cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MULTIPLE‐CHOICE QUESTIONS AND STUDENT CHARACTERISTICS1

Multiple-choice aptitude and achievement questions have been criticized for penalizing the highly able student while rewarding the less able one. This paper reviews previous attempts to examine this criticism and presents original research designed to expand the ways of testing the critics' proposal. The research explored relationships between performance on multiple-choice questions and characteristics which the critics suggest differentiate students who are rewarded from those who are penalized. The Ss were 108 undergraduate males. The characteristics examined were: creativity, nonconformity, ability to recognize ambiguity, preference for complexity, and test-wiseness. Analyses of the data for the total group of Ss and for various sub-groups supported some, but not all, of the critics' claims and suggested the need for reformulating arguments concerning multiple-choice assessment.
Obstruction to left atrial outflow by a supravalvular stenosing ring.

Summary The case of a girl who died at 11 years of age, of heart failure, and who was found at post-mortem examination to have a patent ductus arteriosus and a supravalvular left atrial stenosing ring is reported. If the stenosing ring was a congenital malformation its recognition by modern methods of investigation might have permitted surgical relief.
Evaluation of Graft‐Host Response for Various Tissue Sources and Animal Models

: The efficacy of pancreatic islet transplants in correcting hyperglycemia and slowing the progression of complications in diabetics has been confirmed by many experimental and clinical studies. Unfortunately, the availability of human islets is extremely limited and, therefore, treatment of large numbers of human diabetic patients will almost certainly require either the use of islets harvested from animals (xenografts) or the use of insulin-secreting genetically modified cells of either human or animal origin. There is currently no effective regimen which will allow long-term survival of xenogeneic islets from widely unrelated donor-recipient combinations, such as pig-to-rodent, pig-to-dog, or pig-to-primate. There is considerable interest in the development of immunoisolation techniques for protection of donor islets. However, most materials used in immunoisolation devices are relatively bio-incompatible. Poly-L-lysine-alginate microcapsules are biocompatible and provide an optimal geometry for transmembrane diffusion of insulin and nutrients. Microcapsules allow long-term survival of xenogeneic islets in diabetic rodents or dogs with induced diabetes. However, mice and rats with spontaneous diabetes destroy encapsulated islet grafts within 2 to 3 weeks. Biopsies reveal large numbers of macrophages, immunoglobulins and limited numbers of helper and cytotoxic T-cells in the peri-microcapsule environment of the peritoneal cavity. Cytokines have been identified in peritoneal fluid from mice with islet grafts and may play a role in encapsulated islet destruction. Targeted immunomodulation by treatment of recipients with either anti-helper T-cell antibodies, or fusion proteins which block costimulatory interactions between antigen presenting cells and host T-cells have demonstrated synergy in significant prolongation of encapsulated islet xenograft survival in NOD mice with spontaneous diabetes. Technical improvements in microcapsule design also have contributed to prolonged graft survival. “Double-wall” microencapsulation provides a more durable microcapsule and islet pretreatment prior to encapsulation reduces the frequency of defective capsules with islets entrapped in the membrane. Long-term durability of encapsulated islet grafts remains a concern and further improvements in microcapsule design are a prerequisite to clinical trials.
Instruction on death and dying for the medical student.

Summary With instruction on death and dying beginning to be included in the curricula of many medical schools and the likelihood that this development will spread, it is timely to examine the best ways in which the subject can be taught. The most important need at this stage is the creation of objectives. Nine objectives have been briefly outlined which have either been reported on by teachers in the field or which seem to be pertinent to death education. The focus on objectives rests on the premise that the format and content of courses will follow largely from the goals that are selected. Questions of who should teach death and dying, when it should be taught and what format should be used, are discussed.
FOXO animal models reveal a variety of diverse roles for FOXO transcription factors

The Foxo subfamily of FOX transcription factors plays a variety of roles in a broad assortment of diverse physiological processes including cellular differentiation, tumor suppression, metabolism, cell cycle arrest, cell death and protection from stress. Animal models have proved to be invaluable tools in furthering our understanding of the role of particular genes in complex organismal processes. Multiple animal models in diverse species, including Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila. melanogaster and the laboratory mouse, exist for the Foxo family of transcription factors. Foxo genes are highly conserved throughout the evolution and each of these model systems has provided valuable insight into the roles of Foxo factors. Many roles are conserved among the different model organisms. Several Foxo-related animal model systems are reviewed here along with the knowledge gleaned to date from each model system.
ac Josephson effect for asymmetric superconducting junctions

We calculate the ac and dc current-voltage $(I\ensuremath{-}V)$ relation when a tunnel barrier is placed in the normal region of a superconductor--normal-metal--superconductor $({\mathrm{S}}_{1}\mathrm{N}{\mathrm{S}}_{2})$ junction, where the two superconducting contacts have different gaps $({\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{2}g~{\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{1}g~0)$. The voltages at which subharmonic gap structure (SGS) appears in the zero-temperature $I\ensuremath{-}V$ are the same as previously found for the SGS in ballistic ${\mathrm{S}}_{1}\mathrm{N}{\mathrm{S}}_{2}$ junctions at a finite temperature. Some of the SGS's are strong enough to produce negative differential resistance. We determine the variation of the ac Josephson current with bias, junction transmissivity, gap ratio ${\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{1}/{\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{2}$, and junction length $L$. The ac Josephson current through a ballistic SNS junction can also be used to measure the superconducting phase difference $\ensuremath{\varphi}$.
Bleich et al. Respond

We appreciate Sainani’s careful review of our research. She highlights two interesting issues regarding the interpretation of our results but does not uncover limitations in our article not already noted.1 Because we cannot be responsible for the media’s interpretation of our results, characterizing our article as “misleading” is unfair. She correctly notes, however, that our analysis did not account for the potential correlation of customers within stores. Sainani criticizes our article for “a needless emphasis on odds ratios” but we present the change in sugar-sweetened beverage rates (Table 2 in original article), odds ratios (ORs; Table 3 in original), and the predicted probability of beverage purchases pre- and postintervention (Figure 1 in original). Because we acknowledge that the use of odds ratios in certain contexts may be undesirable, we deliberately reported the unadjusted frequencies and predicted probabilities to give an undistorted sense of the effect size. She provides an example of a newspaper misinterpreting what an odds ratio actually means, but we certainly cannot be held responsible for how the media presents our results. Sainani also criticizes our interpretation of the differential effect of the three caloric conditions. Her critique that “the data provide no evidence that the three caloric conditions differ” confused us, because we pointed out that “3 ORs for the different types of information were not significantly different from each other in a formal test.”(p332) Nevertheless, the three conditions do actually have different statistical relationships relative to the baseline. Again, how the media elected to report the differences by caloric condition is outside of our control. Sainani’s concern about clustering is valid. Possibly, adolescents were correlated by store—either because some individuals visited stores multiple times, or because friends in the store at the same time may be similar. We acknowledged the former in our limitations section but could not make an adjustment because we did not have individual-level identifiers in the data. However, we ran our analysis again to account for possible clustering at the store level, and the significance of our results remained unchanged.
Rhythmic and Nonrhythmic Modes of Anterior Pituitary Gland Secretion

Because of confounding effects of subject-specific and hormone-specific metabolic clearance, the nature of anterior pituitary secretory events in vivo is difficult to ascertain. We review an approach to this problem, in which deconvolu-tion analysis is used to dissect the underlying secretory behavior of an endocrine gland quantitatively from available serial plasma hormone concentration measurements assuming one- or two-compartment elimination kinetics. This analytical tool allows one to ask the following physiological questions: (a) does the anterior pituitary gland secrete exclusively in randomly dispersed bursts, and/or does a tonic (constitutive) mode of interburst hormone secretion exist? and (b) what secretory mechanisms generate the circadian or nyctohemeral rhythms in blood concentrations of pituitary hormones? Waveform-independent deconvolution analysis of 24-h serum hormone concentration profiles of immunoreactive growth hormone (GH), luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)...
Multiplier architectures for FPGA double precision functions (abstract only)

FPGA devices are now more capable at supporting floating point applications, but double precision IEEE754 systems are still very challenging to implement, with large amounts of logic, routing, and DSP resources needed. Double precision multiplier operators, requiring 54x54 multiplier cores, are now directly supported in the fabric, however, multiplier based algorithms for algebraic and elementary functions typically require larger multiplier functions, typically in excess of 60x60 bits precision. This paper will use the example of a double precision exp (ex) to explore tradeoffs with multiplier architectures mapped to current FPGAs devices. Different types of the larger multiplier architectures, including direct implementations and Karatsuba-Ofman algorithms will be compared, including their effect on the resource requirements and system performance of the exp function. Smaller multiplier architectures, which introduce a small maximum functional error, will also be examined.Alternate large multiplier architectures can provide the same accuracy with increased system performance, with up to 33% less multiplier resources. Smaller multiplier will reduce the multiplier resources by up to 50%, albeit with a small maximum error, in the range of 5 ulp.
First-Order da Costa Logic

Priest (2009) formulates a propositional logic which, by employing the worldsemantics for intuitionist logic, has the same positive part but dualises the negation, to produce a paraconsistent logic which it calls `Da Costa Logic'. This paper extends matters to the first-order case. The paper establishes various connections between first order da Costa logic, da Costa's own C?, and classical logic. Tableau and natural deductions systems are provided and proved sound and complete.
Reversible Palmitoylation Regulates Surface Stability of AMPA Receptors in the Nucleus Accumbens in Response to Cocaine in vivo

Background Palmitoylation is emerging as one of the most important posttranslational modifications of excitatory synaptic proteins in mammalian brain cells. As a reversible and regulatable modification sensitive to changing synaptic inputs, palmitoylation of ionotropic glutamate receptors contributes not only to the modulation of normal receptor and synaptic activities but also to the pathogenesis of various neuropsychiatric disorders. Here we report that palmitoylation of the α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor is regulated by the psychostimulant, cocaine, and such regulation is involved in cocaine action. Methods We tested palmitoylation and surface expression of AMPA receptors in striatal neurons and psychomotor behavior in response to cocaine in rats. Results All four AMPA receptor subunits (GluA1-4 or GluR1-4) are palmitoylated in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) of adult rats. Among them, GluA1 and GluA3 are preferentially upregulated in their palmitoylation levels by a systemic injection of cocaine. The upregulated GluA1 and 3 palmitoylation is a transient and reversible event. Consequently, it increases the susceptibility of surface-expressed GluA1 and 3 to internalization trafficking, leading to a temporal loss of surface receptor expression. Blockade of the regulated GluA1/3 palmitoylation with a palmitoylation inhibitor in the local NAc reverses the loss of surface GluA1/3. The inhibition of palmitoylation concurrently sustains behavioral responsivity to cocaine as well. Conclusions Our data identify a novel drug–palmitoylation coupling in the center of limbic reward circuits. Through palmitoylating selective AMPA receptor subunits, cocaine activity dependently regulates trafficking and subcellular localization of the receptor in NAc neurons and dynamically controls psychomotor sensitivity to the psychoactive drug in vivo.
Decoupling of Banach-valued multilinear forms in independent symmetric Banach-valued random variables

Let E be a Banach space and Π: E→ℝ+ be symmetric, continuous and convex. Let {Ui} and {ri} be independent sequences of random variables having, respectively, U(0, 1) and symmetric Bernoulli distributions, and let {U i (j) } and {r i (j) } for j=1, 2, ..., d be independent copies of these sequences. We prove two-sided inequalities between the quantities $$E\Phi (\sum\limits_{\underset{\raise0.3em\hbox{$\smash{\scriptscriptstyle-}$}}{i} \in \mathbb{Z}_ + ^d } {r_{i_1 } } ...r_{i_d } F_{\underset{\raise0.3em\hbox{$\smash{\scriptscriptstyle-}$}}{i} } (U_{i_1 } ,...,U_{i_d } ))$$ and their “decoupled” versions $$E\Phi (\sum\limits_{\underset{\raise0.3em\hbox{$\smash{\scriptscriptstyle-}$}}{\iota } \in \mathbb{Z}_ + ^d } {r_{i_1 }^{(1)} ...r_{i_d }^{(d)} } F_{\underset{\raise0.3em\hbox{$\smash{\scriptscriptstyle-}$}}{\iota } } (U_{i_1 }^{(1)} ,..., U_{i_d }^{(d)} ))$$ , for Bochner integrable F i : [0, 1] d →E. This generalizes results of Kwapien and of Zinn.
Radionuclide dating and trace element analysis by accelerator mass spectrometry

Accelerator Mass Spectcrometry (AMS) is being used for both radionuclide dating and stable isotope trace element determination with limits of high sensitivity. The areas of applications of radionuclide AMS include oceanography, terrestrial studies, glaciology, hydrology, environmental studies, meteorology, archaeology, anthropology, analysis of crude oils, biomedical and materials sciences, etc. The techniques and applications of radionuclide AMS are reviewed. The applications of stable element AMS include the measurements of trace impurities in electronic and other materials. The techniques and applications of stable element AMS are discussed with particular emphasis on electronic materials such as Si, GaAs, and HgCdTe. The design of the University of North Texas stable element AMS facility built in collaboration with Texas Instruments Incorporated is discussed.
DISRUPTED FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE PHYSIOLOGY FOLLOWING NEONATAL EXPOSURE TO PHYTOESTROGENS OR ESTROGEN SPECIFIC LIGANDS IS ASSOCIATED WITH DECREASED GNRH ACTIVATION AND KISSPEPTIN FIBER DENSITY IN THE HYPOTHALAMUS

It is well established that estrogen administration during neonatal development can advance pubertal onset and prevent the maintenance of regular estrous cycles in female rats. This treatment paradigm also eliminates the preovulatory rise of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH). It remains unclear, however, through which of the two primary forms of the estrogen receptor (ERα or ERβ) this effect is mediated. It is also unclear whether endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) can produce similar effects. Here we compared the effect of neonatal exposure to estradiol benzoate (EB), the ERα specific agonist 1,3,5-tris(4-Hydroxyphenyl)-4-propyl-1H-pyrazole (PPT), the ERβ specific agonist diarylpropionitrile (DPN) and the naturally occurring EDCs genistein (GEN) and equol (EQ) on pubertal onset, estrous cyclicity, GnRH activation, and kisspeptin content in the anteroventral periventricular (AVPV) and arcuate (ARC) nuclei. Vaginal opening was significantly advanced by EB and GEN. By ten weeks post-puberty, irregular estrous cycles were observed in all groups except the control group. GnRH activation, as measured by the percentage of immunopositive GnRH neurons that were also immunopositive for Fos, was significantly lower in all treatment groups except the DPN group compared to the control group. GnRH activation was absent in the PPT group. These data suggest that neonatal exposure to EDCs can suppress GnRH activity in adulthood, and that ERα plays a pivotal role in this process. Kisspeptins (KISS) have recently been characterized to be potent stimulators of GnRH secretion. Therefore we quantified the density of KISS immunolabeled fibers in the AVPV and ARC. In the AVPV, KISS fiber density was significantly lower in the EB and GEN groups compared to the control group but only in the EB and PPT groups in the ARC. The data suggest that decreased stimulation of GnRH neurons by KISS could be a mechanism by which EDCs can impair female reproductive function.
One influenza virus particle packages eight unique viral RNAs as shown by FISH analysis

Influenza A virus possesses a segmented genome of eight negative-sense, single-stranded RNAs. The eight segments have been shown to be represented in approximately equal molar ratios in a virus population; however, the exact copy number of each viral RNA segment per individual virus particles has not been determined. We have established an experimental approach based on multicolor single-molecule fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) to study the composition of viral RNAs at single-virus particle resolution. Colocalization analysis showed that a high percentage of virus particles package all eight different segments of viral RNAs. To determine the copy number of each RNA segment within individual virus particles, we measured the photobleaching steps of individual virus particles hybridized with fluorescent probes targeting a specific viral RNA. By comparing the photobleaching profiles of probes against the HA RNA segment for the wild-type influenza A/Puerto Rico/8/34 (PR8) and a recombinant PR8 virus carrying two copies of the HA segment, we concluded that only one copy of HA segment is packaged into a wild type virus particle. Our results showed similar photobleaching behaviors for other RNA segments, suggesting that for the majority of the virus particles, only one copy of each RNA segment is packaged into one virus particle. Together, our results support that the packaging of influenza viral genome is a selective process.
Analytical Solution to a Simple Climate Model with Diffusive Heat Transport.

Abstract A simple radiative balance climate model is presented which includes the ice feedback mechanism, zonal averaging, constant homogeneous cloudiness, and ordinary diffusive thermal heat transfer. The simplest version of the model with only one free parameter is solved explicitly in terms of hypergeometric functions and is used to study ice sheet latitude as a function of solar constant. A multiple branch structure of this function is found and discussed along with comparison to earlier results. A stability analysis about the equilibrium solutions shows that the present climate as well as an ice-covered earth are stable while an intermediate solution is unstable for small perturbations away from equilibrium.
Signal Transduction: Receptor Clusters as Information Processing Arrays

The organization of transmembrane receptors into higher-order arrays occurs in cells as different as bacteria, lymphocytes and neurons. What are the implications of receptor clustering for short-term and long-term signaling processes that occur in response to ligand binding?
Assessment of relative error sources in IR DIAL measurement accuracy

An assessment is made of the role the various error sources play in limiting the accuracy of infrared differential absorption lidar measurements used for the remote sensing of atmospheric species. An overview is presented of the relative contribution of each error source including the inadequate knowledge of the absorption coefficient, differential spectral reflectance, and background interference as well as measurement errors arising from signal fluctuations.
EVOLUTION IN A LABORATORY HOST–PARASITOID SYSTEM AND ITS EFFECT ON POPULATION KINETICS

A laboratory system was developed that allowed populations of the house fly, Musca domestica, and its hymenopterous, wasp parasitoid, Nasonia vitripennis, to interact and fluctuate in numbers, subject only to an upper limit on Musca density. In one (experimental) treatment, the selection pressure from Nasonia was allowed to operate, while in the control all Musca adults were replaced in each generation by individuals from a Musca population not exposed to Nasonia. Evolution for resistance of Musca to Nasonia became noticeable within four generations in the experimental treatment. Measured changes finally included increased fly pupal weight (although larval development period was not allowed to increase), less time spent as pupa, increased pupal mortality, and reduced fecundity of adults. Total per-generation increase of both control and experimental Nasonia was much reduced on experimental compared with control Musca. This was caused by reductions both in the longevity of female Nasonia and in the number of progeny they produced each day. From early in the experiment the increased resistance of Musca produced lower Nasonia densities in the experimental treatment. During the first 20 or so generations no difference could be detected in mean Musca density between the two treatments. After that time the density of adult Musca became greater, and fluctuated less, in the experimental than in the control treatment. This situation continued until the experiment ended at 50 generations.
Supermodular mechanism design

This paper introduces a mechanism design approach that allows dealing with the multiple equilibrium problem, using mechanisms that are robust to bounded rationality. This approach is a tool for constructing supermodular mechanisms, i.e., mechanisms that induce games with strategic complementarities. In quasilinear environments, I prove that if a social choice function can be implemented by a mechanism that generates bounded strategic substitutes—as opposed to strategic complementarities—then this mechanism can be converted into a supermodular mechanism that implements the social choice function. If the social choice function also satisfies some efficiency criterion, then it admits a supermodular mechanism that balances the budget. Building on these results, I address the multiple equilibrium problem. I provide sufficient conditions for a social choice function to be implementable with a supermodular mechanism whose equilibria are contained in the smallest interval among all supermodular mechanisms. This is followed by conditions for supermodular implementability in unique equilibrium. Finally, I provide a revelation principle for supermodular implementation in environments with general preferences.
Instructing non-majors programming: Knowledge organization by illustration

A typical approach to teaching programming is to start with the syntax of the construct, followed by showing some code examples, and then discussions move to how you can create more complex statements using the construct being introduced. We suggest reorganizing the approach and to make the syntax discussion more effective, show actual code within the integrated design environment, then move back to the standard syntax discussion at the end. The introduction to the topic can then be wrapped up with students writing a short section of code to reinforce the concept. This approach was implemented due to an overwhelming response from students who would like ldquofewer lecturesrdquo and ldquomore labsrdquo. A moderate change from the way we teach could hook the student in, make them grasp the material quicker, and get them interested in problem-solving activities. This is especially important for the non-major, whose real interest lies elsewhere. This paper documents a technique which demonstrates that illustrating the programming construct and syntax is best delivered through an example, by showing students actual code samples, actual runs, demonstrations, and tests, before the syntax of the construct is introduced. By introducing the student to a well-structured illustration, students formulate a clearer idea of how the construct is implemented and sustains the studentpsilas knowledge organization of the material. This is supported with empirical data that shows studentspsila understanding and grasp of the material.
The Flawed Logic of Democratic Peace Theory

Democratic peace theory is probably the most powerful liberal contribution to the debate on the causes of war and peace. In this paper I examine the causal logics that underpin the theory to determine whether they offer compelling explanations for the finding of mutual democratic pacifism. I find that they do not. Democracies do not reliably externalize their domestic norms of conflict resolution and do not trust or respect one another when their interests clash. Moreover, elected leaders are not especially accountable to peace loving publics or pacific interest groups, democracies are not particularly slow to mobilize or incapable of surprise attack, and open political competition does not guarantee that a democracy will reveal private information about its level of resolve thereby avoiding conflict. Since the evidence suggests that the logics do not operate as stipulated by the theory's proponents, there are good reasons to believe that while there is certainly peace among democracies, it may not be caused by the democratic nature of those states.
Reciprocal Activation by Cyclin-Dependent Kinases 2 and 7 Is Directed by Substrate Specificity Determinants outside the T Loop

Cyclin-dependent kinase 7 (CDK7) is the catalytic subunit of the metazoan CDK-activating kinase (CAK), which activates CDKs, such as CDC2 and CDK2, through phosphorylation of a conserved threonine residue in the T loop. Full activation of CDK7 requires association with a positive regulatory subunit, cyclin H, and phosphorylation of a conserved threonine residue at position 170 in its own T loop. We show that threonine-170 of CDK7 is phosphorylated in vitro by its targets, CDC2 and CDK2, which also phosphorylate serine-164 in the CDK7 T loop, a site that perfectly matches their consensus phosphorylation site. In contrast, neither CDK4 nor CDK7 itself can phosphorylate the CDK7 T loop in vitro. The ability of CDC2 or CDK2 and CDK7 to phosphorylate each other but not themselves implies that each kinase can discriminate among closely related sequences and can recognize a substrate site that diverges from its usual preferred site. To understand the basis for this paradoxical substrate specificity, we constructed a chimeric CDK with the T loop of CDK7 grafted onto the body of CDK2. Surprisingly, the hybrid enzyme, CDK2-7, was efficiently activated in cyclin A-dependent fashion by CDK7 but not at all by CDK2. CDK2-7, moreover, phosphorylated wild-type CDK7 but not CDK2. Our results suggest that the primary amino acid sequence of the T loop plays only a minor role, if any, in determining the specificity of cyclin-dependent CAKs for their CDK substrates and that protein-protein interactions involving sequences outside the T loop can influence substrate specificity both positively and negatively.
SAW amplifiers on multilayer GaAs substrates

The SAW amplifier was a topic of considerable interest twenty years ago and in light of numerous material advances in compound semiconductors since that time, perhaps should be revisited. One of the limitations of this device was the excessive power consumption due to the inability to grow very high resistivity semiconductor films with high electron mobility. In addition, the high drift voltages on the order of hundreds of volts made the devices impractical for commercial system applications. In this paper we implement a SAW amplifier on a multilayer GaAs substrate. Fabricating the device on a thin (<1 /spl mu/m), lightly doped n-type (n/sub 0//spl sim/10/sup 14/) epitaxial layer of GaAs enables a very high sheet resistance to be obtained while maintaining the high electron mobility of GaAs.
The Relationship Between Occupational Form and Occupational Performance: A Kinematic Perspective

OBJECTIVES This study examined, through kinematic analysis, the effect of occupational form on reaching performance. The hypothesis was that reaching performance would show an enhanced quality of movement in materials-based occupation (i.e., pick up a pencil and prepare to write one's own name) than in imagery-based occupation (i.e., pretend to pick up a pencil and prepare to sign one's own name) and in exercise (i.e., move the arm forward). It was further hypothesized that imagery-based occupation would elicit better performance than exercise. METHOD The reaching performance was measured, using WATSMART (Waterloo Spatial Motion Analysis & Recording Technique), by the variables including reaction time, movement time, number of movement units, total displacement, the amplitude of peak velocity, and percentage of reach in which peak velocity occurred. A repeated-measures counterbalanced research design was used with 37 female college students. Contrast analysis was used to test the hypotheses. RESULTS Materials-based occupation elicited enhanced quality of movement performance, as compared with imagery-based occupation and exercise. However, exercise seemed to elicit better performance than imagery-based occupation. CONCLUSION The practical implication is that materials-based occupation might be used to elicit enhanced quality of reaching movement in occupational therapy intervention.
Correction: Cold shock induces apoptosis of dorsal root ganglion neurons plated on infrared windows

Correction for 'Cold shock induces apoptosis of dorsal root ganglion neurons plated on infrared windows' by Ebrahim Aboualizadeh et al., Analyst, 2015, 140, 4046-4056.
Prognostic Value of Quantitative Diffusion-Weighted MRI in Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Data about the predictive value of quantitative diffusion-weighted MRI in traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients is lacking. This study aimed to determine if specific apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) thresholds could be determined that correlate with outcome in moderate-severe TBI. METHODS This retrospective observational study investigated patients with moderate-severe TBI. MRIs obtained post-injury days 1-13 were analyzed. MRIs were obtained on a 1.5T scanner; 20-23 contiguous diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) sections with a spin-echo echo planar imaging DWI 256×256 reconstructed matrix; field of view 24×24 cm; slice thickness/gap of 5/1.5 or 5/2.5 mm. The ADC value of each brain tissue voxel was determined. The percentage of voxels below different ADC thresholds was calculated and correlated with outcome. A good outcome was defined as discharge to home or a rehabilitation facility. RESULTS Seventy-six patients were analyzed. Thirty-five patients (46%) had a good outcome. The timing of MRI scans did not differ between groups, but the mean age did (42±18 years vs. 56±19 years, p<.01, good vs. poor outcome). Patients with poor outcome had significantly higher percentage of brain volume with ADC < 400×10-6 mm2/second (.85±.67% vs. .60±.29%, poor vs. good outcome, p<.05). Using a ROC curve analysis and Youden's index, an ADC <400×10-6 mm2/second in ≥.49% of brain was 85% sensitive and 46% specific for poor outcome (p<.05). CONCLUSIONS Quantitative MRI offers additional prognostic information in acute TBI. A whole brain tissue ADC threshold of <400×10-6 mm2/second in ≥.49% of brain may be a novel prognostic biomarker.
Evaluating an Automated Tool to Assist Evolutionary Document Generation

While using how-to documents for guidance in performing computer-based tasks, users often run into problems due to inaccurate, out-of-date and incomplete documentation. These problems are often due to current documentation practices, which fail to keep how-to documents current, accurate, and complete. We believe that automated support for incremental update of how-to-documents, through the use of programming by demonstration and guided walkthrough techniques, is more effective than existing practice and produces documents that cause fewer problems for their users. In this paper, we present a study that evaluates this belief by comparing DocWizards, a tool utilizing these techniques, with a standard word processor. We show that more effective and efficient documentation can be generated by multiple authors using DocWizards in an incremental process, with effort comparable to that incurred using a traditional tool.
POSSIBLE HYDRIDE AND METHIDE TRANSFER REACTIONS: REACTIONS OF Fe(CO)4R−(R = H, CH3) AND W(CO)5R− (R = H, CH3, Cl, Br, I) WITH METAL CARBONYL CATIONS

Abstract Reactions of metal carbonyl cations (M(CO)6 +, M = Mn, Re) with hydride-, methide- or halide-containing metal carbonyl anions (Fe(CO)4R−, R = H, Me; W(CO)5R−, R = H, Me, Cl, Br, I) produce products that indicate several mechanisms are operative. Reactions of the halo-tungsten complexes produce neutral, solvated tungsten complexes, W(CO)5(CH3CN) and W(CO)4(CH3CN)2 and M(CO)5X in a reaction that appears to be initiated by decomposition of W(CO)5X−. In contrast, the tungsten hydride and methide complexes react, predominantly, by transfer of the hydride or methide to a carbonyl of the cation at a much faster rate. The iron hydride and methide complexes react by iron-based nucleophilicity involving a two-electron process.
Comparison of Cepheid's Analyte-Specific Reagents with BD Directigen for Detection of Respiratory Syncytial Virus

For detection of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), the BD Directigen RSV rapid antigen assay was compared to Cepheid's real-time reverse transcriptase PCR RSV analyte-specific reagents. The Directigen RSV assay resulted in a 23% false-negative rate, using PCR and chart review as the gold standard, indicating that rapid RSV PCR results would be advantageous.
Sexual isolation in bacteria.

Bacteria exchange genes rarely but are promiscuous in the choice of their genetic partners. Inter-specific recombination has the advantage of increasing genetic diversity and promoting dissemination of novel adaptations, but suffers from the negative effect of importing potentially harmful alleles from incompatible genomes. Bacterial species experience a degree of ‘sexual isolation’ from genetically divergent organisms – recombination occurs more frequently within a species than between species. In this review, I outline the sources and mechanisms of sexual isolation within the context of selective pressures acting on different types of recombination events.
Perceptual organization, the disorganization syndrome, and context processing in chronic schizophrenia

Schizophrenia patients' perceptual organization abilities were assessed with a psychophysically well-controlled measure of contour integration. Compared with psychiatric and staff controls, schizophrenia patients were less able to detect contours comprising Gabor elements as the detection of these contours relied increasingly on long-range spatial interactions. Impaired task performance was also found to correlate significantly with higher levels of disorganized symptomatology. These data provide further evidence for impaired perceptual grouping in schizophrenia. In addition, the findings support the hypothesis that a common cortical processing algorithm involving contextual coordination is impaired in schizophrenia, leading to reduced binding of object features in vision, and reduced contextual disambiguation of linguistic information during thought and speech.
Biology and Immunology of Human Strongyloidiasis

Strongyloidiasis is an important human parasitic infection primarily because of its potential for serious and even lethal disease in immunosuppressed patients. Certain features of the biology of Strongyloides stercoralis, such as the ability to autoinfect the host, help explain why the parasite is dangerous. Characteristics of the parasite can also be exploited in parasitological diagnosis of infection with the Baermann concentration procedure and by culture. Use of filariform larval antigens in ELISA or immunofluorescent-antibody tests now provide reliable serological tests for diagnosis, and, in most patients, antibody levels decline one to two years after successful treatment. Immediate hypersensitivity is a prominent component of the immune response to strongyloides infection and may play a role in the pathogenesis of disease as well as in protection. An IgE-mediated skin test appears to be useful in diagnosis. Animal models used for immunologic studies of other intestinal helminths have lacked relevance to human strongyloidiasis. Features of the human disease, however, including hyperinfection syndrome, can be produced by S. stercoralis in the Patas monkey and in dogs.
Using distance education to teach introductory multimedia design and production

An introductory course in the use of multimedia techniques for technical communication was designed and presented as a distance education course. The software application PowerPoint and several readily available HTML editors were used by students to create electronic presentations and web sites that employed sound, animation, film, as well as a variety of graphics and text messages to achieve specific communication objectives. Students used a messaging application, First Class, and the Internet to get assignments, learn about multimedia, discuss their experiences and problems, communicate with their instructor, and showcase and critique their own multimedia projects.
The prescription drug epidemic in the United States: A perfect storm

Introduction and Aims.Abuse of prescription analgesics in the USA is increasing. The epidemic has been driven by many factors, including marketing strategies, incorrect prescribing practices, a variety of legal and illegal drug sources, belated governmental responses and increases in the number of prescriptions written. Design and Methods.Data sources including surveys, emergency room visits, treatment admissions, overdose deaths, toxicology laboratory findings and journal articles were examined to identify trends. Results.The surveys and emergency department visits show use lowest among young teenagers and highest among older teenagers and young adults, with significant increases among those aged 55 and older. The length of time between initial use of an opioid other than heroin and admission to treatment is shortening. Mortality data and toxicology exhibits confirm the increases and show the variation in the prevalence of various drugs across the USA. Discussion and Conclusions.Abuse is increasing, with varying patterns of use by high-risk groups and different geographic preferences. Prescription drug monitoring programs are being developed in each of the US states to deter ‘doctor shopping’; the Food and Drug Administration has increased authority over manufacturers; and options for proper disposal of leftover medications exist. There is increased emphasis on responsible prescribing including risk assessments, prescribing agreements, treatment plans, and training for clinicians, as well as monitoring the interactions with benzodiazepines. However, unless these efforts decrease diversion, abuse and addiction, clinicians may lose the ability to use some of these opioids for effective pain management or so many barriers will be raised that pain will go undertreated or untreated.[Maxwell JC. The prescription drug epidemic in the United States: A perfect storm. Drug Alcohol Rev 2011;30:264–270]
Peroneal neuropathy misdiagnosed as L5 radiculopathy: a case report

The purpose of this case report is to describe a patient who presented with a case of peroneal neuropathy that was originally diagnosed and treated as a L5 radiculopathy. A 53-year old female registered nurse presented to a private chiropractic practice with complaints of left lateral leg pain. Three months earlier she underwent elective left L5 decompression surgery without relief of symptoms. Lumbar spine MRI seven months prior to lumbar decompression surgery revealed left neural foraminal stenosis at L5-S1. The patient symptoms resolved after she stopped crossing her legs. This report discusses a case of undiagnosed peroneal neuropathy that underwent lumbar decompression surgery for a L5 radiculopathy. This case study demonstrates the importance of a thorough clinical examination and decision making that ensures proper patient diagnosis and management.
Tropical Atlantic SST Forcing of Coupled North Atlantic Seasonal Responses

Recent observational studies reveal that a fall Pan-Atlantic sea surface temperature (SST) anomaly, composed of a horseshoe-like dipole in the North Atlantic and a southern center in the equatorial Atlantic, tends to precede the winter North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and its related SST tripole by several months. This study seeks to understand this relationship using large ensembles of atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) experiments and experiments with the AGCM coupled to a mixed layer ocean (AGCM_ML). The models are forced either by the North Atlantic horseshoe (NAH) or by the tropical SST anomalies over the boreal winter months. The AGCM results show that the NAH anomaly induces a baroclinic response in geopotential heights throughout the winter, with little projection on the NAO. Since the NAH anomaly is ineffective in forcing the wintertime NAO, it cannot account for observations that the NAH SST leads the NAO. In contrast, in the AGCM_ML, the coupled North Atlantic response forced by the tropical anomaly exhibits a strong seasonal dependence. In early winter, the positive anomaly induces a trough east of Newfoundland with a wave train to the northeast, and in late winter the response projects strongly on a negative NAO. Correspondingly, the extratropical SST response features an NAH-like pattern in early winter and a tripole in late winter. These results suggest that tropical Atlantic SST anomalies can significantly influence the coupled extratropical variability. The observed relationship between the fall NAH SST and the winter NAO (or the SST tripole) may be a consequence of persistent forcing of the seasonally varying atmosphere by tropical SST anomalies. Comparisons with the parallel AGCM results indicate that the largely sign-symmetric NAO responses developed in the AGCM_ML are in part due to active extratropical SST feedbacks. Diagnostic experiments using a linear model further illustrate that, in the absence of transient-eddy feedbacks, an idealized tropical heating induces anomalous flows that are qualitatively similar in early and late winter, with a trough southeast of Newfoundland and a ridge to the northeast. The enhanced seasonality in the SST-induced coupled response likely arises from the seasonal modulation of transient-eddy feedbacks on the heatingforced anomalous flow.
Aleatory Sovereignty and the Rule of Sensitive Spaces

Addressing life in borders and refugee camps requires understanding the way these spaces are ruled, the kinds of problems rule poses for the people who live there, and the abilities of inhabitants to remake their own lives. Recent literature on such spaces has been influenced by Agamben's notion of sovereignty, which reduces these spaces and their residents to abstractions. We propose an alternate framework focused on what we call aleatory sovereignty, or rule by chance. This allows us to see camps and borders not only as the outcomes of humanitarian projects but also of anxieties about governance and rule; to see their inhabitants not only as abject recipients of aid, but also as individuals who make decisions and choices in complex conditions; and to show that while the outcome of projects within such spaces is often unpredictable, the assumptions that undergird such projects create regular cycles of implementation and failure. In the last decade, "sovereignty" has once again become a keyword of social science scholarship and political theory. Moving the focus away from sovereignty as an organizing principle of the international system, this new work asks questions about how the capacity to govern is founded and what the effects of an often draconian exercise of power are on vulnerable populations (Agnew 2005; Barnett 2010; Elden
Kinase domain mutations confer resistance to novel inhibitors targeting JAK2V617F in myeloproliferative neoplasms

The transforming JAK2V617F kinase is frequently associated with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) and thought to be instrumental for the overproduction of myeloid lineage cells. Several small molecule drugs targeting JAK2 are currently in clinical development for treatment in these diseases. We performed a high-throughput in vitro screen to identify point mutations in JAK2V617F that would be predicted to have potential clinical relevance and associated with drug resistance to the JAK2 inhibitor ruxolitinib (INCB018424). Seven libraries of mutagenized JAK2V617F cDNA were screened to specifically identify mutations in the predicted drug-binding region that would confer resistance to ruxolitinib, using a BaF3 cell-based assay. We identified 5 different non-synonymous point mutations that conferred drug resistance. Cells containing mutations had a 9 to 33-fold higher EC50 for ruxolitinib compared to native JAK2V617F. Our results further indicated that these mutations also conferred cross-resistance to all JAK2 kinase inhibitors tested, including AZD1480, TG101348, lestaurtinib (CEP-701) and CYT-387. Surprisingly, introduction of the ‘gatekeeper’ mutation (M929I) in JAK2V617F affected only ruxolitinib sensitivity (4-fold increase in EC50). These results suggest that JAK2 inhibitors currently in clinical trials may be prone to resistance as a result of point mutations and caution should be exercised when administering these drugs.
Biological effects of urban air pollution. II. Chronic exposure of guinea pigs.

Rodents exposed to the ambient atmosphere of Los Angeles throughout their lives have been studied in comparison with animals maintained in smog-filtered atmospheres. In aging inbred mice of certain strains, there was an increased incidence of pulmonary adenoma. In one strain mortality of males (but not females) during the first year of life was increased. Severe smog episodes caused lung tissue alterations at the ultrastructural level, especially in mice older than 15 months. Severe episodes produced transient increases in pulmonary resistance in old guinea pigs but no demonstrable chronic or cumulative effects on this parameter. In guinea pigs sensitized by prior stress treatment, urinary excretion of 17-ketogenic steroids was enhanced by ambient atmosphere exposure. After two or three years of exposure, rabbits exhibited reduced activity of glutamic oxalacetic transaminase in blood serum.