cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of serotonin and serotonin analogues on passive membrane properties of lateral septal neurons in vitro

Abstract In this study we have tested the effect of serotonin (5-HT) and serotonin-analogues on passive membrane properties of septal neurons in a rat brain slice. Superfusion with 5-HT hyperpolarized the memebrane potential and decreased membrane resistance of lateral septal neurons in a concentration dependent manner. The lowest effective concentration was 1μM while maximal effects were observed with 30 μM. Hyperpolarizing responses to 5-HT persisted in the presence of haloperidol, phentolamine or ritanserin. The 5-HT 1a agonist 8-hydroxy-2-[ n -dipropylamino]tetralin (8OHDPAT) hyperpolarized lateral septal neurons like 5-HT though the agonist was active at a lower concentration than 5-HT and induced longer-lasting effects. Two other 5-HT 1a analogues, TVX Q 7821 and buspirone, could also mimick the effect of 5-HT. The 5-HT 1b agonist 1-( m -trifluoromethylphenyl)piperazine (TFMPP) did not appreciably affect the membrane potential or resistance of septal neurons. The present results are consistent with data from binding studies and suggest that the effect of 5-HT on lateral septal neurons is at least partly mediated through 5-HT 1a -like receptors.
ARE THERE DIFFERENCES IN CAPITAL BUDGETING PROCEDURES BETWEEN INDUSTRIES? AN EMPIRICAL STUDY

Abstract This study breaks down the use of capital budgeting procedures between industries. While it is easy to state that the use of capital budgeting analysis has become more sophisticated over the decades, the question remains as to whether different industries have followed the same pattern. Three hundred two Fortune 1,000 companies responded to a survey organized along industry lines. Chi-square independence of classification tests indicated that a null hypothesis of no significant relationship between industry classification and capital budgeting procedures could be rejected in a number of decision-making areas including goal setting, rates of return, and portfolio considerations. Just as industry patterns affect financing decisions (debt vs. equity), they also affect capital budgeting decisions, and this study emphasizes that point.
Social inequalities in vaccination uptake among children aged 0-59 months living in Madagascar: an analysis of Demographic and Health Survey data from 2008 to 2009.

Abstract Background Socioeconomic inequalities in vaccination can reduce the ability and efficiency of global efforts to reduce the burden of disease. Vaccination is particularly critical because the poorest children are often at the greatest risk of contracting preventable infectious diseases, and unvaccinated children may be clustered geographically, jeopardizing herd immunity. Without herd immunity, these children are at even greater risk of contracting disease and social inequalities in associated morbidity and mortality are amplified. Methods Data on vaccination for children under five came from the most recent Demographic and Health Survey in Madagascar (2008–2009). Vaccination status was available for diptheria, pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis B, measles, tuberculosis, poliomyelitis, and H. influenza type-B. Multilevel logistic regression was used to analyze childhood vaccination by parental socioeconomic status while accounting for shared district, cluster, and household variation. Maps were created to serve as a roadmap for efforts to increase vaccination. Findings Geographic variation in vaccination rates was substantial. Districts that were less covered were near other districts with limited coverage. Most districts lacked herd immunity for diphtheria, pertussis, poliomyelitis and measles. Full herd immunity was reached in a small number of districts clustered near the capital. While within-district variation in coverage was substantial; parental education and wealth were independently associated with vaccination. Interpretation Socioeconomic inequalities in vaccination reduce herd immunity and perpetuate inequalities by allowing infectious diseases to disproportionately affect the most vulnerable populations. Findings indicated that most districts had low immunization coverage rates and unvaccinated children were geographically clustered. The result was inequalities in vaccination and reduced herd immunity. To further improve coverage, interventions must take a multilevel approach that focuses on both supply- and demand-side barriers to delivering vaccination to underserved regions, and to the poorest children in those regions.
Long term follow-up assessment of parent training by use of multiple outcome measures

This study examined the long term maintenance of treatment effects following a standardized parent training program. Thirty-four mother-child pairs who had completed parent training 1 to 4.5 years earlier participated. Treatment consisted of teaching parents to reward compliance and appropriate behavior and to use a time out procedure for noncompliance and inappropriate behavior. Assessment of treatment effects included home observational data, parent perceptions of child adjustment, and parent consumer satisfaction measures. The results indicated that child behavior change and parent perceptions of change in child adjustment were maintained at follow-up. Some parent behavior changes were also maintained at follow-up. Parents reported a high level of satisfaction with treatment. No differences on any of the outcome measures were found among subjects participating at the different follow-up intervals. In addition, no differences were detected between mother-child pairs who participated in behavioral observations at follow-up and those who refused to participate in observations.
Electrodiagnostic Studies in a Murine Model of Demyelinating Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) is a form of inherited peripheral neuropathy associated with heterogenous inherited or de novo mutations of genes important for the function of the peripheral nervous system. The phenotype of CMT varies widely in regard to age of onset and physical examination findings, as well as pattern and severity of electrodiagnostic abnormalities [1–5]. In general, CMT involves distal numbness, weakness, and foot deformities such as hammer toes and high arches [6–9]. Standard management for these conditions has focused on improving functional mobility and activities of daily living through assistive devices and medications directed toward symptom relief, although a recent small pilot study of patients with CMT type 1A (CMT1A) has suggested a potential role for neurotrophin-3 in promoting axonal regeneration [10]. The current nomenclature of CMT provides for further subclassification of the hereditary neuropathies into two large groups. Patients with neuropathies inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern and displaying predominantly demyelinating features by nerve conduction studies or nerve biopsies are considered to have CMT type 1 [8]. Neuropathy patients with genetic defects transmitted usually in an autosomal dominant pattern but with evidence of axon loss electrophysiologically or pathologically have a disorder designated as CMT type 2 [9]. Animal models with evolutionarily conserved gene defects shared in common with homologous regions in humans provide a useful observational tool in regard to understanding disease mechanisms and in developing
Clinical evaluation of vein contrast enhancement

A clinical study is underway to compare an experimental infrared (IR) device, OnTarget OnTarget at LeBonheur Children's Medical Center, Methodist Healthcare, in Memphis, TN, while the adult study site is the clinical research center at Bowld Hospital, also in Memphis, TN. Early results on 35 pediatric and 25 adult subjects indicate that OnTarget years' experience in accessing veins in pediatric subjects, and that it could be very helpful to a phlebotomist with limited experience when accessing veins in both adult and pediatric subjects. The study uses monitor based OnTarget area of the patients anatomy enlarged and contrast enhanced on a LCD monitor. The phlebotomist can then compare the OnTarget or feel when examining a subject.
Treatment of aortic stenosis with aortic valve bypass (apicoaortic conduit) surgery: an assessment using computational modeling.

Background Aortic valve bypass surgery treats aortic valve stenosis with a valve-containing conduit that connects the left ventricular apex to the descending thoracic aorta. After aortic valve bypass, blood is ejected from the left ventricle via both the native stenotic aortic valve and the conduit. We performed computational modeling to determine the effects of aortic valve bypass on aortic and cerebral blood flow, as well as the effect of conduit size on relative blood flow through the conduit and the native valve. Methods The interaction of blood flow with the vascular boundary was modeled using a hybrid Eurelian–Lagrangian formulation, where an unstructured Galerkin finite element method was coupled with an immersed boundary approach. Results Our model predicted native (stenotic) valve to conduit flow ratios of 45:55, 52:48, and 60:40 for conduits with diameters of 20, 16, and 10 mm, respectively. Mean gradients across the native aortic valve were calculated to be 12.5, 13.8, and 17.6 mm Hg, respectively. Post–aortic valve bypass cerebral blood flow was unchanged from preoperative aortic valve stenosis configurations and was constant across all conduit sizes. In all cases modeled, cerebral blood flow was completely supplied by blood ejected across the native aortic valve. Conclusions An aortic valve bypass conduit as small as 10 mm results in excellent relief of left ventricular outflow tract obstruction in critical aortic valve stenosis. The presence of an aortic valve bypass conduit has no effect on cerebral blood flow. All blood flow to the brain occurs via antegrade flow across the native stenotic valve; this configuration may decrease the long-term risk of cerebral thromboembolism.
Serum Lipid Changes Following Large-volume Suction Lipectomy

Improved techniques have enabled surgeons to perform large-volume liposuction more safely; however, the physiologic consequences of this procedure are not well documented. The possible effects of large-volume liposuction on serum lipids are not well established. This study was done to determine what changes, if any, occurred in serum lipid profiles in 10 consecutive large-volume (1860 to 4744 ml) liposuction cases. In 9 of 10 cases a decrease in the fasting serum cholesterol level was found at 2 months follow-up, averaging 9.5% ( p < 0.02). No consistent changes occurred in high-density lipoprotein/low-density lipoprotein ratios or triglycerides. This study confirms that fat reduction by liposuction affects fasting serum cholesterol levels.
Evaluation of an Intervention to Increase Non-Traditional Career Interests and Career-Related Self-Efficacy Among Middle-School Adolescents

Abstract This investigation evaluated the effectiveness of an intervention designed to increase adolescents’ interests in non-traditional careers, and their career-related self-efficacy. Results demonstrated significant increases in career planning and exploration efficacy, and educational and vocational development efficacy among experimental group participants. Boys showed significant increases in artistic, social, and conventional interests, and girls showed significant increases in realistic, enterprising, and conventional interests. Results suggest that young adolescents’ career-related self-efficacy and interests in non-traditional careers can be increased through their participation in computer assisted career intervention and group exploration activities.
Tobacco Usage in Patients with Head and Neck Carcinomas: A Follow-Up Study on Habit Changes and Second Primary Oral/Oropharyngeal Cancers

This study reexamines the risk of tobacco usage and its association with the development of multiple oralloropharyngeal carcinomas.
Current-voltage calculations for InAs/AlSb resonant-tunneling diodes.

One expects that the one-dimensional approximation for the resonant-tunneling-diode tunneling current should be very accurate in the InAs/AlSb materials system, with its large barriers and largely \ensuremath{\Gamma}-like tunneling. We study this approximation as well as the two-dimensional expression, which takes into account the explicit dependence of the transmission coefficient on the magnitude of the in-plane wave vector ${\mathbf{k}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\parallel}}}$. We find that even here the one-dimensional approximation fails, producing curves that are qualitatively very different from those of the two-dimensional approximation and study the reasons for the differences. We also briefly examine the angular dependence of the transmission coefficients, the results indicating that the two-dimensional approximation is likely to be fairly good for the structures studied.
Confirmation and Analysis of s-Chlorotriazines by Derivatization with Pyrrolidine

Abstract Atrazine and simazine were analyzed and confirmed via their pyrrolidino derivatives by gas chromatography on SPWax-10 megabore column using a NP-detector and propazine as the internal standard. The s -chlorotriazines were reacted in dimethylformamide with an excess of pyrrolidine at 60°C for 30 minutes to afford practically quantitative substitution of the chlorine. The retention times of the derivatives were increased markedly compared to those of the parent compounds. Reproducibility as measured by response ratios relative to the propazine derivative was very good: C.V. for atrazine and simazine were 0.60% and 0.26% respectively (n = 5). Good linearity was seen at 0.4 to 2.2 ng/μL concentration: measured in duplicate at 4 dilutions, the coefficient of determination r2 was 0.9998 for atrazine derivatives and 0.9994 for simazine derivatives. Very good agreement was found when analytical results were correlated with data obtained by gas chromatography of the parent compounds.
Self-repairing waveguide sensor with highly repeatable strain response

In this article we present experimental demonstrations of a self-writing polymer waveguide strain sensor that can selfrepair after failure. The original sensor is fabricated between two multi-mode optical fibers by ultraviolet (UV) lightwaves in the photopolymerizable resin system via a self-writing process. After the original sensor fails, the repaired sensor is grown from the existing waveguide to bridge the gap between the two optical fibers. Multiple self-repairs of a single sensor were demonstrated. When the sensor was packaged within a polyimide capillary, the cyclic response showed almost no hysteresis and the response over the entire strain range was monotonic.
Insulin stimulation of aminoisobutyric acid transport in human skin fibroblasts is mediated through both insulin and type I insulin-like growth factor receptors.

A monoclonal antibody to the human type I insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) receptor (αIR-3) was used to distinguish actions of insulin and IGF-I that are mediated through insulin as opposed to IGF-I receptors on human skin fibroblasts. Both insulin and IGF-I stimulate uptake of the nonmetabolized alanine analog a-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB) in these cells. αIR-3 inhibited AIB uptake stimulated by both of these hormones in a dose-dependent manner. However, the pattern of hormone action in the presence of αIR-3 differed for the two hormones. In the case of IGF-I, αIR-3 potently inhibited AIB uptake at low hormone concentrations, but this inhibition was overcome by high hormone concentrations, consistent with impairment of IGF-I action through the IGF-I receptor. In the case of insulin, the action of low concentrations (i.e. 10 ng/ml) was not inhibited, but that of higher insulin concentrations was, suggesting a dual receptor mechanism of cell stimulation by insulin. αIR-3 will be an important tool in furth...
Reducing the Environmental Impact of Optical Networks

With increased energy-efficiency of any commodity the total energy consumed typically actually rises. We study the potential reduction of the environmental impact by smart configuration of optical networks in combination with renewable energy sources. We present approaches to effectively cut down emission of green house gases, instead of simply improving energy-efficiency.
Enhancing and reversing the electric field at the oil–water interface with size-asymmetric monovalent ions

The electric field at the interface between two immiscible electrolyte solutions determines the self-assembly of synthetic and biomolecular nanoparticles at liquid interfaces and the physical properties of important biological and technological processes such as drug delivery, stability of emulsions or electro-extraction of metal ions from industrial wastewater. The classical Poisson–Boltzmann theory has been widely used to describe the corresponding ionic distribution, even though it neglects the polarization and ion correlations typical of these charged systems. Here, using Monte Carlo simulations, we provide an enhanced description of an oil–water interface in the presence of an electric field without needing any adjustable parameter, including realistic ionic sizes, ion correlations, and image charges. Our data agree with experimental measurements of excess surface tension for a wide range of electrolyte concentrations of LiCl and TBATPB (tetrabutylammonium-tetraphenylborate), contrasting with the result of the classical non-linear Poisson–Boltzmann theory. More importantly, we show that the size-asymmetry between small Li+ and large Cl− ions can significantly increase the electric field near the liquid interface, or can even reverse it locally, at high salt concentrations in the aqueous phase. These observations suggest a novel trapping/release mechanism of charged nanoparticles at oil–water interfaces in the vicinity of the point of zero charge. In the absence of an applied electric field, a difference in the mean electrostatic potential in the bulk phases of both immiscible electrolytes due to ion partitioning would also promote similar effects in synthetic and biomolecular liquid interfaces.
Whole body sterol metabolism in squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus).

Abstract Squirrel monkeys were maintained for 2 years on diets containing 5 gm/kg cholesterol and 250 gm/kg of either safflower oil, lard, butter, or coconut oil. Control animals received the diet containing lard, without added cholesterol. Serum cholesterol levels were periodically measured, and during the last 2 months disappearance of isotopically labeled cholesterol from plasma was evaluated. The size of the whole body cholesterol pool was measured by carcass analysis. The diets containing safflower oil produced the lowest concentrations of serum cholesterol; the diets containing coconut oil, lard, and butter gave progressively higher concentrations. The amount of cholesterol in the whole body was about equal in all groups fed cholesterol, indicating that cholesterol is distributed rather differently among the various body pools, apparently according to the saturation of fat in the diet. A high degree of individual control of serum cholesterol was observed, with some animals in each group maintaining concentrations similar to those of controls. The validity of formulas based on plasma die-away curves for predicting body pool sizes Nestel et al., 1969 , Perl and Samuel, 1969 was tested by comparing derived values with those directly obtained by carcass analysis. For control animals, such derived values correspond closely to the actual size of the body cholesterol pool. Among cholesterol-fed animals (in most of which the whole body cholesterol pool was doubled or tripled), the results sometimes substantially under- or overestimated the size of the whole body pool.
In memoriam: Jonathan Rogawski

Jonathan Rogawski is no more. In loving memory, his friends and collaborators and admirers have contributed to this garland of articles that you will find in the pages to follow. He was of course a gifted mathematician, one of the earliest workers on the Langlands Program, but much more. He wrote papers, textbooks, supervised students, and served for many years with great distinction as an editor for the Pacific Journal of Mathematics.
Preparing residents in training to become health-care leaders: a pilot project.

The aim of this study is to describe a successful and exportable training module that addresses Next Accreditation System (NAS) behavioral milestones for leadership competencies. A novel leadership training module, which required the creation of original business plans by teams of residents, was incorporated into a psychiatry PGY-2 training curriculum. In the creation and presentation of their business plans, the residents demonstrated competencies in the NAS functional domains of interpersonal and communication skills, professionalism, practice-based learning and improvement, and systems-based practice. Residents who responded with feedback after completing the course were very positive about their experience. The leadership training module described here allowed residents to acquire and demonstrate many of the competencies specified in leadership-oriented NAS milestones. The module did not require additional funding or a formal rotation or “track,” is scalable to accommodate any number of residents and can be modified based on available local teaching resources.
Application of a large space-based diffractive optical element telescope to the Terrestrial Planet-Finder mission: design and tolerance issues

An analytical description of the scattered light from a 10 meter diameter Diffractive Optical Element lens-based telescope operating at 1 micron wavelength has been formulated. The specifics of the grating and blaze as well as physical manufacturing constraints were made a part of the problem to be solved. A major simplifying approximation made is that a 1 dimensional lens was assumed for the calculations. This simplified model still serves to illustrate the important effects and limitations of a high performance lens used as a telescope. Focal plane light scattering has been rigorously determined for simplified cases.
DYNAMIC ANALYSIS OF LANE CLOSURE STRATEGIES

A dynamic simulation model is extended to represent traffic system disruptions in the form of lane closures. The model has two components: a macroparticle traffic simulator, and a user decisions component which comprises behavioral mechanisms governing the daily departure time decisions of commuters. The model is applied to the analysis of six alternative lane closure strategies associated with planned repair activities. Examples of model results are described, highlighting the tradeoffs between the performance of the system during the perturbation period and the final equilibrium state, as well as the trade‐off between the schedule delay and the travel time experienced by system users during those periods.
Augmenting defense-in-depth with the concepts of observability and diagnosability from Control Theory and Discrete Event Systems

Abstract Defense-in-depth is a fundamental principle/strategy for achieving system safety. First conceptualized within the nuclear industry, defense-in-depth is the basis for risk-informed decisions by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and is recognized under various names in other industries (e.g., layers of protection in the Chemical industry). Accidents typically result from the absence or breach of defenses or violation of safety constraints. Defense-in-depth is realized by a diversity of safety barriers and a network of redundancies. However, this same redundancy and the intrinsic nature of defense-in-depth – the multiple lines of defense or “protective layers” along a potential accident sequence – may enhance mechanisms concealing the occurrence of incidents, or that the system has transitioned to a hazardous state (accident pathogens) and that an accident is closer to being released. Consequently, the ability to safely operate the system may be hampered and the efficiency of defense-in-depth may be degraded or worse may backfire. Several accidents reports identified hidden failures or degraded observability of accidents pathogens as major contributing factors. In this work, we begin to address this potential theoretical deficiency in defense-in-depth by bringing concepts from Control Theory and Discrete Event Systems to bear on issues of system safety and accident prevention. We introduce the concepts of controllability, observability, and diagnosability, and frame the current understanding of system safety as a “control problem” handled by defense-in-depth and safety barriers (or safety constraints). Observability and diagnosability are information-theoretic concepts, and they provide important complements to the energy model of accident causation from which the defense-in-depth principle derives. We formulate a new safety-diagnosability principle for supporting accident prevention, and propose that defense-in-depth be augmented with this principle, without which defense-in-depth can degenerate into a defense-blind safety strategy. Finally, we provide a detailed discussion and illustrative modeling of the sequence of events that lead to the BP Texas City Refinery accident in 2005 and emphasize how a safety-diagnosable architecture of the refinery could have supported the prevention of this accident or mitigated its consequences. We hope the theoretical concepts here introduced and the safety-diagnosability principle become useful additions to the intellectual toolkit of risk analysts and safety professionals and stimulate further interaction/collaboration between the control and safety communities.
Arrested Contact: The Criminal Justice System, Race, and Father Engagement

Becoming a father is a major benchmark in adulthood. Good parenting means being engaged, nurturing, and helpful, goals that are often shattered for fathers in contact with the criminal justice syst...
Midwest or Lesbian? Gender, Rurality, and Sexuality:

Research suggests a gendered dimension to the geography of sexual minorities, as gay couples are more likely to live in cities than are lesbian couples. Using data from 60 interviews with rural gays and lesbians, this article employs an intersectional analysis of the mutually constitutive relationships among place, gender, and sexuality in order to assess how acceptance of gays and lesbians in small towns is gendered. Findings indicate that femininity aligns with gay sexuality but not rurality. In contrast, masculinity underpins both the categories “rural” and “lesbian.” Furthermore, both lesbian women and gay men gain acceptance in rural areas by doing masculinity. This analysis indicates that masculinity is not something to which only male bodies are privy. In contrast to prior work, it shows one form of female masculinity that is normative rather than transgressive. The analysis also reveals that the meanings of gender presentations vary by geographical context.
Nebivolol-induced vasodilation of renal afferent arterioles involves β3-adrenergic receptor and nitric oxide synthase activation

Nebivolol is a β1-adrenergic blocker that also elicits renal vasodilation and increases the glomerular filtration rate (GFR). However, its direct actions on the renal microvasculature and vasodilat...
Mainstreaming Isn't Just for Students Anymore:

With the passage and implementation of Public Law 94-142 the major focus of the mainstreaming venture appears to have fallen upon those children who are receiving special educational services. In this vein, the respective roles and functions of special education teachers and pupil personnel staff vis-a-vis mainstreaming have received minimal attention. Within the following article the author explores the relative contributions of such professionals to the mainstreaming experience of handicapped children. Recommendations for maximizing the mainstreaming opportunities for such teachers and ancillary staff are provided.
The Use of Ba(OH)2 in Methanol for Demonstration of the Distribution of Sucrose in Sugarbeet Roots

Sucrose in the tissues of the sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris L.) can be shown as follows. Fresh or stored roots are cut into pieces having a block face of about 1 × 2 cm, and sections of about 150 μ thickness prepared from these. The sections are rinsed 15–30 sec in iced distilled water, placed in Ba(OH)2-saturated methanol for 3 min and then rinsed twice in methanol for 1 and 5 min respectively. They are then transferred to ethanol through a graded series consisting of 80, 60, 40, and 20% methanol in ethanol, 5 min in each, with evacuation as necessary to remove bubbles. Temporary mounting is in ethanol and examination made by incident light or darkfield illumination. Gradual replacement of ethanol with xylene permits mounting in a resinous medium. An opaque granular precipitate of barium saccharate shows the location of the sucrose within the cells.
SAP Protein-Dependent Natural Killer T-like Cells Regulate the Development of CD8+ T Cells with Innate Lymphocyte Characteristics

Summary CD8 + T cells are selected via low-affinity interaction with MHC class I molecules on thymic epithelial cells (TECs). However, compromised T cell receptor signaling was proposed to force CD8 + T cell selection on hematopoietic cells through a SLAM-associated protein (SAP)-dependent mechanism similar to NKT cells. The outcome is an unconventional CD8 + T cell with phenotypic and functional characteristics of innate lymphocytes. Here we showed that Id3 −/− CD8 + T cells had an innate-like phenotype and required SAP for their development. However, like conventional CD8 + T cells, Id3 −/− CD8 + thymocytes were selected on TECs. The requirement for SAP and the innate-like phenotype was not intrinsic to Id3 −/− CD8 + thymocytes. Rather, an expanded population of NKT-like cells induced the innate phenotype on CD8 + T cells through production of interleukin-4. Our findings reveal that accumulation of NKT-like cells promotes conventional CD8 + thymocytes to acquire innate lymphocyte characteristics.
Human poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase is expressed in alternative splice variants yielding isoforms that localize to different cell compartments.

Abstract Poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase (PARG) is the only protein known to catalyze hydrolysis of ADP-ribose (ADPR) polymers to free ADP-ribose. While numerous genes encode different poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs) that all synthesize ADP-ribose polymer, only a single gene coding for PARG has been detected in mammalian cells. Here, we describe two splice variants of human PARG mRNA, which lead to expression of PARG isoforms of 102 kDa (hPARG102) and 99 kDa (hPARG99) in addition to the full-length PARG protein (hPARG111). These splice variants differ from hPARG111 by the lack of exon 1 (hPARG102) or exons 1 and 2 (hPARG99). They are generated by the utilization of ambiguous splice donor sites in the PARG gene 5′ untranslated region. The hPARG111 isoform localizes to the nucleus, whereas hPARG102 and hPARG99 are cytoplasmic proteins. The nuclear targeting of hPARG111 is due to a nuclear localization signal (NLS) in exon 1 that was mapped to the amino acids (aa) 10 CTKRPRW 16 . Immunocytochemistry, immunoblotting, and PARG enzyme activity measurements show that the cytoplasmic isoforms of PARG account for most of the PARG activity in cells in the absence and presence of genotoxic stress. The predominantly cytoplasmic location of cellular PARG is intriguing as most known cellular PARPs have a nuclear localization.
Joint trajectory generation for redundant robots

A joint-trajectory-generation scheme for redundant robots is proposed which uses the redundancy to improve motion performance according to certain objective functions. The objective function can be either analytical or nonanalytical. For nonanalytical objective functions, a least-squares scheme is proposed to estimate the gradient vector. In addition, an approximation scheme is developed to compute the pseudoinverse of the Jacobian. Application of the scheme to a 4-link revolute planar robot manipulator is demonstrated through simulation. Several motion performance criteria are considered and their results analyzed. >
Extradural Internal Carotid Artery Caliber Dysregulation Is Associated With Cerebral Aneurysms

Background and Purpose— Flow-induced hemodynamic forces are critical in extra- and intracranial arterial caliber regulation and have been proposed to mediate intracranial aneurysm (IA) formation and rupture. We hypothesized that vascular structural control may be impaired in patients harboring brain aneurysms and sought to examine any differences in extradural internal carotid artery (ICA) caliber profiles. Methods— Ninety-six catheter 2-dimensional angiograms were divided into 3 subgroups: (1) ICA leading to IA (n=38), (2) matched contralateral ICA (n=25), and (3) ICA from nonaneurysmal controls (n=33). ICA diameter was measured proximally beyond the bulb ( D Prox ) and distally at the extradural point of maximal dilation ( D MaxDist ), yielding maximal distal-to-proximal ratio ( R Mdp ). Results— Unlike non-IA controls that tapered smoothly, ICAs leading to IA consistently demonstrated focal sites of abnormal dilation in the distal cervical or petrous extradural segments. R Mdp was greater in ICAs leading to IA compared with non-IA controls (1.17±0.1 versus 1.0±0.08; P R Mdp to be higher in ICAs leading to IA than the corresponding contralateral ICAs (1.19±0.1 versus 1.07±0.11; P =0.001); R Mdp from contralateral ICAs was greater than non-IA controls ( P =0.005). Among ICAs leading to IA, women showed higher R Mdp (1.11±0.12 versus 1.05±0.11; P =0.02) with no relationship to intradural IA location. Conclusions— Measurements of the extradural ICA in patients harboring intradural IA suggest an association with a remote upstream abnormal vascular caliber control consistent with a diffuse flow–mediated structural dysregulation showing laterality and sex dependence.
A Robust Clustering Algorithm Based on Aggregated Heat Kernel Mapping

Current spectral clustering algorithms suffer from both sensitivity to scaling parameter selection in similarity matrix construction, and data perturbation. This paper aims to improve robustness in clustering algorithms and combat these two limitations based on heat kernel theory. Heat kernel can statistically depict traces of random walk, so it has an intrinsic connection with diffusion distance, with which we can ensure robustness during any clustering process. By integrating heat distributed along time scale, we propose a novel method called Aggregated Heat Kernel (AHK) to measure the distance between each point pair in their eigen space. Using AHK and Laplace-Beltrami Normalization (LBN) we are able to apply an advanced noise-resisting robust spectral mapping to original dataset. Moreover it offers stability on scaling parameter tuning. Experimental results show that, compared to other popular spectral clustering methods, our algorithm can achieve robust clustering results on both synthetic and UCI real datasets.
Sample Size Determination for Some Common Nonparametric Tests

Abstract The article discusses the problem of determining the number of observations required by some common nonparametric tests, so that the tests have power at least 1 – β against alternatives that differ sufficiently from the hypothesis being tested. It is shown that the number of observations depends on certain simple probabilities. A method is suggested for fixing the value of the appropriate probability when determining sample size.
Reactance Theory - 40 Years Later

Abstract: In this paper we review the basic assumptions formulated by Jack Brehm in 1966 in his theory of psychological reactance and we sample some interesting directions of research on reactance that have been carried out by social psychologists during the last 40 years. We conclude that although there has been impressive development in the reactance research, more exciting avenues of investigation lie ahead. Throughout the paper we outline some of these future directions.
Probabilistic algorithm for the directed traveling salesman problem

A model is given for a random directed traveling salesman problem DTSP. The asymptotic behavior of the optimal solution of the DTSP is determined, and this result is used to establish an e-optimal probabilistic algorithm for solving the DTSP in polynomial time.
Outcomes of complete vs targeted approaches to endoscopic sinus surgery.

Background Functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) was historically predicated on targeted widening of narrow anatomic structures that caused post-obstructive persistent sinus inflammation. It is now clear that chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a multi-factorial disease with subsets of patients which may require a more extensive surgical approach. This study compares quality-of-life (QOL) and disease severity outcomes after FESS based on the extent of surgical intervention.
Mediocrity in Talent Markets

Author(s): Tervio, Marko | Abstract: A model of a labor market is proposed where the level of individual talent can only be learned on the job and where job positions are scarce. Inability to commit to long-term contracts leaves firms with insufficient incentives to hire novices, causing them to bid excessively for the pool of revealed talent instead. This causes the market to be plagued with too many mediocre workers and inefficiently low output levels, while simultaneously raising the wages for high talents. This problem is most severe where information about talent is initially very imprecise but revealed relatively quickly on the job. I argue that high incomes in professions such as entertainment, team sports, and entrepreneurship, may at least partly be explained by the nature of the talent revelation process in those markets. I suggest historical episodes that could be used to identify the inefficiency and the excessive talent rents predicted by the model.
Multicast routing for multimedia communication

The authors present heuristics for multicast tree construction for communication that depends on: bounded end-to-end delay along the paths from source to each destination and minimum cost of the multicast tree, where edge cost and edge delay can be independent metrics. The problem of computing such a constrained multicast tree is NP-complete. It is shown that the heuristics demonstrate good average case behavior in terms of cost, as determined by simulations on a large number of graphs. >
Discharge Planning and Home Care of the Technology-Dependent Infant

Technology-dependent infants are a medically complex, diverse group of individuals, many of whom can be cared for at home. Hospital discharge of any technology-dependent infant requires a multidisciplinary, comprehensive program of discharge planning and follow-up into the home. This article presents an overview of the technology-dependent infant population and a discussion of many of the pertinent issues for consideration during the discharge planning period and the transition from hospital to home.
Sequential task execution in a minimalist distributed robotic system

Abstract : The collective execution of a single task, such as foraging or clustering, has received considerable research attention in the minimalist distributed robotic systems (MDRS) community. In contrast, achievement of sequential tasks by MDRS has so far been considered in only a handful of studies. Sequential task execution requires a collective system to carry out a task, and then, in a coordinated fashion, move on to another task. This paper describes work in controlling a minimalist distributed robotic system in sequential task execution. We present two MDRS algorithms for sequential task execution in the foraging task domain, and validate them experimentally in simulation. One of the algorithms uses temporal behavior activation, the other makes use of probabilistic behavior activation. Both are effective in the partially-observable, non-stationary environments were tested them in, and their relative strengths are compared analytically.
The moving-range chart and autocorrelated processes

This paper investigates the behavior of the moving-range statistic and the performance of the standard moving-range chart in the presence of autocorrelation. The distributional properties and time-series properties of the moving-range statistic are presented. The average run length (ARL) properties of the standard moving-range chart in the presence of autocorrelation and a new proposed chart are presented.
Reproductive biology of Fidiobia dominica (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae), an egg parasitoid of Diaprepes abbreviatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae).

The reproductive biology of Fidiobia dominica Evans (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) was studied in the laboratory (25.6 ± 1°C) using host eggs of Diaprepes abbreviatus L. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). F. dominica readily parasitized D. abbreviatus eggs on both host plant and wax paper substrates. The number of egg masses parasitized and the number of offspring produced were higher when females were offered more than one host egg mass but did not differ when either two or three egg masses were offered. Female parasitoids that were provided with host eggs and a honey food source lived significantly longer than those that were not provided a food source; however, they did not parasitize more D. abbreviatus eggs. Oviposition occurred in host eggs from 0 to 7 d old, and host mortality was relatively consistent for eggs 0–5 d old and lower for eggs 6–7 d old. Successful parasitoid emergence seldom occurred after host eggs were 4 d old, and by 7 d, no adults successfully emerged. Developmental time from egg to adult was 19.3 ± 0.2 d for males, significantly more rapid than the females (20.4 ± 0.1 d). The mean longevity of adult females was 8.0 ± 0.4 d, with a mean oviposition period of 2.7 ± 0.3 d; males survived 8.1 ± 0.4 d. The demographic parameters including intrinsic rate of increase (rm), generation time (T), and net reproduction (Ro) were 0.142/d, 22 d, and 22.4 female eggs/d, respectively.
Current management of paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma

Abstract Objectives Paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma accounts for 7-10% of genitourinary rhabdomyosarcoma tumors and is the 3rd most common after RMS of the prostate and bladder. Though most (60%–80%) patients with paratesticular rhabdomysarcoma present with localized disease, assessment of systemic disease is vital. The treatment of paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma has evolved over several decades; the current standard of care is multimodal treatment including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. We give insight into the evolution of treatment, present the oncologic outcomes of seminal studies, and summarize the current recommendations for the management of these patients. Methods A comprehensive search of the literature on the electronic databases PubMed was conducted for management of paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma. Case reports were excluded, clinical trials from all the oncologic society were reviewed and relevant articles are included in the review. Results The treatment regimen is based on following principles: (1) local control of the primary site with radical orchiectomy and (2) assessment of local control and distant sites. Further treatment is directed according to disease stage, histology, and age of the patient. The goal of treatment is to achieve cure or maximum tumor control while minimizing toxicity. Conclusions With the changing landscape in the management of paratesticular rhabomyosarcoma, significant improvement is evident in the oncologic outcomes. Further advance in genomic testing would lead us to tailor treatment based on individual risk factors and minimize long-term side effects.
Target threat assessment based on influence nets

To overcome intractability issues in Bayesian networks applied in threat assessment, influence nets based threat assessment method is proposed. The indicators system of threat assessment is established whose indicators are divided into three levels to depict the cause and effect relationship. With the indicators system and influence nets theory, influence nets based threat assessment model is proposed, in which each indicator is quantized by several states. Influence nets can be considered as special kind of Bayesian Networks, Causal strength logic is utilized to estimate the conditional probabilities in the threat assessment model. A simulation example of threat assessment is presented in the last part, several targets with different values of attributes is included in the example.
C═C Bond Cleavage on Neutral VO3(V2O5)n Clusters

The reactions of neutral vanadium oxide clusters with alkenes (ethylene, propylene, 1-butene, and 1,3-butadiene) are investigated by experiments and density function theory (DFT) calculations. Single photon ionization through extreme ultraviolet radiation (EUV, 46.9 nm, 26.5 eV) is used to detect neutral cluster distributions and reaction products. In the experiments, we observe products (V2O5)nVO2CH2, (V2O5)nVO2C2H4 ,( V2O5)nVO2C3H4, and (V2O5)nVO2C3H6, for neural VmOn clusters in reactions with C2H4, C3H6 ,C 4H6, and C4H8, respectively. The observation of these products indicates that the CdC bonds of alkenes can be broken on neutral oxygen rich vanadium oxide clusters with the general structure VO3(V2O5)n)0,1,2.... DFT calculations demonstrate that the reaction VO3 + C3H6 f VO2C2H4 + H2CO is thermodynamically favorable and overall barrierless at room temperature. They also provide a mechanistic explanation for the general reaction in which the CdC double bond of alkenes is broken on VO3(V2O5)n)0,1,2... clusters. A catalytic cycle for alkene oxidation on vanadium oxide is suggested based on our experimental and theoretical investigations. The reactions of VmOn with C6H6 and C2F4 are also investigated by experiments. The products VO2(V2O5)nC6H4 are observed for dehydration reactions between VmOn clusters and C6H6. No product is detected for VmOn clusters reacting with C2F4. The mechanisms of the reactions between VO3 and C2F4/C6H6 are also investigated by calculations at the B3LYP/TZVP level.
Transitions in polydrug use among heroin and methamphetamine injectors in Tijuana, Mexico

Author(s): Meacham, Meredith C; Wagner, Karla D; Mackey, Timothy; Patterson, TL; Strathdee, Steffanie; Roesch, Scott
DO INTERTIDAL SNAILS SPAWN IN THE RIGHT PLACES

Most marine snails enclose their embryos in capsules, attach the capsules to hard surfaces, and then abandon them. The embryos will survive only if their parents have chosen suitable attachment sites. Some embryos are left below the tidal zone, and the major danger they face is discovery by a predator. These embryos may survive on almost any type of site. Other snails attach capsules to intertidal surfaces, and their embryos may be exposed to repeated dehydration and overheating, as well as to predators. Chances for survival at these sites will depend on how long the embryos must remain exposed. Some intertidal snails require 3-5 months to complete development (Spight, 1975). These embryos will survive only if the parents choose relatively protected attachment sites. The types of sites used by the rocky shore snail, Thais lamellosa, were tallied for a six year period and subsequent embryo mortality was monitored for four of the years. Surprisingly, the snails consistently chose sites at which few embryos survived, although "better" sites were always available. The discussion will hypothesize why the sites used are the right places for the snails even though they are not right for the embryos.