cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neurobehavioral effects of Δ9-THC and cannabinoid (CB1) receptor gene expression in mice

The differential sensitivity following the administration of delta 9-THC to 3 mouse strains, C57BL/6, DBA/2 and ICR mice, indicated that some of the neurobehavioral changes may be attributable to genetic differences. The objective of this study was to determine the extent to which the cannabinoid (CB1) receptor is involved in the observed behavioral changes following delta 9-THC administration. This objective was addressed by experiments using: (1) DNA-PCR and reverse PCR; (2) systemic administration of delta 9-THC, and; (3) intracerebral microinjection of delta 9-THC. The site specificity of action of delta 9-THC in the brain was determined using stereotaxic surgical approaches. The intracerebral microinjection of delta 9-THC into the nucleus accumbens was found to induce catalepsy, while injection of delta 9-THC into the central nucleus of amygdala resulted in the production of an anxiogenic-like response. Although the DNA-PCR data indicated that the CB1 gene appeared to be identical and intronless in all 3 mouse strains, the reverse PCR data showed two additional distinct CB1 mRNAs in the C57BL/6 mouse which also differed in pain sensitivity and rectal temperature changes following the administration of delta 9-THC. It is suggested that the diverse neurobehavioral alterations induced by delta 9-THC may not be mediated solely by the CB1 receptors in the brain and that the CB1 genes may not be uniform in the mouse strains.
Single-unit responses to 22 kHz ultrasonic vocalizations in rat perirhinal cortex

Rats emit ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) as social signals in several situations. Lesion studies have shown that rat perirhinal cortex (PR), a polymodal sensory region that is reciprocally connected with the amygdala, is critical for normal fear conditioning to so-called “22 kHz USVs”. Here we evaluated single-unit responses in rat PR to 22 kHz USVs and other acoustic stimuli. One question was whether PR circuits are specifically and preferentially tuned, prior to fear conditioning, to respond to USVs and USV-like stimuli. Two 22 kHz USVs were pre-recorded from different conspecifics. Each USV consisted of a “bout” of several discrete calls. Using experimentally-naive rats, single-unit responses to the USVs were compared with responses to continuous or discontinuous tones that had the same root frequency as the USVs (19 or 22 kHz). The on/off patterns of the discontinuous tones were temporally-matched to the call structure in the corresponding USVs. Compared to continuous tones, the USVs were no more likely to elicit single-unit firing changes in PR. On the other hand, the continuous tones and USVs clearly did elicit different firing patterns in many units. More specifically, the USVs sometimes elicited a transient increase in discharge frequency to each call in a bout of calls. Interestingly, the USVs and the temporally-matched tone segments usually elicited similar firing patterns. The USV-elicited firing pattern in PR thus appears to be controlled by the on/off temporal structure of the calls rather than by the frequency or amplitude modulations associated with each call in a bout of calls.
Introduction: Jewish culture in the age of globalisation

The categories of the ‘global’ in Jewish culture are a controversial source of discussion. Are these positive or negative ways of seeing ‘Jewish’ difference? The Manchester conference, ‘Jewish Culture in the Age of Globalisation’, in 2008 was an attempt to mirror these discussions and seek new and creative ways of understanding the ‘global’ as a productive category in examining Jewish culture.
Concentration-Induced Stress Effects in Diffusion of Vapors Through Polymer Membranes

There are two types of anomalous diffusion of vapors in solid polymers which are held to be due to swelling. If the latter is seen as strain, then there must be an accompanying stress which can affect the nature and magnitude of diffusion. The theories of diffusion in polymers are examined in light of the network theory of Larche and Cahn. Their formalism is used to solve permeation and sorption in polymer membranes to illustrate the general features of the elastic effects, particularly the time-dependent nature of the solubility. That “anomalous” effects will be present is without doubt, considering the concurrent nature of the added elastic effects. However, the present calculations fail to unearth any behavior similar to the case II diffusion. An order of magnitude estimate has been provided which shows that the effects of elasticity are usually significant in rubbery or amorphous glassy polymers where the anomalous effects occur.
On Error Minimization in a Sequential Origin of the Standard Genetic Code

Distances between amino acids were derived from the polar requirement measure of amino acid polarity and Benner and co-workers' (1994) 74-100 PAM matrix. These distances were used to examine the average effects of amino acid substitutions due to single-base errors in the standard genetic code and equally degenerate randomized variants of the standard code. Second-position transitions conserved all distances on average, an order of magnitude more than did second-position transversions. In contrast, first-position transitions and transversions were about equally conservative. In comparison with randomized codes, second-position transitions in the standard code significantly conserved mean square differences in polar requirement and mean Benner matrix-based distances, but mean absolute value differences in polar requirement were not significantly conserved. The discrepancy suggests that these commonly used distance measures may be insufficient for strict hypothesis testing without more information. The translational consequences of single-base errors were then examined in different codon contexts, and similarities between these contexts explored with a hierarchical cluster analysis. In one cluster of codon contexts corresponding to the RNY and GNR codons, second-position transversions between C and G and transitions between C and U were most conservative of both polar requirement and the matrix-based distance. In another cluster of codon contexts, second-position transitions between A and G were most conservative. Despite the claims of previous authors to the contrary, it is shown theoretically that the standard code may have been shaped by position-invariant forces such as mutation and base content. These forces may have left heterogeneous signatures in the code because of differences in translational fidelity by codon position. A scenario for the origin of the code is presented wherein selection for error minimization could have occurred multiple times in disjoint parts of the code through a phyletic process of competition between lineages. This process permits error minimization without the disruption of previously useful messages, and does not predict that the code is optimally error-minimizing with respect to modern error. Instead, the code may be a record of genetic process and patterns of mutation before the radiation of modern organisms and organelles.
Rejoinder: Fiction! At least the whisper goes so

If any statement underscores the difference between my reading (Whaley, 1993) of Myerhoff (1978) and Atkinson's, it is, "Myerhoff is present in the text as a participant and as an interlocutor. The 'voice of the anthropologist ' is muted" (Atkinson, 1993, p. 54). There is probably nothing remarkable about this passage to a sober critic, but to one prone to postmodern premises, it offers an opportunity for frivolity. From the serenity of the tone, this declaration by Atkinson, delivered nearly as an obiter dictum, assumes a description of the relationship among author, character, and incident commonplace enough within ethnographic narrative, or narrative of any kind, to be unworthy of theoretical attention. To puzzle about this relationship is to stir up sediment. We readers, Atkinson tells us, have little difficulty in understanding Myerhoff 's use of this particular convention of reporting ethnographic results. In an attempt to get at authenticity, she elected to gives us a first-person narrative of her experience, eschewing the formal, abstract reportage of the professional anthropologist found in some journals. Simple enough. But still, I ' m not satisfied. And "muted" sounds my disquietude. The grammatical force of "muted" is ambiguous in the sentence. "Muted" in the phrase "is muted" keeps its adjectival form but implicates enough of the action of a progressive verb to confound the reader. In what sense is this anthropological voice muted? Has it been silenced altogether? The verbal nature of the word would suggest so. But as an adjective, the word denotes the softening of a voice still audible. I bring this up not to remind Atkinson how absolute knaves can be, but to say again that this ambiguity may be unavoidable and at the center (we postmoderns prefer the margins, but I will have more to say of this shortly) of what I was attempting to get at in "Ethnography or Fiction" (Whaley, 1993). What I said in the essay bears repeating:
Development of an Automated Roughness Estimation Algorithm for Sidescan Imagery

Estimations of seafloor clutter (also called mine-like echoes) and roughness (bottom relief) are needed during mine warfare operations to determine seafloor type for a geographic region of interest. Analysts at the Naval Oceanographic Office estimate bottom clutter and roughness from sidescan sonar imagery (SSI). However, detecting clutter and determining roughness manually is often time consuming and can produce inconsistent results. The Naval Research Laboratory has developed an algorithm to automatically derive seafloor roughness from SSI. In repeated trials, results of the automated roughness algorithm correlated well (as high as 87%) with manual roughness estimations.
Characterization and Optimization of a Direct Injection Nebulizer for Introduction of Organic Solvents and Volatile Analyte Species into an Inductively Coupled Plasma

A direct injection nebulizer (DIN) is evaluated as a means of introducing organic solvents and volatile analyte species into an inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometer (ICP-AES). The DIN used in this work differs in several important aspects from a commercially available DIN, after which it is patterned. When used for flow injection analysis, the DIN exhibits a long-term precision of about 4% RSD while nebulizing pure organic solvents. Under normal operating conditions, detection limits are generally an order of magnitude worse in organic solvents than in water, but they can usually be improved by using higher forward powers and viewing higher in the plasma. Measurements of the atom/ion line intensity ratios of copper under various conditions indicate that a large but nearly constant degree of plasma cooling exists when organic solvents are nebulized. When compared to a Meinhard nebulizer-ICP system, the DIN-ICP system gives more uniform response towards different chemical species of the same element, even when great differences in volatility exist between the species.
Efficiency and reproducibility of the right ventricular long axis imaging plane for the evaluation of right ventricle

Methods Thirty-four clinical cardiac MRI exams that contained two cine bFFE stacks one in the SAX orientation, the second aligned with the horizontal long axis of the RV (RVHLA) were evaluated. Two radiologists independently derived RV volumes on each of these two cine stacks of images for the 34 exams. Readers recorded the number of slices needed and the time required to manually draw the endocardial contours to perform the RV functional analysis for each cine stack. The resulting RV functional metrics obtained included the end diastolic volume (EDV), end systolic volume (ESV), and ejection fraction (EF). The number of slices, analysis time, and the RV metrics were then compared between readers and between imaging planes (SAX vs RVHLA).
Identification and preliminary SAR studies of (+)-Geodin as a glucose uptake stimulator for rat adipocytes.

(+)-Geodin (1) was isolated from Penicillium glabrum AJ117540 with activity that stimulates glucose uptake by rat adipocytes. Unlike insulin it is active in the presence of wortmannin. Dihydrogeodin (2) and sulochrin (3) which are the precursors of (+)-geodin biosynthesis were also isolated from the same fungus. Preliminary SAR studies of 1 showed some analogues had enhanced activity. Especially, the activities of racemic geodin and dibromo analogue (7a) were comparable to that of the natural product.
Augmenting Synthetic Aperture Radar with Space Time Adaptive Processing

Wide-area persistent radar video offers the ability to track moving targets. A shortcoming of the current technology is an inability to maintain track when Doppler shift places moving target returns co-located with strong clutter. Further, the high down-link data rate required for wide-area imaging presents a stringent system bottleneck. We present a multi-channel approach to augment the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) modality with space time adaptive processing (STAP) while constraining the down-link data rate to that of a single antenna SAR system. To this end, we adopt a multiple transmit, single receive (MISO) architecture. A frequency division design for orthogonal transmit waveforms is presented; the approach maintains coherence on clutter, achieves the maximal unaliased band of radial velocities, retains full resolution SAR images, and requires no increase in receiver data rate vis-a-vis the wide-area SAR modality. For N t transmit antennas and N samples per pulse, the enhanced sensing provides a STAP capability with N t times larger range bins than the SAR mode, at the cost of O(log N) more computations per pulse. The proposed MISO system and the associated signal processing are detailed, and the approach is numerically demonstrated via simulation of an airborne X-band system.
Increased Leptin Resistance as Rats Grow to Maturity

Three or eight-month-old Sprague-Dawley rats were treated intracerebroventricularly (ICV) with 5 microg of rat leptin/d for 5 days to determine the effect of age on leptin's actions in ingestive behavior, adipose tissue cellularity, organ weights, body composition, and blood metabolite profile. Effects of leptin on food intake were greater in young immature rats (22.0 vs. 5.7 g/d) than in mature rats (17.4 vs. 9.3 g/d) with a leptin x age interaction (P< 0.01). Leptin results in body weight loss (P < 0.001) by 19% and 9% in young and mature rats, respectively. Water intake was reduced by leptin treatment only in young animals (P< 0.001). The decrease in carcass weight by leptin treatment (P < 0.001) was observed in both young (22%) and mature rats (9%). Leptin treatment greatly reduced retroperitoneal (0.82 vs. 0.11 g, P < 0.05) and epididymal fat weight (1.90 vs. 0.48 g, P < 0.003), associated with a reduction in total adipocyte cell number, DNA content, and cellular volume in young rats; however, there were no effects of leptin in the mature rats. In addition, young rats also displayed a 60% loss of carcass lipid content. An increase in serum fatty acid levels by leptin treatment was observed also only in young rats (P< 0.001). An interaction of leptin by age that was observed for the reduction of serum glucose levels by leptin treatment (P < 0.04) further indicated that mature rats showed a leptin insensitivity compared to young rats. In summary, the data suggest that normal rats become resistant to leptin as they age.
SURFACTANT PROPHYLAXIS AS IMMEDIATE BOLUS (IB) VERSUS POST-VENTILATORY ALIQUOTS (PVA): A MULTICENTER RANDOMIZED TRIAL. † 1311

SURFACTANT PROPHYLAXIS AS IMMEDIATE BOLUS (IB) VERSUS POST-VENTILATORY ALIQUOTS (PVA): A MULTICENTER RANDOMIZED TRIAL. † 1311
Multiscale Characterization of Nanocomposites Fabricated by Copulverization of Epoxy Resin and Nanoclay

Effect of nanoclay on the thermo-mechanical properties of BT250E-1 epoxy resin is investigated. Nanocomposite parts containing 0, 2 and 10wt. % of Cloisite® 30B nanoclay are fabricated by copulverization of nanoclay with epoxy resin at −25°C. Desired amounts of solid epoxy resin and nanoclay are placed into a grinder and copulverized for 20 seconds. The resulting fine powder is then cured using an APA2000 rheometer by using the time-temperature profile provided by the resin supplier. Five disk-shaped parts for each nanoclay content are fabricated. Two rectangular samples are cut out from each disk and used for characterization of mechanical properties and microstructure. Glass transition temperature is observed to deteriorate by 5% and 10% with the addition of 2 and 10wt. % nanoclay, respectively. Three-point bending test results indicate up to 28% improvement in flexural stiffness whereas flexural strength is observed to degrade by 57% over the range of nanoclay loading. Scanning electron microscopy indicates extensive nanoclay agglomeration. In order to characterize the nanoclay cluster morphology, several scanning electron micrographs are captured at 500x magnification. Nanoclay clusters and their size distribution are then identified by digital image processing. It is found that the average cluster size is 2-fold higher at nanocomposites containing 10wt.% nanoclay compared to 2wt.%. Transmission electron microscopy indicates several nanovoids trapped in the intra-cluster regions. The existence of these voids is also verified by density measurements of the cured samples of the epoxy with and without nanoclay. The reduction observed in the flexural strength is believed to be due to these nanovoids and nanoclay agglomeration.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Selegiline transdermal system: a novel treatment option for major depressive disorder.

Background: The use of monoamine oxidase inhibitors has declined owing to the risk of hypertensive crisis following the consumption of tyramine-rich foods and the consequent need for dietary tyrami...
Protein phosphatase 1 β paralogs encode the zebrafish myosin phosphatase catalytic subunit.

Background The myosin phosphatase is a highly conserved regulator of actomyosin contractility. Zebrafish has emerged as an ideal model system to study the in vivo role of myosin phosphatase in controlling cell contractility, cell movement and epithelial biology. Most work in zebrafish has focused on the regulatory subunit of the myosin phosphatase called Mypt1. In this work, we examined the critical role of Protein Phosphatase 1, PP1, the catalytic subunit of the myosin phosphatase. Methodology/Principal Findings We observed that in zebrafish two paralogous genes encoding PP1β, called ppp1cba and ppp1cbb, are both broadly expressed during early development. Furthermore, we found that both gene products interact with Mypt1 and assemble an active myosin phosphatase complex. In addition, expression of this complex results in dephosphorylation of the myosin regulatory light chain and large scale rearrangements of the actin cytoskeleton. Morpholino knock-down of ppp1cba and ppp1cbb results in severe defects in morphogenetic cell movements during gastrulation through loss of myosin phosphatase function. Conclusions/Significance Our work demonstrates that zebrafish have two genes encoding PP1β, both of which can interact with Mypt1 and assemble an active myosin phosphatase. In addition, both genes are required for convergence and extension during gastrulation and correct dosage of the protein products is required.
The international epidemiology of child sexual abuse

Surveys of child sexual abuse in large nonclinical populations of adults have been conducted in at least 19 countries in addition to the United States and Canada, including 10 national probability samples. All studies have found rates in line with comparable North American research, ranging from 7% to 36% for women and 3% to 29% for men. Most studies found females to be abused at 1 1/2 to 3 times the rate for males. Few comparisons among countries are possible because of methodological and definitional differences. However, they clearly confirm sexual abuse to be an international problem.
Use of Commercial Record Linkage Software and Vital Statistics to Identify Patient Deaths

We evaluate the ability of a microcomputer program (Automatch) to link patient records in our hospital's database (N = 253,836) with mortality files from California (N = 1,312,779) and the U.S. Social Security Administration (N = 13,341,581). We linked 96.5% of 3,448 in-hospital deaths, 99.3% for patients with social security numbers. None of 14,073 patients known to be alive (because they were subsequently admitted) was linked with California deaths, and only 6 (0.1%) of 6,444 were falsely identified as dead in the United States file. For patients with unknown vital status but items in the database likely to be associated with high 3-year mortality rates, we identified death records of 88% of 494 patients with cancer metastatic to the liver, 84% of 164 patients with pancreatic cancer, and 91% of 126 patients with CD4 counts of less than 50. Hospital data can be accurately linked with state and national vital statistics using commercial record linkage software.
Area-efficient pipelining for FPGA-targeted high-level synthesis

Traditional techniques for pipeline scheduling in high-level synthesis for FPGAs assume an additive delay model where each operation incurs a pre-characterized delay. While a good approximation for some operation types, this fails to consider technology mapping, where a group of logic operations can be mapped to a single look-up table (LUT) and together incur one LUT worth of delay. We propose an exact formulation of the throughput-constrained, mapping-aware pipeline scheduling problem for FPGA-targeted high-level synthesis with area minimization being a primary objective. By taking this cross-layered approach, our technique is able to mitigate the pessimism inherent in static delay estimates and reduce the usage of LUTs and pipeline registers. Experimental results using our method demonstrate improved resource utilization for a number of logic-intensive, real-life benchmarks compared to a state-of-the-art commercial HLS tool for Xilinx FPGAs.
Racial Stratification and the Durable Tangle of Neighborhood Inequality

This article revisits neglected arguments of the Moynihan Report to yield insights for a contemporary understanding of racial inequality in American cities. The author argues that the logic of Moynihan's reasoning implies three interlinked hypotheses: (1) the tangle of “pathology,” or what today we call social dislocations, has a deep neighborhood structure, as does socioeconomic disadvantage; (2) the tangle of neighborhood inequality is durable and generates self-reinforcing properties that, because of racial segregation, are most pronounced in the black community; and (3) neighborhood “poverty traps” can ultimately only be broken with government structural interventions and macro-level policies. Examining longitudinal neighborhood-level data from Chicago and the United States as a whole, the author finds overall support for these hypotheses. Despite urban social transformations in the post-Moynihan era, neighborhoods remained remarkably stable in their relative economic standing. Poverty is also stubbor...
Metabolomics Insights Into Pathophysiological Mechanisms of Interstitial Cystitis

Interstitial cystitis (IC), also known as painful bladder syndrome or bladder pain syndrome, is a chronic lower urinary tract syndrome characterized by pelvic pain, urinary urgency, and increased urinary frequency in the absence of bacterial infection or identifiable clinicopathology. IC can lead to long-term adverse effects on the patient's quality of life. Therefore, early diagnosis and better understanding of the mechanisms underlying IC are needed. Metabolomic studies of biofluids have become a powerful method for assessing disease mechanisms and biomarker discovery, which potentially address these important clinical needs. However, limited intensive metabolic profiles have been elucidated in IC. The article is a short review on metabolomic analyses that provide a unique fingerprint of IC with a focus on its use in determining a potential diagnostic biomarker associated with symptoms, a response predictor of therapy, and a prognostic marker.
A Theory of Secondary Teachers’ Adaptations When Implementing a Reading Intervention Program:

This study examined the causes and consequences of secondary teachers’ adaptations when implementing a research-based reading intervention program. Interview, observation, and artifact data were collected on five middle school intervention teachers, leading to a grounded theory composed of the core component, reconciliation through adaptation, and four component concepts: program features, teacher qualities, contextual characteristics, and individual student needs. Findings indicated the most skilled implementers’ adaptations capitalized on their professional strengths and the strengths of the intervention to provide students with more engaging and responsive instruction. Implications for future research and practice in the implementation of reading intervention programs for secondary students with disabilities are discussed.
Non-linear tests for identifying differentially expressed genes or genetic networks

Motivation: One of the recently developed statistics for identifying differentially expressed genetic networks is Hotelling T2 statistic, which is a quadratic form of difference in linear functions of means of gene expressions between two types of tissue samples, and so their power is limited. Results: To improve the power of test statistics, a general statistical framework for construction of non-linear tests is presented, and two specific non-linear test statistics that use non-linear transformations of means are developed. Asymptotical distributions of the non-linear test statistics under the null and alternative hypothesis are derived. It has been proved that under some conditions the power of the non-linear test statistics is higher than that of the T2 statistic. Besides theory, to evaluate in practice the performance of the non-linear test statistics, they are applied to two real datasets. The preliminary results demonstrate that the P-values of the non-linear statistics for testing differential expressions of the genetic networks are much smaller than those of the T2 statistic. And furthermore simulations show the Type I errors of the non-linear statistics agree with the threshold used and the statistics fit the χ2 distribution. Contact: hxiong@cs.tamu.edu Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available on Bioinformatics online.
The Sex Chromosome Trisomy mouse model of XXY and XYY: metabolism and motor performance

Klinefelter syndrome (KS), caused by XXY karyotype, is characterized by low testosterone, infertility, cognitive deficits, and increased prevalence of health problems including obesity and diabetes. It has been difficult to separate direct genetic effects from hormonal effects in human studies or in mouse models of KS because low testosterone levels are confounded with sex chromosome complement. In this study, we present the Sex Chromosome Trisomy (SCT) mouse model that produces XXY, XYY, XY, and XX mice in the same litters, each genotype with either testes or ovaries. The independence of sex chromosome complement and gonadal type allows for improved recognition of sex chromosome effects that are not dependent on levels of gonadal hormones. All mice were gonadectomized and treated with testosterone for 3 weeks. Body weight, body composition, and motor function were measured. Before hormonal manipulation, XXY mice of both sexes had significantly greater body weight and relative fat mass compared to XY mice. After gonadectomy and testosterone replacement, XXY mice (both sexes) still had significantly greater body weight and relative fat mass, but less relative lean mass compared to XY mice. Liver, gonadal fat pad, and inguinal fat pad weights were also higher in XXY mice, independent of gonadal sex. In several of these measures, XX mice also differed from XY mice, and gonadal males and females differed significantly on almost every metabolic measure. The sex chromosome effects (except for testis size) were also seen in gonadally female mice before and after ovariectomy and testosterone treatment, indicating that they do not reflect group differences in levels of testicular secretions. XYY mice were similar to XY mice on body weight and metabolic variables but performed worse on motor tasks compared to other groups. We find that the new SCT mouse model for XXY and XYY recapitulates features found in humans with these aneuploidies. We illustrate that this model has significant promise for unveiling the role of genetic effects compared to hormonal effects in these syndromes, because many phenotypes are different in XXY vs. XY gonadal female mice which have never been exposed to testicular secretions.
Alkaline phosphatase activity and regulation in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre

Alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity (APA) was measured at several stations in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre in July 2008, and in a series of nutrient addition experiments: nitrate plus ammonium (+N) or phosphate (+P), to study APA regulation and to evaluate the capacity of picoplankton organisms (i.e., in the 0.2–2-mm size range) to access the AP-hydrolyzable fraction of dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP). The data indicated a primary limitation of the biomass by nitrogen. Both total (measured with a soluble DOP analog) and cell-specific (measured with the enzyme-labeled fluorescence [ELF] phosphate cell labeling method) APA were enhanced in the +N samples and reduced in the +P samples, suggesting that DOP is an important resource for picoplankton nutrition. Cell-free APA represented . 65% of the APA in all samples, but its contribution to total APA significantly decreased in the +N treatment as microbial biomass increased. In the +N treatment, , 5% and up to 96% of the cells in the heterotrophic bacteria-enriched and picophytoplankton-enriched fractions, respectively, were ELF-alcohol–labeled after 5 d. Following N enrichment, the microbial assemblage shifted from cell-free phosphatase dominated under N limitation and P stress (i.e., physiological response) to picophytoplankton-based phosphatase dominated under P limitation (i.e., production or growth rate limitation). If, as predicted, the ocean evolves towards P limitation, DOP availability would become of major importance to sustain productivity.
Hormonal control of rat testicular phospholipids.

The percentage of total lipids, specifically the nonphosphatides, of the rat testis was observed to increase gradually after hypophysectomy. LH or FSH+LH, injected biweekly starting one day after surgery and continued for 20 days, maintained the concentration of the nonphosphatides in the total lipid at a normal value. The concentration of phospholipids in the testes was not significantly changed by hypophysectomy providing the rats were not handled or injected with saline, but the concentrations of the individual phospholipids were changed regardless of the conditions. Administration of FSH +LH maintained the normal concentration of phospholipid in the testis, but no single treatment maintained normal concentrations of all the individual phospholipids in the testis. FSH maintained the concentration ofcardiolipins and partially maintained phosphatidyl ethanolamine and phosphoinositides. LH maintained the concentration of the phosphatidyl ethanolamine and phosphoinositides. FSH+LH maintained the concentrat...
Regioselective transformation of ciprofloxacin to N‐acetylciprofloxacin by the fungus Mucor ramannianus

A strain of the saprobic fungus Mucor ramannianus, isolated from a forest, was used to demonstrate the potential for ciprofloxacin biotransformation by zygomycetes in the environment. The fungus carried out the regioselective N-acetylation of ciprofloxacin to a single product, which was purified from culture extracts by high-performance liquid chromatography. The metabolite was identified by mass and nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry as 1-cyclopropyl-6-fluoro-1,4-dihydro-4-oxo-7-(4-acetyl-1-piperazinyl)-3-quinolinecarboxylic acid.
Structure and phason energetics of Al-Co decagonal phases

Abstract We develop a model for Al-Co decagonal quasicrystals and approximants. Our model defines a large number of potential atomic positions. These sites are populated by two atomic that interact with each other through electronic-structure-based pair potentials. Monte Carlo simulation of the model produces realistic atomic configurations for Al-Co alloys in the temperature and composition ranges where a metastable decagonal quasicrystal exists. The resulting structures generally consist of packings of space by pentagonal bipyramid clusters. Projections of the centres of these clusters form tilings of hexagons, boats and stars. We identify atomic displacements associated with phason fluctuations. We note a distinction between ‘simple’ phason hops involving predominantly Al atom motion and ‘collective’ phason flips that transport the Co atoms.
Stock returns' sensitivities to crisis shocks: Evidence from developed and emerging markets

Abstract We consider three “crisis shocks” related to key features of the 2007–2008 crisis, for emerging and developed economies: (1) the collapse of global trade, (2) the contraction of credit supply, and (3) selling pressure on firms’ equity. Using an international cross-section of firms, we find that returns’ sensitivities to these shocks imply large and statistically significant influences on residual equity returns during the crisis period (after controlling for normal risk factors that are associated with expected returns). Similar analysis for several placebo periods shows that these effects are generally less severe or absent in non-crisis periods. Relative to developed economies, emerging markets are more responsive to global trade conditions (in crisis and in placebo periods), but less responsive to selling pressures. An analysis of portfolios of firms during various placebo periods indicates that investors are not compensated for the risks associated with the crisis shocks. Finally, a month-by-month analysis of returns during the crisis period shows that the time variation of the importance of each of the sensitivities to shocks tracks related changes in the global economic environment.
Societal Change, Managed Cost Organizations, and Clinical Social Work Practice

ABSTRACT The decrease of autonomy in social work practice is the result of societal trends that include the rise of technology and massive restructuring of organizations. These trends are reflected in the emergence of managed cost organizations as an efficiency movement that has not been monitored. Ethical, practice, supervision, and professional issues are explored in the context of increasing control of clinical social work practice dictated by managed cost organizations.
Cheating: student attitudes and practical approaches to dealing with it

The preliminary results of educational research conducted at Kettering University is described in which students in an introductory engineering materials course (MFGE-370) were asked to complete a survey on their perceptions of cheating. The overall objective of the research was to determine those things students believed constituted cheating, the frequency to which they cheat and their attitudes about what steps could be taken to curtail cheating within a course. Practical approaches to effectively dealing with cheating are also discussed including using learning objectives for writing fair tests, promoting group work through cooperative learning teams, holding review sessions before tests and building a good rapport with students. Data were gathered from 65 students in two offerings of the course.
Dynamic Homogenization of Acoustic Metamaterials with Coupled Field Response

Abstract Acoustic metamaterials (AMM) are heterogeneous materials with dynamic subwavelength structures that can generate useful effective responses of interest to ultrasonic imaging applications such as negative refraction and zero index. Traditional effective medium models fail to capture details of frequency dependent AMM response and can give non-causal properties. This work derives non-local expressions for effective properties for an infinite periodic lattice of heterogeneities in an isotropic fluid using conservation of mass and momentum and the equation of state. The resulting model correctly predicts a causal effective material response by considering coupling between the ensemble-averaged volume strain and momentum fields.
Engineered Nanocomposites for Additive Manufacturing of Microwave Electronics

Four types of high-permittivity and low-loss composite substrates based on a Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomer host matrix, and Cyclo-Olefin Polymer (COP) reinforced by Ba0.55Sr0.45TiO3 and MgCaTiO2 micro-fillers, with volume loading concentration up to 49%, have been prepared and characterized up to 20 GHz using cavity resonators. The high-k ceramic powders were sintered at temperatures up to 1500°C to further enhance the dielectric properties. The 49% loaded PDMS-Ba0.55Sr0.45TiO3 composites with 1340°C sintered fillers have shown a relative permittivity er of ~23.51 and loss tangent tanδd < 0.047 at frequencies up to 20 GHz. Meanwhile the 39% loaded PDMS-Ba0.55Sr0.45TiO3 composites with 1340°C sintered fillers have shown a relative permittivity er of ~15.02 and loss tangent tanδd < 0.042 at frequencies up to 16 GHz. On the other hand, the 37% loaded PDMS-MgCaTiO2 composites with 1100°C sintered fillers have exhibited relative permittivity er of ~12.19 and loss tangent tanδd < 0.021 at frequencies up...
Restricted maximum likelihood and inference of random effects in linear mixed models

Chapter 4 concerns the restricted maximum likelihood (REML) estimator and some other Bayes-type techniques applied in longitudinal data analysis. Therefore, Bayes’ theorem and Bayesian inference are reviewed first to familiarize the reader with the rationale of various Bayes-type models and methods included in the current and many of the succeeding chapters. Next, the general specifications and inference of the REML estimator are delineated. Two computational procedures are then displayed for the estimation of model parameters described in Chapter 3: the Newton–Raphson (NR) and the Expectation–Maximization (EM) algorithms. The best linear unbiased predictor (BLUP) is then presented, a popular method to approximate the subject-specific random effects in longitudinal data analysis. Corresponding to the specification of BLUP, statistical shrinkage is also introduced, which serves as a powerful statistical technique in linear predictions of longitudinal response outcomes. Lastly, an empirical illustration is provided, in which the analytic results from the ML and REML estimators are compared, and the longitudinal trajectory of the response variable is predicted.
The Effect of Bank Debt and Equity Financing on the Relation between Investment and Financial Reporting Quality

This paper studies how the difference in the demand for accounting information from shareholders and banks affects the relation between financial reporting quality and corporate investment decisions. Ineffective monitoring and capital rationing by shareholders and banks due to information asymmetry may result in a lack of management’s investment responses to changes in growth opportunities. This paper, based upon analysis across twenty-seven countries, shows that financial reporting can reduce these problems and thus increase management's investment sensitivity to changes in growth opportunities. The increase, however, depends on the effectiveness of financial reporting in reducing information asymmetry. Outside shareholders rely on extensive financial reporting to reduce information asymmetry, while bank loan officers use private communication and monitoring channels as their primary information source. Consistent with this argument, I find that industries dependent on equity financing voluntarily disclose more information to satisfy the needs of shareholders, whereas the usefulness of financial reporting in improving investment sensitivity decreases with the level of bank debt financing.
A wireless monitoring system for Hydrocephalus shunts

Patients with Hydrocephalus are usually treated by diverting the excess Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) to other parts of the body using shunts. More than 40 percentage of shunts implanted fail within the first two years. Obstruction in the shunts is one of the major causes of failure (45 percent) and the detection of obstruction reduces the complexity of the revision surgery. This paper describes a proposed wireless monitoring system for clog detection and flow measurement in shunts. A prototype was built using multiple pressure sensors along the shunt catheters for sensing the location of clog and flow rate. Regular monitoring of flow rates can be used to adjust the valve in the shunt to prevent over drainage or under drainage of CSF. The accuracy of the flow measurement is more than 90 percent.
A Look Back at the Defense of Marriage Act Why Same-Sex Marriage Is Still Relevant for Social Work

The social work profession has made a commitment to serve people who are marginalized and address issues at the direct practice level and the policy level. Beyond the Defense of Marriage Act, marriage inequality in the United States negatively impacts millions of individuals and families. A review of the history of same-sex marriage (SSM) and the current state of SSM suggests that actions at the state level continue to have far-reaching negative impacts. Issues of marriage equality and families headed by same-sex couples will require the advocacy and support of social work for decades to come.
Thermal and Pressure Sensing by Chemoreceptive Neuron MOS Transistors (CνMOS) with PVDF Coating

Poled polyvinylidene fluoride trifluoroethylene P(VDF-TrFe) copolymer thin films were integrated with a foundry-compatible sensor structure for use in piezoelectric and pyroelectric transduction. Initial characterization suggests potential for the creation of in-vivo sensor arrays for applications such as laboratory animal blood pressure and tissue swelling monitoring. The chemoreceptive neuron MOS transistor (CνMOS) allows high impedance inputs for charge-based sensing while maintaining an independent bias point. Coupling multiple gate inputs with a single floating node allow for low-power sensor operations.
Photodynamic Therapy (PDT): A Photochemical Slice of Clinical Biophotonics

This presentation will focus on the challenges associated with applying PDT as a theranostic modality for complex disease. Intricacies associated with formulation and drug delivery, dosimetry, and combination therapies that address cancer-sustaining pathways will be discussed. Article not available.
Dilated Azygos Vein Simulating Mediastinal Tumor

The azygos vein may become abnormally dilated in cases of caval obstruction, portal hypertension or cardiac decompensation.Roentgenographic findings may simulate those of an intrathoracic tumor. Carefully performed fluoroscopy, tomography and angiocardiography may prevent an erroneous diagnosis and unnecessary thoracotomy. A case of azygous dilatation resulting from hypoplasia of the vena cava, diagnosed as a mediastinal tumor and surgically explored, is presented.
Discussion on the application of the Long Tail in smart demand construction

Smart grid brings opportunity as well as challenge to power Demand Side Management(DSM).How to improve the utilization efficiency of energy resources with the connection of various renewable energy power generations,is a new task to power DSM.The target and implementer of power DSM in smart grid were analyzed,and the concept of "smart demand" was presented.It was proposed that power utilities should pay more attention to construction of infrastructure and cultivation of smart demand currently.Some suggestions on applying "the Long Tail" were given,which was derived from web-business to construction of smart demand of different classification.It is pointed out that perfect infrastructure and civil participation are requisites to the successful application of "the Long Tail".
Group therapy in the management of manic-depressive illness.

Patients with bipolar affective illness have often been viewed as poor candidates for psychotherapy. In this report we present the results of a long-term psychotherapy group composed exclusively of...
297 HEMOGLOBIN N-BALTIMORE: ANOTHER CAUSE OF FALSE HEMOGLOBIN A1C ESTIMATION.

Estimation of glycohemoglobin (HbA1c) has become a very useful tool in the management of patients with diabetes. It provides an index of long-term glycemic control, which correlates with the development of chronic complications of diabetes. Over 150,000 patients with diabetes are estimated to have hemoglobin (Hb) variants in the United States, but this number may be as high as one-third of all diabetic patients in some parts of the world. Most of the hemoglobinopathies are clinically silent, but some of them may cause biochemical aberrations, which can interfere with assays for HbA1c. Some Hb variants, such as HbS, HbC, and HbF, are known to affect glycohemoglobin assays, but Hb N-Baltimore has not been reported to give false HbA1c estimation. We present a 28-year-old African American woman with a history of diabetes whose diagnosis was based on one abnormal blood glucose level of 180 mg/dL and elevated HbA1c of 8.6%. She was managed on oral antidiabetic agents, but her HbA1c remained elevated despite consistently normal or low blood glucose levels. Repeat HbA1c estimation in another laboratory was not possible because of detected interference with the assay from possible abnormal Hb. Plasma frutosamine level was reported as normal. Hb electrophoresis revealed Hb N-Baltimore. The patient subsequently discontinued all antidiabetic agents and remained in good glycemic control. This case documents Hb N-Baltimore as a cause of false HbA1c measurement in clinical medicine. The implication of this phenomenon in patients with diabetes is obvious. It underscores the need to use blood glucose levels rather than HbA1c estimation in the diagnosis of diabetes. Second, when there is disparity between blood glucose measurement and HbA1c estimation, an alternative to glycohemoglobin measurement, such as frutosamine, should be considered for the monitoring of long-term glycemic control. Hb electrophoresis should also be done to confirm or exclude an Hb variant as the etiology of a false HbA1c result. Lastly this case demonstrates that clinicians should be aware of the method for estimating HbA1c in their institutions and how this could be affected by the Hb variants. Interaction between clinicians and laboratory personnel is to be encouraged as this would be helpful in the management of cases such as the one presented here.
Chromatin-bound and free forms of poly(adenylic acid) polymerase in rat hepatic nuclei.

Abstract Isolated rat hepatic nuclei were shown to contain poly(A) polymerase in two distinct physiologically active forms. One form was associated with the chromatin fraction and was dependent on endogenous RNA, presumably mRNA. The other activity was localized in the nuclear sap in a 'free' form and was stimulated almost 30-40-fold by exogenously added poly(A). Isolated nucleoli were devoid of significant poly(A)-synthesizing activity.