cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Radiographic differentiation of mediastinal versus pulmonary masses in dogs and cats can be challenging

The ability to differentiate thoracic masses of mediastinal and pulmonary origins is often confounded by their complex spatial relationship. The objectives of this retrospective, observational cross-sectional study were to assess radiographic differentiation of mediastinal versus pulmonary masses, and to determine if there are any correlations with specific radiographic findings. Thoracic radiographs of 75 dogs and cats with mediastinal and/or pulmonary masses identified on CT were reviewed. Radiographic studies were anonymized, randomized, and reviewed twice by three reviewers. Reviewers categorized the origin of each mass(es) as mediastinal, pulmonary, or both. On the second review, the presence or absence of 21 different radiographic findings was recorded for each mass. Agreement between the radiographic and CT categorization of mass origin, as well as inter- and intraobserver agreement, was calculated. Overall agreement between radiographs and CT was moderate for both mediastinal (68.6%) and pulmonary masses (63%). Overall, interobserver agreement was moderate (κ = 0.50-0.74), with moderate to strong intraobserver agreement (κ = 0.58-0.93). Masses within the mediastinum were significantly more likely to displace other mediastinal structures. Alternatively, masses lateral to midline and in the caudal thorax were found to be significantly positively correlated with a pulmonary origin. The results of this study highlight the limitations of radiography for differentiation of mediastinal and pulmonary masses, with mass location and displacement of other mediastinal structures potentially useful for radiographic findings that may help improve accuracy.
Age-dependent hormesis-like effects of the synthetic cannabinoid CP55940 in C57BL/6 mice.

Use of cannabis and cannabinoid-containing substances is increasing among geriatric patients, despite relatively sparse preclinical evidence in aged models. To better understand the effects of exogenous cannabinoids on aging male and female rodents, we compared the age- and dose-dependent physiological and behavioral effects of the synthetic cannabinoid CP55940 in young–adult and aged C57BL/6 mice. Locomotion, body temperature, thermal nociception, and fecal output were measured following CP55940 administration. Our findings indicate that CP55940 is more potent and efficacious in older mice, evidenced by exaggerated antinociception and locomotor inhibition when compared to younger adult mice. In addition, we report that low doses of CP55940 paradoxically stimulate locomotion in young–adult (4 m) mice; however, this hormesis-like response is not as evident in aged animals (21–24 m). These bidirectional effects appear to be mediated via the endocannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors.
Implementation of a Cohort Retrieval System for Clinical Data Repositories Using the Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership Common Data Model: Proof-of-Concept System Validation.

Background: Widespread adoption of electronic health records has enabled the secondary use of electronic health record data for clinical research and health care delivery. Natural language processing techniques have shown promise in their capability to extract the information embedded in unstructured clinical data, and information retrieval techniques provide flexible and scalable solutions that can augment natural language processing systems for retrieving and ranking relevant records. Objective: In this paper, we present the implementation of a cohort retrieval system that can execute textual cohort selection queries on both structured data and unstructured text—Cohort Retrieval Enhanced by Analysis of Text from Electronic Health Records (CREATE). Methods: CREATE is a proof-of-concept system that leverages a combination of structured queries and information retrieval techniques on natural language processing results to improve cohort retrieval performance using the Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership Common Data Model to enhance model portability. The natural language processing component was used to extract common data model concepts from textual queries. We designed a hierarchical index to support the common data model concept search utilizing information retrieval techniques and frameworks. Results: Our case study on 5 cohort identification queries, evaluated using the precision at 5 information retrieval metric at both the patient-level and document-level, demonstrates that CREATE achieves a mean precision at 5 of 0.90, which outperforms systems using only structured data or only unstructured text with mean precision at 5 values of 0.54 and 0.74, respectively. Conclusions: The implementation and evaluation of Mayo Clinic Biobank data demonstrated that CREATE outperforms cohort retrieval systems that only use one of either structured data or unstructured text in complex textual cohort queries.
A soluble derivative of PrPC activates cell-signaling and regulates cell physiology through LRP1 and the NMDA Receptor

Cellular prion protein (PrPC) is a widely expressed glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored membrane protein. Scrapie prion protein is a misfolded and aggregated form of PrPC responsible for prion-induced neurodegenerative diseases. Understanding the function of the nonpathogenic PrPC monomer is an important objective. PrPC may be shed from the cell surface to generate soluble derivatives. Herein, we studied a recombinant derivative of PrPC (soluble cellular prion protein, S-PrP) that corresponds closely in sequence to a soluble form of PrPC shed from the cell surface by proteases in the A Disintegrin And Metalloprotease (ADAM) family. S-PrP activated cell-signaling in PC12 and N2a cells. TrkA was transactivated by Src family kinases and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 was activated downstream of Trk receptors. These cell-signaling events were dependent on the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDA-R) and low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein-1 (LRP1), which functioned as a cell-signaling receptor system in lipid rafts. Membrane-anchored PrPC and neural cell adhesion molecule were not required for S-PrP-initiated cell-signaling. S-PrP promoted PC12 cell neurite outgrowth. This response required the NMDA-R, LRP1, Src family kinases, and Trk receptors. In Schwann cells, S-PrP interacted with the LRP1/NMDA-R system to activate extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 and promote cell migration. The effects of S-PrP on PC12 cell neurite outgrowth and Schwann cell migration were similar to those caused by other proteins that engage the LRP1/NMDA-R system, including activated α2-macroglobulin and tissue-type plasminogen activator. Collectively, these results demonstrate that shed forms of PrPC may exhibit important biological activities in the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system by serving as ligands for the LRP1/NMDA-R system.
Effect of exopolysaccharides produced by dairy starter cultures on biofilms formed on reverse osmosis membranes

Abstract Two different cheese starter cultures producing exopolysaccharides (EPS+: Streptococcus thermophilus strain ST3534 and Lactococcus lactis ssp. cremoris strain JFR+) and their isogenic EPS-negative (EPS−: S. thermophilus strain ST5842 and L. lactis ssp. cremoris strain JFR–) variants were used to study the attachment of bacterial cells in the absence of growth (at 4°C) and the resultant biofilm formation on reverse osmosis membranes (at 30 or 35°C). We used M17 broth and a 10% solution of whey protein concentrate (with 35% protein) as growth media for biofilm development under static conditions. As expected, ST3534 (EPS+) showed significantly greater cell counts within biofilms than ST5842 (EPS−). In the absence of growth, however, cells of these 2 isogenic Streptococcus strains attached to the membrane in similar numbers. In contrast, JFR+ counts were significantly lower than those of JFR– under all conditions. These findings indicate that the EPS produced by S. thermophilus may play a greater role in building up the 3-dimensional structure of the biofilm, rather than only assisting during initial attachment of the cells to the membrane, whereas the EPS produced by L. lactis ssp. cremoris hampered both initial attachment to the membrane and biofilm formation. Although no differences were observed in the surface charge of the cells between the 2 EPS-producing cultures, surface hydrophobicity was associated with the different adhesive properties of these microorganisms. In conclusion, our results exclude the hypothesis that all EPS-producing starter cultures have an advantage in regard to their ability to form biofilm on membrane separation surfaces. In contrast, variations between different EPS, with hydrophobicity being an important influencing feature, modify adhesive behavior to reverse osmosis membranes.
Impact of uncertainty in foot and mouth disease indirect transmission probability on outbreak duration and number of herds depopulated

The central United States (US) has a large livestock population including cattle, swine, sheep, and goats that are susceptible to foot and mouth disease (FMD). Because FMD is a highly infective foreign animal disease, the only method to assess the impact of an introduction and the effectiveness of control programs is via modeling. We developed simulation scenarios to assess the impact of the introduction of FMD in the central US and the effect of vaccination strategies and variation in biosecurity on FMD outbreaks using the North American Animal Disease Spread Model (NAADSM), a spatially explicit, stochastic infectious disease model.
Two New Approaches to Language Modeling: A Tutorial

This paper contains an outline of two attempts at the development of language modeling methods superior to the usual trigram approach. We will present no proofs, and instead treat the topic from a completely heuristic point of view. These methods were developed by members of the IBM Continuous Speech Recognition Group, mainly by L.R. Bahl, RF. Brown, S.A. Della Pietra, V.J. Della Pietra, P.V. deSouza, R.L. Mercer, and S. Roukos.
Software as a Service (SaaS)

The article provides an overview of Software as a Service. Keywords: Software as a service; SaaS; Cloud Computing
Decision selection and learning for an 'all-solutions ATPG engine'

'All-solutions ATPG' based methods have found applications in model checking sequential circuits, and they can also improve the defect coverage of a test-suite, by generating distinct multiple-detect patterns. Conventional decision selection heuristics and learning techniques for an ATPG engine were originally developed to 'quickly' find any available (single) solution. Such decision selection heuristics may not be the best for an 'all-solutions ATPG' engine, where all the solutions need to be found. In this paper, we explore new techniques to guide an 'all-solutions ATPG engine'. We first present a new decision selection heuristic that makes use of the 'connectivity of gates' in the circuit in order to obtain a compact solution-set. Next, we analyze the 'symmetry in search-states' that was exploited in 'success-driven learning' and extend it to prune conflict sub-spaces as well. Finally, we propose a new metric that determines the use of learnt information a priori. This information is stored and used efficiently during 'success driven learning'. Experimental results show that we can compute the complete solution-set with our new heuristics for large ISCAS'89 and ITC'99 circuits, where conventional guidance heuristics fail.
UVA irradiation-induced activation of activator protein-1 is correlated with induced expression of AP-1 family members in the human keratinocyte cell line HaCaT.

Abstract To determine whether the transcription factor activator protein-1 (AP-1) could be modulated by ultraviolet A (UVA) exposure, we examined AP-1 DNA-binding activity and transactivation after exposure to UVA in the human immortalized keratinocyte cell line HaCaT. Maximal AP-1 transactivation was observed with 250 kJ/m2 UVA between 3 and 4 h after irradiation. DNA binding of AP-1 to the target 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate response element sequence was maximally induced 1–3 h after irradiation. Both de novo transcription and translation contributed to the UVA-induced AP-1 DNA binding. c-Fos was implicated as a primary component of the AP-1 DNA-binding complex. Other components of the complex included Fra-2, c-Jun, JunB and JunD. UVA irradiation induced protein expression of c-Fos, c-Jun, Fra-1 and Fra-2. Phosphorylated forms of these induced proteins were determined at specific time points. A strong correlation existed between UVA-induced AP-1 activity and accumulation of c-Fos, c-Jun and Fra-...
Congenital Hand Differences: Embryology and Classification

Congenital hand differences affect approximately 1 in 500 persons and present unique diagnostic and classification challenges. The embryology of the hand and upper extremity is discussed, including the molecular basis for patterning of the upper limb. The Swanson/International Federation of Societies for Surgery of the Hand classification system is described, along with a discussion of the difficulties in classifying congenital hand differences based on morphology or etiology.
5-HT4 receptors in rat but not guinea pig, rabbit or dog esophageal smooth muscle.

Abstract 1. Marked heterogeneity among species exists in the esophageal response to pharmacological agents. The present study compared the response to serotonin in esophagus from the rat, guinea pig, rabbit and dog. 2. The esophagus from all four species contracted to carbamylcholine and to PGF 2 α; responses to serotonin were the most variable among species. 3. Serotonin contracted the guinea pig and rabbit esophagus; an effect blocked by LY53857 (10 −7 M) and ketanserin (10 −7 M), consistent with 5-HT 2 receptor activation mediating this contraction. 4. Serotonin neither contracted nor relaxed the canine esophagus and relaxed the rat esophagus via 5-HT 4 receptor activation as determined by antagonism with ICS 205–930 (-log K B = 6.4), metoclopramide (-log K B = 6.7) and its ester congener SDZ 205–557 (-log K B = 7.9). Two methylene homologs of SDZ 205–557 also had high 5-HT 4 receptor affinity (-log K B = 7.7). 5. Thus, in guinea pig and rabbit esophagus, serotonin induced a contraction mediated by 5-HT 2 receptors; and serotonin neither contracted nor relaxed the canine esophagus. In rat esophagus, serotonin induced a relaxation mediated by activation of 5-HT 4 receptors.
The state of positron emitting radionuclide production in 1997

Thirty years ago Michel M. Ter-Pogossian and Henry N. Wagner, Jr. wrote an article that was published in Nucleonics on the cyclotron production of isotopes for biomedical research. In this report we use the Nucleonics paper as the framework to relate their predictions to the current state of the art, we have broken this into four key areas; commercially available cyclotrons, costs of operating cyclotron facilities, the emergence of compact accelerators, and the cyclotron production of long-lived radionuclides for therapeutic applications. Companies producing cyclotrons commercially are; General Electric Medical Systems, CTI Cyclotron Systems, EBCO, IBA, NNK/Oxford Instruments, and Japan Steel Works. The majority of these machines are now negative ion systems, which allows the option of dual irradiation of two targets. All have a modular design, which allows the system to be customed to a particular facility's need. Cyclotron facility costs have increased dramatically since 1966. We have determined that the bulk of the increase lies in the costs to establish and staff the facility. Increased regulation by Federal and State organizations has severely impacted operational expenses. The growing demand for PET radiopharmaceuticals in the clinical arena has increased the staffing requirements of the facility. Surprisingly, the costs of cyclotrons have not increased (in terms of real dollars) especially when one considers the much greater sophistication in target design, automation, and computer control that has occured during this time. Innovative approaches are being taken to develop low energy accelerators that are capable of producing PET isotopes. These are easier to operate and less expensive than commercially available cyclotrons. Although many of these systems have been developed, none have as yet gained commercial recognition. A number of groups have begun to address the production of longer lived isotopes on biomedical cyclotrons. Development of this technology may well help to further progress in targeted radiotherapy. We present an overview of potentially useful isotopes.
The preparation and catalytic hydroformylation activity of some halocarbonylrhodium(I) complexes containing phosphinoalkylorganosilicon ligands

The synthesis and properties of a series of trans-halocarbonylrhodium(I) complexes containing the phosphinoalkylorganosilicon ligands Me3SiCH2PPh2, Me3Si(CH2)3PPh2, and PPh2CH2(Me)Si(OSiMe2)3O have been investigated. The complexes could be prepared by an exchange reaction involving RhCl(CO)(PPh3)2 and the organosilicon ligands or in better yields by the reaction of Rh2Cl2(CO)4 with the ligands. Iodorhodium derivatives were obtained as the exclusive products in the latter reaction if a small amount of LiI was present. The catalytic activity of RhCl(CO)(PPh2CH2SiMe3)2 was similar to that of RhCl(CO)(PPh3)2 in the hydroformylation of hex-1-ene at 100°C and 1000 psi pressure of H2/CO. The catalytic properties of the iodo derivatives RhI(CO)L2 [L = Me3SiCH2PPh2, Me3Si(CH2)3PPh2, and PPh2CH2(Me)Si(OSiMe2)3O] varied considerably, with RhI(CO)(PPh2CH2SiMe3)2 producing an unexpectedly low linear/branched aldehyde product ratio.
Approach to In Situ Component Level Electronics Assembly Repair (CLEAR) for Constellation

Maintenance resupply is a significant issue for long duration space missions. Currently, the International Space Station (ISS) approaches maintenance primarily around replaceable modules called Orbital Replacement Units (ORU). While swapping out ORUs has served the ISS well keeping crew time for maintenance to a minimum, this approach assumes a substantial logistics capacity to provide replacement ORUs and return ORUs to Earth for repair. The ORUs used for ISS require relatively large blocks of replacement hardware even though the actual failed component may be several orders of magnitude smaller. The Component Level Electronics Assembly Repair (CLEAR) task was created to explore electronics repair down to the component level for future space missions. From 2006 to 2009, CLEAR was an activity under the Supportability project of the Exploration Technology Development Program. This paper describes the activities of CLEAR including making a case for component-level electronics repair, examination of current terrestrial repair hardware, and potential repair needs. Based on those needs, the CLEAR team proposes an architecture for an in-situ repair capability aboard a spacecraft or habitat. Additionally, this paper discusses recent progress toward developing in-space repair capabilities--including two spaceflight experiments-- and presents technology concepts which could help enable or benefit the same.
A novel orientation code for face recognition

A novel orientation code is proposed for face recognition applications in this paper. Gabor wavelet transform is a common tool for orientation analysis in a 2D image; whereas Hamming distance is an efficient distance measurement for multiple classifications such as face identification. Specifically, at each frequency band, an index number representing the strongest orientational response is selected, and then encoded in binary format to favor the Hamming distance calculation. Multiple-band orientation codes are then organized into a face pattern byte (FPB) by using order statistics. With the FPB, Hamming distances are calculated and compared to achieve face identification. The FPB has the dimensionality of 8 bits per pixel and its performance will be compared to that of FPW (face pattern word, 32 bits per pixel). The dimensionality of FPB can be further reduced down to 4 bits per pixel, called face pattern nibble (FPN). Experimental results with visible and thermal face databases show that the proposed orientation code for face recognition is very promising in contrast with classical methods such as PCA.
Mechanism of lithium-induced augmentation of T-cell proliferation

The mechanism whereby lithium augments mitogen-stimulated T-cell proliferation was investigated. Lithium in a concentration of 5mM caused a significant increase in interleukin 2 (IL-2) production after phytohemagglutinin (PHA) stimulation. Lithium also caused an increase in interleukin 1 production from peripheral blood monocytes. Lithium did not influence the expression of IL-2 receptors on T-cells. However, lithium did result in increased proliferative response to IL-2 in an IL-2 responsive cell line. Thus, lithium influences the T-cell proliferation response to mitogens in several ways, by stimulation of lymphokine and monokine production as well as by augmenting the response of IL-2 responsive cells to IL-2.
Ulp1-SUMO Crystal Structure and Genetic Analysis Reveal Conserved Interactions and a Regulatory Element Essential for Cell Growth in Yeast

Modification of cellular proteins by the ubiquitin-like protein SUMO is essential for nuclear processes and cell cycle progression in yeast. The Ulp1 protease catalyzes two essential functions in the SUMO pathway: (1) processing of full-length SUMO to its mature form and (2) deconjugation of SUMO from targeted proteins. Selective reduction of the proteolytic reaction produced a covalent thiohemiacetal transition state complex between a Ulp1 C-terminal fragment and its cellular substrate Smt3, the yeast SUMO homolog. The Ulp1-Smt3 crystal structure and functional testing of elements within the conserved interface elucidate determinants of SUMO recognition, processing, and deconjugation. Genetic analysis guided by the structure further reveals a regulatory element N-terminal to the proteolytic domain that is required for cell growth in yeast.
QUANTITY OF CIRCULATING STEM CELLS IS PROPORTIONAL TO THE HEMATOPOIETIC ACTIVITY OF THE HOST

QUANTITY OF CIRCULATING STEM CELLS IS PROPORTIONAL TO THE HEMATOPOIETIC ACTIVITY OF THE HOST
PLANAR PSEUDO-ALMOST LIMIT CYCLES AND APPLICATIONS TO SOLITARY WAVES

Bourama ToniVirginia State University,Department of Mathematics & Computer Science, Petersburg VA 23806.btoni@vsu.eduABSTRACTWe investigate the existence of pseudo-almost limit cycles, a new class of non-periodicityat the interface of the theories of limit cycles and pseudo-almost periodicity. We de-termine the conditions of existence for several systems including some pseudo-almostperiodic perturbations of the harmonic oscillator and the renowned Li´enard systems.We apply to derive the existence of pseudo-almost periodic solitary waves by perturbingﬁrst then transforming some hyperbolic and parabolic partial diﬀerential equations toLi´enard-type equations. Included also are open questions on the co-existence of limitcycles and strictly pseudo-almost periodic limit cycles partitioning the phase space, andthe existence of isochronous pseudo-almost limit cycles.RESUMENInvestigamos laexistenciadeciclos seudo-casi l´imites, unanuevaclasedeno-periodicidaden la interfaz de las teor´ias de ciclos l´imites y seudo-casi periodicidad. Determinamoscondiciones de existencia de muchos sistemas, incluyendo algunas perturbaciones seudo-casi perio´dicas del oscilador armo´nico y los sistemas de Li´enard. Aplicamos las condi-ciones para derivar la existencia de ondas solitarias seudo-cuasi perio´dicas, primero per-turbando y luego transformando algunas ecuaciones diferenciales parciales hiperb´olicasy parab´olicas a ecuaciones del tipo Li´enard. Tambi´en se incluyen preguntas abiertas so-bre la co-existencia de ciclos l´imite y estrictamente pseudo-casi perio´dicos ciclos l´imitede partici´on del espacio de fases, y la existencia de is´ocrono pseudo-casi ciclos l´imite .Keywords and Phrases: Limit cycles. Almost and pseudo-almost periodic orbits. Periodicwaves. Isochronous systems and Isochrons. Li´enard systems. Hyperbolic and parabolic equations.2010 AMS Mathematics Subject Classiﬁcation: 34C05, 34C07, 34C27, 34K14
The Power of Student's t and Wilcoxon W Statistics A Comparison

A previous study indicated that the Wilcoxon W test showed a power advantage over the student's t-test when they were calculated on samples drawn from a common mixed-normal distribution. The present study investigates the effect of correcting for outliers in the mixed-normal samples. The results indicate that the t-test corrected for outliers shows a superior power curve to the Wilcoxon W.
Operational parameters in Bayesian models

Operational parameters are parameters that are defined in terms of the data that are being modelled. This paper shows under what conditions they can be used in place of the usual formal parameters and discusses the advantages of doing this. Example applications include the normal, exponential and uniform model, the multivariate-normal and other multivariate models, finitepopulation versions, and also several new models. Also presented is their relationship to de Finetti’s work on exchangeability and other symmetrybased approaches.
3-hydroxypropylmercapturic acid: a biologic marker of exposure to allylic and related compounds

3-Hydroxypropylmercapturic acid [3-OHPrMCA, S-(3-hydroxypropyl)-N-acetyl-L-cysteine] was quantitatively measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in the urine of rats given allylamine.HCl (5, 25, 50, 100 and 150 mg kg-1), acrolein (13 mg kg-1), allylalcohol (64 mg kg-1), allylchloride (76 mg kg-1), allylbromide (120 mg kg-1), allylcyanide (115 mg) and cyclophosphamide (160 mg kg-1) by gavage in water. 3-OHPrMCA was measured by HPLC in 24-h urine collections; the lower detection limit was 1.25 micrograms or 5.6 nmol ml-1. Various doses of allylamine resulted in 3-OHPrMCA excretion at a fairly constant percentage of the dose, ca. 44-48% at 0-24 h and 3% at 24-48 h, indicating rapid metabolism through glutathione conjugation in the first 24h. Similarly, 3-OHPrMCA was recovered in the urine of rats given acrolein (78.5%), allylalcohol (28.3%), allylchloride (21.5%), allylbromide (3.0%), allylcyanide (3.7%) and cyclophosphamide (2.6%). These data indicate that 3-OHPrMCA can be used as a marker of exposure to allylic and other compounds that lead to the metabolic formation of acrolein.
Caregiving stress and coping: a thematic analysis of Chinese family caregivers of persons with dementia.

Purpose:This study aims to identify caregiving stressors and coping strategies in a sample of family caregivers of persons with dementia living in Shanghai, China.Methods:A sample of 18 family caregivers participated in semi-structured face-to-face interviews. Information regarding caregiver appraisal of caregiving situations, difficulties with care provision, and ways of dealing with stressors were obtained. Thematic analysis was used to assess the interview data.Results:In addition to stressors directly related to caregiving demands (i.e., burden due to care recipient limitations in physical, cognitive, or behavioral functions), other salient stressors that emerged were role strains, family conflicts, and pressure from the social environment. Yet, caregivers demonstrated resilience by drawing on their coping resources from a variety of sources, including personal experience, family, technology and information, religion, and governmental support.Implications:Specific attention needs to be given to help f...
An Assessment of the Individual and Collective Effects of Variants on Height Using Twins and a Developmentally Informative Study Design

In a sample of 3,187 twins and 3,294 of their parents, we sought to investigate association of both individual variants and a genotype-based height score involving 176 of the 180 common genetic variants with adult height identified recently by the GIANT consortium. First, longitudinal observations on height spanning pre-adolescence through adulthood in the twin sample allowed us to investigate the separate effects of the previously identified SNPs on pre-pubertal height and pubertal growth spurt. We show that the effect of SNPs identified by the GIANT consortium is primarily on prepubertal height. Only one SNP, rs7759938 in LIN28B, approached a significant association with pubertal growth. Second, we show how using the twin data to control statistically for environmental variance can provide insight into the ultimate magnitude of SNP effects and consequently the genetic architecture of a phenotype. Specifically, we computed a genetic score by weighting SNPs according to their effects as assessed via meta-analysis. This weighted score accounted for 9.2% of the phenotypic variance in height, but 14.3% of the corresponding genetic variance. Longitudinal samples will be needed to understand the developmental context of common genetic variants identified through GWAS, while genetically informative designs will be helpful in accurately characterizing the extent to which these variants account for genetic, and not just phenotypic, variance.
Circumcision of the Prostitute: Gender, Sexuality, and the Call To Repentance in Jeremiah 3:1- 4:41

The move from accusation to promise in Jer. 3:1—4:4 is mirrored by a move from female imagery to male imagery. The passage begins with marriage imagery: God as the husband, and Israel as the wife who acts like a harlot. Sister imagery is used next to portray the "rivalry" in prostitution between Judah and the northern kingdom. When the chapter begins to move to the possibility of repentance, however, the imagery changes to father-son imagery, God being the father and Israel being the repentant and obedient son. The last shift in imagery, that of circumcision, as a sign both of human repentance and of God's promise, occurs in Jer. 4:1-4. In addition to shifts in imagery, there are also shifts in mode of address, from feminine direct address to masculine direct address. Equally significant as the shift in imagery, the direct address is used rhetorically to pressure the audience into identifying in one way as opposed to another (e.g., to identify as the proper sons to God as father rather than as unfaithful wife to God as husband). This article explores these shifts in gender imagery and direct address, focusing on the ways in which gender and sexuality are constructed in this chapter, and how they in turn construct the call to repentance.
Mid-latitude lidar observations of large sporadic sodium layers

During the early morning of October 31, 1988 two large sporadic Na (Nas) layers were observed near the mesopause above Urbana, IL (40°N, 88°W) with a Na lidar system. The layers began forming near 102 km at 0026 LST and 0110 LST and moved downward with vertical velocities as high as 4 ms−1 before dissipating between 94 and 96 km. The duration of each layer was approximately 80 min. The layers were narrow (∼ 1 km FWHM) and dense with maximum densities approaching 7800 cm−3. The characteristics of these two Nas layers are very similar to those of similar phenomena observed recently at Andoya, Norway [von Zahn et al., 1987] and Mauna Kea, Hawaii [Kwon et al., 1988]. Lidar observations of the mesospheric Na layer have been conducted routinely by several groups at mid-latitudes for almost 20 years. Although large Nas layers now appear to be relatively common at low- and high-latitudes, to our knowledge the two layers described in this letter are only the second observation of this puzzling phenomenon at mid-latitudes.
Prior CSF shunting increases the risk of endoscopic third ventriculostomy failure in the treatment of obstructive hydrocephalus in adults

Abstract Introduction: Endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) is accepted as an effective treatment for obstructive hydrocephalus (OHC); however, its benefit in patients previously treated with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunting remains unclear. The value of concurrent ETV and ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunting in patients with frequent shunt failure remains unstudied. Methods: Outcomes were compared between OHC patients receiving ETV as initial CSF diversion treatment (n=19) versus OHC patients receiving ETV for shunt failure (n=11) by log-rank analysis and Kaplan-Meier plots of recurrence-free periods. To determine if the performance of ETV with concurrent shunt revision decreased the incidence of catastrophic treatment failure in patients experiencing frequent and emergent shunt failures (n=8), the time to treatment failure after ETV and shunt revision was compared with the mean duration of their previous CSF shunts. Results: ETV after shunt failure was 2.5-fold more likely to fail [risk ratio (RR): 2....
Parvalbumin-containing neurons in the rat basolateral amygdala: morphology and co-localization of Calbindin-D28k

Parvalbumin is a calcium-binding protein that is contained in certain neuronal populations in the brain. Although the exact function of parvalbumin is not clear, it has been found to be a useful marker for studying the connections of specific cell types in immunohistochemical studies. In the present investigation immunohistochemical techniques were used to study the morphology of parvalbumin-containing neurons in the rat basolateral amygdala. These neurons were found to be a morphologically heterogeneous subpopulation of non-pyramidal interneurons. Parvalbumin-positive axons in the basolateral amygdala were observed to form "pericellular baskets" that enveloped the perikarya of pyramidal neurons. In addition, some parvalbumin-immunoreactive axons formed "cartridges" that appeared to surround non-immunoreactive processes. The morphology of parvalbumin-positive neurons closely resembled that of neurons containing calbindin, a related calcium-binding protein. Analysis of adjacent sections stained for each protein using the mirror technique revealed that approximately 80% of parvalbumin neurons also contained calbindin, and that approximately 60% of calbindin neurons also contained parvalbumin. This study demonstrates that parvalbumin-containing neurons constitute an important subpopulation of non-pyramidal interneurons in the rat basolateral amygdala. The axonal configurations of these cells indicate that they may exert a potent inhibitory influence over pyramidal projection neurons. We suggest that parvalbumin-containing neurons can control emotional responses mediated by the basolateral amygdala by controlling the output from this important brain region.
The effects of varied imidization conditions on rubbed polyimide film surface morphology

The thermal histories of polyimide films were varied to study the effect of the extent of imidization on the response of films to rubbing. Films rubbed prior to imidization formed tears that extended to the substrate; tears in these films formed at smaller film thicknesses than in films imidized prior to rubbing. Aligned nanoscopic islands were also seen. The alignment of these islands disappeared upon imidization. Films imidized at a low temperature showed less alignment of islands than conventionally prepared films. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 93: 1192–1197, 2004
Rat brain monoamine levels related to behavioral assessment

Abstract Randomly selected adult, male, Sprague-Dawley rats exhibit a range of behaviors in an open field. Exploration without defecation or urination is interpreted as stable behavior. On the basis of their open field behavior we selected the five most “emotional” and five most “stable” rats from two separate groups of thirty rats. Norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA), and serotonin (5HT) levels were determined in brains from these ten “emotional” and ten “stable” rats. The NE levels of “emotional” rats were elevated about 60 ng/g relative to the “stable” rats. There was no difference in DA levels, but there appeared to be a trend toward elevation of 5HT levels in the “emotional” rats. These findings directly support the hypothesis that elevated central nervous system norepinephrine levels may reflect a factor which contributes to emotionality in the rat, and suggest that brain norepinephrine levels may be a biochemical mechanism which influences performance as seen with the commonly used open field behavioral test of emotionality.
Specific Inhibition of Rat Pancreatic Insulin or Glucagon Release by Receptor-Selective Somatostatin Analogs

Abstract A group of new peptide ligands displaying high selectivity for binding to somatostatin receptor subtypes 2, 3 or 5 have been used to characterize somatostatin receptor involvement in the inhibition of glucagon secretion in rats. It was found that NC-8-12 and DC-25-100, which have high affinity for SSTR2 and much less affinity for the type 5 receptor, were by far the most potent inhibitors of glucagon secretion with EC (50) s of 48 and 18 nmole, respectively, relative to somatostatin itself(EC 50 131 nmole). These two analogs were actually much less potent than somatostatin in inhibiting glucose-stimulated insulin release. In contrast, DC-23-99 (a type 5 receptor selective analog), which was previously found to be a more potent inhibitor of insulin secretion than somatostatin, had considerably less potent (EC 50 410 nmole) effects on glucagon release. The SSTR3-specific ligands, DC-25-12 and DC-25-20, were not effective at the doses tested. The differing spectra of activities of these analogs suggest that inhibition of insulin and glucagon secretion in rats is mediated by entirely different somatostatin receptor populations.
L-shell X-ray production in copper, germanium, rubidium, strontium and yttrium by 100–225 keV protons

Abstract L-shell X-ray production cross sections have been measured for thin-foil targets of 29 Cu, 32 Ge, 37 Rb, 38 Sr and 39 Y for incident proton beam energies from 100 to 225 keV. Simultaneous measurements were made of both scattered particles and X-rays from thin ultraclean targets. Experimental uncertainties were reduced to the limit of the error in the X-ray detector's efficiency which ranged from 30% for 29 Cu to 20% for 39 Y. Our measurements extend previous work by Duggan et al. [Phys. Rev. A32 (1985) 2088] at higher proton energies from 0.25 to 2.5 MeV. The results are compared to both first Born and ECPSSR calculations and show better agreement with the ECPSSR theory.
Semi-implicit projection methods for incompressible flow based on spectral deferred corrections

A semi-implicit form of spectral deferred corrections is used in a method of lines approach to create a projection method that is sixth-order accurate in both time and space for simple domains. The derivation of spectral deferred corrections is presented and compared to traditional deferred correction methods. An auxiliary variable form of the equations for Boussinesq flow is presented which facilitates a method of lines approach. A discussion of how these methods can be extended to complex spatial domains through the use of integral equation methods is also presented.
Compassionate Communication in the Workplace: Exploring Processes of Noticing, Connecting, and Responding

This research contributes to the growing body of literature exploring emotion and communication in the workplace by considering the workers in a variety of jobs that require “compassionate communication.” Compassion is conceptualized as one form of emotional work and is theoretically developed through a model that highlights the subprocesses of noticing, feeling, and responding. Analyses of interviews with 23 workers in a wide range of human service jobs indicated a number of complexities in the communication of compassion in the workplace. Processes of “noticing” included both noticing the need for compassion and noticing details of clients’ lives in order to communicate more successfully in compassionate ways. Processes of “connecting” included both emotional processes (empathy) and cognitive processes (perspective taking). Processes of “responding” included both nonverbal strategies, such as immediacy behaviors and environmental structuring, and verbal strategies for balancing the informational and emo...
Hierarchically Structured Materials Generated in Membrane Mimetic Systems: Nanosized Particle Production of Cds and ZnS at Monolayers

The hierarchical evolution of the different mimetic systems and the concomitant level of control in the biomimetic mineralization will be critically discussed.
Hepatic Insulin Resistance Is Sufficient to Produce Dyslipidemia and Susceptibility to Atherosclerosis

Insulin resistance plays a central role in the development of the metabolic syndrome, but how it relates to cardiovascular disease remains controversial. Liver insulin receptor knockout (LIRKO) mice have pure hepatic insulin resistance. On a standard chow diet, LIRKO mice have a proatherogenic lipoprotein profile with reduced high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) particles that are markedly enriched in cholesterol. This is due to increased secretion and decreased clearance of apolipoprotein B-containing lipoproteins, coupled with decreased triglyceride secretion secondary to increased expression of Pgc-1 beta (Ppargc-1b), which promotes VLDL secretion, but decreased expression of Srebp-1c (Srebf1), Srebp-2 (Srebf2), and their targets, the lipogenic enzymes and the LDL receptor. Within 12 weeks on an atherogenic diet, LIRKO mice show marked hypercholesterolemia, and 100% of LIRKO mice, but 0% of controls, develop severe atherosclerosis. Thus, insulin resistance at the level of the liver is sufficient to produce the dyslipidemia and increased risk of atherosclerosis associated with the metabolic syndrome.
Vitamin D Deficiency and Arterial Wall Stiffness in Children With Chronic Kidney Disease

Arterial wall stiffness is a recognized complication in children with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Vascular abnormalities in these patients are shown to predate cardiac abnormalities such as left ventricular hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction. The etiology of vascular abnormalities in these patients currently is not clear. This study explored the relationship between various parameters of calcium-phosphorus metabolism including 25-hydroxy vitamin D and arterial wall stiffness in pediatric patients with CKD. This study investigated a cohort of 43 children with CKD who had no history of underlying congenital or structural cardiac disease. The Augmentation Index (AI), a measure of peripheral arterial reflective properties using radial artery tonometry, was used as an indirect measure of central aortic stiffness. Serum biochemical markers of calcium-phosphorus metabolism were simultaneously measured. Univariate testing showed that AI correlated with worsening kidney function. Serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels were low and correlated negatively with AI (r = -0.39; p < 0.05). Multiple regression analysis showed that 25-hydroxy vitamin D was the only significant independent predictor of increased central arterial stiffness in the subgroup of children receiving hemodialysis. No association was observed between AI and any other measured biochemical parameter of calcium-phosphorus metabolism. This is the first study to investigate pediatric patients with CKD that suggests an association between nutritional vitamin D deficiency and increased arterial stiffness in children with CKD. The pathophysiologic mechanisms of vitamin D that regulate increased arterial stiffness need to be integrated further in pediatric CKD patients.
Water-mediated ion–ion interactions are enhanced at the water vapor–liquid interface

There is overwhelming evidence that ions are present near the vapor–liquid interface of aqueous salt solutions. Charged groups can also be driven to interfaces by attaching them to hydrophobic moieties. Despite their importance in many self-assembly phenomena, how ion–ion interactions are affected by interfaces is not understood. We use molecular simulations to show that the effective forces between small ions change character dramatically near the water vapor–liquid interface. Specifically, the water-mediated attraction between oppositely charged ions is enhanced relative to that in bulk water. Further, the repulsion between like-charged ions is weaker than that expected from a continuum dielectric description and can even become attractive as the ions are drawn to the vapor side. We show that thermodynamics of ion association are governed by a delicate balance of ion hydration, interfacial tension, and restriction of capillary fluctuations at the interface, leading to nonintuitive phenomena, such as water-mediated like charge attraction. “Sticky” electrostatic interactions may have important consequences on biomolecular structure, assembly, and aggregation at soft liquid interfaces. We demonstrate this by studying an interfacially active model peptide that changes its structure from α-helical to a hairpin-turn–like one in response to charging of its ends.
Hyper NA polarized imaging of 45nm DRAM

In this paper, we will present experimental results on 45nm node patterning of DRAM and some technical issues for polarized illumination in hyper NA imaging. First, practical k1 limit of 1.2NA ArF immersion system is investigated through experiment. Process window and mask error enhancement factors are measured with respect to various design rules, i.e., different k1 levels at fixed NA. Reasonable process window and MEEF value of around 3 are achieved in DRAM gate and isolation layers at around 0.28 k1 regime. It is obvious that feasibility of this lowered k1 was realized by the help of polarized illumination when we compared the results with that of 60nm patterning at 0.93NA tool - corresponding k1 is 0.29 - without polarized illumination. Then consideration about degree of polarization state must come next to the benefit of polarized illumination. Input polarization state is changed by birefringence of lens or mask materials but it is very difficult to correlate the birefringence level and critical dimension of patterns experimentally. Double exposing method was contrived to measure the effect of degree of polarization on DICD. And we also measure the polarization dependent transmittance of light on mask by using 1.2NA immersion scanner. As a result, birefringence and mask feature interaction with light seems not to be a serious issue for 45nm hyper NA polarized imaging.
A Sharp Bound on the Ratio Between Optimal Integer and Fractional Covers

The ratio between the values of optimal integer and fractional solutions to a set covering problem was shown by Johnson Johnson, D. S. Approximation algorithms for combinatorial problems. J. Comput. System. Sci.9 256--278. and Lovasz Lovasz, L. On the ratio of optimal integral and fractional covers. Discrete Math.13 383--390. to be bounded by Bd = 1 + ln d, where d is the largest column sum. We show that if n is the number of variables, $$Bn=\frac{1}{n} \left\lfloor\frac{n+1}{2}\right\rfloor \left\lceil\frac{n+1}{2}\right\rceil$$ is a best possible bound on this ratio. Furthermore, for every n > 20 there is a class of problems with O2n constraints, for which Bn < 2/5Bd. We also exhibit a heuristic that is guaranteed to find an integer solution such that the ratio of its value to that of an optimal fractional solution is bounded by Bn.
Experimental auto-compensating multi-user quantum key distribution network using a wavelength-addressed bus line architecture

A six-user quantum key distribution network based on the auto-compensating plug & play scheme is experimentally demonstrated. The network, which has a bus line topology, uses the BB84 protocol to transmit cryptographic keys encoded unto the phase states of highly attenuated laser light to distances of up to 30.9 km of standard telecommunication-grade fiber. Each user on the network is assigned a unique wavelength for communication with the network server. The quantum bit error rate and sifted key rate measured compares favorably with theory.