cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An orphan G-protein-coupled receptor causes human gigantism and/or acromegaly: Molecular biology and clinical correlations.

X-linked acrogigantism (X-LAG) is a recently described form of familial or sporadic pituitary gigantism characterized by very early onset GH and IGF-1 excess, accelerated growth velocity, gigantism and/or acromegaloid features. Germline or somatic microduplications of the Xq26.3 chromosomal region, invariably involving the GPR101 gene, constitute the genetic defect leading to X-LAG. GPR101 encodes a class A G protein-coupled receptor that activates the 3′,5′-cyclic adenosine monophosphate signaling pathway. Highly expressed in the central nervous system, the main physiological function and ligand of GPR101 remain unknown, but it seems to play a role in the normal development of the GHRH-GH axis. Early recognition of X-LAG cases is imperative because these patients require clinical management that differs from that of other patients with acromegaly or gigantism. Medical treatment with pegvisomant seems to be the best approach, since X-LAG tumors are resistant to the treatment with somatostatin analogues and dopamine agonists; surgical cure requires near-total hypophysectomy. Currently, the efforts of our research focus on the identification of GPR101 ligands; in addition, the long-term follow-up of X-LAG patients is of extreme interest as this is expected to lead to better understanding of GPR101 effects on human pathophysiology.
Use of an ion mobility spectrometer for detecting uranium compounds.

Abstract The safeguards community currently lacks a method to rapidly determine the chemical form of radioactive and non-radioactive compounds in real time during inspection activities. Chemical speciation identification can provide important information on both the types of materials that are collected during environmental sampling and can inform inspectors as to where to focus efforts during inspections or complementary access visits. Ion Mobility Spectrometry (IMS) is an established field technique for the detection of explosives, narcotics, and other organic compounds. More recently, electrospray ionization (ESI) has been used to introduce inorganic compounds to IMS instruments for analysis. These techniques have shown the ability to supply chemical information on the compounds analyzed. Although these laboratory based instruments use a liquid-based injection system, there is evidence in the literature of unaltered and intact pharmaceutical tablets being volatilized and ionized in open atmosphere using heat and a Ni-63 source. This work determined that a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) IMS could be used for the identification of solid uranium compounds directly after sampling using a COTS sample swipe.
The social connection in mental representations of space: explicit and implicit evidence

To understand memory of and reasoning about real-world environments, all aspects of the environment, both spatial and non-spatial need to be considered. Non-spatial information can be either integral to or associated with the spatial information. This paper reviews two lines of research conducted in our lab that explore interactions between spatial information and nonspatial information associated with it (namely social information). Based on results of numerous studies, we propose that full accounts of spatial cognition about real-world environments should consider non-spatial influences, noting that some phenomena, while seemingly spatial in nature, may have substantive nonspatial influences.
Electroencephalography, Evoked Potentials, and Sleep

Electroencephalography (EEG) is currently the only laboratory test that provides specific information useful for diagnosing infantile spasms. The interictal EEG is nearly always abnormal, and the most characteristic pattern, hypsarrhythmia, is almost exclusively associated with this disorder. While other diagnostic procedures, including hematological and biochemical determinations, as well as imaging techniques (CT, MRI, PET and SPECT), are often abnormal in patients with infantile spasms, they reflect underlying conditions and/or structural abnormalities which may be contributing etiological factors, but which are not specific for this disorder, or invariably present. The ictal EEG provides additional essential information regarding the nature of observed clinical events, and is required for confirming the epileptogenic character of spasms and other ictal phenomena, and differentiating them from non-epileptic events.
Ischemic Complications after Liver Transplantation

Despite major advances in the field of liver transplantation over the past few decades with both increased graft and patient survival, biliary complications still occur in many patients after liver transplantation. Complications can range from a biliary leak or biloma to strictures most commonly involving the surgical anastomosis, or elsewhere in the biliary tree. Etiologies of these complications include surgical technique, rejection, complications secondary to infection, and vascular complications causing ischemia of the bile ducts. Biliary complications, particularly biliary ischemia, can cause significant morbidity to the patient, and may require multiple endoscopic, endovascular, or percutaneous therapies for successful treatment, or even retransplantation in severe cases. This review will provide an overview of common biliary complications with a focus on biliary ischemia.
Correction to: Incarceration and Personal Networks: Unpacking Measures and Meanings of Tie Strength

The original version of the article contained an error in the text. The corrected text should read as.
Evaluating Simulated Microphysics during OLYMPEX Using GPM Satellite Observations

AbstractThis study evaluates moist physics in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model using observations collected during the Olympic Mountains Experiment (OLYMPEX) field campaign by the G...
The Quiet Hum of an Electronic Landscape

In this essay, I consider architect Andrea Branzi's speculative urban-territorial scheme from the mid-1990s called Agronica, in which he explored the possibilities of the postindustrial paradigm. I...
Brief Report: Atypical Visual Exploration in Autism Spectrum Disorder Cannot Be Attributed to the Amygdala.

Prior studies have emphasized the contribution of aberrant amygdala structure and function in social aspects of autism. However, it remains largely unknown whether amygdala dysfunction directly impairs visual attention and exploration as has been observed in people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Here, gaze patterns were directly compared between a rare amygdala lesion patient and adults with ASD when they freely viewed static images of complex natural scenes. The amygdala lesion patient showed a gaze pattern that was more similar to controls rather than that of the ASD group, which was independent of image content (social vs. objects) or complexity. This finding was further corroborated by analysis of temporal aspects of the gaze patterns and semantic category analysis. Together, the present results suggest that abnormal visual exploration observed in people with ASD is not likely primarily attributed to the amygdala.
Interstellar propagation of galactic cosmic-ray nuclei 2 less than or equal to Z less than or equal to 8 in the energy range 10 to 1000 MeV per nucleon.

Analysis of the differential kinetic energy per nucleon spectra of galactic cosmic-ray He, Li, Be, B, C, N, and O with the University of Chicago cosmic-ray telescope on board the IMP-5 satellite in 1969-1970. The ratios He/(C + N + O) and (Li + Be + B)/(C + N + O) obtained from these spectra are found, within errors of about 20%, to be energy-independent over the energy range 10-1000 MeV per nucleon, and equal to about 15 and about 0.25, respectively. These results are compared with discrepancies existing among other measurements of these ratios, and with predictions of a class of steady-state models of cosmic-ray propagation which assume that Li, Be, and B are absent in cosmic-ray sources. The best fits for the present measurements are obtained for models with a source spectrum in the form of a power law in total energy per nucleon, but even these fits are outside the error limits at energies below 100 MeV per nucleon. In the context of the propagation models examined, it is concluded that the observed behavior of these ratios requires an additional mechanism operative at low energies. This mechanism may be adiabatic deceleration of cosmic rays in the solar wind. In order for this mechanism to be adiabatic deceleration, the deceleration in 1969 must have been such that particles observed at 10 to 20 MeV per nucleon had energies greater than 100 to 150 MeV per nucleon in the local interstellar space.
Sex Differences in Salience Network Connectivity and its Relationship to Sensory Over‐Responsivity in Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are significantly more likely to experience sensory over-responsivity (SOR) compared to neurotypical controls. SOR in autism has been shown to be related to atypical functional connectivity in the salience network (SN), a brain network thought to help direct attention to the most relevant stimuli in one's environment. However, all studies to date which have examined the neurobiological basis of sensory processing in ASD have used primarily male samples so little is known about sex differences in the neural processing of sensory information. This study examined the relationship between SOR and resting-state functional connectivity in the SN for 37 males and 16 females with autism, ages 8-17 years. While there were no sex differences in parent-rated SOR symptoms, there were significant sex differences in how SOR related to SN connectivity. Relative to females with ASD, males with ASD showed a stronger association between SOR and increased connectivity between the salience and primary sensory networks, suggesting increased allocation to sensory information. Conversely, for females with ASD, SOR was more strongly related to increased connectivity between the SN and prefrontal cortex. Results suggest that the underlying mechanisms of SOR in ASD are sex specific, providing insight into the differences seen in the diagnosis rate and symptom profiles of males and females with ASD. LAY SUMMARY: Sensory over-responsivity (SOR) is common in autism. Most research on the neural basis of SOR has focused on males, so little is known about SOR or its neurobiology in females with autism spectrum disorder. Here despite no sex differences in SOR symptoms, we found sex differences in how SOR related to intrinsic connectivity in a salience detection network. Results show sex differences in the neural mechanisms underlying SOR and inform sex differences seen in diagnosis rates and symptom profiles in autism. Autism Res 2020, 13: 1489-1500. © 2020 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Chronic Disease Management

The medical literature regarding refugee populations in developed countries has predominantly focused on infectious communicable diseases and mental health; however, with changing lifestyles in developing countries and the process of acculturation within developed countries, refugees are facing an increased risk of noncommunicable diseases by either having a preexisting condition or acquiring it once in a developed country. Studies of resettled refugees in the initial months of resettlement in the United States show that more than 50% of refugees have at least one chronic disease. Such prevalence rates support the need to address chronic conditions in refugees. This chapter synthesizes the medical literature to offer clinicians an evidence-based approach for the care of common noncommunicable diseases in adult refugees and outlines the systems challenges that caregivers face when providing chronic care to refugees.
Ceftriaxone with Metronidazole Versus Piperacillin/Tazobactam in the Management of Complicated Appendicitis in Children: Results from a Multicenter Pediatric NSQIP Analysis

Abstract Background : Narrow-spectrum antibiotics have been found to be equivalent to anti-Pseudomonal agents in preventing organ space infections (OSI) in children with uncomplicated appendicitis. Comparative effectiveness data for children with complicated appendicitis remains limited. This investigation aimed to compare outcomes between the most common narrow-spectrum regimen (ceftriaxone with metronidazole: CM) and anti-Pseudomonal regimen (piperacillin/tazobactam: PT) used perioperatively in children with complicated appendicitis. Methods : Multicenter retrospective cohort study using clinical data from the NSQIP-Pediatric Appendectomy Collaborative database merged with antibiotic utilization data from the Pediatric Health Information System database. Mixed-effects multivariate regression was used to compare NSQIP-defined outcomes and resource utilization between treatment groups after adjusting for patient characteristics, disease severity, and clustering of outcomes within hospitals. Results : 654 patients from 14 hospitals were included, of which 37.9% received CM and 62.1% received PT. Following adjustment, patients in both groups had similar rates of OSI (CM: 13.3% vs. PT: 18.0%, OR 0.88 [95%CI 0.38, 2.03]), drainage procedures (CM: 8.9% vs. PT: 14.9%, OR 0.76 [95%CI 0.30, 1.92]), and postoperative imaging (CM: 19.8% vs. PT: 22.5%, OR 1.17 [95%CI 0.65, 2.12]). Treatment groups also had similar rates of 30-day cumulative post-operative length of stay (CM: 6.1 vs. PT: 6.0 days, RR 1.01 [95%CI 0.81, 1.25]) and hospital cost (CM: $19,235 vs. PT: $20,552, RR 0.92 [95%CI 0.69, 1.23]). Conclusions : Rates of organ space infection and resource utilization were similar in children with complicated appendicitis treated with ceftriaxone plus metronidazole and piperacillin/tazobactam.
An Integrative Genomic Study Implicates the Postsynaptic Density in the Pathogenesis of Bipolar Disorder

An Integrative Genomic Study Implicates the Postsynaptic Density in the Pathogenesis of Bipolar Disorder
A study of the morphology of the living cells of blood and bone marrow in supravital films with the phase contrast microscope. II. Blood and bone marrow from various hematologic dyscrasias.

The cells of normal human blood and bone marrow have been examined in the living condition by means of the phase contrast microscope employing both supravital and unstained most films. The morphologic characteristics of the cells studied in this manner have been carefully described and illustrated.
A Voter's Eye View of the 2012 Election

Primarily using responses to the 2012 Survey of the Performance of American Elections (SPAE), this paper paints a portrait of election administration from the perspective of the experience of voters in the most recent presidential election. It examines both the experience on Election Day itself and attitudes about the election. Because of the design of the SPAE, it is possible to provide descriptions about the national electorate and the electorates of each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Because this is the second administration of essentially the identical instrument across two succeeding presidential elections, it is also possible to gain some insight into how the politics of election administration may have affected the experience of voters and the attitudes of citizens about elections.The high-level findings are these. First, the experience for the vast majority of voters in 2012 was positive, as it was in 2008. Second, requiring voters to show photo ID in order to vote remains popular, though less so than in 2008. Third, states varied by an order-of-magnitude (from top to bottom) in the amount of time citizens waited in line to vote — Vermont was the lowest (1.5 minutes, on average), Florida the highest (39 minutes). Minority voters and city-dwellers (especially city-dwellers who voted early) wait in lines the longest. Fourth, attitudes about possible election reforms have become more polarized around partisan lines than they were in 2008.
Numerical techniques for the simultaneous achievement of multiple design constraints for multivariable control systems

A numerical technique for achieving multiple design constraints for linear time-invariant multivariable control systems is presented. The technique uses singular value gradient information to improve the singular value frequency responses of system transfer matrices. An example is given using the technique for improvement of disturbance rejection and certain measures of stability robustness for a large space structure subsystem. >
Deriving A Bridge to Transfer Unknown (Probabilistic) Times to Known (Deterministic) Times to Allow Confidence Level Estimates for a Time/Cost Tradeoff: A Critical Analysis of PERT/CPM Procedures

Network analysis is the examination of activities grouped together by estimated completion times and precedence. Program Evaluation Review Technique (PERT) determines a network’s critical path. The critical path , or the longest path through the network, has no “slack” and is the earliest the project can be completed. Included in this stochastic analysis is the critical path’s variance. By using the variance and assuming the normal distribution, the analyst can determine the probability for project completion on schedule. Without this confidence level adjustment, there is a 50% probability that the project will be completed on time. Critical Path Method (CPM), which is deterministic, uses the same definition for the critical path and emphasizes time/cost tradeoff. However, the two methods are not completely compatible. Since the 1950s textbook writers and software producers have attempted to combine these methods. The problem occurs when the PERT analysis projects a project out to a specified confidence level and then a project manager places the activities’ times into a CPM network. Rather than the cost/time trade-off analysis incorporating calculations that provide a probability of completion at the desired confidence level, the probability of completion is reduced to the original 50%. This may explain why projects are not completed on time. Rather than reconciling the differences, current literature attempts to combine the two and states that there are no differences. This project consisted of the following: conducting a random100 iteration network simulation, developing a heuristic that allocates expected times for each activity, validating the heuristic by testing 60 networks at 90, 95, and 97.5% confidence levels, and conducting a CPM analysis at 95%. Results using the heuristic revealed a successful allocation of projected activity times at 0.00 percent error. This significant research will assist engineers and managers in making more realistic project completion and cost projections. These findings have a potential for initiating changes in operations research/management science textbooks and in project management software.
Kinetics of denitrifying growth by fast-growing cowpea rhizobia.

Two fast-growing strains of cowpea rhizobia (A26 and A28) were found to grow anaerobically at the expense of NO3−, NO2−, and N2O as terminal electron acceptors. The two major differences between aerobic and denitrifying growth were lower yield coefficients (Y) and higher saturation constants (Ks) with nitrogenous oxides as electron acceptors. When grown aerobically, A26 and A28 adhered to Monod kinetics, respectively, as follows: Ks, 3.4 and 3.8 μM; Y, 16.0 and 14.0 g · cells eq−1; μmax, 0.41 and 0.33 h−1. Yield coefficients for denitrifying growth ranged from 40 to 70% of those for aerobic growth. Only A26 adhered to Monod kinetics with respect to growth on all three nitrogenous oxides. The apparent Ks values were 41, 270, and 460 μM for nitrous oxide, nitrate, and nitrite, respectively; the Ks for A28 grown on nitrate was 250 μM. The results are kinetically and thermodynamically consistent in explaining why O2 is the preferred electron acceptor. Although no definitive conclusions could be drawn regarding preferential utilization of nitrogenous oxides, nitrite was inhibitory to both strains and effected slower growth. However, growth rates were identical (μmax, 0.41 h−1) when A26 was grown with either O2 or NO3− as an electron acceptor and were only slightly reduced when A28 was grown with NO3− (0.25 h−1) as opposed to O2 (0.33 h−1).
A Case Study: Leadership and Its Effect on Achievement of Children from Poverty in a Rural Setting.

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceived effectiveness of leadership in a Missouri rural K-8 school with a high incidence of poverty that consistently met federal and state accountability mandates. The concepts of accountability as measured by student achievement, the unique educational needs of children from poverty, and the challenges of the rural school location were viewed through the lens of leadership. Ten practices of leadership that lead to consistent student achievement were suggested. They include integrity and courage, focus and vision, expectations and data evaluation, resources and empowerment, role modeling, and collaboration. Implications of this study could impact mentoring programs to support beginning and practicing administrators, leadership training in schools of education and state leadership programs, programs and instruction designed for children from poverty, and considerations of the monetary and educational cost of consolidation.
Growth factor upregulation of a phosphoinositide-coupled metabotropic glutamate receptor in cortical astrocytes

CNS function depends on a capacity for plasticity during development, following injury, and in response to changing environmental conditions. Functional alterations in signal transduction pathways and in neurotransmitter receptor expression are possible mechanisms for the expression of such plasticity. In the present report, we demonstrate that exposure of astrocytes to specific growth factors alters both the functional activity and the protein levels of a specific glutamate receptor. Exposure of astrocytes to basic fibroblast growth factor, epidermal growth factor, or transforming growth factor-alpha produced marked increases in the ability of metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) agonists to stimulate phosphoinositide hydrolysis. Using Western immunoblotting, we demonstrate that an increase in the levels of one of the phosphoinositide-coupled mGluR subtypes, mGluR5, accompanies the increased ability of mGluR agonists to stimulate phosphoinositide hydrolysis. In contrast, another phosphoinositide-coupled subtype of this receptor family, mGluR1 alpha, was not present at detectable levels in these cultures. The enhanced stimulation of phosphoinositide hydrolysis showed little sensitivity to pertussis toxin, and appeared to be selective to mGluR agonists, as there was not a similar increase in the ability of norepinephrine or carbachol to stimulate phosphoinositide hydrolysis. These findings demonstrate that expression of mGluRs in astrocytes is plastic, and indicate a novel pathway through which specific growth factors may selectively modulate neurotransmitter action.
Effects of various drugs on 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DL-DOPA)-induced excitation (agressive behavior) in mice.

Abstract dl -DOPA given iv to mice promptly induces an aggressive central excitation, i.e., a biting response, furnishing the basis for a method for “screening” for psychoactive action in drugs. Twenty-two compounds were effective in suppressing the biting response. The 10 most active drugs, according to the ED50 values (mg/kg, ip), are: trifluoperazine, 0.15; reserpine, 0.18; haloperidol, 0.9; chlorpromazine, 2.4; diazepam, 2.5; morphine, 5.2; bretylium, 5.6; oxazepam, 8.8; imipramine, 11.5; and chlordiazepoxide, 13. Iproniazid and tranylcypromine potentiated the biting response induced by dl -DOPA. Seven compounds have high therapeutic indices ( LD 50 ED 50 ) by this method: trifluoperazine, 1233; reserpine, 389; diazepam, 150; oxazepam, 104.5; morphine, 53.9; chlorpromazine, 49; and haloperidol, 47.
Why Is a Raven Like a Writing Desk

Many answers have been proposed to the riddle that the Mad Hatter posed to Alice at their famous tea party (for example, because Poe wrote on both). Let me argue for yet another one: the power of convention. As I compose this essay, the writing desk I am using is a spanking new Ma cintosh laptop with many gigabytes of storage and enormous computing power. Its screen is a marvel of full color clarity; it has a built-in video camera and microphone, and hence allows multiple methods of input and output. Yet it has a QWERTY key board. Why QWERTY? The QWERTY keyboard, named for the order of the keys on the left side of the first row of letter keys, was in vented in 1873 by Christopher Sholes, a Milwaukee newspaper editor. Its purpose was to split up keys that were commonly hit serially so that a too-fast typist would not jam the associated type bars. In addition to its primary goal of slowing things down, it also aided left-handed English language typists, for far more words can be typed with only the keys under the left hand than under the right. Now, since its purpose has been long anachronistic, why do we still persist in using it? The reason is, of course, the power of convention. After it became the conventional keyboard layout and touch typists learned it, they were
Passage through the critical Froude number for shallow-water waves over a variable bottom

A study of the behaviour of shallow water waves excited by a small amplitude bottom disturbance in the presence of a uniform oncoming flow with either constant of slowly varying Froude number F.
Temperature and pressure dependence of the dielectric constant and spontaneous polarization of ferroelectric KNO3 and NaNO2

Abstract Dielectric constant and spontaneous polarization (via hysteresis loops) measurements were made on ferroelectric KNO3 (phase III) and NaNO2 (phase III). The boundaries between the ferroelectric phases and adjacent regions received the most attention. In KNO3, the isothermal and isobaric I–III transitions exhibited sharp dielectric peaks at all pressures, with ∈max increasing with pressure. KNO3−I obeys a pressure Curie-Weiss law, with (1/∈(p))T′=(p−p0/C*. At T′=160°C, C*=−276 kbar and p0=4·68 kbar. The KNO3 II–III isobaric transition involves a small jump in ∈ (from 5 to 7·5 at p=1·7 kbar) followed by a steady increase up to the III–I boundary. The NaNO2 isothermal III–IV transition was detected as a rather small break in the ∈(p) curve, with the discontinuity increasing at higher temperatures. The NaNO2 IV–III isobaric transition failed to show a similar anomaly in ∈, although tan δ has a maximum at the boundary. Polarization loops were obtained in KNO3−III, with Ps(p) reaching a maximum of 8 μCoul/cm2. Metastable KNO3−III was observed at room temperature and room pressure after specimens had first been exposed to high pressures (1·7 to 4·0 kbar) while in region III. In KNO3−I, k′=dT0/dp is approximately 25°C/kbar.
Comparative risk of leptomeningeal dissemination of cancer after surgery or stereotactic radiosurgery for a single supratentorial solid tumor metastasis.

Objective To test the hypothesis that differential risks of developing leptomeningeal disease (LMD) exist in patients having a single supratentorial brain metastasis resected via a piecemeal or en bloc approach or treated with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). Methods Between 1993 and 2006, 827 patients with a supratentorial brain metastasis underwent resection or SRS at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. The primary outcome was the incidence of LMD. Results Resection was performed piecemeal in 191 patients and en bloc in 351 patients; 285 patients received SRS. LMD occurred in 33 patients, 29 in the resection group and 4 in the SRS group. Risk of LMD was significantly higher with piecemeal tumor resection than with other procedures (SRS: hazard ratio [HR] for piecemeal, 5.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.9-17.2; P = 0.002; en bloc, HR for piecemeal, 2.7; 95% CI, 1.3-5.6; P = 0.009). The difference between piecemeal and en bloc was particularly pronounced in patients with a melanoma primary (HR, 8.4; 95% CI, 1.8-39.2; P = 0.007). The risk of LMD was not significantly different between en bloc resection and SRS (HR for en bloc, 2.1; 95% CI, 0.7-6.4; P = 0.21). Similar results were obtained when comparing effects of SRS and both resection approaches after limiting the sample to patients with tumors in a specific volume range. Conclusion Piecemeal resection of a supratentorial brain metastasis carries a higher risk of LMD than en bloc resection or SRS. Further assessment of the role of the 2 surgical resection approaches and SRS in a controlled prospective setting with large numbers of patients is warranted.
Fine mapping of the α-actinin binding site within cysteine-rich protein

The cysteine-rich proteins (CRPs) are a family of highly conserved LIM (an acronym derived from the three gene products lin-11, isl-1 and mec-3) domain proteins that have been implicated in muscle differentiation. All CRP family members characterized so far have been shown to interact with the filamentous actin cross-linker alpha-actinin. The region of CRP required for this interaction has previously been broadly mapped to the molecule's N-terminal half. Here we report that the alpha-actinin-binding region of CRP, which we have mapped by using a combination of blot overlay and Western immunoblot techniques, is confined to an 18-residue sequence occurring within the protein's N-terminal glycine-rich repeat. A site-directed mutagenesis analysis of the binding region has revealed the critical importance of a single lysine residue (lysine 65 in human CRP1). Alterations at this site lead to a 10-fold decrease in alpha-actinin binding in comparison with wild-type CRP. The critical lysine residue localizes within a short alpha-helix, raising the possibility that mutagenesis-induced alterations in alpha-actinin-binding capacity might be attributed to the disruption of a key structural element.
Adrenergic hormones and control of cardiac myocyte growth

The molecular mechanisms of cardiac myocyte growth are relevant to important problems in cardiovascular disease. A cell culture model has been developed to explore the role of adrenergic hormones in cardiac myocyte growth and gene expression. Activation of a cardiac myocyte α1-adrenergic receptor by catecholamines induces hypertrophic growth of neonatal rat cardiac myocytes and initiates selective increases in contractile protein gene transcription. These effects on growth and gene expression do not depend on contractile activity. The cardiac myocytes contain at least two subtypes of α1-adrenergic receptors and at least three isoforms of protein kinase C (PKC). A distinct α1 receptor subtype may mediate hypertrophy and gene transcription. Different isoforms of PKC are translocated to different intracellular sites on activation, and there is evidence that the β-PKC isoform may be an element in the signal transduction pathway from an α1 receptor at the surface to the cardiac myocyte nucleus. Growth regulation through a β-adrenergic receptor can also be demonstrated in the culture model. The growth response mediated through a β-adrenergic receptor differs in several respects from that transduced through an al adrenergic receptor.
The development of foreign language collections at Peking University Library: Problems and prospects

Abstract The purpose of this study is to examine the development of foreign language collections at Peking University Library. On-site visits and interviews with librarians in China were conducted, together with an examination of primary sources. After a brief review of the acquisition of foreign language materials in the 1950s and 1960s, the study's primary focus is upon developments during the 1980s. The paper discusses the approaches to and problems in selection, examines and analyzes the funding sources, and concludes with an assessment of the foreign language collection.
NMDA antagonists and clonidine block c-fos expression during morphine withdrawal.

The c-fos gene is expressed in the central nervous system (CNS) in response to neuronal stimuli. Induction of c-fos in certain CNS regions occurs following naltrexone precipitated withdrawal in morphine dependent rats. Non-competitive (MK801) and competitive (LY274614) NMDA receptor antagonists and clonidine, an alpha2 partial agonist, attenuate the intensity of naltrexone precipitated withdrawal. We determined the levels of c-fos mRNA by solution hybridization in several brain regions in control and morphine dependent rats following pretreatment with saline, MK801 (1 mg/kg, s.c.), LY274614 (100 mg/kg, i.p.), or clonidine (1.5 mg/kg, i.p.). Morphine treatment increased c-fos mRNA levels in striatum (STR) and amygdala (AMY). Naltrexone did not alter c-fos mRNA levels in placebo-treated rats. However, naltrexone increased c-fos mRNA levels in morphine dependent rats in the nucleus accumbens (NA), frontal cortex (FC), AMY, and hippocampus (HIP) but not in STR or spinal cord. Pretreatment with MK801 blocked this effect of naltrexone in AMY but not in NA, FC, or HIP, while pretreatment with LY274614 or clonidine blocked this effect of naltrexone in AMY and NA but not in FC or HIP. These results further delineate both the neuroanatomical pathways involved in morphine withdrawal and the locus of action of compounds that reduce morphine-withdrawal symptoms.
Dissonance-induced false memories: Evidence from a free-choice paradigm

People often misremember the past as consistent with the present. Recent research using an induced-compliance paradigm has revealed that cognitive dissonance is one mechanism that can underlie this memory distortion. We sought to replicate and extend this finding using a free-choice paradigm: Participants made either an easy or a difficult choice between two smartphones and, either immediately or two days later, reported their memories for their decision experience. Participants who made a difficult decision produced the spread-of-alternatives effect expected by dissonance theory, and they were also more likely than those in the easy conditions to misremember their initial decision more favourably than they had initially rated it. Overall, our findings replicate the effect of dissonance on memory distortion and, further, show that the effect generalises to other dissonance-inducing situations.
Brain Regional Quantification of F-Ring and D-/E-Ring Isoprostanes and Neuroprostanes in Alzheimer’s Disease

Isoprostanes (IsoP) are produced exclusively from free radical damage to arachidonic acid, a fatty acid that is evenly distributed throughout white matter and gray matter, whereas neuroprostanes (NPs) are generated analogously from docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a fatty acid enriched in gray matter where it is concentrated in neurons. IsoP and NPs derive from endoperoxide intermediates that isomerize to D/E-ring forms or that are reduced to F-ring compounds. We quantified F-ring and D/E-ring IsoP and NPs in temporal and parietal cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum of nine definite Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients and 11 age-matched controls. Total NP levels (F-ring plus D/E-ring), but not total IsoP, were significantly greater in AD than controls (P < 0.0001); only cerebral regions in AD patients had NPs greater than controls (P < 0.05). The F-ring to D/E-ring ratio for NPs, but not IsoP, was 40 to 70% lower in all brain regions of AD patients compared to controls (P < 0.005). These data extend results from in situ techniques, that have localized reactive products of lipid peroxidation primarily to neurons, by quantifying significantly greater free radical damage to the DHA-containing compartments in cerebrum in AD patients than controls, and suggest that one mechanism of increased oxidative stress may be diminished reducing capacity in DHA-containing compartments.
Balancing Between Open and Closed

This study examines the impact of co-creation on magazine journalism by drawing on data from a structured, sequenced online co-creation process in an established consumer magazine. Co-creation is examined as a method for open journalism. Co-creation surprises and even shocks journalists, as they face the “real” reader, in intensive online reader engagement, instead of the imagined “ideal reader.” Journalists compromise quality, feature journalism to comply with readers’ wishes, thus breaking the reader contract and consistency in the magazine concept. Co-creation created a strong feeling of ownership over the magazine among readers; however, the end result was disappointment for both journalists and readers due to the failed content-integration process. Co-creation established a connection between the readers, which strengthened the magazines’ community-creator function. The findings indicate that co-creation is a more challenging method in journalism than crowdsourcing. This article contributes to the st...
Reserpine effects and experimentally produced lesions of cardiovascular sensitization and eosinophilia.

Abstract 1.1. A series of thirty rabbits were subjected to active sensitization and subanaphylactic challenge techniques with bovine serum favorable for the development of histologic lesions of glomerulitis, myocarditis, and pulmonary periarteritis and panarteritis. Fifteen of these animals were simultaneously treated with reserpine in an attempt to induce and maintain an associated state of serotonin tissue release and depletion. 2.2. The development of lesions of proliferative glomerulitis was found to be unaffected by reserpine treatment. 3.3. Evidence of myocarditis was found in all thirty animals, but it was considerably less extensive and of a milder degree in the reserpine-treated group. 4.4. All fifteen rabbits in the control sensitized and challenged group demonstrated lesions of pulmonary periarteritis and panarteritis. In five of the fifteen reserpine-treated animals evidence of vasculitis was absent and in the remaining four rabbits the lesions of pulmonary arteritis were of an equivocal nature, in contrast to those observed in the untreated group. 5.5. Crude beef-liver extract was administered to twelve rabbits in accordance with a technique designed to effect eosinophilia of the peripheral blood and bone marrow and eosinophilic granulocytic cellular infiltration into cutaneous tissue sites. Six of these animals were simultaneously subjected to the serotonin-releasing effects of reserpine. 6.6. Reserpine treatment failed to influence the development of peripheral blood or bone marrow eosinophilia or the histologic lesions of eosinophilic granular cell infiltrations into cutaneous sites.
Partner Status Influences Women’s Interest in the Opposite Sex

Previous research has demonstrated that hormones, relationship goals, and social context influence interest in the opposite sex. It has not been previously reported, however, whether having a current sexual partner also influences interest in members of the opposite sex. To test this, we obtained explicit and implicit measures of interest by measuring men’s and women’s subjective ratings and response times while they evaluated photos of opposite-sex faces. Fifty-nine men and 56 women rated 510 photos of opposite-sex faces for realism, masculinity, attractiveness, or affect. We found that these subjective ratings were not influenced by partner status in either men or women. However, women who did not report having a current sexual partner spent more time evaluating the photos than women who did have partners, demonstrating greater interest in the photos. Sexual partner status did not predict men’s response times. These findings may reveal that relationship commitment in women suppresses interest in alternative partners.
The Economic Value of Analysis and Computation

This paper shows how the decision analysis approach can be used to determine the most economic method of carrying out computations or analyses. A primary decision problem is first formulated to obtain a structure for the analysis. Then several computational or analytical procedures, which can be used to analyze the primary decision problem in greater detail, are evaluated to select the most economic procedure. The purpose of each of these procedures is to increase the available information about uncertain parameters before making the primary decision, thereby yielding a "better" decision. Each procedure is evaluated by combining the value structure of the primary decision problem with a model of that procedure. The procedures considered in this paper are clairvoyance, complete analysis, Monte Carlo analysis, and numerical analysis. An example of a bidding problem is used to illustrate the results.
Testing Parametric Conditional Distributions of Dynamic Models

This paper proposes a nonparametric test for parametric conditional distributions of dynamic models. The test is of the Kolmogorov type coupled with Khmaladze's martingale transformation. It is asymptotically distribution-free and has nontrivial power against root-n local alternatives. The method is applicable for various dynamic models, including autoregressive and moving average models, generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (GARCH), integrated GARCH, and general nonlinear time series regressions. The method is also applicable for cross-sectional models. Finally, we apply the procedure to testing conditional normality and the conditional t-distribution in a GARCH model for the NYSE equal-weighted returns.
Google Docs as a Form of Collaborative Learning

Google Docs is explored as a tool for promoting collaborative learning in laboratory courses. Students working from multiple computers share a single spreadsheet in real time, using each others’ work to guide their understanding of complex calculations, while creating opportunities for timely instructor–student interaction.
Use of large scale-length plasmas to study parametric plasma instabilities

Abstract Apart from their intrinsic interest, plasma physics processes are important because they affect the coupling of the laser energy into laser-irradiated targets. Recently, new gas-filled targets have been developed to create large mm-size plasmas for the study of stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) and stimulated Raman scattering (SRS). We present x-ray images and x-ray spectra to characterize these targets, which show that the plasmas are homogeneous, have electron densities of ~10 21 cm −3 , and attain electron temperatures of ~3 keV. We also give SBS measurements to demonstrate how systematic studies of physical phenomena can be performed using these targets.
Disability and autonomy: Priming alternative identities.

OBJECTIVE Despite the broad stigmatization that people with disabilities experience, the ways they respond as targets of prejudice have received little attention in the psychological literature. The present study examined the reactions of college students with disabilities to being primed with different aspects of their identity and how individual differences in stigma consciousness moderate this effect. DESIGN After being primed with their identity as a person with a disability or a student, college students with disabilities (n = 116) completed measures of autonomy-related thoughts, help-seeking, and stigma consciousness. RESULTS Students primed with their disability status activated autonomy-related thoughts less than the participants primed with their student identity. Moreover, as predicted, the priming manipulation had a stronger impact for participants higher in stigma consciousness. Across all participants, greater activation of autonomy-related thoughts was associated with a lower likelihood of seeking help. CONCLUSION Depending on the aspect of their identity that is most salient in a given context and their level of stigma consciousness, people with disabilities can access autonomy-related thoughts to a greater or lesser extent. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.
The Relationship between the Slowly Varying Component of Solar Radio Emission and Large Scale Photospheric Magnetic Field Patterns

Daily solar radio flux observations have been examined for a relationship to the large-scale photospheric magnetic field structure. Interplanetary magnetic field sector boundaries were used to indicate boundaries between photospheric field regions of opposite polarity. An enhancement in emission was found about four days before the boundary central meridian passage. Most of the effect came from emission near toward-to-away type boundaries. A higher level of emission appears to be associated with toward field regions than with away field regions.
Predicting failure modes and ductility of dual phase steels using plastic strain localization

Ductile failure of metals is often treated as the result of void nucleation, growth and coalescence. Various criteria have been proposed to capture this failure mechanism for various materials. In this study, ductile failure of dual phase steels is predicted in the form of plastic strain localization resulting from the incompatible deformation between the harder martensite phase and the softer ferrite matrix. Microstructure-level inhomogeneity serves as the initial imperfection triggering the instability in the form of plastic strain localization during the deformation process. Failure modes and ultimate ductility of two dual phase steels are analyzed using finite element analyses based on the actual steel microstructures. The plastic work hardening properties for the constituent phases are determined by the in-situ synchrotron-based high-energy X-ray diffraction technique. Under different loading conditions, different failure modes and ultimate ductility are predicted in the form of plastic strain localization. It is found that the local failure mode and ultimate ductility of dual phase steels are closely related to the stress state in the material. Under plane stress condition with free lateral boundary, one dominant shear band develops and leads to final failure of the material. However, if the lateral boundary is constrained, splitting failure perpendicular to the loading direction is predicted with much reduced ductility. On the other hand, under plane strain loading condition, commonly observed necking phenomenon is predicted which leads to the final failure of the material. These predictions are in reasonably good agreement with experimental observations.
Interrupted thoracic aorta in an octogenarian.

![Figure][1] [![Graphic][3] ][3][![Graphic][4] ][4] An 81-year-old man with rheumatic heart disease and hypertension presented with dyspnea on exertion. His chest roentgenogram is shown (A) . Transthoracic echocardiography showed severe aortic and mitral stenosis. During coronary
Analysis of a Distributed Superconductive Energy Converter

An equivalent circuit for a distributed superconductive energy converter, the operation of which is based on the principle of flux conservation in superconducting loops, is presented. The Laplace transformation is used to analyze the circuit, and the solutions are examined in order to optimize the operation of the device. While previously only dc operation of such a device has been realized, it is shown herein that under certain conditions a low frequency ac mode can be achieved.
Bacteriology of and cleaning methods for stock earmolds.

Stock earmolds used in hearing-aid evaluations were examined for the presence of certain pathogenic microorganisms. Bacterial samples were taken from four earmolds at ejach of nine different facili...
Indicator-Dilution Curves in Acyanotic Congenital Heart Disease

Dye dilution and cardiac catheterization technics were used to study 36 patients with a central left-to-right shunt due to patent ductus arteriosus, atrial septal defect or ventricular septal defect. The configuration of dilution curves following injection of dye into an antecubital vein was similar in all instances. Principal abnormalities of the curve were a prolongation of its disappearance slope and a relative reduction in the peak concentration of dye. Quantitatively expressed, these abnormalities could be correlated with the magnitude of the left-to-right shunt. Curves of normal contour were observed following surgical closure of the ductus arteriosus, and in patients with isolated pulmonary stenosis.