cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Association of coumestanss with tee hypersensitivity of Lima bean roots to Pratylenchus scribneri

Abstract Roots of Lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus L.) exhibited a hypersensitive responsess to Pratylenchus scribneri Steiner, concomitant with the accumulation of at least four coumestants. Roots of snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), on the other hand, did not exhibit a visible response to inoculation, allowed rapid multiplication of the nematode and did not accumulate significant quantities of the coumestans, despite the presence of small amounts in healthy roots. One of the Lima bean compounds that accumulated was identified as coumestrol and another, more tentatively, as psoralidin. Although insufficient quantities of the latter compound were isolated for biological experiments, coumestrol inhibited the motility of P. scribneri above concentrations of 5 μg/ml in vitro. No phytoalexins active against fungi were detected in extracts from hypersensitive Lima bean roots. The evidence supports the hypothesis that the coumestans are phytoalexins active against nematodes and may be causally related to the expression of resistance of Lima bean roots to P. scribneri.
Hemodynamic and metabolic responses to upright exercise in patients with congestive heart failure. Treatment with nitroglycerin ointment.

Although a vasodilator drug might favorably alter hemodynamics in resting, supine patients with heart failure, it must be determined if the drug has any unfavorable as well as favorable effects under extremes of real life stress situations normally encountered by ambulatory patients, especially upright exercise. An adverse response might occur with the addition of pharmacologic vasodilation to the metabolic arteriolar dilation accompanying upright exercise. In order to evaluate these factors in a controlled environment, seven NYHA class 2-3 patients with congestive heart failure without angina pectoris or stenotic valvular lesions performed upright bicycle exercise preand postadministration of a maximally-tolerated dose of 2 percent nitroglycerin ointment, determined previously by titration. Nitroglycerin therapy resulted in slightly improved cardiac performance at two given submaximal workloads. Also noted was, at a higher workload, a decreased ratio of arteriovenous oxygen difference to cardiac index suggestive of increased circulatory reserve. Pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, total body oxygen consumption, plasma catecholamines, and blood lactates did not show a statistically significant change after use of nitroglycerin ointment, nor were symptoms of fatigue or dyspnea improved during exercise. It is concluded that nitroglycerin ointment does not remarkably improve hemodynamics or alter nutritional blood flow to exercising muscle at a submaximal upright workload. From our data and that of others, it is concluded that nitroglycerin ointment can be given safely to heart failure patients to improve resting supine hemodynamics without adversely affecting upright exercise performance or hemodynamics.
What is a realistic picture of hadrons

Abstract • Chiral invariance has been a strong guide in constructing the meson presence in nuclei. Whereas low-energy theorems have pinned down isovector exchange currents, by gauging the baryon density anomaly, a good description at both low and high momenta of the deuteron (isoscalar) magnetic form factor has been achieved. • At low energies, both the nucleon and plun can be divided into an interior quark core and exterior meson cloud. At high energies one sees the quarks in both regions. The quark core in strange baryons tends to be somewhat larger than in the nucleon because there is little pion cloud to compress it. From the anomalously large tensor coupling of the p -meson to the nucleon, the nucleon quark core is found to have a radius R ∼ 0.5 fm> • A case is made that nonperturbative QCD should be used for low-energy descriptions, although perturbative QCD may be applicable to systems with strangeness. • It is argued that the exclusion principle operating at the quark level does not have very large effects in low-energy nuclear physics. • Two-phase models, with a Wigner (perturbative) phase at short distances should be used to properly incorporate the asymptotic freedom property of QCD. • Through nonperturbative QCD, elegant and deep connections can be made between nuclear physics phenomena and the QCD anomalies.
Effects on Cyclopropane Geometry of Aromatic Substituents in the Bisected Conformation. The Structures of Spiro[cyclopropane‐1,9′‐[9H]fluorene] and 2,2‐Dichlorospiro[cyclopropane‐1,9′‐[9H]fluorene]

The structures of spiro[cyclopropane-1,9′-[9H]fluorene] (1) and 2,2- dichlorospiro[cyclopropane-1,9′-[9H]fluorene] (2) have been determined by conventional single-crystal X-ray diffraction techniques. Compound 1 crystallizes with 32 molecules in the unit cell in space group C212v–Iba 2 of the orthorhombic system in a cell of dimensions a = 42.228(23), b = 27.318(17) and c = 7.664(8) A. Compound 2 crystallizes with four molecules in the unit cell in space group C52h–P21/c of the monoclinic system in a cell of dimensions a = 8.451(3), b = 8.960(3), c = 15.882(5) A and β = 97.31(1)°. The structures of 1 and 2 have been refined by full-matrix least-squares techniques to conventional R indices of 0.055 and 0.049, respectively. Relative to the bridgehead position, the cyclopropane ring in 1 contains a short distal bond of average value 1.496(9)A and lengthened vicinal bonds averaging 1.531(11)A. This geometry agrees qualitatively with a simple molecular orbital model for charge transfer from cyclopropane to an aromatic π-system held in the bisected conformation. The cyclopropane ring in compound 2 contains C–C bond lengths of 1.537(3), 1.517(3) and 1.475(3) A. These values cannot be explained by summing the expected changes induced by the aromatic and halogen substituents.
Episodic Paroxysmal Hemicrania: 3 New Cases and a Review of the Literature

SYNOPSIS Episodic paroxysmal hemicrania (EPH) is a rare, benign disorder characterized by discrete bouts of hemicranial headaches separated by periods of pain-free remissions. EPH is frequently mistaken for episodic cluster headache because they have similar temporal profiles and clinical features. EPH is differentiated from cluster headaches by an increased frequency and a shorter duration of individual attacks. Establishing the diagnosis of EPH is important because of its unique response to treatment with indomethacin and not standard anti-cluster headache medications.
Dihydrotestosterone Heptanoate: Synthesis, Pharmacokinetics, and Effects on Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Testicular Function*

Dihydrotestosterone heptanoate (DHT-hp), a seven-carbon fatty acid ester of DHT, was synthesized, and its pharmacokinetics and effects on hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular function were determined in men and pubertal boys. Plasma DHT levels markedly increased 24 h after im injection of DHT-hp, reached their peak during the first week, and fell to baseline levels after 4-6 weeks. An estimated 43-55% of DHT-hp was converted to DHT 4-6 weeks after injection. Plasma testosterone, estradiol, LH, and FSH levels decreased by 4 days after DHT-hp injection, were lowest during the second week, and returned to baseline values after 4-6 weeks. The LH and FSH responses to GnRH were diminished by chronic administration of DHT-hp to pubertal boys at 3-week intervals for 15 weeks. The affinity of DHT-hp was 100 times less than the affinity of DHT for the human androgen receptor, and no affinity for the estrogen receptor in breast tissue could be demonstrated. Since DHT is a nonaromatizable androgen, and neither DHT nor DHT-hp binds readily to the estrogen receptor, suppression of LH and FSH secretion by this drug probably occurs via an androgen-dependent mechanism. Receptor binding and pharmacokinetic data indicate that unesterified DHT is the active principle. DHT-hp is a useful derivative of DHT, since prompt, predictable, and sustained rises in DHT occur after its administration.
Clip sterilization failures.

Abstract Out of 662 women sterilized by culdoscopic application of hemoclips, there were 30 failures. These failures occurred after intervals ranging from 3–23 months from time of sterilization. They resulted mainly after one clip application. The causes of the failures are discussed.
Characterization Of Diamond-Like Films

Thin diamond-like and diamond films, grown by remote plasma-enhanced CVD (RPECVD) and by plasma CVD, were characterized using optical microscopy, elastic recoil detection spectroscopy (ERD), and Raman scattering. The H concentration of the films was measured by ERD and was related to the growth parameters and to the quality of the films as determined by Raman scattering. The H content of samples grown by RPECVD at the Research Triangle Institute (RTI) increased with decreasing growth temperature, varying from 6 at% H at growth temperatures from 500-720°C, to 25 at% H at a growth temperature of 20°C. The characteristic Raman frequency of natural diamond, 1332 cm-1, was observed for samples grown by Crystallume Corp. and by General Electric Corp. The samples obtained from Crystallume showed circular "bull's-eye" features by optical microscopy, and the width of the 1332 cm-1 peak was broad, indicating highly strained crystallites. For a sample from G.E., most of the film was good quality diamond, as indicated by a sharp 1332 cm-1 diamond frequency; the bottom (substrate) part of the film contained more H than the top part.
Pattern formation and evolution near autocatalytic reaction fronts in a narrow vertical slab.

Linear analysis and nonlinear numerical simulations of autocatalytic reaction fronts ascending in narrow vertically unbounded slabs describe the growth, development, and annihilation of fingers in the front, the dynamics of edge suppression, and a secondary transition to a two-roll state above the onset of convection. The pattern formation and evolution of the reaction fronts are determined by the horizontal aspect ratio \ensuremath{\Gamma}=b/a and the dimensionless driving parameter S=\ensuremath{\delta}${\mathit{ga}}^{3}$/\ensuremath{\nu}${\mathit{D}}_{\mathit{C}}$, which involve the gap thickness a, the slab width b, the fractional density difference \ensuremath{\delta} between the unreacted and reacted solutions, the gravitational acceleration g, the kinematic viscosity \ensuremath{\nu}, and the catalyst molecular diffusivity ${\mathit{D}}_{\mathit{C}}$. The reaction fronts satisfy a chemical reaction-diffusion equation and two-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations describing the average Poiseuille velocity in the vertical plane perpendicular to the gap direction. The wavelength of maximum growth rate reaches a minimum value at a\ensuremath{\approxeq}1 mm. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
The generalized packet routing problem

The problem of efficient packet routing is central to the area of communication networks. The special case of permutation packet routing has been extensively studied in the past. While optimal algorithms for permutation routing exist, they do not `scale up? to give optimal solutions for the general case. Using a novel technique we obtain an optimal algorithm for the general packet routing problem.The core of our solution is an algorithm for a generalized version of the token distribution problem. This result has direct applications to the solution of the load balancing problem in distributed systems.
Adapting an Established Curriculum to the Self-Instructional Format: Rationale and Process.

The Getting Started Together project has developed a validated model of interdisciplinary training to enhance professionals' abilities to work with handicapped or at-risk infants and toddlers and their families. Many health care and educational professionals need additional information in order to comfortably provide the services described in P.L. 99-457 (Education of the Handicapped Amendments of 1986). A variety of methods of delivery were developed and implemented during the three years of this federally-funded project to meet these in-service needs. Based on needs assessment and goals, a 48-hour curriculum was developed and presented as a series of day-long workshops at multiple sites during the first two years of the project. To provide the most flexible learning opportunities possible to these professionals, the third year of the project focused on packaging the curriculum into 10 self-instructional modules, each consisting of a manual and videocassette. The process, rationale, advantages, and disadvantages of developing and producing self-instructional learning modules are discussed. Experiences with this project indicate that a variety of delivery formats can be used to meet the in-service needs of professionals with various educational and clinical backgrounds from both urban and rural regions. The flexibility, efficiency, and accessibility of the self-instructional format is most valuable in delivering essential information to professionals who must develop and deliver services as outlined in PL. 99-457.
Study of the polarity and hydrogen bond ability of sodium dodecyl sulfate micelles by the kamlet-taft solvatochromic comparison method

We have studied the dipolarity/polarizability (π*), hydrogen bond donor acidity (α), and hydrogen bond acceptor basicity (β) of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) micelles using the Kamlet−Taft solvatochromic comparison method. The micellar environments of solubilized indicator molecules are quite polar (π* = 1.06) and have strong hydrogen bond donating ability (α = 0.87) and moderate hydrogen bond accepting ability (β = 0.40). Both the high dipolarity and especially the strong hydrogen bond acidity support previous work that indicates water is present in the indicators' micellar microenvironments. In contrast to many previous UV−vis spectroscopic studies of the polarity of SDS micelles, we have resolved the recorded micellar spectra so as to obtain the micellar spectrum of the indicators free from contributions of the indicator in the accompanying aqueous phase. This study was conducted to rationalize and complement linear solvation energy relationship (LSER) studies of partitioning in SDS micellar systems whi...
The Impact of Contraceptive Counseling in Primary Care on Contraceptive Use

Whether contraceptive counseling improves contraceptive use is unknown. To evaluate the association between contraceptive counseling provided by primary care physicians and patients’ contraceptive use. All women aged 18–50 who visited one of four primary care clinics between October 2008 and April 2010 were invited to complete surveys about their visit. Seven to 30 days post visit, participants completed a survey assessing pregnancy intentions, receipt of contraceptive counseling, and use of contraception at last sexual intercourse. Survey data were linked to medical record data regarding contraceptive prescriptions prior to and during the clinic visit. Women were classified as in need of contraceptive counseling if they were sexually active, were not pregnant or trying to get pregnant, and had no evidence of contraceptive use prior to their index clinic visit. Fifty percent (n = 386) of women were in need of contraceptive counseling at the time of their visit. Those who received contraceptive counseling from a primary care provider were more likely to report use of hormonal contraception when they last had sex (unadjusted OR: 3.83, CI: 2.25–6.52), even after adjusting for age, race, education, income, marital status, pregnancy intentions, and prior pregnancy (adjusted OR: 2.68, CI: 1.48–4.87). Counseling regarding specific types of contraception was associated with an increased use of those methods. For example, counseling regarding hormonal contraceptives was associated with a greater likelihood of use of hormonal methods (adjusted OR: 4.78, CI: 2.51–9.12) and counseling regarding highly effective reversible methods was highly associated with use of those methods (adjusted OR: 18.45, CI: 4.88–69.84). These same relationships were observed for women with prior evidence of contraceptive use. Contraceptive counseling in primary care settings is associated with increased hormonal contraceptive use at last intercourse. Increasing provision of contraceptive counseling in primary care may reduce unintended pregnancy.
A kinetic model for dynamic interfacial tension variation in an acidic oil/alkali/surfactant system

Abstract A chemical kinetic model is developed to describe the dynamic variation of oil–water interfacial tension (IFT) in an acidic oil/alkaline solution system where the aqueous phase contains a surfactant. The effect of mass transfer resistances on the transport of surface active compounds in the bulk is examined. The effect of the variation of interfacial electrostatic potential on adsorption, desorption and ionization is accounted for in the model. The model is solved numerically to predict a wide range of experimentally observed phenomena. Parameters such as the energy barriers for the various processes occurring in the system are estimated from the experimental data. The effects of bulk concentrations and mass transfer resistances are discussed. The significance of the kinetics of the interfacial dissociation reaction is explored.
Shock wave compression and release of hexagonal-close-packed metal single crystals: Inelastic deformation of c-axis magnesium

To understand inelastic deformation mechanisms for shocked hexagonal-close-packed (hcp) metals, shock compression and release wave profiles, previously unavailable for hcp single crystals, were measured for c-axis magnesium crystals. The results show that the elastic-inelastic loading response is strongly time-dependent. Measured release wave profiles showed distinct peaked features, which are unusual for inelastic deformation during unloading of shocked metals. Numerical simulations show that pyramidal slip provides a reasonably good description of the inelastic loading response. However, {101¯2} twinning is needed to explain the unloading response. The results and analysis presented here provide insight into the relative roles of dislocation slip and deformation twinning in the response of shocked hcp metals.
Effective elastoplastic properties of the periodic composites

The article presented deals with the homogenization of composite materials with elastoplastic constituents. The transformation field analysis (TFA) approach is presented and applied to compute the effective nonlinear behavior of multicomponent periodic composite structure. Computational implementation of the method consists in special utilization of the program ABAQUS, which makes it possible to homogenize n-component periodic composites with relatively general configuration of the periodicity cell. Numerical example of homogenization of a three-component periodic composite shows the comparison between the nonlinear behavior of a real composite and of a homogenized one in a specific boundary problem defined on its representative volume element (RVE).
The interaction of amylopectin with cetylpyridinium chloride

Abstract The complex which is formed between amylopectin and cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) in dilute aqueous NaOH is indicated by a turbidity, measured spectrophotometrically. No significant turbidity is apparent in the absence of any of the components. Aggregation of the complex is dependent on the relative concentrations of polysaccharide and surfactant and the absolute concentration of NaOH. A simple analytical expression relating these concentrations is derived from the experimental data, on the basis of which accurate qualitative and quantitative predictions are made and verified. On the basis of the suggestion that the active form of the surfactant is the micelle, the critical micelle concentration of CPC is calculated as a function of electrolyte concentration. Within experimental error, agreement is obtained with recent literature values. The aggregated complex is pictured as consisting of a matrix of negatively charged amylopectin molecules, cross-linked by positively charged CPC micelles.
Every page is different: a new document type for commercial printing

The Web has certainly demonstrated the power of personalization with offers based on interests and prior purchasing behavior. Most studies indicate a 10 to 1 improvement in sale conversion using some degree of personalization in printed marketing collateral. Until recently, the cost of providing personalization in high-quality printed collateral has been prohibitive. Delivering a combined campaign of web and print is a logistics nightmare requiring parallel workflows, parallel content management, and custom synchronization mechanisms.While digital offset presses (such as the HP Indigo) can address fulfillment of high-quality personalized pages, the upstream work processes including layout, typography, content merge, proofing and color are struggling to capture and represent these new types of jobs. In this talk, I'll describe the capabilities of the new digital offset presses, some of the market forces that are driving the new types of pages, and highlight the challenges being faced in creating these new workflows.
SGML and related standards: new directions as the second decade begins

In 1995 and early 1996, the ISO standards process that includes SGML and related standards has seen a remarkable coalescence of efforts that should be beneficial to all of us. Most notably, DSSSL and HyTime are developing a shared approach to tree structures and query languages. A consequence of this may be the development of a set of general facilities that can be shared among all SGML-based standards and that, when incorporated into products, will make our documents easier to work with and more powerful in their ability to deliver information.
Modality of similarity and hearing ability

Paired-associate lists differing in implicit modality of cue (auditory or visual) and in response mode (written or oral) were learned by five groups of children differing in hearing ability (normal to deaf). Overall, visual cues were easier than auditory cues, but cues interacted with hearing ability such that implicit auditory cues (rhymes) contributed less to the performance of Ss with impaired hearing.
Linear stability of ring systems around oblate central masses

Abstract In this paper, we consider the stability of a ring of bodies of equal mass uniformly distributed around a large oblate central mass. The purpose of this and previous papers is to shed light on the stability of Saturn’s rings. Previous papers have been limited by the assumptions that (1) all ring bodies are at the same distance from the central body, (2) the central body acts like a point mass (i.e., is a perfect sphere), and (3) the ring bodies all have the same mass and are evenly spaced around the ring. The third limitation is probably the least important; as long as there are a large number of masses and the mass distribution is approximately uniform then the system should behave as a system of equally-spaced, equal-mass bodies. The first main purpose of this paper is to remove the second limitation. But, the paper also aims to address limitation (1). Recent computer simulations of single-ring systems have shown that the threshold for stability, as determined by a linear stability analysis, matches precisely the stability threshold predicted by simulation. In other words, a linear stability analysis while presumably just a mathematical abstraction actually tells us something quite real. Furthermore, simulations of multi-ring systems suggest that instability comes from azimuthal perturbations; small azimuthal changes are more destabilizing that small radial perturbations. Hence, in this paper, we also consider the situation where the central body consists not just of an oblate central mass but also incorporates a flat ring representing in aggregate all ring bodies at radii other than the one under consideration. The central oblate body together with a flat ring is modeled simply by introducing two oblateness terms to the gravitational potential associated with the central mass. The subsequent analysis is almost identical to the case of a single oblateness term. For Saturn, the oblateness of the central mass is six orders of magnitude more significant than the rings at other radii as a destabilizing influence.
Integrating expertise into the NSDL: putting a human face on the digital library

This paper describes work currently underway at the Information Institute of Syracuse to build an operational digital reference system to support the National Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology Education Digital Library (NSDL).
Ontogeny of Neutrophil Chemotaxis in Fetal Lambs

Ontogeny of neutrophil chemotactic response using endotoxin activated adult sheep plasma as a source of complement derived chemotactic factor was examined in fetal lambs of gestational age 120-150 days. (Gestational period in sheep is approximately 150 days.) Neutrophils from fetal lambs of gestational age 120-130 days failed to respond to this chemotactic factor whereas neutrophils from fetal lambs above 131 days of gestational age responded at levels comparable to adult values. Examination of neutrophil chemotaxis in older fetuses using a different chemotactic factor derived from mitogen stimulated adult mononuclear cells revealed a selective failure of fetal neutrophils to respond to lymphocyte-derived chemotactic factor in the presence of a normal response to complement derived chemotactic factor. Among prematurely delivered twin fetuses alterations in comparison with the first twin or age-matched controls in peripheral neutrophil count (increase) and in chemotaxis (increase or decrease) were noted in second of twins delivered greater than or equal to 20 min after the first lamb, suggesting an extreme sensitivity of neutrophil functions to a variety of influences, similar to that seen in humans.
Contract Grading: Encouraging Commitment to the Learning Process through Voice in the Evaluation Process

Contract grading allows students to make important choices about what, how, and when to learn, thereby facilitating the development of a partnership learning environment in which students are likely to retain more information, make better use of information, and be more highly motivated to learn than in teacher-directed learning environments. This article argues the central role of contract grading in postmodern pedagogy and discusses in depth how to implement contract grading efficiently and effectively. It also addresses a significant benefit of using contract grading: Students learn multiple fundamental management concepts and skills experientially by engaging in the contract grading process.
An egocentric vision based assistive co-robot

We present the prototype of an egocentric vision based assistive co-robot system. In this co-robot system, the user is wearing a pair of glasses with a forward looking camera, and is actively engaged in the control loop of the robot in navigational tasks. The egocentric vision glasses serve for two purposes. First, it serves as a source of visual input to request the robot to find a certain object in the environment. Second, the motion patterns computed from the egocentric video associated with a specific set of head movements are exploited to guide the robot to find the object. These are especially helpful for quadriplegic individuals who do not have needed hand functionality for interaction and control with other modalities (e.g., joystick). In our co-robot system, when the robot does not fulfill the object finding task in a pre-specified time window, it would actively solicit user controls for guidance. Then the users can use the egocentric vision based gesture interface to orient the robot towards the direction of the object. After that the robot will automatically navigate towards the object until it finds it. Our experiments validated the efficacy of the closed-loop design to engage the human in the loop.
Approach to field-induced stationary state in a gas of hard rods

The Boltzmann equation describing one-dimensional motion of a charged hard rod in a neutral hard rod gas at temperatureT = 0 is solved. Under the action of a constant and uniform field the charged particle attains a stationary state. In the long time limit the velocity autocorrelation function decays via damped oscillations. In the reference system moving with the mean particle velocity the decay of fluctuations in the position space is governed (in the hydrodynamic limit) by the diffusion equation. Both the stationary current and the diffusion coefficient are proportional to the square root of the field. It is conjectured that this result also holds forT > 0 in a strong field limit.
Proposed ecological descriptors and their utility for plant germplasm collections

Plant germplasm collections are important repositories of genes that ensure potentially useful sources of genetic variation are preserved for future uses. Detailed information about genetic differences among individuals or groups of accessions can be helpful for management and utilization of germplasm collections. Presently, a description of the collection site is required when collecting accessions, but the kinds and amount of information recorded that describe the natural environmental features of the collection site may vary greatly depending on the collector. This paper discusses the need for providing standardized and detailed ecological descriptors for collected accessions that can be entered into the U.S. National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS) Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) database and provides a set of necessary tools to accomplish this. Proposed in this paper are (i) a flexible set of ecological descriptors that capture the most important ecological features of the collection site and its environment so that a standardized description can be given of the natural conditions where accessions are found, (ii) a revised accession data collection form that can be used to describe the natural features of the collection site, and (iii) a method to retroclassify poorly documented accessions that do not have detailed descriptions of the collection site. The widely adapted perennial forage legume birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) is used to demonstrate the principles presented in this paper.
Peripheral benzodiazepine receptor/translocator protein global knock-out mice are viable with no effects on steroid hormone biosynthesis.

Translocator protein (TSPO), previously known as the peripheral benzodiazepine receptor, is a mitochondrial outer membrane protein implicated as essential for cholesterol import to the inner mitochondrial membrane, the rate-limiting step in steroid hormone biosynthesis. Previous research on TSPO was based entirely on in vitro experiments, and its critical role was reinforced by an early report that claimed TSPO knock-out mice were embryonic lethal. In a previous publication, we examined Leydig cell-specific TSPO conditional knock-out mice that suggested TSPO was not required for testosterone production in vivo. This raised controversy and several questions regarding TSPO function. To examine the definitive role of TSPO in steroidogenesis and embryo development, we generated global TSPO null (Tspo−/−) mice. Contrary to the early report, Tspo−/− mice survived with no apparent phenotypic abnormalities and were fertile. Examination of adrenal and gonadal steroidogenesis showed no defects in Tspo−/− mice. Adrenal transcriptome comparison of gene expression profiles showed that genes involved in steroid hormone biosynthesis (Star, Cyp11a1, and Hsd3b1) were unchanged in Tspo−/− mice. Adrenocortical ultrastructure illustrated no morphological alterations in Tspo−/− mice. In an attempt to correlate our in vivo findings to previously used in vitro models, we also determined that siRNA knockdown or the absence of TSPO in different mouse and human steroidogenic cell lines had no effect on steroidogenesis. These findings directly refute the dogma that TSPO is indispensable for steroid hormone biosynthesis and viability. By amending the current model, this study advances our understanding of steroidogenesis with broad implications in biology and medicine.
Land Use Changes and Landscape Degradation in Central and Eastern Europe in the Last Decades: Epigeic Invertebrates as Bioindicators of Landscape Changes

The division of communities of epigeic beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae, Staphylinidae) based on indicative taxonomical groups and the index of epigeic beetles used for evaluation of human impact on communities are presented in this paper. In the Czech Republic, the indicative classification of the main epigeic taxonomical groups was made according to ecological characteristics and sensitivity to human influence. This paper also presents long-term monitoring of epigeic beetles from 1869 to 2003 in Prague, the capital city of the Czech Republic, and information about invasive species. A brief comment on land use changes and landscape degradation is also included.
Recontacting subjects in mutagen-exposure-monitoring studies: II. Results of a questionnaire study of mutagenesis researchers, with review of the pertinent literature

Abstract A questionnaire on the attitudes of mutagenesis researchers regarding the health significance of and the use of data from tests of human mutagen exposure or genetic damage was completed by 71 of 312 (23%) individuals who had been participants in meetings or organizations concerned with mutagenesis research. On a point scale of 0 to 10, with 0 indicating strong disagreement, 5 indicating uncertainty, and 10 indicating strong agreement, the average respondent felt (8.31 +/- 2.27) that data indicating a probable health hazard should be shared automatically with the subjects, but was also moderately concerned about psychological distress of subjects learning of study results indicating abnormally high mutagen exposure (6.14 +/- 2.57) or genetic damage (6.94 +/- 2.48). The average respondent felt that follow-up of subjects could improve the quality of mutagen-exposure-monitoring studies (8.33 +/- 1.49), disagreed that subjects whose laboratory data suggested unusually severe exposure or damage should not be asked about possible sources of exposure (1.15 +/- 1.32), and disagreed that it was ethical to follow up but not discuss results with subjects having laboratory evidence of abnormal mutagen exposure (3.78 +/- 3.43) or genetic damage (3.06 +/- 3.17) to see how many developed cancer relative to a control group. Fifteen specific tests for measuring mutagen exposure or genetic damage were rated on a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 being "totally experimental" and 10 being "absolutely diagnostic of degree of exposure or genetic damage." Values ranged from 6.13 +/- 2.67 for karyotyping leukocytes to 3.43 +/- 2.43 for quantifying frequency of rare red cells with mutant protein. This study may help in decision making regarding follow-up of mutagen-exposed subjects.
Role of shear stress and stretch in vascular mechanobiology

Blood vessels are under constant mechanical loading from blood pressure and flow which cause internal stresses (endothelial shear stress and circumferential wall stress, respectively). The mechanical forces not only cause morphological changes of endothelium and blood vessel wall, but also trigger biochemical and biological events. There is considerable evidence that physiologic stresses and strains (stretch) exert vasoprotective roles via nitric oxide and provide a homeostatic oxidative balance. A perturbation of tissue stresses and strains can disturb biochemical homeostasis and lead to vascular remodelling and possible dysfunction (e.g. altered vasorelaxation, tone, stiffness, etc.). These distinct biological endpoints are caused by some common biochemical pathways. The focus of this brief review is to point out some possible commonalities in the molecular pathways in response to endothelial shear stress and circumferential wall stretch.
Model-Based Cyber Security

This paper presents an approach for automatically verifying the correctness of cyber security applications through formal analysis guided by hierarchical models of the network, its applications, and potential attacks. This work is motivated by the need for a more intuitive, automated systems-level approach to determining the overall security characteristics of a large network. Given the complex nature of security tools and their general lack of interoperability, it is difficult for system designers to make definitive statements about the nature of their network defense. Our work focuses on creating an environment in which security experts can model the security aspects of complex networks using a graphical notation that is intuitive and natural for them, then automatically perform security activities such as formally verifying the safety of the network against known threats and exploring the network design for potential vulnerabilities. The environment is designed to utilize third party tools for performing these activities and concentrates on integration of these tools within a common modeling framework
Europa's neutral cloud: morphology and comparisons to Io

Ground based observations of sodium escaping from Europa suggest the presence of an extended cloud of neutrals orbiting Jupiter. Using a Monte Carlo model we show that the large scale morphology differs from the sodium cloud at Io. At Europa, the trailing cloud is brighter and more extended than the leading cloud. We then use our results to consider the morphology of Europa's oxygen cloud.
Identifying barriers to medication adherence in adolescent transplant recipients.

Objective To create Parent and Adolescent Medication Barriers Scales (PMBS and AMBS) for assessing perceived barriers to medication adherence in adolescent transplant recipients. Methods These scales were developed and initially validated with 78 families. Participants responded to questions concerning perceived barriers to medication adherence. To assess validity, data on contextual factors (e.g., family functioning) and adherence measures were collected. Results A principal components factor analysis resulted in the following subscales for the PMBS and AMBS: (a) Disease Frustration/Adolescent Issues, (b) Regimen Adaptation/Cognitive Issues, (c) Ingestion Issues, and (d) Parent Reminder (PMBS only). Significant associations were found between barrier scale scores, contextual factors, and adherence. Conclusions The PMBS and AMBS are brief and psychometrically promising scales for assessing perceived barriers to adherence in adolescent transplant recipients.
The Development of Nazi Monetary Policy

The Nazis dealt rather cautiously with the German monetary system during die first two years of dieir regime. Hitler was particularly sensitive to questions of “confidence,” and was glad to saddle Schacht with the responsibility of keeping die monetary system from blowing up in die face of die new government. But by the end of 1934, diere were signs that the Nazis were beginning to take Germany out of die stream of what Goering contemptuously called “the so-called free play of economic forces.”
Exploring Liars' Strategies for Creating Deceptive Reports

Purpose. Most past research on detecting deception has relied on the assumption that liars often fabricate a story to account for their whereabouts, whereas truth tellers simply recall an autobiographical memory. However, little research has examined whether liars, when free to choose the topic of their own reports, will actually choose to fabricate information rather than use a different strategy for constructing their lies. We describe two studies that evaluated liars’ strategies for selecting the content of their lies when given the freedom to choose whatever content they desired. Method. In Studies 1 (N= 35) and 2 (N= 22) participants (a) described a truthful story in order to identify a salient event, then (b) lied about the event, and finally (c) described their strategies for choosing the content of the reported lies. Results. Liars overwhelmingly chose to report a previously experienced event for the time period they were to be deceptive about (67% and 86% in Studies 1 and 2, respectively). The majority of discrete details reported were experienced, occurred relatively frequently, occurred relatively recently, and were typical or routine. Conclusions. These findings have significant implications for the development of cognitive-based interventions for detecting deception. In particular, some methods of deception that rely on content analysis may be ineffective if liars choose to report previous experiences rather than outright fabrications.
Tutorial Dialog in Natural Language

This chapter reviews our past and ongoing investigations into conversational interaction during human tutoring and our attempts to build intelligent tutoring systems (ITS) to simulate this interaction. We have previously modeled the strategies, actions, and dialogue of novice tutors in an ITS, called AutoTutor, with learning gains comparable to novice tutors. There is evidence, however, that expert human tutors may foster exceptional learning gains beyond those reported for some categories of human tutors. We have undertaken a rigorous, large scale study of expert human tutors and are using these data to create Guru, an expert ITS for high school biology. Based on our analyses, expert human tutoring has several distinctive features which differ from novice human tutoring. These distinctive features have implications for the development of an expert ITS, and we briefly describe how these are being addressed in Guru.
Mammalian Sex Chromosome Evolution

Abstract Although they are highly dissimilar in sequence content in extant organisms, the mammalian sex chromosomes (i.e. the X and Y) evolved from a pair of autosomes. Differentiation of the sex chromosomes during evolution was initiated by the suppression of X–Y recombination, likely through changes in genomic structure. This was followed by the degeneration of genes on the Y chromosome, with specific instances of gene specialisation on the nonrecombining portion of the Y. Findings of evolutionary ‘strata’ on the sex chromosomes of mammals suggest that multiple events have given rise to the current arrangement of genes on the X and Y chromosomes of mammals. However, new studies utilising more divergent genomic data are challenging conclusions regarding the number and frequency of events that led to the current arrangement of mammalian sex chromosomes, and future studies with complete genomic sequences of marsupials will continue to further our understanding of the evolution of these critical chromosomes. Key Concepts: Mammalian sex chromosomes arose from a pair of autosomes. Genomic rearrangements repressed recombination in a stepwise fashion on these chromosomes. Genes on these chromosomes diverged due to a combination of forces, including sexual antagonism and removal of deleterious mutations. Chromosomal studies outside placental mammals continue to contribute to our understanding of mammalian sex chromosome evolution. Groups of genes on sex chromosomes with similar evolutionary origins are called gene ‘strata’ and exist on both the X and Y chromosomes in the nonrecombining regions. Keywords: X chromosome; Y chromosome; mammalian sex chromosomes; Y degeneration; pseudoautosomal region; nonrecombining Y
A case study of synthesis for industrial-scale analog IP: redesign of the equalizer/filter frontend for an ADSL CODEC

A persistent criticism of analog synthesis techniques is that they cannot cope with the complexity of realistic industrial designs, especially system-level designs. We show how recent advances in simulation-based synthesis can be augmented, via appropriate macromodeling, to attack complex analog blocks. To support this claim, we resynthesize from scratch, in several different styles, a complex equalizer/filter block from the frontend of a commercial ADSL CODEC, and verify by full simulation that it matches its original design specifications. As a result, we argue that synthesis has significant potential in both custom and analog IP reuse scenarios.
Analysis of mutant phenotypes and splicing defects demonstrates functional collaboration between the large and small subunits of the essential splicing factor U2AF in vivo.

The heterodimeric splicing factor U2AF plays an important role in 3' splice site selection, but the division of labor between the two subunits in vivo remains unclear. In vitro assays led to the proposal that the human large subunit recognizes 3' splice sites with extensive polypyrimidine tracts independently of the small subunit. We report in vivo analysis demonstrating that all five domains of spU2AF L G are essential for viability; a partial deletion of the linker region, which forms the small subunit interface, produces a severe growth defect and an aberrant morphology. A small subunit zinc-binding domain mutant confers a similar phenotype, suggesting that the heterodimer functions as a unit during splicing in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. As this is not predicted by the model for metazoan 3' splice site recognition, we sought introns for which the spU2AF L G and spU2AF S M make distinct contributions by analyzing diverse splicing events in strains harboring mutations in each partner. Requirements for the two subunits are generally parallel and, moreover, do not correlate with the length or strength of the 3' pyrimidine tract. These and other studies performed in fission yeast support a model for 3' splice site recognition in which the two subunits of U2AF functionally collaborate in vivo.
Study of Selected Outcomes of Medical Students Who Fail USMLE Step 1

Purpose: Passage of the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) is required to obtain a medical license in the United States. Currently the majority of US medical schools require pas­sage of USMLE Step 1 for either promotion to the third year or graduation from medical school. Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine (VCUSOM) requires that students take the USMLE but does not require passing of USMLE Step 1 for promotion or graduation. This policy enabled the authors to analyze performance outcomes during clinical rotations and monitor the residency match for a group of students who failed USMLE Step 1 on the first attempt. Methods: Third year clerkship grades and residency match results were reviewed for 64 students of the graduating classes of 1999-2005 who failed Step 1 on the first attempt. An equal number of students who passed Step 1 were randomly selected from each class as a comparison group. Average clinical performance ratings, NBME subject exam scores and final third year clerkship grades for the two groups were compared. Residency match rates and specialty certification were also compared. Results: The USMLE Fail Group had more Pass and fewer Honors clerkship grades than the comparison group. Subject exam scores were significantly lower in the USMLE Fail Group in all clerkships. Clinical performance ratings were significantly lower in the Fail group in three out of six clerkships: Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, and Psychiatry. However, 82% of the USMLE Fail Group later passed USMLE Step 1 and 2. Fifty-nine of the 64 students in the USMLE Fail Group matched for a residency, whereas all of the students in the Pass Group matched for a residency. Conclusion: Students who fail USMLE Step 1 have lower final clerkship grades due in part to lower NBME subject exam scores. The majority of these students, however, successfully pass USMLE Step 1 prior to graduation, go on to graduate medical training, and become board certi­fied in their specialty.