cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optimizing therapy with 6-mercaptopurine and azathioprine: to measure or not to measure?

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a broad term that encompasses a heterogeneous group of inflammatory conditions of the small and large bowel but generally refers to ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD). These conditions are believed to occur when, with the appropriate genetic predisposition, gut flora activate an exaggerated immune response. The resultant inflammation leads to myriad symptoms, a possible need for surgery, an increased risk of cancer, and a decreased quality of life, to name just a few.
Appearance questions can be misleading: a discourse-based account of the appearance-reality problem.

Abstract Preschoolers’ success on the appearance–reality task is a milestone in theory-of-mind development. On the standard task children see a deceptive object, such as a sponge that looks like a rock, and are asked, “What is this really?” and “What does this look like?” Children below 4 1 2 years of age fail saying that the object not only is a sponge but also looks like a sponge. We propose that young children’s difficulty stems from ambiguity in the meaning of “looks like.” This locution can refer to outward appearance (“Peter looks like Paul”) but in fact often refers to likely reality (“That looks like Jim”). We propose that “looks like” is taken to refer to likely reality unless the reality is already part of the common ground of the conversation. Because this joint knowledge is unclear to young children on the appearance–reality task, they mistakenly think the appearance question is about likely reality. Study 1 analyzed everyday conversations from the CHILDES database and documented that 2 and 3-year-olds are familiar with these two different uses of the locution. To disambiguate the meaning of “looks like,” Study 2 clarified that reality was shared knowledge as part of the appearance question, e.g., “What does the sponge look like?” Study 3 used a non-linguistic measure to emphasize the shared knowledge of the reality in the appearance question. Study 4 asked children on their own to articulate the contrast between appearance and reality. At 91%, 85%, and 81% correct responses, children were at near ceiling levels in each of our manipulations while they failed the standard versions of the tasks. Moreover, we show how this discourse-based explanation accounts for findings in the literature. Thus children master the appearance–reality distinction by the age of 3 but the standard task masks this understanding because of the discourse structure involved in talking about appearances.
Normal and rebound impulse firing in retinal ganglion cells

Given that the action potential output of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) determines the nature of the visual information that is transmitted from the retina, an understanding of their intrinsic impulse firing characteristics is critical for an appreciation of the overall processing of visual information. Recordings from RGCs within an isolated whole-mount retina preparation showed that their normal impulse firing from the resting membrane potential (RMP) was linearly correlated in its frequency with the stimulus intensity. In addition to describing the relationship between the magnitude of the current injection and the resulting impulse frequency (F/I relationship), we have characterized the properties of individual action potentials when they are elicited from the RMP. In contrast, hyperpolarizing below the RMP revealed that RGCs displayed a time dependent anomalous rectification, manifested by the appearance of a depolarizing sag in their voltage response. When an adequate period of hyperpolarization was terminated, a fast phasic period of "rebound excitation" was observed, characterized by a brief phasic burst of impulse activity. When compared to equivalent action potential firing evoked by depolarizing from the RMP, rebound spiking was associated with a lower threshold and shorter latency for impulse activation as well as a prominent, phasic, burst-like doublet, or triplet of impulses. The rebound action potential had a more positive voltage overshoot and displayed a higher peak rate of rise in its upstroke than those correspondingly generated by depolarizing current pulses from the RMP. Blocking sodium spikes with TTX confirmed that the preceding hyperpolarization led to the recruitment and subsequent generation of a transient depolarizing voltage overshoot, which we have termed the net depolarizing overshoot (NDO). We propose that the NDO boosts the generation of sodium spikes by triggering rebound spikes on its upstroke and crest, thus accounting for the observed voltage dependent change in the firing pattern of RGCs.
Production of interferon by in vitro derived bone marrow macrophages

Abstract The production of interferon by essentially pure populations of bone-marrow-derived macrophages was examined after induction with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C)), or Newcastle disease virus (NDV). Near maximal release of interferon required 4 to 6 hr incubation at 37 °C with as little as 0.1 μg/ml LPS, 0.01 μg/ml poly(I:C), or 0.01 m.o.i. NDV. Incubation of macrophages with LPS for 1–2 hr, followed by functional inactivation of residual LPS with polymyxin B sulfate, permitted maximal accumulation of interferon when assayed at 24 hr. The LPS- and poly(I:C)-induced interferon activity was resistant to pH 2.2 and inactivated by exposure to 56 °C for 40 min or upon addition of sheep anti-mouse type I interferon globulin. Induction in fibroblasts required the addition of DEAE dextran and concentrations of poly(I:C) at least two orders of magnitude higher than those needed to induce macrophage interferon. Macrophages were also more responsive to lower inputs of NDV than either primary or transformed fibroblasts. The results highlight the usefulness of marrow macrophages in studies of the regulation of the induction of interferon and support a putative role of the phagocytes in the in vivo production of interferon.
Racial variation in cardiac procedure use and survival following acute myocardial infarction in the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Objective. —To examine whether blacks admitted to Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMCs) with an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are less likely than whites to undergo cardiac catheterization or coronary revascularization procedures and to determine the impact of these differences on patient survival. Design. —A retrospective observational study of inpatient discharge abstracts from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Setting. —All one hundred fifty-eight acute care hospitals in the VHA. Patient Population. —Male veterans (n=33 641) discharged from VAMCs with anInternational Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modificationcode for AMI from January 1, 1988, to December 31, 1990. Intervention. — None. Main Outcome Measures. —The use of cardiac catheterization, coronary angioplasty, and/or bypass surgery in the 90 days after admission for AMI, and survival at 30 days, 1 year, and 2 years. Main Results. —Adjusting for patient and hospital characteristics, blacks with an AMI were 33% less likely than whites to undergo cardiac catheterization, 42% less likely to receive coronary angioplasty, and 54% less likely to receive coronary bypass surgery. Among patients who underwent catheterization, blacks were also less likely than whites to have a subsequent cardiac revascularization procedure. Adjusted 30-day survival for blacks was significantly greater than for whites. One- and 2-year survival rates after AMI were not significantly different between blacks and whites. Conclusions. —In a health care system designed to provide equivalent availability of care to all eligible patients, blacks received substantially fewer cardiac procedures after AMI than whites. Despite undergoing fewer interventional procedures, blacks had better short-term and equivalent intermediate survival rates compared with whites. (JAMA. 1994;271:1175-1180)
Design and Implementation of the Firewall Policy Audit Based on Improved Policy Tree

Firewall plays an important role in today's network security, and its rule configuration is reasonable or not directly related to the security of network environment. With the increasing size of the network, firewall configurations are becoming increasingly complex, and the firewall policy audit should be born in order to better play the protective properties of the firewall. Firstly, this paper studies the relationship between firewall rules in detail, analyzes some common types of rules abnormal of audit programs and reviews existing policies. Next, this paper proposes a improved audit program based on the tree structure, discusses and achieves the audit process of the program in detail. Finally, this paper shows a graphical reports and detailed audit findings of the prototype system, and does a comparison and verification between the results of the improved audit program and the traditional strategy tree.
Multifocal Visual Evoked Potentials in the Anesthetized Non-human Primate

Purpose: To evaluate monkey multifocal visual evoked cortical potentials (mfVEPs) recorded from central and peripheral fields for reliability and isolation from electroretinographic (ERG) activity. Methods: The mfVEP stimulus consisted of a 7-element hexagonal array that subtended 80 degrees of the central visual field. Recordings were made under intravenous pentobarbital sodium (15 mg/kg) anesthesia. Two monkeys with absent optic nerve and ganglion cell function after combined unilateral optic nerve transection and experimental ocular hypertension (ONT/OHT) were followed longitudinally. In a second study, 16 ophthalmologically normal monkeys were tested once. Results: Testing of the non-transected eye in two transected animals revealed robust first- and second-order kernel, first slice (K1 and K2.1) mfVEPs. Stimulation of the transected eye revealed no contamination of the mfVEP from the concurrently recorded multifocal ERGs. There was complete separation of the root-mean-square (RMS) mfVEP amplitudes fr...
Itraconazole and Fluconazole and Certain Rare, Serious Adverse Events

Study Objective. To determine rates of drug-induced, rare, serious adverse events affecting the liver, kidneys, skin, or blood, occurring within 45 days of completing a prescription or refill for itraconazole or fluconazole. Design. Population-based follow-up study. Setting. United Kingdom-based General Practice Research Database. Patients. Total of 54,803 users of either fluconazole or itraconazole. Main Results. Four patients were identified with illnesses for which a drug-induced etiology could not be ruled out; one with an elevated liver function test while taking itraconazole, one with thrombocytopenia, one with neutropenia, and one with an abnormal liver function test just after receiving fluconazole. For itraconazole the rate was 3.2/100,000 prescriptions (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.6–17.9) for serious, adverse liver events; for fluconazole 2.8/100,000 prescriptions (95% CI 0.8–10.3) for serious, adverse blood events and 1.4/100,000 prescriptions (95% CI 0.25–8.2) for serious, adverse liver events. Conclusion. Itraconazole and fluconazole do not commonly cause rare, serious adverse events affecting the liver, kidneys, skin, or blood.
Dopamine D1 receptor stimulation but not dopamine D2 receptor stimulation attenuates haloperidol-induced behavioral supersensitivity and receptor up-regulation

The effect of selective dopamine D1 and D2 receptor agonists on chronic haloperidol-treated rats was studied. Haloperidol treatment produced a 77% increase in apomorphine-induced sterotypy. The administration of the selective dopamine D1 receptor agonist SKF38393 alone or in combination with the selective dopamine D2 receptor agonist quinpirole attenuated the effect of haloperidol. Treatment with quinpirole alone did not have a significant effect on the response to haloperidol. Haloperidol did not modify the number of dopamine D1 receptors but increased that of dopamine D2 receptors. SKF38393 reversed the effect of haloperidol on dopamine D2 receptor binding. Co-administration of SKF38393 and quinpirole did not modify the increase in the number of dopamine D2 receptors induced by chronic treatment haloperidol. The results confirm a dissociation between behavioral supersensitivity and dopamine receptor up-regulation, suggesting that other mechanisms may be involved in the expression of behavioral supersensitivity.
The Effect of Managerial Attitudes on Alternative Exporting Methods

The salient attributes of direct and indirect exporting methods of distribution were identified. Attitudes of three groups of executives (executives using direct exporting methods, executives using indirect exporting methods, and nonexporting executives) were assessed towards the attributes. Attitudes were analyzed using ANOVA. The findings suggest that the three groups of executives hold significantly different attitudes about the attributes. The findings (1) imply that executives using indirect exporting methods and nonexporitng executives are most alike in their attitudes; (2) offer an explaination for the tendency of executives to begin exporting with indirect methods and to switch to direct methods as exporting experience increases, and (3) identify the attitudes that each group of executives is most likely to hold.
The kinetics of oxidation of hemerythrin species ― Linear free energy relationships

The second-order rate constants (M−1sec−1, 25°C, pH 8.2, I = 0.15 M) for the oxidation to (semi-met)0of deoxyhemerythrin from Phascolopsis gouldii (P.g.) and Themiste zostericola (T.z.) have been determined for Fe(CN)5(4-NH2py)2− (3.6 × 104 T.z.,2.8 × 102P.g.),Fe(CN)5NH32−(2.4 × 104 T.z.), Fe(CN)63− (1.0 × 105 T.z.,1.4 × 102P.g.), Fe(CN)5PPh32− (7.3 × 105T.z.), and Fe(CN)4dipy- (~6 × 106 T.z.,7.5 × 104 P.g.). Corresponding rate constants for the oxidation of (semi-met)R to met are: Fe(CN)5(4-NH2py)2− (1.2 × 103 P.g.), Fe(CN)63− (3.4 × 105 T.z., 4.5 × 10 Fe(CN)5PPh32− (4.4 × 104P.g.), Fe(CN)4dipy− (1.7 × 105P.g.), and Coterpy23+ (5.1 P.g.) The rates of oxidation of deoxy- and (semi-met)R myohemetythrin by Fe(CN)63− were too rapid for stopped-flow measurement. The Marcus relationship for cross-reactions was successfully applied to these data.
Size‐dependent survival of brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis in summer: effects of water temperature and stream flow

A 5 year individual-based data set was used to estimate size-specific survival rates in a wild brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis population in a stream network encompassing a mainstem and three tributaries (1.5-6 m wetted width), western Massachusetts, U.S.A. The relationships between survival in summer and temperature and flow metrics derived from continuous monitoring data were then tested. Increased summer temperatures significantly reduced summer survival rates for S. fontinalis in almost all size classes in all four sites throughout the network. In contrast, extreme low summer flows reduced survival of large fish, but only in small tributaries, and had no significant effects on fish in smaller size classes in any location. These results provide direct evidence of a link between season-specific survival and environmental factors likely to be affected by climate change and have important consequences for the management of both habitats and populations.
Role of Oxidative Stress in Amiodarone-induced Toxicity.

Background: The clinical usefulness of amiodarone for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias is limited by multiorgan toxicity, especially pulmonary and hepatic. There are conflicting reports in the literature regarding the role of free radicals in the initiation of amiodarone- induced toxicity. We evaluated the possible oxidative stress in a chronic model that is known to manifest pulmonary toxicity.Methods and Results: A group of 20 Fischer-344 rats were injected with 60 mg/kg/day of amiodarone for 21 days. A control group of 20 animals received only saline injections. The alveolar macrophages obtained by lung lavage were incubated with hydroethidine and opsonized green fluorescent zymosan particles to measure oxidative and phagocytic activities by flow cytometry. Malondialdehyde levels were measured to assess the extent of lipid per oxidation in lung, liver, spleen, kidney, and heart. Total phospholipid levels in all the col lected tissues and distribution of phospholipid classes in the lung and the live...
Case Analysis to Identify Information Links between Facility Management and Healthcare Delivery Information in a Hospital Setting

AbstractEffective facility management is a critical aspect of ensuring an adequate physical environment to administer care. Maintaining the environment is complicated with numerous critical systems because of occupants with compromised immune systems, and the need to maintain the systems with minimal effect on clinical operations. The complexity and importance of tasks that facility managers deal with require them to have adequate, up-to-date, and easily accessible information. This paper presents a case study that analyzes the impact of facility management on healthcare delivery. The work was completed in the preliminary stages of a research initiative for developing a lifecycle information management system to support facility management within healthcare. A case concerning mechanical systems and critical failures in a healthcare setting is analyzed to identify the types of information needed to adequately perform maintenance tasks. The information is then analyzed for origin along the lifecycle of the ...
Growth of thallium containing III–V materials by gas-source molecular beam epitaxy

Abstract The synthesis of thallium containing III–V compounds for long wavelength (>1.7 μm) photonic device applications is investigated using gas-source molecular beam epitaxy. With this approach, we attempted the growth of homogenous InTlP and InGaTlAs alloys on InP substrates. At low growth temperatures (⩽320°C), thallium segregates into droplets at the surface, whereas these droplets evaporate from the surface at higher temperatures. Various characterization methods such as X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray indicate no significant thallium incorporation in the bulk layer. One possible reason for the inability of thallium to incorporate into III–V compounds is due to the formation of monovalent Tl-group V compounds arising from the “inert pair effect”.
Expression patterns of engrailed-like proteins in the chick embryo

The protein products of both of the identified chick engrailed-like (En) genes, chick En-1 and chick En-2, are localized in cells of the developing brain, mandibular arch, spinal cord, dermatome, and ventral limb bud ectoderm, as demonstrated by labeling with the polyclonal antiserum cuEnhb-1 developed by Davis et al. (De- velopment 111:281-298, 1991). A subpopulation of cephalic neural crest cells is also En-protein-pos- itive. The monoclonal antibody 409 recognizes the chick En-2 gene product exclusively (Patel et al.: Cell 58:955-968, 1989; Davis et al., 1991) and colo- calizes with chick En-2 mRNA in the developing head region of the chick embryo as shown by in situ hybridization (Gardner et al.: J. Neurosci. Res. 21:426-437,1988). In the present study we ex- amine the pattern of dnhb-1 and 409 localization throughout the chick embryo from the first ap- pearance of antibody (Abbpositive cells at stage 8 (Hamburger and Hamilton: J. Morphol. 88:49-92, 1951) through stage 28 (1-5.5 days). We compare the localization patterns of the two Abs to each other, as well as to the localization of the mono- clonal Ab, HNK-1, which recognizes many neural crest cells, using double- and triple-label fluores- cence immunohistochemistry. Most En protein- positive cells in the path of neural crest cell mi- gration are not HNK-1 positive. In detailed examination of dnhb-1 and 409 localization, we find previously undetected patterns of En protein localization in the prechordal plate, hindbrain, myotome, ventral body-wall mesoderm, and ex- traembryonic membranes. Based upon these ob- servations we propose: 1) that En expression in the mesoderm may be induced through interac- tion with En expressing cells in the neuroecto- derm; 2) that En expression in the head mesen- chyme is associated with somitomere 4; and 3) that En expression may be involved in epithelial-mes- enchymal cell transformations. Q 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Analysis of time-resolved photocurrent transients at semiconductor/liquid interfaces

Small signal photocurrent transients have been measured for n-Si/CH_3OH-Me_2Fc^(+/0)/Pt, n-Si/Au/CH_3OH-Me_2Fc^(+/0)/Pt, n-Si/Pt/NaOH(aq)/Ni(OH)_2/Ni, n-TiO_2/NaOH(aq)/Ni(OH)_2/Ni, and n-TiO_2/NaOH(aq)-Fe(CN)_6^(3-/4-)/Pt cells. Even though the radio-frequency and microwave conductivity signals for photoexcited n-Si/CH_3OH-Me_2Fc^(+/0) contacts persist for > 100 µs, the photocurrent transients for these interfaces decayed in <10 µs and were limited by the series resistance of the cell in combination with the space-charge capacitance of the semiconductor. An equivalent circuit model is presented and physically justified in order to explain this behavior. The model is also used to elucidate the conditions under which photocurrent transients at semiconductor electrodes can be expected to yield information regarding the faradaic charge-transfer rate across the semiconductor/liquid interface.
A modified lift-and-project procedure

In recent years the lift-and-project approach has been used successfully within a branch-and-cut framework to solve large, difficult pure and mixed 0–1 programs that have resisted solution efforts by pure branch and bound codes. The approach uses a linear description in a higher dimensional space of the convex hull of the disjunctive set created by imposing one or several 0–1 conditions. By solving a linear program derived from this higher dimensional representation — the cut generating linear program (CGLP) — the standard lift-and-project procedure obtains a deepest cut in a well defined sense. We propose a modification of CGLP that allows us to generate not just one deepest cut, but a class of cuts with desirable properties, each at the cost of one extra pivot in the optimal tableau of the modified CGLP.
Phosphoinositide turnover in human platelets is stimulated by albumin.

Abstract The effect of human serum albumin (HSA) on the hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositides in human platelets labeled with myo( 3 H)inositol was studied. Incubation of platelets with HSA (4 gm/dl) for 10 seconds increased IP 2 and IP 3 by 169% and 217% respectively. 93% of IP 3 accumulated within the first 10 seconds. This effect was also shared by bovine serum albumin, although no changes in IP 3 levels occured with ovalbumin. All albumin species used induced 45 Ca +2 release from platelets irrespective of its effect on IP 3 accumulation. These findings indicate that albumin may function in biological systems by inducing intracellular signaling.
MMT-Pol: an adaptive optics optimized 1-5μm polarimeter

MMT-POL is an adaptive optics optimized, 1-5μm imaging polarimeter for use at the 6.5m MMT . By taking full advantage of the adaptive optics secondary mirror of the MMT , this polarimeter will offer for the first time on 8m class telescopes, diffraction limited polarimetry with very low instrumental polarization. This instrument will permit observations as diverse as protoplanetary discs, comets, red giant winds, galaxies and AGN. We discuss both the novel instrument design and key science drivers.
Constraints on a Synthetic-Noise Source for Johnson Noise Thermometry

Conventional Johnson noise thermometers based on switching correlators have conflicting matching requirements for the sensing resistance. To mitigate distortion effects in the correlator, the RT products of the two sensors must be the same, and to mitigate frequency-response errors in nominally identical input circuits, the two sensing resistances should be the same. A noise thermometer using synthetic noise for the primary reference signal overcomes this conflict because the output voltage and output resistance are independent. This paper presents the rationale and design constraints for a noise thermometer using a synthetic-noise source based on Josephson junctions. The quantized voltage noise source developed at NIST produces tunable waveforms with a spectral density composed of a comb of frequencies of equal amplitude and random phase. In addition to the conventional noise-power and impedance constraints, it has additional constraints relating to the number of tones and the tone spacing.
DNA topoisomerase activity associated with rous sarcoma virus

Abstract A DNA topoisomerase has been discovered associated with purified virions of Rous sarcoma virus. The enzyme has been purified from Prague C strain of RSV and compared with the nuclear topoisomerase from chick embryo cells.
Abiotic reduction of dinitroaniline herbicides.

Abstract The importance of abiotic reductive transformations as a sink for four dinitroaniline herbicides (trifluralin, pendimethalin, nitralin, and isopropalin) has been evaluated. Using reductants representative of abiotic reductants found in natural systems, the results of this study indicate that nitro groups present on the dinitroaniline herbicides can be reduced by surface-bound Fe(II) species in goethite suspensions or by hydroquinone moieties such as (mercapto)juglone in a hydrogen sulfide solution. Aqueous iron species are also effective at pH values above 7.0. The reaction in aqueous Fe(II) and in Fe(II)/goethite systems is strongly pH dependent, with rates increasing with increasing pH. Montmorillonite clay, however, is not effective in mediating the reduction of dinitroaniline herbicides in the presence of Fe(II). Because the selected dinitroaniline herbicides have a mixture of electron withdrawing and electron donating groups, linear free energy relationships were developed for the H2S/(mercapto)juglone and Fe(II)/goethite systems. Anilines resulting from reduction of the nitro group as well as cyclization products (benzimidazoles) were observed in the degradation of trifluralin. Only one aniline product was observed for pendimethalin.
Chemical interactions of barium–calcium–aluminosilicate-based sealing glasses with oxidation resistant alloys

Abstract In most planar solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) stack designs, the interconnect, which is typically made from an oxidation resistant alloy, potentially including austenitic chromia-forming, ferritic chromia-forming, and alumina-forming alloys, has to be hermitically sealed to its adjacent components, usually by a sealing glass. To maintain the structural stability and minimize the degradation of stack performance, the sealing glass must be chemically compatible with the alloy used for the interconnect. In this work, Nicrofer6025, AISI446 and a Fecralloy were selected as examples of austenitic chromia-forming, ferritic chromia-forming, and alumina-forming alloys, respectively. Their chemical compatibility with a barium–calcium–aluminosilicate (BCAS)-based glass, specifically developed as a sealant in SOFC stacks, was evaluated. It was found that the BCAS sealing glass interacted chemically with both the chromia-forming alloys and the alumina-forming alloys. The extent and nature of the interactions and their final products depended on the matrix alloy compositions, the exposure conditions and/or proximity of the glass/alloy interface to the ambient air. These interactions and their mechanisms will be discussed with the assistance of thermodynamic modeling.
The inequality-satisfiability problem

We define a generalization of the satisfiability problem (SAT) where each ''clause'' is an or-list of inequalities in n variables. This problem is NP-complete even when containing only two inequalities per ''clause'', but solvable in polynomial time when either the number of variables or the number of ''clauses'' is fixed.
The Signifying Crab

Domestic slavery in West Africa was practiced differently by different peoples in different historical periods, but it is well known that many domestic slaves married into their "masters' " families and inherited property. It was extremely impolite (and was illegal in some places) to even say that a person was a slave or had been born of slave parents. Through time, some slaves became relatively wealthy, and for all practical purposes their offspring were no different from those of nonslave parents. Today numerous Ewe, who inhabit portions of southeastern Ghana, southern Togo, and southwestern Benin, say that one or more of their great-grandparents was a "bought person." It is said that these ancestors were bought or captured from peoples living to the north of Eweland and that their Ewe masters professed an admiration for the beauty of the "people of the north," their music, their clothing, and their gods. Even so, or perhaps precisely because of this admiration, first-generation slaves, no matter how well they were treated, were not considered to be Ewe. This profound difference in identity is said to be bound up with language. Such extreme ambiguity in legendary relationships between Ewe and their "bought people" (slaves) is brought to the surface in a just-so "signifying crab" story (and here I am signifying on Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s The Signifying Monkey [1988]). The story comes from Anlo country in Ghana's chunk of Eweland. A version of it is found in Blema Konuwo, Lododowo kple Adaganawo, by R. K. Nutsuako (1977), a book in Ewe of and about Ewe proverbs and expressions.1 In this yarn, categories of the wild and the tame ("civilized") are insinuated into "bought people" and "people of the house" categories. It is included in the book as an explanation of the origin of the proverb "The slave understands language, but s/he does not understand 'the wild crab,' " or, translated slightly differently, "The slave understands language, but s/he does not understand signifying expressions." Instead of "signifying expressions" we might say "deep Ewe," "local Ewe," "dialect," or "vernacular." Transposing to American culture, we could say, among other things, "street language." These definitions or translations do
Ethephon Induced Changes in Vegetative Growth of ‘Tifton 85’ Bermudagrass

The establishment rate of warm-season turf and forage grasses propagated by sprigs or cuttings is of economic importance by determining not only how quickly an area may be utilized but also by influencing the extent of weed invasion. We monitored ‘Tifton 85’ bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] vegetative growth response to the application of ethephon (2-chloroethylphosphonic acid), an ethylene-producing compound, and how this treatment affected subsequent vegetative establishment. Responses of established Tifton 85 plants to ethephon treatment when compared with untreated plants included a 22% reduction in plant height, node swelling, bud swelling at the crown, terminal leaf necrosis, chlorotic striping of young developing leaves, and a 118% and 101% increase in leaf/stem fresh and dry weight ratios, respectively. Swelling of ethephon-induced buds appeared to be due to a transient arrest in sprouting. Swelled buds finally sprouted 9 d following ethephon treatment. In glasshouse experiments, vegetative cuttings taken from ethephon treated plants produced 112% more roots under a range of water stress conditions 8 d after cutting removal, and produced 10-fold higher number of tillers at 6 d after planting in soil than untreated cuttings. Tiller production in the soil establishment study was not statistically different between ethephon treated and untreated plants after 21 d. These glasshouse results indicated that it may be feasible to develop ethephon treatments that improve establishment rate and subsequent stand quality of Tifton 85 bermudagrass in field/commercial applications.
Computer modeling of red blood cell rheology in the microcirculation: a brief overview.

One of the major functions of the cardiovascular system is to deliver blood to the microcirculation where exchange of mass and energy can take place. In the present article, we will provide an overview of the state-of-the-art computational methods for modeling of red blood cell (RBC) rheology and dynamics in the microcirculation. While significant progress has been made in simulation of single-file motion of deformable RBCs in capillaries and of diluted sheared suspensions of RBCs in infinite domains, detailed understanding of the mechanics of blood flow in intermediate diameter microvessels (8–1000μm) has presented formidable challenges. The difficulties are largely due to modeling the motion of multiple, interacting, highly deformable particles. The current computational tools consist mainly of three-dimensional (3D) boundary-integral methods for single RBC dynamics and deformation; and for rheology of large systems of droplets at large volume fractions using periodic boundary conditions and novel adaptive computational meshes. Further advances will result from combination of these tools to produce new algorithms capable of describing the motion and deformation of large systems of RBCs in microvessels at physiologically relevant volume fractions.
Imaging the spread of reversible brain inactivations using fluorescent muscimol.

Abstract Muscimol is a GABA A -agonist that causes rapid and reversible suppression of neurophysiological activity. Interpretations of the effects of muscimol infusions into the brain have been limited because of uncertainty about spread of the drug around the injection site. To solve this problem, the present study explored the use of a fluorophore-conjugated muscimol molecule (FCM). Whole-cell recordings from horizontal brain slices demonstrated that bath-applied FCM acts like muscimol in reversibly suppressing excitatory synaptic transmission. Two types of in vivo experiments demonstrated that the behavioral effects of FCM infusion are similar to the behavioral effects of muscimol infusion. FCM infusion into the rat amygdala before fear conditioning impaired both cued and contextual freezing, which were tested 24 or 48 h later. Normal fear conditioning occurred when these same rats were subsequently given phosphate-buffered saline infusions. FCM infusion into the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex impaired accuracy during a delayed-response task. Histological analysis showed that the region of fluorescence was restricted to 0.5–1 mm from the injection site. Myelinated fiber tracts acted as diffusional barriers, thereby shaping the overall spread of fluorescence. The results suggest that FCM is indeed useful for exploring the function of small brain regions.
New approaches to dating suggest a recent age for the human mtDNA ancestor

The most critical and controversial feature of the African origin hypothesis of human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) evolution is the relatively recent age of about 200 ka inferred for the human mtDNA ancestor. If this age is wrong, and the actual age instead approaches 1 million years ago, then the controversy abates. Reliable estimates of the age of the human mtDNA ancestor and the associated standard error are therefore crucial. However, more recent estimates of the age of the human ancestor rely on comparisons between human and chimpanzee mtDNAs that may not be reliable and for which standard errors are difficult to calculate. We present here two approaches for deriving an intraspecific calibration of the rate of human mtDNA sequence evolution that allow standard errors to be readily calculated. The estimates resulting from these two approaches for the age of the human mtDNA ancestor (and approximate 95% confidence intervals) are 133 (63-356) and 137 (63-416) ka ago. These results provide the strongest evidence yet for a relatively recent origin of the human mtDNA ancestor.
Total and active rabbit antithymocyte globulin (rATG;Thymoglobulin) pharmacokinetics in pediatric patients undergoing unrelated donor bone marrow transplantation.

Abstract Rabbit antithymocyte globulin (rATG; Thymoglobulin®) is currently used to prevent or treat graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) during hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The dose and schedule of rATG as part of the preparative regimen for unrelated donor (URD) bone marrow transplantation (BMT) have not been optimized in pediatric patients. We conducted a prospective study of 13 pediatric patients with hematologic malignancies undergoing URD BMT at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital from October 2003 to March 2005, to determine the pharmacokinetics and toxicities of active and total rATG. The conditioning regimen comprised total body irradiation (TBI), thiotepa, and cyclophosphamide (Cy); cyclosporine (CsA) and methotrexate (MTX) were administered as GVHD prophylaxis. Patients received a total dose of 10 mg/kg rATG, and serial blood samples were assayed for total rATG by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and active rATG by florescein activated cell sorting (FACS). We found that our weight-based dosing regimen for rATG was effective and well tolerated by patients. The half-lives of total and active rATG were comparable to those from previous studies, and despite high doses our patients had low maximum concentrations of active and total rATG. There were no occurrences of grade iii-iv GVHD even in patients having low peak rATG levels, and the overall incidence of grade II GVHD was only 15%. None of the patients had serious infections following transplantation. These data support the use of a 10 mg/kg dose of rATG in children with hematologic malignancies because it can be administered without increasing the risk of graft rejection, or serious infection in pediatric patients with a low rate of GVHD. These conclusions may not apply to patients with nonmalignant disorders.
Extending the reach of social-based context-aware ubiquitous systems

The proliferation of mobile devices equipped with communication technologies such as WiFi, 3G, and 4G, coupled with the exponential growth of online social networking, have increased the demand for social-context-aware systems. These systems leverage social information provided by users with contextual awareness, particularly location, to provide real-time personalized services. With Euromonitor International indicating a 37.7 % growth in mobile phone penetration in the past five years--ICTQatar recently reporting that each household owns 3.9 devices on average--Qatar is positioned as a strong candidate not only for the consumption of such services, but also for researching, building, and testing solutions related to context-aware system challenges. We address some of these challenges and propose pragmatic solutions. Our contributions fall into the following two categories: (i) We design and implement SCOUT, a context-aware, ubiquitous system that enables real-time mobile services by providing contextually relevant information. This information can either be generated reactively based on user request, or proactively created and disseminated to potentially interested users. Our SCOUT prototype consists of an android-based mobile client interfacing with facebook's API and a load-balancing profile-matching server that interacts with a localization engine. (ii) Since mobile users may not all experience reliable mobile-to-core connectivity due to contention, cost, or lack of connectivity, we therefore extend the reach of context-aware services to disconnected mobile users by proposing a novel communication paradigm that leverages opportunistic communication. We first send the intended information to the smallest subset of connected users deemed sufficient to reach the disconnected destinations. This subset then selectively forwards, based on social profiles, this information to nodes that are more likely to meet the destinations. Our evaluation, via simulation, shows that our algorithm achieves an improvement of 25% to 80% compared to current communication paradigms, while reducing overhead by as much as 50%. With SCOUT currently operational, and based on the simulation results, our ongoing work includes integrating our communication paradigm into the real system. We are also working on integrating real-time group recommender systems that identify groups based on user location coupled with social information to provide real-time contextual group recommendations.
The iron transporter DMT1

Divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1) is the first mammalian transmembrane iron transporter to be identified. In 1997, parallel experiments from two groups provided compelling evidence of its function. Fleming and colleagues identified mutations in DMT1 (formerly known as Nramp2 and DCT1) in mice and rats with defects in intestinal iron absorption and red blood cell iron utilization. Gunshin and co-workers (H Gunshin, B MacKenzie, UV Berger, Y Gunshin, MF Romero, WF Boron, S. Nussberger, JL Gollan, MA Hediger, Cloning and characterization of a mammalian proton-coupled metal-ion transporter, Nature 388 (1997) 482-488.) isolated DMT1 through an expression cloning strategy looking for mRNAs that stimulated iron uptake by Xenopus oocytes. Taken together, these data indicate that the twelve transmembrane domain protein DMT1 transfers iron across the apical surface of intestinal cells and out of transferrin cycle endosomes. Human DMT1 may be a good target for pharmacological intervention in patients with iron overload disorders attributable to increased iron absorption.
Two-level channel coding for cooperative wireless networks based on WiMAX LDPC codes

In this paper, a channel coding scheme is considered for a pair of cooperative broadcasting nodes in a cognitive wireless network. The scheme offers two levels of error protection using as components two low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes drawn from the IEEE 802.16e (WiMAX) specification. A modified version of the |u|u+v| code construction of Plotkin is employed, to obtain two values of error protection for two types messages, as follows. Each cooperating node transmits two sequences: For the first node, the first sequence is a modulated codeword m(v 1 ) from a code C 1 , while the second node remains quiet. The second sequence sent by the first node is again m(v 1 ) while the second code sends a modulated codeword m(v 2 ) from a code C 2 . At the receiving node antenna, the sequences are superposed to construct an “over-the-air” modulated |u|u + v| code. Messages with a higher degree of error protection are intended for receiving nodes physically located far from the pair of cooperating nodes. The performance is examined of two-level codes using both BPSK/QPSK mappings and two 4-PAM mappings with two different levels of average energy, over both AWGN and Rayleigh fading channels.
Using molecular information to guide brain tumor therapy

The ability to classify brain tumors on the basis of molecular data is expected to revolutionize the diagnosis and treatment of brain cancer. In this Viewpoint article, Mischel and Cloughesy discuss the current status of molecularly targeted therapies for brain tumors, and outline a 'roadmap' for future investigations.
Muscle-derived differentiation factor increases expression of the tyrosine hydroxylase gene and enzyme activity in cultured dopamine neurons from the rat midbrain

Abstract Our earlier work demonstrated that certain populations of brain neurons which do not synthesize catecholamine (CA) neurotransmitters in vivo, will, when grown in culture with muscle-derived differentiation factor (MDF), unexpectedly express the gene for the CA biosynthetic enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). In this paper, we sought to determine whether MDF could also regulate TH expression in those neurons which normally synthesize CA neurotransmitters. Incubation of cultured dopamine neurons from the ventral midbrain with MDF elevated the levels of TH mRNA and TH enzyme activity 5- to 40-fold higher than that measured in control cultures. Sympathetic neurons were unaffected by a similar MDF treatment. Unlike the 2-day critical period for MDF-responsivity in non-CA neurons, CA neurons remained susceptible to MDF's influence over an extended developmental interval (E14–18), suggesting that MDF may be important for TH gene regulation in brain CA neurons even differentiation is complete. Because of these unique properties, MDF may provide a unique opportunity to explore ways in which the TH gene might be directly manipulated in these cell populations in order to correct the CA imbalances that occur in certain neurological diseases and disorders.
Learning, goals, and learning goals: a perspective on goal-driven learning

In cognitive science, artificial intelligence, psychology, and education, a growing body of research supports the view that the learning process is strongly influenced by the learner's goals. The fundamental tenet ofgoal-driven learning is that learning is largely an active and strategic process in which the learner, human or machine, attempts to identify and satisfy its information needs in the context of its tasks and goals, its prior knowledge, its capabilities, and environmental opportunities for learning. This article examines the motivations for adopting a goal-driven model of learning, the relationship between task goals and learning goals, the influences goals can have on learning, and the pragmatic implications of the goal-driven learning model. It presents a new integrative framework for understanding the goal-driven learning process and applies this framework to characterizing research on goal-driven learning.
Fruit trees under contract: Tenure and land use change in upland Java, Indonesia

Abstract The spread of fruit-based agroforestry in Java attests to the proposition that market incentives enhance the adoption rate of tree planting in agroforestry. Commercialization, however, changes the social relations of production and creates unexpected land-use patterns. The case study examines the development of multiple tenures associated with the planting of high-valued apple trees in a Javanese mountain village. New tenurial relations influenced agroforestry operators in implementing their cropping strategies. The findings question the assumptions of the independent ability of agroforestry operators to adopt a certain management strategy, in spite of possessing the technical knowledge.
On the Effect of Surface Emissivity on Temperature Retrievals

The paper is concerned with errors in temperature retrieval caused by incorrectly assuming that surface emissivity is equal to unity. An error equation that applies to present-day atmospheric temperature sounders is derived, and the bias errors resulting from various emissivity discrepancies are calculated. A model of downward flux is presented and used to determine the effective downward flux. In the 3.7-micron region of the spectrum, emissivities of 0.6 to 0.9 have been observed over land. At a surface temperature of 290 K, if the true emissivity is 0.6 and unit emissivity is assumed, the error would be approximately 11 C. In the 11-micron region, the maximum deviation of the surface emissivity from unity was 0.05.