cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Filling in the gaps: Anticipatory control of eye movements in chronic mild traumatic brain injury

A barrier in the diagnosis of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) stems from the lack of measures that are adequately sensitive in detecting mild head injuries. MRI and CT are typically negative in mTBI patients with persistent symptoms of post-concussive syndrome (PCS), and characteristic difficulties in sustaining attention often go undetected on neuropsychological testing, which can be insensitive to momentary lapses in concentration. Conversely, visual tracking strongly depends on sustained attention over time and is impaired in chronic mTBI patients, especially when tracking an occluded target. This finding suggests deficient internal anticipatory control in mTBI, the neural underpinnings of which are poorly understood. The present study investigated the neuronal bases for deficient anticipatory control during visual tracking in 25 chronic mTBI patients with persistent PCS symptoms and 25 healthy control subjects. The task was performed while undergoing magnetoencephalography (MEG), which allowed us to examine whether neural dysfunction associated with anticipatory control deficits was due to altered alpha, beta, and/or gamma activity. Neuropsychological examinations characterized cognition in both groups. During MEG recordings, subjects tracked a predictably moving target that was either continuously visible or randomly occluded (gap condition). MEG source-imaging analyses tested for group differences in alpha, beta, and gamma frequency bands. The results showed executive functioning, information processing speed, and verbal memory deficits in the mTBI group. Visual tracking was impaired in the mTBI group only in the gap condition. Patients showed greater error than controls before and during target occlusion, and were slower to resynchronize with the target when it reappeared. Impaired tracking concurred with abnormal beta activity, which was suppressed in the parietal cortex, especially the right hemisphere, and enhanced in left caudate and frontal–temporal areas. Regional beta-amplitude demonstrated high classification accuracy (92%) compared to eye-tracking (65%) and neuropsychological variables (80%). These findings show that deficient internal anticipatory control in mTBI is associated with altered beta activity, which is remarkably sensitive given the heterogeneity of injuries.
City problems: differing concepts and approaches

Abstract Most cities in the so-called ‘developed’ world have an ageing if not senile infrastructure. Curiously, the sewers and roads built in the nineteenth century are withstanding the ravages of time better than more recent constructs. Nowhere have the problems achieved such a high profile as in the USA: ‘The infrastructure crisis is upon us’ … ‘America in ruins — the decaying infrastructure’… ‘Rebuilding America…’.
BioEx: A Novel User-Interface that Accesses Images from Abstract Sentences

Images (i.e., figures or tables) are important experimental results that are typically reported in bioscience full-text articles. Biologists need to access the images to validate research facts and to formulate or to test novel research hypotheses. We designed, evaluated, and implemented a novel user-interface, BioEx, that allows biologists to access images that appear in a full-text article directly from the abstract of the article.
The new biology enters the generalist pediatrician's office: lessons from the Human Genome Project.

1. Edward R.B. McCabe, MD, PhD* 1. 2. *Physician-in-Chief, Mattel Children’s Hospital at UCLA; Professor and Executive Chair, Department of Pediatrics, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA. Birth defects are the leading cause of infant mortality in the United States, representing more than 20% of all infant deaths. This infant mortality rate from birth defects exceeds that from sudden infant death syndrome, low-birthweight/short gestation, respiratory distress syndrome, and maternal complications. In addition, birth defects and genetic diseases represent major sources of morbidity for those who survive. As our ability increases to care effectively for those who have infectious diseases and other acute illnesses, individuals who have chronic illnesses due to genetic etiologies represent an increasing proportion of patients seen in the general pediatrician”s office. The Human Genome Project was initiated on October 1, 1990, and has a projected funding period of 15 years. The goal is to sequence the entire human genome, representing three billion base pairs that contain the coding sequences for approximately 75,000 genes. During the latter half of this century, investigations into the genetics of disease gathered increasing momentum. In addition to fundamental investigations into human genetics, technologic tools were developed that permitted large-scale genomic sequencing. These tools included the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which permits amplification of hundreds of thousands or even millions of copies of DNA and requires only limited sequence data for its success; automated DNA sequencing, which allows increased sequence processing and decreased cost compared with manual methods; and improved information systems, which permit sophisticated analysis and assembly of the three billion base pairs of DNA in the human genome. Thus, the Human Genome Project represents the current chapter in our understanding, but it is neither the first nor the final chapter in this story. Once we know the sequences of all of the human genes, we must learn their functional roles in human development and disease pathogenesis. The Human Genome Project has been referred to as the “moon shot …
Novel Cationic Lipid That Delivers siRNA and Enhances Therapeutic Effect in Lung Cancer Cells

We have developed lipid-polycation-DNA (LPD) nanoparticles containing DOTAP and targeted with polyethylene glycol (PEG) tethered with anisamide (AA) to specifically deliver siRNA to H460 human lung carcinoma cells which express the sigma receptor. A novel non-glycerol based cationic lipid which contains both a guanidinium and a lysine residue as the cationic headgroup, i.e. DSGLA, downregulated pERK more efficiently in H460 cells than DOTAP. As demonstrated by using fluorescently labeled siRNA, LPD-PEG-AA prepared with DSGLA efficiently delivered siRNA to the cytoplasm of the H460 cells. Although the siRNA delivered by LPD-PEG-AA containing either DOTAP or DSGLA could effectively silence EGFR expression, a synergistic cell killing effect in promoting cellular apoptosis was only observed with DSGLA. The fluorescently labeled siRNA was efficiently delivered into the cytoplasm of H460 xenograft tumor by the LPD-PEG-AA containing either DOTAP or DSGLA 4 h after intravenous injection. Three daily injections (0.6 mg/kg) of siRNA formulated in the LPD-PEG-AA containing either DOTAP or DSGLA could effectively silence the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in the tumor, but the formulation containing DSGLA could induce more cellular apoptosis. A significant improvement in tumor growth inhibition was observed after dosing with LPD-PEG-AA containing DSGLA. Thus, DSGLA served as both a formulation component as well as a therapeutic agent which synergistically enhanced the activity of siRNA.
Correlation and prediction of the surface tensions of mixtures

Abstract The recently proposed Lielmezs—Herrick equation for the surface tension of pure saturated liquids has been extended to mixtures using three sets of m
Integrating Budgeting Models into Scheduling and Planning Models for the Chemical Batch Industry

This paper addresses scheduling and planning with financial management in the batch chemical process industries. A cash flow and budgeting model is coupled with an advanced scheduling and planning procedure for a specific multipurpose batch specialty chemical plant. To motivate the use of an integrated model, a sequential scheme is first solved. Hence, the scheduling and planning problem of the batch specialty chemical plant is optimized in order to fulfill the due date policy. Then, a deterministic cash management model is optimized to maximize the enterprise earnings, using the cash flows of the scheduling−planning model as parameters. As a result, owing to the fulfillment of customer requirements, the solvency of the firm changes, and hence, the funding policy is affected. The results of the sequential approach are then compared with the integrated model highlighting the advantage of the latter option. Here, production scheduling−planning and cash management are optimized in unison with a common object...
Injection Drug Use among Adolescents and Young Adults: Scope of the Problem and Recommendations:

The goal of this article is to heighten awareness among social workers and other human service professionals about the use of injection drugs by adolescents and young adults. Although social work and other human service providers possess increasingly greater knowledge and skills in dealing with tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use among adolescents and young adults, they often have limited knowledge of injection drugs such as heroin and cocaine. This article reviews the empirical research on prevalence, hazards, and treatment options for young injection drug users and provides case studies to illustrate key points. The role of professional education is discussed as are implications for research and practice, including early intervention, involvement of family and social networks, street outreach strategies, and the need for services along a continuum of care.
Inhibition of adenosine diphoshate-induced platelet aggregation by histamine.

IT is now well known that adenosine and adenosine monophosphate (AMP) strongly inhibit the aggregation of human and rabbit platelets which occurs in the presence of adenosine diphosphate (ADP). Adenosine and AMP are effective at a concentration of approximately 10−7 M, and are the most potent naturally occurring inhibitors known. O'Brien1 has shown that antihistaminics, anti-malarials, and local anaesthetics, all at approximately 10−3 M, inhibit ADP-induced platelet aggregation. It has recently been reported by Salzman and Chambers2 that substituted amino-acids, at a concentration of 1.5 × 10−2 M, inhibit ADP-induced platelet aggregation.
Analysis of single droplet dynamics on striped surface domains using a lattice Boltzmann method

In this paper, the behavior of a micron-scale fluid droplet on a heterogeneous surface is investigated using a two-phase lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). The two-phase LBM permits the simulation of the time dependent three-dimensional motion of a liquid droplet on solid surface patterned with hydrophobic and hydrophilic strips. A nearest-neighbor molecular interaction force is used to model the adhesive forces between the fluid and solid walls. The solid heterogeneous wall is a uniform hydrophilic substrate painted with hydrophobic strips. The model is validated by demonstrating the consistency of the simulation results with an exact solution for capillary rise and through qualitative comparison of computed dynamic contact line behavior with experimentally measured surface properties and observed surface shapes of a droplet on a heterogeneous surface. The dependence of spreading behavior on wettability, the width of hydrophobic strip, initial location of the droplet relative to the strips, and gravity is investigated. A decrease in contact angle of the liquid on a hydrophilic surface may lead to breakup of the droplet for certain substrate patterns. The simulations suggest that the present lattice Boltzmann (LB) model can be used as a reliable way to study fluidic control on heterogeneous surfaces and other wetting related subjects.
The problem of plain vanilla peptides.

The anti-influenza CD8+ T cell response in HLA-A2 adults is dominated by a specific TCR. The crystal structure of the TCR and peptide-MHC complex show unusual interactions that help to explain the molecular basis of this dominant TCR selection.
Light and Electron Microsopic Observations on the Pathogenesis of Naegleria fowleri in Mouse Brain and Tissue Culture

SYNOPSIS Two strains of pathogenic Naegleria were employed to infect mice and monkey kidney (Vero line) cell cultures. Mice were infected intranasally. Moribund mice were sacrificed and their brains processed for light and electron microscopy. The normal architecture of the infected brain was completely destroyed; the olfactory lobes and the cerebral cortex showed the heaviest damage. The inflammatory response was mainly in the form of neutrophil polymorphs (PMN) and was confined to the olfactory lobes and the superficial regions of cerebral cortex. Numerous amebas were seen interspersed with the degenerating neurons, glial processes, and PMN. Most conspicuous were the food vacuoles which contained host tissue in various stages of digestion. Amebas in the brain tissue also produced many micropinocytotic vesicles from the surface of the plasma membrane. These vesicles are interpreted as vehicles of transport of nutritive materials from the host tissue. The infected cell culture showed the characteristic cytopathic effect (CPE). The CPE was chiefly in the form of cell shrinkage, nuclear pycnosis and discontinuity of cell sheet. Amebas were often seen in an intracellular location. The Vero cells produced many fuzzy pinocytotic vesicles at these loci where the ameba plasma membrane and Vero cell membrane were in close apposition; the probable significance of this is discussed. Most impressive, however, were the pseudopodial formation and capturing of the host material which indicated the great phagocytic activity of the amebas. This was confirmed further by the presence of large numbers of food vacuoles containing host material in various stages of digestion. These observations show that the amebas invade and destroy the brain tissue by active phagocytosis.
Genetic control of gamma chain synthesis: a chemical and evolutionary study of the Gm(a)factor of immunoglobulins.

Abstract The amino acid sequences of the Gm“a” peptide, the Gm“non-a” peptide and the OWM peptide of immunoglobulins have been elucidated. The results indicate that both the a and non-a peptides in humans and higher apes were evolutionarily derived from the OWM peptide in the Old World Monkeys by single-step point mutations. One mutation which converted a glutamic acid residue on the OWM peptide into an aspartic acid residue gave rise to the a peptide; while another mutation which converted a leucine residue on the OWM peptide into a methionine residue gave rise to the non-a peptide. The single locus hypothesis versus the gene complex hypothesis concerning the biosynthesis of the genetically controlled Gm factors in humans were tested by examining the peptide maps of the IgG heavy chains of homozygous Gm (a+/a+) normal individuals. The results showed that both the a and the non-a peptides were present on such peptide maps. Therefore, these results support the hypothesis that multiple loci controlled the inheritance of the γ chains (or the constant regions of γ chains) of immunoglobulins.
Public School Nurses’ Preparedness for a Hearing Aid Monitoring Program

The purpose of this investigation was to survey public school nurses’ preparedness to participate in a hearing aid monitoring program. Thirty nurses completed a 19-item questionnaire surveying thei...
Phosphate removal ability of biochar/MgAl-LDH ultra-fine composites prepared by liquid-phase deposition

Morphological structures and adsorption properties of biochar/MgAl-LDH ultra-fine composites prepared by liquid-phase deposition have been determined in laboratory. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDS), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) were used to characterize the biochar based ultra-composites. The XRD and FTIR data indicated that the biochar/MgAl-LDHs ultra-fine composites can successfully be obtained by liquid-phase deposition. The SEM images showed the dispersion of colloidal and nanosized LDH flakes on the carbon surfaces within the biochar matrix. The thickness and size of single LDH platelet are 20-40 nm and 100-300 nm. Batch sorption experiments were also conducted and the results indicated that the biochar/MgAl-LDHs ultra-fine composites is an effective sorbent for the removal of phosphate from aqueous solutions.
Index of refraction measurements and parametric generation in hydrothermally grown KTiOPO 4

On presente les equations de Sellmeier obtenues a partir de mesures de l'indice de refraction dans des cristaux KTP. Generation parametrique optique
The Anthropology of Korea: East Asian Perspectives

The Anthropology of Korea: East Asian Perspectives. Mtsuhiko Shima and Roger L. Janelli. eds. Osaka: National Museum of Ethnology, 1998. Senrl Ethnological Studies, no. 49. ix. 237 pp., contributors, Index.
Layered double hydroxide-like materials: nanocomposites for use in concrete

Abstract Nitrobenzoic acid (NBA), naphthalene-2, 6-disulfonic acid (26NS), and naphthalene-2 sulfonic acid (2NS) salts were intercalated into a layered double hydroxide-like host material (LDH). The intercalation process was achieved by anion exchange of nitrates in the host material, Ca2Al(OH)6NO3, nH2O (CaAl LDH), which was prepared by a coprecipitation technique. The resulting organo derivatives CaAlNBA LDH, CaAl26NS LDH, and CaAl2NS LDH produced a tilted orientation of NBA and 26NS anions in the interlayer space, while 2NS anions induced a perpendicular bilayer arrangement. Materials characterization was carried out using X-ray diffraction (XRD), IR-spectroscopy, thermal analysis, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). These preliminary results open up a new direction towards the synthesis of nanocomposites using polymeric entities and layered materials for future applications in cement and concrete science, e.g., control of the effect of admixtures on the kinetics of cement hydration by programming their temporal release.
Medullary projections to the vagus nerve and posterolateral hypothalamus

Background Vagal visceromotor reflexes are dependent upon reciprocal neural connections existing between the medulla and the hypothalamus. Medullohypothalamic neurons may provide feedback cues to the hypothalamus regarding the activity of vagal motor neurons. As yet, however, studies investigating the spatial relationships between medullohypothalamic neurons and vagal motor neurons have not been performed. Methods A variety of retrogradely transported tracers were used for the purpose of mapping the relative locations of medullovagal and medullohypothalamic neurons. Tracers were injected into the cervical vagus nerve and/or the posterolateral hypothalamus, and subsequently the retrogradely labeled medullary neurons were plotted. Results Labeling of the two neuronal populations was primarily observed within the ventrolateral and dorsomedial medulla. Within the ventrolateral medulla, medullovagal neurons were found within the retrofacial nucleus and nucleus retroambiguus, whereas medullohypothalamic neurons were located subjacent to these nuclei. Within the dorsomedial medulla, labeling of the two neuronal populations was primarily limited to the vagal-solitary complex. At this location medullovagal neurons were found within the dorsal vagal nucleus, whereas medullohypothalamic neurons were largely confined to the caudal aspect of the solitary nucleus. Conclusions Because of the spatial proximity existing between medullovagal and medullohypothalamic neurons, it is suggested that functional interrelationships may exist between these two neuronal populations. Specifically, it is suggested that the medullohypothalamic neurons identified in this study may support vagal-related functions by providing feedback cues to the posterolateral hypothalamus.
Changes in mass of eggs of softshell turtless (Trionyx spiniferus) incubated under hydric conditions simulating those of natural nests

Rigid-shelled eggs of softshell turtles (Trionyx spiniferus) incubated at 29dC under hydric conditions simulating those at the interior of natural nests (i.e. eggs not contacting the substrate) declined in mass during incubation owing to the continuous escape of water vapour to air trapped inside the chambers, with eggs incubated in relatively dry chambers declining more in mass than eggs held in relatively wet chambers. Eggs held under hydric conditions approximating those at the periphery of natural nests (i.e. eggs partly buried in the substrate) also declined in mass during incubation, but at lower rates than characterized eggs not contacting the substrate, indicating that absorption of liquid water from the substrate compensated for part of the water vapour escaping to the air inside the chambers. There was no relationship between hatching success and either the position of eggs in the chambers or the wetness of substrates, nor was there any variation among experimental groups in the size of hatchlings. Thus, development of embryos of Trionyx spiniferus seems not to be closely coupled with the hydric environment of the nest, a situation contrasting with that of embryos of those species of turtles producing pliable-shelled eggs.
Spectral sensitivity and chromatic discriminations in 3- and 7-week-old human infants.

The chromatic discrimination capabilities of 3- and 7-week-old infants were tested using 8°, 417-, 448-, 486-, 540-, and 645-nm test fields embedded in a 547-nm surround and 486-nm test fields in a broadband red surround. In corroboration of earlier studies, few 3-week-old infants demonstrated chromatic discriminations, although their performance was somewhat better when one of the lights was long wavelength. Most 7-week-old infants could make chromatic discriminations, but they still demonstrated performance minima. The radiances of the test lights at the infants’ performance minima were used to generate a spectral luminous efficiency curve. This curve agreed with both the adult heterochromatic brightness matches measured at 30° of visual eccentricity in situ and the standard adult scotopic sensitivity curve V(λ) over the short- and mid-wavelength range but deviated from both adult curves for the 645-nm test stimulus on a 547-nm surround. The results suggest that rod-initiated signals play a major role in infants’ visual performance under the conditions tested.
Persistent performance in the mutual fund market: Tests with funds and investment advisers

Recent studies of mutual funds have concluded that there is some evidence of superior performance. We test for the existence of superior performance and its persistence with mutual funds and mutual fund investment advisers on a data set of monthly returns from 1979 to 1989 for 1,387 mutual funds grouped by 243 advisers. We find no evidence of superior performance or its persistence but we do find significant evidence of persistence of inferior performance. Consistent with previous studies our findings depend on the benchmark chosen, with multiple benchmarks producing a larger degree of inferior performance.
Nuclear data sheets for A=111

Nuclear structure information available to February 1979 has been reviewed. The level properties obtained from decay and reaction experiments are shown in the drawings. Experimental methods, references, and comments are given in the text.
The effective elastic moduli of microcracked composite materials

Abstract The self-consistent mechanics method has been widely used to estimate the macroscopic elastic moduli of solids containing microvoids and inclusions. Another method based on the crack energy release and potential energy balance has also been used to estimate the overall elastic moduli of a microcracked solid. It is shown here that these two approaches are equivalent for microcracked solids, thus one can take advantage of both methods to estimate the elastic moduli of inclusion-crack-matrix composites i.e. microcracked composite material. A solid containing spherical inclusions and randomly distributed penny-shaped cracks is then studied. The effective elastic moduli of a solid with spherical inclusions and parallel-distributed penny-shaped cracks are also studied. It is established that the effects of inclusions and microcracks on overall moduli are approximately decoupled for stiff inclusions, which are in most metal matrix composites. This conclusion is particularly useful since one may then obtain the moduli of composites by a simple two-step estimation. For compliant inclusions, including the limiting case of voids, the decoupling does not hold.
A psychological intervention to improve quality of life and reduce psychological distress in adults awaiting kidney transplantation

Background. Adults with end-stage renal disease who are awaiting kidney transplantation are at risk for low quality of life, high psychological disturbance and relationship distress. Effective psychological interventions to improve functioning in these areas are lacking. Methods. Sixty-two adults approved for kidney transplantation at one centre in the USA were randomized to quality of life therapy (QOLT), supportive therapy (ST) or standard care (SC) with repeated assessments of quality of life, psychological distress, and social intimacy at preintervention (T1), 1 week post-intervention (T2) and 12week follow-up (T3). Results. QOLT patients had higher quality of life scores than ST and SC patients at T2 and T3, and higher social intimacy scores compared with SC patients at T3. Both QOLT and ST patients had lower psychological distress scores compared with SC patients at T2, although only QOLT continued to show reductions in psychological distress scores relative to SC patients at T3. Conclusions. The findings show that it is possible to improve quality of life, psychological functioning and social intimacy with QOLT while patients await kidney transplantation. Study limitations include small sample size, single-centre study and possible patient self-selection biases. Future research will examine whether QOLTeffectiveness is affected by treatment modality (face-to-face vs. telephone) and timing (pre- vs. post-transplantation).
Markov's Principle for Propositional Type Theory

In this paper we show how to extend a constructive type theory with a principle that captures the spirit of Markov's principle from constructive recursive mathematics. Markov's principle is especially useful for proving termination of specific computations. Allowing a limited form of classical reasoning we get more powerful resulting system which remains constructive and valid in the standard constructive semantics of a type theory. We also show that this principle can be formulated and used in a propositional fragment of a type theory.
Multiple person re-identification using part based spatio-temporal color appearance model

In this paper, we address the problem of multiple person re-identification in the absence of calibration data or prior knowledge about the geospatial location of cameras. Multiple person re-identification is a open set matching problem with a dynamically evolving gallery and probe set. We present a part-based spatio-temporal model that learns a person's characteristic appearance as well as it's variations over time. The model is based on 2 distinct color features that capture the distribution of chromatic content and generates a signature of representative colors from a person's appearance. The model implicitly retains the meaningful variations while discarding the repetitive and noisy information and outliers. Re-identification is established based on solving a linear assignment problem in order to find a bijection that minimizes the total assignment cost between the gallery and probe pairs. Open and closed set re-identification is tested on 17 videos collected with 9 non-overlapping cameras spanning outdoor and indoor areas, with 25 subjects under observation. A false match rejection scheme based on the developed appearance model is also proposed.
Glycogen synthase kinase-3 inhibition attenuates fibroblast activation and development of fibrosis following renal ischemia-reperfusion in mice

Glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β) is a serine/threonine protein kinase that plays an important role in renal tubular injury and regeneration in acute kidney injury. However, its role in the development of renal fibrosis, often a long-term consequence of acute kidney injury, is unknown. Using a mouse model of renal fibrosis induced by ischemia-reperfusion injury, we demonstrate increased GSK3β expression and activity in fibrotic kidneys, and its presence in myofibroblasts in addition to tubular epithelial cells. Pharmacological inhibition of GSK3 using TDZD-8 starting before or after ischemia-reperfusion significantly suppressed renal fibrosis by reducing the myofibroblast population, collagen-1 and fibronectin deposition, inflammatory cytokines, and macrophage infiltration. GSK3 inhibition in vivo reduced TGF-β1, SMAD3 activation and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 levels. Consistently in vitro, TGF-β1 treatment increased GSK3β expression and GSK3 inhibition abolished TGF-β1-induced SMAD3 activation and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression in cultured renal fibroblasts. Importantly, overexpression of constitutively active GSK3β stimulated α-SMA expression even in the absence of TGF-β1 treatment. These results suggest that TGF-β regulates GSK3β, which in turn is important for TGF-β-SMAD3 signaling and fibroblast-to-myofibroblast differentiation. Overall, these studies demonstrate that GSK3 could promote renal fibrosis by activation of TGF-β signaling and the use of GSK3 inhibitors might represent a novel therapeutic approach for progressive renal fibrosis that develops as a consequence of acute kidney injury.
Automatic order selection in the design of IIR filters

J.F. Kaiser's empirical formula for FIR filter length as a function of transition width and rejection loss provides a simple FIR design algorithm. Recent developments in time serles analysis provide a procedure for selecting the orders of an IIR but fails to provide a simultaneous estimate of the quality of the approximation. By relating the order selection algorithm to Levinson recursion, this paper removes this difficulty. As an added benefit, analysis of the resulting relationship provides a highly automatic procedure for order selection and approximation by an IIR of any ideal transfer function.
Chemical amplification for in-gel DNA detection

We report the use of reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization as a highly efficient chemical amplification means to direct visualization of DNA in porous polyacrylamide gel. It is the first time that a dynamic polymer growth on the surface of soft medium is used in signal amplification for DNA detection. In the proof-of-concept experiment, a thin acrylamide gel on a glass microscope slide formed a thin layer of uniformly crosslinked network with porous structures. Oligonucleotides of different sequences were entrapped within the gel at separate spots. Hybridization of complementary DNA detection probes introduced chain transfer agents (CTAs) into the gel via preconjugation to the probes. Surface-initiated polymer growth was prompted on the gel surface and the growth of polymer brushes at the spot where DNA hybridization occurred was monitored using infrared spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. Visible change in the texture of the porous gel occurred after polymer growth, which offered an attractive detection alternative for in-gel DNA analysis. Compared to the results from traditional ethidium bromide staining, better detection sensitivity and specificity were achieved.
Heat shock protein 47 : a chaperone for the fibrous cap?

According to The American Heritage College Dictionary ,1 a chaperone is “a guide or companion whose purpose is to ensure propriety or restrict activity.” The term “molecular chaperone” is applied to proteins that control the proper folding of nascent polypeptides into the correct 3D structure (ensure propriety) or maintain polypeptides in an inactive state (restrict activity) until they have been transported to their ultimate intracellular or extracellular destinations and assembled into functional multiprotein complexes.2 Many of the proteins that function as molecular chaperones were originally identified as “heat shock proteins” (Hsps), because their abundance increased in cells subjected to thermal stress. Individual members of the extended Hsps are usually identified by reference to their molecular mass (eg, Hsp70, Hsp90, etc). The terminology can be misleading because not all Hsps are heat-inducible, not all chaperones are called Hsps, and diverse forms of cellular stress other than elevated temperature lead to transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of chaperone synthesis. Many of the molecular chaperones of the extended Hsp family are highly conserved across evolution (ie, very similar in …
Soviet psychiatrists under Stalinist duress: the design for a 'new Soviet psychiatry' and its demise:

A Scientific Session of the USSR Academy of Sciences and the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences met in 1950 in Moscow, to comply with the order of I. V. Stalin to institutionalize the theory of higher nervous activity of I. P. Pavlov. This Scientific Session decreed that annual scientific conferences should be held to consider problems related to Pavlovian physiology. In response to this call, a session on the 'Physiological Teachings of the Academician I. P. Pavlov on Psychiatry and Neuropathology' was convened in Moscow in 1951. Certain influential Soviet psychiatrists - V. A. Giliarovskii, M. O. Gurevich and A. S. Shmar'ian — were condemned for adhering to anti-Marxist ideology and to psychiatric theories conceived by Western psychiatrists. The named psychiatrists acknowledged the correctness of the accusations, admitted their 'errors', and promised in the future to follow Pavlov's teachings on psychiatry. The session's Presidium urged the development of a 'New Soviet Psychiatry' based upon experimental ...
Social protection for the poor in Latin America

Confronted with recurrent macroeconomic shocks, governments in Latin America and the Caribbean have increasingly been concerned about establishing or strengthening systems of social protection and safety net programmes. The goal of these programmes is to help mitigate the impact of shocks on the poor before they occur, and to help the poor cope with the shocks once they have occurred. In this paper, we focus on publicly funded or mandated safety nets functioning as risk-coping mechanisms. The paper reviews the characteristics of a good safety net, in comparison with the main types of safety nets currently in place, and finds in general that no single programme meets all of the criteria in terms of efficiency and effectiveness, although some are better than others. Finally, what has been the actual record in terms of protecting the poor through targeted public spending during crises? The paper finds that because of fiscal constraints during a crisis, social spending is often pro-cyclical when ideally it should be counter-cyclical. Ironically enough, social protection spending itself does not appear to be protected.
Enhanced Risk for Alzheimer Disease in Persons With Type 2 Diabetes and APOE ε4: The Cardiovascular Health Study Cognition Study

Background Diabetes and the apolipoprotein E e4 allele ( APOE e4) increase the risk for Alzheimer disease (AD). We hypothesize that APOE e4 may modify the risk for AD in individuals with diabetes. Objective To examine the joint effect of type 2 diabetes and APOE e4 on the risk of AD, AD with vascular dementia (mixed AD), and vascular dementia without AD. Design The Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS) Cognition Study (1992-2000) is a prospective study designed to identify all existing and new cases of dementia among study participants. Diagnoses were made according to international criteria for dementia and subtypes. There were 2547 dementia-free participants in the CHS Cognition Study cohort with complete information on APOE e4 and type 2 diabetes status; among these, 411 new cases of dementia developed. Risk of dementia was estimated with a Cox proportional hazard model adjusted for age and other demographic and cardiovascular risk factors. Results Compared with those who had neither type 2 diabetes nor APOE e4, those with both factors had a significantly higher risk of AD (hazard ratio, 4.58; 95% confidence interval, 2.18-9.65) and mixed AD (hazard ratio, 3.89; 95% confidence interval, 1.46-10.40). Conclusion These data suggest that having both diabetes and APOE e4 increases the risk of dementia, especially for AD and mixed AD.
Keys to clinical success with pulp capping: a review of the literature

Clinical Relevance Confusion and misconceptions surround direct and indirect pulp capping. This review of the literature provides evidence-based recommendations to guide clinicians in their decision-making process when they encounter a situation requiring pulp capping.
A pseudotachylyte geothermometer

Abstract Pseudotachylytes invariably contain a conspicuous concentration of clasts and lithic fragments in their matrices, which reflect brittle wear processes during frictional melting. The ratio of clasts to matrix is interpreted as the ratio of wear to melt (W/M) and measurements of this ratio show a range of 0.1–0.7. Based on models of melting and wear processes it is shown that the ratio W/M is independent of fault displacement, stress, fault area and mineralogy. Thermodynamic considerations indicate that W/M corresponds to the thermodynamic efficiency of the conversion of work to heat and is defined as w/q=(Thigh−Tlow)/Thigh where Thigh refers to the melt temperature and Tlow is the ambient country rock temperature. This provides a simple new technique for estimating the ambient crustal temperature Tcrust, in degrees Kelvin T crust =(1−W/M)T melt . Assuming a reasonable value for the temperature of the melt, estimates of country rock temperatures Tcrust for pseudotachylytes from four different localities in the USA indicate a range of 123–387°C. Eclogite-facies pseudotachylytes from western Norway yield a mean country rock temperature of 658°C, in good agreement with independent Fe–Mg exchange geothermometry. This new geothermometer appears to be applicable throughout the entire crust and may provide a better understanding of melting and wear processes during seismic faulting.
On Turkey Identification.

As human relations skills are more widely taught and used, they are inevitably misused as well, often by some particularly fowl aggressors. This article is intended as a brief self-defense course identifying those who undergo this strange, but usually temporary, metamorphosis into “turkeys.” It provides a rough categorization of subspecies with their identifying characteristics and a proposal for return to personhood.
An Analysis of the Proposed Performance Pay System for Academic Staff at the University of Technology, Jamaica

This paper discusses the implications for the use of performance based pay practices for academics at the University of Technology, Jamaica. Some universities systems which have attempted performance based pay for academics in the United States. Systems in Canada and United Kingdom were also reviewed. The findings are that the Academic Staff at the University of Technology, Jamaica are inclined to retain the current annual increment payments, union negotiated increases together with implementation of a Performance Based Pay System. This should be based on a properly structured Performance Appraisal System and the establishment of clearly defined objectives. The paper concludes that the future practices will necessitate retaining the increments supported by the Jamaican Ministry of Finance and the implementation of a bonus system structured on the premise of a performance based pay system supported from surplus funds derived from donations, investments funds and endowments to the University.
Relativistic Hydrodynamics with Wavelets

Methods to solve the relativistic hydrodynamic equations are a key computational kernel in a large number of astrophysics simulations and are crucial to understanding the electromagnetic signals that originate from the merger of astrophysical compact objects. Because of the many physical length scales present when simulating such mergers, these methods must be highly adaptive and capable of automatically resolving numerous localized features and instabilities that emerge throughout the computational domain across many temporal scales. While this has been historically accomplished with adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) based methods, alternatives based on wavelet bases and the wavelet transformation have recently achieved significant success in adaptive representation for advanced engineering applications. This work presents a new method for the integration of the relativistic hydrodynamic equations using iterated interpolating wavelets and introduces a highly adaptive implementation for multidimensional simulation. The wavelet coefficients provide a direct measure of the local approximation error for the solution and place collocation points that naturally adapt to the fluid flow while providing good conservation of fluid quantities. The resulting implementation, OAHU, is applied to a series of demanding one- and two-dimensional problems which explore high Lorentz factor outflows and the formation of several instabilities, including the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability and the Rayleigh-Taylor instability.
Type I Vs. Type II Cytokine Levels as a Function of SOD1 G93A Mouse Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Disease Progression

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal motoneuron disease that is characterized by the degradation of neurons throughout the central nervous system. Inflammation have been cited a key contributor to ALS neurodegeneration, but the timeline of cytokine upregulation remains unresolved. The goal of this study was to temporally examine the correlation between the varying levels of pro-inflammatory type I cytokines (IL-1β, IL-1α, IL-12, TNF-α, and GFAP) and anti-inflammatory type II cytokines (IL-4, IL-6, IL-10) throughout the progression of ALS in the SOD1 G93A mouse model. Cytokine level data from high copy SOD1 G93A transgenic mice was collected from 66 peer-reviewed studies. For each corresponding experimental time point, the ratio of transgenic to wild type (TG/WT) cytokine was calculated. One-way ANOVA and t-tests with Bonferonni correction were used to analyze the data. Meta-analysis was performed for four discrete stages: early, pre-onset, post-onset, and end stage. A significant increase in TG cytokine levels was found when compared to WT cytokine levels across the entire SOD1 G93A lifespan for majority of the cytokines. The rates of change of the individual cytokines, and type I and type II were not significantly different; however, the mean fold change of type I was expressed at significantly higher levels than type II levels across all stages with the difference between the means becoming more pronounced at the end stage. An overexpression of cytokines occurred both before and after the onset of ALS symptoms. The trend between pro-inflammatory type I and type II cytokine mean levels indicate a progressive instability of the dynamic balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines as anti-inflammatory cytokines fail to mediate the pronounced increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines. Very early immunoregulatory treatment is necessary to successfully interrupt ALS-induced neuroinflammation.
FFTM: A Fuzzy Feature Transformation Method for Medical Documents

The vast array of medical text data represents a valuable resource that can be analyzed to advance the state of the art in medicine. Currently, text mining methods are being used to analyze medical research and clinical text data. Some of the main challenges in text analysis are high dimensionality and noisy data. There is a need to develop novel feature transformation methods that help reduce the dimensionality of data and improve the performance of machine learning algorithms. In this paper we present a feature transformation method named FFTM. We illustrate the efficacy of our method using local term weighting, global term weighting, and Fuzzy clustering methods and show that the quality of text analysis in medical text documents can be improved. We compare FFTM with Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) by using two different datasets and statistical tests show that FFTM outperforms LDA.
Sensory experience regulates cortical inhibition by inducing IGF1 in VIP neurons

Inhibitory neurons regulate the adaptation of neural circuits to sensory experience, but the molecular mechanisms by which experience controls the connectivity between different types of inhibitory neuron to regulate cortical plasticity are largely unknown. Here we show that exposure of dark-housed mice to light induces a gene program in cortical vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)-expressing neurons that is markedly distinct from that induced in excitatory neurons and other subtypes of inhibitory neuron. We identify Igf1 as one of several activity-regulated genes that are specific to VIP neurons, and demonstrate that IGF1 functions cell-autonomously in VIP neurons to increase inhibitory synaptic input onto these neurons. Our findings further suggest that in cortical VIP neurons, experience-dependent gene transcription regulates visual acuity by activating the expression of IGF1, thus promoting the inhibition of disinhibitory neurons and affecting inhibition onto cortical pyramidal neurons.
Protandrous Reproduction in Honey Bees

Brood rearing activity was studied in 16 colonies in Davis, Calif., from 21 February through 9 September 1978. The production of drone brood reached a maximum in early April; worker brood production reached a maximum in mid-May. Areas of sealed drone brood were at a maximum approximately 30 days before the maximum occurrence of swarms in the area. On 9 March, three colonies that swarmed in May produced significantly ( P < 0.05) more drone brood than 13 colonies that did not swarm during the season. On 2 April, these same three colonies had significantly more drone brood and significantly less worker brood ( P < 0.05) than those colonies that did not swarm. A hypothesis for a protandrous reproductive cycle in honey bees is proposed.