cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mechanisms underlying differential effectiveness of memantine and ketamine in rapid antidepressant responses.

Ketamine is an NMDA receptor (NMDAR) antagonist that elicits rapid antidepressant responses in patients with treatment-resistant depression. However, ketamine can also produce psychotomimetic effects that limit its utility as an antidepressant, raising the question of whether the clinically tolerated NMDAR antagonist memantine possesses antidepressant properties. Despite its similar potency to ketamine as an NMDAR antagonist, clinical data suggest that memantine does not exert rapid antidepressant actions for reasons that are poorly understood. In this study, we recapitulate the ketamine and memantine clinical findings in mice, showing that ketamine, but not memantine, has antidepressant-like effects in behavioral models. Using electrophysiology in cultured hippocampal neurons, we show that ketamine and memantine effectively block NMDAR-mediated miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents in the absence of Mg2+. However, in physiological levels of extracellular Mg2+, we identified key functional differences between ketamine and memantine in their ability to block NMDAR function at rest. This differential effect of ketamine and memantine extends to intracellular signaling coupled to NMDAR at rest, in that memantine does not inhibit the phosphorylation of eukaryotic elongation factor 2 or augment subsequent expression of BDNF, which are critical determinants of ketamine-mediated antidepressant efficacy. These results demonstrate significant differences between the efficacies of ketamine and memantine on NMDAR-mediated neurotransmission that have impacts on downstream intracellular signaling, which we hypothesize is the trigger for rapid antidepressant responses. These data provide a novel framework on the necessary functional requirements of NMDAR-mediated neurotransmission as a critical determinant necessary to elicit rapid antidepressant responses.
A nonlocal formulation based on a novel averaging scheme applicable to nanostructured materials

A novel averaging process for modeling the mechanical behavior of heterogeneous fine grained or nanostructured materials is presented. The representative volume element (RVE) is considered as an assembly of heterogeneous system of grains which are assumed to be small. Heterogeneity may have different origin; they can be isotropic with different mechanical properties, they can be a collection of the same crystal structure with different orientation or they can be a collection of grains with radically different material properties and different crystal structures. The averaging process is explained for an RVE which consists of two isotropic materials with different material properties, for the sake of simplicity. The resulting constitutive equation is of nonlocal character, and it is shown that the equation can be reduced to a gradient type. Opening of Mode III crack in small scale yielding condition within the framework of gradient elasticity is summarized. Further, single-grit scratching experiments on a range of metals and ceramics are considered. Finally, it is indicated that the results of the analysis of a groove created in a scratch test can be used to determine the material parameters in the constitutive equations of gradient dependent elasticity, and the advantages of gradient dependent theories in understanding material removal mechanisms is outlined.
Examinations, Inequality, and Curriculum Reform: An Essay Review of Richard Teese’s Academic Success and Social Power: Examinations and Inequality (2nd ed.) (Melbourne, Australia: Australian Scholarly Publishing, 2013, 303 pp., ISBN 979-1-925003-12-3)

All educational reforms have particular histories. And all of them are driven not only by technical considerations but also profoundly by cultural, political, and economic projects and by ideological visions of what schools should do. In this contribution to my Reviewing Policy section of Educational Policy, I discuss a significant contribution to our understanding of these projects. “Academic Success and Social Power” focuses on the growth of crucial aspects of a number of these visions, on the conflicts that they often entail, and on who continues to benefit the most from them over time. Richard Teese directs most of his attention to the reform of curriculum and to the social field of power that determines or at least sets limits on what is considered important knowledge. In the process, what he has produced can serve as a model for how critical education studies of culture and power should go on.
Three-dimensional flows around low-aspect-ratio flat-plate wings at low Reynolds numbers

Three-dimensional flows over impulsively translated low-aspect-ratio flat plates are investigated for Reynolds numbers of 300 and 500, with a focus on the unsteady vortex dynamics at post-stall angles of attack. Numerical simulations, validated by an oil tow-tank experiment, are performed to study the influence of aspect ratio, angle of attack and planform geometry on the wake vortices and the resulting forces on the plate. Immediately following the impulsive start, the separated flows create wake vortices that share the same topology for all aspect ratios. At large time, the tip vortices significantly influence the vortex dynamics and the corresponding forces on the wings. Depending on the aspect ratio, angle of attack and Reynolds number, the flow at large time reaches a stable steady state, a periodic cycle or aperiodic shedding. For cases of high angles of attack, an asymmetric wake develops in the spanwise direction at large time. The present results are compared to higher Reynolds number flows. Some non-rectangular planforms are also considered to examine the difference in the wakes and forces. After the impulsive start, the time at which maximum lift occurs is fairly constant for a wide range of flow conditions during the initial transient. Due to the influence of the tip vortices, the three-dimensional dynamics of the wake vortices are found to be quite different from the two-dimensional von Karman vortex street in terms of stability and shedding frequency.
Direct structural parameter identification by modal test results

A direct identification procedure is proposed to obtain the mass and stiffness matrices based on the test measured eigenvalues and eigenvectors. The method is based on the theory of matrix perturbation in which the correct mass and stiffness matrices are expanded in terms of analytical values plus a modification matrix. The simplicity of the procedure enables real time operation during the structural testing.
Time series surface-wave recovery from pressure gage

Abstract Recovery of surface-wave time series from pressure gage data is a time-consuming process and is not customarily carried out. Such information is, however, useful particularly in real-time for warning of freak waves or waves of unusual characteristics. Two simple numerical filters are developed here to serve such purpose. The first method is a linear filter with a built-in window to suppress high-frequency noise. The second method recovers the surface wave by computing the local surface curvature. These filters are very simple and can be programmed into a microprocessor to be integrated into field instrument packages. Both filters have been tested satisfactorily against conventional linear filters using simulated wave data and wave data collected in intermediate water depth. Neither filter requires pre-filtering of noise from raw data, which is commonly required to recover surface-wave information from sub-surface pressure data.
A bi-level coding technique for compressing broadband residue sequences

Many coding techniques result in residue sequences with Gaussian, Laplacian, and Gamma amplitude distributions. Such coding techniques occur in LPC (Linear Predictive Coding) of speech, image, and seismic waveforms [ l-4,6]. We assume that the residue sequence is a white (memoryless) signed integer sequence. For example, the residue sequence from a least-squares linear predictor for seismic waveform data [ 4,6] is shown to be white Gaussian. A technique called bi-level sequence coding is developed in this paper for such applications.
Communication Behaviors and Patient and Caregiver Emotional Concerns: A Description of Home Hospice Communication

Purpose/objectives To identify and describe communication behaviors used by hospice nurses when eliciting and addressing concerns of patients with cancer and their caregivers. Design Secondary analysis. Setting Home hospice in Salt Lake City, UT. Sample Audio recordings from seven patient and caregiver dyads and five hospice nurses. Methods Audio recordings were coded using the Roter Interaction Analysis System for patient and caregiver concern statements indicating negative affect and distress and the surrounding nurse communication behaviors. Concern content was categorized using domains developed by the National Consensus Project for Quality Palliative Care. Main research variables Patient and caregiver concern statements and nurse communication behaviors. Findings 180 patient and caregiver speaking turns containing concerns were identified across 31 hospice visits. Patients and caregivers expressed at least one concern in the vast majority of visits. The most prevalent distress areas reflected psychological and physical issues. Nurses used proportionally more positive emotion statements before patient and caregiver concerns, compared to the visit overall. Nurses asked proportionally more physical questions after concern statements. Nurses also used more emotional responses before and after patient and caregiver concerns, relative to the entire visit. Conclusions Patients with cancer and caregivers frequently talk about distressing issues. Hospice nurses use specific communication behaviors to elicit and address those issues. Implications for nursing Home hospice provides a venue to examine nurse communication behaviors used to elicit and respond to patient and caregiver distress. These strategies could be taught to nurses who encounter patient distress less frequently or are less comfortable with emotional conversations.
Symptomatic calculi in a remnant gallbladder: a rare cause of post-cholecystectomy syndrome and biliary pancreatitis.

Biliary pain after cholecystectomy, known as post-cholecystectomy syndrome, is common and has a broad differential diagnosis. Here we present a case of biliary pancreatitis and intermittent biliary pain that was caused by a remnant gallbladder that contained calculi. A 45-year-old man presented for evaluation of abdominal pain. He had undergone cholecystectomy 2 years previously and described intermittent right upper quadrant pain and bloating associatedwith fatty meals, which had begun a few months after the cholecystectomy. He had been hospitalized 3 months before presentation to us with biliary pancreatitis. His physical examination was notable for mild right upper quadrant tenderness only. Laboratory results showed normal transaminases and bilirubin, but his alkaline phosphatase was minimally elevated. A computed tomography (CT) scan showed a small pouch with tiny calculi connected to the biliary tree (●" Fig.1). This finding was confirmed by magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) (●" Fig.2). Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) was therefore performed. The cholangiogram showed a normal main bile duct, but calculi within a cystic structure that was connected to the biliary tree through the cystic duct, compatible with a gallbladder remnant (●" Fig.3). A plastic stent was placed in the common bile duct (CBD) to facilitate intraoperative identification. The patient underwent resection of the gallbladder remnant 1 month later, following which he had no further symptoms. Calculi in the gallbladder or cystic duct remnant account for less than 2.5% of cases of post-cholecystectomy syndrome but must be considered in any patient with recurrent biliary pain after cholecystectomy [1]. Typically, symptoms arise if the cystic duct remnant contains stones and is longer than 1cm [2]. The cystic duct remnant dilates, giving the impression of a small gallbladder on imaging studies. Presentation can occur within weeks to months, but may be as long as decades after cholecystectomy. The condition can arise in those who have undergone either open or, more commonly, laparoscopic cholecystectomy [3,4]. Treatments include ERCP with sphincterotomy and possible stent placement to aid CBD drainage, with the definitive treatment being “re-cholecystectomy” [2], as in our patient. Successful extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy (ESWL) has also been reported [5]. While symptomatic calculi in a remnant gallbladder are rare, gastroenterologists should be aware of this diagnosis as endoscopic therapy may be indicated and surgical referral is usually warranted.
Monoclonal antibodies: Innovations in diagnosis and therapy

Objective: To provide a review of the use of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) for diagnosis and therapy, the obstacles affecting their usefulness, and nursing considerations unique to MAb-based treatments. Data sources: Research studies, review articles, and book chapters pertaining to MAbs in cancer diagnosis and therapy. Conclusions: Recent clinical trials have shown the potential of MAbs as diagnostic and therapeutic tools in cancer. MAbs may be used alone or conjugated with drugs, radionuclides, and toxins; however numerous obstacles limit their effectiveness. Implications for nursing practice: Oncology nurses caring for patients receiving MAb-based therapies play an important role in the implementation of the patient's regimen. Hypersensitivity reactions, constitutional symptoms, and serum sickness are toxic effects that require monitoring and patient education.
Large-amplitude bending motions in phenylalanine transfer RNA.

Conformational energy calculations on yeast tRNAPhe reveal several likely modes of intramolecular bending, including both hingelike motions (rotations about a discrete point) and distributed flexibility (deformations that bend a double-helical segment along a smooth curve). By combining these modes of motion, the molecule can be bent from the L-shaped crystallographic structure to two extremes. It can be straightened into a nearly linear conformation at an energy cost of about 50 kcal/mol, and it can be doubled over to a conformation where the anticodon and the amino acid acceptor terminus are separated by about 40 A at an energy cost of less than 100 kcal/mol. A bending range of over 100° can be covered for 50 kcal/mol, and we estimate that this value could be cut in half with a minimization algorithm that produced optimum stereochemistry. These energies are comparable to those that would be associated with changes in solvation due to changes in surface area as the molecule bends, indicating that there are no major steric barriers to tRNA flexibility and that variations in solvent conditions and interactions with other molecules may produce large changes in the overall conformation of tRNA.
Absorption in regio-regular poly(3-hexyl)thiophene thin films: Fermi resonances, interband coupling and disorder

Abstract Absorption in conjugated polymer aggregates is studied theoretically, taking into account excitonic (intermolecular) coupling, exciton–phonon (EP) coupling and site-energy disorder, all treated on equal footing within a generalized Holstein Hamiltonian with numerically generated eigenmodes and energies. The analysis deals primarily with the weak excitonic coupling regime, which for polymers, corresponds to J 0 ≲ 0.4 ω 0 where J 0 is the nearest neighbor excitonic coupling and ω 0 (≈1400 cm −1 ) is the frequency of the ring breathing/stretching mode coupled to the molecular electronic transition with Huang–Rhys factor, λ 2 ≈ 1. Disorder is characterized by a Gaussian distribution of molecular transition frequencies of width σ . Absorption spectra are calculated under the two-particle approximation (TPA) as well as the less accurate, but computationally more efficient single-particle approximation (SPA). Fermi resonances (FRs) arise due to the coupling between the optically allowed single-particle states (vibronic excitons) and the dark two-particle states. In the motional narrowing limit FRs are clearly resolved. Further increases in σ cause the FRs to merge into a single peak for each vibronic band. At this point the SPA becomes accurate for the entire spectrum. The SPA also provides the basis for simplified analytical expressions for the peak intensity ratios, from which the free exciton bandwidth, W , can be determined. Analytical expressions are also obtained for the peak-positions within the vibronic progression. Application to regio-regular poly(3-hexyl)thiophene films shows the exciton bandwidth, W , to be in the range 0.8 ω 0 – ω 0 . The model also accounts for the irregular peak spacings observed in experiment.
Uptake of host plant alkaloids by root parasitic Pedicularis species

Five species of Pedicularis were examined for evidence of alkaloid transfer from host plants. Pedicularis groenlandica and P. bracteosa were found to take up the pyrrolizidine alkaloid senecionine from the host Senecio triangularis. Pedicularis crenulata contained anagyrine from its host Thermopsis montana and P. grayi contained N-methylcytisine from its Thermopsis divaricarpa host. Pedicularis racemosa contained quinolizidines from a Lupinus argenteus hybrid. In addition, P. bracteosa was found to contain pinidinol, taken up from the host Picea engelmannii.
Nuclear pore proteins and the control of genome functions

Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) are composed of several copies of ∼30 different proteins called nucleoporins (Nups). NPCs penetrate the nuclear envelope (NE) and regulate the nucleocytoplasmic trafficking of macromolecules. Beyond this vital role, NPC components influence genome functions in a transport-independent manner. Nups play an evolutionarily conserved role in gene expression regulation that, in metazoans, extends into the nuclear interior. Additionally, in proliferative cells, Nups play a crucial role in genome integrity maintenance and mitotic progression. Here we discuss genome-related functions of Nups and their impact on essential DNA metabolism processes such as transcription, chromosome duplication, and segregation.
Identification of Dominant Negative Mutants of Rheb GTPase and Their Use to Implicate the Involvement of Human Rheb in the Activation of p70S6K

Rheb GTPases represent a unique family of the Ras superfamily of G-proteins. Studies on Rheb in Schizosaccharomyces pombe and Drosophila have shown that this small GTPase is essential and is involved in cell growth and cell cycle progression. The Drosophila studies also raised the possibility that Rheb is involved in the TOR/S6K signaling pathway. In this paper, we first report identification of dominant negative mutants of S. pombe Rheb (SpRheb). Screens of a randomly mutagenized SpRheb library yielded a mutant, SpRhebD60V, whose expression in S. pombe results in growth inhibition, G1 arrest, and induction of fnx1 +, a gene whose expression is induced by the disruption of Rheb. Alteration of the Asp-60 residue to all possible amino acids by site-directed mutagenesis led to the identification of two particularly strong dominant negative mutants, D60I and D60K. Characterization of these dominant negative mutant proteins revealed that D60V and D60I exhibit preferential binding of GDP, while D60K lost the ability to bind both GTP and GDP. A possible use of the dominant negative mutants in the study of mammalian Rheb was explored by introducing dominant negative mutations into human Rheb. We show that transient expression of the wild type Rheb1 or Rheb2 causes activation of p70S6K, while expression of Rheb1D60K mutant results in inhibition of basal level activity of p70S6K. In addition, Rheb1D60K and Rheb1D60V mutants blocked nutrient- or serum-induced activation of p70S6K. This provides critical evidence that Rheb plays a role in the mTOR/S6K pathway in mammalian cells.
The role of growth factors and interferons in the induction of activated murine macrophages from bone marrow precursors.

Abstract The effects of growth factors and interferons on macrophages derived from bone marrow precursors were compared with those on peritoneal macrophages elicited by an inflammatory stimulus. Bone marrow cells grown in L-cell conditioned medium (Source MCSF) and post endotoxin lung conducted medium (source of GM-CSF) for 7–10 days and then treated for 2 days with either growth factor, recombinant IFNγ or a cellular source of IFNαβ. These studies show that IFNγ, but not IFNαβ, induce an activation phenotype (low mannose fucosyl receptor levels, high Ia, high superoxide release) in bone marrow macrophages. The phenotype of bone marrow macrophages derived in lung conditioned medium resembles that expressed by thioglycollate-elicited peritoneal macrophages.
Latino Parent Involvement: Examining Commitment and Empowerment in Schools

This study examines the process of parent engagement at three community and school-based parent participation projects involving Latino immigrant families in California. Through the participants’ t...
Theoretical Advances in Understanding Children's Memory for Distressing Events: The Role of Attachment.

Abstract There has been considerable debate regarding the effects of stress on children’s memory, and a growing body of research has developed to address this issue. An important direction in this line of research concerns sources of individual differences in children’s memory for distressing experiences. The focus of this review is on one such source, namely attachment and how attachment theory may provide a theoretical framework from which to understand the association between stress and memory in children. We first provide an overview of research concerning children’s coping with and memory for stressful events. We then briefly describe the main tenets of attachment theory, emphasizing those tenets with implications for children’s reactions to and memory for distressing experiences. Next, we review empirical evidence and discuss theoretical implications of attachment’s potential influence on children’s encoding, retention, and retrieval of stressful events. Throughout this review, we discuss important questions and directions for future research, and we highlight theoretical and applied implications regarding relations among emotion, attachment, and memory in childhood.
Material design concepts for filament-wound, graphite-graphite heatshields.

Three material design concepts that may permit a filament-wound , graphite-graph ite composite (graphite fiber/graphite matrix) heatshield to achieve improved performance during re-entry are evaluated. One concept is the use of a constant helical wrap angle, another is the use of the so-called quasi-isotropic wrap, and the final concept is the use of low pressures during the CVD (chemical vapor deposition) process of depositing the matrix. The pressure may be held constant, or it may be varied during the deposition process to achieve property gradients through the shell thickness. To evaluate the proposed design concepts, calculations were carried out to determine the ratios of the maximum thermal stresses induced by re-entry heating to the strength of the composite material. The analysis used laminated orthotropic shell theory and experimentally measured material properties. The calculations showed that only the last concept mentioned results in a better safety margin than the currently used balanced helical (±0) wrap CVD'd at atmosphere pressure.
Sulfatides facilitate apolipoprotein E-mediated amyloid-β peptide clearance through an endocytotic pathway

Amyloid-β (Aβ) accumulation and fibril formation are key pathologic characteristics of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We have previously found that sulfatide depletion occurs at the earliest stages of AD. To further identify the role of sulfatides in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease as well as the interactions between apolipoprotein E (apoE), sulfatides, and Aβ peptides, we examined alterations in the clearance of apoE-mediated Aβ peptides after sulfatide supplementation to cell culture systems. We demonstrated that sulfatides markedly facilitate apoE-mediated clearance of Aβ peptides endogenously generated from H4-APPwt cells through an endocytotic pathway. Moreover, we found that the uptake of Aβ42 mediated by sulfatides was selective in comparison to that of Aβ40. We excluded the possibility that the supplementation of sulfatides and/or apoE altered the production of Aβ peptides from H4-APPwt cells through determination of the clearance of Aβ peptides from conditioned H4-APPwt cell media by neuroblastoma cells which do not appreciably generate Aβ peptides. Finally, we demonstrated that the sulfate galactose moiety of sulfatides is essential for the sulfatide-facilitated clearance of Aβ peptides. Collectively, the current study provides insight into a molecular mechanism leading to Aβ clearance/deposition, highlights the significance of sulfatide deficiency at the earliest clinically recognizable stage of Alzheimer’s disease, and identifies a potential new direction for therapeutic intervention for the disease.
Ca2+ channel toxins: Tools to study channel structure and function

A remarkable diversity of voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels exists in the mammalian nervous system to subserve the broad and complicated roles that impulse-generated changes in intracellular Ca2+ play in neuronal functions such as synaptic transmission, cell firing, gene expression, and related functional sequelae. A detailed understanding of how such temporally and subcellularly restricted changes in intracellular Ca2+ affect cellular and synaptic function requires selective pharmacological tools that can specifically dissect one channel apart from the operating neuron or neuronal system. A set of selective reagents currently available to the Ca2+ channel pharmacologist or physiologist has been provided by a variety of predatory animals from disparate phylogenetic origins. It is fortunate that these creatures invested in countless years of toxin engineering providing essential implements which otherwise might have been obtained only through an enormous effort on the part of current-day scientists. This review will offer a discussion of the current understanding of the pharmacology and chemistry of important Ca2+ channel toxins in the context of the growing field of neuronal Ca2+ channel structure and function. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The Political Externalities of Immigration Evidence from the United States

In a standard median voter model, low-income immigration increases the size of the welfare state. Other research suggests evidence for a group-interested voter model, which predicts that welfare will shrink with an increase in low-income immigration. We contend that neither model accurately describes political reality after testing these theories with United States data from 1970 to 2010. We use a variety of measures for welfare and related public spending such as K-12 education, Medicaid, and unemployment insurance. Contrary to expectations from previous work focused on Europe, we nd that the amount of immigrant-driven ethnic and racial diversity does not have a signicant eect on these spending areas, whether considered in total expenditure or per capita. This could be due to countervailing pressures from these two models of voter motivation or due to factors unrelated to immigration, such as dierences in institutions.
Numerical simulation of guided-wave phenomena in semiconductors

We develop a general numerical method for investigating nonlinear guided-wave phenomena in semiconductors including the effects of carrier diffusion. The macroscopic field evolution is handled by using the beam-propagation method, and the microscopic semiconductor response is obtained from a previously developed plasma theory. Coupled field–matter equations are given and solved numerically for a nonlinear directional coupler by using the material parameters of the room-temperature, bulk semiconductors GaAs and CdSe.
Comparing medical and dental providers of oral health services on early dental caries experience.

Objectives. Most state Medicaid programs reimburse nondental primary care providers (PCPs) for providing preventive oral health services to young children. We examined the association between who (PCP, dentist, or both) provides these services to Medicaid enrollees before age 3 years and oral health at age 5 years.Methods. We linked North Carolina Medicaid claims (1999–2006) to oral health surveillance data (2005–2006). Regression models estimated oral health status (number of decayed, missing, and filled primary teeth) and untreated disease (proportion of untreated decayed teeth), with adjustment for relevant characteristics and by using inverse-probability-of-treatment weights to address confounding.Results. We analyzed data for 5235 children with 2 or more oral health visits from a PCP, dentist, or both. Children with multiple PCP or dentist visits had a similar number of overall mean decayed, missing, and filled primary teeth in kindergarten, whereas children with only PCP visits had a higher proporti...
Boundedness of the square function and rectifiability

Abstract Following a recent paper [X. Tolsa, Principal values for Riesz transforms and rectifiability, J. Funct. Anal. 254 (7) (2008) 1811–1863] we show that the finiteness of the square function associated with the Riesz transforms with respect to Hausdorff measure H n (n is an integer) on a set E, implies that E is rectifiable. To cite this article: S. Mayboroda, A. Volberg, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 347 (2009).
Limit distribution of the sum and maximum from multivariate Gaussian sequences

In this paper we study the asymptotic joint behavior of the maximum and the partial sum of a multivariate Gaussian sequence. The multivariate maximum is defined to be the coordinatewise maximum. Results extend univariate results of McCormick and Qi. We show that, under regularity conditions, if the maximum has a limiting distribution it is asymptotically independent of the partial sum. We also prove that the maximum of a stationary sequence, when normalized in a special sense which includes subtracting the sample mean, is asymptotically independent of the partial sum (again, under regularity conditions). The limiting distributions are also obtained.
Comparative profiling of highly enriched 22L and Chandler mouse scrapie prion protein preparations

Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) or prion diseases are characterized by the accumulation of an aggregated isoform of the prion protein (PrP). This pathological isoform, termed PrPSc, appears to be the primary component of the TSE infectious agent or prion. However, it is not clear to what extent other protein co-factors may be involved in TSE pathogenesis or whether there are PrPSc-associated proteins which help to determine TSE strain-specific disease phenotypes. We enriched PrPSc from the brains of mice infected with either 22L or Chandler TSE strains and examined the protein content of these samples using nanospray liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. These samples were compared to “mock” PrPSc preparations from uninfected brains. Prion protein was the major component of the infected samples and ferritin was the most abundant impurity. By contrast, mock enrichments contained no detectable prion protein but did contain a significant amount of ferritin. Of the total proteins identified, 32% were found in both mock and infected samples. The similarities between PrPSc samples from 22L and Chandler TSE strains suggest that the non-PrPSc protein components found in standard enrichment protocols are not strain-specific.
Global warming estimates, media expectations, and the asymmetry of scientific challenge

Abstract Mass media in the U.S. continue to suggest that scientific consensus estimates of global climate disruption, such as those from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), are “exaggerated” and overly pessimistic. By contrast, work on the Asymmetry of Scientific Challenge (ASC) suggests that such consensus assessments are likely to understate climate disruptions. This paper offers an initial test of the competing expectations, making use of the tendency for science to be self-correcting, over time. Rather than relying in any way on the IPCC process, the paper draws evidence about emerging science from four newspapers that have been found in past work to be biased against reporting IPCC findings, consistently reporting instead that scientific findings are “in dispute.” The analysis considers two time periods — one during the time when the papers were found to be overstating challenges to then-prevailing scientific consensus, and the other focusing on 2008, after the IPCC and former Vice-President Gore shared the Nobel Prize for their work on climate disruption, and before opinion polls showed the U.S. public to be growing more skeptical toward climate science once again. During both periods, new scientific findings were more than twenty times as likely to support the ASC perspective than the usual framing of the issue in the U.S. mass media. The findings indicate that supposed challenges to the scientific consensus on global warming need to be subjected to greater scrutiny, as well as showing that, if reporters wish to discuss “both sides” of the climate issue, the scientifically legitimate “other side” is that, if anything, global climate disruption may prove to be significantly worse than has been suggested in scientific consensus estimates to date.
An Accelerated Test Method for Predicting the Useful Life of an LED Driver

This paper proposes an accelerated life-test method for LED drivers that use electrolytic capacitors at the output stage. The type of failure considered here is parametric. Estimated failure rates of power components suggest the electrolytic capacitor used at the driver output stage is the weakest link. As an electrolytic capacitor degrades, its capacitance decreases and its equivalent series resistance increases, contributing to an increase of output current ripple. Thus, the amplitude of the output current ripple is a good indicator of the degradation level of the electrolytic capacitor. Temperature was selected as the acceleration factor because LED drivers are usually exposed to elevated temperatures in typical applications. The current ripple was experimentally found to have a negative impact on light output and efficacy; therefore, the useful life of an LED driver is proposed as the time it takes for the output current ripple to reach its maximum rate of change. The relationship between the capacitor's positive pin temperature and the useful life of the LED driver was then established using the proposed definition. The accelerated life test shows that the LED driver's useful life is shortened exponentially, as the output electrolytic capacitor's operating temperature increases.
Non-motorized transport and university populations: an analysis of connectivity and network perceptions

This research examines local bicycle and pedestrian networks in the vicinity of the University of Alabama campus to assess the utility of these networks for travel to the university by students and employees. Network connectivity is examined using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and the results compared to a survey of 3731 university students and employees. Results indicate that areas within one mile of the University of Alabama’s campus have the highest levels of bicycle and pedestrian network connectivity and accessibility. The survey results show that an individual’s positive perception of the bicycle and pedestrian networks is related to their travel behavior, and that this knowledge decreases within an increase in commute distance to campus. Increases in connectivity can be expected to lead to an increase in non-motorized travel, but it is also clear that lack of knowledge of driving and cycling laws is a deterrent to many.
Nucleotide Sequence and Temporal Expression of a Baculovirus Regulatory Gene

Abstract The nucleotide sequence of a trans-activating regulatory gene (IE-1) of the baculovirus Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus has been determined. This gene encodes a protein of 581 amino acids with a predicted molecular weight of 66,856. A DNA fragment containing the entire coding sequence of IE-1 was inserted downstream of an RNA promoter. Subsequent cell-free transcription and translation directed the synthesis of a single peptide with an apparent molecular weight of 70,000. Quantitative S1 nuclease analysis indicated that IE-1 was maximally synthesized during a 1-h virus adsorption period and that steady-state levels of IE-1 message were maintained during the first 24 h of infection. Northern blot hybridization indicated that several late transcripts which overlap the IE-1 gene were transcribed from both strands. The precise locations of the 5′ and 3′ ends of these overlapping transcripts were mapped using S1 nuclease. The overlapping transcripts were grouped in two transcriptional units. One unit was composed of IE-1 and overlapping γ transcripts which initiated upstream of IE-1 and terminated downstream of IE-1. The other unit, transcribed from the opposite strand, consisted of γ transcripts with coterminal 5′ ends and extended 3′ ends. The shorter, more abundant transcripts in this unit overlapped 30 to 40 bases of IE-1 at the 3′ end, while the longer transcripts overlapped the entire IE-1 gene. Transcription of several early A. californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus genes, in addition to 39K, was shown to be trans-activated by IE-1, indicating that IE-1 may have a central role in the regulation of β-gene expression.
Differences between modal expansion and integral equation methods for planar near-field to far-field transformation (Summary)

The objective of this paper is to present the classical modal expansion and the recently developed integral equation approach for performing a planar near-field to far-field transformation. It is shown that if the measurement plane is an infinite plane both the methods yield the same answer, however when the measurement plane is finite the truncation error for the integral equation approach is much less than that for the modal expansion. However, computationally the modal expansion is much faster. Examples are presented to illustrate each technique.
On Adhesive and Buckling Instabilities in the Mechanics of Carbon Nanotubes Bundles

Many recently synthesized materials feature aligned arrays or bundles of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) whose mechanical properties are partially determined by the van der Waals interactions between adjacent tubes. Of particular interest in this paper are instances where the resulting interaction between a pair of CNTs often produces a forklike structure. The mechanical properties of this structure are noticeably different from those for isolated individual CNTs. In particular, while one anticipates buckling phenomena in the forked structure, an adhesion instability may also be present. New criteria for buckling and adhesion instabilities in forklike structures are presented in this paper. The criteria are illuminated with a bifurcation analyses of the response of the forklike structure to applied compressive and shear loadings.
Faecal case architecture in the gibbosus species group of Neochlamisus Karren, 1972 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cryptocephalinae: Chlamisini)

Constructions composed of faeces are rare in insects, but occur in certain leaf-beetle clades. Members of the subfamily Cryptocephalinae share a complex behavioural and morphological synapomorphy, involving portable faecal cases that house the immature stages. A maternally initiated egg case is expanded and enlarged through four larval stadia, then sealed to provide a pupal chamber from which adults eventually emerge. We analyse and compare faecal-case architecture in ten taxa of the cryptocephaline genus Neochlamisus, and assess structural variation within a life cycle, between different ‘host forms’ of Neochlamisus bebbianae, and among species. These cases proved to be comprised primarily of faeces, with plant trichomes representing the only common secondary component. General architectural trends reflected variation in shape, faecal texture, and the incorporation and density of trichomes. Deviations of the Neochlamisus case from a simple geometrical gnomon reflect the changing body size of the animal, differential application of faeces, and shifts in the orientation of the carriage of the case. Neochlamisus cases are presumably energetically costly to produce, carry, and maintain, and some adaptive hypotheses of case evolution are proposed. Additionally, literature on case morphology in other camptosomates is reviewed. © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 152, 315–351.
Activity levels inversely associated with weight gain in women only when BMI is less than 25

Commentary on: IM Lee, L Djousse, HD Sesso, et al.. Physical activity and weight gain prevention. JAMA2010;303:1173–9.
Gas adsorption applications of porous metal–organic frameworks

Porous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) represent a new type of functional ma- terials and have recently become a hot research field due to their great potential in various applications. In this review, recent progress of gas adsorption applications of porous MOFs, mainly including hydrogen storage, methane storage, and selective gas adsorption will be briefly summarized.
Product Differentiation by Aesthetic and Creative Design: A Psychological and Neural Framework of Design Thinking

As firms increasingly use design to successfully differentiate their products from competitors, the concept of design thinking has lately received raised attention among practitioners. Many consider design thinking to fundamentally change the way firms will strive to innovate. Design thinking can be thought of as a methodology for innovation that systematically integrates human, business, and technical factors in problem-forming, problem-solving, and design. As initiatives for design thinking grow significantly, we need to better understand how design thinking helps to foster creativity of designers and product managers and how it supports firms’ goal of creating aesthetically appealing products. Despite the relevance of the concept of design thinking, its underlying mechanisms have been poorly understood. The purpose of this chapter is to shed light on the processes of design thinking by integrating extant literature from psychology and neuroscience. In particular, this research focuses on aesthetics and creativity as crucial processes of design thinking. Subsequently, a definition of design thinking is offered, which is accompanied by a psychological and neural framework of design thinking.
Multirate Sampled-Data Output Feedback Control With Application to Smart Material Actuated Systems

We consider multirate sampled-data output feedback control of a class of nonlinear systems using high-gain observers where the measurement sampling rate is made faster than the control update rate. We show that, in the presence of bounded disturbances, given a sampled data state feedback controller that achieves stabilization with respect to a closed set, the multirate output feedback controller recovers stabilization of the same set provided the measurement sampling rate is sufficiently fast. As an application we consider the control of smart material actuated systems. This scheme combines a discrete-time high-gain observer with a hysteresis inversion controller where the hysteresis is modeled using a Preisach operator. Experimental results for the control of a shape memory alloy actuated rotary joint are provided.
Current Approach to Pediatric Soft Tissue Sarcomas

The development of a new soft tissue lesion in an otherwise healthy child, adolescent, or young adult can present many challenges for pediatric or medical oncology teams. Although uncommon, the diagnosis of a soft tissue malignancy should always be considered in the differential diagnosis of persistent pain, even if no mass is palpable. The definitive diagnosis and treatment of a soft tissue mass is aided by timely scans, appropriate biopsy for anatomic and molecular pathology, and a treatment approach guided by the specific diagnosis. Because pediatric soft tissue sarcomas are rare, cooperative groups play a crucial role in defining the standard of care through retrospective series and well-designed prospective clinical trials. Enrollment of newly diagnosed patients in clinical studies should be encouraged in order to continue to improve outcomes and understanding of these rare tumors. This review focuses on the current recommendations for management of sarcomas that typically occur in the soft tissues of pediatric and young adult patients.
Individual Differences in the Benefits of Feedback for Learning

Objective: Research on learning from feedback has produced ambiguous guidelines for feedback design—some have advocated minimal feedback, whereas others have recommended more extensive feedback that highly supported performance. The objective of the current study was to investigate how individual differences in cognitive resources may predict feedback requirements and resolve previous conflicted findings.Method: Cognitive resources were controlled for by comparing samples from populations with known differences, older and younger adults. To control for task demands, a simple rule-based learning task was created in which participants learned to identify fake Windows pop-ups. Pop-ups were divided into two categories—those that required fluid ability to identify and those that could be identified using crystallized intelligence.Results: In general, results showed participants given higher feedback learned more. However, when analyzed by type of task demand, younger adults performed comparably with both level...
Single-Collector Experiments and Modeling of Acoustically Aided Mesh Filtration

A model for the motion of particles driven by acoustic and hydrodynamic effects in the vicinity of a cylindrical collector has been previously reported. This trajectory model was developed to describe the essential physics that underlies an ultrasonically aided particle-filtration process in which a porous mesh is used to capture particles two orders of magnitude smaller than the pore size. To validate this trajectory model, experiments were performed to elucidate the detailed motion of particles in the neighborhood of a single cylindrical collector. Images of 54-μm-diameter polystyrene particles in aqueous suspension responding to acoustic and hydrodynamic forces were analyzed. Particle trajectories, calculated using only experimentally measured parameters as model inputs, well predicted the experimental observations. Adjustment of the local magnitude of the acoustic field, which accounts for spatial nonuniformities in the field, results in improvements in the correspondence between the trajectory predictions and the experimental observations. © 2005 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2005