cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neuropsychiatric Effects of Anabolic Steroids in Male Normal Volunteers

Objective. —To evaluate the acute effects of anabolic steroids on mood and behavior in male normal volunteers. Design. —A 2-week, double-blind (subject and rater), fixed-order, placebo-controlled crossover trial of methyltestosterone. Setting. —An inpatient research unit at the National Institutes of Health. Subjects. —A volunteer sample of 20 men who were medication free, free of medical and psychiatric illness, not involved in athletic training, and had no prior history of anabolic steroid use. Intervention. —A sequential trial for 3 days each of the following four drug conditions: placebo baseline, low-dose methyltestosterone (40 mg/d), high-dose methyltestosterone (240 mg/d), and placebo withdrawal. Main Outcome Measures. —Mood and behavioral ratings were completed during each drug condition and included both subjective and objective measures. Results. —Significant (P Conclusion. —This is the first placebo-controlled prospective study demonstrating the adverse and activating mood and behavioral effects of anabolic steroids. (JAMA. 1993;269:2760-2764)
Adsorption of organic compounds at the metal/solution interface: Thiourea on gold electrodes

Abstract The adsorption of thiourea on gold has been investigated as a function of potential and concentration, using a radiotracer method. The behaviour of the system is interpreted in terms of a simple molecular model. The distribution of potential in the double layer and the dominant energetic factors governing adsorption, viz., chemical binding energy, field-dipole interaction, distortion of the double layer and lateral interaction have been evaluated and are discussed.
Coronary artery bypass surgery: Assessment of revascularization by determination of blood flow and myocardial mass

Abstract Evaluation of 70 bypass grafts in 43 patients by determinations of graft and myocardial blood flow and myocardial mass demonstrated the potential of coronary artery bypass grafts to increase significantly blood flow to sizable masses of myocardium. The amount of myocardial mass perfused had a wide range but was similar whether bypasses were placed on the right or on the left anterior descending coronary artery (107 ± 13 g, respectively). Mean myocardial blood flow was 76 percent higher with the graft open. Flow levels in bypass grafts ranged widely but were similar in bypasses to the right and to the left anterior descending coronary arteries (47 ± 7 ml/min and 49 ± 6 ml/min, respectively). Flow levels in grafts to the circumflex artery and in Internal mammary artery to left anterior descending coronary bypasses were lower (11 ± 4 ml/min and 23 ± 6 ml/min, respectively). There was no relation between blood flow in the bypass graft and the degree of change induced in myocardial blood flow. The measurement of graft flow alone was an Insufficient indicator of revascularization since it did not take into account changes in rate and extent of distribution of myocardial perfusion brought about by the new blood flow.
A Numerical Model of Nasal Odorant Transport for the Analysis of Human Olfaction

Abstract The transport and uptake of inspired odorant molecules in the human nasal cavity were determined using an anatomically correct three-dimensional finite element model. The steady-state equations of motion and continuity were first solved to determine laminar flow patterns of odorous air at quiet breathing flow rates. The air stream entering the ventral tip of the naris travelled to the olfactory slit, and then passed through the slit in nearly a straight path without forming separated recirculating zones. The fraction of volumetric flow passing through the olfactory airway was about 10%, and remained nearly constant with variations in flow rate. The three-dimensional inspiratory velocity field was used in the solution of the uncoupled steady convective-diffusion equation to determine the concentration field in the airways and odorant mass flux at the nasal walls. The mass-transfer boundary condition used at the nasal cavity wall included the effects of solubility and diffusivity of odorants in the mucosal lining, and the thickness of the mucus layer. The total olfactory flux of odorants, that is highly correlated with perceived odor intensity, was determined as a function of all transport parameters in our model. Increase in nasal flow rate at a constant inlet concentration resulted in an increase in total olfactory uptake for all odorants. However, with increase in flow rate, the fractional uptake, i.e., total olfactory flux normalized by convective flux at the inlet, decreased for poorly soluble odorants, while it increased for highly soluble odorants. The pattern of flux (or imposed patterning) across the olfactory mucosa, that carries information concerning odor identity, was also determined as a function of transport parameters. There was an overall decrease in odorant flux as the location on the olfactory surface was varied from the anterior towards the posterior and from the inferior towards the superior ends. The flux pattern became more uniform, i.e., the steepness of the flux gradients across the olfactory surface decreased, as the mucus solubility of the odorants decreased. Different odorants generated discernibly different flux patterns across the olfactory mucosa that may contribute to the encoding of odor quality. Variation of total olfactory flux with time after cessation of airflow was determined by solving the unsteady diffusion equation in the air-phase. The flux decreased approximately exponentially with time. The rate of decay decreased as solubility and diffusivity decreased, but was very rapid over a wide range of the parameters, with time constants of less that 0.5 s for most odorants, implying a rapid decrease in perceived odor intensity with cessation of nasal airflow.
The electronic spectrum of purine

Abstract Absorption, phosphorescence and phosphorescence excitation spectra are reported for matrix-isolated purine at 20 K. In general, the spectra show enhanced vibrational structure over gas phase or solution conditions. The 1 (π*←π) absorption closely resembles that in the gas phase. The phosphorescence is rich in structure with the best resolution in argon. Several ground state fundamentals involving ring deformations are observed. The most active vibrations are the a′ modes 649, 793, 1260, 1482 and 1563 cm −1 . The 1 (π*← n ) transition appears with vibrational structure in the phosphorescence excitation spectrum; the vibrations are 426, 566 and 846 cm −1 . Mixing between 1 ππ* and 1 n π* and methane-purine hydrogen bonding appear to contribute to the observed spectra.
Hearing of old world monkeys (Cercopithecinae).

The characteristics of normal hearing were examined in the laboratory for seven species of Old World monkeys. Operant conditioning procedures, coupled with standard audiometric testing methods, were used to assess thresholds of hearing, frequency range of hearing, and differential sensitivity to auditory intensity and frequency. To produce tonal stimulation, an animal was trained to touch and maintain manual contact with a contact-sensitive key and to report hearing the tone by lifting his hand from the key; this response was followed by food reinforcement. When the reporting response occurred without the auditory signal, the animal was punished by a short suspension from the experiment. Additional contingencies were added to ensure stable and reliable responding, and threshold and differential acuity determinations were then made. Threshold was defined as the stimulus value responded to correctly 50% of the time. The frequency range of hearing of all the cercopithecoids tested extended from 60 to 40,000 Hz, an octave above the upper bound of 20,000 Hz for man but well below the 60–70,000 Hz limit for some prosimians. Absolute sensitivity for tonal stimulation in the most sensitive frequency range (1–8 kHz) was about 2 × 10−4 microbars, comparable to that of other primates tested, including man. Thus, the Old World monkey appears only slightly less sensitive than man to small changes in intensity and frequency of acoustic stimulation. At 1000 Hz at 60 dB above the threshold of audibility, his limit of resolution is about 5 Hz for frequency and 2 dB for intensity.
Magnetic resonance imaging of the breast: A clinical perspective

The role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in screening for breast cancer and its use after the diagnosis of breast cancer is discussed. The topic is enormous, with over 5 000 papers published in the last 10 years. In this precis, we focused on articles that examine its clinical relevance. We did not look at economic factors.
Characterization of bedform morphology generated under combined flows and currents using wavelet analysis

Abstract The wavelet transform (WT) has been successfully implemented in many fields such as signal and image processing, communication theory, optics, numerical analysis, and fluid mechanics. However, the application of WT to describe bedform morphology in coastal areas, oceans, and rivers is rare. The present study demonstrates the capability of WT analysis to fully represent the space–frequency characteristics of signals describing bed topography generated in marine and river environments. In this study WT is used to examine the morphological characteristics of bedforms generated in two separate laboratory facilities: a wave tank and a meandering channel. In the wave tank a set of ripples superimposed upon large wave ripples were generated; while in the meandering channel, 2D and 3D migrating ripples and dunes were observed. The WT proved to be a useful tool in detecting the complex variability of the generated bedform structures. The size distribution of the bottom features such as ripples, large wave ripples and sandbars were first examined along a 2D bed profile. Later analysis studied the variability of features in the transverse direction by using the power Hovmoller. Experiments in the wave tank were conducted for a mobility number of ψ=(10, 28), and a Reynolds wave number of Rew=(17,500, 83,500) which correspond to waves alone (WA) and to combined flow (CF) scenarios, respectively. Experiments in the meandering channel were conducted under a morphological regime that produced mainly migrating sandbars.
Effects of 22‐µm screens on size‐frequency distributions of suspended particles and biomass estimates of phytoplankton size fractions1

Fractionation of whole water samples through 22-µm mesh screens reduced the concentration of particles with mean spherical diameters (MSD) >10 µm. Fractionation did not affect particle concentrations <10 µm when nanoplankton dominated but resulted in an increase when net plankton dominated as a consequence of the breakup of chains. A 50% removal usually occurred at a MSD of 16 µm. Correlations between the chlorophyll a content and volume of size fractions were significant, and nanoplankton had more chlorophyll a per unit volume than net plankton.
The Impact of Proposition 48 on the Relationship Between Football Success and Football Player Graduation Rates

A previous study finds a negative relationship between football success and football player graduation rates. The present study examines whether changes in freshman eligibility standards produced by Proposition 48 impact this relationship. Our data set contains the 2 years immediately prior to the implementation of Proposition 48 and the 2 years immediately after the implementation of Proposition 48. The main finding of this article is that although football success has a negative impact on football players’ graduation rates prior to Proposition 48, there is no such relationship post-Proposition 48.
Influence of Electroless Copper on IC Reliability

The process of plating through holes (PTH) is inherent to modern PCB manufacturing. In an arena of increasing circuit density and layer counts, the reliability of the PTH process is under constant microscopic examination. The aim of electroless copper is to plate a conductive layer through a hole or into a blind microvia. In this context an interconnect (IC) refers to the copper to copper adhesion within the functional constraints of a circuit board. As these can include many inner layers, the inter connection quality is of prime concern. In addition the PTH process also inherits the issues from the preceding manufacture.
Resolvin D1 activates the inflammation resolving response at splenic and ventricular site following myocardial infarction leading to improved ventricular function

Unresolved inflammation is a major contributor to the development of heart failure following myocardial infarction (MI). Pro-resolving lipid mediators, such as resolvins (e.g. RvD1), are biosynthesized endogenously. The role of RvD1 in resolving post-MI inflammation has not been elucidated due to its unstable nature. Here, we have tested the role for two forms of RvD1, after incorporation into liposomes (Lipo-RvD1) and its free acid form (RvD1) in the left ventricle (LV) and splenic remodeling post-MI. 8 to 12-week old male, C57BL/6J-mice were subjected to coronary artery ligation and Lipo-RvD1 or RvD1 (3 μg/kg/day) was injected 3h post-MI for day (d)1 or until d5. No-MI mice and saline-injected MI mice served as controls. RvD1 injected groups showed improved fractional shortening post-MI; preserving transient changes in the splenic reservoir compared to MI-saline. RvD1-groups showed an early exit of neutrophils from LV and spleen at d5 post-MI with an increased expression of lipoxin A4 receptor (ALX; synonym formyl peptide receptor; FPR2) compared to the MI-saline group. The levels of pro-resolving mediators RvD1, RvD2, Maresin 1 (MaR1) and Lipoxin A4 (LXA4) were increased in spleens from RvD1 injected mice at d5 post-MI. RvD1 administration reduced macrophage density, ccr5 and cxcl5 levels at d5 post-MI compared to saline injected mice (both, p < 0.05). Increased transcripts of mrc-1, arg-1 and Ym-1 (all, p < 0.05) suggest macrophage-mediated clearance of necrotic cells in RvD1-groups. RvD1 reduced the pro-fibrotic genes (colla1, coll2a1 and tnc (all; p < 0.05)) and decreased collagen deposition, thereby reducing post-MI fibrosis and thus stabilizing the extracellular matrix. In summary, RvD1 and Lipo-RvD1 promote the resolution of acute inflammation initiated by MI, thereby delaying the onset of heart failure.
Commissural neurons of the electrosensory lateral line lobe of Apteronotus leptorhynchus: morphological and physiological characteristics

Extracellular injections of horseradish peroxidase were used to label commissural cells connecting the electrosensory lateral line lobes of the weakly electric fish Apteronotus leptorhynchus. Multiple commissural pathways exist; a caudal commissure is made up of ovoid cell axons, and polymorphic cells' axons project via a rostral commissure. Intracellular recording and labeling showed that ovoid cells discharge spontaneously at high rates, fire at preferred phases to the electric organ discharge, and respond to increased receptor afferent input with short latency partially adapting excitation. Ovoid cell axons ramify extensively in the rostro-caudal direction but are otherwise restricted to a single ELL subdivision. Polymorphic cells are also spontaneously active, but their firing is unrelated to the electric organ discharge waveform. They respond to increased receptor afferent activity with reduced firing frequency and response latency is long. Electrical stimulation of the commissural axons alters the behavior of pyramidal cells in the contralateral ELL. Basilar pyramidal cells are hyperpolarized and nonbasilar pyramidal cells are depolarized by this type of stimulation. The physiological results indicate that the ovoid cells participate in common mode rejection mechanisms and also suggest that the ELLs may function in a differential mode in which spatially restricted electrosensory stimuli can evoke heightened responses.
Recent advances in fibre lasers for nonlinear microscopy

Nonlinear microscopy techniques developed over the past two decades have provided dramatic new capabilities for biological imaging. The initial demonstrations of nonlinear microscopies coincided with the development of solid-state femtosecond lasers, which continue to dominate applications of nonlinear microscopy. Fiber lasers offer attractive features for biological and biomedical imaging, and recent advances are leading to high-performance sources with the potential for robust, inexpensive, integrated instruments. This article discusses recent advances, and identifies challenges and opportunities for fiber lasers in nonlinear bioimaging.
Spurious hypocalcemia after gadodiamide administration

Severe hypocalcemia may require prompt intervention to avoid life-threatening consequences. We report a case in which a 78- year-old man had a critically low serum calcium level measured with use of standard colorimetric assay after gadodiamide administration during magnetic resonance angiography. Reanalysis of the same serum specimen using absorption spectroscopy revealed normal calcium values, confirming the diagnosis of spurious hypocalcemia. The increasing use of gadolinium chelates during magnetic resonance imaging and angiography will lead to a marked increase in reports of critically low serum calcium values. Increasing physicians' awareness of gadodiamide-induced spurious hypocalcemia may prevent unnecessary and potentially inappropriate therapeutic interventions.
Ab initio calculation of the mixing enthalpy of the GaAs-AlAs random alloy.

Using our formalism based on average-t-matrix corrections to the virtual crystal, we calculate the mixing enthalpy of the random ${\mathrm{Ga}}_{1/2}$${\mathrm{Al}}_{1/2}$As alloy. We obtain ${H}_{\mathrm{mix}{}^{\mathrm{alloy}=\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}40}}$ meV, which indicates that the random alloy is the thermodynamically stable phase (relative to ordered alloys with small unit cells or to disproportionation) even at absolute zero. The lowest-order correction to the average-t-matrix approximation is calculated and found to be negligible.
Evolution of CIR storm on 22 July 2009

[1] Global images of ion intensities are deconvolved from TWINS ENA images during the main and recovery phase of a CIR storm on 22 July 2009. The global spatial ion images taken at different times, along with solar wind data, geomagnetic activity indices, geosynchronous orbit observations, and in situ measurements from the THEMIS mission provide a picture of the evolution of the ring current during both the main phase and early recovery phase of the storm. Major features of the evolution are consistent with expectations based upon time dependent geomagnetic indices, e.g., SYM/H and ASY/H, and geosynchronous orbit detection of dipolarizations from GOES 11 and 12. Direct comparisons are made with in situ THEMIS ESA and SST spectral measurements. The peak energy of the ion spectrum in the ring current is seen to decrease in the recovery phase. The time evolution of the ion energy spectra over the range from 2.5 to 97.5 keV at the spatial peaks of the ring current in the inner magnetosphere obtained from ENA images is presented for the first time.
A hybrid 3D watershed algorithm incorporating gradient cues and object models for automatic segmentation of nuclei in confocal image stacks

Background Automated segmentation of fluorescently-labeled cell nuclei in 3D confocal microscope images is essential to many studies involving morphological and functional analysis. A common source of segmentation error is tight clustering of nuclei. There is a compelling need to minimize these errors for constructing highly automated scoring systems. Methods A combination of two approaches is presented. First, an improved distance transform combining intensity gradients and geometric distance is used for the watershed step. Second, an explicit mathematical model for the anatomic characteristics of cell nuclei such as size and shape measures is incorporated. This model is constructed automatically from the data. Deliberate initial over-segmentation of the image data is performed, followed by statistical model-based merging. A confidence score is computed for each detected nucleus, measuring how well the nucleus fits the model. This is used in combination with the intensity gradient to control the merge decisions. Results Experimental validation on a set of rodent brain cell images showed 97% concordance with the human observer and significant improvement over prior methods. Conclusions Combining a gradient-weighted distance transform with a richer morphometric model significantly improves the accuracy of automated segmentation and FISH analysis. Cytometry Part A 56A:23–36, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Oxytocin increases retention of social cognition in autism.

Background Oxytocin dysfunction might contribute to the development of social deficits in autism, a core symptom domain and potential target for intervention. This study explored the effect of intravenous oxytocin administration on the retention of social information in autism. Methods Oxytocin and placebo challenges were administered to 15 adult subjects diagnosed with autism or Asperger’s disorder, and comprehension of affective speech (happy, indifferent, angry, and sad) in neutral content sentences was tested. Results All subjects showed improvements in affective speech comprehension from pre- to post-infusion; however, whereas those who received placebo first tended to revert to baseline after a delay, those who received oxytocin first retained the ability to accurately assign emotional significance to speech intonation on the speech comprehension task. Conclusions These results are consistent with studies linking oxytocin to social recognition in rodents as well as studies linking oxytocin to prosocial behavior in humans and suggest that oxytocin might facilitate social information processing in those with autism. These findings also provide preliminary support for the use of oxytocin in the treatment of autism.
Feeding patterns in bulimia nervosa.

Abstract We characterized the naturalistic feeding patterns of 54 women with bulimia nervosa and 11 matched controls over a continuous 24-hr period in a feeding laboratory. Overall, bulimic women consumed more calories in 24 hr 4446 ± 584 kcal) than did controls )1845 ± 649 kcal). Bulimic women consumed a wide range of caloric intake, with 44% overeating and 19% undereating in comparison to the range of controls. In addition, bulimics showed a disruption of circadian feeding patterns. For overeating bulimic women, the majority of meals were of normal size and frequency. Increased caloric intake in the group of overeating bulimic women was mainly due to the fact that 37% of their meals were greater than 1000 calories. Large meals occured predominantly during the afternoon and evening and consisted primarily of dessert and snack foods. Importantly, the percentage of fat, but not carbohydrates, consumed increased as meal size, and 24-hr caloric intake increased. This study is the first to describe the naturalistic feeding characteristics of a large number of bulimics by direct observation. These findings are consistent with previous self-reports and extend and replicate previous laboratory studies. We think that laboratory studies are a reasonable replica of naturalistic feeding and should facilitate further investigation of the psychological and physiological correlates of feeding behavior in eating disorders.
Cell lineage in leech embryogenesis

Abstract The leech embryo develops into its mature form through an essentially invariant sequence of cell lineages. Individual cell divisions are associated with specific determinative events, but experimental studies indicate that some divisions have several potential outcomes whose selection is under the influence of cell interactions. Present work focuses on the way in which cell divisions and interactions become organized into a complete developmental pathway.
An automated design system methodology and strategy for electrostatic discharge protection circuits in RF CMOS and BiCMOS silicon germanium technology

In a Cadence environment, a novel automated methodology is established to optimize (electrostatic discharge) ESD networks. An automated ESD design system for digital, analog and radio frequency (RF) circuits in a mixed signal semiconductor chips using a hierarchy of RF-characterized higher order graphical parameterized cells allows for co-synthesis of RF design and ESD evaluation. The auto-generated ESD design system includes CMOS and BiCMOS input, rail-to-rail and power clamp ESD network with layout, schematic and symbolic representations. Human body model (HBM), machine model (MM), and transmission line pulse (TLP) results demonstrate the operation of the ESD designs, and the region of optimum ESD results.
Suppression of the tumorigenic phenotype of a rat liver epithelial tumor cell line by the p11.2-p12 region of human chromosome 11.

Comparative chromosomal mapping studies and investigations of tumor-associated chromosomal abnormalities suggest that the development of hepatic tumors in humans and rats may share a common molecular mechanism that involves inactivation of the same tumor suppressor genes or common genetic loci. We investigated the potential of human chromosomes 2 and 11 to suppress the tumorigenic phenotype of rat liver epithelial tumor cell lines. These tumor cell lines (GN6TF and GP7TB) display elevated saturation densities in culture, efficiently form colonies in soft agar, and produce subcutaneous tumors in 100% of syngeneic rat hosts with short latency periods. Introduction of human chromosome 11 by microcell fusion markedly altered the tumorigenicity and the transformed phenotype of GN6TF cells. In contrast, the tumorigenic potential and phenotype of GP7TB cells was unaffected by the introduction of human chromosome 11, indicating that not all rat liver tumor cell lines can be suppressed by loci carried on this chromosome. Introduction of human chromosome 2 had little or no effect on the tumorigenicity or cellular phenotype of either tumor cell line, suggesting the involvement of chromosome 11–specific loci in the suppression of the GN6TF tumor cell line. The GN6TF-11neo microcell hybrid cell lines displayed significantly reduced saturation densities in monolayer cultures, and their ability to grow in soft agar was completely inhibited. Although GN6TF-11neo cells ultimately formed tumors in 80–100% of syngeneic rat hosts, the latency period for tumor formation was much longer. Molecular characterization of GN6TF-11neo microcell hybrid cell lines indicated that some of the clonal lines had spontaneously lost significant portions of the introduced human chromosome, partially delineating the chromosomal location of the putative tumor suppressor locus to the region between the centromere and 11p12. Molecular examination of microcell hybrid–derived tumor cell lines further defined the minimal portion of human chromosome 11 capable of tumor suppression in this model system to the region 11p11.2-p12. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
How and why neural and motor variation are related.

Movements are variable. Recent findings in smooth pursuit eye movements provide an explanation for motor variation in terms of the organization of the brain's sensory-motor pathways. Variation in sensory estimation is propagated through sensory-motor circuits and ultimately causes motor variation. The sensory origin of motor variation creates trial-by-trial correlations among the responses of neurons at each level of the sensory motor circuit, and between neural and behavioral responses. We suggest that motor variation is a compromise between multiple competing constraints. The brain strives for motor behavior that is ‘good enough’ in the face of constraints that tend to promote variation.
Air pollution radiative forcing from specific emissions sectors at 2030

[1] Reduction of short-lived air pollutants can contribute to mitigate global warming in the near-term with ancillary benefits to human health. However, the radiative forcings of short-lived air pollutants depend on the location and source type of the precursor emissions. We apply the Goddard Institute for Space Studies atmospheric composition-climate model to quantify near-future (2030 A1B) global annual mean radiative forcing by ozone (O3) and sulfate from six emissions sectors in seven geographic regions. At 2030 the net forcings from O3, sulfate, black and organic carbon, and indirect CH4 effects for each emission sector are (in mWm−2) biomass burning, +95; domestic, +68; transportation, +67; industry, −131; and power, −224. Biomass burning emissions in East Asia and central and southern Africa, domestic biofuel emissions in East Asia, south Asia, and central and southern Africa, and transportation emissions in Europe and North America have large net positive forcings and are therefore attractive targets to counter global warming. Power and industry emissions from East Asia, south Asia, and north Africa and the Middle East have large net negative forcings. Therefore air quality control measures that affect these regional sectors require offsetting climate measures to avoid a warming impact. Linear relationships exist between O3 forcing and biomass burning and domestic biofuel CO precursor emissions independent of region with sensitivity of +0.2 mWm−2/TgCO. Similarly, linear relationships exist between sulfate forcing and SO2 precursor emissions that depend upon region but are independent of sector with sensitivities ranging from −3 to −12 mWm−2/TgS.
A Cardiotachometer which Calculates Rate Digitally

A digital beat-to-beat and integrating cardiotachometer which calculates heart rate digitally in a simple manner has been constructed. The device needs no calibration and has an operating range from 1 to 999 beats/min with an accuracy of ±? digit, and will calculate heart rate either on a beat-to-beat basis or averaged over 10, 20, or 50 beats.
Cytosolic calcium and myofilaments in single rat cardiac myocytes achieve a dynamic equilibrium during twitch relaxation.

1. Single isolated rat cardiac myocytes were loaded with either the pentapotassium salt form or the acetoxymethyl ester (AM) form of the calcium-sensitive fluorescent probe, Indo-1. The relationship of the Indo-1 fluorescence transient, an index of the change in cytosolic calcium [Ca2+]i concentration, to the simultaneously measured cell length during the electrically stimulated twitch originating from slack length at 23 degrees C was evaluated. It was demonstrated that even if the Ca2+ dissociation rate from Indo-1 was assumed to be as slow as 10 s-1, the descending limb ('relaxation phase') of the Indo-1 fluorescence transient induced by excitation under these conditions is in equilibrium with the [Ca2+]i transient. Additionally, the extent of Indo-1 loading employed did not substantially alter the twitch characteristics. 2. A unique relationship between the fluorescence transient and cell length was observed during relaxation of contractions that varied in amplitude. This was manifest as a common trajectory in the cell length vs. [Ca2+]i phase-plane diagrams beginning at the time of cell relengthening. The common trajectory could also be demonstrated in Indo-1 AM-loaded cells. The Indo-1 fluorescence-length relation defined by this common trajectory is steeper than that described by the relation of peak contraction amplitude and peak fluorescence during the twitch contractions. 3. The trajectory of the [Ca2+]i-length relation elicited via an abrupt, rapid, brief (200 ms) pulse of caffeine directly onto the cell surface or by 'tetanization' of cells in the presence of ryanodine is identical to the common [Ca2+]i-length trajectory formed by electrically stimulated contractions of different magnitudes. As the [Ca2+]i and length transients induced by caffeine application or during tetanization in the presence of ryanodine develop with a much slower time course than those elicited by electrical stimulation, the common trajectory is not fortuitous, i.e. it cannot be attributed to equivalent rate-limiting steps for the decrease of [Ca2+]i and cell relengthening. 4. The [Ca2+]i-length relation defined by the common trajectory shifts appropriately in response to perturbations that have previously been demonstrated to alter the steady-state myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity in skinned cardiac fibres. Specifically, the trajectory shifts leftward in response to an acute increase in pH or following the addition of novel myofilament calcium-sensitizing thiadiazinone derivatives; a rightward shift occurs in response to an acute reduction in pH or following the addition of butanedione monoxime.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Advanced transient waveform digitizers

A series of multi-channel transient waveform digitization integrated circuits with up to 5 GHz sample rates and parallel 10-bit digitization has been designed, tested, and fabricated in large quantities. The current CMOS circuit uses four arrays of 128 fast switched capacitors per channel to record four parallel analog transient inputs. Triggering and clocking is provided by a current-mode adjustable asynchronous active delay line that uses look-ahead to generate 128 4-way interleaved clocks without the need for external high-speed clocking. After transient capture, each channel is fed into 128 parallel 10-bit analog to digital converters for fast, channel-parallel digitization, followed by digital readout. The fast triggering and waveform capture, channel-parallel digitization and convenient word-parallel digital readout results in a responsive and low dead-time system. Acquisition sample rates range from ~50 kHz to ~3 GHz. Analog input bandwidth is approximately 350 MHz. Fixed-pattern spatial noise, after on-chip digitization, is equivalent to ~5 mV RMS. Temporal noise is typically equivalent to ~1 mV RMS, for a signal to noise ratio of ~2,500:1, RMS. This integrated circuit, the "Analog Transient Waveform Digitizer," has been successfully used to instrument the AMANDA and KamLAND neutrino physics experiments, and has been selected for use in the IceCube neutrino observatory. Current efforts to improve this technology will yield larger array sizes, sample rates in excess of 10 GHz, analog bandwidth exceeding 1 GHz, higher conversion rates, lower dead-time, greater uniformity and enhanced flexibility and ease of use.
Acalvaria: a unique congenital anomaly.

Acalvaria is a rare malformation usually regarded as a postneurulation defect. It consists of absense of the calvarial bones, dura mater and associated muscles in the presence of a normal skull base and normal facial bones. The condition is frequenctly confused by prenatal ultrasonography with anencephaly or an encephalocele. Whereas the cerebral hemispheres are absent in anencephaly, the cranial contents in acalvaria are generally complete, though some neuropathological abnormality is often present. The presumed pathogenesis of acalvaria is faulty migration of the membranous neurocranium with normal placement of the embryonic ectoderm, resulting in absence of the calvaria but an intact layer of skin over the brain parenchyma. We describe 2 cases of acalvaria, one misdiagnosed ultrasonographically as an occipital encephalocele prenatally. The brain in one fetus demonstrated semilobar holoprosencephaly and micropolygyria, but in the other, was structurally and histologically normal with the exception of hydrocephalus. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The Effect of Accented Speech on the Scoring of Ambiguous WISC-R Responses by Prejudiced and Nonprejudiced Raters

Though the issue of test bias has gained wide-spread publicity, the results of studies investigating the effects of the examiner's race on the scoring of responses from minority children remain equivocal. The present study was intended to investigate the effects of white examiners' prejudice levels on their scoring of ambiguous WISC-R responses from both white and Hispanic children. Participants, previously screened for prejudice level, were trained to score three sub-tests of the WISC-R. From these subtests, 55 ambiguous responses were recorded twice on audiotape in a mock assessment; in one condition, the responses were made by a Caucasian voice, in the other, by a Hispanic voice. The results showed that white “examiners” do not score Hispanic and white children's responses differently. This demonstrates, for the first time, that examiner prejudice levels in combination with examinee racial background account for little, if any, of the variance of scores obtained with the WISC-R.
Relationship of Internal-External Locus of Control, Self-Concept, and Masculinity-Femininity to Fear of Success in Black Freshmen and Senior College Women

The concepts of locus of control, self-concept, masculinity-femininity, and their relationship to fear of success in Black college women were explored. Scores were obtained from stories written in response to six verbal cues designed to assess fear-of-success imagery. Tabulations ranging from zero (denoting absence of fear) to six (denoting most fear) were correlated with Gurin's I-E Scale, the Modified Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale, and the Modified Gough Masculinity-Femininity Scale. There was no significant mean difference between freshmen and seniors on fear of success. However, an analysis of variance revealed that externals showed significantly more fear-of-success imagery than internals. Significant inverse correlations were located between the measure of self-concept and certain cues eliciting fear of success. Femininity was not shown to be related to any of the fear-of-success measures.
Experimental O‐space turbo spin echo imaging

Purpose Turbo spin echo (TSE) imaging reduces imaging time by acquiring multiple echoes per repetition (TR), requiring fewer TRs. O-space can also require fewer TRs by using a combination of nonlinear magnetic gradient fields and surface coil arrays. Although to date, O-space has only been demonstrated for gradient echo imaging, it is valuable to combine these two techniques. However, collecting multiple O-space echoes per TR is difficult because of the different local k-space trajectories and variable T2-weighting. Theory and Methods A practical scheme is demonstrated to combine the benefits of TSE and O-space for highly accelerated T2-weighted images. The scheme uses a modified acquisition order and filtered projection reconstruction to reduce artifacts caused by T2 decay, while retaining T2 contrast that corresponds to a specific echo time. Results The experiments revealed that the proposed method can produce highly accelerated T2-weighted images. Moreover, the method can generate multiple images with different T2 contrasts from a single dataset. Conclusions The proposed O-space TSE imaging method requires fewer echoes than conventional TSE and fewer repetitions than conventional O-space imaging. It retains resilience to undersampling, clearly outperforming Cartesian SENSE at high levels of undersampling, and can generate undistorted images with a range of T2 contrast from a single acquired dataset. Magn Reson Med 75:1654–1661, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
An Oz-centric review of interactive drama and believable agents

Believable agents are autonomous agents that exhibit rich personalities. Interactive dramas take place in virtual worlds inhabited by believable agents with whom an audience interacts. In the course of this interaction, the audience experiences a story. This paper presents the research philosophy behind the Oz Project, a research group at CMU that has spent the last ten years studying believable agents and interactive drama. The paper then surveys current work from an Oz perspective.
Effect of Interstitials on the Phase Stability of Selected Intermetallics

The possibility of modifying the complex crystal structure of selected refractory metal aluminides and silicides of AB3 stoichiometry by interstitial alloying additions was investigated. The compounds Nb3Si, V3Si, Mo3Si, Cr3Si, and Nb3Al were alloyed with oxygen or carbon up to about 20 atomic %. Alloying with oxygen or carbon in V3 Au was studied as a model for the A15 to Ll2 (or L’l2) structural change induced by interstitial alloying. Oxygen and carbon stabilized the perovskite, L’l2, structure in V3Au. Oxygen stabilized a L12 phase in Nb3Si while carbon induced a hexagonal structure phase. No L12 or L’12 phases were stabilized with the addition of oxygen or carbon in V3Si, Mo3Si, Mo3A1, Cr3Si, or Nb3Al. The Pettifor structural map for AB3 compounds was used to predict the structural changes in these compounds on alloying of oxygen or carbon.
Induction of endotoxin tolerance in vivo inhibits activation of IRAK4 and increases negative regulators IRAK-M, SHIP-1, and A20

TLRs mediate host defense against microbial pathogens by eliciting production of inflammatory mediators and activating expression of MHC, adhesion, and costimulatory molecules. Endotoxin tolerance limits excessive TLR-driven inflammation during sepsis and reprograms macrophage responses to LPS, decreasing expression of proinflammatory cytokines without inhibiting anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial mediators. Molecular mechanisms of reprogramming of TLR4 signaling upon in vivo induction of endotoxin tolerance are incompletely understood. We used an in vivo model of endotoxin tolerance, whereby C57BL/6 mice were i.p.-inoculated with LPS or PBS, followed by in vitro challenge of peritoneal or splenic macrophages with LPS to examine activation of IRAK4 and expression of negative regulatory molecules. Administration of LPS in vivo-induced endotoxin tolerance in peritoneal and splenic macrophages, as evidenced by decreased degradation of IκBα, suppressed phosphorylation of p38 and reduced expression of TNF-α, IL-6, and KC mRNA upon in vitro LPS challenge. Macrophages from control and endotoxin-tolerant mice exhibited comparable TLR4 mRNA levels and similar expression of IL-1RA and IL-10 genes. Endotoxin tolerization in vivo blocked TLR4-driven IRAK4 phosphorylation and activation in macrophages, while increasing expression of IRAK-M, SHIP-1, A20 mRNA, and A20 protein. Thus, induction of endotoxin tolerance in vivo inhibits expression of proinflammatory mediators via impaired activation of IRAK4, p38, and NF-κB and increases expression of negative regulators of TLR4 pathways.
Variations in acetabular anatomy with reference to total hip replacement

Three-dimensional surface models of the normal hemipelvis derived from volumetric CT data on 42 patients were used to determine the radius, depth and orientation of the native acetabulum. A sphere fitted to the lunate surface and a plane matched to the acetabular rim were used to calculate the radius, depth and anatomical orientation of the acetabulum. For the 22 females the mean acetabular abduction, anteversion, radius and normalised depth were 57.1 degrees (50.7 degrees to 66.8 degrees ), 24.1 degrees (14.0 degrees to 33.3 degrees ), 25 mm (21.7 to 30.3) and 0.79 mm (0.56 to 1.04), respectively. The same parameters for the 20 males were 55.5 degrees (47.7 degrees to 65.9 degrees ), 19.3 degrees (8.5 degrees to 32.3 degrees ), 26.7 mm (24.5 to 28.7) and 0.85 mm (0.65 to 0.99), respectively. The orientation of the native acetabulum did not match the safe zone for acetabular component placement described by Lewinnek. During total hip replacement surgeons should be aware that the average abduction angle of the native acetabulum exceeds that of the safe zone angle. If the concept of the safe zone angle is followed, abduction of the acetabular component should be less than the abduction of the native acetabulum by approximately 10 degrees .
Adaptive control in optical fibers

Adaptive control in combination with ultrafast pulse shaping provides a compelling approach to defear dispersion, distortion and harness nonlinear phenomena on the femtosecond timescale.
Sex-specific and lineage-specific alternative splicing in primates

Comparative studies of gene regulation suggest an important role for natural selection in shaping gene expression patterns within and between species. Most of these studies, however, estimated gene expression levels using microarray probes designed to hybridize to only a small proportion of each gene. Here, we used recently developed RNA sequencing protocols, which sidestep this limitation, to assess intra- and interspecies variation in gene regulatory processes in considerably more detail than was previously possible. Specifically, we used RNA-seq to study transcript levels in humans, chimpanzees, and rhesus macaques, using liver RNA samples from three males and three females from each species. Our approach allowed us to identify a large number of genes whose expression levels likely evolve under natural selection in primates. These include a subset of genes with conserved sexually dimorphic expression patterns across the three species, which we found to be enriched for genes involved in lipid metabolism. Our data also suggest that while alternative splicing is tightly regulated within and between species, sex-specific and lineage-specific changes in the expression of different splice forms are also frequent. Intriguingly, among genes in which a change in exon usage occurred exclusively in the human lineage, we found an enrichment of genes involved in anatomical structure and morphogenesis, raising the possibility that differences in the regulation of alternative splicing have been an important force in human evolution.
Bus-Driven Floorplanning

In this paper, we present an integrated approach for floorplanning and bus planning, i.e., bus-driven floorplanning (BDF). We are given a set of circuit blocks and the bus specifications (i.e., the net list of blocks for the buses). A feasible BDF solution is a placement of all circuit blocks such that each bus can be realized as a rectangular strip (horizontal or vertical) going through all the blocks connected by the bus. The objective is to determine a feasible BDF solution that minimizes the floorplan area and the total bus area. Our approach is based upon the sequence-pair floorplan representation. After a careful analysis of the relationship between bus ordering and block ordering in the floorplan represented by a sequence pair, we derive feasibility conditions on sequence pairs that give feasible BDF solutions. Experimental results demonstrate the efficiency and effectiveness of our algorithm.
A 12-Year Review of Acute Bacterial Meningitis in Stockholm

AbstractThe hospital charts of 476 patients of all ages with bacterial meningitis were reviewed. Three-fourths of the patients were less than 15 years old, one-third less than 1 year. Two periods, 1956–1962 and 1963–1967, were compared. Two-thirds of the patients had Haemophilus influenzae, meningococcal, or pneumococcal infections. The rest had infections with Escherichia coli or coliform bacteria, streptococci, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, or cryptococci. No pathogen was isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in 18.1% of the patients. Cultures were negative in 29.7% of patients treated with antibiotics prior to admission, or twice as often as in those not so treated. Blood cultures were positive in 59% of fatal cases, in 29% of survivors. The total fatality rate decreased from 23% in the first period to 13% in the second. A poor cellular response in the CSF and in the blood, especially found in infants and elderly patients, bacteraemia and pre-existing ...
Reduced Female Marriage Opportunity and History of Single Parenthood

This study investigated whether historical changes in nonmarital birth ratios would respond to the availability of marriageable men. Nonmarital birth ratios for Scotland (1861 to 1980), England (1851 to 1980), and the United States (1800 to 1988) were studied at 4-year or 5-year intervals. Nonmarital births were negatively correlated with the supply of single men in each country. Regression analyses controlling for time trend and economic prosperity had the same result. Single parenthood increased when women faced a weak marriage market.