cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Concentration and distribution of dissolved amino acids in a shallow hydrothermal system, Vulcano Island (Italy)

Abstract Hydrothermal systems are known to harbor a large number of microorganisms, but the organic chemical composition of the solution that comprises their potential substrate is largely unknown. Concentrations and distributions of dissolved free amino acids (DFAA) and dissolved combined amino acids (DCAA) were determined in fluids from the moderate-temperature (42–89 °C), shallow hydrothermal system on the volcanically active island of Vulcano, Italy. The seven samples represent three different geological settings on the island; shallow (∼1 m) submarine vents, geothermal wells, and seeps in heated beach sediments, in addition to ambient local seawater from the bay, Baia di Levante. All hydrothermal sites, with one exception, had TDAA concentrations that were 3–114 times higher than local seawater in Baia di Levante. There were large similarities in amino acid concentration and composition among samples from the same geological setting. The highest amino acid concentrations were found at sites with acidic and reducing conditions, which also had the largest freshwater component. An unusually high fraction of the TDAA pool was represented by DFAA (33–87%), possibly due to in situ acid hydrolysis of DCAA to DFAA. Both DFAA and DCAA concentrations were correlated to DOC, indicating similar source and sink functions for these pools. The yield of TDAA (TDAA-carbon as fraction of organic carbon) ranged from 2% to 25%, which is high compared with non-hydrothermal settings, and indicates high biological lability. The mole fraction of β-alanine plus γ-aminobutyric acid (%BALA + GABA) was 2–2.7% of TDAA, also indicating high biological lability. Owing to the high over-all amino acid concentrations, the high fraction of DFAAs, and the high biological lability of the organic matter, organic matter in general and amino acids specifically could represent significant carbon and energy sources for archaea and bacteria in this hydrothermal system. The clear delineation of three different groups of sites with distinct AA composition and concentrations indicates that the different geological settings within this system have the potential for harboring different microbial communities.
Temperature and Impedance Monitoring During Slow Pathway Ablation in Patients with AV Nodal Reentrant Tachycardia

INTRODUCTION: Successful radiofrequency ablation of an accessory pathway has been demonstrated to be associated with an electrode-tissue interface temperature of approximately 60 degrees C or an impedance change of -5 to -10 omega. However, the temperature and impedance changes associated with ablation of AV nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) using the slow pathway approach have not been reported. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to define the temperature and impedance changes achieved during ablation of AVNRT: METHODS AND RESULTS: The study included 35 consecutive patients with AVNRT undergoing radiofrequency ablation of the slow pathway with a fixed power output of 32 W, and using a catheter with a thermistor bead embedded in the distal 4-mm electrode. The procedure was successful in each patient. The steady-state electrode-tissue interface temperature during successful applications of energy was 48.5 +/- 3.3 degrees C (range 42 degrees to 56 degrees C), and the steady-state temperature during ineffective applications was 46.8 degrees +/- 5.5 degrees C (P = 0.03). The mean impedance change during all applications of energy was -1.4 +/- 2.8 omega, and did not differ significantly during effective and ineffective applications. Coagulum formation resulted during five applications (2.7%) in two patients (5.7%). There were no recurrences during 114 +/- 21 days of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Successful ablation of AVNRT using fixed power output is achieved at an electrode-tissue interface temperature of approximately 48 degrees C and is associated with a drop in impedance of 1 to 2 omega. These findings suggest that slow pathway ablation requires less heating at the electrode-tissue interface than does accessory pathway or AV junction ablation.
Wavelet signal processing applied to optical phase conjugation

Wavelet signal processing has demonstrated remarkable capabilities in reducing noise, achieving better resolution through edge detection and increasing data transmission by means of data compression. While wavelets are digital, another field, Optical Phase Conjugation (OPC), is analog and has been applied to similar problems: signal and image distortion reduction and optical data storage. Wavelets have been applied to optical solitons, laser beam diagnostics, diode laser arrays, interferometry and optical correlators. Wavelet signal processing will be applied to Optical Phase Conjugation to examine laser beam interaction in nonlinear crystals and remove distortion from input and output laser beams.
A test sample to standardize measurements of normal stress

In the early 1940’s, Garner, Nissan and Wood (1)1) and Weissenberg (2) made the first attempts to measure normal stress2) in viscoelastic fluids undergoing shear. Fifteen years later, by the late 50’s, a considerable body of data on various fluids and techniques had been generated. Markovitz and his colleagues, recognizing the importance of collecting different measurements on one sample, completed an extensive program on a solution of polyisobutylene. In surveying this work in 1958, Markovitz (3) said ... “The data lead us to the conclusion that two contradictory types of theory are needed to correlate different pairs of experiments. Obviously, there is something wrong. We need more and better experiments to decide among the various possibilities.” The statement could well be made at this Congress, although the 14 years intervening have been filled with activity, devising new methods, collecting data and increasing our understanding.
6 Ventilation/Perfusion Relationships in the Lungs of Children with Congenital Heart Disease

6 Ventilation/Perfusion Relationships in the Lungs of Children with Congenital Heart Disease
KINETIC MEASUREMENTS OF CELLULASE ACTIVITY ON INSOLUBLE SUBSTRATES USING DISODIUM 2,2′ BICINCHONINATE

Determinations of cellulase activity using insoluble substrates have typically required long incubation times and significant amounts of enzyme. Utilizing disodium 2,2'-bicinchoninate, an assay has been developed to measure the initial production, of reducing groups released during cellulase hydrolysis of insoluble, regenerated cellulose. The procedure permits the determination of total, soluble and insoluble reducing groups from a single reaction mixture under initial velocity conditions (< 3% hydrolysis). We report the applicability of this method to determinations of enzyme activity and for average molecular weight calculations of substrates. The K m values for Trichoderma reesei EG I, EG II, CBH I and CBH II are reported using phosphoric acid swollen cellulose (average DP 166) as a substrate. Procedures for preparation of uniform cellulose suspensions are described.
Evolutionary ecology of endocrine-mediated life-history variation in the garter snake Thamnophis elegans

The endocrine system plays an integral role in the regulation of key life-history traits. Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is a hormone that promotes growth and reproduction, and it has been implicated in the reduction of lifespan. IGF-1 is also capable of responding plastically to environmental stimuli such as resource availability and temperature. Thus pleiotropic control of life-history traits by IGF-1 could provide a mechanism for the evolution of correlated life-history traits in a new or changing environment. An ideal system in which to investigate the role of IGF-1 in life-history evolution exists in two ecotypes of the garter snake Thamnophis elegans, which derive from a single recent ancestral source but have evolved genetically divergent life-history characteristics. Snakes from meadow populations near Eagle Lake, California (USA) exhibit slower growth rates, lower annual reproductive output, and longer median adult lifespans relative to populations along the lakeshore. We hypothesized that the IGF-1 system has differentiated between these ecotypes and can account for increased growth and reproduction and reduced survival in lakeshore vs. meadow snakes. We tested for a difference in plasma IGF-1 levels in free-ranging snakes from replicate populations of each ecotype over three years. IGF-1 levels were significantly associated with adult body size, reproductive output, and season in a manner that reflects established differences in prey ecology and age/size-specific reproduction between the ecotypes. These findings are discussed in the context of theoretical expectations for a trade- off between reproduction and lifespan that is mediated by pleiotropic endocrine mechanisms.
Variations in tight and gap junctions in mammalian tissues.

The fine structure and distribution of tight (zonula occludens) and gap junctions in epithelia of the rat pancreas, liver, adrenal cortex, epididymis, and duodenum, and in smooth muscle were examined in paraformaldehyde-glutaraldehyde-fixed, tracer-permeated (K-pyroantimonate and lanthanum), and freeze-fractured tissue preparations. While many pentalaminar and septilaminar foci seen in thin-section and tracer preparations can be recognized as corresponding to well-characterized freeze-fracture images of tight and gap junction membrane modifications, many others cannot be unequivocally categorized—nor can all freeze-etched aggregates of membrane particles. Generally, epithelia of exocrine glands (pancreas and liver) have moderate-sized tight junctions and large gap junctions, with many of their gap junctions basal to the junctional complex. In contrast, the adrenal cortex, a ductless gland, may not have a tight junction but does possess large gap junctions. Mucosal epithelia (epididymis and intestine) have extensive tight junctions, but their gap junctions are not as well developed as those of glandular tissue. Smooth muscle contains numerous small gap junctions The incidence, size, and configuration of the junctions we observed correlate well with the known functions of the junctions and of the tissues where they are found.
Native trees show conservative water use relative to invasive trees: results from a removal experiment in a Hawaiian wet forest

While the supply of freshwater is expected to decline in many regions in the coming decades, invasive plant species, often ‘high water spenders’, are greatly expanding their ranges worldwide. In this study, we quantified the ecohydrological differ ences between native and invasive trees and also the effects of woody invasive removal on plot-level water use in a heavily invaded mono-dominant lowland wet tropical forest on the Island of Hawaii. We measured transpiration rates of co-occurring native and invasive tree species with and without woody invasive removal treatments. Twenty native Metrosideros polymorpha and 10 trees each of three invasive species, Cecropia obtusifolia, Macaranga mappa and Melastoma septemnervium, were instrumented with heat-dissipation sap-flux probes in four 100 m 2 plots (two invaded, two removal) for 10 mon ths. In the invaded plots, where both natives and invasives were present, Metrosideros had the lowest sap-flow rates per unit sapwood, but the highest sap-flow rates per whole tree, owing to its larger mean diameter than the invasive trees. Stand-level water use within the removal plots was half that of the invaded plots, even though the removal of invasives caused a small but signifi cant increase in compensatory water use by the remaining native trees. By investigating the effects of invasive species on ecohydrology and comparing native vs. invasive physiological traits, we not only gain understanding about the functioning of invasive species, but we also highlight potential water-conservation strategies for heavily invaded mono-dominant tropical forests worldwide. Native-dominated forests free of invasive species can be conservative in overall water use, providing a strong rationale for the control of invasive species and preservation of native-dominated stands.
Early Childhood Assessment: A Correlational Study of the Relationships Among Student Performance, Student Feelings, and Teacher Perceptions

Current preschool assessments lack the ability to capture performance variance and complex thinking skills. This study examined the relationship among student performance, student feelings, and teacher perceptions as they apply to using a formal performance assessment in a preschool setting. A formal performance assessment was administered to 71 preschool-aged children (56–71 months of age). The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. As hypothesized, there was a significant and positive correlation between the students’ performance and the teachers’ perceptions. Furthermore, there was not a significant relationship between either the students’ feelings and the teachers’ perceptions or the students’ feelings and the students’ performance. These findings and theoretical study indicate support for the use of formal performance assessment to evaluate preschool students. Limitations and implications of the results are discussed.
Success and Failure in Vocational Training

The first question is particularly timely because presently there are many more retarded adolescents than the vocational training schools can accommodate. Repeated efforts have been made to learn whether certain factors in the environment, history, or personality tend to predict favorable results of training. Bae (1968) studied institutionalized retardates in vocational programs and determined that data on intelligence tests, academic achievement tests, age, and length of training were of no help in selecting suitable candidates. She found, however, that vocational adjustment ratings of work and behavior during training were useful in distinguishing between suitable and unsuitable candidates. Her conclusions were that one cannot predict in advance how well a retarded individual can utilize training and that the best means of determinmg that is by trying him in training. Larson (1964) explored the discriminative capacities of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for vocationally successful and unsuc-
Collaborative shock tube studies of benzene pyrolysis

Three independent shock tube techniques, time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF), atomic resonance absorption spectroscopy (ARAS), and laser-schlieren density gradient measurements (LS), were employed to investigate the thermal decomposition of benzene (C6H6 or C6D6) in dilute inert gas mixtures over a wide range of reactant concentration (3–21,000 ppm), total pressure (0.2–3 atm) and temperature (1515–2500 K). The latter two methods were used to derive rate constants for the dissociation of C6H6→C6H5+H and C6H5→C2H2+C4H3 and the overall rate of benzene decomposition that occurred primarily via a direct ring rupture process C6H6→C2H2+C4H4. The ring rupture step was shown to be in the fall-off region. Rate constants subject to fall-off effects were adjusted for particular reaction conditions and used in a mechanism which included steps for acetylene pyrolysis to model the major species, C6H6, C2H2, C4H2, recorded by the TOF experiments, D atom production by ARAS, and density gradient profiles by LS.
Multiscale Orthogonal Finite-Element Reduction-Recovery method for transient analysis of integrated circuits and package problems

Driven by the continued advance of integrated circuit (IC) technology, large-scale electromagnetic (EM) modeling and simulation problems have been encountered across the design of on-chip circuits, package, and die-package interfaces. To give a few examples, full-chip post-layout performance verification that includes transmission line and full-wave effects, system-level signal and noise integrity analysis, and the characterization of broadband die-package interaction for clean power delivery. Two major difficulties exist for the analysis of the aforementioned large-scale problems. One is the large problem size. The modeling of a die, a package, and a combined die-package system results in numerical problems of ultra-large scale, requiring billions of parameters to describe them accurately. The other is the multiscale nature of the problem. An electromagnetic simulator is required to span scale ranges of at least 10000:1 to analyze a combined die-package system. Recently, a time domain Orthogonal Finite-Element Reduction-Recovery method (OrFE-RR) was developed to handle the large problem size associated with the design of very large-scale integrated circuits [1]. In this method, a set of orthogonal prism vector bases are developed. With this set of bases, the original ultralarge scale 3-D system of order N is rigorously reduced to a 2-D single-layered system of order M with negligible computational cost, where M is much less than N. The reduced 2D system is diagonal, and hence can be solved readily. After obtaining the solution of the reduced system, the rest of the solutions can be recovered in linear complexity. This method entails no theoretical approximation. It applies to any arbitrarily-shaped multilayer structure involving inhomogeneous materials. Numerical experiments have demonstrated its accuracy and capacity in simulating very large-scale on-chip, package, and die-package interaction problems. The multiscaled nature of the integrated circuit system has not been addressed in the OrFE-RR method. The method projects the meshes in all the layers to the same layer. Namely, all the layers share the same mesh. This results in redundant mesh elements, and hence redundant number of unknowns. In this work, we extend the OrFE-RR method to model the orders-of-magnitude difference in scale of the die and the package by developing a multiscale modeling scheme. With such a scheme, we allow for the use of different mesh sizes in different layers and regions. As a result, we do not need to project the meshes in different layers to the same layer. In addition, we permit the modeling of the orders-of-magnitude difference in scale of a physical structure by using the minimum number of mesh elements.
The Reliability and Validity of the Psychopathy Checklist–Revised in a Sample of Female Offenders

The reliability and validity of the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) was examined in a sample of 528 nonpsychotic female offenders participating in a study assessing the generalizability of the instrument to females using personality, attitudinal, and laboratory behav- ioral measures. Results showed good interrater reliability and adequate internal consistency. Correlations with a number of self-report validity measures and previous criminal behavior pro- vide support for the convergent validity of the instrument. A lack of association with general psychopathology provides support for the discriminant validity of the instrument. However, sig- nificant correlations with anxiety, negative affectivity, and intelligence run counter to expecta- tions and to findings with male offenders. Furthermore, the low base rate of psychopathy in this sample, relative to base rates among male prisoners, raises the concern that either psychopathy is less prevalent in females than in males or the PCL-R is not adequately assessing the construct in female offenders.
Phase I Study of Preoperative Radiation and Docetaxel for High-risk Prostate Cancer

0 mg/m 2 , 10 mg/m 2 , 20 mg/m 2 , and 30 mg/m 2 . The dose escalation continued to a planned dose of 30 mg/m 2 or until 1 or more patients per cohort experienced a DLT, defined as greater than Grade 3 nonhematologic (excluding hyperglycemia) or Grade 4 hematologic toxicity. Results: Twelve patients were accrued between April 2006 and March 2008. All planned treatments were administered. The maximum planned dose of 30 mg/m 2 was reached without DLTs. There were three Grade 3 toxicities in three different men (lymphopenia, hyperglycemia, and low hemoglobin). Grade 4 hyperglycemia occurred in 1 patient. There were no DVTs, rectal or ureteral injuries. Pathologic staging was: T2 - 9 patients, T3 - 3 patients, and node positive - 3 patients. Surgical margins were negative in 75% of cases. Post-op PSA levels were undetectable (\0.1 ng/mL) in all patients. Conclusions: Preoperative radiation and docetaxel before prostatectomy is feasible with acceptable toxicity. Based on these findings, a Phase II study continuing with IMRT to 45 Gy and 30 mg/m2 docetaxel weekly for 5 weeks has been initiated. Additional studies are needed to determine whether this combinedmodality approach will reduce cancer recurrence rates in this high-risk population. Author Disclosure: M. Garzotto, Sanofi-Aventis, B. Research Grant; A. Hung, None; T.M. Beer, Sanofi-Aventis, B. Research Grant; P. Farris, None.
Language capacities of nonhuman animals

In the last two decades, the study of language parallels in nonhuman animals has generated considerable controversy and excitement. Many have perceived demonstrations of linguistic skills in nonhuman animals as a threat to human uniqueness, whereas others have been uncritical of claims for complex cognitive skills in animals. Two different paradigms for studying linguistic parallels have appeared. One approach teaches great apes linguistic analogues of human language using signs or arbitrary symbol systems; the other seeks to decode communicative complexity in the natural languages of nonhuman animals. This paper reviews the language analogue studies with great apes and cetaceans, examining the utility of the different methods and reviewing the animals' accomplishments. Studies of ontogeny, syntax, referential communication, audience effects, and perception of vocalizations in the natural communication of birds, squirrels, and primates are evaluated. Finally, the brain mechanisms underlying human speech and language are compared with those involved in vocal communication in nonhuman primates. Although chimpanzees and bonobos have accomplished much, they do not threaten human uniqueness with respect to speech and language. Many of the claims for language paralleles in natural communication systems of nonhuman animals are weak, and many can be interpreted without recourse to cognitive constructs. Whereas there exist many similarities between subcortical controls of language and of animal vocalizations, there are no parallels to Broca's and Wernicke's areas in monkeys. However, the critical studies have not been done.
Floristics and Paleoecology of an Early Cretaceous Flora from Jordan

Abstract Abundant plant fossils were recovered from Albian fluvial and back-swamp sediments of the Jarash Formation (Kurnub Group) of Jordan. The flora consists of angiosperms, ferns and gymnosperms. Water lily Scutifolium jordanicum, marsilealean fern Marsileaceaephyllum mahisensis and tree fern Weichselia reticulata are from a thin crevasse splay layer of a small fluvial system. Four species of other ferns, Phlebopteris hickeyi sp. nov., Piazopteris branneri, Aspidistes beckeri and Cladophlebis sp., and two gymnosperms, Zamites hoheneggeri and Brachyphyllum mamillare, are from a back-swamp dark gray carbonaceous lens. Phlebopteris hickeyi represents a new fern species that has five preserved pinnae with unique characteristics, including small sori and sporangia. The relatively small pinnules with massive midveins and grooves along either side of midveins represent a unique combination of characters. The water lily S. jordanicum and marsilealean fern M. mahisensis may have grown in ponds, lakes or slow-m...
On the sheared density interface of an entraining stratified fluid

This paper deals with the nature of the entrainment interface of a two-layer fluid subjected to interfacial velocity shear. The shear flow was generated by driving the mixed layer over the dense layer by a disk pump such that there is no stress at the top of the mixed layer. During the entrainment process a sharp, thin-density interfacial layer developed; its thickness δ was found to increase linearly with the mixed-layer depth h, independent of the Richardson number Riu. The shear layer thickness δs was found to be much larger than δ and the ratio δs/h is also found to be constant, irrespective of Riu. At the entrainment interface, the estimated buoyancy flux and the dissipation of turbulent kinetic-energy appear to be of the same order. This result supports an entrainment law of the form E ∼ Riu−1, where E is the entrainment coefficient. The interfacial layer showed sporadic large-amplitude wave oscillations whose amplitudes scaled well with the estimated size of the undulations caused by the impingement of large eddies (of size h) on the density interface. The density-interfacial layer was found to be ‘topped’ by a layer of partially mixed fluid which had not yet incroporated into the well-mixed region.
Synergistic activation of JNK/SAPK induced by TNF-α and IFN-γ: Apoptosis of pancreatic β-cells via the p53 and ROS pathway

Abstract IFN-γ and TNF-α are major proinflammatory cytokines implicated in islet β-cell destruction, which results in type-1 diabetes; however, the underlying mechanism is not clear. Using pancreatic β-cell line MIN6N8 cells, co-treatment with TNF-α and IFN-γ, but neither cytokine alone, synergistically induced apoptosis, correlated with the activation of the JNK/SAPK, which resulted in the production of reactive oxidative species (ROS) and loss of mitochondrial transmembrane potential (ΔΨm). Additionally, cells transfected with wild-type JNK1 became more susceptible to apoptosis induced by TNF-α/IFN-γ through ROS production and loss of Δψm, while cascading apoptotic events were prevented in dominant-negative JNK1-transfected or JNK inhibitor SP600125-treated cells. As the antioxidant, N -acetyl-cysteine, failed to completely suppress apoptosis induced by TNF-α/IFN-γ, an additional pathway was considered to be involved. The level of p53 was significantly increased through synergistic activation of JNK by TNF-α/IFN-γ. Furthermore, the synergistic effect of TNF-α/IFN-γ on apoptosis and ROS production was further potentiated by the overexpression of wild-type p53, but not with mutant p53. This synergistic activation of JNK/SAPK by TNF-α/IFN-γ was also induced in insulin-expressing pancreatic islet cells, and increased ROS production and p53 level, which was significantly inhibited by SP600125. Collectively, these data demonstrate that TNF-α/IFN-γ synergistically activates JNK/SAPK, playing an important role in promoting apoptosis of pancreatic β-cell via activation of p53 pathway together with ROS.
Separation of Parathyroid Hormome-Like Activity from Transforming Growth Factor-α and -β in the Canine Adenocarcinoma (CAC-8) Model of Humoral Hypercalcemia of Malignancy

A canine adenocarcinoma model (CAC-8) of humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy was evaluated for transforming growth factors (TGF)-alpha and -beta, PTH-like activity [adenylate cyclase-stimulating activity (ACSA)], and in vitro bone-resorbing activity. Biological activities present in CAC-8 were separated by reverse phase or cation exchange HPLC. TGF alpha in tumor extract was separated from TGF beta and ACSA by reverse phase HPLC. TGF alpha eluted between 26-30% acetonitrile and was identified by RIA. After the initial reverse phase separation, TGF beta and ACSA in tumor extract coeluted between 36-38% acetonitrile. Sequential cation exchange followed by reverse phase HPLC separated TGF beta from ACSA. Evaluation of fractions containing ACSA using an in vitro bone-resorbing assay demonstrated copurification of ACSA and bone-resorbing activity. The PTH receptor antagonist [Nle8,18,Tyr34]bovine PTH-(3-34)-amide, but not [Nle8,18,Tyr34]bovine PTH-(7-34)-amide, completely inhibited ACSA in column eluates. Conditioned cell culture medium from CAC-8 primary cultures contained predominantly latent TGF beta that could be activated by acidification. These findings indicate that the CAC-8 model of cancer-associated hypercalcemia produces a PTH-like factor, TGF alpha, and TGF beta that were separable by reverse phase or cation exchange HPLC. This feature should be useful to investigate the role of TGFs and PTH-like proteins in the pathogenesis of humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy.
Projection Metrics for Rigid-Body Displacements

An open research question is how to define a useful metric on SE(n) with respect to (1) the choice of coordinate frames and (2) the units used to measure linear and angular distances. We present two techniques for approximating elements of the special Euclidean group SE(n) with elements of the special orthogonal group SO(n+1). These techniques are based on the singular value and polar decompositions (denoted as SVD and PD respectively) of the homogeneous transform representation of the elements of SE(n). The projection of the elements of SE(n) onto SO(n+1) yields hyperdimensional rotations that approximate the rigid-body displacements (hence the term projection metric. A bi-invariant metric on SO(n+1) may then be used to measure the distance between any two spatial displacements. The results are PD and SVD based projection metrics on SE(n). These metrics have applications in motion synthesis, robot calibration, motion interpolation, and hybrid robot control.
Public Health and Agenda Setting: Determinants of State Attention to Tobacco and Vaccines

What determines government attention to emerging health issues? We draw on research in agenda setting and policy diffusion to explore the determinants of public health attention in the fifty American states. We find that intergovernmental influence has a strong and consistent influence over state attention to tobacco and vaccines from 1990 to 2010. While national attention to tobacco or vaccines also sparks attention in the states, this effect is smaller than the internal impact of gubernatorial attention and the horizontal influence of neighboring state attention. We find some support that problem severity matters; however, these results are highly dependent on the measures used. Finally, we find no evidence that interest groups influence the attention that states pay to tobacco or vaccines. Our results suggest that institutions play a critical role in explaining government attention to health policy.
ϒ Spike-Field Coherence in a Population of Olfactory Bulb Neurons Differentiates between Odors Irrespective of Associated Outcome

Studies in different sensory systems indicate that short spike patterns within a spike train that carry items of sensory information can be extracted from the overall train by using field potential oscillations as a reference (Kayser et al., 2012; Panzeri et al., 2014). Here we test the hypothesis that the local field potential (LFP) provides the temporal reference frame needed to differentiate between odors regardless of associated outcome. Experiments were performed in the olfactory system of the mouse (Mus musculus) where the mitral/tufted (M/T) cell spike rate develops differential responses to rewarded and unrewarded odors as the animal learns to associate one of the odors with a reward in a go–no go behavioral task. We found that coherence of spiking in M/T cells with the ϒ LFP (65 to 95 Hz) differentiates between odors regardless of the associated behavioral outcome of odor presentation.
Management and the Worker

The article reviews the book “Management and the Worker: An Account of a Research Program Conducted By the Western Electric Company,” by F.J. Roethlisberger and William J. Dickson.
Optimal allocation of bandwidth for source coding, channel coding, and spreading in CDMA systems

This paper investigates the tradeoffs between source coding, channel coding, and spreading in code-division multiple-access systems, operating under a fixed total bandwidth constraint. We consider two systems, each consisting of a uniform source with a uniform quantizer, a channel coder, an interleaver, and a direct-sequence spreading module. System A is quadrature phase-shift keyed modulated and has a linear block channel coder. A minimum mean-squared error receiver is also employed in this system. System B is binary phase-shift keyed modulated. Rate-compatible punctured convolutional codes and soft-decision Viterbi decoding are used for channel coding in system B. The two systems are analyzed for both an additive white Gaussian noise channel and a flat Rayleigh fading channel. The performances of the systems are evaluated using the end-to-end mean squared error. A tight upper bound for frame-error rate is derived for nonterminated convolutional codes for ease of analysis of system B. We show that, for a given bandwidth, an optimal allocation of that bandwidth can be found using the proposed method.
Second-trimester intra-abdominal bowel dilation in fetuses with gastroschisis predicts neonatal bowel atresia

Objective To determine in fetuses with gastroschisis the association between intra-abdominal bowel dilation in the second trimester and neonatal bowel atresia. Methods We reviewed ultrasound and medical records of fetuses with gastroschisis from January 1998 to August 2004. Fetuses with intra-abdominal bowel dilation in the second trimester were identified and followed into the neonatal period. Results We identified 58 mother-infant pairs showing fetal gastroschisis, with at least one prenatal ultrasound at our hospital and which were delivered there, or were transported there as newborns. Forty-eight of the 58 fetuses had no intra-abdominal bowel dilation and none of these neonates had bowel atresia. Ten of the 58 fetuses had intra-abdominal bowel dilation and all had bowel atresia at birth (P < 0.0001). In eight cases in which ultrasound was performed at < 25 weeks' gestation, intra-abdominal bowel dilation was already present. Conclusion Intra-abdominal bowel dilation in the second trimester predicts neonatal bowel atresia in fetuses with gastroschisis. Copyright © 2006 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Simulating the Amide I IR Signal of a Peptide in Solution using a Classical Implicit Water Approximation

Behavior of the amide I IR signal of peptides has been the object of much study because it can provide valuable information about the environments and conformations of peptides in solution. Numerous models have been proposed to predict the amide I band shape, the most successful of which may have limited utility in studying dynamic processes due to high computational cost. Here a new, simple method is employed to predict the effects that the aqueous environment and side chains have on the shape of the amide I IR signal for a polypeptide in water. Using GEPOL to generate a solute cavity, apparent charges at the solvent accessible surface are generated considering a conductor like response from the solvent to partial charges on atoms (AMBER, or CHARMM). Potentials on the atoms in amide groups resulting from the surface charges and from the side groups are then used along with an electrostatic potential map to predict how the amide I signals are perturbed from gas phase signals. Effects of cavity size and atomic partial charges on the integrity of predicted band shapes are examined. The method gives results comparable to much more computationally intensive methods.
Temporal Dynamics of Cognitive Control

Cognitive control refers to the flexible deployment of memory and attention in response to task demands and current goals. Control is often studied experimentally by presenting sequences of stimuli, some demanding a response, and others modulating the stimulus-response mapping. In these tasks, participants must maintain information about the current stimulus-response mapping in working memory. Prominent theories of cognitive control use recurrent neural nets to implement working memory, and optimize memory utilization via reinforcement learning. We present a novel perspective on cognitive control in which working memory representations are intrinsically probabilistic, and control operations that maintain and update working memory are dynamically determined via probabilistic inference. We show that our model provides a parsimonious account of behavioral and neuroimaging data, and suggest that it offers an elegant conceptualization of control in which behavior can be cast as optimal, subject to limitations on learning and the rate of information processing. Moreover, our model provides insight into how task instructions can be directly translated into appropriate behavior and then efficiently refined with subsequent task experience.
Introduction to the special issue of Alcohol and Alcoholism on sex/gender differences in responses to alcohol.

This special issue provides new findings highlighting the influence of sex/gender on responses to alcohol, including both short- and long-term consequences across the lifespan. The Office of Research on Women's Health was established nearly 20 years ago within the Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health, to improve awareness of the need to represent women in NIH-sponsored research. ‘ORWH works in partnership with the NIH institutes and centers to ensure that women's health research is part of the scientific framework at NIH and throughout the scientific community’ (ORWH site, NIH.gov). There remains a global need to be aware of how one's sex or gender can impact health and disease. When bringing gender into the discussion, it is important to recognize that there are multiple perspectives—including societal and environmental contexts and influences versus innate biological contributions to what encompasses being a woman and female rather than a man and male. We have long been aware of the differences between men and women in drinking patterns and risk for harm from excessive alcohol consumption. It was more than 30 years ago that Ashley and coworkers first reported the telescoping phenomenon—where alcoholic women present with more severe pathophysiological consequences in a shorter timeframe than men (Ashley et al. , …
Fetal Cells in the Pregnant Mouse Are Diverse and Express a Variety of Progenitor and Differentiated Cell Markers

To better understand fetomaternal cell trafficking during pregnancy, we used a mouse model to determine the cell surface markers expressed on fetal cells, based on the hypothesis that fetal progenitor cells have the capacity to repair maternal organs, whereas more differentiated cells might initiate graft versus host disease. Wild-type females were mated to either homozygous or hemizygous transgenic males and euthanized in the peripartum period. Using dual color flow cytometry, we analyzed fetal transgene positive cells for the presence of nine markers (ITGAM, ITGB1, PECAM, CD34, CD44, PTPRC, ENG, SLAMF1, and CXCR4) to begin to identify the phenotype and degree of differentiation of fetal cells in nine maternal organs (lung, liver, spleen, blood, bone marrow, kidney, heart, thymus, and brain). Fetal cells were found in all maternal organs following either type of mating, albeit always at a higher frequency following mating with homozygous males. Some organs (e.g., lung and liver) had a wide variety of fetal cell markers present, while other organs (e.g., bone marrow and spleen) had a skewed distribution of fetal cell markers. Fetal cells in the murine pregnant female are diverse. Our results suggest that the fetal cells comprise a mixed population of progenitor and differentiated cells, with different relative proportions in different maternal organs. Future studies will address whether fetal cells cross the placental barrier in a differentiated state or as a homogenous population and subsequently differentiate in target maternal organs.
A mathematical approach to a low power FFT architecture

Architecture and circuit design are the two most effective means of reducing power in CMOS VLSI. Mathematical manipulations have been applied to create a power efficient architecture of an FFT. This architecture has been implemented in asynchronous circuit technology that achieves significant power reduction over other FFT architectures. Multirate signal processing concepts are applied to the FFT to localize communication and remove the need for globally shared results in the FFT computation. A novel architecture is produced from the polyphase components that is mapped to an asynchronous implementation. The asynchronous design continues the localization of communication and can be designed using standard cell libraries such as radiation-tolerant libraries for space electronics. We present a methodology based on multirate signal processing techniques and asynchronous design style that supports significant reduction in power over conventional design practices. A test chip implementing part of this design has been fabricated and power comparisons have been made.
‘Drinking the Feast’: Alcohol and the Legitimation of Power in Celtic Europe

Drinking and feasting were an integral part of life in Iron Age Europe and the British Isles. The distribution of food and especially drink in prescribed fashion played a key role in establishing and maintaining social relationships. Alcoholic beverages were important consumable status items in prehistoric Europe, serving as a social lubricant as well as a social barrier. The metal, ceramic and wooden vessels required for the preparation, distribution and consumption of these beverages were a vehicle for inter- and intragroup competition, and underwent considerable change, both symbolic and material, through time. This article will attempt a cognitive analysis of the material culture of Iron Age drinking and feasting by integrating archaeological and documentary evidence. The impact of contact with the Mediterranean world, gender configurations, and the ideology of power and patronage will be discussed in relation to changing material culture assemblages.
The systematics of the Trichogramma minutum species complex (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae), a group of important North American biological control agents: the evidence from reproductive compatibility and allozymes

Abstract Two North American Trichogramma , Trichogramma minutum Riley, and Trichogramma platneri Nagarkatti (the T. minutum complex), cannot be distinguished morphologically and their species status has been questioned. Both are commercially available for biological control and are important parasitoids of the eggs of Lepidoptera in agricultural ecosystems. Results are reported of an extensive survey of reproductive compatibility and allozymes at the phosphoglucomutase ( Pgm ) locus in collections representing 85 localities throughout much of the geographical range of this species complex. In total, 103 reproductive crosses were performed and 161 collections were analyzed electrophoretically. Results support the recognition of T. minutum and T. platneri as distinct species. The two are distinguishable electrophoretically at the Pgm locus. High levels of reproductive incompatibility are correlated with the allozymic differences. Although T. platneri is western in distribution (W of 115° longitude) and T. minutum is primarily eastern, the two are sympatric in the Pacific Northwest. A low level of interspecific hybridization in laboratory studies notwithstanding, there is no evidence that introgression occurs in the zone of sympatry. This study continues to stress the importance of species recognition and the inadvisability of using T. minutum and T. platneri interchangeably in biological control.
Interval Estimation of Standardized Mean Differences in Paired-Samples Designs:

Paired-samples designs are used frequently in educational and behavioral research. In applications where the response variable is quantitative, researchers are encouraged to supplement the results ...
In Situ Generation of Hydrofluoric Acid during Microwave Digestion of Atmospheric Particulate Matter Prior to Trace Element Analysis Using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry

Results from a systematic evaluation of numerous microwave-assisted digestion techniques to solubilize trace elements from ambient airborne particulate matter prior to analysis using inductively coupled-plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) are reported. Direct handling of HF was avoided by generating it in situ in closed Teflon-lined vessels during digestion by heating a mixture of NaF, HNO3, and the sample and later complexing any remaining HF using stoichiometric excess of boric acid. The effects of microwave digestion variables including dwell time (20–120 min), temperature (150–200°C), pressure (38–200 psig), acid type (HNO3 and HF), and absence or presence of peroxide on extraction efficiency were determined. Principal component analysis was conducted on the recoveries of 20 elements (Mg, Al, K, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Co, Cu, Zn, As, Rb, Cd, Cs, Ba, La, Pb, and U) from urban particulate matter Standard Reference Material 1648, which revealed that the digestion matrix was the most important variable of a...
Understanding Population Cardiovascular Health Harnessing the Power of Electronic Health Records

In 2004 the American Heart Association (AHA) set forth an ambitious strategic goal for 2010 to 1) reduce death from coronary heart disease and stroke by 25%, 2) reduce the prevalence of smoking, high cholesterol, uncontrolled hypertension, and physical inactivity by 25%, and 3) to stop increases in obesity and diabetes relative to rates in 1999. Having achieved or exceeded goals 1 and 2 by 2008 through a number of collaborative efforts, including public education, practice guidelines and quality improvement initiatives, in 2009, the AHA reframed its focus more broadly to one of achieving increased levels of ideal cardiovascular health and reducing death from stroke and all forms of cardiovascular disease rather than just coronary heart disease. This recalibrated focus was reflected in the resultant 2020 Impact Goal: "By 2020, to improve the cardiovascular health of all Americans by 20% while reducing deaths from cardiovascular diseases and stroke by 20%." 1 To address this goal, the strategic planning and statistics committees of the AHA developed parameters for ideal cardiovascular health (now collectively referred to as "Life9s Simple 7"), against which cardiovascular health could be gauged over time. In doing so, it not only stressed the importance of "primary prevention," but also put an increased focus on "primordial prevention" (avoidance of risk factors), as a means to achieve its aggressive 2020 goals for the cardiovascular health of the US population. 1
Bayesian Frequency Analysis

The traditional frequency analysis attempts to fit a specific probability model on the basis of limited data, from which the flood level corresponding to a given return period is determined. Because of: (1) Scatter of observed data about the theoretical probability model; (2) uncertainty of extrapolation from limited measured record; and (3) uncertainty in selecting the correct model, the flood level corresponding to a given return period should be a random variable. Through a Bayesian regression analysis the above uncertainties can be used in evaluating the resulting probability distribution of the flood level. Alternatively, the return period associated with a given flood level may also be treated as a random variable whose distribution can also be evaluated. The model uncertainty may be then incorporated in evaluating hydrologic risk of a system over its expected life time.
The Effects of Political Competition on the Feasibility of Economic Reform

This paper explores the effects of political competition on reform feasibility. In contrast to previous models, this paper shows that desirable reform may fail even in the absence of economic losers or informational asymmetries, as a result of democracy. Even if reforms were to generate economic gains for all agents, electoral gains remain a zero sum game. This model provides insight regarding the conditions under which critical elections take place as studied in the political science literature. If there is a majority party, minority parties are able to pursue low value (which do not lead to political shifts) and high value reforms (which cause a political realignment). Intermediate value reforms are harder to enact, as the electoral cost of reform is high for the dominant party. In contrast, in highly contested political environments, only high value reforms may successfully be enacted.