cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fractional Order Modeling of Brain Signals

Time series modeling and analysis provides means of predicting the future and has been widely used in a variety of fields ranging from seismology for predicting earthquake and volcanic eruption, to finance for risk assessment, and to quantum information processing. The conventional integer order models can only capture short-range dependence; for example, Poisson processes, Markov processes, autoregressive (AR), moving average (MA), autoregressive moving average (ARMA) and autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) processes. In time series analysis, one of the conventional assumptions is that the coupling between values at different time instants decreases rapidly as the time difference or distance increases. However, there are situations where strong coupling between values at different times exhibit properties of long range dependence which cannot be processed by the conventional time series analysis. Typical examples of long range dependence signals include financial time series, underwater noise, electroencephalography (EEG) signal, etc. ARFIMA, a fractional order signal processing technique, is the generalization of the conventional integer order techniques, namely, ARIMA and ARMA methods. Hence, it is capable of capturing both short-range dependence and long-range dependence in signals. Compared to conventional integer order models, the ARFIMA model gives a better fit and result when dealing with the data which possess the long range dependence property. In this paper, we investigate the application of the ARFIMA as well as AR methods to model EEG signals obtained from different brain channels. We analyze the resulting correlations for comparison the benefits of ARFIMA over AR on the EEG data exhibiting the long range dependency property. The results showed that the prediction results have a better performance compared to the conventional ARMA models.
The Unintended Consequences of Nonoperative Management of Acute Appendicitis.

Abstract Background Appendicitis has traditionally been treated surgically. Recently, nonoperative management is emerging as a viable alternative to the traditional operative approach. This raises the question of what are the unintended consequences of nonoperative management of appendicitis with respect to cost and patient burden. Methods National Readmissions Database was queried between 2010 and 2014. Patients who were admitted with acute appendicitis between January and June of each year were identified. Patients who underwent appendectomy were compared with those treated nonoperatively. Six-month all-cause readmission rates and aggregate costs between index hospitalization and readmissions were calculated. Results We identified 438,995 adult admissions for acute appendicitis. Most cases were managed with appendectomy (93.2%). There was a significant increase in the rate of nonoperative management, from 3.6% in 2010 to 6.8% in 2014 (P value for trend Conclusions This study shows that nonoperative management is increasing. Patients treated nonoperatively may have an increased risk of readmission within 6 mo but incur a decreased average adjusted total cost. Given this, it is important that surgeons critically assess patients who are being considered for nonoperative management of appendicitis.
Channeling the spirit(s) of the age: Irony, dialogism, and “genius” in Sgt. Pepper

Through multi-channel rhetoric—verbal, musical, and visual—popular music multiplies decentered rhetorical agency. The Beatles’s cultural watershed, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, brilliantl...
Continuity and Change in Institutions: An Example and Implications and Implications

The nature and function of institutions in society have come under renewed debate in recent years. How institutions are related to historic events and to stresses in social groups, as well as how they gain legitimacy and in what contexts they change have come into focus. This article presents an example from the history of the United States of America in its formative years while engaging threats to its survival. The idea of Presidential prerogatives and “executive privilege” regarding Congress and oversight began during a crisis. This example became a central issue in recent American political discussions on presidential overreach.
The Gift of Peace, Christians with Impairments, and the Church

One of the demands facing the church is the call for unity with Christians with profound intellectual and physical impairments. As the church becomes a community of justice with and for people with impairments, she is an instrument of God's shalom. However, too many of our sisters and brothers with impairments find themselves on the outside looking in. How can the church continue to move toward a more complete welcome and participation? Responding to this theological question precedes clinical or legal concerns. The best the world has to offer is not what the church needs, though she can learn from reasonable professional approaches. The message and peace of Christ can undo the walls of separation that keep Christians with impairments out. Such a transformation would be a sign that the church is being built up in peace, and would offer a model of true communion among a diversity of people.
Sequential double ionization of molecules by strong laser fields simulated with time-dependent configuration interaction.

A new time-dependent configuration interaction method has been developed for simulating strong field sequential double ionization of molecular systems. Ionization of the neutral is simulated by time-dependent configuration interaction with single excitations (TD-CIS) and an absorbing boundary. At each time step, the ionized part of the wavefunction from the TD-CIS calculation is transferred to a second time-dependent configuration interaction simulation for ionization of the cation to the dication. The second simulation uses a CISD-IP wavefunction that consists of singly ionized configurations and singly excited, singly ionized configurations (TD-CISD-IP). The transfer between the TD-CIS and TD-CISD-IP simulations is accomplished by partitioning the first ionization rate into contributions from individual orbitals or by singular value decomposition of the absorbed wavefunction. Sequential double ionization simulations have been carried out for HBr in five cycle 800 nm linearly polarized pulses and HI (with spin–orbit coupling) in four cycle 800 nm circularly polarized pulses, with intensities chosen so that the population of the neutral was depleted by the mid-pulse. The singular value decomposition of the cation produced by the first ionization is dominated by a single component for the two orientations considered. The population of the cation rises and then falls as it is ionized to the dication. Depending on the pulse shape and field strength, the ionization of the cation to the dication can continue for several half cycles. For HI with circularly polarized light, the rates for both the first and second ionization peak when the electric field is aligned with the pπ orbital.
Long-Term Outcomes of a Prospective Clinical Trial of Proton Craniospinal Irradiation for Leptomeningeal Metastasis.

Purpose/Objective(s) Leptomeningeal metastasis (LM) is associated with limited survival and treatment options for patients with solid tumor malignancies. While photon involved-field radiotherapy (IFRT) is effective for local palliation, it lacks durability. Craniospinal irradiation (CSI), in contrast, treats the entire central nervous system (CNS) compartment, thus potentially improving disease control. We previously reported the safety and tolerability of proton CSI (pCSI) in a completed phase IB study, and we are now reporting the mature survival outcomes of these patients. Materials/Methods We enrolled 24 patients with solid tumor LM to receive hypofractionated pCSI of 30 Gy (RBE) in 10 fractions in this phase I prospective trial between June 2018 and May 2019 (NCT03520504). The primary endpoint is dose-liming toxicity (DLT) within 1 month of treatment. Secondary endpoints, including time to CNS progression (CNS TTP), CNS progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS), were assessed using Kaplan-Meier analysis with median survival estimates and 95% confidence intervals (CI) reported. Correlations between cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and survival outcomes were evaluated using Kaplan-Meier analysis. An optimal cutoff for CTCs was determined through maximally selected rank statistics using CNS PFS. Results Of the 24 patients enrolled, 3 did not complete treatment due to systemic disease progression and were excluded from this analysis. The majority of patients had metastatic lung (52%) and breast (33%) malignancies. The median age was 52 years (range 30-67 years) and the median Karnofsky performance status was 70 (range 60-90). The majority of patients had LM that progressed on other therapies prior to enrollment (57% vs. 43% of patients with newly diagnosed LM), and all patients with molecularly driven disease had CNS progression on small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors prior to enrollment. Only 1 patient was censored at 24 months of follow-up, while 20 patients were followed until death with a median OS of 9 months (95% CI 6-22 months). The median CNS TTP was 8 months (95% CI 7-18 months), with 5 (24%) patients with durable CNS control for > 12 months after pCSI. The median CNS PFS was 7 months (95% CI 5-13 months). In the 18 patients with CSF CTCs evaluation at baseline, having a pre-pCSI CSF CTCs Conclusion We reported that pCSI is a safe treatment for patients with solid tumor LM. In this analysis, we demonstrated durable disease control and prolonged survival in some patients. Lower CSF CTCs at baseline, a potential biomarker of response, was associated with improved survival outcomes. An ongoing randomized phase II trial will determine the efficacy of pCSI compared to photon IFRT in patients with solid tumor LM.
The Funding of Scientific Racism: Wickliffe Draper and the Pioneer Fund

The Pioneer Fund, established in 1937 by Wickliffe Preston Draper, is one of the most controversial nonprofit organizations in the United States. Long suspected of misusing social science to fuel the politics of oppression, the fund has specialized in supporting research that seeks to prove the genetic and intellectual inferiority of blacks while denying its ties to any political agenda. This powerful and provocative volume provides abundant evidence that the Pioneer Fund has indeed been the primary source for scientific racism. Revealing a lengthy history of concerted and clandestine activities and interests, "The Funding of Scientific Racism" examines for the first time archival correspondence that incriminates the fund's major players, including Draper, recently deceased president Harry F. Weyher, and others.Divulging evidence of the Pioneer Fund's political motivations, William H. Tucker links Draper to a Klansman's crusade to repatriate blacks in the 1930s. Subsequent directors and grantees are implicated in their support of campaigns organized in the 1960s to reverse the Brown decision, prevent passage of the Civil Rights Act, and implement a system of racially segregated private schools. Tucker shows that these and other projects have been officially sponsored by the Pioneer Fund or surreptitiously supervised by its directors. This evidence demonstrates that any results of genuine, scientific value produced with the fund's support have been a salutary, if incidental, consequence of its actual purpose: to provide ammunition for what has essentially been a lobbying campaign to prevent the full participation of blacks in society and the polity.
Relationship advertising: How advertising can enhance social bonds ☆

Abstract Social critics and scholars have disparaged advertising for its role in negatively influencing social relations in American society. This paper suggests the contrary. Advertising can potentially reflect positive social relations among people, enhance social bonds, and ideally, inspire positive value exchange between consumers and producers. To support this argument, the case study presented here offers qualitative research that investigated consumer home use of a prepared soup brand. Ethnographic research led to insights into the creative use of soup among women and the joyful connections it fostered among family members eating prepared meals together. The positive value of consumer–brand relationships discovered by qualitative research, ultimately helped produce a successful advertising campaign that reflected positive social bonds among consumers.
Young-Growth Redwood Stands Respond Well to Various Thinning Intensities

Three 45to 50-yr-old redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) sawtimber stands spanning a substan­ tial portion of the species' commercial range were thinned to three stocking levels. Treatments were low thinnings leaving 25%,50%, 75%, and 100% of the before-treatment stand density. expressed as basal areal ac. Trees were measuredfordbh, and a sampling of heights was takenfor volume estimations at 0,5,10, and 15 yr after thinning. Leave trees responded strongly to the increased growing space, in spite of the vigorous stump sprouting of cut trees. Stand growth in basal area and volume varied narrowly among treatments. Overall. volume production was significantly different only in the 25% leave plots where sites were notfully occupied by the leave trees. Results illustrate the similarity between two growth/growing stock theories which appear to conflict. We conclude that 50% of the basal area infully stocked stands could be removed in a low thinning without significant loss in volumeproduction. West. J. Appl. For. 9(4):106-112. Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) is one of the most pro­ ductive timber types in the United States. because of the fonunate combination of productive soils. long growing season. and inherent growth rate.Nevertheless.young-growth stands. which comprise 96% of the land in redwood available for timber harvest (California Dept. of Forestry and Fire Protection 1990), must be managed on a scientific basis to realize redwood's productive potential. Stocking control is an effective technique for accomplishing this objective. Surprisingly few formal thinning trials have been under­ taken with redwood. CarT(1958) conducted a thinning ex­ periment in a 77-yr-oldstand on SiteIndex 190land(Lindquist and Palley 1963). His results suggest that young-growth redwood may respond well to thinning. But statistically valid information is lacking on its responsiveness to a variety of precisely defined stocking levels and on what might be the optimum stand density for various management objectives. We undenook to answer these questions with 15-yr results from a study of levels of growing stock in three young redwood stands spanning a substantial portion of thespecies' commercial range. This study is the first of its kind designed
Effect of time on sensitivity and specificity of access flow in predicting thrombosis.

Dialysis access monitoring may help decrease thrombosisrelated morbidity. We investigated the effect of time elapsed since an access flow measurement on test accuracy of a novel flow monitoring method called variable flow (VF) Doppler. Aretrospective review was conducted in 36 patients with prosthetic grafts for vascular access using access thrombosis as the clinical endpoint. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves and test sensitivity and specificity were determined for various follow-up time intervals. ROC analysis showed increasing test discrimination for shorter time intervals. Sensitivity and specificity for a commonly used surveillance threshold (600 ml/min) showed specificity that was little changed (88–93%) from follow-up time intervals of 15 days to 6 months. However, sensitivity was low (21%) at 6 months, increased to 50% at 2 months, 67% at 1 month, and 100% at 15 days (a single event). Low access blood flow using VF Doppler predicts near-term thrombosis. These data further imply that the discriminative value of access flow monitoring appears to be highly dependent on time from the flow measurement, improving with shorter time intervals from the measurement.
CG10126, A Calcium-Binding Microtubule-Associated Protein, Promotes Mitosis during Drosophila Development

The Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) is a receptor tyrosine kinase that regulates signaling pathways critical for development and proliferation in Drosophila. EGFR activity is also highly upregulated in a number of human cancers, making identification of its downstream targets important for understanding both basic cellular processes and disease states. We have identified CG10126, a Drosophila homolog of the human protein Calcyphosine-like, as a transcriptional target of EGFR signaling. Calcyphosine encodes a calcium-binding protein regulated in several human cancers, but little is known of its function. Here we examine the role of CG10126 during Drosophila development. We expressed RNA interference constructs at various points in development. Reducing the level of CG10126 in eye imaginal discs produced adults with small eyes, while reducing its level ubiquitously in embryos was generally lethal. To further examine the role of CG10126, we used mass spectrometry to identify the binding partners of C...
Killing of Schistosomula of Schistosoma mansoni by Normal Human Monocytes

All mammalian species exhibit some degree of innate resistance to infection with the helminth Schistosoma mansoni . This is manifest experimentally by the discrepancy between the number of infecting cercariae and the resulting mature worm load (1). Even in the most susceptible species, such as the hamster and mouse, no more than 40 to 60% of infecting organisms develop into adult worms (2). In vitro systems have been used to elucidate potential mechanisms of schistosomula killing (3–8). However, the recognized mechanisms all are predicated upon prior schistosomiasis with the development of specific antibodies (3, 4), the availability of eosinophils (5–7), or activation of macrophages (8). The current studies were designed to evaluate possible contributions of circulatory leukocytes to naturally occurring resistance to schistosomiasis. They show that cells derived from circulatory human monocytes can kill schistosomula independent of specific antibody and complement (C). Materials and Methods. Cell preparations .
Measuring Family Engagement in Psychiatric Service: An Evaluation of the Family/Visitor Survey

Family and friend involvement in the psychiatric treatment of persons with mental illness is vital to consumer recovery and an important quality measure, yet few instruments exist to measure such involvement. This article examines the Family/Visitor Survey (FVS), a brief instrument designed to measure family/friend involvement at Ohio's Behavioral Health Organizations (BHO), the state system of psychiatric hospitals. The researchers assessed the reliability of the FVS and examined the factor structure to test the hypothesis that the FVS measures a unitary construct. Data were from one urban and one rural BHO. Results indicated that the FVS was reliable and that the six items represented one latent construct. Although the findings provide initial support for the reliability and factor structure of the FVS, further research is required to establish the construct validity of the instrument.
Using Electrophoretic Exclusion to Manipulate Small Molecules and Particles on a Microdevice

Electrophoretic exclusion, a novel separations technique that differentiates species in bulk solution using the opposing forces of electrophoretic velocity and hydrodynamic flow, has been adapted to a microscale device. Proof-of-principle experiments indicate that the device was able to exclude small particles (1 μm polystyrene microspheres) and fluorescent dye molecules (rhodamine 123) from the entrance of a channel. Additionally, differentiation of the rhodamine 123 and polystyrene spheres was demonstrated. The current studies focus on the direct observation of the electrophoretic exclusion behavior on a microchip.
Regulation of DI Receptor Function in Spontaneous Hypertension

Publisher Summary Although multiple genes may interact to initiate hypertension, the kidney is a primary locus for the genesis and maintenance of hypertension by its ability to influence sodium balance and produce hormones that can increase or decrease blood pressure. Most of the salt transport in the kidney occurs in the proximal tubule, and several studies have reported abnormalities in the renal regulation of sodium transport at this site in human as well as in animal models of genetic hypertension. The production of dopamine by renal proximal tubules and its effect on sodium transport in this nephron segment is regulated by sodium intake. During moderately increased sodium intake, dopamine, via D1-like receptors, acts as an intrarenal natriuretic factor. This renal paracrine–autocrine effect is lost during states of negative sodium balance. This chapter surmises that a defect in the regulation of dopamine and its effect on renal sodium transport may be important in the pathogenesis of spontaneous hypertension. Decreased renal production of dopamine has been reported in human essential hypertension, especially in those individuals with the salt-sensitive type. Those patients have also been reported to have an exaggerated natriuretic response to exogenous dopamine, although this natriuretic response may be related exclusively to the renal hemodynamic effect of D1 receptors. However, the defect in spontaneous hypertension is not because of a mutation of the D1A receptor gene. The mechanism of the uncoupling of the renal D1-like receptor from its effector proteins remains to be determined. Although, the uncoupling is akin to homologous desensitization, it is not because of agonist-induced desensitization.
Suspected myofibrillar myopathy in Arabian horses with a history of exertional rhabdomyolysis

SummaryReasons for performing study Although exertional rhabdomyolysis (ER) is common in Arabian horses, there are no dedicated studies describing histopathological characteristics of muscle from Arabian horses with ER. Objectives To prospectively identify distinctive histopathological features of muscle from Arabian endurance horses with a history of ER (pro-ER) and to retrospectively determine their prevalence in archived samples from Arabian horses with exertional myopathies (retro-ER). Study design Prospective and retrospective histopathological description. Methods Middle gluteal muscle biopsies obtained from Arabian controls (n = 14), pro-ER (n = 13) as well as archived retro-ER (n = 25) muscle samples previously classified with type 2 polysaccharide storage myopathy (15/25), recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis (7/25) and no pathology (3/25) were scored for histopathology and immunohistochemical staining of cytoskeletal proteins. Glutaraldehyde-fixed samples (2 pro-ER, one control) were processed for electron microscopy. Pro-ER and retro-ER groups were compared with controls using Mann–Whitney U and Fisher's exact tests. Results Centrally located myonuclei in mature myofibres were found in significantly more (P<0.05) pro-ER (12/13) and retro-ER (21/25) horses than controls (4/14). Degenerating myofibres were not evident in any biopsies. Retro-ER horses had amylase-resistant polysaccharide (6/25, P<0.05) and higher scores for cytoplasmic glycogen, rimmed vacuoles and rod-like bodies. A few control horses (3/14) and significantly (P<0.05) more pro-ER (12/13) and retro-ER (18/25) horses had disrupted myofibrillar alignment and large desmin and αβ-crystallin positive cytoplasmic aggregates. Prominent Z-disc degeneration and focal myofibrillar disruption with regional accumulation of β-glycogen particles were identified on electron microscopy of the 2 pro-ER samples. Conclusions In a subset of Arabian horses with intermittent episodes of exertional rhabdomyolysis, ectopic accumulation of cytoskeletal proteins and Z-disc degeneration bear a strong resemblance to a myofibrillar myopathy. While many of these horses were previously diagnosed with type 2 polysaccharide storage myopathy, pools of glycogen forming within disrupted myofibrils appeared to give the false appearance of a glycogen storage disorder.
What Is Quantum Cognition, and How Is It Applied to Psychology?:

Quantum cognition is a new research program that uses mathematical principles from quantum theory as a framework to explain human cognition, including judgment and decision making, concepts, reasoning, memory, and perception. This research is not concerned with whether the brain is a quantum computer. Instead, it uses quantum theory as a fresh conceptual framework and a coherent set of formal tools for explaining puzzling empirical findings in psychology. In this introduction, we focus on two quantum principles as examples to show why quantum cognition is an appealing new theoretical direction for psychology: complementarity, which suggests that some psychological measures have to be made sequentially and that the context generated by the first measure can influence responses to the next one, producing measurement order effects, and superposition, which suggests that some psychological states cannot be defined with respect to definite values but, instead, that all possible values within the superposition ...
Stereochemical composition of clenbuterol residues in edible tissues of swine.

A gas chromatography−mass spectrometry method was developed to measure the stereochemical residues of clenbuterol derivatives in edible tissues of swine. Clenbuterol present in tissue extracts was derivatized with phosgene to form clenbuterol oxazolidin-3-one, which was then separated into component enantiomers using a dimethyl β-cyclodextrin capillary gas chromatographic column. Purified clenbuterol stereoisomers, isolated using published liquid chromatographic techniques, were used to determine stereoisomer elution order, stereoisomer racemization potential, and accuracy of the method. The stereochemical composition of clenbuterol could be measured at tissue concentrations of <2 ppb using the method. The dextrorotatory stereoisomer was the predominant clenbuterol stereoisomer present in edible tissues of hogs slaughtered after withdrawal periods of 0, 3, and 7 days, with a (+)/(−) isomer ratio of about 3:1. The prevalence of the dextrorotatory stereoisomer in edible tissues of hogs at all withdrawal per...
Biomedical neutron research at the Californium User Facility for Neutron Science

The Californium User Facility for Neutron Science has been established at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The Californium User Facility (CUF) is a part of the larger Californium Facility, which fabricates and stores compact {sup 252}Cf neutron sources for worldwide distribution. The CUF can provide a cost-effective option for research with {sup 252}Cf sources. Three projects at the CUF that demonstrate the versatility of {sup 252}Cf for biological and biomedical neutron-based research are described: future establishment of a {sup 252}Cf-based neutron activation analysis system, ongoing work to produce miniature high-intensity, remotely afterloaded {sup 252}Cf sources for tumor therapy, and a recent experiment that irradiated living human lung cancer cells impregnated with experimental boron compounds to test their effectiveness for boron neutron capture therapy.
Impacts of weather, shade cover and elevation on coffee leafminer Leucoptera coffeella (Lepidoptera: Lyonetiidae) population dynamics and natural enemies

Abstract We assessed the influences of ambient temperature, rainfall, shade cover and elevation on seasonal abundance of coffee leafminer Leucoptera coffeella (Guerin-Meneville) and its natural enemies in coffee farms in the Soconusco region of Chiapas, Mexico. Mined coffee leaves were most abundant during the rainy season (i.e. historical average rainfall >200 mm/mo, April–November) compared to the dry season ( 900 m asl) elevations. The abundance of mined leaves increased with rainfall, and decreased with maximum daily temperatures. Coffee leafminer survivorship was highest during the dry season (>40%), when predation was lowest ( 25%) when coffee leafminer incidence was highest (>30% mined leaves per plant). None of the weather variables that were evaluated (viz. maximum and minimum temperatures, and rainfall) significantly impacted parasitism ratios. Shade cover moderated on-farm temperatures, by reducing maximum daily temperatures and any potential, direct impacts of rainfall on coffee leafminer, by providing partial shelter from rainfall, but did not significantly affect coffee leafminer incidence. In 48 h laboratory trials, coffee leafminer oviposition was highest at 28 °C (∼15 eggs/female), minimal at 25 °C (∼3 eggs) and nil at 20 °C, and higher during night-time hours (>8 eggs/female/day) compared to day-time hours ( 20 °C) were permissive of coffee leafminer oviposition during twice as many hours each year at low elevation (4060 h) compared to high elevation (2081 h). Overall, our results suggested that evident differences in the abundance of coffee leafminer between elevations may be due in considerable part to differences in ambient temperatures, particularly night-time temperatures, rather than rainfall, shade cover, or elevation per se.
Hematologic aspects of systemic mastocytosis.

Systemic mast cell disease (SMCD), unlike cutaneous mast cell disorders, is characterized by mast cell infiltration of extracutaneous organs. Typically, this process involves mast cell infiltration of the bone marrow, frequently with consequent hematologic abnormalities. These abnormalities can be categorized as involving bone marrow histology, peripheral blood abnormalities, and functional hematologic abnormalities (i.e., coagulopathies) resulting from mast cell infiltration. Systemic mast cell disease has also been described as occurring in conjunction with a variety of hematologic malignancies. This article discusses each of these hematologic abnormalities and comments on the clinical significance or, where appropriate, the medical management of these findings.
The CSF pulse wave in hydrocephalus

Twenty-one dogs were rendered hydrocephalic by the intracisternal injection of kaolin. After various intervals between 1 and 44 days the animals were anesthetized for the measurement of arterial (lingual), ventricular, and sagittal sinus pressures. Following the recordings the animals were sacrificed by formalin infusion, the brains sectioned serially, and ventricular size measured. In general, the longer the period of incubation the larger the ventricles. There was no correlation between the degree of hydrocephalus and mean or pulsatile ventricular pressure. All animals with a pressure of less than 9 torr demonstrated non-linear transmission of the arterial wave into the CSF (which is the same as the pulse in the venous bed). All animals with a pressure greater than 12 torr had linear transmission of the wave. These findings in the hydrocephalic animals are the same as those found in non-hydrocephalic animals with similar pressures. It is concluded that the CSF pulse wave seen in hydrocephalic dogs is a result of how the cerebrovascular bed processes the cardiac pulse wave and is independent of the hydrocephalic process. There is no evidence that the pulse wave produces hydrocephalus.
Democratization and Constitutional Crises in Presidential Regimes Toward Congressional Supremacy

This article explores the impact of democratization on the resolution of executive-legislative crises in Latin American presidential regimes. The author studies 27 episodes in which the executive branch closed the legislature or the legislature removed the chief executive from office between 1950 and 2000. It is hypothesized that the democratization of Latin American presidential systems has hindered the ability of presidents to challenge the legislature and encouraged the emergence of congressional supremacy (i.e., the capacity of congress to impeach the president if a serious conflict emerges). Three causal mechanisms account for this outcome: (a) a lower likelihood of military intervention, (b) the elimination of constitutional tools used by authoritarian presidents to dissolve congress, and (c) greater stability in the constitutional environment. After discussing the limitations of conventional maximum likelihood tests, the author assesses this hypothesis using a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative model.
PTSD and Somatization in Women Treated at a VA Primary Care Clinic

The authors examined the association between trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and somatization in 264 women attending a Department of Veterans Affairs primary care clinic. Using a structured computerized interview (Composite International Diagnostic Interview), they found that traumatic events were reported by 81% of the women. The lifetime prevalence of PTSD was 27%; for somatization it was 19%. PTSD was the best predictor of somatization after control for demographic variables, veteran status, and other mood and anxiety disorders. Psychological numbing symptoms of PTSD emerged as a particularly strong predictor of somatization. The link between PTSD and somatization deserves further study.
Ambient template synthesis of multiferroic MnWO4 nanowires and nanowire arrays

Abstract The current report describes the systematic synthesis of polycrystalline, multiferroic MnWO 4 nanowires and nanowire arrays with controllable chemical composition and morphology, using a modified template-directed methodology under ambient room-temperature conditions. We were able to synthesize nanowires measuring 55±10, 100±20, and 260±40 nm in diameter, respectively, with lengths ranging in the microns. Extensive characterization of as-prepared samples has been performed using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Magnetic behavior in these systems was also probed.
The Prospects for Contemporary Partisan Realignment

With the exception of 1976, all national elections since 1964 have generated commentary among both media analysts and political scientists about the possibility of realignment. Reports have varied from the straightforward--yes or no-to the contrived--realignment has been realized at the presidential but not the congressional level. In this essay, we outline our view of those factors that are necessary for a realignment, and we evaluate the 1984 elections with respect to those factors. Our focus in this analysis is on the tripartite structure of American party systems: party in the electorate, party in government, and party as organization. In addition, we discuss the policy consequences associated with realignments.
Histomorphometric Evidence for Echistatin Inhibition of Bone Resorption in Mice with Secondary Hyperparathyroidism

Echistatin, an RGD-containing peptide, was shown to inhibit the acute calcemic response to exogenous PTH or PTH-related protein (PTH-rP) in thyroparathyroidectomized rats, suggesting that echistatin inhibits bone resorption. In this study: 1) we present histological evidence for echistatin inhibition of bone resorption in mice with secondary hyperparathyroidism, and show that 2) echistatin binds to osteoclasts in vivo, 3) increases osteoclast number, and 4) does not detectably alter osteoclast morphology. Infusion of echistatin (30 microg/kg x min) for 3 days prevented the 2.6-fold increase in tibial cancellous bone turnover and the 36% loss in bone volume, produced by a low calcium diet. At the light microscopy level, echistatin immunolocalized to osteoclasts and megakaryocytes. Echistatin treatment increased osteoclast-covered bone surface by about 50%. At the ultrastructural level, these osteoclasts appeared normal, and the fraction of cells containing ruffled borders and clear zones was similar to controls. Echistatin was found on the basolateral membrane and in intracellular vesicles of actively resorbing osteoclasts. Weak labeling was found in the ruffled border, and no immunoreactivity was detected at the clear zone/bone surface interface. These findings provide histological evidence for echistatin binding to osteoclasts and for inhibition of bone resorption in vivo, through reduced osteoclast efficacy, without apparent changes in osteoclast morphology.
Self-Fulfillment, Asceticism, and the Function of Authority

The question of the motivation of the individual's pursuit of mature self fulfillment can best be analyzed in terms of the phenomenon that has tradition ally been called askesis. We should be aware that this phenomenon is basic to human development and is not limited to religious applications. Thus Marshall McLuhan speaks of literacy as "an abstract asceticism that prepares the way for endless patterns of privation in the human community."1 The idea of privation for the sake of attaining bodily excellence, prizes, or fame is, of course, the basis for the training program (askesis) of the athlete. More complex goals sometimes involve a collective asceticism. Thus our technical culture, like the monastic culture of the Middle Ages, presumes a vast heritage of behavioral conditioning in which punctuality, teamwork, postponement of rewards, mechanical apti tudes, and discipline are all essential parts.2 Individual and collective ascesis both require that something that is itself relatively good be sacrificed for the sake of something considered more valuable. For example, the beauty of the creative work of the individual artist-craftsman, something quite definitely good in itself, has had to be sacrificed to a great extent in the course of the development of industrial society.3 The idea of ascetical practice is usually connected with projects of a long-term nature involving goals that are intended to give man a sense of having realized a higher form of human existence. The philosopher is defined by the goal in life that he has assigned to himself, namely, the pursuit of wisdom. The Greeks put great value on the attainment of kalos kagathos, the great and worthy man; Epictetus spoke of the "freedom of the sage who acts without hindrance in choice"; the Orphies and Pythagoreans chose ritual purification, while the Cynic-Stoic popular tradition opted for detachment in a search for a more human existence. Ascesis as a religious experience has been characterized by strict methodology and often minutely regulated practices involving much austerity, self-denial, and even self-infliction of pain.4
Azoles as Suzuki cross-coupling leaving groups: syntheses of 6-arylpurine 2'-deoxynucleosides and nucleosides from 6-(imidazol-1-yl)- and 6-(1,2,4-triazol-4-yl)purine derivatives.

6-(Imidazol-1-yl)-, 6-(benzimidazol-1-yl)-, and 6-(1,2,4-triazol-4-yl)purine nucleosides undergo a nickel-mediated C−C cross-coupling of azole-substituted purine derivatives with arylboronic acids to give good yields of 6-arylpurine nucleosides.
Role of Pax4 in Pdx1-VP16-mediated liver-to-endocrine pancreas transdifferentiation.

Although Pdx1-VP16 expression induces hepatic cell transdifferentiation into pancreatic precursor cells (WB-1), these incompletely reprogrammed cells fail to become glucose-sensitive insulin-producing cells in the absence of the activation of late-stage pancreatic transcription factors. As Pax4 promotes late-stage β-cell differentiation and maturation, we generated lentiviral vector (LV) containing mouse Pax4 gene and developed two hepatic cell lines expressing Pax4 in the absence (WB-2 cells) or presence (WB-1A cells) of Pdx1-VP16, via LV-mediated gene transfer. Functional Pax4 protein expression in WB-2 and WB-1A cells was confirmed by electrophoretic mobility shift assay and Pdx1-VP16 protein expression in WB-1 and WB-1A cells was confirmed by Western blotting. Activation of Pax4 resulted in the expression of the late-stage transcription factors, including Pax6, Isl-1, and MafA, and generated a gene expression profile for WB-1A cells similar to that of functional rat insulinoma INS-1 cells. Insulin abundance in WB-1A cells was demonstrated by immunostaining. WB-1A cells exhibited glucose-responsive insulin release in vitro, and caused a rapid reversal of hyperglycemia following cell transplantation into streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice. Intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test showed a normal glucose response in WB-1, and WB-1A transplanted mice similar to that of normal mice. Removal of transplanted WB-1A cells resulted in a return of hyperglycemia, confirming that they were responsible for the observed normoglycemia. The explanted WB-1A cells exhibited strong insulin staining comparable to native islet β-cells. These studies indicate that activation of Pax4 in Pdx1-VP16-expressing cells reprograms pancreatic precursor-like WB-1 cells into glucose-responsive, more mature insulin-producing cells.
Magnesium and zinc-catalyzed thioketalization

Abstract Reaction of a variety of ketones with ethane-1,2-dithiol to form thioketals proceeds very efficiently and under mild conditions using magnesium or zinc triflates as catalyst.
Thyroid hormone response element sequence and the recruitment of retinoid X receptors for thyroid hormone responsiveness.

Thyroid hormone receptors (TRs) are transcription factors that bind to thyroid hormone response elements (TREs) in the regulatory regions of target genes. TRs are thought to activate transcription primarily as heterodimers with retinoid X receptors (RXRs), with RXR binding upstream to the two directly repeated half-sites in a typical TRE. However, given that TRs and RXRs prefer to bind to different DNA sequences (T(A/G)AGGTCA and GGGGTCA), we postulate that only certain TREs require RXR-TR heterodimerization, depending on the TRE sequence. We have tested this hypothesis by comparing in Saccharomyces cerevisiae the functional activity of TR ± RXR on 10 naturally occurring mammalian TREs.S. cerevisiae was used as a model system because yeast lack endogenous nuclear receptors and thus can be manipulated to express TRs and/or RXRs. We first studied ligand-independent reporter gene activation, which reflects the activity of the activator function 1 (AF-1) domain. The 10 TREs formed a continuous spectrum from being fully dependent on RXR for TR AF-1 activity to being essentially independent of RXR. Relative independence of RXR generally was seen when the TRE upstream half-site has a TA or TG 5′ to the core hexamer. Gel mobility shift assays revealed that functional independence of RXR correlates with the strong binding of TR alone, whereas more RXR dependence correlates with higher binding of RXR-TR heterodimers. Restoration of ligand-dependent (AF-2 domain) reporter gene activation was achieved by expression of the coactivator TIF2. This ligand-induced stimulation was stronger in the presence of TR alone than with RXR plus TR, suggesting a preference for TIF2 activation of TR homodimers. Overall the data support the notion that the TRE sequence plays an important role in determining the nuclear hormone receptor and coactivator requirements for TR action.
Differential sensitivity to morphine in nervous and normal pointer dogs

The effects of morphine and pentobarbital on body temperature and heart rate were studied in a line of pointer dogs characterized as genetically nervous. Intravenous administration of cumulative doses of morphine to the conscious, restrained, nervous dogs produced less tachycardia and hypothermia than were observed in control dogs. Nervous and control dogs did not differ in their responses to pentobarbital. These data are consistent with recent findings that nervous dogs have a lower density of opioid receptors in the brain than do control dogs.
A vector for purification-free cloning of polymerase chain reaction products

Conventional cloning requires the purification of restriction-enzyme-digested vectors prior to the ligation reaction. The purification often involves the separation of restriction fragments via electrophoresis, the cutting out of a piece of gel, and the gel extraction of the linearized vector. In addition to the loss of significant amounts of DNA, reduced cloning efficiency, time, and cost, these steps are also mutagenic to DNA and hazardous to humans. We developed a purification-free cloning vector pGT3 with a bright green fluorescent protein indicator that is suitable for TA cloning of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products. PCR products were cloned into pGT3 efficiently without the gel purification steps.
Changes in medications administered in schools.

The purpose of this descriptive, cross-sectional study was to determine if there have been changes in the type and number of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) medications administere...
Teaching Statistics to Engineers

Abstract Engineers perform experiments and analyze data as an integral part of their job regardless of whether they have learned statistics. But those that have are likely to be more effective engineers. The fact that many engineers have only recently “discovered” statistics suggests that we need to reconsider our approach to teaching this important science. I report on our experience teaching engineers using an approach that integrates statistics into engineering practice. Examples of course structure and curricula for both university and professional industrial courses are discussed. Special teaching methods are presented that help engineers understand that statistics can help them solve their problems.
Response to treatment of hepatitis C in HCV/HIV co-infected patients is not influenced by either abacavir or tenofovir with weight-based ribavirin

Background: Approximately 30% of HIV-infected patients are co-infected with hepatitis C (HCV). The current treatment standard of care for HCV, pegylated interferon and ribavirin (RBV), has demonstrated a sustained virologic response (SVR) in less than 50% of HCV/HIV co-infected patients, and only 17-35% in HCV genotype 1 patients. It has been previously shown that using a weight-based RBV dose results in favorable SVR rates. Prior studies suggest that HCV/HIV co-infected patients receiving a HAART regimen that included tenofovir (TDF) had higher SVR rates than those who received abacavir (ABC) in their nucleos(t)ide analogue (N(t)RTI) backbone. Supplement: Abstracts of the Tenth International Congress on Drug Therapy in HIV Infection http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1758-2652-13-S4-info.pdf Conference: Tenth International Congress on Drug Therapy in HIV Infection 7-11 November 2010 Glasgow, UK (Published: 8 November 2010) doi:10.1186/1758-2652-13-S4-P211 Cite this article as: Bhatti et al.: Response to treatment of hepatitis C in HCV/HIV co-infected patients is not influenced by either abacavir or tenofovir with weight-based ribavirin. Journal of the International AIDS Society 2010 13(Suppl 4):P211. Full text: PubMed Central: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3112996/
Repulsive binary alloys and the absence of localization: Application to Fibonacci lattices and molecularly based electronic filters

We show here that a static disordered binary alloy in which one of the impurities is prevented from clustering in the lattice as a result of strong repulsive interactions, e.g., will possess a localization–delocalization transition regardless of the spatial dimension. We show explicitly that (N)1/2 of the electronic states are completely unscattered by the disorder and lead to superdiffusive transport with a mean‐square displacement growing in time as t3/2 over a wide range of the static disorder in one dimension. The model is shown to be applicable to electron transport in Fibonacci lattices fabricated from two kinds of materials such as GaAs and AlAs. It is shown explicitly that transient grating experiments can be used to probe the location of the unattenuated states in the energy band. We propose that this model can be used to design molecularly based electronic filters.