cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Repeated Cocaine Administration Attenuates Group I Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor-Mediated Glutamate Release and Behavioral Activation: A Potential Role for Homer

The present study aimed to characterize a functional role for group I metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) in the nucleus accumbens and the capacity of repeated cocaine to elicit long-term changes in group I mGluR function. Reverse dialysis of the group I agonist ( RS )-3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine (DHPG) into the nucleus accumbens resulted in an increase in extracellular glutamate levels that was mediated by the mGluR1 subtype and depended on voltage-dependent Na+ and Ca2+conductance. At 3 weeks after discontinuing 1 week of daily cocaine injections, the capacity of DHPG to induce glutamate release was markedly reduced. Similarly, DHPG induced an mGluR1-dependent increase in locomotor activity after microinjection into the nucleus accumbens that was significantly blunted 3 weeks after repeated cocaine administration. Signaling through group I mGluRs is regulated, in part, by Homer proteins, and it was found that the blunting of group I mGluR-induced glutamate release and motor activity after repeated cocaine was associated with a reduction in Homer1b/c protein that was selective for the medial nucleus accumbens. These data show that repeated cocaine produces an enduring inhibition of the neurochemical and behavioral consequences of stimulating mGluR1 that is accompanied by changes in the mGluR scaffolding apparatus.
Exploring M33 Through RR Lyrae Stars

Recent surveys have detected RR Lyrae stars in M33, the Triangulum Galaxy. These variable stars are excellent tracers of ancient stellar populations. The RR Lyrae stars have been used to estimate metallicities at various locations within M33, as well as determining the distance to the galaxy. A summary of the M33 RR Lyrae stars is presented here as well as an analysis on what their properties imply for the unique M33 galaxy
For Whom Are We Building These Gems? Redefining Impact at the Museo Textil de Oaxaca

Can museums still be valuable to populations that don’t visit them? The city of Oaxaca, Mexico is home to a flourishing museum scene, but despite a desire by those museum professionals to serve the Oaxacan community, the city’s museums largely lack a local visiting base. This article, which reflects on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Oaxaca in 2010, explores the implications of the disjunction between intention, assumption, and reality in some of Oaxaca’s museums, especially the Museo Textil de Oaxaca, a small private textile museum in the city’s historical center. By considering the museum’s inherent value and its innovative attempts to tangibly impact a specific community outside of the museum edifice, I suggest a way to rethink impact in museums by, in effect, turning them inside out: shifting the focus away from “public value driven by a universal right to cultural access” (Stein 2012, 219), toward more tangible, external outcomes, including direct interventions in the dynamic world beyond the quiet galleries.
The NCTM Process Standards and the Five Es of Science: Connecting Math and Science

This study investigates defining characteristics among the process standards of the Principles and Standards for School Mathematics and the 5 Es from the National Science Education Standards and the Inquiry and the National Science Education Standards. These characteristics are used to demonstrate similarities and differences between the learning of mathematics and science, discuss implications from such, and argue for the integration of mathematics and science curriculum and instruction.
Intelligent multi-fiber interface module for high bit-rate interprocessor data transfer

An intelligent multi-fiber interface module (IMIM) is proposed for a multi-Gigabit inter-processor data transfer using wavelength division multiplexing (WDM). The IMIM features ultrafast nanosecond rate dataflow path reconfiguration speeds between multiple fibers of an optical data bus and parallel processors arranged in ring architecture. The IMIM exploits an arrayed-waveguide grating device and wavelength tuning in a compact non-coupler design.
THE RESPIRATORY DISTRESS SYNDROME AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE IN PREMATURE INFANTS

THE RESPIRATORY distress syndrome of the newborn period is recognized as a clinical entity predominantly afflicting newborn premature infants. Although disorders of the cardiovascular and central nervous systems as well as metabolic derangements are capable of causing a newborn infant to have dyspnea, in those who die the pathologist more frequently finds pulmonary disease. Microscopic examination of the premature infant9s lung often discloses atelectasis, emphysema, edema, pneumonia, hemorrhage, aspiration of amniotic debris and the presence of hyaline membrane. In a previous study a significant relationship between respiratory difficulty in early life, pulmonary roentgenographic abnormalities, and the presence of pulmonary hyaline membrane at necropsy was demonstrated. Curtis has most recently reviewed much of the literature relating to etiology and treatment of "hyaline membrane disease." The clinical manifestations of the syndrome, however, have been infrequently recorded. Miller and Jennison in a survey of more than 4,000 births indicated that the infants who died with hyaline-like material in the lungs had had symptoms characterized by marked respiratory difficulty including retraction of the lower chest wall on inspiration. Parmelee stated that dyspnea was frequently associated with retractions of the rib margins and lower sternum and that there also was grunting and cyanosis to a varying degree. Blystad showed that 15 of 25 dyspneic newborn prematures who died had hyaline membrane formation in the lungs. It is the purpose of this paper to present a clinical appraisal of the respiratory distress syndrome and further to demonstrate its relationship to the presence of pulmonary hyaline membrane at necropsy. CLINICAL DIAGNOSIS The newborn premature infant may manifest the respiratory distress syndrome by several physical findings. Characteristically he breathes as if he has glottic obstruction; intercostal retractions accompany strong inspiratory movements.
Voronoff to virion: 1920s testis transplantation and AIDS.

Bajic P, Selman SH., Rees MA. Voronoff to virion: 1920s testis transplantation and AIDS. Xenotransplantation 2012; 19: 337–341. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Abstract: Background: We address accusations linking AIDS with testis transplantation performed by a French surgeon, Serge Voronoff (1866–1951), and their implications in the future of animal-to-human organ transplantation. Methods: Biographical literature on Voronoff and scientific literature on xenotransplantation and the origin of HIV were reviewed. Results: In the 1920s, Serge Voronoff transplanted testes from primates into humans to revitalize them sexually and physically, making him one of the first surgeons to perform xenotransplantation–transplanting live tissues between species. In recent years, some have postulated that Voronoff’s transplants may have caused or contributed to the AIDS epidemic. However, consensus among virologists holds that HIV most likely originated from a chimpanzee virus known as simian immunodeficiency viruses (SIV) which many agree was transmitted to humans during the hunting of primates in the early 1900s. As these accusations have never been addressed, evidence is reviewed which refutes the claims. HIV isolate studies are summarized, which show that SIV was most likely transferred to humans from a chimpanzee species different from those used by Voronoff. Furthermore, literature suggests that Voronoff’s experiments were performed in Europe and the United States, not central Africa. Conclusions: Over 100 000 people await organ transplants, making the prospect of using animal organs to meet demand increasingly favorable. The accusations against Voronoff and others have led to increased concern over cross-species disease transfer. The evidence presented refutes those claims and is used to explain the need for further research into xenotransplantation.
Spontaneous Pulmonary Torsion Secondary to Left Upper Lobe Malignancy.

Journal of Thoracic Oncology ® • Volume 10, Number 11, November 2015 CASE REPORT A 72-year-old man with known left upper lobe moderately differentiated mucinous adenocarcinoma presented with shortness of breath 3 weeks after diagnosis, during ongoing work-up. Work-up to date demonstrated no evidence of metastatic disease. He was presumed to have postobstructive pneumonia and antibiotics started. Prior imaging was suspicious for pericardial invasion, so dedicated gated cardiac magnetic resonance imaging was performed. This demonstrated findings suggestive of pulmonary torsion (Fig. 1). Chest computed tomography was performed immediately thereafter and confirmed 180° torsion of the left upper lobe (Fig. 2). The patient was emergently taken for thoracic exploration. Obstruction of the left mainstem bronchus due to rotation was demonstrated upon flexible bronchoscopy. Upon entering the left hemi-thorax via thoracotomy, a 180° counterclockwise axial rotation of the lung around the hilum was identified. Anatomy was notable for the upper lobe being distended and
Effects of isoflavones on alcohol pharmacokinetics and alcohol-drinking behavior in rats

Puerarin, daidzin, and daidzein are 3 major isoflavonoid compounds isolated from Pueraria lobata, an edible vine used widely in China for various medicinal purposes. We studied the antiinebriation and the antidipsotropic effects of these antioxidants in rats. Daidzin and daidzein shortened alcohol-induced sleep time (loss of righting reflex) in rats that were given ethanol intragastrically but not in those given ethanol intraperitoneally. When daidzin was given to animals intragastrically with the ethanol solution, the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was found to peak later and be lower than in control rats that were given only the ethanol solution. BACs also receded more slowly if daidzin was fed to the animals. None of the 3 isoflavonoid compounds administered orally affected liver alcohol dehydrogenase or aldehyde dehydrogenase activities, as was reported for intraperitoneal administration. Further experiments indicated that the suppression of the BAC by daidzin was due mainly to delay of stomach emptying. All 3 compounds suppressed voluntary alcohol consumption in alcohol-preferring rats. The decrease in alcohol consumption was accompanied by an increase in water intake, so that the total volume of liquid consumed daily remained unchanged. Daily food consumption and body weight gain were not affected. Alcohol preference returned to baseline levels after the isoflavonoids were discontinued. We postulate that the suppression of alcohol reinforcement produced by these compounds is mediated centrally in the brain reward pathway.
Elements of cellular domain patterns in magnetic garnet films

Cellular patterns of magnetic domains observed in uniaxial garnet films are comprised of three elemental domain structures: stripe segments, threefold vertices that join these segments, and pentagonal structures that join five segments and contain trapped magnetic bubbles. We report observations of the stability and dynamics of these structures and show how they govern the evolution of cellular patterns in an external bias field ${H}_{B}$. Energy localized in the stripe segments acts as tension that drives the domain motion. A simple extension of the conventional model of stripe domains incorporates domain interactions in sparse patterns and gives access to the bias and configuration dependence of the stripe tension. We apply this formulation to an array of stripe domains to characterize the tension that arises in nonequilibrium patterns. Comparison with experiment indicates that sparse, disordered (mazelike) stripe patterns maintain equilibrium as ${H}_{B}$ is monotonically increased and shows the expected divergence in stripe spacing at ${H}_{B}$=${H}_{\mathrm{RI}}$, where ${H}_{\mathrm{RI}}$ is the run-in field for isolated stripe domains. In contrast, cellular patterns persist to ${H}_{B}$g${H}_{\mathrm{RI}}$, where the patterns are far from equilibrium.Vertex propagation is observed when the tensions in the adjoining stripe segments are unbalanced and leads to a reduction in total stripe length and cell density. The vertices are destroyed at a critical bias field ${H}_{V}$ (=0.79\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}4\ensuremath{\pi}M=151 Oe for our garnet sample) when the stripes are severed near the vertices. ${H}_{V}$ is the saturation field for cellular patterns and is significantly larger than that of any other observed domain configuration. Pentagonal bubble traps are also mobile and are destroyed by the collapse of the trapped bubble. A divergence of the average cell area which is limited by coercive friction occurs at the collapse field ${H}_{5}$ (=0.54 \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}4\ensuremath{\pi}M=103 Oe) of an isolated bubble trap. Nonequilibrium cellular states arise in the regime ${H}_{\mathrm{RI}l{H}_{B}l{H}_{5}}$ when bubble traps resist collapse and obstruct the topological evolution. Coercive drag on the domain motion also results in nonequilibrium configurations and in some cases alters the pattern topology. We employ an ac field component to mitigate the effects of coercivity, and find that an amplitude several times larger than the coercive field ${H}_{c}$ is required to produce smooth dynamics and ensure reproducible, metastable, stationary states.
The selective oxidation of mixed metal sulfides with lime in the presence of steam without emitting sulfur-containing pollutants

The selective oxidation of mixed metal sulfides with lime in the presence of steam was studied as a function of the mixing ratio of the constituents, temperature, and steam concentration. Two combinations of samples were used in this study: ZnS/PbS/CaO and ZnS/FeS/CaO. The steam oxidizes one or both of the metal sulfides, and the hydrogen sulfide produced reacts with lime to form calcium sulfide and regenerate steam. There is no net consumption or generation of gaseous species; therefore, this process can be carried out in a closed system. The free energy of the reaction is negative only for certain metal sulfides, and thus selective oxidation for mixed sulfides can be achieved. An overall rate equation developed in this work satisfactorily predicted the experimental data obtained in the temperature range 823 to 1113 K. The potential implications of the results of this work in the treatment of complex sulfide ores are discussed.
Familial testicular cancer: interest in genetic testing among high-risk family members.

Purpose: This study is part of an ongoing National Cancer Institute multidisciplinary, etiologically-focused, cross-sectional study of Familial Testicular Cancer (FTC). The current report targets interest in clinical genetic testing for susceptibility to FTC. Methods: Demographics, knowledge, health beliefs, and psychological and social factors were evaluated as covariates related to interest in genetic testing. Results: The majority (66%) of 229 participants (64 affected men, 66 unaffected men, and 99 women) from 47 multiple-case FTC families expressed interest in having a genetic test within 6 months, should such a test become available. Interest was similar among the three subgroups mentioned above. Worries about insurance discrimination based on genetic test results were associated with a significantly lower interest in testing. Alternatively, participants were more likely to be interested in genetic testing if they were younger and had higher levels of family support, a physician's recommendation supporting testing, cancer distress, and a need for information to inform the health care of their children. Conclusions: This study reveals social and relationship factors that FTC survivors and their relatives considered important when contemplating the use of new genetic technologies. This is the first study describing hypothetical interest in genetic testing for familial testicular cancer.
Arm/hand swelling and perceived functioning among breast cancer survivors 12 years post-diagnosis: CALGB 79804

Lymphedema is an under-reported and debilitating consequence of axillary node dissection among breast cancer survivors. This study describes the characteristics of arm and hand swelling in relation to perceived physical and mental health functioning among breast cancer survivors 9–16 years post-diagnosis who previously participated in a clinical trial coordinated by the Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB 8541). Eligible survivors of CALGB 8541 completed questionnaires assessing demographics, arm/hand swelling, perceived physical functioning, and mental health. Two hundred forty-five women (94% white, mean age = 63, on average 12.4 years post-diagnosis) completed questionnaires (participation rate = 78%). Seventy-five women (31%) reported arm/hand swelling since their surgery. Of these women, 76% reported current swelling and half reported constant swelling, mainly in the upper arm. Swelling was reported as mild or moderate in 88% of the women. Women who reported severe swelling had significantly worse physical functioning and trended toward worse depressive symptoms and poorer mental health (lower mental SF-36 scores) as well. Activity-limiting swelling was also significantly associated with worse physical functioning. Although swelling interfered with wearing clothing (36%) and perceptions about general appearance (32%), only 37% of women sought treatment for swelling. Arm/hand swelling is a chronic problem for a subgroup of long-term survivors of breast cancer, negatively affecting physical functioning. Educational efforts are needed as part of a comprehensive survivorship care plan to raise awareness about lymphedema so that survivors may identify this complication, seek treatment early, and potentially improve their physical functioning.
Variability in the management of hypertension and cost-effectiveness: methodology, community care results and potential cost reductions.

This study examined factors contributing to variability in the cost-effectiveness of managing hypertension using the Weinstein and Stason methodology. Empirical analysis was based on resource use and blood pressure data from 160 persons ages 25-64 in an urban community family practice center in 1976. The exploratory study presented results on blood pressure reduction, annual treatment costs, the importance of different cost factors, variability in management costs and potentials for increasing cost-effectiveness. For males cost-effectiveness estimates were similar to those of Weinstein and Stason , while the results for women were somewhat different due to less cost-effectiveness in hypertension management for older women. With small modifications in current Family Practice procedures the cost-effectiveness of managing hypertension appears to be able to be increased in many cases by as much as one-third.
Microscopic Polyangiitis Presenting as Membranoproliferative Glomerulonephritis

Microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) is characterized by pauci-immune necrotizing small vessel vasculitis without clinical or pathological evidence of necrotizing granulomatous inflammation. The kidney is the most often affected organ in the majority of patients with MPA, and renal manifestations are usually the first symptoms. Glomerular capillaries are affected most often, resulting in necrotizing glomerulonephritis, usually in a crescent formation, with no or few immune deposits able to be demonstrated at the sites of vasculitis and glomerulonephritis. We report a case of microscopic polyangiitis in both legs with pitting edema in a 50-year-old female. Laboratory findings showed hematuria, proteinuria, and a positive peripheral antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody. A renal biopsy revealed pauci-immune splitting and necrotizing capillary loop walls necrotizing vasculitis and membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN). With a diagnosis of MPA, she has been managed with high dose steroid and cyclophosphamide. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of MPA with MPGN.
Dopamine agonists at repeated "autoreceptor-selective" doses: effects upon the sensitivity of A10 dopamine autoreceptors.

Previous reports have established the ability of dopamine (DA) agonists to stimulate inhibitory DA autoreceptors at doses which minimally stimulate postsynaptic DA receptors, suggesting that hyperactive DA transmission may be controlled clinically by treatment with DA agonists. Little is known, however, about the possible loss of autoreceptor sensitivity that may occur after repeated treatment with low doses of DA agonists. Extracellular single cell recording and microiontophoretic techniques were used to measure the sensitivity of impulse-regulating DA autoreceptors on A10 DA cells in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) of chloral hydrate-anesthetized rats pretreated for seven days with repeated subcutaneous (s.c.) doses of the DA agonist apomorphine (APO). The ability of intravenous (i.v.) administration of the potent D2 DA agonist quinpirole (QUIN) to inhibit the firing of A10 cells was not attenuated in rats pretreated with repeated low doses (2 x 50 micrograms/kg/day, s.c.) of APO for 7 days, although higher doses (2 x 250 or 500 micrograms/kg/day) did cause subsensitive responses to QUIN. In rats pretreated with repeated low doses of APO, microiontophoretic application of DA on A10 cells revealed somewhat subsensitive responses. However, ibotenic acid lesions of postsynaptic cells in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) prior to initiation of APO treatment (2 x 50 micrograms/kg/day) did not alter the response of A10 cells to systemic QUIN, contradicting the possibility that the feedback projection from the NAc to the VTA was compensating for autoreceptor down-regulation during systemic challenge with QUIN. In contrast, administration of the irreversible DA antagonist EEDQ (2 mg/kg, i.p.) to control and APO-treated rats (2 x 50 micrograms/kg/day) 24 hr prior to recording did reveal a difference in A10 cell sensitivity to systemic QUIN and to microiontophoretic DA between the two groups, suggesting that "spare" DA autoreceptors may have concealed the down-regulation of autoreceptors induced by repeated low doses of APO. Challenge of A10 DA cells with the partial DA autoreceptor agonist (-)-3-(3-hydroxyphenyl)-N-n-propylpiperidine [(-)3-PPP], for which an autoreceptor reserve should not exist, produced slightly attenuated responses in APO-treated rats (2 x 50 micrograms/kg/day). These findings provide evidence for the existence of spare somatodendritic DA autoreceptors on A10 DA cells with respect to potent DA agonists, suggesting that repeated administration of "autoreceptor-selective" doses of DA agonists may not result in a diminished inhibition of DA neuronal activity.
Clear cell neoplasm.

We are reporting four cases of clear cell neoplasm. Local infiltration and destruction was observed in one case while in a second case, originating in the sublingual gland, metastasis to the lymph nodes occurred. The behaviour of these neoplasms has prompted the suggestion that these tumours be designated carcinomas rather that noncommittally tumours or neoplasms (Batsakis and Regezzi, 1977). The histopathological characteristics of our four cases conform to those that have been articulated and believed to be the distinctive features of these tumours (Batsakis and Regezzi, 1977). It is hoped that ours and similar reports will be helpful towards clearing the diagnostic and taxonomic confusion regarding these tumours.
Embedded system security

From cars to cell phones, video equipment to MP3 players, and dishwashers to home thermostats - embedded computers increasingly permeate our lives. But security for these systems is an open question and could prove a more difficult long-term problem than security does today for desktop and enterprise computing. Security issues are nothing new for embedded systems. However, as more embedded systems are connected to the Internet, the potential damages from such vulnerabilities scale up dramatically. Internet connections expose applications to intrusions and malicious attacks. Unfortunately, security techniques developed for enterprise and desktop computing might not satisfy embedded application requirements.
Estimation of Field N Mineralization from Laboratory Incubation for Sugar Beet Production in Michigan

Abstract Optimum and economic sugar‐beet (Beta vulgaris L.) production requires an accurate prediction of the fertilizer nitrogen (N) required, and this in turn requires an accurate estimation of the quantity of N mineralized from soil organic matter. The objectives of this study were to 1) estimate cumulative net N mineralization (Nm) in a long‐term aerobic incubation study and 2) develop a model that predicts field cumulative net N mineralization (Nt) in Misteguay silty clay soil coupled with predictions of N lost in the 0- to 45‐cm depth. Laboratory data from soil incubations were fit to linear and one‐pool exponential models to predict field N mineralization. Rates of mineralization in linear and exponential models were adjusted for field air temperatures (T), and predicted cumulative net N mineralization (Nt) values were corrected for soil moisture content (W). Calculated field cumulative net N mineralization amounts were 93.5 N kg ha−1 and 84.1 N kg ha−1 in 1993 and 1994, respectively. Predicted amo...
Francisella Subverts Innate Immune Signaling: Focus On PI3K/Akt

Intracellular bacterial pathogens exploit host cells as a part of their lifecycle, and they do so by manipulating host cell signaling events. Many such bacteria are known to produce effector proteins that promote cell invasion, alter membrane trafficking and disrupt signaling cascades. This review highlights recent advances in our understanding of signaling pathways involved in host cell responses to Francisella tularensis, a facultative Gram-negative intracellular pathogen that causes tularemia. We highlight several key pathways that are targeted by Francisella, with a focus on the PI3K/Akt pathway. Lastly, we discuss the emerging role of microRNAs, specifically miR-155, as a key regulator of host signaling and defense.
Computerized attention retraining for individuals with elevated health anxiety.

Background and Objectives: Current cognitive-behavioral theorists conceptualize hypochondriasis as excessive health anxiety (HA). Growing evidence suggests that elevated HA is associated with attentional bias (AB) toward potential health-threat information. Design: This study aimed to examine the effects of attention retraining among individuals with elevated HA, using the established attention modification programs (AMP) designed to train participants to disengage attention from ideographically chosen health-threat words. Methods: Thirty-six randomly assigned individuals with elevated HA completed eight twice-weekly sessions of the AMP (n = 18) or the attention control condition (ACC; n = 18). Results: Despite using the well-established AMP protocol widely used within the field of anxiety disorders, we did not find evidence for change in AB following training. Further, AMP did not outperform ACC in reducing HA and other relevant emotional symptoms. However, both AMP and ACC evidenced overall significant ...
Climatic oscillations during the Precambrian era

A remarkably regular cyclicity with a fundamental period of ~11–12 cycles is preserved in the 680 million year old Elatina formation of South Australia. All but one of the many periods present can be interpreted as resulting from the combined influences of the sunspot cycle and the lunar nodal tide - in particular, beating between these two cycles gives rise to a long period phase alternation. Available paleontological evidence is used to constrain the lunar distance 680 Ma ago, thereby constraining the length of the lunar nodal tide. We then infer from the beat period that the sunspot cycle was 10.8 ± 0.2 years, which is in agreement with independent astronomical evidence suggesting that the sunspot cycle would then have been some 3–10% shorter than it is at present. Although this interpretation is not consistent with the 12.0 year sunspot cycle counted by Williams and Sonett (1985), we demonstrate that unavoidable random errors made in discriminating unusually indistinct varves gives rise to a systematic overcount of varves of this magnitude. The clarity of this evidence for solar and lunar signals in the climate 680 Ma ago lends support to reports of their importance today.
Architecture of Miocene overbank deposits in northern Pakistan

ABSTRACT Understanding the geometry of sediment bodies and patterns of sediment disruption in ancient fluvial overbank successions is fundamental to interpretations of overbank deposition. Overbank deposits of the fluvial Chinji Formation (Siwalik Group) can be divided into sequences 1-20 m thick defined by the alternation of stratified sediments and paleosols. Preservation of stratified sequences does not support a gradual vertical aggradation of overbank sediments over the extent of the floodplain, but instead indicates periods of rapid sediment deposition followed by long hiatuses and soil development. Rapid deposition of overbank sequences is predicted by models that hypothesize: (1) episodic vertical aggradation of the entire floodplain, (2) deposition controlled by the growth of alluvial ridges, (3) incision and filling of local valleys, (4) rapid filling of localized low areas, or (5) rapid deposition associated with river-channel avulsion. These models also have important implications for understanding fossil preservation and floodplain paleoecology. Paleosol-bounded sequences in the Chinji Formation can pinch out laterally over kilometers, indicating that episodes of rapid deposition were restricted to local areas on the floodplain. There is no evidence that bases of sequences are erosional, and they do not appear to record valley incision and filling. Sequences generally do not thin and fine systematically away from the terminating margins of major channel deposits, suggesting they are not related to the growth of alluvial ridges along active channels. Lithologic variations and patterns of sediment disruption within sequences appear to reflect the rapid tilling of low areas on the floodplain both adjacent to and distal from the major river channel. This infilling of floodplain topography may reflect a continuous process, whereby local areas were always being filled somewhere on the floodplain by sediments from minor tributary or crevasse channels. Alternatively, the filling of local flood-plain topography may have been caused by widespread but short-lived events associated with river-channel avulsion.
The relation between auditory-nerve temporal responses and perceptual rate integration in cochlear implants.

The purpose of this study was to examine auditory-nerve temporal response properties and their relation to psychophysical threshold for electrical pulse trains of varying rates (“rate integration”). The primary hypothesis was that better rate integration (steeper slope) would be correlated with smaller decrements in ECAP amplitude as a function of stimulation rate (shallower slope of the amplitude-rate function), reflecting a larger percentage of the neural population contributing more synchronously to each pulse in the train. Data were obtained for 26 ears in 23 cochlear-implant recipients. Electrically evoked compound action potential (ECAP) amplitudes were measured in response to each of 21 pulses in a pulse train for the following rates: 900, 1200, 1800, 2400, and 3500 pps. Psychophysical thresholds were obtained using a 3-interval, forced-choice adaptive procedure for 300-ms pulse trains of the same rates as used for the ECAP measures, which formed the rate-integration function. For each electrode, the slope of the psychophysical rate-integration function was compared to the following ECAP measures: (1) slope of the function comparing average normalized ECAP amplitude across pulses versus stimulation rate (“adaptation”), (2) the rate that produced the maximum alternation depth across the pulse train, and (3) rate at which the alternating pattern ceased (stochastic rate). Results showed no significant relations between the slope of the rate-integration function and any of the ECAP measures when data were collapsed across subjects. However, group data showed that both threshold and average ECAP amplitude decreased with increased stimulus rate, and within-subject analyses showed significant positive correlations between psychophysical thresholds and mean ECAP response amplitudes across the pulse train. These data suggest that ECAP temporal response patterns are complex and further study is required to better understand the relative contributions of adaptation, desynchronization, and firing probabilities of individual neurons that contribute to the aggregate ECAP response.
Proliferation of non-neuronal cells in spinal cords of irradiated, immature rats following transection of the sciatic nerve

Transection of a peripheral nerve not only elicits changes in the injured neurons but also results in an increase in non-neuronal cells, considered by most workers to be neuroglia, in the region of these neurons. Since studies in this laboratory have shown that the neuroglial population of spinal cords of immature rats can be reduced markedly by ionizing radiation, the present investigation was undertaken to determine if this reaction would occur in the irradiated spinal cord following transection of the sciatic nerve. In order to answer this question the sciatic nerve was sectioned unilaterally at 17 days of age (14 days post-irradiation). Sham-irradiated littermates served as controls. Light microscopic examination showed an increase in non-neuronal cells throughout the gray matter on the side of axotomy in spite of a decreased neuroglial population in the 2,000 R and 3,000 R groups. These cells were scattered in the neuropil or were adjacent to injured neuronal perikarya in the anterior horn. Qualitatively similar reactions occurred in the 500 R and 1,000 R groups and in shamirradiated controls. Whether the magnitude of response is the same in all groups is currently under investigation, as are questions dealing with the origins of the reactive cells.
The division of labor and the market areas of manufacturing firms

A sociological framework for relating the division of labor to the market areas of manufacturing firms is reformulated. The growth of exchange and the dynamics of differentiation and integration are discussed as key processes that explain changes in these market areas from local to regional to multiregional to national and also the rise of industrial regions. A case study of nineteenth-century plow manufacturing in the United States illustrates the utility of the proposed framework.
Transfer and Success in the Acquisition of Verbal Properties in French and English

This study compares the acquisitional states of two groups of foreign language learners (a Francophone group learning English and an Anglophone group learning French) with a view to establishing the influence of Universal Grammar in the process. Specifically, the two groups (48 each) were asked to render acceptability judgments about 50 sentences in each language; the sentences exemplified syntactic properties [the permissability or impermissibility of fully tensed clausal complements, Exceptional Case Marking and Control structures (PRO)] associated with three verbs in the two languages (believe/croire, promise/promettre and want/vouloir).
Reaction dynamics of phenyl radicals (C6H5, X2A') with methylacetylene (CH3CCH(X1A1)), allene (H2CCCH2(X1A1)), and their D4-isotopomers.

Crossed molecular beam experiments were utilized to untangle the reaction dynamics to form 1-phenyl-methylacetylene [CH 3 CCC 6 H 5 ] and 1-phenylallene [C 6 H 5 HCCCH 2 ] in the reactions of phenyl radicals with methylacetylene and allene, respectively, over a range of collision energies from 91.4 to 161.1 kJ mol -1 . Both reactions proceed via indirect scattering dynamics and are initiated by an addition of the phenyl radical to the terminal carbon atom of the methylacetylene and allene reactants to form short-lived doublet C 9 H 9 collision complexes CH 3 CCHC 6 H 5 and C 6 H 5 H 2 CCCH 2 . Studies with isotopically labeled reactants and the information on the energetics of the reactions depict that the energy randomization in the decomposing intermediates is incomplete. The collision complexes undergo atomic hydrogen losses via tight exit transition states leading to 1-phenylmethylacetylene [CH 3 CCC 6 H 5 ] and 1-phenylallene [C 6 H 5 HCCCH 2 ]. The possible role of both C 9 H 8 isomers as precursors to PAHs in combustion flames and in the chemistry of circumstellar envelopes of dying carbon stars is discussed.
Hacking Is Not Random: A Case-Control Study of Webserver-Compromise Risk

We describe a case-control study to identify risk factors that are associated with higher rates of webserver compromise. We inspect a random sample of around 200,000 webservers and automatically identify attributes hypothesized to affect the susceptibility to compromise, notably content management system (CMS) and webserver type. We then cross-list this information with data on webservers hacked to serve phishing pages or redirect to unlicensed online pharmacies. We find that webservers running WordPress and Joomla are more likely to be hacked than those not running any CMS, and that servers running Apache and Nginx are more likely to be hacked than those running Microsoft IIS. We also identify several WordPress plugins and Joomla extensions that associated with compromise. Furthermore, using a series of logistic regressions, we find that a CMS's market share is positively correlated with website compromise. Surprisingly, we find that webservers running outdated software are less likely to be compromised than those running up-to date software. We present evidence that this is true for core WordPress software (the most popular CMS platform) and many associated plugins. Finally, we examine what happens to webservers following compromise. We find that under 5 percent of hacked WordPress websites are subsequently updated, but those that do are recompromised about half as often as those that do not update.
GADD45γ regulates the thermogenic capacity of brown adipose tissue

The coactivator peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator 1 α (PGC-1α) is widely considered a central transcriptional regulator of adaptive thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue (BAT). However, mice lacking PGC-1α specifically in adipose tissue have only mild thermogenic defects, suggesting the presence of additional regulators. Using the activity of estrogen-related receptors (ERRs), downstream effectors of PGC-1α, as read-out in a high-throughput genome-wide cDNA screen, we identify here growth arrest and DNA-damage-inducible protein 45 γ (GADD45γ) as a cold-induced activator of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) and oxidative capacity in BAT. Mice lacking Gadd45γ have defects in Ucp1 induction and the thermogenic response to cold. GADD45γ works by activating MAPK p38, which is a potent activator of ERRβ and ERRγ transcriptional function. GADD45γ activates ERRγ independently of PGC-1 coactivators, yet synergizes with PGC-1α to induce the thermogenic program. Our findings elucidate a previously unidentified GADD45γ/p38/ERRγ pathway that regulates BAT thermogenesis and may enable new approaches for the stimulation of energy expenditure. Our study also implicates GADD45 proteins as general metabolic regulators.
Teasing bits of information out of the CMB energy spectrum

Departures of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) frequency spectrum from a blackbody - commonly referred to as spectral distortions - encode information about the thermal history of the early Universe (redshift z < few x 10^6). While the signal is usually characterized as mu- and y-type distortion, a smaller residual (non-y/non-mu) distortion can also be created at intermediate redshifts 10^4 < z < 3 x 10^5. Here, we construct a new set of observables, mu_k, that describes the principal components of this residual distortion. The principal components are orthogonal to temperature shift, y- and mu-type distortion, and ranked by their detectability, thereby delivering a compression of all valuable information offered by the CMB spectrum. This method provides an efficient way of analyzing the spectral distortion for given experimental settings, and can be applied to a wide range of energy-release scenarios. As an illustration, we discuss the analysis of the spectral distortion signatures caused by dissipation of small-scale acoustic waves and decaying/annihilating particles for a PIXIE-type experiments. We provide forecasts for the expected measurement uncertainties of model parameters and detections limits in each case. We furthermore show that a PIXIE-type experiments can in principle distinguish dissipative energy release from particle decays for a nearly scale-invariant primordial power spectrum with small running. Future CMB spectroscopy thus offers a unique probe of physical processes in the primordial Universe.
How is User Interface Prototyping Really Done in Practice? A Survey of User Interface Designers

The iterative design and evaluation of user interface prototypes is central to the user-centered design process. Designers potentially use a variety of prototyping tools and technologies, ranging from simple art supplies to custom prototyping languages and environments. While we know anecdotally that a range of prototyping technologies are used, there exists little empirical research into what technologies designers actually use in practice, and how and why those technologies are used. To explore these issues, we developed an on-line survey, which was completed by 87 user interface researchers and professionals who attended the CHI 2008 conference. Our results not only provide insight into the current state of user interface prototyping in practice; they also suggest preliminary requirements for the next generation of user interface prototyping software.
Large-aperture (80-cm diameter) phase plates for beam smoothing on Nova

The authors have outfitted one beamline of Nova with random phase plates (RPPs) to spatially smooth the beam. The fabrication and characterization of large aperture (80-cm diameter) RPPs for use at 526.5 nm along with the performance of these optics on Nova are discussed. The present RPPs were fabricated by a conventional, although large scale vacuum deposition process. Fabrication of RPPs using a unique sol-gel coating process, which has been demonstrated at 15-cm diameter and can be scaled to the 80-cm diameter required for Nova, is also discussed.
Vasopressin-induced cytoplasmic and nuclear calcium signaling in cultured cortical astrocytes.

Abstract We sought to determine whether vasopressin V 1a receptor (V 1a R) mRNA detected in cortical astrocytes [Brain Res. Mol. Brain Res. 45 (1997) 138] was translated into functional receptors by investigating the effector calcium signaling cascade associated with the vasopressin V 1a receptor subtype. Analysis of intracellular calcium dynamics using the calcium-sensitive dye fura-2 AM indicated that exposure of cortical astrocytes to V 1 vasopressin receptor agonist, [Phe 2 ,Orn 8 ]-oxytocin, induced a marked dose-dependent increase in intracellular calcium which was abolished by depletion of extracellular calcium. V 1 agonist treatment induced a rapid increase in calcium signal in both the cytoplasm and nucleus, which was followed by an accumulation of the calcium signal in the nucleus, suggesting translocation of cytoplasmic calcium into the nucleus. The nuclear calcium signal was sustained for several seconds followed by translocation back to the cytoplasm. Following the nuclear-to-cytoplasmic calcium translocation, total free intracellular calcium concentration decreased. The dynamic calcium cytoplasmic and nuclear localization was confirmed by laser scanning confocal microscopy coupled with the calcium-sensitive dye fluo-3 AM. To determine the source of calcium, V 1 agonist-induced 45 Ca 2+ uptake and [ 3 H]IP 1 accumulation were investigated. V 1 agonist induced significant and rapid uptake of 45 Ca 2+ and a significant dose-dependent increase in [ 3 H]IP 1 accumulation in cortical astrocytes. To our knowledge, this is the first documentation of a vasopressin receptor-induced calcium signaling cascade in cortical astrocytes and the first documentation of vasopressin receptor induction of nuclear calcium signaling.
Antihormone treatment of stage IV breast cancer.

The antiestrogen Tamoxifen (T), given orally to 113 patients with stage IV breast cancer, induced objective remission in 50%. Duration of remission in the first 39 patients, with minimum 27 months follow up, is 18+ months; these results are equal to those of surgical hypophysectomy. T prolonged survival in responders. Older age, previous response to endocrine therapy and positive estrogen receptors predicted response to T. T was effective in hypophysectomized patients in whom serum growth hormone and prolactin were undetectable, but serum estrogens were present in low amount, suggesting a direct stimulatory effect of estrogens at the tumor level. Hypophysectomy induced further palliation after treatment with T, indicating that pituitary hormones may also play a role in the growth of some human breast cancers. Side effects from T were minimal. T is the initial treatment of choice for postmenopausal women with hormone responsive stage IV breast cancer. Cancer 43:444–450, 1979.
Triangular FM Based Discrete Frequency-Coding Waveform Sets

This paper proposes good Discrete Frequency-Coding Waveform sets formed via digitizing the instantaneous frequency of analog Triangular FM code sets. Closed-form mathematical expressions are given in this paper using which the proposed waveform sets can be easily generated, after specifying the key design parameters. The proposed waveform sets are shown to possess very good correlation properties that are superior to existing Discrete Frequency-Coding Waveform sets in the literature. Moreover, a special case of the proposed sets is shown to have desirable Doppler properties in addition to the good correlation properties. The proposed sets are suited for MIMO radars and Orthogonal Netted Radar Systems.
Clinical applications of a real-time scanning-slit confocal microscope designed for real-time observations of the in-vivo human cornea

We describe a new, real-time, flying slit confocal microscope, that has unique features and imaging characteristics for in vivo human ocular imaging. In vivo real-time confocal microscopy is currently used to investigate the tear film, renewal of the ocular surface, the role of epithelial innervation in epithelial cell proliferation, wound healing, kinetics of drug penetration, the effects of laser refractive surgery on the keratocyte activation and distribution in the stroma, and the nature of endothelial defects. The following clinical examples will be presented and discussed: confocal microscopy of normal human basal and wing cells in the epithelium, confocal microscopy of lamellar and penetrating corneal grafts, confocal microscopy of corneal ulcer, confocal microscopy of scar formation after herpes keratitis, and confocal microscopy of corneal innervation. The use of scanning slit confocal microscopes has unique advantages over other instrumental systems based on pinhole-containing Nipkow disks (tandem-scanning confocal microscopes) for clinical in vivo confocal microscopy.