Teff = ±(0.05 ± 0.02). The major sources of error are the uncertainties in the distance modulus of the star and the integrated continuous flux from about 1400 A to 1 μm or so. The same is true for O and early B stars. With uncertainties of these sizes in log L/L⊙ and log Teff, it is unreliable to estimate the mass of an early-type star from its observed position in the HR, diagram. The WN7/8 stars lie with the O9/B0 Ia stars, the other WR stars with the B0/B1 III stars.
Increased energy expenditure due to increased territorial defense in male lizards after phenotypic manipulation

Fitness tradeoffs are difficult to examine because many fitness variables are correlated and vary in the same direction. Phenotypic manipulation circumvents many of these difficulties, and here we used this technique to examine mechanisms for tradeoffs between increased aggression (territorial defense) and survivorship. The behavioral phenotype of male mountain spiny lizards (Sceloporus jarrovi) was manipulated with testosterone to increase territorial defense, a sexually selected trait. We previously demonstrated that increased territorial defense results in a decrease in survival caused by a lower ratio of energy intake to energy expenditure. Here we measured energy consumption of increased territorial aggression using the doubly labeled water technique in the field and compared males with and without testosterone implants (Fig. 1). In a supplementary study we measured standard metabolic rate using captive lizards given similar testosterone implants to examine if an increase in energy expenditure was a result of only an increase in standard metabolic rate (Fig. 3). Our results indicated that a primary contribution to tradeoffs between increased territorial defense and survivorship could be made by a 31% increase in energy expenditure in the field that is not due to an increase in standard metabolic rate.