cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Persistent dose-dependent changes in brain structure in young adults with low-to-moderate alcohol exposure in utero.

Background Many children with heavy exposure to alcohol in utero display characteristic alterations in brain size and structure. However, the long-term effects of low-to-moderate alcohol exposure on these outcomes are unknown. Methods Using voxel-based morphometry and region-of-interest analyses, we examined the influence of lower doses of alcohol on gray and white matter composition in a prospectively recruited, homogeneous, well-characterized cohort of alcohol-exposed (n = 11, age 19.5 ± 0.3 years) and control (n = 9, age 19.6 ± 0.5 years) young adults. A large proportion of the exposed individuals were born to mothers whose alcohol consumption during pregnancy was in the low-to-moderate range. Results There were no differences in total brain volume or total gray or white matter volume between the exposed and control groups. However, gray matter volume was reduced in alcohol-exposed individuals in several areas previously reported to be affected by high levels of exposure, including the left cingulate gyrus, bilateral middle frontal gyri, right middle temporal gyrus, and right caudate nucleus. Notably, this gray matter loss was dose dependent, with higher exposure producing more substantial losses. Conclusions These results indicate that even at low doses, alcohol exposure during pregnancy impacts brain development and that these effects persist into young adulthood.
Results for a gravity control network at airports in the United States

Results are presented for a network of gravity control bases located at the major airports throughout the United States. This network of bases was established as a means of integrating existing gravity surveys into a unified whole. It provides not only control of data but also a means of checking and adjusting calibration differences to a common standard. The gravity standard used is that determined by measurements with the Gulf compound quartz pendulum apparatus at a series of sites covering a range of 4,800 mgals between Fairbanks, Alaska, and Mexico City, D. F., Mexico. The accuracy of the individual measurements on an absolute basis is believed to be within 0.3 mgal using a Potsdam datum value of g equal to 980.1190 gals taken at floor level in the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey gravity vault in the Commerce Building, Washington, D. C. Observation sites are described with sufficient detail to permit reoccupation within 5 to 6 feet.
Inhibition of oligomycin-sensitive (mitochondrial) Mg2+ ATPase by DDT and selected analogs in fish and insect tissue☆

Abstract Mitochondrial (oligomycin-sensitive) Mg2+ ATPase from cockroach muscle is shown to have a very high sensitivity to DDT when compared to fish brain preparations and to inhibition of the same enzyme system by dicofol. In vitro inhibition was 10% at 7 ppb DDT, while dicofol required 1110 ppb for 10% inhibition of a cockroach muscle preparation. However, mitochondrial Mg2+ ATPase from fish brain was quite sensitive. Enzyme inhibition effects of other compounds related to DDT were somewhat less as determined from I50 and I70 values. The order of effectiveness in vitro following DDT was TDE, Perthane, methoxychlor and DDE.
Two for the show: Anti-luck and virtue epistemologies in consonance

This essay extends my side of a discussion begun earlier with Duncan Pritchard, the recent author of Epistemic Luck.Pritchard’s work contributes significantly to improving the “diagnostic appeal” of a neo-Moorean philosophical response to radical scepticism. While agreeing with Pritchard in many respects, the paper questions the need for his concession to the sceptic that the neo-Moorean is capable at best of recovering “‘brute’ externalist knowledge”. The paper discusses and directly responds to a dilemma that Pritchard poses for virtue epistemologies (VE). It also takes issue with Pritchard’s “merely safety-based” alternative. Ultimately, however, the criticisms made here of Pritchard’s dilemma and its underlying contrast of “anti-luck” and “virtue” epistemologies are intended to help realize his own aspirations for a better diagnosis of radical scepticism to inform a still better neo-Moorean response.
A pragmatic method for teaching and assessing research methods

One of the most demanding tasks for the professor is to develop the research and writing skills of students. This article describes the use of a teaching method that was originally developed to improve the research and writing skills of graduate students and subsequently adapted for use in a police executive development program. The method, as well as other programmatic and curricular changes, improved the scholarly quality of the applied research conducted by the participants, enabled police administrators to be better consumers of research, and simultaneously increased the number of individuals completing the research requirement.
Interactive uncertainty analysis

Humans have difficulty evaluating the effects of uncertainty on schedules. People often mitigate the effects of uncertainty by adding slack based on experience and non-stochastic analyses such as the critical path method (CPM). This is costly as it leads to longer than necessary schedules, and can be ineffective without a clear understanding of where slack is needed. COMPASS is an interactive real-time tool that analyzes schedule uncertainty for a stochastic task network. An important feature is that it concurrently calculates stochastic critical paths and critical tasks. COMPASS visualizes this information on top of a traditional Gantt view, giving users insight into how delays caused by uncertain durations propagate down the schedule. Evaluations with 10 users show that users can use COMPASS to answer a variety of questions about the possible evolutions of a schedule (e.g., what is the likelihood that all activities will complete before a given date?)
Statistics of a single polymer chain

Abstract Computer simulation and small-angle-x-ray scattering techniques have been used to study chain statistics in dilute solution. Monte Carlo techniques were used to probe the properties of short sequences within a polymer chain of 300 units whose monomers interact with a square well potential. These results show that above the theta point internal sequences are swollen compared to an isolated chain of the same degree of polymerization. Application of simple perturbation theory shows that this effect arises from interaction with monomers external to the sequence. The structure factor was also obtained from these Monte Carlo calculations and no evidence for crossover as predicted from “thermal blob” theory was observed. Dilute solutions of polystyrene in cyclopentane were studied by low angle x-ray scattering as a function of temperature, from the theta point into the good solvent regime. Like the Monte Carlo results, the experimental structure factor showed no evidence of crossover. In both cases the ...
Very quick reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction for detecting 2009 H1N1 influenza A using wire-guide droplet manipulations

Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is currently a gold standard in identifying influenza A virus, especially H1N1 flu. Typical RT-PCR assays take about 1–2 h for thermocycling, and there is a growing need to further speed up the thermocycling to less than 30 min. Additionally, the PCR assay system should be made portable as a point-of-care detection tool. There have been attempts to further speed up the PCR assays by reducing its volume. There have also been attempts to use droplet microfluidics technology to PCR, primarily to automate the PCR enrichment processes and take advantage of its small volume. In all these attempts, heating and cooling is made by conduction heat transfer. Rapid movements of droplets (immersed in oil) over three different temperature zones make very quick PCR possible, as heating/cooling will be made by convection heat transfer, whose heat transfer coefficients are much higher than that of conduction. We used our newly-invented method of wire-guide droplet manipulations towards very quick RT-PCR. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation of our system revealed that heating/cooling for each temperature change takes 1–4 s for a 10 μL droplet, as compared to >30 s in the other quick PCRs. Theoretically a 30-cycle process can take as short as 13 s × 30 cycles = 6 min 30 s. The entire system was made as a single instrument, with the components made by a milling machine and a rapid prototyping device. No additional equipment and external computers are required. With this newly developed system, 160 bp gene sequence was amplified from 2009 H1N1 influenza A (human origin). The 30-cycle process took as short as 6 min 50 s for a 10 μL droplet (with additional 4 min for reverse transcription). Its product was confirmed by traditional gel electrophoresis, subsequent imaging as well as gene sequencing, which has been very difficult with the other stationary droplet/nanodrop approaches. The proposed system has a potential to become an extremely rapid, portable, point-of-care tool for detecting influenza A.
Structure−Activity Relationships of γ-MSH Analogues at the Human Melanocortin MC3, MC4, and MC5 Receptors. Discovery of Highly Selective hMC3R, hMC4R, and hMC5R Analogues

It has been shown by extensive studies that melanotropin bioactivities are critically dependent on the core or central tetrapeptide sequence, His-Phe-Arg-Trp, and in alpha-MSH it has been demonstrated further that a reverse-turn type conformation exists at this pharmacophore. To probe the receptor active conformation of the pharmacophore His-Phe-Arg-Trp in gamma-MSH, two different series of gamma-MSH analogues have been designed and synthesized and their biological activities determined at hMC3R, hMC4R, and hMC5R. The 1st series consists of a cyclic scan using different disulfides or lactam bridges. It was found that cyclization of the native gamma-MSH around the highly conserved sequence can lead to shifts in affinity and selectivity for hMC4R instead of the hMC3R as seen in the native peptide. Furthermore, a 23-membered ring is desirable for potency (e.g., analogues 6 and 10) whereas a 26-membered ring (analogue 1, H-Tyr-Val-c[Cys-Gly-His-Phe-Arg-Trp-Cys]-Arg-Phe-Gly-NH(2) with Gly(4)) is more important for selectivity. The 2nd series is made of d-2-naphthylalanine (d-Nal(2')) scan of the gamma-MSH sequence at position 6 and 8 and the replacement of His(5) with Pro (analogue 13). Analogue 12, H-Tyr-Val-Nle-Gly-His-Phe-Arg-d-Nal(2')-Asp-Arg-Phe-Gly-NH(2), is a potent and selective antagonist at the hMC4R, and analogue 15, H-Tyr-Val-Nle-Gly-Aib-Phe-Arg-d-Nal(2')-Asp-Arg-Phe-Gly-NH(2), is a highly selective and potent agonist of the hMC5R. A most promising analogue is 13, H-Tyr-Val-Nle-Gly-Pro-d-Nal(2')-Arg-Trp-Asp-Arg-Phe-Gly-NH(2), which is a very potent agonist of the hMC4R, and this analogue can be further evaluated for feeding behavior and the regulation of fat stores.
Satellite Remote Sensing of Terrestrial Net Primary Production for the Pan-Arctic Basin and Alaska

We applied a terrestrial net primary production (NPP) model driven by satellite remote sensing observations of vegetation properties and daily surface meteorology from a regional weather forecast model to assess NPP spatial and temporal variability for the pan-Arctic basin and Alaska from 1982 to 2000. Our results show a general decadal trend of increasing NPP for the region of approximately 2.7%, with respective higher (3.4%) and lower (2.2%) rates for North America and Eurasia. NPP is both spatially and temporally dynamic for the region, driven largely by differences in productivity rates among major biomes and temporal changes in photosynthetic canopy structure and spring and summer air temperatures. Mean annual NPP for boreal forests was approximately 3 times greater than for Arctic tundra on a unit area basis and accounted for approximately 55% of total annual carbon sequestration for the region. The timing of growing season onset inferred from regional network measurements of atmospheric CO2 drawdown in spring was inversely proportional to annual NPP calculations. Our findings indicate that recent regional warming trends in spring and summer and associated advances in the growing season are stimulating net photosynthesis and annual carbon sequestration by vegetation at high latitudes, partially mitigating anthropogenic increases in atmospheric CO2. These results also imply that regional sequestration and storage of atmospheric CO2 is being altered, with potentially greater instability and acceleration of the carbon cycle at high latitudes.
Vapor pressure of three brominated flame retardants determined by using the Knudsen effusion method

Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) have been used in a variety of consumer products in the past four decades. The vapor pressures for three widely used BFRs, that is, tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), and octabromodiphenyl ethers (octaBDEs) mixtures, were determined using the Knudsen effusion method and compared with those of decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE209). The values measured extrapolated to 298.15 K are 8.47 × 10−9, 7.47 × 10−10, and 2.33 × 10−9 Pa, respectively. The enthalpies of sublimation for these BFRs were estimated using the Clausius–Clapeyron equation and are 143.6 ± 0.4, 153.7 ± 3.1, and 150.8 ± 3.2 kJ/mole, respectively. In addition, the enthalpies of fusion and melting temperatures for these BFRs were also measured in the present study. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2012;31:574–578. © 2011 SETAC
The Prolactin Receptor and Severely Truncated Erythropoietin Receptors Support Differentiation of Erythroid Progenitors

Activation of the erythropoietin receptor is essential for the survival, proliferation, and differentiation of erythroid progenitors. To understand the role of erythropoietin receptor (EpoR) activation in erythroid differentiation, we infected primary erythroid progenitors with high-titer retrovirus encoding the non-hematopoietic prolactin receptor. The infected progenitors responded to prolactin in the absence of Epo by generating fully differentiated erythroid colonies. Therefore, differentiation of erythroid progenitors does not require an intracellular signal generated uniquely by the EpoR; the EpoR does not have an instructive role in erythroid differentiation. We also infected primary erythroid progenitors with retrovirus encoding chimeric receptors containing the extracellular domain of PrlR and the intracellular domain of either the wild-type or truncated EpoRs. A chimeric receptor containing only the membrane-proximal 136 amino acids of the EpoR cytoplasmic domain efficiently supported prolactin-dependent differentiation of erythroid progenitors. Substitution of the single cytoplasmic domain tyrosine in this receptor with phenylalanine (Y343F) eliminated its ability to support differentiation. The minimal EpoR cytoplasmic domain required for erythroid differentiation is therefore the same as that previously reported to be sufficient to support cell proliferation (D'Andrea, A. D., Yoshimura, A., Youssoufian, H., Zon, L. I., Koo, J. W., and Lodish, H. F. (1991) Mol. Cell. Biol. 11, 1980–1987; Miura, O., D'Andrea, A. D., Kabat, D., and Ihle, J. N. (1991) Mol. Cell. Biol. 11, 4895–4902; He, T.-C., Jiang, N., Zhuang, H., Quelle, D. E., and Wojchowski, D. M. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 18291–18294).
Relativistic many-body calculations of excitation energies and oscillator strengths in Ni-like ions

Excitation energies for $3l\ensuremath{-}{4l}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ particle-hole states of Ni-like ions are determined to second order in relativistic many body perturbation theory. The calculations start from a closed-shell Dirac-Fock potential, and include second-order Coulomb and Breit-Coulomb interactions. Retarded electric-dipole matrix elements (in length and velocity forms) are calculated in second order for transitions from excited $3l\ensuremath{-}{4l}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ states to the closed-shell ground state. Wavelengths for 3-4 and 4-4 transitions are compared with experimental data, and with other high-precision calculations. Trends of oscillator strengths as functions of nuclear charge Z are shown graphically for selected transitions.
Social Work Theories and Practice with Battered Women: A Conflict-of-Values Analysis

In the 1970s, wife abuse became a concern of sociologists, feminists, and family theorists. The new perspectives they brought to the problem, which focused more on social factors than on individual pathology, challenged social workers to examine how their practice and assumptions perpetuated the problem. This article investigates how the social work literature has been affected by new theories of domestic violence and analyzes the impact that these theories have had on practice with battered women.
Pulmonary and aortic punctures--complications of an attempt at internal jugular venipuncture.

Abstract A case of pulmonary and aortic punctures occurred during an attempted internal jugular venipuncture in a patient with a dilated aortic arch. Procedural errors contributing to the complications included an inexperienced operator, inappropriate medial and caudal angulation of the needle, and failure to use a “finder” needle or Seldinger technique. Use of proper procedural technique will reduce the risk of complications in performing this procedure.
Isothermal Elastic Constants of Flux-Line Lattice in Layered Superconductors

A model of the effective interaction between the magnetic flux-lines in a layered superconductor is derived from the Lawrence–Doniach model. We show analytically that the intralayer interaction energy can be evaluated using the Ewald summation technique. The melting of flux line lattices is studied using Langevin dynamics simulation of the model with various values of interlayer coupling strength and pinning intensities. The thermal fluctuation terms of the isothermal shear modulus are found to increase sharply at the melting transition temperature for systems with or without pinning, while the structural order parameters were close to zero at all temperatures for systems with strong pinning. The melting of the pinned flux-line lattice is discussed in the context of its elastic properties.
A simple algorithm for quantifying DNA methylation levels on multiple independent CpG sites in bisulfite genomic sequencing electropherograms

DNA methylation at cytosines is a widely studied epigenetic modification. Methylation is commonly detected using bisulfite modification of DNA followed by PCR and additional techniques such as restriction digestion or sequencing. These additional techniques are either laborious, require specialized equipment, or are not quantitative. Here we describe a simple algorithm that yields quantitative results from analysis of conventional four-dye-trace sequencing. We call this method Mquant and we compare it with the established laboratory method of combined bisulfite restriction assay (COBRA). This analysis of sequencing electropherograms provides a simple, easily applied method to quantify DNA methylation at specific CpG sites.
Effect of Hot Water Surface Pasteurization of Whole Fruit on Shelf Life and Quality of Fresh-Cut Cantaloupe

Cantaloupes are associated with recent outbreaks of foodborne illnesses and recalls. Therefore, new approaches are needed for sanitization of whole and cut fruit. In the present study, whole cantaloupes were submerged into water in the following 3 conditions: 10 degrees C water for 20 min (control), 20 ppm chlorine at 10 degrees C for 20 min, and 76 degrees C water for 3 min. Populations of microflora were measured on the rinds of the whole cantaloupes. Quality and microbial populations of fresh-cut cantaloupes prepared from whole fruit were analyzed after 1, 6, 8, 10, 13, 16, and 20 d of storage at 4 degrees C. The hot water significantly reduced both total plate count (TPC) and yeast and mold count on rind of whole fruits while chlorine or cold water wash did not result in a significant reduction of microbial population. Fresh-cut pieces prepared from hot water-treated cantaloupes had lower TPC than the other 2 treatments in the later storage periods (days 13 to 20) in 2 of 3 trials. The hot water treatment of whole fruits was inconsistent in reducing yeast and mold count of fresh-cut pieces. Soluble solids content, ascorbic acid content, fluid loss, and aroma and appearance scores were not consistently affected by either hot water or chlorine treatment. Our results suggested that hot water pasteurization of whole cantaloupes frequently resulted in lower TPCs of fresh-cut fruit during storage and did not negatively affect quality of fresh-cut cantaloupes.
Towards HyTES: an Airborne Thermal Imaging Spectroscopy Instrument

An airborne thermal hyperspectral imager is underdevelopment which utilizes the compact Dyson optical configuration and quantum well infrared photo detector (QWIP) focal plane array. The Dyson configuration uses a single monolithic prism-like grating design which allows for a high throughput instrument (F/1.6) with minimal ghosting, stray-light and large swath width. The configuration has the potential to be the optimal imaging spectroscopy solution unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) due to its small form factor and relatively low power requirements. The planned instrument specifications are discussed as well as design trade-offs. Calibration testing results (noise equivalent temperature difference, spectral linearity and spectral bandwidth) and laboratory emissivity plots from samples are shown using an operational testbed unit which has similar specifications as the final airborne system. Field testing of the testbed unit was performed to acquire plots of emissivity for various known standard minerals (quartz). A comparison is made using data from the ASTER spectral library.
Soil Aggregates and Associated Organic Matter under Conventional Tillage, No-Tillage, and Forest Succession after Three Decades

Impacts of land use on soil organic C (SOC) are of interest relative to SOC sequestration and soil sustainability. The role of aggregate stability in SOC storage under contrasting land uses has been of particular interest relative to conventional tillage (CT) and no-till (NT) agriculture. This study compares soil structure and SOC fractions at the 30-yr-old Horseshoe Bend Agroecosystem Experiment (HSB). This research is unique in comparing NT and CT with adjacent land concurrently undergoing forest succession (FS) and in sampling to depths (15–28 cm) previously not studied at HSB. A soil moving experiment (SME) was also undertaken to monitor 1-yr changes in SOC and aggregation. After 30 years, enhanced aggregate stability under NT compared to CT was limited to a depth of 5 cm, while enhanced aggregate stability under FS compared to CT occurred to a depth of 28 cm and FS exceeded NT from 5–28 cm. Increases in SOC concentrations generally followed the increases in stability, except that no differences in SOC concentration were observed from 15–28 cm despite greater aggregate stability. Land use differences in SOC were explained equally by differences in particulate organic carbon (POC) and in silt-clay associated fine C. Enhanced structural stability of the SME soil was observed under FS and was linked to an increase of 1 Mg SOC ha−1 in 0–5 cm, of which 90% could be attributed to a POC increase. The crushing of macroaggregates in the SME soil also induced a 10% reduction in SOC over 1 yr that occurred under all three land uses from 5–15 cm. The majority of this loss was in the fine C fraction. NT and FS ecosystems had greater aggregation and carbon storage at the soil surface but only FS increased aggregation below the surface, although in the absence of increased carbon storage.
Stroke Telemedicine: State of Affairs–Reply–I

We appreciate the interest that Vatankhah and Audebert have in our recent article and accompanying editorial. We thank them for providing information on their numerous publications generated from the TEMPiS study.1 The network of hospitals in Bavaria that make up TEMPiS has demonstrated that telemedicine can be an effective way of delivering stroke expertise to hospitals that had previously lacked extensive experience with thrombolytic therapy. It is true that the nonrandomized, unblinded, open-intervention TEMPiS study showed that specialized stroke treatment in TEMPiS telemedicine network hospitals independently reduced the probability of a poor outcome. However, it is worth noting that the positive effects of being in-network were likely not simply the result of telemedicine. The intervention, and thus the systematic difference between in-network and out-of-network hospitals, included implementation of stroke wards, stroke teams, continuous medical education for the personnel of the participating network hospitals, collaboration with stroke neurologists, and the telemedical support. Interestingly, the overall rate of teleconsultation among the in-network hospitals was only 36%. For large geographic regions, telemedicine provides an impetus for better organization and standardization of care for stroke. Recruitment rates for acute stroke trials are influenced by the organizational structure of the research team.2 Advantages of TEMPiS and similarly structured regional telestroke networks could make phase 3 clinical stroke trials more cost- and time-efficient. For instance, hub hospitals engaged in acute stroke trials could use telemedicine to screen patients and obtain consent as well as to enroll, randomize, treat, and even follow up patients at remote spoke hospitals. We agree that long-term stroke telemedicine patient outcome and safety data, beyond thrombolysis decision making, are needed from an increased number of international networks. Additional questions that require an answer are as follows: (1) Is stroke telemedicine cost-effective? (2) What is the most favorable stroke telemedicine network model: hub-and-spoke or third-party consult? (3) Must telemedicine-treated acute stroke patients be transferred from a rural spoke hospital to a primary stroke center to derive long-term benefit? (4) How can telestroke practitioners best overcome intrastate, interstate, and even international licensing, credentialing, privilege, marketplace, business, and malpractice insurance issues for a consultative modality that knows no geographic limits?3 The stroke telemedicine review by Demaerschalk et al4 also highlighted that, despite the fact that many international centers are engaged in telestroke practice and research, the field is still missing common, standardized, and uniformly applied measures of telestroke quality of care and acceptable guidelines for telestroke practice.
Bilateral thoracic long nerve involvement in motor multifocal neuropathy

A 20-year-old man presented with a 6-month history of progressive weakness in the right hand. Neurological examination showed a bilateral weakness of hand muscles more pronounced in the right hand, slight scapula winging and no sensory disturbances. Nerve conduction studies showed motor conduction blocks in the median and ulnar nerves bilaterally (figure 1), with normal sensory conduction studies, suggesting a motor multifocal neuropathy (MMN). Somatosensory evoked potentials from …
Organizations Don’t Resist Change, People Do: Modeling Individual Reactions to Organizational Change Through Loss and Terror Management

This article has three premises that stand in contrast to emphases found in contemporary organizational change research. First, examination of resistance must start with the individual. Organizations don’t resist change, people do. Second, people react not to the change per se, but to the loss it represents. Third, loss engenders a deeply rooted peril response that is largely emotional in nature. To support these premises, we apply Terror Management Theory to locate resistance in existential buffers: emotional defense mechanisms that prevent awareness of loss and allow participation in a larger meaningful system. We argue that the buffers threatened during organizational change are consistency, standards/justice, and culture. These in turn negatively impact the individual capabilities of sensemaking, competency, and identity. A theoretical model is erected that integrates buffers and capabilities with different levels, or types, of organizational change. Modeling multilayered affective, cognitive, and beh...
The restricted likelihood ratio test for autoregressive processes

The restricted likelihood is known to produce estimates with significantly less bias in AR(p) models with intercept and/or trend. In AR(1) models, the corresponding restricted likelihood ratio test (RLRT), unlike the t-statistic or the usual LRT, has been recently shown to be well approximated by the chi-square distribution even close to the unit root, thus yielding confidence intervals with good coverage properties. In this article, we extend this result to AR(p) processes of arbitrary order p by obtaining the expansion of the RLRT distribution around that of the limiting chi-squared and showing that the error is bounded even as the unit root is approached. Next, we investigate the correspondence between the AR coefficients and the partial autocorrelations, which is well known in the stationary region, and extend to the more general situation of potentially multiple unit roots. In the case of one positive unit root, which is of most practical interest, the resulting parameter space is shown to be the bounded p-dimensional hypercube (−1, 1] × (−1, 1)p−1. This simple parameter space, in addition with a stable algorithm that we provide for computing the restricted likelihood, allows its easy computation and optimization as well as construction of confidence intervals for the sum of the AR coefficients. In simulations, the RLRT intervals are shown to have not only near exact coverage in keeping with our theoretical results, but also shorter lengths and significantly higher power against stationary alternatives than other competing interval procedures. An application to the well-known Nelson–Plosser data yields RLRT based intervals that can be markedly different from those in the literature.
A Continuation Method for Pole-Placement for Singularly Perturbed Systems

Most applications of singular perturbation theory to control problems use a "zero order solution" as an approximation to an exact solution. Better approximations have traditionally been obtained by including first and higher order terms. This paper considers a continuation method which deforms a "zero order solution" into an exact solution.
Rates of return on U.S. farm investments, 1940‐2003: a comparison of imputed returns versus residual income approaches

The rate of return on farm assets is a key indicator of the profitability of farm sector investments. The residual income approach is most commonly used to estimate the returns to farm assets, farmland, and labor and management. However this approach may be sensitive to the underlying assumptions. This study examines the implications of the residual return assumption by using alternative formulations for computing the rate of return to farm assets. Specifically, we develop the rate of return on agricultural assets using an alternative imputation method. We demonstrate that the presence of multiple quasi‐fixed factors implies the rate of return to farm assets may be understated by the residual income approach.
Generalized Flinn operators with applications to multi-component alloys

Abstract The relationship between the occupation operator, spin operator and Flinn operator formalisms for a substitutional binary alloy is presented. These three methods are generalized to multicomponent alloys with irreducible static n -body potentials. In this manner the concept of generalized Flinn operators is introduced. The configurational Hamiltonians and generalized Flinn operators are then explicitly presented for ternary and quaternary alloys with static two-body potentials. The merits of the generalized Flinn operator approach are discussed.
MICRONUCLEAR RNA SYNTHESIS IN PARAMECIUM CAUDATUM

In a generation time of 8 hr in Paramecium caudatum, the bulk of DNA synthesis detected by thymidine-3H incorporation takes place in the latter part of the cell cycle. The micronuclear cycle includes a G1 of 3 hr followed by an S period of 3–3½ hr. G2 and division occupies the remaining period of the cycle. Macronuclear RNA synthesis detected by 5'-uridine-3H incorporation is continuous throughout the cell cycle. Micronuclear RNA synthesis is restricted to the S period. Ribonuclease removes 80–90% of the incorporated label. Pulse-chase experiments showed that part of the RNA is conserved and released to the cytoplasm during the succeeding G1 period.
On iterative decoding of two-level superposition codes for cooperative broadcasting based on QPSK and 4-PAM constellations

This paper considers iterative decoding of two-level superposition codes used in cooperative broadcasting over wireless networks. The coding scheme consists of two low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes combined using Plotkin's |u|u + v|-construction and provides two levels of error protection. Coding for cooperative broadcasting differs from conventional single-source broadcast coding. Instead of binary addition of subcode codewords performed by a single-source encoder, in superposition coding two modulated subcode sequences, produced by two coordinated and independent sources, are combined at the antenna of the receiver. Expressions are derived for the bit metrics, or log-likelihood ratio values, used by an iterative decoder for two-level superposition coding schemes based on BPSK, QPSK and 4-PAM modulated sequences. It is shown that conventional equal-energy 4-PAM constellations do not work well with two-level superposition coding. A solution is proposed in which 4-PAM constellations of different levels of average energy are used.
Domain swapping in allosteric modulation of DNA specificity.

SgrAI is a type IIF restriction endonuclease that cuts an unusually long recognition sequence and exhibits allosteric self-modulation of cleavage activity and sequence specificity. Previous studies have shown that DNA bound dimers of SgrAI oligomerize into an activated form with higher DNA cleavage rates, although previously determined crystal structures of SgrAI bound to DNA show only the DNA bound dimer. A new crystal structure of the type II restriction endonuclease SgrAI bound to DNA and Ca2+ is now presented, which shows the close association of two DNA bound SgrAI dimers. This tetrameric form is unlike those of the homologous enzymes Cfr10I and NgoMIV and is formed by the swapping of the amino-terminal 24 amino acid residues. Two mutations predicted to destabilize the swapped form of SgrAI, P27W and P27G, have been made and shown to eliminate both the oligomerization of the DNA bound SgrAI dimers as well as the allosteric stimulation of DNA cleavage by SgrAI. A mechanism involving domain swapping is proposed to explain the unusual allosteric properties of SgrAI via association of the domain swapped tetramer of SgrAI bound to DNA into higher order oligomers.
Single-Ion Channel Recordings on Quartz Substrates

We show that a single-crystal quartz substrate provides a working platform for ion channel research. Single-crystal quartz is piezoelectric, so it can be nanomechanically actuated to perform precise membrane deformations. This, along with its superior noise properties, makes single-crystal quartz ideal for analyzing mechanosensitive ion channels.
Iterative demodulation and decoding of trellis coded CPM

Interleaved trellis coded systems with continuous phase modulation (TCCPM) are considered. It is shown that the combination of a trellis code, interleaver and the CPM modulator results in a significantly enhanced distance spectrum for the transmitted signals. Upper bounds on the bit error rate are derived by considering the combination of the trellis code, interleaver and the CPM modulator as serially concatenated code. Finally, iterative coherent and non-coherent receivers are proposed and their performance is evaluated through computer simulations.
A double-polysilicon bipolar process with a 0.3-/spl mu/m minimum emitter width and NMOS transistors for low power wireless applications

A 0.6-/spl mu/m 3.5-V silicon bipolar process is developed for low power and high speed operation in wireless applications. The process features 35-GHz f/sub T/ bipolar transistors with a 0.3-/spl mu/m electrical emitter width, lateral pnp transistors, polysilicon-to-n/sup +/ plug capacitors, NMOS transistors with a 10-nm gate oxide layer for low on-resistance; and inductors fabricated using a double level metal process. Improvement of the low power and high speed performance of the npn transistors is demonstrated by examining the trade-offs among r/sub b/+r/sub e/, collector current required to achieve a fixed f/sub T/, and device geometry. Microwave and RF capabilities are demonstrated by fabricating and characterizing low noise amplifiers and NMOS transistors. >
RE: Prostate-Specific Antigen Screening Trials and Prostate Cancer Deaths: The Androgen Deprivation Connection

We were intrigued to read the article by Haines and Miklos (1) in which they reviewed published data from the three large randomized prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening trials: Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) cancer screening trial, European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC), and the Goteborg trial. The authors note “that in both European trials far more patients received hormonal treatment in the control than the screening arm”, with a concomitant “increase in prostate cancer deaths in control patients” (1). The authors thus claim that, instead of PSA screening effectively reducing prostate cancer deaths in the screening arm, androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) given to patients in the control arm increased prostate cancer deaths, calling their hypothesis an “androgen deprivation connection.”
National trends in recurrent AMI hospitalizations 1 year after acute myocardial infarction in Medicare beneficiaries: 1999-2010.

BackgroundThere are few data characterizing temporal changes in hospitalization for recurrent acute myocardial infarction (AMI) after AMI. Methods and ResultsUsing a national sample of 2 305 441 Me...
Serum cortisol concentration with exploratory cut-off values do not predict the effects of hydrocortisone administration in children with low cardiac output after cardiac surgery

OBJECTIVES: Low cardiac output syndrome is common after paediatric cardiac surgery. Previous studies suggested that hydrocortisone administration may improve haemodynamic stability in case of resistant low cardiac output syndrome in critically ill children. This study was set up to test the hypothesis that the effects of hydrocortisone on haemodynamics in children with low cardiac output syndrome depend on the presence of (relative) adrenal insufficiency. METHODS: A retrospective study was done on paediatric patients who received hydrocortisone when diagnosed with resistant low cardiac output syndrome after paediatric cardiac surgery in the period from 1 November 2005 to 31 December 2008. We studied the difference in effects of treatment with hydrocortisone administration between patients with adrenal insufficiency defined as an exploratory cut-off value of total cortisol of <100 nmol/l and patients with a serum total cortisol of ≥100 nmol/l. RESULTS: A total of 62 of patients were enrolled, meeting the inclusion criteria for low cardiac output syndrome. Thirty-two patients were assigned to Group 1 (<100 nmol/l) and 30 were assigned to Group 2 (≥100 nmol/l). Haemodynamics improved after hydrocortisone administration, with an increase in blood pressure, a decrease in administered vasopressors and inotropic drugs, an increase in urine production and a decrease in plasma lactate concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: The effects of treatment with hydrocortisone in children with low cardiac output after cardiac surgery was similar in patients with a low baseline serum cortisol concentration and those with normal baseline cortisol levels. A cortisol value using an exploratory cut-off value of 100 nmol/l for adrenal insufficiency should not be used as a criterion to treat these patients with hydrocortisone.
The Harvard Fatigue Laboratory: Contributions to World War II.

The war contributions of the Harvard Fatigue Laboratory in Cambridge, MA, were recorded in 169 Technical Reports, most of which were sent to the Office of the Quartermaster General. Earlier reports...
Isogenic grasshoppers: genetic variability in the morphology of identified neurons.

Although identified neurons are defined as constant and unique from animal to animal within the same species, we might expect to find phenotypic variablity in the number, morphology, and physiology of identified neurons if we examined them in enough sexually reproduced animals of the same species. Morphological variability and axonal abnormalities were previously encountered in a study of the large ocellar interneurons in 50 grasshoppers. Both the somata and arborizations in the brain of the ocellar interneurons from one or more ocelli can be stained easily and repeatedly with cobalt, so that one can routinely examine the morephology of large numbers of cells in large numbers of animals. In the present study, the large ocellar interneurons were examined in three types of animals: (i) animals from two different breeding poplulations and their offspring, (ii) the offspring within clutches from single mated pairs of known phenotypes, and (iii) isogenic animals from the parthenogenetic clones of single unmated females. The soma location, axonal pathway, location of arborizations, and fine branching patterns of 14 of the large ocellar interneurons were examined in 430 grasshoppers. The large ocellar interneurons were examined in 11 clones raised in nearly constant and identical conditions. In most of the clones, the morphology of interneurons L5L and L5R was normal; all of the 82 animals examined from clones 4, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 16, and 17 were normal. Clones 8 and 2 had high percentages of animals with axonal abnormalities of interneuron L5: 16 out of 24 animals (66%) in clone 8 and 37 out of 42 animals (88%) in clone 2. All of the ocellar interneurons except for L5 were normal in all of these animals. Thus, the abnormal development of at least one identified interneuron, L5, can occur with a high degree of genetic control and a high degree of specificity. The axonal abnormality of interneuron L5 was not the same in each of the 37 animals from clone, 2, although common mistakes and patterns were detected.
The Alcadd Test: Effects of Response Set

A significant relationship between test-taking attitude and score on a self-report alcoholism inventory is demonstrated. Persons evidencing more defensive response sets report fewer alcoholic symptoms and behaviours. Clinical and research implications of this finding are discussed.
Computer Analysis of Settling Test Data

A method of fitting a simple approximating function to quiescent settling test data is given that can serve for either discrete or flocculant settling. The method can be used with the data as either concentrations or as fractional removals. The method is illustrated using concentration data and the results are compared with values calculated by the traditional method.
Acylation of lysophosphatidylcholine in liver microsomes of thermally acclimated trout

The specificity of acyl-coenzyme A (CoA): lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase (LPCAT; EC 2.3.1.23) was determined for a range for acyl-CoA substrates differing with respect to chain length and degree of unsaturation in liver microsomes of thermally acclimated (5 and 20 degrees C) rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri. Absolute levels of oleate incorporation into phosphatidylcholine (PC) were determined at substrate concentrations in the physiological range (12 microM) and higher (64 microM). The specificity of LPCAT was determined by the extent to which competing substrates decreased the incorporation of oleate. LPCAT specificity was significantly influenced by both assay and acclimation temperature at total substrate concentrations of both 72 and 256 microM. A clear preference for 14- and 16-carbon monoenes was exhibited by LPCAT from 20 but not 5 degrees C-acclimated trout. Furthermore, LPCAT from 5 degrees C-acclimated trout preferentially incorporated long chain and polyunsaturated fatty acids (eicosadienoyl, arachidonoyl, erucoyl) and excluded 18-carbon unsaturates at an assay temperature of 5 degrees C compared with 20 degrees C; at 20 degrees C, 18-carbon unsaturates were incorporated more readily than 20-carbon species. Linolenic acid (18:3N3) was generally excluded from incorporation, reflecting a possible mechanism by which this precursor of docasahexaenoic acid (22:6N3, n - 3) remains available for modification. These results indicate that trout liver LPCAT preferentially incorporates fatty acids into PC on the basis of both chain length and degree of unsaturation in a manner consistent with the temperature-induced restructuring of membrane phospholipids.
Occurrence of Cystine in Sweat of Cystinurics.

In 1871, Dewar and Gamgee1 stated that, in some cases, cystine was present in the sweat of cystinurics, apparently basing their conclusions largely upon the observation that, in cases where cystine was present in the urine, silver coins carried in the pocket were observed rapidly to become blackened. Garrod,2 however, was unable to obtain evidence of the presence of cystine in the sweat in the one case studied by him.We have had under observation a cystinuric whose daily cystine excretion (determined by the colorimetric method of Folin and Looney) varied from 1.0 to 1.8 gm., whose urine frequently contained large amounts of cystine crystals, and who occasionally passed cystine calculi. From this patient we collected by the use of pilocarpine and heat, 100 cc. of sweat in 50 minutes. ∗ No cystine could be detected by the colorimetric method of Folin and Looney. 35 cc. of sweat were deproteinized by the use of heat and alumina cream and the filtrate was evaporated to dryness. The residue was extracted with ...
Characterization of a sapphire optical wall shear stress sensor for high-temperature applications

This paper presents the development and initial experimental characterization of the first sapphire micromachined wall shear stress sensor for high-temperature applications utilizing geometric moire optical transduction. The microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) sensor utilizes a folded tether floating element structure to extend the operating range of the sensor. Picosecond pulsed laser micromachining is employed to pattern mechanical structures in sapphire, and a four-channel alumina fiber array with sapphire optical fibers is used to interrogate the moire fringe. Platinum thin-film gratings and a stainless steel package enable a theoretical maximum operating temperature in excess of 800◦C. Calibration of the sensor system in differential mode demonstrates a dynamic shear stress sensitivity of 76.8 μV/Pa at 1.128 kHz, sensor resonance of 3.5 kHz, pressure rejection ratio of 75 dB, minimum detectable shear stress of 4.6 mPa at 1.128 kHz for a 1 Hz bin, and an experimentally verified dynamic range of 52 dB.
Substitution of α-Keto Acids for Five Amino Acids Essential for Growth of the Rat.

SummaryYoung rats grew slowly on a diet in which the nitrogen was furnished exclusively by the 10 amino acids essential to the young rat plus glutamic acid. When leucine, isoleucine, valine, phenylalanine, and methionine were replaced in the diet by the corresponding keto acids plus an equivalent amount of nitrogen as glycine and 0.2% aspartic acid, the animals grew as well as they did on the basal diet.