cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reversible inactivation of liver microsomal pyrophosphatese

Abstract Rat liver microsomes lost their pyrophosphatase activity in a pH and temperature dependent reaction. Peroxidation of microsomal lipids did not appear to be required as inactivation occured in the absence of measurable lipid peroxidation. The pH of the media affected the final extent of enzyme inactivation. Sodium citrate or ammonium molybdate added to mixtures inhibited the rate of enzyme inactivation, but they did not affect the final extent of inactivation. Incubation of acid-treated microsomes in media of near neutral or alkaline pH restored their pyrophosphatase activity.
Trial of intravenous pulse cyclophosphamide and methylprednisolone in the treatment of severe systemic-onset juvenile rheumatoid arthritis

Objective. Not uncommonly, some children with systemic-onset juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) have persistently active disease with joint destruction and profound growth delay despite maximum treatment with known medications. Based on previous observations of improvement in synovitis following intravenous (IV) cyclophosphamide (CYC) and methylprednisolone (MP) treatments, a group of children with severe systemic-onset JRA was treated in an attempt to control active synovitis and to allow tapering of corticosteroids. Methods. Four patients with systemic-onset JRA were continued on a daily regimen of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agents and prednisone, with a weekly subcutaneous dose of methotrexate (1 mg/kg). In addition, 1 patient continued receiving sulfasalazine and 1 patient remained on a regimen of sulfasalazine and hydroxychloroquine. Patients received 6–10 monthly treatments of IV CYC (500–1,000 mg/m2) and MP (30 mg/kg; 1 gm maximum) accompanied by IV mesna and large amounts of IV fluids. Subsequent treatments were given once every 2–3 months. Results. After 12–20 IV pulses of CYC, all patients showed improvement, and 3 achieved remission of disease. All were able to discontinue corticosteroid use and all had an increase in linear growth. Conclusion. Monthly IV pulse CYC treatments can be useful to control disease in selected children with severe, destructive JRA.
CRITICAL EVENTS IN THE LIFE HISTORY OF CERATIOMYXA

Over two hundred years ago Micheli (I729) described and illustrated Ceratiomyxa under the name Puccinia ravtosa. The next important record is that of Albertini and Schweinitz (IS05) in which they describe two species, Ceratium hyddnoid'es and Ceratium porioides. Numerous descriptions of forms thought to be species have been written. Lister (I925) includes all of these in one species as Ceratiomyxra frutticulosca Macbr. In " North American Slime Moulds," Macbride (i922) gives specific rank to the form porioides. Both Lister and Macbride include a list of synonyms with their descriptions of Ceratiomyxa. Three life history studies of Ceratiomyxa have been made. These are by Famintzin and Woronin in I873, Olive in I907, and Jahn in I908. Famintzin and Woronin made no cytological observations but gave an accurate account of the morphology of the pillars. Perhaps their greatest contribution is in the excellent plates which they prepared. These are the best illustrations of Ceratio myxa yet published. Olive (1907a) obsenred that a condition resembling synapsis occurred in the young spores. From this he concluded that the two nuclear divisions in the spore were " apparently reduction divisions." He further concluded that since there is a reduction in the spore, there must be a fusion of nuclei "somewhere in the previous life history." Later, in a brief note, Olive (09o7b) claimed that he had found nuclear fusion occurring " about the time of cleavage " in the pillars. Lacking cytological proof of these claims, Olive's work has been superseded by the more detailed observations of Jahn (I908). Jahn reported fusion as occurring about the time of emergence of the plasmodiunm from the wood and the first reduction division as occurring just before cleavage. Because of the difference between the conclusions of Olive and those of Jahn, this study of Caratiomyxa was undertaken.
Stimulant action of thyrotropin releasing hormone on cat spinal cord.

Thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) produced a rapid dose related elevation of muscle tonus accompanied by tremor and shivering-like movements in cats. This stimulant action of TRH also occurred in decerebrate cats and cats which had undergone spinal cord transection at the level of the first cervical vertebra. Recordings froir spinal cord ventral roots indicated that TRH induced a pronounced increase in spontaneous motor neuron action potentials. No such stimulation of muscle activity was produced by injections of thyrotropin (TSH), triiodothyronine (T3), deamidated TRH, or the constituent amino acids of TRH, pyroglutamic acid, histidine, and proline amide. Results suggest that TRH can act directly on the spinal cord to stimulate muscle activity via a nonendocrine mechanism.
Architecture School: Three Centuries of Educating Architects in America

Architecture School: Three Centuries of Educating Architects in America Published on the Centennial Anniversary of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, 1912–2012 Editor: Joan Ockm...
Nanoparticle analysis using microscale field flow fractionation

Microscale electrical field flow fractionation (FFF) has shown significant progress since it was first reported in early 1997. The first electrical FFF systems were lucky to function for more than a few days and generated only minimal levels of retention and separation, while current systems now easily function for years and can generate multicomponent nanoparticle separations. A variety of microscale FFF systems have now been reported including: multiple versions of normal electrical FFF (ElFFF), cyclical electrical FFF (using oscillating fields), dielectrophoretic FFF, thermal FFF, and a combined thermal-electric FFF channel. Related microscale electrical SPLITT systems have also been demonstrated. Microscale ElFFF systems have been used to analyze and separate nanoparticles, DNA, proteins, cells, viruses, liposomes, large polymers, and other materials. ElFFF clearly improves upon system miniaturization due to the reduction in sample and carrier volumes, analysis times and more notably an increase in the separation resolution with a reduction in analysis times. Other advantages of miniaturized FFF include: parallel processing with multiple separation channels, batch fabrication with reduced costs, high quality manufacturing, and potentially disposable systems. Additionally, the possibility of on-chip sample injection, detection and signal processing favors the microfabrication of FFF systems.
Effect of Streamwise Vortices on Wake Properties Associated with Sound Generation

T important aspects of the viscous wake leading to the generation of sound sources are: 1) unsteady twodimensional disturbances such as the Karman vortex street, and 2) unsteady forces generated by the passage of a rotor blade through the two-dimensional wake of a stator, or vice versa. The unsteady wake of an aircraft makes a significant contribution to the total noise during the landing approach, whereas the unsteady forces due to wake impingement on stator and rotor blades contribute significantly during takeoff and cruise. The latter effect, analyzed by Kemp and Sears, is responsible for about half of the pure-tone noise generated by turbomachines; the other half originates with the mutual interference between the rotor and stator flowfields. Wind-tunnel tests reported here show that the streamwise vortices shed from vortex generators near the trailing edges of a flat plate and an airfoil have a strong suppression effect on the formation of the Karman vortex street, and reduce the "effective" area of the velocity deficit in the wake, as seen by the following blade in a turbomachine. Both effects tend to suppress significantly the formation of sound sources.
Insider Threat Detection Using a Graph-Based Approach

The authors present the use of graph-based approaches to discovering anomalous instances of structural patterns in data that represent insider threat activity. The approaches presented search for activities that appear to match normal transactions, but in fact are structurally different. The authors show the usefulness of applying graph theoretic approaches to discovering suspicious insider activity in domains such as social network communications, business processes, and cybercrime. The authors present some performance results to show the effectiveness of our approaches, and then conclude with some ongoing research that combines numerical analysis with structure analysis, analyzes multiple normative patterns, and extends to dynamic graphs.
A data mining approach to MPGN type II renal survival analysis

There are three recognized types of Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN). Type II or Dense Deposit Disease (DDD)has a renal survival of 50% at 10 years. The goal of this study was to better identify patients at high risk of early renal failure,and to understand the factors that lead to fast progression of the disease. We identified six diagnostic features on the 98 DDD patients who responed to a Web-based survey, and examined the prognostic performance of these features in isolation and simple combinations. We then combined the features to build predictive models using both Cox proportional hazards regression (CHR), a standard statistical approach, and support vector machines (SVMs), a classification technique from the data mining literature. While the age and gender features showed some prognostic ability, the combined models -- particularly the SVM -- were superior in identifying cases with fast disease progression.This approach can be applied to disease survival analysis and prognosis, and might be useful to healthcare providers and patients in making healthcare decisions.
Measuring Aerosol Single Scattering Albedo with Combined HySPAR and HSRL

This study proposed an innovative method for measuring vertically integrated aerosol single scattering albedo with combined multi-angle hyperspectral polarimeter (HySPAR) and high spectral resolution lidar (HSRL) measurements for aerosols over dark ocean.
Sodium hydroxide-induced conformational change in schizophyllan detected by the fluorescence dye, aniline blue

Molecular conformation is considered to be an important factor in determining the biological activity of glucans; however, a simple method to detect the conformation change for glucans in solution has not been developed. We found that the fluorescence intensity of aniline blue bound to schizophyllan (SPG) can be used to estimate the relative amount of single helix converting to triple helix during different stages of a denature–renature cycle. This observation provides a method to monitor conformational change that is simpler and easier to perform than other techniques (such as solid-state 13C NMR spectroscopy). The native conformation for SPG [a branched β-(1→3) glucan] is a rigid, closed triple helix. Treatment with NaOH, followed by neutralization, produces a single helix-rich preparation. We observed that aniline blue does not stain native SPG, but will stain the renatured NaOH-treated SPG. This suggests that aniline blue binds only to single helix forms of SPG. Further supporting evidence is that the fluorescence intensity is decreased on consecutive days after neutralization, which is consistent with the report that NaOH-treated SPG gradually lost 77% of their single helix component in 1 week (N. Nagi, N. Ohno, Y. Adachi, J. Aketagawa, H. Tamura, Y. Shibata, S. Tanaka, and T. Yadomae, Biol. Pharm. Bull., 16 (1993) 822–828). The single helix is the conformation which activates the Limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL). The biological reactivity of renatured SPG, stabilized with aniline blue at different days, was evaluated using a glucan sensitive LAL. The activity of LAL toward SPG was decreased over time, suggesting that the conformation of glucan detected by fluorescence intensity correlated with the LAL activity.
Fc receptor-bearing lymphoid cells in the chicken I. Characterization of the fc(igg) receptor

The receptor for Fc(IgG) on chicken lymphoid cells was investigated by EA rosette techniques using sheep erythrocytes sensitized with a subagglutinating dose of anti-sheep erythrocyte (SRBC) chicken serum. Chicken lymphocytes did not form rosettes with SRBC coated with rabbit antibody, and human and mouse lymphocytes did not bind SRBC sensitized with chicken antibody. Only avian sera were effective in blocking the Fc receptor. Similarities between chicken and mammalian Fc receptors were demonstrated as both are pronase sensitive, trypsin resistant, and are distinct from surface immunoglobulin. Fc receptors were also distinguished from avian bursa-and thymus-specific antigens. Additional Fc receptor-bearing cells were revealed in bursa, spleen and bone marrow lymphocytes after neura-minidase treatment.
A case for MANET-aware content centric networking of smartphones

Applications requiring Content Centric Network (CCN) in delay-tolerant, peer-to-peer, multi-hop, and infrastructure-less environments are likely to increase as the use of mobile devices continues to rise and as the need to disseminate information without knowing the name or location of the destination grows. Currently, these capabilities are provided by CCN or CCN overlays on Mobile Ad-hoc Network (MANET). However, the research in CCN and CCN overlays is relatively new and further improvements in several areas are needed. In this paper, we focus on message dissemination efficiency in a highly mobile environment and argue for a MANET-aware CCN algorithm. As a proof-of-concept, we prototyped the algorithm on Android smartphones using WiFi and Optimized Link State Routing (OLSR) as the illustrative mobile and MANET protocols, respectively. We also evaluated the performance of the algorithm experimentally. Our preliminary results indicate that the MANET-aware CCN overlay increases the rate of message delivery over multiple hops while preserving message transparency, albeit at a cost of additional overhead control messages.
Light-induced fluctuations in membrane current of single toad rod outer segments.

VERTEBRATE photoreceptors respond to illumination with a reduction in the steady current of Na ions which in darkness flows inwards across the outer segment membrane; this results in hyperpolarisation of the cells1. The light responses of the receptors can be studied by measuring extracellular voltage gradients2 or by intracellular recording1, but these methods can only provide information averaged over many photoreceptors owing respectively to high extracellular conductivity and to the presence of electrical coupling between cells3–;6. This averaging and the presence of dark voltage noise in photoreceptors6,7 have prevented observation of the electrical effects of individual photoisomerisations. To try to record these elementary events and to localise the source of the dark noise, we have developed a method for recording the membrane current of a single rod outer segment. The technique is based on that used by Neher and Sakmann8 on muscle fibres.
Knock-in model of Dravet syndrome reveals a constitutive and conditional reduction in sodium current

Hundreds of mutations in the SCN1A sodium channel gene confer a wide spectrum of epileptic disorders, requiring efficient model systems to study cellular mechanisms and identify potential therapeutic targets. We recently demonstrated that Drosophila knock-in flies carrying the K1270T SCN1A mutation known to cause a form of genetic epilepsy with febrile seizures plus (GEFS+) exhibit a heat-induced increase in sodium current activity and seizure phenotype. To determine whether different SCN1A mutations cause distinct phenotypes in Drosophila as they do in humans, this study focuses on a knock-in line carrying a mutation that causes a more severe seizure disorder termed Dravet syndrome (DS). Introduction of the DS SCN1A mutation (S1231R) into the Drosophila sodium channel gene para results in flies that exhibit spontaneous and heat-induced seizures with distinct characteristics and lower onset temperature than the GEFS+ flies. Electrophysiological studies of GABAergic interneurons in the brains of adult DS flies reveal, for the first time in an in vivo model system, that a missense DS mutation causes a constitutive and conditional reduction in sodium current activity and repetitive firing. In addition, feeding with the serotonin precursor 5-HTP suppresses heat-induced seizures in DS but not GEFS+ flies. The distinct alterations of sodium currents in DS and GEFS+ GABAergic interneurons demonstrate that both loss- and gain-of-function alterations in sodium currents are capable of causing reduced repetitive firing and seizure phenotypes. The mutation-specific effects of 5-HTP on heat-induced seizures suggest the serotonin pathway as a potential therapeutic target for DS.
Abstract 4784: Selective bioluminogenic HDAC activity assays for profiling HDAC inhibitors

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA Histone deacetylases (HDACs) play critical roles in the regulation of gene transcription and cell signaling events by deacetylating histones and other important non-histone substrates. Aberrant increases in HDAC enzyme activities are therefore implicated in a number of human infirmities, including cancers, metabolic disease and neurodegeneration. Fortunately, HDAC enzymes represent attractive pharmacological targets because they are readily tractable with small molecule inhibitors. In fact, several HDAC inhibitors (HDACi) have recently proceeded through (or are near) the FDA approval process for the treatment of hematologic malignancies. However, the promise of clinical HDACi therapy has been hampered by significant dose-limiting toxicities. These off-target effects have led to a renewed focus on basic HDAC biology and the development of isoenzyme-specific HDAC inhibitors which could avoid off-target effects. To help facilitate the discovery of compounds with better defined selectivity profiles, we have developed lysine deacetylase assays that selectively measure specific isoenzyme activities in cells, extracts, or purified recombinant preparations. These assays are based on substrates that are selective due to a combination of extended peptide sequence and novel chemical modifications. Deacetylase activity is measured by delivering a single, pro-luminogenic, homogeneous assay reagent to assay wells, resulting in luminescence proportional to HDAC activity. In addition to being isoenzyme selective, these novel substrates are cell permeable allowing for lytic and non-lytic cell-based HDAC assays. Lastly, these assays are also fully compatible with fluorescent viability and/or cytotoxicity assays. This provides additional flexibility for multiplexed formats which examine not only selective HDAC inhibition, but the functional consequences they exert on cell health. Citation Format: Kevin R. Kupcho, Nathan J. Evans, Andrew L. Niles, Thomas A. Kirkland, Dan F. Lazar. Selective bioluminogenic HDAC activity assays for profiling HDAC inhibitors. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 4784. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-4784
Force-calcium relations in skinned twitch and slow-tonic frog muscle fibres have similar sarcomere length dependencies.

The sarcomere length (SL) dependence of the calcium sensitivity of force was measured in skinned single twitch and slow-tonic muscle fibres from frog and toad. Twitch and slow-tonic fibres were characterized by location, appearance, physiological response to calcium and by protein band patterns from sodium-dodecyl-sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Force-calcium relations were determined for each fibre type at two sarcomere lengths, 2.4 and 3.1 μm. Bathing solution ionic strength (IS) was 200 mm and solution pH was 7.0, 6.0 or 5.5; experiments were also done at IS=120 mm and pH 7.0. At all pHs and ionic strengths tested, slow-tonic fibres exhibited a slower time course of force development and were more sensitive to calcium than were twitch fibres. Lowering IS increased calcium sensitivity and lowering pH decreased calcium sensitivity in both fibre types. Increasing SL increased the calcium sensitivity of force in both twitch and slow-tonic fibres at pH 7.0 and at both 200 and 120 mm IS. Lowering pH caused a decrease in the length dependence of calcium sensitivity of both fibre types; at pH 5.5 the calcium sensitivity of force in slow-tonic fibres exhibited a slight decrease with increasing SL.
Mass spectrometry of ion-induced water clusters: an explanation of the infrared continuum absorption.

Mass spectrometry was used to study ion-induced water clusters [H+(H2O)c], where c = the cluster size, i.e., the number of monomers per cluster. It is shown that the numbers of hydrogen bonds in populations of these clusters in water vapor vary as the square of partial pressure and inversely with temperature, with functional dependencies that are almost identical to those observed for the infrared continuum absorption and for anomalous absorption in other wavelength regions. Experimental mass spectra taken at constant temperature vs partial pressure and data obtained at constant water vapor partial pressure vs temperature are presented and discussed. These results are combined with the evidence of cloud physicists including C. T. R. Wilson to show rather conclusively that naturally occurring ionic processes in water vapor generate large populations of hydrogen-bonded neutral water clusters that are responsible for the infrared continuum absorption. These processes can be enhanced by various kinds of ionizing energy, thus increasing anomalous absorption in water vapor or in moist air. If electrical properties of the atmosphere influence the infrared continuum absorption, which is an important mechanism in determining climate at the earth's surface, it will be necessary to reexamine extensively existing models of atmospheric radiative transfer.
Evoked potential analysis of visual pathways in human albinism

Purpose: To explore the abnormal crossing of the retinogeniculate pathways in human albinos with visual-evoked potentials (VEPs). Methods: The authors studied the symmetry of the topographic distribution of pattern onset/offset VEPs over the posterior part of the scalp elicited by monocular stimulation of each eye in 31 consecutive patients with different types of albinism. Results: Twenty-one patients had asymmetric responses, with the major amplitude recorded over the lateral part of the scalp contralaterally to the stimulated eye in 14 patients and ipsilaterally in 7 patients. In two patients, the responses had a symmetric topographic distribution. In eight patients, the amplitude was so low that studying the symmetry was not possible. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate a non-uniform pattern of asymmetry as a result of the miswiring of the visual pathways in human albinism. Moreover, the low amplitude of the VEP recorded in a consecutive series of patients shows the difficulty of the study of this phenomenon in a clinical setting.
Private good clubs and the core

Abstract The incentive for potential club members to form private good clubs is an average cost function that is decreasing over at least part of its range. Benefits to club members are measured by consumer's surplus, and a game theoretic characteristic function is used to describe total club benefits. Then, in the game framework, the optimum club size is examined and related to the existence of the core, which in turn is shown to be crucially dependent on the demand and cost curves.
An Eye Tracking Investigation of Developmental Change in Bottom-up Attention Orienting to Faces in Cluttered Natural Scenes

This study examined the contribution of visual salience to bottom-up attention orienting to faces in cluttered natural scenes across development. We eye tracked participants 4 months to 24 years of age as they freely viewed 16 natural scenes, all of which had faces in them. In half, the face was also the winner-take-all salient area in the display as determined by the MATLAB SaliencyToolbox. In the other half, a random location was the winner-take-all salient area in the display and the face was visually non-salient. We found that proportion of attended faces, in the first second of scene viewing, improved after the first year. Visually salient faces attracted bottom-up attention orienting more than non-salient faces reliably and robustly only after infancy. Preliminary data indicate that this shift to use of visual salience to guide bottom-up attention orienting after infancy may be a function of stabilization of visual skills. Moreover, sociodemographic factors including number of siblings in the home and family income were agents of developmental change in orienting to faces in cluttered natural scenes in infancy.
Turbulent jet patterns in accelerating flows

Results of flow visualization experiments, and a semi-empirical model of a single turbulent jet injected perpendicularly to a different density cross flow are presented. The model is based on integral conservation equations, including the pressure terms appropriate to accelerating flow. It uses an entrainment correlation obtained from previous experiments of a jet in a cross stream. The results show trajectories and spreading rates, and are typified by a set of three parameters: momentum ratio, Froude number and density ratio. Agreement between test and calculated results is encouraging, but tend to be poorer with increasing momentum ratio.
MYELOID LEUKEMIA IN THE MOUSE.

The incidence of myeloid leukemia is elevated in RF mice acutely exposed early in adult life to 50 to 400 rads of whole-body x radiation. The relation between incidence and dose is complex, the yield of leukemias declining as the dose is increased above an optimal level. X rays and gamma rays are less leukemogenic when administered daily at low dose rates than when administered in one or two large exposures at high dose rates. The leukemogenic effectiveness of fast neutrons depends on the neutron energy but appears generally comparable to that of x rays. In contrast, however, the effectiveness of fast neutrons shows no detectable reduction with decrease in dose rate. A given dose in air to part of the body is less leukemogenic than the same dose in air to the whole body, but quantitative data on the relative importance of the integral dose and of the volume and region of the body irradiated are not available. The average induction period of leukemia after wholebody x irradiation is 6 to 12 months depending on the dose, although the earliest radiogenic leukemias become detectable within two months. In contrast to the relatively long average latency of leukemia induced bymore » irradiation, the neoplasm appears in a significant number of nonirradiated recipients within one month after injection of cellfree filtrates of leukemic tissue. The age-specific death rate from the disease is biphasic. Radiation markedly advances the onset of the early peak, which occurs in controls between the fifteenth and eighteenth months of life. Radiation affects the late peak (occurring at 22 to 24 months) relatively less, if at all. The results of these studies suggest that the leukemic transformation induced by radiation evolves through multiple changes rather than through a single, one-hit type of alteration in a host cell or in the virus-host relation. (auth)« less
REGULATION OF MAMMALIAN O2 HOMEOSTASIS BY HYPOXIA-INDUCIBLE FACTOR 1

Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) is a heterodimeric basic-helix-loop-helix-PAS transcription factor consisting of HIF-1 alpha and HIF-1 beta subunits. HIF-1 alpha expression and HIF-1 transcriptional activity increase exponentially as cellular O2 concentration is decreased. Several dozen target genes that are transactivated by HIF-1 have been identified, including those encoding erythropoietin, glucose transporters, glycolytic enzymes, and vascular endothelial growth factor. The products of these genes either increase O2 delivery or allow metabolic adaptation to reduced O2 availability. HIF-1 is required for cardiac and vascular development and embryonic survival. In fetal and postnatal life, HIF-1 is required for a variety of physiological responses to chronic hypoxia. HIF-1 expression is increased in tumor cells by multiple mechanisms and may mediate adaptation to hypoxia that is critical for tumor progression. HIF-1 thus appears to function as a master regulator of O2 homeostasis that plays essential roles in cellular and systemic physiology, development, and pathophysiology.
Market Regulation and International Use of Futures Markets

One of the arguments given in favor of the creation of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in 1974 was the need to extend regulation to previously unregulated commodities. Under the CFTC's predecessor, the USDA Commodity Exchange Authority, futures markets for such international commodities as coffee, cocoa, sugar, and the metals had been largely unregulated. The argument in favor of increased regulation for these markets was parity-all U.S. futures markets should be treated alike. In arguing against increased regulation, domestic exchanges trading futures contracts on international commodities stated that federal regulation would drive business to competitive markets overseas, where traders were unfettered by regulations which required filing reports on their positions and trading. In fact, a representative for three exchanges claimed that if any of the bills calling for the creation of the CFTC were passed, the three exchanges would go out of business in four or five years (Chapin, p. 472). More recently, the argument has been reversed. One of the reasons given for the rapid growth of U.S. futures markets compared to British markets is the greater investor protection in U.S. markets because of federal regulation (Hewson, p. 14). In addition, new legislation and/or regulatory bodies for futures markets are being considered in Canada, England, France, and Australia. The purpose of this paper is to consider the competitive effects of market regulation. Briefly, we will describe regulatory differences between U.S. and British futures markets and then, using intervention analysis, examine the level of activity on competing U.S. and British futures markets for cocoa, coffee, and sugar during the period 1970 to the present to see if important regulatory changes affect the volume of trading on these markets. Testimony provided to a Senate committee by the CFTC indicates that in the United States foreign traders make up a sizable proportion of all futures traders holding reportable positions in these commodities. The data revealed that about 30% of the long side and 45% of the short side of the total open interest in these commodities on 24 May 1983 was held by reportable foreign traders (Phillips). Commercial multinational firms are the predominant users of these futures markets. They are highly sophisticated traders who follow international prices and government policies closely and are experienced in dealing with foreign trade risks. As a result, it is assumed that they could shift their futures trading from one market to another if they wished to avoid regulation they considered too burdensome. It should also be noted that in addition to regulation, a number of other factors affect a trader's choice of futures markets, including exchange rate risk and foreign exchange controls, futures contract differences, taxation, and international and national commodity programs. This brief paper, however, does not allow us to consider these factors.
Some Parasitic Diseases of Dolphins

Lungworm infection (Halocercus sp.) in the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) was found to be very common in animals captured from the wild and in those raised within an aquarium. Infection of the Amazon dolphin (Inia geoffrensis) with Hunterotrema caballeroi causes pulmonary atelectasis. An unidentified holotrich ciliate was found in the blowholes of over 50% of the animals examined and was responsible for a purulent pneumonia in 1 instance. Hepatic and pancreatic trematodiasis which caused interstitial fibrosis occurred frequently in T. truncatus; the trematode was identified as Campula palliata. Pholeter gastrophilus, a trematode, results in the proliferation of a tumorous mass of fibrous tissue in the wall of the stomach. The sclerotic tissue surrounds cavities containing parasites and ova.
Parental verbal abuse and the mediating role of self-criticism in adult internalizing disorders.

BACKGROUND: Researchers (e.g., Gibb, B.E., 2002. Childhood maltreatment and negative cognitive styles. A quantitative and qualitative review. Clinical Psychology Review, 22 (2), 223-246; Rose, D.T., Abramson, L.Y., 1992. Developmental predictors of depressive cognitive styles: developmental perspectives on depression. In Cicchetti, D., Toth, S.L. (Eds.), Developmental Perspectives on Depression. Rochester symposium on developmental psychopathology, vol. 4, pp. 323-349) have proposed that when childhood abuse is verbal (rather than sexual or physical), the child is more likely to develop a negative self-schema because the negative self-cognitions are directly supplied to the child by the abuser (e.g., "you are stupid"). METHODS: In a test of this theory in adult participants, and drawing on the National Comorbidity Survey (NCS) (N=5877), we investigate the mediating role of current levels of self-criticism on the relationship between retrospective reports of parental verbal abuse, as well as sexual and physical abuse, and adult internalizing symptoms. RESULTS: We found self-criticism, but not dependency traits, to fully mediate the relationship between childhood verbal abuse perpetrated by parents and internalizing (depression, anxiety) symptoms. On the other hand, self-criticism was only a partial mediator of the relationship between the other types of abuse and internalizing symptoms. LIMITATIONS: The NCS data is cross-sectional, which limits any firm conclusions regarding causality. While these results are suggestive that self-criticism is a mediator of the relationship between abuse and internalizing symptoms, longitudinal data are necessary to help rule out alternative explanations. CONCLUSIONS: Results of this study suggest that childhood abuse experiences, and in particular verbal abuse, may confer risk for internalizing disorders in part because verbal abuse influences the development of a self-critical style. Language: en
A mutation in calsequestrin, CASQ2D307H, impairs Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Ca2+ handling and causes complex ventricular arrhythmias in mice

Objective: A naturally-occurring mutation in cardiac calsequestrin (CASQ2) at amino acid 307 was discovered in a highly inbred family and hypothesized to cause Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia (CPVT). The goal of this study was to establish a causal link between CASQ2 D307H and the CPVT phenotype using an in vivo model. Methods and results: Cardiac-specific expression of the CASQ2 D307H transgene was achieved using the α-MHC promoter. Multiple transgenic (TG) mouse lines expressing CASQ2 D307H from 2- to 6-fold possess structurally normal hearts without any sign of hypertrophy. The hearts displayed normal ventricular function. Myocytes isolated from TG mice had diminished ICa-induced Ca 2+ transient amplitude and duration, as well as increased Ca 2+ spark frequency. These myocytes, when exposed to isoproterenol and caffeine, displayed disturbances in their rhythmic Ca 2+ oscillations and membrane potential, and delayed afterdepolarizations. ECG monitoring revealed that TG mice challenged with isoproterenol and caffeine developed complex ventricular arrhythmias, including non-sustained polymorphic ventricular tachycardia. Conclusions: The findings of the present study demonstrate that expression of mutant CASQ2 D307H in the mouse heart results in abnormal myocyte Ca 2+ handling and predisposes to complex ventricular arrhythmias similar to the CPVT phenotype observed in human patients.
Single-channel speech separation and recognition using loopy belief propagation

We address the problem of single-channel speech separation and recognition using loopy belief propagation in a way that enables efficient inference for an arbitrary number of speech sources. The graphical model consists of a set of N Markov chains, each of which represents a language model or grammar for a given speaker. A Gaussian mixture model with shared states is used to model the hidden acoustic signal for each grammar state of each source. The combination of sources is modeled in the log spectrum domain using non-linear interaction functions. Previously, temporal inference in such a model has been performed using an N-dimensional Viterbi algorithm that scales exponentially with the number of sources. In this paper, we describe a loopy message passing algorithm that scales linearly with language model size. The algorithm achieves human levels of performance, and is an order of magnitude faster than competitive systems for two speakers.
Erythematous plaques due to platelet plugging: a clue to underlying myeloproliferative disorder.

Abstract We report a syndrome in a middle-aged woman characterized by tender erythematous plaques with histologic evidence of dramatic dermal vessel occlusion. These cutaneous findings occurred in association with progressive inferior vena cava and portal vein thrombosis while on coumarin anticoagulation, following hepatic transplantation for Budd-Chiari syndrome. The material occluding dermal vessels was proven by immunohistochemical staining to be platelet plugs. These findings led to the diagnosis of an underlying myeloproliferative disorder explaining both her cutaneous and liver abnormalities and institution of appropriate platelet directed anticoagulation with aspirin. (J Am Acad Dermatol 2000;43:355-7.)
I.T.'s not your parents' library: no box required

Customer Service in college and university academic support is not as much about meeting immediate microscopic needs as providing an environment where people can flourish both intellectually and technologically - not merely thinking outside the box, but eliminating it altogether. Synergy between library and information technology services can result in a personal learning environment in which scholars feel completely at home while having full and convenient access to the resources they need to pursue their work - those resources including, but not limited to, assistance with immediate problems that bridge both spheres. This requires the presence of both library and information technology cultures, in a seamless fashion and in an environment designed to be in harmony with the physical, intellectual, and spiritual dimensions of the scholar. This is the philosophy and reality of the new Christopher Center at Valparaiso University; students, faculty, staff, and the larger community feel at home and at ease in this new environment, as do Library and IT staffs, which remain administratively separate but work side by side. We elaborate on our shared vision and describe how we brought it to fruition.
Effect of one year of thiazide therapy on plasma volume, renin, aldosterone, lipids and urinary metanephrines in systolic hypertension of elderly patients.

Abstract Increased cardiac and vascular morbidity and mortality are known to accompany systemic systolic hypertension of the elderly. We have reported on the hemodynamic benefit in this disorder after 1 month of therapy with a thiazide diuretic, and on the maintenance of improvement for 1 year. 1 In another group of patients with systolic hypertension we have reported on the changes in plasma volume, renin activity, and aldosterone, lipid and urinary metanephrine levels at 1 month of such therapy. 2 This study extends these observations to 1 year of thiazide therapy and explores the relation between the hemodynamic and biochemical variables during this period.
Effect of Ammonium Chloride on Nitrogen and Mineral Balance in Lactating and Nonlactating Goats

Abstract Four goats were in three single-reversal experiments to study effects of feeding ammonium chloride on various nutritional and physiological parameters. In Experiment I, feeding .56 g of ammonium chloride per day per kilogram body weight to lactating goats fed a ration having a calcium-to-phosphorus ratio of 3:l resulted in a reduced calcium retention and no change in phosphorus retention. In Experiments II and III, ingestion of .33 g of ammonium chloride per day per kilogram body weight by nonlactating goats fed a diet with calcium-to-phosphorus ratios of 3.4:l and 6.4:1 resulted in no change in calcium or phosphorus retention. Results which consistently accompanied treatment with ammonium chloride during each experiment were: (1) a decrease in dry matter intake, (2) a decrease in urine pH, (3) an increase in total grams of urine excreted per day, and (4) an increase in total urinary acretion of nitrogen, calcium, magnesium, chloride, strontium, and zinc.
The value of 18F-FDG PET/CT in the assessment of cardiac malignancy remains to be defined.

TO THE EDITOR: We read with great interest the recent article by Rahbar et al. titled “Differentiation of Malignant and Benign Cardiac Tumors Using 18F-FDG PET/CT” ([1][1]). The paper is interesting because diagnosis of cardiac malignancy is difficult and poorly defined. For example, it has been
Endovascular Approaches and Perioperative Considerations in Acute Aortic Dissection

Aortic dissections remain complicated management issues both in the acute setting and in the chronic setting. Acute problems revolve around malperfusion syndromes or rupture, whereas chronic issues progress from the development of aneurysms in the residual dissected aorta. Endovascular approaches to dealing with these difficult situations are being used more frequently to treat acute issues in type B dissections and prevent secondary complications in type A dissections that may require significant intervention in the future. This article discusses the endovascular approaches employed in the care of acute dissections with particular attention toward the anesthetic considerations involved in these challenging cases.
Shoulder Impingement: Biomechanical Considerations in Rehabilitation

Shoulder impingement is a common condition presumed to contribute to rotator cuff disease. Impingement can occur externally with the coracoacromial arch or internally with the glenoid rim. Normal scapulothoracic motions that occur during arm elevation include upward rotation, posterior tilting, and either internal or external rotation. These scapulothoracic motions and positions are the result of coupled interactions between sternoclavicular and acromioclavicular joints. The sternoclavicular and acromioclavicular joints both contribute to scapulothoracic upward rotation. Posterior tilting is primarily an acromioclavicular joint motion. The sternoclavicular and acromioclavicular joint motions offset one another regarding final scapulothoracic internal/external rotation position. This manuscript discusses these coupled interactions in relation to shoulder muscle function. Two case examples are presented to demonstrate application of understanding these interactions and potential mechanisms of movement abnormalities in targeting treatment interventions for movement based subgroups of impingement patients.
An implementation of hierarchical signal processing on wireless sensor in TinyOS environment

Wireless intelligent sensor networks have become a major infrastructure for deeply embedded systems. As these systems typically operate under stringent energy constraints, a careful consideration of computation and communication is crucial for extended system lifetime. To achieve extended lifetime on a limited energy budget the existing sensor platforms feature limited communication bandwidth, processing power, and interfacing capabilities. We propose to augment a general-purpose sensor platform by low-power, intelligent signal processing modules. This approach allows on-sensor parallel signal processing. In this paper we present an implementation of a sensor node featuring 2-tier hierarchical organization. The upper level is realized using the Telos wireless platform, and the lower level is a custom Intelligent Signal Processing Module (ISPM). The ISPM is developed as an application-specific sensor board for health monitoring applications. It features two accelerometers, a bioamplifier, and a microcontroller used for preprocessing and communication with the Telos platform. Telos features ZigBee wireless interface and can communicate to an application server through a network coordinator. The application server represents a third tier in the hierarchical system. The server seamlessly integrates sensors into a wireless body area network of physiological sensors. We describe the system architecture and software support implemented in TinyOS environment.
Visual Analysis of the Daily QA Results of Photon and Electron Beams of a Trilogy Linac over a Five-Year Period

Data visualization technique was applied to analyze the daily QA results of photon and electron beams. Special attention was paid to any trend the beams might display. A Varian Trilogy Linac equipped with dual photon energies and five electron energies was commissioned in early 2010. Daily Linac QA tests including the output constancy, beam flatness and symmetry (radial and transverse directions) were performed with an ionization chamber array device (QA Beam Checker Plus, Standard Imaging). The data of five years were collected and analyzed. For each energy, the measured data were exported and processed for visual trending using an in-house Matlab program. These daily data were cross-correlated with the monthly QA and annual QA results, as well as the preventive maintenance records. Majority of the output were within 1% of variation, with a consistent positive/upward drift for all seven energies (~+0.25% per month). The baseline of daily device is reset annually right after the TG-51 calibration. This results in a sudden drop of the output. On the other hand, the large amount of data using the same baseline exhibits a sinusoidal behavior (period = 12 months; amplitude = 0.8%, 0.5% for photons, electrons, respectively) on symmetry and flatness when normalization of baselines is accounted for. The well known phenomenon of new Linac output drift was clearly displayed. This output drift was a result of the air leakage of the over-pressurized sealed monitor chambers for the specific vendor. Data visualization is a new trend in the era of big data in radiation oncology research. It allows the data to be displayed visually and therefore more intuitive. Based on the visual display from the past, the physicist might predict the trend of the Linac and take actions proactively. It also makes comparisons, alerts failures, and potentially identifies causalities.