cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Constructivist Tendencies in Recent Psychoanalysis

Abstract In recent decades psychoanalytic theory has undergone extensive changes. One aspect of these changes has been to make psychoanalysis more consistent with construc-tivist psychological theories, such as personal construct psychology (PCP). This paper examines several of the new currents in psychoanalytic theory from the perspective of their convergence with constructivist themes. Discussed are ideas of Al-wood and Stolorow (1984), Peterfreund (1983), Ryle (1982), Soldz (1986, 1987), and Weiss, Sampson, and the Mount Zion Psychotherapy Research Croup (1986). Similarities and differences in perspective between these psychoanalytic ideas and personal construct psychology are then discussed with the goal of furthering discussion between proponents of the rival theories
Skeletal Muscle Blood Flow and Venous Capacitance in Patients with Severe Sepsis and Systemic Hypoperfusion

Alterations in peripheral vascular tone are presumed to contribute to circulatory failure during severe sepsis. Decreased venous tone with venous pooling may decrease effective circulatory blood volume, while decreased arterial tone with redistribution of systemic blood may compromise tissue nutrient flow. We compared forearm arterial and venous tone and forearm blood flow in ten patients with and ten patients without sepsis. The FVT, MVC, and FBF were measured by air plethysmography. In the septic patients, MCV was 1.4 ± 0.1 ml compared with 3.1 ± 0.2 ml in nonseptic patients (p (Chest 1989; 96:363–66)
Risk premiums on inventory assets: the case of crude oil and natural gas

This study tested for the presence of risk premiums on crude oil and natural gas. The econometric analysis followed from a stochastic model in which the equilibrium value of inventories depends on a convenience yield and an option value related to price uncertainty. The empirical findings provide rather strong support for the presence of risk premiums and also evidence for the existence of convenience yields. The risk premiums rose sharply with greater price volatility and help to explain why prices for immediate sales often exceed prices for future delivery. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 21:109–126, 2001
Differential effect of visual deprivation on cytochrome oxidase levels in major cell classes of the cat LGN.

Cytochrome oxidase histochemistry was used to examine the effects of visual deprivation on the development of neurons in the lateral geniculate nucleus of the kitten. Early postnatal monocular suture results in a decrease in reactivity within the neuropil of visually deprived binocular laminae A, A1, magnocellular C, and medial interlaminar nucleus. Within these regions, monocular suture has a greater effect on the relative numbers of, and the growth of darkly reactive (normally large), presumed Y-cells than on other less reactive geniculate neuronal classes. The decreases in the reactivity of the neuropil may be attributed to the decreases in the number of mitochondria, the number of darkly reactive mitochondria, and/or the number of darkly reactive mitochondria localized within dendrites. Although all classes of dendrites appear to be adversely affected, the decrease in C.O. reactivity was most dramatic within the presumed proximal dendrites of class 1 Y-cells. These dendrites were identified by the type of synaptic contacts they formed with retinal terminals (Rapisardi and Miles, '84, J. Comp. Neurol. 223:515-534; Wilson et al., '84, Proc. R. Soc. Lond. [Biol.] 221:411-436). As with Y-cells, the effects of monocular suture on the large darkly reactive cells were not as dramatic at sites where binocular interactions were either absent or where they had been experimentally eliminated. Based on the present and previously reported findings from several laboratories, it is likely that the selective physiological and morphological effects of monocular suture on Y-cells are accompanied by metabolic deficits involving both dendrites and perikarya. These effects appear to be due more to binocular interactions than to visual deprivation per se.
Non-Markovian approach to the damping of giant monopole resonances in nuclei.

The collisional relaxation rates of the giant monopole vibrations in nuclei are calculated using a semiclassical transport equation with a memory dependent collision term. Calculations show that depending on the mass the collisional damping accounts for about ten to twenty percent of the experimental damping widths.
Drosophotoxicology: The growing potential for Drosophila in neurotoxicology

Understanding neurotoxic mechanisms is a challenge of deciphering which genes and gene products in the developing or mature nervous system are targeted for disruption by chemicals we encounter in our environment. Our understanding of nervous system development and physiology is highly advanced due in large part to studies conducted in simple non-mammalian models. The paucity of toxicological data for the more than 80,000 chemicals in commercial use today, and the approximately 2000 new chemicals introduced each year, makes development of sensitive and rapid assays to screen for neurotoxicity paramount. In this article I advocate the use of Drosophila in the modern regimen of toxicological testing, emphasizing its unique attributes for assaying neurodevelopment and behavior. Features of the Drosophila model are reviewed and a generalized overall scheme for its use in toxicology is presented. Examples of where the fly has proven fruitful in evaluating common toxicants in our environment are also highlighted. Attention is drawn to three areas where development and application of the fly model might benefit toxicology the most: 1) optimizing sensitive endpoints for pathway-specific screening, 2) accommodating high throughput demands for analysis of chemical toxicant libraries, 3) optimizing genetic and molecular protocols for more rapid identification toxicant-by-gene interactions. While there are shortcomings in the Drosophila model, which exclude it from effective toxicological testing in certain arenas, conservation of fundamental cellular and developmental mechanisms between flies and man is extensive enough to warrant a central role for the Drosophila model in toxicological testing of today.
Sub‐national governments and regional trade liberalization in Europe and North America

(1994). Sub‐national governments and regional trade liberalization in Europe and North America. Journal of European Integration: Vol. 17, Comparative/Integration in the European Union and The Northe American Freet Trade Area: A Comparative Approach, pp. 309-335.
Preparation of stoicheiometric chromites

Abstract The preparation of pure stoicheiometric chromites MCr2O4 (M  Mg2+, Zn2+, Cu2+, Mn2+, Fe2+, Co2+, Ni2+) from suitable precursors is discussed. Atomic ratios Cr/M very close to the theoretical values were obtained. The chromites were examined by chemical analysis and several physical constants were measured.
Mechanosensitivity during lower extremity neurodynamic testing is diminished in individuals with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and peripheral neuropathy: a cross sectional study

Background: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) and diabetic symmetrical polyneuropathy (DSP) impact multiple modalities of sensation including light touch, temperature, position sense and vibration perception. No study to date has examined the mechanosensitivity of peripheral nerves during limb movement in this population. The objective was to determine the unique effects T2DM and DSP have on nerve mechanosensitivity in the lower extremity. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 43 people with T2DM. Straight leg raise neurodynamic tests were performed with ankle plantar flexion (PF/SLR) and dorsiflexion (DF/SLR). Hip flexion range of motion (ROM), lower extremity muscle activity and symptom profile, intensity and location were measured at rest, first onset of symptoms (P1) and maximally tolerated symptoms (P2). Results: The addition of ankle dorsiflexion during SLR testing reduced the hip flexion ROM by 4.3° ± 6.5° at P1 and by 5.4° ± 4.9° at P2. Individuals in the T2DM group with signs of severe DSP (n = 9) had no difference in hip flexion ROM between PF/SLR and DF/SLR at P1 (1.4° ± 4.2°; paired t-test p = 0.34) or P2 (0.9° ± 2.5°; paired t-test p = 0.31). Movement induced muscle activity was absent during SLR with the exception of the tibialis anterior during DF/SLR testing. Increases in symptom intensity during SLR testing were similar for both PF/SLR and DF/SLR. The addition of ankle dorsiflexion induced more frequent posterior leg symptoms when taken to P2. Conclusions: Consistent with previous recommendations in the literature, P1 is an appropriate test end point for SLR neurodynamic testing in people with T2DM. However, our findings suggest that people with T2DM and severe DSP have limited responses to SLR neurodynamic testing, and thus may be at risk for harm from nerve overstretch and the information gathered will be of limited clinical value.
A semi-automated digital preservation system based on semantic Web services

This paper describes a Web-services-based system which we have developed to enable organizations to semi-automatically preserve their digital collections by dynamically discovering and invoking the most appropriate preservation service, as it is required. By periodically comparing preservation metadata for digital objects in a collection with a software version registry, potential object obsolescence can be detected and a notification message sent to the relevant agent. By making preservation software modules available as Web services and describing them semantically using a machine-processable ontology (OWL-S), the most appropriate preservation service(s) for each object can then be automatically discovered, composed and invoked by software agents (with optional human input at critical decision-making steps). We believe that this approach represents a significant advance towards providing a viable, cost-effective solution to the long term preservation of large-scale collections of digital objects.
M. C. McKenna and S. K. Bell: Classification of Mammals above the Species Level

(1999). M. C. McKenna and S. K. Bell: Classification of Mammals above the Species Level. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology: Vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 191-195.
The 1925 Born and Jordan paper "on quantum mechanics"

The 1925 paper “On quantum mechanics” by M. Born and P. Jordan, and the sequel “On quantum mechanics II” by M. Born, W. Heisenberg, and P. Jordan, developed Heisenberg’s pioneering theory into the first complete formulation of quantum mechanics. The Born and Jordan paper is the subject of the present article. This paper introduced matrices to physicists. We discuss the original postulates of quantum mechanics, present the two-part discovery of the law of commutation, and clarify the origin of Heisenberg’s equation. We show how the 1925 proof of energy conservation and Bohr’s frequency condition served as the gold standard with which to measure the validity of the new quantum mechanics.
Experimental tests of factors affecting recruitment of bay scallops (Argopecten irradians) to spat collectors

Abstract Spat collectors, mesh bags enclosing plastic screen as settlement substratum, were suspended at nine sites in North Carolina to test effects of different mesh materials and proximity of collectors to spawning adults on the collection of bay scallop, Argopecten irradians , spat. Collectors were deployed inside and at two different depths in the water column outside seagrass beds to determine the optimal location for collecting scallops. Recruitment (settlement and subsequent survival) was greater onto 3mm transparent polypropylene mesh screen than onto 4-mm black mesh, probably because the 3-mm mesh had more than twice the surface area available for settlement. Tripling the amount of 4-mm mesh (and therefore total surface area) also increased numbers of recruits collected, further suggesting that surface area of the settlement substratum is an important determinant of scallop recruitment. Recruitment was greatest to spat collectors located near the bottom and outside of seagrass beds. Patterns of recruitment to different meshes were identical to those of settlement and recruitment to the same substrata in a concurrent laboratory study, indicating that, for the range of scallop densities studied, recruitment to spat collectors is a good reflection of settlement pattern and may be used as a reliable index of relative settlement intensity. While recruitment was high at a few locations with low abundances of adult spawners, collectors at sites with high adult abundances always received high numbers of recruits.
Bias Reduction in Quasi-Experiments With Little Selection Theory but Many Covariates

Abstract: In observational studies, selection bias will be completely removed only if the selection mechanism is ignorable, namely, all confounders of treatment selection and potential outcomes are reliably measured. Ideally, well-grounded substantive theories about the selection process and outcome-generating model are used to generate the sample of covariates. However, covariate selection is more heuristic in actual practice. Using two empirical data sets in a simulation study, we investigate four research questions about bias reduction when the selection mechanism is not known but many covariates are measured: (1) How important is the conceptual heterogeneity of the covariate domains in the data set? (2) How important is the number of covariates assessing each domain? (3) What are the joint effects of this conceptual heterogeneity and of the number of covariates per domain? (4) What happens to bias reduction when the set of covariates is deliberately impoverished by removing the covariates most respons...
Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Regulation of Gonadotropin Subunit Gene Expression in Female Rats: Actions on Follicle-Stimulating Hormoneβ Messenger Ribonucleic Acid (mRNA) Involve Differential Expression of Pituitary Activin (β-B) and Follistatin mRNAs1

GnRH is the primary stimulus in the regulation of gonadotropin subunit mRNA expression. Additionally, local (pituitary) production of activin and follistatin appear to modulate the expression of FSH β mRNA. The current studies aimed to determine whether GnRH regulation of pituitary activin (β-B) and follistatin mRNAs could play a role in the differential actions of GnRH pulse pattern on gonadotropin mRNA expression in female rats. In response to altered GnRH pulse amplitude, the expression of FSH β and follistatin mRNAs followed an inverse pattern. Only high dose GnRH increased expression of follistatin whereas, in contrast, β-B and FSH β expression were increased following lower doses of GnRH. To determine whether increased follistatin mRNA expression was correlated with FSH β mRNA responses, we examined their temporal relationship following high dose GnRH. Both FSH β and follistatin mRNAs were increased within 2 h and remained increased through 6 h. However, by 12 h FSH β mRNA levels returned to values ...
Hypoxic reperfusion of the ischemic heart and oxygen radical generation.

Postischemic myocardial contractile dysfunction is in part mediated by the burst of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which occurs with the reintroduction of oxygen. We hypothesized that tissue oxygen...
The Strak Effect of M and N Color Centers in Alkali Halides

The Stark effect of the M center in LiF, KCl, and NaCl and of the N centers in KCl and NaCl was measured with an alternating electric field along the 〈100〉 direction. The data for the Stark effect of the M band were analyzed to find the difference in energy of two mixing nondegenerate energy levels of opposite parity and to find the matrix element between these two energy levels when the electric field was applied. Measurements of the Stark effect for the N centers in KCl and NaCl were resolved into two components representing contributions from the N1 and N2 centers. Der Starkeffekt des M-Zentrums im LiF, KCl und NaCl und des N-Zentrums im KCl und NaCl wurde mit einem elektrischen Wechselfeld in 〈100〉-Richtung gemessen. Die Resultate des Starkeffektes der M-Bande wurden analysiert, um die Energiedifferenz von zwei mischenden, nichtentarteten Energieniveaus mit entgegengesetzter Paritat und das Matrixelement zwischen diesen beiden Energieniveaus bei angelegtem elektrischen Feld zu finden. Die Messungen des Starkeffektes des N-Zentrums in KCl und NaCl wurden in zwei Komponenten aufgelost, die die Beitrage der N1-und N2-Zentren darstellen.
Ordering Off the Menu: Assessing Compliance with a Nonformulary Medication Policy

Background:Use of nonformulary medications (NFMs) may create added costs and potential safety issues. Institutional policies can support compliance with formulary systems and address these issues. However, periodic review is needed to assess the effectiveness of NFM policies.Objective:To evaluate NFM use at a large university medical center and assess for compliance with the established policy as well as for prescribing errors, procurement procedures, and delivery times.Methods:All new medication orders entered as NFM in the computerized order entry system during a 6-week period were evaluated and followed until administration of the first NFM dose. Orders were categorized as NFMs, formulary medications (FMs), or the patient's own medications. Each order was evaluated to determine the prescriber, service and location of the patient, and any prescribing errors. Additional information, such as the indication, location where the medication was obtained, and the delivery time, was obtained through patient cha...
Algorithmic modeling of TES processes

TES (transform-expand-sample) is a versatile class of stationary stochastic processes which can model arbitrary marginals, a wide variety of autocorrelation functions, and a broad range of sample path behaviors. TES parameters are of two kinds: the first kind is used for the exact fitting of the empirical distribution (histogram), while the second kind is used for approximating the empirical autocorrelation function. Parameters of the first kind are easy to determine algorithmically, but those of the second kind require a hard heuristic search on a large parametric function space. This paper describes an algorithmic procedure which can replace the heuristic search, thereby largely automating TES modeling. The algorithm is cast in nonlinear programming setting with the objective of minimizing a weighted sum of squared differences between the empirical autocorrelations and their candidate TES model counterparts. It combines a brute-forte search with steepest-descent nonlinear programming using Zoutendijk's feasible direction method. Finally, we illustrate the efficacy of our approach via three examples: two from the domain of VBR (variable bit rate) compressed video and one representing results from a laser intensity experiment. >
Effects of subchronic exposures to concentrated ambient particles (CAPs) in mice. VIII. Source-related daily variations in in vitro responses to CAPs.

AbstractThe NYU PM Center subchronic animal inhalation study addressed the issues of composition and sources of ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5), as well as the relationship of these PM2.5 characteristics to the cellular response of human bronchial epithelial cells. In this simultaneous study, we used an in vitro exposure technique to compare the daily variations of the responses of cells to fine concentrated ambient particles (CAPs) collected from a rural area upwind of New York City for the period of 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays only, March–September, 2003. Chemical composition data for CAPs were modeled using factor analysis with varimax orthogonal rotation to determine four particle source categories contributing significant amount of mass to CAPs at Sterling Forest (Tuxedo, NY). These source categories are: (1) regional secondary sulfate characterized by high S, Si, and organic carbon (OC); (2) resuspended soil characterized by high concentrations of Ca, Fe, Al, and Si; (3) oil-fired power pla...
Sediment toxicity, contamination and amphipod abundance at a DDT‐ and dieldrin‐contaminated site in San Francisco Bay

Sediment toxicity to the amphipod Eohaustorius estuarius, sediment contamination, and the abundance of amphipods were examined along a contamination gradient in the Lauritzen Channel and adjacent parts of Richmond Harbor, California. Dieldrin and DDT were formulated and ground at this site from 1945 to 1966. Sediment contamination by both dieldrin and the sum of DDT and its metabolites (DDT's) was positively correlated with sediment toxicity and negatively correlated with the abundance of amphipods excluding Grandidierella japonica. The maximum dieldrin and DDT's concentrations in toxic units were 0.018 and 9.43, respectively, indicating that DDT's was the dominant ecotoxicological factor. Concentrations of PAHs, PCBs, and metals were not sufficient to cause appreciable toxicity, except at one PAH-contaminated station. Relations between DDT's, sediment toxicity, and amphipod abundance are similar at three DDT's-contaminated sites. The 10-d LC50 for DDT's in field-collected sediment was 2,500 micrograms/gram organic carbon (OC) for Eohaustorius estuarius in the study, 1,040 micrograms/gram OC for Rhepoxynius abronius exposed to Palos Verdes Shelf, California, sediment, and 2,580 micrograms/gram OC for Hyalella azteca exposed to sediment from a freshwater stream system near Huntsville, Alabama. The threshold for 10-d sediment toxicity occurred at about 300 micrograms DDT's/gram OC. The abundance of amphipods (except Grandidierellamore » japonica) was reduced at DDT's concentrations >100 micrograms/gram OC. Correlations between toxicity, contamination, and biology indicate that acute sediment toxicity to Eohaustorius estuarius, Rhopoxynius abronius, or Hyalella azteca in lab tests provides reliable evidence of biologically adverse sediment contamination in the field.« less
Validating quantitative obesity measurements in colorectal cancer patients.

Background Over 70,000,000 American adults are overweight, and obesity accounts for $147 billion annually in medical expenses. Since measuring obesity by body mass index (BMI) fails to account for fat distribution and quantity, recent work has explored quantitative measures of visceral fat area (VFA) and subcutaneous fat area (SFA) obtained from CT imaging. However, use of CT to quantify adipose tissue has not been evaluated in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients and the optimal anatomic location for measuring VFA and SFA has yet to be determined. We measured VFA and SFA at three different anatomic locations to determine which location was optimal in CRC patients. Methods A database of patients undergoing CRC surgery from 2002 to 2009 was reviewed to identify patients with preoperative CT imaging. Quantitative measurements of both VFA and SFA were calculated at the level of L4-L5, L2-L3, and mid-waist. Results A total of 244 colorectal cancer patients had preoperative imaging available and 99% were men. VFA and SFA quantified by CT at the levels of L2-L3, L4-L5, and mid-waist were all significant independent predictors for medical complications of obesity including diabetes (HR 1.04 -1.06) and hypertension (HR 1.04-1.09) on multivariate analysis. The location used for imaging did not affect predictive power. Additionally, waist circumference was also a significant independent predictor of diabetes (HR 1.56) and hypertension (HR 1.70). Conclusions Quantitative measures of obesity from CT imaging in CRC patients correlated significantly with medical conditions known to be associated with obesity. This indicates that direct measurement of adiposity is valid in colorectal cancer patients.
The physiology behind exercise testing

Exercise testing is a valuable tool to assess cardiopulmonary function. It can define the limits of performance in an athlete or the functional capabilities of the patient with heart disease. Exercise capacity is determined most accurately by ventilatory oxygen uptake, which is defined by maximal cardiac output and the ability to extract and utilize oxygen in the working muscle. A given increase in cardiac output must be matched by a concomitant increase in ventilation, such that efficient pulmonary gas exchange can occur. The increase in cardiac output required by an exercise test places major demands on the heart muscle; the increase in myocardial oxygen demand can bring out abnormalities not apparent at rest. Thus, the exercise test is useful clinically to assess cardiac perfusion and function under controlled conditions. The physiologic response to exercise is influenced by the state of health and fitness, age, gender, the type of exercise, exercise position, and the environment. A good understanding of the basic physiologic responses to acute exercise can assist the clinician in applying the information gained from the exercise test to patients with cardiovascular disease. In addition to diagnostic and prognostic information, these applications include the assessment of therapy, exercise prescription, and hemodynamic responses.
Amplitude, phase and path anomalies of mantle waves

Summary. The amplitude and phase anomalies observed in long period Rayleigh and Love waves (T> 150 s) show definite patterns of variation from orbit to orbit. In some cases the phase anomalies agree with the prediction of linear perturbation theory applied to a spherical reference model (Fermat’s Principle), namely that each complete orbit of the earth in either direction corresponds to a constant phase anomaly increment. The corresponding approximation for amplitude anomaly is derived in this study; it is shown that orbits of one sense are amplified (or deamplified) by a constant factor for each complete orbit, and that orbits of the opposite sense are amplified or deamplified) by the reciprocal factor. This amplification is due to partial establishing that the large observed anomalies are caused by focusing and defocusing due to heterogeneity. Some of the data, however, show substantial deviations from these approximations, indicating that lateral refraction is sometimes a large effect for high orbits. Evidence is presented for orbits which have paths deviating from the great circle by more than 1000km. A technique is outlined for making use of such data to constrain lateral variations in earth structure. i ocusing and defocusing of a ray bundle. The data often show such behaviour,
A MEIOTIC MUTANT AFFECTING RECOMBINATION IN FEMALE DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER

mei-S282 is a female meiotic mutant isolated from a natural population of Drosophila melanogaster . It is a recessive mutation located at approximately map position 5 on the third chromosome which has two major effects. It causes a nonuniform decrease in recombination which is most drastic in distal chromosome regions and nondisjunction of all chromosome pairs is elevated at the first meiotic division. Nondisjunctional events are positively correlated; furthermore, nondisjoining chromosomes, themselves nonrecombinant, are preferentially recovered from cells in which nonhomologs are preferentially recovered from cells in which nonhomologs are also non-recombinant.—It is concluded that mei-S282 is a defect which occurs early in meiosis I prior to the time of exchange. In the mutant, the frequency of no-exchange tetrads for each of the major chromosomes is increased—and in cells which contain two or more no-exchange tetrads, an interaction between these chromosomes leads to correlated nondisjunction. mei-S282 + then, is an exchange precondition necessary for the normal frequency and distribution of exchanges.
Oxidative stress in aldosteronism

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is more than a failing heart and salt-avid state. Also present is a systemic illness which features oxidative stress in diverse tissues, a proinflammatory phenotype, and a wasting of soft tissue and bone. Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species contribute to this illness and the progressive nature of CHF. Aldosteronism, an integral component of the neurohormonal profile found in CHF, plays a permissive role in leading to an altered redox state. Because of augmented urinary and fecal excretion of Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) and consequent decline in plasma-ionized [Ca(2+)](o) and [Mg(2+)](o) that accompanies aldosteronism, parathyroid glands release parathyroid hormone (PTH) in an attempt to restore Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) homeostasis; this includes bone resorption. However, PTH-mediated intracellular Ca(2+) overloading, considered a Ca(2+) paradox, leads to oxidative stress. This can be prevented by: spironolactone, an aldosterone receptor antagonist that rescues urinary and fecal cation losses; parathyroidectomy; amlodipine, a Ca(2+) channel blocker; N-acetylcysteine, an antioxidant. In addition to the role played by aldosteronism in the appearance of secondary hyperparathyroidism is the chronic use of a loop diuretic, which further enhances urinary Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) excretion, and reduced Ca(2+) stores associated with hypovitaminosis D. This broader perspective of CHF and the ever increasing clinical relevance of divalent cations and oxidative stress raise the question of their potential management with macro- and micronutrients. An emerging body of evidence suggests the nutritional management of CHF offers an approach that will be complementary to today's pharmaceutical-based strategies.
Inefficient replication reduces RecA-mediated repair of UV-damaged plasmids introduced into competent Escherichia coli

Abstract Transformation of Escherichia coli with purified plasmids containing DNA damage is frequently used as a tool to characterize repair pathways that operate on chromosomes. In this study, we used an assay that allowed us to quantify plasmid survival and to compare how efficiently various repair pathways operate on plasmid DNA introduced into cells relative to their efficiency on chromosomal DNA. We observed distinct differences between the mechanisms operating on the transforming plasmid DNA and the chromosome. An average of one UV-induced lesion was sufficient to inactivate ColE1-based plasmids introduced into nucleotide excision repair mutants, suggesting an essential role for repair on newly introduced plasmid DNA. By contrast, the absence of RecA, RecF, RecBC, RecG, or RuvAB had a minimal effect on the survival of the transforming plasmid DNA containing UV-induced damage. Neither the presence of an endogenous homologous plasmid nor the induction of the SOS response enhanced the survival of transforming plasmids. Using two-dimensional agarose-gel analysis, both replication- and RecA-dependent structures that were observed on established, endogenous plasmids following UV-irradiation, failed to form on UV-irradiated plasmids introduced into E. coli . We interpret these observations to suggest that the lack of RecA-mediated survival is likely to be due to inefficient replication that occurs when plasmids are initially introduced into cells, rather than to the plasmid’s size, the absence of homologous sequences, or levels of recA expression.
Recent experience in prenatal diagnosis of fragile X

Our experience with 48 prenatal fragile X cases (35 amniocenteses; 13 chorionic villi samplings) is summarized. Of these 48 cases, 18 consultands were known to be carriers of fragile X. No cytogenetic false negatives or positives were identified but 2 cases were uninterpretable. Cytogenetic recommendations include: 1) Ten or more days recovery time after growth in Chang medium, and 2) use of 3-4 media/inducer systems with duplicate harvests. Direct DNA probe testing will likely be the method of choice for prenatal diagnosis after sufficient data are collected to verify interpretation. Until then, both cytogenetic and direct DNA techniques should be utilized.
Mantle dynamics and genesis of mafic magmatism in the intermontane Pacific Northwest

[1] The Columbia Plateau, Oregon Plateau, Snake River Plain, and Northern Nevada Rift compose a single magmatic system containing all the essential characteristics ascribed to a mantle plume genesis. A mobile mantle is delineated by volcanic migrations, divisible into two types: (1) Rapid, radial migrations (∼10–100 cm/yr) are associated with impingement and spreading of the Yellowstone plume head along the Chief Joseph, Steens Mountain–Picture Gorge, and Northern Nevada Rift magmatic trends from ∼16.6 to 15.0 Ma. (2) Subsequent (post-15.0 Ma), slower migrations (1–5 cm/yr) are associated with shearing off of the plume head, generating the Snake River Plain hot spot track above the plume tail, and with westward asthenospheric drag of the plume head beneath the Oregon Plateau. The plume head provided a melt component to Imnaha and Grande Ronde Basalts. Depleted mantle lithosphere lying above the plume head provided a melt component to Steens Basalt and Picture Gorge Basalt and to younger eruptions of high-alumina olivine tholeiite. The plume head currently resides beneath a broad lithospheric swell, marked by young volcanism, high heat flow, and slow P wave travel times. The periphery of the plume head is delineated by the cratonic margin to the east, a gravity discontinuity and a set of wrinkle ridges to the north, and a prominent belt of young high-alumina olivine tholeiites and active volcanoes adjacent to the Cascade volcanic arc to the west.
Tracking continuous emotional trends of participants during affective dyadic interactions using body language and speech information

We address the problem of tracking continuous levels of a participant's activation, valence and dominance during the course of affective dyadic interactions, where participants may be speaking, listening or doing neither. To this end, we extract detailed and intuitive descriptions of each participant's body movements, posture and behavior towards his interlocutor, and speech information. We apply a Gaussian Mixture Model-based approach which computes a mapping from a set of observed audio-visual cues to an underlying emotional state. We obtain promising results for tracking trends of participants' activation and dominance values, which outperform other regression-based approaches used in the literature. Additionally, we shed light into the way expressive body language is modulated by underlying emotional states in the context of dyadic interactions.
Role of Per1 and the mineralocorticoid receptor in the coordinate regulation of αENaC in renal cortical collecting duct cells.

Renal function and blood pressure exhibit a circadian pattern of variation, but the molecular mechanism underlying this circadian regulation is not fully understood. We have previously shown that the circadian clock protein Per1 positively regulates the basal and aldosterone-mediated expression of the alpha subunit of the renal epithelial sodium channel (αENaC). The mechanism of this regulation has not been determined however. To further elucidate the mechanism of Mineralocorticoid Receptor (MR) and Per1 action, site-directed mutagenesis, DNA pull-down assays and chromatin immunoprecipitation methods were used to investigate the coordinate regulation of αENaC by Per1 and MR. Mutation of two circadian response E-boxes in the human αENaC promoter abolished both basal and aldosterone-mediated promoter activity. DNA pull down assays demonstrated the interaction of both MR and Per1 with the E-boxes from the αENaC promoter. These observations were corroborated by chromatin immunopreciptation experiments showing increased occupancy of MR and Per1 on an E-box of the αENaC promoter in the presence of aldosterone. This is the first report of an aldosterone-mediated increase in Per1 on a target gene promoter. Taken together, these results demonstrate the novel finding that Per1 and MR mediate the aldosterone response of αENaC through DNA/protein interaction in renal collecting duct cells.
Resource Combination and Security Price Reactions: The Case of Real Estate Joint Ventures

Joint ventures are a commonplace occurrence in the U.S. economy. In particular, firms undertaking real estate projects frequently use the joint venture as a method of combining resources. This paper examines security price reactions around real estate joint venture announcements. The evidence indicates that significant increases in the values of the participating firms occur within a two-day announcement period. The changes in values appear to be due principally to the amount of information about the local real estate market possessed by the participating firms, and an information signal about the potential financial viability of the proposed project conveyed by the presence of anchor tenants. While the results are important in their own right, they are also significant in another respect. They seem to confirm the efficiency with which the capital market processes information about the markets for trading real estate claims.
Layer-based video registration

Registration of a mission video sequence with a reference image without any metadata (camera location, viewing angles, and reference DEMs) is still a challenging problem. This paper presents a layer-based approach to registering a video sequence to a reference image of a 3D scene containing multiple layers. First, the robust layers from a mission video sequence are extracted and a layer mosaic is generated for each layer, where the relative transformation parameters between consecutive frames are estimated. Then, we formulate the image-registration problem as a region-partitioning problem, where the overlapping regions between two images are partitioned into supporting and nonsupporting (or outlier) regions, and the corresponding motion parameters are also determined for the supporting regions. In this approach, we first estimate a set of sparse, robust correspondences between the first frame and reference image. Starting from corresponding seed patches, the aligned areas are expanded to the complete overlapping areas for each layer using a graph-cut algorithm with level set, where the first frame is registered to the reference image. Then, using the transformation parameters estimated from the mosaic, we initially align the remaining frames in the video to the reference image. Finally, using the same partitioning framework, the registration is further refined by adjusting the aligned areas and removing outliers. Several examples are demonstrated in the experiments to show that our approach is effective and robust.
Spatial outlier detection: random walk based approaches

A spatial outlier is a spatially referenced object whose non-spatial attributes are very different from those of its spatial neighbors. Spatial outlier detection has been an important part of spatial data mining and attracted attention in the past decades. Numerous SOD (Spatial Outlier Detection) approaches have been proposed. However, in these techniques, there exist the problems of masking and swamping. That is, some spatial outliers can escape the identification, and normal objects can be erroneously identified as outliers. In this paper, two Random walk based approaches, RW-BP (Random Walk on Bipartite Graph) and RW-EC (Random Walk on Exhaustive Combination), are proposed to detect spatial outliers. First, two different weighed graphs, a BP (Bipartite graph) and an EC (Exhaustive Combination), are modeled based on the spatial and/or non-spatial attributes of the spatial objects. Then, random walk techniques are utilized on the graphs to compute the relevance scores between the spatial objects. Using the analysis results, the outlier scores are computed for each object and the top k objects are recognized as outliers. Experiments conducted on the synthetic and real datasets demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed approaches.
A shared-buffer direct-access (SBDA) switch architecture for ATM-based networks

With the increase in the line speed and the switching functions, the switching efficiency of a shared buffer ATM switch becomes limited mainly due to the various memory operations involved with the packet switching. A shared buffer direct access (SBDA) ATM switch architecture capable of enhancing the switching efficiency at the hardware level of a typical shared buffer ATM switch by parallelizing the memory operations has been used to study its comparative performance under unicast and multicast traffic. The SBDA switch, like any other shared buffer ATM switch shows an optimal performance under unicast traffic. In the paper, the performance evaluation by computer simulation is conducted primarily to study the effect of directly input bursty multicast traffic on a generic shared buffer based ATM switch which includes the proposed SBDA switch. The computer simulation shows that the performance of a shared buffer ATM switch degrades considerably under the effect of directly input bursty multicast traffic as compared to its optimal performance under bursty unicast traffic. The present study prompts a further probing of shared buffer ATM switch architecture capable of alleviating the performance degradation due to direct multicasting. >
Commentary: The impact of surgical castration on sexual recidivism risk among civilly committed sexual offenders.

The article entitled, “The Impact of Surgical Castration on Sexual Recidivism Risk Among Sexually Violent Predatory Offenders,” which appears in this edition of the Journal , takes up several important subjects of both a psychiatric and a forensic nature.[1][1] There are two fundamental
Evaluation of antibody responses elicited by immunization of mice with a pneumococcal antigen genetically fused to murine HSP70 and murine interleukin-4.

The heat shock (stress) protein HSP70 has been shown to be a potent stimulator of cellular immune responses. In order to determine whether HSP70 has the ability to stimulate antibody responses, we constructed and expressed fusion proteins consisting of murine HSP70 or murine interleukin (IL)-4 co- valently linked to a pneumococcal cell wall-associated protein antigen designated PpmA. Immunization of mice with the PpmA-HSP70 fusion protein (PpmA-70) failed to elicit an increased PpmA-specific serum antibody response. In contrast, mice immunized with PpmA fused to IL-4 (PpmA-IL4), or PpmA fused to both IL-4 and HSP70 (PpmA-IL4-70) fusion proteins elicited high levels of PpmA-specific antibody responses. These data suggest that HSP70 has a limited capacity to stimulate immune responses to heterologous anti- gens in vivo.
Monoclonal Antibodies to Human Tumor Antigens

Human tumors are diagnosed and classified by a variety of criteria, one of which is serological analysis of cell surface antigens. In this chapter, a major recent development in serological classification, the production of monoclonal antibodies, will be evaluated.
Methods used in the Assignments of the 1H and 15N resonances of the c-Abl src homology 2 (SH2) domain

The SH2 domain is a recognition motif of approximately 100 amino acids that serves to mediate the association of cytoplasmic proteins involved in signal transduction. SH2 domains from a number of proteins, including Crk, phospholipase C-γ, Ras GTPase-activating protein and Abl, have been shown to bind specifically protein sequences that have been phosphorylated on tyrosine residues (Anderson et al1990; Margolis et al, 1990; Mayer and Hanafusa et al, 1990; Mayer et al, 1991; Moran et al, 1990). The transforming activity of Abl depends on the highly conserved FLVRESES motif, a central element in the binding of tyrosine phosphorylated ligands (Mayer et al, 1992).
Biocompatibility of Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) have been widely explored as drug delivery vehicles in cell and animal studies. To move this nanoparticle platform into the clinic, however, further work needs to be done to predict and assess potential adverse reactions and side-effects to optimize for their efficacious and safe use in patients. Toxicity may be dependent on a number of characteristics, including the size, shape, surface chemistry, and charge of MSNs. Thus, altering various physical and chemical properties of MSNs, while controlling for others, should reveal important parameters necessary for biocompatibility. In this work, reports on biocompatibility of MSNs in recent years have been reviewed and the effects of size, shape, surface chemistry, and porosity highlighted. Advances in triggered release of the drug from MSN delivery systems are also discussed. This article brings together current research on MSN biocompatibility and emphasizes the need for standardized characterization of MSNs, predictive...
ON THE G2 LINK INVARIANT

We construct a polynomial link invariant as Markov trace on certain one parameter algebras and we prove that it is equal to the invariant corresponding to the exeptional Lie algebra of type G2. We use braid representatives to calculate the invariant for several knots and links.
The Global Human Rights Community: An Analysis of International Non-Governmental Organizations from a Network Perspective

Human rights has become a global issue. This is due, in large part, to the increasing number of organizations around the globe focusing on this critical issue and the availability of technologies that are creating new pathways of communication and connectedness that are drawing attention to this issue. As a result, a new paradigm has emerged; global advocacy and knowledge networks are rapidly emerging and are spanning the globe generating and managing new and critical knowledge about human rights. This study is intended to examine this new global community by conducting an exploratory network analysis of international organizations involved in efforts to end gender based violence against women. Initially, the YearBook of International Organizations was used to identify International Non-governmental Organizations (INGOs) and their relations. The identified organizations and their relations were then used to create a one-mode undirected network of INGOs. The results of this analysis show the existence of a low density network in which the number of relations or ties relative the number of potential relations or ties is low. From a human rights perspective one could conclude that although these organizations are all working on a common goal, they are not maximizing their full potential in terms of shared goal attainment. The most significant conclusion is that INGOs should seek to increase their number of relationships to facilitate additional sharing and information dissemination which, in turn, may lead to a significant impact on human rights issues.
Growth and development of imidazolinone-resistant and -susceptible smooth pigweed biotypes

Abstract Greenhouse and field studies were conducted in 1998 and 1999 to compare the growth and development of one imidazolinone-susceptible (S) and four -resistant (R1, R2, R3, and R4) smooth pigweed biotypes under noncompetitive and competitive conditions. Under noncompetitive conditions in the greenhouse, S plants accumulated biomass, grew faster during early seedling development, and accumulated leaf area sooner than plants from R2, R3, and R4 biotypes. At various times during the experiment, S plants grew faster and more efficiently used leaf area to accumulate more biomass than did R2, R3, and R4 plants. In addition, leaves emerged faster on S plants than on R2, R3, and R4 plants. R3 and R4 biotypes had significantly less chlorophyll per gram of plant tissue compared with S. In contrast, most growth parameters measured for S and R1 plants were similar. Biomass production in the field under intra- and interbiotypic competition was similar for S and all R biotypes. Findings from noncompetitive growth ...
Overcoming inertia: achieving more-rapid transformation of pharmacy practice.

I’m very humbled and honored to have been selected to give this year’s John W. Webb Lecture. I would like to thank the ASHP Section of Pharmacy Practice Managers and Bill Gouveia and Dean Jack Reynolds of the School of Pharmacy at the Bouve College of Health Sciences at Northeastern University
Notes on the Culture of Coprinus Asterophorus

Coprinus asterophorus. is a homothallic species, producing clamp connections and typically binucleate oidia which germinate to produce typical mycelium with multinucleate or binucleate cells.
Barium Concretion Causing Obstipation

A 39-year-old woman with a history of severe scleroderma presented with nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and obstipation 7 days after an upper-gastrointestinal series with barium contrast. A video shows removal of a 5-cm barium concretion in the proximal sigmoid colon.