cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Zinc-Chelating Small Molecules Preferentially Accumulate and Function within Pancreatic β Cells.

Summary Diabetes is a hyperglycemic condition characterized by pancreatic β-cell dysfunction and depletion. Whereas methods for monitoring β-cell function in vivo exist, methods to deliver therapeutics to β cells are lacking. We leveraged the rare ability of β cells to concentrate zinc to preferentially trap zinc-binding molecules within β cells, resulting in β-cell-targeted compound delivery. We determined that zinc-rich β cells and islets preferentially accumulated TSQ (6-methoxy-8-p-toluenesulfonamido-quinoline) in a zinc-dependent manner compared with exocrine pancreas. Next, we asked whether appending a zinc-chelating moiety onto a β-cell replication-inducing compound was sufficient to confer preferential β-cell accumulation and activity. Indeed, the hybrid compound preferentially accumulated within rodent and human islets in a zinc-dependent manner and increased the selectivity of replication-promoting activity toward β cells. These data resolve the fundamental question of whether intracellular accumulation of zinc-chelating compounds is influenced by zinc content. Furthermore, application of this principle yielded a proof-of-concept method for β-cell-targeted drug delivery and bioactivity.
3D display considerations for rugged airborne environments

The KC-46 is the next generation, multi-role, aerial refueling tanker aircraft being developed by Boeing for the United States Air Force. Rockwell Collins has developed the Remote Vision System (RVS) that supports aerial refueling operations under a variety of conditions. The system utilizes large-area, high-resolution 3D displays linked with remote sensors to enhance the operator’s visual acuity for precise aerial refueling control. This paper reviews the design considerations, trade-offs, and other factors related to the selection and ruggedization of the 3D display technology for this military application.
Airpred: A Flexible R Package Implementing Methods for Predicting Air Pollution

Large epidemiological studies have shown that exposure to air pollution, in particular fine particulate matter (PM2.5), is harmful to human health. However, air pollution monitors which measure air pollutant concentrations are sparsely located, excluding large portions of the population, in particular non-urban populations, from studies. One approach to resolving this issue has been developing models to predict local PM2.5, NO2, and ozone in unmonitored areas based on satellite, meteorological, and land use data. These prediction models are typically developed using large amounts of input data and are highly computationally intensive. We have developed a flexible R package that allows environmental health researchers to design and train spatio-temporal models capable of predicting multiple pollutants, including PM2.5. We utilize H2O, an open source big data R platform, to achieve both performance and scalability when used in conjunction with cloud or cluster computing systems.
Artificial Neural Network Based Wireless Power Transfer Behavior Estimation

The proper design of Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) devices requires prior estimation of behaviors such as load voltage, current and power. The value of these behaviors depend on the physical construction of the coils and variable factors such as position between the coils. Moreover, the accurate estimation of such functions is very computational time consuming. This cost distresses situations such as optimization process where you require multiple estimations of those functions. Using pattern recognition to model such parameters is expected to reduce the time and the simulation cost. In this paper, Artificial Neural Network (ANN) is implemented to identify the patterns in a biomedical application of WPT to transcutaneously transfer energy to a device inside human’s body. The outcome of the ANN is expected to simplify future optimization processes.
Hereditary Hemolytic Anemia Associated With Abnormal Membrane Lipids: Mechanism of Accumulation of Phosphatidyl Choline

In order to study the mechanism of the accumulation of phosphatidyl choline (PC) in erythrocytes with abnormal erythrocyte phospholipids from patients with a hereditary hemolytic anemia, the phospholipids of the erythrocytes were labeled radioactively. Labeling of phosphatides was achieved by both passive equilibration with preformed phosphatides, and active "acylase"-mediated incorporation of fatty acid (FA) in the presence of glucose, ATP and coenzyme A. The labeled cells were then reincubated in fresh compatible sera and the catabolism of the labeled erythrocyte phospholipids was followed. In addition, total acylase capacity of erythrocyte stroma was determined under optimal conditions in a system with excess lysophosphatide, FA, ATP, CoA, and Mg ++ . No differences in passive uptake or release of phosphatides were found between the patients’ erythrocytes and comparable reticulocyte-rich controls. On the other hand, overall active incorporation of FA into PC was abnormally increased in the patients’ erythrocytes, whereas incorporation of FA into phosphatidyl-ethanolamine (PE) was decreased. However, acylase capacity for both lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) and lysophosphatidylethanolamine (LPE) was normal in the patients’ cells. This apparent paradox could be explained by the subsequent turnover of actively incorporated PC-FA which was found to be reduced. A brief labeling experiment designed to approximate pulse-chase conditions and to label primarily PC showed a considerable inhibition of the subsequent transfer of PC-FA to PE upon reincubation in fresh serum. This transfer has previously been shown to be responsible for a significant portion of PC-FA catabolism. Reincubation in hyperlipemic sera obtained from patients with liver disease or artificially enriched with PC did not influence the abnormal outflow of phosphatide-FA in actively labeled cells. The findings were consistent with the concept that PC accumulated in these cells because of a defect in the catabolism of actively incorporated PC-FA. This defect appeared to be in the transfer of PC-FA to PE prior to final release from the cell. Passive exchange pathways and the active anabolic acylase pathway were not abnormal in these patients’ erythrocytes.
Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome in patients with COVID-19.

Abstract Objective To report four patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) who developed posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES). Methods Patient data was abstracted from medical records at Weill Cornell Medical Center. Results Four patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection and PRES were identified. The patients' ages ranged from 64 to 74 years, and two were women. All four patients were admitted to the hospital with acute respiratory distress syndrome requiring intensive care unit admission and mechanical ventilation. PRES was diagnosed after persistent confusion, lethargy, new focal neurological deficits, or seizures were noted, with evidence of seizures on electroencephalogram for two of the patients. Imaging confirmed the presence of cerebral vasogenic edema. All four patients had elevated blood pressure and renal injury in the days preceding PRES diagnosis, as well as evidence of systemic inflammation and systemic hypercoagulability. Symptoms of PRES improved with blood pressure control. Conclusions Our four cases demonstrate the occurrence of PRES in critically-ill patients with COVID-19. PRES should be considered in the differential for acute neurological deficits and seizures in this setting.
Non-parametric generalized linear model.

A fundamental problem in statistical neuroscience is to model how neurons encode information by analyzing electrophysiological recordings. A popular and widely-used approach is to fit the spike trains with an autoregressive point process model. These models are characterized by a set of convolutional temporal filters, whose subsequent analysis can help reveal how neurons encode stimuli, interact with each other, and process information. In practice a sufficiently rich but small ensemble of temporal basis functions needs to be chosen to parameterize the filters. However, obtaining a satisfactory fit often requires burdensome model selection and fine tuning the form of the basis functions and their temporal span. In this paper we propose a nonparametric approach for jointly inferring the filters and hyperparameters using the Gaussian process framework. Our method is computationally efficient taking advantage of the sparse variational approximation while being flexible and rich enough to characterize arbitrary filters in continuous time lag. Moreover, our method automatically learns the temporal span of the filter. For the particular application in neuroscience, we designed priors for stimulus and history filters useful for the spike trains. We compare and validate our method on simulated and real neural spike train data.
Isolation of Plant Root Nuclei for Single Cell RNA Sequencing

The characterization of the transcriptional similarities and differences existing between plant cells and cell types is important to better understand the biology of each cell composing the plant, to reveal new molecular mechanisms controlling gene activity, and to ultimately implement meaningful strategies to enhance plant cell biology. To gain a deeper understanding of the regulation of plant gene activity, the individual transcriptome of each plant cell needs to be established. Until recently, single cell approaches were mostly limited to bulk transcriptomic studies on selected cell types. Accessing specific cell types required the development of labor-intensive strategies. Recently, single cell sequencing strategies were successfully applied on isolated Arabidopsis thaliana root protoplasts. However, this strategy relies on the successful isolation of viable protoplasts upon the optimization of the enzymatic cocktails required to digest the cell wall and on the compatibility of fragile plant protoplasts with the use of microfluidic systems to generate single cell transcriptomic libraries. To overcome these difficulties, we present a simple and fast alternative strategy: the isolation and use of plant nuclei to access meaningful transcriptomic information from plant cells. This protocol was specifically developed to enable the use of the plant nuclei with 10× Genomics' Chromium technology partitions technology. Briefly, the plant nuclei are released from the root by chopping into a nuclei isolation buffer before purification by filtration then nuclei sorting. Upon sorting, the nuclei are resuspended in a low divalent ion buffer compatible with the Chromium technology in order to create single nuclei ribonucleic acid-sequencing libraries (sNucRNA-seq). © 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Arabidopsis seed sterilization and planting Basic Protocol 2: Nuclei isolation from Arabidopsis roots Basic Protocol 3: Fluorescent-activated nuclei sorting (FANS) purification Support Protocol: Estimation of nuclei density using Countess II automated cell counter Alternate Protocol 1: Proper growth conditions for Medicago truncatula and Sorghum bicolor Alternate Protocol 2: Estimation of nuclei density using sNucRNA-seq technology.
Impact of Accuracy on Model Interpretations.

Model interpretations are often used in practice to extract real world insights from machine learning models. These interpretations have a wide range of applications; they can be presented as business recommendations or used to evaluate model bias. It is vital for a data scientist to choose trustworthy interpretations to drive real world impact. Doing so requires an understanding of how the accuracy of a model impacts the quality of standard interpretation tools. In this paper, we will explore how a model's predictive accuracy affects interpretation quality. We propose two metrics to quantify the quality of an interpretation and design an experiment to test how these metrics vary with model accuracy. We find that for datasets that can be modeled accurately by a variety of methods, simpler methods yield higher quality interpretations. We also identify which interpretation method works the best for lower levels of model accuracy.
Implementation Intentions to Reduce Smoking: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Implementation intentions are a goal-setting technique in which an individual commits to perform a particular behavior when a specific context arises. Recently, researchers have begun studying how implementation intention interventions (II interventions) can facilitate anti-smoking efforts. The current systematic review synthesized results of experimental studies that tested the effect of an II intervention on smoking cognitions and behavior. Out of twenty-nine reviewed articles, eleven studies met inclusion criteria. Nine studies (81.8%) tested an II intervention as a cessation tool for current smokers, while two tested II interventions as a tool to prevent smoking among predominantly non-smoking adolescents. A majority of the studies (66.7%) testing II interventions as a cessation tool reported a positive effect on cessation at long-term follow-up. Of the two studies testing II interventions as a tool for prevention, one found a positive effect at long-term follow-up. Methodology varied between the studies, highlighting the discrepancies between what researchers consider "implementation intentions" to be. II interventions are a promising tool for anti-smoking efforts, but more research is necessary to determine the best methodology and the populations for whom this intervention will be most effective. Implications Brief, free, and easily scalable, II interventions to prevent smoking are highly attractive for anti-smoking efforts. This review outlines the circumstances under which II interventions have demonstrated effectiveness in helping people resist smoking cigarettes. We illuminate gaps in the existing literature, limitations and methodological discrepancies between studies, and areas for future study.
Landslide susceptibility analyses using Random Forest, C4.5, and C5.0 with balanced and unbalanced datasets

Abstract The effects of landslides have been exponentially increasing due to the rapid growth of urbanization and global climate change. The information gained from predictive models and landslide susceptibility analyses can be used to develop warning systems and mitigation measures. A comparative study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of landslide susceptibility analyses in a given area using three decision tree algorithms including Random Forest (RF), C4.5, and C5.0. Two sets of imagery datasets (raster and vector) were used and three combinations of 13 conditioning factors (including seven geotechnical properties of the soil) were determined by Information Gain, Gain Ratio, Chi-Squared Test, and Random Forest Importance. Datasets for the landslide conditioning factors were created based on the outcomes from the feature selection methods, in three different scenarios. In Scenario 1 the least important factors/features (as identified by information gain, chi-square, and gain ratio measures) were eliminated. In Scenario 2 only the most important factors (as identified by RF feature selection method evaluation) were kept. In Scenario 3, no factor was eliminated, using the data directly obtained from the sources without applying any feature selection method. The performances of the models were evaluated using statistical verification scores. C4.5 was found to have the highest performance when all 13 conditioning parameters (Scenario 3) were used for both the raster and vector data set. The RF model was the least effective in predicting the landslides in all three scenarios. However, the use of the balance vector dataset significantly increased the performance of the RF model. C4.5 and C5.0 had significantly better performance in handling extremely unbalance data in comparison to RF. Density, silt and clay content, and Atterberg’s limits (LL and PI) were the most important geotechnical conditioning factors in the performed landslide susceptibility analyses.
Temporal differences between high vowels and glides are more robust than spatial differences

Abstract It is often taken for granted that the glides [j] and [w] differ from their high-vowel counterparts [i] and [u] by having a greater degree of constriction and shorter duration. Yet there is little phonetic research to support these assumptions. Furthermore, although phonological patterns indicate that vowels and glides can be distinct phonemic categories, the extent to which their phonetic properties are categorically distinguished by speakers is unknown. We conducted an experiment to investigate articulatory and acoustic differences between productions of English vowels and glides at palatal and labio-velar places of articulation, in which participants imitated ambiguous intervocalic stimuli which varied in duration and intensity. The results showed that all speakers manipulated temporal aspects of their imitations of both palatal and labio-velar targets, while only some speakers manipulated constriction degree, and only for the labio-velars. This finding suggests that temporal organization may be more important than constriction degree for the glide-vowel distinction. Furthermore, temporal variables were often non-linearly related to stimulus duration, supporting the hypothesis that there exists a categorical difference in the temporal organization of articulatory gestures for vowels vs glides.
Association Between Visual Field Damage and Gait Dysfunction in Patients With Glaucoma.

Importance Gait dysfunction is common in older people with visual impairment and is a major cause of falls. Objective To compare 3-year longitudinal changes in gait measures across the spectrum of baseline visual field (VF) damage in glaucoma. Design, Setting, and Participants A post hoc analysis was designed on September 1, 2018, following a prospective cohort study, which enrolled older adults with glaucoma or suspected glaucoma from September 2013 to March 2015 and followed up for up to 3 years. Baseline VF damage was defined by integrated VF (IVF) sensitivity and categorized as normal/mild (IVF >28 dB), moderate (IVF, 23-28 dB), and severe (IVF, <23 dB). Each participant walked on an electronic walkway back and forth twice at normal pace each study year. Linear mixed-effects models evaluated longitudinal change in gait outcomes (1) stratified within each VF severity category and (2) across the range of IVF sensitivity. Analysis took place from October 2019 to October 2020. Main Outcomes and Measures Three-year changes in 7 gait assessments under usual-pace walking, including base support and its coefficient of variation, stride length and its coefficient of variation, stride velocity and its coefficient of variation, and cadence. Results Of 241 participants, the mean (SD) age was 70.8 (7.7) years, 116 (48.2%) were women, and 70 (29.0%) were African American. When comparing longitudinal gait changes over 3 years across the spectrum of IVF sensitivity, each 5-unit (dB) decrement was associated with more rapid declines in stride velocity (-0.05 z score unit/y; 95% CI, -0.09 to -0.01; P = .01) and cadence (-0.07 z score unit/y; 95% CI, -0.10 to -0.03; P < .001). When evaluating gait changes within each glaucoma severity group, shorter stride length was associated with persons with normal/mild (-0.06 z score unit/y; 95% CI, -0.10 to -0.03; P = .001), moderate (-0.08 z score unit/y; 95% CI, -0.12 to -0.04; P < .001), and severe VF damage (-0.16 z score unit/y; 95% CI, -0.24 to -0.07; P < .001), while stride velocity (-0.18 z score unit; 95% CI, -0.28 to -0.07; P = .002) and slower cadence (-0.15 z score unit; 95% CI, -0.25 to -0.04; P = .006) were associated with those with severe VF damage. Conclusions and Relevance At worse levels of baseline VF damage, patients with glaucoma in this study demonstrated an exacerbated decline in walking speeds (ie, stride velocity and cadence), indicating that mobility speeds decrease faster over time in older adults with glaucoma.
Nothing to Fear but Fear Itself: A Mechanistic Test of Unconscious Exposure.

Background While effective, exposure therapy can be distressing, which creates problems with treatment acceptance. Can exposure be effectively delivered unconsciously-and thus without causing phobic people to experience distress? No study has tested this hypothesis in a sufficiently rigorous experiment that selected between mechanisms for reducing fear unconsciously. Methods We conducted a psychophysiological experiment of an unconscious exposure intervention to discern its mechanism of therapeutic action. We identified 98 highly spider-phobic participants with a validated fear questionnaire and a Behavioral Avoidance Test in which they gradually approached and exhibited impairment of a live tarantula, which was indicative of a DSM-5 diagnosis of specific phobia. These participants were randomized to viewing unconscious exposure to spiders, visible exposure to spiders, or unconscious exposure to flowers (control). In a novel psychophysiological design, concurrent changes in sympathetic arousal and subjective fear were monitored throughout exposure. Shortly thereafter, phobic participants approached the tarantula again in order to measure exposure-induced changes in real-life avoidance behavior and experienced fear. Results Unconscious exposure did not induce concurrent changes in sympathetic arousal or subjective fear, and subsequently reduced fear of the tarantula. Visible exposure to the same phobic stimuli, by contrast, induced significant arousal and fear, but did not affect fear of the tarantula. Levels of arousal during exposure moderated effects on fear of the tarantula: lower arousal during unconscious exposure, but not during conscious exposure, predicted greater fear reduction. Conclusions Unconscious exposure reduces fear by generating new implicit learning of nonaversive, stimulus-response associations that facilitate fear extinction in phobic persons.
Why Mathematics Works so Well

A major question in philosophy of science involves the unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics in physics. Why should mathematics, created or discovered, with nothing empirical in mind be so perfectly suited to describe the laws of the physical universe? To answer this we review the well-known fact that the defining properties of the laws of physics are their symmetries. We then show that there are similar symmetries of mathematical facts and that these symmetries are the defining properties of mathematics. By examining the symmetries of physics and mathematics, we show that the effectiveness is actually quite reasonable. In essence, we show that the regularities of physics are a subset of the regularities of mathematics.
Testimony Before the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, Miami, Florida September 21, 2010

"Control frauds" are seemingly legitimate entities controlled by persons that use them as a fraud "weapon." (The person that controls the firm is typically the CEO, so that term is used in this testimony.) A single control fraud can cause greater losses than all other forms of property crime combined. Neo-classical economic theory, methodology, and praxis combine to optimize criminogenic environments that hyper-inflate financial bubbles and produce recurrent, intensifying financial crises. A criminogenic environment is one that creates such perverse incentives that it leads to widespread crime. Financial control frauds’ "weapon of choice" is accounting. Neoclassical theory, which dominates law & economics, is criminogenic because it assumes that control fraud cannot exist while recommending legal policies that optimize an industry for control fraud. Its hostility to regulation, endorsement of opaque assets that lack readily verifiable market values, and support for executive compensation that creates perverse incentives to engage in accounting control fraud and optimizes fraudulent CEOs’ ability to convert firm assets to the CEO’s personal benefit have created a nearly perfect crime. Studies have shown that control fraud was invariably present at the typical large S&L failure. There is a consensus about the decisive role of control fraud in the Enron era frauds. The FBI began testifying publicly in September 2004 that there was an epidemic of mortgage fraud and predicting that it would cause an economic crisis if it were not contained. Similar widescale control frauds have driven financial crises in other nations. It is astounding, therefore, that neo-classical economists overwhelmingly ignore even the possibility of control fraud in the current crisis.
Chronic neurologic effects of pesticide overexposure

Pesticide exposure in humans can have persistent effects, even in the absence of acute symptoms of intoxication or after their resolution. Drs. Keifer and Mahurin describe some of the most important examples of established pesticide neurotoxicity.
Teaching Principles of Keynesian Macroeconomics Using a Federal Funds Focused Model

Some economists advocate an Aggregate Supply-Aggregate Demand model with inflation and real output on the axes. A downward-sloping aggregate demand curve is derived by making monetary policy endogenous. The proponents of this model argue that it has several advantages, including consistency with real-world policy. This paper considers how this model can be used in principles of macroeconomics courses to teach about Federal Reserve policy, interest rate determination, and income and output determination within a Keynesian framework. The focus is on high-powered money, Federal Reserve real interest-rate rules, and the "benchmarking" role of the federal funds rate in setting commercial and household lending rates. Diagrams are used to illustrate these relationships. A simple graphic macroeconomic model is developed that is federal funds rate focused.
Looming large in others' eyes: racial stereotypes illuminate dual adaptations for representing threat versus prestige as physical size

article i nfo Article history: Initial receipt 24 June 2015 Final revision received 28 August 2015 We hypothesize that, paralleling the evolution of human hierarchies from social structures based on dominance to those based on prestige, adaptations for representing status are derived from those for representing relative fighting capacity. Because both violence and status are important adaptive challenges, the mind contains the ancestral representational system as well as the derived system. When the two representational tasks conflict, owing to the exigent nature of potential violence, the former should take precedence over the latter. Indeed, separate literatures indicate that, despite the fact that threatening traits are generally deleterious to prestige, both threatening individuals and high-status individuals are conceptually represented as physically large. We investigated the interplay between size-based representations of threat versus prestige by examining racial danger stereotypes. In three studies, we demonstrate that (a) judgments of status only positively correlate withenvisionedbody sizefor membersofgroupsstereotypedassafe,(b) group-basedinferencesofinterperson- al threat are mediated by representations of physical size, (c) controlling for perceived threatening aggressive- ness reduces or reverses non-positive correlations between status and size, and (d) individuating information about relative threat or status attenuates the influence of group danger stereotypes. These results support our proposal that ancestral threat-representation mechanisms and derived mechanisms for representing social rank coexist - and sometimes compete - in the mind.
Optimal Anti-ischemic Therapy: Newer Data from the HOPE, EUROPA and PEACE Trials

A B S T R A C T Several trials have proposed ACE-inhibitors as the foundation of anti-ischemic secondary preventive therapy for both short and long-term benefit in systolic heart failure, and an important anti-ischemic therapy in ischemic heart disease, diabetic and renal disease patients. The results of the HOPE trial indicated that ramipril, with “tissue” ACE-inhibition features, would benefit a broad range of patients for both primary and secondary prevention of both ischemic and vascular disease, and was beneficial in all subgroups of atherosclerotic coronary disease, cerebrovascular disease, peripheral vascular disease, or diabetes with one cardiovascular risk factor. Subsequently, the EUROPA trial complemented the findings of the HOPE trial in indicating the unique ability of tissue ACE-inhibition, this time with use of perindopril, in preventing cardiovascular events. On the other hand, the findings of a third trial (PEACE) using trandolapril did not confirm these favorable effects, albeit in a lower risk group of patients with ischemic heart disease. Nevertheless, combined analysis of the results of all three trials indicated that there seems to be a significant reduction of cardiovascular events in all patients with ischemic heart disease treated with an ACE inhibitor even in the absence of systolic left ventricular dysfunction or evidence of heart failure. These unique findings of these landmark trials are herein discussed.
Cocaine self-administration and extinction alter medullary noradrenergic and limbic forebrain cFos responses to acute, noncontingent cocaine injections in adult rats.

Central noradrenergic (NA) signaling contributes critically to multiple behavioral effects of cocaine administration, particularly stress- and anxiety-related effects. The present study examined the ability of acute cocaine to induce the immediate early gene product, cFos, in NA neurons and stress-related neural circuits in rats that were cocaine-naive, or had a history of cocaine self-administration with or without extinction. Rats implanted with jugular catheters were trained to self-administer cocaine (0.5-mg/kg/infusion), with a subset subsequently trained on extinction. Cocaine-naive controls were handled daily. After a final day of self-administration, extinction, or handling, rats received an i.p. injection of either cocaine (20-mg/kg) or saline, and 90min later were anesthetized and perfused. Tissue sections were processed for immunoperoxidase labeling of nuclear cFos with either immunoperoxidase or immunofluorescent cytoplasmic labeling of dopamine beta hydroxylase or tyrosine hydroxylase. Acute cocaine increased the number of activated NA neurons within the caudal nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS; A2 cell group) in cocaine-naive and extinguished rats, but not in rats that only self-administered. Extinction attenuated cocaine-induced cFos activation in NA neurons of the caudal ventrolateral medulla (A1/C1 cell groups), and attenuated cFos within the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, the apex of the central neuroendocrine stress axis. Cocaine consistently increased cFos in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, regardless of history. NA neurons of the locus coeruleus (A6 cell group) were not activated after cocaine administration in any experimental group. Thus, the ability of cocaine to activate central stress circuitry is altered after cocaine self-administration. Our results suggest a unique role for the NTS in cocaine-induced reinstatement, as extinction training enhanced the ability of cocaine to activate NA neurons within this region. These findings suggest central NA systems originating in the caudal brainstem as potential targets for the treatment of cocaine addiction.
Developmental Changes of Leptin Receptors in Cerebral Microvessels: Unexpected Relation to Leptin Transport

The adipokine leptin participates not only in the regulation of feeding and obesity in adults but also in neonatal development. It crosses the blood-brain barrier (BBB) by receptor-mediated transport. Leptin concentrations in blood differ between neonates and adults. We determined the developmental changes of leptin receptor subtypes in the cerebral microvessels composing the BBB and examined their expected correlation with leptin transport across the BBB. Total RNA was extracted from enriched cerebral microvessels of mice 1, 7, 14, and 60 d of age for real-time RT-PCR analysis of leptin receptor subtypes. In cerebral microvessels from neonates, ObRa, ObRb, ObRc, and ObRe mRNA were all higher than in adults, but ObRd was not detectable. Hypothalamus showed similar age-related changes except for ObRb, which was higher in adults. The homologous receptor gp130 did not show significant age-related changes in either region. Despite the increase of leptin receptors, leptin permeation across the BBB after iv injection was less in the neonates. In situ brain perfusion with blood-free buffer showed no significant difference in the brain uptake of leptin between neonates and adults, indicating an antagonistic role of leptin-binding proteins in the circulation, especially the soluble receptor ObRe. The results are consistent with our previous finding that ObRe antagonizes leptin endocytosis in cultured endothelia and transport from blood to brain in mice. Overall, the developmental changes observed for leptin receptors unexpectedly failed to correlate with the entry of leptin into brain, and this may indicate different functions of the receptors in neonates and adults.
URINARY COTININE AS A MEASURE OF TOBACCO SMOKE EXPOSURE IN UTERO AND INFANCY

Maternal smoking during pregnancy and after birth has adverse effects on infants. However, studies to date have not used quantitative measures of infant tobacco smoke exposure. A RIA for cotinine, the major metabolite of nicotine, has been used for this purpose in adults. We studied whether urine cotinine could be detected in exposed newborns and young infants. Urine was collected every 12 hrs for the first 5 days of life from 7 newborns of smoking mothers and 1 control, all isolated from tobacco smoke after birth. Initial mean cotinine/creatinine in exposed newborns was 1884 ng/mg (range 364 to 3888 ng/mg); these are comparable to values found in non-smoking adults with workplace tobacco smoke exposure. The control infant had only 18 ng/mg. Cotinine elimination halftime was 56 hrs, more than twice that seen in adults. Urine cotinine was measured in 18 non-hospitalized, non-exposed infants and in 28 infants with at least 2 recent exposures. Mean cotinine/creatine from exposed infants was significantly greater (p<0.0001) than from non-exposed (459 vs 19 ng/mg), with a direct relationship between cotinine excretion and number of cigarettes consumed daily by the mother (r=0.64, p=0.0001). Urine cotinine is an easily obtainable and reliable measure of infant tobacco smoke exposure.
Comparison of computer codes for seismic analysis of dams

Abstract An extensive set of computer studies has been made using the EAGD, SAP IV, and ADINA computer codes. Dam-reservoir interaction has been incorporated by two different methods: fluid element and discretized lumped water mass. Parametric studies have been made to investigate the effect of (a) water compressibility vs incompressibility, (b) flexible vs rigid foundation, (c) empty vs full reservoir, and (d) numerical technique on central processor execution time. It has been found that the alpha factor (reservoir absorption coefficient) used in the EAGD program has an influence on the individual modal response of the dam. However, the overall deflections and stresses are not very sensitive to the variation in the value of this alpha parameter. The deflections and stresses obtained from EAGD, which uses finite element simulation for the water reservoir, are compared with SAP IV and ADINA results with discretized lumped water masses. Seismic behavior of the Pine Flat Dam subjected to the Taft earthquake shows that the results of the compressible water model are almost the same as those of the incompressible water model. Lumped added water mass results are about twice as large as results obtained using the fluid element model. A summary of computer execution time is also provided for comparison of relative merits of various numerical techniques. It is noted that EAGD uses a Fast Fourier Transform algorithm whereas SAP IV and ADINA use time domain methods. Execution time for ADINA is three times longer than that for the SAP IV program.
Laser-Initiated Shuttling of a Water Molecule Between H-Bonding Sites

The two-step laser excitation scheme of stimulated emission pumping (SEP) induces shifts of a single water molecule between two remote hydrogen bonding sites on trans -formanilide. This reaction can be initiated by selective excitation of either isomer (C![Graphic][1] O-bound or NH-bound) with different SEP excitation wavelengths. Energy ( E ) thresholds for isomerization in both directions have been measured [796 wave numbers ≤ E (C![Graphic][2] O→NH) ≤ 988 wave numbers and 750 wave numbers ≤ E (NH→C![Graphic][3] O) ≤ 988 wave numbers], and the energy difference D E between the C![Graphic][4] O-bound and NH-bound isomers was extracted (–238 wave numbers ≤ D E ≤ +192 wave numbers). [1]: /embed/inline-graphic-1.gif [2]: /embed/inline-graphic-2.gif [3]: /embed/inline-graphic-3.gif [4]: /embed/inline-graphic-4.gif
Synthesis of spin-labeled analogs of dihydroxyaminoalkylaminoanthraquinone

Abstract Synthesis of spin labeled analogs of antineoplastic dihydroxyaminoalkylaminoanthraquinones is described.
Construction of an in vitro primary lung co-culture platform derived from New Zealand white rabbits

We report the construction of an in vitro three dimensional (3D) co-culture platform consisting of differentiated lung epithelial cells and monocytes from New Zealand white rabbits. Rabbit lung epithelial cells were successfully grown at air-liquid interface, produced mucus, and expressed both sialic acid alpha-2,3 and alpha-2,6. Blood-derived CD14+ monocytes were deposited above the epithelial layer resulting in the differentiation of a subset of monocytes into CD11c+ cells within the co-culture. These proof-of-concept findings provide a convenient means to comparatively study in vitro versus in vivo rabbit lung responses as they relate to inhalation or lung-challenge studies.
The Function of Water Vapour in the Photosynthesis of Hydrogen Chloride

EVIDENCE was presented (B. Lewis and E. K. Rideal, J. Chem. Soc., 129, 583 and 596; 1926) for the view that the photo-expansion of bromine and other halogens in the presence of water vapour (Budde effect) is due to heat liberated by the recombination of halogen atoms set free by the absorption of light quanta. Although absorption of radiation occurs in the dry gas, no Budde effect is observable (J. W. Mellor, J. Chem. Soc., 81, 1280; 1902; Lewis and Rideal, loc. cit.) even when the gas is subjected to an intense source of ultra-violet radiation (E. B. Ludlam, Proc. Roy. Soc. Edinburgh. 44, 197; 1924). This is interpreted to mean that the halogen does not dissociate in the dry state; that the radiation absorbed activates the halogen molecule for a short period of time and is then emitted (presumably as longer wavelengths).
Measurements of radial profiles of the ion temperature and the plasma rotation velocity with the TFTR vertical x‐ray crystal spectrometer

The TFTR vertical x‐ray crystal spectrometer has now been operating with three crystals and position‐sensitive detectors according to the original design specifications. The observed spectra of heliumlike Ti xxi, Cr xxiii, Fe xxv, and Ni xxvii have permitted a detailed comparison with the predictions from atomic theories, and they have provided data on the radial profiles of the ion temperature and toroidal rotation velocity, as well as the radial ion charge‐state distribution in TFTR discharges. Central ion temperatures of 20 keV and central plasma rotation velocities of 5×105 m/s have been recorded from plasmas with auxiliary neutral beam heating. These experimental results are presented. Also discussed are further instrumental improvements, such as the installation of two additional crystals and detectors and the installation of γ and neutron shielding, which will make it possible to measure under full DD and DT operation with 27 MW of neutral beam injection where neutron production rates of 1019 neutr...
Genetic variation and productivity of Populus trichocarpa and its hybrids. IX. Phenology and Melampsora rust incidence of native black cottonwood clones from four river valleys in Washington

Abstract A common-garden study of Populus trichocarpa Torr. and Gray was initiated in 1985 when material from 128 trees was collected along two mesic (Hoh and Nisqually) and two xeric (Dungeness and Yakima) river valleys. In spring 1986 cuttings were used to establish two replicate plantations, at Puyallup and at Wenatchee, WA. For 2 years trees were assessed for timing of spring flush, autumn budset and leaf fall, and incidence of Melampsora occidentalis leaf rust. Seasonal patterns varied with trait, plantation, year, and origin of clones. Significant differences were found mainly between clones from the lower and upper elevations of the Nisqually (LN, UN) and Yakima (LY, UY). At both plantations, clones from the cooler UN flushed later than those from the LN. In contrast, cool canyon climates of some sites along the LY resulted in later spring flush of lower than upper clones. Factors affecting patterns of autumn phenology differed between trees from those river valleys. Later budset in LN vs. UN trees was again related to cold affecting the growing season length, but earlier budset and leaf fall in LY than UY clones at Puyallup was brought about by higher rust infection. The greater rust susceptibility of LY material likely reflects lower rust pressure in the more arid lower Yakima valley. Soil moisture deficit and the presence/absence of rust at the plantations also contributed to autumn phenology patterns. Genetic variances were large for all traits at Puyallup. In Yakima trees, the large group component of the genetic variance (elevational group, clone) in leaf fall and rust points to a steep selection gradient along the Yakima. A similarly steep gradient seems also to influence spring flush along the Nisqually. Heritabilities indicate moderately to very strong genetic control in these traits. The patterns of genetic variation have implications for short-rotation intensive-culture forestry and management of natural populations.
Nucleation, undercooling and homogeneous structures in rapidly solidified powders

The possibility is considered that sufficient undercooling of powder particles can be achieved to result in a microstructure consisting of homogeneous microcrystallites. A relation is developed for the maximum achievable undercooling for comparison with the undercooling required for such homogeneous powder. Sample calculations show that such undercooling can be attained for the case of mercury, where homogeneous nucleation data are available, and for iron and cobalt, but the possibility cannot be decided upon for other metals. From a practical viewpoint, the results show that effort to achieve even greater rates of cooling in powder production would be worthwhile. Also, they indicate that in addition to cooling rate, attention should be directed to decreasing impurities and other heterogeneities which would tend to cause heterogeneous nucleation and prevent the attainment of the maximum possible undercooling.
Hegemony in the Ideal: Wedding Photography, Consumerism, and Patriarchy

Photography involves much more than talented individuals producing snatches of reality in some sort of social vacuum. Rather, photographic images are negotiated interpretations of “reality” grounded in particular social and cultural contexts. This essay examines the consumerist and patriarchal ideologies framing the professional photography of formal weddings, and argues that the maintenance of such ideologies stems jointly from producer and consumer.
Taking disclosure seriously: Disclosing financial conflicts of interest at the American College of Surgeons

Background The accurate disclosure of financial conflicts of interest has come to light as a sound component of managing relationships between surgeons and industry. Study Design In this study, we summarize and categorize 4 years of disclosures (2006−2009) given by presenters at the Annual Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons. Results We report 3,122 disclosures by 480 individuals. "Colorectal surgeon" was the most common profession among disclosers. The most common type of disclosure was "consulting." The company with the highest number of disclosures was Covidien. Disclosers used 195 different terms to describe their relationships. Conclusions We propose a standard nomenclature for use by surgeons when disclosing future conflicts of interest. As the attention to disclosures increases, sound policy decisions would be facilitated by such a standardized nomenclature system.
Kidney Development and Disease in the Zebrafish

Unraveling the molecular pathogenesis of human disease presents many experimental challenges, not the least of which is that experiments on humans are generally frowned upon. Model organisms, including the zebrafish, allow for experimental analysis of gene function and the detailed characterization of disease processes. Zebrafish have matured as a vertebrate model organism now that genetic tools for targeted “knockdowns” and unbiased mutagenesis approaches are in hand. The fish larval pronephros is a relevant kidney in which to pursue many aspects of human kidney development and disease. This short review outlines recent progress in applying the zebrafish pronephros to issues of human health and development.
Impact of fellowship training on research productivity in academic ophthalmology.

Objectives To assess whether scholarly impact of academic ophthalmologists, as measured using the h-index , is affected by fellowship training status and to further characterize differences in productivity among the various subspecialties and by departmental rank. Design A descriptive and correlational design was used. In total, 1440 academic ophthalmologists from 99 ophthalmology training programs were analyzed. The h-index data were obtained from the Scopus database. Faculty members were classified by academic rank and grouped into 10 categories based on fellowship training: anterior segment, corneal and external disease, glaucoma, uveitis and ocular immunology, vitreoretinal disease, ophthalmic plastic surgery, pediatric ophthalmology, neuro-ophthalmology, ophthalmic pathology, and “other.” A one-way analysis of variance or Student t test using Microsoft Excel and “R” statistical software were used for comparison of continuous variables, with significance set at p Settings Faculty working in academic ophthalmology residency training programs in the United States whose information is stored in the American Medical Association’s Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database. Results Fellowship-trained ophthalmologists had significantly higher research productivity, as measured using the h-index , than non–fellowship-trained ophthalmologists in this study (p Conclusion Academic ophthalmologists with fellowship training have significantly higher scholarly output than non–fellowship-trained ophthalmologists do, as measured using the h-index . Research productivity increases with departmental academic rank from Assistant Professor to Professor.