cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Climate Change, Woodpeckers, and Forests: Current Trends and Future Modeling Needs

The structure and composition of forest ecosystems are expected to shift with climate-induced changes in precipitation, temperature, fire, carbon mitigation strategies, and biological disturbance. These factors are likely to have biodiversity implications. However, climate-driven forest ecosystem models used to predict changes to forest structure and composition are not coupled to models used to predict changes to biodiversity. We proposed integrating woodpecker response (biodiversity indicator) with forest ecosystem models. Woodpeckers are a good indicator species of forest ecosystem dynamics, because they are ecologically constrained by landscape-scale forest components, such as composition, structure, disturbance regimes, and management activities. In addition, they are correlated with forest avifauna community diversity. In this study, we explore integrating woodpecker and forest ecosystem climate models. We review climate-woodpecker models and compare the predicted responses to observed climate-induced changes. We identify inconsistencies between observed and predicted responses, explore the modeling causes, and identify the models pertinent to integration that address the inconsistencies. We found that predictions in the short term are not in agreement with observed trends for 7 of 15 evaluated species. Because niche constraints associated with woodpeckers are a result of complex interactions between climate, vegetation, and disturbance, we hypothesize that the lack of adequate representation of these processes in the current broad-scale climate-woodpecker models results in model-data mismatch. As a first step toward improvement, we suggest a conceptual model of climate-woodpecker-forest modeling for integration. The integration model provides climate-driven forest ecosystem modeling with a measure of biodiversity while retaining the feedback between climate and vegetation in woodpecker climate change modeling.
Comment on “Precision Measurement of the Casimir Force from 0.1 to 0.9 μ m ”

A Comment on the Letter by U. Mohideen and Anushree Roy, Phys. Rev. Lett. {bold 81}, 4549 (1998). {copyright} {ital 1999} {ital The American Physical Society}
A call for weed research in industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L)

Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is grown in more than 30 countries for fibre, seed and flowers, and acreage of cultivation is increasing globally. Hemp has long been promoted as a crop that competes well with weeds and requires little intervention to prevent yield losses. We conducted a literature review and found little peer‐reviewed research to support this claim. We identified only three articles that specifically addressed weed management under field conditions and none provided information on hemp yield losses from weeds. These findings highlight a clear need for research‐based information on interactions between weeds and hemp to address potential yield losses under various production conditions and provide a research‐based framework for weed management in industrial hemp.
Inclusive Practices for All: Child Perspectives

The focus of this chapter is on children’s perspectives of inclusion. Inclusion as a democratic principle is highlighted with research-based discussions on all children as citizens in a classroom, the impact of inclusion on children, children’s attitudes about disabilities, the teachers’ role in promoting inclusion, developing friendship skills in all children and strategies for teaching appropriate, inclusive social skills. Empirical evidence on training children to be more inclusive and to develop friendships with all children will be presented. Through inclusive settings, children with and without disabilities will develop a sense of belonging through full participation in society. The citizenship of children with disabilities in inclusive settings is vital to successful community building and acceptance amongst all people.
Corticomotor function is associated with quadriceps rate of torque development in individuals with ACL surgery.

Impaired corticomotor function arising from altered intracortical and corticospinal pathways are theorized to impede muscle recovery following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) surgery, yet functional implications of centrally driven adaptations remain unclear. We aimed to assess relationships between quadriceps corticomotor and neuromechanical function after ACL surgery, and to compare with contralateral and control limbs. 16 individuals after primary, unilateral ACL surgery and 16 sex- and age-matched controls participated. Corticomotor function was assessed using transcranial magnetic stimulation, and quantified via active motor thresholds (AMT), short-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI), and intracortical facilitation (ICF). Neuromechanical function was quantified via electromechanical delay, early and late-phase rate of torque development (RTD0–50, RTD100–200), coefficient of variation, maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) torque, and central activation ratio. We observed significant correlations in the ACL limbs between: AMT and RTD0–50 (r = − 0.513, p = 0.031), SICI and RTD100–200 (r = 0.501, p = 0.048), AMT and SICI (r = − 0.659, p = 0.010), AMT and ICF (r = 0.579, p = 0.031), RTD0–50 and MVIC (r = 0.504, p = 0.023), and RTD100–200 and MVIC (r = 0.680, p = 0.002). The ACL limbs demonstrated higher AMT compared to controls (44.9 ± 8.4 vs. 30.1 ± 8.2%, p < 0.001), and lesser MVIC torque (2.37 ± 0.52 vs. 2.80 ± 0.59 Nm/kg, p = 0.005) and RTD100–200 (6.79 ± 1.72 vs. 7.90 ± 1.98 Nm/kg/s, p = 0.006) compared to the contralateral limbs. Our findings indicate that lesser corticospinal excitability is associated with lesser early-phase RTD, and greater intracortical inhibition is associated with lesser late-phase RTD. These findings provide evidence of implications of altered intracortical and corticospinal pathways relative to the ability to rapidly generate quadriceps torque following ACL surgery.
MicroRNA 122 Reflects Liver Injury in Children with Intestinal Failure-Associated Liver Disease Treated with Intravenous Fish Oil.

BACKGROUND There is evidence that microRNA (MIR) 122 is a biomarker for various liver diseases in adults and children. To date, MIR122 has not been explored in children with intestinal failure-associated liver disease (IFALD, or hyperbilirubinemia associated with prolonged parenteral nutrition). OBJECTIVES This study's purpose was to investigate changes in plasma miR-122, correlate miR-122 with serum liver function tests and enzymes, and investigate changes in whole blood transcripts including miR-122 targets in a group of children with IFALD who received pure intravenous fish oil (FO) as a treatment for cholestasis. METHODS This was a prospective, observational study that enrolled children with IFALD who received intravenous FO (1 g/kg/d) and whose cholestasis resolved with FO. Plasma miR-122 was measured using reverse transcription-quantitative real-time PCR, and whole blood miR-122 targets were quantified using RNA sequencing. RESULTS Fourteen subjects with median age 6 mo (IQR: 3-65 mo) were enrolled. RNA sequence data were available for 4 subjects. When compared with the start of FO, median miR-122 concentrations at 6 mo of FO therapy decreased [1.0 (IQR: 1.0-1.0) compared with 0.04 (IQR: 0.01-0.6), P = 0.009]. At the start of FO, miR-122 correlated with conjugated bilirubin (r = 0.56; P = 0.038). At ∼3 mo of FO, miR-122 correlated with conjugated bilirubin (r = 0.56; P = 0.045). Reactive oxygen species, heme metabolism, coagulation, adipogenesis, IL-6-Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT) 3, IL-2-STAT5, transforming growth factor-β, TNF-α, inflammatory response, mammalian target of rapamycin gene families (normalized enrichment scores < -1.4), and miR-122 target genes were significantly downregulated with FO. CONCLUSIONS In this small cohort of young children with IFALD, miR-122 decreased with FO therapy and correlated with conjugated bilirubin. Key pathways involving oxidation, inflammation, cellular differentiation, and nutrient regulation were downregulated. Data from this study provide information about IFALD and FO. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00969332.
Gender disparities in academic vascular surgeons

Abstract Objective Previous studies have identified significant gender discrepancies in grant funding, leadership positions, and publication impact in surgical subspecialties. We investigated whether these discrepancies were also present in academic vascular surgery. Methods Academic websites from institutions with vascular surgery training programs were queried to identify academic faculty, and leadership positions were noted. H-index, number of citations, and total number of publications were obtained from Scopus and PubMed. Grant funding amounts and awards data were obtained from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Society for Vascular Surgery websites. Industry funding amount was obtained from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services website. Nonsurgical physicians and support staff were excluded from this analysis. Results We identified 177 female faculty (18.6%) and 774 male faculty (81.4%). A total of 41 (23.2%) female surgeons held leadership positions within their institutions compared with 254 (32.9%) male surgeons (P = .009). Female surgeons held the rank of assistant professor 50.3% of the time in contrast to 33.9% of men (P Conclusions Although there is certainly improved representation of women in vascular surgery compared with several decades ago, a discrepancy still persists. Women tend to have more grants than men and receive less in industry payments, but they hold fewer leadership positions, do not publish as frequently, and are cited less than their male counterparts. Further investigation should be aimed at identifying the causes of gender disparity and systemic barriers to gender equity in academic vascular surgery.
Toward Gender-Inclusive Postsecondary Data Collection.

Many postsecondary datasets collect gender data in ways that are not inclusive of all students. Many trans* students, those who identify as trans women, trans men, genderqueer, among other gender i...
Abstract 15023: Junctophilin-2 (JPH2) Interactome in Ventricular Myocytes is Subcellular Compartment-dependent and Subject to Remodeling During Hypertrophy Leading to Heart Failure

Introduction: Junctions between sarco/endoplasmic reticulum (SR/ER) and sarcolemma (SL), where Ca-induced Ca release (CICR) takes place, are important for myocardial contractility. JPH2 is the majo...
Behavior Expressions for Social and Entertainment Robots

Future social robot and robot actor should have natural, interesting and unique motions and facial gestures. Creating such motions is very difficult and time consuming for the animator. The concept of expressing social robot motions and behaviors using algebraic expressions is discussed. We present representation of behaviors at the lowest levels e.g. vectors of joint angles. Mathematical formalism of the framework is outlined and the role of probabilistic behaviors is stressed. Several examples illustrate these ideas using our language REBeL and a humanoid robot Mr. Jeeves created by us.
Decreasing Surgical Management of Secondary Hyperparathyroidism in the United States.

ABSTRACT Background Secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) commonly occurs in end-stage renal disease (ESRD), leading to vascular calcification and increased mortality. For SHPT refractory to medical management, parathyroidectomy improves symptoms and decreases mortality. Medical management has changed with the release of new guidelines and advent of novel medications. We investigate recent national trends in parathyroidectomy for SHPT. Materials and methods We used the National/Nationwide Inpatient Sample from 2004 to 2016 to identify hospitalizations including parathyroidectomy for SHPT and calculated parathyroidectomy rates utilizing data from the United States Renal Data System. Subgroup analysis was conducted by race. Risk factors for in-hospital mortality were identified with purposeful selection and multivariable logistic regression. Results From 2004 to 2016, the rate of parathyroidectomies for SHPT per 1000 ESRD patients decreased from 6.07 (95% CI: 4.83-7.32) to 3.67 (95% CI: 3.33-4.00). Black patients underwent parathyroidectomy for SHPT at a 1.8-fold higher rate than white and Hispanic patients (5.59 versus 3.04 and 3.07). Almost all tracked comorbidities increased in prevalence. In-hospital mortality trended lower (1.5% to 0.8%, P = 0.051). Risk factors for in-hospital mortality included weight loss (OR 4.19, 95% CI: 2.00-8.78) and cardiac arrhythmia (OR 3.38, 95% CI: 1.66-6.91), while additional calendar year (OR = 0.87, 95% CI: 0.80-0.95) was protective. Conclusions The etiology of the declining parathyroidectomy rate for SHPT is unclear; possible factors include changing guidelines emphasizing medical management, widespread availability of cinacalcet, changing practice patterns, and inadequate surgical referral.
COVID-19 and Women : Key Components of SDG-5 and the Estimated Prevalence of Modern Slavery

Abstract. Modern slavery is a significant global human rights crisis that disproportionately affects women and girls, and research indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing vuln...
Transient neonatal shoulder paralysis causes early osteoarthritis in a mouse model.

Neonatal brachial plexus palsy (NBPP) occurs in approximately 1.5 of every 1000 live births. The majority of children with NBPP recover function of the shoulder. However, the long-term risk of osteoarthritis (OA) in this population is unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the development of OA in a mouse model of transient neonatal shoulder paralysis. Neonatal mice were injected twice per week for 4 weeks with saline in the right supraspinatus muscle (Saline, control) and botulinum toxin A (BtxA, transient paralysis) in the left supraspinatus muscle, and then recovered for 20 or 36 weeks. Control mice received no injections, and all mice were sacrificed at 24 or 40 weeks. BtxA mice exhibited abnormalities in gait compared to controls through 10 weeks of age, but these differences did not persist into adulthood. BtxA shoulders had decreased bone volume (-9%) and abnormal trabecular microstructure compared to controls. Histomorphometry analysis demonstrated that BtxA shoulders had higher murine shoulder arthritis scale scores (+30%), and therefore more shoulder OA compared to controls. Articular cartilage of BtxA shoulders demonstrated greater percent stiffness of the tissue. Compared to controls, articular cartilage from BtxA shoulders had 2-fold and 10-fold decreases in Dkk1 and BMP2 expression, respectively, and 3-fold and 14-fold increases in Col10A1 and BGLAP expression, respectively, consistent with established models of OA. In sum, a brief period of paralysis of the neonatal mouse shoulder was sufficient to generate early signs of OA in adult cartilage and bone. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
A Civic Engagement Agenda for Caribbean Higher Education

Civic engagement programs have become prevalent in higher education in many regions of the world. Interest in engagement has increased at a time when Caribbean countries are strengthening the regional integration movement in response to the demands of globalization. Based on a cross-national assessment, this article describes the manifestations of civic engagement in Caribbean universities and proposes an agenda for institutionalizing the practice. The civic engagement agenda is applicable to higher education institutions elsewhere.
The protein as a physics laboratory

Why should physicists be interested in biomolecules? One reason is that physics and in particular physical techniques have had, and still have, a great impact on biological sciences. A prime example is X-ray diffraction which in the hands of Max Perutz and John Kendrew led to the elucidation of the three-dimensional structure of proteins. A second reason is the fact that proteins are beautifully designed laboratories in which many physics problems can be studied. A few years ago I had dinner with Stan Ulam at the Los Alamos Inn. After telling him about our work he said: “I understand what you are saying. Ask not what physics can do for biology, ask what biology can do for physics.” In these notes I will discuss two areas, complexity and reactions, where experiments on proteins provide new information. Both of these areas link biomolecules to physics and chemistry and both contain many unsolved and challenging problems.
New concept of a high efficiency photosensor with a reflective photocathode

A new concept of a HPD photosensor with high photon collection efficiency and high quantum efficiency is presented. The essential point of this new idea is that the highly sensitive but normally extremely expensive epitaxially grown negative-electron-affinity (NEA) photocathodes (like GaAs, GaAsP, InGaAs) may be used in a different configuration than usual, which will dramatically simplify the manufacturing process and reduce the cost. So far the major problem has been in the lack of a realistic conceptual photosensor design that would be able to simultaneously host the photocathode in a reflective configuration and to provide a flat angular acceptance with negligible dead area for the incoming photons. Our concept is based on a surprising invention that solves that problem in a very simple and elegant way, in reflective mode seems to be very promising.
Beyond warfarin: A patient‐centered approach to selecting novel oral anticoagulants for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation

BACKGROUND Warfarin reduces stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation. However, its narrow therapeutic index and need for chronic monitoring are barriers to its optimal utilization in many patients. The recent introduction of 3 novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs), as alternatives to warfarin, may change the eligibility and management of patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) who require systemic anticoagulation. PURPOSE To summarize contemporary indications for anticoagulation in NVAF, and to help provide patient-centered clinical decision making for selecting warfarin or 1 of the NOACs (dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban) based on randomized trials and mechanistic data for each drug. DATA SOURCES AND STUDY SELECTION The primary clinical outcome trials of warfarin and the NOACs, pharmacologic studies, and briefing documents from the US Food and Drug Administration were reviewed. DATA EXTRACTION AND DATA SYNTHESIS In randomized trials, NOACs were consistently noninferior to warfarin for reducing stroke or systemic embolism in patients with NVAF, with reductions in intracranial bleeding as well. However, NOACs have several important drug-drug interactions, exclusion criteria for specific patient subgroups (eg, severe renal disease), and each medication may have a different impact on other clinical outcomes such as myocardial infarction or gastrointestinal bleeding. Benefits of the new drugs are particularly pronounced when international normalized ratio levels on warfarin are labile. CONCLUSIONS Warfarin continues to play an important role in the prevention of stroke or systemic embolism in NVAF. Among selected patients, the use of NOACs provides equal or superior benefit, without the need for chronic anticoagulation monitoring or ongoing dose titration. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2014;9:400–406. © 2014 Society of Hospital Medicine
Digital image processing technology and its application in forensic sciences.

To the average semitechnical individual who, on the one hand, is subject to the whims of an aberrant computer that sends him credit card statements for an account unknown to him, or who is provoked by computer-produced sales letters in which his name is inserted at key points, digital computers are the degrading and impersonal taints of modern technology. On the other hand, to the astronaut in transit to the moon, the computer is his link with life. Between these two diverse extremes digital image processing has become a technical fact of life. Erratum to this paper appears in 20(4).
Does Improved Confidence in a Disease Relate to Increased Knowledge? Our Experience with Medical Students

Dear Editor, Though knowledge regarding the mechanisms involved in fibromyalgia (FM) is improving, many physicians lack confidence in both their understanding and ability to diagnose FM, citing difficulty due to the variable presentation, poorly understood pathophysiology, and challenging diagnostic criteria [1]. We sought to address the confidence of medical students in their understanding of the etiology of FM in order to identify possible early misconceptions that may decrease eventual confidence in their understanding and management. The study consisted of a brief questionnaire given to medical students attending the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, a United States allopathic school. This institution granted the project IRB approval. We divided students into two sample groups: preclinical and clinical students. Preclinical students included first year students as well as second year students who had not yet received lectures on musculoskeletal diseases. Clinical students had completed all organ-system lectures as well as at least 6 months of their required clinical clerkships. Students were asked to choose the statement that …
PROCESSES AND SUBDIVISIONS IN DIOGENITES, A MULTIVARIATE STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

Multivariate statistical techniques used on diogenite orthopyroxene analyses show the relationships that occur within diogenites and the two orthopyroxenite components (class I and II) in the polymict diogenite Garland. Cluster analysis shows that only Peckelsheim is similar to Garland class I (Fe-rich) and the other diogenites resemble Garland class II. The unique diogenite Y 75032 may be related to type I by fractionation. Factor analysis confirms the subdivision and shows that Fe does not correlate with the weakly incompatible elements across the entire pyroxene composition range, indicating that igneous fractionation is not the process controlling total diogenite composition variation. The occurrence of two groups of diogenites is interpreted as the result of sampling or mixing of two main sequences of orthopyroxene cumulates with slightly different compositions.
Curvature Functionals, Optimal Metrics, and the Differential Topology of 4-Manifolds

This paper investigates the question of which smooth compact 4-manifolds admit Riemannian metrics that minimize the L2-norm of the curvature tensor. Metrics with this property are called OPTIMAL; Einstein metrics and scalar-flat anti-self-dual metrics provide us with two interesting classes of examples. Using twistor methods, optimal metrics of the second type are constructed on the connected sums kCP_2 for k > 5. However, related constructions also show that large classes of simply connected 4-manifolds do not admit any optimal metrics at all. Interestingly, the difference between existence and non-existence turns out to delicately depend on one's choice of smooth structure; there are smooth 4-manifolds which carry optimal metrics, but which are homeomorphic to infinitely many distinct smooth 4-manifolds on which no optimal metric exists.
Exploring and exploiting user search behavior on mobile and tablet devices to improve search relevance

In this paper, we present a log-based study on user search behavior comparisons on three different platforms: desktop, mobile and tablet. We use three-month search logs in 2012 from a commercial search engine for our study. Our objective is to better understand how and to what extent mobile and tablet searchers behave differently than desktop users. Our study spans a variety of aspects including query categorization, query length, search time distribution, search location distribution, user click patterns and so on. From our data set, we reveal that there are significant differences between user search patterns in these three platforms, and therefore use the same ranking system is not an optimal solution for all of them. Consequently, we propose a framework that leverages a set of domain-specific features, along with the training data from desktop search, to further improve the search relevance for mobile and tablet platforms. Experimental results demonstrate that by transferring knowledge from desktop search, search relevance on mobile and tablet can be greatly improved.
UIMS support for direct manipulation interfaces

Recently direct manipulation interfaces have received a lot of attention. The direct manipulation paradigm seems to offer significant advantages, particularly for novice users. In this paper we will consider what direct manipulation is, what this means to user interface management systems, and what we should do about it. We will conclude that to support direct manipulation, syntax should be de-emphasized and decentralized, the presentation component of the system should be made more flexible than most exiting systems, and feedback, particularly semantic feedback, is very important and should be supported in a much more automatic fashion.
Stress corrosion crack growth behavior of a low alloy steel in 3.0% NaCl solution

Stress corrosion crack growth behavior of a low alloy steel in 3.0% NaCl solution was studied. The investigation also examines the influence of initial stress intensity factor (Ki) and overload plastic zone size on the incubation period and stress corrosion crack growth rate. Compact tension specimens with (TL) orientation prepared from SAE 4140 steel in hardened and tempered condition were used. To examine the influence of overload, initially fatigue precracked specimens were overloaded to various levels, namely 10, 25, and 50% more than initial stress intensity levels (Ki) at two different (Ki) levels (Ki= 28 and 46 MPa√m) and unloaded. Stress corrosion crack growth behavior of these specimens was studied after reloading them to their initial stress intensity levels (i.e., Ki = 28 and 46 MPa√m, respectively) and keeping them submerged in 3.0% NaCl solution.
Improving patch-based synthesis by learning patch masks

Patch-based synthesis is a powerful framework for numerous image and video editing applications such as hole-filling, retargeting, and reshuffling. In all these applications, a patch-based objective function is optimized through a patch search-and-vote process. However, existing techniques typically use fixed-size square patches when comparing the distance between two patches in the search process. This presents a fundamental limitation for these methods, since many patches cover multiple regions that can move, occlude, or otherwise behave independently in source and target images. We address this problem by using masks to down-weight some pixels in the patch-comparison operation. The main challenge is to choose the right mask according to the content during the search-and-vote process. We show how simple user assistance can lead to excellent results in challenging hole-filling examples. In addition, we propose a fully automated solution by learning a model to predict an appropriate mask using a set of features extracted around each patch. The model is trained using a manually annotated dataset, augmented with simulated divergence from ground truth. We demonstrate that our proposed method improves over existing approaches for single-and multi-image hole-filling applications.
Kinetic study on the enzymatic resolution of homophenylalanine ester using ionic liquids

Two ionic liquids (ILs) were investigated as novel media for the enzymatic resolution of amino acid ester to obtain enantiomeric amino acid homophenylalanine. The effects of solvent nature, polarity, and concentration on the kinetic resolution were investigated. With change in solvent concentration, a systematic study shows that an improved enzyme activity can be obtained by adjusting these solvent parameters.
Septum volume and food-storing behavior are related in parids

The hippocampal formation (HF) of food-storing birds is larger than non-storing species, and the size of the HF in food-storing Black-Capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) varies seasonally. We examined whether the volume of the septum, a medial forebrain structure that shares reciprocal connections with the HF, demonstrates the same species and seasonal variation as has been shown in the HF. We compared septum volume in three parid species; non-storing Blue Tits (Parus caeruleus) and Great Tits (Parus major), and food-storing Black-Capped Chickadees. We found the relative septum volume to be larger in chickadees than in the non-storing species. We also compared septum and nucleus of the diagonal band (NDB) volume of Black-Capped Chickadees at different times of the year. We found that the relative septum volume varies seasonally in food-storing birds. The volume of the NDB does not vary seasonally. Due to the observed species and seasonal variation, the septum, like the hippocampal formation of food-storing birds, may be specialized for some aspects of food-storing and spatial memory.
Paired‐pulse modulation at individual GABAergic synapses in rat hippocampus

1. Unitary inhibitory postsynaptic currents (uIPSCs) were recorded in synaptically coupled pairs of CA1 hippocampal interneurons and pyramidal neurons in rat brain slices by using dual patch-clamp techniques. Paired-pulse modulation of uIPSCs at individual GABAergic synapses was tested. 2. GABAergic synapses could be divided into two subgroups, high and low failure, depending on their failure rate. 3. The external Ca2+ levels modulate the failure rate of uIPSCs. In 0.51 mM Ca2+, low-failure pairs had a high-failure characteristic, whereas high-failure pairs had a low-failure characteristic in 8 mM Ca2+. The results suggest that uIPSC failures result from the Ca2+-dependent release mechanism rather than axon propagation failures. 4. Paired-pulse facilitation (PPF) occurred in high-failure pairs when the interspike interval was 20 ms. Paired-pulse depression (PPD) was not predominant in high-failure pairs. 5. Potency of uIPSCs, the average amplitude of non-failure events, was enhanced by PPF, suggesting that multiple synapses connect each pair. Differing numbers of activated synapses contributed to the variable amplitude of uIPSCs from a given pair. 6. PPD occurred in low-failure pairs at the tested range of interspike intervals (20-200 ms). The uIPSC2 after a large uIPSC1 was smaller than the uIPSC2 after a small uIPSC1, suggesting that PPD is use dependent and due to a decrease in the quantal content (m) after the first release. 7. In 8 mM Ca2+, PPD occurred in high-failure pairs and was larger in low-failure pairs, suggesting that the occurrence of PPF or PPD depends on the baseline release probability. 8. The GABAB receptor antagonist CGP 55845A (5 microM) decreased the baseline release probability of inhibitory synapses and attenuated PPD indirectly, rather than by blocking presynaptic GABAB autoreceptors.
Association of the Transforming Proteins of the ST and GA Strains of Feline Sarcoma Virus and Their in Vitro Associated Protein Kinase Activities with Cellular Membranes

The translation products of the Snyder-Theilen (ST) and Gardner-Arnstein (GA) strains of feline sarcoma virus (FeSV), termed gag-fes proteins, are high molecular weight polyproteins containing different amounts of the amino terminus of the feline leukemia virus (FeLV) gag gene-coded precursor protein linked to a similar sarcoma virus-specific polypeptide. Both polyproteins are phosphoproteins with indistinguishable in vitro associated tyrosine-specific protein kinase activities. The polyproteins are extremely hydrophobic proteins which are intimately associated with the plasma membrane fraction of transformed cells. Approximately 10% of the proteins are modified by glycosylation and expressed on the cell surface where they are accessible to lactoperoxidase-mediated radio-iodination and trypsinization. Cell surface localization of the polyproteins does not appear to be necessary for transformation. However, preliminary evidence suggests that the amount of FeLV p30 sequences at the amino end of the proteins may have some effect on the intracellular distribution of the gag-fes polyproteins and on the phenotype of the transformed cell.
Molecular orbital theory for metal-ammine complexes. I. [Cu(NH3)6]2+, [Cu(NH3)4]2+ and [Ni(NH3)6]2+

Abstract The electronic spectra and g-factors of tetragonal [Cu(NH3)6]2+, square planar [Cu(NH3)4]2+, and octahedral [Ni(NH3)6]2+ are fitted by using the semi-empirical (SCCC) method. Both hybridized and unhybridized ligand orbitals were tried. In the case of the copper complexes unhybridized ligand functions were necessary, while for the nickel complex both hybridized and unhybridized worked equally well. Only the sigma bonding framework was considered in the calculational model. A good fit of the g-factors, and d-d bands was obtained. The charge transfer bands proved to be the predicted ligand to metal type of transition. The self-consistent charge and configuration parameters for each cation are: [Cu(NH3)6]2+, Fσu=2.4, Cu(+.527) 3d9.076 4s0.677 4p.0720; [Cu(NH3)4]2+, Fσu = 1.8, Cu(+.912) 3d9.327 4s0.538 4p0.224; [Ni(NH3)6]2+, Fσu = 1.3, Ni(+1.254) 3d8.610 4s0.215 4p−.079, Fσh = 1.8, Ni.(+1.088) 3d8.489 4s0.380 4p0.044. In general the choice of the metal complexes and model for the calculation tends to avoid the criticisms such as over-estimation of π-bonding and covalency as well as the inability of the method to calculate inter-electron repulsion effects. It is felt that by variation of Fσ and utilization of unhybridized ligand orbitals, the Madelung correction to metal VSIE's may be minimized. Furthermore, the calculation predicts that a relatively planar ammine group is necessary in order to fit the experimental data for the CuII complexes. This is in keeping with proton N.M.R. results.
Probabilistic fracture mechanics of 2D carbon-carbon composites

The fracture toughness of two types of carbon fabric reinforced carbon composite (KKARB®, Types A and C) is evaluated, the mechanisms of crack propagation resistance are identified and both are related to microstructural differences.
Efficacy of Hypnosis in the Treatment of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in Women: Rural and Urban Samples

This article investigates the effect of hypnosis on immunity and whether this is the key mechanism in the hypnotic treatment of the genital infection caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease and can lead to cervical and other cancers. Current medical treatments are aimed at tissue assault (acids, freezing, surgery). Medical wart clearance rates are only 30% to 70% and recurrence is common. Our research contrasted hypnosis-only with medical-only therapies, using both urban hospital and rural community samples. Both hypnosis and medical therapy resulted in a statistically significant (p < .04) reduction in areas and numbers of lesions. Yet, at the 12-week follow-up, complete clearance rates were 5 to 1 in favor of hypnosis.
Fish predation on gastropods on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica

Abstract The intensity of fish predation was measured by comparing loss of gastropod shells at four intertidal shores on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. Fish had little effect on shell losses of gastropods although some shell crushing occurred. Fish predation intensity in central Costa Rica was variable in space and time and was lower than in the Bay of Panama. Rate of loss of gastropods in Costa Rica was as low as that documented for temperate regions, suggesting that variation among latitudes (temperate vs. tropical) is no higher than variation at similar latitudes (Panama vs. Costa Rica). Local variation within each region should be considered when temperate-tropical comparisons are made.
Shifts in tooth maturation patterns in non-French Canadian boys.

Summary.Aims. This study was designed to evaluate the predictability of dental maturation patterns in non-French Canadian boys using the maturation curves developed by Demirjian & Goldstein [1]. Sample. Archival cephalometric radiographs taken during a longitudinal study (1930–1960) of Caucasian Americans were re-evaluated. Methods. Maturation of the permanent teeth on the left side of the mandible was determined according to the methods described by Demirjian & Goldstein. Results. Of the 79 boys studied, 12 (15·2%) started below Demirjian’s median and continued as such during the maturation process. Seven (8·9%) started within the second standard deviation above Demirjian’s median and continued as such during the maturation process. The remaining 60 boys (75·9%) started below the median of Demirjian’s curves at an early age. They matured at a rate that placed them above the median value at the end of the study period. The shift took place before the age of 6 years in 46 (76·6%) cases and between the ages of 6 and 8 years in another nine (15%) cases. In five of the cases which started below Demirjian’s median (8·3%) the shift only took place after the age of 9 years. Conclusion. The shift from below median to above median value was considered an important factor in treatment planning. The data indicate that there is considerable risk for treatment planning prior to the age of 8 years. The risk is highest when the children are less than 6 years of age due to growth prediction uncertainties.
Determination of corrections for tailing in low energy coincidence intensity measurements

Abstract A new method for the evaluation of the net intensity of each component of a partially resolved multiplet in a low energy photon ( α 1 and K α 2 X-rays in coincidence with L X-rays from the decays of 10.4 h 165 Er and 4.68 y 155 Eu.
Sub-diffraction-limited far-field imaging in infrared

We investigated a far-field superlens operating at mid-infrared wavelength that allows resolving subwavelength features in the far-field. By utilizing evanescent enhancement provided by surface plasmon excitation of silver nanorods and Moire effect, we numerically demonstrated that subwavelength information of an object can be converted to propagating information. This information can then be captured by conventional optical components. A simple image reconstruction algorithm can restore the subwavelength object. A sub-diffraction-limited resolution of 2.5 μm at 6-μm wavelength is demonstrated.
Convergence and superconvergence analysis of finite element methods on highly nonuniform anisotropic meshes for singularly perturbed reaction—diffusion problems

Abstract The standard finite element methods on one type of highly nonuniform rectangular meshes, which is different from the extensively discussed Shishkin type meshes, are considered for solving the singular perturbation problem − div (a∇u)+bu=f , where the diagonal tensor a=(e 2 ,1) or a=(e 2 ,e 2 ) . Global uniform convergence rates of O (N −2 ) for u in the L 2 -norm are obtained in both cases for bilinear rectangular finite elements, where N is the number of intervals in both the x - and y -directions. The pointwise interior (away from the boundary layers) convergence rates of O (N −1 ) for u are also proved. Global superconvergence rates of O (N −2 ) in the L 2 -norm for a 1/2 ∇u are obtained by a postprocessing. Numerical experiments supporting the theoretical analysis show that the new type anisotropic meshes give equivalent performance as the Shishkin type meshes.
A derivative of Tn5 with direct terminal repeats can transpose.

Abstract The 5.7 kb § transposable kanamycin resistance determinant Tn5 contains 1.5 kb terminal inverted repeats which we here call arms. Tn5's arms contain the genes and sites necessary for Tn5 transposition, and are not homologous to previously described transposable elements. To determine whether one or both arms is a transposable (IS) element, we transposed Tn5 to pBR322 and used restriction endonuclease digestion and ligation in vitro to generate plasmid derivatives designated pTn5-DR1 and pTn5-DR2 in which Tn5's arms were present in direct rather than in inverted orientation. Analysis of transposition products from dimeric forms of the pTn5-DR1 plasmid to phage λ showed that the outside and inside termini of right and of left arms could function in transposition. We conclude that both of Tn5's arms are transposable elements and name them IS50L (left) and IS50R (right). IS50R, which encodes transposase, was used several-fold more frequently than IS50L, which contain an ochre mutant allele of transposase: this implies that Tn5's transposase acts preferentially on the DNA segment which encodes it. Analysis of transpositions of the amp r kan r element Tn5-DR2 to the lac operon showed that Tn5-DR2, like Tn5 wild-type, exhibits regional preference without strict site specificity in the choice of insertion sites.
Introduction to the special issue on spatial demography.

This issue of PRPR and the issue to follow brings together a number of articles of interest to demographers that explore in one way or another some of the approaches to data analysis when the data are linked to location. The analysis of data for areal units (units generally drawn from a geographic hierarchy of areas common to national censuses) brings with it a number of problems. Attributes of spatially referenced data generally violate some of the critical assumptions underlying classical statistical measures and models a dilemma that necessitates both caution regarding these violations and attention to methods designed to correct for them. These problems have been understood for several decades by quantitative geographers (most notably in the UK) and regional scientists (predominantly on the European continent) but demographers have been slow bring these methodologies into their own toolkits. (excerpt)
Leadership, Hegemony, and the International Economy: Naked Emperor or Tattered Monarch with Potential?

The so-called theory of hegemonic stability is a research program composed of two distinct theories. Leadership theory builds upon public goods models and seeks to explain the production of the international economic infrastructure. The theory is extended here by identifying its necessary and sufficient conditions and explicating when leadership is likely to be benevolent or coercive. Hegemony theory, subsuming three independent analytic traditions, focuses on the different structurally derived trade policy preferences of states and attempts to explain international economic openness. The core logic of each variant and questions for future research are examined. Neither leadership nor hegemony theory has been tested adequately by existing empirical studies. While theorists have generally failed to present their arguments in an appropriate fashion, empiricists have not been sufficiently sensitive to variations in the theory and have produced studies that suffer from inadequate theoretical and operational specification and theoretical "over-extension." At this stage, formal tests should not seek decisive disconfirmation of the research program but should aim to provide guidance for further theoretical refinement.
Mortality following a first unprovoked seizure in children: A prospective study

In a prospective study, 407 children with a first unprovoked seizure were followed for a mean of 14.2 years. To date, nine have died. Death was unrelated to seizures in four subjects who had no further seizures and were on no medications. The remaining five subjects all had multiple seizures and were on medications. Treatment following the first seizure would not have altered mortality in any of the nine cases.
Isolation of the human chromosome 22q telomere and its application to detection of cryptic chromosomal abnormalities.

A number of human telomeres have been successfully cloned using a modified yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) vector (half-YAC) cloning strategy, but to date, human chromosome 22q has not been identified by this approach. We used an alternative approach of genomic walking, starting from a subtelomeric sequence, TelBam3.4, present on a number of human chromosomes including 22q. This approach was successful in the development of a cosmid contig representing the terminal 140 kb of human chromosome 22q, providing telomeric closure of the genetic and physical maps for 22q. The most distal region of the contig contains subtelomeric repeats which crosshybridize to a number of chromosomes, while the proximal sequences are unique for 22q. The unique sequence cosmid was used as a 22gter-specific probe for fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis, which confirmed that this cosmid was distal to the most telomeric marker previously available for chromosome 22. In addition, this cosmid was used to document a 22q terminal deletion that was not detectable by conventional cytogenetic analysis. Unique telomere-specific FISH probes such as this one will have significant diagnostic value in the detection of cryptic deletions and translocations in patients with unexplained mental retardation and other patient populations.
xRB as a modulator of transcription

Abstract pRB interacts with a number of transcription factors and can both directly and indirectly modulate transcriptional activity. Growth suppression by pRB is tightly linked to its ability to form complexes with E2F which are capable of repressing transcription of certain genes required for S phase. The ability of pRB to enhance the activity of several non-E2F transcription factors might suggest a mechanism by which pRB could coordinately regulate sets of genes at or near the restriction point. Specifically, complexes consisting of underphosphorylated pRB and E2F, by virtue of transcriptional repression of promoters containing E2F sites, would act to block entry into S phase. At the same time, distinct complexes of underphosphorylated pRB and transcription factors such as the glucocorticoid receptor, ATF-2, or MyoD, might lead to an increase in the transcription of genes required for differentiation or for additional growth inhibitory functions (e.g. TGF-β1). Changes in the activities of various cyclin-dependent kinase complexes would lead to phosphorylation of pRB and thus coordinate a release of S phase genes from repression with a loss of activation of differentiation genes. While this model is speculative, the role of pRB as a transcriptional modulator, as well as its interactions with cell-cycle regulatory kinases, places it in a position to integrate extracellular and intracellular growth signals and to transduce those signals into changes in gene transcription which ultimately influence cell growth and differentiation.