cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Activity of Genes with Functions in Human Williams–Beuren Syndrome Is Impacted by Mobile Element Insertions in the Gray Wolf Genome

In canines, transposon dynamics have been associated with a hyper-social behavioral syndrome, although the functional mechanism has yet to be described. We investigate the epigenetic and transcriptional consequences of these behavior-associated mobile element insertions (MEIs) in dogs and Yellowstone gray wolves. We posit that the transposons themselves may not be the causative feature; rather, their transcriptional regulation may exert the functional impact. We survey four outlier transposons associated with hyper-sociability, with the expectation that they are targeted for epigenetic silencing. We predict hyper-methylation of MEIs, suggestive that the epigenetic silencing of and not the MEIs themselves may be driving dysregulation of nearby genes. We found that transposon-derived sequences are significantly hyper-methylated, regardless of their copy number or species. Further, we have assessed transcriptome sequence data and found evidence that MEIs impact the expression levels of six genes (WBSCR17, LIMK1, GTF2I, WBSCR27, BAZ1B, and BCL7B), all of which have known roles in human Williams-Beuren syndrome due to changes in copy number, typically hemizygosity. Although further evidence is needed, our results suggest that a few insertions alter local expression at multiple genes, likely through a cis-regulatory mechanism that excludes proximal methylation.
Genetic analysis of an ARS element from the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

ARS (autonomously replicating sequence) elements are DNA fragments that can function as origins of DNA replication in yeast. We report the first fine-structure analysis of ars1, an ARS element of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Characterization of a series of nested deletion mutations indicated that the minimal fragment of DNA encompassing ars1 is surprisingly large. No fragment < 650 bp retained significant ARS activity. Analysis of deletion and substitution mutations scanning the entire minimal ars1 identified a single essential 50 bp fragment (segment 1). Only one other 50 bp mutation reduced activity as much as 5-fold and most deletions were without effect. Thus, the minimal ars1 is composed of two general types of genetic elements, a small segment that is absolutely required for efficient ARS activity and a much larger region that is tolerant of internal structural alterations. Higher resolution analysis of segment 1 defined a critical 30 bp A/T-rich segment which appears to contain redundant genetic elements. Schizosaccharomyces pombe ars1 promoted high frequency transformation in the budding yeast S.cerevisiae but this heterologous activity was not dependent on segment 1. Our analysis indicates that the functional elements required for ARS function in S.pombe and S.cerevisiae are clearly different.
Cytokine Regulation of Chronic Inflammation in Asthma

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the role of cytokines in the induction, coordination, and perpetuation of the immunological and inflammatory responses observed in asthma. There is an increasing recognition that large peptide mediators such as cytokines and growth factors orchestrate and perpetuate the chronic inflammation of asthma. Cytokines are extracellular signalling proteins, usually less than 80 kD in weight, and many are glycosylated. Cytokines usually have an effect on closely adjacent cells and therefore function in a predominantly paracrine manner, although they may also act at a distance and may have effects on the cell of origin. Cytokines may be regarded as a mechanism for cell-cell communication, and they are involved in cell growth and differentiation, inflammation, immunity, and repair, which are all aspects of importance in understanding the cellular events in chronic asthma. Multiple cytokines have been implicated in asthma and they are derived from a variety of cells. Inhibition of cytokines is an important approach to asthma treatment, and it is likely that inhaled corticosteroids are effective, at least in part, by inhibition of cytokine synthesis in airway cells such as epithelial cells and lymphocytes.
Cruciferous Vegetables, Isothiocyanates, Indoles, and Cancer Prevention

1. Recent studies have shown that vegetables of the Brassica species can contribute to the prevention of cancer. The Brassica vegetables include broccoli, bok choy, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts, to name a few.
Board Antecedents of CEO Duality and the Moderating Role of Country-level Managerial Discretion: A Meta-analytic Investigation

CEO duality reduces boards’ monitoring capacity. But governance substitution theory holds that boards of directors who can effectively monitor their CEOs are more likely to adopt the CEO duality governance structure. By examining relationships between board characteristics underlying their monitoring capacity and CEO duality, we bring evidence to bear on governance substitution theory. Further, by applying a managerial discretion theory lens to CEO duality, we extend governance substitution theory to the cross‐country context where institutional features vary in their constraints on managerial discretion. Meta‐analytic results from a dataset of 297 studies across 32 countries/regions provided support for the majority of our predictions. As predicted, board independence and certain types of board human capital were positively related to CEO duality. Unexpectedly, board ownership was negatively related to CEO duality. Additionally, country‐level managerial discretion significantly moderated the board independence‐ and human capital‐duality relationships (but not the board‐ownership‐duality relationship) as predicted.
Mechanisms of neuropathogenesis in HIV and HCV: similarities, differences, and unknowns

HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) have both been associated with cognitive impairment. Combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) has dramatically changed the nature of cognitive impairment in HIV-infected persons, while the role of direct-acting antivirals (DAA) in neurocognition of HCV-infected individuals remains unclear. Also, whether HIV and HCV interact to promote neurocognitive decline or whether they each contribute an individual effect continues to be an open question. In this work, we review the virally mediated mechanisms of HIV- and HCV-mediated neuropathogenesis, with an emphasis on the role of dual infection, and discuss observed changes with HIV viral suppression and HCV functional cure on neurocognitive impairments.
Catching Rain: Sand Dams and Other Strategies for Developing Locally Resilient Water Supplies in Semiarid Areas of Kenya

Water is one of the key limiting factors in arid, semiarid, and subhumid lands throughout Africa. Reducing the labor demand involved in the daily efforts to find and haul water releases available time to women to pursue productive agricultural activities and care for their families. This, in turn, improves resilience at the household and community level. Sand dams have proven an excellent way to do this in the subhumid and semiarid areas of Kitui, Machakos, and Makueni Counties in Kenya and are spreading further inside and outside the country. The key to building a sand dam is community involvement from the earliest stage in the process. Locally controlled and organized NGOs are the primary promoters of this activity. The community development groups, called self-help groups, site the dam, prepare the supporting infrastructure, build the dam, and coordinate local control of the new resource. This then drops the water collection time from more than 3 hours per day to as little as 15 minutes. The work then continues with promotion of drought-resistant crops, better fodder supply, and income security.
Using ligands to control reactivity, size and phase in the colloidal synthesis of WSe2 nanocrystals.

Colloidal chemistry is leveraged for size- and phase-tuning of transition metal dichalcogenide nanomaterials. Specifically, nucleation and growth of colloidal WSe2 nanocrystals are controlled via mixtures of oleic acid (OA) and trioctylphosphine oxide. Increased OA yields slower nucleation, larger nanocrystals and a shift from the 2H to 1T′ phase.
Impacts of Constrained Sensing and Communication Based Attacks on Vehicular Platoons

Vehicular platooning promises to bring a faster, safer, and more efficient transportation. Automated platooned vehicles will rely on information obtained from inter-vehicle communication channels and on-board sensors to make driving decisions and achieve platooning. However, such reliance creates an opportunity for safety violating attacks intended to disrupt the platoon formation and cause accidents. In this work, we investigate more realistic attacks mounted against the communication and sensing functionalities of platooned vehicles. More specifically, we are interested in approximating the set of final unsafe states, that can be reached by mounting realistically constrained attacks capable of introducing delay and injecting false-data against the aforementioned functionalities. For that purpose, we will use reachability analysis which enables us to realize whether it is possible to drive the platoon from initial to final states given performance and physical bounds. Our results suggest that these two types of attack are able to steer the platoon towards dangerous states and generate impacts on passengers’ safety by causing crashes at high speeds.
MilliCam: Hand-held Millimeter-Wave Imaging

We present MilliCam, a system that captures the shape of small metallic objects, such as a gun, through obstructions, like clothing. MilliCam builds on the millimeter-wave (mmWave) imaging systems, which are widely used today in airport security checkpoints. Existing systems achieve high-resolution using a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) principle, but require bulky motion controllers to position the mmWave device precisely. In contrast, MilliCam emulates the SAR principle by pure hand-swiping. However, alias-free, high-resolution imaging requires a linear, error-free hand-swiping motion. Furthermore, image focusing on an object of interest requires steering perfectly-shaped beam over the target-scene; but it is unavailable in off-the-shelf devices. We design a set of algorithms to enable high-quality handheld imaging: compensating for the errors in hand-swipe motion; and focusing the target-scene digitally without beam-steer. We have prototyped MilliCam on a 60 GHz testbed. Our experiments demonstrate that MilliCam can effectively combat motion errors and focus on the object in target-scene.
Library of medium-resolution fiber optic echelle spectra of F, G, K, and M field dwarfs to giants stars

We present a library of Penn State Fiber Optic Echelle (FOE) observations of a sample of field stars with spectral types F to M and luminosity classes V to I. The spectral coverage is from 3800 AA to 10000 AA with nominal a resolving power 12000. These spectra include many of the spectral lines most widely used as optical and near-infrared indicators of chromospheric activity such as the Balmer lines (H_alpha, H_beta), Ca II H & K, Mg I b triplet, Na I D_{1} and D_{2}, He I D_{3}, and Ca II IRT lines. There are also a large number of photospheric lines, which can also be affected by chromospheric activity, and temperature sensitive photospheric features such as TiO bands. The spectra have been compiled with the goal of providing a set of standards observed at medium resolution. We have extensively used such data for the study of active chromosphere stars by applying a spectral subtraction technique. However, the data set presented here can also be utilized in a wide variety of ways ranging from radial velocity templates to study of variable stars and stellar population synthesis. This library can also be used for spectral classification purposes and determination of atmospheric parameters (T_eff, log{g}, [Fe/H]). A digital version of all the fully reduced spectra is available via ftp and the World Wide Web (WWW) in FITS format.
Sub-Weyl subconvexity for Dirichlet -functions to prime power moduli

We prove a subconvexity bound for the central value -adic analogue of the method of exponent pairs. This new method is presented in a ready-to-use form and applies to a wide class of well-behaved phases including many that arise from a stationary phase analysis of hyper-Kloosterman and other complete exponential sums.
Out-of-Pocket Spending for Influenza Hospitalizations in Medicare Advantage.

Introduction Although many Medicare Advantage plans have waived cost sharing for COVID-19 hospitalizations, these waivers are voluntary and may be temporary. To estimate the magnitude of potential patient cost sharing if waivers are not implemented or are allowed to expire, this study assesses the level and predictors of out-of-pocket spending for influenza hospitalizations in 2018 among elderly Medicare Advantage patients. Methods Using the Optum De-Identified Clinformatics DataMart, investigators identified Medicare Advantage patients aged ≥65 years hospitalized for influenza in 2018. For each hospitalization, out-of-pocket spending was calculated by summing deductibles, coinsurance, and copays. The mean out-of-pocket spending and the proportion of hospitalizations with out-of-pocket spending exceeding $2,500 were calculated. A 1-part generalized linear model with a log link and Poisson variance function was fitted to model out-of-pocket spending as a function of patient demographic characteristics, plan type, and hospitalization characteristics. Coefficients were converted to absolute changes in out-of-pocket spending by calculating average marginal effects. Results Among 14,278 influenza hospitalizations, the mean out-of-pocket spending was $987 (SD=$799). Out-of-pocket spending exceeded $2,500 for 3.0% of hospitalizations. The factors associated with higher out-of-pocket spending included intensive care use, greater length of stay, and enrollment in a preferred provider organization plan (average marginal effect=$634, 95% CI=$631, $636) compared with enrollment in an HMO plan. Conclusions In this analysis of elderly Medicare Advantage patients, the mean out-of-pocket spending for influenza hospitalizations was almost $1,000. Federal policymakers should consider passing legislation mandating insurers to eliminate cost sharing for COVID-19 hospitalizations. Insurers with existing cost-sharing waivers should consider extending them indefinitely, and those without such waivers should consider implementing them immediately.
N-acetylcysteine for depression and glutamate changes in the left prefrontal cortex in adolescents and young adults at risk for bipolar disorder: A pilot study.

AIMS To investigate the mechanism of action of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) in depressive symptoms in young individuals at familial risk for bipolar disorder. METHODS We conducted an 8-week open label clinical trial of NAC 2400 mg/days in 15-24 years old depressed offspring of a bipolar I disorder parent, with baseline and endpoint proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy acquired within the left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC). RESULTS Nine participants were enrolled and finished the study. NAC significantly improved depressive and anxiety symptom scores, and clinical global impression (all p < .001). There was a non-significant reduction in glutamate levels in the left VLPFC. Reduction in depressive symptom scores was positively associated with reduction in glutamate levels in the left VLPFC (p = .007). CONCLUSIONS This pilot study suggests that NAC might be efficacious for depressive symptoms in at-risk youth, and that its mechanism of action involves the modulation of glutamate in the left VLPFC.
High visceral fat to subcutaneous fat adiposity ratios portend a poor prognosis in patients with endometrial cancer

Objectives: Visceral adiposity has been established as a predictor of outcomes in various cancers; however, its role in predicting outcomes in advanced stage endometrial cancer patients is unknown. We aimed to determine the association of radiographic measurements of visceral fat with clinical outcomes in patients with endometrial cancer. Methods: A retrospective review of stage III-IV endometrial cancer patients who underwent surgery after preoperative computed tomography (CT) scans between 2005 and 2014 was performed. Follow-up was continued until 10/2020. Visceral fat area (VFA) and subcutaneous fat area (SFA) were assessed in CT scans by a board certified radiologist. Total fat area (TFA) is the sum of VFA and SFA. Exploratory analysis was performed to establish the optimal cut-off values for VFA to SFA ratios to identify patients with poor prognostic body composition. Survival rates were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank tests. Results: Ninety-two patients were included. Forty-two (51%) patients had a low VFA/SFA ratio ( 0.45). There were no significant differences in demographics or clinical characteristics including grade and stage and adjuvant therapy between the groups. The mean age was 62.7 years and the mean BMI was 33 kg/m2. The majority of patients had endometrioid histology (57, 68.7%) and grade 1 (25, 30.1%) and grade 3 (19, 22.9%) disease. Twenty four (28.9%) patients had mixed history and two (2.4%) had high grade serous histology. The mean VFA, SFA, and TFA were 176.3 cm2, 379.3 cm2, and 555.3 cm2 respectively. Compared to patients with low VFA/SFA ratios, patients with high VFA/SFA ratios had a shorter recurrence-free survival (median 29.6 vs 32.3 months, P=0.01) and shorter overall survival (median 56 vs 93.7 months, P=0.03). Conclusions: Visceral fat measurements are predictive of outcomes in patients with endometrial cancer. Specifically, VFA:SFA ratios are predictive of overall survival in this cohort. Future studies should be pursued to validate this tool prospectively in order to determine the independent prognostic significance.
Galactic Cosmic Ray Hydrogen and Helium

The quartet of isotopes of hydrogen(H) and helium(He) are the four most abundant species in the arriving cosmic radiation. In this paper, a brief summary of the spectra snd propagation of these species is given. The reader is referred to Beatty (1986) for a more detailed discussion.
A Review of “They Say in Harlan County: An Oral History”

Since the formal emergence of Appalachian studies in the 1970s, numerous books about Appalachian history and culture have been published. Traditional histories, such as John Alexander Williams's Ap...
Distributed intelligent control of street and highway ramp traffic signals

Abstract The paper describes a distributed, knowledge-based system for real-time, traffic-adaptive control of traffic signals. The first of a two-stage learning process optimizes the control of steady-state traffic at a single intersection and over a network of streets. The second stage of learning deals with predictive/reactive control in responding to sudden changes in traffic patterns. The system can also display, store and retrieve information about traffic flow, intersection geometry, signalization, and performance of three- and four-leg intersections. In a design setup, it can compute the economically most advantageous geometry for an intersection, given the traffic flow and acceptable levels of service. The system has been tested in the laboratory on a range of scenarios (in terms of geometry and traffic flow) and has been found to perform as expected.
Public health care and private insurance demand: the waiting time as a link.

This paper analyzes the effect of waiting times in the Spanish public health system on the demand for private health insurance. Expected utility maximization determines whether or not individuals buy a private health insurance. The decision depends not only on consumer's covariates such as income, socio-demographic characteristics and health status, but also on the quality of the treatment by the public provider. We interpret waiting time as a qualitative attribute of the health care provision. The empirical analysis uses the Spanish Health Survey of 1993. We cope with the absence of income data by using the Spanish Family Budget Survey of 1990–91 as a complementary data set, following the Arellano–Meghir method [4]. Results indicate that a reduction in the waiting time lowers the probability of buying private health insurance. This suggests the existence of a crowd-out in the health care provision market.
A cross-cultural framework for protecting user privacy in online social media

Social media has become truly global in recent years. We argue that support for users' privacy, however, has not been extended equally to all users from around the world. In this paper, we survey existing literature on cross-cultural privacy issues, giving particular weight to work specific to online social networking sites. We then propose a framework for evaluating the extent to which social networking sites' privacy options are offered and communicated in a manner that supports diverse users from around the world. One aspect of our framework focuses on cultural issues, such as norms regarding the use of pseudonyms or posting of photographs. A second aspect of our framework discusses legal issues in cross-cultural privacy, including data-protection requirements and questions of jurisdiction. The final part of our framework delves into user expectations regarding the data-sharing practices and the communication of privacy information. The framework can enable service providers to identify potential gaps in support for user privacy. It can also help researchers, regulators, or consumer advocates reason systematically about cultural differences related to privacy in social media.
Nutrient spiraling in streams and river networks

[1] Over the past 3 decades, nutrient spiraling has become a unifying paradigm for stream biogeochemical research. This paper presents (1) a quantitative synthesis of the nutrient spiraling literature and (2) application of these data to elucidate trends in nutrient spiraling within stream networks. Results are based on 404 individual experiments on ammonium (NH4), nitrate (NO3), and phosphate (PO4) from 52 published studies. Sixty-nine percent of the experiments were performed in first- and second-order streams, and 31% were performed in third- to fifth-order streams. Uptake lengths, Sw, of NH4 (median = 86 m) and PO4 (median = 96 m) were significantly different (α = 0.05) than NO3 (median = 236 m). Areal uptake rates of NH4 (median = 28 μg m−2 min−1) were significantly different than NO3 and PO4 (median = 15 and 14 μg m−2 min−1, respectively). There were significant differences among NH4, NO3, and PO4 uptake velocity (median = 5, 1, and 2 mm min−1, respectively). Correlation analysis results were equivocal on the effect of transient storage on nutrient spiraling. Application of these data to a stream network model showed that recycling (defined here as stream length ÷ Sw) of NH4 and NO3 generally increased with stream order, while PO4 recycling remained constant along a first- to fifth-order stream gradient. Within this hypothetical stream network, cumulative NH4 uptake decreased slightly with stream order, while cumulative NO3 and PO4 uptake increased with stream order. These data suggest the importance of larger rivers to nutrient spiraling and the need to consider how stream networks affect nutrient flux between terrestrial and marine ecosystems.
Investigation of the SO2 oxidation rate limiting factors for K/V and Cs/V catalysts at low temperatures

Abstract Different potassium and cesium vanadyl sulfate catalysts were studied to determine why cesium produces a more active catalyst at low temperatures than potassium. Thermal analyses and electron paramagnetic resonance instruments were used to study catalysts in various SO2SO3O2N2 atmospheres at normal operating temperatures. Catalysts supported on controlled pore glass silica were analyzed. The results indicate that K V catalysts form large amounts of inactive V4+ crystals at temperatures under 425 °C while the Cs V catalysts form much smaller amounts at temperatures below 400 °C. The reaction rates at temperatures below 425 °C drop off because a K2SO4V2O4SO3 compound crystallizes out of the active molten salt in the K V catalyst. The Cs V catalyst activity is believed to drop off below 400 °C because increased V2O4SO3 concentrations reduce the availability of V2O5 for SO2 oxidation according to the six-step Boreskov reaction mechanism.
Hypothalamic Temperature in the Cat during Feeding and Sleep

Anterior hypothalamic temperature is reported for the unanesthetized cat resting at an air temperature of 22 degrees to 25 degrees C during the ingestion of cold or warm liquids, and during sleep. Drinking cold (5 degrees C) milk resulted in an immediate depression of hypothalamic temperature and a period of peripheral vasodilation in the ear and forepaw foot and toe pads, followed by a drop in rectal temperature. Drinking warm (body temperature) milk did not bring about these changes. Hypothalamic temperature during sleep is lower by approximately 0.5 degrees C and is characterized by widely varying, slow-frequency oscillations, compared to the higher, more precisely controlled temperature seen when the animal is awake.
Overuse of compression ultrasound for patients with lower extremity cellulitis.

Abstract Background Compression ultrasound (CUS) is often ordered in hospitalized patients with cellulitis to assess for deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Despite this common practice, the rate of use and utility of CUS has not been well described. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of adult patients with lower extremity cellulitis hospitalized between October 1, 2008 and September 30, 2013 at an academic medical center. Cases meeting inclusion criteria were reviewed for the use of CUS, the indication for CUS, the occurrence of DVT, and the 3 month follow-up occurrence of DVT after discharge. Results A total of 239 patients were identified using ICD-9 coding data with a discharge diagnosis of cellulitis or abscess of leg. Of these, 183 met criteria for inclusion in the study, 133 of whom had CUS to assess for DVT (73%). Of the 133 who received CUS, 11 studies found DVTs (8%). Of the 11 DVTs, 8 had been previously diagnosed, and 3 were new. Of the new DVTs, only one was ipsilateral to the leg with cellulitis. Conclusion Most patients admitted with lower extremity cellulitis received CUS to assess for DVT. Despite this common practice, the rate of acute ipsilateral DVT was low and matched the rate of acute contralateral DVT. Previously diagnosed DVTs were commonly re-imaged. Overall the use of CUS had minimal impact on patient management and the routine use of CUS to assess for DVT in hospitalized patients with cellulitis appears to be unnecessary.
The development of Lagrangians for biological models.

A modern theory of the calculus of variations is used to form necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of a Lagrangian representation of a system of first-order ordinary differential equations. There exists a theorem to the effect that when a system of ordinary differential equations is variationally self-adjoint, the fulfillment of such conditions is guaranteed. In addition, self-adjointness, allows establishement of an algorithm by which a Lagrangian for the system may be explicitly constructed. Examples in mathematical biology are given to illustrate the use of the stated theorem.
Measuring denatured state energetics: deviations from random coil behavior and implications for the folding of iso-1-cytochrome c.

Abstract The changes in the free energy of the denatured state of a set of yeast iso-1-cytochrome c variants with single surface histidine residues have been measured in 3 M guanidine hydrochloride. The thermodynamics of unfolding by guanidine hydrochloride is also reported. All variants have decreased stability relative to the wild-type protein. The free energy of the denatured state was determined in 3 M guanidine hydrochloride by evaluating the strength of heme-histidine ligation through determination of the pKa for loss of histidine binding to the heme. The data are corrected for the presence of the N-terminal amino group which also ligates to the heme under similar solution conditions. Significant deviations from random coil behavior are observed. Relative to a variant with a single histidine at position 26, residual structure of the order of −1.0 to −2.5 kcal/mol is seen for the other variants studied. The data explain the slower folding of yeast iso-1-cytochrome c relative to the horse protein. The greater number of histidines and the greater strength of ligation are expected to slow conversion of the histidine-misligated forms to the obligatory aquo-heme intermediate during the ligand exchange phase of folding. The particularly strong association of histidine residues at positions 54 and 89 may indicate regions of the protein with strong energetic propensities to collapse against the heme during early folding events, consistent with available data in the literature on early folding events for cytochrome c.
Effects of convulsant and anticonvulsant agents on memory in squirrel monkeys

1. It has been reported that subconvulsive doses of convulsant agents such as strychnine and pentylenetetrazole can enhance memory in rodents studied under various behavioral procedures. The present study was designed to determine if similar results might be obtained in squirrel monkeys. 2. Responding by squirrel monkeys was maintained by food presentation under a repeated acquisition of behavioral chains procedure. Each subject acquired a different three-response chain each session. 3. Sequence completions were reinforced under a fixed-ratio 5 schedule (FR 5) and errors produced a brief timeout. After the subject reached a predetermined acquisition criterion, the session was stopped and a 24 hr delay was interposed. Following the delay, the subject was retested on the same discrimination and retention was quantified as percent savings. 4. When administered immediately after the subject reached the acquisition criterion, strychnine (0.0056 -0.18 mg/kg) and pentylenetetrazole (0.32-42 mg/kg) neither enhanced nor disrupted percent savings under the 24 hour delay. Similarly, the delta opioid agonist, BW373U86 (0.0056-3.2 mg/kg) [(+/-)-4 -((alpha-R*)-alpha-((2S*,5R*)-4-allyl-2,5-dimethyl -1-piperazinyl)-3-hydroxybenzyl)-N,N-diethylbenzamide dihydrochloride], had little or no effect on percent savings following a 24 hr delay. This was true even at doses of BW373U86 which produced convulsions. In contrast, triazolam (1-1.8 mg/kg) decreased percent savings following the 24 hr delay at doses which had little or no effect on response rate. 5. These results suggest that at subconvulsive doses, convulsant agents have little or no effect on memory storage, while at higher doses agents such as triazolam can disrupt memory processes in squirrel monkeys.
L’approche néo-institutionnaliste en science politique : unité ou diversité?

Cet article est une introduction a ce numero special sur le neo-institutionnalisme. Il accomplit trois tâches. Tout d’abord, il contextualise l’emergence du neo-institutionnalisme dans la trajectoire de la science politique, principalement americaine. Dans ce contexte, il explique que cette approche est divisee en trois branches (historique, du choix rationnel et sociologique) dont il presente les variantes internes. Ensuite, il mesure l’etendue et l’importance des differences entre ces trois branches tout en discutant des consequences de cette diversite. Ici, l’article suggere qu’une synthese serait difficile et que l’heterogeneite de l’approche ne devrait pas etre vue comme une faiblesse. En dernier lieu, le texte presente les articles du numero.
A great earthquake doublet and seismic stress transfer cycle in the central Kuril islands

Temporal variations of the frictional resistance on subduction-zone plate boundary faults associated with the stick–slip cycle of large interplate earthquakes are thought to modulate the stress regime and earthquake activity within the subducting oceanic plate. Here we report on two great earthquakes that occurred near the Kuril islands, which shed light on this process and demonstrate the enhanced seismic hazard accompanying triggered faulting. On 15 November 2006, an event of moment magnitude 8.3 ruptured the shallow-dipping plate boundary along which the Pacific plate descends beneath the central Kuril arc. The thrust ruptured a seismic gap that previously had uncertain seismogenic potential, although the earlier occurrence of outer-rise compressional events had suggested the presence of frictional resistance. Within minutes of this large underthrusting event, intraplate extensional earthquakes commenced in the outer rise region seaward of the Kuril trench, and on 13 January 2007, an event of moment magnitude 8.1 ruptured a normal fault extending through the upper portion of the Pacific plate, producing one of the largest recorded shallow extensional earthquakes. This energetic earthquake sequence demonstrates the stress transfer process within the subducting lithosphere, and the distinct rupture characteristics of these great earthquakes illuminate differences in seismogenic properties and seismic hazard of such interplate and intraplate faults.
Current Management of Radioiodine Sialadenitis

This review of radioiodine sialadenitis covers molecular mechanisms, demographics, and analysis of quality of life. Animal and human research addressing salivary gland damage from I131 therapy is reported, and supplemented with relevant studies addressing the effect of external beam therapy. An illustrative case example identifies abnormalities in the histopathology associated with radioiodine sialadenitis. Approaches to preventing and treating radioiodine sialadenitis are discussed.
Synthetic Cannabinoids as a Cause for Black Carbonaceous Bronchoalveolar Lavage

To cite: Biswas A, Patel V, Jantz M, et al. BMJ Case Rep Published online: [please include Day Month Year] doi:10.1136/bcr-2015211391 DESCRIPTION A 44-year-old woman with HIV (non-compliant to therapy), atypical mycobacterial infection and pneumocystis infection in the past, presented with subacute fever of 5-day duration. She also had a cough with productive yellow sputum that gradually turned into a dry cough. Physical examination was consistent with bilateral rhonchi and wheezes. She was an ex-smoker who had quit 10 years earlier, but was a current cocaine and cannabis abuser. Chest X-ray showed airway opacities on the right middle zone suggestive of pneumonia (figure 1). A CT scan of the chest showed scattered right middle lobe nodular opacities (figure 2). Differential diagnosis included Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia, tuberculosis, non-tuberculosis mycobacterial infection and fungal infections such as histoplasmosis, cryptococcosis, blastomycosis and lymphoma. The patient’s clinical, radiographic and histopathology was consistent with respiratory bronchiolitisassociated interstitial lung disease (RB-ILD). Bronchoscopy revealed a normal airway, however, the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was black in colour (figure 3). Transbronchial biopsies were also black. Histopathology revealed extensive intra-alveolar pigment laden macrophages and type 2 pneumocyte hyperplasia devoid of granulomas, eosinophils, malignancy or infection (figure 4). RB-ILD is a type of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia that is classified as a smoking-related lung disease having the pathological features of respiratory bronchiolitis, clinical symptoms of cough and dyspnoea; high-resolution CT usually shows diffuse
The Effect of Season on the Milk and Fat Production of Jersey Cows

Summary A study of more than 2900 Register of Merit Records of Jersey cows showed the following: 1. The cows which freshened in May and July gave the richest milk on the average in the ninth and seventh month respectively of the lactation period. The cows which freshened in June averaged a higher test of fat for the eighth to tenth month in period lactation than they did in twelfth month. The average per cent of fat in the milk, for a year for cows freshening in July, September, and August was the highest, being at least 5.45 per cent. 2. The yearly milk production was highest for the cows freshening in July, October, November, December, January, February, and March, all being over 8800 pounds. April, May, June, August, and September were the low months, although on the average the difference between the two groups was not great. 3. The yearly fat production averaged the highest for cows which freshened in July, October, November, and December, all being above 477 pounds of fat. April, May, and August were the low months all being below 468 pounds of fat. The cows which freshened during the month of July averaged 27 pounds of fat more than those which freshened in April and August. 4. The season of freshening as well as the period of lactation affects the richness of milk from a cow. The richest milk may be produced at some time before the end of the lactation period depending on the month in which the cow freshened.
The in vitro stimulation of thyroidal activity by propylthiouracil.

In vitro studies indicated that a small amount of propylthiouracil (10-8M) added to the medium significantly increased the total uptake of radioiodine by rat thyroid slices under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions, and significantly increased radioiodine uptake by sheep thyroid slices under aerobic conditions. Chromatography of the propylthiouracil treated slices indicated a significant increase in total radioactivity, a decrease in the ratio of radioiodide to organic radioiodine compounds (I-/Io), and a decrease in the ratio of radiomonoiodotyrosine to radiodiiodotyrosine (MIT/DIT). There was, in addition, a significant increase in oxygen consumption by rat thyroid slices when treated with small amounts of propylthiouracil. The in vitro results indicate a direct stimulatory effect by small amounts of propylthiouracil on both rat and sheep thyroid slices resulting in an increase in oxygen consumption, radioiodine uptake, and radiodiiodotyrosine formation.
The origin and evolution of short-period Miras in the solar neighborhood: Constraints on the life cycle of old stars

The spatial distribution of the short-period (P less than 300 days) oxygen-rich Miras in the solar neighborhood can be fitted with an exponential scale height above the Galactic plane of about 600 pc. Using the Gliese catalog of local main-sequence stars, we estimate that the density of suitable G-type progenitor dwarfs within 20 pc of the Sun for these short-period Miras is 6 x 10(exp -4)/cu pc. The portion of the H-R diagram near the main-sequence turnoff of these velocity-selected Gliese stars is intermediate between that of the old open cluster NGC 188 and that of the metal-rich globular cluster, 47 Tuc. We infer that the main-sequence progenitors of the short-period Miras have masses near 1.0 solar mass, and we estimate that these Miras have ages approximately 9 x 10(exp 9). We also identify a few old disk red giants in the neighborhood of the Sun. On the basis of very limited information, we estimate that the total amount of mass lost from these stars during their first ascent up the red giant branch is less than or equal to 0.1 solar mass. We derive a duration of the short-period Mira phase of close to 5 x 10(exp 5) yr. This estimate for the duration of the short period Mira phase is longer than our estimate of 2 x 10(exp 5) yr for the duration of the Mira phase for stars with periods longer than 300 days. From their infrared colors, we estimate a typical mass-loss rate from the short-period Miras of approximately 1 x 10(exp -7) solar mass/yr.
The Association of ClipR-59 Protein with AS160 Modulates AS160 Protein Phosphorylation and Adipocyte Glut4 Protein Membrane Translocation *

ClipR-59 is a membrane-associated protein and has been implicated in membrane signaling and vesicle trafficking. Recently, we have identified ClipR-59 as an Akt-interacting protein, and we have found that, by interacting with Akt, ClipR-59 modulates Akt subcellular compartmentalization and Akt substrate AS160 phosphorylation, thereby promoting Glut4 membrane translocation. Here, we have further investigated the regulatory effects of ClipR-59 on AS160 phosphorylation and subsequent adipocyte glucose transport. Our data showed that ClipR-59 interacted with AS160, which was mediated by the ankyrin repeats of ClipR-59 and regulated by insulin signaling. Moreover, the data also demonstrated that the interaction of ClipR-59 with AS160 was required for ClipR-59 to modulate Glut4 membrane translocation as ΔANK-ClipR-59, an AS160 interaction-defective mutant, failed to promote AS160 phosphorylation, Glut4 membrane translocation, and glucose transport induced by insulin in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Because ClipR-59 also interacts with Akt and enhances the interaction between Akt and AS160, we suggest that ClipR-59 functions as a scaffold protein to facilitate Akt-mediated AS160 phosphorylation, thereby regulating glucose transport.
Human homologue of mouse lymph node homing receptor: evolutionary conservation at tandem cell interaction domains

Abstract A cDNA clone homologous to the mouse lymph node homing receptor core protein (mLHRc) was isolated from a cDNA library derived from stimulated human peripheral blood lymphocytes. Human RNA blot analysis shows a tissue and cell-line distribution of transcript expression generally parallel to that seen in the mouse, with expression confined to lymphoid tissues and some cell lines. Genomic DNA analysis suggests a low-copy gene under high-stringency conditions. The complete nucleotide sequence predicts a mature protein of 334 amino acids, identical in length to mLHRc. The protein shows striking conservation globally between human and mouse sequences. In particular, all three genre of protein interaction domains identified in the mouse--an animal lectin domain, an epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like domain, and two homologous repeat units preserving the motif of complement regulatory proteins (CRP)--are present in the human protein (hLHRc), and maintain the same tandem arrangement. The lectin and EGF-like regions are the most homologous, while the CRP domains are less conserved between species. The two CRP units in hLHRc are distinct from those in mLHRc in that they are homologous to one another rather than identical, suggesting strong pressure for maintenance of two repeats in this molecule. hLHRc is distinct from other kinds of lymphocyte adhesion molecules represented by VLA-4 (integrin) or CD44/gp90Hermes and, together with mLHRc and two other recently described molecules having a similar domain motif, defines a novel class of adhesion molecules exhibiting distinct evolutionary features. We propose that hLHRc likely represents the protein core of the human homologue of mLHRc functionally as well as structurally.
Annealing study on single crystal Tl-2223 superconductors

Abstract We have shown that crystals in the TlCaBaCuO system are robust to anneals (oxygen, vacuum or 10%H 2 /90%N 2 ) to 500°C. Improvements in the superconducting properties, as determined from Meissner data, are observed for anneals above 300°C and suggest that as-grown crystals may not have fully equilibrated during growth despite an extended cool down cycle. There appears to be no systematic shift in T c with oxygen content in the TlO layer. Single crystal X-ray structure refinements have determined small atomic displacements which, in part, suggest the possibility of small amounts of Tl 1+ being present in the TlO layer of as-grown crystals which subsequently oxidizes during mild oxygen anneals to Tl 3+ . Hence, changes in oxygen content may not result in altered carrier concentration in the CuO layers. Further, the nature of the oxygen position in the TlO layer, as determined by the usual least-squares refinement of X-ray data, appears to be related to the amount of oxygen present in the particular sample.
Regression analyses of bias on the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children

Abstract The Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) has been touted in the popular press and the publisher's advertising as a nonbiased measure of children's intellectual functioning. The claims are based substantially on a reduction of the mean differences in overall test performance between blacks and whites on the K-ABC. However, mean differences are the most often rejected indicators of test bias by most serious psychometricians, and while the issue of bias is complex and requires multiple approaches, one necessary test of bias requires a comparison of the predictive validity of the scale for blacks and for whites. The present study reports on the results of an investigation of the criterion-related validity of the K-ABC, predicting reading comprehension, arithmetic, and general achievement, for large samples of blacks and whites tested during the standardization of the battery. The statistical technique of Potthoff is used to test for bias under the regression definition of Cleary. The results are reported separately for several age groups. The Sequential and Mental Processing Composite scales tended to overpredict black children's academic levels, especially on the K-ABC achievement scales. Some differences also occurred with the Simultaneous Processing scale but with less frequency.
USE OF INJECTABLE PROGESTIN (medroxyprogesterone acetate) IN ADOLESCENT HEALTH CARE

To assess medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) prescription practices in adolescent health care practices, an anonymous questionnaire was distributed to 160 American and Canadian physicians attending the 1991 meetings of either the Society for Adolescent Medicine or the North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. Of 54 (33.7%) physicians who responded, 33 (61.1%) reported prior prescription of an injectable progestin (DMPA) as a form of birth control. Of those, 15 (45.5%) had prescribed it to 10 or more adolescents. Twelve (57%) pediatricians but only 3 (25%) gynecologists reported prescribing DMPA to 10 or more adolescents (p = 0.074). Female physicians were more likely to have prescribed DMPA to adolescents than male physicians (p = 0.009). Mental retardation was considered the strongest "potential indication" for DMPA administration by 48 physicians responding to a 5-point Likert scale. The study suggests that physicians with interest or expertise in Adolescent Medicine are using DMPA as a form of birth control for selected young women in spite of the lack of Food and Drug Administration approval. A centralized DMPA registry is suggested to monitor adverse outcomes in users.
Performance monitoring and stop signal inhibition in abstinent patients with cocaine dependence

Impulsivity has been associated with drug abuse and relapse. As a measure of impulsivity, response inhibition in a stop signal task is impaired in substance abusers compared to healthy control subjects. However, cognitive processes besides response inhibition can affect performance in the stop signal task. Greater response readiness to the go signal increases stop signal reaction time (SSRT) and greater performance monitoring elicited by the stop signal decreases SSRT. Prolonged SSRT, therefore, may reflect differences in these other task-related cognitive processes rather than impaired response inhibition. Using a tracking stop-signal task, we compared 18 abstinent cocaine dependent patients with 41 age- and education-matched healthy controls. We computed SSRT for each individual subject on the basis of the horse race model. We also computed the fore-period (FP) effect to measure response readiness to the go signal and the post-signal slowing (PSS) effect to measure performance monitoring to the stop signal. Cocaine subjects showed increased SSRT and decreased PSS effect, compared to healthy controls. Covariance adjustment for the PSS effect eliminated the SSRT difference from healthy controls. These results suggest that diminished performance monitoring can be a critical cognitive mechanism underlying impaired response inhibition in cocaine dependent patients.