cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Randomized double pulse stimulation for assessing stimulus frequency-dependent conduction in injured spinal and peripheral axons

Injury compromises the ability of axons to conduct action potentials at high frequencies. To study stimulus frequency-dependent conduction in injured spinal and peripheral axons, we developed a new stimulation paradigm which applied trains of double pulses at 5 Hz and randomly varied interpulse intervals of 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 30, 50, and 80 msec. In each double pulse, the first pulse was used to condition the response activated by the second test pulse. Responses elicited by double pulses with 80 msec intervals served as controls. The L5 dorsal root was stimulated to activate dorsal column and dorsal root compound action potentials in pentobarbital anesthetized rats. To injure the spinal cord, we compressed the cord stepwise (0.25 mm every 5 min) until action potential conduction across the compression site was abolished and then decompressed the spinal cord 10 min later. Before injury, conditioning pulses applied 3–80 msec before the test pulses did not alter dorsal column responses except for a slight amplitude augmentation at 20 msec interpulse intervals (mean±S.E., +4.2±0.8%, P<0.02) compared to controls. Injury had 3 effects on the responses. First, it significantly reduced response amplitudes and increased response latencies at 3–5 msec interpulse intervals, i.e., responses activated with 3 msec intervals were 26.0±7.4% (P<0.002, paired t test, n = 6) smaller and had 108 ± 45 μsec (P<0.04) longer latency than control responses. Second, response amplitude increases at 20 msec interpulse intervals (9.0 ± 0.7%, P < 0.0001) significantly exceeded those observed before injury (P < 0.02, paired t test). Third, injury accentuated response amplitude declines during the stimulus trains, most prominently at 80 msec intervals. Spinal cord injury did not affect the dorsal root responses. L5 root compression injury depressed dorsal root action potentials at 3–5 msec interpulse intervals (36.0 ± 8.4%, n = 4, P < 0.0001) but had not other effect on the responses. Our data indicate that randomized double pulse evoked potentials are sensitive detectors of acute dysfunction and can be used to quantify stimulus frequency-dependent conduction deficits in injured central and peripheral axons.
Spin diffusion in the double-exchange model at T=∞

The process of spin diffusion within the double-exchange model is studied on a Bethe lattice in infinite dimension at $T=\ensuremath{\infty}.$ In the absence of electron hopping, the spin-current correlation function oscillates with a period inversely proportional to the Hund's coupling and the spin-diffusion coefficient D vanishes. Electron hopping causes the correlation function to decay with time and yields a value for D proportional to the electron bandwidth.
Transformation and Deformation Texture Study in Friction Stir Processed API X80 Pipeline Steel

The nature of deformation in friction stir welding/processing (FSW/P) is complex which is further complicated when allotropic phase transformations are present. Electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) is used as a means to reconstruct prior austenite texture and grain structure to study deformation and recrystallization in austenite and ferrite in FSW/P of high strength low alloy (HSLA) steels. Analyses show evidence of shear deformation textures such as A1* (111)[−1−12], B (1−12)[110], and −B (−11−2)[−1−10], as well as rotated-cube recrystallization texture in the reconstructed prior austenite. Existence of rotated-cube texture as well as polygonal grain structure of the prior austenite implies that recrystallization is partially occurring in elevated temperatures. Room temperature ferrite exhibits well-defined shear deformation texture components. The observed shear deformation texture in the room temperature microstructure implies that FSW/P imposes deformation during the phase transformation. The evolution of both elevated and room temperature textures in friction stir processed API X80 steel are presented.
Dynamic Energy Management of a Residential Energy Eco-System

In this paper, an automated dynamic energy management framework for a generic residential eco-system is presented. The proposed distributed, non-disruptive management framework is based on highly-resolved personal energy consumption models developed using a novel bottom-up approach that quantifies consumer energy use behavior. The incorporation of stochastic consumers behavior provides more accurate estimation of the actual amount of available controllable resources, hence enabling better interactions with the grid. The energy management problem is solved by use of a dynamic programming algorithm that considers household members’ behavior, as predicted by the highly-resolved stochastic personal energy consumption model, and finds the optimal schedule for all the controllable appliances and plug-in electric vehicles charging. The algorithm is flexible enough to accommodate diverse costs functions, and simulate different scenarios.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
The Werner syndrome protein limits the error-prone 8-oxo-dG lesion bypass activity of human DNA polymerase kappa

Human DNA polymerase kappa (hpol κ) is the only Y-family member to preferentially insert dAMP opposite 7,8-dihydro-8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dG) during translesion DNA synthesis. We have studied the mechanism of action by which hpol κ activity is modulated by the Werner syndrome protein (WRN), a RecQ helicase known to influence repair of 8-oxo-dG. Here we show that WRN stimulates the 8-oxo-dG bypass activity of hpol κ in vitro by enhancing the correct base insertion opposite the lesion, as well as extension from dC:8-oxo-dG base pairs. Steady-state kinetic analysis reveals that WRN improves hpol κ-catalyzed dCMP insertion opposite 8-oxo-dG ∼10-fold and extension from dC:8-oxo-dG by 2.4-fold. Stimulation is primarily due to an increase in the rate constant for polymerization (kpol), as assessed by pre-steady-state kinetics, and it requires the RecQ C-terminal (RQC) domain. In support of the functional data, recombinant WRN and hpol κ were found to physically interact through the exo and RQC domains of WRN, and co-localization of WRN and hpol κ was observed in human cells treated with hydrogen peroxide. Thus, WRN limits the error-prone bypass of 8-oxo-dG by hpol κ, which could influence the sensitivity to oxidative damage that has previously been observed for Werner's syndrome cells.
Quantification of D/L-aspartic acids in Aplysia californica central nervous system by β-cyclodextrin modified micellar electrokinetic chromatography

In presence of an organic modifier (e.g. methanol), separation of amino acid enantiomers tagged with naphthalene-2,3-dicarboxaldehyde by β-cyclodextrin modified micellar electrokinetic chromatography was dramatically improved. Coupled with laser-induced fluorescence detection, the method was well suited for analysis of D/L-amino acid enantiomers present in mass/volume-limited biological samples such as cell clusters. The five major ganglia dissected from the central nervous system of Aplysia californica, a widely used neuronal model, were analyzed to determine D- and L-aspartic acid enantiomers both free and bound in proteins/tissue matrix. The analyses revealed high levels of free D-aspartic acid ranging from 0.13 to 0.82 µmol/g wet tissue (or 6.0–21.2% of the total free aspartic acid) in all of the five ganglia. However, no D-aspartic acid was detected bound in protein/tissue matrix. The content of free D-aspartic acid in the liver tissue was also found below the detection limit of the method, which was 1 × 10−8 M. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Abbreviations used: CBI 1-cyano-2-substituted benz[f]isoindole CSF cerebrospinal fluid D-Asp D-aspartic acid D-Ser, D-Serine FITC fluorescein isothiocyanate KCN potassium cyanide OPA ophthaldialdehyde NDA naphthalene-2,3-di-carboxaldehyde SDS sodium dodecyl sulfate TEA triethylamine.
Deletion of the ileal basolateral bile acid transporter identifies the cellular sentinels that regulate the bile acid pool.

Bile acids are potent detergents and are essential for efficient digestion and absorption of dietary fat. Bile acids are synthesized by the liver from cholesterol, excreted into bile, and stored in the gallbladder. After ingestion of a fat-containing diet, the gallbladder contracts, forcing bile to enter the lumen of the proximal duodenum. Lipids in bile acid emulsions are absorbed in the proximal jejunum, whereas the majority of bile acids are absorbed in distal ileum, whereupon they are transported back to the liver through the portal blood. Each cycle of the bile acid enterohepatic circulation pathway is associated with a small (≈5%) loss, which is replaced through de novo hepatic synthesis (1).
Absence of neurotoxic effects in leopard sharks, Triakis semifasciata, following domoic acid exposure

Domoic acid (DA), a potent neurotoxin produced by select species of algae and diatoms, kills neurons bearing kainic acid-type glutamate receptors. Studies have shown that DA bioaccumulates in invertebrates and fish that consume the diatoms. In every vertebrate species tested or observed in the wild, dietary or systemic DA causes neuronal damage or clinical signs of neurotoxicity. Sharks, like marine birds and mammals, are exposed to DA through their diet; however, no research has demonstrated the effect of DA on shark behavior or physiology. In this study, juvenile leopard sharks (Triakis semifasciata) were given DA by intracoelomic injection at doses of 0, 1, 3, 9, and 27 mg/kg and observed for 7 days. The sharks failed to demonstrate behavioral or histological changes in response to the toxin. We identified putative brain glutamate receptors by probing western blots with an antibody specific for kainic acid-type glutamate receptors and demonstrated receptor localization in the cerebellum with immunohistochemistry. Blood levels of DA in three sharks dosed at 9 mg/kg fell rapidly within 1.5 h of injection. We show that leopard sharks possess the molecular target for DA but are resistant to doses of DA known to be toxic to other vertebrates.
Pulmonary Vascular Voltage-Sensitive K+ Channel Expression is Developmentally Regulated † 1630

Pulmonary Vascular Voltage-Sensitive K+ Channel Expression is Developmentally Regulated † 1630
The Impact of Tourism on Local Government Expenditures

The aim of this study is to broaden the understanding of the impact of tourism on local government expenditures. Specifically, a regression model is developed to examine the hypothesis that there is a direct relationship between the degree of reliance of the local economy on tourism and local government expenditures. This study indicates that the degree of reliance of a local economy on tourism does have a statistically significant impact on the level of capital outlays, transportation, police protection, fire protection, corrections, parks and recreation, financial administration, and general government administration expenditures. This analysis indicates that the share of tourism in the local economy can influence expenditures on a variety of local government services, thus tourism should not be regarded as a totally costless instrument of economic development.
Cerebral activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases after circulatory arrest and low flow cardiopulmonary bypass.

Objectives: Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) are important intermediates in the signal transduction pathways involved in neuronal dysfunction following cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury. One subfamily, extracellular regulated kinase 1/2, has been heavily implicated in the pathogenesis of post-ischemic neuronal damage. However, the contribution of extracellular regulated kinase 1/2 to neuronal damage following deep hypothermic circulatory arrest and low flow cardiopulmonary bypass is unknown. We attempted to correlate the extent of neuronal damage present following deep hypothermic circulatory arrest and low flow cardiopulmonary bypass with phosphorylated extracellular regulated kinase 1/2 expression in the cerebral vascular endothelium. Methods: Piglets underwent normal flow cardiopulmonary bypass ðn ¼ 4Þ; deep hypothermic circulatory arrest ðn ¼ 6Þ and low flow cardiopulmonary bypass ðn ¼ 5Þ: Brains were harvested following 24 h of post-cardiopulmonary bypass recovery. Cerebral cortical watershed zones, hippocampus, basal ganglia, thalamus, cerebellum, mesencephalon, pons and medulla were evaluated using hematoxylin and eosin staining. A section of ischemic cortex was evaluated by immunohistochemistry with rabbit polyclonal antibodies against phosphorylated extracellular regulated kinase 1/2. Results: Compared to cardiopulmonary bypass controls, the deep hypothermic circulatory arrest and low flow cardiopulmonary bypass piglets exhibited diffuse ischemic changes with overlapping severity and distribution. Significant neuronal damage occurred in the frontal watershed zones and basal ganglia of the deep hypothermic circulatory arrest group ðP , 0:05Þ: No detectable phosphorylated extracellular regulated kinase 1/2 immunoreactivity was found in the cardiopulmonary bypass controls; however, ERK 1/2 immunoreactivity was present in the cerebral vascular endothelium of the deep hypothermic circulatory arrest and low flow cardiopulmonary bypass groups. Conclusions: Our results indicate that phosphorylated extracellular regulated kinase 1/2 may play a prominent role in early cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury and endothelial dysfunction. The pharmacologic inhibition of extracellular regulated kinase 1/2 represents a new and exciting opportunity for the modulation of cerebral tolerance to low flow cardiopulmonary bypass and deep hypothermic circulatory arrest. q 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Computer modeling of epilepsy

This chapter reviews current computational models and proposes future directions for computational modeling in the field of epilepsy. The models include single cells with mutated ion channels; small- and large-scale networks of detailed cells; and macroscopic, mean-field models of network dynamics. In addition, we consider the potential therapeutic applications of modeling. For an expanded treatment of this topic see Jasper's Basic Mechanisms of the Epilepsies, Fourth Edition (Noebels JL, Avoli M, Rogawski MA, Olsen RW, Delgado-Escueta AC, eds) published by Oxford University Press (available on the National Library of Medicine Bookshelf [NCBI] at www.ncbi.nlm. nih.gov/books).
Surgery of Descending Aorta: A Method of Autotransfusion and Intercostal Artery Preservation

Paraplegia is a tragic complication of surgery of the descending aorta. It is unpredictable and occurs with a similar incidence with or without distal circulatory support. Hypotension, prolonged aortic cross clamp time, and ligation of intercostal arteries have been considered causative factors. Recent experience with ten consecutive patients undergoing descending aortic surgery without shunts employed a method of autotransfusion and intercostal preservation. There were no deaths, renal failure, or paraplegia. The perioperative blood requirement per patient was 2.4 units of blood.
An empirical study of spam traffic and the use of DNS black lists

This paper presents quantitative data about SMTP traffic to MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) based on packet traces taken in December 2000 and February 2004. These traces show that the volume of email has increased by 866% between 2000 and 2004. Local mail hosts utilizing black lists generated over 470,000 DNS lookups, which accounts for 14% of all DNS lookups that were observed on the border gateway of CSAIL on a given day in 2004. In comparison, DNS black list lookups accounted for merely 0.4% of lookups in December 2000.The distribution of the number of connections per remote spam source is Zipf-like in 2004, but not so in 2000. This suggests that black lists may be ineffective at fully stemming the tide of spam. We examined seven popular black lists and found that 80% of spam sources we identified are listed in some DNS black list. Some DNS black lists appear to be well-correlated with others, which should be considered when estimating the likelihood that a host is a spam source.
Mapping interactions between nuclear transport factors in living cells reveals pathways through the nuclear pore complex.

Abstract The interactions between transport receptors and proteins of the nuclear pore complex (NPC) are fundamental to understanding nucleocytoplasmic transport. In order to delineate the path that a particular transport receptor takes through the NPC, we have employed fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between enhanced cyan and yellow fluorescent proteins (ECFP, EYFP) in living cells. A panel of yeast strains expressing functional receptor–ECFP and nucleoporin–EYFP fusions has been analyzed with a FRET assay. With this approach, we define points of contact in the NPC for the related importin Pse1/Kap121 and exportin Msn5. These data demonstrate the utility of FRET in mapping dynamic protein interactions in a genetic system. Furthermore, the data indicate that an importin and exportin have overlapping pathways through the NPC.
Dynamic void nucleation and growth in solids : A self-consistent statistical theory

Abstract We present a framework for a self-consistent theory of spall fracture in ductile materials, based on the dynamics of void nucleation and growth. The constitutive model for the material is divided into elastic and “plastic” parts, where the elastic part represents the volumetric response of a porous elastic material, and the “plastic” part is generated by a collection of representative volume elements (RVEs) of incompressible material. Each RVE is a thick-walled spherical shell, whose average porosity is the same as that of the surrounding porous continuum, thus simulating void interaction through the resulting lowered resistance to further void growth. All voids nucleate and grow according to the appropriate dynamics for a thick-walled sphere made of incompressible material. The macroscopic spherical stress in the material drives the response in all volume elements, which have a distribution of critical stresses for void nucleation, and the statistically weighted sum of the void volumes of all RVEs generates the global porosity. Thus, macroscopic pressure, porosity, and a distribution of growing microscopic voids are fully coupled dynamically. An example is given for a rate-independent, perfectly plastic material. The dynamics of void growth gives rise to a rate effect in the macroscopic material even though the parent material is rate independent.
Teaching Appraisal in an American (U.S.) Archives Program

The author, a professor at Simmons College in Boston, Massachusetts, discusses the use of selected archival literature to nurture an appraisal mindset, particularly within the American context. She then addresses in some detail types of appraisal case studies and the variety of ways that they may be used as teaching tools.
The determinants of health expenditures: evidence from US state-level data

Most macro studies of what determines health expenditures have used the same panel of OECD country-level data. Based on a more homogeneous panel data set of US states we constructed, this note applies the model selection procedure to identify the determinants of health expenditures at the state level. We find that the four key factors are gross state products, the proportion of the population over the age of 65, the degree of urbanization and the number of hospital beds. The cross-section income elasticity of health care is around 0.7, implying that health care is a necessity rather than a luxury good at the state level. The (relative) price of health care varies significantly across states but does not appear to have real effects on the amount of resources (measured in real dollars) a state devotes to health care.
874 THYROID DYSFUNCTION AFTER BONE MARROW TRANSPLANTATION (BMT)

Thyroid function studies were followed prospectively in 24 patients (pts), all long-term (>lyr) survivors of BMT. There were 13 males, 11 females. Pts ranged in age from 1.6-22.5 yrs. (mean 12.5) yrs. 13 pts. had aplastic anemia, 8 leukemia, and 3 lymphoma. 21 pts received either 750 R total body (11) or total lymphoid (10) as a single dose plus cyclophosphamide as prep for BMT. The remaining 3 pts received chemotherapy alone. Thyroid function was normal pre-BMT in 11/11. Duration of follow-up ranged from 1-4.5 (mean 2) yrs. 10 of 24 (42%) pts. developed biochemical evidence of thyroid dysfunction, 6-20 (mean 12) mos after BMT; 8 had elevated TSH (>6μU/ml) with normal T4 I (5-10.5), 1 had elevated TSH (30μU/ml) and low T4 I (3.8), and I had both a low TSH and T4 I consistent with TSH deficiency. In addition, 2 pts developed transient elevations of T4 I (12.6 and 25.3) within one month of irradiation, unassociated with clinical hyperthyroidism. Females had a higher incidence of thyroid dysfunction compared to males (p<0.05). Thyroid function abnormalities did not correlate with pt. age, type of radiation, or previous chemotherapy. Thyroid studies have remained normal in the 3 pts not irradiated. We conclude that single dose radiation therapy given for BMT results in a high incidence of thyroidal damage.
SOCIAL DESIRABILITY IN ROTTER'S LOCUS OF CONTROL SCALE

There has been a spate of research in recent years concerning the construct of locus of control and its relationship to a wide variety of behaviors and personality characteristics (Rotter, 1966; Lefcourt, 1966, 1972). The locus of control construct is concerned with the generalized expectancies a person has about the nature of the reinforcement and punishment he receives. That is, internally oriented persons believe their rewards and punishment to be contingent on their own behavior while those persons with an external orientation believe these events to be due to outside factors such as chance, fate or powerful others. A popular tool for measuring individual differences along the internal-external dimension is Rotter's Locus of Control Scale (referred to hereafter as the I-E scale; Rotter, 1966). Recently, however, Hjelle (1971) has seriously questioned the validity of the I-E scale. He presents evidence which suggests that the I-E scale is contaminated with social desirability. The data presented here assessing the contribution of social desirability to the I-E scale were collected by the present authors while investigating the relationship of locus of control to academic achievement and study habits, and on a separate occasion during construction of a psychological test. Two hundred and eighteen female and 129 male undergraduates at Indiana State University were given the I-E scale and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (Crowne a: Marlowe, 1964) in one sitting. A high score on the I-E scale denotes externality while a high score on the Marlowe-Crowne scale suggests that S is using a social desirability response set. The resulting correlations between these two measures were: men, -.27 ( p < .01); women, . lo (n.s.); combined, . I3 ( p < .OS). (All significance levels are two tailed.) A separate ad hoc analysis was done with the data divided
Presynaptic modulation of amino acid release from synaptosomes.

Using synaptosomes prepared from whole rat brain, the spontaneous, calcium-independent, and calcium-dependent release of glutamate and GABA was assessed. Time intervals of 1–30 seconds were studied. Spontaneous release of glutamate (but not GABA) was elevated by 10 μM NMDA or AMPA by thirty seconds. This stimulation was partially calcium-dependent. Calcium-dependent release induced by 30 mM KCl was biphasic, confirming previous findings. This release was stimulated at all time periods by the presence of 10 μM NMDA or AMPA in an antagonist-sensitive manner. These data suggest that glutamate and GABA are released from vesicular stores in rat synaptosomes and that some of this release is modulated by presynaptic glutamate receptors.
Energy levels of 19F from R-matrix analysis of elastic scattering of α-particles by 15N

Abstract An R-matrix analysis of the elastic scattering of α-particles by 15N has yielded spin and parity assignments for five levels of 19F in the excitation-energy region of 7 to 8 MeV, corresponding to Eα = 3.8 to 4.8 MeV. The resonance energies and the resonance widths were also obtained. Best fits to the excitation functions at six c.m. angles permit spin and parity assignments of 7 2 +, 7 2 +, 7 2 +, 5 2 + and 1 2 − to the levels at excitation energies of 7.12, 7.35, 7.56, 7.59 and 7.74 MeV, respectively. A previously reported 7 2 +− 3 2 + doublet postulated near 7.12 MeV was not needed to account for the data in this region. A possible rotational band, which incorporates one of the three new 7 2 + states determined by this study, is also discussed.
Solution of the Phonon Boltzmann Transport Equation Employing Rigorous Implementation of Phonon Conservation Rules

A finite volume scheme is developed to solve the phonon Boltzmann transport equation in an energy form accounting for phonon dispersion and polarization. The physical space and the first Brillouin zone are discretized into finite volumes and the phonon BTE is integrated over them. Second-order accurate differencing schemes are used for the discretization. The scattering term employs a rigorous implementation of phonon momentum and energy conservation laws in determining the rate of normal and Umklapp processes. The method is applied to a variety of bulk silicon and silicon thin-film conduction problems and shown to perform satisfactorily.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Safety and Efficacy of Chronic Therapy with Captopril in Hypertensive Patients: An Update

Captopril, an orally active angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, has been administered to 81 patients with different types of clinical hypertension. Most of the patients had previously uncontrollable high blood pressure. In order to achieve a satisfactory blood pressure control during long-term captopril therapy, a concomitant decrease in total body sodium was required in more than half of the patients. During our first two years of clinical experience with this new antihypertensive agent, side effects developed in 46.9 per cent of the patients and necessitated the withdrawal of the drug in 23.4 per cent of all patients. Only a few side effects such as hypotensive or syncopal episodes and cold extremities appeared to be due to the chronic blockade of the renin-angiotensin system. The most frequent and the most serious adverse reactions such as skin rash, altered taste, pancytopenia, and pemphigus foliaceus seemed to be specifically drug related. The incidence of cutaneous and taste problems was markedly higher in patients with impaired renal function in whom retention of captopril has been previously demonstrated. This suggests that the occurrence of adverse reactions to captopril could be lowered in the future by using smaller daily doses and by titrating them according to the renal function.
Defective extracellular calcium (Cao)-sensing receptor (CaR)-mediated stimulation of a Ca2+-activated potassium channel in glioblastoma cells transfected with a dominant negative CaR

Abstract Glioblastoma cells exhibit several forms of sensitivity to extracellular calcium (Ca o ) that might be conferred by the Ca o -sensing receptor (CaR) that is intimately involved in the maintenance of Ca o homeostasis by various cell types. This receptor is expressed in human glioblastoma cell line, U87, and here we show that CaR activators stimulate a Ca 2+ -activated potassium (K + ) channel (CAKC) with a conductance of 140 pS. The responses to CaR activators, however, were blunted in U87 cells transfected with a CaR bearing an inactivating mutation (R185Q) that has previously been shown to exert a dominant negative (DN) action on the wild type receptor. Raising Ca o from 0.75 to 2.0 mM or addition of a polycationic CaR agonist, each activated CAKC in nontransfected wild type and empty vector-transfected U87 cells, while they had little or no effect on channel activity in cells expressing the DN CaR (DN-CaR cells). In nontransfected wild type and empty vector-transfected cells, the specific ‘calcimimetic’ CaR activator, NPS R-467, stimulated the channel, while its less active stereoisomer, NPS S-467, did not. In DN-CaR cells, in contrast, NPS R-467, had no effect on channel activity, suggesting defective coupling of the CaR to this ion channel. CaR-mediated stimulation of these K + channels could lead to membrane repolarization and related changes in cellular function under normal conditions. Since the R185Q mutation in the CaR produces a more severe phenotype in humans than most inactivating mutations of this receptor, some of its clinical consequences could potentially result from abnormal CaR-dependent channel functioning.
Haptoglobin halts hemoglobin’s havoc

Hemoglobin (Hb) is crucial to the function of the red blood cell. However, when it is released during intravascular hemolysis from the cell into blood plasma, it produces a state of NO depletion, oxidant stress, and vascular dysfunction, including hypertension. In their study reported in this issue of the JCI, Boretti and colleagues used canine and guinea pig models to demonstrate that pharmacological doses of glucocorticoid can increase the plasma levels of haptoglobin (Hp), the principal plasma-binding protein for free Hb (see the related article beginning on page 2271). Hp prevented Hb-induced hypertension and the generation of oxidant damage to the kidney. Neutralization of free Hb appears to be part of the downstream antiinflammatory properties of glucocorticoid.
The Delinquency Outcomes of Boys with ADHD with and without Comorbidity

This study examined the association between childhood ADHD and juvenile delinquency by examining data from the Pittsburgh ADHD Longitudinal Study (PALS), a follow-up study of individuals diagnosed with ADHD in childhood (ages 5–12) and recontacted in adolescence and young adulthood for yearly follow-up (age at first follow-up interview M = 17.26, SD = 3.17). Participants were 288 males with childhood ADHD and 209 demographically similar males without ADHD who were recruited into the follow-up study. Delinquency information gathered yearly during the second through eighth follow-up provided a comprehensive history of juvenile delinquency for all participants. Four childhood diagnostic groups [ADHD-only (N = 47), ADHD + ODD (N = 135), ADHD + CD (N = 106), and comparison (N = 209)] were used to examine group differences on delinquency outcomes. Analyses were conducted across three dimensions of delinquency (i.e., severity, age of initiation, and variety). Individuals with childhood ADHD + CD displayed significantly worse delinquency outcomes than the other three groups, across almost all indices of offending. When compared to comparison participants, boys with ADHD-only and ADHD + ODD in childhood displayed earlier ages of delinquency initiation, a greater variety of offending, and higher prevalence of severe delinquency. These findings suggest that although childhood ADHD + CD creates the greatest risk for delinquency, boys with ADHD-only and ADHD + ODD also appear at a higher risk for later offending. The patterns of offending that emerged from the PALS are discussed in the context of the relationship between ADHD, comorbidity, and delinquency.
ClassInFocus: enabling improved visual attention strategies for deaf and hard of hearing students

Deaf and hard of hearing students must juggle their visual attention in current classroom settings. Managing many visual sources of information (instructor, interpreter or captions, slides or whiteboard, classmates, and personal notes) can be a challenge. ClassInFocus automatically notifies students of classroom changes, such as slide changes or new speakers, helping them employ more beneficial observing strategies. A user study of notification techniques shows that students who liked the notifications were more likely to visually utilize them to improve performance.
Can a Sex-Biased Human Demography Account for the Reduced Effective Population Size of Chromosome X in Non-Africans?

Sex-biased demographic events can result in asymmetries in female and male effective population size that can lead to different patterns of genetic variation on chromosome X than are expected based on the patterns on the autosomes. Previous studies point to a period around the time of the dispersal of anatomically modern humans out of Africa when chromosome X experienced a significant reduction in effective population size relative to the autosomes. Here, we explore whether a sex-biased demographic history could explain these observations. We use coalescent simulations to show that a model of primarily male migration during the out-of-Africa dispersal can produce the striking patterns that are observed when comparing patterns of genetic variation on the autosomes and chromosome X. The model involves a history in which after the founder population of non-Africans lost much of its genetic diversity, subsequent mostly male gene flow from an African source brought new diversity into the population. We also explore two additional models, one of sex-biased generation time and one of a substructured population during the dispersal out of Africa with primarily female migration among demes. These latter models cannot account for the magnitude of the observed reduction in chromosome X effective population size, although it is plausible that they played a more minor role in producing the striking chromosome X/autosome patterns.
Automatic interpretation of depiction conventions in sketched diagrams

Diagrams are used in many educational settings to convey physical and spatial information. Sketching is used, in turn, to test students' understanding of course concepts. The availability of Tablet PCs offer an exciting opportunity to create intelligent tutoring systems which automatically provide students with feedback on sketched work, and to create systems which can capture knowledge via interaction with people. However, for such systems to provide useful and relevant feedback, the software must be able to interpret diagrams that students have drawn. Interpreting diagrams correctly requires an understanding of some basic depiction conventions common in diagrammatic representation. Here we describe how to combine general semantic information about objects in sketched diagrams with geometric information from the sketch to aid in the interpretation of regions and edges. This system is implemented as an extension to the CogSketch sketch understanding system.
Enhanced Biomimetic Performance of Ionic Polymer–Metal Composite Actuators Prepared with Nanostructured Block Ionomers

Ionic polymer-metal composites (IPMCs) represent an important class of stimuli-responsive polymers that are capable of bending upon application of an electric potential. Conventional IPMCs, prepared with Nafion and related polyelectrolytes, often suffer from processing challenges, relatively low actuation levels and back relaxation during actuation. In this study, we examine and compare the effects of fabrication and solvent on the actuation behavior of a block ionomer with a sulfonated midblock and glassy endblocks that are capable of self-organizing and thus stabilizing a molecular network in the presence of a polar solvent. Unlike Nafion, this material can be readily dissolved and cast from solution to yield films that vary in thickness and exhibit enormous solvent uptake. Cycling the initial chemical deposition of Pt on the surfaces of swollen films (the compositing process) increases the extent to which the electrodes penetrate the films, thereby improving contact along the polymer/electrode interface. The maximum bending actuation measured from IPMCs prepared with different solvents is at least comparable, but is often superior, to that reported for conventional IPMCs, without evidence of back relaxation. An unexpected characteristic observed here is that the actuation direction can be solvent regulated. Our results confirm that this block ionomer constitutes an attractive alternative for use in IPMCs and their associated applications.
Ethmoid skull‐base height: a clinically relevant method of evaluation

Background: The Keros classification scheme has been used to describe the ethmoid skull-base configuration; however, this scheme only partially addresses key anatomic issues in ethmoid skull-base injury avoidance during surgery. Methods: Coronal computed tomography (CT) scans were reviewed for 200 patients undergoing sinus evaluation at a tertiary care institution. Keros classification, maxillary sinus:ethmoid height ratio, and the skull-base height:orbital height ratio were recorded for each patient. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to determine if a relationship existed between the 3 sets of measurements. Results: In the Keros classification scheme, 42% of patients were in class I, 50% class II, and 8% class III. In maxillary sinus to ethmoid height ratio, 58% were 1:1, 37% were 2:1, and 5% were >2:1. In the skull-base height to total orbital height ratio, 65% were in class I, 18% class II, and 17% in class III. There was no correlation between the classification schemes. Conclusion: The importance of the Keros classification lies primarily in the avoidance of iatrogenic injury to the cribriform region and medial ethmoid roof. To avoid penetration of the ethmoidal roof, the ethmoid skull-base height must be separately examined in relation to the orbit and total vertical dimension of the sinuses.
Incorporating Sexual Orientation into MFT Training Programs: Infusion and Inclusion.

Many authors have questioned the preparedness of family therapists to deal with sexual minority clients. Even though the Commission on Accrediation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) has called for the integration of sexual orientation into the curriculum of marriage and family therapy training programs, the subject continues to be marginalized. The purpose of this article is to encourage trainers to examine their programs' curricula for evidence of heterosexist bias and introduce ways that they might integrate issues related to same-sex affectional and sexual orientations into their programs via the classroom and the clinic.
Celebrating Swahili New Year: A Performative Critique of Textual Islam in Coastal Kenya1

Coastal East Africans began practicing Islam as early as the eighth century CE, yet debates over bid‘a (innovation) during the twentieth century recast several of their local practices as shirk (blasphemy). This article situates the celebration of Swahili New Year, now regarded by many East African Muslims as shirk, within the context of debates about maulidi, a celebration of the Prophet Muhammad's birth introduced by Arab immigrants. Drawing on personal observations, a locally-produced DVD of Swahili New Year, and interviews in Kenya, it compares celebrations of maulidi and Swahili New Year in 2010. This comparison demonstrates that the Swahili “Wamiji” community of Mombasa has adapted their variant of Swahili New Year to emphasize a repertoire of practices that it shares with maulidi and which many East African Muslims regard as intuitively Islamic. While Sufi tariqas, Salafi reformers, and Shi'a minorities focus on interpreting the texts of the Qur'an and adith in their critiques of one another, the Swahili “Wamiji” community in Mombasa aims to rehabilitate Swahili New Year from charges of shirk through selective changes in practice. This adaptation seems to confirm the trend of deprecating African practices in favor of Arab ones. Yet, the practices of Swahili New Year also obscure the boundaries between religion and culture that are foundational to modern textual approaches to Islam in the region. Celebrating Swahili New Year thus offers a performative critique of textual Islam by arguing through practice, more so than discourse, against the assumption that African practices cannot be authentically Islamic. The article concludes by suggesting that research on performative critiques could illuminate histories of the majority of Muslims in Africa who did not engage in textual critique but have shaped Islamic celebrations and devotions through their innovations in practice.
Effects of rubber flooring during the first 2 lactations on production, locomotion, hoof health, immune functions, and stress1

Some housing systems on dairy farms can result in long-term chronic pain. The effects of acute pain on immunity have been explored, but chronic pain’s influence on immune responses is still poorly understood. Therefore, the objective of this research was to determine chronic effects of flooring on immune responses and production in freestall housing for dairy cows. Thirty heifers were studied from before calving as first-calf heifers until d 180 of their second lactation. Treatments were rubber (Kraiburg; Agromatic Inc., Fond du Lac, WI) flooring or concrete with diamond grooves in a freestall barn, each in 2 quadrants of the barn. Heifers entered the treatments after calving, so the system was dynamic and each cow was considered an experimental unit. At the end of the first lactation, cows were housed in a bedded pack barn with pasture access until calving was imminent. At that time, they returned to their assigned treatment, but not necessarily into the same quadrant. Production, reproduction, cortisol, acute-phase proteins, and health data were recorded throughout lactation 1, locomotion was scored weekly, and hoof scoring and care was conducted on d 60 and 180 of lactations 1 and 2, and quantitative real-time-PCR of blood leukocytes was analyzed in mid lactation of lactation 1. Mature-equivalent milk fat, milk protein, and protein percentages during the first lactation were greater for cows on the rubber flooring. Hoof and leg therapy treatments per cow were fewer for rubber floor-housed cows. Locomotion scores were less for cows housed on rubber during the second lactation. White blood cell counts were less for cows housed on rubber, and caused by greater lymphocyte counts for cows housed on concrete. The possibility of chronic inflammation was substantiated by less IL-1β and more IL-1 receptor antagonists for cows housed on rubber at d 150 in the second lactation. Cortisol and acute-phase proteins did not differ between the treatments. Interferon-γ, IL-12, the modulator of tissue reconstruction (B-cell-transforming growth factor 1), and pain-modulating neurokinin (tachykinin 1) were not different at d 105. These data show indicators of chronic inflammation for cows housed on the concrete flooring compared with those housed on rubber. Implications for the use of rubber flooring in freestall barns are broader than just lameness and may affect many aspects of cow physiology and production.
Police Budgeting: Winning Strategies

Based on a national survey of police chiefs with a follow-up focus group, this article discusses budgetary strategies that police departments used to be successful in budgeting. The strategies include: using crime and workload data judiciously; capitalizing on sensational crime incidents; effectively getting the message out; carefully mobilizing interest groups; strategic planning; playing the federal grants game; working closely with the chief executive and elected officials; and involving all departmental staff levels in budgeting.
Hierarchical Linked Views

Coordinated views have proven critical to the development of effective visualization environments. This results from the fact that a single view or representation of the data cannot show all of the intricacies of a given data set. Additionally, users will often need to correlate more data parameters than can effectively be integrated into a single visual display. Typically, development of multiple-linked views results in an adhoc configuration of views and associated interactions. The hierarchical model we are proposing is geared towards more effective organization of such environments and the views they encompass. At the same time, this model can effectively integrate much of the prior work on interactive and visual frameworks. Additionally, we expand the concept of views to incorporate perceptual views. This is related to the fact that visual displays can have information encoded at various levels of focus. Thus, a global view of the display provides overall trends of the data while focusing in on individual elements provides detailed specifics.
Network-based Survival Analysis Reveals Subnetwork Signatures for Predicting Outcomes of Ovarian Cancer Treatment

Cox regression is commonly used to predict the outcome by the time to an event of interest and in addition, identify relevant features for survival analysis in cancer genomics. Due to the high-dimensionality of high-throughput genomic data, existing Cox models trained on any particular dataset usually generalize poorly to other independent datasets. In this paper, we propose a network-based Cox regression model called Net-Cox and applied Net-Cox for a large-scale survival analysis across multiple ovarian cancer datasets. Net-Cox integrates gene network information into the Cox's proportional hazard model to explore the co-expression or functional relation among high-dimensional gene expression features in the gene network. Net-Cox was applied to analyze three independent gene expression datasets including the TCGA ovarian cancer dataset and two other public ovarian cancer datasets. Net-Cox with the network information from gene co-expression or functional relations identified highly consistent signature genes across the three datasets, and because of the better generalization across the datasets, Net-Cox also consistently improved the accuracy of survival prediction over the Cox models regularized by or . This study focused on analyzing the death and recurrence outcomes in the treatment of ovarian carcinoma to identify signature genes that can more reliably predict the events. The signature genes comprise dense protein-protein interaction subnetworks, enriched by extracellular matrix receptors and modulators or by nuclear signaling components downstream of extracellular signal-regulated kinases. In the laboratory validation of the signature genes, a tumor array experiment by protein staining on an independent patient cohort from Mayo Clinic showed that the protein expression of the signature gene FBN1 is a biomarker significantly associated with the early recurrence after 12 months of the treatment in the ovarian cancer patients who are initially sensitive to chemotherapy. Net-Cox toolbox is available at http://compbio.cs.umn.edu/Net-Cox/.
Epitaxially Grown Colloidal Crystals of Silica Microspheres on Patterned Substrate of Triangular Arrays

We have studied the colloidal self-assembly of silica microspheres on a glass substrate patterned with triangular dimple arrays of varying pitch. Using the same silica microspheres, both charge-stabilized and hard-sphere-like binary mixtures of microspheres and nanoparticles were prepared, and their gravitational sedimentation followed by colloidal crystallization were rigorously examined in real-space using a laser scanning confocal microscopy. In wet colloidal crystals, both systems showed a strong preference toward face centered cubic (fcc) stacking, the thermodynamically stable crystal form. After drying however, only the hard-sphere-like binary mixture of silica microspheres and zirconia nanoparticle maintained the initial templated fcc structure. The charge-stabilized system was disordered as the water was removed. Rigorous analysis of random defect structures such as stacking faults and vacancy concentration were carried out and discussed. Highly oriented colloidal crystals are of interest because of their potential use as templates for various applications.