cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Pharmacology of Alcohol and Drugs and Sexual Responsivity

The human sexual response has been divided into four phases by Masters and Johnson on the basis of identifiable and measurable responses during sexual activity. The first phase is excitement, followed sequentially by the plateau, orgasmic, and resolution phases. The derivation of these phases has been based on interviewing and measuring the behavioral and physiological accompaniments of the human sexual response in hundreds of subjects (1).
Synthetic, electrochemical, spectroscopic, and structural studies of mixed sandwich Co(III) complexes involving Cp or Cp* with tridentate N-donor and S-donor macrocycles

Abstract The syntheses, structures, spectroscopy, and electrochemistry for four Co(III) mixed sandwich mononuclear complexes involving tridentate macrocycles and either cyclopentadienyl (Cp) or pentamethylcyclopentadienyl (Cp*) are reported. All complexes have the general formula [Co(CpR)([9]aneX3)](PF6)2, where X = S, 1,4,7-trithiacyclononane, and R = Cp (1) or Cp* (2), or X = N, 1,4,7-triazacyclononane, and R = Cp (3) or Cp* (4), and exhibit a pseudo-octahedral structure involving the carbocyclic η5-CpR ligand and facial κ3-donation from the macrocycle. The structures for all six complexes are supported by 1H and 13C{1H} NMR spectroscopy, and the compounds 1, 2, and 4 are also characterized by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. The 1H NMR shows an AA′BB′ splitting pattern for the coordinated macrocycle, and the dispersion between the two sets of multiplets is dependent upon the identity of the macrocycle. The [9]aneN3 complexes show only a single reversible (4) or irreversible (3) +3/+2 reduction in the −1.0 to −1.4 V range vs. Fc/Fc+. The [9]aneS3 complexes show the same reversible (1) or quasi-reversible (2) reduction in the −0.6 to −0.9 V range vs. Fc/Fc+ as well as a quasi-reversible (1) or irreversible (2) +2/+1 reduction in the −1.5 to −1.8 V range vs. Fc/Fc+.
FreeSurfer 5.3 versus 6.0: are volumes comparable? A Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium study.

Automated neuroimaging methods like FreeSurfer ( https://surfer.nmr.mgh.harvard.edu/ ) have revolutionized quantitative neuroimaging analyses. Such analyses provide a variety of metrics used for image quantification, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) volumetrics. With the release of FreeSurfer version 6.0, it is important to assess its comparability to the widely-used previous version 5.3. The current study used data from the initial 249 participants in the ongoing Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium (CENC) multicenter observational study to compare the volumetric output of versions 5.3 and 6.0 across various regions of interest (ROI). In the current investigation, the following ROIs were examined: total intracranial volume, total white matter volume, total ventricular volume, total gray matter volume, and right and left volumes for the thalamus, pallidum, putamen, caudate, amygdala and hippocampus. Absolute ROI volumes derived from FreeSurfer 6.0 differed significantly from those obtained using version 5.3. We also employed a clinically-based evaluation strategy to compare both versions in their prediction of age-mediated volume reductions (or ventricular increase) in the aforementioned structures. Statistical comparison involved both general linear modeling (GLM) and random forest (RF) methods, where cross-validation error was significantly higher using segmentations from FreeSurfer version 5.3 versus version 6.0 (GLM: t = 4.97, df = 99, p value = 2.706e-06; RF: t = 4.85, df = 99, p value = 4.424e-06). Additionally, the relative importance of ROIs used to predict age using RFs differed between FreeSurfer versions, indicating substantial differences in the two versions. However, from the perspective of correlational analyses, fitted regression lines and their slopes were similar between the two versions, regardless of version used. While absolute volumes are not interchangeable between version 5.3 and 6.0, ROI correlational analyses appear to yield similar results, suggesting the interchangeability of ROI volume for correlational studies.
Carbon sequestration and nitrogen uptake in a temperate silvopasture system

Agroforestry systems (AFS) have the potential to foster long-term carbon sequestration and nutrient uptake. Yet, information on sequestration rates is still scarce, especially for AFS in temperate regions and for maturing AFS. This study aims to determine the rate and amount of carbon and nitrogen uptake in a 17-year-old northern red oak (Quercus rubra)–pecan (Carya illinoinensis) silvopastoral planting in Fayetteville, AR, USA. Seven oak and pecan trees were felled to develop AFS-specific allometric equations for above-ground biomass, carbon, and nitrogen. Tree-stand woody biomass (DWw), carbon (Cw) and nitrogen (Nw) and leaf biomass (DWL), carbon (CL), and nitrogen (NL) were calculated with these equations. Diameter at 1.37 m above ground (DBH) was measured annually, and a non-linear mixed-effect model was used to estimate absolute (AGR) and relative growth rates. DWw and Cw was 7.1 and 3.4 Mg ha−1 for pecan and 26.6 and 12.7 Mg ha−1 for oak, which corresponds to a carbon sequestration rate of 0.75 and 0.20 Mg C ha−1 yr−1, respectively. Total N uptake was approximately 66 and 71 g N tree−1 yr−1 for oak and pecan. The mixed-effect model with individual-tree-level random effects for all parameters provided the best representation of DBH growth of oak and pecan, likely due to the high heterogeneity of site characteristics. The AGR explained the non-linear plant growth and reached its maximum of 0.017 and 0.0179 m yr−1 for oak and pecan, respectively, 11 years after planting. This suggests that carbon and nitrogen uptake also declined after 11 years.
Advanced Glaucoma and Low Vision: Evaluation and Treatment

The hallmark of glaucoma is progressive vision loss, albeit in the early stages the vision loss is peripheral and often not discernible to the patient. Patients with advanced glaucoma may have significant vision loss, both peripheral and central, possibly with devastating impact on the patient’s ability to perform their activities of daily living. Advanced glaucoma can be one of the most challenging and difficult conditions for the vision rehabilitation specialist to treat. The degree of success with the rehabilitation therapies currently available is limited, and rehabilitation itself does not protect against further vision loss that may continue to worsen even with the best medical and surgical care available to the patient. When the patient incurs vision loss that is functionally disabling, it is incumbent on the eye care provider, either ophthalmologist or optometrist, to have a strategy for vision rehabilitation (low vision) in place. Some rehabilitation services are easily provided in the office setting, while others must be referred out of office to provide the services the patient needs.
Conversion of 4‐amino‐4H‐1,2,4‐triazole to 1,3‐bis(1H‐azol‐l‐yl)‐2‐aryl‐2‐propanols and 1‐phenacyl‐4‐[(benzoyl or 4‐toluenesulfonyl)‐imino]‐(1H‐1,2,4‐triazolium) Ylides

A series of 1,3-bis(1H-azol-1-yl)-2-aryl-2-propanols 17 were synthesized in an one-pot procedure by reacting l-aryl-2-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-l-yl)- or l-aryl-2-(1H-imidazol-l-yl)ethanones with dimethylsulfoxonium methide in the presence of either 1,2,4-triazole or imidazole. The aromatic groups in 17 were either 4-bromo-, 4-chloro-, 2,4-dichloro- or 2,4-difluorophenyl. 4-Amino-4H-1,2,4-triazole was acylated with either benzoyl or 4-toluene-sulfonyl chloride to afford [4-(benzoyl or 4-toluenesulfonyl)amino]4H-1,2,4-triazole. Subsequent alkylations with 4-bromo- or 4-chlorophenacyl bromide produced 1-(4-bromo- or 4-chlorophenacyl)-4-[(benzoyl- or 4-toluenesulfonyl)amino]-1H-1,2,4-triazolium bromides. Neutralizations of these salts provided the corresponding ylides.
Deep Learning Approach for Epileptic Focus Localization

The task of epileptic focus localization receives great attention due to its role in an effective epileptic surgery. The clinicians highly depend on the intracranial EEG data to make a surgical decision related to epileptic subjects suffering from uncontrollable seizures. This surgery usually aims to remove the epileptogenic region which requires precise characterization of that area using the EEG recordings. In this paper, we propose two methods based on deep learning targeting accurate automatic epileptic focus localization using the non-stationary EEG recordings. Our first proposed method is based on semi-supervised learning, in which a deep convolutional autoencoder is trained and then the pre-trained encoder is used with multi-layer perceptron as a classifier. The goal is to determine the location of the EEG signal that is responsible for the epileptic activity. In the second proposed method, unsupervised learning scheme is implemented by merging deep convolutional variational autoencoder and K-means algorithm for clustering the iEEG signals into two distinct clusters based on the seizure source. The proposed methods automate and integrate the features extraction and classification processes instead of manually extracting the features as done in the previous studies. Dimensionality reduction is achieved using the autoencoder, while the important spatio-temporal features are extracted from the EEG recordings using the convolutional layers. Moreover, we implemented the inference network of the semi-supervised model on FPGA. The results of our experiments demonstrate high classification accuracy and clustering performance in localizing the epileptic focus compared with the state of the art.
Extraarticular Calcaneal Body Fractures

While much attention is focused on intra-articular calcaneus fractures, about one in four calcaneus fractures are extraarticular. Specifically, extraarticular calcaneal body fractures represent an injury that is underrepresented in the literature. A heightened suspicion for diagnosing these injuries based on a patient’s history and physical exam is often required. While traditional calcaneal radiographs are the appropriate first-line imaging modality, computed tomography imaging is frequently used to better define the fracture patterns and evaluate any potential intra-articular injury.
DONOR SELECTION IN PATIENTS WITH LEFT VENTRICULAR ASSIST DEVICES

As limited donor hearts can lead to a prolonged wait time for heart transplantation (HTX), many candidates undergo implantation of durable left ventricular assist device (LVAD) as a bridge to HTX. We hypothesize that due to high surgical complexity of LVAD explant with HTX, transplant programs may
Direct laryngoscopy assisted fiberoptic intubation: A novel technique for the pediatric airway.

Abstract Objective To introduce a novel intubation technique for difficult pediatric airways. Methods This two-provider technique requires a direct laryngoscope and a flexible fiberoptic laryngoscope. One provider performs direct laryngoscopy which allows for introduction of the flexible laryngoscope. The second provider inserts the flexible laryngoscope with the endotracheal tube loaded, through the oropharynx in to the subglottis. Results We report three pediatric patients that were initially unable to be intubated by conventional methods. We were ultimately able to successfully intubate these patients with difficult airways using our novel technique. Conclusions We found that this technique of direct laryngoscopy assisted flexible fiberoptic intubation is a useful adjunct in select pediatric difficult airway patients.
Synthesis, crystal structure, and thermal behavior of a diiron toluenethiolate complex with triphenylphosphine coligand

A bis(p-toluenethiolato) dinuclear-carbonyl complex with triphenylphosphine coligand, [μ-(SC6H4CH3-p)2Fe2(CO)5(PPh3)], has been synthesized from [μ-(SC6H4CH3-p))2Fe2(CO)6] via facile CO substitution by PPh3 in 33% yield. The structure of [μ-(SC6H4CH3-p)2Fe2(CO)5(PPh3)] has been determined by X-ray crystallography and spectroscopic measurements. In the solid state, the compound adopts a butterfly conformation with anti-orientation of the p-tolyl groups and apical position of triphenylphosphine. Thermogravimetric studies reveal that [μ-(SC6H4CH3-p)2Fe2(CO)5(PPh3)] undergoes sequential decomposition eliminating all of the CO ligands at ca 197 °C, followed by cleavage of the tolyl and PPh3 groups below ca 258 °C.
More than fun and games? Understanding the role of school-based mentor-mentee match activity profiles in relationship processes and outcomes

Abstract This study investigated associations between mentor-mentee activities and relationship outcomes of school-based mentoring. Multigroup three-step latent profile analysis (LPA) assessed whether youth could be classified into distinct profiles based on their mentoring relationship activities, and whether these profiles were similar when taking into account youth academic success. Furthermore, regression analyses examined whether activity profile membership of mentored youth predicted youth relationship process outcomes. Participants (N = 1110) were drawn from a national, randomized longitudinal study of youth in Big Brothers Big Sisters School-Based Mentoring Programs. Multigroup LPA results indicated a two-profile model, labeled Balanced and Instructional based on varying engagement in mentoring activities. Descriptive analyses revealed no differences in youth, mentor, and program characteristics across groups. Controlling for these characteristics, mentees in the Balanced profile demonstrated more relational benefits than youth in the Instructional profile. Research and practice implications are discussed.
Multiple Osteochondromas Comorbid With Enlarged Parietal Foramina, Elongated Styloid Processes, and Tibiofibular Synostosis.

Objectives This study investigates a unique case of multiple osteochondromas (MO) comorbid with enlarged parietal foramina and correlates the findings with the existing literature. The aim of this study is to provide a deeper understanding of anatomic variation for physicians. Methods A 66-year-old White male donor was examined during a routine cadaveric dissection performed by medical students in an anatomy laboratory. Detailed exploration of the skeleton and organs was performed, and photographs were taken. Tissue samples were obtained from multiple outgrowths, and histopathologic examination was done. Results Bilateral bony growths were noted rising from the long bones of the upper and lower extremities (femur, tibia, fibula, and radius). An accessory muscle was found to be associated with the left radial bony growth. Histopathologic examination was positive for osteochondroma. Inspection of the skull revealed enlarged parietal foramina. Other findings included tibiofibular synostosis, abnormally shaped vertebral bodies and ribs, and elongated styloid processes of the skull. Conclusions In combination with the histopathologic examination, the case report and literature review elucidate a more precise clinical picture for those affected with MO or similar disorders. This report also emphasizes the necessity of further investigation of the pathogenesis of MO and Potocki-Shaffer syndrome.
Erasing motion: Scrambling direction selectivity in visual cortex during saccades

Abstract A prominent feature of sensory processing is the ability to distinguish whether the activation of the sensory periphery is caused by changes in the external world or by the animal’s own actions1. Saccades, rapid eye movements executed by animals across phyla2–4, cause the visual scene to momentarily shift on the retina. The mechanisms by which visual systems differentiate between motion of the visual scene induced by saccades from motion due to changes in the external world are not fully understood. Here, we discovered that in mouse primary visual cortex (V1), the two types of motion evoke distinct patterns of activity across the population of neurons. As a result, a decoder of motion direction trained on the response to motion in the external world fails to generalize when tested on the response to saccades that induce similar motion on the retina. This is because during saccades, V1 combines the visual input with a strong non-visual input arriving from the pulvinar nucleus of the thalamus. This non-visual input is an efference copy – a copy of the oculomotor command that differs depending on the direction of the saccades. Silencing the pulvinar prevented the non-visual input from reaching V1, such that the pattern of activity in V1 was now similar no matter whether the motion was generated in the external world or by saccades. Thus, the pulvinar input to V1 ensures differential responses to the external and self-generated motion and may prevent downstream areas from extracting motion information about visual stimulus shifts generated by saccades. Changing the pattern of evoked activity through an efference copy may be a general mechanism that enables sensory cortices in mammals to distinguish between external and self-generated stimuli.
A multi-study examination of attachment and implicit theories of relationships in ghosting experiences:

Ghosting is a dissolution strategy where the initiator ends all communication with the other person, ignoring attempts to reestablish the interaction. We examined the associations between attachmen...
Approach to Resistant Hypertension from Cardiology and Nephrology Standpoints: Tailoring Therapy

Resistant hypertension is commonly encountered in primary care, cardiology, and nephrology clinics. In patients presenting for the evaluation of resistant hypertension, taking a thoughtful approach to excluding pseudoresistant hypertension or a secondary cause of hypertension is important. When a patient is deemed to have true resistant hypertension, following an evidence-based treatment approach while considering patient-specific comorbidities results not only in better blood pressure control but also better patient long-term adherence to lifestyle and pharmacologic interventions. This article details an approach to the diagnosis and treatment of resistant hypertension with special consideration for patients with preexisting renal and/or cardiovascular disease.
On the phytoscreening potential of insect-induced plant galls

Detecting belowground chemical contamination is a challenging environmental problem due to subsurface heterogeneity and limited monitoring capabilities associated with labor-intensive, intrusive, and costly sampling techniques. With their extensive root systems, vascular plants are an easily accessible aboveground link to the subsurface. Therefore, plant tissues, particularly tree cores, are used in phytoscreening applications for detecting belowground chemical contaminants. While phytoscreening has been evolving as an alternative to traditional sampling, this method has caveats: (a) easier to harvest tissues such as leaves and twigs tend to exhibit lower concentrations than tree cores; (b) coring can negatively influence tree health; and (c) trees may be unavailable for sampling at all sites. Therefore, less invasive techniques that incorporate plants other than trees could be more effective phytoscreeners. Here, we explore the use of insect-induced plant galls–that can be found on many vascular plant species–for their phytoscreening capabilities. Driven by observations that they can act as sinks for extraordinary high concentrations of nutrients during development, we tested the following hypothesis: galls will accumulate belowground chemical contaminants in higher concentrations compared to other aboveground plant tissues. Specifically, we measured and compared the concentrations of two contaminant types, inorganic heavy metals (HMs) and a volatile organic compound (VOC) and known human carcinogen, 1,4-dioxane, in four aboveground plant tissue types (leaf, twig, core, fruit) and insect-induced plant gall, across three plant types (shrub, tree, vine) sampled from contaminated areas. Twelve different HMs were present in shrubs, and 1,4–dioxane was present in both trees and vines; however, the concentrations of each contaminants varied quantitatively across plant tissue types. While galls accumulated the lowest concentrations of HMs, they accumulated the highest concentration of 1,4-dioxane, at five-times that of tree cores. Given they can be found on many vascular plant species and are easy to collect when they are locally abundant, with further development, galls may be a powerful alternative for detecting belowground chemical contamination, particularly for VOCs in urban areas. We discuss the dichotomy in the ability of galls to detect inorganic HMs versus VOCs, and outline future questions that should be considered to further develop galls for phytoscreening application.
All intersectionality is not the same: Why Kamala Harris is our vice president and not Stacey Abrams

In his campaign for president, Joseph R. Biden emerged as a frontrunner after pledging to select a vice president who has a different identity than his own. As the most loyal demographic for the De...
Monte Carlo Simulation: The Effects of Migration on Some Measures of Genetic Distance

Genetic distances, and the genetic networks derived from them, have been used to reconstruct probable relationships among human populations and to trace their descent from some common ancestral group. But, if gene frequency data are to be used as a means of deducing the relatedness of populations, then one needs information on the effects of mating practices, nonrandom migration, and age-dependent fertility and mortality on genetic differentiation. For most human populations which are suitable for genetic study, the necessary data on population history, in particular on population numbers and on rates of birth, death, and migration through time, are unavailable. Equally troublesome is the inadequacy of data on genetic differences in fertility, mortality, and nuptiality, and the uncertainty as to the possible influence of such selection on genetic differentiation. In short, very little is known about the expected behavior of genetic distances under various genetic and demographic conditions. We would seem to be in the awkward position of trying to investigate the factors which influence distance measures by studying human populations, and also trying to study the relatedness of these populations by computing distance measures.
Multiple Relative Marking in 19th Century West Rumelian Turkish

West Rumelian Turkish (WRT) refers to the dialects of Turkish spoken in the western Balkans. It is now spoken primarily in Macedonia and Kosovo, but was previously spoken more broadly in Bosnia, Greece, Albania, and Serbia. They differ from other dialects of Turkish in that they have been heavily affected by neighboring Indo-European languages like Serbian, Albanian, Aromanian, Romani, and Greek, and have undergone many of the changes characteristic of the Balkan Sprachbund (Friedman 2003). In this paper, I present a pattern of multiply-marked relative clauses in Pulevski’s Turkish that has not been attested elsewhere in Turkic, in which relative clauses can be marked with one of six different combinations of overt participial morphology. I argue that this variation is caused by two factors: first, the fusion of the constructions { ci + finite verb} and {participle} into a new construction { ci + participle} and second, the introduction of relative marking using the interrogative ‘which’ based on models in surrounding Indo-European languages.
A National Policy for Affirmative Action in Higher Education

Affirmative action in higher education has been a focus of increasingly serious controversy in recent years. Part of the trouble lies within institutions of higher education themselves, where there is frequently a conflict between women and minorities, on the one hand, pressing for more vigorous enforcement of affirmative-action policies and, on the other, vigorous opposition by some (but by no means all) white male faculty members to the enforcement of affirmative-action plans. Part of the trouble—and probably the most serious part—stems from the cumbersome and inept federal enforcement of affirmative action in relation to higher education.
Redox Cycling of Iron Supports Growth and Magnetite Synthesis by Aquaspirillum magnetotacticum.

Under anaerobic conditions and in the absence of alternative electron acceptors, growth of the magnetic bacterium Aquaspirillum magnetotacticum MSI was iron concentration dependent. Weak chelation of the iron (with quinate, oxalate, or 2,3-dihydroxybenzoate) enhanced growth, whereas strong chelation (with EDTA, citrate, or nitrilotriacetic acid) retarded the growth of strain MSI relative to that of controls lacking chelators. Growth was proportional to the percentage of unchelated iron in medium containing EDTA in various molar ratios to iron. Addition of the respiratory inhibitors antimycin A (5 μM), NaCN (10 mM), and NaN3 (10 mM) inhibited growth with Fe(III) or NO3- as the terminal electron acceptor. Growth with O2 and NO3- was inhibited by 2-heptyl-4-hydroxyquinolone-N-oxide (HOQNO) but not with 2 mM Fe(III). Under strongly reducing conditions, strain MS1 survived but grew poorly and became irreversibly nonmagnetic. Growth and iron reduction in anaerobic cultures were stimulated by the provision of small amounts of O2 or H2O2. Slow infusion of air to cultures which had reduced virtually all of the Fe(III) in the medium (2 mM) supported a high rate of iron reoxidation (relative to killed controls) and growth in proportion to the amount of iron reoxidized. Oxygen consumption by iron-reducing cultures was predominantly biological, since NaCN and HOQNO both inhibited consumption. Inhibition of oxygen consumption (and iron reoxidation) by the addition of ferrozine and the inhibition of iron oxidation (and oxygen consumption) by the addition of HOQNO suggest that iron oxidation by strain MS1 is an aerobic respiratory process, perhaps tied to energy conservation. Iron oxidation was also necessary for magnetite synthesis, since in microaerobic denitrifying cultures, sequestration of reduced iron by ferrozine present in 10-fold molar excess to the available iron resulted in loss of magnetism and a severe drop in the average magnetosome number of the cells.
Effect of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide on uterine blood flow in pregnant ewes

Abstract Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide has been localized in the uterine vasculature, uterine smooth muscle and the placenta of several species. Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide is a potent uterine vasodilator in nonpregnant sheep and also abolishes spontaneous uterine contractile activity, but the effects of this polypeptide on the uterine vasculature of the pregnant animal is currently unknown. The present experiments were performed in seven late-term pregnant sheep which were chronically catheterized to evaluate the uterine vascular effects of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide. An intra-arterial catheter was placed in a branch of the main uterine artery to allow administration of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide directly into the uterine vasculature. Uterine blood flow was continuously monitored via an electromagnetic flow transducer on both main uterine arteries. Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide infused at the rate of 1 to 30 μg/min produced dose-related reductions in uterine blood flow (33% ± 9% at 30 μg/min). This decrease was due to a reduction in systemic arterial blood pressure, since calculated resistance in the uterine vasculature that received the vasoactive intestinal polypeptide did not change significantly. In addition, the contralateral uterine vasculature that did not receive direct intra-arterial infusions of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide showed identical changes. These data suggest that vasoactive intestinal polypeptide produces peripheral vasodilation at doses which have very little uterine effect locally. These data can be interpreted to mean either that high local endogenous production of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide prevents exogenously administered vasoactive intestinal polypeptide from exerting its vascular effects, or that vasoactive intestinal polypeptide is a very weak uterine vasodilator in prognant ewes. The clarification of these possibilities will require further experimentation.
Tenascin knockout mice: barrels, boundary molecules, and glial scars

In light of a previous report suggesting that the brains of tenascin-deficient animals are grossly normal, we have studied the somatosensory cortical barrel field and injured cerebral cortex in postnatal homozygous tenascin knockout, heterozygote, and normal wild-type mice. Nissl staining, cytochrome oxidase, and Dil axonal tracing of thalamocortical axonal projections to the somatosensory cortex, all reveal the formation of normal barrels in the first postnatal week in homozygous knockout mice that cannot be distinguished from heterozygote or normal wild-type barrels. In addition to confirming the absence of tenascin in knockout animals, and reporting apparently reduced levels of the glycoprotein in barrel boundaries of heterozygote animals using well-characterized antibodies and immunocytochemistry, we also studied the DSD-1-PG proteoglycan, another developmentally regulated molecule known to be associated with transient glial/glycoconjugate boundaries that surround developing barrels; DSD-1-PG was also found to be expressed in barrel boundaries in apparently normal time frames in tenascin knockout mice. Peanut agglutinin (PNA) binding of galactosyl-containing glycoconjugates also revealed barrel boundaries in all three genotypes. We also examined the expression of tenascin-R, a paralog of tenascin-C (referred to here simply as tenascin). As previously reported, tenascin-R is prominently expressed in subcortical white matter, and we found it was not expressed in the barrel boundaries in any of the genotypes. Thus, the absence of tenascin does not result in a compensatory expression of tenascin-R in the barrel boundaries. Finally, we studied wounds of the cerebral cortex in the late postnatal mouse. The astroglial scar formed, for the most part, in the same time course and spatial distribution in the wild-type and tenascin knockout mice. However, there may be some differences in the extent of gliosis between the knockout and the wild type that warrant further study. Roles for boundary molecules like tenascin during brain pattern formation and injury are reconsidered in light of these findings on barrel development and cortical lesions in tenascin-deficient mice.
Comparative analysis of size estimation by mapping and counting number of blocks with ductal carcinoma in situ in breast excision specimens.

Abstract Context.—The size of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is a significant predictor of local tumor recurrence and is used for selection of patients for conservative versus aggressive therapy. A standardized method for size assessment is lacking. Objective.—To evaluate 2 commonly used methods for measurement of DCIS extent: one based on the distribution of the lesion in sequential series of sections (mapping method) and the other on the number of sections with DCIS (block method). Design.—Ninety-eight consecutive cases of DCIS, measuring at least 1.0 cm, were retrieved from our files. All specimens were serially sectioned along the long axis. The size of DCIS was calculated for each case by 2 different methods: (1) mapping method (average thickness of each slice × number of consecutive slices with DCIS) and (2) block method (number of blocks with DCIS × 0.3 cm). Additional calculations were performed by using 0.35, 0.4, and 0.5 cm as multiplication factors for the block method in order to improve conc...
Distribution of floating point numbers

The logarithmic distribution is commonly used to model mantissae of floating point numbers. It is known that floating point products of logarithmically distributed mantissae are logarithmically distributed, while floating point sums are not. In this paper a distribution for floating point sums is derived, and for a special case of logarithmically distributed mantissae the deviation of this distribution from the logarithmic distribution is determined.
Proteomes: Assessing Microbial Proteomes in the Environment

Applications of Proteome-Based Assessments in Environmental Microbiology Extraction of Proteins from Aquatic Environments Resolution and Display of Proteins Extracted from Environmental Samples Internet Resources for Environmental Microbial Proteome Assessment Keywords: methodology; proteomes
Effects of different β73 amino acids on formation of 14-stranded fibers of Hb S versus double-stranded crystals of Hb C-harlem

Hb S (alpha(2)beta(2)(6Glu-->Val)) forms polymers, while Hb C-Harlem (alpha(2)beta(2)(6Glu-->Val,73Asp-->Asn)) forms crystals upon oversaturation. Since the only difference between the two is the beta73 amino acid, it follows that this site is a critical determinant in promoting either polymerization or crystallization. Beta73 Asp in Hb S forms a hydrogen bond with beta4 Thr, while beta73 Asn in Hb C-Harlem may inhibit this interaction as well as increase the hydrophobicity at the EF helix beta6 Val acceptor sites. Two new beta73 Hb S variants (beta73 His and Leu) were constructed and analyzed to define other amino acids facilitating formation of Hb S-like polymers versus Hb C-Harlem-like crystals. The two variants that were chosen were expected to either (1) enhance formation of the beta73-beta4 hydrogen bond (beta73 His) or (2) inhibit it and increase the hydrophobicity of the EF helix beta6 Val acceptor sites (beta73 Leu). beta73 His Hb S formed fibers but at a lower concentration than Hb S, while beta73 Leu Hb S formed crystals but at a higher concentration than Hb C-Harlem. The solubility of beta73 His Hb S was (1)/(7) of that of Hb S, while the solubility of beta73 Leu Hb S was similar to that of Hb C-Harlem. The delay time prior to polymer or crystal formation depended on Hb concentration. The delay time for beta73 His Hb S was 10(5)-fold shorter than that for Hb S, while that for beta73 Leu Hb S was 10(5)-fold longer in 1.0 M phosphate buffer. NMR results indicate beta73 amino acid changes induce alteration in the beta-chain heme pocket region, while CD results indicate no change in the helical content of the variants. These results suggest that enhancing the beta73-beta4 hydrogen bond and/or induced changes in the heme pocket by the beta73 Asp to His change facilitate formation of Hb S-like fibers. Our results also suggest that removal of the beta73-beta4 hydrogen bond and enhancing the hydrophobicity of the EF helix beta6 Val acceptor sites by the beta73 Asp to Leu or Asn changes delay nuclei formation and facilitate formation of Hb C-Harlem-like crystals.
Three Forms of Spatial Temporal Feedforward Inhibition Are Common to Different Ganglion Cell Types in Rabbit Retina

There exist more than 30 different morphological amacrine cell types, but there may be fewer physiological types. Here we studied the amacrine cell outputs by measuring the temporal and spatial properties of feedforward inhibition to four different types of ganglion cells. These ganglion cells, each with concentric receptive field organization, appear to receive a different relative contribution of the same three forms of feed-forward inhibition, namely: local glycinergic, local sustained GABAergic, and broad transient GABAergic inhibition. Two of these inhibitory components, local glycinergic inhibition and local sustained GABAergic inhibition were localized to narrow regions confined to the dendritic fields of the ganglion cells. The third, a broad transient GABAergic inhibition, was driven from regions peripheral to the dendritic area. Each inhibitory component is also correlated with characteristic kinetics expressed in all ganglion cells: broad transient GABAergic inhibition had the shortest latency, local glycinergic inhibition had an intermediate latency, and local sustained GABAergic inhibition had the longest latency. We suggest each of these three inhibitory components represents the output from a distinct class of amacrine cell, mediates a specific visual function, and each forms a basic functional component for the four ganglion cell types. Similar subunits likely exist in the circuits of other ganglion cell types as well.
Modeling and Verifying Business Processes with Monterey Phoenix

Abstract Monterey Phoenix (MP) has been designed as a framework for system and software architecture modeling and verification with focus on modeling the system's and the environment's behaviors. With the development of more case studies, advantages in using MP for business process modeling and analysis applications are beginning to emerge. Models of business processes aim to capture high level operational activities and decision points of an organization, describing processes ranging from product lifecycle to government operations. Businesses and governments seeking to make improvements to their processes may model them for the purpose of seeking improvements in schedule and task execution, product quality, risk reduction, and lifecycle/operating costs. MP enables activities to be modeled as events with two basic relations: precedence and inclusion, making it a candidate modeling language for business process analysis. By offering high level abstractions for interaction behavior modeling and separating component behaviors from the component interactions, MP supports a multidimensional picture of concurrent behaviors, with overlapping threads of process phases and participating actors, including environment behaviors. MP models are executable and may be used to generate an exhaustive set of possible business process scenarios up to a given scope limit.
A Statistical Evaluation of Trends in the Water Quality of the Niagara River

Abstract Using water quality data collected at Niagara-on-the-Lake by the Water Quality Branch, Ontario Region, between 1975 and 1980, pH, alkalinity, total phosphorous, and nitrate concentrations are examined for changes over time. Moving averages, Spearman's rank correlation coefficient and regression methods, which model the seasonal cycle, are used. It appears that pH and alkalinity are decreasing, and nitrate increasing, but these changes do not occur for all months. Since river discharge did not change significantly in any month, the changes in pH, alkalinity, and nitrate are not due simply to changes in discharge. A change in total phosphorous concentrations over years was not detected.
Obstacle problems and isotonicity

Abstract For variational inequalities of an abstract obstacle type, a comparison principle for the dependence of solutions on the constraint set K is used to provide a continuity estimate.
Interannual variability in the longitudinal structure of the low-latitude ionosphere due to the El Niño–Southern Oscillation

[1] The ratio of monthly median foF2 values between the ionosondes at Maui (20.8°N, −156°E geographic; 21.2°N, −90.4°E geomagnetic) and Yamagawa (31.2°N, 130.6°E geographic; 20.6°N, −160.9°E geomagnetic) from January 1960 to June 1993 are used to investigate interannual variability in the wave-4 longitudinal structure of the low-latitude F region ionosphere. Analysis of Global Positioning System total electron content between January 1998 and December 2008 reveals that the ratio between these two locations is a suitable proxy for the amplitude of the wave-4 longitudinal structure in the Northern Hemisphere. Significant interannual variability is present in the foF2 ratio after removing the solar cycle and intra-annual variability. The remaining variability is thought to be due, in part, to changes in atmospheric and oceanic circulations arising from the El Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Wavelet analysis reveals that similar periodicities and occurrence times exist for the foF2 ratio monthly anomalies and sea surface temperature anomalies, represented by the Oceanic Nino Index (ONI). Furthermore, the yearly ONI extreme value is well correlated with the extreme value of the foF2 ratio monthly anomalies in the subsequent 5 months. This surprising connection is attributed to changes in tropospheric convection, and hence latent heating, associated with changing sea surface temperatures due to the ENSO. Changing distributions of latent heat tidal forcing are thought to induce changes in the strength of the upward and eastward propagating diurnal tide with zonal wave number s = −3 (DE3) which subsequently produces the observed changes in the amplitude of the wave-4 longitudinal structure through modulation of the electric fields generated by the dynamo mechanism in the ionospheric E region. Our results demonstrate that there is significant interannual variability in the ionospheric wave-4 longitudinal structure and further indicate that the ENSO phenomenon represents a source of ionospheric variability which has previously not been considered.
Interfacial charge transfer dynamics in small molecule-modified TiO 2 nanoparticles

Direct molecule-semiconductor interfacial charge transfer interactions have received considerable research attention for their applications in various fields. In this study, the dynamics of molecule-TiO 2 interfacial charge transfer complexes is monitored with femtosecond fluorescence upconversion and transient absorption. Small molecules (catechol, dopamine, benzhydroxamic acid, acetyl acetonate and salicylate)-modified TiO 2 nanoparticles are prepared and the complexation is followed with optical absorption measurements. Although little visible luminescence is observed from these molecule- TiO 2 nanoparticles, ultrafast emission in broad range of wavelengths is detected with fluorescence upconversion which is ascribed to the interfacial charge transfer emission. The charge transfer emission arose out of the radiative recombination of the electrons in the conduction band of TiO 2 with holes in the molecule. Femtosecond fluorescence anisotropy measurements have shown that the interfacial charge-transfer excitation is mostly a localized one for catechol, dopamine and benzhydroxamate modified TiO 2 nanoparticles. However, the possibility of delocalized charge-transfer excitations is observed for salicylate and acetyl acetonate-TiO 2 nanoparticles. The decay of the charge transfer emission is ascribed to the relaxation of the localized states to delocalized states in the TiO 2 conduction band. Transient absorption measurements have shown long-lived charge separation in the case of surface-modified TiO 2 nanoparticles. Further measurements on the influence of charge-transfer excitations on the interfacial electron transfer in surface-modified TiO 2 nanoparticles are being carried out.
Distribution of Landscape Types in the Global Historical Climatology Network

Abstract The Global Historical Climate Network version 2 (GHCNv.2) surface temperature dataset is widely used for reconstructions such as the global average surface temperature (GAST) anomaly. Because land use and land cover (LULC) affect temperatures, it is important to examine the spatial distribution and the LULC representation of GHCNv.2 stations. Here, nightlight imagery, two LULC datasets, and a population and cropland historical reconstruction are used to estimate the present and historical worldwide occurrence of LULC types and the number of GHCNv.2 stations within each. Results show that the GHCNv.2 station locations are biased toward urban and cropland (>50% stations versus 18.4% of the world’s land) and past century reclaimed cropland areas (35% stations versus 3.4% land). However, widely occurring LULC such as open shrubland, bare, snow/ice, and evergreen broadleaf forests are underrepresented (14% stations versus 48.1% land), as well as nonurban areas that have remained uncultivated in the pa...
Presence of natural suppressor cells in the chicken embryo spleen and the effect of virus infection of the embryo on suppressor cell activity

Spleen cells but not the thymus or the bursa cells of chicken embryos suppressed the in vitro mitogenesis of spleen cells of adult syngeneic or allogeneic chickens. The natural suppressor cell activity of embryo spleen was present at embryonation day 16, reached peak levels at embryonation day 18 and disappeared at hatch. The embryo spleen cells did not by themselves respond to phytohemagglutinin stimulation in vitro. The suppressive effect of embryonic spleen cells on adult spleen cells was present when the embryonic cells were added at the time of or after initiation of the adult spleen mitogenic cultures. When the embryonic cells were added to the cultures of adult spleen cells after the blastogenic response of the adult cells had peaked, the embryonic cells inhibited the incorporation of the label into adult spleen cell blasts. The suppressive activity of the embryonic spleen cells was mediated by soluble suppressor product(s) secreted by these cells, and direct cell-to-cell contact between embryonic and adult spleen cells was not necessary for suppression to occur. Infection of embryos with turkey herpesvirus and Marek's disease virus reduced the suppressor cell activity of embryonic spleen, although substantial residual suppressor cell activity remained in virus-infected embryos. Several pathogenic or non-pathogenic isolates of infectious bursal disease virus did not appreciably alter the suppressor cell activity of embryonic spleen cells.
A neutralizing monoclonal antibody against poliovirus and its reaction with related antigens.

Abstract A neutralizing monoclonal antibody against type 1 poliovirus reacted, not only with native virions (N-antigen) as expected, but also with naturally occurring RNA-free proteins shells (70 S) and with 14 S assembly subunits previously thought to lack N-antigenic sites. The latter finding has important implications for development of subunit vaccines for poliovirus and probably for other picornaviruses as well.
Bacterial iron–sulfur cluster sensors in mammalian pathogens

Iron–sulfur clusters act as important cofactors for a number of transcriptional regulators in bacteria, including many mammalian pathogens. The sensitivity of iron–sulfur clusters to iron availability, oxygen tension, and reactive oxygen and nitrogen species enables bacteria to use such regulators to adapt their gene expression profiles rapidly in response to changing environmental conditions. In this review, we discuss how the [4Fe–4S] or [2Fe–2S] cluster-containing regulators FNR, Wbl, aconitase, IscR, NsrR, SoxR, and AirSR contribute to bacterial pathogenesis through control of both metabolism and classical virulence factors. In addition, we briefly review mammalian iron homeostasis as well as oxidative/nitrosative stress to provide context for understanding the function of bacterial iron–sulfur cluster sensors in different niches within the host.
Tenants in Revolution The Tenacity of Traditional Morality

This essay presents a slice of a larger theoretical interpretation (Thaxton, 1975) of peasant revolution in China. It employs eclectic and empirical methods to probe and posit the origins and growth of participation by tenants in the rural revolution which burst forth in the grain-growing regions of Nortlh China from 19 11 to 1949. It draws on a vertical, patron-client model of political change to understand the erosion of elite legitimacy and utilizes a horizontal, class model of social conflict to explain the Chinese revolution as a special case of peasant revolt in Asia-a case in which exploitation in rural class relations has been so crushing as to grind out a critical mass of agrarian revolutionaries, including a stratum of degraded peasants within the villages.