cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Internal validation inferences of significant genomic features in genome-wide screening

Although validation of classification and prediction models has been a long-standing topic in Statistics and computer learning, the concept of statistical validation in genome-wide screening studies has been vague. Internal validation generally refers to validation procedures solely based on the study dataset. A popular approach to internal validation of identified genomic features has been the split-dataset validation. Contrast to this approach, internal validation in genome-wide association screening studies is precisely defined through the concepts of association profile and profile significance. A general procedure and two specific profile significance measures are developed and are compared with the split-dataset validation approach by a simulation study. The simulation results clearly demonstrate the strength and limitations of the profile significance approach to internal validation, especially its enormous gain in sensitivity (power) and stability over the split-dataset validation. The proposed methodology is illustrated by an example of genome-wide SNP association analysis in genetic epidemiology.
Photonic processing using integrated optical filters

We will discuss photonic processing tasks that are enabled or assisted by integrated optical filters. A novel platform incorporating a highly nonlinear glass on an electro-optic substrate will be reviewed, namely arsenic-trisulfide (As2S3)-on-LiNbO3 waveguides.
Fading and Multipath Considerations in Aircraft/Satellite Communications Systems

Aircraft communication using essentially non-directional antennas and a satellite relay is subject to multipath fading, particularly over water. In the case of specular reflection, communication between an aircraft at 30, 000 ft. and a synchronous satellite results in a time differential of 0 to 60 μ secs between direct and reflected path, depending on aircraft location with respect to satellite position. Digital transmission can suffer high error rates resulting from multipath unless compensated by means such as frequency diversity and/or increased link margins. For FSK transmission and envelope detection, theoretical fading models indicate, for example, at a 10−3 bit error rate the input signal to noise density ratio must be increased up to 15 - 26 db (depending upon the type of fading) as compared to non-fading signals. Under the same conditions, triple switched frequency diversity, for example, requires an increase up to 4 - 9 db. Using other diversity schemes it appears possible to obtain a few db improvement over switched diversity. Triple diversity is an indicated choice over dual diversity. Aircraft antenna pattern discrimination in the lower hemisphere reduces the multipath problems.
Quantum cryptography using any two nonorthogonal states

Quantum techniques for key distribution---the classically impossible task of distributing secret information over an insecure channel whose transmissions are subject to inspection by an eavesdropper, between parties who share no secret initially---have been proposed using (a) four nonorthogonally polarized single-photon states or low-intensity light pulses, and (b) polarization-entangled or spacetime-entangled two-photon states. Here we show that in principle any two nonorthogonal quantum states suffice, and describe a practical interferometric realization using low-intensity coherent light pulses.
Assessing the occurrence of elaborative inferences: Lexical decision versus naming

Abstract This research extends previous attempts (e.g., G. McKoon & R. Ratcliff, 1986 , Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 12, 82–91; M. Singer & F. Ferreira, 1983 , Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 22, 437–448) to determine whether subjects infer highly likely consequences of an event while reading. For example, if subjects read about someone falling off a 14th story roof, will they infer that the person died? The present experiments differ from previous research in that they use procedures—lexical decision and word naming—which we feel permit a clearer assessment of whether the inference occurred at encoding, they directly compare the effects of requiring versus not requiring the inference for coherence in the absence of the usual confounds with semantic relatedness, and they examine the effects that disconfirming evidence has on the activation level of the inferred concept. The lexical decision task appeared to indicate that subjects do, indeed, infer the likely consequences of events while reading. However, the naming task suggested that such inferences were not drawn. We conclude that such inferences are not drawn while reading and that the lexical decision results, as well as previous results using a recognition task, reflect context checking that occurs at the time of the test.
Is cervical decompression beneficial in patients with coexistent cervical stenosis and multiple sclerosis

Cervical stenosis (CS) and multiple sclerosis (MS) are two common conditions with distinctive pathophysiology but overlapping clinical manifestations. The uncertainty involved in attributing worsening symptoms to CS in patients with MS due to extremely high prevalence of asymptomatic radiological CS makes treatment decisions challenging. A retrospective review was performed analyzing the medical records of all patients with confirmed diagnosis of MS who had coexistent CS and underwent surgery for cervical radiculopathy/myeloradiculopathy. Eighteen patients with coexistent CS and MS who had undergone cervical spine decompression and fusion were identified. There were six men and 12 women with an average age of 52.7 years (range 40-72 years). Pre-operative symptoms included progressive myelopathy (14 patients), neck pain (seven patients), radiculopathy (five patients), and bladder dysfunction (seven patients). Thirteen of the 14 patients (92.9%) with myelopathy showed either improvement (4/14, 28.6%) or stabilization (9/14, 64.3%) in their symptoms with neck pain and radiculopathy improving in 100% and 80% of patients, respectively. None of the seven patients with urinary dysfunction had improvement in urinary symptoms after surgery. To conclude, cervical spine decompression and fusion can improve or stabilize myelopathy, and significantly relieve neck pain and radiculopathy in the majority of patients with coexistent CS and MS. Urinary dysfunctions appear unlikely to improve after surgery. The low rate of surgical complications in our cohort demonstrates that cervical spine surgery can be safely performed in carefully selected patients with concomitant CS and MS with a good clinical outcome and also eliminate CS as a confounding factor in the long-term management of MS patients.
Isospin breaking in the nucleon mass and the sensitivity of β decays to new physics.

We discuss the consequences of the approximate conservation of the vector and axial currents for the hadronic matrix elements appearing in β decay if nonstandard interactions are present. In particular, the isovector (pseudo)scalar charge gS(P) of the nucleon can be related to the difference (sum) of the nucleon masses in the absence of electromagnetic effects. Using recent determinations of these quantities from phenomenological and lattice QCD studies we obtain the accurate values gS=1.02(11) and gP=349(9) in the modified minimal subtraction scheme at μ=2 GeV. The consequences for searches of nonstandard scalar interactions in nuclear β decays are studied, finding for the corresponding Wilson coefficient eS=0.0012(24) at 90% C.L., which is significantly more stringent than current LHC bounds and previous low-energy bounds using less precise gS values. We argue that our results could be rapidly improved with updated computations and the direct calculation of certain ratios in lattice QCD. Finally, we discuss the pion-pole enhancement of gP, which makes β decays much more sensitive to nonstandard pseudoscalar interactions than previously thought.
Editorial: We Thank Our Peer Reviewers

Some things function so well that we only notice them when they don’t work. Things like refrigerators, cars, fingers, knees, and shoulders come right to mind. As does peer review. While each of us bears the scars of a tough review received somewhere along the way—for many of us, more than one—the fact is that we owe a debt of gratitude to reviewers who, much more often than not, get it right. Their efforts improve our work, but they are not named or credited for this essential function. Our journal could not exist without peer reviewers. Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research® has processed in excess of 1500 papers this year; most of these will have been seen by at least three reviewers. Although our Deputy Editors and Associate Editors bring a great breadth and depth of experience to our journal, our roster of peer reviewers—which includes clinicians, scientists, policy experts, educators, and others—expands and enhances our expertise, allowing us to work with papers on topics that range from physical anthropology to molecular genetics, and article types including clinical series, randomized trials, and massive epidemiological efforts. Each of those reviews likely took several hours of attention and care, a service for which the reviewers receive no compensation (and for which we do not charge authors). In a specialty as diverse as ours, we simply could not have confidence in the validity and quality of the work we publish without the generosity and skill of our reviewers. For this, I would like to extend my personal gratitude to each referee who reviewed for CORR® in the last year; their names are listed here: DOI 10.1007/s11999-013-3312-0. I would like also to call attention to a much shorter panel: Our “Top Reviewer” list found at the top of the above list. Peer reviewers listed here live at the intersection of two important circles on our Venn diagram: The truly committed, and the extremely skillful. To make this list, a reviewer needed to complete four or more reviews between September 2012 and August 2013, and achieve an average review score in the “excellent” range. This is a special group, which represents less than 3% of the reviewers in our pool. I congratulate each of them on this great achievement, and I thank them for their special service to orthopaedic research and to our journal. Finally, it is important to note that we do not list Editors who are on our masthead in the “Top Reviewer” list as they have already been recognized for their particular skill and expertise by being invited to serve on our Editorial Board. However, I would be remiss not to thank them here for their ongoing (and considerable) commitments to maintaining and improving quality in CORR®.
Convergence of a high order method in time and space for the miscible displacement equations

A numerical method is formulated and analyzed for solving the miscible displacement problem under low regularity assumptions. The scheme employs discontinuous Galerkin time stepping with mixed and interior penalty discontinuous Galerkin finite elements in space. The numerical approx- imations of the pressure, velocity, and concentration converge to the weak solution as the mesh size and time step tend to zero. To pass to the limit a compactness theorem is developed which generalizes the Aubin−Lions theorem to accommodate discontinuous functions both in space and in time.
Old bottles, new wine

Understanding Relativity: Origin and Impact of a Scientific Revolution. By Stanley Goldberg. Birkhauser: 1984. Pp.494. $24.95. To be published in Britain on 20 September by Oxford University Press, £17.50.
Titan airglow spectra from Cassini Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph (UVIS): EUV analysis

u ! X 1 P g ), while the FUV spectrum consists of one (a 1 !g ! X 1 P g ). Both the EUVand FUV spectra contain many N I and N II multiplets that are produced primarily by photodissociative ionization. Spectral intensities of the N2 c4 0 1 P u (v 0 =0 )! X 1 P g (v 00 = 0-2) progression from 950-1010 A u are resolved for the first time. The UVIS observations reveal that the c4 1 P u (0) ! X 1 P (3) Stevens et al. (1994) developed a c4 (0, v 00 ) multiple scattering model for the terrestrial atmosphere and showed that c4 0 (0, 0) should be weak or undetectable near peak photoelectron excitation and that c4 0 (0, 1) should dominate over c4 (0, 0). This result was also inferred at Titan by Stevens (2001), who argued that c4 0 (0, 0) was misidentified at Titan and that two prominent N I multiplets produced primarily by photodissociative ionization (PDI) of N2 were present instead. This meant that the Titan EUV dayglow could be excited exclusively by the Sun. The key EUV emissions that could not be conclusively identified by UVS because of its low spectral resolution (30 A u ) can now be determined by UVIS with its higher spectral resolution (5.6 A u ). (4) Here we present for the first time UVIS EUV and FUV airglow spectra from Titan. We discuss the implica- tions of the spectra to the excitation sources on Titan using models of the EUV airglow. A subsequent paper will provide a model of the FUV airglow.
Pressure swing adsorption for a system with a Langmuir isotherm

Abstract An analytical expression is obtained for the equilibrium relationship between the enrichment factor of the product stream and the ratio of the pressure in the feed stream to that in the product stream for a pressure-swing-adsorption system with a Langmuir isotherm. The enrichment factor is defined as the ratio of the mole fraction of adsorbate gas in the product stream to that in the feed stream. The Langmuir isotherm is characterized by two parameters k 1 and k 2, where k 1 is proportional to the monolayer adsorption capacity and k 2 characterizes the nonlinearity of the adsorption isotherm. It is found that the enrichment factor decreases with increasing values of k 2; thus, the nonlinearity of the isotherm reduces the enrichment factor. A numerical calculation shows that the reduction of the enrichment factor is significant. Also, the enrichment factor increases with increasing values of k 1; thus, the enrichment factor increases as the monolayer adsorption capacity increases.
Binding of plasmid loaded liposomes to plant protoplasts: Validity of biochemical methods to evaluate the transfer of exogenous DNA

Abstract Positively charged large unilamellar lipid vesicles (LUV) and multilamellar vesicles (MLV) carrying pBR 322 DNA strongly bind to tobacco mesophyll protoplasts. The donor DNA undergoes minimal degradation under the conditions used. Subcellular fractionation indicates that a substantial proportion of the donor DNA becomes associated with nuclei and with chromatin. However, structural alterations inflicted to protoplasts by liposomes and in vitro experiments show that biochemical techniques do not allow a quantitative estimate of the amount of exogenous DNA actually taken up by protoplasts.
HIV-Related Research in Correctional Populations: Now is the Time

The incarcerated population has increased to unprecedented levels following the 1970 US declaration of war on illicit drug use. A substantial proportion of people with or at risk for HIV infection, including those with substance use and mental health disorders, have become incarcerated. The overlapping epidemics of incarceration and HIV present a need for academic medical centers to collaborate with the criminal justice system to improve the health of incarcerated populations. With coordinated collaboration and new programmatic initiatives it is possible to reduce HIV-associated risk behaviors and the likelihood of acquisition and transmission of HIV. Centers for AIDS Research (CFAR), funded by the National Institutes of Health, have proactively responded to this need through Collaboration on HIV in Corrections (CHIC) to improve the diagnosis, treatment, linkage to care, and prevention of HIV. This collaboration serves as a model for aligning academic expertise with criminal justice to confront this challenge to individual and public health. This is especially relevant given recent evidence of the effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy in reducing HIV transmission (Cohen et al. N Engl J Med 365(6):493–505, 2011).
Stable suspension fertilizers from monoammonium phosphate

Research studies conducted at the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) have shown that addition of the fluoride ion can improve the physical properties of suspension fertilizers made from monoammonium phosphate (MAP) containing metallic impurities. A study was conducted using fluorosilicic acid, which is a by-product of the phosphate fertilizer industry, as the fluorine source in the production of suspension fertilizers from MAP. The experimental data shown improvements in both viscosity and pourability of 10-30-0 and 11-33-0 grade suspensions made from 11-52-0 grade MAP, using as little as 0.6% fluorine added as fluorsilicic acid. Satisfactory storage time was increased from 30 days to at least 90 days when the extra fluorine was added. A test of this process at a dealer site demonstrated that the pourability of a suspension fertilizer made with MAP was improved. Also, the diammonium phosphate (DAP) crystal size was significantly reduced and the suspension containing fluorosilicic acid had exceptional settling resistant properties. (Slide 1) Stable Suspension Fertilizers From Monoammonium Phosphate, Ewell F. Dillard, James R. Burnell, and Joe Gautney. (Slide 2) My presentation will discuss the background and basic research conducted over the last several years which lead to development of the H2SiF6 process, laboratory tests of the new process, commercial tests of the process of a fertilizer dealer site, environmental considerations, economics, and conclusions.
The significance of the amount of myometrial invasion in patients with Stage IB endometrial carcinoma.

BACKGROUND The 1988 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging system for endometrial carcinoma defined Stage IB as disease with invasion of less than one-half of the myometrium, although most of the data on prognostic factors are based on invasion of the inner one-third, middle one-third, or outer one-third of the myometrium. The objective of this study was to determine whether the depth of myometrial invasion is correlated with outcome in patients with Stage IB endometrial carcinoma. METHODS Between November, 1987 and June, 1998, 251 patients with Stage IB endometrioid adenocarcinoma of the uterus underwent simple hysterectomy followed by intravaginal brachytherapy. The depth of myometrial invasion was less than or equal to one-third (Group I) in 191 of 251 patients (79%) and greater than one-third to less than one-half (Group II) in 52 of 251 patients (21%). Comprehensive surgical staging (CSS) was done in 12% of patients. The two groups were balanced with regard to age (< 60 years vs. ≥ 60 years), FIGO grade, lower uterine segment involvement (LUSI), CSS, and the use of postoperative external-beam radiation. The rate of capillary-like space invasion (CLSI), however, was 9% in Group I compared with 25% in Group II (P = 0.002). The median follow-up was 58 months. RESULTS The overall 5-year actuarial local-regional control (LRC), disease free (DFS) survival, and overall survival (OS) rates were 95%, 92%, and 92%, respectively. These end points, however, did not vary significantly between the two groups. The 5-year LRC, DFS, and OS rates in Groups I and II were 96% versus 95%, respectively (P = 0.9); 92% versus 94%, respectively (P = 0.7); and 92% versus 90%, respectively (P = 0.5). On multivariate analysis, the influence on outcome of age, grade, amount of myometrial invasion, LUSI, and CLSI was evaluated. Only age ≥ 60 years and FIGO Grade 3 were correlated with poor DFS (P = 0.02 and P = 0.03, respectively) and OS (P = 0.001 and P = 0.01, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Based on this study, in patients with Stage IB endometrial carcinoma, the amount of myometrial invasion, defined as invasion less than or equal to one-third of the myometrium versus invasion greater than one-third and less than one-half of the myometrium, did not appear to influence outcome. Age ≥ 60 years and FIGO Grade 3, however, emerged as independent prognostic factors for poor DFS and OS. Cancer 2002;95:316–21. © 2002 American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.10660
A pendulum inclinometer for use with small deep-submersibles

Abstract The authors developed a pendulum inclinometer suitable for use with small deep-submersibles or surface craft. The instrument uses a relatively short heavy pendulum and a viscous damping system for minimizing the effects of unwanted oscillatory motion. The pendulum relative motion is transmitted to the dial pointer through a flexible cord. The mechanism is designed so that the inclinometer gives a direct reading of the tangent of the angle of inclination. Adjustments are provided for levelling the instrument and for setting the dial to zero. Upper and lower clamping devices protect the pendulum suspension from damage during transit. The inclinometer has been used successfully in recent inclining experiments for the small research submarine Alvin .
INSTRUCTIONS, FEEDBACK, PRAISE, BONUS PAYMENTS, AND TEACHER BEHAVIOR1

The study was conducted within a training and demonstration center for teachers from several different school districts. The teachers staffing the center were employees of the host school district who volunteered to serve in the center. Unfortunately, these volunteers did not always use the program materials appropriately and therefore did not always provide clear models for visiting teachers. In particular, four of the volunteer teachers did not always instruct their students from the appropriate reading text, even when encouraged to do so by the principal of the school in which the center was located. Various procedures were employed to alter this situation. The experimenter, (associate director of the training and demonstration center) provided instructions, feedback, and praise regarding use of the appropriate reading text. These procedures had clear effects with only one teacher. Then, merit or bonus payments were provided for teachers who used the appropriate reading text for criterion periods of time; a procedure that was very effective with all four teachers. The problem worked on in this study is typical of those faced by workers in public institutions where change cannot be brought about by the researcher's authority. All teachers in the present study had the necessary skills to demonstrate accurately the prescribed program procedures, but they did not always do so until the bonus payment was used. Although the bonus payment procedure might be inappropriate in some school situations, the procedure could easily be adjusted to accommodate the established practices of many schools. For example, establishment of explicit performance criterion and use of in-service stipends for meeting criterion performance during school hours, rather than attendance at meetings after school, might well be comparably effective.
Mode-coupling mechanisms of resonant transmission filters

We study theoretically modal properties and parametric dependence of guided-mode resonance bandpass filters operating in the mid- and near-infrared spectral domains. We investigate three different device architectures consisting of single, double, and triple layers based on all-transparent dielectric and semiconductor thin films. The three device classes show high-performance bandpass filter profiles with broad, flat low-transmission sidebands accommodating sharp transmission peaks with their efficiencies approaching 100% with appropriate blending of multiple guided modes. We present three modal coupling configurations forming complex mixtures of two or three distinct leaky modes coupling at different evanescent diffraction orders. These modal compositions produce various widths of sidebands ranging from ~30 nm to ~2100 nm and transmission peak-linewidths ranging from ~1 pm to ~10 nm. Our modal analysis demonstrates key attributes of subwavelength periodic thin-film structures in multiple-modal blending to achieve desired transmission spectra. The design principle is applicable to various optical elements such as high-power optical filters, low-noise label-free biochemical sensor templates, and high-density display pixels.
Minnowbrook III: What Was Missing?: Procedural Justice and Backbone

(2009). Minnowbrook III: What Was Missing?: Procedural Justice and Backbone. Administrative Theory & Praxis: Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 102-105.
Vaccine wakes from the dead.

A new immunization approach could result in safer, more effective vaccines for intracellular infectious agents and cancer (pages 853–860).
Illuminating the History of Psychology: Tips for Teaching Students about the Hawthorne Studies:

The Hawthorne studies are a common topic in research methods and organisational psychology courses. However, textbook material on this topic is often misleading and sometimes historically inaccurat...
Introduction of vascular smooth muscle cells expressing recombinant genes in vivo.

Vascular smooth muscle cells contribute to the formation of atherosclerotic plaques by proliferating in response to vascular injury and releasing growth-promoting factors. Because their autocrine and paracrine effects are not fully understood, expression of such growth factor genes in specific cell types in vivo would help to determine their mechanism of action. We describe a method to transfer vascular smooth muscle cells expressing recombinant gene products to localized segments of the arterial wall. Vascular smooth muscle cells from the inbred Yucatan minipig were infected in vitro with an amphotropic, replication-defective retrovirus transducing the gene for Escherichia coli beta-galactosidase. Vascular smooth muscle cells expressing this recombinant gene were implanted, using a catheter, into denuded iliofemoral artery segments of pigs in vivo. These arteries subsequently demonstrated beta-galactosidase activity in cells of the intima and media. This method, which provides for the introduction of genetically modified smooth muscle cells, can be used to define the biological effects of recombinant genes in the vessel wall and potentially to provide alternative treatments of vascular diseases.
Unstable fracture dislocations of the proximal interphalangeal joint of the fingers: A preliminary report of a new treatment technique

A linkage of Kirschner wires activated by a single rubber band creates a force couple across a fracture-dislocated proximal interphalangeal joint. The method dynamically achieves concentric joint reduction, which is maintained through a full active range-of-joint flexion and extension. Two case reports accompany a description of the technique.
Great expectations for Ara Norenzayan's Big Gods

AbstractIn Big Gods (2013), Ara Norenzayan argues that the rise of large-scale societies was made possible by an extension of small-scale religious prosociality, presided over (and enforced) by Big moralizing watchful Gods. While religious prosociality is, of course, a redundant characterization of any small-scale religious group, it is doubtful that its extension can account for the historical emergence of large-scale societies, nor can cooperation be explained as an effect of surveillance. Rather, the archaeological and historical record indicates that such large-scale expansions of human societies are better explained by economic factors, political power, and/or military force. Difficulties with Norenzayan's theory are explored and several alternative theories to his ‘neglect of history’ are suggested.
The thymus in Langerhans' cell histiocytosis.

Objective. To determine the frequency of thymic involvement in Langerhans' cell histiocytosis and describe its imaging appearance before and after treatment. Materials and methods. A retrospective review of the radiology and clinical records of all patients diagnosed with Langerhans' cell histiocytosis at DeVos Children's Hospital between 1992 and 1998. Results. Of the 14 patients diagnosed with Langerhans' cell histiocytosis, 7 demonstrated multisystem involvement. The thymus was involved in 5 of 7 patients. The thymus was enlarged in 5; thymic contours were nodular/lobulated in 2; cystic changes were noted in 4; and dystrophic vascular-appearing calcifications were seen in 1. In all cases, findings regressed or resolved following chemotherapy. Conclusion. The thymus is commonly involved in Langerhans' cell histiocytosis, especially in multisystem disease. Radiologically, the thymus is enlarged and may be smooth or lobulated/nodular in contour, possibly containing cysts and calcifications.
Gradient elution moving boundary electrophoresis for high-throughput multiplexed microfluidic devices.

A novel method for performing electrophoretic separations is describedgradient elution moving boundary electrophoresis (GEMBE). The technique utilizes the electrophoretic migration of chemical species in combination with variable hydrodynamic bulk counterflow of the solution through a separation capillary or microfluidic channel. Continuous sample introduction is used, eliminating the need for a sample injection mechanism. Only analytes with an electrophoretic velocity greater than the counterflow velocity enter the separation channel. The counterflow velocity is varied over time so that each analyte is brought into the separation column at different times, allowing for high-resolution separations in very short channels. The new variable of bulk flow acceleration affords a new selectivity parameter to electrophoresis analogous to gradient elution compositions in chromatography. Because it does not require extra channels or access ports to form an injection zone and because separations can be performed in ...
Cholinergic control of male mating behavior in hamsters: Effects of central oxotremorine treatment

The responses of rats to intracranial injections of cholinergic drugs implicate acetylcholine in the control of male mating behavior and suggest specific brain areas as mediators of these effects. In particular, past work has linked the medial preoptic area (MPOA) to the control of intromission frequency but implicated areas near the lateral ventricles in effects on the initiation and spacing of intromissions. Studies of responses to systemic cholinergic treatments suggest that acetylcholine is even more important for the control of mating behavior in male hamsters but provide no information on the relevant brain areas. To fill this gap, we observed the effects of central injections of the cholinergic agonist oxotremorine that approached the MPOA along contrasting paths. Both studies suggest that increased cholinergic activity in or near the MPOA can facilitate behavior by reducing the postejaculatory interval and possibly affecting other parts of the mechanisms controlling the initiation of copulation and the efficiency of performance early in an encounter. In addition, oxotremorine caused other changes in behavior that could not be tied to the MPOA and may reflect actions at more dorsal sites, possibly including the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and medial septum. These effects were notably heterogeneous, including facilitatory and disruptive effects on male behavior along with a facilitation of lordosis responses to manual stimulation. These results emphasize the number and diversity of elements of sexual behavior in hamsters that are under the partial control of forebrain cholinergic mechanisms.
Counseling patients to quit smoking: What to say, when to say it, and how to use your time to advantage

PREVIEWHelping patients stop smoking is one of the most important—and frustrating—services primary care physicians can provide. Many physicians are reluctant to spend time talking about tobacco use with patients who show little or no interest in changing their habits. Fortunately, specific techniques have been identified that can make the task easier. This article from the distinguished Nicotine Dependence Center of the Mayo Clinic looks at the “best practices” for dealing with nicotine dependence.
Effect of Non-Steady-State Perfusion on Xenon-133 Cerebral Blood Flow Measurements: An Analytical Study

Activation studies employing the noninvasive xenon-133 technique are widely used to investigate the cerebral circulation. Typical examples are the investigation of hemispheral specialization of higher cortical function with cognitive activation or the assessment of the hemodynamic reserve in occlusive cerebrovascular disease by CO2 inhalation. Traditionally, in studies using this technique, there is the requirement of a circulatory steady state during the measurement. Due to limitations in the duration of the stimulus or habituation to the stimulus, the basic assumption is often violated. In this study we investigated with the aid of a computer model to what extent blood flow measurement results are affected by non-steady-state blood flow. The findings indicate that cortical activation need not extend throughout the whole measurement to be detectable. Maintenance of activation for at least 5 min is sufficient for a successful measurement. In addition, the results show that the activation should be fully established when the measurement starts to achieve maximal sensitivity. Delay in activating the circulation will result in attenuated responses, especially if the stimulus is delayed beyond 2 min.
IRRELEVANT THIRST DRIVE AND LIGHT AVERSION

In two experiments satiated female albino rats learned to press a bar to turn off a bright light, and performance was measured with 0 or 24 hours thirst added on two test days. The 28 Ss of Exp. I received extinction treatment on the test days; 14 Ss of Exp. II continued dark-rewarded bar pressing on the test days. Added thirst had no over-all effect in Exp. I and decreased performance in Exp. II. Ss extinguished with the light always on performed better than those with the light always off, and the amount of decrease from the first to the second extinction day depended in a complex manner on both lighting and thirst conditions. Thus, Hull's prediction of energization by irrelevant drives is not confirmed. The data were considered in relation to Estes' stimulus theory of drive.
Cosmogenic-nuclide burial ages for Pleistocene sedimentary fill in Unaweep Canyon, Colorado, USA

Abstract We applied both single-sample and isochron methods of cosmogenic-nuclide burial dating to determine the age of the sedimentary fill in Unaweep Canyon, western Colorado, USA. This stratigraphic sequence is of interest because it documents capture and diversion of the ancestral Gunnison River by the Colorado River during late Cenozoic incision of the Colorado Plateau. Seven 26 Al– 10 Be burial ages from sedimentary infill penetrated by a borehole in central Unaweep Canyon, as well as a 26 Al– 10 Be burial isochron age formed by multiple clasts and grain-size separates in a sample from the stratigraphically lower Gateway gravels, indicate that canyon blockage, initiation of lacustrine sediment accumulation, and presumed river capture, took place 1.41 ± 0.19 Ma. Lacustrine sedimentation ceased 1.34 ± 0.13 Ma.
Fundamental Frequency, Jitter, and Shimmer in Preschoolers Who Stutter

This investigation examined acoustic correlates of phonatory control in the speech of 10 preschool-aged boys who were stutterers (mean age= 45 months) recorded relatively close to the time of stutt...
Irregular repeat-accumulate codes for volume holographic memory systems

We investigate the application of irregular repeat-accumulate (IRA) codes in volume holographic memory (VHM) systems. We introduce methodologies to design efficient IRA codes. We show that a judiciously designed IRA code for a typical VHM can be as good as the optimized irregular low-density-parity-check codes while having the additional advantage of lower encoding complexity. Moreover, we present a method to reduce the error-floor effect of the IRA codes in the VHM systems. This method explores the structure of the noise pattern in holographic memories. Finally, we explain why IRA codes are good candidates for the VHM systems.
The Math Book, by Clifford A. Pickover

The Math Book, by Clifford A. Pickover, Sterling Publishing Co., New York, NY, 2009, 528 pp., Hardcover, ISBN: 978-1-402-75796-9, US $29.95. A time-honoured debate in the philosophy of mathematics ...
Bifurcation and symmetry-breaking

Let E and F be Banach spaces, E⊂F, and Λ an interval in R. In this paper we use bifurcation theory to study the set of solutions of an equation M(u,λ)=0, where M is a smooth operator, M:E×Λ→F
The Complex and Unexpected Ionization Behavior of Phosphoinositides

The phosphorylated forms of phosphatidylinositol, among all minor membrane lipid species, are arguably the most important in the regulation of intracellular signaling processes. Specificity is achieved by the selective phosphorylation of the inositol headgroup, which can carry a total of three phosphomonoester groups. Many proteins have developed special binding domains that facilitate specific binding to particular phosphoinositide species, while other proteins interact with phosphoinositides via nonspecific electrostatic interactions. Here we describe the ionization properties of all three naturally occurring bisphosphates as well as phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate in model lipid membranes composed of phosphatidylcholine. We find substantial differences in ionization behavior between the three bisphosphates, and the ionization behavior of the trisphosphate is extraordinarily complex, indicating the crucial role of phosphate substitution pattern. The results are explained by intramolecular hydrogen bonds in the headgroups of the individual phosphatidylinositol polyphosphates. Surprisingly however, we also find evidence for intermolecular hydrogen bond interactions, suggesting that e.g. PI(4,5)P2 can cluster in model membranes. Additionally, we investigated the effect of other major membrane lipid species on the ionization properties of PI(4,5)P2, specifically cholesterol and phosphatidylethanolamine. Preliminary results are discussed in terms of possible intermolecular interactions.
An alternative method for enzymatic assay of plant invertases

An alternative coupled method was developed for the enzymatic assay of plant invertases. In this method, ADP produced from the phosphorylation of glucose and fructose (hydrolysis products of invert...
Extending Students’ Practice of Metacognitive Regulation Skills with the Science Writing Heuristic

Metacognition can be described as an internal conversation that seeks to answer the questions, ‘how much do I really know about what I am learning’ and, ‘how am I monitoring what I am learning?’ Metacognitive regulation skills are critical to meaningful learning because they facilitate the abilities to recognize the times when one's current level of understanding is insufficient and to identify the needs for closing the gap in understanding. This research explored how using the Science Writing Heuristic (SWH) as an instructional approach in a laboratory classroom affected students’ practice of metacognitive skills while solving open-ended laboratory problems. Within our qualitative research design, results demonstrate that students in the SWH environment, compared to non-SWH students, used metacognitive strategies to a different degree and to a different depth when solving open-ended laboratory problems. As students engaged in higher levels of metacognitive regulation, peer collaboration became a prominen...
Surface Removal Rate in Chemical-Mechanical Polishing

Variation of the surface removal rate with down pressure, pad asperity, and relative velocity in chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) was studied. A phenomenological model for contact of pad asperities with abrasive particles and wafer is described. The functional dependence of the polishing rate on pressure and velocity was found to be related to the distribution of pad asperities. Simple argument based on the mechanical contact theory suggests that the linear variation predicted by Preston's equation follows when the pad asperities have a random distribution. The sublinear dependence of the removal rate, however, is obtained when the pad asperities have a wavy distribution. The use of the statistical least-square method is suggested as a way to determine the relationship between the removal rate and pressure for different industrial pads used in CMP processes. CMP polishing planarization surface removal
Physiological ecology of a mussel with methanotrophic endosymbionts at three hydrocarbon seep sites in the Gulf of Mexico

In situ growth rates were determined, using two, 1-yr mark/recapture experiments, conducted between September 1991 and July 1993, for an undescribed mytilid, Seep Mytilid Ia, at three hydrocarbon seep sites in the Gulf of Mexico. The sites are located at depths of 540 to 730m, approximately 27°45′N; 91°30′W, and are separated by distances of 6 to 18 miles. These seep mytilids harbor methanotrophic endosymbionts and use methane as both a carbon and energy source. The mussel habitats were chemically characterized by analysis of water samples taken from precisely located microenvironments over, among and below the mussels, using small-volume, interstitial water samplers and the “Johnson Sea Link” submersible. Substantial differences were found in habital conditions, growth rates, and population structure for the mussels at the three sites examined. The growth rate of these seep mytilids reflects the methane concentration in their immediate habitat. Mussels at sites with abundant methane had growth rates that were comparable to shallow water mytilids at similar temperatures (5 to 8°C) with increases in shell length up to 17 mm yr−1 documented for smaller mussels (<40 mm shell length). In conjunction with measurements of growth rates, three condition indices (glycogen content, tissue water content, and the ratio of ash-free dry weight to shell volume) were used to determine the relationship between the condition of the mussels, their growth rates, and their habitat chemistry. The three condition indices were correlated with growth rate and were often significantly different between mussels in different samples.
Simultaneous Inference on All Linear Combinations of Means with Heteroscedastic Errors

We proposed a statistical method to construct simultaneous confidence intervals on all linear combinations of means without assuming equal variance where the classical Scheffe's simultaneous confidence intervals no longer preserve the familywise error rate (FWER). The proposed method is useful when the number of comparisons on linear combinations of means is extremely large. The FWERs for proposed simultaneous confidence intervals under various configurations of mean variances are assessed through simulations and are found to preserve the predefined nominal level very well. An example of pairwise comparisons on heteroscedastic means is given to illustrate the proposed method.
Cardiometabolic Risk Factors Are Associated with High Urinary Enterolactone Concentration, Independent of Urinary Enterodiol Concentration and Dietary Fiber Intake in Adults

The study objective was to evaluate independent and interactive associations of dietary fiber intake and high urinary enterolignans with cardiometabolic risk factors. The analysis included 2260 adults (≥20 y of age) from the 2003-2010 NHANES. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate obesity and clinically defined cardiometabolic risk factors in relation to dietary fiber intake and urinary enterolignan concentrations. Three sets of models were created: 1) independent associations, 2) mutually adjusted associations, and 3) interactions. Models were adjusted for age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, smoking status, and energy intake. High concentrations were considered to be above the 90th percentile of urinary enterolignan concentrations. Increasing dietary fiber intake was associated with high blood pressure (P = 0.02) and low serum HDL cholesterol (P-trend = 0.03). High urinary enterodiol concentration was not associated with obesity or cardiometabolic risk factors. High urinary enterolactone concentration was inversely associated with obesity (OR: 0.44; 95% CI: 0.29, 0.66), abdominal obesity (OR: 0.58; 95% CI: 0.39, 0.87), high serum C-reactive protein (CRP; OR: 0.52; 95% CI: 0.37, 0.74), high serum triglycerides (OR: 0.39; 95% CI: 0.23, 0.61), low serum HDL cholesterol (OR: 0.37; 95% CI: 0.23, 0.61), and metabolic syndrome (OR: 0.47; 95% CI: 0.30, 0.74). In mutually adjusted models, enterolactone associations observed in independent models remained similar, but associations for dietary fiber intake were attenuated, with the exception of blood pressure. In interaction models, there were 2 significant interactions: between high urinary enterodiol concentration and dietary fiber intake for high serum CRP (P = 0.04) and high plasma glucose (P = 0.04). Overall, being in the highest 10% of urinary enterolactone concentration was associated with cardiometabolic risk factors, independent of dietary fiber intake and enterodiol concentration. Future studies are warranted to evaluate physiologic actions of enterolactone or aspects of the gut microbial profile responsible for lignan metabolism to enterolactone.
Diverse mechanisms for cell attachment to platelet thrombospondin

Thrombospondin-1 is a component of the extracellular matrix which is thought to play important roles in cell migration and proliferation, during embryogenesis and wound repair. To understand the basis for these activities, we are mapping the regions of the molecule with cell adhesive activity. Here, we use antagonists of specific cell binding sites, adhesion-perturbing thrombospondin monoclonal antibodies and proteolytic fragments of platelet thrombospondin, to investigate the adhesive mechanisms used by G361 melanoma cells, human intestinal smooth muscle cells (HISM), epidermal keratinocytes and MG-63 osteosarcoma cells. When attached to the same preparations of platelet thrombospondin, HISM and MG-63 cells underwent spreading, whereas G361 cells and keratinocytes did not. Attachment of all four cell types involved the carboxyterminal domain. The type 1 repeats and the amino-terminal heparin binding domain were important for stable attachment of G361, HISM and MG-63 cells, but were not involved in keratinocyte attachment. GRGDSP peptide caused near complete inhibition of HISM and MG-63 cell attachment, partially inhibited G361 attachment, but did not inhibit keratinocyte attachment. Attachment of HISM and MG-63 cells involved the alpha v beta 3 integrin. The integrity of the thrombospondin molecule was important for its adhesivity towards G361, HISM, and MG-63 cells, whereas keratinocytes attached to the 140 kDa tryptic fragment as effectively as they did to the intact molecule. These results show that cell attachment to platelet thrombospondin typically involves multiple binding interactions, but the exact profile of interactions is cell type specific. Usage of particular cell-binding sites does not predict whether cells will undergo spreading or not. These data may, in part, explain some of the current controversies surrounding the mechanisms of cell attachment to thrombospondin.