cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Avoidance extinction in goldfish

Abstract Independent groups of goldfish trained to avoid shock in a shuttlebox situation were presented with several extinction procedures in which the relationships between the conditioned stimulus and shock were altered and/or response contingencies removed. Random shock presentations, equivalent to the number of shocks received during avoidance acquisition, resulted in response decrements similar to those obtained when the conditioned stimulus was presented alone. Pairing the conditioned stimulus with shock on every trial, however, served to maintain response levels. When response-contingent punishment was superimposed upon these Pavlovian pairings, performance was facilitated slightly although punishment alone resulted in somewhat faster response reduction than that produced by exposure only to the conditioned stimulus. Extinction of avoidance responding produced by exposure to the conditioned stimulus alone was dependent on the total duration of exposure and independent of both number of stimulus onsets and response prevention. These experiments demonstrated that, in general, the procedures used to reduce avoidance responding in rats were equally effective for goldfish, with one exception: the introduction of a Pavlovian contingency following avoidance acquisition, making the previously avoidable shock unavoidable, maintained response probabilities near previously established levels.
Off-line parameter identification of stochastic systems

The main objective of the present paper is to extend some previously reported results (Kudva-Narandra 1974) to a class of stochastic system. The parameter identification scheme suggested in this paper requires two different measurements associated with an open-loop and a closed-loop systems. The stability of the closed-loop system along with the knowledge on the order of system are assumed. The stochastic version of Lyapunov's second method, along with a modified Meyer-Kalman-Yakubovich (M.K.Y.) lemma is used in deriving the stability properties of the parameter identification scheme.
Infertility and genitourinary infection.

Abstract There is a vast amount of evidence linking the presence of genitourinary infection with infertility. Infection in either partner can result in specific effects on sperm function, accessory sexual gland dysfunction, and the induction of immunologic responses in either partner. Careful investigation for infection should be undertaken in everycouple with the complaint of infertility. Treatment needs to be individualized in each instance.
Continuous Relaxation Spectrum for Concrete Creep and its Incorporation into Microplane Model M4

Efficient numerical finite-element analysis of creeping concrete structures requires the use of Kelvin or Maxwell chain models, which are most conveniently identified from a continuous retardation ...
Assessment of dermal absorption and penetration of components of a fuel mixture (JP-8).

Abstract Occupational and environmental multi-chemical exposures are extremely common. Methods for assessment of the risks from dermal exposures to complex mixtures vary depending on the information available. The composition of a volatile mixture (such as JP-8 jet fuel) can change radically, depending on the phase of the mixture — vapor, liquid or aerosol. Assessing the absorption (into the skin) and penetration (through the skin) of components of the mixture can reduce uncertainty in the risk assessment process. Permeability coefficients of the 12 individual components that could be detected to penetrate the skin could be used to assess the toxicity of each individual component in the JP-8. The penetration of each of these components is related to and can be predicted from molecular weight and octanol water partition coefficients of that component. The composition of the components that penetrate the skin would be different from the composition of JP-8 because the permeability of the components differs by two orders of magnitude. Concentrations of the aliphatic chemicals found in the skin correlated well with carbon number. The JP-8 jet fuel is used as an example of how component data on absorption and penetration can be integrated into an assessment (McDougal et al., Toxicol Sci 2000; 55: 247–255). The component approach shows promise for estimating systemic toxicity of mixtures. Local toxicity (irritation, sensitization, etc.) may be better understood in the future when quantitative information becomes available about the duration and magnitude of chemical exposures required to cause local effects.
Application of a new virtual crystal approach for the study of disordered perovskites

Abstract The “virtual crystal” (VC) approach is a tractable way of studying configurationally disordered systems; the potentials which represent atoms of two or more elements are averaged into a composite atomic potential. This approach has the advantage that a single configuration with a smaller unit cell represents the disordered system. However, due to the different local environment of the virtual atom, some properties may not be reproduced. In this work, we develop a new virtual crystal approach and apply it to the study of the stress-induced phase transition in Pb(Zr 1/2 Ti 1/2 )O 3 . We compare four averaging algorithms for the construction of the virtual atom pseudo-potentials and we assess the accuracy of each by comparing with a superlattice prediction of the equations of state.
Management of generalized anxiety disorder in primary care: identifying the challenges and unmet needs.

Background: Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is one of the most common psychiatric disorders in primary care, although it is often underrecognized and undertreated. GAD is chronic, disabling, and associated with other health problems. Treatment response is often unsatisfactory, but the clinical evidence base for new treatments has expanded substantially in the past decade and suggests a growing range of options for reducing the burden of GAD. The objective of this article was to review current literature on GAD and its management to provide an overview of the clinical importance of GAD in primary care and available treatments.
Facing the role of the amygdala in emotional information processing.

The neurobiology of social information processing provides a fascinating window into human nature and how primate brains evolved to deal with challenges of living in large social groups. Faces and facial expressions of emotion are critical for social identification and for modulation of appropriate responding in social situations. The decoding of emotional information, and the subsequent integration of this information into choices about behavior appropriate to particular contexts, is an integral part of everyday human behavior. Although, for most humans, these systems may be primarily taxed now by reading emotional cues to avoid embarrassing faux pas in social situations, evolutionary pressure to develop these systems likely emphasized rapid and reliable detection of threats. Hadj-Bouziane et al. (1), in PNAS, make remarkable strides in understanding these neural mechanisms, by using an unusual and powerful combination of methodologies in a study of rhesus monkeys.
Ab initio equation of state of an organic molecular crystal: 1,1-diamino-2,2-dinitroethylene.

A complete equation of state for the molecular crystal 1,1 -diamino-2,2-dinitroethylene has been calculated from first principles for temperatures between 0 and 400 K, and for specific volumes from 61 to 83 cm 3 /mol, corresponding to relative volumes from 0.78 to 1.06. The calculated 300 K isotherm agrees very well with the experimentally measured pressure-volume relation reported by Peiris et al. (Peiris, S. M.; Wong, C. P.; Zerilli, F. J. J. Chem. Phys. 2004, 120, 8060). The volumetric thermal expansion coefficient is calculated to be 140 ppm/K at 300 K and atmospheric pressure and varies considerably with specific volume as well as temperature. The Gruneisen parameter varies significantly with temperature, but its variation with specific volume is small. The calculated specific heat (160 J/mol/K at 300 K and atmospheric pressure) has only a very small dependence on specific volume.
Athletes as Rape-Awareness Educators: Athletes for Sexual Responsibility

Sexual assault, including both date rape and gang rape, is an area of great concern for college students today. The University of Maine is addressing this serious national problem through a unique peer education program that enlists athletes as role models for appropriate social and sexual behavior, as well as of physical strength, agility, and stamina.
A comparison of numerical simulations and analytical theory of the dynamics of interacting magnetic vortices

Magnetostatic interactions between vortices in closely spaced planar structures are important for applications including vortex-based magnonic crystals and spin torque oscillator networks. Analytical theories that include magnetostatic interaction effects have been proposed but have not yet been rigorously tested. Here, we compare micromagnetic simulations of the dynamics of magnetic vortices confined in three disks in an equilateral triangle configuration to analytical theories that include coupling. Micromagnetic simulations show that the magnetostatic coupling between the disks leads to splitting of the gyrotropic resonance into three modes and that the frequency splitting increases with decreasing separation. The temporal profiles of the magnetization depend on the vortex polarities and chiralities; however, the frequencies depend only on the polarity combinations and will fall into one of two categories: all polarities equal or one polarity opposite to the others, where the latter leads to a larger frequency splitting. Although the magnitude of the splitting observed in the simulations is larger than what is expected based on purely dipolar interactions, a simple analytical model that assumes dipole-dipole coupling captures the functional form of the frequency splitting and the motion patterns just as well as more complex models.
Free vibration analysis of laminated composite truncated circular conical shells

All components of translatory and rotatory inertia are included. The applicability of linear shell theory due to Reissner is assumed, and governing equations are solved for the natural frequencies and mode shapes by using a combination of modal iteration and transfer matrix approach for different boundary conditions
Electronic Waste: A Growing Concern in Today's Environment

Over the recent past, the global market of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) has grown exponentially, while the lifespan of these products has become increasingly shorter. More of these products are ending up in rubbish dumps and recycling centers, posing a new challenge to policy makers. The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of the e-Waste problem and to put forward an estimation technique to calculate the growth of e-Waste.
Inhibition of rat salivary gland adenylate cyclase by glycosaminoglycans and high molecular weight polyanions

Abstract The effects of hyaluronic acid, chondroitin-4 and -6 sulphate, dermatan sulphate, heparin and the sulphated, polysugar dextran sulphate on membrane-associated adenylate cyclase were investigated in a plasma-membrane fraction derived from the glands. Adenylate-cyclase activity was inhibited in a dose-dependent fashion by all. The potency (concentration causing a 50 per cent inhibition (Ki) of adenylate cyclase activity) of each molecule varied with the degree of sulphation of the agent tested. The GTP and Gpp(NH)p activation of adenylate cyclase as well as basal-enzyme activity and of adenylate cyclase by isoproterenol (a β-adrenergic agonist) were inhibited; however, little effect on hormone binding (assessed by [3H]-dihydroalprenolol binding) was observed at Ki concentrations. Inhibition of NaF-activation of adenylate cyclase was not as pronounced as the other inhibitory effects. The findings suggested that the agents inhibited enzyme activity by action at or near the catalytic site; hence the effect of these molecules on forskolin activation of adenylate cyclase was investigated. The polyanions inhibited forskolin stimulation of the enzyme to the same degree that they had previously inhibited basal, GTP and hormonally-stimulated enzyme activity. Thus, these molecules inhibited adenylate cyclase by an action (perhaps charge-related) that directly effected the stabilization of catalytic site of the enzyme. Thus polyanions of the type tested can directly modulate adenylate-cyclase activity and may serve as potential regulatory molecules for various biologic functions which are cyclic-AMP dependent.
Size-exclusion chromatography of low-molecular-mass polymers using mesoporous silica.

Abstract In this study, the mesoporous silicas APMS-30 and MCM-41 were compared to a commercial silica, Nucleosil, in size-exclusion chromatography (SEC). Polystyrenes of various molecular masses ( M ) were passed through HPLC columns of the silicas (each column contained a single type of silica) and retention times were plotted as a function of log M for each type of silica. Linear fits to the data were used to identify regions of total exclusion, size exclusion, and total permeation in each of the three plots. Due to their small pore sizes, APMS-30 and MCM-41 (pore radii: 14.5 and 17.0 A from N 2 physisorption, respectively) did not exhibit a total permeation region even at M =104 g mol −1 (styrene monomer), while Nucleosil (pore radius: 57.9 A) showed total permeation at M =644 g mol −1 . These results indicate that mesoporous silica is better than Nucleosil in SEC of polymers with low M , making it useful in a variety of SEC applications including the determination of M for small molecules such as oligomers and oligopeptides. Interestingly, calculation of the radius of gyration, R g , of the largest polymer that still exhibits a size-exclusion effect proved to be a reasonable method of determining the pore diameters of each material, with estimated R g =8.9, 11.5, and 63.5 A for APMS-30, MCM-41, and Nucleosil, respectively.
Hexagonally shaped Bi–Te nanocrystals and Bi or Bi–Te/ceramic nanocomposites of high metal loading from mixed-metal oxide precursors

Bi or Bi–Te alloy/ceramic xerogel nanocomposites can be conveniently prepared at high total metal loading by hydrogen reduction of appropriate mixed-metal ceramic gels. Bi–Te nanoparticles having hexagonal shapes are formed and can be isolated free of the ceramic host matrix by chemical etching. These results serve as proof-of-concept (1) that nanostructured bismuth or bismuth alloy compositions can be synthesized in ceramic matrices at high loading utilizing selective reduction of mixed-metal oxide intermediates, and (2) that nanostructured bismuth phases in Bi/ceramic nanocomposites prepared via this synthesis strategy can be exposed through chemical etching of the ceramic phase.
Transmit/receive time-delay beam-forming optical architecture for phased-array antennas

A robust, compact, and efficient time-delay beam-forming optical architecture is introduced that operates in both the antenna transmit and receive modes.
Role of revascularization to treat chronic nonhealing fractures in ischemic limbs

The contribution of chronic limb ischemia to long-term nonunion of a lower extremity fracture was suggested in a single published case report from our group 13 years ago. We have since encountered three additional patients with nonunited lower extremity fractures occurring in limbs with arterial ischemia. In each of these four patients limb revascularization was undertaken in an effort to stimulate healing of the fracture. These patients had chronic (mean 6 months) nonunion of tibial (three) or femur (one) fractures associated with severe lower extremity ischemia (ankle/brachial index m = 0.33; range 0.24 to 0.5). All patients had histories of chronic lower extremity ischemia before the fracture (ischemic rest pain, 2; claudication, 2). All patients underwent angiography followed by lower extremity revascularization. Restoration of normal arterial supply to the fracture site was followed by healing of the fracture in all patients. To our knowledge, this represents the first reported series of patients undergoing elective limb revascularization to stimulate healing of the fracture. Widespread appreciation of this relationship by orthopedic surgeons may be of considerable clinical importance.
Evaluating scaled windowed variance methods for estimating the Hurst coefficient of time series

Three-scaled windowed variance methods (standard, linear regression detrended, and brdge detrended) for estimating the Hurst coefficient (H) are evaluated. The Hurst coefficient, with 0 < H < 1, characterizes self-similar decay in the time-series autocorrelation function. The scaled windowed variance methods estimate H for fractional Brownian motion (fBm) signals which are cumulative sums of fractional Gaussian noise (fGn) signals. For all three methods both the bias and standard deviation of estimates are less than 0.05 for series having N ≥ 2(9) points. Estimates for short series (N < 2(8)) are unreliable. To have a 0.95 probability of distinguishing between two signals with true H differing by 0.1, more than 2(15) points are needed. All three methods proved more reliable (based on bias and variance of estimates) than Hurst's rescaled range analysis, periodogram analysis, and autocorrelation analysis, and as reliable as dispersional analysis. The latter methods can only be applied to fGn or differences of fBm, while the scaled windowed variance methods must be applied to fBm or cumulative sums of fGn.
DRAM Scheduling Policy for GPGPU Architectures Based on a Potential Function

GPGPU architectures (applications) have several different characteristics compared to traditional CPU architectures (applications): highly multithreaded architectures and SIMD-execution behavior are the two important characteristics of GPGPU computing. In this paper, we propose a potential function that models the DRAM behavior in GPGPU architectures and a DRAM scheduling policy I±-SJF policy to minimize the potential function. The scheduling policy essentially chooses between SJF and FR-FCFS at run-time based on the number of requests from each thread and whether the thread has a row buffer hit.
Prognosis Factors for Survival in Cats After Removal of a Primary Lung Tumor: 21 Cases (1979–1994)

Objective—To identify possible prognostic factors for survival time in cats with a primary lung tumor after surgical excision. Study Design—Retrospective clinical study. Animal Population—21 cats with histologically confirmed primary lung tumors removed surgically. Methods—Medical records for cats treated between 1979 and 1994 at 14 participating veterinary referral hospitals were reviewed. Results—After surgical resection and recovery, 18 cats died from metastatic disease with a median survival time of 115 days (range, 13 to 1,526 days). Three cats were lost to follow-up at 119 days, 251 days, and 410 days after the surgical procedure. Contingency table analysis to determine if an association existed between clinical findings (breed, age, gender, body weight, clinical signs, duration of clinical signs, and radiographic findings) or histological features and survival time was performed. Only histological morphology of the primary lung tumor showed a significant association with survival time. Twelve cats with moderately differentiated tumors had a significantly longer survival time (median, 698 days; range, 19 to 1,526 days) than the nine cats with poorly differentiated tumors (median, 75 days; range, 13 to 634 days). Conclusions—Surgical resection of a solitary primary lung tumor in cats is indicated. Clinical Relevance—A poor prognosis for long-term survival is warranted for those cats having a poorly differentiated primary lung tumor.
Expression of axolotl DAZL RNA, a marker of germ plasm: widespread maternal RNA and onset of expression in germ cells approaching the gonad.

How germ cell specification occurs remains a fundamental question in embryogenesis. The embryos of several model organisms contain germ cell determinants (germ plasm) that segregate to germ cell precursors. In other animals, including mice, germ cells form in response to regulative mechanisms during development. To investigate germ cell determination in urodeles, where germ plasm has never been conclusively identified, we cloned a DAZ-like sequence from axolotls, Axdazl. Axdazl is homologous to Xdazl, a component of Xenopus germ plasm found in the vegetal pole of oocytes and eggs. Axdazl RNA is not localized in axolotl oocytes, and, furthermore, these oocytes do not contain the mitochondrial cloud that localizes Xdazl and other germ plasm components in Xenopus. Maternal Axdazl RNA is inherited in the animal cap and equatorial region of early embryos. At gastrula, neurula, and tailbud stages, Axdazl RNA is widely distributed. Axdazl first shows cell-specific expression in primordial germ cells (PGCs) approaching the gonad at stage 40, when nuage (germ plasm) appears in PGCs. These results suggest that, in axolotls, germ plasm components are insufficient to specify germ cells.
Automatic data recording station for the Tandem Van de Graaf at Argonne

Abstract One of the data handling stations for the Tandem Van de Graaff is described. Multiplexing techniques are used to record data from a group of multichannel analyzers. Data accumulated from four different types of multichannel analyzers is transferred to punched cards by using an I.B.M. 1622 high speed card reader-punch. Readout of a four hundred channel analyzer is completed in less than twenty sec. A digital plotter and control unit connected to the 1622 reader section allow for immediate plotting of the recorded data.
Binding of epididymal proteins to the spermatozoa of ram.

Zusammenfassung Bindung von Nebenhodenproteinen an Spermatozoen vom Widder Aus dem corpus epididymidis extrahierte und an Goldkolloid gebundene Glykoproteine und Proteine werden spezifisch an die Plasmamembran von Spermatozoen gebunden. Bei Spermatozoen, die den Nebenhodenkorper passiert haben, sind die Bindungsstellen fur Glykoproteine gesattigt. Bindungsorte fur Proteine befinden sich auf dem vorderen Teil von Spermatozoen aus dem Hoden, auf der gesamten Plasmamembran von Spermatozoen aus dem Nebenhodenkorper und auf dem hinteren Teil des Kopfes mit Ausnahme der Aquatorialsegmente der meisten Spermatozoen aus dem Nebenhodenschwanz. Die verwendete Technik ist einfach, schnell und zuverlassig.
A theoretical interpretation of upstreaming electrons and elevated conics on auroral field lines

Recent VIKING satellite observations in the auroral zone have shown the association of elevated ion conics (conics with a low energy cutoff above zero) with upward streaming electrons in the presence of low frequency electric field fluctuations. A self-consistent particle simulation was developed which assumed the presence of a steady state electric field on auroral zone field lines capable of accelerating ions up the magnetic field lines. Results from this study show that a low frequency ion-ion two stream instability can be excited. This low frequency instability creates a fluctuating electric field which heats the ions oblique to the magnetic field forming distributions similar to the elevated ion conics. The ion-ion waves also interact resonantly with electrons and accelerates them in the direction of the ion beam.
Historiography and transformation of ethnic identity in the Mongol Empire: the Öng’üt case

Throughout their history, Inner Asian empires used familiar imperial institutions to rapidly impose new ethnic designations and their attendant languages, such as ‘Turk’ or ‘Mongol’, on their subjects. The swiftness of this integration into new ethnic designations should not be taken to mean that this integration was painless, however. In the well-documented Mongol empire, for example, this incorporation was extremely traumatic for many Inner Asian ethnic groups, even where the subordinate local elites achieved high status in the new regime. This may be seen in the case of the Ong’ut, a Christian Turkic-speaking people of Inner Mongolia whose rulers then became key marriage partners of the Mongol aristocracy. Successive iterations of the origin story of the Ong’ut rulers show how these histories went through vast changes as they were forcibly incorporated into the new empire, and dealt with the internal conflicts sparked by that incorporation. Previously central parts of their historic past, such as Chris...
Artificial satellites as ground-truth objects for IOTA

To test the ability of the Infrared-Optical Telescope Array (IOTA) to 'map' complex objects, the IOTA project team plans to make 'ground-truth' observations of man-made objects in space. However, not all satellites and rocket bodies are suitable since there will be instrumental limitations on the brightness, angular size, angular speed, and the apparent structural complexity of the observed object. More than 200 objects with the requisite characteristics are identified. The GPS satellites, in particular, offer some interesting possibilities for instrumental testing and 'mapping'.
How the Federal Government Zoned America The Federal Housing Administration and Zoning

Zoning has had an unmistakable impact on the American built environment. It is very significant then that federal policy has had an impact on zoning. The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) has be...
Small-Scale Pattern of a California Current Zooplankton Assemblage*

The small-scale vertical (10′s of meters) and horizontal (100′s to 1000′s of meters) distribution of zooplankton in the California Current near Guadalupe Island, Baja California, Mexico was studied. Vertical distributions were sampled using a vertically-towed Longhurst-Hardy Plankton Recorder (LHPR) which gave a sequence of samples, each integrated over about 5 m, from 250 m to the surface. Because of the sampling biases of the LHPR, details in vertical structure of less than 15 to 20 m were not considered. The pattern of the vertical tows and the variability of the integrated counts of species were used to infer horizontal distribution. Four series of 8 tows each were taken around noon and midnight over a 2-day period. Four of the 8 tows in each series were randomly positioned within 2000 m of a parachute drogue (first day) or a fixed geographic position (second day); four were replicate tows taken at the drogue or the fixed position. Sixty-seven taxonomic categories were counted. The replicate tows, separated by no more than a few hundred meters, gave more similar vertical profiles for species than did the random tows, with separations of 100′s to 1000′s of meters. The night replicate tows showed less variability in depth distribution than did either the night random or any of the day tows, leading to the hypothesis that the vertical distributions observed were generated by interactions of the organisms' diel behavior with internal waves. Variability of abundance estimates using the integrated counts was the same for both replicate and random tows, indicating that horizontal patches may be smaller than 100 m. No evidence was found for a day-night change in patch size, or for a consistent overlapping of patches of different species. Replicate tows gave more similar estimates of community structure (relative proportions of species) than did random tows. Overall day community structure was more similar between tows than night structure. Similarities in species' proportions of any random tow to the replicate tows or to other random tows of a series decreased with increasing distance between the tows being compared. This decrease was greater for the night samples, suggesting that community structure is more heterogeneous at night.
Dependence of transconductance on substrate bias in ultrathin silicon-on-insulator MOS transistors

A simple model is presented to explain the dependence of the transconductance on the substrate bias in ultrathin silicon-on-insulator MOS transistors. Good agreement with experimental data is found. The model can also be used to predict the dependence of transconductance on the underlying oxide thickness.
ViBE video database system: an update and further studies

ABSTRACT In this paper we extend the shot transition detection component of the ViBE video database system to includegradual scene changes. ViBE (Video Indexing and Browsing Environment) , a browseable/searchable paradigm fororganizing video data containing a large number of sequences, is being developed at Purdue as a testbed to exploreideas and concepts in video databases.We also present results on the performance ofour cut detection algorithm using a large test set. The performancecf two other techniques are compared against our method.Keywords: video database, shot transition detection, regression tree 1. INTRODUCTION In recent years there has been a great interest in designing and building systems that organize and search video databased on its content.1 Previously we have described an integrated video database system known as ViBE (videoindexing and browsing environment) for managing large amounts of video.25 In ViBE a variety of algorithms andtechniques for processing, representing, and managing video are tightly integrated into a single system which canhe scaled to large database sizes and extended to a wide variety of functionalities. The major components of the
A hook-traction technique for norplant removal

We describe a simple technique to facilitate the removal of difficult-to-remove Norplant implants. Through a standard skin incision for Norplant removal, the fibrous capsule surrounding the implant is secured using either a dermatologic skin hook or a 25-gauge hypodermic needle fashioned into a hook with a hemostat. Traction is applied to bring the fibrous sheath into the incision site, where the implant tip is dissected free using a scalpel. The precisely localized countertraction afforded by this technique provides increased accuracy and speed for the removal of difficult-to-extract implants. Tissue trauma is minimized and the need to extend the skin incision is reduced.
Expression and regulation of the rnc and pdxJ operons of Escherichia coli

Escherichia coli rnc–era–recO operon (rnc operon) expression is negatively autoregulated at the level of message stability by ribonuclease III (RNase III), which is encoded by the rnc gene. RNase III, a double-stranded RNA-specific endoribonuclease involved in rRNA and mRNA processing and degradation, cleaves a stem-loop structure in the 5′ untranslated leader, initiating rapid decay of the rnc operon mRNA. Here, we examine rnc operon expression and regulation in greater detail. Northern, primer extension, and lacZ fusion analyses show that a single promoter (rncP ) specifies two principal mRNAs: the 1.9 kb rnc–era transcript and the less-abundant 3.7 kb RNA encoding rnc–era–recO and the downstream pdxJ and acpS genes. A 1.3 kb pdxJ–acpS RNA is transcribed from a promoter (pdxP ) located within recO. About 70% of pdxJ transcription depends on transcription from rncP. Both promoters were characterized genetically. RNase III reduces 1.9 kb and 3.7 kb transcript levels and stability, and corresponding effects are seen with genetic fusions. These detailed studies enabled us to show that the first 378 nucleotides of the rnc transcript comprise a portable RNA stability element (rncO) that contains all of the cis-acting elements required for RNase III-initiated decay of the rnc mRNA as well as the heterologous lacZ transcript. Moreover, mutations in rncO that block RNase III cleavage also block control, showing that RNase III initiates mRNA decay by cleaving at a single site.
Conventional analytical methods for chemical warfare agents

Analytical methods that are currently used for the detection and identification of chemical warfare agents are reviewed and classified by the number of dimensions of infor- mation they provide. Single-dimensional sensors target specific compounds or classes of compounds. Although they can be less expensive and more portable than multidimensional sensors, multidimensional sensors detect a broader threat spectrum with greater precision and accuracy. The recommendation for analytical field verification during inspections under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) is to use simple two-dimensional analytical methods, such as gas chromatography (GC) or ion mobility spectrometry (IMS), for on-site screening of chemical weapons (CW) agents or to fully equip a modern, mobile analytical laboratory located in an airplane, which can be moved rapidly throughout the world to each inspection site and provide high-quality analytical data on-site.
Do a Firm's Equity Returns Reflect the Risk of Its Pension Plan?

This paper examines the empirical question of whether systematic equity risk of US firms as measured by beta from the capital asset pricing model reflects the risk of their pension plans. There are a number of reasons to suspect that it might not. Chief among them is the opaque set of accounting rules used to report pension assets, liabilities, and expenses. Pension plan assets and liabilities are off-balance sheet and are often viewed as segregated from the rest of the firm, with its own trustees. Pension accounting rules are complicated. Furthermore, the role of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation clouds the real relation between pension plan risk and firm equity risk. The empirical findings in this paper are consistent with the hypothesis that equity risk does reflect the risk of the firm's pension plan despite arcane accounting rules for pensions. This finding is consistent with informational efficiency of the capital markets. It also has implications for corporate finance practice in the determination of the cost of capital for capital budgeting. Standard procedure uses de-leveraged equity return betas to infer the cost of capital for operating assets. But the de-leveraged betas are not adjusted for the risk of the pension assets and liabilities. Failure to make this adjustment typically biases upward estimates of the discount rate for capital budgeting. The magnitude of the bias is shown here to be large for a number of well-known US companies. This bias can result in positive net present value projects being rejected.
Research trends in teens’ health information behaviour: a review of the literature

Objective This study aims to examine trends in studies of teens’ health information behaviour. Methods Eighty-two articles published between 2000 and 2012 were selected and analysed in various aspects: health topics by year, information sources, data collection methods, use of theories and models, collaborative and interdisciplinary efforts and published journals. Results Fifty-seven per cent of the studies focused on specific health topics, such as sexual health, while the rest covered general health topics. Almost half of the studies examined how teens search for and use health information on the Internet. Surveys were the most popular data collection technique. Only 12.2% were based on a theory or model. About 42% were conducted collaboratively by authors from multiple disciplines. Discussion and Conclusions With the increasing attention to specific health topics and online resources, the health information behaviour of teens has been examined more frequently since the mid-2000s. Its interdisciplinary nature was evidently shown from various disciplines that the authors were affiliated with and the journals of the published studies represented. This study suggests that there should be efforts to reflect new technology tools, apply mixed methods and increase the engagement level of collaboration to evolve this research domain.
Gold nanoparticle-labeled biosensor for rapid and sensitive detection of bacterial pathogens

Escherichia coli O157:H7 is one of the major foodborne bacterial pathogens and also a biodefense agent. To ensure food safety and public health, it is very important to develop rapid methods for E. coli O157:H7 detection. In this study, we designed a nanoparticle-labeled biosensor for the rapid detection of E. coli O157:H7 in broth. Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) were conjugated with monoclonal antibodies (Abs) to separate target E. coli O157:H7 cells from broth samples. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were conjugated with polyclonal Abs, and were then introduced to the MNP-target complex to form a sandwich MNP-target-AuNP. By measuring the amount of AuNPs through an electrochemical method, the presence and the amount of the target bacteria were determined. Results showed a sensitivity of 101 colony forming units per milliliter (cfu/ml) with a linear range of 101–106 cfu/ml. Compared to conventional culture plating methods, the biosensor reduced the detection time from 2 to 4 days to less than 1 hour with a simple target extraction method. The AuNP-labeled biosensor has potential applications in the rapid detection of infectious agents for public health, biodefense, and food/water safety.
Establishment of outcome-related analytic performance goals.

Background: Accrediting organizations require laboratories to establish analytic performance criteria that ensure their tests provide results of the high quality required for patient care. However, the procedures for instituting performance criteria that are directly linked to the needs of medical practice are not well established, and therefore alternative strategies often are used to create and implement surrogate performance standards. Content: We reviewed 6 approaches for establishing outcome-related analytic performance goals: (a) limits defined by regulations and external assessment programs, (b) limits based on biologic variation, (c) limits based on surveys of clinicians about their needs, (d) limits based on effects on guideline driven medical decisions, (e) limits based on analysis of patterns for ordering follow-up clinical tests, and (f) limits based on formal medical decision models. Performance criteria were tabulated for 12 common chemistry analytes and 4 routine hematology tests. Conclusions: There is no consensus currently about the preferred methods for establishing medically necessary analytic performance limits. The various methods reviewed give considerably different performance limits. The analytic performance limits claimed by a laboratory should correspond to those limits that can be reliably maintained based on validated QC monitoring systems. These limits generally are larger than the observed CVs and bias parameters collected for assay validation. There is a major need for increased communication among laboratorians and clinicians on this topic, especially when the analytic performance limits that can be consistently maintained by a laboratory are inconsistent with the expectations of health care providers.
A novel mechanism of pacemaker control that depends on high levels of cAMP and PKA-dependent phosphorylation: a precisely controlled biological clock.

See related article, pages 505–514 The mammalian heart has remarkable intrinsic rhythmic properties. It is widely agreed that spontaneous diastolic depolarizations (DDs) in sino-atrial node cells (SANCs) periodically initiate action potentials (AP), which set the rhythm of the heart.1 Efforts to understand the origin of the pacemaker activity have a lengthy history and the subject has, for various technical reasons, proved somewhat intractable. Any explanation of pacemaker activity must address three central issues. First, how do DDs arise? Second, what determines their periodicity? And third, how is the rate modulated? In this issue of Circulation Research , Vinogradova and her colleagues2 offer some novel observations that go far toward explaining these issues. The article, which is the most recent of an exhaustive series of experiments from Dr Lakatta’s group, offers an explanation of the control of pacemaker activity based on both biophysical and biochemical observations, integrated with appropriate mathematical modeling (see supplement). This work depends on the central idea that pacemaking involves complex interactions within a multi-molecular complex that resides in both sarcolemmal and SR membranes. An attractive feature of this work is that it suggests a number of interesting structural and functional avenues of investigation that are amenable to contemporary biophysical methods, particularly confocal microscopy. No single current by itself is responsible for DD. It is the sum of at least 6 ionic currents: I kr, I f, I st, I Ca (with two components: I Ca-T and I Ca-L), and I NCX.1,3 In a previous study, Bogdanov et al4 show that sodium–calcium exchanger (NCX) is of crucial importance to maintaining pacemaker activity. A more complete discussion of the temporal relationships between these various currents is reviewed elsewhere.5 Dr Lakatta’s group have emphasized the importance of the involvement of …
Shedding Light on Impaired Efferocytosis and Nonresolving Inflammation

Nonresolving inflammation contributes to tissue damage and organ dysfunction in a wide array of pathologies, including cardiovascular disease. At the interface between inflammation and inflammation-resolution is the macrophage. Macrophage engulfment of apoptotic cells (efferocytosis) during immune cell turnover triggers activation of intra- and inter-cellular immunosuppressive signaling networks. In diseases of aging and obesity, accumulating evidence indicates that efferocytosis is impaired; the underlying mechanisms of which are unclear. In the current issue of Circulation Research, Driscoll et al., reveal that deficiency of the metalloproteinase ADAM17 prevents shedding of the apoptotic cell receptor CD36 from macrophages to enhance efferocytosis and inflammation resolution during peritonitis. These findings implicate proteolysis of apoptotic cell receptors as one explanation for defective efferocytosis-directed inflammation resolution during disease. Future studies are warranted to test the significance of these findings during cardiovascular syndromes and in other cases of nonresolving inflammation.
Body-Worn Distributed MIMO System

In this paper, we analyze the performance of novel wearable multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) systems, which consist of multiple electrotextile wearable antennas distributed at different locations on human clothing. For wearable applications, a semidirectional radiation pattern of the wearable patch antenna is preferred over an omnidirectional radiation of conventional dipole antennas to avoid unnecessary radiation exposure to the human body and radiation losses. Additionally, the spatial distribution of the antennas is not constrained as a typical handheld unit. Through theoretical modeling and simulation, the wearable MIMO system is shown to demonstrate a significantly higher channel capacity than a conventional system on a handheld platform (e.g., a compact dipole array or a single dipole), due to enhanced spatial diversity and antenna pattern diversity. The unique effects of antenna directivity and location on the MIMO system capacity are investigated in terms of antenna correlation and effective gain under different wireless channel models. The advantage of a wearable system over a conventional system was further confirmed by detailed physical modeling through the combination of full-wave electromagnetic and ray-tracing simulations. Finally, complex channel response matrices were measured to characterize the performance of a body-worn MIMO system in comparison with a reference full-size dipole antenna. The 319% improvement in 10% outage capacity for the body-worn system over the reference system made of a full-size dipole antenna is consistent with the 288% improvement projected by theoretical modeling and the average 300% improvement found in the physical simulation of two typical indoor scenarios.
Computational approaches for the design of peptides with anti-breast cancer properties

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women. Tamoxifen is the preferred drug for estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer treatment, yet many of these cancers are intrinsically resistant to tamoxifen or acquire resistance during treatment. Therefore, scientists are searching for breast cancer drugs that have different molecular targets. Methodology: Recently, a computational approach was used to successfully design peptides that are new lead compounds against breast cancer. We used replica exchange molecular dynamics to predict the structure and dynamics of active peptides, leading to the discovery of smaller bioactive peptides. Conclusions: These analogs inhibit estrogen-dependent cell growth in a mouse uterine growth assay, a test showing reliable correlation with human breast cancer inhibition. We outline the computational methods that were tried and used along with the experimental information that led to the successful completion of this research.
Blastic Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Neoplasm with Extensive Cutaneous and Central Nervous System Involvement

Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic neoplasm is an exceedingly rare tumor that has undergone several changes in nomenclature over the last two decades, largely because of confusion regarding its cell of origin. It does, however, have distinctive clinical features with a particularly aggressive clinical course and no standard treatment. Overall, prognosis is poor and relapse is routine after initial response to chemotherapy. In this report, we describe a typical patient with this disease and reconcile the available literature and its evolution. We emphasize the leukemic nature of this tumor’s behavior, with extensive central nervous system and skin involvement, and describe for the first time a potential role for maintenance chemotherapy in its treatment.
Likelihood approaches for the invariant density ratio model with biased-sampling data

The full likelihood approach in statistical analysis is regarded as the most efficient means for estimation and inference. For complex length-biased failure time data, computational algorithms and theoretical properties are not readily available, especially when a likelihood function involves infinite-dimensional parameters. Relying on the invariance property of length-biased failure time data under the semiparametric density ratio model, we present two likelihood approaches for the estimation and assessment of the difference between two survival distributions. The most efficient maximum likelihood estimators are obtained by the em algorithm and profile likelihood. We also provide a simple numerical method for estimation and inference based on conditional likelihood, which can be generalized to k-arm settings. Unlike conventional survival data, the mean of the population failure times can be consistently estimated given right-censored length-biased data under mild regularity conditions. To check the semiparametric density ratio model assumption, we use a test statistic based on the area between two survival distributions. Simulation studies confirm that the full likelihood estimators are more efficient than the conditional likelihood estimators. We analyse an epidemiological study to illustrate the proposed methods.
The Role of the State in Shaping Things Economic

I Have found it necessary to deal speculatively rather than historically with the subject assigned to me. The assembly and the organization of facts presuppose principles of organization and criteria of relevancy. As yet these have not been formulated. Until this lack is repaired, therefore, speculation is bound to swamp history.
Teaching a Larger "Sense of Community"

In this commentary, I summarize three teaching practices that nurture the democratic dispositions of students. The common element in these pedagogies is extending youths’ interactions with others whose backgrounds differ from theirs and broadening youths’ perspectives about the interdependence of their fates with the fates of others.