cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MDMA (Ecstasy) and the Rave: A Review

The drug 3,4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), also known as “ecstasy,” is a “designer” drug that is becoming popular with American adolescents at dance halls known as “raves” and on college campuses. An analogue of amphetamine, MDMA shares properties with both amphetamine and hallucinogenic drugs. Now available in many US cities, MDMA has an undeserved reputation for safety and a long duration of action. The drug appeals to young people, who believe that it enhances empathy and closeness to others. Common short-term adverse effects of MDMA include sweating, tachycardia, fatigue, and muscle spasms, including jaw-clenching. Serious adverse effects from MDMA include serious or fatal heat injury, fluid and electrolyte depletion, and central nervous system, cardiac, muscular, renal, and hepatic dysfunction. MDMA has been implicated in at least 53 deaths in the United Kingdom and at least five more deaths in the United States, mainly attributable to profound disturbances in thermoregulation (heatstroke). MDMA is a selective serotonergic neurotoxin. “Herbal ecstasy” containing ephedrine ( Herba ephedrae ) and other herbs, can be purchased by mail. Several toxicology screening tests for the amphetamine class of drugs of abuse can detect MDMA, but at about 50% reduced sensitivity. Treatment of acute toxic reactions includes rapid cooling and rehydration, monitoring electrolytes, and organ dysfunction. Because current national and state surveys show a significant increase in use of this drug, physicians in primary care, emergency medicine, critical care medicine, and addiction medicine can be expected to manage an occasional patient with acute MDMA toxicity. MDMA (also known as ecstasy, XTC, Adam, or E), a “designer drug,” is a 3 ring-substituted, methoxylated analogue of methamphetamine and its closest congeners, 3,4 methylenedioxy-amphetamine (MDA),and 3,4 methylenedioxy-ethamphetamine (MDEA, also known as Eve). MDMA is reputedly safe to take as a “recreational” or “therapeutic” drug in a dose of 1 to 2 mg/kg.1 With …
Comparative Perspectives and Competing Explanations: Taking on the Newly Configured Reductionist Challenge to Sociology:

Sociology faces three important interrelated challenges in the coming decades. The first will be the increasing authority of reductionist science for which partial evidence is found in the strikingly imbalanced allocation of research funding for “causes” of wideranging problems—from disparities in health and educational achievement to explanations of alcoholism and violence. The second is the attendant expansion of databases on markers and processes “inside the body.” Directly but inversely related is the third challenge: new evidence that the release of already collected data sets is blocked and data collection on social and economic forces is reduced. These challenges can be confronted and addressed directly if sociologists emulate an earlier generation of sociological researchers and turn greater attention to an analysis of data collection at the site of reductionist knowledge production. This includes, for example, close scrutiny of new computer technologies assisting several DNA identification claims. It is insufficient to simply assert the arbitrariness of the “social construction” of these claims. Instead, the architecture of that construction must be demonstrated. Unless that is done, competing explanations (from various disciplines) will have far greater significance on public policy and on the particular discipline’s status with public and private funding sources.
ASTIN: a Bayesian adaptive dose–response trial in acute stroke

Understanding the dose-response is critical for successful drug development. We describe an adaptive design to efficiently learn about the dose-response and the ED95. A dynamic termination rule allows for early discontinuation either for efficacy or futility. The design was deployed in ASTIN, a phase II proof-of-concept trial of the neuroprotectant, neutrophil inhibitory factor (NIF), in acute stroke. We discuss the learning from this trial.
BK virus-associated hemorrhagic cystitis in a pediatric lung transplant recipient

BKV was first postulated to be a potential pathogen in 1971 when it was isolated in the urine of a renal transplant recipient. The pathology of BKV is generally confined to the urinary tract. In renal transplant recipients, BKV has been associated with hemorrhagic cystitis, urethral stenosis, and interstitial nephritis. Reports of BKV infection in lung transplant recipients are limited to a few case reports in adult patients. A recent report revealed that up to 32% of adult lung transplant recipients may shed BKV in their urine without symptoms or renal dysfunction. To our knowledge, there are no published reports of pediatric lung transplant recipients with BKV-associated hematuria. We hereby report a case of BKV-induced hemorrhagic cystitis in a pediatric lung transplant recipient.
Two new species of Orthapolipus (Acari: Podapolipidae), parasites of Central American Tettigoniidae (Hexapoda: Orthoptera), with a rediagnosis of the genus.

Abstract Two new species of podapolipid mites are described from Central American Tettigoniidae, Orthapolipus balboanae n. sp. collected from Balboana tibialis (Wattenwyl) from Costa Rica, and Orthapolipus beeri n. sp. from Microcentrum sp. from Panama. The new species are compared with Orthapolipus nicsarae (Husband, 1988) from the Republic of Palau and O. blattae (Oudemans, 1911) from Indonesia. All Orthapolipus are considered to be parasites of tettigoniid species.
A neural network-based machine learning approach for supporting synthesis

The goal of machine learning for artifact synthesis is the acquisition of the relationships among form, function, and behavior properties that can be used to determine more directly form attributes that satisfy design requirements. The proposed approach to synthesis knowledge acquisition and use (SKAU) described in this paper, called NETSYN, creates a function to estimate the probability of each possible value of each design property being used in a given design context. NETSYN uses a connectionist learning approach to acquire and represent this probability estimation function and exhibits good performance when tested on an artificial design problem. This paper presents the NETSYN approach for SKAU, a preliminary test of its capability, and a discussion of issues that need to be addressed in future work.
Charged Vesicles Potently Induce NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation

Extensive muscle inflammation is frequently observed in muscular dystrophy patients, particularly in those with dysferlin deficiency. Dysferlin has been shown to play multiple functions in skeletal muscle including the plasma membrane repair. However, the mechanisms underlying the extensive muscle inflammation in dysferlin-deficient muscular dystrophy are largely unknown. Our previous study revealed that genetic ablation of the complement system ameliorates the pathology in a mouse model of dysferlinopathy, indicating that the innate immune activation may be involved in the pathogenesis. However, it is unclear how the innate immune system contributes to the disease pathology in dysferlinopathy. Recently, we found that vesicles composed of charged lipids can potently activate the NLRP3 inflammasome, resulting in the maturation and release of pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1β. Furthermore, mitochondrial reactive oxygen species-dependent calcium influx via the TRPM2 channel plays an essential role in activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Interestingly, NLRP3 inflammasome pathway has been shown to be up regulated in dysferlin-deficient muscle. To further investigate the regulatory signaling pathways involved in NLRP3 inflammasome activation, we established a cell screening system using THP-1 cells. NLRP3 inflammasome activation induces pyroptosis, a form of programmed cell death associated with antimicrobial responses during inflammation. LPS was used to stimulate PMA-differentiated THP1 cells, Nigericin was used to induce NLRP3 activation and over 80% cell death. To validate the system, we created NLRP3-deficient THP-1 cells using CRISPR technology. The NLPR3-deficient THP-1 cells showed significantly decreased cell death when compared to control cells. We will use this system to identify novel regulators of NLRP3 inflammasome.
Adventitious shoot formation from embryonic explants of red pine (Pinus resinosa)

Adventitious shoots were induced from excised embryos of Pinus resinosa Ait, on half-strength Le-Poivre (LP) medium containing 1–70 μMN6-benzyladenine (BA). At lower concentrations of BA, only 2–3 shoot primordia (from as many as 22 formed per embryo) developed into shoots when subcultured onto medium containing 0.5% activated charcoal. Concentrations of 10 to 70 μM of BA produced significantly higher numbers of shoot primordia and most of them developed into shoots. Ten to 17 day culture on medium containing 10–25 μM BA proved optimal for maximum adventitious shoot production. Less than three days of incubation on the cytokinin medium did not stimulate the formation of adventitious shoots. Twenty-four day culture on the same medium produced several shoots, but most of them failed to develop normally and formed callus. Coconut milk (0.1–5% v/v) inhibited adventitious shoot formation. Using optimal conditions, seeds from 11 open-pollinated selected trees were compared to test for genetic differences in the potential to produce adventitious shoots from embryos. No significant differences were observed with regard to the shoots produced per embryo among the different seed collections. More than 200 plants produced through this technique were tested for variation in several isozymes by electrophoresis. No variations were observed.
Protein tyrosine phosphatase SHP-1 specifically recognizes C-terminal residues of its substrates via helix alpha0.

The catalytic domain of protein tyrosine phosphatase SHP-1 possesses distinct substrate specificity. It recognizes the P-3 to P-5 residues of its substrates via the beta5-loop-beta6 region. To study the substrate specificity further, we determined the structure of the catalytic domain of SHP-1 (C455S) complexed with a less-favorable-substrate peptide originated from SIRPalpha. The complex has disordered N-terminal peptide structure and reduced interactions between the N-terminal peptide and the beta5-loop-beta6 region. This could be the basis for the lower affinity of peptide pY(427) for the catalytic domain of SHP-1. In addition, by comparing the SHP-1/less-favorable peptide complex structure with the SHP-1/substrate complex structures, we identified a novel substrate-recognition site in the catalytic domain of SHP-1. This site was formed by helix alpha0 and the alpha5-loop-alpha6 motif of SHP-1, and specifically bound residues at the P + 4 and further C-terminal positions of peptide substrates.
Flying-Adder on-chip frequency synthesis architecture

The construction of on-chip clock circuitry has great impact on both system performance and chip implementation cost. Among the many aspects of the clock circuitry, the most important one is its capability of producing frequencies. Flying-adder frequency synthesis architecture, one of the latest developments in clock generation circuitry, is such a circuit-level enabler which can help circuit designers and system engineers to create better-performance and/or lower-cost systems. With this technique, many system and software level issues can be investigated from new directions. Compared to the conventional techniques, this method is capable of generating much more frequencies. Furthermore, it provides great controllability to software so that software programmers have the flexibility of creating novel approaches to differentiate their products from the competitorspsila. In this tutorial, the flying-adder architecture will be first introduced. Then, several real systems are used to demonstrate the power of this new frequency synthesis technique.
Tree growth and climate in the Pacific Northwest, North America: a broad-scale analysis of changing growth environments

Climate change in the 21st century will affect tree growth in the Pacific Northwest region of North America, although complex climate–growth relationships make it difficult to identify how radial growth will respond across different species distributions. We used a novel method to examine potential growth responses to climate change at a broad geographical scale with a focus on visual inspection of patterns and applications beyond sampled areas. We examined projected changes in climate within species distributions of mountain hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana), subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa), Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) in Washington and Oregon based on three different future climate scenarios. By drawing on knowledge from previous climate–growth studies and organizing information into climate space plots, we inferred directional changes in future radial growth. Increased moisture stress will reduce growth throughout the distribution of Douglas-fir, but growth may increase at some energy-limited locations. Decreased snowpack will increase growing season length and increase growth of subalpine fir and mountain hemlock at most locations, although growth may decrease at some low-elevation sites. An altered Pacific Northwest climate will elicit different growth responses from common conifer species within their current distributions. The methodology developed in this study allowed us to qualitatively extrapolate climate–growth relationships from individual sites to entire species distributions and can identify growth responses where climate–growth data are limited.
Stereopsis in human infants

Stereoscopic depth perception was tested in human infants by a new method based on attracting the infant's attention through movement of a stereoscopic contour formed from a dynamic random-element stereogram. The results reveal that stereopsis emerges at 3 1/2 to 6 months of age, an outcome consistent with evidence for rapid postnatal development of the visual system.
Complete heart block during retrograde left-sided cardiac catheterization

Abstract Transient rhythm disturbances have been noted in 0.5 to 1.3% of patients undergoing cardiac catheterization,1–3 and the most frequent are atrial or ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation. Complete heart block is not often observed, occurring in only 7 of the 12,367 catheterizations reported in the Cooperative Study on Cardiac Catheterization.1 When complete heart block occurs, it usually appears during right-sided cardiac catheterization in patients with left bundle branch block.4–6 We report the development of complete heart block during retrograde left-sided cardiac catheterization in a patient with preexisting conduction abnormalities.
Ligand binding to macrophage scavenger receptor-A induces urokinase-type plasminogen activator expression by a protein kinase-dependent signaling pathway

Macrophage scavenger receptor-type A (MSR-A) has been implicated in the transmission of cell signals and the regulation of diverse cellular functions (Falcone, D. J., and Ferenc, M. J. (1988) J. Cell. Physiol. 135, 387–396; Falcone, D. J., McCaffrey, T. A., and Vergilio, J. A. (1991)J. Biol. Chem. 266, 22726–22732; Palkama, T. (1991)Immunology 74, 432–438; Krieger, M., and Herz, J. (1994)Annu. Rev. Biochem. 63, 601–637); however, the signaling mechanisms are unknown. In studies reported here, we demonstrate that binding of both lipoprotein and non-lipoprotein ligands to MSR-A induced protein tyrosine phosphorylation and increased protein kinase C (PKC) activity leading to up-regulated urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) expression. Specifically, the binding of acetylated low density lipoprotein and fucoidan to MSR-A in human THP-1 macrophages triggered tyrosine phosphorylation of many proteins including phospholipase C-γ1 and phosphatidylinositol-3-OH kinase. Inhibitors of tyrosine kinase dramatically reduced MSR-induced protein tyrosine phosphorylation and PKC activity. Moreover, inhibitors of tyrosine kinase and PKC reduced uPA activity expressed by THP-1 macrophages exposed to MSR-A ligands. The intracellular signaling response for tyrosine phosphorylation following ligand binding was further demonstrated by using the stable MSR-transfected Bowes cells that express surface MSR-A. These findings establish for the first time a signaling pathway induced by ligand binding to MSR-A and suggest a molecular model for the regulation of macrophage uPA expression by specific ligands of the MSR-A.
“The Sound of Fear”: Assessing vocal fundamental frequency as a physiological indicator of social anxiety disorder

The relationship between vocal pitch and social anxiety disorder (SAD) has been examined with encouraging initial results, highlighting increased fundamental frequency (F0) as a physiological indicator of SAD. The present series of studies examined the relationship between F0 emitted during social threat and SAD symptoms. Two independent samples of SAD patients, and a sample of demographically-equivalent non-socially anxious controls (NSACs), completed varying social threat tasks which involved speech. Mean F0 emitted throughout the tasks was examined. Male SAD patients emitted greater F0 in comparison to NSACs across studies. For females, this relationship was significant only when examined in patients with SAD of the generalized subtype, and in response to in vivo social exposures. Furthermore, gender-specific thresholds for overall F0 emitted during social threat were identified which demonstrated excellent differentiation between patients with generalized SAD and NSACs. These results provide additional support for increased F0 as a physiological indicator of SAD.
Time-reversal invariance in the β-decays of A = 8 nuclei

Abstract We examine time-reversal invariance in the β-decays of 8 B(2 + ) and 8 Li(2 + ) to 8 Be(2 + ) in detail, with particular attention to final-state interactions of the two α-particles from the decay of 8 Be, and of the electron (positron) with the daughter nucleus. An R -matrix formulation is used, with the initial state described by a shell model. The R -matrix parameters are obtained by fitting the αα-scattering phase shifts and allowed β-decay rates. Because the nuclear finalstate interaction effects on the time-reversal test come from second forbidden β-decays, they are small and can be minimized by a suitable choice of kinematic conditions. The e ± -nucleus Coulomb-interaction-induced T -violation effects depend on the first forbidden operators.
31P NMR studies on purine nucleoside phosphorylases: Determination of the scissile bond and of the equilibrium constant

Abstract Purine nucleoside phosphorylases (EC 2.4.2.1) from human erythrocytes and Escherichia coli were found to cleave the CO bond of α- d -ribofuranose 1-phosphate according to the 18 O shift on the 31 P NMR technique. Neither enzyme catalyzed the exchange P 18 O 4 + 16 OH 2 γ P 16 O 4 indicating that there was no phosphoryl enzyme intermediate. The K eq in the direction of nucleoside (inosine) synthesis was determined to be 26 ± 2 by 31 P NMR at 37 °C in the presence of active enzyme. When α- d -ribofuranose 1-phosphate was synthesized enzymatically from hypoxanthine and P i (that was synthesized from a 50 atom% H 2 18 O-H 2 16 O) it was found that a bridging 18 O atom induced a 2.3 ± 0.2 Hz, a nonbridging 18 O atom a 3.7 ± 0.2 Hz upfield shift at 145.7 MHz on the 31 P chemical shift of that phosphate monoester.
MMC01-4: Algorithms for Server Placement in Multiple-Description-Based Media Streaming

Multiple description coding (MDC) has emerged as a powerful technique for reliable real-time communications over lossy packet networks. In its basic form, it involves encoding media into m substreams that are routed independently towards a given destination. Each substream can be decoded independently and with every successful reception of a substream, the overall quality of the decoded signal is improved. In this paper, we consider the problem of placing a set of servers in the network such that a desired QoS can be provided to a community of clients that request MDC coded traffic. Specifically, we consider the server placement (SP) problem where the goal is to identify the "optimal" server positions and associated set of client-server paths such that if MDC content is placed at these servers a cost function that is a linear combination of average delay and path disjointness is minimized. We propose an MILP formulation and a highly efficient heuristic to solve the SP problem. Simulations are conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm and compare it with the optimal solution obtained by using the MILP solution.
Structural modal content control using dynamic stiffness: experimental work

ABSTRACTThis paper describes experimental work on the semi-active control of structural modalenergy by dynamically controlling structural stiffness. Stiffness adjustment of the structure isachieved by engaging or disengaging "relaxed" control elements, thus changing local stiffness and changing the global eigenstructure without the introduction of energy into the system. Experiments on a three story laboratory model are described. Control experiments when themodel is subjected to sinusoidal and random excitations demonstrate feasibility. 1. INTRODUCTION Many techniques for the control of motion in large civil and space structures have beenproposed in the past twenty years. These approach may be broadly classified into passive, active,and semi-active approaches. Passive techniques are implemented at the time that a structure isbuilt and do not require or use real time control actions. Active techniques consist ofthe on-lineintroduction ofan external force to overcome induced motion within a structure. Such techniquesinclude active mass dampers and active tendons'. Semi-active controls operate by makingdynamic changes to structural parameters.
Improvements in compressive properties of high modulus fibers by crosslinking

A facile method was developed for crosslinking stiff chain polymer fibers such as Kevlar® and polybenzobisthiazoles (PBZT). The method is based on thermolysis of active aryl halides contained in the polymer unit and coupling of the free radicals formed. The method worked well for the PBZT polymers and improvements in fiber single filament recoil stress and shear modulus were demonstrated. In the case of the polyamides chain cleavage apparently accompanied the crosslinking, limiting improvement in the recoil stress test. The mode of degradation appeared to be rearrangement of the amide linkage to isocyanate.
Has familial aggregation in Alzheimer's disease been overestimated?

Studies of the familial aggregation of Alzheimer's disease have primarily used samples ascertained from tertiary care clinics which may not be representative of many AD patients, for example those residing at geriatric nursing homes. Survival analysis was used to investigate whether estimates of familial aggregation of AD based on a clinic-based AD proband (C-AD) sample (probands: N=544; first degree relatives; N=4267) differ from one ascertained at a nursing home (NH-AD; probands: N=225; first degree relatives; N=1772). The cumulative survival from AD was significantly worse in relatives of the C-AD probands and the overall relative risk (RR) of AD in this group was greater than twice that of relatives of the NH-AD probands. However, age at onset in C-AD probands was significantly earlier than in the NH-AD group and in both groups this factor was negatively associated with familial aggregation. When, for this reason, the proband samples were matched one-to-one by age at onset, dropping those probands with no match, the two curves were close to identical and the RR for the C-AD group of relatives was 1.0 The results suggest that estimates of familial risk of AD based on C-AD samples are not applicable and overestimate the extent of increased risk for relatives of more prevalent, later onset AD probands. However, the overestimate can be explained by the typically earlier age at onset in C-AD samples as opposed to a sampling bias related to the proband's family history status per se. The relationship between onset age and familial aggregation suggests that no single estimate of the age-dependent risk (survival curve) is uniformly appropriate for relatives of AD probands.
Thyrotoxicosis complicating pregnancy

During the 12-year period from 1974 through 1985, nearly 120,000 women were delivered of infants at Parkland Hospital, and pregnancy was complicated by overt thyrotoxicosis in 60 of them (1 :2000). Initial treatment was based on clinical assessment, and propylthiouracil was usually given in doses of 300 to 800 mg daily. In compliant women seen by midpregnancy, euthyroidism was achieved by a mean of 8 weeks; however, the daily dose was decreased to ≤150 mg by delivery in only 10%. Metabolic status at delivery correlated directly with pregnancy outcome, and women treated earlier in pregnancy were more likely to be euthyroid at delivery and to have good outcomes. Diagnosis of thyrotoxicosis antecedent to pregnancy was associated with earlier treatment, and 80% of 28 such women were euthyroid by delivery. Conversely, 32 women with a first diagnosis during pregnancy had the preponderance of morbidity, including five of six stillbirths and six of seven cases of heart failure. This group was characterized by a relative delay in gestational age at diagnosis. Preterm delivery, perinatal mortality, and maternal heart failure were more common in women who remained thyrotoxic despite treatment and in those who were never treated. Although we infrequently achieved maintenance doses recommended by most, because there were minimal adverse effects from therapy described here and because uncontrolled thyrotoxicosis caused significant maternal and perinatal morbidity, aggressive medical therapy seems appropriate, especially when pregnancy is advanced.
The Political Economy of the Potato

Even at the risk of redundancy, it is still worth rehearsing what appear, after the upsurge of research of the last decade or so, to be the facts of the case. The Irish Famine, which commenced in 1...
Laboratory Tests of Insecticides Against Eggs and Larvae of the Cabbage Looper

Laboratory tests were conducted on laboratory-reared cabbage loopers ( Trichoplusia ni (Hbn.)) to determine the toxicity of six insecticides applied at three rates to eggs and various larval instars. Phosdrin® (1-methoxycarbonyl-1-propen-2-yl dimethyl phosphate) was the most effective ovicide. All doses of Sevin® (1-naphthyl methylcarbumate) and 2 pounds of DDT per acre were moderately effective on eggs. First instar larvae were relatively susceptible to all of the insecticides but endrin and Thiodan® (6,7,8,9,10,10-hexachloro-1,5,5a,6,9,9a-hexahydro-6,9-methano-2,4,3-benzodioxathiepin-3-oxide) produced extremely high mortality, while Phosdrin and Sevin were the least effective. Larvae in the second and the third instars were progressively less susceptible to the insecticides tested. Endrin and Thiodan were the most effective materials used for control of larvae through the third instars. None of the insecticides was effective against larvae in the fourth and fifth instars. For effective control of the cabbage looper it will he necessary to apply insecticides before the larvae attain the fourth instars.
Mental Illness Careers in an Era of Change

The concept of illness career conceptualizes the illness experience as a dynamic pathway that takes shape over time as the person interacts with the treatment system. In this article we use data from 238 persons treated in Vermont State Hospital during the 1950s to evaluate several fundamental career assumptions and to illustrate how different predictors are contextualized by the career. We find that, among persons hospitalized for severe mental illness prior to deinstitutionalization, social status was more strongly associated with the length of the initial hospitalization than illness or community characteristics. We also find evidence of accumulation of hospital experience, with the pace of later hospitalizations shaped by earlier ones. Institutional reform was successful redirecting hospitalization careers and illness characteristics become more salient for the pace of hospitalization in this post-reform era. While mental health researchers have debated the relative influence of social and illness characteristics for predicting hospitalization, our findings suggest that the specific influence of any of these characteristics depends on where person is in their own illness career as well as where that career is located in historical time.
Impaired Competence in an Urban Community An Ecological Analysis

During the past half-century, many studies have been conducted to determine both the prevalence and incidence of mental disorders. This ecological research has demonstrated that some factors external to the individual are related to mental disorders. However, ecological studies of other types of impairments are virtually nonexistent. This research is an ecological analysis of intellectual, behavioral, and physical impairments in an urban complex. Data analysis results, illustrated by computer graphics and statistical analysis, suggest that ecological patterns of intellectual impairments and behavioral retardation are similar to mental disorders and that high rates of these impairments are located in the same general ecological proximity in the urban complex. On the other hand, physical disabilities have a remarkably different spatial distribution and are not systematically related with variables ordinarily associated with mental disorders, intellectual impairment, or behavioral retardation.
Psychometric Properties of the Spanish Version of the Therapeutic Collaboration Scale (TCS).

The development of appropriately normed Spanish-language assessments is a necessity as a result of (1) a growing Latino population in need of behavioral health services and (2) a limited number of linguistically and culturally sensitive instruments that are currently available. As part of a broader assessment on the needs and satisfaction with services received, 103 Latina women completed the Therapeutic Collaboration Scale (TCS). This measure attained a substantial internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha =.94) and good convergent validity with another instrument that also assessed the therapeutic relationship named the Therapeutic Alliance with Clinician (r = .71, p < .05). A principal component analysis evidenced one component underlying the TCS, which further confirmed the unidimensionality of this instrument. This measure achieved a good correlation with an instrument assessing the participants’ satisfaction with services (SWS, r = .44, p < .05). Conclusions and implications of this study are presented...
Issues in the development of a general design algorithm for reliable failure detection

The design of residual-generation processes is briefly discussed, the goal being to develop a methodology for designing robust processes of this type. It is noted that analytical redundancy forms the basis for residual-generation, representing the relationships between the outputs of sensors and inputs of actuators via the dynamics of the system. It is because of this relationship that sensor outputs (even those of dissimilar sensors and at different times) can, in effect, be compared to ascertain whether they are consistent with normal system behavior. The residuals can be seen as constituting the discrepancy between the output resulting from such comparisons; they should display noise-like characteristics only in the normal mode. Failures in the system would lead to a discrepancy between the observed and expected behavior of the sensor outputs and hence to abnormal characteristics (failure signatures) in the residual.
A Keycard Reader Useful for Demonstrating Real Time, Serial Data Acquisition in an Introductory Computing Course

As the final exercise in our introductory course on computing the students are asked to fashion an electronic access system based on a keycard read by an inexpensive infrared switch connected to the handshaking lines of the serial port of a typical microcomputer. The exercise exposes the students to the rudiments of real time programming, human factors engineering, pattern recognition, error-detecting and error-correcting codes, and the design of a simple database.
Paradigms of sulfotransferase catalysis: the mechanism of SULT2A1.

Human cytosolic sulfotransferases (SULTs) regulate the activities of thousands of signaling small molecules via transfer of the sulfuryl moiety (-SO3) from 3′-phosphoadenosine 5′-phosphosulfate (PAPS) to the hydroxyls and primary amines of acceptors. Sulfonation controls the affinities of ligands for their targets, and thereby regulates numerous receptors, which, in turn, regulate complex cellular responses. Despite their biological and medical relevance, basic SULT mechanism issues remain unresolved. To settle these issues, and to create an in-depth model of SULT catalysis, the complete kinetic mechanism of a representative member of the human SULT family, SULT2A1, was determined. The mechanism is composed of eight enzyme forms that interconvert via 22 rate constants, each of which was determined independently. The result is a complete quantitative description of the mechanism that accurately predicts complex enzymatic behavior. This is the first description of a SULT mechanism at this resolution, and it reveals numerous principles of SULT catalysis and resolves previously ambiguous issues. The structures and catalytic behaviors SULTs are highly conserved; hence, the mechanism presented here should prove paradigmatic for the family.
The effects of prenatal alcohol and marijuana exposure: disturbances in neonatal sleep cycling and arousal.

ABSTRACT: Neonatal EEG and sleep findings are presented from a longitudinal study of the effects of maternal alcohol and marijuana use during pregnancy. Infant outcome has been examined relative to the trimester(s) of pregnancy during which use occurred. Disturbances in sleep cycling, motility, and arousals were noted that were both substance and trimester specific. Alcohol consumed during the first trimester of pregnancy was associated with disruptions in sleep and arousal, whereas marijuana use affected sleep and motility regardless of the trimester in which it was used. Although these findings are preliminary and based on a small sample of women exhibiting only moderate substance use during pregnancy, they do suggest that specific neurophysiological systems may be differentially affected by prenatal alcohol or marijuana exposure even in the absence of morphological abnormalities.
The strategy of “The strategy of model building in population biology”

In this essay, I argue for four related claims. First, Richard Levins’ classic “The Strategy of Model Building in Population Biology” was a statement and defense of theoretical population biology growing out of collaborations between Robert MacArthur, Richard Lewontin, E. O. Wilson, and others. Second, I argue that the essay served as a response to the rise of systems ecology especially as pioneered by Kenneth Watt. Third, the arguments offered by Levins against systems ecology and in favor of his own methodological program are best construed as “pragmatic”. Fourth, I consider limitations of Levins’ arguments given contemporary population biology.
Food intake and meal patterns of Lewis rats with continuous access to nicotine self-administration.

Nicotine is a well-known appetite suppressant, and cessation of smoking is frequently followed by weight gain in humans. The effect of elective administration of nicotine on meal parameters of rats has not been reported. In the present experiment, adult male Lewis rats were implanted with jugular vein catheters. After recovery and training to press a lever for nutritionally complete 45-mg food pellets, they were run for 23 h/day in a closed economy using a 2-lever operant chamber in which they earned all of their food and nicotine. Food pellets were available at any time on a fixed ratio (FR)5 schedule by pressing one lever. Intravenous nicotine injections (0.017 mg/kg base per injection over 1-s) were available on FR1 from the other lever. After this initial phase, the unit cost of nicotine was incremented in some rats to FR3 and FR5. Pellet deliveries and nicotine injections were recorded in 5 min bins throughout the 23 h. A 12:12 light cycle was in effect in the chamber, with the ∼1 h daily cleaning period at the end of the rats’ light period. Without explicit training, rats readily took ∼40 daily nicotine injections, but this had no effect on the amount or timing of meals relative to baseline (no drug) conditions. Most self-injections occurred nocturnally, during or near spontaneous meals. A 3-fold increase in the unit dose of nicotine yielded fewer self-injections per day but also had little effect on food intake or meal parameters. Supported in part by NIH Grant DA019288.
An Efficient Temperature-Dependent S-Parameter Calibration Routine

To obtain accurate temperature-dependent S-parameters of on-wafer devices as well as packaged components, S-parameter calibrations should be established at each temperature. A BASIC program is described here that provides an efficient means of performing LRM and TRL calibrations at multiple temperatures. This program employs the "SIMs" calibration procedure available on the HP8510 ANA. An external computer is used to store raw calibration data, which is then fed back to the ANA to set up separate calibration sets for each desired temperature. To illustrate the procedure, temperature dependent S-parameter measurement data is presented for a 0.5um × 300um MESFET. Data will also be presented to show that proper calibration at each measurement temperature is needed to derive accurate temperature dependent device models.
A 22-kHz multibit switched-capacitor sigma-delta D/A converter with 92 dB dynamic range

A time- and capacitor-multiplexing technique for use in a highly linear switched-capacitor multibit DAC in sigma-delta data converters is presented. The technique uses subintervals in the sample clock to deliver multiple charge packets to holding capacitors. It avoids distortion effects caused by mismatched capacitors and finite opamp gain. A five-level switched-capacitor DAC using the proposed technique was designed as part of an audio-band multibit sigma-delta D/A converter that achieved a dynamic range of 92 dB and a THD of -93 dB with a low oversampling ratio of 32. No trimming, calibration, or dynamic matching scheme was required. The five-level SC DAC has been fabricated in a 2-/spl mu/m CMOS process, and testing confirmed the anticipated theoretical results.
The Role of Nanomaterials in Translational Medicine

There are a range of definitions for nanomaterials and a range of length scales that are considered nano, but one thing is consistent among fields: nanomaterials are small and special. Nanomaterials have the potential to have tremendous impact on medical treatments. In one example, nanomaterials are permitting the tracking of cells via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in clinical trials to assess the efficacy and safety of cellular therapies. In a second example, nanomaterials are acting as drug-delivery vehicles for the targeted delivery of therapies to increase efficacy and to reduce side effects. However, there are distinct challenges that must be considered in the development and application of these materials, including careful analysis of the distribution and clearance of nanomaterials and their potential off-target effects. By carefully assessing materials early in their development at the bench, one may be able to move successful approaches through to the clinic more rapidly, which is indeed the goal of the field. For far too many conditions and diseases, the tools we have are less than adequate, and nanomaterials have the potential to fill that void. To realize this potential, investigators must be willing to invest time and resources to develop and to translate these technologies to the point where the risk is low enough that they have real, commercial possibilities. Working collaboratively and leveraging resources and experience play important roles in moving technologies through preclinical and clinical testing. It requires incredible dedication of teams of researchers, but the result is new treatments and therapies.
Application of sedimentary carbohydrate residues in a study of organic facies and natural gas occurrences

Abstract Recent aquatic environments and resulting organic facies can be characterized by types and amounts of carbohydrate residues. Characteristics are based on source organisms, degree and type of degradation, and reactions with associated compounds in the mineral-kerogen-humus complex. Selected modern environments are typified by the following presently known carbohydrate suites: (1) deep sea, mid-Pacific, mid-Atlantic Oceans—glucose, galactose, furfurals, low total carbohydrates (TC); (2) deep gulf, Gulf of California—glu, gal, xylose, mannose, furfurals, moderate to high TC; (3) continental shelf, eastern North America—glu, xyl, gal, furfurals, high TC; (5) oligotrophic lake, Minnesota—furfurals, low TC; (6) eutrophic lake, Minnesota—glu, xyl, arabinose, gal, rhamnose, man, ribose, furfurals, glucuronic acid, high TC; (7) bog, Minnesota—glu, ara, xyl, gal, man, rib, very high TC. Polysaccharides are rare to absent in modern deep sea deposits but have been found in Lower Quaternary and younger deep gulf sediments. Cellulose, alpha- and beta-amylose and laminaran are common in shallow marine and lacustrine sediments. Methane, derived from both terrestrial and aquatic higher plant residues is high in yield in freshwater marshes and bogs and in eutrophic lake sediments, moderate in salt-water marshes and estuaries and relatively low in offshore marine sediments. Nitrogen and carbon dioxide are the commonest non-hydrocarbon gases. In many samples studied, xylans appear to predominate over other plant polysaccharide as methane sources. Carbohydrate residues in ancient rocks, based on examples from North America, show a tentative, but as yet poorly investigated, relationship to environmental organic facies and should prove to be useful in natural gas exploration.
Group Counseling for African American Elementary Students: An Exploratory Study.

This article describes a group counseling intervention promoting academic achievement and ethnic identity development for twenty fifth grade African American elementary students. The Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM) scores of students participating in the treatment group improved significantly over those in the control group. Implications for school counselors and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Structural characterization and investigation of iron(III) complexes with nitrogen and phosphorus based ligands in atom transfer radical addition (ATRA)

Abstract The solid state molecular structures of FeIIICl3 complexes with 2,2′-bipyridine, 1,10-phenanthroline, 5-methyl-1,10-phenanthroline, bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amine, tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine and 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane were reported. Most complexes adopted a distorted octahedral geometry, often incorporating coordinated solvent molecules (acetonitrile, methanol or water). Rearrangement involving ligand and/or halide exchange was also observed resulting in the formation of complexes in which the anion commonly contained [FeIIICl4]−. The isolated iron(III) complexes showed moderate activity in the ATRA of carbon tetrachloride to α-olefins in the presence of free-radical diazo initiator (AIBN) and were largely inactive for styrene and methyl acrylate. Furthermore, the activity was relatively independent on the nature and denticity of complexing ligand, and similar to FeIIICl3 in the presence of stoichiometric amounts of tetrabutylammonium chloride. Kinetic results coupled with cyclic voltammetry suggested that [FeIIICl4]− anions could be responsible for catalytic activity in these systems.
Flow cytometry after bromodeoxyuridine labeling to measure S and G2+M phase durations plus doubling times in vitro and in vivo

This protocol describes methods for calculating the proliferative parameters of cell populations. The basis of the technique is to label cells, either in vitro or in vivo, with halogenated thymidine analogs, such as bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU). Bivariate DNA-BrdU flow cytometry is used to analyze the BrdU-labeled and unlabeled cells. The enumeration of specific cohorts of cells that either have or have not divided in the interval between labeling and cell/tissue sampling permits the calculation of the potential doubling time (Tpot) of the population, plus the durations of DNA synthesis (TS) and the G2+M phase (TG2+M) of the cell cycle. The method provides information that is not otherwise available, namely inhibition of DNA synthesis and the separate evaluation of cell-cycle effects in BrdU-labeled and unlabeled subpopulations. Ethanol-fixed samples take 1 d to prepare and stain, and reliable parameter estimates might be obtained from measurements made at a single time point after labeling.
Metalloenzymes, structural motifs, and inorganic models

Metalloenzymes effect a variety of important chemical transformations, often involving small molecule substrates or products such as molecular oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, and water. A diverse array of ions or metal clusters is observed at the active-site cores, but living systems use basic recurring structures that have been modified or tuned for specific purposes. Inorganic chemists are actively involved in the elucidation of the structure, spectroscopy, and mechanism of action of these biological catalysts, in part through a synthetic modeling approach involving biomimetic studies.
Using surveillance data to inform community action: the effect of alcohol sale restrictions on intentional injury-related ambulance pickups

Youth violence disproportionately affects inner city, urban minority communities in the USA. This article illustrates the use of surveillance data to inform and evaluate community action directed at this serious problem. Community efforts in response to surveillance data indicating high rates of violence surrounding convenience stores with unrestricted alcohol beverage licenses provided a natural experiment to examine the impact of imposing licensing restrictions on intentional injury rates. Rates of ambulance pickups for intentional injuries in the 15- to 24-year-old population in five census tracts where alcoholic beverage sales were restricted were compared to five census tracts with similar demographic characteristics near stores where restrictions were not instituted. Time periods included an 18-month baseline period, a 6-month period during which restrictions were in effect in the intervention communities, and an 18-month period following lifting of this restriction resulting from legal action by store owners. The monthly average rate of ambulance pickups for violent injuries showed a significantly greater baseline-to-intervention phase decrease in the intervention communities (i.e., from 19.6 to 0 per 1,000) than in the control communities (i.e., 7.4 to 3.3 per 1,000). This rate subsequently increased to 11.4 in the intervention communities after the restriction was removed. This study illustrates the potential value of surveillance data for guiding community mobilization efforts and for evaluating the impact of such efforts. It also demonstrates the potential impact of restricting inexpensive, single-serve alcoholic beverages on rates of violence.