cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
977-73 Observations During Induced Atrial Fibrillation and its Spontaneous Termination in the Sterile Pericarditis Model

Objectives Atrial fibrillation (AF) is thought to be due to circulating multiple reentrant wavelets, but it is not known how interatrial activation acts to sustain AF. To test the hypothesis that the exchange of reentrant wave fronts between the right and left atria via the intercaval region, septum, and Bachmann's bundle plays a role in the self-sustaining mechanism of AF, we studied activation of both atria during induced AF and during its spontaneous termination. Methods Three hundred seventy-two unipolar electrograms were recorded simultaneously from an electrode array placed on both atrial free walls by using a multiplexing system during 10 induced AF episodes lasting up to 7 minutes in 5 dogs with sterile pericarditis. Activation maps were analyzed during sustained AF and just before termination of AF for 5 consecutive beats, respectively. The mean number of the lines of functional block (LFB) par beat in each atrium, the mean AF cycle length, and the mean number of wave fronts passing between the atria per beat were compared in during sustained AF and before termination of AF in the same AF episode. Results Complete reentrant circuits were rarely detected in either atrium during AF. Wave fronts traveling in part around LFBs were observed, and the location and length of the LFBs changed from beat-to-beat. The mean number of LFBs detected in the right atrium did not change during sustained AF compared with AF termination (1.7 ± 0.5 vs. 1.8 ± 0.8, NS). However, the mean numberof LFBs in the left atrium significantly decreased from 1.4 ± 1.2 during sustained AF to 0.4 ± 0.6 before AF termination (p l 0.05). The mean AF cycle length significantly prolonged from 107 ± 19 ms during sustained AF to 151 ± 34 ms before AF termination (p l 0.0001). In the beats before AF termination, wave fronts going from left-to-right significantly decreased (1.4 ± 0.5 during AF to 0.4 ± 0.4 before AF termination, p l 0.05). so that the left atrium was activated by right atrial wave fronts. Conclusions The presence of LFBs associated with partial reentrant circuits in the left atrium and exchange of wave fronts between the atria play an important role in sustaining AF. Spontaneous termination of AF is preceded by prolongation of AF cycle length, decreasing number of LFBs in the left atrium, and a marked decrease in left-to-right activation wave fronts.
Bridging the gap between Yb3+ emission and Nd3+ emission in apatite crystals

We have shown that the spectral ranges of Yb3+ emission and Nd3+ emission can overlap around 1 µm in phosphate apatite crystals with large lattive parameters. The Yb:Ba5(PO4)3F and Nd:Ba5(PC4)3 Cl laser of good optical quality have been grown and spectroscopically characterized. The wavelength of the 4F3/2→4I11/2 Nd3+ laser emission in Ba5(PO4)3Cl was shown to be shorter than that of 2F5/2→2F7/2 emission in YbBa5(PO4)3F. This implies the possibility of the overlap of Nd and Yb emission lines in mixed apatite crystals. The cw 1053.8 nm laser emission with the slope efficiency equal to 25% has been demonstrated in Nd:Ba5(PO4)3Cl.
Bloodborne biomolecular markers in prostate cancer development and progression

Prostate cancer is notoriously difficult to treat, which makes its early detection a priority. Biomarkers have been used to diagnose and monitor prostate cancer for more than 50 years, and the discovery of the serum marker prostate-specific antigen (PSA) significantly altered the detection and management of prostate cancer. But imperfect correlation with cancer hinders the usefulness of PSA. The elucidation and validation of new biological markers of prostate cancer should aid detection, and improve the application of the available therapeutics.
Machine Translation System Combination with Flexible Word Ordering

We describe a synthetic method for combining machine translations produced by different systems given the same input. One-best outputs are explicitly aligned to remove duplicate words. Hypotheses follow system outputs in sentence order, switching between systems mid-sentence to produce a combined output. Experiments with the WMT 2009 tuning data showed improvement of 2 BLEU and 1 METEOR point over the best Hungarian-English system. Constrained to data provided by the contest, our system was submitted to the WMT 2009 shared system combination task.
Analysis of satellite-observed tropical cloud clusters II. Thermal, moisture and precipitation

This paper discusses the temperature, relative humidity, and rainfall characteristics of the summertime satellite-observed tropical weather systems in the Western Pacific and the West Indies. Comparisons are made with the Jordan (1958) mean West Indies sounding. Practically no temperature differences are found between the cloud cluster, the cloud cluster environment, and the clear regions. The primary differences between these weather systems is in the middle level moisture contents. It is shown that the typical variability of individual soundings parameters within each weather system type is larger than the mean parameter difference between systems. The rainfall within the tropical cloud cluster is shown to be highly concentrated. A large diurnal variation of cloud cluster rainfall and convergence is shown and discussed. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1976.tb00690.x
A MUTATION IN THE C-TERMINAL PUTATIVE ZN2+ FINGER MOTIF OF UL52 SEVERELY AFFECTS THE BIOCHEMICAL ACTIVITIES OF THE HSV-1 HELICASE-PRIMASE SUBCOMPLEX

Herpes simplex virus type 1 encodes a heterotrimeric helicase-primase complex that is composed of the products of the UL5, UL52, and UL8genes. A subcomplex consisting of the UL5 and UL52 proteins retains all the enzymatic activities exhibited by the holoenzyme in vitro. The UL52 protein contains a putative zinc finger at its C terminus which is highly conserved among both prokaryotic and eukaryotic primases. We constructed a mutation in which two highly conserved cysteine residues in the zinc finger motif were replaced with alanine residues. A UL52 expression plasmid containing the mutation in the zinc finger region is unable to support the growth of aUL52 mutant virus in a transient complementation assay. Wild type and mutant UL5·UL52 subcomplexes were purified from insect cells infected with recombinant baculoviruses. Surprisingly, the mutant protein was severely affected in all biochemical activities tested; no helicase or primase activities could be detected, and the mutant protein retains only about 9% of wild type levels of single-stranded DNA-dependent ATPase activity. Gel mobility shift assays showed that DNA binding is severely affected as well; the mutant subcomplex only retains approximately 8% of wild type levels of binding to a forked substrate. On the other hand, the mutant protein retains its ability to interact with UL5 as indicated by copurification and with UL8 as indicated by a supershifted band in the gel mobility shift assay. In addition, the ability of individual subunits to bind single-stranded DNA was examined by photo cross-linking. In the wild type UL5·UL52 subcomplex, both subunits are able to bind an 18-mer of oligo(dT). The mutant subcomplex was severely compromised in the ability of both UL5 and UL52 to bind the oligonucleotide; total cross-linking was only 2% of wild type levels. These results are consistent with the proposal that the putative zinc binding motif of UL52 is required not only for binding of the UL52 subunit to DNA and for primase activity but also for optimal binding of UL5 to DNA and for the subsequent ATPase and helicase activities.
Gauge hierarchy from AdS5 universe with 3-branes

Abstract If the universe is (or a slice of) AdS5 space with 3-branes, the 5-dimensional GUT scale on each brane can be identified as the 5-dimensional Planck scale, but, the 4-dimensional Planck scale is generated from the low 4-dimensional GUT scale exponentially in our world. The 4-dimensional GUT scales and Planck scale are related to the 5-dimensional GUT scales and Planck scale by exponential factors, respectively. One of such scenarios was suggested by Randall and Sundrum recently. We give another scenario that the 4-dimensional Planck scale is generated from the low five-dimensional Planck scale by an exponential hierarchy, and the mass scale in the Standard Model is not rescaled from the 5-dimensional metric to the 4-dimensional metric. We also argue that the additional constant in the solution might exist, which will rescale the 5-dimensional Planck scale and affect the physical scale picture. Finally, we embed those compactifications to the general compactification on AdS5 space and discuss the origin of the additional constant.
Connexins in lens development and cataractogenesis.

The lens is an avascular organ that transmits and focuses light images onto the retina. Intercellular gap junction channels, formed by at least three different connexin protein subunits, α1 (connexin43 or Gja1), α3 (connexin46 or Gja3) and α8 (connexin50 or Gja8), are utilized to transport metabolites, ions and water in the lens. In combination with physiological and biochemical analyses, recent genetic studies have significantly improved our understanding about the roles of diverse gap junction channels formed by α3 and α8 connexin subunits during lens development and cataract formation. These studies have demonstrated that α3 connexin is essential for lens transparency while α8 connexin is important for lens growth and transparency. Diverse gap junction channels formed by α3 and α8 subunits are important for the differentiation, elongation and maturation of lens fiber cells. Aberrant gap junction communication, caused by alterations of channel assembly, channel gating or channel conductance, can lead to different types of cataracts. These findings provide some molecular insights for essential roles of connexins and gap junctions in lens formation and the establishment and maintenance of lifelong lens transparency.
Interdural giant dermoid cyst of the petrous apex

Dermoid cysts account for less than 1% of all intracranial neoplasms and these are principally situated close to the midline. Those located at the petrous apex are generally in the intradural, and less frequently in the interdural, compartment. We report a 37-year-old woman with a giant interdural dermoid cyst of the petrous apex, associated with erosion of the middle fossa floor, and review the relationships of these dysembryogenic lesions, the dura mater and the neurovascular structures of this complex anatomical region, along with the relevant literature.
Asymmetry and Agenda-Setting in U.S.-Latin American Relations: Rethinking the Origins of the Alliance for Progress

The Alliance for Progress anchored U.S. Cold War strategy in Latin America in the early 1960s, and policymakers nowadays still cite it as a model of success. Even so, the origins of the Alliance remain contested. Some scholars have attributed it mainly to the Kennedy administration, others to the Eisenhower administration, and still others to Brazilian President Juscelino Kubitschek, whose Operation Pan-America led to the 1960 Treaty of Bogota. This article outlines the terms and stakes of the ongoing debate among scholars and U.S. decision-makers; it also emphasizes agenda-setting rather than regional power asymmetries to explain how Brazil influenced U.S. policy. Finally, drawing on archival research in the Brazilian and Argentine Foreign Ministries and the Organization of American States (OAS), as well as on published Latin American policy documents and U.S. congressional records, the article shows that Kubitschek created partnerships with Argentina and Colombia and built a Latin American consensus wit...
A novel liposomal formulation of flavopiridol

Flavopiridol has shown promising activities in hematologic and solid tumor models, as well as in clinical trials in chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients. Flavopiridol has relatively low solubility and high plasma protein-binding. To address these issues and to provide an alternative strategy to achieve clinical efficacy, we encapsulated flavopiridol into a liposomal carrier and characterized its physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties. The liposomes, comprising hydrogenated soy phosphatidylcholine (HSPC), cholesterol and poly (ethylene glycol) 2000-distearoyl phosphatidylethanolamine (PEG-DSPE), were prepared by polycarbonate membrane extrusion and then loaded with flavopiridol by a pH-gradient driven remote loading procedure. The liposomes had a mean diameter of 120.7 nm and a flavopiridol entrapment efficiency of 70.4%. Pharmacokinetic study in mice after i.v. bolus injection showed that the liposomal flavopiridol had an increased elimination phase half-life (T1/2β, 339.7 min vs. 57.0 min), decreased clearance (CL, 0.012 L/min vs. 0.036 L/min), and increased area under the plasma concentration–time curve (AUC, 10.8 min μmol/L vs. 3.4 min μmol/L) compared to the free drug. This indicates a significant and potentially beneficial change in flavopiridol pharmacokinetics for the liposomal formulation. Further preclinical studies are warranted to define the toxicity and therapeutic efficacy of this novel formulation.
Molecular weight distribution of phosphorus fraction of aquatic dissolved organic matter

Abstract This study characterized dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) that is discharged from the Everglades Agricultural Area as part of the larger pool of aquatic dissolved organic matter (DOM). Whole water samples collected at the Everglades stormwater treat area 1 West (STA-1 W) were fractionated using a batch ultrafiltration method to separate organic compounds based on apparent molecular weight (AMW). Each AMW fraction of DOM was characterized for phosphorus, carbon, nitrogen, UV absorbance, and fluorescence. The DOP content of the Everglades water matrix was characteristically variable constituting 4–56% of total phosphorus (TP) and demonstrated no correlation with dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Measured values for DOP exceeded 14 μg L−1 in four out of five sampling dates making phosphorus load reductions problematic for the stormwater treatment areas (STAs), which target inorganic phosphorus and have a goal of 10 μg L−1 as TP. The molecular weight distributions revealed 40% of DOP is high molecular weight, aromatic-rich DOM. The results of this research are expected to be of interest to environmental chemists, environmental engineers, and water resources managers because DOP presents a major obstacle to achieving TP levels
Immunotherapy of renal cell carcinoma

There is no effective treatment for metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Because of a possible immunological influence in well-documented cases of spontaneous regression of renal cell carcinoma metastases, attention has focused on the possible means of modifying biological response in these patients. Several methods of active or passive immunotherapy have been proposed and have been used with varying success. It is clear that biological modification of immune response in these patients results in a small but significant number of cases which benefit from this approach. Future attempts should focus on the understanding of the immunological response and the addition of biological modifiers which would improve the present response rates.
Template catalysis of acetyl transfer reactions.

Template catalysis of acetyl transfer reactions, showing triple helices formation by polyuridylic acid with adenoside derivatives
More lateral and anterior prefrontal coil location is associated with better repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation antidepressant response.

Background The left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is the most commonly used target for transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in the treatment of depression. The “5-cm rule” is an empiric method used for probabilistic targeting of the DLPFC in most clinical trials. This rule may be suboptimal, as it does not account for differences in skull size or variations in prefrontal anatomy relative to motor cortex location. This study is a post hoc analysis of data from a large repetitive TMS (rTMS) trial in which we examined the variability of coil placement and how it affects antidepressant efficacy. Methods Fifty-four depressed subjects enrolled in a randomized, single-site trial received either active rTMS or sham for 3 weeks. Prior to treatment initiation, investigators placed vitamin E capsules at the point of stimulation and used a high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan to image these fiducials relative to anatomy. We employed a semiautomated imaging-processing algorithm to localize the cortical region stimulated. Results Active TMS significantly reduced Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) scores. A linear model for this improvement involving the coordinates of the stimulated cortex location, age, and treatment condition was highly significant. Specifically, individuals with more anterior and lateral stimulation sites were more likely to respond. Conclusions These results suggest that within the general anatomical area targeted by the 5-cm rule, placing the TMS coil more laterally and anteriorly is associated with improved response rates in TMS depression studies. Controlled studies testing this anatomical hypothesis are needed.
Immunoaffinity purification of the calpains.

Abstract A monoclonal antibody to the small subunit common to both μ- and m-calpains can be used in an immunoaffinity column to purify either μ- or m-calpain in a proteolytically active form. Extracts in 150 mM NaCl, pH 7.5, are loaded onto a column containing the anti-28-kDa antibody; the column is washed with 500 mM NaCl, pH 7.5, and the bound calpain is eluted with 150 mM NaCl, 50 mM Tris–HCl, pH 9.5, and 1 mM EDTA. These elution conditions do not affect the proteolytic activity of either μ- or m-calpain. It is most efficient to reduce the volume and to remove any proteolytic activity from crude extracts by using successive phenyl Sepharose and ion-exchange columns before loading onto the immunoaffinity column. The column purifies m-calpain more effectively than μ-calpain; m-calpain is greater than 90% pure after a single pass through this column, whereas μ-calpain can be purified to >70% purity. The epitope for the monoclonal antibody is between amino acids 92 and 104 (numbers for human calpain) in the 28-kDa subunit. Evidently, this area is shielded in the calpain molecule in a way that affects binding of the antibody to the native molecule.
Optimizing the Benefits of Pulse Combustion Impingement for Paper Drying

Numerical simulation results, quantifying the effects of impingement zone geometry on pulse-combustion-driven and steady-impingement heat transfer, are used to investigate the design tradeoffs between heat transfer rate (i.e., drying rate), heat transfer (jet thermal energy) effectiveness, and heat transfer enhancement due to the pulsating jet. At equal area-average heat flux, it was found that nozzle spacing and, thus, jet thermal energy effectiveness may be as much as three times greater for pulsating impingement jets as for steady-flow jets having the same temperature and mean velocity. Alternatively, at equal jet thermal energy effectiveness, the average heat flux (drying rate) with pulsating impingement may be around 2.4 times greater than with steady impingement.
OXIDATIVE ENZYMES OF INTERMEDIARY METABOLISM IN HEALING BONE FRACTURES; A HISTOCHEMICAL STUDY.

The fibulae of young adult rats were cut at the mid-diaphysis with scissors and examined at various stages of repair. The distribution of enzymes participating in glycolysis, in the citric acid cycle, and in the hexose monophosphate shunt was studied histochemically in healing bone fractures. Three days after the fracture there was marked proliferation and an increased enzyme activity in the osteoprogenitor cells in the inner layer of the periosteum along the entire diaphysis. Remarkable enzyme activity was also observed in the newly formed osteocytes. No qualitative differences were noticed among osteoprogenitor cells, osteoblasts, and osteocytes. Necrotic muscle fibers, periosteum, and bone cells failed to react. Seven days after the fracture, a bulky cartilaginous callus developed. The proliferating osteoprogenitor cells of the periosteum and of the callus had a similar enzyme pattern. As the fibroblast-like osteoprogenitor cells of the callus developed into chondrocytes, enzyme activity increased. This was especially striking for isocitric dehydrogenase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. When the chondrocytes became hypertrophic, they gradually lost enzyme activity. Mononuclear and multinuclear osteoclasts, macrophages and foreign body giant cells showed marked activity of most demonstrated enzymes. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity was marked in foreign body giant cells, but appeared weak in osteoclasts. At 14 days the enzyme pattern of the callus was essentially the same as at seven days. At 30 days bone union was well established, but there was still considerable osteoblastic and osteoclastic activity. The histochemical findings have been described in detail and discussed in correlation with pertinent morphological and biochemical data. Histochemically, bone regeneration proved to be essentially a recapitulation of normal bone growth.
The Developmental Aspects of Phonetic Contrasts of Korean Word-Initial Stops in Young Korean Children

배경 및 목적: 말소리 발달에 대한 다양한 선행연구를 통해, 아동의 말소리 발달은 음소 대립의 습득 과정을 통해 이루어짐이 보고되었다. 그러나 대부분의 한국어 말소리 발달에 대한 연구들은 음성 전사를 통해 이루어졌고, 기기분석을 통해 한국어 음성 발달을 조사한 연구는 단지 몇몇에 불과하다. 본 연구에서는 단어 초에서 세 가지 발성 유형의 대립을 보이는...
Ultrastructure of thermophilic fungi: VI. General discussion

The comparative ultrastructure of mesophilic and thermophilic fungi is reviewed and attention is drawn to the ultrastructural thermostability concept of thermophilism in fungi. Thermophilic fungi were found to have no structural modifications or developmental patterns that have not been observed in mesophilic species. However, one important ultrastructural feature of thermophiles grown at high temperature was a different mode of lipid storage compared with that in the same fungi grown at lower temperatures.
RNA ligands generated against complex nuclear targets indicate a role for U1 snRNP in co-ordinating transcription and RNA splicing.

RNA ligands were generated against various gene products present in HeLa nuclear extract. Functional profiling was performed to identify RNA ligands that modulate RNA polymerase II (pol II)-mediated transcription. Unexpectedly, four of the eight inhibitor ligands identified by this screen contained an 11-nucleotide sequence identical to the 5′-splice site of eukaryotic pre-mRNAs. Such ligands were shown to impede pre-initiation complex assembly on a cytomegalovirus promoter. In addition, U1 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles (snRNP) and pol II had been co-immunoprecipitated in the absence of transcription. These results suggest a role for U1 snRNP in co-ordinating transcription and RNA splicing.
The Applicability of the Beta Binomial Model for Criterion Referenced Testing.

In recent years, the solutions to various problems in criterion referenced testing have been studied within the framework of the beta binomial test model. For example, using this model, investigators have offered solutions to the following problems: the determination of test length, (Novick & Lewis, 1974), cutoff scores (Huynh, 1976b, 1977), reliability (Huynh, 1976a, 1978), (Wilcox, 1979b) and validity (Huynh, 1976b, 1977). Further, many other researchers have studied criterion referenced testing problems using the binomial distribution portion of the model. For a complete list of these latter references, the reader is referred to Hambleton, Swaminathan, Algina, and Coulson, (1978). An important question to consider is whether these results can be applied in criterion referenced testing programs, or whether they are only of theoretical interest. The former will be true if one can demonstrate that the assumptions of the beta binomial model are realistic in the criterion referenced testing context, or that the model is robust with respect to violations of these assumptions. Unfortunately, little research has been directed toward answering this question of whether the beta binomial model is applicable to the criterion referenced testing situation. The purpose of this paper is to address this issue of the applicability of the model. We will first consider whether the assumptions of the model are realistic in criterion referenced testing. Second, we will investigate the robustness of the model by describing procedures for empirically checking various predictions made from the model when the validity of the underlying assumptions is questionable. These procedures will then be demonstrated using data from a criterion referenced testing program.
Solar Neutrinos: Questions and Hypotheses

The "solar neutrino puzzle" has been a challenge for almost 20 years, posing broad and fundamental questions about astrophysics and neutrino properties. This article sketches some of the ideas that have been put forward to solve the problem. These ideas can be grouped into two main classes: those involving changes in the standard solar model or in the basic nuclear reaction data, and those that attribute the puzzle to as yet unobserved properties of the neutrinos.
Somatic embryogenesis and development of synthetic seed technology

Abstract One promise of plant biotechnology is the ability to clonally produce large numbers of identical individuals at minimal expense. Somatic embryogenesis is theoretically the production system of choice due to its high efficiency. Somatic embryos resemble zygotic embryos in seed, which suggests that they may be processed to function as synthetic seed with regard to efficient storage and handling qualities. However, somatic embryos tend to develop asynchronously and do not reach a mature quiescent resting stage typical of seed. Additionally, somatic embryos develop naked without surrounding nutrient tissues and protective seed coats. This paper reviews research aimed at causing somatic embryos to functionally mimic seed and introduces basic concepts of seed physiology which will be of use to cell culturalists working in synthetic seed technology.
Longitudinal field studies of infectious bronchitis virus and avian pneumovirus in broilers using type-specific polymerase chain reactions.

In longitudinal studies, 13 flocks were swabbed twice each week for the life of the flock (up to 46 days). The swabs were analyzed by type-specific reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reactions. Massachusetts type vaccinal infectious bronchitis virus (IBVs), applied at the hatchery, were usually maximal during the first week, as expected and, notably, remained detectable for 3 to 4 weeks, occasionally longer. IBV of the 793/B type (also known as 4/91 and CR88) was detected in 11/13 flocks (85%). The time of first detection of 793/B varied over several weeks and was sometimes within the first week in low amounts, which increased gradually. In some flocks, detection of 793/B remained intermittent. IBV types D274 and D1466 were each detected once, in the same flock, for short periods, in low amounts, and in the presence of higher amounts of 793/B. In swabs from a further 30 broiler flocks, plus those already mentioned, there was an incidence for 793/B, D274 and D1466 of 79, 10 and 2%, respectively. Avian ...
A cysteine-rich nuclear protein activates yeast metallothionein gene transcription.

Abstract The ACE1 gene of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is required for copper-inducible transcription of the metallothionein gene (CUP1). The sequence of the cloned ACE1 gene predicted an open reading frame for translation of a 225-amino-acid polypeptide. This polypeptide was characterized by an amino-terminal half rich in cysteine residues and positively charged amino acids. The arrangement of many of the 12 cysteines in the configuration Cys-X-Cys or Cys-X-X-Cys suggested that the ACE1 protein may bind metal ions. The carboxyl-terminal half of the ACE1 protein was devoid of cysteines but was highly acidic in nature. The ability of a bifunctional ACE1-beta-galactosidase fusion protein to accumulate in yeast cell nuclei was consistent with the possibility that ACE1 plays a direct role in the regulation of copper-inducible transcription of the yeast metallothionein gene.
Gadd45b and N-methyl-d-aspartate induced DNA demethylation in postmitotic neurons

Aim: In nondividing neurons examine the role of Gadd45b in active 5-methylcytosine (5MC) and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5HMC) removal at a gene promoter highly implicated in mental illnesses and cognition, Bdnf. Materials & methods: Mouse primary cortical neuronal cultures with and without Gadd45b siRNA transfection were treated with N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA). Expression changes of genes reportedly involved in DNA demethylation, Bdnf mRNA and protein and 5MC and 5HMC at Bdnf promoters were measured. Results: Gadd45b siRNA transfection in neurons abolishes the NMDA-induced increase in Bdnf IXa mRNA and reductions in 5MC and 5HMC at the Bdnf IXa promoter. Conclusion: These results contribute to our understanding of DNA demethylation mechanisms in neurons, and its role in regulating NMDA responsive genes implicated in mental illnesses.
Analysis of ROV video imagery for krill identification and counting under Antarctic sea ice

An off-the-shelf SeaBotix ROV was deployed under Antarctic sea ice near Palmer Station Antarctica during the September-October 2007 Sea Ice Mass Balance in the Antarctic (SIMBA) project from the research vessel NB Palmer. Video imagery taken showed significant numbers of Antarctic krill (sp. Euphasia superba and/or Euphasia crystallorophis) under the sea ice at the two stations deployed. The goal of this image analysis is to estimate the krill population densities, as well, as to identify other life forms. The relative motion between the krill and vehicle complicate the video analysis process. The avoidance behavior of the krill adds to this challenge along with the changing lighting conditions under the ice. We discuss these challenges and the algorithms that are under development in this paper. The ROV videos were converted into a string of images, which were used to simulate a running speed of 3 frames/second (fps). A 5 second clip (15 frames) was selected as an initial test for the vision software. The LabVIEWreg Vision Builder AI software has been selected as an image processing platform, which allows us to rapidly prototype algorithms. We have applied noise reduction techniques to reduce some of the noise. Edge detection filters (such as, but not limited to the Roberts Filter) have been applied to further reduce the image's noise level and to increase the contrast between the krill and the water. Next, we applied thresholds to detect the object, which was subsequently used to identify and count and log the number of distinct objects in the image. Once all of the parameters were set, the 15 images were cycled through the configured inspection in chronological order to simulate an actual inspection of the ROV video. The results of our automated krill population estimate to that of humans counting the krill manually using the same video was conducted. We found that illumination and image quality allowed the most prominent individuals in proximity of the camera to be counted. However, because of background noise and low scattering of some individuals the filtering removed suspected individuals that would suggest this krill density is significantly underestimated. The technique however appears practical. In considering the motion of the krill relative to the vehicle, tracking becomes paramount. Plans for implementing this technique in ongoing development are discussed.
How Presidential Running Mates Influence Turnout The Risks and Rewards of Revving up the Base

Primaries frequently exacerbate ideological divisions within a party. When parties select more moderate candidates whom they believe will appeal to a broader audience, the nominee must find a way to win over their party’s base. We investigate the potential rewards of using the vice presidential nominee to increase voter turnout among those ideologically alienated by a party’s moderate nominee. We also examine the risks of a more extreme vice presidential nominee costing a president the support of moderate voters. To perform this analysis, we examine how voters’ ideologies and attitudes toward Sarah Palin affected their voter turnout and their vote choice. By doing this, we are able to assess the effectiveness of the attempt to activate the base and find that while vice presidential nominees may provide the opportunity to effectively target ideological groups, they may also contribute to a loss of support from moderately inclined voters.
A test case for the phonetics–phonology interface: gemination restrictions in Hungarian*

Despite differences in parsimony and philosophical orientation, physical and abstract theories of phonology often make similar empirical predictions. This study examines a case where they do not: gemination restrictions in Hungarian. While both types of theory correctly prohibit the lengthening of a consonant when flanked by another consonant, they make different predictions regarding both the relative duration changes within a target consonant and the applicability of restrictions to lengthening processes besides gemination. In two speech-production experiments, these predictions are evaluated by measuring stop and frication durations within affricates. Results show that relative duration changes occur, and that the restriction holds only for gemination, supporting an abstract theory. Yet results also indicate that gemination exhibits sensitivity to inherent durational differences between affricates, providing some support for a physical theory. Thus I argue that an adequate theory of phonology must include abstract constituents, alongside a limited, principled set of physical landmarks.
Exploring speculative parallelism in SPEC2006

The computer industry has adopted multi-threaded and multi-core architectures as the clock rate increase stalled in early 2000's. It was hoped that the continuous improvement of single-program performance could be achieved through these architectures. However, traditional parallelizing compilers often fail to effectively parallelize general-purpose applications which typically have complex control flow and excessive pointer usage. Recently hardware techniques such as Transactional Memory (TM) and Thread-Level Speculation (TLS) have been proposed to simplify the task of parallelization by using speculative threads. Potential of speculative parallelism in general-purpose applications like SPEC CPU 2000 have been well studied and shown to be moderately successful. Preliminary work examining the potential parallelism in SPEC2006 deployed parallel threads with a restrictive TLS execution model and limited compiler support, and thus only showed limited performance potential. In this paper, we first analyze the cross-iteration dependence behavior of SPEC 2006 benchmarks and show that more parallelism potential is available in SPEC 2006 benchmarks, comparing to SPEC2000. We further use a state-of-the-art profile-driven TLS compiler to identify loops that can be speculatively parallelized. Overall, we found that with optimal loop selection we can potentially achieve an average speedup of 60% on four cores over what could be achieved by a traditional parallelizing compiler such as Intel's ICC compiler.We also found that an additional 11% improvement can be potentially obtained on selected benchmarks using 8 cores when we extend TLS on multiple loop levels as opposed to restricting to a single loop level.
Finite Element Solution of the Steady-State Smoluchowski Equation for Rate Constant Calculations

This article describes the development and implementation of algorithms to study diffusion in biomolecular systems using continuum mechanics equations. Specifically, finite element methods have been developed to solve the steady-state Smoluchowski equation to calculate ligand binding rate constants for large biomolecules. The resulting software has been validated and applied to mouse acetylcholinesterase. Rates for inhibitor binding to mAChE were calculated at various ionic strengths with several different reaction criteria. The calculated rates were compared with experimental data and show very good agreement when the correct reaction criterion is used. Additionally, these finite element methods require significantly less computational resources than existing particle-based Brownian dynamics methods.
Models of the peripheral nerves for detection and control of neural activity

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) can restore volitional motion of patients with neurological injuries or diseases using electrical stimulation of nerves innervating the muscles to be controlled independently. The Flat interface nerve electrode (FINE) enables the selective control of different muscles at the same time. In addition, multiple contact electrode designs allow selective recording of the various signals within the cuff. However, motion control of neuromuscular skeletal systems using multi-contact electrodes is a challenging problem due to the complexities of the systems and the large number of channels required to activate the various muscles involved in the motion. The localization and the recovery of many signals pose a significant challenge to the low signals to noise ratio and the large number of fascicles. Using computer models of the peripheral nerve, we have tested the ability of various algorithms to control the neuromuscular skeletal dynamics. Computer models have also been used to develop new methods to recover fascicular signals within the nerve. Both the control and the detection algorithms are currently being tested experimentally and preliminary results are included. The goal of this study is to develop the ability to detect nerve signals and use these signals to control joint motion in patients with stroke, amputation or paralysis.
An unsolvated buckycatcher and its first dianion

The X-ray crystallographic study of C60H28 consisting of two tethered corannulene bowls revealed a unique solid-state packing based on tight convex–concave π–π interactions. The controlled reduction of C60H28 resulted in the isolation and structural characterization of its dianion in the form of the rubidium salt that shows an entrapment of counterions by an anionic pincer.
An Exploratory Study of a Number Sense Program to Develop Kindergarten Students’ Number Proficiency:

This study examined the effectiveness of a number sense program on kindergarten students’ number proficiency and responsiveness to treatment as a function of students’ risk for mathematics difficulties. The program targeted development of relationships among numbers (e.g., spatial, more and less). A total of 101 kindergarten students (not at risk: 22 control and 36 experimental; at risk: 18 and 25) from five classrooms in a high-poverty elementary school participated in the study. Using a quasi-experimental design, classrooms were randomly assigned to either the intervention (number sense instruction, NSI) or control condition. Results indicated significant differences favoring the treatment students on all measures of number sense (e.g., spatial relationships, more and less relationships, benchmarks of five and ten, nonverbal calculations) at posttest and on a 3-week retention test. Furthermore, the effects were not mediated by at-risk status, suggesting that NSI may benefit a wide range of students. Imp...
Mapping the global distribution of deep roots in relation to climate and soil characteristics

Global data sets of rooting depths, long-term means of monthly precipitation and potential evapotranspiration, and soil texture were used to predict the probability of deep rooting around the globe. Rooting depths were considered to be deep if 5% or more of all roots in a profile were located below 2 m depth. Spatially explicit global predictions were based on empirical models relating the probability of deep rooting with climate and soil texture. Based on these predictions, deep roots are most likely to occur in seasonally dry, semiarid to humid tropical regions under savanna or thorn-scrub vegetation or under seasonally dry semideciduous to evergreen forests. Deep roots are least likely to occur in arctic, boreal or cool-temperate regions and in per-humid climates such as equatorial rain forests. Under warm-temperate to tropical climates, rooting depths are more likely to be deep in coarse-textured and fine-textured soil than in soils of medium texture. These observations agree well with predictions based on a previously published conceptual model, according to which water infiltration depths and evaporative demand are the main climatic factors to determine vertical root distributions on a global scale.
The effects of time varying magnetic fields on biological materials

The author reviews the mechanism by which time-varying magnetic fields affect biological systems and calculates some of the numbers which put these values in perspective with respect to both natural body currents and other sources. The author also reviews a very small fraction of the literature on observed bioeffects at low levels with an emphasis on those papers which are often cited in lawsuits. Selected data from some of the most frequently cited experiments on the biological effects of time-varying magnetic fields at low frequencies are presented, and their possible relevance as health hazards is discussed. >
The vocal improviser–educator: An analysis of selected American and Australian educators’ influences and pedagogical views

Thirty vocal improviser–educators from Australia (n = 15) and the United States (n = 15) were surveyed for musical background, influences and pedagogical views, and assessed for personality type using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). The purpose was to both combine and compare the two groups to identify overall characteristics and cultural differences. Descriptive statistics, correlations, t-tests, and narrative summaries of influences and pedagogical views are reported. Results indicate that the combined improviser–educators (N = 30) had participated in a vocal jazz ensemble and studied a primary musical instrument for 4–6 years, had studied voice and improvisation for 2–3 years, owned extensive (40+) record collections, and practiced improvisation several hours per week. T-tests revealed significant differences between the backgrounds of the Australians and Americans, suggesting that the Australian subjects practiced improvisation, sang in nonjazz improvising ensembles, and listened to world music significantly more than the American subjects did. The NFP (intuitive, feeling, perceiving) Myers-Briggs personality type characterized more than half of the sample of improvisers. Finally, a vocal improvisation model is proposed based on the results of this study and previous studies of vocal improvisation ability.
Distinct Mechanism for Antidepressant Activity by Blockade of Central Substance P Receptors

The localization of substance P in brain regions that coordinate stress responses and receive convergent monoaminergic innervation suggested that substance P antagonists might have psychotherapeutic properties. Like clinically used antidepressant and anxiolytic drugs, substance P antagonists suppressed isolation-induced vocalizations in guinea pigs. In a placebo-controlled trial in patients with moderate to severe major depression, robust antidepressant effects of the substance P antagonist MK-869 were consistently observed. In preclinical studies, substance P antagonists did not interact with monoamine systems in the manner seen with established antidepressant drugs. These findings suggest that substance P may play an important role in psychiatric disorders.
Wire-bonding process monitoring using thermopile temperature sensor

This work presents an approach to separate the thermal response due to ultrasonic excitation and ball deformation through novel application of aluminum-polysilicon thermopile sensors under the bond pad. These integrated thermopile sensors measure temperature at a radial distance under the bond pad, in contrast to the previously reported average measurements over the bond pad interface or around the bond pad over a radial distance. The high sensitivity and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the sensor allow direct measurements of the signal, without any amplification or filtration. Transient temperature variations at two radial locations were obtained using two versions of thermopile sensor designs. The sensor response was interpreted using representative finite-element thermal modeling for the process. Results from modeling reveal that the thermal response is a strong function of radial location. These results also reveal that the thermal response due to interfacial heating is significantly higher under the bond pad, as compared to that around the bond pad. This is in agreement with the experimental observations. Critical points on the temperature variation curve were identified. These points can be used to correlate the sensor response to shear test data. Once the sensor response is calibrated, it can be used to monitor the bonding process. Measurements were performed at substrate temperatures of 150/spl deg/C and 200/spl deg/C, along with the microwelds characterization at the bonding interface. The comparison of the thermal response and the microwelds at the two substrate temperatures revealed that in order to correlate the sensor response to shear test data, the response must be obtained at the intended temperature of operation since the microwelds at two temperatures may be quite different, even though thermal responses may look similar.
Approximate theory of microwave generation in a current-driven magnetic nanocontact magnetized in an arbitrary direction

We present an approximate nonlinear theory of microwave generation by spin-polarized direct current in a magnetic nanocontact magnetized in an arbitrary direction. We argue that, when the spin-transfer torque caused by spin-polarized current compensates the natural magnetic dissipation in a "free" layer of the nanocontact, a nonlinear quasi-uniform precession of magnetization about the direction of the internal bias magnetic field is excited. With the increase of the current magnitude the angle of precession increases, making precession strongly nonlinear and reducing the projection M/sub z/ of the precessing magnetization vector on the precession axis (z axis). This reduction of M/sub z/ is responsible for the nonlinear limitation of the precession amplitude and for the nonlinear frequency shifts of the generated microwave oscillations. Because of the influence of demagnetizing fields in the "free" layer, the nonlinear frequency shifts have different magnitudes and signs for different orientations of the external bias field H/sub e/. The theory gives a good qualitative, and even partly quantitative, explanation of the main part of microwave magnetization dynamics experimentally observed in magnetic nanocontacts.
Television and Very Young Children

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has recommended that children younger than 24 months of age not be exposed to television. Nevertheless, television programs and home videos are increasingly produced for very young children. This article reviews the extant research concerning television and very young children with respect to the AAP recommendation. More very young children are currently watching television than in the recent past; they pay substantial attention to TV programs and videos made for them. When learning from videos is assessed in comparison to equivalent live presentations, there is usually substantially less learning from videos. Although one study finds positive associations of language learning with exposure to some children's TV programs, other studies find negative associations of viewing with language, cognitive, and attentional development. Background TV is also a disruptive influence. Evidence thus far indicates that the AAP recommendation is well taken, although considerably more research is needed.