cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A software-defined radio implementation of timestamp-free network synchronization

This paper describes a real-time implementation of timestamp-free network synchronization using RF signaling between a master and slave node. Rather than conventional approaches of exchanging digital timestamps through a dedicated synchronization protocol, timestamp-free synchronization is performed implicitly at the physical layer through timing of a master node's responses to a slave node. This approach was implemented in C++ on a pair of Ettus USRP E310 software defined radios, and extends a previous implementation at audio frequencies using acoustic hardware. Experimental results using modulated sinc pulses demonstrate synchronization accuracy less than 12% of the sampling period. The results confirm previous theoretical studies suggesting that the timestamp-free synchronization approach accurately accounts for propagation delay, frequency offset, and stochastic drift.
Examining the Highs and Lows of the Collaborative Relationship Between Technical Assistance Providers and Prevention Implementers.

The PROSPER model uses a three-tiered community partnership, university researcher, and Cooperative Extension-based technical assistance system to support the delivery of evidence-based interventions in communities. This study examines the trajectory and predictors of the collaborative relationship between technical assistance providers and community teams across the three phases of organization, implementation, and sustainability. Members of 14 PROmoting School-university-community Partnerships to Enhance Resilience (PROSPER) community teams and directors of local agencies rated communities’ levels of readiness and adolescent substance use norms. Technical assistance providers rated their collaborative relationship with their teams at 14 occasions across 4.5 years. Results from mixed models show that levels of collaboration were stable until the sustainability phase, when they increased significantly. Team differences in change were significant during the implementation phase. Community readiness predicted levels of the collaborative relationship over time: high community readiness was associated with a high level of collaboration during organization, but a decline in collaboration during implementation. These results provide a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between technical assistance provision and community prevention teams and lead to recommendations to improve dissemination models to achieve a greater public health impact.
Maternal executive function, infant feeding responsiveness and infant growth during the first 3 months.

SummaryBackground There is limited research in young infants, particularly <3 months of age, on maternal feeding practices in spite of increasing evidence that early weight gain velocity is a determinant of later obesity risk. Objective To examine associations between maternal executive function (cognitive control over one's own behaviour), maternal feeding decisions and infant weight and adiposity gains. Methods We used a checklist to assess cues mothers use to decide when to initiate and terminate infant feedings at 2 weeks and 3 months of age (N = 69). Maternal executive function was assessed using the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery subtests for executive function and infant body composition using air displacement plethysmography. Results Mothers with higher executive function reported relying on fewer non-satiety cues at 2 weeks of age (β = −0.29, p = 0.037) and on more infant hunger cues at 3 months of age (β = 0.31, p = 0.018) in their decisions on initiating and terminating feedings. Responsive feeding decisions, specifically the use of infant-based hunger cues at 3 months, in turn were associated with lower gains in weight-for-length (β = −0.30, p = 0.028) and percent body fat (β = −0.2, p = 0.091; non-covariate adjusted β = −0.27, p = 0.029). Conclusions These findings show both an association between maternal executive function and responsive feeding decisions and an association between responsive feeding decisions and infant weight and adiposity gains. The causal nature and direction of these associations require further investigation.
Poincaré descriptors of long and short-range correlations in the spatial and temporal fluctuations of coherently scattered light

Light scattered from dynamic random media has numerous applications in medicine, biology, engineering, physics and numerous other fields. Short term and long term variations and correlations in the scattered intensity (“speckle”) provide information about the crossing of scattering paths as a result of the local structure and dynamics within the medium. Poincare descriptors are statistical tools used to study variations or self-similarity in neighboring values of a quantity. Herein, we modify this definition to examine correlations not only between neighboring (temporally and spatially) values of dynamic speckle patterns, but also between values with larger spatial and temporal distances between them. The effects of incoherently summed, that is, time-averaged speckle patterns will be examined, as will be the separate cases of incoherently summed correlated and un-correlated speckle patterns. The unique case of elongated speckle will also be presented. The ratio of short-term to long-term differences in the pattern, a term referred to as the ‘ellipticity’ of the data, yields information on the dominance of long-term variations in the scattered intensity compared to the short-term variations. We will show that Poincare descriptors are useful in quantifying the width of the coherence areas in all 3 dimensions in the scattered intensity patterns and also for quantifying motions in speckle patterns from which information about the dynamics of the medium can be inferred.
Spatial modeling and analysis of chloride contamination due to deicing agents

Cases of chloride contamination in drinking water have become more frequent in recent years, creating serious health hazards and prompting local efforts to better monitor and understand the cause of rising chloride contamination levels. Regions with heavy winter precipitation and harsh conditions tend to experience higher levels of chloride in local drinking water. A small rural town located in the northeastern region of the US (“case study site”) has experienced particularly high levels of chloride contamination measured at several times the recommended maximum concentration posted by EPA Secondary Drinking Water Regulations. Local authorities in the Department of Public Health (DPH) of the state along with representatives from the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators have been tracking this trend for the past several years trying to determine the cause of the severely high levels of chloride contamination. One of the major suspected factors in these high contamination levels is deicing agents. The case study site experiences harsh winters with heavy snowfall, sleet, and freezing conditions, all of which require extensive preventative and reactive measures to mitigate the harmful effects they have on drivers and pedestrians. Of the many types of different deicing agents, road salt (sodium chloride) is the most popular solution, used heavily on major roadways across the US to keep people safe. As the name implies, this road salt contains chloride, and this chemical is soluble in water. The salt eventually mixes with precipitation and usually ends up flowing into a body of water which ultimately leads to drinking water, increasing chloride levels by various degrees in the water we use and consume daily. While road salt usage is certainly not the only cause of chloride contamination in drinking water, some studies point to a strong relationship between road salt and chloride levels. The primary goal of the research described in this project is to conduct an in depth correlation analysis to determine the major factors contributing to chloride contamination in the case study site. Such information could assist local authorities in developing policies or strategies to combat and mitigate contamination levels in drinking water.
Endocrine Disorders in Adolescence

Endocrine diseases are rare disorders but occur in a great variety. They are mostly congenital and are existing over the whole lifespan. Thus, these disorders accompany the individual during the multiple changes occurring during the physical and social development, which are most dramatic during childhood and adolescence. Chronic disorders are often causes of conflicts both with the developing self but also with the environment and its changing views and values. Not least the adherence to the rules imposed by treatment may cause permanent difficulties. When conflicts are severe health professionals in the psychological or social domains will be sought by those who are primarily taking care for the organic side of the disorders. For these professionals a profound knowledge of the diseases is the basis of their helping activities. The chapter on congenital adrenal hypoplasia, hypogonadism, growth promotion in adolescence and tall stature deals with a specific sector of paediatric endocrine disorders which are treated in a relatively standardised mode today. However, during all phases of childhood and adolescent development, specific areas of conflict arise. It was therefore attempted to outline both the general path of treatment and the areas of uncertainty and potential problems for those giving support beyond the primary medical level.
Death anxiety, locus of control, and purpose in life of physicians. Their relationship to patient death notification.

This study explored gender and specialty differences in death anxiety, locus of control, and purpose in life of physicians, and if these variables might influence the clinical behavior of physicians regarding death notification. The subjects were 155 attending and house staff physicians who responded to mailed questionnaires. The female physicians scored higher in death anxiety than the male physicians. The psychiatrists scored higher in death anxiety than the surgeons. There was a trend for the internists to have scores indicating a more external locus of control. Purpose in life was inversely correlated with death anxiety and external locus of control. Death anxiety was related to the physicians' preferred mode of conveying the news of an unexpected patient death to the next of kin.
Inhibition of E. coli DNA polymerase I by 1,10-phenanthroline.

Abstract A 1,10-phenanthroline-cuprous ion complex is a potent reversible inhibitor of E. coli DNA polymerase I yielding 50% inhibition in the micromolar concentration range. The 2:1 1,10-phenanthroline-cuprous ion complex is most probably the inhibitory species. Complexes of cupric ion and 1,10-phenanthroline have no apparent kinetic effect. The previously reported inhibition of the enzyme by 1,10-phenanthroline (1,2) is most likely due to the formation of this complex from thiols normally added to the assay mixtures and trace amounts of cupric ion invariably present notwithstanding reasonable precaution. The reversible and instantaneous 1,10-phenanthroline inhibition observed for other polymerases may be due to this unique inhibitory species and not coordination of a catalytically important zinc ion at the active site by the chelating agent.
EPR imaging of vascular changes in oxygen in response to carbogen breathing.

EPR (Electron Paramagnetic Resonance) spectroscopy is being used for in vivo imaging with the recent availability of non-toxic paramagnetic spin probes. The EPR spectral line widths of these agents are directly dependent on oxygen levels. The narrow line width and the long in vivo half-lives make these agents suitable to obtain high resolution spatial images. In this study, the effects of changes in the venous and arterial oxygen in response to changes in oxygen content in the breathing atmosphere is evaluated.
Introduction to Redundancy Theory

This chapter presents redundancy theory. Redundancy theory comprises of all the known techniques, algorithms, and ideas for ways in which to insert extra parts into electronic equipment so as to tolerate random failures. The theory also includes qualitative and quantitative descriptions of some of the properties of the redundant circuits so obtained. In information theory, the problem is to manipulate unreliable information with reliable circuits, whereas in computer redundancy theory the problem is to manipulate unreliable information with unreliable circuits. Most of the past emphasis improving the reliability of electronic equipment has been on making more careful designs and using more reliable parts. This approach continues for many years to be the most effective way to control failures, but it is not the only possible approach. It is also possible to design the equipment so that it operates correctly even when some of its parts fail. Such approaches invariably use extra parts, called redundant parts because they would be unnecessary if no failures occurred.
When Online Instruction Doesn’t Measure Up: How Can You Tell, and What Should You Do?

AbstractAt Duquesne University, freshmen are required to take a one-credit information literacy course. This course has traditionally been offered mostly face-to-face, but has expanded into more on...
Combinatorial Coarse-Graining of Molecular Dynamics Simulations for Detecting Relationships between Local Configurations and Overall Conformations

An automatic, multiscale, and three-dimensional (3D) summary of local configurations of the dynamics of proteins can help to discover and describe the relationships between different parts of prote...
Relationships Between a History of Abuse, Changes in Body Mass Index, Physical Health, and Self-Reported Depression in Female Bariatric Surgery Patients.

Background/Objectives: A history of physical and sexual abuse has been implicated in weight gain. Although bariatric surgery is effective for weight loss in severely obese individuals, we investiga...
Impact of bilateral oophorectomy on contralateral breast cancer risk in BRCA negative women from site-specific hereditary breast cancer kindreds.

1511 Background: BRCA negative (BRCAneg) women from site-specific hereditary breast cancer (SSB) kindreds have been shown to have an increased risk of breast cancer (BC), but not ovarian cancer (OC...
Focused Ultrasound Preconditioning for Augmented Nanoparticle Penetration and Efficacy in the Central Nervous System

Microbubble activation with focused ultrasound (FUS) facilitates the noninvasive and spatially-targeted delivery of systemically administered therapeutics across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). FUS also augments the penetration of nanoscale therapeutics through brain tissue; however, this secondary effect has not been leveraged. Here, 1 MHz FUS sequences that increase the volume of transfected brain tissue after convection-enhanced delivery of gene-vector "brain-penetrating" nanoparticles were first identified. Next, FUS preconditioning is applied prior to trans-BBB nanoparticle delivery, yielding up to a fivefold increase in subsequent transgene expression. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) analyses of tissue temperature and Ktrans confirm that augmented transfection occurs through modulation of parenchymal tissue with FUS. FUS preconditioning represents a simple and effective strategy for markedly improving the efficacy of gene vector nanoparticles in the central nervous system.
Quantifying parameter uncertainty in a large-scale glacier evolution model using Bayesian inference: application to High Mountain Asia

The response of glaciers to climate change has major implications for sea-level change and water resources around the globe. Large-scale glacier evolution models are used to project glacier runoff and mass loss, but are constrained by limited observations, which result in models being over-parameterized. Recent systematic geodetic mass-balance observations provide an opportunity to improve the calibration of glacier evolution models. In this study, we develop a calibration scheme for a glacier evolution model using a Bayesian inverse model and geodetic mass-balance observations, which enable us to quantify model parameter uncertainty. The Bayesian model is applied to each glacier in High Mountain Asia using Markov chain Monte Carlo methods. After 10,000 steps, the chains generate a sufficient number of independent samples to estimate the properties of the model parameters from the joint posterior distribution. Their spatial distribution shows a clear orographic effect indicating the resolution of climate data is too coarse to resolve temperature and precipitation at high altitudes. Given the glacier evolution model is over-parameterized, particular attention is given to identifiability and the need for future work to integrate additional observations in order to better constrain the plausible sets of model parameters.
The inchworm episode: Reconstituting the phenomenon of kinesin motility

New Mechanist philosophical models of "phenomenon reconstitution" understand the process to be driven by explanatory considerations. Here I discuss an episode of phenomenon reconstitution that occurred entirely within an experimental program dedicated to characterizing (rather than explaining) the phenomenon of kinesin motility. Rather than being driven by explanatory considerations, as standard mechanist views maintain, I argue that the phenomenon of kinesin motility was reconstituted to enhance researchers’ primary experimental tool—the single molecule motility assay.
Spillover effect in supplier related product recall: the impact of supplier COO on product evaluations

Research has shown that supplier quality can lead to brand quality failures. However, what is not clear is whether a supplier’s country of origin (COO) plays a role in the evaluations of manufactur...
Childhood Influences on Youth Obesity

We develop a model to estimate the influence of child and parental characteristics on the likelihood that a child will become an obese or overweight youth. We use this model to test whether it is possible to forecast obesity and overweight among youth. Comparing Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) scores from these forecasts, we find that a model using childhood covariates does as well in forecasting youth obesity and overweight as a model using the covariate values contemporaneous with the youth obesity and overweight outcomes. The datasets used in this paper, the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY79) and the NLSY79 Children and Young Adults, provide data from 1986 to 2002, allowing for the study of a child's transition to and from obesity or overweight over a long period. Explanatory variables that significantly influence the likelihood of youth obesity or overweight outcomes include the mother's obesity status and education, the youth's mental health, and certain demographic features including race, sex, and family size. These factors provide potential targets for policies that could be implemented early in life among children most likely to become obese or overweight.
Exploring the Meanings of the “Heartfelt” Gesture: A Nonverbal Signal of Heartfelt Emotion and Empathy

We conducted two studies to explore the potential meanings associated with the “heartfelt” gesture, which involves placing one’s hand with a flat palm in the center of the chest. In Study 1, we approached 176 participants in various social settings and asked them to recall an example of the gesture and the emotion they associated with its use. Although shock and surprise emerged as important themes, participants reported social relational examples associated with intensely-felt “heartfelt” emotions and empathy. Women were more likely to recall an example of the gesture’s use than were men. In Study 2, we replicated the effects of Study 1 using a larger online sample (N = 252), finding that women were more likely than men to use the gesture, and revealing a significant correlation between gesture use and self-reported empathy. The studies highlight the emotional significance of the gesture and challenge the prevailing view that the gesture primarily communicates sincerity. Implications for the possibility that the gesture serves as a nonverbal signal of heartfelt connection to others and/or an emblem of empathy are discussed.
Minimum Weight Analysis of Orthotropic Plates Under Compressive Loading

Minimum weight analysis of various forms of stiffened-plate construction considered for use as the compression covers of multicell wing box beams are presented. Longitudinal, transverse, and waffle-grid stiffening systems for flat plates were investigated by use of orthotropic plate theory and the assumption that the buckling modes occur simultaneously. After obtaining results for each stiffening configuration, the comparative structural efficiencies of the various types of plates were then considered in terms of common parameters.
A Humanistic Approach to Neurochemical Research in Children

In this discussion of the problems, philosophy, ethics, and techniques of neurochemical research with children, I will describe only enough of the research in which I have been involved to illustrate various points. Those who wish a more complete description may consult the references at the end of the chapter (Arnold et al., 1972, 1973; Corson et al.,1972; Knopp et al.,1973).
Shady: Robust Truss Climbing with Mechanical Compliances

Many large terrestrial structures—towers, bridges, construction scaffolds—are sparse assemblies of rigid bars connected together at structural nodes. This is also true of many in-space structures such as antennae, solar panel supports, and space-station members. A long-term application of truss climbing robots is automated assembly, repair, and inspection of such truss-like structures: one or more climbing robots could grip the bars and locomote about the truss, conveying sensors, tools, or construction materials. The robot could then either carry out the desired task on its own or cooperate with a human [1,7].
Abstract 13: Detection of Abnormal Glucose Tolerance Status in Africans is improved by combining A1C with Fasting Glucose

Diabetes is reaching epidemic proportions in Africa. Therefore it is critical to invest scarce resources in effective tests. Both the World Health Organization and the American Diabetes Association have approved A1C and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) as diagnostic alternatives to the OGTT for the detection of pre-diabetes and diabetes. However, A1C thresholds for the diagnosis of abnormal glucose tolerance are dependent on >90% of hemoglobin (Hb) being HbA. This could be problematic for Africans, as the prevalence of variant Hb including both sickle (S) and HbC are high. When either HbS or HbC is present as a trait, the concentration of HbA is usually
“In Andalucía, there are no foreigners”: Andalucismo from transperipheral critique to colonial apology

This article explores the ideological legacy of Blas Infante (1885–1936), hailed today as the “Padre de la Patria Andaluza.” In post-Franco Spain, Infante's legacy of political andalucismo (Andalusian nationalism) has become inexorably linked with the myth of Andalusi convivencia: the supposedly harmonious coexistence of Christians, Muslims, and Jews in medieval Iberia. Yet Infante's posthumous fame as an avatar of intercultural tolerance masks two understudied aspects of his work and its afterlife: his repudiation of Catalan nationalism and his influence on the discourse of Spanish colonialism in Morocco. In this article, I develop the concept of the “transperipheral” to analyze Andalusian nationalism's evolving debate with Catalan nationalism — and, more broadly, to propose a new model for the study of Iberian peripheral nationalisms. My notion of the transperipheral aims to revise the center–periphery binary that has dominated the study of Iberian peripheral nationalisms. Blas Infante was assassinated ...
Tensile regulation of axonal elongation and initiation

Neurites of chick sensory neurons in culture were attached by their growth cones to glass needles of known compliance and were subjected to increasing tensions as steps of constant force; each step lasted 30–60 min and was 25–50 mu dyn greater than the previous step. After correcting for elastic stretching, neurite elongation rate increased in proportion to tension magnitude greater than a tension threshold. The value of the tension threshold required for growth varied between 25 and 560 mu dyn, with most between 50 and 150 mu dyn. The growth sensitivity of neurites to tension was surprisingly high: an increase in tension of 1 mu dyn increased the elongation rate an average of about 1.5 microns/hr. The linear relationship between growth rate and tension provides a simple control mechanism for axons to accommodate tissue expansion in growing animals that consistently maintains a moderate rest tension on axons. Styrene microspheres treated with polyethyleneimine were used to label the surface of neurites in order to determine the site and pattern of surface addition during the experimental “towed growth” regime. New membrane is added interstitially throughout the neurite, but different regions of neurite vary widely in the amount of new membrane added. This contrasts with membrane addition specifically at the distal end in growth-cone- mediated growth. The different sites for membrane addition in growth mediated by towing and by the growth cone indicate that the membrane addition process is sensitive to the mode of growth. We confirmed the finding of Bray (1984) that neurites can be initiated de novo by application of tension to the cell margin of chick sensory neurons.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Rapid-scanning miniature endoscope for real-time forward-imaging optical coherence tomography coherence tomography

We developed a 2.4-mm diameter PZT-actuated endoscope capable of rapid lateral scanning at 1.2 kHz. A new lateral-priority image acquisition sequence enabled by the endoscope was demonstrated to achieve forward OCT imaging in real time
Expression of Bcl-2 Protects against Photoreceptor Degeneration in retinal degeneration slow (rds) Mice

The retinal degeneration slow or rds gene encodes rds/peripherin, an integral membrane glycoprotein in the outer segments of rod and cone photoreceptors. Mice homozygous for a null mutation in rds fail to develop outer segments and undergo subsequent degeneration of photoreceptors by the apoptotic pathway. Mutations in the human RDS gene are responsible for several forms of inherited blindness including autosomal-dominant retinitis pigmentosa and macular degeneration. Here, we examined the effects of ectopic Bcl-2 expression in transgenic photoreceptors on the rate of retinal degeneration in rds mutant mice. We observed an approximately twofold preservation of photoreceptors compared with nontransgenic rds mutant mice at 3 months. Immunoblot analysis showed similar levels of Bcl-2 in 2-, 3-, and 4-week-old transgenic mice. Expression of Bcl-2 in the rds mouse did not lead to outer segment formation and did not induce cell death. These results suggest that Bcl-2 expression may be an effective therapeutic strategy in humans with mutations in RDS or other genes that affect the integrity of photoreceptor outer segments.
Reifying the Body through the Medicalization of Violent Death

This article suggests that the violent deaths of American Indians are being medicalized. The biomedical classification of violent death (suicides, homicides, accidents) subverts the social elements of causality in favor of identifying individual culpability. It is here argued that the biomedical nosology known as the International Classification of Disease (ICD) has entered the everyday, commonsensical discourse of those who investigate these deaths (police, EMTs, medical examiners). After presenting a theoretical framework I offer four ethnographic vignettes to illustrate how death has been medicalized among the Tohono O'odham Indians of southern Arizona. These vignettes, though not statistically significant, reveal how cause is inscribed on the bodies of the deceased. In other words, the classification of violent death reifies the individual body at the expense of the social body. Five recommendations for further research and consideration are then offered.
Algal diversity in North American desert soils

Clonal isolates of cyanophytes were collected from several study sites in the Dugway Proving Ground and San Rafael Sell Overlook in Utah. We identified 32 taxa belonging to 24 cyanobacterial genera. Some taxa were widely distributed, occurring in all sites. For example, the members of the filamentous cyanobacterial genera Leptolyngbya, Microcoleus, Nostoc and Trichocoleus and members of the coccoid genus Aphanocapsa were common to all sites. On the other hand, members of the cyanobacterial genus Calothrix were rarely encountered at the Dugway site but were recovered frequently from the San Rafael site. We were able to compare disturbed and undisturbed sites located close together in the San Rafael Overlook. We found that the genera Spirirestis and Cyanosarcina, were found exclusively in the undisturbed site. A number of the taxa recovered could be identified only to the genus level because they did not match previously published species descriptions. Since we have recovered both prokaryotic eukaryotic taxa new to science in our previous work, it is quite likely that some of these isolates do indeed represent new cyanobacterial species. This study is the most extensive characterization of cyanobacteria from soil crusts in a semi-arid North American deserts. It expands our knowledge of the diversity of the cyanobacterial components of North American soil crusts.
Higher-order methods for simulations on quantum computers

To implement many-qubit gates for use in quantum simulations on quantum computers efficiently, we develop and present methods reexpressing exp[[minus]i(H[sub 1]+H[sub 2]+[center dot][center dot][center dot])[Delta]t] as a product of factors exp[[minus]iH[sub 1][Delta]t], exp[[minus]iH[sub 2][Delta]t],[hor ellipsis], which is accurate to third or fourth order in [Delta]t. The methods we derive are an extended form of the symplectic method, and can also be used for an integration of classical Hamiltonians on classical computers. We derive both integral and irrational methods, and find the most efficient methods in both cases. [copyright] [ital 1999] [ital The American Physical Society]
Total ischemic burden: Effect of vasoactive agents

Treatment of the total ischemic burden is dependent on adequate documentation of both painful and painless episodes of myocardial ischemia, an understanding of the pathophysiologic mechanisms involved, and knowledge of prognosis for affected patients. Because a vasoconstrictive component appears to be an important element in the genesis of many episodes of myocardial ischemia, those vasoactive drugs that produce increased flow in the coronary circulation should be clinically useful. Nitrates and calcium blockers--especially nifedipine--have been found to be particularly valuable in this regard in both experimental and clinical trials.
Mathematical simulation of the body fluid regulating system in dog.

Abstract A mathematical model of body fluid volume and osmolality regulation was developed which incorporated the major nonlinearities of fluid assimilation, exchange, distribution and excretion. The non-linear differential equations define compartmental material balances for water, urea, sodium, protein and antidiuretic hormone (ADH). The parameters of these equations were calculated using analytical solutions and available steady-state experimental data. The model was used to simulate the renal response to five input forcings: (1) intraesophageal water infusion; (2) water ingestion; (3) intravenous ADH injection; (4) intravenous water infusion; and (5) intermittent water loading. The model yielded continuous simulation curves which agreed reasonably well with the available transient and steady-state experimental data. The model predicted that stimulating volume receptors via changes in left atrial pressure accounts for only 15–20% of changes in ADH secretion rate, whereas stimulation of the osmotic receptors via changes in plasma osmolality accounts for the remaining 80–85% of changes. Thus, it appears that regulation of ADH secretion is largely dependent upon plasma osmolality during forcings which do not appreciably alter the cardiovascular blood volume.
Myelination of the canine central nervous system by glial cell transplantation: A model for repair of human myelin disease

There is a lack of effective means of promoting remyelination of the central nervous system (CNS) in humans with chronic demyelinating disease. We have investigated the ability of transplanted glia to myelinate areas of the CNS equivalent to focal demyelinated lesions in multiple sclerosis (MS). In these studies we show that transplantation of oligodendrocytes or their progenitors into the CNS of a neonatal or adult canine myelin mutant results in repair of large areas similar in size to many MS plaques. Progenitor or pre-progenitor cells of the oligodendrocyte lineage have the greatest capacity for myelination following grafting, although cells of neonatal origin may also be used. Such an approach may therefore have therapeutic value in the repair of focal lesions in human myelin disease.
Coordination of the six-mer peptide Gly-His-Pro-His-His-Gly to CuII and PdII N-methyliminodiacetate complexes as IMAC chelation site models

The coordination of a six-mer peptide Gly-His-Pro-His-His-Gly (GHPHHG) has been studied in its coordination behavior toward [PdII(mida)(D2O)] by 1H NMR, and toward [CuII(mida)(H2O)2] by electronic spectroscopy (mida2−=N-methyliminodiacetate), as models of immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography (IMAC) binding sites for proteins, peptides, and peptide affinity tags. The results are compared to two previously studied sequences used as high affinity peptide tags in the IMAC method, SPHHGG and HHHHHH, which have been observed to bind the model complexes using the terminal amino or histidyl donor of the first amino acid unit, followed by a skipping of the second amino acid unit and coordination of histidyl donors from both the third and fourth amino acid units. For the GHPHHG peptide at pH values near 8.53, it has been observed herein that the `high-binding' run of H*PH*H* (stars denoting attached groups) in the interior of the peptide is used to provide the three-point contact to the [MII(mida)] component. This is similar to the S*PH*H* coordination of SPHHGG, and the H*HH*H* coordination of HHHHHH. Models predict that steric factors for the six-mer peptide favor the use of the tautomeric coordination modes of the histidyl groups such that the histidyl methylene linkage is placed near the coordinating N donor for the first and fourth amino acid units and remote for the middle third amino acid unit, termed herein as the `4-5-4' tautomer forms. However, evidence from the absence of C-4H protons in the NMR spectrum suggests broadening due to the occurrence of rapid tautomerism between these sites. The proline in GHPHHG provides the structural rigidity to enhance the H*PH*H* binding mode, and this also shows up in the absence of peptide-ionized coordination to the CuII(mida) model at pH<10, as for SPHHGG, but it occurs for HHHHHH having an available amido hydrogen on the second amino acid along the coordination sequence in the `skipped amino acid position' (both GHPHHG and SPHHGG do not and thus avoid peptide-ionized coordination).
From Dynamic Events to Deep Causes: Outcomes and Explanations of the Arab Spring

Attempting to understand the complexities of the Arab Spring is a challenge both methodologically and evidentially. Over a three year period we evolved a problem-driven attempt at theory building and came to see historically rooted structural factors as more satisfying explanatory variables than some of the more proximate arguments proposed to explain the causes and consequences of the Arab Spring. We found that antecedent variables could account for the contrast between countries that experienced successful uprisings and those countries that experienced no uprising at all or an unsuccessful uprising. We found two variables provided significant explanatory leverage. The first was the extent of non-tax hydrocarbon (mainly oil) rents, the second, the nature of the ruling elite and whether the incumbent had inherited power.
New tambjamine class alkaloids from the marine ascidian Atapozoa sp. and its nudibranch predators. Origin of the tambjamines in Atapozoa

Two new tambjamine class alkaloids, possessing ichthyodeterrent properties, have been isolated from the organic extracts of the marine ascidianAtapozoa sp. and its nudibranch predators. The structure of the new metabolites were elucidated through interpretation of their physical and spectral data and by comparison with spectral data for related compounds. Microscopic examination ofAtapozoa considering the yellow color of the tambjamines suggested thatAtapozoa is capable of the de novo biosynthesis of these metabolites.
Synthesis and characterization of noncentrosymmetric main chain hydrogen bonded macromolecules incorporating an azo-stilbazole acceptor

The syntheses and characterization of three noncentrosymmetric main chain hydrogen bonded macromolecules which incorporate diethyl-[4-(pyridin-4-ylazo)-phenyl]-amine hydrogen bond acceptor units are reported. These macromolecules participate in strong intermolecular hydrogen bonding as demonstrated using attenuated total reflectance (ATR) FTIR. The phase transitions of these macromolecules depend on the identity of the hydrogen bond donor. Mixtures of these azo-stilbazole macromolecules with noncentrosymmetric hydrogen bonded liquid crystalline macromolecules possess nematic liquid crystalline phases when the concentration of the azo-stilbazole macromolecule is ≤ 50 mol%.
ANHARMONIC EFFECTS IN SPHERICAL NUCLEI.

Abstract A microscopic model for spherical nuclei is presented which produces anharmonic admixtures of the quasiparticle random-phase phonon solutions. The anharmonic effects, such as non-zero static quadrupole moments, Q2, and crossover transition rates, are the results of retaining quasiparticle scattering terms in the pairing-plus-quadrupole Hamiltonian. The calculations using both neutrons and protons show that the single quasiparticle terms are usually significant since even small admixtures result in values for Q2 that are larger than 0.1 e · b. The results of the calculations for the B(E2) and the Q2 values are presented for most spherical nuclei.
New mechanism of gas drift occurring in the presence of an evanescent wave

We describe a novel mechanism of the drift of a gas in a cell occurring under velocity-selective excitation in presence of an evanescent wave. The effect can be used for isotope-selective control of the spatial distributions of gases and purification, studying atomic scattering in the evanescent-wave field, and potentially in laser cooling.
Classification of non-Rayleigh echoes from patches of fish

Echoes from patches of fish fluctuate significantly from ping to ping as the sonar beam is swept across the patches. The fluctuations can be strongly non-Rayleigh because 1) there can be a small number of targets in the beam at a time, 2) the distribution of fish can be inhomogeneous, or "patchy", and 3) the echoes are weighted by the non-uniform response of the sonar beam. We have previously identified several distributions to describe the statistical behavior of non-Rayleigh echoes from fish - the K-distribution for multiple patches of unresolved fish, a mix distribution composed of two Rayleigh distributions for the patches, and a distribution that explicitly accounts for the beampattern when the fish are resolved. We have demonstrated good agreement between these PDF's and corresponding sets of data. In this new study, we investigate classification approaches and how they best suit the problem specific to patches of fish. In particular, we apply standard classifiers to fish echo data using our theoretical PDF's. We compare the performance of the different classifiers and make recommendations as to which type of classifier might best be suited to the fish application. Our initial results show that a classifier using the Kullback-Leibler (KL) distance is better than a L-2 norm approach, as the KL approach emphasizes differences in the tail of the distribution. One key aspect to this problem is that parameters of the theoretical PDF's are physics-based.
Pax7 Lineage Contributions to the Mammalian Neural Crest

Author(s): Murdoch, Barbara; DelConte, Casey; Garcia-Castro, Martin I | Abstract: BackgroundNeural crest cells are vertebrate-specific multipotent cells that contribute to a variety of tissues including the peripheral nervous system, melanocytes, and craniofacial bones and cartilage. Abnormal development of the neural crest is associated with several human maladies including cleft/lip palate, aggressive cancers such as melanoma and neuroblastoma, and rare syndromes, like Waardenburg syndrome, a complex disorder involving hearing loss and pigment defects. We previously identified the transcription factor Pax7 as an early marker, and required component for neural crest development in chick embryos. In mammals, Pax7 is also thought to play a role in neural crest development, yet the precise contribution of Pax7 progenitors to the neural crest lineage has not been determined.Methodology/principal findingsHere we use Cre/loxP technology in double transgenic mice to fate map the Pax7 lineage in neural crest derivates. We find that Pax7 descendants contribute to multiple tissues including the cranial, cardiac and trunk neural crest, which in the cranial cartilage form a distinct regional pattern. The Pax7 lineage, like the Pax3 lineage, is additionally detected in some non-neural crest tissues, including a subset of the epithelial cells in specific organs.Conclusions/significanceThese results demonstrate a previously unappreciated widespread distribution of Pax7 descendants within and beyond the neural crest. They shed light regarding the regionally distinct phenotypes observed in Pax3 and Pax7 mutants, and provide a unique perspective into the potential roles of Pax7 during disease and development.
High Road to a Global Marketplace: The International Transmission of Stock Market Fluctuations

The paper reports the results of a cross-spectral analysis of the price behavior of stock market indices in 23 countries. The primary goal of our study is to test for interdependence between the time series of stock market indices to support or reject the hypothesis that world markets are becoming more integrated. We reassess and extend findings of the late 1970s measuring the coherence and lead/lag relationships between stock markets worldwide, employing a time series of daily country index returns. In contrast to earlier results, we find a high and statistically significant level of interdependence between stock markets, and we also find that U.S. index prices lead almost every country index in the sample.
Direct analysis of rat bile for acetaminophen and two of its conjugated metabolites via thermospray liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry.

Bile from rats treated with acetaminophen was analyzed by direct injection onto a thermospray liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) system. Two conjugated metabolites of acetaminophen were separated by the high-pressure liquid chromatographic system and analyzed by mass spectrometry. The conjugates were identified as the glutathione–acetaminophen conjugate and the glucuronide–acetaminophen conjugate by comparison of the chromatographic retention times and the mass spectra to that of the synthetic standards. No evidence of acetaminophen metabolites was observed when bile samples were subjected to direct analysis by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry.
Cyclic AMP independent inhibition of platelet aggregation by prostaglandin E1 is mediated through factor Xa

Abstract Normal plasma exposed to an insolublized ω-NH2-hexyl-agarose derivative of PGE1 inhibits ADP-induced platelet aggregation. To define the plasma macromolecule responsible, we tested plasma congenitally deficient in coagulation factors for this property. Only plasma deficient in factor X failed to inhibit platelet aggregation under these conditions. The inhibition could be restored by reconstituting the defective plasma with bovine or human factor X. Purified factor X or Xa exposed to insolubilized PGE1 also inhibited ADP-induced platelet aggregation. Factor Xa could reverse the inhibition of altered factor X but the reverse was not true suggesting that factor Xa was the responsible component. This conclusion was further supported by the ability of heparin to reverse the inhibitory effect of altered factor Xa when the anti-coagulant was added simultaneously to platelets. The results were not due to the release of PGE1 from the insoluble derivative. Factor Xa may have a heretofore unrecognized effect on modulating platelet functions.
Intraperitoneal hyperthermic chemotherapy using carboplatin: a phase I analysis in ovarian carcinoma.

Abstract Objective Cyclic platinum-based intraperitoneal chemotherapy has proven to be effective after optimal surgical cytoreduction in ovarian carcinoma. Hyperthermia is directly cytotoxic and enhances chemotherapy tumoricidal effects. This study was designed to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of carboplatin used intraoperatively as intraperitoneal hyperthermic chemotherapy (IPHC), the effect on postoperative systemic chemotherapy administration, and the potential for repeat IPHC at second look surgery. Methods Using the ThermoChem™ HT System, escalating doses of carboplatin (400, 600, 800, 1000, and 1200 mg/m 2 ) were administered intraoperatively as IPHC with a perfusion time of 90 min. A subgroup of eight patients that received initial IPHC and subsequent systemic chemotherapy underwent second look reassessment surgery with IPHC. Results The first 4 dose levels were well tolerated without dose-defining toxicity. The initial two patients treated at 1200 mg/m 2 developed grade 4 myelosuppression thus defining the MTD at 1000 mg/m 2 . Newly diagnosed ovarian cancer patients receiving the initial IPHC at the MTD defined above completed standard systemic chemotherapy with six courses of systemic chemotherapy. Eight patients having initial IPHC and systemic chemotherapy subsequently had repeat IPHC performed at second look laparotomy without grade 3 or 4 toxicities. Four patients were found to have extensive adhesions at the time of second look reassessment surgery yet completed IPHC. Conclusions The MTD for intraperitoneal carboplatin administered as IPHC was established at 1000 mg/m 2 . IPHC at the initial cytoreductive procedure did not preclude subsequent systemic chemotherapy. In addition, repetitive IPHC was feasible at second look reassessment surgery.
The effect of injection speed on the pain of lidocaine infiltration

Objective: To determine whether reducing the speed of injection is effective in reducing injection pain for buffered and unbuffered lidocaine solutions. Methods: A prospective, single-blind, randomized, crossover, laboratory study was performed. Adult volunteers were recruited from ED staff at an urban teaching hospital to serve as subjects. Twenty-nine subjects each received 4 1-mL injections into the dorsum of the hands. Each subject received fast and slow injections of buffered and unbuffered lidocaine. Subjects rated the pain of each injection on a 100-mm visual analog scale (VAS). Mean pain scores for each intervention were compared using analysis of variance. Results: The mean pain VAS score for fast injection of buffered lidocaine was 14.1 mm. For slow buffered injection, the mean pain score was 11.4 mm (p = 0.98). For unbuffered lidocaine, the means were 28.7 mm for fast injection and 22.2 mm for slow injection (p = 0.40). Conclusions: Reducing injection speed did not produce a statistically significant change in injection pain for either buffered or unbuffered solutions.