cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High-throughput flow cytometry: validation in microvolume bioassays.

Background We recently reported an automated sample handling system, designated HyperCyt, by which samples are aspirated from microplate wells and delivered to the flow cytometer for analysis at rates approaching 100 samples per minute. In this approach, an autosampler and peristaltic pump introduce samples into a tubing line that directly connects to the flow cytometer. Air bubbles are inserted between samples to prevent sample dispersion. In the present work, we compare results of HyperCyt with those of conventional manual flow cytometric analysis in representative flow cytometric bioassays and describe a cell suspension method in which HyperCyt exploits the use of microvolume wells. Methods Human eosinophils and neutrophils were treated with trypsin to generate a wide (>25-fold) range of membrane P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1) expression and then stained with fluorescent anti–PSGL-1 antibodies. Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells were stained with fluorescein isothiocyanate- and phycoerythrin-conjugated monoclonal antibodies for multiparameter immunophenotype analysis. U937 cells labeled with PKH62GL were used to assess cell settling in microplate wells. Results Differences in PSGL-1 expression levels were detected by HyperCyt autosampling of leukocytes from 96-well plates at an analysis rate of approximately 1.5 s/well. HyperCyt measurements linearly correlated with parallel manual measurements (r2 = 0.98). Lymphocyte subpopulations were accurately distinguished and reproducibly quantified in multiparameter immunophenotyping assays performed over a range of HyperCyt analysis rates (1.4–5.5 s/sample). When assay volumes were reduced to 10 μl/well in 60-well Terasaki plates, cells could be maintained in uniform suspension for up to 30 min by periodically inverting plates on a rotating carousel before HyperCyt analysis. HyperCyt analysis of five fluorescence-level Cyto-Plex beads sampled from Terasaki plate microwells at 2.5 s/well produced highly reproducible results over a wide range of input bead concentrations (from 7 × 105 to 20 × 106 beads/ml) that linearly correlated with manual analysis results. Conclusions The HyperCyt autosampling system enabled a 10-fold or greater increase in sample thoughput compared with conventional manual flow cytometric sample analysis, with comparable analysis results. Assays were performed efficiently in 10-μl volumes to enable significant reagent cost savings, use of quantity-limited reagents at otherwise prohibitive concentrations, and maintenance of uniform suspensions of cells for prolonged periods. Cytometry Part A 53A:55–65, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Low temperature incineration of mixed wastes using bulk metal oxide catalysts

Volume reduction of low-level mixed wastes from former nuclear weapons facilities is a significant environmental problem. Processing of these materials presents unique scientific and engineering problems due to the presence of minute quantities of radionuclides which must be contained and concentrated for later safe disposal. Low-temperature catalytic incineration is one option that has been utilized at the Rocky Flats facility for this purpose. This paper presents results of research regarding evaluation of bulk metal oxides as catalysts for low-temperature incineration of carbonaceous residues which are typical by-products of fluidized bed combustion of mixed wastes under oxygen-lean conditions. A series of 14 metal oxides were screened in a thermogravimetric analyzer, using on-line mass spectrometry for speciation of reaction product gases. Catalyst evaluation criteria focused on the thermal—redox activity of the metals using both carbon black and PVC char as surrogate waste materials. Results indicated that metal oxides which were P-type semiconductor materials were suitable as catalysts for this application. Oxides of cobalt, molybdenum, vanadium, and manganese were found to be particularly stable and active catalysts under conditions specific to this process (T < 650°C, low oxygen partial pressures). Bench-scale evaluation of these metal oxides with respect to stability to chlorine (HCl) attack was carried out at 550°C using a TG/MS system. Cobalt oxide was found to be resistant to metal loss in a HCl/He gaseous environment while metal loss from Mo, Mn, and V-based catalysts was moderate to severe. XRD and SEM/EDX analysis of spent Co catalysts indicated the formation of non-stoichiometric cobalt chlorides. Regeneration of chlorinated cobalt was found to successfully restore the low-temperature combustion activity to that of the fresh metal oxide.
Mass spectrometric study of dirhenium biscarboxylate:purine dinucleotide complexes.

Dirhenium adducts of purine dinucleotides were identified by mass spectrometry. In consecutive studies, Re2(O2C2H3)2Cl4 · 2H2O was reacted with 2′-deoxyguanylyl(3′→5′)-2′-deoxyguanosine (dGpG) and 2′-deoxyadenylyl(3′→5′)-2′-deoxyguanosine (dApG) in H2O or D2O. These reactions were monitored to identify novel dinuclear rhenium:dinucleotide complexes as confirmed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS), electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and collision-induced dissociation tandem mass spectrometry (CID MS/MS) experiments. However, the most abundant adducts detected by ES-MS were dirhenium:nucleotide species. Of these, guanine-containing ions were observed with highest ion counts suggesting a preference for guanine coordination. Dimetal adducts showed coordination of the purine bases and common metalated fragments were observed for both dGpG and dApG reactions. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Unimolecular diffusion‐mediated reactions with a nonrandom time‐modulated absorbing barrier

A diffusion‐reaction model with time‐dependent reactivity is formulated and applied to unimolecular reactions. The model is solved exactly numerically and approximately analytically for the unreacted fraction as a function of time. It is shown that the approximate analytical solution is valid even when the system is far from equilibrium, and when the reactivity probability is more complicated than a square‐wave function of time. A discussion is also given of an approach to problems of this type using a stochastically fluctuating reactivity, and the first‐passage time for a particular example is derived.
An ordered choice model of promotion rules

This paper continues an important but short line of research investigating non-pecuniary outcomes of collective bargaining. These outcomes define the rules governing the employment relationship. The determinants of one of the most important of these rules — the one that governs the intrafirm allocation of labor — are analyzed. Specifically, micro-level data are used to estimate the determinants of promotion rules in major collective bargaining agreements in U.S. manufacturing. A multinomial choice model is estimated once these rules have been ordered along the joint dimension of increasing weight attached to seniority across a broadening seniority unit. The evidence suggests that contracts involving small, capital-intensive firms, whose technologies value specific training, in single-employer bargaining units, that contain an increasing proportion of men, are most likely to exhibit promotion rules that heavily weight company-wide seniority.
Boundary Integral Equations for Mixed Boundary Value Problems in R3

Both exterior and interior mixed Dirichlet-Neumann problems in R3 for the scalar Helmholtz equation are solved via boundary integral equations. The integral equations are equivalent to the original problem in the sense that the traces of the weak seolution satisfy the integral equations, and, conversely, the solution of the integral equations inserted into Green's formula yields the solution of the mixed boundary value problem. The calculus of pseudodifferential operators is used to prove existence and regularity of the solution of the integral equations. The regularity results — obtained via Wiener-Hopf technique — show the explicit “edge” behavior of the solution near the submanifold which separates the Dirichlet boundary from the Neumann boundary.
Gastric Tube Interposition: A Satisfactory Alternative to the Colon for Esophageal Replacement in Children

Abstract The gastric tube was used as the primary method of esophageal reconstruction in 15 infants and children, 9 with isolated esophageal atresia and 6 with Iye stricture. The youngest patient was 8 months old and the oldest, 5 years old at the time of the procedure. The technique of gastric tube construction is described. There have been both major and minor complications but the gastric tube has proved very satisfactory as a conduit from mouth to stomach. Growth and development have been acceptable in all 15 children, although most remain in the lower percentiles for growth and height, a condition that usually predates the esophageal substitution. In our institution the gastric tube is the preferred method of esophageal substitution.
Chains of Inferences and the New Paradigm in the Psychology of Reasoning

The new paradigm in the psychology of reasoning draws on Bayesian formal frameworks, and some advocates of the new paradigm think of these formal frameworks as providing a computational-level theory of rational human inference. I argue that Bayesian theories should not be seen as providing a computational-level theory of rational human inference, where by “Bayesian theories” I mean theories that claim that all rational credal states are probabilistically coherent and that rational adjustments of degrees of belief in the light of new evidence must be in accordance with some sort of conditionalization. The problems with the view I am criticizing can best be seen when we look at chains of inferences, rather than single-step inferences. Chains of inferences have been neglected almost entirely within the new paradigm.
Elektrochemie organischer Kationen. V. Synthese von 3, 10‐Diaza‐tricyclo[5.3.1.1.2,6]dodeca‐4,8‐dien‐Derivaten durch zweistufige Elektroreduktion von Pyridiniumionen

Electrochemistry of Organic Cations. V. Synthesis of 3, 10-Diaza-tricyclo[5.3.1.12,6]dodeca-4,8-diene Derivatives by a Two-Step Electrochemical Reduction of Pyridinium Ions A series of 1-substituted 2,4,6-trimethylpyridinium ions 1a–1k is cathodically dimerized in alkaline medium. The bis-[1,4-dihydropyridinyl-(4)]-derivatives 2 obtained or their isomers 4 are submitted to a further cathodic reduction in aqueous acetic acid at mercury or lead electrodes to form 3,10-diaza-tricyclo[5.3.1.12,6]dodeca-4,8-dienes 6 by an intramolecular coupling reaction between the 2- and 2′-carbon atoms of the dihydropyridine rings. Depending on R1 the yields of 6 are 65–80% (R1 = alkyl or substituted alkyl) or 3,5–5% (R1 = aryl).
Comparative effects of adenine analogs upon metabolic cooperation between Chinese hamster cells with different levels of adenine phosphoribosyltransferase activity.

Abstract Colony formation by variant Chinese hamster cells highly resistant to adenine analogs and deficient in adenine phosphoribosyltransferase (APRT) activity was measured after co-cultivation with APRT + , CHO-K1 cells in medium containing one of three different adenine analogs. Depending upon the density of APRT + cells and the specific adenine analog, large differences in the recovery of APRT − colonies were observed. The particular adenine analog and APRT + cell density were more significant factors in the recovery of APRT − colonies than the concentration of the analog or the level of APRT activity. The number of wild-type cells (CHO-K1) required to inhibit formation of APRT − colonies by 50% (mean lethal density; MLD 50 ) with 65 μg/ml 8-aza-adenine (AzA) as the selective drug was 8.0 × 10 5 cells/100 mm dish (1.5 × 10 4 /cm 2 ). With 100 μg/ml 2,6-diaminopurine (DAP) the MLD 50 for CHO-K1 was 4.0 × 10 5 cells/100 mm dish (7.3 × 10 3 /cm 2 ). The MLD 50 for CHO-K1 when the DAP concentration was decreased to 50 μg/ml was only slightly higher, 5 × 10 5 cells/100 mm dish (9.1 × 10 3 /cm 2 ). The most toxic effect was observed with 2-fluoroadenine (FA). The MLD 50 for CHO-K1 in 2 μg/ml FA was 4.5 × 10 4 cells/100 mm dish (8.2 × 10 2 /cm 2 ), a cell density which permits minimal direct contact between APRT + and APRT − cells. The toxic effects of FA on individually resistant, APRT − cells were found to be mediated by metabolites released into the medium by dying APRT + cells. This metabolite toxicity to APRT − cells was also demonstrated in mixtures with cells having only 8% of wild-type APRT activity. The MLD 50 for these APRT + (8%) cells in 2 μg/ml FA was 7.5 × 10 4 cells/100 dish (1.4 × 10 3 /cm 2 ), a small difference from the MLD 50 for cells with wild-type levels of APRT activity. The differences in the recovery of APRT − colonies from mixtures with APRT + cells in these three adenine analogs are critical to the design of procedures for the selection of APRT − cells from populations of APRT + cells and emphasize the importance of establishing the parameters of metabolic cooperation, not only in terms of cell density but also with regard to the particular selective agent, in any experiment designed to determine precise mutation rates or to test putative mutagens upon mammalian cells in culture.
Relating Language to Other Cognitive Systems: An Overview

This article proposes how language relates structurally and evolutionarily to cognition. It heuristically divides cognition into cognitive systems and the organizing factors that structure them. The general finding is that cognitive systems share these structural properties to different degrees. This is termed the “overlapping systems model of cognitive organization”. The specific finding is that the cognitive system of language shares many structural properties with the cognitive systems of visual perception, of somatosensory perception and motor control, and of understanding, but shares few structural properties with those of affect and of culture.
Neurogenesis requires TopBP1 to prevent catastrophic replicative DNA damage in early progenitors

In this study, the authors show that TopBP1 is critical for preventing replication-induced DNA damage accumulation in early-born neural progenitors, thereby maintaining genomic integrity in these cells.
FLUCTUATION SPLITTING SCHEMES ON OPTIMAL GF

In this paper we extend the fluctuation-splitting method by allowing the nonvanishing fluctuations to drive the vertex placements as well as the vertex values. For the generalised Cauchy-Riemann (PrandtlGlauert) equations, a simple least-squares minimisation carried out with respect to u, v, x, y as unknowns creates a grid responsive to the physics of the solution, if the objective function is correctly defined. We speculate on the proper generalization of this idea.
Signal Conditioning With Memory-Less Nonlinear Sensors

Proposed in this paper is an off-line signal conditioning scheme for memoryless nonlinear sensors. In most sensor designs, a linear input-output response is desired. However, nonlinearity is present in one form or another in almost all real sensors and therefore it is very difficult if not impossible to achieve a truly linear relationship. Often sensor nonlinearity is considered a disadvantage in sensory systems because it introduces distortion into the system. Due to the lack of efficient techniques to deal with the issues of sensor nonlinearity, primarily nonlinear sensors tend to be ignored. In this paper, it is shown that there are certain advantages of using nonlinear sensors and nonlinear distortion caused by sensor nonlinearity may be effectively compensated. A recursive algorithm utilizing certain characteristics of nonlinear sensor functions is proposed for the compensation of nonlinear distortion and sensor noise removal. A signal recovery algorithm that implements this idea is developed. Not having an accurate sensor model will result in errors and it is shown that the error can be minimized with a proper choice of a convergence accelerator whereby stability of the developed algorithm is established.
High-performance energy-efficient D-flip-flop circuits

This paper investigates performance, power, and energy efficiency of several CMOS master-slave D-flip-flops (DFF's). To improve performance and energy efficiency, a push-pull DFF and a push-pull isolation DFF are proposed. Among the five DFF's compared, the proposed push-pull isolation circuit is found to be the fastest with the best energy efficiency. Effects of using a double-pass-transistor logic (DPL) circuit and tri-state push-pull driver are also studied. Last, metastability characteristics of the five DFP's are also analyzed.
Acute hyperinsulinemia and reduced plasma free fatty acid levels decrease intramuscular triglyceride synthesis.

Objective To investigate the effect of acute hyperinsulinemia and the resulting decrease in plasma free fatty acid (FFA) concentrations on intramuscular TG synthesis.
Compressional uplift in the central California Coast Ranges

Controversy over the relative importance of transverse and compressional deformation surrounds continuing debate over uplift in the California Coast Ranges. A simple model for compressional deformation in the central California Coast Ranges predicts a significant part of reconstructed post-3 Ma surface uplift. This result suggests that, in addition to passage of the Mendocino riple junction and fault interactions in a dominantly strike-slip setting, late Cenozoic surface uplift in the California Coast Ranges reflects a small compressive component of deformation across the Pacific-North American plate boundary.
TINA interacts with the NIMA kinase in Aspergillus nidulans and negatively regulates astral microtubules during metaphase arrest

The tinA gene of Aspergillus nidulans encodes a protein that interacts with the NIMA mitotic protein kinase in a cell cycle-specific manner. Highly similar proteins are encoded in Neurospora crassa and Aspergillus fumigatus. TINA and NIMA preferentially interact in interphase and larger forms of TINA are generated during mitosis. Localization studies indicate that TINA is specifically localized to the spindle pole bodies only during mitosis in a microtubule-dependent manner. Deletion of tinA alone is not lethal but displays synthetic lethality in combination with the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome mutation bimE7. At the bimE7 metaphase arrest point, lack of TINA enhanced the nucleation of bundles of cytoplasmic microtubules from the spindle pole bodies. These microtubules interacted to form spindles joined in series via astral microtubules as revealed by live cell imaging. Because TINA is modified and localizes to the spindle pole bodies at mitosis, and lack of TINA causes enhanced production of cytoplasmic microtubules at metaphase arrest, we suggest TINA is involved in negative regulation of the astral microtubule organizing capacity of the spindle pole bodies during metaphase.
On the Regulation and Activation of JAK2: A Novel Hypothetical Model

Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) is a protein tyrosine kinase central to a multitude of cellular processes. Here, a novel model of JAK2 regulation and activation is proposed. In the JAK2 dimer, instead of being auto-inhibited by its own JH2 domain, inhibition comes from the JH2 domain of the partnering JAK2 monomer. Upon ligand binding, the receptor undergoes a conformational rotation that is passed to its dimeric partner. The activation is achieved by the rotation of two JAK2 molecules, which relieves the JH1/JH2 inhibitory interface and brings two JH1 domains in proximity for the subsequent trans-phosphorylation event. This hypothetical model is consistent with most of the currently available experimental evidence and warrants further tests. Based on the proposed model, it is possible to rationalize the differential responses of JAK2 signaling involving various receptors and ligands. Implications: The proposed model of JAK2 regulation and activation is poised to suggest potential alternative drug-discovery strategies that could impact a number of relevant diseases. Mol Cancer Res; 11(8); 811–4. ©2013 AACR .
Safety and tolerability of an oral zonisamide loading dose

Abstract Purpose There are a limited number of anticonvulsant medications that can be administered with an oral loading dose in order to rapidly achieve an effective serum level, and most of these have associated adverse effects. Zonisamide is approved for the treatment of partial onset epilepsy, and is used in practice for both generalized and partial onset epilepsy. It is generally well-tolerated, has a long half-life, and can be administered once daily. Unfortunately, the recommended titration schedule for initiating therapy takes several weeks to reach target dose and therapeutic serum levels. Methods We initiated zonisamide therapy using a large initial dose of zonisamide in 32 patients in our epilepsy monitoring unit over the past four years. Results Adverse effects were rare and involved nausea/vomiting (9.4%) or drowsiness (6.3%). In patients where serum levels were available for review, therapeutic or near-therapeutic levels were achieved after an oral load of 600–900mg given as divided doses over a 6–12h period. Conclusion This report is the first to suggest a method of rapidly initiating zonisamide therapy, achieving therapeutic serum levels in a shorter time frame, with an adverse effect profile similar to the recommended titration schedule.
The Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Marine Geophysical Surveys

We examine how bathymetric mapping coverage varies with distance from the coastline, here a proxy for the effort involved in collecting the data. Distances to the nearest coastline were evaluated on a 1′ × 1′ global grid. We evaluate the density of marine survey track lines, which falls off with increasing distance from the coastline and drops off precipitously for the most remote regions. Bathymetric coverage shows a marked asymmetry between the southern and northern hemispheres, the latter having a factor of 2–4 denser coverage. We find a rapid decrease in data acquisition for previously unexplored regions beginning in 1973–1975. This rate change may reflect a transition from serendipitous exploration to more targeted investigations as the plate tectonics hypothesis became accepted, but it could also reflect the 1970s oil shocks. Coverage of the seafloor varies logarithmically with mapping resolution. At 0.5° resolution, only ∼60% of the seafloor has been mapped; the 50% mark was reached in 1979 and coverage of unexplored seafloor has since been less rapid. For comparison, at 1′ resolution less than 10% of the seafloor has been mapped. Given rising fuel costs we predict the most remote areas will see a decline in future surveys. Better coordination of exploration among agencies and nations could mitigate this concern and improve global coverage, as could future altimetric mapping dedicated to bathymetric prediction.
Electrochemical real-time nucleic acid amplification: towards point-of-care quantification of pathogens

Real-time nucleic acid amplification, whereby the amplification rate is used to quantify the initial copy number of target DNA or RNA, has proven highly effective for monitoring pathogen loads. Unfortunately, however, current optical methods are limited to centralized laboratories due to complexity, bulk and cost. In response, recent efforts aim to develop lower-cost, electrochemical real-time amplification platforms for point-of-care applications, with researchers already having developed platforms that not only perform in situ and concurrent electrochemical detection during amplification, but also deliver sensitivity and specificity potentially rivaling bench-top optical systems. This report chronicles the evolution of the different strategies, describes the current state of the art, and identifies challenges of bringing the power of real-time detection to the point-of-care.
Monolayer coated gold nanoparticles for delivery applications

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) provide attractive vehicles for delivery of drugs, genetic materials, proteins, and small molecules. AuNPs feature low core toxicity coupled with the ability to parametrically control particle size and surface properties. In this review, we focus on engineering of the AuNP surface monolayer, highlighting recent advances in tuning monolayer structures for efficient delivery of drugs and biomolecules. This review covers two broad categories of particle functionalization, organic monolayers and biomolecule coatings, and discusses their applications in drug, DNA/RNA, protein and small molecule delivery.
Why Marriage is Still the Best Default in Estate Planning Conflicts

By analyzing a Tennessee bigamy case, a New York same-sex marriage case, and the growing cultural trend toward cohabitation over marriage, this article discusses how and why marriage is the best estate plan to protect vulnerable parties as they age. The article examines how marriage assists vulnerable parties in avoiding potential conflicts in estate planning and distribution, particularly when those parties have entered into alternative relationships. By focusing on the cases of Witherspoon, in which John Witherspoon entered into a bigamous second marriage, and Windsor, in which Edie Windsor is suing the U.S. government over the lack of federal tax recognition afforded her Canadian same-sex marriage, this article reveals how marriage expansion does not necessarily incentivize marriage, nor does it provide the benefits and protections often sought by those who enter into those marriage-like relationships. By contrasting the protection marriage affords to a vulnerable party in estate distribution and the dilemmas presented by marriage expansion (as illustrated in Witherspoon and Windsor) with the cultural disquiet over the importance of the nature and meaning of marriage, this article illuminates estate distribution conflicts in the context of the paradox of contemporary American socio-legal marriage culture. Despite the pop culture confusion over marriage, this article demonstrates why it is still the best default for estate planning conflicts.
A constitutive expression system for glycosyl hydrolase family 7 cellobiohydrolases in Hypocrea jecorina

One of the primary industrial-scale cellulase producers is the ascomycete fungus, Hypocrea jecorina, which produces and secretes large quantities of diverse cellulolytic enzymes. Perhaps the single most important biomass degrading enzyme is cellobiohydrolase I (cbh1or Cel7A) due to its enzymatic proficiency in cellulose depolymerization. However, production of Cel7A with native-like properties from heterologous expression systems has proven difficult. In this study, we develop a protein expression system in H. jecorina (Trichoderma reesei) useful for production and secretion of heterologous cellobiohydrolases from glycosyl hydrolase family 7. Building upon previous work in heterologous protein expression in filamentous fungi, we have integrated a native constitutive enolase promoter with the native cbh1 signal sequence. The constitutive eno promoter driving the expression of Cel7A allows growth on glucose and results in repression of the native cellulase system, severely reducing background endo- and other cellulase activity and greatly simplifying purification of the recombinant protein. Coupling this system to a Δcbh1 strain of H. jecorina ensures that only the recombinant Cel7A protein is produced. Two distinct transformant colony morphologies were observed and correlated with high and null protein production. Production levels in ‘fast’ transformants are roughly equivalent to those in the native QM6a strain of H. jecorina, typically in the range of 10 to 30 mg/L when grown in continuous stirred-tank fermenters. ‘Slow’ transformants showed no evidence of Cel7A production. Specific activity of the purified recombinant Cel7A protein is equivalent to that of native protein when assayed on pretreated corn stover, as is the thermal stability and glycosylation level. Purified Cel7A produced from growth on glucose demonstrated remarkably consistent specific activity. Purified Cel7A from the same strain grown on lactose demonstrated significantly higher variability in activity. The elimination of background cellulase induction provides much more consistent measured specific activity compared to a traditional cbh1 promoter system induced with lactose. This expression system provides a powerful tool for the expression and comparison of mutant and/or phylogenetically diverse cellobiohydrolases in the industrially relevant cellulase production host H. jecorina.
Why Metronidazole Is Active against both Bacteria and Parasites

Metronidazole is one of the rare examples of a drug developed against a parasite which has since gained broad use as an antibacterial agent ([24][1]). Briefly, at Rhone-Poulenc labs in France, extracts of Streptomyces spp. were screened for activity against Trichomonas vaginalis , a cause of vaginal
Modeling the development of overselectivity in autism

People with autism consistently demonstrate a lack sensitivity to the full range of important aspects of everyday situations. Often, an overly restricted subset of the information available in a given situation gains control over their behavior. This can result in problems generalizing learned behaviors to novel situations. This phenomenon has been called overselectivity. Indeed, many behavioral intervention techniques seek to mitigate overselectivity effects in this population. In this paper, we offer an account of overselectivity as arising from an inability to flexibly adjust the attentional influences of the prefrontal cortex on behavior. We posit that dysfunctional dopamine interactions with the prefrontal cortex result in overly perseverative attention in people with autism. Limiting attention to only a few of the features of a situation hinders the learning of associations between the full range of relevant environmental properties and appropriate behavior. Thus, a restricted subset of features gain control over responding. A simple neurocomputational model of the attentional effects of prefrontal cortex on learning is presented, demonstrating how weak dopamine modulation of frontal areas can lead to overselectivity.
Dependent Scattering and Field Enhancement in Monochromatic Irradiated, Random Porous Media

Solving the Maxwell's equations, an electric filed enhancement is observed in monochromatically irradiated, one- and two- dimensional dispersed dielectric solids with random size distribution. This enhancement is a few orders of magnitude higher than the incident field, for some arrangements. The probability density and the location of enhanced field are determined forgiven solid complex refractive index and particle size distribution. Using the two-flux model, the equation of radiative heat transfer (ERT) is solved for the local intensity. It is shown that ERT can represent a statistical average behavior of the intensity (by introducing corrections to the scattering and absorption coefficients based on dependent scattering). However, ERT is not suitable for predicting field enhancement and photon localization.
Iridium(III) azuliporphyrins

Azuliporphyrins were reacted with [Ir(COD)Cl]2 in refluxing o- or p-xylene to give novel iridium(III) derivatives that regioselectively incorporated an oxidized solvent molecule. The iridium(III) is inserted within the porphyrinoid macrocycle and possesses an additional apical acyl unit.
Cross-Disciplinary Theory in Construction of a World-Historical Archive

Interdisciplinary cooperation and collaboration have proven to be desirable yet difficult goals to achieve in social science research. The nuanced differences among the domains, frameworks, assumptions, and methods of the various fields of study that comprise such research often hinder attempts to engage in interdisciplinary dialogue that is both meaningful and productive. We show that demography, economics, political science, and sociology are a few of the fields at the vanguard of the interdisciplinary frontier that emerged following the Second World War. In light of the challenges that these fields (along with the natural sciences) face in initiating and sustaining interdisciplinary dialogue, we aim to accomplish several tasks. First, we seek to describe the theoretical and epistemological linkages among the cores of these four social-science disciplines. Second, we explore systems theory as a potential foundation for interdisciplinary unity. Third, we extrapolate the implications of the systems approach to encompass the study of human populations from multiple disciplinary perspectives. In this vein, we also seek to characterize key features of human populations, parse their functions in various disciplinary contexts, and prospectively identify challenges in data interpretation and analysis that will likely emerge in practice. The ultimate goals of this study are to delineate a set of methodological standards with which to guide interdisciplinary inquiry in the social and natural sciences, and consider how we might implement these standards in the construction of a world-historical data archive.
Is the Information Available from Historical Time Series Data on Economic, Energy, and Construction Market Variables Useful to Explain Variations in ENR Construction Cost Index?

Engineering News Record (ENR) publishes Construction Cost Index (CCI) monthly. CCI is widely used by cost engineers for preparing cost estimates, bids, and budgets for capital projects. CCI is subject to significant variations. The information available from historical time series data on some economic variables (federal funds rate, consumer price index, gross domestic product and unemployment rate), energy-related variable (crude oil price), and construction market variables (housing starts, employment level in construction, and construction spending) may be useful for explaining CCI variations. The research objective of this paper is to empirically examine whether the time series information on the above economic, energy, and market variables is useful to explain CCI variations. We devise time series tests like Pearson correlation test and Granger causality test to statistically examine the impact of each variable on CCI variations over time. The results show that the information available from historical data on consumer price index, gross domestic product, crude oil price, housing starts and employment level in construction is useful to explain variations of CCI. It is concluded that the information available from historical data on federal funds rate, unemployment rate, and construction spending do not have power to explain CCI variations. This empirical study is expected to increase our understanding about the impact of various economic, energy, and construction market variables on CCI variations. It is anticipated that this knowledge will be useful for cost estimators and capital project planners to explain changes in construction cost over time.
Three-Dimensional Airflow and Precipitation Structure in a Nondeepening Cyclone

Abstract During the period 1200 UTC 3 March to 1200 UTC 5 March 1985 a cyclone located over eastern Colorado tracked northeastward across the Great Plains to southern Ontario. Although the low-pressure system decayed considerably during the latter 24 h of the period, notable amounts of precipitation fell, particularly over the New England states. The time of detailed study encompasses 1200 UTC 4 March to 1200 UTC 5 March 1985. Inspection of the observed 6-h precipitation totals during this period indicate three distinct maxima. One is to the north and northwest of the low center, another to the cast of the low center, and a third along the surface cold front extending southwestward from the low center. In order to aid in the explanation of these observed patterns, isentropic trajectories were utilized to illustrate the three-dimensional airflow around the nondeepening cyclone. Low-level easterly flow was found to the north of the cyclone center. Meanwhile, a flow of warm moist air being transported northw...
Cellularity of rat adipose tissue: effects of growth, starvation, and obesity

The size, number, and rate of formation of mature adipocytes were studied in the epididymal pads and retroperitoneal adipose depots of the Sprague-Dawley rat. Early growth of these depots was accompanied by progressive enlargement of adipose cells as well as by increases in number. Beyond the 15th wk of life, the depot grew exclusively by the process of cellular enlargement, with no further change in cell number. Severe starvation during the 6th wk of life followed by normal feeding had no lasting effect on cell size or cell number; prolonged semistarvation beginning in the 15th wk greatly reduced cell size while cell number was unaffected. Likewise, extreme increases in depot size produced by hypothalamic lesions did not change cell number, but only cell size. The concept of a fixed number of mature adipocytes in the adult organism may be of central importance in caloric and metabolic equilibrium.
ETERNAL RETURNS: A CHRISTMAS CAROL'S GHOSTS OF REPETITION

In spite of the supernatural trappings of Charles Dickens's most famous work, A Christmas Carol, critics from G. K. Chesterton to Edmund Wilson have found its equally famous protagonist, Ebenezer Scrooge, to be a real character, more fleshed-out and compelling than many of the characters of Dickens's longer, presumably more “serious” novels. Much of the reaction to A Christmas Carol and its protean anti-hero can be summarized by Stephen Prickett's succinct appraisal in his seminal study, Victorian Fantasy: “The strength of A Christmas Carol lies quite simply in its psychological credibility” (54). Scrooge is a character we can believe in, a character that, as Margaret Atwood suggests, “remains fresh and vital. ‘Scrooge Lives!’ we might write on our T-shirts” (xiii).
Sue Onslow (Ed.). Cold War in Southern Africa: White Power, Black Liberation

This anthology seeks to offer an alternative view of the Cold War by examining the agency of independent actors in Southern Africa rather than look at the post-colonial developments as simply a bip...
Persistence of C14 anthranil-azo-ovalbumin in injected rabbits.

SummaryAt various intervals of time following a single intravenous injection of 7-C14-anthranil-azo-ovalbumin to rabbits, the organ deposition and intracellular distribution in liver and spleen of trichloroacetic acid precipitable radioactivity was determined. The antigen was cleared rapidly from the blood and deposited in various organs, where significant amounts were retained for many months; in the initial moments of deposition, the antigen was concentrated in the microsomal proteins of liver and spleen; subsequently it was most concentrated in the mitochondrial proteins, where it remained stored indefinitely.
Elocution and Shakespeare: An Episode in the History Of Literary Taste

THE ENGLISH ELOCUTIONARY MOVEMENT OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY has provoked a range of commentary from scholars. Some share Wilbur Samuel Howell's estimate that Thomas Sheridan, John Walker, and their colleagues were merely bad rhetoricians.' Others view these figures as significant early forces in the shaping of present-day speech education.2 Relatively little has been said, however, about the connection between elocution and belles-lettres. As Sheridan biographer W. Benzie has noted, so-called "Attic Evenings" and other public readings "from the best English writers had great beneficial effects on the social and literary culture of the time."3 Published elocutionary texts (volumes of "elegant extracts" as well as books and pamphlets of instruction) reached an even wider audience. The "aukward rage for ELOCUTION, as satirist Charles Churchill dubbed it, helped to advance a growing interest in literary study in the Age of Johnson.4 The present essay considers the elocutionists in light of the literary "taste" of their day. More specifically, it examines the discussion and anthologizing of Shakespeare in the elocutionary texts, and shows ways in which the elocutionists were representative eighteenth-century Shakespeareans.
Neurophilosophy at Work: On the Nature of Intelligence: Turing, Church, von Neumann, and the Brain

Abstract: Alan Turing is the consensus patron saint of the classical research program in AI, and his behavioral test for the possession of conscious intelligence has become his principal legacy in the mind of the academic public. Both takes are mistakes. That test is a dialectical throwaway line even for Turing himself, a tertiary gesture aimed at softening the intellectual resistance to a research program which, in his hands, possessed real substance, both mathematical and theoretical. The wrangling over his celebrated test has deflected attention away from those more substantial achievements, and away from the enduring obligation to construct a substantive theory of what conscious intelligence really is , as opposed to an epistemological account of how to tell when you are confronting an instance of it. This essay explores Turing's substantive research program on the former topic, and argues that the classical AI program is not its best expression, nor even the expression intended by Turing. It then attempts to put the famous Test into its proper, and much reduced, perspective. The Classical Approach: Its Historical Background Alan Turing wanted to know, as we all want to know, what conscious intelligence is . An obvious place to start one's inquiry is the presumptive and prototypical instance of the target phenomenon – normal humans – and the endlessly clever and appropriate behaviors they display in response to the endlessly various perceptual circumstances they encounter.
Convergence of Random Processes, Measures, and Sets

Relative compactness and tightness; uniform topology on C(K, S); Skorohod’s J1-topology; equicontinuity and tightness; convergence of random measures; superposition and thinning; exchangeable sequences and processes; simple point processes and random closed sets
Electronic patient-reported outcomes from home in patients recovering from major gynecologic cancer surgery: A prospective study measuring symptoms and health-related quality of life.

Abstract Purpose We previously reported on the feasibility of a Web-based system to capture patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in the immediate postoperative period. The purpose of this study was to update the experience of these patients and assess patient and provider satisfaction and feedback regarding the system. Methods This is a prospective cohort study of patients scheduled to undergo laparotomy for presumed gynecologic malignancy. Patients completed a Web-based Symptom Tracking and Reporting (STAR) questionnaire preoperatively and weekly during a 6-week postoperative period. Email alerts were sent to study nurses when concerning patient responses were entered. The patient and the nurse assessments of STAR's usefulness were measured via an exit survey. Results The study enrolled 96 eligible patients. Of these, 71 patients (74%) completed at least four of seven total sessions. Of the patients who completed the exit satisfaction survey, 98% found STAR easy to use; 84% found it useful; and 82% would recommend it to other patients. Despite positive feedback from patients, clinical personnel found that the STAR system increased their current workload without enhancing patient care. Conclusions Application of an electronic program for PROs in those recovering from major gynecologic cancer surgery is feasible, and acceptable to most patients. While most clinicians did not find STAR clinically helpful, the majority of patients reported a positive experience with the system and would recommend its use. The program helped many patients feel more empowered in their postoperative recovery.
A 0.2 msec Xenon Strobe Lamp for Flash-Photomicrography

AbstractAs an illuminant for photomicrography Electronic flash has much to offer and is becoming increasingly popular in this field due to its many advantages over thermal type sources. A few commerically available flash-sources are available for this work but are, in general, restricted for use with a given microscope and are of limited application. The unit described is designed to provide for a wide range of work with any free standing microscope and can offer a choice of outputs according to the nature of the task in hand. Whereas most designs incorporate a secondary, thermal, source for lining-up and observation this has not been necessary here due to the employment of a strobe tube providing a 50Hz flicker free continuum which, on command, can be instantly switched to provide a high energy flash for exposure. Apart from the well known advantages such as daylight spectral quality (c.6000°K) and a comparative freedom from heat, the short duration exposure (0.2ms) is highly suitable for arresting motil...
Making time for tobacco cessation counseling

BACKGROUND The objective of this study was to examine the incidence, targeting, and time demands of tobacco cessation advice by community family physicians. METHODS Research nurses directly observed 2 days of outpatient visits to 138 family physicians in northeast Ohio. Smoking status was identified by patient questionnaire. Visit characteristics were determined from direct observation and billing data. Visits by smokers with and without smoking cessation advice were compared. RESULTS The incidence of tobacco cessation advice was highest during wellness visits (55% vs 22% for illness visits; P < .001). Smokers seen for a tobacco-related chronic illness were more likely to receive advice than those seen for a chronic problem not related to tobacco (32% vs 17%; P = .05). The average duration of advice was less than 1 1/2 minutes. There were no significant differences in the duration of advice across different types of visits. CONCLUSIONS Physicians are providing brief, targeted interventions for smoking cessation in family practices. The findings support the feasibility of implementing a brief intervention with all smokers seen during office visits.
When Does Perceived Susceptibility to Skin Cancer Influence Indoor Tanning? The Moderating Role of Two Risk Perception Beliefs

Previous research has demonstrated an inconsistent relationship between perceived susceptibility to skin cancer and indoor tanning. The current study explored potential moderators of this relationship to better understand how risk perceptions can impact indoor tanning intentions and behavior. A national online survey (N = 267) was administered in the United States to establish the relationship between perceived susceptibility to skin cancer, cancer fatalism, and external risk attribution beliefs on indoor tanning intentions and behavior. Results revealed significant 3-way interactions among these risk perceptions on both intentions and behavior that run contrary to much of the published research on perceived susceptibility and health behavior. These findings suggest that the relationship between perceived susceptibility to skin cancer and indoor tanning is conditional on other risk perceptions. These results are discussed in terms of their theoretical and practical implications.
Ultrastretchable Iono-Elastomers with Mechanoelectrical Response

The emerging technologies involving wearable electronics require new materials with high stretchability, resistance to high loads, and high conductivities. We report a facile synthetic strategy based on self-assembly of concentrated solutions of end-functionalized PEO106–PPO70–PEO106 triblock copolymer in ethylammonium nitrate into face-centered cubic micellar crystals, followed by micelle corona cross-linking to generate elastomeric ion gels (iono-elastomers). These materials exhibit an unprecedented combination of high stretchability, high ionic conductivity, and mechanoelectrical response. The latter consists of a remarkable and counterintuitive increase in ion conductivity with strain during uniaxial extension, which is reversible upon load release. Based on in situ SAXS measurements of reversible crystal structure transformations during deformation, we postulate that the origin of the conductivity increase is a reversible formation of ion nanochannels due to a novel microstructural rearrangement spec...