cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cryopreservation of monogonont rotifers

Development of techniques to maintain viable rotifer clones in a frozen state would preserve the genotype and reduce routine maintenance for those clones not being actively studied. To this end we have frozen Brachionus plicatilis in dimethyl sulfoxide at concentrations ranging from 6% to 18%. Survival rates decreased as the endpoint temperature was reduced from −20 °C to −45 °C, but did not decrease when the temperature was further reduced to −196 °C (liquid nitrogen). Only 2% of the individuals survived freezing in liquid nitrogen.
The archeopyle in cretaceous palaeoperidinium eurypylum (manum and cookson) comb. nov., and similar dinoflagellates

Abstract The Upper Cretaceous species originally named Scriniodinium eurypylum by Manum and Cookson (1964) is shown to possess a type of archeopyle and other features that require removal from Scriniodinium Klement. The species is redescribed and is transferred to Palaeoperidinium Deflandre. Other species with similar archeopyles are discussed and illustrated: Palaeoperidinium basilium (Drugg) Drugg and a closely similar, unnamed species from the Maastrichtian‐Danian (marine), Palaeoperidinium hansonianum (Traverse) Lentin and Williams from the Oligocene (freshwater), and Peridinium limbatum (Stokes) Lemmermann from the Holocene (freshwater). Contrasts with the archeopyle in another group of Cretaceous marine species, one of which has been misidentified as Scriniodinium eurypylum, are pointed out.
975-81 Prognostic Value of Ultra-Low Frequency Heart Rate Variability in Chronic Aortic Regurgitation

Ultra-low frequency heart rate variability can predict progression to valve surgery or cardiac death in patients with mitral regurgitation, but its prognostic value in patients with chronic pure aortic regurgitation has not been defined. We examined heart rate variability in 46 asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic patients with chronic severe aortic regurgitation and no evident coronary disease, who underwent ambulatory electrocardiography as part of a prospective study of the natural history of regurgitant valvular diseases. At entry, all patients were in sinus rhythm, and were NYHA functional class I or early II, with left ventricular ejection fraction ≥ 45%, left ventricular dimension in diastole (LVIDd) ≥ 5.5 cm in females, LVIDd ≥ 5.9 cm in males. Endpoints were progression to aortic valve replacement (n = 19) or cardiac death (n = 1). A measure of ultra-low frequency heart rate variability, SDANN, was calculated as the standard deviation of the 5 minute mean RR intervals over 24 hours. Based on a median SDANN of 144 msec as a partition value, event-free survival in patients with SDANN l144 msec (n = 23) was compared to that in patients with SDANN ≥ 144 msec (n = 23) using the log rank test, as shown in the figure. The average annual risk of endpoint events was 10.2% for SDANN l144 msec and 2.6% for SDANN ≥ 144 msec (p = 0.003). Conclusion Ultra-low frequency heart rate variability measured as SDANN strongly concentrates risk of progression to valve surgery or cardiac death in asymptomatic and minimally symptomatic patients with chronic pure aortic regurgitation Download : Download high-res image (84KB) Download : Download full-size image
Role of aspirin in MATCH.

e-mail submissions to correspondence@lancet.com See Department of Error page 1666 Role of aspirin in MATCH One issue in Hans-Christoph Diener and colleagues’ study (July 24, p 331) needs clarification—namely, what was the role of previous aspirin use in the MATCH study group? In their discussion, Diener and co-workers note that 80% of patients were receiving aspirin at enrolment, which was based on a qualifying event—ie, stroke or transient ischaemic attack. An important issue is what proportion of patients were on aspirin at the time of the qualifying ischaemic event. This time-point is distinct from that of enrolment, since the study design allowed up to 3 months between qualifying event and enrolment, during which time an aspirin naive patient could have begun taking the drug. Also, how many of the patients with a history of myocardial ischaemic events had a recurrent cardiac event while on aspirin? The answer to this question is relevant because individuals who have an event while on aspirin might reasonably be considered resistant to aspirin. Since as many as 80% of those enrolled to MATCH could have been aspirin resistant, were any platelet aggregation studies done? Aspirin resistance is common, with as many as 40% of individuals who have a stroke being affected. Aspirin would not be expected to prevent further events in such patients. Thus, its coadministration with a new agent, such as clopidogrel, would not result in increased benefit, as suggested by the results of MATCH. If most of the patients enrolled to MATCH had their qualifying event while on aspirin, then this study was surely addressing the clinical import of adding aspirin to clopidogrel in high-risk patients after aspirin had been shown to be of little benefit. Since aspirin is appropriately widely prescribed, this question is a highly relevant one for most providers of medical care, and the results are as expected. Furthermore, with similar patients, might the trial’s conclusion also hold true for any other drug combination that included aspirin, such as aspirin-ticlopidine or aspirin-dipyridamole?
Increased sediment oxygen uptake caused by oxygenation-induced hypolimnetic mixing.

Abstract Hypolimnetic oxygenation systems (HOx) are increasingly used in lakes and reservoirs to elevate dissolved oxygen (O2) while preserving stratification, thereby decreasing concentrations of reduced chemical species in the hypolimnion. By maintaining an oxic zone in the upper sediment, HOx suppress fluxes of reduced soluble species from the sediment into the overlying water. However, diminished HOx performance has been observed due to HOx-induced increases in sediment O2 uptake. Based on a series of in situ O2 microprofile and current velocity measurements, this study evaluates the vertical O2 distribution at the sediment-water interface as a function of HOx operation. These data were used to determine how sediment O2 uptake rate ( J O 2 ) and sediment oxic-zone depth (zmax) were affected by applied oxygen-gas flow rate, changes in near-sediment mixing and O2 concentration, and proximity to the HOx. The vertical sediment-water O2 distribution was found to be strongly influenced by oxygenation on a reservoir-wide basis. Elevated J O 2 and an oxic sediment zone were maintained during continuous HOx operation, with zmax increasing linearly with HOx flow rate. In contrast, J O 2 decreased to zero and the sediment became anoxic as the vertical O2 distribution at the sediment-water interface collapsed during periods when the HOx was turned off and near-sediment mixing and O2 concentrations decreased. J O 2 and zmax throughout the reservoir were found to be largely governed by HOx-induced mixing rather than O2 levels in the water column. By quantifying how J O 2 and zmax vary in response to HOx operations, this work (1) characterizes how hypolimnetic oxygenation affects sediment O2 dynamics, (2) contributes to the optimization of water quality and management of HOx-equipped lakes and reservoirs, and (3) enhances understanding of the effect of mixing and O2 concentrations in other systems.
Concentration and separation of hypoglycemic drugs using solid-phase extraction-capillary electrophoresis.

Abstract Solid-phase extraction-capillary electrophoresis (SPE-CE) is a technique whereby very dilute analytes may be selectively extracted from a sample matrix and concentrated on-line for analysis. This study describes the first phase in the development of a method exploiting this technique for the direct analysis of hypoglycemic drugs in urine. Effective separation and detection of six sulfonylurea drug standards at concentrations below the detection limit of conventional capillary electrophoretic techniques is shown to be attainable. Since surfactant interfered with the on-line concentration process, non-MEKC (micellar electrokinetic chromatography) separation conditions were defined. Using 250 mM borate/5 mM phosphate at pH 8.4, all drugs in a mixture at 285 ng/ml were effectively extracted, concentrated from an injected volume of 2.5 μl, non-selectively desorbed with an organic-based elution buffer and electrophoretically resolved. Sample loading was found to be linear in the 0.12–1.9 μl range and drugs in a volume of up to 190 μl could be concentrated and detected with a sensitivity of ≈5 ng/ml. Not only was resolution of the desorbed material uncompromised by the presence of the SPE-tip, but separation of glipizide and glyburide was observed despite the fact that these drugs were unresolved under the same separation conditions by standard capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE). From these results, it is clear that SPE-CE not only increases the sensitivity for detection but that selectivity may be altered due to chromatographic processes occurring on the solid-phase resin.
Identity is Destiny: Leadership and the Roots of Value Creation

This article presents a review of the book “Identity Is Destiny: Leadership and the Roots of Value Creation,” by Laurence D. Ackerman.
Weights of operatively-excised stenotic unicuspid, bicuspid, and tricuspid aortic valves and their relation to age, sex, body mass index, and presence or absence of concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting.

Abstract This study was designed to evaluate weights of operatively-excised stenotic aortic valves and to compare them with age, sex, body mass index, and presence or absence of concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting. Weights of operatively-excised stenotic aortic valves have not been previously reported. We weighed operatively-excised stenotic valves in 499 patients (aged 19 to 91 years, mean 70), none of whom had mitral valve replacement. The 499 aortic valves ranged in weight from 0.45 to 11.30 g (mean 2.67). The mean weights of the unicuspid and bicuspid valves were heavier than those of the tricuspid valves (4.36 vs 3.34 vs 2.04 g, p 30 kg/m 2 (2.62 vs 2.76 vs 2.57 g). Weights of operatively-excised stenotic aortic valves provide objective evidence of valvular stenosis.
PSEUDOROTATION IN MONOCYCLIC OXYPHOSPHORANES WHICH CONTAIN CHIRAL CENTERS

Abstract Phenylbis[2-methyl-1-butoxy]phosphine has been allowed to react with butanedione to produce 2,2-bis[2-methyl-1-butoxy]-2-phenyl-4,5-dimethyl-1,3,2-dioxaphophol-4-ene. This material is a mixture of three diastereomers. It has been reported that 2,2-bis[tetrahydrofurfuyloxy]-2-phenyl-4,5-dimethyl-1,3,2-dioxaphosphol-4-ene is a mixture of only two diastereomers. The present work suggest that two of the diastereomers of the tetrahydrofurfuryloxy compound interconvert via hexacoordinated zwitterionic intermediates which involve addition of the oxygen of the tetrahydrofuran ring to phosphorus.
Revised D st and the epicycles of magnetic disturbance: 1958–2007

Abstract. A revised version of the storm-time disturbance index Dst is calculated using hourly-mean magnetic-observatory data from four standard observatories and collected over the years 1958–2007. The calculation algorithm is a revision of that established by Sugiura et al., and which is now used by the Kyoto World Data Center for routine production of Dst. The most important new development is for the removal of solar-quiet variation. This is done through time and frequency-domain band-stop filtering – selectively removing specific Fourier terms approximating stationary periodic variation driven by the Earth's rotation, the Moon's orbit, the Earth's orbit around the Sun, and their mutual coupling. The resulting non-stationary disturbance time series are weighted by observatory-site geomagnetic latitude and then averaged together across longitudes to give what we call Dst5807-4SH. Comparisons are made with the standard Kyoto Dst. Various biases, especially for residual solar-quiet variation, are identified in the Kyoto Dst, and occasional storm-time errors in the Kyoto Dst are noted. Using Dst5807-4SH, storms are ranked for maximum storm-time intensity, and we show that storm-occurrence frequency follows a power-law distribution with an exponential cutoff. The epicycles of magnetic disturbance are explored: we (1) map low-latitude local-time disturbance asymmetry, (2) confirm the 27-day storm-recurrence phenomenon using autocorrelation, (3) investigate the coupled semi-annual-diurnal variation of magnetic activity and the proposed explanatory equinoctial and Russell-McPherron hypotheses, and (4) illustrate the well-known solar-cycle modulation of storm-occurrence likelihood. Since Dst5807-4SH is useful for a variety of space physics and solid-Earth applications, it is made freely available to the scientific community.
The effect of pressure on the ionization of boric acid in aqueous solutions from molal-volume data

The apparent, φ v , and partial, $$\bar V_2 $$ molal volumes of dilute (0.02 to 0.7m) aqueous boric acid, B(OH)3, and sodium borate, NaB(OH)4, solutions have been determined from 0 to 50° C from precision density measurements. The φ v of boric acid is a linear function of the first power of concentration. For sodium borate, the Debye-Huckel theoretical limiting law slope for the φ v as a function of the square root of molar concentration is approached at all temperatures studied. The positive deviations at higher concentrations increase with decreasing temperature. The infinite-dilution volume properties of both B(OH)3 and NaB(OH)4 indicate that these solutes behave like “structure breakers” between 0 and 50°C (that is ∂2φ ° /∂T2 is negative). The volume change for the ionization of boric acid in water $$\Delta \bar V^\circ $$ , is calculated from the volume data at various temperatures. This volume change has been used to estimate the effect of pressure on the ionization of boric acid solutions from 0 to 50°C and 0 to 1000 bars. The calculated effect of pressure on the ionization is in good agreement with direct measurements.
Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of butorphanol in llamas following intravenous and intramuscular administration.

Our purposes were to evaluate the disposition of butorphanol (BUT) in llamas after intravenous (IV) and intramuscular (IM) administration, to evaluate the effect of BUT on certain physiologic variables, and to evaluate BUT's analgesic efficacy after IM administration. Six healthy neutered male llamas (4.5 ± 1.6 years) weighing 102.9 ± 16.4 kg were given BUT (0.1 mg kg−1, IV or IM) using a nonrandomized crossover design; each llama received each treatment at a 1-month interval. The dose chosen for evaluation was that which is currently used to treat pain in llamas. Blood samples were withdrawn from the venous catheter, after flushing with heparinized saline and collecting a waste sample. A volume of 6 mL of blood were collected and placed in heparinized tubes at 0, 2, 5, 10, 15, and 30 minutes and 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 16, and 24 hour for the IV study and at 0, 15, 30, and 45 minutes and 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 16, and 24 hour for the IM study. Drug in plasma was detected by high performance liquid chromatography and subjected to standard pharmacokinetic analysis using linear regression. Two months later, BUT was administered IM; physiologic variables (heart rate, respiratory rate, rectal temperature, indirect blood pressure) and analgesia were assessed at 15-min intervals for 2 hours. Analgesia was assessed using a modified hoof-tester fitted with an electronic force transducer to measure applied isometric force to the withers, mid-neck region, and metacarpus. Elimination between the two routes was compared using an unpaired two-tailed t-test; continuous variables after IM BUT were subjected to repeated measures anova; the p-values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. The C0 after IV BUT was 94.8 ± 53.1 ng mL−1; Cmax after IM BUT was 34.3 ± 11.6 ng mL−1. The Vss after IV BUT was 0.822 ± 0.329 L kg−1 and systemic clearance was 0.050 ± 0.014 L kg−1 minute−1. The slope of the elimination phase and the elimination half-life were significantly shorter after IV (15.9 ± 9.1 minutes) versus IM (66.8 ± 13.5 minutes) BUT. Bioavailability was 110 ± 49%. Heart rate decreased (30–105 minutes) and rectal temperature increased (30–60 min). Somatic analgesia increased at 30 minutes (plasma BUT = 23.8 ng mL−1) in the withers compression model and did not return to baseline; in the mid-neck compression model, somatic analgesia increased at 45 minutes (21.0 ng mL−1) and returned to baseline by 120 minutes (9.2 ng mL−1). Two llamas were transiently sedated and two were transiently excited after IM BUT. The relationship among plasma BUT concentration, time, and analgesia differed with the area of compression. Clinical trials in llamas could better define the plasma BUT concentrations associated with somatic and visceral analgesia. The longer half-life of IM BUT is more likely to be clinically convenient compared to IV BUT.
Unusual slow gating of gap junction channels in oocytes expressing connexin32 or its COOH-terminus truncated mutant.

Gap junction channels are gated by a chemical gate and two transjunctional voltage (V j)-sensitive gates: fast and slow. Slow V j gate and chemical gate are believed to be the same. The slow gate closes at the negative side of V j and is mostly inactive without uncouplers or connexin (Cx) mutations. In contrast, our present data indicate otherwise. Oocytes expressing Cx32 were subjected to series of −100 mV V j pulses (12-s duration, 30-s intervals). Both peak (PK) and steady-state (SS) junctional conductances (G j), measured at each pulse, decreased exponentially by 50−60% (tau = ∼1.2 min). G jPK dropped more dramatically, such that G jSS/G jPK increased from 0.4 to 0.6, indicating a drop in V j sensitivity. Less striking effects were obtained with –60 mV pulses. During recovery, G j, measured by applying 20 mV pulses (2-s duration, 30-s intervals), slowly returned to initial values (tau = ∼7 min). With reversal of V j polarity, G jPK briefly increased and G jSS/G jPK decreased, suggesting that V j-dependent hemichannel reopening is faster than hemichannel closing. Similar yet more dramatic results were obtained with COOH-terminus truncated Cx32 (Cx32-D225), a mutant believed to lack fast V j gating. The data indicate that the slow gate of Cx32 is active in the absence of uncouplers or mutations and displays unusual V j behavior. Based on previous evidence for direct calmodulin (CaM) involvement in chemical/slow gating, this may also be CaM-mediated.
Flow-cytometric analysis of mitochondria-associated fluorescence in young and old human fibroblasts.

Abstract Rhodamine 123 fluorescence in populations of young and old human fibroblasts was analysed and quantified with a fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS). Old fibroblasts exhibited a higher mean relative fluorescence than young fibroblasts. Moreover, two distinct subpopulations were evident in the fluorescence distributions of old cells—but not in those of young cells.
DESIGNING NETWORK MOTIFS IN CONNECTED VEHICLE SYSTEMS: DELAY EFFECTS AND STABILITY

Arising technologies in vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication allow vehicles to obtain information about the motion of distant vehicles. Such information can be presented to the driver or incorporated in advanced autonomous cruise control (ACC) systems. In this paper, we investigate the effects of multi-vehicle communication on the dynamics of connected vehicle platoons and propose a motif-based approach that allows systematical analysis and design of such systems. We investigate the dynamics of simple motifs in the presence of communication delays, and show that long-distance communication can stabilize the uniform flow when the flow cannot be stabilized by nearest neighbor interactions. The results can be used for designing driver assist systems and communication-based cruise control systems.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Unitary classification in a comparison task.

Sequential effects were used to diagnose whether elements in a two-object-comparison-task are represented as a perceptual unit or separately. The presence of sequential effects and absence of influences of individual elements on the subsequent trial in a successive comparison task favor the hypothesis that the elements in a pair are represented as a unit, and that a response is made to the perceptual unit. The patterns of responsetimes onsame anddifferent trials differed in-several ways; these suggested that the quality of the representations ofsame anddifferent trials may differ.
Signature of the End-Cretaceous Mass Extinction in the Modern Biota

The long-term effects of mass extinctions on spatial and evolutionary dynamics have been poorly studied. Here we show that the evolutionary consequences of the end-Cretaceous [Cretaceous/Paleogene (K/Pg)] mass extinction persist in present-day biogeography. The geologic ages of genera of living marine bivalves show a significant break from a smooth exponential distribution, corresponding to the K/Pg boundary. The break reflects a permanent increase in origination rates, intermediate between the Mesozoic rate and the post-extinction recovery pulse. This global rate shift is most clearly seen today in tropical bioprovinces and weakens toward the poles. Coupled with the modern geographic distributions of taxa originating before and after the K/Pg boundary, this spatial pattern indicates that tropical origination rates after the K/Pg event have left a permanent mark on the taxonomic and biogeographic structure of the modern biota, despite the complex Cenozoic history of marine environments.
Failing to Make Ends Meet: Dubious Financial Success Among Employed Former Welfare to Work Program Participants

To many, declining caseloads and increased labor market entry substantiate welfare reform’s success. This study examines how Louisiana welfare to work program participants who succeeded by leaving assistance and obtaining employment are making ends meet, if their needs are met and which characteristics are associated with having their needs met. Telephone survey data reveal low wages, informal labor market activity, government, community, and social support use, and notable levels of unmet needs. A multivariate analysis shows workers with higher earnings and regular nonmonetary help from family and friends are likely to have more needs met. Those likely to have fewer needs met report lower wages, more young children, use of government support programs and informal labor market activity.
Fatigue Fracture Behavior of PEEK

Experimental results on fatigue crack propagation in PEEK under different load levels, specimen thickness, and environmental temperatures reported in References [1] and [2] are analyzed. When the kinetic data is plotted against J1 = σv δ (where σv is the yield stress of the material and δ is the crack tip opening displacement), the crack speed is practically independent of the load level, specimen thickness, and environmental tempera tures up to 75°C. The experimental data is confronted with a power type kinetic equation and the kinetic equation of the crack layer model. The analysis indicates that both kinetic equations describe well the data under a wide spectrum of loading conditions.
PI3K/PTEN/AKT/mTOR pathway genetic variation predicts toxicity and distant progression in lung cancer patients receiving platinum-based chemotherapy

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is still the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. The effect of the PI3K/PTEN/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway on cancer treatment, including NSCLC, has been well documented. In this study, we analyzed associations between genetic variations within this pathway and clinical outcomes following platinum-based chemotherapy in 168 patients with stage IIIB (wet) or stage IV NSCLC. Sixteen tagging SNPs in five core genes (PIK3CA, PTEN, AKT1, AKT2, and FRAP1) of this pathway and identified SNPs associated with development of toxicity and disease progression. We observed significantly increased toxicity for patients with PIK3CA:rs2699887 (OR: 3.86, 95% CI: 1.08-13.82). In contrast, a SNP in PTEN was associated with significantly reduced risk for chemotherapeutic toxicity (OR: 0.44, 95% CI: 0.20-0.95). We identified three SNPs in AKT1 resulting in significantly decreased risks of distant progression in patients carrying at least one variant allele with HRs of 0.66 (95% CI: 0.45-0.97), 0.52 (95% CI: 0.35-0.77), and 0.62 (95% CI: 0.42-0.91) for rs3803304, rs2498804, and rs1130214, respectively. Furthermore, these same variants conferred nearly 2-fold increased progression-free survival times. The current study provides evidence that genetic variations within the PI3K/PTEN/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway are associated with variation in clinical outcomes of NSCLC patients. With further validation, our findings may provide additional biomarkers for customized treatment of platinum-based chemotherapy for NSCLC.
Targeting cyclin D1, a downstream effector of INI1/hSNF5, in rhabdoid tumors

Rhabdoid tumors (RTs) are aggressive and currently incurable pediatric malignancies. INI1/hSNF5 is a tumor suppressor biallelically inactivated in RTs. Our previous studies have indicated that cyclin D1 is a key downstream target of INI1/hSNF5 and genesis and/or survival of RTs in vivo is critically dependent on the presence of cyclin D1. In this report, we have tested the hypothesis that therapeutic targeting of cyclin D1 is an effective means of treating RTs. We found that RNA interference of cyclin D1 in rhabdoid cells was sufficient to induce G1 arrest and apoptosis. Furthermore, we found that pharmacological intervention with low micromolar concentrations of N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)retinamide (4-HPR), which downmodulates cyclin D1, induced G1 arrest and apoptosis in rhabdoid cell lines. 4-HPR in combination with 4-hydroxy-tamoxifen (4OH-Tam), synergistically inhibited survival as well as anchorage-dependent and -independent growth of rhabdoid cells and caused synergistic induction of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. 4-HPR and tamoxifen exhibited synergistic growth inhibition of RTs in xenograft models in vivo. The effects of combination of drugs were correlated to the depletion of cyclin D1 levels both in in vitro and in vivo tumor models. These results demonstrate that 4-HPR and tamoxifen are effective chemotherapeutic agents for RTs. We propose that downmodulation of cyclin D1 is a novel and effective therapeutic strategy for RTs.
Periodically poled lithium niobate second-harmonic optical thresholder for ultrashort pulse optical code division multiple-access

Summary form only given. Ultrashort pulse optical code-division multiple access (CDMA) systems have drawn increasing interest in the past few years, and related technologies such as optical encoding/decoding of ultrashort pulses have been demonstrated by several schemes. However, in order to realize multiplexing and demultiplexing for more than single channel operation, a nonlinear element (e.g., an optical thresholder) is needed to distinguish between correctly decoded signals and incorrectly decoded multi-access interference. Though various thresholder schemes have been proposed, so far none has been able to meet the requirements of high contrast ratio, low operating power, and high detection efficiency set by real-world systems. We demonstrate a novel nonlinear detection scheme for all-optical recognition of spectrally phase coded optical pulses with /spl sim/30 dB contrast ratio and a potential for realizing high conversion efficiencies at an operating power level compatible with current fiber-optic technologies.
A test of the auditor reliability framework using lenders’ judgments

Abstract Taylor et al. (2003) challenged the longstanding notion that independence is the capstone of the audit profession by proposing a conceptual framework that emphasizes reliability, rather than independence, as the professional endgame for auditors. Although the reliability framework has attracted attention from policymakers, it has not been tested empirically in an audit context to assess its validity from a user’s perspective. The objective of this study is to test the auditor reliability framework and its formative ethical constructs (i.e., integrity, expertise, independence, objectivity, and reliability) with a sample of 168 commercial lenders. We also extend the reliability framework to examine the extent that perceived auditor reliability affects lenders’ judgments of financial reporting reliability and default risk in a hypothetical lending scenario. Finally, we evaluate the extent that lenders’ judgments are affected by auditor provision of nonaudit bookkeeping and payroll services to a prospective borrower in violation of current independence rules. The results provide strong empirical support for the relations predicted in the reliability framework. Structural equation model results indicate that auditor integrity is the foundation of the framework, directly affecting lenders’ assessments of auditor expertise, independence, objectivity, and reliability. Further, although integrity and objectivity directly affect perceived auditor reliability, independence and expertise only affects reliability indirectly through its impact on objectivity. Finally, we find that lenders perceive no decrease in auditor objectivity or reliability when existing independence rules are violated by combining audit services with nonaudit services for prospective borrowers.
News Coverage of Human Rights

News coverage of human rights is important for education, the protection of rights, and the development of foreign policy. The relationship between the media and human rights makes it essential to ...
Reduced central serotonergic activity in mania: implications for the relationship between depression and mania.

For the past decade there has been extensive interest in the hypothesized association between brain amine function and disturbances in mood (either depression or mania). The more influential theories have postulated that clinical depression is associated with a decrease in aminergic function (either norepinephrine, dopamine or serotonin) while mania is associated with increased activity of these amines. This essentially ‘bipolar’ approach has tended to dominate most studies in this area. Evidence supporting these theories has been extensively reviewed (11, 61, 70) and need not be detailed here.
Respiration and Growth Defects in Transmitochondrial Cell Lines Carrying the 11778 Mutation Associated with Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy

Mitochondrial DNA from two genetically unrelated patients carrying the mutation at position 11778 that causes Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy has been transferred with mitochondria into human mtDNA-less 0206 cells. As analyzed in several transmitochondrial cell lines thus obtained, the mutation, which is in the gene encoding subunit ND4 of the respiratory chain NADH dehydrogenase (ND), did not affect the synthesis, size, or stability of ND4, nor its incorporation into the enzyme complex. However, NADH dehydrogenase-dependent respiration, as measured in digitonin-permeabilized cells, was specifically decreased by approximately 40% in cells carrying the mutation. This decrease, which was significant at the 99.99% confidence level, was correlated with a significantly reduced ability of the mutant cells to grow in a medium containing galactose instead of glucose, indicating a clear impairment in their oxidative phosphorylation capacity. On the contrary, no decrease in rotenone-sensitive NADH dehydrogenase activity, using a water-soluble ubiquinone analogue as electron acceptor, was detected in disrupted mitochondrial membranes. This is the first cellular model exhibiting in a foreign nuclear background mitochondrial DNA-linked biochemical defects underlying the optic neuropathy phenotype.
FRONTAL SINUS MALIGNANCIES

Abstract Frontal sinus malignancies are rare tumors of the paranasal sinuses. They often present as late-stage diseases and are most often caused by secondary involvement from an inferiorly based paranasal sinus tumor. Primary frontal sinus malignancies represent ∼1% of paranasal sinus malignancies and are most commonly adenocarcinomas. A high index of suspicion must be maintained to diagnose these malignancies; advanced imaging is used for this purpose. These tumors rarely respond to nonsurgical therapy, and primary resection is the treatment method of choice.
Leopold's Novel: The Land Ethic in Barbara Kingsolver's Prodigal Summer

Like many good novels, Prodigal Summer's1 account of love, tragedy, conflict, and choice in human relationships conveys an overall message about how life should be lived. In this case the message corresponds to Aldo Leopold's call for "a land ethic [that] changes the role of Homo sapiens from conqueror of the land-community to plain member and citizen of it." People should "respect . . . fellow-members and also . . . the community as such."2 Barbara Kingsolver explains Leopold's key ideas and updates the Land Ethic by showing how it might guide people today. The present paper selectively displays this relationship, and then suggests some pedagogical advantages of fiction. Prodigal Summer tells three interconnected stories that take place from May through July one year in contemporary rural Kentucky. One story features Deanna Wolfe, who has spent the last 25 months working for the U.S. Forest Service in a wilderness area on Zebulon Mountain where she restores trails and impedes illegal hunting. She has just discovered that coyotes have arrived, but so has Eddie Bondo, a handsome man from the West who hates coyotes because they sometimes kill livestock.
Does Modifying Dietary Lipids Influence the Progression of Renal Failure

Recent studies have identified important effects of dietary fatty acid composition in animals with chronic renal disease, particularly in dogs. The theoretic basis for these effects provides a rationale for the use of diets enriched with omega-3 (but not omega-6) polyunsaturated fatty acids. A therapeutic trial with a diet enriched with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids should be considered as a maneuver designed to slow the rate of progression of chronic renal disease in dogs.
A tangential interpolation problem on the distinguished boundary of the polydisk for the Schur–Agler class

Abstract We study a tangential interpolation problem with an arbitrary set of interpolating points on the distinguished boundary of the unit polydisk for Schur–Agler class. The description of all solutions is parametrized in terms of a linear fractional transformation.
Defining Psychosis: The Evolution of DSM-5 Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders

Descriptions of mental illness exist throughout recorded history. However, until the mid-twentieth century, there was no standard nosology or diagnostic standard for mental disorders. This limited understanding of these disorders and development of better treatments. As conditions such as dementia praecox and schizophrenia were being described, collaborative efforts were made in the twentieth century to develop the first Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). This review provides an overview of the history of psychiatric diagnosis with a focus on the history of schizophrenia as a diagnosis in the DSM. DSM-5 updates to diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia and related disorders are provided. Limitations to diagnostic validity and reliability are discussed in addition to changes in diagnostic approaches to schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders in an effort to improve diagnostic validity and reliability. The DSM-5 reflects the culmination of an ongoing collaborative effort to improve the diagnosis of mental disorders, and future research in Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) will help provide convergent validity when understanding and treating mental illnesses.
Role of acid phosphate in hydroxyapatite lattice expansion

Questions remain about which subcomponents of human tooth enamel (TE) are responsible for its crystallographica axis being nearly 0.02A longer than that of pure hydroxyapatite (OHAp) and contracting to that of OHAp on heating. From infrared spectroscopic and X-ray diffraction studies of a synthetic OHAp containing HPO4 and “structural” H2O, it has been concluded that HPO4 expands thea axis at the rate of ∼ 0.0015A/ wt % but that this accounts for substantially less than one-half of the total observable contraction. The remaining, more than one-half of thea axis change, may be only partially ascribable to “structural” H2O and partially to P2O7 (formed from the HPO4), coming out of solid solution in the apatite. Some 90% of the HPO4 observed with infrared is lost in the 160–240° temperature range and more than one-half of the P2O7 observed as a separate phase is developed above that temperature and continues to increase all the way up to the 500°C, the limit of the experiments. The loss of HPO4 is accompanied by reduction of disorder or variety in the structural OH ion sites, consistent with the view that initially some of the PO4 groups neighboring the OH ions were actually HPO4 groups.
Transparent Throughput Elasticity for IaaS Cloud Storage Using Guest-Side Block-Level Caching

Storage elasticity on IaaS clouds is a crucial feature in the age of data-intensive computing. However, the traditional provisioning model of leveraging virtual disks of fixed capacity and performance characteristics has limited ability to match the increasingly dynamic nature of I/O application requirements. This mismatch is particularly problematic in the context of scientific applications that interleave periods of I/O inactivity with I/O intensive bursts. In this context, over-provisioning for best performance during peaks leads to significant extra costs because of unnecessarily tied-up resources, while any other trade-off leads to performance loss. This paper provides a transparent solution that automatically boosts I/O bandwidth during peaks for underlying virtual disks, effectively avoiding over-provisioning without performance loss. Our proposal relies on the idea of leveraging short lived virtual disks of better performance characteristics (and thus more expensive) to act during peaks as a caching layer for the persistent virtual disks where the application data is stored. We show how this idea can be achieved efficiently at the block-device level, using a caching mechanism that leverages iterative behavior and learns from past experience. We demonstrate the benefits of our proposal both for micro benchmarks and for two real life applications using large-scale experiments.
Ethics committees: decisions by bureaucracy.

group an extremely helpful adjunct to the provision of health care is an encouraging beginning. Although case review is an initial challenging focus, the long-range importance of such committee opinions appears more likely to be realized in the area of policy formulation. Rarely are individual cases a source of controversy after the second or third discussion of similar issues, yet the facts of each case are reviewed and the recommendation based on
Soliton dynamics in planar ferromagnets and anti-ferromagnets.

The aim of this paper is to present a rigorous mathematical proof of the dynamical laws for the topological solitons (magnetic vortices) in ferromagnets and anti-ferromagnets. It is achieved through the conservation laws for the topological vorticity and the weak convergence methods.
Effects of varying mean stress and stress amplitude on the fatigue of polysilicon

Polycrystalline silicon (polysilicon) single edge-notched fatigue specimens with micrometer-sized dimensions were macromachined and subjected to cyclic loading using an integrated electrostatic actuator. The effects of fatigue were determined by comparing the monotonic bend strength measured after cyclic loading to the monotonic bend strength of specimens that received no cycling. Both strengthening and weakening were observed, depending on the levels of mean stress and fatigue stress amplitude during the cyclic loading. Monotonic loading with similar stress levels prior to bend strength measurements had no effect on measured bend strength. Possible physical mechanisms responsible for this fatigue behavior are discussed.
John Brown Still Lives: America's Long Reckoning with Violence, Equality, and Change

John Brown Still Lives: America's Long Reckoning with Violence, Equality, and Change, by R. Blakeslee Gilpin, Chapel Hill, The University of North Carolina Press, 2011, xiii, 279 pp., $30.00, ISBN ...
General intelligence through prolonged evolution of densely connected neural networks

Different species of animals have vast differences in how general their learning abilities and behaviors are. This paper analyzes the effect of network connection density and prolonged evolution on general intelligence. Using the NEAT algorithm for neuroevolution, network structures with different connectivities were evaluated in recognizing digits and their mirror images. These experiments show that general intelligence, i.e. recognition of previously unseen examples, increases with increase in connectivity. General intelligence also increases with the number of generations in prolonged evolution, even when performance no longer improves in the known examples. This outcome suggests that general intelligence depends on specific anatomical and environmental factors.
Teachers' Problem-Solving about Children with Moderate and Severe Disabilities in Elementary Classrooms:

This ethnographic study investigated the ways general and special education teachers and school staff worked to identify and solve their concerns about children with disabilities in their classrooms. Educators collaborated to resolve concerns by following problem-solving steps somewhat similar to traditional approaches. Teachers used this process (a) primarily during the school day whenever they had a free moment; (b) in pairs, small groups, or alone; and (c) repeated it until feasible solutions were determined. The demands of these teachers' jobs seemed to require that solutions be refined through repeated applications rather than developed optimally as a whole team before acting. These teachers' propensity for collaboration seemed motivated by their realization that cooperation was necessary to meet the educational needs of these children.
Do You Know Which Device Your Respondent Has Used to Take Your Online Survey

The type of devices that can be used to go online is becoming more varied. Users access the internet through traditional desktops and laptops, as well as netbooks, tablets, videogame consoles, mobile phones and ebook readers. Because many online surveys are designed to be taken on a standard desktop or laptop screen, it is important to monitor from which device your online sample is taking the survey, and to consider the consequences the device might have for visual design impact and survey estimates. A survey designed to be taken on a desktop does not necessarily or automatically look the same when taken from netbooks, smartphones and other devices.
Prospecting for active volcanism: A promising role for long‐range aircraft along the Mid‐Oceanic Ridge

The National Science Foundation has recently started a multiyear study of the Mid-Oceanic Ridge (MOR), with emphasis on the dynamics of axial magmatic, tectonic, and hydrothermal processes [National Academy of Sciences, 1988]. The map on the cover shows the globe-circling MOR and the names of the ridge sections. Locating sites of active volcanism along the MOR is important to this research. Plate motions (for example, DeMets et al. [1990]) require an average lava volume of 4 km3 yr−1 to be extruded along the approximately 60,000-km MOR system (assuming the average oceanic crust includes 1.3 km of extrusives). To date, however, no MOR volcanism has been observed except where the accreting plate boundary emerges above sea level, in Iceland and the Afar Triangle. By contrast, locating and monitoring terrestrial volcanism by aircraft and satellite is making rapid progress [Mouginis-Mark et al., 1989]
5-HT1A Receptor Function in Major Depressive Disorder

Dysfunction of the serotonin 1A receptor (5-HT1A) may play a role in the genesis of major depressive disorder (MDD). Here we review the pharmacological, post-mortem, positron emission tomography (PET), and genetic evidence in support of this statement. We also touch briefly on two MDD-associated phenotypes, cognitive impairment and somatic pain. The results of pharmacological challenge studies with 5-HT1A receptor agonists are indicative of blunted endocrine responses in depressed patients. Lithium, valproate, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), and other treatment, such as electroconvulsive shock therapy (ECT), all increase post-synaptic 5-HT1A receptor signaling through either direct or indirect effects. Reduced somatodendritic and postsynaptic 5-HT1A receptor numbers or affinity have been reported in some post-mortem studies of suicide victims, a result consistent with well-replicated PET analyses demonstrating reduced 5-HT1A receptor binding potential in diverse regions such as the dorsal raphe, medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), amygdala and hippocampus. 5-HT1A receptor knockout (KO) mice display increased anxiety-related behavior, which, unlike in their wild-type counterparts, cannot be rescued with antidepressant drug (AD) treatment. In humans, the G allele of a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the 5-HT1A receptor gene (HTR1A; rs6295), which abrogates a transcription factor binding site for deformed epidermal autoregulatory factor-1 (Deaf-1) and Hes5, has been reported to be over-represented in MDD cases. Conversely, the C allele has been associated with better response to AD drugs. We raise the possibility that 5-HT1A receptor dysfunction represents one potential mechanism underpinning MDD and other stress-related disorders.
From Participatory Design to a Listening Infrastructure: A Case of Urban Planning and Participation

In this article, the authors confront challenges faced in public planning projects when the desire to implement participatory design is complicated by the need for mass quantities of data. Using one case of participatory design in urban planning, they suggest that planners struggled to effectively employ participatory design methodology because they neglected to collect the tacit knowledge generated through their participatory processes. Coupling participatory design with a listening rhetoric, they suggest that participatory processes that include tacit knowledge and representative citizen participation might augment public planning projects that hope for both big data collection and democratic approaches to urban planning.