cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SPEECH SOUND PERCEPTION IN A CHILD VVITH HIGHFUNCTIONING AUTISM

Children with autism often have increased verbal communication difficulties in noisy environments. Although these difficulties have been attributed to impaired attention abilities, recent studies suggest a possible perceptual basis. However, previous efforts to evaluate speech perception abilities, even in relatively high functioning autism, have been impeded by methodological limitations arising from the dependence of standardized tests on verbal responses. Because many high functioning autistic children have a history of articulation difficulties, it is difficult to rule-out potentially confounding articulation effects on response accuracy. Here we describe results of comprehensive auditory function testing in a high functioning autistic boy, with a history of mild articulation difficulties. Results showed impaired speech sound perception across multiple response modalities (verbal, motor). Tests of attention, auditory comprehension, and auditory working memory were normal. Our patient's perceptual deficits were relatively subtle, emerging only when the speech signal was acoustically degraded. Degradation of acoustic cues occurs in high levels of background noise (e.g., < 5 dB S/N), thereby accounting for his increased communication difficulties in noisy environments. These results illustrate the utility of performing comprehensive auditory function testing, using multiple response modalities, in high functioning children with autism.
Intelligence versus Higher Education as a Determinant of Worldly Success

According to the document that has become known as the Karabel Report, written by the University of California Committee on Admissions and Enrollment, the U.C. Berkeley campus faces the “obdurate reality of large-scale differences in pat- terns of academic performance among California’s racial and ethnic groups-differences that are reflected in a high-school drop-out rate among African- Americans and Hispanics at least 50 percent higher than whites. ” [1] The report adds that “racial and ethnic differences in rates of eligibility for the University of California reveal an even more dramatic pattern, ” with 5% of African-American high school graduates meeting U.C.’s requirements and 4.5% of Hispanic, 15.8% of white, and 32.8% of Asian-American high school graduates doing so. [2] The Karabel Report states that these differences are “deeply rooted in larger patterns of racial and ethnic inequity” and that these differences “constitute a formidable problem…in trying to construct an admissions policy that is responsive to all of the major social groups that comprise California’s population. ” The Report adds, “How well Berkeley can respond to these challenges will be a crucial measure of its success as California struggles to adjust to the reality of multiculturalism. ” [3]
Decellularized Wharton jelly matrix: a biomimetic scaffold for ex vivo hematopoietic stem cell culture

Hematopoietic stem progenitor cells (HSPCs) reside in the bone marrow (BM) hematopoietic “niche,” a special 3-dimensional (3D) microenvironment that regulates HSPC self-renewal and multipotency. In this study, we evaluated a novel 3D in vitro culture system that uses components of the BM hematopoietic niche to expand umbilical cord blood (UCB) CD34 + cells. We developed this model using decellularized Wharton jelly matrix (DWJM) as an extracellular matrix (ECM) scaffold and human BM mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) as supporting niche cells. To assess the efficacy of this model in expanding CD34 + cells, we analyzed UCB CD34 + cells, following culture in DWJM, for proliferation, viability, self-renewal, multilineage differentiation, and transmigration capability. We found that DWJM significantly expanded UCB HSPC subset. It promoted UCB CD34 + cell quiescence, while maintaining their viability, differentiation potential with megakaryocytic differentiation bias, and clonogenic capacity. DWJM induced an increase in the frequency of c-kit + cells, a population with enhanced self-renewal ability, and in CXCR4 expression in CD34 + cells, which enhanced their transmigration capability. The presence of BM MSCs in DWJM, however, impaired UCB CD34 + cell transmigration and suppressed CXCR4 expression. Transcriptome analysis indicated that DWJM upregulates a set of genes that are specifically involved in megakaryocytic differentiation, cell mobility, and BM homing. Collectively, our results indicate that the DWJM-based 3D culture system is a novel in vitro model that supports the proliferation of UCB CD34 + cells with enhanced transmigration potential, while maintaining their differentiation potential. Our findings shed light on the interplay between DWJM and BM MSCs in supporting the ex vivo culture of human UCB CD34 + cells for use in clinical transplantation.
Dose-dependent Effects of Esmolol-epinephrine Combination Therapy in Myocardial Ischemia and Reperfusion Injury

Background Animal studies on cardiac arrest found that a combination of epinephrine with esmolol attenuates post-resuscitation myocardial dysfunction. Based on these findings, we hypothesized that esmololepinephrine combination therapy would be superior to a reported cardioprotective esmolol therapy alone in a mouse model of myocardial ischemia and reperfusion (IR) injury. Methods C57BL/6J mice were subjected to 60 min of myocardial ischemia and 120 min of reperfusion. Mice received either saline, esmolol (0.4 mg/kg/h), epinephrine (0.05 mg/kg/h), or esmolol combined with epinephrine (esmolol: 0.4 mg/kg/h or 0.8 mg/kg/h and epinephrine: 0.05 mg/kg/h) during reperfusion. After reperfusion, infarct sizes in the area-at-risk and serum cardiac troponin-I levels were determined. Hemodynamic effects of drugs infused were determined by measurements of heart rate (HR) and mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) via a carotid artery catheter. Results Esmolol during reperfusion resulted in robust cardioprotection (esmolol vs. saline: 24.3±8% vs. 40.6±3% infarct size), which was abolished by epinephrine co-administration (38.1±15% infarct size). Increasing the esmolol dose, however, was able to restore esmolol-cardioprotection in the epinephrine-esmolol (18.6±8% infarct size) co-treatment group with improved hemodynamics compared to the esmolol group (epinephrine-esmolol vs. esmolol: MAP 80 vs. 75 mmHg, HR 452 vs. 402 beats/min). Conclusion These results confirm earlier studies on esmolol-cardioprotection from myocardial IR-injury and demonstrate that a dose optimized epinephrine-esmolol co-treatment maintains esmolol-cardioprotection with improved hemodynamics compared to esmolol treatment alone. These findings might have implications for current clinical practice in hemodynamically unstable patients suffering from myocardial ischemia.
Reexamination of Whether Accrual Quality Is a Price Factor

In this study we investigate whether accrual quality is a factor in capital asset pricing. Our analysis consists of two parts. First, we use a panel data regression that controls for cross-section fixed effects to implement the second stage of the Fama-MacBeth regression (Petersen 2009). In the second part, we use the Campbell (1991) return decomposition and vector autoregressive model (VAR) to decompose the two-stage cross-sectional regressions. This allows us to investigate whether accrual quality is a priced factor in terms of the three components of the return, which include one-period expected return, cash flow news and discount-rate news.
An Athletic Coach-Delivered Middle School Gender Violence Prevention Program: A Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance Adolescent relationship abuse (ARA) and sexual violence (SV) reported among adolescents point to the need for prevention among middle school–age youths. Objective To test an athletic coach–delivered relationship abuse and sexual violence prevention program among middle school male athletes. Design, Setting, and Participants An unblinded cluster randomized clinical trial from spring 2015 to fall 2017 at 41 middle schools (38 clusters). The study included 973 male middle school athletes (ages 11-14 years; grades 6-8; participation rate 50%) followed up for 1 year (retention 86%). Interventions Coaching Boys Into Men (CBIM) is a prevention program that trains athletic coaches to talk to male athletes about (1) respectful relationship behaviors, (2) promoting more gender-equitable attitudes, and (3) positive bystander intervention when harmful behaviors among peers are witnessed. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was change in positive bystander behaviors (ie, intervening in peers’ disrespectful or harmful behaviors); secondary outcomes were changes in recognition of what constitutes abusive behavior, intentions to intervene, gender-equitable attitudes, and reduction in recent ARA/SV perpetration (at end of sports season and 1-year follow up). Results Of the 973 participants, 530 were white (54.5%), 282 were black (29.0%), 14 were Hispanic (1.4%), and the remainder were multiracial, other race/ethnicity, or not reported. Positive bystander behaviors increased at end of sports season and at 1-year follow-up (relative risk, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.06-2.16 and 1.53; 95% CI, 1.10-2.12, respectively) as did recognition of abuse (mean risk difference, 0.14; 95% CI, 0.01-0.27 and 0.14; 95% CI, 0.00-0.28, respectively). At 1-year follow-up, among those who ever dated, athletes on teams receiving CBIM had lower odds of reporting recent ARA/SV perpetration (odds ratio, 0.24; 95% CI, 0.09-0.65). Gender attitudes and intentions to intervene did not differ between study arms. In exploratory intensity-adjusted and per protocol analyses, athletes on teams receiving CBIM were more likely to report positive bystander behaviors and to endorse equitable gender attitudes and less likely to report ARA and sexual harassment perpetration 1 year later. Conclusions and Relevance An athletic coach–delivered program for middle school male athletes is an effective strategy for reducing relationship abuse among younger adolescents. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:NCT02331238
Rivalry and recovery: The social consequences of climatic hazards in rural India

Abstract Although damaging, the economic and physical consequences of disasters triggered by natural hazards can be mitigated by community recovery effects facilitated by strong social capital. How disasters affect social capital itself, though, is less known; they can serve to both coalesce and cleave communities in their aftermath. Using panel data from 23,000 households and 1,250 villages in rural India, this study aims to answer the following question: how do natural hazards shape social capital? Focusing on four different climatic hazards (droughts, floods, hailstorms, and cyclones) and four measures of social capital (social cohesion, collective efficacy, formal networks, and associational membership), we find divergent effects of hazards, depending on type and recency. Droughts inhibit new access to formal sources of social capital and encourage negative perceptions of social cohesion, but only in the short-term. In contrast, hailstorms encourage short-term building and long-term strengthening of formal networks for all, at the long-term expense of membership in communal organizations. In short, our results suggest that climatic hazards encourage short-term contention within communities while building infrastructure for long-term access to formal sources of authority and resources, although these effects vary by hazard type.
Polysilicon Grating Switches for LiDAR

Novel polysilicon grating switches are demonstrated, consisting of an optical grating suspended on a moving platform above a waveguide. Electrostatic attraction pulls the grating into close proximity to the waveguide, ejecting light out of the waveguide plane. The switches move only 0.9 to 1.4 $\mu \text{m}$ , and have MHz mechanical resonant frequencies, making them robust to mechanical vibration and shock. These switches enable a new mode of LiDAR imaging; by creating a focal plane array of switches, and coupling it with a standard camera lens, the LiDAR beam can be scanned across the scene with high speed and arbitrary pattern. Both time of flight and coherent ranging techniques are compatible with this approach. We have demonstrated a $10\times 10$ pixel array of these switches in a LiDAR system, collecting 3D raging data at up to 15 meters away and 5 frames per second, over a 1 degree field of view with 0.1 degree resolution. Additionally, we have shown the switches to be robust, efficient, and reliable, actuating at 15 Volts, with speeds faster than $4~\mu \text{s}$ , for over 9 billion cycles without degradation or failure. [2020-0132]
Ultrawide bandgap AlxGa1–xN channel heterostructure field transistors with drain currents exceeding 1.3 A mm−1

We report an Ultrawide Bandgap Al0.4Ga0.6N channel metal-oxide-semiconductor heterostructure field effect transistor with drain currents exceeding 1.33 A mm−1 (pulse) and 1.17 A mm−1 (DC), around a 2-fold increase over past reports. This increase was achieved by incorporating a hybrid barrier layer consisting of an AlN spacer, n-doped Al0.6Ga0.4N barrier and a thin reverse graded AlxGa1–xN (x from 0.60 to 0.30) cap layer. To enhance current spreading, a "perforated" channel layout comprising of narrow channel sections separated by current blocking islands was used. A composite ALD deposited ZrO2/Al2O3 film was used as gate dielectric. A breakdown field above 2 MV cm−1 was measured.
Joan Robinson on Keynes's Liquidity Preference Function and the Rate of Interest and Her Failure to Grasp the Connection between the General Theory, the Liquidity Preference Function, Uncertainty, and the Weight of the Evidence from the a Treatise on Probability

Joan Robinson did not understand the connection between Keynes’s concept of the weight of the evidence from the A treatise on Probability and the concept of the weight of the evidence from the General Theory. She mixed up Keynes’s concept of uncertainty, which is based on missing evidence or knowledge, with Shackle’s concept of uncertainty, which is based on the individual decision maker’s imagination and dreams about outcomes where all evidence is missing. For Keynes, the rate of interest is determined by his IS equation and his LP(LM) equation. Uncertainty is brought in as a shift parameter for both equations, schedules, or curves. Joan Robinson had to have seen Keynes’s 1937 article responding to Pigou in the Economic Journal that was sent to both Austin Robinson and Richard Kahn. Keynes explicitly states that his theory of the rate of interest is NOT that the interest rate is determined by the demand and supply of money. Keynes’s theory of the interest rate is an advanced version of his December, 1933 student lecture where he first put forth his IS and LP equations. The two places that Keynes brings all of the elements of his theory together is in Section IV of both Chapter 15 and 21. Section IV of Chapter 15 is brief. Section IV of chapter 21 is extremely detailed. R. Skidelsky has recently stated that the Post Keynesian school of economics is built on Joan Robinson’s work. Her work on Keynes’s theory of Liquidity preference is partially flawed. It is unclear how the flaws that currently exist can be fixed.
ddPCR Reveals SARS-CoV-2 Variants in Florida Wastewater

Wastewater was screened for the presence of functionally significant mutations in SARS-CoV-2 associated with emerging variants of concern (VOC) by ddPCR, and results accorded with sequencing of clinical samples from the same region. We propose that PCR-based screening of wastewater can provide a powerful tool for rapid and inexpensive screening of large population segments for VOC-associated mutations and can hone complementary sampling and sequencing of direct (human) test material to track emerging VOC.
No-Reference Image Quality Assessment Of T2-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Images In Prostate Cancer Patients

No-reference image quality assessment in magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is a challenging task due to the variable nature of these images and lack of standard quantification methods, which makes the interpretation to be almost always subjective. In this study, we propose an architecture where we: (i) extended the no-reference image quality assessment problem of MRI into a full-reference image quality assessment using unpaired generative adversarial network (GAN) and (ii) employed a weaklysupervised trained deep classifier to determine the quality of MR images by comparing each image with its synthetic higher quality reference image. Using this approach, we achieved 11.28% improvement in the accuracy of our MR image quality assessment algorithm on an independent data test with FPR in detecting low quality images, reduced from 13% to 9.6%.
Borders and Butterflies in José Manuel Prieto’s Livadia/Nocturnal Butterflies of the Russian Empire

In Cuban novelist Jose Manuel Prieto’s ‘Russian Trilogy’, and in particular, in the novel Livadia/Nocturnal Butterflies of the Russian Empire (1997), the experience of crossing borders and the reflection on how to pass safely, and often secretly, is vital. The geographical borders that take center stage are those of the former Soviet Union of the 1990s and adjacent Northern and Eastern countries as well as the Black Sea. In a first step, this essay examines the portrayals of changing borders, changing concepts of the border as well as the protagonist’s main strategies of border-crossing in the novel. In a second step, it explores the impact of a seemingly lighthearted metaphor, that of the butterfly and in particular its wings, to elucidate what I see as Prieto’s protagonist’s innovative approach of reacting to the experience of the border and his previous hyper-individualist attitudes when facing it. This experience is intrinsically linked to the role of writing and reading. Both hold a transcending potential for the narrator, as it is through acts of reading and reiterated attempts at writing that he begins to engage in a process of care for himself and others and devise transformative forms of being with others, even virtually, when a spatial or temporal separation prevents real encounters. His pondering on his previous restless crisscrossing of national confines may thus help, in the most fortunate moments, transcend spatial and conceptual confines and broaden what he calls the notion of an “imaginacion aduanal.”
Basics of Ventilation/Perfusion Abnormalities in Critically Ill Ventilated Patients

The effective and efficient transfer of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the lung and bloodstream depends on close matching of ventilation and perfusion. In this chapter, we introduce the theoretical basis of gas exchange in the lung, including quantification of ventilation-perfusion \( \left({\dot{V}}_{\mathrm{A}}/\dot{Q}\right) \) matching, shunt, and dead space. The multiple inert gas exchange technique (MIGET) is introduced as the fundamental method for measuring \( {\dot{V}}_{\mathrm{A}}/\dot{Q} \) relationships within the lung, along with clinically accessible measures of gas exchange. We then discuss measurements confirming that ventilation and perfusion are tightly matched in the normal lung, along with the importance of gravitational/positional and nongravitational (i.e., structural) factors affecting ventilation and perfusion. Aging, obesity, and lung disease also affect \( {\dot{V}}_{\mathrm{A}}/\dot{Q} \) relationships in important ways. Finally, we discuss the importance of ventilation-perfusion matching in the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) as well as the impact of prone positioning, positive airway pressure, and mechanical ventilation.
Developmental Defects of the Craniofacial Complex and Dentition: Scope and Challenges

Providers of oral health care are faced with rapid changes in knowledge related to the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of conditions affecting the oral and craniofacial health of the population. Advances in genomics, proteomics, microbiomics, and bioinformatics are changing the face of health care, and dentistry is morphing as a result of this new knowledge and these technologies. Personalized or individualized medicine will allow more accurate and confirmatory diagnostics and better prediction of an individual’s risk for certain conditions or diseases and help define optimal interventions and treatments. Tissue engineering, stem cell therapies, and designer protein and gene therapy are all becoming a reality and will help advance oral health care well beyond our current abilities and expectations. This text helps present our current diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for managing developmental defects of teeth and some craniofacial defects. This chapter provides a framework for our current understanding of the genetic and environmental etiologies associated with these conditions and directions for future diagnostics and therapies.
Existing and Desired Physical Education Activities in 126 Illinois Secondary Schools

(1951). Existing and Desired Physical Education Activities in 126 Illinois Secondary Schools. Research Quarterly. American Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation: Vol. 22, No. 3, pp. 345-355.
The Combined Use of Mannitol and Furosemide in Treatment of Elevated Intracranial Pressure: Timing, Dosage and Delivery

The effective use of combined mannitol and furosemide for the treatment of elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) has been previously described by Pollay, et al., 1983. In that study it was postulated that the enhanced reduction in ICP and the prolongation of the period of effectiveness of the combination therapy as compared to mannitol alone, was the result of an initial reversal of the blood-brain osmotic gradient with mannitol, and subsequent sustaining of this favorable gradient by the action of furosemide upon the renal tubule by preferential excretion of water over mannitol, thereby prolonging the effectiveness of a single mannitol dose.
From Politics to Efficiency in Choice of Law

This article proposes a comprehensive system for choice of law that is designed to enhance social wealth by focusing on individual rather than governmental interests. To the extent practicable, parties should be able to choose their governing law. In the absence of an explicit agreement, courts should apply rules that facilitate party choice or that select the law the parties likely would have contracted for -- that is, the law of the state with the comparative regulatory advantage. The system relies on clear rules that enable the parties to determine, at low cost and ex ante, what law applies to given conduct, and therefore to choose the applicable law by altering their conduct. State regulatory concerns are accounted for through explicit state legislation on choice of law rather than ad hoc judicial determination of the states' interests. The article shows how this system might be implemented through jurisdictional competition.
Automatically Hardening Web Applications Using Precise Tainting

Most web applications contain security vulnerabilities. The simple and natural ways of creating a web application are prone to SQL injection attacks and cross-site scripting attacks as well as other less common vulnerabilities. In response, many tools have been developed for detecting or mitigating common web application vulnerabilities. Existing techniques either require effort from the site developer or are prone to false positives. This paper presents a fully automated approach to securely hardening web applications. It is based on precisely tracking taintedness of data and checking specifically for dangerous content only in parts of commands and output that came from untrustworthy sources. Unlike previous work in which everything that is derived from tainted input is tainted, our approach precisely tracks taintedness within data values.
Scion-rootstock relationships with respect to height growth and foliar concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus in reciprocal grafts of Pinus caribaea var. hondurensis

Both scion and rootstock clones significantly influenced scion elongation and concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus in the scion foliage. Scion clone was the more important determinant. Scion clone × rootstock clone interactions were not significant. The ability of a clone to elongate as a scion was not correlated with its capacity to promote or retard scion elongation when used as a rootstock. Genetic differences in foliar nutrient concentrations appeared to reflect levels of nutrient demand, rather than the ability of roots to absorb nutrients. Nutrient demand of the rootstock can also explain negative correlations between nitrogen levels in rootstock clones and levels of both nitrogen and phosphorus in the scions. There was no significant relationship between scion elongation and foliar nitrogen concentrations of either rootstock or scion. The weak relationship between scion elongation and concentration of phosphorus in the rootstock apparently resulted from tissue dilution.
The Ethics of Life and Death: Advance Directives and End-of-Life Decision Making in Persons with Dementia

This article explores the ethics of end-of-life decision making for persons who competently execute advance directives and then suffer from dementia. This exploration is informed by a review of the relevant empirical and case law literature and current debate among legal scholars in this area. The analysis emphasizes the importance of (re)examining how moral normative ethical approaches (i.e., deontological, consequentialist, virtue-based) could better inform end-of-life decision making for all parties. Implications are considered that further individual needs and also honor societal demands. Recommendations are proposed that are designed to better integrate and utilize medical, legal, clinical, and public policy professional practice efforts.
A new QoS-guaranteed multichannel MAC protocol for multihop wireless networks

This new multichannel medium access control (MAC) protocol for multihop wireless networks can guarantee end-to-end quality of. service (QoS). Conventional IEEE 802.11 DCF can be used for multihop wireless networks because it is based on CSMA/CA, but it can not guarantee QoS. On the other hand, IEEE 802.11 PCF or HiperLAN/2 can guarantee QoS, but it is useful only on single-hop networks. In simulations, the new protocol demonstrated a high throughput with low delay and could support end-to-end QoS in wireless multihop networks.
The Effect of Providing Error-Flagging Support During Testing

We evaluated the effect of providing error-flagging, i.e., error detection but not error-correction support, during testing. We found that error-flagging is not a substitute for knowing the correct answer. It does not help students game the tutor. But, it does help students improve their test score.
Phase noise improvement using digitally controlled artificial dielectric

This paper presents a differential Colpitts voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) employing the digitally controlled artificial dielectric to reduce the substrate loss so as to improve the phase noise. This 12GHz VCO has a resonant tank built with transmission lines, and four-layer metal strips placed underneath the transmission lines to form an artificial dielectric. Three-bit control signal applied to an array of MOS switches will program the dielectrics constant. The proposed VCO was fabricated in a 0.13μm BiCMOS SiGe technology, and it achieved a phase noise of -106.7 dBc/Hz at 1MHz offset. The VCO core consumes 6.8mW from a 1.8V power supply.
A Design Case: Developing an Enhanced Version of the Diffusion Simulation Game

In this paper, we present a design case describing the creation of a new online version of the Diffusion Simulation Game (DSG). The DSG is a serious game that teaches change management strategies aligned with Rogers’ (2003) diffusion of innovations theory. The goal of the game is to promote the understanding of strategies that result in the adoption of an instructional innovation by the staff members of a fictional junior high school. The original board version of the game was created in the 1970s (Molenda and Rice, 1979) and was played as part of a course in the School of Education of a large Midwestern university. With the opening of a distance master’s program, the first online version of the game was developed in 2002 (Frick, Ludwig, Kim, & Huang, 2003). In order to overcome some of the limitations of the first online version, a new online version of the DSG was developed. This new version was rapidly prototyped first on paper and then in Flex Builder, ActionScript, PHP and MySQL. A rapid prototype approach (Tripp & Bichelmeyer, 1990) was utilized to iteratively design the user interface. In addition to describing the design process and rationale for design decisions, we also report results of play-tests and usability evaluations of seven recruited participants and how the information collected from these evaluations will help us to improve the current design.
Quality control of DNA with on-chip electrophoresis for oligonucleotide-array comparative genomic hybridization

Comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) is an effective tool for the detection of genomic copy number aberrations. Many conditions such as cancer and developmental disorders occur when modifications, such as amplifications or deletions, to the genome lead to changes in gene copy number. The use of oligonucleotide-array CGH (aCGH) provides a much more sensitive assay for the detection of genomic variance than traditional CGH methods. The Agilent 2100 bioanalyzer and associated RNA assays are now established industry standards for checking the integrity of RNA samples. Furthermore, the on-chip electrophoresis capabilities for DNA analysis play an important role in the quality-control assessment of DNA used in the context of aCGH. One important function of the bioanalyzer is to provide an assessment of the intactness of the input (genomic) DNA. For instance, current DNA amplification methods with φ 29 require an intact template but genomic DNA extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin embedded tissues exhibit a wide range of fragmentation patterns. It is extremely useful to know the quality of the DNA before using it in expensive and time-consuming reactions such as labeling and amplification. Here we look at the use of the bioanalyzer in the context of aCGH quality control, monitoring critical steps in the workflow including DNA amplification, digestion of template and labeling.
Rac Regulates Integrin-Mediated Spreading and Increased Adhesion of T Lymphocytes

Leukocyte adhesion to the extracellular matrix (ECM) is tightly controlled and is vital for the immune response. Circulating lymphocytes leave the bloodstream and adhere to ECM components at sites of inflammation and lymphoid tissues. Mechanisms for regulating T-lymphocyte–ECM adhesion include (i) an alteration in the affinity of cell surface integrin receptors for their extracellular ligands and (ii) an alteration of events following postreceptor occupancy (e.g., cell spreading). Whereas H-Ras and R-Ras were previously shown to affect T-cell adhesion by altering the affinity state of the integrin receptors, no signaling molecule has been identified for the second mechanism. In this study, we demonstrated that expression of an activated mutant of Rac triggered dramatic spreading of T cells and their increased adhesion on immobilized fibronectin in an integrin-dependent manner. This effect was not mimicked by expression of activated mutant forms of Rho, Cdc42, H-Ras, or ARF6, indicating the unique role of Rac in this event. The Rac-induced spreading was accompanied by specific cytoskeletal rearrangements. Also, a clustering of integrins at sites of cell adhesion and at the peripheral edges of spread cells was observed. We demonstrate that expression of RacV12 did not alter the level of expression of cell surface integrins or the affinity state of the integrin receptors. Moreover, our results indicate that Rac plays a role in the regulation of T-cell adhesion by a mechanism involving cell spreading, rather than by altering the level of expression or the affinity of the integrin receptors. Furthermore, we show that the Rac-mediated signaling pathway leading to spreading of T lymphocytes did not require activation of c-Jun kinase, serum response factor, or pp70S6 kinase but appeared to involve a phospholipid kinase.
Family genetic studies of panic disorder

A review of family and twin studies using specified diagnostic criteria shows the highly familial nature of panic disorder and suggests evidence for a genetic etiology. The population-based lifetime rates of panic disorder cross-nationally range between 1.2/100 and 2.4/100, whereas, the lifetime rates in first-degree relatives of panic probands range between 7.7/100 and 20.5/100. There is evidence from family and twin studies for the separation of panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. While there is a substantial comorbidity in individuals between panic disorder and major depression, these two disorders are separate conditions which are independently and specifically transmitted within families. The mode of transmission of panic disorder remains unclear. The high lifetime rates of panic disorder, strong evidence for vertical transmission, and the potential biological markers have increased interest in the application of modern linkage techniques. Several genetic linkage studies of panic disorder are ongoing.
Clinical Features Associated With an Asp380His Myocilin Mutation in a US Family With Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma

Purpose To determine the glaucoma phenotype of an American pedigree with the myocilin Asp380His. Design An observational case series study. Methods An observational case series study was used to examine a family in which an Asp380His myocilin mutation was segregating. Thirteen family members were examined and medical records were obtained on the remaining two individuals. Blood samples were collected from all 15 participants following the tenets of the Helsinki declaration under the auspices of the Oregon Health & Sciences University Institutional Review Board and screened for myocilin variants by denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography (dHPLC). Any DNA samples with dHPLC data different from the control sample were sequenced for base pair analysis. Results An Asp380His myocilin mutation was identified in eight members, seven of whom had primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). The eighth individual had high intraocular pressures (IOPs). The disease presents in this family with extremely high IOPs requiring trabeculectomies to control the pressure. The age at diagnosis ranged from 30 to 45. Conclusions This family with an Asp380His myocilin mutation presents with an intermediate phenotype between juvenile- and adult-onset glaucoma. The Asp380 amino acid residue appears to be important in myocilin function based on the finding that substitution of this amino acid with four different amino acids (His, Ala, Asn, or Gly) all result in a similar presentation of POAG that is intermediate between the more severe clinical presentations observed in individuals with the Pro370Leu or Lys423Glu variant and the milder findings in patients with the Gln368Stop mutation.
Thin end of the wedge

The principle fold of the pleckstrin homology domain, found in a subset of cytoskeletal and signal transduction proteins, is now revealed and will inform and direct functional studies.
A Low-Spin Alkylperoxo−Iron(III) Complex with Weak Fe−O and O−O Bonds: Implications for the Mechanism of Superoxide Reductase

The synthesis of a mononuclear, five-coordinate ferrous complex [([15]aneN4)FeII(SPh)](BF4) (1) is reported. This complex is a new model of the reduced active site of the enzyme superoxide reductase (SOR), which is comprised of a [(NHis)4(Scys)FeII] center. Complex 1 reacts with alkylhydroperoxides (tBuOOH, cumenylOOH) at low temperature to give a metastable, dark red intermediate (2a: R = tBu; 2b: R = cumenyl) that has been characterized by UV−vis, EPR, and resonance Raman spectroscopy. The UV−vis spectrum (−80 °C) reveals a 526 nm absorbance (e = 2150 M-1 cm-1) for 2a and a 527 nm absorbance (e = 1650 M-1 cm-1) for 2b, indicative of alkylperoxo-to-iron(III) LMCT transitions, and the EPR data (77 K) show that both intermediates are low-spin iron(III) complexes (g = 2.20 and 1.97). Definitive identification of the Fe(III)−OOR species comes from RR spectra, which give ν(Fe−O) = 612 (2a) and 615 (2b) cm-1, and ν(O−O) = 803 (2a) and 795 (2b) cm-1. The assignments for 2a were confirmed by 18O substitution (...
Amorphization processes in Au ion irradiated GaN at 150-300 K

Abstract Epitaxial single-crystal gallium nitride (GaN) films on sapphire were irradiated at temperatures between 150 and 300 K using 1.0 MeV Au 2+ ions over a range of fluences. The accumulation of disorder on the Ga sublattice has been investigated based on 2.0 MeV He + RBS along the 〈0 0 0 1〉-axial channeling direction. In general, the degree of disorder in the irradiated GaN increases at low doses and saturates at intermediate doses; at higher doses, a rapid amorphization process occurs as a result of the ingrowth of surface defects. Results from this study indicate that there may be a dynamic recovery stage on the Ga sublattice in GaN between 250 and 300 K. High-resolution TEM studies show that the microstructure in the disorder saturation stage contains a dense network of planar defects (basal-plane dislocation loops and stacking faults), while the more highly disordered regime includes amorphous domains and small crystalline zones that are randomly oriented.
Ubiquitous Superconductivity Near 4K in Salts of the BEDT-TTF/I System: Is There a Common Source?

Abstract An unusually large number of metallic and superconducting phases exist among the organic charge-transfer salts of the BEDT-TTF /I system [BEDT-TTF is bis(ethylenedithio)tetrathiafulvalene]. In addition to the well-known superconducting transitions near 1.4 K and ∼ 8 K in β-(ET)2I3 and β*-(ET)2I3, respectively, superconductivity near 4 K occurs in three other superconducting salts of this system, frequently in other conventionally synthesized salts, and in the products of thermally processed salts and chemically modified syntheses. A critical review of the literature of this system indicates that the source of superconductivity near 4 K in many cases is a β-like phase of (ET)2I3 stoichiometry. It is argued that superconductivity in the γ-(ET)3(I3)2.5 salt (onset Tc ∼ 4 K) has not been persuasively demonstrated and that the source of superconductivity likely is a β-phase component in α-β mixed-phase crystals.
Influence of electrical current on renal allograft

Abstract Kidneys were transplanted into 35 bilaterally nephrectomized adult mongrel dogs from randomly selected donors of similar weight. Currents ranging from 10 to 2550 microamperes were then passed through the allografts from silastic-covered mercury battery packs placed in subcutaneous pouches with a platinum cathode wire. Stainless steel anode wires used in various ways created electronegative fields about the implants in an attempt to inhibit lymphocyte infiltration and thus modify the rejection phenomenon. Survival in the experimental group did not significantly exceed that of controls. Microscopic examination of allografts in the experimental group demonstrated typical rejection changes. It is concluded that electrical current as employed in this study does not significantly modify the effect of the rejection phenomenon on renal allografts.
Ion-beam-enhanced adhesion of Au films on Si and SiO2

Abstract Samples consisting of 500 A Au evaporated onto Si and vitreous silica substrates were irradiated with beams of 15N, 31P, 19F, and 12C with energies between 3.0 and 6.8 MeV and fluences up to 1017 ions cm 2 . Adhesion was tested by the “Scotch tape pull test” (ST) and by abrading with a dry Q-tip (QT). For all beams, fluences were found that produced (ST) and (QT) adhesion on Si. For SiO2 substrates, adhesion was found only for the 31P irradiations, and this was (ST), but not (QT). Blisters 1–10 μm diameter were often found in the irradiated films on Si, probably due to desorption of adsorbed atmosphere gases. The irradiated SiO2 substrates always showed evidence of compaction (cracks and depressed regions), and fine scale film porosity was caused by the 31P irradiations. Although the predominant energy loss mechanism for those beams in those substrates is electronic, it is possible that atomic collisions can produce the observed adhesion.
Summary of DoD display acquisition workshops

Two industry-government workshops on the topic of improving DoD display acquisition convened at SPIE AeroSense '99 on the evenings of April 6th and 7th. The discussions focussed primarily on three issue areas; (1) Requirements, standardization, and commonality; (2) life cycle cost; and (3) commercial technology and practices. Suggestions coming out of these discussions included the following: Developing families of specifications; creating more economic incentives for commonality; not interfering with industry competition; improving DoD's information base; bringing greater visibility to the LCC implications of display choices; and changing DoD behavior to obtain greater access to commercial suppliers.
Woman, man and nationality in the writings of the Algerian reformist 'ulama

This study examines a selection of writings from al-Shihab, the Arabic-language mouthpiece of the prominent Algerian Islamic reformist Abd al-Hamid Ben Badis, on the topic of gender roles. From a close reading of various articles on the topic, this study reaches two general conclusions. First, it demonstrates that, in the process of describing the ideal Algerian man and woman, the men of al-Shihab found themselves articulating their vision of an Algerian nation which had, at its core, an Islamic essence. Second, and more importantly, the study reveals that, in expressing this religious conception of nation, the writers nevertheless freely shifted into secular, rationalist and empirical scientific modes of argumentation. As religious reformers and scholars, they naturally implemented religious modes of argumentation, citing the Qur'an in order to claim authority for their vision of ideal gender types. However, they did not rely purely on religious arguments. In order to illustrate these points, the writing...
Officials mark Landsat fortieth anniversary with look toward the future

With the first Landsat satellite having launched 40 years ago and the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) on track to launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., on 11 February 2013, officials from several U.S. federal science agencies took stock of some of the accomplishments of Landsat (the world's longest running Earth-observing satellite program), announced new tools for scientists working with Landsat data, and discussed some of the challenges facing the program during a 23 July briefing at the Newseum in Washington, D. C.
The Yankee West: Community Life on the Michigan Frontier

Susan Gray explores community formation among New England migrants to the Upper Midwest in the generation before the Civil War. Focusing on Kalamazoo County in southwestern Michigan, she examines how 'Yankees' moving west reconstructed familiar communal institutions on the frontier while confronting forces of profound socioeconomic change, particularly the rise of the market economy and the commercialization of agriculture. Gray argues that Yankee culture was a type of ethnic identity that was transplanted to the Midwest and reshaped there into a new regional identity. In chapters on settlement patterns, economic exchange, the family, religion, and politics, Gray traces the culture that the migrants established through their institutions as a defense against the uncertainty of the frontier. She demonstrates that although settlers sought rapid economic development, they remained wary of the threat that the resulting spirit of competition posed to their communal ideals. As isolated settlements developed into flourishing communities linked to eastern markets, however, Yankee culture was transformed. What was once a communal culture became a class culture, appropriated by a newly formed rural bourgeoisie to explain their success as the triumphant emergence of the Midwest and to identify their region as true America. |Using Charlotte, North Carolina, as a case study of the dynamics of racial change in the 'moderate' South, Davison Douglas analyzes the desegregation of the city's public schools from the Supreme Court's 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision through the early 1970s, when the city embarked upon the most ambitious school busing plan in the nation.
Spectral line intensities for the carbon isoelectronic sequence (Kr XXXI through Xe IL)

Abstract The intensities of transitions in the C-like ions Kr XXXI, Sr XXXIII, Zr XXXV, Mo XXXVII, Ru XXXIX, Pd XLI, Cd XLIII, Sn XLV, Te XLVII, and Xe IL have been calculated. Included in the calculation were the 46 levels of the configurations 2s22p2, 2s2p3, 2p4, 2s22p3s, 2s22p3p, and 2s22p3d. The intensities were calculated for the electron densities 1012, 1013, and 1014 cm−3 that are appropriate for tokamak plasmas.
The moderating role of gender in the relationship between religiosity and mental health in a sample of black American college students

In the current study gender was tested as a moderator of the relationship between religiosity and mental health among 218 black American college students. It was hypothesised that black women would be higher in religious engagement than black men, and that gender would moderate the relationship between religiosity and mental health. Contrary to hypotheses, no significant gender differences in religious engagement were found. However, moderated multiple regression analyses revealed that increases in religious engagement were predictive of lower anxiety and depression for black women, but higher anxiety for black men. Implications for addressing religion when counselling black college students are discussed.
The Common Anemias

LIKE fever, anemia is a sign of disease. It has many causes, most of them quite rare. In this article, advances in our understanding of only three of the most common forms of anemia will be discussed. These are thalassemia, iron deficiency, and, for want of a better name, "the anemia of chronic disease." I do not wish to slight either the importance or the interesting nature of advances in the understanding of other anemias. However, such disorders as sickle cell anemia; the hemolytic anemias caused by membrane defects of red blood cells, enzyme deficiencies, or antibodies; the megaloblastic anemias; the myelodysplastic anemias; and paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria will not be discussed here. The collective frequency with which these disorders occur does not approach that of thalassemia, iron deficiency, and the anemia of chronic disease (Fig 1). THE THALASSEMIAS The inclusion of thalassemia among the most common of the anemias may