cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Novel cardiac myofilament desensitizing factor released by endocardial and vascular endothelial cells.

BACKGROUNDRecent studies suggest that both endocardial endothelium and coronary vascular endothelium influence myocardial contraction, but the mediators responsible and their mechanisms of action are not well defined.METHODS AND RESULTSWe investigated the effects of cultured endocardial endothelial and vascular endothelial cell superfusate on contraction and intracellular calcium transients of isolated rat cardiac myocytes. Endothelial cell superfusate induced a potent negative inotropic effect, with a rapid reversible decrease in myocyte twitch amplitude, earlier twitch relaxation, and a significant increase in diastolic length. This effect was not associated with significant changes in intracellular calcium or pH; was not attributable to nitric oxide, prostanoids, cGMP, or protein kinase C activation; and did not involve pertussis toxin-sensitive G proteins. The activity was stable at 37 degrees C for several hours, was not destroyed by protease treatment, and was found in low-molecular-weight (< 1 kD) ...
Use of respiratory‐cardiovascular responses of rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) in identifying acute toxicity syndromes in fish: Part 3. Polar narcotics

The physiological responses of rainbow trout to acutely lethal aqueous concentrations of the suspected polar narcotics phenol, 2,4-dimethylphenol, aniline, 2-chloroaniline and 4-chloroaniline were examined. Visible signs of intoxication included tremors that progressed to whole-organism clonic seizures, followed by general depression and respiratory-cardiovascular collapse. Tremors and seizures were usually initiated with coughs. The most striking changes in the respiratory-cardiovascular parameters for all five toxicants included elevated cough frequency (coincident with seizures), ventilation frequency and hematocrit, and depressed gill oxygen uptake efficiency, arterial pH, total arterial oxygen and total arterial carbon dioxide. The physiological responses noted were attributed to the initial muscular activity associated with seizures followed by respiratory-cardiovascular collapse. Using phenol as a model compound, these effects were found to be reversible when intoxicated fish were exposed to chemical-free water. Principal components analyses of the physiological responses demonstrated that the 11 monitored variables were highly correlated. Interpretation of the principal components showed that responses within each toxicant-exposure group were distinct from those of the control group. The response data sets for the suspected polar narcotics (N = 20 fish) were combined with four fish acute toxicity syndromes (FATS) (N = 32 fish) previously described (respiratory uncoupler syndrome, respiratory irritant syndrome, acetylcholinesterase inhibitor syndrome and narcosis syndrome), and assessed using discriminant function analysis. This analysis showed that all 52 trout could be correctly classified into their respective FATS. As a result, two separate narcosis FATS, narcosis type I (previous work) and narcosis type II (this study), were defined. Identification of a narcosis type II syndrome supports the concept of developing quantitative structure-activity relationship models for polar narcotics in fish.
Simple model for charge-coupled devices

A theory for charge-coupled devices has been developed, based on the transient nature of charge flow in these devices. It has been shown that the limiting factor in charge-transport processes is that of diffusion, which gives a typical time of 10−8 s for 90% of charge transfer.
The Cultural Power of Law and the Cultural Enactment of Legality: The Case of Same-Sex Marriage

This paper examines the legal consciousness of same-sex couples with respect to marriage. Data from an interview-based study of 71 members of same-sex couples reveal strong consensus on the desirability of having samesex relationships legally recognized, and considerable variation in couples' attempts to enact marriage culturally through various practices, including the use of marriage-related terminology and public commitment rituals. I argue that some of these efforts to enact marriage culturally should also be read as attempts to enact legality in the absence of official law. The findings from this study challenge the idea that marginalized social actors will tend toward a resistant legal consciousness: Rather than seeking to avoid and evade legality in their everyday lives, most same-sex couples seem to embrace legality for its practical and symbolic resources, even as they stand "against the law" in their opposition to the exclusion of same-sex couples from the institution of legal marriage. Approaching marriage from the perspective of same-sex couples, this research demonstrates that the legal and cultural aspects of marriage are deeply intertwined. Cultural enactments of marriage enact legality even in the absence of official law, and many actors ascribe to law a cultural power that transcends its specific benefits and protections, the power to produce social and cultural equality.
Acoustic wavefronts and internal diffraction

Abstract We have developed new imaging methods for the study of ultrasonic waves in solids. The signal from a point source of ultrasound is detected as a function of space and time, revealing the acoustic wavefront (or group-velocity surface) striking a surface of the solid. By Fourier transforming the x-y-t “data cube” resulting from a short pulse on silicon, the internal diffraction of acoustic waves is observed.
Bridging Home and School Literacy Practices: Empowering Families of Recent Immigrant Children

This article reports on a family literacy program that began with the creation and implementation of a Welcome Center in an elementary school in the Southwest United States. This center was intended to be a place where recent immigrant students and their families, teachers, as well as other community members, came together to participate in literacy activities. While serving the intended purposes, the Welcome Center also proved to be a useful venue for the recent immigrant students and their families to develop language and literacy. Overall, this report points to the need for schools to provide explicit spaces and planned opportunities for newcomers to meaningfully enter in dialogue with their new linguistic and cultural communities.
Analysis of critical architectural and programming parameters in a hierarchical

Scalable shared-memory multiprocessors are the subject of much current research, but little is known about the performance behavior of these machines. This paper studies the performance effects of two machine characteristics and two program characteristics that seem to be major factors in determining the performance of a hierarchical shared-memory machine. We develop an analytical model of the traffic in a machine loosely based on Stanford's DASH multiprocessor and use program parameters extracted from multiprocessor traces to study its performance. It is shown that both locality in the data reference stream and the amount of data sharing in a program have an important impact on performance. Although less obvious, the bandwidth within each cluster in the hierarchy also has a significant performance effect. Optimizations that improve the intracluster cache coherence protocol or increase the bandwidth within a cluster can be quite effective.
The distinction between statistical significance and clinical importance

Abstract Statistical significance has become a major criterion to measure the importance of the results of the clinical trials. However, frequent misinterpretations of the meaning of statistical significance have led to rejection of clinically important data and to acceptance of clinically meaningless data. The present exposition explores the relationships between statistical significance, power, and clinical importance in order that clinical trials may be evaluated more completely and accurately.
Thermal Design of an Airborne Computer Chassis With Air-Cooled, Cast Pin Fin Coldwalls

This paper documents the thermal design process required to provide effective thermal management for an airborne computer, consisting of 24 modules (two P/S modules and 22 PWB modules), which are edge-cooled to two cast, pin fin coldwalls. The computer chassis is mounted in an electronics pod mounted underneath the centerline of an aircraft. The pod consists of several electronics bays and a self-contained, air-cycle, environmental control system (ECS). The computer chassis is mounted in the forward bay, and the ECS is mounted in the rear bay of the electronics pod. The ECS is an air-cycle refrigeration system, which operates on captured ram air directed by an inlet/diffuser to an expansion turbine. This turbine produces low-pressure, chilled air, which is then directed through an air-to-liquid, load heat exchanger to produce chilled liquid. The chilled liquid is piped through small liquid lines to the forward bay of the pod, where the air-cooled computer chassis is located. The chilled liquid is converted back to chilled air in an air-to-liquid heat exchanger. The chilled air is supplied to the forward bay volume and is drawn through the computer chassis coldwalls by a fan integral to the computer chassis. The temperature of the chilled air, produced in this manner, becomes a strong function of the altitude and flight speed of the aircraft
Partition of calcium and phosphorus excretion in the laying hen.

THE need for surgery as a prerequisite to the separate collection of urine and faeces in birds has restricted our knowledge of their excretion pattern. Recently, the nitrogenous excretions of chickens have been investigated1, but no data have as yet been published on the partition of calcium and phosphorus excretions. In order to study these excretions in laying hens, colostomies were performed by exteriorizing the distal end of the colon at a point between the ischium and the abdominal midline at the right side, approximately 1 in. anterior to the ventral lip of the cloaca, essentially as described by Ariyoshi2. In most birds the operation did not disturb egg production. For the collection of faeces, a polyethylene collar provided with a thread was sutured to the skin surrounding the exteriorized intestine, and a wide-mouth bottle of the same material screwed into the collar.
An Evaluation of Manding Across Functions Prior to Functional Communication Training.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether destructive behavior and manding were maintained by the same social reinforcers. A summary of 10 participants that met criteria for differentiated functional analysis and mand analysis results were included in this study. All participants were preschool-aged children with developmental disabilities who engaged in destructive behavior. All procedures were conducted in the participants’ homes by their parent with investigator coaching. Functional analyses (attention, escape, and tangible test conditions) of destructive behavior and manding were conducted within multielement designs and showed social functions. The functional analysis of destructive behavior and functional analysis of mands identified the same reinforcers for only 2 of the 10 participants. The analysis of mands identified a reinforcer that was not identified by the analysis of destructive behavior for 5 participants (over-identification), did not identify a reinforcer that was identified by the analysis of destructive behavior for 2 participants (under-identification), and identified mixed reinforcers (combination of over-identification and under-identification) for 1 participant. Results suggest that the analysis of destructive behavior and the analysis of mands identified different reinforcers and are not interchangeable.
The Interplay of Landscape Features and Social System on the Genetic Structure of a Primate Population: An Agent-Based Simulation Study Using “Tamarins”

Tamarins are small-bodied, forest-dwelling, callitrichines that live in groups containing one to a few adult individuals of each sex. Within these groups, reproduction is usually heavily skewed toward a single dominant male and dominant female, females commonly give birth to cooperatively reared twin offspring, and individuals of both sexes disperse, most often to adjacent groups. Throughout their geographic range, tamarin species are being subject to habitat loss and fragmentation, which may influence their ability to survive and disperse successfully. Here, we use a spatially explicit agent-based population genetics simulation toolkit (GENESYS) to explore the potential effects of social structure and landscape features on the population genetic structure of tamarin primates. We first model the population genetic consequences of tamarin social organization in a homogeneous landscape unconstrained by any barriers to gene flow. We then repeat our analyses using the same social system parameters but in different landscapes that either introduce a barrier to gene flow that restricts dispersal from one half of the model world to the other or divide the world into regions with differing “permeabilities” to dispersal. Our results demonstrate that, in our simulated populations, the social system of tamarins results in the clear and rapid genetic differentiation of social groups within a very short time frame. Over time, the limited dispersal of both males and females leads to a pattern of isolation by distance, as expected from a stepping-stone model of gene flow among groups. Introducing a barrier results in a somewhat more complex pattern: isolation by distance still obtains among social groups within regions on each side of the barrier, but the barrier has a much more significant effect on the structuring of genetic variation, leading to strong genetic differentiation among groups on opposite sides that becomes more pronounced over time. Introducing a region of limited dispersal permeability also results in strong differentiation of groups across that region, even though gene flow throughout the landscape is still possible. Our study demonstrates the utility of the GENESYS toolkit for modeling, in silico, the genetic consequences of many features of the social systems of primates and other group-living animals and for simultaneously exploring the effects of landscape features on spatial genetic structure.
Gender differences in diaphragmatic metabolic properties of the adult Sprague-Dawley rat.

Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats (> or = 180 days old) develop an obesity-exacerbated insulin resistance in contrast with female animals of the same strain. Given the fact the maintenance of muscle mass requires an adequate supply of insulin and active insulin receptors, we postulated that gender differences might exist in both protein content and metabolic properties of skeletal and cardiac muscle in adult Sprague-Dawley rats. Therefore, to test this hypothesis, we examined activities of bioenergetic enzymes and total protein content in the diaphragm, the heart and the plantaris muscle in 12-month-old male and female animals. Mean (+/- SD) body weights of male animals were significantly (P 0.05) existed in lactate dehydrogenase activity in any of the muscles studied. Finally, muscle protein concentration was significantly higher in female animals when compared to males (P < 0.05) in all muscles studied except the heart. These data support the hypothesis that gender differences exist for adult Sprague-Dawley rats in general and specific protein content of the diaphragm, locomotor muscles, and the heart.
The Vidicon As A Radiometric Sensor

Historically, television pick-up tubes have been used in the entertainment and/or commercial fields to pick up an event for display to an audience. The use of the vidicon as a radiometric sensor can be much more demanding on the tube and requires a more rigorous definition of terms to describe the performance of the tube.* The method of measuring these characteristics and the manner of stating the derived quantities, also, must be more quantitative and objective than previously needed.
Twilight observation of the forbidden O+ (²P-4 S) transition at 2470 Å

Rocket ultraviolet spectra obtained at twilight with a solar zenith angle of 110° show the presence of the forbidden ²P-4S transition of O+ at 2470 A. The observations were made with the spectrometer viewing toward the sunset horizon at an angle of 90° to the local vertical. At 140 km the observed emission rate is 175 ± 25 R, but this includes an estimated 55-R contribution from the coincident NO γ(0, 2) band. Both direct photo-ionization of atomic oxygen and photoelectron impact ionization are sources of excitation of the O−(²P) state, and the results of a model calculation are in good agreement with the data. Quenching of O+(²P) is ignored in the model, since most of the observed emission is produced above 300 km.
US assistance to Russian chemical weapons destruction: Identifying the next steps

Dr. Khripunov was in the Soviet Foreign Service until 1992 and participated in negotiating several arms control agreements. He is now Associate Director of the Center for International Trade and Security at the University of Georgia. Dr. Parshall was Director of Chemical Science in the Central Research Department of the DuPont Company until his retirement in 1992. Since then he has worked on National Research Council studies of the US programs to destroy both stockpile amd nonstockpile chemical warfare agents. He also served on the peer review panel for the Russian-American Joint Evaluation of Russian chemdemil technology. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
PLAQUE STUDIES WITH CERTAIN GROUP B ARBOVIRUSES. II. JAPANESE B ENCEPHALITIS VIRUS ON HAMSTER LIVER TISSUE CULTURES.

Summary1. Monolayer hamster liver tissue cultures proved to be highly susceptible to JBE virus on the basis of CPE titers. Primary HKTC, HLTC and mixed cultures were found to be equally sensitive for several virus strains. Secondary HLTC was less sensitive than the primary. 2. Nakayama and OCT-wild strains of JBE produced similar plaques on HLTC using the double agar overlay technique at 37°C, but the method was not as sensitive as CPE for virus detection. Plaques were 0.4-0.7 cm in diameter and clear with sharp boundaries. 3. Plaques were produced on secondary HLTC using the double agar overlay technique at 37°C . These were smaller, and hazy but in increased numbers. Mixed kidney and liver cultures failed to produce plaques.
P2P-R expression is genetically coregulated with components of the translation machinery and with PUM2, a translational repressor that associates with the P2P-R mRNA.

P2P-R is a nuclear protein with potential functional roles in the control of gene expression and mitosis. The P2P-R protein also interacts with the p53 and Rb1 tumor suppressor proteins. To search for additional functional associations of P2P-R, we employed the WebQTL database that contains the results of cDNA microarray analysis on forebrain, cerebellum, and hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) specimens of multiple BXD recombinant inbred strains of mice. Using WebQTL, gene products were identified that show genetically based coexpression with P2P-R. Initial studies identified general groups of mRNAs that share common functional roles and high covariation in expression with P2P-R. These functional groups involved the regulation of transcription, nucleotide binding, translation control, and ion transport. The findings related to translational mechanisms were further evaluated. In HSCs, expression of P2P-R mRNA demonstrates an impressive expression correlation with a group of gene products associated with translation; high expression of P2P-R specifically was associated with decreased expression of 29 ribosomal protein mRNAs. In all three tissues that were screened using the WebQTL database, a strong positive expression covariance between P2P-R and the Pum2 gene product also was observed. PUM2 is a member of the highly conserved Puf family of RNA binding proteins that often function as gene-specific translation regulators. The ability of Puf proteins to repress translation is mediated by their binding to specific elements located in the 3′ untranslated region (UTR) of their target mRNAs. To assess the functional significance of the strong genetic correlation in expression of P2P-R and PUM2, the 3′ UTR of the P2P-R mRNA was analyzed and found to contain one perfect consensus and two near-perfect consensus PUM2 binding sequences. PUM2 pull-down methods combined with reverse transcription and RT-PCR confirmed that PUM2 does indeed bind P2P-R mRNA. These results suggest that P2P-R expression may be translationally regulated by PUM2 and that P2P-R may modulate translation by influencing ribosomal protein gene expression. This study represents the first description of a RNA target for mammalian Puf proteins and the first molecular confirmation of information obtained using the WebQTL database. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Analysis and VLSI Realization of a Blind Beamforming Algorithm

We present the fixed-point analysis and VLSI realization of a maximum-power blind beamforming algorithm. This algorithm consists of the computation of a correlation matrix and its dominant eigenvector, and we propose that the latter be accomplished by the power method. After analyzing the numerical stability of the power method, we derive a division-free form of the algorithm. Based on a block-Toeplitz assumption, we design an FIR filter based system to realize both the correlation computation and the power method. Our ring processor, which is optimized to implement digital filters, is used as the core of the architecture. A special technique for dynamically switching filter inputs is shown to double the system throughput. VLSI design is discussed in detail and chip fabrication results are presented.
Crossing borders: reflections on the professional journey of a teacher educator in diaspora

Teacher education programs endeavor to prepare pre‐service teachers to teach in culturally diverse classrooms. These days, the canon of the teacher education field includes more than cursory attention to cultural diversity: the aspiration of sensitizing the awareness of neophytes to the variegated dimensions of diversity which define their prospective students is constantly featured as one of the central themes in the mission statements of many colleges of education. Infusing cultural diversity in teacher education can be informed by the experiences of foreign‐born scholars in the field: the way these scholars have shaped their academic communities and how the scholars themselves have been shaped by those communities. In this self‐exploratory paper, a foreign‐born and bred teacher educator reflects on her pathway to academia in the USA, the cultural principles and intellectual tools that prepared her to cross literal and metaphoric borders, the bumps and triumphs along the way, and the symbiotic impact of...
Developing a customer value-based theory of the firm

Just as it was inappropriate to characterize this as the development of a new theory of the firm, it also is premature to suggest that this commentary articulates a comprehensive customer value-based theory of the firm. The foundation for this theory was laid decades ago, and the ideas presented in this commentary must be more thoroughly developed before it can appropriately deemed a “theory of the firm.” However, as marketers, we should be committed to the proposition that the creation of customer value must be the reason for the firm’s existence and certainly for its success. Thus developing this theory further and testing the propositions that comprise it should be a high priority for marketing scholars.
Continued Gizzard Shad (Dorosoma cepedianum) Range Expansion in the Colorado River Basin

ABSTRACT. Gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum) was introduced to the Colorado River basin in 1996 as a result of unintentional stocking. It then rapidly spread into lakes and rivers in both the upper and lower Colorado River basins. We captured adult gizzard shad in the Yampa and White rivers in Colorado in 2012 during boat electrofishing surveys not specifically targeting gizzard shad. These captures document the range expansion of gizzard shad into these Green River tributaries. We also collected larval and young-of-year gizzard shad during seining surveys in backwaters of the middle Green River in 2012, thereby confirming that this species successfully reproduces and recruits in the Green River. The introduction and expansion of gizzard shad has the potential to negatively affect sport fisheries and native fish communities in the Colorado River basin.
Mother-child interactional correlates of maltreated and nonmaltreated children's play behavior

This study investigates maternal interactive styles and their relation to children's play and nonplay behaviors. Fifteen maltreated and 15 nonmaltreated preschool-aged children and their mothers were observed during a laboratory play session and during problem-solving situations. Children's play behaviors were later videotaped in the classroom and analyzed for the level of social participation and cognitive complexity. Results indicated that maltreated mothers were less involved with their children, used fewer physical and verbal strategies to direct their children's attention, and were more negative compared with nonmaltreated mothers. Higher levels of cognitive play were positively related to both maternal physical and verbal attention-directing behaviors, high maternal involvement, and positive affective tone. The role of maternal stimulation in children's play development and implications for intervention programs are discussed.
Special Education Teacher Quality and Preparation: Exposing Foundations, Constructing a New Model:

The authors trace changes in conceptions of special education teacher quality and preparation in response to developments in special education research, policy, and practice. This developmental arc is a backdrop for understanding contemporary special education practice and charting future directions for preparing special education teachers. Federal policy, and recent research on teaching and learning, and the response-to-intervention (RTI) movement require a shift in thinking about how to prepare quality special education teachers and the expertise they need to be effective. To function effectively in RTI and fulfill federal highly qualified teacher requirements, special education teachers must master an increasingly complex knowledge base and sophisticated repertoire of instructional practices. The authors contend that preservice preparation is inadequate for this purpose and that preparation for special education teaching should build upon an existing knowledge base and demonstrated competence in classr...
Affective expressions in groups and inferences about members' relational well-being: The effects of socially engaging and disengaging emotions.

Our findings draw attention to the interpersonal communication function of a relatively unexplored dimension of emotions—the level of social engagement versus disengagement. In four experiments, regardless of valence and target group gender, observers infer greater relational well-being (more cohesiveness and less conflict) between group members from socially engaging (sadness and appreciation) versus disengaging (anger and pride) emotion expressions. Supporting our argument that social (dis)engagement is a critical dimension communicated by these emotions, we demonstrate (1) that inferences about group members' self-interest mediate the effect of socially engaging emotions on cohesiveness and (2) that the influence of socially disengaging emotion expressions on inferences of conflict is attenuated when groups have collectivistic norms (i.e., members value a high level of social engagement). Furthermore, we show an important downstream consequence of these inferences of relational well-being: Groups that ...
Convergence of Regulatory Networks on the Pilus Locus of Streptococcus pneumoniae

The rlrA pilus locus of Streptococcus pneumoniae is an example of a pathogenicity island acquired through genetic recombination. Many acquired genetic elements commandeer preexisting networks of the new organism for transcriptional regulation. We hypothesized that the rlrA locus has integrated into transcriptional regulatory networks controlling expression of virulence factors important in adhesion and invasion. To test this hypothesis, we determined the impact on pilus expression of known regulators controlling adherence, including the two-component systems CbpR/S and HK/RR03 and the transcriptional regulators of divalent cation transporters MerR and PsaR in vitro and in vivo. It was determined that the pilus locus is down-regulated by preexisting networks designed for adhesion and cation transport/response and that its regulation occurs through RlrA. The pilus locus was found to participate in invasion specifically restricted to lung epithelial cells in vitro. While expression of pili had only a small effect on virulence with an intranasal infection model, pili were critically important with an intratracheal infection model. Thus, expression of pili appears to have become integrated into the regulatory circuits for lung-specific invasion by pneumococci.
Parameter-robust control design using a minimax method

A controller design method is presented that gives the best linear-quadratic-Gaussian closed-loop performance over a set of worst plant parameter changes. The design algorithm combines a multiplant optimal design code, SANDY, with a new worst parameter algorithm that uses a quadratic norm on parameter changes. The minimax algorithm is unique in the way it weights worst plants to expand the stable region in the parameter space. The method is applied to a two-mass/spring American Control Conference "benchmark" problem. A minimax controller is first designed for the case where the spring constant alone is uncertain. Next, several minimax controllers, including a reduced-order design, are synthesized for the benchmark problem where both masses and the spring constant are uncertain. The results show that minimax control provides near-optimal nominal performance with significant robustness and parameter margin improvements.
Defining the Disconnect Between In Vitro Models and Human Arrhythmogenic Disease Context Matters

Understanding the pathogenetic chain of events between genotype and phenotype is critical to the appropriate diagnosis and treatment of heritable diseases. Although our knowledge of the molecular substrate of many diseases continues to increase, identifying the mechanistic links between a susceptibility variant and disease expression remains a major challenge. A minority of mendelian diseases display complete clinical penetrance in individuals harboring known disease-causing mutations, with rare examples such as achondroplasia and Huntington disease. Even in the most well-characterized hereditary arrhythmia syndrome, the long-QT syndrome (LQTS), in which genotype-phenotype relationships and gene-specific management strategies1 exist for the most common molecular subtypes (LQTS 1 to 3), the reasons for incomplete penetrance and variable expression in this disease remain largely unknown. In fact, LQTS has relatively low penetrance; however, in those LQTS genotype-positive individuals who do exhibit symptoms, the initial presentation can be catastrophic, and all too often, families come to clinical attention as a result of aborted cardiac arrest or sudden cardiac death. Therefore, identification of disease-associated mutations in individuals at risk for heritable arrhythmogenic disorders is imperative for subsequent risk reduction in their family members and them. Article see p 1001 Over the past 10 to 15 years, it has been shown that mutations in SCN5A , the gene encoding the α subunit of the human cardiac sodium channel (Na v 1.5), have pleiotropic effects, including risk for type 3 LQTS, Brugada syndrome, progressive cardiac conduction disease, atrial fibrillation, sick sinus syndrome, sudden infant death syndrome, and dilated cardiomyopathy. This phenotypic plasticity is not unique to SCN5A , but is also observed with other cardiovascular disease–associated genes. For example, mutations in the cardiac ryanodine receptor gene, RYR2 , are associated with catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia and arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy. In the current issue of Circulation , Watanabe et al …
Understanding Marriage Dowry

The dowry problem has not been known to produce suicides elsewhere in the world. Women without dowries or adequate dowries often ended up in convents or religious homes in England or Italy. Suicides and murders of young women on account of their family's inability to gather the requisite amount of dowry is unique to South Asia. What then, one wonders, is the practice of dowry all about? Is it something that represents unremitting oppression to all women or are there aspects to the practice that can in fact be empowering to those who receive dowry? How do we begin to comprehend women's complicity in the giving and taking of dowry and what is the relationship between such actions and law? This review article is an attempt to answer some of these questions by surveying the existing literature on dowry.
Forest Fragmentation Hits Insectivorous Birds Hard

animal sciences, entomology, invertebrate zoology, vertebrate zoology, biodiversity, ecosystems and communities, environmental monitoring, forestry, tropical systems Habitats around the world, especially in the tropics, are being fragmented at a rapid rate, causing a tremendous loss of biodiversity[1]. For example, 12% of the approximately 10,000 bird species are threatened with extinction in the next 10 to 100 years, and another 8% are near-threatened[2]. This loss of species is likely to result in the collapse of significant ecosystem processes and free ecosystem services to people[3], such as pest control by insectivorous birds. Tropical forest insectivorous birds, such as antbirds, woodcreepers, and wrens, present a good example of an important, species-rich group of small, noncharismatic organisms who do not get much public attention, but whose demise may have significant negative ecological and financial consequences. They are among the species most likely to go extinct as a result of forest fragmentation[4] and their loss may result in insect pest outbreaks in tropical forests and surrounding agricultural areas. Finding out the causes of the disappearance of understory insectivores may help explain the disappearance of the other small, short-lived, and specialized bird species that comprise the majority (65%) of threatened bird species in the world[5]. In a recent study of the factors behind the disappearance of insectivorous birds in Costa Rican forest fragments reported in the
Improvements in high purity radioxenon sample preparation and analysis

This paper describes the production and analysis of high purity radioxenon samples. The University of Texas’ 1.1 MW TRIGA research reactor is used for radioactive sample production via neutron activation. The reactor’s facilities include a pneumatic system for precise irradiation of samples. In order to use the pneumatic facilities, gaseous samples have been encapsulated in quartz to fit into the polyethylene vials designed for the system. Enriched, stable, isotopically pure xenon gas is irradiated with neutrons in order to activate it to radioxenon isotopes, which are then measured with a β–γ coincidence system. The system enhancement and procedures to produce the radioxenon samples are described and examples of first of their kind measurements are shown for 125Xe, 127Xe, 129m Xe, and 137Xe.
Discrete algorithmic mathematics

Thoroughly revised for a one-semester course, this well-known and highly regarded book is an outstanding text for undergraduate discrete mathematics. It has been updated with new or extended discussions of order notation, generating functions, chaos, aspects of statistics, and computational biology. Written in a lively, clear style that talks to the reader, the book is unique for its emphasis on algorithmics and the inductive and recursive paradigms as central mathematical themes. It includes a broad variety of applications, not just to mathematics and computer science, but to natural and social science as well. A manual of selected solutions is available for sale to students; see sidebar. A complete solution manual is available free to instructors who have adopted the book as a required text.
Market-based power flow control with reduced wide-area impact

Applications of network control devices such as phase shifting transformers and flexible AC transmission system (FACTS) devices in power systems include congestion management and parallel flow reduction. In a market environment, it is common for these devices to be primarily operated for local congestion relief. However, this single objective control may not utilize the controller to its maximum extent. It may be possible for the device to both manage congestion and reduce parallel flow. This paper develops a two-level hierarchical multiobjective optimization method that determines the operating points of an area's network control devices for local congestion management and inter-area parallel flow reduction, as measured by a novel wide-area impact index. This index is comprised of the weighted sum of the changes in line flow over a large number of transmission lines caused by the operation of an adjacent area. The method and index are validated through an application to a 30-bus test system
Dating, Marriage, and Parenthood for HIV-Positive Heterosexual Puerto Rican Men Normalizing Perspectives on Everyday Life With HIV

HIV-positive men are living long and healthier lives while managing HIV as a chronic illness. Although research has extensively documented the experiences of illness of people living with HIV, dating, marriage, and fatherhood among heterosexual Latino men has not been examined. To address this gap, this study used a qualitative study design to examine patterns and strategies for dating, marriage, and parenthood among 24 HIV-positive heterosexual Puerto Rican men living in Boston. The findings in our study indicate that an HIV diagnosis does not necessarily deter men from having an active sexual life, marrying, or having children. In fact, for some of the men, engaging in these social and life-changing events is part of moving on and normalizing life with HIV; these men planned for, achieved, and interpreted these events in the context of establishing normalcy with HIV. Although the HIV diagnosis discouraged some men from engaging in sexual relations, getting married, or having children, others fulfilled these desires with strategies aimed to reconciling their HIV status in their personal life, including dating or marrying HIV-positive women only. Additional important themes identified in this study include the decision to disclose HIV status to new sexual partners as well as the decision to accept the risk of HIV transmission to a child or partner in order to fulfill desires of fatherhood. Understanding the personal struggles, decision-making patterns, and needs of HIV-positive heterosexual men can aid in designing interventions that support healthy living with HIV.
Radioresistance of Deinococcus radiodurans: functions necessary to survive ionizing radiation are also necessary to survive prolonged desiccation.

Forty-one ionizing radiation-sensitive strains of Deinococcus radiodurans were evaluated for their ability to survive 6 weeks of desiccation. All exhibited a substantial loss of viability upon rehydration compared with wild-type D. radiodurans. Examination of chromosomal DNA from desiccated cultures revealed a time-dependent increase in DNA damage, as measured by an increase in DNA double-strand breaks. The evidence presented suggests that D. radiodurans9 ionizing radiation resistance is incidental, a consequence of this organism9s adaptation to a common physiological stress, dehydration.
Fibroma of the musculofascial layers of the abdominal wall (desmoid tumors)

Abstract Desmoid tumors in many instances apparently arise secondary to trauma and their pathogenesis probably is related to a disturbance in the organization of the ensuing hematoma. Recent careful pathologic study of a large series of specimens removed at operation together with an analysis of the patients' subsequent postoperative histories indicate that these tumors are benign. The treatment of choice is wide surgical excision.
Respirable crystalline silica dust exposure during concrete finishing (grinding) using hand-held grinders in the construction industry

± ± ± SD of 1.16 ± 1.36 mg/m3. LEV on the grinders reduced the silica dust level significantly ( P < 0.01) compared to grinders without LEV. Increased wind velocity also reduced the silica dust concentration significantly (P < 0.03). Working upwind reduced the exposure to silica dust compared to working downwind, but the difference was not statistically significant. The time-weighted average concentration of silica dust in 69% of the samples exceeded the current recommended threshold limit value of 0.05 mg/m 3 , indicating a strong need to devise methods for controlling workers’
Peaceful societies prohibit violence

Purpose – Peaceful societies, groups of people described by social scientists as experiencing little if any internal or external violence, embrace the need for peacefulness, in contrast to most of the contemporary world, which accepts violence as normal and inevitable. The purpose of this article is to examine the ways that people in those societies view peacefulness, and to compare those ways with more “normal” violent societies.Design/methodology/approach – The approach taken is a literature review of salient trends about anti‐violence among some of the more highly peaceful societies, and comparable trends in two state‐level societies—Norway, a relatively peaceful state, and the USA, a relatively more violent one.Findings – The findings show that some of the peaceful societies avoid violence through nonresistance—not resisting aggression. In addition, many base their commitments to peacefulness on religious and mythological beliefs, though for others, peacefulness is based on cultural values or is seen ...
Does polyembryony confer a competitive advantage to the invasive perennial vine Vincetoxicum rossicum (Apocynaceae)

Determining which traits may allow some introduced plant species to become invasive in their new environment continues to be a key question in invasion biology. Vincetoxicum rossicum is an invasive, perennial vine colonizing natural and seminatural habitats primarily in the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada. More than half its seeds exhibit polyembryony, a relatively uncommon condition in which a single seed produces multiple seedlings. For evaluating the potential consequences of polyembryony on invasiveness, V. rossicum plants derived from seeds of three embryonic classes-singlets, doublets, and triplets (one, two, and three seedlings per seed, respectively)-were paired in all combinations intraspecifically and with the co-occurring native herbs Solidago canadensis and Asclepias syriaca in a greenhouse study. Vincetoxicum rossicum biomass was 25-55% greater and follicle production 55-100% greater under intraspecific competition compared with interspecific competition. However, within a competitive environment, follicle production varied little. Regardless of competitive environment, V. rossicum originating from seeds with a greater number of embryos typically performed no better than plants arising from seed with fewer embryos (singlets = doublets = triplets)-except intraspecifically where doublets outperformed singlets, and with S. canadensis where triplets outperformed singlets. Our findings suggest that overall performance and fitness of V. rossicum is higher in monocultures than in mixed stands and that its ability to invade new habitats may not be attributable to the production of polyembryonic seeds.
A biomechanical evaluation of skull-brain surrogates to blunt high-rate impacts to postmortem human subjects

The field of forensic injury biomechanics is an emerging field. Biomechanically validated tools may assist interdisciplinary teams of investigators in assessing mechanisms of blunt head trauma resulting in skull fractures. The objective of this study is to assess the biofidelity of spherical, frangible skull-brain (SB) surrogates. Blunt impacts were conducted at 20 m/s, using an instrumented 103 g rigid impactor, to the temporo-parietal region of four defleshed cephalic postmortem human subjects (PMHS). Force-deformation response, fracture tolerance, and fracture patterns were recorded for comparison to spherical skull-brain surrogates. Three brain substitutes were assessed: 10% gelatin, lead shot with Styrofoam and water. Force-deformation response of the skull-brain surrogates was similar to defleshed PMHS up to the point of fracture; however, none of the surrogates fractured at tolerance levels comparable to the PMHS. Fracture patterns of the skull-brain surrogates were linear and radiating, while PMHS fractures were all depressed, comminuted. Language: en
Cre-mediated recombination in rhombic lip derivatives.

To study the development of the cerebellum, we generated a transgenic mouse line Tg(malpha6-cre)B1LFR that expresses CRE recombinase under the GABA(A) receptor alpha6 subunit promoter. In this line, recombination of an R26R reporter allele occurred postnatally in granule cells of the cerebellum and dorsal cochlear nucleus, as well as in a subset of precerebellar nuclei in the brainstem. All neurons in which recombination occurred originated during embryogenesis from the rhombic lip. This might be explained by a very early specification event at the rhombic lip that primes cells derived from this structure to express the transgene during neuronal maturation. As no recombination occurred in the inferior olive, it may be derived from a distinct subset of precursors at the rhombic lip. No recombination occurred in any of the interneurons in the cerebellum (stellate cells, basket cells, and Golgi cells), consistent with the hypothesis that they are not derived from the same embryonic tissue as the granule cells.
Organization and Cell Cycle Periodic Expression of Human Histone Genes

In this chapter we will summarize several of the experimental approaches we have been taking to examine human histone genes. The structure and organization of human histone genes will be discussed, particularly within the context of the putative relationships of specific regions of the genes to their expression. Approaches to assessing the levels at which control of histone gene expression resides will also be considered. Results will be presented which suggest that: a) Human histone genes are a family of moderately reiterated sequences with variations in the structure, organization, and possibly in the regulation of the various copies. b) At least 15 different, though not necessarily all, human histone genes are coordinately expressed during the S phase of the cell cycle and appear to be temporally and functionally coupled with DNA replication. c) There are both transcriptional and post-transcriptional components to the regulation of those histone genes expressed in conjunction with DNA replication.
Directed Differentiation of V3 Interneurons from Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells.

Excitatory commissural V3 interneurons (INs) of the ventral spinal cord have been shown to balance locomotor rhythm regularity and robustness in vivo. Unfortunately, due to the scarcity of these ce...
Human-Centered Cognitive Orthoses: Artificial Intelligence for, Rather than Instead of, the People

This issue of AI Magazine includes six articles on cognitive orthoses, which we broadly conceive as technological approaches that amplify or enhance individual or team cognition across a wide range of goals and activities. The articles are grouped by how they relate to orthoses enhanced socio-technical team intelligence at three different cognitive levels—sensorimotor physical, professional learning, and networked knowledge.