cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Computational Interspecies Translation Between Alzheimer's Disease Mouse Models and Human Subjects Identifies Innate Immune Complement, TYROBP, and TAM Receptor Agonist Signatures, Distinct From Influences of Aging.

Mouse models are vital for preclinical research on Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathobiology. Many traditional models are driven by autosomal dominant mutations identified from early onset AD genetics whereas late onset and sporadic forms of the disease are predominant among human patients. Alongside ongoing experimental efforts to improve fidelity of mouse model representation of late onset AD, a computational framework termed Translatable Components Regression (TransComp-R) offers a complementary approach to leverage human and mouse datasets concurrently to enhance translation capabilities. We employ TransComp-R to integratively analyze transcriptomic data from human postmortem and traditional amyloid mouse model hippocampi to identify pathway-level signatures present in human patient samples yet predictive of mouse model disease status. This method allows concomitant evaluation of datasets across different species beyond observational seeking of direct commonalities between the species. Additional linear modeling focuses on decoupling disease signatures from effects of aging. Our results elucidated mouse-to-human translatable signatures associated with disease: excitatory synapses, inflammatory cytokine signaling, and complement cascade- and TYROBP-based innate immune activity; these signatures all find validation in previous literature. Additionally, we identified agonists of the Tyro3 / Axl / MerTK (TAM) receptor family as significant contributors to the cross-species innate immune signature; the mechanistic roles of the TAM receptor family in AD merit further dedicated study. We have demonstrated that TransComp-R can enhance translational understanding of relationships between AD mouse model data and human data, thus aiding generation of biological hypotheses concerning AD progression and holding promise for improved preclinical evaluation of therapies.
Borderless Empire: Dutch Guiana in the Atlantic World, 1750-1800: Bram Hoonhout, (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2020), 280 pages; ISBN 9780820356082; hardback $59.95

Scholarship on the early modern Dutch Atlantic has been on the rise in recent years. Lured by rich and largely unexplored archives about West Africa and the Caribbean, English-speaking scholars are...
Optical Bistability Without Optical Feedback and Absorption-Related Nonlinearities

We consider several means for obtaining optical bistability without specific optical feedback. We show recent results on absorption-induced optical bistability in single-crystal ZnSe waveguides. We also describe some recent results on the absorption saturation in GaAs/GaAlAs multiple quantum well materials grown by Metalorganic Chemical Deposition.
Visual outcomes of age-related macular degeneration patients undergoing intravitreal ranibizumab monotherapy in an urban population: letter to the editor.

Dear editor In their recently published manuscript entitled “Visual outcomes of age-related macular degeneration patients undergoing intravitreal ranibizumab monotherapy in an urban population” Basheer et al1 reported on the prospectively acquired results of 123 eyes (106 patients) treated for 2 years with ranibizumab as needed. Visual acuity (VA) outcomes from this series were summarized by the following statement: “Although our results, and those from other clinical settings, do not quite match the degree of vision preservation and gain as the large clinical trials, they are not dramatically dissimilar”.1 Unfortunately, the authors provide no statistical analysis to support this statement. The important visual outcomes – loss of <15 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) letters and gain of ≥15 ETDRS letters – at both 1 and 2 years were summarized by the authors in their Table 2. To directly compare the VA changes from CATT,2 MARINA,3 and ANCHOR4 with the present study, I have recreated the table (Table 1) and added the probability results (χ2 test of each trial versus the present study). Table 1 The major visual acuity outcomes of the Basheer et al1 study compared with those from three pivotal ranibizumab trials Contrary to the concluding statement by the authors, significant differences exist between the present study and the pivotal trials. Maintenance of VA (loss of <15 letters) was significantly better in CATT2 and ANCHOR4 trials at 12 months, but the results tended to equilibrate among all the studies by 24 months. Patients were significantly more likely to improve by at least 15 letters at both 1 and 2 years in all the three pivotal trials (except for CATT2 at 12 months). The pro re nata regimen described by the authors effectively maintains VA for over 2 years, but compared to monthly therapy it reduces the patient’s likelihood of achieving a meaningful (15 letters) improvement in VA. These findings resemble CATT2 and IVAN5 where discontinuous therapy produced significantly inferior VA gains at 2 years compared to continuous therapy. Physicians should carefully weigh these important VA differences against the needs of the patient when deciding between continuous and discontinuous therapy for neovascular age-related macular degeneration.
Metabolism of pyridinium precursors of pyridine nucleotides in perfused rat liver.

Abstract The uptake and metabolism of nicotinic acid, nicotinamide, and quinolinic acid at physiological concentrations by perfused rat liver have been studied. At a level of 400 mµmoles per liver, nicotinic acid was a more effective precursor of NAD than was nicotinamide. Labeled NAD in the liver reached maximum levels 10 min after nicotinic acid was added to the perfusate. When nicotinamide was the substrate, methylated compounds were the major products identified. The absence of labeled nicotinamide mononucleotide as well as nicotinic acid mono- and dinucleotides precludes the possibility of choosing between the deamidation of nicotinamide or its direct incorporation into NAD. With large doses (1 mmole) of nicotinic acid the NAD level in the liver decreased, whereas NAD increased 2.5-fold during perfusion with nicotinamide (2 mmoles). Quinolinic acid was not a good precursor of NAD because of its limited uptake by the liver. During perfusion quinolinate transribosylase was released from the liver and catalyzed the decarboxylation of quinolinic acid as 5-phosphoribosyl-1-pyrophosphate became available.
Theories of Child Development

Theories of child development and personality formation have their roots in the shared beliefs of Western man—those tacit assumptions and simple explanations of human behavior that are as old as recorded history. The systematic attempt to build, and scientifically verify, sets of explanatory hypotheses is, however, less than a century old. The formulation of the principles of what Heider (1958) called naive psychology and their critical examination and elaboration have given rise to various schools of psychology. Even a cursory glance at the history of any science reveals that with the passage of time and long struggle, untidy hypotheses are replaced by more rigorously scientific ones, and initially vague concepts and definitions are sharpened and clarified. In psychology, scientific formulations and concepts are still in the developing stage, so that no single theory has managed to make the rival theories obsolete.
Shoot to Stun

This New York Times op-ed piece argues that the recent Heller opinion, recognizing a constitutional right under the Second Amendment for a person to hold a loaded firearm in their house, does not have the broad practical implications for greater firearm use that many people seem to assume. It is the criminal law in each state that controls the use of a firearm for defensive force, not the Second Amendment, and those provisions uniformly limit defensive firearm use in dramatic ways. Indeed, as non-lethal weapons become more effective and more available, the use of firearms, which by law constitute lethal force, become increasingly less justifiable under current law.
Reliability and validity of clinician ECG interpretation for athletes.

Background Electrocardiogram (ECG) with preparticipation evaluation (PPE) for athletes remains controversial in the United States and diagnostic accuracy of clinician ECG interpretation is unclear. This study aimed to assess reliability and validity of clinician ECG interpretation using expert-validated ECGs according to the 2010 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) interpretation criteria. Methods This is a blinded, prospective study of diagnostic accuracy of clinician ECG interpretation. Anonymized ECGs were validated for normal and abnormal patterns by blinded expert interpreters according to the ESC interpretation criteria from October 2011 through March 2012. Six pairs of clinician interpreters were recruited from relevant clinical specialties in an academic medical center in March 2012. Each clinician interpreted 85 ECGs according to the ESC interpretation guidelines. Cohen and Fleiss’ kappa, sensitivity, and specificity were calculated within specialties and across primary care and cardiology specialty groups. Results Experts interpreted 189 ECGs yielding a kappa of 0.63, demonstrating “substantial” inter-rater agreement. A total of 85 validated ECGs, including 26 abnormals, were selected for clinician interpretation. The kappa across cardiology specialists was “substantial” and “moderate” across primary care (0.69 vs 0.52, respectively, P < 0.001). Sensitivity and specificity to detect abnormal patterns were similar between cardiology and primary care groups (sensitivity 93.3% vs 81.3%, respectively, P = 0.31; specificity 88.8% vs 89.8%, respectively, P = 0.91). Conclusions Clinician ECG interpretation according to the ESC interpretation criteria appears to demonstrate limited reliability and validity. Before widespread adoption of ECG for PPE of U.S. athletes, further research of training focused on improved reliability and validity of clinician ECG interpretation is warranted.
Extracellular Nuclease in the Genus Lactobacillus

Several species and strains of lactobicilli, Bacillus coagulans, and Sporolactobacillus inulinus produced detectable amounts of extracellular nuclease which hydrolyzed ribonucleic acid and deoxyribonucleic acid.
Exploring the influence of ionospheric O+ outflow on magnetospheric dynamics dependence on the source location

[1] Heavy ions of ionospheric origin (O+) play an important role in altering global magnetospheric dynamics. While the heavy ions mainly originate from the dayside cusp and the nightside auroral region, the impact of these heavy ions on magnetospheric dynamics has not been differentiated. Controversy also remains on the role of heavy ions on tail stability and their energization mechanism in the magnetosphere. Two global MHD simulations are carried out to investigate the influence of heavy ion outflow from different source regions on reconnection rates, tail stability, and ring current energization. The local reconnection rate at the subsolar point and the total dayside reconnection rate are reduced after the outflow begins, but the decrease is more significant when the outflow comes out of the cusp region. Furthermore, the magnetotail is more disturbed when heavy ions flow out of the dayside cusp region as opposed to the nightside auroral zone. This implies that the role of O+ on tail stability is not definitively positive or negative; instead, the location of the source of heavy ions may be important in determining tail dynamics. Finally, the simulation reveals that the heavy ions originating from the dayside cusp region experience first adiabatic heating while traveling from the tail reconnection site toward the Earth and then further energization caused by flow braking near the outer boundary of the ring current.
Neurofibromatosis Type I (NF1)

Neurofibromatosis type I (NF1) is a common, autosomal dominant condition that manifests as multiple cafe-au-lait spots, peripheral nerve sheath tumours, optic nerve pathway tumours, orthopaedic abnormalities and learning disabilities. The gene for NF1 encodes neurofibromin, a RasGTPase activating protein (RasGAP) that activates the intrinsic GTPase of Ras and negatively regulates its role in signal transduction. As a tumour suppressor, inactivating mutations in NF1 lead to increased intracellular Ras signalling. Other components of the Ras-MAP (mitogen-activated protein) kinase pathway are now known to be involved in other genetic conditions including Noonan syndrome, Costello syndrome, Cardio-facial-cutaneous syndrome and Legius syndrome. NF1 is a neurocutaneous disorder that is a paradigm for many principles in the practice of medical genetics: variable clinical expressivity, penetrance, pleiotropy, age-dependent clinical expression and mosaicism. The development of inhibitors of the Ras-MAPK pathway, and other Ras-connected pathways, opens new avenues of therapeutic intervention for myriad complications of this disorder. Key concepts Tumour suppressor: The NF1 gene loosely fits the paradigm of the “two-hit” model of tumour suppressor in that somatic inactivation of a haploinsufficient gene in a subset of cells leads to tumour development. Variability of clinical expressivity: NF1 demonstrates multiple phenotypes, even in the same family where all affected individuals have the identical gene mutation. Age-related penetrance: The clinical manifestations of NF1 arise at different ages and the condition is fully penetrant in adults. Genomic structure: The NF1 gene is traditional in its gene structure, yet there are unique features including embedded genes transcribed in the opposite orientation and multiple disease-causing translocation breakpoints. Value of diagnostic criteria: NF1 is one of the few genetic conditions that can be diagnosed by the application of seven diagnostic criteria. Mosaicism: NF1 has a high sporadic incidence, and somatic mutations occurring in early pregnancy can lead to a mosaic clinical presentation evident by skin manifestations. Positional cloning: The NF1 gene was identified by application of genetic and physical mapping techniques. Animal models: Animal models, particularly the conditional mice, have been instrumental in furthering our understanding of this condition. Integration of kinase pathways: The Ras-MAPK pathway is integrated in the intracellular network of signalling that includes growth factor receptors at the cell membrane. Pathophysiology: The understanding of the biochemical pathway and processes leading to tumour formation have led to the design and application of specific therapeutics that would not otherwise have been considered in the treatment of NF1. Keywords: cafe-au-lait spots; neurofibroma; autosomal dominant; variable expressivity; Ras signal transduction
Optimization of Outside Air Cooling in Data Centers

Airside economizers in data centers introducing outside air directly in cold aisles or at CRAC level have been considered recently to reduce overall energy to cool IT equipment. However, such designs limit the operational envelope of free cooling based on the required supply air temperature to the IT equipment. More studies are required to optimize airside economizer layouts to increase the operation time and hence, increase the energy savings. This paper presents a case study of different outside air delivery configurations including outside air introduced in cold aisles, in plenum close to CRAC units’ supply side, at return side of CRAC units and in hot aisles. The temperature and flow fields are studied numerically and are compared to each other. Mixing of the cooler outside air with the hot air is studied to determine optimal local distribution of the outside air in a non-homogeneous data center to maximize natural cooling. The paper also quantifies the annual average performance of the outside air infrastructure to include the effects of the seasonal variations in the ambient temperature.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Behaviors associated with tube-sharing in Microdeutopus gryllotalpa (Costa) (Crustacea:Amphipoda)

An earlier study showed that the onset of precopulatory behavior, or tube-sharing, in the amphipod crustacean Microdeutopus gryllotalpa (Costa) generally occurred toward the end of the females' intermolt period. Tube-sharing ended when the female molted and copulation occurred. It was hypothesized that after copulation the male would leave the female's tube, travel to another receptive female's tube, and begin tube-sharing with the new female (the “cruising male hypothesis”). The present study confirms this hypothesis for laboratory cultures. In addition, the study describes a female-typical and male-specific behavior (“blocking” and “intermittent pleopod beats”). These behaviors are only expressed during interactions between one individual who is entering, and another individual who is residing in the tube.
Flame-retarding vinyl polymers using phosphorus-functionalized styrene monomers

Abstract Organohalogen compounds, principally brominated aromatics, continue to be the largest selling flame retardants worldwide. However, there is increasing concern about the bioaccumulation and potential toxicity of these compounds. Consequently, there is great interest in the development of effective alternatives to these materials. Organophosphorus compounds seem to offer the most promise as replacements for halogen-containing flame retardants. One approach to flame-retarding vinyl polymers is to develop reactive monomers containing high levels of phosphorus which may be incorporated directly into the polymer structure. Five phosphorus monomers for use in making fire-retardant copolymers with styrene have been synthesized. A comparative study of the thermal stability of the copolymers has been conducted. Preliminary potential fire behavior data have been obtained using pyrolysis combustion flow calorimetry.
α1-antichymotrypsin is present in and synthesized by the cornea

The proteinase inhibitor alpha 1-antichymotrypsin is present in the epithelial, stromal and endothelial layers of the human cornea. This was determined by immunolocalization in corneal sections and by Western blot analysis of extracts from the three separated layers. The inhibitor was quantified in the extracts by immunodot blot analysis. The levels observed were 1.3 +/- 0.3 microgram/cornea for the epithelial layer, 22.8 +/- 3.8 micrograms/cornea for the stromal layer and an average of 0.17 micrograms/cornea for the endothelial layer. alpha 1-Antichymotrypsin is being synthesized by the cornea. Metabolically labeled inhibitor was immunoprecipitated from the three layers following organ culture of the intact cornea. Two major forms were detected. These were the native, mature 64 kDa form and a 50 kDa form which is either a degradation product or an incompletely glycosylated form. These results indicate that the cornea has the ability to locally control degradation through synthesis of this inhibitor. Local synthesis of this inhibitor releases the cornea from total dependance upon the vascular system for its supply of alpha 1-antichymotrypsin.
Wavefunction methods for noncovalent interactions

Noncovalent interactions remain poorly understood despite their importance to supramolecular chemistry, biochemistry, and materials science. They are an ideal target for theoretical study, where interactions of interest can be probed directly, free from competing secondary interactions. However, the most popular tools of computational chemistry are not particularly reliable for noncovalent interactions. Here we review recent works in wavefunction-based quantum chemistry techniques aimed at greater accuracy and faster computations for these systems. We describe recent developments in high-accuracy benchmarks, a variety of recent wavefunction methods with promise for noncovalent interactions, various approximations to speed up these methods, and recent advances in wavefunction-based symmetry-adapted perturbation theory, which provides not only interaction energies but also their decomposition into physically meaningful components. Together, these advances are currently extending robust, accurate computations of noncovalent interactions from systems with around one dozen heavy atoms up to systems with several dozens of heavy atoms. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
PS3-8: Identification of Severe Cutaneous Reactions and Genomic Risk Factors in Users of Antiepileptic Drugs

Background/Aims Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) are rare, life-threatening cutaneous reactions that may occur following exposure to certain medications, including antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). No reliable incidence estimates of SJS/TEN for US populations have been calculated since the introduction of ICD-9 codes specific for SJS/TEN in October 2008. This study seeks to: 1) investigate the incidence of SJS/TEN using retrospective case identification, 2) test the positive predictive values of ICD-9 codes prior-/post-October 2008, and 3) pilot the feasibility of conducting a population-based pharmacogenomic study.
Isolation of NADH Oxidation System from the Plasmalemma of Corn Root Protoplasts

A plasmalemma-bound NADH oxidation system (Lin 1982 Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 79: 3773-3776) in corn root protoplasts was isolated by a mild treatment of intact protoplasts with trypsin. The majority of NADH stimulated O(2) consumption activity of the protoplasts could be recovered in the supernatant isolated from the intact protoplasts which have been treated with trypsin. The activation energy of NADH oxidation in the supernatant is similar to that of the intact protoplasts (8.7 versus 9.4 kilocalories per mole per degree). Unlike that of the intact protoplasts, an Arrhenius plot of the temperature response (from 5 to 25 degrees C) of the activity in the supernatant shows no transition suggestive of a dissociation of the enzyme from the membrane. Trypsin treatment did not affect K(+) uptake into cell volume of the protoplast. However, the NADH-stimulated K(+) uptake and the increase of cell volume were greatly reduced. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of trichloroacetic acid-precipitated protein from the supernatant showed one extra peptide band with approximately 42 kilodalton molecular weight.
Criteria of unresectability and the decision‐making process

Determination of the exact criteria for resectability in patients with cholangiocarcinoma and how they are most efficiently evaluated has many limitations. Among many factors taken into account in this decision-making process are: the condition of the patient, the biology of the disease, and the technical expertise of the surgeon and hospital. An attempt is made here to organize recommendations for the work-up of patients and the main criteria for resectability as best possible, keeping in mind that there will always be some limited room for exceptions, especially if the biology is favorable. Work-up and determination of resectability for patients with distal cholangiocarcinoma are more straightforward than at the other two sites of the disease (perihilar and peripheral). In general, these follow the same principles as those for other periampullary carcinomas (pancreas, ampullary, and duodenal). The work-up and determination of resectability for patients with peripheral cholangiocacrcinoma can be relatively straightforward if the lesion is away from the hilus of the liver and does not involve a significant proportion of parenchyma, but can be problematic if it is more central or very large. Patients with perihilar cholangiocarcinomas are perhaps the most challenging, as factors such as patient condition, biology of the disease, local involvement of the major vessels and bile ducts at the hilum, and the future liver remnant all have a bearing in the decision-making process.
Clustering multivariate time‐series data

A new methodology for clustering multivariate time-series data is proposed. The new methodology is based on calculating the degree of similarity between multivariate time-series datasets using two similarity factors. One similarity factor is based on principal component analysis and the angles between the principal component subspaces while the other is based on the Mahalanobis distance between the datasets. The standard K-means clustering algorithm is modified to cluster multivariate time-series datasets using similarity factors. Simulation data from two nonlinear dynamic systems: a batch fermentation and a continuous exothermic chemical reactor, are clustered to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed technique. Comparisons with existing clustering methods show several advantages of the proposed method. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Strategic planning in large US corporations ― a survey

Abstract This study presents the results of a survey of strategic planning systems in 174 US Firms. The sample included different industries from the manufacturing, utilities and insurance sectors. The purpose of this survey was to update our knowledge and to provide new insights on a number of strategic planning parameters such as: planning period, organizational structure of strategic planning, role of the corporate planning staff, and role of the CEO (chief executive officer) in the planning process. Findings indicate that there is a trend towards slightly shorter planning periods. Information on the role of the CEO suggested that CEOs and other corporate line officers are assuming more personal responsibility for strategic planning. In addition, firm characteristics are found to bear strongly upon the role and involvement of both the corporate planning staff and the CEO in the planning process.
Mirror Control System For The University Of California Technical Demonstration Prototype

The University of California's Ten Meter Telescope project is currently working toward a hardware demonstration of the proposed segmented mirror control system. A prototype with a full size morror is being fabricated to prove the hardware and software concepts while providing hands-on experience with full scale equipment fabrication, testing, installation and operation. A brief derivation of the response function of the system is given, utilizing the calculated mechanical behavior of the mirror support with measured wind power spectra as the forcing function. Design parameter values are then established for the mirror control loop. The dynamic measurement and control computer system is described.
SU-F-BRD-12: Prostate Cancer Dose Escalation Including Lymph Nodes: A Planning Study

Purpose: Dose escalation improves local control for prostate cancer but not overall survival (OS), only systemic therapy such as ADT can improve OS. One explanation is that occult diseases in the lymph nodes (LNs) are either not treated, or treated at inadequate level. This study explores dose escalation using IMRT with reduced margins. Methods: 14 previously treated patients were selected. The CTV1 includes prostate and seminal vesicles, and CTV2 includes pelvic LNs. OARs include rectum, bladder, small bowel, femoral heads, and penile bulb. Reference plan (RP) was designed to follow RTOG-0521, with 10 mm margin for PTVs. In phase I, both PTVs are prescribed to 1.8 Gy/fx for 26 fractions. In phase II, PTV1 is boosted for another 16 fractions. In dose escalation plans (DEPs), margins from 0 to 10 mm are added to form PTVs, which are prescribed to 1.8 Gy/fx for 42 fractions. 95% of PTVs are covered by prescription. Results: The CTV1/CTV2 has volume of 63±20 and 415±132 cc. To keep bladder Dmean same as in RP, margin must be ≤6 mm in DEPs. Similarly, margin needs to be ≤7 mm for rectum Dmean. For small bowel, even at margin of 0, Dmean and EUDs on DEPs are higher than RP, because RP was also IMRT. Instead, QUANTEC criteria of “45Gy volume<195cc” was adopted. 6/14 patients fail this criteria in RP. For the remaining 8 patients, margins of ≤7(3) mm are necessary for 6(2) patients, respectively. Conclusion: To escalate LNs to full dose, planning margins need to be ≤6 mm to achieve same tolerance for rectum and bladder. A large variation in patient anatomy exists for small bowel and dose escalation was possible for half of patients with ≤6 mm margin. Investigations of whether and how ≤6 mm margin can be achieved through image guidance are needed.
Social Non-Conformists in Forster’s Italy: Otherness and the Enlightened English Tourist.

Recent years have seen increasing attention to E.M. Forster’s approach to issues of race and ethnicity, including how Forster’s oeuvre advances problematic views of foreign cultures. Nevertheless, the criticism on Forster’s Italian novels has lagged behind, with readers continuing to emphasize how Where Angels Fear to Tread (1905) and A Room with a View (1908) valorize Italian culture and undermine prejudiced assumptions of English cultural superiority. This article considers the portrayal of English social non-conformists in Forster’s Italy, individuals whose interactions with Italian people and landscapes inspire them to develop new ways of approaching class and gender as well as nation and ethnicity. I reveal that while the Italian novels use this trope of the non-conformist to stress a foreign culture’s power to generate reform at home, they also overemphasize the cultural difference that separates Italy from England, indulging in primitivist, patronizing depictions of Italian spaces and people. The novels also exhibit a problematic narrative impulse in sacrificing their Italian characters for the benefit of Englishmen and Englishwomen, imagining the lives and especially the deaths of Italians as a tool for enlightening the English tourist. This discontinuity in Forster exemplifies the persistent essentialization of Italy in twentieth-century Anglo-American fiction.
Vacuum-polarization corrections to solar-fusion rates

The vacuum-polarization (VP) corrections to rates for nuclear-fusion reactions in the pp chain and in the CNO cycle are calculated. For the reactions of particular importance to the solar-neutrino problem, the 3He(3He,2p)4He, 3He(α,γ)7Be, 7Be(p,γ)8B, and 14N(p,γ)15O reactions, we find the magnitude of the effect to be less than 2%. The effect of VP on all the other reaction rates is expected to be of a similar order of magnitude. We discuss how these results affect the predicted fluxes of solar neutrinos.
USEFULNESS OF AORTIC VALVE CALCIFICATION MEASURED BY COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY TO PREDICT HEMODYNAMIC PROGRESSION OF AORTIC STENOSIS

Prediction of Aortic Stenosis (AS) progression is crucial for follow-up and surgical timing. Aortic valve calcification (AVC) measured by Multi Detector Computed Tomography (MDCT) is a fundamental measure of AS lesion severity but it is uncertain whether it predicts faster AS progression. 227 AS
A Review of Three Select Rangeland and Pastureland Quantitative Inventory Methods and Determining Estimated Stocking Rates

On the Ground In this article, I provide general guidance for conducting select methods for quantifying principally herbaceous standing crop on rangelands and pasturelands, but also quantifying current year's shrub growth on rangelands. I discuss estimating by weight units, double-sampling, and harvesting methods. I also discuss the 1/100th-acre extended plot for determining current year’s growth of medium to large shrubs on rangelands and determining the estimation of stocking rates for rangeland and pastureland. This article demonstrates how to determine the estimation of stocking rates for rangeland and pastureland. The conservation application of my article is to provide field personnel with sound quantitative methods for determining approximate standing crop of forage plants, in pounds per acre, for the express purpose of determining a current and defensible grazing capacity of a farm, ranch, or unit of public land.
Neuropsychological approaches for the detection and evaluation of toxic symptoms.

The purpose of this paper is 3-fold: a) to review briefly the neuropsychological tests that have been used to evaluate the effects of neurotoxicants; b) to identify individual factors that may create heightened sensitivity to neurotoxicants; and c) to discuss test parameters that will increase the sensitivity of neuropsychological tests for detecting symptoms in low-level exposure situations. While the body of literature on neurobehavioral toxicology has increased dramatically during the past 10 years, it remains difficult to discern which tests are most effective in detecting behavioral effects even among workers with significant exposures. Few investigators have evaluated the interactions between individual differences, such as gender and psychiatric function, and exposure to neurotoxicants. Detection of behavioral performance decrements among uniquely susceptible populations such as those with sensitivities to low-level exposures (e.g., multiple chemical sensitivities) will require more difficult tests than are frequently used in current neuropsychological test batteries.
THE SMALL PYRAMIDAL NEURON OF THE RAT CEREBRAL CORTEX The Axon Hillock and Initial Segment

The axon of the pyramidal neuron in the cerebral cortex arises either directly from the perikaryon or as a branch from a basal dendrite. When it arises from the perikaryon, an axon hillock is present. The hillock is a region in which there is a transition between the cytological features of the perikaryon and those of the initial segment of the axon. Thus, in the hillock there is a diminution in the number of ribosomes and a beginning of the fasciculation of microtubules that characterize the initial segment. Not all of the microtubules entering the hillock from the perikaryon continue into the initial segment. Distally, the axon hillock ends where the dense undercoating of the plasma membrane of the initial segment commences. Dense material also appears in the extracellular space surrounding the initial segment. The initial segment of the pyramidal cell axon contains a cisternal organelle consisting of stacks of flattened cisternae alternating with plates of dense granular material. These cisternal organelles resemble the spine apparatuses that occur in the dendritic spines of this same neuron. Axo-axonal synapses are formed between the initial segment and surrounding axon terminals. The axon terminals contain clear synaptic vesicles and, at the synaptic junctions, both synaptic complexes and puncta adhaerentia are present.
Why Is It Now

Adolf Grunbaum, following J. J. C. Smart, has argued that the A-Theory of time is untenable due to its inability to answer the question, uniquely attending the A-theory, as to why it is now 2000. I argue, however, that Grunbaum's explication of the question's meaning makes the question a triviality. But there may be lurking here a somewhat different question, which is meaningful on a A-Theory of time, the answer to which may have surprising implications concerning the past infinitude of time.
Cell-Specific Dual Role of Caveolin-1 in Pulmonary Hypertension

A wide variety of cardiopulmonary and systemic diseases are known to lead to pulmonary hypertension (PH). A number of signaling pathways have been implicated in PH; however, the precise mechanism/s leading to PH is not yet clearly understood. Caveolin-1, a membrane scaffolding protein found in a number of cells including endothelial and smooth muscle cells, has been implicated in PH. Loss of endothelial caveolin-1 is reported in clinical and experimental forms of PH. Caveolin-1, also known as a tumor-suppressor factor, interacts with a number of transducing molecules that reside in or are recruited to caveolae, and it inhibits cell proliferative pathways. Not surprisingly, the rescue of endothelial caveolin-1 has been found not only to inhibit the activation of proliferative pathways but also to attenuate PH. Recently, it has emerged that during the progression of PH, enhanced expression of caveolin-1 occurs in smooth muscle cells, where it facilitates cell proliferation, thus contributing to worsening of the disease. This paper summarizes the cell-specific dual role of caveolin-1 in PH.
Influence of Steric and Electronic Properties of the Defect Site, Lanthanide Ionic Radii, and Solution Conditions on the Composition of Lanthanide(III) α1-P2W17O6110- Polyoxometalates

This study identifies the principles that govern the formation and stability of Ln complexes of the (α1-P2W17O61)10- isomer. The conditional stability constants for the stepwise formation equilibria, K1cond and K2cond, determined by 31P NMR spectroscopy, show that the high log K1cond/log K2cond ratio predicts the stabilization of the 1:1 Ln/ (α1-P2W17O61)10- species. The value of log K1cond increases as the Ln series is traversed, consistent with the high charge/size requirement of the basic α1 defect site. The conditional stability constants, K2, are very low and are highly dependent on the countercations in the buffer. The source of the instability is understood from the crystal structures of the early−mid lanthanide analogues, where the close contact of the (α1-P2W17O61)10- units result in severe steric encumbrance. The electronic properties of the α1 defect along with the lanthanide ionic radii and countercation composition are important parameters that need to be considered for a rational synthesis o...
Creative Use of Sibling Play Therapy: An Example of a Blended Family

Sibling relationships are important in children's development (Edward, 2011). In today's changing society, families often include stepsiblings who are trying to find their roles in a new family system. In this article, we describe our creative approaches in counseling sessions with a sibling group from a blended family. The process of two counselors working together is described, as are three semistructured activities that are particularly appropriate for sibling groups. The case example is used throughout the article to illustrate the process of the interventions described.
Image distortions in a mercury resonance ionization imaging detector

Abstract The recently developed mercury Resonance Ionization Imaging Detector (RIID) has potential in many fields of imaging science. However, when high accelerating voltages ( >5 kV ) are employed in the initial stage of detection, severe spatial image distortions are observed. This effect is most noticeable after extended periods of RIID operation (10–25 min). In this study, we attribute these distortions to surface charging effects of the input window. The magnitude of the surface charging, and thus the degree of image distortion, is shown to be related to the accelerating voltages applied. Methods for neutralizing the charging effects are discussed.
Thyrotropin-releasing hormone--CNS action to stimulate gastric acid secretion.

Much physiological and pharmacological evidence has accumulated to suggest that the autonomie nervous system has an important role in the peripheral modulation of gastric secretion1, although the neurochemical mediators in the brain which initiate or modulate autonomie input are poorly understood1–4. Recently, the demonstration that some oligopeptides present in mammalian brain act in the central nervous system (CNS) to influence profoundly glucoregulation5, thermoregulation6,7, blood pressure8,9, sympathetic outflow9–11, muscular activity of gut12,13 and stress-induced gastric haemorrhagic lesions14 have led us to examine a possible role for some of these endogenous brain oligopeptides as chemical messengers involved in the CNS modulation of gastric secretion. We report here that thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) acts within the CNS to elicit a vagus-dependent stimulation of gastric acid secretion.
Simulation of elastic filaments interacting with a viscous pulsatile flow

Abstract Motivated by the need to understand the motion of ruptured atherosclerosis plaque fragments in a flowing blood, we simulated flexible elastic filaments interacting with a viscous pulsatile flow in two dimensions using the immersed boundary method. Our simulations show that (1) a flexible horizontal filament positioned perpendicularly to the flow is a stable configuration and (2) hydrodynamical forces prevent adhesion of filaments but mutual interaction of vortical fields yields clustering of filaments into groups that may be called “aggregation”.
MTBE Synthesis on Partially Alkali-Exchanged HY Zeolites

Abstract The influence of the acid strength of zeolites upon gas-phase formation of MTBE from methanol and isobutene was studied detached from other parameters such as structure, framework composition, and site density. A series of partially ion-exchanged HY zeolites which had been ion-exchanged to the same extent by Li, Na, and Rb was used, yielding materials with similar concentrations of protons but different acid strengths. All zeolites exhibited similar initial activities for the formation of MTBE at temperatures below 100°C, although for other acid-catalyzed reactions such as 1-butene isomerization an increase in the activities with increasing acid strength of the zeolites had been previously observed. Steady-state activities, however, were found to be strongly influenced by the different deactivation behavior of the investigated samples. For the partially Rb-exchanged sample, blockage of pores (probably by isobutene oligomers) caused an expressed decrease in rate of reaction during the first 30 min on stream. The presence of excess methanol in the pores is regarded as a possible cause for the similarity of the initial reaction rates.
The Sleep Duration and Sleep Satisfaction of College Students: Striking Changes over the Last Decade (1978–1988):

Adjunct to our on-going research on the behavioral correlates of the habitual sleep durations of college students, we noticed that during our initial screening for these studies, it seemed increasingly difficult to identify an adequate number of longer-sleepers who were satisfied with their sleep. This study was designed to measure the possibility that both the quantity and quality of the self-reported sleep of college students had changed over the last decade. To do this, we reanalyzed data from 1,489 college students obtained for an earlier study (Hicks, Pellegrini, Hawkins, & Moore, 1978) and we collected an identical set of data from a sample of 734 college students during the FalJ of 1988. Both samples were asked to respond to a questionnaire that asked for self-reports of their average nightly sleep duration and whether they were typically satisfied with their sleep. The data derived from these observation periods indicate a striking change has occurred in both the quantity and the quahty of the sleep of college students at our university. Specifically, we found that from 1978 to 1988 mean sleep duration had been reduced by about 30 rnin. per night (i.e., in 1978, M=7.30f .86 hr., and in 1988, M=6 .82 f 1.04 hr., with t = 10.91, p < .0001). Further, in 1988 we noted that the number of students who reported dissatisfaction with their sleep had more than doubled from the 1978 level (i.e., in 1978, 24.4% reported dissatisfaction and in 1988, 53.4% reported dissatisfaction (x,' = 184.69, p<.OOOl). Our data suggest that both the quantity and the quality of the sleep of college students has declined substantially over this decade. We hope that others with similar research interests, who have saved their data, will test the generalizability of these results.
Behavioral dependence on phencyclidine in rats.

Abstract The abuse of PCP continues to be an important medical problem in many urban areas. The probability that dependence on PCP may contribute to its compulsive use and relapse is supported by animal studies demonstrating its dependence liability. In the present study, five rats were housed in operant chambers and trained to respond on a lever under a fixed-ratio 30 schedule of food presentation. They obtained all their daily food during four 30-min response periods occurring every 6 hr. After stable baselines of behavior were established the rats were injected with PCP (3.0–7.5 mg/kg/injection), i.p., 1 hr before each response session for 7–10 days. Following chronic dosing, the drug injections were replaced with saline injections for 10 days. Disruptions in behavior were observed upon cessation of relatively brief chronic exposure to PCP (as little as 7 days) and at relatively low doses (5.6 mg/kg/6 hr = 22.4 mg/kg/day). The behavioral disruption was not accompanied by overt signs of abstinence and persisted for up to 48 hr.
De novo structural prediction of transition metal complexes: application to technetium.

De novo structural prediction of transition metal complexes is investigated. Technetium complexes are chosen given their importance in medical imaging and nuclear waste remediation and for the chemical diversity they display. A new conformational searching algorithm (LIGB) for transition metals is described that allows one to search for different conformational and geometric isomers within a single simulation. In the preponderance of cases, both conformational searching techniques (LIGB and high-temperature molecular dynamics/simulated annealing) provide comparable results, while LIGB is superior for macrocyclic complexes. A genetic algorithm-optimized PM3(tm) parametrization for Tc is compared with the standard implementation and found to yield a significant improvement in predictive ability for the most prevalent Tc structural motifs. The utility of a coupled molecular mechanics−semiempirical quantum mechanics protocol is demonstrated for very rapid, efficient, and effective de novo prediction of transi...
Database Security for the Web

Abstract Securing databases requires IS managers to have the utmost attention paid to all kinds of breaches of security, within and outside the organizations. Dynamic page generation and cookies are two of the newer issues that cause IS managers to be forever open to new ways of solving security problems.
A Reliabilist Foundationalist Coherentism

While Process Reliabilism has long been regarded by many as a version of Foundationalism, this paper argues that there is a version of Process Reliabilism that can also been seen as at least a partial vindication of Coherentism as well. The significance of this result lies in what it tells us both about the prospects for a plausible Process Reliabilism, but also about the old-school debate between Foundationalists and Coherentists.
Anti-cancer potential of gold complexes

A full range of gold compounds is currently being investigated for their potential as anti-tumor agents. Gold(I) compounds related to the anti-arthritic drug $${\rm Auranofin}^\circledR$$ continue to attract attention, especially those carrying biologically active molecules with anti-tumor activity in their own right. Tetrahedrally coordinated gold(I) compounds, that possibly target mitochondria, are under development with a particular focus upon moderating their hydrophilicity. A resurgence of interest in square-planar gold(III) compounds has occurred in the last decade. A wide variety of species: mono- and di-nuclear, neutral and charged, coordination and organometallic, etc. are being developed. Supporting many investigations are studies of mechanistic aspects of gold compounds but a clear understanding of the mechanism of action of these compounds has yet to be delineated.
The RCS of a rectangular microstrip patch in a substrate-superstrate geometry

A general scattering formula is derived for an arbitrary resonant conductive body within a layered medium, which shows that the body radar cross section (RCS) is directly related to the radiation efficiency of the body. The radar cross section of a rectangular microstrip patch antenna in a lossy substrate-superstrate configuration is then investigated as a specific case. Results are presented to show the effects of loss in the substrate, a lossless superstrate, and a lossy superstrate. >