cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Infantile Stimulation and Adult Stature of Human Males

physiological effects. One of the more persistent.and striking of these effects, an increase in rate of growth and size attained at adulthood, is of particular relevance to this paper. It has been summarized by Levine (1960:85), one of the leading researchers in the field, as follows: "In all respects, in fact, the manipulated infants exhibit a more rapid rate of development. They open their eyes earlier and achieve motor coordination sooner. Their body hair grows faster, and they tend to be significantly heavier at weaning. They continue to gain weight more rapidly than the nonstimulated animals even after the course of stimulation has been completed at three weeks of age. Their more vigorous growth does not seem to be related to food intake but to better utilization of the food consumed and probably to a higher output of the somatotrophic (growth) hormone from the pituitary." As will be discussed below, it seems reasonable to interpret these unusual early experiences as stressful to the immature animals. Although the exact mechanism underlying the stimulating effects of these early experiences upon growth has not been established, it is known that a lasting change in the endocrine system does occur. Since growth is presumably inhibited by corticosteroid stress response hormones, one might hypothe
Testing an astronomically based decadal-scale empirical harmonic climate model versus the IPCC (2007) general circulation climate models

Abstract We compare the performance of a recently proposed empirical climate model based on astronomical harmonics against all CMIP3 available general circulation climate models (GCM) used by the IPCC (2007) to interpret the 20th century global surface temperature. The proposed astronomical empirical climate model assumes that the climate is resonating with, or synchronized to a set of natural harmonics that, in previous works ( Scafetta, 2010b, 2011b ), have been associated to the solar system planetary motion, which is mostly determined by Jupiter and Saturn. We show that the GCMs fail to reproduce the major decadal and multidecadal oscillations found in the global surface temperature record from 1850 to 2011. On the contrary, the proposed harmonic model (which herein uses cycles with 9.1, 10–10.5, 20–21, 60–62 year periods) is found to well reconstruct the observed climate oscillations from 1850 to 2011, and it is shown to be able to forecast the climate oscillations from 1950 to 2011 using the data covering the period 1850–1950, and vice versa. The 9.1-year cycle is shown to be likely related to a decadal Soli/Lunar tidal oscillation, while the 10–10.5, 20–21 and 60–62 year cycles are synchronous to solar and heliospheric planetary oscillations. We show that the IPCC GCM's claim that all warming observed from 1970 to 2000 has been anthropogenically induced is erroneous because of the GCM failure in reconstructing the quasi 20-year and 60-year climatic cycles. Finally, we show how the presence of these large natural cycles can be used to correct the IPCC projected anthropogenic warming trend for the 21st century. By combining this corrected trend with the natural cycles, we show that the temperature may not significantly increase during the next 30 years mostly because of the negative phase of the 60-year cycle. If multisecular natural cycles (which according to some authors have significantly contributed to the observed 1700–2010 warming and may contribute to an additional natural cooling by 2100) are ignored, the same IPCC projected anthropogenic emissions would imply a global warming by about 0.3–1.2 °C by 2100, contrary to the IPCC 1.0–3.6 °C projected warming. The results of this paper reinforce previous claims that the relevant physical mechanisms that explain the detected climatic cycles are still missing in the current GCMs and that climate variations at the multidecadal scales are astronomically induced and, in first approximation, can be forecast.
Editorial Commentary: “All that glitters is not gold”

Solid-phase immunoassays to assess human leukocyte antigens (HLAs) and anti-HLA antibodies are a major advance in transplantation immunology. Currently, they still have some limitations such as the inability to distinguish clinically significant antibodies from natural antibodies. Complementary information derived from older techniques is still useful for the complete assessment of some complex patients with anti-HLA antibodies before and after cardiac transplantation. More research and refinement of the current technology (intact HLA molecules on beads, etc.) would improve the immunologic risk assessment of such patients. The introduction of solid-phase immunoassays to assess human leukocyte antigens (HLAs) and anti-HLA antibodies was a major advance in the field of transplantation immunology. The ability to identify specific anti-HLA antibodies has allowed “virtual cross-matching,” the process of crossmatching a recipient’s anti-HLA antibodies to the HLAs of the donor. Virtual cross-matching allows for more timely allocation of organs because it saves the time needed to transport donor tissue to the immunology laboratory and the time to perform the prospective cross-match, thus improving utilization of donor organs. The ability to identify specific anti-HLA antibodies has allowed studies of the effect of anti-donor antibodies on long-term outcomes. Many transplant centers now perform HLA matching solely using the new technology and have dropped older membrane-based techniques such as complement-dependent cytotoxicity–anti-human globulin (CDC-AHG) and flow cytometry. However, despite the power of these new techniques, many clinical issues remain unresolved, including the concern that the newer techniques may detect antiHLA antibodies that bind antigen but cannot fix complement and thus would not result in rejection. In this issue of the Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation, Nikaein et al make this concern a reality. They describe 5 of 14 patients who received ventricular assist devices (VAD) as a bridge to transplantation who were
Interaction between Human Mismatch Repair Recognition Proteins and Checkpoint sensor Rad9-Rad1-Hus1

Abstract In eukaryotic cells, the cell cycle checkpoint proteins Rad9, Rad1, and Hus1 form the 9-1-1 complex which is structurally similar to the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) sliding clamp. hMSH2/hMSH6 (hMutSα) and hMSH2/hMSH3 (hMutSβ) are the mismatch recognition factors of the mismatch repair pathway. hMutSα has been shown to physically and functionally interact with PCNA. Moreover, DNA methylating agent N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) treatment induces the G2/M cell cycle arrest that is dependent on the presence of hMutSα and hMutLα. In this study, we show that each subunit of the human 9-1-1 complex physically interacts with hMSH2, hMSH3, and hMSH6. The 9-1-1 complex from both humans and Schizosaccharomyces pombe can stimulate hMutSα binding with G/T-containing DNA. Rad9, Rad1, and Hus1 individual subunits can also stimulate the DNA binding activity of hMutSα. Human Rad9 and hMSH6 colocalize to nuclear foci of HeLa cells after exposure to MNNG. However, Rad9 does not form foci in MSH6 defective cells following MNNG treatment. In Rad9 knockdown untreated cells, the majority of the MSH6 is in cytoplasm. Following MNNG treatment, Rad9 knockdown cells has abnormal nuclear morphology and MSH6 is distributed around nuclear envelop. Our findings suggest that the 9-1-1 complex is a component of the mismatch repair involved in MNNG-induced damage response.
Differential mitotic toxicity of methylmercury in various meristematic tissues (apex, bud, root) of Elodea densa

Elodea densa plants were grown in flowing water for 25 days at methylmercury (MMC) concentrations of 7.5 × 10−10, 7.5 × 10−9, and 7.5 × 10−8 M. Toxicity development was different within and among the three types of meristematic tissues—apex, root, and bud. Apical cells were most sensitive to MMC and developed aberrant nuclear and mitotic characteristics at lower concentrations than did roots. Root meristems had a total inhibition of mitotic activity at 7.5 × 10−9 M with no aberrant symptoms at lower MMC levels. Conversely, the mitotic activity in bud meristems was zero in the control and increased in the presence of MMC. However, the divisions were abnormal. Higher concentrations of MMC (up to 2.5 × 10−6 M) had the unusual effect of stimulating the development of additional buds. The formation and development of root and bud initials were inhibited at levels of 7.5 × 10−8 and 0.25 × 10−6 M MMC in the water.
Polarization waves and superconducting instabilities in electron systems

Electron-electron attractions originating with dynamical correlations are considered for inhomogeneous systems where the electrons can be explicitly partitioned into two classes: itinerant (valence) and quasilocalized (core). Dynamical correlations in the near homogeneous itinerant class are well captured by analytical forms of local-field factors when constrained to obey sum rules. For the nonoverlapping quasilocalized electrons a reduced description of their collective dynamical behavior can be given by appealing to bosonic excitations of polarization wave character. It is argued that in addition to the Kohn-Luttinger mechanism of intrinsic superconductivity in the itinerant class, there is another attractive pairing channel (and hence a possible further enhancement of Tc ) arising from the exchange of these polarization waves, again of wholly electronic origin. Numerical estimates, via solution of the Eliashberg equation, suggest that the polarization wave channel can be quite significant in mediating electron pairing.
Use of silicone in relining, rebasing, and duplication of dentures

Abstract A silicone rubber lining in the top half of the flask makes it possible to construct an original and duplicate denture with minimum of time and expense.
SynGAP moves out of the core of the postsynaptic density upon depolarization.

The postsynaptic density (PSD) is a disc-shaped structure lining the cytoplasmic side of the postsynaptic membrane at glutamatergic excitatory synapses in the mammalian central nervous system. The PSD is a complex of regulatory proteins, membrane receptors and cell-adhesion molecules associated with a central scaffold (reviews: Sheng and Hoogenraad 2007, Feng and Zhang 2009). PSDs undergo changes in structure and composition upon stimulation (Geinisman et al., 1991, Hu et al., 1998, Dosemeci et al., 2001, Ehlers 2003), and these changes may impact synaptic strength. SynGAP, a Ras GTPase activating protein, is highly enriched in the PSD (Kim et al., 1998, Chen et al., 1998). Analysis of PSD fractions purified from adult rat forebrain shows that SynGAP is as abundant as PSD-95, and that the two are the most abundant proteins in the PSD fraction after CaMKII (Cheng et al., 2006). Yeast two-hybrid studies show that the α-isoform of SynGAP interacts with the PDZ domains of PSD-95 and SAP102, a similar MAGUK prominent in immature brain, via its C-terminal PDZ-binding domain (Kim et al., 1998). SynGAP and PSD-95 co-immunoprecipitate from solubilized PSD fractions (Chen et al., 1998). Knockout and overexpression implicate SynGAP in the inhibition of accumulation of AMPA receptors at the synapse and spine formation (Kim et al., 2003, Vazquez et al., 2004, Rumbaugh et al., 2006,). Heterozygous null mutation of SynGAP (SynGAP−/+) results in reduced induction of LTP in the CA1 region of the hippocampus (Komiyama et al., 2002). SynGAP−/+ and PSD-95−/− double mutants show enhanced induction of LTP, which is also observed in PSD-95−/− single mutants, suggesting that the role of SynGAP in the regulation of LTP is dependent on the presence of PSD-95 (Komiyama et al., 2002). The interaction of SynGAP with the PDZ domains of PSD-95 is well-characterized (Kim et al., 1998, Chen et al., 1998, Li et al., 2001). The PDZ-binding property of SynGAP, as well as its GTPase-activating property, has been shown to be necessary for the inhibitory action of SynGAP on accumulation of AMPA receptors at the synapse (Rumbaugh et al., 2006). The requirement for the PDZ-binding property of SynGAP suggests that direct association between SynGAP and PSD-95 is necessary for this inhibition. As the PDZ domains of PSD-95 lie within the PSD, close to the postsynaptic membrane (Chen et al., 2008), the association between SynGAP and PSD-95 would organize a laminar localization of SynGAP within the PSD. In the present study, we examine the distribution of SynGAP within the PSD under basal and excitatory conditions. The results add details to the picture of a dynamic PSD which reorganizes in response to synaptic activity.
Contribution à l'étude des séquelles douloureuses et fonctionnelles après reconstruction mammaire utilisant le lambeau dorsal. Enquête auprès de 149 patientes

Resume Le lambeau myocutane dorsal est le transfert tissulaire le plus couramment utilise en reconstruction mammaire. Si ses qualites et performances sont bien connues, peu d’etudes ont cherche a evaluer ses sequelles, notamment douloureuses, et nous avons souhaite contribuer a alimenter cette reflexion. Partant du postulat de la complexite d’une telle demarche, nous nous sommes limites dans un premier temps a une evaluation par questionnaires « qualite de vie » adresses a deux cohortes de patientes distinctes par l’anciennete de leur reconstruction. Dans les deux groupes de patientes, la gene principale signalee, logiquement associee a une sensation de limitation gestuelle, est celle d’une rigidite axillodorsale, plus pregnante que la douleur proprement dite. Celle-ci est rapportee pendant les deux a quatre premiers mois chez la majorite des patientes des deux groupes (68 et 66 %) et peut persister plusieurs annees chez certaines d’entre elles (14 %). Ces sequelles n’ont pas empeche la quasi-totalite des patientes de reprendre leurs activites domestiques et professionnelles et d’exprimer un haut niveau de satisfaction vis-a-vis de leur reconstruction. L’adjonction a cette etude d’une serie prospective portant sur le niveau douloureux postoperatoire precoce apres reconstruction effectuee avec ou sans lambeau dorsal participe a confirmer que toute chirurgie mammaire carcinologique, d’exerese ou de reconstruction, expose a des sequelles douloureuses liees davantage a des facteurs individuels qu’a la technique mise en œuvre.
Contextual analysis of breast and cervical cancer screening and factors associated with health care access among United States women, 2002.

Abstract This research explored the relationships between race/ethnicity and area factors affecting access to health care in the United States. The study represents an advance on previous research in this field because, in addition to including data on rurality, it incorporates additional contextual covariates describing aspects of health care accessibility. Individual-level data were obtained from the 2002 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). The county of residence reported by BRFSS respondents was used to link BRFSS data with county-level measures of health care access from the 2004 Area Resource File (ARF). Analyses of mammography were limited to women aged ⩾40 years with known county of residence (n=91,492). Analyses of Pap testing were limited to women aged ⩾18 years with no history of hysterectomy and known county of residence (n=97,820). In addition to individual-level covariates such as race, Hispanic ethnicity, health insurance coverage and routine physical exam in the previous year. We examined county-level covariates (residence in health professional shortage area, urban/rural continuum, racial/ethnic composition, and number of health centers/clinics, mammography screening centers, primary care physicians, and obstetrician-gynecologists per 100,000 female population or per 1000 square miles) as predictors of cancer screening. Both individual-level and contextual covariates are associated with the use of breast and cervical cancer screening. In the current study, covariates associated with health care access, such as health insurance coverage, household income, Black race, and percentage of county female population who were non-Hispanic Black, were important determinants of screening use. In multivariate analysis, we found significant interactions between individual-level covariates and contextual covariates. Among women who reside in areas with lower primary care physician supply, rural women are less likely than urban women to have had a recent Pap test. Black women were more likely than White women to have had a recent Pap test. Women with a non-rural county of residence were more likely to have had a recent mammogram than rural women. A significant interaction was also found between individual-level race and number of health centers or clinics per 100,000 population (p-value=0.0187). In counties with 2 or more health centers or clinics per 100,000 female population, Black women were more likely than White women to have had a recent mammogram. A significant interaction was also observed between the percentage of county female population who were Hispanic and the percentage who were non-Hispanic Black.
Regional cyst concentration as a prognostic biomarker for polycystic kidney disease

Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is a major cause of renal failure. Despite recent advances in understanding the biochemistry and genetics of PKD, the functional mechanisms underpinning the declines in renal function observed in the disorder are not well established. No studies investigating the distribution of cysts within polycystic kidneys exist. This work introduces regional cyst concentration as a new biomarker for evaluation of patients suffering from PKD. We derive a method to define central and peripheral regions of the kidney, approximating the anatomical division between cortex and medulla, and apply it to two cohorts of ten patients with early/mild or late/severe disease. Our results from the late/severe cohort show peripheral cyst concentration correlates with the current standard PKD biomarker, total kidney volume (TKV), signi cantly better than central cyst concentration (p < 0.05). We also find that cyst concentration was globally increased in the late/severe cohort (p << 0.01) compared to the early/mild cohort, for both central and peripheral regions. These findings show cysts in PKD are not distributed homogeneously throughout the renal tissues.
Pentacene and poly-pentacene as graphene nanoribbons

Abstract The development of electronic devices based on the unique electronic properties of graphene requires the large scale synthesis of graphene nanoribbons which remains a significant challenge. A possible way around this is to seek existing molecules that can be readily chemically synthesized and have the structure of graphene nano-ribbons. One such molecule is pentacene, C22H14, a two dimensional chain of 5 benzene rings. Density functional theory (DFT) is used to examine the electronic and vibrational properties of pentacene, poly-pentacene and its boron nitride analogs. The results show that pentacene and poly-pentacene have similar unique electronic properties to graphene nanoribbons. The HOMO–LUMO energy gap decreases with the length of the chain and the band gap increases with increasing wave vector. In contrast the energy gap for the BN ribbons is relatively independent of the chain length and the wave vector.
Work in progress — Portable Student Labs implementation

While experiential learning through hands-on laboratory units can improve student learning outcomes, traditionally the provisioning and maintenance of dedicated computer laboratories is a costly and timeintensive undertaking. Virtualization can alleviate some of the associated problems, especially when the lab units under consideration are software-based. While virtualization has attracted a great deal of research and implementations to date, some its potential benefits are not utilized when institutions have to provide and maintain fully virtualized environments. In this paper, we introduce Portable Student Labs (PSLabs) based on the QEMU virtualization environment. PSLabs are fully portable virtualized environments that students obtain and afterwards execute either in common computing facilities available on-campus or on their individual computing equipment, thus eliminating the need for dedicated (lab-specific) computing hardware or virtual environments. In addition to the general functionality, we describe typical considerations for the process of creating the PSLabs and its delivery to students.
Vision And Reality

IF a philosopher may be permitted to take part in a discussion which seems to involve questions of scientific import alone, I would like to point out certain ideas which bear upon the problem of whether the eye has been so adapted as best to use the energy of sunlight. Sir John Parsons suggests (NATURE, Jan. 21, p. 94) that this conclusion is consistent with the fact that the brightest part of the spectrum (of the luminosity curve) coincides with the summit of the curve of radiant energy. But Mr. T. Smith (NATURE, Feb. 18, p. 242) presents another view—not inconsistent with the foregoing conception—in which vision is held to be so constituted as to bring out the sharpness of contours of bodies. This conclusion, while very important, does not seem to me to be especially novel. Prof. Eddington, in his “Stars and Atoms,” also suggested that we have in the coincidence of the peak of the visibility curve with the peak of the curve of radiant energy an interesting case of evolutionary adaptation. But aside from these views, Bergson, it might be argued, hadproposed something of the sort in his notion of the ‘geometrising intellect.’ This, at any rate, would be the case if the interpretation which the present writer puts on Bergson is the true one.
Elevated concentrations of mercury in mussels (Mytilus californianus) associated with pinniped colonies

The geographic distribution of mercury concentrations in the California mussel Mytilus californianus, collected from 1977–1978 at 43 sites along the western coastline of the continental United States is marked by consistently elevated levels at two locations. These two sites, which are relatively isolated from anthropogenic inputs and mercuryrich minerals, both contain large pinniped and marine bird populations. The relatively elevated mercury levels measured in the excrement of a pinniped from one of those locales indicate that the concentrated discharge of mercuryrich waste products from the marine ecosystem's top carnivores is contaminating lower trophic levels.
LCP models of Nash-Cournot competition in bilateral and POOLCO-based power markets

Two Cournot-Nash models of imperfect competition among electricity producers are formulated as linear complementarity problems (LCPs), and a simple example is presented to illustrate their application. The two models simulate bilateral markets. The models include a congestion pricing scheme for transmission, but other transmission pricing approaches can also be represented in this framework. The two models differ from each other in that one has no arbitrage between nodes of the network, while in the other model, arbitragers erase any non-cost based differences in price. The latter bilateral model turns out to be equivalent to a Nash-Cournot model of a POOLCO system. The models differ from other Cournot power market model in the literature in that they represent both of Kirchhoff's laws (via a DC approximation) while being readily solved using efficient complementarity algorithms. The key assumption that permits their formulation as LCPs is that each producer naively assumes that its output decisions will not affect the cost of transmission.
Noses and neurons: Induction, morphogenesis, and neuronal differentiation in the peripheral olfactory pathway

Nonaxial mesenchymal/epithelial (M/E) induction guides peripheral olfactory pathway differentiation using cellular and molecular mechanisms similar to those in the developing limbs, aortic arches, and branchial arches. At each of these bilaterally symmetric sites off the midline axis, a thickened ectodermal epithelium is apposed to a specialized mesenchyme derived largely, but not exclusively, from the neural crest. The capacity of M/E interaction in the olfactory primordia (the combined olfactory placodal epithelium and adjacent mesenchyme) to induce a distinct class of sensory receptor neurons—olfactory receptor neurons—suggests that this mechanism has been modified to accommodate neurogenesis, neurite outgrowth, and axon guidance, in addition to musculoskeletal differentiation, chondrogenesis, and vasculogenesis. Accordingly, although the olfactory primordia share signaling molecules and transcriptional regulators with other bilaterally symmetric, nonaxial sites such as limb buds, their activity may be adapted to mediate distinct aspects of cellular differentiation and process outgrowth during the initial assembly of a sensory pathway—the primary olfactory pathway—during early forebrain development. Developmental Dynamics 234:464–481, 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Why Does Large Relative Humidity with Respect to Ice Persist in Cirrus Ice Clouds

According to observations, a large relative humidity with respect to ice, RHi ≫ 100%, often persists outside and inside upper tropospheric cirrus ice clouds. The persistence of the large in-cloud RHi means that H2O is slowly deposited onto cloud ice crystals. This unusual physical situation is similar to one in which a released body would slowly fall owing to gravitation. Here we present a physical mechanism which can be responsible for the persistence of large in-cloud RHi. We find that clear-sky RHi up to 176% can be built up prior to the formation of ice cirrus by the homogeneous freezing of aqueous droplets containing H2SO4 and HNO3. As the droplets are cooled, a phase separation, which occurs during freezing, leads to the formation of a residual solution coating around the ice crystals formed. The coating can serve as a shield, slowing the rate of ice growth by ∼103 in comparison with uncoated ice, and this can be a reason for the persistence of the large in-cloud RHi.
Iron forbidden lines in tokamak discharges

Several spectrum lines from forbidden transitions in the ground configurations of highly ionized atoms have been observed in the discharges of Princeton Large Torus tokamak. Such lines allow localized observations, in the high-temperature regions of the plasma, of ion-temperatures, plasma motions, and spatial distributions of ions. Measured absolute intensities of the forbidden lines have been compared with simultaneous observations of the ion resonance lines. Model calculations have been carried out in order to deduce the relative importance of electron collisions and radiative decays in establishing excited-state populations.
High-temperature charge loss mechanism in a floating-gate EPROM with an oxide-nitride-oxide (ONO) interpoly stacked dielectric

The intrinsic charge loss rate of a floating-gate EPROM cell at temperatures above 300 degrees C appears to be much higher than the prediction from the authors' previous model (1990) developed at lower temperatures. A detailed study of intrinsic charge loss rate at temperatures ranging from 340 to 430 degrees C reveals that it follows a Frenkel-Poole model with a barrier height of 1.9 eV. The physical origin of this high-temperature charge loss is proposed. The model suggests that electrons leak through the thin bottom poly oxide and nitride, and then thermally surmount the barrier at the nitride/top-oxide interface. >
Diagnostic and prognostic utility of electrocardiography for left ventricular hypertrophy defined by magnetic resonance imaging in relationship to ethnicity: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

Background Left ventricular mass is a strong predictor of cardiovascular disease (CVD), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the heart is a standard of reference for left ventricular mass measurement. Ethnicity is believed to affect electrocardiographic (ECG) performance. We evaluated the diagnostic and prognostic performance of ECG for left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) as defined by MRI in relationship to ethnicity. Methods Data were analyzed from 4,967 participants (48% men, mean age 62 ± 10 years; 39% white, 13% Chinese, 26% African American, 22% Hispanic) enrolled in the Multi-Ethic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) who were followed for a median of 4.8 years for incident CVD. Results Thirteen traditional ECG-LVH criteria were assessed, and showed overall and ethnicity-specific low sensitivity (10%-26%) and high specificity (88%-99%) in diagnosing MRI-defined LVH. Ten of 13 ECG-LVH criteria showed superior sensitivity and diagnostic performance in African Americans as compared with whites ( P = .02-.001). The sum of amplitudes of S wave in V 1 , S wave in V 2 , and R wave in V 5 (a MESA-specific ECG-LVH criterion) offered higher sensitivity (40.4%) compared with prior ECG-LVH criteria while maintaining good specificity (90%) and diagnostic performance (receiver operating characteristic area=0.65). In fully adjusted models, only the MESA-specific ECG-LVH criterion, Romhilt-Estes score, Framingham score, Cornell voltage, Cornell duration product, and Framingham-adjusted Cornell voltage predicted increased CVD risk ( P Conclusions Electrocardiography has low sensitivity but high specificity for detecting MRI-defined LVH. The performance of ECG for LVH detection varies by ethnicity, with African Americans showing higher sensitivity and overall performance compared with other ethnic groups.
Aspirin use in advanced uncontrolled glaucoma.

Purpose To evaluate if aspirin use affects progression of primary open angle glaucoma (POAG). Methods A retrospective review of patients with uncontrolled glaucoma was performed. Incidence of aspirin use was noted by a one-time self-reporting survey. Controls were medically stable patients diagnosed with POAG. The primary outcome measure studied was a comparison of percentages of aspirin use in patients who have and have not undergone glaucoma filtering surgery (trabeculectomy). Results Forty-one percent (26/64) of the patients in the trabeculectomy group and 23% (17/74) of controls were using aspirin. Patients undergoing trabeculectomy were twice as likely to take aspirin (O.R., 2.29; 95% C.I., 1.10–4.79). Subgroup analyses demonstrated increased aspirin use in those operative patients who are current or former smokers (O.R., 3.71; 95% C.I., 1.10–12.56), have systemic hypertension (O.R., 3.30; 95% C.I., 1.02–22.58), or have joint disease (O.R., 4.60; 95% C.I., 1.34–15.82). Conclusion A higher concurrence of aspirin use was observed in patients with POAG who required surgical management compared with patients having relatively medically stable glaucoma. This may be secondary to a higher rate of glaucoma surgery performed on patients with greater systemic illnesses, more of whom use aspirin.
Circumscribed Accuracy among Well-Acquainted Individuals

Swann (1984) predicted that there should be greater circumscribed accuracy (the ability to predict an interaction partner's behavior) than global accuracy (the ability to predict a person's behavior with others) among well-acquainted individuals. Fraternity members in 23 four-person groups rated each other on Rivalry and Extroversion. Participants then competed in a task with each of the other three group members. Accuracy was measured using the Social Relations Model (Kenny & Albright, 1987). Results provided evidence of global accuracy, but very limited evidence of circumscribed accuracy.
Dorsal root potentials in the isolated frog spinal cord: Amino acid neurotransmitters and magnesium ions

Abstract Sucrose gap techniques recorded dorsal root potentials evoked by supramaximal dorsal root stimulation in in vitro , hemisected frog spinal cords. In 0 mM Mg 2+ large (mean 13.0 mV), long lasting (mean 8.1 s) dorsal root potentials were recorded which consisted of two components: (1) an early component sensitive to picrotoxin, bicuculline, and low [Cl − ] 0 and presumably produced by activation of GABA A receptors; and (2) a long-duration second component enhanced and lengthened by picrotoxin, bicuculline and low [Cl − ] 0 and thought to result from increased intemeuron discharges resulting from depression of GABA-mediated pre- and postsynaptic inhibition. Both the early and late components were reduced by over 90% in amplitude and duration by 20 mM Mg 2+ or by kynurenate and bicuculline. The early component of the dorsal root potential may depend mainly upon activation of non-N-methyl- d -aspartate receptors, but the late component requires bothN-methyl- d -aspartate and non-N-methyl- d -aspartate receptors. Thus, theN-methyl- d -aspartate antagonist d -(−)-2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate caused only a modest reduction in the amplitude of the early dorsal root potential component while the nonN-methyl- d -aspartate antagonist 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione caused a much more substantial reduction. Exposure of the spinal cord to a “physiological” concentration of Mg 2+ (1.0 mM) greatly reduced the duration and somewhat reduced the amplitude of the dorsal root potential. The reduction of dorsal root potentials by 1.0 mM Mg 2+ appears to be caused by both pre- and postsynaptic factors. These include: (1a) reduction of evoked transmitter release; the reduction of the dorsal root potential by 1.0 mM Mg 2+ was partly reversed by doubling [Ca 2+ ] 0 ; (2a) block of theN-methyl- d -aspartate receptor ion channels; (3a) decrease of GABA-depolarization of primary afferent fiber terminals; GABA-depolarizations of terminals were depressed by 1.0 mM Mg 2+ ; and (4a) decreased release of K + by afferent volleys; exposure to 1.0 mM Mg 2+ reduced the increment in [K + ] 0 produced by repetitive afferent stimulation. d -(−)-2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate had only minimal effects on dorsal root potentials in 1.0 mM Mg 2+ presumably because theN-methyl- d -aspartate receptor-ion channel complex is largely inactivated by the Mg 2+ . In contrast, kynurenate and 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione substantially diminished dorsal root potential amplitude and duration.
Treatment of cicatricial (benign mucous membrane) pemphigoid with dapsone.

Treatment of cicatricial pemphigoid is a problem because patients afflicted are elderly, the disease is chronic, systemic agents required for control are potentially toxic (particularly to older patients), and the disease is often in an advanced stage when the diagnosis is established and requires aggressive therapy for control. We selected dapsone as an alternative anti-inflammatory agent because it had provided control in a subset of patients with bullous pemphigoid, five of six who had oral lesions. Twenty-four patients with cicatricial pemphigoid were treated with dapsone. Twenty (83.3%) had partial or complete control with mild to no inflammatory activity. Control was obtained within 4 weeks in eleven of the twenty patients. The use of dapsone was discontinued in two patients because it failed to control their disease and in four patients (two with control) because of drug-related side effects. Cicatricial pemphigoid may be added to the list of dapsone-responsive dermatoses.
Cognitive functioning and chronic heart failure: a review of the literature (2002-July 2007).

Purpose The purposes of this article are to (1) summarize the state of the science about cognitive impairment and heart failure (HF) using the results of a literature search of publications from 2002 through July 2007; (2) provide a focused review of the studies that used a prospective, longitudinal design with measurement at 2 or more time points in order to identify change in cognitive functioning; and (3) identify gaps and priorities for future studies. Methods A computer search of the literature from 2002 through July 2007 was conducted. All of the resulting 97 references were reviewed, categorized into 8 groups, and evaluated. Results The 97 studies were categorized as follows: those not directly related to cognitive impairment (n = 15); comments, letters to the editor, and brief summaries (n = 11); reviews (n = 15); data-based publications using screening measures (n = 14); data-based publications using neuropsychological tests (n = 10); data-based publications assessing brain structure and functioning (n = 22); and data-based publications of populations other than HF in which HF emerged as a correlate/predictor of cognitive impairment (n = 10). Many investigators have reported that patients with HF had cognitive impairments compared with healthy persons without HF; approximately 25% to 50% of HF patients experience cognitive impairments. Patients with HF have been found to have structural and functional brain changes, including losses in gray matter in specific areas, areas of silent stroke, and decreased cerebral perfusion. Gaps in our knowledge and future research priorities are proposed. Conclusions Future studies are urgently needed to identify mechanisms of cognitive impairment in HF, prospectively identify changes in cognitive functioning that occur over time, and evaluate screening measures for use in clinical settings.
The Cleo III Detector

After a long shutdown in 1999, the CLEO Collaboration at Cornell University's Wilson Laboratory began taking data in 2000 using its third generation detector, CLEO III. Several improvements to the detector system have been made in order to take advantage of the possibility of unprecedented luminosities of well over 2×1033 expected from CESR, and to explore new territory in the physics of B mesons. These improvements include a new drift chamber, a four layer silicon vertex detector and a RICH detector. These features will be described, and its performance will be presented.
Development of a chemically defined medium for the production of the antibiotic platensimycin by Streptomyces platensis

The actinomycete Streptomyces platensis produces two compounds that display antibacterial activity: platensimycin and platencin. These compounds were discovered by the Merck Research Laboratories, and a complex insoluble production medium was reported. We have used this medium as our starting point in our studies. In a previous study, we developed a semi-defined production medium, i.e., PM5. In the present studies, by varying the concentration of the components of PM5, we were able to develop a superior semi-defined medium, i.e., PM6, which contains a higher concentration of lactose. Versions of PM6, containing lower concentrations of all components, were also found to be superior to PM5. The new semi-defined production media contain dextrin, lactose, MOPS buffer, and ammonium sulfate in different concentrations. We determined antibiotic production capabilities using agar diffusion assays and chemical assays via thin-layer silica chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography. We reduced crude nutrient carryover from the seed medium by washing the cells with distilled water. Using these semi-defined media, we determined that addition of the semi-defined component soluble starch stimulated antibiotic production and that it and dextrin could both be replaced with glucose, resulting in the chemically defined medium, PM7.
Lateral Hypothalamic Control of Killing: Evidence for a Cholinoceptive Mechanism

In rats that would not ordinarily kill mice, lateral hypothalamic injection of crystalline carbachol, a cholinomimetic, elicited killing. Norepinephrine, amphetamine, serotonin, and sodium salts were ineffective at the same site. Carbachol was ineffective when injected into the medial, dorsal, or ventral hypothalamus. As additional evidence for a cholinoceptive mechanism, neostigmine elicited killing, and, in spontaneous killers, methyl atropine blocked it. The results indicate that the lateral hypothalamus contains a cholinoceptive component of an innate system that activates killing, and anticholinergic treatment can be used as a means of suppressing killing.
SHIV susceptibility changes during the menstrual cycle of pigtail macaques.

Background Hormonal changes during menstrual cycling may affect susceptibility to HIV. Methods We determined the simian human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV) acquisition time point in 43 cycling pigtail macaques infected by repeated vaginal virus exposures initiated randomly in the cycle. Results SHIV infection was first detected in the follicular phase in 38 macaques (88%), and in the luteal phase in five macaques (12%), indicating a statistically significant timing difference. Assuming a 7-day eclipse phase, most infections occurred during or following a high-progesterone period associated with menstruation, vaginal epithelium thinning, and suppressed mucosal immunity. Conclusions This raises questions whether other high-progesterone conditions (pregnancy, hormonal contraception) similarly affect HIV risk.
Airflow obstruction attributable to work in industry and occupation among U.S. race/ethnic groups: A study of NHANES III data

Objectives To estimate the fraction of airflow obstruction attributable to workplace exposure by U.S. race/ethnic group. Methods U.S.population-basedthirdNationalHealthandNutritionExaminationSurvey (NHANES III) data on 4,086 Caucasians, 2,774 African-Americans, and 2,568 MexicanAmericans, aged 30‐75, were studied. Airflow obstruction was defined as FEV1/ FVC<75% and FEV1<80% predicted. Weighted prevalence, and prevalence odds ratios (OR) adjusted for the effect of age, smoking status, pack-years, body mass index, education, and socio-economic status were estimated using SUDAAN software. Results Industries with the most cases of airflow obstruction attributable to workplace exposure include: armed forces; rubber, plastics, and leather manufacturing; utilities; textilemillmanufacturing;healthcare;foodproductsmanufacturing;sales;construction; and agriculture. The fraction of cases with airflow obstruction associated with work in industry varied by race/ethnic group and was estimated as 22.2% (95% CI 9.1‐33.4) among Caucasians, 23.4% (95% CI 2.2‐40.0) among African-Americans, and 49.6% (32.1‐62.6) among Mexican-Americans. Conclusions This study found differences in the fraction of airflow obstruction cases associated with employment pattern among major U.S. race/ethnic population groups. Am. J. Ind. Med. 46:126–135, 2004. Published 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. {
Application of Single-Ion Activity Coefficients to Determine the Solvent Extraction Mechanism for Components of High-Level Nuclear Waste

Abstract The TRUEX solvent extraction process is being developed to remove and concentrate transuranic (TRU) elements from high-level and TRU radioactive wastes that are currently stored at U.S. Department of Energy sites. Phosphoric acid is one of the chemical species of concern in the application of solvent extraction processes for removal of actinides, for instance at the Hanford site, where bismuth phosphate was used to recover plutonium. The mechanism of phosphoric acid extraction with TRUEX-NPH solvent at 25°C was determined from phosphoric acid distribution ratios, which were measured by using a phosphoric acid radiotracer and a variety of aqueous phases containing different concentrations of nitric acid and nitrate. A model was developed for predicting phosphoric acid distribution ratios as a function of the thermodynamic activities of nitrate ion, and hydrogen ion. The Generic TRUEX Model (GTM) was used to calculate these activities based on the Bromley method. The derived model supports extracti...
Dying as Social Behavior: Mormon Behavior through Half a Century

Distinction is made between biological, clinical, psychological and social death. In an analysis of death behavior of Mormons for 50 years it was found that their rate is consistently lower than that of the U.S. and Utah. However, it evidences essentially the same change patterns as these two other populations. Although some biases may be operating in the available statistics, Mormons are shown to be responsive to both their church and their society. Mormonism incorporates somewhat distinctive meanings of death and also a strong health code, both of which it is assumed are related to the identified patterns.
Guest Editors' Introduction: Dependable Agent Systems

It is well known that building dependable software systems for dynamic environments is difficult. It is also well known that building large-scale distributed software systems is difficult. The relatively few attempts to combine these two tasks confirm that successfully building large-scale distributed systems with predictable dependability properties is exceptionally difficult. The articles in this special issue of IEEE Intelligent Systems deal with this issue and discuss an emerging and exciting new approach to building these most challenging kinds of systems.
Role of PP2B in cAMP-induced dephosphorylation and translocation of NTCP.

cAMP-mediated stimulation of hepatic bile acid uptake is associated with dephosphorylation and translocation of Na+-taurocholate (TC) cotransporting peptide (NTCP) to the plasma membrane. Although ...
Zinc, calcium, and magnesium metabolism: effects on plasmacytomas in Balb/c mice.

The effects of different amounts of dietary zinc on the Zn absorption rate and on Zn, calcium and magnesium concentrations in tissues of MOPC 104E tumor-bearing Balb/c mice were determined. The Zn absorption rate was inversely related to the amounts of Zn in their diets and was lower than that of nontumor-bearing control mice fed a laboratory mice chow. Zn concentrations of tumor-bearing mice were also low compared with control mice but tumor Zn concentrations, regardless of the concentrations of Zn in the diets, were higher than those of normal tissues of the host other than the pancreas. Ca concentrations in tumor and tissues oftumor-bearing mice were higher than in control animals but Mg concen- trations in tissues of tumor-bearing mice appeared to be similar to those of control mice. Results suggest that tumor-bearing mice have a lower intestinal Zn absorption capacity and a higher Zn uptake rate causing other tissues to become hypozincemic and hypercalcemic. Am J Clin Nuir l989;49:701-7.
Long-Term Effects of Child Corporal Punishment on Depressive Symptoms in Young Adults Potential Moderators and Mediators

Based on a sample of 649 students from 3 New England colleges, this study examined the long-term effects of childhood corporal punishment on symptoms of depression and considered factors that may moderate or mediate the association. Similar to national studies, approximately 40% of the sample reported experiencing some level of corporal punishment when they were 13 years old. Findings indicated that level of corporal punishment is positively related to depressive symptoms, independent of any history of abuse and the frequency of other forms of punishment. Although parental monitoring and perceived norms regarding corporal punishment had no direct or moderating effects, level of parental anger during corporal punishment was the strongest predictor of depression. The association between “angry corporal punishment” and symptoms of depression in young adulthood is partially mediated by mastery and self-esteem. Implications of these finding are discussed.
Compact High Peak Power MOPA Assembly based on Grating Coupled Laser Diodes

A hybrid MOPA was assembled by stacking laser diodes incorporating grating couplers. Applying subnanosecond driving pulses for both MO and flared PA, optical pulses with 130 W peak power and 98 psec pulsewidth were achieved
Dirichlet Process HMM Mixture Models with Application to Music Analysis

A hidden Markov mixture model is developed using a Dirichlet process (DP) prior, to represent the statistics of sequential data for which a single hidden Markov model (HMM) may not be sufficient. The DP prior has an intrinsic clustering property that encourages parameter sharing, naturally revealing the proper number of mixture components. The evaluation of posterior distributions for all model parameters is achieved via a variational Bayes formulation. We focus on exploring music similarities as an important application, highlighting the effectiveness of the HMM mixture model. Experimental results are presented from classical music clips.