cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A genetically encoded tag for correlated light and electron microscopy of intact cells, tissues, and organisms.

Electron microscopy (EM) achieves the highest spatial resolution in protein localization, but specific protein EM labeling has lacked generally applicable genetically encoded tags for in situ visualization in cells and tissues. Here we introduce “miniSOG” (for mini Singlet Oxygen Generator), a fluorescent flavoprotein engineered from Arabidopsis phototropin 2. MiniSOG contains 106 amino acids, less than half the size of Green Fluorescent Protein. Illumination of miniSOG generates sufficient singlet oxygen to locally catalyze the polymerization of diaminobenzidine into an osmiophilic reaction product resolvable by EM. MiniSOG fusions to many well-characterized proteins localize correctly in mammalian cells, intact nematodes, and rodents, enabling correlated fluorescence and EM from large volumes of tissue after strong aldehyde fixation, without the need for exogenous ligands, probes, or destructive permeabilizing detergents. MiniSOG permits high quality ultrastructural preservation and 3-dimensional protein localization via electron tomography or serial section block face scanning electron microscopy. EM shows that miniSOG-tagged SynCAM1 is presynaptic in cultured cortical neurons, whereas miniSOG-tagged SynCAM2 is postsynaptic in culture and in intact mice. Thus SynCAM1 and SynCAM2 could be heterophilic partners. MiniSOG may do for EM what Green Fluorescent Protein did for fluorescence microscopy.
Can high‐level inferencing be predicted by Discourse Comprehension Test performance in adults with right hemisphere brain damage?

Background: Adults with right hemisphere brain damage (RHD) can have considerable difficulty in drawing high‐level inferences from discourse. Standardised tests of language comprehension in RHD do not tap high‐level inferences with many items or in much depth, but nonstandardised tasks lack reliability and validity data. It would be of great clinical value if a standardised test could predict performance on high‐level inferencing measures. Aims: This study addressed whether performance of adults with RHD on the Discourse Comprehension Test (DCT; Brookshire & Nicholas, 1993) could predict their performance on a nonstandardised measure of high‐level inference in narrative comprehension. Methods & Procedures: This study used a within‐group correlational design. Participants were 32 adults with damage limited to the right cerebral hemisphere, as a result of cerebrovascular accident. Half of the participants were male and half female. Participants averaged 64.5 years of age and 14.2 years of education. Partici...
Contact versus energy transfer fluorescence quenching in the sulfur substituted form of the enzyme rhodanese: a study using cesium ion resolved emission spectra.

Abstract The intrinsic fluorescence of the enzyme rhodanese (EC 2.8.1.1) can be resolved into separate contributions from solvent accessible and solvent inaccessible tryptophan residues by comparing spectra run in 2 M NaCl with those run in the quenching solution, 2 M CsCl. Both these classes of tryptophan residues are quenched when sulfur is transferred to rhodanese forming a sulfur substituted enzyme which is an intermediate in the catalytic cycle. This observation is consistent with a non-radiative energy transfer mechanism for quenching as opposed to a mechanism requiring direct contact between the bound sulfur and an active site tryptophan. Therefore, the data supports the hypothesis that the primary stabilizing influence in forming the substituted enzyme intermediate is a persulfide bond between an active site sulfhydryl group and the transferred sulfur.
Low-intensity exercise, vascular occlusion, and muscular adaptations

The study investigated the effects of low-intensity exercise on muscular fitness when combined with vascular occlusion. Nineteen college male and female students performed two sets of a 5-min step exercise using a 12-inch bench three times per week for 5 weeks. During the step exercise, blood flow to one leg was restricted (vascular occlusion) with a blood pressure cuff, while the other leg was not occluded. Muscular strength of the occluded leg was significantly increased over the nonoccluded leg (p 0.05). Exercise with vascular occlusion has the potential to be an alternative form of training to promote muscular strength.
Inefficiently increased anterior cingulate modulation of cortical systems during working memory in young offspring of schizophrenia patients.

Abstract Background Children and adolescent offspring of schizophrenia patients are at increased risk for schizophrenia and are also characterized by impairments in brain structure and function. To date, few studies have investigated whether functional interactions between brain regions are intact or altered. Using an established verbal working memory paradigm with variable levels of memory load, we investigated the modulatory effect of activity in cognitive control regions of the brain (specifically the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex) on activity in core working memory regions, in particular the dorsal prefrontal cortex and the parietal lobe. Methods Forty four subjects participated. An n-back task with two levels of working memory load (1- and 2-back) was employed during fMRI (4 T Bruker MedSpec system). Data were processed with SPM5 and the modulatory effects of the anterior cingulate were investigated using psycho-physiological interaction (PPI). Results In spite of only subtle activation differences, and no significant differences in performance accuracy, a significant group x memory load interaction in the parietal lobe, indicated aberrantly increased modulatory inputs to this region under conditions of high working memory load in schizophrenia offspring. Discussion Increased modulatory inputs from a central control region like the anterior cingulate presumably reflect relative inefficiency in intra-cortical interactions in the vulnerable brain. This inefficiency may reflect a developmentally mediated impairment in functional brain interactions in this important vulnerable population. It is highly plausible that the resultant effect of these altered interactions is an increased vulnerability to impaired brain development, and therefore to psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia.
Tyrosine hydroxylase expression is affected by sexual vigor and social environment in male Cnemidophorus inornatus.

Although the distribution of catecholamine-synthesizing cells has been described for a variety of taxa, less is known about the functional significance of particular populations in nonmammalian species, especially reptiles. To understand the role of these populations in the display of social behaviors in lizards, we studied the interactive effects of sexual vigor (sexually vigorous vs. sluggish) and social condition (housing in isolation vs. with females) on the number and somal areas of cells expressing tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), a rate-limiting enzyme in catecholamine synthesis, in male whiptail lizards, Cnemidophorus inornatus. We found that, regardless of social condition, sexually vigorous males had more TH-immunoreactive (TH-ir) cells in the dorsal hypothalamus (DH) relative to sluggish males. Sexually vigorous males also had more TH-ir cells in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc), but this difference was significant only among males housed with females. Sexually vigorous males that had been housed with females had smaller TH-ir cells in the preoptic area (POA) than vigorous males housed in isolation. On the other hand, no significant differences were found in the anterior hypothalamus. These results highlight the regional heterogeneity in the plasticity of TH expression and suggest that, just as in other species, the DH, SNpc, and POA might be involved in the expression of social behaviors and in behavioral plasticity following social experiences in lizards. J. Comp. Neurol. 476:429–439, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Exchange Rate Pass-Through in Turkey

In light of the strong correlation between exchange rate movements and domestic prices in Turkey, it is important to assess the impact of the exchange rate on domestic prices, in particular as Turkey moves to an inflation targeting regime. This paper uses a recursive vector autoregression model to investigate the impact of exchange rate movements on prices in Turkey. We find that (i) the impact of the exchange rate on prices is over after about a year, but is mostly felt in the first four months, (ii) the pass-through to wholesale prices is more pronounced compared to the pass-through to consumer prices, and (iii) the estimated pass-through is complete in a shorter time and is larger than that estimated for other key emerging market countries.
Simulation and analysis of non-periodic and random metamaterial structures

The concept of using negative refractive media for a perfect lens was theorized by Veselago in 1968 (Sov. Phys. Usp., 10, 509–514). Recent developments in metamaterials (Shelby et al., Science 292, 77, 2001) allowed researchers to physically demonstrate that artificial composite media can be engineered to exhibit exotic properties, including negative refractive index, by exploiting features in arrays of sub-wavelength unit cells. These unconventional electromagnetic properties are realized through the couplings of the microscopic unit cells, which govern the macroscopic properties of the structure. Our study focuses on electromagnetic propagation in media in which the effective relative permittivity and permeability exhibit negative values, resulting in negative index of refraction over a given frequency range. These composite structures are engineered to act as a medium supporting electromagnetic wave propagation in which the direction of phase velocity is opposite to the direction of energy flow (Depine and Lakhtakia, Microw. Opt. Technol. Lett., 41, 315–316, 2004). Generally, metamaterial structures are comprised of resonant inserts, such as split ring resonators (SRRs), that are periodically arranged (Singh et al., J. Opt., 12, 015101, 2010). However, these structures have been limited by their narrow operational bandwidth, high loss, and isotropic limitations (Caloz, Materials Today, 12(3), 12–20, 2009).
Computed tomography of primary melanoma of the leptomeninges: Case reports

Primary malignant melanoma arising from the leptomeninges is a rare entity. We describe the computed tomography findings and clinical course in two cases. The literature on this subject is briefly reviewed. An expanded differential diagnosis is presented for dural convexity tumors simulating the computed tomography appearance of meningiomas.
δ ‐target optimal control of molecular dynamics: Application to a rotating diatomic molecule

The δ‐target method proposed recently [Chem. Phys. Lett. 235, 309 (1995)] was shown to significantly simplify the task of optimal control of molecular localization. The present paper is intended to study the application of the δ‐target technique to a practically interesting case of a diatomic molecule including rotation. Illustrative numerical examples are presented for the molecules NO and Na2. The δ‐target method is shown to provide good control when the rotational temperature is not too high. The optimal control solution is very robust and insensitive to small changes in the potential curves and transition dipole moment functions. It is shown that the field obtained within the linearized δ‐target optimal control technique can be successfully used in the nonlinear regime. The possibility of extending the δ‐target technique is considered for treating strong field nonlinear optimal control tasks. The computational advantages of the method are discussed.
Soil seed bank longevity of the exotic annual grass Bromus rubens in the Mojave Desert, USA

Abstract Although arid environments are often considered among the least invaded terrestrial biomes, the impacts of exotic plant species can be severe and long lasting. Bromus rubens (red brome) is an exotic annual grass species in the Mojave Desert known to outcompete native plant species, alter habitat, and promote accumulation of fuel that contributes to increasing fire frequency and severity. We assessed longevity of the exotic B. rubens seeds in the soil by burying seeds at four depths (0, 2, 5, and 10 cm) and recovering seeds 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after burial. Seed viability was reduced with greater burial depth and greater time since burial. A relatively small proportion of seeds retained viability for two years, suggesting that while the B. rubens seed bank can be large, it is relatively short-lived. Although B. rubens apparently relies more on the annual production, dispersal, and germination of seeds than on a long-lived seed bank for its annual recruitment, the numerous seeds produced by individual plants indicate that even a small proportion of seeds remaining viable for more than a year can aid recruitment from the seed bank and is an important factor in understanding population dynamics.
Reversible Addition Fragmentation Chain Transfer (RAFT) Polymerization with a Polymeric RAFT Agent Containing Multiple Trithiocarbonate Groups

Polytrithiocarbonates were prepared by the condensation polymerization of a dicarboxylic acid functional trithiocarbonate and a diol. These polymers were effective reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) agents for the bulk polymerization of polystyrene homopolymers and a poly[styrene-block-(tert-butylstyrene)] block copolymer. Size exclusion chromatography (SEC) analysis of the original and amine cleaved polymers showed that the polydispersity of the polymer tended toward two with increasing polymerization time, but the polydispersity of the polymer units between trithiocarbonate groups was narrow (ca. 1.1-1.3) Also, the average number of trithiocarbonate groups per chain was found to be proportional to the number of trithiocarbonate groups in the starting RAFT agent. These polytrithiocarbonate RAFT agents will be useful for preparing multiblock copolymers over a range of chemistries, block numbers and molecular weights.
Reductive half-reaction of nitroalkane oxidase: Effect of mutation of the active site aspartate to glutamate

The flavoenzyme nitroalkane oxidase catalyzes the oxidation of primary and secondary nitroalkanes to the respective aldehydes or ketones, releasing nitrite. The enzyme has recently been identified as being homologous to the acyl-CoA dehydrogenase family of enzymes [Daubner, S. C., Gadda, G., Valley, M. P., and Fitzpatrick, P. F. (2002) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 99, 2702-2707]. The glutamate which acts as an active site base in that family of enzymes aligns with Asp402 of nitroalkane oxidase. To evaluate the identification of Asp402 as an active site base, the effect of mutation of Asp402 to glutamate on the rate of cleavage of the nitroalkane C–H bond has been determined. Deuterium kinetic isotope effects on steady state kinetic parameters and direct measurement of the rate of flavin reduction establish that the mutation increases the ΔG‡ for C–H bond cleavage by 1.6–1.9 kcal/mol. There is no effect on the rate of reaction of the reduced enzyme with oxygen. These results support the assignment of Asp402 as the active site base in nitroalkane oxidase.
Sensitivity of computed tomography in evaluation of pelvic lymph node metastases from carcinoma of bladder and prostate

Pelvic lymph node evaluation by computed tomography was correlated with histologic diagnosis in patients with prostate and bladder carcinoma. Based on computed tomography alone, the stage of the carcinomas would have been underestimated in 38 per cent of cases and overestimated in 6 per cent. Over-all, the sensitivity of pelvic CT scanning in detecting lymph node involvement was only 14 per cent with specificity of 89 per cent. Although this series is relatively small and both second and fourth generation scanners were used, the limitations of computed tomography in recognizing minimal nodal disease or microscopic invasion of adjacent organs is reemphasized.
Water and electrolyte metabolism in congestive heart failure.

The over-all metabolic balance of sodium, chloride and water has been studied in 8 subjects recovering from congestive heart failure. During the release of edema the observed loss of water in excess of sodium and chloride, as they are normally present in extracellular fluid, has suggested that the concept of initial retention of sodium in the development of heart failure may be untenable.
TUBERCLE DEVELOPMENT IN MAMMILLARIA HEYDERI

PREVIOUS STUDIES on the developmental anatomy of members of the Cactaceae (Boke, 1941, 1944, 1951, 1952) have led to a consideration of the fourteen genera and numerous species of small cacti listed by Britton and Rose (1923) under the subtribe Coryphanthanae. These groups at present appear to be derivatives of the larger representatives of the subtribe Echinocactanae. Since the monumental work of Britton and Rose, however, taxonomists have continued to disagree with respect to the phylogenetic relationships of the species and genera. Buxbaum (1951) has rearranged the members of the Coryphanthanae largely on the basis of seed characters. It is his opinion (Buxbaum, 1950) that among these small cacti there is "abundant occurrence of convergences, simulating a near relationship of genera which have only reached the same degree of evolution and thus have a similar shape." This means that plants which appear very similar on superficial examination may actually represent similar stages on very different lines of evolution. As Buxbaum (1949) has pointed out, one of the evolutionary trends in the Cactaceae is the development of the leaf base (Unterblatt) at the expense of the leaf proper (Oberblatt). This phenomenon attains its maximum among the Coryphanthanae, where the enlarged leaf bases form the characteristic tubercles. The leaf primordium is initiated as in other plants but it soon becomes differentiated into a leaf proper, which remains rudimentary, and a leaf base, which becomes more and more conspicuous. Once this differentiation has occurred, the term "leaf primordium" is hardly adequate. It is a "leaf and tubercle primordium," most of which is destined to become tuberele. When the leaf rudiment ceases development, the structure may be called a "tubercle primordium." Three genera belonging to the Coryphanthanae (as defined by Britton and Rose) are native to Oklahoma and northern Texas. Others occur in the drier parts of Texas. Although the developmental morphology of these plants is a problem in itself, it is also probable that such studies eventually may reveal information which will be of assistance in revising the systematies of the group. Such results cannot be expected, however, until a larger number of species and genera have been studied. An investigation of the Oklahoma genera was
Naturalistic action impairments in dementia.

Naturalistic actions are everyday tasks (e.g. cooking) that require one to use multiple objects and sequence steps to achieve a goal. Naturalistic action impairment has been attributed to executive dysfunction [Higher cortical functions in man. New York: Basic Books, 1966], semantic knowledge degradation [Brain 111 (1988) 1173], and, more recently, general limitations in cognitive resources [Neuropsychology 12 (1998) 13]. Action impairments were explored in 51 dementia participants with the short form of the multi-level action test (MLAT-S). A clinical neuropsychological test protocol was also administered. Regression analyses including measures of executive functioning, semantic knowledge, and global cognitive functioning showed that global cognitive functioning was the best predictor of MLAT-S errors. Furthermore, task demands significantly influenced the type and frequency of errors, and dementia participants showed a pattern of errors similar to that reported in other clinical populations [Cognitive Neuropsychology 15 (1998) 617; Neuropsychologia 37 (1999) 51; Neuropsychology 12 (1998) 13]. Taken together, the present findings are inconsistent with semantic and executive accounts, but support the limited-capacity resource theory of naturalistic action impairment.
Activatable cell penetrating peptides linked to nanoparticles as dual probes for in vivo fluorescence and MR imaging of proteases

High-resolution imaging of molecules intrinsically involved in malignancy and metastasis would be of great value for clinical detection and staging of tumors. We now report in vivo visualization of matrix metalloproteinase activities by MRI and fluorescence of dendrimeric nanoparticles coated with activatable cell penetrating peptides (ACPPs), labeled with Cy5, gadolinium, or both. Uptake of such nanoparticles in tumors is 4- to 15-fold higher than for unconjugated ACPPs. With fluorescent molecules, we are able to detect residual tumor and metastases as small as 200 μm, which can be resected under fluorescence guidance and analyzed histopathologically with fluorescence microscopy. We show that uptake via this mechanism is comparable to that of other near infrared protease sensors, with the added advantage that the approach is translatable to MRI. Once activated, the Gd-labeled nanoparticles deposit high levels (30–50 μM) of Gd in tumor parenchyma with even higher amounts deposited in regions of infiltrative tumor, resulting in useful T1 contrast lasting several days after injection. These results should improve MRI-guided clinical staging, presurgical planning, and intraoperative fluorescence-guided surgery. The approach may be generalizable to deliver radiation-sensitizing and chemotherapeutic agents.
An Analytical Framework for Extension Community Development Programming in Local Government

Current Extension programming in community development, much of it directed at local government problems, appears a potpourri of stylistic approaches. The public choice paradigm explicitly establishes a theoretical basis for the view that government's primary role is providing for resolution of the constant and inevitable conflicts between the values of citizens. It views the level and mix of services provided by government as a reflection of that political process rather than a scientifically determinable optimum. These arguments clarify differences between "process" and "substantive" approaches to Community Resource Development programming and suggest a framework for Extension strategies for improving local government.
Pinning of a two-dimensional Wigner crystal by charged impurities

The magnitude of pinning of the classical Wigner crystal as a function of the distance between the crystal and a charged impurity is calculated numerically. The pinning magnitude is shown to be very asymmetric with respect to the sign of the impurity charge. Donors are found to pin effectively only in a narrow layer at a finite distance from the crystal, whereas acceptors pin strongly in a relatively wide region adjacent to the crystal plane. It is shown that pinning of the crystal by a close acceptor cannot be described by the conventional model of periodic coupling because at small distances the acceptor is built into the lattice.
A Syntactic Analysis of Secondary Predication in Spanish.

This article argues in favour of a syntactic analysis of secondary predication as first proposed in Williams (1980) and against the semantic approach to predication defended most recently in Napoli (1989). Most of the evidence to be adduced in the proposed analysis comes from Spanish. We posit that secondary predicates are base-generated inside VP in Spanish, confirming Culicover & Wilkins's (1984) and Roberts's (1988) analysis for English. Under this hypothesis, object-oriented (O-) predicates occur inside the c-domain of V as sisters to the verbal complement, whereas subject-oriented (S-) secondary predicates attach to VP as sisters to the subject. Based on this asymmetry and adopting Jaeggli's (1981) assumption that initial wh-traces must be lexically identified, we explain the fact that only O-predicates can undergo wh-movement in Spanish. This restriction on wh-movement follows from the syntactic configuration assigned to secondary predicates in which both predicates are governed by V, but only O-predicates are c-commanded by V.
HLA antigens in tardive dyskinesia

Fifty-three male, Caucasian, neuroleptic-treated patients with chronic schizophrenia were examined for the presence of tardive dyskinesia (TD) and were tissue typed. The group with TD (n = 25) was compared to the group without TD (n = 28). HLA-DR4 was more prevalent in the group with TD than in the group without TD, with a relative risk of 3.04 for TD with HLA-DR4 present, although this finding is not statistically significant when corrected for the number of nonparametric comparisons. Other investigations reported an association between HLA-B44 and TD, or between HLA-B44 and neuroleptic-induced parkinsonism. Potential explanations relating the findings of these investigations are discussed.
Ultralow-k silicon containing fluorocarbon films prepared by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition

Low dielectric constant materials as interlayer dielectrics (ILDs) offer a way to reduce the RC time delay in high-performance ultra-large-scale integration (ULSI) circuits. Fluorocarbon films containing silicon have been developed for interlayer applications below 50-nm linewidth technology. The preparation of the films was carried out by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) using gas precursors of tetrafluorocarbon as the source of active species and disilane (5 vol.% in helium) as a reducing agent to control the ratio of F/C in the films. The basic properties of the low dielectric constant (low-k) interlayer dielectric films are studied as a function of the fabrication process parameters. The electrical, mechanical, chemical, and thermal properties were evaluated including dielectric constant, surface planarity, hardness, residual stress, chemical bond structure, and shrinkage upon heat treatments. The deposition process conditions were optimized for film thermal stability while maintaining a relative dielectric value as low as 2.0. The average breakdown field strength was 4.74 MV/cm. The optical energy gap was in the range 2.2–2.4 eV. The hardness and residual stress in the optimized processed SiCF films were, respectively, measured to be in the range 1.4–1.78 GPa and in the range 11.6–23.2 MPa of compressive stress.
Patterns of student counselling in universities of the United States

Approaches to student counselling in U.S. universities are diverse, reflecting the characteristics, purposes, and size of the institutions in which they are found. This article examines existing models, criteria for evaluating, and issues yet to be resolved among student counselling centers in the United States.
Triggers of heavier and lighter cigarette smoking in college students.

This preliminary study examined the relationship between cigarette smoking and several environmental and psychological cues to smoke in college students who were lighter (2–8 cigarettes per day) and heavier (greater than 10 cigarettes per day) smokers. Nineteen lighter and 16 heavier smokers monitored their smoking behavior and certain smoking cues, and reported this information daily to an interactive voice response (IVR) system over a 13-day period. Results indicated the lighter smokers consumed a significantly greater proportion of cigarettes when drinking alcohol and during the evening hours compared to heavier smokers. No differences were found between groups on smoking in the presence of negative affect or coffee, although heavier smokers smoked a greater proportion of cigarettes when experiencing low energy positive affect (e.g., calm). If a replication of this study produces similar results, there could be implications for public policy, particularly the regulation of smoking in venues where alcohol is served.
Creating Spatially Contiguous Yield Classes for Site-Specific Management

Annual yield maps are spatially fragmented because of random variation caused by crop management as well as measurement errors. Two approaches for creating maps of spatially contiguous yield classes were evaluated at two irrigated sites. In the first approach, prior-classification interpolation (PCI), grid size was increased from 4, 8, 16, and 32 to 64 m by kriging interpolation before cluster analysis used for mapping yield classes. Choosing a coarse resolution (>16 m) for yield interpolation before spatial classification resulted in maps that did not accurately depict yield patterns, significant decline of the yield variance accounted for, and loss of resolution in areas of sharp yield transitions caused by irrigation or near the field borders. In the second approach, postclassification filtering (PCF), cluster analysis of mean relative yield was conducted on the smallest grid size (4 m), and the classification results were postprocessed using a spatial filtering algorithm with window sizes that were equivalent to the 8-, 16-, 32-, and 64-m grid sizes used in PCI. This procedure removed erroneous map fragmentation and created maps of contiguous yield classes while preserving the class means and general yield patterns at high spatial resolution. Window sizes for spatial filtering of yield maps should be in the 30- to 60-m range. Landscape pattern metrics may offer new potential for assessing mapping techniques as well as comparing agricultural production fields with regard to ranking their relative opportunities for site-specific crop management.
Complex Biogeographic History of Lanius Shrikes and its Implications for the Evolution of Defenses Against Avian Brood Parasitism

Abstract. Using portions of three mitochondrial genes to resolve the uncertain systematic relationships, we constructed a phylogeny of the “gray shrikes” in the genus Lanius. We used the tree and estimates of the rate of evolution of passeriform mtDNA genes to project the nodes' ages and to assess the pattern and age of egg-rejection behavior in shrikes. Our results suggest that Lanius excubitor and L. m. meridionalis are sister taxa and that this clade is sister to L. ludovicianus, then L. sphenocercus is sister to this clade. Lanius excubitor from the Old World was considerably diverged from both New World species and part of a clade also containing four other subspecies of L. meridionalis. The paraphyly and sequence divergence between New World and Old World L. excubitor suggest that these populations represent distinct species. Mapping egg rejection onto the phylogeny suggests that rejection is deeply rooted in shrikes, as it is present as deep as two species, L. collurio and L. bucephalus, that are o...
Comparative Design Case Studies of Pavement Performance on Expansive Soils

Vertical movements calculated with the new design method for six case study cross sections in three different climatic zones in Texas were compared with the swelling movement predicted by the potential vertical rise (PVR) method, which has been used by the Texas Department of Transportation. Vertical movements included both swelling and shrinking. A review of assumptions that underlie the PVR method shows that two assumptions are unrealistic because they are not based on sound analytical principle and the three others cannot be supported by subsequent findings on actual Texas pavements or on soils of the United States. Pavement treatments were selected to provide acceptable predicted performance at high levels of reliability, and the vertical movements were calculated both at the edges of pavements and beneath the outer wheel-paths. The case studies were based on a variety of traffic levels, site conditions, and sample testing. The pavement treatments included limestabilized and cement-stabilized layers, ...
Expression of Adrenomedullin MRNA in Human Fetal Lung

Background and Aims: Adrenomedullin is a vasodilator peptide produced by endothelial and smooth muscle cells in the systemic and pulmonary circulation. It promotes angiogenesis and alveolar growth and has protective effects in the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. The role of adrenomedullin in human lung vascular development is not known. Our aim was to test the hypothesis that adrenomedullin mRNA is expressed during mid-gestation in the human fetal lung, and that adrenomedullin mRNA expression in the human fetal lung increases with advancing gestational age. Methods: Human fetal lung tissue was collected from 10 to 24 weeks of gestation following elective termination (N: 69). Gestational age was estimated using fetal foot length. Adrenomedullin gene expression was measured with quantitative RT-PCR, normalized to GAPDH. The expression of the adrenomedullin receptor: calcitonin receptor-like receptor (CRLR) and of the receptor activity modifying proteins (RAMP) 2 and 3 were also measured. Statistical analysis was performed using Spearman non-parametric correlation coefficient. Results: Adrenomedullin, CRLR, RAMP2 and RAMP3 were expressed in the mid-gestation human fetal lung. The expression of adrenomedullin, CRLR and RAMP2 increased with increasing gestational age (p< 0.05). Conversely, the expression of RAMP3 decreased with advancing gestational age. Conclusion: Adrenomedullin is expressed in the mid-gestation human fetal lung and its expression increased with increasing gestational age, suggesting a role for adrenomedullin in human lung development. The expression of RAMP3 decreased with increasing gestational age, requiring further study, we speculate that RAMP3 might regulate adrenomedullin activity in the human fetal lung.
The relationship between violence exposure and HIV sexual risk behaviors : Does gender matter?

This study examined the association between violence exposures and HIV risk behaviors among 409 adolescents and whether such associations are gendered. Results indicated that adolescents exposed to either childhood sexual abuse or family or community violence were almost 3 and 4 times more likely, respectively, than peers not exposed to such violence to report a higher number of HIV-related risk behaviors. In addition, boys exposed to family violence were almost 3 times more likely than girls to report multiple partners and use of drugs during sex. Findings suggest a complex relationship among violence, gender, and HIV risks among adolescents.
The thalamus of reptiles and mammals: similarities and differences

Certain aspects of thalamic organization in reptiles and mammals are reviewed. Features shared by the dorsal thalamus of reptiles and that of mammals include projection to the telencephalon, specific and non-specific non-telencephalic afferents, and input from the thalamic reticular nucleus. Differences between the dorsal thalamus of reptiles and that of mammals are the absence of reciprocal telencephalic efferents to the dorsal thalamus and lack of local circuit neurons in reptiles (with the exception of the dorsal geniculate complex in turtles) and their presence in mammals. A thalamic reticular nucleus is present in both reptiles and mammals. In both of these classes of vertebrates, this neuronal aggregate surrounds the dorsal thalamus along its lateral surface, projects to the dorsal thalamus, and is organized into sectors. In one group of reptiles, Caiman crocodilus, the sole reptilian group in which immunocytochemical features have been investigated in detail, the reticular nucleus contains at least three neuronal subpopulations: neurons immunoreactive for glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD); neurons immunoreactive for parvalbumin; and cells that are not immunoreactive for parvalbumin or, probably, GAD. On the other hand, the reticular nucleus of mammals contains a single population of neurons immunoreactive for GAD, gamma amino butyric acid, and parvalbumin.
V-movement and the licensing of argumental WH-phrases in Spanish

Although verbs in Spanish obligatorily raise through the functional projections of IP, they do not continue to C0. Support is given for this idea based on sluicing, left-dislocated structures, the position of adverbs, and the constituent order in adjunct Wh-questions. The issue then is how to account for the mandatory Wh-V-subject order when the Wh-phrase is argumental. The proposal is that both argumental and adjunct Wh-phrases obey the universal licensing mechanism known as the Wh-Criterion, but that only the former subtype must also comply with a language specific condition: Argumental Agreement Licensing.
A Distributed RF Front-End for UWB Receivers

This paper presents the design and fabrication of a novel silicon-based distributed RF front-end for ultra wideband (UWB) receivers (RX). The proposed UWB distributed RF front-end, called UWB-DRF, is suitable for UWB IF transceiver architectures. The circuit constitutes of combined low-noise amplifier (LNA) and down-conversion mixer cells distributed along the artificial transmission lines (TLs), to achieve wideband conversion gain, noise figure (NF), and linearity. A 3 stage UWB-DRF was fabricated in a 0.13 ?m CMOS process. The prototype UWB-DRF achieves 13.8-15.5 dB gain over the entire UWB frequency range, while exhibiting flat NF of 5.2 dB across the band. The radio-frequency (RF), local-oscillator (LO), and intermediate-frequency (IF) ports are wideband-matched to 50?. A programmable RF termination allows the UWB-DRF to achieve higher gain of 17.7 dB and lower NF of 3.5 dB, while trading off with few decibels of mismatch at the RF input port. The 3-stage distributed receiver front-end consumes 8.2mA from 1.8V supply voltage, and occupies an area of 1.5mm2.
Characteristics of binary and ternary blends of poly (p‐phenylene sulfide) with poly(bis phenol A) sulfone and polyetherimide

An experimental study of the phase morphology and mechanical properties of binary blends of poly(p-phenylene sulfide) (PPS) with both polyetherimide (PEI) and poly(bis phenol A) sulfone (PSF) is described. We also study the ternary system PPS-PEI-PSF. Differential scanning calirometry indicated the blends are immiscible; these findings were confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. Both PEI and PSF were found capable of improving the impact strength and elongation-to-break characteristics of PPS in binary blends and ternary systems.
The control structure facilities of ECL

ECL is a programming language system currently under development at Harvard University. A general description of the system is given in a companion paper [1]. This paper will describe some of the control structure facilities available in ECL - a complete description will appear as part of the author's Ph.D. thesis. Most existing programming languages allow for only one path of control. The programmer is presented with an environment in which he may use conditional statements, iteration statements and nested function calls (perhaps called recursively) to modify the flow of control through his program but it is not usually possible to either suspend execution of the current program (control path) and start up another or to set up another control path to execute in parallel with the current one. EL1, as originally proposed in [2], allows for only one path of control. ECL, however, allows for the creation and manipulation of multiple paths of control. These paths may execute in parallel, or act as coroutines or in any other relation desirable. Since the number of paths which can be created to execute in parallel may be greater than the number of processors available on a given machine, some sort of path scheduling must be done. The path scheduler is written in EL1 and is available for redefinition by the programmer.
Rickettsial-like cells in the Cretaceous tick, Cornupalpatum burmanicum (Ixodida: Ixodidae)

Abstract Rickettsial-like cells are reported from the body cavity of the Myanmar amber larval tick, Cornupalpatum burmanicum (Ixodida: Ixodidae). These cells are characterized and described in a new collective fossil genus erected for putative rickettsia in fossil ticks. The size and shape of the fossil cells resemble those of present day members of the Rickettsiaceae, many of which occur in the body cavity of present day ticks.
Relative-error bounds for the LU decomposition via the GTH algorithm ?

Recently the author showed that the Grassmann-Taksar-Heyman (GTH) algorithm computes the steady-state distribution of a finite-state Markov chain with low relative error. Here it is shown that the LU decomposition computed in the course of the GTH algorithm also has low relative error. The proof requires a refinement of the methods used in the earlier paper.
New therapeutic advances in the management of progressive thyroid cancer

The spectrum of thyroid cancers ranges from one of the most indolent to one of the most aggressive solid tumors identified. Conventional therapies for thyroid cancers are based on the histologic type of thyroid cancers such as papillary or follicular thyroid cancer (differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC)), medullary thyroid cancer (MTC), or anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC). While surgery is one of the key treatments for all such types of thyroid cancers, additional therapies vary. Effective targeted therapy for DTC is a decades-old practice with systemic therapies of thyroid stimulating hormone suppression and radioactive iodine therapy. However, for the iodinerefractory DTC, MTC, and ATC there is no effective systemic standard of care treatment. Recent advances in understanding pathogenesis of DTC and development of molecular targeted therapy have dramatically transformed the field of clinical research in thyroid cancer. Over the last five years, incredible progress has been made and phases I‐III clinical trials have been conducted in various types of thyroid cancers with some remarkable results that has made an impact on lives of patients with thyroid cancer. Such history-making events have boosted enthusiasm and interest among researchers, clinicians, patients, and sponsors and we anticipate ongoing efforts to develop more effective and safe therapies for thyroid cancer.
Comparison of methods for Identification of Mycobacterium abscessus and M. chelonae isolates.

Mycobacterium abscessus and Mycobacterium chelonae are two closely related species that are often not distinguished by clinical laboratories despite the fact they cause diseases requiring different treatment regimens. Multilocus enzyme electrophoresis, PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the 65-kDa heat shock protein gene, biochemical tests, and high-performance liquid chromatography of mycolic acids were used to identify 75 isolates as either M. abscessus or M. chelonae that were originally submitted for drug susceptibility testing. Only 36 of these isolates were submitted with an identification at the species level. Using the above methods, 46 of the isolates were found to be M. abscessus and 29 were identified as M. chelonae. Eight isolates originally submitted as M. chelonae were identified as M. abscessus, and one isolate submitted as M. abscessus was found to be M. chelonae. The four identification methods were in agreement in identifying 74 of the 75 isolates. In drug susceptibility testing, all isolates of M. abscessus exhibited resistance to tobramycin (MIC of 8 to ≥16 μg/ml), while all isolates of M. chelonae were susceptible to this drug (MIC of ≤4 μg/ml). The results suggest that once an identification method is selected, clinical laboratories should be able to easily identify isolates of M. abscessus and M. chelonae.
Modularity vs. reusability: code generation from synchronous block diagrams

We present several methods to generate modular code from synchronous hierarchical block diagrams. Modularity means code is generated for a given macro (i.e., composite) block independently from context, that is, without knowing where this block is to be used, and also with minimal knowledge about its sub-blocks. We achieve this by generating a set of interface functions for each block and a set of dependencies between these functions that is exported along with the interface. The main trade-off is the degree of modularity (number of interface functions) vs. reusability (the set of diagrams that the block can be used in without creating dependency cycles).
Prelinguistic evolution in early hominins: Whence motherese?

In order to formulate hypotheses about the evolutionary underpinnings that preceded the first glimmerings of language, mother-infant gestural and vocal interactions are compared in chimpanzees and humans and used to model those of early hominins. These data, along with paleoanthropological evidence, suggest that prelinguistic vocal substrates for protolanguage that had prosodic fea- tures similar to contemporary motherese evolved as the trend for enlarging brains in late australopithecines/early Homo progressively in- creased the difficulty of parturition, thus causing a selective shift toward females that gave birth to relatively undeveloped neonates. It is hypothesized that hominin mothers adopted new foraging strategies that entailed maternal silencing, reassuring, and controlling of the behaviors of physically removed infants (i.e., that shared human babies' inability to cling to their mothers' bodies). As mothers increas- ingly used prosodic and gestural markings to encourage juveniles to behave and to follow, the meanings of certain utterances (words) be- came conventionalized. This hypothesis is based on the premises that hominin mothers that attended vigilantly to infants were strongly selected for, and that such mothers had genetically based potentials for consciously modifying vocalizations and gestures to control in- fants, both of which receive support from the literature.
Native Valve Infective Endocarditis in Elderly and Younger Adult Patients: Comparison of Clinical Features and Outcomes with Use of the Duke Criteria and the Duke Endocarditis Database

The effect of age on the presentation and outcome of infective endocarditis (IE) is unclear. Many of the available data are based on analyses of mixed populations of patients including intravenous drug users or those with prosthetic valve endocarditis or native valve IE. We used the Duke criteria to compare the characteristics of 44 episodes of definite native valve IE in elderly patients (> 64 years old) with the characteristics of 64 similarly defined episodes of native valve IE in younger, nonintravenous-drug-using adult patients (> 29 years and < 60 years old). Our data suggest that the clinical presentation, characteristics, and outcome of native valve IE are similar for elderly patients and younger adult patients, although elderly patients were hospitalized an average of 12 days longer. Although we found that the occurrence of renal failure and cerebral embolism during an episode of IE was associated with higher rates of death (odds ratios, 4.8 and 4.0, respectively), age was not a significant contributor to mortality.
Origin of the Nuclear Equation of State at the Quark Level

There is a measure of debate within the nuclear community concerning the relevance of quark degrees of freedom in understanding nuclear structure. We briefly outline some of the key issues and review the impressive progress made recently within the framework of the quark-meson coupling model. In particular, we explain in quite general terms how the modification of the internal structure of hadrons in-medium leads naturally to three- and four-body forces, or equivalently to density dependent effective interactions.